《Legend》 Chapter 1 The intense midsummer sun glared down. Saeki Reiji wiped the sweat off his brow as he waited with his bicycle at a red light. ¡¸It¡¯s hot, or should I say, it¡¯s already hot.¡¹ He bitterly scowled at the sun, as cicadas chirped in the background. Despite the fact that is was only just past 10AM, the temperature had already exceeded 30¡æ. According to the TV, other areas reaching 40¡æ wasn¡¯t uncommon. But for Reiji, who lived in Tohoku¡¯s countryside, 30¡æ was hard. ¡¸In this heat, swimming in the river would be good.¡¹ The next few lines will describe how remote Reiji¡¯s area was. It was a place where you could barely get cellphone reception. It took more than an hour by bicycle to get to the nearest town from home. If you think of a second year high school student¡¯s summer vacation, it¡¯s usually busy with exam study. But Reiji was not worried about that at all. Anyway, few students in Reiji¡¯s high school go on to higher education, most find jobs in the local area. Because of this, Reiji was enjoying the long vacation of his second year in high school, summer vacation retaining its original meaning. Of course homework was given, but he had spent the first first few days of summer vacation finishing that to enjoy the rest of the break. In that time, he received news that a new fiction book he had been looking forward to could be found at a bookstore. Because of that, he had come to town in this hot weather. ¡¸However, will get a little cooler¡­¡­or should I ask Father or Mother to come pick me with the car?¡¹ While grumbling, he waved his T-shirt around to let out the hot air. Even with that said, with this temperature, it¡¯s nothing more than a drop in the bucket. Wiping the sweat that had come out again in the few minutes that he had waited for the red light, he directed his line of sight to the surroundings. Several decades ago this place may have been crowded, now over 60% of shops have closed. Even if he said that many students would find local employment after high school, the number of students has steadily decreased along with the number of children. In fact, some houses near Reiji¡¯s place had already started demolition. ¡¸I wonder if the depopulation will continue.¡¹ Though he said that, it was pointless for him to consider as there wasn¡¯t a particular solution. At the moment he was thinking about that.¡ºIt¡¯s Dangerous, Look Out!¡»A voice shouted out loudly. He reflexively turned his gaze at that direction, a steel frame about 5m away entered his vision¡­¡­it became the last scene Reiji saw in the world. ¡¸Ah¡­¡­finally¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing a voice, Reiji woke up suddenly. Nothing but white space could be seen in the surroundings. It seemed to continue endlessly. ¡¸¡­¡­Where is this?¡¹ The steel frame definitely crushed him¡­¡­he calmly made this strange judgement, he gave a cry as he remembered the moment before before his death. ¡¸I seems you¡¯ve woken up, my successor candidate.¡¹ Turning his consciousness to the voice, a presence automatically came into view. ¡¸A glowing orb?¡¹ Yes, there was a glowing orb about 30cm away from him. As it flickered, a voice came from it. ¡¸I¡¯m a glowing orb, but you are a glowing orb as well, do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡¹ Listening to the words of the glowing orb, he noticed for the first time that his body was also a glowing orb. He certainly didn¡¯t have any hands or feet, he couldn¡¯t sense that he had eyes or ears either. Yet why could he see and hear. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ ¡¸Quiet down, successor candidate. ¡­¡­No, you aren¡¯t confused? As expected of my successor candidate.¡¹ ¡¸Successor? Candidate?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I called your soul to me the moment before it disappeared.¡¹ Reiji thought about the scene where the steel frame was about to hit him before thinking about what the glowing orb said. Certainly, it was unlikely that he had survived the situation. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I certainly¡­¡­should be dead. So here is the so-called afterlife?¡¹ ¡¸No. This is a kind of spirit world between two worlds. I was using my art in search of a successor, and you were caught in it.¡¹ So said the glowing orb in a level tone. Reiji was surprised. ¡¸Is it, that?¡¡You interfered with the law of causality and I got killed?¡¹ In the recent novels, comics, movies and games that Reiji enjoyed, it was a familiar development. ¡­¡­However, he wasn¡¯t happy that it had happened to himself. But in front of him, the glowing orb emitted a voice again while flickering. ¡¸No. My art works when the soul of a person who has the qualifications to be my successor is dying, it is an art that only temporarily moves a person to this spirit world before heading to the afterlife.¡¹ Listening to those words, Reiji¡¯s mood became somewhat lighter. If the contents of what this glowing orb had said was true, his death had nothing to do with the glowing orb.¡­¡­However, that was only if the contents were true. It was a stranger that he had met for the first time¡­¡­it was not possible to confirm if the story of the strange glowing orb was true. With that said, they couldn¡¯t remain like this forever and so Reiji prompted the continuation of the previous point. ¡¸Please continue.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. As I said before, I was trying to invoke an art to find an existence worthy of becoming my successor. And thus you have appeared. Therefore you are a successor candidate.¡¹ ¡¸I was wondering about it from a while ago, but successor of what?¡¹ ¡¸Successor of a magic that is on the brink of disappearing, the successor to the magic called Magic Beast Art.¡¹ The voice muttered somewhat sadly, as the glowing orb flickered. ¡¸When I brought you here, I roughly read your memories. My world is different from your world, there is something called magic. I am a magician with powerful magic power and magic. People in my organization were the same. In my organization, we created what is called the Magic Beast Art.¡¹ ¡¸Since your organization invented it, isn¡¯t its disappearance a major thing?¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t deny it. The prerequisites for this magic is to have a large magic power, because of this, it was difficult for anyone outside of my organization to learn it.¡¹ ¡¸Do I have¡­¡­a large amount of magic power?¡¹ Since a large magic power is a prerequisite for the Magic Beast Art, if he didn¡¯t have a large amount of magic power, he wouldn¡¯t even be considered as a successor. That was what Reiji thought, but the answer from the glowing orb was outside of his expectations. ¡¸You do. To be more precise, a person with more magic power than you probably doesn¡¯t exist in your world.¡­¡­Why was the existence that can only be called a special mutation like you born in a world without magic. Though it is an interesting question, I do not have the time to solve that mystery. Therefore, I want you to listen and judge for yourself.¡¹ After that, this is what the glowing orb talked about. As mentioned earlier, magic exists in the glowing orb¡¯s world. It seemed that the organization which the glowing orb came from was one of best in his world and where top-class magicians were gathered. Though it was only a group of magicians, their war potential was enough to destroy a single country in several hours. In such a place where the best magicians were gathered, the Magic Beast Art, which the glowing orb had previously mentioned, was created. However, because of the massive magic power requirements to use the Magic Beast Art, nobody outside of the organization was able to master it. The unfortunate impact of all the genius magicians gathering in one era was that not a single talented magician appeared in the next generation. In addition, because of the relation it created, the Magic Beast Art could only be used once in a lifetime, this was a major reason why Magic Beast Art did not spread. And of course, even genius magicians have a limited lifespan, 1 died, 2 died, and gradually the number of people decreased. The glowing orb in front of his eyes was the last survivor of the organization, but even his life was nearing its end. He couldn¡¯t stand that the Magic Beast Art that they had invented would vanish just like that. However, there wasn¡¯t a person in that world that could learn the Magic Beast Art. Then, what about other worlds?¡¡With that idea in mind, the glowing orb had used all his magic and life force to execute this last art. He created a spiritual world between worlds and for several hundred years, searched for a soul with the qualifications to inherit the Magic Beast Art. And Reij¡¯s soul was caught in it. ¡¸I see. I roughly understand the circumstances.¡­¡­By the way, what would happen if I refused?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s nothing I can do. You will continue in this state to the afterlife and obtain a new life.¡¹ ¡¸Then say,what happens if I inherit the Magic Beast Art?¡¹ ¡¸In that case, I will become a catalyst for you and I will bestow a new body to you.¡¹ Hearing the words of the glowing orb, Reiji¡¯s glowing orb began to flicker and move. ¡¸¡­¡­Wait a moment, I think I missed something you said. Firstly, what do you mean by catalyst? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s as I said. It¡¯s a necessary procedure to pass my knowledge to you.¡¹ ¡¸That is, it? Will I get a feeling of being fused with you?¡¹ ¡¸No. I¡¯m only a catalyst to the end. My knowledge will be absorbed by you and afterwards I will disappear. However, you won¡¯t change when you absorb me. You are the main core, although there will be some changes.¡¹ At the very minimum, his personality would remain intact, Reiji unintentionally gave a a sigh of relief. Moving on to the next question. ¡¸What about the new body?¡¹ ¡¸You have lost your own body in your world.¡¹ From the glowing orb¡¯s words, he remembered the the steel frame looming in front of his eyes. It was certainly crushed by the steel frame, Reiji was easily able to imagine that his body wasn¡¯t in a decent state. ¡¸Well, that is true.¡¹ ¡¸Therefore, I will fix your soul to a new body that my organization created, using the best magic and techniques.¡¹ ¡¸I understand, a new body.¡¹ ¡¸Also, after you inherit the Magic Beast Art, I will cease to exist. Therefore, everything, magic tools and precious materials, that my organization has gathered will be yours.¡¹ ¡¸The legacy of several hundred years of the world¡¯s most powerful magicians, is it. A perfect start. But, what happens to my magic power with a new body?¡¹ ¡¸There won¡¯t be any problems. Magic power is provided by the soul, it isn¡¯t something that the body possess.¡¹ ¡¸In other words, my large magic power will remain unchanged. In that case, why can¡¯t you revive yourself with that body?¡¹ ¡¸No. My soul and the body have compatibility issues, my soul is already old and worn out. Curiosity and a questioning mind, I have already finished life as a magician as I no longer thirst for the unknown. The knowledge that I pass onto you will tell you. Therefore, I will ask. Do you want to leave, or do you want to inherit our tehniques.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if I refused here, I would just move on to the afterlife. Okay then, I¡¯ll be happy to accept your offer.¡¹ The glowing orb flickered in response to Reiji¡¯s words. ¡¸Thank you. Then let us begin the fusion.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. What should I do?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not difficult. The preparations have already been set in this space. Fusion will automatically occur if I come in contact with you and you will be reconstructed. Your soul will take hold in your new body and you will awake.¡¹ ¡¸I understand¡­¡­do it.¡¹ ¡¸Mmm. Then I will start the fusion.¡¹ While declaring that, the glowing orb moved close to Reiji¡­¡­and they merged. ¡¸Saeki Reji, thank you. I wish you happiness in your new life.¡¹ At the same time the glowing orb said those words, Reiji¡¯s consciousness sank into darkness. Chapter 2 There was a building deep inside a forest. Although huge trees towered around it, soft sunlight still poured onto the building. There were no signs of life in the building, not even a sign of any living creatures. However, strangely, there was no dust on the floors of the building, it was kept in a very clean state. And it was in a room, in this building that Reiji¡­¡­no, the person that was once called Saeki Reiji, woke up. ¡¸¡­¡­Where is this?¡¹ He put his hand on his forehead and thought about it for a few seconds as he looked around. He then nodded as if understanding something. ¡¸I see, I fused with that glowing orb¡­¡­ah, I understand now. It certainly was a fusion. I have gained knowledge. And there¡¯s no doubt this is still my consciousness¡¹ When Reiji looked at the surroundings, he noticed that he was sleeping in a bed. A magic formation had been drawn on the floor, he guessed that the body had been in stasis until some kind of magic had been used a few minutes ago. He got up and wore the clothes that were beside the bed. ¡¸I say, I wonder what this new body is like?¡¹ According to the knowledge he gained, the glowing orb¡¯s name seemed to have been Zepairu Zondo. Reiji found a tub of water and looked at the reflection to see the body Zepairu had prepared. A boy¡¯s face with bright red hair was reflected. It was well shaped and there were no problems with the features, if anything, it could be called beautiful. As for the eye colour, in contrast with the red hair, they were blue. His height was about 165cm, and judging by his face, he looked about 15. As Reiji was 17 in his world, he had grown younger by about 2 years. ¡¸However, based from the knowledge I received from Zepairu, this is an outrageous body.¡¹ According to the knowledge Reiji had recieved from Zepairu¡­¡­this body was something that Zepairu and his organization had created with the best of their magic and techniques. Because the organization had disappeared due to the aging of its members, the body had been subjected to treatment that gave it have eternal youth. Of course, it required a certain level or higher of magic power was required to maintain it. Though the body had eternal youth, it wasn¡¯t immortal. Even with the world¡¯s best magicians gathered, it seems that it wasn¡¯t possible to reach humanity¡¯s dream of true immortality. It was likely that this was their substitute. With the body¡¯s marvelous recovery power, its physical strength seemed to be considerable high. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll leave those things for the time being.¡¹ The performance of his body was pulled out from his knowledge. After gaining an approximate understanding, he then poured water from a jug on a table into a wooden cup, and drank it in one gulp. He suddenly noticed something while quenching his throat with the water. ¡¸Come to think of it, this water is also several hundred years old.¡¹ While saying so, he poured water from the jug into his empty cup again. If the words of Zepairu were correct, he had stayed inside the spiritual world at the intersection between worlds and became a glowing orb for several hundred years in order to find a successor to the Magic Beast Art. This body, the water, clothes and the bed must have been prepared by Zepairu before he became a glowing orb. If it was the organization that had gathered the best magicians, then it might be possible to keep everything in a fresh state, the thought came straight to Reiji. The water was fresh enough that if it was said that it had been drawn from a mountain spring, it would have been believable. Although Reiji lived in the rural Tohoku area and was able to drink fresh water, he felt that there was a difference between heaven and earth when compared with this water. The remainder of the delicious water was finished after he drank a few more cups. ¡¸For now, let¡¯s take a look around this building.¡¹ Though he roughly understood where everything was from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, in the end, it was only what Zepairu knew. He wanted to see with his own eyes to make sure. In the bedroom where Reiji had been sleeping in, there was a bed, table, chairs, a jug and a cup. ¡¸Hmm?¡¡This¡­¡­¡¹ As he looked around the room, Reiji¡¯s eyes caught a picture that had been hung on the wall of the bedroom. 12 people, young and old, were drawn in it. Earth magic, water magic, wind magic, light magic, darkness magic, space-time magic, void magic, summoning magic, alchemy, numerology and ancient magic. There were 12 people led by Zepairu, who used fire magic. The organization which was said to be able to destroy a country in a few hours was, from the knowledge Zeipairu had given Reiji, made up of the magicians depicted in the painting. However, Reiji wasn¡¯t only fascinated by the painting. It was the clothes worn by the person in the painting who used numerology. It was a black school uniform that every junior and senior high school student in Japan wore, additionally, the person in question had black hair and the eyes and features of a Japanese. ¡¸Takumu Suzuno. Numerology master, is it. No matter how I think about it, he¡¯s a fellow countryman.¡¹ From Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, the person named Takumu Suzuno had the characteristic of eternal youth. Reiji¡¯s improved body was created by incorporating the physical characteristics of Takumu Suzuno and the teaching knowledge of Zepairu. ¡¸In that case, excluding Takumu Suzuno and I, are there any other Japanese who came to this world¡­¡­I wonder?¡¹ He thought about it for a few seconds but rejected the idea and shook his head immediately. Even if other Japanese had come to this world to begin with, Aside from his consciousness, he himself wasn¡¯t Japanese anymore. The most he could do would be to talk with that person and reminiscence. ¡¸If he had eternal youth, then why did he die?¡¹ That was worrisome, he pulled out more knowledge again. According to his knowledge, it seems that he was poisoned after being caught in the power struggles of the major powers. Although he was able to escape to Zepairu afterwards, detoxification wasn¡¯t able to be carried out in time¡­¡­that was what had happened. ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s normal in the world of nobility. That can happen if you get caught in the power struggle.¡¹ On a side note, the numerology that Takumu Suzuno used was an original magic he invented, nobody seemed to be able to use it aside from him. It¡¯s ability was to express objects numerically, it wasn¡¯t a magic suited for combat. ¡¸I see. It¡¯s similar to a game where relationships are appraised and analysed with magic.¡¹ TLN: Think of it as a magic that allow you to tell which things would work better together. For those that read King Shura, think of the MC. This seems to have been a completely unknown type of magic in this world, but to Reiji, who loved sub cultures, it was a somewhat understandable ability. ¡¸Well then, for the time being, this room is fine. Next is the laboratory.¡¹ With a pattering sound, he walked barefoot and opened the door of the bedroom. Perhaps the building itself was maintained by magic, not a single speck of dust could be found on the floor. ¡¸This¡­¡­the time of the building is stopped by space-time magic.¡¹ He advanced through the corridors while checking Zepairu¡¯s knowledge. To begin with, this building was used as a base to find a successor to the Magic Beast Art after Zepairu became the last member of the organization and was made quite packed. Because of this, it took him a few minutes to arrive at the laboratory from the bedroom. On the door of the laboratory¡ºThose who open this door without the qualifications of the Magic Beast Art will be hit by a spell¡»was written on the door plate. ¡¸¡­¡­At the very least, I can read this worlds characters thanks to the fusion.¡¹ He muttered while looking at the characters on the plate. According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, it seems that those who did not have the magical power to become the successor of the Magic Beast Art would be thoroughly incinerated by fire if they tried to open the door. ¡¸It¡¯s a pretty extreme security.¡¹ He murmured as he quietly laughed at the sign. Reiji gently reached out to the door knob. Even though he got the endorsement of Zepairu as the successor of the Magic Beast Art, it seemed best to be cautious. However, his extended hand unceremoniously came in contact with the door knob, and the door opened so easily that he was amazed. ¡¸¡­¡­Phew.¡¹ While exhaling in relief, he entered the laboratory. Compared with the bedroom, the laboratory was much wider. In terms of Reiji¡¯s senses the room was about 30 tatamis. In the back half of the room, a huge magic formation was drawn. In the half of the room near the entrance, a variety of equipment and books, assumed to be used for experiments and as references, was left untouched. However, a fine jewelry box was also placed on the table, it was the only one in the vicinity. TLN: 30 Tatamis = ~50m^2 ¡¸Well, its a jewelry box. I wonder what I¡¯ll find inside.¡¹ He approached the jewelry box quietly while muttering and opened the lid. ¡¸A bracelet, is it?¡¹ He took it out from the jewelry box. It was a bracelet about 10cm in diameter. There was no doubt that the bracelet had a specific use. He looked at the mysterious bracelet in his hands. Taking a look it, the bracelet was simple. The jewelry box was a fine piece of work and seems to have been specially crafted, it must be expensive. A sense of discomfort crossed his head. Why would a simple looking bracelet be kept in such an expensive jewelry box. If you thought about it, it normally wouldn¡¯t happen. In other words, there was something to this bracelet. To determine that, Reiji pulled out Zepairu¡¯s knowledge to understand. ¡¸Indeed, this thing is worth more than a billion jewels.¡¹ According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, this bracelet seems to be a kind of item storage. The best space magician and the best alchemist in Zepairu¡¯s organization, Liza Flow and Esta Nord, with the cooperation of the numerologist Takumu, had crafted this with the best of their techniques. The magic tools and valuable materials that Zepairu had mentioned were all collected in it. Its name was Misty Ring. ¡­¡­Called ring even though it was a bracelet?¡¡He thought, but it was probably a hobby of the creator of the magic item or something like that. A smile floated onto Reiji¡¯s face, he place the Misty Ring back into the jewelry box and walked to the magic formation at the back of the room. ¡¸This is the magic formation for the Magic Beast Art, is it.¡¹ Magic Beast Art. Reiji already knew what kind of magic it was when he pulled it from Zepariu¡¯s knowledge. When an incantation was said in the center of the magic formation, it absorbed magic power from the caster. A Magic Beast is produced from the absorbed magic power. In addition, the result cannot be chosen because the caster¡¯s magic power determines the mind, personality, tastes, psyche and other various things about the magic beast in a complex manner. It could be said that the secret principles it operated by were only known by Zepairu¡¯s organization. However, the magic beast produced always held a certain characteristic. Namely, there was a magic stone inside the magic beast. If a magic beast devoured another magic stone, it would become stronger, more powerful and evolve faster. Its evolution had an infinite variety depending on the type of magic stone that was devoured. It could possibly be said that there were infinite possibilities. At the end of its evolution, there wasn¡¯t a end to it theoretically. But a person who had brought up a magic beast to that stage has not existed. That is to say, in other words, the Magic Beast Art produces a magic beast that grows with you. Still, because the magic power that the magic formation absorbs is so large, a normal magician would have his vitality and life absorbed. Once again, drawing out the knowledge of the Magic Beast Art, he took a deep breath and stepped into the magic formation. ¡¸There is the contract with Zepairu, and above all I¡¯m interested in this Magic Beast Art. ¡­¡­Thinking about it though, I thought I would be more careful¡­¡­is it the influence of the fusion?¡¹ This might be the changes Zepairu mentioned before the fusion. Reji thought in his head while concentrating on the incantation. Because the incantation to activate the magic formation was present in Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, there was no hesitation. ¡ºWe, those who create magic beasts with magic power. Living with the magic beast. I use my magic power, to manifest the magic beast that sleeps within me. It lives with me, it dies with me. Show me it¡¯s appearance!¡» Putting magical power to words, namely incantations. What an ascetic would have taken several years of practice to do, Reiji, who inherited Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, pulled off without any deviation. The amount off magic power Zepairu, a magician at the peak, had put to these words surprised him. Then, the magic formation that Reiji had stepped into, began to shine, gradually lighting up. The light absorbed the huge magic power that was emitted from Reiji and grew even brighter. However, naturally, even if Reiji was said to have a vast magical power, magic power isn¡¯t infinite. The magic formation continued to shine for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes. ¡¸Gueh!¡¹ Eventually his limit approached, he dropped to one knee. The next moment, the part of the magic formation that had been shining gave of a sudden sharp brightness¡­¡­then the luminescence of the formation abruptly disappeared. ¡¸I-Is it¡­..done?¡¹ The magic power in the vicinity had been absorbed to its limits by the magic formation. Reiji looked around with his light-headed consciousnesses and caught sight of something with a black luster. It was like a cocoon and had a jet black colour. The cocoon started to crack¡­¡­the moment broke, Reiji¡¯s consciousness sunk into darkness. Just before Reiji fainted, he felt something warm and feathery.¡ºGururu~¡»a spoiled voice sounded. And with that sound, he fell to the floor. Chapter 3 ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Hearing this sound, Reiji woke up touching a strange, warm, feathery coat. ¡¸¡­¡­Haa?¡¹ He took a look around while rubbing his head. The first thing that entered his eyes was an abundant coat of feathers. Whoever the feathers belonged to had laid them down as a body pillow for Reiji, as if to protect him. Then he noticed. He looked straight ahead while stroking the feathers. A presence looked back into Reiji¡¯s eyes, staring at his face anxiously. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Each of them slowly and carefully stared at each other¡¯s face in silence. A sharp, black beak as well as a pair of blue pupils were reflected in Reiji¡¯s eyes. The blue eyes confirmed the state of Reiji somewhat anxiously. It had the same eyes as his own. The next moment, it moved in right in front of Reiji¡¯s eyes. In other words, the bird had snuggled its head up to his face. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ This gesture, like a pampered cat, made him instinctively pet its head while smiling. He then continued to pet its head a bit more. While petting the bird¡¯s head, Reiji unintentionally stopped and looked at it in its entirety. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong?¡¡The bird seemed to say as it tilted its head to one side. He directed his line of sight to where it was leaning. The feathers that he had expected were not there, instead there was a thick, silky fur. Lion¡­¡­is what he thought, it was like a lion¡¯s body. However, the forefeet were sharp like the claws of a raptor. Raptor with a lion¡¯s body¡­¡­no, eagle¡¯s head and forefeet, though they were folded, there were wings growing from the body. Reiji knew the name of this mythical beast. ¡¸Griffon.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ That was the correct answer, he rubbed the eagle head as he said that. As he murmured, Reiji was finally able to recall why he had fainted. ¡¸I see, I completed the ritual for the Magic Beast Art¡­¡­in other words , this Griffon is my magic beast.¡¹ When he understood the existence of the Griffon, he once again turned his gaze back to the magic beast. The body of the lion was filled of a sense dynamism, the face of the eagle was both adorable and sharp. Without its wing folded out, its size was about 2m. Naturally, the Griffon from Reiji¡¯s memory was something he knew from games and novels. To his knowledge, griffons were ferocious and aggressive . However, the Griffon in front of him wasn¡¯t like that at all. Rather than that, when rubbing its face, instead of looking ferocious, it looked more like a kitten ¡¸Maybe it is different from other griffons because it was created with the Magic Beast Art.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ When he muttered that, with good timing, the Griffon gave a cry from the depth of its throat. ¡¸¡­¡­Do you understand my words?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As he guessed, the Griffon crowed again. ¡¸Wait a minute.¡¹ He brought out Zepairu¡¯s knowledge while stroking the Griffon¡¯s head. According to it, the ability of the magic beast produced varied depending on the amount of magic power absorbed by the magic formation. In other words, the friendly Griffon¡¯s high ability was because of Reiji¡¯s vast magical power. Even if it was limited, it might have the ability to understand human speech. ¡¸I see, I¡¯ve roughly understood.¡­¡­First of all, lets give you a name.¡¹ For some reason, the Griffon had been looking at Reiji with wanting eyes since the beginning. According to the procedure of the Magic Beast Art, the existence of the magic beast is only established after it is given a name. ¡¸Griffon, sky, storm¡­¡­how about Set?¡¹ Set. It was the name of a god that appeared in Egyptian mythology, it was a god that governed storms. Moreover, according to the description Reiji knew, it was a god that symbolized great strength and governed fighting and war. Looking at the Griffon before his eyes, whose existence was to protect him, Reiji associated it with that name. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ The griffon let out a happy sound from its throat as it heard the origin of Set. ¡¸Right. From today on, you are Set. I am Reiji.¡­¡­No, it should be different. That was my previous name.¡¹ He though about it while petting Set¡¯s head. The person know as Saeki Reiji had been crushed by a steel frame and died. Here, the person was a fusion of Saeki Reiji and Zepairu. No matter if Reiji was still the major personality, using the name Saeki Reiji carried a sense of incongruity. Moreover, according to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, he understood that the name Saeki Reiji was not suitable in this world called Elgin. ¡¸Reiji¡­¡­that¡¯s right, from now on, my name is Rei. Nice to meet you, Set. My name is Rei¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ The moment he said that and Set answered, a list of skills came to the surface of his mind. ¡¸This is, what?¡¹ Words suddenly appeared in his mind. From Rei¡¯s senses, it was similar to the status screen of a game. ¡­¡­Familiar things like STR or power were not displayed, instead it was split between skills and their descriptions. The name displayed on it was not Reiji or Rei but Set. He pulled out Zepairu¡¯s knowledge in a hurry. ¡¸¡­¡­Indeed, this is the work of Takumu.¡¹ It seems that the skill list had been added by Takumu when the Magic Beast Art was being created. He was able to display the skills that Set had learned from eating magic stones. As expected from something that had spread from Japan. By the way, the only item in this room to have the feature where a list was displayed in his mind when you thought about it was Misty Ring. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s a convenient thing to have.¡¹ With much trouble, he had come to a different world. Smiling wryly at the situation, with the subtle scent of Japan lingering, he stood up with Set. ¡¸Gururu¡¹ Set then held out an elongated object in his beak to Rei. The object had been hidden in his shadow. ¡¸This is¡­¡­a scythe?¡¹ Scythe, and not one for cutting grass. The length of the handle was about 2m, the length of its blade was 1m, it was suitable to be called the scythe of death. ¡¸Well, what should I do with this?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ This is yours, it seemed say as it presented the scythe in its beak to Rei. Because it didn¡¯t seem right to make Set keep holding it, he received the large sycthe. The handle was black, the blade was also black. Basically the large scythe in his hands had a jet black colour. Then he suddenly remembered. ¡¸This scythe wasn¡¯t here when I entered the laboratory. In other words it must have appeared unnoticed.¡­¡­There is one possibility though.¡¹ How many times would it be today. Once again, he pulled out Zepairu¡¯s knowledge and the result was found at once. ¡¸The Magic Beast Art is the cause again, is it.¡¹ According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, a vast magical power is discharged during the course of making the magic beast. In other words, when more magic than is needed to create the magic beast is released, the surplus magic power seems to produce a magic item. Of course, it was Takumu who had added this with his magic. However, when Zepairu and his organization used it, all the magic power released went to making the magic beast, apparently a magic item had never been produced. In other words, it was a function Takumu added in for fun. It finally showed it¡¯s effect due to Rei¡¯s massive magic power. ¡¸So, it became like this because Takumu was involved¡­¡­¡¹ With the large scythe in hand, Rei muttered ¡®status¡¯ in his mind. The status of the magic item naturally appeared in his head. ¡ºDeath Scythe¡» ¡¸Eh, it has the same name as the grim reaper¡¯s scythe. That feels dark, can¡¯t it be changed a little?¡¹ That said, he could not complain to Takumu, who no longer existed in the world. Reading the description of the Death Scythe, he gave a dispirited sigh. First ability, magic casting. Because it was a magic item made with Rei¡¯s enormous magic power, it¡¯s performance was extremely high. Second ability, like Set, it could obtain new effects by absorbing magic stones. It was also possible to simultaneously learn the same abilities that Set did. Third ability, weight reduction. Only for the person who has the same magic wavelength as the Death Scythe. In other words Rei and Set could use the Death Scythe without feeling its weight. Fourth ability, the basic performance of the large scythe would increase if supplied with magic power. This was the status list that was displayed in his mind. ¡¸This, to be honest, has to be pretty rare?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ You¡¯re right, Set seemed to cry. ¡¸With the effect of magic casting, it certainly is good. It¡¯s good but¡­¡­usually, shouldn¡¯t there be a sword?¡¡Why is it a large scythe?¡¹ A magic weapon of expert quality was overwhelming but it seemed difficult to use. That was what Rei felt about the Death Scythe. ¡¸I obtained this powerful magic item with much trouble, I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do but master it.¡¹ He lifted the Death Scythe, the effect of weight reduction could immediately be felt. Originally, a piece of metal this size should have weighed 10kg to 20kg. However, right now, Rei could barely feel the weight of the Death Scythe. It felt like it only weighed 100g. TLN: Yeah no, as an engineer, 20kg felt a little off, based on it¡¯s size it should weigh closer to 80kg if it was made of steel. ¡¸This is certainly amazing.¡¹ ¡¸Guru¡¹ Set also agreed, giving a deep cry. ¡¸Now, the biggest goal was to safely inherit the Magic Beast Art¡­¡­what do I do from now on?¡¹ Rei muttered while petting Set¡¯s silk like fur. After achieving his goal, he understood that he couldn¡¯t stay in this building in the future. Aside from drinking water, there was only enough food for 10 days. If he didn¡¯t leave for a village or town as soon as possible, the result would be the successor to the Magic Beast Art dying of hunger on the side of a road. ¡¸No, that doesn¡¯t include the amount of food Set has to eat.¡¹ Even if you say that it was created by the Magic Beast Art, it still needed food to live. Given that Set was over 2m in size, they probably only enough food for one day. Even at best, there was only two days of food left. ¡¸With that said, it¡¯s necessary to go to a town or village as soon as possible but¡­¡­¡¹ According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, a ward using spatial magic was set up to prevent monsters from getting in, there seemed to be a lot of brutal monsters around the forest. If asked why they built a mansion in such a place, it was because this place was like a refuge for Zepairu. Therefore, a strong ward was set up in order to prevent viscious monsters from getting in, which was why there weren¡¯t any monsters near the mansion. Moreover, it took advantage of the monsters outside to defend against enemies. ¡¸Though that¡¯s good, I wonder if I, a beginner in a fantasy world, can get out of forest where monsters live¡­¡­just thinking about it.¡¹ As he muttered while grumbling, Rei unconsciously let out a sigh. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ With a flapping sound, Set extended his wings to 2m, Rei lightly shook his head. ¡¸It¡¯s a little difficult to fly through the sky. Anyway, it seems even dragons have settled here.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. To begin with I don¡¯t know how much power you and I have.¡¹ He said that to comfort Set while stroking its head. ¡¸It would have been good if Takumu had made other things aside from skills visible in the status.¡­¡­But I can¡¯t do it. No, wait a moment?¡¡Maybe there¡¯s a magic item we can use in Misty Ring.¡¹ As Rei said that, he moved with Set to the jewelry box that held Misty Ring. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ When he saw the jewelry box, Set let out a happy cry. Rei, who saw that appearance, remembered a legend that Griffons collected treasure. ¡¸Set, you may play with the jewelry box for a while.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set joyfully rubbed his cheek against the jewelry box. While watching the scene with a smile, he put the Misty Ring on his right arm. The Misty Ring, which used to be quite large, shrunk to Rei¡¯s arm size, fitting perfectly. ¡¸Um, to display the list¡­¡­ah, you only have to think it.¡¹ A huge list of items and materials came into his mind, there were a lot of names on the list. However, as Rei scrolled through the list, he involuntarily put his hand to his head. ¡¸There certainly are magic items made from potent materials and likely have strong effects. But is there any food or something?¡¡There are the bones of a dragon, the horns of a elder devil, can you eat the tail of a salamander?¡¡Come to think of it, if they planned to find a successor to the Magic Beast Art, they should have prepared food for Set.¡¹ To break the status quo and find the magic items necessary, it seemed there was no other way but to use Zepairu¡¯s knowledge. As a result, he found what was called the¡ºOrb of Examination¡». It could be used the check the magic aptitude of the user. Rei was declared by Zepairu to have one of the worlds highest magic powers. He took it out from Misty Ring to check what magic he was suitable for as well as his magic aptitude. ¡¸If I can use water magic, then I won¡¯t be troubled with drinking water, hopefully I¡¯m compatible with it. After that maybe spatial magic or alchemy if it can increase the properties of magic items. ¡¹ He put his hand to the orb while imagining his magic aptitude. The symbol of his magic characteristic appeared on the orb. For example, if a water droplet was displayed, it meant that Rei would have the water magic compatibility he wanted. A door represented spatial magic. A flask symbolized alchemy. In the end, only one symbol was reflected in Rei¡¯s expectant eyes, the symbol of a flame. Chapter 4 ¡¸Wait. Wait a moment.¡¹ Looking at the results displayed on the Orb of Examination, Rei unintentionally opened his mouth. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set, who had been admiring the jewelry box a bit further away, felt something, turned around and directed his sight at Rei. Rei noticed it and shook his head slightly at Set while involuntarily covering his face with his hand. ¡¸My magic aptitude is only fire?¡¡Is that it?¡¡Is it because I fused with Zepairu, a fire magician?¡¹ While muttering like that, Rei found that it was different from what he thought. According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, he had definitely called himself a fire magician. However, he only identified himself as such only because it was what he was best at, it didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t use other magic. Though he didn¡¯t master all of them, he could also use, wind magic, space-time magic, alchemy, summoning magic and ancient magic. ¡¸In other words, my aptitude is specialized purely in fire magic¡­¡­is it?¡¹ His magic power at which even Zepairu marveled. He would no doubt become a great war potential with strength and specialization in fire magic. But, ¡¸A novice fire magician like me using fire magic in a forest?¡¹ So, that was the problem. Naturally, if you are a fire magician, you manipulate fire. And fire can spread to the surrounding forest. If he made a mistake in the scale of magic, with his magic power and fire magic, there was a possibility he could burn down the entire forest. Rei and Set¡¯s skills were also poor. ¡¸Among earth, water, fire and wind, other than fire, you can safely use the rest in a forest¡­¡­ugh, this isn¡¯t the time to think about that. No matter what, we will be forced to leave the mansion tomorrow, we can do nothing more that use what we have at hand.¡¹ Even if there was normally enough food for 10 days, that was if you only counted Rei. With Set having a body in excess of 2m, the food would only last several meals. They would starve to death if they remained here. Therefore, the conclusion Rei reached was to head out tomorrow and get to a village or town as soon as possible. ¡¸In that case, first I need to confirm whether I can use magic properly.¡¹ From the inherited knowledge of Zepairu, there was enough information for Rei to master fire magic. But, that is only Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, not Rei¡¯s knowledge. First of all, magic is more dependent on the person¡¯s qualities and mental visualization. If he trusted Zepairu¡¯s knowledge too much, there was the possibility of making an irreversible mistake in the case of an emergency. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ ¡¸Ah, go over there Set. It¡¯s magic practice.¡¹ Rei answered Set¡¯s questioning cry and stepped away from the magic formation, stopping a little distance from it. From the knowledge he was taught, the magic formation on the floor would not react except to anything except the Magic Beast Art, however, he still was cautious. Grasping the Death Scythe, he triggered its magic casting effect. Then he took a deep breath to concentrate his mind. He was naturally able to recognize the magic power in his body. Using an incantation put magic power to words, tricking the world and temporarily rewriting it, it¡¯s an art to produce the results of one¡¯s desires. Because of this, the incantation is different depending on the magician, it is near impossible to achieve the result even if the same incantation as the other magician was used. More than that, earth, water, fire, wind, light, darkness, other than their basic differences, the principle remained the same, this also applied for the fire magic Rei had aptitude for. ¡ºFire, gather on my fingertips.¡» Uttering an incantation, magic power is put to words . The importance of this is in the visualization. Even if the process of rewriting the world with the incantation is the same, the clearer the visualization of the outcome, the greater the effect. For Rei who like subcultures such as novels, manga, anime, movies and games, visualizing images of that kind was not difficult for him. The laws of the world are rewritten by the incantation, an example was Rei¡¯s visualization. ¡ºSmall Flame¡» With the visualization fixed by the incantation, a fist sized flame appeared on the index finger of his right hand. ¡¸¡­¡­Right. The first magic in my life, it¡¯s a success.¡¹ To be precise, the Magic Beast Art was his first magic Rei used in his life, but the Magic Beast Art only absorbed the caster¡¯s magic power when an incantation was said on a particular magic formation that had been drawn on this floor. It was a magic almost done automatically to produce a magic beast. The fire magic that Rei had used was from beginning to end something he carried out at his own will and could be called the first magic that he used in his life. ¡¸Fire magic is usable without any problems.¡­¡­However, using higher level magic than this is slightly difficult. I may burn the entire mansion down if I make a mistake. I must definitely avoid burning the Magic Beast Art formation at all costs.¡¹ He glanced at the other half of the room. He turned his gaze to the magic formation drawn in the center. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set, seeing Rei¡¯s appearance, approached with light steps that seemed to carry no weight and rubbed its eagle like face against Rei¡¯s face. ¡¸What, are you concerned?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Well see, I can¡¯t practice more magic than this¡­¡­¡¹ Rei gently petted Set¡¯s head while saying so. Looking at his arm while petting, he noticed that there was still something to be done. ¡¸I mustn¡¯t forget to choose some equipment. There is no sense in not equipping equipment you have, just like in games.¡¹ While stroking Set¡¯s neck with his left hand, he displayed a list of the items contained in Misty Ring in his mind. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s a bit hard to search. No, wait. Perhaps.¡¹ Next to the Dragon Fang was a magic recovery potion, under that were meteorite fragments and the roots of a Mandrake. Rei involuntarily grimaced at the sloppy organization of the item list, he recalled that the creator of the Misty Ring was Takumu and thought of ¡ºSort¡» hoping it would work. ¡¸That was it after all.¡¹ The next moment, the list that had been displayed in his mind was categorized by type and updated. ¡¸As expected of Takumu.¡¹ If it played like a game then it was a natural function, Misty Ring adapted to the expected form wonderfully. ¡¸Weapons are not going to be a problem because there is Death Scythe, in that case protective gear.¡¹ When looking for protective gear on the list in his mind, he immediately stopped scrolling when he saw the name of one of the items. ¡ºDragon Robe¡» It was blatantly expensive sound to it, in addition it seemed to have a high performance. He explored Zepairu¡¯s knowledge in a hurry. The robe was made from the skins of dragons that had lived several hundred years. Because it was finished by coating it in dragon¡¯s blood and dragon powered bones, it boasted an unprecedented magic defense. More than that, the robe was made by layering two pieces of dragon skin with dragon scales placed between the two skins. The physical defense was also considerably high. Because the skins used were from a fire dragon and water dragon, it was cool inside if it was hot outside and warm inside if it was cold outside. And finally, the alchemist who made this robe, Esta Nord, the alchemist of Zepairu¡¯s organization, attached some effects such as concealment to the high performance magic item. TLN: The concealment effect of the Dragon Robe means that other people will see it as an ordinary robe. He was surprised at the high physical and magic defenses, however, what really surprised Rei was that it was air conditioned if he wore it. ¡¸This will be good as temporary protection.¡¹ He selected the Dragon Robe in his mind, the next moment a black robe appeared on his right. ¡¸With this, the weapon and protective gear are okay. Then, next are shoes.¡¹ When he viewed the footwear category, like the time with the Dragon Robe, his eyes stopped at one item. ¡ºShoes of Sleipnir¡» Sleipnir was a monstrous horse with eight legs. It¡¯s speed was the highest out of the monsters that ran on the ground, it should be noted that it could also run in the sky. The shoes were made from the leather of this monster. It had an effect of increasing the speed of whoever wore it, it was also possible to jump and kick the air to stay in the sky for a few seconds. ¡¸With this, the shoes are picked.¡¹ As with the Dragon Robe, Shoes of Sleipnir were taken out from Misty Ring and placed on the floor. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set watched with round eyes as each item was taken out from Misty Ring, he abruptly rubbed his head against Rei. ¡¸Hmm?¡¡What, do you also want some equipment?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment. What would be good for Set to equip¡­¡­¡¹ While scratching Set¡¯s head, he displayed Misty Ring¡¯s item list in his mind and took out several items that looked good. ¡ºBracelet of Wind Manipulation¡» When equipped, it can block a single magic spell. It cannot display its effect again for 10 hours after its use. ¡ºBracelet of Herculean Strength¡» A bracelet to increase the strength of the user. ¡ºBracelet of Magic Absorption¡» If the user attacks and damages an enemy, magical power proportional to the damage done is absorbed from the enemy. ¡ºLove of Shizukuishi¡» A pendant shaped like a water drop. Zepairu¡¯s organization¡¯s alchemist, Esta Nord, processed a Unicorn Magic Stone using alchemy. It gives the equipped a continuous healing effect. TLN: Shizukuishi is a town in Japan ¡¸Well, these things. Set, which one is good?¡¹ After hearing Rei¡¯s words Set seemed to enter a state of thought. While making some sounds, he lifted up the Bracelet of Wind Manipulation, Bracelet of Herculean Strength and the Love of Shizukuishi in his beak. Rei stroked Set¡¯s neck and involuntarily gave a wry smile as he saw the situation. ¡¸3 is it.¡­¡­Well, maybe my companion, Set, needs that much equipment. The pendent can worn around the neck, but what about the two bracelets?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ With a small cry, he held out his left and right eagle like forefeet. ¡¸This¡­¡­will it fit, I wonder?¡¹ No matter how one looked at it, the feet were larger than the bracelet. While thinking so, he judged that it would be okay because it was a magic item and brought the Bracelet of Wind Manipulation near the right foot, the bracelet changed its size when it was brought near and the Bracelet of Herculean Strength was also nicely fitted onto the left foot. Magic items indeed, while admiring that, he finished lastly by placing Love of Shizukuishi over Set¡¯s neck. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Magic items that he had received from his master, Rei. Set rubbed his head against Rei while letting out a happy cry. Afterwards, Rei equipped the remaining bracelet on his left arm and their equipment preparations were completed. Death Scythe, a weapon made from the Magic Beast Art. Dragon Robe, protective gear made from dragon skin. Shoes of Sleipnir for his feet. Misty Ring on his right wrist and Bracelet of Magic Absorption on his left. The person himself was not aware but, including the magic items that Set was equipped with, in this world they would be called super top quality items. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ As Rei looked at the equipped items with satisfaction, the sad voice of Set brought him back. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Even for a magic beast made with Rei¡¯s magic power, it wasn¡¯t able to speak. However, the nuances were generally understood. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ While crying sadly again, Set rubbed his head against Rei¡¯s belly. In this state, Rei finally felt like he understood what Set was trying to say. ¡¸Are you hungry?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded, he was complaining of hunger. Rei then noticed himself that he was pretty hungry. ¡¸Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t eaten since I got up. Well I¡¯m also hungry. Then, lets go to the dinning room. It will be the last meal before we leave.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei, along with Set, left the laboratory and headed towards the cafeteria. On a side note, even though Set boasted a considerable size and length at 2m, it was possible to leave through the laboratory door as it was designed on the premise that people who entered would use the Magic Beast Art. Afterwards, some dry, boring, black bread that was left in the kitchen was soaked in water and eaten. Set and Rei were tired after finishing the lacking dinner and fell asleep in the bedroom. Chapter 5 Rei had taken a step out of the building with Set to check the state of the surroundings. ¡¸According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, the barrier should extend about 100m from the center of the building¡­¡­probably.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set nodded to Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸If we take even one step outside the barrier, it will already be a monster paradise¡­¡­Are we prepared?¡¹ The Death Scythe had been put on his shoulder, it could be shifted to his right hand to be used at any time. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set raised a cry that was full of fighting spirit. One person and one animal advanced while relying on the other. After walking for about 3 minutes, a thin film attached to the building came into view. ¡¸So this is the barrier. Though it is nerve racking to go out¡­¡­the other decision is to starve to death.¡¹ Yes, the food that was supposed to last him 10 days had already been finished after this morning¡¯s breakfast. 10 days worth of food had been exhausted in 2 meals. Rei was wary of the surroundings while Set was prepared to protect Rei at any time. Originally Rei had wanted to keep several pieces of bread with him to eat in the forest. However, he was defeated by Set¡¯s sad, sorrowful eyes because of hunger. The last pieces of bread were in Set¡¯s stomach. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, but you know. I¡¯ll need to find a job as soon as possible to earn money for future food expenses. Are there adventurers or something like that here?¡¹ According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, there seems to be an adventurer guild, however there won¡¯t be a guild branch office if the town isn¡¯t big enough. In other words, in order to earn money for Set¡¯s food, he had to leave the forest and go to a big city as soon as possible. ¡¸If you only think about Set¡¯s meals, I wonder if we could defeat some monsters and eat the meat. Fortunately, Set is a magic creature so everything he eats is converted to magic power and doesn¡¯t enter the body, the worry of having to go to toilet is uneccessary.¡¹ However, in that case, the living expenses of Rei are brought up. There is the method of selling the nails, skin and other materials that Set doesn¡¯t eat at a corner stall. That said, the best method was still to leave the forest and find a town with an adventurer guild branch office and work as an active adventurer. Rei confirmed his determination again, and with Set, took one step outside the ward. ¡¸Uwah, seriously.¡¹ As soon as they took one step out of the barrier, there were overwhelmingly dense signs of living creatures. Rei used to live in a country town in Tohoku. Of course there were nearby mountains and a river. Rabbits, squirrels, deer, monkeys, foxes and tanukis, it was not unusual to see wild boars either. If you went to the heart of the mountains, you might find a bear at times. However,Rei was overwhelmed by the signs here in comparison. ¡¸What to say, this truly is a different world.¡¹ Plants such as trees and grass surrounded the periphery of the barrier. It was like people seeing the mountains around Rei¡¯s area for the first time. While sucking in the fresh morning air, he began to walk through the forest with Set. As expected, after being left alone for several hundred years, the road that was there had disappeared. There was a suitable distance between the large trees which wasn¡¯t too hard to walk though. However, for Set who exceeded 2m in size, it felt narrow and he gave a deep growl. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set lightly rubbed his beak against his wings. It seemed that he wanted to fly in the sky instead of being obstructed on the ground. Rei talked to persuade him while scratching his head. ¡¸Calm down. Although I think I said it yesterday, there are also dragon species living in the forest. If you fly in the sky, they will consider you to be breakfast.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set dejectedly dropped his shoulders at Rei¡¯s words. Though his body is big, his patience is still insufficient as it was only the second day since his birth. They had left the barrier for about 30 minutes. With Rei wearing the Shoes of Sleipnir, which increased his speed, and as Set was a Griffon, they went through the forest at a considerable speed with good time. During this, Rei spotted a tree with what looked like red fruit. He moved in front of the tree and stretched out his hands to take the fruit from the tree. ¡¸I wonder, Set. Do you think I can eat this?¡¹ He asked Set as an apple like, fist sized, red fruit lay in his hands. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ However, Set didn¡¯t understand and only tilted his head to the side. Rei stared at the red fruit with Set. However, an idea came to mind and smile floated to his face. ¡¸This is a time to use Zepairu¡¯s knowledge.¡¹ He brought out the information of the apple like fruit in his hand from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge. ¡ºClara Fruit¡» It was a kind of fruit in the forest. It¡¯s flesh is delicious and has a sweet-sour taste. However, care must be taken if a Clara Fruit is found. Because it is so delicious, many monsters and beasts like to eat it. As he read the description, Rei¡¯s face cramped. ¡¸Dangerous. Set, for the time being, let¡¯s leave here. This fruit is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururururu~!¡¹ Though Rei immediately started to leave the place, Set was looking to the forest at his right and giving low growls. ¡¸¡­¡­Too slow. Ah well, we can¡¯t help it, there¡¯s no other way. Quietly turn into food for Set and me.¡¹ Rei became calm as his mentality changed in an instant, he held out the Death Scythe after putting away the Clara Fruit into the Misty Ring. Though the person himself did not notice at all, no excess fear or hesitation to the battle existed in Rei¡¯s mind. ¡¸Now then, what will come out?¡¡I¡¯ll be glad if it is a wild boar or at least not a monster.¡¹ It was a hope that he couldn¡¯t really hope for. As for what appeared, it was a bear that was around 2m tall from what he saw. However, with water covering its fur, it was probably a monster and not a wild animal. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ For a few seconds, Rei, Set and the bear stared at each others eyes in silence. It was more or less 2m in size, but it felt larger than Set as it was standing up. It had a discernibly strong build and had water all over its fur. In addition, it had 30cm long and sharp claws extending from its paws, it had a sinister feel to it. Why didn¡¯t the water drip down from the fur at the top of his head?¡¡Rei thought. It was the Water Bear (tentative name) that broke the silence. TLN: The (tentative name) was in the raws, I¡¯ve kept it there in case the author changes the name in future. ¡¸Gaaaaaaaaaaaa~!¡¹ While raising a roar that echoed into the surroundings, it dropped to all fours and attacked Rei and Set. ¡¸Tch, there¡¯s no choice. Set, let¡¯s do it!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Ok, Set seemed to say as he raised a sharp cry and moved forward to meet the Water Bear. Rei followed while holding the Death Scythe. ¡¸Gaaa~!¡¹ The Water Bear recognized that his prey had run towards it instead of running away, it bared its 10cm long fangs while moving to swing his claws at Set. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set avoided the blow by jumping to the side. He kicked against the tree that he had just jumped past and swung his sharp forefeet and the Water Bear in a triangular hop. With the conspicuous sound, Rei confirmed that the tree that Set had used a step had broken. He held the Death Scythe while wryly smiling at Set¡¯s physical strength¡­¡­However, he held the scythe with the handle facing outwards. After all, he could hardly swing scythe that boasted a length of 2m in this forest. Therefore, he planned to use part of the handle of the scythe as a spear. ¡¸Gaa~!¡¹ The Water Bear received a blow and was slashed by Set¡¯s claws. While raising a growl of agony, it swung its claws down at Set again. The attack was avoided by jumping back. The Water Bear, which missed its target, lost its balance and staggered ¡­¡­Rei aimed at the side of the Water Bear and stabbed out with the Death Scythe. While making a dull thud, the handle of the Death Scythe penetrated its flank, ignoring the water and fur that was covering the Water Bear. ¡¸Gaaaaa~!¡¹ While frowning as he felt it go through flesh, with its powerful left arm, the Water Bear pulled out the Death Scythe while swinging the claws on his right hand at Rei. The moment the handle was pulled out, the blood of the Water Bear ran out and fell to the surrounding grass. The Water Bear did not mind it and continued to swing his sinister claws. ¡¸Gaaaaaa~!¡¹ The Water Bear roared in surprise and irritation as it was damaged by the small creature before it.The wound wasn¡¯t a small one. At the same time, it wasn¡¯t a fatal wound given the vitality of a monster. While observing the Water Bear, Rei could not hide his surprise at his own physical ability. After all, he had stabbed with the handle of the scythe. He didn¡¯t think that his blow had a degree of power to cut through the body of the Water Bear like a knife through butter. (The physical ability of this body seems higher than expected.) Thinking in his mind, he checked the state of the Water Bear. ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ This time, Rei was surprised at the Water Bear. The flank of the Water Bear should have been pierced with the handle, however, it was regenerating at a visible rate, he began to understand the use of the water covered it. To Rei¡¯s surprise, after water had flowed into the wound for 10 seconds, the bleeding stopped, even the wound itself disappeared. ¡¸As expected of a monster¡­¡­in other words, the only way is to deal heavy damage in a single blow without giving it time to recover or something like that.¡¹ Turning his eyes to the Death Scythe for a moment, he suddenly realized. £¨Oops. I forgot the ability of the Death Scythe that increases its power if I give it magic power. As expected it must be the tension of the first battle¡­¡­tension?£© Thinking about it, he finally noticed his tension. Though he was tense, he wasn¡¯t like recruits and amateurs from novels who wouldn¡¯t be able to move their bodies well due to stress. (This is also a result of the fusion.) While thinking about that, he glanced at the state of the Water Bear that seemed to be at loss whether to attack Set or Rei. (Though the Death Scythe has the highest offensive power at hand, it¡¯s difficult to swing as there is no room in the forest. While saying that, it¡¯s also a bad idea to use fire magic in the forest.) While considering the possiblities in his head, Set, the Water Bear and Rei, one person and two animals, were in a stalemate, no one moving carelessly. If the Water Bear attacked Set, it would be stabbed by Rei. Reversely, if it attacked Rei, it would be slashed by Set. As for Set and Rei, there was no point in attacking the Water Bear as it would fully recover in about 10 seconds, like the blow that pierced its flank. In actual fact, when the Water Bear used the water that covered it to regenerate, magic power was consumed, however, it was Rei¡¯s first batlle and he didn¡¯t notice it. If he noticed, there would be a lot of other options. ¡¸Gaaaa~¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ The Water Bear and Set growled at each other, trying to intimidate the opponent. While watching the situation, Rei desperately worked in his head. (What to do, should I go for the sink or swim and supply magic power to the Death Scythe?¡¡Perhaps with its physical ability it should be able to cut through the bear and the trees around it at the same time. ¡­¡­No, I should make that the last resort. What else is there¡­¡­should I use fire magic and be prepared for a fire?¡¡That wouldn¡¯t work. From the knowledge I drew about the forest, the possibility of a fire is no joke. ¡­¡­No, wait. A fire?¡¡Fire magic?¡¡Death Scythe¡¯s handle¡­¡­!?¡¡I got it!) An idea came, in an instant Rei called out to Set who was glaring at the Water Bear. ¡¸Set, break the stance of the Water Bear like just before!¡¡I¡¯ll do something afterwards if you can do that!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Leave it to me, Set gave a cry as it started to move around in a ring to focus the Water Bear¡¯s attention on himself. ¡¸Gaaaaa~¡¹ The Water Bear wasn¡¯t able to remain indifferent to the situation and gradually diverted its attention from Rei to Set How much time did it continue for. Although the confrontation felt long to Rei, it had only been a few minutes. The Water Bear wasn¡¯t able to put up with the stalemate and gave a loud roar. ¡¸Gaaaaaaaaa!¡¹ At the same time as the roar, the water on the Water Bear¡¯s fur came out, it changed into 3 water balls in front of his eyes. The next moment, the water balls shot towards Set. (Here it is!) Seeing the state of the Water Bear and Set, Rei judged that it was a turning point in the battle and grasped the handle of the Death Scythe while concentrating his mind and preparing to cast a spell at any time. 3 water balls shot from the Water Bear, tearing through the sky. Set saw that and shortened the distance to the Water Bear, weaving between the trees. ¡¸Gururu!¡¹ One of the water balls hit a tree Set had used as a shield, gouging out the trunk of the tree. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set instantly dived to the ground to evade a water ball that was going towards his head. The water ball passed over his head and hit the tree trunks behind him. ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ From his state with his head on the ground, Set used his body as a spring and rushed forward. The distance to the Water Bear was rapidly cut down. In this state, he attempted to land a blow on the Water Bear before he could be hit by the last water ball. ¡¸Gaaaa~!¡¹ ¡­¡­It was clear to the Water Bear. Because of that, the Water Bear raised a roar of victory. However, ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Changing its course in the air, the water ball attacked Set from above. But, just before the the blow hit Set, it abruptly exploded as if it hit something. ¡¸Gaa~!?¡¹ The Water Bear didn¡¯t know what happened. Of course, that was natural. One of the bracelets Set had put on was the Bracelet of Wind Manipulation, which could disable all projectile and magic attacks. However, the Water Bear didn¡¯t know that there was a limitation and could only be used once every 10 hours. Because of that, ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Set dived towards the chest of the Water Bear and slashed out with his right forefoot while raising a cry! ¡¸Gaaaa!?¡¹ Literally lifted off its feet, the Water Bear fell over. This was due to another bracelet Set had equipped, the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, which increased his strength. Believing in Set, Rei had watched the development of events. At the moment the Water Bear fell over, he started running towards the Water Bear while casting a spell. ¡ºFire, you are a snake. Therefore, burn my enemy as I desire.¡» According to the incantation supplied with magic power, the world was rewritten. As a result, flames gathered around the magic body of the Death Scythe¡­¡­ ¡¸Hah!¡¹ ¡¸Gaa~!?¡¹ As the incantation finished, the handle of the Death Scythe was stabbed into the back of the Water Bear that had fallen over. ¡ºDance Fire Snake!¡» The moment the spell was completed, a snake made of fire was shot out from the handle of the Death Scythe and went forward from the back to the head to burn the Water Bear from the inside¡­¡­ ¡¸Gaaaaaaaaaa~!¡¹ Raising a roar filled with fear and pain as its brains were burned, the Water Bear collapsed on the spot. Chapter 6 ¡¸Somehow, it worked out¡­¡­okay.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei muttered involuntarily as he sat on the ground. Set, who heard it, pressed his face against Rei as usual. The body of the Water Bear lying on the ground had lost all signs of life. ¡¸You did well too Set. If you weren¡¯t there, I may not have been able to easily beat that guy. If I did a bad job, the entire forest may have burned down¡­¡­it seemed like that would have happened.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu.¡¹ He scratched Set¡¯s head as he praised him. Set was in good spirits as his head was scratched and let out a cat like sound from his throat. This continued for a few minutes. Rei, who then recovered his breath, stood up. ¡¸Even if I can do something with the corpse of this monster somehow, let¡¯s first move away from here. No doubt another monster will come soon.¡¹ In the surroundings, trees had been broken and the ground dug up due to the impact of the fight between Set and the Water Bear. In addition, the smell of burnt meat and blood from the Water Bear was drifting around. ¡¸So, the problem is how do we move this Water Bear¡­¡­do we put it on Set¡¯s back?¡¡No, that would be placing hundreds of kilos on Set¡­¡­no, wait?¡¡Maybe¡­¡­¡¹ Rei¡¯s troubled eye caught the Misty Ring that was on his right arm. According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, living creatures couldn¡¯t be put inside, however it seems that there was no problem with the Water Bear because it was already dead. ¡¸Store.¡¹ He said that as he touched the corpse of the Water Bear. The next moment, the corpse of the Water Bear disappeared without a trace. The storage had succeeded as he could find the corpse of the Water Bear on the list in his mind. ¡¸I see, while it can¡¯t store living creatures, it can store corpses¡­¡­then, this?¡¹ The tree that Set broke when he did the triangle jump, was reflected in Rei¡¯s eyes. It was quite a large tree with a 1m diameter trunk¡­¡­even with that said, it was still the size of most trees in the forest. ¡¸Store.¡¹ He said while touching the broken tree. Same as before, in a moment, it disappeared without a trace. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Let¡¯s go quickly, Set¡¯s face seemed to say as Rei stroked his back, the reward of the Clara Fruits were stored in the Misty Ring. ¡¸Right, it should be okay if we came here.¡¹ They finally stopped after they walked 20 minutes away from the place where they fought the Water Bear. Normally they wouldn¡¯t be able to go that far in 20 minutes, but given the performance of the Shoes of Sleipnir that Rei wore, they moved several times faster than when they normally walked. The sun had already risen high and bit by bit, the heat had started to spread around. However, Rei was wearing the Dragon Robe which had a function that automatically maintained the temperature, and the current heat wasn¡¯t something that Set minded much. They sat down on the ground to rest, they hadn¡¯t stopped moving since the battle with the Water Bear. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry as his head was petted. In that state, four Clara Fruits that were stored earlier were taken out from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set let out a happy sound as Rei stopped petting and held out a Clara Fruit in his hand. Set picked up the Clara Fruit in his beak and ate the whole thing at once. While watching the situation, Rei also bit into the skin of a Clara Fruit. A sweet and sour taste spread through his mouth the moment he bit in. When the flesh of the fruit was savored, fresh juice filled his mouth. It was the first time Rei tasted something like this. ¡­¡­Well, because he lived in a country town in Tohoku, he never ate any rare fruits. At any rate, they ate two of the unexpectedly delicious Clara Fruits each. Next was the dismantling of the Water Bear. ¡¸Set, keep watch for other monsters that may come because of the smell of blood when the Water Bear is dismantled.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a small nod at Rei¡¯s words, Set moved a bit further away to keep watch of the surroundings. While looking at Set¡¯s reliable appearance, the body of the Water Bear was taken out of the Misty Ring. ¡¸Now then¡­¡­even if I said that, what to do. I haven¡¯t dismantled a bear before.¡¹ The most that Rei had done was the dismantling of chickens. His father did cockfights as a hobby and he was made to help strangle the ones that lost. TLN: While this may seem cruel, please understand that in some countries cockfighting is treated the same way baseball is in America. The sport is not banned in Japan but the roosters used in them are considered a protected species. ¡¸Even if you say its just like a chicken, there¡¯s no hot water.¡¹ When you strangle a chicken, the neck and ankles are cut and it is hung on string to drain the blood, after that, hot water is sprayed over it and the feathers plucked. At that time, it becomes easier to pull the feathers off the chicken, and because the feathers are wet, they don¡¯t fly around. He shook his neck while thinking about it. ¡¸In the first place, a chicken can¡¯t be used as reference to dismantle a bear because it has no wings or feathers. There¡¯s nothing in Zepairu¡¯s knowledge about dismantling either. ¡­¡­There¡¯s no other way, I guess I¡¯ll have to learn myself. At a minimum I must not damage the magic stone so that Set can eat it afterwards. The fur¡­¡­well, it will be good if I can skin it neatly.¡¹ With a goal tentatively decided, the dismantlement began!¡¡The moment he thought that, he noticed that he only had the Death Scythe. Of course, dismantling with a scythe would have a very high degree of difficulty. Rei let out a sigh once more, because there was no helping it, he looked for a knife inside the Misty Ring. ¡ºMithril Knife¡» Mithril Ore has a high magic affinity. This knife was made from the highest quality ore. The sharpness changes depending on the amount of magic power supplied. (No way, dismantling with a mithril knife¡­¡­I wonder what other adventurers would think about that.) For sure, he would definitely be yelled at. There may also be some people who would burst into tears. As he was about to insert the knife into the Water Bear, he suddenly withdrew the knife. He recalled that he had not looked up information about the Water Bear from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge. Notes about dismantling it and which parts sell at a higher price, the result would come out differently if he knew. But¡­¡­ ¡¸There¡¯s nothing in Zepairu¡¯s knowledge?¡¹ Rei muttered quizzically. Although he tried to do something he was familiar with and pull out knowledge of the Water Bear from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, there was no information about the Water Bear at all. (Then, could this be a new monster that appeared in the few hundred years since Zepairu used magic to send himself to the spirit world?) Though he wondered in his mind, he had no choice but to judge for himself as there was no knowledge. Making up his mind, he poured magic power into the mithril knife and inserted it into the side of the Water Bear. Then, as expected of the mithril blade, or maybe because of Rei¡¯s surprising magic power, it went through the fur like a blade through water. ¡¸Somehow I¡¯m managing.¡¹ Rei skinned the fur off along the muscle. Of course, as this was his fist experience, he made some mistakes such as cutting the fur. However, he succeeded in stripping the fur in a relatively clean state due to the sharpness of the knife. For the time being, he stored the removed fur into the Misty Ring, then he stabbed the heart of the Water Bear with the knife. As he cut the meat, the blade of the knife bumped into into something and he carefully gouged it out. What came out was a blue crystal the size of Rei¡¯s fist. At first glance, it looked like a jewel. ¡¸This is a magic stone. It¡¯s blue, the attribute should be water¡­¡­well, that¡¯s natural.¡¹ Magic stones had different colours based on the attribute of the monster it belonged to. However, there were differences between individuals, it was possible to for the same kind of monster to have both wind magic stones or fire magic stones. With that said, the Water Bear is a simple example. ¡¸It¡¯s not necessary to take too much care after removing the magic stone. Let¡¯s just cut it into pieces for Set and I to eat¡­¡­¡¹ By pouring magic power into the mithril knife, it can easily cut through bone. The dismantlement of the bear was completed in a few minutes. Now, before Rei¡¯s eyes, there were 6 parts, the right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg, body and head. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set, smelling the scent of blood, came closer while making noises from his throat. His gaze was directed at the offal that had been removed from the body of the Water Bear. ¡¸¡­¡­Are you hungry?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Seeing the situation, he started to scratch Set¡¯s head out of habit. (Well then, what to do now. Because there¡¯s no information about the Water Bear from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, I don¡¯t know if the offal is safe to eat.¡­¡­Well, at worst there¡¯s probably an antidote in the Misty Ring, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems¡­¡­probably?£© Glancing at the offal of the Water Bear, which was located in a large leaf, he came to that conclusion after thinking for a few seconds. ¡¸Set, you can eat. However, don¡¯t eat the stomach, intestines, liver and testicles.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set let out a joyful sound and immediately thrust his beak into the offal in front of his eyes. Rei told him not to eat the testicles and liver because he faintly recalled seeing something on TV that said they contained a poison similar to blowfish. The stomach and intestines were a matter of course. Though Set had eaten most of the food for breakfast, it was still hungry to the extent that when Rei told him he could eat the offal, he started right away. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ When he finally finished, Set gave a cry. By the looks of it, he was very satisfied, ¡¸You seemed to have settled down, hey, come here for a moment.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Using a leaf from a nearby tree, Rei wiped the offal that was stuck to Set¡¯s beak. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ It was comfortable, Set seemed to be in a good mood as he gave a cry and closed his eyes. After cleaning Set¡¯s beak, Rei finished by taking out the blue magic stone that was removed from the Water Bear. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ ¡¸Now then, can you¡­¡­eat the magic stone?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Of course, Set nodded. In a sense, it might be a desert for Set, Rei thought as he presented the fist sized, blue magic stone. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set held the magic stone in his beak¡­¡­and swallowed it in one gulp. ¡¸¡­¡­How is it?¡¹ Rei asked set somewhat cautiously. Abruptly a voice echoed in his heaed. ¡¾Set has acquired ¡ºWater Ball Lv.1¡»] It was like the announcement message when a new skill was acquired in an RPG, Rei had an idea to who would devote their time to making something with such a game specific taste. ¡¸Takumu, you¡­¡­¡¹ Chapter 7 What¡¯s wrong with Rei?¡¡Set seemed to say as he rubbed Rei¡¯s face. ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing much. Is the Water Ball the same as the one the Water Bear used ?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded at his words ¡¸Right. Do you want to use it now and take a look?¡¡I want to understand its strength.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ As Set raised a cry, a water ball 20cm in diameter immediately appeared in front of his beak. The situation certainly looked the same as when the Water Bear used it. ¡¸Right, please try to hit the tree trunk over there.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Following Rei¡¯s instructions, Set launched the water ball. Although the water ball flew quite fast, it was slower than the one the Water Bear used. As it hit the tree trunk¡­¡­only the surface of the tree broke. ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Compared to the one the Water Bear used, the speed at which the water ball flew was obviously slow, the power was also low. The amount created was also different, Set could only use one where as the Water Bear could use three at the same time. Because he was originally confident, Set dejectedly lowered his head. ¡¸Set, don¡¯t feel depressed. In the first place, it¡¯s still only Lv.1. Perhaps the Water Bear¡¯s Water Ball was a higher level, if you absorb more magic stones, the power of the water ball will go up and other skills can be obtained.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Really?¡¡Set looked at Rei and tilted his head. His appearance was lovely, it wasn¡¯t something you would think of considering he was a combination of the king of the skies and the king of the beasts. ¡¸Ah. Water Ball isn¡¯t just useful for attack. At the very least, Set and I won¡¯t go thirsty.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Leave it to me, Set gave a short cry as his mood was fixed. Maybe this simplicity was because it was only the 2nd day since his birth. ¡¸In any case, the dismantling of the Water Bear has also finished. The magic stone has also been absorbed and the effect confirmed. Then we should get moving soon, the smell of the Water Bear¡¯s blood would have spread by the wind and monsters will be here soon.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ With Set nodding, they left the place in a hurry. With that, the only things that remained were the left over offal that Set didn¡¯t eat and the blood from the dismantling of the Water Bear. They had moved for about an hour from the place where the Water Bear was dismantled. As Rei walked through the forest, he took a Clara Fruit from the Misty Ring and took a bite. At that time, Set suddenly stopped and searched the surroundings. ¡¸Set, enemy?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words and turned his sharp eyes to the back. He briefly looked behind, but unfortunately, Rei¡¯s vision couldn¡¯t see the figure of an enemy. (Well, even if you say this body was created by the best magicians, there¡¯s still a difference between the fives senses of a magic beast. Now, what to do?) The Death Scythe was in his right hand and the Mithril Knife at his waist. Though Rei was thought about it for a moment, he still chose the Death Scythe. Even if it was difficult to maneuver, there was still the ability to use magic. ¡¸There is the possibility of attacking us when we camp if it keeps chasing us. Okay, we¡¯ll fight it here.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set nodded in agreement, created a water ball to attack at any time, and waited for the enemy¡­¡­the water ball was fired at the moment he saw something move! ¡¸Gyan~!¡¹ A cry was heard in the vicinity where the water ball hit, several enemies appeared as if waiting. Their appearance was¡­¡­ ¡¸Stray dog¡­¡­no, wolf?¡¹ What appeared were wolves about the height of Rei¡¯s knee¡¯s. The wolves had grey fur and there were 6 of them. ¡¸Although the number is large, it¡¯s still better if you compare them to the Water Bear.¡¹ At a glance, they were the same size as a normal dog and did not have a coat of water like the Water Bear. As for the difference between dogs and wolves, he felt that the combat strength of wolves was higher. Grrr, the wolves glared at them to try to suppress them. At this chance, Rei hurriedly searched Zepairu¡¯s knowledge for information regarding the wolves. But¡­¡­ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set reacted to the voice Rei involuntarily leaked, Rei returned his line of sight to the wolves immediately while shaking his head. While surveying the situation, Rei clicked his tongue. Though unlike the Water Bear, Zepairu had knowledge of the wolves in front of his eyes, they were not classified as monsters. Demon, magic beast, monster. Although the names are numerous, they refer to the same thing. That is, they all have a crystal called a magic stone in their heart. Still, though it is common to have the magic stone in the heart, some species are an exception. Those with a magic stone, will aggressively attack those from species other than their own. It is one of the reasons they are called¡ºDemons¡»¡£ However, the wolves before Rei were different. They are a common beast which does not have a magic stone. This meant that even if he defeated the wolves, he wouldn¡¯t get any magic stones to help Set and his Death Scythe grow. Also, a common beast with that has some sort of mutation, stayed a long time in a magic power rich area or has swallowed a magic stone, may establish a new magic beast in the ecosystem if it can leave offspring. The Water Bear that Rei and Set fought was probably like this. (At least the meat can be saved for Set, the fur seems like it can be sold¡­¡­in that case) Honestly, the rewards were very small compared to the battle required, he seriously wished they would leave them alone. (That said, they can¡¯t understand our words. I guess there¡¯s no choice) As he held the Death Scythe up¡­¡­it became impossible to endure the tension, one of the wolves dashed out to attack Rei. Tempted by it, the rest of the wolves also started to move, cries immediately rang out into the surrounding forest. ¡¸Gya~!¡¹ The moment the wolf kicked the ground and jumped up to attack Rei with its fangs, Set kicked it with his right forefoot. Set was created with Rei¡¯s vast magic power, in addition, he was now equipped with the magic item Bracelet of Herculean Strength. Because it was hit by Set in that state, the wolf, which wasn¡¯t even a monster, naturally couldn¡¯t get away with it. It raised a terrified cry as it was blown away. Losing its head, the body collapsed to the ground dead. ¡¸Haah!¡¹ As for Rei, he thrust out the handle of the Death Scythe at a wolf which had jumped at the same time. Rei knew how high his physical ability was from the fight against the Water Bear, he was able to fight the wolf while giving himself a slight margin for error. ¡¸Gyan~!¡¹ The handle of the Death Scythe that was thrust out pierced through the chest of the wolf. Rei turned to face another wolf that attacked him, waving the handle with wolf stuck on it. Naturally, the body of the wolf that had been pierced flew off and hit the wolf that jumped at him felling both. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set fired a water ball to secure the final blow. Though it¡¯s power is low compared with the Water Bear, it still had enough power to reap the lives of the wolves. ¡¸Three left. Set, we¡¯ll finish them in one go!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a sharp cry at Rei¡¯s words, one person and one animal moved forward at the same time. ¡¸Garurururu¡¹ As expected, after half of them died, the rest became cautious, the last 3 surrounded Rei. However, they still showed no sign of retreat. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set created another water ball. He fired it to restrain the wolves, the wolves were divided into groups of two and one. Rei thrust out. Shifting the Death Scythe to his left hand, he pulled the Mithril Knife with his right hand from his waist. ¡¸Gaaa~!¡¹ The wolf Rei aimed for sprung up to meet him. It aimed for the neck. From its long hunting experience, it knew that the person would die if it bit there. ¡¸Let¡¯s do this!¡¹ It¡¯s mouth opened, the knife in Rei¡¯s right hand was stabbed in and the fangs of the wolf cut. Wolf or dog, it could not close its mouth until it could get rid of the object stuck deep inside its throat. Rei had done that because he knew. As for the Mithril Knife, with Rei¡¯s magic power, it had a sharpness close to those of rare swords. ¡¸Gafu~¡¹ As a result, the Mithril Knife was pushed far down the wolf¡¯s throat and was successful in cutting off the top half of the wolfs face. ¡¸Gurururururururu~!¡¹ Set, watching the situation, gave an intimidating cry. The number of wolves had decreased to two. The numerical advantage against Rei and Set had completely disappeared. Whether or not the wolves understood it, the remaining two animals suddenly turned around and single mindedly ran into the depths of the forest. Rei watched them go without giving chase. It was natural. The wolves are beasts anyway and not a monster. Because of that, there wouldn¡¯t be a magic stone even if he killed it. ¡¸Somehow we drove them away.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As Rei petted Set, he gave a low growl of gratitude, the bodies of the 5 wolves were stored in the Misty Ring. There were no magic stones but the meat and fur could be used. TLN: It seems that there were originally 7 wolves and Set killed one with a water ball before the others appeared, just a note for those who are confused as to why there are 5 bodies. ¡¸But, this¡­¡­is a little troublesome.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong?¡¡Set tilted his head. Rei answered while stroking Set¡¯s body. ¡¸It¡¯s only been a few hours since we left the barrier and we¡¯ve already been attacked by the Water Bear and a pack of wolves?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸In other words, in the forest there are a lot more monsters and beasts than we expected. More than that, camping is accompanied by significant risk.¡¹ Rei thought of different ideas while stroking Set¡¯s back. After a few minutes, he finally settled on an idea and looked into Set¡¯s face. ¡¸I wonder, Set. Is it possible for you to run if I ride on your back?¡¡When thinking about the possibility of getting attacked while taking a rest, I want to quickly get out of the forest. Fortunately, we don¡¯t need to be worried about being attacked by dragons near the edge of the forest, if we can make that distance then we can fly.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ All right!¡¡Set moved his face to the ground and encouraged Rei to get on. ¡¸Thanks. Because I can serve the meat of the Water Bear once we get out, do your best. Come on, eat this to moisten the throat.¡¹ He removed a Clara Fruit from the Misty Ring and gave it to Set. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Raising a happy cry, Set ate the fresh fruit. ¡¸Good, well, let¡¯s get out of the forest at once¡­¡­I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ He quickly hopped onto Set¡¯s back, because the Death Scythe would become obstructive on Set¡¯s back, it was stored inside the Misty Ring, . ¡¸Well, let¡¯s start!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Raising a heroic cry, Set kicked the ground. The speed can be imagined if you think of the scenery flashing by in moments. A wry smile floated on to Rei¡¯s face. ¡¸I see, you held back to match my speed until now.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What?¡¡Set seemed to ask as gave a cry. Rei scratched Set¡¯s head and told him it wasn¡¯t anything. Chapter 8 Rei admired the view as he rode on Set¡¯s back. He held out one of the few remaining Clara Fruits to Set as he stroked his neck. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a joyful cry as he ran through the forest, chewing on the Clara Fruit in his beak with a crunching sound. ¡¸According to Zeppairu¡¯s knowledge, we should have been out of the forest a long time ago¡­¡­¡¹ Rei confirmed the surroundings as he muttered, the forest seemed to continue endlessly. (Did the forest spread this far in a few hundred years? Well, with magic in this world, maybe it¡¯s possible.) While muttering in his head, he could not stop the unpleasant feeling in his heart. As if to ignore unpleasant feeling, he talked to Set while stroking his neck. ¡¸Still, Set is amazing. You don¡¯t seem to be tired at all even though you¡¯ve continued running since morning.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Because he was happy that Rei praised him, Set increased his speed further. A wry smile floated on to Rei¡¯s face, he admired the physical ability of the Griffon as well as his simple mindedness. Anyway, since Set started running, they had not been attacked once by beasts or monsters. At first, they encountered a monkey with three eyes, a wild boar with 50cm long fangs and rabbits with 1m long, blade like, ears. But they were all shaken off as none of them could catch up with Set as he ran through the forest at high speed. For Rei, the purpose of fighting the Water Bear and the wolves was to gain combat experience. He hadn¡¯t properly understood the physical properties of his body and he wanted to secure the magic stone to help the growth of Set and the Death Scythe. But even though he was tempted to fight other monsters with Set after fighting with the Water Bear and the wolves, the highest priority goal was for Set to run and focus on exiting the forest. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Then. Set abruptly gave a cry. Rei felt caution in the voice. ¡¸Set, enemy?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a short cry at Rei¡¯s words. However, it wasn¡¯t possible to find the enemies in the moonlight with Rei¡¯s eyes. Still, to counter attack at any time, he pulled out the mithril knife from the sheath at his waist and readied it. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ As Set continued to run, he sharply turned his face to the left. At the same time, something came out from the darkness. ¡¸Tch!¡¹ He clicked his tongue as he reflexively used the Dragon Robe to catch the incoming object while protecting himself. It was unfortunate for Rei that the attack was from the left. If it had attacked from the right, Rei, who was right handed, could have intercepted it with the mithril knife. Or maybe it was lucky for the unexpectedly small object that had hit Rei. Thanks to Set, he didn¡¯t roll off his back. ¡¸Gyi~!¡¹ The object that had been wrapped up in the Dragon Robe raised a cry. Putting the mithril knife in his his right hand into his mouth, he untangled the creature that was caught in the left side of the Dragon Robe and brought it before his eyes. ¡¸This is, a flying squirrel?¡¹ At first glance, it had the size and appearance of a squirrel, but something like a membrane could be seen between its hands and feet. Up to here, it was the same as the flying squirrel Rei knew. The difference was the tail. After all, a squirrel¡¯s tail should have large bushy fur, this tail was like a blade. However, the blade like tail fortunately couldn¡¯t reach Rei as he held the body from the front. ¡¸Gyiii~!¡¹ It menacingly bared its fangs as Rei held its body. From Rei¡¯s judgement, the fangs growing from its mouth were about 3cm long, long enough for the Flying Blade Squirrel (provisional name) which was about 15cm long. Since there wasn¡¯t enough time to leisurely search Zeppairu¡¯s knowledge in this situation, while holding the body in his left hand, he used his right hand to break its neck. After confirming that it was dead, he stored it inside the Misty Ring. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set gave another sharp cry. Rei took the mithril knife that was in his mouth back into his hand and thrust it at the Flying Blade Squirrel that attacked from above. With a guyuu~ sound, the mithril knife pierced the forehead of the Flying Blade Squirrel, Rei frowned, pulled the knife out and stored the corpse into the Misty Ring. A few minutes later. Flying Blade Squirrels were coming out from everywhere, the tops of trees and bushes like knives. Catching them in his left forefoot, Set killed them and ate them with his sharp beak, tearing them from his claws. But, the Flying Blade Squirrels continued attack without caring if their companions died, the number of corpses increased as time went on. ¡¸Damn, there¡¯s no end!¡¹ Already accustomed to wielding it, the mithril knife flashed through the air. A Flying Blade Squirrel was bisected divided into the top and bottom half and fell to the ground, passing them in an instant. In this situation, should he prepare a large scale fire magic and burn the whole area around them?¡¡Rei thought at the time. TLN: JUST DO IT! ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Listening to Set¡¯s voice which was trying to draw attention, he redirected his line of sight. Then, in the view ahead, the thick trees which had grown endlessly finally broke. ¡¸The exit, is it.¡¹ While exhaling in relief, he quickly thrust the mithril knife at the body of a Flying Blade Squirrel that had attacked from a tree. After it ceased to breath, he stored it in the Misty Ring. ¡¸Set, if we¡¯ve come here, it¡¯s safe to fly. We¡¯ll leave the Flying Blade Squirrels behind in one go. Go!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Ok, Set¡¯s high pitched cry seemed to say, the wings that had been folded in so far expanded. Even with a single wing, the wing size was near 2m. For the run-up, enough speed had already been built up by running here. While at that speed, he flapped his wings greatly¡­¡­after a few seconds, Set kicked the ground and a floating sensation was felt, the figure of Set went above the trees in the thick forest. The moonlight shined on the ground as there wasn¡¯t a single cloud in the sky. In such a night sky, Set flapped his wings and flew through the sky. Though it may be because it was night, there was nothing in the sky except for Rei and Set. From the private plane like view, Rei strongly recognized that this was a different world. However, this state didn¡¯t continue for long. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a sharp cry as if to guard against something. When Rei heard the voice, his consciousness immediately returned and he observed the surroundings keenly. ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ As Rei looked around, something entered his vision. Innumerable shadows emerged from the forest the same way that Set had come, shadows and shadows. Although he couldn¡¯t grasp the exact number because of the moonlight, the number was still around 100. Looking at the size of the shadows, he reflexively understood what group was following them. They were no doubt the Flying Blade Squirrels that chased them relentlessly before. (According to common sense, flying squirrels can only glide from high places, to be able to fly by themselves¡­¡­indeed this is a fantasy world. However, we have already gone out of the forest. In other words, we don¡¯t need to be worried about a fire like before. Until now, they¡¯ve been chasing us relentlessly, now it¡¯s time to deal with them.) The Death Scythe was removed from the Misty Ring. It was set up so as to not knock against Set¡¯s wings. It was only the second day since Rei was reborn in this body. In addition to sitting on Set¡¯s back while flying, it was the first time he had used the Death Scythe on Set¡¯s back. If he used the it unskillfully, he could injure Set¡¯s wings. The probability of surviving a fall from this height was very low. It was different from the forest before. While holding the handle and pointing the 1m blade at the flock of Flying Blade Squirrels in pursuit of Set, he said an incantation. Even though he said it wasn¡¯t in the forest, they are still in the sky above it. In other words, if wide area spell was used here, it was necessary to restrict the range to sky above the forest. ¡ºDancing flames, dance. Light up the surroundings with your magnificent dance, burn as you dance and captivate the people.¡» The range of the spell was specified while saying the incantation. The last phrase was said. ¡ºDance Fire Snake!¡» The world was rewritten with Rei¡¯s magic power and it¡¯s appearance was shown. Hundreds of flames, ten times the size of humans, appeared and freely moved through the sky. As the flames moved through the air, the surroundings lit up brightly, it was surely a scene where you could say the flames were dancing. Though the Flying Blade Squirrels who were caught in the dancing flames continued to resist desperately, even if it boasted of a blade like tail and fangs, they couldn¡¯t show any effects against the flames. The bodies which had been completely burnt like cinder dropped to the earth. Though there were Flying Blade Squirrels that decided not to follow their companions and flew to the forest, most of them were caught by the dancing flame moving through the sky and were burnt to cinders in an instant. Still, several Flying Blade Squirrels succeeded in running away from the range of the magic Rei had specified. They ran to the forest without looking back. A few minutes passed after using the magic. There were already no more Flying Blade Squirrels illuminated by the moonlight, with a click from Rei¡¯s fingers, the flames that had been created by magic disappeared as if they had never existed. The only things that remained were the fluttering of Set¡¯s wings as Rei rode on his back. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei, who had been imagining fireworks as he looked at the magic was brought back by Set¡¯s voice. ¡¸My bad, I was thinking of something¡­¡­yeah. For the time being, please move away from the forest. Then let¡¯s take a rest.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set¡¯s cry echoed high in the night sky where Flying Blade Squirrels and flames had been a few minutes ago, as he flapped his wings, they left the forest. Along the way, Rei anxiously searched Zepairu¡¯s knowledge for information on the Flying Blade Squirrels. Same as the Water Bear, the information didn¡¯t exist. (Why did it turn out like this?¡¡After the Water Bear, there¡¯s no information on this either, even if you say it has been several hundred years, there is a sense of incongruity. This, could it be¡­¡­£© A bad feeling went through Rei¡¯s chest, he determined that there wasn¡¯t any other way to check his suspicions, the Death Scythe was moved to accommodate it and a Flying Blade Squirrel removed from the Misty Ring. He cut open the body of the Flying Blade Squirrel with the mithril knife that was at his waist. There was a magic stone several centimeters large in the heart. ¡¸Monster, is it. But¡­¡­¡¹ Rei recalled the previous battle. At that time, Set had bitten and consumed a considerable number of Flying Blade Squirrels. Naturally. the magic stones should have been absorbed by Set as well, however, he didn¡¯t have the memory of a skill announcement message appearing. Even when he checked Set¡¯s skills to be sure, it hadn¡¯t changed and only Water Ball Lv.1 was displayed there. Wondering about this, Rei searched Zepairu¡¯s knowledge again. According to it, it seems that learning a skill didn¡¯t necessarily occur if a magic stone was consumed. In other words, acquiring Water Ball after only consuming the magic stone of the Water Bear was an exception. Also, there was the newly discovered fact that it was almost impossible to get an ability from a magic stone if the monster was too weak. Chapter 9 ¡¸I feel relieved for now, something like that.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ He sat down on the grass while leaning against the rock. Set came and rubbed his head while giving a deep cry. A smile floated on to his face as Rei scratched his head. ¡¸Set, I was somehow able to get out of the forest thanks to you.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Don¡¯t mind it, the cry seemed to say. ¡¸We will stay here tonight for now. We¡¯ll look for people, a village or a town tomorrow. ¡­¡­However, according to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any towns or villages in this area ¡­¡­well, what to do.¡¹ Doubt spread in his heart. There was no information in Zepairu¡¯s knowledge on either the Water Bear or the Flying Blade Squirrel. Certainly, if there was a gap of several hundred years, the information might be imperfect. However, he wondered why there was no information on the two monsters they successively met in the area. There was information on the wolves as they were a common beast, so the knowledge wasn¡¯t completely untrustworthy. Also, the size of the forest was different. According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, the forest should have been smaller. It took him riding on Set a bit less than 10 hours to get out¡­¡­it wasn¡¯t the same scale ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ ¡¸Oh well. There¡¯s no use worrying. For the time being, let¡¯s just eat something and prepare for tomorrow. Set, bring me the tree over there.¡¹ Glancing at a medium sized tree which had fallen over, he asked Set to bring it over, he then took the arm parts of the Water Bear out of the Misty Ring. He took out the bear paws because from his own knowledge he had a faint memory that the meat there was delicious. The right arm of the Water Bear that was taken out was chopped into pieces by the mithril knife, he then pierced the meat with branches from nearby dead trees. ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ When about 10 meat skewers were made, Set came back, rolling a fallen tree with his forefeet. Looking at the situation, he was impressed by Set¡¯s strength. He took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring while. ¡¸This is the first time I¡¯ve cut firewood with a scythe¡­¡­I wonder what Zepairu would say if he knew.¡¹ While smiling wryly, he poured magic power into the blade. One strike, two strikes, three strikes, the fallen tree was cut into small firewood pieces . After a sufficient amount had been gathered, he casted a spell to prepare a fire. ¡ºFire, gather on my fingertips. Small Flame¡» A flame appeared and spread to the firewood. The bear meat skewers that where made before were stabbed into the ground a moderate distance from the fire. With that the camp preparations were complete. Because there were no camping gear such as sleeping bags or tents in the Misty Ring, the fire became their friend for the night. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ The flames immediately began to cook the meat. As Set smelled the appetizing fragrance, he drifted closer to Rei. I can¡¯t wait, Set seemed to say. With a wry smile, Rei gave him some of the raw meat that hadn¡¯t been skewered. ¡¸Eat this for now until the meat is cooked.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Taking the raw meat with his beak, he swallowed it after chewing a few times. He then pleaded at Rei with his blue eyes for another piece of meat. (If you eat like a human, you better chew well. I wonder about Griffons.) He fed Set like this for about 5 minutes. At last, the meat was cooked by the fire, he pulled the skewer out of the ground and bit into juicy meat. It was the first time Rei had tasted an overwhelmingly mellow meat. Before, Rei had eaten some bear meat from a bear which had been killed by a hunter who lived close by. His impression at the time was¡ºWell, it¡¯s not unpalatable¡­¡­I think?¡» or something like that. The bear meat that Rei knew and the meat of the Water Bear was so different in taste that he could have mistaken it for something else. When he dismantled the body and took out the magic stone, the blood had been drained. The faint smell of blood that remained, added with the peculiar taste of wild meat, gave a rich flavour. His only regret was that it was purely a meat taste as there was absolutely no seasoning. The flavour was likely to change even with a little bit of salt. In fact, Rei didn¡¯t know, but the meat of higher level monsters tended to be more delicious because of their magic power. But in the end, a tendency is still a tendency, there were monsters with unpalatable meat even if their magic power was high, there also existed delicious meat from low level monsters. In a sense, he was also lucky to that the first meat he ate was the meat of a Water Bear. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Giving one to himself, he held out a skewer to Set, who pushed his face closer and took the meat off dexterously with his beak. Rei considered situation for a moment as he looked at the meat in Set¡¯s mouth. Satisfied with his meal, he then took out a Clara Fruit, as a replacement for dessert, and bit into it. Quickly eating the sweet and sour fruit flesh and juice, Rei stood up and held the Death Scythe horizontally as Set had his eyes glued to the raw meat that was left. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set noticed Rei¡¯s gaze, but went back to focusing on the meat after determining there was no danger in the surroudings. Smiling wryly at Set¡¯s actions, he moved a bit further away. Leaning the Death Scythe against a rock nearby, he began to stretch to ascertain the condition of his body. Although the body of Reiji in his memory had a decent flexibility, Rei¡¯s body was even more flexible than expected. Firstly, he could touch the ground with his palms without bending his knees, in addition, he still had room to spare. Then, for a few minutes, he did some suitable stretches that he had learnt in junior high school and high school. ¡¸Now, with this I¡¯m warmed up.¡¹ Saying so, he took the Death Scythe which had been leaning against a rock and took a stance using both hands. ¡¸Hah!¡¹ One yell, one strike. The blade of the Death Scythe split the sky. However, he felt something was off and set the Death Scythe up again while tilting his neck. ¡¸Hah!¡¹ Again, one yell, one strike. This time, the twist of the body was different from before. When he swung the Death Scythe down, he consciously turned his waist, this was done to accurately transmit the motion to the Death Scythe. ¡¸Well, something like this.¡¹ Understanding how to handle the Death Scythe, he then did two different swings. Side sweeping from left to right and sweeping inversely from right to left. He then endlessly tried any swings he could come up with, such as scooping from below, tirelessly. He persisted in this state for about 30 minutes. At first, he handled the Death Scythe awkwardly with brute force. But as time went on, the handling became increasingly smooth. It can be imagined that if soldiers and swordsmen could see the speed, they would be jealous. The Death Scythe was swung down and stopped just before hitting the ground, he then flipped the blade back up and to the right. If that series of attacks was used against a human, they would first be cut diagonally by the scythe, their right arm would then be cut off by the next strike and their neck separated from their body with one sweep. The scythe was then moved continuously, sometimes he would do tricky movements and use the handle as a spear like against the Water Bear. After a while, he became used to the handling of the Death Scythe. At first, Rei stopped after one swing before swinging again, now there was no awkward movement, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that it was now like a sword dance. A single sweep of the blade was sharp and cut through the air, the handle had enough power to penetrate through low quality armour with a single blow. Rei focused and continued the movements which were like a sword dance of death. As his movements sharpened¡­¡­ ¡¸Haaaaatsu~!¡¹ With one yell and one strike, the Death Scythe stopped and was placed beside him. ¡¸Phew, I¡¯ve roughly accustomed myself to it.¡¹ It was already a few hours since he started training with the Death Scythe. Even though he used the ability of the Death Scythe and could hardly feel its weight, Rei had continued to swing around the large scythe without once taking a break. ¡¸As expected of the body that the world¡¯s best magicians crafted. You can continue to keep moving without losing your breath.¡¹ Although there was a bit of sweat on his forehead, it was something you could barely see. Returning to the camp fire with the Death Scythe, Set was about to toss a piece of firewood in with his beak. All the meat had already been eaten off the Water Bear¡¯s right arm, the only remains were the bones which rolled on the ground. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Welcome back, Set gave a short cry as he saw Rei. Unlike normal Griffons, Set had an intellect similar to or higher than humans because of Rei¡¯s extraordinary magic power. This might be evidence that he could understand Rei¡¯s words. While Rei was confirming his physical specifications, Set, who wanted to be spoiled, endured patiently as he knew his master was training to use the unwieldy weapon that was the Scythe. So. ¡¸Set, can you make some water?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ When asked by his much loved Rei, he used Water Ball happily. The water ball that Set created floated buoyantly and stopped in front of Rei. Rei put his hand in and scooped water out to wash his face. ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, damn it. There isn¡¯t a towel.¡¹ He immediately noticed his mistake and decided to leave the water on his hands to dry naturally. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a spoiled cry as Rei sat down on the ground and leaned his body against him. While rubbing Set¡¯s head, he began to think of tomorrow¡¯s schedule. (For now, we will still look for a town or village as originally intended¡­¡­but which way to go?¡¡Fortunately or not, we haven¡¯t discovered anything that could be called a highway after leaving some distance from the forest. In the end, we may have to treat the forest like some sort of new frontier.) Even if you said that he inherited the knowledge of Zepariu, things like a map of Japan or a world map were not included. He could roughly state where the next country was, it was over the mountain range¡­¡­however, it was only information. And even such information was several hundred years old and could not be used as a reference in the current situation. (If my bad feeling is correct, most of Zepairu¡¯s knowledge is likely to be useless.) There was no information on the monsters we met or on the difference in the size of the forest. When thinking about it, it is likely that hundreds more years have passed than what Zepairu said. ¡¸Well, this can be ascertained if we go to a town or village.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong, Set seemed to say. Rei shook his head and said it wasn¡¯t much while scratching his head. ¡¸Anyway, that¡¯s tomorrow. Let¡¯s look for a place with people when tomorrow morning comes.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Can I count on you for the lookout?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Leave it to me, Set gave a cry. After hearing that, Rei was wrapped in silky feathers and fell asleep in the comfortable warmth. Chapter 10 ¡¸Nn?¡¡Set¡­¡­is it?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ When he looked around while rubbing his eyes, he understood that it was early morning as the sun could already be seen. ¡¸Morning. ¡­¡­I was able to sleep better than I thought.¡¹ While saying so, he got up to ascertain the condition of his body. He had moved around a lot just before sleeping but he didn¡¯t have any muscle pains. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ He turned around at Set¡¯s voice, a water ball was floating there. It was for him to wash his face. ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ Rei briefly said thanks. After washing his face, he left it to dry naturally as the night before. He then cooked some Water Bear meat for breakfast at the campfire, which was still burning as Set had looked after it while he was asleep. Sharing the last two Clara Fruits, the preparations for departure were complete. ¡¸Well, I think we should leave soon¡­¡­you were on lookout last night, are you physically okay?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ No problems at all, Set cried in response to Rei¡¯s question. Although a normal Griffon would show some fatigue if it stayed up all night, Set was a Griffon made with Rei¡¯s vast magic power using the Magic Beast Art. He could stay up for a week without problems, let alone one night. Of course, he would have to spend the next few days resting if he did that. ¡¸I see. Then let¡¯s go immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Like the time in the forest, Set lowered his back and urged Rei to get on. While holding the Death Scythe, Rei gently stroked Set¡¯s back to show his appreciation. ¡¸Gurururururururu~!¡¹ With a high pitched cry, he flapped his wings, took a run up of several steps and went up into the sky. After reaching a sufficient altitude, Set turned his neck around to look at Rei, who was sitting on his back. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Which way to go? Rei pointed south when Set asked. Although he didn¡¯t know if it was reliable, Zepairu¡¯s knowledge indicated that if they kept going south for a few days, there would be a large town¡­¡­so it said. Rei had already judged Zepairu¡¯s knowledge as unreliable and only thought of it as a reference. But still, there was a difference between having a reference and not having one. ¡¸To the south.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a sharp cry in response to Rei¡¯s words and flapped its wings to take a path straight south. ¡¸¡­¡­Amazing¡¹ Looking at the view from Set¡¯s back, he unintentionally said those words. Extending before Rei¡¯s eyes was a blue sky and an endless green carpet. Human constructs such as towns and villages could not be seen as far as the eyes could see. Even if he said he was born in and grew up in a country town in Tohoku, there naturally were houses in the vicinity. The town could still be commuted to by bicycle. To Rei, the world of nature that extended before his eyes was the first he had seen in his life. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Maybe understanding that Rei was happy to see such scenery from the sky, Set gave a delighted cry and flapped his wings greatly, soaring through the sky. ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm, I should think of an identity instead of being kept fascinated.¡¹ To begin with, the only knowledge he had of the world was from Zepairu. And as he was unwilling to rely on Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, he wasn¡¯t sure how to create an identity for himself. Rei judged so while half watching the scenery and half working on thinking up a background. (Firstly, since I have to live as an adventurer, I must be a magician. Because of Set, I must also have a background either as a summoner or a tamer. That background feels a bit simple¡­¡­£© In the novels, movies and manga that he had seen so far, he recalled something with similar content. (Amnesia¡­¡­ha, that¡¯s impossible because of Set. Was I sent to a place I don¡¯t know due to recklessly using teleportation magic?¡¡Perhaps that would work¡­¡­no, wait.) A thought crossed Rei¡¯s mind at that moment. It was a manga he had read as Saeki Reiji where a wizard¡¯s apprentice was sent travelling to train himself The story could fit his current circumstances. (Because I lived in a secluded place with my master, I¡¯m ignorant about the world¡­¡­OK. I learnt my magic from my master, not summoning magic but fire magic¡­¡­ha, it would be troubling if I was asked to summon anything other than Set, maybe I¡¯ll be a tamer. According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, tamers seem to exist. So, the general story is that I was teleported by my master to a strange place by space magic for teaching and training purposes, while I was wandering and hunting with my magic beast partner Set, I found a town or village.) While thinking if there were any contradictions in his thoughts, he muttered softly. ¡¸I shouldn¡¯t have any problems.¡¹ Thinking about it, the large weapon, the Death Scythe could be said to be something which directly trained the magician, the large scythe had a magic body¡­¡­so it partially true. Because of training purposes he was sent out with no money. Other than Rei, Set was also equipped with a set of expensive magic items so there were a number of strange points. However, Rei nodded without minding it as he was satisfied that the background was persuasive enough. After several hours, he determined his background. Without anything in particular to do, Rei sat on Set¡¯s back and enjoyed the air travel. For a while, Rei enjoyed the scenery from the sky, but as expected, he became tired of watching the same endless scenery for hours. Things like monsters attacking merchants or thieves robbing a noble¡¯s carriage. Alternatively, an adventurer being attacked by monsters was a development that existed as well, reality wasn¡¯t so sweet, nothing happened and he was left swaying on Set¡¯s back. After a few hours. The sun had almost risen to noon, Rei began thinking of searching for monsters to eat. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set raised a cry to draw attention. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ To Rei¡¯s question, Set looked ahead. Following his line of sight, human constructions could clearly be seen¡­¡­rather than saying that, there were a lot of houses. It was neither a village or town, it seemed to be a considerably large city where tens of thousands of people could live. Probably for anti-monster measures, the city was a walled city with high walls. As he caught sight of the city, Rei let out a sigh. ¡¸What to say, maybe it was as expected¡­¡­the city wasn¡¯t in Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, if several hundred years have passed, a city of that scale could be built. In that case, let¡¯s enter the city and gather some information.¡¹ As expected, the city was near. Under his eyes, he could see roads leading to the city. That said, the roads that were trod on by people and wagons were not covered with concrete but with a natural stone pavement. People could be seen trickling along the roads. (Well, what to do. Firstly, I¡¯ll probably be rejected, no questions asked, if I entered with Set from the sky. Best way is to quietly enter through the entrance¡­¡­if I get off Set in the near vicinity the gate keeper will probably be cautious. This is rejected as well. Then I¡¯ll land a bit further away and from there walk to the city with Set.) While determining his method, the people on the road below raised voices of surprise as they pointed at Set. ¡¸Set, land on the ground once we get a bit further. We will head to the city by walking, not flying.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a small cry at Rei¡¯s request, Set flapped his wings greatly and headed towards the city. After a few minutes, Set and Rei decided to stop their air travel about 10 minutes from the city and and walk the remaining distance. After Set and Rei landed on the ground, they walked to the road leading to the city. Probably because they saw Set land nearby, travelers, merchant and adventurers moved a considerable distance away from the figures of the lone person and animal as they headed to the city, (I see, there are adventurers. Basically, it¡¯s the old story where several people form a group to conduct activities. Weapons are spears, swords and bows. Eh, is that a magician with the cane?) As Rei walked alone the beaten road, he observed the appearances of the adventurers nearby. Although he didn¡¯t realize it, the adventurers noticed that there were being observed and, maybe because they were wary of the Griffon, Set, they also watched Rei. Such a state continued for about 10 minutes, finally, the entrance to the city came into view. It could be said that naturally or unexpectedly, there were 5 soldiers armed with spears and swords guarding. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ As he did not come to mess with them, Rei approached the soldiers in silence. Set followed him and walked quietly. The soldiers watched the lone person and animal approach, abruptly, one of the soldiers walked towards Rei. The feeling of tension spread to the surroundings as the soldier approached Rei. (Compared to the soldiers in their twenties, this person is in his thirties to forties. Perhaps he is the leader of the soldiers. Weapons¡­¡­though they¡¯re equipped with swords, there probably isn¡¯t much risk as they are still sheathed at their waists.) The middle aged man with a beard met Rei¡¯s expectations and called out to him. ¡¸I am Ranga, a guard captain of the city of Gilm. May I ask if you have business in the city?¡¹ Despite the rugged appearance, an unexpectedly mild voice came from his mouth. While puzzled about the sense of incongruity, Rei nodded. ¡¸Ah. That¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Can I listen to to your story in the guard room? Everyone is nervous since you brought a rank A monster, Griffon, with you.¡¹ Taking a brief glance, most of the people in the surroundings were looking at Rei and Set. ¡­¡­More than that, most of them, adventurers included, looked away when Rei looked at them. (Certainly, it seem that they were scared of Set as expected. In that case, there¡¯s no meaning even if I force my way through. The faster way is to explain myself in the guardroom.) Letting out a sigh in his mind, he nodded to the man¡¯s words. ¡¸I understand. It would be better in a quiet place as you said.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry about that. The boss would be mad if I let someone who brought a high ranked monster Griffon through. Also, it¡¯s necessary to give documents to the Margrave.¡¹ Ranga explained the situation in a light tone, not suited to his rugged face. Apparently, the mild voice he had used at their first meeting a little while ago was just the way he was and not deliberately used because he was wary of Rei and Set. Following Ranga¡¯s guidance, they went to a small build beside the gate. ¡¸Um, I¡¯m sorry but because of its size can I ask the Griffon to wait outside?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it doesn¡¯t matter. Set.¡¹ As Rei talked with Ranga, he called to Set. Set, who had been standing quietly behind Rei, joyfully rubbed his face as his head was scratched. ¡¸Because I have to talk a while in that building, Set, take a rest near the building.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ All right?¡¡Set seemed to say with his blue eyes as he nodded. ¡¸I¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ve seen my ability you know?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Maybe relieved at Rei¡¯s words, Set lay down on the grass next to the guardroom. After staying up all night and flying here non stop, there was some fatigue, he slowly closed his eyes. Naturally, he was still alert. Set¡¯s specifications were overwhelming compared with the average Griffon. He had an exceptional sense of smell and vision. It wasn¡¯t difficult to rest his body while remaining vigilant because of his magic power. ¡¸I¡¯ll say it once for now, I don¡¯t want anyone to meddle with him when you¡¯re listening to my story in the guardroom.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand of course. I don¡¯t think anyone would be stupid enough to anger a rank A monster. However, you¡¯re right¡­¡­You.¡¹ Ranga called a soldier that was nearby. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸While I¡¯m talking with him in the guardroom, keep watch so that no one tries to meddle with the Griffon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¡Me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. You.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ Reluctantly, the soldier nodded. (Well, I can understand since it is a rank A monster.) Though he didn¡¯t know what rank Set was, he predicted that rank A was fairly dangerous as he saw the state of the soldier guards. A wry smile floated to his face as he saw the soldier¡¯s appearance. Rei opened his mouth to speak. ¡¸Unless Set is badly annoyed, he won¡¯t do anything, there¡¯s no danger.¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­¡­I¡¯ll believe your words.¡¹ ¡¸Then, let¡¯s go to the guardroom immediately¡­¡­before you go, here.¡¹ Ranga handed Rei a cloth that seemed to come from nowhere. Not knowing what it was for, Rei received it while raising his eyebrows. Although he thought about it, he simply decided to ask Ranga what it was for. ¡¸What do I do with this white cloth?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You. Where you planning to enter the city with the scythe as it is?¡¡Wouldn¡¯t it be the same as a person carrying an unsheathed sword?¡¡Aside from spears, such a big blade just¡­¡­I can¡¯t overlook this situation.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ The explanation was reasonable. Chapter 11 As a wry smile floated on to his face, Ranga poured a cup of water from a jug and took a sip to show that there was nothing strange in it before giving it to Rei. ¡¸Sorry about this.¡¹ As he hadn¡¯t eaten or drank anything while riding on Set, Rei gulped the water down in one mouthful. Cold¡­¡­though the temperature wasn¡¯t great, it still felt good because he was thirsty. ¡¸How about another cup?¡¹ ¡¸Yes thanks.¡¹ Pouring another cup of water, Ranga finally sat down opposite Rei. ¡¸Well, what should I hear first. No, let¡¯s go with the self introductions first. Although I said this earlier, my name is Ranga and I¡¯m serving as a guard captain in this city of Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸My name is Rei. The Griffon out the front is Set.¡¹ With the short self introduction over, Ranga finally spoke about the main subject. ¡¸Is that so, first of all, we¡¯ll start with this question. What is your purpose in the city of Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸I want to know something before answering the question. This city of Gilm you mentioned. Is there an Adventurers Guild here?¡¹ According to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, there would be a branch office of the Adventurers Guild if it was a big city. However, Zepairu¡¯s knowledge had been relegated by Rei to be used as a reference only. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Naturally of course. It is common to have branch offices of the Adventurers Guild in small villages, is there any reason why there wouldn¡¯t be one in this city of Gilm?¡¹ Naturally there are, Ranga said as he nodded. (I thought so. With this it¡¯s definite. Zepairu¡¯s knowledge is¡­¡­quite old. I should check how much error there is later. He started to speak while letting out a sigh in his mind. ¡¸That¡¯s good. After all, I¡¯ve only been living with my master since I was born. I¡¯m ignorant of the state of society. As for my purpose, that¡¯s easy. I came to become an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Judging from your question a little while ago, you didn¡¯t even know if there was an Adventurers Guild branch in the city?¡¹ Although his tone is soft, not missing the feeling of a lie, Ranga asked another question. On the other hand, Rei lightly shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸I said it just before, I¡¯ve been living with my master since I was born. Because my master was crazy about magic, I¡¯m quite ignorant about common sense.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Magic (majutsu)?¡¡Wait, magic (maho)?¡¹ TLN: Okay, this gets a bit confusing, the two words used here are Majutsu and Maho, technically they both mean magic. However the first one has the character for Art in it while the second one has the character for Method. Because of this, I¡¯ll put which one it is referring to in brackets. Ranga asked curiously. In this respect again, the unreliability of Zepairu¡¯s knowledge became apparent again. ¡¸Magic (maho)?¡¡My master called it magic (majutsu)¡­¡­is it called magic (maho) here?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. You certainly don¡¯t know much about the world. It was called magic (majutsu) several hundred years ago. Nowadays, that name isn¡¯t used much and is instead called magic (maho).¡¹ Several hundred years. Rei, who frowned his eyebrows, immediate continued his story. ¡¸It that is true, then my master is certainly ignorant to a great extent.¡­¡­well, I was told to go out to train and was sent away with space magic (majutsu) ¡­¡­no, how to put it, I was teleported to a strange place I don¡¯t know and it wasn¡¯t very funny.¡¹ ¡¸Training?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. After I mastered basic magic (maho), my master told me to train myself to improve my power.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so you want to be an adventurer for that reason. By the way, is the Griffon outside from your magic (maho)?¡¹ Rei shook neck after taking a sip of water. ¡¸Set doesn¡¯t follow me by magic. Have you heard of a skill called tamer?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a skill to tame a monster. Then, in that case?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸Un, so it¡¯s not summoning magic. ¡­¡­In that case¡­¡­¡¹ Ranga started to think after listening to Rei¡¯s words. Rei had a bad feeling about the silence. Ranga opened his mouth to speak. ¡¸There are adventurers who more or less tame monsters in the city. However, even then, they were rank D monsters I think. For a rank A monster, Griffon¡­¡­there are no adventurers.¡¹ Though Ranga said so, for Rei who didn¡¯t have a concrete understanding of the world, the difference between rank A and D wasn¡¯t very clear. However, he expected that it was ranked by fighting power and danger. ¡¸Also with that, though I digress, you also have to pay taxes to enter the city.¡¹ In this world of Elgin, one silver coin equals ten copper coins. One gold coin is ten silver coins. One platinum coin is ten gold coins and ten platinum coins is one light gold coin. For Rei to explain it in simple terms, one copper coin is 100 yen, one silver coin is 1,000 yen, one gold coin is 10,000, one platinum coin is 100,000 yen and one light gold coin is one million yen. TLN: The largest currency literally translates to light gold and I can¡¯t figure out if it is something the author made up or is referring to a material I don¡¯t know, the previous one was white gold or platinum. ¡¸So, with the exception of adventurers, both merchants and travelers have to pay a tax of one silver coin to enter the city every time. ¡¹ Adventurers not being charged tax was a simple story, that is because adventurers don¡¯t use the city as their home. Though it is natural is you think about it, if there is a request, it is necessary to go in and out of the city. Paying one silver coin every time they entered would cost a lot. Therefore, the nobles that ruled the city gave an exemption to taxes if an adventurer who belonged to the Adventurers Guild showed their guild card. This is because the return they get from adventurers returning requests is greater than one silver coin. On a side note, the idea originally spread because a certain avaricious lord refused exemption of taxes for adventurers in the territory he governed. Because of this, all the adventurers left the territory of the lord and new adventurers didn¡¯t come. As a result, all the people who could receive monster subjugation quests were gone, and in a vicious circle, merchants who heard about it didn¡¯t come either ¡­¡­the lord was surprised that the tax revenue had decreased and forcibly collected more taxes, it caused the people to revolt and in the end, the lord was killed. After the story spread, the exemption of adventurers from tax became an unwritten law. When Rei heard the story from Ranga, he unintentionally let out a sigh. ¡¸In other words, at present, I¡¯m still not an adventurer. Therefore, tax is necessary?¡¹ ¡¸That is so. Didn¡¯t you receive a parting gift from your master?¡¹ Rei shook his head slightly in response to Ranga¡¯s question. In the first place, he couldn¡¯t receive a parting gift because his master didn¡¯t exist to begin with. ¡¸Un, what to do. If possible, I would lend you money but it¡¯s prohibited by the law¡­¡­¡¹ Ranga gazed at Rei while muttering. In Ranga¡¯s position, he couldn¡¯t afford to let a suspicious person into the city. However, the person in front of him, called Rei, didn¡¯t seem to be a bad person. If the rank A monster Griffon and the large scythe could be used, then he must be a skilled person. The position of the city of Gilm was on the frontier and there are a considerable amount of monster subjugation quests. If there are skilled adventurers, they can protect the city. He didn¡¯t want to miss a skilled person right before his eyes. Furthermore, at the moment, the city of Gilm was a frontier city located in the Mireana kingdom, a powerhouse in the central part of the continent of Elgin. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Is there anything you have that you can sell?¡¡It¡¯s possible for me to sell it in a store in the city for you.¡¹ ¡¸Things that I can sell¡­¡­hey.¡¹ To Ranga¡¯s question, he suddenly though of the items that were given by Zepairu¡¯s organization and stored inside the Misty Ring. Other than magic items, there were also a lot of materials such as the bones and scales of dragons. However, as expected, he hesitated about selling them. At present, Rei¡¯s position was a commoner that wanted to become an adventurer. He was 165cm tall and had a small back. It would be suspicious if he took out materials and items that would be considered legendary class. He also had the desire to turn the materials into equipment for himself and Set. (¡­¡­No, wait?) Thinking about it, he suddenly got an idea. Though the items in the Misty Ring that he got from Zepairu couldn¡¯t be sold easily, it was different if it was something he obtained himself. ¡¸How about this?¡¹ From the list in his mind, he took out the corpses of 20 Flying Blade Squirrels and the fur of the Water Bear. ¡¸Th-this is¡­¡­you have an item box!?¡¡These are the Djarum that build nests near the edge of the forest of monsters, and isn¡¯t the the fur of a Water Bear and that lives in it! ¡¹ TLN: Here, Ranga refers to the Water Bear as u¨­t¨¡bea, up to now, Rei has referred to it as Mizukuma, which translated means Water Bear. Just a note as it gets a bit confusing ahead. An expression of surprise appeared on Ranga¡¯s face when Flying Blade Squirrels ¨C Djarums ¨C and the fur of the Water Bear suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Still, although Rei didn¡¯t quite understand, the type of magic item called item box, such as the Misty Ring, must be rare, as for those with a storage capacity such as the Misty Ring, there were few enough to be counted on one hand. ¡¸This, I¡¯m wondering¡­¡­did you¡­¡­kill them?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I ran into a Water Bear after being teleported into the forest¡­¡­did you say Water Bear?¡¡It started to attack but with Set I was able to take it down somehow. Anyway, it took more time than expected because it was the first time I fought.¡¹ Rei nodded with a wry smile at the naming of the Water Bear, it seems that the name was the same as the literal description in his mind. ¡¸Then, the place you were sent to was the forest of monsters. Although there are a few forests in the area, only the forest of monsters have confirmed sightings of Djarums and Water Bears.¡¹ ¡¸Forest of monsters?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Though there are many low rank monsters, the forest is regarded as a dangerous place as it is inhabited by high rank monsters. Because monsters rarely come out from the forest, adventurers are unwilling to go into it. Though sometimes people will go if the material of a specific monster needs to be obtained. Even then, it¡¯s unbelievable to be able to defeat a rank C Water Bear in your first fight.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t mind if you try to imagine it. So, can this fur and the Djarums be bought?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahh. I can arrange it immediately.¡¹ Ranga returned to his senses at Rei¡¯s words, called several subordinates over and sent them into the city with the fur and Djarums. After doing that, he turned to bow at Rei. ¡¸I¡¯m very sorry. Because the assessment and purchase is time consuming I have to make you wait a while here in the guardroom¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it. I brought a Griffon over and couldn¡¯t pay the tax but you still recieved me warmly. There isn¡¯t anything to be unhappy about.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, I feel better now that you said that.¡¹ Ranga had a wry smile on his face, originally he was polite because if tried to intimidate the other party, who had a rank A Griffon, he didn¡¯t stand a chance of beating it¡­¡­though it is true that Ranga himself didn¡¯t like rough methods. The method worked out well for him this time. Rei and Ranga continued the small talk in the guardroom¡­¡­an hour passed since the beginning of the questioning. After the time for lunch was over and the afternoon shift began, the soldiers which had gone to sell the fur and Djarums returned. ¡¸Captain, we¡¯ve just returned. Here is the money we got from selling the goods.¡¹ Ranga passed a small bag, that the soldier had given him, to Rei. ¡¸This, usually the fur of a Water Bear is worth 7 gold coins, but because the fur was a bit damaged, they only gave 5 gold coins. Because the Djarum haven¡¯t been dismantled, they gave a total 7 gold coins and 1 silver coin after the cost of dismantling.¡¹ According to the soldier¡¯s words, there were 7 gold coins in the bag. (7 gold coins¡­¡­in other words, 70,000 yen. That¡¯s a bit less than expected.) Though Rei clicked his tongue in his mind, he can only blame himself for his mistakes during the dismantling. He took out one gold coin and passed it to Ranga. ¡¸Yes, that is enough for the tax. Here is 9 silver coins change. Also, put this necklace on Griffon where it can be seen when you walk through the streets. It shows that the monster you brought into the city is tamed or summoned. If a tamed or summoned monster acts violently or damages property, the punishment is directed against the master. In addition, I recommend the inn Dusk Wheat, it is in the eastern part of city and can accommodate animals the size of Griffons. I mean, it¡¯s the only inn that can house Griffons.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. By the way, where is the Adventurers Guild?¡¹ ¡¸When you enter the city, you will see it at once if you go down the main street.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks for everything.¡¹ ¡¸No worries. So, welcome to the city of Gilm. I hope you enjoy it here.¡¹ With that, Ranga sent Rei out of the guardroom. Chapter 12 No, that was the usual situation, there wasn¡¯t anything strange about it. The difference was the man at the center of the buzz ¨C although boy may be more correct ¨C and the Griffon that was with him. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Worried glances could be seen from the surroundings. Set gave a small cry. The moment the cry was heard, the surroundings immediately became quiet, but soon the noise started up again. However, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable. A rank A monster, Griffon, was walking majestically through the city after all. One of the two necklaces worn around its neck clearly showed that it was a tamed or summoned monster. If it was a wild Griffon, all the commoners in the main street would have run and adventurers, knights and soldiers would be facing it with weapons drawn. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. If you don¡¯t do anything, they won¡¯t do anything either.¡¹ Rei said while scratching Set¡¯s head. From the patterns, Rei was wearing an expensive high quality robe. He was also holding a scythe with a 2m long handle and a 1m long blade. Even if Set wasn¡¯t there, there was no doubt he would still be the center of attraction. In addition, although the robe he was wearing was a top class item called Dragon Robe, produced by the alchemist Esta Nord, most people wouldn¡¯t see as a magic item. Because of that, it didn¡¯t stand out as a magic item when people looked at it. The noise continued for 10 minutes as they walked down the street. Finally, a building with big sign that said Adventurers Guild came into Rei¡¯s sight, as told by Ranga. ¡¸Set, because there¡¯s a waiting place for animals and horse carriages, wait for me there. Make sure the necklace can be seen. If someone tries to do something to you, it¡¯s okay if you injure them.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s voice. The people in the surrounding area had cramped cheeks when they heard Rei¡¯s words. Sending Set to the specified location, Rei headed towards the Adventurers Guild. ¡¸Now, where should I go.¡¹ With a creaking sound, he opened the door to the building. Then, an unexpected view entered Rei¡¯s eyes. Rowdy people gathered in great numbers, some drinking Sake and some arguing, sometimes a voice would raise vulgar laughter. ¡­¡­Though Rei expected such a scene, it was different from his expectations. There were definitely places for food and drink in the Adventurers Guild, but there were only about 5 people who looked like adventurers, a few more people were drinking but most seats were vacant. ¡¸Welcome. What business do you have here?¡¹ While Rei curiously looked around the guild, a voice suddenly called out to him. When he turned his eyes in the direction of the voice, there were several receptionists, one of them had called out to Rei. As expected of the receptionists, who are the face of the Adventurers Guild, they were all beautiful women with great figures. There were beast people with dog ears and cat ears, there was also a woman with sharp ears like an elf. Naturally of course, there were also humans. Among them, a human receptionist with brown hair tied up in a ponytail had called out to Rei. ¡¸I would like to register with the guild¡­¡­¡¹ When Rei said that aloud, a voice abruptly came from the direction of the people that had been drinking. ¡¸Gyahaha!¡¡This isn¡¯t a place for a poor kid like you to come!¡¡Shouldn¡¯t you be in mommy¡¯s skirt?¡¹ ¡¸Oi oi, Vargas. Don¡¯t tease him. See, everyone is looking. You¡¯ll surprise everyone if you put out that voice.¡¹ ¡¸Boy, it might be a bit early for you to register at the age of 10¡­¡­no, 15. Do you think you can be an adventurer with that frail body?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. That weapon is only large, there¡¯s no meaning to try to bluff monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Oi, Calum. Don¡¯t cause an unnecessary commotion during the celebration.¡¹ Although the sober one out of the 5 tried to stop the remaining 4, they were already very drunk. They didn¡¯t care about their friend¡¯s words and continued to jeer at Rei. (This is a common development in novels. There weren¡¯t any nobles or merchants attacked by bandits when I came to the city of Gilm but I wonder if events involving the Adventurers Guild can occur. Thinking back, there may have been a reward if I helped a party attacked by bandits, but if the other party are drunk men¡­¡­no, wait?¡¡The last man said something about celebration. A celebration in a bar attached to the guild, there¡¯s no mistake, they must have just finished a quest and came here to celebrate. In that case¡­¡­£© ¡¸Huh¡¹ Rei directed his line of sight to the jeering men as if they were rubbish before giving a scornful laugh and turning towards the receptionist. ¡¸You there, did you just laugh at us just now!?¡¹ ¡¸Little shit! You don¡¯t know your position even though you¡¯re a novice who just came to register with the guild? Aa!?¡¹ ¡¸Oi oi, calm down Vargas, you too Zorito. Afterall, as Zorito said, isn¡¯t he just a novice who came to register? Stop being so unreasonable.¡¹ ¡¸However, advising the novices is the job of the seniors.¡¹ With 4 people saying things like that while one person hung his head. Rei ignored the 5 people and spoke to the receptionist. ¡¸So, is it possible to register with the guild?¡¹ ¡¸E, eh. Sign your name, age and special skills that can be used in combat on the form here, do you need me to write for you?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s okay.¡¹ In return to the receptionists words, he picked up the pen. (Aside from the letters, I think the words are the same. This is thanks to the fusion with Zepairu.) Thinking about that, he wrote, Name: Rei, Age: 15, Special Ability: fire magic, tamer, close combat, and handed the piece of paper back to the receptionist. By the way, only nobles had a last name in the world of Elgin. It could also be awarded if some great achievement was accomplished. So of course, Rei, who just came to this world, only wrote Rei on the paper. ¡¸Yes, thank you. Because there is some time before the guild card is ready, I¡¯ll give an explanation of the guild.¡¹ With a light bow, the receptionist started to give a description of the guild. Adventurers registered with the Adventurers Guild are part of a ranking system, the ranks go from H to A. Though there tentatively is a S rank, it is very difficult to enter and there are only 3 S rank adventurers in Elgin. By the way, one of the S ranks in the kingdom of Mireana is from the city of Gilm. H rank is the lowest rank and specializes in receiving requests that are needed in the city, you must have at least G rank before you can receive requests that are outside the city. Ranking up from H to G is possible on the first day if the guild¡¯s combat examiner assess that you can fight. Requests can be taken from the request board and can be handed to the receptionists when completed. Because the compensation written on the request paper already accounts for taxes and housing fees in the city, you will receive the full amount specified on the request. Also, if you do not complete the request within the given number of days, you will be penalized and will have to pay the Adventurers Guild 30% of the request reward. In addition, it is possible to receive requests one rank higher than your current rank, there is no lower limit. For instance, a G rank adventurer can receive F, G, and H rank requests. You rank can be improved after completing a set number of requests. However, when going up from E to D or C to B, it is necessary to take an exam issued by the guild. You will understand if you see this guide, G to E are novices, D to C are experienced and B to A are masters. When forming a party with more than one person, the average rank of the members becomes the party rank, this is clearly described on the guild card. Also, if you have formed a party, you can receive requests two ranks higher. Registering as an adventurer is free but 5 gold coins are required to re-issue if you lose you guild card. An adventurer may sell materials from monsters to customers out of his own judgement, in that case, if there is trouble, it does not concern the Adventurers Guild. In addition, the Adventurer guild will purchase materials and weapon shops, armour shops and magic item shops in the city will sell things 1-2% cheaper. There are also advantages, the purchase assessment is quick and even if there is a large amount of the same material in the market, the payment will still be the same Since the Adventurers Guild can contact other countries quickly by magic items, you can still rank up your guild card at a different Adventurers Guild branch. If adventurers has trouble with a request or other adventurers, the Adventurers Guild is not concerned. ¡¸That¡¯s all.¡¹ At the last part concerning disputes, the receptionist turned her gaze to Rei and the adventurers involved. Tempted, Rei carefully turned his gaze, 4 figures where impatiently waiting for the guild registration to finish. In addition, the one person who tried to stop the 4 had declared his intention of having nothing to do with them and was drinking by himself further away. As to what the 4 people were thinking, the only explanation that was needed was the receptionists explanation that any trouble did not concern the guild. At present, Rei was still a civilian before he registered with the guild. Though the guild imposes a penalty if and adventurer uses violence on a civilian, there was no problem if it was a registered adventurer. ¡¸Do you have any questions?¡¹ At the words of the receptionist, Rei opened his mouth after a few seconds. ¡¸For example, what happens if an adventurer of rank H or G defeats a monster from a rank C or B subjugation request?¡¹ ¡¸Though it is unfortunate, even if the monster is defeated, the achievement will not be recognized as they have not received the request. However, there are no problems regarding the sale of materials from the monster.¡¹ ¡¸Gyahaha. This idiotic brat just registered and wants to defeat rank C and B monsters. Let¡¯s put an end to this irresponsible nonsense.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, yeah, he must be sleep talking to say such nonsense in this place.¡¹ When the group with the adventurers called Vargas and Zorito heard Rei¡¯s question, they tried to pick a fight again. However, Rei disregarded it and continued talking to the receptionist. ¡¸I understand. There are no other questions in particular. How long before the guild card is ready?¡¹ ¡¸Um¡­¡­yes, it¡¯s ready. Here¡¯s the card. Please confirm if the details are correct.¡¹ In accordance with the receptionist¡¯s words, Rei verified the guild card. Guild registration location: Gilm branch, Name: Rei, Rank: H, Age: 15. Finally, the combat skills listed were fire magic, tamer and close combat. ¡¸There are no problems. By the way, can I ask one last question?¡¹ He asked the receptionist while putting the guild card at his chest. ¡¸Yes, what is it?¡¹ At that question, a smile floated on to his face and turned into a grin. He asked louder on purpose so that the adventurers before could hear it. ¡¸The group over there that are trying to pick a fight are ungraceful, ugly and noisy, what¡¯s the guild rank of those drunkards?¡¹ ¡¸You!¡¹ Maybe being drunk influenced them. The provocation Rei disguised as a question immediately made them furious ¡¸¡­¡­That, the people over there are a rank D party called Claws of the Hawk.¡¹ ¡¸Hou~. Claws of the Hawk¡­¡­hey. With the way they looked, I thought their name must have been Goblin Drool for sure.¡¹ As soon as Rei said that, there was a Bakii~ sound from where the Claws of the Hawk were sitting. The sound of something breaking was heard. When Rei turned his gaze to the sound, he saw that the man who was called Vargas had made the noise by swinging a large axe and breaking the table. ¡¸For a kid who just registered you have courage. I¡¯ll come over in a moment. I¡¯ll teach you what your limitations are.¡¹ ¡¸Okay. It¡¯s an opportunity anyway. All of Goblin Drool can be my opponent.¡¹ ¡¸Aah?!¡¡The boy said it!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll teach him some manners!¡¹ They started following Rei out of the guild while holding their weapons. As they were about to leave the guild, Rei stopped and called out to the receptionist from before. ¡¸Oh yeah, did you say you can get to rank G on the first day of registration if you have combat knowledge?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡Ah, yes. That is right.¡¹ ¡¸Then, please send a person with authority just outside the guild. I¡¯m applying for rank G.¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes. I understand.¡¹ After leaving that message with the receptionist, Rei left the guild. Chapter 13 ¡¸Heh, it¡¯s too late now. Even if you have some skills, we won¡¯t forgive you even if you start crying.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll repay the insult that Claws of the Hawk received.¡¹ Vargas held a battle axe and Zorito held a long sword in his hand while threatening Rei. The two adventurers at the back held a bow and dagger respectively as they looked at Rei and grinned. The 4 people didn¡¯t have any armour equipped and were wearing ordinary clothes. The residents of the city gathered at a distance while curiously looking at Rei and the other 4. At this time, Vargas and the other 3 were still drunk. They were curious voices from the people who had seen Rei and Set walking down the main street, but they didn¡¯t hear. By the way, as for Set, he had noticed the sign of magic power when Rei came out of the Adventurers Guild. When he lifted his head, he saw Rei wink and closed his eyes before lying back down again. Although Set was always pampered by Rei, he instinctively guessed the ability of the adventurers standing in front of Rei and judged that there was no problem. In addition, because Vargas was drunk, he had the thought that Griffons would never be found in downtown and didn¡¯t even notice the existence of Set. No, it would be funny if one expected a Griffon in the city. ¡¸Well, good for nothing Goblin Drool. Why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A bet?¡¹ Goblin Drool, he urged Rei to continue while blue veins appeared on his forehead at the disgraceful party name. By the way, even the onlookers who heard the name were trying not to smile and laugh at it. Everyone shut up when the man with the bow glared at the surroundings. ¡¸Ah. A bet. I heard a story a little while ago, miraculously, maybe because you used up a lifetimes worth of luck, you succeeded a request at last?¡¡So, during your celebration, you picked a fight with me who was just registering. Pride is pointless, that¡¯s the truth¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! Stop talking freely like just before! Used a lifetimes amount of luck?¡¡Fortunately?¡¡Finally? You¡¯re looking down on us even though you¡¯re a novice that just registered!¡¹ To Rei¡¯s provocation, Vargas yelled threateningly while waving his battle axe. The sound of the air as he waved his axe showed that Vargas wasn¡¯t just all talk. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s difficult to say. So, the contents of the bet. I¡¯ll fight the 4 of you from Goblins Drool one at a time. And if you win¡­¡­that¡¯s right.¡¹ He took a bag of gold coins from his chest and removed the mithril knife and the Misty Ring from his right arm. ¡¸7 gold coins, a knife made from superior mithril and a magic item with an item box function. I¡¯ll give these to you.¡¹ It became noisy when Rei held out the items for Vargas to see. Not only that, there were some onlookers who had knowledge on magic items to some extent, they started to explain the value of the goods such as the Misty Ring that Rei had displayed. ¡¸Don¡¯t joke!¡¡You¡¯re just a kid and you only registered with the guild today!¡¡Don¡¯t try to cheat us with fake things!¡¹ Vargas said angrily. It wasn¡¯t for no reason. Aside from the gold coins, there was the mithril knife and item box. If you bought them, it would be worth dozens of light gold coins, hundreds might be necessary. Mithril knife aside, item boxes were a very rare product. Knowing this, Rei looked haughtily at the 4 people in front of him. ¡¸Whether or not it is the real thing, feel free to judge if you beat me. Well, since I took out articles of this level, you guys have to put out something of equal value.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The 4 people were silent after Rei¡¯s words, this was natural. Afterall, Vargas was only a D rank adventurer. This was the first time he had seen a magic box, there was no way he had goods of equal value. However, even though he was made into a fool in front of the crowd, he could only glare at Rei with murderous eyes. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Display the goods you bet. ¡­¡­That said, it¡¯s probably impossible, as expected of Goblin Drool. Therefore, I¡¯ll allow you to bet everything you have right now. You should have something if you came to celebrate the achievement of a request?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Vargas¡¯s eyes became more murderous. In fact, Rei had misunderstood. To Rei, he thought that the 4 people wouldn¡¯t have taken their entire fortunes with them and would have left some savings at their inn. However, because of the possibility of it getting stolen, Vargas hadn¡¯t left any money at their inn and had brought all of it with them. However, his judgement wasn¡¯t that strange. As a frontier city, Gilm had good security. But, this didn¡¯t mean there were no thieves. ¡¸¡­¡­All right.¡¹ ¡¸Vargas!?¡¹ Zorito and the remaining two men looked at Vargas with criticizing eyes when he nodded. ¡¸You must prepare yourselves. We would make a fool of ourselves if we ran now, we would become laughingstock from tomorrow on!¡¡We only have to win. If we win, then the mithril knife and the item box will be ours.¡¹ Whether the Vargas¡¯s words stimulated their greed, or maybe they understood that they couldn¡¯t retreat from the situation, the 3 men stared daggers at Rei. ¡¸ If you have decided. Then take out your entire fortune.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, the 4 men each took a bag of money from their chests and tossed to where the Misty Ring was. Seeing that situation, Rei opened his mouth as a grin floated onto his face. As if to match the timing, a man walked out the guild door, ¡¸Now then, we¡¯ll leave the items here in this place while we fight, it¡¯s no fun if someone steals them. ¡­¡­Set!¡¹ Though Vargas was suspicious about who Rei called out to, he understood at once. ¡­¡­They were forcibly made to understand. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ While raising a cry, a Griffon over 2m in length that had been lying down instantly leaped up. As half the crowd started running away screaming. Set stood as if guarding the mithril knife and Misty Ring. Still, although half the crowd ran away, half stayed. The information that Rei was accompanied by a Griffon was whispered among the crowd. This was probably because the the necklace that Set wore was evidence that he was a tamed or summoned monster. ¡­¡­Of course, the average person would normally be scared if they saw a Griffon in public. ¡¸Hii, Hiii~!¡¹ The person with the long sword, Zorito, fell backwards screaming. He wasn¡¯t in a state were he could stand up. Starting with Vargas, all the others that saw Set were stunned. To the 4 people in the other party, Rei opened his mouth to speak while smiling in ridicule. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t need to borrow Set¡¯s claws for Goblin Drool. I¡¯m the only opponent. Set, I¡¯ll fight against these 4 one by one now. The prize at your feet goes to the victor. Although these fellows becoming the winner is an impossible possibility.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a small cry of approval at Rei¡¯s words. After confirming the state of the Death Scythe in his hands, Rei called out to Vargas. ¡¸No need to worry, I¡¯ll knock you down safely. Hey, let¡¯s start at once. Who¡¯s first?¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡» When Rei asked, the power that Vargas displayed previously seemed to have vanished, he was silent as his face turned blue. The colour of intoxication on his face a few minutes before had completely vanished. ¡¸Haa, silence is it. ¡­¡­Well, okay. Then we¡¯ll start from the guy that can¡¯t stand up, Zorito. Hey, here I come.¡¹ Declaring that without asking, Rei stepped toward Zorito, who couldn¡¯t stand up, with the Death Scythe. ¡¸Hii, Hiii~!¡¡Don¡¯t come¡­¡­don¡¯t cooommmmeee!¡¹ Feeling fear as Rei gradually approached, Zorito desperately grabbed his longsword that was lying on the ground and tried to cut Rei in a panic. The attack had neither the skill or experience of a D rank adventurer, he just wanted to cut Rei somehow. ¡¸Small fry.¡¹ Naturally, such a blow couldn¡¯t hit Rei. In his eyes, the sword was swung recklessly. Moving his body little by little to evade all the attacks, he went into motion with the handle of the Death Scythe. (Because even the body of the Water Bear was pierced easily, I shouldn¡¯t use the stab first.) As expected, even if he said that they picked a fight, he didn¡¯t know what the guild penalty was for killing the other party. So, the aim was to make all of them faint. As Rei judged the length of the sword, he crouched down and dived towards Zorito¡¯s body. In return he gave a single blow and hammered the handle of the Death Scythe into Zorito¡¯s side at about 30% power. With a baki~ sound, his hands felt the sense of Zorito¡¯s ribs breaking. Even though Zorito was 30cm taller than Rei, his body was still blown to the side. With crushed ribs, Zorito was blown away and slammed into the wall of the Adventurers Guild¡­¡­ ¡¸Gafu~!¡¹ Besha~, a sound like that was heard as he fell to the ground. ¡¸That¡¯s one person. Next, the dagger user over there. Come.¡¹ Not even looking at the unconscious Zorito, he beckoned to the man with the dagger, who was standing there frozen. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ However, the man couldn¡¯t keep up with the development of the situation and remained motionless. ¡¸Haa. Is this really D rank?¡¹ While letting out a sigh, with one strike of the handle, Rei blew him away like Zorito. The man with the bow and arrow was similarly blown away, each of them ended up with broken arms and ribs. Glancing at the 3 people that had fainted ungracefully, he then turned towards Vargas, the only remaining person¡­¡­ ¡¸Tch!?¡¹ Looking at the face of Vargas before him, he waited for the moment battle axe swung down to strike with the Death Scythe. Gyin~!¡¡While making a shrill sound, the Death Scythe repelled the battle axe. Even though he held back so as to not kill, after exchanging blows between the handle of the Death Scythe and battle axe, Rei had an interesting look in his eyes. Needless to say, the Death Scythe was materialized with Rei enormous magic power¡­¡­no, to be accurate, it was a magic item. When thinking about how the characteristics and performance would increase as it absorbed magic stones, in fact, it was a rarer item than the Misty Ring. ¡¸The axe, is it a magic item?¡¹ ¡¸Shut up!¡¡Shit, shit, daaamn iiit!¡¹ While scowling at Rei with hateful eyes, he swung the battle axe down, raised it back up and struck again. The speed and technique were reasonably high, if someone saw it, they would say that he had a combat ability higher than a rank D adventurer. It was better than Zorito by a large extent, who had blindly swung his sword around with his strength. In fact, because some time had passed since Rei showed his true power, Vargas had somewhat pulled himself together. However, Vargas¡¯s desperate onslaught wasn¡¯t that hard to defend given Rei¡¯s physical ability and five senses. Inclining his and turning his body, the blow was evaded and repelled with the handle of the Death Scythe. Swinging it up after scraping the ground, the attack was diverted as it slid across the handle of the Death Scythe. Such exchange of offense and defense continued for a few minutes. As expected, Vargas continued swinging his axe with full force, Rei forcibly swept it to the side as he took some distance. ¡¸Haa, haa, haa¡­¡­¡¹ Vargas took up a distance between Rei, he ascertained the state of his numb arm as he regained his breath Weight reduction is one of the Death Scythe¡¯s characteristics. However only Rei felt the weight as a pair of disposable chopsticks, a person who received a blow would feel that they were hit by a 100kg mass of metal. With that in mind, Vargas was holding up well after exchanging several blows. ¡¸Well, are your arms tired?¡¡Then allow me to continue.¡¹ ¡¸Shut uppp!¡¹ To the light provocation, Vargas attacked again even though he hadn¡¯t fully recovered his breath. This might be reason he was still stuck in D rank despite his combat ability. The battle axe was swung down with a cry. As Rei saw it, he moved diagonally. In other words, he moved beside Vargas¡­¡­with the Shoes of Sleipnir, he kicked the air!¡¡Jumping towards Vargas¡¯s body in a triangle hop¡­¡­he held the arm that was holding the battle axe. Before it had swung down, he hit the elbow, side and knee joint consecutively with the handle of Death Scythe. His elbow was broken and the battle axe fell to the ground, his side was hit and his ribs broken, with a broken knee joint, he fell to the ground, The attacks were carried out in a blink of an eye, Vargas fainted due to the pain and toppled to the ground. Chapter 14 If you thought about it normally, the winner of the fight was obvious. However, the actual conclusion was the rookie shutting out the 4 D rank adventurers in a clean sweep. Of course, there were various reasons why Rei won, half the watchers were convinced while the other half were unbelieving. In their vision, an adventurers rank was absolute. Some people understood, for Rei to be accompanied by a rank A monster Griffon, he must have some ability. As for the unbelieving people, he was only a 165cm tall person who was neither big or muscular. While being watched by the onlookers, Rei called to Set. ¡¸Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ With a joyful cry, he left the spot and passed the items he was protecting to Rei as the prize for the fight.. Firstly, he re-quipped the Misty Ring on his right arm, then he returned the mirthril knife to his waist. Putting his money bag back to his chest, he took the bag of gold that Vargas had bet and stored it into the Misty Ring. (I will invite unnecessary people if I count the money in front of so many people, I¡¯ll confirm how much there is when I get to the inn later.) A person in the crowd clicked their tongue. When Rei heard it, he saw the person who had clicked their tongue and recalled who he was.. ¡¸Well, is that okay?¡¹ The voice that called out was from the man that came out of the guild and indicated the fight area. He had watched and spoke out at a suitable time, Rei shook his head at his words. ¡¸No, give me a little bit longer.¡¹ He replied shortly to the man. Sequentially, he took the long sword, two daggers, a bow, arrows and the battle axe that was lying on the ground and stored them into the Misty Ring. ¡¸¡­¡­I thought it wasn¡¯t necessary to take their weapons.¡¹ The man that was watching called out reprovingly, but Rei shook his head in silence. ¡¸In the first place these people picked a fight and the contents of the bet was all their property. They should be grateful and thank me for not stripping their clothes.¡¹ There were also other reasons why he didn¡¯t want to strip the men¡¯s clothes. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, okay. The guild policy is not to interfere between adventurer conflicts. Though I don¡¯t think I need to confirm it again, the rules mean that I have to check. Are you Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Ah.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re hoping for a rank up from H to G?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. If you have combat knowledge, I heard you can rank up from H to G on the first day?¡¹ ¡¸Certainly.¡¹ ¡¸So, I think I was able to show my combat ability from the battle before¡­¡­is the rank up possible?¡¹ ¡¸There are no complaints. A rookie who just just registered with the guild knocking down a D rank adventurer party alone¡­¡­although I saw it with my own eyes it¡¯s unbelievable. However, since I saw it, I¡¯ll believe it.¡¹ Interested in the words of the man, who was smiling wryly, Rei observed him. He was in his late thirties to forties, from the scar that could be seen his cheek, he was probably a former adventurer. His height was about the same as Vargas, 190cm, and seemed to have a muscular body. Urged by the man to re-enter the guild, Rei faced the guild, disregarding the curious gazes of the spectators. By the way, Set returned to the place he was at before and lay down again after he saw Rei go back into the guild. Also, the residents of Gilm were of course happy that even though the spectators were curious, none of them were reckless enough to meddle with Set. ¡¸We¡¯ve already entered the guild, but what about those guys lying outside?¡¹ ¡¸As I said earlier, it has been ruled that the guild will not intervene in problems between adventurers. So, your guild card.¡¹ Following the man¡¯s words, the man walked further inside after Rei gave his guild card. As the man walked away, Rei looked around the guild. The people who had saw the commotion earlier wore expressions of astonishment and assent as they looked at Rei. Among the people who were looking, one man approached Rei. Rei remembered the man. At the beginning, he was one of the people drinking with Vargas, he had left to drink by himself when Vargas picked a fight with the rookie Rei. ¡¸That was surprising, after all, what to say¡­¡­well, it feels like everything fell into place.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You are?¡¹ ¡¸Runo. Though I think you know, I¡¯m a person who formed a temporary party with the fools who picked a fight with you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Temporary?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Those guys said that the request this time was tough. That¡¯s the reason I temporarily joined their party as an assistant. I wonder what they were thinking, getting involved with a monster like you. With that party, I¡¯ll receive damage if I stayed with them.¡¹ Monster. Hearing that word, Rei¡¯s cheeks twitched. It didn¡¯t hurt his feeling that he was called a monster. In the first place, Rei thought that about half his body was like a monster. However, that was true because Rei knew the performance of his body. The existence of Set probably wasn¡¯t even noticed by those inside the guild. ¡¸Monster, eh. Why would you call me that?¡¡It can¡¯t be¡­¡­by appearance?¡¹ He watched Runo closely so as to not miss any suspicious movements. However, Runo quickly shook his head, showing that he had no hostility. ¡¸Oi oi, don¡¯t look at me like that. When I said that, I was honest.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So?¡¹ Prompted by Rei, Runo continued with cold sweat. ¡¸To begin with, the reason why I partnered up with Vargas was because I have an extraordinary type of eyes called magic eyes.¡¹ ¡¸Magic eyes?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. ¡­¡­Even I say that, its not a powerful magic eye where I can enchant or petrify things by looking at them. My magic eyes only have one ability. I can see magic power.¡¹ ¡¸Seeing magic power¡­¡­eh.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. As for working with Vargas this time, there is a dungeon a few days from here, one of the levels has magic traps. For the purposes of clearing it, my eye was necessary. So, when I looked at you with my magic eyes¡­¡­you magic power has a quantity and concentration that honestly can¡¯t be explained in any words other than monster.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. You¡¯ve convinced me for now.¡¹ As he nodded, Rei¡¯s interest turned towards the dungeon. Dungeon. For some reason, when magic power gathers, an existence can form with the materialization of a nucleus. The monster that gains power due to the nucleus becomes the boss monster of the dungeon, the scale of the dungeon gradually increases unless the boss monster is defeated. Once the boss monster has been defeated at least once, the scale of the dungeon will become fixed. Furthermore, because of the dungeon¡¯s nature to accumulate magic power, common beasts entering and turning into monsters was a common story. In addition, whenever the number of monsters in the dungeon dropped below a certain number, the nucleus would either transfer monsters to it or create new monsters. Though the dungeon disappears if the nucleus is destroyed, the material and monsters that the dungeon created will not disappear, adventurers who aim to get money gather the drops. There will be a profit exceeding the disadvantages as merchants will come to purchase the materials. (Dungeon¡­¡­saying that there are a lot of monsters, going there sooner or later with Set is not a bad idea. Getting some decent skills is also good. The problem is with the Death Scythe and fire magic, I can only afford to do combat maneuvers with Set if there is enough space.) As Rei thought this in his head, the man who took his guild card came back. ¡¸What, you seem to get along with Runo even though he formed a temporary party with Vargas and that rowdy bunch.¡¹ ¡¸Gran, don¡¯t say unnecessary things. Because I was friends with Vargas I had a lot of trouble clearing the misunderstanding.¡¹ ¡¸Runo is the same as usual. Rei, I¡¯ll tentatively introduce Runo as an able adventurer. Basically, he is a fighter, can use some attack magic, can use some healing magic and is a convenient fellow who also has some thievery skills.¡¹ The man, Gran, explained Runo¡¯s capabilities as he passed the guild card. While listening to him talk, Rei muttered. ¡¸In other words, Jack of all trades, master of none.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, well, it¡¯s not entirely true. I wonder if it was a little bit unclear.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no doubt this guy is convenient to have in a party. Hey, why don¡¯t you form a party with Runo?¡¹ Gran recommend that Rei should form a party with Runo. Actually, Gran had expectations for the new guy Rei¡­¡­his abilities were outstanding ¨C normally, a rookie wouldn¡¯t be able to take 4 D rank adventurers in a one sided fight ¨C anyway, he had high expectations for Rei¡¯s talent. However, he seemed to have problems with interpersonal relationships as he immediately got into trouble with a D rank adventurer party right after registering. Therefore, although Rei¡¯s abilities were powerful, he hoped that Runo would be able to help improve his interpersonal relations if they were in the same party. ¡¸Sorry. I intend to work solo for now. I have a companion already.¡¹ Rei refused frankly. In the first place, the material of a monster that sells the most is the magic stone. However, Rei¡¯s purpose was to let the magic stones be absorbed by Set and the Death Scythe, also, there was definitely going to be disagreements when in a party. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, certainly it would be leisurely if you have a Griffon for a companion.¡¹ ¡¸Griffon?¡¹ Because Runo was in the guild the entire time, naturally, he never heard any news about Set. Gran noticed that and and his mouth turned into a grin. ¡¸I see, you don¡¯t know since you were drinking alone when Vargas went out. Rei over there tamed a Griffon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ Runo asked disbelievingly, Rei answered with a nod as he placed the guild card into the Misty Ring. TLN: There¡¯s three people talking to each other now so I¡¯ll put a note he for who¡¯s talking to who. ¡¸Now then. The the rank improvement has been updated, I must get going soon. You should find him an inn.¡¹ (Runo to Gran) ¡¸I see. It¡¯s a pity¡­¡­by the way, have you decided on an inn?¡¹(Gran to Runo then Gran to Rei) ¡¸Ah. I was told by a guard called Ranga to go to the Dusk Wheat Pavilion. I mean, I heard that it was the only inn that has the facilities to take care of Set.¡¹(Rei to Gran) Gran nodded at Rei¡¯s explanation. Gran knew that the Dusk Wheat Pavilion was the only inn that could take care of a Griffon. If he hadn¡¯t decided on an inn, he was going to introduce that place. ¡¸I see. You seem to already know. After going out of the guild go straight to the right until you see a sign saying Dusk Wheat. You¡¯ll know immediately when you see a sunset and wheat symbol.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, thank you.¡¹ Thanking Gran, Rei left the guild. While seeing Rei¡¯s back as he left, Gran had a premonition that the future would become becoming noisy in various ways. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ When Rei approached, Set opened his eyes and gave a happy cry. ¡¸I kept you waiting. Since the only accommodation seems to be the Dusk Wheat Pavilion, lets get going quickly.¡¹ Rei talked while stroking the smooth hair on Set¡¯s back¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Having never been separated from Rei since he was born, Set was quite dependent and rubbed his head against Rei. After caring for Set for about 10 minutes, they left the guild. Chapter 15 Rei muttered as he stopped on the road with Set. Though people passing by avoided Rei and Set, they ignored them and looked up at the signboard. Drawn on the signboard was a sun setting on the horizon, a sheaf of wheat was dyed red by the evening sun. ¡ºDusk Wheat¡» It could be said that the name of the inn was expressed on the signboard. The size of the inn was about the same as the other inns Rei saw on the way from the guild. Traditionally, the first floor has a bar and dinning room, the second and third floors were inn rooms. The difference was the size of the stables that was built at the back of the inn. It was the same size as other inns combined. Originally, large caravans with mercenaries or visiting nobles with attendants would frequently stay at the Dusk Wheat. By the way, in the previous example, it was common for a noble to spend a few White Gold coins to stay a night at the inn. The door made a gyi~ sound as he opened it. Because it was not past the afternoon, there weren¡¯t many people. A few people were dinning in the bar on the first floor. ¡¸Welcome. Are you here for a meal? Or are you staying for the night?¡¹ A stout middle-aged woman called out to Rei when she saw him enter. ¡¸I would like a room. Also, I would like to leave a monster I tamed in the stables.¡¹ The woman nodded with a pleased smile when she heard Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸Yes, thank you very much. The inn charges payment in advance, it¡¯s 3 silver coins a night with morning and evening meals. However, in the case of staying for 10 days it¡¯s 2 gold coins and 7 silver coins. With that, what is the tamed monster?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a Griffon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Although she stopped moving for an instant after hearing Griffon, she immediately pulled herself together, showing more guts than the men in the neighbourhood, and returned her eyes to Rei, She had interacted with adventurers and mercenaries on a daily basis. ¡¸A Griffon is big¡­¡­including the fees for feed and space in the stables it is 2 silver coins a night. For 10 days it¡¯s 1 gold and 8 silver coins.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, thanks.¡¹ He nodded and took out 5 gold coins from the bag in his chest without any problems. In the first place, he heard that this was the only inn that he and Set could stay in, since there wasn¡¯t a choice, he didn¡¯t mind it. ¡¸Thank you, here are 5 silver coins change. Someone from the inn will guide you to the stables immediately, can you take the Griffon with you?¡¹ ¡¸Okay. The first floor seems to be a bar, but can you eat here as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. However, it costs extra to the morning and evening meals.¡¹ Listening to the woman¡¯s words, he gave one of the silver coins he received. ¡¸Please prepare lunch, I would like to have it after going to the stables and dropping off my luggage. Some for the Griffon as well.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. ¡­¡­It¡¯s a bit late to say it but I¡¯m Lana, the proprietress of the Dusk Wheat.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I¡¯ll be in your care for a while. I¡¯m Rei. The Griffon in the stable is called Set.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, nice to meet you. ¡­¡­Ah, he seems to have come. That kid will guide you to the stables.¡¹ A young man who looked about 20 was called by Lana. It could be Lana¡¯s son, their features were very similar. ¡¸This kid called Dram is my son. You can talk with this kid about the monster since he¡¯s in charge of the stables. Dram.¡¹ Prompted by Lana, Dram bowed his head. Similar to his mother, he wore a honest smile on his face. ¡¸Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Dram. Going to the point, I¡¯ll guide you to the stables at once.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. The monster is in the stable.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, then please come with me first. We must be cautious around monsters.¡¹ Nodding to Dram¡¯s words, the two people headed to the stables. By the way, after seeing Dram off, Lana headed to the kitchen to ask them to prepare the meal that was asked for. ¡¸Uwaa~¡­¡­it¡¯s a splendid Griffon.¡¹ Was the first thing Dram said when he saw Set. Rei heard it and looked at Dram with a surprised face. Since coming to the city of Gilm, Dram was the first to raise his voice with pure admiration on his face, others who saw Set were all frightened with fear on their faces. ¡¸Guest, um, is it safe to stroke it?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ On the contrary, he even asked if he could touch it. In this situation, Set, and not just Rei, gave a favourable response, giving a happy cry. Rei nodded while having a strange smile on his face. ¡¸Ah. It seems like Set likes you.¡¹ ¡¸In that case, pardon me¡­¡­¡¹ He stretched out his hand to stroke the smooth silky hair that had grown on Set¡¯s back. ¡¸It¡¯s great¡­¡­this is the first time I¡¯ve touched a Griffon, it has a smooth feel.¡¹ Dram was impressed as he said that, of course, the smooth touch of the Griffon was specific to Set, normal Griffons had coarser feel. ¡¸Well, could you guide him to a satisfactory place in the stables?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes! I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll guide you there immediately.¡¹ Following Dram¡¯s guidance, they went through a side road close to the entrance of the inn, soon, the stables came into view. As expected, it was suitable to accommodate large caravans and mercenary parties, it was almost the same size as the first floor of the Dusk Wheat. ¡¸Here, please.¡¹ Although there was a peculiar smell of animals and monsters as they entered the stables, according to Dram¡¯s words, it was kept clean. In addition, the figures of the horses of customers staying as the Dusk Wheat could be seen. However, most of the horses wouldn¡¯t calm down and looked around restlessly when they saw the appearance of Set, moving their bodies little by little. The difference in status may have been felt instinctively. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry. You can see the state of some of the other customer¡¯s horses, I¡¯ll let this child rest in a separated place.¡¹ As Dram apologized, he took Set to the place furthest from the horses. ¡¸So then, I wonder if it is okay for Set to stay here.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ When Dram called his name, Set gave a cry of approval. ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, does Set¡­¡­understand people¡¯s words?¡¹ Seeing Dram notice Set nod, Rei gave a wry smile. ¡¸Because it¡¯s an A rank monster, it can understand the words of most people.¡¹ At most, a usual A rank monster can only understand human words to a certain degree and it is not possible to understand perfectly like Set, however, Dram didn¡¯t seem to know and gave an impressed nod. While watching the situation, Rei called out to Set, who was behind Dram. ¡¸Dram, I¡¯ll leave Set¡¯s care to you. Please give him some food after settling him, he hasn¡¯t eaten anything since morning. Money has been passed to the proprietress.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. I understand.¡¹ ¡¸Then, Set. behave yourself here.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ After Rei scratched his head and left, Set gave a lonely cry. ¡¸Guest, your meal is ready.¡¹ When he re entered the inn, Lana¡¯s voice called out from a seat at the bar. ¡¸As expected, because it was prepared before dinner, it¡¯s made with what was on hand¡­¡­¡¹ Saying so, there was a meat stew and plenty of bread. There was also, cheese, wine and a vegetable salad. Losing to the sound of his stomach, he took a bite of the meat stew. As soon as he savoured it, the flavour of meat spread through his mouth. ¡¸Delicious.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ The words involuntarily cam from his mouth, Lana bowed her head while smiling. ¡¸Because the price of our inn is higher than others, we have put an emphasis on the food.¡¹ Expensive, Rei reacted when he heard that word. (3 silver per night. In other words, breakfast and dinner for 3,000 yen. Though I though it was cheap¡­¡­well, I guess it¡¯s natural that price differences exist between Japan and a fantasy world¡¯s frontier city.) ¡¸By the way, what is the meat in this stew?¡¹ Rei tried asking out of curiosity as it had a similar taste to the wild boar meat that he had eaten in Japan when a hunter in the neighbourhood shared some. However, Lana returned the question with a strange look. ¡¸What meat¡­¡­it¡¯s the meat of a Fang Boar? Haven¡¯t you eaten it? It¡¯s a common meat around here.¡¹ Rei stopped moving the spoon to his mouth for an instant, but then immediately continued talking without changing his face. ¡¸No, my master told me to train and forcibly teleported me here using space magic. I just became an adventurer today, I don¡¯t know anything about the area.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, he was a magician. That¡¯s very dreadful. Do your best to eat our cooking.¡¹ Tricking Lana, he searched Zepairu¡¯s knowledge. (Information on a Fang Boar¡­¡­doesn¡¯t exist. It¡¯s become completely useless. In that case, the first thing tomorrow is gathering information at a guild or library somewhere.) While thinking so, he ate the bread and vegetable salad, tasted the cheese and drank the wine last. By the way, although it was the body of a 15 year old, he finished the meal without getting drunk, it seems Zepairu¡¯s organization had given it some alcohol tolerance. ¡¸Phew¡­¡­lots of things happened today.¡¹ A corner room on the second floor. Rei¡¯s room was there. It can be said that the price was high for a frontier city, however, there were no complaints as it was a neat room with a a bed a futon. Particularly, the futon had been sun dried as he could smell the air. The Dragon Robe was taken off and he muttered to himself as he lay on the bed. ¡¸Come to think of it, when I find more information about the world tomorrow, I should also look at the calendar. Zepairu¡¯s knowledge is confusing. ¡¹ Zepairu¡¯s knowledge in Rei, could only be used as a reference in this world, especially about common sense. No, he judged that he should search the contents as his preconception may be different from the present common sense. ¡¸Of course, magic¡­¡­no, I wonder what use there is for magic.¡¹ As he muttered, the Misty Ring on his right arm suddenly came into view. When he saw it, he remembered the money and items that he had taken from Vargas a few hours ago. Getting up from his prone state, he took out 4 money bags from the list in his mind and spread the contents on the bed. Counting the money, there were 4 White gold coins, 8 gold coins, 15 silver coins and 9 copper coins. ¡¸Including what they would have in their room, this amount of money.¡¹ Rei muttered, however, he didn¡¯t know that this was literally the total assets Vargas had. ¡¸Dungeon searching seems to be quite lucrative¡­¡­to some extent.¡¹ There were various monsters and the magic stones and materials could be taken from them. If there are a lot of monsters, Rei could earn a lot of money¡­¡­in addition, it was an attractive place for adventurers. However, you couldn¡¯t call it low risk high return, a certain amount of strength was required. What was most painful for Rei was that the dungeon was narrow. Though there was no combat problems for normal adventurers, for the long Death Scythe and the 2m large Set, it would be difficult. ¡¸We will go to the dungeon, after improving our combat power.¡¹ Rei concluded that for the time being, put the money back into the Misty Ring and looked at the weapons he took from Vargas. One long sword. Two daggers, a quiver and a bow. And a battle axe, which was the main magic item. By the way, the long sword was called iron sword, both daggers were called iron daggers, the bow was just a bow. The name of the battle axe was Power Axe. Knowing the name was an effect of the Misty Ring. The name of the weapon was neatly displayed in the list in his mind. As a result, Rei understood that he could put in unknown items into the Misty Ring to see the name. Looking at them, he returned them to the Misty Ring while letting out a sigh. The long sword and battle axe could be used if the Death Scythe got in the way. The high performance mithril knife could be used as a dagger. Though he could barely use it, there was a bow. However, in that case, he could attack an approaching enemy at a long distance with the bow and swap to the Death Scythe when it got close. ¡¸Well, I can leave the long sword for emergencies. The daggers can probably be thrown. As for the remaining bow, arrows and battle axe¡­¡­well, there¡¯s no need to decide so soon.¡¹ In the first place, he had a considerable buffer in his pockets because of the money he took from Vargas, Rei judged it was necessary and bought some hot water for 3 copper coins, he then slept until supper after cleaning his body. By the way, dinner was a steak of a monster called Kelpie and a stew made from it¡¯s offal. Chapter 16 ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ As Set saw Rei enter the stables, he gave a joyful cry. ¡¸Did you sleep well last night?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Full of energy, Set seemed to say as he stretched. A smile floated on to his face as Rei scratched his head. ¡¸I see. So then, what do you want to do today? Because there seems to be a library, I want to look around there¡­¡­so do you want to stay here or do you want to come to the library with me? Well, if you come to the library with me, you¡¯ll probably have to wait outside like at the Adventurers Guild yesterday, they won¡¯t let you in.¡¹ To Rei¡¯s words, Set came over and rubbed his head. He appealed with whole body to be brought along. ¡¸I see.¡¹ Smiling at Set¡¯s appearance, Rei took him out of the stables. Because Dram told Rei during breakfast that he could take Set out of the stables, there was nothing to worry about taking Set into the main street. The moment Set appeared on the street, in the same way as yesterday, people walking nearby took a few steps back in astonishment. However, as information from yesterday about Rei and Set had circulated to some extent, less people than Rei expected screamed and ran away. In other words, some people ran away without even seeing the necklace on Set that showed that he was a tamed or summoned monster. Also, the name of the necklace was¡ºNecklace of Subservient Monster¡». He was told by Dram during breakfast. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Seeing the reactions in the surroundings, Set gave a cry. Rei patted Set lightly and with Set following, walked in the direction of the library he had heard from the landlady during breakfast. Walking along the main street, they passed the front of the Adventurers Guild. Seeing an appetizing kebab store, Rei bought some to eat with Set. ¡­¡­However, while Rei wasn¡¯t a big eater, because of Set, he bought 30 kebabs for several silver coins. But, because Rei bought such a large quantity, he was judged to be a good customer. Maybe reassured by the Necklace of Subservient Monster, many people called out to him. As for the merchants, seeing the monster, they recognized that the person buying could be a customer. As they walked along the road while eating, the building that the landlady told him about came into view. The library. However, even if it was a library, he was told that the number of books wasn¡¯t great because Gilm was a frontier city. However, it was the only place with the knowledge that Rei needed. ¡¸Set, wait here for me.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ The same as yesterday at the Adventurers Guild, he parted from Set at the place where carriages and tamed monsters or beasts waited and entered the library. ¡¸Welcome. Have you come to use the library?¡¹ As he entered the building, a voice immediately called out from the reception, Rei approached while nodding. ¡¸Ah. Please tell me how to use it.¡¹ The receptionist, who looked like she was in her twenties, continued while barely changing her expression. ¡¸Using the library is 5 silver coins per day. However, as the guarantee money for damaged books is included in this, if the returned books are not damaged or dirtied, 3 silver coins will be refunded. In addition, please be warned that an additional charge from the 3 silver coins may have to be paid if the books are damaged or dirtied. If you leave without paying, a request will be put to the Adventurers Guild and the money owed given as a reward. If it is necessary to copy something, we sell 10 sheets of paper and a pen for 3 copper coins.¡¹ Rei frowned his eyebrows slightly when if was told that 5 silver coins were necessary as a deposit, however, he paid the fee without complaining. Back in his life on Earth, Rei was able to use libraries free of charge, in this world, books are expensive. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to buy rare books for platinum and Light gold coins. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s enough. Please get the librarian¡¯s signature on this document when you leave the library. You should have no problems if you don¡¯t damage the books. The 3 silver coins deposit can be refunded using this document. So then, take your time.¡¹ Passing a document in exchange for the silver coins, the receptionist gave a bow. Holding the document, he went to where the books were placed while wryly smiling at the differences with library he knew. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Were the words that leaked from Rei¡¯s mouth as he looked inside the library. According to Rei¡¯s senses, it was the size of several school libraries, 2m long bookshelves were lined up at regular intervals. Various books, big and small, were displayed, desks and chairs for up to four people were lined up near where the librarian¡¯s desk was. As Rei looked around, he gave up the idea of looking for a book on his own and went to the counter. He called out to the librarian, who was a middle-aged man in his forties. ¡¸Sorry, are you available now?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, what would you like?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m looking for information about a man named Zepairu, is there a book related to him?¡¹ ¡¸Zepairu, is it? Give me a minute. I¡¯ve certainly read that somewhere before¡­¡­¡¹ After short time, the man opened his mouth with a smile as he remembered something. ¡¸Ah, I think its the name of a Majin I heard somewhere.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Majin?¡¡What¡¯s with the nasty name?¡¹ Rei instinctively asked when he heard the unexpected word. The librarian man replied with a strange look. ¡¸Hm, is it a different person?¡¡However, that¡¯s the only famous person with the name Zepairu.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is there a book written about the Majin?¡¹ ¡¸Because it¡¯s like a myth or fairy tale, it should be on the shelf on the right, straight at the end of the corridor.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. Thank you very much.¡¹ After thanking the librarian, he went to the bookshelf, took out several possibly related books and moved them to the desk. ¡¸Now then, I wonder what I¡¯ll find.¡¹ It was in his expectations that the information had been skewed, however, since he fused with Zepairu, he knew the knowledge himself. Determining so, he opened a book and read the page. Zepairu. A person who is said to have existed thousands of years ago and led a group of magicians. That alone isn¡¯t too special, however, the magicians he led at the time were all eminent people in the world, it should also be noted that he was the magician who taught them. It was assumed that the combat power of the group of magicians was enough to instantly destroy a country, because of that, he was treated as a dangerous person by many countries at the time. There was a country that tried to force them to become part of the military, but the country that tried to do that disappeared from world in a single day. Mighty magicians with might magic. That is how they came to be known as Majin. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ This, Rei unintentionally stopped his words as he held his head. Although he thought that there was a time difference between his knowledge and reality, he still didn¡¯t think it would be thousands of years. According to Zepairu, only several hundred years had passed. In actuality, it was thousands of years. Rei had a headache, the difference was nearly 10 times. That said, because he has already come to this world, he can¡¯t do anything. Convincing himself to continue to live in this world, he returned the books to the bookshelf without reading any more about Zepairu. Then, to stabilize his mind, he read some books about the world and some that would help adventurers. After reading, he understood. There were 24 hours in a day and 30 days in a month. A year had 12 months, there were hardly any differences with Earth. The days of the week were Ji, Mizu, Hi, Kaze, Hikari, Yami and Mu. TLN: The days are actually the characters for earth, water, fire, wind, light, dark and nothing, but using those as days in English feels a bit weird so I¡¯ve used the romanizations. However, because clocks were a type of magic item, ownership of one was limited to wealthy merchants and nobles. Then how did other people keep the time? A bell would sound in the city every 3 hours. 6 am, 9 am, 12 noon, 3 pm, 6 pm, 9 pm, most people would roughly know the time as the bell sounded 6 times a day. Elsewhere, he took and read a book about the necessities of an adventurer, but what attracted Rei¡¯s interest the most was the book titled¡ºBeginners Guide to Dismantling Monsters¡». Though he had removed the fur of the Water Bear reasonably well, it was still sold cheaply because he was careless with the process. Since he was living as an adventurer from now on, the method to dismantling monsters was indispensable. That said, because Rei judged that it would take too much time to copy it, he spoke to the librarian. ¡¸Sorry, are you available?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, what would you like?¡¹ ¡¸Can this book be bought?¡¹ Rei asked as he held the book Beginners Guide to Dismantling Monsters. However, the librarian had an apologetic face as he shook his head. ¡¸I¡¯m very sorry. This book cannot be bought or sold. It won¡¯t stop if it starts. ¡­¡­Ah, however.¡¹ He looked at the book that Rei presented while apologizing, he then looked up as if he noticed something. ¡¸But?¡¹ ¡¸That, I think there was an identical book at the city bookstore. I saw it about 2 weeks ago, I don¡¯t know if it is still there as there was only one copy.¡¹ ¡¸No, thank for the information. Can you tell me the location of the bookstore?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ He heard the location from the nodding librarian and hesitated on what to do next. 2 silver coins, because of the moderate amount of money he paid, he wanted to read some more books about the world. However, he also wanted to buy the book Beginners Guide to Dismantling Monsters that the librarian saw in the bookstore. Though Rei hesitated for a while, because books in the library don¡¯t disappear, he decided to come again later. Getting the signature on the document, he handed it to the receptionist, received the security deposit back and left the library. Meeting with Set, who was waiting outside the library, he went to the bookstore and bought the book for the considerable sum of 1 gold coin. After buying a change of clothes and some other items, he returned to the Dusk Wheat. Chapter 17 ¡¸It¡¯s quite different from the day before yesterday.¡¹ The day before yesterday, there were only several requests pasted on the Adventurers Guild board and few people, the number of people drinking in the bar now was much greater. But although it was busy¡­¡­it wasn¡¯t too crowded. A considerable number of people were standing in front of the board, eagerly receiving quests for their rank. It was an unexpected development to Rei, that the Adventurers Guild was busiest in the morning. However, it¡¯s natural if you think about it, quests received in the morning are carried out during the day, they are returned in the evening and the reward received. This is because the city is the best place to live. Though there are people who specialize in receiving night quests, they are a minority. ¡¸Hey, the young one wearing the robe. Are you the guy that fought Vargas by himself?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¡I heard there wasn¡¯t much of a size difference between him and Vargas?¡¹ ¡¸But the story I heard was a delicate female adventurer¡­¡­¡¹ Taking no notice of the adventurers who were looking at Rei¡¯s unfamiliar figure, he looked for F and G rank quests that had been fixed to the board. That said, Rei had little expectations for rank G and F quests. After all, there¡¯s not much point in using the Magic Beast Art to absorb the magic stones of weak monsters. Therefore, he wanted to accept a subjugation quest for a suitable monster, he looked for a monster that Set and Death Scythe could absorb a skill from¡­¡­that was Rei¡¯s aim. ¡¸But, still¡­¡­well, these are mostly quests for beginners.¡¹ The contents of the requests entered Rei¡¯s eyes, G rank quest, deliver the meat of a Fang Boar and Horned Rabbit, collect medicinal herbs to make potions. Gathering materials for anesthetics in case of serious injuries. The rest were all similar. Seeing such requests, he let out a sigh. Even though there was a quest close to what he wanted, the target of the subjugation request was too weak. With that said, Fang Boars and Horned Rabbits were like the wolves he fought in the forest and were not monsters. The G rank requests were basically all of this form. Originally, the quests were mainly for training people who had ranked up from H to G and had only done quests in the city. Next, he moved to the F rank board to look at the requests. Goblin subjugation, delivery of slime magic stones, Poison Toad subjugation, most of the quests were monster subjugation quests for weak monsters or delivery quests. ¡¸Well, at least they¡¯ve got some over here. Talking about fantasies, Goblins are a must.¡¹ Muttering quietly, he read the Goblin subjugation request. The Goblin subjugation quest was a regularly requested quest, the proof of subjugation are the right ears of the Goblins. The minimum subjugation number is 5. The written exchange rate is 3 copper coins for 1 ear. Even if it was a quest for low rank adventurers, the reward was cheap. Rei unintentionally knit his eyebrows, 5 ears were 15 copper coins, in other words, 1 silver and 5 copper coins. Staying at the Dusk Wheat cost Rei 3 silver a night, this was because it was a high quality inn in the city of Gilm. As for beginners who just registered with the guild, they usually stay in cheap inns that cost 5 coppers a night, because of this, it was common for people to form parties with others in similar situations. With his talent, Rei was an existence far apart from the normal adventurer. He tore off the paper for the Goblin subjugation request and brought to the receptionist with the ponytail that had talked with him when he entered the guild for the first time. Some of the surrounding adventurers watched with a surprised expressions. Because he could fight 4 D rank adventurers by himself, it was unexpected that he would take the quest to subjugate Goblins, one of the weakest monsters. If there are Goblins then it definitely is a fantasy, no one would have expected that it was picked for simplistic reasons. It¡¯s highly probable that Set and the Death Scythe would not grow by absorbing the magic stones of F and G rank monsters even if they fought them. However, his decision wasn¡¯t a bad one. ¡ºGoblin¡» A race of demons with the stature of a human child. They have green skin, an angular forehead and short fingers. Weak as an individual, they can easily be defeated by a human accustomed to fights. However, they have the habit of gathering together and like to act in groups. In addition, while they have a primitive intelligence, the will still arm themselves with weapons they pick up or steal. While passing the quest paper to the receptionist, he pulled information about Goblins from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge. ¡¸The Goblin subjugation quest. Though there shouldn¡¯t be a problem with your strength, please be careful not to let your guard down.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, so the Goblin¡¯s location¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well about that, they seem to appear frequently near the forest along the highway to the city of Gilm. Recently, they have attacked merchants and travelers to Gilm in groups.¡¹ ¡¸Do the Goblins there have any intelligence?¡¹ ¡¸No, usually not. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that a rare species has been born.¡¹ Rare species are individuals who were born with some kind of mutation. In the case of rare species, they boast a higher intelligence than the normal monster and are one rank higher than the monster information published by the guild. In other words, because the Goblin¡¯s rank is F, a rare species Goblin would be the equivalent of a rank E monster. Having accepted the quest accepted by the receptionist, he exited out of the guild. Though the knowledge of Zepairu hadn¡¯t been used recently, the standard fantasy Goblin, which had existed for thousands of years, could be found in Zepairu¡¯s knowledge without any problems as they were around when he was alive.. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As Set found Rei walking out the guild, he stood up while giving a happy cry. People walking past gasped and quickly moved away when they saw Set get up. Ignoring it, Set went up to Rei and rubbed his head against him. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about this. We¡¯ll go at once.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a cry to Rei¡¯s words. Together with Set, they walked along the main street to the gate. ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s been a few days since. Your activities have already been heard here.¡¹ Ranga, who was at the side of the gate, called out as soon as he saw Rei and Set. Activities, Rei thought about the incident with Vargas and involuntarily smiled as he took his adventurer card from the Misty Ring to show Ranga. ¡¸I¡¯ll say this for now, I only did that because I got involved with a fool.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Not just the money they had, I heard you also took their weapons?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. That¡¯s because we bet all our property. That was natural.¡¹ He removed the Necklace of Subservient Monster from Set¡¯s neck and passed it to Ranga. ¡¸I feel sorry for them¡­¡­each of the Claws of the Hawk went through here earlier before with weapons several ranks below them.¡¹ Listening to the words Ranga said as he shook his head, Rei felt surprised. (That party, going out of the city of Gilm as soon as they could¡­¡­they have more guts than I expected) ¡¸No problems. So then, be careful¡­¡­well, worrying might be unnecessary since you have a Griffon.¡¹ ¡¸Ah maybe. So, Set. You can first look from the sky.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Sitting on Set¡¯s back, he took a run up of several meters while flapping his big wings. They flew into the sky, disregarding the shocked look of Ranga ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ A bit after leaving the city of Gilm, Set gave a loud cry, as if to release his stress. Rei stroked his back while thinking. (If you think about it, it hasn¡¯t been long since Set was born. Even if his birth was special through the Magic Beast Art, his stress may have piled up by being confined to the stables a few days after birth.) Though Rei brought him out of the stables when he went out, the narrow passages, inability to fly in the city and the fearful looks people gave him must have stressed him a lot. Thinking about this, when this was done, Rei decided to take as many quests for outside the city as possible, starting tomorrow. Rei¡¯s original purpose was to foster Set and the Death Scythe, so being an adventurer wasn¡¯t a necessity. However, information could always be gathered in the guild and high rank requests for monster subjugation given. For Rei, quests gave useful information. However, even if high rank monster subjugation request appeared, as a G rank he couldn¡¯t receive it. Thinking about it, his current objective was to raise his rank by doing quests. While thinking about such things, the forest along the highway that the receptionist had told him about came into view. Although it would take a normal adventurer several hours to come to this forest, it took Rei riding on Set only 10 minutes after leaving Gilm. However, with a Griffon¡­¡­no, with Set, his mobility was clear. ¡¸Set, do you see any monsters?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set shook his head left and right while flying through the sky. From Rei¡¯s eyes, it was a wide forest and the state inside the forest was blocked by the trees. ¡¸Though it is possible to launch a quick surprise attack from the sky¡­¡­I guess there¡¯s no other way. Set, land on the ground.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Giving a short cry in response to Rei, he gently adjusted his wings and gracefully landed on the ground in a way that expressed the elegance of his lion like lower half. There seemed to have been some merchants and travelers near the landing point though, Rei saw them sprinting towards Gilm as he got off Set. (¡­¡­Perhaps they would be told about the situation of the Griffon by Ranga when they reached the gate.) As he smiled wryly, thinking about Ranga¡¯s increased workload, his focus immediately changed to searching the surroundings. ¡¸I¡¯m not sure what to do from here. Set, we¡¯ll enter the forest.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ With Set raising a cry of agreement, the entered the forest directly. Originally, Rei and Set were weaker when fighting in the narrow forest. However, as the other party in this case were Goblins, he judged that they didn¡¯t need to be to nervous as they entered the depths of the forest. They had walked for about an hour after entering the forest. Set, who was walking in front of Rei, abruptly stopped. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ They watched the surroundings to be on guard. As expected, even though it was beside the highway, the trees with large trunks blocked the sunlight from coming in with their leaves and branches. The surroundings were dim even though it was day time. Although the surrounding temperature had increased considerably, Rei didn¡¯t feel it thanks to the Dragon Robe, for a normal adventurer, the heat and sweat would increase fatigue. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ In this situation, Set gave a cry, created a water ball and shot it at a grassy place covered with bushes. And the next moment. ¡¸Gyi~!¡¹ An unpleasant scream was heard from the bushes, 20 Goblins revealed themselves nearby. Chapter 18 ¡¸Ambush¡­¡­no, would they lay an ambush so far into the forest? In that case, I probably ran into this group of Goblins by chance.¡¹ Rei muttered while holding the Death Scythe. His eyes quickly observed the Goblins. (2 rusted long swords and 3 similar daggers, the rest have clubs. ¡­¡­The story was that Goblins with high intelligence could use weapons, but all the members have weapons. Though it¡¯s possible that only Goblins with high intelligence have gathered¡­¡­) ¡¸Hah!¡¹ A Goblin at the back hurled a stone in a preemptive strike. Pouring magic power into the Death Scythe, the stone was cut down in one strike. All the huge, 1m diameter trees in the area were also cut. He didn¡¯t think that he would be able to cut tree trunks of that thickness. Though he was surprised when all the trees started falling, he immediately shouted to Set to take advantage of the situation to fight. ¡¸Set, defeat the Goblins isolated by the trees!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ The trees slowly fell, he gathered the thoughts in his mind as they fell towards the group of Goblins. (In the end, its best if I find out if there is a rare species like they mentioned in the guild. I don¡¯t see it here, the leader probably realizes that there is a danger at the front lines.) ¡¸Gyi~! Gyi~!¡¹ ¡¸Gyi~!¡¹ ¡¸Gigyi~!¡¹ The Goblins divided into to two groups to evade the falling tree as the shouted something at each other. Rei confirmed the situation and set up the Death Scythe to his right. Set moved himself respectively to the left. ¡¸Haah!¡¹ As the trees suddenly fell down, the Goblins were thrown into confusion. Rei entered and wielded the large scythe with abandon. The magic blade cut sharply through the trees without any resistance. The goblins weren¡¯t able to block it. Rei¡¯s large scythe went through the bodies, limbs and parts of the heads of the goblins without any resistance. One strike. Most of the Goblins in the area died with one hit or where put in a state of near death. Among the Goblins who had weapons, the one with the rusty long sword instinctively thrust out the weapon to block the large scythe. However, compared to the magic item battle axe that Vargas used, using the rusty sword to block the Death Scythe was like telling it to catch a huge waterfall with a small glass. The resistance was like no resistance, it smoothly cut through the long sword, arm and body, covering the ground in offal. ¡¸Gyi~!¡¹ The remaining Goblins divided by the tree, who saw more than half of their group killed in one attack, ran in all direction at full speed to try to escape. Rei thought whether to chase for a moment, the request to subjugate Goblins had only asked for 5. It was better to take the killed Goblins as food for Set and the Death Scythe while there was time. Because of this, he judged that they wouldn¡¯t chase. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set¡¯s cry could be heard from the other side of the tree. Rei judged that the other side had been cleaned up with no problems and moved over the big tree to Set. What was left were the corpses of Goblins crushed by water balls, torn by sharp forefeet claws or bitten to pieces. In total, there were 4. It was two fewer than Rei, Rei had killed 6 with a single blow while Set had knocked down 4. If you think about the fleeing goblins, the fight was good. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As Rei saw it when he approached, he praised Set and rubbed his head. A wry smile floated onto Rei¡¯s face, in contrast with the the Goblin corpses scattered around. After patting him for a little while, he praised Set¡¯s results, turned around and began collecting the proof that the subjugation was completed. By the way, in the case of Goblins, not many shops in the guild purchased their materials, because of that, he only stripped the right ears and magic stones. ¡¸Set, keep watch of the surroundings while I recover the proof of subjugation and magic stones.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ When Rei saw Set nod, he took the mithril knife from his waist¡­¡­then put it back and took a iron dagger out from the Misty Ring. It was an item he had taken from Vargas¡¯s companion. (As expected, it¡¯s too much of a waist to use the mithril knife to cut up the Goblins. I obtained this with much effort, I might as well use this dirty and scratched knife.) The right ear of a Goblin, which was the proof of subjugation, was chopped off with the knife, the chest was cut open and a magic stone the size of his little finger tip taken out from the heart. (Aside from the Water Bear, I don¡¯t feel particularly troubled killing human like monsters. Though the fusion with Zepairu may have contributed, when I killed them¡­¡­I¡¯m lucky I didn¡¯t feel hesitant or worried. Though I feel a little disgust at killing something human like, that was it. Maybe because this is Elgin and not Japan, in Rome do as the Romans do. In the first place, it¡¯s not good to be an adventurer if you have a feeling of not wanting to kill the target.) While thinking like so in his mind, Rei cut of a right ear and dug out a magic stone one after the other. By the way, though he collected the magic stones of the Goblins, as they were one of the weakest monsters, Rei judged that it was impossible for Set or the Death Scythe to gain a skill even if they absorbed the magic stones and put the stones into the Misty Ring without hesitation. The magic stone of goblins were sold for the super cheap price of one copper coin, still, it was considered better than nothing. After finishing the dismantling of the four Goblins that Set knocked down, Rei turned his eyes to the Goblins weapons for a moment. However, the long sword and daggers were rusted and useless, he still couldn¡¯t repair them by himself. Though it might be possible to ask a blacksmith or weapon¡¯s shop, the repair cost would probably make it a deficit. When Rei judged determined that it would be deficit, he crushed the weapons with the Death Scythe¡¯s handle so that they couldn¡¯t be reused by the Goblins that ran away earlier. By the way, although clubs were also scattered around, he left them as they were. Though he called it a club, they were just branches used as club substitutes, Rei judged that they could be made immediately just by taking branches from trees in the vicinity and left them alone. ¡¸Well, next are the ones I defeated. Set, the tree¡­¡­no.¡¹ As he was about to speak, he remembered what he tried in the Forest of Monsters. A tree that was knocked down then could be stored in the Misty Ring. In that case, this tree should also be able to be stored. Though there was nothing particularly useful in storing the tree, Rei was optimistic about it and thought that it would come in handy. ¡¸Alright. Now the object obstructing the way has been temporarily removed. Set, continue to keep watch.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Because the fallen tree had disappeared, there was now space to move about. Leaving the watch to Set, Rei began dismantling the Goblins that he had killed. The Goblins where in a different state compare with Set¡¯s because he had cut them with the Death Scythe, torsos, hands, feet and heads were everywhere with offal and blood on the ground, flesh was scattered around. In such a state, Rei looked for heads to cut the right ears off, the magic stones were also taken from the hearts. By accident, as Rei reached out to the other corpses, he felt a gaze. It seemed that something was quietly observing them. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set was wary of the surroundings and was restless and looked sharply around. (There¡¯s an uncomfortable feeling, but I can¡¯t pin down the position. ¡­¡­Is it the rare species I heard in the guild?¡¡What is it¡¯s aim?¡¡Is it safely waiting for us to leave? Or is it waiting to attack us by surprise when we finish dismantling and are not on guard? I would like the magic stone of that monster if it can hide that not even Set can find it. I should be able to lure it out.) As Rei cut off the right ear of the last Goblin, he made up his mind to wait for a chance to defeat the monster. As he went to take out the magic stone from the heart¡­¡­Set abruptly kicked the ground and flew next to him. The next moment, something red hit the Goblin corpses that Rei was dealing with a few seconds ago and fire spread out. ¡¸Tch, flame magic in the forest?¡¡I can¡¯t do anything about that. Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ With a cry, Set quickly made a water ball. The flames that were coming from the Goblin corpse were successfully extinguished before they could spread to the surrounding vegetation. While confirming that, Rei quickly looked at the surrounding area, he felt something from the tree above and raised up the Death Scythe by reflex. Gyin~!¡¡A sharp sound was made as the Death Scythe came in contact with a long sword above Rei¡¯s head, it cut sword in half when they collided. ¡¸Hah!¡¹ He struck out with the Death Scythe without looking. The thing he attacked pushed out a shield to block it, it was split in two like the long sword. Still, by sacrificing the shield, it escaped the blow from the Death Scythe, using the force from the blow, it landed a distance away from Rei and Set. Landing there, Rei could finally see the other party before him. It had a partially broken long sword and a small shield that had been split in two. However, different from a normal Goblin was its skin colour. While a normal Goblin had green skin, the Goblin in front of Rei had red skin. In addition, it was larger and a head taller than a normal goblin. ¡¸I see, a rare species. I can say that it¡¯s strange.¡¹ A smile floated onto Rei¡¯s face when he saw the clear differences in appearance compared with a normal Goblin. Maybe it took it as a sign contempt, it threw away the shield that had been cut in two and held the long sword that was missing half the blade¡­¡­ ¡¸Gyi~!¡¹ Right after it gave a cry, a ball of fire appeared in front of its eyes. (It¡¯s similar to Set¡¯s water ball. In that case, should I call it fireball?¡¡With the sword, the Goblin looks like a soldier, it also looks like it can use beginner class attack magic. Should I call it a mage knight? However, there¡¯s no meaning if the magic isn¡¯t fired!) He kicked the ground and tried to quickly hit and kill the rare species before it could shoot the fireball. He cut through the fireball to the Goblin while maintaining magic power in the Death Scythe. ¡¸Gyi!?¡¹ The fireball was cut by the blade of the large scythe and dispersed. He also gave a shallow cut into the chest of the Goblin. It got anxious when he saw its own fireball disappear and hurled the remains of the long sword at Rei. In a sense, the haste of the Goblin was natural, was its magic cut through by other magic? Though it wasn¡¯t impossible for a weapon to cut through magic, it was the first time the Goblin had seen a magic item that could hold magic power. ¡¸It can certainly use magic, its ability lives up to its name of a rare species. However, your biggest advantage was to hide your presence. Because you missed the killing blow, now you are the one hunted¡­¡­ha!¡¹ The first swing of the Death Scythe was downwards on purpose¡­¡­evading it, the Goblin was relieved for a moment. ¡¸Gyi~!¡¹ While screaming, the Goblin tried to stand up, the Goblin¡¯s biggest mistake was to focus all his awareness on Rei. A sure kill strike came from the sky. But it was no wonder, without allies, he couldn¡¯t cast fire magic without being interrupted. Nevertheless, it was a fatal mistake to only concentrate on Rei. Tricked by the handle of the Death Scythe below, Set crept up and knocked the Goblin on its back ¡­¡­with the sharp claws of an eagle, he pinned its neck with the unmatched strength of a lion. ¡¸Gyi~!¡¹ Although Set was taking on a rare species, a Goblin was still only a Goblin. Even if you look in the Adventurers Guild, there is a huge difference between F rank and A rank. After all, the rare species is still only one rank higher than the normal E rank Goblins. To the end, the Goblin didn¡¯t realize the difference in status, a cracking sound was heard as the bones in its neck were crushed, the life in it was extinguished. ¡¸Set, you¡¯ve done well.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ After pampering Set by patting his head, the magic stone was pulled out from the Goblin¡¯s heart. The magic stone was larger than the ones from the other Goblins, which were only the size of his finger tip. Although Rei hesitated over whether to let Set or the Death Scythe absorb the magic stone, he judged that it was inconvenient for Set to only have Water Ball as a ranged skill and gave it to him. ¡¸Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ The magic stone in his palm was sucked up by the beak and swallowed in a single gulp. And¡­¡­ ¡¾Set has mastered¡ºFire Breath¡¡Lv.1¡»] The announcement message that he had heard before echoed in his head. ¡¸¡­¡­It was the magic stone of the Goblin that knew fire ball, so why fire breath?¡¹ Rei muttered while spitting out a sigh. ************************************************ ¡¾Set] ¡ºWater Ball¡¡Lv.1¡»¡ºFire Breath¡¡Lv.1¡»new ¡¾Death Scythe] Chapter 19 (A rare species. In other words it appears rarely. There basically isn¡¯t much material to strip off a Goblin, but what if it¡¯s a rare species?¡¡There may be usable parts. Fortunately, if I store it in the Misty Ring, time doesn¡¯t flow and it won¡¯t rot, I¡¯ll store it in there for now. I¡¯ll check if it can be used by listening around at the Adventurers Guild or searching at the library.) Arriving at a conclusion, he touched the corpse to store it into the Misty Ring. (Also, the right ear proof of subjugation, I¡¯d better not submit it. If it gets known that I defeated a Goblin rare species I¡¯ll be asked about the magic stone. Though I could make a temporary excuse and say the magic stone was destroyed when I defeated it, if the same excuse keeps getting used, it will become suspicious. In that case, I think it would be better if I just didn¡¯t say I fought a rare species.) ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ As Rei was lost in thought, he looked at the surroundings while patting Set¡¯s head. The purpose of the request was to subjugate a minimum of 5 Goblins. Although he didn¡¯t cut off the right ear of the rare species as proof of subjugation, the request had already been completed as he had secured 9 ears. ¡¸And there¡¯s still time left.¡¹ He muttered as he looked at the sky, dimmed by the trees. The battle with the Goblins had taken a few minutes, the battle with the rare species had also taken a few minutes, Rei judged that there was still time before noon. Though, for the time being, Rei had payed the inn for lunch, it was naturally only Rei¡¯s share. Also, the amount of food was insufficient for Rei. Although he had a small body, it didn¡¯t have a good energy efficiency. ¡¸In that case, it¡¯s necessary for me to hunt monsters for Set and my meals.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Rei¡¯s mutter might have been heard. That¡¯s right, Set seemed to say as he gave a small cry. ¡¸Right, then let¡¯s search for monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can¡¯t find anything.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ To Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a small, sad cry. Though they had hunted for prey for about an hour after defeating the Goblin rare species, they had found nothing at all. However, in a sense, that was natural. This forest was a forest next to the highway to Gilm, the guild regularly sent out subjugation quests to kill monsters so as to not hurt the travelers and merchants that pass through. The Goblins that Rei and Set defeated should originally have been defeated by those quests. However, the Goblins got a rare species leader and took shelter in the depths of the forest. According to the instructions of the leader, they concealed themselves attacked people passing through the highway before escaping. (Come to think of it, I heard a story in the guild where a group of merchants and travelers were attacked¡­¡­but isn¡¯t it a bit strange that there was a rusty long sword? ¡¡From the guild, only the rare species had a proper sword. ¡­¡­Were they able to steal weapons?¡¡Did they gather them somewhere and keep them or did they take weapons from the baggage?) Though Rei though about it in his mind, he had no intention of looking for Goblin treasure as he had no money troubles. As for Rei and Set right now, they would rather find a monster to eat than to find a silver coin. Maybe their wish was heard, Set went in front of Rei, stopped and looked at the surroundings. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ From that appearance, Rei judged that it was a monster, set up the Death Scythe to attack and waited for it. And the next moment. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Something small flew sharply out from the bushes nearby. Rei reflexively cut at the flying object with the Death Scythe. The object that was cut flew through the sky and slammed into a tree trunk with a bichari~ sound. Rei looked at the tree trunk in an instant to see what it was that attacked him, there was a long strip of flesh with a dark red colour. ¡¸It is a kind of snake?¡¹ Rei gave a small mutter, his doubt was settled by the existence that sprung out of a bush the next moment. A huge frog, up to Rei¡¯s knees, appeared. It¡¯s skin was covered in a dark red viscous liquid similar to the tongue Rei had cut, it looked at Rei and Set with an emotionless gaze. (A frog in this forest¡­¡­there was a F rank subjugation quest for Poison Frogs¡­¡­is it this fellow?) Rei didn¡¯t sense it as he muttered in his mind, the next moment, the frog kicked against the ground and used its jumping ability to silently attack Rei. But¡­¡­ ¡¸Fool.¡¹ Even if you said that the frog had a special jumping ability, it was still only a F rank monster. Rei calmly read the enemy¡¯s attack path and moved the Death Scythe into the path, adding a little bit of magic power. ¡¸Gero~!?¡¹ Once it jumped into the air, the Poison Frog couldn¡¯t change its trajectory. One strike and it landed in two halves. The upper half and lower half were split by the impact as they fell to the ground. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set barked sharply and tried to eat the corpse¡­¡­ ¡¸Set!¡¹ Set¡¯s movement was stopped by the stationary Rei. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Why?¡¡Set seemed to say as Rei took out the book Dismantling Monsters for Beginners that he had bought yesterday from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Perhaps this is the Poison Frog, in other words, it probably has poison like its name says. You should be calm, it¡¯s not good to eat the meat of a monster that has poison.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Though he accepted Rei¡¯s explanation, Set still looked at the Poison Frog regretfully. The skin was covered in a dark red liquid, it was obviously poison. It seemed to be a strong one as well. Asking Set to watch the surroundings, he looked up the poison toad in the book. (The material that can be taken are the tongue, a poison sac in the body and the two hind legs. But¡­¡­) He turned is eyes to the ground while comparing it to the book. The tongue had been cut my by the Death Scythe, the corpse of the Poison Frog was also split in 2. About the tongue, it wasn¡¯t cut at the base since it hadn¡¯t fully extended, however, it was still possible for Rei to collect it. The hind legs were good as they were completely untouched. However, the most valuable part, the poison sac, had been torn in two, it was impossible to collect. The poison from the torn sac had already overflowed into the internal organs of the Poison Frog. ¡¸The tongue can be recovered later, first is the magic stone.¡¹ Muttering, he took out the magic stone from the heart using the iron dagger, taking care not to touch the poison that had leaked out. It was somewhat larger than the ones from the normal Goblins. Similarly, he cut off the two rear legs. To be accurate, it should be noted that the purchasing of the rear legs was for food rather than materials. The poison is removed by butchers who deal with monster meat and sold over the counter. It is possible to sell it at a surprisingly high price as it a expensive ingredient. Although it was impossible to strip the poison sac, it could be used by pharmacists to create an antidote for the monster¡¯s poison. The tongue is generally used as part of a bow. Storing the magic stone and rear legs in the Misty Ring, he recovered the tongue that had fallen to the base of the tree. In addition, the proof of subjugation was the webbed right fore foot. However, seeing the venom rotting it, Rei furrowed his eyes and gave up. ¡¸So, the remaining corpse¡­¡­what to do with it.¡¹ In the case of the corpses of the Goblins they fought before, they could keep it as food as there was no poison. However, it was a Poison Toad that was in front of Rei. That is, it¡¯s the corpse of a poisonous toad. Moreover, the poison sac had been torn and the poison spilled. ¡¸I wonder if I should burn it just in case but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ To Rei¡¯s muttering, Set gave a small cry against it. Set was worried about poisonous smoke if they burned it. Rei understood somehow and nodded while stroking Set¡¯s back. ¡¸That¡¯s right, there will be more damage if I burn it. Should we leave it as it is? Well, I¡¯ve stripped the material off, let¡¯s hope the next monster is delicious.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set gave a short cry and continued to walk through the forest. While walking through, Set discovered a fruit from a tree, pecked at it and found it was tasty. They advanced through the forest while being cautious about the quest. ¡¸Here¡­¡­¡¹ After advancing through the forest for a while after killing the Poison Toad, they abruptly came to a clearing. There was a large lake in the space that spread before Rei and Set¡¯s eyes, it seemed to be used as a watering hole by monsters and beasts. As for evidence, there was beast that resembled a Fanged Boar at the edge of the lake. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set pressed his face against Rei as if pleading for something. Rei understood what Set wanted to say to him. He likely wanted to kill the boar for his meal. While scratching his head, Rei examined the boar¡¯s appearence. The wild boar had huge tusks growing from its mouth, with it¡¯s sturdy build, it was probably heavier than Rei. Such a wild boar had its mouth to the water¡¯s surface and was hungrily drinking water from the lake. (It hasn¡¯t noticed us yet because we¡¯re about 100m away. In other words, the conditions are set for a surprise attack. A wild boar with tusks¡­¡­perhaps its the Fanged Boar that I ate in the stew at the Dusk Wheat?) ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei nodded at Set, who wanted to rush in early, and whispered to him. ¡¸Ready Set? I¡¯ll draw the Fang Boar¡¯s attention with fire magic, you take the chance to attack it from the sky.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Leave it to me, Set seemed to say as he gave a small cry and moved away from Rei. He determined that he wouldn¡¯t be found by the Fang Boar if he flew into the sky. While watching Set move away, Rei considered what kind of magic to use. (The first objective is to not let the Fang Boar escape. In other words, it¡¯s necessary to stop it from moving. In that case¡­¡­I see, it¡¯s easiest to cover the area in flames.) Rei watched Set flap his wings and rise up to the sky in the distance and raised his magic power and started an incantation. ¡ºFlame, form a burning wall that scorches all that touches it with fire.¡» According to the incantation Rei spoke, magic power was emitted, a crimson line drew a circle centering around the Fang Boar. The crimson line was even drawn on the surface of the lake that would normally put fires out. The moment the Fang Boar noticed, it kicked the ground in an attempt to escape. ¡ºUltra Flame Wall¡» TLN: No joke, that¡¯s what he called it. As Rei completed the incantation, flames raced across the lines that lay on the ground, it formed a wall that divided the Fang Boar from the world outside. ¡¸Bururururu!¡¹ The Fang Boar saw the huge wall of flames appear in front of its eyes and stopped its dash. The cry that leaked from its mouth sounded closer to a horse than a wild boar. ¡¸Burururu¡¹ Though the Fang Boar was running about in confusion in front of the wall of flame, the temperature of the flame was enough to lightly burn the fur on its skin every time it went near. With this, it kept trying to approach before retreating. How much damage would it receive if it tried breaking through the wall of flame in front of its eyes¡­¡­no, because it was a wild animal, it likely understood by instinct. However, its hesitation was the Fang Boar¡¯s greatest mistake. If it had broken through the wall of flame at this time, it would receive considerable damage from burns, still, there would be the possibility of surviving. However, by hesitating, the existence leading to its death came from the sky. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set swooped from the sky while raising a cry. By the time the Fang Boar noticed his presence, it was already too late. The next moment, the forefeet of the Griffon swung down and slashed off the head. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ While raising a cry of victory, Set started pecking at the raw meat. The Fang Boar was over 100kg but it slowly went into Set¡¯s stomach. Rei canceled the flame wall while smiling wryly at the scene. Afterwards, they ate lunch while watching the scenery of the lake. Although Rei felt something was lacking, he waited for Set to slowly finish his meal. ¡¸Right ear proofs of subjugation, there are 9. I would like them to be confirmed.¡¹ In the guild in the city of Gilm, the right ears of the Goblins were taken from the Misty Ring and handed to the receptionist. As the request for the day had been completed, after Set was satisfied with eating the Fang Boar, they decided to return to the city. ¡¸Ah, yes. Um, because 1 ear is 3 copper coins, it comes to a total of 2 silver and 7 copper coins. So, how was your first quest?¡¹ He shook his head at those words as the receptionist passed the reward. ¡¸There were Goblins but I didn¡¯t see a rare species. Perhaps that fellow is good at hiding itself.¡¹ ¡¸Really¡­¡­I understand. Please mark the area here.¡¹ ¡¸I say, I didn¡¯t actually see it though. It¡¯s only going to be my guess?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But it¡¯s still the opinion of a person who was on site.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Even if I was on site, today is the first time I¡¯ve acted as an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t believe that a person who is followed by a Griffon is a normal G rank. Other than that, thank you for your work today.¡¹ Nodding to the receptionist who bowed her head, Rei¡¯s first day as an adventurer was finished. In addition, because tongue of the Poison Toad had been cut in the middle, he only got 5 copper coins for it. 2 silver coins were given for both rear legs while the Goblin magic stones were sold for 9 copper coins. Chapter 20 The center of the city of Gilm. There was a mansion there¡­¡­although it was too large to be called that, the building was too small to be called a castle. When Gilm was still a frontier city, it was built for the case of a siege if there was an emergency, it was a building that gave a rugged impression. The master of the building was Margrave Rowlocks, who ruled the streets of Gilm. The area Margrave Rowlocks governed was not just the city of Gilm but the area around it. However, Gilm was the only city that existed in the area. Naturally, the actions taken by the successive generations of margraves that ruled Gilm, up to Margrave Rowlocks, were to make the region prosper. However¡­¡­that is, they were forced to give up building new villages due to the presence of monsters. When night comes, the monsters outside the city run rampant around the highways. There are no carpenters willing to build houses under that situation. It wasn¡¯t possible for a person to build a house during the daytime and return to Gilm for the night as the next morning, the house would be destroyed. Although someone had tried to make an outer wall first to prevent that, it wasn¡¯t possible to build it in a day. The next morning, the partially constructed outer wall had been destroyed overnight. Originally, the city of Gilm was set up as a frontier base for the Mireana kingdom. As for how the city was built with monsters appearing every night, it was done with pure manpower by defeating all the monsters that came out. In order to do that, around half the military force of the Mireana kingdom was gathered here until the city of Gilm was completed, that was the scale of it. At any rate, the lord of Gilm unintentionally looked up to the ceiling after he saw the details of the report that had been submitted to his office. Taking a break from his work, he took a sip of wine and took a deep breath. After that, he looked at his face in the mirror that was in the room. The face of a middle-aged man in his forties was reflected on the mirror. If anything, he gave the impression of a hard man. Adding to that, his mustache strengthened the impression. After that, he took another deep breath and returned to his desk to look at the document he had seen earlier. What was written was that one man had entered the city of Gilm. The city of Gilm was the only city in Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ territory. Because of this, its size was large and there were a lot of people as well. Normally, information about a stranger entering a city would not go to Margrave Rowlocks, who was a feudal lord. Well, if the person was a violent criminal or the heir of a large aristocracy of the Imperial City, it would be a different matter. However, the contents in the report to Margrave Rowlocks was something that equaled that. ¡¸¡­¡­A man accompanied by a rank A monster, Griffon, is it?¡¹ After reading it, he reread it again and again. However, what was written therein did not change as he reread it. ¡¸This is neither a dream nor an illusion. Should I be pleased or depressed about this?¡¹ A man accompanied by a rank A monster. The report even read that he was an aspiring adventurer. If the contents were true, the city had just obtained a tremendous combat force. Unnatural monster movement had been seen recently, purely thinking of it as a boost to the combat force could be considered divine grace. ¡¸But, the timing is too good.¡¹ The Margrave muttered as he looked at the documents¡­¡­no, glared at them. Margrave Rowlocks gave a deep sigh and rang a bell that was nearby. A knocking sound immediately echoed into the room. ¡¸Come in.¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me. Margrave, did you call?¡¹ Entering the room while saying so was a man in his twenties. The man was a subordinate of Margrave Rowlocks and acted as his secretary. ¡¸Ah. Did you say Ranga was the garrison guard captain? Call him in. I want to hear the story of the submitted report.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. At once.¡¹ Seeing his instructions heard, he looked over the report again as the back of his subordinate quickly left the room after saluting. ¡¸Abnormal monster behavior. There have been several rare species confirmed in this time. Will he become the seed of a disturbance or will he be an important help? ¡­¡­I hope it¡¯s the latter.¡¹ As Margrave Rowlocks muttered, the sound of knocking on the door was heard again. ¡¸Come in.¡¹ ¡¸Hah, I¡¯m Ranga, guard captain of the garrison. I heard I was called.¡¹ When he observed Ranga, he saw a intimidating beard and a tough looking face. As he opened his mouth to speak, a smile involuntarily floated onto his face as he saw the figure, similar to his own. ¡¸Umm. I called for you about the matter of the report you submitted.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸The report says that a person who tamed a rank A monster, Griffon, has entered the city.¡¹ ¡¸That is right.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What kind of person was he?¡¡Speak from your impression.¡¹ To the words of Margrave Rowlocks, the figure of Rei, who had appeared during the day, floated into Ranga¡¯s mind. Because his appearance gave a strong impression, he was able to remember without much difficulty. ¡¸First of all, with respect to his appearance, his height was only up to my chest.¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­rather small.¡¹ Concerning the aspiring adventurer who had brought the Griffon, Margrave Rowlocks had imagined him to be a big man, however it was quite different from his expectations. He nodded his head. ¡¸As for his face, his main features, if anything, were his blue eyes and red hair. His body was wrapped in a robe that seemed to be some sort of magic item, he also had a scythe taller than him as a weapon. In addition, it has been confirmed that he has a item box type magic item.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ He gave a doubtful look as thought about it to make sure. Ranga caught the glance and nodded his head. ¡¸Yes. There is no doubt.¡¹ ¡¸What, he¡¯ll stand out like crazy.¡¹ Small physique. A robe that is probably a magic item. A scythe taller than him. An item box magic item that is rare in this world. And a Griffon. When he associated those images in his head, it left an impression that stood out from every aspect. Although Margrave Rowlocks thought of the possibility of a spy from another country, such a person wouldn¡¯t be wearing such noticeable clothing. ¡¸What did he do after entering the city?¡¹ ¡¸According to the report, he went directly to the Adventurers Guild. After registering with the guild, he seems to have had a dispute with some D rank adventurers.¡¹ Quarreling with adventurers. Hearing that, the Margrave¡¯s cheeks twitched. ¡¸In other words, is the boy¡¯s purpose to crush the adventurers in the city of Gilm?¡¹ ¡¸No, according to the information I received, the adventurers seemed to have picked the fight.¡¹ Hearing those words, he instinctively let out a sigh of relief. The existence of adventurers in the city of Gilm was their lifeline, both as a combat force and as the economy. If the adventurers were swept from the city of Gilm for some reason, the city of Gilm would perish in the near future. The words of Ranga were sufficient judgement for him to exhale in relief. ¡¸When I hear about the boy¡¯s appearance, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a feeling of acting to stand out.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I also think so.¡¹ ¡¸So, is there a possibility of being a spy or agent from another country?¡¹ ¡¸Yes there is. However, I think the possibility is highly unlikely.¡¹ ¡¸On what basis?¡¹ ¡¸The boy seems to lack common sense, he didn¡¯t even know he needed tax to enter the city. And above all, he didn¡¯t have any gold, silver or copper coins.¡¹ At that explanation, Margrave Rowlocks knit his eyebrows involuntarily. However, it wasn¡¯t due to the sense of crisis earlier. ¡¸He doesn¡¯t know common sense, and he doesn¡¯t have any money either?¡¡¡­¡­Where has he lived until now?¡¹ Even if there isn¡¯t much, money has spread out enough through the central continent. It is strange to come to the city without a single copper coin no matter how you think of it. ¡¸According to the person, he seems to have lived with his magic teach in the mountains for a long time¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But?¡¹ ¡¸That is, he used the word magic (Majutsu), not magic (Maho).¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Magic (Majutsu) and magic (Maho). They were both words that represent the same thing, but the word magic (Majutsu) was long obsolete. In the first place, most of the people now don¡¯t even know the word magic (Majutsu) now. ¡¸How far into the mountains was it?¡¹ While muttering, Margrave Rowlocks had almost excluded the possibility of Rei being a spy or agent from another country. ¡¸That is, the person apparently doesn¡¯t know where is was. However, because his magic training has roughly finished, he was thrown out with space magic into the Forest of Monsters to train to become and adventurer or something.¡¹ ¡¸Forest of Monsters.¡¹ Margrave Rowlocks gave a low groan. It¡¯s a forest about 10 days walk from the city. If you talk about low rank monsters, you think of the slime or maybe wild beasts which aren¡¯t even monsters. If you look at the highest ranks such as dragons, they inhabit the Forest of Monsters. The Forest of Monsters. ¡¸Yes. He seems to have killed a Water Bear and some Djarums, the fur was sold to pay for the tax.¡¹ ¡¸Defeating a Water Bear which is rank C. Well, it¡¯s not so strange a story since he is followed by a Griffon.¡¹ Water Bears are rank C and the Djarum is a monster of rank F. However, if the Djarums are in a flock, the rank of each monster jumps to rank D. ¡¸For the time being, after hearing your story, I judge that there is little possibility of the person being from another country.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I think so myself. Certainly, as a combat force it is quite considerable, but they stand out making it hard for them to sneak about. In that case, they could be a decoy¡­¡­¡¹ As he thought aloud, he shook his head as he noticed something. ¡¸To begin with, there¡¯s no point in making a person who can control a Griffon a decoy. They¡¯re more likely to use him for something else.¡¹ Margrave Rowlocks nodded at Ranga¡¯s words. ¡¸Ah. I also think so. However, it is also true that there isn¡¯t no possibility. About the boy, Rei did you say?¡¡Keep an eye on him¡¹ ¡¸Watch him, is that an order?¡¹ ¡¸No, there is no point in giving an order to watch him. I mean to take care of him. At any rate, after hearing your story about his combat power, he seems to be weak in communicating as he only lived with his teacher. It¡¯s difficult to tame a Griffon, I don¡¯t want to lose a precious talented person because of some worthless incident. Be careful with the groups of nobles in particular. If they come into connect, inform me and I¡¯ll deal with it.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ Aristocratic faction. They are a faction centered around the large aristocracy. In the current Mireana kingdom, the King¡¯s faction, the aristocratic faction and the third neutral faction are in a power struggle. Well, the support ratio was about 6:3:1. Margrave Rowlocks belonging to the minority neutral faction. However, it was also true that the aristocratic faction frequently meddled with them because their power was small. If they tried to meddle with the boy, Rei, who was accompanied by a rank A monster, Griffon¡­¡­Margrave Rowlocks had a sour expression as he thought of the possible following events. The next day, when Rei was in the city of Gilm, a party was fighting a battle against a monster a few hours distance from the city. ¡¸Damn!¡¹ A big man swung down a giant axe while swearing from his mouth. ¡¸Gigi!¡¹ An ant about 1m in length had its head cut as the axe swung down, it continued moving after raising its death cries. ¡¸Vargas!¡¡Don¡¯t be careless!¡¹ A man with a long sword and shield called out to his leader and used his shield to block the ant that lost its head from ramming Vargas. Finally, the battle came to an end as the man quickly cut off the leg of the ant that had lost its head. ¡¸Oi, Vargas!¡¡You¡¯re always being too reckless!¡¹ The man with the long sword and shield, Zorito, yelled at Vargas. ¡¸I know!¡¡But I what I want to know is why we have such small fry as our opponents!¡¹ The axe was swung down in irritation. The axe that swung down gouged into the earth, scattering sand and stone into the surroundings. ¡¸Calm down. Don¡¯t forget we have a debt to pay. If we make a mistake and don¡¯t pay it back, we¡¯ll be wanted men.¡¹ The voice of a man with daggers clicked his tongue in frustration. Debt. The D rank adventurer group, Claws of the Hawk, was currently in debt. It all started when they were celebrating after conquering a level of a labyrinth that was filled with magic traps. Vargas, who was originally uncouth and rude, picked a fight with person who had just come to the Adventurers Guild to register. However, the person they picked a fight with the wrong person. After exchanging verbal insults and betting their money in front of the guild, they had been splendidly defeated. Their weapons and money had all been taken and they were left with fractured bones. Especially for Vargas, adding insult to injury, the magic item battle axe that he had just found in the labyrinth was taken away. And, although it was necessary to ask a magician from the medical house, who could use healing magic, to heal them as they were hurt, all the cash the Claws of the Hawk had was taken by Rei, let alone the cost of treatment, they didn¡¯t even have enough money for meals that day. But, the Claws of the Hawk were a D rank adventurer party. In other words, they had a decent credibility and track record. Thanks to their credibility and track record, they were able to borrow money to cover the costs of treatment and living from the guild. And naturally, the borrowed money had to be returned, because of that, they had undertaken a subjugation request for Soldier Ants. It should be noted that the debt was purely medical and living expenses, though the weapons they used had been lost to Rei, they had spare weapons they could use. Because money was borrowed from the guild, it wasn¡¯t possible to avoid paying it. Because the guild can contact all other branches around the world using a magic item, it would quickly be spread if such a thing happened. There would be bounty hunters aiming for them. ¡­¡­Though in that case, the bounty for capture would be small, still, everyone in the Claws of the Hawk didn¡¯t want this to happen and desperately handled requests. ¡¸Who¡¯s the Goblin Drool?!¡¹ Vargas yelled while denying the dishonourable party name given by Rei. Chapter 21 Actually, Rei wanted to fly through the sky to get around, however, he was asked by Ranga to stop landing near the city or on highways. It seemed to be an appeal from travelers and merchants that had fled scared when Set landed on the highway yesterday. Rei didn¡¯t fly near the city and decided to give Ranga some face and didn¡¯t land on the highway either when he took his next quest. TLN: The concept of face isn¡¯t unique to the Chinese, it is rarer in Japanese stories though due to the story settings. Drop a question if you don¡¯t know what it means. ¡¸Well, the request this time is to subjugate Soldier Ants¡­¡­¡¹ He recalled the contents of the request that had been posted in the guild. In the past few days, near the city ¨C that is to say within a few hours walking distance ¨C the appearance of Soldier Ants had become more frequent. For the subjugation request of the Soldier Ants, the proof of subjugation was the dagger like protrusion that grew on their backs. The reward for each part was 5 copper coins, about double that of the goblins. According to the story Rei heard from the lady at the reception, there was probably a nest with a Queen Ant near the city of Gilm and that the so called Queen Ant might appear. However, while Soldier Ants are rank F, the Queen Ant is a rank C, because of this, it was best to not mess with it if it was found. (Rank C, the Water Bear was also rank C when I found out later. Then if I let Set or the Death Scythe absorb the magic stone, acquiring a skill is certain. In that case, I¡¯ll aim for it.) While thinking this in his mind, he advanced along the highway with Set while looking for Soldier Ants. Why didn¡¯t they fly?¡¡Though Set gave a cry as if asking, Rei stroked his back to soothe him as they proceeded along the highway. It should be noted, though they occasionally met passersby, as soon as they saw Set and Rei, they would pass by before running at full speed towards Gilm. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ The had walked along the highway for about an hour. Although Rei was distracted by the scenery around them, he switched to his combat state after hearing Set growl ahead of him. Holding the Death Scythe, he confirmed something with a black appearance coming from the bushes surrounding the roadside. ¡¸They came!¡¹ They were some sort of black ant, that is, they were the Soldier Ants that needed to be subjugated. They also seemed to have found Rei. With threatening mandibles like a huge pair of scissors, they made gachi~ gachi~ sounds as if to intimidate him. ¡¸Gigigigigi!¡¹ Aside from its cry and size, they looked like a normal ant. If there was one difference, it would be the dagger-like protrusion that grew on their backs. ¡¸Gigi!¡¹ A Soldier Ant ran towards them while raising a short cry. Though it went straight for Rei, trying to bite and tear him apart with its sharp mandibles, its speed wasn¡¯t particularly fast. It was a less formidable enemy than the goblin rare that Rei fought yesterday by a great extent. ¡¸Fu~!¡¹ The Soldier Ant that had opened its mandibles to bite Rei was cut in half by the magic empowered Death Scythe. Although Soldier Ants can still act if one of their legs are lost, it doesn¡¯t seem to be possible if its body is cut in half, its legs didn¡¯t twitch for long before its movements stopped. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Although he took down one, from the bushes it came from, 1, 2, 3, 4 and more ants made their appearance. Rei unintentionally clicked his tongue. ¡¸Set, Fire Breath!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set opened his mouth while giving a high cry in response to Rei¡¯s voice. Flames spewed from his mouth the next moment. It was the newly learned skill from the magic stone of yesterdays goblin rare, but because it was at a low level at Lvl. 1, the flame breath was small, its range was also limited to 2~3m. Still, the flames seemed to succeed in dealing moderate damage to the Soldier Ants, even if it didn¡¯t kill them, their movements were still dulled. Even though they had numbers, when the movements of the Soldier Ants dulled, they were no longer enemies to Rei, instead of monsters that had to be fought, they were reduced to mere prey. ¡¸Haaa!¡¹ Pouring magic power into the Death Scythe, he cut through the necks with the blade and split their bodies in half. Striking their body with the handle to knock them up, he split them in one strike. An ant was blasted apart by Set¡¯s Water Ball as he spewed a concentrated Fire Breath at another ant, turning it into charcoal. His powerful beak pierced through the ants body as he tore off its neck with his claws. It was a few minutes after the fighting began. Over 30 Soldier Ants had been killed in a few minutes, body parts and fluids covered the ground. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ As Set raised a cry of victory, Rei was wary of more enemies coming. However, the bushes were still quiet after a few minutes passed. ¡¸This seems to be the whole group.¡¹ Rei finally spat out a sigh of relief after confirming that. Asking Set to watch the surroundings, he went to retrieve the magic stones and proof of subjugation. However, recovering the magic stone and projection from the Soldier Ant that was exhaustively burned wasn¡¯t possible as it had been turned to charcoal. It was also impossible to retrieve the magic stone and projection from the ant that had been blasted apart by the water ball. (When an attack with too much power is used, it becomes impossible to collect the magic stone and proof of subjugation. I better take note of that from now on.) While thinking of that, he took The Beginners Guide to Dismantling Monsters from the Misty Ring and opened to the section with Soldier Ants. The materials listed in the book that could be stripped off the Soldier Ant were the antennas, which could be used for medicine, and the head and exoskeleton, which could be used as armour. The antennas were easily cut off with a bronze knife, but the problem was the exoskeleton of the body. Though the knife could cut through the gaps in the exoskeleton, it was considerably difficult work for Rei. Though he managed to strip the exoskeleton off the Soldier Ant, it wasn¡¯t in good condition. Still, after taking some time, he did succeed in removing the exoskeleton and storing it into the Misty Ring. ¡¸With this, the minimum subjugation amount is complete. Now we just have to look for the Queen Ant¡­¡­¡¹ Rei looked around while spitting out a sigh. The corpses of 30 Soldier Ants were scattered about. The amount seemed to be an advance force. The sigh was involuntary as he thought about the number of Soldier Ants he would have to contend with to aim at the Queen Ant. The Soldier Ant itself wasn¡¯t a very strong opponent. No, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem if you just called it weak. This wasn¡¯t without grounds as he with Set had wiped out more than 30 Soldier Ants in a few minutes. However, the problem was the amount of fatigue. They hardly felt any fatigue even after defeating 30 of them this time. But what about fighting the same amount several times, or tens of times, what if the battle was repeated dozens of times. Certainly, for Set and Rei, their bodies were tougher than normal monsters and humans. However, this didn¡¯t mean they had infinite strength. It is natural for movement to dull if you are tired, and if your movement dull, you become more likely to be hit by an attack. Even if their bodies had eternal youth, they were not immortal. Still, to miss out on the magic stone of the C rank Queen Ant was too regretful. ¡¸Well, what to do.¡¹ Thinking while thrusting the handle of the Death Scythe through the body of a Soldier Ant¡­¡­suddenly, he felt a sense of incongruity with the exoskeleton. (What?¡¡Why do I feel something different when I look at this exoskeleton?¡¡This exoskeleton looks normal¡­¡­so, apart from size, the appearance and size are the same as the other ants. There¡¯s no mistake. However¡­¡­!?) Muttering in his mind, he finally understood his sense of dissonance. An ant that leaves its nest will usually grow wings, a so called winged ant. However, there were no wings attached to the Soldier Ant that lay before his eyes. (In other words, not all the ants in Elgin have the habit of becoming winged ants?¡¡Or did these ants not leave the nest to become winged ants¡­¡­there¡¯s a strong chance of being wrong either way.) All the ants the Queen Ant controlled didn¡¯t have wings to fly¡­¡­that would be considered too optimistic. However, the few Soldier Ants Rei and Set defeated didn¡¯t have wings. In other words, the chance of success was higher if instead of going along the ground, Rei and Set flew, mounting a surprise attack on the Queen Ant from the sky, Rei thought. Whether or not it was fortunate, from the information obtained from the guild receptionist, if the Queen Ant is defeated, the swarm, which is lead by the Queen Ant would no longer be able to maintain itself and will scatter into the surrounding area. The number of times Soldier Ants will appear near the city of Gilm would increase for a while, however, it would still be better than the swarm governed by the leading Queen Ant. ¡¸¡­¡­Set¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ While watching the surroundings, Set, who was pecking at the corpses of the Soldier Ants, curiously turned his head to face Rei. ¡¸Try to search the Queen Ant from the sky. Launch a surprise attack from the sky to kill the Queen Ant.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s proposal, Set crouched down. Rei vaulted onto Set¡¯s back while holding the Death Scythe. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Raising a sharp cry, Set flapped his eagle like wings after a run up of a few steps. Rei¡¯s cheeks unintentionally loosened as they steadily ascended into the sky by kicking the air, a smile floated onto his face as he saw another group of Soldier Ants heading to the place they were at before, they had evaded a second battle. ¡¸Though it would have taken some time for more to arrive after Set and I defeated the first group, we would have been stuck in a constant war of attrition. The correct decision was made early.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ I agree, Set seemed to say as he gave a short cry. While patting his neck, a grassy plain a forest spread along the highway¡­¡­it wasn¡¯t easy to see deeply into the forest from the sky. They had flown through the sky for about 20 minutes. Although they occasionally saw the figure of a monster passing through, the figure of the Queen Ant, which was their aim, could not be seen anywhere. ¡¸Its not so easy to find after all.¡¹ ¡¸Guru¡­¡­Guruu~!¡¹ Set raised a cry as if to comfort Rei but changed into a sharp cry half way. It was a cry of precaution. The reason he raised his voice was immediately found. The enemy appeared from the forest. Because there wasn¡¯t an object for comparison, it can¡¯t be said for sure, however, they looked larger than the Soldier Ants. Moreover, they had wings growing from behind their necks. They flew through the sky, straight for Set. There were 5 in number. ¡¸To fly through the sky, moreover, they¡¯re bigger than Soldier Ants. Imperial Ants, or should I call them Imperial Ants?¡¡Well, an enemy is an enemy. Let¡¯s go, Set!¡¹ TLN: More word differences, the first Imperial Ant is written in Kanji while the second in in Katakana. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Flapping his wings while raising a courageous cry, Set flew straight towards the Imperial Ants in a straight line without hesitation. The distance between them decreased¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ A water ball appeared near Set¡¯s face and with Set¡¯s cry, was fired on the Imperial Ants. ¡¸Gigigigi~!¡¹ Though the Imperial Ant flying at the top avoided the attack by tilting its body at an angle, the Imperial Ant that flew behind it didn¡¯t fair so well. Hitting it in the face, the water ball exploded at the same time. Most of the upper body exploded with it and it fell to the ground. ¡¸Four remaining.¡¹ Muttering, Rei began to cast a spell. ¡ºFlame, collect and gather. One for all. All for one. Appear at my command.¡» After Rei finished casting the spell, a mass of flame 1m in size gathered at the tip of the Death Scythe Rei held. Facing the Imperial Ants, Rei swung the Death Scythe with all his strength. At the same time, the flame flew straight towards the enemy. However, its speed was only half the speed of the water ball Set had fired first, it was lacking speed in all aspects. In fact, the Imperial Ants scattered so as to avoid the flames¡­¡­ ¡ºBloom Flames!¡» Flames exploded at the same time Rei activated his magic. A large amount of flames the size of his fist scattered into the surroundings at high speeds. ¡¸Gigigigigigi!¡¹ It was a magic that Rei had made in the image of fireworks, however, the power of the flame after the explosion wasn¡¯t that high. Still there was enough power to burn the wings of the Imperial Ants, with their wings burnt completely, two of them fell to the ground. Falling from a height of over 30m, they would not survive. And there were 2 Imperial Ants left. But. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ One had its body crushed by Set¡¯s claws. ¡¸Haah!¡¹ The other was split in half by the blade of the Death Scythe wielded by Rei. ¡¸Right, the next step is to find the position of the Queen Ant¡­¡­¡¹ When Rei said that, a huge cry came from the surroundings. ¡¸Gigigigigigigigigigyi~!¡¹ The main sounds were coming from near tree 30m ahead of Set. There was the figure of a giant ant monster bigger than the Soldier Ant and Imperial Ant. In other words. ¡¸Queen Ant¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a sharp cry in agreement to Rei¡¯s words. Rei stroked Set¡¯s neck while smiling at his bravery. ¡¸Right. Then¡­¡­lets go!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Giving a high pitch cry in response to Rei¡¯s words, Set dived towards the Queen Ant on the ground. Chapter 22 Set swooped down from the sky without any hesitation, Rei wielded the Death Scythe at the same time, pouring magic power into the Death Scythe while aiming at the large Queen Ant. ¡¸Gigigigigigi!¡¹ The Queen Ant opened its mouth, as if to shoot something¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¡It¡¯s dangerous, Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Feeling a sense of crisis, Rei shouted to Set. Set understood and with a great flap of his wings, forcibly moved to the right. The next moment, liquid was shot from the mouth of the Queen Ant, passing through the place Set was previously in a blink of an eye. The liquid that was avoided fell to the ground, Rei saw the surrounding soil melting away while giving off smoke. The real nature of the of the liquid was an acid¡­¡­he judged that it was a kind of formic acid. TLN: Formic acid is a type of acid that ants can generate, typically not that powerful. ¡¸Gigigigigi!¡¹ Dissatisfied that its attack had missed, it raised a loud screech while attacking with its huge forelegs. As Set escaped the blow, Rei wielded the Death Scythe against a foreleg as they passed through the sky. Swinging the Death Scythe, it tore through the foreleg without any resistance, the foreleg flew off in a direction to the left with the momentum it had left from swinging down. ¡¸Gyi~!¡¹ Maybe it had developed a sense of pain unlike the Soldier Ants, the Queen Ant gave a short screech. Rei took advantage of this chance to jump from Set¡¯s back. As soon as Rei landed on the ground, he jumped up at once, raising a sound and leaving a cloud of dust. At the same time, one of the Queen Ant¡¯s forelegs smashed the place Rei had landed. He jumped continuously and took some distance from the Queen Ant. After doing that, Rei was finally able to observe the Queen Ant. Its body length was much longer than the Soldier Ants, about 5m in length. It had an enlarged abdomen and a sharp spike grew from it like a stinger. (¡­¡­It¡¯s pretty big. I was shocked for a moment.) From the information Rei heard, the Soldier Ants were about 1m long. Because of that, even if it was larger, he had expected the Queen Ant to be about 3m in length. However, after coming in contact with the actual Queen Ant, its size was greatly larger than Rei¡¯s expectations. ¡¸But, well¡­¡­¡¹ Directing a sharp gaze at the Queen Ant, he readied the Death Scythe. ¡¸I have no choice but to do it!¡¹ With a shout, Rei started running towards the Queen Ant. From the sky, the figure of Set could be seen continuously shooting water balls, trying to support Rei. ¡¸Gigigi!¡¹ Finding it annoying, the Queen Ant swung one of its hind legs, destroying a water ball. However, Set¡¯s aim wasn¡¯t to damage the Queen Ant with the water balls. It was to give Rei a chance to get close with his physical ability and attack with the Death Scythe. And that purpose was achieved. ¡ºFlame, you are a snake. Therefore, burn my enemy as I desire.¡» While chanting the incantation for spell that killed the Water Bear in the Forest of Magic, just like that time¡­¡­no, this time with the blade, he swung the Death Scythe. With only light resistance, the blade of the scythe went into the middle right leg of the Queen Ant¡­¡­ ¡ºDance Fire Snake!¡» The magic was released. The fire snake crawled into the leg of the Queen Ant that the Death Scythe was stuck into. ¡¸Gigigigigigigi!¡¹ The giant ant in front of his eyes screeched in pain as its body was burned from the inside. However, worthy of being called the Queen Ant, it wasn¡¯t the end. While screeching, it tore off the leg that that the fire snake was moving around and burning. ¡¸What!?¡¹ Excessive, Rei was startled by the action. He immediately jumped backwards to create some distance between the Queen Ant. At almost the same time he moved¡­¡­the Queen Ant threw the leg, that the fire snake was burning, at his location. ¡¸Gigigi!¡¹ Angered, the Queen Ant spat formic acid from its mouth at the small man in front of it that had injured it. Brandishing its remaining legs, it looked for a chance to use its sharp mandibles. Rei evaded most of the attacks or parried them with the Death Scythe. ¡¸It¡¯s tenacious!¡¹ While evading the foreleg swinging down, he struck out with the Death Scythe. Cutting the remaining left foreleg, the only legs left was the middle leg on the left, the left hind leg and the right hind leg, three legs. However, the Queen Ant¡¯s attacks were still fierce. The poisonous spike that grew from its abdomen pierced into a tree and it spat out formic acid, melting rocks. While remembering the tenacity of a C rank monster with admiration, Rei brandished the Death Scythe to attract the Queen Ant¡¯s attention while confirming the figure of Set in the sky. ¡ºFlame, burn the enemy according to my thoughts.¡» While saying the incantation, a ball of fire about 30cm in diameter appeared in front of the blade of the Death Scythe. As Rei swung the Death Scythe¡­¡­he triggered the magic. ¡ºFireball!¡» The ball of flame, similar to the water ball that Set used, flew off at high speed towards the Queen Ant as the Death Scythe swung down. However, the Queen Ant evaded by dropping to the ground instead of receiving the attack directly. It knew the power of the magic flame after having its body burned by the magical fire snake. ¡­¡­But, it didn¡¯t know that that was Rei¡¯s aim. It was lying on the ground. In other words, it was hard for it to make its next movement immediately. And Set, who was waiting in the sky for an opportunity to intervene, dived straight to ground. The Queen Ant watched out for Set at the beginning because of the threat of the water balls but then recognized Rei, who injured it, as the highest threat. So while fighting against Rei, the existence of Set had disappeared from its mind. Moreover, Set had waited for a chance without interfering as the fight between Rei and the Queen Ant intensified. All this for a chance to hit the Queen Ant with a decisive blow. Set did not overlook the rare opportunity that Rei had made. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Raising a courageous cry, with his eagle like talons and matchless strength¡­¡­and with the speed from his dive, he swung them at the Queen Ants head. A gusha~ sound echoed into the surroundings. The head of the Queen Ant was shattered and pieces of flesh were scattered into the surroundings. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set raised a cry of victory. It wasn¡¯t a strange story. It normally isn¡¯t a mistake to determine that it was a victory after the enemy¡¯s head was crushed. However, Set had forgotten about what happened when they fought the Soldier Ants. With their vitality, they would keep moving for a little while even after their head was destroyed. And the opponent that Rei and Set were fighting was a Queen Ant, a much more powerful existence than the Soldier Ant. Naturally, its vitality exceeded that of a Soldier Ant. As if to show that, the Queen Ant that had lost half its legs and head raised one of its legs. As Rei saw the scene in his eyes, he shouted at Set¡­¡­ ¡¸Set, dodge!¡¹ The moment he shouted, he dashed towards Set while raising the Death Scythe. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ When Set heard Rei¡¯s shout, he reflexively kicked against the ground to flee to the sky. What was lucky this time was that the Queen Ant¡¯s attack was not swinging down but from the side. Set flew into the sky to evade the attack. The Queen Ant attacked with a single blow, sweeping from the side. It was only a single moment after Set¡¯s victory cry. The sweeping attack was too slow and cut the air without even scratching Set. The figure of Rei appeared in front of it. ¡¸Die quietly!¡¹ Hard and fast, the Death Scythe cut through the right hind leg and stinger of the Queen Ant. ¡¸Haah!¡¹ The left hind leg and other remaining leg were cut off by the returning blade. With the Queen Ant missing its head, 6 legs and stinger, all movements stopped for real. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Because of what happened before, Rei readied the Death Scythe without lowering his vigilance for a few minutes after the Queen Ant stopped moving. At last, after confirming that it wasn¡¯t moving, the tension was finally released. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set, who was flying in the sky, landed and gave a cry with a lowered head, he seemed to be reflecting letting his guard down and putting Rei into a difficult position. Stroking his head, Rei shook his neck. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. Though being careless was bad, it hasn¡¯t been long since you were born. It¡¯s good as long as you don¡¯t make the same mistake.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Because I was a bit further away, I noticed it. What about if the positions were reversed?¡¡At that time I¡¯ll need your help Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Leave it to me, Set gave a cry with confidence compared to earlier. Rei went next to the Queen Ant holding the Death Scythe with a smile on his face. ¡¸Well¡­¡­how to dismantle this¡­¡­¡¹ As usual, he took out the Beginners Guide to Dismantling Monsters from the Misty Ring to examine it. However, although there were dismantling methods listed for the Soldier Ants and Imperial Ants, one for the Queen Ant was not listed. ¡¸What to say, the ants with wings were really called Imperial Ants.¡¹ Wasn¡¯t that too simple?¡¡Was what Rei thought, however he didn¡¯t say it out because the names of the magic he used was also simplistic. ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll put off dismantling it and put it into the Misty Ring¡­¡­should I keep the magic stone?¡¹ Muttering, he first stored the stinger and legs that he had cut off with the Death Scythe before taking out an iron dagger from the Misty Ring. he thought about how to take the magic stone out. After losing the legs, stinger and head, only the body was left. Though it was good, the body ended up falling down with softer belly touching the ground. He needed to cut part of the belly in order to retrieve the magic stone. ¡¸Set, sorry but could you overturn the body so that the bottom is facing up?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a short cry and turned over the body of the Queen Ant without much difficulty. Seeing that, Rei was convinced that Set¡¯s raw physical strength was greater than the Queen Ant¡¯s. However, it would still be difficult for Set to win if he fought the Queen Ant. Why was that? (It would purely be because of Set¡¯s lack of experience. It hasn¡¯t been a week since Set was born, but the Queen Ant has survived among wild animals in this world of Elgin. Same applies to me.) Given their physical strength and potential, it was strange that it wasn¡¯t possible for Rei and Set to easily kill a C rank monster like the Queen Ant when you thought about things like magic power. But that was if you only considered the difference in performance. However, having thought about it, Set didn¡¯t have much experience as it had only been a week since he was born, as for Rei he only had combat experience after coming to Elgin, so his experience was at the same level as Set. Most aversion to killing had been removed by the fusion, however, the world wasn¡¯t kind enough to let him survive with just that. (I have to learn.) Thinking to himself, he swung the iron dagger at the abdomen of the Queen Ant¡­¡­ Kin~! The blade was repelled. ¡¸Its like this even though it¡¯s not completely covered by a exoskeleton?¡­¡­Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ Returning the iron dagger into the Misty Ring, he pulled out the mithril knife. Pouring magic power into the blade, he inserted it into the abdomen. As expected of an item made from mithril, it went into the Queen Ant¡¯s belly without any resistance. And Rei searched the inside of the Queen Ant. ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm?¡¡Is there a heart?¡¹ Originally, insects don¡¯t have an organ called a heart, instead its substituted by a dorsal vessel. Though Rei thought that he would have a hard time looking for the magic stone, it turned out that there was a small heart in the body of the Queen Ant. ¡¸Well, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the monster is an insect, I wonder if much is said about it?¡¹ While wondering that, Rei took out a magic stone. The magic stone was the size of Rei¡¯s fist, it was almost the same size as the magic stone that they had got from the Water Bear in the Forest of Magic. ¡¸It shouldn¡¯t be much different than the goblin¡¯s magic stone. The colour is yellow, in that case, is it an earth attribute?¡­¡­Well¡¹ Rei picked up the Death Scythe that was put on the ground while holding the magic stone in one hand. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry Set. I plan to let the Death Scythe absorb the magic stone of the Queen Ant this time.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ I don¡¯t mind, Set nodded. Smiling at that appearance, Rei poured magic power into the Death Scythe and threw the magic stone into the air. There was no resistance as the magic stone was cut, the next second, the magic stone disappeared like smoke. This was a method to absorb the magic stone, similar to Set, the disappearance of the magic stone meant that it was absorbed. ¡¾The Death Scythe has learnt the skill¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv.1¡»] A message was announced in the same way as with Set. The announcement seemed to occur whether Set or the Death Scythe absorbed the magic stone. ¡¸Still, corrosion? Perhaps its from the influence of the formic acid, it¡¯s subtle though.¡¹ Rei stored the body of the Queen Ant in the Misty Ring with a wry smile as he started walking towards the city of Gilm. It should be noted that Rei got off Set a short distance from the city entrance and walked back so that Ranga wouldn¡¯t complain. The rewards of the day for the Soldier Ant¡¯s magic stones and materials was 7 silver coins, exceptional for a G rank adventurer. ************************************************ ¡¾Set] ¡ºWater Ball¡¡Lv.1¡»¡ºFire Breath¡¡Lv.1¡» ¡¾Death Scythe] ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv.1¡»new Corrosion: Corrodes metal objects if they are cut several times. The number of cuts required decreases as level increases. Chapter 23 Although various complex sentences were written in the document, it could be summarized as follows. ?Keep an eye on the adventurer Rei. ?If the adventurer causes trouble with the aristocratic faction, report it to the boss immediately. ?Similarly, report to the boss immediately if the adventurer gets tangled up with other adventurers. ¡¸Haa¡­¡­¡¹ She involuntarily spat out a sigh while reading the documents. Fortunately, as there was only a little while before the noon bell, there were few adventurers in the guild. There were only several people eating an early lunch. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, sighing like that?¡¹ The co-worker next to Lenora asked curiously. It was Kenny, a cat beast person. She stretched herself, showing of the flexible limbs that were a feature of the cat family, Lenora felt some envy when she looked at her own small chest. TLN: So Kenny is female. The name Kenny is usually male but was used as a female name about 500 years ago or so. ¡¸Here, look at this.¡¹ Diverting her gaze from Kenny¡¯s large chest, Lenora passed the documents. Because it was before noon and there were no adventurers around, it was her free time. She looked at the documents without any hesitation. ¡¸Umm, what?¡¡¡­¡­Wait, what is this?¡¹ Although Kenny was reading the document with curiosity at first, her cheeks started to cramp as she kept reading. ¡¸It¡¯s as you see.¡¹ ¡¸Doesn¡¯t the guild maintain neutrality with disputes between adventurers? But if anything happens you have to report it immediately.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not all, look at the seal of approval at the end.¡¹ Kenny turned her eyes to the seal of approval at the end of the document, she stopped moving for a moment. She finally spoke after a few seconds. ¡¸Wait, isn¡¯t this the seal of the guild master!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ The seal of the guild master. That is, the instructions written in the document were ordered by the guild master. ¡¸What did you do?¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t done anything in particular!¡¹ To Kenny¡¯s doubtful look, Lenora retorted with a strong tone. ¡¸But, if you haven¡¯t done anything, why did you personally receive orders from the guild master? I mean, what¡¯s your relationship with the adventurer Rei?¡¹ ¡¸There aren¡¯t any special relations in particular.¡¹ ¡¸In that case, why this instruction?¡¹ ¡¸Perhaps because Rei is a human adventurer, I talked with him when he registered with the guild. When he completes requests, he brings them to me.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s, isn¡¯t that Rei guy hitting on you?¡¹ Lenora shook here neck slightly at Kenny¡¯s words. However, what Kenny said wasn¡¯t wrong at all. After all, receptionists were the face of the guild. Naturally, the person who employs receptionists would chose beautiful women. As a result, the receptionists were idolized by the adventurers. An unattainable object, someone they want to be their lover, someone they wanted to spend the night with, they became that kind of existence. Kenny was trying to say that in that sense, Rei was trying to chase Lenora. But with the contact Lenora had with Rei, she didn¡¯t feel that he was trying to woo her. There were many times where the adventurer would come to visit the same receptionist. No, it could be said that it was a daily occurrence. Because there was a bar in the guild as well, there would be several people each year who would get drunk and call out to Lenora. ¡­¡­More than that and they would be sent to the guild jail for interfering with guild business. However, they would still end up tearfully paying the fine for a decent amount for obstructing business the next day. ¡¸He isn¡¯t. In the first place, the Rei written in the document is a child. You know, the one that got in trouble with the Claws of the Hawk.¡¹ Kenny easily knew who Rei was from Lenora¡¯s plain words. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for bad adventurers to mess up those who came for guild registration. However, it usually ends up with the other party sucking up to them. As a result, a hierarchical relationship between adventurers would be formed and used in various ways. However, in this case, they¡¯re mainly ordered to do trivial chores. Because of that, as experience as an adventurer could be gained, it wasn¡¯t always bad. Therefore, the practice was tacitly consented to in the guild. However, the adventurers who were involved in the fight were D rank adventurers who had acquired experience and could be regarded as an independent group. Yet she heard from Lenora that they lost and even had their gold and weapons taken away. Of course, the aim of the hot blooded adventurers was to beat up the person they fighting, Rei. Compared with the experienced adventurers, the difference in combat experience with someone who just became an adventurer was overwhelming. That¡¯s why Rei left a strong impression. ¡¸That kid is it¡­¡­I heard that he tamed a Griffon, the guild master must have expectations of this rookie.¡¹ Kenny remembered the figure of Rei in her mind. Wearing a robe, the figure with a large scythe stood out, it was someone you could remember without trying hard. However, his facial appearance could not be remembered clearly due to the noticeably evil look of the scythe standing out. ¡¸But, does the guild master hold that much expectation of the rookie to give special treatment?¡¹ ¡¸Well, what¡¯s the ability of that Rei kid?¡¹ ¡¸He has only received two quests. Subjugation quests for Goblins and Soldier Ants. He brought 10 proofs of subjugation from the Goblins. But for the Soldier Ants, he brought more than 30 proofs of subjugation.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ ¡¸Really.¡¹ Goblins aside, defeating 30 Soldier Ants was something an organized C or D rank party would struggle with, yet he was by himself. Not many people could do that, let alone a rookie who just registered with the guild. ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh, I see. If he brought his Griffon then he could do that. ¡¹ ¡¸I think the fact that a Griffon follows that kid shows his ability.¡¹ ¡¸So in the end, that Rei kid is a promising rookie¡­¡­speaking of which, because he is already counted as part of combat forces, the guild master favours him?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s most likely.¡¹ ¡¸Is that kid only 15 years old?¡¡With that talent and ability at his age, he can likely aim for S rank in the future.¡¹ Guild rank S. In this world, there are only three people who have that power level. The Rei that she was told to keep an eye on might become such a presence. When thinking about that, Lenora felt a zokuri~ feeling inside her. ¡¸So, did the important Rei come today?¡¡I don¡¯t recall seeing him in the morning.¡¹ Receptionist were truly the face of the guild, remembering individual adventurers during the morning rush. ¡¸Because he received two subjugation requests on consecutive days, maybe he took a rest today?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it could be so. It was over 30 Soldier Ants.¡¹ ¡¸How should I say it, why are you suddenly interested about Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I want to get closer to that kid as its certain he¡¯s going to rise to the top in future. Is an older wife okay?¡¡And you know, I have the men¡¯s favourite body.¡¹ While saying so proudly, Kenny placed her arms across her rich breasts to emphasize them. To that appearance, Lenora wore a thin smile and blood vessels appeared as she twitched with a pikuri~ sound. ¡¸I see that Kenny doesn¡¯t seem to know that it¡¯s not necessarily so? Roughly speaking, no matter how much talent you say he has, he¡¯s still a rank G. It will take even longer even if he is promoted to S rank, by that time, I¡¯m sure that when the time comes, Kenny will still look great.¡¹ To Lenora¡¯s words, Kenny started twitching. ¡¸Ara~ ara~, I wonder if the child with the poor body also has poor ideas.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kenny, are you trying to pick a fight?¡¹ ¡¸Are you, Lenora?¡¹ An explosive tension. Right when those two people were in that state, the sound of the bell informing them that it was noon, could be heard. Disregarding the two people in that state, the rest of the staff and receptionists looked away and left the counter in order to quickly have lunch. With all the people leaving, the unfortunate noon duty was left to Lenora and Kenny, who were staring daggers at each other, betting their woman¡¯s pride. Getting along by fighting, relatives that abhor each other, it was that kind of friendship. Although there are various similar words, Lenora and Kenny were two people who symbolized that. Thus, though it wasn¡¯t peaceful, the daily life of the guild wasn¡¯t dangerous either. ¡¸So this is a potion.¡¹ While the battle for honour unfolded between the women in the guild, Rei was looking at a beaker that he held in his hand while sitting on the bed in his inn room. A blue liquid sloshed around in the beaker. A blue sky was spread outside, with the sunlight pouring down, this weather could be called good summer weather. However, Rei hadn¡¯t received a subjugation request from the guild today. He was aiming to examine the materials that could be removed from the Goblin rare the day before yesterday and the Queen Ant from yesterday. Therefore, he went to the bookstore from before in the morning and bought several books for a few gold coins. On his way back to the inn, a shop dealing in second hand items caught his eye. Besides potions to recover one¡¯s physical strength, standard mana potions that recovered magical power, medicine that recovered abnormal states and antidotes for paralysis, there were various other things sold such as traps and vices. He wasn¡¯t so interested in the gear as he had the Death Scythe for a weapon and the Dragon Robe for protection but he did buy several types of potions and stored them in the Misty Ring. It should be noted why there wasn¡¯t any potions in the Misty Ring. It was because the developers of potions, Zepairu and his group has passed away.Takumu, who knew a lot about game development, tried to develop them but his research regarding potions didn¡¯t make any progress while he was still alive. Even if progress was made, potions were rare items and were not at a price where commoners or nobles could get there hands on. ¡¸Even if I drink it it should be OK.¡¹ Rei muttered while looking at the blue liquid. The usage of the potion was extremely simple, drink or, as he heard from the second hand dealer, pour it onto a wound. If you drink it, the effect is much higher. First of all, the effect reaches the whole body and not just the injured part, the helaing effect also lasts longer to some degree. In addition, physical strength is also somewhat restored. Although if applied at the location of the wound, the healing is a bit faster, that¡¯s it. There are no additional effects such as sustained healing or restoring physical strength. But still, most people would apply it to a wound, the number of people who drink are few. Why was that? It was simply because potions were unpalatable. ¡¸Yuck, I certainly would like to refrain from drinking this if possible.¡¹ To confirm the story he heard from the second hand dealer, he dipped his finger in and licked a drop before frowning at the distaste. The taste was like a concentrated green soup he had drank out of curiosity in Japan, that was what he felt. ¡¸Even though it¡¯s good to have some effect, it wouldn¡¯t help if drunk in battle.¡¹ Even if the effect was high, drinking it in combat would be impossible due to the taste, it would be suicidal for Rei. It should be noted that there are some people in this world who willingly drink it¡­¡­but Rei couldn¡¯t believe it. Still, as there was a risk of not being able to recover in battle, he bought a few potions and stored them in the Misty Ring. Was it possible for him to equip accessories with continuous healing effects such as the one he passed to Set?¡¡Thinking about it, Rei¡¯s joy ended prematurely as an item with a healing effect didn¡¯t exist on the list in his mind. Afterwards, Rei¡¯s break passed while reading the book he had bought in the bookstore, studying the materials from the Queen Ant and other monsters. Chapter 24 By the way, because Set had still been sleeping when he headed to the guild, only Rei had gone to the guild. Rei wasn¡¯t recognized by many people as it had only been a few days since he registered, with his low height and seemingly delicate build, several adventurers tried to mess with him. However, their cheeks cramped when the surrounding people told them about what had happened to the Claws of the Hawk and they pretended to have not seen him About the time he was moving to the front of some adventurers to look at the F rank request board¡­¡­a loud voice echoed through the guild. ¡¸Please listen, there is a recruitment for an emergency request!¡¡As for the contents of the quest, there is an Orc settlement about a days distance from Gilm, the settlement must be annihilated. For the reward, 5 gold coins will be given before hand. Two platinum coins will be rewarded upon the success of the quest. Separate rewards will be given based on degree of contribution. Moreover, though the reward for the the right ear of an Orc is usually 3 silver coins, it will be changed to 5 this time. In addition, though Orcs are normally D rank monsters, they are treated as C rank when in a group. Only people who are judged to be capable are able to participate. Needless to say, the minimum requirement is the ability to defeat an Orc by themselves. The applicants will be judged in the meeting room on the second floor of the guild in an hour, after registering with a receptionist.¡¹ It might have been a former adventurer. The voice of the man who was missing half his right ear resounded in every corner of the guild. ¡¸How many Orcs!?¡¹ A man who was in front of the C rank request board asked loudly. ¡¸Unknown. However, we are certain that there is a minimum of 50.¡¹ 50. As soon as the number was said, the surrounding adventurers became noisy. ¡¸Hey, the lowest number is 50 Orcs.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. There¡¯s no doubt that there will be a rare species or higher species leading. The possibility of Orc mages mixed in with the group is likely to be high.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What will you do?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s going to be big. After all, it¡¯s two platinum coins with 5 gold coins just for participating. But, naturally, if we are generously rewarded, the danger will be accordingly. ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going. My party was once partially destroyed by 3 Orcs.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m participating. The reward is huge. A settlement of Orcs a day from here, the damage will spread to Gilm if nothing is done. ¡¹ While listening to such talk, for the first time in a long while, Rei brought out the information about Orcs from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge. ¡ºOrc¡» The name of a generic demi-human monster with the face of a pig. It¡¯s height is the same as the average adult male. They can use swords and spears but prefer close combat with clubs, there are Orc mages and Orc archers that use magic and the bow, there is also a higher orc species with better abilities called an orc general. However, the number of higher ranked orc species is small compared with the normal orc population. Though it¡¯s combat technology isn¡¯t high, it¡¯s strength is considerable and it fights with brute force. The race of Orcs is basically male, females from other races are used to breed. At this time, mostly human women are used. Horde, it might be a instinctual thing but they lived by grouping in tens or more. However, it¡¯s not uncommon for a horde of 100 to appear and gather more and more if a rare species or higher species appears. (There is indeed knowledge of Orcs. Well, it is a basic monster of a classic fantasy setting.) Drawing from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, a satisfied smile floated onto Rei¡¯s face as he found the information. (Now then, what should I do¡­¡­well, I shouldn¡¯t have any problems participating. Anyway, the contribution to the guild should be great as it is an emergency request. Likewise, the reward is exceptional compared to other quests. It¡¯s also hard to find a quest that rank isn¡¯t a condition for participation. It¡¯s not a bad idea to improve my fame in case a high rank monster subjugation quest appears in future. My fighting power being known to a lot of people is a negative factor¡­¡­well, it¡¯s too late to keep it secret after fighting Goblin Drool. However, I should consider the annoying possibility of increased solicitation after this request has been completed.) From the Lord to the Guild Master and from the Guild Master to Lenora who was an acquaintance. Because Rei didn¡¯t know that if he was tangled up with adventurers they were to be notified immediately, he was weighing up the merits and demerits of receiving this quest, and the merits clearly outweighed the demerits. Giving a small nod, he went to see Lenora, the receptionist with the ponytail who was in charge when he registered and who he subsequently submitted requests to. ¡¸Ah, good morning Rei. Do you have a quest? ¡¹ With a smile, Lenora asked, Rei nodded and smiled. Though the receptionist who looked like she was from the cat family of beast people turned her gaze to Rei for a moment while processing the request forms of other adventurers, Rei didn¡¯t notice it. ¡¸So, the quest is?¡¹ ¡¸I would like to apply for the Orc quest from a little while ago.¡¹ Orc subjugation. Lenora took a few seconds for the words to set in. ¡¸So, Rei. I¡¯ll say this for now but although Orcs are D rank alone, when they group together they are C rank. As expected of rank G, I can¡¯t recommend you.¡¹ ¡¸The recruitment conditions of the request said that you need to have the strength to beat an Orc right?¡¹ ¡¸That, well, that¡¯s right¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Then I won¡¯t have any problems. Though it¡¯s only a bit, I have the ability to kill a Water Bear in the Forest of Magic.¡¹ ¡¸Water Bear!?¡¹ Although Lenora almost involuntarily shouted that out, she shut her mouth immediately. ¡¸The Forest of Magic¡­¡­why did you go to such a dangerous place. Do you mean that you went to the Forest of Magic instead of the guild?¡¹ ¡¸No, ah, well, Because it¡¯s a long story, I¡¯ll tell you about it if I have the opportunity. So about the matter of the Orcs?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, even though there shouldn¡¯t be any problems if you have the ability to beat a Water Bear¡­¡­However, as Rei is a G rank, any mistakes you make will stand out if you participate in this quest. There will also be people who will pick a fight with you like the Claws of the Hawk.¡¹ Though Lenora said so anxiously, a smile floated onto Rei¡¯s face. ¡¸At that time, I¡¯ll have a match with a bet again.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Please stop it if possible¡­¡­¡¹ To Rei¡¯s words, Lenora wrote Rei¡¯s name onto the documents in her hand while releasing a sigh of resignation. ¡¸The reception has accepted you to the Orc subjugation quest. Please wait in the meeting room on the 2nd floor for now. A detailed explanation of the quest will be given there.¡¹ Nodding to her words, he headed towards the stairs leading to the second floor of the guild. The guild meeting room, unlike Japan though, there¡¯s no projector or black board. It was only a room with chairs placed disorderly around in the large space. As for the large table that was originally placed in the center of the meeting room, it had been moved to the corner. Registration had already finished. About 20 adventurers had already gathered into the room. They had probably formed parties, the people gathered in groups of 3-5, talking about how it was necessary to push forward the Orc subjugation. Rei stepped inside to this. While the other people were in several groups, a little boy dressed in robes walked in alone. Naturally, his figure was very noticeable and gathered all the gazes of those who were in the room. Gata~!¡¡Among the people looking at him, several people abruptly stepped back, out of their chair, the sound echoing into the meeting room. ¡¸Oi, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, nothing at all.¡¹ ¡¸Did something happen with that fellow?¡¡You could tell us the story.¡¹ ¡¸Stop it!¡¡Don¡¯t mess with that guy!¡¹ The party near the window had such a conversation. When Rei entered the meeting room, most of the people found it amusing and talked about it to their friends. All except one person. That is, a member that could use magic. Though Rei didn¡¯t understand, because he only specialized in fire magic, there are some magicians who could sense the magic power in other people. And that magician who had that ability sensed a magic power that could be called overwhelming present in Rei¡¯s body. (¡­¡­What?¡¡Is there someone who noticed the value of the Dragon Robe?) Because didn¡¯t know of that ability, he misunderstood and thought that someone noticed the value of the Dragon Robe he was wearing and thought that they were surprised to see it. Because he though that it would have been distracting if he took the Death Scythe into the meeting room, he stored it inside the Misty Ring before entering the guild meeting room. (Well, okay. I assume that we have to wait until the meeting starts) Muttering to himself, he sat down in a vacant chair in the corner of the room and observed the other adventurers. ¡¸Oi, that¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Is it the guy that defeated the Claws of the Hawk?¡¡I also heard it today.¡¹ ¡¸But, if that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t he still G rank?¡¡Isn¡¯t it too soon for Orc subjugation?¡¹ ¡¸Well, if he can knock down Vargas head on, then I don¡¯t think you need to worry. If you only judge combat power, he may be rank C. ¡­¡­So a muscle brain.¡¹ ¡¸Though he may be a combat force¡­¡­I don¡¯t want him to slow us down.¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, the Claws of the Hawk?¡¡Aren¡¯t those guys participating in the Orc subjugation. ¡¹ ¡¸I understand that they had all their weapons and cash taken away when they lost to that kid and they have debt with the guild so they have no time.¡¹ ¡¸They should participate in the Orc subjugation quest if they have debt. They¡¯d certainly be able to earn money.¡¹ ¡¸As I said, their weapons were taken away. They¡¯re using spare weapons at the moment. With such weapons, do you think they can fight an orc, let alone a horde led by a rare species or higher species?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I more or less understand.¡¹ An adventurer group of 4 men were talking in low voices a little distance from Rei and he overheard them (Debt¡­¡­.looks that arrogant person has to pay. Well, the guild probably has some ideas.) Recalling the face of Vargas for a moment, he erased it from his mind the next moment and observed the state of the other adventurers. As expected, as all the adventurers gathered in the room were here for the Orc subjugation, there was quite intense atmosphere. The male to female ratio was roughly 7:3, the number of women wasn¡¯t as small as Rei thought. And maybe there were adventurers also interested in Rei, there were a lot people frequently glancing at Rei. Though they were interested, it was hard to talk to Rei as he gave off an atmosphere that kept people away. Meanwhile, several adventurers entered into the meeting room which had a somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere. When their figures were seen, the noise it created was incomparable to when Ray entered. Rei and the other adventurers attentions were directed to a group of 3 adventurers who just entered. The first person to catch everyone¡¯s eyes was the man at the front. He was in his late 30¡¯s to early 40¡¯s. He had green hair and glanced around at the adventurers in the meeting room with a smile of a mischievous boy, not matching his age. It might be best expressed as a mischievous boy who grew up to an adult. He was covered in muscles, and it felt that he had a considerable weight although his height was that of an average adult man. He carried a huge battle axe on his shoulder, it seemed to be his weapon. He seemed to be the same as Varags in regards to his battle axe weapon. If you compared Vargas to a Goblin, then this guy¡¯s atmosphere could be expressed as a cyclops. Moreover, the battle axe on his back had a charm that attracted glances, even though Rei wasn¡¯t able to feel magic power, even he expected that it was a magic item. Behind the man was a female adventurer in her mid 30¡¯s. Looking at the cane in her hand, she was probably a magician. Maybe to make it easy to move, her blue hair was cut around her shoulders. As soon as the woman adventurer came into the room, she reflexively looked at Rei and unintentionally pulled back when she saw his magic power. The last of the three, who caught the woman adventurer, was a young man. There wasn¡¯t much of a age difference between the first two, so it seemed. He hung a sword in his sheath at his waist. Maybe it¡¯s purpose was for light movement, he wore a leather armour that seemed to be made from the skin of some sort of monster. With pale blue hair, his features and face looked similar enough to the first two that he was probably related to them. Looking in the direction the woman was looking at, after leaving the woman to the other man, he rudely stormed up to Rei and opened his mouth after stopping in front of Rei. ¡¸Oi, you. What did you do to my mother!?¡¹ He grabbed Rei, who was sitting down, and dragged him up. This was the first contact Rei had with the famous A rank party in Gilm, Axe of the Thunder God. Chapter 25 Maybe he didn¡¯t like that, the young man yelled at Rei with a voice louder than before. ¡¸Answer me. I asked you what did you do to my mother.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Let go.¡¹ Rei said unpleasantly while frowning his eyebrows. That was natural. Rei himself couldn¡¯t recall getting mixed up with them at all. ¡¸Just answer. If that¡¯s your attitude, should I respond the same way?¡¡¡­¡­This is your last chance. Answer me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei judged that talking anymore would be useless. He grabbed the wrist of the young man that grabbed him in silence. The moment he was going to crush the bone in that person¡¯s wrist. ¡¸Rhodes, let go. The boy genuinely didn¡¯t do anything to me. I was only surprised when I looked at the boy.¡¹ A cane was placed between the faces of Rei and the young man, Rhodes,. ¡¸But mum!¡¡It¡¯s not normal for mum to back away for no reason!¡¡I¡¯m sure this guy did something to you.¡¹ To the woman who spoke those words, Rhodes argued back vehemently. However, the woman spat out a sigh and smacked the cane against Rhode¡¯s head. Bogu~!¡¡When the sound of a blunt weapon hitting flesh echoed into the surroundings, the adventurers near Rei involuntarily winced as they imagined the pain. ¡¸Gah~!¡¹ As a result, Rhodes was squatting on the floor while holding his head, ignoring that, the woman lowered her head to Rei. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry boy. My son had been rude. Please forgive me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei returned his gaze in silence, the woman lifted up Rhodes, who was crouched on the ground, and forcibly made him bow his head. ¡¸I understand. Rhodes will reflect on this and won¡¯t be rude again. I¡¯m happy if the situation can be cooled down. Of course, I¡¯m not saying this isn¡¯t unconditional. If you need something, the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God promises to lend our power.¡¹ At A rank group, Rei reacted with a twitch. As Rei hoped to battle more powerful monsters by increasing his guild rank as soon as possible, there was no loss to form a connection with an A rank party in advance. Rei judged so and gave a small nod. ¡¸There was no harm done. I¡¯ll accept the help from your A rank party.¡¹ Listening to Rei¡¯s words, the woman gave a sigh of relief. (That moment, this boy was going to crush Rhode¡¯s wrist, no mistake. This ridiculous magic power. I should say that we were saved that we don¡¯t have to fight such a person.) Muttering in her mind, she opened her mouth to speak to Rei again. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I still haven¡¯t introduced myself. I¡¯m Min. I¡¯m the mother of this foolish son who quarreled with you.¡¹ ¡¸Mum!¡¹ Ignoring Rhode¡¯s words, she turned his gaze to the man who was was watching the state of the 3 with interest. ¡¸Although it¡¯s regretful, that is my husband, Elk, who is also the leader of the Axe of the Thunder God.¡¹ Probably hearing himself introduced. The man named Elk approached the three with a smile on his mouth. ¡¸Oh, it was my son¡¯s mistake to quarrel with you. Though it seems my wife has introduced me, I¡¯m Elk. Well, my regards.¡¹ With that, Elk gave a hearty laugh. Seeing the situation, Rei gave a light sigh,and opened his mouth. ¡¸Rei.¡¹ ¡¸So, is that it? There has to be something more, isn¡¯t there?¡¡What¡¯s your favourite food and type of girl?¡¹ ¡¸Elk, you should keep quiet.¡¹ After Elk heard Min¡¯s voice, he fell silent reluctantly. Even if it was only by a bit, Rei noted in his mind that Min seemed to have the most influence in the group. ¡¸We¡¯ve been working as adventurers for a long time in this city of Gilm, Rei was it? However, I don¡¯t recall seeing your face, did you come to this city recently?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s only been a few days since I registered with the guild.¡¹ The first person to react to those words was neither Min, who was talking, or Elk, who was behind Min. It was Rhodes, who turned his gaze from Min to Rei suspiciously. ¡¸Ha!?¡¡You, do you even understand what the adventurers are gathered here for!?¡¹ ¡¸The Orc subjugation?¡¹ Though Rei lightly replied, maybe Rhodes felt that he was being looked down on. Rhodes scowled at Rei with a red-hot face. But, at that moment, the cane in Min¡¯s hand was swung down to the back of his head again, a loud smack was heard. ¡¸Gah!¡¡Mum. Don¡¯t hit my head so hard that it makes a pon~ sound. I mean, that cane is a magic assistance item not a club.¡¹ ¡¸Shut up, don¡¯t talk while I¡¯m speaking without my permission. ¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ When Rhodes was just about to argue further, the man that had shouted out about the urgent quest entered the room. Min, who might have judged that it was time, pulled her husband and son and sat down in the chairs near to Rei. ¡¸Everyone, thanks for gathering. The number of people is¡­¡­¡¹ Saying so, the man looked around the meeting room. ¡¸30 people or so.¡¹ There were only about 20 people when Rei came into the meeting room but a few more people seemed to have come while talking with Rhodes, Min and Elk. After confirming that, he started to speak. ¡¸I¡¯m Hobbes and I¡¯m responsible for this current quest. The rough contents of the quest were as said before, it is to subjugate Orcs. A 5 gold coin reward will be given as an advance. 2 platinum coins will be given at the end of the request. In addition, you will be given bonuses based on your contribution level. At the same time, the right ears, which are the proof of subjugation, are worth 5 silver coins for the participants of the mission instead of the normal 3 silver coins. Everyone good so far?¡¹ Everyone nodded to Hobbes¡¯ words. ¡¸The place where the Orc have made a settlement is about a day¡¯s distance from Gilm. There are at least 50 Orcs. ¡­¡­All good?!¡¡The minimum number is 50. Naturally, assume that there will be more than that. Moreover, make no mistake, there will be a rare species or higher rank species leading. The departure time is today, in the afternoon. When ready, gather in front of the gate. It will be an overnight journey and and will arrive in the vicinity of the settlement tomorrow afternoon. We will then take a break until night and will make a night attack on the settlement at midnight. Are there any questions?¡¹ When asked if there were any questions, one adventurer asked. ¡¸Is the existence of Orc mages confirmed?¡¹ ¡¸It hasn¡¯t been confirmed but you better expect them.¡¹ ¡¸What is the contribution level to to the guild when this quest is completed?¡¹ ¡¸Naturally I will consider it when you go up a rank. However, its limited to people who played an active part. It¡¯s not just participating in this quest.¡¹ ¡¸Has the guild provided a wagon for transport to the settlement?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Yes, however, you can provide your own, I don¡¯t mind. In that case, goods will be loaded in the empty space.¡¹ ¡¸Are the supplies given by the guild?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. However, we do not mind if wish to prepare things yourself.¡¹ ¡¸The chain of command?¡¹ ¡¸For the commander, I am in charge.¡¹ Hobbes answered the questions from the adventurers without pausing. Rei, who heard the questions, raised his hand. ¡¸I think I can help with the transportation of supplies, but will it add to the contribution points?¡¹ ¡¸Helping with the transportation of the slides?¡¡By what means?¡¹ To the words of Hobbes, Rei showed the Misty Ring on his right hand. ¡¸This Misty Ring is a kind of item box. There won¡¯t be any problem with the transportation of goods with this.¡¹ While saying so, he took out a potion from the Misty Ring and stored it back into the Misty Ring after that. ¡¸An item box¡­¡­is it real!?¡¹ ¡¸This is the first time I¡¯ve seen one.¡¹ ¡¸We¡­I mean, usually, is it even possible to such an expensive magic item in our lifetime? ¡¹ The people in the conference room seemed to know about the dispute between Rei and the Claws of the Hawk, however, it seems that the number of people who knew that the item box was used in the bet was fewer. As a result, among the people who knew, several of them observed Rei with a sharp glance. Intentionally pretending not to notice the gazes, Rei directed his sight to Hobbes. ¡¸¡­¡­All right. If you help the guild transport goods using the item box, you will get credit for it.¡¹ Hobbes answered another detailed question. ¡¸Okay, any more questions¡­¡­no?¡¡Then at the end please tell me what skills you have. Naturally I don¡¯t mind if you wish to conceal it. We¡¯ll start from those near the door.¡¹ Hearing his words, a group of 4 adventurers went ahead and described their skills to Hobbes. The guild wanted to know the skills of the adventurers for the quest, but outside of the request, they probably didn¡¯t wan to tell their skills to other adventurers, who could potentially be their rivals. In that way, Hobbes was generous and said that they could hide their skills if they didn¡¯t want it to be known. (In the end, I¡¯m the only solo person.) He murmered in his mind while looking at the state of the surroundings. All people except Rei was a member of a party, Rei was the only person in the room by himself. ¡¸Rei, may I call you that?¡¹ Min called out to Rei, who was observing the surroundings. Rei nodded to those words. ¡¸That, if it¡¯s possible, could you show me the item box for future reference? Of course, because you are showing such a valuable item, we will repay you correspondingly later.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, the Misty Ring can¡¯t be used by anyone other than me.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s still okay. Certainly, by all means.¡¹ He pushed the bracelet off his arm, seemingly with brute force. ¡¸Heeh, this¡­¡­indeed, I can certainly feel a strong magic power.¡¹ Next to Min, who was admiring it, Rhodes was looking at Rei suspiciously. ¡¸Fun~, are you strong just because you rely on a magic and not because of your ability? If so, even I¡­¡­gah!¡¹ Before his words could finish, Elk¡¯s fist was swung down on his head. ¡¸What, Dad¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You, getting sulky just because Min took an interest in someone else.¡¹ ¡¸Dad, It¡¯s not really!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s obvious if look at it from the sides. Seriously. ¡­¡­Sorry Rei. As you can see, although this guy is older than you, he can¡¯t seem to part from his mother.¡¹ To Elk¡¯s words, Rei turned his eyes to Min, who was eagerly examining the Misty Ring. The calmness from when they first met had completely disappeared, Min had the appearance of sparkling eyes. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t mind his mother complex.¡¹ ¡¸Mother complex?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Basically a term for a guy that loves their mum.¡¹ ¡¸Kuku~, I understand. Well, Rhodes certainly has a mother complex.¡¹ ¡¸Dad!¡¡You stop it too. You¡¯re speaking so insolently to a C rank like me even though you just registered with the guild.¡¹ And Elk¡¯s fist was swung down on Rhodes head again, making him crouch on the floor. ¡¸Seriously, don¡¯t get so agitated just because it hit the mark.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m not really¡­¡­¡¹ Though Rhodes started to speak while holding his head, the loud voice of Hobbes sounded through the meeting room. ¡¸Next, you with the item box!¡¹ To that voice, Rei looked around, the number of people in the meeting room had already dropped to half. After finishing the conversation with Hobbes, they had already begun preparing for departure. ¡¸Um, sorry. It¡¯s useful.¡¹ Receiving the Misty Ring from Min, he put it back onto his right arm and went to Hobbes, past Rhodes who wanted to say something while holding his head. ¡¸Your name?¡¹ ¡¸Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Rank?¡¹ ¡¸G rank.¡¹ As soon as Rei told his rank, Hobbes frowned. ¡¸You know that the minimum requirements of this quest is to be able to beat an Orc right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I¡¯m still G rank because I only registered with the guild a few days ago, I have the ability to beat a Water Bear.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸If you want, you can ask the guild staff Gran if there is any unease, you should be able to understand if he explains it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. I check with Gran later, in the end, it¡¯s your own responsibility to accept the request. If you don¡¯t have the power, you can¡¯t complain, okay?¡¹ Rei gave a small nod to Hobbes¡¯ words. ¡¸¡­¡­All right. So, what are you good at?¡¹ ¡¸Fire magic and close combat. Other than that, I can also tame monsters.¡¹ Rei plainly stated his abilities. Hobbes took notes of something on to the paper in his hand as he heard it. ¡¸If you can use magic and close combat, can I classify you as a Magic Swordsman?¡¹ ¡¸That is right. But I¡¯m more of a Magic Warrior than a Magic Swordsman. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The difference?¡¹ To the words of Hobbes, he took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring. The length of the handle was over 2m, the blade of the Death Scythe was over 1m. Hobbes, who saw the huge weapon appear from nowhere, had his eyes grow wide. The few people who were still in the meeting room were dumbfounded by the scythe which suddenly appeared. ¡¸As you see, my weapon isn¡¯t something that can really be called a sword.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. With that, may I expect you to transport the supplies?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. No problem. I want to raise my guild rank as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Then after this, please come to the guild before noon after you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ll need you to collect the supplies.¡¹ He nodded at Hobbes¡¯ words while patting the Misty Ring. ¡¸By the way, may I take a tamed monster with me?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, there are no problems at all. An increase in combat power is always welcome. However, what I don¡¯t want is injuries to other adventurers.¡¹ ¡¸Because Set is clever, if he isn¡¯t messed with, he won¡¯t hurt others.¡¹ ¡¸Right, you may go. Don¡¯t forget to come before noon.¡¹ Nodding to Hobbes¡¯ words, Rei directly left the meeting room. Chapter 26 Leaving the meeting room, the receptionist Lenora called out when he returned to the first floor of the guild. As there was no reason to ignore her as she had helped him several times, Rei stepped towards the counter. ¡¸Ahh, no problems. I¡¯ve successfully received the quest.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? But the enemy are Orcs, and I heard that there are a considerable number. Please be careful. It would be troubling if a promising rookie disappeared from the guild.¡¹ As Lenora spoke, Rei saw worried eyes and an anxious look. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Because you¡¯re still a rookie Rei, if it gets difficult, leave it to the higher ranked people and think of surviving first.¡¹ The voice that was suddenly heard came from next to Lenora, it was a receptionist from the cat beast people. Because he had not talked with that person at all until now, Rei gave a questioning look. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet. I¡¯m Kenny. A close friend of Lenora. Nice to meet you, Rei.¡¹ ¡¸A, Ah. I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡¹ Though it was certainly his first meeting with Kenny, she stretched out her hand with plain goodwill. Rei shook her hand while being slightly puzzled. ¡¸Hey, Kenny.¡¹ ¡¸What? The busy morning time has finished, isn¡¯t this okay?¡¹ Though Rei turned his view to the area around request boards at Kenny¡¯s words, there certainly were few people around the request boards. Though there were several adventurers eating breakfast before starting work, there weren¡¯t any people drinking. ¡¸Anyway Rei. Because this Orc subjugation request will be rather dangerous, please take care.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯ll make sure. Well, I¡¯ll have to go soon as there are a lot of thing I have to prepare.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, okay. Take care Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Rei, if you don¡¯t get hurt this big sister will praise you when you come back.¡¹ Lenora waved her hand lightly as Kenny saw Rei off with a pose that boasted her big breasts. Everyone who was still in the guild looked at him with jealous eyes while looking at the appearance of the receptionists who were their idols. Rei seemed not to notice it as he walked out of the guild. ¡¸Ara, welcome back. That was fast. Is it a day off today?¡¹ When he returned to the Dusk Wheat, he bumped into Lana at the entrance. With her stout build, she was holding a large amount of ingredients, possibly the ingredients for tonight¡¯s dinner. ¡¸Good timing. I¡¯m going to be absent from here for a few days.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand. However, if your luggage is left in your room for longer than the time you payed for, it will be kept here. It will be disposed of if you don¡¯t come back within 3 months, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I don¡¯t mind. Naturally, I¡¯ll be taking Set of course.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. When will you be departing?¡¹ ¡¸About noon.¡¹ ¡¸Then, please come to the dining room before leaving. A food box will be prepared.¡¹ Shortly after saying that, Lana disappeared towards the dining room. Maybe she was busy with the preparation of lunch and dinner. Rei, who saw her go, returned to his room, took off the Shoes of Sleipnir and the Dragon Robe and lay on the bed. Because all his basic luggage was stored in the Misty Ring, the only personal belongings he had in the room were a change of clothes and some coins. (Orc horde. It¡¯s highly likely that its led by a rare species or higher species, is it.) Rare species and higher species. The 2 are clearly different. For instance, the rare species goblin that Rei had defeated. That was a mutation of a goblin. However, for the higher species of goblin, a goblin that was born to the world as a greater existence, they were High Goblins. (Anyway, with the Orc¡¯s high rank, I expect it will be easier to acquire skills. However, I¡¯d better not attract too much attention to the peculiarity of Set and the Death Scythe.) Currently, Rei was already noticeable with his ability, evil looking weapon and the like. In addition, because the existence of the Misty Ring was announced in front of so many people, it would be impossible to avoid people with underlying motives, they would come sooner or later. In fact, there were several people who sent sharp glances when the Misty Ring was shown in the conference room. As well as that, a Griffon that could use Water Ball and Fire Breath and the Death Scythe that could corrode the enemies equipment, when these become public knowledge¡­¡­ (No, wait. Though there¡¯s no way to hide Set¡¯s Water Ball and Fire Breath, I may be able to deceive them by saying the corrosion is my magi¡­¡­maybe?¡¡No, well, anyway, it¡¯s best if I can prevent the truth from being known.) The skill of the Death Scythe that could corrode the enemies metallic equipment was, if anything, more effective against human opponents than monsters. Though it¡¯s natural if you think about it. Their claws and horns and parts of the body like their fangs and tails were the weapons of monster, for humans, it was the sword and shield, a human¡¯s fighting power drops drastically without weapons or armour. And considering that most of those arms are made of metal, you could say that the corrosion skill was its natural enemy. (Set can fight with only his basic ability as a griffon. And I can conceal the corrosion ability as much as possible¡­¡­or something like that. But, according to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, their are a lot of Orcs that use weapons, I can¡¯t do much but adapt to the situation.) Adapting to the situation¡­¡­something like that, Rei judged so and haphazardly stood up from the bed and started preparing for his departure. Well, the things he needed to prepare was only the Dragon Robe and Shoes of Sleipnir that he had taken off before lying on the bed. Although it was still early in the day, he judged that it was a good time to eat lunch in the dining room as he had promised Hobbes to go to the guild before noon. ¡¸Ah, customer. Yes, this. Please eat it for dinner tonight.¡¹ As soon as he entered the dining room, he was passed a food box containing plenty of sandwiches. There was a large amount compared with a normal food box, it was heavy. Surprised by the unexpected weight, he instinctively asked. ¡¸It seems like a lot more than usual?¡¹ ¡¸That is so. Although you will only be absent for a few days, you can receive the 10 days worth you rented. Um, today¡¯s lunch has been deducted from that. Please sit, food will be brought immediately.¡¹ Thus, he ate lunch in the Dusk Wheat. Satisfied with the plentiful sandwiches for lunch, he went to the stables. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a joyful cry when he saw Rei come in. The other horses in the stables began to fidget restlessly. Set was a creature with an overwhelming status. However, though he was in the stable, they would feel safe when he was asleep, they remembered their fear again when Set woke up as Rei walked in. Rei took Set out of the stables while smiling wryly at the situation. ¡¸Set, we¡¯ll be going for overnight expedition for the Orc subjugation.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ I understand, Set gave a short cry. ¡¸However, this time it isn¡¯t just Set and I. In total, there will be a few dozen people. Therefore, I don¡¯t want any of your peculiarities known to anyone aside from me. It would be troublesome if you got mixed up with some strange people right?¡¡At any rate, outside the city, there will be various problems in the event you kill someone. Therefore, the use of Water Ball and Fire Breath is restricted while killing Orcs. Of course, you may use it if you judge it to be a life or death crisis.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Reluctantly, Set agreed. Rei opened his mouth to speak while scratching and patting Set¡¯s head. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to say this instead, there is likely to be a considerable number of Orcs. Because there seems to be a rare species or high ranking species like the one from the Goblin subjugation, magic stones are expected. Is Set interested in the meat from the Orcs?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Maybe he recovered his mood with those words, Set gave a happy cry. While smiling wryly at how the mood was easily restored by food, he went to the Adventurers Guild at once. As always passers-by in the streets were surprised or scared by Set. Buying suitable food from stalls, they ate even though they just had lunch, the extra¡¯s were stored into the Misty Ring. While doing that, he walked along the road to the Adventurers Guild ahead. Without Rei saying anything, Set moved to the carriage waiting area and flopped down to resting. After lightly patting Set¡¯s head, Rei entered the guild. Inside the guild, just before noon, there were a bit less than 10 adventurers sitting at the bar eating lunch. However, as Rei entered the guild and walked to the counter, a few of them observed Rei while eating their meal. (¡­¡­Is someone watching me?) Rei felt people looking at him as he approached the counter. In this place, the reason for this attention was probably a member of the Orc subjugation force that saw the Misty Ring. (Relaxedly travelling to the Orc settlement doesn¡¯t seem to be possible after all. However, well¡­¡­) A faint smile floated onto his mouth. (I¡¯ll deal with it if they attack) ¡¸Rei?¡¹ To Lenora at the counter, who caught sight of him and called out, Rei removed his smile. ¡¸Ah, Rei. What¡¯s wrong?¡¡Did you forget something?¡¹ Kenny, who was next to Lenora, also asked. Because it was a bit before noon, they had some spare time. There were only a few people around the request boards when he looked around briefly, most of the staff were also out, only a few were at the counters. ¡¸Not at all, I was told by a guild staff called Hobbes to come before noon. There seems to be very few people though?¡¹ For a moment, after saying so, he directed his eyes to behind the counters. ¡¸That¡¯s because a considerable number of people were pulled over for the preparation of goods and carriages for the Orc subjugation Rei is participating in.¡¹ ¡¸About that, did you say Hobbes?¡¡Does that mean Rei is not going to the Orc subjugation quest?¡¹ He shook his head to Kenny¡¯s somewhat hopeful words. ¡¸No, it¡¯s about the transportation of goods.¡¹ ¡¸Transportation of goods?¡¡Why were you called for that Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Kenny!¡¡Stop rushing into things!¡¹ Lenora chided Kenny when she asked Rei. When the description of the Orc subjugation quest was explained, adventurers didn¡¯t want to reveal their abilities to others. The other adventurers were still rivals although companions¡­¡­So, a usual adventurer would have judged that. But, however. ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s because I have an item box.¡¹ Without any common sense, Rei answered plainly. That said, when he got into the dispute with the Claws of the Hawk, he had majestically shown the Misty Ring. Since the dispute with the Claws of the Hawk had happened right in front of the Adventurers Guild, he naturally thought they knew the information. He had also demonstrated it at the meeting for the Orc subjugation. But what if by chance, the two, Lenora and Kenny, did not have the information that he had an item box? They looked at him with startled eyes. ¡¸Eh?¡¡Rei san has an item box?¡¹ ¡¸Uwa~, Rei kun is amazing. Hey, hey, let us take a quick look¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You came.¡¹ A low voice interrupted Kenny¡¯s excited voice. But, it wasn¡¯t possible to miss his voice. It was a voice with a great presence. ¡¸Ah, Hobbes.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, thanks for your good work.¡¹ Lenora and Kenny, quieted down and gave a small bow when they noticed him. Hobbes turned his gaze from the two people to Rei without saying anything. ¡¸Over here, follow me. The supplies are ready.¡¹ After saying that, he went past the counter towards the back entrance of the guild. ¡¸Then, see you soon.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll take care to come back.¡¹ Nodding after saying farewell to Lenora and Kenny, he went after Hobbes. By the way, the glances from the bar that had persistently occurring during the conversation with Lenora vanished as soon as Hobbes appeared. ¡¸These are the goods you need to carry.¡¹ To Hobbes words, Rei turned his eyes to the mountain of goods in front of his eyes. Aside from things like potions and mana potions, there were also medicines like antidotes and paralysis removal medications. There were also preserved food such as dried meat, dried fruit and biscuits. In addition to tents, there were also a large amount of various goods necessary for the subjugation. Though it was only a days distance from Gilm for the Orc subjugation, it was one day to travel and one day to subdue, they couldn¡¯t return immediately. In total they needed 3 days to go and return. And when you thought of the extra amount needed for unexpected situations, the quantity came to a small mountain. Still, this amount was possible to move as it was only a day¡¯s distance, if it was a further place, the amount would have more than doubled. After all, you need enough food to serve 30 people. ¡¸Can you carry it?¡¹ ¡¸No Problem¡¹ Giving a small nod to Hobbes¡¯ words, Rei stored the goods one by one into the Misty Ring by touching the mountain of goods. Hobbes looked at the situation impressed. The goods were all stored within 10 minutes, according to Hobbes¡¯ instructions, several goods were then repeatedly taken out of the Misty Ring and stored back. ¡¸Right, I¡¯ll leave the goods to you. Also, you were by yourself. Until we at least reach the Orc settlement, I would request that you act with the party Axe of the Thunder God. It won¡¯t be funny if we can¡¯t access the goods on the way to the Orc settlement if you die.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ ¡¸So, it will soon be time for the members to gather at the main gate. Because I still have some business, you go ahead.¡¹ Nodding to Hobbes¡¯ words, he left. (Finally it¡¯s the Orc subjugation. Now then, what kind of magic stone will I get. Others likely have the same aim as me, it¡¯s unlikely to be boring.) Chapter 27 ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set noticed Rei and gave a happy cry, the two of them headed to the city of Gilm¡¯s main gate. ¡¸Oh, do you have a quest today?¡¹ Ranga came out and called out to Rei and Set familiarly. The most of the guards were still frightened by Set, so though he was the captain¡­¡­no, because he was the captain, Ranga seemed to have become in charge of Rei and Set Well, though that being said, a big reason was because he had been told to look out for Rei by Margrave Rowlocks. Removing his guild card from the Misty Ring, Rei spoke while handing over Set¡¯s Necklace of Subservient Monster. ¡¸It is a request, speaking of which, have you heard about the Orcs building a settlement ?¡¹ Ranga twitched as he replied. ¡¸Of course I¡¯ve heard it¡­¡­even if you say you¡¯re strong, you¡¯re still G rank?¡¡Were you even able to accept the request?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a urgent request this time, if you have the strength to take down an Orc, rank doesn¡¯t matter.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Well, if you can defeat a Water Bear, then you don¡¯t have any problems with strength.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. So, the reason I¡¯m here is because the subjugation force agreed to meet at the main gate in the afternoon. I¡¯m a bit early at the moment.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Not yet?¡¡Rei patted Set¡¯s head while receiving the guild card back from Ranga. ¡¸Sorry that took up some time. Though you have Set with you, please take care.¡¹ Nodding to Ranga¡¯s words, Rei moved to a grassy place a little distance from the main gate with Set. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As Set lay down comfortably in the grassy field, Rei leaned against him. Though the members originally should have waited beside the gate, he had only been at Gilm for a few days. Because there were still people who didn¡¯t know the existence of Set, Rei did so in consideration of not disturbing the flow of people in and out of the city. Set as well, rather than being in the city, seemed to enjoy basking in the sunlight on a grassy plain, in a happy mood, he began to give a cat like purr. Though Rei in his original body would have likely received heat stroke by staying under the summer sun for so long, it was because his physical ability was different, because the Dragon Robe functioned as a simple air conditioner, he could lean against Set with a cool face. ¡¸¡­¡­Rei-kun, is it?¡¹ Leaving precaution of the surroundings to Set, he suddenly noticed his name being called while enjoying he was enjoying hi sleep and dozing off, Rei¡¯s consciousness rapidly awoke. Opening his eyes, a woman in her thirties was in front of him, she wore a robe and had a sturdy cane. Next to her, a middle aged man watched with an interesting face while the figure of a boy around Rei¡¯s age had his face harden as if seeing something he couldn¡¯t believe. It was the three members of the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God, Elk, Min and Rhodes. ¡¸Is it about time?¡¹ ¡¸Not yet, but also ¡­¡­that, may I ask you something?¡¹ While generally guessing what was about to be asked, Rei nodded to Min¡¯s words. ¡¸I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a mistake but you¡¯re leaning on a Griffon. ¡­¡­Why?¡¹ Even if you say they were members of the Axe of the Thunder God, they still had some fear towards the Griffon, an A rank monster. Though Min timidly asked, Rei¡¯s answer was extremely short. ¡¸It¡¯s because I tamed it.¡¹ ¡¸Do-Don¡¯t joke around!¡¡You¡¯re a G rank adventurer but the Griffon¡­¡­-!?¡¹ Although it was Rhode who retorted and shouted frankly at Rei¡¯s words, he became lost for words when Set turned his head round and gave a deep cry. This couldn¡¯t be helped. Even if you say he belonged to an A ranked party, Rhodes himself was only an adventurer of the C rank. Taking notice of the A rank Griffon, he was instinctively reminded of the difference in status between them. ¡¸Hey, settle down Set.¡¹ While smiling wryly at Rhodes appearance, Rei calmed Set down. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ While scratching Set¡¯s head as usual with a kori~kori~ sound, he said to Rhodes. ¡¸I¡¯ll say this for now, Set isn¡¯t hostile to others. However, if the other party wants to harm me, that¡¯s different.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ To those words, Rhodes still felt that Set might growl at him and wasn¡¯t able to say anything as his mouth opened and closed with a paku~ paku~ sound. ¡¸Gahahahahaha. This is great, boy. Though I¡¯ve seen monster tamers, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone tame a Griffon. Hey, may I touch it?¡¹ ¡¸Dad!¡¹ This might be the difference between an A rank and C rank. Or, it could be just the difference in experience. ¡¸Set, what will you do?¡¡That man would like to touch you.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set stared at Rhodes, Elk and Min in order. After a few seconds, he gave a short bark and gave his tail a short wave. ¡¸He says you can.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Sorry about this.¡¹ There was a high degree of risk in touching a A rank monster, however, Elk didn¡¯t have a strained appearance and smiled as he reached out his hand. His hand touched Set¡¯s body, which Rei was leaning against¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh!¡¡What, this smooth texture. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a griffon, it¡¯s fur has such a smooth touch.¡¹ The best way to describe Set¡¯s fur would be that it had a smooth texture like silk. While patting the smooth fur, with a satisfied mind, Elk nodded. ¡¸Hey, Rei. Did you say Set?¡¡It could be possible with this quality to make clothes with this fur for royalty you know?¡¹ ¡¸Now then, what to do about it. I don¡¯t mind it as there wasn¡¯t such an intention¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei-kun, may I pat it too?¡¹ Unable to hold her curiosity at Elk¡¯s words, Min also asked. When Rei looked at Set, he shook his tail in the same way as with Elk. ¡¸He doesn¡¯t mind.¡¹ ¡¸I see, then at once. ¡­¡­Elk, move away a little bit. Let me feel the smooth touch.¡¹ ¡¸Mum!¡¡It¡¯s dangerous to approach a Griffon!¡¹ Though Rhodes tried to stop her, of course, it wasn¡¯t possible to stop Min, whose eyes were shining with curiosity. ¡¸Hou~, hou~, hou~, hou~¡­¡­the touch is certainly smooth. Enough that I want to touch it forever.¡¹ ¡¸I know right?¡¡Well, it¡¯s our lucky day today to touch a Griffon without worrying about being attacked.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, it¡¯s as Elk said. A rank monster Griffon, it¡¯s a priceless experience to touch it¡¯s body.¡¹ While seeing two people patting his body in such a way, after turning and glancing at Rhodes with sharp eyes, Set closed his eyes. ¡¸Kukuku~. It doesn¡¯t like you, Rhodes.¡¹ Elk saw the situation and called out to Rhodes while smiling as he and Min stroked Set¡¯s body. ¡¸Beh, I don¡¯t care even if I¡¯m disliked by a Griffon.¡¹ No treatment, Elk let out a sigh. In that state, Rei called out to Elk. ¡¸I was told by Hobbes to act together with you until we reach the Orc settlement. Please take care of me.¡¹ ¡¸Huh!?¡¡Why do we need to take care of a rank G all the way!?¡¹ To Rei¡¯s words, Rhodes was naturally the first to react, but it was Elk rather than Rei who interjected. ¡¸That¡¯s a matter of course. Ah, of course I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ ¡¸Dad!¡¹ To Rhodes who argued vehemently, Elk let out an amazed sigh. ¡¸Listen up.¡¡Recall the meeting that took place this morning? Rei was entrusted with the transport of goods for use this time in the Orc subjugation quest.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I know it because I heard it as well.¡¹ ¡¸Well then, what do you think will happen if Rei gets taken out by a Orc or another monster?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­ah¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Have you finally realised? That is right, all the supplies and equipment are gone if Rei dies. Well, here¡¯s the problem. What are we?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A rank party, Axe of the Thunder God.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Furthermore, we are the only A rank party participating in the Orc subjugation this time.¡¹ Rank A. Though it is one rank below the guild¡¯s S rank, because only 3 S rank people existed in the world, every adventurer knows that A rank is only just below them. And as S ranks are scarce with only 3 in existence, to general adventurers, they consider people of A rank to be substantially better than themselves. And the Axe of the Thunder God was a party with 2 such A rank adventurers. Their ability and track record in Gilm were considered top class talent by the guild, which wasn¡¯t a mistake. ¡¸We, who are considered to be the largest combat force, are accompanying Rei, who is carrying the subjugation forces¡¯ supplies, as bodyguards. ¡­¡­Is there anything strange?¡¹ ¡¸I certainly understand the importance of the supplies. However, isn¡¯t it okay even if we don¡¯t guard this guy? Because even B or C rank parties could act as escorts.¡¹ Rhodes became obstinate and objected to Elk. (Shit, mum and dad should take care with a guy like that. An item box and a Griffon, he¡¯s relying on his monster and magic item and not his own power. As for the need to guard him in particular¡­¡­) While thinking so in his mind, he directed his gaze to Elk. His antipathy to Rei, although the person in question didn¡¯t know, was because of his mother, as Rei had said. Of course, his father, Elk, who was the leader of the Axe of the Thunder God, naturally noticed this. ¡¸Listen up. This is my decision as leader of Axe of the Thunder God. There will be no objections, you are not allowed to skimp on the escort either.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Okay.¡¹ To Elk¡¯s unusually strong order, Rhodes reluctantly nodded in the end. (Seriously, did we spoil this fellow too much?¡¡Even if his ability is C rank¡­¡­he has the character of sticking to his mother. It will be good if he can receive some influence from Rei in this quest if possible.) Unlike Min, Elk couldn¡¯t detect magic power. However, as an A rank adventurer, he still vaguely guessed Rei¡¯s ability and potential. By talking, Elk was able to generally grasp his character. Though Rei hid a vast power in his body, he wasn¡¯t a bad person. ¡­¡­Moreover, when he heard what happened to the Claws of the Hawk, he couldn¡¯t help but have a wry smile. For Elk, he didn¡¯t like the way the Claws of the Hawk picked a fight with a rookie to make him do their chores. ¡­¡­While knowing that there is some effect on the development of a rookie, he could never come to like it. Therefore, when he collected information on Rei after the Orc subjugation meeting, he didn¡¯t feel irked hearing about Rei¡¯s trouble with the Claws of the Hawk. Rather, he did well! He cheered and applauded. While watching Elk worry about his son¡¯s behavior, Rei turned his gaze tot he main gate while leaning on Set. The people from the parties that he had seen in the meeting in the morning were gathered. While most of them were talking, the frequently turned their eyes to Rei. Rather that Elk of Axe of the Thunder God¡­¡­most were looking at the Griffon, Set. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable as while people had heard information about Rei from inside the guild, it was still the first time they had ever seen a genuine Griffon. (But¡­¡­the eyes observing me and not Set are the same as before) Those eyes had followed him ever since he showed off the Misty Ring in the meeting room. They were eyes he felt all the time except when he was in the Dusk Wheat inn. For the people sending glances, they likely prioritized obtaining the Misty Ring over the Orc subjugation, Rei had a wry smile as he had a feeling in his mind that a fight would come sooner or later. ¡¸Oh, he came.¡¹ At Elk¡¯s murmur, Rei turned his gaze to the main gate again. From that place, around 8 wagons came from the city. The figure of Hobbes could be seen in addition to the coachman of the first horse drawn wagon. ¡¸People who have received the Orc subjugation quest, each party must gather up and ride on a wagon. In addition, Rei and Axe of the Thunder God will be in the center wagon with me. Do you all understand?¡¹ To the adventurers gathered who began to talk, Elk then asked. ¡¸Ah. The purpose is to reduce the possibility of losing the goods?¡¹ Elk said in reply to Hobbes¡¯ words. Elk headed to the horse drawn wagon. Min and Rhodes subsequently followed. Rei and Set also headed for the wagon. Adventurers who had gathered near the main gate began boarding the wagons they decided on hastily as Set came near. Elk and Hobbes continued their conversation without minding at all. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Okay, we¡¯re setting off!¡¡It¡¯s the Orc subjugation!¡¹ Chapter 28 Adventurers who were participating in the Orc subjugation were inside each wagon, aside from the coachman, the figure of at least one adventurer dispatched by the guild was with them in case of an attack by monsters or bandits. Meanwhile, only the coachman was outside the wagon that Rei was riding in. ¡¸Being able to rely on the searching ability of a Griffon was a good miscalculation. Though I heard that you had tamed a monster, I¡¯d never thought it would be a Griffon. When he asked Gran about the story, he doubted his sanity when he heard it.¡¹ ¡¸Gahahaha~. It seems to be so. When I also got to the front gate to meet, I thought the same when I saw Rei using the Griffon as a pillow a bit further away.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s unexpected that the horses that are pulled the wagons are calm. When Set appeared, the horses at the inn¡¯s stables were in a restless state.¡¹ If the horses pulling the wagons were afraid of Set, then it wouldn¡¯t be possible for them move, Set would have had to move away from the wagons and travel by himself. And because Rei wouldn¡¯t be able to be with him, travelers and merchants who saw Set would submit a subjugation request to the guild, after the Orc subjugation would be a Griffon subjugation¡­¡­though that flow of thought wasn¡¯t really a possibility. ¡¸I heard from Gran that the monster you tamed was a Griffon. I had to prepare war horses in a hurry. ¡­¡­Well, it was worth it.¡¹ Hobbes looked out the window of the wagon while smiling wryly. Set was walking quietly next to the wagon. Even if Set was near, the horses pulling the wagon were not frightened at all compared to the horses in the stable of the Dusk Wheat, they pulled the wagon indifferently. War horse. They were produced by crossbreeding pedigrees of horses that had high performance, they were also trained to not be frightened or confused in combat. Their bodies were about 1.5 times larger than a normal horse, it had the fighting power to stomp to death monsters the level of Goblins. Naturally, their price was several times the cost compared to the normal horses travelers and merchants use. For the 8 wagons, there were a total of 16 of these expensive war horses. From that alone, you could tell how serious the Adventurers Guild was about the Orc subjugation. ¡¸But, it seems the people riding the other wagons don¡¯t trust Set so much.¡¹ Though Rei said that they could leave the watch during the journey to Set for the time being, the other adventurer parties didn¡¯t like it. He didn¡¯t push further after Hobbes said that they could handle their own security. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. After all, hasn¡¯t only been a few days since you registered with the guild?¡¡Not all the other parties have the same track record as Elk, it¡¯s something they can¡¯t bear.¡¹ ¡¸While the guards of the other wagons are vigilant, I think the biggest reason is the Griffon and not other enemies attacking.¡¹ Rhodes connected Hobbes¡¯ words. Elk also nodded. ¡¸Well, to those guys, it¡¯s nothing but a nightmare to be attacked by a Griffon. It can¡¯t be helped. Though Min and I aren¡¯t worried since we get along with Set¡­¡­Rhodes, it¡¯s a bit dangerous for you at the moment.¡¹ Grinning, Elk made fun at Rhodes while smiling. However, Min, who was sitting across from Rhodes, thrust out her cane and buried it into Elk¡¯s belly. ¡¸Guh!¡¡M-Min¡­¡­you can¡¯t just thrust with the cane in this narrow wagon, though it might not pierce¡­¡­if it wasn¡¯t me, others would be injured.¡¹ ¡¸Shut up, idiotic husband. It¡¯s because you¡¯re purposely threatening Rhodes.¡¹ ¡¸Mum¡­¡­¡¹ To Min¡¯s words, Rhodes had a happy voice. (I guess the mother complex is going to show much heavier symptoms from this.) While looking at the situation, Rei took the meat skewers, which were still hot, from the Misty Ring and carried it to his mouth. The texture was close to chicken, but it was actually the meat of the Poison Frog. Previously, it was a Poison Frog that Rei had encountered during the Goblin subjugation quest. Once the poison is extracted from the meat, the meat can be steamed, he discovered it being cooked with a special sauce and sold in a store on his way to collect the goods in the guild, he bought a few out of curiosity and stored them in the Misty Ring. Inside the Misty Ring, the flow of time is stopped, because of that, the skewers were still steaming hot even though they had been bought a few hours ago. ¡¸Uoh~, something smells good¡­¡­Rei, what are you eating?¡¹ Maybe he had recovered from the pain of the blow from the cane, Elk, who smelled the sauce, stared enviously. His eyes were already sparkling to the extent you wouldn¡¯t think he was a middle aged man, the atmosphere of wanting to eat spread into the surroundings. And Rei, who no longer endure the looks, couldn¡¯t help it and took out a Poison Frog skewer out of the Misty Ring before giving to Elk. ¡¸Oh, sorry about this¡­¡­wait, it¡¯s still burning hot. How come?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a function of the Misty Ring. The flow of time stops inside. If you store things, hot things will stay hot and cold things will stay cold when you take them back out.¡¹ ¡¸Heh~¡­¡­as expected, it¡¯s worthy of being called a rare item in the world.¡¹ Min nodded, impressed at Rei¡¯s explanation. And Rhodes, who saw that, naturally entered a bad mood. ¡¸Hmph. Even if the quality of the magic item is good, if the person¡¯s ability is low, there¡¯s no point in coming to the Orc subjugation.¡¹ Like that, the Orc subjugation force advanced in the wagons with seeds of unease left around. One of the wagons. A three person adventurer group were riding in the wagon, one was keeping watch at the driver¡¯s area¡­¡­cautious mainly of Set than the surroundings. ¡¸Hey, what are we going to do. I participated in this dangerous request for a chance to steal the item box. I didn¡¯t here about a tamed Griffon!¡¹ ¡¸Wait Al. Don¡¯t get so flustered, it¡¯s unbecoming.¡¹ ¡¸Sunyi, do you really understand the situation?¡¡It¡¯s a Griffon, a Griffon!¡¡It¡¯s an A rank monster, the shinigami of the skies!¡¡It¡¯s not something we as a D rank party can fight!¡¹ ¡¸Be quiet Al and Sunyi. Even if you say that the Griffon is tamed, it doesn¡¯t mean that it follows that rookie 24/7. Especially while fighting and camping¡­¡­¡¹ The argument between the male and female adventurers in their twenties was stopped by a women in her thirties. ¡¸But big sis. Wouldn¡¯t the Orc subjugation fail then?¡¹ ¡¸So what then?¡¹ The woman replied frankly to the man¡¯s voice. ¡¸But then¡­¡­that, if the Orc subjugation fails, the city of Gilm¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Calm down Al. Nothing major will happen to the city of Gilm even if the Orc subjugation fails. If the going gets tough, they can just get reinforcements from the country.¡¹ In that situation, it will probably give the nobles faction an opportunity that they¡¯ve been looking for, she murmured in her head. The woman¡¯s name was Seryl. She was a C rank adventurer. With Al and Sunyi, who were in the same wagon, and the man who was in the driver¡¯s area, Murgas, she led the four of them in a party called Dark Night¡¯s Star. Usually, these four people wouldn¡¯t receive a subjugation request for Orcs, let alone ones led by a rare species or higher rank species. Then why had they received this quest? It was because they were aiming to steal Rei¡¯s item box. If you searched the world, item boxes were rare. You would be able to make a mountain of money if got your hands on one. A numbing feeling flowed down Seryl¡¯s back by just by thinking of it. (And I¡¯ll be able to leave this dangerous frontier area with the money. I would live a wealthy life in the Imperial City.) Seryl was already in her thirties, she wouldn¡¯t be able to continue her adventuring work for much longer. She had already given up on ranking up to rank B. She was only at a C rank caliber. And at this time, a rookie in his mid teens had appeared. When she heard that he had an item box, Seryl had made up her mind. She had to take the item box at any cost. No, it should have been something she should have had in the first place. Because she had worked so hard for so long. Seryl was convinced, she ordered three subordinates, who were currently her party members, to investigate Rei¡¯s actions. And, with that timing, they happened to hear Rei participating in the Orc subjugation, with that, they also decided to join. ¡¸But you know, big sis. That Rei brat, didn¡¯t he have the ability to take down the Claws of the Hawk by himself?¡¡Even without the Griffon they said¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Use your head a little, Al. We don¡¯t have to defeat that rookie fairly from the front. There¡¯s no problem even if we steal it while he¡¯s asleep. When he¡¯s fighting we can surprise attack from behind. Any means possible.¡¹ Seryl had a smile with meaning, but Al, who had an honest mind, didn¡¯t see it. Regardless of whether Rei was protected or not, Al had an attachment to the city to Gilm. That was why he didn¡¯t want to obstruct the Orc subjugation quest. (In addition, he defeated Vargas quickly. I was told that Vargas, even if it was only combat power, was a C rank, no mistake.) Al suddenly, thought about what Murgas, who was sitting in the driver¡¯s area, would do. Murgas was basically a timid person, because of that, he was scared of the existence of the Griffon, that¡¯s why he had volunteered to keep a lookout at the driver¡¯s box so he could perceive any actions even a bit sooner. As a timid person, if he sensed the state of the Griffon to be strange, he would probably give a shout into the wagon before running away quickly. ¡¸¡­¡­Ah.¡¹ Meanwhile, Sunyi, who had been quiet until now, let out an unexpected voice. ¡¸Anything, Sunyi?¡¹ ¡¸Sis¡­¡­that, Griffon¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Griffon?¡¹ Griffon, the tension couldn¡¯t be concealed when that word was said, Seryl prompted her to continue. ¡¸With one kick, it just scattered a pack of Fang Wolves.¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Seryl and Al suddenly stood up from their seats and went to the window at Sunyi¡¯s words. Looking ahead, they saw a pack of Fang Wolves, wolves with a distinctively larger fang, being trampled by a Griffon. With a single swing of its claws, a neck was severed, thrusting its beak at another wolf, it pierced another head, a wolf that tried to sneak around and bite his tail had its body crushed by the lion like feet. ¡¸It¡¯s taking on a pack of Fang Wolves so easily¡­¡­¡¹ Al leaked a voice of blank surprise at the fight. Speaking on a rank basis, the Fang Wolf was an F rank monster, it wasn¡¯t strong by itself. However, they are the only wolves that turned into monsters and still formed groups to hunt. Because of its low rank, adventurers who just registered with the guild assume that a Fang Wolf subjugation isn¡¯t that hard, because of that, there would be cases of the hunters becoming the hunted several times a year. F rank is still F rank, even if it formed groups, it was only E rank. But no matter what rank it was placed at, the degree of risk was D rank equivalent. It may be possible to defeat a pack as a C or D rank adventurer party. But, to fight easily, to the point of overwhelming them, it couldn¡¯t be called a fight like that. But looking out from the wagon, the Griffon seemed to be unhurt. Seeing the figure of the Griffon, Sunyi, who had been deriding Al for his timidity, had the thought pass through her head of what would happen if they messed with the rookie and failed. ¡¸Big sis¡­¡­¡¹ The voice of Sunyi that called out to Seryl had traces of fear and fright. It wasn¡¯t good the way things were going. Their minds may have given up before they could take the item box from Rei. Seryl who determined that, spoke up loudly. ¡¸Both of you, there¡¯s no need to be scared. Though I said it before, our aim is only to take away the item box. Even if you say how strong the Griffon is, there¡¯s no need to fight them head on. You only need attack him by surprise, take away the item box and run away quickly.¡¹ Naturally, because they would run away from the subjugation duty, the fate of Gilm would be involved, if they did carry it out, it would be unlikely that they would be able to stay in the city of Gilm. However, Seryl intended to live off by selling the item box, escaping to the Imperial City and retiring comfortably. She would possibly be put on the Adventurer Guild¡¯s wanted list through the Gilm branch but she was a C rank and had confidence in not being defeated by local adventurers. As soon as she got the money from selling the item box, she would hire a strong bodyguard, she may even be able to apply pressure on the guild by siding with the nobles faction. Even if the guild called itself an organization independent of the country, in the end it was still the country¡¯s land, Seryl expected that they wouldn¡¯t put her on the wanted list if they didn¡¯t want to get into trouble with the nobles faction. When she pictured her purpose and bright future in her head again, even the sense of fear from the scene of the the Griffon¡¯s slaughter was wiped away. Starting to speak, she clapped the shoulders of Al and Sunny, who were looking anxious, with a ban~ ban~ sound . ¡¸Come on, it¡¯ll be okay. First is the camp tonight. If it goes well, we¡¯ll be able to take away the item box and quickly run away before we reach the Orc settlement. Look for a good opportunity. ¡¹ At a distance a bit further away from where Seryl was speaking, Set was pecking meat from a Fang Wolf that was double the size of the others in the pack. Chapter 29 As the only sources of light that illuminated the area were the moonlight and bonfire, several adventurers gathered around the campfire, wary of the surroundings. It was currently night time. Aside from those assigned to the night watch, the rest of the parties had eaten dinner and were resting in their tents. In the tent Rei was resting in, the three members of Axe of the Thunder God were also sleeping while keeping their hands on their weapons, ready in case an enemy came. Originally, Rei wanted to rest alone, however, he was ordered by Hobbes to be in the same tent as Axe of the Thunder God, just in case. (¡­¡­So, they didn¡¯t come.) There was a reason Rei wanted to rest alone. It was a party which had sent glances at him since he received the Orc subjugation quest, he wanted to make himself bait to lure out Dark Night¡¯s Star, a party of 2 men and 2 women. Originally, he didn¡¯t want to do such a troublesome thing, but he decided to do something early when he thought of the possibility of being stabbed in the back when fighting the Orcs. However, during the night, nothing in particular happened, maybe they thought they couldn¡¯t do anything with Set and Axe of the Thunder God next to him. In addition, it should be noted that Rei was going to work a shift of the night watch, but he was also exempted from it under Hobbes¡¯ orders. ¡¸Big sis, it¡¯s pointless. The tent the rookie is in is the same tent as Axe of the Thunder God, the Griffon is also uncomfortably close. I think we should have taken advantage of the cover of darkness earlier.¡¹ From the entrance of the tent given to Dark Night¡¯s Star, Murgas looked at the tent Rei and Axe of the Thunder God were in. Murgas said that in a low voice so as to not be heard by the people sleeping near the tent. Though Rei¡¯s tent would normally be invisible at that distance, even with campfire light, Murgas, who was in charge of Dark Night¡¯s Star¡¯s scouting, had good night vision. In addition, the tent Rei was in had Set lying outside, sleeping. ¡¸Tch, it can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯ll call off tonight¡¯s raid.¡¹ As Seryl said that sulkily, she flopped down inside the tent and rolled away. Though there weren¡¯t any blankets, they weren¡¯t necessary as it was unlikely to catch cold in this summer season. ¡¸Seriously, it was unexpected of Hobbes to trust the Griffon. The other guys too, consenting to having a monster so near.¡¹ Though Hobbes was given command of the Orc subjugation force, in the end, he was only a commander in battle. Before arriving at the Orc settlement, he wasn¡¯t the absolute commander. ¡­¡­At least Seryl thought so. Therefore, when they decided to camp here, she appealed saying that she didn¡¯t want to sleep near the Griffon even if it was tamed¡­¡­however, Set¡¯s senses were explained to be exceptional, in addition, after seeing Set¡¯s combat effectiveness against the pack of Fang Wolves, none of the other adventurer parties backed Seryl up. While hearing the story, the adventurers saw Set being pampered by Rei whilst making a gurururu~ sound, even if it was only slightly, they judged that they wouldn¡¯t be harmed by the Griffon as long as it was with Rei, at the same time, they calculated that Set would be sharper than an incompetent watch if he was near the tents. However, they still had alternating watches as a precaution. In addition, every time Hobbes¡¯ hourglass timed timed out, another party would take their turn for lookout. At night, Dark Night¡¯s Star acted differently than the other adventurers to Rei and Hobbes¡¯ actions, the uncomfortable feeling about Axe of the Thunder God or the unpleasantness of being next to a Griffon¡­¡­they ended up putting their tent on the grounds at the place furthest away from Rei¡¯s tent. ¡¸Big sis, what do we do?¡¹ Though the voice of Sunyi spread through the tent, Seryl answered while closing her eyes. ¡¸We can¡¯t do anything with the Axe of the Thunder God and the Griffon at his side. Tonight we¡¯ll rest and sleep quietly. The real thing will be tomorrow night, at the time we attack the Orc settlement. ¡­¡­If we can steal the item box, we will also get all the supplies that have been prepared for this expedition.¡¹ Seryl muttered, she remembered the scene in the evening when they had decided to camp here. It was the scene of the supplies needed for setting up camp appearing one after the other in the hand of that rookie, this alone showed the true value of the item box. And at the same time, it provoked Seryl¡¯s greed even more. Seryl lied down and closed her eyes, she fell asleep while imagining the scene of living in the Imperial Capital without needing to work. She remained unaware of Al frowning his eyebrows lightly next to her. The next day, the tents had already been all stored back into the Misty Ring, the only traces left were the remains of the campfires lit the previous night. The breakfast of biscuits and dry meat, prepared by the guild, was quickly eaten and the preparations for departure completed. ¡­¡­By the way, because Rei had stored the food box prepared by the landlady of the Dusk Wheat into the Misty Ring, he ate the sandwiches in the food box instead. On a side note, Set had flown somewhere himself to hunt and ate by himself. Though he wasn¡¯t sure what happened to the magic stone, Rei judged that it probably wasn¡¯t a high rank monster as an announcement message didn¡¯t appear in his mind after Set had his breakfast. Hobbes spoke up to the rest of the Orc subjugation force as departure preparations were completed. ¡¸Listen up. Though I said it yesterday, if we keep going like yesterday, we will reach the vicinity of the Orc settlement sometime around noon. We will then take a break until midnight for everyone to restore their strength. That is for the people who were on night watch last night and lack sleep in particular. The surprise attack is timed for just after midnight. As you know, Orcs are a monster that acts in groups. First of all, because they are likely to have a guard, they have to be taken out silently. To completely annihilate the Orcs after that, each party will encircle the settlement and attack it. After killing all the Orcs and collecting proofs of subjugation and materials, we will stay until morning. Any questions?¡¹ ¡¸Do you get exclusive rights to the body if you defeat a rare species or higher rank species of Orc?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, of course.¡¹ ¡¸What happens if you discover weapons or treasure that the Orcs have?¡¹ ¡¸In that case the person who found it can claim ownership.¡¹ Hobbes proceeded to answer the minor questions that were also asked. While listening to the discussion, Rei thought about his magic. (If it¡¯s my magic, I can just wipe out the settlement¡­¡­no, that will probably burn everything. Should I do it?¡¡¡­¡­No, the Orcs in the settlement will be turned into charcoal and I won¡¯t be able to get the magic stones. Then, that leaves participating in the attack with the other parties to obtain them¡­¡­I guess?) Giving up on the magic stones and burning down the entire settlement, monopolizing the achievement, or participate in the surprise attack with the rest of the adventurer parties, giving priority to collecting magic stones and sharing the achievement. Thinking for a few seconds on which was more advantageous, Rei readily chose the latter. If he chose the former, he would certainly monopolize the achievements. However, in other words, he would be depriving the other adventurer parties of achievements. As a results, when thinking about the possibility of being unjustly resented, the latter choice was better as he could obtain magic stones. Though there may be a chance to obtain achievements other than the Orc subjugation, this place was the only possibility of obtaining the magic stones of rare and high ranking Orc species. ¡¸Right, are there any other questions?¡¡Then split up and board the wagons like yesterday. We¡¯re departing.¡¹ At Hobbes¡¯ words and signal, they each boarded the wagon they rode yesterday. At that time, several impressed adventurers gave out some words of thanks to Rei and Set. Even though Set had stayed by Rei¡¯s tent all night, some confidence was gained after spending a night with him. ¡¸Rei-kun, we should also ride the wagons.¡¹ To Rei and Set, who were watching the other adventurers, Min¡¯s voice came over. Behind her were the rest of Axe of the Thunder God, as usual, Elk had a smile on his lips while Rhodes was looking at Rei in a bad mood. ¡¸You¡¯re right, we will be able to break for a bit longer when we reach there.¡¹ Muttering, Rei, boarded the wagon after patting Set lightly. In addition to Rei and Axe of the Thunder God, Hobbes boarded similarly and the war horses began to pull the wagons. A while after the wagons started moving, while Rei was learning about the knacks of stripping materials from monsters defeated in the labyrinth, Hobbes unexpectedly interrupted the conversation. ¡¸Rei, and Elk as well. Though I think you¡¯ve noticed, a party with purposes other than subjugating Orcs seems to be participating in the subjugation force.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Is the party named Dark Night¡¯s Star?¡¹ Rei nodded to Elk¡¯s words. Dark Night¡¯s Star was an adventurer party of three men and a woman. In particular, Rei had noticed glances clouded with greed from the middle-aged woman who was the leader. It was the same eyes he had felt from the time the meeting for the subjugation force in the guild ended, the glances became more obvious after leaving the city. When he felt the eyes that were filled with greed, at first, he thought if his body was the aim. Aside from the time he was still Saeki Reiji, the body that Zepairu¡¯s organization had created was quite beautiful, Rei was able to somewhat understand. However, the direction of the gaze from the leader of Dark Night¡¯s Star, Seryl, was neither his face or body but the Misty Ring that was on his right arm. ¡¸I see, so you have noticed. Apparently the aim of those guys seem to be the item box, no doubt.¡¹ ¡¸I bet. Did they think I hadn¡¯t noticed, they were blatantly looking at my right arm.¡¹ If Rei was an actual, ordinary G rank adventurer, then he might not have noticed the glances directed from the C rank adventurer Seryl. However, fortunately or unfortunately, Rei wasn¡¯t your average G rank adventurer. ¡¸¡­¡­I see. If you think about the strange glances, then their aim is probably the item box. Shit, just because of such a small thing. Generally speaking, you¡¯re a G rank, so why do have such a rare magic item?¡¹ Rhodes muttered while looking at the bracelet which was worn on Rei¡¯s arm. As expected, it seems the members of Axe of the Thunder God were aware of the greedy looks. ¡¸I lived with my teacher who taught me magic in the depths of a mountain, I don¡¯t know the location. So, he said that my training had completed the first stage and used spatial magic to send Set and I to the Forest of Monsters, because of that, I was given some magic items. They are this Misty Ring, my main weapon, the Death Sycthe and aside from that, various other things.¡¹ He told that to Rhodes while remembering the description he had given Ranga when entering the city of Gilm. ¡¸¡­¡­Forest of Monsters, is it?¡¡You, were sent there with spatial magic?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I was truly surprised when a Water Bear appeared right in front of me after being sent there.¡¹ ¡¸Water Bear¡­¡­¡¹ Rhodes looked at Rei with a dumbfounded expression. The look of contempt in his eyes that was there a few minutes ago had become somewhat thinner. ¡¸Well, putting aside the Forest of Monsters. Rei, be careful with Dark Night¡¯s Star at night. Those guys¡¯ intentions are probably to steal the Misty Ring, they¡¯ll try to hit you with a surprise attack or something.¡¹ Rei nodded to Elk¡¯s words. ¡¸I thought so. They seemed to hate Set sleeping near tents at the camp last night¡­¡­I think that is likely. Well, after all, the proposal was rejected by all the other parties. Even if I kept Set away from the tent temporarily, Axe of the Thunder God are still in the same tent I¡¯m sleeping in, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll try anything.¡¹ ¡¸But, the item box¡­¡­no, isn¡¯t the Misty Ring only usable by you, Rei?¡¡So is there even any point if Dark Night¡¯s Star took it?¡¹ Min recalled what she was told when she was shown the Misty Ring in the meeting room at the guild, Rei had a smile of ridicule on his mouth. ¡¸In the end, rare goods are still rare goods. It might be interesting to let them steal it on purpose and see their comical figures after realizing they can¡¯t use it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oi, oi, supplies for the subjugation are in it. Don¡¯t do dangerous things for no reason.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯m just joking. There¡¯s no need to do such a pointless thing. It will be troublesome if ends up being thrown away because it can¡¯t be used.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Anyway, Axe of the Thunder God will look out for Dark Night¡¯s Star at night, take care Rei. ¡­¡­Rather, when we start the night attack on the settlement, can you act with Axe of the Thunder God?¡¹ Thinking about Hobbes¡¯ words for a few seconds, he shook his head. ¡¸No, there aren¡¯t that many people available. It isn¡¯t necessary to leave a gap for the Orcs to escape.¡¹ Though Rei answered as such, his real intention was that he didn¡¯t want to be seen absorbing magic stones if he cooperated with Axe of the Thunder God. ¡¸I see. Well, though you should be okay with the Griffon¡­¡­don¡¯t be careless. Watch out for Dark Night¡¯s Star for the time being as well.¡¹ It was true that there certainly was few people in this urgent request. Hobbes nodded with a bitter expression as if he had bitten on a bug. With that, the Orc subjugation force arrived near the settlement before noon. Chapter 30 Though there are adventurers on watch so that Orcs and other monsters don¡¯t come near, they don¡¯t have a nervous appearance. To begin with, excluding Rei, the lowest ranked adventurer party to accept the Orc subjugation quest was still D rank, and above all, the Griffon, Set, was keeping watch. ¡¸Well, though we have arrived here safely at last¡­¡­I want to scout the situation at the Orc settlement first. Are there any volunteers?¡¹ To Hobbes¡¯ words, all of the participating party leaders remained silent. Even Elk was silent. After all, the party composition of Axe of the Thunder God was 2 warriors and a mage. It couldn¡¯t be helped as they didn¡¯t have anyone in charge of scouting. Though there were parties with thieves, they judged it to be too dangerous and remained silent. Moreover, as for the leader of Dark Night¡¯s Star, Seryl, though they had thief like Murgas, their aim was different. (It¡¯s necessary to have Murgas watch the rookie. He¡¯s been ordered to steal the item box if there is a chance, I can¡¯t assign him the troublesome duty of scouting the Orc settlement.) As she was thinking this in her mind, her eyes swam around for a moment when Hobbes glanced at her. ¡¸Seryl, wasn¡¯t there a thief in Dark Night¡¯s Star?¡¡How about that guy?¡¹ ¡¸I apologize, but his personality isn¡¯t good to scout the Orc settlement. He¡¯s basically a coward. Well, he¡¯s a thief who can find the enemy before they find us.¡¹ By the way, here, a thief didn¡¯t mean someone who stole things. When adventuring, their role was to scout ahead and to make traps. They were thieves in the sense that would open trapped chests in labyrinths without needing a key. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ As Rei was watching the exchange of words between Hobbes and Seryl, he raised his hand. ¡¸Though I think someone has asked, in this case, will scouting count towards achievements for the guild?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s natural of course.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I will do the scouting.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ For an instant, Hobbes wasn¡¯t able to understand what Rei was saying and asked again. ¡¸As I said, I would like to take on the role of scouting.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a second. Do you have the skills of a thief?¡¹ Though one of the party leaders near Hobbes asked, Rei shook his head in silence. ¡¸I haven¡¯t acquired such skills.¡¹ ¡¸Then I will object. Though my party can¡¯t provide a thief, I¡¯m against you scouting if it risks being found. If we¡¯re found, won¡¯t the night attack be ruined as well?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I¡¯m also against it.¡¹ All the other party leaders agreed with the words of the man who spoke up first. However, as Rei saw his thoughts being rejected, he smiled as he started to speak. ¡¸Certainly, I don¡¯t have the skills of a thief. And the general opinion is that the night attack will become useless if I¡¯m found while scouting. However, as you know, I have Set.¡¹ ¡¸Ah!?¡¹ As soon as Rei said that, the others understood what he wanted to say. Elk gave a loud cry. While the neighbouring people turned their eyes to Elk, Rei continued to talk. ¡¸Set¡¯s a Griffon. In other words, it can fly. And because I tamed Set, naturally, I can ride on his back.¡¹ As he said that, all the other people in the area understood how Rei was planning to scout. They turned their eyes to Rei with looks of admiration. ¡­¡­With the exception of one person, Seryl, who had a bitter expression on her face. Still, the reason why no one had thought of scouting from the sky until Rei said it was because magic that allowed people to fly was a highly advanced magic and very few people could use it. At the same time, though there naturally were beastkin adventurers participating in the Orc subjugation force, beastkin from bird families didn¡¯t exist, as a result none of them had thought of scouting from the air either. By the way, although there are people called Dragon Knights among the knights of the country, it took lot of resources and time to hatch a Wyvern from an egg and raise it along side a Dragon Knight candidate, as a result, most of them belonged to the country¡¯s military forces and were stationed in the Imperial Capital, there were none of them in a frontier city like Gilm. ¡¸Hobbes, is there a problem if I ride Set to scout the Orc settlement from the sky?¡¹ ¡¸No, there are none. I mean, we welcome it if you can do it.¡¹ Grinning, Hobbes nodded as a fierce smile came on to his face. ¡¸What should I look for?¡¹ ¡¸First of all is the number of enemies. Next is where the settlement is built. Lastly, it will be good if you can note where the defense of the settlement is weak. At the same time, I would like to know who the monster is that is leading the Orcs. Whether it is a rare species or a high ranking species. ¡­¡­I hope it¡¯s a rare species.¡¹ Rare species and high ranking species. Speaking of which is more troublesome, it is still the high ranking species. While rare species have abilities that are better than their species, high ranking species live up to their name. Though there is not much difference between a rare species and high ranking species in terms of ability to lead, it is easier to subdue a rare species, was Hobbes explanation. Rei nodded to Hobbes words and left the place. He felt the hateful eyes of Seryl, directed to his back. (Damn, if possible, I wanted to steal the item box before the fight with the Orcs started. Did he volunteer to go out to scout on purpose?¡¡Seriously, is the only thing he wants to do is to gain points with the guild.) While Seryl vaguely guessed the reason in her mind, Hobbes called out to the party leaders in the area. ¡¸We¡¯ll finish here. Because we¡¯ll gather again when Rei comes back from scouting, please stay nearby.¡¹ To Hobbes¡¯ words, the people went back to their own parties. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set saw Rei after Rei left Hobbes and gave a joyful cry. Several adventurers who happened to be in the surroundings watched Set with smiles. Apparently, by sharing the watch, a lot of people had lost their fear of Set. ¡¸Set, we¡¯ll go out for a while. ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ ¡¸Hobbes left us the job of scouting. Will you be able to scout safely if you fly over the Orc settlement?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Will do, Set gave a small cry and turned his back to Rei. ¡¸I¡¯m relying on you.¡¹ After patting his back and sitting on it, Set opened his wings after a run up of a few steps and ran up into the sky, as if stepping on the air. Adventurers watched this scene enviously. A blue summer sky and white clouds. And glaring sunlight. Set stretched his wings and flew in such weather. Because they were flying at a reasonably high altitude, Rei judged that even if the Orcs looked at the sky and saw them, they would think it was a bird. Rei, who was across Set¡¯s back, observed the Orc settlement beneath his eyes. Although scouting the ground from this altitude would be difficult for a normal person, this was a body made by the concentrated efforts of Zepairu and his organization, it wasn¡¯t particularly difficult for him to see the state on the ground. Though Hobbes had said there were about 50 Orcs, the scale of the settlement was larger than expected. There might be around 100 Orcs. However, on the contrary, it may be the Orcs misfortune. For that reason, the settlement hadn¡¯t been completely built, east side region was almost completely untouched. Still, being cautious in the mean time, several Orcs acting as sentries could be on the east side from the air. ¡¸Perhaps the building larger than the others in the center is the home of the Orc leader.¡¹ The buildings that the other Orcs lived in were poor ones made from a mix of wood and straw. However, the building in the center clearly took more effort in comparison to the buildings around it. ¡­¡­Still, it was shabby compared to the houses in Gilm. ¡¸For the number of Orcs, the situation has been confirmed. Now, I should be able to check the leader of the Orcs¡­¡­no, with my knowledge, I won¡¯t be able to tell if its a rare species or high ranking species¡­¡­I guess?¡¹ Muttering at that time, the appearance of an Orc entered Rei¡¯s eyes. It was about double the size of a normal Orc, it was equipped with some kind of armour while the rest of the orcs were armourless. ¡¸Is that the individual leading the Orcs?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei muttered while Set gave a cry at the Orc settlement, he drew Rei¡¯s attention to a place that they had looked at before, a bit further away. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ There was an Orc at the place noted by Set. The Orc was also wearing armour and was double the size of the other Orcs. And when you looked at the state of the settlement carefully, similar Orcs were present. ¡¸In that case, those armours denote officers or generals. ¡­¡­I guess?¡¹ Next, he caught sight of a place where the Orcs had gathered. It was a shack north of the settlement. There were just under 20 Orcs around the hut. ¡¸What?¡¡Is that a food storage or something?¡¹ As he was thinking, the next moment, as he was about to leave the settlement, something jumped out of the hut and began to run¡­¡­outside, it was held down by the Orcs that had gathered. Rei¡¯s eyes, that were much sharper than a normal persons, confirmed what had jumped out. Wearing what seemed to be the remains of clothing on her body, it was a human woman that was almost stark naked. When he concentrated on his hearing, ¡ºNo, stop it! Please don¡¯t dirty me anymore than this!¡»a voice could be heard faintly. Rei furrowed his eyebrows at that sight, he recalled from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge that Orcs used human women to breed. ¡¸Help, is it?¡¡¡­¡­No, I can¡¯t help.¡¹ If he only considered his personal feelings, he would have rushed down and killed all the Orcs. However, even if he could take care of the Orcs near the shack, it would likely make the rest of the Orcs wary. It could become a factor in the night attack and cause it to fail, finally, it would affect the number of people sacrificed from the subjugation force as well as the number of Orcs that would be able to escape. ¡¸¡­¡­Tonight. I¡¯ll help if you can hold out until tonight. So don¡¯t give up.¡¹ Though he knew that the woman who had been pulled back into the hut couldn¡¯t hear him, he gave a small mutter. Rei himself averted his eyes to continue scouting, aware of the anger he was feeling as the woman was taken back to the shack and decided he would take out the Orcs at tonight¡¯s night attack. ¡¸In the end, most of the weapons the Orcs have are swords and clubs. Several are carrying shields. ¡­¡­There are some with bows.¡¹ With a bow in hand, Orcs with a quiver on their back could be seen walking through the settlement. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Are there canes too? Those are Orc Mages.¡¹ Though there were only a few, the figures of Orcs with canes could be seen. ¡¸Right, this much scouting should be sufficient. Set, we¡¯ll head back.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Giving a sharp cry in response to Rei, Set spread his wings and and returned to where the Orc subjugation force had camped. ¡¸Orcs, tonight is your last night. I hope you enjoy your time before night to your utmost.¡¹ With those cold words, Rei left. When Set glided in and landed on the ground, several adventurers in the surroundings unintentionally clapped their hands as they saw it. However, several smiling adventurers who were going to call out to Rei understood that there was something about the Orc settlement when they saw the cold smile on his face. They let him go straight to Hobbes. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As Set gave an anxious cry, several adventurers gave him some dried meat and patted his head. Leaving Set there, Rei headed straight to Hobbes, the person in question, Hobbes, also came to meet Rei. ¡¸Rei, you¡¯re back.¡¹ ¡¸Ah.¡¹ ¡¸How was the scouting?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve roughly seen everything.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. When you returned, I had already notified the party leaders to group. Please come.¡¹ So informed, Rei followed Hobbes who went ahead. Though Hobbes felt his appearance was somewhat strange, he judged the top priority was to hear the results of the scouting and went to the tent for the meeting without saying anything. As Hobbes had said, the party leaders had all gathered, they all gave a sigh of relief upon seeing the safe appearance of Rei. Seryl, who was aiming for the Misty Ring, was the same. However, regarding Seryl, it was a sigh of relief that her prey hadn¡¯t blundered on the scouting mission and had been killed by the Orcs. Seeing Rei sit down, Hobbes started to speak. ¡¸Well, Rei. Please report on the results of scouting at once.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. First of all, the number of Orcs, the original 50 that we assumed has been greatly exceeded. There¡¯s probably 100.¡¹ 100. The cheeks of the party leaders cramped the moment those words were said. As they had joined the subjugation force to fight 50, it was no wonder. ¡¸Calm down!¡¡I would like to say this first. The number of 50 was the lowest estimate. It was expected that the numbers would be greater.¡¹ ¡¸However, I never hear that the number would be doubled. Can¡¯t we decide to return to the city?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­And overlook the damage of the Orcs to the city of Gilm?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ The person who advised withdrawing didn¡¯t persist strongly when it was said that damage would be done to the city of Gilm if they retreated here. Even if that person didn¡¯t have friends in the city of Gilm, they had acquaintances. If it was said that they might end up as victims of Orcs, they wouldn¡¯t retreat. ¡¸At the same time, though there might be more Orcs than expected, as a result, they haven¡¯t finished building the settlement. The East side is almost untouched. However, I have confirmed the presence of sentries instead. ¡¹ ¡¸I see, the East side is undermanned. That¡¯s good information. I will reference that for the night attack.¡¹ ¡¸As you want. Also, there were Orcs double the size of normal Orcs who were wearing armour.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Those are Orc Generals. That¡¯s one of the high ranking Orc species.¡¹ ¡¸Others had bows, several with canes were also confirmed. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to find the individual leading the Orcs¡­¡­but because there was a building built better than the others in the center of the settlement, it might be there.¡¹ ¡¸Orc Archers and Orc Mages¡­¡­the center of the settlement.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. ¡­¡­As well as that, there¡¯s one last thing. There is a shack to the north of the settlement, and I have confirmed there are humans there.¡¹ Humans in an Orc settlement. The others that heard it had their faces stiffen, Hobbes opened his mouth to speak. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­a woman, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I think the Orcs go there to breed. Though when I last saw they still looked alive¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡­¡­Did you notice anything else?¡¹ ¡¸No. That is all.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I understand. Then please rest until night. I¡¯ll explain the strategy at dinner.¡¹ Giving a small nod to Hobbes¡¯ words, he left the tent. Several hours remained before the night attack. Everyone started their combat preparations. Chapter 31 Around the Orc settlement, to the north, north east, east, south east, south, south west, west and north west, each party located themselves at their positions. From the strategy explained by Hobbes, firstly, as the settlement hadn¡¯t finished construction, the Axe of the Thunder God would gather their forces by making a flashy attack from the east. The other parties would come in once Orc reinforcements went to the east and the defenses weakened, that was the plan. Naturally, as the Axe of the Thunder God would be the ones to attack first, the general consensus was that the battle would be fiercest there as the Orcs gathered. Elk, who led the Axe of the Thunder God said,¡ºBelieve in us, we¡¯re an A rank party¡», with that, the other parties all consented. It could be said that getting everyone¡¯s consent with a single sentence was proof that his experience and track record could be trusted. Rei, with Set¡¯s mobility as a Griffon, was placed in charge of guerrilla attacks and wasn¡¯t placed at any of the eight locations. ¡¸Set, it¡¯s about time. Are you ready?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ In the darkness, Set gave a short cry as the dim moonlight, due to the clouds, exposed his body. At first, sinces a Griffon has the upper body of an Eagle, shouldn¡¯t it have poor night vision?¡¡Was Rei¡¯s thoughts, but after spending a night in the Forest of Monsters, it was found that there wasn¡¯t any problems. TL Note: For those that don¡¯t know, Eagles have poor night vision. ¡¸Orcs, your lives end today. Disappear and become food for Set and I.¡¹ With Rei¡¯s mutter, almost simultaneously, several lightning bolts rained down on the Eastern part of the Orc settlement. It was the magic of Min, the mage of Axe of the Thunder God. ¡¸It has begun. Set, Our main aim isn¡¯t the high ranking Orc Mages, Archers or Generals. Our top priority is the individual leading the Orcs.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ On the ground, a group of Orcs could be seen heading East, organized roughly due to the panic at the sudden raid. And, taking that chance, the other parties attacked the Orcs from behind, invaded the Orc settlement from various locations and headed towards the East. While seeing the action from the sky, he looked for the appearance of his target¡­¡­ ¡¸There!¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes discovered 5 Orc Archers drawing their bows fully back to attack an adventurer party they had discovered to the south west. Due to the fact that the surprise attack was carried out at night, even the adventurers hadn¡¯t noticed that they had been targeted by the bows. ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ To Rei¡¯s sharp shout, Set also gave a sharp cry as he dived to the ground. This state was reminiscent of Raptors aiming at their prey. The arrows shot by the Orc Archers hit the man at the back of the adventurer party, penetrating through his left leg, body and his right arm. However, he could be considered fortunate, the two remaining arrows pierced the ground away from the adventurer. The adventurer hit by the three arrows fell to the ground, his friends dragged him towards cover in a panic. The Orc Archers seemed to be dissatisfied that they hadn¡¯t killed anyone and shot a large number of arrows at where the adventurers had taken cover. The leader of the archers searched for his prey, he fired arrows at different locations from time to time, trying to locate the position of the hidden target. Because this was the Orcs¡¯ settlement, they had the home ground advantage. Not using it would greatly reduce the Orcs¡¯ combat ability. Using this area could be considered proof that there were high ranking Orc species. However, the difficulty of getting close to archers corresponded to their weakness in close combat. Therefore. ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Jumping from the diving Set, Rei poured magic power into the Death Scythe and swung down. The Orc he was aiming for was split in two like a piece of bamboo. Without realising what had happened, the body fell to the left and right separately. With a gusha~ sound, the freshly cut internals of the Orc spilled out of the body and splattered onto the ground. In addition, Set, who had been diving, swung his claws and crushed the head of an Orc Archer with his momentum. Rei gave a quick glance and saw the Orc Archer¡¯s head fall with a dosha~ sound as the body fell to the ground. Swinging the Death Scythe up from below, he targeted an Orc Archer that hadn¡¯t comprehended what was happening. At the same time, Set, who had landed on the ground, pecked out the throat of an Orc, and the next moment, use his front claws to cleave the body. ¡¸Bumoo~!?¡¹ The remaining Orc Archer finally realised that they had come under attack. However, he was only able to raise a confused voice. The next moment, his head fell to the ground with his neck neatly separated by the swinging Death Scythe. Several seconds later, the body of the Orc Archer collapsed to the ground with blood gushing out the neck, as if noticing the head was gone. ¡¸Set, are there any more?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Though Rei called out to Set to check for enemies in the surroundings, Set shook his head side to side. Judging that the Orc Archers here had been dealt with, he quickly stored the bodies, bows and arrows of the Orc Archers into the Misty Ring. ¡¸Rei, is it? Thanks for saving us.¡¹ As he finished storing everything, a member of the Orc subjugation force called out to him, it was the leader of the party that had been attacked earlier by the Orc Archers. Because they had been locked down by the Orc Archers and couldn¡¯t move, they were planning to move out once the attack of arrows had subsided. Following behind the leader was a typical warrior equipped with a sword and leather armour. ¡¸Where¡¯s the other person?¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s treating the guy hit by the archers.¡¹ ¡¸Are the potions enough?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, the supplies we received are sufficient for now.¡¹ As for the health and mana potions that he had brought in the Misty Ring, he had distributed them to each party during the evening. That person was probably being treated with them. ¡¸What happened to the corpses of the Orc Archers?¡¹ The warrior behind the leader asked curiously. It would be strange if there were no corpses if the monsters were defeated. ¡¸I¡¯ve already stored it into the item box. It¡¯s a high ranking species of Orc. It¡¯s better to prevent disputes in future.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true.¡¹ The warrior nodded, agreeing with the leader. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll be returning to the sky as a guerrilla unit to check the state of the other parties.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand. Thanks for saving us.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, this is my job.¡¹ He replied lightly to the leader before getting on Set¡¯s back. ¡¸Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ With a run up of a few steps and a flap of his wings, Set kicked against the air as he rose into the sky. ¡¸It seems to have become very noisy.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ What Rei saw as he rose into the sky were flames burning in several places in the settlement. Someone may have used fire magic which then spread to the Orc buildings. And with the light, it was possible for Rei to grasp what was happening on the battlefield. ¡¸Hm?¡¹ As Rei observed the ground lit up by the light source, he noticed an adventurer party heading to the shack in the North. They might be going to help the woman he saw during scouting who was caught by the Orcs for breeding. However, bad luck for them, they ran into Orcs who were just leaving the shack. Naturally, a fight occurred. The adventurer party in charge of the northern side had 3 people. They were against 5 Orcs. One of the Orcs was bigger than the other and was wearing armour. It was a high ranking species, Orc General. ¡¸It seems I can¡¯t abandon them.¡¹ It was a fact that he was still angry from appearance of the Orcs he had seen during the day. It was good to be able to vent his anger. Rei determined this and directed Set to the next fight with a belligerent smile. ¡¸Set, next is there.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Following Rei¡¯s words, Set dived towards the 3 v 5 fight they had seen just before. Rei jumped off Set¡¯s back when their altitude had dropped to 10m above ground and activated the Shoes of Sleipnir to walk on the air preparing the Death Scythe and dropping towards the Orc General who was commanding the other 4 Orcs. ¡¸Bumo~!?¡¹ As expected of a high rank species, the Orc General noticed something approaching from the sounds Rei made as he descended, he raised the large sword at his waist above his head by reflex. Normally, that would have been sufficient. It was no joke to say that the sword of the Orc General that Rei was targeting was the size of a great sword. It should have been able to block the average weapon. But¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t think you can block my attack!¡¹ The Death Scythe was swung down. Death Scythe. It was a magic item created as a by product of Rei vast magic power during the activation of the Magic Beast Art. Aside from raising its sharpness by magic power, the Death Scythe that exceeds a 100kg in weight, felt like a pair of chopsticks in his hands. A scythe weighing over a 100kg with its sharpness increased by magic power. What happens when such a weapon strikes a great sword that isn¡¯t a magic item? The answer was in front of Rei¡¯s eyes. The Death Scythe was swung down, cutting through the Orc General¡¯s raised great sword without any resistance, cutting through the helmet that seemed to be made out of some monster skin, through the head, body and armour before it slammed against the ground, blowing a great cloud of dust with a roaring sound as it created a 2m radius crater. ¡¸Bumoo~!?¡¹ The Orcs that turned around due to the sound saw the appearance of their commander falling left and right with his armour split in two in the crater. And Set, who followed Rei and dropped from the sky, didn¡¯t miss the chance of the Orc frozen in surprise. With the speed from diving, wielding his claws in the same manner as the surprise attack against the Orc Archer from before, Set crushed the head of an Orc. ¡¸Now, do it!¡¹ To Rei¡¯s sharp shout, the adventurers pulled themselves together and attacked the Orcs who were looking at Rei from behind. The vanguards held a sword and spear. The adventurer at the back shot an arrow as a sword swung down at the back of the head of an Orc, killing it instantly. Arrows shot by the archer pierced into the back of an Orc consecutively. Thrust with all his power, the Orc that withstood the pain had its head destroyed by a spear to the back of its head. ¡¸Bumo~!¡¹ Their leader, the Orc General, was killed and a monster, Griffon, attacked them. The humans they were fighting just before stabbed them from behind and finally he was the only one remaining. The Orc understood that and judged that he had no chance of winning even if he fought. Without even the pretense of fighting, he threw his sword at Rei before running away at full speed. Though the adventurers tried to chase the Orc, Rei, who had cut the discarded sword with the Death Scythe, stopped them. ¡¸Leave it alone.¡¹ ¡¸But why!¡¡That¡¯s an Orc!¡¹ To the voice of the adventurer with the spear,Rei had a ferocious smile. The adventurers who saw it sensed a great pressure for a moment, but they still looked at Rei as they wanted to know why he left the Orc. ¡¸At any rate, all the Orc in the settlement are going to die tonight. The only difference is sooner or later.¡¹ To those words, the adventurers fell silent under Rei¡¯s pressure. ¡¸And your goal isn¡¯t to kill that Orc, it¡¯s to release the woman held in the shack isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh. That¡¯s certainly right.¡¹ The man with the sword nodded. When looking at his face, he was one of the people in the meeting with Hobbes. He was probably the leader of this party. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll leave the shack to you. Evacuate them to Hobbes. As far as I could see from above, there aren¡¯t any enemies in the area. I¡¯ll deal with the Orcs here until you return.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, I¡¯m relying on you.¡¹ The 3 people bowed before heading to the small shack. While watching their backs, Rei reflexively let out a sigh. Originally, he had planned to rescue the woman caught in the shack after the subjugation of the Orcs had been completed. However, when they saw the settlement burning, the 3 people judged that it would be dangerous to leave it until then. And the Orcs still had the intelligence to take group action. It would have been troublesome if they decided to take a hostage in an emergency. With Set watching the surroundings, the men appeared from the hut after a few minutes. There were two women with them. The woman Rei saw during the daytime was limping but still managed to walk on her feet. However, the other one was already unable to stand and was carried on the back of the man with the spear. ¡¸So for a little while, I¡¯ll be relying on you. Come back as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Ah.¡¹ Exchanging a few short words with the party leader, Rei and Set saw the three people head out of the settlement. Chapter 32 ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Seeing flames rising in many parts of the settlement, Set gave a small, vigilant cry Rei lightly patted his back, turning his eyes to the darkness and casually readying the Death Scythe. ¡¸Bumo~!?¡¹ An arrow was shot from the darkness and was casually cut down, an Orc Archer raised a voice of confusion¡­¡­the next moment, before he was aware, Rei was in front of him swinging down the Death Scythe, his skull was split and he died. ¡¸Did it get separated from the rest of the Orcs?¡¹ While thinking about this, Rei stored the corpse of the Orc Archer into the Misty Ring. Currently, Rei and Set¡¯s location was North of the settlement, aside from the shack where the female humans had been captured for the Orcs breeding, there was only a small hut for Orc guards. Even though there was a guard hut, it was silent as they seemed to have been sent to the East where Axe of the Thunder God had caused a commotion. As for the shack where the women had been confined, Rei doubted that an Orc would come to embrace a woman while a night attack was occurring¡­¡­ ¡¸Did I underestimate the sexual desire of the Orcs? Or¡­¡­¡¹ On one hand, it might have been an individual action taken by the Orc Archer. If it were a normal Orc that is, but because an Orc Archer is a high ranking species, he thought in his mind that there could be another possibility. (Anyway, I¡¯ve obtained the magic stones of the high ranking Orc Archer and Orc General. However, considering Set and the Death Scythe, I would like to obtain one more Orc General magic stone to share¡­¡­it would be best if I can find a magic stone from an Orc Mage. At the same time, there¡¯s the magic stone of the guy leading the Orcs.) Muttering to himself, he was cautious of the surrounding sounds. Metallic clashes from swords, angry voices, curses, and explosions that could be heard from around the settlement. Fortunately, the Orc Archer was the only one which had taken independent action, the rest of the Orcs had headed East, where the main battlefield was, none of them went North to where Rei was. About 10 minutes later, the party of 3 finally came back. ¡¸We¡¯re sorry, did we keep you waiting?¡¹ The swordsman who was the party leader asked, Rei shook his head. ¡¸No, you were faster than I thought. How were the captured women?¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯ve been sent to where Hobbes is. ¡­¡­It¡¯s at these times that adventurers should be providing mental relief to the women¡­¡­it¡¯s irritating.¡¹ TLN: He¡¯s irritated in the sense that he can¡¯t do more. Even if you said that Hobbes was a retired adventurer, he still boasted decent strength. Therefore, Hobbes stayed back at the field headquarters during the night attack without any guards. At first, several adventurers were going to guard him, however Hobbes insisted that they should maximise their combat force as the number of Orcs was greater than expected, with that it was accepted. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯ll leave the Northern attack to you. Set and I will return to the sky for guerrilla attacks.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, thanks for saving us.¡¹ While hearing the voice of thanks, Rei got onto Set¡¯s back¡­¡­then suddenly turned to face the leader. ¡¸I forgot to say, the bodies of the two Orcs you defeated are over there. I¡¯ve collected the Orc and Orc General that Set and I defeated, is that okay?¡¹ At those words, he glanced at the bodies of the two Orcs and gave a small nod. ¡¸Ah. No Problem. Are the bodies of the Orcs in the item box?¡¹ ¡¸That is so. Then, I will be leaving. Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Giving a sharp cry at Rei¡¯s voice, Set rose into the sky after a run up of a few steps and a flap of his wings. The 3 adventurers who saw the person and animal leave, went to the bodies of the Orcs that had fallen. Rei and Set advanced to the center of the settlement where more Orcs had gathered, seeking their next prey. ¡¸The battle situation is even¡­¡­is it.¡¹ Riding on Set, Rei directed his eyes to the ground while flying through the sky. While a substantial part of the settlement was in flames, a large number of Orcs could still be seen heading East. Because it was the place where the fighting first started, all the attention of the Orcs was gathered there. In Rei¡¯s vision, Elk was swinging his huge battle axe cleaving through several Orcs. At the same time, a large amount of ice was shot from Min¡¯s cane, slowly accumulating damage on a large number of Orcs with the bombardment. Rhodes defended Min. Though several Orcs attacked Min, trying to crush the long range mage first, Rhodes intercepted them with his sword, dodging and evading their attacks. Taking advantage of a missed attack, he did a quick strike, sinking the Orc into a pool of blood. ¡¸I see. So that¡¯s a C rank adventurer. ¡¹ Looking at the situation, Rei muttered impressed. However, his eyes turned to an area a bit away from the settlement immediately. Maybe intending to attack the Axe of the Thunder God from the rear, several Orcs had taken a detour from the settlement to sneak around to the back. And conveniently, the Orcs were led by an Orc with a cane. ¡¸I¡¯ve finally found an Orc Mage at last. As expected of an Orc Mage, it¡¯s leading the Orcs around it.¡¹ Even if you said that Axe of the Thunder God was an A rank party, when fighting Orcs from the front and behind¡­¡­it¡¯s clear that they would take a considerable amount of damage if they were to be hit with a surprise attack with magic. Because the person furthest back was the mage, Min, her low physical defense can be imagined. ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Giving a short cry at Rei¡¯s voice, Set entered his third dive. However, as expected of the high ranking species, Orc Mage, the sound of Set¡¯s flapping wings that the Orc Archer and Orc General didn¡¯t pick up was noticed by the Orc Mage. He turned his cane to the sky and began to cast a spell. ¡¸Ignore it, keep charging!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ However, Rei didn¡¯t care about the Orc Mage¡¯s actions and ordered Set to charge. As for Set, with a sharp cry, he dived towards the detachment lead by the Orc Mage. ¡ºBumorua~!¡» The Orc Mage chanted his incantation and invoked the magic. Though Rei didn¡¯t know what effect the incantation had as it was said in the Orcish language, a smile appeared on his face after a fireball the size of his head appeared in front of the Orc. ¡¸Gurururururururu~!¡¹ Set charged while raising a courageous cry. Though the Orcs started to panic, the confusion gradually decreased after the Orc Mage gave a sharp shout and shot the fireball at Set. The fireball that was shot went towards Set, who was diving towards the detachment at a considerable speed¡­¡­the moment it was about to hit his body, it was blocked by something and exploded in midair. ¡¸Bumo~!?¡¹ The Orc Mage was surprised at the result. It was the Bracelet of Wind Manipulation that was equipped to Set¡¯s ankle, it had the ability to block a single projectile from a bow or magic spell. It¡¯s effect was exhibited. It could be said that it was a bolt from the blue for the Orc Mage. The Orc Mage was convinced that it would have an effect, there was no way it could have been avoided at the speed Set was diving¡­¡­ ¡¸Bumooo~!¡¹ Set¡¯s figure exceeded 2m, the Orc Mage was caught by the charge of Set¡¯s wings with the momentum of the dive and was blown 10m away, in addition, he was knocked against the ground several times like a skipping stone on water. It¡¯s neck and most of it¡¯s limbs were bent in awkward directions, it was already clear that it wasn¡¯t breathing. And¡­¡­ ¡ºDancing flames, dance. Light up the surroundings with your magnificent dance, burn as you dance and captivate the people.¡» While chanting an incantation, around 50 human sized flames appeared. Though it was smaller than the one used in the Forest of Monsters, it was because there were less enemies. ¡ºDance Fire Snake!¡» The moment the incantation was finished, the magic was invoked. The 50 flames moved as if they had a will of their own, crowding to the Orcs. Confused at the unforeseen situation, they judged it was dangerous and scattered after seeing several Orc being burnt, running away in all directions. However, the flames that Rei created chased the Orcs that ran and coiled them in a scorching embrace, burning them and killing them. ¡¸Bumoo~!?¡¹ ¡¸Bumomo~!?¡¹ Though each of them raised a scream, it wasn¡¯t possible to run from the burning embrace, after a few seconds, all the Orcs in the area where dead. The surroundings were filled with the smell of burning flesh, Set looked at the surroundings with shimmering eyes. It had been an hour since the night attack began. Though his stomach was probably empty¡­¡­ ¡¸Set, there¡¯s no time to eat now. You¡¯ll have to wait until the night attack ends.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ While giving a saddened look, Set nodded quietly. ¡¸I¡¯ll store the Orcs into the Misty Ring for now. Because I¡¯ll serve them after the fight is finished, endure it for a while¡­¡­okay?¡¹ Then Rei heard footsteps coming closer. It seemed to be a single person running towards them. ¡¸¡­¡­Is it a detachment of this detachment¡­¡­or the remnants of this detachment?¡¹ For an instant, the appearance of the Orc Archer he fought in the North of the settlement crossed his mind and considering the possibility of remnants, he readied the Death Scythe. However, the shadow of the figure illuminated from the flames in the settlement was a human rather than an Orc. He lowered the Death Scythe while remaining cautious. Set also relaxed while watching at the same time. Still, they weren¡¯t incautious as there was still the matter of Dark Night¡¯s Star. And when the figure approached close enough that their face could be determined¡­¡­he recognised who it was. ¡¸Rhodes, is it.¡¹ ¡¸You, Rei¡­¡­is it?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I mean, who else could take the Griffon aside from me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, no. Though that¡¯s true¡­¡­did you kill these Orcs?¡¹ Rhodes asked, directing his eyes to the Orcs that were lying on the ground, partially burnt and cooked. Looking at the situation, Rei stored the bodies of the Orcs into the Misty Ring, one after the other. And, approaching the Orc Mage that Set killed. ¡¸Ah. Set killed the Orc Mage.¡¹ Saying that, he stored the Orc Mage into the Misty Ring as well. ¡¸¡­¡­You, have the strength to take care of all these Orc by yourself? ¡­¡­No, wait. Why were the corpses burnt?¡¡Isn¡¯t your weapon that ridiculously large scythe?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re the ridiculous one, making those comments.¡¹ He placed the Death Scythe into the ground while smiling wryly. ¡¸It certainly is my weapon. However, it¡¯s also a magic item¡­¡­at the same time, it¡¯s also a magic casting tool.¡¹ ¡¸Magic caster?¡¡In other words¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Are you used to seeing the cane Min has?¡¡It¡¯s similar to that. However, but the shape is a large scythe.¡¹ ¡¸Then, are you a mage?¡¹ Rei gave a small shake of his head while stroking Set¡¯s back. ¡¸Because I can also fight in close combat, if anything, I¡¯m a magic warrior. So, what are you doing here?¡¹ ¡¸Magic warrior¡­¡­ah, no. When fighting with my mum and dad on the East side of the settlement, a large amount of flames were seen behind us. So my mum asked me to check out the situation.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Well, it¡¯s no wonder as you have to consider the possibility of being attacked from behind with the low physical defense of a mage. In fact, these Orcs were trying to sneak to the rear.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s seems so. So, you saw them from above and made a surprise attack on them instead.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Listening to Rhodes words, Rei stared at his face unintentionally. ¡¸What.¡¹ ¡¸Nothing, you can make a rational judgement on the spot, I¡¯m impressed.¡¹ ¡¸Oi, are you trying to start a fight.¡¹ ¡¸Such words, I¡¯ll tell you about what I did later. Set!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a short cry as Rei got on his back. ¡¸Oi!¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ll talk when I get back. You might also want to return to where Elk and Min are. The fight with the Orcs is still going on.¡¹ ¡¸I know. Remember now, you¡¯re going to tell me the whole story when this fight ends Remember! Don¡¯t die without my permission!¡¹ While smiling at at Rhode¡¯s increasingly vehement words, Rei returned to the skies above the settlement with Set. However, he noticed something as he glanced around. (This¡­¡­I see, it¡¯s the party Dark Night¡¯s Star. I was wondering what they were up to, they¡¯re here. Even though it¡¯s possible to go out and fight the Orcs, it¡¯s troubling if I only clean up.) Looking at the Orc settlement from the sky, he could see an area where there was no fire and the adventurers and Orcs were in a stalemate. Chapter 33 ¡¸Bumoo~!¡¹ Blocking the Orc¡¯s sword with a shield, a stab was sent out, piercing the Orc¡¯s throat. The Orc, who¡¯s throat was pierced, fell to the ground with it¡¯s neck partially severed. ¡¸Seriously, there¡¯s no end. Al, Sunyi, it¡¯s safe!¡¹ Swinging the sword that cut the throat of the Orc to get rid of the blood and flesh that was stuck to the tip, Seryl called out to two people nearby. ¡¸I¡¯m still okay.¡¹ ¡¸No problems here either¡­¡­Sis, two Orcs ahead!¡¹ While getting Seryl¡¯s attention, she pulled her bow back and shot an arrow. ¡¸Bugi~!?¡¹ An Orc that had approached under the cover of darkness was pierced by several arrows, shot in quick succession by Sunyi. ¡¸Anyway, the first attack was in the east, so not many Orc will come to the north west area we¡¯re in charge of. Al, you can deal with the Orc with the arrows.¡¹ ¡¸I understand!¡¹ Ordinary Orcs are basically not equipped with protective gear like armour. Though it¡¯s not that difficult to obtain armour, the biggest reason was the Orc¡¯s body. They had muscles with strength several times of a normal person. They also had a thick layer of fat covering them. Let alone an ordinary sword, it¡¯s difficult to pierce through the fat even if they were stabbed with a spear. It was similar with Sunyi¡¯s arrows. At first glance, the Orc that had been struck by a large amount of arrows may look like it had been turned into a hedgehog, but the arrows had been stopped at the fat and hadn¡¯t done any fatal damage. However, the arrows that had pierced it¡¯s body would become an obstruction to movement, making it unable to move for a moment. ¡¸Go to hell, you fake pig!¡¹ Finding a chance to strike, Al put his weight behind his bastard sword and hammered in a blow to the body of the Orc. ¡¸Bumoo~¡¹ Though the Orc tried to block the sword from hitting it, the arrows prevented it from moving and and his body received a deep cut. Rather than a cut it, it was more of a chop, the Orc that had lost the lower half of his body, fell to the ground silently, blood and entrails spilling on to the ground. ¡¸Haa, haa, haa¡¹ Al, who took down the Orc, stabbed his sword into the ground to support his body, he started to fix his rough breathing. Al was originally a D rank adventurer, against the D rank monster Orc, he had the ability to fight one on his own, one way or another. However, that¡¯s merely a 1 on 1, if it was repeated battles, naturally, his physical strength would be drained. ¡¸Sister, shouldn¡¯t we take a break?¡¹ Sunyi saw Al¡¯s state and advised Seryl, Seryl knit her eyebrows and quickly pierced the head of the remaining Orc. Though her breathing rate had gone up, she still had strength to spare, showing the difference in ability between the C rank Seryl and the D rank Al. ¡¸Yeah. Al¡¯s having a little difficulty¡­¡­even then, it¡¯s hard to find that rookie among the crowd of Orcs. Any reports from Murgas?¡¹ Sunyi shook her head at Seryl¡¯s words. Murgas was literally running around the settlement at this time, looking for the appearance of Rei. Though Murgas was a coward, with Seryl¡¯s threats, Al¡¯s soothing and Sunyi¡¯s persuasion, he agreed to do it this once, in other words, finding Rei¡¯s mobile unit in the Orc settlement once the night attack started, if things went well, the only thing they had to do was to steal the item box. But they couldn¡¯t launch a surprise attack, they could only move when they knew where Rei was, Seryl thought. Because of that, they were unwillingly fighting Orcs here. After all, it should have been much easier as the main combat force was focused on the East of the settlement, in the opposite direction of where they were. And yet, they were attacked by a considerable number of Orcs for some reason. Because of that, they had there hands full with the situation. In fact, there was a problem with the party composition of Dark Star. Though they were originally a 4 person party, without Murgas, the thief, they only had 3 people. Two of them were women. Seryl was in her 30¡¯s and Sunyi was in her 20¡¯s, they could be said to be at a woman¡¯s prime. Naturally, they stimulated the sexual desire of the Orcs that saw their appearance. After all, since the settlement was established, they only had two human women for breeding, which they encountered while moving. As a result, several Orcs went against the order of the high ranking species and attacked Dark Night¡¯s Star. Other Orcs who found the friends fighting Dark Night¡¯s Star also followed their sexual desires¡­¡­leading to the current situation. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯ll hide from the Orcs in that ragged hut. Al should fix his breathing.¡¹ ¡¸Haa, haa, haa. ¡­¡­I-I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸Look, seriously. It¡¯s because you have so much trouble with things like Orcs that you¡¯re still a D rank.¡¹ Seryl covered Al, who was dragging his feet, to an Orc building which hadn¡¯t caught fire. Sunyi followed at the rear, keeping watch of the surroundings. And at last, the three people were able to take a break. ¡¸Really, those Orcs are really bothersome aren¡¯t they. If only they didn¡¯t come here in such large numbers, this time we might be able to find that rookie.¡¹ ¡¸Big sis, shouldn¡¯t we postpone taking the item box for now and focus on the Orc subjugation quest?¡¹ Al, who finally fixed his breath, called out to Seryl, however, he was met with scowling eyes. ¡¸Oh, Al. Do you have a complaint with what I¡¯m doing?¡¹ ¡¸No, but why not? What if in the off chance we¡¯re caught by an Orc halfway through fighting?¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, we¡¯ll escape straight to the Imperial Capital after stealing the item box. I don¡¯t care what happens to the city of Gilm.¡¹ At this time, ignoring Al, Seryl was also quite fatigued. She had fought Orcs with eyes looking at her with sexual desire for too long. Even if she was a C rank adventurer, the mental fatigue had piled up. Because of that, she had carelessly revealed her true intentions. ¡¸Big sis, now what?¡¹ Al asked Seryl in a slightly low voice. ¡¸Ah?¡¡What I said about the city of Gilm?¡¡I meant what I said. Why would you even care about the city of Gilm when we get to the Imperial Capital after this is done?¡¡I said this before, but knights from the Imperial Capital will come if this subjugation force is defeated. Though there might be some damage, it will be resolved somehow.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Certainly, but that might not be so¡­¡­¡¹ As Al was starting to become more vehement, Sunyi, who was watching from the table, gave a short cry. ¡¸Big sis, Murgas is back.¡¹ ¡¸Really!¡¡Right, keep watch Sunyi. I want to hear the news when Murgas comes in. Al, the talk with you will be postponed. Obey my orders for now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah.¡¹ Al gave a reluctant nod as Murgas simultaneously entered the building. ¡¸Big sis, sorry to keep you waiting.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, I¡¯ve been waiting a while. So, have you found the rookie?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, somehow. As he¡¯s a guerrilla unit, he comes down to fight the Orcs. He defeated some Orcs which were sneaking round to the rear of Axe of the Thunder God in the East a little while ago. Though the group was lead by an Orc Mage, it was blown away by the Griffon.¡¹ Seryl frowned her eyebrows at those words. Because Seryl¡¯s group was aiming for the item box, naturally, they wanted Rei in the same group as them. This was because the surprise attack could then be carried out at any time. However, because they had said that the Griffon couldn¡¯t be relied on during the previous night, Rei ended up becoming a mobile unit. ¡­¡­Moreover, several other adventurer parties had wanted Rei to be a mobile unit while a member that had fed Set, made a direct appeal to Hobbes for Rei to work with them ¡¸So, is the rookie still at the East, behind Axe of the Thunder God?¡¹ If that was so, it would be difficult to attack, but as Seryl was thinking so, Murgas gave an unexpected reply. ¡¸About that, he seems to be tired out from the continuous fighting and came down to take a break where the fire hasn¡¯t spread. I thought that we maybe able to attack, which is why I returned.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh. In a place that the fire hasn¡¯t spread. By the way, are there any Orcs or subjugation force members in the vicinity?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no problem there. There are no subjugation force members close to the rookie and I only saw a few Orcs on the way back.¡¹ ¡¸Then, how about the Griffon?¡¹ After all, the most difficult thing to deal with when attacking Rei was the Griffon. Even if the members of Dark Night¡¯s Star, including herself, went all out, Seryl didn¡¯t feel that there was even the smallest chance of beating the Griffon in a fight. However, the answer from Murgas was also unexpected. ¡¸About that, it seems he let the Griffon return to the sky as a guerrilla unit. That¡¯s why I returned now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, it surely is a clear once in a lifetime chance. While he¡¯s taking a break, he leaves the guerrilla attacks to the Griffon to keep acquiring achievements. He¡¯s an idiot. He¡¯ll lose his life from being too greedy.¡¹ TL Note: -_- Grinning, a smile floated onto her face as she thought about managing her future. She quickly settled down and spoke up. ¡¸Listen up, first, we¡¯ll all attack the rookie. However, Sunyi will strike preemptively with arrows. Though if possible, aim for the head to kill him instantly, I don¡¯t mind if you hit the body or limbs either.¡¹ ¡¸Big sis, are you making light of my weapon?¡¡The rookie only just registered with the guild, I¡¯ll take him out in one shot.¡¹ While Sunyi, who was standing at the entrance, puffed up her cheeks to complain, Seryl gave a small shake of her head. ¡¸You seem to have forgotten, the rookie has the ability to defeat the Claws of the Hawk by himself. Being careless is a mistake.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ ¡¸Good girl. So, when we confirm Sunyi has hit with the arrow, we all dash in and attack. Kill him there if possible. If it takes some time, Hobbes will know we¡¯ve moved.¡¹ ¡¸So, the Imperial Capital after that?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Because the carriages and warhorses are gathered with Hobbes, if possible, Murgas and Sunyi will grab four warhorses without being noticed. At the very least we need 2. Warhorses won¡¯t collapse on the way and we can run full speed to the capital after that. ¡­¡­Well, if we can take a warhorse then we won¡¯t have to worry about pursuers for a while, though we¡¯ll likely have to substitute horses in an emergency¡­¡­indeed, it will be impossible for Hobbes to not miss us.¡¹ ¡¸Though we¡¯ll be able to get to the Imperial Capital in a few days, what about food?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s enough in the item box. If there¡¯s no food in it, we can sell off items in it in villages along the way and buy food with the money.¡¹ ¡¸Sister, even if we can get to the Imperial Capital, do we have the connections to sell off the item box?¡¹ To Sunyi¡¯s voice, which came from the entrance, Seryl nodded with a smile. ¡¸Ah. I was previously in the care of of a person in the city of Gilm who was in an organization related to that. Naturally, I know his address.¡¹ ¡¸Right, big sis. Then we¡¯ll carry out the surprise attack on the rook before he finishes his break.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Murgas, we¡¯ll need you to guide us. As for Al and Sunyi, don¡¯t get found by the Orcs.¡¹ Thus, Dark Night¡¯s Star¡¯s once in a lifetime gamble was started this night. Moreover, it was a gamble that Seryl had recognised as already won. In this case, if Murgas had told Seryl there was a possibility he could use magic, the result of Dark Night¡¯s Star¡¯s attack might have been different. However, Murgas didn¡¯t have any information that Rei could use magic at all, he hardly knew the ecology of a Griffon either and thought that it might have been the peculiar ability of the Griffon to burn all the Orcs except the Orc Mage. There was a place in the Orc settlement with a single person. Rei took a break at a place where the fire hadn¡¯t spread. ¡­¡­Even if was barely, he disguised himself to look as if he was taking a break. That was correct. The figure of Set couldn¡¯t been seen nearby either. Though the purpose was to trap Dark Night¡¯s Star, who were aiming for him, he couldn¡¯t neglect the guerrilla attacks for the other fights occurring in the Orc settlement. (In addition, I can¡¯t overlook the chance to make contributions to the guild.) Rei murmured in his mind. Speaking only in this regard, Seryl¡¯s thoughts were correct. And¡­¡­ (They¡¯ve finally appeared) He had a chiri~ chiri~ feeling. It was the same feeling he had when fighting the Queen Ant and Goblin rare, however, the monsters gave a much purer feeling, the feeling he had right now was clouded with greed. That is¡­¡­blood lust. Subtly putting strength into the Death Scythe he was holding, he made his preparations inside the Dragon Robe so to not be seen and readied himself to fight back at any time. Though they had moved so as to not be found by Rei, his five senses exceeded that of an ordinary person and could hear the sounds of Dark Night¡¯s Star encircling him, with his 6th sense, he could also roughly feel the blood lust. And he heard a kiri~ kiri~ sound, the sound of a bow drawn to its full extent. (I see. It¡¯s a preemptive strike with the bow. Then¡­¡­£© Thinking out a plan to deal with the fools attacking him¡­¡­the next moment, the arrow was fired! Chapter 34 (In the end, his ability is only to tame a Griffon. Though there¡¯s a bow aimed at him, he can¡¯t even feel the blood lust. Really, Al worries too much.) Completing her preparations to shoot at any time, she turned her eyes to Seryl, who was on the roof of the building opposite. Catching Sunyi¡¯s glance, Seryl gave a small nod. Al and Murgas signaled that they were ready as well. (Rookie-chan, you can only have a grudge against yourself for owning a rare magic item you don¡¯t deserve. We¡¯ll sell off the item box to provide for our living¡­¡­right!£© Holding her breath, she took aim and released the arrow from her hands, the arrow shot from the bow cut through the air, the next moment it tore towards the target who seemed to be resting. As it hit the body, Rei fell to the ground without a sound. ¡¸Right, everyone attack!¡¹ Seryl¡¯s voice echoed at the same time. At that voice, Al and Murgas jumped out from the darkness with their bastard sword and dagger. Seryl also jumped from the roof, casually, holding a long sword and shield. While checking the states of her three companions, Sunyi drew her bow again in case of an unforeseen event. The moment the arrow aimed at him a distance away was fired, Rei¡¯s eyes captured the arrow. Though he thought of evading it or cutting it down with the Death Scythe if it was aimed for his head, the arrow was targeted at his body. It was probably aimed there as they judged it would be easier to target. Though the arrow shot at his right side was blocked by the Dragon Robe, he pretended to fall to the ground. The next moment, he heard Seryl¡¯s voice from the top of the opposite building as well as the sounds of two more people. Including Seryl, the footsteps of 3 people approached him. (According to the information from Hobbes and Elk, Dark Night¡¯s Star should be a party of 4. An archer, 2 warriors and a thief. In this case, the archer is the most troublesome as it¡¯s a long range attacker, fortunately, it doesn¡¯t have enough power to pierce the Dragon Robe. The next most troublesome would be the thief as he can hide in the dark. While listening to the three footsteps coming closer to him, he looked for the thief¡¯s position. There was a slight difference in footsteps between a warrior and thief due to the weight of the equipment they carried. He listened. (Left, is it?) Seryl was at the front. Judging from the foot steps and speed, the other warrior of Dark Night¡¯s Star who wore heavier equipment, Al, was at the right. He firmly gripped the Death Scythe that he had held onto as he had fallen. Naturally, there was a difference in speed between a warrior and a thief, the first to reach him was Murgas who wore light armour, the thief of Dark Night¡¯s Star. ¡¸Murgas, how is it?¡¡Was he killed neatly with Sunyi¡¯s arrow?¡¹ Seryl¡¯s voice was a bit further away. Rei heard the footsteps near slowly. ¡¸Wait a moment big sis. I¡¯ll check now.¡¹ Hehe, he grinned and smiled in his heart as he heard the footsteps approach. Originally, the best way to check if the other party was alive or dead would be to throw a stone or dagger at it to see the reaction. In fact, if they did throw a stone or dagger at his head, he wouldn¡¯t be able to counterattack immediately, but maybe Murgas didn¡¯t have a spare weapon, or maybe he found it too troublesome, he just approached Rei cautiously. And¡­¡­ (Now!) Rei judged that Murgas had entered his attack range and acted quickly. He grasped the Death Scythe that had fallen to the ground when he fell and made a sweeping attack. Because he had attacked without putting in any magic power, his attack wasn¡¯t anticipated. The Death Scythe cut through the flesh with ease and the bone with a bit of pressure, cutting off both of Murgas¡¯s ankles. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¡Ah, ah, ah¡­¡­Gyaaaaaaaaa~!¡¡Ah, my legs, my feet are, aaahh~!¡¹ For an instant, he couldn¡¯t believe he was attacked. Speaking while seemingly preoccupied, Murgas collapsed to the ground as he couldn¡¯t stand without both ankles. He screamed while lying on the ground as the intense pain hit him a few seconds after the attack. ¡¸Tch, he¡¯s still alive. Al, let¡¯s go. This is his final resistance anyway. Sunyi, cover us with your bow!¡¹ Seryl had thought that the only magic item Rei had was the item box, Misty Ring. The Dragon Robe that he usually wore, even if you searched the entire Mireana Kingdom¡­¡­no, not even the entirety of Elgin would have a magic item of this high quality, therefore, she thought that his attack on Murgas was a desperate attack of the verge on death after receiving a mortal wound from Sunyi¡¯s arrow. However, maybe that wasn¡¯t unreasonable. After all, the Dragon Robe was made by Zepairu¡¯s organization, in other words, it¡¯s concealment effect was given by the greatest Alchemist of that time, Esta Nord. Others could not see its true value. At the frontier, it would be an impossible event for a rank C adventurer to see through it. TLN: Okay, so it turns out the concealment effect of the Dragon Robe is to hide the fact that it¡¯s a magic item. Note also appended to when it was first described. While thinking of this in a corner of his mind, Rei sprung up, using the momentum from the attack that cut Murgas¡¯ ankles. He went closer to Murgas who was rolling on the ground crying unsightly and struck with the Death Scythe in a scooping motion, cutting him in two. ¡¸Gah~!¡¹ He raised a small scream as his internal organs such as his stomach and intestines spilled onto the ground, the light faded from Murgas¡¯ eyes. Seeing the ankles, still in their shoes further ahead, a wry smile floated onto his face for a moment. TLN: Well, I didn¡¯t expect Rei to have a brutal streak. (I don¡¯t have any particular guilt even though I killed a person, it seems. Well, I¡¯m thankful given the present situation.) ¡¸Murgas!?¡¡Tch, he¡¯s still okay even though the arrows hit!¡¡Al, we¡¯ll do it at once!¡¹ ¡¸Big sis!? We should retreat!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say stupid things!¡¡It has already begun. Since it¡¯s become like this, we have to kill the rookie, if that guy gets away, the guild will give us a bounty. Be prepared for that!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Shit, I understand!¡¹ Matching their timing, the two people swung their swords from the left and right. Rei judged that Seryl, the leader of Dark Star, was more formidable and decided to aim for Al first to decrease the number of enemies. With the handle of the Death Scythe, he swept up some of Murgas¡¯ organs which were scattered around and flicked them at Al. ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Al was sweeping his bastard sword from the side at that moment but was blinded by Murgas¡¯ organs coming at his face and evaded. However¡­¡­ ¡¸Fool!¡¡You¡¯re careless!¡¹ Seryls voice sounded through the area, but it was too late. For a bastard sword, its high power lay with its weight, However, at the same time, it was difficult to maneuver. For example, as when someone got close, as Rei did now. As Al swung the bastard sword, he suddenly felt a wind and turned his eyes, the small figure of Rei and his robe was no longer at where he was before. ¡¸Al, your chest!¡¹ Seryl set her long sword towards Al while shouting, but it was too late. The huge scythe like the scythe of the Grim Reaper was about to swing down and take Al¡¯s life. (Shit, big sis won¡¯t make it in time. My sword isn¡¯t enough¡­¡­this, ending up in a place like this!) Because of the possibility of his own death approaching him, Al¡¯s head spun, he asked himself about the meaning of the life he had lived, regretting being cajoled by Seryl into attacking Rei¡­¡­ ¡¸Fool, don¡¯t give up!¡¹ The moment he heard that voice, he returned to reality. ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ It was strange, he was on the verge of dying. Yet why was he still alive?¡¡While doubting, what entered his vision were a few arrows stuck in the ground in the area where Rei and his large scythe were just before. The moment he say the arrows and heard the shout of ¡®don¡¯t give up¡¯, he realised it was Sunyi. ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ The figure of Seryl appeared nearby, her sword set up to restrain Rei. Checking his surroundings, he finally realised he was still alive. ¡¸Big sis, he¡¯s strong. It seems the Griffon isn¡¯t with him just for show.¡¹ ¡¸It looks like it. Tch, isn¡¯t that rookie rank G?¡¡Who would think that he¡¯s so strong.¡¹ While listening to the exchange of the 2, a smile floated onto Rei¡¯s face. ¡¸I¡¯m strong, is it? That¡¯s right. Although it¡¯s not much, I take pride that I have the strength to subdue a C rank monster.¡¹ While swinging the Death Scythe, with a hyun~ hyun~ sound, at the two people before his eyes, he didn¡¯t forget to check the state of the archer, Sunyi. Being hit by an arrow before was just part of his plan. Being able to avoid the attack demonstrated that Rei¡¯s body was close to a monster, if it were a normal person, the arrows would have hit his body without fail. (I was surprised about that, that man called Al was clearly a decoy. When I swung the Death Scythe, I was attacked the moment I attacked. Still, he responded when she shouted out not to give up. ¡­¡­I see. Trust, is it?) After Rei participated in the subjugation quest, he was convinced that Dark Night¡¯s Star was a party made up of thugs. However, though thugs may behave as so, there was still trust between them, he understood this for the first time. (Still, I can¡¯t be killed quietly. Their deaths were decided when the surprise attack began.) Al, who somehow narrowly avoided death, was covered in cold sweat as he glanced at Rei. At the same time, Seryl, who was next to him, was in a similar situation. Sunyi pulled back her bow to shoot her arrows at Rei, given a chance. He held the middle of the Death Scythe with his hands and swung it with a hyun~ hyun~ sound to restrain the enemy, he worked out a strategy against Dark Star while looking like a dance performance. ( In this case, the most troublesome aren¡¯t the two people who can fight in close combat, it¡¯s the woman called Sunyi who can support from long range.) While brandishing the Death Scythe, Rei turned his gaze to Sunyi. On the top of the roof of an Orc house, attacks normally wouldn¡¯t reach. Even if he used fire magic, the two people, Seryl and Al, wouldn¡¯t give him a chance to say the incantation. So, there was no way to attack Sunyi. If he were a normal person¡­¡­ But, Rei wasn¡¯t someone you could call a normal person. Using the centrifugal force from swinging the Death Scythe, he scooped out the dirt and stones on the ground and and flung them at the people in front of him with the handle, he then made a long jump backwards. The next moment, he invoked the Shoes of Sleipnir while seeing arrows hit the position he was at just before. Rei jumped to the highest point and used the Shoes of Sleipnir to step further into the air before falling. At that moment, a few arrows flew towards Rei¡¯s feet as he began to fall. If it weren¡¯t for the Shoe of Sleipnir that let him step on the air, perhaps several of the arrows would have hit him. However, the magic item Shoes of Sleipnir overturned Sunyi¡¯s calculations. Sunyi saw her attack had missed and tried to to draw an arrow for her bow from her quiver in a hurry¡­¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s a shame.¡¹ Rei was already in front of Sunyi¡¯s eyes, swinging the Death Scythe. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Though Sunyi tried to shout something, the magic boosted Death Scythe was swung down before the words left her mouth. The huge blade cut through Sunyi diagonally from shoulder down¡­¡­the next second, her body slid down, internal organs and blood scattering onto the roof. ¡ºSunyi!?¡» Though Seryl and Al, who were watching, shouted out Sunyi¡¯s name, the light had already faded from Sunyi¡¯s eyes. ¡¸You!¡¡How dare you do that to Sunyi!¡¹ Though Al raised a vehement shout, Rei just stared back at Al and Seryl with cold eyes. ¡¸What, so it¡¯s acceptable for you to kill me but not okay for me to kill you?¡¡Is the fact that the person you try to kill is fighting back something bad? Or are you going to say you are the only people with the right to kill me?¡¹ ¡¸Shut up!¡¡Get down from there now!¡¡I¡¯ll cut you down with my sword like you did to Murgas and Sunyi!¡¹ Although Al burst out with an angry voice, Rei had no intention of coming down. ¡¸What, even if you can take out a thief and archer, it¡¯s too hard to fight someone the same as you in close combat?¡¡If you¡¯re a man, come down and fight fairly!¡¹ ¡¸Kuku~. Fair and square, hey. Attacking someone by surprise and 4 against 1, I can¡¯t help but laugh¡­¡­no, talent as adventurers aside, you have talent as comedians, you guys.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll stop, incidentally, joke asides, let me correct your joke. I¡¯m not a warrior. It suffices to say¡­¡­I¡¯m a ¡ºMagic Warrior¡»¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Ignoring Al, who unintentionally asked again in a defiant tone, Rei started an incantation. ¡ºFlame, thou exists in my domain only and cannot in other domains. My magic power in my domain in exchange for your short life, sublimate your life for a moment.¡» At the same time Rei started his incantation, a scarlet line of magic power drew and enclosed the place Al and Seryl were. ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Perceiving the danger of the line, Seryl escaped from the magic lines by jumping backwards. However, Al, who¡¯s rank was lower than Seryl, didn¡¯t have that judgement. No, maybe he knew but seeing his companions killed made the blood rush to his head and his crisis perception ability fell. If had his usual carefulness, he might have felt the overwhelming presence of death approaching. However, that would be another story. Al was already surrounded by the magic lines, his fate decided. ¡ºDancing Wild Flame¡» The incantation was completed and the magic activated. A bright, translucent, red dome covered the marked area the crimson line cut through. Al¡¯s cheeks cramped when he finally realised he was in a dangerous place¡­¡­a myriad of lizards appeared inside the crimson dome. So many that it was difficult to count, the next moment, the lizards exploded simultaneously, turning into fire. One of them exploded, turning into flames, similarly, the lizards touched by the flame exploded the same way¡­¡­so the number of flames and explosions increased like a chain reaction, the last one exploded, turning into flames and rampaging inside the dome, the scorching flame was so dazzling you couldn¡¯t open your eyes. Al was instantly burned without being able to say a word. Chapter 35 ¡¸¡­¡­You, what on earth¡­¡­¡¹ She remembered how Al was burnt to ashes in a moment inside the translucent dome. In that state, Seryl reflexively muttered. Rei replied with a faint smile on his face. ¡¸Well, as you said, there¡¯s no mistake, I¡¯m a G rank adventurer who just registered with the guild.¡¹ While replying with a mutter to Seryl¡¯s words to herself, he clicked his fingers with a pachin~ sound. The next moment, the flames that had been burning brightly in the dome disappeared as if it were an illusion. As the flames all vanished, the dome faded away as well. The only remains were the burnt, scorched ground and the half melted bastard sword that Al had used. Al¡¯s body and the leather armour he had equipped was completely burnt up, not even ashes remained. His only reprieve was that the scorching flames that rampaged in the dome didn¡¯t let him feel the fear or pain of death, he was burnt to death instantly. Perhaps Al didn¡¯t even realise it as there wasn¡¯t any pain as he died. ¡¸D-do¡­¡­don¡¯t joke with me!¡¡A G rank adventurer burning someone to death in an instant, moreover, how can you use such a strong magic that doesn¡¯t affect the surroundings!¡¹ Seeing Al¡¯s death, Seryl finally understood that the person staring at her from the rooftop with a cold gaze was more than just a G rank adventurer. The price was the death of three of her companions, the only member of Dark Night¡¯s Star left was Seryl. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ll say this one thing because there seems to be a misunderstanding. I definitely am a G rank adventurer who just registered with the guild. That is correct. However, the magic and skills I learnt before registering with the guild don¡¯t just disappear. Your mistake was thinking that I, a rookie who just registered with the guild, had no experience in combat and magic. Information about me should have traveled around in various ways, in the end you didn¡¯t take it seriously because I was a rookie who just registered with the guild?¡¹ Even Seryl knew that he had defeated the D rank party Claws of the Hawk by himself, she also knew that the person in front of her was followed by a Griffon, an A rank monster. Nevertheless, she had baseless confidence that she would be handle it herself. That fatal mistake had resulted in the death of all members of Dark Night¡¯s Star except herself. ¡¸Shit, even if you say that, so what!¡¹ Seryl spat out while giving a sharp glare at Rei and clenching her teeth. However, Rei ignored her words and jumped with a ton~ sound from the roof to the ground. When he landed on the ground, he didn¡¯t make a sound, it was something that couldn¡¯t be said a G rank adventurer could do. ¡¸By the way, I¡¯m not nice enough to let you die in peace.¡¹ While brandishing the Death Scythe with a hyun~ hyun~ sound, he kept his eyes fixed on Seryl. (Since she knows the power of my magic, if I try to use it again, she won¡¯t hesitate to run away. If possible, I wanted to finish her and the man named Al in one blow before¡­¡­well, even if she¡¯s corrupt, she¡¯s still a C rank adventurer. Rei watched Seryl with his eyes while waiting for a chance to finish her off. While Seryl understood that Rei was slowly waiting for a chance to kill her, she had seen Rei¡¯s power and instead of trying to run away again and showing her back, she gradually retreated. However, naturally, she couldn¡¯t keep evading like that forever, before long, Seryl¡¯s back hit a building that seemed to be an Orc¡¯s house. Rei saw that and started to speak while smiling. ¡¸Now then, I suppose that¡¯s enough time. I have to cover the other parties that are participating in the night attack. I have to finish this soon¡­¡­you don¡¯t mind?¡¹ Suddenly stopping the Death Scythe he had been swinging around, he pointed the tip at Seryl and asked. ¡¸¡­¡­Looking at my current situation, it certainly would be difficult for me to defeat you. But you know, I can¡¯t fall silent just because of this. Now that it¡¯s come down to this, I have to get through no matter what!¡¹ Maybe she thought other adventurers would come if she delayed long enough, she gave a shout and steeled herself before throwing the shield in her left hand at Rei¡¯s face. ¡¸Is her intention to blind me?¡¹ Muttering about the trivial matter, Rei poured magic power into the Death Scythe and struck out. The Death Scythe, which had its sharpness increased by magic, split the shield that Seryl had thrown in two without any resistance. However, as for Seryl, seeing Murgas and Sunyi¡¯s last moments, she knew the shield had no use and threw it away. Still, having done that, she felt that it was good if she could blind Rei for a moment. The reason it was good was because she wanted to strike Rei with an attack. If she had ran the moment the shield had blinded him, she might have gotten away if she was lucky. However, she judged that it was too difficult and decide to wound him so that he couldn¡¯t chase, it was an attack that held Seryl¡¯s fate. ¡¸Haaaaatsu~!¡¹ Raising a shout, she aimed for the body. The head was a small target and it was likely she would be hit by the scythe if she aimed at an arm as she couldn¡¯t cut off both arms at the same time. With that, the body was left. If it went well, she could land a serious injury, it would then become difficult to chase after her on foot. And it was the body that Seryl targeted. Though there was also a possibility of damaging his internals if it went well, the biggest reason was the size of the target. Thinking of Rei¡¯s movements, she judged that even if she aimed at his feet, he would probably evade it. As for the center of the body, it was the hardest place to evade an attack. With that, she bet everything on this single blow, even a cornered rat would bite a cat. The attack shot at Rei with an unexpected speed. Moreover, the attack was what Seryl was most skilled at, a piercing attack. When the shield was cut in two by the Death Scythe, just before Seryl¡¯s thrust pierced through Rei¡¯s body¡­¡­ ¡¸It is regrettable.¡¹ However, even with Seryl¡¯s attack which carried her body and soul, it was still an attack at the level Rei could respond too in a moment. While using the handle of the Death Scythe to cut the shield, against the sword at his belly¡­¡­he used the blade cut the sword aimed at him. Seryl¡¯s attack on Rei carried all her strength. If you thought about it normally, Seryl would have won with that attack, but in this case, the difference in pure physical strength was displayed clearly. Kin~!¡¡The sharp screech of metal was heard, Seryl¡¯s blade was cut in half and flew through the air with a kurukuru~ sound before stabbing into the ground. Seryl¡¯s thrust, now missing more than half the blade, naturally didn¡¯t reach Rei. ¡¸T-this is stupid¡­¡­that was my best attack!?¡¡And so easily¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It was a shame. Our physical ability seems to be different.¡¹ He quietly muttered, he held the Death Scythe in a position to his upper right after hitting the long sword from the lower left. His weapon was raised in the reverse Kesagiri position. TLN: Kesagiri is the 5th kata of the Japanese Iaido and is a diagonal slash from the shoulder down. When Rei attacked, he had noticed the signs in an instant. Seryl stared in surprise at her long sword for a moment before jumping back, but she was a bit too slow. The blade of the Death Scythe cut diagonally through the raised sword and into Seryl from the reverse Kesagiri position. Still, she wasn¡¯t cut in two due to her reflexive evasion. ¡¸Gueh!¡¹ While raising a groan of pain, Seryl fell to one knee. Because it was a deep would from the left shoulder to her right waist, even if she pressed her hands against it, she couldn¡¯t suppress the wound. While seeing a stream of blood flowing to the ground, Rei held up the Death Scythe to give Seryl the final blow. ¡¸No¡­¡­ugh¡­¡­can¡¯t fail!¡¹ While groaning, she grabbed the soil at her feet¡­¡­no, the mud which was formed from her blood, and scattered it at Rei¡¯s face. However, Rei didn¡¯t dodge it or block it with his robe, instead, he struck the air with the Death Scythe. With a boom, the sound echoed into the surroundings. At the same time, the mud made from blood scattered around the area. ¡¸A futile struggle¡­¡­no, I see.¡¹ Though he was going to say something to Seryl, who had thrown the mud at him, seeing her appearance, he understood Seryl¡¯s aim immediately. From the bag at her waist, she had taken out a potion that Hobbes had distributed before the night attack and was pouring it on her wound. Her leather armour had been torn as well as her body from the blow of the Death Scythe, Rei¡¯s eyes were able to confirm that the wound was quickly healing from the potion¡¯s effect. ¡¸Hah, do you not feel any excitement looking at the bare skin of a woman.¡¹ While using her hand to hide her two hills that appeared so she could heal her wound, Seryl muttered viciously. However, she immediately removed her hand that was hiding her skin, showing off her near half naked body. ¡¸Hey, how about it?¡¡Say if you let me go, you can do whatever you want with my body, would you like to make a deal?¡¹ Seryl looked at Rei with flattering eyes. To begin with, she had good features, being half naked and with her sex appeal, if a man didn¡¯t know who she was, they would jump at her. ¡¸¡­¡­Even though I killed 3 of your companions?¡¹ He looked at her eyes while saying those words. Seryl shook her head. ¡¸Those guys knew that the occupation of an adventurer came with danger. If they died here, it means that that was their caliber.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Rei gave a small mutter to Seryl¡¯s words. Using her weight, she tried to push her bare chest against Rei but¡­¡­ ¡¸Those guys would be turning in their graves.¡¹ Because Rei dodged quickly, Seryl, who tried to lean against his body, tripped on her feet and fell to the ground. ¡¸Wait a moment, what are you doing¡­¡­ah¡­¡­eeh.¡¹ As she fell to the ground like a brick, she scowled at Rei¡¯s face. However, the figure of Rei wearing his robe and his Death Scythe couldn¡¯t be seen. ¡¸Hey, why are you doing this. Didn¡¯t you hear me say I¡¯ll exchange my body for letting me go!¡¹ ¡¸Though you certainly said so, I don¡¯t recall ever accepting it.¡¹ While muttering, the appearances of Al and Sunyi, who had partied with this woman, appeared in his mind. The woman with the bow had trusted her companion and used him as a decoy. After killing the woman, the man still fought back despite understanding that Rei was overwhelmingly stronger than him. Both weren¡¯t strong opponents for Rei. Because they were at the same level as the Claws of the Hawk whom he had crushed as he arrived in Gilm, that was a matter of course. However, their attitudes were still something to be looked at. On the other hand¡­¡­ He glanced at Seryl who was looking at him with pleading eyes. What was there was surely the beautiful face and expression of a mature woman. However, Rei could see through to the ugly character packed inside, the value he could find in that face was not much different to that of an Orc¡¯s face. ¡¸Even if I held you, a woman like you is too unpleasant to accept. There isn¡¯t any value to it even if you paid me.¡¹ ¡¸What!¡¹ Though she was getting older, Seryl still had confidence in her own looks. Because of that, hearing that he didn¡¯t want to hold her even if he was paid, the blood rushed to her head. ¡¸Hey you!¡¡Normally I¡¯m not a woman that wouldn¡¯t pay attention to a G rank rookie like you!¡¡It¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good enough, shut up.¡¹ Rei judged that it was meaningless to hear any more of her boasting or pleading for life and casually lifted the Death Scythe. ¡¸Hii~!¡¹ While screaming, the last thing Seryl saw was the huge blade swinging down to behead her. ¡¸Even if you say the frontier city gathers adventurers, in the end, it¡¯s a hopeless jumble of good and bad.¡¹ Cutting her head from her neck, he looked down at the corpse of Seryl which was spilling blood as he muttered. There wasn¡¯t a sense of guilt or fear at killing a person in his expression, however, he knit his eyebrows unpleasantly at the corpse. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ To Rei who was in that state, Set appeared from the darkness and rubbed his head against Rei to comfort him. ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right. Because there are adventurers like Axe of the Thunder God, I can¡¯t just leave the others.¡¹ While scratching Set¡¯s head with a kori~ kori~ sound, he shook his head as smoothed the feathers. ¡¸Well, Set. I think it¡¯s time to return to our job. I wonder if the leader of the Orcs has appeared yet.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Glancing at Set who affirmed Rei¡¯s question with a cry, he sat astride Set¡¯s back which he had become accustomed to. ¡¸Well, first we¡¯ll try to look for one more Orc Mage and Orc General while supporting the other parties. We already have 6 Orc Archers so we don¡¯t need any more¡­¡­well, if we find any, we¡¯ll still hunt them.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Giving a sharp cry into the surroundings, Set ran towards the night sky after taking a run up of a few steps. 1 man and 1 animal rose up into the cloudless, moonlit sky. Chapter 36 As the battle in the east continued as planned, as expected, the number of Orcs was reduced. And as several parties attacked the Orcs, fighting Axe of the Thunder God, from behind, the Orcs were caught in a pincer attack between Axe of the Thunder God and the other parties. ¡¸It seems the pincer attack from several parties is same strength as Axe of the Thunder God. They certainly can be called an A rank party.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Several hours had passed since the night attack began, but sounds of battle could still be heard from the east, held by Axe of the Thunder God. As expected Min¡¯s magic power had started to deplete and the intervals between magic casts grown longer. Still, ice arrows and fireballs kept falling without a break, magic such as Lightning Rain and Gusty Wind could also be seen cast. ¡¸Though the number of Orcs has been significantly reduced, why hasn¡¯t the leader of the Orcs come out?¡¹ Rei and Set alone had taken out 10 Orcs. Though he didn¡¯t know how many the other parties had defeated, there was no doubt that it was a considerable number. Of course, Axe of the Thunder God, who had been fighting continuously since the start of the night attack, had the most kills out of the subjugation force, especially Elk. In fact, judging roughly from the sky, the number of Orcs gathered at the east of the settlement was already less than 50. No matter how you looked at it, it was abnormal that the leader of the Orcs still hadn¡¯t come out. Feeling some doubt at that question and searching the ground while flying over the settlement on Set, his eyes caught a group moving west under the cover of darkness instead of the east. If it were a normal human, it would have been impossible to see things moving under the cover of darkness. On the other hand, it might have been a different story if it were a race with good night vision. Though the night¡¯s darkness had weakened due to the flames burning the settlement and the moonlight, if you chose certain places, it was still possible to hide while moving. However, the reason the group caught his eyes was because as the subjugation force invaded from every direction, they were leaving the settlement. Several visible figures of adventurers that were part of the Orc subjugation force could also be seen nearby. Basically, all the parties distributed to the eight locations had started their invasion almost at the same time as Axe of the Thunder God. In that situation, from what Rei saw from the sky, the group moving to the west was extremely unnatural. As the Orcs were continuously reduced by the subjugation force, a group was hiding under the darkness and moving opposite to the east, where the fiercest battle was happening. The group in the west was taking a different action. The moment the thoughts gathered in Rei¡¯s head, he directed a sharp gaze to the ground while smiling ferociously. ¡¸Indeed, this Orc settlement is already useless. The number of Orcs is also dropping at an increasing rate, the settlement will burn itself out before long. However, I can¡¯t accept Orcs running away for even a moment. Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ To Rei¡¯s voice, Set dived sharply to the ground while raising a brave cry. But rather than the Orc group that was running away from the Orc settlement¡­¡­he aimed in front of the western adventurer group. With the heat from the burning settlement, the gust from Set as he landed on the ground could be described as a true tropical night wind. ¡¸Uwaa~!¡¹ Naturally, the adventurers who saw Set suddenly appear in front of them scattered and readied their weapons while raising voices of surprise¡­¡­however, they put down their weapons after seeing that they was familiar faces from the subjugation force, the G rank adventurer Rei and the Griffon, Set. ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t surprise us like that.¡¹ The voice that came over was from a female warrior in her mid twenties¡­¡­no, it was a female fencer. Holding a sword that shone sharply in her hand, she wore leather armour that didn¡¯t inhibit her movement. Next to her, was a man aged in his mid forties holding a cane and wearing a robe. At the back, a young girl in her teens lowered her bow while giving a sigh of relief, it was a girl with short hair who looked to be a little older than Rei. She was also wearing leather armour that didn¡¯t inhibit movement. With the female fencer as the leader and the middle aged mage, who were both rank C, and the girl holding the bow, who was rank D, they made up the party Scorching Wind. ¡¸Ah, are you doing well Set-chan?¡¹ The female fencer Milein stroked Set¡¯s head. The male mage, Sulunin, spat out a sigh while seeing that and called out to Rei. ¡¸So, why are you here?¡¡If I¡¯m not wrong, your job is a mobile attack unit. As you can see, we¡¯re on our way moving to the center of the settlement now, there¡¯s no battle here.¡¹ ¡¸Well, there were a few fights before you came.¡¹ To Sulunin¡¯s words, the archer Ecryll cut in, poking fun. Rei saw the three people and got off Set before looking around. ¡¸That¡¯s a relief¡­¡­though it¡¯s a funny story, there is a group of Orcs coming just ahead.¡¹ ¡¸Impossible. Surely all the Orcs have gathered in the east. There¡¯s no way they would come here.¡¹ Milein spoke while stroking Set¡¯s back. Though Set would usually give a joyful cry in these circumstances, as expected, Set only stared into the darkness as the enemy was nearby. ¡¸I know right. In fact, when looking from above, most of the Orcs are fight with Axe of the Thunder God in the east, all the other parties have attacked from behind as part of the strategy.¡¹ ¡¸Then, why are there Orcs here?¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t know? The Orcs are doing their best to deal with the night attack and the pincer attack between Axe of the Thunder God and the other parties. Incidentally, Set and I have also killed several high ranking species. In other words¡­¡­¡¹ He stopped his words there. However, Sulunin understood what Rei wanted to say and immediately looked at Set with with a serious gaze. ¡¸The individual leading the Orcs realised that there¡¯s no chance of winning and is running away?¡¹ ¡¸Eh!?¡¡You¡¯re talking about the Orc leader, the boss, right?¡¡Yet it¡¯s escaping and abandoning it¡¯s subordinates and companions?¡¹ At the same time as Ecryll¡¯s surprised voice echoed into the surroundings, Rei struck out sharply with the Death Scythe. With a kin~ sound, an arrow was cut in two and fell to the ground. ¡¸-!?¡¡Enemy attack!¡¹ The moment they saw it, Milein gave a sharp shout and Sulunin and Ecryll immediately prepared for combat. Milein went forward as the vanguard with her sword. The archer and mage, Ecryll and Sulunin stood behind Milein. They smoothly fixed up their battle formation at once with Milein¡¯s words, Rei was able to understand that this formation was the reason why Scorching Wind could win their fights. While looking at them with admiration in their mind, Set and Rei prepared for battle as usual. Rei readied the Death Scythe to slash or cast magic at any time. Set flew up to cover Rei from the sky. ¡¸¡­¡­They came.¡¹ At almost the same time Rei and the others entered combat readiness, the Orcs showed up out of the darkness. There were 5 ordinary Orcs, an Orc Archer with a bow and an Orc Mage with a cane. Slightly larger than the other Orcs was an Orc General wearing armour. ¡¸Uwa~, not just normal Orcs but 3 high ranking species¡­¡­we¡¯re definitely saved because of Rei and Set¡¯s reinforcements.¡¹ Milein muttered as cold sweat covered her forehead. The reason was that she judged they wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat that group by themselves. However well the fight went, a couple of Scorching Wind¡¯s members would have died. If it went badly, they would have been wiped out. However, here was the figure of Set, an A rank monster, Griffon. In addition, although they hadn¡¯t seen him fight, they knew that Rei had defeated the D rank party Claws of the Hawk by himself. However, Rei kept looking further into the dark from where the 9 Orcs came from. When Milein followed Rei¡¯s glance in doubt, one more shadow appeared from the darkness. The figure was even larger than the Orc Generals, who were larger than other Orcs, exceeding 3m in size. In addition, it was wearing extravagant armour and held what seemed to be a magic great sword. And above all was it¡¯s dignity, power and spirit. Such things were clearly different from the other Orcs. Milein, who saw the figure of the Orc, half called out to Sulunin who was the brains of the party while almost being overwhelmed by the pressure. ¡¸Sulunin, do you know what that Orc is?¡¡It isn¡¯t any type of Orc I know¡­¡­anyhow, I have a bad feeling.¡¹ ¡¸Impossible!?¡¹ As Milein¡¯s voice came out, Sulunin turned his gaze to the Orc and cried out involuntarily. It was the first time Ecryll had seen Sulunin like this, he usually used polite words and was calm all the time. However, Milein, who had been in a party for a long time with Sulunin, had fortunately or unfortunately seen Sulunin like this several times before. For example, when they met the aquatic monster called Water Kelpie during a Goblin extermination. Or when they ran into a Aruraune Queen, which is a high ranking species, while doing a Treant extermination quest. In other words, whenever they ran into unplanned monsters or when the met with stronger monsters. TLN: Okay some new monsters here that need a bit of explanation. The Water Kelpie is a Scottish shape shifting mythical creature. From google, a Aruraune is a monster from a game but is essentially a Mangadora, other wise known as a Mandrake. ¡¸Sulunin, tell me. That Orc¡­¡­what is it?¡¹ Desperately calming the bad feeling spreading through her chest, Milein asked Sulunin about the Orc without removing her eyes from them. Sulunin¡¯s voice as he responded was somewhat hoarse. ¡¸The king of the Orcs, the one that rules the Orcs, in other words, an Orc King¡­¡­it¡¯s, a B rank monster.¡¹ ¡¸-!? ¡­¡­I see. It¡¯s natural for Sulunin to be like this.¡¹ Milein took in a sharp breath at Sulunin¡¯s description. A rank B monster, it¡¯s difference with a rank C monster isn¡¯t just 1 rank. Like there is a hard barrier between S rank and A rank, there is a similar barrier between B rank and C rank. As it soaked into her, she understood as she had gone past the barrier between D rank and E rank. There was a test to raise your rank, it wasn¡¯t just for show. ¡¸It¡¯s troubling¡­¡­we surely can¡¯t expect Axe of the Thunder God, who are in the east, to come towards us in the west.¡¹ In order to calm her restless mind, Milein deliberately spoke out in a carefree tone. Thanks to that, Ecryll, who had been trembling at the existence of a B rank monster, somewhat regained her composure. Meanwhile, Rei set up the Death Scythe next to Milein and opened his mouth to speak. ¡¸There¡¯s no need to be frightened. After all, these guys are only failures of soldiers who decided they couldn¡¯t beat the Orc subjugation force I mentioned earlier and are running away.¡¹ The sneer he had left no doubt behind his words. Though they might not have understood his words, the Orcs got the meaning and looked towards Milein for a moment before getting excited. ¡¸Hey, Rei!¡¡Don¡¯t provoke them so much. Do you think we can do this by ourselves!?¡¡We can¡¯t do anything now but buy time for reinforcements to come.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s regrettable but we can¡¯t beat the Orcs with our current combat strength¡­¡­your Griffon, even if it¡¯s a A rank monster, we¡¯re still out numbered. Even if the Griffon can survive, it doesn¡¯t mean anything if we don¡¯t.¡¹ Following Milein¡¯s words, Sulunin also advised that they should devote themselves to buying time and avoid fighting. However, Rei ascertained the enemy¡¯s combat force while paying no attention to the words of the two. (Orc King, I¡¯ll assume I¡¯ll do something about that, the problem is the high ranking species. Archer, Mage and General, one of each. ¡­¡­It seems there¡¯s no other way.) Spitting out a sigh in his mind, he directed his gaze to Milein. ¡¸Milein, there is 1 suggestion.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸To get out of this, Set and I will be using our hidden trump cards. However then, naturally, you guys will see our last resorts, please promise that you won¡¯t reveal it to others.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What if I say no?¡¹ ¡¸In that case, Set and I will quickly leave this place. You can do something about the Orcs with just the 3 of you.¡¹ Rei finished saying so quite bluntly. Saying it with a natural expression was enough for Milein to understand that they would run without hesitation if she said no. ¡¸Milein.¡¹ Ecryll gave a small mutter. Even if you said that she had calmed down since seeing the Orc King, she still wasn¡¯t able to completely remove the fear of the presence of the other party. One of the reasons why Ecrylll could calm down was because there was a Griffon as an ally, an existence higher than the Orc King, who had an overwhelming presence as a friend. If Milein turned down Rei¡¯s proposal, once Rei left with Set, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for them to escape, she subconsciously called out to Milein. Of course, Milein was the party leader and felt it immediately, spitting out a small sigh. ¡¸I understand. We promise absolutely to not tell anyone about Rei and Set¡¯s trump cards. Is that good enough?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Even if you say it here, it¡¯s still only a verbal promise, isn¡¯t it?¡¡After the fight with the Orc King is finished, I would like to use Magic Oath. Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Magic Oath?¡¹ As Milein was unfamiliar with magic, she looked to Sulunin. Because Sulunin didn¡¯t know this magic, he only shook his head silently. ¡¸What will you do?¡¹ Rei prompted for a reply. Though Milein was somewhat uneasy about the unfamiliar magic, she had already made up her mind. After all, the only choices available here were to receive Rei¡¯s Magic Oath and survive or refuse and fight the group of Orcs including the Orc King by themselves. And if they chose the latter, at best they could die in battle, at worst¡­¡­no, no mistake, she and Ecryll would end up as breeders for the Orcs for the rest of their lives. If so, it was better to survive even if they had to receive a strange magic. ¡¸I understand. We will protect your secret and also accept the Magic Oath.¡¹ ¡¸Good. Set, it¡¯s okay now.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a small cry at Rei¡¯s voice. The Orcs seemed to have been restrained by the A rank monster, Griffon, until Rei¡¯s voice called out. Even if the Orcs were in a situation where they couldn¡¯t move, they instinctively felt that the Griffon in front of their eyes wasn¡¯t a mediocre opponent. Thus, the last battle of the settlement began with the Orcs, Rei, Set and Scorching Wind. Chapter 37 Having come out before the other Orcs, the Orc General led the ordinary Orcs. To cover them at any time, the Orc Archer and Orc Mage readied their bow and cane. The Orc King, who had set up the settlement, calmly watched from the back. ¡¸Milein, How many Orcs can the 3 of you fight?¡¹ Rei asked Milein who had readied her long sword as he set up his Death Scythe, ready to swing down. ¡¸That¡¯s right. If you leave out the high ranking species, we can take 3 Orcs. If it¡¯s just holding them off, we can even take 5. But, it¡¯s a little hard if there¡¯s a high ranking species.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then I¡¯ll take care of all the high ranking species including the Orc King. Scorching wind will handle the 5 other Orcs.¡¹ We will take care of all the high ranking species including the Orc King. After saying that to Milein, Rei turned around as if he had already forgotten and glared at the Orcs. ¡¸Wait, seriously?¡¡I mean, are you sane?¡¹ ¡¸Well, we¡¯ll manage. Set, you¡¯re responsible for the Orc Archer and Orc Mage. Use of all skills is permitted. I¡¯ll fight the Orc King after I clean up the Orc General.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry, acknowledging Rei¡¯s instruction. Though Milein twitched in reaction to Rei saying he allowed the use of all skills, she judged that it was the last resort he mentioned a little while ago and readied her grasped sword at the Orcs. ¡¸Sulunin, Ecryll, you¡¯ve heard it. Apparently our opponents are the 5 Orcs.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, to depend on a G rank adventurer¡­¡­I¡¯m ashamed at our weakness.¡¹ ¡¸Sulunin-san, our top priority now is to survive.¡¹ Ecryll encouraged the Sulunin, who as the oldest person, was depressed as leaving everything to a boy in his mid teens. Rei had a faint smile as he saw this and took up his Death Scythe. ¡¸What, don¡¯t worry. I can let Set help right away if things go according to my plan. ¡­¡­Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s signal, Set gave a sharp cry. A mass of water appeared in front of Set at the same time. It was the Water Ball skill that Set had received after absorbing the magic stone of the Water Bear. ¡¸Eh?¡¡What is the Griffon¡­¡­¡¹ Sulunin, who knew a lot about magic and monsters, froze for a moment after seeing that. As if not caring, Set fired the water ball anyway. His aim was not at the Orcs in the vanguard¡­¡­instead, it was at the high ranking species of Orcs who could support from range at the back. In particular, at the higher risk Orc Mage. Though the Orc Archer, who had already set up it¡¯s bow, shot an arrow at the water ball coming towards them, the water ball used by Set could be manipulated to some extent. Though it would probably have been shot down by the arrow if it flew straight, the water ball drew a curve in the air, dodging the arrow¡­¡­and exploding the head of the Orc Mage it was aimed at. Though the Orc Mage tried to block the water ball with magic, the Orc Mage needed to say an incantation to cast a spell, he wasn¡¯t a match for Set who could freely handle the water ball just by thinking about it and fell to the ground with his head destroyed, blood and brains scattered into the surroundings. Orcs are basically stupid, so in a sense, the Orc Mage was a peculiar existence that could use magic. It was an existence that could manipulate a strong magic power and couldn¡¯t be compared to those around it. Aside from the Orc Archer and Orc General who were also high ranking species, the ordinary Orcs¡¯ movements slowed after seeing a high ranking species being brought down immediately after the start of combat. And by the time that had happened, Rei was running along the ground towards the Orcs. He chanted an incantation as he closed the distance to the Orcs. ¡ºFlame, you are a snake. Therefore, burn my enemy as I desire.¡» The flame gathered around the Death Scythe, which was a magic casting tool. He jumped on the spot, straight towards the Orcs ahead. Activating the Shoes of Sleipnir, he jumped even further into the air above the Orcs. He landed after passing over the 5 ordinary Orcs. The only one left was the Orc General, wearing poor armour, in front of him. Aiming for the body, he struck out with Death Scythe, sweeping from the side. ¡¸Bumoo~!¡¹ He probably sensed that the attack was dangerous, as expected of the high ranking species, Orc General. However, perceiving the danger, it was his ruin that he tried to block the Death Scythe by raising his sword. The single strike from the Death Scythe, cut through the sword that was used as a shield without resistance, the point of the Death Scythe, pierced into the Orc General¡¯s side. The misfortune of the Orc General was that he didn¡¯t know the Death Scythe was a magic item. Though Rei easily wielded the Death Scythe, its weight exceed 100kg. Because of its ability, Rei could swing it around at it¡¯s full length and breadth inexhaustibly without felling it¡¯s weight. With the Orc General¡¯s physical strength, it was impossible to block Rei¡¯s basic strike. ¡ºDance Fire Snake!¡» The magic triggered at the same time. A flame snake shot out from the tip of the blade that was stuck in the Orc General, it pushed forward while burning his whole body. ¡¸Bumooooooo~!¡¹ His body was burned alive, the Orc General gave a scream due to the acute pain in his body that he couldn¡¯t suppress as if he was dying. His loud scream, as if forgetting they were acting secretly to escape, echoed into the surroundings. With such severe pain, the flame snake entered from his pierced side and went up his ribs, shoulder, throat, face and finally his brain, putting out the flames of life. Being burnt alive, it was so ghastly a scene that the other Orcs merely stared at Rei, who had just killed their Orc General commander, in silence. It was the same for Scorching Wind, the three sent dumbfounded looks at Rei. And the moment everything stopped, Set instantly flapped his wings, running into the sky. ¡¸¡­¡­Ha!¡¡Sulunin, Ecryll Cover me. I¡¯ll take care of the 5 Orcs we were charged with. Rei is a G rank and killed the Orc General instantly, as a C rank party we¡¯re not allowed to say we can¡¯t take 5 Orcs.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. The formation?¡¹ ¡¸Same as usual. However, as safety is a priority, Sulunin will focus on support magic, mainly healing magic. The attack will be by me and Ecryll¡¯s bow.¡¹ ¡¸Okay.¡¹ Quickly instructing the battle formation, Milein quickly went for the Orcs who hadn¡¯t recovered from their confusion. At the same time, Sulunin finished his incantation and cast a support magic, Milein¡¯s long sword shone brightly. ¡¸Haah!¡¹ With a voice filled with spirit, the sword sliced out. With Sulunin¡¯s support magic, it cut through the neck, sending the head flying, with barely any resistance. With the current support magic cast on the sword, Milein had the confidence to cut the bodies of the Orcs in two, even though they had their boasted muscle and fat which gave more defense than ordinary armour. However, given the number of enemy targets, even though the target was small, she aimed at the neck so she could land a fatal injury. The body of the Orc fell to the ground gushing out blood, a moment after the head flew off. ¡¸That¡¯s 1!¡¹ ¡¸Bumoo~!¡¹ Seeing that, as expected, the other 4 Orcs recovered. The Orcs to the right and left of the fallen Orc stabbed at Milein with their spears. ¡¸Ecryll!¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t let you do that!¡¹ Milein shouted sharply while parrying the spear thrust from the Orc on the right. Hearing her instruction, Ecryll rapidly shot several arrows in succession at the Orc on the left who had also stabbed out with a spear. ¡¸Bumo~!?¡¹ Several arrows pierced the Orc, forcibly halting the spear¡¯s movement. Though the arrows themselves did little damage and were stopped at the fat, the moment they pierced in, they obstructed the movement of the spear, stopping it. And the next moment, several sharp wind blades cut the Orc, slicing continuously. ¡¸Bumoo~!?¡¹ Sulunin¡¯s wind magic cut off the right hand and left foot of the Orc who then fell to the ground, covered in deep cuts. ¡¸Die!¡¹ Milein dodged the stabbing spear attack of the Orc on the right and shouted as she swung her sword down sharply, cutting the neck. ¡¸That¡¯s 2!¡¹ While shouting, she looked around for an instant. Set was flying in the sky, trying to attack the Orc Archer. Against that, the Orc Archer desperately shot a few arrows at Set. But¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ The beak of the Griffon, who had the upper body of an eagle, opened with a cry. Flames were spit out from it, blowing away the surrounding darkness. To the arrows that Set¡¯s flame breath was aimed at, everything except the arrowheads, which were made of some animal bones, were burnt up. The arrowheads were sent flying in different directions from the impact. ¡¸Fire Breath?¡¡It used water a little while ago, what the hell is that Griffon¡­¡­rare species?¡¹ Sulunin saw that and muttered reflexively. To the side of where Set and Scorching Wind were fighting, Rei¡¯s fight with the Orc King was also starting. Though Rei overwhelmed the Orc General with brute strength and the weight of the Death Scythe, as expected, the Orc General was like a baby compared to the Ork King who led the Orcs. He had a huge sword in his hand, it was a magic sword that could clash with the Death Scythe and would be called a great sword if used by an ordinary person. ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Attacking with a scooping strike from below, it caught the Orc King¡¯s great sword with a high pitched, metallic gin~ sound. Originally, Rei had wanted to attack by swinging it down, however, Rei¡¯s height was only 165cm, shorter than the ordinary Orc. If swinging down to attack was difficult against an Orc General, then it was impossible against the even larger Orc King. An inhuman muscular strength that could go evenly again the Death Scythe which weighed over 100kg, that was the Orc King. (Tch, should I have used the Dancing Flame Snake on this guy and not the Orc General? ¡­¡­No, that¡¯s impossible. If I aimed at the Orc King from that position, the Orc General would have blocked me. Then, what to do? My attacks are not effective because of his weapon. In other words, I should make him lose his weapon. So that means¡­¡­) ¡¸Corrosion¡¹ The weapon skill of the Death Scythe that he had received from the magic stone of the Queen Ant, Corrosion. It was a skill that gradually corroded the enemies weapons and armour when they clashed. To use it, Rei clashed with the Orc King¡¯s sword. However, the effect of corrosion was only increased by a degree after a single clash. Therefore, it was necessary to use corrosion each time he clashed with the Orc Kings great sword. ¡¸Corrosion¡¹ The Orc King blocked the side sweeping strike with his great sword. ¡¸Corrosion¡¹ The Orc King repelled the blade of the Death Scythe, raised in a reverse Kesagiri. Such a fight repeated for a few minutes. Normally, as the user¡¯s magic is consumed if a weapon skill is used, the consecutive use of weapon skills usually wouldn¡¯t be done. However, Rei was described by Zepairu as having an extraordinary magic power. He continued to activate corrosion without appearing to be tired. Sweeping from below, striking from the side. Evading attacks and using the momentum to stab at the Orc King¡¯s throat with the handle. That looked like a magnificent dance. But though sword dancing existed in Elgin, this was more likely to be called a scythe dance. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Ecryll, who had readied her bow to support, caught site of Rei¡¯s figure in the hard fight and spaced out as she admired his movements. ¡¸Ecryll!¡¹ However, in an instant, she was pulled back to reality by Milein¡¯s shout as she cut an Orc. And, at the same time Ecryll aimed at an Orc with her bow, the moment finally came. ¡¸Corrosion¡¹ The sword clashed with the Death Scythe. The Orc King¡¯s great sword had gradually changed colour due to the effect of the corrosion¡­¡­the moment it collided with the Death Scythe, its blade was cut right in two. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Several times. No, the Orc King turned his eyes in silence to the Death Scythe, which had triggered corrosion dozens of times before cutting his loved sword in two. The Orc King had noticed his own sword was taking fatal damage. However, it still wasn¡¯t impossible to fight the man with vast magical power in front of him with his sword. No, he had judged that he could endure the attacks of his enemy because his sword was a magic item. ¡¸Bumoooooo~!¡¹ Raising a shout that echoed into the settlement, he hurled the handle of the great sword at Rei. To the blinded Rei, he threw out his fist to crush him with a physical strength that exceeded the Orc General. ¡¸Indeed, truly someone who can sit on the throne. But¡­¡­¡¹ Using the handle of the Death Scythe to deal with the handle of the great sword, he used the momentum to avoid the Orc King¡¯s fist. Passing by each other¡­¡­he went for the the belly of the big Orc King with the Death Scythe¡¯s blade at the same time. ¡¸Bumooooooooooo!¡¹ Death cries. While raising a cry that could only be called as such, he stayed on the spot without falling to the ground. Though his body was only connected by a single piece of skin, still, the Orc King stood without falling to the ground. It could be said that it was the pride of a king. ¡¸¡­¡­Ah. I understand¡¹ The king had neither fallen to the ground or died. In the case a king was defeated by the enemy on the battlefield, he would be decapitated. Rei sensed that atmosphere from the Orc King and approached him with his hand on the Death Scythe. ¡¸Farewell, proud king of the Orcs¡¹ ¡¸Bumoooooo~!¡¹ Zan~! It was the fastest attack of today. People watching only saw an attack like a flash of light as the Orc King¡¯s neck was cut. Almost at the same time, Set made a steep dive from the sky, crushing the Orc Archer¡¯s head with his eagle like claws as Milein split the head of the last Orc. Chapter 38 Scorching Wind, led by Milein, said that they would only be able to hold off 5 Orcs, but with the luck that the Orcs were surprised by Rei¡¯s sudden attack, they were able to beat all 5 Orcs with three people. As for Rei, he didn¡¯t have a chance to use his best skill, fire magic, and was only able to fight the proud Orc King with his Death Scythe, decapitating him. The person who pushed their superiority most in this fight would have been Set. Should you call the the dignity of an A rank monster, his fight against the Orc Archer was a complete victory. ¡¸Haa, haa, haa¡­¡­¡¹ In front of the corpses of the Orcs, Milein was breathing roughly. Continuously assisting using healing magic as well as attacking, Sulunin had almost used up his magic power and sat down on the ground. The most energetic person in Scorching Wind was surprisingly the newbie, Ecryll. Although she was sweating a lot, she was wary of the surroundings and wasn¡¯t breathing roughly. However, this was due to the roles in their party. Milein, who was the party leader of Scorching Wind, was the sole person responsible for the vanguard, Sulunin used magic to attack, recover and support, because of this, Ecryll¡¯s main role was to restrain the enemy. ¡¸Well, we won. I think I said that we¡¯d do our best to hold out against 5, but.¡¹ ¡¸Haa, haa, haa¡­¡­fuu. Well about that, even if you say Rei is strong, a G rank adventurer fighting evenly with an Orc King¡­¡­fighting¡­¡­that reminds me, he didn¡¯t even receive a single wound from fighting the B rank Orc King head on. Seriously, maybe he¡¯ll reach S rank in future. Well, anyway. At the very least, your rank can contend with an Orc King, even though I¡¯m ashamed to say, we as a C rank party can¡¯t even defeat ordinary Orcs. ¡­¡­Ah I¡¯m tired. Anyway, I¡¯m tired. Terribly tired. I don¡¯t even want to take another step.¡¹ To Milein¡¯s words, Sulunin agreed by nodding. ¡¸With this, we¡¯ll will become a famous party for a while. That¡¯s why I say we should actively promote ourselves.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­About that.¡¹ While wary of the surroundings, Ecryll nodded with a faint smile. The moment Rei was going to say something. ¡ºUOOOOOOooooooo~!¡» A cry from the east of the settlement could be heard. ¡¸It seems the fight has been decided there.¡¹ It was so, the undeniable roar of victory could be heard now. It wasn¡¯t possible to mishear the voices mixed with jubilation. ¡¸It seems so. Well, because the Orc King came here, I guess they were discarded pawns for their escape after all.¡¹ ¡¸Even if they were sacrificed as pawns, as expected, they were only able to survive in the settlement because of the Orc King.¡¹ Naturally, if the troops for the guard were increased, the forces for the diversion would decrease, and they would likely have been annihilated early on. A large escort along with the Orc King would also be more likely to be found by the members of the subjugation force. ¡¸¡­¡­Well then. Well, it seems the Orc subjugation quest has ended with this.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. ¡­¡­It was a tiring request. Well, it can¡¯t be helped as the city of Gilm would incur damage if we left it alone.¡¹ Milein had a wry smile as she glanced to the side. Rei stored the corpse of the Orc Mage that Set had defeated as well as the corpses of the Orc General and the Orc King into the Misty Ring. All of Scorching Wind looked at Rei with interest, Sulunin called out to Rei as he was storing the corpse of the Orc King. ¡¸Heh~, I¡¯ve seen it a few times from further away but this is the first time to see it so close. Is that the item box?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. It¡¯s a parting gift from my teacher who taught me magic, I only found out it was an ultra rare item after I came to the city of Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸Such a magic item, even if you say it¡¯s a parting gift for a pupil¡­¡­I would like to meet him once.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I never paid attention to where I lived until I was sent away my spatial magic. It will be a little difficult to introduce you as I don¡¯t even know where teacher¡¯s house is.¡¹ ¡¸Hey.¡¹ A voice abruptly interrupted Sulunin and Rei¡¯s conversation. When Rei turned his gaze to the voice, he saw Milein looking at him with questioning eyes. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Though I understand collecting the high ranking species that you and Set-chan defeated, why aren¡¯t you collecting the Orc Archer?¡¹ What Milein had looked at earlier was the corpse of the Orc Archer whose head was crushed by Set. High ranking Orcs¡­¡­even if you say that, Orc Generals and Orc Mages were C rank monsters and differed from Orc Archers which were still D rank. Still, it was a high ranking Orc, the skin, several organs and the subjugation proof could be stripped off for materials, the magic stone of a D rank monster was also worth a lot. Rei glanced at Milein as she said that words, and turned his eyes to the Orc Archer as he spoke. ¡¸Do you remember what we talked about before the battle with the Orcs?¡¹ ¡¸What, this all of a sudden. Of course I remember. In return for Rei and Set using their trump cards to help us, you will cast Magic Oath on us?¡¹ While asking Milein, he gave a quick wink that only Set could see as she replied. While the 3 members of Scorching Wind were listening interestingly at Rei¡¯s words, Set saw the signal and went around to the back. ¡¸Ah. So, because of that, I¡¯ll be burdening you in various ways with Magic Oath. Compensation¡­¡­this is something like that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In other words, the reason is that Magic Oath is a dangerous magic?¡¹ ¡¸Of course there¡¯s no danger if you don¡¯t try to tell others my secret. However, you still wouldn¡¯t feel good being bound by it, don¡¯t you think?¡¡Well, Magic Oath does give you benefits to a certain level.¡¹ ¡¸Benefits?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. It¡¯s a property of the magic used for Magic Oath, but a person who has the magic cast on them more or less get¡¯s increased resistance to flames and heat. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Okay. There¡¯s no use in saying anything now, we would have all died if it weren¡¯t for you anyway. Please do it quickly before my resolution fades. Sulunin, Ecryll, you guys okay?¡¹ Taking a deep breath, Milein agreed to accept the Magic Oath. As for the two people Milein called out to, Sulunin was silent while Ecryll nodded with somewhat cramped cheeks. Rei saw the state of the 3 and signaled to Set. If the members of Scorching Wind had tried to run away instead of receiving the Magic Oath, Set would have attacked them from behind. Set saw Rei¡¯s signal and relaxed his combat readiness while watching for attacks from Orc remnants. ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Milein nodded at Rei¡¯s words as he started his incantation. ¡ºFlame, thou is a seed. If the host breaks the contract, use their life to bloom into flames in glory.¡» With Rei¡¯s incantation, the flame gathered on the Death Scythe was compressed into the size of a seed. He lifted the handle of the Death Scythe and brought it in contact with Milein¡¯s head. ¡ºSeed of Contract.¡» As the same time the incantation was completed, the seed of flame from the Death Scythe entered Milein¡¯s head smoothly. ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹ Though Milein unintentionally raised a voice at that feeling, there wasn¡¯t a shock as she expected, instead, she felt something faintly warm enter her. ¡¸That, has it finished?¡¹ Though she muttered instinctively, Rei only gave a small nod in response. ¡¸Right, but there¡¯s still 2 people left.¡¹ Saying so, he used the same magic on Sulunin and Ecryll. And, after Rei used the spell for contract on the three people, they gave a small sigh. ¡¸It¡¯s good with this. So, I¡¯ll give a detailed explanation of the magic. Because the seed planted in you will burn up your body if you try to tell other about Set¡¯s Fire Breath, Water Ball or my corrosion, you should be careful about what you say and do.¡¹ Their body being burnt from the inside, from the fight a little while ago¡­¡­the appearance of the Orc General appeared inside the minds of Scorching Wind. The Orc General, which was a C rank monster, cared neither about shame or reputation and screamed out in pain. They were made to understand how severe the pain was just by seeing it. ¡¸With it, you will also receive resistance to flames and heat as I mentioned a little while ago.¡¹ ¡¸Guh, to be sure, what kind of resistance is it?¡¹ Milein wiped the image of the Orc General from her mind and asked Rei. ¡¸About that¡­¡­it seems damage from flames is reduced by roughly 10%. At the same time, this also benefits people that can use magic, the power of fire magic that is used is also roughly increased by 10% and magic power consumption is reduced by 10%. Well, to put it simply, it benefits the fire element.¡¹ ¡¸10%, is it.¡¹ Sulunin was stunned as he heard Rei¡¯s description. Precisely because Sulunin was a magician, he was able to clearly understand how much the benefit was. Though a kind of magic item that increased magic power existed, it¡¯s performance wasn¡¯t to the degree of increasing the power of the magic and it was only possible to buy one with a few platinum coins. When it came to magic items that could increase the power of magic by a noticeable amount, you would need payment in light gold coins to obtain it. In addition, there was the added bonus of resistance to heat and fire. For Sulunin, which wasn¡¯t part of his nature to disclose Rei and Set¡¯s abilities, the magic named Seed of Contract gave nothing other than benefits. ¡¸I have understood the magic. Because, of course, I don¡¯t intend to spread the information, I am lucky to have the benefits from the Seed of Contract. So, can we really get the Orc Archer?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care. Well then, I¡¯ll go to where Hobbes is. Even if the Orc King is defeated, the quest won¡¯t end unless I report it.¡¹ ¡¸Eeh, please do so. As expected, because we¡¯re tired, we¡¯ll join you later after we take a rest.¡¹ Nodding at Milein¡¯s words, he sat astride Set¡¯s back. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯d like you to leave Set-chan if possible. For me to heal.¡¹ ¡¸Milein, don¡¯t ask for the impossible.¡¹ Sulunin chided Milein as she looked at Set wistfully. Ecryll watched on with a wry smile. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a small cry at Milein, Set shook his tail several times. ¡¸Milein, Set said that he will play with you again later.¡¹ Rei interpreted Set¡¯s actions and told that to Milein. At this time, Set¡¯s appearance of readiness to pounce at them if they fled from the Seed of Contract from before could not be seen at all. ¡¸Eh? Really? Un~, un~. Let¡¯s play to the most before we leave. I still have some dried meat.¡¹ While hearing Milein¡¯s joyful voice, they once again in this day started to rise into the sky. ¡¸Dawn, is it?¡¹ What Rei saw as he ascended into the sky was the scene of the night¡¯s darkness fading away as the morning sun rose from the east. ¡¸In the end, we were kept fighting all night. Well, those below still look energetic.¡¹ Should you say, as expected of adventurers, they didn¡¯t look like they had stayed up all night, along with Axe of the Thunder God who defeated the diversion force, they seemed to be searching through the Orc settlement to thoroughly to hunt out the remnants of the Orcs. The Orcs that were found hiding and lurking in a few hidden places were fought, but were already outnumbered by the crowd of people. The Orc who attacked in a last ditch resistance were killed one after the other. Though it may be considered cruel if you heard of the remnants being hunted down, it was a necessary job. Because Orcs used female humans for breeding, if they showed unnecessary mercy and let them go, it was likely that the city of Gilm would incur damage. At any rate, this was because the city of Gilm was the nearest location where people gathered. While glancing towards the ground for an instant, where the hunt for the remnants was being carried out, he signaled Set to go to the place Hobbes was waiting at. At this time, Elk saw the figure of Set moving away from the settlement and was instinctively certain that Rei and Set had taken out the Orc leader. At a place a little further away from the Orc settlement. Hobbes looked up into the brightening sky. In the carriages a bit further away from Hobbes, the two women saved from the Orc settlement were sleeping like the dead. Finally realising that they had been rescued from the Orcs, all their past fatigue was released at once. One of the causes was also that Hobbes had given them some tea with the effect of relaxing their mind so that they wouldn¡¯t be reminded of being caught by the Orcs. ¡¸¡­¡­With that smoke, the settlement is burning without doubt. In that case, the night attack could be considered a success. If any unforeseen circumstances had occurred, I would have been informed immediately.¡¹ As he was originally an adventurer, Hobbes was accustomed to waiting. Though impatient and unpleasant thoughts floated into his mind, he believed in the participants of the Orc subjugation force and waited quietly at his place. Of course, he held a spear which he habitually used as an adventurer in case of emergencies. This was because Orcs running away from the settlement might come here. Hobbes, who turned his gaze to the Orc settlement in that state, suddenly heard something in the surroundings¡­¡­with Set flying calmly in the morning glow, he found the figure of Rei riding on his back. He was convinced of the success of the night attack as small smile floated onto his face. Chapter 39 ¡¸How did it go?¡¹ ¡¸No problems. The leader of the Orcs has been taken out.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Giving a small nod at Rei¡¯s words, he took out a small whistle from his chest and blew with all his might. Simultaneously, a shrill sound resounded throughout the area. The thing Hobbes was blowing on was a Magic Whistle, a kind of magic item. However, contrary to its exaggerated name, it was a cheap item that could be bought for a few gold coins. Its effect was simple. Using the user¡¯s magic power, it would produce a shrill sound into the surrounding area. But, at times where a simple clear signal needs to be used, it was quite useful. As for Hobbes who just blew the Magic Whistle, it was decided previously that it would be used to inform the members of the subjugation force that the leader of the Orcs had been defeated. Once the participants of the night attack had finished hunting the remnants of the Orcs, they would return immediately. ¡¸With this it¡¯s good. ¡­¡­Now then, let¡¯s hear from you first.¡¹ Returning the Magic Whistle to his chest, Hobbes directed his gaze to Rei. ¡¸That¡¯s right. To start, as expected, Dark Night¡¯s Star attacked me during the night attack, so I defeated them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, what happened to Dark Night¡¯s Star?¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯re all dead.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­didn¡¯t you think it would be better to catch them alive and arrest them?¡¹ ¡¸And not kill the opponents who are trying to kill me?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I cannot say for sure¡­¡­however, there would be benefits if you had caught them alive.¡¹ ¡¸Benefits?¡¡In addition to getting information?¡¹ Listening to Hobbes words, he asked curiously. In the first place, you could understand Dark Night¡¯s Star party by simply looking at the party composition, because there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone behind them, he didn¡¯t think he would be able to get any significant information from them However, after hearing that there might have been benefits from it, Rei¡¯s interest sprung up and he prompted Hobbes to continue his story. ¡¸Ah. If the members of Dark Night¡¯s Star had been caught alive, they would have been branded as criminals and sold as slaves. And from that, you would have received half the sales.¡¹ ¡¸Slaves, is it.¡¹ ¡¸Hm?¡¡Ah, right. You lived with your magic teacher until you came to the city of Gilm. Then you haven¡¯t seen slaves before?¡¹ ¡¸Well, something like that. Though I¡¯m not interested in slaves, I¡¯ll remember the information.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, please do. For your information, the guild is thankful if you catch them alive. Basically, if you catch a thief alive, they will be sold as slaves and half the sales will go to the adventurer.¡¹ That was the end of Dark Night¡¯s Star. For Hobbes, he didn¡¯t have the time to pay attention to to a party paying the price they deserved. ¡¸So, to change the subject¡­¡­even if you came to tell me that the subjugation has been completed, who defeated the Orc leader?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. We discovered some Orcs trying to escape the settlement under the cover of darkness. We met with Milein¡¯s Scorching Wind and exterminated them.¡¹ While explaining the circumstances to Hobbes, he retrieved the corpse of the Orc King from the Misty Ring¡¯s list in his mind. The corpse of a monster 3m in size appeared in front of his eyes. The body was in a state where it was cut in two at the middle, connected only by a piece of skin. The Orc King¡¯s head lay next to it. Hobbes directed a stunned gaze at the corpse. ¡¸Oi, you don¡¯t mean this guy¡­¡­¡¹ Looking at the corpse of the monster, Hobbes turned sharply to Rei. As expected of a veteran adventurer, he knew what the monster lying on the ground in front of him was. ¡¸Ah. I heard from the mage of Scorching Wind. It¡¯s probably an Orc King?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re right. A rank B monster, Orc King. Though I have had the experience of fighting one several times when I was an adventurer¡­¡­defeating one by yourself. No, there is Set, an A rank Monster and the C rank party Scorching Wind, it might be possible.¡¹ Hobbes nodded as he muttered. Rei saw this and realised the misunderstanding immediately, he judged that it would probably be easier for him to rank up in the guild if he honestly told him that he had defeated the Orc King by himself. (As well as that, Scorching Wind probably¡­¡­I mean, Milein will probably spread the news that I defeated it.) The magic used on Milein, Seed of Contract, only forbade her from speaking any information about Set¡¯s Fire Breath, Water Ball and Rei¡¯s Corrosion. Since telling people that Rei defeated the Orc King wasn¡¯t forbidden, the information would spread around sooner or later. Well, though in that case, it might be awkward if they are asked how it was defeated¡­¡­Rei hoped that they would keep it in mind so as to not trigger the Seed of Contract. From the feeling in participating in a fight with them, he didn¡¯t worry about it too much. He intuitively understood that he was able to trust them, unlike the unreliable Dark Night¡¯s Star. ¡¸I¡¯ll say it first, the Orc King also led 5 ordinary Orcs as well as one Orc Archer, Orc Mage and Orc General. Scorching Wind defeated the 5 Orcs and Set killed the Orc Mage and Orc Archer. I killed the Orc General and Orc King.¡¹ The moment Rei said that, Hobbes suddenly stopped moving. He cautiously turned his eyes from the Orc King to Rei. ¡¸Just now, what did you say?¡¡I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m missing half an ear so I didn¡¯t hear that clearly. It¡¯s seems I misheard it one way or another.¡¹ Saying so, Hobbes pointed to his half torn right ear. However, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable. He had just heard a G rank adventurer say he defeated an Orc King, a B rank monster, by himself. Even though Hobbes knew that Rei wasn¡¯t normal, no matter what, he still couldn¡¯t believe it. If it were Set, he might have been able to accept him defeating the Orc King. Because after all, the Griffon was an A rank monster, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to defeat lower rank Orc King. But¡­¡­ ¡¸I defeated the Orc King¡­¡­No, well, I understand that it sounds unbelievable. It will become clear if you ask Scorching Wind later.¡¹ Saying that, he saw several sets of adventurers trickling back from the Orc settlement and stored the corpse of the Orc King back into the Misty Ring as he didn¡¯t want to cause any meaningless noise about it. ¡¸Heeyy~¡¢Hobbes, Rei and Set! ¡¹ While lending a shoulder to Min, who was walking unsteadily, Elk, the leader of Axe of the Thunder God, waved his hand while shouting. The colour of fatigue from fighting Orcs all night long could hardly be seen on his face. As for Min who was being carried on his back, maybe because she had overused her magic and had hardly any magic power left, she looked understandably pale and exhausted. Their son, Rhodes, was next to his parents¡­¡­Or should you say, was looking at his mother anxiously. The figures of all the people who participated in the Orc subjugation could be seen behind them. From Rei¡¯s brief look, the number of people seemed to have decreased from the strategy meeting. As expected, it was too selfish to hope that all members would survive attacking an Orc settlement lead by an Orc King. Still, as it was a night raid, it was good to get off with this degree of casualties. All the members of the subjugation force understood that if they had fought during the daytime, the casualties would be much greater. ¡¸Oh, Rei. You beat the boss of the Orcs in the end didn¡¯t you?¡¹ Arriving at where Hobbes was, other adventurers who had sat down because of fatigue, to treat their wounds or to pick up their belongings from the horse drawn carriages cast skeptical looks when Elk asked in a loud voice. Next to him, Rhodes looked at Rei and frowned. ¡¸Dad, no matter what the circumstances, this guy wouldn¡¯t be able to kill the leader of the Orcs. Certainly, I understand that Rei has ability beyond G rank. But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set growled to criticize Rhodes who was about to say something. ¡¸¡­¡­Tch, anyway!¡¡I won¡¯t believe that this guy defeated the Orc leader. Hey, Mum. You should go take a rest now.¡¹ To Set¡¯s growl, Rhodes left a parting shot and left, taking Min towards the carriages. Min followed Rhodes with a wry smile. Seeing the wry smile on his wife¡¯s face, Elk smiled as he saw them off before giving a small apology to Rei. ¡¸Sorry about this. Hey, you know the Orcs that were going to sneak round behind us?¡¡Though he now admits that you have skills after seeing you defeat those guys, it seems he won¡¯t honestly say that in the open to you.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ To Set who gave a sullen cry, Rei stroked his back to calm him while smiling back at Elk with a similar wry smile. ¡¸Hey, calm down. His attitude as already become a lot better compared to when we first met, so don¡¯t be too displeased.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ There¡¯s no helping it, Set seemed to say as he swung his tail and lay down to rest a bit further away. ¡¸Well, Rhode¡¯s attitude is justifiable. When he matures, he will be forced to admit the strength of the strong.¡­¡­¡¹ To Elk who spat out a sigh, Hobbes came over and passed him a glass of water. ¡¸Come now, take a drink and a break first. Seriously, you¡¯re asking for too much from your son. In the first place, as a C rank adventurer for his age, he¡¯s the top of his generation of adventurers in the city of Gilm. ¡­¡­Well, though there are exceptions to everything.¡¹ For an instant, Hobbes glanced at Rei, hinting. As for Elk, from what was said, he understood that his intuition was correct. ¡¸That was it after all. I thought so.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, if Rei wasn¡¯t there, it would have been impossible to defeat the Orc King.¡¹ Suddenly interrupting the conversation was Milien, the leader of Scorching Wind, who had fought in the battle with the Orc King with Rei. The moment the words Orc King came out, Hobbes, Elk and the nearby adventurers who heard the story about Rei became noisy. ¡¸Hey, what I heard just now.¡¹ ¡¸If I didn¡¯t mishear, I heard Orc King.¡¹ ¡¸I heard that as well.¡¹ ¡¸But come on, that kid has Set. Then maybe¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But, didn¡¯t Milein just say that they would have lost to the Orc King if Rei wasn¡¯t there?¡¹ ¡¸Well maybe, could it be that Scorching Wind, with Rei¡¯s cooperation, defeated the Orc King?¡¹ ¡¸With Set-chan there, anything can be done!¡¹ While hearing the voices around him, Elk looked to confirm it with a surprised face. ¡¸Oi, it is seriously an Orc King?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I already thought we were finished when I first saw the Orc King. After all, aside from the Orc King there was also an Orc General, an Orc Mage, an Orc Archer and 5 more ordinary Orcs¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸How to say, it certainly was a difficult situation.¡¹ ¡¸I know right?¡¡Well, we managed somehow in the end thanks to Rei and Set.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Rei. You put the corpse of the Orc King into the Misty Ring right?¡¡Could you show me the Orc King for a moment? Fortunately or not, I¡¯ve never seen an Orc King directly.¡¹ ¡¸I would like to take a short break as soon as I can first of all. As expected, I¡¯m tired after fighting all night.¡¹ Muttering as he spat out a sigh, Hobbes lightly tapped Rei¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Give up, Elk won¡¯t listen once he starts. As for the members of the subjugation force, they participated regardless of the danger. For that, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they wanted to take a look at the Orc King that you defeated.¡¹ ¡¸That seems to be so. After continuously fighting the whole night, are there any adventurers not tired?¡¹ Following up from Hobbes, Elk continued. Moreover, thought the people resting nearby didn¡¯t say anything, the light of expectation could be seen in their eyes. As for the people resting in the carriages or taking a spare portion of drink or food from their baggage, hearing the noise, they sent glances of expectation. ¡¸Come on, come on. Now that it¡¯s come to this, surely you have to show it?¡¡Because you killed it, you shouldn¡¯t be so modest.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Though the commotion escalated because of you¡­¡­Well, fine. Since things have gone this way, I can¡¯t not show it.¡¹ Giving a sigh of resignation at Milein¡¯s words, Rei once again took the corpse of the Orc King from the Misty Ring. There might also have been some people who saw the effect of the Misty Ring close up for the first time. Several voices of surprise were heard. And there were also surprised voices when the corpse of the Orc King appeared, everyone in the area made similar sounds. ¡¸It¡¯s huge.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Obviously when you compare it to an ordinary Orc. In addition, its neck has been cut. It must have been a very sharp blow.¡¹ ¡¸Its body is almost split in two. This, did that kid Rei really do this?¡¹ The body was almost cut in two, only connected by a piece of skin. And right next to the body lay the head of the Orc King The surrounding adventurers who saw that carved into their mind the ability of Rei, who was originally a G rank. ¡¸Right?¡¡Wasn¡¯t it good to show it?¡¹ As if his mischief had succeeded, Elk smiled like a naughty brat as he slapped Rei on the back. ¡¸At the very least, the people who participated in the subjugation force will never see you as a mere G rank anymore.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Was that your aim. Well, I would like to thank you for that.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no need to thank me. It¡¯s not a bad thing to make a talented guy like you owe me a favour.¡¹ Thus, after everyone had taken a good look at the Orc King, the look out was left to Elk and Hobbes, who still had strength to spare. Most of the adventurers slept well after fighting all night long and recovered from their fatigue while being cautious of attacks from remnant Orcs and other monsters. Chapter 40 Hobbes was near the carriages, acting as the lookout while everyone else was sleeping. Next to him, Elk sat down, carrying food that Rei had taken out of the Misty Ring before he had gone to sleep. ¡¸Hey, Elk. Because you¡¯re technically on watch right now, you should at least act like it.¡¹ Hobbes called out to Elk while looking around as he sat on the ground. However, Elk gave an amazed reply while eating skewers, sandwiches and roasted Fang Boar. ¡¸Hey, come on, even you know how sharp Set¡¯s sense are. With that fellow, there¡¯s almost no need to be worried about an enemy surprise attack.¡¹ Elk glace ahead to Set, who had plopped himself on the ground, closed his eyes, and gone to sleep. However, Hobbes and Elk could easily imagine that he wasn¡¯t asleep was alert of the surroundings. ¡¸But you know¡­¡­how to say it, are you alright eating so much?¡¹ Elk had already eaten enough food for 10 people, Hobbes muttered in an amazed voice in reaction to Elk¡¯s previous words. ¡¸After all, I was fighting all night. When everyone gets up, won¡¯t there be the big job of stripping materials and subjugation proofs from the Orcs in the settlement?¡¡And the treasure that the Orcs have collected has yet to be found. ¡­¡­Well, since we didn¡¯t find anything in the mansion of the Orc King in the center of the settlement, we can¡¯t expect too much.¡¹ Elk finally finished his meal, released a big burp and drank the water in the water bottle beside him. ¡¸That¡¯s true. ¡­¡­Are you really okay with not sleeping?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fine, you can¡¯t compare me to the other guys. Anyway, didn¡¯t we fight continuously for three days and nights in that Kraken subjugation several years ago?¡¡This is an easy overnight victory compared to that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You, I can¡¯t stay young forever, you¡¯ll start to notice it sooner or later.¡¹ ¡¸Not yet, not yet, I can¡¯t lose to the young guys yet.¡¹ To Elk¡¯s words, Hobbes let out a sigh as he also grabbed a water bottle nearby. Anyhow, the sunlight of the mid summer sun glared down on the camp, set up on a grassy plain, a small distance away from the Orc settlement. There weren¡¯t any roofs to offer protection from the sun, as they sat in direct sunlight, it was necessary to replenish their moisture levels frequently. ¡¸It seems the Rowdy Elk is still alive and well.¡¹ Rowdy Elk. It was a nickname attached to Elk when he was still a low rank adventurer. Although his party, Axe of the Thunder God, was more well known now, after Elk had just registered with the guild and gotten his fingers burnt several times, Hobbes, who was a C rank adventurer when Elk just registered, gave Elk that name. Hearing his old nickname that he wanted to forget, Elk scrunched his eyebrows. With an expression that matched the conversation about old times, Hobbes relaxed and turned his eyes to Elk with a smile. ¡¸Stop with calling me that name already.¡¹ Indeed he had grown up and married, he wasn¡¯t too happy at all to be called Rowdy, the name he had been given as a kid. ¡¸Well, you¡¯re certainly strong enough now. Even though it¡¯s only been a while, this old me has already retired from being an adventurer. If you weren¡¯t here for this request in particular, we probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to carry out such a crazy strategy. ¡­¡­But you know, it¡¯s a fact that the new seedlings won¡¯t grow if the ones at the top do their best forever.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, is it?¡¹ As expected, it wasn¡¯t something to talk about in a loud voice, so he asked in hushed tones. ¡¸Well, there¡¯s that as well¡­¡­that fellow might be an exception. It¡¯s your son I¡¯m talking about. But Rei is it? Do you know? That guy, during the night attack against the Orcs, he retaliated against a surprise attack by Dark Night¡¯s Star and defeated them all.¡¹ ¡¸Heh~. That was expected. ¡­¡­It¡¯s Dark Night¡¯s Star¡¯s own fault though. ¡¹ ¡¸At the very least, it¡¯s a mistake that this fellow is only rank G. When this request ends and we return to the guild, I¡¯m going to negotiate and recommend that he be given E rank.¡¹ ¡¸Oi, oi, going up two ranks at once?¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s three ranks¡¹ ¡¸Hobbes?¡¹ ¡¸I plan to have him take the rank up test to D rank as soon as possible.¡¹ Even if you said that this was an important emergency request, to rank up three times from one request was a substantial amount. Elk understood how impossible it was because he had climbed those ranks himself. ¡¸¡­¡­Are you serious?¡¹ Or rather, are you sane? Elk¡¯s eyes seemed to ask as he looked at Hobbes. However, Hobbes only gave a small nod as if it were natural. ¡¸Of course. What kind of adventurer has the ability to beat a B rank Orc King?¡¡Letting him move through E and F rank is too inefficient. In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Glancing to a place bit further away. Set was lying down near the carriage Rei was sleeping in. ¡¸That fellow is accompanied by a Griffon, an A rank monster. I don¡¯t think it would be strange if he made it to B or A rank.¡¹ ¡¸Hey!¡¹ At those words, Elk was doubting Hobbes¡¯ sanity. However, Hobbes had a smile that looked liked Elk¡¯s usual grin. ¡¸Of course I don¡¯t mean immediately. Aside from getting to D rank, it is a fact that apart from combat ability, various knowledge is also required to get to B and A rank.¡¹ If he became an A or B rank adventurer, he would be known as a top tier adventurer. It wasn¡¯t that rare for those adventurers to receive direct requests from people such as nobles or royalty. For those times, etiquette is necessary, there are also times were decisions must be made for the sake of national interest. Though Elk¡¯s words and manners didn¡¯t sound like that of nobility or royalty, he had the minimum knowledge required regarding manners. And most importantly, as Elk¡¯s wife, Min, was standing nearby and dealing with everything necessary, it wasn¡¯t really a problem for the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God. However, if you talk about Rei, Hobbes and Elk could tell by looking that he wasn¡¯t very good a socialising. If such at person met with nobility or royalty, how would it turn out¡­¡­in the best case, he would be told off. However, if it didn¡¯t go well, there was a possibility he wouldn¡¯t be able to continue as an adventurer. Losing someone over such a trivial thing was unthinkable for the two men. ¡¸In addition¡­¡­hey, Elk. You, didn¡¯t you notice anything while looking at the corpse of the Orc King?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Notice what?¡¹ As he asked Hobbes, the picture of the corpse of the Orc King he saw a few hours ago floated in his mind. The first thing that came to his eyes was the body, connected only by a single piece of skin¡­¡­it couldn¡¯t be. ¡¸It was a single blow that cut off the head. The skill required to that, it doesn¡¯t take a lot of imagination to tell you. At the very least, it¡¯s impossible for me to do it.¡¹ He turned his eyes and moved his hands to his battle axe while muttering. Rather than cutting, the axe was a weapon of destruction. Though it was possible for Elk to destroy the head into a thousand pieces, it was impossible for him to cut as sharply as Rei did. However, Hobbes gave a small shake of his neck at Elk¡¯s words. ¡¸Not that. ¡­¡­No, but I understand what you want to say. Actually, living up until now, I¡¯ve seen such sharp cuts several times. But you know, do you know what he said when I asked him his profession in the guild meeting room?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸A Magic Warrior. In other words, Rei can practice magic. But, was there a wound on the Orc King caused by magic?¡¹ Being asked that, he remembered the words from his son, Rhodes. He said that the Orcs who had tried to sneak around the back during the fight at the east of the settlement had been annihilated. At that time he said that it might have something to do with Set¡¯s power, he didn¡¯t know that most of the Orcs were burnt to death by Rei. At any rate, Griffons couldn¡¯t manipulate fire. TLN: *cough* Fire Breath *cough* That meant¡­¡­ ¡¸Oi. That means Rei defeated the Orc King without using everything?¡¹ ¡¸Maybe so. Though there is a possibility he used a wind magic something like Razor Whirlwind¡­¡­as far as I know, Rei¡¯s specialty should be in fire magic. Maybe though he hasn¡¯t used everything he has¡­¡­Rei has the capability to defeat an Orc King in that state, if you think about the fact that he¡¯s accompanied by an A rank monster, Griffon, it isn¡¯t strange to think that at the very least, he has the equivalent combat power of a B or A rank adventurer.¡¹ TLN: The exact words of Razor Whirlwind are ¥«¥Þ¥¤¥¿¥Á, it¡¯s a monster from Japanese folklore that was known to create whirlwinds to cut their victim. Because of this, it has a second meaning of cuts from whirlwinds. ¡¸¡­¡­If the story is true then certainly.¡¹ Though Rei looked like he has a diminutive and petite physique compared with his son, Rhodes, he judged that the ability hidden in his body outstripped that of his son. At the same time, imagining the past trouble, Rhode¡¯s rebellious spirit and feelings of rivalry with Rei throughout this request¡­¡­a mischievous smile floated onto his face. (Having a rival like that isn¡¯t a bad thing. If his rival is a wall high enough to beat him, Rhodes will mature as an adventurer. Though there is a possibility that he breaks down if he can¡¯t overcome it¡­¡­well, because it is my son, he¡¯ll manage somehow.) As Elk suddenly thought in his mind, he felt envious for having such a person. ¡¸So, as you know Elk, the adventurers guild in Gilm is basically always understaffed.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah well.¡¹ What Hobbes said was true. About the subjugation of the Kraken Elk mentioned earlier, there was a support request through the guild for Axe of the Thunder God from a seaside town. The adventurers guild was always understaffed¡­¡­no, to be precise there was a limited number of high rank adventurers. C and D rank. As for E and G rank, there was a moderate amount of them. ¡¸It¡¯s still okay now. You are still in active service, but like me, you won¡¯t be able to stand in the front line for much longer. However, the thought of when your and my generation has retired¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hobbes.¡¹ Though hesitated to say something for a moment, as if he recovered immediately, he gave Hobbes a big slap on the back. ¡¸Hey, your hairline will retreat even more if you worry too much you know?¡¹ Being what he should really be worrying about without hesitation, Hobbes involuntarily gave a wry smile. ¡¸In the next generation, there¡¯s also my son, Rhodes. There¡¯s also Rei. Come one, you don¡¯t need to worry so much. There are also unknown but talented guys around. Even low rank adventurers will begin to bloom soon.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right¡­¡­ah, it certainly is true. It seems I¡¯ve gotten sentimental about the result after being out of the field for so long.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry to dump cold water on you but doesn¡¯t that seem like something an old person would say?¡¹ ¡¸Forget it. You won¡¯t change as much as me. ¡­¡­Now then, I think it¡¯s about time?¡¹ Finishing the talk, he confirmed the position of the sun. Because there wasn¡¯t such a thing as a watch, he could only roughly measure the time from the position of the sun. ¡¸It is. If possible I would want to take things a bit slower, after all, it¡¯s hot. However, if the proof of subjugation and materials aren¡¯t stripped from the Orcs soon, there¡¯s a possibility they will be damaged or eaten by other animals and monsters.¡¹ Nodding at Elk¡¯s words, he took the Magic Whistle from his chest and blew it with all his might. With that, the sleeping members of the subjugation force began to wake up. While everyone was not in state where their fatigue had completely gone, they immediately headed towards the Orc settlement after eating and drinking some light rations taken out from Rei¡¯s Misty Ring. ¡¸Rei, don¡¯t you need to go to the settlement?¡¹ Once Rei woke up, he had started to hand out the supplies stored in the Misty Ring, once his work was done, he turned around to the voice who was playing with Set. Elk looked like he still had strength to spare even though he had been a lookout all night and had not slept a wink, Min who had recovered a certain amount of magic power back looked healthier. And then there was the figure of Rhodes, who was still sleepy. There were already only a few adventurers in the surroundings. Though there should originally have been the two women rescued from the Orc settlement last night, under Hobbes¡¯ instructions, along with some adventurers, they had left earlier for the city of Gilm to inform the guild that the Orc subjugation was a success and were no longer here. ¡¸Ah. All the Orcs I defeated were stored in the Misty Ring like the Orc King. After I return to the city, I was going to strip the materials and proof of subjugation from them.¡¹ Though Rhodes reacted twitchily when he heard the words Orc King, he didn¡¯t try to say anything as he had heard the circumstances from Elk and the surroundings. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s fine as it¡¯s your choice. Why don¡¯t you do it here?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Though he was silent for a few seconds, he could no longer endure Elks look and let out a sigh. ¡¸I¡¯m not very good at stripping materials. And because it¡¯s a high rank monster, I don¡¯t want to fail and have to do it carefully.¡¹ ¡¸Kukuku~. I see, I see. No wonder Rei is a G rank adventurer. Moreover, for it to be stripping materials¡­¡­¡¹ Though Elk leaked a smile at Rei¡¯s embarrassed look, it disappeared with his next words. ¡¸It¡¯s a good opportunity. I¡¯ll teach you the knack of stripping materials. Come on, take them out, take them out.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, dad!?¡¡What will happen to our rewards if we spend time with Rei here!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s, you would have to go with Min. There shouldn¡¯t be any more enemies.¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ TLN: I really don¡¯t see why you¡¯re complaining here Rhodes XD As Rhodes was going to argue further, Min tapped his shoulder. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s pointless Rhodes. Elk won¡¯t stop when he¡¯s like this. Let¡¯s just go by ourselves. Fortunately, as Elk said, there aren¡¯t any more Orcs.¡¹ Sending off Rhodes like that, Rei immediately took the Orcs out of the Misty Ring so that Elk could give him tips for stripping materials. Chapter 41 There had been a report that Orcs had built a settlement about a day¡¯s walking distance from the city of Gilm, because of that preparations for battle were made and the Knights readied. There was also the force of able adventurers who were participating in the Orc subjugation force. As the routine work of a feudal lord, it was necessary to process the following documents. And it was in this busy few days he received a letter from the Imperial Capital. His only salvation was that the busy period would only last until the Orc subjugation was completed. If he was told he had to spend a month under these conditions, there was a possibility Margrave Rowlocks would have given up his job. At the end of such a busy day, the fatigued Margrave Rowlocks, who had been sleeping like a log, was abruptly woken by a kon~ kon~, ton~ ton~, gon~ gon~ sound as the knocks on the door got louder. He forced his eyes open from the sound. Margrave Rowlocks got up from his bed and looked around. It was still dark in the room, he judged that it may not even have been a few hours since he slept. ¡¸What on earth.¡¹ Still, because he was the feudal lord, he put on a robe on top of his bedclothes and opened the door. On the other side of the door was his secretary, who should have been just as tired as him. However, unlike him, fatigue and sleepiness couldn¡¯t be seen on his face. If anything, he had an expression of happiness. ¡¸Lord-sama, I¡¯m sorry for disturbing your night¡¯s rest. However, I wanted to inform you as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, what happened?¡¹ ¡¸A little while ago, several members from the Orc subjugation force returned.¡¹ Though Margrave Rowlocks had a bad feeling after hearing the words ¡®several people¡¯, it disappeared as the next words came from the secretary¡¯s mouth. ¡¸From the report the people gave to the guild, the Orc subjugation seems to have been completed safely.¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Several people came back to report the completion of the request as soon as possible, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Because they rescued two women who had been captured in the Orc settlement, they have hinted that they would like to be left to rest peacefully as much as possible.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ A woman who had been caught in an Orc settlement. The treatment they would have received could easily be imagined. ¡¸Those two, give them a warm welcome. Give them as much support as we can give.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ ¡¸Even so, safely crushed the Orc settlement¡­¡­did they.¡¹ Margrave Rowlocks let out a sigh of relief. If the subjugation force had been defeated by the Orcs, there would be hardly any combat force left in the city that could oppose the Orcs. If he contacted the Imperial Capital, and a force from the Nobles faction or the King¡¯s faction was dispatched, there would be various disadvantages at a later date. (If I think about it, that letter may be convenient.) Thinking of the letter that had arrived during the day, he immediately shook his head. At any rate, he could rejoice that the city of Gilm¡¯s adventurers were able to defeat the Orcs. ¡¸So then, what was leading the Orcs?¡¡Was it a rare species?¡¹ Recently around here, there had been an increase in reports of the discovery of rare species at the frontier, including the city of Gilm. The most recent story was that of Goblins led by rare species attacking travelers and merchants passing along the highway. (¡­¡­That reminds me, I haven¡¯t heard stories of Goblin attacks for the past few days. Did they realise we¡¯ve become wary and moved to a different place?) TLN: *cough* *cough* *cough* Indeed, as expected, the thought that the adventurer who had brought the Griffon had taken out the rare species never crossed Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ mind. However, the secretary answered the question that he had asked. ¡¸No. According to the story from the adventurers who came back, it seems to have been an Orc King leading the Orcs.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What? Did I mishear that?¡¹ The Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ secretary shook his head from side to side. ¡¸You didn¡¯t mishear. It was an Orc King leading the Orcs. The presence of many high ranking Orcs such as Orc Archers, Orc Mages and Orc Generals were also confirmed. Moreover, the number of Orcs exceeded the original information¡¯s 50, in fact there was well over 100 Orcs.¡¹ ¡¸Wait. Wait, wait, wait. There was a large number of high ranking species in addition to an Orc King. Moreover, there were over a hundred?¡¡And they were able to win?¡¹ From the report given by the guild master at the beginning, there were only about 30 people in the Orc subjugation force, it wasn¡¯t a number that could against over a hundred Orcs. ¡¸From the story I heard, the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God was the main combat force and defeated the majority of the Orcs.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see. That reminds me, I had heard that Axe of the Thunder God were participating. Sorry, my brain hasn¡¯t seemed to have woken up yet.¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. In the past few days, Lord-sama has been wrestling with a mountain of documents.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, wait a moment. Then, did Axe of the Thunder God defeat the Orc King?¡¹ His secretary frowned his eyebrows slightly at that question. The contents of the story he had heard were unbelievable and he was lost as to whether he should tell his boss. ¡¸¡­¡­Is it different?¡¹ Margrave Rowlocks, who felt his secretary¡¯s state, asked again doubtfully. And as if making up his mind, his secretary answered. ¡¸That is, I¡¯m still not sure as this is merely what the adventurers who returned earlier were saying¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be so wordy, just say it clearly.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A G rank adventurer defeated the Orc King in single combat.¡¹ ¡¸Impossible!¡¡Speaking of that, isn¡¯t the Orc King a B rank monster!?¡¡A G rank adventurer¡­¡­no, wait a moment. Is there no mistake it was a G ran adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸That is the information I have received.¡¹ Hearing the words from his secretary, the figure of Rei floated into his head. At the very least, he didn¡¯t know of any newly registered adventurers of G rank that could possibly defeat an Orc King aside from Rei. Rather than that, from the information of the list of members in the Orc subjugation force, the only person with such a low rank, G rank, was him. But even so. (If it was the Griffon, who is a higher rank, who defeated the Orc King, I could still understand. But, according to the report, the Orc King was defeated in single combat. In other words, this person, Rei, has the capability to defeated a B rank monster by himself?) To Margrave Rowlocks, his interest and importance of Rei had risen again. As expected, his drowsiness was blown away after hearing the news and he gave out a list of things to do one after the other. Though sleep was originally important to let the body rest, Margrave Rowlocks was presently in a state of excitement, joy and relief. With such a variety of emotion, it wasn¡¯t possible to sleep at all. ¡¸So then, when does the main group of the subjugation force return?¡¹ ¡¸As there¡¯s also the cleaning up of the Orc settlement, they will be back the day after tomorrow at earliest.¡¹ ¡¸The day after tomorrow¡­¡­Okay, then send a message to the subjugation force the morning the day after tomorrow. When they return, there will be a parade.¡¹ ¡¸A parade?¡¡However, won¡¯t that use up a lot of the budget¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I understand your worries. However, the information that an Orc settlement had been built a day¡¯s walking distance from the Gilm has already spread around the city. In order to dispel the unease, we have to make it flashy.¡¹ The Orc settlement subjugation force. They set off with large group of 30 people or so, including an A rank party. It was impossible for it to not cause a commotion, the matter of the Orc settlement had already spread through downtown. And above all, as the information has already been disclosed through the adventurers guild, it was to prevent rumors about the Orc settlement becoming crazy rumors and causing the people to fall into confusion. That said, though the scenario of of reckless people buying up all the goods from the merchants in the city did not occur, he still felt uneasy about it. If that was the case, Margrave Rowlocks judged that it was necessary to meet with the subjugation force that annihilated the Orc settlement to remove the anxiety. ¡¸Then¡­¡­there must be a hero.¡¹ ¡¸A hero, is it?¡¹ The secretary replied in response to the Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ mutter. ¡¸Ah. It¡¯s the person that can be called the symbol of the Orc subjugation force.¡¹ At that moment, two names crossed his mind. One was Elk, the leader of the party Axe of the Thunder God and a go getter from the city of Gilm. Margrave Rowlocks had met with him several times for work and roughly understood what kind of person he was. It was expected that Elk would understand his thinking regarding the celebration. The other person was the one who defeated the Orc King, Rei. He had yet to meet him directly and had only heard from rumors and information that had been written in documents. (Should I bring up the figure of Rei as a hero as soon as possible?¡¡¡­¡­No, it¡¯s dangerous as I still don¡¯t know what his personality is like. If he has a troublesome character, I may be forced to leave the city of Gilm if it ends badly. If I consider that the symbol of the Orc subjugation is for the residents of the city, then Elk, who is the leader of the prominent party Axe of the Thunder God, might be better than Rei, who just registered with the guild.) ¡¸Elk, it is.¡¹ ¡¸Ha?¡¡Ah, no. I¡¯m sorry. Elk it is. I will arrange it at once.¡¹ His secretary thought for a moment about why it wasn¡¯t Rei who was said to have defeated the Orc King, but came to the same conclusions as his boss and bowed his head before immediately leaving the room. His words meant that aside from coordinating with the guild, he would also collect any new information. As Margrave Rowlocks saw off the back of the figure, he sat down on the bed in his bedroom with a thud. ¡¸Not only is he accompanied by a A rank monster, Griffon, it seems he also has the ability to defeat a B rank monster, Orc King, by himself. If you add on the ability of the monster, Griffon, you could judge his ability to be equivalent to an A rank party. He has that ability and is still rank G¡­¡­no, wait. Rank G? I see.¡¹ Glancing around, what came to his mind was the letter that arrived yesterday. The letter asked for assistance with a certain problem¡­¡­close to the middle, some requirements were given. Adventurers ranking up to rank D were requested. ¡¸Even if the symbol of the Orc subjugation force was transferred to Elk, there¡¯s no changing the fact that Rei defeated the Orc King. Then if he ranked up to Rank E in one go, with his achievements, there won¡¯t be any problems with immediately taking the rank up test to rank D.¡¹ Coincidentally, the opinion of Margrave Rowlocks matched that of Hobbes, who was leading the subjugation force. ¡¸There¡¯s only disadvantages for the city of Gilm to leave an A rank equivalent person at G rank.¡¹ Half muttering to persuade himself, he suddenly noticed that the room had become brighter. Apparently, while he had been lost in thought, the sun had already risen. In this way, Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ busy day started again. However, the fatigue on his face that he had yesterday was all gone, rather, he made his preparations for the parade and started his feudal lord¡¯s work happily. Two days later, several carriages pulled by war horses advanced to the city of Gilm along the highway. ¡¸A victory parade, is it. And I¡¯ll be leading it?¡¹ One of the carriages. Elk¡¯s unhappy voice echoed in the room where 5 people, Hobbes, Rei and Axe of the Thunder God, were present. The reason he was grumbling was because of the parade that he was told off by the messenger who arrived earlier. If it was only that much then Elk might not have been grumbling, however, the contents of the message said that Elk, who didn¡¯t like formal events, was to lead the subjugation force from the city entrance to the guild. ¡¸There¡¯s no helping it, the story about the Orc settlement has already spread throughout the city. Margrave Rowlocks wants to dispel all feelings of anxiety.¡¹ Min, who was sitting opposite of Elk, told him to give up after informing him of her thoughts. ¡¸But you know?¡¡I don¡¯t like being exaggerated.¡¹ ¡¸I know that for sure, but your likes and dislikes compared to dispelling the anxiety of the residents. Which is more important?¡¹ ¡¸Guh~¡­¡­even so, why me, why not Rei. Anyway, wasn¡¯t he the one who defeated the Orc King?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be so unreasonable. Your name is well know as part of the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God, Rei only just registered with the guild. It¡¯s not necessary to think who the residents would accept being paraded. ¡­¡­Moreover, if Rei doesn¡¯t mind, he can be the spokesman.¡¹ Rei shook his neck to the left and right at Hobbes¡¯ words. ¡¸I don¡¯t like such troublesome things. That¡¯s right¡­¡­if it¡¯s Axe of the Thunder God, how about you let Rhodes lead?¡¡The person who will succeed Axe of the Thunder God, something like that.¡¹ ¡¸Oi, are you trying to make me the sacrifice!?¡¹ Rhodes said in a voice that showed it would be too unpleasant if he had to take the lead. Though he didn¡¯t dislike the event that his parents were involved in, he didn¡¯t want to participate in it himself. ¡¸You, calm down. Give up Elk. See, the city has already come into view. We¡¯ll stop to form into single file.¡¹ As Hobbes said so, he sounded the Magic Whistle to stop all the carriages. Chapter 42 An Orc settlement had appeared in the immediate vicinity of the city they lived in. It was natural that there would be a parade for the subjugation force that went to defeat it. ¡¸Hey, look at the person sitting at the drivers seat of the first carriage. That¡¯s the leader of the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God, it¡¯s Elk¡¹ ¡¸I know. ¡­¡­Rather, hey, over there!¡¹ While nodding to the words of the man next to him, an unexpected existence entered his eyes. An eagle¡¯s upper body, a lions lower body and huge wings on it¡¯s back. In other words, it was a ¡­¡­ ¡¸Griffon!?¡¹ They had gone to subjugate Orcs, why had they brought something even more brutal back? Although the question entered his mind for a moment and he almost ran away on reflex¡­¡­the nape of his neck was caught by the man next to him who had known Elk. ¡¸Hey, what are you doing. We must escape fast!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down. It won¡¯t attack people because that Griffon is a tamed monster.¡¹ ¡¸Haa?¡¡A tamed Griffon?¡¡Was that a joke!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s no joke. Think carefully about it. If that Griffon were a normal monster, why would it be walking next to the carriage together.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ If you thought about it carefully, it was possible to understand that the man was right. However, the presence of the Griffon was to overwhelming. ¡¸You, what do you know?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Have you really not heard of the story about the rank D party Claws of the Hawk getting beaten up in front of the guild by rookie who just registered?¡¹ ¡¸Now that you say it, I remember hearing such a story¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸To tell the truth, I was at that place. So, I mean, the rookie that beat them up had tamed a Griffon. That¡¯s the Griffon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. That Griffon also walks around the city quite frequently. Try looking around carefully. Can you see anyone running away?¡¹ As the man heard that, he looked around, most residents were certainly not trying to run away. On the contrary, they seemed to be explaining to those who were trying to run from the sight of the Griffon. So, like himself. Instead, there were people among the residents looking at the parade that were throwing dried meat at the Griffon. And the Griffon was splendidly catching the flying dried meat in his beak, swallowing it as it was, he was delighted and gave a happy¡ºGururururu~¡»cry. ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸A, ahh. Even then, a rookie taming a Griffon¡­¡­I can¡¯t imagine it.¡¹ ¡¸I also though that at first. It¡¯s probably also the same for the people who saw the Griffon walking through city for the first time. However, I haven¡¯t heard any stories of that Griffon actually harming anyone. In addition, it has an amazing popularity with the street stall merchants who sell food. ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s also the owner of the Griffon who buys their goods like crazy regardless of the expense.¡¹ ¡¸Those merchants are amazing¡­¡­¡¹ It it were him, he would likely have run away if a Griffon came as a customer. Thinking so¡­¡­he suddenly noticed something. ¡¸Hey, wait a minute. Didn¡¯t the owner of the Griffon just register with the guild?¡¡Did he participate in the Orc subjugation force?¡¹ ¡¸Now that you said that, it¡¯s likely¡­¡­Well, maybe the Griffon was there to deal with the Orcs?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see. ¡­¡­That¡¯s great isn¡¯t it. Though I don¡¯t have a Griffon, if I became an adventurer by taming a strong monster, I can just leave the combat to the monster and profit.¡¹ ¡¸Idiot. Do you think he can only tame monsters?¡¹ While smiling wryly, he lightly knocked the guy¡¯s head. ¡ºKya~, look this way On¨¥-sama!¡» At the same time, they heard such voices. ¡¸Ouch, go easy on me¡­¡­So, who is that?¡¹ While looking at the appearance of some girls who were raising a shrill voice at a woman in the parade, he asked the man next to him. ¡¸That¡¯s certainly¡­¡­the C rank party Scorching Wind, led by Milein. As you can see, a lot of the talented younger people treat her an older sister.¡¹ ¡¸On¨¥-sama, is it.¡¹ In this way, the Orc subjugation force parade continued until they arrived at the guild. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m tired.¡¹ Moving through downtown in full view during the parade, Elk gave a deep sigh as he finally got to the front of the guild and got off the carriage. Contrary to his energy after fighting against Orc all night, fatigue could be seen carved into his face. ¡¸Kukuku~. It¡¯s hard being popular.¡¹ Hobbes gave a wry smile at Elk¡¯s state as he also got down from the carriage. ¡¸Ke, you must have been comfortable being inside the carriage.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no helping it, because only two people can sit in the driver¡¯s seat. The residents of the city who see you, the leader of Axe of the Thunder God, will no longer be frightened by the threat of Orcs.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I know. But can¡¯t I complain?¡¡To begin with, this is out of character for me.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no other choice. After all, it was a direct nomination personally from Margrave Rowlocks, the lord of the city of Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸Fun~!¡¹ As Hobbes turned away from Elk¡¯s childish face, he spoke up to the other members of the subjugation force who were coming down from the other carriages. ¡¸Everyone, you¡¯ve worked hard. Thanks to you and the parade, the Orc threat has passed for the city. Well, for now, we will disband here. You don¡¯t need to worry about the reward, you will be able to receive it from the guild reception desk by tomorrow. With that, the proof of subjugation parts from the Orc can be sold at five silver coins instead of the usual three silver coins, as said before. In the same way, high ranking species can also be sold at higher prices. However, remember that selling at that price is only because of the reward for the Orc subjugation.¡¹ Everyone nodded to those words, afterwards, everyone scattered to the tavern, the inn, the weapons shops and to second hand dealer shops. As for Rei, as he was going to go to the nearby dining area and food stalls with Set to fill their bellies¡­¡­ ¡¸Rei, could you stay for a moment. We have to talk.¡¹ He was stopped by Hobbes. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong?¡¡After stroking Set¡¯s head and petting him lightly, he turned his eyes to Hobbes. ¡¸Didn¡¯t you say the rewards would be given tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s for the other people. No, you will also receive your reward tomorrow but that doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡­I would like to talk with you about your rank for a moment.¡¹ Though he seemed to think a few seconds about those words, he immediately took out several sandwiches from the Misty Ring and petted Set¡¯s head. ¡¸Sorry, I have a little business to do. Eat these while waiting at the usual spot Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Leaving Set, who was slightly dissatisfied, Rei and Hobbes entered the guild. Set who saw off their backs, gave a small cry and went to his usual spot with a sandwich in his mouth. ¡¸Ah, Rei-san, Welcome back.¡¹ ¡¸Rei-kun?¡¡It¡¯s good that you¡¯re safe.¡¹ As Rei and Hobbes entered the guild¡­¡­or rather, seeing Rei, Lenora and Kenny called out with happy, smiling faces. ¡¸Sorry, but I have to talk with Rei. You can enjoy your reunion later.¡¹ Hobbes said that to the two people and went up to the second floor in the guild, Rei followed after raising his hand lightly in greeting. As Kenny saw off their backs, she was genuinely relieved and let out a big sigh. ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s good. Rei-kun was fine.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, though that¡¯s certainly something good¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Lenora?¡¹ ¡¸Orcs, weren¡¯t there quite a large number people in the subjugation force?¡¡Though a detailed explanation will be given later, I¡¯m sure that some didn¡¯t make it back.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It can¡¯t be helped if it can¡¯t be helped. There is a inherent risk in being an adventurer and they knew it when they registered with the guild.¡¹ ¡¸Well, though that is so¡­¡­the number of faces I¡¯ll recognise will drop a little.¡¹ Lenora let out a small sigh. To begin with, fighting was assumed to happen for adventurers working with monster subjugation, exploring labyrinths or merchant escorts. Though there are also gathering requests, most of them can be easily done by the people themselves without the need to post a request. As for the main requests for the guild, they were mainly things that were too dangerous for the client to do themselves. Since such danger is present, naturally, there would be adventurers who would die doing their work. Though that was understandable, Lenora still couldn¡¯t completely accept it. ¡¸Come now, in any case, didn¡¯t most of the people return?¡¡Then be a little bit more happy. It¡¯s because of that that your body is so poor.¡¹ Poor, though Lenora twitched at those words, she feigned calmness and started to speak. ¡¸I¡¯m not particularly porr. Normal, I¡¯m just normal. Average. I think it¡¯s better than a body that is used to curry favour with men.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ara~, I wonder who that is?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m not pointing out to anyone in particular, do you have any ideas?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, absolutely. That¡¯s why they say that women with small chests are also small minded people. Mm, mm, I feel sorry for Rei-kun who has to be partly under such a woman. If I were you, I would stick to him and talk about and do various things and whatnot.¡¹ ¡¸Kenny, really, you!¡¹ In this way, the two people started playing around like this as usual. However, the sad atmosphere which covered Lenora earlier had disappeared and had returned to the usual Lenora. ¡¸Please sit.¡¹ It was the same room where the story of the Orc subjugation force had been heard. Right not, Rei was faced opposite to Hobbes. Because the first time he entered the room was with the Orc subjugation force, Rei felt that with only two people, the meeting room was wide and dull. After sitting in the offered chair and facing each for several tens of seconds, Hobbes spoke up to break the silence. ¡¸There¡¯s various debriefing to be done after this¡­¡­even with regards to Dark Night¡¯s Star. But to say it bluntly, your rank will go up to rank E tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸E is it. Even it went up, I thought it would surely only go up to F.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph. Given your achievements, E rank isn¡¯t possibly enough. Transporting supply goods, Set guarding during the journey, executing your role as a mobile unit during the night attack. And above all, defeating the Orc King. With this many achievements listed, there¡¯s no way you would only go up one rank. At any rate, if you were C or D and not G rank then maybe. In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Hobbes hesitated to say something at the end. Rei who saw that had a wry smile in his mind. (Hush money regarding Dark Night¡¯s Star¡­¡­is that it.) In the situation that could be considered a crisis for the city of Gilm, he had attacked an allied party for his own reasons. If you think about how this could lead ot a poor reputation and a loss of trust with the adventurer guild, Hobbes¡¯ actions couldn¡¯t be considered strange. ¡¸Well, because it seems to be common to apply to the guild for a rank up after handling a certain number of requests, it is less troublesome to jump over multiple ranks at once, I have no complaints.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m glad you said that. Because you¡¯ll be going to take the rank up test to D rank in the near future, please keep that in mind.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei asked again, not believing Hobbes¡¯ words. As if he had expected that response, Hobbes repeated it again. ¡¸I said, therefore, you will be receiving a rank up test in the near future.¡¹ ¡¸I see, the guild is quite generous. Do they want me to rank up three ranks in one go?¡¹ ¡¸Well, something like that. I mean, when thinking about your ability tame and Set, your ability is closer to B rank¡­¡­I hope that will convince you of your D rank.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s just what I hoped for¡­¡­is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine. In the first place, it¡¯s strange that a person that can beat an Orc King one on one is in G rank.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. So when is the rank up test?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows, it¡¯s difficult for me to say. It¡¯s something for the upper echelon and officials to decide and not me.¡¹ Though he said that, Hobbes has the feeling that the date for the field examination wasn¡¯t far away. Everyone knows that the employees of the adventurer guild are always short on manpower, above all¡­¡­ Hobbes thought about the letter in his chest pocket. The letter was received from the messenger from Gilm as the Orc subjugation force was returning. There were words praising the Orc subjugation force and information about the parade from just before. And it was also written to promote Rei to rank E and introduce him to the rank up test as soon as he got to the guild. (Even though I let several people with information leave earlier, this is too fast. Rei¡¯s ability is certainly B rank¡­¡­and would be comparable to the poorer A ranks. However, this move is¡­¡­) Hobbes himself had written about the rank improvement to rank E in the letter he had sent back to Gilm, I was also intending to propose the rank up test to rank D to the upper echelon. However, he had only judged so because he had been in the same request as Rei, he hadn¡¯t thought that the upper echelon, who hadn¡¯t even been debriefed, would be making a move so quickly. In other words¡­¡­ (The guild master and the upper echelon have an interest in Rei. ¡­¡­No, thinking about it, is it the lord?) Though originally, he wouldn¡¯t be able to assert that that was possible, Rei was accompanied by an A rank monster, Griffon. Thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t say for sure that it was impossible. ¡¸Well, anyway, I understand the information. So it¡¯s a good thing for me to take the rank D test so soon?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s the intention.¡¹ Nodding to Hobbes words, Rei stood up from his seat. Seeing him off, Hobbes felt that Rei would make a pleasant disturbance in the city of Gilm. Chapter 43 Among the people who saw the figure of Set in the parade the day before, there were probably many who were taught of his existence. Different from usual, they only gave cries of surprise at seeing Set at first instead of running away, there were even some people who would give food to Set. To say thank you, Set gave a cry and shook his tail each time. Seeing that, the person would cautiously pet his head¡­¡­and because of this, it was already into the afternoon when they finally arrived at the guild. ¡¸Then, Set, wait for me at the usual place.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As Set went to the place he was familiar with, opposite the carriage waiting area, Rei entered the guild. If there was something different from usual, it was the figures of several adventurers, who participated in the Orc subjugation force, who went and petted Set on the head or gave him some food as a substitute greeting before entering the guild. Receiving friendly attention, he gave a happy cry. Upon entering the guild, he went straight to the counter without looking at the request board. Looking around, he saw several adventurers in the guild, but he went to talk to Lenora without bothering them. ¡¸Ah, hello Rei-san. Have you come for the rewards for the Orcs?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Yes, I also want to hand in the proof of subjugation parts as well as sell materials.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, no problem.¡¹ Lenora confirmed it as she nodded, A lot of right ears, which were the proof of subjugation, came out of the Misty Ring. The skin and teeth of Orcs, Orc Archers, Orc Mages and Orc Generals were usable materials. Because of the magic power residing in them, the eyes, heart, tongue and back teeth of an Orc Mage could also be used in medicine and alchemy. The internal organs of Orc Generals could be used in alchemy while their bones and tendons could be used for weapons and bowstrings. And then there were the magic stones of Orcs and Orc Archers. In addition, there were obviously differences in how the materials were collected. There were those that were collected perfectly like Elk¡¯s and there were ones damaged here and there like the ones handled by Rei, who was lacking in this area. ¡¸Um, please wait a minute. Kenny, you help me for a bit.¡¹ The reason was that the amount placed on the counter was a lot more than expected. Lenora called out to Kenny who had been next to her, smiling, eyeing a chance to talk to Rei. As if waiting for that, Kenny approached the counter to continue screening the materials. ¡¸As for this and this, the collection was perfect. This one is useless. This¡­¡­though it¡¯s close it¡¯s still okay¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Kenny. I did ask you but don¡¯t be partial to Rei-san. Because the collection was sloppy, don¡¯t put the tongue of the Orc Mage with the quality goods.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, really?¡¡Un, I feel that Lenora is a bit harsh¡­¡­¡¹ While carrying out such an exchange, they processed the materials and classified them into ones that could be used that those that couldn¡¯t ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s with that amount of materials. Moreover, aren¡¯t those the teeth of an Orc General. Why does that brat¡­¡­¡¹ Surprised at the mountain of Orc materials at the counter, one of the adventurers who was drinking in the bar in the guild asked his friend who was drinking next to him. Though the adventurer was amazed for a moment when he saw it, he immediately nodded as he remembered something. ¡¸Ah, you returned to Gilm this morning.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah.¡¹ ¡¸Haven¡¯t you heard the rumors in the city?¡¡That Orcs built a settlement near the city of Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸Of course I know it. I mean, I¡¯ve been forced to hear it at the inn and shops ever since I came back to the city this morning. Seriously, if it wasn¡¯t for the escort request, I would have joined the Orc subjugation force¡­¡­hey, no way.¡¹ Talking up to there, he finally understood what his friend was saying. ¡¸Hey, wait a minute. So what is it?¡¡Did even that brat join the Orc subjugation force?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re kidding?¡¡However you look at it, that brat is still in his mid teens.¡¹ ¡¸However, did you know, according to the story I heard from some other guys who participated in the subjugation force, that guy killed an Orc King?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­An Orc King? That brat?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. And guess what, he recently registered with the guild as a G rank adventurer and defeated an Orc King. ¡­¡­Like I said don¡¯t be surprised at having to take your words back.¡¹ ¡¸G rank¡­¡­¡¹ While looking at his friend who was dumbfounded at the contents of the story which was beyond his understanding, he lifted the wine to his mouth with a nasty smile as he was just as astonished when he had heard it for the first time. ¡¸That?¡¡Rei-kun. Is this all the materials?¡¹ In front of the counter that was filled with materials, Kenny asked Rei. ¡¸Ah.¡¹ However, Rei only gave a small nod. ¡¸There¡¯s still magic stones of Orcs and Orc Archers¡­¡­and materials from the Orc King.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll explain the situation a bit. I have uses for the magic stones of Orc Mages and Orc Generals here. I regards to the material of an Orc King, I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t want to sell it.¡¹ Because he was only able to get two magic stones each from Orc Mages and Orc Generals, thinking about the possibility that Set and the Death Scythe could learn skills, he couldn¡¯t sell them. Similarly, I couldn¡¯t sell the magic stone of the Orc King, of which he only had one of. As for materials, he stored the precious B rank monster materials into the Misty Ring, the same way as with the Queen Ant. ¡¸Un, though I wanted you to sell it if possible¡­¡­it¡¯s no use?¡¹ Though Kenny said that while emphasizing her proud chest, Rei only shook his neck slightly. ¡¸It¡¯s because there are circumstances for the time being.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­well, it can¡¯t be helped. Then, are you selling all these?¡¹ ¡¸Ah.¡¹ ¡¸With this quantity, you might have to wait a little because it will take a while.¡¹ There was no helping it as that much was that much, in the meantime, he looked at the request board until the assessment and appraisal were completed. (Because I heard I¡¯ll be going up to rank E today, first of all, I¡¯ll look at the D rank and E rank monster subjugation quests.) Muttering in his mind, he only looked at the subjugation requests, he suddenly discovered a urgent request. ¡¸¡­¡­Dragon Lizard?¡¹ Yes, a subjugation request for Dragon Lizards with a request rank E was pinned there. (Is it a Dragon?¡¡Or is it a Lizard?¡¡¡­¡­Ah well, because it¡¯s rank E it¡¯s certainly a Lizard, it¡¯s too a low rank if it¡¯s a Dragon.) Rei, who was concerned about the strange name, took out the monster dictionary, that he had bought in the bookstore, from the Misty Ring. ¡ºDragon Lizard¡» Though it had dragon in it¡¯s name, it¡¯s species was a large lizard. However, it was called a dragon because its size was larger than that of an adult human. Since it was a lizard, it obviously didn¡¯t breathe fire, but because it¡¯s attacks boast a considerable strength, it required care when fighting. Though its toxicity was weak, it¡¯s fangs contained a poison that dulled movements. Because it was a lizard, ice magic was it¡¯s weakness. Moreover, it would not falter due to pain from injuries. For this E rank monster, the tip of the tail was the proof of subjugation. It¡¯s selling price was 1 silver coin. In addition, it¡¯s meat had a strong taste which gourmets liked. (A giant lizard¡­¡­though it¡¯s interesting.) ¡¸Rei-san, the assessment of the material has been completed.¡¹ Being called by Lenora, he stored the monster dictionary into the Misty Ring and headed to the counter. ¡¸The reward for proofs of subjugation, the purchase of materials and magic stones and the reward for the Orc subjugation quest, adding individual achievements all together¡­¡­the reward comes down to 9 platinum coins.¡¹ The moment Lenora said the amount of money at the counter, adventurers inside the guild who had secretly been watching Rei became noisy. ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re kidding?¡¡Isn¡¯t 9 platinum coins the average reward of a rank A or rank B request?¡¹ ¡¸Idiot, that kid Rei played an important role during the Orc subjugation.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s amazing, how about he enters our party.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s useless. Isn¡¯t one of the rumors he defeated an Orc King?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I mean, think about it. The reward of the Orc subjugation is two platinum coins. Even if there are materials and proofs of subjugation, will it amount to 9 platinum coins?¡¡You won¡¯t reach that amount unless you defeat the enemy¡¯s leader.¡¹ While hearing such conversation, he received the 9 platinum coins from Lenora, took out a pouch from the Misty Ring to put the money in and stored it back into the Misty Ring. ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s convenient as usual, isn¡¯t it. Ah, because your rank has also gone up, please hand over your guild card.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right.¡¹ After collecting the guild card and heading to the back of the counters, she returned after a few minutes. Though she tried to look calm, her face had the colour of unrest. ¡¸Here you go, it¡¯s returned. Rank up, congratulations. But, that¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I was surprised that I suddenly went up to rank E, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. That, to be honest, I was pinching my cheeks thinking that it was a dream. ¡­¡­I¡¯ve been a receptionist here for several years but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a person rise 2 ranks from a single request.¡¹ ¡¸Uwa~, really?¡¡As I thought, you¡¯re amazing Rei.¡¹ Hearing Lenora¡¯s words, Kenny looked at Rei¡¯s guild card. Certainly, the guild rank had been changed from G to E. Hearing Lenora and Kenny¡¯s words, the guild became noisy again, but he stored the guild card into the Misty Ring without minding it. ¡¸Well then, thanks for your help.¡¹ ¡¸Have you picked up a request for today?¡¹ ¡¸As expected of yesterday, I¡¯ll be slowly spending today with Set.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s a shame. When I¡¯m free after this, lets go to a place and drink together.¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, Kenny!?¡¡What the hell are you thinking?¡¹ Though Lenora¡¯s angry voice came out at Kenny¡¯s invitation to Rei, she waved her hand at Rei without caring to explain. While smiling wryly at the state of the two, he left the guild with a light goodbye. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ As Rei came out of the guild, Set greeted him with a happy cry. Though there were a few adventurers and residents nearby, Set gave a short cry and left the place as soon as he saw Rei. Some of them sent Set off with regretful faces. To the changes in the surroundings, Rei recalled the events from several days ago as he scratched Set¡¯s head while smiling involuntarily. ¡¸I¡¯ve kept you waiting. Then let¡¯s go out.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a small cry at Rei¡¯s words, the headed towards the gate on the main street. ¡¸Huh? Another request right after yesterday¡¯s?¡¹ Rei handed the Necklace of Subservient Monster and guild card to Ranga, who was in charge of the procedures. ¡¸No, not at all. However, I thought I¡¯d take a short trip with Set in the sky.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Ah, as I said before, please don¡¯t take off or land near the city.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand.¡¹ ¡¸At the same time, congratulations on your rank up. Still, to rank up two ranks at once. That¡¯s amazing.¡¹ Ranga said that as he saw that the rank displayed on the guild card had changed from G to E, Rei gave a small smile. Ranga seemed satisfied and returned the guild card to Rei. ¡¸Well the, I¡¯ll return the guild card to you. ¡­¡­Rei-san.¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¹ ¡¸The Orc subjugation, thanks for your hard work. As a commander of the security force, I wish to express my gratitude as one of the residents in the city.¡¹ Rei was taken aback for a moment by Ranga¡¯s lowered head but immediately put up a wry smile. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. I also obtained various things from the request. As you said, my rank also went up. I myself have also set up residence in this city of Gilm. It was fortunate that the danger of the Orcs was avoided.¡¹ Lightly waving his hand, he sat on Set¡¯s back as they moved a short distance away from the city. ¡¸Set, I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ With a sharp cry, he flapped his huge wings after a run up of a few steps before stepping into the air and going up into the sky. Although there were thinly spread clouds, unlike yesterday¡¯s weather, they weren¡¯t rain clouds. If anything, Rei felt that in this summer weather, it was like a small thunder cloud. As Rei was wearing the Dragon Robe, which could be called a simple air conditioner, he could bathe in the sunlight mindlessly without caring for the temperature as Set flew for several hours. However, it was a distance of a few hours by Set¡¯s wings. If a person were to walk normally along the ground, it would take a whole day, several days if there were issues. Naturally, there was a reason to go that far from the city. The purpose was to perform the absorption of the magic stones that he had gotten from the Orc subjugation. Rei looked down at the ground while flying through the sky and discovered a clearing in the forest where no trees were growing. Looking roughly at the surroundings, the figures of monsters or adventurers couldn¡¯t be seen. ¡¸Right, Set. Go down there.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a small cry at Rei¡¯s words, Set landed at the designated location. After landing on the ground, he quickly looked at the surroundings. As Rei sharply looked around, he also took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring in case of a surprise attack by a monster. ¡¸¡­¡­This seems to be okay.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ In the surrounding area, there were only young saplings covering the vacant land, in particular monsters hostile to Rei and Set could not be seen. No, though there were monsters like Horned Rabbits for which there were G rank subjugation requests, they had all ran away at full speed from Set¡¯s overwhelming appearance. ¡¸Now then, it seems there isn¡¯t anything to stop the absorption of magic stones here.¡¹ With that, he took the Orc meat and magic stones, for Set¡¯s meal, that he had gotten from the Orc subjugation without even glancing at the Misty Ring. Chapter 44 Set gave a cry when Rei took out a magic stone from the Misty Ring¡­¡­not really, it was when he took out the meat of the high ranking Orc species. After defeating the Orcs, their corpses had been immediately stored into the Misty Ring. Set had been looking at the meat while Elk had been helping with stripping materials and magic stones. Incidentally, Elk had cut down the meat to a nice size. ¡­¡­Of course, because they were busy with various things, Set didn¡¯t have an opportunity to eat the meat. Though Orcs were tentatively classified as demi humans, it didn¡¯t really matter in this world¡­¡­no, in fact, because the higher ranking species of the D rank Orcs contained a lot more magic power than lower rank monsters on the market, it was a delicious dish. Rei was told that by Elk as well as a butcher in city. ¡¸Here!¡¹ It had been two days since they returned to the city from the Orc settlement. The food that Set had received at the inn and from adventurers and residents wasn¡¯t enough. Set caught the thrown Orc meat into his mouth skillfully and swallowed it. (As for absorbing magic stones, I¡¯ll wait until Set finishes first.) Watching Set eat the Orc meat with great gusto, even though he had eaten lunch at the Dusk Wheat, his stomach¡¯s hunger prevailed, cutting a branch from a tree, he stabbed some Orc meat on and stuck it into the ground. Collecting dead wood from trees that fallen nearby, he used magic to start a fire and spit roasted the Orc skewers. He sprinkled some salt he had taken out from the Misty Ring onto the surface before bringing it to his mouth. ¡¸It¡¯s certainly delicious.¡¹ Orcs were D rank or higher and the meat contained magic power besidehaving rich taste. Because of that, he was able to fully enjoy the taste of the meat with just a simple salt seasoning. ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Until then, Set had been hungrily eating raw meat, but he had eaten cooked Water Bear meat at the campfire in the Forest of Monsters as well as the skewers in the city before. Because of this, Set gave an envious cry at Rei who was eating the Orc skewers, Rei gave a wry smile at this scene and spit roasted a share of skewers for Set. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ After eating the meat from several Orcs that came from the Misty Ring, Set gave a satisfied cry. Rei took a break while stroking Set¡¯s head, feeling the wind flowing through the trees. The scent of nature in the wind. If you listened carefully, you could hear the sounds of birds and insects or beasts and monsters. While listening to such sounds, Rei took out the magic stone of an Orc from the Misty Ring. Though he had sold almost all of the magic stones at the guild, he set aside two of each for Set and the Death Scythe. ¡¸¡­¡­Right. Break time¡¯s finished. Set, start absorbing the magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set also gave a happy cry at Rei¡¯s words, he understood that his own power would increase if he absorbed the magic stone. ¡¸First of all is a magic stone of an ordinary Orc. ¡­¡­Because a skill was learnt, even from an E rank goblin rare species, I think there may be a possibility¡­¡­Set!¡¹ Calling out, he threw a magic stone towards Set. Dexterously catching it in his beak, he swallowed it just like that¡­¡­the announcement message from when a skill was acquired did not occur, there didn¡¯t seem to be any changes in particular. ¡¸Nothing happened, it seems.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a regretful cry. Just to make sure, he brought up the list of Set¡¯s skills in his mind, as usual, there were only two, Fire Breath and Water Ball. ¡¸What is the criteria for learning skills?¡¹ While muttering, he threw out one of the remaining Orc magic stones into the air, striking in one blow with the Death Scythe. Cutting it in two with the blade, though it disappeared like smoke¡­¡­the Death Scythe was also unable to acquire a skill. ¡¸I just wasted 2 magic stones. Well, at the very least they were only magic stones of ordinary Orcs.¡¹ While spitting out a sigh, next, he took out a magic stone of an Orc Archer from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Set.¡¹ Throwing the magic stone of the Orc Archer like the one from before, Set caught the magic stone in his mouth before swallowing it. ¡¾Set has learnt the skill¡ºWind Arrow¡¡Lv.1¡»] And an announcement message echoed in his mind. ¡¸It seems something was learnt. Even then, Wind Arrow? When he thought of Set¡¯s skills, Fire Breath and Water Ball, it seems Wind Arrow was next¡­¡­well, perhaps it was a hobby of Takumu or something. More importantly, the Orc¡¯s magic stone was yellow. In other words, a earth attribute magic stone. Yet, a wind skill was acquired?¡¡Or was it because it was a magic stone of an Orc Archer?¡¡Set, try using Wind Arrow on that tree over there.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, he looked at a tree located a bit further away as instructed. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ At Set¡¯s cry and thoughts, something invisible shot from Set at high speed, sharply cutting several places in the tree trunk. However, the power wasn¡¯t very strong for a LV.1 skill, the depths of the cuts in the tree trunks were only a few cm deep. It didn¡¯t have the power to cut the tree trunk in half. Instead, it had a different use, its launch velocity was clearly faster compared to a water ball. ¡¸Though it¡¯s power is lower than that of Water Ball and Fire Breath, Wind Arrow can be used in close combat because, as its name says, Wind Arrows are invisible.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry at Rei¡¯s words. While giving a side look at that, Rei threw the remaining Orc Archer magic stone into the sky before cutting it in two like before. At that moment, the magic stone disappeared like smoke¡­¡­ ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill¡ºFlying Slash¡¡Lv.1¡»] An announcement message echoed in his mind. ¡¸Flying Slash, is it. Well, reading it, it¡¯s pretty self explanatory.¡¹ Readying the Death Scythe, he aimed at the tree that Set had hit earlier with the wind arrow. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ Invoking the skill while wielding the Death Scythe, the slash flew as according to the skill name¡­¡­hitting the tree. At the point where the flying slash hit, the tree trunk was cut much deeper than Set¡¯s wind arrows. However, while more than one wind arrow could be shot at once, the disadvantage of the Flying Slash was that only one could be sent out. ¡¸I see. Wind Arrow can fire more projectiles but the power of a single Flying Slash is higher. Well, next is the magic stones of the Orc Mages.¡¹ Though it was a little different from what he had expected, Rei still nodded satisfied as he took an Orc Mage magic stone from the Misty Ring. Similar to before, he allowed Set to absorb it¡­¡­ ¡¾Set has acquired the skill¡ºFire Breath¡¡Lv.2¡»] An announcement message echoed in his mind. ¡¸Hou~, Fire Breath Lv.2 is it. Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set realised what Rei was asking and opened his beak towards the sky¡­¡­flames were spat out. The flames spat out from his mouth were thicker compared to when it was Lv.1. They also traveled further. He could also see that the temperature of the flames was higher than before. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ How was it?¡¡He turned to Rei and rubbed his face against him. ¡¸Ah, as expected of Set. A good flame.¡¹ Being praised while his head was scratched, Set gave a happy cry. ¡¸Now then, next is the Death Scythe.¡¹ Moving away from Set, he threw the magic stone of the Orc Mage into the air and struck it down with the Death Scythe. In the same way up to now, the magic stone of the Orc Mage vanished like smoke after being cut in two. ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill¡ºMagic Shield¡¡Lv.1¡»] And an announcement message flowed through his mind. However, Rei frowned his eyebrows slightly as he looked at the Death Scythe. ¡¸That¡¯s it, is it?¡¹ While thinking that in his head, he prepared the Death Scythe for a test. ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ At the same time Rei shouted, a shield of light appeared in front of Rei. When Rei saw it, he brandished the Death Scythe, hoping that it wouldn¡¯t interfere with the shield of light. As he brandished the Death Scythe, the shield of light automatically moved to not get in the way. Confirming it¡¯s movement while brandishing the Death Scythe, he erased the magic shield after stopping. ¡¸Automatically moving certainly isn¡¯t bad. But while it isn¡¯t bad¡­¡­¡¹ While muttering, he turned his eyes to the Dragon Robe he was wearing. The robe was made with the skin of dragons, naturally, it had a strong magic defense. Moreover, because dragon scales were placed in between the two layers of the robe, the average sword, spear and bow could not damage Rei¡¯s body through the Dragon Robe. However, though it could prevent damage to Rei, it couldn¡¯t prevent the shock from a heavy weapon such as an axe or hammer. ¡¸¡­¡­Speaking of usefulness, is it in that sense?¡¡Magic Shield!¡¹ Making a magic shield appear, he moved it in front of Set. ¡¸Set, try to attack the Magic Shield.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, he swung down with his sharp claws at the Magic Shield! Then, as the Magic Shield took the blow perfectly, it vanished into mist the next moment. ¡¸¡­¡­Hm?¡¡Magic Shield!¡¡Set, one more time. This time with the Water Ball.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ To Rei¡¯s words, Set shot a water ball. Same as before, the magic shield blocked the attack before disappearing like mist. ¡¸This is, so can it block a reasonably powerful attack?¡¡Set, next is Wind Arrow.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ According to Rei¡¯s words, he shot a few wind arrows. Though it was able to block the first one like before, the magic shield disappeared the moment the attack was blocked, just like before. The remaining wind arrows cut through the grass that was behind the shield. ¡¸I see, it can only block once but it can block a fairly powerful attack. At the same time there are 3 methods of control, automatic, semi-automatic or manual. You can also cancel it just like before.¡¹ A shield that would automatically defend him. Moreover, it had no weight. Unlike a shield, it wasn¡¯t necessary to keep it in his hand either. Though it had a big drawback of disappearing after blocking a single attack, taking advantage of his enormous magic power, Rei could just use Magic Shield again with no problems. Dragon Robe and Magic Shield. It would be difficult to get through both defenses. ¡¸Well, there¡¯s no skill that can¡¯t be used. Because it¡¯s different from corrosion and look like magic, there¡¯s no need to hide it. Next is the Orc General. Set.¡¹ He threw out a magic stone as soon as he took it out of the Misty Ring. Set caught it in his beak and swallowed it. While looking at that situation, the next step was to see what skill would be acquired, but¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ The announcement message that a skill had been acquired did not come. ¡¸What happened?¡¡Isn¡¯t it a magic stone of a rank C monster?¡¹ As he muttered, an announcement could not be heard. ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set also gave a disappointed cry. While looking at the situation, Rei formed an idea in his mind. (A skill wasn¡¯t acquired from the C rank Orc General. In comparison, a skill was acquired from magic stone of the goblin rare species. Could it be that the acquisition of skills isn¡¯t related to the rank or strength of the monster?¡¡In that case, what¡¯s the requirement for learning skills?¡¡Is it affinity?¡¡Well, in the end, I can¡¯t get back a magic stone that has been absorbed to try to acquire a skill¡­¡­no way, I didn¡¯t expect that a skill wouldn¡¯t be acquired from the magic stone of a C rank Orc General. ¡­¡­No, wait. Then, would the Death Scythe also be unable to acquire skill from the magic stone of an Orc General?) While having a bad feeling, he threw the magic stone of the Orc General into the air and struck it with the Death Scythe. The magic stone was split in two as in the case with the other magic stones. And the announcement¡­¡­didn¡¯t happen. (I see. If Set can¡¯t learn a skill from a magic stone, then is it impossible for the Death Scythe as well? Well, both Set and the Death Scythe were made from my magic power using the Magic Beast Art¡­¡­no, I can¡¯t say that just because both were made by me.) What¡¯s done is done, it can¡¯t be helped, letting out a deep sigh, he changed his mood. ¡¸Though it¡¯s a shame that skills can¡¯t be acquired from the magic stones of Orc Generals¡­¡­but for the time being, the last one. The magic stone of the Orc King.¡¹ He took out a large magic stone from the Misty Ring, it was one size larger than the magic stone of the Water Bear, which had been the largest magic stone he had seen until now. The magic stone in his hand had the yellow, ground attribute, he held it, weighing up between Set and the Death Scythe. After a while, he gave a small nod and called out to Set. ¡¸Set, you absorb the magic stone of the Orc King.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Is that okay?¡¡Set seemed to say as gave a cry and tilted his head to the side. Rei nodded while smiling at that. ¡¸Ah. The Death Scythe already has Corrosion, Flying Slash and Magic Shield. Since I got a long distance magic attack that was my weak point, you should absorb the magic stone of the Orc King. Here.¡¹ Here you go, Set caught the magic stone of the Orc King that was thrown in his beak and swallowed it, similar to before. (If it¡¯s the magic stone of an Orc King, I think that it wouldn¡¯t be possible to not learn a skill, but¡­¡­£© As though Rei¡¯s wishes were heard, an announcement message flowed into his mind. ¡¾Set has acquired the skill¡ºKing¡¯s Awe¡¡Lv.1¡»] To the fact that Set acquired a skill, Rei let out a sigh of relief. However, he immediately tilted his head in confusion. ¡¸Set, what kind of skill is King¡¯s Awe?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Yes. He wasn¡¯t able to judge it¡¯s effect from the skill¡¯s name, the effect of King¡¯s Awe couldn¡¯t be predicted. Set understood the skill, unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t explain it as he couldn¡¯t speak words. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ To provide evidence for Rei¡¯s thoughts, Set ran up into the sky, found a Horned Rabbit and landed on the ground in front of it. ¡¸Pyi~!¡¹ Surprised at the Griffon suddenly appearing in front of it, it tried to escape at full speed¡­¡­ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a loud cry, the speed of the Horned Rabbit fell slightly. And not missing the chance, Set killed it with his beak and sharp claws. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Rei muttered as he saw Set eating the Horned Rabbit that he had defeated. Now he finally understood the effect of Set¡¯s King¡¯s Awe. As according to it¡¯s name, it would intimidate enemies, inhibiting their movement. Though it¡¯s effect on monsters at different ranks would have to be investigated properly, there was no doubt that it was a useful skill. ¡¸As expected of the magic stone from the Orc King. Though I wanted to share it with the Death Scythe if it was possible¡­¡­I guess I¡¯ll wait for the next opportunity.¡¹ After Rei finished acquiring and inspecting skills and Set had finished eating the Horned Rabbit, they returned to the city of Gilm. ************************************************ ¡¾Set] ¡ºWater Ball¡¡Lv.1¡»¡ºFire Breath¡¡Lv.2¡»new¡ºWind Arrow¡¡Lv.1¡»new¡ºKing¡¯s Awe¡¡Lv.1¡»new ¡¾Death Scythe] ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv.1¡»¡ºFlying Slash¡¡Lv.1¡»new¡ºMagic Shield¡¡Lv.1¡»new Wind Arrow: Shoots 3~5 arrows of wind. Though it¡¯s power isn¡¯t high, its effect is that they are hard to see because the arrows are made of wind, the arrows also have the characteristic of flying fast. Flying Slash: A skill that causes a slash to fly out. It¡¯s power is reasonably high, but only a single slash can be created at a time. Magic Shield: Creates a shield of light, preventing a single enemy attack. It vanishes like mist after blocking a single attack. In addition, so as to not interfere with Rei, it will automatically move with him, it is also possible to move it manually with his consciousness. King¡¯s Awe: For enemies weaker than yourself, their speed can be decreased by 10%. However, it has no effect if the enemies are at an equal or higher class. Chapter 45 ¡¸Set-chan, has become so popular in the city.¡¹ As Rei was looking at the request board, a person suddenly called out to him. When Rei turned face the the voice, he saw the figure of Milein, the leader of Scorching Wind from the Orc subjugation force, who had fought the Orc King¡¯s group with him. ¡¸Are you also looking for requests over here?¡¹ ¡¸Requests¡­¡­as expected of Rei?¡¡Normally, after a large request, most would take a one week break¡­¡­¡¹ While saying that, Milein¡¯s eyes glanced over the request forms that were attached to the board. After looking at them, Milein turned her eyes back and gave a slightly embarrassed but bitter smile. ¡¸Ahh, to tell the truth, our armour and weapons were damaged during the Orc subjugation. ¡­¡­And not just mine, Ecryll and Sulunin¡¯s weapons and armour were also damaged. So, almost all of our rewards were spent repairing or buying replacements. ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s still a good opportunity as we were thinking of getting new weapons and armour. Because of that, we were looking at doing a new request as soon as possible. ¡¹ Listening to Milein¡¯s words, Rei directed his gaze to her armour and the weapon at her waist. Certainly, the equipment was different from the ones he had seen at the time of the Orc subjugation, if Milein¡¯s words were to be believed, they were of a higher quality than before. A little bit further away, Ecryll and Sulunin could be seen looking at the request board like Milein. When they noticed Rei, Ecryll waved in greeting while Sulunin gave a polite nod. And while returning the greeting to the two, Milein suddenly hugged Rei from behind. ¡¸Hey, Rei. If you¡¯re looking for a request, why don¡¯t you do a quest together with us?¡¡Come on, Set-chan ¡­¡­I mean, Rei¡¯s ability is dependable.¡¹ Realising Milein¡¯s plan from her words, Rei gave a wry smile. If you excluded Axe of the Thunder God, Milein was probably the first adventurer to befriend Set, at the same time, Milein was also one of Set¡¯s favourites. However, Rei wasn¡¯t able to immediately agree to Milein¡¯s words. After all, Rei primary and secondary purposes were the magic stones of monsters and and the materials and rewards from them. And if he partied with other adventurers, if Rei wanted the magic stones, it was likely that there would be trouble. Basically, excluding some special exceptions, the magic stone was the most valuable part of the monster. ¡¸Milein, you shouldn¡¯t be so unreasonable to others. Every person has their own circumstances.¡¹ Seeing Rei¡¯s troubled face, Sulunin chided Milein. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Though Milein likes Set a lot, you shouldn¡¯t be excessively unreasonable.¡¹ ¡¸Muu~¡­¡­but you know.¡¹ As Milein was chided by not just Sulunin but Ecryll as well, Rei found a certain request form. The contents of the request was the investigation of another forest near the Forest of Magic, there was no rank requirement but it required 5 people. (Should I accept this quest with Scorching Wind?¡¡Fortunately, as the Seed of Contract has been placed inside of them, even if I ask for the magic stones, they probably won¡¯t inquire much further about it.) ¡¸Milein, what you think of taking this request together?¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¡Really!?¡¡Which request?¡¹ Milein looked at the request form at Rei¡¯s words, smiling ear to ear. However, her expression clouded immediately. ¡¸Hmm, a forest investigation¡­¡­the reward is large for such a request. However, because not much is know about that place, hence the investigation, I don¡¯t know what kind of monsters will appear there. However, I want to be with Set, and there¡¯s also Rei¡¯s fighting power¡­¡­hmm¡­¡­what do Ecryll and Sulunin think?¡¹ Milein asked her party members while staring at the request form. In the first place, Scorching Wind was a rank C party while Rei was a rank E adventurer. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to receive a quest together unless the request had no rank requirements, like the one Milein was looking at. Though technically speaking, Scorching Wind could receive a rank E request, to receive a low rank request with low rewards was pointless if they wanted to earn money. As for requests that had no rank requirements, their rewards were often either extremely low or high with a matching risk. In this case, concerning the investigation into the forest near the Forest of Monsters, if anything, it was the latter kind as what monsters would appear was unknown. The request to subjugate the Orc settlement, which Rei and Scorching Wind participated in, was also categorized in this group. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but I would like to object. I have not yet become familiar with the cane I just bought and the degree of risk is unknown, I would like to refrain from this request.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. I¡¯m sorry Milein-san. I also haven¡¯t completely mastered the new bow I bought either.¡¹ While looking apologetic, Milein let out a sigh at the two who were shaking the necks. ¡¸Is that right. Well, if you say it can¡¯t be helped then it can¡¯t be helped. There¡¯s no helping it, we¡¯ll have to give up on it. I¡¯m sorry Rei. It¡¯s impossible for us.¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t mind. Because I¡¯m staying at the Dusk Wheat, Set is staying at the stables. You can play with him there if you have free time.¡¹ ¡¸Yep, I¡¯ll visit for sure. Well, we¡¯re in the area. Unless we earnestly search for a good request, we won¡¯t be able to pay the rent for the inn.¡¹ Milein let out a regretful sigh and went to the rank C request board with Sulunin and Ecryll. Seeing their backs off, he started looking for a good request for himself¡­¡­while he was thinking about it, he again noticed someone approaching him. If you saw him approach while obviously looking at Rei, anyone would understand that he was looking for Rei. He was in his late teens to early twenties. For an adventurer, the equipment he was wearing wasn¡¯t particularly high quality. However, the sword equipped at his waist was different, it was something that attracted a lot of looks. (A Magic sword, is it?£© It was like the battle axe which Vargas from the Claws of the Hawk had or the great sword that the Orc King used. They were all weapons with hidden magic power. In other words, a magic item. Because of the magic power they contained, they tended to attract looks from the public eye, that was why even Rei, who couldn¡¯t sense foreign magic power, could tell if it was a magic item. As for the sword at the waist of the man approaching him, the sword gave off an atmosphere of a magic item, that was why he was able to judge that it was a magic sword. ¡¸You are Rei, right?¡¹ Rei gave a small nod as the man stopped in front of Rei and asked. ¡¸Ah. And you are?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Arogan. A rank E adventurer.¡¹ Rank E adventurer. In other words, he was at the same rank as Rei. However, Rei was a rookie who had just become rank E the day before. ¡¸So, Arogan, do you need me for something?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I had gone out of the city of Gilm for a request, though I came back this morning¡­¡­and I heard a strange rumor here and there.¡¹ ¡¸Strange rumor?¡¹ ¡¸An impossibly crazy rumor that a G rank adventurer defeated an Orc King.¡¹ You don¡¯t believe it?¡¡As Rei looked back, saying so with his face, it was clear that he didn¡¯t believe Rei, the adventurer in the rumor, had defeated the Orc King. (Jealousy, is it?¡¡Well, either way, he¡¯s not a decent opponent for me.) Muttering in his mind, he let out an unnatural sigh. ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s with the sigh?¡¹ ¡¸So, how can I help you?¡¹ Being ignored and asked what he wanted, the blood rushed to hiss head. But though the blood rushed to Arogan¡¯s head, after clicking his tongue as if he didn¡¯t care, he started to speak. ¡¸What, it¡¯s simple. I want you to have a match with me. I want to see your ability that defeated the Orc King.¡¹ In other words, he wanted what Rei was expecting. Rei turned his eyes to the counter for a moment. Although she wanted to stop it, because Lenora had been ordered to report to her boss if Rei got tangled up with someone, she had already left to carry out her job to report to her boss and couldn¡¯t be seen. Instead, maybe as compensation, Kenny half scowled with eyes of anger at Arogan who was messing with her favourite, Rei. ¡¸And what benefits will I receive from this match?¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ What are you saying?¡¡Arogan¡¯s face seemed to say as he looked at Rei. Arogan had planned to pick a fight and provoke Rei into an unconditional fight, however the plan had simply failed. ¡¸Hey, hey, is that kid serious?¡¡Picking a fight with Rei even though he¡¯s still E rank.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­From what I¡¯ve heard, did he say Arogan?¡¡That fellow wasn¡¯t in the city of Gilm for a while. There¡¯s nothing that can be done, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ ¡¸Ah well¡­¡­not knowing anything about Rei but picking a fight with him. At any rate, he does look small and has a delicate appearance.¡¹ Though the noise of adventurers speaking in low voices echoed through the guild, Arogan was staring at Rei and didn¡¯t hear any of it. In the eyes of the adventurers, Arogan was like some sort of hero. However, he was a hero in the sense that he was like a brave man attacking a dragon with a club. Anyhow, Rei had scored a decisive victory against the D rank party Claws of the Hawk by himself on the first day after registering with the guild. Because he took away all their money and equipment that they had on hand, even if it was unpleasant, his behaviour stood out. Because the Claws of the Hawk were still spending each day busily to return their debt, they looked sympathetically at the unlucky adventurer who had encountered the seemingly frail and weak Rei. And, as the surrounding people saw a while ago, the young man was on good terms with the rank C party Scorching Wind, which had began to distinguish itself as a party. It should be noted that he also had an association with the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God. ¡­¡­And above all, most adventurers in the guild were reminded of the figure of the Griffon outside the guild. Rank A monster, Griffon. Fighting against Rei automatically meant making an enemy out of the reaper of the sky. But, only just returning to city and hearing the rumor, Arogan went straight to Rei without understanding anything. Anyway, he judged that Rei had just gone up to rank E because of an influential person while he himself was at the stage where he would soon be taking the rank up test to rank D. In a sense, it could be said that this was one of the prices of fame. ¡¸Anyway, you should fight me. That way, I can properly assess your ability. Or what is it?¡¡If you can defeat an Orc King, don¡¯t you have the confidence to fight an E rank adventurer like me?¡¹ (I see. He¡¯s a type similar to Seryl from Dark Night¡¯s Star.) Believing only what they wanted to to believe in, that was the only reality visible to them. The only difference was that he hadn¡¯t been completely corrupted by it. If he hit him where he was most overconfident in, Rei judged that Arogan wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake as Seryl did. (But then, I don¡¯t really need to do that either¡­¡­) ¡¸I¡¯m trying to say, whether I can beat you or not is a different thing. I¡¯m asking you to show me the benefits of having a match against you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s, then what do you want?¡¹ ¡¸Ha?¡¡What are you talking about?¡¡You want to fight me?¡¡What if you can¡¯t pay the price?¡¹ ¡¸Guh,¡­¡­b-but it¡¯s only to check your skills¡­¡­all right. If you beat me, I¡¯ll give you 3 silver coins. How about that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. It will be troublesome if we make any more noise here. So, where do you want to do it?¡¹ As it would be stupid to continue it any further, he prompted the other party to go ahead. Finally hearing that Rei had brought himself to fight him, he turned his eyes to the guild door, full of confidence. ¡¸It won¡¯t take too much time or effort. We¡¯ll finish it outside the guild.¡¹ Saying that, Arogan started walking towards the outside of the guild. Spitting out a sigh, Rei followed and went through the door to the outside. ¡¸Now, ready your weapon.¡¹ Arogan nimbly took out the magic sword at his waist from its sheath and pointed it at Rei. Rei also took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring and readied it. Passersby gathered around curiously, Arogan¡¯s aim to embarrass Rei in front of this crowd was obvious. ¡­¡­However, because some people had heard of a similar exchange where the Claws of the Hawk had disgraced themselves, the looks that Arogan was expecting were directed at him instead of Rei. In addition, as for Set who had seen Rei come out, he stood up to look at the commotion before Rei stopped him with his eyes. Set closed his eyes and went back to sleep ¡¸I see, that¡¯s the item box from the rumors.¡¹ Hearing Rei had an item box from the rumors, he turned his eyes to the Misty Ring that was on Rei¡¯s right arm and licked his lips. While ignoring that, Rei observed the sword that Arogan had. (As expected, his excessive confidence is thanks to his magic sword. I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s a magic sword that a rank E adventurer should have¡­¡­where did he obtain it.) As for the magic sword that Arogan had, a red pattern rose up from the black sword blade. As for the power of the blade, one could feel that the magic sword had a considerable hidden power. ¡¸Here I come!¡¹ Giving a short cry, Arogan kicked the ground and swung down his magic sword. However, the speed at which the sword was handled was slow¡­¡­no, it was too the extent it could be called sluggish. It wasn¡¯t skillful and had no strength. It was certainly powerful enough if you considered an E rank adventurer. However, compared to the time Rei fought with the Orc King, who had a similar magic great sword, it was an attack he could easily evade while yawning. Lightly taking a step back, he swept the Death Scythe from below, catching the tip of Arogan¡¯s magic sword that passed right in front of his eyes. At the same time, he caught the sword blade in his blade¡­¡­and threw it into the sky! Arogan¡¯s magic sword and the Death Scythe made a kin~ sound as they came in contact. The next moment, Aragon¡¯s sword flew high into the sky. It drew an arc while spinning wildly before piercing into the ground near Aragon. As for the people that were speaking, the surroundings, including Arogan, were silent. Rei stored the Death Scythe back into the Misty Ring as he looked at the surroundings before calling out to Arogan. ¡¸No matter if the weapon is first class, the wielder is only third class¡­¡­¡¹ Rei¡¯s voice resounded not only to Arogan but also to the curious spectators in the surroundings. Chapter 46 Yes, the meeting room where Hobbes had given the description of the Orc subjugation force. Other than Rei, the figures of 5 other adventurers could been seen in the meeting room. A total of 6 people, including Rei. These were the people taking the rank up test to rank D. In addition, among them, the figure of Arogan could be seen, his original plan of spreading his name had been carried out in the opposite meaning after the farce with Rei. The moment their eyes met, as Rei walked into the meeting room, if you observed Arogan¡¯s expression as he quickly glanced away, you could understand his feelings about Rei. (The rank up test, is it?) The day before, Lenora, who could be said to be in charge of Rei, had called out to him as he entered the guild. He recalled the conversation he had with Lenora at that time. ¡ºAh, Rei-san. About the rank up test, because it will start tomorrow, please come to the meeting room in the early afternoon tomorrow.¡» ¡º¡­¡­That¡¯s awfully sudden. Can¡¯t you inform us in advance normally?¡» ¡ºWell, you¡¯re certainly right. However, in the end, this part of the adventurer rank up test. For urgent and emergency requests, as there would be no time, would you be able to ask for them to wait a little longer?¡» ¡ºIndeed, that¡¯s certainly true. So tomorrow afternoon?¡» ¡ºYes. Registering with the guild and taking the rank up test in under a month, this is the fastest time recorded in the city of Gilm. Please do your best.¡» While recalling such a conversation, he turned his eyes to the other people who were also taking the rank up test. First of all, needless to say, was Arogan. Nevertheless, even if he disgraced himself in that event the other day and was a rotten person, he had a magic sword at rank E. His personal skill aside, since he had a considerably high quality magic sword, he liked to fight by pushing forward with raw power. 2nd person. It was a woman who had her hair cut short to allow easy movement. As with her hair, she wore leather armour, made from the skin of some monster, so as to not obstruct her body¡¯s movements. She had two daggers at her waist. She might be a thief, who¡¯s job was to scout ahead and handle traps. Her age looked to be in her late teens. 3rd person. Wearing a robe on his body, similar to Rei, he held a cane in his hand. This man was a typical magician and had a plain face. As Rei was looking around, the man smiled at him before continuing to talk with the previous woman, who was sitting next to him. He was probably acquainted with the her. His age also looked to be in his late teens. 4th person. It was a male warrior who had a sharp gaze. His equipment was overwhelmingly inferior when compared to Arogan¡¯s magic sword, it was a common long sword that could be bought in the city. However, Rei felt that his ability as a warrior was better than Arogan¡¯s. His age was similar to Arogan¡¯s, probably in his early twenties. 5th person. Sitting on a chair was a woman with her eyes closed. If anything, it could be said that she had decent features. What should be mentioned specially were her ears. She had ears with a much sharper point compared with ordinary humans, that showed that the woman was an elf. Seeing the the large bow placed on the table in front of her, she was probably an archer. She appeared to be in her late teens. (Then there¡¯s me, it seems. I wonder what kind of test will be held.) While thinking about that, his eyes coincidentally met those of the female thief. ¡º¡­¡­¡» They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. In the end, the female thief¡¯s patience ran out and she spoke out. ¡¸Do you have any business with me?¡¹ ¡¸No, nothing in particular.¡¹ ¡¸But you were staring at me just now. So what do you want? Or what, are you trying to hit on me right now?¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, Culotte. Suddenly picking a fight. Umm, I¡¯m sorry. Because Culotte is taking the rank up exam for the first time, she¡¯s a bit tense. Please don¡¯t mind it.¡¹ The male mage who was sitting next to Culotte, the female thief, bowed his head as he apologised for her. ¡¸Scola, why are you lowering your head. This is a bad fellow. Staring at people indecently.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, come on. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry about this. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­I mean, usually she isn¡¯t this stubborn¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. I don¡¯t really care about it at all.¡¹ ¡¸What, is my worth to you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s noisy.¡¹ In the room with Culottes noisy cries, a voice suddenly sounded. Aside from Rei, who had felt a person coming towards the meeting room, the others reflectively turned their eyes to the voice. A man in his mid forties could be seen. However, with his trained body, it would be fair to say he was comparable to an active adventurer. ¡¸Hey, I will begin the explanation of the rank up test. Are you all ready to listen?¡¹ (¡­¡­I should have seen his face somewhere. If I¡¯m not mistaken¡­¡­ahh, it was during the dispute with Goblin Drool.) That was right, it was the person who had determined Rei had enough fighting strength to get to rank G after the dispute with Claws of the Hawk, it was Gran. While remembering his face, Rei turned towards Gran, ignoring Culotte. Culotte probably also realised who Gran was. She scowled at Rei for an moment before finally turning her eyes towards Gran. In addition, Scola turned to Gran after giving Rei another apologetic bow. ¡¸Now then, it seems that everyone is ready to listen. Then I¡¯ll begin the explanation of the rank up test to rank D immediately. First of all, I¡¯ll have you fight each other.¡¹ The moment Gran said that, Arogan who had watched Rei¡¯s exchange with Culotte indifferently, looked at Rei, startled. It had only been 5 days since he had been reminded of the difference in fighting strength. The colour slowly drained from his face, if he had to fight Rei, he had no chance of winning. However, Gran continued to talk as if to reassure Arogan. ¡¸That said, you won¡¯t be disqualified immediately just because you lose the fight. ¡­¡­Well, I won¡¯t deny that it will be referred to during the assessment. The main purpose of fighting each other is to learn each others abilities. So, for the compulsory part of the rank up test, you will have to clear a bandit hideout about 2 days from here. The bandit subjugation is the trial for the rank up test.¡¹ Subjugating bandits, after that was said, the meeting room fell dead silent. Because everyone was here to take the rank up quest to rank D, they had more or less only received requests up to E rank. Though tentatively speaking, it was possible to receive a request one rank higher, hearing of the barrier between rank¡¯s E and D from senior adventurers, there were very few adventurers who would take rank D requests at rank E. Because of that, there were less requests at rank E and more at rank D. There was also a clear difference when the target of a subjugation request were humans, such as bandits. In this world, fighting monsters was a daily occurrence. However, there were still a lot of people opposed to the act of killing a person. Therefore, the type of request for subjugating bandits and the rewards from it were normally higher than rank D. ¡¸Although everyone here seems to know the circumstances, a request to subjugate bandits or act as escorts to merchants and travelers is rarely D rank and is usually higher. In these types of requests, if you hesitate to kill the enemy in a dangerous situation, your companions or the people you are escorting might be killed, that¡¯s the worst thing that could happen. The former is still better, in the latter case, there will be an issue relating to the trust of the whole adventurers guild. That¡¯s why, the rank up test to rank D is basically asking you to kill people.¡¹ Only Gran¡¯s words could be heard in the meeting room, the people taking the rank up tests, listened quietly. However, among them, Rei wasn¡¯t as strained. After all, He had killed the 4 members of Dark Night¡¯s Star with his own hands during the Orc subjugation request. Though it wasn¡¯t that he wanted to kill a people willingly, he had no weakness such as hesitating in an emergency. There was also one other person. (Him as well, it seems.) It was the warrior other than Arogan, whom Rei had glanced at earlier. Though he was concentrating on listening to Gran¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t have the feeling of being tense like the others. With just that, Rei more or less understood that he probably had a similar experience in killing people. ¡¸Now then, that¡¯s all the information. Then I¡¯ll have you fight each other at once. Since you have come to take the rank up test, I assume you¡¯ve naturally brought the weapons you use?¡¡Follow me.¡¹ Saying that, Gran left the meeting room. Rei followed next. ¡¸Listen up, because there¡¯s a training ground at the back of the guild, you will fight there.¡¹ ¡¸Training ground?¡¹ To Rei¡¯s unintentional words, Culotte looked at him with an amazed face. ¡¸I¡¯m shocked. Didn¡¯t you know there was a training ground at the back of the guild. And you managed to get to rank E.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, come one. Why do you keep lashing out at him. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll be glad if you don¡¯t mind Culotte¡¯s words.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ He thought about the training ground while a wry smile floated onto his face at the combination of the pair. (Goblin Drool and Arogan, when they fought me, why didn¡¯t they use the training ground and fought with me in front of the guild insted. ¡­¡­Ah, I see. They wanted to defeat me in front of a crowd of spectators.) While understanding somewhat, he followed Gran to the first floor of the guild. As Kenny saw the figure of Rei, she gave a small wave. As a wry smile floated onto his face at the scene of Lenora admonishing Kenny, he stepped out the back door of the guild. Continuing walking for a few minutes, the training ground Gran mentioned could be seen. That said, it didn¡¯t mean that there was particularly high quality equipment. It was just a wide space surrounded by a fence, there wasn¡¯t even a roof. The training ground had a considerable size, it was at the size where a simulation battle between knights could be carried out. Currently, there were about 10 people scattered around, training in the training ground. ¡¸Hm? Hey, what¡¯s that group over there?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you know. With Gran leading rookies, it¡¯s probably the rank up test.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I see.¡¹ The voices of the adventurers who were exchanging blows with sword and spear could be heard by Rei. Maybe the other people were also interested in the training, all their eyes were focused on the people following Gran. Whether or not Gran noticed those looks, he moved to the center of the training ground. However, there was no wonder. It was like this at every rank up test. After all, if they could add a promising rookie to their parties, the possibility of surviving a dangerous request would increase. The number of parties who wanted rookies, who were like uncut gems, were endless. ¡¸Hey now, you lot. Don¡¯t get distracted by all the looks around you. Even though I said the results of the mock battle won¡¯t be directly linked to the results of the test, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they will be referred to. First of all, introduce yourselves. First, your name, then your occupation, the all the skills you have that you want to make known. First, starting from you.¡¹ The person who Gran pointed out, or should it be said arranged before hand, was Rei. To Gran¡¯s grin, Rei gave a wry smile and started to speak. ¡¸I¡¯m Rei. My occupation is a magic warrior. My weapon is¡­¡­¡¹ He took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring and swung it. Just one swing. With just that, all eyes were glued to Rei and the Death Scythe. ¡¸This large scythe, the Death Scythe. I am also proficient in fire magic. ¡­¡­Also with respect to taming?¡¹ Should he talk about Set here? Indirectly asking Gran, Gran replied with a small nod. ¡¸I¡¯ve also tamed a monster. Though I think some of you may already know, it¡¯s the Griffon that¡¯s lying down in the carriage waiting area at the guild.¡¹ ¡¸Wai-!¡¡So you¡¯re the one that killed the Orc King!?¡¹ Griffon, realising who Rei was at those words, Culotte unintentionally cried out. ¡¸Hey, killing the Orc King, surely¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right. Though there certainly was a story that an adventurer called Rei had killed the Orc King, I heard he was at G rank.¡¹ ¡¸In that case, he went up from G rank to E rank for his achievement of defeating the Orc King, then to the rank up test for D rank?¡¹ Voices could be heard from the surroundings here and there including all the rank up test participants, except for Arogan. ¡¸Hey, quiet down, the rest of the self introductions still haven¡¯t finished. Next, you.¡¹ Clapping his hands with a pam~ pam~ sound, Gran caught everyone¡¯s attention before pointing to the next person. It was Culotte, the female thief. Culotte, who was looking at Rei, shocked, pulled herself back together after Scola gave her a slap on the back. ¡¸I¡¯m Culotte. My occupation is thief. My main weapons, as you can see, are daggers. As for my skills, well¡­¡­I¡¯m good at scouting and placing traps.¡¹ ¡¸I see, a thief, is it. You¡¯ll be playing an active part in this test in various ways. Next.¡¹ Next was Scola, who was beside Culotte. ¡¸I¡¯m Scola. My occupation is a mage, there are no weapons I¡¯m particularly proficient at. As for magic, I can use water, wind and healing magic.¡¹ He finished the self introduction somewhat tensely because of the observation from not only the rank up test participants but also the other adventurers. Gran turned his eyes to Scola with admiration after his self introduction. ¡¸Hou~, you can use healing magic in addition to attack magic. Your future is quite promising.¡¹ A mage. Normally, one strong in attack magic would be weak in healing magic, vice versa, one strong in healing magic would normally be weak in attack magic. Therefore, mages like Scola who were proficient in both attack and healing magic were small in number. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to call them a rare existence among mages. ¡¸Our party has been keeping an eye on him.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, are you trying to steal a march?¡¹ ¡¸Like they say, first come, first serve.¡¹ Hearing such voices, he was glad to hear himself being evaluated as such. Scola looked down with a smile, his cheeks red in embarrassment. ¡¸Next.¡¹ Next to be called out was Arogan. Worried at Rei¡¯s glance, he pretended not to mind it before speaking up. ¡¸I¡¯m Arogan. A warrior. My weapon is this magic sword. I¡¯m confident in my skill with regard to direct attack power.¡¹ ¡¸A magic sword at rank E, moreover, it seems to be quite powerful. ¡­¡­If it can be mastered, it¡¯s power would be phenomenal.¡¹ Maybe he knew about the dispute with Rei that had happened a few days ago, Gran indirectly hinted that it was currently a useless treasure before looking at the next person. Hearing those words, Arogan fell silent and frowned his eyebrows slightly without retorting. ¡¸Next.¡¹ The next person was the male warrior with sharp eyes who seemed to be the only person aside from Rei who had experience in killing people. ¡¸Supervia, swordsman. My weapon had no particular background, unlike the one Arogan showed previously. It¡¯s a long sword. I have no particular skills aside from my ability as a swordsman.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. There seems to be no issues with your weapon. Next.¡¹ For an instant, Gran seemed to see right through Supervia¡¯s weapon, before directing his gaze to the last person. The female elf carrying the large bow gave a small nod at Gran¡¯s glance before starting to speak. ¡¸I¡¯m Firuma Patron. My main weapon is a bow. My occupation is ranger, or spirit mage. As for skills, I can use spirit magic to some extent, as I said before.¡¹ At her words, the training camp became noisy again. That was a matter of course. Not only was it a beautiful elf, who usually stayed in forests and wouldn¡¯t go out to cities, she could also use spirit magic. Elves, it was known that from children to the elders, they were masters of the bow. In addition, because they had a greater magic power than most humans, they were superior as mages. As for those that could master both, they were rare. Their scarcity was similar to mages who could use both attack and healing magic, as said before. And, Firuma Patron. The fact that she had a surname showed that she was one of the elves that had left their homes. As for Gran, he had a grin after hearing Firuma¡¯s self introduction. ¡¸Hou~. Though it¡¯s already rare to see an Elf, to be able to use both the bow and spirit magic. Then there¡¯s Rei and Scola, this time¡¯s harvest is pretty good.¡¹ Muttering, he glanced at the test participants who had completed their self introductions. ¡¸Well, a simple self introduction is good enough. The next step is to get to know each other¡¯s respective abilities in a mock battle. Anyway, you guys will will have to subjugate bandits by yourselves. It¡¯s better to experience each other¡¯s strength yourselves. First round¡­¡­Rei and Supervia.¡¹ Gran spoke out, selecting Rei and Supervia. Chapter 47 As usual, the Death Scythe was in Rei¡¯s hands. In Supervia¡¯s hands, he was holding a long sword. ¡¸I¡¯ll say this first, in the end, this is a mock battle. The aim is to examine each other in the open and know their abilities, the real rank up test is subjugating bandits. Don¡¯t get too heated about it.¡¹ Rei, Supervia and everyone else who was there nodded at Gran¡¯s words. ¡¸Are there any questions?¡¹ Rei spoke up and asked Gran. ¡¸Though I have my combat style, my main battle style is in combination with Set¡­¡­is it not possible?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. If you brought your Griffon to rank D¡¯s and rank E¡¯s, it won¡¯t be a match anymore. It¡¯s prohibited. For your information, during the bandit subjugation, you¡¯re prohibited from using your Griffon. Even if you said that taming is one of your skills, can you always have the Griffon at your side?¡¡The test you are in right now is strictly to test your own strength.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, taming is my power too¡­¡­but I guess I understand.¡¹ Naturally, he nodded at Gran before spitting out a sigh. He readied the Death Scythe against Supervia, opposite him. Rei felt lucky that he was able to receive such advice and observed his opponent without minding what he had been told. (¡­¡­Heh~) He voiced his admiration in his mind as he faced Supervia, who had his weapon poised. It was because his posture with the sword was excellent. Of course, there were various flaws compared to Milein, who he had worked with in the Orc subjugation force. Still, he looked to be a lot more skilled than Arogan, who relied on the raw attack power of his magic sword. Similarly, Supervia raised his caution as he confirmed the position Rei had set the Death Scythe in. (Though he introduced himself as a magic warrior¡­¡­if anything, he probably leans towards the warrior side. He is also considerably skilled. Watching like this, I can¡¯t find a gap. However, his weapon is a large scythe. With it¡¯s length, if can get right up to him, it will be hard for him to cope. Then!) ¡¸Haaaa!¡¹ Raising a voice with fighting spirit, he kicked against the ground and at his fastest speed, dived towards Rei¡¯s chest. (I¡¯ll strike the first blow at his chest. If I do that, I have a chance of winning.) Thinking that for an instant in his heart, he concentrated his consciousness on the assessing initial movement of the huge scythe as Rei began to move the Death Scythe. ¡¸Here!¡¹ The moment Supervia entered Rei¡¯s range, he tried to parry the scythe with a sweep of his long sword, but¡­¡­ Catching part of the Death Scythe, trying to parry it¡­¡­Supervia was blown away together with his long sword by the overwhelming weight behind the single blow from the Death Scythe. ¡¸Gaah~!¡¹ Flying through the air for nearly 10m, he finally stopped his movements after bouncing several times along the ground. His entire body felt like it was hit by a hammer. Inside the training ground, it was dead silent. ¡¸Guh, damn¡­¡­what¡¯s with that attack¡­¡­¡¹ Still, he was someone taking the rank up test. Supervia used his sword to support him as he staggered up, his feet unsteady from the attack. He turned towards Rei. Rei looked with surprise at this situation. ¡¸Heh, he can still stand after that attack. That¡¯s a little unexpected. I was surprised for a moment. ¡­¡­Do you still want to continue?¡¹ ¡¸Of course¡­¡­ha!¡¹ While staggering on his feet and losing his balance, he tried to gather that momentum to charge again¡­¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s enough!¡¹ Gran¡¯s voice stopped Supervia¡¯s movements. ¡¸Examiner, I can still continue.¡¹ ¡¸While staggering on your feet?¡¡I said it before, in the end, this is a mock battle to find out the power of your companions for the bandit subjugation.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ Spitting out a deep sigh, Supervia dragged his still unsteady legs to his original position. Rei saw that as well and moved to a place a bit further from Supervia ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, was I imagining things?¡¡That person seemed to have been blown away¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not a dream. It¡¯s reality. Look, see over there. There are furrows left on the ground.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Looking from a spectators viewpoint, that scythe is huge, it must have a considerable weight and a destructive power. However, that Rei is small and slender. With such a physique, how can he have that much power. I mean, is his rank E a lie?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I did expect that.¡¹ ¡¸Expect?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh. Think about it. Didn¡¯t that guy defeat the Orc King, a rank B monster?¡¡For a ordinary E rank¡­¡­no, at that time he was rank G. Anyway, it¡¯s impossible for a low rank adventurer to defeat an Orc King.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well, if you say it like that then certainly¡­¡­even then, the high quality of his weapon aside, his skill is also top class, his physical strength is top grade as well. Adding to that, he¡¯s accompanied by a rank A monster, Griffon. At the same time, he can use fire magic. ¡­¡­If you can add him into a party, his combat power would be life saving¡­¡­¡¹ An adventurer with a sword muttered involuntarily while watching Rei. However, the adventurer with the spear shook his head from side to side. ¡¸Certainly, there¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯s a top grade adventurer if you look at just his combat power, but they say his character is equally strong.¡¹ ¡¸Character is strong?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh. A typical example is his dispute with the Claws of the Hawk at the guild on his first day after registering.¡¹ ¡¸That reminds me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸His combat strength maybe high, but he¡¯s the type that won¡¯t follow the instructions of the party leader unless he¡¯s convinced by it.¡¹ While listening to such a conversation, Gran, who had overseen the fight against the Claws of the Hawk, called out. ¡¸Next, Arogan and Culotte. Step out.¡¹ ¡¸Tch, a woman.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, wait, what about a woman!¡¡Don¡¯t take it so lightly. I may not look like it but even I have the ability to take the rank up test.¡¹ Culotte snapped back at Arogan who was muttering. Gran gave a sigh while looking amazed at the two people. ¡¸Arogan, ability is what is needed to be an adventurer. Not gender. Culotte, you as well. Even in the meeting room, you were hounding Rei. At the very least, if you want to be a D rank adventurer, a lack of coordination is an issue.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about that.¡¹ Arogan gave a scornful hmph at Gran while Culotte apologised obediently. In that way, Arogan readied his magic sword and Culotte readied her daggers as they faced each other. ¡¸Though I¡¯ve already said this to Supervia, this is a mock battle to see each other¡¯s strengths. Don¡¯t get too heated. ¡­¡­Begin!¡¹ Along with the signal to start, Culotte moved her body forward quickly, a method particular to thieves. In order to meet it, Arogan pulled his magic sword from it¡¯s sheath. Before the start of the mock battle, Arogan had taken that attitude to fool Culotte, there was no carelessness in his eyes. No, instead, he was observing Culotte¡¯s movements rather seriously. ¡¸Haah!¡¹ From the self introduction, Culotte had heard that Arogan¡¯s sword was a fairly high level magic sword, in the fight, the full power of the sword was displayed. ¡­¡­No, he tried to display. Along with a sharp cry, the tip of the dagger was thrust out. According to Culottes aim, Arogan would not be able to deal with the dagger thrust at his neck and she would win. However, the tip of the dagger never reach the figure of Arogan. Maybe he had read Culotte¡¯s aim or maybe it was an intuitive judgement. Arogan sharply kicked against the ground and jumped backwards. Kicking against the ground the moment after Culotte¡¯s attack, he slipped around to Culotte¡¯s side and held his magic sword close to her neck. Seeing the glossy black blade held close to her neck, Culotte instinctively held her breath. ¡¸That¡¯s enough. The winner is Arogan!¡¹ Gran¡¯s voice echoed into the surroundings, when Arogan heard it, he released his sword from Culotte¡¯s neck and sheathed it. Culotte, who¡¯s confidence had been lost at her instant defeat, went back next to Scola while repressing her vexation. Though Arogan was going to move back, he stopped at Gran¡¯s words. ¡¸Is the effect of the magic sword physical reinforcement?¡¹ ¡¸Well, something like that.¡¹ ¡¸I see, then I take back the words I said earlier. It can be said you have sufficient mastery of the magic sword.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But, I was snubbed by him.¡¹ Arogan muttered in this mouth as he looked in Rei¡¯s direction. A few days ago during Rei and Arogan¡¯s fight. At that time, though he had strengthened his physical ability using the magic sword like just before, his weapon was unceremoniously knocked away. As for the fight just now, he had confidence in his own power, his heartbeat increased as he felt proud about it. Yes, against people like Culottes for example, who was in his line of sight. ¡¸In the first place, that fellow is so out of standard that it¡¯s strange for him to be in rank E, you don¡¯t need to worry about it. ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. Go back.¡¹ At Gran¡¯s words, he glanced at Rei for a moment before immediately looking away and moving back to his original position. And while looking at Arogan¡¯s back, the two adventurers with the sword and spear discussed their impressions of the fight. ¡¸How do view that fight?¡¹ ¡¸Well, about that. Should I say, it couldn¡¯t be helped?¡¡In the first place, isn¡¯t that girl a thief?¡¡Asking a thief to fight a warrior head on is just unreasonable. He even had a magic sword.¡¹ ¡¸Ah well. A warrior¡¯s job is to fight, a thief¡¯s job is to scout and clear traps, if it can¡¯t be helped, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ ¡¸But, if she can pass the rank up test, she will receive an intense number of invitations as a thief.¡¹ ¡¸Ah.¡¹ Warrior and thief. When registering with the guild, an overwhelming number were warriors, thieves had fewer numbers. After all, the thief occupation required a lot more specialised techniques compared with the warrior. And unlike the warrior, who was active in combat, there were fewer opportunities to be recognised. Therefore, the number of people aiming to be a thief adventurer was rare, although not to the same degree as mages. ¡¸Now then, then next is the last mock battle. Scola and Firuma. Step out. Ah, Firuma will fight purely using magic without the bow this time.¡¹ ¡¸I will do my best.¡¹ ¡¸Spirit magic only?¡¡¡­¡­Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ To Gran¡¯s voice, Scola and Firuma came forward in front of everyone. Scola showed his will to win on his naive face. Firuma barely showed any change in her facial expression as she put the bow and quiver in her hands onto the ground. Though the two people were facing each other like this, Scola spoke up before Gran gave the signal to start. ¡¸Hey. To use spirit magic, don¡¯t you need a magic casting tool?¡¹ Looking at his cane, Scola called out to Firuma. To Scola¡¯s words, Firuma nodded her head with a small smile. ¡¸Yes. However, it is not necessary to use a magic casting tool to use spirit magic. There is no problem as long as you can communicate with the spirits and befriend them.¡¹ ¡¸Heh, that¡¯s convenient. That¡¯s nice¡­¡­can I also use it?¡¹ ¡¸I wonder. If you can see spirits, hearing from a story, you might be able to befriend them.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s enough talk. Though I¡¯ve told you all already, this is a mock battle to examine each other¡¯s abilities, don¡¯t get too heated. ¡­¡­Then, begin!¡¹ At the same time as Gran¡¯s signal, Scola began chanting a spell while pointing his cane at Firuma. Similarly, Firuma also called on the spirits she had befriended. ¡ºWind, turn into an unseen arrow to pierce those before me.¡» Scola¡¯s incantation warped the world and an invisible arrow was created before his eyes. ¡ºWind Arrow!¡» At the same time the magic was completed, several arrows were fired. The invisble arrows from the spell darted toward Firuma. However¡­¡­ ¡ºWind spirits, shield me.¡» From the few words that Firuma spoke, the spirits of the wind responded by creating a barrier of wind around Firuma. The wind arrow¡¯s speed increased as they drilled into the barrier, trying to pierce it. After a few seconds of struggle, the wind barrier won out and the wind arrows shattered. ¡ºSpirits of the land, break his steps.¡» As soon as the wind barrier disappeared, Firuma spoke again. But rather than the spirits of the wind, she called out to the spirits of the land. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Scola heard that and immediately sprung back. The next moment the ground were Scola was standing sunk down by several cm. While seeing that, he once again jumped back toward Firuma while pointing his cane and casting a spell. ¡ºWater, turn into a whip to strike my enemies!¡» According to his incantation, the water at Scola¡¯s hand formed into a whip. ¡ºWater Whip!¡» With the completion of the spell, the water whip was raised¡­¡­and swung down! However, Firuma evaded the whip¡¯s attack with a light movement specific to elves and advanced forwards, reducing the distance to Scola. ¡ºSpirits of the wind, spirit of the land. Bind him.¡» ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Though Scola tried to swing the whip down as Firuma came close, he suddenly noticed that dirt was wrapped around his feet, at the same time, his body¡¯s movements were restricted by wind. And the moment he realised his difficult situation and tried to do something about the dirt and wind, the figure of Firuma was already in front of his eyes with a palm directed at Scola. ¡¸That¡¯s enough!¡¡The winner is Firuma!¡¹ Gran¡¯s voice echoed through the training field at the same time, all the mock battles had been completed. Chapter 48 Gran told the rank up test participants who were standing in the training field in front of him. As for the people who heard it, some gave a small nod, others smiled and some listened to Gran¡¯s words in frustration. ¡¸Though I¡¯ve said it many times, these mock battles are simply for you to know each other¡¯s strengths for the bandit subjugation. You shouldn¡¯t be too concerned about it. So, the next decision is who will be the leader of this temporary party¡­¡­¡¹ Muttering, Gran looked at the 6 faces one after the other. With each person wanting to be the leader, they held their breaths waiting to see who would be nominated. Meanwhile, Gran¡¯s fixed his eyes on a certain person. ¡¸Rei, you are now the leader.¡¹ And he was told so. ¡¸What?¡¡Me?¡¹ Rei put on a surprised face at Gran¡¯s words. However, Gran nodded to that question without any hesitation. ¡¸Ah. To be blunt, the level of your fighting strength can¡¯t be called D rank at all. Anyhow, you have the ability to defeat an Orc King. However, in your case, in the end, you¡¯re only an individual with high combat power, it has become a necessity for you to act alone. Though it might still be okay at E rank, every now and then at D rank, it will become necessary to work with other people in a group. Because of that, for people like you who are bad at social interaction, you have to do something about it to rank up. At the very least, you have to be able to have a minimum level of communication.¡¹ As Gran pointed out his reasoning with his words, Rei could only keep his silence. He was aware that he wasn¡¯t that good at dealing with other people. And if it was said that it was a requirement to rank up, Rei did not have the choice of not taking on the responsibility of a leader. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll assume the role of the leader.¡¹ ¡¸I hope you all are ready. Rei will be the leader of the temporary party until the bandit subjugation for the rank up test is completed.¡¹ At Gran¡¯s words, everyone gave a nod. ¡­¡­However, each of them had a different facial expression. ¡¸Right, well then, I¡¯ll give you the details of the bandit subjugation immediately. First of all, I¡¯ve explained that the bandit hideout is about 2 days distance from the city of Gilm. I will guide you there. I mean, as I¡¯m the examiner, I have to follow you anyway. We will depart tomorrow morning. We will meet at the front gate at the 9 o¡¯clock bell. The guild will provide a carriage for travel. Any questions?¡¹ At Gran¡¯s words, Culotte spoke up. ¡¸Though the guild will supply a carriage for us, what about other supplies? In particular, food and potions.¡¹ Hearing Culotte¡¯s question, Gran smiled with a grin. ¡¸Only the carriage is provided by the guild. Other necessary supplies are to be provided for yourselves. Naturally, the supplies which each person prepares will be assessed, so be careful.¡¹ Next to ask was Supervia. ¡¸You said a group of bandits, how many are there specifically?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve heard that there will be at least 20.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Minimum, is it.¡¹ Supervia nodded in understanding at Gran¡¯s reply. Because he was at the Orc subjugation, Rei was also able to understand. ¡¸Are there any problems with the words ¡®at least¡¯?¡¹ Arogan didn¡¯t understand the reply and asked Supervia. He turned his eyes to Scola and Culotte, who were next to him, equally puzzled. ¡¸It looks like there are a few people who don¡¯t understand. Rei, this is your first job as the leader.¡¹ Prompted by Gran, Rei spoke with a sigh. ¡¸The fact that there is a minimum of 20 people means that there is likely to be more. That means there is a possibility there could be 40 or even 100.¡¹ Arogan and Scola were frightened at those words. However, Firuma continued from those words to reassure the two people. ¡¸That said, as this mission has been selected for the guild rank up test, there probably won¡¯t be an unreasonable number.¡¹ To those words, the two people gave a big sigh of relief. However, Gran again spoke up with a nasty smile. ¡¸Though this certainly is a guild test, however, safety isn¡¯t guaranteed. You¡¯ll die if you let your guard down. ¡­¡­Now then, any other questions?¡¹ To Gran¡¯s words, nobody spoke up. Confirming that, Gran directed his eyes to Rei. ¡¸Rei, 1 demerit. Since this is a request, you should have asked about the rewards as the leader.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, I understand.¡¹ Seeing that pointed out, Rei gave a small nod. Requests were a means for Rei to obtain magic stones, as for the rewards itself, he usually didn¡¯t mind them because he didn¡¯t really care about it. ¡¸Though it seems like a small matter, there is a possibility of getting into a dispute with the client if the rewards aren¡¯t agreed on first. ¡­¡­Well, though you don¡¯t need to worry about it if you take a request from the request board in the guild, above D rank, you may occasionally be asked for a request without going through the guild. In cases such as that, you should inquire about the reward before hand, don¡¯t forget what I said. By the way, the reward for the rank up test this time is 1 silver coin per person.¡¹ Everyone nodded at Gran¡¯s words. ¡¸Now then, we will leave it at that for today. Although I said this earlier, because we will be departing at the 9 o¡¯clock bell, I want everyone to be there with their belongings prepared. And though I¡¯m repeating this again, Rei, you are not allowed to bring your Griffon.¡¹ With his words as a signal, everyone left respectively. While watching the members of his temporary part leave, Rei involuntarily let out a sigh. He had never thought that he would end up as the party leader, but even then, the problem was.¡­¡­ (What to do with Set, is the question. Two days there, two days back. Including the time there, maybe a fifth day. Moreover, that¡¯s assuming there¡¯s no trouble. Assuming a margin of 2 days, that¡¯s a whole week. ¡­¡­I can¡¯t shut Set in the stable for a whole week¡­¡­in that case, I can only entrust him to an able person¡­¡­no, wait.) At that moment, what came to Rei¡¯s mind was the figure of Milein. She knew their extra-ordinariness to some degree, further more, she was one of the few people who he had friendly contact with. He didn¡¯t need to worry about her either as he had planted a Seed of Contract in her. Moreover, he understood by looking that Milein was quite considerably attached to Set. ¡¸It seems the problem then is whether I can find them before tomorrow¡­¡­¡¹ Giving a small murmur, he walked back into the guild without hesitation. ¡¸Lenora, I want to get in contact with Milein from Scorching Wind, is there a easy way?¡¹ Though he looked around the inside of the guild when he re-entered, there was no sign of Milein or Scorching Wind. As it was already well into the day, the chances of bumping into adventurers in the guild was small. He called out to Lenora at the counter without feeling discouraged. ¡¸Scorching Wind¡¯s Milein-san, is it?¡¡If it¡¯s her, she should return to the guild this evening to hand in a request.¡¹ ¡¸Do you know the approximate time?¡¹ ¡¸No, as expected¡­¡­I¡¯m truly sorry.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, no. Don¡¯t worry about it. I was also being unreasonable. Then, can I leave a message for when Milein gets back?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no problem with that.¡¹ To Lenora¡¯s words, Rei let out a sigh of relief. If he wasn¡¯t able to leave a message, he would have had to wait in the guild until Scorching Wind came back. Though most of the things he needed to go out were in the Misty Ring, he was still missing some things. He wanted to replenish his supplies as well as buy some useful items. ¡¸Ah, Rei-kun. Are you trying to flirt with someone while I¡¯m still here?¡¹ While looking at Rei and listening to his interesting conversation with Lenora, Kenny, who was next to them, called out. Rei shook his head with a wry smile at the situation. ¡¸Not a message in that sense. As you know, I¡¯m taking the rank up test, and it seems I can¡¯t bring Set along as he is too strong. Having said that, I felt bad to keep Set in the stables for a week and thought about asking Milein to take care of him in the meantime. Fortunately, Milein is quite happy with Set.¡¹ ¡¸I see. It certainly is a problem if you took that kid to the rank up test for D rank. I understand, I¡¯ll relay the message for you.¡¹ ¡¸Then, please tell them to come to the Dusk Wheat after they hand in their request. I¡¯ll explain Set¡¯s matter there.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, leave it to me.¡¹ ¡¸Tch. I feel like I¡¯m being left out.¡¹ As Lenora nodded at Rei¡¯s words, Kenny turned her eyes to Rei, somewhat dissatisfied. After finishing eating dinner at the Dusk Wheat Pavilion, he was relaxing in his room when there was a knock at his door. ¡¸Rei, you there?¡¡I got the message from the guild.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, wait a moment.¡¹ He put on the Dragon Robe that he had taken off to relax, slipped on the Shoes of Sleipnir and opened the door. Aside from Milein, who he had been looking for, the other members of Scorching Wind, Sulunin and Ecryll, could also be seen. ¡¸I roughly heard the story from Lenora. So you want to leave Set with us for a while?¡¡For now, we¡¯ve all come over as this involves all of Scorching Wind.¡¹ ¡¸No Problem. Please come in.¡¹ Nodding to Milein¡¯s words, he invited the three people in front of his door into his room. Though it was a bit uncomfortable to squeeze 4 people into a 1 person room, everyone either sat on the floor, chair or bed. The first person to start speaking was naturally Milein. ¡¸So, about Set-chan, are you serious about entrusting him to us?¡¹ Though Milein asked that, her face was smiling, full of expectation. As Milein had become obsessed with Set, it was a good time ask them to take care of Set. ¡¸Ah. Though you probably heard it from Lenora at the guild, I¡¯m prohibited from taking Set into the rank up test. That said, I will be away for at least 5 days. I would feel bad for locking Set up in the stables for up to a week.¡¹ ¡¸He has the Necklace of Subservient Monster and everyone likes him. If it¡¯s Set-chan, surely he¡¯ll be welcomed by everyone in the city?¡¹ ¡¸Milein, that¡¯s a little unreasonable.¡¹ It was Sulunin, the brains of Scorching Wind, who replied to Milein¡¯s words. ¡¸Even if he¡¯s wearing the Necklace of Subservient Monster, as expected, if a high rank monster like a Griffon is walking through the city without his master, even if the adventurers know Set, there is a possibility that residents who don¡¯t know Rei or Set, or have just come to the city of Gilm, will panic.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh~, even though Set-chan is so cute¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸As what Sulunin has said is reasonable, I can always find someone else to take care of Set. Of course, there are advantages with watching Set. You can think of Set as an extra combat force and take requests while I¡¯m on the rank up test. ¡­¡­How about that?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Milein welcomed it and her face clearly brightened up, Ecryll also seemed to agree as a smile floated onto her face. As Milein was about to speak up to commit to taking care of Set¡­¡­Sulunin interjected again. ¡¸Though we can certainly take care of a tamed monster for a short period of time, often there can be circumstances while looking after one¡­¡­though I haven¡¯t heard of such a story. However, in the case your tamed monster causes any problems, as the master, you have to take full responsibility¡­¡­is my proposal understandable?¡¹ TLN: Just a note here, when Sulunin says tamed monster, he isn¡¯t being trying to be rude, he is just referring to Set as Rei¡¯s tamed monster in a more formal sense as this involves legal matters, I may not have conveyed this meaning well in the translation so I apologise for that. ¡¸I have no problems with that. This is because I trust you guys, even if anything comes up, Set is clever.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Sulunin turned to Milein and gave a small nod. ¡¸I understand. You can trust us to take up the task. As for the increase in combat power increasing¡­¡­as Set is a Griffon, I have no complaints.¡¹ With this, all members of Scorching Wind consented to taking care of Set for the duration that Rei was away from Set, subjugating bandits for the rank up test. However, Rei and Scorching Wind all felt slightly guilty when Set heard it as he looked gave a small cry and looked at Rei with lonely eyes¡­¡­ Chapter 49 Seeing Set walk down the main street, adventurers and residents who recognised Set gave him food such as dried meat, bread and fruit. But today, Set didn¡¯t accept anything and only gave a small cry. ¡¸Hey, is Set okay?¡¡He usually eats my dried meat happily.¡¹ A boy about 10 years in age asked anxiously as he tried to give Set some dried meat, Rei gave a wry smile and spoke up. ¡¸Kind of. He¡¯s feeling lonely because I have to leave him for a while for a request. Well, if you keep playing with him, maybe he¡¯ll forget about it, don¡¯t be too discouraged.¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ The boy replied cheerfully. Rei scratched Set¡¯s head as he watched the boy run away. ¡¸Set, cheer up. As I said yesterday, it¡¯s just one week. And if everything goes smoothly, I¡¯ll be back in 5 days.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave a rather small cry. He calmed Set by stroking his head followed by his back. The main gate soon came into view as he advanced down the street, enjoying the silky feeling. ¡¸Ah, Rei-kun. You took a request today?¡¹ Ranga saw the figure of Rei and called out to him. ¡¸No, it¡¯s the rank up test. Give me a minute, the meeting point was here¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Set-chan! Are you doing well? Ah, Rei, it¡¯s only been since last night. ¡¹ Speaking of her, he noticed Milein, the leader of the party Scorching Wind, whom he was entrusting Set to. Milein stroked Set¡¯s back while hugging him. ¡¸Mmm, the touch and feel is the same as usual. ¡­¡­However, he¡¯s still not feeling happy. Though you might be lonely without Rei, let¡¯s do our best for the next few days.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Milein-san. ¡­¡­Separating from Rei-kun?¡¹ ¡¸Actually, Rei is taking the rank up test for the next few days, and he seems to have been told by the guild that his Griffon is an excessive combat force. Because he said he felt sorry for locking Set up in the stables for a week while he¡¯s doing the rank up test, we will be taking care of him.¡¹ Sulunin got to the point and explained the situation to Ranga. Though Ranga showed some understanding, as part of his job, he spoke to Rei. ¡¸Though there¡¯s no issues with leaving your tamed monster with an acquaintance, because the tamed monster was registered by Rei, you will bare the full consequences if something happens¡­¡­you understand that right?¡¹ ¡¸I heard that from Sulunin yesterday. I judged it would be safe to leave Set to these guys.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so, then I won¡¯t say any more if you know it. Then, your guild card and the Necklace of Subservient Monster.¡¹ According to Ranga¡¯s words, Rei¡¯s guild card and the Necklace of Subservient Monster hanging on Set¡¯s neck were given to him. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s fine. In that case, take care of yourself.¡¹ With the Necklace of Subservient Monster handed in and the guild card returned, he went out the main gate with Scorching Wind. ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll excuse ourselves here as we have a Treant subjugation request. We¡¯ll take care of Set as much as we can, so work hard on your rank up test Rei. Hey, is your meeting point over there?¡¹ When he turned his eyes to the direction Milein indicated, he saw a large carriage there. And along with carriage was the figures of Gran, who was the examiner, and Supervia, who he would be working with for the time being. ¡¸Ah. Well then, I¡¯m counting on you Set. Set, I¡¯ll look forward to seeing you again in a week¡¯s time.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Though Set rubbed his head against Rei, feeling lonely, Rei brushed his head lightly before heading for Gran. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Finally, giving one last loud cry as if saying, do your best, led by Milein, Set went along the highway with Scorching Wind. ¡¸Is that the tamed Griffon you mentioned yesterday? ¡­¡­It certainly looks very powerful. ¡¹ As Rei approached the carriage, Supervia called out. ¡¸Ah well. He¡¯s my irreplaceable partner. Anyway, you¡¯re early.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Training with the sword every morning has become a daily routine for me. It¡¯s become natural for me to get up early.¡¹ While saying so, Supervia tapped the long sword that was equipped at his waist. ¡¸I see. So, Gran. Is this the carriage that the guild has prepared?¡¹ While asking Gran, he directed his eyes to the horse drawn carriage. It¡¯s size was the same type as the ones he had rode in when he went to the Orc subjugation. Though it might be a little cramped for 7 people, Rei¡¯s party of 6 plus Gran, there wasn¡¯t a substantial problem as there had to be a driver and guard sitting outside. However, this was a different time and place from the Orc subjugation¡­¡­ ¡¸They¡¯re small.¡¹ Looking at Rei¡¯s line of sight, he was looking at the horses pulling the carriage. But rather than the warhorses used in the Orc subjugation, they were ordinary horses. They were small compared to Rei¡¯s strong impression from the warhorses, they didn¡¯t feel as reliable. However, maybe as a substitute, instead of 2 horses, the number of horses pulling the carriage in front of Rei¡¯s eyes were 3. Gran, who guessed his thoughts, stroked the horses who were attached to the carriage while smiling wryly. ¡¸I know what you¡¯re comparing them with, warhorses are precious, even to the guild. Whatever the circumstances, any requests to borrow them for the rank up test to D rank would be denied.¡¹ As they were conversing like that, two more people, Culotte and Scola, appeared from the main gate of the city of Gilm. ¡¸Good morning. As we¡¯ll be working together for a while, nice to meet you all.¡¹ ¡¸Nice to work with you too.¡¹ Moving towards Rei, the two people bowed their heads as they greeted him. Her attitude had changed completely from yesterday and was a lot more toned down, you wouldn¡¯t imagine that she was the same person who had viciously snapped at Rei before. Looking at Rei¡¯s appearance, it was easy to guess what he was thinking. As Culotte spoke with Gran, Scola went toward Rei and Supervia. ¡¸That is, are you surprised about Culotte¡¯s change in attitude from yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸It certainly is greatly different.¡¹ Scola spoke up while smiling wryly at the two people. ¡¸Actually, Culotte has social anxiety. Added to that, this is the first time she¡¯s taken the rank up test. Because of that, she was too enthused about it and acted recklessly.¡¹ The three people looked towards Culotte, who was talking with Gran, with surprised expressions at Scola¡¯s words. Now that that was said, Culotte actually looked quite nice from Rei¡¯s eyes. (It¡¯s great if the thief, who is the eyes of the party, isn¡¯t too stressed. If it was Set, there would be no worries of course.) Set¡¯s senses were worthy of a monster at his rank, in the literal sense, it had reached the domain of a cheat. In the monster subjugation requests Rei and Set had received until now, discovering the signs and sounds of monsters nearby was Set¡¯s job. Because of that, Rei, who was serving as the party leader, was happy about Culotte¡¯s current state. ¡¸Ah, everyone is early. I wonder if I¡¯m a little late?¡¡Good morning.¡¹ A new voice in high spirits called out. The owner of the voice, was the elf, Firuma. She carried a bow in her hand and a quiver on her back. Everyone returned a greeting and started to talk about what they had brought and about the upcoming test. Before long, the 9 o¡¯clock bell rang into the surroundings. (¡­¡­So, where¡¯s Arogan?) Though the sound of the bell was heard and he looked around, other than Rei, there were only 5 people, Gran, Supervia, Culotte, Scola and Firuma. Aside from Rei, the others also seemed to have noticed and were looking around. However, understanding that Arogan had not appeared, the four people aside from Gran, looked to Rei. As he received the silent pressure as party leader, he called out to Gran. ¡¸Though the 9 o¡¯clock bell has rung, Arogan hasn¡¯t come, what happens in this situation?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s right. Such a development was not expected indeed. However, an adventurer being late for the appointed request start time is a fairly large demerit. Moreover, to be late on the important day of the rank up test¡­¡­¡¹ As Gran said so and was about to declare Arogan¡¯s disqualification, he saw Arogan casually walking from the main gate. ¡¸Sorry, am I late?¡¹ He called out in a light tone. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, that¡¯s all?¡¹ To that scene, probably involuntarily, Supervia called out. ¡¸Ah? What. You haven¡¯t even left yet so it¡¯s fine.¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, seriously, you!¡¡Maybe you don¡¯t care about the rank up test but this is serious!¡¡What¡¯s with that attitude when you¡¯re late!¡¹ Not being able to put up with Arogan¡¯s attitude anymore, Culotte snapped out. However, all Arogan did was was give a snort and laugh. ¡¸Hmm, you can only talk with your mouth, you couldn¡¯t do anything against me in the mock battle yesterday.¡¹ ¡¸What!¡¹ Having the event pointed out to deride her, Culotte was going to snap back. Scola calmed her down while both Supervia and Firuma sent cold looks at Arogan. And while Rei wasn¡¯t normal, seeing the state of his fellow party members, he involuntarily spat out a sigh. (To begin with, Culotte is a thief and not a warrior, you shouldn¡¯t boast because you beat her in your own field of combat.) Now, as he looked at the surroundings, his eyes met Gran¡¯s. His eyes told Rei to do something as the party leader. Spitting out another sigh, he took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring and placed it against Arogan¡¯s neck at a speed which nobodies eyes could follow. ¡¸Though you said Culotte couldn¡¯t do anything against you, have you already forgotten what happened 6 days ago?¡¡Who was it that boasted after picking a fight with me in front of the guild and had their magic sword knocked away?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ With the huge blade pointed at his neck, it seems he couldn¡¯t keep the same attitude he had before. From the start, in the previous event, Rei had pointed out Arogan¡¯s weakness out of consideration, he couldn¡¯t take his aggressive attitude against Culotte. He spoke to Arogan, while Supervia and Firuma looked on coldly. ¡¸Do you have anything to say?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry I was late. I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡¹ Though reluctantly, under the circumstances, Arogan replied. Rei stored the Death Scythe at Arogan¡¯s neck back into the Misty Ring. ¡¸In any case, this is an exam for a party, not for individuals. If you drag your feet, understand that it will affect the others. ¡­¡­Understand?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah.¡¹ Seeing Arogan nod, Rei turned his eyes to Gran. ¡¸I want to get going soon.¡¹ ¡¸You decide from here. I will guide you to the bandit hideout, other than that, I won¡¯t be helping you.¡¹ Listening to his words, Rei looked around. ¡¸First of all, is there anyone here who can drive a carriage?¡¹ To that question, three people, Culotte, Scola and Supervia raised their hands. ¡¸I see, then you three will take turns to drive the carriage. The other 3, Firuma, Arogan and I will sit next to the driver in case of monster attacks. ¡­¡­However, Arogan. As a penalty for before, you¡¯ll be on watch more often. If you cut corners and receive a surprise attack from monsters¡­¡­what may go flying through the air may not be your magic sword but your head, okay? ¡¹ Maybe understanding the seriousness of Rei¡¯s words, Arogan nodded with a serious look on his face. ¡¸Right, then we¡¯ll depart. The first driver is Scola. The lookout will be Arogan. Put the baggage that you¡¯ve brought to the back of the carriage.¡¹ So, declaring that to those participating in the rank up test, everyone climbed into the carriage. Chapter 50 And inside the carriage. ¡¸Uwa~, it really is warm. When were these bought?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ve forgotten but it should have been a few days ago, but no doubt it¡¯s still freshly baked.¡¹ Though Culotte was surprised, Rei just smiled as he took some freshly baked cookies from the Misty Ring and carried them to his mouth. ¡¸Oh, it smells good. May I have one?¡¹ ¡¸Sure. You should also try Firuma, they¡¯re quite delicious.¡¹ Firuma seemed to have been lured by the smell and involuntarily carried a cookie to her mouth. ¡¸Oh, it really is. ¡­¡­Your item box is great. Being able to eat freshly baked cookies at any time.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s normal to use an item box in this way.¡¹ To Firuma¡¯s words, Supervia answered, dumbfounded. To Supervia¡¯s appearance, Rei understood that his use of the item box was different from normal. He held out a dish holding the remaining freshly baked cookies while smiling wryly. ¡¸Eating?¡¹ But Supervia looked at the cookies placed on the dish and shook his head from side to side. ¡¸No, I don¡¯t like sweet food.¡¹ ¡¸Then I¡¯ll have one.¡¹ In response to Supervia, who refused, Gran stretched out his hand to grab a cookie before carrying it to his mouth. ¡¸Mm, it certainly is delicious.¡¹ Unlike Arogan, who was feeling the tension in the drivers seat outside, it was rather laid back inside the carriage. Compared to yesterday, where Culotte had been aggressive to Rei because of her stress, after a day, she had become accustomed to the tension and had returned to her normal attitude. As she was the eyes and ears of the party, he felt relieved at Culotte¡¯s current state. While carrying cookies to his mouth, Rei spoke up to Gran. ¡¸Though this test is a thief subjugation, should we consider catching them alive?¡¡During the Orc subjugation, I heard from Hobbes that it was possible to sell bandits as slaves if they were caught alive.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, you certainly could normally, after all, these are bandits¡­¡­no, the aim is to see if you can kill the enemy if they are humans. Considering if you knock them all out¡­¡­no, you shouldn¡¯t mind that, just kill them.¡¹ In order to stop them from falling to the thought that they didn¡¯t need to kill people, Gran changed his words and told them to just kill them all. Firuma and Culotte frowned their eyebrows slightly when they heard it, in contrast, Rei and Supervia accepted it without any change in their expression. ¡¸But speaking of that, aren¡¯t there at least 20 bandits?¡¡It seems a little difficult to take on that many opponents with 6 people.¡¹ ¡¸No, not really. After all, we¡¯ll be able to mount a surprise attack as we are the attacking group. ¡­¡­However, whether we can launch a surprise attack or not depends on whether we can work together.¡¹ To Culotte, who was murmuring anxiously, Rei replied. In fact, even if you said bandits fought together with their companions, and considering other elements, such as human intelligence, though their degree of risk and their combat power was higher than Goblins, speaking in terms of ranks, they were at the equivalent of E rank, below Orcs. However, because the bandits were humans, though to be precise, Elves, Beastkin and Dwarves were occasionally mixed in, adventurers below D rank may possibly hesitate to kill them. ¡¸That¡¯s true. In fact, Gran said that the participants in the test this time were quite good. In the first place, a party of 6 where 3 can use magic is a luxury for a bandit subjugation.¡¹ Supervia overheard Rei and Culotte¡¯s exchange and told them that with a wry smile to relieve her tension. ¡¸¡­¡­By the way, I can use spirit magic and the driver, Scola, can use wind magic, what magic can you use Rei?¡¹ She might have had some interest as in the mock battle the day before, Rei had only used the Death Scythe in combat. Firuma leaned forward and asked. (Elf, hmm.) Rei spoke while being somewhat puzzled at how Firuma was greatly different from the image he had of elves. ¡¸Basically, my main magic is fire. However, though it¡¯s power is strong, it also has a large area of effect. I¡¯m not capable of adjusting my power, so in capture situations it¡¯s no use as I would annihilate everything by turning them to charcoal.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. ¡­¡­Certainly, from my view, Rei¡¯s magic power is very high. ¡­¡­That¡¯s compared to high elves who are a higher ranking race, compared to elves¡­¡­¡¹ The last part was murmured so as to not be heard. At the time of the rank up test meeting the day before, when Firuma saw Rei enter the meeting room, she could feel that his magic power was the greatest she had ever seen. Because of that, she was tense in the meeting room, ready to escape at any time if need be. (In fact, Rei¡¯s amount of magic power is not normal. It¡¯s as if magic power had taken the form of a human. Indeed, a human can¡¯t have that much magic power¡­¡­is he not human?¡¡I see, it possibly could be. However, at the very least, mutual understanding is possible and there¡¯s no need to be hostile.) While observing and evaluating Rei in her mind, at the very least, she calmed herself down as the possibility of him harming them was low. As for Firuma, compared to 10 or 20 bandits, she felt Rei¡¯s risk was higher. However, the stress gradually disappeared as they continued conversing. ¡¸Hey, Rei. Shouldn¡¯t we set up camp soon?¡¹ As the sun started to set on the advancing carriage, Scola called out to Rei. Hearing that, Rei looked out the window and thought for a few seconds before nodding. ¡¸You¡¯re right, there¡¯s a possibility of straining ourselves tomorrow if we overdo it on the first day.¡¹ Nodding to Socla¡¯s proposal, Rei opened the door that was connected to the drivers seat and called out to Supervia, who was driving, and Arogan, who was on lookout. ¡¸Please stop if you find a good spot for setting up a camp.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I understand.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Supervia replied to Rei¡¯s words while Arogan answered in silence. The trouble from the departure time still remained and there was still tension drifting around the driver¡¯s seats. In such a state, Supervia didn¡¯t have the nature to cause trouble and kept his silence, because of the event from a while back as well as before the departure that morning, Arogan¡¯s fear of Rei kept him quiet as he watched for enemy attacks. And discovering a place behind some rocks and shielded from the surroundings, the two people in the driver¡¯s seats called the others and they decided to stay there for the night. Stopping the carriage in an area protected by rocks, Rei took out the tent for the men. Culotte set up the tent she had for the women. At the same time, Firuma, the elf, collected firewood from the forest nearby while Arogan drew some water from the river. With that, the camp preparations were complete. After distributing the food for dinner. ¡¸The watch will be in pairs. There will be 3 shifts.¡¹ While saying that, Rei took out an hourglass from the Misty Ring. It was a magic tool that he had purchased in a tool shop the day before, it was called Hourglass. Though it was only 5cm tall, because it was made with crushed magic stones that had been processed using alchemy, it was a fairly expensive magic tool. For a normal hourglass to measure for 2 hours, it¡¯s size needs to be quite big, but as this hourglass was a magic item made with magic stones, it was possible to measure 2 hours with only the height of 5cm. ¡¸Because the sand in the hourglass will take 2 hours to fall, switch out when the sand runs out. The first shift is Arogan and Scola. Second shift is Culotte and Supervia. Last shift is Firuma and I. Any objections?¡¹ ¡¸What is the basis for the pairings?¡¹ Sitting across the bonfire, opposite Rei, Supervia asked. Although Culotte look at him in dissatisfaction as he asked about the pairings, Supervia ignored it and waited for Rei¡¯s reply. ¡¸The first watch is a swordsman and a mage. The second shift is a swordsman and a thief. The third shift is a magic warrior and a ranger. I intend to distribute our combat power evenly.¡¹ TLN: You mean you want the elf, that power distribution is clearly not even XD. ¡¸¡­¡­Understood. That¡¯s fine.¡¹ After Supervia nodded, because there weren¡¯t any other people with different opinions, it became free time. While Culotte and Firuma were having a talk between women, Arogan was maintaining his magic sword that he was proud of. To train his magic, Scola was repeatedly creating and canceling the water whip he had used used in the mock battle yesterday. Gran watched them all without saying anything himself. Rei was eating a Kum Fruit, that he had bought in the city, for dessert, it had the texture of a pear with the acidity of an orange. During this, Supervia approached Rei and called out to him. ¡¸Rei, do you have a moment?¡¹ ¡¸Ah.¡¹ ¡¸It would be good if it¡¯s possible, but could you keep me company during my sword practice?¡¹ ¡¸Sword practice?¡¹ ¡¸Anyhow, I want to move my body a little as I was stuck in the carriage for a long time today.¡¹ After thinking about it for a bit, Rei nodded. Though it would have been better to practice with Arogan, he judged that he wasn¡¯t a good match for Supervia because of his arrogant attitude. Though Supervia called out for practice, he also gave off the atmosphere that he wanted payback for the mock battle from yesterday rather than training. ¡¸In that case, move a little bit further. There¡¯s no need to injure each other doing this.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s fine.¡¹ Supervia nodded to Rei¡¯s proposal. Noting that they were too close, Rei took out the Death Scythe after moving a bit further away, Supervia also removed his sword from his sheath. Seeing the state of the two people, Gran, Culotte and Firuma watched interestedly. Arogan frequently gave glances while pretending not to be interested. The only person who showed no interest was Scola, who was concentrating on his magic training. ¡¸Come.¡¹ ¡¸Here I come!¡¹ Giving a sharp cry at Rei¡¯s words, he kicked against the ground, entering his range. He judged that entering into close combat would render the length of the Death Scythe useless. And with that, Rei swung down the Death Scythe. So far, it was the same pattern as yesterday. Yesterday, Supervia was blown away after blocking the Death Scythe with his sword. However¡­¡­ ¡¸The choice I should make is evade rather than parry!¡¹ Feeling the Death Scythe approach from his side, he lowered his posture to almost a crawl to dodge it. And, taking advantage of that, he stepped forwards and swept his sword in from the side¡­¡­ ¡¸Not good enough..¡¹ As he was about to go for it, at that moment, the handle of the Death Scythe that should have swept above Supervia was for some reason in front of him. The long sword that was sweeping in from the side was naturally caught at the hilt. ¡¸Tch!¡¹ As soon as his attack was blocked, he realised that his current position was dangerous. He tried to jump back immediately but as he was thinking that, something hit his ankles. Supervia was rolling on the ground before he realised it. The huge blade of the Death Scythe was thrust in front of his eyes. ¡¸¡­¡­Now, what next?¡¹ What next, though he heard it, he knew he had done his best against Rei. However, he didn¡¯t understand why it happened. Because it was a rematch against the opponent who defeated him yesterday, he didn¡¯t cut any corners. But despite paying careful attention, he still had his feet knocked out from under him without realising it at all. As for Rei, he didn¡¯t mind Supervia¡¯s eyes, who were looking at him in some sort of shock. He readied the Death Scythe again after moving a few steps away. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Has the practice already finished?¡¹ Maybe Rei¡¯s words stimulated his pride, Supervia stood up. After all, unlike yesterday, his feet had only been knocked out from under him. In this state, there was no problem to continue the training. With a difference in ability that could be called overwhelming, it provided an extra stimulus to Supervia¡¯s motivation. ¡¸Haah!¡¹ He swung down the long sword with a yell, next was a side sweep, a stab, a low blow at his feet. All those attacks were dodged, evaded or parried. Like that, rather than calling it a mock battle, the fight continued for 20 minutes. Suddenly, Rei stored the Death Scythe back into the Misty Ring. ¡¸What wrong?¡¡I can still continue.¡¹ Though he said that, it was clear to everyone that Supervia¡¯s breath was already ragged. ¡¸If we continue, we¡¯ll be fatigued tomorrow. We¡¯ll leave it here for today.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Though he was somewhat dissatisfied, he understood Rei¡¯s meaning. Reluctantly, he returned his sword into his sheath. In this way, the first night of the rank up test passed by uneventfully. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 From the mountain summit, the sun could be seen rising from the eastern sky . Illuminated by the sun, the result of the death fight from the surprise attack¡­¡­became clear . Almost no plants grew around the cave at the summit of the mountain . Something like a burnt, black sand was scattered around the area . A large number of fireballs were thrown into the cave but more than 20 Harpies had escaped somehow . Rei used the large scale magic¡ºDancing Fire Snakes¡»to attack the Harpies which targeted him in their confusion and anger due to the surprise attack . As a result, their corpses were turned into charcoal and shattered from the impact of falling to the ground . Originally, they were D rank monsters, so their combat power fell below that of Crushing Warriors, who were a C rank party . It was the same for Rei and Set, who were outside the norm, and the result was spread before their eyes . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s getting brighter . ¡¹ Freon muttered as the surroundings started to become easier to see due to the morning sun . ¡¸Mm . ¡­¡­First of all, let¡¯s strip of the materials then go to sleep . I would like to sleep right away, but monsters will be attracted by the smell of blood and would eat all the Harpies and their materials . ¡¹ While sighing, Brazos muttered to himself as he looked at a Harpy that had been smashed by his Earthshaker Hammer . The night time surprise attack had succeeded with little difficulty . But as the surroundings were still wrapped in darkness, they had to stay on guard and watch out for attacks by monsters attracted by the smell of Harpy blood drifting around . At the same time, while the chance was small, there could also be surviving Harpies hidden somewhere . Basically, they were not high ranking monsters and weren¡¯t much of a threat unless in a flock . Still, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to stay on guard as Harpies had the big advantage of being able to fly in the sky . It would be stupid if they were to be caught in an surprise attack after conducting one themselves . ¡¸¡­¡­I want to drink some alcohol soon . ¡¹ Seeing Brazos look around with a tired expression, Rei spoke up as he placed the Death Scythe on his shoulder . ¡¸In that case, how about we keep the Harpy corpses in the Misty Ring for now?¡¡We can strip the materials, proofs of subjugation and magic stones after taking a rest . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Brazos¡¯ bearded face turned cheerful . Although Freon had also rested yesterday afternoon, it was probably tough for her as well after staying up all night . She spoke up with a smile . ¡¸That¡¯s right . If we had to strip materials while tired, it wouldn¡¯t be good if we were attacked by monsters at the same time . I agree with Rei¡¯s opinion . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I have no complaints either . ¡¹ In the end, they decided on that . Rei gathered and stored the three Harpies they killed in the initial surprise attack, the ones that escaped from the cave and the ones that had been burnt up by his magic into the Misty Ring . It was fortunate that some time had passed since the fight had ended . In the meantime, most of the blood had drained and Rei didn¡¯t get too dirty as he stored them away . When he finally finished storing the 10 intact Harpy corpses into the Misty Ring, the three of them finally gave a sigh of relief . ¡¸Gurururururururu~ . ¡¹ As Set watched the three of them, he stretched like a cat . ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s get away from here first . As for the condition of the cave, it will be fine . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure?¡¹ Should we check the cave before taking a break? Although Rei asked with that meaning implied, Brazos nodded that there was no problems as he carried the Eathshaker Hammer to his shoulder . ¡¸In the first place, you used fire magic . The survivors from the nest have already attacked us . If they were really lucky, there may be some Harpies who survived somehow and chose not to attack us¡­¡­if they were that lucky, there would only be a few of them at most . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess . At the very least, I don¡¯t think they could survive such flames . ¡¹ At Brazos¡¯ words, Freon agreed with a nod . ¡¸No, well, this request was something Crushing Warriors took, I¡¯m only a temporary member so I don¡¯t mind the decision . ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s it . Well, let¡¯s leave here as soon as possible . If the monsters get drunk on the smell of blood, they¡¯ll come out even if Set is here . ¡¹ Pulling Rei¡¯s arm, Brazos headed towards the bushes where they had been hiding earlier . Freon and Set chased after them and they finally arrived at a clearing . ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s take a break . We¡¯ll be busy after we get up so rest as much as you can . As for the watch, can we leave it to Set?¡¹ On the way here, Brazos had heard stories about Set . When he saw Rei nod, he leaned against the trunk of a tree that grew nearby, closed his eyes and fell asleep . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei was stunned at the short time it had taken him to fall asleep . Freon seemed to be used to it already and also leaned against a nearby tree . ¡¸Sleeping is also part of an adventurer¡¯s work . Brazos¡¯ ability to fall asleep in a few seconds is also a skill . We¡¯ll definitely be busy after we wake up so you should also sleep quickly to restore your stamina . ¡¹ Saying that, Freon also fell asleep a few minutes after closing her eyes . Still, both Brazos and Freon were adventurers and slept while holding on to their weapons . In case they sensed danger, they could respond immediately . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right, I should also sleep . Set, we¡¯ll leave the watch to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set basically didn¡¯t have to take time to sleep like humans did, making him the ideal watch for situations like this . While Set often slept in the city while waiting for Rei, or in the stables of the Dusk Wheat inn, sleep was just a kind of enjoyment for him . For Set, just a few hours of sleep each day was enough . Stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei gave him a few extra pieces of bread from the Misty Ring as a bonus, which he had received when he had bought the stew in Gimuru before starting this request . Rei then closed his eyes after leaning against a tree trunk like Freon and Brazos . Making sure he was holding onto the Death Scythe, to deal with the enemy in case they were attacked¡­¡­he naturally fell asleep after about 10 minutes . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Looking at Rei, Set lay down on the ground while eating the bread so as to not disturb his favourite partner and closed his eyes . Among monsters, some could use optical camouflage like the mantis they had encountered on the way to the dungeon . In addition, while not flawless as some insects, there were also monsters that could mimic that . Where trees grew thick in the mountains and visibility was low, Set had realised that hearing, small and instinct was more effective than sight . And¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­-!?¡¹ He leapt up without a sound . Set swung his claw down at the head of a Goblin who was watching Rei from the bushes . Gokya-, the sound of a Goblin¡¯s head bursting could be heard . After making sure that Rei hadn¡¯t woken up from the sound, Set left the corpse of the Goblin where it was and went back to his original position before lying down and closing his eyes, ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ His kind partner who always petted him . It was fine to expose himself to any danger to protect Rei . Like that, lying down on the mountainside with his eyes closed, Set looked out for signs of monsters coming nearby with sense of hearing and smell . Fortunately, aside from the first Goblin he killed, no other monsters came close . Most monsters avoided them after sensing Set . After about 3 hours, they started to wake up . ¡¸¡­¡­Mm¡­¡­¡¹ Rei¡¯s consciousness quickly awakened . Rei opened his eyes and saw Brazos tending to the campfire nearby . ¡¸Mm?¡¡Did you wake up? You woke up at a good time . Could you get something out of the item box for me? Some alcohol if possible¡­¡­¡¹ As Brazos was saying that with a smile, a tree branch flew out from the trees and hit him in the back of the head . The speed of the tree branch and Brazos¡¯ unique hard head . as a result of the two colliding, the branch broke in two . ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid . Seriously, just when I take my eyes off you for a moment . I wont¡¯ say that after we get back to the city, but please wait until we leave the mountains at least . ¡¹ Needless to say, the person who appeared from the bushes was Brazos¡¯ fellow party member . It was Freon, the other member of Crushing Warriors . ¡¸Here, wipe your face with it . ¡¹ As she said that, she threw a wet cloth to Rei . Rei raised his eyebrows when he felt its coldness . Because it was already autumn, the surrounding temperature was surprisingly colder than when he had gone to the dungeon . It could be related to the fact that they were near the top of a mountain, but the water was still colder than expected . (Speaking of that, I¡¯ve slept for several hours in this cold weather¡­¡­and I haven¡¯t caught a cold . I should thank Zepairu for making this high performance body . ) Thinking to himself, he looked towards Brazos . Perhaps he was more robust than ordinary Humans because he was a Dwarf . Rei had that feeling . (However¡­¡­) Next, he looked at Freon . It was true that she was tall for a woman and had a physique stronger than most other warriors . However, she was still a Human and Rei didn¡¯t think that she didn¡¯t care about the cold at all¡­¡­ (Well, it¡¯s a different world, maybe resistance against viruses is higher . ) Rei moved to the campfire after wiping his face with the wet cloth Freon had passed him . ¡¸Ahh, Rei . Do you have a small bucket or something?¡¡There¡¯s a river a bit further away and I want to get some water to boil to warm us up¡­¡­¡¹ Freon said that but Rei immediately shook his head . That was because he had silently take a pot out . In addition, it was a pot with plenty of fresh vegetable soup instead of hot water that Freon had been thinking of . Although it was different from the stew they had eaten last night, the sweet smell particular to vegetable soup drifted into the surroundings and stirred up their appetites . ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s wrong Freon? Here, it¡¯s cold in the mountains in autumn, drink some to warm up . ¡¹ A feature of the item box was that the flow of time was stopped for whatever was stored inside . The vegetable soup in the cup he presented was hot and steaming . Freon received the cup and spoon with a wry smile . Like that, she scooped up a spoonful of vegetables and brought it to her mouth . ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­delicious . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm . I wish I had liquor to go with this, but this is quite good . Especially the sweetness of the vegetables and the salted bacon¡­¡­¡¹ With a smile on his bearded face, Brazos also tasted the delicious soup, bringing the vegetables and bacon to his mouth . ¡¸Even so, when I think about how convenient Rei¡¯s item box is, after this request, would you like to form a party with me and Brazos?¡¹ ¡¸Once you get used to convenient things, it¡¯s said that it¡¯s hard to go back to what you used to have . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I have no problem working together occasionally like this . I can lend a hand if you ever have some difficulty with a request . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That means, you don¡¯t plan to join Crushing Warriors?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Brazos stopped his hand that he was using to drink the vegetable soup, and turned to Rei . Seeing that, Rei also stopped drinking his vegetable soup and gave a small nod . ¡¸Ah . I thought it in various ways, but going solo is still best for me . ¡­¡­I don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t keep going without a party, but I would like to stay solo until then . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Stroking Set¡¯s back, who was happily shoving his beak into a large serving of vegetable soup, Rei spoke up . ¡¸Although I¡¯ve said this a few times, even though I¡¯m solo, I still have Set . Brazos, you also realise how strong he is . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm . That is¡­¡­I guess . ¡¹ Brazos nodded at Rei¡¯s words . Even if it was just several hours, being able to sleep well while leaving the watch to someone else was very reassuring . One of the difficulties of working solo was that you couldn¡¯t take turns to sleep and keep watch like in a party . However, there was no such worries with Set around . ¡­¡­On the contrary, he had better peace of mind leaving it to Set than if he formed a party with incompetent people . In this Harpy subjugation request, Brazos had seen Rei and Set¡¯s capabilities and had no choice but to agree . ¡¸I see . That¡¯s unfortunate . However, that¡¯s fine . If anything happens, tell us . It¡¯s sad that young people with skill like you are decreasing in number . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh, you just want to have it easier when we take requests . ¡¹ At Brazos¡¯ words, Freon retorted to his unreasonable hopes . Looking at the two of them, Rei brought the vegetable soup to his mouth again with a smile . Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Legend Chapter 51 Pachi~, pachi~, the flames crackled in the campfire . While watching the flames, Rei kept track of the surrounding movements and sounds . At night, monsters would run rampant around the outskirts of the city of Gimuru and frequently appeared on the highway . The monsters didn¡¯t even care who they attacked . In fact while Rei and Firuma were on lookout, there were already 5 Goblins casually piled up up at the periphery of the campfire . They were not defeated by Rei, they were defeated by Culotee and Supervia during their turn on lookout . Fortunately, as they hadn¡¯t received an attack since then, they weren¡¯t as tense . Firuma held out a cup of tea using water that had just been boiled on the campfire and handed it to Rei . ¡¸Here . ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about this . ¡¹ Receiving the cup, he took several sips after smelling the fragrance . Though it had already passed mid summer and was entering late summer, the nights could still be said to be very warm . Under these circumstances, Firuma looked interestingly at Rei, who was drinking the tea without sweating . ¡¸Hey, how can you drink hot tea in this hot weather without even sweating?¡¹ To those words, though he twitched for a moment, he spoke up as Firuma looked at him silently . ¡¸Aren¡¯t you the same?¡¡Or are elves good at coping with the heat?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, well, about that . I suppose we can cope with a certain degree of heat because we live in the forests?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­About elves, I¡¯ve heard stories, but don¡¯t you usually shut yourselves up in the forest depths without coming out to human areas?¡¹ ¡¸Ahaha~ . I see, if it¡¯s some of the elves who are very old then that certainly might be so . ¡¹ While smiling, Firuma had a somewhat lonely expression . Rei saw that and understanding that he shouldn¡¯t ask too deeply about the reason, changed the topic . ¡¸Speaking of which, your bow seems to be quite a good weapon . ¡¹ Rei glanced at Firuma¡¯s bow . Firuma was sitting opposite Rei, across the campfire, and had placed her bow down . Though Rei didn¡¯t have the power to feel other peoples magic, which a lot of mages could, he was still able to feel something from the bow . It was the same kind of feeling as Arogan¡¯s magic sword and the Orc King¡¯s great sword, in other words, he judged that it was a magic item . ¡¸Ah, as I thought, you could tell?¡¡This is a family heirloom that is handed down from generation to generation . It¡¯s an excellent weapon that can grant the wind attribute to arrows . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh~, wind attribute . Should I say, as expected of elves?¡¹ ¡¸Ahaha~ . I¡¯ll take that as a compliment . But Rei, isn¡¯t your own large scythe quite a good weapon?¡¹ Firuma eyed the Death Scythe that was placed next to Rei . In yesterday¡¯s fight, while watching the mock battle before going to bed, she saw Rei¡¯s small and delicate build easily handling a chunk of metal over 2m in size . Adding to that, sometimes it was with one hand . ¡¸Seeing the mock battle from before¡­¡­does it not let the wielder feel its weight?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . No doubt, that¡¯s one of its abilities . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh~, from your words, there seems to be some hidden abilities . ¡¹ ¡¸Something like that . ¡­¡­Well, if it starts to get difficult, you might be able to see them . ¡¹ While avoiding the issue, he drank the last of the tea in his cup . He wasn¡¯t naive enough to think of honestly disclosing all his magic items and trump card abilities to Firuma from the beginning . They continued straight to the next topic . ¡¸Hey, could I ask you something?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei, why did you want to become and adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸My reason for becoming an adventurer . ¡­¡­That¡¯s right¡­¡­¡¹ In his mind, he recalled the explanation he had given to Ranga when he arrived at the city of Gimuru for the first time . ¡¸Originally, I lived for a while with my master who taught me magic . Adding to that, as it was in the heart of the mountains, there wasn¡¯t anyone aside from my master and I . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh~ . In the heart of the mountains, so you lived like the Elves . ¡¹ ¡¸Something like that . So in any case, I learnt magic from my master . As soon as that finished, Set ¨D ah, he¡¯s the Griffon I tamed ¨D and I were forcibly sent to the Forest of Monsters with spatial magic . After that, I reached the city of Gimuru after slipping out of the Forest of Monsters . ¡¹ While listening to Rei¡¯s description, Firuma had a stunned expression . As elves lived in forests, she had heard rumors of the Forest of Monsters . They say that after you go in, you can never get back out . They say that it was a forest where multiple Dragon species lived . They say it was where the Majin of old slept They say that large numbers of A rank monsters lived there, and so on . It was a forest with countless rumors that it was impossible to know what was truth and what was a lie . Because of that, Firuma was surprised that Rei, who was able to safely escaped from the Forest of Magic, wasn¡¯t A rank, let alone D rank . ¡¸¡­¡­It was good that you was safely able to get out of the Forest of Monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, though we hardly encountered any monsters, it was all due to Set . So, anyway, I got out of the Forest of Monsters thanks to Set, but as you know Set is quite big . In other words, the food he requires each day is also correspondingly big . So, I though up the idea of defeating monsters and feeding their meat to Set¡­¡­ If I became an adventurer, I would defeat monsters and Set would eat the meat . Moreover, if I received subjugation requests, proofs of subjugation and materials could also be sold at the guild, there were various benefits . That¡¯s the simple reason . ¡¹ There was no way he was going to say that he became an adventurer in order to collect magic stones . However, what Rei said about hunting monsters for food for Set or the story about receiving subjugation requests weren¡¯t complete lies . ¡¸So, that¡¯s my reason for being here¡­¡­hm?¡¡While talking, the sky seems to have brightened . ¡¹ Looking around, sunrise could be seen as the sun rose from the east . Though Firuma probably intended to talk about why she became an adventurer, it left her mind as she was captivated by the beautiful morning glow . While the two people watched the morning glow, as the surrounding area brightened up, a goso~ goso~ rustling sound could be heard from one of the tents . ¡¸Ara~, that¡¯s a shame . I wasn¡¯t able to talk about why I became an adventurer . ¡¹ Saying that as she threw some dead wood into the campfire, Firuma greeted Cullote, who came out of the tent . While seeing that, the second day of the rank up test began . ¡¸That¡¯s the bandit hideout . ¡¹ Inside the forest, Culotte, who was playing her role as the eyes of the party, muttered as she looked at a huge cliff ahead . It was noon of the third day since the rank up test had begun, from Gran¡¯s information, Culotte had easily found the bandit hideout . A cliff drop of about 100m . At the bottom of the cliff, bandits could be seen coming in and out . The cave entrance probably led to the location the bandits were using as their headquarters . That was the bandit hideout that Gran had talked about . ¡¸I see, with that small entrance, it certainly is impossible for large monsters to enter . ¡¹ The entrance to the cave in the cliff was quite small, when the bandits went in and out, they had to crouch down . And though it was large enough for a person to get through, there were also bandits on lookout . Confirming that, Culotte quickly went back to the place where Gran was waiting . ¡¸I¡¯ve found it . ¡¹ ¡¸Woah!¡¡Don¡¯t scare me . ¡¹ To Culotte, who came out of the forest with barely a sound, Arogan almost reflexive attacked with his magic sword . But seeing that it was Culotte, he grumbled as he steadied his posture . ¡¸What, it¡¯s bad to be absent minded . ¡¹ ¡¸Come on now, cut it out Arogan and Culotte . You never learn every time . ¡¹ Looking at both of them, Firuma chided . Any how, it could be understood that these two people really couldn¡¯t get along ever since the mock battle in the city of Gimuru . They had quarreled several times ever since leaving the city of Gimuru . Each time, either Scola or Firuma intervened to stop them . Supervia held the attitude of ignoring them while Gran couldn¡¯t interfere as he was the examiner . And if you asked about Rei, as he was bad at dealing with people, he ended up angering Culotte further instead of calming her down . Well, though it could be because of the arbitration, Arogan quickly stopped arguing and left . It seemed he still had some fear of Rei . ¡¸Tch, I understand . There¡¯s no fun with getting into a dispute with a thief anyway . ¡¹ Fortunately, there weren¡¯t any particular problems as Arogan pulled out before it became a fight . Rei called out to Culotte after glancing at Arogan . ¡¸So, did you find the bandit hideout?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡Ah, yes . As Gran-san said, the exit from their hideout to the forest is in a cave in a cliff . ¡¹ ¡¸A base in a cave¡­¡­is it . Then it might be cleaned up surprisingly easily?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡What do you mean?¡¹ Maybe he was interested at Rei¡¯s words, Scola asked . Rei¡¯s answer was clear and simple . ¡¸What, that¡¯s easy . All I need to do is cast my fire magic from the entrance of the cave . With that, everyone inside will either be burnt to death or suffocate . Though it¡¯s unlikely, even if there is a mage, they can¡¯t protect all the bandits . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s a little¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei said his idea, Scola words were stuck in his throat . However, it was Supervia who objected . ¡¸Please wait . Though Rei¡¯s plan is certainly efficient, what happens if there are people in the cave who were caught by bandits?¡¡They would be burnt together with the bandits . ¡¹ ¡¸In addition, the bandits treasure . Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to burn up all the treasure those guys have gathered . ¡¹ Following Supervia, Culotte also rejected it . It should be noted that adventurers who did bandit subjugation requests were basically allowed to take the valuables in the bandit hideout . Tentatively speaking, if a merchant insisted on claiming the items back, they would have to pay the adventurer for it, but that was rare as merchants attacked by bandits were often killed . ¡¸Incidentally, one more thing . Though you seem to have forgotten, the purpose of the examination is to test if you can kill people . If Rei killed them all, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to determine if the others could rank up or not . ¡¹ With one objection after another, Rei could only accept as he also understood the basis for it¡¯s rejection ¡¸Well, it¡¯s troublesome, I understand . It¡¯s an adventurers job to do troublesome things . As the leader, you have to fill the role properly . ¡¹ As Gran tapped his shoulder, Rei thought about the strategy again . ¡¸Culotte, was the cliff entrance the only entrance you found?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m not sure . Either way, it was a pretty large cliff so it would have taken a while to go around it¡­¡­tentatively speaking, as far as I could see, there wasn¡¯t another entrance . ¡¹ ¡¸It seems the surroundings are also uncertain . In that case a surprise attack is best . That¡¯s good, listen up . We¡¯ll launch a night attack tonight . ¡¹ ¡¸Why don¡¯t we attack now?¡¡If we attack at night, won¡¯t we have to go through the forest at night?¡¡There is a possibility of getting attacked by monsters in the forest . ¡¹ To Supervia, who was confused about the night attack, Rei gave a small nod . ¡¸If we go through the forest at night, we certainly might be attacked by monsters . However, in the daytime, there¡¯s also a possibility that not all the bandits will be in the hideout . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, they could be out doing their business . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . However, bandits won¡¯t go out at night because of the monsters around . That¡¯s why this is the plan . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Please continue . ¡¹ ¡¸But since I¡¯ve said night time, as expected, they should have a lookout . Culotte, how are the surroundings?¡¹ To Rei¡¯s question, Culotte recalled the scene she had seen earlier . ¡¸Close to the entrance, there was a small lookout building . I¡¯m not sure if there will be guards at night . ¡¹ ¡¸If there is a watch, how many people will there be?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, though I can¡¯t say for sure¡­¡­maybe 2 people . ¡¹ Listening to Culotte¡¯s words, Rei looked to Firuma and Scola . ¡¸Can you two kill the lookouts from long distance?¡¡Without making a sound as much as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess so . If it¡¯s one, I can bring them down with my bow¡­¡­Scola?¡¹ ¡¸Depends on the distance . Culotte, you roughly understand the range of my magic right?¡¡How is it?¡¹ ¡¸I think you can reach it if you use Wind Arrow . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Then I¡¯m fine . ¡¹ Hearing Scola¡¯s words, Rei nodded . ¡¸Then, after defeating the lookouts, first, Culotte will go in and check how many people there are . At the same time, check if anyone has been captured . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ ¡¸After that, Supervia and Arogan will take the vanguard . Firuma and Scola will be at the back . ¡¹ ¡¸What should I do after scouting?¡¹ ¡¸After you know the number of people, and if there are no captured people, see if there are any other exits . Join back with use when you¡¯re finished . If you find captured people, then you¡¯ll have to rescue them . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡­¡­By the way Rei, what will you do?¡¹ ¡¸Finally, I¡¯m last . When we launch the surprise attack, isn¡¯t it necessary for someone to defend Firuma and Scola?¡¡In addition, because of it¡¯s length, the Death Scythe isn¡¯t suitable for fighting in narrow places . And because my main magic attribute is fire, it¡¯s difficult to use it in a cave . ¡¹ The 5 people nodded at Rei¡¯s explanation . Gran watched the situation from a distance in satisfaction . (What, though his social skills are a weak point, he¡¯s doing quite well as a party leader . I can relax much easier with this . ) ¡¸Okay, we¡¯ll take a break now in preparation for the night attack . The lookout order is the same as last night . ¡¹ Following Rei¡¯s instructions, they split up into lookout and sleeping as they prepared for the night attack . Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Legend Chapter 52 In the night forest, the sounds of mayflies persistently echoed . In such an environment, several people advanced through the forest . ¡¸Tch, they¡¯re persistent!¡¹ Arogan, who was advancing at the front, brandished his magic sword at the darkness in front of him while clicking his tongue . A Goblin that was about to attack had it¡¯s head cut off and fell down before it could even scream . ¡¸Seriously, are we crazy to go through the forest at night?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You didn¡¯t say anything during the strategy meeting at noon . Too late now, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ As he said that, Supervia thrust his sword into a 1m long Giant Bat without a sound . ¡¸Haa~, I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re taking monsters so lightly . ¡¹ ¡¸You know, if you have any complaints, you should talk to the person himself and not us . You always go quiet in front of Rei, and you get all arrogant when he¡¯s not around . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh!?¡¹ Though Arogan scowled at Culotte, he understood that they shouldn¡¯t be wasting their time with this and quickly advanced through the forest . ¡¸Generally speaking, our party balance isn¡¯t that bad?¡¡One thief, two warriors . However, we don¡¯t have enough for a rear guard . ¡¹ However, he still grumbled . Yes . The only people currently advancing through the forest at night were Arogan, Supervia and Culotte . Of course, Rei, Firuma and Scola weren¡¯t just resting at the back . According to the strategy discussed at noon, the 3 would stay back to look for a position to snipe the bandit lookouts . These 3 had a different job, they had to quickly cut down the lookouts in the case the long distance sniping failed¡­¡­ ¡¸Rather, if the sniping fails, the lookout will alert the guys inside . So we have to do something about it . In the first place, why couldn¡¯t they come with us and then snipe . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I was saying, Rei said this just to be sure . Aside from that, come on, we¡¯re almost out of the forest . It will be bad if we suddenly came out and alerted the people on lookout . There¡¯s no helping that the sniping group is taking separate action . Aside from the ranger, Firuma, and Rei, who¡¯s mysterious in various ways, Scola is a genuine mage so he needs to be at a distance that won¡¯t alert the bandits . ¡¹ Though Supervia said that to Arogan, Culotte smiled as she heard that and continued . ¡¸That¡¯s right, Rei would be harsh to Arogan if we were seen like this . I want to see how he would look like . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t say something nasty like that as a joke . Seriously, I understand, I¡¯ll do it seriously . ¡¹ While Arogan demonstrated his strange ability to cry out in hushed tones, Culotte quietly looked ahead to the point where forest ended and where the cliff entrance to the bandit hideout was . As according to Culotte¡¯s expectations, there were 2 lookouts . However, you could clearly see they weren¡¯t taking it seriously . (Are they confident that their hideout wouldn¡¯t be found¡­¡­or are they just stupid . ) Glancing for a moment, Culotte turned her eyes to Arogan . (¡­¡­Though he¡¯s probably stupider . ) It would have been nice to have a torch . After all, although as adventurers, they had the occupation of thief, they weren¡¯t bandits, and just because Culotte was a thief, it didn¡¯t mean she she stole things or had good night vision . However, although they were called lookouts, they weren¡¯t really looking around, instead they were talking with each other and laughing loudly . Seeing that, Culotte couldn¡¯t really call it a lookout . Anyway, erasing her sounds, she got within 10m of the lookout without them noticing . (Scola wouldn¡¯t have been able to erase his sounds at this range, thinking of that, even Arogan might have issues . Muttering in her mind, she checked to see how the two people were doing . Both Arogan and Supervia had already pulled out their weapons, they were ready to attack at any time . Culotte checked her dagger, which had been used to cut the throat of a Goblin in the forest, and waited . ¡¸¡­¡­Still not yet?¡¹ They had been hiding on the edge of the forest for a few minutes . Maybe he was impatient that the attack still hadn¡¯t begun, Arogan gave a small mutter while Culotte patiently waited for Scola and Firuma¡¯s attack . ¡¸I¡¯m amazed . ¡¹ At the sniping location, away from Culotte¡¯s position, Firuma muttered in amazement as she watched the bandit lookout, visible in the distance . It was no wonder, the people at the lookout were laugh and talking, they basically weren¡¯t acting as lookouts . ¡¸You know, since you¡¯re helping us all, you shouldn¡¯t blame yourself, okay?¡¹ ¡¸I understand¡­¡­right . ¡¹ While listening to their exchange, Rei looked towards the forest . Normally speaking, if he wasn¡¯t a thief like Culotte, it would be impossible for him to grasp the state of the dark forest . However, because his body was made by Zepairu¡¯s organisation and ignored common sense, he could see into the forest without any issues . In Rei¡¯s view, he could clearly see the 3 people, Arogan, Supervia and Culotte, hiding near the edge of the forest . ¡¸It seems the 3 people in the vanguard have reached their positions successfully . Are you ready?¡¹ The two people nodded in silence to Rei¡¯s words . Seeing that, Rei nodded as he told them to start the night attack . ¡¸Okay, Scola, start casting your magic . Firuma must match his timing and attack with your bow at the same time Scola casts his magic . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me . ¡¹ Nodding, Scola began to cast his spell, Firuma notched an arrow to her bow to match the timing . ¡ºWind, turn into an unseen arrow to pierce those before me . ¡» Scola¡¯s incantation to cast his magic was the same one he used in the mock battle . , invisible arrows were created . The invisible wind arrows were already difficult to see in the day, at night, their stealthiness increased further . Finishing the incantation, Scola held his magic in place, ready to cast, and looked at Firuma . Seeing Firuma¡¯s nod, he released his magic . ¡ºWind Arrow!¡» Along with his words, 5 invisible wind arrows were launched . At the same time, Firuma let lose her arrow towards the lookout . The next moment the two attacks were released, the wind arrows stabbed into the neck and head of the lookout who was sitting down, the other man didn¡¯t realise what had happened as an arrow dropped down and pierced into his head at the same time . ¡¸They¡¯ve done it!¡¹ The lookout hit in the neck and face by the wind arrows crumpled to the ground, spouting blood from the wounds in his neck and face . The other man fell at almost the same time, an arrow piercing his head . Seeing that, Culotte gave a sharp cry to Arogan and Supervia . The two people heard the words and started running quickly out of the fores, rapidly closing the distance to the lookout . And as they closed the distance, Supervia clicked his tongue . ¡¸That¡¯s bad, the person Scola attacked with magic hasn¡¯t been killed . Arogan, you have to kill the lookout on the ground that¡¯s still alive . Watch out for people coming out of the cave . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, why me!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up, we don¡¯t have the time . From now on, there¡¯s no time to spare . It¡¯s a race against time . ¡¹ ¡¸Tch, I understand, damn it . ¡¹ While talking, they finally reached the lookout . Supervia hid himself next to the entrance and check inside as said that to Arogan . Fortunately, all they could hear was laughter and cheers . Judging that they were all reveling and probably didn¡¯t notice what happened to the lookout, Supervia let out a sigh of relief . Nearby, Arogan was looking at the lookout who was struggling on the ground in pain and confusion¡­¡­Arogan froze up . ¡¸Shit, like this¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gah~¡­¡­ugh, urk¡­¡­¡¹ To the misfortune of the lookout, Scola¡¯s magic was still immature . ¡­¡­No, for an E rank adventure, it was already strong enough . But even though all 5 wind arrows had hit his head and neck, as they prioritized speed and stealth, they weren¡¯t enough to kill the lookout . In that sense, maybe the happier person was the one who had his head pierced by Firuma¡¯s arrow . Because he was killed instantly, he wouldn¡¯t have known what had happened . ¡¸Arogan, make it quick!¡¹ Kill him, Supervia quietly ordered Arogan, who was hesistating . However, for Arogan to kill a person¡­¡­it was the first time he had to kill someone of the same race, his hands trembled and wouldn¡¯t move properly . In the mock battle against Rei, Arogan had gone in with the intention to kill!¡¡But though he wielded a magic sword, for better or worse, it he hadn¡¯t actually killed anyone . Because of that, the magic sword in his hand trembled . ¡¸Tch, Culotte, as Rei said, check inside the cave . ¡¹ ¡¸I-I know!¡¹ As Supervia saw Culotte replace him at the cave entrance, he approached the lookout, who was writhing on the ground, and casually swung his long sword down at the man¡¯s neck . ¡¸Gah~!¡¹ With the blade of the longsword, head of the lookout rolled to the ground while leaving a trail of blood . ¡¸Urrghhhhkk~!¡¹ Though he had seen dead monsters, It was the first time Arogan had seen a dead human . Arogan ran towards the shadows while vomiting . While looking at Arogan with a complex expression, Supervia strained his ears to listen to the sounds in the cave . Fortunately, though the lookouts had died, only shouts of happiness and laughter could be heard . In such a situation, the rear guard joined up . ¡¸Where is Culotte?¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s gone inside as planned in the strategy . ¡¹ While answering Rei, Supervia looked at Scola and Firuma . Firuma didn¡¯t seem to feel any guilt from killing a person . Or maybe she just had enough mental strength to hide it . However, Scola was clearly looking pale . ¡¸Scola too . ¡¹ To Supervia¡¯s words, Rei looked at Arogan, who was still vomiting in the shadows . ¡¸It seems so . It¡¯s because the lookout survived the magic that was used . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, it was the first time he¡¯s had to kill someone . It¡¯s not unreasonable . ¡¹ ¡¸Supervia seems to be calm . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve become used to it . Speaking of which, you don¡¯t seem to mind it either?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I wonder¡­¡­so, you¡¯ve come back . ¡¹ Noticing Culotte coming back with silenced footsteps, Rei ended the coversation . While they had a surprised look, they understood as the person in question came out of the cave . ¡¸How was it?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Culotte gave a small nod . ¡¸There¡¯s one main path ahead . However, it later splits into 3 passages . On the right path, there seems to some people who maybe merchants who have been captured . Because there were guards, I couldn¡¯t see exactly how many were captured . The middle path is quite wide, the sounds of reveling were coming from there . Also, the left side seems to be some sort of armoury and storage area . ¡¹ ¡¸Number of bandits?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s slightly less than 30 people . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Are there any other exits to the outside?¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t check as I didn¡¯t have enough time . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, should we try to kill as many thieves as possible at first contact?¡¹ ¡¸However, it won¡¯t be as easy if there are merchants taken as hostages . ¡¹ To Rei¡¯s murmur, Supervia spoke up . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true . ¡­¡­Culotte, do you know if there are any side paths that go from the prison to the area where they are partying?¡¹ ¡¸I said it before but I don¡¯t know as there was no time . But you¡¯re asking for my personal opinion, as they¡¯re not expecting a subjugation force to come, I don¡¯t think they would be able to respond to an emergency situation . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case¡­¡­Culotte, you have to head to the prison first to secure the prisoners . After that¡­¡­Gran, what will you do?¡¹ When he called out into the darkness, Gran came out with a wry smile . ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect to be noticed . So, what do you want?¡¹ ¡¸After we rescue the hostages, can we leave them to you or is it considered part of the rank up test?¡¹ ¡¸No, you cant . My role is strictly to ascertain whether you have the ability to go up to D rank . I¡¯m not supposed to help if there is no compelling reason . So, in other words, the current situation isn¡¯t important enough . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It can¡¯t be helped . Though it¡¯s regrettable to reduce our combat power, Culotte, after rescuing the prisoners, come back here and hide yourself . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, we¡¯ll enter the cave . As I said at noon, Arogan and Supervia will take the vanguard . Center are Scola and Firuma . I¡¯ll be the rear guard¡­¡­can you do it?¡¹ Arogan¡¯s nausea had finally settled and Rei called out to him as he returned . Arogan nodded with a bitter expression . ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ll do it . ¡¹ ¡¸Scola, you?¡¹ ¡¸I-I¡¯m fine . I¡¯ll manage it somehow . ¡¹ Giving Scola some time, he started to feel better than before . ¡¸Okay, we¡¯ll rush in . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s cue, they rushed into the cave . Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Legend Chapter 53 Because the entrance was narrow, Culotte went in first to check if there were any lookouts . After that, Supervia, Arogan, Scola, and Firuma entered in that order . Rei entered last . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s narrow . ¡¹ In the cave, it was only wide enough for two people to walk side by side . There was only enough space for one person to fight freely . Checking the situation, Rei spoke . ¡¸Supervia, Arogan, Firuma and Scola, follow me . As for Culotte, her top priority is to secure the prisoners . After that, she will hide herself in the shadows of the lookout . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A little while ago, Arogan vomited in the shadows¡­¡­¡¹ Though Culotte said that displeased, thinking about having to fight in the forest to protect the merchants, who were probably amateurs at fighting, she decided to hide herself in the end . ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s go . It¡¯s a race against time with this . If you find a bandit, kill them without hesitation . If you delay, they¡¯ll warn their fellow bandits, so if possible, kill them before they say anything . ¡­¡­I will launch a surprise attack at the place they are partying . The fight shouldn¡¯t take too long . ¡¹ Everyone nodded at Rei¡¯s words, Culotte advanced to the right passageway were the prison was . Rei saw that before quickly taking the middle passageway while trying to make as little noise as possible¡­¡­ ¡¸Tsu!?¡¹ As Supervia approached the front, Rei waved his hand to stop him . ¡¸Here they are . ¡¹ ¡¸Number of enemies?¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t counted but there should be roughly 30 bandits as Culotte said . Almost everyone is drunk, but there are also some who aren¡¯t . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, the first time, you two took out the lookouts in the preemptive attack . This time, I¡¯ll participate . I, Scola and Firuma will attack with magic and arrows to throw the bandits into confusion . Using the confusion, Supervia and Arogan will move in, I¡¯ll stay back to protect the back line . ¡¹ Everyone nodded at Rei¡¯s instructions, Supervia and Arogan prepared their weapons, ready to rush in at any time . Firuma set up her bow and Scola started to cast a spell . Rei saw that and returned the Mithril Knife, which was hard to maneuver in the cave, to his waist and took out the Death Scythe, which was also a magic casting tool . ¡ºFlame, burn the enemy according to my thoughts . ¡» At the same time, he said an incantation . A 30cm diameter fireball appeared in front of Rei, rapidly raising the temperature . Rei glanced at Scola for a moment, he nodded back when he had finished his incantation . ¡ºFireball . ¡» First to be released was Rei¡¯s fireball . It hit the center of a group of 5 people who were drinking . The first bandit to be hit by the fireball burned up in an instant, his life promptly leaving him . The bandits who were around the man hit by the fireball received both small and large burns . ¡¸What? Enemy attack!?¡¡Everyone¡­¡­¡¹ A man near the burning bandits tried to order an interception at once, but was shot in the head by Firuma¡¯s arrow . ¡¸Enemy attack, it¡¯s an enemy attack!¡¡Stop them!¡¹ As expected, even though they were drunk, they realised that they were being attacked . A man with a huge body, who seemed to be the leader, shouted instructions from the back of the room . Men in the vicinity with swords, axes and clubs, obeyed the order and turned towards the entrance to the hall . However, as if waiting for that, Scola¡¯s magic was cast . ¡ºWind Blow¡» An invisible fist made of wind . The closest bandits were beaten down by several dozen wind fists . Though it¡¯s killing power was nowhere near Rei¡¯s fireball, it had several times the range compared to fireball . ¡¸Ahhhh!¡¡It¡¯s a monster, a monster is attacking!¡¹ Beaten by the wind fists, a man who saw his friend hit in the stomach before falling down unconscious involuntarily yelled out . His words that there was a monster only further confused the bandits . ¡¸This idiot . There are no monsters that use wind and fire magic around here! Besides, there¡¯s an enemy using a bow . Get a grip on yourselves!¡¹ The leader shouted, however, it was no easy task to restore order to those who had fallen into confusion . If they were trained soldiers or adventurers then maybe, but not for bandits . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Go!¡¹ At the same time as Rei¡¯s sharp shout, Supervia and Arogan plunged in the bandits with their weapons . ¡¸Hah, damn . I¡¯ll do it . I¡¯ll do it!¡¹ While partially in desperation¡­¡­no, Arogan had finally resolved himself to kill people . Using his magic sword, he slashed the belly of a nearby bandit . ¡¸Gyaa~!¡¹ As expected of a magic sword, a single slash cut the body of the bandit into top and bottom without any resistance . The male bandit died while splattering his offal and blood into the surroundings, Arogan experienced killing someone for the first time in his life . ¡¸Arogan, don¡¯t become absent minded . There¡¯s still enemies!¡¹ Supervia shouted while driving his long sword into a nearby bandit¡¯s head and hurling a dagger at a bandit who was trying to ready a bow . As for Arogan, he understood Supervia¡¯s worried words and knew it wasn¡¯t the time to fight about it . He wielded his magic sword desperately against the bandits . To support the two, Scola attacked with wind and water magic . At the same time, Firuma covered the two who were fighting at the front by shooting arrows given the wind attribute from her magic bow . ¡¸Hey, first take out the 3 people at the back!¡¹ According to their leader¡¯s instructions, several bandits jumped at Scola and Firuma, however¡­¡­ ¡¸If there¡¯s this much space, there¡¯s no problem . ¡¹ Holding the Death Scythe, Rei block the bandits . ¡¸Get out of the way you damn brat!¡¹ Receiving a surprise attack in the middle of their feast followed by fear and anxiety as their friends were killed, they were filled with anger . A male bandit, with bloodshot eyes, swung his axe down at Rei¡¯s head, who was standing in the way to protect Scola and Firuma . Though Rei was holding a huge scythe, his height was only up to the bandit¡¯s chest, he also seemed to have a delicate build . He was convinced that he could kill Rei in a single blow . But¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s 3rd class to judge people by their appearance . ¡¹ Kin~!¡¡With a metallic sound, the falling axe head hit the blade of the Death Scythe . ¡­¡­No . Rather than blocking it, the axe that was swung at the magic boosted blade of the Death Scythe went past it . It snapped right in two from the weight of the magic boosted Death Scythe . ¡¸Impossible!¡¹ Seeing a scene he did not expect, Rei¡¯s Death Scythe cut down like the grim reaper at the bandit who was frozen in shock . ¡¸Gah~!¡¹ The bandit¡¯s body was cut, split into top and bottom as his life left him . (That said, I don¡¯t know what will happen in this melee . I should use it just in case of an emergency . ) Inwardly muttering, he activated the skill he had recently learned . ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ At the same time Rei triggered the skill, a shield of light appeared . The shield would move as to not interfere with Rei¡¯s attacks, it would also move automatically to protect him if he was attacked . ¡¸Rei, that was¡­¡­¡¹ Though Firuma raised a voice of surprise at Rei¡¯s magic shield, judging that there was no time, she immediately notched an arrow and shot a bandit that was heading for Arogan . While some of the bandits were beginning to recover from the confusion, it was still hard to say if they had fully recovered . After all, the men had drank a lot of alcohol, because of their intoxication, they couldn¡¯t sober up immediately as the enemy came . Whether Arogan and Supervia understood it or not, they tried to end it quickly . The magic sword cut an enemy in two while the long sword cut off necks and limbs . ¡¸Damn, they have considerable skill . And there¡¯s even 2 mages?¡¡Isn¡¯t this overkill for a bandit subjugation!¡¹ The leader spat out as he looked at the three people who were blocking the exit from the hall . ¡¸You with the bow!¡¡Take out the guy blocking the entrance!¡¹ According to the leader¡¯s instructions, several bandits drew their bows fully and aimed at Rei . ¡¸I see, I see, then let¡¯s do this . Flying Slash!¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t miss hearing the leader¡¯s instruction and wielded the big Death Scythe while invoking the skill . The slash flew forward, slashing 3 bandits who had readied their bows . Though it¡¯s level wasn¡¯t at a stage where it could kill in a single blow, it could still give a large wound, having the same effect as a bow in this battle wasn¡¯t possible . ¡¸Rei!¡¹ A voice like a scream came from Firuma¡¯s mouth . It was because she saw a bandit aiming a bow at Rei while hiding behind the dead bodies of his companions . Though she aimed her bow at the bandit, it was a moment too late and the arrow had already been fired . Firuma¡¯s arrow immediately pierced the head of the bandit who had shot the arrow, killing him . However, it wasn¡¯t possible to stop the fired arrow . The figure of Rei pierced by the arrow flashed through her mind . But . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, there are no problems here . ¡¹ To Firuma, who had her eyes shut, Rei¡¯s usual calm voice was heard . Firuma question the scene that appeared in front of her as she opened her eyes, the magic shield blocked the arrow before disappearing into mist . ¡¸You understand?¡¡First give priority to reducing the number of enemies . The bandits are slowly recovering from their confusion . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yes . ¡¹ Nodding, Firuma gathered her thoughts together and looked towards the hall . (Because it¡¯s inside a cave, the power of the wind spirits are weak . Still, there¡¯s a danger if I use the power of the spirits of the land carelessly¡­¡­no, I should interfere with ground rather than the cave itself . ¡ºSpirits of the land, Earth Spear!¡» The spirits of the land responded to Firuma¡¯s call, 1m long earthen spears with sharp points like swords sprung up from the bandits feet . ¡¸Uwaa~!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what is that!?¡¹ ¡¸Damn, what is happening!¡¹ ¡¸Retreat, get out of the way!¡¹ Seeing several companions stabbed by earthen spears that had suddenly come out from the ground, the bandits fell into confusion again . The new confusion that came about just as they had recovered from the confusion of the surprise attack brought the bandits to despair . ¡¸Uooooohhhhh!¡¹ Seeing a friend pierced by a earthen spear from below, a bandit instinctively jumped back . Arogan raised a shout as he stabbed the nearby bandit . In addition, while leaving his companion to fight Arogan and Supervia, there was a bandit who didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer and ran towards the exit of the hall, however¡­¡­ ¡ºIce Needle¡» He fell to the ground as his whole body was skewered by dozens of ice needles launched by Scola . ¡¸Damn, hey . You and you . Come with me . Don¡¯t let those guys see you . ¡¹ While almost in a state of panic, the bandits near the exit of the hall where mowed down by Scola¡¯s magic, Firuma¡¯s arrows and Rei¡¯s huge scythe . Meanwhile, the leader ordered his aides in lowered tones . Maybe the two understood what their leader was thinking . Giving a small nod, they erased their signs and moved to the interior of the cave . A secret only the leader and his aides knew . That is, a secret escape path from the hall . In the case of an emergency, only they would survive at the expense of their subordinates . Because of this, the secret passage leading to the outside of the hall was concealed at the beginning when this place was decided to be their stronghold . The of bandits left in the hall were already down to 10 . Most had yet to sober up from their intoxication . They began to attack the party that had launched the surprise attack in partial desperation . As for the people who knew about the passageway, other than the leader¡¯s group, the rest were all dead . If they could quickly escape from here, they could reorganize the bandit group from scratch . While thinking that in his mind, so as to be not noticed by the people rampaging in the hall, the leader moved further into the cave . However, naturally, there was someone who wouldn¡¯t miss this . ¡¸¡­¡­There are 7 people left in the hall . Can you manage them?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Yes . Though it should be okay¡­¡­why this all of a sudden?¡¹ Firuma asked while shooting an arrow into a bandit¡¯s arm . ¡¸No, it seems a rat is trying to sneakily escape . I will dispose of them . Once more, just in case¡­¡­Magic Shield . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh? A rat?¡¹ Paying no attention to Firuma¡¯s puzzled voice, after creating another magic shield, which Firuma saw earlier, he kicked against the ground while wielding the Death Scythe . He went towards the fight between Arogan, Supervia and two bandits as he headed further in . ¡¸Wai-, Rei!?¡¹ ¡¸Uwa~, both of you take care . Rei¡¯s going further in!¡¹ At Firuma¡¯s puzzled voice and Scola¡¯s shout to the vanguard, Rei narrowed the distance¡­¡­ ¡¸Shoes of Sleipnir, start . ¡¹ The effect of the magic item Shoes of Sleipnir allowed him to run through the air . Jumping once and twice, he jumped over the fight zone . ¡¸Huh?¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡¹ Though Arogan and Supervia called out to Rei from behined, he paid no attention to them and with his 3rd and 4th steps¡­¡­landed back on the ground . That¡¯s right, he landed in front of the bandit leader and his aides who where secretly trying to sneak out . Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Legend Chapter 54 ¡¸¡­¡­What do you want, you . ¡¹ The bandit leader couldn¡¯t believe what he had seen with his own eyes . What the leader saw in front of his eyes was a kid in his mid teens, that was the only thing that made sense though . Running through the air, even though the leader had spent a long time as a bandit in the underworld, this was the first time he had seen such a thing . ¡¸Well, what do I want to do, is it . Anyway, I¡¯m here to stop you from running away . ¡¹ Holding the Death Scythe in his hands while the magic shield followed him, he looked at the bandit leader and his two aides . ¡¸First of all, making their subordinates fight and running away by himself¡­¡­how does such a person lead a group of bandits?¡¹ ¡¸Sh-shut up!¡¡The only bandit that needs to survive is I!¡¡Hey, you . Attack him together!¡¡We¡¯ll be able to escape if we take him out . ¡¹ Shouting to his aides, the leader readied his huge battle axe . ¡¸Heh~, you still want to do it . ¡­¡­Well, the purpose is to exterminate all the bandits, surrendering, escaping or dying a honourable death, the result doesn¡¯t change . ¡¹ ¡¸So noisy!¡¡Do you think we¡¯re scared just because you can fly in air for a while!?¡¡Hey, go!¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸Tch, do we have no choice . ¡¹ The two aides held a long sword and a spear in their hands, they both attacked Rei at the same time . The man with the spear took advantage of the range of his spear to stab at Rei¡¯s body without interfering with his companions¡¯ attacks . The other man swung his sword at Rei¡¯s legs from the right . Finally, the bandit leader swung his battle axe down, aiming to split Rei¡¯s head with his prided physical strength . ¡¸You¡¯re cooperation is insufficient . ¡¹ Stopping the spear stab with the magic boosted Death Scythe, he cut off the spear head before instantly shifting the handle of the Death Scythe to block the sword aimed at his feet . The leader¡¯s battle axe, that was aimed at Rei¡¯s head, was blocked by the magic shield . ¡¸What!?¡¹ He gave cry in stunned voice . However, Rei didn¡¯t care and used the Death Scythe to cut off the head of the man who held the sword before taking a quick step forward and slashing down at the head of the man with the spear, splitting him left and right . The man with the sword fell to the ground while spewing blood from his neck . The body of the man with the spear fell to the left and right, offal and blood spilling onto the ground . ¡¸Wh-what did you do!?¡¹ As the leader of the bandits said that, he immediately retreated and brandished his battle axe, more shocked that his attack was blocked than the fact that both his aides were dead . Though the organs and blood of the man with the spear was spilled at his feet, the leader desperately searched for a chance to escape from Rei without minding that . ¡¸Well, what did I do indeed . ¡¹ Muttering, Rei saw the magic shield disappear into mist . He wanted to create another magic shield again but the leader would notice that it was some sort of magic if he did that . Flicking the blood off the Death Scythe, he pointed the tip of the blade at the leader . ¡¸Guh~, damn, damn, damn this asshole!¡¡We had been doing well up until you interfered . Why did you guys have to come!¡¹ The leader ran towards him brandishing his large battle axe while shouting . Maybe knowing that he couldn¡¯t escape, he seemed to have lost his temper . Seeing such a leader, Rei was amazed . ¡¸To begin with, if you hated being subjugated, you should have just worked honestly . Is it okay if you kill people and bad if you are killed?¡¹ ¡¸Shut up you brat!¡¡Speaking like that to your seniors!¡¡Get out of the way now!¡¹ He swung down the battle axe while shouting . However, the attack wasn¡¯t fast, neither was it powerful or skillful . It was just an attack with nothing but his physical strength . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s unsightly, you have been caught and punished for your own crimes¡­¡­die . ¡¹ The attack of the battle axe was caught by the handle of the Death Scythe, parrying it . With one strike, the blade slashed out, cutting off the leader¡¯s head and sending it flying . A few seconds later, the headless body of the bandit leader fell to the ground, spewing blood . Confirming that, Rei turned to where the melee had been going . It had already finished, all the bandits had been turned into corpses . ¡¸Now then . It seems it¡¯s time to clean up, somehow . ¡¹ Swinging the Death Scythe once, he flicked the blood off the blade . Though if the enemies were monsters, they would have started dismantling them, as expected, there were no materials to strip from humans and doing so would be be in bad taste . (Well, I wonder if I can dismantle Orc without feeling anything because they are demi-humans . ) ¡¸That¡¯s right . I never thought we¡¯d be able to take out 30 people¡­¡­so, what do we do now?¡¹ Supervia asked while moving closer to Rei . ¡¸That¡¯s right, collect the corpses to the center of the hall . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Why do we have to do something that time consuming?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Arogan interjected, saying it would be really troublesome . From his appearance, the impact he had received after his first kill in combat could not be seen . (No, it¡¯s because he¡¯s still in a state of excitement from the battle . Perhaps tonight was too intense . ) Accepting that he could kill people or not . If he could, he would be able to continue as an adventurer, if not, he would not be able to progress as an adventurer . ¡¸Are you sure? What do you think will happen if you left 30 corpses here . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, well, they would rot . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s why I was saying . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¡So what were you saying?¡¹ In place of Rei, who sighed as if there was no hope, Scola explained to Arogan . ¡¸If you leave corpses in that state, although it¡¯s only a possibility, they could become undeads like Zombies and Skeletons¡­¡­didn¡¯t you know?¡¡In addition, rotting corpses also spread diseases . Though it¡¯s probably okay as this place is 2 days away from Gimuru, it would be bad if a strange disease spreads around . ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, I get it . I¡¯ll gather the corpses . So, what next after they¡¯re gathered?¡¹ Storing the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring, Rei answered while pulling the corpse of the leader . ¡¸A simple story . I¡¯ll burn them . I won¡¯t leave even bones . ¡¹ ¡¸Tsu!? ¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ Overwhelmed by the pressure he saw in Rei¡¯s eyes, Arogan half dragged the body of one of the leader¡¯s aides to the center of the hall . Scola, Supervia and Firuma also saw that and began to gather the bandit corpses to the center of the hall in silence . Meanwhile, Rei called out to Scola, who¡¯s face was flushed as he pulled a corpse, due to his lack of strength . ¡¸Scola, please inform Gran and Culotte that the bandit subjugation has been completed . At the same time, check the supply area with Culotte . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, okay . I understand . ¡¹ Scola was a pure mage, he wasn¡¯t good at physical labour . And more importantly, Scola was moving the corpses of the people he had killed . Arogan was the same, Rei didn¡¯t know what would happen once the excitement from battle died down . ¡¸Aren¡¯t you nice . ¡¹ Firuma whispered into Rei¡¯s ear . Rei shook his head with a wry smile at the situation . ¡¸Not really . In the first place, he¡¯s a pure mage and is not suited to do physical labour . Even if he isn¡¯t here, the work efficiency doesn¡¯t change . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Just saying, I¡¯m also a back line person . ¡¹ ¡¸Since you use a bow as a ranger, don¡¯t you have more physical strength than Scola?¡¹ In compensation for hurting a girl¡¯s feelings with his words, Firuma got Rei to promise to give her some freshly baked cookies when they returned to the city of Gimuru . ¡¸It¡¯s become quiet inside the cave . ¡¹ Outside the cave, Culotte muttered from the shadows of the lookout building . ¡¸Culotte-san, is the wound on your arm okay?¡¹ An man in his twenties, who was hiding at the back, whispered anxiously . Culottes right arm had been scratched by a dagger, first aid had been applied by wrapping a cloth around it . Though she originally wanted to heal it with a potion, Culotte had only prepared one potion this time and a merchant that had been caught by the bandits had suffered a serious injury . Therefore, the potion had been used there . She was only able to stop the bleeding from the wounds she had received from fighting the bandits while guarding the merchants . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, there are potions in our belongings that were stolen from us, but . ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously . We owe you, young miss . Getting your help, saving us from the bandits, and giving us your potion . We will return the favour by all means . ¡¹ The behind the first man who had whispered earlier, another person called out to Culotte . The man had an atmosphere of a stubborn father and was in his mid forties . Though there was a large amount of blood on his clothes, he didn¡¯t seem to have a pained appearance . This was the merchant Culottes had used her potion on, the reason for the blood was his injury . There were two people next to her . Because she was appointed by Rei, who was the party leader, to guard to the merchants, Culotte was able to shelve her feeling of guilt and fear from killing the enemies that had been guarding the merchants . And, as a thief, when Culotte heard footsteps coming close, she reflexively held up her dagger . The two merchants saw that and hid back into the shadows of the lookout building so as to not interfere with her . But¡­¡­ ¡¸What . ¡¹ Then, noticing that the footsteps were from someone she knew, she lowered her guard while exhaling in relief . ¡¸Culotte-san?¡¹ ¡¸Young miss?¡¹ As the two people she was guarding called out to her, she nodded with a smile . ¡¸ It¡¯s all right . It¡¯s my companion . ¡¹ Culotte¡¯s words were proven at once . Scola poked his head out from the inside of the cave to check the safety of the surroundings . ¡¸Scola, over here . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Culotte . It¡¯s good you¡¯re safe¡­¡­no, you¡¯ve been injured . Give me a moment . ¡¹ Scola noticed that she had a cloth tied to her right arm to stop the bleeding and hurriedly moved to Culotte with his cane . ¡¸Please . As expected, I was a little nervous . ¡¹ ¡¸It seems to be so, Culotte . Here it goes . ¡¹ They looked at each other with a bitter smile . After the two had experienced killing someone for the first time, because they had known each other for a long time, they both smiled to tell the other not to worry . Scola erased his bitter smile immediately as he focused on Culotte¡¯s arm and began an incantation to a spell . ¡ºWater, be merciful and bestow healing to the person . ¡» According to Scola¡¯s spell, a blue light gathered on the tip of his cane, eventually moving to Culotte¡¯s right arm . ¡ºAqua Healing¡» At the same time the magic was cast, the blue light entered the wound¡­¡­the pain that Culotte had felt naturally subsided . Exhaling in relief, she undid the cloth that had been tied to stop the bleeding . There wasn¡¯t a single scar, just the original, beautiful, skin . ¡¸Heh~, a mage that can use healing magic . Not bad¡­¡­¡¹ To the middle aged man¡¯s compliment, Scola¡¯s cheeks grew red from embarrassment . Different from her previous wry smile, Culotte spoke up with a real smile . ¡¸So, what are you here for?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, oh yeah . Instructions from Rei . We have to go check the storage area . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm . The the bandits have been dealt with?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Really, everyone was awesome . In particular, Rei used some sort of magic item and ran through the air . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­As usual, he¡¯s not normal . Well, I understand what happened . You¡¯re coming with me just in case . You two come as well . You want to get back your belongings?¡¹ At Culotte¡¯s words, the merchants involuntarily opened their eyes wide . Generally speaking, if their belongings were stolen by bandits, it was normal to have to pay a corresponding amount of money to have it returned . However, Culotte asked them to freely enter the cave . ¡¸The party leader, Rei, isn¡¯t stingy enough to complain about this . ¡­¡­Ah, Arogan might complain though . ¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, that may certainly be so . But, Arogan won¡¯t go against Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s probably true . There shouldn¡¯t be any problems . Come with me . ¡¹ In this way, the two merchants followed Culotte back into the cave nervously . For the sake of precaution, while being cautious of possible remaining bandits, Scola followed at the back . (¡­¡­I understand her feelings but that¡¯s a small demerit . Even if she returned their belongings, at least it should be after confirming it with Rei, who is the party leader . ) Gran, who had erased his signs and heard the previous conversation, chased after them while dropping Culotte¡¯s mark in his mind by a little bit . (Well, if you look at exchanging it with the merchants, the demerit isn¡¯t too big . ) Leaving aside the evaluation of the fight between the thief and the prison guards, Gran had a good impression from when she rescued the merchants that had been captured . Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Legend Chapter 55 The hall of the cave . The corpses of the bandits were stack in a pile there . Arogan, Supervia, Firuma and Rei had collected them together with a bit of difficulty . Frowning subtly at the pile of corpses, Rei gave instructions to the other 3 . ¡¸Scola and Culotte should have headed towards the warehouse . We¡¯ll join them there . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Firuma asked curiously . ¡¸That¡¯s fine but what about the corpses?¡¡Didn¡¯t you say we had to burn them?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true but we¡¯ll do that before we leave the cave . If I burnt them now, it would fill the cave with smoke and that would be bad . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I see . That would be inconvenient for humans . ¡¹ Understanding, Firuma nodded as Supervia spoke up . ¡¸Is it different for elves?¡¹ ¡¸Mm, that¡¯s right . We would still collapse though if we stayed in an area filled with smoke for too long though . However, it won¡¯t happen too fast . ¡¹ ¡¸Hou~, that¡¯s convenient for elves . ¡¹ ¡¸On the other hand, we¡¯re weaker than humans in physical strength . In comparison, aren¡¯t the number of elven warriors fewer than rangers and mages like me? ¡¹ ¡¸No, in the first place, Firuma is the first elf I¡¯ve ever seen . ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand . To begin with, only a small number of elves actually come out of the forests . ¡¹ Seeing the two people talking like that, Arogan became annoyed and called out . ¡¸Hey, we can talk about the story later . We have to go to the storage area first . It¡¯s too unpleasant to stay here . Damn, my nose has become clogged with the smell of blood . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, what Arogan said is reasonable . It would also be bad if we left Culotte, Scola and the captives for too long . Let go quickly¡­¡­¡¹ Speaking up to there, Rei¡¯s movements stopped . Though the three others turned around, puzzled at why Rei had stopped, Rei only had a faint smile on his face . The reason was because a voice had abruptly resounded in his head . Moreover, it was a familiar voice . In other words . ¡¾Set has acquired the skill¡ºPoison Claw Lv . 1¡»¡¿ It was an announcement message . (I see, even if Set and I are separated¡­¡­if Set eats a magic stone, it¡¯s still possible to acquire a skill . Just finding this out is worth separating from Set for a while . ) ¡¸Rei?¡¹ To Supervia¡¯s question, Rei shook his head while hiding his thoughts . ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing . Although I felt that there were some bandits remaining, it was probably my imagination . Let¡¯s go to the storage area . ¡¹ Saying so, they advanced back down the path to the fork in the passage before taking the left path . ¡¸Ah, Firuma . Rei as well . ¡¹ Culotte and Scola greeted Rei in front of the storage area . There were also two unfamiliar people . While expecting that they were probably the captured merchants, Rei asked Culotte . ¡¸So, what¡¯s in there?¡¹ ¡¸Mm, well . Well, I wonder . Firstly, there are are a moderate amount of gold, silver and copper coins, there are some jewels as well . In addition, there are also some cheap magic items . However, strangely, there¡¯s a large amount of weapons . ¡¹ Look here . They looked inside the storage area at Culotte¡¯s prompt . Inside, a large quantity of things such as swords, spears, axes, bows and arrows were stored . ¡¸¡­¡­What could this mean?¡¡All the bandits we defeated were holding weapons . Yet why is there still a room filled with weapons?¡¹ Rei looked puzzled, similarly, Supervia had a puzzled look after looking inside and made a guess . ¡¸Maybe, they were taken from the merchants they had attacked up until now?¡¡Because they would be able to use those as spare weapons and sell them off when they no longer needed them . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that may be true normally . ¡­¡­¡¹ While Rei felt that there was something suspicious, Culotte called out to him . ¡¸Hey, I¡¯ve returned the belongings that were taken from the two people, that¡¯s fine right?¡¹ Saying that and looking at the two merchants, they certainly were carrying something like a huge bag on their backs . Normally, items that were stolen from bandits would have to be bought back at a suitable price, however¡­¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s fine isn¡¯t it?¡¹ Rei had no attachment to money than what was necessary and easily nodded . However, naturally, there was someone who couldn¡¯t let this pass quietly . ¡¸Hey, normally, wouldn¡¯t they have to pay use to return their belongings?¡¡Yet, letting it go so ea¡­¡­si¡­¡­ly¡­¡­¡¹ In the middle of Arogan¡¯s words, he probably noticed that Rei had turned to look at him . He gradually lost the will to continue speaking . Still, being unable to accept their reward being reduced, Arogan turned to Supervia and Firuma . But it was no use . The reward of the bandit subjugation and rank up test was previously declared as one silver coin . In other words, if you wanted any more rewards, it would have to be from the bandits treasure . But . ¡¸It¡¯s not really a problem is it?¡¡It was originally their belongings . ¡¹ ¡¸I have no objections in particular either . ¡¹ As both Supervia and Firuma didn¡¯t have any particular objections to Rei¡¯s opinion, Arogan was left by himself . However, if you were to say which adventurer was actually right, Arogan was more correct . Because adventurers did a lot of dangerous work, they may cause trouble to other adventurers if they made promises to rashly . Fortunately, the two merchants who had been captured were able to properly understand the situation . ¡¸Well now, about that . As you saved our lives, as expected, we would feel guilty if we didn¡¯t compensate you . So, how about passing you a reward in commodities once we return to the city of Gimuru?¡¡Because we even deal with magic items, I think there will be some goods that you will surely like¡­¡­¡¹ When the younger merchant had heard everything, he proposed this to Rei . Hearing magic item, Arogan¡¯s face changed to a joyful look . It was no wonder as magic items were usually very expensive . After talking about it, it was decided that when they returned to Gimuru, the two merchants would give goods from their store as a reward for saving their lives . ¡¸So, though I heard what you were talking about¡­¡­what will we do?¡¹ ¡¸What will we do?¡¡You mean what will we do with the goods?¡¹ ¡¸No, though that¡¯s true¡­¡­will we take all this back with us?¡¡It will be troublesome to take all this to the carriage, it might even be impossible to load everything into the carriage . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see . ¡¹ To Supervia¡¯s words, Scola nodded . Even Culotte, Firuma and Arogan knew that it would be dangerous just to leave the weapons here . A new group of bandits might take up residence here and use those weapons, or maybe Goblins in the forest might arm themselves with them . Meanwhile, Rei spoke up while spitting out a sigh . ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped . I¡¯ll store everything into my item box and take it back to the city . Is everyone okay if we distribute everything after we get back to the city?¡¹ At those words, Arogan nodded with a complex expression while all the others had joyful looks . Particularly for Supervia, he was looking to replace his long sword with one of the good swords in the storage area as his previous one had been chipped in the fight against the bandits . After that, Rei walked around the storage area, continuously storing things into his item box . It should be noted that the two merchants, who didn¡¯t know Rei had an item box, were looking him with stunned faces . Going back to when Rei started moving into the bandit cave . Scorching Wind and Set, who they were entrusted with, were spending the night in the forest . Though the request Scorching Wind had received was to subjugate 5 Treants, Treants weren¡¯t easily found . Treants themselves were D rank monsters, they weren¡¯t a match for the C rank party, Scorching Wind . Besides, as they had Set, an A rank monster, there were no issues with their combat power . However, that was in a frontal confrontation . To put it simply, Treants were trees with a face on the trunk . Though they could walk around using their roots, they would be found at once if they did so . However, if they kept quiet without moving, it was very difficult to find them among the ordinary trees growing in the forest . In fact, even Set, who had much sharper senses than humans, was unable to find where the Treants were hiding . ¡¸Ahhhh . I didn¡¯t think we wouldn¡¯t even find a single Treant in 3 days . ¡¹ Milein muttered as she picked up some dead wood and threw it into the fire . ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped . In the first place, we knew that Treants would be hard to find . ¡¹ Sulunin said that to pacify Milein and held out a cup of tea, that had been made from the boiling water over the fire, to her . ¡¸Thanks . But I didn¡¯t think we wouldn¡¯t find any up to now . Hey, we found them quite easily when we took a similar request previously . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­that . I¡¯m sure I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that we were going to die that time . ¡¹ At Milein¡¯s words, the third member of the party, Excel, had a bitter smile as she recalled the event . It was from when Scorching Wind was still a D rank party . At that time, they had taken a similar Treant subjugation quest, entered the forest, and subjugated them¡­¡­after defeating them, they had gone to a nearby lake to take a rest . However, a horse made of water had appeared from the lake . They had encountered a C rank monster, Kelpie . A Kelpie was a rank C monster . If all three members of Scorching Wind had exerted all their strength, they might have been able to defeat the single Kelpie . However, not much time had passed since they defeated the Treants, therefore, they judged that they couldn¡¯t win and ran away . ¡¸Though we managed to escaped from that horse monster, the Kelpie, I can¡¯t even remember how we got away . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha . I truly thought we were going to die then . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ At Milein and Excel¡¯s dry laughter, Set, who had been lying down by the campfire, looked up with a puzzled face . Milein¡¯s previous countenance, disappeared as she lovingly stroked Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Ah, again . Set-chan is so cute!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Happy to have his back stroked, Set gave a joyful cry . However, he still felt lonely that Rei wasn¡¯t around . Milein felt that his cry was in lower spirits than usual . ¡¸Seriously, why is Milein so crazy about Set . ¡¹ Sulunin smiled wryly as he looked at Milein playing with Set . To Sulunin¡¯s words, Milein¡¯s eyes protested¡­¡­ ¡¸Gurururururururu~!¡¹ Abruptly, Set gave a vigilant growl . Though Milein didn¡¯t understand why he had made that sound for a moment, the next second, she quickly raised up her long sword . ¡¸Both of you, get ready for combat . Apparently we have a welcoming party . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, well . If possible, I wished the welcoming party would have come during the day . ¡¹ ¡¸This one is a surprise party, I¡¯m sure . ¡¹ While saying so with a light tone, Suluning and Excel directed their eyes towards the dark forest, cane and bow ready . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set, who felt something come flying out of the darkness, gave a short cry as he spat out his fire breath from his mouth . The moment the fire breath came from Set¡¯s mouth, the object that had been cutting through the darkness was turned to charcoal . ¡¸¡­¡­What, is it just me or has the power of the Fire Breath gone up since I last saw it at the Orc village?¡¹ He had used Fire Breath against the Orc Archer in the battle against the Orcs led by the Orc King . However, Set¡¯s Fire Breath now was clearly more powerful and had a longer range than what Sulunin had seen at that time . ¡¸Suluin, now¡¯s not the time to be fascinated by Set . ¡­¡­Here they come!¡¹ Instead of a nice smile, Set directed a ferocious smile at the enemy, like a carnivore before it¡¯s prey . Milein directed her gaze to the monsters coming out from the darkness as she smiled . What came out were Treants, which were the target of Scorching Wind¡¯s subjugation request . ¡­¡­However . ¡¸There are 6 Treants!¡¡However, one of the Treants I¡¯ve never seen before . It¡¯s probably a rare species!¡¹ 5 ordinary Treants could be seen . That was fine, but at the back, there was a Treant with strange appearance that seemed to be directing the other Treants . The surface of that Treant was a dark colour, unlike ordinary Treants . Not only Milein, but the other 2 people in Scorching Wind as well, intuitively understood that it possessed poison . ¡¸Seriously, I didn¡¯t think it was possible for a rare species to appear . ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right . These days, there have been rumors of an increasing number of rare species¡­¡­apparently it seems to be true . ¡¹ ¡¸But poison, give me a break¡­¡­¡¹ A rare species would normally be a tricky existence of a C rank party to deal with . ¡­¡­Yes . Normally that is . ¡¸Gurururururururu~!¡¹ Set stood at the front of Scorching Wind, at the same time, he raised a cry that resounded through the forest, he used King¡¯s Awe . At this point, the Treants¡¯ movements visibly dulled . With the Treants¡¯ dulled movements, they weren¡¯t able to hit Scorching Wind or to evade their attacks . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ With a sharp cry, Set restrained several Treants with Wind Arrow . The Treants who had their movements dulled by King¡¯s Awe were unable to evade the attack and had their surfaces cut by the wind arrows . ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Next, Set swiped with his eagle like forefoot . With that alone, a Treant was broken and blown away . Though a Treant shot a vine out, like it did in from the darkness before, it was instantly turned to charcoal as Set used Fire Breath again . His way of fighting the Treants, rather than protecting Scorching Wind, it was more to vent his anger at being separated from Rei . His cries sounded like he close to going wild from displeasure . Finally, he broke a third Treant in half while Scorching Wind took out two Treants . As for the poison carrying Treant rare species, Set pierced the center of it¡¯s body with his sharp beak, gouged out it¡¯s magic stone and swallowed it, killing it at the same time . ¡¾Set has acquired the skill¡ºPoison Claw Lv . 1¡»¡¿ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ The announcement message was only audible by Rei and Set . Seeing him give a happy cry, the rest of Scorching Wind could only give a wry smile . Moreover, Milein nodded happily at Set¡¯s brave figure . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­first of all, let¡¯s gather the proofs of subjugation before it¡¯s too late . ¡¹ Milein called out to Excel, who was looking at Set with amazed eyes . As for Excel, there was no helping it . They cut off the single bud that would only appear once on each Treant as proof of subjugation . In addition, it should be noted that aside from being the proof of subjugation, they were also an expensive material for potions and could be sold for a large amount of money, the branches of the Treant could also be used for canes and bows . For Scorching Wind, which had a tendency to run out of money, the Treants were a splendid monster . ¡¸¡­¡­If possible, I wanted the magic stone of the rare species . ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped . In the first place, we weren¡¯t the ones that defeated the rare species . ¡¹ Milein retorted back to Sulunin¡¯s words as they collected the materials, magic stones and proofs of subjugation for the request . ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball¡¡Lv . 1¡»¡ºFire Breath¡¡Lv . 2¡»¡ºWind Arrow¡¡Lv . 1¡»¡ºKing¡¯s Awe¡¡Lv . 1¡»¡ºPoison Claw¡¡Lv . 1¡»new ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv . 1¡»¡ºFlying Slash¡¡Lv . 1¡»new¡ºMagic Shield¡¡Lv . 1¡» Poison Claw: Claws can secrete poison . Enemies struck by the claw will be poisoned . The strength of the poison depends on the level . Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Legend Chapter 56 Gimuru, the only city in the territory of the Rowlocks Margrave . Two carriages were travelling along the highway to the city of Gimuru . With clouds high above in the blue sky, the two carriages traveled along the road slowly . ¡¸Ah, we should see the city shortly . ¡¹ On the larger of the two carriages, Gran gave a mutter . The outer walls of the city of Gimuru became visible from the window . ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m tired . Even though its was for the rank up test, as expected, we had to go out for a few days . ¡¹ Given a sense of relief upon seeing the outer wall, Culotte murmured involuntarily . ¡¸Though it certainly was tiring¡­¡­but it was still good . The merchants who were captured are all safe . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . But to think that the bandits didn¡¯t use the carriage . ¡¹ Yes . The carriage was something Rei found after subjugating the bandits, after the two merchants had been caught, their carriage had been hidden in the forest intact . The bandits may have thought the carriage could be used to carry the stuff the stole from other people . Because of that, they let the two merchants ride in that carriage, avoiding the situation of cramming everyone into the guild carriage . As the city of Gimuru, which they were returning to, came into view, Gran knocked on the carriage walls to alert Supervia and Rei, who were sitting in the drivers area . ¡¸Can you hear me Rei and Supervia?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸No Problem¡¹ Nodding at the answer from the driver¡¯s seat, Gran spoke up . ¡¸Now then, since we can see the city of Gimuru, I¡¯ll keep explaining as we go back . It¡¯s not a complicated discussion though . We will disband when we return to the guild today . Afterwards, please get your reward from the reception desk . After that, we will gather back in the guild meeting room tomorrow afternoon . Before I forget about it, the results of the rank up test will be announced then . Well, it¡¯s nice and simple . Any questions?¡¹ Culotte spoke up at Gran¡¯s words . ¡¸What about the valuables we took from the bandit hideout?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care, that¡¯s up to you guys to deal with . However, don¡¯t do anything that will cause trouble or a dispute . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Then, if we¡¯re disbanded at the guild, can we divide everything earlier?¡¹ The people in the carriage nodded at Culotte¡¯s words . Rei and Supervia, who were in the driver¡¯s seats, had no objections and didn¡¯t say anything . ¡¸Then, it¡¯s decided . Rei, did you hear it?¡¡After we disband at the guild¡­¡­ah, where should we divide the items?¡¡We can¡¯t possibly do it in the guild¡­¡­¡¹ There were some nasty adventurers who would put on airs due to their rank and were lawless . If they clearly showed this big bait in front of them¡­¡­Culotte could imagine they would get into trouble in future . ¡¸That¡¯s right, we¡¯ll let you use the meeting room on the 2nd floor of the guild . Though taking and moving that amount of stuff will be hard, that amount is that amount, you¡¯ll have to do something about it one way or another . ¡¹ Gran gave out a helping hand to Culotte . ¡¸Eh? Really? Then it¡¯s not necessary to worry about the valuables . Thank you Gran . ¡¹ ¡¸What, this is just much better compared to purposely stirring up trouble in the guild . ¡¹ ¡¸What, we¡­¡­ah, well that¡¯s true . It might get a little dangerous with Arogan . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, why only me . ¡¹ Arogan and Culotte were arguing jokingly . The situation was clearly less insidious than at the beginning of the rank up test . That was a matter of course . Every night for the past few days, since annihilating the bandits, Arogan, Culotte and Scola had been unable to sleep well and had talked to each other about their true feelings when they had killed the bandits . As a result, the three¡­¡­or rather Arogan and Culotte, found mutual understanding instead of their previously insidious relationship . (¡­¡­Honestly speaking, I would have wanted to start the rank up test immediately if it had been possible . Well, those two are similar in the sense that they are stubborn . ) Rei listend to the exchange in the carriage behind him with a wry smile . Because the possibility of monsters attacking this close to the city of Gimuru was low, Rei was currently admiring the surroundings rather than paying attention to the area around him . ¡¸¡­¡­Rei . ¡¹ Supervia spoke to Rei in low tones so as to not let the people behind them hear . ¡¸Is there something wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s just¡­¡­how to say it . I¡¯ve been thinking about various things . I thought I was strong, and in fact, at Rank E I may be strong without a doubt . But this time, I was reminded how small the world that is Rank E actually is . ¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ From Rei¡¯s perspective, Supervia¡¯s ability was quite high . At the very least, it was better than the abilities of all the arrogant people in the Rank D party Claws of the Hawk . ¡¸Therefore, well, I just wanted to say that this has been a very good learning experience . ¡¹ ¡¸If you think so then isn¡¯t that fine? I didn¡¯t do anything special in particular . ¡¹ Thus, in the short time before arriving at the city of Gimuru, they spent the time talking to each other about the fights they experienced and past times where they had fought in close combat . ¡¸Ah, Rei-kun . Welcome back . Was the rank up test successfully completed?¡¹ When the carriage arrived at the main gate, Ranga¡¯s familiar voice called out . ¡¸Ahh, it was successful . There weren¡¯t any injuries either, there should be no complaints about passing the test¡­¡­¡¹ While talking, he held out his guild card . Nearby, the others in the carriage also handed their guild cards to the guards . ¡¸By the way, have you seen Set?¡¹ ¡¸Set hasn¡¯t left town today . Since returning with Scorching Wind from a subjugation quest yesterday, he¡¯s been resting in the stables . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, I understand . Has he acted violently or anything of the sort?¡¹ ¡¸No, there hasn¡¯t been any commotions . ¡¹ Rei let out a sigh of relief at Ranga¡¯s words . Even if he said that Set was as smart as a human, he was still slightly worried about leaving him for so long . ¡¸Yes, here . You may pass . ¡¹ Receiving permission to pass, the carriage entered into the city . It should be noted that the merchants¡¯ carriage had to go through a more complex procedure than adventurers and so they split up there . Going straight down the street to the guild after entering the city, everyone took their belongings down from the carriage . Of course, all of Rei¡¯s belongings were stored in the Misty Ring, because the Death Scythe was too unwieldy in the city, it was also stored into the Misty Ring . He was completely empty handed . With regards to weapons, he only had the Mithril Knife at his waist . Gran called out to everyone after they had unloaded their belongings from the carriage . ¡¸Okay, the rank up test has been hard . Well, we¡¯ll disband here . ¡­¡­As I said in the carriage previously, you can collect your reward at the reception . At the same time, in regards to the procedure to use the meeting room, I don¡¯t mind . Now then, dismissed . ¡¹ After Gran said so, he quickly entered the guild . As the test examiner, it seemed that he had a lot of work to do . ¡¸Now then, first let¡¯s receive our rewards . ¡¹ ¡¸Right . 1 silver coin to laugh about is 1 silver coin to cry about . ¡¹ TLN: In other words, it¡¯s not much but it¡¯s your loss if you don¡¯t get it . At Culotte¡¯s proposal, Arogan agreed while saying that . When they all entered the guild, as it was during the day, the figures of other adventurers could hardly be seen . Several adventurers were slowly eating lunch or looking at the posted requests on the request board . In such an environment, Rei¡¯s group of 6 headed to the counter . Seeing the appearance of Rei, Lenora and Kenny¡¯s faces brightened up . ¡¸Rei-san, welcome back . Was the rank up test completed successfully?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, somehow . So we¡¯ve come to receive the reward for the rank up test . I heard from the examiner, Gran, that we would be able to get it here . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s correct . For the time being, please hand over your guild card . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, Lenora . Rei-kun is mine¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Rei-san was entrusted to me, you should go handle the other people . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ Following Lenora¡¯s words, each of the 6 submitted their guild cards to several receptionists . After receiving the guild card and confirming the documents, they each received one silver coin . ¡¸Congratulations for completing the test . While waiting from the results of the test, please rest your bodies slowly so you¡¯re not too tired . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, we¡¯ve been allowed to use the meeting room above for a little while . Gran has talked to us about it . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . there shouldn¡¯t be any problem as there aren¡¯t any meetings being held today . ¡¹ Nodding at Lenora¡¯s words, they went up to the second floor up the stairs after receiving their rewards . ¡¸Rei-kun, let¡¯s celebrate after you pass the test . ¡¹ Kenny¡¯s voice could be heard behind him . ¡¸Rei seems to be quite popular . That was a little surprising . ¡¹ Firuma looked at Rei interestingly . After that, Culotte gave a rare smile as she spoke up . ¡¸I didn¡¯t think Rei had a preference for older girls . I¡¯d better take care and be careful as well . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not like they love me or anything, they were just joking around . ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder?¡¡Their eyes seemed to be quite serious though . ¡¹ Next to speak was Supervia, muttering caustically . ¡¸¡­¡­Jealous . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, Supervia!?¡¡You had such a character!?¡¹ ¡¸Even if Rei¡¯s popularity is surprising, Supervia¡¯s character is as well . ¡¹ While fooling around like that, They entered the meeting room and tightly closed the door, just in case . ¡¸So, Rei . Please . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Prompted by Culotte, weapons, armour, jewelry, money, potions and cheap magic items appeared from the Misty Ring and were placed side by side on top of the meeting room table . The amount was enough to break a cheap table as it would be unable to withstand the weight . Still, the table bore the weight with no problems, or should it be said, as expected of the table in the adventurers guild meeting room . Seeing things appear out of nowhere, one after the other, they watched on, partially shocked . However, after about 5 minutes, they began looking over their loot . ¡¸Well then, the question is how to divide this¡­¡­divide it into 6 equal parts, is what I¡¯d like to say . First of all¡­¡­what does everyone want . I don¡¯t need weapons . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, they each said what they wanted . Arogan and Culotte took the money . Scola took the potions and cheap magic items . Firuma took the jewels and Supervia took the armour . ¡¸Wait a moment, why do you want money . Shouldn¡¯t you take spare weapons or amour?¡¹ ¡¸Do I have to say it?¡¡It¡¯s because there¡¯s no good weapons or armour for thieves . ¡¹ Arogan and Culotte started arguing again, the other four, including Rei, looked at them amazed . However, they continued arguing for 5 minutes . After 10 minutes, they began to get tired of it . ¡¸I¡¯ll take 10 daggers and 5 spears . Does anyone have any complaints?¡¹ Rei said that and looked at the other 5 . ¡¸No, there¡¯s no problems with taking the spears and daggers¡­¡­¡¹ All the members nodded at Culotte¡¯s words . ¡¸Though I don¡¯t care about he spears and daggers¡­¡­will you use a spear?¡¡Because you use that large scythe, it will probably end up as an extra . ¡¹ ¡¸What, there¡¯s plenty of use for it like as a javalin . ¡¹ While answering Supervia¡¯s question, he stored the 5 spears and 10 daggers on the table into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Now then . As that¡¯s my share, you 5 can decided the rest . I have to get back to the inn soon . I¡¯m worried about Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Ahh . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, it should be fine Rei . ¡¹ As Arogan nodded, partly due to the pressure, Firuma answered saying that there shouldn¡¯t be any issues . As for the other people, they nodded as Rei didn¡¯t insist on taking anything that they were aiming for . In particular was Arogan . As he couldn¡¯t use spears, didn¡¯t need the cheap daggers and had had his weakness pointed out by Rei, he was quite satisfied . ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll be going back then . See you in the guild tomorrow . ¡¹ The 5 people didn¡¯t keep him and Rei quickly left . And after Rei left, the voices of Arogan and Culotte could be heard arguing in the meeting room again . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san . Have you already finished using the meeting room?¡¹ Getting back down to the first floor of the guild, Lenora called out from the counter . As usual, Kenny also wanted to call out to Rei, however, she sent out a blaming glance at Lenora as she was currently currently working with an adventurer . ¡¸My business is done . However, the other 5 are likely going to be using it for a while . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . Well, That¡¯s fine as there are no plans to use the meeting room . ¡¹ After that short conversation, Rei left the guild . Lenora had a smile as saw him off . She more or less knew why Rei was in such a hurry . After about 10 minutes, Rei appeared in front of the stables at the Dusk Wheat inn . In his hand, he held about 10 skewers, that Set loved, that he had bought from the stalls . ¡¸Gurururururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a loud cry of joy from the stables . Because of the cry, Lana, the proprietress of the inn, would probably warn Rei for frightening all the horses in the stables¡­¡­ But for now, he was just happy at reuniting with Set for the first time in a few days . Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Legend Chapter 57 It was the next day after the end of the rank up test . After going out to subjugate bandits and forming a party with people that he had barely met, Rei, who had been the party leader, slept in until noon to recover from the physical and mental fatigue . After dressing himself, donning the Dragon Robe and putting on the Shoes of Sleipnir, he had a late breakfast, or rather, an early lunch on the first floor of the Dusk Wheat¡­¡­finishing that, he went down to the stables . After Set was warned by Lana, the proprietress, for being too enthusiastic yesterday, as expected, as if settling down after seeing Rei the previous night, Set gave a normal cry . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, good morning . Now then, I won¡¯t be taking a request today but I will be heading to the guild to hear the results of the rank up test, do you want to come along Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Of course . Nodding at Set while smiling, they left the stables together . At that point, Rei felt that it wasn¡¯t just his imagination that all the horses in the stable seemed to feel relieved . Maybe because the end of summer was nearing, unlike yesterday¡¯s weather, there were thin clouds in the sky today . In such weather, one man and one animal, Rei and Set, went into town . And with that, while walking to the guild, Rei bought sandwiches and skewers from now familiar food stalls and ate them while the residents of the city of Gimuru gave Set dried meat and bread as the little children played with him . As for people who had come to Gimuru for the first time and did not know Set, people would stop and explain to them if they tried to run away after seeing Set . As one man and one animal walked to the guild like this, it was almost past noon when they arrived at the guild . ¡¸Set, wait for me at the carriage area as usual . However, I might be a bit longer today¡­¡­well, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At any rate, as of now, Set was a relatively famous monster in the city of Gimuru . Though he is an A rank monster, he was friendly to both children and adults . From women and children to the elderly, they were all fans of Set . ¡­¡­Well, though there were still some people who believed that monsters were monsters and detested Set, they were only a minority . There were quite a few people who wanted to play with Set, because of that, the place near the guild where carriages and tamed monsters would stay had secretly become a popular location to pet him . Knowing that, Rei lightly stroked Set¡¯s head before entering the guild . ¡¸Ah, good morning Rei-kun!¡¡¡­¡­No, I should say hello instead . Anyway, come here, come here . ¡¹ Kenny gave a big wave of her hand from the counter . As her voice went through the guild, Rei attracted the glances of quite a few adventurers . Opposite to the usual scene that Rei would see, Lenora was the one currently explaining the description of a request to an adventurer . While thinking of this rare situation, Rei went to Kenny¡¯s counter . ¡¸I came to hear the results for the rank up test . ¡¹ ¡¸Un~, I¡¯ve heard . Some of the other participants have already come . They¡¯re in the meeting room Rei-kun borrowed yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ Nodding, he was going to head up the stairs when he suddenly stopped . ¡¸That reminds me, do you know how long those guys spent in the meeting room yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸Mmm, the elf and a warrior left a little bit after Rei-kun¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸How about those three, Arogan, Culotte and Scola?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know much about their names but the other warrior and the thief and mage duo remained for a while . Well, it seems in the end they were scolded by Gran-san . ¡¹ ¡¸So it happened after all . ¡¹ That happened because of their greed . He thanked Kenny with a wry smile before heading to the meeting room on the second floor . ¡¸Ara~, you¡¯re late . ¡¹ Rei was greeted like so by Firuma . Firuma had been talking with Culotte in the meeting room while Scola was reading a book on something . ¡¸Is that so?¡¡I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too late as there are still two people who haven¡¯t come . ¡¹ While replying to Firuma, he sat down on a nearby chair and called out to Culotte . ¡¸You seem to have argued for quite a while yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸I know right . We were just talking about that before . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you tell me that¡­¡­it¡¯s bad that Arogan was greedy . ¡¹ ¡¸I think both of you are to blame . So, how was it split in the end?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Still ongoing . We will resume the discussion after today¡¯s announcement . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, though I can¡¯t say much as I¡¯ve already got my share¡­¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to be too greedy . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t tell that to me, tell that to Arogan . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s my line . ¡¹ Arogan entered the room disgruntled . ¡¸Although thieves are all greedy, you are exceptional even among them . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment, what is that supposed to mean!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just as I said . ¡¹ While arguing with Culotte, he sat down next to them . Though at first glance the situation seemed dangerous like the time at the start of the rank up test, below that, there was trust between two people who had mutually recognized the other . Rei and Fimura looked at the two, who were arguing of trivialities, in amazement . Scola, who would usually remonstrate with Culotte, was absorbed in reading a book and seemed to ignore the situation . ¡¸He seems to be quite absorbed in that book over there . ¡¹ ¡¸Over there?¡¡Ahh, it¡¯s Scola . A magic book that he had wanted for some time finally got stocked so he bought it first thing this morning . ¡¹ ¡¸He should have quite a bit of money from the silver coin reward, the potions and cheap magic items from the bandits treasure . ¡¹ ¡¸Something like that, apparently he was saving up money because he wanted this book . ¡¹ ¡¸Hee~, it must be about some interesting magic . What kind of magic book is it?¡¹ ¡¸It seems to be about one of the most famous alchemists, who was also one of the Majin, Esta Nord . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hou~ . ¡¹ At those words that came out, Rei froze for a moment . After all, Esta Nord was the alchemist in Zepairu¡¯s organization . In fact, most of the magic items Rei was wearing were Esta Nord¡¯s works . ¡¸Rei?¡¹ ¡¸No, I was just surprised for a moment as a bigger name than I expected came up . Still, I knew that Scola was a mage that specialised in wind and water magic, but is he also involved in alchemy?¡¹ ¡¸What? Instead of asking me, you should ask the person in question . ¡¹ ¡¸If you say so . Well, he seems to be absorbed in the book right now . ¡¹ In that way, Arogan and Culotte kept arguing and Rei and Firuma chatted while Scola kept reading his magic book . Finally, the last person arrived . ¡¸It seems I¡¯m the last person . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . But Gran still hasn¡¯t come yet so you shouldn¡¯t worry too much about it . ¡¹ Supervia said that as he entered the room, wearing different equipment from the day before . It was still the same leather type armour, but it had been changed to a superior one . ¡¸I see, that¡¯s the armour you picked . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . ¡­¡­Yesterday was tiring . Of course, the armour was heavy and I had to carry it . After keeping some spares for myself, I sold of the rest to shops but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I see . ¡¹ Things like potions and gems don¡¯t take up that much space and Rei only took 5 spears and 10 daggers . It wasn¡¯t that hard for him to carry around as Rei had the Misty Ring . In comparison, the protective gear that Supervia took was different . Both shields and armour had a considerable weight as they were made from metal and the skin and bones of monsters . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸I called up some acquaintances to help carry them . But I had to give them some money in return . ¡¹ At that point, as Rei was talking with Supervia, he heard footsteps coming towards the conference room . ¡¸It seems he¡¯s come . ¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸The person who will tell us whether or not we ranked up . ¡¹ Matching Rei¡¯s words, Gran entered the room a few second later . Gran looked around the meeting room and after confirming that all the rank up test participants were here, spoke up . ¡¸Okay, everyone is here . Then, the results of the test will be announced now . ¡¹ At Grans words, the meeting room fell dead silent, filled with tension . Scola, who had been reading his book without minding his surroundings, now turned his eyes tensely to Gran . Attracting everyone¡¯s attention¡­¡­Gran nodded with a smile . ¡¸Congratulations . All of you have been promoted to rank D . ¡¹ ¡¸YEEESSSS!¡¹ ¡¸I did it, I did it . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s good¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s seems I¡¯ve done it somehow . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m relieved . ¡¹ Arogan, Culotte, Scola and Supervia rejoiced at their rank up in their own ways while Firuma gave a sigh of relief . Rei also smiled while sighing in relief . After all, it was his social skills that were being tested as party leader . He would have been more confident if it was testing his strong points, but he was nervous as the test had been on his weak point . ¡¸Congratulations Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, you too as well . ¡¹ Rei replied as Firuma congratulated him from nearby while smiling . ¡¸That¡¯s enough rejoicing for now . Hey, come here . ¡¹ At Gran¡¯s voice, a person, who was probably a guild staff member, entered the conference room and approached Rei . ¡¸Everyone, because your rank needs to be updated, please pass your guild cards to this person . ¡¹ Following his instructions, they all handed over their guild cards . The guild staff member checked each one as they were handed in to make sure . ¡¸Gran-san, I¡¯ll get this done immediately . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, thanks . In the meantime, I¡¯ll talk about the test until it¡¯s done . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, it shouldn¡¯t take that long . ¡¹ After saying that to the the guild staff member and seeing him off, Gran turned to Rei . ¡¸From today on, you are all rank D adventurers . However, you should remember that there were some dangerous situations in the test . First of all, Rei . As I said before the test, you have no problems regarding combat power . However, at rank D and higher, you will have to participate in groups more often . Though your social interaction was a problem¡­¡­and your instructions in combat weren¡¯t perfect, it is still a passing grade . Your cooperation with allies was the same . However, in regards to the exchange with the merchants, particularly regarding the goods, there is a demerit . If you return a merchant¡¯s goods for free, it will become a problem if they start demanding the same from other adventurers . ¡­¡­Fortunately, it worked out well this time as those merchants understood the problem . So as I said, watch out for that in rank D . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Gran¡¯s words . Seeing that, Gran turned his eyes to Culotte . ¡¸Next is Culotte . At the beginning of the rank up test, you were aggressive to Rei and Arogan, probably due to your nervousness . As I said to Rei, there was also the issue of returning the merchants¡¯ goods free of charge . However, other than that, your abilities as a thief are worthy of rank D . Continue to work hard in future . ¡¹ Culotte also nodded . Gran turned to look at Scola . ¡¸In your case Scola, your mental weakness is an issue . At any rate, vanguard aside, as a mage in the back, you were troubled after you killed the bandit . Your future task is to improve your mental strength . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll do my best . ¡¹ Scola answered . Nodding in satisfaction at the response, Gran looked towards Supervia . ¡¸Next are Supervia and Firuma . Both of you did well to hide your unease even though you had killed a person . If you were to add that to your rank up test mark, you two would come out on top . However, you are still only rank D . From the viewpoint of adventurer, there¡¯s still more to the top . Keep working hard in future and don¡¯t be satisfied with just this . ¡¹ ¡¸I will do that . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll keep that in mind . ¡¹ Seeing the two people nod, he finally turned to Arogan . ¡¸In this test, your evaluation was the lowest . You overestimate your own power and look down on others . You were late to the meeting time . You couldn¡¯t communicate well with your party members either . A after killing a person, you showed mental weakness . Honestly, the way it was, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to fail you on the rank up test . However, after you talked with Culotte and Scola, you got over your mental weakness of killing people, thanks to that, your interaction within the party also reached the passing grade . ¡­¡­However, listen up . You should not forget that you only barely passed the rank up test . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ At Gran¡¯s harsh criticism, Arogan nodded with a bitter face . Making sure he understood, Gran then directed his gaze to everyone in the place . ¡¸At any rate, from today on, you are all rank D adventurers . You will now be seen as fully fledged adventurers who are past the beginners and rookies of rank E . However, you should not forget to conduct yourselves . ¡­¡­Especially Arogan, you must always be conscious of this . ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry for making you wait . ¡¹ As Gran¡¯s words finished, with good timing, the previous staff member came back . In his hand, he held six guild cards, who he returned to each person . All the ranks on the guild card had been changed from E to D . They all smiled when they realised that they had all ranked up . It was the same even for Rei, who usually didn¡¯t have too much change in his facial expression . ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s the end of the rank up test! I expect you to play an active role in future . Dismissed!¡¹ In accordance with his words, each person stood up and left the meeting room . Arogan and Culotte continued on from yesterday while Scola pulled out his book . As for Rei, as he stood up to follow them¡­¡­Gran called out . ¡¸Rei, you remain here . We have to talk for a bit . ¡¹ Gran said that with rather serious look . Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Legend Chapter 58 The rank up test had been successfully completed and he had passed, his rank increasing to rank D . But after being dismissed¡­¡­a voice spoke up to stop Rei from leaving the meeting room . It was Gran, who had also been the rank up test examiner . ¡¸Are there any issues with the rank up?¡¹ Gran shook his head at Rei¡¯s question . Glancing at the staff member who had brought the guild cards in earlier, the staff member gave a small nod in understanding and left the meeting room . Sending him off, Gran checked to make sure the meeting room door was closed properly before sitting down in the seat that Rei had sat in before . ¡¸Rei, there¡¯s something important to discuss . ¡¹ Rei immediately understood that his face wasn¡¯t a joking one . Because of that, he sat down on a chair in front of Gran without saying anything . ¡¸So, what¡¯s the story?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right . ¡­¡­What should I say first . Well, I think this should come first . Congratulations on passing the rank up test . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a bit embarrassing being told that¡­¡­but I would like to say thanks . So, saying congratulations surely isn¡¯t the only thing you want to say right?¡¹ ¡¸Naturally . I¡¯ll cut to the chase . As you know, adventurers can receive and accept requests from the request board . However, there are also other types of requests . One such type is the nominated request . Did you hear about them when you registered with the guild?¡¹ At Gran¡¯s words, he though back to what Lenora had told him when he was registering with the guild, but as he hadn¡¯t heard about it then, he shook his head . ¡¸No, I have not heard of nominated requests . But well, I can roughly guess what it is from the name . Instead of leaving it on the request board for all adventurers, is it a request where the client nominates an adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s more or less correct . Naturally, because the adventurer is directly nominated, the degree of difficulty is usually higher and they may be subject to confidentiality regarding the situation of the client . ¡¹ While saying that, Gran had a slightly bitter expression . From that look, Rei could feel that he didn¡¯t have a good impression of nominated requests . ¡¸So, the fact that you¡¯ve told that to me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct . Rei, there has been a nominated request for you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I realised from the direction of the conversation, but why me?¡¡I only just got to rank D today . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Certainly, you are a novice who just reached rank D today . From the perspective of most adventurers, you¡¯re only a young kid in rank D with no skills or experience . However, at the same time, you have the strength to defeat a rank B Orc King by yourself and tame a Griffon, a rank A monster . If you look at only combat strength, you¡¯re not in rank D . ¡¹ ¡¸So I¡¯m a special D rank adventurer?¡¹ Gran nodded at Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸In addition, the person who nominated Rei for this request is a big shot in this city . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­From those words, is it a noble?¡¹ Even the city of Gimuru had it¡¯s own nobles . There wasn¡¯t just the Neutral faction that the lord of Gimuru, Margrave Rowlocks, belonged to . The King¡¯s faction and the Noble¡¯s faction weren¡¯t small in the city either . At any rate, Gimuru was the only city in frontier territory that Margrave Rowlocks governed . In other words, as the threat of monsters needed to be dealt with directly, there were many talented adventurers at the frontier . If things went well, the factions planned to scout them . Because of that, Rei asked Gran if it was a request from nobility¡­¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s right, as you said, it is a noble . I mean, it¡¯s from the lord of the city of Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸As I said, the lord of the city of Gimuru, Margrave Rowlocks, has nominated you for this request . ¡¹ ¡¸Why would the Margrave nominate me¡­¡­no, don¡¯t tell me . ¡¹ Asking Gran, he immediately realised with a bitter smile . As Gran had said earlier, he was accompanied by a Griffon, an A rank monster . He also had the ability to defeat an Orc King . It would be strange if someone hadn¡¯t reported this to the Margrave . ¡¸I think I understand the situation . The Margrave Rowlocks seems to have been paying attention to you for a while . At any rate, the rank up exam seems to have been carried out under direct orders from the Margrave . ¡¹ ¡¸Is he trying to tie me to him?¡¹ For Rei, it was the only reason he could think of for the Margrave to provide him such conveniences . At any rate, that wouldn¡¯t be strange as he had exceptional abilities for a rookie who just registered with the guild . ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t know about that . After all, a Margrave is a is a title in the upper nobility . I¡¯m only a guild staff member, I can¡¯t understand what such a person would be thinking . However, I think that he wants you to stay as an important combat force for the city rather than trying to put a leash on you . ¡­¡­The nobility in this country is divided into 3 main powers . Did you know that?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . That was written in a book in the library . The King¡¯s faction, the Nobles faction and the Neutral faction, those 3?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . The smallest out of them is the Neutral faction and Margrave Rowlocks is seen as a big shot in that faction . In other words, leaving the city of Gimuru has a similar meaning to reducing the combat strength of the Neutral faction . Though I would be cautious about this¡­¡­well, this is only my suspicions as a guild staff member . You shouldn¡¯t worry about it too much . ¡¹ Though Gran said that with a wry smile, Rei gave a big nod as that was a helpful opinion and could serve as a reference . ¡¸Well, the talk has gone off topic . So, about the nominated request¡­¡­ one week from now, the only daughter of Duke Kerebel, who is a central figure in the Nobles faction, will be coming to the city of Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­As a central figure in the Nobles faction, why would he send his only daughter to a city of an opposing faction?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . Even though you say that, it doesn¡¯t seem to be for a factional dispute this time . ¡­¡­At the very least, as the other party has stated as such, there¡¯s no need to worry about it . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, why would someone like a noble¡¯s daughter bother to come to the frontier?¡¹ ¡¸That, apparently her objective seems to be a dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸Dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . When you had that dispute with the Claws of the Hawk, do you remember what Runo talked about?¡¹ Runo . Recalling that name, the face of the good looking man, who had treated Rei¡¯s dispute with the Claws of the Hawk with indifference, came to mind . ¡¸If I remember correctly, he said he had magic eyes which could directly see magic power . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that guy . So, you would have heard that your dispute with Claws of the Hawk happened after they had a successful venture into the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, such a thing was mentioned . ¡­¡­In other words, the Duke¡¯s daughter has come here for the dungeon?¡¹ Really? Rei¡¯s eyes seemed to say as he looked at Gran . However, Gran shook his head while looking at Rei with a wry smile . ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you just imagined but Duke Kerebel¡¯s daughter is different from your typical young noblewoman . She¡¯s currently registered as a rank B adventurer¡­¡­she has the same level of ability as the lower rank A adventurers . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I heard it before, but just to check, she¡¯s a duke¡¯s daughter?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸What came to mind when I thought of a young noblewoman was a girl carefully brought up like a flower or butterfly¡­¡­is that wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Well, generally speaking, you¡¯re not wrong . In fact, most daughters of nobles in the Imperial Capital match your description . However, Duke Kerebel¡¯s daughter is different . From what I heard, in a skirmish with the Bestir Empire 2 years ago, she led Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights through the battlefield, eventually killing the enemy general in single combat . ¡¹ Bestir Empire . It was one of the countries adjacent to the Mireana Kingdom and was one of the biggest powers on the continent . It¡¯s strength was comparable to that of the Mireana Kingdom, which was also a leading power . It also had an expansionist policy and even now was bringing small neighbouring countries under it¡¯s rule . Of course, Rei had learned about the country from the library . He also knew that the Bestir Empire had been in conflict with the Mireana Kingdom for many years . However, as expected, it was the first time he had heard of a duke¡¯s daughter running through a battlefield . ¡¸Is she really a duke¡¯s daughter?¡¡It differs from my imagination by too much . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah well . To be honest, it¡¯s quite unusual . The Bestir Empire is even afraid of her, calling her the General Princess . The name has since spread to the Mireana Kingdom . ¡¹ ¡¸General Princess, hey¡­¡­can a noble call themselves princess?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t ask me . Ask the Bestir Empire that . But well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong to call a noble¡¯s daughter princess . So, going back to the story . Though I don¡¯t know why, the General Princess seems to have taken only several attendants to go to the dungeon . Because of that, Duke Kerebel made a request to Margrave Rowlocks . ¡¹ At Gran¡¯s words, he understood but frowned his eyebrows slightly . ¡¸Then rather than rank D, shouldn¡¯t A or B rank parties be employed?¡¡Or a thief like Culotte, since it¡¯s a dungeon . ¡¹ That was clearly a valid question . At any rate, the Duke was sending his beloved daughter to the dangerous place known as a dungeon . If adventurers were employed as guards, it would be more reassuring if they were high ranking adventurers with proven abilities . There should be no need to request an adventurer who just entered rank D . ¡¸Though I haven¡¯t been given many details, apparently, adventurers of rank C or higher are no good . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s rather suspicious, isn¡¯t it . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah well . However, Margrave Rowlocks can¡¯t refuse the Duke without a clear reason . ¡¹ In fact, because of the difference in power between the Nobles and Neutral factions, if the Neutral faction members were not careful, they would immediately be cornered . Moreover, Margrave Rowlocks could only accept due the difference in social position between a margrave and a duke . ¡¸So, that¡¯s why Margrave Rowlocks had no choice but to accept the request . If the Duke¡¯s daughter, known as the General Princess, were to die in this territory¡­¡­what would happen, you can probably guess?¡¹ ¡¸In the worst case, Margrave Rowlocks would lose his nobility . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Even in the best scenario, a considerable amount of territory would be lost . ¡­¡­Well, it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem even if some territory is lost because Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ only city is this city of Gimuru . However, if the city of Gimuru were to be taken away¡­¡­¡¹ He let out a deep sigh at Gran¡¯s words . ¡¸So, that is the reason why I was chosen to be an escort despite being only rank D . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . In the first place, she is a person called the General Princess . She went out to a battlefield and even killed the enemy general in single combat, it stands to reason that she¡¯s considerably strong . Because of that, Rei is probably only an emergency backup . The fact you are accompanied by a Griffon is also good . ¡¹ ¡¸For now, I would like to know, can a nominated request be refused?¡¹ ¡¸After telling you the story, I more or less expected you to ask that . Normally, it¡¯s possible to refuse a nominated request, it¡¯s not unusual either . However, the client this time is Margrave Rowlocks, the lord of the city . You cannot decline it . ¡¹ Hearing Gran¡¯s words, he thought about the request in his mind . (It can¡¯t be refused . However, this request is also a chance to go to the dungeon, which I¡¯ve been wanting to do . Because there seems to be a considerably high chance of high ranking monsters appearing in the dungeon, I can expect a large amount of quality magic stones . ¡­¡­The problem is, will there be suspicion if I don¡¯t sell the magic stones¡­¡­no, the problem is the Duke¡¯s daughter from the Imperial Capital . Though I don¡¯t the reason why she needs to go to the dungeon, she will probably quickly leave the frontier once her work is done . Then the probability of her noticing the unnaturalness of not selling the magic stones should be low . ) ¡¸By the way, can I enter the dungeon with Set?¡¡Or to be more precise, is there enough space in the dungeon for someone as big as Set to fight?¡¹ ¡¸There are no problems regarding that . Basically, monsters bigger than your Griffon, Set, can be found in the dungeon . There¡¯s no need to worry about inconveniencing other people in the area . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . If that¡¯s the case, I can manage . ¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re saying that, then can I assume you will take the request?¡¹ ¡¸Who was it that said I couldn¡¯t refuse it?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Gran could only give a wry smile . ¡¸Though that¡¯s true, the person¡¯s attitude is important as well . So, you¡¯re okay in receiving it?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . So, what should I do? Do I just have to come to the guild in a week, after the General Princess arrives?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Well, more details will be given in the next few days . You have to be in good physical condition . It would be no joke if the request comes around and you can¡¯t fight because you¡¯re injured . It would be good if you don¡¯t take any subjugation requests for the next week . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that necessary?¡¹ To that question which was asked involuntarily, Gran gave a serious nod . ¡¸Ah . After all, it involves the safety of the Duke¡¯s daughter and the fate of the city of Gimuru is involved . You¡¯re there for that reason . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haa~, I understand . By the way, what¡¯s the reward?¡¹ ¡¸The reward for successful completion is 2 light gold coins . ¡¹ TLN: Quick reminder, 1 light gold coin is 10 platinum coins . According to the author¡¯s exchange rate, about 20k USD . ¡¸¡­¡­Are you serious?¡¹ 2 light gold coins . As the reward for the completion of a single request, it was rare, even in rank A . ¡¸I¡¯ve said this many times, but this is a very important request . So keep that in mind . ¡¹ Thus, as Rei had just risen to D rank, he was suddenly forced to receive a nominated request . And, although this request would become an important turning point for Rei, he had no way of knowing himself . Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Legend Chapter 59 Hearing from Gran about the contents of the nominated request in one week¡¯s time, Rei reluctantly accepted it . He walked down the guild stairs while thinking about the request that would start the next week . ¡¸Ah, Rei-kun . You¡¯re the last one, did something happen?¡¹ Though Kenny called out as soon as she saw Rei, as he couldn¡¯t talk about the Duke¡¯s daughter with so many people around, he gave an appropriate excuse . ¡¸Just something about the rank up test I just did . After all, it was the first time I¡¯ve had to be a party leader . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . But certainly, Rei is usually solo . ¡­¡­Since you¡¯ve risen to rank D, have you thought about joining a party soon?¡¡You know, various requests will start to have increased risks and dangers . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait, don¡¯t be rude . Rei-san has various circumstances of his own . ¡¹ To Kenny who was asserting that Rei should join a party, Lenora gave a rebuke from nearby . ¡¸What, Lenora, are you saying that Rei should continue to solo?¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t really say that, I¡¯m saying that we shouldn¡¯t interfere as staff members of the guild . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . Really, Lenora is so harsh . It¡¯s because of that that your body is so hard and doesn¡¯t have any womanly softness . ¡¹ As Kenny softly muttered into the surroundings, those words that subtly hinted at Lenora¡¯s delicate build . Lenora instantly raised her eyebrows . ¡¸Hey, Kenny . That¡¯s something I can¡¯t ignore . Who said such a thing?¡¹ ¡¸No one in particular . Everyone says that . ¡¹ Pressed by Lenora, Kenny replied in a provocative tone . Naturally, Lenora couldn¡¯t stay silent and they started arguing as usual . Fortunately, it was in the afternoon and there weren¡¯t many adventurers in the guild . In addition, most of them were in the tavern area, eating a late lunch . ¡­¡­However, as expected, they wouldn¡¯t act like this during adventurer peak hours in the morning and evening . ¡¸Well then, since you seem to be busy, I¡¯ll get going . See you later . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, wai- Rei-kun!?¡¡Onee-san wants to celebrate your passing of the rank up test¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey Kenny!¡¡You¡¯re still in the middle of work!¡¹ Lenora intervened . Kenny¡¯s invitation was probably because she had been told that he had passed the rank up test from the people who had come down earlier . While hearing such exchanges from behind him, Rei left the guild . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry to welcome Rei while being stroked by several children . Looking closely, one of the children stroking Set was the one who had tried to give Set some dried meat just before Rei went out for the rank up test . ¡¸Ah, Onii-chan . Look, Set is eating the dried meat I gave him . ¡¹ The boy happily said that to Rei when he noticed him . Rei gave his usual wry smile when he heard that as he scratched Set¡¯s head . ¡¸That¡¯s good . We have to get going now, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Until next time Set . ¡¹ After the boy said that, he ran back towards downtown . The other children ran after him after they greeted Rei and Set . Rei watched the children go while stroking Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Before I knew it, I¡¯ve become a fairly popular person in the city . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Well then, lets go back to the inn . ¡­¡­That said, what should we do for the next week . ¡¹ Though he hadn¡¯t been banned from taking subjugation requests, he had been warned by Gran not to take them if possible . Then could he do collection requests?¡¡Thinking about that, 1 man and 1 animal returned to their usual lodging at the Dusk Wheat inn . On the way back, they bought some simple food from the open air stalls . At any rate, since they couldn¡¯t eat it all at once, he stored the rest into the Misty Ring as they wouldn¡¯t rot and would stay fresh . Because of that, he went shopping without reserve . While contributing to the sales of the food stalls as usual, they arrived back at the Dusk Wheat inn . As he said goodbye to Set at the stables, Rei saw a scene outside of his imagination in the inn . ¡¸Ah, Rei . Come here, come here . Why were you so slow?¡¹ Firuma called out to him while drinking a glass of wine . ¡¸He certainly was slow . ¡¹ Supervia added in as he ate a large meat stew . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Scola was concentrating on his magic book in the same way as in the meeting room and didn¡¯t notice Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph . ¡¹ Arogan carried a meat skewer to his mouth while turning his head away . ¡¸Were you surprised?¡¡Then the surprise was a success . ¡¹ Culotte greeted Rei with a smile . ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s going on?¡¹ While replying to the 5 people, he went to the table . ¡¸What, it¡¯s the celebration for passing the rank up test . Because it¡¯s a special event, you have to celebrate . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I mean I never heard about this?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . The rest of the party talked about it when you were still in the meeting room . ¡¹ Understanding that it seemed to have been decided when he had been forcibly detained, Rei sat down in an empty seat . Then, as if waiting for that, Lana gave a Rei a glass of wine . ¡¸Rei-san, congratulations on passing the rank up test . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I did it somehow . ¡¹ ¡¸Now then, lets raise a toast in celebration with Rei¡­¡­hey, Rei . Because you¡¯re the party leader you also have do this . ¡¹ Forcibly told by Culottes, he lifted his wine glass while spitting out a sigh . ¡¸Then, to congratulate all members who participated in the rank up test and passed successfully and for our future activities¡­¡­cheers!¡¹ ¡ºCheers!¡» At this time, Arogan did not object and happily gave a toast before drinking . ¡¸That said, as expected the rank up test was tough . Both physically and mentally . ¡¹ Culotte said that while frowning her eyebrows slightly . Although the alcohol may have been an influence, you could tell from her tone that she had gotten over killing people . ¡¸That¡¯s true, it¡¯s not a very pleasant thing to talk about though . ¡¹ Firuma agreed to that . Though it didn¡¯t really show on her face while fighting, in the end, she still was under considerable mental pressure to kill a person . ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, sorry, sorry . I didn¡¯t mean to talk about those gloomy things . Changing the topic . What are everyone¡¯s plans after reaching rank D?¡¡As for me¡­¡­¡¹ Culotte hesitated and and glanced towards Arogan and Scola for an instant . ¡¸I¡¯ll be forming a party with those 2 . ¡¹ Those surprising words were said . ¡¸Hey, there¡¯s no need to tell everyone else . ¡¹ ¡¸What . There¡¯s no problem if it¡¯s the people we ranked up with . I mean, we¡¯re in the same group . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I thought you 2 were arguing about the matter of the reward, when did it become like this?¡¹ At Culotte¡¯s remark, Rei was amazed and asked with a surprised face . But instead of Arogan or Culotte answering that, it was Scola, who had finally stopped reading his magic book to enjoy his meal . ¡¸That seems to be the cause of it¡¹ ¡¸That?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . After arguing about the reward, they ended up getting along with each other . So the talk progressed smoothly after that . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I mean, are you fine with that?¡¡You were originally in a party with Culotte . ¡¹ Supervia interjected as he heard the conversation between Rei and Scola but Scola nodded with no problems . ¡¸Hey, you know that Culotte and I are a thief and mage?¡¡Because the party was only us 2, we had talked about the lack of a vanguard for a while . If we divided us 2 into front and rear, only Culotte could take the front¡­¡­but in the end, she¡¯s a thief . We determined that we had a lack of defensive power . If you think about it, I¡¯m happy that a strong warrior like Arogan has entered the party . ¡¹ ¡¸But, have you thought about party compatibility?¡¹ To Firuma¡¯s question, he gave a wry smile at their quarrel¡­¡­or rather, Arogan and Culotte¡¯s playful argument . TLN: Did you just get NTRed Scola? You can¡¯t let that happen! Be a man! ¡¸Well you see, those two are similar . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Something like arguing in the family . ¡¹ As Rei murmured, maybe because of the alcohol that they had drank, Scola, Supervia and Firuma unintentionally burst into laughter . ¡¸Then why don¡¯t the three of you set up a party?¡¡With Supervia and Rei in the vanguard as a warrior and magic warrior, and with Firuma, who can use spirit magic and the bow, in the rear, I think the balance is perfect . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm . That¡¯s an interesting thought, I would join if I can defeat Rei¡­¡­well, at the very least not until the point I can fight with him for at least 5 minutes . ¡¹ With a wry smile, Supervia muttered as he drank his glass of wine before ordering some ale from Lana, the proprietress . With his pride as a warrior, he probably couldn¡¯t accept being weaker than Rei and leeching off him . ¡¸Well¡­¡­I don¡¯t particularly mind . What about you Rei?¡¹ At Firuma¡¯s words, Rei shook his head . ¡¸Whether you make a party or not, it will be impossible for while . ¡¹ ¡¸Ara~, why?¡¹ Everyone at that place, including Arogan and Culotte, who were arguing playfully just a few seconds ago, looked towards Rei . He judged that the people here wouldn¡¯t spread the story and started to speak . ¡¸I¡¯ve received a bit of a difficult request . Because I don¡¯t know how long I will be with the other party, it will have to wait until that is settled . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is that the reason why you had to remain in the meeting room?¡¹ He nodded to Culotte¡¯s words . ¡¸Ahh . Even though I¡¯ve just risen to rank D, I was suddenly given a nominated request . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s not a strange story given Rei¡¯s strength . ¡¹ Supervia nodded while saying that . He had fought mock battles with with Rei until they reached the bandit hideout during the test, seen his abilities during the battle against the bandits and fought mock battles with him on the way back . To Supervia, who had had a mock battle with Rei for almost every day during the rank up test, he didn¡¯t find anything strange with Rei receiving a nominated request as soon as he reached rank D . Rather, he felt that it was a recognition of his fighting strength . ¡¸Though I acted as the party leader this time, I understand that I¡¯m not suited for group actions . At the very least, being the party leader is too unpleasant to accept . ¡¹ ¡¸Though you can certainly solo if you¡¯re strong enough Rei¡­¡­isn¡¯t it a little risky?¡¹ ¡¸Though I understand Culotte¡¯s worries, I have my companion, Set¡­¡­ahh, he¡¯s my Griffon . We can work as 1 man and 1 animal for now . ¡¹ In fact, if you just think of Set¡¯s combat strength, he was a strong monster, a Griffon . He had also learned several skills by absorbing magic stones . As for his combat strength, you could say that it was greater than an A rank adventurer . (Adding to that, there¡¯s also the matter of arguing over magic stones . Considering that, it¡¯s one of the reasons to solo . ) While thinking that in his mind, he brought some of the stir fried Poison Toad thigh meat to his mouth . At that moment, the door into the Dusk Wheat opened and two people walked inside . And the two people went straight to the table Rei was at . ¡¸I heard it in the guild, congratulations on ranking up . ¡¹ ¡¸Congratulations¡¹ A mage and an archer said that to him . Rei recognised both of them . ¡¸Sulunin, Excel . It¡¯s been a while . Thanks for looking after Set while I was away . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, we should say thanks to you . ¡­¡­Ah, mind if we join?¡¹ To Sulunin¡¯s voice as he looked around, as there wasn¡¯t any objections in particular, they all nodded and directed him to a seat . ¡¸But still, rank D already . It seems you¡¯ll catch up to us in no time . ¡¹ ¡¸Oba-chan, can you get me and him some ale? Um, please pick something suitable . ¡¹ Excel made an order for Lana as she sat down on a seat as well . ¡¸Rei, these people are¡­¡­¡¹ At Firuma¡¯s question, ¡¸Ahh . They are Sulunin and Excel from Scorching Wind . I met them during the Orc subjugation . ¡­¡­Come to think of it, where¡¯s Milein?¡¡Is she doing something else today?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­that is . ¡¹ Sulunin scratched his cheek with a wry smile . Just by seeing this, Rei roughly guessed . ¡¸I see, the stables . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . We heard in the guild yesterday that Rei-kun had come back, so it seems she misses Set even more . ¡¹ ¡¸So, that¡¯s the reason she rushed to the stables . ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine . She¡¯ll come in here to drink sooner or later¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I think that¡¯s highly likely . Then, to celebrate everyone¡¯s promising promotion, we¡¯ll pay tonight . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure?¡¡I thought you said you had no money a little while ago . ¡¹ ¡¸What, we were able to take out the Treants without much effort because of Set . We have enough to spare now . ¡¹ In this way, the festivities continued . During the feast, Scorching Wind, Firuma and the other 5 threw away all their reservations as they relaxed in their own ways . Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Legend Chapter 60 A few days passed after the results of the rank up test were announced . The figure of Rei could be seen in the Dusk Wheat as usual . His Dragon Robe and Shoes of Sleipnir had been taken off and put in his rented room . He was lying on the bed with a carefree expression, reading a book that he had bought at the bookstore . Its contents were mainly about dungeons . Ever since he heard from Gran that the nominated request would be at a dungeon, he had gone to a store to buy a book about monsters that could be found there and how to dismantle them . ¡¸As I thought, a thief is essential in a dungeon . ¡¹ According to the book, most dungeons had traps . And as for the traps, some were set by the more intelligent monsters that lived in the dungeon, while others were spontaneously created when the dungeon was formed . ¡¸The General Princess, as she fought on a battlefield, probably doesn¡¯t have any skills as a thief . I¡¯m the same as well . In that case, will she employ a thief here in Gimuru? I can only hope that there is a thief accompanying the General Princess¡­¡­¡¹ Thinking like that, he had a look of resignation . After all, Gran had told Rei that the nominated request only required that he followed the Duke¡¯s daughter . Because of that, he was pretty sure that it would be unlikely that they would hire a thief here in the city of Gimuru . His last hope was that the Duke¡¯s daughter had a someone with a thief¡¯s skills accompanying her . ¡¸Rather, shouldn¡¯t I keep studying to be able to disarm a simple trap?¡¹ Though Rei thought about that, there was only a few days remaining before the start of the request . Though he wanted to, it was clear that there wasn¡¯t enough time to learn a thief¡¯s skills . ¡¸It seems there¡¯s no use just thinking about it . I¡¯ll go move my body a bit . ¡¹ Though he had been asked not to take on subjugation requests, he could still exercise his body, to stop his movements from dulling, in the training ground at the guild Still, it was better than nothing . He quickly prepared himself and left the inn . And when he went to the stables¡­¡­ ¡¸Here Set-chan . Eat this, eat this . ¡¹ The figure of Milein could be seen, feeding Set, who had an expression as if she was melting away . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ While smiling wryly at Set¡¯s happiness at being fed, he approached the woman and animal . ¡¸Ah, Rei . Sorry to bother you . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I did say you can come to see Set at any time¡­¡­ You don¡¯t have a request today?¡¹ To Rei¡¯s question, Milein gave a small nod while stroking Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Yes . Because we exerted ourselves against Forest Crawlers yesterday, we¡¯re having today be a rest day . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . You¡¯ve been working hard . ¡¹ Forest Crawlers . As its name suggested, they were monsters similar to a giant green caterpillar that lived in the forest . The smaller ones had a length of around 2m . For the bigger ones, it wasn¡¯t unusual for them to exceed 3m . Their combat power wasn¡¯t high for a D rank monster and the danger was much lower compared to Treants, who were also D rank monsters . However, since it was basically a giant green caterpillar, it was a monster that was highly disliked by female adventurers . Moreover, since it had a spongy body, most vanguards didn¡¯t like to attack it . For Milein, who was a female fencer, it could be called the worst match up . ¡¸I know right?¡¡Because of that, I¡¯m playing with Set today to release my stress . ¡­¡­Do you have any work today Rei?¡¹ ¡¸No, I was just planning to the guild training ground to move my body . I was wondering if Set wanted to come along¡­¡­ What will you do?¡¹ Rei called out to Set, who was being stroked by Milein . Though he thought that Set would like to remain here with Milein¡­¡­ After thinking about it, Set gave a cry that he wanted to go with him . Milein probably understood . She let out a sigh with a regretful look . ¡¸With that said, what do you plan to do Milein?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­ That¡¯s right . Then I¡¯ll go with you two . I¡¯ve also wanted to spar at least once with Rei . ¡­¡­ How about that?¡¹ Even Milein was interested in Rei¡¯s combat strength, as he had been able to easily fight against an Orc King, a higher ranking species of an Orc, which even she would have trouble with . Rei gave a simple nod . ¡¸I also wanted to spend a little bit more time with Set-chan . ¡¹ However, Milein added on her probable main aim . After that, they took Set out from the stables and headed towards the guild as usual . The difference was that instead of 1 person and 1 animal, there were now 2 people and 1 animal . ¡¸Set-chan, Set-chan . Here, this . ¡¹ Normally, Rei would buy food for Set at the food stalls, but that role had changed over to Milein . While looking at this situation, Rei called out to Milein as he bought a bread roll with meat inside, similar to a hotdog, and brought it to his mouth . ¡¸Though you were clamoring about a lack of money a little while ago, you can afford things now?¡¹ ¡¸Something like that . After all, we beat a rare species with Set during the Treant subjugation request we did, while Rei was doing the rank up test . The materials were sold for a rather large amount of money . ¡­¡­ We didn¡¯t get the magic stone though . ¡¹ According to Mileins words, it was highly likely Set got the Poison Claws skill from the rare species . ¡¸The legs, thread and magic stones of the Forest Crawlers we defeated yesterday also sold for a decent price . We have a little cash to spare . ¡¹ As usual, adventurers and Gimuru city residents who knew about Set gathered towards Milein and Set . And arriving at the guild, Set moved to the carriage waiting area and lied down without Rei having to say anything . The warm and sunny place had already become Set¡¯s exclusive space . ¡¸Set-chan, I¡¯ll be leaving for a while . I¡¯m going to have a spar with your master . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a short cry as he saw the two people off . Rei and Milein went directly to the training ground without entering through the guild . ¡¸There not many people here today . ¡¹ Milein muttered as she looked around the training ground . In fact, there were only 5 other people in the training ground . Other than those 5, there were none present . As for the 5 people, as they were training in the same place, it was easy to deduce that they were either in the same party or knew each other . ¡¸Well, I think not many people are here because it¡¯s around the middle of the day . ¡¹ Though there were people who exercised their body in preparation for a later request, that was usually early in the morning . Right now, it was already midday . The only people that would come to the training ground at this time were either those on a break, like Rei and Milein, or those who were having a training day . ¡¸That is true . Well then, let¡¯s spar after we warm up ourselves . Is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, no problem . ¡¹ Nodding to Milein¡¯s words, Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring . Although there were sounds of surprise from the direction of the 5 people who were looking at them, people being surprised at Rei¡¯s Misty Ring had become normal for him . He started to warm up, disregarding them . Slowly swinging down the Death Scythe, he raised it back up and made a side sweep as he advanced forward smoothly . At the same time, he didn¡¯t just use the blade but also treated the handle as a spear as he stabbed the air . To his dance like movements, not just the other 5 people in the training ground, Milein was also involuntarily fascinated by it . ¡¸Well then . ¡¹ As Milein smiled wryly, she unsheathed her long sword and started to do some warm up exercises . A few minutes later, after warming up, they turned around to face each other and exchanged a small nod as they readied their weapons . And then! At that moment, a voice called out, as if it was waiting for that moment . ¡¸Sorry, are you available?¡¹ The one who called out was someone from the 5 person group that has been in the training ground earlier . His face had gentle features and gave off the impression of a good-natured person . He seemed to be older than Rei and was closer to Milein¡¯s age group of late teens to early twenties . As for Rei, he was reminded of Arogan and Supervia, who had both taken the rank up test that finished a few days ago . ¡¸Do you need something?¡¹ ¡¸You two, are you about to spar? Are you two okay if we watch it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ At the very least, you should give your names before asking for something . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sorry, sorry . I just thought that both of you seemed to be quite skilled . Umm, I¡¯m Beamuta, I¡¯m the leader of the E rank party Earthen Bonds formed with those 4 over there . ¡¹ Beamuta gave a quick bow and apologised for his bad manners as he introduced himself . Milein gave a faint smile and spoke up . ¡¸Milein . I act as the leader of Scorching Wind . ¡¹ ¡¸Scorching Wind, if I remember, you¡¯re C rank¡­¡­uwa~ . No wonder you¡¯re skilled with the sword . ¡­¡­¡¹ Faced with Beamuta¡¯s admiration, Rei gave in and also introduced himself . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . A rank D adventurer . I¡¯ve been acting solo . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei¡­¡­? I feel like I¡¯ve heard that name somewhere¡­¡­ Anyways, getting to D rank at that age is amazing . So, putting that aside, would it be possible for us to observe your sparring session? Though I¡¯m rank D myself, most of the kids over there are rank E and F, I want to show them a fight between higher ranks . ¡¹ ¡¸A high rank¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think C rank can exactly be called that . ¡¹ To Milein¡¯s words, who was not being modest, but rather stating the facts, Beamuta shook his head to object . ¡¸At your age, leading a C rank party is already amazing . ¡­¡­ So, how about it?¡¹ ¡¸Well, though I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­ Rei?¡¹ Perhaps as one of the city of Gimuru¡¯s promising youths, she had become accustomed to things like this . Milein didn¡¯t have any problems with it and nodded as she asked Rei . ¡¸That¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind as long as they don¡¯t interfere . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you . We absolutely won¡¯t disturb you . ¡¹ Beamuta gave a bow and ran back to his companions . Milein gave a wry smile at Rei as they saw him off . ¡¸That was a little surprising . I thought that you would refuse to let them watch us spar because of your various secrets . ¡¹ ¡¸Many secrets, huh? I certainly can¡¯t deny that . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . You even hid something inside my body . ¡­¡­ Well, it¡¯s fine as long as we were able to improve our fighting strength as a result . ¡¹ Saying such things, she remembered the Seeds of Contract that were used on the members of Scorching Wind . Certainly, as long as they didn¡¯t speak of Rei¡¯s secret, no harm would be done . On the contrary, they were able to obtain fire resistance and an improvement in fire related magic . While recalling such things, Beamuta returned to Rei with the other 4 people . ¡¸Sorry for making you wait . Come on, all of you . ¡¹ ¡ºNice to meet you . ¡» Following Beamuta¡¯s words, the 4 people bowed . Looking at them, the four boys and girls were around Rei¡¯s age . Among them, there was also a girl who was clearly younger than Rei . Not just Rei, Milein was also surprised . ¡¸That¡¯s a pretty young party . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Everyone comes from the same orphanage as me, so I¡¯m taking care of them . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, big brother Bea is embarrassed . ¡¹ ¡¸As I thought, big brother Bea is embarrassed because he saw a beautiful woman . I almost thought he had no interest in women . ¡¹ To those jeers that weren¡¯t really jeers, Beamuta blushed while being unable to refute them . ¡¸Idiot, don¡¯t be rude to Milein-san who gave some of her time to show us a mock battle . ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about it . Please move a little further away as it will be dangerous . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ (She¡¯s quite familiar with handling children¡­¡­) While feeling admiration at Milein and Beamuta¡¯s conversation, he settled his heart and mind as he readied the Death Scythe . ¡¸Okay, I¡¯m ready . Ah, magic is not allowed . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Weapons only . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay . Then¡­¡­ That¡¯s right, Beamuta-san, signal the start . ¡¹ ¡¸Then¡­¡­ Start!¡¹ At Beamuta¡¯s signal, Milein kicked against the ground as she went towards Rei with her long sword . While readying the Death Scythe to meet it, Rei stepped forward daringly . ¡¸-!?¡¹ She didn¡¯t think Rei would dare lose the chance to use his reach . Milein hesitated for a moment¡­¡­And as a result, it allowed Rei to enter within sword¡¯s reach . ¡¸Here I come!¡¹ Finding a moment of opportunity, Rei swept the Death Scythe¡¯s handle at Milein¡¯s legs to trip her . Milein realised Rei¡¯s intention by the movements of the large scythe and quickly jumped back . After that moment, the handle of the Death Scythe swept sharply past the place where Milein¡¯s feet had been . ¡¸¡­¡­ As expected of you . It¡¯s a misrepresentation that you¡¯re D rank . ¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t think you would see through my intentions so easily . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m still C rank, I can¡¯t lose that easily . I can¡¯t lose face as a senior in front of an audience . ¡¹ ¡¸You were the type of person to mind those things?¡¹ While arguing jokingly, they made feints with their eyes and body as they searched for an opportunity against each other . (That said, time will just pass with this . Then¡­¡­) Deciding in his mind, while continuing to talk, he gradually increased the distance between them . Milein, who was watching the situation, twitched every time she saw a chance . But as she understood that it was a taunt, she didn¡¯t go in recklessly . Though Rei pretended to show an opening to provoke an attack, Milein began to feel the pressure of whether to leave it or to attack . Is this a good opportunity to attack? Is this a chance? I have to attack¡­¡­ Such thoughts went through her head¡­¡­ ¡¸Haaa!¡¹ No longer able to take the pressure, she took a large step forward . Against the sword swinging down with fighting spirit, Rei received the sword blade with the blade of the Death Scythe and parried it with the handle¡­¡­ When Milein¡¯s sword blade had almost reached his hands, he twisted the Death Scythe and flicked the sword into the air . The next moment, the Death Scythe was held against the neck of the disarmed Milein . ¡¸That¡¯s enough, the winner is Rei!¡¹ Beamuta¡¯s voice echoed through the training ground as he declared the end of the match . Beamuta¡¯s adventurer companions raised voices in surprise at the scene of a D rank adventurer winning against a C rank adventurer . Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Legend Chapter 61 It was the day after the spar with Milein . Rei was reading a book on dungeons in his room in the inn, as he had been doing for the past few days, when there was a knock at the door . ¡¸Who is it?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve come from the guild . Because more information regarding the nominated request has arrived, I¡¯m sorry, but could you come with me?¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Please give me a moment to get ready . ¡¹ (It¡¯s finally come it seems . ) Rei understood that it was the detailed explanation of the request that Gran had mentioned after announcing the results of the rank up test . Storing the book he had been reading into the Misty Ring, he wore the Dragon Robe and put on the Shoes of Sleipnir before opening the door . There was a middle aged man who appeared to be in his 40¡¯s . Looking at Rei, he gave a small nod . ¡¸Then I will take you there immediately . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡­¡­By the way, am I going by myself?¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¡There hasn¡¯t been any information that Rei-san has joined a party¡­¡­is it incorrect?¡¹ ¡¸No, I was just talking about the Griffon I tamed . ¡¹ He had though that the information he had received might have been wrong . He gave a small nod as he gave a sigh of relief . ¡¸Yes . Only Rei-san is needed today . If we were going to the guild, then it wouldn¡¯t matter if you bring your tamed monster, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Didn¡¯t you say you came from the guild earlier?¡¹ ¡¸Though I certainly am a guild staff member, this time I¡¯m guiding Rei-san to the place of the person who nominated you for this request . ¡­¡­Do you understand if I put it that way?¡¹ He asked Rei . Rei had known who it was after hearing Gran¡¯s story . In other words . ¡¸The lord of this city, Margrave Rowlocks¡­¡­is it . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Though normally it would be explained at the guild, because of the situation in this case, it will be explained in the lord¡¯s residence . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, in that case, I certainly can¡¯t take my Griffon . ¡¹ If he took Set and something went wrong, it was easy to imagine that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in the city of Gimuru . ¡¸I understand . However, may I stop at the stables for a moment before we leave?¡¡The Griffon I tamed is quite smart . I will tell him that I¡¯ll be going out for a while . Otherwise, there¡¯s a possibility he will chase after me, thinking I was kidnapped . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are Griffons really that smart?¡¹ ¡¸Well, my Griffon might be a special one . ¡¹ He replied in the negative to the guild staff member as they went towards the stables . On the way, Rei saw a splendid carriage in front of the Dusk Wheat, as expected of a request from a lord . He entered the stable as he admired the odd scene . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ As Rei entered the stables, Set greeted him with a cry . However, Rei spoke out while patting Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Sorry Set . I have to go out now, I can¡¯t take you along because it¡¯s the lord¡¯s residence this time . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ While giving a lonely cry, Set rubbed his head against Rei . ¡¸What, unlike the rank up test, I¡¯ll be back at once . I won¡¯t be gone for a few days . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Still, Set gave a lonely cry as Rei left after patting him one last time . Set quietly watched them until they could no longer be seen . ¡¸I¡¯ve kept you waiting . ¡¹ Though Rei said that to the guild messenger who was at the front of the carriage, the guild messenger shook his head while opening the carriage door . ¡¸No, as I¡¯ve worked with various adventurers in the guild, I understand . Here, please . The lord is waiting . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, I feel better now that you said that . ¡¹ He urged Rei into the carriage while smiling . Under such circumstances, Rei got into the carriage while thinking to himself when he had become such an important person . While thinking about that, the messenger closed the carriage door and moved to the coachman¡¯s seat . ¡¸¡­¡­The weather¡¯s not too nice today . ¡¹ Rei muttered while looking out from inside the carriage . In fact, the sky was currently covered in clouds, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if rain started falling . While thinking about that, because there wasn¡¯t anything in particular to do inside the carriage, he took out the book about dungeons that he had been reading in his room and continued reading it . Though he had been reading it whenever possible in the last few days, he was still only 70% through it . At the very least, Rei wanted to finish it before the request actually started . And after he had been absorbed in the book for a while, the carriage, which had been moving swiftly until then, stopped . The door opened . ¡¸Rei-san, we¡¯ve arrived at the lord¡¯s residence . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I understand . ¡¹ Rei got off the carriage . While feeling raindrops drizzling against his cheeks, following the guild messenger¡¯s guidance, he passed through the gates to the lord¡¯s residence . (Rather than the lord¡¯s residence¡­¡­it looks more like some sort of fort . ) That was impression Rei had after seeing the lord¡¯s residence . It was too large to be a mansion, but it was not quite right to call it a castle . Because of that, looking at the building, it looked like a small fort . Actually, it was clear that the lord¡¯s residence was an actual fort . Rei thought that it was probably to evacuate the residents of the city of Gimuru in case of emergencies . ¡¸Here it is . ¡¹ Following the guild messenger, they went inside the lord¡¯s residence . Maybe to keep up the appearance of a lord, jars and paintings were displayed in the passages . Furthermore, it was quite impressive that light generating magic items that used magic stones were embedded in the wall at regular distances . However, with things such as halberds and spears decorating the passage, the impression of a fort was much stronger than that of a lord¡¯s residence . He walked after the messenger while curiously looking at the items that decorated the passageway . After 10 minutes, a door with exquisite carvings came into view . The door would have costed at least several gold coins¡­¡­at most, it would have costed a platinum coin, Rei looked at it like a work of art . And when the two people arrived at the door, the messenger knocked on the wall beside the door with a door knocker . (Is there no door knocker to knock on the door?¡¡No, if anything, it¡¯s a work of art¡­¡­but why is only this door so luxurious?¡¡Just looking at this residence that looks like a fort, I didn¡¯t think he had the character to like aristocratic luxuries . ) While Rei was thinking this in his mind, he heard a voice from behind the door . ¡¸Come in . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Please excuse me . ¡¹ Hearing those words, the messenger reached out for the door . He grabbed the handle but touched as little of the carvings as possible as he opened the door . ¡¸Lord-sama, I have brought Rei, the D rank adventurer, for the matter about the nominated request . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, it¡¯s been hard work for you . I¡¯ve been waiting . Well, come in . ¡¹ Hearing this from inside, Rei entered the room as prompted by the messenger . ¡¸-!?¡¹ And the moment he stepped foot into the room . He heard a sharp sound and felt blood lust to his side . He immediately kicked against the ground, jumped forward and rolled . After rolling once on the floor, he reflexively took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring and readied it . And in front of Rei¡¯s eyes was someone wearing a suit of armour, the person¡¯s head was also covered in a metal helmet . Rei¡¯s eyes were attracted to the sword in the person¡¯s hand . (This is the same feeling as Arogan¡¯s magic sword . In other words, this is a magic sword!) The moment he readied the Death Scythe, he kicked against the floor again . However, this time it wasn¡¯t to avoid the enemy¡¯s attack but to eliminate the enemy who had attacked him . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ The room he had been guided to had enough room to wield the Death Scythe, that was fortunate for Rei . Taking advantage of his good fortune, the blade of the Death Scythe swept towards the body of the assailant while cutting through the backrest of a sofa in the lord¡¯s room . ¡¸Damn!¡¹ The Death Scythe was a peculiar weapon made from the Magic Beast Art, despite weighing more that 100kg, Rei could wield it at a speed as if it was a knife or fork without feeling it¡¯s weight . Maybe instinctively guessing the power behind it, the assailant quickly jumped back to evade it . Zing~, the blade passed in front of him a few cm away . It made a sharp sound as if tearing space apart as it cut through the air . The assailant broke out in cold sweat inside his helmet . (Impossible . Even if he was recommended by Margrave Rowlocks, how could he be such a threat to me as a D rank adventurer?¡¡No, that was just luck before . I won¡¯t admit such a thing!) When meeting with a person that exceeded one¡¯s imagination, most people would either choose to fight them or receive them nicely . In other words, their mind would either move to eliminate the existence or build an amiable relationship to obtain protection . And this man immediately selected the former . (If I knew this would happen, I would have brought my usual magic spear rather than a magic sword!) Though the man regretted his imprudence in his mind, he still readied his magic sword against Rei . Rei also set up his Death Scythe against the person opposite him . Reaching this stage, Rei was able to roughly understand the circumstances . After all, this was the lord¡¯s residence, why would he be attacked by a thug in what could be considered the lord¡¯s own room . (If it¡¯s for such a reason . ) He threw away the doubt in this mind immediately . He had been invited to the lord¡¯s residence regarding the escort of the General Princess . If he thought about it, the answer was simple . (Testing my skill as an escort¡­¡­is it . Then maybe this guy is an attendant of the General Princess or something . ) Though he understood that, he understood the fight wouldn¡¯t end easily just like that . In other words, there was no point if he didn¡¯t show his skills to the man in front of him . ¡¸¡­¡­Here I come . ¡¹ Shortly after saying that, Rei kicked against the ground and closed the distance to the man . As for the man, he readied his magic sword, waiting for Rei discard the advantage of his reach and enter his range . ¡¸Take this!¡¹ With a sharp cry, the man thrust forward with the sword in his hand . As he usually used a spear, the speed and power were different . However, the sword thrust still carried a decent amount of power . However, Rei avoided the thrust at his face by moving his neck slightly . ¡¸Not yet!¡¹ The blade that had shot forth returned to the man in an instant In a flash, one, two and three stabs were sent out . Rei narrowed the distance while avoiding the attacks with the minimum amount of movement . (Impossible, even though I¡¯m using a magic sword rather than my usual magic spear, to continuously avoid my thrusts?¡¡Is he really rank D!?) Though the man felt a strange fear of Rei in his heart, he made his last attack of 5 consecutive thrusts . His final attack, his fastest attack . Rei repelled the thrusts with the handle of the Death Scythe and finished by hitting the man¡¯s body with the handle at short range . ¡¸Gah~!¡¹ Dong~, the sound of metal striking the armour echoed through the room . At the same time as the sound, the man tried to grab the handle and pull Rei towards him¡­¡­Rei noticed it in an instant and brought the Death Scythe back to himself . (Damn, what¡¯s with this guy¡¯s brute strength . It will be dangerous if it stays this way . In that case, it¡¯s not too disappointing¡­¡­£© The moment the Death Scythe swung towards him, he tried to raised his sword to try to block at least some of the impact . And as Rei swung the Death Scythe and the blade approached the man¡­¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s enough!¡¹ A loud voice echoed inside the room just before the blade the Death Scythe came into contact with the man¡¯s magic sword . Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Legend Chapter 62 Rei was suddenly attacked when he entered the lord¡¯s room . Guessing the identity of his assailant, he fought back in the lord¡¯s room to show his ability and was about to deal a fatal blow . At that point, Margrave Rowlocks, the lord of the city of Gimuru, called out to him . Flying through the air, the man that was hit by the handle of the Death Scythe made a defensive fall to to the floor . However¡­¡­ . ¡¸Gueh!¡¹ At any rate, even though he was wearing armour, he was still hit with the handle of the Death Scythe, which weighed over 100kg . Moreover, Rei had struck with his full strength . Being able to break the armour was enough proof of its power . The man who landed on the floor crouched down, holding his side in pain from the impact of landing . ¡¸Kuust-dono, call someone who can use healing magic at once . ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not necessary . ¡¹ The man, who was called Kuust, removed his helmet, revealing a someone in his twenties with a handsome face and orange hair . He declined Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ words as his focused his mind while holding his side . ¡ºWater, show mercy and heal my wounds . ¡» Blue light gathered in his hand¡­¡­ ¡ºBlue Healing . ¡» Completing the healing magic, the light was drawn into Kuust¡¯s side . Kuust maintained this position for several seconds but stood up before long . ¡¸I showed you a disgraceful scene . I¡¯m fine now . ¡¹ ¡¸Hoh~ . You can use water healing magic . Should I say, as expected . ¡¹ ¡¸Now that I am that person¡¯s guard, healing magic is indispensable . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Oh, I almost forgot . I am the lord of this city of Gimuru . ¡¹ Nodding at Kuust¡¯s words, Margrave Rowlocks introduced himself to Rei . Rei wasn¡¯t quite accustomed with what to do and gave a bow as he spoke . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, a D rank adventurer . I was called here for an appointment today . Anyhow, as I grew up in the mountain depths, I hope you can overlook my impolite wording . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, you don¡¯t need to mind that . Rather than that, take a seat . From here on, I¡¯ll give a detailed description about the request . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s consciousness was that of Saiki Reiji, a Japanese who was brought up and lived in Tohoku . If anything, it was basically near the heart of the mountains . Of course, his words were appropriate but not quite adequate for nobles¡­¡­fortunately, as he was a former soldier, Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ character didn¡¯t seem to be one who was worried over the details of etiquette . ¡­¡­However, on the other hand, Kuust turned his eyes at Rei with some suspicion . ¡¸No, don¡¯t sit down on that sofa . Please wait a moment . ¡¹ When Margrave Rowlocks looked at the backrest of the sofa which had been split in two by Rei¡¯s Death Scythe, he said that while ringing a bell that was put on the desk . As soon as he did so, there was a knock on the door and a person that looked like a butler entered the room . ¡¸Did you call?¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . The sofa isn¡¯t of any use anymore . Replace it with something that can be used . ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly . ¡¹ The butler gave a quick bow before leaving . A few minutes later, three workers took out the sofa that Rei had destroyed and brought in a new one . After that, they gave a bow and silently left the room . Margrave Rowlocks saw them off and spoke to Kuust and Rei again . ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll explain the request immediately . But first, introductions . Though I said this earlier, I¡¯m the lord of the city of Gimuru, Daska Rowlocks . ¡¹ Margrave Daska Rowlocks introduced himself while moving to a luxurious desk, which seemed to be his work table . In response, Kuust spoke up . ¡¸Kuust Brassin . I serve as the commander of Elena-sama¡¯s military escort . ¡¹ (I see, a surname . In other words, this man, Kuust, is a noble . ) You¡¯re next, Kuust seemed to say as he looked at Rei . Seeing that, Rei spoke up similarly . ¡¸I¡¯m a rank D adventurer . Rei . ¡¹ Unlike the other two, Rei no title and made a brief self-introduction . ¡¸So, as for the important matter of the request¡­¡­Kuust-dono, the details . ¡¹ Nodding at Daska¡¯s words, Kuust turned to Rei . ¡¸Listen up, this is an extremely simple request . We will be taking Elena-sama, Duke Kerebel¡¯s daughter, to a dungeon in the vicinity of Gimuru . We have to take her to a place called the Altar of Inheritance, which we have been told is in the lowest layers of the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Altar of Inheritance? That is?¡¹ Though he didn¡¯t remember hearing about the Altar of Inheritance before and asked about it, Kuust gave a scornful laugh . ¡¸Even if you are a person that Margrave Rowlocks recommended, a mere adventurer can¡¯t just ask things . You should just handle the work you have been given in silence . ¡¹ Though Rei frowned his eyebrows slightly, he continued to listen as Margrave Rowlocks was here . ¡¸In other words, I should think along the lines of being a literal guard?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Other than that, you don¡¯t need to do anything else . ¡­¡­Moreover, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be needed as a guard for Elena-sama as me and the rest of the guards will be there . It¡¯s only because Margrave Rowlocks said so that you, who isn¡¯t a noble, can follow us . ¡­¡­Listen up, don¡¯t have any misunderstandings . You are merely an addition, you do not need to take unnecessary action . If you follow us quietly, you will receive the request reward . There will be no complaints . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kuust-dono, isn¡¯t that a bit unfair?¡¡In the first place, didn¡¯t Duke Kerebel tell me to only prepare adventurers of rank D?¡¹ ¡¸No, that I know . But, couldn¡¯t you have at least prepared an adventurer from the nobility . ¡¹ Reproving Daska¡¯s words, Kuust answered vehemently, showing his dissatisfaction . However, Daska shook his head . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but Kuust-dono, as you know, this is the frontier . Therefore, an adventurer¡¯s family social standing is disregarded, only their ability is important . ¡¹ ¡¸Margrave Rowlocks!¡¡You are not allowed to disregard nobility!¡¹ Daska shook his head again while telling Kuust that there was no merit in nobility . ¡¸Calm down, Kuus-dono . There are certainly capable nobles in the Imperial Capital, and a noble might occasionally work as an adventurer . But as I said, this is the frontier . In the first place, the number of nobles here is small, and from those nobles, the ones with ability are even fewer . Then you have to think about their actual combat power . Can Kuust-dono, who serves Duke Kerebel, a central figure in the Nobles faction, not understand?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­yes, I understand . ¡¹ ¡¸What is necessary for an adventurer in the end is their ability . You have tasted Rei¡¯s abilities the hard way just before . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . ¡¹ ¡¸And finally, this person is followed by a Griffon, an A rank monster . Do you still have any complaints?¡¹ ¡¸No . I will gratefully receive Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ kindness . Then, I apologise, but I must leave here to ready preparations to meet Elena-sama tomorrow . . ¡­¡­Hey, Rei . It is necessary for you to meet the other members and Elena-sama . Come down to the front gate when the 9 AM bell sounds . ¡­¡­Come with your Griffon . However, I will not permit you to be rude to Elena-sama . ¡¹ Glancing at Rei, as if looking down on him, Kuust said that before leaving the room . Although Margrave Rowlocks had given instructions as the lord of this city, Kuust couldn¡¯t stand that he, who was a noble, had to act together with Rei . (Damn, why must I take care of this commoner . But a Margrave is a Margrave . To bring a person of unknown birth near Elena-sama¡­¡­what is he thinking?¡¡Does he intend to do what Vel was concerned about and use this opportunity to chip away at the power and strength of the Nobles faction?) A story that he had heard before leaving for the city of Gimuru from his colleague, Vel, passed through his mind . In other words, Margrave Rowlocks may be plotting something against Elena this time . Therefore, consulting with Duke Kerebel, they requested a D rank adventurer to accompany Elena in the case that there was an emergency situation¡­¡­ (His combat strength cannot be considered D rank . In terms of ability, he¡¯s rank B¡­¡­no, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to call him rank A . On top of that, he¡¯s accompanied by a Griffon, an A rank monster . ¡­¡­It¡¯s dangerous . It would be best for Vel to take Elena-sama back after she arrives . ) Kuust remembered the figure of his colleague, who was familiar with underhanded work, in his mind . Originally, it was planned for his subordinates to arrive ahead of Elena rather than he, who was the commander . However, Kuust was ordered to go ahead first to show his sincerity to take care of Elena for the near future . Though at first, he felt that it was a blow to his prestige to have to leave Elena¡¯s side, he now knew from personal experience that this city of Gimuru was a dangerous place . It was probably a good thing that he kept this in his mind rather that saying that out . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . ¡¹ Seeing Kuust disappear from the room, Daska gave a brief apology to Rei . Though most nobles would rarely apologise to commoners due to the difference in social standing, Margrave Daska Rowlocks had a different nature and did so without a second though . However, it was because he was such a person he was endeared to everyone in the city of Gimuru . ¡¸No, I don¡¯t mind it as that attitude is probably normal among¡­¡­nobles¡¹ ¡¸Kukuku~ . You seem to be very poor in etiquette . ¡¹ Daska smiled and didn¡¯t bother to rephrase Rei¡¯s words . However, he soon put on a serious expression and spoke up . ¡¸However, since you¡¯ve reached D rank, there may be a possibility your acquaintances in nobility will increase . If we just talk about your abilities, it is already B or A rank . You should become familiar with our etiquette before it is too late . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . However, even if I¡¯m capable, isn¡¯t it dangerous for two people to meet like that for the first time?¡¹ ¡¸That wasn¡¯t my idea, although it might be better for you to think that way¡­¡­well, something like that . Anyhow, I¡¯m not so good with words myself . So, what was it . Though this was a dangerous way to meet each other¡­¡­you probably noticed?¡¹ Daska glanced at the door, ceiling and floor that connected to the neighbouring rooms, subtly directing Rei . With that, Rei felt signs of life from those places, looking at him as if they wanted to kill him . ¡¸After all, D rank isn¡¯t the right evaluation for you . Even Kuust-dono, who leads Miss Elena¡¯s escort, should have noticed . ¡¹ Daska saw Rei¡¯s looks and gave a wry smile . ¡¸So, right . Now that Kuust-dono has gone, I¡¯ll get straight to the main subject of the request . As Kuust-dono said earlier, it appears to be true that Miss Elena¡¯s goal is the area called the Altar of Inheritance that is near the lowest layers of the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why would someone called the General Princess bother to go to a dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Well, not even I know the details . However, to come all the way from the Imperial Capital to the frontier to go to a dungeon, there must be some reason for them to head for the area known as the Altar of Inheritance . So, the problem is that the area know as the Altar of Inheritance is near the lowest layers . In other words, to reach there, you have to keep clearing through the dungeon¡­¡­Rei, do you have any knowledge about dungeons?¡¹ Being asked that, Rei recalled the contents of the book about dungeons that he had read recently . ¡¸It is created for some reason when magic power gathers and forms a physical nucleus . The monster that gains power from the nucleus becomes a boss monster and the dungeon will slowly expand until the boss monster is defeated . The expansion of a dungeon will stop if the boss monster is defeated . Finally, the dungeon will collapse if the nucleus is destroyed . However, it was written in the book that materials, ore and valuable items will no longer be found in the dungeon if the nucleus was destroyed . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s more or less correct . So, the boss monster in the dungeon that Miss Elena is heading for hasn¡¯t been subjugated yet, it¡¯s the reason it¡¯s a so called ¡®living dungeon¡¯ . Because that, there are many dangers . That¡¯s why I nominated you to support the escort . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are there any maps of the dungeon?¡¹ If it was the upper layers, dungeon maps for them were normally sold in the guild . However, for maps of lower layers where monsters with profitable materials, high quality ore or valuable medical herbs could be found, the people who knew would often monopolise the information . It wasn¡¯t possible for low ranking adventurers to know about them . But . ¡¸They have prepared for that here . Though as expected, there are no maps for the lowest layers regarding the Altar of Inheritance, they are prepared for down to the middle layers . However, information is valuable . Only one map has been prepared and because of that, Miss Elena, who is the leader of this search, will have it rather than you . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . A map will help us to some extent . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m relying on you . Honestly, there are too many unclear factors in this request . Even if she¡¯s called the General Princess, the fact is that Miss Elena only has experience on the battlefield . Yet the escort only has a few people and the only adventurers I can send have to be rank D . This is too blatant to be doing something behind our backs . ¡­¡­However, if by any chance Miss Elena dies during this request, I will not be able to escape responsibility . ¡¹ ¡¸But, hasn¡¯t the other side made an unreasonable demand?¡¡That is, I wouldn¡¯t think there would be a problem if made Axe of the Thunder God go with them¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s impossible to do that, I am in a position below the Duke . ¡­¡­Honestly, even if I say that I trust your combat strength, I feel that this is a harsh request to give you even though you¡¯ve just been promoted to rank D . However, I have to rely on you . It¡¯s neither for your sake or for mine . It¡¯s for the sake of not letting the Nobles faction interfere with the city of Gimuru . I want you to succeed in this request although it will be difficult . ¡¹ Daska bowed his head again . ¡¸Please raise your head . Because it would be a problem for me if strangers meddled with the city, I will do my best . ¡¹ In this way, Rei was irresistibly caught up in the troubles of the nobles . Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Legend Chapter 63 On the road leading to the city of Gimuru, a carriage had currently stopped . ¡­¡­Yes, stopped rather than fled . If you could see the area beside the highway, anyone would understand . A battle between monsters and humans was currently being fought . Though it was a common occurrence for people traveling along the highway to be attacked by monsters, this time it was different . Normally, the monsters were the attackers and the people were the ones fleeing . But this time, it was the people who were attacking¡­¡­no, a single person was trampling them . ¡¸Wretched Orcs, lament over your bad luck of attacking us as you die!¡¹ The girl said so while swinging a large weapon . The weapon was slightly longer than an long sword and looked like an ordinary sword . However, when wielded by the woman, the tip of the sword extended out, bending like a whip . There were also blades at intervals along the whip . It was a so-called sword whip . Though it was normally a magic item that required advanced skills to use, the girl wielded the sword whip as if dancing . TLN: Technically it¡¯s not a true sword whip but a retractable one . It¡¯s basically a sword that can extend and turn into a sword whip with magic . A beautiful girl was dancing beautifully . Her features were like a work of art and her sharp eyes displayed her strength and determination . She had a sex appeal particular to girls in their late teens who were nearing womanhood . In addition, she had luscious blonde hair with the golden threads stretching from her head to the the middle of her back . The ends of her hair were rolled up in the drill hair hairstyle . Like her sword whip, the amour covering her body was also a magic item . It¡¯s effect was to grant the wind¡¯s blessing, increasing the speed of the person who had it equipped . It also gave the ability to read the wind . Her golden cape, that matched the colour of her hair, was a magic item that protected her back, providing the effect of danger perception . On her feet, she wore Shoe¡¯s of Sleipnir that allowed her to make several steps into the air . The necklace that she hung at her chest increased her magic defense, sandwiched between two big hills which wouldn¡¯t cease to draw the eyes of men . Admirably, the girl who was covered with magic items wasn¡¯t relying completely on the effects of the items but had mastered how to use them . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, don¡¯t you want to obtain me?¡¡Then show your power!¡¡I will never leave my body to a man weaker than myself!¡¹ TLN: Ehh¡­¡­so basically, she¡¯s a battle junkie . Shouting like so, the girl wielded her sword whip . Fiercely, she whirled the sword whip around as if dancing . Though he realised it was aiming for his life, the Orc still lost his life while admiring the good looks of the girl . Blood splattered and several drops of blood fell onto her white skin as she forcefully cut off the neck of the Orc . The blood only became makeup, highlighting the beauty of the girl . Her figure was beautifully brilliant but also cruel . She also had the charisma and dignity of a commander that drew people¡¯s eyes . She could be described as both the god or goddess of war and the goddess of beauty . Yes, the girl who had just taken down more than 10 Orcs by herself was Elena Kerebel . The daughter of Duke Kerebel, who not only won fame for her activities in Mireana Kingdom but the Bestir Empire as well . She was a famous person known as the General Princess within neighbouring countries . Two knights watched their boss from a short distance away . ¡¸As expected of Elena-sama . Orcs are nothing much . ¡¹ The female knight watched Elena, who seemed to be hunting Orcs while dancing, with an enchanted expression . She was in her late teens, a little younger than Elena . Her name was Ara Skarlay, one of the members of Elena¡¯s escort . Her surname indicated that she was a noble, she was the third daughter of the Earl Skarlay, who belonged to the Nobles faction . ¡¸Ahh, our Miss is beautiful but also scary, or should I say that she¡¯s beautiful because she¡¯s scary¡­¡­¡¹ A knight in his early twenties, Vel Sails, gave a wry smile in amazement . He was also a member of the escort and was the second son of Viscount Sails, who also belonged to the Nobles faction . Along with Marquis Brassin¡¯s second son, Kuust, these two people made up Elena¡¯s escort and were heading to Gimuru on the orders of Duke Kerebel to protect her . ¡¸Still, Orcs appearing on the highway¡­¡­it¡¯s strange that even Orc Archers and Orc Mages appeared . ¡¹ Ara muttered while looking admiringly at Elena . Vel heard those words and replied in his usual light tone . ¡¸I heard that there recently was a subjugation force sent out from Gimuru to destroy an Orc village nearby, perhaps these are the survivours . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You, even knowing the events in such a remote frontier . ¡¹ Vel had a wry smile as he saw the look of surprise on his colleague¡¯s face . ¡¸Naturally . I have to gather information as it is the city we¡¯re heading for, as the person working behind the scenes . The city of Gimuru isn¡¯t part of the Nobles faction but the Neutral faction . Moreover, it¡¯s the territory of Margrave Rowlocks, who is regarded as a big shot in the faction . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . We can¡¯t neglect gathering intelligence in order to protect Elena-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, because Elena-sama is stronger than all of us together, there¡¯s not much meaning to an escort . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey you-!¡¹ Facing Ara who shouted at him, Vel turned his eyes to Elena to change the topic . ¡¸Look there, the fight will be over soon . We will be late to arrive in the city of Gimuru if we are delayed cleaning up . I also want to collect some of the magic stones of the Orcs Elena-sama defeated . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to collect the Orc materials in particular . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say that . You know, if we take the magic stones and sell them at the city of Gimuru, don¡¯t you think we will be able to raise our familiarity a bit?¡¹ ¡¸Then, is just the proof of subjugation fine?¡¹ ¡¸Well, as for that¡­¡­at any rate, we haven¡¯t registered with the guild . It would be silly to register with the guild just to sell the proofs of subjugation . ¡¹ ¡¸If you say so, it¡¯s so . But even if you don¡¯t belong to the guild, you can still sell the proofs of subjugation . ¡¹ While Ara nodded, Elena, who had wiped out a small party of Orcs without a scratch, approached them . Rather than the colour of fatigue on her face, her breath didn¡¯t even seem to be disturbed . However, the colour of her cheeks were reddened slightly due to the intense activity she had done . The violence had only seemed to increase her sex appeal . Though the person herself wasn¡¯t interested in love, her appearance gave off an appeal that would attract many people . It was an unfortunate thing for both her and the people around her . ¡¸Should I say, as expected of the frontier . I did not think we would come across such a group of Orcs along the highway in the middle of the day . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your hard work, Elena-sama . Have this . You have blood on your cheek¡­¡­¡¹ Ara gently held out a silk handkerchief . ¡¸Thank you Ara . ¡¹ While gently wiping the blood off her cheek with the silk handkerchief, she called out to Vel to cut out the magic stones from the heart in the Orcs¡¯ chests . ¡¸Vel . Though it¡¯s fine to recover the magic stones, do it quickly . It will be troublesome if other monsters smell the Orcs¡¯ blood and approach . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll finish it at once . ¡¹ Following her orders, Vel skillfully removed the magic stones from the Orcs . Looking from the side, you could tell that he was experienced with the work . That was natural . After all, they had been attacked many times on the way from the Imperial Capital to the city of Gimuru . After subjugating them, he would take the magic stones from the corpses . His finesse was not inferior in comparison to adventurers . Showing his deftness, Vel quickly finished taking out the magics stones from over 10 Orcs and casually tossed them into the bag that held the magic stones from all the other monsters . ¡¸Elena-sama, the magic stones have been collected, let¡¯s leave this place . As Elena-sama said, it will be troublesome if new monsters come, attracted by the smell of blood . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~, let¡¯s do that . There¡¯s still some distance to the city of Gimuru . You two keep it up for a little longer . ¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying . If I¡¯m at Elena-sama¡¯s side, I¡¯m always fine!¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, Ara is in high spirits . ¡­¡­Vel, are you ready?¡¹ ¡¸There doesn¡¯t seem to be any damage to the carriage . ¡­¡­As expected, it¡¯s impressive . ¡¹ Vel glanced at the carriage for an instant . At first glance, this carriage looked like an ordinary carriage . There were few people who could tell that it was actually an advanced magic item . This was because it was given the effect of concealment to stop it from gathering attention . It had also been altered by space magic and held a luxurious 30 tatami room inside . Moreover, because the carriage itself had be reinforced with magic, it was very sturdy, arrows and blades are basically useless against it . It could grant the effect of boosting the abilities of the horses pulling the carriage and the horses pulling the carriage were outstanding warhorses, even for the Mireana Kingdom . As for the carriage, it could be called something along the lines of a moving fortress . It also had the effect of detecting hostility, which was how they had avoided the surprise attack of the Orcs . TLN: 30 Tatami is about 50m^2 All of this was part of Noblesse Oblige . Duke Kerebel, to protect his beloved daughter, who fulfilled her obligation as a noble by casting herself into the battlefield, gathered all the eminent mages and alchemists to produce custom magic item without regard to the cost . Following Vel¡¯s glance at the carriage, Elena gave a small nod . ¡¸Umu~ . I have to thank father for this . It¡¯s because of it that we can travel along frontier highway with these kids without worrying . ¡¹ While saying that, Elena stroked the two warhorses that were pulling the carriage . ¡¸Bururururu!¡¹ As it was stroked, the warhorse gave a small neigh as it seemed to smile comfortably . ¡¸It¡¯s just a little more to the city of Gimuru . Do your best . ¡¹ After saying that, Elena entered the carriage . Ara followed after her and entered the carriage as well . Vel sat in the driver¡¯s seat of the carriage and started moving . There were many elaborate items of furniture arranged inside the carriage, made with the best technology available . This was also prepared by Duke Kerebel, who as a father, was worried for his daughter going out to a dangerous place and wanted to let her be able to relax . While waiting for Elena to sit down on the sofa, Ara brewed some tea in the simple kitchen, which was also a magic item, inside the carriage . ¡¸Kuust, I wonder if he¡¯s fine?¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ While placing the freshly brewed tea on the table in front of the sofa where Elena was relaxing, Ara murmured . ¡¸You know, if Kuust is talking with another noble, he¡¯s quite polite, but he gets bad mannered if the other party is not a noble . I don¡¯t want to cause too much of a commotion where we go, as it is the territory of a noble from the Neutral faction and not one from the Nobles faction that Elena-sama is part of . ¡¹ ¡¸Ara . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¹ ¡¸My father is certainly a central figure in the Nobles faction . However, I¡¯ve said myself many times that this doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m part of the Nobles faction . ¡­¡­Moreover, I¡¯m not part of the King¡¯s faction or Neutral faction either . ¡¹ As if the fierce fighting earlier was a lie, Elena said so while gracefully carrying a cup of tea to her mouth . Seeing the difference manners from before, Ara let out a sigh while admiring her boss . ¡¸Elena-sama, I¡¯ve said this several times before but other people automatically consider you to be part of the Nobles faction because your father, Duke Kerebel, is a central figure in the Nobles faction . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Being a noble is such a troublesome thing . ¡¹ ¡¸When Elena-sama says that while faithfully doing the obligations of the nobility, those words have great persuasive power . ¡¹ Placing a plate of cookies that had been prepared onto the table, Ara put on a wry smile . ¡¸I know my obligations as a noble . Because we live off taxing people, I will not hesitate to dedicate myself to protecting the people . However, I have no desire to put my hand into the power struggle . ¡¹ ¡¸However, because of your relation to Duke Kerebel, who is an influential person in he Nobles faction, Elena-sama¡¯s existence has already become a symbol of the Nobles faction . ¡¹ To Ara¡¯s words, Elena brought a cookie to her mouth while smiling bitterly . ¡¸General Princess . Honestly, I find it to be an old nickname . ¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying . That fight where Elena-sama defeated the general of the Bestir Empire in single combat has already spread through the entire Mireana kingdom, let alone the Nobles faction . ¡¹ ¡¸That story aside . Our future schedule is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes . When we arrive at the city of Gimuru, we first have to meet with Margrave Rowlocks . After staying the night at the lord¡¯s residence, we are scheduled to immediately leave for the dungeon the day after . ¡¹ ¡¸The dungeon is it . ¡­¡­The Altar of Inheritance . I really didn¡¯t think such a thing would be discovered . ¡¹ ¡¸I agree . Fortunately, no one in the city of Gimuru seems to be aware of its true value . ¡¹ ¡¸The biggest problem is whether or not we can get there safely¡­¡­should we employ a thief in the city of Gimuru?¡¡Even if you say Vel is familiar with those skills, this will be the first time we will be going to a dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸Though I think so as well¡­¡­anyhow, Vel said it would be okay himself . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm . ¡­¡­Adventurers in a frontier city . There may possibly be people stronger than me there . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama¡­¡­I want you to stop openly declaring that you would entrust yourself to anyone who could defeat you . ¡¹ Even Ara, who idolized Elena, spoke up saying that it was not allowed . Good looking and accomplished in both literary and martial arts . Because she excelled compared to others, Elena was convinced that to be her partner, the other party had to be better than her . She, who was called the General Princess, openly declared that her partner had to be stronger then her . Of course, when the young noblemen heard that they could get Duke Kerebel¡¯s daughter, the beautiful Elena, as their wife by defeating her, one, then tens, then hundreds of people challenged her and were defeated Elena . Because of this, Elena was convinced that a partner appropriate for her would not appear in the near future . ¡­¡­However, Elena didn¡¯t know that her encounter with that person, which could be said to be their destiny, would be in this remote city . And where, for the first time, she would gain awareness as a girl . TLN: I know, I know, it¡¯s a bit cliched . But it¡¯s been 63 chapters, it¡¯s about time isn¡¯t it? Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Legend Chapter 64 The day after his first meeting with Kuust at the lord¡¯s residence, as promised, Rei headed for the main gate before the 9 am bell . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Of course, Set was with him . Though adventurers and city residents approached them as usual along the main street, because they were meeting the Duke¡¯s daughter today, he gave short greetings instead of the usual conversations as he headed for the main gate . ¡¸Oh, Rei-kun . Do you by any chance know who those people are waiting for over there? ¡¹ As he handed over his guild card and the Necklace of Subservient Monster as usual, Ranga asked him . While asking that, Ranga turned his eyes to the people he were referring to . The lord of the city of Gimuru, Daska Rowlocks, was there . Kuust, the commander of Elena¡¯s escort, could also be seen there . Naturally, they weren¡¯t the only people . About 10 guards were also next to them . Daska had put on luxurious clothes, suitable for a lord . Though what Kuust wore were also luxury goods, it was inferior to what he had worn the day before . After all, the armour that Kuust had worn the day before had been destroyed by Rei¡¯s Death Scythe . The armour that Kuust was wearing now was probably one that had been hurriedly prepared . (Still, should I say as expected of his financial power to procure an armour of that level . ) Though it certainly might look inferior on the outside to the one that was destroyed yesterday, as it attracted Rei¡¯s eyes, it was probably a magic item . ¡¸So?¡¹ He nodded at Ranga¡¯s question as he took his guild card back . ¡¸That¡¯s not wrong . ¡¹ ¡¸I thought so . However, it¡¯s probably better to not carelessly say things to Kuust . He seems to have a lot of pride . ¡¹ Being advised like that, he guessed that Kuust probably caused some sort of commotion at the main gate earlier . ¡­¡­However, the advice had come too late for Rei, who had literally beat Kuust up the day before . ¡¸That¡¯s a bit late . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, why is that?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . Something happened yesterday . ¡¹ Saying that after receiving his guild card back, he went out the front gate towards Daska and Kuust with Set . When everyone near Daska saw Set, they reflexively readied the swords and spears in their hands . It was the same for Kuust, he quickly readied the magic spear in his hands . ¡¸Stop it!¡¡¡­¡­My bad Rei . These people are my guards . ¡¹ Daska ordered the surrounding people while calling out to Rei with a wry smile . ¡¸No, it¡¯s my fault for approaching without calling out . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong?¡¡Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head to the side . Rei stroked his head while telling him it was nothing . Set gave a happy cry from his throat . ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s pretty tame . It¡¯s just as I heard from the stories . ¡¹ Daska muttered with an impressed voice as he gave a glance at the man next to him . Looking over there, there was a man in his middle ages . He gave off the feeling of having forged both his muscles and mind . Though Rei didn¡¯t know, the man was called Torenma and served as the deputy commander of the knights that protected the city of Gimuru . Torenma understood his lord¡¯s, Daska¡¯s, glance and spoke up to Rei . ¡¸Rei-dono, that is, I¡¯m a bit interested in your monster . If your Griffon is okay with it¡­¡­Set, was it, may I touch it?¡¹ (¡­¡­I see, does he want to confirm if Set will really obey me? Although lord Daska wanted to test it himself, did he ask his subordinate to do it because it is difficult because of his position?) Rei was roughly able to understand the exchange in looks with Torenma and nodded . ¡¸Ahh, no problem . There¡¯s no problem if you stroke him normally . ¡­¡­If you stroke him normally that is . However, remember that Griffons dislike humans trying to do bad things to them . ¡¹ To Rei¡¯s hinting words, Daska understood Rei¡¯s aim and glanced at Torenma again . Torenma received the glance and merely stroked Set¡¯s back as Rei had said . ¡¸Hou~, so this is your prided Griffon . I see, It certainly is a stunning Griffon . ¡¹ Kuust interjected as soon as Torenma went away . Though his words were praising, he still had a condescending look in his eyes towards Rei . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ In response, Set gave a grumpy cry . ¡¸Unfortunately, it seems Set doesn¡¯t favour you . ¡¹ ¡¸You, what did you say?¡¡You, a commoner talking back to people¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Kuust-dono, let¡¯s leave it at that . Rei as well . Both of you will be working temporarily with each other starting tomorrow to challenge the dungeon . What will you be doing there if you¡¯re quarreling already . ¡¹ Though Kuust tried to ready his magic spear against Rei because of his attitude, he reluctantly let it go at Daska¡¯s words . At the same time, Rei held Set back, who was ready to attack at any moment . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Though Set gave a cry of discontent, held back by Rei, he could only swallow is discontent . ¡­¡­However, he still continued to glare at Kuust . Kuust, who looked Set in the eye, froze his movements for an instant . Noticing that, he clicked his tongue and muttered in his mind so as to not be heard . (Did I felt fear for a moment even though it¡¯s a tamed monster?¡¡A Griffon is an A rank monster, so unpleasant . And that guy called Rei doesn¡¯t know how to act courteously to nobles as a commoner¡­¡­to have to bring such a lowly person near Elena-sama¡­¡­such an unpleasant person . ) While looking at Kuust, Rei muttered in his mind . (Goblin Drool, Dark Night¡¯s Star, Arogan, I seem to be destined to meet these kinds of people . Well, it turned out better in the end with Arogan . ) ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What are you doing? Set seemed to ask as he rubbed his head against Rei . Rei stroked his head and told him it was nothing . Though he originally planned to give Set some of the dried meat he had stored into the Misty Ring, because he was waiting for the General Princess with the lord of the city, he couldn¡¯t do such an impolite thing . Instead, he stroked Set¡¯s head to soothe him . Daska discussed some work related matters with his subordinates while Kuust stared at the end of the highway, as if silently praying . The situation stayed like this for about 30 minutes . Then, at the far end of the highway, a carriage gradually came into view . Kuust¡¯s condescending look that he had against Rei disappeared and was replaced with a joyful face . Likewise, as the person in charge of the territory, Margrave Daska Rowlocks gave a sigh of relief . After all, he was responsible for the territory . If an incident happened here, it would be Daska¡¯s responsibility . It would become a faction conflict if an important figure of a rival faction was attacked by thieves or monsters and was injured or died . It was no wonder that the person responsible and his subordinates were relieved at their safe arrival . (Well, if she has the nickname General Princess, I don¡¯t think defeating the monsters along the highway would be a problem for her . ) Daska thought in his mind . General Princess, the proud nickname of military renown had even spread to neighbouring countries . Rei involuntarily let out a sigh in admiration when he was finally able to confirm the small carriage drawn by two warhorses . ¡¸Uwa~, that¡¯s a very splendid carriage . ¡¹ At those words, Kuust frowned his eyes slightly for a moment . His eyes showed admiration towards Rei for an instant . ¡­¡­Of course, his eyes immediately returned the condescending look had before . ¡¸Hou~, so you noticed . As expected of you . ¡¹ Daska spoke to Rei in admiration . Though he was a feudal lord now, he was originally a soldier in the battlefield . Therefore, when the magic item carriage approached, he was able to feel the large magic power from it . As for Rei, he realised it was a magic item because it attracted his eyes, the same way as when he saw other magic items . ¡¸Lord-sama, what do you mean?¡¹ However, the aides who served the lord were basically civil servants and had no knowledge regarding magic items . Because the people who noticed that the carriage was a magic item were few, one of them asked Daska, his superior . ¡¸Though you might not understand, the carriage itself is a considerably powerful magic item . ¡¹ ¡¸Really? Though I can use a bit of magic, I wouldn¡¯t think that the carriage would be a magic item at all . ¡¹ ¡¸I know right . A effect of concealment has been given to the carriage . ¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that right Rei?¡¹ The same as your robe, Daska seemed to hint . (¡­¡­Did he notice? As expected of him . ) Rei had a look of astonishment because he didn¡¯t think that the effect of concealment granted by Esta Nord, one of the best alchemists, would be seen through . Though Kuust turned his eyes to Rei for an instant at Daska¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t have the time to say anything as the carriage had nearly arrived where they were . As the carriage stopped in front of Rei, Daska and Kuust, the man in the drivers seat jumped down skillfully . The man waved his hand lightly at Kuust as he knocked on the door of the carriage . Similar to his build, he seemed to have a mild personality . Seeing the childish wry smile on the face of the man, it was easy for Rei to understand that he was one of Kuust¡¯s acquaintances . (And his body movements¡­¡­it¡¯s somewhat like Culotte¡¯s thief movements . In that case, is he the man that has the role of the thief for the General Princess?) ¡¸Elena-sama, we¡¯ve arrived at the city of Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~, thanks for your work . ¡¹ A voice was heard from inside and the door of the carriage opened . A person came out at the same time . The moment the appearance of the person could be seen, amazement spread from Daska¡¯s subordinates to the people further away, who were looking to see what was happening around the carriage . Her golden blonde hair reflected the sunlight and her looks were the most beautiful the people around here had ever seen . Though normally, someone like that would be described as a doll, her sharp eyes displaying strength of will and mind proved that she was a living human . Furthermore, even though they were covered by her armour, it could not hide her sensual rich twin hills . In addition, when she got off the carriage and onto the ground, there wasn¡¯t a noticeable difference between her eye level and the eye level of the men in the surrounding area . In simple terms, she was considerably tall for a girl . The men around her¡­¡­no, the women as well, first looked at her beauty . Then at her rich twin hills . Then finally at her tall stature . As she was probably accustomed to drawing looks from everyone around her, she looked at the surroundings without minding it in particular¡­¡­among the people around the carriage she not only looked at their faces and build but the weapons and armour they had equipped as well . Aside from that, she also looked at the cloaks, shoes and other equipment they wore . (Hou~, interesting . ) What attracted her interest was that that guy, Rei, was wearing the same Shoe¡¯s of Sleipnir that she was wearing . He was also wearing a robe which was a considerably high quality magic item . But more than anything else¡­¡­ (That person, is he really a human?¡¡It¡¯s as if an overwhelming amount of magic power took the form of a man . The fact that there¡¯s someone like this, as expected of the frontier . ) Noticing the magic power Rei possessed, she felt admiration in her mind . Magic taking human form, her thinking was coincidentally the same thought as what Firuma, the elf, thought of Rei . Then, Rei moved his eyes from the magic items Elena was equipped with to her face . Similarly, Elena moved her eyes across the magic items Rei had equipped and to his face . It was really by chance . Rei happened to look at Elena and Elena glanced at Rei at the same time¡­¡­their two glances met . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Nothing happened . The fact was that only their looks intersected each other . However, the moment Rei looked at Elena, he unintentionally gave a look of astonishment while Elena reflexively drew in a breath . From the point of view of the surrounding people, it was only a few seconds . But for the two people looking at each other, it felt like an hour . In that one instant, they both had a strange feeling about the other . Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Legend Chapter 65 ¡¸Elena-sama, is there anything wrong?¡¹ Ara, who got off the carriage after Elena, noticed that Elena had stopped moving and asked to see what she was looking at . However, Elena said nothing and just quietly stared back at Rei¡¯s eyes . ¡¸Elena-sama?¡¡What happened Elena-sama!?¡¹ Normally, Elena would respond immediately after she was called, but this time there was no response after calling her . As for how strange that was, it was obvious to Ara, who had server as Elena¡¯s escort and manager for the past few years . Almost reflexively, Ara followed the the direction Elena was looking at . There was a young man who wore a robe on his body¡­¡­no . He should be called boy as he was several years younger in comparison to herself . For Ara, who idolized Elena, she did not care whether the other person was a noble or not . But out of her respect and admiration for Elena, when she felt that Elena something had been done to Elena, she instinctively pulled out her sword from her waist and kicked against the ground, closing the distance to Rei . ¡¸You, what did you do to Elena-sama!¡¹ As the shout echoed into the surroundings, time began to move again for the people who had lost themselves while admiring Elena¡¯s looks . It was the same for Rei and Elena who had been entwined in each others¡¯ gazes . ¡¸-!?¡¹ By the time he had noticed the attack of the girl, he was already within her range . The girl swung her large sword . Sucking in a quick breath, he reflexively backed away half his body to evade the sword swung down at his shoulder . Cutting through the air, the girl¡¯s sword pierced the ground . Looking at the sword, which was nearly 20cm into the ground, it was obvious that it had been swung down seriously with the intention to kill . The moment the girl tried to pull out the sword that had cut into the ground, Rei put his foot onto the blade to hold it down . At the same time, he kicked the girl¡¯s right wrist, that was holding the sword with his left foot . ¡¸Kyaa~!¡¹ The girl gave a scream, that you wouldn¡¯t expect from someone who could bury a sword that deep into the ground, and released her grip on the sword due to the impact on her wrist . Without even looking at that, Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring and poured magic power into the blade as he spun round to cut her neck¡­¡­ Kin~, the blade of the Death Scythe made a sound as it was repelled by something that came flying out of nowhere . (What!?) There hadn¡¯t been anyone nearby aside from the girl in front of him . Quickly looking at the surroundings while thinking that, though he didn¡¯t know when she had taken it out, the figure of Elena holding what looked to be the handle of a sword was reflected in his eyes . However, it was a strange sword . Only the guard and hilt of the sword was in Elena¡¯s hand . A metallic whip with blades attached at regular intervals extended from where the blade would be in a normal sword . (That¡¯s a sword whip . ) While feeling surprise that such a fancy weapon like a sword whip from Earth would appear in Elgin, he also had an expression of astonishment on his face . After all, what it had just blocked wasn¡¯t an ordinary weapon . Made from the Magic Beast Art, it was a magic item made from the materialisation of his own magic power . Yes, it was a magic item created from an amount of magic power that even Zepairu was shock at . Furthermore, he had poured magic power into the Death Scythe when he attacked . Parrying or blocking normally was useless . Even if it was blocked by a shield, it would cut smoothly through the shield in a single strike . The only way to escape death would be to evade it . Yet an attack like that was repelled . As for Elena, she also was surprised¡­¡­no, she was struck with great astonishment . All of a sudden, one of her subordinates was attacked by a deadly strike . It was faster and stronger than any attack she had ever seen, an overwhelming attack . In fact, the hand she had used to block the attack was still numb from the impact . How many times could she block an attack like that . She felt a tingling down her spine as thought like that . (¡­¡­What is this?) Anger, fear, impatience, sadness¡­¡­it was different from any of them . Yes, it was something she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time¡­¡­delight . Though she had natural talent, Elena never neglected her training . There wasn¡¯t an opponent that she would have a hard fight against, even against generals from neighbouring countries . An opponent that could overwhelm her in a single attack . Elena¡¯s heart secretly rejoiced at meeting an opponent that could fight equally against her . However, she immediately held back the joy rising inside her and immediately spoke up . ¡¸Please wait a moment!¡¹ A dignified voice echoed into the surroundings . With that voice, the people in the immediate area, who had panicked at the situation, regained their composure . Rei sensed something in the voice and didn¡¯t take any further action but held onto the Death Scythe, ready to fight . While subtly smiling in relief at Rei¡¯s appearance, Elena spoke up in a dignified voice once again . ¡¸What happened just now was a misunderstanding . I will apologise to you at a later time . ¡­¡­Are you fine with that?¡¹ She turned her gaze from Rei to Margrave Rowlocks, who was responsible for the area as the lord of the city of Gimuru . ¡¸That¡¯s fine if you¡¯re okay with it . ¡­¡­Rei, do you have any objections?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . ¡¹ Giving a small nod at Daska¡¯s words, he made a quick glance to the side . ¡¸Set, it¡¯s okay . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At his voice, Set gave a short cry and walked towards Rei . Where had Set been? The answer was that he had been holding off Kuust, who had readied his magic spear when he saw Rei trying to attack his colleague . The moment Kuust touched his magic spear, Set had dashed in front of him without a sound and restrained him with a sharp look . ¡¸Guh!¡¹ Even if he looked down on Rei, Rei had still tamed a Griffon . Kuust grimaced at his humiliation of having his movements sealed by it . However, it was a fact that though Set was casually walking back to Rei, Kuust still couldn¡¯t move due to Set¡¯s earlier glare . Though he had his pride, Kuust wasn¡¯t stupid enough to ignore reality . ¡¸¡­¡­Griffon, is it?¡¹ As for Elena, she involuntarily leaked a voice as she saw it calmly pass by her . An A rank monster, Griffon . The monster known as the shinigami of the sky was at such a place . Moreover, unbelievably, it was following someone . ¡¸Margrave Rowlocks, that Griffon is¡­¡­¡¹ Elena asked the lord of Gimuru, who had come near enough . In response to the question, Daska gave a small nod . ¡¸That¡¯s the monster that follows the adventurer Elena-dono crossed weapons with earlier . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t studied much about Griffons but I¡¯ve never heard of one following someone . Wouldn¡¯t rumors spread if there was a person like that? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . However, it hasn¡¯t been several months since he appeared on the streets of Gimuru . The rumors might not have reached the Imperial Capital yet . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm, that makes sense . In that case, was he waiting here because he will going with us to the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I¡¯ll say this first, in accordance with your letter, this fellow meets the requirement being at least rank D . Any how, he reached rank D about a week ago . ¡¹ ¡¸Such a talented person?¡¡Ahh, I see . There¡¯s no helping it as he¡¯s only arrived in the city for a few months . No, should I say he¡¯s done well to rise to rank D in a few months . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s due to his achievements in the Orc subjugation . ¡¹ ¡¸Though I had heard rumors that Orcs had settled down in a village¡­¡­indeed, if it¡¯s him he can certainly handle Orcs . ¡¹ She nodded in agreement as her right hand, which had gone numb after repelling the Death Scythe, began to regain a sense of touch . If he had the ability to produce that much power in a single attack without difficulty, she was able to understand that he was able to fight against Orcs . ¡¸Ah . In addition, because it was said that he defeated the Orc King who led the Orcs in single combat, I can guarantee his ability . As you can see, he is also accompanied by a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸An Orc King?¡¡¡­¡­I see, that strong . To be honest, I was a bit hesitant about this dungeon exploration, this is good . I¡¯m looking forward to it . ¡¹ A feeling of joy welled up in her chest as Elena smiled . Daska saw that and, aware that his own cheeks had turned red due to the smile, cleared his throat while looking away . ¡¸Mm, ahem . So, Elena-dono . If you don¡¯t mind, we would like to enter the city soon . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, of course I don¡¯t mind . After this, will we be meeting with that person in Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ residence?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, arrangements have been made . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for that . I have to make Ara apologise . ¡­¡­Ara is smart and reasonably strong but has reacts sensitively to anything to do with me . I didn¡¯t think she would suddenly slash out like this this time . ¡­¡­Is it possible to ask about that person¡¯s name?¡¹ TLN: I¡¯m basically imagining a female version of Rhodes . Elena asked under the intention of accepting responsibility for the mismanagement of her subordinates, hiding her true feelings of wanting to know his name . ¡¸That¡¯s right . Though it¡¯s scheduled for the person himself to give a detailed introduction of himself after we arrive at the residence¡­¡­well, a name would be fine . He¡¯s called Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei, is it?¡¹ Elena spoke out Rei¡¯s name in a murmur . In that situation, Ara came over and lowered her head . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Elena-sama . Because of my selfish act¡­¡­¡¹ A bit further away from Ara, who was bowing her head, Vel and Kuust could be seen . ¡¸Hey, is that guy really D rank?¡¹ ¡¸It seems so . Honestly, aside from his strength, with his personality, I don¡¯t want to stay too close to Elena-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, his strength aside, his problematic character is a negative factor . Looking at his exchange with Ara, I don¡¯t think he will get along well with us . Is choosing another suitable person impossible?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Don¡¯t be too concerned about it Vel . ¡¹ ¡¸No, hasn¡¯t the dungeon area we are going not been explored yet?¡¡I would like to refrain from worry about the back while advancing through such a dangerous place . ¡¹ ¡¸Though I understand your meaning, any how, it was Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ personal recommendation . I will not decline it . ¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? It doesn¡¯t seem to be the usual you . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s true . If you say I¡¯m not the same as usual then I must not acting as usual . We all love Elena-sama as our superior . As you are the commander of the escort force, if you are okay with it, I won¡¯t say anything more . ¡¹ Next to the conversation that was going on in small whispers, Ara was reproved by Elena . ¡¸Ara, honestly, I am not impressed with your behaviour this time¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m very sorry . I¡¯ve inconvenienced Elena-sama¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It wasn¡¯t really an inconvenience for me . But after this, we will be formally introduced at the residence of Margrave Rowlocks . I want you to apologise properly for the earlier matter at that time . ¡¹ Elena said that while directing her sight to the man who was playing with the Griffon at a place further away . ¡¸If you say so, Elena-sama . ¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s gaze and seeing the person who had almost killed her earlier, Ara gritted her teeth and nodded . ¡¸According to what Margrave Rowlocks said, we will be entering the dungeon with that guy . You wouldn¡¯t like to enter the dungeon with an awkward atmosphere would you Ara?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¡That guy¡­¡­is it?¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . As for how strong he actually is, I think you experienced it yourself . ¡¹ At those words, Ara recalled Rei¡¯s skill from before . Remembering the attack that tore through the air, cold sweat poured down her back and forehead . In fact, if she hadn¡¯t been saved by Elena, Ara knew that her life would have really ended there . Although she felt he fell short of her revered superiour, the fact was that he was stronger than herself . ¡¸Certainly, I recognise his ability . However, his abilities stand out too much . Though I am not concerned about nobility like Kuust, can you consider choosing someone a little bit more suitable?¡¹ To Ara¡¯s words, Elena shook her head with a wry smile . ¡¸In the first place, wasn¡¯t it was father who requested Margrave Rowlocks to give a recommendation?¡¡At any rate, it will be bad if we reject someone with such significant abilities . Rejecting someone like that would be too impolite to the other side . ¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ As she raised her voice, 3 people emerged from the crowd . ¡¸Oh?¡¡What is the General Princess doing here?¡¹ A person with an innocent smile, like a mischievous boy that had become an adult, called out to Elena . Over there was a person carrying a huge magic item battle axe . Next to him was a woman wearing a robe holding a cane, looking like an intellectual . Lastly was the figure of a youth who carried a long sword at his waist . In other words, it was the A rank party, Axe of the Thunder God . ¡¸Elk-dono?¡¡It¡¯s been a while . Since the case of the earth spirits . That reminds me, Elk-dono was based in the city of Gimuru as well . ¡¹ Elena had the smiling face of someone meeting their comrade after a long time . At the same time, Elk had an embarrassed smile while his wife Min smiled faintly . However, after seeing Elena¡¯s smile, Rhode¡¯s turned his red face away . While smiling like a boy, Elk spoke up . ¡¸Ah . The city of Gimuru is my home . ¡­¡­So, what brings the General Princess to a frontier like this?¡¹ ¡¸Please stop with the General Princess, Elena is fine . As for why, father instructed me to enter the dungeon . The reason I¡¯m here is because of that . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The dungeon?¡¡Though I know that Elena is strong, isn¡¯t it another thing to enter a dungeon?¡¡¡­¡­Ahh, I see . So that¡¯s the reason you stopped by at the city of Gimuru . To hire a thief here . ¡¹ To Elks words, Elena shook his head and turned her sight to Rei, who was looking back at them with a surprised expression while stroking his Griffon . ¡¸Margrave Rowlocks recommended him . ¡¹ ¡¸He¡­¡­wait, isn¡¯t that Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you know him?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . We worked together in the Orc village subjugation . ¡­¡­I see, if it¡¯s him, then you might have the ability to manage yourselves in the dungeon . There¡¯s Set as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, may I think that as a guarantee from Axe of the Thunder God?¡¹ Surprised, Elena looked at Elk¡¯s expression for a moment, but understood immediately after recalling Rei¡¯s strength . ¡¸That¡¯s right . Though there are various awkward areas, choosing him as part of your personnel is no problem . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I have confidence in your views . ¡¹ Elk then called out to Daska, who was a bit further away from Elena and Ara, watching the conversation . ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t it Daska, what¡¯s Margrave Rowlocks doing in a place like this?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m here to welcome Elena-dono . Are you going somewhere?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . It seems that a few trolls have appeared and several merchants have been attacked . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh, speaking of that, it was raised as an urgent report . It surely is an urgent request . I¡¯m sorry to detain you, please deal with the trolls as soon as possible . We will take heavy damage if merchants stop coming to the frontier . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, you can leave it to us . Then, see you later as well Elena . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . Because of the matter about the dungeon, I¡¯ll be staying in Gimuru for a while . Let¡¯s meet up again if there¡¯s a chance . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t mind . From his open mouth, it looks like my son has a crush on you . ¡¹ ¡¸Dad!¡¹ Though he shouted to his dad who suddenly said such a strange thing, his father avoided it by laughing it off as usual . ¡¸Did you say that your son was called Rhodes? I¡¯ll say this first, the minimum requirement for me to be with him is for him to be stronger than me . ¡¹ ¡¸Kukuku~ . A man that is stronger than the General Princess, who won fame in the surrounding countries¡­¡­¡¹ Saying up to there, Elk suddenly turned to look at Rei . ¡¸That¡¯s right, speaking of that, there¡¯s Rei . Is she serious about it?¡¹ While muttering quietly in his mouth, he was about to say something¡­¡­when Min¡¯s cane swung down on his hed . ¡¸Elk, you¡¯re talking happily but I¡¯m sorry, we don¡¯t have the time for that . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, my bad . Well then, because of that, we¡¯ll get going now . Do your best to conquer the dungeon . ¡­¡­Well, with Rei there should be no problems unless a serious issue comes up . ¡¹ Saying that, Elk and Min went towards the highway, Rhodes was entranced by Elena before panicking and chasing after them . Elena saw them off and turned to speak to Ara again . ¡¸Apparently that person has been guaranteed by Elk, who is an A rank adventurer . ¡¡Do you still think there is a problem?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . If Elena-sama says so, I will follow . ¡¹ After Ara reluctantly consented, Elena turned to Daska . ¡¸In that case, Margrave Rowlocks . Can you guide us?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, I should do that . We will be a nuisance to the people passing through the main gate if we stay here forever . ¡¹ Daska nodded and gave out the order to return to the lord¡¯s residence . Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Legend Chapter 66 The lord¡¯s residence in the city of Gimuru . Currently, Rei was waiting in a room . Before entering the lord¡¯s residence, he had separated with Set at the gate . Set was probably taking a nap in the stables of the lord¡¯s residence now . The season was changing from summer to autumn . The temperature outside had become milder compared to a few weeks before . However, Set was a Griffon and he was able to spend summer and winter in his body without care . Jealous . Rei thought that while looking around the room and drinking a cup of tea that a maid had served him after bringing him here . Because this place was made as a frontier fort in case of emergencies rather than a lord¡¯s residence, there was hardly anything, if there was anything, in the dull room that would entertain Rei¡¯s eyes . ¡¸Well, I knew this already . ¡¹ Muttering, he took out the book on dismantling monsters from the Misty Ring and started to read it . Any how, after he had been guided to the of this barren room, he hadn¡¯t seen the presence of anyone else other than the patrolling guards in the corridors . No one other than the maid who had brought him tea had visited either . (I got into a fight with the General Princess¡¯s escort and almost killed them¡­¡­if anything, this service is pretty good considering that . ) Thinking like that, he quietly read his book in the room . After about an hour, the sound of knocking was suddenly heard from the door . ¡¸Finally . ¡¹ Muttering, he stored the book back into the Misty Ring and answered the door . A person who looked like a knight from the city of Gimuru appeared . ¡¸You are Rei, no doubt?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for keeping you waiting . Lord-sama is waiting so please follow me . ¡¹ Nodding at those words, Rei followed him after finishing his tea, which had gone cold . He was guided to the room he had come to the previous day . The office where he had been attacked by Kuust right after he entered . It was easy to recognise as the finely decorated door to the lord¡¯s work office was not something easily forgotten . (Surely I won¡¯t be attacked this time . ) While thinking that, he judged that it wouldn¡¯t happen as the knight that was guiding him went ahead . Following the knight, he entered the room after knocking on the door with the door knocker outside the room . ¡¸Sorry for taking so long to call you . ¡¹ Hearing Daska¡¯s apology as soon as he entered the room, Rei shook his neck . ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . That¡¯s good . Come over here . ¡¹ Daska sat down on the sofa in the room, Elena was sitting opposite . Her three escorts stood behind them so as to deal with any emergencies that might happen . While observing the situation, the three people standing behind Daska looked at him with sharp gazes . . (Because of yesterday, I can understand Kuust . Same for the girl called Ara . However, I don¡¯t recall doing anything to the man who was driving the carriage . ¡­¡­no, it can¡¯t be helped as I almost killed their companion . ) Rei moved next to Daska while muttering that in his mind . However, he noticed that aside from the three escorts, one of the looks at him was friendly to an unnatural degree . Tracing the friendly glance, it was from Elena, also known as the General Princess . She had a beauty that couldn¡¯t be forgotten after a single look and a strong will in her eyes . She had a friendly look¡­¡­or rather, as Rei felt it, an interested look . While thinking about that, he moved towards Daska and went to stand behind them at the back like the 3 escorts¡­¡­ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine . Sit next to me . ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ Commoners sitting next to nobles . Rei understood that such a thing was normally impossible . However, it was because of that that Margrave Rowlocks invited him without concern In the end, Rei was almost forcibly pulled by Daska into the seat next to him . And as if waiting for that timing, a maid put a cup of tea in front of Rei . ¡¸Well then, well, although there was a variety of incidents¡­¡­¡¹ Daska spoke up with a wry smile . ¡¸Anyway, this guy will be Elena-dono¡¯s escort this time . Elena-dono, this person, Rei, is an adventurer who will be dispatched by the city of Gimuru as your escort . As for his ability, it goes without saying as he has crossed weapons with Elena-dono . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . My hand was numb for some time after parrying that blow . A person who can make an attack like that . His strength as an adventurer is first class, I have no complaints . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much . ¡¹ Judging that there didn¡¯t look like there would be any particular penalty for the earlier matter, Rei bowed his head to Elena for taking care of it . ¡¸No, this matter occurred because of a hasty judgement . Ara . ¡¹ Called by Elena, the female knight, who had inadvertently exchanged attacks with Rei a few hours ago, took a step forward . ¡¸Rei-dono, I apologise for my misconduct for attacking you earlier based on my hasty judgement . ¡¹ Though Ara bowed her head, dissatisfaction could clearly be seen in her eyes . It was only because she was told by Elena, who she idolized, that she reluctantly apologised . However, Rei¡¯s ability was certainly not just that of a rank D adventurer . Though he couldn¡¯t bring a complaint against Ara, who held the social position of a knight, he nodded in response as he didn¡¯t feel need to blame her . ¡¸No, I also attacked back on reflex . Don¡¯t worry about it . Let¡¯s just call it even . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . Thank you very much . ¡¹ Giving a quick bow, Ara returned straight back to behind Elena . Glancing at the back of her subordinate for a moment, Elena gave a wry smile and spoke to Rei . ¡¸Rei, may I call you that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Then I will call you Rei . Don¡¯t misunderstand though, Ara doesn¡¯t have any hostility in particular for you . That is¡­¡­what should I say . Yes, she¡¯s strangely worried about me for some reason . Because of that, don¡¯t mind it too much . We will be people challenging the dungeon together in future, you wouldn¡¯t want it to get awkward over a trivial matter would you?¡¡If we¡¯re stuck in such a state, we won¡¯t survive in the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸That is true . I have the same opinion . Though I haven¡¯t entered a dungeon before myself, I have investigated it in various ways after receiving this request¡­¡­apparently, it isn¡¯t an easy place to go through . ¡¹ ¡¸That would be right . So, I want to start for the dungeon by the 6am bell tomorrow morning, are there any problems with that?¡¹ ¡¸No, Because I¡¯ve bought most of the necessary supplies this week after receiving the request, I can go at any time . ¡¹ Maybe he was unhappy with the way Rei asserted himself, Kuust interrupted with a snort . ¡¸Hmph . Any time means nothing, are you planning to leave for the dungeon with only the clothes on your back?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kuust, saying such things . You should have already seen it several times . ¡¹ He displayed the Misty Ring on his right arm to everyone around . As for what it was, Daska, who gathered information from the guild and guards as the feudal lord of the area, was the first to guess . ¡¸Hou~, is that an item box?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ Item box, hearing those words, Elena looked at the bracelet on his arm seriously . ¡¸Certainly, when you got into the altercation with Ara, you had taken that huge scythe out from nowhere¡­¡­so this is the item box . It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one . ¡¹ At Elena¡¯s impressed murmurs, Kuust scrunched his eyebrows at his inability to see that it was an item box even after seeing the Death Scythe being taken out twice . However, that was a matter of course . Item box magic items where scarce . If he hadn¡¯t seen with his own eyes that a rank D adventurer in a frontier city had one, he wouldn¡¯t have believed the story . ¡¸As you can see, my preparations have been made and I¡¯m ready at any time . Fortunately, Set is also here already as well . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Certainly, you seem to have everything ready . However, it isn¡¯t the same for us . ¡¹ To Kuust¡¯s words, Elena nodded . ¡¸As for us, we haven¡¯t completed our preparations for challenging the dungeon . ¡­¡­Rather than that, Rei . Can we transport our luggage in that item box? ¡¹ From his experience in the Orc subjugation force, Rei nodded without being troubled in particular . ¡¸There¡¯s no problem . However, because this Misty Ring is a special item box, I have to put the items in . ¡¹ ¡¸Special?¡¡In what way is it special?¡¡To begin with, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen an item box . It would be great if you could explain . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s question, he removed the item box from his arm and placed it onto the table . ¡¸In the case of an ordinary item box, everyone can use it . For example, Elena-sama can take out a potion that I put in . However, in the final processing of this item box, a special finishing was added so that it would react to the magic power of the owner . In other words, only I can take out the things I put into the item box . At the same time it isn¡¯t possible for other people to use this item box . It recognises it¡¯s owner by their magic power . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hou~ . That¡¯s great . Though there aren¡¯t many, there are also magic weapons that recognise their owner . For example, there¡¯s Kuust¡¯s magic spear . ¡¹ At those words, Elena replied while nodding with a smile . ¡¸That¡¯s right . For example, though my weapon has been deposited before entering the lord¡¯s office, if someone other than me tried to use my magic spear, they wouldn¡¯t be able to cut anything with it and would only be able to use it as a club . ¡¹ Listening to his description, Rei noticed that other than Elena, no one else had a weapon . (¡­¡­In that sense, that means that I, who have the Misty Ring, can bring weapons when meeting with people?) Rei nodded in his mind . With the Misty Ring, he was certainly able to bring a weapon to any location . In other words, it was capable of bringing out the best of it¡¯s abilities in an assassination . (Well, my purpose is collecting magic stones of monsters so there no possibility of me using it for assassinations purposes unless in extreme circumstances . ) ¡¸Anyway, because of this, I can take care of the transportation of supplies if you trust me with the item box¡­¡­what will you do?¡¹ ¡¸There are no problems for me¡­¡­how about you all?¡¹ Asked by Elena, Ara was the first to speak . ¡¸If Elena-sama trusts him, I will follow . ¡¹ Followed by Vel . ¡¸Mm, it¡¯s a bit sad but I can¡¯t trust people that I¡¯ve just met . More so because we¡¯re challenging the dungeon . I¡¯m against it . ¡¹ And finally, Kuust . ¡¸I apologise to Margrave Rowlocks, who recommended him, but I¡¯m of the same opinion as Vel . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm, then it¡¯s 2 in favour and 2 against . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama, what will you do?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, let¡¯s make it that I request Rei to do this using my authority . Though Vel and Kuust¡¯s opinions are justifiable, it will be fatal to have our movements slowed down with extra luggage while challenging the dungeon . ¡¹ There was no questioning Elena¡¯s words . The two people who objected also nodded . ¡¸For that reason, tomorrow morning, we will gather our luggage at the front gate tomorrow morning for you to collect and transport . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, we should also check with each other what kind of combat style is best . Rei, would you be able to tell me yours?¡¹ Rei nodded at the question as he returned the Misty Ring to his arm . ¡¸That¡¯s right . In my case, I¡¯m basically a magic warrior . That large scythe I displayed earlier is a magic item but can also act as a magic casting tool . As for what magic I can use, it¡¯s basically mainly fire magic¡­¡­¡¹ (As for the skills attached to the Death Scythe, I should probably tell them it¡¯s magic for now . Is it enough to tell them about Flying Slash and Magic Shield?¡¡No, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m going to a dungeon . I don¡¯t want to be suspected as being suspicious if I have to use Corrosion in an emergency . ) ¡¸I can also use some auxiliary magic, wind magic and earth magic . ¡¹ ¡¸Hou~, you can use three attributes, fire, wind and earth with auxiliary magic on top of that . That¡¯s great . ¡¹ Elena nodded in admiration though he didn¡¯t want to draw attention to himself . Ara gave a sharp look at Rei that was mixed with envy . ¡¸Other than fire, it¡¯s only to the level of being usable . As for the large scythe, it¡¯s called the Death Scythe and is the magic item that I mainly use in combat . ¡¹ ¡¸It seems to be that way . Though the effect of concealment has been granted, your robe is also a high quality item . The bracelet on your left arm also seems to be some sort of magic item and your shoes are also something I am familiar with . ¡¹ Saying so, Elena directed her gaze to Rei¡¯s feet . Rei also followed her gaze to what was worn on his feet¡­¡­ ¡¸Shoes of Sleipnir?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . It looks like they¡¯re the same . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Certainly . However, I heard from my teacher that the Shoes of Sleipnir were a considerably valuable item, you did well to obtain them . ¡¹ Rei said that while recalling his backstory . ¡¸Though no doubt it certainly is valuable, it¡¯s not an item as valuable to the extent of an item box that may not even be seen once in a lifetime . However, you did even better, Rei, to get your hands on a pair of the shoes . ¡¹ ¡¸For me, it was handed to me from my master . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you said that your master threw you out after your learning was finished? I¡¯ve heard about it to some extent from Margrave Rowlocks . After your learning, it¡¯s no wonder that you managed to improve yourself to rank D in this short period of time . ¡­¡­Now then, then it¡¯s our turn . If anything, I¡¯m similar to Rei . I¡¯m a magic warrior that is skilled in medium range combat with a sword whip and magic . My strong attribute is wind . ¡¹ (Even though she¡¯s also a magic warrior, the Death Scythe is close range . Her medium range is also clearly different from my long range when I cast magic . The ability to swing the Death Scythe that weighs over 100kg might be more reliable in combat . ) ¡¸Our fighting styles resemble each other . I would like to request a match sometime soon . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine . If there is an opportunity . ¡¹ Seeing Rei nod, Elena had a happy smile . Though Rei involuntarily admired the beautiful smile, he pulled himself back together at Elena¡¯s voice . ¡¸Next, Ara . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Elena-sama . I am a knight, my weapon is a long sword, which you saw earlier . Because I¡¯m a pure vanguard, my best regards to Rei-dono as I will likely be fighting together with you . ¡¹ Rei remembered the events that had happened in front of the main gate . Certainly, that attack that didn¡¯t seem to correspond with her delicate appearance and had the power to bury the blade into the ground . If that sword had been swung from the side against a monster, it would probably cut it in two . ¡¸Kuust . ¡¹ ¡¸As I said earlier, my weapon is a spear, I mainly serve as the middle guard for Elena-sama . I can also use a sword but it only serves a spare weapon . I also serve as the healer of the unit because I am skilled at water magic . ¡¹ He must have been greatly mortified that he had lost to Rei . Kuust¡¯s words implied that he was defeated yesterday because he was using a sword, which he wasn¡¯t familiar with . Rei felt uneasy about the journey to the dungeon while sighing in his mind over Kuust¡¯s uselessly high pride . ¡¸Vel . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m basically a rear guard that uses a bow . There are also times when I can take the vanguard using daggers, I can also use earth magic to some extent . You can think of me as something like what the adventurers call a thief . ¡¹ (Indeed, as I thought, they have a person who has the skills of a thief . Does this mean I don¡¯t need to worry about traps?) ¡¸The previous people will be challenging the dungeon along with you Rei . ¡­¡­Though it may only be a short while, my best regards . ¡¹ Rei grasped the outstretched hand . Her hand was feminine and slender, which didn¡¯t seem to suite the person referred to as the General Princess . If you grasped a sword normally and repeatedly fought in combat, callouses would form, but there were none of them . Rei guessed that it was probably due to healing magic . In this way, Rei¡¯s first meeting with Elena was concluded . The next day, the five finally departed for the dungeon . Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Legend Chapter 67 It was early morning, the day after Rei met with Elena at the lord¡¯s residence . Rei was walking down the main street in his usual getup of the Dragon Robe and the Shoes of Sleipnir . The figure of Set was next to him as usual as well . However, Set¡¯s shoulders had drooped somewhat regretfully . As they had to get to the main gate before 6am, hardly any of the food stalls along the main street were open yet . Though the kind of stalls that sold soup to those who had to work early in the morning, it was difficult to eat that while walking . Of course, though there might be places that sold sandwiches if you looked for them, unfortunately, there weren¡¯t any along Rei¡¯s path . ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing a group of night shift guards eating soup with great relish at a nearby stall, Set gave an envious cry . Rei stroked Set¡¯s head with a wry smile at the situation . ¡¸I¡¯ve been given your share of food for lunch that was prepared at the inn, it will be time for breakfast after we meet with Elena and head for the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Well, even if I say that, the box lunch for Set is only enough for one meal¡­¡­because I placed the meat from the monster we hunted up to now into the Misty Ring, we¡¯re not likely to run into food troubles . I would also like to keep hunting as we go to the dungeon for Set¡¯s meals if possible . ¡¹ Speaking like that as he continued walking, he arrived at the main gate as usual . Unusually however, it was an ordinary guard that was dealing with Rei today rather than Ranga, the captain of the guards . ¡¸Good morning . Your guild card and Necklace of Subservient Monster . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Ranga always deals with me, did something happen today?¡¹ Removing the Necklace of Subservient Monster from Set, he asked as he handed it over along with the guild card . The guard had a wry smile as he received them . ¡¸Though Captain Ranga is here most of the time, it doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s here all the time every day . Because the captain is on holiday today, I¡¯m in charge . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, I though Ranga had become in charge of me¡­¡­well, I guess maybe not . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah . Well¡­¡­to be honest, when Rei-kun came for the first time, I was surprised and scared of the Griffon, you could say I¡¯ve gotten used to it now after seeing it many times . I mean, I want to say¡­¡­¡¹ For an instant, the guard glanced at Set . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Maybe he felt it, Set tilted his head to one side and looked back at the guard . ¡¸¡­¡­Looking at his innocent appearance and staying away makes me feel like I¡¯m bullying him¡­¡­I also have a younger brother who will happily tell me about playing with Set downtown . So because that happened¡­¡­¡¹ Looking around, after making sure there was no one around other than Rei, he took out a piece of dried meat from his chest and held it out to Set . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for being scared until now . Here, a sign of reconciliation . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Set put the dried meat into his mouth while giving a small cry . The guard looked on warmly like he was looking at a child and his smile changed to a wry one . ¡¸But though I¡¯ve gotten used to Set¡­¡­this is still a bit scary . Is it possible to communicate right away with Griffons other than Set? If Gabriele approached one with his current way, he would probably be blasted away . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Certainly, it¡¯s not good to get too accustomed to it . However, in the first place, would high ranking monsters like Griffons come out to a place where there are so many humans?¡¹ ¡¸Though that certainly is so, this is the frontier so there¡¯s a chance of it happening . . ¡­¡­Yes, here . Your guild card has been checked . Take care . ¡¹ After his guild card was returned, Set gave a happy cry as they left the guard and went out the main gate . The horse drawn carriage that they had seen yesterday was already there . ¡¸It¡¯s still a bit earlier than the arranged time¡­¡­you did well to come, Rei . ¡¹ Greeting Rei and Set was the cheerful figure of Elena . Rei held his breathe for a moment as he saw her pretty face lit up by the morning sun, but pulled himself back together immediately . ¡¸Good morning, Elena-sama . I got here earlier than I expected . So, will we immediately head for the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸No, please wait for a while . Vel is running an errand and seems to be a bit late . ¡¹ (Vel, if I¡¯m not mistaken, they said he was the scout and thief of the unit . Is he investigating something regarding the dungeon?¡¡Well, if we¡¯re going to the dungeon, a thief is indispensable, I can¡¯t complain if he¡¯s late . ) ¡¸I understand . Let¡¯s wait then . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . ¡­¡­That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve wanted to do it since yesterday, but can I stroke the Griffon?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ At her sudden interest, Set looked at Elena while tilting his head . ¡¸Elena-sama!¡¡No matter what you say, it¡¯s too dangerous . Even if it¡¯s tamed, a monster is still a monster . What will we do if something happens to Elena-sama?¡¹ As Ara warned Elena, Kuust, who had ignored Rei¡¯s existence, also spoke up . ¡¸It¡¯s as Ara says . A monster is a monster . It¡¯s too dangerous to touch carelessly, even if it¡¯s been tamed . ¡¹ To the two peoples¡¯ advice against it, Elena stroked Set¡¯s head without caring as she spoke up . ¡¸However, won¡¯t we will be entering the dungeon with this Griffon?¡¡Then I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to get used to each other . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Maybe the strokes were good, Set gave a cheerful cry . ¡¸Hou~, if you look at it this way the Griffon, the shinigami of the sky, looks pretty cute . ¡¹ As Rei looked at the situation, he took out a sandwich from the Misty Ring that Lana had packed for Set this morning when they left the inn . ¡¸Elena-sama, have this . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, are you seriously trying to make Elena-sama eat such a coarse thing!?¡¹ Looking at the sandwich in Rei¡¯s hand, Kuust spat out a disgusted sigh rather than getting angry . Ara, who was nearby, looked at Rei with a confused look . ¡¸Don¡¯t misunderstand . This is a sandwich for set . ¡¹ Cutting off the other 2 people he presented the sandwich to Elena again . ¡¸If you¡¯re fine with it, do you want to try feeding him?¡¹ ¡¸Hou~ . This is interesting, I¡¯ve never fed a monster until now . Hey, Set . It¡¯s your meal . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set took the sandwich that was offered by Elena into his mouth . Elena¡¯s hand went out to Rei again . He had felt her hands the day before and they didn¡¯t appear to be those of a warrior . ¡¸Hm? Why are you staring at my hands?¡¹ ¡¸No, I was thinking that your hands are pretty beautiful even though they have the strength to parry my attack . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, you . Stop it . You¡¯ve been too familiar with Elena-sama since before . ¡¹ Kuust pointed the tip of his magic spear at Rei while saying so . However, he was stopped by Elena . ¡¸It¡¯s fine . Though I said it many times yesterday, we will be acting with him in the dungeon for a while . If he can demonstrate his ability, then that is enough . ¡­¡­However, I¡¯ll say this now but if you want to make any advances on me, do it after your strength is at least stronger than me¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that to Rei, Elena immediately saw her own hand . Yes, she was barely able to parry the attack from him yesterday . That meant¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­No, nothing at all . There¡¯s also your Griffon, Set was it?¡¡For a monster to be so friendly after being tamed is unusual . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah . Thanks to his high popularity with the children and residents in the city, everyone will come to feed him just by walking through the streets . ¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~ . Well, I understand with this loveliness . ¡¹ For several times after that, Elena received a sandwich from Rei and gave it to Set . ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Set gave a cheerful cry and Elena smiled . Although Rei was fascinated by Elena again, he pulled himself back together . ¡¸Elena-sama, anyhow, I want to be able to store all the items into the item box before Vel gets back . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm?¡¡Ahh, that reminds me . You can certainly store everything in the spare time we have now . Ara . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Should I guide him into the carriage?¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . All necessary luggage should have been placed inside the carriage . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, there are no problems . ¡¹ ¡¸Then I¡¯ll leave it to you . I¡¯ll be playing with Set for a while here . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡­¡­Rei-dono, please come . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say it¡¯s a carriage¡­¡­¡¹ Though Rei had a wondering look while listening to the exchange between the two people, because Ara didn¡¯t explain anything, he followed after her . And reaching the front of the carriage, the door was casually opened as she went inside . Rei, who followed, was dumbfounded as entered the carriage and looked around . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ Judging from the outside, it looked like a normal carriage that could seat 6 people, however what was inside was beyond his imagination . Speaking from Rei¡¯s perspective, it was more that 30 tatami in area . The furniture that was inside was expensive looking and it was equipped with a kitchen for simple cooking . ¡¸Where you surprised?¡¡This is something Duke Kerebel prepared for the Miss . It¡¯s a magic item that was created by dozens of the best alchemists from the Magic City Osus over several year for the prices of 50 light gold coins . Because it is a unique, one of a kind item, it is even rarer than Rei-dono¡¯s item box . ¡¹ Magic City Osus . It was a city state located near the center of the continent . It was the city that had the leading and eminent magician training schools . Osus maintained it¡¯s independence from neighbouring countries with the backing of the strength its magicians . Moreover, since alchemists gathered there, it was known for exporting good quality magic items . ¡¸Yes, this is certainly amazing . The reason is that the space inside the body has been expanded and fixed with space magic . You would need a highly developed technology to fix a space of this size . Furthermore, the body itself has also been given the effect of concealment to prevent others from recognising it as a magic item . It¡¯s even equipped with a magic item for use in the kitchen . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Anyhow, Elena-sama is not just wandering the battlefield as the General Princess, because she also had to do monster exterminations, Duke Kerebel arranged this to allow her to rest her weary mind and body at any time . ¡­¡­Anyway, the luggage is here . ¡¹ Seemingly satisfied with Rei¡¯s surprised look, she guided him towards a corner in the interior of the carriage . Over there was a mountain of tents, food, water, cooking utensils, potions, abnormal state recovery medicine and other items . ¡¸Certainly this is enough to share with everyone . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, because of that, we¡¯ll leave it to Rei-dono . ¡¹ Should he say as expected of the items prepared by the daughter of a marquis, most of the supplies boasted of high quality goods . ¡¸Indeed, I guess I should say . ¡¹ Whether she heard the admiration in his words, Ara nodded as if it was natural . ¡¸Of course . Because Elena-sama will be using them and not just us . Also about the time . Can you store it quickly?¡¹ Nodding at Ara¡¯s words, he stopped his movements as he noticed something when he reached for the potion . ¡¸By any chance, should I not store these and just store the body of the carriage to take them into the dungeon?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s natural question, Ara shook her head . ¡¸Because this carriage is a magic item, including the reins tying the war horses, you can¡¯t just remove the body . ¡­¡­Though I heard that living things can¡¯t be stored into item boxes, is yours different Rei-dono?¡¹ ¡¸No, I can¡¯t store living creatures . ¡­¡­However, it might be dangerous to just leave this in a place near the dungeon even if you say that it¡¯s been given the effect of concealment . ¡¹ Because people gathered near the vicinity of a dungeon, a simple town¡­¡­no, something like a village was built . To repel the attacks of monsters at night, the number of adventurers who resided there were not few . Adventurers challenging the dungeon would take a rest there, fix their equipment or sell off materials they gathered from the dungeon to merchants who wanted to purchase them . At the same time, there were also places such as stables and parking areas to leave animals and carriages there as the people went to the dungeon on foot . Rei¡¯s comment indicated that as it was an expensive magic item, some people or adventurers might get involved in a crime to earn some easy money . However Ara gave a smile . ¡­¡­Of course, if anything, the smile was closer to a grin . ¡¸As I said earlier, this carriage is an item made by the concentrated efforts of the magicians from the Magic City Osus . Do you think this magic item has no preventative measures against thieves?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I can guess from your words . ¡¹ Aside from the detailed effects, Rei was easily able to imaging that any person who tried to meddle with this carriage was unlikely to have a good experience . ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll end the talk here . Please hurry with storing the luggage soon, before Vel gets back . ¡¹ Maybe she lowered her guard somewhat when boasting about the carriage, Ara¡¯s manners softened . Though there was quite a bit of luggage, it was stored into the Misty Ring . When they finished, they left for the dungeon as soon as Vel returned . Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Legend Chapter 68 ¡¸Elena-sama, tea . ¡¹ Ara sat down after placing a cup of tea on the table in front of Elena, who was reading a book . ¡¸Umu~ . ¡¹ Elena carried the cup of tea to her mouth while turning the pages of the book . While watching this situation, Rei turned his eyes to the inside of the carriage . Even though it hardly shook and gave off the feeling that where staying in a room somewhere, they were advancing to the dungeon without mistake . ¡¸Should I say, as expected of nobility . ¡¹ To those words that were murmured involuntarily, Kuust, who was also reading a book on a couch near Elena, glanced at him for an instant before going back to his book without saying anything in particular . Though he had openly glanced at Rei when the carriage first started moving away from the city of Gimuru, after being warned by Elena, he began to treat Rei as if he didn¡¯t exist . It should be noted that the carriage was currently driven by Vel, who wasn¡¯t inside the carriage . This had been the original distribution of roles and he hadn¡¯t needed to say anything in particular before they left . Though Rei had asked if a guard at the drivers seat was necessary, Elena told him that one of the effects of the carriage was to alert the people inside when it sensed hostility . Because of that function, Rei quietly stayed inside the carriage . At the same time, as Set was walking alongside the carriage, he judged that Set would give a cry in the case of an emergency if they were attacked . On the other hand, if any monsters or bandits did attack, they would end up as food for Set or corpses left out in the open if they were bandits . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong Rei . You don¡¯t seem to be too comfortable . ¡¹ Elena called out to Rei, who didn¡¯t seem to know what to do . It was natural that Rei was unable to settle down as he had never been in such a luxurious carriage . ¡¸Because it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been in such a wonderful carriage, I¡¯m a bit tense . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, such a thing . However, it will take about 2 days to get to the dungeon . Because you¡¯ll get used to it sooner or later, you should feel at ease and enjoy the journey . ¡­¡­If you like, I can lend you a book?¡¹ ¡¸No, I also have some books for now . ¡¹ Elena nodded at his words, impressed . Books in this world are mostly hand copied, because of that, the cost of one book was quite a bit . Even the cheap ones were several silver coins . If it was the rare ones, it could cost several platinum coins . ¡¸Any how, because I learned things like combat techniques and magic at my master¡¯s place, it was necessary for me to learn about how to strip the materials of monsters I killed in order to keep working as an adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that sort of thing common for adventurers?¡¡Usually, the more experienced people would teach the newer people in the Knights . Ara, how about you?¡¹ Including the case with carriage before, Elena asked Ara in order to soften her attitude towards Rei . Though the memory of almost being killed the day before remained strong for Ara, after one night, she understood that she had overreacted and didn¡¯t keep a stubborn attitude like Kuust . (In this sense, the main problem is Kuust and Vel . Especially is Kuust¡¯s high pride as a noble, he tends to look down on people who are not part of the aristocracy . ¡­¡­If I can, I should eliminate this problem with that guy called Rei . While Elena thought about that, while pretending to read a book¡­¡­Rei turned his eyes to Kuust to see if he was planning to harm him somehow . For Elena, the person called Kuust was a very reliable subordinate if not for his particularly high pride as a noble . Even among the knights of Duke Kerebel, he possessed greater skill with the magic spear . Elena did not worry about being betrayed and could feel at rest on the battlefield with him due to his pride as a noble and his adoration towards her . While Elena thought about that, Ara spoke about her experience when she first joined the knights . ¡¸That¡¯s right . After I joined Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights, I was taught various things by the seniors . For example, advice on where the armour used for training was stored and advice about combat¡­¡­no mistake, it might have been impossible to keep up with the training if I didn¡¯t hear from the seniors . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Being in the Knights was like that, is it different for adventurers?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words,Rei remembered the time he registered with the guild . If he had been able to interact with the Claws of the Hawk, who had picked a fight with him, perhaps it would have become like what Ara had talked about . But . ¡¸Though it wasn¡¯t that there were no opportunities, I¡¯m not very good at socialising as I had grown up with just Set and my magic teacher until several months ago . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . It doesn¡¯t seem to be that way when I talk with you though . ¡¹ ¡¸When meeting with people, there are some that I don¡¯t fit in well with . It¡¯s not so with Elena-sama though¡­¡­¡¹ Rei glanced at Kuust for an instant . Elena and Ara saw that and nodded in agreement . ¡¸Well, because that¡¯s how it was at the guild in the beginning, I had no choice but to study and learn by myself . ¡­¡­However, after that, I have exchanged knowledge about adventuring with everyone from Axe of the Thunder God, who Elena-sama also knows . ¡¹ ¡¸So then, Rei, I heard that you met Elk during the time the subjugation force went to the Orc village?¡¹ Maybe she became interested, Elena closed her book while sipping her tea . Or maybe she was just taking care of Rei, who seemed to be a bit uncomfortable in the carriage . Ara noticed the interest of her superior who she revered and, with some envy, kept quiet to listen to hear the story about the Orc village subjugation, which she had heard some rumors about from Vel . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s not wrong . In fact, if Elk wasn¡¯t there, the possibility of the Orc village subjugation request failing would have been quite high . ¡¹ ¡¸No?¡¡I heard that Rei defeated the Orc King?¡¹ ¡¸The one who killed the Orc King certainly was me . But a C rank party called Scorching Wind was also there . However, cornering the Orc King to run away from the village was because of Elk¡­¡­I mean, the work of Axe of the Thunder God . ¡¹ ¡¸Please continue . ¡¹ ¡¸In the first place, Axe of the Thunder God was located at the most prominent place in the Orc village during the night attack . So they attracted and beat down all the Orcs that were in the village¡­¡­should I say as expected of an A rank party, they gathered the most Orcs and fought with them without taking a step back . Because of that, the Orcs in the village couldn¡¯t defeat Elk . Finally, the Orc King judged that there wasn¡¯t a chance of winning and tried to slip away from the village with his close aides and a few of his subordinates . Following that, Set and I found them from the sky and defeated them in cooperation with Scorching Wind, who were nearby . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Though I heard from the story that it would surely have been impossible if Elk wasn¡¯t there¡­¡­would it have been really impossible?¡¹ Zokuri~ At Elena¡¯s casual words, Rei felt an ice cold chill go down his spine . Yes, she was asking if Rei had the means to deal with the Orc village by himself¡­¡­no, she was asking if he could do it with Set and himself . However, though Rei could burn down the entire village in that case, he would have to use his magic to his greatest ability . ¡¸The incident with Ara yesterday . Though I parried that large scythe you used, it was a heavy attack . I also felt the magic power from you . If I think about it¡­¡­no, it¡¯s fine . It¡¯s pointless to talk about such things . Right?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei repressed his restlessness and tilted his head as if confused . ¡¸Well, I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about . ¡¹ However, seeing Rei¡¯s look, Elena gave a wry smile . ¡¸I¡¯m not good at expressing myself without actions, you don¡¯t seem to be good at it either . ¡­¡­Well, fine . Instead, what I want to say is, let¡¯s have a spar after we camp for tonight . ¡­¡­Do you mind?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think there¡¯s particular need to have a spar though . ¡¹ ¡¸Why not . Won¡¯t we be challenging the dungeon together after this?¡¡There¡¯s no disadvantage in knowing each others abilities . ¡­¡­I mean, we should at least find out the bare necessities . ¡¹ ¡¸Kuust should know enough about my ability . Ara would be the same . ¡¹ Hearing that, Kuust looked at Rei with an annoyed look . Ara looked at her revered superior, Elena, with a wry smile . ¡¸Rei-dono, it¡¯s impossible to stop Elena-sama so just give up . ¡¹ Ara told him it was impossible and advised him to give it up . In other words, it was already decided that he would have to fight a mock battle with her . Rei nodded with a sigh . ¡¸In understand . It certainly isn¡¯t good if challenge the dungeon in future without knowing each others abilities . I will shoulder the task . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, that¡¯s great . Well then, I¡¯m looking forward to tonight, it¡¯s not too long to wait for . Rei, you should fix up your physical condition for tonight . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . ¡¹ Just as he answered, the sound of a whistle suddenly echoed through the carriage . ¡¸This is?¡¹ It was Ara who answered Rei¡¯s curious mutter as she took her sword out of the sheath at her waist with a serious look . ¡¸Rei-dono, this is the sound that happens when someone tries to harm the carriage, it¡¯s one of the effects that has been given to it . ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, an attack?¡¹ ¡¸Maybe . We¡¯ll know if the enemy is a monster¡­¡­or not¡­¡­?¡¹ Her words were interrupted as the sound of the whistle in the carriage abruptly cut off . ¡¸Umm¡­¡­that is?¡¹ Ara was confused when the whistle was suddenly cut off . Kuust went to the window that opened to the drivers seat and called out . ¡¸Vel, what happened?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, about that . We were attacked by an Iron Snake¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡¹ Kuust went back to grab his magic spear at once after hearing Vel¡¯s words . However, Vel stopped him . ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine . Hey, can you see it?¡¹ Following Vel¡¯s glance, he saw the huge snake, twice as long as Set, with it¡¯s head crushed by the sharp eagle claws of the Griffon . Because the head of the Iron Snake had been crushed, the contents in it¡¯s skull had splattered into the surroundings . ¡¸The Iron Snake has basically been killed . ¡­¡­As expected of a Griffon . ¡¹ Iron Snake . Though it was a monster with a low E rank, it had a high defensive strength contrary to it¡¯s low attack power . Matching it¡¯s name, it¡¯s body was covered in iron like scales, it had the defensive strength to complete block the weapons of low ranking adventurers . On the other hand, hammers, clubs and axes where able to hurt it somewhat due to the destructive power of the shock injuring it internally . In contrast, despite it¡¯s high defensive power, its main methods of attack were constriction, biting and sweeping with it¡¯s tail, just like an ordinary snake . In addition, because its fangs had no poison, the monster¡¯s offensive ability wasn¡¯t something to worry about . However, with a sturdy defense and inexhaustible stamina, the resulting combination was a monster that wasn¡¯t strong but was troublesome to deal with . However, it was unable to withstand an attack from Set, who was a Griffon equipped with the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, a magic item that increased his strength, and quickly died . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set¡¯s cry could be heard as Kuust opened the door . When Rei heard the cry filled with expectation, he gave a wry smile and spoke up to Elena . ¡¸Elena-sama, do you mind if I get off the carriage for a little while to do something for Set?¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¡What, this suddenly . Will an Iron Snake come out?¡¹ Elena asked while putting her hand at the sword whip sheathed at her waist . ¡¸Set seems to have killed the Iron Snake and he is asking me to store it . ¡¹ ¡¸Store it?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s going to be Set¡¯s dinner tonight . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, I understand . I see . Food is needed because Set is a living creature . But an Iron Snake?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Though there is a variety of food for Set¡¯s meals in the item box, because of the amount he eats, it never hurts to gather some locally . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, well that¡¯s fine . Kuust . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ At Elena¡¯s voice, Kuust called out to Vel in the driver¡¯s seat to stop the carriage . Rei got off the carriage after making sure it had stopped . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei praised and stroked Set, who had pushed his head towards him, before storing the Iron Snake inside the item box . ¡¸Heh~, that¡¯s convenient . ¡¹ Vel¡¯s admiring voice could be heard as he saw the situation . Rei turned to look at Vel as he gave a piece of dried meat to Set . ¡¸Ah well . As a solo adventurer, he¡¯s more than enough help . ¡­¡­Oh, my bad . We¡¯d better get going at once . ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly . ¡­¡­You too, though it may be difficult, can you try to get along with Kuust if you can?¡¡It¡¯s because he has such a character that he has few friends . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s up to him . ¡¹ After speaking with Vel for a moment, he went back inside the carriage . (Though I thought he disliked me¡­¡­maybe not?) He left with such questions in his mind . Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Legend Chapter 69 It was the first night after departing from the city of Gimuru . Rei and Elena had left the carriage to set up camp at a vantage point before the sun had fully set . However, because Elena and Ara were going to stay inside the room in the carriage, the only people who would be sleeping outside were the three men . Kuust and Vel had set up their own tent while Rei was setting up a tent for himself a bit further away . ¡¸Sorry about that, Kuust¡¯s selfishness that is . ¡¹ Vel called out as he approached Rei, who was setting up his tent . The manner in which he apologised with a light tone while raising his hand was hardly like a noble . At the very least, there would be few people who could tell that Vel was a noble at the same level as Kuust . Though the three men were originally going to use one big tent, because Kuust strongly opposed it, Rei set up a tent that he had stored in the Misty Ring for himself . However, Rei didn¡¯t mind and rather welcomed it as he didn¡¯t want to breathe the same air as Kuust, who was clearly looking down on him . While driving tent pegs into the ground to stop the tent from falling over, Rei turned to look as Vel, who had called out in a light tone . Vel¡¯s tone didn¡¯t seem to have any feelings of avoiding him like Rei had felt back in the city of Gimuru . Rei shook his head while questioning that in his mind . ¡¸What, don¡¯t mind it . In the end, he and I are not too agreeable . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Glancing for a second, he looked at Set who was pulling the opposite side of the tent to stop it from falling over . ¡¸He doesn¡¯t get along with Set more than me . Considering the possibility of strange issues occurring, it¡¯s better to rest in a separate tent¡¹ ¡¸I feel better after you said that . You may not have seen it but Kuust has his good points . Well, he rarely shows them to people who aren¡¯t nobles¡­¡­¡¹ While talking about that, the peg was driven in and the tent completed . ¡¸As expected of an adventurer, you¡¯re accustomed to doing this . ¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ As Rei and Vel were talking, Set gave a cry and lightly pulled Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe . Rei, who understood what Set wanted from his cry, looked back to Vel ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, it seems Set is a bit hungry . I¡¯ll leave for a bit to deal with the Iron Snake I stored during the day . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I understand . I¡¯ll inform Elena-sama so take your time . You might become mentally tired if you act solo for such a long time . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I have worked in groups such as during the Orc subjugation and rank up test . ¡¹ Saying so, he moved a bit further away along with Set . At the same time, tilted his head as he remembered the conversation he just had . (Vel was certainly wary about me yesterday, there¡¯s no doubt about that . However, why has that gone in a single day?¡¡Ara was basically the same, she idolises Elena¡­¡­rather, because of her adoration, she probably let go of her caution due to a few words . However, Vel doesn¡¯t look to be such a person . Not to mention he¡¯s the thief of the party¡­¡­well, that¡¯s fine . In the end, I¡¯m only a guard dispatched by the city of Gimuru to join this temporary party, it¡¯s not necessary to poke my head into other things . ) While thinking like that, the reason for Vel¡¯s nice behaviour and conversation remained in his mind . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong, Set seemed to say as he looked at Rei . Rei shook his head slightly and took the Iron Snake out of the Misty Ring . At the same time, he took out the book that listed how to strip materials, a book that he hadn¡¯t taken out for a while . Set stated motionlessly while waiting for the stripping of the materials to be completed . The looking at the situation from the side, it looked more like a friendly dog that a Griffon with a lion¡¯s body . Rei looked through the book while unconsciously smiling . ¡¸Um, the proof of subjugation for an Iron Snake is it¡¯s fang¡­¡­haa, it¡¯s not there . ¡¹ Any how, it¡¯s head had been crushed by Set¡¯s brute strength . It¡¯s fangs had disappeared somewhere along with its head . ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, nevermind . Anyone can make mistakes . ¡¹ While stroking Set, who was in a depressed mood, he continued reading about the materials . ¡¸Material is¡­¡­its skin . Well, because its defensive power is enough to call it an Iron Snake, it can easily be used as protective gear . ¡¹ Muttering, he pulled out the Mithril Knife from his waist . As it was called an Iron Snake, he didn¡¯t use his usual knife for stripping materials . The reason was because it would be difficult to skin it with an ordinary knife blade . That way, while putting magic power into the blade of the Mithril Knife, he stuck the knife into the neck of the Iron Snake and began to skin it . Previously, Rei had been bad at stripping materials . But after Elk, the leader of Axe of the Thunder God, taught him some tricks during the Orc subjugation, his skills had progressed significantly compared to before . Although there were bits and pieces of flesh stuck to the skin, it¡¯s final condition was completely different to when he skinned the Water Bear . ¡¸Now then . Next is¡­¡­¡¹ Starting a fire with magic, he substituted some branches from trees growing nearby as skewers and roasted the meat of the Iron Snake that he had cut up with the Mithril Knife . Although the only seasoning used was salt, Set held the hot snake meat in his beak and swallowed it without caring . It should be noted that though Set ate the magic stone that was taken out, sadly, no new skills were learned . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set ate the meat that Rei cut up while giving a joyful cry . The footsteps of four people were then heard from behind . Because he knew who they were by their number, he didn¡¯t mind the looks of amazement as he handed Set another piece of roasted snake . ¡¸¡­¡­A monster that likes cooked meat . I thought for sure they only ate raw meat . ¡¹ Turning around, as expected it was Elena and the other three . They looked with surprised eyes as Set cheerfully stuffed the roasted meat of the Iron Snake into his mouth . Hearing Elena¡¯s voice, Rei threw a roasted piece of meat to Set with a wry smile . ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ The meat that flew through the air was caught in Set¡¯s beak and went into his mouth . ¡¸Because he¡¯s lived for a long time with me, he knows that the meat I grill is delicious . An ordinary Griffon would probably eat raw meat . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . Though I¡¯ve have a lot of experience fighting monsters, I don¡¯t recall any of them eating cooked meat . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Elena-sama . I remember reading in a book that Fire Dragons roast their prey with Fire Breath before eating . ¡¹ ¡¸Hou~ . I certainly did hear that there are some dragon species who have an intelligence greater than humans . That may be true if I think about it . ¡¹ Elena nodded with an interested look at Ara¡¯s words . Ara laughed happily at the fact that she was able to attract Elena¡¯s interest . While watching the situation, Rei saw that Set had finished eating the last of the Iron Snake¡¯s meat and turned towards Elena again . ¡¸Well then, Elena-sama . Did you have any reason to come all the way over here?¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . As I said during the day, I want to have a spar with you . ¡¹ Kin~, Elena flipped open the sheath of the sword whip at her waist with her finger . Even that causal gesture would attract looks from the public due to her beauty and charisma . However, Rei gave a wry smile and cut off his attraction to her before taking some distance from Elena . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ As Set looked at Rei curiously, Rei stroked Set lightly on the head and told him not to worry, before taking the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring and readying it . ¡¸I understand, a promise is a promise, I¡¯ll keep you company . ¡­¡­As this is a mock battle, using magic will have a higher degree of risk . Because Elena-sama is my employer, do you mind if we use weapons only¡¹ ¡¸Muu~, but I want to see Rei¡¯s magic abilities¡­¡­¡¹ Though Elena said that dissatisfied, Ara¡¯s words fell like thunder . ¡¸Elena-sama, it¡¯s as Rei says . What would you do if your beautiful skin got scarred!¡¹ ¡¸Well, well, calm down Ara . In the first place, isn¡¯t it Elena-sama?¡¡It wouldn¡¯t be so easy for her to get hurt . ¡¹ Although Vel replied in a light tone, a dissenting opinion came from an unexpected person . ¡¸No, I agree with Ara¡¯s opinion . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kuust, did you also eat something strange?¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, I am purely appraising his ability . Though I said it yesterday, personality aside, his abilities are pretty good . ¡­¡­No, I¡¯m saying too much . ¡¹ ¡¸That good?¡¹ ¡¸What, didn¡¯t you see the case yesterday Vel?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I saw it . You mean when Ara recklessly charged forward to cut Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡­¡­¡¹ Because no matter what she said, it was a fact that what she had done was reckless, Ara wasn¡¯t able to answer back . However, even if you said that Ara had significantly less ability as a guard than the rest of them in their group of nobles, she still had the power to fight back¡­¡­adding to that, because they had gone to a city that was ruled by a small number of people, there was no helping that she overreacted a little . ¡­¡­As to whether it was excessive was another thing . Elena, who was listening to the conversation of the three, spoke up with a sigh . ¡¸It seems better to accept Rei¡¯s opinion so as to not worry Ara . That¡¯s fine, let¡¯s spar with weapons only then . ¡¹ Unsheathing the sword whip from the sheath at her waist, Elena pointed it at Rei . Rei saw that and held the Death Scythe with both hands, ready to react at any time . ¡º¡­¡­¡» Both of them watched each others distance in silence while wating for an opportunity . Though between a sword and a large scythe, a large scythe held the advantage of reach, Elena¡¯s sword whip had the characteristics of both a sword and a whip . In terms of range, Elena probably held the advantage . (And it¡¯s also convenient in close combat as it can be returned to the form of a long sword, should I call it unfair?¡­¡­ The sword whip had close range and long range usage . Rei judged that his Death Scythe¡¯s would have the advantage at medium range . Elena thought of the same thing and wielded her sword whip at the same time Rei took a step forward . The sword blade extended in response to her movements and changed into a bladed whip as it attacked Rei . Originally, if a skilled person used a whip, it¡¯s speed could exceed the speed of sound . As for a sword whip, though it wasn¡¯t exactly a whip, it was easy to imagine it¡¯s speed as Elena wielded it . ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Rei was only able to react simply because his five senses and physical abilities were much better than an ordinary human¡¯s . He wielded the Death Scythe with almost reflexive movements as he parried the tip of the sword whip and aimed at her body . ¡¸As expected . To block my attack so easily¡­¡­¡¹ Though Elena muttered that in admiration, Rei had a bitter smile on his lips . ¡¸Same to you Elena-sama . It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve received such an attack . ¡­¡­However, I¡¯m not satisfied with leaving it just at that, next is this!¡¹ Kicking against the ground, he closed the distance to Elena while holding the Death Scythe . In response, Elena wielded the sword whip at such a speed as to not let Rei catch his breath . However, Rei blocked everything perfectly using both the blade and handle of the Death Scythe . ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, can you only block and not evade?¡¹ Wielding the sword whip, the tip of the sword slide above the ground towards Rei¡¯s feet, as if crawling . To that attack, Rei blocked it with the handle of the Death Scythe . However, with a twist of Elena¡¯s wrist, the sword whip changed it¡¯s trajectory and went up, the tip going towards Rei¡¯s body . Parrying it again with the blade of the Death Scythe, Rei smiled . ¡¸Even if I evaded it, it can change it¡¯s trajectory like just now . At the very least, avoiding it barely is not the best thing to do¡­¡­-!¡¹ He parried the attacking sword whip with the Death Scythe as he had done before . However, the strength with which he wielded the Death Scythe was much greater than before . The sword whip was parried with enough force as to provide an opportunity when Elena tried to change it¡¯s trajectory . And Rei did not miss this chance . Quickly kicking against the ground, he entered his own range . Elena, whose range had been broken, held her desire to express her admiration as she used magic to contract her sword whip back into a normal sword to wait for Rei . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Elena parried the Death Scythe with her blade . As Elena knew the weight behind Rei¡¯s attack, it wasn¡¯t an option for her to take the blow . Because her arm had become numb after parrying an attack yesterday, in the worst case scenario, she would drop her sword whip on the ground if she took that attack head on . (Rei¡¯s attacks are certainly heavy . However, that¡¯s why there should be a chance after attacks with all his strength . ) The Death Scythe¡¯s attack was parried with the blade . Though Elena was aiming for the chance after the attack was warded off¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¹ The blade was thrown off as she tried to parry . Death Scythe continued moving without stopping . The unique ability of the Death Scythe was to allow the user to not feel its weight . Rei was able to manipulate the Death Scythe, that easily exceeded 100kg, as if he was wielding a tree branch . ¡¸What!?¡¹ Still, Elena, who was feared as the General Princess by the surrounding nations, was able to react to that attack . On reflex, she extended the sword blade with all the magic power she could use¡­¡­ ¡¸A draw, is it . ¡¹ ¡¸It seems to be so . ¡¹ The blade of the Death Scythe was touching the right of Elena¡¯s neck . As for Rei, the the tip of the sword whip had extended out and was pointing at the side of his head at the same time . ¡¸¡­¡­Such a thing, drawing with Elena-sama?¡¡It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen that . ¡¹ Ara couldn¡¯t believe it and had a look of surprise on her face . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Kuust learned of Rei¡¯s ability again and ground his teeth . ¡¸What to say . Though I thought you were skilled, for it to be to this extent . As I thought, it¡¯s a bit unexpected . Should I say, a nice miscalculation . ¡¹ While Vel spoke up in his usual mild voice, he looked at Rei with a sharp look . Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Legend Chapter 70 [Previous Chapter][Table of Contents][Next Chapter] ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s peaceful . ¡¹ Ara murmured as the carriage traveled on the road towards the dungeon . ¡¸That certainly is so . However, well, there¡¯s no need for pointless fights . ¡¹ Elena, who was reading a book on tactics, lifted her eyes up at Ara¡¯s words . The carriage had already left the highway and was advancing along a road that wasn¡¯t a road . No, to be accurate, it was a compacted dirt road formed due to people like them traveling to the dungeon . Although they were all advancing along like this, Ara¡¯s words indicated that this smooth travel was boring . Though normally, it would take about two nights to travel from Gimuru to the dungeon, the magic item carriage demonstrated effect on the warhorse, strengthening it and allowing it to pull the carriage much faster . In the first place, the warhorse pulling the carriage was an excellent horse, even for the Mireana Kingdom . It was impossible to not make good progress . In addition, if any monsters that found the carriage wanted to attack, thinking they were prey, most understood the difference in strength upon seeing Set walk along side the carriage and hid themselves . There were monsters that weren¡¯t able to see the difference in strength and still attacked, like the Iron Snake from the day before . However, that was because their intelligence was low . They were literally stomped by Set, killed and stored into the Misty Ring by Rei as food for Set . As a result of the smooth journey, at their phenomenal pace, they would likely travel from Gimuru to the dungeon in a single night . ¡¸But you know Elena-sama . If there isn¡¯t anything, I can¡¯t maintain the feeling of tension . At least, we could attack some thieves to kill time . ¡¹ ¡¸Ara, that¡¯s a bit too aggressive . ¡¹ Kuust muttered amazed as he read a book on dungeons while on the sofa . ¡¸What . Even Kuust has become used to the leisure . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, don¡¯t drag into trouble with you Ara . Because I learned about the dungeon like this it¡¯s not for leisure . ¡¹ Maybe those words raised a flag . The sound of a whistle, that had been heard several times before, resounded through the carriage . ¡¸Because you said something strange¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t blame me . And anyway, the Griffon will tidy it up again . ¡¹ But contrary to Ara¡¯s words, the whistle that had always been stopped after a brief moment by Set during the journey, continued to sound without stopping . As expected, Kuust become a bit uneasy and stood up from the sofa to open the door to the driver¡¯s seat to ask Vel what was going on . Going that, Vel¡¯s usual light expression was gone . He had an unusual severe look on his face . ¡¸What monster is it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It might be a little awkward . ¡¹ Vel gave a brief answer to Kuust¡¯s question . With that alone, all the people inside the carriage understood that the situation wasn¡¯t simple . Kuust grabbed his magic spear and Ara, her sword . Elena also raised her hand to her sword whip . Rei, who had been dispatched as a guard, also stood up, ready to take out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring at any time . Speaking of why he hadn¡¯t taken out the Death Scythe inside, it was simply an issue with the door of the carriage . Though the door was big in its own way, he would be held up taking out the Death Scythe, which was over 2m long . ¡¸Vel, is there a problem with advancing in the carriage?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a little difficult at the moment . ¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the reason?¡¡Is it the enemy¡¯s speed?¡¹ Vel shook his head in silence at Elena¡¯s question . While speaking, he turned to look ahead frequently to control the warhorse . ¡¸No, in the first place, I can¡¯t even see the enemy . Yet, the hostility perception of the carriage won¡¯t stop . ¡¹ ¡¸Can you confirm if you can¡¯t see it or they are aiming at this carriage from a distance?¡¹ ¡¸If it is an Undead or a Ghost, it will be troublesome . ¡¹ Giving a small nod at Ara¡¯s words, decided what to do . ¡¸We can¡¯t go all the way to the dungeon taking along this enemy and more that anything else, it isn¡¯t our nature to run away . ¡­¡­Kuust, stop the carriage . We will stop it here . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that fine?¡¡I feel like it would be better to escape . ¡¹ ¡¸To tedious . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . Seriously, our Miss is quite brave to make such a reckless rush¡­¡­no, I didn¡¯t say anything . ¡¹ When Ara silently pointed the tip of her sword at Vel¡¯s face, he stopped the carriage in cold sweat . ¡¸Rei, because we haven¡¯t been able to cooperate together yet, move on your own without minding us . ¡¹ ¡¸I appreciate that . Then I will be with Set as usual . ¡¹ Giving a small nod at Rei¡¯s words, Elena turned to Ara . Ara understood her at a glance and slammed open the door the moment the carriage stopped . Kuust readied his magic spear at the back as Rei dashed out and immediately took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring . ¡¸Elena-sama, I can¡¯t find the enemy . ¡¹ ¡¸Same here . ¡¹ ¡¸I know right?¡¡And yet the hostility perception keeps whistling without stopping . ¡¹ Vel told everyone while holding a bow from the top of the driver¡¯s seat and looking around sharply . ¡¸¡­¡­I certainly can¡¯t see the enemy . However, if the hostility perception is reacting, there is definitely something watching with malicious thoughts . Watch out and don¡¯t drop your guard . ¡¹ While listening to Elena¡¯s words, Rei held the Death Scythe and watched the surroundings as he headed to Set, who was near the carriage . In the surrounding area, or rather, all around the area of the carriage where Rei had stopped, was grassy plains . A bit further away was a forest where reasonably trees grew densely . (Though I¡¯m suspicious of the forest . ) ¡¸Set, do you feel anything?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set also shook his head at Rei¡¯s question, even with a Griffon¡¯s five sense, he was unable to sense the presence of the enemy . ¡¸As it is, what if we are attacked . In that case, insurance is necessary . ¡­¡­Magic Shield¡¹ He used Magic Shield, which was one of the skills the Death Scythe obtained after absorbing a magic stone . Then, the next moment, Rei moved the shield of light that was formed to a position that wouldn¡¯t interfere with the movements of the Death Scythe . Seeing the shield of light suddenly appearing, Elena glanced at it before immediately looking around for traces of the enemy . However, several minutes passed without an attack from the enemy, not even its figure could be seen . ¡¸Rei, were you able to find the enemy?¡¹ Though Elena called out from the other side of the carriage, the enemy couldn¡¯t be found, even with Rei and Set¡¯s senses . ¡¸There¡¯s no sign of the enemy here¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Rei?¡¹ To the words which suddenly broke off, Elena asked again . However, Rei turned a sharp eye to the surroundings without answering the question . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set probably felt something similar . He looked around while giving a growl of warning . From the surrounding plains and forest, a peculiar wind blew, like the change from summer to autumn . Under such circumstances, a faint sound was heard . ¡¸Rei, what is it?¡¡Did you find something?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ The moment he heard Elena¡¯s voice, Rei instinctively swung down the Death Scythe . A metallic sound echoed . At that moment, Rei definitely saw it . The thing that had attacked . In other words . ¡¸Elena-sama, please watch out . It¡¯s a huge mantis . Around the same size as the carriage . It went invisible to target us!¡¹ Rei yelled out . Yes, Rei had seen a huge mantis the size of the carriage . The mantis had appeared for only a moment to unleash its attack . Right after it was blocked by the blow of the Death Scythe, it disappeared again . (Is it something like optical camouflage? But I couldn¡¯t even hear it . ¡¡And in that case, Set should also be able to smell it . ) Thinking about that question in his mind, he immediately dispelled it when remembered the knowledge from when he lived in the countryside . A mantis basically killed its prey in ambushes . In other words, him not hearing anything was because the mantis had hidden here in ambush . And by chance, Rei had entered the mantis¡¯ attack range and blocked its attack . Though the reason for not smelling it was still unknown, he judged that he would think about that after repelling it . ¡¸Kyaa~!¡¹ He suddenly heard a scream while looking for the mantis . When Rei looked at that direction, he saw the figure of Ara catching the mantis¡¯ scythe with her sword while the right shoulder of her armour had been destroyed . For the first time, Rei clearly saw the appearance of the mantis . It was about 4m long . It¡¯s body was covered like the exoskeleton of a beetle and had 2 pairs of scythes . In other words, it had 4 arms . While block Ara with a single scythe, it stopped Kuust¡¯s magic spear on the other side with another scythe . Though the mantis tried to kill the two of them with its remaining two scythes, Vel¡¯s arrows, shot from further away, and Elena¡¯s sword whip obstructed it . Confirming the situation of the battle, Rei shouted to Elena . ¡¸Elena-sama, Set and I will attack from the sky . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand!¡¡However, since it¡¯s a mantis, there¡¯s a possibility it can fly . Take enough care . ¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s reply, he sat astride Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Set, you understand . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ With a short cry, Set flapped his wings and took a run up of a few steps . He then kicked against the air as he went up into the sky . As Set turned sharply, Elena and the other 3 were fighting against the mantis on equal terms . (¡­¡­No, it¡¯s not quite even . Because the two vanguards are locked down by the mantis, Elena can¡¯t use magic with her sword whip, which is her true strength . Or can she not use her full power because of the limited trajectories?) The situation of the battle could be confirmed from the sky . Maybe the mantis had a decent intelligence or maybe it was instinctive, it acted to use both Ara and Kuust as a shield against Elena . Vel¡¯s bow and arrows, lacking power, could only wear down its exoskeleton and had no impact on the balance of the battle . ¡¸Seriously, if it¡¯s a mantis, it¡¯s belly should be soft . It¡¯s like it¡¯s wearing armour . Set, let¡¯s go . Follow after me . We¡¯ll attack in waves . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Hearing Set¡¯s cry, Rei jumped off Set¡¯s back . He fell right above the mantis while swinging the Death Scythe at the same time¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¹ At that moment, Rei saw the mantis¡¯ face turn 180 degrees to look at him . After blasting Ara into the air with a single blow, the mantis swung its large scythe, which was about the same size as the Death Scythe, against Rei, who was in the air . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ At the mantis¡¯ actions, Rei immediately judged that it looked like the Flying Slash skill of his Death Scythe . This judgement saved Rei . He immediately released the same Flying Slash from the Death Scythe against the one the mantis had launched . They collided in mid air between Rei and the mantis and canceled each other out . But don¡¯t forget . Against Rei¡¯s single Death Scythe, the mantis had four scythes . ¡¸Rei, dodge!¡¹ As Elena shouted, Kuust and Ara were blown away . It then targeted Elena . Though Elena wanted to block the attacks against Rei, Kuust would get caught up in the attack . Judging that Kuust had a high probability of getting injured if she evaded, she made her choice to catch him . Because Kuust, who could use healing magic, would have been blown away and injured, she wanted to avoid that by all means against a monster that they couldn¡¯t even see before . ¡¸Shoes of Sleipnir, start!¡¹ Rei, who was unaware of what was going on on the ground, activated the Shoes of Sleipnir that allowed him to step on the air . And quickly readying himself, he kicked against the air . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a sharp cry, flapped his wings and caught Rei on his back before moving away from the mantis and landing . ¡¸Set, I¡¯m saved . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Giving brief thanks to Set, he turned his eyes to the mantis again with the Death Scythe readied in his hands . Forming a line next to him was Elena, who had caught Kuust who had been blown away . Quickly looking around, Kuust was trying to sneak around to the back of the mantis with his magic spear . Vel was shooting arrows to restrain it . Ara had been knocked away earlier and had lost consciousness after smacking into the carriage . ¡¸Rei, it will become troublesome if this takes any longer . We have to kill it in one go . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . It will be troublesome if the mantis escapes by flying away . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . Then in the mean time, can you distract it?¡¡I want to kill it in one go with magic . ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no problem . Then¡­¡­I¡¯m going!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t miss the signal . ¡¹ While hearing Elena¡¯s voice from behind, he closed the range while holding the Death Scythe . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The mantis waited silently for Rei, raised its four large scythes¡­¡­and swung them down! It threw out four Flying Slashes, identical to the ones from before . Further more, though Rei realised that each one was sent out at a slightly different time, he disregarded it and kept going . (Compared to before, there are plenty of countermeasures if I know about it!) The first slash was avoided by tilting his body . The second one was cut apart by the Death Scythe¡¯s magic power . The third one was simultaneously blocked by the handle of the Death Scythe . The last was blocked by the Magic Shield which hadn¡¯t been used in the aerial fight before . Like that, the Magic Shield disappeared into mist in the corner in front of him . After that, the figure of the mantis awaited in before Rei . ¡¸HAAAaaa-!¡¹ Against the scythe of the mantis that was swung down, Rei met it with the Death Scythe . The magic empowered blade of the Death Scythe collided with the scythe of the mantis¡­¡­ At the rear, the moment Kuust was waiting for arrived . Zak~, the Death Scythe cut through the scythe of the mantis without much resistance . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Though its upper right arm was cut away, the mantis silently swung down the remaining three scythes without a cry of pain . While avoiding the scythes, he struck out again . Its upper left arm was cut off and sent flying . (What, this sense of incongruity . ) Certainly, there were insect type monsters that felt no pain . However, it was still normal for them to show some sort of reaction if they were shocked or suffered fatal damage . But the huge mantis in front of Rei continued its next attack without emotion even though it had just lost two of its arms, which also acted as its weapons . The sense of incongruity only distracted him for a moment¡­¡­but that moment brought up a fatal opening . As if the upper left arm that had been cut away was a decoy, the mantis swung down its remaining two arms . Normally, it wasn¡¯t a difficult attack for Rei to avoid . However, the sense of incongruity caused by the mantis made him miss his timing¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t blank out in the middle of combat!¡¹ Kuust¡¯s magic spear flew out from behind the mantis, intercepting the attack of the scythe that would have killed Rei . Repelling the scythe, the magic spear pierced the ground next to Rei . Rei didn¡¯t miss this chance and leaped aside . An arrow shot by Vel stopped the mantis from pursuing . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Move-!¡¹ Elena¡¯s voice echoed out . Hearing the voice, Rei reflexive kicked against the ground and quickly took some distance from the mantis . Only Rei had been near the mantis . After throwing his spear, Kuust had quickly left . Vel was attacking with a bow and arrow and wasn¡¯t there in the first place . Ara had fainted next to the carriage . Confirming that Rei had moved away, Elena invoked the magic she had finished chanting . ¡ºLightning Tornado!¡» The moment the magic was cast, wind gathered around the mantis as if drawing a circle, forming a tornado . At first, the tornado was only large enough to stop one of the mantis¡¯ legs . However, it rapidly increased in size to surround the 4m long mantis and kept growing bigger . Matching its name, lightning began to wrap around the tornado at the same time . The mantis at the center continued to take attacks from the wind and lightning until the tornado disappeared . Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Legend Chapter 71 The tornado in front of Rei¡¯s eyes disappeared . A tornado clad in lightning, based on its power, there were no issues with calling it an advanced wind magic . What was more surprising was that Elena still had strength remaining despite using such a magic . Judging from Rei¡¯s eyes, Elena was still holding the sword whip, ready for battle in the event of an unexpected situation . (As expected of the General Princess . ) While raising a voice of admiration in his mind, Rei also readied his Death Scythe in case of an sudden event . Further away, Vel was wary of the enemy and drew his bow to its full extent while Kuust pulled his magic spear out of the ground . While watching the tornado disappear, Elena spoke to Rei . ¡¸Rei, do you know what that monster is?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen this monster . However, because my adventurer knowledge isn¡¯t that great, there¡¯s a possibility I just don¡¯t know . What about Elena-sama?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s also the first time I¡¯ve seen this monster . But it¡¯s a monster with a great amount of strength . Rumors should have spread . ¡¹ ¡¸As we saw at the beginning, it has the ability to blend in with the surroundings . The ordinary adventurer wouldn¡¯t notice anything and would literally become prey in an ambush . So it might not have spread?¡¡The monster was already strong enough even when fought normally . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸At the very least, it was like my fight against the Orc King¡­¡­I think is a good comparison . ¡¹ ¡¸An Orc King is a B rank monster . Certainly, the impression I got was that this monster was stronger than B rank but weaker than A rank . ¡¹ And as they talked like that while being cautious of any sudden events, the lightning tornado soon completely disappeared . As for what was left, all that remained was the the corpse of the giant mantis that had been cut into pieces by the tornado and burnt by lightning at the same time . ¡¸We did it somehow, it seems . ¡¹ Elena gave a sigh of relief . Next to her, Rei lowered his Death Scythe . Kuust and Vel also lowered their weapons . Immediately after the battle, in the relieved atmosphere, Elena gave instructions to everyone . ¡¸Kuust, treat Ara with healing magic . Vel, take the mantis¡¯ magic stone¡­¡­¡¹ However, Elena wasn¡¯t able to finish her sentence . ¡¸Elena-sama-!¡¹ Kuust¡¯s shocked voice echoed through the surroundings . The three people instantly turned to look at Kuust before turning to face what he was looking at . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei involuntarily leaked a voice . Originally, the corpse of the mantis that was killed by Elena¡¯s magic should have been lying there . ¡­¡­No, the corpse was still there . But it was only ¡ºstill¡» there for now . ¡¸What, it¡¯s melting? ¡¹ Yes, as Rei murmured, the corpse of the huge 4m long mantis rapidly disintegrated as it produced a fine foam from various areas . It¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t fast enough to be in an instant, but it wasn¡¯t slow enough that something could be done about it . At the same time, a pungent odour from the melting mantis pierced their noses . The liquid flowing from the corpse of the mantis changed to a brown colour as it flowed onto the grass growing on the ground, dissolving it . ¡¸This¡­¡­what on earth is happening?¡¹ Elena said in a stunned voice . However, no one here could answer that question . Meanwhile, Kuust approached Elena after walking around the corpse of the mantis . ¡¸Elena-sama . Though I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on right now, I don¡¯t think the smell drifting from there is good for the body . We should immediately leave this place . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~, that is certainly so . I wanted to examine what kind of monster it was and take a part of it if it had been possible¡­¡­¡¹ To Elena¡¯s regret, every piece of the mantis¡¯ flesh had already disappeared before her eyes, even the liquid that had dissolved the grass was gone . All that remained was the pungent smell that assailed the nose . And even that would be scattered by the wind before long . Just a few minutes ago, they had been fighting the monster . Elena frowned her eyebrows involuntarily as what they had fought had already completely vanished . Discomfort . Yes, all that remained was a strong sense of discomfort in her chest . However, the corpse of the mantis was already gone and they couldn¡¯t check it to try to find their sense of discomfort . Staying here would do nothing more than to waste time . ¡¸Let¡¯s depart . Kuust, take Ara to the carriage . ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me . ¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s instructions, Kuust carried Ara, who had fainted next to the carriage . ¡¸Vel, please check the carriage to see if there are any problems . ¡¹ ¡¸Leave that to me . ¡¹ Replying in his usual light tone, Vel examined the carriage and the driver¡¯s seat . ¡¸Rei, please watch the area along with Set just in case . That mantis may not have been the only one . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Rei nodded and moved a bit further away from the carriage with Set as he concentrated on the signs and sounds of the surroundings . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set similarly searched the surroundings as he stayed beside Rei . Meanwhile, while straining his ears, Rei thought in his heart while readying his Death Scythe to fight against an enemy at any time . (That mantis, at the very least, it can¡¯t be called a monster) In the first place, monsters wouldn¡¯t disappear even if they committed suicide and the moment of defeat . Demons, monsters, magical beasts . Though there were various names, they were all living creatures in the broad sense of the term . (The mantis was able to completely hide it¡¯s own existence¡­¡­wait . Just now, what did I think of?¡¡Completely hiding its existence?¡¡In other words, it wanted to hide the fact it existed?) While thinking like that, he noticed someone approaching from behind and turned around . Vel raised a hand as he approached . ¡¸Because there are no problems with the carriage, we will be departing soon . Elena-sama told me to call you . ¡¹ Maybe because of the fight with the giant mantis, his usual light tone didn¡¯t come out, instead Vel said it in a somewhat tired tone . Nodding at his words, Rei headed back to the carriage along with Set . ¡¸I wonder, Rei . You¡¯re an adventurer right?¡¡That mantis from before, what do you think?¡¹ On the way back to the carriage, Vel asked Rei . Rei shook his head in response to that question . ¡¸That was new . At least, I¡¯ve never know of any monster that would dissolve into the wind as soon as it died . ¡¹ ¡¸I know right . I¡¯ve experience fighting with several kinds of monsters until now but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one dissolve after being defeated . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s unknown whether that was even a monster . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Because those words were only muttered out of his mouth in a whisper, Vel didn¡¯t seem to catch it and asked again . However, Rei pretended not to hear the question and turned to face the carriage . ¡¸You came . Then we will leave immediately . Even if you say there is no evidence, it¡¯s still an abnormal situation no matter how you look at it . If I¡¯m not mistaken, there should be a guild branch office near the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It is possible to purchase information there . ¡¹ Waking up after fainting previously, Ara answered Elena¡¯s question awkwardly . ¡¸Ah, Rei-dono . ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry I dragged you down . ¡¹ As soon as she saw Rei, she quickly bowed her head . Noticing that she seemed to be ashamed for fainting after being hit by the mantis, Rei gave a wry smile . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . The mantis had the ability of a B rank monster at the very least . It can¡¯t be helped if you made a mistake due to having no prior knowledge . ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ That was put nicely . Rei gave a wry smile . To put it badly, Ara had made a reckless rush only to get herself knocked out In fact, as the giant mantis could turn invisible and attack with flying slashes with all four scythes, it was a extraordinary thing even to Rei . It wasn¡¯t possible to laugh at Ara and blame her . ¡¸Isn¡¯t it precisely because Ara let us see its strength by risking her body that no more damage was done?¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama¡­¡­¡¹ Cheer up¡­¡­to the words that said the facts, Ara turned to Elena . ¡¸Indeed, where is your usual spirit . You are the mood setter for this group, won¡¯t the atmosphere get gloomy if you get gloomy?¡¡If you think you made a mistake this time, then you should fix your mistake next time . Am I wrong?¡¡At the very least, the usual Ara would look forward and think positively . I feel that such an Ara is much more preferable . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand!¡¡I will show my usefulness to Elena-sama next time!¡¹ Listening to the encouragement from Elena, whom she idolised, Ara immediately recovered, as if on reflex . While smiling wryly, Elena spoke again . ¡¸Ara, could you brew some tea?¡¡For everyone . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, at once . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s words, Ara headed for the kitchen magic item . Elena watched her go with a soft smile . ¡¸You have a good relationship . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ahh, it certainly seems to be so . Anyhow, for someone holding the position of a duke¡¯s daughter, I¡¯m considered an oddball for putting myself in battle . I have few female friends . The are many nobles who try to gain my favour, Ara was the only one of them who genuinely admired me . Because of that, Ara is an irreplaceable existence to me . ¡­¡­Tell me, why would I keep Ara by my side just because of that? You actually know her own strength, don¡¯t you?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, he thought back to the time they first met in the city of Gimuru . Neither the speed and skill of the attack were notable . However, there was strength behind it . It was a killing attack based on physical strength only . ¡¸Certainly, her strength is a considerable advantage when fighting in close combat . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . But although Ara has obtained my trust as a knight, she needs to become stronger . When that happens, I will have no complaints with her recklessly rushing forward . ¡¹ As Rei and Elena talked about that, before long, 2 cups of tea were brought to them . ¡¸Thank you for waiting, here¡¯s the tea . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you . ¡­¡­Now then, everyone listen for a moment . About the matter of the mantis . ¡­¡­What do you think?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, the other three people in the carriage, Rei, Ara and Kuust, gave serious expressions . Surprisingly, the first person to speak was Kuust . After moistening his mouth with tea, he turned to look at his magic spear . ¡¸At the very least, it¡¯s not something I could have fought by myself . No, in fact, thinking back on the fight, I think that I was dragging Elena-sama down . ¡¹ ¡¸It was the same for me . If I hadn¡¯t been knocked out, I would probably have dragged you down . ¡¹ At Kuusts words, Ara replied with a bitter smile . Considering her depressed mood earlier, her quick recovery was probably due to the fact that she was Ara . ¡¸Combat strength aside, the most troublesome thing was its ability to become invisible . In addition, because it remained completely motionless while waiting for someone to get close, Set and I noticed its existence late . Somehow, Set was even unable to detect it by smell, it would be difficult to deal with if the other party received an attack from its scythes while it was invisible . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, its ability to turn invisible is extremely troublesome as Rei-dono said . In fact, I was caught off guard by its attack . It was mostly due to luck that I was able to block that attack . ¡¹ Comparing to her reply to Kuust, Ara agreed with Rei with a somewhat firm tone . ¡¸It wasn¡¯t easy to attack as it¡¯s body was covered in something like a shell, it could also attack by sending out a wind slash, similar to the wind magic that Rei used . ¡¹ Kuust murmured while moistening his mouth with tea again . Though he tried to disregard Rei¡¯s existence as much as possible, it was a different story if it was work . ¡¸And above all was the abnormality after it was defeated . After being defeated, it melted it¡¯s own body and destroyed itself . It isn¡¯t an ordinary monster . ¡­¡­Rei, weren¡¯t you an apprentice to a magician?¡¡Do you have any ideas?¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Rei immediately recalled his backstory . However, in the end, a setting was only a setting and not reality . ¡¸Please wait a moment . I¡¯ll try to see if I can recall anything . ¡¹ After saying that to Elena, he drew out Zepairu¡¯s knowledge for the first time in a long while . After a few seconds, he found the only likely thing in Zepairu¡¯s knowledge . ¡¸Though I¡¯m not certain¡­¡­how to say it, this method might be able to explain the phenomenon in the case of this mantis¡­¡­there is one possibility . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, everyone including Elena had looks of surprise . And Elena asked the question which everyone had in their mind . ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸If the mantis was an existence like a sort of artificial life form made by alchemy . In that case, in the process of making the mantis, it is possible to incorporate a device that would destroy any evidence if it were to die to prevent any of the alchemist¡¯s technology being taken from the corpse . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Though I don¡¯t know much about alchemy, is such a thing possible?¡¹ ¡¸There is a possibility, that¡¯s all I can say . In the first place, I hardly learned about alchemy from my master . With my current knowledge, I only remembered that I seemed to have heard that from a conversation . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, any clue is better than none . Once we get to the dungeon, we¡¯ll inform the guild branch office about the mantis . ¡¹ After that, more about the mantis was discussed . But because there was no evidence as the corpse had disappeared, any opinions beyond Rei¡¯s idea were vague . And that evening, the carriage reached the village established at the outskirts of the dungeon . Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Legend Chapter 72 It was a few hours after waging a desperate struggle with the mantis. It was late summer, or rather, early autumn. However, the carriage was still able to arrive at the dungeon in the evening, before the sun had fully set. ¡¸¡­¡­Uwa~. This, it isn¡¯t on the scale of a village.¡¹ Ara was looking out the carriage and murmured that half in shock and half in admiration. When Rei, Elena and Kuust heard that, they also looked out the window. Though they had heard that there was a village in the vicinity of the dungeon from the preliminary information they had collected, as far as they could see from the carriage, it was already at the size of a town rather than a village. However, as expected, it was a fairly small town compared to the city of Gimuru. At the front of the gate that was the entrance to the village, a number of merchants were lined up, probably aiming for the items from the dungeon. At first, when the carriage was seen, the merchants which were lined up in front of the main gate tried to run away as the soldier raised their weapons. It was no wonder, after all, the Griffon that was next to the carriage was something rarely seen at the frontier. However, the safety of Set was guaranteed by Margrave Rowlocks, who ruled this land, Duke Kerebel, a big shot in in the Noble faction, and Vel, who served as the driver of the carriage. At the same time, because Set didn¡¯t make much of a fuss, they were able to enter the village safely. Currently, Set was quietly walking next to the carriage while wearing a Necklace of Subservient Monster, similar to the one he wore in Gimuru. Although the inhabitants of the village were initially surprised to see the Griffon, they gave a sigh of relief after seeing the Necklace of Subservient Monster. Unlike the city of Gimuru, most people in the village were adventurers or people who came here expressly to trade with adventurers. Because of that, they had more guts than ordinary people. When they saw that Set wouldn¡¯t harm them, they accepted him as part of the defense force of the village instead. Adding to that, among the adventurers that entered the dungeon, there were people who took summoned or tamed monster with them, which may have influenced quite a few people. Naturally, there were people that disliked the Griffon and averted their eyes. However, they tolerated him because he could be used as fighting force. ¡¸It¡¯s very difficult to build a city on the frontier, they were finally able to build the city of Gimuru after fielding a large number of soldiers¡­¡­although I read that in a book that was in the library¡­¡­should I say, as expected of the dungeon.¡¹ Rei muttered, impressed. It was easy to explain the structure of the dungeon. There was an entrance leading to the dungeon at the center of the village. A defensive wall was built around the entrance to stop monsters from going to the surroundings. And with that as the center, building were simply spread out around it. Finally, the whole village was surrounded by a large, sturdy, wooden fence to protect the buildings. Concerning the mystery of the spectacle before him, there was no need to be more surprised than necessary as it had all been recorded in the book about the dungeon that he had read for a while. Since the nucleus in the deepest part of the dungeon forcibly transfers monsters in the surrounding area into the dungeon to protect itself, it naturally reduced the number of monsters in the surroundings of the dungeon. This had an impact on the guilds and adventurers. It made the village around the dungeon accessible to merchants. Of course, as not all monsters around the dungeon were transferred into it, in rare cases, monsters would attack the village. In order to fight the monsters, adventurers were hired to defend the village. It should be noted that even if there were no monster attacks, it was still possible to earn a reward for defending the village. It was a pretty useful way for adventurers to earn a little pocket money. However, in the end, because the monsters were only transferred into the dungeon because of the dungeon nucleus, if the nucleus were to be destroyed, the monsters in the surrounding area would no longer be transferred and the region would become an extremely dangerous area. Moreover, although rare, because monsters would sometimes come out of the dungeon itself, it wasn¡¯t a village or town where people could live in peace like the city of Gimuru. Because the village/town near the dungeon was basically built for merchants, mercenaries and adventurers who wanted to challenge the dungeon, it was in the end only a temporary construct. Basically, in some places in the country, the lord of the territory would plan out and dispatch knights and soldiers to a dungeon to prepare to build a labyrinth city around it. However, there were a lot of monsters at the frontier where Rei was. In comparison, there weren¡¯t many monsters along the highways closer to the center of the country. Several labyrinth cities had also been built in several places in the Mireana Kingdom. ¡¸Now then. Now we¡¯re safely in, what to do now.¡¹ Entering the village with the identification of the guild card and mixing with the merchants, Elena muttered as the carriage moved along the beaten road. Rei glanced over and thought a bit before speaking. ¡¸There are roughly two options. Inform the guild about the mantis or decide on an inn before going to the guild. ¡­¡­As for me, I recommend the latter.¡¹ ¡¸Hou~, why is that?¡¹ ¡¸As you can see, in this village, there are a large amount of adventurers and merchants. So unless we go to an inn as quickly as possible, there may be a problem of whether we can secure a place to stay.¡¹ ¡¸But Rei-dono, in the first place, I think it would be impossible to find an inn in this village that Elena-sama could rest in.¡¹ Ara objected to Rei¡¯s proposal. As for Ara, she may not have been able to accept having to let Elena stay at a cheap inn which other adventurers used. However, Elena shook her head at Ara¡¯s words. ¡¸Ara, don¡¯t ask for the impossible. In the first place, I¡¯m someone who has gone to the battlefield. It¡¯s not a big problem as long as it isn¡¯t a terrible place.¡¹ ¡¸Although it can¡¯t be helped in the battlefield, you should stay somewhere corresponding to the position of someone carrying the blood of Duke Kerebel.¡¹ Kuust also said that to Elena. ¡¸¡­¡­I understand what both of you are saying, in the first place though, aren¡¯t majority of the inns for adventurers who are challenging the dungeon? Is there an inn like what you said?¡¹ ¡¸Tentatively, I have checked the area previously. Though most inns in the village were aimed at adventurers in general, in fact, it isn¡¯t unusual for nobles to come to the dungeon for reasons like Elena-sama. Well, it¡¯s not particularly frequent though.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ara, don¡¯t interrupt me. Well, to answer Ara¡¯s question, I can¡¯t say for sure. It isn¡¯t an unusual story for nobles confident in their abilities to challenge the dungeon. And because of that, there many nobles who can¡¯t stand having to stay in the same in with commoners. Because of that, an inn for nobles usually exists near a dungeon. However, because nobles who want to challenge the dungeon are in the end a minority, their main customers seem to be large commercial groups.¡¹ It was Kuust who answered Ara¡¯s question, however, Elena spoke with slightly furrowed eyebrows. ¡¸Kuust. It is good to have pride as noble, but even so, we should not feel impressed at holding commoners in derision. We as nobles can only live from taxes by the commoners.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes. Sorry. I spoke too much.¡¹ While apologising to Elena, Kuust gave a sharp look at Rei. As for Kuust, he had seemed to make such a remark about commoners only because Elena was showing interest in Rei. Warding off Kuust¡¯s gaze with a wry smile in his mind, Rei turned to Elena. ¡¸Elena-sama, what should we do?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s an inn nearby¡­¡­¡¹ She only worried over it for a few seconds before coming to a conclusion. ¡¸As there is a possibility that various problems might occur, we will stay at an inn for nobles as Kuust said. Kuust, tell Vel.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ Kuust nodded at Elena¡¯s words and opened the door to the drivers area to tell Vel their destination. While watching the situation from the side, Ara gave a satisfied nod. ¡¸¡­¡­Do you hate ordinary inns?¡¹ When Rei asked Ara doubtfully, she looked back with an amazed face. ¡¸Rei-dono, I¡¯ll say this for now but this is the decision of Elena-sama on our behalf, isn¡¯t it for the sake of Rei-dono?¡¹ ¡¸Because of me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. In ordinary inns, there would naturally be bad adventurers. In the case of such people, for example, there might be some people who realise the value of the carriage and war horse and try to steal them. However, such people would surely fix their eyes on Set before the carriage. Any how, it¡¯s an A rank monster. How much money could they make if they captured him and sold him on the black market. Or, there¡¯s a possibility they would kill him and take his magic stone and strip materials off him if he acted violently.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Rei nodded to Ara. In the city of Gimuru, which had been his base until now, because of his understanding with the staff of the Dusk Wheat with respect to tamed and summoned monsters, Rei hadn¡¯t had to worry about those things. (Well, I think if any adventurers made an attempt to attack Set, they would only be killed.) After all, in addition to a Griffon¡¯s normal abilities, he had obtained a number of skills by absorbing magic stones, could block projectiles, was equipped with a magic item to increase physical strength and one with the effect of constant recovery. There was no doubt that Set could literally dispatch several adventurers up to rank C and B. While thinking like that, the carriage advanced. Before long, a luxurious inn became visible from the carriage. It was certainly luxurious compared to the inns for adventurers, which were occasionally built inside alleyways. However, Kuust and Ara didn¡¯t seem to to be satisfactorily convinced by this and made dissatisfied faces as they looked at the inn. ¡¸When viewed from a distance, it seemed to be a decent accommodation, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­But, well, it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s a fact that this is the best inn in the village.¡¹ The carriage stopped as Ara and Kuust grumbled with each other, Vel showed up from the door to the drivers area. ¡¸For the moment, we¡¯ve arrived at the inn. Next are the procedures. Well, I¡¯m sorry, but can Rei ask about if Set can be cared for himself?¡¡I think there will be a variety of instructions even if he is put into the stables.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I understand. ¡­¡­By the way, is it better if I pay for my own accommodation? ¡¹ Though Rei asked because he financially had enough to spare for now, Elena shook her head with a wry smile. ¡¸Rei was dispatched for this request. Because of that, you don¡¯t need to worry about accommodation and food expenses during the trip.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Bowing his head slightly at Elena, Rei got off the carriage in order to ask about the stables. ¡¸W-W-W-Welcome-!¡¹ Possibly an employee of the inn, a boy in his mid teens nervously called out with his small head bowed as Rei came out of the carriage. After glancing to make sure Set was still here, Rei spoke out with a wry smile in his head. ¡¸We want to stay at this inn, I would also like to use the stables.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes. I¡¯ll guide you there immediately.¡¹ The boy proceed to go to the back of the inn with awkward movements, such as with his hands and feet in sync. Rei judged that it would be bad in various ways if he left it like that and lightly tapped the shoulder of the boy who was walking ahead. ¡¸Hii~!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down. Though I understand why you¡¯re tense, as you can see, Set¡­¡­ah, no. You don¡¯t have to worry as this Griffon won¡¯t go around actively hurting people. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ While speaking with the boy, Rei stroked Set¡¯s head. Maybe it was comfortable, Set gave a cry in a good mood. And looking at the situation, the boy¡¯s tension seemed to be released. However, he was still cautious as he looked at Set with some interest. ¡¸C-Certainly it¡¯s quite quiet. ¡­¡­How to say, it gives off the feeling of a pet cat.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, I get the same feeling when I touch him.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Patting him some more, Set rubbed his head against Rei. While watching the situation, he turned to glance at the boy. He appeared to be suppressing his urge to reach out with his hands. ¡¸Would you like to pat him?¡¹ ¡¸I-Is that okay? That is, he won¡¯t bite¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s safe as long as you don¡¯t do something strange to him.¡¹ ¡¸Then¡­¡­¡¹ Gulp, the boy timidly reached out with his hand. His hand gradually approached Set¡­¡­and withdrew at once after patting him for a moment. As expected, it was difficult for him to sudden stroke Set¡¯s head. And seeing that Set didn¡¯t react in particular, he reached out again¡­¡­and patted Set¡¯s back several times. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ He quickly withdrew his hands after hearing Set¡¯s cry. ¡¸C-Customer-san. Just now¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. That wasn¡¯t an unhappy cry, he gave a cry because he felt good having his back stroked.¡¹ The story was quick from there. After a few minutes, the boy who was scared of Set when he saw him for the first time was happily stroking Set¡¯s head. As he talked while stroking Set, the went to the stables. ¡¸Ah, I should have told you my name earlier. I¡¯m Linde, I mainly do the chores at this inn.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Rei. As you can see, I¡¯m an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸Is Rei-san here for the dungeon after all?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, as Linde-san saw, I was riding in that great carriage. You could say I¡¯m an escort or maybe a guard. Well, something like that.¡¹ ¡¸Heeh~¡­¡­even though your age isn¡¯t much different from mine, it¡¯s great that you¡¯ve entrusted with such an important task. Oh, we¡¯ve arrived. This is the stables.¡¹ Guided there by Linde, the stables were double the size of the one he knew well at the Dusk Wheat. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s huge.¡¹ To Rei, who muttered in admiration, Linde nodded somewhat proudly. ¡¸It¡¯s because there are people and adventurers who bring tamed and summoned monsters like Rei-san¡¯s. There are also big groups that come with a lot of horses and carriages to purchase things.¡¹ While explaining it, he opened the door to the stables and entered with Set. Though there were several horses inside, most of them froze and didn¡¯t move the moment they saw Set. However, there was also a horse that glance at Set before going back to eating its meal. It was probably a war horse. ¡¸The fee will be charged along with the accommodation expenses. Or would you prefer it be charged to the noble?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, no problem. It would also be great if meals could be prepared for Set.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Is there any food which isn¡¯t good?¡¹ ¡¸No, however, he likes to eat meat.¡¹ ¡¸Then it will be that.¡¹ Vel came to pick him up as he was talking to Linde and took Rei to his room. Fortunately, it was a private room and he avoided sharing the same room with Kuust. After settling their rooms, they went to the guild branch office to quickly report the matter about the mantis. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Legend Chapter 73 Reserving a room at the inn, Rei gave a sigh of relief as they decided to immediately head to the guild branch office . It was already evening and they had no other urgent business that couldn¡¯t wait until tomorrow . But in the end, there was the matter of the mantis they had fought on the way . Given it¡¯s special characteristics, Elena judged that they couldn¡¯t leisurely wait until the next day . According to the information Vel had heard in the inn, the person in charge of the village that surrounded the dungeon and the person in charge of the guild branch office were the people who decided things here . ¡¸Hey, look over there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Who is that beautiful girl? I don¡¯t recall seeing her here . ¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s not just a pretty girl . Her abilities are quite good . ¡¹ ¡¸As for the guys with that girl, they also have a considerable strength . ¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, with that body, I would love to play with her for a night . ¡¹ In the first place, because Elena boasted a beautiful face and a well proportioned body, she stood out clearly as she walked through the village . As it was a village built around a dungeon, although they may not know each others names, most of the adventurers recognised everyone else by their face . What would happen if a beautiful girl like Elena, whom they had never seen before, walked past them? The answer was now in front of Rei¡¯s eyes . All the male adventurers that looked at Elena stopped on the spot and looked admiringly at her beauty and talked about her with their friends nearby . ¡­¡­However, the people that were muttering that they would like to play with her for a night shut up and held their breaths when Ara and Kuust gave bloodthirsty glares at them . Unlike Kuust and Ara, who were getting angry, Elena continued walking without minding the surroundings . To Elena, who had wandered the battlefield, she just ignored it as there was nothing that could be done with her appearance . Naturally, there was also her confidence in her own strength . Anyhow, she had declared that anyone who wanted to make advances on her had to be at least stronger than herself . And if anyone were crazy enough and attacked her, she would just fight back, which had actually happened before . Though their group stood out a lot, Elena led everyone through the village . ¡­¡­Though they would have attracted more attention if Set was here as well, fortunately, he wasn¡¯t here and was happily focusing on eating the food provided by Linde . Though he had wanted to go with them, Rei persuaded him . ¡¸Um¡­¡­yes, the guild is here . ¡¹ Vel, who had been guiding them to the guild, walked out in front and looked up at the building . Though it wasn¡¯t at the same size as the guild in the city of Gimuru, with was still a rather large building . However, as it was only a temporary building built for the dungeon, Rei was able to see that it was sloppily built in a variety of ways . ¡¸Umu~ . Then let¡¯s enter . ¡¹ Kuust frowned his eyebrows at the rough design of the guild as Elena opened the door to the guild . As they entered, they looked around the inside of the guild . ¡¸Hmm, something like this . ¡¹ As Elena checked the state inside the guild, the guild staff and hardened adventurers all unintentionally glanced at Elena . As for Rei, he also looked around the guild as he stood next to Elena . Again, maybe related to its temporary nature next to the dungeon, it was very different from the guild in Gimuru . The biggest difference was that the guild didn¡¯t have a bar . Material purchasing and party application, because a large number of adventurers would gather at the guild, the bar in Gimuru was something that was added for their use . For example, a large amount of requests were always posted on the request boards in the guild at Gimuru . Also different were the periods of congestion in the morning and evening when people went to start and finish requests . Even then, they still had room to spare . However, because all the adventurers who were aiming for the dungeon gathered here, the guild here was awfully crowded . At night, the monster in the dungeon became more belligerent and active, no different from when they were outside . Because of that, most adventurers would enter the dungeon at roughly the same time, causing this packed crowd . Of course, there were also adventurers who wanted materials specifically from monsters that come out at night or those who just wanted to fight strong monsters . However, high ranking adventurers like them were few . However, there were people who had taken guild requests to escort trade groups and as a result weren¡¯t at the guild at any specific time . ¡¸The counter¡­¡­is over there . ¡¹ As the adventurers and guild staff who had glanced over finally gathered themselves, Elena headed towards the guild counter . ¡¸Is here okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, y-yes . Of course . What can we do for you?¡¹ ¡¸I have a little business with the person in charge of the guild here, I would like you to tell them . ¡¹ ¡¸That, may I ask about what for?¡¡I can¡¯t permit just anyone to talk with him . ¡¹ As expected for someone working for the guild near the dungeon . Although the young male staff member was stunned by Elena¡¯s presence, it didn¡¯t take him long to calm down as he spoke and gave a reply as usual . Impressed in her mind at his professionalism, Elena continued to speak . ¡¸That¡¯s right, we have two business matters . First of all is this . ¡¹ Saying that, she presented two letters in two envelopes . They had the wax seals of Margrave Rowlocks and Duke Kerebel respectively . Duke Kerebel aside, the guild staff recognised Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ crest as he ruled the land they lived on . Taking in a sharp breath, he looked at Elena twice and checked the letter three times . ¡¸I understand . Please wait a minute, I will tell the head of the branch immediately . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~, I understand . ¡¹ As Elena nodded, a guild staff member nervously ran up the stairs next to the counter at a quick pace . Watching him go, Elena looked around the inside of the guild with interest . Because of her missions were given to her by her father, Duke Kerebel, there weren¡¯t that many opportunities to enter the guild . Not to mention under normal circumstances, Kuust and Ara would avoid bring her to such places, given her status as a duke¡¯s daughter . There was also the opportunity to sell off the magic stones and materials they had gotten during the journey and for Vel to gather information efficiently . ¡¸Hey, who are they?¡¡Does anyone know?¡¹ ¡¸No . It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen them . They stand out so much so I wouldn¡¯t forget them if I¡¯d seen them before, they probably came here recently . ¡¹ ¡¸Looking at their demeanor, they are probably not adventurers . They resemble some knights I know . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Knights?¡¡But what would knights come to the frontier for, moreover, so such a dangerous place like the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you ask me about that . You should ask the person in question if you¡¯re interested . ¡¹ There were adventurers talking with their acquaintances and companions like that . Along with that, there were also excellent mages who were behaving strangely after seeing Rei¡¯s vast magical power . ¡¸-!?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What, you as well?¡¡Our mage also went quiet as soon as those guys walked in¡­¡­¡¹ While the noise went round, the guild staff member from before came down the stair and went to Elena and the others . ¡¸Sorry for taking so long . Our representative would like to meet you . ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry for the trouble . ¡¹ Elena nodded and followed the staff who guided her up the stairs . Of course, Kuust, Vel, Ara and Rei followed after them . All that was left on the first floor of the guild were adventurers guessing Elena¡¯s identity and the mages who finally gathered themselves after Rei left . Using this opportunity, the mages told the existence that was Rei to the rest of their party . That spread out from friendly party to friendly party and so on . ¡¸Representative, I¡¯ve brought Elena-sama¡¯s group . ¡¹ The guild staff probably already knew what kind of person Elena was . After respectfully guiding them to the room of the guild representative, he knocked on the door and called out . The reply to the staff member was an unexpectedly young voice . ¡¸Yes, please enter . ¡¹ Following the voice from inside, he opened the door and entered . Elena and the rest followed after him . ¡¸Welcome . My name is Walker and I serve as the representative of the guild . ¡¹ Saying that, a man in his twenties stood up from behind his work desk and gave a bow . Even the highest estimate of his age wouldn¡¯t be above early thirties . He had gentle features and gave of the atmosphere of having a good attitude . It was quite different from the person they had imagined . Vel and Ara smiled in surprise . Kuust just saw all commoners as the same and turned to look at the representative without any particular change in his expression . Meanwhile, Rei also lifted his eyebrows slightly in surprise . This was a guild that was right next to a dungeon . Of course, the were a great number of adventurers and quite a few rough people as well . For a guild representative to deal with such things, they had assumed he would be someone like Daska, Margrave Rowlocks . (This is the representative of the guild . Well, because it¡¯s probably not possible to deal with adventurers just by being gentle, I feel that he probably has another face¡­¡­) While Rei thought that in his mind, Elena sat down on the sofa for visitors and spoke up without any particular change in expression . In addition, the rest of them stood behind Elena as guards . ¡¸Though I think you would have understood if you read the letter, allow me to greet you again . I am Elena Kerebel . I was dispatched my father, Duke Kerebel, to go to the place known as the Altar of Inheritance found in this dungeon . My best regards . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you . ¡­¡­Though that said, the Altar of Inheritance that you¡¯re talking about is on the 7th floor down, the lowest layer of the dungeon . It¡¯s very close to to the location of the boss . Even from the rumors I¡¯ve heard about the General Princess, it would be difficult to get there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I understand the circumstances . Fortunately, I have a subordinate called Vel who had the skills of a thief, as for the others, there is no problem with their strength . ¡­¡­Of course, this is the first time I have gone to a dungeon, we will proceed carefully and won¡¯t let our guard down . ¡¹ Elena, Vel, Kuust and Ara . Walker then turned to look at Rei after looking at them . ¡¸¡­¡­ . I understand . Though the letter asked me to assist you as much as possible, is there anything you wish for?¡¹ ¡¸Not for the time being . We have prepared sufficient goods and combat strength in Gimuru . There are no particular issues as long as we can smoothly enter the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸Smoothly, is it . ¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Walker thought of something like nodding . Before long, he took out something similar to a guild card from the desk in the office . ¡¸Please have this . I can give you this in accordance with my rights as the guild representative . It will be necessary to enter the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸When entering the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . All the adventurers enter the dungeon at about the same time . Because of that, waiting is sometime necessary . You can use this card to go in immediately without waiting . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, thanks . I¡¯ll be grateful to receive this . ¡­¡­When I return, should I return it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that would be helpful . With that, how about maps of the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Though we¡¯ve acquired maps down to the 3rd floor from Margrace Rowlocks, are there any more detailed maps?¡¹ ¡¸No, as for what¡¯s being sold at the moment, the 3rd floor is the newest one . Though there are parties that has gone past that, any information they provide would only be out of good intentions¡­¡­¡¹ After Elena put the card in her pocket, the matter about the dungeon was finished . After a few seconds of silence, Walker spoke up again . ¡¸So you mentioned that there were two matters of business, one was the matter of the dungeon, what¡¯s the other?¡¹ ¡¸Umu~, actually, we were attacked by a strange monster when we came here from the city of Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸Strange?¡¡Is it a new species of monster?¡¹ ¡¸Maybe . Can you define something that melted away without leaving a magic stone after being defeated a monster? In addition, its strength is at least a B rank monster . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That, is that true?¡¹ That¡¯s strange . Ara took a step forward to Walker, who seemed to be doubting the authenticity of the story in this situation . ¡¸Are you saying that Elena-sama is lying!?¡¹ ¡¸No . However, as the guild representative, I can¡¯t just easily believe a story that such a monster appeared . ¡­¡­However, there were some circumstances . I should say that I could believe it . ¡¹ ¡¸Hou~?¡¡You have some thoughts? Please continue . ¡¹ Walker nodded at Elena¡¯s words . ¡¸Actually, several trading groups that left here in the past few weeks have gone missing . There were also merchants that left Gimuru for here . ¡¹ ¡¸Escort?¡¹ ¡¸Of course we gave them escorts . Please wait a moment . ¡¹ He took the documents which were placed at the corner of the desk and turned one of the pages as he said that . ¡¸The highest rank escort was C rank . The lowest escort rank was F rank . If the monster had a considerable strength, B rank as Elena-sama mentioned, the result would have been quite severe . ¡­¡­Are you certain it has the strength of a B rank monster?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, Rei can testify . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei?¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re with the guild, you should have heard about the story of the Orc Village?¡¡He¡¯s the person who defeated the B rank monster, the Orc King, who was leading the Orcs at the time . Rei . ¡¹ Prompted by Elena, Rei came forward . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . The monster we fought along the way certainly had strength at the same level as the Orc King . It was a huge mantis that had 4 scythes and had an armoured body like a beetle . We can also confirm that it could become invisible and disappear from the surroundings as well as use an ability similar to wind magic . After defeating it, it melted away and produced a foul smelling odour . By the way, the liquid that dissolved the mantis was toxic enough that it also melted away the grass that grew on the ground . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . This matter will be reported to the guild in the city of Gimuru . As for the mantis monster, I hope it was only a single rare species or something¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸According to Rei¡¯s view, he¡¯s of the opinion that is was something made with alchemy . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, an alchemist . Thank you very much, allow me to spread the information around here . ¡¹ Thus, the important matter of the mantis was reported and they decided to return to the inn to soothe their fatigue from the journey . And the next day, they challenged the dungeon . Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Legend Chapter 74 Early morning the next day, they finally went to the dungeons grounds. Elena immediately led all the members of her party to the dungeon. Ara and Rei were the party¡¯s vanguard. Elena and Kuust were the middle guard. Vel was the rear guard. Along with the 5 people was Set, who was a reserve force. The air had cooled down significantly compared to the height of summer. The sky had cleared up enough to be called a fine autumn day. Advancing through the village on foot and feeling the weather on their skin were adventurers probably heading for the dungeon. They ranged from parties of 5 to people going solo. Rei could also see a few parties of up to 10 people. Though everyone who saw Set for the first time tensed up for a moment, they were relieved after they saw the Necklace of Subservient Monster. They were then stunned after seeing Elena¡¯s pretty face before Kuust and Ara gave them a sharp glare. This pattern continued as they went. There were also people, who were probably mages, who weren¡¯t in the guild last night. Several people froze before edging away after seeing Rei. ¡¸As I thought, there are mobs of commoners looking at Elena like that. This is why¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Kuust muttering like that in dissatisfaction, Elena calmed Kuust down while smiling wryly. ¡¸Kuust, its normal for us to attract attention. I don¡¯t mind it and there¡¯s no need for you to be worried about it. Also refrain from making remarks about commoners. The reason is that most of the people here are commoners. They will only be an inconvenience if you displease them. ¡­¡­And from the battlefield, you understand those lustful eyes have no relation to whether they are commoners or nobles, do you not?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Elena knew she was a beautiful girl. She had been made aware of it due to the label of beautiful being constantly stuck on her for most of her life. She had already become accustomed to the looks from men. Because of that, she wasn¡¯t really fazed when those kinds of eyes looked at her. However, if someone went crazy and attacked her, she would naturally pull out her sword whip. Because of that, there were a considerable number of people that had been injured like that, both nobles and commoners. Ara spoke to Elena in an apologetic voice. ¡¸Maybe it would have been better if we had went to the dungeon in the carriage.¡¹ ¡¸You know, Ara. Though that would be fine, can we head for the lowest layer of the dungeon, the 7th floor, in the carriage?¡¡We will be staying for several days at the very least. What would happen to the carriage in the meantime. Surely we couldn¡¯t leave it outside the dungeon the whole time?¡¹ ¡¸Haa. Vel is thoughtless. I even had a person at the inn take care of it. Rather, I should have been the driver from the beginning.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I wonder who is the thoughtless one.¡¹ Fun~, Vel gave a snort at Ara¡¯s response. ¡¸Wai-, what are you saying. What part of me is thoughtless.¡¹ ¡¸Are you listening?¡¡The carriage is pulled by a war horse and it has exceptionally high abilities.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s suitable for that kid to pull Elena¡¯s carriage.¡¹ ¡¸Haven¡¯t you understood yet? The pride of a war horse with such abilities is high as well. He wouldn¡¯t listen to instructions from people who they don¡¯t recognise.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ ¡¸You, are you really a knight? That¡¯s at the level of common sense.¡¹ ¡¸W-well if that¡¯s the case, even if it¡¯s not that kid, you could still borrow other horses.¡¹ ¡¸And make the war horse sulky?¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡­¡­¡¹ After being completely refuted by Vel, Ara was either embarrassed or angry at being disgraced in front of Elena, who she adored. Either way, she fell silent as her face went red. Fortunately, the village was built around the dungeon and lucky for both Ara and Vel, it didn¡¯t take long to arrive at the entrance. ¡¸Well, they¡¯re line up quite well.¡¹ A number of adventurers were lined up at the entrance of the dungeon. Roughly 30 people or so. about ten parties. ¡¸Elena-sama, what do you want to do?¡¡You can enter first with the card you got yesterday.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a long way to the Altar of Inheritance. I don¡¯t want to spend unnecessary time here. Before that, I would like to confirm each of our equipment. Weapons and armour. Are there any problems with the number of instant use potions you have each?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, everyone checked their equipment on the spot. However, unlike the others, Rei only took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring. Because things like potions could be taken out of the Misty Ring at any time, he didn¡¯t take anything other than the Death Scythe out. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Even Set came over and rubbed his head while giving a cry. His equipment and accessories were the two bracelets on his forefeet, the Bracelet of Herculean Strength and the Bracelet of Wind Manipulation. Separate from the Necklace of Subservient Monster, the necklace Love of Shizukuishi completed his set of equipment. ¡­¡­In fact, it was very rare for summoned or tamed monsters to be equipped with magic items. Either way, Set was equipped with a set of three first class magic items produced by Esta Nord, the alchemist of the organisation Zepairu created. ¡¸Elena-sama, I have no problems. I can start at any time.¡¹ ¡¸Same with me.¡¹ ¡¸I can go at any time.¡¹ Kuust, Ara and Vel each told Elena. Rei gave a silent nod and Set a cry. Elena heard them and checked her own equipment, her sword whip, amour, cloak and other magic items like her shoes. She also checked her types of potions. ¡¸It seems everyone is ready. Now then, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Elena declared and went towards the guild staff member who was at the front of the entrance next to the queue. ¡¸Do you have a moment?¡¹ ¡¸Do you need something?¡¡If you want to enter the dungeon, line up at the end of the queue.¡¹ The guild staff member brusquely told them. Based on his looks, he was in his late forties and was probably a former adventurer. Still, as monsters could leave the dungeon and come out the entrance, he probably had a good amount of strength. The way he handled his body left no openings and a worn sword and sheath could be seen hanging from his waist. And above all, after seeing her, he didn¡¯t become fascinated and only had a slight change in expression, raising Elena¡¯s view of him. In addition, he had a considerable amount of courage and only raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw Set. ¡¸Please look at this.¡¹ She passed the card that she had received from Walker last night to the man. This showed that she had authority given to her by the representative of the guild. ¡¸¡­¡­Tch, I understand. I can¡¯t complain after you showed that card. You can enter first.¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, old man. What do you mean. Isn¡¯t it my turn!?¡¹ Though the solo adventurers proceeded to complain to the guild staff about the procedure, the went quiet immediately after he glared at them strongly. ¡¸This card is proof that they are authorised by the guild representative. If that is taken out, we follow it. ¡­¡­Buuut.¡¹ Calling out to the adventurers at the front of the line, the guild staff member turned to look at Elena. ¡¸It¡¯s troublesome to use this kind of thing so easily. Such an act would disturb the order too much. You should think a little more before doing something like this next time.¡¹ ¡¸You, acting like that towards Elena-sama!¡¹ Kuust almost held up his magic spear after hearing those rude and impudent words. However, Elena stopped him while holding the sheath of her sword whip. ¡¸Stop it Kuust. Even if we have the authority, we certainly did cut in. It is natural for those who were delayed to be bitter.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Kuust reluctantly stood down. Next to them, Ara also released her hand from the sheathed sword at her waist. As for Rei, he just watched the exchange while stroking Set¡¯s back without doing anything in particular. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but there are a variety of circumstances. If it is necessary to use power, there is no room for hesitation. May we go?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Though guild cards are normally required, there are no problems entering with that card. However, the records of one has to be kept here if you enter the dungeon. Do any of you have a guild card?¡¹ At those words, Elena turned to look at Rei. Impressively, Kuust, who disliked Rei, also turned to look at him. (Well, because I would like to enter the dungeon quickly, I should speed up the process somehow.) Muttering in his mind, he took his guild card out of the Misty Ring and passed it to the man. Seeing that gesture, several adventurers who understood what he had looked at him with sharp eyes¡­¡­Rei ignored them as he had already gotten used to such looks. On the other hand, that said, Set stepped forward and gave a cry to threaten those who were looking at Rei¡¯s hand. ¡¸Hou~, rank D at that age. You¡¯re quite a promising person. As one would expect of someone employed by the nobles.¡¹ He looked at the diminutive, 15 year old Rei with admiration before quickly writing down the contents of the guild card into a document. After less than a minutes, he returned the card to Rei. ¡¸That¡¯s fine, you may enter the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Umu~, thank you.¡¹ Elena gave a generous bow before causally swinging her hair drills, leaving a strong impression on the surrounding adventurers. As Elena entered the dungeon, the adventurers around her involuntarily looked at her admiringly. The entrance to the dungeon itself was an ordinary set of stairs. They went down into the ground. ¡¸Are the stairs also part of the dungeon?¡¹ Though Ara asked Vel as they went down the stairs, the reply was in the negative. ¡¸No, the stairs were prepared by the guild after the dungeon was formed. Here, this is the evidence.¡¹ At the end of the stairs was a rustic door. As for what it was, it was something the guild installed to stop monsters from coming out the dungeon. ¡¸In other words, past this door is the real dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ It wasn¡¯t far from the stairs to the door, but the path wasn¡¯t very wide. But the voices of discontent soon disappeared after the door was opened. The width of the path past the door was considerably wide, even if Set spread out his wings, the was still space for several people to work freely. ¡¸This, it¡¯s pretty wide. ¡­¡­Do the walls emit light themselves?¡¹ Kuust muttered, impressed, and touched the walls that emitted a faint light. ¡¸According to the information I¡¯ve gathered, walls that emit light seem to be a feature that is common to all dungeons. Well, depending on the layer, there are places completely wrapped in darkness with no light so you shouldn¡¯t become careless.¡¹ ¡¸By any chance, can you take the walls here back home and sell them for a considerable amount?¡¹ Without thinking, Ara muttered. However, Vel shook his head with a wry smile. ¡¸Did you think no adventurer has thought of that before?¡¡Even if you shaved off parts of the wall and brought them up, they don¡¯t seem to shine outside. It seems to be a dungeon only feature. According to one theory, the dungeon nucleus does this so as to not inconvenience the monsters that live inside the dungeon¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸The dungeon nucleus does that for the monsters?¡¡Is such a thing possible?¡¹ ¡¸Kuust¡¯s question is reasonable, but anyhow, the dungeon can transfer monsters above ground into it to protect itself. Maybe the monster would hardly be active it was completely dark?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. It certainly might be if you think about it.¡¹ Kuust nodded at Vel¡¯s words. Giving Kuust a glance, Elena took out a sheet of paper from a cloth bag hang on the opposite side of her sheathed sword whip. ¡¸Well then, touring the dungeon is fine but our purpose is the Altar of Inheritance in the lowest layer of the dungeon. However, the map only has up to the first 3 floors down, the lowest layer seems to be the 7th floor. At the very least, we will advance through places quickly with the map. Rei and Ara will take the vanguard. Kuust and I will be the middle guard. Vel will be the rear guard. I want to leave Set behind Vel just in case. Then let¡¯s go.¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s instructions, their party advanced through the dungeon. As expected, most of the monsters that appeared on the first floor were monsters that were easy to deal with, such as Horned Rabbits and Giant Bats. ¡¸Seriously¡­¡­I want you to understand the difference in strength¡­¡­ha!¡¹ Swinging down her long sword with her astounding physical strength, Ara split the Horned Rabbit that came around a corner and rushed at her. Next to her, Rei swung the Death Scythe down, cutting a Giant Bat, that was trying to make a sneak attack, in two. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ And at the back, Set was cheerfully eating the meat of the Horned Rabbit monster. Even if the material was stripped and the magic stones taken, it was clear that they wouldn¡¯t make much money. Because of that, Elena left them all to Set. Vel, who had been in charge of stripping materials, had no complaints in particular. ¡¸Hey, Set.¡¹ Cutting off the horn, which looked difficult to eat, Rei removed its internal organs before throwing the Horned Rabbit to Set to eat. After catching it, Set almost swallowed it in one go. Though not even the fur was skinned, he didn¡¯t seem to mind it. And although it was called a Giant Bat, most of its size was due to its wings. After cutting off its wings, it was only big enough to serve as a snack that could be eaten in bite by Set. On a side note, it was disappointing to Rei that Set didn¡¯t acquire any new skills even after he ate the magic stones of the Horned Rabbits and Giant Bats. It should be noted that the internal organs of the Horned Rabbits and the wings of the Giant Bats were just thrown out into the passageway. The Slimes, which were the cleaners of the dungeon would clean it all up. Because of that, it was an unspoken rule to not attack the Slimes. The after about 30 minutes of walking, they reached the bottom of the first floor of the dungeon. Finally, they arrived at the stairs that went towards the second floor. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Legend Chapter 75 Rei, who went down to the second level of the dungeon from the first level, advanced straight to the stairs to the third level while looking at the map . ¡¸When they talked about the dungeon, I was wondering how difficult it would be¡­¡­this is easier than I thought!¡¹ Ara muttered as she sliced a 1m long Poison Toad, which had jumped at her, with her sword . Next to her, Rei shot a fire bullet at a Giant Bat that was waiting for an opportunity from above, turning it into charcoal . ¡¸Because we¡¯re only 2 floors underground, it¡¯s still only for beginners¡­¡­ha!¡¹ While replying to Ara, Vel shot an arrow into a large frog which was further away . While watching the situation, Elena manipulated her sword whip, changing it from a sword to a whip as she tore apart the bats . ¡¸The enemies are weak, but if there are a large number of them like right now, it¡¯s troublesome to deal with . ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, it¡¯s as you say Elena-sama . ¡¹ Kuust nodded as he stabbed his magic spear into a Soldier Ant that had tried to approach Elena through a gap in their group . ¡¸I think the dungeon nucleus is transferring in new monsters into the dungeon because the number of monsters inside the dungeon is decreasing . Such a thing was written in a book about dungeons . ¡¹ After cleaning up the monsters that attacked, Rei answered Elena as he cut off the wings of a bat before throwing it to Set to eat . In addition, he cut off the legs of the Poison Toads and stored them into the Misty Ring . ¡¸I see, then that means we¡¯re just unlucky . ¡­¡­Well, there won¡¯t be a problem if it¡¯s only enemies like this . Let¡¯s move quickly . ¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s instructions, they advanced towards the stairs going down from the second floor . Around the time they were looking at the stairs indicated on the map¡­¡­ ¡¸We have guests . ¡¹ While holding the Death Scythe, Rei muttered . ¡¸What is is this time Rei-dono . Toads?¡¡Ants?¡¡Bats?¡¡To be honest, it¡¯s very troublesome to have to deal with such small fry . ¡¹ ¡¸No, it seems not, it would be troublesome if it was as you said . If you do say say something, please make the dungeon nucleus give us a boss monster . ¡­¡­Hm? Apparently Ara¡¯s wish has come true . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¹ What Rei heard was neither the Kii~ Kii~ sound of a Giant Bat, the footsteps of a Soldier Ant or the bouncing sound of a Poison Toad . It was the sound of something walking on two feet . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set raised a cry from behind them . Though they were just sounds to Elena and the rest, as his partner, Rei noticed that it was a cry of caution . ¡¸Elena-sama, apparently it¡¯s a pincer attack . Judging from Set¡¯s cry, the same kind of enemies from the front are also aiming at us from behind . ¡¹ ¡¸Hou~ . The monsters we¡¯ve encountered so far had no intelligence . But to make a pincer attack, apparently these next ones are different . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, even if you say that, since we¡¯re still on the second level of the dungeon, the monsters probably won¡¯t be a very high rank . ¡¹ Vel muttered while drawing back his bow . They were surely different monsters than those they had encountered in the passage until now . At the same time Vel said that, the monsters came into view . ¡¸Goblins, is it . ¡¹ As Kuust muttered bitterly, 10 Goblins showed up from the passage ahead . Most were armed with long swords or daggers with simple shield and armour . ¡¸¡­¡­Their equipment seems to be quite substantial for Goblins . ¡¹ ¡¸Perhaps they stole them from inside the dungeon or obtained them by attacking adventurers . ¡¹ When Rei answered Elena, who was strangely impressed, a voice called out from behind them . ¡¸Elena-sama, there are 5 armed Goblins behind us . ¡¹ Elena made snap decision at Vel¡¯s words . Though personal bravery was also there, it was because of her quick decision making that gave her the name General Princess . ¡¸We don¡¯t have enough time to avoid fighting at at the back . There¡¯s no other way . Rei, can I leave the 5 Goblins at the back to just you and Set?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have any problems with that . ¡¹ ¡¸Then I¡¯ll leave the rear to you . We will take care of the 10 Goblins at the front . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand, Then we¡¯ll clear them up at once . ¡¹ Rei nodded and moved to the back, past Elena and Vel . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set greeted Rei with a cry . Looking ahead, there were 5 Goblins as Vel had said . Normally, living creatures would feel the difference in status compared to a Griffon . However, unlike a forest, where they wouldn¡¯t have attacked, here was a dungeon . These Goblins had been transferred here by the dungeon nucleus . As a result, they had no hesitation in attacking an existence that they would normally never touch . ¡¸There are two with long swords and three with daggers . ¡­¡­You don¡¯t seem to be too happy Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded as if letting out a sigh . Any how, a Goblin¡¯s magic stone was worth very little and there were no materials that could be stripped . And as the meat was also very unpalatable, Set wasn¡¯t too happy about it . Their one saving grace was that at the very least, their right ears, proof of subjugation, could be handed in for 3 copper coins . The Goblins weapons could also be sold . ¡¸¡­¡­No, that¡¯s no good . ¡¹ In the end, the intelligence of Goblins was low . Though they could carry out a pincer attack from two sides, such as now, the concept of weapon maintenance didn¡¯t exist to them . Because of that, the Goblin¡¯s weapons were rusted with what may be adventurer blood . They were not likely to useful unless they were refurbished at a blacksmith or weapons shop even if they were collected . And even in such a case, the majority of them would have no major difference from the weapons that were usually sold . ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped . Set, let do it!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Giving a short cry at Rei¡¯s voice, Set kicked against the ground and went towards the goblins . At the same time, Rei readied the Death Scythe as he shortened the distance to the Goblins . ¡¸Gyagyagya~!¡¹ Though a Goblin stabbed at Set with a long sword as Rei called out to him, Set kicked against the ground and jumped towards the wall, causing the Goblin¡¯s long sword to miss, before jumping off the wall in a triangle jump to attack the Goblin . ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Striking with his forefoot while letting out a courageous cry, adding the effect of the magic item, Bracelet of Herculean Strength, Set was wearing, the Goblin¡¯s head exploded . The two Goblins to either side were stunned by Set¡¯s sudden triangle jump and were neatly divided into upper and lower halves with a single side sweep strike of Rei¡¯s Death Scythe . ¡¸Two remaining!¡¹ Rei turned his body while shouting . The next moment, a long sword that a Goblin had swung down went past the space that Rei had been in a moment before . ¡¸Did you think you could get me with such an attack!¡¹ Using the momentum from the Death Scythe, Rei spun his body around . It was a suitable distance for a long sword to be used, in other words, because the Goblin had gotten inside the Death Scythe¡¯s range, the blade couldn¡¯t hit it . However, Rei swung the Death Scythe without caring . The handle hit the Goblin . Unluckily for the Goblin, weighing over 100kg being swung with Rei¡¯s strength, the Death Scythe broke its ribs . The rest of its rib and spine were then broken as it crashed into the side walls of the dungeon, the shock destroying its internal organs . It died from the shock of the acute pain . As the Goblin crumpled to the ground, spewing blood from its mouth, Rei turned to glance at Set . All there was was the corpse of the Goblin whose head had exploded from a single strike . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ How was that, Set seemed to proudly say . Rei gave a wry smile and stroked Set¡¯s head as he turned to look at Elena and the others . Though he wondered whether he should go to help them, he immediately realised that he didn¡¯t need to butt in . Any how, all of Elena¡¯s escorts were capable people . ¡­¡­Rather, even though there were some with character issues, such as Kuust, there were few problems with the strength of Elena¡¯s escort . It wasn¡¯t possible for such people to have trouble dealing with Goblins . Vel shot arrows to restrain the Goblins . Ara closed the distance and swung her long sword, cleaving a Goblin in two . Her sword carried a surprising amount of strength with it . At the very least, every helmet worn by a Goblin had been cut straight through . Next to her was a Goblin with a shield that had been pierced through by Kuust¡¯s magic spear . Then there was Elena, who used her sword whip to bypass the shield and cut their necks . ¡¸As expected, I should say . ¡¹ Though the number of enemy Goblins had exceeded 10 . More than half of them had been annihilated as if it was nothing . Because of that, Elena¡¯s skills stood out all the more . After several minutes, all the Goblins that had attacked had all lost their lives and were all lying on the ground . Rei quickly cut off the right ears, the proof of subjugation, of the Goblins and stored them into the Misty Ring before continuing ahead with Elena and the others . Following the formation before they had encountered the Goblins, Rei took the vanguard and Set followed at the tail end . ¡¸Still, the Goblins didn¡¯t run away even at the very end . ¡¹ Elena muttered while advancing through the dungeon . Goblins would become unreasonably aggressive if the opponent was weak . However, they also had the character of fleeing if they realised the enemy was stronger than them . But while fighting against Elena¡¯s group, they had fought to the very end without running away even though they knew that the other party was overwhelmingly stronger than them . As a result, they were annihilated . At any rate, it was more surprising that they fought to the last Goblin without being led by a high ranking or rare species . ¡¸Some sort of brainwashing or consciousness operation was done by the dungeon nucleus when it transferred them here . Any how, even the Horned Rabbits and Giant Bats cooperated with each other on the first floor, even though they were different species . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Saying that reminds me . I think we should consider that all monsters here will work together with each other for the purpose of protecting the dungeon . ¡¹ Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s words . And, as they were about to go ahead¡­¡­ ¡¸Everyone, stop!¡¹ Vel suddenly said . ¡¸Vel?¡¹ Kuust asked as Vel silently went past Rei and Ara and began to search the ground . After a few minutes, a click echoed into the surroundings . Everyone understood why Vel had stopped them just before . ¡¸Whew, it¡¯s okay now . The trap has been disarmed . The trap would have shot arrows out if the switch was stepped on . ¡¹ Disarming a dungeon trap for the first time, Vel gave a smile and nodded to release the tension . ¡¸A trap was placed at the place where were more or less defeated the Goblins and would have lowered our guard . ¡­¡­Is this just a coincidence?¡¹ ¡¸As expected, it probably isn¡¯t . It seems to be a targeted trap made by the monsters living in the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸Kuust thinks so as well . ¡­¡­Indeed, this seems to be a rather nasty trap to be placed on the second floor . We will need to pay more attention from here on . ¡¹ Everyone nodded at Elena¡¯s words . The Goblins strength and arrows being shot out weren¡¯t much of a threat if considered separately . However, it was important that there was a monster that had the wisdom to take action and put the two together . ¡¸We can¡¯t be careless even though we¡¯re on the upper layers . Everyone, don¡¯t lower your guards even if the monsters that come out aren¡¯t strong . ¡¹ Nodding at those words, they advanced along the passage towards the stairs down to the third floor while studying the map . Should they say fortunately, other than the previous battle with the Goblins, they had arrived at the stairs without encountering any troubles with monsters . However, Vel¡¯s voice shouted out from the back the moment Ara took the first step down the stairs . ¡¸Rei, stop Ara!¡¹ A voice called out at the same time Rei saw it and he reflexively grabbed the back of the armour around Ara¡¯s neck . ¡¸Kya~!¡¡Rei-dono, what the hell!?¡¹ ¡¸Ara, take a good look at the stairs . ¡¹ Vel called out to Ara, who was glaring unhappily at Rei . With a suspicious face, Ara carefully looked at the stairs . And what she saw was¡­¡­ ¡¸This is¡­¡­thread?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . That¡¯s probably from some sort of spider monster . It¡¯s amazingly thin and light . Even if you touched the thread, you probably wouldn¡¯t notice it . This is all the more for people like us and Ara, who are wearing armour . ¡¹ ¡¸So, naturally, such a thread wouldn¡¯t be placed here without any reason . ¡¹ Rei muttered, following Vel¡¯s words . ¡¸That¡¯s right . I think this thread is probably the switch to some sort of trap . ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s there to catch out naive people, should I disarm it?¡¹ At that question, Elena thought for a moment before slowly nodding . ¡¸You¡¯re right . Though we only need to step over this thread to avoid it, it would be a bad shock if someone behind us triggered it and died because of that . Vel, I leave it to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Will do . Even though it will be done soon, take a break while waiting for me . If it¡¯s like this, the third floor is likely to be troublesome in various way . s¡¹ ¡¸That may be true . That¡¯s fine, then we will take a break until Vel disarms the trap . Rei, please serve some simple food and drinks . I want to fill my stomach while I can . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Saying that, he took out stuff such as water bottles and sandwiches from the Misty Ring and handed them around . Even Kuust, who disliked Rei, didn¡¯t mix his private and public matters, accepting them without a sound . ¡­¡­Of course, he didn¡¯t give any words of thanks . 20 minutes after successfully releasing the trap, they were able to safely go down to the third level . Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Rei went down the stairs and safely entered the third level underground . However, the moment he took his first step in the third floor, Rei reflexively swung the Death Scythe . ¡¸-!?¡¹ At the same time, Ara use her sword to repel something that flew towards her . ¡¸Tch, as expected . It¡¯s that . ¡¹ Looking at the thing twisted around the handle of the Death Scythe, Rei muttered seriously . A white thread was there . The white thread stretched towards the ceiling of the dungeon . At the ceiling was a spider, about 2m in length with over 20 eyes at first glance . It turned to look at Rei without emotion . ¡¸Was the trap at the stairs the work of this thing? Also¡­¡­¡¹ Elena, Kuust and Vel, who wer behind Ara glared at something which was bigger than a human and had green scales covering its hands and feet . They were demi-humans with a face of a reptile and a thick, long tail . Lizardmen . Armed with bows, swords and spears, they glared at Ara with hostility, as if looking at prey . ¡¸Rei, you do something about the spider . If possible, it would be great if you could finish that quickly and come to help us as soon as possible . ¡¹ Waving her sword whip, Elena gave a sharp cry as she used it¡¯s whip form to fling it at the Lizardmen . The blade of the sword extended and curved like a whip to attack, causing several of them to suffer wounds that weren¡¯t minor and throwing them into confusion . Taking advantage of that, Ara repeatedly stabbed out with her long sword . As Rei wasn¡¯t available, Kuust stepped forward to the vanguard with his magic spear . Supporting them were Vel, covering the two with his bow, and Elena . The sword whip seemed to move through the air like a snake with quick movements as it struck the Lizardman with the bow, who was about to shoot . Even while watching the situation from the side, Rei pulled on the thread that had twisted itself around the Death Scythe to drag the spider down from the ceiling . As if understanding what would happen if it fell, the spider desperately resisted as it pierced its legs into the ceiling . ¡¸Tch, a waste of time . Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Waiting for that, Set flapped his wings as he kicked against the ground . Using that momentum, he used his claws to run up the wall towards the spider . ¡¸Kikiki~¡¹ The spider pushed against the ceiling with and gave a cry that sounded like metal rubbing against each other as it tried to avoid Set¡¯s strike . But¡­¡­ ¡¸The moment I was waiting for!¡¹ To avoid Set¡¯s attack, it had to move from its position of being stuck to the ceiling . In other words, it had to move it¡¯s legs out of the ceiling . It was forcibly pulled down without being able to give any resistance by the thread twisted around the Death Scythe . ¡¸Kyi~!¡¹ Though it was originally a spider, which shouldn¡¯t have any cry, maybe because it was a monster, it gave a scream of intimidation . It probably suffered some damage from being pulled to the ground . Though Rei tried to cut it with the Death Scythe when its movements slowed, the spider opened it¡¯s mouth at that moment, spiting out some kind of liquid . ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Due to his intuition, he immediate fell back and took some distance after the spider spat out the liquid . Seeing that the liquid gave out smoke as it touched the ground when it landed, it was clear that his choice had been the right one . The huge spider then noticed the figure of Set, trying to attack from above, with his compound eyes . ¡¸Set, back!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s sudden shout, it stopped it¡¯s fall by kicking against the wall with his hind feet before changing direction in mid air . At the same time, innumerable were shot from the abdomen of the huge spider, sticking to the ceiling without catching Set . If he had continued his attack from above, there was no doubt Set would have been tangled by them . ¡¸Thread and poison, both are difficult long range attacks for Set and me to deal with¡­¡­it can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll have to give up the materials and magic stone . ¡¹ Muttering, Rei focused his magic . Set understood what Rei was trying to do by his actions and attacked the spider in order to turn its attention away from Rei . ¡ºFlame, burn the enemy according to my thoughts . ¡» Pouring magic power into his words as he said the incantation, the laws of nature were twisted and a 50cm diameter ball of fire appeared at the tip of the Death Scythe¡¯s handle ¡ºFireball!¡» Swinging the handle, the fireball was shot out . By the time the huge spider noticed the heat approaching it, there was already no evading . Without a sound, its body was burnt and its body fluids boiled at the same time . After Rei confirmed that fireball had hit, he immediately turned to look at the Lizardmen . Lizardmen . Though they were D rank monster, the same rank as the Orcs he had defeated before, their intellect was clearly higher than that of the Orcs . Unlike Orcs, who merely obeyed orders from others higher up the hierarchy, Lizardmen would make their own decisions on what was the most suitable action and carry them out . Originally, it might have been possible to count them as a monster of a higher rank, because their reproductive abilities were low and their individual power wasn¡¯t far from and Orcs, their rank wasn¡¯t any higher . Still, their proof of subjugation, which was the tip of their tail, could be handed in at the guild for 5 silver coins . As for the Lizardmen, with Elena commanding Kuust, Vel and Ara, it still wasn¡¯t an easy fight and the battle was about equal . (No, I should admire the Lizardmen . The same number of Goblins were easily defeated on the floor before . ) While thinking like that, Rei noticed that the Lizardmen at the vanguard had fallen into a confused fight against Elena and that the rear had become separated . ¡¸Elena-sama, I¡¯ll attack their rear with magic . Please be careful not to get caught in it!¡¹ ¡¸Magic? I understand . We have heard it . Be careful to not get caught up in Rei¡¯s magic!¡¹ While listening to Elena¡¯s words, he focused his mind and poured magic power into his words . ¡ºFlame, pour down a rain of arrows and burn all . ¡» At the same time he cast the spell, arrows made of fire, about the length of his arm, formed around Rei . About 50 were created . ¡ºFire Arrow Rain!¡» At the same time the magic was activated, 50 arrows shot out in a large arc and literally poured down onto the Lizardmen at the back . An innumerable number of fire arrows suddenly appeared . One Lizardmen who chose to defend by evading while others who chose to defend with their shields . As for the one who chose to evade, though he could avoid 1 to 2 arrows, with 10 arrows flying it couldn¡¯t dodge them all . A fire arrow pierced it the moment the Lizardman couldn¡¯t evade . Intense flames spread through hiss body in an instant, becoming a torch that illuminated the area, brighter than the walls of the dungeon that glittered faintly . Moreover, the Lizardmen who lifted their shield instead of evading were even more miserable . If what Rei had shot was a normal arrow, then it would have been the correct course of action . However, the arrows shot this time were not ordinary arrows but arrows made of fire . ¡¸SHAAAA-!¡¹ As for the Lizardmen who had raised their shields, the fire arrows pierced their shield and spread flames from where they hit . Naturally, the flames not only spread along the shield but also up the arm holding the shield, burning both the shield and arm . As for the Lizardmen who lost their ability to move, due to the dulling of senses from the acute pain and shock, they were unable to dodge the flame arrows that followed . As for the one Lizardman who chose to evade, although he was hit by two fire arrows and had its whole body wrapped in flames, it wasn¡¯t for long . A single blow . The Lizardmen that saw their rearguard fall into a state of annihilation from a single magic attack fell into a state of panic . ¡¸ShAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ Maybe the leader of the Lizardmen, a Lizardman bigger than the rest gave a loud shout to the others . Normally, they might have all collected themselves upon hearing that voice . ¡­¡­Yes, if nothing was done . However . ¡¸The enemy is confused!¡¡Take them down before they recover!¡¹ Yes . Elena, referred to as the General Princess, wasn¡¯t going to make the fatal mistake of missing a chance when the enemy was confused . The rearguard had been annihilated by Rei¡¯s magic and had lost all their strength . At the same time, the number of Lizardmen fighting Elena and the others had already been cut down to 10 and were slowly decreasing one by one . A few minutes after Rei had cast his magic, the Lizardman leader who had raised his voice earlier was the only one remaining . ¡¸Shashashasha-!£¡¡¹ The Lizardman had a suitable appearance to lead the other Lizardmen . He was one size larger than the other Lizardmen and was 2m in height . His muscles seemed to burst out from the leather armour it wore, which seemed to be made from the skin of some monster . In his right hand, he held a huge great sword that was well over 1 . 5m long . His other hand held the only metal shield that the Lizardmen had . The Lizard easily controlled the great sword with one hand and turned the tip of it towards Elena . ¡¸¡­¡­That fine, so you want a duel . I take it that you want me to be the opponent . ¡¹ Holding the sword whip in her hand, Elena took a step forward . ¡¸Elena-sama!¡¡To fight against a monster in a duel!¡¡If it absolutely has to be done, let me substitute for you!¡¹ Kuust tried to go ahead of Elena with his magic spear in his hand . However, Elena was the one who had been challenged for the duel and she made the decision . ¡¸Kuust, that Lizardman over there is the one that led the rest of the Lizardmen . ¡­¡­Adding to that, looking at its body, it¡¯s not an ordinary Lizardman . Rei, do you understand?¡¹ Though the question was suddenly dumped on him, Rei answered without pausing for a moment . ¡¸Possibly, I think that it might be a higher ranking Lizardman General . If that is so, then it¡¯s a rank C monster . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, as expected . It has a distinct personality compared to the other Lizardmen . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama, if it is, it¡¯s even more dangerous . Please leave it to me . ¡¹ To Kuust, who began to speak with increasing fervor, Elena turned an unexpectedly sharp look . ¡¸Too many words Kuust . Even thought he¡¯s a monster, he¡¯s also a proud warrior . I cannot disregard his pride and refuse the duel . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kuust . Too many words, I¡¯ve said it . Are you going to make me say something 3 times?¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡­¡­yes, I understand . ¡¹ Impaled by Elena¡¯s eyes, Kuust reluctantly pulled his spear back and stepped back . ¡¸Elena-sama, I wish you good fortune in battle . ¡¹ Next to speak was Ara . However, her words were different from Kuust . She had firm faith that Elena would win the duel . ¡¸Umu~, people call me the General Princess . I won¡¯t lose that easily . ¡¹ ¡¸Just saying, you probably shouldn¡¯t do this . ¡¹ ¡¸Hou~?¡¡Then Vel, will you also stop me? ¡¹ ¡¸Though it would be good to stop it if I could, our princess isn¡¯t someone who can be stopped . Then all I can do is just watch . ¡¹ Elena gave a wry smile at Vel¡¯s words . ¡¸Though I¡¯ve said it many times, stop calling me princess . Though it¡¯s fine because you¡¯re saying it with good intentions, don¡¯t try to say that in strange places . I would be charged with lese majesty . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, I know . ¡¹ Vel sent Elena off in a light tone . Finally, the last one to call out to Elena was Rei . ¡¸The strength of the General Princess, please let me me see it with my own eyes . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s right . You¡¯re also watching and you have a strength equal to mine . I cannot show a bad fight . ¡¹ Elena gave a smile as she said that . What appeared on her lips was not a graceful smile as expected of a duke¡¯s daughter but a ferocious smile worthy for neighbouring countries to call her the General Princess . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set saw that smile and gave a cry to see Elena off . With 4 people and 1 animal at the back, Elena faced the Lizardman General with her sword whip . For several seconds, neither side moved . ¡¸SAAAAAAAAA~!¡¹ ¡¸Haaaa-!£¡¡¹ They kicked against the ground at the same time and rapidly closed the distance . Elena, whose sword whip had the longer range than the great sword, made the first move . Wielding the sword whip, the tip of the blade drew and irregular arc as it went to cut the head of the Lizardman General . ¡¸Sha~!¡¹ However, the Lizardman General immediately used his great sword as a shield to block the attack . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t think it¡¯s over yet!¡¹ Though the sword whip was driven back by the great sword, with a quick snap of Elena¡¯s wrist, the tip of the sword struck at his face again . As expected, the irregular attack was not foreseen and his scaled left shoulder was cut, spewing blood . ¡¸SHAAAA~!¡¹ However, as if nothing had happened, in defiance of his injured arm, the Lizardman General threw his metal shield at Elena while using the pause of the sword whip to move into range for the great sword . If Elena¡¯s weapon had just been a whip, the fight might have become advantageous for the Lizardman General . However, Elena¡¯s sword whip could be used as both a whip and a sword . Therefore . Kin~! As the great sword was swung with great force, it was caught by the sword whip that had returned to its sword form . ¡¸Sha~!?¡¹ Though the Lizardman General only raised a voice of surprise at the sudden change of his duel opponents weapon, to Elena, who exceed first class swordsmen, this was a fatal opening . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Sliding the sword whip diagonally up the great sword, she parried the attack of her opponent¡­¡­and used the opportunity to slice the sword blade into the side of the Lizardman General¡­¡­cutting and tearing! ¡¸-!?¡¹ The Lizardman General was split into top and bottom without understanding what had happened and died . Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Legend Chapter 77 Shin~, the dungeon fell silent . The body of the Lizardman General was cut into top and bottom halves with a single swing of Elena¡¯s sword whip . And after glancing at her dead duel opponent for an instant, she flicked the blood of the Lizardman off her sword whip before sheathing it . ¡¸¡­¡­As expected of Elena-sama, it was splendid . ¡¹ The first to speak was Ara . Even if she believed in Elena¡¯s strength, there was nothing absolute in combat . Knowing that, she didn¡¯t hold back with her praise while letting out a sigh of relief . ¡¸Your swordplay was certainly splendid, but please consider your own position as well . Elena-sama isn¡¯t just an ordinary adventurer but is the daughter of the glorious Duke Kerebel . Anyhow, it¡¯s one thing if it was an enemy general, but to fight a monster in single combat is different . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha . Kuust, you said something similar when our princess went to fight the general of the Bestir Empire in single combat . ¡¹ ¡¸Vel!¡¡I am not saying this for the fun of it . . ¡¹ While Kuust and Vel argued with each other, Rei handed Elena a clean handkerchief from the Misty Ring . ¡¸Wipe away the enemy¡¯s blood . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~, thank you . ¡¹ Wiping away the blood of the Lizardman General that had hit her cheek, she turned to look at the dead Lizardman after handing the handkerchief back to Rei . ¡¸Rei, please collect the corpses of the Lizardmen . We will distribute the magic stones and materials after we leave the dungeon . ¡­¡­You can have all of it if you want . ¡¹ ¡¸Though that would be nice, I understand that Elena-sama has various circumstances . Well, although I would be happy if that is possible, I won¡¯t force it . Margrave Rowlocks has already promised an exceptional reward for successfully completing the nominated request . ¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I was also able to become an acquaintance with someone like Elena-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, that certainly is so . The first gain for me this time was also to know someone like you Rei . ¡¹ Unintentionally, Elena gave the exact same smile as a few minutes ago as she fought the duel with the monster . Though Rei was charmed by that smile for a moment, he gathered himself after Set used his beak to pull on Rei¡¯s robe . ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m sorry . We don¡¯t have that much time to spare, I¡¯ll quickly store everything . ¡¹ Saying that in a panic, he went with Set to store both halves of the Lizardman General, the rest of the Lizardmen and the burnt up corpse of the giant spider into the Misty Ring . Kuust saw the earlier situation and involuntarily frowned his eyes . This was because he had heard the conversation between Rei and his boss, Elena . ¡¸Oh wow . As expected of our princess . It¡¯s still only been several days since she met Rei and it¡¯s already like this . ¡¹ ¡¸Vel, it is rude to talk about Elena-sama like that . ¡¹ ¡¸Why . Didn¡¯t I only say the truth?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Vel . ¡¹ It wasn¡¯t the same easy voice that he had had been speaking with earlier, Kuust replied with a lower tone . And with his response, his eyes grew sharper than before . However, Vel still replied in an easy going manner without changing his smile . ¡¸Well you see, think about it normally . A beautiful girl that you¡¯ve never seen with one of the best bodies . She has a light temper and is proud . Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s impossible for someone to meet our princess and not like her?¡¡Leaving aside whether it is a feeling of love or friendship . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸With that said, Elena-sama¡¯s requirement is that her partner has to be at least stronger than her . ¡­¡­Hey, then there aren¡¯t any problems with Rei in that regard right?¡¹ Muttering that, Vel felt Kuust¡¯s magic spear pass right past his face . ¡¸Vel, don¡¯t say anymore . I don¡¯t want to stab you with this spear . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine . If Kuust says so, we¡¯ll leave it here . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph . ¡¹ At Vel¡¯s scornful laugh, Kuust pulled back his spear . ¡¸Both of you . Are you going to argue in a place like this?¡¹ Ara, who had been taking care of Elena, glared at the two of them in amazement . ¡¸We¡¯re not arguing . I just have a slight disagreement with that guy . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really? Anyhow, what Vel said was excessive . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-!?¡¡Can I at least finish explaining why!?¡¹ ¡¸I naturally understand when I see your usual, everyday, attitude Vel . ¡¹ ¡¸Ara, that¡¯s fine . This isn¡¯t a place to keep talking . Pay attention from now on . ¡¹ Kuust spit out a sigh after breaking off the argument, that had started before they realised it, and went back to the usual atmosphere . After Rei finished collecting the corpses, they advanced through the dungeon without any particular change in the atmosphere . ¡¸Hmm, this is the third floor down . It¡¯s very different from the previous two floors . ¡¹ It was after the battle with the Lizardmen, about 10 minutes walk from the stairs down to the third floor . Though it was a normal dungeon just before, the place that appeared before Rei¡¯s eyes now was a forest of huge mushrooms . Starting from a height of 2m, huge mushrooms up to 5m tall were growing everywhere . ¡¸This is¡­¡­it really is unexpected . ¡¹ Maybe because mushrooms in the dungeon were unexpected, Kuust muttered with a shocked expression . Vel and Ara also had looks of astonishment as they stood next to Kuust . Rei was also amazed, but not to the extent of the other three, as he looked at the surrounding area with interest . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Meanwhile, Set only tilted his head without any change in expression . However, the sightseeing attitude of the party ended with a single sound . The first to notice was Set, who had far superior senses than humans . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set raised a vigilant cry as he pulled on Rei¡¯s robe . Rei noticed it at the same time as Set . ¡¸Elena-sama, something¡­¡­no, is that a voice?¡¹ He was going to warn Elena that monsters were approaching, but was confused after hearing the voices of people . Because they were the first people to enter the dungeon today, he hadn¡¯t recalled passing by any people who had entered the dungeon after them . However, he understood immediately . If they were heading towards here, it meant that they were trying to get to the stairs to the upper levels . In other words¡­¡­ ¡¸Rei, what is it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . It seems a party that spent the night in the dungeon is coming towards here . At first, I thought they were monsters because I only heard the sounds of them approaching, but now I can hear people¡¯s voices . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see . There certainly is a limit to how many levels you can go into the dungeon in one day considering how wide each level is . That¡¯s why we prepared tools such as tents for camping . Well then, what should we do in this case as adventurers?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . According to a story I heard from Elk previously, generally, you should give a light greeting without showing any hostility¡­¡­¡¹ Rei said uncomfortably . After all, anyone could become an adventurer by registering in the guild . Because of that, there were naturally nasty adventurers as well . Adventurers who attacked other people to steal their belongings existed as well . And in the dungeon that Rei was in now, there wouldn¡¯t be any trouble if no one was able to complain about any events that occurred . If anything happened, it would probably be judged that they died in the dungeon . Elena gave a serious nod as Rei explained the circumstances to her . ¡¸That¡¯s good . Then let¡¯s wait to see the attitude of the other party . If the party is just passing by looking for something, there¡¯s no problem . However, if they are bandits like Rei mentioned, we¡¯ll know immediately from experience . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s instructions, they waited where they were . Eventually, after 5 minutes, not just Set and Rei, Elena and the others could hear the sound of walking coming from the forest of mushrooms . Mixed in were also the sounds of armour rubbing against each other . Soon, the shadows of people could be seen from a 3m tall mushroom . There were four people . All the members were men . There was an agile looking man who seemed to be a thief and two warriors, one holding a halberd, with the characteristics of a spear and axe and another holding a bastard swords . At the tail end was a man carrying a huge rucksack on his back . All of them were probably in their twenties . ¡¸Hm?¡¹ Before long, the thief, who was walking ahead, stopped and looked at Rei suspiciously . The two warriors at the back also stopped to look at Rei with caution as they stepped forward to either side of the thief . For an instant, the thief glanced at Elena before looking at the Griffon . ¡¸Rei, they are adventurers . I¡¯ll leave it to you . Be nice but cut them down without hesitation if they attack . ¡¹ Receiving instructions from Elena, Rei stepped forward with a nod . Carrying the Death Scythe on his shoulder, it wasn¡¯t a combat posture but he could immediately respond if he had to fight . The first to speak was the thief, who was at the front of the party . ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s unexpected to meet someone here . ¡¹ ¡¸An unexpected meeting, that¡¯s a funny thing because you¡¯re the first other people that we¡¯ve encountered since we started exploring the dungeon . ¡­¡­By the way, we where the first people to enter the dungeon this morning and came straight here¡­¡­how about you?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, we came here for a request to obtain some materials from a monster down here . In addition, we had to spend yesterday night in the dungeon since the monster only appears at night . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh, staying in the dungeon . That¡¯s quite brave of you . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, we are an experience C rank party . ¡­¡­They are?¡¹ Speaking about their circumstances, next was Rei¡¯s turn as the man asked back . Rei turned to look at Elena for a moment and spoke up after seeing her give a slight nod . ¡¸We have some business down here . Ah, I¡¯m Rei, a rank D adventurer . My client is the noble over there . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hou~ . Nobles, is it . ¡¹ Muttering, the male thief nodded . Though it was only slightly, Rei¡¯s wariness faded slightly at that sign . The other party might also have been cautious that Rei¡¯s party were bandits . ¡¸It looks like we have no particular problems with each other then . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I am a bit interested in that frightfully beautiful girl over there and the Griffon as well¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey Zach . Let¡¯s head up quickly if there¡¯s no problems . Don¡¯t be irresponsible, I want to go to sleep without having to be on guard all the time . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay . ¡¹ Zach, the man holding the halberd, replied after the thief spoke to him . The thief tapped Rei¡¯s shoulder lightly while smiling . ¡¸We¡¯re going back up but take note that there are a lot of troublesome monsters further down . Particularly troublesome is the fifth floor where there are a lot of undead monsters and magic can¡¯t be used . ¡¹ ¡¸No problem, I think you can understand if you see my clothing, but I¡¯m a magician . ¡¹ Saying that, people from the other party immediately interjected . ¡ºWait a moment . ¡» Rei gave a wry smile at the two voices that interjected at the same time . ¡¸Saying you¡¯re a magician with such a huge weapon, normally I wouldn¡¯t believe that . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, actually, your way of walking is closer to a warrior than a mage . ¡¹ At the unanimous response of the two warriors, Rei gave a light shrug . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s certainly not a mistake . To be precise, I¡¯m a warrior that can use magic, I¡¯m a magic warrior . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, if that¡¯s the case, I understand . ¡¹ As the male thief nodded, the man carrying the huge sack spoke up . ¡¸If we have no problems with each other, then should we say goodbye?¡¡I want to go back up, eat a full meal at the inn and sleep soundly without having to worry about anything . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, that¡¯s right . Then we must get going . Though I mentioned it earlier, be careful about the undead that wander about on the fifth floor . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Thank you . Normally, wouldn¡¯t you monopolize such information to yourselves?¡¹ ¡¸What, don¡¯t mind it . I got the information in the same way and this chance meeting also allowed me to meet a magic warrior . Well then, I¡¯m sorry but we have to go . I hope that you finish your search safely . ¡¹ As the thief said that, they went in a different direction and parted ways from Rei and Elena¡¯s group . Rei and Elena went to the stairs down to the fourth floor while the other men went to the staircase up towards the second floor . ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, what do you think?¡¹ The male warrior with the halberd murmured when they were far away enough from Rei . He didn¡¯t need to say what he was asking about . It was about the strange party they had talked with earlier . ¡¸First of all, that blonde girl is a fantastic one of a kind . For girls over 20, I¡¯ve seen a lot, I¡¯ve even spent a night with a high class prostitute, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a girl like that . ¡­¡­How to say it, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve lost my nerve talking to a girl . ¡¹ The companions of the swordsman gave wry smiles at the his words . This was because it was a well known fact that he was an extreme womaniser who visited brothels every night . A large portion of their income as a C rank party, of course after distribution within the part, was spent on prostitutes by him . ¡¸As for me, I was worried about the Griffon . How to put it, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a real Griffon . ¡¹ The Griffon left a strong impression on the male thief . An A rank monster, a monster strong enough to be called the shinigami of the sky . As a thief, he was skilled in judging the strength of others, still, the Griffon they saw earlier exceeded his imagination . It was an existence at a completely different level . ¡¸There was also girl and the Griffon, but it interested me that they didn¡¯t have a porter . ¡¹ A man muttered while carrying a huge backpack Porter . To be brief, it was what people who carried things like treasures, materials and magic stones for other were called . It was natural if you thought about it . The movements of warriors and mages would obviously get duller if they carried the materials and magic stones as they went through the dungeon . If warriors and mages had their movements dulled, it would become harder for them to deal with monsters . The people who solved that problem were porters, who specialised in carrying those items . ¡¸¡­¡­That reminds me, there was the guy stupidly huge scythe, a spear man, two female warriors and an archer . ¡¹ The man with the sword muttered as he thought back . ¡¸I know right? There¡¯s no one who enters a dungeon without a porter¡­¡­though it¡¯s not absolute, it¡¯s quite unusual . ¡¹ Hmm~, though they all racked their brains, they couldn¡¯t think of a reason and eventually went up and out of the dungeon . As expected, there was no way they would have thought that the people they were talking to had an item box . After that, though the men encountered several Lizardmen and goblins, they were successful in leaving after defeating them . After that, they submitted the materials for their request and received their reward . By the time they were sleeping soundly after celebrating at the bar, any thoughts about Rei had completely disappeared from their minds . Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Legend Chapter 78 ¡¸Rei!¡¡I¡¯ll leave the mushrooms at the back to you!¡¹ Elena¡¯s voice echoed into the surroundings. Rei shouted out as he swept the Death Scythe from the side, cutting the body of a mushroom. ¡¸Same with you Set, I still have strength to spare so I¡¯m okay!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Answering Rei, Set destroyed the body of a mushroom with a strike from his forefeet. It was about an hour after they encountered the party that had spent the night in the dungeon. Though Elena and the others had steadily made their way towards the stairs to the fourth floor, as soon as they got near, they were attacked by mushrooms in the nearby area. The smallest were about 1m tall. The largest were about 3m tall. For some reason, tree like roots grew from the huge mushrooms, which allowed them to move. Fortunately, its only attack was to throw its body towards them. Though spores were spread out every time they were cut, they didn¡¯t seem to be toxic and didn¡¯t hurt them. TLN: Uhhh¡­¡­so they are basically Treants but mushrooms, that¡¯s the best way I can put it. ¡¸Tch, these mushrooms that grow on this third floor down are strange things¡­¡­but even if they¡¯re good at disguising themselves!¡¹ Rei attacked again with the Death Scythe and cut the body of a 2m tall mushroom. As the upper part of the mushroom fell towards Rei, he struck it with the handle of the Death Scythe. Rei glanced to the front for an instant and saw Elena surrounded by an overwhelming majority of the mushrooms. (It¡¯s troublesome right now. ¡­¡­Rather, Elena will tire out before Set and me. Shit, those people from before should have told us about such a monster back then. Could it be that they didn¡¯t know?¡¡¡­¡­Wait. They didn¡¯t know?¡¡In other words, they weren¡¯t attacked by these guys?) While he was thinking about that, the mushrooms continued to attack without stopping. Rei shouted out to Set as he grouped up three mushrooms and cut them with a side sweep of the Death Scythe. ¡¸Aye, they¡¯re persistent-!¡¡Set, buy me some time!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a sharp cry to acknowledge Rei¡¯s words. Rei heard the cry and jumped back, he started saying an incantation as he poured magic power into the words. ¡ºThou is a being made of flame. Gather with the flame. Flap your great wings of flame!¡» The flames gathered around the blade of the Death Scythe as he cast the spell. Before long, the flames changed to the figure of a bird. As its size gradually increased, its spread out wings soon reached 3m in length. ¡ºPhoenix conquer the sky!¡» Completing the spell, the moment the phoenix flapped its flaming wings, Set kicked a mushroom over with his hind feet as a parting gift and used the force to land next to Rei. At the same time that Set landed next to Rei, the mushroom was thrust inside the phoenix. As for the phoenix shaped flames, made with Rei¡¯s magic, true to its name, it flapped its wings like a bird as it burnt through the entire mushroom as it touched it. As for how hot the flames were, you could understand after seeing the flames spread and a mushroom turn to charcoal just several seconds after touching the phoenix. The phoenix flew among the mushrooms without holding back, burning one mushroom after another. Not even several minutes were required before all the mushrooms that had sneaked around the back had been burnt by Rei. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Elena-sama, I¡¯ll clear away the mushrooms!¡¡Please move back immediately.¡¹ Hearing his voice and turning around for an instant to check, Elean made her decision after seeing that the mushrooms at the back had been wiped out. ¡¸Kuust, Ara. You heard it?¡¡Fall back!¡¹ While swinging her sword whip, Elena called out to the two people fighting at the front. The sword whip extended out like a whip and cut through the body of a mushroom that tried to jump at Ara from the side. When Elena flicked her wrist, the body of the mushroom sliced through the inside, splitting it in two. (These mushrooms, do they not feel pain?¡¡Though I¡¯ve heard that monsters that don¡¯t feel pain aren¡¯t rare¡­¡­) Inwardly muttering, she flicked her wrist again, cutting through the body of another mushroom that was beside the one she had just cut. In the first place, the weapon known as the sword whip could take form as a sword or a whip with blades. Though its attack range was reasonably wide, the power of its attacks was not as great as Kuust¡¯s magic spear or Rei¡¯s Death Scythe. Because it can just return to sword form when a strong blow is needed, usually there aren¡¯t any problems. However, a problem arises when it has to be used from the position of the middle and rear guard. ¡­¡­Moreover, though there would be no problems if they felt pain, these mushrooms had no sense of pain.For ordinary monsters, if they are wounded, they would naturally feel pain. That could be used as a form of restraint. While thinking about that, she saw Ara cut down mushroom as Kuust stabbed it with his magic spear at the same time¡­¡­piercing the mushroom, a large number of Water Balls were created at the tip of the spear inside the mushroom, bursting its body the next moment. And although the two of them tried to immediately move back according to Elena¡¯s instructions, two more mushrooms blocked their way. ¡¸I won¡¯t let you!¡¹ Elena cut the body of one mushroom with her sword whip as they tried to move towards the two people. ¡¸I won¡¯t leave things like that!¡¹ Vel continuously bombarded the other with arrows. Though it was shot by an arrow, the mushroom continued to advance while taking damage. But although arrows couldn¡¯t knock it down, it was sufficient to slow its movement. One after the other, 2 arrows, 3 arrows, 4 arrows. With arrows being shot in quick succession, it bought enough time for the two people to fall back. And¡­¡­ ¡¸That is, Rei-dono¡¯s magic¡­¡­¡¹ As the phoenix shaped flames passed over Ara¡¯s head as she retreated, she muttered in blank surprise. Even though she had no talent for magic, with her intuition as a warrior, she could feel how much magic power was placed into the phoenix. There was also its beauty. As for Kuust, who had retreated next to Ara, he looked at the phoenix with unusual admiration. ¡¸Oh, have you finally accepted Rei, Kuust?¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, I have already recognised his ability. I just haven¡¯t accepted his character.¡¹ At that reply. Vel gave a snort and laughed to tease Kuust. As the figure of the phoenix disappeared, only a few mushrooms were left. The remaining mushrooms were unceremoniously dispatched by Elena. After originally struggling in a hard fight against the number of mushrooms because of the strangeness of ignoring any damage they suffered, their work was coming to an end. But¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¡Rei, Vel. Say that again.¡¹ Elena¡¯s voice echoed into the surroundings. Next to her, Kuust raised his eyebrows while Ara gave a puzzled look at Rei and Vel. Though they looked at him like that, Vel repeated what he had said. ¡¸I tried to collect the magic stones from the mushrooms, but I couldn¡¯t find them in their bodies. Plainly speaking, that means that the mushrooms weren¡¯t monsters.¡¹ ¡¸But, factually, we were attacked by the mushrooms?¡¹ Kuust also nodded at Elena¡¯s words. ¡¸It¡¯s as you said Elena-sama. Well, considering they surrounded us and attacked from the front and back, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to consider them as monsters.¡¹ ¡¸I understand what Kuust wants to say. But Rei and I examined every section of the mushroom, there¡¯s no helping it. Would Kuust like to examine the mushrooms as well to find their magic stone?¡¹ To Kuust, who didn¡¯t quite believe the results of the investigation, Vel retorted dissatisfied. Even Kuust didn¡¯t think that Vel would have done a shoddy job and skimped on the check. After all, although he usually had a light tone and attitude, he took his work seriously. But even if Kuust knew it, the words still came out involuntarily. ¡¸Hmm, we might have been wrapped up in some strange trouble this time. First was the Mantis in the middle of he journey, then these mushrooms.¡¹ Elena casually muttered those words. Because of those words, Rei unintentionally turned to look back at the mushrooms that hadn¡¯t been turned into charcoal and noticed something. Though Elena had an expression of surprise at Rei¡¯s sudden movement, Rei went towards the bodies of the mushrooms without noticing it. ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s wrong? The mushrooms don¡¯t seem to have any magic stones or materials that can be used. Didn¡¯t you check it just earlier?¡¹ Ignoring the puzzled voice of Vel from behind, he examined the body again. However, this time he looked at the part that had grown tree like roots rather than the mushroom itself. Grabbing part of it with his hand, he cut off part of it with the Mithril Knife before returning to Elena. ¡¸So, did you learn anything?¡¹ Though Elena called out to Rei, he only shook his head slightly. ¡¸No. However, I was thinking about the words Elena-sama said earlier.¡¹ ¡¸My words?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. About the Mantis. As I said then, there is a possibility that the Mantis was a monster made from alchemy. And from examining them, the mushrooms that attacked us are the same as the mushrooms that grow on this level. Either way, cutting it up, it didn¡¯t have any internal organs that a monster would have, it didn¡¯t even have a magic stone which it should have. If you were to say what was the only difference between these and the other mushrooms, it would be the tree root like things it used to move.¡¹ With just that, Elena understood what Rei wanted to say. Her beautiful eyebrows frowned slightly as she spoke up. ¡¸In other words, the things like tree roots were created with alchemy?¡¹ ¡¸In the end, it¡¯s only a guess.¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, Rei¡¯s thought might be correct since there¡¯s no magic stone¡­¡­do you get it?¡¡If we had only encountered the Mantis on the highway to the dungeon, it could have possibly just been the experiment of a heretic alchemy master. But what about the case that we haven¡¯t finished going through the dungeon and were attacked by an alchemist¡¯s creations again?¡¹ What Elena wanted to say could be understood. Kuust, Ara and Vel frowned their eyebrows while Rei nodded. ¡¸Yes. If my thinking is correct.¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸The Mantis and tree roots were aimed at us.¡¹ ¡¸But Elena-sama, the fact that you¡¯ve come to the dungeon is only known by a fraction of the Nobles Faction.¡¹ To Ara¡¯s words, Vel gave a shrug and spoke up in his usual lighthearted voice ¡¸In other words, there is someone in the Nobles Faction who wants to cause us trouble.¡¹ ¡¸Vel! Such a thing, Elena-sama is part of the Nobles Faction!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. But does that mean that there is no one that wants to cause trouble to Elena-sama, the symbol of the Nobles Faction?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There is a traitor, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Well, there is only circumstantial evidence. In the first place, I don¡¯t know if these tree roots were actually made with alchemy.¡¹ Vel said that while looking at the tree roots Rei held in his hand before turning to Elena and speaking again. ¡¸The mantis melted away as soon as it was defeated as if to erase any evidence. Yet these roots are still here even after we defeated the mushrooms. ¡­¡­Specifically, what do you think, Elena-sama?¡¹ ¡¸If you think about it, the Mantis was probably unique and made by concentrating the best advancements into a single monster. On the other hand, if you assume these tree roots are made with alchemy, maybe the technology itself isn¡¯t important and whoever made them wouldn¡¯t be troubled if the technology used was found out.¡¹ ¡¸In other words, are you saying that even if the monster with the tree roots was really created with alchemy, the technology being used is ordinary compared to what an alchemist would have used to make the Mantis?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. If you look at the circumstantial evidence, you probably won¡¯t be wrong if you said it was the work of the same person. But in the end, circumstantial evidence is only circumstantial evidence. If it was said to be a coincidence, there is no evidence to refute that. ¡­¡­Because of that, it is quite regrettable that we weren¡¯t able to secure any of the Mantis¡¯ material.¡¹ Elena muttered while spitting out a sigh. She had already established the matter that an alchemist was involved in this case for whatever reason. ¡¸Anyhow, even if an alchemist sets things up, if we are vigilant, there will be no problems. We will reach the stairs to the fourth floor soon, focus your minds.¡¹ All members nodded at those instructions. Rei stored the tree roots into the Misty Ring just in case before they continued to advance through the dungeon. About an hour later, they discovered the stairs down to the fourth floor and cautiously went down. The Alter of Inheritance was on the seventh floor, the lowest level. Though they finally gone through half the dungeon¡­¡­the map that Elena had was only up to the third floor. Without a map from hereon, they would have to literally fumble their way through the floors. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Legend Chapter 79 ¡¸This is, also¡­¡­¡¹ At the scene spread before his eyes, Rei muttered involuntarily . Ara, who was in the vanguard like Rei, as well as Kuust and Elena, who were in the middle guard, had similar expressions . At the back, Vel¡¯s eyes were wide open in surprise at the view before him . Only Set, who was next to Vel, gave a cry that seemed somewhat joyful . ¡¸Uhh, there¡¯s no mistake that this is the fourth floor down right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . You also went down the stairs just now . ¡¹ At Ara¡¯s sudden mutter after she had gathered herself, Kuust affirmed her question . ¡¸No, no . I understand Ara¡¯s confusion . I was truly surprised to see this suddenly before my eyes after going down the dungeon . ¡¹ Vel didn¡¯t lose his light tone when he spoke, but as expected he was surprised . He had spoken out half in shock . ¡¸I mean¡­¡­why¡­¡­there is a forest in a dungeon, whyyyyyy!¡¡Furthermore, no matter how you think about it, why is there a thing like the sun as well!¡¹ Yes, the scene that was before Rei¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t be described as anything other than a forest . The sun like thing in the sky that Ara mentioned actually illuminated the area with light . ¡¸Calm down Ara . This is a dungeon, it¡¯s a strange place where anything can happen . You will let your guard down if you get confused . ¡¹ Pon~, Elena called out and put a hand on Ara¡¯s shoulder to calm her down . She probably pulled herself back together after hearing Elena¡¯s voice . Ara lowered her head with flushed face . ¡¸Well then . This isn¡¯t about Ara but I¡¯m certain you are all surprised at seeing the forest before us after coming down the dungeon, so first of all, everyone calm down . Anyhow, unlike the third floor, we have no map for here . Unlike before, we can¡¯t head straight for the stairs down, finding the stairs to the fifth floor will be difficult . Because of that, everyone take a deep breath and adjust our mindset . ¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s words, everyone took a deep breath . In addition, the air they breathed in was certainly fresh air that would be found deep inside a forest and not what you would find in a dungeon . ¡¸¡­¡­Now then . Let¡¯s take more care when we advance from here . I will move about the formation a bit . To use his skills as a thief, Vel will swap positions with Rei . Set and Rei will watch out for monster attacks from behind and above . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I finally get to show my special skills . My thief skills are much better in a forest compared to in the dungeon . Well, Rei . I leave the rear guard to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to us . You don¡¯t need to worry about attacks from behind, Set and I are accustomed to working together like this, we¡¯ll leave the front to you . ¡¹ ¡¸As expected of Rei . Full of confidence . ¡¹ Maybe they calmed down after taking a deep breath, Vel returned to his usual light tone as he swapped positions with Rei and made their preparations . ¡¸So, Elena-sama . What direction will we go in?¡¹ At Ara¡¯s question, Elena looked around while thinking for a few seconds before immediately shrugging . ¡¸Now that we have no map, even if we advance, we¡¯ll have to rely on intuition . Then let¡¯s do this . Rei, choose the direction based on your intuition as an adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¡Me?¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . Anyway, none of us can point the direction to go towards so none of us can act as a guide . It would be better to rely on Rei¡¯s intuition as an adventurer . ¡¹ Because Rei was suddenly ordered, as expected, he was somewhat troubled at being asked to use his intuition . Still, he looked around the surroundings . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right . It looks like it will be difficult to break through this floor today, how about advancing while looking for a place to use as a camp in case of an emergency?¡¹ ¡¸A camp?¡¡In that case¡­¡­near a river?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . However, river¡­¡­what to say, because there is danger when monsters come to drink water, finding a good balance between the two is difficult . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . However, if we need to spend the night on the fourth floor, it is important to secure a source of water . ¡¹ ¡¸I agree . Though we brought water in containers, we should save it for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~, then lets move to try to find a water source first, either a river or a lake¡­¡­then which direction should we go in for that?¡¹ Though Elena said that with a wry smile, Rei stroked Set¡¯s back while smiling . ¡¸Set, can you smell or hear the sound of water?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Leave it to me, Set seemed to say at Rei¡¯s words . Elena saw that and was impressed at the five sense of a Griffon . What surprised Rei the most was that even Kuust glanced over with an impressed look . (Well, though there¡¯s also the method of flying over the sky with Set to look for a lake or river¡­¡­) Though Rei thought of that, Set seemed to either smell or hear the sound of water and turned to the left side before giving a happy cry . ¡¸As you can see, apparently, there seems to be a waterfront to the left . Is it okay to head over there?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I have no problems . Kuust, Vel, Ara . We will go to the left . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s instructions, they proceeded in a line to the left . Fortunately, even if it was called a forest, there were few trees to obstruct their path . Maybe because they were advancing in single file, they were able to proceed even without an open path like a road . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ About an hour after walking through the forest, Set gave a cry of warning . Probably surprised at Set¡¯s sudden cry, Ara and Vel reflexively turned around . ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Rei replied to Elena¡¯s calm question as Set stayed wary of the surroundings . ¡¸He seems to be cautious of the surrounding area . There may be monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸Near us?¡¡Which direction is it?¡¹ ¡¸About that, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a single direction . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, should we assume that some sort of monster that acts in groups has surrounded us?¡¹ Everyone around Elena involuntarily frowned their eyebrows at her words . Being surrounded was always a disadvantage to the ones being surrounded, although it was difficult to hide in a battlefield, it was no trouble to do so in a forest . It was clear that no matter how they were attacked, they were in a bad position . ¡¸Elena-sama, should we prepare here?¡¹ ¡¸I would like to do so, but isn¡¯t it useless since we can¡¯t even see the enemy?¡¹ Ara¡¯s suggestion was immediately rejected, but she looked towards Rei who seemed to have thought of something after doing some thinking . ¡¸Rei-dono will burn down the entire forest with his fire magic?¡¹ ¡¸Rejected . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why not?¡¹ This time, Ara¡¯s idea was rejected by Rei, who she had hoped could use his fire magic . In this situation, Vel spoke with an amazed expression . ¡¸Burning the forest is fine, but what if we end up burning ourselves?¡¡No, the first injury we would take would be from the smoke . ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh . ¡¹ ¡¸You know . Let¡¯s not speak without thinking first . ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re all so noisy . There¡¯s no helping it if I mess up a little bit . ¡¹ ¡¸So you say, but in your case Ara, you make too many ¡®slight¡¯ mistakes . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, the sense of tension isn¡¯t enough considering we¡¯re surrounded by enemies . ¡¹ Holding his magic spear, Kuust noted while maintaining his posture, ready to respond to an attack at any time . But as expected of Vel and Ara, while bantering with each other, Ara had readied her sword while Vel had notched an arrow to his bow, ready to shoot at any time . In the same way, Elena readied her sword whip and Rei his Death Scythe . Set lowered his body, ready to react to any attack from the surrounding area . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ The moment Set gave a loud cry, the enemy appeared from literally all directions . Their appearance was close to that of a monkey . However, sharp fangs extended from their mouth and their skin was covered with water . The smallest ones were 60cm tall while the biggest were around 1m tall . However, there were about 20 of them surrounding Rei and the others . ¡¸Monkeys covered in water!?¡¡It¡¯s like a monkey version of the Water Bear, they appeared in the monster dictionary, Water Monkeys¡­¡­was it?¡¹ It was Elena who reacted to Rei¡¯s muttered words . ¡¸Rei-, information on this monster!¡¹ Rei swung the Death Scythe to intimidate the Water Monkeys, took some distance and spoke up as he recalled the the contents written in the book . ¡¸They are a D rank monster that can use magic of the water system . However, that is if they are alone . Their fur, which is covered in water, mainly reduces the damage they take from physical and magical fire system attacks . Because of that, wind system and earth system magic seem to be the most effective . If you use physical attacks, blunt weapons like clubs, hammers or axes can transmit the impact into them . Sharp attacks like stabs that can cut through the layer of water and their fur are also effective . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a pain that you can¡¯t use your most powerful magic . ¡­¡­Then only my magic effective . After that is the weapons you mentioned . No, that reminds me Rei . Weren¡¯t you able to use some wind magic as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . That said, the only wind magic I can use is the wind blade that I used at the time with the mantis . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s better than nothing . Focus on that¡­¡­they¡¯re coming!¡¹ It was the Water Monkeys that, seeing Elena and Rei talking, couldn¡¯t control their excitement in front of it¡¯s prey . Baring their fangs, they threw itself down from the trees . To support it, the others behind it shot out water balls, though they were considerably smaller than the ones the Water Bear had used . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ Against the two Water Monkey that directly attacked, Rei used the Death Scythe¡¯s Flying Slash skill . The Flying Slash drew out an arc as Rei swung the Death Scythe, cutting both monkeys in two as it was about to attack Rei . At the same time, the Flying Slash left big scars on the trees in its way as it flew to the back . ¡¸Kikikyi~!¡¹ Suddenly seeing its companions being split in two in mid air, it watched as the bodies hit the ground, spilling out the internal organs . A Water Monkey raised a cry of caution . However, it was too late . Though Elena¡¯s wind blade was considerably weaker compared to Rei¡¯s Flying Slash, on the the other hand, over 10 were shot out at the same time . Torn to pieces by the wind blades, this Water Monkey was unluckier than the one killed by Rei . Compared to the first two that died without feeling any pain, the next Water Monkey to receive Elena¡¯s attack had its hands, toes and part of its ear cut off by Elena¡¯s wind blades . Because the wind blades were lacking in power, they weren¡¯t able to cut off their hands and feet and could only cut halfway . ¡¸Kikikyi~!¡¡Kikikikikyi~!¡¹ Ara swung her sword down at the Water Monkey that fell and rolled on the ground several times while bleeding . Kuust then ran it through with his magic spear . The water at its neck wasn¡¯t able to block Ara mighty blow, the sword removing its head from its body . The water covering its body was also split apart the moment the tip of Kuust¡¯s magic spear touched it and the spear pierced right through . Elena swung her sword whip, cutting through their bodies like the water wasn¡¯t there . ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set¡¯s single blow ignored the water completely, cutting through both the water and skin of the Water Monkey . And because Set was equipped with the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, as the Water Monkey was struck, instead of being blasted away, its body was shattered, spraying its internal organs onto the trees in the surroundings . The troop of monkeys immediately felt a sense of crisis after seeing their companions sink into a sea of blood . A Water Monkey that had thrown itself at Rei earlier immediately grabbed onto a branch and took some distance . ¡¸Did they give up?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s different . ¡¹ Vel denied Kuust¡¯s words . He held his bow, ready to shoot at any time, while watching the state of the Water Monkeys that surrounded them from the tree tops . However, they must have realised that they can¡¯t deal with us with their current power?¡¹ ¡¸They should be smart enough monsters . ¡­¡­Look at their eyes . Does it look like they¡¯ve given up?¡¹ When Vel said that, Kuust observed the states of the Water Monkeys . Their eyes held hunger and hostility due to their killed companions being killed by what they considered to be prey, they also had no looks of shock or fear . ¡¸In the end, monster are only like this . They can¡¯t see through the power of their opponents . ¡¹ The moment Kuust muttered that in disdain . ¡¸Gaaaaaaaaaaaa~!¡¹ The ferocious roar resounded through the neighbouring area . The Water Monkeys that were fighting with Rei before immediately disappeared into the forest without hesitation after hearing the roar . It was like the withdrawal of soldiers given a command . ¡¸I see . As expected, the reason why the monsters were all here was because there was someone leading them . ¡¹ Though Rei watched the surroundings while hearing Elena¡¯s impressed murmuring, next to him, Set suddenly looked up at a big tree further into the forest and gave a cry . Rei reflexively readied the Death Scythe at that cry . It was a Water Monkey that was considerably larger than the ones from the troop before . It was about 2m tall . Its large size was apparent when you considered that the largest Water Monkeys from before were only 1m tall . (No doubt, it seems this is the guy that raised that roar just before . ) Maybe the huge Water Monkey noticed that it had been spotted, it disappeared into the forest depths after glancing at Rei, Elena and the others . ¡¸Is that a Water Monkey?¡¡With that size, isn¡¯t more like a Water Gorilla than a Water Monkey?¡¡Rei, do you know anything about the sizes of Water Monkeys?¡¹ ¡¸They are basically all small, the largest will only be about 1m tall . ¡¹ ¡¸There were some that big in the previous troop of monkeys . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . In that case, it might be a rare or higher ranking species¡­¡­unfortunately, nothing was written about that in the book I read . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡­¡­It was a monster that had enough intelligence to signal a retreat after seeing that our fighting strength was dangerous . I wouldn¡¯t want to have to fight it . ¡¹ At Elena¡¯s murmur that floated into the surroundings, everyone seemed to nod in the minds . Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Legend Chapter 80 It was about an hour after leaving the place where they were attacked by the Water Monkeys . When Ara¡¯s sword cut through the bushes which seemed to be hiding something, they finally found what Rei had been looking for . It was a fast flowing river . The water was clear and fish could be seen swimming inside . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s a bit late to say this, but aside from there being a forest in a dungeon, there¡¯s also a river?¡¡Where do you think we¡¯ll end up if we followed the river upstream?¡¹ Vel asked lightly while checking the quality of the river water with some chemicals . ¡¸In the first place, it¡¯s wrong to use your common sense in a dungeon . I¡¯ve already stopped thinking too deeply about it . ¡¹ Ara kept her hand at her sword to guard Vel . Seeing that, Vel gave a wry smile . ¡¸Right . Inspection has been completed . Elena-sama, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any particular problems with the water quality, it¡¯s safe to drink . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, good work . Well then¡­¡­where should we set up camp¡­¡­¡¹ After thanking Vel, Elena took a look at the surroundings . There was no doubt that the waterside was a place for monsters to drink water, if adventurers camped here without care, it was like asking to be attacked . Because of that, somewhere near the water source that wasn¡¯t conspicuous from the outside was desirable¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ To Elena, who was searching the surroundings, Set approached and gave a cry . ¡¸What is it Set? Please ask Rei if you¡¯re hungry . I don¡¯t have any food for you to eat with me . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ That¡¯s not it, Set seemed to say as he turned to face part of the forest near the river . Elena also turned to see what he was looking at but didn¡¯t seem to understand what Set was trying to point out . ¡¸Rei, do you know what Set is saying?¡¹ ¡¸I think maybe the place Set is facing is suitable to set up camp . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Was Set trying to tell me?¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s smarter than ordinary monsters . Though he can¡¯t speak words due to his physiology, he can understand what we¡¯re saying . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm . Then let¡¯s take a look . ¡¹ Muttering that, as she took a step forward, Kuust followed after her in a panic . ¡¸Elena-sama! Even if I know that Elena-sama is strong, please stop this absurdity of going into the forest by yourself!¡¡Not to mention that even if you say it¡¯s intelligent, searching the forest with a monster . ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kuust . I certainly feel happy about your loyalty . However, I¡¯m not impressed that you don¡¯t trust our partners that joined our party . ¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ ¡¸Haa, well that¡¯s fine . I understand that your thoughts, growing up as a noble, won¡¯t change immediately . If you¡¯re so anxious, then you come as well . ¡­¡­Rei, you too . Vel and Ara will watch the surroundings here . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡I have to wait here!?¡¹ Though Ara muttered somewhat sulkily, Elena didn¡¯t mind it and advanced into the forest with Set in the lead and Kuust and Rei in tow . ¡¸Something about Elena-sama has changed a little since Rei-dono joined . ¡¹ At Ara, who muttered that in a subdued tone, Vel looked at her from the side with a surprised look . ¡¸Is that so?¡¡Though to me, she hasn¡¯t changed at all . ¡¹ ¡¸You, is there something wrong with your eyes?¡¡Would the past Elena-sama have as easily believed what others said?¡¹ ¡¸However, isn¡¯t that because it¡¯s someones tamed monster?¡¡Finding a place to camp is actually an important matter . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I really hope that¡¯s all it it . ¡¹ Ara muttered and glanced slightly lonelily at Elena¡¯s back as she went into the forest . Vel gave a shrug, saying that there was no helping it, and dutifully watched the surroundings . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ It was a few minutes after going back into the forest . The place where Set had stopped was a huge tree with a cave like opening that was wide enough for a few people to enter . It didn¡¯t seem like there where any monsters lurking inside as dead leaves were piled up . There were no discarded corpses inside either . ¡¸¡­¡­This feels too convenient¡­¡­¡¹ Though Elena wondered about this camp location after finding it with this timing, it was a fact that it had been about 10 hours since they entered the dungeon . Because of that, she finally decided to set up camp here . Moreover, Rei¡¯s assertion gave strong support that Set could be relied on . Beside them though, Kuust was ill humoured as usual . After that, they promptly brought Ara and Vel to the location to set up camp . At any rate, though you could say it was a dungeon, sunset could still be seen . ¡¸¡­¡­Really, what is with this dungeon?¡¡If there was light like a setting sun, I could still accept it, but I didn¡¯t think it could accurately make dusk into night . ¡¹ Vel muttered with an amazed voice as he looked up into the sky that was dyed a fiery orange because of the setting sun . ¡¸Like I said, it¡¯s meaningless to think about every single thing in a dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I understand the theory behind it . But even we can¡¯t reproduce a setting sun like this¡­¡­¡¹ Rei, who was gathering the necessary firewood for the night, overheard Ara and Vel¡¯s conversation and spoke up . ¡¸Though it¡¯s only a guess, I could try to explain how it works, would you like to hear?¡¹ ¡¸Really!?¡¡It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s only a guess, tell us by all means . No, I mean, as expected of an apprentice of a great magician, it¡¯s different from a certain impulsive female warrior . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, Vel!¡¡Are you talking about me!?¡¹ ¡¸I wonder . Well, it might be so if the person themself realises it . ¡¹ Though Vel said so to tease Ara, Elena, who had been clearing the grass and dead wood from inside the tree, intervened . ¡¸Vel, don¡¯t tease Ara too much . Rei, I¡¯m also interested in your thoughts . If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to hear it as well . ¡¹ While nodding at Elena¡¯s words, Rei felt a sense of incongruity at a how a duke¡¯s daughter was doing trivial chores . However, though he had bluntly asked about it, the only reply was ¡ºIf the commander moves, the subordinates follow¡» . In addition, though Kuust would normally never put up with handling trivial chores, given his pride as a noble, when his boss, Elena, started to move proactively, he couldn¡¯t remain the only person doing nothing and reluctantly helped out . Being directly shown the example of subordinates following the commander¡¯s movements, Rei was convinced by Elena¡¯s words . ¡¸Well, the idea isn¡¯t too complex . You should know that the dungeon nucleus teleports monsters into it to protect itself . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . When I received the order from my father, I did some investigations on dungeons back then . ¡¹ ¡¸Then I think you understand, the monsters that were sent in originally lived outside . In other words, they lived with day and night . What do you think would happen if they were suddenly sent into the dungeon? Even if they underwent some sort of suggestion or brainwashing when they were sent into the dungeon, it is highly likely that the instinct of the monster that it had been living somewhere with day and night would have been deeply ingrained into its body and would not be changed or erased . Though the inside of the dungeon has been different up to now, the time cycle as you see is as a result of considering the monsters¡¯ conditions¡­¡­that is my guess . Of course, I understand that there are various flaws . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Certainly, if the monsters that defend the dungeon fall ill, their fighting power would become useless . ¡¹ Though Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s explanation, she spoke up after suddenly noticing something . ¡¸However, if Rei¡¯s guess is right, shouldn¡¯t the inside of the dungeon be similar to the environment outside?¡¡For example, the first and second floors were like an ordinary dungeon, but the third floor down had mushrooms growing everywhere . The Lizardmen we fought there should normally live near water sources . When you think about it, as you said, there seem to be various flaws . ¡¹ ¡¸I agree . In the first place, maybe it¡¯s wrong to consider the thoughts of the dungeon nucleus like that of a person . Maybe the nucleus has it¡¯s own clear criteria as a nucleus, is it¡­¡­I¡¯ve said too much . It¡¯s gradually getting dark, we should quickly finish preparations for setting up camp . ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right . It¡¯s not great to have to set up camp in the dark . ¡¹ Elena nodded . Everyone else was of the same opinion and quickly set up camp . ¡¸An item box is a really convenient thing . ¡¹ Elena muttered in admiration as she carried a spoonful of stew to her mouth . The hot pot of stew had been taken out of Misty Ring, still fresh and steaming . As expected of a duke¡¯s daughter, though she was eating dinner at a camp at night, her gestures were still refined . While impressed at her actions, Rei took some freshly baked bread out of the Misty Ring to eat . ¡¸Certainly, the slowest forces of the Knights when marching are the supply corps . If there was a person with an item box, it is right to think that the speed at which they could march would speed up by several times . ¡¹ Vel spoke up with a light tone as usual . He had a glass of wine in one hand and Poison Toad meat skewers in his other hand . Of course, because they were still camping in a dungeon, it was only a light wine and was hardly different from fruit juice . It should be noted that the Poison Toad skewers were made from the Poison Toads that Rei had killed and collected on the first floor . Vel had cut them up with his knife and roasted them on the campfire with some sauce that was taken out of the Misty Ring . Ara and Kuust were also eating the fresh food that Rei had taken out of the Misty Ring and given to them . Meanwhile, next to them and enjoying a luxurious dinner that you wouldn¡¯t think you could eat in a dungeon, Set ate the roasted meat of the Lizardmen that they had defeated on the third floor with great relish . It should be noted that because of their value, the corpses of the Lizardman General and the huge spider were still stored in the Misty Ring . Though Rei and Set were regretful that no skills were acquired after Set ate the magic stones of the Lizardmen, Set didn¡¯t have any problems with the taste of the Lizardman meat as he gave a happy cry . With that, after everyone had finished their bread and stew, Elena spoke up . ¡¸Well then, with this, we will be camping for the night¡­¡­how will we settle the watch?¡¡Normally in the military, the watch will be swapped every few hours . ¡¹ She turned to look at Rei, wanting to hear how the adventurers dealt with it . Judging that was what she was asking, Rei answered . ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, it¡¯s basically the same . However, unlike the military or other adventurers, because we have Set, we almost don¡¯t need to worry about it . ¡¹ Rei stroked Set¡¯s body as Set tore off the roasted tail of a Lizardman and gave a cry . It should be noted that the tip of the Lizardman tail that Set was eating had already been cut off for proof of subjugation . ¡¸Anyhow, when it comes to the sharpness of the five senses, no human can compare with Set¡¯s senses . Even if some monsters attack, Set can deal with them as long as it isn¡¯t a dungeon boss . ¡­¡­However, I recommend that we take the watch in turns with Set in case anything comes up . ¡¹ ¡¸Though that¡¯s great, then wouldn¡¯t Set have no time to rest?¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t need to worry about that . His five senses are always active even when he¡¯s resting his body, in the first place, as a Griffon, a high ranking monster, there¡¯s no problem with staying up for several days . ¡­¡­Well, because Set likes to sleep, he wouldn¡¯t usually stay up all night willingly¡­¡­it another story since we¡¯re camping at night . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm . Then we¡¯ll be relying on your words Rei . Are you fine with that?¡¹ Elena asked while looking around . Because he would be able to relax comfortably, Vel welcomed it . Ara was the same . Though Kuust looked like he wanted to say something, because he had seen Set¡¯s excellence several times since leaving the city of Gimuru, no words left his mouth . ¡¸There doesn¡¯t seem to be any problems . Then let¡¯s decide the watch order . First is Ara, then me, Kuust, Vel and Rei . Are there any problems?¡¹ Though they were lightly told the order of the watch as if it was nothing much, Ara and Kuust immediately spoke out after hearing it . ¡¸For Elena-sama to take the watch, you don¡¯t need to do that!¡¡Please leave it to us . ¡¹ ¡¸I am of the same opinion as Ara . As the Duke¡¯s daughter, you shouldn¡¯t need to take the watch . ¡¹ ¡¸Though I understand both your worries, it seems that we will have to camp in the dungeon at night for at least the next few days . Because of that, if I don¡¯t even take the watch, it would be a deplorable thing when you think about it . Remember, Worrying and pampering are two different things . ¡¹ ¡¸But-!¡¹ Though Kuust was going to argue more strongly, he could only fall silent after Elena glared at him sharply . Thus, Kuust and Ara both reluctantly agreed to let Elena take a shift of the watch . And with that, the party spent their first night in the dungeon . Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Legend Chapter 81 Inside the opening of the tree, wearing his robe or mantle, Rei slept with a blanket over him, which he had taken out from the Misty Ring . Although there were sleeping bags, even if you said that Set was a Griffon and was keeping watch, he never knew when there might be a fight in the dungeon . This important note was pointed out by Elena who said that in an emergency, you wouldn¡¯t be able to immediately move if you were in a sleeping bag . In addition, Kuust was originally against Elena sleeping with the rest of them, but was again given a speech and reluctantly agreed . And while everyone was sleeping, Vel, who had been taking the watch, came over to Rei . ¡¸Rei, are you awake? ¡¹ Taking care to not disturb the others who were sleeping, Vel called out in a low voice . ¡¸Hm?¡¡¡­¡­Ahh, is it time to change the watch?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . As dawn is already nearing, I don¡¯t think there will be that many enemy attacks . On the other hand, it¡¯s also the easiest period to become careless . I¡¯m counting on you . ¡¹ Nodding at Vel while yawning drowsily, Rei went out to take his place . Rei saw about 10 dead Goblins piled up like a mountain outside . Next to them were the corpses of several Water Monkeys, like the ones that had attacked them during the day . They seemed to be the monsters that had been killed when they had attacked during the previous watches . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Staring intently at the corpses, Set, who had been lying near the opening of the tree, got up and slowly went to Rei . ¡¸Are you hungry?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ To answer Rei¡¯s question, Set gave a hungry cry . Although Rei gave a wry smile, he took out the Mithril Knife out from his waist and dismantled a Water Monkey that was next to the pile of dead Goblins . After cutting off the right ear, the proof of subjugation, Rei skinned the fur, which was now waterless as it was dead . As expected, after getting used to stripping off materials, his work advanced smoothly without confusion . The skinned fur was stored into the Misty Ring after the limbs, head, tail and internal organs were removed . After that, a hole was dug a small distance away to bury the internal organs and head . ¡¸Well, before that¡­¡­Set . ¡¹ Calling Set, Rei held out the magic stone that he had taken out from the heart of the Water Monkey . ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Holding the magic stone in his beak, Set swallowed it in one gulp, but¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s no use?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Unfortunately, as no skills were acquired, both man and animal were somewhat depressed . After that, the meat of the Water Monkey was cut into bite sized pieces and stabbed onto a tree branch so that they could be easily cooked on the campfire beside them . As the smell from the meat cooking on the open fire gradually drifted out and stirred his appetite, Set gave a cry as he waited impatiently for the skewers to be cooked . Time inside the forest at night passed quickly for Rei . ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s hot . ¡¹ Sprinkling a small amount of salt, taken from the Misty Ring, onto the cooked Water Monkey meat skewers, Rei placed them onto an oversized leaf, used in place of a plate . After passing it to Set, Set held the skewers with his forefoot, tore the meat off with his beak and swallowed it down while giving a cry . While watching that, Rei also sprinkled some salt and pepper onto and skewer that was on the campfire and brought it to his mouth . Although it was classified as a monkey, it didn¡¯t have much smell as a monster and Set ate until there was none left . After that, Rei just waited with Set for the night to pass without saying anything . While listening to the pachi~, pachi~, sound of the campfire, he occasionally tossed in some firewood to keep it burning . Taking a pot, some water and tea leaves from the Misty Ring, Rei brewed some tea to drink with Set . In that way, the night passed slowly, as a bit of light shone from east¡­¡­Rei suddenly noticed some vibrations in the air . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¡Just now, there was something like a vibration¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei muttered, he felt his body shake slightly again . Listening, hear could faintly here a thudding noise . As the sound gradually grew louder, the vibrations grew proportionally larger . (Considering the regular sounds, is it the footsteps of some sort of monster?) While thinking to himself that he didn¡¯t want it to come towards them, the footsteps kept coming closer without going away . ¡¸Given the timing of the footsteps, there should only be one of them . I can imagine it¡¯s size . ¡¹ Rei glanced towards the opening of the tree for a moment . ¡¸It¡¯s dangerous to be caught here . In that case, would it be better to attack? Set, we¡¯ll head out . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Calling to Set, Rei went into the opening of the tree and woke up Ara, who was the closest . ¡¸Haa? What¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸Wake up Ara . An enemy . ¡¹ ¡¸Enemy?¡¡An enemy¡­¡­enemy!?¡¹ Should he say, as expected of a Knight, Ara immediately reacted to the word enemy . While rubbing her eyes, she reached her hand out to her sword and sheath which had been placed nearby . Maybe the noise made the people sleeping nearby notice something, Elena began to move restlessly . ¡¸Because it seems to be a fairly large monster, if we fight it after it gets here, the area will be damaged . I will attack with Set, be cautious of the surroundings . I¡¯m leaving it to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, wai-, Rei-dono!?¡¹ Though Ara¡¯s voice called out from behind, he turned his eyes towards the direction the footsteps were coming from . Thud, thud, the sounds gradually came nearer . It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess where the footsteps were coming from . Picking up the Death Scythe, which he had taken out as he was on night watch, he started to run towards the direction the sounds were coming from . Set silently followed beside him . For a moment, Rei had thought about riding on Set to find the enemy from the sky, but in the end, they were in a forest . The trees grew thick and as the sun was still mostly hidden, he judged that it would be impossible to find the enemy from the sky . It was few minutes after he started running . In just a few minutes, Rei met the existence heading towards them . ¡¸GAAAaaaa-!¡¹ The moment it saw Rei and Set, the existence opened its large mouth and raised its voice to intimidate them . It was at least 5m tall and was probably of the Goblin family as its entire skin was green . However, its body was filled with an overwhelming amount of dense muscles . The club it held it its hand was simply an uprooted tree . As for its face, fangs grew from its mouth and its ugly features emphasized its brutality . Rei knew what the existence in front of him was from reading books . In other words . ¡¸Ogre, is it . ¡¹ TLN: Based on the description, it is probably not Shrek . Although it was part of the Goblin family, it was brutal and brash . Its strength was also incomparable to the F rank Goblins . That¡¯s why it was considered a higher ranking monster at rank C . Facing it was Rei, who was considered short for a man at 165cm . The Ogre was nearly three times Rei¡¯s height and Rei¡¯s head only reached its knees . Looking at Rei as if it wanted to eat him after crushing him, it raised its club . TLN: 165cm = short, Me = 165cm, Me = short, DX However, the Ogre didn¡¯t know . The existence that was Rei . If it had known Rei¡¯s ability, rather than not taking any serious countermeasures, it would have swung its club with all its strength from the very beginning . However, opposite to its physical ability, its intelligence was low . It had decided that Rei was and insignificant being based on his appearance alone . Roar-! The club swung down with the momentum as if to destroy everything it touched . It was a single attack with no thought put into technique . However, the attack that was made with only physical strength hid a violently destructive force . ¡­¡­Yes, that was if it hit . ¡¸Such an attack is obvious!¡¹ Jumping back, Rei provoked the Ogre with his eyes and words as the club made a small crater in the ground . The Ogre couldn¡¯t understand human words . However, it was still able to fully understand the malicious intent against it . Yes, the diminutive creature that was only up to its knees was disrespecting it . ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ As a simple Ogre, it went berserk at Rei¡¯s chep provocation, raising its club again and smashing into the ground with increasing anger . Then¡­¡­ ¡¸Set!¡¹ Rei gave a sharp should into the surroundings . As soon as his voice sounded, 5 Wind Arrows pierced into the Ogre¡¯s back, one after the other . The power of each Wind Arrow wasn¡¯t high, but they were enough to divert the Ogre¡¯s attention from Rei . And when the Ogre tried to turn around and face the back . ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Set¡¯s claws tore deeply into the Ogre¡¯s back . ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ It was probably aware of the injuries it had suffered . It swung its club around in frustration while turning to his back and roaring . However, the figure of Set had already gone, only several feathers were left due to him flapping his wings and flying into the sky . As the Ogre looked around to see the enemy that attacked its back, without a sound, Rei dashed forward and thrust the Death Scythe forward . Without noticing the presence of Rei nearing it, the Ogre kept looking for the enemy that had hurt it while brandishing its club . ¡¸Shoes of Sleipnir, start!¡¹ Muttering in a low voice so as to not alert the Ogre, Rei ran across the the ground and leaped into the air with two steps . At a height over 5m, the figure of Rei could be seen above the head of the Ogre . ¡¸Gaa~!?¡¹ ¡¸Haaa!¡¹ As expected, maybe noticing the enemy at the same height as its line of sight, as Rei swung the magic empowered Death Scythe at its head, the Ogre almost simultaneously raised its club . ¡­¡­But . ¡¸GA-!?¡¹ The Death Scythe that was swung by Rei weighed over 100kg . Adding to that was Rei¡¯s inhuman strength . Moreover, for the magic empowered blade, cutting through the club, which was basically a tree, was met with no resistance . The blade approached the head of the Ogre¡­¡­but because of its survival instincts, though it moved back, causing a massive wound to be torn into its chest, the attack didn¡¯t kill it . ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ In front of itself was a small, insect like prey . It touched the wound that had been given by its prey, which was supposed to be its breakfast . Sticky red blood covered its hand . Smelling the metallic smell, the Ogre¡¯s anger reached its peak . ¡¸GAAAA-!¡¹ Like its first attack¡­¡­no, as it swung the club with all its strength, though the club was much shorter after being cut by the Death Scythe, Rei evaded the attack . Though the attacks of the Ogre were slow, they carried a considerable power and threw up dirt and stones every time the club impacted the ground . Therefore, for Rei who normally evaded enemy attacks by a slim margin and counterattacked when they were off guard, he couldn¡¯t do what he was best at . (Well, that¡¯s as much as I can do . My work has already been completed . We only have to wait for it to collapse . ) Moving to the side to avoid the attack swinging down, Rei then jumped as the next attack came sweeping along the ground . As the Ogre had no technique, it could only attack using one of two methods, swinging down and sweeping from the side . If it could even use its head a little, it could have smashed the other party with a single blow if it could do a feint . However, that was impossible to imagine as it was an Ogre . On the contrary, if a monster with the brutality and physical ability of an Ogre had intelligence as well, it would be far from rank C . ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡¡Is your big body just for show?¡¹ Without attacking, Rei concentrated on dodging its attacks while focusing on provoking it . ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ Even if it didn¡¯t know the words, it knew that it was being insulted . The Ogre kept swinging its club in anger as if it didn¡¯t know fatigue . Rei provoked it and only cut its skin and not its flesh with the Death Scythe to make fun of it . Alternatively, Rei would throw a palm sized ball of fire at it to burn it . Sometimes he would avoid the Ogre¡¯s attacks by running through its feet, and on occasion, he would smash the toes on the Ogre¡¯s feet with handle of the Death Scythe . If the Ogre got angry and started to focus on Rei, Set would shoot Water Balls and Wind Arrows at it, slowly piling up the injuries . How much time passed with this happening? It was probably more than 10 minutes . And finally, the moment came . ¡¸G¡­¡­Gaa?¡¹ The Ogre had a confused voice . It was because although it had tried to take a step forward, it barely moved . At the same time, its arms that it wanted to raise didn¡¯t move up¡­¡­it fell to the ground while spitting bubbles of blood from its mouth . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry and flapped his wings as he landed next to Rei . While stroking his back, Rei carefully checked if the Ogre was still breathing . ¡¸Hah!¡¹ The Death Scythe cut through the right shoulder of the Ogre, which had fallen onto the ground, cutting off the right arm with barely any resistance . Using its momentum the Death Scythe changed its trajectory in the air and swung back down at the muscle covered neck of the Ogre¡­¡­similar to its right shoulder, its head was cut off with barely any resistance . ¡¸Puu~, even if it was still alive, it can¡¯t do anything if its head was cut off . Set, you did well . Was it Poison Claw? Although it¡¯s usable, it seems that the poison isn¡¯t very powerful as it¡¯s only Lvl 1 . Or did the poison take time to take effect because of the Ogre¡¯s large body?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Set tilted his neck indicating that he didn¡¯t know either . Set made a fierce attack on the Ogre right after the fight had started . The skill used in Set¡¯s claw attack right after the Wind Arrows was a skill that he had obtained after absorbing the magic stone of a rare species during the Treant with Milein while Rei was on his rank up test . Because Rei had received the nominated request immediately after the rank up test, he had been asked not to go out of the city . When they left the city for the dungeon, they were always with Elena . Because of that, they were finally able to test the skill only now . ¡¸Well, anyhow, we were able to test the skill and we didn¡¯t take any damage . Congratulations are in order . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Legend Chapter 82 Rei looked at the corpse of the Ogre in front of him while experiencing the mysterious sensation of sunrise in a dungeon forest . Blood was still gushing out from the severed right shoulder and neck . Rei decided to wait a bit for the blood to drain before storing it into the Misty Ring as it would be covered in blood if he stored it immediately . ¡¸As expected, I¡¯m tired after some morning exercise . Set, let¡¯s take a short break until the blood is all drained . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, Set lay down on ground on some grass where the blood didn¡¯t reach . Rei gave a sigh and leaned back against Set¡¯s lion like body . ¡¸Here . ¡¹ When Rei took out some pear like fruits from the Misty Ring, Set ate them while giving a happy cry . Smiling like a mother watching her child, Rei took out his own share . Even in such a relaxed state, Set¡¯s senses were always active and he suddenly turned his eyes into the forest . At the possibility of a new enemy, Rei reached out for the Death Scythe which he had put down . However, when he realised Set was looking at the direction of where they had camped last night, Rei released his hand from the Death Scythe . Set was the same and stopped staring at that direction . And from that direction, the sounds of conversation and feet stepping on grass were eventually heard . ¡¸Vel, is this the right way?¡¹ ¡¸Yes it is . There¡¯s no doubt from the great smell of blood . ¡¹ ¡¸Smell of blood, is it . Hmph, that means there¡¯s a possibility that guy is dead . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Kuust . That¡¯s going too far . ¡¹ ¡¸That is so . In the first place, isn¡¯t it Rei and Set?¡¡If they fought with something like a dragon it would be different . However, I don¡¯t think there would be such monsters in this place . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph~!¡¹ ¡¸Kuust, you should have a sufficient understanding of Rei¡¯s ability, shouldn¡¯t you?¡¡You should fix that condescending attitude of yours . Rei doesn¡¯t seem to care, but it¡¯s not a pleasant thing to watch from the sides . ¡¹ ¡¸But Elena-sama!¡¹ While exchanging words like so, emerging from the bushes, as expected, was Elena and the others . ¡¸Uwa~, wait a moment . Everyone, over there . The strong smell of blood is coming from over there . ¡¹ Seeing the Ogre on the ground, still bleeding from its neck and right shoulder, let out a voice of amazement and shock . Next to him, Ara and Kuust couldn¡¯t hide their surprise at the scene before them . Meanwhile, only Elena calmly looked at the scene before spotting Rei and Set resting a short distance away . ¡¸Rei, Set . It¡¯s good that you¡¯re unhurt . I was surprised when I heard that you had suddenly gone out but it doesn¡¯t seem you¡¯re hurt anywhere . ¡¹ Hearing that voice, the other three people also noticed figure of Set, who had plopped down on the ground, and Rei, who was leaning against Set . Looking at the four people, Rei stood up with a wry smile and went toward Elena . ¡¸As for the enemy you felt, was it this Ogre?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, as you can see, it¡¯s huge . It made a considerable sound when just walking . I understood immediately after feeling the small tremors . Because of that, I went out as there was a possibility of the camp being damaged if we fought there . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right . I want to say something but your judgement wasn¡¯t wrong . In fact, you and Set took it down without taking any damage in particular . ¡¹ Speaking up to there, Elena finally turned to look at the Ogre, whose blood was starting to stop draining . ¡¸So then, were you draining the blood?¡¹ ¡¸Well, something like that . Though it isn¡¯t necessary if I store it into the item box as time doesn¡¯t pass¡­¡­since I cut off it¡¯s right arm and head, it ended up like this . It seems that even though the blood is flowing, it will still be stored into the item box in its flowing state . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well, it¡¯s great as there are no injuries . However, truly as expected of a dungeon, for an Ogre of this size to appear . ¡¹ Rei gave a puzzled look at Elena¡¯s words . He didn¡¯t know what the their average size as it was the first time he had ever met an Ogre . ¡¸Is is that big?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . It¡¯s one size larger than the ones I¡¯ve seen before¡­¡­no, it¡¯s more than two sizes larger . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, do you mean it¡¯s a rare species?¡¹ ¡¸No, it looks to be an ordinary Ogre . I guess it simply just grew bigger than the others, Look, the blood has stopped flowing . Store it quickly . Because we have to search the fourth floor for the stairs to the fifth floor, lets eat breakfast and resume the search . I think today will be a busy day as well so I¡¯m counting on you again . ¡¹ It probably hadn¡¯t been 20 minutes since Elena had woke up, she didn¡¯t show any signs of bed hair or sleepiness as she smiled and tapped Rei¡¯s shoulder . It was a pleasant appearance, and although it wasn¡¯t something that would come from a duke¡¯s daughter, it was acceptable coming from the General Princess . ¡¸Rei, as Elena-sama said, most of the blood has flowed out, it would be better to store it soon?¡¡If they smell the blood, other monsters might come . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, after storing it, we will get breakfast then continue with the search for the stairs . ¡¹ While nodding at Vel¡¯s words, Rei stored the right arm, head and body of the Ogre into the Misty Ring . After the over 5m tall corpse disappeared plainly into the Misty Ring, everyone suddenly felt that the surrounding area had grown wider . ¡¸Let¡¯s go back to the camp . It¡¯s a bit early, but as Rei said, we¡¯ll have breakfast . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s words, they left the place and started walking back to the camp . ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s still burning . Lucky . ¡¹ When they reached the camp, Vel said that as he threw a piece of firewood into the campfire . After watching the campfire come back to life, Elena turned to look at Rei . ¡¸Rei, we would like breakfast . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ Nodding, Rei took out some bread, similar to hotdog buns, as well as a huge pot that held stew they had eaten yesterday . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Probably attracted by the smell, Set came over and rubbed his head against Rei while giving a cry . ¡¸Ah, I understand . I will prepare yours separately, no need to worry . ¡¹ Rei took out the chunks of Orc meat from the Misty Ring that Elk, from Axe of the Thunder God, had cut up into bite sized pieces . He stuck them onto several branches so they wouldn¡¯t fall off before roasting them on the campfire . It should be noted that bite sized piece meant bite sized pieces for Set, for someone like Rei, it was a considerable chunk . ¡¸In that case, apologies Set, but we¡¯ll be starting first . ¡¹ After Elena said that, she started eating the simple bread and stew¡­¡­no, considering they were in a dungeon, it was a luxurious breakfast . Rei took some bread and stew as well as some sauce from the Misty Ring . He then covered the roasted Orc meat skewers with the sauce before roasting them again, then placing them on a large leaf . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set couldn¡¯t wait and immediately bit into the meat as he was given it . The fragrant smell of the roasted sauce spread to the surroundings, irresistibly increasing Rei¡¯s appetite . Glancing for a moment, Ara saw the meat Set was eating and couldn¡¯t bear it any longer . She spoke up to Rei . ¡¸R-Rei-dono . If it¡¯s okay with you I also want to try the meat¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ara too?¡¡Then can I ask for some as well?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm . In that case, me as well . ¡¹ Not just Ara, as Vel and Elena also asked him, as expected he couldn¡¯t say no¡­¡­rather, Rei cut the Orc meat into a size that humans could eat and pierced them onto a tree branch before covering them in sauce and roasting them on the campfire . ¡¸Uoh~, it smells good . It¡¯s a type of food you can never eat at home . ¡¹ ¡¸This isn¡¯t a fine enough dish that can be placed on a noble¡¯s table . ¡¹ Smiling wryly at Vel¡¯s words, he gave the bite sized meat skewers to each of them . ¡¸Kuust, how about you?¡¡I don¡¯t mind sharing if you want some . ¡¹ Taking an appetite whetting skewer in his hand, Rei glanced at Kuust . ¡¸I don¡¯t want any . ¡¹ But Kuust declined it with a few words, forcibly stuffed the remaining half of his bread into his mouth, swallowing it down with stew, before going to the opening in the tree where their luggage was placed . ¡¸Really¡­¡­sorry Rei . You¡¯ve had a lot of trouble . ¡¹ To Elena, who apologised while eating the Orc meat with great relish, Rei shook his head . ¡¸I¡¯m already used to it . However, I¡¯m a little surprised that Elena-sama is eating the Orc meat without any complaints . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that is true . Normally, Kuust would say things about being more like a duke¡¯s daughter . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand what Vel is trying to say, but remember the things that have happened up to now . In the battlefield, I also ate monster meat when there was a food supply shortage . ¡¹ It was Ara and not Vel who nodded at those words . Rei also nodded while tasting the Orc meat skewers . ¡¸That¡¯s right . There was a case where the supply corps was attacked by the Bestir Empire . ¡­¡­However, what I ate at that time wasn¡¯t as delicious as this Orc meat . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s because monster meat that contains magic power will be more delicious . If it tasted worse than the meat of a D rank Orc it was probably the meat of a lower rank monster . ¡­¡­Well, even low rank monsters have delicious meat like the leg meat of the Poison Toad . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s as Rei said . If I¡¯m not mistaken, the meat I ate at that time was the meat of either F or G rank monsters . ¡¹ While talking like that, the Orc skewers soon disappeared . In the first place, he only made enough to be like a sample so there wasn¡¯t a large amount . Next to them, Set finished his second chunk of meat and gave a content cry . Satisfying their hunger, the warm and comfortable atmosphere spread to the surroundings . Taking a pot out of the Misty Ring, Rei boiled some water to make some simple tea after their meal . ¡¸¡­¡­Now then . Since we¡¯ve finished eating, we should start today¡¯s search . If possible, I would like to go down to the fifth floor today . ¡¹ ¡¸According to the adventurers we met on the previous floor, there are undead on the fifth floor . ¡¹ ¡¸Normally, we wouldn¡¯t have anyone who could use fire magic, which is strong against the undead . But now we have you . ¡¹ Rei nodded while smiling wryly at Elena¡¯s words . ¡¸Our party¡¯s weak point is that we can¡¯t use fire magic although I can use magic to some extent . ¡¹ ¡¸Vel?¡¡¡­¡­Ah, when you mention it, certainly at the lord¡¯s residence¡­¡­¡¹ TLN: Maybe I¡¯m too tired, but I cannot remember when Vel ever used magic¡­ At Rei¡¯s words, Vel gave a wry smile as he drank some brewed tea from his cup . ¡¸Well, although I can use magic, it¡¯s truly basic . I learned it because it was necessary for my work behind the scenes of the party . Basically I can use it to feel out traps when disarming them . ¡¹ ¡¸You can use magic so don¡¯t mind it . I feel slightly depressed that I¡¯m the only one in the party that can¡¯t use magic . ¡¹ Ara said that in dissatisfaction while drinking her tea . ¡¸¡­¡­Rei-dono, to be honest, this tea isn¡¯t good enough . ¡¹ To rephrase that, it seemed that Ara wasn¡¯t unsatisfied at the taste of the tea . As Ara had the role of Elena¡¯s maid, she was probably unhappy at how Rei ignored all the procedures when brewing tea . But as Elena was used to eating and drinking on the battlefield, she drank the tea without any particular complaints . ¡¸The Water Monkeys that attacked us yesterday might be a problem . I hoped that they had given up after yesterday¡­¡­¡¹ Elena turned to look a short distance away . She looked at the place where the small mountain of corpses of the monsters they had killed during the night was . Most of them were Goblins, lizards and Giant Bats . However, Soldier Ants, Horned Rabbits and several Water Monkeys were also mixed in . ¡¸The monsters that attacked in the night were probably scouts or something . I also killed one that was hiding in ambush¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It is as Ara said . We should consider that the troop hasn¡¯t given up on us . There¡¯s also a chance that the scouts we killed at night was looking for an opening to attack us . ¡¹ ¡¸The boss that was leading that troop was quite big for a Water Monkey . It might be a rare species or something . ¡¹ Nodding at Vel¡¯s words, Elena drank the last of her tea . ¡¸Right, let¡¯s get ready to leave . The person who washes the dishes should watch out for monsters near the water . ¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s instructions, everyone made their preparations for the search as the second day in the dungeon began . Chapter 83 Chapter 83 ¡¸¡­¡­They¡¯ve come . ¡¹ It was about two hours after they had finished breakfast and left when Rei muttered involuntarily . He was sure as Set was watching the surroundings and had been giving cries every now and then . ¡¸Rei-dono, what¡¯s come?¡¹ Asked that single line, Rei responded after looking at the trees around them . ¡¸It could be the troop of Water Monkeys we fought yesterday . As far as Set can see, they¡¯ve surrounded the area around us . ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Bus isn¡¯t that what they did yesterday?¡¡I didn¡¯t think that a group of monsters led by a rare species would use the same method after failing before . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama, I think you¡¯re overestimating monster rare species too much . ¡¹ Kuust responded at Elena¡¯s doubtful question . While watching the situation, Rei thought about it in his head while holding the handle of the Death Scythe to be ready if they were attacked by the troop of Water Monkeys . (Certainly, what Kuust said isn¡¯t wrong . However, that¡¯s in the case where a rare species isn¡¯t leading . Although I only saw it for a few seconds yesterday, that rare species was highly intelligent without a doubt . That means¡­¡­) ¡¸It could possibly be a trap, or something like that . ¡¹ ¡¸A trap?¡¡Monsters setting one up?¡¹ Kuust turned to Rei, who was walking behind him, with a cranky look . However, Rei had already worked with him for several days and had gotten used to handling Kuust . Rei didn¡¯t mind him and continued explaining to Elena . ¡¸By taking the same action as they did yesterday, we can handle them¡­¡­what if the purpose was to make us think that?¡¹ ¡¸I see, it is to make us lower our guards . In that way they can make an unexpected move . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . So if you consider that, it¡¯s better to remain cautious . ¡­¡­If they¡¯re not hiding among the trees, we have plenty of ways to attack and restrain them . Because here is the monster¡¯s turf, we can¡¯t afford to let them take advantage of the terrain . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm?¡¡Are there any means of long range attacks other than magic?¡¹ To Elena, who turned and looked at him interestingly, Rei took out a single spear from the Misty Ring . It was just a spear, it wasn¡¯t a magic item like the magic spear Kuust used . Nor was it a high quality weapon . It was really ordinary, the same as the spears the city guards used . In fact, it was Rei¡¯s share of the spoils from the defeated bandits during the rank up test . ¡¸What are you going to do with that spear?¡¡Are you praising me sarcastically?¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t intend to do that . Simply speaking¡­¡­¡¹ Answering Kuust, Rei propped the Death Scythe against a tree and turning to direction where he thought a Water Monkey was¡­¡­hurled the spear at it! Though the spear was thrown with just Rei¡¯s physical strength, as expected of his inhuman strength, it wasn¡¯t an ordinary spear throw . It disappeared from their sight, then after a few seconds, dogon~!¡¡A dull sound echoed into the surroundings . ¡¸¡­¡­It missed . ¡¹ ¡¸Uwa~, what was that speed . I mean, if you can do that, why bother using magic?¡¹ Vel murmured in shock, but Rei shook his head in silence . ¡¸For a start, this is basically throwing it away . Even though I have a decent number of spears left, I still don¡¯t have a lot at hand . As it is a one off attack, I don¡¯t know if I can even retrieve it . Using magic, which only consumes magic power, has a overwhelmingly better cost performance ratio . Any how, magic power will naturally recover . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh, I see . It¡¯s like that . ¡¹ Vel gave a sigh of amazement at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸And unlike magic, I can¡¯t strengthen it with magic power . As a result, the attack ended up as you saw . ¡¹ Rei judged that the dull sound earlier was probably from hitting a tree trunk . Even if it had hit a Water Monkey, it probably wouldn¡¯t have left a deep wound . ¡¸Ah, I see . I roughly understand . It¡¯s usability is certainly bad if you think about it . ¡¹ ¡¸Treat it as something that can be used occasionally . ¡­¡­Now then, sorry for talking for so long . Let¡¯s go back to looking for the stairs¡¹ ¡¸Ok, ok . ¡¹ Vel nodded and they kept moving forward as they searched for the stairs to the fifth floor . ¡¸However, it¡¯s strange . ¡¹ Vel muttered as he tore the ivy that blocked their path with his dagger . ¡¸What¡¯s strange?¡¹ Ara asked while cutting tree branches that protruded out with her sword in the same manner . ¡¸Look, isn¡¯t it strange that it¡¯s been two hours since we left last night¡¯s camp, yet not a single monster has appeared?¡¡It would be different if it was an ordinary forest, but we¡¯re in a dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, was the Ogre that Rei defeated the boss of this area?¡¹ ¡¸Idiot . Have you forgotten the events on the upper floors?¡¡For some reason, different types of monsters will cooperate in the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But then, what did that Ogre eat to live? It couldn¡¯t have just eaten nuts in the forest . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Ara¡¯s point was unexpected . Surprise appeared on Vel¡¯s face as his hand that was cutting the ivy stopped . No one could answer Ara¡¯s question . If you considered the monsters to be in a cooperative relationship, it couldn¡¯t eat other monsters . Omnivorous monsters could eat plants, but what would a carnivorous monster like the Ogre eat? ¡¸Well, thinking about it normally, there could be ordinary animals which aren¡¯t monsters in the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸That is certainly a possibility . ¡¹ As Elena nodded in understanding, she took out her sword whip from her sheath . At the same time, Kuust readied his magic spear and Rei his Death Scythe in silence . ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Set also gave a cry, wary of the surroundings . And¡­¡­ ¡ºKikikikikyi~!¡» All the Water Monkeys that had been hanging around the trees simultaneously attacked from all sides while giving a resounding cry into the surroundings . ¡¸This, as I thought, this was caused by the attack from before!¡¹ A Water Monkey that bared its fangs as it leaped through the air was cut down by the Death Scythe in a single strike . Cutting it in two, Rei hit another one on the head with handle at the same time, blowing it away . Rei¡¯s eyes followed the Water Monkey for a moment as it hit the ground, scattering the contents in its head everywhere, before quickly turning around . The next moment, a Water Ball flew from the trees, passing the place his body had been a moment ago . ¡¸Damn, they¡¯re targeting me intensely!¡¹ ¡¸It seems to be so . I guess its because of the spear Rei threw earlier¡­¡­-!¡¹ When Elena swung her sword whip, it extended into its whip form and drew a complext trajectory as it went towards the Water Monkeys, ripping several throats . Nearby, Set jumped against the trees, blowing away Water Monkeys with his beak, forefeet and hind legs . ¡¸You lowly monsters, know your place as my enemy!¡¹ Kuust continuously thrust out his magic spear, piercing straight through the defensive layer of water covering the Water Monkeys fur without the water being able to display its defensive properties . ¡¸Persistent from yesterday, aren¡¯t you!¡¡Ara, go!¡¹ ¡¸I understand . I won¡¯t let you interfere with Elena-sama!¡¹ Although the arrows that Vel shot lost most of their power due to the water covering the Water Monkeys and didn¡¯t pierce them, the impact was enough to bring them to the ground . Ara then smashed their heads with a single strike, splitting the body apart as if the water wasn¡¯t there¡­¡­no, more like cutting through with brute force . The battle was overwhelming placed in an advantageous position by Rei . The Water Monkeys that leaped forward were slain, spraying their blood into the surroundings . However, 20 minutes, then 30 minutes later, this war of attrition turned it into a different story . Aside from Rei, who has an inhuman physical ability, though they were skilled knights, the other 4 were only ordinary people . As they continued to fight with all their strength for 30 minutes, not missing a moment, as expected, they reached their physical limits . No matter how skilled they were, they were still individuals . There weren¡¯t enough people to the extent that they could fight off a force so numerous . ¡¸Haah! ¡­¡­Eh? Kyaa~!¡¹ Ara was the first to have her movements dull . Kuust and Elena used a magic spear and sword whip which had a longer reach . Compared to Vel, who was using the ranged bow, Ara had to directly approach the enemy and swing down with her sword, which consumed her physical strength much faster than the others . At the same time, in order to break through the Water Monkeys¡¯ defenses, she had to constantly use her great strength . ¡¸Ara!¡¹ The sword that was swung down was blocked by the water and the Water Monkey hit back in revenge only to have Kuust stab his magic spear into it . Kicking against the ground with great force, Kuust had thrust out his spear from the side . The magic spear pierced through the water covering the fur effortlessly, killing the Water Monkey . ¡¸Haa, haa, thank you, Kuust . ¡¹ ¡¸No worries, just hold on a little longer!¡¡Even with monsters, their number isn¡¯t infinite . They should be stopping soon!¡¹ ¡¸I, I understand¡­¡­ha!¡¹ The attack that was filled with fighting spirit forcefully cleaved the water covering the fur of the Water Monkey left and right . ¡¸Ah!¡¹ However, the attack was too forceful . Hitting the bones of the Water Monkey, Ara¡¯s sword splendidly broke mid blade . Not overlooking this chance, the Water Monkeys attacked again . Though they had intensively attack Rei at the beginning, they attacked Ara as if they had forgotten about him¡­¡­ ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ The Flying Slash, Rei¡¯s Death Scythe¡¯s skill, cut down several Water Monkeys . ¡¸Kikikyi~!¡¹ Glaring at Rei hatefully, there was still a Water Monkey that tried to attack the still weaponless Ara . However, there was a figure who moved faster . ¡¸I won¡¯t let you get to my teammates!¡¹ Elena¡¯s sword whip in its whip form drew a complex path as if dancing, after the blades passed through, several Water Monkeys fell to the ground with their throats torn, bleeding out . Glancing aside, Rei took out the long sword that he had taken from the rank D party, Claws of the Hawk, out of the Misty Ring and threw it . The sword thrown with Rei¡¯s strength pierced the face of the Water Monkey that was trying to attack Ara, stopping it . ¡¸Ara, it¡¯s a cheap sword but it¡¯s better than a broken one . Use it!¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about this, Rei-dono!¡¹ She quickly pulled out the sword from head of the dead Water Monkey that had collapsed on the ground . Although some Water Monkeys tried to attack in that gap, they were interrupted by Vel¡¯s arrows and Ara was able to safely regain her posture . ¡¸Tch, persistent!¡¹ 3 Water Monkeys attacked along with 2 Water Balls . Twisting his body to avoid the first Water Ball, Rei cut the the Water Ball along with the head of a Water Monkey with the blade of the Death Scythe . The Water Monkey fell with the Water Ball, splashing blood onto the ground . Moving as if not feeling the weight, actually Rei didn¡¯t feel most of the Death Scythe¡¯s weight, he swung the blade back . The body of the Water Monkey that attacked him from behind was split into top and bottom . ¡¸Gyi~!¡¹ As the Death Scythe could conduct magic power, not just the blade, even the handle became an extremely vicious weapon . The Water Monkey that had it¡¯s throat stabbed through by the handle instantly lost its life as it raised a scream . It was literally skewered¡­¡­ ¡¸Haah!¡¹ With a single swing of the Death Scythe, the corpse hit another Water Monkey which had seen a gap and tried to strike Elena . Both were blown away . ¡¸Sorry, Rei!¡¡Fuu~¡­¡­¡¹ Elena was finally able to breathe after Rei¡¯s attack and fixed her breath . (Is Elena already out of breath? Well, we¡¯ve been continuously fighting without a break for almost an hour, so that is to be expected . If you think about it, Elena should be praised considering her breathing is only slightly rough) The Water Monkeys attacked him once again . Rei glanced around for a moment as he tore through its water covered torso . Ara was close to the limits of her physical strength, she was in a state where out of breath, she used her mental strength to keep her sword swinging . Kuust, who was swinging his spear next to her, was also beginning to run out of breath . Even Vel, who was shooting arrows from behind the 2, was showing obvious signs of consuming up his physical strength . There was still room to spare in terms of physical fitness for Rei and Set . However, Elena and the others were only barely holding on in the war of attrition against the Water Monkeys . Chapter 84 Chapter 84 ¡¸Elena-sama, isn¡¯t it better to withdraw at once!?¡¹ Jumping from the top of a tree, Vel shouted while shooting an arrow at a Water Monkey that was trying to attack Ara . In the forest, they had already fought in this special battlefield for more than an hour since the Water Monkeys attacked . As they continued to fight without time for rest, Ara and Kuust¡¯s physical strength was reaching their limits . Ara¡¯s condition was particularly bad, it had already reached a situation where she was only holding on with will power . Vel continued to shoot arrows to follow up to help, as a result, Kuust¡¯s cover became insufficient, increasing his fatigue and leading into a vicious cycle . If Elena hadn¡¯t supported them with her sword whip and wind magic, the front would have collapsed long ago . Hearing Vel¡¯s words, Elena turned to look at the direction they had come from for an instant . There were certainly fewer enemies there and seemed easy to break through . ¡­¡­Yes, it was as if to say, ¡®you should escape here¡¯ . To Elena, who had crossed numerous battlefields, no matter how she looked at it, the only escape looked to be a trap . ¡¸It¡¯s useless!¡¡If you think about it, traps should have been set up there . ¡¹ ¡¸But if continue fighting here as it is, we will only be pulverized!¡¹ It was a shout like a scream . Because she had been supporting Ara and Kuust from behind, she understood the best that both of them were close to their limits . (Certainly, dragging on this war of attrition will only wear down our strength . It¡¯s useless unless we can make a big move here . ) Even while she thought of that, a Water Monkey attacked Elena . ¡¸Eyy, persistent!¡¹ Switching her sword whip back into sword form, she tore through a water ball and cut down down the Water Monkey that had come close at the same time . Swinging the sword again like flowing water without pause, she lengthened the sword back into a whip, tearing at a Water Monkey . However, only several Water Monkeys had their throat cut and fatally wounded, most of the others only had shallow wounds on their hands and feet . ¡¸Haa-!¡¹ While Elena and the others were struggling in a war of attrition against the Water Monkeys, Rei was also in the same situation¡­¡­no, he was being attacked by more Water Monkey than Elena and the others . Scattering water balls, the blade of the Death Scythe plowed through several Water Monkeys as they leaped at him, baring their fangs and claws while the handle swung round, ignoring the water covering them, crushing their ribs . ¡ºFire, turn to stone and pierce!¡» While avoiding the water balls as if dancing, he watched his enemies and cast spell while swinging the Death Scythe . As expected, because he was fighting in close combat against the Water Monkeys while dodging water balls shot from within the forest, it was not possible for him to cast a long incantation . As length of the incantation was related to the amount of magic power that could be transferred, a short incantation naturally resulted in a low power spell . ¡ºFire Gravel!¡» A ball of flame about 50cm in diameter appeared at the blade of the Death Scythe as he swung it . After flying several meters, it burst into small balls of fire, 1cm in diameter, and scattered into the surroundings . ¡ºKikikyi~!?¡» Suddenly, a large quantity of flames appeared before their eyes, burning the places not covered with water . The Water Monkeys screamed as they immediately took some distance . Seeing that, Rei was finally given enough time to use his magic power to cast another spell . ¡ºFire, become a barrier to hurt those who seek to harm us . Create a wall of flames to separate us from our enemies . ¡» Rei pierced the handle of the Death Scythe into the ground while saying his incantation . At the same time, a flame several centimeters tall ran across the ground, drawing a complex pattern around the ground that the handle had be pierced into . ¡¸Rei, what is that!?¡¹ With Rei as the center, the flame went through an area that included Elena and the others as it drew a large circle . And the moment the circle was completed, Rei activated his magic . ¡ºCrimson Flame Wall¡» The moment he invoked the magic, a sound like a roar was heard!¡¡While creating that sound, when Rei invoked his magic, 8m tall walls of flame flared up around the magic formation . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Stroking Set, who had came over and rubbed his head anxiously, Rei turned to look at the surroundings . The Water Monkeys were no longer around Rei as they had been surprised at the sudden attack of the fire gravel and retreated . At the same time, there were not many enemies fighting against Elena¡¯s group, only several who were still fighting Ara after they had been left inside the wall of flame . The remaining Water Monkeys dropped their guards in surprise after suddenly being surrounded by the wall of flame . Ara and Kuust used all their remaining strength to attack one last time and Elena¡¯s sword whip extended out, taking the lives of the Water Monkeys . ¡¸Rei, is this magic your work?¡¡Explain what it¡¯s effect is . ¡¹ She saw that all the Water Monkeys she could see had been defeated for now . Glancing to the side at Kuust and Ara who had fallen to the ground and were regaining their breath, Elena asked Rei . While nodding at the question, Rei first took out water bottles from the Misty Ring and passed one to everyone . As expected, knowing his own circumstances, Kuust, who would usually reject Rei, silently received a water bottle while breathing roughly . ¡¸Elena-sama, here . We¡¯ll be safe for the next 30 minutes or so . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, I¡¯ll trust in Rei¡¯s magic . ¡¹ Elena took the water bottle and rested her breath . Although Rei watched the movements of her glossy white throat as she drank the water, when Set used his beak to pull at Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe, he gathered himself and took a drink as well . At the same time, he took out some juicy fruits from the Misty Ring and gave them to Set . ¡¸I¡¯m revived¡­¡­now then, I would like an explanation . ¡¹ ¡¸What I used is a magic called Crimson Flame Barrier . It¡¯s effect is to form a barrier of flames around me . This a is a slightly different one¡­¡­¡¹ Saying so, Rei turned to look at the barrier . There were a few Water Monkeys that were shooting water balls at part of it and the reaction was strong . The moment the water balls came in contact with the flame barrier, fire balls the same size as the water balls were shot out from the flame barrier, instantly burning up the Water Monkeys that had fired the water balls at it . ¡¸As you can see, if you attack the flame barrier, it will retaliate . Because of that, as the flame barrier will hold out for about 30 minutes, we should be able to recover our physical strength in peace . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s quite an advanced magic . However, this is a great help . ¡¹ Although it was hard to understand, Elena nodded as it was a fact that it had saved them . Because he had been using a bow, Vel, who hadn¡¯t exhausted as much of his strength as Kuust and Ara, spoke up . ¡¸Hey, Rei . Is this a barrier of fire?¡¹ ¡¸I think you will understand if you take a look . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well . But, since we¡¯re inside a barrier of fire, why don¡¯t we feel the heat?¡¹ ¡¸An image is needed when using a spell . Although it is a barrier made of fire, the inside has been adjusted to have no change in temperature . Conversely, outside the flame barrier should be quite hot, enough that the water covering the Water Monkeys can¡¯t withstand it . ¡¹ ¡¸Uwa~, such a thing is possible . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s very convenient . For the time being, spend the next 10 minutes focusing on restoring your physical strength, then let¡¯s think about how to deal with them . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s words, they all sat on the ground to recover their strength . Though Rei still had strength to spare, he was still worn out . Leaning against Set, who had plopped himself on the ground, he concentrated on recovering his strength for 10 minutes . (The number of Water Monkeys was a bit unexpected . There were about 20 of them that attacked yesterday, but there were at least 100 or more today . Naturally, I think they¡¯re led by a rare species¡­¡­in the case of the earlier attack . I think it will attack after we are more exhausted . Another possibility is the spear I threw¡­¡­is it?) ¡¸Sorry, Elena-sama . I showed you an unsightly scene . To fall behind against the likes of these monsters¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I was the same . ¡¹ Rei, who had closed his eyes, heard the voices of Kuust and Ara . Indeed, as expected of knights, they were able to recover their breath in this short period of time . Eventually, one of them came towards Rei . ¡¸Rei-dono, as it is, may I use this sword?¡¹ While Rei opened his eyes at that question, naturally, considering the voice who asked, he saw Ara . (No, if it was Kuust that came over, it would be a troublesome thing . ) Maybe because he was a little tired, he nodded while thinking¡­¡­he turned his eyes to the sword Ara was holding before frowning his eyes involuntarily . When he had thrown it to her during the battle, it was in brand new condition¡­¡­not like now, where though it was still sufficient for practical use, the sword was already slightly bent . ¡¸I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­but the sword is almost reaching its limits, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­To be honest, it¡¯s not okay . But, because my sword is like that . ¡¹ Ara glanced away for an instant, there was a sword that was broken mid blade . ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, if it¡¯s fine with you, are there any better weapons?¡¡Ones that Ara can use . ¡¹ Unable to remain indifferent to Ara, who had subtlly dropped her shoulders, or maybe just to increase their strength, Elena came over and asked Rei . ¡¸I certainly understand Ara¡¯s power as a vanguard is wanted, unfortunately, the only sword I had is the one she has now . ¡¹ In the first place, Rei had his Death Scythe, he didn¡¯t need any other main weapon . The Death Scythe was made with Rei¡¯s own magic power and was very sturdy, after empowering it with magic, there was almost no possibility of damaging it . Because of that, the only other weapons Rei used was a knife or dagger for dismantling and the throwing spear that seemed to have caused this fight . The main reason for the expensiveness of magic items was because of its scarcity . (No, wait?) At that moment, a thought went through Rei¡¯s head . Ara, strength, magic item, the four members of Claws of the Hawk . Yes, it certainly was a problem that there were no swords that Ara could use . However, he had a weapon that was appropriate for her if you only considered her strength . He displayed the Misty Ring¡¯s inventory in his mind and selected the one labeled Power Axe . It was one of the items he had won from the bet with Vargas, the leader of the D rank party that had messed with Rei, Claws of the Hawk . He had heard afterwards that it was a magic item that had been obtained from exploring the dungeon here . (This is a magic item that I¡¯d obtained, since she¡¯s lost her weapon, I could lend it to her for a while . ) The next moment, a huge battle axe appeared in Rei¡¯s hands . ¡¸Ara, would you like to use this?¡¹ ¡¸What is this?¡¹ ¡¸Power Axe . Well, it¡¯s a magic item battle axe¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm, I can certainly feel the magic power . So what is its effect?¡¹ TLN: And this is why Rei fought the Claws of the Hawk¡­probably Although Elena asked that question as she looked with interest at the Power Axe, Rei shook his head . ¡¸Unfortunately, as it was a magic item I just collected, I also don¡¯t know the details of its effects . However, I can roughly imagine from the name Power Axe . ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder . ¡­¡­Ara, what do you want to do?¡¡Do you think you can use Rei¡¯s axe?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei-dono, could you lend it to me for a bit?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ Rei passed the Power Axe to Ara, who held out her hands nervously . ¡¸Kya~!¡¹ Feeling the unexpected weight after being passed the battle axe, Ara took it with an small cry, surprising given her immense strength . ¡¸This is, a magic item . ¡¹ While muttering, she gripped the Power Axe with one hand¡­¡­lifted it up, and swung it down . ¡¸Hou~ . ¡¹ Rei unconsciously gave a sigh of admiration . ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹ Elena asked Rei as she watched Ara swing the Power Axe as if it was part of her body . ¡¸Nothing . The Power Axe was won as a prize from a bet, but the previous owner wielded it with two hands . I didn¡¯t think she could easily swing it with one hand . ¡¹ Meanwhile, Ara repeatedly swung the Power Axe up and down slowly as if to accustom her body to it . ¡¸Ara!¡¡I know you want to adapt your body to your new weapon, but don¡¯t forget that our time to recover is limited . Save your strength . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand, Elena-sama!¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Ara approached Rei while comfortably holding the Power Axe in one hand . ¡¸Rei-dono, please let me use this magic item . It feels familiar to me as if I¡¯ve used it for many years . ¡¹ ¡¸No Problem . If Ara¡¯s power can¡¯t be used, I would be troubled . ¡­¡­So then, Elena-sama . What next . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . To start, retreating the direction we came from is rejected . Even if there are clearly less enemies, the want to drive us there is obvious . ¡¹ ¡¸But Elena-sama, Do monsters have such intelligence?¡¹ ¡¸Kuust, you also saw it . Their intelligence is high enough to use a war of attrition to wear us down . In that case, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s enough to set up a trap?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There is a possibility, I will only say that . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, what¡¯s left left is to break through at a point other than the trap . I would like to defeat the rare species if possible¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If you think about it normally, the rare species would usually be behind the place where the enemies¡¯ forces are strongest¡­¡­in the first place though, it¡¯s a monster . Will they work according to these expectations . ¡¹ Vel who seemed to have finally recovered, butted in with his light tone . ¡¸I wonder . In the first place, number of means of attack is limited if you¡¯re on a tree . If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s best to break through the direction we were heading in and get out of their siege . ¡¹ ¡¸If it comes to that, the problem is how to deal with the Water Monkeys that chase us . I won¡¯t be happy to have them chase us endlessly . ¡¹ At Vel¡¯s mutterings, everyone nodded . Meanwhile, Set gave a cry and pulled Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe as if asking for something . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei knew what Set wanted to say . Set could acquire skills by absorbing magic stones . The skills could have a wide range of effects such as ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe¡» which didn¡¯t do any direct damage, unlike Rei¡¯s fire magic . It¡¯s effect could reduce the speed of lower ranked monsters by 10% due to the sense of intimidation Set would give off . It would certainly be an effective attack against the Water Monkeys who would pursue them with their quick speed . In addition, as it was expected that the effect would show on all monsters with a rank below Set¡¯s, it might even affect the rare species that was leading the Water Monkeys . ¡¸Rei, what is it?¡¡What is Set trying to say?¡¹ While listening to Elena¡¯s question, Rei was conflicted in his mind . (What should I do?¡¡Normally, a Griffon is a rare A rank monster . Would it be fine for me to tell them he can use skills an ordinary Griffon can¡¯t? No, if it was just Elena, there would be no problem . If I just said I wanted to keep it a secret, I could expect her to keep it . And if Elena¡¯ told her to do so, Ara would keep the secret until her death . However, Kuust despises me and Vel is talkative . These two¡­¡­no, I can manage somehow if Elena takes responsibility for them¡­¡­maybe . Besides, there¡¯s always the choice to use ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» to get out of this dilemma . Some of them will hate it, but if it comes to dying or receiving it, they will probably take it . ) Concluding his inner conflict, he spoke up as he felt that effects of the flame barrier would expire soon . Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Legend Chapter 85 ¡¸I¡¯ll do something about the enemies pursuit. In addition, I have an idea that might be able to do something to the rare species.¡¹ The moment Rei said that, everyone, including Elena, turned to look at Rei. ¡¸¡­¡­Hou~, what is it?¡¹ ¡¸Before that. This is the same as revealing my secret skills. If I don¡¯t use it here, we would be in danger, so I have no choice but to use it. But I have one condition.¡¹ ¡¸You can say it.¡¹ ¡¸I have a magic called ¡ºSeed of Contract¡». When I use it, I can set conditions. For example, in this case, if you break it and tell other people about it, the magic will activate and your body will burn up. I will use my secret skills if you accept this.¡¹ The moment Rei said that, the top of Kuust¡¯s magic spear appeared right next to his face. ¡¸¡­¡­You, do you not know when to stop pushing your luck?¡¡Are you, a commoner, trying to bind nobles like me and Elena with your magic?¡¡Know your place!¡¹ As that angry voice echoed into the surroundings, Kuust¡¯s blood thirst began to spread. However, Rei spoke as if it had never happened. ¡¸Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ One word. With one word from Rei, Set swung down his forefoot and slammed Kuust¡¯s magic spear into the ground. ¡¸Guh!¡¹ Even though Kuust was confident in his strength, as expected, he couldn¡¯t match the strength of a Griffon. Not to mention Set had equipped an item called Bracelet of Herculean Strength, amplifying his strength. Because the magic spear he was holding in his hands was unceremoniously slammed into the ground, he gave a groan as his hands went numb. Rei continued speaking while looking at Kuust coldly. ¡¸If you absolutely don¡¯t want to accept this condition, that¡¯s fine. You can challenge the dungeon by yourself. I ride on Set and go back up.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around!¡¡In the first place, you¡¯re an adventurer dispatched by Margrave Rowlocks to guard us!¡¡Do you think it¡¯s fine to abandon the people you¡¯re supposed to guard and flee!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, to despise someone so much until now, what now that the time has come. I guess it¡¯s just your typical noble with an inflated ego and not the ability to match it.¡¹ ¡¸You-!¡¹ Just as Kuust was trying to reach out for his magic spear with his numb hands, the moment he touched the magic spear, he noticed that the blade of the Death Scythe was against his neck. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you going to pick up your spear?¡¡Aren¡¯t you proud of your spear?¡¹ ¡¸Guh!¡¹ It was an explosive situation. Even though Elena was watching, if Kuust tried to do something, it was obvious that the blade at his neck would kill him. Because of that, Vel spoke up without making any careless movements. ¡¸Rei, could you move that away from Kuust? Even though it¡¯s Kuust, this is still going too far, I hope you won¡¯t kill him.¡¹ While smiling bitterly at Vel¡¯s words, Rei moved the Death Scythe away from Kuust¡¯s neck. Seeing that, Elena turned to speak to Rei as Vel gave a sigh of relief. ¡¸Seed of Contract, the one you mentioned. Is it absolutely necessary?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, because there will be many inconveniences for Set and me if my secret skills is leaked to other people. There are three choices I can give. The first is using the Seed of Contract, I will then use my secret skills to get us out of here. The second is if you refuse to use the Seed of Contract. I¡¯m sorry, but in this case I will have to part with Elena-sama and the rest. The third option is a compromise, I won¡¯t use my secret skills but we should be able to manage getting out of here. In this case, we will work together as much as possible but I will escape with Set if it becomes an emergency.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Give me a little time. By the way, how long before the fire barrier disappears?¡¹ ¡¸It will last another 10 minutes or so.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Give me 5 minutes.¡¹ Saying only that, Elena started to think as she closed her eyes. While Rei was watching the situation, Vel called out from beside him. ¡¸If you part with us as you said, do you know what will happen after Elena-sama dies in the remote territory of Margrave Rowlocks?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I guess I¡¯ll get various members of the Nobles Faction trying to kill me.¡¹ ¡¸Did you give those three choices knowing that?¡¹ ¡¸In the first place, the expectations on me are too great for a D rank adventurer. If you are really looking for escorts, don¡¯t demand that it be limited to D rank. You should have properly asked for A or B ranks. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There were various circumstances regarding that. Kuust¡­¡­setting that aside, what do you think of our current situation Ara?¡¹ Ara, who was holding the Power Axe in her hand, bluntly answered Vel¡¯s question. ¡¸As for me, I will just follow Elena-sama¡¯s instructions. If Elena-sama decides to accept the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» I will respect that. If she does not accept it, I will respect that. And¡­¡­¡¹ She turned to look at Rei while swinging the large Power Axe. ¡¸If Elena-sama orders me to kill Rei-dono, I will only accept it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Tentatively, the axe is mine. Even if I told Ara she can use it, I¡¯ve only lent it to her, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve given ownership to her.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. This Power Axe is certainly Rei-dono¡¯s property. But since I¡¯ve borrowed it now, aren¡¯t I free to use it as I wish?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. So it¡¯s like that. Certainly if you consider the logic¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei was about to speak further, Elena¡¯s eyes opened. ¡¸Rei, I want to ask. If you use your secret skills, are you certain that you can get us out of this predicament?¡¹ ¡¸I cannot say for sure. But I guarantee it will become much easier than before.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A compromise. I can¡¯t have you use Seed of Contract here. If there is such a magic on me when I reach the Altar of Inheritance, I don¡¯t know what kind of adverse effect it could have. Instead, if you can safely fulfill my purpose at the Altar of Inheritance, you can use the Seed of Contract before we leave the dungeon.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Rei thought in his mind. (As for adverse effects occurring at the Altar of Inheritance, perhaps it will cause some reaction in Elena. In that case, it certainly is also a bad time to plant the Seed of Contract now. In that case¡­¡­£© He glanced at Elena and the other three. Guessing the meaning of that look, Elena spoke up again. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t let you use that magic on the other three. This is because all three of them also have something they have to do at the Altar of Inheritance.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So I just believe your words and use my secret skills, is it?¡¹ ¡¸That is the case. However, if we can get out of here safely as you said, after completing what we need to do at the Altar of Inheritance, I swear by the name of family of Duke Kerebel that we will accept the Seed of Contract.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Duke, you say.¡¹ Muttering, he glanced at Kuust, who was scowling at Rei with threatening eyes. From that attitude, Rei honestly didn¡¯t feel safe, even if the promise was made in a noble¡¯s name. Elena followed Rei¡¯s line of sight and understood what he probably wanted to say. She spoke up again with a bitter smile. ¡¸Okay then, I¡¯ll promise under the name of the General Princess. Will you accept that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. If it¡¯s a promise under Elena-sama¡¯s renowned title of the General Princess, I will believe it.¡¹ ¡¸Umu~. Kuust, Vel, Ara. Do the three of you mind?¡¹ To that question, Ara nodded without hesitation while Kuust and Vel nodded reluctantly. ¡¸Well then, can you explain to us your secret skills?¡¡Also won¡¯t the effect of the flame barrier end soon?¡¹ ¡¸That is so. Set!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry and came closer to Rei. ¡¸The secret skills are in relation to Set. As you can see, Set looks like an ordinary Griffon. In fact, he is a kind of rare species and can do various things that other Griffon¡¯s can¡¯t do. For example¡­¡­Set, use Fire Breath at the flame barrier.¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s instruction, Set gave a loud cry, opened his beak and took a big breath¡­¡­the next moment, he spat out an unmistakable fire breath that hit a few Water Monkeys that were watching Rei and the others from the other side of the wall of fire. Although it couldn¡¯t kill them in a single hit because of the water covering their fur, it still seemed to hurt them quite a bit as they ran away from the flame barrier screaming. Rei turned to Elena and the others, who were watching with stunned looks, and spoke again. ¡¸As you can see, this is something an ordinary Griffon can¡¯t do. There are several others, but what he will use this time is a cry that will slow the speed of all enemies who hear it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¡All the enemies, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It can decrease it by about 10%. There are also some enemies who would be stunned due to the cry, but you shouldn¡¯t expect it to happen here.¡¹ Set took that as a compliment from Rei and came over to rub his head against him. Rei scratched Set¡¯s head while smiling like looking at a small child. ¡¸For certain, a characteristic of the Water Monkeys is their nimbleness. If their speed can be slowed by 10% as Rei-dono said, it might not be difficult to get through this place?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I agree with Vel. Kuust?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph, do as you like.¡¹ Kuust to Ara¡¯s words with a snort. However, for an instant, he cursed at Rei with his eyes. ¡¸Well then, we will try to break through here with Set¡¯s ability. It is simple. Set will give a cry the moment the flame barrier disappears. We will break through the point where the enemies¡¯ speed has slowed.¡¹ (A cry it is. Well, because they probably wouldn¡¯t believe it if I said it was King¡¯s Awe, I should just tell them it¡¯s a cry.) ¡¸It is good to break through one point, will we head towards the same direction we were going to earlier?¡¹ Elena nodded at Vel¡¯s words. ¡¸Any how, we are in the middle of searching for the stairs to the fifth floor. There won¡¯t be any problems.¡¹ While saying that, they turned their eyes to the flame barrier, which was gradually weakening. ¡¸Well then, it won¡¯t be long. Everyone, check your equipment. It might be physically straining but we will break through at once.¡¹ At that instruction, everyone checked their weapons. There were no problems with Rei, Elena and Kuust¡¯s weapons for now as they were all magic weapons. Because he used a bow, Vel was resupplied arrows for from the Misty and had no problems either. Lastly was Ara, who instead of holding a long sword like earlier, held the Power Axe with one hand. After a few tense minutes¡­¡­the flame barrier abruptly disappeared. The Water Monkeys didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and attacked at the same time. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Set!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s cue, Set used King¡¯s Awe and gave a loud cry. ¡¸GURURURURURURURURURURURURURU~!¡¹ The moment they heard his cry, the movements of the Water Monkeys clearly dulled. Rei and Elena weren¡¯t incompetent to miss this moment of opportunity. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, break through one point!¡¡Only intercept attacking enemies!¡¹ Ara and Kuust ran at the front. Ara countered the slowed attackers with the Power Axe. True to it¡¯s name, whether it hit their head or body, or even their arms or legs, the Power Axe would send them flying. The path that Ara had passed through was littered with the limbs, heads and internal organs which had been torn from the Water Monkeys. Beside her, Kuust swung his magic spear, accurately stabbing the bodies of the Water Monkeys. The magic spear had the ability to manipulate water and was able to deal with the water that covered their fur. To the Water Monkeys who used attacks like Water Ball, it was their natural enemy. Many water balls were shot at them from behind. Even if King¡¯s Awe was used, though it could slow the release of the water balls, the speed of the water balls were the same as before. As the middle guard, Vel and Elena intercepted them. Her sword extended and her sword turned into a whip, intercepting the water balls one by one, destroying them and scattering water onto the ground. The Water Monkeys who had shot the water balls had their movements dulled from Set¡¯s King¡¯s Awe and were shot by Vel¡¯s arrows. Rei and Set, who were in the rearguard, probably had the easiest time. Because the Water Monkeys had become scared and frightened by Set¡¯s King¡¯s Awe, none of them attacked carelessly due to their fear. Still, some of them moved their slowed bodies to attack Rei, who was running next to Set, there weren¡¯t many though, just a few. The slowed enemies were cut down by Rei¡¯s Death Scythe and died. ¡¸Elena-sama, we seem to be leaving the forest!¡¹ Ara shouted from the front. When the party turned to look in that direction, they could certainly see a break in the forest at the very end. ¡¸Right, we will cut through at once!¡¡We will have the advantage once we leave the forest.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s instructions, they all quickly went through the forest¡­¡­and found a Water Monkey about 2m tall, as if waiting for them. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Rei had finally gotten out of the forest thanks to Set¡¯s King¡¯s Awe . However, what lay before their eyes was the 2m tall Water Monkey rare species . ¡¸¡­¡­Perhaps, we were lured here by them?¡¹ With the Power Axe in hand, Ara muttered that in disbelief . However, Elena heard that and denied it while shaking her head . ¡¸No, it¡¯s different . If it had really lured us here, it would have gathered a larger force . ¡¹ The rest of them counted the number of enemies as Elena said that . As for enemies, the Water Monkey rare species was the most conspicuous . Around it were several Water Monkeys that were probably its aides, they were slightly over 1m tall . In addition, there were familiar monsters such as Fang Wolves, Poison Toads and Goblins . There was also a single Lizardman, equipped with a sword and shield . Their number was certainly few as Elena had said . All together, there were about 30 of them . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Look behind them . That¡¯s what we¡¯ve been looking for . ¡¹ Turning their eyes to what was behind the monsters at Elena¡¯s words, the stairs to the fifth floor that Rei and the others had been looking for were right there . ¡¸Our purpose is to go down the the fifth floor¡­¡­Rei, do you think the rare species will follow if we rush to the fifth floor?¡¹ ¡¸Honestly, I have no idea . However, the trap that was placed at the end of the second floor was made with spider silk . Given we were immediately attacked by the giant spider after going down to the third floor, there¡¯s a high chance it will . ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no other way, is it . They are also coming from behind . ¡¹ Elena turned to look at the forest they had just come out of . Behind them, they could see the troop of Water Monkeys from before among the trees . However, they seemed to be in a state where they couldn¡¯t move when Set looked at them . ¡¸Leave the enemies behind us to Set . Everyone else clean up the small fry and the rare species ahead . Go!¡¹ Rei moved his eyebrows slightly at Elena¡¯s instruction . He gave an instruction to Set as went towards the group ahead . ¡¸Set, please guard against the Water Monkeys in the forest!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a cry full of fighting spirit . Rei thought as he followed behind Elena . (Certainly with Set¡¯s power, the troop won¡¯t take a single step . However, to rely on Set for the back even though we had just threatened them a little while ago . Should I call them bold¡­¡­did they not think that I could abandon them and escape?¡¡No, did they leave the back to us after considering that possibility?) Even as he though that way, the distance between them and the monsters in front gradually narrowed . The other party didn¡¯t want to let Rei make the first move and a Fang Wolf and Goblin jumped forward to meet them . ¡ºFlame, burn the enemy according to my thoughts . ¡» Pouring magic power into his incantation, the Death Scythe produced a fireball . Rei shot it with a large swing . ¡ºFireball!¡» The released fireball overtook Ara and Kuust, who were running at the front, and caused an explosion as it hit the center of the enemy¡¯s vanguard as they approached them . The Goblin and Fang Wolf were turned to charcoal without being able to raise a sound . The group of monsters were sent into confusion as soon as they started and hesitated to move forward . ¡¸Ara and Kuust, kill the monsters as you meet them . Vel, restrain the Water Monkeys that can use magic . Rei, flank and attack the enemies from the side!¡¹ The instant the opening appeared, Elena issued instructions . Rei and the three others started to take action following the instructions they received . Ara swung the Power Axe literally cleaving the remaining Fang Wolves in two . Kuust stabbed his magic spear into the body of a Goblin, killing it instantly . A Water Monkey that was ready to fire a water ball in an attempt to support its vanguard was interrupted by an arrow that Vel shot . While giving specific instructions to all of them, Elena held down the Lizardman as she swung her sword whip, heavily injuring it . While admiring their cooperation that was done without the slightest error, Rei took a detour as he sneaked around where the fighting was going on . Seeing their leader fighting, although they tried to move and attack Elena and the others from behind, when Set looked at them with his sharp eyes each time, they would freeze . Although there was always a difference in monster ranking, it was thanks to King¡¯s Awe being used in this situation that the Water Monkeys weren¡¯t able to utilise the nimble movements they were good at . No, they were frozen in fear that they would be crushed by his claws without a doubt if they attacked . While checking for an instant with his peripheral vision that the back was still in a stalemate, Rei finally finished his detour and broke into the enemy group at their flank . That said, the Fang Wolves, Goblins and the single Lizardman that had been fighting Elena has been taken out . The number of monsters on the side of the leading Water Monkey rare species had already decreased considerably . Aside from the rare species and the larger than ordinary Water Monkeys, only three Poison Toads hadn¡¯t been intercepted by Elena, due to the difference in movement speed . Capturing all the monsters in his sight, he stopped where he was after confirming there was enough distance between them and started saying an incantation . ¡ºFlame, pour down a rain of arrows and burn all . ¡» As the incantation was said, arrows made of fire, about the length of his arm, formed around Rei . There were about 50 in number . Maybe noticing that a large number of fire arrows had appeared, the rare species turned to look at Rei . At the same time, it may have noticed how powerful the magic that Rei was about to use was . In a hurry, it tried to give orders to its aides¡­but it was already too late . ¡ºFire Arrow Rain!¡» When the magic was activated, as the Death Scythe was also a magic casting tool, more than 50 fire arrows headed in the direction that Rei swung the Death Scythe at . ¡¸Kikikikyi~!¡¹ The Water Monkeys screamed . Rei tried to sweep away as many enemies with this¡­¡­he didn¡¯t think he could hurt the rare species with this . It would have been lucky to hit it with a single arrow . However, the rare species took an action that Rei did not expect . ¡¸Kikyi~!¡¹ How? It grabbed a nearby Poison Toad and used it as a living shield to block the fire arrows that rained on it . The surrounding Water Monkeys who saw that imitated their leader and used the Poison Toads near them as living shields . Then the arrows landed . The fire arrows were shielded by the Poison Toads . They also pierced the Water Monkeys that had a late start and were unable to use their surroundings to shield themselves . At the same time, a large amount of dust was blown into the surroundings by the shock of the fire arrows that had hit the ground instead of the enemies, covering the area around like a smokescreen . ¡¸Shoes of Sleipnir, start!¡¹ As soon as he activated the Shoes of Sleipnir, Rei took 1, 2, 3 steps as he ran into the air . As he went through the dust cloud, several water balls flew out . They couldn¡¯t hit Rei, who was already in the air, and hit the ground instead, launching dirt into the surrounding area . Running through the air, Rei went to 10m above the ground . As he watched the dust cloud gradually clear, the effect of the Shoes of Sleipnir ended and he started to fall . A surprise attack from above . The fire arrows that he had shot earlier was all part of a strategic move for this single attack . While falling to the ground, Rei looked for the figure of his target, the rare species . But because the dust cloud was unexpectedly big, the visibility wasn¡¯t good . (Tch, it¡¯s impossible to tell apart the rare species . ¡­¡­Then!) Rei had already fallen to 5m above the ground . In this situation, after creating a surprise attack with much trouble, he poured magic power into the Death Scythe and swung it down at the first shadow that caught his eyes . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ ¡¸Kyi~!?¡¹ Cutting through flesh and bone, he felt a sensation similar to cutting through bamboo . ¡¸¡­¡­Tch . ¡¹ Seeing his target parted left and right while scattering its internal organs and blood onto the ground, he clicked his tongue . After the dust cloud cleared up, Rei saw that he hadn¡¯t hit the rare species he was aiming for and had hit one of its aides instead . A sound of something tearing through the air could be heard from behind . The moment he heard the sound, he reflexively went down to the ground . ¡¸Kikikyi~!¡¹ Swinging the handle of the Death Scythe behind him as he crouched down, the next moment a dull sound of flesh and bone hitting metal echoed into the surroundings . ¡¸Kyi~!¡¹ Then what followed was the sound of something falling to the ground and a scream as it was unable to bear the pain . Turning around, getting up from his crouching state on the ground and sweeping with the Death Scythe, he cut the neck of the Water Monkey which had fallen behind him . At the same time, checking for an instant, he turned the big shadow that was visible to his right . Kicking up the head that he had just cut off, he kicked against the ground and followed the head as he readied his Death Scythe . ¡¸Kikyi~, kyi~!¡¹ It was the biggest shadow he had seen so far . Normally, Water Monkeys should be smaller than Rei . The shadow of the Water Monkey was a head taller than Rei and was undoubtedly the rare species that was leading the Water Monkeys . As the head of its aide came close, it brushed it aside with the corpse of the Poison Toad that had been hit by fire arrows just before . And as it approached close to Rei, it opened its mouth wide open¡­¡­ The moment he saw its mouth, Rei felt a chill up his spine and reflexively kicked against the ground and jumped to the side . Almost at the same time as Rei jumped, a purple liquid was spat out of the mouth of the rare species . ¡¸Kyi~!¡¹ Seeing Rei avoid it narrowly, the rare species opened its mouth again while raising its voice in anger . Rei saw that and tried to jump away again, but¡­¡­ ¡¸Kikikikyi~!¡¹ The two remaining aides of the rare species sandwiched him as they attacked with their claws . ¡¸Rei!¡¹ A line of light swam through the air as Rei¡¯s name was called out . It was Elena, who had been using her sword whip to fight a group of monsters . With a sharp and quick blow, in an instant, it slashed the throat of a Water Monkey that had been attacking Rei . An arrow then hit the right foot of the other Water Monkey, stopping it¡¯s movements . The moment he saw it, Rei fell back to evade the arm of the Water Monkey as it swung down and pushed it, moving its position . Then the purple liquid that was spat out from the mouth of the rare species flew past . With an arrow lodged in its right foot, the Water Monkey couldn¡¯t evade the liquid after having it¡¯s balance knocked away by Rei¡­¡­and was hit in the face by the liquid . And the next moment . ¡¸Kikikikikikikikikyi~!¡¹ It screamed as it rolled on the ground . As it held its face, the parts of its face that could be seen through the gaps of its fingers looked like a candle that had melted under a flame . Rei was able to see half it¡¯s skull clearly exposed . ¡¸Tch, a corrosive liquid!¡¹ Using the Death Scythe to cut the body of the Water Monkey that was rushing around madly, it stopped breathing, leaving only the rare species . However, it scowled as Rei and Elena approached, ready to spit out the corrosive liquid at any time . (¡­¡­What to do . ) It would be easy to defeat the remaining rare species before them . The corrosive liquid was certainly a threat, but it could only spit it in one direction . In other words, if everyone surrounded it, it would have no way out . However¡­¡­who would want the role of attacking the rare species first and dodging the corrosive liquid . When he thought about that, the right should of the rare species suddenly came into Rei¡¯s view . Yes, the right shoulder had been cut sharply and was bleeding even though it was covered with water . The moment Rei saw it, he understood why the Water Monkeys had suddenly attacked . It was the spear Rei had thrown in the forest . Maybe the spear had injured this rare species, which had caused it to start the attack in anger . (If that¡¯s the case, then the story isn¡¯t too complicated . Muttering in his mind, he called out to Elena, who was holding her sword whip . ¡¸Elena-sama, from now, I will throw spears to attack that guy . I think that will make it direct its fierce hostility towards me, use that opening to attack . Since there is a possibility of it using that corrosive liquid if you approach, use medium or long distance attacks if possible . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Certainly, the spear Rei threw at the beginning is what started the fight . All right, but watch out for the liquid it spits from its mouth . ¡¹ As for Elena, at Rei¡¯s words, she saw the injury on the right shoulder of the rare species and understood the general situation as she readied her sword whip . ¡¸Kikikyi, kyi,¡¢kikikikikyi~!¡¹ The rare species tried to intimidate Rei when it saw him take a step forward . Rei meaningfully held the Death Scythe out in front of him with his hands . ¡¸Kyi~?¡¹ The rare species had a mystified expression, as Rei stored his Death Scythe into the Misty Ring right in front of it . ¡¸Kikyi~!?¡¹ Naturally, the rare species didn¡¯t know of the object called an item box and made some noise as it couldn¡¯t understand how the large scythe that was before his eyes had disappeared . But, it was still wary and ready to spit out the corrosive liquid at any time . However, the next moment, its wariness collapsed as anger dominated its mind . It was because a familiar spear had appeared in the hands of the diminutive person before it . Yes, because it was a spear identical to the one that pierced through his right shoulder just before . ¡¸Kikikikikyi~!¡¹ The moment it saw the owner of the spear, it instinctively spat out the corrosive liquid at the person in front of it . ¡¸The moment I was waiting for!¡¹ However, this action was within Rei¡¯s expectations . It wasn¡¯t difficult to avoid . And as if in prearranged fashion, Elena¡¯s sword whip extended into a whip¡­¡­and the blade pierced through the head of the rare species . Chapter 87 Chapter 87 ¡¸Somehow it worked out¡­¡­it seems . ¡¹ Elena¡¯s voice sounded in the battlefield . Before her eyes was the figure of the dead Water Monkey rare species, which had its head pierced through by the sword whip . Just several seconds ago, it had been leading a large troop of monsters . Continuing to look at the surroundings, all the monsters led by the rare species that had attacked them were dead . In addition, in the forest behind them, the Water Monkeys that were restrained by Set all scattered and disappeared into the forest after seeing there boss killed . ¡¸Elena-sama, are you hurt anywhere!?¡¹ As she watched Ara come closer as she held the Power Axe, Elena gave a small nod . ¡¸Umu~, there¡¯s no problem . That aside, are you okay?¡¡I¡¯ve left the vanguard to you with an axe, a new weapon¡­¡­¡¹ Elena asked Ara, who was smiling happily like a small child after finding out that Elena had no injuries . As far as she could see, Ara wasn¡¯t injured either, which gave her peace of mind . ¡¸Yes . Although I was slightly injured, it¡¯s just a small scratch . It can be healed with Kuust¡¯s magic . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, I¡¯ve put you through a lot of trouble as well Kuust . ¡¹ Elena followed Ara and spoke to Kuust as she walked over . ¡¸No, healing is also my job . ¡¹ Although he had many disagreements with Rei regarding the Seed of Contract, as Elena has accepted it, Kuust didn¡¯t think it was his place to say anything . ¡­¡­Yes . For Elena, that is . Seeing Kuust glare at him with irritated looks as he approached, Rei involuntarily gave a sigh . Seeing Kuust glare at him again, Rei guessed his intentions and spoke to Elena without minding it . ¡¸Do you want to go down to the next floor right now?¡¡Or do you want to take a break here for a while?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right, considering we were immediately attacked by Lizardmen and a spider as soon as we went down the third floor, it would be better to take a short break here . Rei, can you ask Set to keep watch?¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words and walked towards Set, who was still wary of the forest . While watching him go, Elena head hurt over Rei and Kuust¡¯s disagreements . ¡¸Set, you¡¯ve saved us this time . Here, eat this for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Without noticing Elena racking her brains behind him, Rei talked to Set, who was guarding against the forest . He held dried meat in his hand, which Set grabbed with his beak before eating it and gave a cry before lying on the ground . Rei also sat on the ground and leaned against Set as he took a bottle of water from the Misty Ring to moisten his throat . (Well then, Elena herself has accepted the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» . Ara is the same . Vel had the look that he would obey his boss, so there¡¯s no problem ¡­¡­then in the end, it¡¯s still Kuust . Since he strongly opposed it, he might try to get rid of me in the midst of confusion . He¡¯s probably hoping that I forget about the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» . In that case, it would probably be better to watch my back in the near future . ) ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong?¡¡While Rei stroked Set¡¯s head as Set seemed to ask, he heard someones footsteps approaching . Because of what he had been thinking of earlier, he almost reached out his hand to grab the Death Scythe on reflex¡­¡­but stopped his hand after realising who it was . ¡¸Rei . I¡¯m planning to leave soon . Could you collect the monsters we killed first?¡¹ Yes, it was Elena who had come over . To Elena, who had a wry smile, Rei returned a wry smile as well . ¡¸I understand . According to the information I heard from the adventurers yesterday, it seems that there are a lot of undead on the fifth floor . But with our current party it might be a little tough¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That is so, it would be tough by ourselves . However, fortunately for us, as I said during breakfast, Rei is good with fire magic and as I saw earlier, Set can use Fire Breath . That alone is enough for us . ¡¹ Because most people regard fire as a weak point for the undead, Elena and the others would have had a hard time fighting them . In that sense, Elena felt that it was fortunate that Rei had been dispatched to the party . While listening to Elena¡¯s words, Rei stood up with the Death Scythe in hand . As he went to go collect the monster corpses as instructed¡­¡­he stopped and turned to Elena . ¡¸Elena-sama . The matter about the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡», don¡¯t forget about it . ¡¹ At those unexpected words, she gave an interesting smile as she nodded . ¡¸Of course . I always keep the promises made under my name . Or what?¡¡Do you think will break my promise under the name of the General Princess?¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think Elena-sama will break it . But what about those that didn¡¯t promise?¡¹ She understood who Rei was talking about . The smile that was on her face a few seconds ago disappeared as she spoke . ¡¸I understand . Honestly, even I didn¡¯t think Kuust would be that stubborn . ¡­¡­His affinity is bad, should I say . Normally, he would tend to take an arrogant attitude when facing people who are not nobles, but in this case, it seems to be much worse . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know the details but please understand that I don¡¯t plan to quietly ignore it if the other party forgets about the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine . I agreed in my name to accept the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡», as a result we were able to escape the war of attrition . Even so, after a life threatening situation, I have no intention of doing such a vulgar thing of insisting that I didn¡¯t make such a promise . If Kuust really demands to find trouble with you over this, I don¡¯t mind if you kill him . No, in that case, I promise to take care of it with my own hands . ¡¹ Elena¡¯s eyes were serious as she said so . Prouder than anyone, her eyes vividly showed that she demanded the same from her subordinates . TLN: In this case, it¡¯s a ¡®any promise I make, I will keep¡¯ kind of pride Because he saw that look, Rei relaxed his body, which had been tense as he straightforwardly confronted Elena . ¡¸I understand . I will believe in Elena-sama¡¯s words . ¡¹ Leaving with those words, he stored that Lizardman that Elena had killed into the Misty Ring . After that, he stored the four Water Monkeys that seemed to be the aides of the rare species as well as the lower ranking monsters such as the Goblins and Fang Wolves . Even if they were of a low rank, they may still have some use . All the corpses of the monsters were stored into the Misty Ring . Finally, the only things left on the battlefield were ruins, traces of monster blood and some monster parts that had been cut off . When they left the place, there was a possibility of attracting other monsters, so they buried everything into the ground . After finishing that, they finally went down to the fifth floor . ¡¸Listen up, according to the information we obtained from the adventurers we met on the third floor, the fifth floor seems to have undead . For that reason, we will change the formation . Rei, who can use fire magic, and Set, who can use Fire Breath, will take the vanguard . Vel and I will take the middle guard . Ara and Kuust will take the rear guard . ¡¹ ¡¸That, is, Elena-sama . Me taking the rear guard with an axe¡­¡­¡¹ As Ara muttered somewhat troubled, Elena shook her head without hesitation . ¡¸In the fifth floor down, I¡¯m asking you to prevent surprise attacks from behind . It is very likely that we will hear their footsteps when they move if it is an undead like a Skeleton or Zombie . However, Ghosts can approach without a sound . For that reason, I made Ara, who has sharp perception, and Kuust, who has high observation skills, the rear guard . ¡¹ ¡¸I-I understand!¡¡I will meet Elena-sama¡¯s expectations!¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯ll be relying on you . Are you okay with that Kuust?¡¹ ¡¸No problem . I will prevent any surprise attacks from behind . ¡¹ Kuust nodded while smiling . To say the truth about this formation, until yesterday, Elena had planned to take the middle guard with Kuust and give Vel and Ara the rear guard . But at the time of the fight with the Water Monkeys, seeing Rei and Kuust¡¯s argument over the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡», and after considering Rei¡¯s remarks about taking countermeasures if Kuust attacked, she had no choice but to use this formation . Elena judged that while searching the dungeon, it wasn¡¯t impossible that Kuust might target Rei from behind with a spell . ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s words, Rei and Set went down the stairs first . Everyone was prepared to launch a counterattack so as not to be ambushed like they were on the third floor . In addition, Rei ordered Set to be ready to use Fire Breath at any time . And as for what Rei saw when he arrived on the fifth floor after going down the long spiral staircase¡­¡­ ¡¸Dungeon, mushroom, forest, then dungeon again, is it . ¡¹ At the sight before his eyes, Rei muttered involuntarily . Yes, what was spread before Rei¡¯s eyes was a dungeon the same as the first and second floors . The walls also glowed in the same way and the paths were also wide enough for Set to fight comfortably . There was just one difference . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a sad cry . Rei immediately knew why . That was because¡­¡­ ¡¸The smell, isn¡¯t it . ¡¹ Yes, a smell of rotten meat drifted from everywhere . (No . Something rotten¡­¡­it isn¡¯t . This is the undead floor, I should assume that the smell of rotten flesh is because of the undead that infest the floor . ) ¡¸It certainly stinks, it¡¯s only that much though?¡¹ At the end, Ara muttered as she tilted her head . Vel heard her from beside him and spoke up while involuntarily covering his nose with his palm . ¡¸No, this is really hard . It seems like there¡¯s no problem if you have an ordinary sense of smell like Ara, but it¡¯s quite tough if your senses are sharp like me and Set . Rei seems to be the same as well . ¡¹ So far, although he had understood that Rei had a high combat ability, he didn¡¯t think that Rei¡¯s sense were as sharp as his . Vel looked at Rei somewhat surprised . (No . From his frown, his sense of smell might be even sharper than mine . ) ¡¸Well, because we have to pass through this floor anyway, I have no choice but to endure it . Even if you hate it, you¡¯ll be forced to get used to the smell . ¡¹ ¡¸I might be numb for a while¡­¡­well, that¡¯s fine . Any how, as Vel said, it¡¯s true that it¡¯s better to walk quickly through this floor . Let¡¯s go, Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a cry which was somewhat stronger than before, they began to move forward . Fortunately for the party, they couldn¡¯t lose they way as there was a single path for now . While walking down the dungeon passage, his hands ready to use the Death Scythe at any time, Rei unintentionally frowned his eyebrows as he looked at Set . (It isn¡¯t possible to rely on Set¡¯s sense of smell due to the foul odour from this floor . ¡­¡­No, it should still be considered a great help that we can rely on sight and hearing . Or on our sixth sense, intuition . ) They walked for about 10 minutes down the straight passage . Set, who was walking alongside Rei, suddenly stopped . ¡¸Set?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a low cry to alert them as he watched the darkness ahead . Rei knew what had happened just by looking . He firmly grasped the handle of the Death Scythe, ready to react to whatever would happen . As for Elena, who was walking behind Rei, it seemed that she also understood the situation by looking . They all stared into the darkness with their weapons ready . Kacha~, kacha~, kacha~, kacha~ . Such soft sounds gradually approached Rei¡¯s group . ¡¸If these are footsteps¡­¡­is it Skeletons?¡¹ Rei muttered as he recalled the information he had read about the undead from the monster encyclopedia . That was the correct answer, it became clear in less than a minute . Two white skeletons appeared in the light from the walls . (No . Because there are two Skeletons, should I count them?) They consisted of white bones without a piece of flesh on their bodies . They looked just like a model of the human body . The eyes in the skull were also hollow, giving a terrible feel . The most different part from a human body was that there was a magic stone in it, protected by the ribs . When defeating an undead with physical attacks and not magic, the quickest way was to destroy the magic stone directly . The Skeleton on the right had a rusty long sword . The Skeleton on the held a spear and pointed the tip at Rei and Set . Then, the two Skeletons silently attacked Rei . The bones of the Skeletons¡¯ feet hit the dungeon floor with a kacha~, kacha~ sound as the two of them approached . While looking calmly at the Skeletons, Rei spoke up . ¡¸Set . ¡¹ Set took one step forward at Reis instruction . As the Skeletons approached in the meantime, Set took a deep breath without heeding them¡­¡­ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Flames spewed out from his beak along with his battle cry . Set¡¯s Fire Breath was his only level 2 skill . It¡¯s power was obvious as it swiftly swallowed up the two Skeletons approaching with weapons . In the dungeon passage, the temperature instantly rose by several degrees due to the Fire Breath . In addition, the dungeon walls emitted more light than it¡¯s usual faint ambience . After a few seconds, the only things that were left after Set¡¯s Fire Breath were blackened bones falling to the ground and a half melted long sword and spear . Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Legend Chapter 88 ¡¸¡­¡­Amazing . ¡¹ At Vel¡¯s voice from behind, Rei gave awry smile . In front of him was the remains of the first two skeletons to attack them after coming down to the fifth floor . . The originally pure white bones were burnt black, some had already carbonised and crumbled . In that state, the bones of the two skeletons fell to the ground . If fought normally, this wouldn¡¯t have been the outcome . Because this result was achieved with one Fire Breath from Set, it was no wonder that Vel raised a voice of surprise . To begin with, skeletons were rank E monsters . They were lower ranking monsters than the rank D Water Monkeys they had encountered on the fourth floor and the Lizardmen they had encountered on the third floor . However, Skeletons were hated by other adventurers for the single reason that it was an undead . Basically, it was a monster that didn¡¯t have an ego . For that reason, it would not be frightened no matter how much it was damaged and would just attack the adventurers . Adding to that, the proof of subjugation of Skeletons was their magic stone, which was problematic . In order to defeat a skeleton with physical attacks, there was no other choice than to destroy the magic stone . As a result, it was subsequently difficult to obtain proofs of subjugation . For the similar reasons, you couldn¡¯t expect to get a lot of materials from such an ordinary monster . If it was a higher ranking undead monster like a Skeleton Lord, its bones, strengthened by magical power, could be used as materials for weapons and armour . Or using alchemy, its material could be used to produce a magic item or special potion . However, this was impossible with the lowest ranking Skeletons . ¡¸This is certainly reassuring to deal with the undead . ¡¹ Elena nodded at Vel¡¯s words and lightly stroked Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Good boy . This floor will heavily rely on your Fire Breath, I¡¯m counting on you . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ After Set gave a small cry, they continued to explore after pushing the burnt bones, melted sword and melted spear, basically the remains of the Skeletons, aside . It should be noted that in regards to the magic stones, which were also the proof of subjugation, they had been burnt together with the bones and had been destroyed . Resuming their search after finishing their work, a few minutes after walking down the passage, the path branched off to the left and right . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, what to do . ¡¹ Elena was troubled . As they had no map, the correct path to advance could only be left to luck . And considering their situation from when they came down the dungeon, it was clear that they weren¡¯t lucky . ¡¸Rei, which one do you think is better?¡¹ At her question to Rei, there was someone who involuntarily scoffed his eyebrows . It was Kuust, who had been entrusted the rear with Ara . (Just now, Elena-sama asked him what to do without hesitation . Of course, he is and adventurer, so that is not wrong . However, if there is anything she is unsure of, she should consult us first, then ask him later . ¡­¡­As I thought, this person is a bad influence on Elena-sama) As Kuust clenched his molars together, maybe noticing Kuust¡¯s look, Vel, who was watching Elena and Rei interestedly, unlike Kuust, took out a water bottle that was attached to his waist and held it out to him with a wry smile . ¡¸Hey, let¡¯s take a drink and calm down for now . I understand that you don¡¯t like Rei, but it¡¯s natural that we rely on Rei as long as we are in a dungeon because he is an adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph, it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just that . ¡¹ After moistening his throat with the water from the bottle he took from Vel, he turned to look at Rei and spat out . ¡¸As it is, I don¡¯t want any strange influences during the ritual at the Altar of Inheritance . ¡¹ ¡¸Kuust¡¯s worry is reasonable, but she has her own thought about this . If she wants to do it this way, what can you do about it?¡¹ ¡¸I wonder why Margrave Rowlocks sent such an adventurer . In the first place it¡¯s a strange thing¡­¡­¡¹ Kuust was going to complain further to Vel, but Elena¡¯s voice could be heard before he could say any more . ¡¸Let¡¯s go to the right for now . If it is a dead end, we¡¯ll come back, but don¡¯t relax your guard as we advance . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, anyhow, as we don¡¯t have a map, it will have to be our intuition . It¡¯s difficult to sense the existence of enemies with this odour . ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right . Still, we should be able to hear sounds of movement, there¡¯s too many things that can¡¯t be seen visually in a dungeon . ¡¹ Elena nodded and went towards Rei¡­¡­or to be more accurate, towards the dungeon ahead . Kuust looked at them while faintly frowning his eyebrows before returning the water bottle to Vel and following them . It should be noted that with regards to Ara, she was aware that she still couldn¡¯t use the Power Axe she borrowed from Rei to it¡¯s full ability, she continued to adjust here body to it by swinging it gently while taking a break . At Ara¡¯s appearance, Vel watched with a wry smile . Although they had just fought a battle on the floor above, for various reasons, Ara¡¯s stamina had already recovered . ¡¸Ara, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit early to start again after exhausting your stamina earlier?¡¹ With the Power Axe in hand, Vel turned to Ara, who was at the back, as directed by Elena, to watch out for surprise attacks . At Vel¡¯s question, she spoke back with a wry smile as she held the Power Axe . ¡¸That¡¯s true, I think so as well¡­¡­rather, it seems this Power Axe weapon has the effect of reducing the consumption of stamina . It¡¯s easy to use even compared to the long swords I¡¯ve used¡­¡­its the right weapon for me . Rather than this, Vel should be taking precautions of the surroundings properly . I will not accept Elena-sama triggering a trap . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . ¡¹ Turning his eyes to look at Ara¡¯s Power Axe for a moment, he immediately turned to look ahead . In order react quickly as soon as he saw any signs of traps, he looked at he passage ahead with sharp eyes instead of his usual casual manner . Satisfied with Vel¡¯s attitude, Ara was cautious of the surroundings as she stroked the handle of the Power Axe . Anyhow, they would know if monsters like Zombies or the Skeletons from before approached . But because Ghosts could suddenly slip through walls and appear, they couldn¡¯t be careless . (Even so, I received a lot more stamina after borrowing this Power Axe from Rei-dono . As expected, is this the effect of the magic item?) Although Ara couldn¡¯t fully understand, the Power Axe had the ability to provide a constant recovery effect for the user . Of course, the effect was overwhelmingly lower that that provided by the Love of Shizukuishi that hung on Set¡¯s neck, it¡¯s recovery was truly insignificant . However, as she had less stamina than Kuust, Vel and Elena, it was more than adequate . It was about 20 minutes after they had gone down the right fork . Unexpectedly, a door installed into the wall came into Rei¡¯s eyes . ¡¸As expected of a dungeon, there are also rooms . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Enter?¡¡Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head to one side . Rei called out behind him as he stroked Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Elena-sama, there¡¯s a door in front, what do you want to do?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A door, is it . I don¡¯t think the stairs to the sixth floor would be so soon after we came down to the fifth floor¡­¡­still, there is a possibility it could happen . Vel, check if there are any traps . ¡¹ ¡¸Roger that . Sorry, just a moment . ¡¹ Vel began to examine the handle in the space between Rei and Set . In order not to disturb him, Rei and Set took a step back and watched out for any approaching undead . ¡¸Hmm, I see . Ah, in this way¡­¡­uwa~, is this also a dummy? In that case, this?¡¹ Although Vel seemed to examine the handle while muttering something happily, after a few minutes¡­¡­a click echoed into the surroundings . ¡¸Whew, I¡¯ve managed to successfully disarm the trap . There was quite a nasty trap placed . When someone pulled the handle, a needle would pop out . Moreover, it¡¯s clearly poisoned . ¡¹ Vel proudly showed the needle . It was short at 5cm in length and was wet with a liquid that certainly seemed to be poison as he had said . (A poisoned needle¡­¡­is it . I wonder, can I use it for something?) Rei thought that in his mind and called out to Vel, who was about to throw it away . ¡¸Vel, if you¡¯re going to throw it away, could you give me the poisoned needle?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, I don¡¯t mind . What use do you have for something this dangerous?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know yet, fortunately I have an item box . You don¡¯t need to worry about accidentally stabbing yourself or other people with it . ¡¹ Vel turned to look at Elena after thinking for a few seconds . Elena nodded, indicating that there were no problems . ¡¸I understand, here . ¡­¡­However, I don¡¯t know what poison it is so handle it carefully . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve said that there are no problems . ¡¹ Saying that, he passed the poisoned needle to Rei to store into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Right, then, I¡¯ll open the door . ¡¹ Settling the matter of the needle, Vel finally put his hand to the door . The door opened with a gii~ sound and the inside became visible . The inside of the room wasn¡¯t too big, about 6 tatami . It gave the impression of being spacious as there was only a single treasure chest in the center of the room . Everyone entered the small room and moved towards the treasure chest . TLN: 6 tatami is about 10 square meters ¡¸¡­¡­Suspicious . ¡¹ Vel muttered involuntarily . In his eyes, the treasure chest placed in the room was clearly a trap . TLN: IT¡¯S A TRAP! ¡¸Eh? ¡¡Really?¡¡It¡¯s a dungeon, so why would a treasure chest be strange?¡¹ ¡¸No, in the first place, undead wander around on this fifth floor . Who would use a treasure chest . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is it an undead with an ego?¡¹ ¡¸Well, although those may exist¡­¡­but, do you think it could be bothered to place a chest in the middle of the room and then leave?¡¡What do you think Ara?¡¡You don¡¯t hide your precious things or leave treasure chests standing out in the middle of a room do you?¡¹ After considering Vel¡¯s point for a few seconds¡­¡­she nodded . ¡¸That¡¯s true . I wouldn¡¯t do such a careless thing . ¡¹ ¡¸Right?¡¡In other words, this treasure chest is unnatural . ¡¹ ¡¸So you mean it¡¯s a trap?¡¹ ¡¸Perhaps . ¡­¡­Elena-sama, what will you do?¡¡I would like to leave it as it is . ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder . Needless to say, it can¡¯t be stairs of any sort . As for the need to take necessary risk¡­¡­fall back!!¡¹ The moment they heard her voice, as expected of knights under Elena, they all reflexively jumped back . In addition, Rei and Set also jumped back . Noticing something approach him, Rei reflexively swung the Death Scythe . However, because it approached from his left side, it was the handle that was swung, rather than the blade . Something flew away with a dull sound . After taking some distance just in case, they turned to look at it . What they saw was a hound made of bones . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ It had the silence peculiar to skeletons, although it was blown away without raising a sound, it was only an attack on point of contact, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to kill it in a single blow . The hound made of bones used its momentum from being blown away to take some distance, dulling the impact using its feet to push against the wall before landing on the floor . ¡¸I knew it, it was a trap after all!¡¹ ¡¸No need to say it!¡¡Vel, ready your weapons!¡¡This fellow, it did quite well for it¡¯s size!¡¹ At Rei readied his Death Scythe and Vel took out a knife from his waist as Rei said that . As expected, given the quick movements and distance in this situation, he judged that a knife was more advantageous than a bow and arrow . However, there was something that moved faster than them . ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ With a sharp cry, Set kicked against the floor and and closed the gap to the Bone Hound before it had time to react . Swinging his big forefeet, he smashed the Bone Hound to the ground from above . With the Griffon¡¯s unique strength and combining that with the effect from the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, almost all the Bone Hound¡¯s bones were crushed and scattered without any resistance . Chapter 89 Chapter 89 ¡¸I was surprised . ¡¹ At the spectacle spread before her, Elena¡¯s voice echoed into the small, narrow room . In the room with a treasure chest, they had suddenly been attack by a Skeleton Hound . After Rei, who blocked the surprise attack, the next moment, Set had jumped forward on his own and made a single attack with his tough forefeet . Elena could only admire the series of actions that literally broke the Skeleton Hound apart . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Understanding that he was being praised, Set swung his lion tail while giving a happy cry . Although Elena leaked a smile for a moment, she quickly surveyed the room . Fortunately, there didn¡¯t seem to be any traps or hidden monsters other than the treasure chest . ¡¸In other words, this room is designed completely for adventurers . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But, I don¡¯t think normal adventurers would fall for such an obvious trap . ¡¹ Vel muttered while looking at the treasure chest where the Skeleton Hound was hiding . ¡¸Well, that is certainly so . ¡¹ ¡¸But hey, didn¡¯t we fall for it?¡¹ At Ara¡¯s words, Vel unintentionally gave a bitter smile . Kuust called out to the two of them with a wry smile . ¡¸Even if you say that, we didn¡¯t actually open the treasure chest . It¡¯s probably a trap to make a surprise attack when someone goes near, even if they don¡¯t open the treasure chest . ¡­¡­No, Ara would have opened it normally and would have been caught by the ambush . ¡¹ While listening to such exchanges in the background, Rei checked the remains of the Skeleton Hound that was quite literally crushed by Set . ¡¸Magic stone¡­¡­impossible . As for the bones, they can¡¯t be used as material since they¡¯ve been shattered . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Because it was crushed by Set¡¯s power, not only the bones, but the magic stone protected by the bones had also been smashed . To Set, who came over with an apologetic cry, Rei shook his head slightly . ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, there was a possibility of me getting injured if you didn¡¯t jump out . ¡¹ Standing up while scratching Set¡¯s head, he shook his head at Elena, who was looking at him . ¡¸There¡¯s no use . For now, there¡¯s nothing else in this room so I wonder if we should keep going . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess so . ¡­¡­Right, time to resume the search . Vel, Ara, Kuust . ¡¹ At Elena¡¯s call, the three people who were talking with smiling faces immediately gave a serious nod . As they went back out into the passage after leaving the room, their formation was as when they entered the room, Rei and Set were at the vanguard, Elena and Vel were the middle guards with Ara and Kuust in the rear guard . ¡¸¡­¡­That?¡¹ Rei noticed it after walking for about 20 minutes after leaving the small room . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set also tilted his head, feeling that something was strange . Elena felt puzzled at the person and animal and looked around as well . However, she didn¡¯t notice anything in particular . ¡¸Rei, did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­No, it just feels like we¡¯ve walked down this passage before¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¡But we haven¡¯t seen any branching paths since then?¡¡Is it your imagination?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m not sure¡­¡­it might be better to leave a mark as a precaution for now . Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Understanding what was asked of him, Set marked several scratches into the dungeon wall with his claws . ¡¸This will be used as a marker for now . After this we¡¯ll keep going¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If we see Set¡¯s scratches on the wall, that means that we¡¯ve been caught in some kind of trap . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena, the party began walking down the dungeon path again . Only the sounds of footsteps and equipment rustling could be heard when Rei asked behind him . ¡¸¡­¡­Vel, as a thief, what do you think?¡¹ Vel opened his mouth before falling silent for a few seconds after remembering something . ¡¸I certainly remember reading about a trap that caused space to loop in a book before I came to this dungeon . However, if that is true, it means the dungeon nucleus is of a very high level . ¡­¡­No, or maybe there are undead that can use spatial magic . ¡¹ Spatial magic is a high level magic that is difficult to learn . The first thing that entered his head when an undead that had mastered spatial magic was mentioned was¡­¡­ ¡¸A Lich¡¹ ¡¸We should consider that possibility . I honestly hope I¡¯m wrong . ¡¹ Lich . They were mages reborn as undead . There were magicians that would conduct a ritual themselves to be reborn as a Lich, but rarely, mages with strong hatred and resentment might be revived as a Lich due to their strong regrets . The degree of danger ranged widely depending on the level of the mage while they were still alive . There had been examples of G rank mages being revived as Liches . Because of that, the monster rank of Liches wasn¡¯t clearly defined . Following the previous example, there could be rank A Liches as well as rank G Liches . Though they commonly still had human consciousness, there were Liches that lacked awareness and rampaged on instinct alone . ¡¸I guess so . A monster that can use magic, furthermore an undead one, is extremely troublesome . Let¡¯s pray that it isn¡¯t one . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, everyone, Kuust included, nodded . The proceeded while paying attention to the right wall, which was the side Set had scratched . After continuing for about 20 minutes, they eventually reached a place where the wall was marked with scratches . ¡¸This determines it, it seems?¡¹ Rei spoke those words with a sigh . However, his words were said as if questioning it rather than asserting it . There was no mistake, the wall in front of them was the one Set had scratched 20 minutes ago . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Rei, is this really the mark from before?¡¹ Vel, who was behind Rei, asked him . A feeling of disbelief was mixed in his voice . ¡¸Ah . There¡¯s no mistake, this mark was made with Set¡¯s attack . But it¡¯s not¡­¡­¡¹ For an instant, Rei glanced at the wall . Set¡¯s scratch was certainly marked on the wall . However, the reason Vel didn¡¯t confirm it was because the depth of the mark was different . Even though the mark made by Set¡¯s claws went 5cm deep, the mark in front of Vel was only 1cm deep . ¡¸Perhaps, maybe there¡¯s some sort of magic in the wall that will make it naturally recover . In combination with an infinite loop, it¡¯s a nasty match . ¡¹ ¡¸Uwa~, that certainly is the worst . ¡¹ The fastest way for them to check if they were stuck in an infinite loop was to put a mark somewhere . As most adventurers had weapons, most would leave a scratch as a mark . But if you left a mark on a naturally recovering wall like these walls, it would become very difficult . Although it was possible to leave some sort of tool to use as a marker instead of a scratch on the wall, it can¡¯t be said that it would work for sure as they might be taken by monsters wandering in the dungeon . ¡¸It¡¯s certainly troublesome, but we able to figure it out much faster thanks to Set . ¡¹ Elena spoke to the two of them and said that . Set was a Griffon and had extraordinary strength compared to a human, at the same time, his strength was also boosted because he had equipped the magic item, Bracelet of Herculean Strength . If they had walked around the place over and over again, it would consume their mental as well as physical strength . It could be said that they were lucky that didn¡¯t happen . ¡¸But Elena-sama, how do we get out of this infinite loop?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t think of one at the moment . I¡¯m sorry, but let me think for a bit . As for everyone else, it would be better to conserve your stamina instead of moving around since we are in an infinite loop . Also, tell me if you think of any ideas . ¡¹ ¡¸But, I don¡¯t think we could think of anything that Elena-sama wouldn¡¯t think of¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ara, I am not omniscient . You may think of things I don¡¯t think of, don¡¯t deprecate yourself . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . I¡¯ll think about it . ¡¹ With that said, everyone saw Ara close her eyes to think and startedd to think of a way out of this situation themselves . Elena crossed her arms and observed the passage ahead of her . Vel slowly examined the wall where the scratches that Set made were slowly repairing themselves . Kuust looked at the surroundings while placing his hand on his chin . Rei became absorbed in his thoughts while stroking Set¡¯s back . Set decided not to disturb anyone and lay down on the floor, alert of any undead that might try a surprise attack . (Spatial loop . In other words, it started when we entered the trap somewhere . If that¡¯s so, we should know where then?¡¡¡­¡­No, that¡¯s no good . The easiest way is to defeat the monster that set up this trap¡­¡­in the first place, this may not be a trap set up by a monster . Also, even if it was a monster, it may not be in this place . ) Rei thought for a way out while looking at the wall . However, the scratches made by Set on the wall had almost been restored . He could only see traces of it . (It can¡¯t be helped, should I draw on Zepairu¡¯s knowledge after so long? ¡­¡­Considering the time that has passed since Zepairu has died, it¡¯s a little difficult to say if his knowledge can be trusted 100% . ) While muttering secretly, he looked at the Zepairu¡¯s knowledge on spatial magic¡­¡­no, he drew out information on spatial magic . (How to get out of a looped space¡­¡­defeating the opponent is rejected . Use magic with magic power greater than the allowable amount in the looped space . ¡­¡­Although that is possible, the consumption on my reserves would be too intense . Destroy the space itself with spatial magic¡­¡­that¡¯s rejected since I can¡¯t use spatial magic myself . The most certain method is to destroy the place where the space starts to loop, it seems . I know that¡¯s the easiest, but how to find that starting point . ¡­¡­Hmm, I see . In this case my consumption isn¡¯t that great, so it¡¯s worth a try?) Exploring Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, Rei judged that it was possible for him to manage somehow and turned his eyes to Elena . ¡¸Elena-sama, I came up with an idea that might possibly work . ¡¹ ¡¸Hou~, interesting . Please tell me . ¡¹ ¡¸Although this space has been looped, now that we were moved here, there should be a place somewhere connecting back to the original space . If you destroy that starting place, the looping space will be broken and we can return to the original space . ¡¹ ¡¸But now, how would you search for the starting point?¡¡Are you going to destroy the passage bit by bit?¡¡No way, that is too troublesome . How long would it take to destroy a wall that naturally recovers . ¡¹ Rei shook his head slightly at Vel¡¯s words . ¡¸The method itself isn¡¯t too difficult . I can set the entire passage on fire with my magic to locate the starting point . ¡¹ That was a solution that could only be called brute force, Elena frowned her eyebrows slightly . ¡¸Can you do it?¡¡I think that that will require a considerable amount of magic power . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s probably not a problem . I have a bracelet equipped that can take away magic power from enemies . ¡¹ While saying so, he held out his left wrist so that everyone could see, not the right wrist with the Misty Ring . There certainly was a bracelet there, which seemed to be some sort of magic item . ¡¸This magic item is called Bracelet of Magic Absorption . When the equipped person attacks an enemy, it is an excellent item that can absorb magic power proportional to the damage dealt to the enemy . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Never mind . Indeed it¡¯s a coveted item for those that use magic . Was it also given to you by your master?¡¹ ¡¸That is so . Well, as Elena-sama knows, I have a large amount of magic power so I rarely have to depend on it . And basically, mages don¡¯t have any techniques to directly attack enemies to hurt them . ¡­¡­Then, is it okay to try the method I suggested?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s probably best to try Rei¡¯s method unless you can think of anything else . Try it . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s words, he made sure everyone was gathered in one place so as to not be caught in the spreading flames and cast the spell . ¡ºFire, burn while spreading red flames . Turn into a carpet of fire that follows my will . ¡» While chanting the incantation, a flame the size of his fist appeared at the Death Scythe¡¯s handle¡­¡­he then stabbed the handle into the floor! ¡ºThin Flame!¡» The magic was activated at that moment . The flame at the tip of the Death Scythe exploded out and spread across the ground, ceiling and walls as Rei slammed it against the ground . The flames range spread rapidly and after a few seconds, covered everything Rei saw . ¡¸¡­¡­It isn¡¯t hot?¡¹ While listening to Ara¡¯s strange voice, Rei poured more magic power into his magic to spread the range of the flames . Although the flames were at the abnormally low temperature of 20¡æ, Rei¡¯s magic power was being rapidly consumed due to it¡¯s large spread . And after a few minutes, in the opposite direction Rei was looking at, flames appeared from behind them, showing where the space was looped . ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ve found it!¡¹ Rei, who had been concentrating on maintaining the flames, gave a shout and dispelled the flames as he ran down the passage, brandishing the Death Scythe . Set instantly followed while Elena was lost for a moment before she followed . By the time Elena caught up, Rei had already swung the Death Scythe towards one side of the wall . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ The blade of the Death Scythe swung down . The blade ripped part of the wall¡­¡­and the next moment, a sound like breaking glass reverberated . In front of them was the small room where they had fought the Skeleton Hound earlier . Chapter 90 Chapter 90 ¡¸Did we escape from that space?¡¹ Elena muttered as she looked at the small room in front of them . As Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words, he turned to look at the door as well . ¡¸I think that this room is probably the trigger to trap adventurers in the space loop . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, that means that the Skeleton Hound lurking in the treasure chest was a fake¡¹ Elena frowned bitterly at the door before letting out a sigh and turning her eyes towards the end of the passage . ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped that we were caught in the trap once . Anyhow, we will keep advancing down the passage . Vel, because there are traps like that, stay very alert . ¡¹ ¡¸Roger that, roger that . As expected, it would affect my pride if we were to be caught in a similar trap multiple times . ¡¹ Vel replied to Elena in a light tone, but his eyes showed that he felt humiliation at being so easily caught in a trap . A bit further away, Kuust bit his lips as he watched, also feeling humiliated at being caught in the trap . ¡¸Hey, Vel aside, Kuust hasn¡¯t had the training so you don¡¯t need to feel so bad . The two of them are going to go ahead so we can leave it to them . ¡¹ Ara patted Kuust, who held his magic spear ready, lightly on the shoulder before following Elena and Rei, who had gone ahead first . Realising the situation, Vel and Kuust also hurried after them . ¡¸¡­¡­Honestly, it hurts my pride to fall into a trap so easily . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, you barely have any pride left . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey Kuust, isn¡¯t that a bit nasty?¡¡That aside, I¡¯m more wondering why you are mortified at . ¡¹ ¡¸Because I, who am a noble, fell into the trap of a monster, it is natural that I would feel humiliated . ¡¹ Listening to Kuust¡¯s words, which were bitterly spat out, Vel gave a wry smile as he took the water bottle from his waist and moistened his throat . ¡¸Hey, you can take a drink as well . There¡¯s no use being angry at such a place . Both of us will take more care next time . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph . ¡¹ While giving a snort, he received the water bottle and drank a mouthful to moisten his mouth and throat before passing it back to Vel . While talking like that, they caught up with Elena and rebuilt the formation of vanguard, middle guard and rearguard before advancing cautiously . ¡¸Given the previous trap, we should think that there are still other traps . Everyone take care . Vel, concentrate on looking for traps instead of watching the surroundings please . As long as nothing big comes out, with Set here, we will be on guard against the surroundings . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set gave a cry saying leave it to me and went forward with Rei . They advanced like this for about 10 minutes¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a deep cry as he looked down he passage . ¡¸An immediate enemy . Because they didn¡¯t think we could break through the space loop so fast, they rushed to intercept us¡­¡­is that it?¡¹ ¡¸Well then, that possibility is high but we can¡¯t be careless . ¡¹ Elena held her sword whip as she replied to Vel . The others also all readied their weapons, ready to enter combat at any time . ¡¸Ara, Kuust . Both of you carefully watch the back . If the undeads on this floor are being moved by someone¡¯s instructions, there¡¯s a possibility of aiming for a pincer from the front and back . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Please leave the back to us!¡¹ ¡¸We will not show mistakes like before . ¡¹ After Rei heard those voices from behind, he then heard footsteps coming from the end of the passage . Becha~, Becha~, Becha~, Becha~, Becha~ . There was a sound of something wet hitting the ground . There were quite a few . And at the same time¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set raised an unhappy cry . At the same time, an intense smell of rotten flesh drifted to Rei¡¯s nose, whose five senses were much sharper than the ordinary person . ¡¸Ugh!¡¹ Elena and Vel looked at Rei strangely, who unconsciously held his nose with his left hand . After a few more seconds, Vel, whose senses were also sharper than the average human, held his nose while groaning . Then Elena frowned silently and held her nose . Before long, the damp footsteps approached . The identity of the damp footsteps and the putrid smell became apparent . Some had half rotted bodies with their rib bones exposed, others had gooey liquid coming out of their eye sockets . Every time they took a step, an odour would drift out and flesh and liquid would fall on the ground, making sounds as a countless shadows went towards Rei . ¡¸Zombies, is it . ¡¹ Rei muttered bitterly . With his sharp senses, the direct hit from the putrid smell had already left him half paralyzed . It was the same for Set, whose sense were even sharper than Rei¡¯s . Set turned his eyes to the nearly 20 Zombies and gave a groaning cry in a bad mood . Meanwhile, noticing the Zombies, Vel spoke up unpleasantly . ¡¸Wait a minute, there are some Zombies with armour equipped¡­¡­could that mean that . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I wonder . Perhaps this is the fate of adventurers who lose their lives on this floor . ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, as I thought . ¡­¡­I would hate it if I ended up like that . ¡¹ Elena confirmed Vel¡¯s thoughts and turned to look unpleasantly at the Zombies who were gradually approaching . Adventurers who challenged the dungeon naturally wanted to avoid dying here . The danger of death always accompanied diving into the dungeon . However, even if you died here, your corpse would be turned into a toy by a Lich, which Vel absolutely wanted to avoid . ¡­¡­No, not just Vel, it was the opinion of everyone here . Effective attacks against ordinary undead, such as holy magic and fire magic were also effective against Zombies . Or, if you didn¡¯t mind coming in contact with rotten corpses, you could also target the magic stone buried inside their flesh . Fortunately for Elena and the others, there was a mage and monster that could use fire magic in the party . Even if Elena was famous as the General Princess, while she wouldn¡¯t shudder at the sight of Zombies, she was still grateful from the bottom of her heart that Rei and Set were in the party . Even if Kuust¡¯s relationship with Rei had rapidly deteriorated, it was the same for him . If he the event occurred that he had to fight Zombies himself, it would be a very unpleasant battle . ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, Kuust . ¡¹ Ara, who was next to Kuust, tapped his armour as he was imagine the worst outcome . Pulling himself together at the kon~, kon~ sound, Kuust looked at Ara . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸How to say it, this deployment is as expected of Elena-sama but¡­¡­what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸Here, listen carefully . ¡¹ Following Ara¡¯s words, he focused his concentration on listening . Then, becha~, the sound of Zombies walking was heard . But, listening to the sounds¡­¡­ ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Kuust turned around while holding his magic spear and clicking his tongue . Yes . They could here the footsteps of Zombies approaching . There were also the footsteps of another existence coming closer to them with a different timing in step . However, it was not from in front, but from behind . ¡¸Elena-sama, the enemy is attack from behind as expected . I think from the footsteps, it¡¯s probably also Zombies . ¡¹ ¡¸Someone we don¡¯t know seems to be giving us a grand welcome . Ara, Kuust, keep yourselves to defense until Rei and Set have their hands free!¡¹ Listening to Elena¡¯s instructions, the two of them readied their weapons as the approaching Zombies came into view, walking with a becha~, becha~ sound . ¡¸Using an axe to attack a Zombie seems miserable in a variety of ways¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the same for me . ¡¹ ¡¸But, Kuust¡¯s weapon is a spear . If you think in terms of distance, it¡¯s absolutely more advantageous for you . ¡¹ ¡¸Still, this magic spear was handed down my family, I¡¯m very unwilling to have to defile it on the rotten flesh and blood of undeads like Zombies . ¡¹ ¡¸Then we can only buy time until Rei or Set does something . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph . ¡¹ He didn¡¯t want to rely on Rei so much . Answering with a snort, he looked at the approaching Zombies without arguing if it was better to leave it to Rei or to fight directly . He started chanting an incantation while touching the ear ring that was pierced in his right ear . ¡ºGreat spirit of water, reveal five fierce fangs . ¡» The world was changed through the ear ring, which was a magic casting tool, and 5 conical spikes made of water were formed . They were about 10cm in diameter, and actually, was the strongest magical attack available to Kuust . Either way, though he was good at water magic, he basically focused on healing magic and wasn¡¯t so good at offensive magic . ¡ºWater Fang!¡» The water spikes were released with the activation of the magic, piercing the face, body and limbs of the silent, walking Zombies . However, because Zombies didn¡¯t have a sense of pain in the first place, after stopping for a few seconds at the impact of the water spikes, it started moving again . ¡¸It¡¯s useless!¡¹ Although he had expectations, Ara unintentionally crushed any hope that he had . Meanwhile, something suddenly passed above Kuust and Ara and landed in front of them . ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Needless to say, it was Set the Griffon . For an instant, Ara turned to look at the vanguard . There were Zombies that had already been charred black and had fallen to the ground . The Zombies that were still moving had their false lives taken by fireballs Rei shot out . ¡¸Ara, Kuust . The vanguard has managed somehow with Set . Leave the attack on the Zombies at the back to Set, focus on defense!¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ Ara replied to Elena and was wary of the remaining approaching Zombies as she held the Power Axe . To attack, Set took a deep breath as a Zombie approached him with its arms raised in silence . ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Fire Breath was released from his beak, wrapping the approaching Zombie in flames . ¡¸Uwa~,wai-!¡¹ Although Fire Breath was used, it couldn¡¯t char a Zombie in an instant as it was only level 2 . The Zombies neared Set . And as the distance between Set and where Ara and Kuust were standing became zero¡­¡­ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set unleashed Fire Breath while raising a roar that echoed through the dungeon . Although it was truly only level 2, the putrid flesh of the Zombie was carbonized without any resistance after being wrapped in flames twice . It wasn¡¯t able to swing its hands that it had thrown up and fell down on the spot . After seeing such a sight two times, then three times in a row, Ara noticed that all the Zombies that had been attacking them from behind had all burned up and fallen to the ground . ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ In front of the Zombies, that had been burned and carbonized, Set raised a cry of victory and approached Rei, who had cleaned up the remaining Zombies in the vanguard, who patted his head . ¡¸Well then, you did your best . We were able to overwhelm the Zombies thanks to Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ While complimenting Set and taking out some dried meat from the Misty Ring to give to him, Rei turned to look at Elena . ¡¸Elena-sama, let¡¯s get away from here for now . We don¡¯t know who the enemy is and there is a possibility of reinforcements being sent if we stay here . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right . We should certainly avoid a battle here as Rei and Set are our only effective means of attack against the undead . Let¡¯s go, I want to find a way to the 6th floor by today if possible . ¡¹ Everyone nodded at Elena¡¯s words and formed into a row before advancing through the dungeon . By the way, the Zombies that were burnt up also had their magic stones destroyed as a matter of course . They were unable to obtain any sort of material . Actually Rei had expectations over whether any skills could be learned from the magic stones of Skeletons and Zombies . However, he felt that it would be too awkward right now if he tried to see if Set or the Death Scythe could acquire new skills . Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Legend Chapter 91 ¡¸It¡¯s finished over there so I would like you to give up¡­¡­right!¡¹ Elena¡¯s sword whip stretched out like a whip and pierced the Skeleton from under its chin . Using that momentum, she flicked the skull off its spine . ¡¸Seriously!¡¡They only have their tenacity! . ¡¹ Ara swung the Power Axe at the Skeleton that had lost its skull . The force was tremendous, the axe crushed the Skeleton¡¯s left arm and went into its ribs, breaking the magic stone inside its chest . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ As for the monster, after the magic stone, that could be called the core of the undead, was destroyed, its bones fell apart and dropped to the ground without a sound, entering an eternal rest . Next to her, Vel cooperated with Kuust to deal with a skeleton . And behind them¡­¡­ ¡ºFlame, burn the enemy according to my thoughts . ¡» At the back, a fireball 30cm in diameter appeared at the tip of the Death Scythe, which was also a magic casting tool¡­¡­ ¡ºFireball!¡» The fireball flew away as the Death Scythe was swung down and the magic activated . It hit the Zombies that were approaching Rei from behind . Next to him, Set took a deep breath and wrapped multiple Zombies in flames as he used Fire Breath . In terms of raw power, the fireball Rei shot had the power to kill a Zombie in a single blow, if there was only one target . It was only good for hitting one enemy and damaging the surrounding enemies slightly . On the other hand, Set¡¯s fire breath was less powerful, it had a wide range of attack and could be used to attack Zombies that were much closer . The fireball was used to attack the Zombies which were still out of range of Set¡¯s Fire Breath . The first enemies to appear were Skeletons . Though they were easy for Rei and Set to defeat, Zombies then appeared from behind . This repeated like the infinite loop . Eventually, the smell of burnt rotten flesh became a bother as Rei and Set repeatedly used Fireball and Fire Breath . And in the front, Elena handled the Skeletons, which where just bones . And when Rei and Set finally cleared the Zombies, they went to help against the Skeletons . Not much time was needed after that to finish the battle . ¡¸Phew, I can¡¯t get any materials from this . If we don¡¯t destroy the magic stone, we can¡¯t defeat the Skeletons, but then we can¡¯t take it as proof of subjugation . It¡¯s only a fight that exhausts stamina for no gain . ¡¹ At Vel¡¯s words, Rei nodded with a wry smile . ¡¸That is really true . If it was a higher level undead, the bones could be sold as material . It really is bone breaking work for no reward . ¡¹ ¡¸What does that mean?¡¹ Elena asked while tilting her head at Rei¡¯s words . At the shake of her vertical rolls of hair as she tilted her head with puzzled eyes, Rei explained . ¡¸This was a proverb my master taught me . It means that you exhaust yourself for no profit . ¡­¡­However, in our case, we are breaking bones literally . ¡¹ ¡¸Kukuku~ . Well, that is certainly so . With such a meaning, Ara probably spend the most effort for the least results . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, Vel! It¡¯s not that bad!?¡¹ ¡¸No, no . Any how, Ara, who was originally a famous swords-woman, changed her weapon to an axe, so surely you¡¯re the champion of destruction!¡¡I think I can say that . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh~ . If that¡¯s so, then should I destroy Vel¡¯s mouth which talks that much?¡¹ Slowly, maybe sensing a crises as Ara lifted the Power Axe and not wanting to talk to Rei, Vel hid behind Kuust, who was also backing away . ¡¸Help, you¡¯re kidding . You don¡¯t have to be so serious about everything . Hey, Kuust You also think so, right!?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t involve me in your petty quarrel . No, but that is so . Vel¡¯s talkative mouth should really be destroyed once . Ara, I leave it to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me . As expected of the captain of the guards, you have great discernment . ¡¹ A Kuust grabbed Vel¡¯s shoulder and pushed forward the human sacrifice, Vel desperately spoke up as he turned his head around . ¡¸Hey, Kuust!¡¡Are you betraying your best friend!?¡¹ ¡¸Who is my best friend, who is that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, please wait for your best friend, Ara, to come . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, hey, hey . Are you seriously angry!?¡¹ While watching the half comedic exchange, Rei looked at the bones of the Skeleton that was shattered by Elena¡¯s attack . (I wish they were bones of higher ranking undead . ) Even though he had become more accustomed to the act of stripping materials from monsters, he would still make mistakes in the stripping and processing of materials . But sometimes it wasn¡¯t necessary to strip any materials . Bones that could just be picked up and sold as materials were quite attractive to him . ¡­¡­Of course, as fire magic wasn¡¯t used in this case, the magic stone had to be destroyed physically as Elena had done . As he looked at the remains of the Skeletons while thinking of that, Elena clapped her hands to attract everyone¡¯s attention . ¡¸Well then, we will restart the search soon . We won¡¯t change the file formation we had before . ¡¹ Following those instructions, they quickly formed into the vanguard, middle guard and rear guard and walked down the passageway for several minutes, before finding something familiar in their path . ¡¸Elena-sama, although I found a door ahead¡­¡­there are two of them . ¡¹ Yes, ahead of Rei¡¯s line of sight, there were two doors, facing left and right . Hearing Rei¡¯s report, Elena frowned her eyebrows slightly . It couldn¡¯t be helped . The first door they had found on this floor was a small room that was a lure to trap them inside a space loop . ¡¸¡­¡­Ignore them?¡¹ Vel asked Elena from the side, but she immediately shook her head . ¡¸No, we can¡¯t, considering the possibility that the staircase to the next floor could be there . If we passed by without checking, and we finally find out that that the stairs are in this small room, it won¡¯t be funny . Vel, check if there¡¯s a trap or not . Be careful to not make things end up like last time . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . So, which one?¡¡Right?¡¡Left?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind either way . In the end, you will have to examine both . Check the one which is easier for you . ¡¹ ¡¸All right . Well then, right first . As for everyone else, keep a watch on the surroundings please . ¡¹ Vel went ahead of Rei and Set and began to examine the door on the right . Elena and the others spread out in a fan shape to protect Vel . As for Elena¡¯s aim, she planned for them to recover their stamina while Vel was investigating if there were traps¡­¡­however, that goal soon collapsed . ¡¸That?¡¡This door, there¡¯s no traps at all?¡¡It isn¡¯t even locked . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸Here . ¡¹ His eyes held great confidence . Vel majestically opened the door in front of everyone . Everyone who saw that readied themselves, but after no traps activated, they lowered their weapons . ¡¸Vel, I understand that there were no traps but please act a little more carefully . What were you going to do if was a delayed trap . ¡¹ ¡¸I would like you to trust me about this . Well then, what¡¯s inside this room¡­¡­hm?¡¡Ah, it¡¯s useless . ¡¹ Vel looked into the room before shaking his head with a bitter smile . They could roughly guess from that look, but everyone still took a look inside just in case . ¡¸Certainly, this¡­¡­¡¹ Ara gave a bitter smile . The others didn¡¯t have any expression in particular, but held the same thought as Ara in their heard . They were unable to hide their discouragement as they shook their heads or smiled bitterly . There was really nothing in the room . Even in the small room that was the start of the infinite loop previously had a treasure chest that had some meaning, inside was a monster, this room really had nothing . If it had to be said what was in the room, it would only be dust . ¡¸¡­¡­Vel, sorry, but try checking the inside of the room . Maybe there¡¯s something like a hidden door or stairway . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Examine this room!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Please . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, yes, I understand . ¡¹ ¡¸Then everyone else take a break while on guard . It will be noon soon . Let¡¯s make it quick while Vel investigates . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, Elena-sama . What about my share!?¡¹ ¡¸You can have yours after you finish examining this room . Don¡¯t worry, you can check the room on the left after eating lunch and taking a break . ¡¹ ¡¸What, I seem to have been overworked since entering the dungeon¡­¡­no, because I entered knowing that, I can¡¯t complain¡­¡­¡¹ Vel began looking around the room while grumbling complaints . Still, he didn¡¯t push Elena¡¯s words out of his mind and didn¡¯t cut corners while investigating . Though he muttered complaints, his work could be trusted . ¡¸Well then, lunch is meat pies and consomme vegetable soup . Ah, will Set be fine with the Orc meat we roasted during breakfast?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry while nodding at Rei¡¯s question . However, his eyes turned subtly to the meat pies that were taken out earlier . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Just a little, Set seemed to say . Rei smiled as he nodded at Set, who had tilted his head . ¡¸I understand, I understand . You can share some of mine . ¡¹ In the first place, Rei¡¯s body was an artificial one and had a bad energy efficiency, requiring him to eat more than a ordinary person . But even the food he ate, he had to to be happy that it was nothing compared to the quantity that Set had to eat . ¡­¡­His equipment and accessories were his own . If there was anything he had to buy, it would be consumables for requests and daily necessities . Even if his Engel¡¯s Coefficient was high, combining his expenditure on his hobby of reading books and given his earnings, it wasn¡¯t a big problem . TLN: Engel¡¯s Law states that the more you earn the less percentage wise you will spend on food . A high Engel¡¯s Coefficient just means he spends a greater proportion on food . ¡¸¡­¡­Uwa~, delicious!¡¡The pie dough is crispy and it still holds the meat and mushrooms . ¡¹ ¡¸Ara, this consomme soup is also excellent . I¡¯m impressed at the skill of the chef . ¡¹ Next to Ara and Elena, who were eating their lunch with great relish, Set took a bite of one of Rei¡¯s meat pies and gave a satisfied cry . On the opposite side to Rei, Kuust ate his lunch silently . ¡¸I think at every meal, Rei¡¯s item box is very convenient . Even if you march with the supply corps, you can¡¯t have such luxurious meals . ¡¹ ¡¸Luxurious, is it?¡¡Wouldn¡¯t this fall under simple meals for nobles?¡¹ ¡¸It surely is so if you think of a noble¡¯s meals . However, when moving with the Knight and the army, the rations are simple . Before leaving the City of Gimuru, have you ever brought along some of the military rations?¡¡Those are common . ¡­¡­Well, depending on your rank and the place, there are different meals . There are some stupid nobles who don¡¯t understand and bring their own chefs so that they can eat the same food as when they stay at home¡­¡­in Duke Kerebel¡¯s army, the soldiers, knights and commanders eat together to build solidarity . It feel warm to be able to eat luxurious, freshly cooked food like this every time . ¡¹ While listening to Elena¡¯s story, as she gracefully carried the soup to her mouth, Rei also finished the last of his meat pies . And just at that time, Vel appeared from the small room on the right . ¡¸I¡¯ve been thinking that that smells good for a while¡­¡­it¡¯s amazing to be able to properly smell these delicious smells even in this den of undead . ¡­¡­Ah, I inspected the inside of the room closely but it really is an empty room with nothing special . Of course, there are no hidden stairs or rooms . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, I¡¯ve put you through a lot of trouble . Get your food from Rei and have lunch . We will finish eating soon so we¡¯ll keep watch while you¡¯re taking a break . ¡¹ ¡¸Roger that, roger that . By the way, lunch is¡­¡­ah, it¡¯s meat pies and cconsomme soup Well, both are my favourites, I¡¯m happy . ¡¹ Vel smiled happily as he immediately bit into the meat pie that Rei passed him . Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Legend Chapter 92 ¡¸Whew¡­¡­well then, I¡¯ve eaten my meal and even taken a break . Now then, I should examine the other door . ¡¹ Vel stood up and brushed of the pie crumbs that had stuck to his clothes with his hands . Rei, who had already finished his lunch nearby, stood up like Vel . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set, who had been keeping watch by himself, got up from lying on the floor . Though Rei and Elena basically left it to Set, they still recognised that is was possible for the enemy to make a surprise attack . After all, in this floor of undead, his sense of smell had been sealed by the odour . Because of that, while Elena and Rei were talking during their break after the meal, they were still somewhat wary¡­¡­fortunately, they were able to finish their lunch without any enemies attacking . ¡¸That said¡­¡­as a door facing a door which had nothing inside, I shouldn¡¯t have my hopes up for finding anything inside . ¡¹ Vel muttered while examining the door for traps . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Hou~?¡¡No, correction . Maybe there is something here . ¡¹ Vel¡¯s surprised voice echoed into the surroundings . ¡¸What is it, did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I can confirm that it¡¯s something different to the room on the right that I checked first . Unless it was so, it would be strange for a trap to be placed here . ¡¹ Vel answered Elena¡¯s question while examining part of the handle . His tone was light as usual, but as expected of a guard of Elena, the General Princesses, he he followed procedures while investigating the handle with some instruments . ¡¸Okay¡­¡­because this is a dummy¡­¡­good . Trap disarmed!¡¡Well, maybe we can expect quite a bit from this room . Any how, if you opened the door carelessly, it would fire a specially made bow that was linked to the door . I think there is something that is being protected inside . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­As was the first room, I hope it¡¯s not a dummy hiding a bigger trap . ¡¹ Vel returned a wry smile at Kuust¡¯s mutters . ¡¸I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice . I also quickly checked the area around these rooms just in case . No traps in particular have been placed around here . ¡¹ ¡¸I hope so . ¡¹ As usual, Kuust kept his hand on his magic spear to guard against enemy surprise attacks . Elena nodded while glancing to the side at Kuust . As Vel opened the door, he shifted his body away from the front of the room just in case . And nothing in particular happened when he opened the door¡­¡­ ¡¸See . Didn¡¯t I tell you the trap was successfully disarmed?¡¹ Certainly, as Vel had said, arrows didn¡¯t fly when he opened the door, nor did any other trap activate . ¡¸Then you should have opened it majestically instead of hidden along the wall like that . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey hey, no matter what, I can¡¯t perfectly disarm all traps . It would be seriously bad if there was some kind of trap I didn¡¯t notice . ¡¹ ¡¸Sure, sure . So, what¡¯s inside the room?¡¹ Vel looked inside as Ara asked . ¡¸It looks like a hit . It seems to be some kind of laboratory . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Laboratory?¡¡In a dungeon floor like this?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, perhaps it¡¯s the work of the fellow who¡¯s been targeting us after we entered this floor . I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a Lich as we were talking about before . ¡¹ Elena, who heard the conversation between the two, nodded in understanding and turned to look at Rei . ¡¸Rei, search the inside with Vel . There¡¯s a possibility a map of the floor is inside . If there¡¯s something related to magic, you will probably be the most knowledgeable on it . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­¡¹ Rei turned his eyes to Vel . Seeing that look, Vel guessed what Rei wanted to say and nodded . ¡¸Ah, thinking normally, it¡¯s strange that there¡¯s a laboratory in the dungeon . In the first place, anyone can find the door here . We are not the only ones that enter the dungeon . At the very least, the adventurers we met on the third floor said that there were undead on the fifth floor, so they would have made it here . It wouldn¡¯t be strange, after all, there were even adventurers who found what they think to be an Altar of Inheritance on the seventh floor . Other than finding this, there¡¯s no reason for it to be located in such an overly suspicious place . ¡¹ ¡ºThat¡¯s because it¡¯s in a place in the reverse side of the dungeon space . ¡» The moment Vel spoke that question, everyone there heard a voice . (¡­¡­No, did we hear that in our heads rather than hearing a voice?¡¡Is it like some sort of telepathy?) The moment the voice rang in his head, Rei quickly readied the Death Scythe . Next to him, Elena pulled out her sword whip and held it, ready for an attack from any direction . Vel, Kuust and Ara were the same . ¡ºIndeed, I¡¯ve only left this place unattended for a little while and thieves have already come . It¡¯s impossible to experiment in peace . ¡» TLN: The voice refers to itself like an old man . While the voice echoed in his head, the existence that the voice came from couldn¡¯t be seen anywhere . Rei quickly looked around but couldn¡¯t find the owner of the voice . ¡¸¡­¡­Come out . ¡¹ Although Elena¡¯s voice echoed around, no one, or anything in particular came out . ¡ºHahaha . I would obviously be attacked if I came out, do you think I would do that?¡» ¡¸If you don¡¯t come out, don¡¯t you know what would happen to your laboratory?¡¡Isn¡¯t it something important?¡¹ Although Elena pointed the tip of her sword whip at the laboratory, the voice continued speaking as if with a smile . ¡ºThere certainly are important thing inside, but think about it carefully . Do you think that something really important would be placed inside a dangerous location like the dungeon?¡¡I admit that there are certainly things inside the laboratory that are worth something to me . However, most of the things inside are mainly for convenience, it¡¯s not difficult to replace them . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Listening to the voice, Elena thought of something . Kuust, who was watching the situation, ¡¸Whether or not that is true can be verified . Any how, anyone who lurks in a dungeon can¡¯t be decent . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait, Kuust . ¡¹ Elena stopped Kuust who was readying his magic spear . ¡¸Elena-sama, why!¡¹ ¡¸I told you to wait . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ Although reluctant, Kuust withdrew his spear . After seeing that, Elena spoke the the figureless voice again . ¡¸1¡­¡­no, two questions . Can you give me an answer to them?¡¹ ¡ºHmm, is that so . Well, although you are thieves, I haven¡¯t had guests in a long time . It would be nice to amuse myself . I shall answer them if I can . ¡» Rei looked at the surroundings while listening to those words and noticed that Set didn¡¯t show any signs of movement after the voice had been heard . Normally, Set¡¯s curiosity would be very strong . While confirming Set¡¯s figure, Rei saw that Set had pushed himself against the wall, trembling like a small fawn in front of a carnivore . (¡­¡­What?) Certainly, Set had only been born for a few months¡­¡­it had only been three months since he had been born, let alone a year . Still, he was born as a Griffon, a rank A monster . Currently, Set was equipped with a large number of skills and and strong magic items . He had the power to fight evenly with the rank A party Axe of the Thunder God . Despite all that, Rei was shocked to find that Set was scared . (In that case, the owner of this voice is at least stronger than Set . ¡­¡­We should definitely avoid making an enemy out of it¡­¡­) He turned to look at Elena, who was the leader of the party . Elena also happened to turn to look at Rei and their gazes overlapped . In that moment alone, Rei understood that Elena was also thinking about how to avoid fighting the owner of the voice . That was because Elena had also seen Set trembling for a moment . Elena understood that Rei was also aware of Set¡¯s situation and gave a small nod as she spoke up . ¡¸Firstly, we were targeted by undead monsters persistently after being caught in the infinite loop . You ordered them to do that, no doubt?¡¹ ¡ºHmm, I can be said so, it can also be said to be different . Those fellows were ordered to remove any people who trespassed . That¡¯s why . ¡» ¡¸That is to say, you don¡¯t intend to fight us?¡¹ ¡ºAlright, what should I do . As far as I can see, I don¡¯t think that warrior kid from earlier would believe me even if I said I wasn¡¯t hostile . If that¡¯s the case, I think the correct option would be to be hostile . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­That was rude of us . However, even if you say you want to be hostile, I don¡¯t want to fight against you . Our aim is to head for the Altar of Inheritance on the lowest floor . We don¡¯t intend to capture the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡ºHou~ . The Altar of Inheritance, a nostalgic name has come up . Do you know what it means?¡» ¡¸That¡¯s a matter of course . That¡¯s why we¡¯ve bothered to enter the dungeon . ¡¹ Rei looked around again while listening to the conversation between Elena and the voice . Kuust looked around for the owner of the voice with sharp eyes . Ara just patiently waited for Elena¡¯s conversation to finish . And after turning to look at the frightened Set, Vel understood how powerful the owner of the voice was . While waiting for the conversation to finish, Ara just looked towards Elena . ¡ºHmm, if that¡¯s the case, then I don¡¯t feel the need to be hostile . However, do you know why I¡¯m talking directly in your head rather than showing myself to talk with you?¡» ¡¸I understood that you have an actual self from the conversation . In regards to your intent, I haven¡¯t felt any hostility against us . ¡¹ ¡ºYoung girl¡­¡­what if I had just hidden my hositilty?¡» ¡¸At that point, I could only say that my eye for people was not good enough . ¡¹ At Elena¡¯s reply, the voice in their heads suddenly laughed . ¡ºKukukukuku~ . Hahahahaha . A person . I see, a person . No, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt this happy . Fine, as a reward, I¡¯ll promise not to oppose you . So what¡¯s the second thing you wanted to ask?¡» ¡¸No . The monsters in the dungeon are basically transferred here by the dungeon nucleus . At that time, I heard they undergo some sort of brainwashing . With those words, you won¡¯t oppose us . ¡­¡­You¡¯re not a summoned monster are you?¡¹ ¡ºWell, that is true . This dungeon has the right conditions for my research . I have made this space that could be called the reverse side of the dungeon space arbitrarily without permission . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so . Although I can¡¯t tell what kind of existence you are, I am grateful if you don¡¯t fight this kingdom . ¡¹ ¡ºNo no, you¡¯re really a girl with guts . I haven¡¯t spoken to a person for a long time but I really enjoyed it . That¡¯s right, it¡¯s not much but as a gift, I¡¯ll send you done to the next floor . ¡» Elena pricked her ears up at the sound of those words . Indeed, they had no map of the dungeon . Moreover, they were unwilling to explore the area where undead that never tired wandered around . (If what the owner of this voice is saying is true, then we got lost in this back space after breaking out of the infinite loop . ) Since the small room where they had entered the infinite loop was not very far after they had gone down to the fifth floor, if they were thrown out of here, they would have had to explore this floor from basically the beginning again . ¡¸We would be very grateful¡­¡­it¡¯s a bit late, but may we know your name?¡¹ ¡ºI believe that was two questions, well, that¡¯s enough . There¡¯s no particular problems if I do this . It will be nearly impossible for other people to come in after I return you to your original space and twist the spatial entrance . And even if someone came here, as I said earlier, the tools here are not a necessity . Because the stairs going down were made in front of the laboratory, if you take them, you will get to the sixth floor soon . ¡» The voice echoed in their heads as usual . Then, Rei and Elena suddenly realised that a stairway that didn¡¯t exist in the vicinity a few minutes before could now be seen at the entrance to the laboratory . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡ºDidn¡¯t I say?¡¡It¡¯s a staircase down to the sixth floor . Oh, There¡¯s no need to worry about where you¡¯ll go . It¡¯s spatially connected to the normal exit of the sixth floor . You would be at the place you would normally arrive at after going down the stairs on this floor . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­I will say thank you . Then, we¡¯ll be taking our leave . ¡¹ ¡ºWhat, don¡¯t worry about it . Thank you for entertaining me for the first time in a while . Then, farewell . ¡» ¡¸Please wait!¡¡I would like you to tell you me your name if you don¡¯t mind . I am Elena Kerebel of Duke Kerebel¡¯s family of the Mireana Kingdom . ¡¹ ¡ºI¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ve already answered the questions you asked . I shall give my name if we have an opportunity to meet again . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so, I¡¯m afraid that can¡¯t be helped . Okay, everyone . Let¡¯s go . ¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s instructions, as Ara, Vel, Kuust and Rei followed her out of the laboratory¡­¡­the voice echoed again . At the same time, the movements of the people other than Rei and Set stopped . ¡ºSorry . I almost forgot . There¡¯s something I want to ask the person who brought the Griffon . ¡» TLN: Voice: Silly me, how could I forget the cliffhanger . Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Legend Chapter 93 As Rei was about to leave the laboratory of the mysterious existence that was without a doubt stronger than them, a voice sounded in Rei¡¯s mind, freezing Elena and the others . ¡ºThe person with the Griffon . There¡¯s something I want to hear from you . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­What did you do to the others?¡¹ Watching Vel, who had stopped moving forward with one leg stuck in the air, Rei judged that it had affected all four of them excluding Set and himself and asked the voice . ¡ºWhat, I did that mainly so that can¡¯t hear what I want to know . Be at ease, I didn¡¯t paralyze them or anything, I just stopped time for them . ¡» TLN: ZA WARUDO! ¡¸Stopped time?¡¹ At those words, Rei asked involuntarily . As he could see, their current location was a space made on the reverse side of the dungeon¡¯s space . The voice had also showed that he could use magic to manipulate the undead . On top of that, after showing that he could use space-time magic, as expected, Rei, who could only use fire magic, was stunned . ¡ºIt¡¯s nothing difficult . Well then, I want to hear about the Griffon that you are taking around . ¡» ¡¸An adventurer who can take a Griffon around is surely rare¡­¡­¡¹ As soon as he answered, laughter echoed in Rei¡¯s mind . ¡ºHahaha~ . There¡¯s nothing to hide . That Griffon, it isn¡¯t an ordinary monster is it?¡» ¡¸¡­¡­What are you talking about?¡¹ As expected, he took a moment to reply . That was enough for the voice . ¡ºHmm . ¡­¡­Zepairu, are you familiar with that name?¡» ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ To the voice¡¯s question, in which he had given Zepairu¡¯s name respectfully, Rei made up his mind . Zepairu . It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t heard the name . On the contrary, it was because he knew it too well . Yes . That was the name of the man that had drawn his soul to this world and given Rei this body when he died in Japan . And if the contents of the book he read in the library was true, it was also the name of the world¡¯s greatest magician who had lived thousands of years ago . Why did the owner of the voice ask that . Rei spoke up while thinking of that . ¡¸Why do you know that name?¡¹ ¡ºKuku-, as expected¡­¡­ah . No, no, indeed, to see the Magic Beast Art in this era . No, it¡¯s excitingly thrilling . The girl from a while ago, she¡¯s a nice leader . Today is a day when exciting events have overlapped . ¡» (Do I know the Magic Beast Art, is it?) In front of Rei¡¯s eyes, he could see Set trembling next to the wall . Having the ability to make even Set scared and knowing the name of the Magic Beast Art as well . Facing that reality, Rei spoke out without thinking . ¡¸Who¡­¡­are you?¡¹ ¡ºHmm, that¡¯s right . As long as you tell me who are, I won¡¯t be stingy with answering your questions . ¡­¡­What will you do?¡» As the voice echoed in his head, Rei thought about it . (My true identity, should I reveal my origin to get information from the owner of this voice?¡¡For someone who built their laboratory in a dungeon, there¡¯s also the possibility of turning me into a experimental specimen¡­¡­isn¡¯t there?¡¡No, when I think about it, when he spoke Zepairu¡¯s name, he seemed to say it with a sense of respect and reverence . In that case, maybe there won¡¯t be any problems . Even if I have to fight the owner of this voice, I want to at least find out some information about him . ) Rei wanted to know more about Zepairu and himself, he also wanted to know as much information as he could about the other party that knew the name of the Magic Beast Art, which had disappeared in a single generation . It was partially for his own defense, but also out of pure curiosity . ¡¸All right . Because I¡¯ll say it, please answer properly as well . ¡¹ ¡ºHmm, that is fine . ¡» Hearing the voice acknowledge his words, Rei spoke up . After coming to this world, it was the first time he had spoken about his identity . ¡¸I was originally not born in this world . Unlike here, I was an ordinary person who was born and grew up in a world where there was no magic, dungeons or monsters . However, I died due to an accident . My soul should have normally disappeared, but I was drawn here by Zepairu . ¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­When did that happen?¡» ¡¸Less than several months ago . ¡¹ ¡ºWhat . Does that mean he has lived and survived for thousands of years?¡» At the stunned voice, Rei shook his head . ¡¸Not exactly, it¡¯s slightly different . Zepairu¡¯s own body seems to have decayed long ago . He had become a kind of spirit entity and had been looking for a soul with a wavelength matching his at the boundary of worlds . I was caught by him . So, as you know, the Magic Beast Art was lost after Zepairu¡¯s generation and he greatly regretted it . It is the reason he gave me this new body to be reborn in this world . And Set, the Griffon here, is a type of artificial life form created by the Magic Beast Art, as you speculated . ¡¹ To be exact, both Set and the Death Scythe were created by the Magic Beast Art . However, Rei judged that if the other party didn¡¯t notice anything, it wasn¡¯t necessary to lose this advantage and didn¡¯t mention it . ¡ºHmm, I see . Even his worthiness cannot live across thousands of years . ¡» To the owner of the muttering voice, Rei asked a question . ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ve told you about myself . I want you to tell me what you know next . What do you know about Zepairu who is known as a Majin?¡¹ Rei asked so, but he already had his own expectations after talking with the owner of the voice so far . And the owner of the voice confirmed his predictions . ¡ºYes, a promise is a promise . First of all, the simple story is that I myself knew Zepairu-dono . I simply knew Zepairu-dono while he was still alive . ¡» Listening to those words, why wasn¡¯t he still convinced?¡¡The question came up in Rei¡¯s mind . Rei had inherited Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, but he didn¡¯t recognise the the owner of this voice . He looked at Rei¡¯s state and wondered what he was thinking about . The voice gave a quiet laugh . ¡ºI knew Zepairu-dono, but Zepairu-dono probably didn¡¯t know me . I was merely someone from the same era, I just knew Zepairu-dono as he was decidedly the best mage in the world . ¡» (Indeed, it¡¯s like the one sided knowledge of an idol you see on TV . ) He nodded at the words of the voice and urged him to continue . ¡ºIn those days when Zepairu-dono was alive, there were more geniuses than you could imagine today . There is no doubt that if even one mage from that time was in this era, he would have the talent to be considered as an unprecedented great genius now . Thinking about it now, that era shone as the golden age for mages . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­I see . You were one of those geniuses weren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡ºThat¡¯s right . In this age, I would have had the talent to be considered a great genius as I had said earlier . But thinking about then, I was in the upper middle of the rest at best . Even though I knew Zepairu-dono¡¯s name, Zepairu-dono didn¡¯t know mine . Zepairu¡¯s group was formed from the geniuses out of geniuses, I was not talented to that degree . ¡» Though the voice muttered as if despising himself, the voice that echoed in Rei¡¯s head had a sense of nostalgia . ¡¸So, you are still alive after living for thousands of years¡­¡­¡¹ ¡ºHmm, you¡¯ve already guessed haven¡¯t you?¡» Rei nodded at the voices words . He had talked with Elena and Vel about the possibility of such an existence in this dungeon . ¡¸A Lich . ¡¹ ¡ºThat is correct . As expected of the one chosen by Zepairu-dono, you¡¯re sharp . Yes, as I said earlier, I was a genius necromancer at the upper middle compared to the rest . I conducted a ceremony to reincarnate myself as a Lich . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­A Lich that has survived thousands of years . At that stage, rather than calling you a Lich, you should be called a Lich Lord . ¡¹ ¡ºHahaha~ . A Lich Lord, that is nice . Shall I introduce myself next?¡» Although laughter echoed in Rei¡¯s mind, actually surviving thousands of years while studying magic all the way . With his ability, he deserved to be called a Lich Lord without a doubt . (No, rather than lord, he should be called the king of the dead, or even emperor . Lich King or Lich Emperor maybe more appropriate . ) While he thought of that, from nowhere, a crystal ball the size of a large fist softly floated in the air and into Rei¡¯s hands . ¡¸This is?¡¹ ¡ºIt¡¯s a small present for the successor and inheritor of Zepairu-dono . It¡¯s a magic item in the form of a pair of orbs . If you speak into it, you are able to freely contact someone at the other orb . ¡» (Can I think of it as something like a cellphone?¡¡Any how, the fact that they don¡¯t exist was quite a problem . ) ¡¸If you give one to me, I won¡¯t refuse¡­¡­but why are you so kind?¡¹ ¡ºAs I said earlier, Zepairu-dono was someone so far ahead that his back couldn¡¯t even be seen by those following him . To be honest, even after studying for several thousands of years, I don¡¯t think I have caught up with him . Since I came across the successor to Zepairu-dono, I¡¯d like to cherish that relationship . ¡» ¡¸A once in a lifetime¡¯s chance, is it¡¹ ¡ºWhat¡¯s that?¡» ¡¸It¡¯s a saying from my world . It means that an encounter is something that would only happen once in a lifetime, and should be cherished as such . ¡¹ ¡ºI see, those words match your and my situation exactly . ¡­¡­A once in a lifetime¡¯s chance . Now let me see, it would be a discourtesy to not show you my appearance after so long, I will appear now so don¡¯t you lose yourself . ¡» The owner of the voice gave a warning and then appeared in the air in front of Rei . And the moment the figure appeared in his sight, a large amount of cold sweat came from Rei¡¯s back . Because he had been guaranteed by Zepairu, he had the confidence to say that his magic power was one of the best . But the moment he saw the being in front of him, Rei understood that he would lose consciousness if he relaxed himself for even an instant . Set had been scared as soon as he had heard the voice . It seemed to Rei that Set had instinctively known the existence before them . He had the form of a simple Lich . A Skeleton wearing a robe with a magic wand grasped in his hand . His skull was covered with something like a crown . That was it . However, the moment he saw that figure, Rei only felt the concept of ¡ºDeath¡» . ¡ºMm?¡¡I¡¯m sorry, maybe the stimulation was a bit too strong . ¡­¡­How about this?¡» After the Lich murmured, the sense of oppression felt from the existence before Rei¡¯s eyes gradually disappeared . And a few seconds later, Rei was at a level where he could move again . ¡ºHou~, you can move this much already . As expected of Zepairu-dono¡¯s successor . ¡» A praising voice sounded in Rei¡¯s mind, but Rei just smiled bitterly at that praise . (Set is an A rank Griffon . ¡­¡­So if you apply the monster rank to this Lich, would he be S rank?¡¡No, he wouldn¡¯t fit in that level . ¡­¡­As expected of a Lich who has survived thousands of years . ¡ºLet me greet you once more . I am the Lich you have been talking to since before¡­¡­no, I am Grimm, the Lich Lord . Thank you, you who have inherited Zepairu-dono¡¯s will . ¡» ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . ¡­¡­Although I am still learning, someday, I want to acquire the power that is appropriate for succeeding Zepairu¡¯s will . ¡¹ ¡ºWell then, don¡¯t forget to continue training from now on . ¡» From the Lich floating in front of him, Rei strangely couldn¡¯t feel any hostility towards him at all . No, rather it gave off an atmosphere that made him feel familiar . That could be understood by the admiration that the Lich, who introduced himself as Grimm, toward Zepairu . And then, Grimm turned to look at Set, who was frightened but still anxiously watched Rei from the corner of the wall . While trembling with fear as soon as he was looked at, Set still took one step forward to protect Rei, his favourite partner . ¡ºHou~, even though you¡¯re still young, you still confront me? It¡¯s splendid . Rei, as it was produced from your magic power, it¡¯s potential seems to be endless . ¡­¡­However, even now, it¡¯s still a magic beast . In order to demonstrate it¡¯s real strength as a magic beast you will need to devote yourself to training for a while . ¡­¡­If you continue growing as you are now, like the magic beast that Zepairu-dono produced from the Magic Beast Art, there will be a possibility of it growing into a magic beast that is capable of overwhelming the army of a single country by itself . The Magic Beast Art¡¯s greatest strength is the skills that can be acquired with growth . How strong will you be at our next meeting¡­¡­I am looking forward to it . Now then, I¡¯m sorry for being rude but I¡¯m actually busy with various things . ¡» Saying that, his body started to gradually fade¡­¡­and after a couple of second, the figure of Grimm could no longer be seen . ¡ºRei, Set and the girl I mentioned earlier . Today was full of good encounters . I will see you again if there is a chance . ¡­¡­No, if anything happens you can contact me with the pair of orbs . ¡» He left with those words . And the next moment after Grimm disappeared, Elena and the others, whose movements had stopped, resumed again . ¡¸Rei, what is it?¡¡Elena-sama has told us all to go down to the next floor . ¡¹ Vel called out to Rei, who was staring at the place where Grimm had disappeared . Rei pulled himself back together at that voice and stored the orb into the Misty Ring so that the others couldn¡¯t find it before hurrying to the stairs with Set . ¡­¡­And Elena, who was seriously pondering over something . Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Legend Chapter 94 They descended the stairs that the Lich Lord Grimm had made for about 10 minutes . The stairs were connected to the real stairs to the 6th floor by spatial magic, so the 6th floor was spread before them as natual . ¡¸Uwa~, what the owner of the voice said was true . Twisting space to connect to this location¡­¡­hey, Kuust . I¡¯m really glad we didn¡¯t fight the owner of the voice . What would have happened if you had lost your temper and destroyed that laboratory¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Indeed, the sight before them was unreal, it caused Kuust to realise what a crazy monster the owner of the voice on the fifth floor had been . It was a Lich that had lived thousands of years¡­¡­no, they were lucky that they didn¡¯t know it was a Lich Lord, or maybe they were unlucky . Either way, Kuust was relieved at his good luck that he hadn¡¯t angered the owner of the voice . ¡¸So, this is the sixth floor¡­¡­¡¹ Elena¡¯s voice echoed into the surroundings . The scene before them was an ordinary dungeon, similar to the first, second and fifth floor, which they had just come down from . The walls shined lightly and the passages were wide enough for Set to fight freely . It wasn¡¯t a place filled with mushrooms or a forest but a place you would normally imagine a dungeon to be . ¡¸That said, considering what has been inside this horrible dungeon, I don¡¯t think this is an ordinary place . ¡¹ At Vel¡¯s low murmur, everyone around him unconsciously nodded . ¡¸Still, it¡¯s better than the putrid smell of Zombies on the floor above . My sense of smell will return to normal shortly . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, then Rei, Set, we will take a break here until Vel¡¯s nose can smell properly . Especially because Vel couldn¡¯t take a break after releasing the trap on door to the laboratory belonging to the owner of the voice . However, take care to watch for any enemies that may come . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡­¡­Really? Lucky . ¡¹ Vel let out a joyful voice at Elena¡¯s instructions . Rei and Set, who had come in direct contact with Grimm, didn¡¯t put on any expression in particular but sat down on the spot in relief . Fortunately, the stairs were behind them and they judged that it wasn¡¯t likely for an ambush to occur compared to if they had taken a break in a passage . ¡¸Finally, the sixth floor . If we clear this floor safely and go down to the seventh floor, the Altar of Inheritance will be there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s mutterings to herself, Ara turned to look at her with a worried face . But Elena shook her head, saying that it was nothing, before closing her eyes to recover her stamina . ¡¸Alright, is everyone okay?¡¡We will start searching . ¡¹ Elena called out to everyone after taking a break for about an hour . Everyone followed her voice and stood up from the stone pavement they were sitting on . ¡¸Because there are no undead here, we will change the formation slightly . Vanguard is Ara and Kuust, Middle guard is me and Rei . Set and Vel will take the rearguard . ¡¹ ¡¸Alright, the vanguard . I will try hard for Elena-sama and crush the enemies with this Power Axe!¡¹ ¡¸Is that so, I¡¯m counting on you Ara . ¡¹ Replying to Ara with a smile, the others got into formation without saying anything in particular . ¡¸Vel, I will ask you to check for traps . Honestly speaking, you can be excused from the mix up that led us into the back space . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, oh well . Well, I didn¡¯t expect a monster like that to appear . ¡¹ ¡¸Nevertheless, you shouldn¡¯t be careless . Everyone should be more careful . If we break through this floor, it will be the lowest level . Our destination, the Altar of Inheritance, is there . ¡¹ Everyone nodded at Elena¡¯s voice and earnestly began searching with a serious look, completely different from when they were taking a break a few minutes ago . In that state, the moved forward from the stairs to the sixth floor and stepped into the dungeon of the sixth floor . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Isn¡¯t this anticlimactic?¡¹ Ara complained unhappily to Kuust beside her . ¡¸Ara, I understand your feelings but don¡¯t be discouraged . You don¡¯t know when monsters will attack . ¡¹ Kuust reproved Ara as he watched the surroundings carefully, but Ara just shrugged her shoulders as she looked around . ¡¸Even though it¡¯s been an hour since we first entered the sixth floor, why hasn¡¯t a single monster come out?¡¡There are no traps and only a few branching passages . What is there to watch for . ¡¹ Yes . Despite enthusiastically entering the sixth floor, as Ara had said, there had been no monster and no traps . There were only a few branching passages . ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, could we possibly have entered an infinite loop again?¡¹ At Ara¡¯s muttered remark, Vel shook his head at the rearguard . ¡¸I¡¯m not worried about that . For now, we have provisions for that . What do you think Rei?¡¹ Maybe he understood from the floor above that Rei¡¯s senses were as good as his, Vel asked him for confirmation . Rei was of a similar opinion to Vel and gave a small nod . ¡¸That¡¯s right . It looks like a similar passage but it¡¯s subtlety different . At the very least it¡¯s not like an infinite loop from the floor above . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry as to agree with Rei . It seemed that though he had been frightened when they encountered Grimm about an hour ago, he had already recovered . (¡­¡­This kind of resilience, or is it his curiosity¡­¡­hm?) While thinking about Set¡¯s situation in his mind, he noticed that he had been staring at the person beside him . Next to Rei was Elena, and naturally, he had been staring at Elena . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, nothing at all . I was just thinking about something . ¡¹ Those words were clearly brushing the question away, but he thought that Elena would be unlikely to pursue an answer as it would be strange . They conversed as they advanced for another 20 minutes . Suddenly Set reacted with a twitch behind Rei . Rei noticed about 10 seconds later, followed by Vel a few seconds after that . ¡¸Thank to Ara wanting some to to come, it seems we have company . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ ¡¸Monsters . About 4 from the front¡­¡­no, 5?¡¹ ¡¸Everyone, prepare for battle . Vel, any from the rear?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no problems there for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Alright, then we will eliminate them at once . ¡­¡­Ara, stop them!¡¹ Elena immediately gave instructions to Ara in the vanguard . Ara, who admired Elena, moved forward with the Power Axe in hand to shield Elena without any hesitation . That moment, a metallic kin~ sound echoed into the surroundings . Kuust thrust out his magic spear on reflex . However, the magic spear that was thrust out in the short moment that the enemy attacked pierced the air instead of the enemy . ¡¸Be careful, it¡¯s fast!¡¹ As Kuust¡¯s voice echoed into the surroundings, everyone held their own weapon as they watched the enemy . As the faint light from the dungeon walls illuminated the area, a huge wolf appeared . Its height from feet to head was up to Rei¡¯s chest . From it¡¯s upper jaw, deep green fangs stretched out like the extinct Sabertooth Tigers from Earth . And from its back, something like a tentacle grew on the left and right, making sharp sounds as they moved through the air . It was probably a blow from the tentacle that had attacked Ara . As Vel said, 5 of such huge wolfs appeared, looking for openings as they observed Rei with their dark green eyes, a similar colour to their fangs . Rei knew the monsters in front of them . As usual, they were in the monster encyclopedia . ¡¸Emerald Wolf¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Rei, do you know what they are?¡¡Please tell us . ¡¹ Elena asked while read to use her sword whip at any time . To that question, Rei answered so that everyone could hear as he held the Death Scythe . ¡¸Emerald Wolf . It¡¯s a C rank monster but it usually lives in packs . In packs, they are B rank monsters . As for its strongest weapon¡­¡­rather than its fangs, watch out for the tentacles that extend from its back . You can treat them as something like a whip . It can manipulate its tentacles at will to attack the enemy and uses its fangs to finish off its target . In addition, their physical ability is high and they can use primitive wind magic . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, it¡¯s a rather annoying enemy . ¡¹ Listening to Rei¡¯s explanation, Ara held the Power Axe . The others also held their weapons, ready to attack at any time . ¡¸Gaaaaaah~!¡¹ The Emerald Wolves made the first strike . At the same time as that bark, a gust of wind blew, blinding Rei¡¯s eyes . He felt two killing intents . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Responding quickly to the killing intent, Rei poured magic power into the Death Scythe as he swung it, making sure not to hit his surrounding party members . ¡¸Gyan~!¡¹ With a single strike, the Emerald Wolf that had jumped off a wall to attack Rei in a triangle jump was splendidly cut in two . However, only one was taken down, just one¡­¡­as he looked around, there used to be 5 at the front, but there were now only two . One was attracted by Rei¡¯s magic power and attacked him before being slashed back . The remaining two were behind Elena . They had probably jumped off the wall and past them when the Emerald Wolf that Rei slashed had blinded him . They faced Set and Vel . ¡¸Vel can¡¯t fight a C rank monster in melee!¡¡Rei, swap with Vel and deal with the two at the back with Set . Vel, take the middle guard and support Rei with your bow . Ara, Kuust . We will clean up the two in the front . ¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s instructions, Rei and Vel swiftly changed their positions . Using the momentum from when they switched positions, he slashed an Emerald Wolf with the Death Scythe¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Set gave a cry as he saw the tentacle attacking from Rei¡¯s blind spot . Rei immediately jumped next to Set to avoid the attack . The two Emerald Wolves attacked Rei at the same time with their quick movements . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Their agility dropped by about 10% as Set used King¡¯s Awe . ¡¸Elena-sama, Set used his cry . Because the speed of the Emerald Wolves has dropped, please take them out now!¡¹ Using the Death Scythe to slash the tentacles, fending them off, Rei called out to Elena, who was using her sword whip to support Ara and Kuust . ¡¸I see, his cry . Thanks . Vel, arrows should be hard for them to dodge now . Shoot!¡¹ ¡¸OK!¡¹ As soon as he replied to Elena, Vel took out several arrows from his quiver and continuously shot the Emerald Wolves . At their original speed, they would have been able to avoid the arrows by moving away or by intercepting them with their tentacles . But with the drop in movement speed due to Set¡¯s King¡¯s Awe, it became difficult . They avoided the Power Axe, as Ara swung it down, and Kuust¡¯s magic spear as they leaped back to take some distance and focused on dodging the arrows . Perhaps the speed at which they made their judgement was what made them C rank monsters . The Emerald Wolves facing Rei and Set also understood that their movements had been slowed and observed Rei as they took some distance . (However, their hesitation is an opportunity we can use!) Muttering in his mind, he kicked against the ground and closed the distance to the Emerald Wolf to the right . ¡¸Set, you take the other one!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set caught Rei¡¯s intention and gave a short cry before jumping towards the Emerald Wolf to the left . ¡¸Ga¡­¡­Gaaaaaaa~!¡¹ Although their movements were dulled, the Emerald Wolf was confused when Rei closed the distance without any hesitation but still tried to intercept him with its tentacle . But Rei¡¯s weapons was one huge scythe and it had two tentacles . In addition, they had a similar hardness to ordinary swords . The Emerald Wolf¡¯s judgement wasn¡¯t wrong . ¡­¡­If the opponent was an ordinary adventurer, or if Rei wasn¡¯t wielding the Death Scythe . Any how, it weighed over 100kg and was swung with Rei¡¯s inhuman strength . Adding onto that, magic power was being poured into the Death Scythe making the blade sharp enough to easily cut through metal . Not knowing the existence that was Rei was the Emerald Wolf¡¯s greatest misfortune . ¡¸Gyan~!¡¹ One strike . With a single swing of the Death Scythe, the two tentacles, the Emerald Wolf¡¯s biggest weapons, were cut off . It screamed from the pain that it usually wouldn¡¯t expect¡­¡­when it finally noticed, the blade of the Death Scythe was already right before its eyes . That was the last thing the Emerald Wolf facing Rei saw in its life . ¡¸Gaaaah~!£¡¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Rei cut off the head of the Emerald Wolf and took some distance to avoid the blood that spurted out from its neck . Looking at Set¡¯s direction, the fire breath from Set¡¯s mouth collided with the wind blades that the Emerald Wolf had shot out¡­¡­the wind blades were burned away by the raw power of the fire breath as as the flames wrapped around the Emerald Wolf . Set¡¯s Fire Breath wasn¡¯t at a very high level, only level 2 . But it seemed that it¡¯s power was still much stronger compared to the simple wind magic that the Emerald Wolf used . And behind Rei, the tip of the sword whip pierced through the head of one of the Emerald Wolves, killing it . The last one was split in half, top and bottom, as Ara swung the Power Axe from the side in a cooperative attack with Kuust and Vel . Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Legend Chapter 95 ¡¸Phew, it seems we cleaned them up somehow . ¡¹ Elena swung her sword whip while sighing in relief, flicking the blood off the blade before sheathing it . Looking around, all the Emerald Wolves which had attacked them were all dead . One was the one she had pierced through the head, there was one Ara had split in half, one who¡¯s head was cut off by Rei and one which Set had burned up with Fire Breath . The one thing they all had in common with each other was that they were all no longer breathing . ¡¸A battle cry, was it . If it wasn¡¯t for Set¡¯s skill, it wouldn¡¯t have been that easy to do all this . ¡¹ Originally, wolf type monsters focused more on speed and teamwork than on brute force . Set¡¯s cry, King¡¯s Awe, cut their speed by about 10% . 10% . Should be called 10% or only 10% . Which was the correct answer . It was obvious if you saw the scene before Elena . Looking at her party members, she gave a small nod after seeing that everyone still had enough stamina . She judged that it would be fine if they only took a break after going further down from the sixth floor . They had only managed to beat the Emerald Wolves that attacked them without much of a struggle thanks to Set . At the same time, it let Elena feel the strength that Rei and Set provided . (No, now¡¯s not the time to think about other things . I have to find the stairs to the lowest layer as soon as possible . For whatever reason, Rei is my¡­¡­no, our ally . That¡¯s fine then . ) Shaking her head slightly, she shook off her strange thoughts and brushed her shiny golden hair that had been messed up in battle . ¡¸Rei, collect the monsters . Once that¡¯s done, we will continue searching immediately . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand . ¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s instructions, he stored the corpses of the slain Emerald Wolves into the Misty Ring . Though the fur of the one burned to death by Set¡¯s Fire Breath couldn¡¯t be used, other parts such as the magic stone, meat and fangs could still be recovered . ¡¸Right, Set . You did well . Aside from the fur, everything else is usable . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Having his head stroked, Set gave a happy cry . Because he understood that Rei would be pleased with him if there were more usable monster materials, so instead of usual, he slightly changed the locations he burned to not burn the meat and bones . Set was very happy because he was praised by his favourite, Rei, knowing that he had done well . After a few minutes, all the Emerald Wolves had most of their blood drained and stored into the Misty Ring and their exploration of the sixth floor resumed . ¡¸Ara, don¡¯t say anything unnecessary . It feels like we get into a pinch every time you mutter something . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment, that¡¯s an exaggeration right!? The timing just happens to overlap as I speak . ¡¹ Kuust and Ara¡¯s argument¡­¡­or rather joking conversation, carried on as they continued through the dungeon . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh, stop . It¡¯s a pit trap . ¡¹ Vel stopped everyone and turned to look at the passage in front of them . ¡¸Well, there¡¯s no need to disarm it . There¡¯s no indication that it¡¯s a linked trapped either so there¡¯s no problems if we trigger the pitfall with something appropriate . Rei, do you have anything in your item box?¡¡It fine as long as it¡¯s size and weight are suitable . ¡¹ ¡¸Please wait a moment . ¡¹ Following Vel¡¯s request, Rei displayed the list of items in the Misty Ring in his mind . (Because the spears are used for throwing, they¡¯re no good . As for other weapons¡­¡­ that said, there¡¯s the broken sword that Ara used . ) Remember the long sword he had taken from Claws of the Hawk, he selected it from the list in his mind and passed the long sword that didn¡¯t seem to be usable anymore to Vel . ¡¸Here, this is fine . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, it feels a bit light . I wonder if the pit trap will trigger . No, should I just throw it harder?¡¹ ¡¸Rei-dono, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡­¡¹ Vel was troubled at first but immediately nodded and took the long sword . Wondering what was the origin of the long sword that was passed over, Ara soon noticed that it had been the one she had used . It was no wonder as the long sword had become useless due to her immaturity . As Ara muttered somewhat reluctantly, Vel looked towards her interestingly and smiled . ¡¸I see, by the way, is this the long sword that Ara borrowed? Well, it wasn¡¯t able to withstand Ara¡¯s abuse . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Vel, what if you were substituted as the sacrifice to trigger the pit trap instead of the long sword, what would you do?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahahahahaha . It¡¯s a joke, a joke . But, anyhow, isn¡¯t this long sword only good for being thrown at the enemy?¡¡So I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong to use this opportunity . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ After Ara was reluctantly convinced, Vel skillfully threw the sword to the target location . Although not as fast as throwing a dagger, nevertheless, the sword still had considerable power as it hit the ground¡­¡­opening a hole about 2m in diameter in the floor . ¡¸It was wider that I expected . ¡¹ While muttering, Vel looked into the pit trap while unconsciously frowning . ¡¸Uwa~, that¡¯s nasty . ¡¹ Before Vel¡¯s eyes, at the bottom of the pit trap were countless sharp metal spikes, about a meter tall each . If they had fallen into this pit trap, if they weren¡¯t equipped with any magic items to boost the defensive power of their armour, they would have been pierced by the spikes from the soles of their feet . Maybe imagining the situation, Elena frowned her eyes unpleasantly . ¡¸For now, it¡¯s a good thing that this was an obvious trap . ¡¹ Vel said . However, the pit traps themselves were fairly cleverly hidden so there was probably a possibility that someone would have been caught in it if Vel wasn¡¯t here . (Well, I can usually find these types of traps if I used ¡ºThin Flame¡» . ) In Rei¡¯s mind, he thought of the magic he had used to get out of the infinite looping space . ¡ºThin Flame¡» was a magic for exploration, if he was alone in the dungeon¡­¡­no, with Set, it was an indispensable magic . However, even with ¡ºThin Flame¡», he could only explore the walls, walls and ceiling . If a trap trigger was placed somewhere else, such as floating in the air, it would be impossible to detect . ¡¸If the pit trap is left open like this, it will be easy to find even if someone comes later . ¡­¡­Unless a monster repairs it . ¡¹ He nodded at Elena¡¯s mutters before the party resumed their search . After that, other monsters appeared such as Goblins and Fang Wolves, which they had beaten before . Some small fry monsters also appeared with a reasonable frequency . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Stop . I found a hidden switch in the floor ahead . ¡¹ ¡¸Again!? The person who made this dungeon is completely twisted!¡¹ ¡¸Come on, the thing making the dungeon isn¡¯t a person, it¡¯s the dungeon nucleus . No, well, because of that, I have to agree with you that it¡¯s personality is twisted . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Vel, show me where the switch is located . ¡¹ Kuust urged Vel while amazed at the exchange between Ara and Vel . Several hours passed since they found the first pit trap . Although the monsters that came out were mostly small fry, with the exception of the Emerald Wolves which came out at the beginning, traps were placed everywhere instead . Initially, Elena wanted to move forward after disarming each trap, but as they had to take a lot of time to disarm traps that were likely to trigger a chain of traps, rather than disarming each one, they bypassed the ones they could . The switch Vel found this time was the same colour as the floor and was only raised slightly . It was skillfully hidden enough that there was a high risk of someone triggering the trap if they didn¡¯t know there was a switch there . ¡¸Since there doesn¡¯t seem to be any other traps around that switch, I think we can proceed by just avoiding stepping on that switch . ¡¹ Following Vel¡¯s opinion, they went forward and avoided stepping on the switch . Moving ahead, what appeared next was a crossroad . As seen from the passage Elena was in, there were three paths, left, right and center . ¡¸Well then, what to do?¡¡Well, we have no map so we have to rely on intuition anyway¡­¡­no . ¡¹ Kunu~, sniffing, Vel turned his eyes to the right . Rei also sniffed the smell Vel had noticed . It goes without saying that both their senses of smell where much sharper than the others . ¡¸The road to the right smells of beasts . I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s some sort of monster there . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, left or center¡­¡­Rei, you say . ¡¹ ¡¸Me again?¡¹ ¡¸Because there are no guidelines anyway, in that case, it would be better to rely on the intuition of an adventurer who has entered a dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, this is the first time I¡¯ve entered a dungeon . ¡¹ That said, it was also true that there were no guidelines that they could follow . In the end, it was necessary to decided the way forward one way or another . He turned his eyes to the front, then to the left . Both walls glowed gently and nothing could be seen beyond a few meters . In that situation, Rei chose¡­¡­ ¡¸Well, left . ¡¹ Almost instinctively, he chose left . ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s move on . But before that, we¡¯ll change the formation . Apparently this floor seems to have more traps than monsters . So Ara and Vel will swap . Vel will take the vanguard . Ara will move back to defend against surprise attacks . Vel please focus on finding traps . ¡¹ The single file formation changed according to Elena¡¯s instructions before going down the left passage indicated by Rei . ¡­¡­And in less than 10 minutes, they found another trap . Apparently, Vel felt that this one was linked to other traps . While disarming the trap, everyone rested while watching out for attacks . ¡¸But with this, won¡¯t the monsters in the dungeon get caught in the traps? ¡¹ ¡¸I guess that knowledge is given to the monsters when the dungeon nucleus summons them . ¡­¡­No, even if you taught monsters the existence of traps, I doubt whether Goblins can remember that or not . In that case, it¡¯s natural to think that the traps probably don¡¯t respond to monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that a bit unfair?¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t tell me . If you want to complain, please tell the monsters instead of me . ¡¹ Vel disarmed the trap while talking with Ara and they moved on with the usual interaction . And again¡­¡­ ¡¸Okay, stop . I found a trap . ¡¹ ¡¸Where is it?¡¹ To Kuust¡¯s question, which he had become tired of, Vel looked at the floor about 5m ahead . ¡¸¡­¡­I can¡¯t see anything that looks like a switch?¡¹ He turned to look in the direction Vel was indicating, but in Kuust¡¯s eyes, it looked like an ordinary passage . But Vel nodded naturally in response . ¡¸That¡¯s right . There¡¯s no switch, the passage itself is the trigger to activate the trap . When you step into the passage ahead, that is the trigger . ¡­¡­Probably . ¡¹ Different from up to now, Vel muttered somewhat unsure . ¡¸What¡¯s going on?¡¡You¡¯re not the same as usual . ¡¹ No, it seems quite sophisticated . I don¡¯t know if I can completely disarm it or not . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then what do we do?¡¡Should we go back to the crossroad and go down a different passage?¡¹ At Kuust¡¯s words, he shook her head slightly while looking around at everyone else . ¡¸It¡¯s better to disarm it . It¡¯s highly likely that the same trap is set up in the remaining two passages due to the structure of the dungeon . I think it would be better disarm this trap somehow and then proceed instead of going back and wasting time . ¡¹ ¡¸But isn¡¯t it only Vel¡¯s intuition that there are traps set in the other passages?¡¡Then it¡¯s worth a shot¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Kuust, I¡¯m not just basing it off my intuition . I guessed based on the location and timing of traps that I¡¯ve noticed up to this point on this level so far . ¡­¡­That¡¯s right . This way of saying it is a bit blunt, but if we can¡¯t disarm this trap, it means we have no qualifications to go further¡­¡­¡¹ Vel thought as he replied to Kuust . Looking at the two people, Elena made her decision . ¡¸That¡¯s right . It¡¯s Vel¡¯s opinion after releasing all the traps he¡¯s seen so far . It¡¯s worth listening to . ¡­¡­Vel, is it possible to disarm this trap?¡¹ ¡¸If I do it carefully, I¡¯ll manage somehow . It will be impossible to disarm it quickly like before . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . The make sure you disarm it even if you have to take your time . Also, since I don¡¯t know what¡¯s ahead, one person stay on guard while everyone else takes a break to restore your stamina . That said, because Set is here, you don¡¯t have to focus too hard . First watch is Rei, I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s words, Rei stayed on guard, ready to respond with Set if anything happened . Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Alright, disarming complete . ¡¹ Vel declared that about an hour after he started to disarm the trap . The watch had already changed from Rei to Ara and from Ara to Kuust . When it was time for Elena to take the watch, Vel¡¯s voice sounded out . ¡¸It¡¯s been hard on you . You took some time to disarm the trap so take a short break . If we encounter enemies if we moved forward now, it would be bad for you . ¡¹ ¡¸As expected of the princess . You understand your subordinates well . ¡¹ He had been concentrating hard on disarming the trap . As he was quite tired, he muttered quietly as he leaned against the gently glowing dungeon walls . While smiling wryly at Vel¡¯s appearance, Elena took over the watch from Kuust . ¡¸It¡¯s been hard on you . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah yeah . Well, my job is my job . However, there have been many places since we entered the dungeon that needed me to do something¡­¡­I mean, I feel like it¡¯s too much . ¡¹ With a bitter smile, Vel took out a bottle of water from his waist pouch and held it out to Kuust . ¡¸Sorry about this . ¡¹ Kuust brought the bottle to his mouth as he gave a wry smile back . ¡¸Indeed, both of you are lazy . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You, you¡¯re not exhausting your stamina because of the effect of that magic item . ¡¹ At Ara¡¯s slightly teasing tone, Vel turned to glared at her . It was Ara¡¯s payback for being teased all the time . While watching the interaction of the three people, Rei lay down on floor and leaned against Set, who was watching the surroundings, and stroked his back . ¡¸Well then, we should restart our search soon . ¡¹ Elena declared so after Vel had rested for about 30 minutes . At those words, everyone nodded and stood up, readying their weapons . ¡¸Vel, I¡¯ll be burdening you a bit more, but please . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, leave that to me . I will do my best for the remaining floor . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll leave it to you . There will be no change in the formation . So let¡¯s go . ¡¹ The vanguard was Vel and Kuust . The middle guard was Rei and Elena and the rear guard was Ara and Set as they advanced through the passage where the trap had been disarmed . ¡¸Hey, Vel . By the way, what kind of trap did you disarm in the end?¡¹ While advancing down the passage, Ara asked Vel . While keeping a sharp eye on the surroundings to check whether there were traps or not, Vel replied in a light tone . ¡¸You want to know?¡¡Well, in that case, I could teach you about it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What, that kind of feeling . Was it such a terrible trap?¡¹ ¡¸Should I call it amazing or horrific . To be short, it was a trap that collapsed the ceiling as soon as you stepped into the passage . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment, what¡¯s with that . It shouldn¡¯t be possible to avoid that . ¡¹ Ara walked along the passage with a stunned look, but Kuust interrupted there . ¡¸Say, if the ceiling collapses here, won¡¯t the floor of the fifth floor collapse as well?¡¹ ¡¸I wonder . I don¡¯t know the area around here but isn¡¯t it a dungeon with forests and rivers flowing inside?¡¡Even if the ceiling collapses here, if there was no effect on the floor above, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Certainly . ¡¹ Kuust was reminded of the many unreasonable events that had occurred so far and unexpectedly agreed . As they talked like that, 30 minutes passed as they explored the passage . Strangely, they had come this far with a sense of doubt as they hadn¡¯t found a single trap . ¡¸After all this¡­¡­what Vel said earlier might be correct . ¡¹ Although they hadn¡¯t found any traps, as it was unknown when monster would attack, Elena held her sword whip in her hand as she muttered . ¡¸Is it about the possibility that the trap a while back was a trial?¡¹ Rei answered Elena while holding the Death Scythe, ready to use it at any time . ¡¸Ah . Thinking about the number of traps since we entered this floor, the trap before might have been like the final exam . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Elena-sama, you might be right . ¡¹ Vel, who heard the conversation between Elena and Rei, unintentionally muttered as he discovered a strange object in his sight . The thing that Vel saw at the end of his line of sight was a huge door about 5m tall . It was a double door and an intimidating Giant wielding a huge club was carved into it . ¡¸What is this, I only have bad feelings after seeing that door . ¡¹ At Vel¡¯s tired voice, Rei went forward with a wry smile . ¡¸I know what you mean, but if you don¡¯t open the door, the other option is not entering that room and going back to the crossroads before . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess . There will definitely be a door like this on the other two passages¡­¡­it can¡¯t be helped, are you ready?¡¹ Slapping both cheeks to fire himself up, he went to check the door at once¡­¡­after a few minutes, he shrugged his shoulders and declared . ¡¸There¡¯s no trap . In the end, it seems that the previous one was the last one . ¡¹ ¡¸Alright . Let¡¯s go in as soon as we can . Because we don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside, don¡¯t let your guard down . ¡¹ Everyone nodded at Elena¡¯s words . Vel, as the responsibility of the thief, opened the door with the carving of the Giant . And inside¡­¡­ ¡¸A Goblin, is it?¡¹ Rei muttered unintentionally . Yes . The room that the door opened to could be called vast . As Rei looked around, it looked like the room was about 500 square meters . And in that vast room, in a corner was a presence about the height of Rei¡¯s waist with green skin and an ugly face . Although it was a figure that could normally only be judged as a Goblin, for some reason, Rei¡¯s chest had a sense of incongruity when he called it a Goblin . (At the end of a door with a figure of a Giant carved into it is a Goblin?¡¡Is that even possible?¡¡As far as this dungeon¡¯s benevolence is concerned, I don¡¯t think it would prepare such a simple enemy¡­¡­) While Rei thought that in his mind, the Goblin in the room rushed towards Rei with its club . Seeing that, they were amazed . The two vanguards, Kuust and Vel, took a step forward . ¡¸Elena-sama, we are enough for the likes of a Goblin . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I feel something strange¡­¡­well, if it¡¯s Kuust, he should be more than enough to deal with a Goblin . ¡¹ While having the same sense of incongruity as Rei, Vel pulled out his bow to support Kuust, who went forward . (Inside the Giant¡¯s door is a Goblin¡­¡­Wait . Giant?¡¡Goblin?¡¡If I remember correctly from the monster encyclopedia¡­¡­Spriggan!?) As the Rei¡¯s chain of thoughts lead him to the answer, he quickly cried out . ¡¸The enemy isn¡¯t a Goblin, it¡¯s a Spriggan!¡¹ Elena, who was next to Rei, was the first to react to his voice . She went forward with her sword whip . At the same time, even though she didn¡¯t understand why, seeing Elena head to the front line was enough for Ara to follow . And when Elena and the rest entered inside, the huge door automatically closed as if someone was watching . But Elena and the rest of the party, who were focusing on the Spriggan, didn¡¯t notice it at all . ¡¸Kuust, fall back!¡¹ Elena shouted at Kuust, who was holding his spear towards the approaching enemy . However, her words were a few seconds too late . Originally, the Goblin was supposed to be only up to Rei¡¯s waist in height . A green wall suddenly spread in front of Kuust, who had tried to stab out with his magic spear . No, it wasn¡¯t a wall . It was a gigantic figure 6m tall . Spriggan . In its normal form, it was easy to mistake it for a Goblin . But when it fought, it would reveal its true nature as a Giant . It was a monster with two figures, a giant and an ugly midget . It was a kind of Giant, but it was an extremely heinous and ferocious monster that like to eat the flesh of humans or creatures with low intelligence . It was a B rank monster . It was a monster at the same level as the Orc King that Rei had defeated in the Orc village . In terms of liking human flesh and its ferocity, it was similar to the Ogre that Rei and Set had fought on the fourth floor . But unlike Ogres, it had a certain degree of cunning, which was worrying . Still, it was a relief for Elena that it couldn¡¯t use magic like the high ranking Giants . TLN: I¡¯m thinking of two things here, firstly, Kirito¡¯s Spriggan wasn¡¯t a Spriggan . Secondly, Ogre Magi and multicast . ¡¸GAAaaaA~!¡¹ Due to influence from the Spriggan itself becoming huge, the club in it¡¯s hand also became huge . Unlike the tree that the Ogre had directly pulled out from the ground, the tip had been worked on heavily to cause great damage on hitting the enemy . The club swung down towards Kuust¡­¡­ Gakin~! Elena swung her sword whip and it stretched out like a whip, striking the tip of the club, forcibly changing its trajectory before it had swung down . ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Kuust instantly recovered his senses and jumped back and Vel shot arrows at the Spriggan to support Kuust at the same time . But¡­¡­ ¡¸You¡¯re kidding!?¡¡What kind of skin does it have that arrows can¡¯t penetrate!¡¹ Because his mark was big, Vel shot 5 arrows at once . All of them hit the body of the Spriggan but they all fell to the floor without even injuring it¡¯s skin . ¡¸Don¡¯t aim for it¡¯s body, aim for it¡¯s face! If you hit its eyes or mouth, you should be able to hurt it!¡¹ While holding the Death Scythe, Rei shouted as he ran past Vel . Naturally, Set followed beside him . ¡¸GAAaaa~!¡¹ Contrary to Kuust, who fell back, Rei and Set thrust themselves forward . And a short distance away from Rei, the Spriggan noticed Ara moving towards it and gave a frustrated roar as it raised its large club . ¡¸Ara, I will attract its attention so aim for its feet!¡¡With your strength and the Power Axe, you should be able to hurt the Spriggan!¡¹ ¡¸I understand!¡¹ Shouting to Ara, Rei swung his large Death Scythe at the Spriggan . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ With that word, a flying slash was released, putting a big scar on the chest of the Spriggan, who was swinging down its club at that moment . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Tch, it¡¯s shallow!¡¹ Unlike the arrows that Vel shot, the flying slash from the Death Scythe certainly scratched the Spriggan . There was a big scratch where the slash had hit . However, although the wound was large, in the end, it was an attack that didn¡¯t reach the bone, only cutting the skin and some flesh . The Spriggan also didn¡¯t care about such degree of injuries¡­¡­but, it still swung down the huge club it raised at Rei, who had injured it . ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Set activated King¡¯s Awe against the Spriggan . Rei avoided the slowed attack by jumping to the side before jumping onto the upper part of the club that had been swung down . He then ran up its arm, swinging the Death Scythe at the neck of the Spriggan . But¡­¡­ ¡¸GAAAaaa~!¡¹ The Spriggan instinctively guessed how much power Rei¡¯s attack with the Death Scythe had and use its left arm, the one without the club, to shield its neck . Its left hand was cut off from the wrist and it raised a roar of pain . ¡¸Tch, if you were an Ogre, you would have died from this attack!¡¹ Recalling the figure of the Ogre which he had fought on the fourth floor for a moment . He kicked the shoulder of the Spriggan to get away from it¡¯s range of attack . Losing its wrist, the Spriggan tired to hit Rei by swinging its left arm, which was spewing blood . However, Elena¡¯s sword whip quickly extended out . It drew a complex trajectory, like a snake dancing through the air, as its tip stabbed into the check of the Spriggan, which Vel¡¯s arrows couldn¡¯t even pierce . That moment . The moment it stopped unexpectedly due to that blow, Elena¡¯s voice echoed out . ¡¸Ara!¡¹ Following that voice, Ara, who had moved unnoticed to the Spriggan¡¯s feet, raised the Power Axe in her hands¡­¡­and swung it down at the left foot of the Spriggan! Ara¡¯s great strength and the Power Axe, which was a magic item . The attack with both effects shown was swung down on the Spriggan¡¯s left foot, exactly at the ankle, successfully cleaving through it . ¡¸GAAAAaaa~!¡¹ While screaming, the Spriggan fell to its knees without being able to stand up after losing a foot . ¡¸Alright!¡¡Now¡¯s the time, follow up!¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s order, everyone attacked the Spriggan at the same time . Rei swung the Death Scyth, Elena used her sword whip, Ara swung the Power Axe, Kuust thrust his magic spear with a water spell causing damage to accumulate on the body of the Spriggan and Vel shot several arrows at the head of the Spriggan . ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ And with a strike from the sky from Set, the Spriggan¡¯s life was ended and the Giant fell to the ground . Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Legend Chapter 97 In front of them was a Spriggan, a type of Giant that was over 6m tall . Even though a Spriggan was a B rank monster, it fought head on and without technique and was defeated by the combined strength of Elena, Rei and the others, its body currently lying in this large room . ¡¸Elena-sama, look!¡¹ Glancing away from the Spriggan, Ara, who was looking around the room, pointed at a location . There was a staircase that went down that didn¡¯t exist before they had fought the Spriggan . ¡¸I see . When the Spriggan that was protecting this room was defeated, the staircase to the next floor will appear . ¡¹ As Elena nodded, beside her, Vel looked to be thinking about something with a troubled face . ¡¸Vel?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, nothing . Nothing at all . But just before, if we had gone down one of the other two paths at the crossroads similar to this one, I was just a little bit concerned if there would be so called boss rooms and if stairs would have appeared after defeating the monsters there . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, as far as I can see from this room, that is probably the case . However, that is only a guess . I can¡¯t say for sure unless we actually went down the other passages at the crossroads . ¡¹ Ara tilted her head as she looked at Rei, who was recovering the corpse of the Spriggan . ¡¸But Elena-sama, since there is information about the Altar of Inheritance, doesn¡¯t that mean that there was a party that reached the lowest floor?¡¡If that was so, if we went to the room where they had defeated the monster, wouldn¡¯t the stairs be there right away?¡¹ To that question, Vel answered instead of Elena . ¡¸No, I think the dungeon nucleus will probably summon a new monster when the one defending the staircase is defeated . Whether it will be summoned after a few hours or whether several days are necessary, I do not know . ¡¹ ¡¸Even for the dungeon nucleus, if it¡¯s not weak monsters like Goblins, some time is probably necessary to summon a B rank monster like a Spriggan¡­¡­I would hope . When we come back to this level after finishing the ritual at the Altar of Inheritance, it wouldn¡¯t be funny if we had to fight another monster the same rank as a Spriggan again . ¡¹ ¡¸At the very least, there would only be one . Imagine if there was a pack like the Emerald Wolves . ¡¹ Yes . Even if it was a B rank monster, although it may be troublesome for Elena and the others to fight, there was only one . It wasn¡¯t an enemy with the strength to make them despair . In the first place, Rei had the experience of killing an equal ranked Orc King just by himself and Set was an A rank monster . There was also Elena, the General Princess, who had fighting strength close to his . ¡¸Elena-sama, the Spriggan has been collected . ¡¹ Elena had been looking at Rei when he turned around and called out to her, surprising her . For some reason, she felt as though the inside of her head turned pure white for a moment when her eyes met Rei¡¯s . However, it was just a moment . Elena soon started thinking of things calmly as usual as she looked at the stairs down to the lowest floor . (If we go down the staircase, it will be the lowest floor . It¡¯s just a little bit more to the Altar of Inheritance¡­¡­considering our exhausted stamina, we should spend the night here to restore our physical strength and magic power . Anyhow, a rank B monster appeared on the sixth floor . What type of monsters will there be on the lowest floor¡­¡­£© Thinking to herself, she turned to look at Vel . (Besides, Vel has released a considerable amount of traps on this floor . Although we¡¯ve taken some breaks, it would still be better to take a rest . Vel has the physique of a thief, if he fails to disarm a trap properly due to mental fatigue, all the trouble we¡¯ve taken to get here would come to naught . ) Putting those ideas together in her head in a few seconds, she told everyone, including Rei, to come over . ¡¸We will spend tonight in this room, we will go down to the lowest floor tomorrow morning . Fortunately, we only have to watch for enemies coming up the stairs from the lowest floor since that huge door has closed . As for the watch, you won¡¯t be as busy as that time in the forest . As Vel said a while ago, a high ranked monster to replace the Spriggan we defeated probably won¡¯t be summoned soon . However, you shouldn¡¯t let your guard down, if there are any signs of one being summoned, wake the rest up . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, will we defeat the monster that was resummoned?¡¹ Elena shook her head slightly at Kuust¡¯s question . ¡¸I can¡¯t say, it depends on the summoned monster . If it¡¯s an enemy that we can easily sweep away, we¡¯ll do that then keep resting until tomorrow morning . However, if not, if a B rank monster like a Spriggan is summoned, we will go down to the lowest level as we wouldn¡¯t be able to rest here . ¡¹ ¡¸That is so, that¡¯s fine then . ¡¹ Kuust nodded in understanding and Elena turned to Rei . ¡¸Rei, please prepare for camping here tonight at once . As I said before, we won¡¯t use tents or sleeping bags so that we can act quickly if any trouble occurs . The only things we need are food and blankets for resting . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Please wait a moment . ¡¹ Expanding the list of items in the Misty Ring in his mind, he took out blankets, drinks and food . Food was a potage soup and a large amount of sandwiches . Since everyone was hungry with everything they had done, they reached out for one after the other, bringing them to their mouths . Still, they didn¡¯t wolf it all down, as expected of people of nobility . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Me as well, Set seemed to say as he rubbed his head against Rei . Rei gave him some sandwiches for the time being as he displayed the list of items in the Misty Ring in his mind . ¡¸As expected, all the monsters I roasted for Set have all been eaten¡­¡­Set, you can have the food for monsters that were sold in downtown right away, it will take a bit of time to roast monsters now . Which one do you want to eat?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Chira~, Set turned to look at the blood that the Spriggan had shed . ¡¸I see, you want the delicious food as expected . ¡¹ The meals for monsters that were sold in the city streets were basically like dog food . Even though it depended on the type of monster, Set didn¡¯t like it that much . Even though Set understood that it would take some time, it was within Rei¡¯s expectations that he would chose the delicious food . Anyhow, as he had eaten a few sandwiches, he was fine with not eating anything immediately . ¡¸Well then, what should we do¡­¡­oh, ah, there¡¯s the Ogre¡¯s right arm . ¡¹ While muttering, Rei took out the huge right arm of the Ogre that he had defeated on the fourth floor . Peeling the skin, which could be sold as material, off the right arm with the Mithril Knife, he cut it into large chunks . ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, can I ask a question?¡¹ Elena, who was watching Rei cut up the Ogre¡¯s right arm, suddenly called out to him . ¡¸Yes, is there anything?¡¹ ¡¸Even if you said you¡¯re going to cook, what about the fire?¡¡No, I know that Rei is good at fire magic, but it would still be hard without firewood . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s fine . When I went into a forest for a guild request before, I noticed some dry wood and stored it into the item box in case of emergencies . ¡¹ While answering Elena, he took out some dry firewood from the Misty Ring, grasped the Death Scythe and cast a spell . ¡ºFire, gather on my fingertips¡­¡­Small Flame¡» As he cast the spell, a small flame glowed at the tip of Rei¡¯s index finger as he used it to light the firewood . Then, as the fire gradually became bigger, he pierced the meat chunks onto sharp sticks and used some branches to assemble something like a table to support the meat skewers . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry as he began to smell the meat being quickly roasted . Rei lightly seasoned it with salt after cutting away the burnt parts and put it on a plate to give to Set . ¡¸¡­¡­Now then, first of all, tonight¡¯s watch . The order will be me, Ara, Kuust, Vel then Rei . ¡¹ Turning his eyes to look at Set for an instant as Rei heard Elena¡¯s instructions, after seeing that there were no objections, it became free time . Ara talked to Elena while Rei roasted more Ogre meat for Set to eat . While watching watching Elena and Rei, Kuust gently frowned his eyebrows as he drank some water from the bottle Vel gave him . ¡¸Good grief, you are so obstinate . ¡­¡­Hey, eat this . ¡¹ Kuust spoke up as he received some dried meat from Vel . ¡¸I haven¡¯t said anything yet . ¡¹ ¡¸Your eyes say more than your mouth . You understand the main points right Kuust?¡¡Without Rei and Set, we probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten here safely . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I will admit that . But he¡¯s also influenced Elena-sama¡­¡­moreover, he¡¯s had an adverse effect on her . Vel, haven¡¯t you noticed?¡¡Since we came down from the fifth floor to the sixth floor, Elena-sama has been paying a lot more attention to him . It¡¯s quite apparent that the owner of the voice had something to do with it . ¡¹ ¡¸The owner of the voice . ¡­¡­Well, indeed our princess has been behaving slightly strangely since we got to the sixth floor¡­¡­but I think it¡¯s only natural that she paying attention to Rei because she¡¯s concerned about him . ¡¹ ¡¸Haa . You are really comfortable and easy going . I would like to have some of your optimism . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say that . Hey, eat this . And go to sleep quickly when you¡¯re full . Tomorrow is finally the lowest level, it will be troublesome if you¡¯re burdened because of some strange reason right?¡¹ Kuust received a small bottle from Vel, inside were some shallow fried fruits, a simple kind of snack . ¡¸This is?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s my special snack . It¡¯s not like what a noble eats but it¡¯s not a problem in such a place . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Only snacks, there¡¯s no alcohol is there . ¡¹ ¡¸I think you will be scolded by the princess if you drink alcohol while camping in the dungeon at night . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve said this before, how many times have I told you not to call her princess¡­¡­¡¹ While talking in such a way, eventually one, then two more people went to sleep . Set was still eating the Ogre meat as Elena took the first watch . Along with Rei, they were the only people still awake . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ After Set finished eating all the meat that had been roasted on the campfire, Set gave a satisfied cry and moved somewhere a bit further away before lying down and closing his eyes . Seeing Set off, Rei stood up after cleaning up all the food¡­¡­ ¡¸Rei, are you okay?¡¹ Elena, who had been watching him since a while before, spoke up . ¡¸Yes?¡¡I don¡¯t mind but¡­¡­do you want something light to eat?¡¹ ¡¸No, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to talk for a bit . Of course you can refuse if you¡¯re too tired . ¡¹ Thinking for a couple of seconds, Rei sat down again before the campfire . While watching, Elena spoke up with a smile on her face . ¡¸Rei, to be honest, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to come this far if you weren¡¯t here . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, normally I should be humble here¡­¡­it¡¯s quiet, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ Hearing those words, Elena gave a wry smile . ¡¸You¡­¡­actually, it¡¯s fine even you don¡¯t speak to me in formal language?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not that different is it . Anyhow, with just master and me¡­¡­no, with just me, my master and Set, I only know about formal speech from books . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . You still talk with Vel and Ara in your usual way though . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I wasn¡¯t brought up speaking formally as normal . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm, that¡¯s true . Thank you for your painstaking efforts so far . For non formal locations, I hope you don¡¯t mind speaking with me in a casual tone . ¡¹ Elena told him as the campfire crackled and the flames bounced around . As the surrounding walls glowed gently, the light from the campfire illuminated Elena and Rei . ¡¸Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine . Ordinary nobles will be strict with this, but as you know, I¡¯m different from an ordinary noble . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, certainly, daughters of nobles usually don¡¯t do things like coming out to the battlefield . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve told you not to use formal speech . ¡¹ ¡¸Pardon me . ¡­¡­No, I¡¯m sorry . Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine, I appreciate it if you could treat me with that kind of attitude . ¡¹ ¡¸Although you¡¯re a noblewoman, you¡¯re not good with honourifics¡­¡­is that fine?¡¹ Elena smiled wryly at Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸Not all nobles are that formal, look at my guards . Kuust aside, Ara and Vel dislike dealing with those things . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¡Although it was obvious that Kuust was a noble, Ara and Kuust are as well?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Ara is the third daughter of a Countess and Vel is the second son of a Viscount . ¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, that was surprising¡­¡­¡¹ In this way, as the light of the campfire illuminated them vaguely, Rei and Elena continued the conversation between the two of them for another hour¡­¡­soon, Rei stood up from the campfire . ¡¸Well then, I¡¯m going to sleep soon . We will finally be at the lowest floor tomorrow . I don¡¯t want to think about starting while still tired . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡­¡­That¡¯s right . Certainly Rei was more active than anyone else today . You did well . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, then goodnight . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei started to move away from the campfire¡­¡­ ¡¸Rei!¡¹ Suddenly, from behind, he was called with a strong tone . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸That is, today¡¯s¡­¡­no, it¡¯s nothing . I just wanted to say I¡¯ll be relying on you tomorrow . ¡¹ ¡¸? Well, naturally, I don¡¯t intend to do a lousy job . ¡¹ Glancing at Elena¡¯s face with a puzzled look, he wrapped the blanket around himself to finally rest . (Rei¡­¡­I, you¡­¡­no, I¡¯m a bit regretful . ) TLN: I couldn¡¯t translate this sentence too well but the regret here refers to lingering affection kind of regret . Elena shook her head slightly . In this way, the day before they went to the lowest floor passed . Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Legend Chapter 98 ¡¸Everyone is ready . Then we will enter the lowest level immediately . No one should let their guard down . ¡¹ The next day, Elena called out to everyone to ready themselves to go to the last level after they finished their meal . Hearing their orders to go down the stairs in front of them, to the level where their objective was, they all had serious expressions . ¡¸The formation is the same as yesterday . Vel and Kuust in the vanguard . Middle guard is Rei and me . Rear guard is Ara and Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Do you have a moment?¡¹ It was Rei who asked Elena . Kuust¡¯s frowned his eyes slightly at the slightly impolite words but kept silent without saying anything . There had been an incident during breakfast over how Rei spoke to Elena, however, further problems were avoided after Elena said that she had allowed Rei to do so . If Elena hadn¡¯t said that, a death match between Kuust and Rei would probably have happened by now . ¡¸Yes?¡¹ ¡¸I would like to go to the rear guard, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Reason?¡¹ ¡¸I understand that Ara is cautious of surprise attacks, but I can definitely cooperate better with Set if we are actually ambushed . ¡¹ She thought that those words were reasonable . After thinking for a few seconds, she nodded . ¡¸There¡¯s nothing Ara can do in the middle guard¡­¡­that¡¯s right, Vel and Ara in the vanguard . Kuust with me in the middle guard . Rei and Set in the rear guard . Any objections?¡¹ Seeing that no one had any objections in particular, Elena gave a small nod and turned to the stairs to the lowest level . ¡¸Alright, at last, the lowest level . Let¡¯s go . ¡¹ With that deceleration, the party went down the stairs to the lowest level . ¡¸This is the lowest level . ¡¹ Ara, who was in the vanguard, muttered involuntarily when she saw the lowest level . Spread before Ara¡¯s eyes were glowing walls, wide passages and a stone floor, not much different from the levels before . However, atmosphere was definitely different . The walls had detailed carvings, and stone ornaments could be seen hanging from the ceiling . The floor was made of stone, but it was a glossy material, like marble . ¡¸What to say, I feel that all these materials are a step up from the dungeon so far . ¡¹ Kuust nodded at Vel¡¯s words . ¡¸As for the particular material spread on the floor, it¡¯s not something that even nobles can obtain much of . ¡¹ ¡¸Is it so luxurious because the Altar of Inheritance is here, or are the lowest levels of other dungeons different as well¡­¡­¡¹ As everyone looked at the surroundings admiringly, Elena clapped her hands to draw their attention . ¡¸It¡¯s certainly different from what we have seen so far, but it doesn¡¯t matter now . In the end our goal is the Altar of Inheritance . ¡­¡­So, which way do we go . ¡¹ Elena looked around and said that while somewhat troubled . The stairs went down from the sixth level . At the bottom of the stairs, on the seventh level, the lowest level, the passages suddenly extended to the front, back, left and right . ¡¸Perhaps, one of these leads to our target, the Altar of Inheritance . Another should be the boss room which leads to the dungeon nucleus . I don¡¯t know about the remaining two . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ I agree with Rei¡¯s words, Set seemed to say as he gave a cry . While looking on, Elena unconsciously nodded with a smile . ¡¸It¡¯s probably as Rei said . The information gathered beforehand has confirmed those two . ¡­¡­The question is, where is the Altar of Inheritance¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, maybe we should rely on Rei¡¯s intuition as usual?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph . ¡¹ Kuust gave a snort at Vel¡¯s disagreeable words, however he didn¡¯t have any better ideas that he could suggest . ¡¸That¡¯s right . Rei¡¯s intuition has taken care of us many times to get this far . We will rely on it to the end . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I don¡¯t mind . However, even if you call it intuition, in the end I¡¯m making a blind guess . I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that reliable . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you can¡¯t find it using your intuition, it¡¯s my responsibility to make the decision . Rei, there¡¯s no reason for you to be blamed . ¡¹ Saying that to everyone¡­¡­or rather, to Rei as she glanced at Kuust, who was looking at Rei hatefully, Rei had to chose . He looked to the front, rear, left and right passages and chose one¡­¡­ ¡¸Left, I think . ¡¹ ¡¸Alright . Let¡¯s go to the left passage . The formation remains the same . Vel, I¡¯ll leave the traps to you . ¡¹ ¡¸No problem . ¡¹ Vel nodded in his usual light tone and went to the left passage . They advanced down the passage for about 10 minutes . Without meeting any enemies or traps, they arrived in front of a room with a door . A sculpture of a lion was engraved on the door . It seemed to be similar to some sort of magic item . If you were mentally weak, you would have a sense of oppression just by looking at the door . ¡¸A door which is a magic item¡­¡­I, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one . ¡¹ ¡¸The door to Margrave Rowlocks office was also quite good, but after seeing this¡­¡­¡¹ However, it was as expected of the General Princess and her Knight escort under her control . Set was an A rank monster and Rei was an adventurer outside the norm . It seemed that it only gave them a deep impression . ¡¸Well, the question is what¡¯s inside . ¡­¡­Vel . ¡¹ ¡¸Roger that . ¡¹ He checked for any traps and judged there were none after a few seconds . He opened the door slowly and looked inside¡­¡­closing the door the next moment before coming back to Elena with cold sweat on his face . TLN: Nope, nope, nope . ¡¸It¡¯s no use, no use . Inside is a Silver Lion, a S rank monster that even I know . It¡¯s not an opponent we can deal with . ¡¹ ¡¸A Silver Lion!?¡¹ Kuust cried out without thinking when he heard Vel¡¯s words . Even Rei¡¯s face was stunned with astonishment . Silver Lion . As Vel said, it was a S rank monster, and there were extremely few sightings . As for their scarcity, it was because most of them had been killed . It was said that its silver fur, from which its name originates, could nullify most magic attacks and that bladed weapons had little effect as well . Because it was necessary to use blunt impact to its body directly to hurt it rather than cutting it, it was said that if you encountered one without any weapons like hammers or axes, you should bet on the possibility of escaping and run away at full speed . In addition, it also had a roar known as Lion¡¯s Roar . Since it created a shock wave, your eardrums would rupture if you heard it . It was a troublesome skill that deprived your sense of balance . If anything, rather than an ordinary monster, it was something that could be called a legendary existence . TLN: So it¡¯s kinda like the Nemean Lion, except it¡¯s silver ¡¸So, did it notice you?¡¹ As expected, Elena asked with a serious expression . Vel nodded while wiping the large amount of sweat dripping down his forehead . ¡¸Ah . I think it only recognises people who step into the room as enemies . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­By the way, was the Altar of Inheritance inside?¡¹ ¡¸There was nothing like it I could see . However, there was a huge gem like thing at the back¡­¡­probably, I think it¡¯s the dungeon nucleus . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . That explains why this dungeon hasn¡¯t been captured yet . The boss monster is a S ranked Silver Lion . ¡¹ ¡¸Silver Lion¡­¡­that, isn¡¯t that a monster which appears a lot in fairy tales?¡¹ Vel nodded at Ara¡¯s question and Kuust answered with a wry smile . ¡¸Yes, that Silver Lion . ¡­¡­It¡¯s fortunate that it¡¯s not staying at the Altar of Inheritance . Elena-sama, what do we do?¡¹ ¡¸We go back of course . Our goal is not to capture the dungeon, so we don¡¯t have to fight against the monster that is the Silver Lion . ¡¹ Everyone nodded at those words and quickly and noiselessly moved away from the door and back to the stairs . ¡¸Rei¡¯s intuition is sharp . Or should I say, too sharp . Choosing the path to the dungeon boss room only has a 1/4 chance . ¡­¡­But, I would like you to guess the location to the Altar of Inheritance if possible . ¡¹ ¡¸No, even if you say that . I guess it can¡¯t be helped since I chose it by intuition . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Stop it, Vel and Rei . As I said earlier, it was me who told Rei to chose . I also bet on ambiguous things like intuition . That¡¯s why I am responsible . ¡¹ ¡¸Such a thing, Elena-sama . It¡¯s not Elena-sama¡¯s fault . It¡¯s just that fool, Vel¡¯s, complaints . ¡¹ Upset by Elena¡¯s words, Ara said that in a panic while glaring at Vel . ¡¸Hey, Vel . Are you complaining about Elena-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­no, that, it¡¯s my bad . But since I saw a Silver Lion, a S rank monster, can¡¯t you consider my feelings for a bit?¡¹ ¡¸Ara, Vel . You can both stop . You shouldn¡¯t show Elena-sama something so unseemly . ¡¹ Kuust arbitrated between them somehow and they started to discuss the next passage to take . ¡¸Since the left was the boss room, I think the right passage on the opposite side is the correct one . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand what Ara wants to say but I would recommend the passage at the front . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Elena-sama, we won¡¯t come to a decision like this . I think we should have you decide here . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, let¡¯s try the right . ¡¹ Glancing towards Rei for a moment, she decided as she saw him stroke Set¡¯s back . Even if Elena said right, it wouldn¡¯t necessarily be correct . However, she judged that Ara¡¯s words had some credibility . However, she made up her mind after seeing the figure of Rei stroking Set . She felt some sort of sense of security when she saw Rei . Elena, who had lived to battle, still didn¡¯t know what it was . ¡¸Alright, well then, let¡¯s go . Next is the right passage, as I said before . ¡­¡­Since the boss monster protecting the dungeon nucleus was a Silver Lion, I predict that the other monsters in this level are also powerful monsters . Don¡¯t get distracted . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s words, they went down the right passage in single file . And as before, after walking for about 10 minutes, a door came into sight again . ¡¸¡­¡­Now then . How about this time . Vel, please . ¡¹ ¡¸I hope it isn¡¯t a monster at the level of a Silver Lion . ¡¹ Though with a light tone, Vel still inspected the door for traps with a serious expression . After confirming that there were no traps like with the boss room, he gently opened the door . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Alright, it¡¯s the correct place!¡¡We¡¯ve arrived at the Altar of Succession!¡¡There are no monsters inside . ¡¹ After confirming the inside of the room through the barely opened door, he shouted as he swung the door open . ¡¸We¡¯re finally here . ¡¹ Elena looked past the door with a soft expression of relief compared to her usual sharp eyes . What was there was a room that could only be described as a beautiful ceremonial hall . Inside were three magic formations in the shape of a triangle comprised of innumerable green crystals brimming with magic power embedded into the room . Inside that magic formation, there was another one in the center of the triangle, drawing a complex design . And at the center of that magic formation was something like an altar . ¡¸This is¡­¡­the Altar of Inheritance . ¡¹ It was a majestic room that you wouldn¡¯t think would existed in a dungeon . Rei muttered involuntarily while thinking those thoughts . ¡¸Yes, here is the Altar of Inheritance . The place we¡¯ve been aiming for, and in a sense, the place where I will be reborn . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Hearing her murmuring about reincarnation, Rei looked at her beautiful face without thinking . Wondering what Rei was thinking with that look, Elena spoke up with wry smile . ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worried about, I didn¡¯t think Rei would be worried when I said that I would be reborn . ¡­¡­That¡¯s right, we arrived here at the Altar of Inheritance with Rei¡¯s cooperation . It would be good to explain what rituals are done here . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama!?¡¡Duke Kerebel told you to keep the matter a secret to reduce leaks as much as possible¡­¡­¡¹ Though fascinated by the Altar of Inheritance like the others, Kuust, who had still been listening to their conversation interjected unexpectedly . However, Elena shook her head with a wry smile . ¡¸If any ritual is done here, Rei should be able to understand what the Inheritance Ceremony is anyway . So if we tell him now, it won¡¯t be that much of a difference . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand, if Elena-sama says so¡­¡­¡¹ Convincing the reluctant Kuust, Elena continued talking after seeing Vel take out a water bottle from his waist pouch to pass to Kuust after tapping his shoulder . ¡¸The ceremony performed at the Altar of Inheritance . For convenience, it¡¯s called the Inheritance Ceremony . To be brief, it is a ceremony to extract the magic power from a monster¡¯s magic stone and take it as your own . ¡¹ Chapter 99 Chapter 99 After finally arriving at the lowest level of the dungeon, Rei and the others had reached their destination, the Altar of Inheritance . Because of that, Elena explained the ceremony that would be performed at the Altar of Inheritance . The information that it would allow a person to absorb a magic stone¡¯s power was unexpected for Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­You will absorb the power of magic stones?¡¹ Hearing those words, Rei quickly withdrew information from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge . At the very least, he had not heard of such a ceremony . But¡­¡­ (It¡¯s not in Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, it seems . Then it should be ceremony devised in the thousands of years after Zepairu disappeared . It seems similar in result to the Magic Beast Art in terms of absorbing the power of a magic stone . ) ¡¸Umu~ . Monster¡¯s have overwhelmingly stronger physical abilities, magic power and special abilities compared to us humans . Attempts to absorb the power of magic stones, which could be called the core of the monster, into humans have been made before . However, in our kingdom, the success rate is still extremely low as the technique to do so is under research . About 90% of people who have tried were unable to endure the rejection reaction of the large amount magic power and died . Even in the rare case that it was successful, their body would change into a figure influenced by the monster . ¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡¹ At the information explained by Elena, Rei was at a loss for words . But he immediately gathered himself and grasped Elena¡¯s delicate looking shoulders . ¡¸Did you come here to perform such a dangerous ceremony!?¡¹ At that frantic action, Elena gave a smile that was between a smile and a wry smile . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . What I just explained was there case where only mages and researchers were conducting the ceremony . As I said earlier, this technology is still undeveloped in our kingdom . It hasn¡¯t reached the level that it could be performed easily on people . Only one place has reached that level . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is?¡¹ ¡¸The Altar of Inheritance . There are some occasions where such a place, named by mages and researchers, will appear rarely in a dungeon . ¡­¡­like here . The ceremony done at the Altar of Inheritance is a different existence compared with what the researchers do . No, to be exact, it should be said that researchers analysed the ceremony of the Altar of Inheritance and were unable to replicate it perfectly . ¡¹ Elena glanced at the Altar at the center of the magic formation for an instant . ¡¸As I said, the Inheritance Ceremony carried out using this Altar can be considered a completely different thing from the ceremonies performed by the mages and researchers . For example, you could consider the difference to be like the difference between a pebble and a meteorite hitting the road, a spark and hellfire, a water drop and the ocean or a breeze and a tornado . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Instead of example, please tell me the specifics . What exactly will happen when you perform the ceremony at this Altar of Succession . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, there will be no change in appearance due to the the influence of the magic stone . According to one theory, the change in appearance is due to the procedure used when the subject absorbs the power of the magic stone . If you perform it on the original, the Altar of Inheritance, such things can¡¯t happen . In addition, it allows the subject to absorb the pure magic power of the magic stone . ¡­¡­Well, to put it briefly, would it be easier to understand if I said that people who perform this ceremony at the Altar of Inheritance will become an existence one step higher than humans?¡¹ Elena explained while watching Kuust and Vel, who were investigating the ceremonial altar to prepare the ceremony . ¡¸If it¡¯s such a great ceremony, why hasn¡¯t it spread around?¡¹ ¡¸Although it is spreading, it¡¯s still limited to kingdoms who have actually completed the technique . Unfortunately, in the Mireana Kingdom, it is still under study . The mortality rate is too high and the best we can do is experiment on death row criminals . In addition, they are promised a pardon and will be permitted to enter into the army if they survive . However, the story is different with the Altar of Inheritance . Once the ceremony is completed, the altar will collapse, so only one person can undergo the Inheritance Ceremony . As far as has been confirmed so far, its success rate is 100% . ¡¹ ¡¸Even so, why do you, the representative of the Nobles Faction, have to do it?¡¡No, if you were just a representative that would be fine . But you are the successor of Duke Kerebel, a central figure in the Nobles Faction . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s because of that . ¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸Although it is a large group of nobles, a lot of them have only joined to learn about the inner circumstances . If something happens, there¡¯s a high possibility that they will go over to the Royalist Faction, there are also other with connections to other countries . ¡­¡­Fortunately, I should say that the number of traitors are few . Still, there is the possibility of betrayal, we cannot recklessly give an individual such vast power from the Inheritance Ceremony . That is why, I, who could be called the representative of the Nobles Faction, challenged this dungeon with so few people . ¡¹ ¡¸Still, did Duke Kerebel himself realise that this would make his daughter an existence beyond a human?¡¹ ¡¸That is so . I will not dispute that . I don¡¯t know what he thought, but at the very least, I challenged the dungeon knowing all this . As as I said earlier, if this ceremony succeeds, I will become an existence biologically above humans . I am the representative of the Nobles Faction . ¡¡When considering the advantages and disadvantages obtained by doing this, it is impossible for my father to hesitate¡­¡­if he had hesitated, I would have despised him for it . ¡¹ As Elena said that, a strong will could be felt from her eyes . However, her eyes suddenly softened and smile appeared on her face . Rei¡¯s face reddened unconsciously and he turned his eyes to the side, incidentally seeing Vel hand over a water bottle to Kuust . ¡¸You can relax, there have been several people who have conducted the Inheritance Ceremony so far . ¡­¡­However, the magic stones that they inherited were only from B rank monster . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What magic stone are you going to absorb?¡¹ ¡¸Do you want to know?¡¡¡­¡­This is it . ¡¹ With the soft smile that she had before changed into a mischievous smile as she took out a single magic stone from her waist pouch . It was a golden magic stone, about the size of a person¡¯s face . Even just looking from the side, you could feel a powerful magic power from it . It should be noted that Elena¡¯s waist pouch had it¡¯s capacity increased with spatial magic . However, it¡¯s capacity wasn¡¯t infinite like the Misty Ring, about the size of a small room, 2 Tatami in Rei¡¯s measurements . Even so, it was a very expensive magic item that was difficult for ordinary nobles to obtain . TLN: 2 Tatami is about 3 . 3 m^2 ¡¸This is¡­¡­a golden magic stone?¡¡It¡¯s huge . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s an heirloom passed down our house, the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon . ¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡¹ Rei unexpectedly cried out at the words Ancient Dragon . In any case, most intelligent dragons were S rank monster, but only an intelligent dragon that had lived for a thousand years was called an Ancient Dragon . Their rank was about the same or even greater than Grimm, the Lich Lord that Rei become acquainted with on the fifth floor . ¡¸It was a magic stone taken from an Ancient Dragon that a Duke Kerebel from dozens of generations ago had led a team of knights to subdue . It became an heirloom passed down as a family treasure of our house . I will inherit the power of this magic stone from an Ancient Dragon with this Inheritance Ceremony . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is it really okay?¡¹ ¡¸Fu~ . Rei is quite the worrying person . Didn¡¯t I say that there had been no failures so far with the ceremony used at the Altar of Inheritance?¡¹ ¡¸But weren¡¯t those from B rank monsters?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Certainly there might be some danger . However, it is best to do this sooner . A war with the Bestir Empire will occur in the near future and an overwhelming power is needed . In addition, as you know, I am the representative of the Nobles Faction . If a situation occurs that I lose to an enemy¡­¡­you probably understand what would happen?¡¹ The military renown of the General Princess was heralded in neighbouring countries . Right now, Elena was probably the most famous person in the Nobles Faction¡­¡­or rather in the entire Mireana Kingdom . If she was defeated in the battlefield by an enemy, it was easy for Rei to guess that the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s morale would drop to irrecoverable levels . ¡¸And above all¡­¡­as I said earlier, we only have a simplifed Inheritance Ceremony . The Bestir Empire has the technology . However, they haven¡¯t been able to make it easy enough to perform the ceremony on a large scale¡­¡­still, they seem to have enough people to use them as soldiers . Originally, the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s national power was weaker than the Bestir Empire¡¯s . If we are defeated in military power as well, we will lose for sure . According to the information my father obtained about the approaching war, the next group of people to complete the Inheritance Ceremony will be participating in the war . Our magic technology is inferior to theirs, it is difficult to increase our numbers using a simplified Inheritance Ceremony . Our only hope in competing is if a high quality warrior or a knight can successfully absorb the magic power from the magic stone of the Ancient Dragon using the Altar of Inheritance¡­¡­in other words, me . ¡¹ Looking into her eyes, Rei tried to speak out, but stopped . He instinctively understood that Elena¡¯s determination wouldn¡¯t waver no matter what he said . ¡¸Elena-sama, it¡¯s about time for the ceremony . ¡¹ Hearing Kuust call out, Elena nodded . Holding the magic stone of the Ancient Dragon in her hand, she gently placed it on the altar at the center of the magic formation . ¡¸Rei and Set . I basically won¡¯t be able to move during the ceremony . Because of that, if any trouble occurs and monsters stray here, I¡¯ll leave them to you . The other three, Ara, Vel and Kuust won¡¯t be able to move either in order to perform the Inheritance Ceremony . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . If a monster comes, no matter what may come, I will protect you by all means . You can start the ceremony with peace of mind . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei nodded and Set gave a cry to show his determination . ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry . I leave our lives in your hands . ¡¹ Elena said that and stood in at the center of the magic formation surrounding the altar . Watching her, Ara, Vel and Kuust nodded at each other as they sat down at each of the three magic formations that were located around the magic formation the altar was at . ¡¸Rei, I¡¯m sorry but could you step away from the magic formations so that the ceremony doesn¡¯t fail by accident . Although I think I¡¯ve mentioned it, there is only one opportunity . Whether the ceremony fails or succeeds, the Altar of Inheritance will still crumble away without a doubt . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . I will watch out ofr monsters near the entrance . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Rei nodded at Vel¡¯s words and went with Set to the entrance of the room . While grasping the Death Scythe, he leaned against the door to the room as he watched the outside . The ceremony seemed to have began as an intense light was emitted from behind him . (The ceremony has started it seems . As I told them earlier, I should do what I can to stop monster from entering this room . ) The moment Rei thought that, Rei felt an intense pressure in addition to the light coming from behind him . Interested, he turned around to take a look . The three magic formations around the altar were emitting a green light . Magic power was transferred to the magic formation at the center, where Elena was standing with her eyes closed . As the magical light grew brighter every few seconds, the magic stone of the Ancient Dragon, which had been placed on the altar started emitting a golden light that did not lose out in brightness¡­¡­and the next moment, the green light was absorbed by the magic stone . It was no exaggeration to say that the ceremony taking place before Rei¡¯s eyes was a fantastical sight . Originally, Rei should have been wary of monsters, but now his gaze was pinned towards the Altar of Inheritance . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set was also attracted to the ceremony and watched as the golden magic stone absorbed the green light . The absorption was completed several minutes after the golden magic stone had started to absorb the green light from the magic formations . The only light that was now being emitted was from the magic stone of the Ancient Dragon, which released an overwhelming presence into its surroundings . And Elena, who had her eyes closed as she was bathed in the light, seemed to lose consciousness . Soon, the light being emitted from the Ancient Dragon¡¯s magic stone grew even stronger¡­¡­the magic stone started to break apart as it emitted the light . And¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ It was probably because Rei was fascinated by the ceremony that he noticed the movement . Yes, three magic formations surrounded the Altar of Inheritance . Originally, none of them should have moved from their magic formation until the ceremony was finished, but for some reason, one of them had casually stepped out . After that, they turned towards Elena and took out a dagger from their chest pocket and held it in their hand¡­¡­ ¡¸What are you doing Vel!?¡¹ At first Rei had thought that it was part of the ceremony . However, when he saw Ara standing on the magic formation with a startled expression, he noticed that it was abnormal and shouted out loudly . Even though Ara noticed Vel¡¯s movements, if Ara moved from her magic formation as well, the Inheritance Ceremony would no longer be able to be maintained . What would happen to Elena¡¯s body, she did not know . Because of that, she swung the only weapon she had and threw the Power Axe towards Vel . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Such an attack, did you think I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid it?¡¹ Vel shifted a little to avoid the axe that flew at him and approached the Altar of Inheritance . ¡¸Originally, I wanted to kill Elena first, but it would probably be best to destroy this since she has already inherited the power of the magic stone to some extent . ¡¹ Muttering, he swung his dagger down at the magic stone¡­¡­ ¡¸Do you think you can do that!¡¹ At that moment, Rei used his physical strength to close the gap to Vel¡­¡­ ¡¸Do it . ¡¹ Vel¡¯s short command sounded and a magic spear struck Rei from the side as he was swinging down the Death Scythe . Chapter 100 Chapter 100 During the Inheritance Ceremony, Vel suddenly took out a dagger and tried to destroy the magic stone of the Ancient Dragon. Although Rei rushed towards him as soon as he saw that, a magic spear was stabbed at him just one step before Vel entered the Death Scythe¡¯s range. He instinctively sensed danger at Vel¡¯s words and forcibly shifted his body. Still, the magic spear that stabbed out from behind him still gave a strong impact to his side. Fortunately for him, Rei was wearing a magic item, the Dragon Robe. At first glance it looked like an ordinary robe, but its true identity was of a highest quality item made by sewing two layers of dragon skin over dragon scales, it boasted one of the highest magical and physical defenses. Its defensive power was much greater than that of plate mail. Thanks to that, it didn¡¯t become a situation where the magic spear penetrated into his flank. ¡¸Damn, w-what!?¡¹ However, even if it didn¡¯t stab into him, the impact couldn¡¯t be ignored. And for Rei, who was still trying to swing the Death Scythe, the blow broke his balance. Nevertheless, he still didn¡¯t fall to the ground, it was probably due to Rei¡¯s extremely high physical abilities that he managed to keep himself up with his hands. When Rei reflexively looked back, the sight of Kuust thrusting his magic spear towards him filled his vision. ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set answered Rei¡¯s shout and tried to slash his claws in from the side¡­¡­ ¡¸No, Rei-dono!¡¡If Kuust is taken out of the magic formation now, there will be a bad effect on Elena¡¯s ceremony!¡¹ ¡¸Tch, Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Probably understanding what Rei wanted, Set stopped his attack from the side and slammed Kuust down into the magic formation instead, holding him down to stop him from moving. Confirming that, he dashed forward again towards Vel¡­¡­ ¡¸You¡¯re a bit too late.¡¹ With a ridiculing smile on his face, he swung his dagger down at the magic stone, which had already shrunk by 70%, without any hesistation. ¡¸Stop ittttttttttt!¡¹ Shouting out, Rei swung the Death Scythe even though he knew he wouldn¡¯t make it in time¡­¡­ ¡¸Oops. That¡¯s dangerous, very dangerous.¡¹ Vel stabbed his dagger into the magic stone, destroying it before jumping backwards and taking some distance from Rei. ¡¸Vel!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t get so angry. Even I didn¡¯t like what I had to do. ¡­¡­However, it¡¯s a pity. It was the only hope to save the Mireana Kingdom. Now it will be impossible to compete against the Bestir Empire.¡¹ Rei ground his teeth as Vel told him with a big smile. ¡¸More than that, don¡¯t you have to look behind you?¡¹ Rei turned to look back for a moment. Maybe due to the fact that the ceremony was forcibly interrupted half way, he saw that Ara, Kuust¡­¡­even Elena had lost consciousness and had collapsed on the magic formation. Seeing that situation, he grasped the handle of the Death Scythe tightly in his hands. (Calm down. Right now, it¡¯s better to collect information than to kill him.) Muttering in his mind, he calmed his raging heart. ¡¸¡­¡­Why?¡¹ ¡¸Now then, what is all this for you ask?¡¹ Rei and Vel. Vel was superior in ability as a thief, but if you considered pure fighting strength, Vel couldn¡¯t even reach Rei¡¯s feet. Even so, Vel had a smile on his face, he was smiling as if watching a fun performance. While having doubts, he kept talking to try to gather more information. ¡¸You were a member of Elena¡¯s Knight escort?¡¡And yet, why would you come here and betray her?¡¹ ¡¸What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want questions in reply to questions.¡¹ Bang~, Rei wielded the Death Scythe threateningly. ¡¸Whoops, I don¡¯t stand a chance if we have to fight. I see, I¡¯ll answer then. Well then, why do you think I betrayed Elena here?¡¹ ¡¸If you think about the probable assumptions, you¡¯ve turned to the Bestir Empire¡¯s side.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s only half of it. The correct answer is that not just me, but my whole house has turned to the Bestir Empire¡¯s side.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Your house, is it?¡¡According to the story I¡¯ve heard, your house should have been nobles as well?¡¡I¡¯ve heard that you also have a close relationship to Duke Kerebel, a central figure in the Nobles Faction, the second largest faction next to the Royalists.¡¹ ¡¸That is the case. But my thoughts aside, my father does not believe that the Mireana Kingdom can compete with the Bestir Empire. There are several reasons for this, but the biggest reason is technology. Though I think you heard it from Elena after reaching the Altar of Succession, though it¡¯s simplified, the Bestir Empire has established an Inheritance Ceremony and has already had a number of people undergo it. Ah, by the way, I can tell you that soldiers who endured the Inheritance Ceremony are called ¡ºDemon Soldiers¡». ¡­¡­I think it¡¯s simple.¡¹ ¡¸Demon Soldiers. So you decided that there was no chance of winning and defected.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Well, that is my father¡¯s opinion, I¡¯m different.¡¹ Vel kept explaining with a smile on his face. ¡¸In that case, why did you turn traitor? Haven¡¯t you also been acquainted with Elena for a long time?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s been roughly five years since I joined Duke Kerebel¡¯s Knights.¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯ve lived with each other for such a long time, then naturally there should be feelings. Besides, aren¡¯t you Knights that also serve as Elena¡¯s escorts?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s no mistake. But¡­¡­¡¹ As he said that, Vel¡¯s smile suddenly changed. If it was said that his smile up until now had been an amused smile, now it was like the smile of a madman. ¡¸I just thought about it. It¡¯s nice to kill people from the Bestir Empire by being part of the Mireana Kingdom as it is. But a person on the Bestir Empires side seems to have more possibilities to kill people.¡¹ ¡¸A sadistic murderer.¡¹ ¡¸Oh?¡¡That title is good. Yep, in the future I¡¯ll use that. Vel Sails, the sadistic murderer.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s not something I can say but, what is the fun in killing people?¡¹ Rei himself had killed all the members of Dark Night¡¯s Star during the attack on the Orc village. Even in the rank up test, he had killed bandits. However, he only killed them because it was necessary. He had never felt pleasure in the act of killing people. Because of that, he couldn¡¯t understand the man before him. ¡¸Eh? ¡¡It¡¯s fun. Ending a person¡¯s life with your own hands, touching their skin and cutting it and their flesh. The scream that comes out when you stab your knife into a living person and break their bones!¡¡And the face of their despair when you cut out their organs and show them their lungs!¡¡¡­¡­Ahh, I can¡¯t bear it any longer.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I was an idiot to talk with a madman.¡¹ ¡¸Madman, I don¡¯t need you to compliment me so much. Of course, you¡¯re wondering why I would side with the Bestir Empire. As I said earlier, there is a technique to make Demon Soldiers over there. Also, it isn¡¯t a low level technology with a high failure rate like here in the Mireana Kingdom, but a technology with a high success rate. If I became a Demon Soldier over there, what kind of abilities would I gain?¡¡Could I dissolve a person with strong acid?¡¡Mentioning that, there¡¯s also the tentacles like the Emerald Wolves. It isn¡¯t too fascinating though to be able to change my body size like a Spriggan¡­¡­no, it might not be so bad to enjoy the looks of despair if you pretend to be a small child to approach them and then transform into a giant in front of them.¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s definitely a madman.¡¹ While muttering, he turned to look at the unconscious Kuust, whom Set was still holding down just in case. ¡¸So, what did you do to Kuust?¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¡Originally, Kuust hated you, isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s different. Certainly he disliked or hated me. However, his love and respect of Elena was still greater than his dislike or hatred of me. Do you think he would obstruct someone who was attacking someone else who was likely to cause harm to Elena, who was his superior?¡¹ Though Kuust thoroughly despised and spurned Rei, the respect that he gave to his superior, Elena, was genuine. Maybe it was feelings of love, or that he was attracted to her fame as the General Princess, or maybe because she was someone as the center of the Nobles Faction, Rei didn¡¯t know. However, he had no doubt his respect was real. If that wasn¡¯t the case, perhaps Kuust would already have been slashed by the Death Scythe by now. ¡¸I see, I see. It¡¯s unexpected that though you disliked each other, you still believe in him. Let me give you a hint. What¡¯s this?¡¹ Saying that, he removed a bottle of water from his waist pouch. However, when he saw that bottle, Rei recalled some things. Hadn¡¯t he seen Vel hand over a water bottle to Kuust, then drank from it, several times after entering the dungeon? ¡¸Did you use some sort of magical potion?¡¹ Rei muttered, but was puzzled in his mind. (I recall Vel handing that bottle of water over to Kuust. However, at that time, Vel had drank from it himself as well.) ¡¸Congratulations, correct answer!¡¡As you said, Kuust¡¯s actions became strange after drinking this magic potion.¡¹ ¡¸But, you ought to have drank from that bottle as well?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, you were paying attention. But, do you not know that there are antidotes for magic potions?¡¹ ¡¸So you manipulated Kuust without the effects of the magic potion affecting yourself.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But I only made Kuust drink the magic potion, I can¡¯t do anything if the person rejects it in his mind. There must be a desire to do something in his subconscious, like the first time I ordered him. Well, I didn¡¯t think that Kuust¡¯s unconscious hatred against you was that great.¡¹ Roar-! Rei swung the Death Scythe in his hands. A roar echoed around as its speed split the air. ¡¸That¡¯s good enough, shut up. I only know one thing after I listening to your story.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¡You should kill me before I escape to the Bestir Empire because I¡¯m dangerous?¡¹ Isn¡¯t that natural?¡¡Vel seemed to say as he questioned Rei, but Rei shook his head. ¡¸No. I don¡¯t mind that. Just watching you makes me feel uncomfortable. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll kill you here! Flying Slash!¡¹ It was the easiest skill to use from the Death Scythe, in addition, the power of the skill was relatively high. The Death Scythe was swung down, slashing through the air towards Vel. While watching death approaching in the form of that slash, Vel still smiled crazily¡­¡­ ¡¸What!?¡¹ It was not Vel who said that¡­¡­but Rei. Rei unconsciously gave a cry as he looked towards Vel. Some sort of vividly purple tentacles which had appeared to block the slash from Rei were torn apart. The tips of the tentacle that tried to block the Flying Slash were cut and soon fell to the ground. However, another one immediately took its place and stretched out to defend Vel. The source of the tentacles was the inner pocket of Vel¡¯s leather armour. ¡¸Ahahahaha. That¡¯s too bad. This is a magical creature made by the alchemists of the Bestir Empire to serve as escorts. It will be hard to deal with this fellow if you have too little strength.¡¹ With a look of ridicule, Vel turned to look at Rei. In his eyes, he had a look of distorted pleasure as the powerful person in front of him would soon become prey to kill. But¡­¡­ ¡¸What about it?¡¹ He was not confused or panicking. At Rei¡¯s extremely calm reply, Vel frowned his eyebrows unpleasantly. ¡¸What are you talking about. Your attacks can¡¯t reach me, why are you so calm?¡¹ ¡¸Well then, I wonder. Certainly my attack had no effect on you. However, you seem to have forgotten that the skill you blocked isn¡¯t the only one I have. In addition¡­¡­even if my attack was ineffective, your attacks would be the same. Even though Kuust ambushed me, I didn¡¯t take any damage. Your attacks are overwhelming inferior to Kuust¡¯s, what are you going to do?¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, but that might not be so. However, you only blocked Kuust¡¯s attack because of your robe right?¡¡If that¡¯s so, I can just aim for the face, and limbs that the robe doesn¡¯t cover.¡¹ He took a dagger out from his chest. It was obvious from the purple blade that it wasn¡¯t an ordinary dagger. ¡¸Poison Knife. It¡¯s a high level magic item. It has the wonderful effect that if you are even scratched, your body will be paralyzed for about ten minutes¡­¡­can you counter that Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Well, even if you say that it¡¯s a powerful magic item, there will still only be an effect if you scratch my face, hands or feet. In the first place, do you even think you can fight me in melee combat?¡¡With your bow and knife, you could only attack from the rear, but now there¡¯s no one to act as a shield for you. Are you going to leave that to your tentacles?¡¹ Rei provoked Vel by clearly pointing out his weakness. However, Vel still kept his smile as he heard Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸Yes, you¡¯re right, that is true. In that case, I just have to make a vanguard.¡¹ Pachi~, Vel snapped his fingers. And the next moment. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set¡¯s somewhat confused cry could be heard and Rei immediately jumped to the side. The next moment, something went through the place Rei was at just a moment before. And as Rei avoided it, that something passed him by and stood between Rei and Vel. ¡¸¡­¡­Kuust.¡¹ Chapter 101 Chapter 101 A man stood between Rei and Vel . It was Kuust, who had also intercepted Rei earlier when he had been about to attack Vel . However, there was no light of consciousness in his eyes . The way Kuust stood before him, Rei feel that Kuust had no control over himself . ¡¸Here, this solves the problem of the wall . ¡¹ Standing behind Kuust, Vel turned to look towards Rei with the same crazy smile as before . But¡­¡­ ¡¸He certainly can be used as a wall for you . However, in the end, it¡¯s Kuust . As you already know, in terms of pure ability, there¡¯s an overwhelming difference between my and Kuust . But you¡¯re still going to leave the role of the wall to just Kuust?¡¹ While saying that to provoke him on purpose, Rei focused his mind on the two other people who had fainted . (If Elena and Ara are also being manipulated somehow, judging from Vel¡¯s character, he would show his cards here to brag¡­¡­) Rei tried to watch the area all around himself so that he wouldn¡¯t miss anything but Vel¡¯s reply was unexpected . ¡¸Certainly, in an ordinary situation, Kuust can¡¯t beat you . ¡­¡­But, what if he wasn¡¯t in his normal state?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸In the first place, if a magic potion is used to control a person¡¯s consciousness, can you predict the person¡¯s abilities?¡¡For example, ignoring the movement of the body during fighting, a person¡¯s thoughts during battle are not as obvious if they are being manipulated . ¡­¡­Well, there are more sophisticated magic potions in this world than the one I used, there¡¯s also one that allows a person to be manipulated without directly controlling them . Unfortunately, the magic potion I used isn¡¯t as great as that . ¡­¡­Really, I think such things should be spread out, the Bestir Empire is too careful with minor things like this . The Mantis was also great . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The Mantis, was it?¡¹ Mantis . The first thing that came into his mind at those words was the huge monster that they had encountered on the way to the dungeon from Gimuru . Using something like optical camouflage, it had blended into the surroundings to wait for them . The monster had then melted away and disappeared as soon as they had defeated it, destroying the evidence . ¡¸I see, that was informative . You were surprised then as well though . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm?¡¡Ahh, that¡¯s different . It¡¯s true that the monster is the work of an alchemist from the Bestir Empire, but I had nothing to do with it . Or should I say, Even if you say that I have betrayed the Mireana Kingdom, given a chance to kill Elena, the General Princess, I don¡¯t think you need to considered which has a higher priority . ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, you were as good as a sacrifice . ¡¹ Though Rei said that to provoke him even more, Vel took it in stride and paid no attention to it . ¡¸Well, something like that . That¡¯s fine with me . If I am treated like a sacrifice and I die, then it¡¯s because I was only an existence at that level . Of course, I have no intention to lose quietly . ¡­¡­It seems that you¡¯ve been stalling for time for a while, whether it¡¯s Elena, Ara or Kuust, I don¡¯t think they will wake up so easily?¡¡Besides, you weren¡¯t the only one stalling for time either . ¡­¡­It¡¯s about time . ¡¹ While showing a smile, he took a whistle from his pocket . The moment he saw that whistle, an unpleasant feeling went up Rei¡¯s spine¡­¡­ ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set released a Wind Arrow at the same time Rei shouted to him . Rei ran past Kuust as Kuust blocked the wind arrow with a water spell from his magic spear . As Vel brought the whistle to his mouth, Rei swung the Death Scythe at him . ¡­¡­No, the moment he was about to swing it down, tentacles sprung out and completely covered Vel while several egg shaped things, a few centimeters thick each, were shot towards Rei . ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Rei, almost on reflex, either avoided them or tore through them with the Death Scythe, but in that gap, Rei leapt back and took some distance from Rei . He then took a deep breath and blew heavily into the whistle in his hand . Piiiiiii~, as the high pitched sound echoed into the surroundings, Set, who had been releasing wind arrows constantly, leapt away from his current location . And the next moment¡­¡­ Roar-!¡¡Something about the same size as a human let out a roar as it landed where Set had been just before . If Set has hesitated slightly on whether to shoot one more wind arrow before moving, it would have been Set¡¯s back that would have been crushed instead of the pavement . ¡¸¡­¡­Is that also one of the fruits of alchemy?¡¹ Rei retreated with Set and spoke as he looked at the thing which had appeared further away from Vel and Kuust . ¡¸Yes, yes . This is something that was lent to me by the Bestir Empire for this mission . It¡¯s a so called Golem . Well, just by looking at it you can tell, but it¡¯s much faster than an ordinary Golem . Any how, let alone Rei, even Set didn¡¯t sense it following us . ¡¹ Golem . It was an artificial life form that could be made from various materials such as stone, dirt, wood or bones . Although it was an artificial life form, it basically had no emotion or will, it simply handled the orders given to it by its master . It gave Rei the impression of a robot . And, the Golem before Rei was certainly quite different from what he knew of them from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge or the books that he had read in the library . First of all, its size was different . ALthough ordinary Golems were about 3m tall, This Golem was only as tall as Rei . That is, about 1 . 6m . Half the size of a normal Golem . (Golem¡­¡­or rather, maybe it should be called an Automata . No, such a concept doesn¡¯t exist in this world, so maybe it is a Golem . ) He though of that in his mind as he held the Death Scythe against the Golem standing in front of him and Set . (Esta Nord, the alchemist of Zepairu¡¯s organisation may have been able to make a Golem at this level . ¡­¡­But according to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, it seems that he was passionate about the development of magic items and not really interested in Golems . ) ¡¸Even if you include this Golem, I think it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m still at an advantage . Set can fight the Golem and I can deal with you and Kuust . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, well, it certainly is so if you consider it normally . ¡­¡­If you consider it normally that is . ¡¹ While saying that, he took a gem shaped like a triangular pyramid, a few centimeters tall, from his pocket . Rei thought that it was a magic stone for a moment, but it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t a magic stone due to its shape . ¡¸Are you worried about this?¡¡This thing, I can use it like this¡­¡­-!¡¹ He swung his hand that held the triangular pyramid shaped gem down¡­¡­at Kuust¡¯s neck . And¡­¡­ ¡¸GAH-, GAAAAaaaaaAAaaa¡ª!!¡¹ The moment the tip of the gem struck him, the gem entered Kuust¡¯s body from his neck, as if it were a living thing . At the same time, Kuust released a beast like scream . ¡¸Hm?¡¡I wonder if the impact was stronger than I though?¡¡Did he regain consciousness?¡¹ Vel turned to look at Kuust with eyes as if he was looking at an interesting performance . The next moment, the colour of delight filled his eyes . ¡¸Wh-¡­¡­what, I, what is going on?¡¡The pain in my body¡­¡­¡¹ Yes, Kuust, who should have fainted, had woken up . And, noticing Vel looking at him with interested eyes, remember the events before he had fainted at the same time . ¡¸Vel, you-!¡¡¡­¡­What!?¡¹ Kuust reflexively tried to stab Vel with his magic spear and noticed the next moment that he couldn¡¯t move his body from the neck down . ¡¸Vel, what have you done to me!¡¹ Kuust glared and Vel strongly . If you could kill people with looks, perhaps Kuust¡¯s eyes, which were will with hatred, would have killed Vel by now . ¡¸What, you don¡¯t remember anything?¡¡Here, didn¡¯t you drink water from my bottle several times?¡¡There was a magic potion in there . Ah, I will say this before you ask, but I¡¯m fine as I¡¯ve drank an antidote . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You, what did you do all this for . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that is already settled . In order to get preferential treatment over at the Bestir Empire, I need the head of the General Princess, who has been a thorn in their side . ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯ve had a hard time?¡¡First of all, Elena is usually sharp . You and Ara are the other Knights escorting her so I couldn¡¯t get any helpers . ¡­¡­Then, the information on the Altar of Inheritance came in . Due to the special requirement of the ceremony, I had expected it to be just the three of us and one more person sent by Margrave Rowlocks due to the location of the dungeon . I was correct . However, my biggest miscalculation was suggesting to my father that we limit the extra person to a D rank adventurer . To think that a person like Rei, who was beyond my imagination, would be in D rank . ¡¹ The sound of teeth grinding together could be heard . The source of the sound was natural . ¡¸You¡­¡­you have no pride as a noble!¡¹ ¡¸Pride?¡¡To me, pride is worth less than dust . Thanks to that pride I couldn¡¯t kill anyone except in wars . ¡¹ ¡¸Damn!¡¹ ¡¸Now then, that¡¯s enough explanation I guess?¡¡Well, shall we bring a close to this performance?¡¹ Vel snapped his fingers . Kuust¡¯s body started to move without his permission and he turned to point the magic spear in his hand at Rei . ¡¸What!?¡¹ ¡¸This is the effect of the magic potion that you drank . Furthermore¡­¡­¡¹ Snapping his fingers again, the next moment, Kuust dashed towards Rei and thrust his magic spear at him . ¡¸Ugh, avoid it!¡¹ While being to forced to move his body, Kuust shouted at Rei . As he couldn¡¯t receive the attack directly, Rei dodged it, passing him by so that he would strike Vel with the Death Scythe . That was his intention¡­¡­ ¡ºWhat!?¡» Rei and Kuust let out surprised voices at the same time . For Rei, it was because the magic spear was thrust at him at a speed which was incomparable to previous thrusts he had seen in the dungeon so far . For Kuust, it was because his body was moving faster, more skillfully and stronger than before . At the magic spear which thrust out sharply, Rei reflexively parried it with the Death Scythe . ¡¸Ahahahahaha . Surprised?¡¡I was surprised!¡¡Currently, Kuust¡¯s physical abilities has been double compared to usual¡­¡­no, it is three times greater . Do you understand, that¡¯s why I¡¯m still so calm . ¡¹ While listening to Vel shouting it out proudly, Rei avoided and blocked the continuous thrusts from Kuust¡¯s magic spear . The battle between the Golem and Set had started a bit further away from there . Avoiding the attacks of the long sword that the Golem held, Set counter attacked by using his sharp claws to repeatedly strike the Golem¡¯s shield . ¡¸Vel, you-!¡¡Freely controlling my body¡­¡­I absolutely cannot permit it!¡¹ Kuust shouted as if he was overcome with rage, but Vel looked on at Kuust and Rei¡¯s fight interestingly as if the anger had nothing to do with him . ¡¸Hey, hey, is it fine to look at me? Your body is still facing Rei without your control . ¡¹ ¡¸Damn!¡¹ Kuust thrust out three times at Rei¡¯s belly, chest and throat . Rei parried them with the handle of the Death Scythe . His face no longer had the anxiety that he had felt a few second ago . Even if Vel could boost Kuust¡¯s physical abilities and manipulate him freely, in the end, he was still doing it by force and manipulating him by force . It didn¡¯t mean that Vel had mastered the art of spear fighting that Kuust had learned . (No, to be exact, he used the power of the gem to forcibly raise Kuust¡¯s physical abilities to make up for his lack of proficiency . ) While thinking that, he thrust the handle of the Death Scythe into the ground as a shield to block Kuust¡¯s incoming spear thrust aimed at his right foot . ¡¸Gah~!¡¹ Despite Kuust had his physical abilities boosted, the Death Scythe weighed over a 100kg and Rei had a physical strength above the norm . The attack had originally aimed to knock Rei off his feet but Kuust felt his strengthened hands go numb when he stuck the handle of the Death Scythe . However, he didn¡¯t stop . Rotating on the spot, using the momentum from the parried attack, he tried to hit Rei¡¯s left side with the magic spear . Rei promptly ducked down and moved back to avoid it . Making sure that the magic spear had passed in front of him, he dashed forward to get within a suitable attacking distance to Kuust . ¡¸Don¡¯t die . ¡¹ While muttering that, he hammered the handle of the Death Scythe into Kuust¡¯s stomach . The attack was meant to knock Kuust out¡­¡­ ¡¸G-Gah-!¡¹ But Kuust kept his consciousness even after being struck in the stomach . It was true that Kuust was equipped with a full set of plate armour, which had a high defensive power . However, that attack had even broken his armour before striking him in the stomach . Normally, he should have fainted right away after being struck by that, but Kuust kept his consciousness as his face distorted in agony . ¡¸Ahahahahahahaha . It¡¯s impossible, impossible . The current Kuust can¡¯t faint¡­¡­no, that¡¯s not possible . He¡¯s been strengthened . However, as compensation, his entire body should be feeling terrible pain . Hey, Kuust . How do you feel?¡¡You can¡¯t control your body and you can¡¯t lose consciousness . Isn¡¯t it a terrible humiliation for someone with a lot of pride like you?¡¹ Finding it funny, Vel started to laugh . ¡¸¡­¡­-ill . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡Did you say something?¡¡I don¡¯t want to hear any whining from someone who has been trying to kill me . ¡¹ ¡¸Kill me¡­¡­destroy him!¡¡Rei!¡¹ Chapter 102 Chapter 102 With his body manipulated by Vel, Kuust shouted at Rei . To kill him and defeat Vel . Vel heard his should and burst into laughter unintentionally . ¡¸Kukukuku~ . Ahahahaha~!¡¡Kuust!¡¡Your pride as a noble is so great, Kuust!¡¡To ask Rei, who you hate so much, to kill you!¡¡Ahahahahaha . Hehehehehe . No, it¡¯s useless . I¡¯ll die from laughing . Wow, my sides¡­¡­I-I see . Are you trying to kill me with laughter?¡¡If so, that will definitely work!¡¹ Vel laughed loudly while holding his sides . However, Kuust did not look at that as turned to Rei, who was dodging and blocking his continuous attacks . ¡¸¡­¡­Please, kill me . Then slay him . If you were hired as Elena¡¯s escort, then do your duty!¡¹ Rei checked his surroundings as he moved his head by a few cm, avoiding a stab at his face by a hair¡¯s breadth . Further away, the fight between Set and the Golem was still going fiercely . It could be said that the battle was hanging on a fine balance . The shield of the Golem had already become tattered and some scars could be seen on the Golem itself . On the other hand, Set had been lightly injured by the Golem¡¯s sword when they had mutually struck each other . The injuries he had suffered were already healing due to the effect of the magic item he wore on his neck, Love of Shizukuishi . Because of that, it was clear at a glance who held the advantage . However, the Golem had no consciousness and continued to carry out its orders . There was no such thing as being frightened by its injuries, there was also no thoughts of retreat to adjust its own posture . (Although Set will definitely win, it is still going to take some time¡­¡­it seems . ) Next, he turned his eyes to Elena and Ara, who had fainted near the Altar of Inheritance and had fallen onto the magic formations . It seemed to be the side effect of the ceremony being forcibly interrupted halfway . Although the battle had been happening so close by, they showed no signs of waking up . (It seems that hope was too faint . In that case¡­¡­) He finally turned to Kuust as he leapt back . The next moment, a water spell that Kuust had released hit the place Rei had been a moment ago . ¡¸¡­¡­Is that fine with you?¡¹ It was difficult but not impossible to get to Vel by avoiding Kuust . However, considering the power of the automatic defense provided by the tentacles coming out of Vel¡¯s pocket, Kuust would be manipulated to support Vel before Rei could take him out . He was fighting against two people after all . In order to prevent that from happening, he had to stop Kuust¡¯s movements first . Because he was being manipulated, it wasn¡¯t possible to stop him in this condition with only light injuries . In other words, he either had to die or take an attack that would almost kill him . ¡¸Of course . ¡­¡­Finally, I would like to say that I dislike you . You can even say I hate you . You lack respect to nobles, your language is crude and you hardly know any manners . Now that I think about it, you also have a casual attitude towards Elena-sama . ¡¹ As Kuust spoke, he thrust his spear at Rei¡¯s face before moving his feet and swinging it at Rei¡¯s body on the return . Rei avoided or blocked the attacks with the Death Scythe in the same way as before as he listened to Kuust¡¯s words . Though it was true that he didn¡¯t like the spearman standing before him, when he considered the fact that these might be Kuust¡¯s last words, he felt that it was courteous to listen to them to the end . Rei kept listening as he avoided Kuust¡¯s attacks . ¡¸You lack all those things, but I still have to recognise your abilities . I mean, even if I said that I wasn¡¯t using my spear, you still defeated me . In addition, even though Vel manipulated me like this, you can still avoid my attacks with my increased physical ability . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, are you still going to continue this dull story?¡¡If this takes too long, how am I supposed to help Elena or Ara?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¡¡­¡­Therefore, I beg you!¡¡That guy, betraying Elena-sama¡¯s trust and shamelessly betraying the Mireana Kingdom, my home country¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . You can sleep for now . ¡¹ With those words, he struck the tip of the spear with the handle of the Death Scythe from below . With Rei¡¯s inhuman strength and the Death Scythe that weighed over 100kg, even Kuust, who was one of the leading spearmen serving under Duke Kerebel, couldn¡¯t keep hold of the magic spear with his grip strength . The magic spear was knocked up and pierced into the ceiling . And from that posture, Rei made one turn and and stabbed the handle of the Death Scythe into Kuust¡¯s belly, which was still covered by armour . ¡­¡­ Bang~!¡¡With a sound that humans shouldn¡¯t have been able to make, Kuust was blown away . The body of the full plate mail had completely shattered from the point blank impact of the handle of the Death Scythe . Fragments of the armour scattered all over the floor . ¡¸Gah~!¡¹ As expected, the attack was intense . Though he gave a groan, Kuust had lost consciousness as he was blown away . For a moment, Rei thought about whether he had actually fainted or not like the first time he attacked Vel . However, Kuust had given his life away for this, Rei couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity provided by someone who begged him even though Kuust hated him . He dashed towards Vel who was looking at him with his usual smile . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ He struck with a shout . It came down on Vel with a speed, sharpness and power as if would split space¡­¡­ ¡¸Bad luck!¡¹ At Vel¡¯s mocking words, what Rei felt in his hands was not the feeling of cutting through flesh or crushing bones . It was as if he was crushing metal or stone . ¡¸A Golem, what?¡¹ Rei unconsciously muttered out what he thought it was as he cut it down . Yes, the thing that had caught the Death Scythe¡¯s attack on Vel was a Golem that had appeared from nowhere . No, it hadn¡¯t been from nowhere . The place the Golem had actually appeared from had been reflected in Rei¡¯s eyes clearly . It had appeared from a pouch at Vel¡¯s waist . ¡¸Ah, were you surprised?¡¡Did it surprise you?¡¡You never thought that I had a spatial pouch did you?¡¡I see, well normally speaking, it¡¯s not something that you could buy with the assets of a viscount family . ¡¹ TLN: I was going to use bag of holding but decided against it, the spatial pouch works the same way though . For a moment, Rei glanced at Elena, who had fainted in front of the Altar of Inheritance . On her waist, the spatial pouch that he had seen last night was still there . ¡¸Hm? Oh, I¡¯m sorry . This is my pouch, it¡¯s not like I took away Elena¡¯s¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The Bestir Empire, is it . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so you understood . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, you betrayed the Mireana Kingdom, your home country and turned to the Bestir Empire . Considering past events, the Bestir Empire also has a high level of technology in alchemy . That giant mantis like chimera is a good example . ¡¹ ¡¸Great answer!¡¡The Bestir Empire is comparable to the Magic City Osus if you were to consider alchemy alone . ¡­¡­Well, it still costs a lot of money to make a spatial pouch though . Even then, the storage capacity of my pouch is also quite small compared to Elena¡¯s . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s looks to be so . ¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked at the Golem he had just cut through . Before him was a small Golem, the size of a Goblin . The Golem had been split into right and left halves by the Death Scythe and had fallen on the spot . (From what Elena told me, although it¡¯s a spatial pouch, the space inside can only be expanded by 1 to 2 tatami at most . In that case, a big Golem can¡¯t be placed inside . In fact, the one that blocked the Death Scythe was only the size of a Goblin . That means he shouldn¡¯t have any more!¡¡Most of the tricks he¡¯s kept have surprised me . Because of that, I should keep the initiative in combat . ) As he thought, he reflexively swung the Death Scythe when he saw something move in his peripheral vision . He cut off a tentacle that stretched out from Vel¡¯s pocket . ¡¸Don¡¯t think that such a level of attacks can hurt me!¡¹ With a big swing of the Death Scythe, he tore apart several tentacles that were growing out . Although they were made with alchemy, they couldn¡¯t do much to block the magic empowered Death Scythe . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Whoops, as expected of Rei . You¡¯re definitely A rank if you consider combat power alone . ¡¹ Despite the tentacles being cut away as soon as they grew out, Vel still smiled as usual . However, the next moment, his smile changed from an amused smile to a grin, like that of a child who had succeeded in a prank . ¡¸However¡­¡­can you only pay attention to me?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Vel¡¯s gaze . Realising who Vel was looking at, Rei used the Death Scythe¡¯s handle to parry all the tentacles that were about to strike him as he leapt backwards . The tentacles grew again but Rei¡¯s physical abilities were greater and they grasped the air . At the end of his look was the figure of Elena, who had fainted and collapsed on the ground . ¡­¡­And a familiar Golem was heading towards her . It was the little Golem that had protected Vel from Rei¡¯s Death Scythe a little earlier . Though its head should have been destroyed by the Death Scythe, the Golem slowly but surely went closer to Elena . The reason the Golem still staggered forward, in addition to its head being destroyed, may have been the huge sword in its hands . No, it was just because the Golem was small that the sword looked big . Yes . It was an ordinary long sword that could kill people by stabbing or slashing them . TLN: Yes, this Golem is the one that was cut in half . No, I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s in one piece and only its head was destroyed . ¡¸When did that happen!¡¹ Rei dashed forward . However, the Golem had already raised its long sword and was swinging it down at the neck of the fainted Elena¡­¡­ (Damn, I won¡¯t make it!?) He took out a dagger from the Misty Ring and tried to throw it at the Golem, but its sword had already swung down . ¡­¡­ ¡¸Guh!¡¹ A voice of agony rang out at the same time as the sound of the sword piercing into flesh . But the voice wasn¡¯t Elena¡¯s as Rei had expected it to be . It was a deeper voice . Consciously ignoring the pained voice, Rei threw the dagger, which flew forward through the air and pierced into the body of the Golem . At the same time, the Golem was smashed into the wall as it was pierced through by the dagger and fell onto the stone floor like a broken toy . What Rei saw after destroying the Golem was the figure of Kuust, who had already been seriously injured by Rei¡¯s previous attack . The sword had gone through him, up to mid blade . However, thanks to Kuust¡¯s interception, the sword now stood in the stone floor and not in Elena . ¡¸Kuust!¡¹ Rei shouted out unintentionally . Previously, his attack had blown Kuust away . Struck by the Death Scythe, an extremely powerful magic item, wielded with Rei¡¯s strength, it was an attack that even shattered plate mail . He shouldn¡¯t have been able to protect himself against it . ¡¸Guh, w-what¡­¡­are you doing . Vel¡­¡­kill him!¡¹ At those words, which Kuust spoke out as blood literally flowed out his mouth, Rei bit his lips before turning to Vel . ¡¸Damn it, doing such a worthless thing like protecting your friends with your body . ¡¹ ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ Rei used the Death Scythe¡¯s skill Magic Shield . The next moment, a shield of light formed and rose next to Rei . ¡¸It seems you have no more tricks left!¡¹ ¡¸That may be true, yes, yes, but it won¡¯t be so easy . ¡¹ Rei dashed forward and narrowed the distance as he poured magic power into the Death Scythe . Several daggers were thrown at Rei but he evaded most of them with minimal movements . ¡¸Things like a tearjerker story are not so popular right now!¡¹ As the distance shrank, tentacles stretched out towards Rei from Vel¡¯s pocket . If any of those sharp tips pierced into Rei, they would immediately grow out barbs . However¡­¡­ ¡¸A nuisance!¡¹ Slash-! With a shout, the Death Scythe tore through all the tentacles . ¡¸Damn!¡¹ Indeed, Vel judged that situation was dangerous . He threw some sort of glass bottle that he took out from his waist pouch as he jumped back . The bottle drew an arc as it flew towards Rei¡­¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s naive!¡¹ Swapping the Death Scythe to his left hand, he caught the bottle with his right hand and quickly threw it back at Vel . ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Vel hadn¡¯t realised what had happened . Letting out a confused voice, he tried to avoid the bottle as soon as he realised that it had been thrown back¡­¡­ Gashan~! A tentacle stretched out from Vel¡¯s pocket and intercepted the glass bottle . Yes, the tentacles extending from Vel¡¯s pocket were made with alchemy and had the property of automatically intercepting any attacks made against him . Even if the attack was from a sword, spear or a big scythe like the Death Scythe . ¡­¡­Even if it was a glass bottle, what it would do wouldn¡¯t change . In other words, using its sharp edge, it shattered the glass bottle heading towards Vel . If it had been an ordinary glass bottle, it might have just fallen to the floor without breaking . But the one Vel had thrown was deliberately made fragile . What Vel was most astonished about was the fact that Rei had caught the glass bottle without breaking it . TLN: What kind of glass bottle wouldn¡¯t break after being hit by a razor tentacle and falling to a stone floor? I have no idea . The glass bottle shattered, meaning that the liquid that was inside fell onto Vel . ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ Covered in the liquid that was inside the glass bottle, Vel screamed as he held his face . Rei swung the Death Scythe down at that moment, but when he saw Vel¡¯s horribly melted face, his shock made him shift the Death Scythe slightly¡­¡­and instead of slashing the body, Rei cut off Vel¡¯s left arm from the shoulder . Chapter 103 Chapter 103 ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ Vel¡¯s left arm had been cut off from the shoulder and kept spilling blood as he held his ugly melted face with his right hand . Rei had been startled by his ugly face for a moment and had stopped for an instant as he was swinging down the Death Scythe to kill him¡­¡­ ¡¸GURU~!¡¹ Hearing Set¡¯s urgent cry from behind him, Rei noticed something coming towards him and swiftly swung the Death Scythe . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ However, the enemy still kept closing in . That is, the Golem that had been fight Set didn¡¯t even try to avoid it . As it approached, it was torn in half by the magic empowered blade of the Death Scythe . (Dangerous!?) Rei leapt back almost on reflex . The next moment, the Golem that had been cut in two by the Death Scythe glowed brightly¡­¡­ Roar-! With that, it exploded with a big bang . Rei received that blast at close range, but after the flames from the explosion cleared away, it revealed him to be completely unscathed . Instead, the magic shield that had been floating around Rei disappeared like haze . (No way, a suicide attack . Thanks to the magic shield there was no damage¡­¡­-!¡¡Vel!?) Waving the Death Scythe to blow away the smoke, he searched for Vel¡¯s figure . With his left arm missing and face melting away, Rei didn¡¯t think that Vel could escape . Still, he couldn¡¯t be careless until he was dead and quickly looked around . He then heard a voice from where some smoke still remained . ¡¸Ha-hahahaha . I-I was a bit careless . ¡­¡­But this is not going to happen again . ¡¹ His face distorting due to the sharp pain in his left shoulder¡­¡­Vel declared so even as his face continued to fester and melt away . With his remaining right hand, he grasped something like a gem in his hand and flung it onto the ground¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t run!¡¹ He quickly checked the Misty Ring¡¯s inventory in his mind . Taking out the needle at the top of the list, he quickly threw it at Vel, who was trying to throw the gem to the ground . That needle, which was thrown out with great speed, pierced through the air while dripping poison and stabbed into Vel¡¯s right thigh like a bird of prey diving for the kill . Interestingly, the needle that Rei had thrown was the the needle Vel had given to Rei after he disarming a trap on the fifth floor of this dungeon, the undead floor . ¡¸Damn, trying to the very end . But, I¡¯m the winner of this game!¡¹ With Rei¡¯s power, the poisoned needle pierced through the armour worn by Vel and stabbed into his right thigh, but the gem struck the ground without regard¡­¡­similar to the Golem from just before, no, even brighter than that, a dazzling flash occurred . ¡¸Tch-, Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ He didn¡¯t know what was happening but called out to Set to stop him from escaping . Set responded to Rei¡¯s voice by shooting a wind arrow as Rei let off a flying slash . But¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­He¡¯s gone it seems . ¡¹ A dazzling flash lit up the surroundings . After the flash, Vel was nowhere to be seen . As far as evidence went that Vel had actually been there, the blood from when his left arm was cut was still on the ground and his left arm was rolling on the ground a short distance away . At the back of the room, on the wall behind where Vel had been standing, there was a large scar and several smaller ones from where the Rei¡¯s flying slash and Set¡¯s wind arrows seemed to have hit . What did Vel use, Rei came to a conclusion . Perhaps the gem that he had thrown to the ground contained a spatial magic . It allowed spatial movement, the so called transfer magic . There was no need to think about the rarity of item boxes, it was very difficult to apply spatial magic to such items . However, if profitability was ignored and it was a disposable single use item, then it might be possible with the Bestir Empire¡¯s technology . (Still, only its alchemy is only on par with that the Magic City Osus¡­¡­or something . ) While breathing out, he judged that there was no more danger of having to fight the treacherous Vel and hurried towards Elena . Placing his finger on her neck, he gave a sigh of relief after confirming her pulse . He then turned to look at Kuust, who was lying next to Elena . ¡¸¡­¡­Kuust . ¡¹ Kuust had breathed his last, lying next to Elena . It was obvious based on his open eyes . However, he had a satisfied smile on his face . He probably passed on after confirming that Rei had repelled Vel . ¡¸I didn¡¯t like him . ¡­¡­There¡¯s no doubt about that . However, serving as an escort for Elena, he died performing his role . I will recognise that . ¡¹ Moving Kuust¡¯s arms over his chest, Rei removed Kuust¡¯s helmet and closed his eyes . Most of the plate mail covering his body had been crushed by Rei¡¯s attack with the Death Scythe, the only remaining armour were his sabatons, gauntlets and the helmet that Rei had just removed . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei disregarded Kuust like air, but Set was openly hostile . Still, seeing their previous exchange Set seemed to have noticed something . He gave a small cry as he watched Rei, as if giving a prayer for Kuust¡¯s soul . ¡¸The problem is¡­¡­I wonder how the Inheritance Ceremony went . ¡¹ As he murmured, he turned to look at the Altar of Inheritance . Originally, the magic stone of the Ancient Dragon should have been there, but it had been crushed by Vel¡¯s attack and had scattered . Fortunately, about 70% had already been absorbed by Elena . However¡­¡­ (The goal of the Inheritance Ceremony is to absorb everything . What will be the result if she could only absorb 70%?) He looked at the figure of the unconscious Elena . Even though she was unconscious and had her eyes closed, Elena still stood out as a beauty . ¡¸Any how, I can¡¯t do anything if neither Ara or Elena wakes up . I also don¡¯t know if they can be moved away as it is . ¡¹ Since he didn¡¯t know how losing consciousness in the magic formations would affect the ceremony, Rei had no choice but to wait for them to wake up . After taking out a clean cloth from the Misty Ring and covering Kuust with it, several hours passed . ¡¸Mm¡­¡­¡¹ The first to wake up was Ara and not Elena . ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯ve woken up, Ara . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei¡­¡­-dono?¡¹ Ara woke up and couldn¡¯t understand the situation for a moment as she looked around . ¡¸-!? Elena-sama!?¡¹ Remembering the events before she lost consciousness, she quickly got up and looked around . And finding the figure of Elena, who had fainted beside the Altar of Inheritance, she was about to rush over when Rei grabbed her hand . ¡¸Ara!¡¹ ¡¸Rei-dono, please let me go!¡¡Elena-sama!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down!¡¡Elena had the Inheritance Ceremony forcibly stopped halfway!¡¡It¡¯s dangerous to move her body from the magic formation carelessly right now!¡¡I don¡¯t know what may happen!¡¹ Ara glared at Rei with eyes mixed with blood lust, but she reacted at the words that Elena might be put in danger . She gradually controlled her overflowing blood lust . ¡¸¡­¡­Pardon me . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . I know how much you care for Elena so it is not unreasonable . ¡¹ Finally calming Ara, Rei took a bottle out of the Misty Ring . It was wine that he had bought in the city of Gimuru . Rei couldn¡¯t drink that much alcohol himself . Still, he enjoyed drinking to some extent . It was also for cases of emergency, and for times like these, that he had bought it . Forcibly uncorking the bottle, he poured some wine into a cup and handed it to Ara . ¡¸Drink this for now . It will calm you down . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Pardon me . ¡¹ Chibiri~, chibiri~ . Ara drank the wine silently . Her face was listless, Rei could easily imagine how Vel¡¯s betrayal had felt . And¡­¡­ ¡¸That?¡¡Rei-dono, Vel betrayed us . I understand that . ¡­¡­So then, Kuust?¡¡By any chance, Kuust¡­¡­¡¹ Did Kuust betray us as well . As Ara tried to continue, Rei interrupted her and turned to look at Kuust¡¯s body, which was covered by a clean cloth . ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set lay down on the ground and turned to look at Kuust¡¯s body as well as he caught Rei¡¯s weight against him . ¡¸Eh?¡¡¡­¡­s-such a thing, no¡­¡­it¡¯s a lie right!?¡¹ Placing the cup she held with both hands onto the ground, she cautiously approached Kuust¡¯s body and gently lifted the cloth . Although there was blood around his mouth, there was a satisfied smile on his face . The face of the dead Kuust could be said to be peaceful . ¡¸Why¡­¡­why is this!¡¡Why is Kuust dead!¡¹ Ara stuck the stone floor in violent fury . Cracks appeared in the stone pavings which should have been robust as broken fragments flew into the surroundings . She continued to strike the ground for several minutes . Finally calming down, she wiped away her tears and turned to Rei . ¡¸Rei-dono¡­¡­please tell me . Who did this¡­¡­was it Vel?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸Kuust¡­¡­how were his last moments?¡¹ The skin on her hands had broken, blood was dripping and flesh was visible . But she clenched her hands tightly as if she didn¡¯t notice¡­¡­it wasn¡¯t just the back of her hands, her fingernails also cut into her palms and blood was dripping from there as well . ¡¸After entering the dungeon, do you remember that Vel kept giving his water bottle to Kuust?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . ¡¹ ¡¸It seems that the contents of the water bottle contained some magic potion . With the effect from the magic potion, Kuust became Vel¡¯s puppet . ¡¹ ¡¸Something like that!¡¡But Vel himself drank from that bottle!?¡¹ ¡¸He seems to have prepared some sort of antidote . He also used a magic item that further raised Kuust¡¯s physical abilities before making him fight me¡­¡­¡¹ As he muttered that, Ara looked at Rei with blood lust . ¡¸Then, Rei-dono, who killed Kuust?¡¹ While feeling a thirst for blood covering him, he shook his head . ¡¸Even in that condition, my strength was higher than Kuust¡¯s, I hit him hard once with the handle of the Death Scythe and destroyed the armour on his body . So, after that, I fought Vel to try to finish him off before Kuust came back¡­¡­and in the confusion of battle, Vel released a small Golem without me noticing . It¡¯s over there . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei looked at the figure of the Golem that had stopped working after having its body pierced by the dagger . The Golem still held a long sword in its hands . TLN: The sword should have been stuck in Kuust, so I have no idea why the Golem still has it . ¡¸When that Golem tried to attack Elena, I don¡¯t know how Kuust did it, but he broke the restraint of the magic potion to protect Elena¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But if Rei-dono¡¯s abilities were that great-!¡¹ Ara uttered a cry as if she was spitting blood . However, she immediately stopped her condemning words . Maybe she gripped her hands more tightly than before, the amount of blood dripping from them increased . ¡¸¡­¡­No, it¡¯s not something that I, who fainted, can say anything about . Also, if you look at Kuust¡¯s face, I¡¯m sure that he died peacefully . There¡¯s no meaning to blaming you for anything here . I will use these hands to strike him down¡­¡­I will destroy Vel . ¡¹ Rei took out a potion from the Misty Ring while watching Ara make that vow to herself with that determination . ¡¸Please heal your injuries for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m sorry . ¡¹ Sprinkling the potion over her right hand, the injury on it healed in less than 30 seconds . ¡¸So, what should we do with Elena-sama . ¡¹ After vowing to seek vengeance on Vel with her own hands, treating the injuries on her hands, and calming down, Ara turned to look at Elena, who still hadn¡¯t woken up, who was lying in at the center of the magic formation . Rei shook his head . ¡¸Since I don¡¯t know what kind of ceremony the Inheritance Ceremony is, I can¡¯t do anything . I have confirmed she has a pulse, so I think it¡¯s better for her to naturally wake up . Fortunately, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any monsters wandering the aisles in this lowest level . ¡¹ ¡¸But, doesn¡¯t that mean we could be waiting like this forever?¡¹ ¡¸Ah well . I have plenty of food and monster flesh in my item box¡­¡­but I don¡¯t think sleeping here is good for our health . ¡­¡­We¡¯ll wait for half a day, if she doesn¡¯t wake up by then, we¡¯ll have to take the risk and take her out . ¡¹ Rei took out an hourglass, which was a magic item, from the item box . ¡¸This hourglass takes two hours for all the sand to fall . We will use this to time half a day, if Elena still doesn¡¯t wake up by then¡­¡­¡¹ Realising what Rei wanted to say, Ara gave a small nod . ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Thus, they silently waited for time to pass . Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Rei and Ara kept quiet . Set merely closed his eyes and let Rei rest against him . In the center of the magic formation before the two people and the single animal, Elena appeared as she was just sleeping until she woke up as the sand in the hourglass emptied for the fifth time¡­¡­that is, about ten hours . ¡¸¡­¡­Mm¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama-!¡¹ The voice of Elena, who had fallen unconscious at the center of the magic formation, quietly echoed through the silence around the Altar of Inheritance . Ara reacted to that voice by immediately calling out to her . However, Rei grasped Ara¡¯s hand to stop her again . ¡¸Rei-dono!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down!¡¡Take a look at the surroundings!¡¹ Ara tried to shout at him to let go, but gathered herself at Rei¡¯s unyielding voice . Ara looked around at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ As Ara looked, the words stopped in her mouth as she saw what was happening before her . The reason was the Altar of Inheritance, the altar next to Elena . The altar where Vel had broken the magic stone of the Ancient Dragon began to look hazy, as if it had never been there before . The Altar of Inheritance and the three magic formations that surrounded it . ¡­¡­And the magic formation that Elena had collapsed on . They all changed into a hazy form¡­¡­and the next moment, they were all sucked into Elena¡¯s body . ¡¸Ara, is this a normal event for the Inheritance Ceremony?¡¹ ¡¸N-no . I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not too familiar with the Inheritance Ceremony so¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Really . It¡¯s worrying if we don¡¯t know if this is a normal event . ¡¹ When Rei muttered that . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . As I said before the ceremony, you can only do this once per Altar of Inheritance . This is why . ¡¹ At the former location of the magic formations, where not a single trace of them remained, Elena spoke out as she lifted herself off the stone floor . ¡¸Elena-sama!¡¹ Ara hugged Elena with tears in her eyes . While watching them, Rei also walked towards Elena . ¡¸How much do you remember?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Vel, was it . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸Up until the point that he destroyed the magic stone on the altar . ¡¹ Muttering, she looked around¡­¡­and stopped at the object covered by a cloth . ¡¸¡­¡­Is it, Kuust?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . He protected you from Vel¡¯s Golem . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡­¡­It was my mistake as a commander to not have noticed Vel¡¯s betrayal . ¡¹ Lifting the cloth covering Kuust¡¯s face, she closed her eyes for a few seconds to pray for his soul before turning her eyes to Rei . ¡¸Rei, please put Kuust¡¯s body into the item box . At the very least, I want to deliver his body to his family . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Giving a small nod at Elena¡¯s request, he stored the body into the Misty Ring . ¡¸¡­¡­So, what happened to the Inheritance Ceremony in the end?¡¡The magic stone that you were meant to absorb was destroyed by Vel part way through . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment . ¡¹ She replied before closing her eyes to check her body¡¯s condition . ¡¸¡­¡­Although it can¡¯t be said that I¡¯ve completely inherited the power of the Ancient Dragon, but I have received about 70% . ¡¹ ¡¸About 70% . I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a lot or a little . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a bad result considering the ceremony was interrupted half way . The worst case would have been if the Altar of Inheritance had been destroyed, the magic stone of the Ancient Dragon would also have been destroyed and I wouldn¡¯t have gotten anything out of it . Even taking that into consideration, Kuust still died . Vel¡¯s failure was in destroying the magic stone and not the altar . In the Inheritance Ceremony, the altar is more important than the magic stone . ¡­¡­Vel Sails . I will definitely pay you back for this . ¡¹ Elena only the murmured the last part . Her eyes showed a strong determination and, at the same time, a look of a hunter aiming at their prey . ¡¸Elena-sama, after you inherited the power of the Ancient Dragon¡­¡­what has changed specifically?¡¡At the very least, Elena-sama still looks the same . ¡¹ At Ara¡¯s timid question, Elena stroked her head as she smiled, erasing the the ferocious atmosphere she had just a few seconds ago . ¡¸That¡¯s right . If the ritual had failed due to Vel¡¯s interference, I cannot reject the possibility that I would have lost my human appearance and turned into a Dragon . However, you don¡¯t need to worry . Fortunately, it seems I have acquired the physical strength and magical power of the Ancient Dragon while retaining my human form . ¡­¡­It¡¯s impossible right now, but it may be possible for me to use some basic Dragon Language magic as well . ¡¹ When she clenched her right hand, Elena unconsciously radiated magic power into the surroundings . The amount of magic power was clearly greater than what Elena had before the ceremony . Even Rei, who didn¡¯t have the ability to see magic power, could understand the difference . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s enough about me . Rei, can you explain in detail what happened after I fainted?¡¹ Elena erased the magic power she had released and turned to look at Rei . Receiving her gaze, Rei nodded and described the events in more detail than when he had told Ara . ¡¸I see . So Kuust died peacefully . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . There was no doubt I disliked him, but he still died protecting what he had to protect as a knight . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Then I will have live up to being the person he died satisfied for . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama¡­¡­¡¹ Elena nodded with a light smile as Ara looked at her anxiously . Her mood then changed as she turned to look to the exit of the room . Rei spoke up as he watched Elena . ¡¸Now that the ceremony is over, we have to get out of the dungeon¡­¡­three people, is it . Thinking about the time we came down, this might be a little tough . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s mutterings, Elena shook her head with a smile . ¡¸Without Vel and Kuust, it definitely is a problem . However, my current strength is much greater than before . The Silver Lion protecting the dungeon nucleus would be impossible, but if it¡¯s an A rank monster, I can probably deal with it on my own . ¡¹ Elena muttered as she grasped the handle of her sword whip . Elena certainly felt more powerful than before the ceremony . With her beauty that seemed to draw in observers, Rei had the impression that she had become a greater existence . ¡¸If Elena says so then it¡¯s fine . If we go back right now, there¡¯s a possibility the sixth level hadn¡¯t re-summoned a boss monster yet . ¡¹ ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s go . Regarding the formation, Rei and Set will take the vanguard . Ara will take the rear guard with me . We will leave this dungeon as soon as possible, I have to inform my father about Vel¡¯s betrayal . ¡­¡­I also want to return Kuust¡¯s body to his family . ¡¹ ¡¸Wherever Elena-sama goes, I will accompany you!¡¹ Ara declared that and Set gave a cry in agreement as they left the Altar of Inheritance . ¡¸Gyan~ . ¡¹ A group of 3 Emerald Wolves appeared as soon as they entered the sixth level . The monsters attacked Rei as soon as they saw him and Set immediately used King¡¯s Awe to slow them down . The Emerald Wolves with dulled movements were sitting ducks for Rei and Elena . Before Ara could move, Set crushed the skull of one of the wolves with his forefeet¡­¡­all the enemies were killed literally 30 seconds after they attacked . ¡¸Hm, I haven¡¯t familiarised myself to my body yet . ¡¹ Elena muttered as she swung her sword whip to flick off the blood after she had cut the neck of an Emerald Wolf as she dodged its attack . From her displeased look, you could tell that she was dissatisfied that she couldn¡¯t fully utilise her new power . ¡¸But Elena-sama, that was amazing . Your reaction speed to enemy attacks and the power when you swung your sword whip as well . ¡¹ Elena shook her head with a smile at Ara¡¯s words . ¡¸No,I have the impression that I can¡¯t fully control the power I have gained yet . I will have to train from the beginning after I leave the dungeon . Time is precious right now . Let¡¯s continue . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, should I say fortunately or unfortunately, the traps released by Vel haven¡¯t been restored yet . Whether this is the work of the dungeon nucleus or other monsters, I don¡¯t know . But either way, I want to get as far as we can before they are restored . ¡¹ While replying to Elena¡¯s words, Rei quickly stored the bodies of the 3 Emerald Wolves into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s go!¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, the party started to run . They matched their speed to Ara¡¯s, who was the slowest compared to Set, who was a Griffon, Rei, whose physical ability was outside the norm and Elena, who had inherited the power of an Ancient Dragon . However, their speed was still faster than that of an ordinary person . In addition, although the sixth floor had been filled with traps when they had first arrived, as Rei had said, the traps released by Vel hadn¡¯t been restored yet . It was a big help and allowed them to run right through . The few monster that appeared along the way were slashed, burned and crushed to pieces by Rei, Set and Elena as they went through the dungeon . ¡¸I see the stairs!¡¹ Ara gave a sigh of relief as she said that when the stairs to the fifth floor came into sight . However, they then had a depressed expression as they remembered what kind of place the fifth level was . ¡¸¡­¡­This is, hard¡­¡­¡¹ Elena muttered as she climbed up to the fifth level . Not only were Elena¡¯s physical abilities strengthened, her five senses had been strengthened as well . The stench that spread around the fifth floor hit her like it hit Rei and Set . ¡¸You¡¯ll get used to it, that¡¯s all I can say . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As Rei frowned at the putrid odour, he said it with a look of resignation . Set gave a cry as if in agreement . The one with the sharpest senses in the party was Set, so the damage he took from the smell was considerable as well . ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t think it smells that bad . ¡¹ Ara, who was the only person with the five senses of an ordinary human, tilted her head slightly and muttered . ¡¸There¡¯s no helping the smell, the issue is how to get through this level . . ¡¹ Despite saying that, Elena frowned her eyes as if she couldn¡¯t bear the smell as she spoke up . ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, what happened?¡¹ Ara asked Elena, not understanding what she was trying to say . Rei spoke up with a bitter smile . ¡¸When we came down to the sixth floor, we went through the back space where the owner of the voice used his power to link the staircase . In other words, unlike the sixth and seventh levels, we didn¡¯t go through this level by ourselves, so I have no idea where the stairs to the fourth level are . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah!¡¹ Thinking about Rei¡¯s words for a moment, Ara gave a cry as she realised what he was saying . ¡¸T-Then what do we do!?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s nothing we can do, wait, be quiet for a bit¡­¡­no, maybe?¡¹ At the same time, Rei remembered the pair of orbs, the magic item he had received from Grimm . If he could contact Grimm and ask him to use spatial magic, it might be possible for them to be sent to the surface . (But¡­¡­) Using the pair of orbs would would mean revealing his relationship with Grimm . ¡¸Rei-dono?¡¹ Ara called out to Rei . Shaking his head as if was nothing¡­¡­he remembered that aside from himself, there were three others here, Set, Elena and Ara . Yes . In other words, Vel, the traitor, and Kuust, who disliked him, weren¡¯t here . The only people left were Elena and Ara, who would unconditionally follow Elena because of her respect of Elena . (In that case, could I just keep them quiet about it with ¡ºSeed of Contract¡»?¡¡Anyhow, with the matter of Vel and Kuust, I wasn¡¯t able to use ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» at the Altar of Inheritance . ) ¡¸Set, watch the surroundings . Elena, I need to talk with you . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Rei asked Set to watch the surroundings before calling Elena . Elena came closer while tilting her head at the sudden call . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¡I don¡¯t want to waste too much time as I want to return to the surface as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s about that . If it goes well, we might be able to return to the surface immediately¡­¡­there may be such a method . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸However, to use that method, I need to show various things that I want to hide . ¡­¡­Do you remember the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» we talked about on the fourth floor?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . That reminds me, due to various circumstances we still haven¡¯t received that magic . It was a very painful mistake that I let Vel escape before you could use that magic . ¡­¡­Do you want to use it now?¡¹ Rei gave a small nod at Elena¡¯s words . Seeing that, she understood that it was a serious issue . Elena waited for Rei to continue . ¡¸I will change what will activate the magic from any information about Set to saying anything that would be disadvantageous to me or Set, I think with this you can get out of the dungeon much faster than normal . ¡­¡­What will you do?¡¹ Saying up to there, Rei stayed silent to let her decide . (Though it certainly is bad that I couldn¡¯t use ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» on Vel, it¡¯s fortunate that the Magic Beast Art¡¯s ability to absorb magic stones wasn¡¯t revealed . It¡¯s also good that knowledge on Griffons is rare . ) Muttering in his mind, he waited for Elena¡¯s reply . Holding her chin with her hand and thinking for about 10 seconds as she looked at Rei¡­¡­Elena spoke up . Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Rei told her that if he extended the restrictions of the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» to any information that would be disadvantageous to him or Set, they could leave the dungeon faster than normal . Elena listened before speaking out . ¡¸That¡¯s fine, I need a fast solution right now . Even a few hours is valuable . It¡¯s not too bad to accept your proposal . ¡­¡­However, at the very least I would like you to explain the effects of ¡ºSeed of Contract¡»¡¹ ¡¸As for me, I will do as Elena-sama says . ¡¹ Hearing from both of them, Rei spoke up . ¡¸With ¡ºSeed of Contract¡», when the oath the spell was cast with is broken, it will literally cause a flower of fire to bloom inside your body, burning you alive . Of course, the magic is not invoked if oath you made during the spell is not broken . At the same time, those who have a Seed of Contract in them will have increased resistance to heat and flames . If you can use magic, the magic power you need to use will also decrease . It also has the additional effect of increasing its power . ¡¹ After hearing the effect of ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» from Rei, Elena closed her eyes for several seconds to think before nodding . ¡¸That¡¯s fine . In the first place I already promised in my name that I would accept the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» on the fourth level . Even if the content that I¡¯m not allowed to talk about is increased, right now, it¡¯s important that I leave the dungeon as soon as possible to inform my father about the betrayal of Vel and the Sails Viscount house . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have any problems . Of course, I don¡¯t plant to go against Elena-sama¡¯s previous promise to Rei . ¡¹ Seeing the both of them nod, Rei had a relieved expression . ¡¸If that is so, I would like to use ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» immediately, are you fine with that?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, do it . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama, I¡¯ll go first¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine . I trust Rei, I don¡¯t think he will do anything strange here . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ Elena nodded and Ara nodded back . Rei confirmed that and started to say the incantation as he gathered magic power . ¡ºFlame, thou is a seed . If the host breaks the contract, use their life to bloom into flames in glory . ¡» As Rei cast the spell, flames appeared along the handle of the Death Scythe, which acted as a magic casting tool . After a few seconds, the originally fist sized flames were compressed down to the size of a flower seed Touching the handle of the Death Scythe against Elena¡¯s head¡­¡­ ¡ºSeed of Contract . ¡» At the same time the magic was activated, the flame seed sunk into Elena¡¯s head . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ Elena murmured at the unfamiliar feeling of the flame seed being placed in her head . However, the sense of incompatibility disappeared in a few seconds, it felt as if the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» that had been placed inside her head was just a dream . ¡¸The magic is placed¡­¡­is it?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, it was completed without any problems . Next is Ara . ¡¹ Because Elena had accepted the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡», Ara nodded and silently approached Rei without looking nervous . ¡¸Please, I¡¯m ready . ¡¹ Nodding at those words, he placed a ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» in her head, the same as with Elena . ¡¸¡­¡­Now then, with this, Ara and I cannot tell others anything that might be disadvantageous to you . Can you now tell us the way to get out of this dungeon quickly?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . You kept your promise . I will keep mine as well . ¡¹ Giving a small nod to Elena, he took the orb out of the Misty Ring Their eyes gathered at the fist sized crystal ball that appeared in Rei¡¯s hands from nowhere . ¡¸That is?¡¹ ¡¸This pair of orbs is a magic item . As its name implies, you can use it to contact the other orb it is paired with . ¡¹ While explaining that to Elena, Rei poured magic power into the orb in his hand . Then¡­¡­ ¡ºOh, I was thinking it was Rei . You contacted me quite quickly¡­¡­¡» About a few seconds later, the figure of a Skeleton wearing a crown was reflected in the orb in Rei¡¯s hands . It was the Lich Lord Grimm, the old mage who had aspired to reach Zepairu¡¯s level . ¡¸This voice is¡­¡­¡¹ Even without looking at the face, the voice that echoed in her head sounded familiar . Elena muttered unconsciously . ¡¸Ah . It was in the back space we strayed into here on the fifth level . ¡¹ Answering Elena, he turned to face the orb . ¡¸I hadn¡¯t planned to contact you so soon, but we have some circumstances . I would like to borrow your help since you can use spatial magic . ¡¹ ¡ºBorrow my help is it¡­¡­that¡¯s fine . From the reaction of the pair of orbs, you¡¯re on in the fifth level?¡» ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ ¡ºHmm, please wait a moment . ¡» Just as he said that, his figure disappeared . ¡¸Rei, previously¡­¡­no, I don¡¯t have the time to listed to the details . However, you will explain it in detail later . ¡¹ ¡ºHahaha . Please don¡¯t bully Rei that much . ¡» This time, his voice wasn¡¯t heard through the orb like several seconds ago but instead was heard directly in their heads . Even though Ara didn¡¯t understand the conversation between Elena and Rei, she immediately understood when she heard the voice . ¡¸T-This is!?¡¹ Grimm immediately appeared next to them without any signs . A crown resting on top of a bare skull . A staff grasped in his right hand . And above all, his overwhelming presence . Ara instinctively realised with a single look that she couldn¡¯t beat him . However, to protect Elena she would make even a single attack¡­¡­as she grasped the Power Axe, Rei spoke out . ¡¸Grimm, your presence is a bit too strong . Please hold back a little . ¡¹ ¡ºOh, I keep forgetting . If you live alone as a researcher, you start to have trouble interacting with other people . ¡» Smiling wryly at the three people and one animal, the pressure that Grimm released disappeared . ¡¸So, we would like to use spatial magic to take out out of the dungeon¡­¡­no, that would be awkward if it¡¯s seen . Please send us to somewhere on the first level where there aren¡¯t that many people . Could you do that?¡¹ ¡ºThat¡¯s fine¡­¡­hmm, there are no problems . Fortunately, there seems to be almost no one on the first level at the moment . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­Grimm-dono, is it . Did you just check how many people there were on the first level in that moment?¡¹ ¡ºUmu~ . The difficulty is not that great¡­¡­mm?¡¡I see, you¡¯re the one who received the Inheritance Ceremony . ¡» Grimm answered as he observed Elena for a few seconds . ¡¸Yes . Various things happened during the ceremony and I want to return to the surface as soon as possible . ¡­¡­Grimm-dono used a rare magic when we were heading for the Altar of Inheritance . Please, I would like to borrow your power once more . ¡¹ Elena gave a deep bow and one moment later¡­¡­ ¡ºKukuku! . Hahahaha!¡¡Interesting . You, bowing your head at a monster that you would normally subjugate and kill without hesitation . The previous time was good and this time was good, Rei¡¯s companions are pleasant . ¡­¡­That¡¯s fine, I can¡¯t refuse a request from someone close to Rei . ¡» As a hearty and amused laughter echoed in their heads, Grimm shook the staff in his right hand . The space a short distance away from Rei began to distort . ¡ºThis should be fine . If you enter this space, it will automatically move you the first level of the dungeon . ¡» (Using this magic without even saying any incantations¡­¡­also¡­¡­) While thinking that in her mind, Elena bowed her head again after seeing the distortion . ¡¸Thank you very much . Someday I will repay this kindness . ¡¹ ¡ºWell, we might meet again if we have the opportunity . Then, I should return to my laboratory soon . Ah, that space will disappear in a few minutes so you better get going soon . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­Thanks . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Although Rei wasn¡¯t used to it, he gave a bow . Next to him Set also lowered his head a little . After Grimm saw that, the sound of laughter echoed through Rei¡¯s head again . ¡¸Just now, was that real?¡¹ Several seconds after Grimm disappeared, Ara murmured as her hands holding the Power Axe shook . Opposite her had been someone in a completely different ballpark . Furthermore Ara had been exposed to the smell of death and darkness from the magic power that had leaked out and was mentally exhausted . ¡¸It was real . Otherwise the space distortion there can¡¯t be explained . ¡­¡­If what Grimm-dono said is right, then this space distortion won¡¯t remain for long . We should hurry . ¡¹ ¡¸Please wait!¡¡That Lich¡­¡­that is, is it really okay to trust him?¡¹ Ara asked Elena, who was about to take a step towards the space distortion . No, she was asking Rei rather than Elena . It was natural since it was Rei who had contacted Grimm . ¡¸At the very least, I trust Grimm . In fact, he spared me one of the pair of orbs, an expensive magic item . And you also understood Grimm¡¯s abilities?¡¡The difference in our abilities is something we can¡¯t comprehend . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸To be honest, even if Set and I worked together, we probably can¡¯t beat Grimm . That¡¯s the difference in ability between him and us . If he wanted to do something to us, he doesn¡¯t need to go to such troublesome lengths to do it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Ara did not reply to Rei¡¯s words and stayed silent . But her eyes clearly showed she wasn¡¯t convinced . As she looked at Rei strongly, Elena put her hand on Ara¡¯s shoulder . ¡¸Elena-sama¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ara . You saw Vel¡¯s betrayal, and seeing that Kuust died because of it, I understand that don¡¯t believe others so easily . However, as Rei said before, with Grimm-dono¡¯s power, he doesn¡¯t need to play such tricks . ¡­¡­In addition, I don¡¯t see Grimm-dono as a person who deceives people . Isn¡¯t that right, Rei?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ Though she nodded at Elena¡¯s words, she still had some doubts . (Elena has only met him for the first time¡­¡­she can believe Grimm¡¯s abilities, who is a Lich Lord?¡¡Also, not much time has passed since Vel¡¯s betrayal . ) As Rei thought that in his mind, Ara was finally persuaded by Elena and nodded as she turned to look at Elena . ¡¸I understand that Elena-sama believes in that Lich . ¡­¡­However, in case there is a possibility, I will enter the space distortion first . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . If you¡¯re satisfied, I won¡¯t say anything more . I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s words, she firmly held the Power Axe with both hands and turned her eyes to the space distortion . After preparing herself for a few seconds, she opened her mouth to speak . ¡¸I¡¯m going!¡¹ With a shout, she dashed forward into the space distortion¡­¡­and disappeared from the fifth level . ¡¸Okay, there looks like there are no problems . Rei, shall we go as well?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s words, the three of them walked towards the space distortion . ¡¸This is¡­¡­definitely the first level . ¡¹ Leaving the space distortion, Elena murmured as she looked around . ¡¸It seems to be so . ¡­¡­What about Ara?¡¹ Rei answered Elena as he looked around before noticing that Ara, who should have entered the space distortion first, was nowhere to be found . As he muttered that . ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry . I got a bit carried away and went too far . ¡¹ As Ara appeared from the passage ahead and came towards them quickly, Elena involuntarily gave a smile . ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s quickly get out of the dungeon . I think this place is only 10 minutes from the entrance to the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, if you take a turn at the passage and go straight ahead, there is a stairway that goes to the surface . ¡¹ Although they had entered the dungeon just a few days ago, it felt like it had been several months as Rei remembered the time they had gone through here . Elena felt the same way and gave a small nod before walking in the direction that Rei had said earlier . Changing location to somewhere a few kilometers away from the dungeon . In a place where monsters would normally control, about ten people had built a camp . Rather than camping here overnight, it had been several days since they had built there camp . Those actions would normally be suicidal . But, even if you said that there were less monsters around because it was near a dungeon, it was probably because the ten people were quite skilled . And if someone saw then, those people would probably run to the adventurers guild as fast as they could . Most out of the ten people had faces made of rock, like Golems, feet like the roots of plants or had several eyes on their face . Their appearances could not be thought of as human . In situation, one of them, who seemed to be the leader, raised their head . He wore a robe and held a cane, he had the appearance of a human mage if only saw his upper body . However, his lower body was that of a spider . It looked just like the monster known as Arachne, but it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t an Arachne because his upper body was that of a man . ¡¸¡­¡­He¡¯s come . ¡¹ When the strange mage muttered that, the other irregulars in the surroundings also turned to look at the magic formation at the center of the camp . If the higher ups of the Mireana Kingdom saw the existence of those people, they would immediately guess who they were . They were the so called Demon Soldiers created by the Inheritance Ceremony of the Bestir Empire . As their name suggested, though their appearances varied, they looked more like monsters than people . A few seconds after the strange mage said that, the magic formation at the center of the camp glowed brightly for a moment¡­¡­The next moment, a human appeared in the center of the magic formation . ¡¸The assassination of the General Princess has failed . Was it a mistake to expect better from a traitor? ¡­¡­Incompetent fool . ¡¹ Before him was the figure of Vel, missing an arm from his left shoulder, his face melted away and a sharp needle piercing his thigh . The strange mage muttered in contempt as he gazed at Vel . ¡¸We will retreat . If we could assassinate the General Princess, I had planned to attack the village around the dungeon as well . But since it has failed, staying any longer is of no use . ¡¹ ¡¸What do we do with this idiot?¡¹ At that question, he turned to a man who had gills growing from the sides of his face and was covered in scales before looking back again to the man lying in the magic formation . If left alone for a few hours, that weak being would probably die . But although temporary, that being had sworn allegiance to the Bestir Empire . Rather than leaving him here, he judged that they might get some useful information if they took him along . ¡¸We will take him . Even if he doesn¡¯t have any useful information, he can still be used as material in human experiments . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Following the instructions of the strange mage, their leader, the Demon Soldiers gave some first aid to the unconscious Vel before quickly preparing for their return to the Bestir Empire . Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Legend Chapter 106 ¡¸Ah, you¡­¡­you¡¯re safe . ¡¹ A voice called out to Elena and the others when they left the dungeon . Looking at where the voice came from, it was the same guild staff member as when they had entered the dungeon . However, seeing that the number of people in Elena¡¯s party had decreased, he shook his head slightly with an apologetic look . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry that some of your party members have died . ¡­¡­Do you mind if I contact the guild to tell them you¡¯ve come out?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I don¡¯t mind . However, we have something we have to do as soon as possible . Please tell them that we don¡¯t have enough time to go to the guild . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . That is¡­¡­what to say . Don¡¯t be too discouraged . You entered the dungeon and stayed there overnight . You should think that you were lucky for not getting wiped out . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your concern . If anything comes up urgently, you can come to our inn, I will handle it . ¡¹ Informing the guild staff member, Elena and the others left the place . Originally, they had wanted to get to the inn as fast as they could . However, with Elena¡¯s looks and Set, a Griffon, an A rank monster, they couldn¡¯t stop attracting attention . But as there was only one such person and animal known around the area, although they gathered attention, panic did not spread into the surroundings . If Rei had held his Death Scythe in his hands, they would have been even more conspicuous . They walked quickly down the road for about 15 minutes and eventually arrived at the inn Elena had booked previously . ¡¸Ah, everyone!¡¡You¡¯re safe¡­¡­no, that is . ¡¹ Linde, who had been employed by the inn for chores called out with a bright face when he saw Rei and Set . However, he immediately noticed that the number of people had decreased and began to talk vaguely . Elena smiled at Linde and spoke to him while stroking his head . ¡¸What, you don¡¯t have to worry about it so much . Tell the innkeeper to get ready to send a letter off as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes!¡¹ When Elena, the most beautiful woman he had ever met in his life, said that to him, Linde ran to the inn in a hurry with his face dyed red . Rei stroked Set¡¯s back and spoke up as he watched Linde go . ¡¸I will take Set to the stables . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Because I have to write a letter about Vel¡¯s matter to send to my father immediately, I¡¯ll be busy for a while . In the meantime please relax yourself . ¡¹ Rei nodded at those words before heading to the stables with Set . Seeing him leave, Elena turned to Ara . ¡¸Ara, you too . Because I¡¯ll be busy for a while, take a break . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Originally, I had wanted Elena-sama to take a break since you just finished the Inheritance ceremony . ¡¹ ¡¸What, after I send the letter, I will take a break as well . ¡¹ Saying that, she looked around to check if there was anyone nearby before continuing . ¡¸Even though it¡¯s not perfect, I inherited the power of the Ancient Dragon and immediately left the dungeon . As expected, I¡¯m tired . ¡¹ ¡¸Still, the fact is that Elena-sama is still safe . ¡­¡­Kuust should have also been here¡­¡­¡¹ The sound of grinding teeth could be heard in the surroundings . Elena tapped Ara¡¯s shoulder lightly to calm her down . ¡¸That¡¯s right . Mireana Kingdom¡­¡­he will certainly receive his dues for betraying us . The reason while Viscount Sails¡¯ house betrayed us in the first place was because they judged that the kingdom stood no chance in the next war . Then let¡¯s show Vel that his judgement was wrong . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I will accompany you at that time . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, even if I say that, he won¡¯t necessarily appear on the front lines . ¡¹ Muttering, she remembered the story she had heard from Rei . Vel had lost his left arm, had his face melted off by the liquid he had prepared himself and had his thigh stabbed by the poisoned needle they had found in the dungeon . Still, if Vel¡¯s state was as Rei had said, he would eventually appear again . However, they didn¡¯t know how long it would be for his body to return to its original state . ¡¸Now then, time is precious . I have to send a letter to my father at once . If we are lucky, we may be able to do something within the kingdom before the Viscount Sails¡¯ house escapes . ¡¹ ¡¸I agree . Then, as soon as you finish writing the letter, I will bring it to a summoner or someone who has tamed birds to send it right away¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you can rest a bit . You¡¯ve just returned from the dungeon, even if you have confidence in your physical strength, taking breaks is still necessary . ¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, she grasped the Power Axe in her hands . ¡¸It¡¯s okay . If I have this Power Axe, I won¡¯t run out of stamina!¡¹ ¡¸Relying on magic items to recover your strength is actually forcibly restoring your stamina . I won¡¯t say it¡¯s bad for your body, but I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a good thing or not . Besides that Power Axe was borrowed from Rei . Don¡¯t forget that we have to return it eventually . ¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Ara was surprised before she calmed down and turned to look at the Power Axe in her hands . Because it had felt so familiar in her hands, it seemed that she had forgotten that she had only been borrowing it . ¡¸¡­¡­Now that you say it, this was borrowed wasn¡¯t it . ¡¹ At that, Elena smiled at Ara, who was looking like a child holding onto her favourite toy . ¡¸What, if you like it, I can negotiate with Rei to give it to us . Naturally, for such an item, compensation is necessary . Looking at you, you seem to have forgotten that you had borrowed it . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please ask if possible . ¡¹ The commander and subordinate nodded at each other and headed into the inn . At that time, Rei and Set were near the stables behind the inn . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Behind the stables, they relaxed themselves beside a tree as they did absolutely nothing . Set lay down on the grass that grew around the trees while Rei leaned against Set and and closed his eyes while stroking Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Well, this request, somehow we completed it¡­¡­should I say . ¡¹ As he closed his eyes, he muttered quietly . The contents of the request were that he had to escort the only daughter of Duke Kerebel, Elena, who was renowned as the General Princess . He could say that at the very least, his escort request had been completed . But there had been a traitor in the party . He hadn¡¯t been close with the traitor, to be exact the traitor had just treated him as a necessary existance, but it had cause a party member to die . (Stronger¡­¡­I must get stronger . ) Murmuring in his mind, his consciousness was swallowed up by darkness due to his drowsiness and fatigue . ¡¸Okay, this letter is fine . ¡¹ Elena muttered and reread the letter one last time before placing it into an envelope . ¡¸As for Ara¡­¡­ah, as expected . ¡¹ Ara had insisted on waiting until Elena had finished writing her letter . However, as expected, it was difficult for her to resist the fatigue from the dungeon . Her hands had let go of her important Power Axe and she had fallen asleep on the bed while unconsciously smiling . She was a subordinate and friend who had followed her through many ups and downs . There was no doubt that Elena appreciated Ara greatly . For Elena, who was a Duke¡¯s daughter, Ara was a precious person to her . (¡­¡­Kuust, I will definitely avenge you with these hands . That is what I should do as your commander . ) To be honest, it was sometime frustrating when she felt Kuust¡¯s similar feelings of adoration towards her . However, it was evidence that he admired her greatly . He was a typical noble who wouldn¡¯t place others in his eyes if they weren¡¯t nobles as well, which cause various problems . But nevertheless, in a place like this¡­¡­moreover, by a fellow companion he had spent time with, he had been manipulated and killed . ¡¸No, this is not the time to immerse myself in sentiment . I have to send this letter as soon as possible . ¡¹ Muttering, she paid the owner of the inn 5 gold coins and asked him to give it to a summoner . In this era, aside from the magic items that connected the guilds, most correspondence was done mainly through letters . For that reason, in most high class inns, they often had a person who could use summoning magic in order to deliver letters speedily . This inn was in a village that was built around a dungeon, a village that was almost the size of a town . Because of this, it was sometimes necessary for big merchants and nobles who visited the dungeon for goods to make urgent contact with someone . In such a case, monsters that could fly or birds of prey that had been summoned or tamed would be tasked to deliver the letters . Of course, because this serviced required a mage that could send out a monster, it was quite an expensive service that ordinary adventurers couldn¡¯t use . Still, most of the time, it would cost one gold coin at most . However, this time, Elena paid five gold coins . It was because she had requested a high level summoner to deliver it urgently that she had paid such an absurd amount . ¡¸Now then, the letter, which was the largest problem, is done . If that¡¯s the case, I should rest for a little while as well¡­¡­hmm?¡¹ While stretching, she suddenly saw the figures of a person and an animal as she looked out the window . She immediately realised who it was . They had worked with each other for some time . Although she hadn¡¯t completed the Inheritance Ceremony perfectly, she had still inherited the power of the Ancient Dragon . Naturally, her eyesight was much sharper than before . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ After thinking for several seconds, she gave a small smile before walking out with just a cloak instead of her armour . As she walked towards the, maybe he heard a sound, Set opened his eyes slightly . However, seeing that it was Elena who was coming over, he went back to sleep . Seeing that, she felt delighted at knowing that Set trusted her to a certain extent as she sat down several steps away from Set and Rei . (The wind is cool . It¡¯s already autumn¡­¡­) The summer heat was changing to the cool autumn . As her golden hair swayed in the wind, she turned to look at Rei, who was sleeping as he leaned against Set . Although he was younger than her by 5 years, his strength was something that couldn¡¯t be measured by common sense . (And¡­¡­) Murmuring in her heart, she gently approached the sleeping Rei, The hood of his robe had been taken off to stop it from getting in the way as he slept . Red¡­¡­his hair, that could only called a fiery red, was clearly visible . His now close eyes were a pure blue, like azure, strongly contrasting the colour of his hair . Still, if you just considered his face, it wasn¡¯t something that clearly attracted her eyes as Elena had become used to such things after interacting with nobles for so long . ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ With a small murmur, she gently stretched out her hands and stroked Rei¡¯s crimson hair as he slept . (¡­¡­What?) As Rei slept, wrapped up by Set¡¯s silky fur, he felt someone gently stroking him and woke up . (Set¡­¡­is it?) He thought it felt a bit strange for Set to stroke him with his wings and he opened his eyes¡­¡­and in front of him was Elena¡¯s beautiful face . ¡¸Elena?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m sorry . You¡¯ve woken up . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind but¡­¡­¡¹ While muttering, Rei was surprised that Set hadn¡¯t done anything even after she had come so close . TLN: Attaboy Set XD He got up as he leaned against Set and looked at the surroundings . Should he say fortunately or unfortunately, there was no one other than Elena nearby . Because of that, he understood why Set hadn¡¯t been particularly cautious . ¡¸Letter¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¹ ¡¸No, what about the letter?¡¡You told me that you had to send a letter to Duke Kerebel . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Elena nodded as she stroked Set¡¯s silky fur . ¡¸Ah . I¡¯ve already sent that to my father . One of the things this inn boasts of is that they can summon a bird with four wings to promptly deliver letters . ¡­¡­Although it isn¡¯t that much colder, it will be autumn soon . If you sleep outside like this, you will catch a cold . ¡¹ ¡¸My body isn¡¯t that weak that I will catch a cold from this, there¡¯s also Set . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s certainly true that Set¡¯s body temperature and fur coat are wonderful¡­¡­ah, that¡¯s right . Changing the subject, but remember the magic item, the Power Axe, that you lent to Ara?¡¡It seems that she likes it greatly . If possible, could you give it to us¡­¡­how about it?¡¹ ¡¸How about it?¡¡Even if you say that . In the first place, I¡¯m not an axe wielder . And because there¡¯s no one else in my party, I don¡¯t mind if you want it . But as expected, I can¡¯t just hand it to you for free?¡¹ Elena nodded with a wry smile at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸Of course . I didn¡¯t mean that you had to just hand it over . Naturally, I will pay accordingly . How about two platinum coins?¡¹ Rei thought for a few seconds at Elena¡¯s words . Talking about two platinum coins, it was a large sum of money to adventurers . With that much money, it was probably enough to buy higher quality magic items . ¡¸Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡¹ ¡¸This time, a lot of things happened . I don¡¯t want to see Ara being too depressed . In addition, because Ara and I have received a lot of help from you, consider it to be a gift . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, in that case, I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ Originally, he had won it from the Claws of the Hawk, it was a weapon that he had completely forgotten that he had stored into the Misty Ring until now . He nodded as there were no particular problems even if he gave it away . ¡¸I see . Thank you . ¡¹ With a bright smile, Elena handed him two platinum coins from her pouch . As he held his hand out to receive them¡­¡­the next moment, Elena grasped his hand and looked at his palm . ¡¸Elena?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­This hand . ¡¹ ¡¸What happened to my hand?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the same as my hand . ¡­¡­I can¡¯t believe that this hand is the hand of an artificial body at all . ¡¹ At the words Elena murmured, Rei had an expression of unexpected surprise . Chapter 107 Chapter 107 As Rei and Elena were talking behind the inn, Rei has an expression of surprise at the sudden mention of ¡ºArtificial Body¡» . ¡¸¡­¡­Where did you hear that from?¡¹ Rei slowly took his hand out of the grasp of Elena¡¯s smooth hands . Rei longer held an expression of surprise and instead looked her in the eyes to ascertain her motive . However, although Rei looked at her, Elena remained unperturbed as she shook her head slightly . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . I don¡¯t plan to say anything about the matter . ¡­¡­In addition, a ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» has been placed in my body . You would understand best that I can¡¯t say anything that may disadvantage you right?¡¹ When Elena mentioned the ¡ºSeed of Contract¡», his mind, which had been previously half asleep, finally started working as he loosened his expression as he spoke up . ¡¸Then, it was the first time we saw Grimm . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Everyone else other than Rei and Set had been stopped by Grimm¡¯s time magic, but should I say fortunately for me, I kept my consciousness . That is why was able to hear the story then . I think it was because of the magic stone of the Ancient Dragon I had on me that I resisted the effect of Grimm-dono¡¯s magic . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ He nodded at Elena¡¯s explanation while leaning against Set with a sigh . Normally, he would have needed to do something to silence her, but since ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» had already been used, she was already silenced . Because of that, Rei judged that there was no need to do anything more . ¡¸¡­¡­So, since you know, what do you plan to do?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t plan to do anything differently . However¡­¡­well, if it¡¯s fine, I would hear about Rei¡¯s world . ¡¹ Rei had a surprised expression when Elena spoke about it as it it were nothing . ¡¸You¡¯re fine with that?¡¡More like, for example, you don¡¯t want the Power Axe for free or that I give another magic item?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, I¡¯m troubled that you would think that of me . Do I seem like a person who would take advantage of someone¡¯s weakness to gain their possessions?¡¹ At the power of Elena¡¯s slight glare, Rei unconsciously tried to retreat . But since he was leaning against Set, he was unable to do so and eventually just stayed quiet as Elena glared at him . After being glared at by Elena for several seconds, Rei raised his hands in surrender as he spoke up . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . It was certainly my mistake . I didn¡¯t intend to insult you . Please forgive me . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, it was unexpected that you thought of me as such a person . ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s fine . Still, that means that Rei¡¯s story about being a mage¡¯s disciple was a complete lie . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . However, I was reborn in this artificial body after my soul was pulled from another world¡­¡­even if I talked about it, would you believe me?¡¹ That would be impossible, Elena nodded at Rei, who was smiling ironically . ¡¸That is probably true . Even for me, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it if I hadn¡¯t heard the story from Rei and Grimm-dono back then . Also, more so because it was the Majin called Zepairu that saved Rei¡¯s soul and sent it to this world . ¡¹ ¡¸I never thought that thousands of years would have passed in this world since Zepairu died . Though I inherited his knowledge, most of it has become useless after thousands of years . ¡¹ He murmured while stroking Set¡¯s back as he leaned against him like a sofa . ¡¸That would be so . There are few things that wouldn¡¯t change after thousands of years . ¡­¡­By the way, since you being a mage¡¯s apprentice is a lie, could the magic item you¡¯re wearing possibly be¡­¡­¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena, who had asked the question cautiously . ¡¸Ah . Dragon Robe, Shoes of Sleipnir, Bracelet of Magic Absorption . ¡­¡­And, Misty Ring, the item box . All these were made by Esta Nord, the alchemist of Zepairu¡¯s organisation . ¡¹ ¡¸To think that, well¡­¡­do you know?¡¡That he is said to be the greatest alchemist of all time?¡¡The highest level of the Magic City Osus, which currently holds the best alchemists in the world, are said to be the descendants of his partner and his students . ¡¹ ¡¸That is probably a lie . ¡¹ At those words, Elena had no idea what to say . ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸As I said earlier, I gained all of Zepairu¡¯s knowledge . If he had the time to nurture disciples, Esta Nord was someone who would rather spend the time concentrating on his research . With such a personality, he did not marry in his life . ¡­¡­Well, I only know about Esta Nord after he entered Zepairu¡¯s organisation . There is a possibility he had taken disciples earlier or that they are descendants of his blood relatives, so it¡¯s not impossible . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­My view of that legendary person just got ruined by you Rei . ¡¹ Originally, he had been exalted as a great man from the past, Elena had a bitter smile as she thought about his unexpected character . Like that, the two of them talked for about an hour before they saw a petite figure come towards them from the inn . It was Linde, who was in charge of the inn chores . ¡¸Elena-sama, you have some guests . ¡¹ Knowing that the other party was a noble, though his cheeks went red at Elena¡¯s beautiful face, he still spoke in a polite tone . ¡¸Guests?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Walker-sama from the guild would like to listen you your story . ¡¹ At those words, she remembered that the guild staff member at the dungeon had said that he would contact the guild . ¡¸That reminds me that was so . ¡­¡­For the person in charge to come, that was unexpected for him to be able to move so easily . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, he¡¯s still young . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s no doubt he¡¯s older than the both of us . What will you do Rei?¡¡Would you like to come with us?¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s too troublesome for me . I¡¯ll take it slow today and rest my body . ¡¹ With a smile, he waved his hands while leaning against Set . ¡¸Fuu~ . I certainly am the party leader . I have the obligation to explain what happened to Walker . Ah, yes, that¡¯s right . Because we¡¯re leaving here tomorrow, please do that . ¡¹ Elena stood up with a sigh as she talked about tomorrow¡¯s schedule . After fainting when Vel from the magic stone, she hadn¡¯t taken a break at all . As expected, even Elena was feeling the fatigue . Adding on to that, she had just absorbed the magic stone of the Ancient Dragon . Rei nodded at Elena when she mentioned about the next day . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set, who had been a silent sofa until now, gave a cry asking if it was okay . ¡¡As he gave a cry, he turned to look at Elena . Smiling like a beautiful rose for a moment, she gently stroked Set¡¯s head before returning to the inn with Linde . ¡¸The party leader is still hard at work . ¡¹ Seeing her off, he put the two platinum coins into the Misty Ring before leaning back against Set to enjoy a moment of rest . A waiting room of the first floor of the inn . Walker was waiting for Elena . Walker stood up from the sofa he was sitting on and gave a bow . ¡¸Elena-sama, sorry for coming to bother you . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . Because I was planning to report anyway before I left the village, it saves me the time and trouble . ¡¹ Elena nodded at Walker and sat on the sofa opposite him . Seeing that, Walker exchanged a look with the owner of the inn, who then brought in some tea . ¡¸This inn is certainly a place where nobles and big merchants stay . The tea they serve is very good . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, considering what you can get here, it¡¯s quite the expensive tea leaves . ¡­¡­Now then, how can I help you?¡¹ Elegantly carrying the tea to her mouth, Walker began to talk as he admired her . ¡¸The Altar of Inheritance . I want to ask about what happened there . I was told that the person known as the General Princess went to challenge the dungeon and as a result, came back with only half her party . As the person in charge of the guild here, I have to ask what happened . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm . I understand what you mean, but that said, there are some things I can¡¯t talk about . ¡¹ As she murmured that, Elena was troubled in her mind as she thought about how to explain things . Members of the nobility¡­¡­furthermore, Viscount Sails¡¯ house, which had been close to the Duke Kerebel, a central figure of the Mireana Kingdom, had defected to the Bestir Empire . They weren¡¯t things she could talk about . (No, to be exact, they probably haven¡¯t left yet . Communication from my letter or Vel, it¡¯s a fight between which one will reach father or Viscount Sails first . ) Walker considered Elena¡¯s words for a short time . He was someone who was in charge of the guild branch near the dungeon, even at his young age . He quickly understood that Elena¡¯s statement indicated a political issue and gave a small nod . ¡¸Well, then you can just talk about what you can . ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­then to put it simply, my two subordinates were caught in traps or attacked by monsters and died . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Traps and monsters, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Traps and monsters . ¡­¡­Do you know what I mean?¡¡At the very least, it¡¯s better that you do . ¡¹ For a few seconds, not more than ten, the two people looked at each other . Although they were just looking at each other, the tension in the room rose as if crossing swords . ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . I don¡¯t want to get involved in politics . If Elena-sama says so, I will follow . ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about this . I¡¯ll get someone to pass you some money as compensation later . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t care¡­¡­is what I want to say, as we are a frontier guild branch, I¡¯ll welcome any support we can get . ¡¹ Walker gave a pleasant smile, as if the tension before had been a lie . Likewise, Elena also smiled . Although they smiled at each other, both smiles were rather fake . Walker¡¯s smile was like a smile had just been pasted and stuck to his face . Because of her beauty, Elena¡¯s smile had the same feeling as smiling doll . They weren¡¯t sincere smiles, but rather smiles for show . Not smiling from their hearts, but instead only putting on a smiling expression . While they understood each other, they did not say anything . ¡­¡­No, they couldn¡¯t . Like that, with a smile that would cause Rei to doubt his eyes if he saw, she took a card out from her waist pouch and placed it on the table . It was the one they had borrowed from Walker before entering the dungeon, the card that gave the bearer equal authority to Walker . ¡¸Well then, I will return this card as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much . Was it useful?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Thanks to this card, we didn¡¯t have to spend extra time waiting in line to enter the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸That is good . ¡¹ Still smiling, Walker put the card into his pocket . ¡¸Since you¡¯ve returned this card to me, your business in the dungeon is finished . ¡­¡­May I assume that?¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . I¡¯ve done everything I needed to do here . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, you will be leaving soon?¡¹ ¡¸Rather than saying soon, I am planning to leave here tomorrow . ¡¹ At those words, Walker had a slight expression of relief . Elena, the General Princess, was the daughter of Duke Kerebel, a central figure in the nobility . If something had happened to her in the dungeon by any chance, it could be expected that the resulting fallout would affect more than just the village around the dungeon . While guessing Walker¡¯s thoughts, Elena kept the same fake smile she had before . . ¡¸That reminds me, if you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me your impression of the dungeon?¡¹ At that sudden question, Elena brought the tea to her mouth as she remembered the incidents that had occurred in the dungeon . ¡¸That¡¯s right . We proceeded along the shortest route down to the third floor using a map . After that, we had to search around, so it took longer . I didn¡¯t expect that there would be a forest on the fourth floor, we had to fight a troop of Water Monkeys there . As for the fifth floor¡­¡­¡¹ Saying up to there, Elena paused for a moment . (It would be better not to say anything about Grimm-dono . In other words, it¡¯s the same for the infinite loop trap . ) ¡¸Elena-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry . Regarding the fifth floor, it¡¯s filled with Undead . Because of their odour, your sense of smell becomes useless . Beasts and people with sharp senses in particular will suffer more . A lot of troublesome traps were located around the sixth floor . The lowest floor¡­¡­well, although we didn¡¯t fight it, unexpectedly, there is a S rank monster Silver Lion protecting the dungeon nucleus¡­¡­that¡¯s about it . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much . Especially since the number of adventurers who can reach the sixth floor are few, Elena-sama¡¯s information is very useful . ¡¹ ¡¸What, there¡¯s not need to worry about it, you¡¯ve also helped us plenty . ¡¹ After exchanging information on the dungeon for about 10 minutes, Walker stood up . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to get going . Since the guild branch is small, there is also less manpower available . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, you¡¯ve saved me a lot of trouble . As I said earlier, I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow so this will be the last time I see you . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know . ¡¹ Rising up from the sofa, Walker gave an elegant bow before leaving the inn . Seeing him off, Elena went to her room . As expected from her fatigue, she slept soundly¡­¡­and thus, their last night in the village built around the dungeon passed . In addition, Rei slept outside until he was woken by Linde . Set was in a good mood after spending some relaxing time with Rei, which he hadn¡¯t done in a long time . Chapter 108 Chapter 108 The big city of Anessis, about a days travel from the Imperial Capital of the Mireana Kingdom . It was comparable in size to the Imperial Capital, Kafiri, and was widely known as the second capital of the Mireana Kingdom . At one end of the city was a huge mansion . The mansion, which could even be called a palace, was the the residence of a central figure of the Nobles Faction in the Mireana Kingdom, Duke Kerebel . Its vast grounds were kept in good condition and the areas visible from the outside were famous as one of Anessis¡¯ tourist attractions . A large bird with four wings cut through the air as it flew towards the residence at the back of the grounds . It landed safely on the perch meant for monsters and birds that delivered messages . As soon as the bird landed on the perch, a sound rang in the rooms of the butlers and maids . The perch was a kind of magic item . One of the butlers heard the sound and went over to the perch before taking a letter out of a small pouch attached to the bird¡¯s foot¡­¡­as soon as he noticed that the sender was Elena Kerebel, he returned to the mansion in a hurry and went to his master¡¯s office . Walking quickly, he arrived before the office in a few minutes . Adjusting his breathing and taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door . ¡¸Excuse me, master, an urgent letter has arrived from the young miss . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s fine . Come in . ¡¹ Obtaining permission to enter, the butler stepped inside . The furniture in the office was very luxurious, worth several platinum to light gold coins . However, it wasn¡¯t like the hobbies of the noveau rich . Rather, the sofas, desks, chairs, bookshelves, tables and so on were tastefully selected to produce a calm atmosphere . The paintings that hung on the walls were by renowned painters and costed an amount that ordinary civilians could live for decades with . A man in his fifties was sitting at his office desk at the back of the room, reading documents . This was the person who held the most power in the Mireana Kingdom and was considered to be a second king . Liberty Kerebel . Although he had a slender appearance, he didn¡¯t look weak . No, on the contrary, the dignity of a duke could be felt exuding from him . A rich beard grew around his mouth and he had the same almond shaped eyes as his daughter Elena . From his eyes, the will of Duke Kerebel could be felt . ¡¸Pardon me . This is the letter delivered from the young miss . ¡¹ The butler gave a bow and placed the letter on the office desk . ¡¸I will excuse myself now, master . ¡¹ ¡¸Thanks for you hard work . ¡¹ Replying as the butler left the room, he finished reading the documents he had been partway through in a few minutes before picking up his daughter¡¯s letter . ¡ºOpen . ¡» The letter, which he just used magic to open, had a seal on it that could only be opened by people with a specific magic power . He quickly read the contents¡­¡­before reading over it again several times . ¡¸¡­¡­Viscount Sails has defected, has he . ¡¹ After leading the Nobles Faction for so many years, he frowned slightly at the betrayal of an ally he had been relying on . At the contents of Kuust¡¯s death, he gave an unpleasant snort . Reading until the end, there was no mention about whether the Inheritance Ceremony had been a success or failure . Spitting out a small sigh, he rang the bell beside his office desk . In less than a few minutes, a knock sounded against the door . ¡¸Come in . ¡¹ ¡¸Pardon me, Duke . Did you call?¡¹ It was the person who served as the Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights, Philma de Giel, the second son of Marquis de Giel . He was in his late thirties, nearing the age that a knight¡¯s strength would start to decline . However, his body was so well trained that you wouldn¡¯t feel that would happen . He was skilled in tactics, able to look at the wider situation and above all had the bravery to stand at the vanguard of the knights to raise their morale . Normally, it was unthinkable that the Knight Commander would stand at the vanguard . However, he had the strength to make that possible . He was also the guardian knight of Duke Kerebel . To the person who could be considered his right arm, Duke Kerebel casually passed the letter from his daughter . ¡¸Take a look . ¡¹ Excusing himself, Philma quickly read through the letter he was given . After reading everything in a minute, he gave a big sigh . ¡¸Viscount Sails has betrayed us, is it . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . If he had just moved to the Royalist Faction or the Neutral Faction, it would have been an event within the Mireana Kingdom and there would be no problems . ¡¹ ¡¸As expected, he cannot be permitted to move to the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . ¡­¡­Philma, can you lead the knights to defeat Viscount Sails before he decides to escape to the Bestir Empire?¡¹ He thought about it for a couple of seconds before shaking his head . ¡¸It will probably be difficult . No matter how fast the horses are, it will still take two days to reach Viscount Sails¡¯ territory from here . And even if it¡¯s Viscount Sails, if he has betrayed the Mireana Kingdom, he would be prepared for the worst . If we catch up, it will quite likely be near the Bestir Empire border . If so, there will be almost no time to fight, even if there is time, it will be very short . If it goes badly, a unit will probably come to pick them up from the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ He nodded at Philma¡¯s words . He thought for a few seconds while tapping his desk with his finger¡­¡­before giving a sharp look towards Philma . ¡¸Philma de Giel, form a pursuit team from the Dragon Knights to defeat Viscount Sails . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that fine? Although the Dragon Knights can certainly make more distance than a cavalry force, as I said previously, troops may come out from the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine . The information we have been given has provided us this opportunity . It would be foolish to not stop them from reaching the enemy . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, the Dragon Knights may also suffer casualties¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It will be unavoidable . They are necessary for such times . ¡¹ Dragon Knight . They were literally Knights who rode Dragons . Because they could fly through the air and attack using the Dragon¡¯s Dragon Breath, their fighting strength was great . However, a Dragon Knight has to be raised from when the Dragon hatches from the egg, their training costs were also very expensive . As a result, even Duke Kerebel, who was called the second king of the Mireana Kingdom, only had 20 Dragon Knights . ¡¸That said, tell them to beware of the Demon Soldiers written in the letter . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . I will start preparing for the pursuit . ¡¹ Seeing Philma leave the office, Duke Kerebel placed the letter from his daughter aside and picked up another piece of paper . Although the contents of the letter written by his daughter was very important, Duke Kerebel controlled a vast territory and there were many other important works to be done . He first reached out for a pen to write a letter to inform Marquis Brassin that Kuust, the trusted leader of Elena¡¯s knight escort, had died . ¡¸Hmph, foolish people . ¡¹ Finally, he murmured some short last words about Viscount Sails . ¡¸Well then, thank you . ¡¹ Elena spoke to the man sitting in the driver¡¯s seat of the carriage . Normally, Vel would be sitting there, but he had already betrayed them and was no longer in the party . Speaking of people who could drive the carriage, Kuust could as well, but he was dead . Rei and Ara didn¡¯t know how to drive a carriage and it goes without saying that Elena couldn¡¯t be allowed to drive the carriage . As a result, it was decided to hire an adventurer from the guild who could drive a carriage . The request was to drive them to to Gimuru first and then to Duke Kerebel after that . ¡¸Y-¡­¡­Yes!¡¹ Rei boarded the carriage with a smile as he saw the man nodding unconsciously, overpowered by Elena¡¯s breathtaking looks . Ara had already prepared tea inside the carriage and placed the cups on the table . There were three cups for Rei, Elena and herself, a sign that Ara was no longer wary of Rei . Or maybe it was because she was given the Power Axe, which was placed inside the carriage . As he thought about that, he sat down on a sofa . Shortly after that Elena sat next to Rei with a mischievous smile . ¡¸Rei . The driver seemed to be scared of Set, it that okay?¡¹ ¡¸It should be fine, Set won¡¯t do anything by himself . Maybe he will get used to it on the way to Gimuru . What about you and Ara?¡¹ ¡¸In my case, the number of people¡­¡­it was a painful experience . ¡¹ She glanced around, probably thinking of Kuust and Vel, who had been with them when they went to the dungeon . Ara saw that and unexpectedly turned her eyes to the window . ¡¸Here, Elena-sama . I thought about it before I got on the carriage, but the weather is nice today isn¡¯t it . I guess it could be called a clear autumn sky . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right . The autumn harvest is almost over . When that finishes, it will winter soon . ¡¹ She nodded while smiling at Ara¡¯s awkward topic change . (Yes, it¡¯s already autumn . And once autumn passes, it will be winter . As expected, even the Bestir Empire won¡¯t move their army in winter . The the battlefield will probably open in spring I guess . The power of the Ancient Dragon I have just received, I have to master it . Vel, I will not forgive you if I meet you on the battlefield . I swear I will avenge Kuust . ) As he noticed Elena¡¯s sharp loop, Rei brought the cup of tea to his mouth . ¡¸Elena, after we return to the city of Gimuru, could you meet with Margrave Rowlocks to tell him the request has been completed?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¡Ah, ahh, that¡¯s right . Rei was only a temporary party member for this request . I¡¯ve become accustomed to it¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing that unexpectedly, her eyes went wide before she nodded . ¡¸That¡¯s right . I guess that was the case . ¡¹ ¡¸Really . It was a short request but it felt so long . ¡­¡­No, should I say it felt both short and long . ¡¹ Elena looked at Rei as she thought of past events and spoke up as she made a decision . ¡¸Rei, if you don¡¯t mind, would you like to come with us?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is it a new request?¡¡Or something else?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I¡¯m asking if you would quit being an adventurer and join our knights . ¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Ara, who was drinking tea, nodded with a smile . ¡¸That would be good . With Rei-dono¡¯s abilities, he would make it to the top right away . ¡¹ As Ara smiled, Rei thought about it for a few seconds before shaking his head . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but as you know, I am ignorant of etiquette . ¡¹ ¡¸If you learned about those things then¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I understand what Ara is trying to say, but my affinity with nobles isn¡¯t that good in the first place . While Elena and Ara are exceptions, you have to remember my relationship with Kuust . That is probably common . ¡¹ Kuust detested Rei and openly took the attitude disrespecting him, as if breathing the same air was hateful . However, Rei didn¡¯t even consider him as one of those foolish nobles who only had pride and no skill . Although their views of each other had improved near the end of the fight against Vel, Elena and Ara did not see that . Remembering, Elena unexpectedly sighed . ¡¸¡­¡­Really . It¡¯s a shame, but I won¡¯t go around deciding your future by my wishes . ¡¹ Though she said that, Elena still sighed in disappointment as she didn¡¯t expected to be refused . Seeing that, Rei didn¡¯t say anything more and just brought the tea to his mouth . (In the first place, my aim is Set¡¯s growth using the Magic Beast Art . It would be harder to collect monster magic stones once I join the knights . ) As Rei muttered in his heart, the words Grimm had said had left a strong impression . That was, a magic beast could have the power to overwhelm the entire army of a country . At the very least, it wasn¡¯t a fantasy . Using the Magic Beast Art, Zepairu had reached that level . Hearing that story, Rei had the desire to grow stronger than ever . How strong could he and Set become? (If I believe Zepairu¡¯s words, I should have an immense amount of magic power . That is to say, Set, who was created with my magic power, should have a greater potential than Zepairu¡¯s magic beast from the Magic Beast Art, which was capable of wiping out a country¡¯s army by itself . If we need to absorb more magic stones and accumulate more combat experience at the same time . I must also be able to fully utilise the magic power sleeping in my body . ) He glanced towards Elena for a moment . (Yes, to never let my important friends face crisis a second time . ) TLN: My apologies Elena, you have just been friend-zoned ahaha . In this way, though the atmosphere in the carriage was somewhat subdued, they proceeded straight to the city of Gimuru . Chapter 109 Chapter 109 A black cloud drifted through the sky, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if rain started to fall . Still, the remaining heat from summer kept the weather warm . Ranga, the captain of the guards in the city of Gimuru, looked up to the sky . ¡¸Seriously, I¡¯m sick of this weather . If it¡¯s going to fall, why can¡¯t it just fall quickly . ¡¹ Hearing those words, one of Ranga¡¯s subordinates spoke in amazement . ¡¸Even though you say that, doesn¡¯t the captain say that you want it to be sunny as soon as it rains?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Because the point said by his subordinate hit the bulls eye, Ranga scratched his head with a bitter smile on his stern face . At this time, another subordinate suddenly called out . ¡¸Captain, I spotted a carriage . It¡¯s heading towards us . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, this is unusual . It¡¯s probably not bandits then . Do you recognise the carriage driver?¡¹ It was currently past noon, just into the afternoon . There were still quite a few more hours before dark, when adventurers would finish their requests and merchants and travelers would enter the city to avoid getting attacked by monsters . Basically, it was unusual for people to come to the city at this time of the day . Well, although it was unusual, there would still be several such people everyday . ¡¸The carriage driver¡­¡­um, I¡¯ve certainly seen him before . It¡¯s an adventurer who has worked in the city of Gimuru before . However, he should have gone to the dungeon recently . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I see . If he came from the dungeon, then it¡¯s not surprising that he¡¯s come back at this time . ¡­¡­That reminds me, what happened about the story of merchant convoys heading for and leaving from the dungeon being attacked?¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t heard about that recently . Um¡­¡­look, it¡¯s the Griffon that follows the adventurer that captain is in charge of . Was his name Rei? After he left with those nobles, I haven¡¯t heard anything about him¡­¡­ah . ¡¹ At the stunned look of his subordinate, Ranga turned to look . ¡¸What¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸I was just talking about it, but the noble¡¯s carriage . Isn¡¯t it that carriage?¡¹ At the end of his line of sight, he could see the carriage . Although the carriage was still quite far, as a guard that protected the gates of Gimuru, it wasn¡¯t difficult for Ranga to identify carriages . But in this case, he could only see the carriage, it was a different matter when he tried to identify it . This was because the Elena¡¯s carriage had been given a magic effect to make it less conspicuous, making it harder to identify . ¡¸Is that so?¡¡But back then, it wasn¡¯t an adventurer . The driver should have been a subordinate of that absurdly beautiful noblewoman . ¡¹ As soon as he spoke the words beauty, most of the people around him gave a sigh of admiration as they recalled Elena¡¯s appearance . ¡¸¡­¡­Beautiful, wasn¡¯t she . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . It was a level of beauty that you absolutely wouldn¡¯t see in this city . ¡¹ As he watched the approaching carriage, he remembered Elena¡¯s beauty . ¡¸There were rumors that that beauty was the General Princess¡­¡­is that true?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I wonder . She certainly had the looks, figure and demeanour . You could convince me that she was the General Princess¡­¡­however, why would such a famous noble come here to the frontier?¡¹ ¡¸They headed for the dungeon so I guess there must have been something they wanted there . ¡¹ While listening to the discussion between his subordinates, Ranga unintentionally smiled as he watched the carriage . Because he was the captain of the guards, although he knew, he was forbidden by Margrave Rowlocks to mention Duke Kerebel¡¯s daughter, Elena . Because of that, he kept quiet when the topic of the General Princess came up in their discussion . But although he was not allowed to say anything, it did not take much time for rumors about her to spread around . ¡¸Hey, both of you . The carriage will arrive soon, quit your idle talk . If you were a noble riding that carriage, you know what would happen if they heard what you were talking about right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right . I¡¯m sorry . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ A few minutes after they stopped their idle talk, the carriage arrived at the main gate . At the same time, as the Griffon appeared from behind the carriage, the guards nodded in satisfaction that their guesses hadn¡¯t been wrong . Before arriving at the main gate of Gimuru, Set had stayed in the shadow of the carriage, wary of any enemies or bandits that might attack . He gave a happy cry upon seeing the familiar figure of Ranga among the guards . Ranga involuntarily smiled as he stroked Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Hey Set . It¡¯s been a while . Have you been well?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ As he stroked Set¡¯s head, Ranga¡¯s subordinates received and checked the guild card of the adventurer at the driver¡¯s seat . Rang knocked on the door of the carriage lightly . When the door opened, as he was expecting, Rei came out . ¡¸Hey, Rei-kun . It seems that the request had been completed successfully . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well, I guess you could say it has been safely completed¡­¡­¡¹ At those rare words from Rei, he thought if the request had failed somehow, but when he saw Elena come out of the carriage, he tilted his head slightly . He had heard from Margrave Rowlocks that the request had been to escort the General Princess . Seeing that the person he was meant to escort didn¡¯t seem to have any injuries in particular, it could be said that the request had been successfully completed, couldn¡¯t it . ¡¸The request itself has been successfully completed, but we lost a few party members . ¡¹ Even if it was Rei, as expected, he wouldn¡¯t leak the story that one of Elena¡¯s followers had defected to the Bestir Empire to a friend . However, it was a fact that they had lost Kuust and Rei¡¯s bitter feelings were unchanged . ¡¸Is that so . My condolences . But as a guard of the city of Gimuru, we welcome your safe return, Rei-kun . ¡­¡­-, sorry for wasting your time here . Your guild card . ¡¹ Nodding at Ranga¡¯s words, he handed over his guild card . As for Elena, she had received some documents from Margrave Rowlocks prior to departure . Because of that, she could pass through the gates with no problems . After checking Rei and the hired adventurer¡¯s guild cards, a Necklace of Subservient Monster was given to Set and they entered the city . ¡¸So, where should we go?¡¹ After entering the city of Gimuru, the hired adventurer called into the carriage . Although he was frightened by Set when he was first hired, as expected, after traveling and camping together for several days, he had become less wary . He could now even stroke Set . The adventurer was also grateful that that he didn¡¯t need to always stay on guard . Most monsters had low intelligence and would be taken care of by Set when they attacked . To the adventurer, who was hired as both a carriage driver and guard, it was a godsend . At that man¡¯s voice, Rei opened the carriage door to speak to him . ¡¸Towards the Margrave¡¯s residence . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Wow, as expected of nobles . ¡¹ For an ordinary adventurer, they wouldn¡¯t be able to head to a lord¡¯s residence so easily . Only people who had received nominated request from a lord, like Rei¡¯s situation, would be able to do so . ¡¸Unfortunately I¡¯m not a noble . ¡¹ ¡¸I know, you also handed a guild card over at the gate . You don¡¯t feel like a noble either . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t feel like a noble?¡¹ The adventurer murmured as he drove the carriage towards the lord¡¯s residence . ¡¸Ah . The manner from being brought up that way, even in silence, that atmosphere would seep out . ¡¹ ¡¸That is probably true . ¡¹ Rei unintentionally gave a wry smile at the adventurer¡¯s words . The environment that a person grew up in would give the person an atmosphere around them . In Japan, Rei had grown up freely in a rural town, northeast of the mountains . It was absolutely impossible for him to produce the atmosphere of a noble . ¡¸Ahhhhh-! Set-chan is here!¡¹ As he thought about it, he suddenly heard the cry of a child . Looking towards the direction of the voice, he saw several children approaching Set, who was walking alongside the carriage, to stroke his back and give him food such as dried meat and sandwiches . And hearing Set¡¯s name being called out, one, two, then more residents came out to watch . Most were young children, but there were also teenagers, adults and elderly peop ¡¸¡­¡­What is this?¡¹ The adventurer muttered dumbfounded . To him, Set was a monster which wouldn¡¯t normally be in such a place . It wasn¡¯t an ordinary monster, but an A rank monster that most adventurers would be unable to contain . But with that said, the eyes of the residents and the 10 or so children around Set were like there were looking at an adorable puppy or kitten . ¡¸Ahh, as I expected . I thought so after seeing your reaction when you saw Set, you haven¡¯t been back to Gimuru for a while have you?¡¹ ¡¸No, well, still¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Making it short, Set is a mascot in the city of Gimuru . ¡¹ At the words Rei said, the adventurer looked back in disbelief . However, with the evidence presented in front of him, he couldn¡¯t not believe . He turned to look and the carriage, then Set and then the residents, before turning back to Rei . ¡¸Ah, fine . I understand that he¡¯s a mascot . But do something about this or else we can¡¯t move . ¡¹ ¡¸That is true . ¡¹ Nodding at his words, Rei jumped off the carriage and walked to where Set was . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but we have to go to Margrave Rowlock¡¯s residence soon, so please leave Set alone for now . Because I¡¯ll staying here again from tomorrow, I would like to ask you all to come back tomorrow . ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh . I haven¡¯t met Set-chan in a long time though . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, just a bit longer?¡¹ ¡¸He, you shouldn¡¯t annoy Rei-kun that much . ¡¹ A middle-aged woman, who was watching the children close to Set, told them off . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ The children looked dissatisfied, but reluctantly left after scratching Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Onii-chan, it¡¯s a promise!¡¡Please let us play with Set-chan tomorrow!¡¹ ¡¸I know, I will probably be at the usual place in the guild tomorrow, so you can play with him at that time . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand!¡¹ Responding vigorously, the residents who had gathered around Set took the opportunity to return to their work . ¡¸Alright . Let¡¯s go to the Margrave¡¯s residence . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­O-Okay . Even so, the Griffon is a mascot . This city had changed quite a bit since I left to live at the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, you¡¯ll get used to it . ¡¹ ¡¸Getting used to a Griffon, should I say, as expected of a frontier city like Gimuru?¡¹ ¡¸At the very least, although I haven¡¯t been here for long, the residents of the city have gotten used to Set . ¡¹ After speaking with the adventurer, Rei re-entered the carriage . ¡¸¡­¡­Seems like it¡¯s been hard on you . ¡¹ Ara called out as she smiled . Next to her, Elena was also smiling . ¡¸Ah . I didn¡¯t think Set was this popular . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s understandable though . Set is friendly . ¡¹ Elena had also played around with Set in the dungeon . Because she had also been helped by Set¡¯s friendliness and abilities, she looked satisfied as she walked to the carriage window see Set walk beside them . After the activity around Set had settled down, the carriage continued on to Margrave Rowlocks residence without any further issues . ¡¸No matter how many times I see it, it gives off the atmosphere of a fortress rather than a noble¡¯s residence . ¡¹ Ara murmured unintentionally as she saw it¡¯s ruggedness from the window . Next to her, Elena agreed as she also turned to look at the residence . ¡¸That¡¯s right . However, there is no guarantee that nothing unforeseen would happen at the frontier . In such a case, it would be necessary to accommodate as many residents as possible in the case of a siege . ¡¹ ¡¸Thinking about the residents living in this city, the residents hold a very good view of the Margrave . Although there is only one city here and it is on the frontier, the residents understand why Margrave Rowlocks is pouring all his effort into developing the city . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s words could be heard in the carriage as several knights came out form the mansion to greet them . Chapter 110 Chapter 110 The carriage stopped before the residence of Margrave Rowlocks and its door opened, revealing Rei, Ara and Elena . After that, from the shadow of the carriage, Set moved next to Rei . The three of them, and Set . No, including the adventurer they had hired as a driver, the four people and one animal were greeted by Margrave Daska Rowlocks when they stepped forward . ¡¸Elena-dono, you¡¯ve come back safely . Rei as well, you¡¯ve protected Elena well . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, if I were stronger, I could have reduced the number of people who died . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Daska looked to see who else had stepped down from the carriage . Certainly, compared to when they left the city of Gimuru, Vel and Kuust were missing . Instead, another adventurer had joined them . ¡¸No, in the end, I had only requested Rei to escort Elena-dono . I have no complaints as the person you were meant to escort, Elena-dono, has come back safely . ¡­¡­Elena-dono, I would like to hear the story, but if you don¡¯t mind, would you like to go in first?¡¹ Elena nodded at Daska¡¯s words and turned to look at the adventurer . ¡¸Sorry, but please leave the carriage with Margrave Rowlocks . We plan to leave before the 9am bell tomorrow morning, so please be ready for that . Here is another reward separate from the request remuneration . Take a break for today . ¡¹ After Elena said that, Ara handed several silver coins to the man . ¡¸I-Is that okay?¡¡In addition to the normal remuneration¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay . I¡¯ve had to force various things on you . Go restore your energy . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much . Then, I will accept your offer!¡¹ Bowing his head, the adventurer drove the carriage in the direction guided by the mansion staff . Set had already become accustomed to what he had to do and followed after the carriage . Seeing them off, Daska guided Elena into the residence . They then arrived at Daska¡¯s office, where he had previously discussed the request . (¡­¡­That reminds me, I was attacked by Kuust as soon as I entered last time . ) As Rei remembered some unpleasant but vivid memories, he stood with Ara behind Elena, who sat on the sofa opposite Daska . Since Rei had been escorting Elena due to Daska¡¯s nominated request, normally, he should have been standing behind Daska . However, because Daska hadn¡¯t announced the completion of the request, he took his position as Elena¡¯s escort . Smiling wryly at Rei¡¯s dutifulness, Daska immediately started to talk after a maid brought in some tea . ¡¸Now then . May I congratulate you on your safe return?¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­that¡¯s right . Although our task was only half finished in various ways, we have achieved our goal to some extent . I could that say an unfortunate problem occurred . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s a strange way of saying things . Could you explain in more detail . ¡¹ Elena thought for a moment if she should tell Daska about it, but in the end, it was an event inside Margrave Rowlock¡¯s territory . (In addition¡­¡­) Elena turned to look at Rei, who was standing behind her . Rei was an adventurer in this city, and since he had refused her offer to join the Knights, he would remain in the city of Gimuru without a doubt . In that situation, she judged that Daska would probably find out about what happened in the dungeon in the end . A temporary cover up story wouldn¡¯t cut it, and since he did rule this territory, Elena decided on the proper method and spoke up without anymore hesitation . ¡¸First of all, our main purpose for this trip was the Inheritance Ceremony . In this regard, it was about 70% completed . Although it was only 70%, because the magic stone used was my family¡¯s heirloom, a magic stone of an Ancient Dragon, it was still completed successfully even with the unexpected events . ¡¹ Saying that, Elena released the magic power that she had suppressed for a moment . In that moment, a torrent of magic power gushed out, centered around Elena, causing the tea cups on the table to rattle . Daska felt daunted by the intense pressure being released by the Duke¡¯s daughter before him . ¡¸¡­¡­I can¡¯t fully control it right now, so that¡¯s how it is . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s great . It seems you have acquired quite a bit of power . ¡¹ Daska replied as such . However, his back was covered in cold sweat . Among the Knights at Margrave Rowlock¡¯s frontier territory, he had the highest sensitivity to magic power . For anyone who understood magic power, this would have caused a huge commotion¡­¡­but right now, Daska was the only one nearby . ¡¸However, it¡¯s only 70% . ¡­¡­You said that there were issues that lead to it being only 70% . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . Does Daska-dono remember the subordinates I had brought along?¡¹ ¡¸Mm . There was Kuust, who came ahead of you, and another one called Vel . Both were your subordinates and looked to be quite skillful . ¡¹ ¡¸About them, Vel¡­¡­actually turned out to have links to the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ He had links to the Bestir Empire . Hearing her explanation, Daska¡¯s expression became grim . ¡¸Is that confirmed?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no doubt . He seems to have proclaimed it proudly himself . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Wait . Then Elena-dono didn¡¯t hear it yourself?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Anyhow, I fainted from the resulting shock after Vel destroyed the magic stone half way through the ceremory . Originally, it seems that he wanted to assassinate me as well but Rei helped me out . For that, I am grateful that Daska-dono chose Rei to be my escort . ¡¹ Daska looked past Elena, who had bowed her head, to Rei, who was standing behind her . ¡¸Rei, is what Elena-dono said true?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Vel had defected to the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Elena-dono, Duke Kerebel?¡¹ At Daska¡¯s question, Elena nodded naturally . ¡¸I have already informed him by letter . If we are lucky, I think it will be possible to pursue Viscout Sails, Vel¡¯s family, before they escape the Mireana Kingdom¡­¡­this depends on the speed of my father¡¯s actions . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . Then I have nothing to say . But from the Nobles Faction¡­¡­moreover, since it was Viscount Sails, who was close to Duke Kerebel, who defected to the Empire, it will be a very awkward situation¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I think my father will lose some cohesion in the faction, that can¡¯t be avoided . However, should I say that there is a bright side to this unfortunate case, it is already autumn . Even if the Bestir Empire decides to go to war, it will probably be next spring . I would like to believe there is time to reconsider our situation . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t there a possibility that they will move quickly for a decisive battle between autumn and winter?¡¹ ¡¸I considered that possibility as well . However, so far, the Bestir Empire has never fought a war in winter and above all, their soldiers wouldn¡¯t be able to keep advancing through the snow . If they did, it would be a small number specialising in sabotage¡­¡­even if it¡¯s the best of the Bestir Empire, in small numbers, we can deal with them . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹ After listening to Elena¡¯s story, Daska considered something in his mind before giving a small nod . ¡¸I understand . I¡¯ll make some preparations to be able to respond immediately if anything happens . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that alright? This is a fight that has come about due to my Nobles Faction . For Daska-dono who is in the Neutral Faction¡­¡­¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Daska shook his head . ¡¸Certainly, there¡¯s a power struggle occurring between the Royalists, Nobles and Neutral Factions . However, even if there is a power struggle, we have to consider the Mireana Kingdom . At the very least, I don¡¯t intend to go over to the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry . ¡¹ ¡¸What, don¡¯t mind it . ¡­¡­However, if the situation was as you said, it was good that the adventurer I sent this time was Rei . If it were an ordinary rank B or rank C adventurer, the would have been taken out by Vel . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . In that respect, I am thankful to Daska-dono for sending Rei . ¡¹ As he nodded at Elena¡¯s words, there was a knock on the door and the butler came in . ¡¸Master, the rooms have been prepared . ¡¹ ¡¸Thanks for your hard work . Elena-dono, you must be tired from your travels today . There is a bath available . ¡¹ ¡¸I will accept Daska-dono¡¯s kind offer then . Ara, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Elena-sama . ¡¹ As Elena and Ara left the room, Rei was going to follow, but a voice called out to stop him . ¡¸Rei, please stay . There¡¯s some things I want to talk about . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . Then, Elena-sama, I will stay here . ¡¹ As expected, it wasn¡¯t possible for him to talk with her casually before Daska . Rei spoke to Elena in polite language, as he had used when they first met . Although Elena seemed to have a lonely expression for a moment as she looked at Rei, it was only for a moment . She immediately nodded and spoke up . ¡¸Umu~ . Rei, thank you for your help this time . If you weren¡¯t there, I probably would have been killed by Vel in the dungeon and wouldn¡¯t have come back . I am proud to have worked with an adventurer like you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Although various things happened, I thank Rei-dono from the bottom of my heart . Also, suddenly attacking you when we first met¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry for that . ¡¹ Following after Elena, Ara said that before bowing her head and walking out the room . As Rei saw them leave, he finally realised that the request had been completed . ¡¸Rei, I would also like to thank you . You have protected Elena well . ¡¹ ¡¸No . If I had seen through Vel¡¯s identity earlier¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . A person¡¯s true character isn¡¯t something you can easily see through . Ah, here . No need to stand there, take a seat . It¡¯s hard to talk if you¡¯re standing . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll accept your offer . ¡¹ Rei gave a small bow to Daska and sat down on the sofa . ¡¸So, onto the main subject¡­¡­¡¹ Daska had a somewhat guilty look as he started to speak . ¡¸Considering the importance of this request, normally, I could list this as a reasonable achievement for you to rank up to rank C . That is no mistake . But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸This request can¡¯t be made public, is it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Frankly speaking, yes . Although I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll have to ask you to keep the contents of the request a secret for some time . ¡¹ ¡¸To be more specific, is it about Vel¡¯s betrayal?¡¹ When Rei asked bluntly, Daska nodded with a bitter expression . ¡¸That¡¯s right . A viscount isn¡¯t a particularly high ranking noble, but a noble is still a noble . To make matters worse, Viscount Sails was well known as one of Duke Kerebel¡¯s aides . If such a person betrayed the country, intense unrest would spread . ¡¹ ¡¸But, wouldn¡¯t the Bestir Empire announce that extensively?¡¹ ¡¸They certainly will . However, it won¡¯t be such a problem if steps have been taken to reduce the unrest from the other nobles . It¡¯s just a problem of a matter of time . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . I will not speak about the matters of this request until Margrave Rowlocks gives me permission . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry about this . Because of that, I have to freeze the achievements of the request for a while so you don¡¯t attract too much attention . However, I promise to repay that as soon as I can . ¡­¡­As for what I can do now, I can add a little something to the reward . ¡¹ Reward, Rei recalled that it had been two platinum coins . ¡¸I agree . If the compensation is increased, there won¡¯t be any problems . I will accept that . ¡¹ ¡¸Thanks . ¡¹ After that, Rei reported about the dungeon, the level of alchemy in the Bestir Empire and other things as he spoke for about 30 minutes . ¡¸Then, I apologise but it¡¯s about time I have to leave . ¡¹ As he said that, he turned to look out the windows, which had already dimmed . It would usually still be bright in summer, a sign that autumn was coming . ¡¸That¡¯s right . I seem to have said this many times, but you¡¯ve truly saved me this time with this request . Rei, I wonder what would have happened if you weren¡¯t at rank D . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, should I say . ¡¹ ¡¸Haha, you¡¯re quite confident . Well, that is good for an adventurer . ¡­¡­Ahh, you should come out tomorrow when Elena leaves to send her off properly . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand, 9am tomorrow morning was it?¡¹ ¡¸It seems to be so . ¡­¡­Well, thank you for your hard work . ¡¹ Hearing those words, Rei left the office and returned with Set to the inn to relieve their fatigue from the trip and fell asleep in the bed earlier than usual . Chapter 111 Chapter 111 ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm¡­¡­ahh¡­¡­¡¹ In a room in the Dusk Wheat inn, Rei groaned as he tossed around in his bed . After a few minutes, he started to get up slowly as the 6am bell rang throughout the city . ¡¸Fuahhhh~¡­¡­I slept well . Or should I say, I¡¯ve overslept . ¡¹ Even for Rei, a the request to escort Elena had piled up quite a bit of fatigue on him . After returning to the inn last night, he had eaten an early dinner before going straight to bed . ¡¸For now, today¡¯s schedule is to see Elena off¡­¡­speaking of that, I haven¡¯t distributed the monsters that I stored into the Misty Ring, I should get going earlier to sort that ou . ¡¹ He suddenly remember the countless monsters that they had killed in the dungeon and turned his eyes to the Misty Ring, which was on his right wrist . ¡¸¡­¡­Alright!¡¡It¡¯s a little early, but I¡¯ll go to the Margrave¡¯s residence after finishing breakfast . ¡¹ Muttering, he quickly got dressed before walking down to the dining room on the first floor of the inn . ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re early today, aren¡¯t you . ¡¹ As Rei went to the dining room on the first floor, he was greeted by Lana, the proprietress of the Dusk Wheat inn . ¡¸Ah . I have a small errand to run . I would like to order breakfast/¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Please take a seat where you like while you wait . ¡¹ As expected, the mornings were busy and Lana only exchanged a short greeting with him before quickly heading into the kitchen . After being told that, Rei took a seat to his right and waited . Lana came back not long after and arranged his breakfast on the table . There was a rye bread bun, ham steak, potato salad, a slightly sour soup and some watered down wine . Considering the time that would be required to prepare all that, it once again convince Rei that the Dusk Wheat inn was a high class accommodation . He ate his breakfast slowly for about 30 minutes before going to the stables to pick up Set . ¡¸Set-chan, take a look at this . Try eating some . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ For some reason, he found the figure of a familiar female fencer there, both her hands full of food that she was giving to Set one after the other . ¡¸¡­¡­Milein . ¡¹ Yes, the female fencer was Milein, the leader of the rank C party Scorching Wind . ¡¸Ah, Rei . Good morning . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Good morning . Still, you found out that we had come back pretty fast . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha, what are you talking about . Set is so noticeable that he¡¯s already become a topic of conversation . ¡­¡­It¡¯s a bit sad though . If I had come back a little earlier, I could have met Set yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸Haa, you¡¯re the same as ever . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . It hasn¡¯t been more than a month since I last met Set?¡¡I won¡¯t change that much . ¡¹ While embracing Set¡¯s fur coat, Milein continued talking with Rei . ¡¸You could have at least met with me first though . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha . If you were older than me, I might have considered that . You see, I prefer older guys . ¡¹ As she spoke to Rei, she was still looking at Set, smiling as she fed him meat skewers, fruit and a bowl of meaty soup . ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯ve saved me the trouble of feeding Set, but do you have the money?¡¹ Rei remembered that when he had taken the rank up test, she had gone out with Set on subjugation requests to make some income . However, she nodded, indicating that there were no problems . ¡¸Originally, we were out of money because we replaced all our equipment after the Orc incident . After that, we managed to get out of that state thanks to Set-chan . Right now, I¡¯m living a nice comfortable life . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Ah, Set, what do you want to do?¡¡I¡¯m going off to see Elena now, do you want to stay here with Milein?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gurururu~!¡¹ Set was troubled for several seconds before quickly nodding and coming out of his spot . By the way, before they left for the dungeon, the other horses and animals in the stables had become accustomed to Set . But while they were away, the mercenary group that owned those horses and animals had already left the inn . As the inn received new guests and customers, the horses and other animals in the stables were also replaced with new ones . Because of that, whenever Set appeared, they would all quiet down . There were a few remaining animals from before, who acted relaxed as if it didn¡¯t concern them at all . ¡¸So, as I thought, I¡¯m still no match for Rei . ¡¹ At Set¡¯s actions, she turned to look at Rei enviously¡­¡­no, Milein looked at him with something like a glare . ¡¸One day¡­¡­I will make Set only focus on me!¡¹ With that, she left the stables while pretending to cry . ¡¸¡­¡­What is she trying to do . ¡¹ Even while amazed at the situation, Rei was thankful to Milein . When they had gone for the Orc subjugation, thanks to Milein taking the initiative to become familiar with Set, Set also became more comfortable among the subjugation corps . At the same time, he started to become widely accepted even in the city of Gimuru . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong, Set seemed to ask . Smiling, Rei rubbed Set¡¯s head as they left the stables . As originally planned, they started towards the Margrave¡¯s residence . ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s Rei . I had heard that you came from your request, it looks like that was true . Things as usual for you?¡¹ ¡¸Rei, I heard that you came back, get some skewers . Please buy some . ¡¹ ¡¸I made a new sandwich to sell . Would you like to try it?¡¹ As he walked through the streets with Set, the street vendors frequently asked him things related to food . Set would show interest in them and Rei would buy them before they continued as usual while eating . Although Rei had just eaten breakfast and Set had been fed various food by Milein, Set was still delighted to stuff himself with the delicious food that Rei gave him . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry as he ate a sandwich containing grilled Fang Boar meat and crisp leafed vegetables, seasoned with a sweet and sour sauce Seeing Set like it, the stall owner looked on with a somewhat relaxed expression . With a wry smile, Rei paid for the food . Like that, the two of them continued down the road with their usual interactions . However, as they got closer to the Margrave¡¯s residence, the number of stalls also started to decrease . Instead, the figures of soldiers, guards and knights started to stand out . Naturally, as a result¡­¡­ ¡¸You over there, only the Margrave¡¯s residence is ahead, do you have any business there?¡¹ Such questions started being asked . Although he was at a loss on how to answer, Rei didn¡¯t feel that the soldier in front of him was trying to give him a hard time . Rather, although Set wore a Necklace of Subservient Monster around his neck, the fact that man, who was frightened by the 2m long Griffon, still carried out his duties gave him a sense of security . Anyhow, Margrave Daska Rowlocks was a central figure among the Neutral Faction . Naturally, some of his opponents would throw obstacles at him to make things difficult for him . Because of that, there was never a case of being too cautious . ¡¸Hey, he¡¯s fine . ¡¹ When Rei was about to speak, another soldier unexpectedly came up from behind the soldier who was questioning him . ¡¸Why?¡¹ ¡¸Haven¡¯t you heard about this guy?¡¡An adventurer followed by a Griffon . He has a low ranking of rank D, but I¡¯ve heard his abilities are rank A . It seems the Margrave nominated him for a request because of that . You¡¯re coming because of that, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s not wrong . ¡¹ ¡¸See?¡¹ ¡¸If you say so, then there shouldn¡¯t be any issues . ¡­¡­You may pass . ¡¹ ¡¸Thanks . ¡¹ Thanking the two soldiers, as he moved on with Set towards the Margrave¡¯s residence, a fortress like building came into view . A soldier who was acting as a gatekeeper in front of the residence turned his eyes to Rei and Set as they approached the gate . Although Rei had already come to the Margrave¡¯s residence several times and they had already become familiar with each other, as evidence of them being elite soldiers, he wasn¡¯t careless with his duties . ¡¸Do you have some business with the Margrave?¡¹ As soon as he arrived before the gate, the gatekeeper asked, but Rei shook his head . ¡¸No, I would like to meet with Elena Kerebel-sama . I have to give her some things that were agreed on during the escort request . I would like to sort that out before she leaves . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand, please wait for a moment . ¡¹ As expected, when talking with the gatekeeper, Rei couldn¡¯t call Elena without any honourifics . About 10 minutes later after the gatekeeper left for the mansion, Rei and Set were still waiting in silence, somewhat uncomfortably . No, to be exact, only Rei was feeling uncomfortable . The new gatekeeper stood in silence on the spot, his facial expression hardly changing . Set just yawned comfortably . (¡­¡­Am I the strange one?) When he asked himself that question, the previous gatekeeper finally came back . ¡¸Elena-sama is waiting . I will guide you to her . ¡¹ Along with the gatekeeper was the familiar figure of Ara . On her back was the Power Axe that had been handed to her by Rei . Rather than a knight, she gave off the impression of a warrior . (Well, she¡¯s a strange person to use an axe as a knight . ) ¡¸I understand . ¡­¡­Ah, could you take Set to the stables?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, glancing at Set, who was yawning carelessly, the gatekeeper gave a small nod . ¡¸I don¡¯t mind . He won¡¯t bite, will he?¡¹ ¡¸That won¡¯t happen . There won¡¯t be any problems unless you try to do something strange to him . ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me . ¡¹ ¡¸With that, please wait for a bit . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ As Rei said that to Set, Set replied with a cry . After stroking Set¡¯s head roughly at the end, Rei went to Ara, who was waiting for him in front of the mansion . ¡¸Rei-sono, good morning . It¡¯s early, there are still quite a few bells before the 9am bell . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I forgot that there is something I need to check with Elena . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama?¡¡Well, if it¡¯s Rei-dono, there are no issues . Elena-sama is waiting in the room . ¡¹ As they walked along, they reached a room with luxurious doors . ¡¸¡­¡­The door to the office as well, is Margrave Rowlocks a door fanatic?¡¹ Ara smiled at Rei¡¯s unintentional murmurs . ¡¸That¡¯s probably part of the reason, but I think it¡¯s because this is a room to accommodate VIP guests . ¡­¡­Elena-sama, it¡¯s Ara . I¡¯ve brought Rei-dono . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, come in . ¡¹ After Elena¡¯s voice was heard from inside the room, Ara opened the door . The first thing he saw was the various furniture items, that all seemed expensive . From the ceiling, a chandelier, that seemed to be a magic item, hung down . The walls in the room were made of a seamless glossy stone, like marble . Even the carpet laid in the room, when stepped on, would sink down several cm . In addition, the tables, chairs and sofas, even if Rei wasn¡¯t familiar with such items, he could still tell at a glance that they were of a high class . ¡¸There¡¯s still another two hours before we depart . You¡¯ve come very early . ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine . I¡¯ve finished all my preparations for departure and have some idle time . Please sit down, let¡¯s talk . ¡¹ Guided by Elena, he sat down on a sofa . It was like the sofa for visitors that was in Daska¡¯s office¡­¡­no, it was surprisingly softer as Rei sank further down after it received his weight . Elena smiled . ¡¸Because this room is for important people to stay, even if this sofa is placed here, it isn¡¯t strange . Perhaps when nobles of higher standing than Daska-dono come, they will be shown in here . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess this is the vanity of nobles . Well, as for why I came today¡­¡­we haven¡¯t decided on what to do with the monsters we killed before we got to the dungeon and afterwards in the dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸Mmm, that is true . After leaving the dungeon, we were busy with so many things that I had forgotten about it . ¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei agreed with her . Rei aside, Elena had went through the betrayal and death of companions she had worked with for years . It had been necessary for her to inform her father, Duke Kerebel, and she also had to check up on the power that she had inherited from the Ancient Dragon through the Inheritance Ceremony . If anyone were to be blamed for forgetting about the monsters, it would have to be Rei, who was the most relaxed out of all of them . ¡¸Goblin monsters aside, there are Lizardmen, a Lizardman General, Water Monkeys, the rare species Water Monkey, an Ogre, a Spriggan, Emerald Wolves and so on . There are quite a few monsters with special qualities . ¡¹ ¡¸That reminds me, after speaking with Rei-dono, I¡¯m surprised by the number of monsters we killed . ¡­¡­Well, because it¡¯s a dungeon, the quality and quantity sounds about right . ¡¹ Ara, who was sitting next to Elena, muttered . Normally, Ara would have stood behind Elena as her escort, but Elena wasn¡¯t as cautious around Rei . Ara also felt a sense of familiarity with Rei, an attitude completely difference from the first time they had met, where she had slashed at him without waiting for an answer after her question . ¡¸That reminds me . That said, I have already decided what to do with them . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena?¡¹ ¡¸This time, we have inconvenienced Rei in various ways . Without Rei, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to drink tea here like this now . This isn¡¯t a substitute for the reward, but you may take all the monsters that have been stored in your item box . ¡¹ TLN: Pardon me for asking this, but Elena, what about Kuust¡¯s body? You haven¡¯t forgotten that right? Elena spoke those words as if it were nothing . Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Legend Chapter 112 ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure?¡¹ Sitting on the sofa, Rei unconsciously stopped drinking his tea and asked Elena . He had just been told that all the monsters they had killed on the way to the dungeon and in the dungeon would be given to him as a reward . ¡¸There are no issues . In the first place, we have don¡¯t have the means to sell all the magic stones and proofs of subjugation . ¡¹ (I see, come to think of it, I did here that that was usually left to Vel . ) He nodded in his mind, but still spoke out his question? ¡¸Certainly you don¡¯t have any connections on hand to sell through, But still, wouldn¡¯t I be taking unfair advantage of you if I took it all because you can¡¯t sell it?¡¡If it comes down to it, you could ask the coach driver . ¡¹ ¡¸That is true . However, we have given you much inconveniences this time . This is what I can give you¡­¡­ah, no . Rather, I still have one more thing . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Elena?¡¹ Rei asked Elena after hearing her mutter as if she had thought of something, but Elena shook her head as if it were nothing . ¡¸Anyway . For me, I think it would be fine if we gave you all the monsters this time . Although you may have forgotten, for now, I hold the position of a Duke¡¯s daughter . Even as a soldier, I have received much fame . I¡¯m not concerned about money, I even have reputation as the General Princess . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if Elena is fine with it, I have no complaints . ¡¹ Seeing that there were no complaints, she gave a nod and elegantly carried the the cup of tea to her mouth . ¡¸¡­¡­Ara, sorry, but I would like another cup of tea . Something a bit lighter . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . I will prepare it immediately . ¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Ara bowed her head and went out the small room . As Elena saw Ara off, she waited for door to the room to close before turning her eyes to Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­Elena?¡¹ ¡¸Rei, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­but if you could lend me your ear for a minute¡­¡­yes, please pay attention . ¡¹ ¡¸What, all of a sudden?¡¡Ah, well, I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ While wondering, he got up from his sofa and sat next to Elena . He waited for what she had to say . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ As he waited for several seconds, he started to feel suspicious of Elena, who stayed silent, and turned around to look at her . ¡­¡­ Unexpectedly, Elena¡¯s hands grasped his cheeks and forced his face to look at her . Originally, this would have been impossible given Rei¡¯s physical abilities, but now, although incomplete, Elena had inherited the power of an Ancient Dragon . Magical power aside, in terms of pure physical strength, there wasn¡¯t much difference between them . Rei was taken by surprise and didn¡¯t offer any resistance as his face was suddenly turned to towards Elena . ¡­¡­However, Elena still didn¡¯t have full control over her strength . Even now, if it hadn¡¯t been Rei, the person would have suffered from whiplash . ¡¸Hey, I-¡­¡­¡¹ At that sudden action, Rei couldn¡¯t utter a single thing until the end . The reason was because Elena¡¯s lips had covered Rei¡¯s . TLN: Achievement Get! What¡¯s next on the bucket list? Also, not sure if Rei just took first base, or Elena took first base . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At that sudden action, Rei¡¯s eyes widened . However, Rei didn¡¯t dislike Elena . When her beautiful face, which was now dyed red, entered his eyes, he accepted her lips without resisting . Her lips were soft ad somewhat cool . Maybe it was her body odour or perfume, a unique citrus scent could be smelled . However, the fragrance surrounded Rei without any discomfort . He wondered how long their lips would stay like this . It was Rei¡¯s first kiss since he was born, at the same time, it was with a beautiful woman like Elena . This was the only reason he could accept it right now . Soon, their lips quietly separated and silence dominated the room . Although it had just been a kiss on the lips, Rei was born in the countryside and was a novice at such things . With the position of a duke¡¯s daughter, although there were opportunities to come across such knowledge, Elena had absorbed herself in honing her martial skills to the point where she became known as the General Princess . Because of that, it had been the first time for either of them . ¡¸B-Because that was my first kiss, that should be enough as a reward!?¡¹ TLN: Elena is probably not a tsundere, she just doesn¡¯t fully understand what she decided to do lol Although Elena said that in an overbearing manner, she was the same as before¡­¡­no, her face was redder compared to the usual whiteness of her skin, making the redness more conspicuous . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­that is, yes . Well . ¡¹ Rei was also Rei, because it was his first experience of kissing someone, he had no choice but to tell himself that was the reason . Originally, back in Japan, Rei had enjoyed reading manga and light novels and had knowledge about such situations . However, now that he had experienced it, it seemed that there were a lot more things to consider . With that reply, the room fell into silence again . Whether she wanted to avoid that or not, Elena spoke up again . ¡¸T-That¡¯s good . Don¡¯t think that I am a woman who would give my lips to anyone . Rei, I only permitted such an act because it was you . ¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­ah, I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡­¡¹ Rei fumbled for the right words, his face just as red as Elena¡¯s . ¡¸No, you don¡¯t have to say anything . Rather, don¡¯t say anything!¡¹ Remembering what she had done, Elena¡¯s face went bright red . Then, a few minutes after they had returned to their former seats and sat facing each other in an uncomfortable silence, there was an abrupt knock on the door . With exaggerated surprise, the both of them turned to look at the door . ¡¸Elena-sama, there were only biscuits¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that as she entered the room, Ara brought in some biscuits on a silver plate . However, as expected, because Ara adored Elena, there was no way that she didn¡¯t notice the delicate atmosphere in the room and spoke up . ¡¸Uhh, this atmosphere¡­¡­haa, Rei-dono, this you do something to Elena-sama?¡¹ Ara directed a sharp gaze at Rei . Though Ara had been absent for only a short time, her beloved Elena-sama had gone red in the face and kept glancing at Rei . She was different from the usual dignified Elena-sama¡­¡­no, that was why the current situation was unbelievable . Yes, because she looked like a maiden who had fallen in love¡­¡­ Thinking that in her mind, she shook her head in a hurry . ¡¸Rei-dono?¡¡Is there something you should tell me?¡¹ ¡¸N-No . There¡¯s nothing in particular¡­¡­¡¹ While fumbling for the right words, he looked at Elena without thinking . And Elena being Elena, when she saw Rei looking at her, her cheeks went red again . ¡¸¡­¡­Rei-dono . You have certainly helped us out in the dungeon many times, I am also grateful that you gave me the Power Axe . But if you use that as a pretext to make moves on Elena-sama¡­¡­¡¹ Gently, Ara reached for the Power Axe on her back . She was ready to slash at Rei at any time¡­¡­ ¡¸Wait, Ara . Rei hasn¡¯t done anything to me!¡¹ As expected, although the situation was awkward and her face was still red, Elena called out to Ara in a sharp voice . ¡¸But Elena-sama¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Too many words . I have said myself that nothing has happened . Do you have anything more to say?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Did nothing really happen?¡¹ ¡¸Umu~ . ¡­¡­If anything, I was the one who did something . ¡¹ The latter half was only murmured, but fortunately, Ara didn¡¯t seem to have heard it . ¡­¡­However, Rei had sharper senses than ordinary people and heard everything she said . Although somewhat reluctant, Ara was convinced and placed the plate of biscuits on the table before sitting next to Elena . However, it probably wasn¡¯t just Rei¡¯s imagination and her looks towards him became sharper . After that, there weren¡¯t any particular topics to talk about and as the time for departure grew near, they all decided to head for the entrance of the residence . ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re right on time . I was thinking about getting someone to call you . ¡¹ As they walked out to the front entrance, Daska, the main resident of the building, said that as he turned to meet the three of them . Next to Daska was the carriage used by Elena . The adventurer she had hired to drive it was already sitting in his seat . After loading Kuust¡¯s body into a coffin, which was also a specialised magic item, he placed the water magic spear that Kuust had used beside it . TLN: Oh good, they didn¡¯t forget about Kuust lol ¡¸Even so, Rei is quick with the girls . Did you have a secret date with the Duke¡¯s daughter, Elena-dono, this morning?¡¹ Hahaha, Daska asked them while laughing . As the person himself would have said, he was only teasing Elena and Rei, but the timing was bad . As soon as he heard those words, Rei turned away . Elena¡¯s cheeks went red and Ara went into bloodthirsty state . ¡¸H-Haa?¡¡That¡¯s impossible¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, Daska-sama . Nothing has happened so don¡¯t mind it . ¡¹ As Ara told with that with a smile, there was no room to say anything else . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ As if ignoring the atmosphere, Set appeared . ¡¸¡­¡­Set?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahh . I called him over . This fellow challenged the dungeon along you, so he has the qualifications to see you off . ¡¹ Daska gathered himself due to the appearance of Set . Elena also looked at Set and returned to her usual calm expression . ¡¸Set, you really helped us out a lot this time . If you weren¡¯t there, perhaps we would have been overwhelmed by the troop of Water Monkeys . Thank you for helping us . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Elena smiled as she stroked his head and Set gave a cheerful cry . Ara saw that and finally stopped releasing pressure before approaching Set . ¡¸It is as Elena-sama said . You¡¯ve been a big help . ¡¹ Ara held out some dried meat in her hands and Set picked it up in his beak as he gave a happy cry . ¡¸Haha, looking at him like this, he¡¯s cute enough that you wouldn¡¯t think he was an A rank monster . ¡¹ ¡¸That is really true . He is so friendly that you wouldn¡¯t believe how bravely he fights in battle . ¡¹ ¡¸Really, Griffons really are amazing . ¡¹ Interested in Elena and Ara¡¯s words, Daska chimed in . Unsurprisingly, it seems he didn¡¯t care about the strange atmosphere that had been around earlier . ¡¸I see . I think that if Set and Rei work together, they won¡¯t fall short of an A rank party . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh~¡¹ Hearing some good information, Daska just smiled . After meeting with Set, Elena and Ara went towards Daska . ¡¸If Daska-dono hadn¡¯t sent Rei as my escort, I probably wouldn¡¯t have come back from the dungeon . ¡­¡­Rei did his role well . Even though it was difficult for Daska-dono, I cannot thank you enough . ¡¹ Awkwardly, he had been limited to selecting a D rank adventurer due to Vel¡¯s work behind the scenes . This was understood by Rei as well . Elena and Daska shook hands while Ara gave a deep bow . ¡¸As Elena-sama said, Rei has helped a lot . I would like to thank Margrave Rowlocks for your good eyes . ¡¹ Seeing the two of them like that, Daska smiled . His smile was different from when he had heard about Rei and Set¡¯s abilities earlier, it wasn¡¯t a smile as if he were planning something, but rather, a plain and simple smile¡­¡­furthermore, it was a manly smile . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . If Elena-dono had died in my territory, there would be a variety of things I would have to do . I did it completely in good faith . ¡¹ ¡¸Nevertheless, I would like to thank you because it is a fact that I was saved because of it . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a bad thing to be able to make the Nobles Faction owe the Neutral Faction a favour . ¡¹ While saying so, Daska grasped the hand presented by Elena . And finally, Elena and Ara came to Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­We have truly been taken care of by Rei . Regarding the matter of Kuust¡¯s body, if Rei hadn¡¯t been there, it would have been impossible to return it to his family . Someday, I would like you to come visit my place if you have the chance . At that time, I will welcome from my position as the successor to Duke Kerebel . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei-dono, I will make use of this Power Axe . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, both of you stay well . I will rush over if a war breaks out . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, if Rei and Set are there, no matter how powerful they are, I feel we have a chance of competing against the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ Elena smiled at Rei¡¯s words . Ara felt that Elena¡¯s smile now held the charm of a girl, unlike her previous smiles, but she only watched their interaction without saying anything . ¡¸Well then¡­¡­stay well . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Elena too . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm?¡¡When did the two of them reach the point where they could talk with each other like this?¡¡This wasn¡¯t the case yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¡Ah, no . This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Daska-sama, Elena-sama and Rei-dono understood that they could trust each other after overcoming crises . Elena-sama told Rei-dono that he doesn¡¯t have to use honourifics with her . ¡¹ Ara spoke out as if to protect Elena, who was fumbling for the right words . Daska thought of something and smiled back as he spoke . ¡¸I see, I see . It seems you¡¯ve won the trust of Duke Kerebel¡¯s daughter, the renowned General Princess . As expected of you, Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you very much . ¡¹ Rei bowed his head at Daska with a wry smile after Ara¡¯s follow up . ¡¸Elena-sama, we had better depart soon . We have spent too much time here¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Mmm, that is so . ¡­¡­Rei . ¡¹ When Rei looked at her after she spoke, Elena took a step forward and whispered into his ear . ¡¸I gave you my first kiss . The price of a girl¡¯s lips is never cheap . ¡¹ Shortly after telling him that, she quickly entered the carriage, leaving behind the unique scent of her body odour mixed with perfume that he had felt when they had kissed . ¡¸Then, excuse us . I truly thank you for this time . ¡¹ Finally, Ara said that before the carriage departed from Margrave Rowlock¡¯s residence towards the city . ¡­¡­As Rei left, his cheeks were still dyed slightly red . Chapter 113 Chapter 113 ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­I screwed up . ¡¹ Rei unconsciously murmured as he walked through the city . Next to him was the figure of Set, as usual . After sending Elena off, he was interrogated by Daska, the lord of Gimuru, in various ways . However, Rei managed to escape from the residence somehow after obtaining the document of request completion and was now walking around the city with Set . Normally, he would go to the guild to hand over the document for a reward, but it was only just past 9am in the morning . Even if he went to the guild now, it would be a hard to collect his reward if he was caught in the crowd of adventurers who were picking up requests in the guild . He decided it would be easier to kill some time and head into the guild after the congestion had died down¡­¡­and was wondering how to spend his time now . ¡¸Well, what should we do?¡¡I don¡¯t have enough time to strip materials or to rest at the inn . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set eyed Rei and gave a cry of agreement as they walked through the city when they saw the shadows of several appeared . If it had been just a few people, he would have just passed them by . However, there were four boys around the age of 15, about Rei¡¯s age, surrounding a kid about 10 years old . Rei unintentionally stopped to take a look . In the city of Gimuru, there were many rough adventurers . The number of people who would use their strength to bully others were not few . And as children were brought up seeing the behavior of the adults, it was natural that they would be affected by those actions . Those boys were one of those children, but their greatest misfortune was that Rei had time to spare . Normally, if he had seen a child being brought into a back ally, he would have ignored it, but for Rei who currently wanted to kill some time, it was a suitable reason . ¡¸Set, shall we take a look?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Maybe Set was also feeling leisurely, he gave a cry as he deftly ate the meat off a Big Boar skewer that had been cooked by Rei . ¡¸Now then, well, its following the usual pattern¡­¡­that child would really be a secret child of a noble or an important merchant, or such kinds of development¡­¡­I guess . ¡¹ TLN: Rei is genre savvy, but will the author stick to tropes? He looked at the four boys and the young kid . Their clothing was like those of the ordinary citizens around the area and they didn¡¯t look like they were here for any reason in particular . No, there may have been various reasons, but it all seemed like child¡¯s play to Rei, who had just experienced much larger things, like the betrayal of Viscount Sails to the Bestir Empire . ¡­¡­Although, it should be said that Rei himself appeared to be around the same age as the boys he was looking at . Rei went forward while making sure they couldn¡¯t see him . Even at the current distance, it wasn¡¯t difficult for Rei to overhear their conversation with his sharpened senses . ¡¸Fis, have you brought the thing?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, answer when we ask you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . ¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸I told you I didn¡¯t bring it!¡¡Who would listen to what you guys say!¡¹ ¡¸Guh!¡¹ The kid that was surrounded by the four boys smacked the belly of the boy who had been talking to him earlier with a 20cm long iron bar . Quickly pulling the iron bar back, he swung it towards the side of the boy who was next to him¡­¡­ ¡¸Whoops, that¡¯s dangerous . ¡¹ Before the iron bar could make contact, the kid¡¯s hand was held down and his movements stopped . The first attack had been so sudden that it had succeeded . However, as long as his arms were held down, it wasn¡¯t difficult to restrain a 10 year old boy . (Even so, he¡¯s strangely skilled . ) Rei murmured as he thought over the current events . Of course, he wasn¡¯t as skilled as an adventurer . However, his build as clearly different from those who had grown up in ordinary households, he seemed to have some experience . (Well, maybe he had received some training from a family member or an adventurer he knows . ) ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Should we leave them as they are? Set seemed to asked as he tilted his head . Giving a small nod, he took the skewers that Set had eaten earlier . ¡¸Shit, acting dirty and making a surprise attack!¡¡I will put you in your place!¡¹ The boy who had been struck in the belly stood up and tried to kick the face of the kid who was now being held down¡­¡­ Zing~! That moment, the skewer that Rei threw grazed the boy¡¯s cheek before piercing deeply into the brick wall of a house behind him . ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ The boy gently touched his cheeks, not realising what had happened . His cheek had a scratch several cm long and blood stuck to his palm . ¡¸W-Who is it!¡¹ The boy who cried out wasn¡¯t the one who was trying to kick the kid, nor was it the one holding the kid down . It was one of the remaining two boys . ¡¸Hm?¡¡Ah, it was me¡­¡­is it a problem?¡¹ Saying that, Rei appeared behind them . However, Set couldn¡¯t be seen . He decided that if Griffon appeared here, it would cause a big stir . Set himself was waiting quietly in the shade a short distance away . ¡¸O-Of course it is . Suddenly doing such a thing!¡¹ The person who had appeared was about the same age as them . Or so the boy, who was taller, thought as he aggressively shouted back . However, the last boy was stunned when he saw the skewer that had pierced into the bricks . Normally, it would be impossible for an ordinary wood skewer to pierce into bricks . Because he knew that, he couldn¡¯t understand how it had happened . (¡­¡­It went well . ) Rei thought in his mind . He had thrown the skewer with magic power . Normally, if it wasn¡¯t a special metal that could hold magic power, even if you poured magic power into an item, it would soon dissipate . But because it had been thrown after Rei had pushed his massive amount of magic power into, the result was that it pierced into the brick wall, an unexpected result . ¡¸Hm, what did they say at such times . Ah, yes, that¡¯s it . Seeing injustice and not acting shows a lack of courage, or something . ¡¹ TLN: Rei is pretending to act like a webnovel character¡­¡­except¡­¡­he is a webnovel character ¡¸Haa? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t understand the situation . What, you trying to pick a fight us?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m just killing time . ¡¹ To not act after seeing injustice shows a lack of courage . In other words, although a person knows what is right, if they have no courage, they wouldn¡¯t try to do it¡­¡­but though he said that plainly . The boy thought that Rei was making of him . The boy who had been holding the kid released him and stepped forward . ¡¸You know, as you can see, we are busy . I¡¯m sorry but you¡¯re in the way, could you please disappear?¡¡You wouldn¡¯t want to get hurt would you?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­20 points I guess . ¡¹ ¡¸Haa? What are you talking about¡­¡­¡¹ The boy tried to say something, but by the time he noticed, Rei¡¯s fist was already in front of his face . To that boy, it was just a moment . No, the moment the fist appeared before his face, that moment seemed to last forever . ¡¸If you¡¯re skilled, you now know the difference in strength between us . Do you still want to fight?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ The boy took a breath as he clenched his fist while hesitating to try to hit Rei . He understood that the boy with the robe in front of him wasn¡¯t bluffing and was stronger than the four of them . ¡­¡­Even so, because Rei had made the difference in strength clear . ¡¸¡­¡­What will you do?¡¹ ¡¸-! Let¡¯s go!¡¹ ¡¸H-Hey!¡¡What¡¯s with you . He can¡¯t do anything to us just by himself!¡¹ ¡¸Who cares, just go!¡¹ As the boy spat that out, the boy who had been scratched by the skewer and the boy who had seen the skewer pierce into the brick wall followed after him . Maybe the last boy thought he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance if he was by himself, he spat on the ground before following the others . ¡¸Well, this was expected . ¡­¡­Hey, are you okay?¡¹ Seeing the four people leave, Rei turned his eyes to the kid on the ground . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ However, the kid stood up quietly without saying anything and brushed the dust off his clothes before looking at Rei . ¡¸Onii-chan, you¡¯re strong . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm?¡¡Ahh, I guess so . I¡¯m an adventurer right now, so I¡¯m strong enough that I won¡¯t lose to people like them . ¡­¡­In addition . ¡¹ Rei glanced behind him . The kid turned to follow the direction Rei was looking at and gasped when he saw the Griffon appear unexpectedly . ¡¸Is that a¡­¡­Griffon?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Haven¡¯t you heard about it?¡¡He¡¯s quiet popular around the city of Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I only recently came to this city . ¡­¡­Will it bite me?¡¹ ¡¸It will be fine as long as you don¡¯t try to do anything funny to him . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can I stroke him?¡¹ He had just met Set for the first time, Rei looked at the kid as he suddenly thought of something . There were many people who had asked if they could stroke Set after learning that he had a calm temper, but no one had ever asked on their first meeting . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set was the same as always and sat down as he looked at the kid, giving a happy cry as if saying he could stroke him . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Slowly but surely, he reached his hand out towards Set¡¯s head¡­¡­ ¡¸Uwa~, it¡¯s soft . ¡¹ Finally, he stroked Set¡¯s head . The kid stroked Set¡¯s head for a while before Rei spoke up . ¡¸So, what will you do?¡¡And why were you involved with those guys?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . This is something I have to do myself . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well, I¡¯m just here to kill some time so I won¡¯t ask any more if you don¡¯t want to say anything . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, that is¡­¡­though it¡¯s a bit late . Thank you for your help . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . As I said, I was just killing some time . ¡¹ Smiling at the kid who had bowed his head, he took out another freshly cooked grilled skewer from the Misty Ring and gave it to the kid . ¡¸Here, eat this for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . Thank you . ¡¹ Taking out some skewers for himself and Set, the two of them sat on an empty box nearby while Set lay down on the ground to eat the skewers . ¡¸Wafu~, wafu~¡­¡­It¡¯s delicious¡­¡­but, isn¡¯t this freshly cooked?¡¡Where did you get them from?¡¹ ¡¸Hm, I have a magic item that can hold these things . ¡¹ Rei answered the kid as he savoured the skewers before he unexpectedly eyed an object on the stone pavement . It was the thing that the kid had used to hit one of the boys earlier . Rather than a bladeless knife, it was simply a long iron bar . It was something that could be called a short club . Although it wasn¡¯t very long, only 20cm, from Rei¡¯s knowledge, it was similar to a police baton . Interested, Rei picked it up from the ground to look at it . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹ The kid, who had been focusing on eating his skewer, noticed it . He reached out his hands in a panic . ¡¸G-Give it back!¡¹ At those words, Rei, who hadn¡¯t planned on taking the short club away in the first place, handed it to the kid without hesistation . ¡¸Hm?¡¡Ah, here . Still, it¡¯s quite unusual . Was it made for you?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . My father made it for me just in case, as the city can be dangerous . ¡¹ ¡¸Your father made it?¡¡What, is your father a blacksmith or something?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . He only just came to this city recently but already has a reputation for his good skill . Have you heard of Pamidor?¡¹ Although the kid looked at Rei with expectation in his eyes, Rei shook his head . ¡¸Sorry, I only came back to here yesterday . After that, I was tired so I slept at the inn . ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If I have the opportunity, I will come by . By the way, where is the shop?¡¹ ¡¸Umm, there was a library nearby!¡¹ Listen to a more detailed description, Rei confirmed that it was about 10 minutes walk from the library . Because was that close, it was within the area that Rei was familiar with . (Even so, my weapon, the Death Scythe, was made with the Magic Beast Art . If it were an ordinary magic item, I would still need to sharpen the blade¡­¡­ah, no . But considering my throwing spears and the dagger I use for stripping materials¡­¡­) ¡¸I see, I will come by the next time I have a chance . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Because you won¡¯t get beaten by those guys, you should come for sure . ¡¹ He could mostly predict why he had been tangled up with the boys earlier at those words . Perhaps the boys were threatening him to bring weapons made by his father or something . If he was a blacksmith¡¯s son, he would be less likely to be found out if he had taken some, and as a child, it was difficult for him to fight back against the older kids . (As expected, I¡¯m not mistaken . ) Finishing eating his last skewer, Rei stood up from the empty box . ¡¸Now then, I was able to kill some time, so I will get going soon¡­¡­what about you?¡¡Will you get tangled up with those guys again if you stay here?¡¹ ¡¸I see . I will also go home . ¡¹ ¡¸It would be better to do that . ¡¹ Giving a small nod, Rei started to leave the back alley with Set, who had finished eating several skewers, when¡­¡­ ¡¸Onii-chan, tell me your name!¡¹ When he called out from behind . ¡¸Rei . The Griffon is Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei onii-chan, Set, thanks for your help!¡¡I¡¯m Kumito!¡¹ TLN: The boys clearly called him Fis, so I¡¯m not sure why his name is Kumito here . Will probably find out in a few chapters time though . Waving his hand lightly, Rei and Set went out the back alley . Chapter 114 Chapter 114 After killing some time by helping out Kumito, the son of a blacksmith, Rei and Set made their way to the guild . By the time they arrived, the congested time had already passed and there were only a few adventurers still in the guild . Of course, there were also adventurers that only came in now because they disliked the crowds . Regardless, Rei dropped Set off at the carriage waiting area before entering the guild and heading straight to the reception desks . One person quickly noticed Rei . ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s Rei-kun isn¡¯t it . I haven¡¯t seen you for a while, did you go out on a request?¡¡Did you suffer?¡¡You can just tell me . I will comfort you at any time and spread bad rumors about the adventurers who bullied you . ¡¹ As soon as Kenny, the Catkin on the other side of the counter, saw Rei, she called out to him . Then, as a result, the all the adventurers in the guild turned to look at Rei¡­¡­in particular, the looks of the male adventurers hardened . The Kenny, the receptionist, was beautiful and had a voluptuous body which attracted men . Naturally, she was very popular and had many fans . It was no wonder that they would look to see who she was happily waving at . The reactions of the people who turned to look were divided into two groups . That is to say, those that knew Rei and those that didn¡¯t . Because it had been quite a few days since Rei left for the dungeon with Elena, the number of adventurer who hadn¡¯t heard about Rei had increased . As for those who had invited her out for a dinner or date and had been flatly refused, they glared at him intensely . Originally, Kenny had a thing for younger guys, but after meeting with Rei, she had started to actively pursue him, both as a hobby and also for her own benefit . While such people turned to look at Rei, fortunately, the adventurers who knew Rei explained to their fellow party members and no reckless actions were made . ¡­¡­No, rather, they realised they couldn¡¯t . However, those that didn¡¯t know Rei and had nothing to do with those that did looked at Rei insidiously . Feeling the atmosphere, Lenora, the receptionist with the ponytail next to Kenny, spoke up . ¡¸Hey, Kenny!¡¹ ¡¸Mm? What?¡¹ ¡¸You, haven¡¯t you considered Rei¡¯s status¡­¡­¡¹ While smiling at their usual interaction, Rei headed straight for the counters . ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, I¡¯m fine as usual . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahahaha . Rei-san must have been tired from the long request . What business do you have today?¡¹ Continuing down to Lenora instead of Keny, he handed over a sheet of paper from his robe . It was the document certifying the completion of the request he had received from Margrave Daska Rowlocks . At that point, fans of Lenora also turned to look at him, but Rei continued speaking without concerning himself about it at all . ¡¸I would like to report the completion of my request and receive the reward . As for the monster materials, they are all in my item box at the moment and haven¡¯t been stripped, I will come in again for them next time . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Please wait a moment . ¡¹ Lenora nodded and took the document before going behind the counters . It seems that there were various aspects that were different from ordinary requests because it was a nominated request . ¡¸Hey, Rei-kun . Did you go to the dungeon for this request?¡¡How was it?¡¹ As soon as Lenora left, Kenny¡¯s eyes shined as she asked curiously, but as expected, Rei couldn¡¯t talk about Vel¡¯s betrayal or the Inheritance Ceremony . As a result, he only talked about the bland things that happened . ¡¸Well, the most surprising thing was that there were forests and rivers in the dungeon, there was even something like a sun . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡Is that true?¡¡The dungeon that Rei went to is underground right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, actually, the first and second floors were actually quite normal¡­¡­I don¡¯t know how to say it, but they were like an ordinary dungeon . The third floor had a forest of mushrooms and the fourth floor had an actual forest . The fifth floor was full of undead and the sixth floor was filled with traps . There weren¡¯t any ordinary monsters on the lowest floor . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s explanation, Kenny nodded while tilting her head as her imagination couldn¡¯t catch up with his description . While they were talking, a detestable person¡­¡­or rather, two adventurers in their mid twenties cut in, looking for a chance to mess with Rei . ¡¸Hey, hey, Kenny-chan may look good, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can hide your face . Mm?¡¡Why don¡¯t you show us your face . ¡¹ A man with a sword at his waist, who seemed to be a warrior, removed the hood covering Rei¡¯s head . What appeared was the face of someone around 15 year old . If anything, Rei¡¯s face and figure made him look younger . The companion of the warrior, who was holding a spear, saw Rei¡¯s face, unexpectedly spat out . ¡¸Pu, he¡¯s still a brat . Hey, hey, stop bluffing and pretending to be tough by saying a brat of your age went to a dungeon . ¡¹ At those words, one part of the guild¡­¡­the people who knew Rei, turned to look at the two in amazement . At the same time, those that didn¡¯t about him started to jeer . ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, can I consider that they¡¯re picking a fight with me?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that is, yes . Probably . ¡¹ Kenny mutter in shock but the two adventurers grinned as they misunderstood . ¡¸You, taking advantage of being a kid to get close to Kenny-chan¡­¡­guh-!¡¹ Rei looked at the male warrior who tried to butt in again and, giving a small sigh, dashed forward in an instant . Grabbing the man¡¯s neck in his right hand at the same time, he forcibly shut him up and lifted him off the ground¡­¡­before hurling him at the man with the spear, who was stunned at the sudden change in situation . ¡¸Gah~!¡¹ As expected, he couldn¡¯t believe that a man over 180cm tall and wearing leather armour could be thrown around so easily . The man with the spear fell to the ground without being able to catch the man with the sword . With their momentum, the two of them polished the floor with their bodies for several meters . ¡º¡­¡­¡» At that action, the guild went silent . However, the silence was still divided into two groups . There the people who knew Rei and thoughy ¡ºAh, as expected¡­¡­¡» and those that didn¡¯t that though ¡ºWho is this person?¡» . ¡¸You guys must have just registered at the guild recently . ¡¹ Rei asked the man with the spear . The man with the sword had already fainted . The man with the spear was shocked, not understanding what had happened, but those words cause his cheeks to cramp . He now understood what kind of person he had tried to mess around with . Ordinary humans¡­¡­or even skilled warriors would find it impossible to swing around a large man in armour with only one hand . However, the other party could do it with no difficulty . In addition, it didn¡¯t look like it had strained Rei at all . ¡¸Ah, Ahh . I just came to Gimuru about two days ago . ¡¹ Knowing the strength of the person he had picked a fight with, the face of the man with the spear paled as he answered the question . He didn¡¯t lack guts, but rather was scared of angering the person before him any further . ¡¸I thought you would say that . I¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei was about to say something, should he say that the timing was good or bad, Lenora returned from behind the counter . No, in this case, it should be said that the timing was good for the men . ¡¸Rei-san, here¡¯s your reward¡­¡­ah?¡¡What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, nothing at all . ¡¹ After glancing at the man with the spear one more time and spitting out a sigh, he turned toward Lenora . ¡¸No, Rei-kun was really cool . He was fighting for me!¡¡I¡¯m the only one for Rei-kun!¡¹ She left Kenny along for the time being . ¡¸Um¡­¡­that is, why is there someone lying on the floor?¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¡Maybe he¡¯s lacking sleep?¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s obviously frightened by Rei . ¡­¡­Haa, did they try to mess with you like the Claws of the Hawk¡¹ Lenora turned and gave a look of amazement at the man with the spear and the unconscious man with the sword with . ¡¸Scheer-san, Rei is a D rank adventurer . He also holds the record for the shortest time needed to get to D rank, taking a month since registering with the guild . You should pay attention to who you pick your fights with . ¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes-!¡¹ The man with the spear, Scheer, raised a high pitched cry before running out the guild carrying his companion . Rei¡¯s evaluation of him rose slightly when he saw that Scheer did not run away without his companion . ¡¸So, here¡¯s your reward . Please check . ¡¹ Lenora handed him a small cloth bag that she held as if nothing had happened at all . After he received it, he checked its contents . There were two Light Gold coins and one Platinum coin . The reward that Gran had told him before he had received the request was two Light Gold coins so it seemed that the extra Platinum coin was the additional reward Daska had mentioned . Two Light Gold coins . This was an amount of money that would let an ordinary family live without working for ten years . That was why it was kept in a cloth bag, to not show it in front of other adventurers . Rei understood that and thanked Lenora with a smile . ¡¸Sorry and thanks . ¡¹ ¡¸No . This is part of a receptionist¡¯s job . ¡­¡­Well, in a different sense, Rei-san seems to attract everyone¡¯s attention . ¡¹ As the adventurers in the guild looked at him, Rei shrugged his shoulders . ¡¸Hey, hey . Rather than that, Rei-kun . Have you celebrated since you came back safely from the request?¡¡I would like to celebrate Rei-kun¡¯s safe return together . I will also provide service . ¡¹ As if to emphasize it, Kenny puffed up her plump breasts with her arms, showing off the deep valley in her chest . And when Kenny took a pose to emphasize her breasts, Lenora reacted almost on reflex . ¡¸Hey, Kenny!¡¡You¡¯re still at work!¡¡You can do that after work is over . ¡¹ ¡¸But then Rei-kun may be celebrating with a woman that none of us know . ¡¹ ¡¸I also understand your feelings, but you still have to do your job first!¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, women with small breasts are also of small caliber . ¡¹ At those words, Lenora had veins popping out of her forehead . Even in that state, she still smiled because of her duty as a receptionist . ¡¸Hey, Kenny . What if I reported those words to the guild master¡­¡­what would you do?¡¹ ¡¸Nya~!¡¡Wai-, that¡¯s unfair!¡¹ ¡¸My colleague is trying to skip out on work . As a serious guild employee, isn¡¯t it natural to report that to my boss?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry Rei-kun . Please invite me for a celebration some other time¡­¡­¡¹ Surrendering, Kenny fell onto the counter . Her plump bulges were squeezed against the counter, causing the gazes of adventurers to gather there . ¡¸Seriously . If a guy comes over¡­¡­¡¹ Lenora almost instinctively sensed where those gazes gathered and complained unhappily . The male adventurers who heard her soft voice averted their gazes while Lenora and the other female adventurers coldly watched . ¡¸Well then, I suppose it¡¯s time for me to leave . For now, I¡¯ll take it slow with Set¡­¡­is what I want to say . I have to strip off the materials of monsters and extract their magic stones . As a reward, the other party gave me almost all the monsters we took down during the request . ¡¹ As he said that, Rei unintentionally remembered Elena and his cheeks went red when he thought of the moment they kissed . And naturally, Kenny saw that¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, Rei-kun . I don¡¯t know who it is but you mustn¡¯t get caught in the schemes of a woman!¡¹ And, as if she weren¡¯t scheming herself, she approached him . ¡¸Kenny, hey . Please calm down . Rei-san, I¡¯ll keep Kenny down so go before it¡¯s too late!¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, Ahh . I understand . ¡¹ Giving a small nod at Lenora¡¯s words, Rei left the guild feeling that something bad would probably happen here soon . (Leave this to me and keep going!¡¡Or¡­¡­no, it was me . What a death flag that is . ) TLN: quick note, the first ¡®me¡¯ is written as ¡®ore¡¯ while the second ¡®me¡¯ is written as ¡®watashi¡¯ He thought about that in his mind . ¡¸Wait a minute, release me Lenora . My Rei-kun is being tricked by an evil woman!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯d better calm down now!¡¹ Rei left while hearing those voices from behind . Chapter 115 Chapter 115 ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ Set gave a loud cry . His cry echoed through the clear blue sky . On the ground, the roads leading to the city of Gimuru could be seen, with forests and grass plains spread out around it . Receiving his reward from the guild, Rei left the city with Set after playing with the children . Of course, it wasn¡¯t just to strip materials from monster . ¡­¡­More than anything else, it was to absorb magic stones . ¡¸Set, head for the place where we absorbed the magic stones previously . ¡¹ Rei sat on Set¡¯s back said that while stroking his head . Set flapped his wings in a good mood . ¡¸GURURU~!¡¹ Set gave an okay with a brief cry and skillfully changed directions in the air . The previous place where they had absorbed magic stones was a clearing in the middle of the forest, it started to come into view after flying for about 40 minutes . ¡¸¡­¡­Hm?¡¡That felt faster than usual . ¡¹ Although Rei hadn¡¯t measured the time it had taken, he still noticed something felt different . In fact, Set had reduced the time taken for him to fly to the location from 1 hour previously to 40 minutes . As for why, it was proof of Set¡¯s growth in the dungeon . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a cry and flapped his wings as he landed at the clearing . ¡¸Fuu~, thanks for your hard work . Set is as fast as ever . ¡¹ As a reward, he stroked Set¡¯s back for several minutes while enjoying his silky coat . ¡¸¡­¡­Well then . Although I would like to take things slow and have a break, today¡¯s job is to strip all the materials off the monsters . And above that is the absorption of magic stones . I wonder how many there are . ¡¹ While muttering, he displayed the list of monster he had received from the dungeon trip in his mind¡­¡­ ¡¸No, numbers aside, how many different monsters were there anyway . ¡¹ He unintentionally gave a sigh . In the list in his mind, the largest number of monsters were, or course, the Water Monkeys that had attacked them in the forest on the fourth floor . Because they had attacked as a group continuously, he wasn¡¯t able to retrieve all the corpses . However, he had still collected well over 50 . With the knowledge of the Magic Beast Art he had received from Zepairu, he knew that Set and the Death Scythe could only learn skills from one magic stone per type of monster . In other words, even if Set absorbed the magic stone of a Water Monkey, if he couldn¡¯t learn a skill from it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn any skills from Water Monkey magic stones . In that sense, the more than 50 corpses of Water Monkeys stored in the Misty Ring were numerous but useless . However, that was only from the view of the Magic Beast Art, you could still sell the magic stones and materials at the guild or other stores . Above all, regarding the Water Monkeys magic stones, Set had already absorbed one without learning any skills . The fact that he couldn¡¯t expect the Death Scythe to absorb it either brought the tension down . ¡¸Let¡¯s start with the ordinary Lizardmen first . ¡¹ Muttering, he selected Lizardman in his mind . The next moment, a corpse of a Lizardmen appeared before Rei and Set . ¡¸The proof of subjugation was the tip of the tail . ¡¹ While muttering, he cut off the tips of the tails with his dismantling knife before storing them into the Misty Ring . After that, he skinned them, taking care not to peel off the scales, and stripped any other material that could be sold while reading the book on dismantling as usual . In the case of Lizardmen, their scaly skin was used as material for armour . Several internal organs could be used as materials in alchemy or for healing potions . The eyeballs could also be sold to create magic items using alchemy . Putting the eyeballs into a special bottle, following the book . Rei then removed the internal organs that he could sell as well as the flesh and stored them into the Misty Ring . As for the remaining internal organs and the heads, he dug a hole and threw them into it . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Set!¡¹ Throwing a magic stone that he had taken out of a heart, Set swallowed it in one gulp . However, there was no announcement in his mind of a new skill being learnt . ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set was also disappointed . Normally, Rei would try to cheer him up, but the number of monsters he had to go through today was huge . Taking out the corpse of another Lizardman, he stripped off as much material as he could before taking out the Death Scythe . Then, in the same way as before, he removed a magic stone from the heart . ¡­¡­ ¡¸If it¡¯s the Death Scythe¡­¡­how will that go!¡¹ He quickly sliced the magic stone that he threw into the air with the Death Scythe . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s no use?¡¹ An announcement did not sound in his mind and Rei gave a sigh . After that, he drifted into a state of continuous work, removing the proofs of subjugation from the Lizardmen, stripping material and then removing the magic stone . Flesh went into the Misty Ring while the unusable internal organs went into the hole he dug . Finally, after about an hour since he dismantled the first Lizardman, he finally finished stripping all the materials from them . ¡¸Next is the Lizardman General . Because this is a higher ranking species of Lizardmen, there should definitely be a magic stone¡­¡­but, this species isn¡¯t in the book . Could the materials be the same as an ordinary Lizardman?¡¹ Tilting his head, he tried to insert the sharp edge of his knife into the skin, past the scale . But¡­¡­ Kin~! As expected of the Lizardman General . The the sharp edge of the knife couldn¡¯t go through the scales and slid off instead . ¡¸Although this is a cheap knife, that was unexpected . ¡¹ Giving a sigh, Rei unsheathed the Mithril Knife at his waist and poured magic power into it . The blade of the Mithril Knife, with Rei¡¯s magic power, cut into the body with almost no resistance, easily removing the scaled skin of the Lizardman General . After that, he cut off the tip of the tail, just like the other Lizardmen, before removing the eyeballs and taking out the internal organs . The magic stone he took out from the higher ranking species Lizardman was somewhat larger than the rest . ¡¸So, the question is, who should I give the magic stone to, the Death Scythe or Set¡­¡­what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set shook his head at Rei¡¯s question . At Set¡¯s round eyes, which told Rei to use it on the Death Scythe rather than him, Rei stroked Set¡¯s head with a smile ¡¸Sorry about this, I¡¯ll accept your decision . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a loud cry at Rei¡¯s words . Hearing that, Rei threw the Lizardman General¡¯s magic stone into the air . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Cut in two by the Death Scythe, it vanished like smoke¡­¡­ ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill¡ºFlying Slash¡¡Lv . 2¡»¡¿ The announcement of a skill level up rang in his mind . ¡¸Flying Slash Lv . 2 is it . It certainly is a general, in other words, it¡¯s not strange for a general¡­¡­however, it was slightly different from what I expected . The Lizardman clearly used water related skills if I recall correctly . ¡¹ Muttering, he swung the Death Scythe at the trees in the surroundings . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ He shouted that as he swung the Death Scythe . The slash that came out looked the same as when it was Lv . 1 . However, its power was different . Previously, at Lv . 1, it had enough power to leave a deep cut into a tree trunk . Now, the slash could cut through the entire tree trunk . ¡¸I see . It seems its power has definitely gone up . But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to say . Rei stroked Set¡¯s tilted head as he thought in his mind . (Indeed its power is strong . However, there is also a concern if it is that strong . I want to be able to use a weaker Flying Slash when needed¡­¡­no, the first thing is to strip off materials and remove the magic stones . Regarding its power, I will just have to train later to learn to adjust its power . This too will take practice . ) ¡¸No, nothing at all . For now, it was lucky that we were able to level up a skill with the Lizardman General¡¯s magic stone . Well then, onto the next one . ¡¹ Muttering, he took out the next monster from the Misty Ring . The next thing to appear was a huge spider . It was the monster that had attacked with the Lizardman General . But due to Rei¡¯s fire magic, half its body, including its magic stone had been burned away . ¡¸¡­¡­This is regrettable . Because it was a spider, I think it would have been possible to gain some thread related skills if I had given it to Set . ¡¹ Sighing, Rei stripped the materials according to the book . However, because more than half its body had been burnt up, few materials could be stripped . ¡¸First of all is the tips at the end of its legs . Next is the organ that spits out thread¡­¡­there¡¯s no point . There¡¯s also no hope for its fangs . For all the internal organs to be destroyed . Well, I should consider myself luck that I can just get the tips of its legs . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s sigh, Set came over and rubbed his head against Rei . ¡¸Ahh, no problem . I didn¡¯t expect to be able to get any materials or a magic stone from the huge spider . I was lucky to get even a few claws . ¡­¡­So, Set . Do you feel like you could eat this spider?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, me?¡¡As expected, a spider isn¡¯t easy . Even if its a humanoid monster, I don¡¯t feel as much resistance towards Orcs or other monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Eat! Set seemed to say as he gave a loud cry . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if you can eat it that¡¯s fine . If I¡¯m not mistaken, I feel like I¡¯ve seen somewhere before in a survival cooking manga that it tastes like chocolate¡­¡­¡¹ As for Rei himself, his true thoughts were that he wanted to through it away into the hole he had dug for the Lizardmen¡¯s internal organs, but if Set wanted to eat it, he would just store it into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Well then, now to think about the next one . ¡­¡­Water Monkeys? Well, this is the only one with a lot . ¡¹ Since Set had already absorbed a Water Monkey magic stone in the dungeon, he only needed to try one more with the Death Scythe, so he took out the corpse of a Water Monkey from the Misty Ring . As expected of the Misty Ring, when it was taken out of the item box, there was still water covering the fur of the corpse of the Water Monkey . As with the Water Monkey he had dealt with in the dungeon, he cut off its right ear, which was the proof of subjugation, before skinning it with his normal knife . After that, he cut off its head and threw it into the hole with the rest of the internal organs . After taking out the magic stone from its heart, Rei played around with it in his hand . ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s called a Water Monkey, so if I get a skill from it, it should be a water related skill¡­¡­¡¹ Throwing it into the air, he sliced it with the Death Scythe . Just like the the magic stone of the Lizardman General, it vanished after being cut in two . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s no use it seems . Is this because I¡¯m good at fire magic that the compatibility is bad? No, even though Set absorbed a magic stone in the dungeon, he couldn¡¯t gain a skill, so that¡¯s not the reason¡­¡­I mean, in the first place, Set has learnt Water Ball . ¡¹ While sighing, he stored the flesh of the Water Monkey into the Misty Ring for Set to eat in future . ¡¸Next is the rare species of Water Monkey . It¡¯s highly likely that skills can only be learnt from rare species and higher ranking species . ¡¹ Muttering, he took the corpse of the rare species out of the Misty Ring . It was quite large, 1m taller compared with the other Water Monkeys . That¡¯s why Rei was able to guess that it was a rare species . However, even though it was a rare species, it was basically the same as a Water Monkey and there was no change to the dismantling procedure . After cutting off the proof of subjugation, the right ear, Rei used his knife to skin it¡­¡­following the exact same procedures for a Water Monkey . And taking out the magic stone from its heart¡­¡­ ¡¸Set!¡¹ He threw a magic stone one size larger than the Water Monkey¡¯s towards Set . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Catching the magic stone in his beak, Set swallowed it . And¡­¡­ ¡¾Set has learnt the skill ¡ºWater Ball¡¡Lv . 2¡»¡¿ A familiar announcement rang in his mind . ¡¸Wow, should I say as expected of a rare species . After all, it seems that rare species give a higher chance of acquiring skills . ¡­¡­Set, try using Water Ball now . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, Set activated Water Ball . With a cry, two water balls about 30cm in diameter appeared in front of Set . ¡¸When it was Lv . 1, it was around 20cm in diameter, so it¡¯s gotten slightly bigger . The number has also increased to two . ¡­¡­Set, shoot it at the tree over there . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s instructions, the two water balls flew towards the trunk of a tree growing a bit further away¡­¡­ Bang~! The water balls hit the tree trunk while making a loud noise . It was powerful enough to destroy the outer bark of the tree trunk, slightly more powerful than when it was at Lv . 1 . The number of water balls had increased to two and its range had also been increased . ¡¸Aside from power, did its range increase? Alright, you did well Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Rei stroked Set¡¯s head with praise . Set gave a comfortable cry . ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball¡¡Lv . 2¡» new ¡ºFire Breath¡¡Lv . 2¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv . 1¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºFlying Slash¡¡Lv . 2¡» new ¡ºMagic Shield¡¡Lv . 1¡» Flying Slash Lv . 2£º Increase in power compared to Lv . 1 . Water Ball Lv . 2£º Slight increase in power compared to Lv . 1 . Number of Water Balls that can be created at once increased to two . Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Rei and Set continued stripping materials from the monsters they had fought in the dungeon and absorbing their magic stones . So far, they had only upgraded two skills, Rei¡¯s Flying Slash to Lv . 2 and Set¡¯s Water Ball to Lv . 2 . And the next thing that Rei took out of the Misty Ring was¡­¡­ ¡¸The Ogre, is it . According to Elena, this one is bigger than others, but it¡¯s probably not a rare species . ¡¹ The body of the Ogre, close to 5m in height, lay before Rei and Set . Originally, it was over 5m in height, but it was a head slightly shorter as it had been cut off by the Death Scythe . It might also look smaller because it was now lying on the ground rather than standing up when Rei had fought it . ¡¸As expected, it¡¯s hard to strip materials off a monster this big, but there¡¯s no other choice . ¡¹ Giving a sigh, he first cut off its right ear, which was its proof of subjugation, before looking up Ogres in his book . ¡¸If I¡¯m not mistaken, the proof of subjugation was definitely the right ear . ¡­¡­Mm, there¡¯s no problems there . With regards to materials that can be stripped, its skin can be used to make armour . Oh, its chest muscles can be used as a material in alchemy . ¡­¡­Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ I want to eat that, Set seemed to say as he lowered his head in disappointment . Rei smiled as he saw that . ¡¸I see, then should we keep the Ogre meat instead of selling it?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a joyful cry at Rei¡¯s words . Anyhow, Rei wasn¡¯t troubled about money as he had just received two Light Gold coins as a reward for escorting Elena, there was no need to sell the materials . After seeing Set¡¯s happy expression, Rei continued reading through his book . ¡¸Ah, its fingernails can be used in medicine . No problems with that . ¡¹ Muttering, he took the nails off the Ogre¡¯s left and right hands before storing them . ¡¸Then there¡¯s its internal organs . ¡­¡­No, before that, I should skin it . According to the book, it is a good material for making armour . ¡¹ It took Rei about 30 minutes to skin the Ogre . Indeed, after stripping materials like this so many times, he had become better at it . There was no awkwardness like the first time he tried stripping materials from the Water Bear as he smoothly skinned the Ogre . In addition, Elk¡¯s teachings from when they attacked the Orc village had also been a great help . ¡¸Well, so, the internal organs¡­¡­the liver is used in medicine, the lungs are used in alchemy . Oh, and the bones can be used in smithing . ¡­¡­Bones, haa . No, everything is an experience so it would be good to strip them out . ¡¹ He thought of the troublesome task of removing the flesh and bones from an Ogre almost 5m in height¡­¡­ ¡¸Should I forget about it for now? If I store it into the Misty Ring, it won¡¯t rot . ¡¹ He came to a decision . ¡¸I¡¯ve taken most of the materials I could, so the last thing is the magic stone . ¡¹ He removed the magic stone from its heart . As expected of the large Ogre, it¡¯s magic stone was also quite big . ¡¸¡­¡­Well then . Who will absorb this magic stone . Right now, both Set and the Death Scythe have upgraded one skill each . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded in agreement . While looking at Set, Rei checked what monsters remained in the Misty Ring . ¡¸The Spriggan and Emerald Wolves are left . Because there are quite a few Emerald Wolves, there¡¯s no need to reserve those . In that case, we just have to dive the Ogre¡¯s and the Spriggan¡¯s . ¡­¡­What will you do?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Set tilted his head at Rei¡¯s question . Set and the Death Scythe, there was no guarantee that either of them could learn a skill even if they absorbed the magic stone, so Set didn¡¯t seem to care . Rei came to a decision with his intuition . ¡¸Then, the Death Scythe will get the Ogre¡¯s magic stone and set will get the Spriggan¡¯s magic stone?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Of course, Set seemed to say as he gave a cry . Seeing that, Rei threw the Ogre¡¯s magic stone into the air before slashing it with the Death Scythe . The magic stone was cut in two and vanished like mist¡­¡­ ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill ¡ºPower Slash¡¡Lv . 1¡»¡¿ An announcement sounded in his mind . ¡¸Power Slash? Judging from its name, it doesn¡¯t sound like a long distance skill like Flying Slash¡­¡­now then, what does it do?¡¹ Rei approached a tree growing nearby with a smile . And raising the Death Scythe¡­¡­ ¡¸Power Slash!¡¹ At the same time he activated the skill, he swung the Death Scythe! Slash-! The sweeping blade, cutting right through the tree with barely any resistance . ¡­¡­Yes . Without any magic power poured into the blade . As a result, Rei turned to look at the tree he had just cut with a surprised expression . Looking at it, it was more accurate to say that he had cleaved through it that sliced through it . ¡¸As expected, it¡¯s a skill to increase the power of an attack . However, rather than cleanly cutting through it, it just pushes through with brute strength, like its name says . ¡­¡­This skill seems useful . ¡¹ Rei nodded in satisfaction . In any case, the skills that the Death Scythe had acquired were Corrosion, which wasn¡¯t effective if the opponent didn¡¯t have any metal equipment, Flying Slash for long range attacks and Magic Shield for defense . To Rei, the skill Power Slash, which increased the power of a melee attack, was something he really wanted . ¡¸With this, I have some expectations for Set absorbing the Spriggan¡¯s magic stone . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rushed along by Set, Rei postponed further dismantling the flesh and bones of the Ogre and stored it into the Misty Ring . He then took out the corpse of the Spriggan . It was about 6m tall, taller than the Ogre . In addition, unlike the Ogre, who had its head cut off, the Spriggan had only had it¡¯s left hand cut off, so its size stood out more . ¡¸Umm¡­¡­Spriggan, Spriggan¡­¡­¡¹ Rei searched through the book while muttering¡­¡­ ¡¸It isn¡¯t in here . ¡¹ Maybe it was too rare a monster, there was no information on Spriggans in the book . ¡¸Ahh, I can¡¯t careless dismantle it . First of all, I should go buy a more advanced book on stripping materials ¡­¡­should I just skin it for now?¡¹ Giving a sigh, he used a knife to skin the Spriggan . Regardless of its size, the procedure of skinning it was not much different from the Ogre he had skinned earlier . After skinning the Spriggan in 30 minutes, he left the internal organs that might be useful materials and removed the magic stone from its heart . ¡¸Now then, A Spriggan¡¯s magic stone, what skills could be learnt, I wonder . It could be the skill that the Spriggan used to change its size . ¡¹ Rei imagined the figure of a 4m long Set in his mind . Indeed, if Set was twice as big as he was now, with a Griffon¡¯s original strength, the increase in strength would be overwhelming . But considering Rei would be able to let others see Set like that, he was rather troubled . ¡¸In the end, we have to try . Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set skillfully caught the magic stone that Rei threw in his beak and swallowed it straight away . And¡­¡­ ¡¾Set has acquired the Skill ¡ºSize Transformation¡¡Lv . 1¡»¡¿ An announcement sounded in his mind . ¡¸As expected it seems . Set, try using Size Transformation now . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words and gave a loud cry . And the next moment . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ In front of Rei, Set had clearly changed in size . That is to say, Set¡¯s size was significantly different from before . However, he had shrunk from 2m in length to 1m in length . In other words, he had shrunk to half size . ¡¸Kuru~!¡¹ Set himself didn¡¯t seem to understand what had happened and tilted his head as he suddenly felt that the things around him had become bigger . Rei thought about why that had happened as he looked at Set . (Shrinking, is it?¡¡I really thought he would get bigger¡­¡­this is an unexpected result . But why shrink¡­¡­no, wait . Seriously, the skill Set obtained from the magic stone of the Spriggan really allowed him to change his size . In other words, it is definitely a characteristic of the Spriggan . In other words, I thought the smaller form was the Spriggan¡¯s true form, in actuality, the bigger body is its true form . Because of that, using Size Transformation made him shrink¡­¡­something like that?) Rei roughly guessed why Set had shrunk after using Size Transformation and gave a sigh as he stroked the head of Set, who was getting anxious . ¡¸Kururu~?¡¹ Because Set had shrunk, even his cries had become cuter . Rei unintentionally smiled as he spoke . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . It¡¯s just a bit confusing . ¡­¡­If you think about it carefully, it¡¯s convenient if you can shrink . When you have to hide from enemies or stealthily sneak up on someone¡­¡­well, 1m in size would still be a bit difficult . ¡¹ ¡¸Kururu-!¡¹ It¡¯s okay, Set seemed to say as he gave a loud cry . ¡¸Okay, you can turn back to normal now . ¡¹ ¡¸Kuru~!¡¹ Set gave a short cry and turned back into a 2m long Griffon in the next moment . ¡¸Ah, that was truly unexpected . But as I said earlier, don¡¯t mind that you can only shrink, it has its uses . ¡­¡­However, don¡¯t use it in a place where there are a lot of other people or adventurers . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Now then . The last monster . The rank C monster, Emerald Wolf . I think you can also acquire skills from it as it¡¯s a monster with quite a high rank . ¡¹ Muttering, He first took out a corpse of an Emerald Wolf from the Misty Ring . Like the emerald in its name, its fangs were a deep green, it almost looked like its fangs were made of emerald . But of course, its fangs were not made of emerald . The general theory was that fangs looked like that because the Emerald Wolves circulated magic power through them . ¡¸According to the book¡­¡­first of all is the fangs . It can be used as a catalyst in alchemy, or used by a blacksmith to make weapons and armour . It can also be used as a material by pharmacists . Next is its fur . It seems there is a high demand for it in armour and clothing stores . Then there are the internal organs¡­¡­its liver, tongue and eyes can be used as materials . Then there¡¯s the heart¡­¡­is that right?¡¹ According to the book, it said that the heart could also be purchased as materials, but only if the magic stone was left embedded inside . ¡¸Well, because I have quite a few Emerald Wolves, I could leave a few hearts . ¡¹ First of all, he cut off the tentacles, which were the proofs of subjugation . He then skinned it before taking out the internal organs that could be sold as materials, storing the liver into a container, before storing them into the Misty Ring . After that, he cut into the head to remove the fangs from the root so that they wouldn¡¯t break . At the same time, he cut off the tongue and took out the eyes, which were a dark green, like the fangs . He put them into a container, like the he did with the liver, and stored them into the Misty Ring . In addition, the meat of the rank C Emerald Wolf could be purchased for quite a bit of money as it contained a lot of magical power . However, Rei rarely sold monster meat because it could be kept as food for Set . He might have sold it if he didn¡¯t have the Misty RIing though as the meat would go bad . However, if he stored it into the Misty Ring, it would always be fresh and he could sell it at any time . ¡¸Now then . Do you want to go first Set¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set, who was listening to Rei, raised his head as Rei threw the Emerald Wolf¡¯s magic stone over . Catching it in his beak as usual, Set swallowed it¡­¡­ ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºTornado¡¡Lv . 1¡»¡¿ An announcement sounded in Rei and Set¡¯s minds . ¡¸Torndao, is it . No, they certainly used wind based magic, so it¡¯s not impossible . Set, try using it . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ After Set gave a cry, the next moment, a tornado about a meter in height formed a short distance away . ¡¸¡­¡­What to say, it looks quite shabby . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no . I¡¯m not blaming you Set . It¡¯s only Lv . 1¡­¡­no, wait?¡¡A tornado . Hmm, this may be quite useful . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to say as he tilted his head . Rei smiled as he stroked Set¡¯s head . ¡¸We will try something after the Death Scythe absorbs a magic stone as well . Perhaps this Tornado is a good skill . ¡¹ Saying that to Set, he took out another Emerald Wolf from the Misty Ring and quickly processed it like the previous one . Tossing the magic stone into the air and cutting it with the Death Scythe¡­¡­ ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill ¡ºWind Hand¡¡Lv . 1¡»¡¿ The announcement echoed in his mind . ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball¡¡Lv . 2¡» ¡ºFire Breath¡¡Lv . 2¡» ¡ºWind Arrow¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºSize Transformation¡¡Lv . 1¡» new ¡ºTornado¡¡Lv . 1¡»new ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºFlying Slash¡¡Lv . 2¡» ¡ºMagic Shield¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºPower Slash Lv . 1¡» new ¡ºWind Hand¡¡Lv . 1¡» new Power Slash: Power of the attack will increase . However, it is not a swift attack, but rather, a heavy strike . Size Transformation: Allows shrinking below original size . At Lv . 1, Set can shrink to 1m in length . Tornado: Creates a tornado . The size of the tornado depends on level . At Lv . 1, the tornado is about 1m tall . Wind Hand: A colourless and clear tentacle made of wind magic extends from the Death Scythe . It is possible to interact with objects with the tip of the wind tentacle . Chapter 117 Chapter 117 ¡¸Wind Hand, eh . I got another strange skill . ¡¹ Rei murmured as the announcement sounded in his mind . He then tried to activate the skill, proof of his expectations could only be found by testing it . He immediately felt something like a tentacle stretching out from the Death Scythe as soon as he activated it . Yes, he could feel it . It wasn¡¯t actually visible . Originally, Rei didn¡¯t have the ability to sense the magic power of others either, but maybe because the tentacle was made with his own magic power or because it was activated through the Death Scythe, he could sense the tentacle made from wind magic . Either way, he would feel the presence of the clear tentacle made from wind . ¡¸Rather than Wind Hand, I feel that Wind Tentacle is a more suitable name . ¡¹ Extending the tentacle from Death Scythe as he tilted his head, the tip of the tentacle touched a fallen tree branch about 30cm in length . The next moment, the branch was lifted up by the wind tentacle, following Rei¡¯s will . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . It may be strange to call the skill Wind Hand, but it¡¯s not that strange if you consider its effect . ¡¹ At that point, finally understood the way Wind Hand was used . That is to say, it extended an invisible tentacle made of wind to touch an object . After that, the object could be manipulated using the wind tentacle . It was like an invisible hand made of wind . ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ He quickly threw a stone that was on the ground nearby and tried to catch it with the wind hand . When the stone came in contact with the tentacle portion of the Wind Hand, it passed right through and flew to the other side . ¡¸That was it after all . Only the tip of the tentacle can function as a hand, that part of the skill does not affect the ¡®arm¡¯ section . And¡­¡­¡¹ He tried to extend the wind hand as far as possible . After about 100m, it seemed to reach its limit and couldn¡¯t extend any further . ¡¸Does the distance increase if the skill level goes up?¡¡No, no matter how far it can extend, if it goes out of my vision, it would become unreasonable to use . ¡¹ Withdrawing the extended wind hand, he then used it to grab a fallen stone . ¡¸There is only a fixed portion at the tip of the wind hand that can be used to manipulate things . At Lv . 1, it¡¯s not strong enough to move large things . Well, there¡¯s enough power to life a stone the size of my fist, so it¡¯s quite powerful¡­¡­power?¡¡No, in this case power isn¡¯t that important, if I combine it with Set¡¯s skills¡­¡­¡¹ While nodding and muttering to himself, he quickly stored the materials and meat of the Emerald Wolf in front of him into the Misty Ring . At the same time, he threw a fire ball into the hole that he had dumped all the internal organs he didn¡¯t want, burning them up . He then filled up the hole with dirt . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What about the other Emerald Wolves? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head . ¡¸Ah . There¡¯s something I want to try first . Because time is frozen inside the Misty Ring, I will deal with the Emerald Wolves when I have time to spare . Rather than that Set, I want to try something so we have to move to a place with a bit more open space . ¡¹ Rei felt a bit different and got on Set looking like he was in a rush . ¡¸Set, look for an large open space . That¡¯s right, look for something like a plain or scrubland¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~? Gururu~!¡¹ Set tilted his head slightly, before understanding what Rei was looking for . After giving a short cry, he ran a few steps as he flapped his wings . And as if leaping into the sky . he flew up, rising tens of meters into the air in just a few seconds . Reaching that height, he looked around from in the sky . On one side, a green carpet was spread before him . The sunlight poured down on this autumn day, making the plains seem shine as they reflected the sunlight . At the same time, he could see several wild animals and monsters moving around along the ground . He could also see adventurers who might have taken a request . They were currently about a day¡¯s walk from Gimuru, Rei guessed that they were probably skilled adventurers . Well, for Set, it was only less than an hour¡¯s travel from Girumu . ¡¸Thinking about that, I¡¯m quite blessed to have such mobility . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Even as he flew, Set turned his head to look at Rei . Rei stroked Set¡¯s neck with a smile when he saw that . ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing at all . I just want to say I¡¯m really grateful of you Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Giving a happy cry, they enjoyed there walk through the sky for about 10 minutes . Fortunately, there was no situation like being attack by flying monsters and they safely arrived at a scrubland that Rei had been hoping for . ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, here is good . It¡¯s the perfect place to experiment . ¡¹ Rei got onto the ground and looked around before nodding in satisfaction . The surrounding area was pretty much a wilderness, most of the spreading grasslands they had seen earlier had disappeared . Only after traveling for several hours on foot would one seen grasslands again . ¡¸First of all¡­¡­that¡¯s right, Set . I will use magic now, trying using Tornado so it overlaps with my magic . Once your skill activates, it will get dangerous, so back away immediately . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Hearing Set¡¯s reply, he took out the Death Scythe, his magic casting tool, from the Misty Ring . ¡ºFlames, manifest your burning heat as a vortex . ¡» As he cast the spell, compressed flames started to appear along the handle of the Death Scythe . Because he was still experimenting, he didn¡¯t much of his magic power into the spell . However, this was only from Rei¡¯s perspective . The amount of magic power he actually used would be considered full power for other ordinary mages . And when the spell was completed and the flames fully compressed, he swung the handle of the Death Scythe towards the ground! ¡ºTwisting Flames!¡» The compressed flames landed about 10m away, revealing a tornado like flame . However, the flames did not extend past the shape of the tornado, maintaining a radius of about several meters . (I wonder if this will work . But¡­¡­) Muttering in his mind, Rei turned towards Set . ¡¸Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s cue, Set activated Tornado on top of the flame tornado as he had been told . And with that, Rei and Set retreated a full speed, taking some distance before looking to see the result of their work . A tornado of fire and a tornado of wind . The two of the merged¡­¡­but the next moment, the flames absorbed the wind tornado, as if burning it up . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s no use?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ I¡¯m sorry, Set seemed to say as he lowered his head . But Rei scratched Set¡¯s head without being too concerned . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . That was good for now . If Set¡¯s Tornado reaches a higher level, the result may be closer to what I expect . It can¡¯t be helped given its current level . ¡¹ (As far as I could see, the fire and wind didn¡¯t mix well, it seemed that the wind was just absorbed by the flames . That means, if I can merge them without one side getting completely absorbed¡­¡­£© Rei muttered in his mind . Rei was trying to replicate phenomenon known as ¡ºFire Whirl¡» . Flames would burn up the Oxygen in a certain area around it, causing a local air current caused by air around the flames getting pulled in . As the flames rise up with the updraft, a tornado of fire, known as a fire whirl would form . The temperature of the winds and flames caused by the the fire whirl could reach up to 1000¡æ . Inside the fire whirl, wind speeds could reach up to hundreds of meters per second, destroying everything inside . He had tried to reproduce the phenomenon with his magic and Set¡¯s skill but the result was the flames absorbing the wind, as he had seen . (In order to reproduce the fire whirl, I can¡¯t just use my fire magic . That¡¯s why I thought it would be possible if I had Set use Tornado at the same time¡­¡­well, that¡¯s fine . There are still other things to try . ¡¸Set, one more time . But this time, I will also try using the Wind Hand skill that the Death Scythe just learnt . I think that the probability of success will increase, so we will back away again after using our skills . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words . Seeing that, Rei started to cast a spell again . ¡ºFlames, manifest your burning heat as a vortex . ¡» And swinging the Death Scythe, the mass of flames that had gathered on the handle flew forward . ¡ºTwisting Flames!¡» A tornado of flame appeared again . Seeing that, he grasped the Death Scythe firmly as he gave the signal to Set . ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ At the same time as his cry, a tornado of wind appeared, overlapping the fire tornado . After seeing that, Rei and Set retreated as before . Then, clenching the Death Scythe, Rei activated Wind Hand . A tentacle made from wind magic extended out from the Death Scythe . It reached out towards where the the fire and wind tornadoes overlapped . It seemed that the fire tornado created with Rei¡¯s magic was more powerful, and gradually absorbed the wind tornado as a result . The moment he felt that the same situation as before would occur¡­¡­the tip of the tentacle created by Wind Hand made contact with the two tornadoes of fire and wind . ¡¸-!?¡¹ At the moment of contact, Rei poured magic power through the Death Scythe, into the wind tentacle and into the wind tornado, just as the flames were about to fully absorb it . Then, gradually, the wind tornado withstood the erosion by the flames and grew in size¡­¡­After a few seconds, both tornadoes reached the same size, overlapping each other . The two tornadoes existed separately for a few seconds before the tornadoes of fire and wind fused with each other . In other words, the fire whirl that Rei was trying to reproduce appeared . At the same time . ¡¸Guh!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Immediately after the two tornadoes fused and turned into a fire whirl, an intense wave of hot air blew against Rei and Set, who were 100m away . Rei and Set moved further back . Only when they were 500m away did the temperature drop to somewhat warm . ¡¸¡­¡­I underestimated it a bit . However, although this can be used for wide area destruction, it takes a lot of time and effort to set up . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s fire magic, Set¡¯s Tornado and the Death Scythe¡¯s Wind Hand . Requiring three steps, and further requiring some time for the fire and wind tornadoes to merge, it was better to think that I wouldn¡¯t be usable in ordinary subjugation requests . And while they wouldn¡¯t die if they didn¡¯t take enough distance before the tornadoes fused, they could still suffer injuries . ¡¸On the other hand, would it be possible to effectively damage slow monsters or large numbers of monsters?¡¹ He muttered quietly as he watched the blazing fire whirl with Set . ¡¸For example, the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, maybe . ¡¹ Yes, a bulky enemy with slow movements . In other words, armies, if you considered them from the point of a single entity . He had heard from Elena that after this winter, a war with the Bestir Empire was likely to occur next spring . Rei felt that this fire whirl could be used as one of his trump cards then . Damage from just the heat extended for 100m . At the same time, the high temperature around it could cause indirect damage . Under 100m, Rei could use ¡ºDancing Flames¡» to attack . It could create a translucent red dome to annihilate enemies inside it, but nothing outside the dome would be damaged . In comparison ¡ºDancing Wild Flame¡» had a wider effective range and was more suitable for dealing with large numbers of enemies . Above all, the combined effect of multiple spells and skills lasted a long time . Even now, the fire whirl was still burning, destroying everything around it . ¡¸Even so, there are still various things we have to look out for¡­¡­training will be required for that . Set, We¡¯ve succeeded in creating an attack with has quite a bit of power . Thanks . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Stroked while being praised, Set gave a happy cry . They continued watching the fire whirl and it naturally died out after about an hour . After seeing that, Rei and Set returned to the city of Gimuru . Chapter 118 Chapter 118 The day after experimenting with the fire whirl, Rei appeared in the adventurer¡¯s guild once again . He came in between breakfast and lunch, so there were a lot less adventurers inside the guild . There were a few people who were already drinking at the bar in the morning as well as a some adventurers who were having an early lunch in preparation for taking a request in the afternoon . ¡­¡­The few people that were drinking alcohol were probably either taking a day off or celebrating the completion of a request . In the quiet environment of the guild, as if the morning rush was all a lie, Rei walked to the counters . ¡¸Ah, Rei-kun . Have you come to take a request?¡¹ Seeing Kenny, the receptionist, spot him and call out to him while waving her hand with a big smile, Rei shook his head . Unusually, Lenora wasn¡¯t at the counter today and Kenny was the only receptionist present . ¡¸No, I would like to sell the monster materials and magic stones I stripped off yesterday and claim the rewards from proofs of subjugation . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Then, take them out¡­¡­is what I would like to say, but how much is there?¡¡Because Rei-kun has an item box, you have quite a bit don¡¯t you?¡¹ Rei nodded with a sigh at Kenny¡¯s perceptive questions . ¡¸Ahh . There¡¯s quite a lot . I doubt whether it will all fit on the counter . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¡Then I can appraise them in a different room . I have some free time now as well¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Kenny . What are you thinking . What will happen if there¡¯s no one at the counter . ¡¹ A voice came out from behind the counter . It was the voice of Lenora, who he had already become familiar with . Apparently she wasn¡¯t on holiday today and had simply gone to the back . ¡¸In that case, Lenora can just come to the counter instead . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey Kenny, you only just started your shift 10 minutes ago . Also, because you are too generous to Rei-san, you might overlook the quality checks and other things . I¡¯ll will check for Rei-san . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, that¡¯s unfair!¡¹ ¡¸I have permission from the boss . ¡­¡­See . ¡¹ For a moment, Lenora glanced towards an older man who was further back behind the counters . The older man gave a small nod at Lenora¡¯s glance . ¡¸Like this, Epoca-san¡­¡­so cruel . ¡¹ ¡¸You act like this every day . Well then, Rei-san, on the second floor¡­¡­could you go to the meeting room that was used for the Orc subjugation and your rank up test? I will check your materials and magic stones there . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯ll be counting on you . ¡¹ With that, he and Lenora went up to the meeting room on the second floor . The meeting room didn¡¯t seem to be in use and there was no one inside . In the meantime, Lenora grouped all the tables to the center of the room to make a place for the materials and another place to put the materials that had already been appraised . ¡¸You look quite used to this . ¡¹ When Rei said that unconsciously, Lenora spoke up as she moved the desks . ¡¸Ehh . You¡¯ll understand if you take a look at the counter but it¡¯s not that big . Because of that, when parties with several members or several parties working together complete a request, we will use the meeting room to appraise the materials . That said, when you come to the guild with a cart or wagon full of materials, carrying them all up to the second floor starts to get very troublesome . ¡­¡­The truth is that it is possible to make a larger space on the first floor just for that, but the higher ups in the guild seems to have rejected it every time it was suggested . ¡­¡­Now then . I¡¯m ready now, so you can start taking them out . ¡¹ Listening to Lenora¡¯s words, he took out the magic stones, materials and proofs of subjugation from the Misty Ring one after the other . Lizardmen, a Lizardman General, a Huge Spider, Water Monkeys, the rare species Water Monkey, an Ogre, a Spriggan and Emerald Wolves . That and the other monsters they had killed on the way to the dungeon and in the dungeon piled up on the tables . Fortunately, most of the Water Monkeys and Emerald Wolves were still stored in the Misty Ring . Also, since some of the magic stones had been used to let Set and the Death Scythe acquire skills, there were a lot more materials and comparatively less magic stones, which would make the guild staff puzzled . ¡¸I heard that you keep most of the monster meat to feed the Griffon¡­¡­but why are there so few magic stones?¡¡Although they are mostly low rank monsters, there¡¯s quite a lot of material . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no . I actually started a hobby of collecting magic stones . I keep two of every from every kind of monster . I keep them for ornamental purposes . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, there are quite a few eccentric adventurers so I don¡¯t mind . Still, a magic stone collection you say . That is quite a strange hobby . ¡¹ (Was it a bit forced after all?¡¡But, it¡¯s better than her suspecting why I would keep selling materials with no magic stone each time¡­¡­at least that¡¯s what I hope . ) ¡¸As you know, I have an item box . So even if the number of magic stones increases, I don¡¯t have to worry about it at all . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s quite convenient . Now then, I will appraise the materials . Ah, please put the proofs of subjugation on the table over there . It will be helpful if you could group them by type . ¡¹ Following Lenora¡¯s instructions, Rei sorted the proofs of subjugation and placed them beside the materials . For a while, Lenora silently did her work before she unexpectedly spoke up . ¡¸Rei-san, did you strip all these materials by yourself?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ahh, I¡¯m working alone after all . I can¡¯t let Set strip the materials and risk destroying them . ¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t is hard to strip this much material all by yourself?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it is . Depending on the size of the of the monster, it could take up to 30 minutes to strip the materials from one . ¡¹ Regardless of if they were small or large monsters, skinning them took a surprisingly long time . He had to do it carefully considering the quality the skins had to be in . It require more careful processing than other materials . Even if he had become more accustomed to stripping off material, his speed could only be considered average compared to other adventurers . ¡¸But, as I said, there¡¯s not helping it since I¡¯m going solo . ¡¹ (Although I can pass off the magic stones as being collected for a hobby, Set¡­¡­the people here can¡¯t know that he has skills a Griffon shouldn¡¯t have . ¡­¡­Yes, besides her . ) That moment, a beautiful girl with golden hair flashed through Rei¡¯s mind . Elena Kerebel . Knowing the truth behind Rei and Set, she hadn¡¯t changed her attitude towards them . If he partied with someone like that then he wouldn¡¯t need to hide anything¡­¡­ (Well, that wouldn¡¯t happen normally . ) He thought of that simply . In any case, she was a duke¡¯s daughter, the General Princess, the symbol of the Nobles Faction, the largest faction in the Mireana Kingdom . Even though she was also an adventurer, other people would not permit him to form a party with her . ¡¸I couldn¡¯t possibly look for party member just to strip materials . ¡¹ As he thought about that by himself, he spoke without thinking, to which Lenora responded . ¡¸That is possible though? Of course it wouldn¡¯t be a long term party . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei, who had been arranging the tips of the Lizardmen tails, the proof subjugation, looked towards Lenora unintentionally at those words . Lenora was currently checking the fangs of the Emerald Wolves . ¡¸I just said that it is possible . Ah, though it would be a party exactly . You could submit a request to recruit adventurers to help dismantle monsters and strip materials . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So that was a valid method . ¡¹ In all honesty, being an adventurer up until now, he had only been aware that he could receive requests . It had never occurred in his mind that he could submit requests of his own . Certainly, this would drastically decrease the time and labour he would need to strip the materials from the monsters himself . But¡­¡­ ¡¸I think there would be various problems though, what are your thoughts?¡¹ Of course, to strip materials, other adventurers would need to get their hands on the monsters that Rei killed . That included shady adventurers, who weren¡¯t few in number¡­¡­ ¡¸Regarding that, I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t help there . It would be possible for Rei-san to interview the adventurers who took the request . However, if you have a good relationship with another party, it is possible to submit a nominated request without going through the guild¡­¡­ah, please pretend you didn¡¯t hear that just now . ¡¹ ¡¸A request without going through the guild?¡¡Tell me more . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Fuu~ . I was the one who spoke too much, I guess there¡¯s no helping it . ¡¹ Lenora put the Lizardman General¡¯s eyes into a case for preservation on the desk and gave a sigh before speaking . ¡¸Occasionally, a client will not go through the guild and will request an adventurer directly . Of course, such a request is not a proper request . In some situations, it can be borderline legal and in other situations it can be a crime . As the reward for these kinds of requests are typically several to a dozen times greater than the rewards posted in the guild, Adventurers who aren¡¯t aware of the conditions may get caught up in them . Well, in some cases, the client just doesn¡¯t want to pay the fee to go through the guild¡­¡­that does happen . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . For now, I¡¯ll definitely go through the guild for things like this . ¡¹ ¡¸That is good . The guild can¡¯t run if it doesn¡¯t collect any intermediary fees . Because of that, Rei-san should be careful about these kinds of requests . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Why me?¡¹ Rei looked at Lenora with a blank face . However, Lenora continued to explain with a serious expression . ¡¸Listen carefully . ¡¡It hasn¡¯t been long since Rei-san has registered with the guild, but you are already the fastest adventurer to reach rank D in Gimuru . In other words, your skills are good . And although I¡¯m not too familiar with your background¡­¡­it seems you¡¯re not that good at socialising . ¡¹ ¡¸No, well . I can¡¯t argue back if you put it that way . ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, with your skills and lack of knowledge, it makes it easy for you to get caught up in criminal activities like the ones I mentioned earlier . ¡­¡­Well, if it¡¯s Rei-san, you would probably just beat them up once you realised what was going on . ¡¹ She shook her head while sighing . ¡¸Ah, but because Rei-san is always followed by a Griffon, you¡¯re famous in the city of Gimuru in various ways . It may be hard for those people to try to invite you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, what should I do about it?¡¹ ¡¸What? Well, that is each adventurer¡¯s own responsibility . It¡¯s fine to strip materials from monsters by yourself . It¡¯s also fine to hire other adventurers to do it for you . Speaking of what I can do, I could also inform you about the reputation of the party that wants to take up the request . ¡¹ ¡¸Is it okay to talk about the reputation of other parties?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s nothing unusual about that though?¡¡It is a normal service provided by the guild if interviews are required before the request . ¡¹ Rei finished organising all the proofs of subjugation and nodded after thinking about Lenora¡¯s words for a while . ¡¸I see, then I might put out a request for that . After the appraisal is done, I would like to ask you about the procedures for that . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand . The appraisal will take a bit more time . ¡­¡­Still, the material that you¡¯ve stripped has become much better in quality . ¡¹ Lenora murmured in admiration as she appraised the fur of an Emerald Wolf . ¡¸I had to do it all by myself . So I got better at it over time . I was also taught by Elk to some extent . ¡¹ ¡¸Elk-san?¡¡Axe of the Thunder God?¡¡¡­¡­Ahh, speaking of that, you did become acquainted during the matter with the Orcs . ¡¹ Speaking of top class adventurers in the city of Gimuru, Lenora recalled the personality of the mischievous kid who had since grown up . There was no doubt in his ability, but with his character, he would sometimes cause an uproar . Lenora had been caught up in those uproars several times herself as they had happened in the guild . TLN: Woah, woah, this feels weird . Lenora is still pretty young but she remembers when Elk was young . Elk is now married with a teenage kid . I can¡¯t even . Lenora kept appraising the materials and magic stones while continuing the conversation, finishing up after about 30 minutes . ¡¸I still can¡¯t get used to this . ¡¹ Looking at Lenora appraise the materials one after the other and disposing of the proofs of subjugation, Rei murmured . At Rei¡¯s words, Lenora gave a smile and a small nod . ¡¸If you keep doing it, you¡¯ll get used to it as well Rei-san . ¡¹ Chapter 119 Chapter 119 ¡¸Then, it will be 1 platinum coin and 8 gold coins for the purchase of all the materials and the submitted proofs of subjugation, please double check . ¡¹ At the counter on the first floor of the guild, Rei counted the gold and platinum coins that Lenora gave him . With regards to the monster materials that he had brought in this time, he hadn¡¯t taken out the rare monsters he had killed, like the Spriggan . Most of the Emerald Wolves, whose materials could be sold at quite a high price, were also still in the Misty Ring as he hadn¡¯t stripped the materials from them yet . Satisfied with payout, Rei placed the bag of gold and platinum coins at his chest, under Dragon Robe Seeing that, Lenora spoke up again . ¡¸So Rei . The matter of the request I spoke of before¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, thanks . ¡¹ That manner of conversation¡­¡­how to say it, as the two of them continued to talk in a very familiar manner, Kenny, who was attending to other adventurers next to them, gave Lenora an envious glance . At Kenny¡¯s look, Lenora gave a small smile, thinking it served her right, before taking out several papers from under the counter . ¡¸Yes, please write down the contents of the request . Since the guild fee is determined by the rank of the request, please take that into consideration . Regarding the rank of the request, the guild will judge that based on the contents of the request . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . So, should I write the contents of the request here?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . If you can¡¯t write, I can also do it for you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸There are no problems there . ¡¹ ¡¸Well then, please fill this document . Ahh, it¡¯s no problem even if you take it away to fill it in and return it later, okay?¡¹ It was almost noon and adventurers were starting to come in for food . Seeing people starting to come in for lunch, Lenora told that to Rei . Although Lenora thought that it might not be so good to have to write a request in a noisy environment, Rei shook his head and filled the document where he was . (The content of the request is to strip monster materials . The main monsters are the ones I have a lot of, like the Water Monkeys and the Emerald Wolves . There¡¯s also the rare Spriggan . However, the Spriggan has already been skinned and its magic stone taken out . As for the number of low ranking monsters¡­¡­um . Regarding rewards, regardless of the number of applicants, they will get 3 gold coins each¡­¡­is that too much? I¡¯ll pay them 1 gold coin per person . However, they might get some bonuses based on the quality of their work . Writing the details of the request on the document, Rei passed it back to Lenora . ¡¸Is something like this okay?¡¹ ¡¸Um, please wait a moment . ¡¹ After reading through the document, Lenora shook her head . ¡¸I think you should include what materials need to be stripped and penalties for stealing materials . Also, the reward may be a bit too high . ¡¹ ¡¸Is it that much?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . If you consider that they will get a reward by stripping the materials from monsters they didn¡¯t have to fight, then yes . ¡¹ ¡¸But, I think that it will quite hard work because there is a large amount . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Lenora read through the application again . ¡¸Yes¡­¡­that is true . The number of Water Monkeys is certainly close to 50¡­¡­¡¹ Thinking for a few seconds, Lenora turned to Kenny, who was beside her . ¡¸Hey, Kenny . Has there been a request to strip materials before?¡¹ Maybe she thought that she could now get openly involved with Rei¡¯s request, Kenny smiled as she shook her head . ¡¸I don¡¯t think so . Basically, most people work in parties, so the stripping of materials doesn¡¯t take that much effort . At the very least, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen one since I started working at the guild . And if ordinary parties do submit something like that, the corpses will already have started to rot . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, there¡¯s no precedent for the remuneration . ¡­¡­I understand, then we will go with the amount of money that Rei-san has written in the document . What about the penalties?¡¡Although it may not be necessary if Rei-san supervises them . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ll add it in . I would like to do something else rather than silently watch them strip the materials from 50 Water Monkeys . ¡­¡­That¡¯s right, if they get caught stealing, I will use them as an test subject for magic experiments, I would be thankful if you could write that in . ¡¹ At the words ¡®test subject for magic experiments¡¯, Lenora raised her eyebrows slightly, while beside her, Kenny gave an interesting smile . ¡¸Speaking of this, may I ask what kind of magic it would be?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I haven¡¯t thought about that yet . Now that I actually think about it¡­¡­ah, if I think about the magic I¡¯m good that, then it¡¯s pretty much going to be fire magic . ¡¹ In reply, Rei gave a smile that didn¡¯t lose out to Kenny¡¯s as he spoke . Although there weren¡¯t too many adventurers in the guild, those that heard Rei¡¯s words and saw his smile swore to themselves that they would never steal anything from him if they ever took one of Rei¡¯s requests . Fire magic was pretty much an offensive magic, it barely had any support magic . This was because the effect of magic was decided by the image the mage formed in their mind and fire gave the strong impression of destruction . ¡¸Mm, mm, Rei-kun is strict with his work . That is also attractive . ¡¹ To Kenny, anything that Rei did was always taken with a positive perspective . ¡¸Also, since I also need to strip materials from a Spriggan and Emerald Wolves, I would like to request that people who have experience in stripping materials from those monsters be given a higher priority . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, I understand . Please wait a moment . The bos¡¹ Giving a quick bow, Lenora left . Kenny saw that, and seeing that there were no other adventurers waiting, started to talk with Rei . ¡¸Hey, hey, Rei-kun . You just finished a big request, why don¡¯t you take a break for a while?¡¡If you don¡¯t mind, would you also like to date onee-san as well?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯m sorry, but I have the matter of the request I just put out, after taking care of that, I would like to start taking requests again . ¡¹ ¡¸So fast already, you really like to keep people waiting . ¡­¡­Then, when you have some free time, go out to do some shopping with me . ¡¹ Kenny returned to her seat at the counter while winking . A few adventurers who entered the guild just after that, went to her . Rei looked at them and felt that one of them looked familiar . Maybe the other person realised who Rei was at the same time, he said some words to his party members, who had looks of surprise, before leaving them and heading over to Rei . ¡¸Long time no see . I¡¯ve heard a lot of gossip about you . ¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t heard as much about you though, Runo . ¡¹ Yes, the person who walked over was Runo, the rank C adventurer Rei had met when had just joined the guild . It was the adventurer who had been working with the rank D party, Claws of the Hawk, when they had picked a fight with Rei just after Rei had arrived in the city of Gimuru for the first time . He had went to the dungeon with the Claws of the Hawk where he was tasked with identifying traps using his eyes, which could see magic power . At that time, he had said that he was working solo and had only formed a temporary party with the Claws of the Hawk¡­¡­it seems that the other adventurers Kenny was dealing with were now the temporary party he was working in . ¡¸You can¡¯t lump me together with you . I¡¯m just one of the adventurers around here . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m also an adventurer though . ¡¹ Runo waved his hands with a wry smile at Rei¡¯s unintentional retort . ¡¸Don¡¯t say that . In the Orc village, you killed the Orc King in single combat and was promoted from E rank straight to G rank because of that . Immediately after that special treatment, you took the rank up test and went right to D rank in one shot . Rumors have spread that you are the fastest adventurer to rank up in the guild in Gimuru you know?¡¡In addition to that, you¡¯re also followed by a Griffon, a rank A monster . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so?¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t care much about the rumors and replied to Runo as if it was nothing much . ¡¸That is¡­¡­no, ahh, I guess that¡¯s why you¡¯re so well known . ¡¹ Runo shook his head and sighed as he looked at Rei . ¡¸So, what are you doing in the guild today?¡¡From the looks of it, it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ve come to take a request . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯m here to sell materials and submit proofs of subjugation . Aside from that, the number of monsters I have to strip materials from is quite difficult to do by myself, so I am submitting a request to the guild to help strip materials . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh?¡¡Where did you take down so many monsters?¡¹ When Runo asked, interested in why Rei had so many monsters he had to strip materials from, Rei answered with a bitter smile . ¡¸At a dungeon . The one that you and Goblin Drool went to . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Seriously . Aren¡¯t you going solo?¡¡No, even if you have a Griffon, did you really go down the dungeon by yourself?¡¹ ¡¸No, I took up a nominated request . I was acting as an escort . So, the person I was escorting just told me I could do whatever I wanted with all the monsters that we took down . ¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­¡­that¡¯s a very generous client . So, what about the dead monsters?¡¡Did you have a hard time taking that many back?¡¹ Runo¡¯s eyes flashed for a moment as he smelled money and he asked Rei . But Rei just showed him the Misty Ring on his right arm while sighing . ¡¸Have you forgotten?¡¡I have an item box . All the dead monsters are stored in this bracelet . Fortunately time doesn¡¯t flow inside this item box . Otherwise, all of them would have rotted . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . By the way, what¡¯s the reward for stripping materials?¡¹ ¡¸What, are you going to take the request?¡¡No, I would be grateful if you did . ¡¹ They knew each other and thinking back to his previous meeting with him, he didn¡¯t think that Lenora¡¯s concerns about stealing would be a problem with Runo . The last time they had met, Rei had easily defeated the self confident Claws of the Hawk . If he considered the consequences of earning Rei¡¯s ire, he wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid . However, Runo shrugged his shoulders as if without much expectation when he replied . ¡¸Depends on the reward . And even if it was a large amount, it would be tough for just me alone . ¡¹ Giving a sigh, Rei was about to respond when Lenora came back . ¡¸Oh, Runo-san?¡¡Ah, come to think of it, you know each other . ¡¹ Although Lenora showed a puzzled look for a moment when she saw Rei and Runo talking with each other, as expected of a guild receptionist, she immediately turned back to Rei after giving smile and a nod to Runo . ¡¸Rei-san, about the stripping of material, it¡¯s the first time for such a request and for such a large amount of monsters as well, I can¡¯t decide what rank to set for it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is the request too difficult?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s the case . If it¡¯s just stripping materials, even H rank adventurers ca do it . And since the reward is quite considerable, if you extended the request to low ranking adventurers, you would probably see a large number of applicants¡­¡­however, most of them will have had no experience in stripping materials from a rank C monster . Even so, if it were to be extended to C rank adventurers, 1 gold coin would be too cheap for them to strip the materials from so many monsters . ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry for previously saying the reward was too much . ¡¹ Rei spoke up with a sigh as Lenora gave an apologetic bow . ¡¸Does that meant that the guild can¡¯t put up the request?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no . Of course we will accept it . However, since there is no precedent in this guild, I think that we will have to contact the other guild branches to see if there has been a similar request before submitting it¡­¡­is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s fine . Fortunately, monsters won¡¯t rot as long as I keep them in the item box . I would like you do that then . But, if possible, please decide on the rank of the request soon . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡­¡­I¡¯m really sorry for taking up your time and effort . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah well . There¡¯s always a first time for something . Hey, don¡¯t mind it too much Lenora-chan . ¡¹ Maybe he didn¡¯t like the subdued atmosphere too much, Runo said that as if he was fooling around . Lenora smiled and the three of them continued talking with each other for a bit longer . It should be said that, as usual, Kenny seemed to be envious of Lenora . Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Two days after submitting a monster material stripping request to the guild, the figure of Rei could be seen in the guild as usual . However, it wasn¡¯t the time when the guild was crowded, which he disliked, but early in the morning . After completing Elena¡¯s escort, he had taken a day off . Then yesterday, he had replenished his consumable items that been exhausted before coming to the guild today¡­¡­ ¡¸Should I say my luck is bad?¡¹ Subjugation requests, which were the main requests Rei took, had mostly been taken by other adventurers and almost none remained . Even if there were subjugation requests that were left, they were either rank A or rank B subjugation requests or Goblin subjugation requests, that were always around . If Rei formed a party, he would be able to receive rank B requests . Unfortunately, Rei was a solo adventurer and could only accept requests that were one rank higher . That is to say, up to C rank . (I hope I can rank up quickly . ) Rei thought to himself as he looked at the request board . Rank F to D was was the group with the most registered adventurers . And for that reason, there was a lot of competition to receive D rank requests¡­¡­for Rei, who was a solo adventurer, that was the most difficult problem . Still, there were still requests that ignored ranks such as the attack on the Orc village or the nominated request in the case of Elena . (In that case¡­¡­I should take requests that are always available such as Goblin subjugation requests to familiarise myself with the new skill Set and and I obtained . If I¡¯m lucky, I might even encounter monsters I haven¡¯t seen before . ) While thinking like that, he turned to look at the requests that were always pinned on the board¡­¡­suddenly, one request form came to his eyes . It was a request on the C rank board . The reward for the request was 1 gold coin and 5 silver coins . Considering the rewards for requests in the frontier city of Gimuru, this was quite a hefty reward . Rei wasn¡¯t concerned about money right now, but for some reason reason, the request form drew him in and he read on . It was an escort request . However, the chance of being attacked by monsters or bandits close to the city was basically impossible . In addition, the client had to pay food expenses to the guards during the request . The escort duration was around 10 days . The reward was paid per day, so counting 10 days, it would become 1 platinum coin and 5 gold coins . They were looking for 5 people . ¡¸I think it¡¯s a well paid request¡­¡­but why hasn¡¯t it been taken?¡¹ The remuneration was high for a rank C request, and if there were no monster attacks or bandits, the escort would simply be going on an outing . It certainly seemed too easy for a rank C request . But on the other hand, it seemed strange that no one had taken it despite such favourable terms . As he read that request, Rei felt someone standing nearby and turned to see who it was . It was a middle-aged woman in her mid thirties . Based on her appearance, he hesitated over whether to call her a warrior . She wore a leather armour made from some monster skin with several metal pieces attached, giving a nimble feeling overall . The woman seemed to have noticed Rei¡¯s look and turned to look at the request he had been looking at . ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s wrong boy? Do you need something from me?¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t think that she would ask that and was silent for a few seconds at those unexpected words . He shook his head to say that it was nothing and looked over the request again . ¡¸Oh?¡¡Do you want to take this request boy?¡¡Rather, is your rank high enough¡­¡­no, a baby faced adventurer that wears a robe . You, could you be the rumored Rei?¡¡I heard that you have a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I don¡¯t know much about the rumors, but I¡¯m definitely the adventurer with a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸Wow¡­¡­we¡¯ve been out of Gimuru for a while . We just came back not long ago, but we already started hearing rumors immediately after entering the city . Well, it¡¯s no wonder considering you¡¯re accompanied by a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸We¡­ . . £¿¡¹ ¡¸Mm?¡¡Ah . I¡¯m working in a party . There, the person drinking over there . ¡¹ Saying that, the woman indicated towards a man about 140cm tall who was drinking alcohol in the bar in the guild, even though it was still early in the morning . But even if he was short, he didn¡¯t feel unreliable . Rather, if Rei, who was 165cm tall, stood next to him, Rei would look less reliable . Anyhow, his body was packed with muscles and a huge hammer, 1m in length, stood out as it leaned against the table . The hammer head attached to the handle was made of a pure black metal, as if sucking in light . Even though Rei couldn¡¯t see magic power, he could still feel that it was some sort of magical metal . And what stood out more than anything else was his beard . Short with a sturdy build, a beard stretching to his chest, a drinker and using a hammer as a weapon . With those four things, Rei realised who the person in the woman¡¯s party was . ¡¸A Dwarf¡¹ ¡¸Correct . If I had to saying something about him, he¡¯s a heavy drinker, but his skill as a warrior is quite good . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s murmur, the woman replied . ¡¸Oh, I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet . I¡¯m Freon . That drunkard over there is Brazos . We¡¯re a rank C party, Crushing Warriors . Nice to meet you . ¡¹ Rei shook her extended hand with a smile . ¡¸Although you seem to know me already, I¡¯m Rei . A solo D rank adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, my regards . So, just some advice¡­¡­the request you saw . I think it would be better for you not to take it . ¡¹ For a moment, Freon glanced towards the C rank board . ¡¸Why? You seemed to have looked at it earlier as well . ¡¹ ¡¸The person giving out the request has a considerable amount of power in the city of Gimuru¡­¡­Well, to put it simply, he¡¯s one of the higher ups in the weapons market in Gimuru . Naturally, he has power to match his position . You understand what I¡¯m trying to say?¡¹ Freon frowned as she saw Rei¡¯s face filled with loathing . ¡¸I see, that is to say, he¡¯s a typical idiotic noble . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s worse than that . In any case, because Margrave Rowlocks is an outstanding lord, there are very few stupid nobles around . That¡¯s why this person¡¯s tyranny stands out more . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­After hearing about that, it certainly sounds better not to take the request even though the reward is high . ¡¹ ¡¸Even so, because more adventurers are becoming aware of his personality, less people are taking up his requests . No matter how much power he has, in the end, it¡¯s strictly limited to the streets of Gimuru . Once he takes a single step out of the city, his power has no effect if he is attacked by monsters or bandits . ¡­¡­No, in the case of bandits, he might even be captured and held ransom . Well, if he was captured, there¡¯s a high chance he would just be ignored by the people here . ¡¹ ¡¸In the first place, why is someone who sells weapons doing something like this?¡¡And if he¡¯s so bad, why hasn¡¯t anything been done about him?¡¹ Rei¡¯s question to Freon was reasonable, but Freon shook her head bitterly . ¡¸His family has managed weapons shops for several generations and while he is high handed, he also wholesales weapons made from monster materials to other cities . The taxes he pays are also quite considerable . As long as he is producing results, there won¡¯t be any serious moves to eliminate him . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­How troublesome . Not an incompetent and idiotic noble but a capable and idiotic noble . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . As you¡¯ve become very conspicuous recently, it¡¯s possible you¡¯ll come to his attention . I recommend that you don¡¯t accept any nominated requests from Bolton . Ah, incidentally, Bolton¡¯s company is written in the request form, Azoth Firm . ¡¹ Hearing Freon¡¯s words, he turned to look at the request form he had been considering . The client¡¯s name was certainly Azoth Firm . ¡¸I understand . I¡¯ll watch out for that . Thank¡¯s for your explanation . ¡¹ ¡¸What, if Rei is really the adventurer as rumored, you don¡¯t need to mind my advise that much, I might even have told you all that just so I could ask for your help if I took a difficult request . ¡­¡­Ah, if you don¡¯t mind, I would like to introduce you to that drunkard . ¡¹ For a moment, she turned to look at the Dwarf, Brazos, who was drinking heartily . (I don¡¯t like alcohol that much but¡­¡­well, I don¡¯t have any particular requests to do right now . I¡¯m also curious about what kind of Dwarf he is like . ) Rei thought for several seconds before nodding . ¡¸Ahh, no problem . Anyhow, I haven¡¯t taken any requests today . I wish there was a good subjugation request I could take . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha . I also heard from rumors that you mainly took subjugation requests . Well, we¡¯re the same as well . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If you have a Dwarf, couldn¡¯t you do blacksmithing requests?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s honest question, Freon looked back with an amazed look . ¡¸About that . Although Dwarves are usually thought of as blacksmiths, at the same time, not all Dwarves are blacksmiths you know?¡¡I mean, if all Dwarves were metalworking masters, how would they be able to live in a village . What?¡¡Can you use a hammer to knead bread?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Rei understood Freon¡¯s explanation . From the manga and novels he had read in Japan, he had been convinced that Dwarves = Blacksmith . ¡¸Because of that, please don¡¯t talk about blacksmithing in front of Brazos . Actually, he had wanted to become a blacksmith, but it seems that he didn¡¯t make it . ¡¹ As they headed towards the bar, Freon whispered quietly into his ear and Rei nodded . It should be noted that the catkin receptionist had been watching them with a vicious look, but had been quietly suppressed by the ponytail receptionist beside her . ¡¸Hey, Brazos . You¡¯ve been drinking since early morning, that¡¯s enough . We¡¯re going to head out for a request¡­¡­¡¹ As Freon reached the Dwarf Brazos, she started complaining with a sigh . However, Brazos seemed to be unconcerned as he poured some sake from a small barrel into a cup, before drinking it . ¡¸What are you saying . For Dwarves, drinking alcohol is like Humans drinking water . Freon, could I stop you from drinking water?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid . How can alcohol be treated as water . Seriously, this drunkard¡­¡­¡¹ Freon gave an amazed sigh, but at those words, Brazos smacked his cup down on to the table . ¡¸Come on Freon . Do you think that drunkards could get get drunk from this kind of liquor? I really hope you don¡¯t underestimate me . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . I know, I know . It¡¯s strange to start drinking before starting a request . I¡¯m trying to work in a party with you . ¡¹ ¡¸Keh . I think I¡¯m just thankful to be in a party with an unmarried woman like you . ¡¸Hey, you . ¡¹ As the two of them started to argue with each other, Rei gave a sigh as he sat down on an empty seat . Noticing Rei, Brazos stopped arguing with Freon and turned to look at him . ¡¸Freon, who¡¯s this boy?¡¹ ¡¸I met him a little while ago . Hey, did you hear that about that rumor since we came back to the city?¡¡The adventurer which was supposed to have a Griffon following him . He¡¯s the one . ¡¹ At Freon¡¯s words, Brazos looked at Rei with interest . When he looked at Rei, as the person himself had said, Rei couldn¡¯t feel any sense of drunkenness from him . ¡¸Hou~, so you¡¯re the one with the Griffon . ¡­¡­You certainly don¡¯t give off the feeling of an ordinary person . ¡¹ While saying that, Brazos poured a cup of sake and held it out towards Rei . ¡¸Here, drink first . A drink for meeting with you for the first time . It¡¯s the Dwarven style . Hahahaha . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I don¡¯t like to drink liquor that much¡­¡­¡¹ Looking at the wooden cup, Rei gave a sigh as he turned to look at Freon . However, Freon averted her eyes slightly and gently spoke when Rei looked towards her . ¡¸That is, I¡¯m sorry, but please go along with him for now . When Brazos invites you to drink, it means that he likes you . ¡¹ In that way, he was made to keep them company, drinking sake until noon . Lenora eventually rescued Rei and the other two, Freon and Brazos, started their request after finishing drinking . It should be noted that Freon had become accustomed to Brazos¡¯s drinking and had hardly drank anything herself while Brazos didn¡¯t even look drunk . Both of them walked away with a steady gait . ¡­¡­Rei was just helplessly drunk and was unable to take any requests . Chapter 121 Chapter 121 ¡¸Guh¡­¡­¡¹ As the morning sun shone on him, Rei opened his eyes in bed . But, the moment he tried to get up, he felt a dull pain in his head . ¡¸What happened to me¡­¡­no, when did I get into bed?¡¹ While muttering, he looked around as he held his head . What Rei saw, without doubt, was his room in the Dusk Wheat Inn . ¡¸What happened? I was sure that I went to the guild yesterday¡­¡­¡¹ Rei tried to recall his memories . And before long, he remembered that he had met Freon, the female warrior in her thirties, and the Brazos the Dwarf . At the same time, he remembered that although he had said he wasn¡¯t too good with alcohol, he had continued to drink for several hours, unable to decline . ¡¸That¡¯s right, I was drank under the table . ¡­¡­It¡¯s a good thing I was in the guild bar . If I had been in a bar downtown, I would have been more likely to run into a robber or pickpocket . ¡¹ As he sighed, Rei scowled at the morning sun shining into the room from the clear autumn sky . ¡¸This headache, I guess it¡¯s a hangover . ¡­¡­Should I take a day off?¡¹ While frowning at the pain in his head, he poured some water from a jug into a cup to quench his thirst . ¡¸I heard that it¡¯s good to drink miso soup if you have a hangover . ¡­¡­Well, there¡¯s no miso soup in this world . ¡¹ After checking that he was feeling a bit better after drinking some water, he put on his Dragon Robe, and Shoes of Sleipnir, which had been taken off him without his permission, and checked that the Misty Ring and Bracelet of Magic Absorption were still tight around both his arms . ¡­¡­He then realised that it would have been terrible if his magic items had been stolen . ¡¸This¡­¡­I should take some measures against that . ¡¹ While consolidating the image of the fire magic in his mind, he took the Death Scythe out and started to cast a spell . ¡ºFire, if one touches you against my will, give them scorching flames of regret . ¡» With those words, flames gathered around the blade of the Death Scythe¡­¡­activating the magic the next moment . ¡ºFlame of Regret . ¡» At the same time as the activation of the magic, the flames disappeared as if soaking into the Misty Ring . Against his will¡­¡­if someone tried to remove his Misty Ring while he was unconscious, like yesterday, the security effect of the magic would cause the offender to be baptised in fire . ¡­¡­However, it wasn¡¯t just as simple as preventing theft . After that, he fixed up his appearance and went downstairs . Perhaps peak hour had already gone by, there were hardly any guests in the dining room . There were only several people who were having late meals . Rei took an empty seat as he looked around . As if waiting for that, Lana, the proprietress of the Dusk Wheat, appeared . ¡¸Good morning . It seems you got helplessly drunk yesterday, are you okay?¡¹ While asking about that, Lana placed a light breakfast onto the table . Maybe she understood he had a hangover, there was a lot of light foods with high moisture content . ¡¸Was I yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸Two people, the guild receptionists Lenora-san and Kenny-san brought you in . They carried you into your room . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I will thank them when I go to the guild . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that would be good . ¡¹ Lana nodded with a smile and went back to work . Seeing her leave, Rei reached for his breakfast . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san . Good morning . Are you okay?¡¹ Lenora called out when she saw Rei enter the guild . She looked concerned, but Rei nodded, indicating he was fine . ¡¸When I got up in the morning, the hangover was quite difficult, but it has become much better after eating breakfast . ¡¹ (Thanks to Zepairu¡¯s knowledge . ) He would have never thought he would thank Zepairu over hangovers, but Rei seriously thanked him . ¡¸So, you brought me back to the inn yesterday . Thank you very much . ¡¹ Rei gave a bow . He wanted to thank Kenny as well¡­¡­but as he looked for her while thinking that, the figure of the catkin that was usually next to Lenora could not be found . ¡¸Where¡¯s Kenny?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, she out until the afternoon . Some errands she has to run or something . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Then, if she comes back in the afternoon, give her my thanks . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh . I understand . Then, I¡¯ll do that . By the way, there¡¯s actually a summons for you¡­¡­¡¹ Lenora spoke somewhat apologetically . It was an unusual attitude for Lenora, who usually did her work quite happily . ¡¸A summons? I don¡¯t remember being summoned by anyone though . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh, that is true . However, since it¡¯s a summons from a person funding the guild administration, we can¡¯t afford not to tell you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the reason?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t know . The guild hasn¡¯t been told anything . I¡¯ve only been told to inform you . ¡¹ ¡¸Who is doing such a rude thing . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Lenora frowned her eyebrows slightly . However, she wasn¡¯t frowning at Rei, but rather the person that she mentioned the next moment . ¡¸It is the representative of the Azoth Firm, Bolton-sama . ¡¹ Azoth Firm . Bolton . He was naturally familiar with those two names . Afterall, he had just heard those names yesterday . ¡¸I heard that that guy is running something like a weapons shop in this city?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . That is right . That is, there are various rumors about him as well¡­¡­Azoth Firm helps fund guild activities and has a hand in most weapons entering the city of Gimuru as well . ¡¹ ¡¸So, the great Azoth Firm wants something from a D rank adventurer like me . ¡¹ ¡¸It seems to be so . Of course, this is just a one sided demand from them, they have no right to force anything onto an adventurer registered with the guild . Therefore, it is up to your own judgement whether to respond to this summons . ¡¹ Despite saying htat, Lenora¡¯s expression blatantly showed that it would be better to respond to the call . Anyhow, it was a summons from a person with a lot of power in the city of Gimuru . If he refused, Lenora honestly didn¡¯t know what harassment would happen to Rei . Rei roughly guessed it from Lenora¡¯s expression and nodded after a few seconds . ¡¸Although I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for yet, there¡¯s no reason to decline . There are various rumors, but it¡¯s impossible for me to say anything without meeting the person himself . I understand, I¡¯ll go¡­¡­can you tell me where Bolton¡¯s merchant house is?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . Have this . ¡¹ She had probably planned to talk to Rei about this when he came in . A map to Bolton¡¯s mansion had already been prepared . Looking down to read it, he realised it was Lenora¡¯s handwriting on the map after reading it a few times . ¡¸Sorry about this . ¡¹ ¡¸No, not at all!¡¡Normally, it would be impossible to call an adventurer to their house through the guild without a nominated request . That is¡­¡­please be careful . There are always bad rumors about him as a person . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I heard from the two members of Crushing Warriors yesterday . ¡­¡­That reminds me, what did those two do after yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸What happened¡­¡­after Rei-san got helplessly drunk, I think they went out for a request?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Right after?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Well, there are a few people who go drinking before taking a request . Nevertheless, most people still only go drinking after a request for financial reasons . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ With no words to say, he gave a sigh before pulling himself together and shaking his head . ¡¸Anyhow, thanks for the map . I¡¯ll be leaving now . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Please take care . Ah, please wait a bit longer for the request for stripping materials . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ As Lenora gave a bow, she still felt uneasy about Rei . (¡­¡­I can¡¯t tell Kenny about this . ) She thought to herself . Anyhow, Kenny seemed to be strangely attached to Rei recently . If she heard that he had been directly summoned by the president of the Azoth Firm, which had a bad reputation, it could cause various outbursts . (Well, I understand those feelings though . ) Certainly, Azoth Firm had made large contributions to the guild . However, she cannot help but feel unpleasant that they were being used like a shield . But in the end, the sad point was that after donating funds for guild activities for so long, they had to listen to his demands up to a certain point . She hoped strange problems wouldn¡¯t occur between Rei and Azoth Firm . Lenora could only pray in her mind . Leaving the adventurer guild, Rei went to pick up Set, who should be waiting at the carriage spaces as usual . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Set-chan, you¡¯re looking lovely today . Here, eat this as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ He also saw Milein, stroking Set¡¯s head and back, while holding a large amount of sandwiches and meat skewers that she had bought from the nearby food stalls . ¡¸Milein¡­¡­you, you¡¯ve come to see Set quite often recently, did Scorching Wind break up?¡¹ Usually, Milein would take a while to realise Rei was here when she was with Set . But this time, she threw a meat, cheese and lettuce sandwich to Rei . ¡¸Uh!¡¹ Rei took it while being careful not to crush it and bit down where sauce was starting to drip out . The outside was baked fragrantly while the meat inside was juicy, blending together and delighting Rei¡¯s taste buds . ¡¸You, can you not say something so unlucky? We¡¯ve been busy lately, so we decided to take a weekend off . And don¡¯t just eat that without asking . It¡¯s a popular food . ¡¹ Without caring for Milein¡¯s reproachful look, Rei quickly ate the sandwich . ¡¸Then don¡¯t throw it . I had dodged it, it would have fallen to the ground or it might have been crushed when I caught it . ¡¹ While muttering in amazement, Rei quickly finished the Sandwich . ¡¸So, did you pick a request Rei?¡¹ He shook his head slightly at Milein while stroking Set¡¯s back with a smile . ¡¸About that . It¡¯s not a request¡­¡­but I got a summons from the president of Azoth Firm . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You, did you do something?¡¹ ¡¸No, nothing that I know of . It¡¯s just that¡­¡­there seem to be rumors about me recently . I think he just wants to see who I am with his own eyes?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that okay?¡¡Azoth Firm doesn¡¯t have a good reputation you know?¡¹ ¡¸It seems to be so . Some adventurers I met yesterday said the same thing . ¡­¡­So, Set . What will you do?¡¡Would you like to come with me?¡¹ When Rei asked Set, who was eating a sandwich, Set naturally tried to get up¡­¡­ ¡¸Could you not take Set-chan along with you?¡¹ Milein stopped them while saying that . ¡¸Why?¡¡The rumors that the other party would have heard would include me and Set, that¡¯s probably the reason I was summoned . ¡¹ ¡¸I know . That might certainly be the case, but thinking about that¡­¡­there¡¯s also the possibility he wants to do something to Set . ¡¹ Milein frowned her eyes slightly . From that, it was obvious that Milein didn¡¯t have a good impression of Azoth Firm . ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Maybe he felt uneasy seeing Milien like this, Set gave a cry as if asking if she was okay . ¡¸Will that happen?¡¡Set right now is a rather famous person in the city of Gimuru . No, he¡¯s not a person . If he tried to do something to Set, he would just turn the city¡¯s residents into his enemies right?¡¹ ¡¸That is true . I think so as well . ¡­¡­But, Azoth Firm will do it without hesitation¡­¡­or rather, Bolton will . ¡¹ Milein spoke up again while giving a small sigh . ¡¸A few years ago, some adventurer had a dispute with Azoth Firm . It seems it started due to a mistake in communication about an escort request and the adventurer¡¯s friend was killed by a monster . . ¡­¡­Then, Azoth Firm applied some pressure behind the scenes by preventing anyone from selling weapons to him . You know how important weapons are to adventurers?¡¡The adventurer couldn¡¯t do anything and gave up¡­¡­it seems he ended up leaving the city . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s nasty . ¡¹ Rei unintentionally muttered that at Milein¡¯s words . Preventing weapons from being sold to adventurers . In essence, that meant stopping the adventurer from taking requests . If the adventurer was a mage, they would be able to manage somehow . But for a warrior who would need to repair their weapons often¡­¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s right, you shouldn¡¯t bring Set-chan alone to stop him from getting involved with that place . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . Set, I¡¯m sorry, but could you wait for me here?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ While watching Rei anxiously, Set nodded . Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Relying on the map that Lenora had given him, Rei walked through the city of Gimuru . Basically, if he was in the area around the guild, where all the adventurers gathered, he wouldn¡¯t get lost . However, Rei was now heading towards where all the big merchants, the rich people and the nobles lived . You could call it the upperclass area . ¡¸Come to think of it, this is my first time coming to this area . ¡¹ Rei muttered as he walked around the streets with his map . As expected of the upperclass, unlike other roads where dirt was exposed, it was all paved with stone here . There was hardly any litter around either . Occasionally, he would find random garbage that had been thrown onto the ground, but here, people were professionally hired to clean that up . In addition, the roadsides that were not paved with stone had all sorts of trees planted . It was completely different from the guild area, which could be called simple and robust . There were no street stalls, and although it wasn¡¯t a substitute, several soldiers could be seen standing guard as gatekeepers in front of each house . Or rather, since they were nobles and merchants, they were probably their own private guards . (¡­¡­The guard may even be tighter than the one around Margrave Rowlock¡¯s residence . ) While watching the private guards patrolling, Rei thought to himself . But that wasn¡¯t just for show . Gimuru was a frontier city and there were many adventurers . And as the number of adventurers increases, so does the number of malicious ones . It wasn¡¯t common for some to group with others to become bandits, it wasn¡¯t unusual either . It wasn¡¯t a strange scene to see wealthy people hire their own guards to counter that . With Daska governing the city of Gimuru, as it wasn¡¯t bad enough that it was necessary to send soldiers and knights to guard the upperclass areas, there was a tacit consent that they could hire private soldiers as guards . As Rei walked into the area wearing his robe, he didn¡¯t attract too much attention as it was clear he was an adventurer . ¡¸Boy, do you have any business here?¡¹ The first person to call out to him was a man in his twenties, wearing a light leather armour which had been dyed green . A long sword hung at his waist and he looked to be in his late twenties . Behind the man who called out, there were several more men, all of them wearing the same green dyed armour . Perhaps they were all hired by the same noble or rich person . Rei showed them the map that Lenora had given him . ¡¸I wasn¡¯t invited to meet the president of Azoth Firm . If you know where this place on the map is, please tell me . ¡¹ Maybe it was because he asked that confidently, the men¡¯s wariness of him lessened somewhat . If they had just come over to see who he was and he had ran away, they might have thought he panicked because he had done something . ¡¸This is¡­¡­Bolton-san¡¯s mansion . Go straight along this street and you will see it on your right . The roof is completely gold, so you should see it at first glance . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Gold?¡¹ At the man¡¯s words, Rei unintentionally asked . Several houses could be seen from where he was now, but most of them had plain coloured roofs . There was a gold one? He wondered to himself . Guessing what Rei was thinking, the man gave a strained laugh . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right . When someone gets rich, they look at things differently than us . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ At the man¡¯s remark, Rei nodded in agreement . Maybe the man expected that reaction, He patted Rei¡¯s head, that was covered by his robe . ¡¸Let¡¯s just say that . Well, anyway, you will reach that mansion if you go straight along this road . We have to leave because we¡¯re patrolling, don¡¯t make a fuss around here . It will become troublesome if that happens . ¡¹ Seeing the man wave his hand lightly as he left, Rei gave a sigh and continued down the street as the man had told him . ¡¸¡­¡­This certainly is the upperclass area . ¡¹ Building on both sides of the street were built excellently and most of them were bigger than the Dusk Wheat inn, which Rei was staying in . Even if it was just a mansion, the further down he walked, the more expensive they became . For example, on the walls around the mansion that Rei had just walked past were all engraved with a complex wind pattern . Further back behind it, similar designs were built into every building . Rei continued walking for another 20 minutes . If anything, the mansion was built at the farthest end of the upperclass area . ¡¸Gold¡­¡­is it . ¡¹ Rei spoke those word unintentionally as he looked at the roof of the mansion . The residences around it looked quite normal, so the mansion with the golden roof stood out all the more . However, it only stood out in a bad way . And in front of the gate leading to the mansion, there was a gatekeeper standing there with a spear, similar to the other mansions . (Well, there¡¯s no use just looking . I should just go and finish this up quickly . ) Thinking to himself, he walked towards the gate . Before long, the guard noticed Rei and looked at him suspiciously as he came closer . As they looked at each other, Rei went closer¡­¡­and stopped before the gatekeeper . ¡¸Is this the mansion of the president of Azoth Firm, Bolton?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right, what business do you have little kid?¡¡Bolton-sama is busy . He has no time to care about people like you . ¡¹ When the man standing to the right of the gate said that, the man standing to the left of the gate also spoke up . ¡¸From your age, you¡¯re having difficulty working as an adventurer and have come here to see if Azoth Firm would hire you, right?¡¡But Azoth Firm is a place where the elite gather . The door isn¡¯t wide enough to hire children like you . ¡¹ At those words, Rei¡¯s cheeks started to twitch, but in the end, he still spoke out . ¡¸I have received a summons from the president of Azoth Firm, is this your attitude towards visitors?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh?¡¡A brat like you was summoned by Bolton-san?¡¡That¡¯s a joke I can¡¯t even laugh at . ¡¹ The man in metal armour standing to the right of the gate directed the tip of his spear at Rei while speaking crankily . On the left side, the other armoured man clicked his tongue at his fellow gatekeeper¡¯s sudden action, but he still pointed his spear at Rei before speaking out . ¡¸¡­¡­That guy is overdoing it, but it¡¯s our job to keep out people like you . Anyway, Azoth Firm is a pretty big company in the city of Gimuru and we deal with almost all the weapons trade here . We can¡¯t let any suspicious people through . Can you just go home?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Sakant . You¡¯re too kind . Every time we talk to these guys, as long as we show a gap, they will try to get in . Your kindness is unnecessary . ¡¹ ¡¸Fader, you¡¯re too noisy . You that a terrible time in your previous job because you kept making a mess didn¡¯t you?¡¡You can cause a commotion if you want, but at least do it without dragging me into it . ¡¹ When the man called Sankant told Fader, Fader clicked his tongue and glared at Rei . ¡¸Heard that, brat? You have until I count down from 10 to leave, otherwise my spear will taste blood . ¡¹ At those threatening words, Rei sighed . ¡¸I get it, you want me to go home right? Then I¡¯ll leave . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei turned to walk back the way he came . He said that in a regretful tone, but he had a bright smile as he walked away . (At the very least, I went to Bolton¡¯s mansion . Since I was sent away, even if I am blamed for it, I can give an excuse . ¡­¡­Well, although I heard it from Freon yesterday and Milein today, I wouldn¡¯t have thought it was like this unless I came here . Anyway, it would be good if he could just forget about me¡­¡­he might cause a fuss though . ) Rei left the upperclass area as he muttered to himself . Sakant breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that it didn¡¯t become a big issue . Fader, on the other hand, was displeased at the disappearance of a suitable person to vent his violent impulses on . ¡¸You know . If you caused a commotion, I would be collateral you know?¡¡You shouldn¡¯t get so excited over fighting a kid . ¡¹ ¡¸I know already . However, I just did that on reflex when I saw that brat¡¯s eyes . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Fader, you don¡¯t possibly have some strange disease or something do you?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by that!¡¹ Sakant took a step back as Fader shouted back . Time flowed on into night . The seasons had already changed to autumn and the sun set quickly . For that reason, the city of Gimuru was already covered in darkness although the 6pm bell had just rang . Although lamps started to come on here and there, even so, it was only a slight resistance against the overwhelming darkness . However, there were several places in the city of Gimuru where the lights lit up brightly . One was the lord¡¯s residence in the heart of Gimuru . Another was the bars where adventurers celebrated the day¡¯s work . There was also the brothels, where men gathered, seeking warmth from a lover for the night . ¡­¡­And then, there was the upperclass area, where the lights shone brightly, as if to show that they were different from the poor commoners . Among the mansions in that area, a shouting voice echoed through a secluded area in one of the mansions . ¡¸Ehh!¡¡Why hasn¡¯t that adventurer called Rei obeyed my orders!¡¡I should have told him through the guild to show his face here today!¡¹ A cup was thrown against a wall in anger . The cup that shattered and liquor that was inside fell onto the high class carpet . Whether it was the carpet, the thrown cup or the amber liquor, their worth enough for a commoner couple to live for several years . But the man who threw it didn¡¯t care about that as he irritably placed his weight on a chair . The backrest of the chair took his weight with a creaking sound, but the man¡¯s irritation still didn¡¯t settle . The man, who could almost be referred to as an elder, didn¡¯t look like the president of a company . Despite having reached his sixties, there was an energetic light in his eyes and he had an arrogant looking face . He believed from the bottom of his heart that it was only natural that people did what he told them to do . This man was Bolton, the president of Azoth Firm, which was the sole distributor of weapons in the city of Gimuru . Several maids who were in the room avoided his gaze as they cleaned up the cup and liquor that had shattered and spilled onto the walls and floor . Bolton watched them in irritation before giving a snort and pouring more liquor into a new glass, drinking it in a single gulp . ¡¸Hey! It seems like that adventurer Rei doesn¡¯t move easily . Take some people and bring him to me!¡¡Fine, you¡¯re just an adventurer¡­¡­does a D rank adventurer think that he can ignore my orders . Drag him here to teach him a lesson!¡¹ Perhaps seeing he was drunk, the butler beside him spoke to Bolton, who was shouting with a red face . ¡¸Master-sama . I heard that the adventurer called Rei has a Griffon . Speaking of Griffons, I heard that it is an A rank monster . At most, the adventurers hired by Azoth Firm are only B rank . I don¡¯t think they will be able to oppose a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh!?¡¡What¡¯s that?¡¡It¡¯s fine to keep licking the shoes of a D rank adventurer!?¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t say that . According to rumors I heard, Rei had received a nominated request from Margrave Rowlocks . Naturally, he has some relations with the lord . You should refrain from doing anything too violent¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Tch, I see . So there¡¯s a possibility of him sticking his hand in . ¡¹ He clicked his tongue and slammed the cup in his hand against the table like a brick before pouring more liquor into the empty cup . It was a pricey liquor that most ordinary people couldn¡¯t afford, but Bolton didn¡¯t seem to care as he poured it down his throat like water . ¡¸Though I summoned him through the guild, he ignored me¡­¡­it can¡¯t be helped . Hey, get some adventurers we hired to look for Rei tomorrow . Since there¡¯s a Griffon¡­¡­no, wait . That¡¯s right, if he doesn¡¯t come tomorrow, tell him he won¡¯t be able to buy weapons in Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸Master-sama¡­¡­as I said earlier, as long as he has a connection with the lord, openly threatening him like that¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Tch, there¡¯s no choice . Just do enough to make him feel it . ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, I understand . I¡¯ll give the orders . ¡¹ After the butler gave a bow and left the room, Bolton gulped down more liquor in frustration . Chapter 123 Chapter 123 ¡¸Are you Rei?¡¹ As he left the inn as usual and was about to head for the guild, two men appeared and questioned Rei . Although he had the tone of wanting to confirm, their eyes indicated that they were sure he was the person they were looking for . After all, he was the adventurer with the Griffon, so they couldn¡¯t have mistaken him . Set ate a skewer while giving a cheerful cry . Rei nodded at the two men, who had been glancing at Set . ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ Seeing Rei nod, the two men looked at each other before one of them spoke again . ¡¸Bolton-san of Azoth Firm has summoned you . Follow me . ¡¹ When the leader, a warrior in his thirties, told him that¡­¡­ ¡¸I refuse . ¡¹ The man was at a loss for words at Rei¡¯s reply . ¡¸What!?¡¹ Indeed that was an unexpected reply . They were at a loss for words . That was to be expected . They were hired by one of the leading merchants in Gimuru and the one that dealt with all the weapon sales . Ordinary cities aside, the city of Gimuru was a frontier city and there were a lot of adventurers . As a result, there were many weapon shops to supply weapons to adventurers . They didn¡¯t expect to be refused by someone like this . ¡¸Is that all? I¡¯ll be on my way then . ¡¹ Rei saw the men stop at his unexpected reply and kept going with Set¡­¡­ ¡¸Wait . You, do you know who Bolton-san is!?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . You just said it earlier yourself, he¡¯s from Azoth Firm . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! Then you know what happens if you refuse his summons right!?¡¹ ¡¸That reminds me . I was summoned yesterday and went to the upperclass district and was driven away by the gatekeeper . Why should I respond to his summons again?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ The men was stunned at Rei¡¯s word . Seeing that, Rei laughed in his mind and was about to leave with Set . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Please wait a moment . Regarding that matter, it is certainly our fault . It was rude of us after summoning you . My apologies . ¡¹ When he saw the leader of the two bow his head deeply, as expected, he couldn¡¯t just ignore them . (¡­¡­That was a bit unexpected . From the rumors I had heard, I had though Bolton or Azoth Firm would be the type to abuse their authority and forcibly get their way . ) He stopped and gave a sigh . If they had been high handed again, he would have just ignored them and head on to the guild . But now, if he ignored the older man, who was wearing high quality equipment, Rei would be seen as the bad person . ¡¸Wait, Galahat-san . There¡¯s no need to bow your head to such a brat!¡¹ One of the men, who was holding a halberd, spoke out to his leader ¡ª Galahat ¡ª who was bowing his head . ¡¸He was summoned but the gatekeeper drove him away despite that . No matter how you look at it, this is not right . It is natural to apologise . ¡¹ ¡¸But that¡¯s not Galahat-san¡¯s fault, it¡¯s the gatekeepers¡¯¡­¡­hey, you!¡¡Do you know how this is?¡¡He¡¯s a rank B adventurer, Galahat-san . Don¡¯t make someone like that bow his head to you . ¡¹ He decided saying anymore would be pointless . The who called out to Galahat turned towards Rei with a scowl . ¡¸Murt!¡¡We are inviting him, so show a proper attitude!¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ At Galahat¡¯s reprimand, the man with the halberd ¡ª Murt ¡ª tried to say something before clicking his tongue and diverted his eyes . ¡¸That was rude of me . If it¡¯s convenient for you, could you come with me now? I promise not to let anything unpleasant happen like yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What do we do? Rei gave a sigh and and stroked Set, who seemed to ask as he tilted his head . ¡¸Okay . I can¡¯t decline after this much . ¡¹ (If he had been like Murt, I would have refused immediately and not waste any more time¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think someone like Galahat would be in Azoth Firm with its bad reputation . In the end it¡¯s pointless to judge people on rumors along . Then, maybe Bolton may not be as bad as the rumors about him¡­¡­in that sense, I should meet with him at least once . ) ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s a great help . I¡¯ll guide you there at once . Follow me . ¡¹ Galahat, ahead with a smile, followed by Murt, Rei and Set . ¡¸Seriously, Galahat-san told me to stop so I¡¯ll leave it at that . You¡¯ll be crushed if you think that you can do what you want just because you¡¯re famous . ¡¡Not every adventurer is as broadminded as Galahat-san . ¡¹ Murt called out to Rei as they walked . He seemed to be dissatisfied that the person he respected had to bow his head to a child . He looked at Rei in dissatisfaction without hiding it . ¡¸In the first place, if Azoth Firm had let me in yesterday, there wouldn¡¯t have been an issue . Isn¡¯t it unreasonable for you to blame me for that?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh!?¡¹ Although Murt glared at him when he heard that¡­¡­ ¡¸Murt!¡¹ He was reprimanded by Galahat, who was walking ahead, before he could reply . (Indeed, Murt won¡¯t go against Galahat . I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because he trusts him or because he admires him though . ) Thinking to himself, he followed after Galahat . Eventually, the reached the upperclass district that he had visited yesterday . And as Rei walked down the same street as yesterday, he saw a few male adventurers walking ahead¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Seeing Galahat¡¯s group¡­¡­or rather after seeing Set, their looks hardened for a moment before sighing in relief . ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s Galahat-san . Is that the rumored guy with the Griffon?¡¡¡­¡­Mm?¡¡I say, you¡¯re the one from yesterday¡­¡­¡¹ The man called out to Galahat, who was walking at the front of the group, but immediately noticed a familiar face . This was because they had met just yesterday . ¡¸What, boy . Do you have more business at Azoth Firm today?¡¹ When he said that, Rei finally remembered who the men before him were . ¡¸I met you around here yesterday¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah . No, wait . That Griffon over there, are you possibly the adventurer in the recent rumors?¡¹ ¡¸I can roughly guess what the rumors are, but you¡¯re not wrong . Your equipment seems to be different from what you wore yesterday though . ¡¹ When Rei had met them yesterday, they had all been wearing green leather armour . But now, some were wearing metal armour or a mantle . Some were still wearing leather armour, but no one was wearing the green armour from yesterday . You probably noticed Ray¡¯s gaze . The man opens his mouth with a bitter smile . ¡¸That equipment was prepared by the person who hired me . It seems that he wanted something like his own knights . While I was hired, I was contracted to wear matching armour . ¡¹ ¡¸Is it different now?¡¹ ¡¸Ah well . My contract ended yesterday, so I can wear my own equipment from today on . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei, you know these people?¡¹ Galahat saw the two of them talking with each other causally and asked, but the other man spoke up before Rei . ¡¸I don¡¯t know him too well . But when he was looking around here yesterday, I told him the location of Bolton-san¡¯s mansion . ¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­I see . My apologies . ¡¹ ¡¸What? Why are you apologising?¡¹ The man was confused by Galahat, who suddenly bowed his head . ¡¸No, Rei actually went to Bolton-san¡¯s mansion yesterday¡­¡­but it seems the gatekeepers turned him away . Because of that, we¡¯ve bothered you twice . Though you told him the way yesterday, it ended up being pointless in the end . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I don¡¯t mind . You¡¯ve taken care of me for a lot things . This isn¡¯t a big deal . ¡¹ At the man¡¯s words, the men behind him nodded as well . (It seems this Galahat is quite popular . It seems Murt¡¯s admiration isn¡¯t out of place . ) Looking at them, Galahat¡¯s evaluation rose in Rei¡¯s mind . ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll be off to the guild to collect our reward . Also, Galahat-san . Don¡¯t let Murt give you a hard time . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . You take care as well . ¡¹ ¡¸I know . When your request is over, come over to the guild to collect your reward and have a drink with us . ¡¹ While he spouted complaints at them, there seemed to be some familiarity between Murt and the men . ¡¸Are you close to them?¡¹ Seeing Murt like that, Rei asked Galahat . From Rei¡¯s point of view, Murt was one of those muscle brained adventurers . He admired Galahat who was stronger than him and took care of him, at the same time, he looked down on Rei, who looked weaker than him . With such a personality, he didn¡¯t think he would look at others he wasn¡¯t familiar with such friendliness . ¡¸¨CMm?¡¡Ah, about that . He¡¯s a reasonably skilled adventurer . I think he was definitely rank C . ¡¹ Continuing their conversation, they continued walking down the street towards Bolton¡¯s mansion . ¡¸Heh~ . What¡¯s the name of his party?¡¡Though I don¡¯t know about him, I do know of rank C parties like Scorching Wind and Crushing Warriors . ¡¹ ¡¸No, he hasn¡¯t formed a party . He just happened to take a request together with the other people this time . He either joins different parties or goes solo . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that unusual?¡¹ Although effort was required to form a party, it was surprising that he would rather go solo than form a party . Rei looked towards Galahat with a surprised expression . ¡¸It certainly is unusual . However, each adventurer has their own circumstances, so it¡¯s not something we should worry about . ¡­¡­Well then, you can see it now . ¡¹ Ahead of Galahat, Rei could see the golden roof . As before the gate were the same two gatekeepers . Seeing them approach, the two gatekeepers glared at them and raised their spears like yesterday¡­¡­ ¡¸Ah, Galahat-san . ¡¹ Seeing Galahat at the front, they breathed in a sigh of relief and lowered the tips of their spears . ¡¸That?¡¡Isn¡¯t that the brat from yesterday¡­¡­¡¹ The gatekeepers noticed Rei in the group and spoke up in confusion . Looking at them with cold eyes, Galahat spoke up . ¡¸This is Rei . He should have come here yesterday, right?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yes . He said he wanted Azoth Firm to hire him . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t recall saying such things . ¡¹ Rei cut off Fader, who was trying to brush it off . ¡¸Guh-, s-shut up brat!¡¡What did you come here for today!¡¹ Afraid that he would be put into a bad position, he pointed the tip of his spear at Rei¡­¡­ ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Set moved in front of Rei and gave a belligerent cry as he glared at Fader with his sharp eyes . Set¡¯s eyes, which were usually round and sweet, had turned into dangerous eyes when he looked at the enemy . ¡¸Hii, Hiii~!¡¹ Being glared at head on by Set, Fader edged back until he bumped into Sakant, stopping him . ¡¸Fool . Rei is someone who Bolton-san summoned directly . You drove him away at your own selfish judgement . In other words, he¡¯s Bolton-san¡¯s guest . ¡­¡­The point is, you should have known about that but forgot about it . ¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think such a brat could be Bolton-san¡¯s guest¡­¡­¡¹ Fader desperately tried to smooth over it, but Sakant realised that they had made a grave mistake and had a pensive expression . Seeing the contrasting expression on the two, Galahat spoke out . However, not towards Sakant and Fader, but Murt . ¡¸Listen up . If you act however you want to, remember that you may commit mistakes that can¡¯t be fixed like this . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ ¡¸And Rei . I¡¯m sorry for making you feel unwelcome, I¡¯m sorry . I¡¯ll discipline these two properly so I hope you¡¯ll forgive them . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if Galahat says so, then that¡¯s fine . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, once again . Welcome to the Bolton mansion . ¡¹ Galahat gave an elegant bow that did not seem to be a gesture an adventurer could make . Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Legend Chapter 124 ¡¸Give me your magic items . ¡¹ That was Bolton¡¯s request to Rei after meeting him for the first time . After the troubles with the gatekeepers, he had to wait a while before he was brought to Bolton¡¯s room for their meeting¡­¡­ But, Bolton said that as soon as he saw Rei enter the room . On a side note, Set had been lying down on the front lawn after seeing Rei enter the mansion . He enjoyed the autumn sun as if the two frightened gatekeepers didn¡¯t exist . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you hear me? The magic items you have . Specifically, your shoes and that scythe . And above all, give me your item box . ¡¹ Is this guy crazy?¡¡While thinking about that, Rei looked at the man sitting in front of him . He left Rei, his guest, just standing their while he was seated . Speaking of his appearance, you could say he was an old man . However, he wasn¡¯t an ordinary old man, but an old man who would greedily keep looking for more power and money . As if to match that, his build was rather solid and made him look somewhat younger than he was . (In other words, this old guy is causing problems by not letting go of his power . ) While thinking to himself, he just silently looked back and the old man seated before him, who was looking at him . Regarding the item box, it wasn¡¯t strange that he knew about it as Rei hadn¡¯t kept it a secret since he came to Gimuru . The same was true for the Death Scythe . But¡­¡­ (He knows about the Shoe¡¯s of Sleipnir, does he . ) There weren¡¯t that many people who knew about them . The most likely possibility was that some information had leaked from the adventurers who had went with him for the Orc village subjugation¡­¡­ (Well, theren¡¯s no point thinking about it now . Now then, what¡¯s wrong with this old man?) As Rei thought about how to deal with the person in front of him, who believed that his words always had to be obeyed, a voice hastily spoke up . ¡¸Please wait!¡¡Bolton-san, did you ask us to get him for this?¡¹ It was Galahat, who had brought Rei here . He had a look of reproach in his eyes as he looked at Bolton . But . ¡¸Who said you could open your mouth . The child of a mistress should act like one and do as he¡¯s told . ¡¹ Without even glancing at Galahat, Bolton cut him short and ignored him . Rei could here the sound of Murt, who was standing near him, grinding his teeth . (A child of a mistress?¡¡I see, is seems their family is quite complex . ) Rei compared Bolton and Galahat as he thought to himself . One was in his sixties, the other was in his thirties . Looking at the difference in age, even if they were half brothers, they were still thirty years apart . As expected, Rei could not help but be surprised . ¡¸¡­¡­Pardon me . ¡¹ Galahat repressed his feelings as he spke and backed down . Giving a snort as if dealing with some trivial matter, Bolton then turned to look at Rei again . ¡¸That¡¯s enough about the magic items . I can make better use of them than you ever can . If you understand that, quickly give them to me . Ah, that Griffon you¡¯re rearing . Leave it behind as well . After selling it or killing it, materials can be stripped from it . It¡¯s a shame to leave it with an adventurer . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s cheeks twitched at those words . His gaze towards Bolton had already changed from amazement to a cold look and finally to as if he was looking at a stone on the roadside . Yes, just like a stone that he would barely remember even if he crushed it with his foot . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¡Hurry up . I¡¯m busy unlike adventurers like you . Don¡¯t waste my time . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Silently, he opened the Misty Ring¡¯s list in his mind and took out the Death Scythe . ¡¸Ohh, so that is the rumored large scythe . You can tell that it¡¯s of the finest quality just by looking at it!¡¹ Bolton raised a rare voice of admiration after seeing the Death Scythe . Certainly, the man called Bolton had the eyes of a first class merchant . While most people who saw the Death Scythe thought it was just a large scythe, he could say that it was a magic item without any hesitation . Because he could tell that it could be used to cast magic . Still, he hadn¡¯t heard much about Rei as a person . Among the adventurers in the city of Gimru, it was already recognised that his partner was something they couldn¡¯t touch . Rei spun the Death Scythe in his hand and swung the handle out toward Bolton . And as he moved¡­¡­ ¡¸Stop!¡¹ Galahat realised what Rei was going to do and dashed forward to stand in front of Bolton . Roar-! The handle of the Death Scythe hit him with full force . He thought that he could parry the handle with his sword . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Gaah~!¡¹ Galahat had thought the weight of the Death Scythe to be that of an ordinary spear and was blown away as the sword he had used to block it was broken . Even though he was a big man in his thirties and wearing leather armour instead of metal armour, he destroyed the wall that was behind him as he flew back, going across the corridor and destroying the wall of the room opposite before coming to a stop . Murt was unable to keep up with the sequence of events and could only watach as he was shocked by the power behind that attack . Galahat¡¯s mistake was due to Rei¡¯s appearance . Even though Rei was a much talked about adventurer, in the end, the rumors only said that he was followed by an A rank monster, Griffon . He was only about 160cm tall, didn¡¯t look to have much muscle and seemed weak . But, the result was that he was knocked through to a second room and now couldn¡¯t move due to his injuries . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei looked at the destroyed wall for only a moment . Thinking that Rei¡¯s pause was an opportunity, Bolton started shouting in his arrogant manner . ¡¸Y-You . What are you doing all of a sudden!¡¡Do you know who I am!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Will you get in my way?¡¹ Ignoring Bolton¡¯s shrill shouting, Rei glanced at Murt behind him . ¡¸-!?¡¹ The moment Rei looked at him, Murt shook his head vigorously on reflex . He couldn¡¯t win by himself . On the contrary, he felt like an insect walking by the roadside that could be trampled at any time . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Then . ¡¹ As soon as Rei saw that Murt didn¡¯t intend to do anything, he looked away . He turned to Bolton, who¡¯s face had gone blue and red in fear and anger . ¡¸Hey, a-are you listening! Do you know what will happen if this outrage you committed gets out!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t really care . These kind of looks, and disdain, I¡¯ve experienced many times since coming to the city of Gimuru . ¡¹ Rei spoke up, as if ignoring Bolton¡¯s words . ¡¸Besides, it¡¯s not the first time someone has aimed for my magic items . Like Dark Night¡¯s Star . ¡¹ That party had tried to rob Rei¡¯s Misty Ring, and as a result, there were annihilated by Rei in the Orc village . ¡¸However, my Griffon¡­¡­Set, what did you say you would do to my partner?¡¡Sell him?¡¡Kill and strip materials from him?¡¹ In his hands, he spun the Death Scythe, any furniture in the room the the blade touched was broken, sliced and destroyed . As he spun the Death Scythe, in his hands, he took one step, one more step towards Bolton, who was sitting in his chair and couldn¡¯t move . ¡¸You, you-!¡¡You¡¯re just an adventurer, do you think you can go against me in this city of Gimuru!¡¡I¡¯m the president of Azoth Firm!¡¹ ¡¸What about it? Then try protecting yourself with the power of Azoth Firm . Look, your death is nearing now isn¡¯t it?¡¹ The speed of the spinning Death Scythe in his hand grew faster . To begin with, the Death Scythe already had enough power to knock Galahat away even after he tried to parry it . Now, Rei was increasing its power further by spinning it . To his horror, Bolton finally realised that he had stepped on the tiger¡¯s tail that he should never have stepped on . However, it was already too late . The existence that brought death was already in front of Bolton¡¯s desk¡­¡­yes, in the case of emergencies, if he were attacked by thugs or assassins, it was a special desk that could shield him against attacks if he hid under it . But the Death Scythe cut through it like a hot knife through bread . ¡¸Hii~¡­¡­Hiii~!¡¹ As Bolton started to scream . ¡¸¡­¡­Please, wait a moment . ¡¹ Suddenly¡­¡­a voice called out faintly but surely . The whirlwind of death stopped moving a fear centimeters from Bolton¡¯s face, which had been distorted by fear . The person that appeared along with the sound of a wall collapsing was Galahat, who had been blown away to the next room by Rei a few minutes earlier . The leather armour that was supposed to protect his body had been shredded by the impact, after taking that attack, there was no way he was okay . His ribs had broken and injured his internal organs . If he wasn¡¯t moving, his complexion was pale enough that he could be mistaken for a corpse . At the same time, there were traces of blood around the edges of his mouth . It seems he had wiped away the blood that he had spit out . But even so¡­¡­after all that, Galahat was still alive . He could even move despite tanking an attack from Rei¡¯s Death Scythe where he hadn¡¯t held back . Even if it was an attack from the handle and not the blade, there was still the weight of the Death Scythe and Rei¡¯s strength . With an attack that combined the two, he would have already died if he had been an ordinary person . Seeing the state of Galahat, Rei, who was about to dispose of Bolton, had an expression of surprise . ¡¸Please . That person¡­¡­spare my older brother¡¯s life . ¡¹ However, the surprise disappeared in a moment after Galahat¡¯s words . ¡¸Why would you protect him?¡¡He¡¯s lived long enough for no benefit . ¡¹ ¡¸N-!¡¹ No one had probably ever said those words to his face . Bolton tried to refute those words on reflex but was cut short by Galahat . Yes, the person before him was a reaper that easily take his life . If he spoke something carelessly, Bolton knew that his head would be separated from his body immediately . ¡¸Even such a person¡­¡­it¡¯s only one parent, but he¡¯s my older brother by blood . ¡­¡­Gufo~¡¹ It seems that forcing himself to move had given him some internal injuries . He spat out some blood . But he disregarded that as he couldn¡¯t stop now . He spoke as blood leaked out his mouth . ¡¸That aside, even if he¡¯s such a brother¡­¡­he has built up a high status in the city of Gimuru, that¡¯s a fact . If you kill him¡­¡­a bounty will be placed on you and you will be chased by the guild¡­¡­that will happen . ¡¹ He couldn¡¯t not help his brother . Galahat came to that conclusion immediately . It would be in Rei¡¯s interests if he didn¡¯t do anything here . It was a decision as expected of a B rank adventurer . A troublesome future passed through Rei¡¯s mind as a thought and he drew the Death Scythe back slightly as he scowled . ¡¸However, if I leave him here, won¡¯t he try to do something to me again?¡¡If I consider that, it would be better to dispose of him earlier . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Stop . I will stop him . Even if my older brother does something, I will definitely stop him . So¡­¡­can you just overlook it, just this time . ¡¹ It was like a storm had raged through Bolton¡¯s office . In that room where almost no intact furniture was left, Rei and Galahat¡¯s gazes crossed . Murt, who was unable to stand up at the entrance to the room and Bolton, who was frozen in fear in his chair . Leaving those two people alive¡­¡­before long, Rei gave a sigh and stored the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring . Knowing what that action meant, Galahat¡¯s pale face had a look of relief . ¡¸Just this once . I will overlook this just this once . So you hold your promise that you will never do anything to meddle with me or Set after this . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry¡­¡­¡¹ The acute pain had probably got to him . Squeezing those words out, he collapsed to the floor . ¡¸Galahat-!¡¹ Although Murt was unable to stand up due to fear, he still crawled towards Galahat . Rei left the room as there was no need to keep looking . ¡­¡­From behind, Bolton glared at him with hatred . Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Legend Chapter 125 ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around!¡¹ A man¡¯s angry voice reverberated through the room . It was in a room in Bolton¡¯s mansion . It wasn¡¯t the room that Rei had raged in during the day . However, the current room desolated to such an extent that it wasn¡¯t much different from the room Rei had destroyed earlier . Just a few hours ago, it had been properly organised, clean and well maintained¡­¡­now, chairs had been broken by the master of the mansion, Bolton . Curtains were ripped, paintings on the wall trampled and vases with decorative flowers shattered . And¡­¡­ ¡¸This is who I am!¡¡This is what rank D immature brats are to me!¡¡Don¡¯t look down on me!¡¡Shut up!¡¡I know what you¡¯re thinking!¡¹ ¡¸Hii~! Forgive me¡­¡­please¡­master¡­¡­¡¹ With an irritated voice, Bolton swung down a riding whip at a maid in her late teens who served in the mansion . Her clothing was torn by the impact of the whip and her skin split, revealing raw flesh . The odour of blood drifted through the room due to the blood flowing to the floor . Sniffing that smell, a murky light appeared in Bolton¡¯s eyes as he took pleasure in the violence and swung the whip again . Bolton¡¯s physique was unfortunate for the maid being whipped . Normally, Bolton could be called an elder as he was past middle aged . However, his build was still strong . Because he swung the whip with all his strength, it wasn¡¯t something the maid could bear . ¡¸Gi-¡­¡­ga-!¡¹ She couldn¡¯t even say a word and could make feeble intermittent sounds at each strike of the whip . After seeing that the maid had already lost consciousness, he rang a bell that was in the room . And after a few seconds . ¡¸Bolton-sama, you called?¡¹ ¡¸Take this thing away . Ah, treat her appropriately . It will be annoying if she dies . Although that Daska is a noble, he¡¯s unsparing regarding commoners . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ ¡¸So, what have you found about him?¡¹ Throwing the whip in his hand to the floor, he headed for the room opposite . The butler hastily gave instructions to his subordinate to treat the maid before following after Bolton and speaking up so as to not offend him . ¡¸It has only been a few months since he first showed up in the city of Gimuru . According to rumors, he¡¯s an apprentice to a remarkable magician . He was told to acquire experience as an adventurer he to complete his training¡­¡­is what I¡¯ve been told . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, I guess . If there was an adventurer with a Griffon in Gimuru for a long time, the rumors would have been spreading too slowly . ¡¹ ¡¸After that, he registered with the guild, following his master¡¯s instructions . He seems to have taken subjugation requests mainly . ¡¹ Bolton sat down in a chair at the back of the room and let the butler continue his report . It had been several hours since Rei had left Bolton¡¯s mansion . This was the information that the butler had collected in this short time . After all, his information network included all the weapon shops in Gimuru, so information on Rei could be gathered without much effort . ¡¸I see . So he also participated in the Orc village subjugation because of that . ¡¹ Giving a low mutter, he poured some liquor into a glass and drank it in one gulp while urging the butler to continue . ¡¸Puwah~- . So, his strength¡­¡­no, I don¡¯t need to hear it . ¡¹ A that moment, the fear of death that he had tasted earlier went through his mind . Because Rei could make him fear that much, his strength was not low . Muttering that, he felt a sense of discomfort . ¡¸Wait . He is a magician¡¯s apprentice¡­¡­did you say?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It is unclear who he was the apprentice of, but his master seemed to be a recluse and the two lived by themselves along with the Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸That guy didn¡¯t use magic when he tried to kill me though?¡¡But he had a magic casting tool¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, he recalled the magic casting tool that Rei had . Speaking of magic casting tools, there were usually rods or rings . Though rarer, there were also earrings, but what they all had in common was that they were all purely magic casting tools . But Rei¡¯s magic casting tool, which he had seen earlier that day, was also a weapon¡­¡­in addition, is also seemed to be an extremely powerful magic weapon . Of course, it wasn¡¯t like magic casting tools with other purposes didn¡¯t exist . ¤À¤¬¡¢However, to create a magic item with the ability to cast magic and have another special ability required a very high level of skill . Conversely, that was why it was more common for magic casting tools to only have that ability . In other words, to have the special ability to as a magic casting tool and a weapon, that large scythe was extremely precious¡­¡­in fact, it was so valuable that he wondered if even the best alchemists in the Magic City Osus could make one . (That magic item alone should be worth a substantial amount . Then there is the item box . ) Although he hated Rei, he couldn¡¯t just pass up this opportunity . It was too good . Whether it was the various magic items Rei had or the Griffon, they were all the same . ¡¸How is his network of connections?¡¹ ¡¸Contacts, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Even if we try to trap him, he looks like someone who will cause a lot of trouble . ¡¹ The butler wondered what his master wanted to say and spoke after thinking for a few seconds . ¡¸If it¡¯s purely personal connections, there¡¯s Margrave Rowlocks . Although I¡¯m going back and forth with time, there¡¯s also the raid against the Orc village . At that time, Rei seemed to have been the one who defeated the Orc King that was leading the Orcs . Because of that, Margrave Rowlocks seems to have made his move then . As a result, he took the rank up test as a special case and is now rank D . After that, I can confirm that Rei took up a nominated request . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So he¡¯s connected with the Margrave . That¡¯s troublesome . ¡¹ ¡¸And¡­¡­¡¹ The butler fumbled for the right words . Bolton turned his eyes towards him to prompt him to continue . ¡¸That is, regarding the nominated request I mentioned just now¡­¡­a while ago, I recall that the daughter of Duke Kerebel, a central figure in the Nobles Faction, came to Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . I heard about that . She seems to be called the General Princess or something . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s her . Apparently, the nominated request was for the escort of Duke Kerebel¡¯s daughter . ¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¡Then, what . You¡¯re saying that brat is also connected to Duke Kerebel?¡¹ ¡¸Although I can¡¯t say for sure, that is a possibility . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Damn it!¡¹ If it was only Daska, the lord of the city of Gimuru, it would still be possible to make arrangements to deal with Rei . Naturally, there was a corresponding risk and it would be dangerous if it was found out, but the returns would be sufficient to cover the expenditure . However, if he had a connection with Duke Kerebel as the butler said, it would all be for nothing . Margrave Daska Rowlocks was a key member of the Neutral Faction . As a key member, he also had a lot of influence . It wasn¡¯t a difficult task to crush a frontier territory merchant if he used his power . ¡¸Trapping him, will be dangerous . Then¡­¡­hmm . Hey . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, what is it?¡¹ ¡¸Contact all the weapon shops in Gimuru . Get them to refuse to sell weapons to that brat Rei . As for that magic casting tool, since he uses it as a weapon, he should need to take care of it . If so, he will rely on weapon shops . If he is refused by all weapon shops¡­¡­then, the message to that brat should be clear . ¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­isn¡¯t that, directly interfering?¡¡Galahat-san had said there wouldn¡¯t be a second time . ¡¹ Galahat . Hearing that name, Bolton frowned his eyes unpleasantly . To Bolton, Galahat was someone who came out of a relationship between his father and a mistress in his father¡¯s old age . Just thinking that they were connected by blood was enough to make him feel discomfort in his heart . ¡¸That good for nothing . Even though I don¡¯t like it, I have him as a guard because he¡¯s related by blood . If he¡¯s swept away by a rank D brat, he¡¯s not worthy of being rank B . ¡¹ ¡¸Bolton-sama, in the first place, that adventurer Rei defeated a rank B monster, an Orc King, when he was rank G . Even though guild rank is a measure of ability, it¡¯s dangerous to apply that to this person called Rei . ¡¹ At the butler¡¯s words, Bolton gave a slight scowl . Even he could understand that the adventurer named Rei was a different person than the others . In any case, in the city of Gimuru, he managed all the weapon shops, and yet Rei had tried to kill him without any hesitation . Although he didn¡¯t die in the end, he abhorred the fact that it was due to Galahat¡¯s help . ¡¸It¡¯s fine . If he tries to do something again, we will judge him under criminal laws then . ¡¹ ¡¸Bolton-sama¡­¡­then, I will inform all weapon shops in the city¡­¡­but is that really fine?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re being obstinate . Just do as I tell you . ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly . ¡¹ The butler left with a deep bow . Seeing that, Bolton had a great feeling as he imagined what would happen to Rei from tomorrow as he drank . ¡¸Guh¡­¡­¡¹ While Bolton was drinking in dark pleasure, in another room in Bolton¡¯s mansion, Galahat woke up with a groan . ¡¸Galahat-san!¡¹ Seeing Galahat wake up, Murt, who was sitting in a chair near the bed, gave a happy cry . ¡¸T-This is¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸This is the infirmary . ¡¹ When you had as much money and power as Bolton, you never knew when thugs would attack . Aside from that, there were also injuries that could be incurred during private training . Because of that, Bolton had hired a doctor that lived in his mansion . It was in that room that Galahat had woken in . ¡¸The infirmary¡­¡­? -!?¡¡My brother! Guh-!¡¹ Lifting up his body suddenly, he felt pain from the ribs that had broken from the impact of Rei¡¯s attack . ¡¸Galahat-san!¡¡It¡¯s absolutely necessary that you rest!¡¡According to the doctor, if you had been brought in just 20 minutes later, he would have been able to use recovery magic on you!¡¹ Murt told him with tears in his eyes . Indeed, the ribs that had broken due to Rei¡¯s attack had injured his internal organs . Galahat hadn¡¯t died because the doctor that Bolton had hired with his money was skilled in healing magic . Rei¡¯s single attack had that much power and he had forced himself to move after being injured . ¡¸Murt, ah, what about my brother?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, he¡¯s safe . He has no injuries . That Rei also kept his promise and left without doing anything more . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, my brother is safe . ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly for Rei but¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing Murt go quiet, Galahat turned to look at the bed beside Murt . Moving his body slightly, he endured the pain, turned his eyes and saw a girl there . However, because she was sleeping in the infirmary, she was not in a normal state . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ Galahat was at a loss for words when he saw the girl . There were several scars on her back and even if healing magic was used, those scars would unlikely go away . Because she was injured on her back, she was sleeping with her chest down . ¡­¡­No, she was unconscious . ¡¸She¡¯s one of the maids who serves in the mansion . She was hit by Bolton¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What!¡¹ Galahat was at a loss when Murt told him . Even he had never thought that his older brother¡­¡­would scar a girl for life . It was in a fit of anger as well . £¨¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not right . I can¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible if it is my older brother . £© ¡¸Sorry . ¡¹ Galahat gave a quiet apology . ¡¸Why is Galahat-san apologising!¡¡This is all the consequence of Bolton¡¯s actions!¡¡Though what he did to this girl is terrible¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Still, to vent his anger like that in a tantrum¡­¡­wait . A tantrum?¡¹ Galahat felt a sense of discomfort at his own words . Although Bolton was his older half brother by blood, Galahat knew his character well . Yes, for example, he would never forgive anyone who made a fool out of him . And for the sake of profit, he wouldn¡¯t care about what would happen to others . However, his brother also had a cowardly aspect . He had suffered direct damage from today¡¯s events, it was obvious . Then why had his brother still thrown a tantrum and almost beat a maid to death? (I thought my brother would have been scared by the events and won¡¯t go after Rei anymore . But what if I¡¯m mistaken?) Yes . Galahat was certainly a B ranked adventurer and was a person with great strength in the city of Gimuru . However, that was only his capabilities as an adventurer . A connoisseur of magic items . His sense of smell for money was far behind Bolton¡¯s . And if Bolton smelled money from Rei . ¡¸Galahat-san?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Murt . Listen carefully to what I¡¯m about to say . ¡¹ Galahat couldn¡¯t move right now . The only thing he could do was to rely on his companion who looked up to him . Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Legend Chapter 126 The next day, Rei and Set finished their breakfast at the Dusk Wheat before heading to the guild as usual . But¡­¡­ (What is with the looks?) As he bought some snacks as usual and was sharing them with Set as they walked, he felt people looking at him from all around . At first, Rei had thought it may have people looking get back at him for the matter with Bolton yesterday . But because he couldn¡¯t feel any hostility or blood thirst from the look, he dismissed the thought . Although he turned to see who was looking at him, most of them were unsuited for fighting . Some of them had trained their bodies, but few looked used to fighting . (There¡¯s no doubt the the matter of yesterday is related¡­¡­) While thinking about that, even though wanted to find out the reason behind the looks, there was nothing he could do for now, so he headed for the guild as he ate . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san . It¡¯s good to see you . Even though you usually come everyday, you didn¡¯t show up yesterday . I wondered if something had happened regarding the matter two days ago . ¡¹ Lenora breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Rei enter the guild . After the event at Bolton¡¯s house yesterday, he didn¡¯t fell like going to the guild and wen back to the inn¡­¡­as Lenora didn¡¯t know, she seemed worried about it . Next to her, Kenny had a sulky expression . ¡¸That issue has been taken care of for now¡­¡­why is Kenny pouting like that?¡¹ Since he had still left the source of the issue alive, he decided that it would be best not to talk about the events of yesterday . Though he had intended to talk about the mater of people looking at him before he came to the guild, Lenora and Kenny were only guild receptionists . If they might hear about it through gossip in the near future but he judged that it would be better if he didn¡¯t get them caught up in the fuss . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . It¡¯s just that she was away on break and couldn¡¯t help you with the matter . ¡¹ Understanding why she was sulking, Rei spoke up with a wry smile . ¡¸I can¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t have liked Kenny¡¯s help . The timing just didn¡¯t match . Nothing really happened anyway¡­¡­either way, it¡¯s been taken care of for now . ¡¹ ¡¸There was a dispute after all . ¡¹ Lenora muttered with an exasperated expression . ¡¸Well, something like that . Something like telling me to unconditionally hand over my magic items and Set and just expecting me to say yes . ¡¹ Lenora¡¯s face twitched at Rei¡¯s words . Lenora had completely forgotten to report the guild master that Rei was involved in some sort of trouble . She hadn¡¯t thought that there would any trouble as he had only just been called by Bolton, the president of Azoth Firm . But with what Rei had just said, there was clearly a problem . (Even so, it seems that Rei has solved the issue by himself . ) Lenora thought to herself . As she had seen the unconventional ways Rei dealt with things, she didn¡¯t think Rei had run into any real trouble . And because of that, she had forgotten to report that Rei had encountered problems . This was because she had the perception that if she just left things as they were, any problems would solve themselves . As Lenora was thinking . ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s Rei . It¡¯s been a few days . It¡¯s good to meet you here . ¡¹ A voice called out to Rei, who was at the counter . When Rei turned around, he saw Freon, the female warrior in her thirties . Next to her was the figure of Brazos the Dwarf, carrying a huge hammer . ¡¸¡­¡­You two . ¡¹ Although Rei looked at the two of them with reproachful eyes, the two of them tilted their heads as if they didn¡¯t know why Rei was looking at them like that . ¡¸What happened, having such a grimace? Did we do something?¡¹ ¡¸I guess . I told you that I couldn¡¯t drink that much and yet you got me helplessly drunk . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahahahaha . I didn¡¯t think you would go down that quickly . ¡¹ Freon gave an embarrassed laugh as Bazos the Dwarf shook his head as if Rei was pathetic . ¡¸To get helplessly drunk on liquor, you can¡¯t be a true warrior like that . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not a true warrior . I¡¯m a magic warrior . ¡­¡­Or rather, in the first place, being a true warrior and drinking liquor have nothing to do with each other . ¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying! Warriors have exchange toasts of victory after each fight to deepen their bonds . ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, I can¡¯t really do that . That¡¯s why I¡¯m working solo . ¡¹ When he said that, as if expecting it, Freon took a step forward . ¡¸Yes, yes . That is the case, but could you work together with us on this request?¡¹ Freon said that as she glanced at the B rank request board for a moment . ¡¸A request?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . It¡¯s your favourite, a subjugation request . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­but why me? Weren¡¯t you always working with just the two of you in Crushing Warriors?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that is true . But the subjugation target is a bit of a problem . Anyway, come to take a look . ¡¹ Freon pulled Rei over to the request board . At her assertiveness, Kenny looked at Freon with a sharp look¡­¡­fortunately, she decided that Freon wasn¡¯t a rival due to the age difference, so there wasn¡¯t an incident of any sort . ¡¸Here, this request . It¡¯s been stuck here for a long time and it looks like there will be an effect on us if something isn¡¯t done soon . ¡¹ Despite having some doubt at Freon¡¯s words, Rei looked through the request form . There was definitely a subjugation request form attached there . The subjugation target was Harpies . The location was some distance from Gimuru, a mountain just before the location of the Orc village that Rei previously raided . Harpies inhabited a mountain 10 hours away from the city of Gimuru . Travelers, merchants and sometimes adventuers would be attacked by them . But¡­¡­ ¡¸A rank B Harpy subjugation request?¡¡If I remember correctly, Harpies are rank D monsters . ¡¹ Yes, as Rei said, the threat level of Harpies wasn¡¯t that great . Of course, they were more powerful than other D rank monsters like Goblins, but it was still unusual for them to be in a rank B request . To put it another way, the Emerald Wolves Rei had fought in the dungeon were considered B rank if they were in a pack . Or something at the same level as the Orc King he had fought in the Orc village . However, Brazos quickly answered Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸The location is a problem . As you said, Harpies themselves are weak, it¡¯s not a strong monster . However, they live near the top of a mountain . That is the reason why . ¡¹ ¡¸Also, the flock is also an issue . No one has been able to confirm their numbers yet, but there is around 20-30 of them . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, I understand . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Brazos¡¯ words . Certainly, to kill Harpies, you could either patiently wait for them to attack you or go up to the nest where they lived . In the former case, it was entirely up to luck whether they attacked or not and even then, the probability wasn¡¯t that great . In the case of Harpies, they would rather attack travelers who knew nothing about them than adventurers lying in wait . If they went up to the summit to the Harpies nest, they were likely to run into other monsters before the reached it . In addition, Harpies were monsters that group together¡­¡­if it went badly, you might end up having to fight a dozen Harpies at the same time . Given those circumstances, although Harpies were D rank monsters by themselves, it wasn¡¯t strange that they would be in a request two ranks higher . ¡¸So, why will there be an issue if they aren¡¯t subjugated?¡¡Is it the Harpy raids I¡¯ve heard about?¡¹ Brazos shook his head at Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸That is one thing . However, there is a more compelling reason . ¡¹ ¡¸Why are you so sure?¡¹ ¡¸Mm . Rei, as an adventurer you have to maintain, repair or replace your weapons, you understand the importance right?¡¹ Rei nodded his head naturally at Brazos¡¯ words . As Rei¡¯s main weapon was the Death Scythe, he didn¡¯t need to bother with maintaining it because of it¡¯s properties . However, his other tools¡­¡­especially the knife he used to strip monster materials, needed more care . If he neglected to maintain them, the blood, fat, body fluids and magical energy it came in contact with would soon make it useless . At Rei¡¯s explanation, Brazos gave a nod . ¡¸That¡¯s right, as long as adventurer take dangerous requests, maintenance, repair and replacement of weapons is essential . ¡­¡­So, of course, you need metal for that . ¡¹ Listening to Brazos words, Rei understood what he wanted to say . Harpies nest, mountain, metal . In other words . ¡¸The mountain where they want to mine ore is where the Harpies nest is?¡¹ Freon nodded her head in assent . ¡¸That¡¯s is . Although it¡¯s not a rare magic metal ore, it¡¯s still metal ore . It¡¯s mainly an iron ore deposit . If we¡¯re lucky, there may also be magic crystals and flame ore¡­¡­that¡¯s how I feel . ¡¹ Magic crystals were a common medium used in magic casting tools . Although it wasn¡¯t much, they had the property of improving magic power slightly . Flame ore was literally stones that contained fire magic energy and was well known as a material used in alchemy . In high purity, it could create a fiery explosion when shattered . ¡¸What if it¡¯s not possible to get the iron ore to a merchant?¡¹ ¡¸If I say it can be done, it can be done . However, the cost of transportation will naturally be added to the cost of the iron ore . ¡¹ ¡¸If that became the case, there is a possibility that lower ranked adventurers won¡¯t be able to afford weapons . ¡¹ Hearing their explanations, Rei understood . ¡¸But, in such circumstances, won¡¯t other adventurers take the request?¡¡Why is there only a few days remaining?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s simple . In the mountains, you don¡¯t know when Harpies would attack you . In addition, Harpies are low ranked monsters, so the compensation isn¡¯t that high . In other words, the reward is too low for the high level of risk . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s tough . So, then why do you two want to take the request?¡¹ The risk was great and the reward was low . If Brazos¡¯ words were true, then there wasn¡¯t really a need to ask Rei to join them in such a dangerous request . ¡¸What, aside from chivalrous spirit¡­¡­there¡¯s not really any other reason . However, I was asked by a blacksmith I know . I can¡¯t reject his request since I¡¯ve been in his care for various things . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Brazos said that with a grinning smile . Next to him, Freon spoke up with a smile as well . ¡¸Speaking of which, the most annoying thing about fighting Harpies aside from their group attacks is simply that they can fly in the sky . Fortunately, we have an adventurer who is followed by a Griffon . In other words, someone who can deal with enemies in the sky¡­¡­do you understand so far?¡¹ Her meaning was clear . In other words, since Set could fly, he was an effective fighting force against the Harpies . ¡¸How about it? If we form a temporary party, we can help the people in the city . ¡¹ Rei thought about Brazos¡¯ words for a few seconds . In the first place, Rei¡¯s goal was to was to collect magic stones from monsters and he hadn¡¯t obtained a Harpy¡¯s magic stone yet . There was also the possibility of being attacked by monsters that he had never seen before as they went up the mountain . ¡¸I see . If you can promise to give me two magic stones of each type of monster we defeat, I can work with you¡­¡­what do you say?¡¹ ¡¸Hm, magic stones . ¡­¡­Freon . what do you think?¡¡I don¡¯t have any issues . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, well¡­¡­¡¹ At Brazos¡¯ words, Freon brushed her hair as if troubled¡­¡­before nodding as there was no helping it . ¡¸Well, there¡¯s no helping it . However, the magic stones you take will be subtracted from your share of the reward¡­¡­are you okay with that?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s fine . ¡¹ Anyhow, after acting as Elena¡¯s escort, he wasn¡¯t in any financial trouble . (No, wait? Because I gave a request to strip materials, I could also request the purchase of magic stones as well¡­¡­no, in the first place, the purchase of magic stones is an important thing to the guild . If I didn¡¯t do it carefully, the guild might start keeping an eye on me . If I was an alchemist, this would be easier . ) Magic stones were the most expensive part of a monster . Naturally, there was good reason that their purchasing price was much higher than other materials . They were used as materials in alchemy to produce magic items and, if an alchemist processed them, as a batteries to power magic items . It wouldn¡¯t be that big of a deal if an alchemist who was also an adventurer wanted to buy some . But it would stand out a lot more since he also had an item box and a Griffon . ¡¸Rei?¡¹ ¡¸No, nothing at all . The conditions are fine with me, when do we leave?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s better to get rid of the Harpies as soon as we can . The sooner the better . ¡­¡­If possible, right away . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Then let¡¯s prepare right away . ¡¹ In this way, Rei formed a temporary party with Freon the female warrior and Brazos the Dwarf . Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Rei, Freon and Brazos decided to take a subjugation request for Harpies, which had a nest at the summit of a mountain relatively close to the city of Gimuru and had been attacking travelers, merchants and adventurers . ¡¸Ah, the three of you . Have you decided what request to take?¡¹ Freon nodded at Lenora¡¯s words . ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯ve decided to take up this request with the three of us . ¡¹ When Freon handed of the the sheet she had taken from the rank B request board, Lenora raised her eyebrows slightly . ¡¸A rank B request, is it? So Rei-san is temporarily joining Crushing Warriors?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I can¡¯t accept a rank B request otherwise . ¡¹ ¡¸You have no problems with that, Rei-san?¡¹ Lenora glanced at Rei . Since Rei had mostly acted solo, she was concerned that he would be able to fit in to a party, even if it was only temporarily . Nearby, Kenny looked at Lenora enviously . But, if anything, Lenora consider Rei to be someone like a younger brother . ¡¸I have no problems . Although it is unusual for me to temporarily join other parties, this isn¡¯t the first time either . ¡¹ As Rei said that, he thought about the time they raided the Orc village, the rank up test and the time he followed Elena into the dungeon . However, Lenora disagreed . ¡¸Just now, I¡¯m sure you were thinking about the Orc village raid, but that was special . With the number of people in that raid, you can¡¯t really say you were working with another party . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Didn¡¯t I escort someone for a nominated request?¡¹ ¡¸Was it a party of adventurers?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ When this was pointed out by Lenora, Rei gently looked away . Still, he stubbornly kept going . ¡¸I formed a party with other people for the rank up test . ¡¹ ¡¸I know about the rank up test, but that was mostly a temporary party formed by adventurers who had been working solo . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, Miss Lenora . Don¡¯t bother him too much . It will be fine, him and us are drinking buddies . We¡¯ll get along together . ¡¹ TLN: I used Miss here because the Japanese term would have been really awkward to phrase . Looking at the face of Brazos, who interjected with a wry smile, Lenora gave a sigh . ¡¸I understand, I¡¯ll believe it if Brazos-san says so . Then, the Harpy subjugation request has been accepted by Crushing Warriors . ¡¹ Saying that, Lenora filled in the necessary information into a document . Finishing that, she turned to Rei, as if suddenly remembering something . ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right . Regarding the request for stripping materials . It was accepted as rank D . What will you do regarding the fees and rewards? Do you want to pay it now?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . How much is it?¡¹ ¡¸Since it¡¯s rank D, the commission is 1 silver coin . ¡¹ At Lenora¡¯s words, he took out a bag of coins from his pocket and gave her a silver coin . ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right . Then, do you mind if the conditions of the request are kept the same as before and interviewing the people who take ¡¹ ¡¸Please do . However, as you know, I¡¯m going on a Harpy subjugation request now, it would be a big help if the interviews could be scheduled for after I get back . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . I will add a note for that . Crushing Warriors, Rei-san, we will wait for your safe return . ¡¹ Lenora sent the three of them off with a bow as they left the guild . ¡¸Rei-kun, please be careful!¡¹ Kenny¡¯s voice could be heard through the guild as they went out . ¡¸Hahaha~ . You¡¯re very popular, hey . ¡¹ Freon smiled and slapped Rei on the back with a ban~ ban~ sound once they were outside the guild . ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case . If anything, my partner is the one treated like that . ¡¹ ¡¸Still, an adventurer that Kenny likes, it¡¯s enviable . Proof of that was when she was looking at Lenora jealously . ¡¹ After gently shrugging off Freon, Rei looked around . ¡¸So what will we do? Do you want to rent a wagon?¡¹ ¡¸Huh? I don¡¯t think so . It¡¯s not a distance that will take many days to get to . We¡¯ll walk, we¡¯ll walk . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Because the rewards for this request are small in the first place, it¡¯s best that we avoid unneeded expenditure . ¡¹ Freon shook her head at Rei¡¯s question and Brazos agreed with her . ¡¸No, I thought it would be better to finish this request as soon as possible to take another request . That way, wouldn¡¯t the compensation increase?¡¹ ¡¸Well, there¡¯s that way of thinking . But this time, since you¡¯re part of Crushing Warriors temporarily, do you mind following our style?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t have any money problems right now so that¡¯s fine . ¡¹ They kept talking as they walked towards the guild¡¯s carriage and horse waiting area . There were a lot of children gathered around Set as usual . There were also some adults, who had brought some dried meat for the purpose of feeding to Set . While Freon and Brazos were surprised by the crowd, Rei walked towards the children, familiar with the situation . ¡¸Sorry, I have to leave for a request today . Since I¡¯ll be heading out of the city, Set won¡¯t be here tomorrow . Don¡¯t feel disappointed if you come to the guild . ¡¹ ¡¸Ehhh~, Set won¡¯t be here tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey . It can¡¯t be helped . Rei is an adventurer and Set is his companion . ¡¹ At the complaints of a 10 year old boy, a middle aged man, probably his father, calmed him down . As Rei watched the situation, as people gathered round to feed Set . He stroked Set before speaking to him . ¡¸Hey, Set . We will be going out on a request . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a small nod in understanding, Set got up from his lying down position . Rei suddenly noticed something as he watched Set . ¡¸Set, have you gotten bigger?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set tilted his head at Rei¡¯s words . He seemed to be larger than when he was first created by the Magic Beast Art, although only bit a small amount . (Well, since it¡¯s been a while since he was born, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to become bigger¡­¡­I guess?) While thinking like that, he joined back up with Freon and Brazos, who had surprised expressions as Rei stroked Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Who are these two? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head . ¡¸We will be taking this request with these two people . It¡¯s a Harpy subjugation request at a nearby mountain . ¡¹ Finally pulling herself together at those words, Freon gently reached for Set . ¡¸Umm, I¡¯m Freon . I¡¯ll be relying on your help to deal with the Harpies . I¡¯ll be in your care . ¡­¡­Rei, will it bite? It¡¯s beak looks very sharp . ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no problem unless you try to doing something to him . ¡¹ ¡¸I-Is that so¡­¡­£¿¡¡Seeing how sharp it looks, I don¡¯t want to think about how hard it would be to escape if I got caught . ¡¹ ¡¸Did you see the scene before?¡¡He¡¯s very popular with the children in Gimuru . You don¡¯t have to worry about your actions too much . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I-I know . ¡¹ While saying that, Freon¡¯s hand gently stroked Set¡­¡­ ¡¸Uoh~, what¡¯s with this fur coat . It¡¯s amazingly smooth!?¡¹ She gave a voice of surprise at the silk like smoothness . ¡¸Hou~, hou~, it certainly looks smart when you see it¡¯s eyes . ¡¹ Next to Freon, who was surprised, Brazos reached out to stroke Set¡¯s head without hesitation . ¡¸Hey, Brazos . You look calm . Look at its beak and claws . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha~ . Although they may look dangerous, his eyes look intelligent . As expected of an A rank monster . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Of course, Set seemed to say as he gave a small nod . ¡¸Mm? This Griffon . Did say his name was Set? Could he possibly understand what we¡¯re saying?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Set can understand what we say reasonably well . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . As expected of an A rank monster . ¡¹ Nodding in admiration, Brazos decided that that was enough for introductions with Rei and Set and turned to Freon before speaking . ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s meet up and the main city gate after we finish our preparations . The plan is the attack the Harpies while they¡¯re sleeping, are there any objections?¡¹ Freon silently shrugged her shoulders and Rei shook his head . ¡¸There are no objections . Anyway, there will be fewer Harpies out hunting as they will have all gathered together to sleep . ¡­¡­By the way, do Harpies have good night vision?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know . If their head was a birds, it might be the case, but Harpies have the body and head of a woman while their arms and legs are a bird¡¯s you know? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . I was just thinking that a night attack would be great if they don¡¯t have night vision . ¡¹ ¡¸Speaking of that, what about Set?¡¡Even if he¡¯s a Griffon, doesn¡¯t he have the head of an Eagle?¡¹ ¡¸No, Set has good night vision . I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s due to his magic power of if it¡¯s because he¡¯s an A rank monster . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry . But to Freon, who wasn¡¯t familiar with Set yet, his cry seemed as if he was displeased and she took a step back . Brazos looked at her with an amazed look but decided that they wouldn¡¯t get anywhere if they stayed like this . He clapped his hands to gather everyone¡¯s attention . ¡¸Listen up, we¡¯ll gather at the main city gate in about an hours time . After that, we¡¯ll head for the Harpies¡¯ mountain and conduct a night attack tonight . After that, we will stay for the night and return he tomorrow morning . Hey, hurry up . You¡¯ll be a burden if you arrive late . ¡¹ Saying that, Brazos quickly started moving away from the guild . Freon gave a sigh before scratching her head and chasing after him . ¡¸Rei, you should prepare properly . If you arrive late, you¡¯ll become a burden to the rest of us . ¡¹ Briefly saying that before leaving . (No, well . Since I have the Misty Ring, I don¡¯t have an issue with carrying anything¡­¡­) As of now, most of his belongings were kept inside the Misty Ring, which was on his right arm . He didn¡¯t really need to prepare anything before heading for the mountain . ¡¸Ah, no . That¡¯s right . Harpies can fly in the sky, I should prepare other counter measures aside from Set . ¡¹ At that moment, he thought of the spear he had thrown in the dungeon and how effective it had been . With the weight of the spear and Rei¡¯s strength, the spear exerted a power close to that of a siege weapon . What he needed weren¡¯t expensive spears . Since they were disposable, it didn¡¯t matter if they were crude spears that costed next to nothing . No, if you considered the cost effectiveness, cheaper spears would be better . Ultimately, he could also use a random stone from nearby . Hover, spears had a higher attack power than stones as they had a spearhead, which was why he wanted to use them . ¡¸Well, I have some time so maybe I should take a look for some spears at the weapon shops . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, he went with Set to a weapons shop not far from the guild . (Speaking of that, the child I helped a while ago said that his father was a blacksmith¡­¡­well, I don¡¯t have much time today so maybe I will visit him after the Harpy subjugation is completed . ) Thinking to himself, he entered a weapons shop about 10 minutes walk from the guild . ¡­¡­Of course, Set had to wait outside because of his size . It seemed that he was already familiar with these situations and lay down at a spot to not disturb the street as he waited for Rei . ¡¸Welcom-¡­¡­¡¹ The shop owner paused abruptly as he was about to call out to Rei, who had just entered the shop . Giving a confused look a the shop owner, Rei headed towards the place where all the spears were lined up . There were lots of spears including practice spears, ceremonial spears, decorative spears and plain spear with no ornaments, which were used by soldiers . With that said, what Rei was looking for were spears used by soldiers . To be exact, because he was planning to use them as disposables, he didn¡¯t care about the expensive spears . Picking up a spear that was made for soldiers, he held it in his hand to check its weight distribution . It wasn¡¯t a stance that was often used by warriors who used a spear . Instead, it was closer to that of an athlete in a javelin competition . ¡¸Hm, I see . That¡¯s what I was looking for . ¡¹ After that, he went towards the counter with a satisfied expression after selecting 5 spears that would have been used by soldiers . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Sorry customer-san . Actually, all those spears over there have already been purchased and are awaiting delivery . I can¡¯t sell them . ¡¹ The shop owner bowed his head apologetically . ¡¸What? Then why do you have them in the shop front?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­since there¡¯s a lot, I don¡¯t have anywhere else to put them . I would actually want to put them into the warehouse, but I was told to have them ready to be picked up at any time . ¡¹ The shop owner kept talking without giving Rei a chance to speak . ¡¸Because of that, I was thinking about closing the shop now because I will be busy with that for a while . I¡¯m sorry but¡­¡­¡¹ The shop owner, who seemed to be in his thirties, bowed his head many times as he apologised . Thinking about the situation in his mind, Rei was aware that he would be lucky if he could replenish his spears and left the weapons shop and headed for the main gate without saying anything in particular . Chapter 128 Chapter 128 ¡¸The owner of that weapons shop felt a bit strange¡­¡­it can¡¯t be . ¡¹ Rei walked towards the main gate with Set as he muttered to himself . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set asked as he tilted his head while walking next to Rei . Rei stroked Set¡¯s head to tell him it was nothing . Of course, Rei had skewers, sandwiches and all sorts of snacks in his hands as usual . While Rei walked along as he ate, he was drawn by a smell drifting from a nearby store and he turned to take a look . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right, it will be autumn soon, I should buy some stew . Set, wait here for me . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Hearing Rei, Set gave a cry of consent as Rei entered the store . Fortunately, since the 9am bell had already rang, breakfast peak time had already passed and there were a lot fewer customers . Still, in preparation for lunch, there was a good smell in the dining room that stimulated the appetite . ¡¸Welcome . What would you like?¡¹ When Rei entered the store, he was greeted by a girl in her mid teens, about the same age as Rei . The way she spoke familiarly with Rei and her appearance showed that her job was probably to attract customers . Rei shook his head at her . ¡¸No, I haven¡¯t come to eat here . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¡Then why have you come to our store?¡¹ ¡¸Actually, I could smell good stewed food from this place . I would like to buy some to take away . ¡­¡­If possible, an entire pot of stew . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s order, the girl looked back at Rei in surprise . Seeing that, Rei took out seven silver coins from the cloth bag in his pocket and placed them on the table . ¡¸Including the price of the pot, is this enough?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Eh? Eh? Silver coins¡­¡­seven!?¡¹ In the city of Gimuru where prices were cheap, the girl was surprised and confused at the amount of money, which an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t think of paying for a meal . However, she immediately pulled herself together¡­¡­ ¡¸Wai-Wait a moment!¡¡I¡¯ll call my father right away!¡¹ The girl said that in a fluster and hurried to the kitchen in the back . In less than a minute, she came back with a middle-aged man in his forties . ¡¸Seriously, what is it . I¡¯m still not completely finished cooking . ¡¹ ¡¸Father, don¡¯t worry about that . We have a special customer!¡¹ As she had a delicate build, the scene of her frantically pulling a much larger middle-aged man was quite funny . ¡¸Ah, customer-san . Sorry for making you wait . This is our cook . ¡¹ ¡¸What is is, this . ¡­¡­So, are you a customer?¡¡Do you have any business with me?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I smelled something nice from outside the store . I would like to buy that food I smelled if it¡¯s possible . Regarding the price¡­¡­¡¹ He glanced towards the girl for a moment . ¡¸He will pay 7 silver coins!¡¹ ¡¸Haa!?¡¡Seven silver coins¡­¡­no, it¡¯s great to have my dish evaluated as such . However, that¡¯s too much for a pot . Our pot is big enough to cook for 50 people . You won¡¯t be able to finish it before it goes off . I can¡¯t agree to sell my food knowing that it will go off . ¡¹ The man was surprised at the seven silver coins but refused to sell his food if it meant that it would just be thrown away . Seeing the character of the chef, Rei gave a friendly smile . ¡¸There¡¯s no problems there . I have an item box . ¡¹ Saying that, he showed them the Misty Ring that was on his right arm . ¡¸An item box¡­¡­ah!¡¡That¡¯s right, You¡¯re the adventurer who¡¯s rumored to have a Griffon following him!¡¹ The girl shouted in surprise as she looked at Rei . At her voice, the few customers that were in the store also turned to look at Rei strangely . ¡¸Ah?¡¡Rumors?¡¡what about them . ¡¹ ¡¸What, don¡¯t you know father?¡¡¡­¡­By the way, my father is someone who doesn¡¯t have any interest in listening to rumors . But still, have you not heard anything?¡¡An unexpected rookie followed by a Griffon had appeared and was buying up a lot of food from the street stalls . ¡¹ (Those rumors . ) It was a different rumor than the ones he had been thinking of . However, after Rei came to the city of Gimuru, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for the sales of street stalls to rise by several times . Admittedly, Set was a Griffon 2m in length and Rei¡¯s body required a high energy intake . The meals served at the Dusk Wheat where he stayed weren¡¯t enough and so they supplemented their diet with things like skewers and sandwiches, that could easily be purchased at stalls . If he put them into the Misty Ring, they would also not rot . Because of that effect from the magic item, it also saved him time to buy more in case of emergency situations . ¡¸I don¡¯t know about that, but are you saying I should sell my food to this boy knowing that it will go off and be thrown away?¡¹ Rei nodded at the man¡¯s words . ¡¸Ah . If you will sell it to me, I¡¯ll eat it all gratefully . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well¡­¡­fine . If you don¡¯t let it spoil and eat it all up properly . You also told me that my cooking was worth seven silver coins from the smell alone . I usually turn away customers at this time . ¡­¡­Alright! I understand . Fortunately, there¡¯s enough time before noon to prepare some more and I have a spare pot . I¡¯ll sell it to you boy . Come . ¡¹ He made a prompt decision . Saying that in a loud voice, the man took Rei to the kitchen at once . In the kitchen was a big pot . ¡­¡­No, based on it¡¯s size it should be called a huge pot rather than a big pot . A large amount of meat and vegetables were boiling in the pot . Rather than a soup, it was closer to a stew . ¡¸As you can see, this is how big it is . It¡¯s not that heavy when it¡¯s empty but there¡¯s plenty inside right now . Even I can¡¯t lift it . Will you have any problems putting it into an item box?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . There¡¯s no problems . ¡¹ Murmuring, he touched the handle of the pot and said¡ºStore¡»in his mind . The next moment, the huge pot had already disappeared . ¡¸Uwa~ . That¡¯s amazing . It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen an item box being used . ¡¹ ¡¸Basically, it¡¯s a rare magic item . By the way, can I eat it as it is now? Or would it be better to cook it for longer before eating?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Since the flavour has already soaked in for long enough, there¡¯s no problem with eating it right away . But if you ask my opinion as a chef, boiling it for another hour before eating it will be best . ¡­¡­Ah, take this as well . Otherwise, seven silver coins would be too much . ¡¹ Saying that, he handed over a basket filled with bread . Everything was freshly baked and was unusually soft and fluffy for bread in the city of Gimuru . ¡¸I won¡¯t say no to that . ¡¹ Just like the pot, he stored it into the Misty Ring and continued to converse with them for a few more minutes before leaving the store . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ As soon as he left the store, Set gave a cry and walked over . The smell of the stew seemed to have stuck to Rei¡¯s body and stimulated Set¡¯s appetite . With a wry smile at the situation, Rei took out one of the freshly baked bread and gave it to Set . ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ They headed for the main gate with Set nodding in satisfaction as he stuffed his mouth with the soft bread . As usual, he passed his guild card to Ranga at the main gate . Rei handed over the Necklace of Subservient Monster and walked out the front gate with Set . Ahead, he saw the figures of Freon and Brazos, with weapons at their waists and rucksacks on their backs, holding their food and equipment for camping . ¡¸You, you¡¯re late!¡¹ Seeing Rei and Set, Freon called out to them . Next to her, Brazos looked at Freon in amazement . ¡¸Come one, there¡¯s still some time before we agreed to meet up . ¡¹ ¡¸But he still made us wait . It¡¯s unbecoming of a man to keep a woman waiting . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Freon, we¡¯re not meeting here for a date you know?¡¡In the first place, you shouldn¡¯t expect that of someone who isn¡¯t a noble or a knight . ¡¹ Hearing the banter between the two of them, Rei spoke up with a smile . ¡¸That was quick . Is that all you¡¯re bringing along?¡¹ ¡¸Mm . In the end, we¡¯re only staying one night . More baggage will only get in the way . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Then, pass me your baggage . I did arrive before the time we agreed on, but I was still later than you two . I¡¯ll take of the baggage . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm?¡¡You don¡¯t have to worry about that though? We always take this much with us . ¡¹ According to his words, it didn¡¯t matter at all . Brazos shook his rucksack with a calm expression . Next to him, Freon spoke up with an amazed look . ¡¸In the first place, who was it that wanted to bring along a barrel of liquor? I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t drink, but at least hold off for this request . ¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying? For Dwarves, its the water of life!¡¡Even if there is no food, alcohol is absolutely necessary . ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, this is why this Dwarf¡­¡­¡¹ Giving up halfway, Freon put her hand against her face . ¡¸Ah, here . Don¡¯t worry about it . Even if it¡¯s not heavy, it will still interfere with Brazos¡¯ movements . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei wrested the rucksack from Brazos . ¡¸H-Hey . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment . If Brazos carries it, it will definitely slow him down, but isn¡¯t it the same for you?¡¡No, your movements would be restricted even more than Brazos¡­¡­¡¹ The reason Freon didn¡¯t finish her words was because Rei had quickly stored the rucksack into the Misty Ring . The two of them opened their eyes in surprise as Rei gave a sigh . ¡¸What . Haven¡¯t you heard the rumors that I have an item box?¡¹ Rei asked them in amazement but Freon and Brazos shook their heads silently . ¡¸I only heard the rumors that you were followed by a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸Same . This is the first time I¡¯ve heard that you have an item box . ¡¹ At their replies, Rei was puzzled . Rei didn¡¯t know himself, but compared to the item box, Set was a lot more noticeable . Naturally, the rumors that spread said that Rei was an outstanding rookie followed by a Griffon . There were also rumors that said he had an item box, but these rumors were mainly spread among adventurers and were hardly known by the general public . Because of that, as Crushing Warriors had only heard rumors from the streets, they hadn¡¯t heard about his item box . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s good . Should we start a bit sooner then?¡¡We can¡¯t do anything to the Harpies by just standing forever in front of the main gate . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Ahh . That¡¯s right . No, my bad . I was just surprised to suddenly see a legendary magic item . ¡¹ ¡¸True . ¡­¡­So, Rei . Could you show us your item box for future reference?¡¹ Nodding at Brazos¡¯ words, Rei paused for a moment . ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, but this item box has been set so that only I can use it . I can still show you it though . ¡¹ ¡¸What? Does that mean that the item box has registered Rei¡¯s magic power?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ When Rei nodded, a curious light appeared in Brazos¡¯ eyes . ¡¸Did the Margrave do that?¡¹ ¡¸No, it was my master that gave me this item box . ¡¹ When he had received the Misty Ring after entering Zepairu¡¯s hall, Rei had found out that it was the work of Zepairu¡¯s alchemist, Esta Nord . However, as he couldn¡¯t tell them that, Rei said that it was his master¡¯s work . ¡¸I¡¯ve heard the rumors, but your master must considerably skilled . I haven¡¯t seen anyone like that in these times . ¡­¡­I wish I was that skilled . ¡¹ Brazos looked at the Misty Ring around Rei¡¯s right wrist with a bit of envy . Seeing that, Rei remembered the story Freon had told him in the guild . Brazos had wanted to be a blacksmith but lacked the aptitude for it . (Even if he lacked the aptitude to be a blacksmith, he still wants to become one . ) Glancing at Freon, it looked like she had remembered the same thing . Giving a small nod, Freon mouthed the word ¡°please¡± . ¡¸¡­¡­It can¡¯t be helped . Let¡¯s get to the mountain in time to make a night attack . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, thank you . Let¡¯s go at once!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Brazos proceed to head down the highway with gusto . Rei and Freon looked at each other wryly before following after him . Chapter 129 Chapter 129 ¡¸Well, this is easy isn¡¯t it . When we usually enter a mountain, we would be definitely be attacked by small fry monsters . ¡¹ Freon¡¯s satisfied voice echoed through the mountains . Several hours had passed since they had entered the mountain where the Harpies lived . During that time, they had been attacked by monsters twice, but compared to when they usually entered a mountain, the frequency of attacks was quite low . Of course, there was a reason for that . Many monsters had approached, wanting to feed on the Humans and Dwarf . But when they came near, most of them noticed Set, the A rank monster, Griffon . Instinctively, they understood the difference in status and ran away . While there were some wild animals which weren¡¯t monsters that attacked them, like Fang Boars, who bared their tusks before rushing at them¡­¡­naturally, Set wouldn¡¯t let them pass and would literally slash their necks with his claws . The meat was kept by Rei for lunch . ¡¸That¡¯s right . It¡¯s so easy that it makes me feel we¡¯re on a sightseeing trip . ¡¹ As he said that, Brazos looked at the surrounding landscape . Although he carried a huge hammer on his back, after entering the mountain¡­¡­no, since leaving the city of Gimuru, he had yet to swing it once . ¡¸Wow . It¡¯s definitely autumn . Look at those wonderful autumn leaves . ¡¹ Before his eyes, many trees had autumn leaves, coloured yellow and red . It was a clear autumn sky with few clouds and there was a clean air, particular to mountains . The broad leaf trees that grew everywhere on the mountain covered it in a wonderful shade of yellow and red . ¡¸Hey, Brazos . The scenery is splendid, but don¡¯t forget to keep your guard up . ¡¹ Although Freon warned Brazos, who was admiring the autumn mountainside, it was true that even she was fascinated by the beautiful autumn mountains . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Seeing Set raise a cry, Rei turned to look towards the mountain . He saw several shadows flying in the sky . At such a distance, it would normally be difficult to identify them . However, it wasn¡¯t that hard for Rei¡¯s enhanced senses . ¡¸Both of you, the sightseeing trip is over . It seems the monsters we came here for have appeared . ¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡¹ Yes . The shadows that were flying near the summit of the mountain far away had the face and body of a woman but the arms and legs of a bird of prey . In other words, they were the Harpies that were the target of their subjugation request . ¡¸Are they coming to us?¡¹ Rei shook his head slightly at Freon¡¯s words . ¡¸No . They seem to be flying in a different direction, they haven¡¯t noticed us . I guess they¡¯re looking for food or something . ¡¹ ¡¸Food¡­¡­tch, I have a bad feeling . ¡¹ Just a few minutes ago, Freon had been fascinated by the autumn mountain, but when she heard that the Harpies were looking for food, she spat on the ground . In the first place, they had taken on the Harpy subjugation request partially because of the mine but also because travelers, merchants and adventurers had been attacked by Harpies numerous times as they traveled towards the city of Gimuru . They had flown out for food . In other words, they understood that the flock of Harpies that had just flown out of the mountain summit were probably going to attack people for food . ¡¸¡­¡­We certainly aren¡¯t on a sightseeing trip . ¡¹ Changing his mood, Brazos held his huge hammer in his hands . The gentle expression on his face several minutes ago had disappeared, leaving behind the look of an adventurer confronting danger . ¡¸That¡¯s right . Seriously, I¡¯ll teach those damn birds the meaning of despair . ¡¹ Likewise, Freon murmured with a grim expression . ¡¸Well then, first things first¡­¡­what do we do?¡¡We had planned to make a night attack on the Harpies nest at the summit, should we rest to keep up our physical condition?¡¹ ¡¸We also have another objective . The blacksmith who asked us to help out this time told me that there is a miners¡¯ resting hut near the mine . Even though it¡¯s just a place for miners to gather and take a break, it¡¯s quite spacious inside . Set should be able to rest inside there as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I think I¡¯ve heard of places like that before . ¡¹ At Brazos¡¯ words, it reminded him¡­¡­and Freon . In that state, Brazos started walking forward while sighing . Freon went next, followed by Rei and Set . Rei also took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring . ¡¸¡­¡­Woah, is that the rumored large scythe? It really is huge . ¡¹ When Freon saw Rei casually take out the Death Scythe, her eyes went wide and she was overwhelmed when she saw the long handle and blade that was taller than Rei . ¡¸It¡¯s definitely an amazing blade . It must have be a magic item co-produced by a renowned alchemist and blacksmith . ¡¹ Brazos had wanted to be a blacksmith in the past, so even through Brazos was at the front, he kept his guard up as he turned around to look with sparkling eyes . While traveling down the road that had been used by the miners in the past, Rei looked at the two people in front with a wry smile . ¡¸There¡¯s no doubt, it¡¯s definitely a powerful magic item . But there are disadvantages, like being difficult to move around a narrow place . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I see . Certainly, in this mountain, it¡¯s hard to walk with it with all the trees in the way . ¡¹ Brazos nodded at Rei¡¯s words and turned to look at his huge hammer . ¡¸That said, your Earthshaker Hammer is also similar . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve told you to switch to an axe or something that is easier to move around . Why do you care about that huge thing so much?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re noisy . Originally, this Earthshaker Hammer was a gift from my parents before I left . Even if it broke, I can still sell it . Adding onto that, Freon, the Earthshaker Hammer is also a magic item that increases its durability . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The Earthshaker Hammer?¡¹ At that dangerous name, Rei turned to look at Brazos¡¯ hammer . ¡¸Mm . This hammer has an inscription . It¡¯s a kind of magic item . It can deal an attack with three times its normal force using magic . ¡­¡­However, it has the disadvantage that it takes three days to recharge once that has been used . ¡¹ It was something he was proud of . Brazos explained while happily stroking the handle of his Earthshaker Hammer . Seeing that, Freon spoke up while looking at Brazos in amazement . ¡¸Although you boast about your Earthshaker Hammer, Brazos, isn¡¯t it still difficult to walk around with it in the mountains?¡¡Why don¡¯t you have any other weapons you can use?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A while before, I still had an axe you could have used . ¡¹ In Rei¡¯s mind, he thought of a knight who respected her leader greatly . However, when he thought of her using the Power Axe, she looked more like a warrior than a knight . ¡¸Tch, that¡¯s a shame . ¡­¡­So, we can see it now . There it is . ¡¹ Ahead of Freon was a kind of log cabin made from trees in the mountain . As they could see, it was quite big . ¡¸Even though people rarely came after the Harpies built a nest here, it¡¯s not that run down . ¡¹ Seeing the cabin, Rei muttered . It¡¯s walls hadn¡¯t been destroyed or damaged by monsters . It was a rest area that they could stay in at any time . ¡¸No one really came to the mine right after the Harpies built their nest on this mountain . But I guess it hasn¡¯t been that long since the miners stopped coming . However, the price of ores have still been going up in recent days . ¡¹ Hearing Freon¡¯s words, Rei looked at the door to the cabin . It didn¡¯t look like the door had been damaged in any way . ¡¸Still, why hasn¡¯t this resting area been destroyed?¡¡Usually, aren¡¯t buildings built outside the city destroyed by monsters at night?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, the miners didn¡¯t really understand either, apparently it had something to do with the ore in the mine¡­¡­or so I was told . ¡¹ ¡¸The ore in the mine?¡¹ Rei turned to look towards the entrance of the mine further away, but he didn¡¯t feel anything strange . In the first place though, Rei¡¯s ability to sense magic power was very low . It was highly possible that he wouldn¡¯t feel anything from it even if there was something strange . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ However, there was someone else who felt it . Usually, Set wouldn¡¯t leave Rei¡¯s side, but for some reason, he now stood a few steps away, slowly backing away . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Because Set is also a monster, it seems he can¡¯t get too close to here either . ¡¹ Brazos muttered as if he had forgotten . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­then, what will you do?¡¡Should we rest inside and have Set wait here?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, both of you can feel free to go to the cabin . Set and I will take a break further out where he is not affected . We¡¯ll come back at night . ¡¹ For Rei, he had no choice, he couldn¡¯t leave Set by himself . So he naturally told the two of them that he would be staying a bit further away with Set . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, wait . ¡¹ He heard a voice from behind and when he turned around, he saw Freon and Brazos walking towards him from the cabin . ¡¸Is there anything else?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, have you forgotten? . ¡¹ Thinking for a moment, he remembered the things he had kept¡­¡­ ¡¸Ahh, my bad . Come to think of it, I still have your rucksacks . ¡¹ But as he was about to take the rucksacks that had stored in the Misty Ring at Gimuru, Freon gave a frustrated sigh . At the same time, Brazos gave a wry smile . ¡¸It¡¯s something else . I¡¯m telling you to not forget about us . ¡¹ ¡¸Not at all . As Freon said, I won¡¯t forget about my party members . ¡¹ As he said that, the two of the stood next to Rei and Set, who had been resting some distance away . Seeing the two of them like that, Rei spoke up in a hurry . ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s only because of Set that I¡¯m not resting in the cabin, it¡¯s not for my own sake . You don¡¯t need to keep us company¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What stupid things are you saying . If you leave here, then why did we bother to form a party? ¡­¡­In addition, you and Set seem to be quite skilled . Rather than splitting up and resting comfortably in the cabin, even if it¡¯s inconvenient, taking a break with you two in the mountains will provide more safety . Don¡¯t worry so much . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Even if we take a break in the mountain, it¡¯s already been shown that monsters won¡¯t come near us if Set is around . That said, I¡¯m a Dwarf, so there¡¯s not much of a difference to me resting in the cabin or in the mountains . ¡¹ ¡¸Tch, this is why they say Dwarves are stubborn in build and in nature . It¡¯s painful for a maiden like me to take a break in the mountains with my soft skin . ¡¹ Although she was wearing leather armour made from the skin of a high rank monster, Freon lamented as she stretched her arms out . ¡¸Keh, what maiden . This idiot already passed her thirties and missed her chance of getting married ages ago . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh? And what about you? Do you want me to beat your brains out?¡¹ It seemed that Brazos¡¯ words had struck a sore point . Freon stared at the Dwarf, smiling with murderous eyes . ¡¸Oh I¡¯m scared . If you want to kill something that much, you can go kill some monsters . Hey, Rei . If Set stays here there might be a negative effect on him . Let¡¯s leave now . Also, we might be killed by that woman who has yet to marry if we stay . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Ahh . ¡¹ Hahaha~, Brazos laughed and left the area while pulling Rei along . Freon chased after Brazos with the eyes of an Ogre . (Indeed, they gave up their rest time in the cabin to come with me and Set . ¡­¡­They are quite whimsical . ) Despite thinking that, Rei didn¡¯t feel that was a bad thing . Chapter 130 Chapter 130 ¡¸Rei, wake up . It will be time soon . ¡¹ At that voice, Rei¡¯s consciousness woke up from his deep sleep . When Rei opened his eyes, he saw a Dwarf¡¯s beard . ¡¸¡­¡­Brazos?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I woke you up because it¡¯s almost time for the night attack . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Brazos¡¯ words, Set gave a cry as if he couldn¡¯t wait for the fight to start . The soft cry reached Rei¡¯s eyes through Set¡¯s soft belly, which Rei had been using as a pillow . ¡¸What about Freon?¡¹ Pachi~, he looked around while hearing the crackling sounds from the campfire . He couldn¡¯t see the figure of Freon, who had been sleeping here as well . ¡¸Ahh, Freon already got up to prepare for various things . Indeed, women are troublesome!¡¹ Before he could finish, Brazos was hit on the head by a tree branch that was thrown from the dark . Freon came out from the darkness while looking at Brazos . ¡¸Seriously, stop making fun of women . This brutish old man . ¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡­¡­that may be true but you still shouldn¡¯t throw tree branches at me . ¡¹ Holding his head, Brazos picked up the tree branch that had fallen to the ground and threw it into the bonfire . ¡¸Enough with that idiot¡­¡­it¡¯s about time, any problems?¡¹ Freon asked Rei as she pulled her long sword out from her waist to check it . With a smile, Rei gave a small nod . ¡¸I have no problems . How about we have a light meal before going to subjugate the Harpies?¡¹ Rei took out a huge pot from the Misty Ring while saying that . The pot was filled with the stewed dish here had bought in the restaurant before he left the city of Gimuru . At the same time, he took out plates and spoons for soup as well as a ladle to serve the stew to the others . ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ The rich aroma of the stew drifted into the surroundings and Set gave a cry that he wanted some . ¡¸Here, it¡¯s hot so be careful . ¡¹ Rei dished out more meat onto a plate for Set . At the same time, Freon and Brazos were licking their lips at the stew . ¡¸It¡¯s delicious . It would be great if I could drink some liquor with this . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, it¡¯s delicious . There¡¯s no way I could usually eat such food when camping out at night . ¡­¡­Well, I guess Rei can keep a variety of things in his item box . ¡­¡­However, Brazos . Liquor is banned . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, we¡¯ll be fighting after this so let¡¯s just have one cup to encourage ourselves . ¡¹ ¡¸What are you going to do if Rei gets hopeless drunk like last time . Seriously . ¡¹ Despite sighing, Freon ate the meat and vegetables contentedly . ¡¸Having to camp out at night for a request, being able to eat hot, freshly cooked food is a big morale boost . I feel more motivation . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Meals are also considered important in the army and what Freon said isn¡¯t wrong . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Because it¡¯s normal for me to camp at night with my item box, I don¡¯t really feel that it¡¯s that weird¡­¡­¡¹ At their envy, Rei muttered that in surprise . The next moment, Freon and Brazos looked at him in amazement . ¡¸Rei, there¡¯s no point it telling other adventurers that it¡¯s normal because you have an item box¡­¡­that¡¯s like the difference between rank A and rank H . No, you¡¯re much more well off than that . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . In fact, as Freon said, with this item box, you don¡¯t even need to carry anything around with you . ¡­¡­Rei himself doesn¡¯t seem to be aware of that fact though . ¡¹ Feeling that the situation wasn¡¯t good for him, he stuffed the meat that had been cooked until that it could be cut with a spoon, he wasn¡¯t sure what meat it was, into his mouth and swallowed it before speaking up again . ¡¸By the way, what do adventurers normally eat when camping at night? As you know, I basically act solo . Even if I form a party, it¡¯s usually temporary, so I would still use my item box . I don¡¯t really understand what food ordinary adventurers would have to eat . ¡¹ You¡¯re clearly trying to change the subject . Freon and Brazos both looked at Rei . Freon scooped some potatoes out of the stew before speaking . ¡¸It¡¯s pretty much hard, baked bread . You would soften it with water to eat it . ¡­¡­If there was someone good at hunting in the party, you would catch wild birds and animals to cook and eat . Ah, you could also eat the meat of some monsters you encounter and kill along the way . However, I guess that would only happen if you were lucky?¡¡Even if I say monsters, the meat of Goblins, for example, is not really edible . It¡¯s also rare for adventurers to have salt on them to use to cook meat . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why don¡¯t they just carry salt with them?¡¹ Rei asked Freon . Actually, the Misty Ring contained a variety of spices that could be bought in the city of Gimuru¡­¡­ (I think it would be better not to tell them about this . ) ¡¸I can understand why you would ask that . In fact, if it¡¯s just a bottle of salt, it doesn¡¯t really make much of a difference to what you carry . That is true regarding ordinary requests . But it¡¯s not uncommon for the weight difference of that one bottle to have an effect in a life or death battle . Because of that, at the very least, Crushing Warriors doesn¡¯t bring any along in order to reduce baggage as much as possible . ¡¹ Brazos words felt like an elder giving advice to the youths . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Considering all that, you shouldn¡¯t bring any bottles of liquor along . ¡¹ It was spoiled by a single sentence from Freon . ¡¸Ridiculous! Liquor and salt are two different things!¡¹ While talking like that, they finished eating after about 10 minutes . Rei put the pot, which still had a lot of stew, the plates and spoons back into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Now then . You two, are you ready?¡¹ Rei and Freon nodded at Brazos question . Set answered with a cry . Each of them held their weapons in their hands, ready to retaliate against any monsters that might jump at them from the forest at night . ¡¸Well then, lets go . It¡¯s already midnight . the Harpies are probably asleep as well . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have any issues¡­¡­but how do we attack? Are we going to kill the Harpies outside the nest one at a time?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the plan, do you have any other ideas?¡¹ Brazos asked as he extinguished the fire by covering it in sand . Rei nodded as he watched on . ¡¸Ahh . I don¡¯t know if you know, but I¡¯m not a pure warrior, I¡¯m a magic warrior . I also specialise in fire magic¡­¡­ . Thanks to someone, I can also use some wind magic . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In other words, you want to throw magic into the Harpies nest?¡¹ Extinguishing the fire, he turned to look at Rei with the eyes of a veteran adventurer compared to the friendly atmosphere he had earlier . ¡¸Ahh . Isn¡¯t the Harpies¡¯ nest on the mountain summit? There shouldn¡¯t be a danger of spreading fire around . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­that¡¯s right . It certainly wouldn¡¯t be a problem if that went well . ¡­¡­¡¹ Brazos though as he glanced towards the mountain summit . However, Freon interjected here . ¡¸It¡¯s no good . Brazos, have you forgotten the stories we heard from the miners?¡¡This mountain has a strong wind that blows down from the summit to the base at night . Consider what would happen if you used fire magic here . If his control was off by even the slightest amount, we would cause a forest fire . ¡­¡­No, it would be good if we got off with just a forest fire . The mine could also become useless due to the fire . What kind of penalty would we receive from the guild?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Because of the wind blowing down, there is a risk of causing a fire if fire magic is used . It¡¯s not that great but without using magic, we¡¯ll have to kill them one by one . ¡¹ ¡¸However¡­¡­in that case, is it possible to kill all the Harpies?¡¡Although you said that we would quietly taken them out from outermost ones, we can¡¯t be sure that they won¡¯t notice . ¡¹ ¡¸However, what would you do if a forest fire happened like what Freon said?¡¹ Rei was silent at Brazos words . (It¡¯s true that the biggest reason to clear out the Harpies nest is to open up the mine again . Thinking about it, it really isn¡¯t that good to use large scale fire magic here . ¡­¡­Damn it, I could manage it somehow if there wasn¡¯t a wind blowing down . ) ¡¸I understand . Let¡¯s head for the Harpies nest for now . If we go there, we may come up with something good . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine . Just as I said before, safety is the top priority . Because it might cause a forest fire, don¡¯t use any large scale fire magic . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I understand that . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~?¡¹ Perhaps Set felt sorry for Rei at Brazos¡¯ reply, he gave a cry asking if Rei was okay . Rei rubbed Set¡¯s head . ¡¸What, don¡¯t mind it . Besides, this time I¡¯m not working solo but in a temporary party with the members of Crushing Warriors . I¡¯ll follow the leader¡¯s instructions . ¡¹ Rei scratched Set¡¯s head with a smile as he said that . ¡¸I see, if you were acting solo, then you should act according to what you think . However, as you said, you¡¯re currently a member of Crushing Warriors . ¡­¡­In addition, we are quite skilled adventurers . You should follow us on this don¡¯t you think?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re almost as skilled as a mature woman . ¡¹ ¡¸Shut up old man . I¡¯ll split your head in two . ¡¹ The moment when she heard the words ¡®mature woman¡¯, Freon brought up the sword in her hands . She scowled at Brazos while emanating blood thirst . As expected, even Brazos fell back a bit as cold sweat dripped down his back . ¡¸M-My bad . I said too much . I know that Freon is still young and youthful . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s no next time drunk old man . ¡¹ Glaring at Brazos, Freon took a deep breath . ¡¸Hey, it will be bad if we head up to the summit carelessly . If we keep talking like this, we will be here until dawn . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Brazos looked like he wanted to say something to Freon, but if he said something unnecessary again, Freon might really swing her sword down . Feeling instinctive fear, he kept quiet . Rei kept his silence . Seeing him like that, Set also didn¡¯t make a sound . . Like that, Brazos, Rei, Set and Freon went up the mountain path in that order . From the point they entered the mountains to the mine, a path had been created by the miners repeatedly trekking through the same path . But since people hadn¡¯t come through for a while, the path didn¡¯t exist anymore . At most it was now an animal trail . The three people and one animal continued on their way . ¡¸Tch, these branches and vines are annoying . ¡¹ Swinging her sword, Freon cut through the obstacles in their way . Originally, this would be done by Brazos, who had the greater physical strength . However, even after Brazos had clear the path, the difference in height between the two of them meant that Freon had to clear the path a second time for her to get through . Still, she was a C rank adventurer . For ordinary people who weren¡¯t adventurers, they would likely run out of stamina at the pace they were climbing the mountain¡­¡­it about an hour, the summit of the mountain came into view . ¡¸¡­¡­Set, is quite amazing . ¡¹ While wiping away his sweat with a cloth Rei had handed him, Brazos looked at Set in admiration . Normally, night time was the time for monsters . In addition, there were many monsters that would become more ferocious compared to in the daytime . Right now, they were in a mountain . Normally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to climb a mountain with as few attacks from monsters as they had . ¡­¡­Still, they were attacked several times by some low rank monsters which couldn¡¯t feel Set¡¯s strength . The low rank monsters didn¡¯t have the tasty meat that Set enjoyed . Because of that, Rei just cut out the magic stone and proofs of subjugation before leaving the corpses where they were¡­¡­perhaps they would satisfy the stomachs of other monsters around . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Leave it to me, Set seemed to say with a cry . Rei smiled at that confident cry as he cut away the bushes¡­¡­ ¡¸I see it . ¡¹ They finally arrived at the mountain summit . Chapter 131 Chapter 131 The summit of the mountain where the Harpies nested . There were few plants nearby and there were several large rocks in the area . It looked completely like a wasteland . There was a cave at the top of the mountain . There were three Harpies nearby . Two stood to the left and right of the cave entrance . The last one stood slightly further away from the cave entrance . In this situation, Rei and the others looked on from a distance further way where trees still grew thick . ¡¸¡­¡­There are Harpies on guard, it seems?¡¹ Brazos nodded at Freon¡¯s words as he watched the three Harpies near the entrance of the cave . ¡¸Seems to be so . As you can see, Harpies have a human¡¯s head and body and are intelligent monsters . It¡¯s not surprising that they understand the concept of guards . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Now that I think about it, even Goblins will have guards, so it¡¯s reasonable if I think about it . ¡¹ ¡¸That said, these guards are still a nuisance . ¡­¡­What will we do? I don¡¯t want to kill them only to alert the rest of their friends . ¡¹ Rei turned to look at the cave as he muttered . There were no plant around the cave, particularly where the Harpies stood guard . All there was on the ground were the bones of animals and monsters that the Harpies had eaten . ¡­¡­There also seemed to be bones belonging to people . Harpies seemed to eat the internal organs and skin in addition to the flesh . This was a blessing for their party that there were only bones rolling around and no foul odour . ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t see anything that might burn near the nest, in this situation I don¡¯t think we need to worry about causing a fire?¡¡If that cave is the Harpies¡¯ nest, I think it would be best to quickly take down the guards and then throw fire magic into the cave . ¡¹ Looking around after hearing Rei¡¯s words, Freon thought about it . Freon and Brazos had dismissed Rei¡¯s previous proposal because they had thought that the Harpies¡¯ nest was built on the tall trees growing near the top¡­¡­the situation had changed now that the Harpies¡¯ nest was in a cave . Rei¡¯s weapon was a scythe . Brazos¡¯ weapon was a huge hammer . Set had a huge body over 2m in size . Although they couldn¡¯t predict how much space was inside the cave, it would still be difficult for the three people and one animal to fight at the same time . (Well, since the Harpies built a nest inside, there¡¯s no doubt that there would be enough room for them to fly inside . Freon grasped her long sword as she stared at the cave . ¡¸¡­¡­What will we do? I don¡¯t really want to go inside that cave . ¡¹ Rei grasped his Death Scythe . Their weapons were all similarly large . ¡¸That¡¯s right . ¡­¡­Freon, as Rei said, there¡¯s no need to worry about causing a fire . All the more because it¡¯s a cave . On the other hand, I feel that we can wipe them in one stroke like this . ¡¹ ¡¸That, is true . I certainly don¡¯t know what would happen if we have to go inside the cave . It would be suicidal to have to fight inside there . As long as the Harpies are inside, there should be enough room to fly . But looking at the entrance, it¡¯s quite narrow . ¡­¡­In that case, the worst case is that the entrance is narrow but there is room for Harpies to freely fly further up inside . ¡­¡­It can¡¯t be helped . Let¡¯s use Rei¡¯s suggestion then?¡¹ Freon said that with a sigh . At those words, Rei nodded and turned to look at the three Harpy guards . ¡¸Well, then¡­¡­what do we do with the guards . If we want to use my magic to make a surprise attack on them, the three of them will definitely try to stop me from casting magic into the cave . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, are there any projectile weapons in your itembox?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s right . There are spears I can throw . ¡¹ Rei answered Freon¡¯s question as he turned to his Misty Ring . In the bracelet, there were quite a few spear that he had collected from the bandits that had been killed during his rank up test . Regarding throwing the spears, he had already confirmed their usefulness when he had gone to the dungeon with Elena . ¡¸Besides that, there¡¯s also wind magic¡­¡­but it would be a bit difficult from this range . ¡¹ It was about 200m from the bushes where Rei and the others were to the cave . It wasn¡¯t much of a problem for Rei to throw a spear that far . Fire magic had an emphasis on power . However, it was out of range for the Death Scythe¡¯s Flying Slash, which he was masking as wind magic . Alternatively, if he could use a large scale fire magic, the distance of 200m would be nothing . However, there was no doubt that the Harpies inside the cave would notice if he did that . ¡¸¡­¡­Now then, what do we do? We can¡¯t hesitate here . ¡¹ ¡¸Right now, it¡¯s not like we have no options . But even then, we will need some luck . ¡¹ ¡¸What? We don¡¯t have any other options so if you have a better idea, we will use it . Please tell us . ¡¹ At Freon¡¯s words, Rei turned towards the quiet Set . ¡¸The easiest way would be for Freon and Brazos to throw the spears to strike the Harpies¡­¡­¡¹ The two of them shook their heads at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸To throw something like that, it would be impossible to hit our target unless we had taken special training . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I¡¯m confident in my strength, but even I have to say that it would be difficult hit them accurately . ¡¹ (In my case, I can easily hit them from here¡­¡­) Although Rei thought to himself, he knew it was due to the physical performance of the body that Zepairu had made so he didn¡¯t say it . ¡¸Then this is the other choice¡­¡­first of all, I can kill one with a throwing spear from here so set me aside . Set will attack from above and take one of the remaining two . The last one¡­¡­either Freon or Brazos, will attack while riding on Set . ¡¹ ¡¸What!¡¹ ¡¸Are you serious!?¡¹ Freon and Brazos raised surprised voices at Rei¡¯s words . After all, they had just been told to ride on the back of a Griffon . However, it was true that this was the best way to ensure that they killed all the Harpy guards . The two of them looked at each other to push the role of the surprise attacker to the other . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Freon will conduct the surprise attack . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s words decided who would conduct the surprise attack . ¡¸Wait a moment!¡¡Why was I picked!¡¹ In order to avoid being heard by the Harpies, Freon grabbed Rei¡¯s shoulders while shouting quietly . Next to her, Brazos gave a sigh of relief . ¡¸Calm down, the reason is simple . Aside from strength, for a Dwarf to make a sneak attack¡­¡­moreover, as a Human, Freon has the better agility required to attack while riding on Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Mu~, that certainly is true¡­¡­what, like this¡­¡­I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m happy about it at all . ¡¹ ¡¸Why don¡¯t you swap with me then?¡¡I don¡¯t mind at all . Or should I say, would you be fine with me riding on your back Set?¡¡I heard that a Dragon Knight¡¯s dragon would refuse anyone else riding on it aside from its knight . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Leave it to me, Set seemed to say with a cry . To Set, someone riding on his back wasn¡¯t that special a thing . ¡¸In that case, wait here with Rei . ¡¹ Rei shook his head at Brazos words and handed him a spear he had taken out from the Misty Ring . ¡¸Rei?¡¹ ¡¸With my throw and Set¡¯s attack, we will definitely kill two Harpies . However, Freon riding on Set¡­¡­I mean, won¡¯t this be the first time she has flown in the sky?¡¹ ¡¸Of course! I mean, this isn¡¯t something you can experience easily!¡¹ Freon shouted loudly at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸That¡¯s why . Just in case, Brazos needs to be ready to throw a spear at any time as well . If Freon¡¯s surprise attack fails, then it¡¯s sink or swim if we want to stop them from calling for help . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment . If I fail to kill the Harpy I¡¯m aiming for¡­¡­in that situation, I¡¯ll be right next to the target Brazos is aiming for!¡¡You know that Brazos almost never throws spears right?¡¡Do you want to kill me Rei!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­About that, I can only ask you leave the area as soon as possible if you fail to kill the Harpy . ¡¹ ¡¸Tch, seriously . I understand . ¡­¡­Brazos . If you hit me, no drinking for three months . ¡¹ ¡¸Mu¡­¡­mu¡­¡­¡¹ Brazos wanted to retort, but felt that he would be hit if he talked back right now . However, even being forbidden to drink for a few days would kill him . If he couldn¡¯t drink for 3 months, he would die for sure . While feeling the dilemma, he received the spear from Rei without any complaints . ¡¸Anyway, these are some cheap spears Rei . ¡¹ Brazos muttered when he touched the spear Rei passed him . He could understand the quality of the spear just by touching it . Maybe that was one of the advantages Dwarven blacksmiths had . ¡¸They belonged to the bandits I defeated during my rank up test . I know the quality is bad . Or rather, if they were of good quality, I can¡¯t throw them as disposable weapons . ¡¹ ¡¸No, throwing spears are usually lighter, it¡¯s common to use short spears . In the first place, as projectile weapons, bow and arrows are better . ¡¹ ¡¸But don¡¯t you have to use both hands with a bow and arrow?¡¡Not to boast, but with my strength, I can kill them with a single blow . ¡¹ Taking out a spear for himself, Rei turned to look at the Harpies . ¡¸Set will attack the one closest to the cave entrance¡­¡­that is, the one on the right . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Freon will take the one to the left of the entrance . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, okay . I understand . You should be prepared for the worst!¡¹ Freon half nodded in mild desperation . Looking at Freon, Brazos mumbled . ¡¸In times like this, experience adventurers would normally be the ones giving instructions . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say that . In the first place, it¡¯s wrong to call Rei a rookie . ¡¹ Saying those words out with a sigh, Freon went towards Set . ¡¸Set, I¡¯ve never rode a monster like you . So, I¡¯m not familiar with it¡­¡­is that still okay?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Leave to me, Set seemed to say with a cry . ¡¸Well then, because Set and I will go up¡­¡­that, I¡¯ll leave the Harpies inside to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡­¡­Right, I forgot to mention . In the end, this is only a surprise attack . ¡¹ Freon lightly tapped the hood over Rei¡¯s head when he said that . ¡¸I know already . You don¡¯t have to worry about all that . Don¡¯t tell me that because it¡¯s a surprise attack that you can still defeat them if I fail . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry . That¡¯s right, you¡¯ve been an adventurer much longer than I have so you know what you can do . ¡¹ As Rei said that, he remembered that he had only been in Gimuru for several months . Because of that, he had only been an adventurer for several months . Normally, he would still be stuck at F rank . ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll show you want an expert can do . ¡­¡­Set, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a cry, Set went back down the path that they had come up with Freon . He needed to go somewhere where he could fly up without the Harpies seeing him . Seeing them off, they watched the Harpies as they hid behind the trees bushes . About five minutes later, Brazos spoke up . ¡¸Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Is there anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s nothing wrong . ¡­¡­That is, pardon me . After this request is over, why don¡¯t you stay with Crushing Warriors?¡¹ Brazos turned to look at Rei intently with a serious expression . ¡¸In other words, not as a temporary member?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . You¡¯re smart and you have good judgement . There¡¯s no need to talk about fighting strength . There is also Set . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You won¡¯t say that you will work solo forever right?¡¡You¡¯re still D rank so you can manage somehow . But with your skills, you¡¯ll eventually reach C, B and A rank . At that point in time, if you were still solo¡­¡­you know what I want to say?¡¹ (It¡¯s true that I can get along with the two of them quite nicely . ¡­¡­Liquor aside . But¡­¡­) Thinking to himself, Rei eventually spoke up . ¡¸Well, I will give an answer after we finish this request . ¡¹ For now, he decided to shelve the issue . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine . That aside, it should be time soon . ¡¹ Regardless if it was an ability peculiar to Dwarves, Brazos looked up into the dark night sky . Rei turned his eyes to look as well and saw Set flying above . On his back, he could see Freon clinging to Set . For an ordinary human, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see that far in the dark . However, the body that Zepairu had made for Rei easily broke that common sense . From Rei¡¯s movements, Brazos realised that Rei had night vision as good as his . However, he now focused on the surprise attack and clenched the spear that Rei had given him in one hand without saying anything, ready to throw it at any time . Beside him, Rei stood by, ready to throw his spear at any time . ¡­¡­ ¡¸Here it comes!¡¹ With Brazos¡¯ voice, Set glided down without a sound and use his sharp forefoot to crush the head of a Harpy protecting the cave entrance . At the same time, Freon jumped off his back and swung down at the head of the other Harpy . As expected, it was impossible to control her posture in the air so she couldn¡¯t cut it¡¯s head off . Even so, the Harpy Freon targeted was slashed from its neck down to its body, killing it instantly . ¡¸Kyi~!?¡¹ The last one was standing a bit further away . The moment it tried to turn around to see what had happened, the spear thrown by Rei destroyed its head, splattering brains, body fluids and the rest of the contents in its head into the surroundings . Chapter 132 Chapter 132 ¡¸¡­¡­Phew . It¡¯s a good thing it didn¡¯t turn around . ¡¹ Brazos gave a sigh of relief as he watched the fight end in a moment . He had been worries about Freon¡¯s surprise attack from the air, as the aim had been to cut off its head . Still, she had slashed the Harpy from neck to chest, killing it instantly . A single attack by Set¡¯s claws had destroyed the Harpy¡¯s head as easily as cracking raw eggs . The Harpy Rei had aimed for also had its head destroyed from the impact of the spear as it penetrated it . Brazos gave a sigh of relief, as he aimed the spear in his hands towards the cave entrance . He looked carefully at the cave entrance . After killing the Harpies, Freon immediately moved to a position not visible from the entrance . Set had flown back into the air after crushing the Harpies head with his claws . ¡¸It seems we haven¡¯t been noticed . ¡¹ They watched the cave entrance for about half a minute with bated breaths . After confirming that no other Harpies had come out, Rei gave a sigh of relief . Freon signaled them with her hands to come over to the cave entrance . ¡¸We should go . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm . ¡¹ Rei and Brazos looked at each other before heading over to Freon¡¯s location . ¡¸Even so, the Harpy that you killed managed to get a short cry out¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah . My timing was a bit off . Do you think it would be heard inside?¡¹ As it was a wasteland, they ran across the bare ground where not much grass grew . Rei asked in a low voice and Brazos shook his head . ¡¸Because it heard some sounds from its companions, I think its cry was something like ¡®What happened?¡¯ . That¡¯s what it sounded like . If that was the case, because it was asking its companions, I don¡¯t think it was heard inside the cave . ¡­¡­But that¡¯s if there were no Harpies inside the cave right after the entrance . ¡¹ ¡¸I hope so . ¡¹ As they talked, they arrived at the shadow of the cave . Freon greeted the two of them with a smile . ¡¸How about that . I told you you could leave it to me . Was it a quick strike?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Were you aiming for the head?¡¹ ¡¸Ah!?¡¡It¡¯s hard to strike the head, I was aiming for its neck from the beginning . ¡¹ As Freon yelled in a quiet voice, Rei stored the Harpies that Set and Freon had crushed and slashed into the Misty Ring to stop the smell of blood from spreading . While the two of them continued their argument, he went to store the corpse of the Harpy that he had killed with a spear throw . ¡¸The spear¡­¡­I guess it¡¯s no use . ¡¹ He looked around for the spear that that destroyed the Harpy¡¯s head . However, it hadn¡¯t fallen nearby and there was no sign of it piercing a tree or hitting the cave . Rei guessed that because of its speed after hitting the Harpy, it had kept on going somewhere, so he gave up the idea of retrieving it . Anyhow, as he had said to Brazos, they were cheap spears that he had just taken from bandits . As for their quality, it was barely a usable item . A weapon shop or blacksmith with sharp eyes could easily tell that they were poor quality items . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Seeing Rei come back with a sigh, Freon asked since her argument with Brazos had finished . Seeing Brazos with a depressed expression nearby, it was obvious who had won the argument . ¡¸No, nothing at all . I thought I might be able to recover the spear I threw at the Harpy, but it looks like that is impossible . ¡¹ Saying that, he shook his head as he saw Set come back down from the night sky . ¡¸I see . Well, leaving that aside . ¡­¡­We¡¯ve cleared out the guards . ¡¹ Freon turned to look at the entrance to the cave . Following that look, Rei gave a small nod . Next to Freon, Brazos seemed to have already recovered from his loss in the argument and carried his favourite Earthshaker Hammer with him . Beside Rei, Set landed, flapping his wings with barely a sound . He also looked towards the cave entrance with sharp eyes, ready to move into action at any time . ¡¸¡­¡­Okay, now it¡¯s up to Rei . Blast your magic into the cave . As for the power level, I¡¯ll leave it to you . But considering the collection of materials, try to avoid collapsing the cave as much as possible . Even if the rewards for the request are cheap, I still want to get something from the materials and magic stones . ¡¹ ¡¸Depending on the reward, the alcohol I can drink changes as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Shut up . ¡¹ At Brazos¡¯ words, Freon gave a quiet retort before turning to Rei . ¡¸Setting that aside the power of your magic, there¡¯s the cave . Since we don¡¯t know how big the inside of the cave is, we have to pray that we burn out all the Harpies . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm . Is it impossible to explore the inside of the cave?¡¹ ¡¸Rei, you don¡¯t have to listen to the words of this old drunk . Any how, I hope you can take out as many Harpies as you can . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, no problem . I will begin to prepare right away . ¡¹ Set gave a small cry and the two of them nodded at Rei¡¯s words . Rei started to cast his magic . ¡ºFire, thy power is my strength . Burn my magic power according to my will and burn the enemy . Your power is to spread fire, hellfire . Rouse your heat with my magic power . ¡» At the same time as he cast the magic, 10 fireballs made from magic power appeared in front of the Death Scythe . They were literally the same as Rei¡¯s¡ºFireball¡»magic except 10 of them . Even though it was night, the cave surroundings lit up rapidly . At the same time, with the heat from the flames, the surrounding temperature grew along with the brightness . ¡¸Hey-!¡¡Hey Rei-!¡¡Is this really okay!¡¹ 10 fireballs floated around Rei¡¯s Death Scythe . Each one was the size of a human head and the floated as if swimming through the air . ¡º10 Fireballs!¡» TLN: The author clearly didn¡¯t bother to think of a better name . At the same time the magic was completed, the 10 fireballs flew through the sky towards the cave entrance . It looked as if the fireballs had their own will and wanted to enter into the cave¡­¡­eventually, the brightness disappeared from the cave entrance and the rising heat was scattered by the night autumn wind . ¡¸I don¡¯t know how big the inside of the cave is, so some flames might come out from the entrance . We should move a bit further away . ¡¹ ¡¸O-Oh . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Freon and Brazos ran for the bushes¡­¡­and the next moment . Roar-! An explosive sound shook their ears . It wasn¡¯t just one or two, there were several . The fireballs that had flown into the cave had probably caused a chain of explosions . ¡¸Kikikyi~!?¡¹ He heard some confused screams from the Harpies that had been sleeping, but fortunately, there were no Harpies that left the cave entrance, where Rei was waiting with the Death Scythe . ¡­¡­Well, that was at the entrance that Rei was waiting at . ¡¸Rei, above!¡¹ At Freon¡¯s warning from the bushes behind, Rei looked into the night sky . Beside him, Set looked into the sky as well . In the night sky that was illuminated by the flames bursting out from the cave, the figure of Harpies with their birdlike wings could be seen . And what illuminated them was not just flames coming out from the cave entrance Rei was at . From Rei¡¯s location, he could see light coming out from the other side of the cave . ¡¸I see . This entrance may not be the only one into the cave . ¡¹ As he said that, the Harpies, who judged Rei to be the one who had killed their friends, dived towards him . ¡¸Kikikyi~ . ¡¹ They were a lot more delicate and couldn¡¯t compare to Set, but the tip of a Harpy¡¯s claws were still sharp enough to pierce into enemies . ¡­¡­ ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Such an attack was useless as the Death Scythe was swung . The blade, swung with magic power, cut through the body of the diving Harpy, slicing through in an instant . The Harpy¡¯s body split into two parts, upper and lower as it hit the ground, sliding along and scattering blood and offal everywhere . ¡¸Haaaaaaah-!¡¹ Behind Rei, Freon raised a shout as she ran through the body of a Harpy until the tip of her sword came out the other side . Rei swung the Death Scythe to flick away the Harpy blood that was on the blade before looking up into the sky . There were still nearly 20 Harpies flying in the sky, watching for an opportunity to attack Rei and the others . ¡¸¡­¡­It looks like most of the Harpies were sleeping but there were some near the other entries . ¡¹ While carrying the Earthshaker Hammer on his shoulder, Brazos came up to Rei and quietly told him with a bitter look . The blood and feather of Harpies seemed to be stuck to his hammer, quite obvious after the fight . ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Set flapped his wings as he pounced towards the Harpies flying in the sky . ¡¸There seems to be quite a lot . ¡¹ Brazos murmured as he watched Set . Set swung his claws and used his beak to attack, not giving the Harpies a chance to evade, killing a Harpy with a single strike from his claws . ¡¸Even if you say that, we¡¯re not outnumbered by a lot . No, if they stay in the sky, that makes it even easier . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to use a slightly bigger magic . I¡¯ll be relying on you for defense for a while . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, they looked up into the sky that was illuminated by the fire burning inside the cave . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Well, leave it to us . ¡¹ As veteran adventurers, they understood what Rei was planning with just those words . With a smile, Rei increased his magic power output and spoke . ¡ºDancing flames, dance . Light up the surroundings with your magnificent dance, burn as you dance and captivate the people . ¡» Set heard the incantation and remembered what magic Rei was using . It was the magic Rei had used when they had left the Forest of Monsters . There were differences between the forest and mountains, but it was quite coincidental that the situation resembled when they were escaping the Forest of Monsters . Set saw that and gave a cry, momentarily frightening the Harpies before diving towards the ground in that gap . Rei set out the range of the magic and spoke the last keywords . ¡ºDance Fire Snake!¡» At the same time he invoked his magic, nearly 100 human sized flames appeared . It was a lot less compared to when he had used it in the Forest of Monsters, but there were still five times more flames than there were Harpies . The flames produced by Rei swayed around as they danced and circled around the area he had set . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Kikyi~!?¡¹ When the numerous flames appeared, it was impossible for the Harpies to avoid all of them . When a Harpy touched the flames¡­¡­the fire spread to the whole body the next moment, burning them up in seconds . ¡¸No wonder¡­¡­I¡¯ve been an adventurer for a long time, but I¡¯ve only seen such intense fire magic a few times . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . To be honest, I underestimated Rei¡¯s skills . ¡¹ Brazos and Freon murmured in surprise . There were several dead Harpies around Freon, which they had just killed . Freon wasn¡¯t too tired and kept her guard up as she watched the flock of Harpies burn up in the sky . ¡¸But, it¡¯s impossible to strip the materials, magic stones and proofs of subjugation when they are burned to this state . ¡¹ Brazos said that unintentionally as he saw the Harpies crumble when they hit the ground . ¡¸There¡¯s no helping it . If we had to have a straight up fight against the Harpies, it probably have become really troublesome . For instance, if the Harpies were frightened by Set and ran away or they built a nest somewhere else . Given that, it wasn¡¯t a bad choice for Rei to gather them all up and use his magic to prevent them from escaping . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, we shouldn¡¯t get our priorities backwards, we did come here to clear out the Harpies . ¡¹ Holding the Death Scythe, Rei said that as he looked around for any abnormalities . Despite just casting a magic that was big enough to wipe out nearly 20 Harpies and burn them to charcoal, Rei didn¡¯t look tired at all . ¡¸Even though he used such a powerful magic, it looks like he can still keep going . ¡¹ While looking at Rei, Freon muttered in amazement . Chapter 134 Chapter 134 ¡¸Hmm, it looks like it¡¯s more than we expected . ¡¹ Brazos murmured unintentionally at the sight spread before him . ¡¸I couldn¡¯t guess this would happen either . ¡¹ Next to him, Freon spoke in amazement . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to say . Set tilted his head and rubbed it against Rei . Rei was also staring in amazement . ¡¸No, although I had expected it¡­¡­not to this extent . ¡¹ As Rei spoke, he could see the top of the mountain . The cave where the Harpies had nested was visible . The cave itself had been burnt near the entrance by the many fireballs Rei had thrown and the smell was still drifting around after several hours . However, that wasn¡¯t the issue . Before Rei¡¯s eyes was something that could only be expressed as a sea of blood . Around the cave, there where corpses of monsters scattered everywhere in places where barely any plants grew . Almost all the corpses had been eaten, some monsters had became only bones in the several hours that Rei and the others had slept . ¡¸It¡¯s only been a few hours . ¡­¡­The Harpies¡¯ presence in the mountain must have disrupted the monster ecosystem a lot . ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, did the monsters on this mountain work together to attack any surviving Harpies?¡¹ Rei thought of that and asked Brazos, but Brazos shook his head . ¡¸No . This wasn¡¯t an organised raid . I dare say it was the blood from the Harpies we killed . The monsters on the mountain gathered here after smelling the scent of blood and ended up killing each other¡­¡­no, I think they ate up everything instead . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Considering that, it looks like no monsters around . ¡¹ ¡¸That is certainly possible¡­¡­probably . ¡¹ While replying to Freon¡¯s words, Brazos turned towards Set, who was rubbing his head against Rei . ¡¸Brazos?¡¹ ¡¸Maybe, but I think they noticed signs of Set approaching . ¡­¡­You can tell by looking at the monsters which haven¡¯t been eaten up yet . Most of them are low rank monsters . Only the stronger ones would be more sensitive . ¡¹ Rei and Freon looked towards the corpses of the monsters before them at Brazos¡¯ words . What Rei saw confirmed what Brazos had said . The dead monsters before them were mostly low rank monsters such as Goblins, Soldier Ants and Fang Wolves . There were also Orcs and Lizardmen among them, but only a few . It could be said that the winners of this fight were the relatively higher ranking monsters on the mountain . ¡¸Anyway . If we leave these corpses as they are, some strange disease might spread . Even though we took this request to reopen the mine, if the miners got sick, they wouldn¡¯t be able to work . ¡­¡­Rei, can you do it?¡¹ ¡¸Should I burn them up?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . We could strip some good material from the corpses of the remaining monsters¡­¡­but more than anything, even if monsters don¡¯t come near now because they can sense Set, I don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll change their mind . So I¡¯ll ask you do it before they change their mind . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Brazos¡¯ words and thought about what magic would be effective for that . Corpses were scattered everywhere around the wasteland before them, they weren¡¯t gathered in a single location . Because of that, he needed to a magic with a large area of effect¡­¡­making a rough estimation, he grasped the Death Scythe and took a step forward . ¡ºFlames, use my magic power and burn the dead . Purify regrets with our flames . Regrets, bitterness, envy, hatred . Everything has no meaning before my magic power . Burn even the grudges between us . Therefore, use my magic power and return them to the afterlife . ¡» As Rei spoke the incantation, his expression changed at the sudden increased consumption of magic power . However, Rei ignored it and continued to pour magic power into the magic . Before long, a blue, fist sized flame appeared at the handle of the Death Scythe¡­¡­ ¡ºFlames of Mourning . ¡» At the same time he invoked the magic, he stabbed the handle of the Death Scythe with the blue flame into the ground . The blue flame was dispersed as the handle of the Death Scythe hit the ground and turned into a blue carpet as it spread into the surroundings like water running down a slope . When the flames touched a corpse, it would burn up in a blink of an eye before spreading further . Eventually, after about 10 seconds, the wasteland outside the cave was covered in blue flames . But¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s not hot?¡¹ Freon murmured in astonishment . Yes, she couldn¡¯t feel any heat at all from the blue flames that were burning the monster corpses before her . ¡¸Rei?¡¹ Like Freon, Brazos saw that and turned to Rei to speak with him . However, when he turned around, he saw that Rei¡¯s face was covered in beads of perspiration . ¡¸H-Hey . Rei!?¡¹ Rei waved his hand at Freon, who was rushing over, to tell her it was okay and leaned against Set . ¡¸Sorry, I only have aptitude for fire magic . Since this magic overlaps with holy magic, it consumed a much larger amount of my magic power . ¡¹ As he watched the blue flames burning up the corpses on the wasteland, Rei explained the magic he had used just now . ¡¸The magic I used just now, it was a magic to cremate the bodies of monsters and people as mourning . ¡­¡­Just remember that in the very end, it¡¯s only a mourning . In other words, it¡¯s a magic to prevent dead bodies from turning into undead . It doesn¡¯t have that effect on the monsters or people that are already undead¡­¡­I can¡¯t say that, but it probably wouldn¡¯t hurt them much . Well, if I was attacked by undead, I would just use fire magic, which I¡¯m good at . ¡¹ Rei watched the blue flames burn the corpses as he stroked Set¡¯s smooth fur . After about 20 minutes, the monster corpses in the wasteland were all burnt up and Rei had restored most of his stamina . ¡¸¡­¡­I feel refreshed . ¡¹ Freon spoke up while looking around . She couldn¡¯t imagine that the place had been littered with a large number of monster corpses just a while ago . ¡¸We won¡¯t have to worry about diseases or undead . Now then, Rei . I think we should check inside the cave, what about you? If you¡¯re still tired, you can rest a bit longer here . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ll go with you . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave and anxious cry and rubbed his head against Rei . Rei smiled as he stroked Set¡¯s head . ¡¸You don¡¯t have to worry too much . I¡¯m just a bit tired because I suddenly exhausted a large amount of magic power . Rather, Set, keep watch so no monsters attack here . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Although Set still gave an anxious cry, he still nodded . Finally, after stroking Set¡¯s head one more time, Rei headed for the cave where the Harpies nested . ¡¸It¡¯s cooler than expected¡­¡­rather, it¡¯s cold . ¡¹ Freon muttered as they felt the cold air as soon as they entered the cave . ¡¸Well, no matter how strong Rei¡¯s magic was, it still can¡¯t burn all night . The hot air has already been blown away by the cold mountain air . ¡­¡­Even so . ¡¹ Muttering, Brazos touched the cave walls with an impressed voice . The entrance to the cave was narrow, but it widened as they went further in . If they had gone into the cave to subjugate the Harpies, as expected, Rei and Brazos would have struggled to swing their weapons in the narrow passage . However, the passageway wasn¡¯t the only thing reflected in Brazos eyes . No, he was looking more at the walls than the passageway . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Brazos?¡¹ Always laughing cheerfully, drinking and noisy . That was Brazos, the Dwarf that Rei knew . Rei couldn¡¯t help but ask after seeing his serious expression . However, Freon put her hand on Rei¡¯s shoulder and shook her head as she spoke in exasperation . ¡¸It¡¯s no use . When he ends up like that, he won¡¯t go back to normal for a while . ¡¹ Unlike Rei, she had know Brazos for a long time and had seen Brazos in his current state several times . ¡¸I¡¯ve told you before right?¡¡Brazos had wanted to become a blacksmith, but he eventually didn¡¯t make it . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, you did tell me that . ¡¹ ¡¸The biggest reason was his lack of sense as a blacksmith . However, he was still a Dwarf who had aimed to become a blacksmith . As far as examining ores is concerned, the Humans blacksmiths around here can¡¯t even reach his feet . No, that¡¯s not a good analogy, but either way, his eyes have a remarkable ability . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ore?¡¹ At those words, Rei turned to Brazos again . Indeed, as if to check something, the Dwarf was lightly tapping the cave walls and stones that had fallen to the ground with his Earthshaker Hammer . ¡¸That is? Does this cave have metal deposits or something?¡¹ ¡¸I guess . In addition, I think it¡¯s quite valuable based on Brazos¡¯ reactions . ¡¹ Rei and Freon watched Brazos for about 5 minutes . After waiting for that long, Freon gave and sigh and turned to Rei . ¡¸If we stay with Brazos like this, we¡¯ll probably stay overnight on the mountain tonight as well . It can¡¯t be helped, we¡¯ll look further inside . ¡¹ ¡¸No, but can we leave Brazos alone like this?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m a little worried¡­¡­any how, we have a Griffon, Set, to watch him . I¡¯ll head further in with you . There shouldn¡¯t be any monsters that would attack us¡­¡­even if there is, if it attacks, that idiot will realise it . Hey, let¡¯s just go . ¡¹ Freon pulled Rei¡¯s arm, which was wrapped in the Dragon Robe, and went further into the cave . Then, as they went further in, frowning slightly at the burnt smell, they eventually reached a large space . ¡¸Here is¡­¡­¡¹ The large space was even wider than Bolton¡¯s mansion, which he had visited a few days ago . Many stalactites hung down from the ceiling like icicles . (Stalactites? Water passing from the summit of mountains goes through limestone caves, dissolving the limestone and forming stalactites like this . I saw it in a special feature of a TV show before¡­¡­but why are they in a cave at the summit?) Rei though about it for a moment, but then again, this was a fantasy world with magic and monsters . He decided that cases where stalactites grew in caves on mountain summits were probably not that strange . ¡¸Here, it seems to be the Harpy nest . ¡¹ As Rei was staring at the stalactites, Freon¡¯s voice brought him back to reality . When he looked towards Freon, Rei saw a honeycomb like structure with many opened holes . ¡¸This is¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Well . I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s like that, but there¡¯s no doubt since there are burnt corpses of Harpies here . ¡¹ It was true that near the wall where the honey comb structure was, there were a large number of bodies burnt to charcoal on the ground that seemed to be Harpies . And with the place where the honeycomb structure was as the center, there was a hole continuing to the outside, opposite the direction Rei had entered from . ¡¸I see, maybe this was the main entry for the Harpies? So, the way we came in was the back door . ¡­¡­No wonder more than 20 survived after my magic attack . ¡¹ Freon sighed, followed by Rei as well . What remained in this space that could be called a large hall were the corpses of the Harpies that had been here . There were no signs of surviving Harpies . Even if they were lucky enough to survive Rei¡¯s magic, the exit was close enough that they would have escaped from here already . Freon probably guessed that as well . After briefly looking around and confirming that there were no surviving Harpies, she looked relieved and gave a refreshed smile . ¡¸Okay, we¡¯ve completed our request for now . Although we left it all to you this time¡­¡­¡¹ Giving a wry smile as he was vigorously clapped on the back, Rei turned to look at the honeycomb structures in the wall . ¡¸So, the Harpy subjugation is finished, but why is it like that?¡¡Is this really a nest the Harpies made?¡¹ ¡¸I wonder . At the very least, I¡¯ve never heard that Harpies would make a nest like this . Maybe, they found this by chance and thought that it was just right for their nests?¡¹ Freon and Rei discussed it, but they soon heard footsteps approaching noisily and they turned to look around . Then, they saw Brazos running towards them with a huge, pale red ore, his face flushed with excitement . Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Legend Chapter 135 ¡¸It¡¯s amazing! This is amazing! No, if anything, Rei is amazing!¡¹ It wasn¡¯t his usual cheerful excitement like when he was drunk . As Brazos showed Rei and Freon the ore he had found, his face had a sort of obsession on it . What he held in his hands was a shiny, pale red ore . If Rei could sense magic power, he would have noticed that fire magic power . However, Rei was poor in this aspect and looked at Freon questioningly . ¡¸This is?¡¹ ¡¸Flame Crystal, it¡¯s Flame Crystal!¡¹ Flame Crystal . Hearing that name, Rei remembered what Brazos had told him in the guild . There was a mine in this mountain . Flame Crystal was one of the magical metals that could be mined in the mine . ¡¸What¡¯s special about that? Can¡¯t you mine it in this mountain? In that case, it¡¯s not strange that you could find some even in this cave . ¡¹ ¡¸Wrong! No, you¡¯re not wrong but funda¡­¡­ment¡­ally¡­¡­?¡¹ As he held up the Flame Crystal in his hands, Brazos mouth stopped moving as he was about to continue speaking . What he saw was the place where the honeycomb structure in the wall was and the place where stalactites grew from the ceiling ¡¸¡­¡­I-Impossible . Why are there Windstone Crystals here¡­¡­in addition, so much . Adding onto that, Emerest Crystals¡­¡­is it?¡¹ Rei and Freon gave puzzled looks as they had no idea what Brazo was on about . Still, judging from Brazos¡¯ muttering that it was some sort of crystal, he searched Zepairu¡¯s memories for the first time in a while . (Windstone Crystals . Crystals produced in places where wind blows all year round for several hundred years . Under the influence of magic power, the wind starts to materialise, melting and growing down from the ceiling like stalactites . It is a material used to make magic items such as weapons and armour . It is also a very useful material in alchemy . ¡­¡­I see . It¡¯s a valuable item . ) Thinking to himself, he looked at the stalactites hanging from the ceiling¡­¡­no, the Windstone Crystals . If they took hundreds of years to form, it was certainly a very rare item . Next, he turned to look at the honeycomb structure that the Harpies had used as a nest . (Emerest Crystal . It is a rare crystal that can absorb the natural magic power around it and give it to anything that touches it . ¡­¡­Wow . This is definitely amazing . Does that mean you can increase the recovery rate of magic power just by wearing it on your body? There was a good reason why the Harpies made their nest here . ¡¸Indeed, Emerest ore and Windstone crystals . I have heard about this from my master, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen it . ¡¹ At Rei impressed murmurs, Freon looked at him . ¡¸Did you know?¡¹ ¡¸It was just something I heard . ¡¹ Nodding at Freon¡¯s question, he explained it from the knowledge in Zepairu¡¯s memory . After Freon heard the explainations, she looked towards the two crystals in admiration . Dancing around with joy¡­¡­although she wouldn¡¯t go that far, Rei had thought she would be more excited and asked . ¡¸I thought you would be more delighted . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I certainly think it¡¯s amazing¡­¡­but it¡¯s not really ours . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Why not?¡¹ At Freon¡¯s casual words, Rei asked back in surprise . On the other hand, Freon nodded naturally . ¡¸That¡¯s right . Doesn¡¯t this mountain belong to Margrave Rowlocks?¡¡That includes the mine that is the reason we came here for the Harpy subjugation¡­¡­ Trying to grab valuable treasures from a mountain that belongs to the Margrave . What would happen if that becomes known? Margrave Rowlock¡¯s territory is already literally the frontier . If you did something here for your own self interest, in the end, the Margrave is a true noble¡­¡­no, rather, because he¡¯s a true noble, he will regulate such things strictly . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . At the very least, there¡¯s a mine in this mountain . If it was a mountain that no one had touched, it would be a different matter . ¡­¡­Therefore!¡¡Brazos, don¡¯t even think about stealing that Flame Crystal in your hands!¡¹ At Freon¡¯s voice, Brazos, who had been staring and the Windstone and Emerest Crystals admiringly, was startled . (This guy, I hope he wasn¡¯t thinking of doing that . ) Rei turned to look at the Flame Crystal that Brazos was holding protectively . ¡¸What, I wouldn¡¯t think of doing such a thing!¡¡There¡¯s more than that . This Flame Crystal is amazing . I tried to investigate the ores in the surrounding, but this Flame Crystal was probably just created yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸Yesterday?¡¹ Hearing those words, Freon looked at Rei . That was a matter of course . Flame Crystals were crystals that contained fire magic power . These crystals were created yesterday . Only one thing came up in her mind . Seeing Freon looking at him, Rei asked . ¡¸That means¡­¡­you mean that the Flame Crystal was created by my magic yesterday?¡¹ Don¡¯t keep us guessing . Rei asked while thinking like that . Brazos nodded naturally . ¡¸It couldn¡¯t be anything else . I think it¡¯s not so much about your magic power but more that your magic was an extraordinary fire magic . By chance, some of it must have been absorbed by some rocks, creating Flame Crystal . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In other words, if you have Rei, you can make Flame Crystal without limit?¡¹ At Freon¡¯s question, Rei felt doubtful . Brazos shook his head . ¡¸As I said, this Flame Crystal was definitely created by Rei¡¯s magic . However, it was only one of the factors . Several coincidental factors had to stack up . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, even if I use the same magic as I did last night, I might not be able to create Flame Crystal?¡¹ ¡¸Probably . However, anyone with even a little bit of knowledge about magical metals, will know that this Flame Crystal was created very recently . In that case, the cause will definitely be traced back to this Harpy subjugation¡­¡­among us, only Rei can use magic, the guild will find out if they examine it . ¡­¡­Well, this is troubling . ¡¹ (In other words, it would be possible that I would be caught just to produce Flame Crystals endlessly . In that case¡­¡­£© ¡¸Before a strange disturbance occurs, it might be better to meet with Margrave Rowlocks to explain . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that is a good plan¡­¡­but do you have a contact?¡¡You know you can¡¯t just meet with the Margrave because you want to see him right?¡¹ Brazos sighed as he stroked his beard . However, Rei nodded at Brazos with a smile . Since the Margrave had given him a nominated request for the dungeon, he was tentatively an acquaintance . ¡¸That is true . Any how, we should get back to the city of Gimuru and talk to the Margrave as soon as possible . ¡­¡­About stripping materials from the Harpies¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸They won¡¯t rot if they¡¯re in your item box right? It would be better to deal with this problem first . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸What, it¡¯s not just for you . Although, it¡¯s true that your magic is what cause the Flame Crystal to be created, we would still get rolled up in the trouble as it was a request we took together . ¡¹ Brazos also nodded at Freon¡¯s words . ¡¸That¡¯s right . If they were going to rot, it would have been better to strip the materials first, but now it would be better to deal with this issue first . If one of those greedy people find out about the Flame Crystal, it would be enough reason for them to want to control you since you could create Flame Crystal as you want . ¡¹ Stupid people filled with greed . At that description, Bolton¡¯s face appeared in Rei¡¯s mind . (But, I did threaten him . I don¡¯t think he would be that stupid¡­¡­but . ) After threatening him, if Bolton still messed with him, he would be fine with that . He had only left him after saying that there would be no next time, if he did anything, he would be betting his own life . With that in mind, Rei reached out for the Flame Crystal in Brazos¡¯ hands . ¡¸Even if I can meet Margrave Rowlocks, some evidence will still be necessary . Should we take this along?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? ¡­¡­Well . I guess it can¡¯t be helped . ¡¹ Brazos handed over the shiny Flame Crystal with a reluctant appearance as Rei stored it into the Misty Ring . ¡¸In that case, we should head down the mountain quickly . ¡­¡­No, should I go ahead with Set?¡¹ Rei spoke as he looked towards the exit near the Emerest Crystals . However, Freon shook her head . ¡¸Although every minute and second counts, you don¡¯t have to hurry to that point . For now, we are the only ones that know about this cave . In that case, it would be better to go down together since it would take time to fight off monster attacks if we went down without Set . Anyway, if we leave now, we will still arrive back at Gimuru by early evening . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, it would be great if you could stick with us . ¡­¡­Or, Set could carry all three of us¡­¡­¡¹ At Brazos¡¯ question, Rei shook his head as he had expected it . ¡¸No, Set can carry around one person without a problem, but at best, he can only carry two smaller people . ¡¹ As he said that, he looked towards Brazos and Freon . Brazos was out of the question . He was muscular, as peculiar to the Dwarves, and had a huge magic hammer, the Earthshaker Hammer . Although the Death Scythe was overwhelmingly heavier than most other weapons, maybe because they both came from the Magic Beast Art¡­¡­though it wasn¡¯t possible to completely ignore it, Set still seemed to receive some of the weight reduction effect and didn¡¯t look like he found it too heavy . As far as Freon was concerned, she was a bit taller than Rei, 170cm, and had a lot of muscle as well . Including parts of the armour she ore that was reinforced with metal, she weighed a reasonable amount . Looking at the two of them¡­¡­Rei shook his head . ¡¸That¡¯s impossible . ¡¹ ¡¸Ignoring me, not even Freon? ¡­¡­Ahh, you¡¯ve gained weight!¡¹ Before he could make it to the end, Brazos gave a cry in pain as Freon swung her sword and hit him . Fortunately, her sword was still in her sheath . If she had unsheathed it, Brazos¡¯ body would have been bisected by now . That was how hard she had hit him . ¡¸Damn, guh¡­¡­w-what are you doing all of a sudden¡­¡­well¡­¡­¡¹ Brazos turned around angrily . However, seeing Freon with an even angrier expression, Brazos¡¯ anger disappeared immediately . ¡¸Brazos . You have great guts to tell a woman about their weight . No, you are truly a brave Dwarf . Accepting the anger of all women around the world, only you would have such courage . ¡¹ ¡¸N-No . I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­¡­¡¹ Brazos kept glancing at Rei for help, but seeing Freon sweep an angry look past him, he passed up Brazos¡¯ request for help . ¡¸¡­¡­Should we get going?¡¹ Completing Brazos¡¯ punishment, Rei asked Freon, who had calmed back down to some extent . Still, he still asked cautiously because Freon seemed to still be angry over Brazos¡¯ words about her weight . ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh, that¡¯s right . This much punishment it good enough enough . The rest will come after this matter is over . Slowly and thoroughly . I will engrave the meaning of tactfulness into him . ¡¹ (There¡¯s still more?) He gave a sympathetic look towards Brazos, who was looking pitiful . Still, he understood that it would happen to him as well if he got involved . The three of them finally left the cave . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set had been looking out for monsters outside the cave and gave a happy cry when he saw the three of them come out . ¡¸There seems to to be nothing wrong . ¡¹ As he stroked Set¡¯s head, Rei told the others to bring the mood away from Brazos¡¯ punishment . It was obvious from the fact that there were no monster corpses outside that Set was somewhat bored . ¡¸Set, the plan has changed a bit . We won¡¯t be stripping the materials from the Harpies yet . The first thing we have to do is to meet with Margrave Rowlocks in Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ When tilted his head in puzzlement, Rei told him about the Flame Crystal that was found inside the cave and how it was created by Rei¡¯s magic last night . ¡¸So, as things are, troublesome things might happen if some greedy person finds out . Before that happens, we have to tell the Margrave that this was all a coincidence . Fortunately, Dwarves are familiar with ores . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei looked towards Brazos, who looked like he was starting to recover . Chapter 136 Chapter 136 ¡¸I did think about it when were were climbing the mountain¡­¡­but it really is Set . ¡¹ Freon said that as they walked along the highway . After walking down the mountain, they continued walking without stopping for breaks . The city of Gimuru was already in sight . It was still around 3-4 in the afternoon and there shouldn¡¯t be any problems even if they asked for a meeting with the Margrave now . After taking up the request and heading for the mountain, they had traveled while preserving their stamina in order to climb the mountain to attack the Harpies at night . However, Brazos opinion was that they should return back to the city of Gimuru as quickly as possible this time . Because they traveled at the effective pace of a military forced march, the 10 hour journey was cut to 6-7 hours . ¡¸Well then, should we go to the guild first after getting back to the city? Or the Margrave¡¯s residence?¡¹ Rei asked Brazos, who was walking along side him on the highway . At that question, Brazos thought for a little while before speaking . ¡¸That¡¯s right . We should report to the Margrave first . If we report to the guild first, we might not be able to meet the Margrave if something unexpected comes up . ¡¹ ¡¸I agree with that . We won¡¯t have anything to worry about if we report the request completion to the guild afterwards . ¡¹ At there words, Rei had no particular objections and gave a small nod in agreement . As they talked as they continued on, they soon arrived at the main gate to the city of Gimuru . After finishing the procedures with Ranga as usual, they entered the city . ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll be relying on you Rei since you are the one acquainted with the Margrave¡­¡­should we go?¡¹ He nodded at Freon¡¯s words and walked along the path he had been through several times before towards the Margrave¡¯s residence . On the way, they met several knights who were patrolling . But whether it was because Set had already become Rei¡¯s identifier or not, they reached the Margrave¡¯s residence without any particular issues . As they came closer to the main gate, as expected, the two gatekeepers started to watch him . However, Rei didn¡¯t mind them as he approached . Behind him, Freon and Brazos both looked somewhat uncomfortable . Although he was a veteran adventurer, he was still rank C . If they were were rank B or A adventurers, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to receive a nominated request from a lord or someone similar . However, the two of them had no such experience . No, rather, Rei who caught Daska¡¯s eye and received a nominated request from him when he was still rank D was the abnormal one . While feeling puzzled at why they looked uncomfortable, Rei called out to one of the gatekeepers . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, a D rank adventurer . There¡¯s something I need to consult with Margrave Rowlocks urgently . I would like to request a meeting . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I know about you . There is no way I wouldn¡¯t recognise that Griffon . However, to meet Daska-sama, the lord of this city, it will be difficult for me to say yes, you understand right?¡¹ At the gatekeepers words, Freon and Brazos both gave a sigh . They had some expectations for Rei¡¯s connection with Margrave Rowlocks, but it seems those expectations were just a false hope . However, Rei ignored the two behind him and took out the Flame Crystal, that Brazos had mined in the cave, from the Misty Ring . . ¡¸Woah!¡¹ Even for the gatekeeper, it was an unexpected event . Raising a voice of surprise, he took several steps back before speaking . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸As you can see, it¡¯s Flame Crystal . Just before, I went with these two other people to subjugate some Harpies that had built a nest¡­¡­have you heard about that?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahh . That mine has made great contributions to the city of Gimuru . Of course I know about it . ¡¹ He naturally knew about it as a person who served Margrave Rowlocks . The gatekeeper nodded . Rei smiled as the gatekeeper turned to look at the crystal . ¡¸We found a huge amount of crystals in the Harpies¡¯ nesting place . This Flame Crystal also came from there . For that reason, I thought it would be best to report this as soon as possible¡­¡­¡¹ As expected, although a person came bringing items that directly related to the profit of the territory¡­¡­in the end, their job was to stop people from meeting with the Margrave whenever they wanted . The gatekeeper that was talking with Rei received the Flame Crystal from Rei and handed it over to his fellow gatekeeper before speaking again . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but can I report this to my captain first?¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Giving a small nod, one gatekeeper stayed behind to talk with Rei while the other entered the residence with the Flame Crystal . ¡¸My apologies, please wait here until I get a reply . If it¡¯s such a serious matter, even our captain might not be able to decide lightly . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Sorry for being so unreasonable . ¡¹ Replying to the gatekeeper, Rei turned to look at Freon and Brazos, who were looking restless . ¡¸Oi, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, what are you doing?¡¡Do you understand, this is the Margrave¡¯s residence!?¡¡In other words, he¡¯s a noble!?¡¡How can you be so calm!¡¹ Although Freon shouted quietly so that the gatekeeper couldn¡¯t hear her, Rei received it calmly . Any how, he had grown up in a world where he never had to deal with nobility, so even if he was dealing with a noble, he didn¡¯t have a sense of respect towards them . And above all, he had become acquainted with Daska and Elena, who were both unlike most nobles . Kuust could be considered the typical noble while Elena was the daughter of Duke Kerebel, a central figure in the Nobles Faction . As for Ara, because she was so devoted to Elena, she didn¡¯t give off the impression of being a noble . ¡¸I¡¯ve been here several times before . It¡¯s because of that . ¡¹ For the time being, Rei replied as such . While continuing to talk with the gatekeeper and stroking Set, the other gatekeeper eventually came back from the residence . ¡¸You all, it seems that Daska-sama will see you . Please come inside . ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry for troubling you . ¡¹ Saying thanks and giving a small bow, Rei entered the residence followed by Freon and Brazos, who both looked a little nervous . As for Set, Rei asked one of the gatekeepers to take him to the stables . ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, Rei . Is this okay?¡¹ Freon asked as she saw Set led away behind them . Rei nodded casually . ¡¸Ahh, there won¡¯t be any problems . Set has come here with me before as well . ¡¹ ¡¸If you say so then it¡¯s okay . ¡¹ As they entered the residence, a butler, who looked to be in his fifties, was waiting for them . ¡¸I will guide you to my master . Thank you for following . ¡¹ Following the elegant butler, they eventually arrived at the office which Rei had visited several times . Rei gave a wry laugh as he saw Freon and Brazos fascinated by the sculpted door that could be called a work of art . The butler used the knocker next to the door as he smiled . ¡¸Daska-sama, I¡¯ve brought Rei-sama and his party . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s good . Come in . ¡¹ Hearing that, the butler opened the door . Rei entered the room and gave a bow towards Daska, who was looking at him as he sat at his desk . ¡¸It¡¯s been a while Daska-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s been a while . ¡­¡­Even so, you haven¡¯t brought up a lot of disturbances recently . However, the disturbance this time is greatly welcomed . ¡¹ Daska looked towards the Flame Crystal, that had been placed on the table for guests . with a grin . While expressing complaints with this words, he had a pleasant expression . It was no wonder . He was already in a good mood that the Harpies that had been stopping the mine from being used had been exterminated A huge Flame Crystal that he had never seen before had also been presented to him . ¡¸Sit down and have some tea first . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please excuse me . ¡¹ The three of them sat down on the sofa for guests after being prompted by Daska . The butler that guided them here then entered the room, as if he had been waiting, and placed a cup of tea before Rei . Saying a quick thanks, Rei brought the cup of tea to his mouth . Daska eventually spoke up after seeing that Brazos and Freon had settled down . ¡¸So I heard that this Flame Crystal was found in the cave the Harpies were nesting in¡­¡­is this true?¡¹ Rei turned towards Brazos at Daska¡¯s words . However, Brazos glanced away when he heard that . Rei spoke up with a small sigh . ¡¸It¡¯s slightly different . Due to the effect of the fire magic I used during our attack last night, it reacted with some of the crystals inside the cave to form Flame Crystals¡­¡­to be exact on what happened . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . However, this seems to be due to an extraordinary number of coincidences to happen for this to occur . So, it would be difficult to create a similar Flame Crystal again¡­¡­or rather, it would be impossible . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . If Flame Crystals could be reliably produced, the city of Gimuru would become a little richer . So, did you hear that explanation about the Flame Crystals from that Dwarf over there?¡¹ Daska looked towards Brazos . Deciding that he couldn¡¯t avoid it any longer, Brazos placed his cup on his saucer and spoke up . ¡¸Pardon me,but as a Dwarf, I¡¯m ot that good with talking with nobles . I will be grateful if you can overlook that . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine . I personally don¡¯t mind ignoring etiquette that much . It will do as long you give the basic minimum courtesy . ¡¹ Feeling better at Daska¡¯s words, Brazos started to explain calmly . ¡¸That Flame Crystal, as soon as anyone familiar with crystals sees it, they will understand it hasn¡¯t been long since it was created . And this Flame Crystal was found in the Harpies¡¯ nest . Knowing that, it wouldn¡¯t be that hard to find out who had taken the Harpy subjugation request at the guild . Especially if it¡¯s Margrave Rowlocks, the lord of the city of Gimuru . Because of that, we thought it would be better to tell you directly instead of reporting to the guild first and having the information twisted by the time it reached Margrave-sama . ¡­¡­Fortunately, Rei is acquainted with Margrave-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Did you think Rei might be taken advantage of because he made the Flame Crystals?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . After all, this is the first time he has ever created Flame Crystals . Those who don¡¯t know anything will think that a second time is possible if a first time occurs . Fortunately, Margrave-sama understand the situation . I¡¯m relieved . ¡¹ At Brazos¡¯ words, Daska put his hands to his chin as he thought . Before long, he spoke again . ¡¸Was it really a coincidence that this Flame Crystal was created?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I will affirm it as a Dwarf . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . I will promise not to mention Rei anymore as far as this matter is concerned . So then, how much Flame Crystal was created in the cave?¡¹ At Daska¡¯s question, Brazos replied after a few seconds¡­¡­no, after about ten seconds . ¡¸Almost the entire entrance of the cave¡­¡­is . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸Rei threw his fire magic from the entrance to the cave . Almost everything there has turned into Flame Crystal . It¡¯s probably a considerable amount . In particular, alchemists and blacksmiths would go into a frenzy if they saw them . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ What came out was an unbelievable amount of Flame Crystal . While talking about its value, Brazos continued . ¡¸In addition? Is there still something else?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . At the back of the cave . There is a large quantity of Windstone Crystals hanging down like stalactites where the Harpies nested . There¡¯s also Emerest Crystals . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that confirmed?¡¹ ¡¸Not just me, I¡¯ve confirmed it with Rei and Freon as well so there¡¯s no mistake . That amount of magic metal, I cannot imagine how much it is worth . The Flame Crystals as well . Because of that, we came to visit Margrave-sama in a hurry . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . I understand completely . I will send someone familiar with that place to investigate the cave tomorrow along with a group of knights . This matter has not been disclosed to anyone else?¡¹ The three of them, Rei, Brazos and Freon silently nodded at Daska . ¡¸Yes, we have not told anyone else . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡­¡­Thank you . As you know, Gimuru is a city at the frontier . This is a great development . ¡¹ Saying that, the Margrave gave Rei a bow . ¡¸I will manage this moving forward . If you don¡¯t want to get caught in any unnecessary disturbances, it would be best not to talk about it . ¡¹ The three of them quietly nodded at Daska¡¯s words . Seeing that, Daska spoke again . ¡¸Now then, is there anything else? If not, I will get some people to prepare to head for the mine right away . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s just a small matter, is that fine?¡¹ Rei stopped Daska when he tried to wrap up the meeting . Although Brazos and Freon looked at Rei, who had just interrupted a noble words, Rei continued speaking anyway . ¡¸It has nothing to do with this case . Actually, I was recently told by a man named Bolton, the president of Azoth Firm, to hand over all my magic items and Set as well . Have you heard anything about that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . I don¡¯t know about it at all . Is that true? No matter what the president of Azoth Firm says, he cannot forcibly take away magic items or tamed monsters from adventurers as they would be considered the property of the adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I heard about that in the guild . I¡¯ve also heard various bad rumors about him . ¡­¡­Although I¡¯ve refused him for now, there¡¯s the possibility he won¡¯t give up and will try to do something . In that case, there might be a huge uproar in the streets of Gimuru . ¡¹ Daska frowned his eyes at Rei¡¯s words . Even Daska had heard about the bad rumors around Bolton . However, he couldn¡¯t remove Bolton carelessly due to the taxes he paid . Bolton was like a tumor and could lead Gimuru to its ruin if he didn¡¯t deal with it somehow . ¡¸I understand . I will use my authority as the Margrave to tell Azoth Firm . If they continue to take aggressive actions without caring, you¡¯re free to act as you want . Fortunately, Bolton has a good younger brother . There¡¯s no need to worry about a successor . ¡¹ Rei realised the implications of Daska¡¯s suggestion and his expression tightened as he nodded . Chapter 137 Chapter 137 By the time they finished reporting about the Harpies nest and left the Margrave¡¯s residence, the surroundings were already dyed red by the sunset . Freon spoke up as she looked at the dazzling sunset . ¡¸Well, that took more time than expected . ¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about? You threw all the explaining to me and Rei . You didn¡¯t say anything and just drank tea and ate sweets . ¡¹ Brazos gave a sigh in amazement . Next to him, Rei also looked at Freon in amazement when she said that . Seeing the amazed looks from them, Freon scratched her cheeks in embarrassment . ¡¸Even if you say that, I¡¯ve never talked with nobles or anyone like that¡­¡­isn¡¯t it best to leave it to those who are familiar with it?¡¹ ¡¸You can¡¯t just do that . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡­¡­well, never mind, it¡¯s all because of this incident after all . ¡¹ Feeling that she was at a disadvantage because of what they said, Freon averted her eyes as she changed the topic ¡¸A-Anyway, Rei was responsible for creating the Flame Crystals and Brazos is the one that knows about the crystals right?¡¡As for me, I have nothing to do with it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s fine . For now, we¡¯ve given our report . Should we report our request completion to the guild now?¡¹ Brazos gave up as he spoke in resignation as Rei saw Set coming out from the back of the Margrave¡¯s residence . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry as he went towards them . Rei saw that Set had some sort of sauce stuck to his beak and stroked his head with a smile . ¡¸It seems they¡¯ve treated you well here too . ¡¹ Guessing what Set had been up to, Rei turned to Brazos as he kept stroking Set¡¯s head . ¡¸So then, we should report the guild¡­¡­but what about the Flame Crystal?¡¹ Yes, there was still the Flame Crystal they had brought back from the Harpies¡¯ nest . Daska let them have this particular Flame Crystal as a reward for the report . ¡¸Well¡­¡­for a Flame Crystal of this size, there¡¯s no buyer or seller right now . This time, why don¡¯t we bring it to the blacksmith who made the request?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not troubled for money right now . If possible, we should leave the Flame Crystal as it is¡­¡­worst case, I¡¯d be happy just to split it into three equal parts . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, what should we do with it . Rei isn¡¯t in need of money, Brazos and I aren¡¯t poor, but we don¡¯t have a lot of money to spare either . ¡­¡­The Flame Crystal could be used to make new weapons, but I would like to sell it . ¡¹ At Freon¡¯s troubled look, Rei spoke as he thought of something . ¡¸To sell this Flame Crystal, you would find out how much it is worth after appraising it . How about I both your thirds?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s proposal, Freon thought about it for a few seconds¡­¡­before nodding . ¡¸I don¡¯t have any problems with that . How about you Brazos?¡¹ ¡¸Hm, mmm¡­¡­it¡¯s certainly difficult to reject money, but the Flame Crystal¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei and Freon started walking back to the city from the Margrave¡¯s residence, Brazos held his head . By the time they had reached the city, Brazos still hadn¡¯t made his decision and Rei decided it couldn¡¯t continue like this . ¡¸Then, how about we have the Flame Crystal appraised first? Depending on the price, you can decide what to do with your share Brazos . ¡¹ ¡¸H-Hmm¡­¡­that¡¯s right . If we get an expert to appraise it, it could serve as a guideline . ¡¹ ¡¸Would that weapons shop over there be okay?¡¹ Rei was looking at a weapons shop about 10m in front of them . Funnily, it was the shop that had refused to sell him spears for this request . ¡¸Mm? In that weapons shop? Weapons shops basically sell weapons, but it¡¯s the blacksmiths that forges the weapons you know? Of course there are many shops that make and sell their own weapons, so that¡¯s definitely possible¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You know . It would be better to get it appraised with the blacksmith we know . If it¡¯s a dodgy shop, we might be ripped off . But if it¡¯s an acquaintance, they won¡¯t do that . ¡¹ ¡¸If you say that place is better, then that¡¯s fine . Is it okay to ask him to just appraise it and not to buy it?¡¹ Because they were acquaintances, Rei asked if there would be an issue . However, Freon just shrugged her shoulders as Brazos smiled . ¡¸He¡¯s a man serious about work . That¡¯s why he¡¯s been appreciated by a lot of people in the short period of time since he came to this city . He¡¯s not small minded about things like that . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A blacksmith who¡¯s only been here for a short time?¡¹ Hearing those familiar words, Rei thought for several seconds¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, the blacksmith wouldn¡¯t have a kid by any chance? One called Kumito . ¡¹ Yes, a while before, he had helped a kid in a fighter against some older kids to kill time . The kid had told him his father was a blacksmith who had recently come to the city of Gimuru . Recalling that, he asked Freon and Brazos . Their eyes grew wider at Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸So you know him as well . Pamidor does have a kid called Kumito¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, so it was him . No, I just happened to help that brat when he was tangled up with some older kids in a gang . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Boys your age are already forming gangs . ¡¹ Rei gave a wry smile at Freon¡¯s murmurs . ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not exactly like that . Kumito asked me to come see him when I could . In that case¡­¡­did you say he was called Pamidor? Are we going to that blacksmith?¡¹ ¡¸Mm . He¡¯s a reliable blacksmith and will help us if we ask him . ¡¹ ¡¸I have no objections . If we took it to a bad weapons shop to get it appraised, we would also have to pay an appraisal fee . ¡¹ Like that, the three of them decided to head for Pamidor¡¯s smithy after reporting their request to the guild . ¡¸That said, we should go to the guild first before it gets dark . Around this time, lots of people will start to report the completion of their requests . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that can¡¯t be helped . We can¡¯t say that about others since we¡¯re the same . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t like crowds that much . Especially when they¡¯re adventurers since there are a lot of well built people . ¡¹ Listening in to the conversation between Brazos and Freon, Rei unintentionally replied . Freon almost burst into laughter on reflex . ¡¸Aha, t-that is certainly so . Because of Rei¡¯s height, he would be completely buried if he tries to squeeze in with the vanguards . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, nevertheless, you shouldn¡¯t worry about it so much Rei . Eh, Freon . Don¡¯t laugh at the physical characteristics of other people . ¡¹ ¡¸B-But . With Rei¡¯s skill and strength, to have a height complex¡­¡­i-it¡¯s no use . It doesn¡¯t fit him¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Just saying, I¡¯m still taller than Brazos . ¡¹ ¡¸You, you can¡¯t boast about being taller than a Dwarf . ¡¹ Brazos gave a sigh at Rei¡¯s words . Rei looked at Brazos as they entered the bustling city streets¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t that Set? He¡¯s looking cute today . Here, have some freshly cooked skewers . The sauce is also a new flavour . ¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re a little hungry, how about some bread before dinner . There¡¯s plenty of meat inside . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei, I tried making the changes you told me before, would you like to try some soup?¡¹ As soon as they entered the streets, the storekeepers at the street stalls started to call out to Rei and Set . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry as he ate the soup and snacks, served by the the storekeepers in the street stores, in several bites . Seeing Set act as usual, Rei paid for the food as he smiled, thinking it can¡¯t be helped . ¡­¡­Naturally he bought his own portion as well . ¡¸Wow, this is an amazing commotion . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­This is unexpected indeed . ¡¹ Freon and Brazos were stunned as they chased after Rei and Set, who were buying skewers here and there . As they continued walking like that, by the time the guild came into sight, both Rei and Set were satisfied . They threw the paper that had wrapped the skewers and bread into garbage bins, which had been set up by the stalls . ¡¸It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve become hungry just walking through . ¡¹ ¡¸If I had some liquor I would be fine . ¡¹ Saying that, they split from Set and entered the guild¡­¡­ ¡¸I knew it . ¡¹ Rei sighed involuntarily . Near the evening, adventurers who had completed their requests would report at the guild . The bar was overflowing with people celebrating and feasting . In such circumstances, they headed for the counters with Brazos leading them . Not sure what they were thinking, but some drunks also tried to approach Freon as they moved forward . The result was, without exception, Freon smacking her sword in their faces . ¡­¡­Fortunately, the sword was still sheathed . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san, Brazos-san and Freon-san, you¡¯ve returned . It looks like you¡¯ve successfully completed the request . ¡¹ Lenora saw Rei and greeted the three of them with a smile . Smiling while dealing with this crowd of adventurers, it could be said that was the standard greeting of the receptionists to the adventurers who were reporting the completion of their requests . ¡¸It was the Harpy subjugation wasn¡¯t it . ¡¹ After saying that, she continued in a low voice so that other people couldn¡¯t hear her . ¡¸Actually, it seems that Margrave-sama has contacted the higher ups in the guild . Originally, this request would only be completed 10 days after the subjugation to confirm that all the monsters had been subjugated . Only after that would it be considered completed¡­¡­this time, with the authority of the Margrave, the completion of this request is approved immediately as an exception . ¡­¡­Did you do something again?¡¹ Lenora looked at Rei in exasperation and Rei averted his eyes . He couldn¡¯t tell her that because of the influence of his magic, he had turned the entrance of the cave to the Harpies¡¯ nest into Flame Crystals . There was also the rare Windstone Crystals and Emerest Crystals . There was no way he could speak to her about those things . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Lenora looked at Rei for a while as he avoided her gaze before she shook her head with a sigh as it couldn¡¯t be helped . ¡­¡­However, the reason was because Kenny, her catkin colleague, was looking at them enviously . ¡¸Um, do you have any proofs of subjugation from the Harpies or magic stones?¡¹ ¡¸Not right now . We came back to Gimuru in a hurry, so the Harpy corpses are still in Rei¡¯s item box . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . We can buy them at any time . Then, this is your reward . ¡¹ Saying that, Lenora handed over a bag containing three gold coins . Brazos received and the Harpy subjugation request was completed . ¡¸Oh, and Rei-san . There were several adventurers who wanted to accept the request to strip materials¡­¡­when do you want to do the interview?¡¡I¡¯ve told them to gather tomorrow . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well then¡­¡­I¡¯ll interview them tomorrow afternoon . May I use the meeting room on the second floor?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, there¡¯s no problems . I will let the applicants know . However, since they are adventurers, remember that it might not be possible for all of them to come tomorrow . In that case, it¡¯s usually first come, first serve . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s fine . ¡¹ ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll leave it at that . I¡¯ll wait for you tomorrow afternoon . ¡¹ (Well then, aside from the matter of the Flame Crystal, its finally the request for stripping materials . I¡¯m looking forward to this, and feeling a bit nervous¡­¡­I wonder what kind of adventurers will come . As he thought to himself, they finished their business at the counter and moved away from it . Kenny watched Rei leave Lenora regretfully . As expected, there was no way to seduce Rei and invite him out for dinner at this busy time . It already stretched her out to deal with the adventurers coming in one after the other . ¡¸Mm¡­¡­hey, Rei, Freon . Could we just stop by for a minute?¡¹ Brazos was looking towards the bar inside the guild as they left the counter . Unlike the times when Rei usually went to the guild, when the bar was mostly empty, it was now filled with almost no place to sit . Naturally, adventurers who had successfully completed their requests were drinking at the bar along with everyone else . There were also some who were drinking after failing their requests . ¡­¡­Brazos looked at them enviously . However, Freon brushed aside his hopes . ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid . We¡¯re going to Pamidor now . Pamidor will close his smithy if you drink now . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I wasn¡¯t going to to my heart¡¯s content . However, we completed the Harpy subjugation request . Just one or two cups¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸In your case, you never just stop at one or two cups! Hey, we leave now!¡¹ ¡¸Ow! Hey, Freon . Stop pulling my ears!¡¹ Rei watched the two of them leave the guild like that in amazement before following after them . ¡¸Hey, Brazos . I¡¯ll enjoy the liqour on behalf of you . ¡¹ As they left a man who seemed to be an acquaintance of Brazos shouted to him . Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Legend Chapter 138 ¡¸Guh¡­¡­ahhhh . Damn it, just showing off that they can drink right now¡­¡­those guys . Those drunkards are a disgrace . ¡¹ Even as they left the guild and headed for Pamidor¡¯s smith, Brazos was still complaining . Rei and Freon looked at him in exasperation while Set walked behind them in a good mood . The reason why Set was in a good mood was simple . Because the number of adventurers who went to the guild in the evening was higher, the number of adventurers that came through was also higher . In other words, the number of adventurers who fed Set increased accordingly¡­¡­as a result, Set was able to eat various things while waiting for Rei to come out . Some adventurers who were advocates of tamed monster discrimination, believing that monsters on the street were a danger, tried to pull out their swords and attack Set¡­¡­however, they were all knocked to the ground with a sweep of Set¡¯s tail . They were also beaten up by the adventurers around Set who were feeding him and thrown out of the place . ¡­¡­In addition, the first person to attack the other adventurer was a female adventurer, the leader of a certain Scorching Wind . Because of that, Set was in a good mood as he rubbed his head against Rei, who was walking in front . ¡¸Mm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Rei spoke to Freon while stroking Set¡¯s head . ¡¸So, Freon . Where is Pamidor¡¯s smithy? I only know that it¡¯s near the library . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, it¡¯s not that hard to find . Look, it¡¯s over there . ¡¹ Freon quickly looked towards smithy on a side street one block away from the library on the main street . Although it was a small smithy, its location close to the main street wasn¡¯t bad . At such a smithy, Brazos, who was still a little grumpy at not being able to drink, opened the door . ¡¸Pamidor, are you there?¡¹ ¡¸Ah? Coming in at this time . I¡¯m closing shop soon!¡¹ As soon as he opened the door and asked, a voice shouted back from the smithy . Hearing that shouting voice, Brazos and Freon entered the smithy without worrying about it . As usual, Set lied down a short distance away from the smithy . Rei entered the smith, following after Brazos . An intense heat was felt as they entered the smithy . The furnace itself was at the back of the smithy, but the heat could be felt from the entrance . ¡¸I¡¯m closing already . I¡¯m finishing my work for the day . ¡¹ Although he had been grumpy when Brazos had called out, Pamidor¡¯s expression relaxed slightly when he saw Brazos . Pamidor looked to be in his thirties . He had enough muscle that he could be mistaken for a warrior . Together with his tall stature, it emphasized his presence . Also, he was bald, unnecessarily emphasizing his tough look further . With Rei¡¯s sharp eyes, he had seen Pamidor relax a little¡­¡­that wasn¡¯t the case, it was just that the somewhat harsh atmosphere given off by the stern man softened slightly . ¡­¡­Nevertheless, his looks combined with his atmosphere gave off an oppressive feeling . There was the possibility that if someone encountered him late at night in an empty street, they would scream and run away without a doubt . ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s you Brazos . And Freon¡­¡­who¡¯s that kid?¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s Rei . He helped us on the Harpy request . It would have been difficult for me and Brazos to fight Harpies since they can fly in the sky . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei?¡¹ Hearing that name, Pamidor frowned slightly . However, he quickly shook his head and spoke with a serious expression . ¡¸So, since you¡¯ve come here, is the thing with the Harpies done? How about the mine?¡¹ Pamidor caught both of Brazos¡¯ shoulders . Rather than a blacksmith, he looked more like a bandit¡­¡­rather, he looked like a bandit who had made a mountain his territory or a pirate who terrified the seas . However, whether it was Brazos or Freon, because they were familiar with the man called Pamidor, the answered with a calm expression . ¡¸There¡¯s no more problems with the Harpies . As far as the mine is concerned, it will probably be reopened in the near future . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Speaking like that, there must be something else . Did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸Rather than saying it was there, it was created¡­¡­or maybe not . Rei, please . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Brazos¡¯ words and took out the Flame Crystal from the Misty Ring . Pamidor saw the Flame Crystal and drew in a breath as he saw the magic metal . Despite seeing the item box, only the Flame Crystal in Rei¡¯s hands appeared in his eyes . ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹ They looked at each other for a minute or so . After staring intently¡­¡­no, observing, for a while, he spoke up . ¡¸Flame Crystals, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Mm . Because of this, we had to pay a visit to the Margrave¡¯s residence . ¡¹ ¡¸The Margrave¡¯s residence?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Actually, this Flame Crystal¡­¡­Rei¡¯s fire magic caused some sort of reaction and created this thing in the cave where the Harpies were nesting . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . So, it hasn¡¯t been long since it was created . ¡¹ While nodding at Brazos¡¯ words, Pamidor looked towards Rei . He looked into Rei¡¯s eyes, looking into the depths of the person called Rei . But soon, he stopped looking at Rei like that and struck Rei¡¯s shoulder with a smile . ¡¸Kid, you¡¯re not afraid to look at my terrifying gaze . Not bad . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh~ . It¡¯s unusual for Pamidor to say something like that at first glance . ¡¹ Pamidor smiled at Freon¡¯s words as she was watching . ¡¸Actually, I heard about a person called Rei not long ago . Did you get caught up with my kid recently?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s about Kumito . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . He told me about you from then . He can be a handful at times . He said you would stop by sometime and was looking forward to it . He had to leave for something earlier but he¡¯ll be back soon so please wait for him . ¡¹ At those words, Rei gave a small nod . ¡¸So, what did you all come here for in the end? You¡¯re most welcome here if you want to see the Flame Crystal . Um, Rei, was it? Just put the Flame Crystal on the work bench over there . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Following his instruction, Rei placed the Flame Crystal on the work bench close by . Pamidor spoke as he looked at the Flame Crystal in admiration . ¡¸So, is it okay to sell it to me?¡¹ ¡¸No, we would like to appraise it first . If you were going to buy it, how much would you pay?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s right . Considering this Flame Crystal¡­¡­5 platinum coins¡­¡­no, 3 platinum coins and 5 gold coins . ¡¹ Freon¡¯s eyes went round at the unexpected price while Brazos replied Pamidor with a sigh . ¡¸Isn¡¯t that a rip off? By my judgement it should be around 8 platinum coins . ¡¹ ¡¸It definitely be worth that much when it was right after the Harpy problem came up¡­¡­but as you know now, the amount of pure iron available is dropping . While that has risen in price, magic metals like Flame Crystal have fallen in price instead . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Pamidor was about to say something and turned to look at Rei for a moment . However, he quickly shook his head and went back to appraising the Flame Crystal . Brazos had a strange expression on his face but quickly went back to the Flame Crystal as well . ¡¸I have no complaints about the purity . I can feel that it fire magic power has soaked all the way into it . ¡­¡­To create a Flame Crystal like this, did you use a very powerful fire magic?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, it was amazing . He made 10 fireballs that were hot enough that the surrounding temperature rose rapidly . He threw them all into the cave . ¡¹ Freon remembered the scene as she spoke and Pamidor frowned his eyes unintentionally . Blacksmiths used fire to make weapons and armour . In other words, he was also a specialist on fire . Pamidor was a blacksmith with a reputation among other smiths . He could understand how powerful Rei¡¯s magic was with that alone . Moreover¡­¡­ ¡¸You threw 10 fireballs that were that hot into the cave? If that¡¯s the case, when the fireballs chain exploded, there must have been no where for the heat to go¡­¡­ahh, I see . That was why this Flame Crystal was created . ¡¹ Actually, there was a second exit to the cave, so the amount of heat Pamidor was imagining didn¡¯t all end up inside the cave . However, the amount of heat still exceeded Pamidor¡¯s expectations . Everything considered, it was only possible with the extraordinary amount of magic power that Rei released in his magic . ¡¸¡­¡­How about it, you really won¡¯t sell it to me?¡¹ Pamidor spoke while looking at the Flame Crystal, but Brazos shook his head . ¡¸To tell the truth, Rei wants this Flame Crystal, he said he would buy Freon and my shares . ¡¹ ¡¸This Flame Crystal? From what I can see, you don¡¯t have the skills of a blacksmith¡­¡­why would you want this?¡¹ With strength in his gaze, he stared at Rei, not permitting a superficial answer . Even though Pamidor looked at him like this, Rei didn¡¯t feel mcuh pressure and spoke up . ¡¸I just completed a big request a while ago, I don¡¯t have any money problems right now . In the future, there may be a time when I¡¯ll need a magic item . Because of that I really want to keep such materials while I still can . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Sill, Pamidor looked at Rei . However, he gave a sigh in amazement after a minute . ¡¸Haa, a kid who can match gazes with me . Your spirit is quite good . ¡¹ He could guess Rei¡¯s strength with a single look . He smiled and vigorously struck Rei¡¯s shoulder . ¡¸However¡­¡­Rei, did you offend some important person?¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ Rei asked Pamidor, who changed the subject abruptly . Rei had no clue, but that was because Pamidor hadn¡¯t finished . ¡¸Actually, yesterday¡­¡­no, the day before yesterday . I got a weird message . It said an adventurer called Rei might come to my smithy to repair or buy weapons and told me not do business with him if he did . It also came with a threat that my business would disappear from Gimuru if I did . ¡¹ A notice to weapons shops . Based on that alone, it was obvious who had issued the message . Rei could only think of one person who would do such an illogical thing . A few days ago, he had ordered Rei to hand over all his magic items . A power hungry elder who also ordered him to hand over Set . ¡¸Bolton, is it . ¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, you did talk about it at the Margrave¡¯s residence . ¡¹ Freon frowned slightly as she spoke . ¡¸Well, I¡¯ve told the Margrave already . I thought I threatened Bolton enough¡­¡­really, I didn¡¯t think he would still end up trying such an underhanded move . ¡¹ ¡¸Going for the weak point, it¡¯s the usual way the president of Azoth Firm, that cowardly man . Have you heard about the adventurers who had similar experiences after angering Bolton¡¹ At Freon¡¯s words, Rei recalled the story Milein had told him . ¡¸That reminds me, I heard the story from Milein of Scorching Wind . ¡¹ ¡¸You, you know a lot of people . Well, anyway, that¡¯s the situation . Since you¡¯ve offended Bolton, I don¡¯t you¡¯ll be able to buy weapons from now on¡­¡­what will you do?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, what would I do? To be honest, I¡¯m not bothered by it too much . ¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ Not just Freon, Brazos and Pamidor also looked towards him . Rei explained as he took his Death Scythe from the Misty Ring . ¡¸As you know, my main weapon is this Death Scythe¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­This is¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing the Death Scythe for the first time, Pamidor was astonished at the degree of perfection of the magic item . ¡¸Because this Death Scythe is maintained by my magic power, there¡¯s almost no need for maintenance . The only other weapons I use are throwing spears and knives to strip materials¡­¡­¡¹ Regarding those, he had quite a lot of them inside the Misty Ring . Chapter 139 Chapter 139 ¡¸So you mean you¡¯re thoroughly prepared, right?¡¹ Rei wouldn¡¯t be in that much trouble even he couldn¡¯t buy weapons . Hearing Rei say that, Freon spoke in amazement . However, Rei shook his head at Freon and Brazos . ¡¸I didn¡¯t see this particular event coming . ¡¹ Regarding throwing spears, they were the only things he still had in his item box from the bandit extermination during his rank up test . Regarding daggers, he had taken them from the Claws of the Hawk when he first came to Gimuru . Everything else were casual purchases from he walked around the city . ¡¸¡­¡­So, Pamidor . That¡¯s what Rei has said, but what will you do?¡¹ ¡¸Brazos?¡¹ As Brazos looked at Pamidor with a big grin, Rei looked at him questioningly . However, Pamidor returned a smile similar to Brazos¡¯ without minding Rei . Originally, their smiles would have looked like they were plotting some mischief . However with his tough looking face, Pamidor¡¯s smile looked more like a bandit who was about to hit a group of unaware merchants . ¡¸¡­¡­Pamidor . Your face right now looks like a bandit you know . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh? Hey, you . Freon, your sword was made by this master blacksmith with a bandit face!¡¹ Although Pamidor looked intimidating, maybe Freon had already become accustomed to it . She shrugged her shoulders lightly and ignored him . After glaring lightly at Freon, Pamidor looked to Rei again . ¡¸Relax Rei . Don¡¯t worry about it . No matter how Bolton and his lot manage the weapon shops in Gimuru, we¡­¡­no, I am not one of his minions . I don¡¯t need to follow such silly orders . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes widened at his words . ¡¸No, wait a moment . Although you aren¡¯t one of Bolton¡¯s subordinates, like I said, doesn¡¯t he manage the weapons market in Gimuru? If you go against someone like him, you won¡¯t be able to get away with it . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, I just came to the city of Gimuru recently . Such things don¡¯t matter to me . As a blacksmith, I make what I want and sell stuff to people I like . It¡¯s because I wanted to do business like that that I came to this remote frontier city of Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, but if you do business with me, won¡¯t you be unable to sell your items to other weapon shops?¡¹ ¡¸Hah, my customers aren¡¯t just other weapon shops, I have many customers who deal directly with me . ¡¹ A stubborn craftsman, Rei gave a wry smile at Pamidor¡¯s self declared stance . ¡¸You¡¯re stupid, you haven¡¯t been here long and you¡¯re already getting wrapped up in things here . ¡¹ ¡¸Hah . Don¡¯t call me stupid . If I wanted to do business like this, I didn¡¯t have to go out of my way to such a remote place . It was because I thought that the armour and weapons I made would help the people at the frontier against the threat of monsters, I came to the city of Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haa, do whatever you want . You¡¯re such a whimsical person . ¡¹ Though Rei said that with a sigh, Pamidor looked back as if saying to Rei¡ºYou¡¯re the same¡» . (Now then, regarding weapons, I don¡¯t have an issue anymore . Because Pamidor can do business with me, I don¡¯t need to rely on any other weapon shops . In that case, what will Bolton do¡­¡­should I go kill him after all? Although I let him go last time because I believed Galahat¡¯s words that he wouldn¡¯t let Bolton do anything, this happens immediately after . It¡¯s become too late to reach a peaceful compromise, but if I hurt Bolton again I might end up with a bounty on my head¡­¡­if I believe Daska¡¯s words, I don¡¯t need to worry about that, but I still can¡¯t take Bolton¡¯s financial power lightly . ¡­¡­In that case, it would be best to contact Galahat again . ) While thinking of what to do, he turned towards Pamidor again . ¡¸Can you show me the knife you use for stripping materials?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m using right now . I¡¯d like to see if I can repair it before having to buy a new one . ¡¹ Hearing those words, Rei took out the iron knife that he used to strip materials from the Misty Ring . At the same time, he also took out the Mythril Knife that he always wore inside his Dragon Robe . ¡¸H-Hey . This is¡­¡­¡¹ As expected, Pamidor realised the value of the Mythril Knife at first glance . He was stunned . Freon and Brazos were also shocked as this was the first time they had seen Rei¡¯s Mythril Knife . Their looks were completely focused on the Mythril Knife . They didn¡¯t even glance at the ordinary iron knife Rei had taken out at the same time . ¡¸Stripping materials with a magic item . What kind of luxury is this . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm . The Mythril used in this knife is of high purity . In fact, it is good enough to serve as the family heirloom of a noble family . Rei, where did you get this Mythril knife?¡¹ At Brazos¡¯ words, Rei decided to stick with the setting he had made for himself . ¡¸It was a parting gift from my master . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Just because he¡¯s sending his disciple away, to give an item box and a Mythril knife as a parting gift¡­¡­is he a big shot or just stupid . No, if he took in Rei as his disciple, he wouldn¡¯t be stupid, he must be an important person . ¡¹ While listening to Pamidor¡¯s words of mild amazement, seeing that they were all staring at the Mythril Knife, he sheathed it and placed it back inside his Dragon Robe . ¡ºOhh¡­¡­¡» Pamidor and Brazos both raised voices of disappointment, but Rei didn¡¯t mind them as he took out his iron knife . ¡¸To be honest, I don¡¯t use the Mythril Knife that much . I basically strip materials using this iron knife, I only use the other one when I can¡¯t cut through materials with this blade . So this is the main one I use to strip materials . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mmm . ¡¹ While making a low hum, which by itself would have intimidated most people in the public, he received the iron knife from Rei and checked its condition . ¡¸This is¡­¡­it has been used a fair bit . Despite that, it¡¯s in quite good condition . Did you maintain it by yourself?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Even though I say that, after stripping materials I just wipe it down with water and a cloth . I do sharpen it against a grinding stone at my inn at night though . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s good enough . Among the youngsters now, many of them think that these are disposable just because they¡¯re cheap . Especially those nobles in the capital who who have the hobby of playing around as adventurers, that tendency is strong with them¡­¡­this is well maintained in comparison . ¡¹ (Nobles acting as adventurers as a hobby? Well, considering a war is brewing, I guess they¡¯re still better than those who aren¡¯t brushing up their skills . ) Thinking to himself, he looked at the knife in Pamidor¡¯s hands . ¡¸This knife is something I got when I came to the city of Gimuru . It¡¯s convenient and useful . ¡¹ Be be precise, he had taken it from the Claws of the Hawk¡­¡­but it wasn¡¯t an appropriate time to clear that up . ¡¸Mm, well, that¡¯s right . If we consider that you¡¯re an amateur in this regard, it¡¯s maintained quite well . Nevertheless, from a professional¡¯s perspective, like me, there¡¯s various parts that can be improved . For now, as an apology for my rough greeting, I¡¯ll sharped it for you . Give me a moment . ¡¹ Saying that, Pamidor went further back into the smithy . Seeing that, Rei was about to say something to Brazos when¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m home~!¡¹ The door opened and a loud, cheerful voice echoed into the room . ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s Rei onii-chan! I knew it right away when I saw Set outside! You came to visit like you said last time!¡¹ When the owner of the voice saw Rei in the room, he ran towards Rei and jumped forward to hug him . ¡¸Uh!¡¹ Rei stood where he was as Kumito, the clever looking 10 year old boy, hugged him . ¡¸It¡¯s been a while . Have you been doing well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Still, you came to late to play onii-chan! If you had come earlier, we would have had more time to play . ¡¹ Rei gave a wry smile at Kumito¡¯s words and patted his head . ¡¸Sorry, even though it doesn¡¯t look like it, I am an adventurer . I have a job . Hey, can¡¯t you see those two over there?¡¹ Rei changed Kumito¡¯s posture and turned him towards Freon and Brazos . Kumito spoke after blanking out for a moment . ¡¸Ah-! Freon onee-chan and Brazos oji-chan . Do you both have business with dad? I didn¡¯t know you knew Rei onii-chan!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re energetic as always, I would love to split some of your energy with me . ¡¹ ¡¸Although he calls you onee-chan, you act surprisingly old . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, it¡¯s still better than being called oji-chan, Brazos . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s different from being called oba-chan¡­¡­no, I don¡¯t actually care that I¡¯m called oji-chan . ¡¹ Oba-chan . When Freon heard those words, she gave a big smile . ¡­¡­However, that was the smile of a demon . ¡¸Brazos . Did you say something just now? I thought I heard you say something strange just now¡­¡­would you like to correct it right now?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, what did I say . Anyhow, I¡¯m an oji-chan, I don¡¯t remember things that well . ¡¹ As they argued with each other, the tension in the room started to grow . Rei gave a sigh and tried to move Kumito away from the two of them¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t fight, it¡¯s not good to fight! Really, these two are always like this . Rei onii-chan, please say something . ¡¹ However, Kumito stood between Freon and Brazos and turned to Rei . ¡¸There¡¯s nothing to say . That¡¯s just their usual interaction, you don¡¯t need to worry about it . ¡¹ ¡¸But aren¡¯t they fighting? I have to stop them . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I wouldn¡¯t call this a fight . It¡¯s like something kittens would do . Haven¡¯t you seen Set rubbing his head against people?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t know . I have never played with Set . ¡¹ Kumito said that while pouting . His face showed his dissatisfaction that he hadn¡¯t played with Set before as if he had forgotten that he had been trying to stop Freon and Brazos . In that situation, Freon and Brazos both gave a sigh as they spoke at the same time . ¡¸Rei, we are not like kittens¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . What we¡¯re doing is not like that at all . ¡¹ Seeing the two of them match up their timing when they spoke, Kumito tilted his head as he looked at them curiously . ¡¸But you¡¯re both in sync?¡¹ ¡ºGuh¡­¡­¡» ¡¸Hahaha . Are you guys trying to make me laugh? Oh, Kumito . You¡¯re back . ¡¹ Pamidor was laughing as he came out from the back of the smithy, roughly stroking Kumito¡¯s head . At the same time, he threw the knife, which had been sheathed, back to Rei with his left hand . ¡¸Here . I¡¯ve repaired it a bit . Come back here if it gets dull . ¡¹ Catching the knife Pamidor passed to him, Rei stored it into the Misty Ring with a small smile . ¡¸Sorry about this and thanks . I will use it as soon as I get to stripping the materials from the Harpies . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Tools are meant to be used . Tools aren¡¯t just there for decoration . ¡¹ As Rei heard those words from Pamidor, he looked towards Brazos and Freon . ¡¸Speaking of that, when should we strip the materials from the Harpies that we stored away on the mountain? They won¡¯t rot because they¡¯re in the item box, but it would still be best to strip the materials as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, that¡¯s right . However, it¡¯s already dark outside . ¡¹ Brazos opened the door to the smithy to take a look outside . When they had come to the smithy, it had already been sunset . While talking with Pamidor and after Pamidor had sharpened Rei¡¯s knife, the sky outside had already gone dark . ¡¸How about tomorrow then?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I have some business I need to attend to tomorrow afternoon . ¡¹ Rei replied to Freon apologetically . However, at Rei¡¯s words, Freon and Brazos glanced at each other before saying that there was no problem with that . ¡¸There¡¯s only about 10 Harpies, we can manage that in the morning . However, there¡¯s nowhere to do it . Because of the Harpy¡¯s figure, even if they are Harpies, if we don¡¯t take care and strip their materials in some random place, we would likely get reported to the Knights . ¡¹ Freon gave a sigh . Harpies had the face and body similar to that of human women . There was a high chance that they would be misunderstood if they were seen stripping materials from such a monster . ¡¸Then, outside the city¡­¡­would you like to strip the materials somewhere further away?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that would be best . If we did it close to the city, there¡¯s a high possibility that merchants heading for the city will misunderstand and report us . ¡¹ Just as Brazos said that, Rei was the first to notice something . Looking towards the door with sharp eyes, he took out the knife that he had placed into the Misty Ring earlier . Freon saw that and moved her hand to the sword at her waist . Brazos understood that his Earthshaker Hammer wasn¡¯t suitable for their current location and moved to guard Kumito . Kumito looked around in confusion as Pamidor took up a small hammer in the workshop as his face took a ruthless expression . ¡¸Kumito, go to the smithy for a moment . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? O-Okay!¡¹ Following Pamidor¡¯s order, Kumito went further back in, glancing uneasily at his father for a moment . And at that moment¡­¡­ ¡¸Rei-, are you here!?¡¹ A man opened the door and jumped in . He was bleeding from several place around his body and had an arrow stuck in his left shoulder . It was Murt, Galahat¡¯s junior, who he treated like a younger brother . Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Legend Chapter 140 ¡¸Haa, haa, haa, haa¡­¡­¡¹ A man desperately ran through the city, which was now enveloped in darkness . He wore a set of leather armour, made from monster skin, so as to not obstruct his movements . He held an iron halberd in his hands . But contrary to his equipment, which made him look like an ordinary adventurer, the parts the leather armour didn¡¯t cover were full of wounds . Blood ran down his wounds . Originally, the wounds weren¡¯t that deep and wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if he had rested quietly in bed¡­¡­but because he had continued running through the city for so long, blood continued to flow out of his untreated wounds . ¡¸Bolton that damn bastard! How far is he planning to go!?¡¹ Galahat, a B rank adventurer, was someone he admired . Because he had been seriously injured, he had asked Murt to do something for him and Murt had followed his instructions . That is¡­¡­to protect Bolton, Galahat¡¯s half brother . However, that¡ºProtection¡»led to Bolton¡¯s loss of authority regarding his own actions . Bolton realised that and sent a private soldier to attack him, leading to Murt running around the city in the late evening with injuries all over his body . Although it was dark, he was still in the city of Gimuru . Even though it wasn¡¯t daytime, there were still people on the streets . However, Murt didn¡¯t ask passerby¡¯s for help and continued running towards his destination . Bolton¡¯s private army was chasing after him and there were quite a number of C rank adventurers around . However, the number of C rank adventurers around was just one factor . Galahat had told him to avoid making the issue public as much as possible . As a result, he kept running to the place he needed to go to without asking anyone for help . He had heard the information from adventurers he was friends with . The place where person who had triggered all this uproar currently was . Originally, he was acting to protect Bolton from that person and to seek help from that person would be contradictory . In fact, Galahat had told him to keep the matter away from Rei . However, even so¡­¡­ (In order to protect Galahat-san, there¡¯s no choice but to borrow his help!¡¡¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, Galahat-san . The situation that Galahat-san wanted least to happen might occur . But, if Galahat-san dies and that Bolton survives, I will absolutely refuse to accept that!) As Murt ran down the street thinking that in his mind, he heard the sound of something cutting through the air and instantly sidestepped . The next moment, something pierced through Murt¡¯s previous location, burying itself into the ground . ¡¸Damn, using bows in downtown¡­¡­is he insane!?¡¹ He glanced at the arrow for just a moment before spat out those words bitterly before running again . Several more arrows flew towards him, as if following him . But, thanks to his light leather armour, he managed to avoid most of them . ¡­¡­Yes, most of them . ¡¸Guh!¡¹ Pulling out the arrow that had pierced his leather armour into his left shoulder would cost him valuable time, he spat on the ground before continuing to run . If it was the main street, where there would be plenty of people even in the evening, the enemy wouldn¡¯t have used a bow and arrow . However, Murt was currently in the back streets, where pedestrians were rare even in the middle of the day . Although he had passed by a few people earlier, most of them left hurriedly after seeing the injured Murt, considering it to be a troublesome thing if they got involved . He didn¡¯t blame them . Even he would have taken a similar action if he had been in the same situation . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Damn, just a bit more¡­¡­¡¹ Murt kept moving towards his destination . Two people moved out of the darkness to block his path . One had a sword and the other an axe, Murt wondered how long they had waited for him . ¡¸Shit, it was still okay until I got shot in my left shoulder!¡¹ Cursing, he held his halberd in his right hand as he charged towards the two people ahead . Even though his left shoulder had been shot by an arrow, he wasn¡¯t too worried . Holding the halberd in his right hand, he could still use his left hand to assist its movements . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Move you pieces of shit!¡¹ As soon as he got within range, he made a large swing with his halberd . The advantage of a weapon made from the fusion of an axe and spear was its range . He used that advantage to make a big swing . In addition, Murt was currently in the back streets, which were a lot narrower than the main streets . There was no way to avoid an attack that took out the full width of the road¡­¡­ ¡¸Uwaa~!¡¹ ¡¸Tch!¡¹ The adventurer with the sword had his blade broken with the sweep of the halberd and forced the sword out of his hands . The halberd¡¯s power was weakened after that and the other adventurer managed to block it with his axe . Halberd and axe . Sparks scattered into the night as the two of them collided . ¡¸Haaaah-!¡¹ However, Murt wasn¡¯t phased and pushed all his energy into the halberd before releasing his grip on it just as it collided with the axe . ¡¸Gah~!¡¹ ¡¸Guh~!¡¹ The man with the axe gave a groan at that attack . He collided with the man with the sword and the two of them collapsed after smashing into each other . Murt glanced at the two of them for only an instant . He picked up the halberd after making sure both of them were knocked out and continued running . Hyu~! As Murt started to run, he heard the sound of something tearing through the air again . ¡¸Damn it, these fellows hired by Bolton are quite persistant!¡¹ Down the narrow streets, Murt made irregular movements so that the archer couldn¡¯t lock onto him . Because it was night time and there were others close to Murt, the archer had held back for a while . But now he continued to shoot arrows without hesitation as the obstacles were now out of the way . (Damn it, even though that guy isn¡¯t far¡­¡­as it is, I¡¯ll be taking my pursuers along with me . ) Thinking to himself in frustration, he suddenly thought of something . (In the first place, if I consider his strength, these pursuers shouldn¡¯t be a problem . Rather, his strength would be a great help . In that case¡­¡­) In a sense he was pushed to this situation by his pursuers, but considering his currently situation, he couldn¡¯t think of any other way as he ran along the back streets . And he could finally see his destination¡­¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s enough!¡¹ Just as he decided on what to do, three people jumped down from the roofs . ¡¸Damn, is it thieves now!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct . The back streets are complex and intricate, perfect for escaping into . ¡­¡­If it weren¡¯t for people like us . ¡¹ They wielded daggers, a long sward and a short spear . From their lightly clothing and movements, Murt realised that they were all thieves . There were few people who held the occupation of a thief . Yet, it seemed that Azoth Firm, which controlled the trading of weapons in the city, had three of them, Seeing the smile on the thieves¡¯ faces, Murt would normally have had no way out . ¡­¡­Yes . Normally that would be the case . The thieves had just one miscalculation . However, it was one extremely large miscalculation . It was¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ While raising a cry, a monster emerged from the darkness . It was a monster with the upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a lion . It was a monster that originally wouldn¡¯t be seen inside a frontier city like Gimuru . It was¡­¡­ ¡¸A G-Griffon!?¡¹ Among the thieves, the one with the daggers raised a shout as he threw one of his daggers . Yes, because of his panic on seeing something he thought was impossible, he threw a dagger on reflex . Because he had thrown it on reflex, his skill from training shone through . The dagger with the black coloured blade cut through the night, it was a weapon that could be used to its greatest effect at night . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ However, that was only against other humans . For Set, an A rank monster, it was a laughable attack that he could deal with with a simple swipe of his claws . ¡¸Tch, a Griffon!? That means that guy is nearby¡­¡­the adventurer called Rei . Everyone, be careful!¡¹ Murt guessed he was the leader . At the voice of the thief with the long sword, the expression of the thief with the short spear tightened . The thief with the daggers also snapped out of his confusion at that voice and took out another dagger from his chest . Another person appeared with the sound of footsteps on gravel . The person who appeared on the opposite side of the thieves, sandwiching Murt, had a quiver on their back and a bow in their hands . It was the archer who had been targeting Murt previously . ¡¸Tch, have you caught him yet?¡¹ Despite giving a sigh, Murt¡¯s eyes held no despair . This was because behind the thieves, the figure of a Griffon, Set, appeared . He growled at the thieves with hostility because they had attacked him . More importantly, Murt¡¯s target was the building right next to Set, the smithy of a blacksmith called Pamidor . (The problem is¡­¡­that is, does that Griffon called Set treat me as an enemy . It¡¯s only met me once, does it remember me? No, it should remember me for sure . ¡­¡­It should probably remember me . I hope it remembers me¡­¡­£© Murt felt like giving up for a moment, but as he looked at Set, his feeling of defeat gradually disappeared . Yes . Though he had nothing to base it of, he was sure he would be fine . That¡¯s why he believed . Was it because he had been cornered, or was it because he believed he could survive past through this¡­¡­he didn¡¯t know . Nevertheless, with that belief, Murt took his first step . 1 step, 2 steps, 3 steps¡­¡­slowly, he sped up from a brisk walk to a fast sprint . ¡¸Damn it, don¡¯t let him get away!¡¹ Following the thief leader¡¯s words, a man behind Murt raised his bow and aimed¡­¡­ ¡¸Did you think I wouldn¡¯t consider you would do that?¡¹ Murt realised he was being targeted at the sound of the bow string pulling back and changed his path to be in line with the thieves . As a result, if the arrow didn¡¯t hit Murt, it would go flying towards the thieves . If he had been a top rank adventurer, such as A or B rank, he would have shot the arrow without hesitation . However, his skills weren¡¯t as good as an A or B rank adventurer . Rather, since he wasn¡¯t such a high rank adventurer, he had to consider the possibility that he would hit his own people unintentionally if he missed . Right now, the highest ranked adventurer employed at Azoth Firm was Galahat . The only B rank adventurer they had and someone Murt looked up to as a brother . (Even when I was fighting with other adventurers, he was afraid of hitting them and didn¡¯t shoot any arrows . This means¡­¡­) With a grasp on the adventurer¡¯s mindset, Murt bet on his intuition and in this case, it went well . As expected, no arrow flew at him from behind . The thief leader noticed that as well . He held his long sword towards Murt, who was running towards him¡­¡­but the next moment, he was swept away without a sign . ¡¸Guah!¡¹ Gush~, there was a sound like raw meat hitting a wall . The thief leader let out a groan before falling unconscious . In a sense, that was fortunate for him . After all, his right arm, wrist and waist had been broken by the impact . If he had still been conscious, the suffering would have been like hell . ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Of course, being the strongest creature in the area, it was Set, the Griffon, who did it . After smacking that man away, Set¡¯s cute and round eyes turned sharp, ready to fight . (Okay, I just need to break through that gap!) Murt ran towards Set, putting more strength into his legs to slip through the gap created after the man with the long sword had been smacked away . Running through the spot where the man with the long sword used to be meant running right past Set¡­¡­but Murt had already made up his mind . ¡¸Set, I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡¹ He shouted out as he dashed past the bandits, passing by Set¡­¡­who remembered him, as expected . Set didn¡¯t make any moves towards Murt as he glared sharply at the bandit with the bow . Murt gave a cheer in his mind¡­¡­and jumped right to his destination, the smithy . ¡¸Rei, are you here!?¡¹ And raised a shout . 139 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Legend Chapter 141 ¡¸Rei, are you here!?¡¹ Looking at the man who had jumped inside with a shout, Rei thought for a moment, trying to recall¡­¡­before realising who was in front of him . He had been wondering how to deal with Azoth Firm and Bolton just earlier . Murt was one of the adventurers who worked for them . ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯m here . What is with this disturbance?¡¹ He was bleeding from several places around his body . An arrow was stuck in his back shoulder . Rei didn¡¯t think that Murt would have come through downtown peacefully and asked as he quickly threw a knife with his right hand . ¡¸Uwaa~!¡¹ A knife flew towards him . Murt gave a cry at the attack that flew faster than the arrows that had been shot at him . However, the knife Rei threw passed by Murt¡¯s face¡­¡­ ¡¸Guh!¡¹ It pierced the right should of a man who was about to stab Murt in the back of the head, knocking him away . ¡¸It seems we have a lot of noisy guests . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ah, Ahh . No¡­¡­¡¹ Understanding how close a call it was, Murt took a deep breath and went further into the smithy in a hurry . ¡¸Seriously, I didn¡¯t think we would get caught up in troubles as soon as we came back from a request . Hey, kid . Come over here!¡¹ Freon pulled Murt over and shoved a piece of cloth into his mouth . ¡¸Mgah-!¡¹ Murt gave a groan at the sudden action but Freon ignored him and forcibly removed his leather armour, tearing off his clothes and reaching for the arrow in his left shoulder . ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, you can¡¯t leave that arrow in your shoulder . It might be a bit painful, but endure it¡­¡­!¡¹ Murt could hardly speak with a cloth shoved in his mouth as she reached for the arrow stuck in his shoulder¡­¡­and pulled it out in one go! ¡¸Guh, guah¨C!¡¹ In response to that, Murt gave a muffled cry due to the cloth in his mouth as Freon looked at the arrow head in a familiar manner . ¡¸Hmm, first of all, it¡¯s not a poisoned arrow . Should I say your luck was good or that the other party didn¡¯t really want to kill you . Well, this is good . Pamidor, this is a smithy, so there should be some potions around in case of injuries . Lend me a few . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, we have to ask this guy about the circumstances . It can¡¯t be helped . ¡­¡­However, since you¡¯re borrowing it, you have to return it . These potions are expensive . ¡¹ ¡¸Charge the kid, not me . ¡¹ Tilting the bottle containing the potion, she looked at Murt, who was groaning in pain due to the arrow being pulled out roughly, and poured the liquid into the wound on his left shoulder . ¡¸Kuh¡­¡­fuu~, fuu~,fuu~, fuu~¡­¡­¡¹ The pain from the wound was subsiding somewhat after pouring some of the potion into it, most of the pain coming from Freon forcibly pulling the arrow out, and his breathing gradually stabilised . Seeing the situation, Rei walked out the smithy and took a look around . The first thing he saw was the figure of two thieves crumpled on the ground . The second one was the thief with the short spear, who had been smashed against a wall by Set¡¯s claws, falling unconscious . The only person left was the man with the bow and arrow, who was far away from Set¡­¡­ ¡¸Come out, it¡¯s obvious where you¡¯re hiding . ¡¹ Rei glanced towards the shadows near the smithy . However, there was no indication that anyone would step out . Rei waited for a while after he looked towards the shadows of the building . After waiting about 30 seconds and seeing no one come out, with a sigh, he went to the man who had fallen unconscious after Rei had stabbed him in the shoulder with a knife and the man who had been smashed against the wall . ¡¸Sorry, if you must hold it against someone, hold it against your associates who abandoned you . ¡¹ Speaking to the unconscious man, he pulled out the knife in his shoulder that had buried itself all the way to the hilt . Even though he had fainted, the man probably still felt the pain as he convulsed . Looking at the knife¡­¡­next, he turned to the long sword that the other man had held . It was an ordinary cheap iron sword . Still, it probably was quite expensive due to the rising price in iron ore due to the issue of the Harpies . Rei picked it up without caring too much about it¡­¡­ ¡¸Fu~!¡¹ Holding the handle of the sword, he threw it towards the shadow of the building . Originally, unlike a spear, a sword was a weapon that had to be held . In other words, even if you threw it, it¡¯s center of gravity would cause it to rotate while flying in the air¡­¡­but in Rei¡¯s case, the sword blade flew in a straight line without rotating after he threw it . ¡¸Tch!¡¹ A man with a spear and a man with a cudgel appeared as one of them click his tongue . Because they lurked in the darkness of night, they had an emphasis on lightness . They weren¡¯t wearing metal armour but thick cloth that would dampen sounds . And just in case, all their clothes were also dyed black . ¡¸¡­¡­Heeh~, from your clothes, do you specialise in night combat? Something like Azoth Firm¡¯s assassination unit? Well, with your skill, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that . ¡¹ Rei said that with a sneer to provoke them¡­¡­but as expected of the people hired by Azoth Firm, the both of them held their weapons as they looked for weaknesses around Rei . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Your target is inside the smithy . And to get inside, you have to defeat me . ¡­¡­Are you coming?¡¹ Rei gestured towards them with a finger to provoke them but the other two just held their weaposn without saying anything . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Retreat . ¡¹ With a short sentence, the two of them slipped back into the shadows of the building and disappeared . Perhaps they knew their way around the back streets . They faded into the darkness of the night without slowing down . Until now, the man with bow hadn¡¯t been able to move due to Set glaring at him . The moment Set turned to look at Rei, he bolted away like a rabbit . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Rei stroked Set¡¯s head as Set gave a cry, shaking his head to tell him nothing could be done . (Well, they should tell Bolton that Murt has contacted me . He shouldn¡¯t make any stupid moves now . In addition¡­¡­) His conversation with Daska at the Margrave¡¯s residence passed through his mind . This was a good opportunity, Daska wanted to remove Bolton, who was like a cancer to the city of Gimuru . It was a prompt decision . It could be said this judgment was a unique part of Daska¡¯s character due to his military background . Of course, he did assume that if Bolton died, there wouldn¡¯t be too much disorder as there would be a successor to Azoth Firm . If there was some form of confusion or disorder in the city of Gimuru, adventurers would inevitably get caught up in it, which would eventually involve the innocent inhabitants of the city . Although it might have been okay for that to happen if it wasn¡¯t a frontier city, Gimuru was a frontier city . It was a place where the threat of monsters was always present . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s isn¡¯t something for an adventurer like me to think about but for the nobles to deal with . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Gently stroking Set¡¯s head, he returned to the smithy . Set watched Rei go back inside before lying down somewhere out of the way . ¡¸What happened to our guests?¡¹ After reentering the smithy, Rei shook his head at Freon¡¯s question . ¡¸They felt the difference in strength and retreated without saying anything . They weren¡¯t that strong but they could tell the difference in strength between themselves and others . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . So, in the end, we have to ask this guy for the details . ¡­¡­¡¹ He had run all the way here while wounded and with an arrow in his left shoulder . The arrow had been pulled out and a potion poured into the wound, the rest of his wounds had also been treated with the potion but he probably felt very tired now . He had fallen asleep as if fainting . ¡¸Seems like it . What will you do? Do you want to wake him up?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­that¡¯s right, what should I do . ¡¹ Murt had been unable to stand against him during his meeting with Bolton and yet he had still come looking for Rei . He didn¡¯t understand the small details, but his relation to Bolton was quite clear . Normally, he would have woken him up to ask about the situation . But¡­¡­ Rei glanced towards the back of the smithy . Kumito had currently taken shelter near the forge . If he heard Murt¡¯s story hear, he would get Pamidor and Kumito involved without a doubt . Considering that, he couldn¡¯t hear out the circumstances from Murt so easily here . Perhaps he felt Rei¡¯s inner conflict . Brazos lifted up the unconscious Murt with a small sigh . Having the strength to lift up a big, unconscious person, as expected of the Dwarves, Rei felt some admiration . ¡¸Now then . First of all, we would annoy Pamidor if we stayed so it would be better to hear the circumstances somewhere else . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true¡­¡­wait a minute . There¡¯s no doubt I¡¯m involved in this dispute, but you don¡¯t need to bother about it . Won¡¯t it become very troublesome for you?¡¹ However, at Rei¡¯s words, Brazos shook his head as he held Murt and Freon shrugged her shoulders . ¡¸It certainly doesn¡¯t concern us . However, I heard most of the background at the Margrave¡¯s residence and above all wouldn¡¯t it be bad to abandon a comrade who has gone through life and death experiences with us?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Of course there¡¯s also some self interest . For example, it¡¯s not so difficult for people to find out from the guild that we worked together for the Harpy subjugation request . Azoth Firm has closed off weapons trading with you, but they can easily find that we were in the same party even if it was only temporary . ¡¹ Do you understand? Brazos looked at Rei as if asking him . (I see . So there might be a possibility they will be taken as hostages . ¡­¡­Well, considering the skills of the enemy, I don¡¯t feel these two are much behind them, but there still might be a chance . In that case, it would be safer to act together . ) ¡¸I understand . Then do you want to come with me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Also¡­¡­¡¹ Brazos pointed to the Flame Crystal placed on the work bench . ¡¸What would happen if Azoth Firm finds out about this¡­¡­you can guess . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well then . ¡¹ Rei gave a sigh as he touched the Flame Crystal and stored it into the Misty Ring . Bolton was someone who had simply and unreasonably tried to obtain Set and Rei¡¯s magic items . If he found out Rei had produced Flame Crystals, he would probably go to whatever means to obtain this money tree . ¡¸Sorry Pamidor . It¡¯s been quite noisy . ¡¹ ¡¸Keh-, I don¡¯t mind . Come again after this mess is settled . I¡¯ll take care of your sword for you then . ¡¹ Pamidor replied simply . Pamidor as a person wanted to help Brazos and Freon, as he was close to them, but he had to consider his family . Glancing further back to where his forge was for a moment, he thought of his son, who had such a lovely face he couldn¡¯t imagine they were blood related . Back at home, he also had a wife who loved him . He couldn¡¯t drag the two of them into this mess involving the major powers in Gimuru . (I feel sad . 5 years¡­¡­no, if it was 10 years ago, I would have rampaged along with those fellows . ) He gave a sigh in his mind, feeling irritated at himself for thinking of self protection first . Maybe he noticed Pamidor¡¯s thoughts . Brazos shook his head with a smile as he carried Murt . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . Anyhow, you have to protect your family . It¡¯s natural that they should come first . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, anyway, you have a wife that would marry such a tough looking guy as you . Women with such tastes are rare . ¡¹ Freon also nodded in agreement with Brazos¡¯ words . Pamidor must have realised what the two of them were trying to say . After looking apologetic for a moment, he immediately smiled . ¡­¡­Unfortunately, his smile looked more like the heinous grin for a carnivore laughing at its prey . However, Brazos and Freon were used to it, giving a calm smile and nod while Rei just nodded without saying anything in particular . ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll get going soon . We¡¯ll come back after this is all settled so we¡¯ll ask you to take care of our weapons then . ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me . Hope you finish up your troublesome matters soon . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Say bye to Kumito for me . ¡¹ ¡¸Tell him nee-chan says to be careful . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for sharpening my knife . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I¡¯ll clean it up for you at any time . ¡¹ Like that, the three of them, and one unconscious person, left the smithy . Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Legend Chapter 142 When Rei left Pamidor¡¯s workshop . Set, who had been lying close by, immediately noticed them and gave a cry . Rei looked around as he stroked Set, but the man he had stabbed in the right shoulder earlier and the thief that Set had knocked out had already disappeared . ¡¸As expected, they didn¡¯t really abandon their associates . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, for a moment, he admired the the people who had recovered their unconscious comrades . But then Rei thought about it¡­¡­ (No, they can only be consider Azoth Firm¡¯s tail, when they have to, they can cut it off at any time . However, we could get more information if they betrayed Azoth Firm . Considering the risks, it would be greater if they left them here . ) Concluding to himself, Rei brought himself back to reality and turned to Brazos . ¡¸So, where do you want to hear the situation from Murt?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­at an inn?¡¹ ¡¸Then what about Set . Inns are almost all targeted towards adventurers so there aren¡¯t any stables for tamed monsters . As it will probably take a long time for everything to be said, it wouldn¡¯t be that good to leave Set outside for the entire time . ¡¹ Hearing Brazos and Freon¡¯s words, there was only one place Rei could think of . No, technically speaking, he could also go over to the Margrave¡¯s residence to hear out the situation . However, Rei dismissed it because if they brought Margrave Daska in now, Bolton might realise the crisis he was currently in and try to run away . ¡¸Then how about we go to the Dusk Wheat? That¡¯s the inn I¡¯m staying in and there is a stable for Set, so there are no problems there . It¡¯s famous as a high class inn so Bolton probably won¡¯t be able to kick up as much of a fuss there . ¡¹ The merchants who supported the city of Gimuru and their mercenary guards stayed there . If he ambushed Rei there, the reputation of Gimuru would drop . And because Azoth Firm also had weapon business deals with other cities, they would also suffer a loss . At this time, in Rei¡¯s mind, Bolton would not make such a decision . Although he was an old man drowning in his own greed, from his position as the main weapons dealer in Gimuru, the loss in income would not be worth the benefits he would gain . This was not wrong in a sense . But Rei¡¯s greatest miscalculation was that due to his own involvement, Bolton had become aware of the danger that his brother, Galahat, might take over his position . In other words, even if he made a mess here and Gimuru¡¯s reputation dropped, he might be able to protect his own position . If asked which side Bolton would choose¡­¡­you didn¡¯t even need to think about it . It was impossible for Rei to know what Galahat was thinking¡­¡­but it had eventually led to fights breaking out on the surface . ¡¸I see, he certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to do much at the Dusk Wheat . ¡¹ Freon and Brazos, who was carrying Murt, nodded in agreement . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Set, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ As Rei was about to head towards the Dusk Wheat, Set walked in front of them and knelt down . It was as if he was telling them to ride him¡­¡­ ¡¸No, it¡¯s different . That¡¯s right . ¡¹ With Set looking backwards after crouching down, Rei realised what he was trying to say and turned towards Brazos . ¡¸Brazos, he¡¯s saying he can carry Murt . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Is that so? He isn¡¯t that heavy though¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If Set can carry Murt, why not just leave it to him? . ¡¹ Looking at Murt on Brazos¡¯ shoulders, Rei then looked at Murt¡¯s halberd and leather armour . ¡¸Ah, leave those to me . They¡¯re quite unwieldy as they are right now . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . That reminds me that Rei has an item box . The situation moved so fast that I had completely forgotten about it . ¡¹ Rei took the halberd and leather armour with a look of understanding as he stored them into the Misty Ring . ¡¸¡­¡­It would be convenient if we could store him into the item box as well . ¡¹ Freon said that as she watched Murt get placed on Set¡¯s back . ¡¸As expected, it¡¯s impossible to store a living human . But if it¡¯s things like the corpses of Harpies, there¡¯s no problem if they¡¯re dead . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right, it¡¯s an item box . Dead bodies are items . In other words, it recognises things that are alive as not being items . ¡¹ Freon nodded at Brazos¡¯ words, as he placed Murt onto Set¡¯s back . After doing all that, the party began moving towards the Dusk Wheat, Rei¡¯s current accommodation . ¡¸There is a possibility we will be attacked if we go through places with few people . We will take the main streets . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, I also understand Rei¡¯s thoughts¡­¡­well, there will definitely be more people that in the back streets . ¡¹ Brazos¡¯ worry was that at night, there wouldn¡¯t be as many people on the streets . Of course it couldn¡¯t compare to the almost non-existent traffic in the back streets, but it still wasn¡¯t as much as in the day time . As there would be more people in the main streets, if they were attacked, there would be a lot more collateral damage . Freon reject Brazos¡¯ worries with a snort . ¡¸I also understand Brazos¡¯ worries, but they ran away from Rei and Set at once without being able to do anything . I don¡¯t think they have the guts to attack us . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m worried about the off chance, idiot . ¡¹ The careful Brazos and the aggressive Freon . Rei casually looked around as he listened to the two of them . ¡¸¡­¡­Setting aside them attacking us, there is no doubt they will track us . ¡¹ Yes, ever since he had left Pamidor¡¯s smithy, he had felt someone watching him . Although it was quite understandable that they were being watched, he was still confused about where they were watching him from . It was such a situation . ¡¸I would say there is a chance they would try to attack Murt from behind or that the archer will try to shoot him . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry as he looked at the surroundings . A roof on the street, the shadow of a building a bit further away behind them Looking in those directions¡­¡­no, it was clear who they were . Even if they had the ability to conceal themselves from Rei, as expected, it was impossible to deceive a Griffon, an A rank monster . ¡¸I see, those three aren¡¯t doing what I expected . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Do you want to fight them here? At Set¡¯s puzzled cry, Rei shook his head . Although there were fewer people that in the daytime, there were still quite a lot . Moreover, there were a lot of drunks . What would happen if they started a fight here, Rei could imagine the results . ¡¸Don¡¯t make a fuss . We¡¯ll rampage about later . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡­¡­¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words . Stroking Set¡¯s head, they walked through the streets as they felt the watching eyes on them . Eventually, the familiar Dusk Wheat Inn became visible . ¡¸Hou~, here is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It certainly is a big inn . It¡¯s at a level where we wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? It¡¯s not that expensive . But it saves Set a lot of trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Brazos and Freon cooperated to carry the unconscious Murt off Set¡¯s back . ¡¸You can only say that because you have the money to afford it . ¡¹ ¡¸No, although I certainly can afford it, the reason I chose this place is mostly due to unavoidable circumstances¡¹ ¡¸Unavoidable Circumstances?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . There was an issue over stables for Set, this was the only place that could accept him . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Freon was convinced . Accompanying them, Brazos¡¯ eyes shined as he smelled the scent of alcohol coming from the inn . ¡¸Oh, Rei-san . Welcome back¡­¡­well, there¡¯s quite a few of you . And who is that person?¡¹ Lana, the proprietress of the Dusk Wheat, greeted them . She then saw them carrying Murt and asked . ¡¸He¡¯s an acquaintance, but he¡¯s a bit drunk . I plan to bring him to my room . More importantly is food¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, he turned to look at the dining area . As expected it was full up . Most of the seats were filled with guests who were staying overnight or had come simply for the food, there was no place for Rei to sit . Lana understood that as well . She bowed her plump face apologetically . ¡¸Sorry, as you can see, right now is a bit¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see, in that case, could you bring something up to my room? I¡¯ll also ask for some for the others . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment Rei! You ate so much before heading to the guild and you want to eat more!? I mean, how does it all fit into your stomach!?¡¹ Towards Rei, who just calmly ordered a meal, Freon had a startled expression . He had eaten a lot of skewers, sandwiches and freshly baked bread from the stalls on the way to the guild and yet he could still eat . But Rei nodded as if there was nothing wrong with that . ¡¸To begin with, my energy efficiency is poor . Even if I eat a lot, I won¡¯t get fat . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You, you¡¯re turning all the women in the world into your enemy . ¡¹ As Freon looked at Rei reproachfully, Rei ignored here and spoke to Lana again . ¡¸Ah, I would also like a meal for Set . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Please ¡¹ Hearing a voice call for her from the dining area, Lana gave a slight bow before heading over there . Seeing her leave, they went up the stairs to Rei¡¯s room for now¡­¡­ ¡¸I would also be happy if you could bring some alcohol if possible . ¡¹ From behind, Brazos¡¯ voice could be heard . Rei and Freon glanced at each other for a moment before pretending they hadn¡¯t heard anything . ¡¸Rei¡¯s room is here¡­¡­what, there¡¯s almost nothing, hey . ¡¹ Because Murt was being carried by the others, Freon opened the door instead, giving an unexpected cry as she looked inside Rei¡¯s room . ¡¸There¡¯s a bed, desk and chairs . ¡¹ As Rei had said, the room had all the items of an ordinary inn room . However, it still had¡ºNothing¡»to Freon¡­¡­ ¡¸Your personal items, your own property! Isn¡¯t it normal for people to keep their own things in their room!? Spare weapons, supplies, books, a change of clothes!¡¹ Yes . As Freon had pointed out, there was nothing that could be considered personal items in Rei¡¯s room . But that was natural . ¡¸Ah, about that . I keep them all in my item box so there are no problems there . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, that¡¯s right . You have an item box . So you just keep everything in there . ¡¹ Freon muttered that as Rei walked past to place Murt on the bed . After that, they each sat down on the floor or on a chair before taking a deep breath . ¡¸If you think about it, hurrying back from the mountain with the Harpies, returning to Gimuru and going straight to the Margrave¡¯s residence . After that we went to the guild, then to Pamidor¡¯s smithy . Then this guy brought this uproar to us¡­¡­ Somehow, I feel like a lot of things happened today . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha . Well, it¡¯s no wonder that Freon is tired . Still, I feel the same . ¡¹ ¡¸You have the same feeling as well?¡¹ Freon asked at Brazos¡¯ words as they both sat on the floor . ¡¸Mm . I feel that a lot of noisy things happened today, but you could say that it was just a fulfilling day . If you think about it like that, it¡¯s not that bad after all . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . ¡¹ As Freon gave a sigh, there was a knock on the door and Rei reflexively reached for his weapon . ¡¸Who is it?¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s question, a person whom they had just talked to on the floor below a few minutes earlier replied . ¡¸It¡¯s Lana, I¡¯ve brought your meal . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, sorry about this . ¡¹ Rei opened the door, keeping his knife at his waist as a precaution . Lana was waiting outside with a large tray . Aside from the food on the tray, there was also a bottle of wine . ¡¸Is this good enough?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, thank you very much . The price?¡¹ ¡¸If you exclude Rei¡¯s portion, one silver coin is enough . ¡¹ The price of the food was reasonable and not too high, considering the amount of food and wine for the other three . Judging that, he paid her a silver coin . (However, I¡¯ll collect it back from Murt later . ) Thinking to himself, he saw Lana off . ¡¸¡­¡­Food¡­¡­¡¹ As the smell of cooked food began to drift into the room, Murt, who had been sleeping like a child, woke up and looked around the room as if waiting for that . ¡¸Getting up at the smell of food¡­¡­no, well, sure it smells nice but really . ¡¹ Freon looked at Murt in honest amazement as Rei walked over to him, agreeing in his heart as well . Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Legend Chapter 143 The smell of cooked food in the room stimulated the appetite of the unconscious Murt, who woke up at that . As he reached out for the bottle of wine, Brazos spoke in amazement . ¡¸Even as went went through the city, there were a lot of other nice smells from the stores around . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not the problem here . ¡¹ Freon gave a sigh in exasperation as she saw Brazos pour a glass of wine for himself . Next to Freon, Rei brought some of the food on the tray to Murt . ¡¸Here, eat this for now to restore your strength . Even though your injuries have been cured with the potion, you¡¯ll need to recover your blood loss and stamina on your own . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah?¡¡Ahh¡­¡­uh, Rei!?¡¡Ah, that¡¯s right . I was looking for you Rei, I heard where you were from an acquaintance¡­¡­¡¹ Murt, who was a little disoriented after waking up, gradually recalled what he had been doing before falling unconscious . ¡¸You came into the workshop with injuries all over your body . ¡¹ ¡¸-? That¡¯s right! Where are those guys who were chasing me!? I saw one of them get taken down by your tamed monster¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸They ran away once they realised there was no chance of winning . ¡­¡­It seems it will be better if I ask about the situation before you start eating . What happened?¡¹ ¡¸That¡­¡­actually, it seems that even after you threatened him, Bolton couldn¡¯t give up on your magic items and Griffon . He was making various preparations in secret . ¡¹ Murt said that as brought the cup of water that Rei gave him to his mouth . Hearing Murt¡¯s words, Rei nodded as he passed over the tripe and bean stew . ¡¸I thought so . I heard about it from the Pamidor, the blacksmith . It seems he has told the weapon shops not to do business with me . That includes blacksmiths that sell weapons on their own . If a blacksmith did business with me, weapons shops wouldn¡¯t accept weapons crafted by them either . Because of that, blacksmiths in the area would also avoid doing business with me . ¡¹ Rei said that as if it wasn¡¯t his problem . He didn¡¯t have any sad feelings or expression about not being able to trade at weapon shops . Rather, he brought a spoonful of the stew to his mouth, enjoying the taste of trip and beans as if it was more important to him right now . The tripe had a unique chewy texture . Not only that, it was cooked just right that tripe would break apart just as he bit into each piece . In addition, the beans cooked along with the fat had a delicious taste and he kept moving the spoon to his mouth without stopping, one after another . ¡¸So, why were you looking for me?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Galahat-san¡­¡­¡¹ Murt stopped as he was about to tell Rei before deciding that it would be best to come out with everything . Eventually he spoke up . ¡¸Did Rei reject Bolton¡¯s offer and go on a rampage?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ At that blunt answer, Freon and Brazos looked at Rei with startled eyes . Brazos, who had just drank some wine, almost spat it out in surprise and kept it in by clasping his hand over his mouth . The two of them had heard at the Margrave¡¯s residence that Bolton had ordered Rei to hand over his magic items and Set, but they hadn¡¯t expected that he had gone on a rampage after refusing . (No, it actually seems reasonable when you consider Rei¡¯s temperament . ) Brazos aside, who had choked on his wine and was coughing, Freon recovered from her temporary shock in understanding . Nevertheless, against the president of Azoth Firm, who controlled the weapons trade in Gimuru, they couldn¡¯t believe what he had done . Rather, even though they knew Rei, Freon could only accept it because Rei couldn¡¯t be understood by common sense . ¡¸¡­¡­Galahat-san suffered a serious injury from your attack but manage to escape death thanks to healing magic and potions . ¡¹ ¡¸No, he pushed himself after taking my attack, so in a sense it¡¯s his own fault . ¡¹ Like that, blue veins appeared on Murt¡¯s forehead and he tried to shout at Rei, who looked like he didn¡¯t really care, as he thought of how his respected senior had ended up . But after remembering he had to ask Rei for something, he calmed his anger down somehow . ¡¸Well, moving on . After that¡­¡­after he regained consciousness, Galahat-san gave me some orders regarding Azoth Firm¡¹ ¡¸Who is Galahat?¡¹ After recovering from choking, Brazos asked as poured and drank another cup wine . ¡¸He¡¯s an adventurer who came to bring me there when Bolton summoned me to Azoth Firm . The first time I went, I was driven away by the gatekeepers . The next day, Murt and Galahat came to bring me there . He seems to be a B rank adventurer, you don¡¯t know him?¡¹ ¡¸He certainly is a veteran adventurer, but it¡¯s not like I remember all the high ranking adventurers . ¡¹ ¡¸Even so, for someone hired by Azoth Firm, he has a very nice personality, he¡¯s even more famous for his looks . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, from the bed, Murt shook his head . ¡¸Think about Bolton¡¯s character . Although he¡¯s only half related by blood, do you think he would let Galahat be praised and become famous?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, I understand . That¡¯s right . If the rumors I¡¯ve heard about Bolton are even half true, then that could happen . ¡¹ As she gave a sigh, Freon spoke in amazement, Rei understood her meaning and shrugged his eyes . Seeing the two of them like that, Murt gave a sigh as well . ¡¸Even if Galahat-san made some great achievements, Bolton would change the story so that his loyal subordinates would take the credit . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Does the guild permit such things?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s natural question, Murt shook his head . ¡¸Of course you normally wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with such things . But Galahat-san would never say anything about his own achievements . The guild would only make a move if there were complaints from the person in question . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ During his exchange with Bolton, Rei remembered Galahat standing in his way . Indeed, at that time, Galahat had desperately wanted to save Bolton¡¯s life, even at the cost of his own . ¡¸Even the guild staff were aware of it, so disregarding his recorded achievements, they let him take the rank up test . Thanks to that, Galahat-san made it to rank B¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸On the other hand, maybe he was allowed to do that so they could use his status as a rank B adventurer hired by Azoth Firm . ¡¹ Rei muttered as he remembered his interaction when Galahat and Murt had come to escort him . Murt gave a sigh at Rei¡¯s words and nodded . ¡¸Ah . It seems that that touched on Bolton¡¯s sore spot as well . Although he¡¯s a rank B adventurer, he was forced to more trivial work than prominent requests . He was only used to show off the fact that Azoth Firm had a B rank adventurer . ¡¹ Murt spat out bitterly . Disregarding that, Rei tilted his head in puzzlement . ¡¸Even when I tried to kill Bolton, why did Galahat back Bolton that much¡­¡­or rather, why does he still provide one sided support? Even though Bolton hates him that much . It can¡¯t possibly be just because they¡¯re related by blood right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Murt went quiet . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing that, Rei, Freon and Brazos looked silently back at Murt . The silence continued for several minutes . Eventually, Murt spoke . ¡¸At that time, I think Rei also heard it¡­¡­Galahat and Bolton are only half related by blood . You know, the reason is because Bolton¡¯s father had laid his hands on Galahat¡¯s mother well after he had already become a grandfather . Even if he is the president of Azoth Firm and controls all the weapons business in Gimuru, status wise, he¡¯s pretty much a commoner and not a noble . ¡­¡­Because Margrave Rowlocks rules this frontier city, nobles don¡¯t have an absolute privilege¡­¡­still, the viewpoints of nobles and commoners are different . As a noble, you would still have some respect even if you had a mistress aside from your real wife, but if a commoner did that, they would be looked upon coldly . ¡­¡­Galahat-san¡¯s case was even worse, Bolton¡¯s father was in charge of Azoth Firm . All the side effects of his business went to Galahat-san¡¯s mother . At the same time, it was also directed towards Galahat-san, who was his son . Regarding Azoth Firm, it seems he still used the same old aggressive tactics back then . As a result, it should be easy to guess that all the resentment went towards Galahat-san right?¡¹ The other three frowned at the terrible story, and Brazos eventually spoke . ¡¸Then, Bolton¡¯s father knew that he wasn¡¯t a noble¡­¡­and yet he still took a mistress so shamelessly? From your story Galahat must have received a lot of terrible treatment . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess . Azoth Firm is still to blame in the end . It¡¯s a business built on aggressive and unfair trading . As for the people on the receiving end each time, it seems that Galahat-san and her mother were suitable target for retribution . As a result, he ended up living like a fugitive ever since he was born . Bolton¡¯s father was also his father, and whether it just got too annoying or not, he finally paid their living expenses¡­¡­even so, he only paid enough for the parent and child to barely manage . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­After experiencing all that, why would Galahat still obediently follow Bolton?¡¹ ¡¸This, I heard this when Galahat-san got drunk¡­¡­when Galahat¡¯s mother fell ill, I don¡¯t know for what reason but Bolton seemed to have exerted some power and obtained some medicine . ¡¹ At Murt¡¯s words, the other three were dumbfounded . After a minute long silence, Rei spoke . ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re joking?¡¹ Next to Rei, Brazos and Freon just nodded in agreement . Towards the three of them, Murt gave a bitter smile . ¡¸I wonder . I also thought the same thing the first time I heard it . But it seems to be true . At the very least, there¡¯s no doubt that Galahat-san believes it . ¡¹ ¡¸It was Galahat¡¯s mother that fell sick? Not Galahat himself?¡¹ Rei questioned whether it had actually been Galahat himself who had fallen ill and had been delirious due to his sickness but Murt nodded naturally . ¡¸There¡¯s no mistake . After I heard the story, I checked it with Galahat-san several times . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case¡­¡­after becoming the president of Azoth Firm, did his personality change or something like that?¡¹ Rei asked that suspiciously but Brazos denied it . ¡¸No, before Bolton become the president of Azoth Firm in Gimuru, he worked as an adventurer . From that time, his reputation was already the worst . ¡¹ ¡¸If so, he would have shunned Galahat¡­¡­no, why would Bolton help Galahat if he hated him?¡¹ Although Rei had responded unintentionally to Brazos¡¯ words, no one here could answer the obvious question . Even Murt, who had thought about this question several times after hearing the story from Galahat, could not find an answer . Although Rei couldn¡¯t believe it, Murt shook his head and continued his story . ¡¸Anyhow, Galahat-san felt greatly indebted to Bolton because of that matter . In addition, the impression was even stronger because he was just a kid back then . Although Galahat¡¯s mother eventually died, since then, no matter how bad Bolton was, Galahat considered him as a blood related brother and his only relative . ¡¹ Hearing those words, a certain thought came up in Rei¡¯s mind¡­¡­but judging that wasn¡¯t possible, he shook his head as he spoke . ¡¸It¡¯s not unusual for a strong impression or experience as a kid to affect a person¡¯s behaviour even after they grow up . ¡¹ A childhood experience could strongly influence a person¡¯s personality after they became an adult . In Rei¡¯s previous world, the impact from a childhood experience to this extent would be considered unlikely but not negligible . Rei thought about it but brought himself back to reality at the sound of a clap of hands . ¡¸Although the story has gone a bit off topic, I now understand more about Galahat as a person . So you said Galahat gave you orders regarding Azoth Firm, but what were they?¡¹ At Freon¡¯s words, Murt also felt that he had gone off topic . As soon as he was about to continue on¡­¡­ ¡¸Wait . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s voice stopped him . ¡¸Rei?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹ Freon and Brazos asked him but Rei just closed his eyes and listened with his ears¡­¡­ ¡¸It seems we have visitors downstairs . ¡¹ Was what he told them . Chapter 144 Chapter 144 After hearing Murt speak about Galahat¡¯s life from birth, Murt was about to speak about the current situation . But at that time, Rei told everyone to keep quiet before telling the others they had guests . ¡¸¡­¡­Guests?¡¹ Freon asked Rei, but from his tone, it was clear they were not welcome guests but rather troublesome ones . ¡¸Even though they were one-sidedly stomped by you at Pamidor¡¯s smithy, have they still not learned?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s quite different from the people that time . If anything, this time they¡¯re mere thugs . ¡­¡­But . ¡¹ ¡¸But?¡¹ ¡¸Apparently they¡¯re looking for Murt . They¡¯ve been yelling about that . ¡¹ The other three had surprised expressions at Rei¡¯s words . Being able to hear the voices of people causing a disturbance on the first floor from the second floor, how good did his hearing have to be . In this case, Freon and Brazos, who had known Rei for longer, were more surprised . Although Murt didn¡¯t know Rei that well, he could still accept it because he had seen the violence that had unfolded at Bolton¡¯s mansion . ¡¸You, how good is your hearing . ¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders at Freon¡¯s words . ¡¸Set¡¯s senses are even sharper . ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s wrong to compare yourself with a Griffon, an A rank monster . ¡¹ Rei got up from his chair and glanced at the amazed Freon . ¡¸As it is, they¡¯re bothering the inn . I¡¯ll go and fix them up a bit . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess I¡¯ll go too . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Brazos stood up and put his bottle of wine onto the floor as he wanted to rampage around as well . However, Rei shook his head and Brazos stopped getting up . ¡¸Sorry, but please wait in this room, Brazos and Freon . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Are you going to rampage alone Rei?¡¹ Brazos asked as Rei looked towards Murt, who had sat up on the bed ¡¸There¡¯s a high possibility that the disturbance below is only a distraction . If that is the case, someone to guard Murt will be necessary . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If that¡¯s the case, I think it would be fine for just Freon and me to go down . ¡¹ ¡¸This is the inn where I¡¯m staying in for now . It would be better for me to settle the disturbance since I¡¯m the reason they¡¯re troubling the inn . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if you say that, I can¡¯t say anything else . I understand . Freon and I will remain here . Freon, are you okay with that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I originally didn¡¯t want to stick my head into the uproar down there . ¡¹ With the consent of the two of them, Rei turned to Murt . ¡¸Speaking of that . I¡¯ll be going downstairs to settle the disturbance, so you should rest your body . Ah, you can eat the food if you¡¯re hungry . ¡¹ Rei looked at the dishes lined up on the floor and left the room as Murt¡¯s belly let out a growl at the smell of the food . ¡¸¡­¡­For now, can I have the grilled meat?¡¹ Rei heard Murt asked as he walked out . As Rei left the room and headed for the first floor, a voice shouting could be heard . ¡¸Hey, just hand over Murt! It would be in your best interesting to listen and do as we say . ¡¹ ¡¸I told you already, we don¡¯t have any customers here called Murt . And even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t tell such people like you! Please leave . ¡¹ Lana, the proprietress of the Dusk Wheat Inn, was facing off against about 10 youths . She did business with adventurers and mercenaries every day . Naturally, some of them would start fights in the dining area . If you considered that Lana had seen this happen countless times as she managed the inn, even though the shouts of the hooligan youths in their late teens to early twenties were loud, they were just like the tweets of baby birds to her . ¡¸Haa? Hey, you! Did you think you could speak so insolently to us and get away with it!?¡¹ He was probably the leader . He had long hair and sharp eyes¡­¡­the man with the slovenly hair threatened Lana . ¡¸I am the proprietress of this inn . Naturally, I have the obligation to protect my customer¡¯s safety . This is my duty . ¡¹ She refused once again . This seemed to cut off the last reason the thugs still had . Or rather, the limit of their patience was reached . A man next to the leader took a knife out from his chest and threatened to thrust it at Lana¡¯s face¡­¡­ Smash~ . Such a sound echoed into the surroundings . ¡º¡­¡­¡» The thugs didn¡¯t know what had happened, it was the same for Rei, who had been about to throw and iron knife he had taken out from the Misty Ring . No, Rei had clearly seen what had happened, but rather, he was surprised that a total stranger had taken action in a problem that he had caused himself . Everyone looked towards the direction of the sound and saw the figure of the man who had tried to attack Lana with a knife a few seconds ago . However, pieces of wood were scattered around the man, who had been knocked out cold . (That was, a chair . ) Rei thought to himself . Yes . At the moment the man pulled a knife on Lana, A chair had been thrown from the dining area, flying past Lana before hitting the man . The chair then broke apart as it hit the man . ¡¸¡­¡­Please leave . ¡¹ Even though the chair had flown right past her, Lana told the thugs with an unsurprised expression . Together with her imposing appearance, she gave off the same atmosphere as a mother-in-law ¡¸-! D-Don¡¯t joke around! Do you think we¡¯re idiots that would leave just like that!? Hey, who¡¯s the bastard that threw that chair just now! Show yourself!¡¹ The voice of the leader of the thugs echoed through the first floor of the inn and the area nearby . Unluckily for the thugs, a merchant group led by a well known merchant called Vettman was staying in the inn tonight . Vettman led a merchant group of armed merchants, they traveled across the frontier without any mercenary escorts . Although they look just like merchants, their skill to fight back against monsters and thieves was even higher than some of the mercenary escorts around . And in Gimuru, Vettman favoured the Dusk Wheat inn . They had finally arrived at the city of Gimuru after traveling through remote frontier for over a month . As they were partying to celebrate their safe arrival at their destination in a familiar inn, a bunch of thugs suddenly appeared . They made absurd demands to Lana, the proprietress of the inn and brought out a knife against her . With that, the people of the armed merchant group could never have kept quiet . ¡¸Ah . Sorry, but I threw the chair . It¡¯s been noisy for quite a while . I¡¯m finally enjoying a party after being away from this city for so long . If you make any more noise, I¡¯ll strip your hides from you to sell . ¡¹ Even though he wasn¡¯t quite as tough looking as Pamidor, a strong man who looked like a bandit or pirate took a step forward from the dining area . ¡¸I can¡¯t let just you look good Yusla . I have complaints as well . I¡¯ll join you if you go for it . ¡¹ The next person to walk out was a smart looking, smiling man in his thirties . However, even though there was a smile on his face, his eyes were not laughing . Maybe they were good friends or just wanted to see a good show, people from the merchant groups came out one after another . Furthermore, mercenaries and adventurers who stayed in the inn but didn¡¯t belong to Vettman¡¯s group came out, even those who had just come for a meal appeared from the dining area . ¡¸So, that¡¯s your position¡­¡­we, don¡¯t you know who is behind us!? You look like you¡¯re just merchants! Causing a dispute with us and Azoth Firm, do you think you will still be able to do business in Gimuru!?¡¹ More people that he had imagined had come out . Despite feeling more nervous, the man still shouted out with energy . Seeing the man like that, Rei, who had seen the series of events from halfway down the stairs inadvertently let out a laugh . ¡¸Kukukukuku~, I can¡¯t stop it . Haha¡­¡­ahh, sorry . Even though you had been energetically shouting at everyone, when more people stood up against you than you expected, you got cold feet . Still, bringing out your backers after that¡­¡­are you sure you¡¯re a thug and not a street performer or something?¡¹ Rei¡¯s words hit the key points . The thugs and merchants were staring each other down a few seconds ago as if they wanted to see blood, but then those on the merchants side unintentionally burst out into laughter . ¡¸Hahaha~, yes, that¡¯s for sure . It¡¯s as the kid says . Right now, you guys are just Goblins borrowing the power of a Dragon . ¡¹ A the words of Yusla, the thugs all glared at Rei with blue veins on their foreheads . ¡¸Who is this brat . You, if you keep playing around I¡¯ll slice up your face!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If you can do that . ¡¹ With a wry smile at the word of the leader of the thugs, Rei gently jumped over the handrail of the stairs . Although he jumped from a height of over 5m, he landed on the first floor with almost no sound . The merchants watched Rei, who looked like a kid, with sharp eyes . With Rei¡¯s series of actions just now, as an armed merchant, he instinctively understood Rei¡¯s strength from his experience . ¡¸Hey . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . It¡¯s nothing . ¡¹ The smile that Yusla and merchants had a few seconds ago disappeared as they exchanged a sharp look . However, the thugs took an action opposite to the armed merchants . Even if they saw Rei kill his momentum as he jumped off and landed, they didn¡¯t feel anything about that and scowled at him . ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, you . Are you trying to tell us what to do brat? Are you crazy and think you¡¯re some kind of hero? If you apologise right now we¡¯ll forgive you, go home and suck on your mother¡¯s breasts as you cry yourself to sleep . ¡¹ ¡¸To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to this if possible¡­¡­but my guests have taken the time to visit me . I should welcome you all . ¡¹ ¡¸You must be Murt!¡¹ One of the thugs said that . The colour of greed appeared in the eyes of the other thugs when they heard those words . When they had been hired, they had just been told to drag over a person named Murt . They never would have guessed Murt would just be a kid . They all had dark smiles at their unexpected good fortune to earn some easy money . Looking at the thugs¡­¡­Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring as usual . (Come to think of it, I could use a spear, but I don¡¯t know when I can get more back due to Bolton¡¯s order . I should save them for now . ) Thinking to himself, he swung the Death Scythe lightly . Roar-! Even though it was a light swing for Rei, a big scythe weighing over 100kg was swung . The thugs staggered several step back from the wind pressure alone, some even fell back onto the floor . The thugs may have been hot blooded, but they weren¡¯t adventurers¡­¡­no, rather, they were a group of those people who didn¡¯t want to work as adventurers because of the high danger . Because of that, they hadn¡¯t heard the rumors about Rei, which had spread among the adventurers in Gimuru . Rei was famous in the city of Gimuru because of the Griffon that followed him around . When he wore the Dragon Robe, which had the effect of making him seem ordinary, he just looked like a novice adventurer you could find anywhere . In addition, with his robe and build, he looked like an apprentice mage . How strong was that attack, as expected, the faces of the thugs that were red from humiliation turned blue with fear . Seeing that, the armed merchants talked silently with their eyes . They calmly observed Rei as he threatened the thugs with his Death Scythe . For example, where did Rei get his Death Scythe from? Where did he take it out from? It had to be a type of item box . He could lightly handle the Death Scythe with one hand . They could guess its weight from the noise the wind made as it was swung . Like that, as they carefully observed Rei, they enjoyed the liquor from their half finished party as they wondered what kind of settlement this disturbance would reach . ¡¸Well, you have two options . The first is to fight against me here with my Death Scythe . ¡­¡­Ahh, don¡¯t worry . I don¡¯t plan to attack you with the blade . The handle is enough . ¡¹ Roar-! Saying that, Rei swung the Death Scythe again . The pressure from the wind blew across the faces of the thugs . Even if they were hit by the handle and not the blade, they could imagine how much power would be behind the attack . ¡¸The second option . ¡­¡­To be honest, I recommend this option . You can apologise for the disturbance you¡¯ve made, hand over all your weapons and money, then leave . ¡­¡­Come on, which one do you chose? Ah, that¡¯s right . Even if you take the first option, after I knock you all out, I¡¯ll still take your weapons and money . ¡¹ Rei urged them to choose with a smile . Although the thugs had had their pride hurt with what had been said, they didn¡¯t think they could beat Rei . With their abilities and the abilities of Rei before them, their choice was obvious . Chapter 145 Chapter 145 ¡¸¡­¡­Is this enough?¡¹ The leader of the thugs asked after they had put all their weapons and money onto the floor . As expected, there were no spears, which Rei had wanted . There were mostly knives as well as a few one handed axes and long swords . If he just sold all the weapons, he would earn a reasonable amount . If he sold them . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Heh~, I didn¡¯t expect this . ¡¹ Rei murmured to himself as he checked the contents of the cloth pouch the leader had taken out from his chest . After all, there were several gold coins in the pouch . It wasn¡¯t an amount of money a typical city thug would have . Rei understood how they had gotten it and he spoke to the leader with a thin smile . ¡¸There was quite the reward for this¡­¡­pity for you . Next time, you should consider the difference in strength between you and your opponent . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The thugs kept their silence at Rei¡¯s words . Looking at them, he directed them to the door with his chin . ¡¸Leave . If this happens again next time, if that happens¡­¡­well, I¡¯ll enjoy it then . ¡¹ As Rei told them with a smile on his face, the thugs didn¡¯t say a word¡­¡­no, rather, they left the inn without being able to say anything . Rei guessed that a few of them still had a certain amount of money hidden away at their chest, but he decided that it was still his top priority for them to get out of sight as soon as possible without causing anymore issues . After the thugs had left, Rei put all the coins into the pouch containing the gold coins and turned towards Lana and the merchants . ¡¸Sorry for the inconvenience . ¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it . Since you¡¯re staying in my inn, you are my customer . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, as expected of the proprietress of the Dusk Wheat! A mother for all of us!¡¹ In response to the voices from the armed merchants, Lana turned towards them with her cheeks slightly red . ¡¸You all, don¡¯t go about doing such dangerous things! The reputation of Dusk Wheat would be disgraced if my customers are injured!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry, sorry . But this inn is an important place for us¡­¡­we can¡¯t let things be if people barge in rudely . ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, all of you . As punishment for you all this time, you¡¯ll be eating Fang Boar stew for breakfast tomorrow . ¡¹ Despite saying that, she didn¡¯t feel bad after hearing that her accommodation was considered an important place . Lana said that with a smile on her face . At the words, Fang Boar stew, the merchants cheered . Rei spoke to the merchants . ¡¸Sorry for pouring cold water on your party . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it kid . We did this on our own decision . ¡¹ Yusla, as the man was called by his friends, smacked Rei on the shoulder as he laughed . With a wry smile on his face, Rei threw a bag containing gold, silver and copper coins he had taken from the thugs to Lana . ¡¸Rei?¡¹ ¡¸As an apology for disturbing your part, I¡¯ll pay for today¡¯s food and drink . I¡¯ll put this down as a deposit . If it¡¯s not enough, please tell me later . ¡¹ ¡ºOHHHHHHHHHHhhhhh!¡» At Rei¡¯s words that he would treat them, the armed merchants and adventurers in the dining area all cheered . ¡¸Kid, you¡¯re small but very generous!¡¹ Yusla laughed heartily at the word treat . Though Yusla didn¡¯t mean bad, Rei still thought his expression looked a little angry . In the meantime, one person from the armed merchants came over to Rei . At first glance, he looked to be in his forties and about 170cm tall, not much difference from Rei . He had an approachable smile on his face . However, his eyes were different . It was different to the residents of the city, his gaze was deep and felt like he could see through you . With that look, Rei could guess who he was . He was the man who led the armed merchants . ¡¸We¡¯ll accept your treat tonight . I would like to thank you on behalf of my group . ¡¹ He gave a quick bow as he held out his hand . ¡¸Sorry for the late greeting . I¡¯m Vettman, I lead the convoy of these people around the frontier . ¡¹ Rei replied as he shook hands . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . An adventurer . Don¡¯t worry about me treating you . I got you rolled up in my problems and killed your partying mood . Consider it as making it up to you . ¡¹ As Rei grasped Vettman¡¯s hand, he couldn¡¯t imagine that it was the hand of a merchant . It was a hand that had calluses from holding and training with weapons . He would have believed it if he had said they were adventurers or mercenaries who carried things between towns . As Rei looked at Vettman in admiration, on the contrary, Vettman was slightly at loss as he looked at Rei . Before he knew it, the large Death Scythe Rei had been swinging had disappeared, there were also no calluses on his hands from grasping weapons in his hand . However, the attack Rei had demonstrated in front of the thugs earlier was similar to that of sword wielded by a first class warrior . As Rei¡¯s body was produced by Zepairu, it¡¯s recovery and healing ability was much greater than ordinary people . For that reason, even if Rei used the Death Scythe, proof of training, such as calluses would not form . For that reason, right now, Rei¡¯s hands were still had a softness which would not be expected of a fighter, but of course, this was impossible for Vettman to realise . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Noticing his state, Rei asked, but Vettman immediately shook his head as if it were nothing . As expected of the person who led a group of armed merchants, his face didn¡¯t show any expression at Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸It¡¯s nothing . By the way, I want to ask, that big scythe just before¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Well, I think you can guess, but I have an item box . ¡¹ ¡¸What¡­¡­indeed I had considered it, as expected . No, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a real item box . I¡¯ve heard about extremely small pseudo item boxes being used¡­¡­but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a real item box . ¡¹ Speaking in admiration, Vettman turned his eyes towards the dining area . While watching Vettman, he recalled the pseudo item box Elena had used in the dungeon when Vettman mentioned it . ¡¸If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t you join us? You did treat us, Rei-san, by all means come over . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no, I¡¯m sorry . I have some people waiting in my room . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Rei turned to look at the inn door . With that, Vettman understood what Rei wanted to say . He gave a small nod . ¡¸I see . So the people earlier were your guests . Please wait a moment . ¡¹ Saying that, Vettman went to the dining area and came back in less than a minute . There were two small barrels of liquor in his hands . ¡¸This is a small thanks, please have this . I don¡¯t know whether it will suit your taste but it is my favourite liquor . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . I will accept it gratefully . ¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t like liquor that much, but there was Brazos back in his room, who had boasted that his blood was made from liquor . As there wasn¡¯t enough wine to drink, Rei gratefully accepted it . ¡¸We¡¯re planning to stay at this inn for about a month, so let¡¯s have another drink if the opportunity comes up . ¡¹ Saying that, Vettman gave another bow and headed back to the dining area with the armed merchants . The armed merchants, adventurers and mercenaries casually thanked Rei for paying for the food and drink for the night before following Vettman back to the dining area . Lastly, the only people left were Rei and Lana, the proprietress of the inn . ¡¸Sorry for the disturbance . ¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it . I¡¯m accustomed to doing business with adventurers and mercenaries . I¡¯ll be returning to the dining area . Because Rei-san has generously paid for their party, I will make some dishes I don¡¯t usually make with my husband and let them go all out . ¡¹ Like a plucky mother, Lana headed back to the dining area with a smile . After seeing her leave, Rei stored the knives, long swords and one handed axes on the floor into the Misty Ring before returning to his room . ¡¸Hey, how was it on the first floor? It seems they weren¡¯t easy to deal with . ¡¹ When Rei entered the room, Freon called out . The room didn¡¯t seem to have undergone any changes . Rei shook his head with a smile as it seemed that the disturbance on the first floor had not been a diversion . ¡¸The people on the first floor were street thugs . I guess they weren¡¯t a diversion?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Nothing much happened over here¡­¡­uh, what¡¯s with the barrels?¡¹ ¡¸I got it from merchants staying at the inn . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­How did it end up like this?¡¹ Although Freon muttered that, Brazos sniffed the contents of the barrel . ¡¸There¡¯s liquor in the barrels . In addition, from the rich fragrance, it¡¯s of substantial quality . ¡­¡­Rei, if I remember correctly, you can¡¯t drink that much right? If so, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a useless treasure even if you have such a superior liquor¡­¡­¡¹ Brazos¡¯ eyes seemed to be nailed to the barrels as he gave a small sigh and put the barrels on the floor . ¡¸Don¡¯t look at it so desperately . I planned to give it to you from the start . ¡¹ ¡¸Mmmm, as expected of you Rei . You know how to respect your elders unlike a certain female adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, may I ask who that female adventurer is?¡¹ Disregarding Freon¡¯s glare, Brazos opened a barrel promptly and poured himself a cup of liquor . A rich fragrance unique to aged liquor wafted around the room . ¡¸This is, it¡¯s definitely of high quality . Several silver coins¡­¡­no, if you¡¯re unlucky, you might even need several gold coins to get it . ¡¹ Brazos murmured unintentionally as he enjoyed the fragrance . While looking enviously at Brazos, Murt spoke up . ¡¸So, can I continue talking? About the matter of Galahat-san¡¯s situation¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that reminds me . If even you are being targeted by the people hired by Azoth Firm, isn¡¯t it also dangerous for Galahat?¡¹ ¡¸Of course . That¡¯s why he¡¯s hiding in a place that only Galahat-san and I know of . It would be fine if he recovered back to his prime state, but his injuries have yet to heal . He can¡¯t just move about violently . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, wouldn¡¯t it be better just to stay hidden at your hideout and lay low for a while?¡¹ At Murt¡¯s words, Rei asked . If he had just hidden at his hideout, the disturbance this time might not have happened¡­¡­ ¡¸That would be too slow . ¡¹ Murt replied in frustration . ¡¸Slow?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I said a little about it at Pamidor¡¯s smithy, but Galahat-san gave me some brief instructions, to take over Azoth Firm . Even though Azoth Firm is a collective group, there are naturally various factions inside . ¡¹ (This was also a measure to protect Bolton from you . ) Murt thought to himself . Of course, he did not say that out loud . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true . As long as there are three people in the world, factions will form . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess . So, about the factions¡­¡­naturally, it¡¯s not about the current faction in power . The people in the main faction stick close Bolton to get the sweet deals from him . I hate that sort of underhanded behaviour . Then there are some people who are trying to work honestly for the city of Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are there?¡¹ At Murt¡¯s words, Freon asked involuntarily . Murt, who was hired by Azoth Firm himself, knew more than enough about Azoth Firm¡¯s reputation as he nodded with a bitter smile . ¡¸For now, there is . Naturally, there are overwhelmingly fewer of them compared to the main faction . ¡¹ ¡¸However, I¡¯ve lived in Gimuru for a long time¡­¡­but I do not recall ever hearing about such people . There¡¯s only ever been bad rumours . ¡¹ Brazos muttered as he savoured the liquor he had gotten from Rei . Murt stared at him drinking the delicious liquor enviously for a few seconds before shaking his head and continuing to talk . ¡¸That¡¯s right . Think carefully . If there are people getting sweet deals, won¡¯t there be people trying to stop them?¡¡But the suppression¡­¡­wass a bit overpowering, the result was that they were treated coldly and given trivial jobs . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then, even if Galahat instructed you to do so, how can you even attempt to take over Azoth Firm?¡¹ ¡¸As Rei said, that is the case if you think about it normally¡­¡­but not everyone who is a part of Azoth Firm is on Bolton¡¯s side . No, the people close to him are likely only his close associates or people like them . In the end, the organisation is made up of good, ordinary merchants . ¡­¡­Otherwise, would Azoth Firm, with a man as greedy as Bolton, be able to operate peacefully so far? Of course, because Bolton has a knack for skillfully coercing people, he¡¯s not completely incompetent¡­¡­¡¹ It just ended up backfiring this time with Rei, as Murt continued . ¡¸In that case, I guess there must be people who have been crying out against Bolton¡¯s tyranny up until now . ¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t deny that . Actually, I have also seen such people several times after being hired by Azoth Firm . ¡¹ Murt gave a sigh as he said that . Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Murt explained in Rei¡¯s room . Rei spoke up after listening . ¡¸So, what are you going to do? In the first place, from what I understand, the people who support Galahat are all doing trivial jobs, how will you gather them?¡¹ ¡¸Well, simply speaking, we will use force . Originally, it would have been best to slowly sound out the people working in Azoth Firm to gradually expand Galahat¡¯s support . Even among people who were sent to trivial duties, there are few people in Azoth Firm who don¡¯t know the relation between Bolton and Galahat-san as they are aware of the internal circumstances . ¡¹ ¡¸But, then . As far as I¡¯ve heard from your story, hasn¡¯t Galahat always been an adventurer?¡¹ Moving his cup away from his mouth, Brazos unexpectedly asked . Murt nodded at this question . ¡¸Ah, that is so . If that wasn¡¯t the case, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for him to rise to rank B in the first place . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, if Galahat became the president of Azoth Firm¡­¡­would he be able to manage the business properly?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, now that you say it, that is true . Galahat has certainly never been involved in the management of the company since he was born . Even if he overcame Bolton and took over Azoth Firm, would he be able to manage the business properly¡­¡­¡¹ Freon nodded at Brazos¡¯ words . Bolton had been the one running Azoth Firm until now . However, Galahat, who would take charge after, was an adventurer and not a merchant . Naturally, he had no experience running a company like Azoth Firm at all . Although he was a talented person at the frontier, would he be able to control Azoth Firm, which handled the weapons sales in Gimuru and numerous other cities . Freon had doubts but Murt nodded that there were no problems . ¡¸Galahat-san is definitely not a merchant . However, since he had been hired by Azoth Firm since he became an adventurer, he knows a lot more about the workings of Azoth Firm than the merchants around here . Besides, as the president, Galahat-san would only be the representative of Azoth Firm unlike how Bolton is . Decision making would be carried out by the group of merchants that support him . ¡¹ (A kind of democratic system it seems . ¡­¡­I hope it won¡¯t end up as a mob ruling . ) Rei thought about Murt¡¯s words and the Japanese politicians where he used to live . No, rather, the politicians who worked for their own personal gain . Turning tail to another country to bring yourself benefits rather than for the interests of their country, there was no choice but to watch out for those who only looked for their own personal gain . He quickly shook off such thoughts from his mind . Because this was no longer Japan that he was in . ¡¸Well, anyhow, even if Galahat takes over Azoth Firm, I guess Gimuru won¡¯t fall into confusion?¡¹ When Rei asked Murt, he shook his head as if to shake off the idea . ¡¸Ah . Of course there will be some disorder, but it should be kept to a minimum . Anyhow, any employee that doesn¡¯t support that bastard, Bolton, has been sent off to trivial duties . However, most of them stayed because they believed that Azoth Firm would eventually screw up somewhere . They should be enough . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, it might be better to head for the hideout where Galahat is right now . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s musing, everyone in the room looked at him . Among them, Freon spoke up as the representative . ¡¸Why? I understand that we have to hurry, but it¡¯s night already . Do you mind if we head over tomorrow? No, rather, the thieves that Bolton has employed would be better at night activities . ¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t need to worry about them . For example, even if they gathered a group of people to push into this inn just now, Azoth Firm is probably trying their numbers now . Even now they might be hiring mobs . If we wait until tomorrow to take action, won¡¯t the difference in power between Bolton and Galahat increase? Even if most of the force the other side has are thugs like the ones from before, their power is in numbers . If you consider that, it¡¯s better to move fast . ¡­¡­Murt, you were talking about Galahat taking down Bolton with force, but how big a fighting force do you actually have?¡¹ ¡¸Among the adventurers hired by Azoth Firm, the ones helped by Galahat, the ones that like Galahat-san¡¯s character¡­¡­30% if we looked at it optimistically . At worst, 10% . ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, we can only count on 10% . What is the specific number of people?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s about 5 people . ¡¹ Rei was unexpectedly surprised at Murts words . 5 people were about 10%, with some simple math, it meant the number of adventurers hired by Azoth Firm was close to 50 . ¡¸I knew that Azoth Firm was a big business, but to hire that many adventurers¡­¡­that was truly unexpected . ¡¹ Like Rei, Brazos was also surprised . ¡¸The other 20% in an optimistic situation, can we consider them to be neutral?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess . There were various circumstances where we had no choice but to cooperate with Bolton¡¯s people, but I felt that they were friendly to Galahat-san . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, if we can¡¯t count on them, it would be better to not include them in our potential force . More than that, it might be better to move as soon as possible if that in the difference in combat forces . Losing in numbers, we won¡¯t win if we lose in speed as well . Speaking of winning¡­¡­¡¹ Freon glanced at Rei . Judging from his ability during the Harpy subjugation request, Rei never fit into the D rank category . Considering he was followed by the Griffon Set, an A rank monster, his overall strength was about as good as an A rank adventurer . And above all, this uproar happened because of Rei . Given that, he would probably display his power . ¡¸Rei is definitely going to get caught in the uproar this time¡­¡­I mean, considering what happened at Pamidor¡¯s smithy, you¡¯re already fully involved . If that¡¯s the case, it would be best to gather our fighting forces to go against Azoth Firm . Naturally, that includes me and Brazos . ¡¹ After all, they had received a request with Rei and formed a party . Even if they didn¡¯t want to, they would still inevitably be dragged into the matter . Besides, they would be doing something about the disreputable Azoth Firm and improve the atmosphere in Gimuru a bit . ¡¸Because of that, we should quickly head over to where Galahat is hiding . It¡¯s a game of time from now on . If we move fast enough, Azoth Firm shouldn¡¯t have their forces gathered yet . ¡¹ Standing up while talking, Freon pulled Murts arm to help him out of the bed . ¡¸Ah, Ahh . I understand¡­¡­¡¹ Nodding as he was pulled up, Rei handed over the halberd and leather armour that he had stored into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Here, if we go now, you should at least have your equipment . It looks okay now, but after joining with Galahat, there will definitely be fighting . ¡¹ ¡¸This is, my¡­¡­ah, I see . You did have an item box, Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Such an idiot, had you forgotten already? In the first place, all this uproar happened because Bolton was greedy for this . ¡¹ Rei looked at him in amazement . As if to escape from Rei¡¯s gaze, Murt started to put on his leather armour . While watching the two of them, Brazos stood up after gulping down one last cup of liquor . Even if it was a small barrel he still hadn¡¯t become drunk from drinking that much, was it because he was a dwarf or because he was Brazos . ¡¸So, where¡¯s the hideout Galahat is staying in?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a small cabin in a backstreet . Because it¡¯s quite old, no one ever goes there, I don¡¯t believe they¡¯ve found it . ¡¹ Murt answered Freon¡¯s question as he put on his leather armour and looked puzzled at Rei who was frowning after hearing his reply . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, Galahat is hiding in an isolated old cabin?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . At least that¡¯s what it looks like . Inside, there¡¯s enough preserved food hidden inside to live for a few days, there are also various ways to buy things . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, I understand . ¡¹ At Murt¡¯s words, Freon nodded in understanding . ¡¸In other words, Rei is worried if there really aren¡¯t any people who come near the cabin . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . It looks old¡­¡­or rather, since it looks worn down, not many people want to come over . However, there is a possibility that orphans or slum inhabitants will go over . There is also the possibility the information will eventually get to Azoth Firm that way . ¡¹ You could say that the governor of Gimuru, Daska, was a good governor . But there were still slums . No, rather, because Gimuru was a frontier city, most of their expenses had to be in defense and the development of other areas had to be postponed . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . I definitely can¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I think that it will probably be okay . Galahat-san has done a lot of work to help the people in the slums . He has a lot of trust from them . ¡¹ Finishing putting on his leather armour, Murt replied as he looked over his halberd . Freon shrugged her shoulders at his words . ¡¸Whether they¡¯re an orphan or a slum inhabitant, they do all they can to live for another day . Whether such people will hold a priority on gold or trust¡­¡­well, of course, there will still be some who hold trust as more important, still, there will many more people who would fall and take the money . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It seems we need to hurry then . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei opened the door . After that, Freon and Brazos went out, followed by Murt after he was ready . As they went down the stairs, they eventually heard the lively voices from the dining area . ¡¸I wanted to drink a bit more . ¡¹ Brazos looked towards the dining area enviously, but was immediately struck on the head by Freon¡¯s sheathed long sword . ¡¸You already opened a barrel in Rei¡¯s room, is that not enough! Seriously, this is why this Dwarf¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That hurts-!¡¡Freon, can¡¯t you be more reasonable? Every time you hit, you hit my head . At the very least, use you hand . Even though it¡¯s in its sheath, is there anyone who would hit someone with a sword?¡¹ Although Brazos complained while holding his head, Freon gave a snort . ¡¸If I hit a stone with my bare hands, my delicate hands would be hurt . ¡¹ ¡¸Keh-, what delicate hands . A person with delicate hands can¡¯t be a warrior . ¡¹ It was already a familiar scene to Rei, but Murt was worried as this was the first time he had seen it . ¡¸Hey, Rei . Even though we¡¯re heading right into the center of the uproar, is it fine to let them argue?¡¹ Murt quietly asked Rei . Rei put on the hood of his Dragon Robe without any particular expression as he nodded that there wasn¡¯t a problem . ¡¸I haven¡¯t known them for long, but that¡¯s normal for both of them . It would be better than them being tense and slow . ¡¹ ¡¸No, but . To have an internal fight now¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸As I said before, they¡¯re not really fighting, that¡¯s just how they get along . You don¡¯t need to mind it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If Rei says so then it¡¯s fine, but is it really okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, they¡¯re both C rank adventurers . They have reasonable strength and skill . ¡¹ While talking like that, they left the stairs as they arrived on the first floor of the inn and headed for the exit . ¡¸Oh, are you going out?¡¹ Seeing the 4 of them leave, Lana came out of the dining area to ask . Seeing they were all armed, it was clear that they were heading out for dangerous business, but her tone was still normal . ¡¸Ah . To the person who sent to thugs over earlier . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then, please take care of yourselves . ¡¹ Giving a quick bow to Lana, the 4 of them left the inn . They could hear the lively laughter and cheers from the party going on in the dining area that Rei was treating as they left the Dusk Wheat . Only Brazos kept looking back towards the dining area in envy . Chapter 147 Chapter 147 ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, what do you think about this?¡¹ Rei muttered in amazement . Brazos shook his head with a small sigh when he heard those words . ¡¸One way or another¡­¡­that¡¯s how it is . ¡¹ In front of them, there were three injured adventurers who fainted and fallen to the ground . Rei and the others were currently at the stables behind the Dusk Wheat . Before meeting up with Galahat, he headed for the stables to pick up Set¡­¡­Rei and the others saw that the entrance to the stables had been smashed by something hitting it from the inside with the three unconscious adventurers lying at the front of the smashed entrance . At first, Rei had wondered if they were friends of the thugs who had barged their way into the inn, but the equipment of these men were clearly different . They all wore metal armour and one of them was even wearing full plate mail for some reason . Considering how good their equipment was and that one of them had a long sword, they were probably a different group of people . At the very least, they were a different group of people from the thugs . ¡¸Perhaps¡­¡­no, they definitely came to kill or capture Set . Anyhow, Set is our strongest force . In addition, doesn¡¯t the mastermind of this all, Bolton, want Set? He probably wants Set to be captured alive . Even if he decided to kill Set, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to imagine how much the materials of a Griffon would be worth . ¡¹ ¡¸So, they let the thugs rush into the inn as a diversion to give them time . Finally, the adventurers targeted and attacked Set, who was resting quietly in the stables¡­¡­this was the result in the end though . ¡¹ A Freon¡¯s reply, Rei turned to the other three, who were lost in thought . Set¡¯s strength alone was already phenomenal and was further enhanced by the magic item he had equipped, the Bracelet of Herculean Strength . The chainmail worn by one of the adventurers had been torn open and he had suffered a deep wound at his abdomen under it . As for the person wearing plate mail, it had been crushed by a single attack from Set with fragments scattering into the surroundings . Set probably just found them a hassle and hadn¡¯t killed them outright . However, autumn was setting in and with such a deep wound, they would have frozen to death if left overnight¡­¡­the other two weren¡¯t as serious but they would at least suffer a cold . ¡¸In the first place, what¡¯s with the difference in all their equipment? Chainmail, plain metal armour and full metal plate . It¡¯s not uncommon for three different people to have different equipment, but for there purpose, isn¡¯t it too varied?¡¹ With an emphasis on mobility, chainmail still had a higher defense than leather armour . Metal armour that protected the chest and torso, also known as a brigandine . Full plate mail covered the entire body in metal armour . The equipment the three adventurers wore were confusing and didn¡¯t make sense in many ways when they thought about it . ¡¸I think, there¡¯s a difference in thinking . ¡¹ ¡¸A difference in thinking?¡¹ Rei asked Brazos in reply . ¡¸Mm . For example, the one that wore chainmail might have been more concerned about secrecy . On the contrary, the one wearing full plate mail probably decided on defense in fear of Set¡¯s strength as a Griffon¡­¡­something like that . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . I guess the communication between the adventurers didn¡¯t go that well then . ¡¹ Whlie nodding at Brazos¡¯ words, Rei reached for the weapons that had fallen to the ground . Two spears and a bow . However, the bow wasn¡¯t usable unless repaired because the string had been snapped . (Although they tried to launch a surprise attack, as expected, it would be scary to have to fight a Griffon in close combat with swords, axes and clubs . That¡¯s why they chose spears . It could only go badly when you consider that they had to use the spears inside a small narrow space like the stables¡­¡­well, I guess they were terrified by Set . ) Thinking to himself, he stored the two spears and bow that he had picked up into the Misty Ring . At the same time, he picked up the quiver that had been rolling around near the man wearing chainmail . ¡¸Aren¡¯t you a little greedy?¡¹ Since the prices of iron ore were currently rising, iron spears were already expensive as they were . Even for these adventurers, it would be a considerable loss if they lost their spears here . Though Rei thought about Murt¡¯s words, he replied with a small smile . ¡¸In the first place, aren¡¯t they enemies? Picking up the weapons from those we defeat will decrease there fighting capabilities and strengthen ours . . Is there anything improper about it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if you say so . Considering the price of weapons right now, I feel sorry for them . Anyhow, as long as Galahat-san replaces Bolton as Azoth Firm¡¯s president, they will probably be dismissed even if they try to seek compensation for their lost spears . ¡¹ ¡¸Well yes, that¡¯s probably true . They should know that would normally be the case if someone asked for compensation from people they had been hostile against . ¡¹ Murt nodded at Freon¡¯s words, but Brazos shook his head . ¡¸Well then, I guess that¡¯s that . Even if Galahat is an adventurer, he should have a lot of allies . These guys are just attracted to the profits . If Galahat becomes the new president, he will probably replace people of this nature . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, I don¡¯t like people who change attitudes so easily . ¡¹ ¡¸You know . Galahat definitely favours you and you do respect him . But aren¡¯t those adventurers simply hired by Azoth Firm for work? They¡¯re currently being employed by Azoth Firm and the president happens to be Bolton, this is normal for adventurers . ¡¹ Freon explained in exasperation . Murt didn¡¯t seem convinced as he looked at Freon¡­¡­he then turned towards Rei, who had just stored the spears into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Wait a moment . Will Azoth Firm really not end up compensating them for their weapons? This is Galahat-san after all . ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder . ¡¹ ¡¸Haa-? Then Galahat-san will eat a big loss!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well then . Can I ask for a reward for helping you?¡¹ ¡¸No, but that is that . ¡¹ ¡¸Look at these two . Because they took the Harpy subjugation request together we me, they got rolled up in this disturbance as well . Naturally, they can ask for rewards if they actually do something . Considering that, I want you to overlook me taking these spears . ¡¹ ¡¸I can help you with the weapon stores¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸There wouldn¡¯t be any problems even if things stayed the way there are right now . In the first place, I don¡¯t need any particular maintenance with my weapon as long as I supply it my magic power . The only thing I need to maintain is the knife I use for stripping materials . Since Pamidor just came to the city of Gimuru and isn¡¯t controlled by Azoth Firm, I have no problems with a blacksmith either . If I were to put out something that could be considered a problem, it would be that I can¡¯t by throwing spears like the ones I took just now¡­¡­¡¹ While talking, he picked up a stone from the ground . ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t be so worried about throwing weapons if I had stones like this . ¡¹ With a pom~ pom~ sound, Rei tossed the stone into the air before catching it back in his palm . (Well, that said, spears have more offensive power than stones . ) In the end a stone was a stone . The impact would be strong, but the influence of wind on it when thrown would always be different as stones came in different shapes and sizes . In other words, if the distance was quite far, the hit rate of stones would vary quite a bit . Considering that, spears were the best shape for throwing . Because they were heavier than stones, the power and stability were also increased . Moreover, their offensive power was much stronger than stones because of the pointed spearhead at the end . (It can also pierce to seal movements . With stones, it¡¯s hard to adjust for their shape . ) ¡¸Rei?¡¹ Murt asked as Rei played around with the stone in his hand . While looking around, Rei rolled the stone around in his palm¡­¡­ ¡¸Fu~!¡¹ Taking a sharp breath, Rei threw the stone in his hands . The way he threw it was not like the so called overarm baseball pitch but more like the way a ninja would discretely throw a shuriken . As the stone flew out, it cut through the darkness towards a tree growing near the inn . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ For a moment, Freon, Brazos and Murt didn¡¯t know what Rei was doing . But Freon and Brazos immediately realised why . Murt looked towards the tree, only realising something when he heard a heavy thud from that direction . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set, who was in the stables, was a little worried . Usually, he would not come out and would wait for Rei to come in to pick him up, but tonight, he made the decision to come out himself . Naturally, he had no injuries from his fight against the three adventurers . In the first place, the highest ranked adventurer hired by Azoth Firm was Galahat at rank B . Because of that, all the other adventurers were obviously C rank or lower . Even if they had multiple ways of attacking from medium to long range with spears and bows, a Griffon, an A rank monster, was in a different league . Lightly stroking Set¡¯s head, he headed for the tree a short distance from the stables . At its base, an adventurer had fallen down after getting knocked out . ¡¸I say, the leather armour has a deep mark where the stone hit¡­¡­¡¹ Murt muttered as he gave a sympathetic look towards the man . The stone thrown by Rei was terrifying . He had seen Rei¡¯s attack blast Galahat through several wall in Bolton¡¯s mansion . Murt knew how much raw strength Rei had and gave his condolences in his mind . ¡¸No, why would you feel sorry for this guy who was probably hired by Azoth Firm?¡¹ Freon muttered, but Rei shook his head after checking the face of the man . ¡¸I thought they were the ones that attacked us at Pamidor¡¯s smithy, but it seems I was wrong . They had been wearing black padded clothes instead of armour to reduce the sounds the made as much as possible . Murt, do you know this guy?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I haven¡¯t seen him before . But since Azoth Firm hires a huge number of adventurers, there naturally are some I don¡¯t recognise . Especially since I work almost exclusively with Galahat-san . ¡¹ Murt said that in a bragging tone . Rei, Brazos and Freon looked at each other . ¡¸What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸First of all, he¡¯s definitely scouting . Checking if the three adventurers down over then can beat Set, and if they can¡¯t, what to do next . ¡­¡­Well, I don¡¯t think it will be of any use though since he¡¯s been knocked out . That man¡¯s greatest purpose¡­¡­rather, was to confirm the fighting strength of Galahat¡¯s faction . ¡¹ Freon nodded at Brazos¡¯ words . ¡¸I guess . If possible, he probably also wanted to find out where Galahat was hiding . ¡¹ ¡¸So, the question is, what do we do with these guys?¡¹ Rei and the others looked at the man who had fainted under the tree and the other three, knocked out near the stables . ¡¸Weren¡¯t these guys were meant to be part of Azoth Firm¡¯s force if everything had gone well? Can we just tie them up and leave them at the inn?¡¹ ¡¸What Freon said is reasonable¡­¡­but I feel like they could escape from being tied up and appear as a fighting force for the other side . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, these guys probably wanted to earn some money . ¡¹ Bolton felt that his position was being threatened . It would be cheap to hire adventurers in large numbers if he could protect his position . If they had people who could watch over the adventurers, Rei would rather have them join their party instead . Thinking about Freon and Brazos¡¯ points, it was a headache thinking of how to deal with those four people . It was a headache to the point that he almost physically had one . (It¡¯s out of the question to split up our numbers . Although they don¡¯t have to fight with us, we need someone we can trust to some extent¡­¡­wait?) As Rei thought to himself, he heard a lot of footsteps coming closer to there location . He pulled out his Death Scythe from the Misty Ring . Seeing that, Brazos also held his weapon¡­¡­ ¡¸What, it¡¯s you guys?¡¹ Appearing from the darkness, Rei lowered his Death Scythe after seeing their faces, exposed by the moonlight . ¡¸Do you know each other?¡¹ Murt turned to Rei . He had been involved deeply into this matter because of his great admiration for Galahat . Because of that, he was was greatly cautious about strangers . However, the person who appeared in Murt¡¯s cautious eyes spoke with a smile, seeming not to care about the halberd that was pointed towards him . ¡¸I thought that it was rather noisy at the back of the inn and came to take a look¡­¡­nice to see you again, Rei-san . ¡¹ Saying that, Vettman, the leader of the armed merchants staying at the Dusk Wheat, gave cheerful smile . Chapter 148 Chapter 148 It was near the stables at the back of the Dusk Wheat . A fight that couldn¡¯t really be called a fight . As Rei was worrying about what to do with the four knocked out adventurers who seemed to have been hired by Azoth Firm, Vettman, who led the armed merchants currently staying at Dusk Wheat, showed up . ¡¸I did cause some noise, however¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think it was that loud . ¡¹ Although he wasn¡¯t ready to swing his Death Scythe anymore, Rei still watched somewhat cautiously . ¡¸Well, I have people with a variety of skills . That aside, I heard about your situation . Do you mind if we lend a hand? Of course, I¡¯m not offering to fight for you,¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What is your goal?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have any particular goals . But, I would be able to connect with a remarkable adventurer . I thought that it would be good to keep our connection active . ¡­¡­In short, it¡¯s an investment . ¡¹ ¡¸Remarkable, eh . ¡¹ Rei glanced towards Brazos and Freon for a moment . ¡­¡­In this case, he didn¡¯t give Murt even the slightest consideration, who looked subtlety unsatisfied . But as expected, Murt didn¡¯t say anything in this situation . ¡¸No, no . Not those two, the remarkable adventurer I¡¯m referring to is you Rei-san . Those two are definitely veteran adventurers and have abundant experience . However, as far as I can see, you are the most talented, Rei-san . ¡¹ With a smile, Vettman directed a sharp gaze towards Rei . Rei shrugged his shoulders while taking the gaze straight on . ¡¸Even so, I¡¯m still a D rank adventurer . It¡¯s been less than a year since I was promoted . ¡¹ ¡¸Although rank is certainly an indication of the skill of an adventurer, it is my judgement that it is not an absolute evaluation . Well, I¡¯m aware that is a minority in the world . In the first place though, it would be hilarious to say that someone with a tamed Griffon has no skill . ¡¹ For a moment, Vettman glanced at Set, who was standing quietly beside Rei . It should be noted that he was able to keep calm even as he looked at a Griffon with his eyes . In fact, the people who came with Vettman stiffened slightly when they looked towards the Griffon . Seeing that, Freon and Brazos watched the conversation quietly as the looked at each other, exchanging a silent conversation . That is, whether they could trust the person before them . As soon as they reached a conclusion, Brazos spoke up . ¡¸Rei, it¡¯s true that they can¡¯t join us for battle, but how about cooperating with them here? Speaking of Vettman, he created a group of remarkable merchants . I don¡¯t think he would try to deceive you on this . ¡¹ They were made up of remarkable armed merchants who traveled from the relatively safe Imperial Capital all the way to the not so safe frontier . As armed merchants, they didn¡¯t hire escorts and some had been in the business for up to 10 years . As a natural result, Vettman¡¯s name was known around adventurers . Especially in the city of Gimuru on the frontier, adventurers and merchants who didn¡¯t know his name were almost all greenhorns¡­¡­or people like Rei, who was severely lacking in this aspect . Any how, Rei looked towards the four adventurers lying on the ground after hearing Brazos¡¯ words . ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, could you keep an eye on these four? We can¡¯t kill them for a variety of reasons and if we let them go, they would end just going back to the enemy . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Closing his eyes for a few seconds to think about it, he eventually opened his eyes and gave a small nod . ¡¸I understand . That is easy enough . Then, we¡¯ll keep an eye on them in our rooms . How long do we have to keep them?¡¹ ¡¸That right¡­¡­I think until tomorrow probably, it it gets later than that, we¡¯ll send someone over to tell you . Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Ahh . I think we¡¯ll be able to fit that in somehow even if it goes late into tomorrow . ¡¹ Seeing the spooked Murt who was panicking slightly, Vettman gave a smile like that of a nice person . ¡¸That¡¯s that then . If possible, we would be happy to connect with Azoth Firm, since they handle the arms market here in Gimuru . Any how, our business has met with various inconveniences here for a while¡­¡­no, there¡¯s no point telling you about it . ¡¹ At Vettman¡¯s bitter smile, Rei was satisfied with their reason for helping . Given Bolton¡¯s character, he would have never given a fair deal in the first place . Liking to take advantage of his opponent¡¯s weakness, it was easy to guess that he had pressured Vettman heavily . Rather than revenge, Vettman just wanted a deal that was mutually beneficial, not just for one side or the other . That was what Rei thought . ¡¸Well, I understand why you would want to cooperate . However, even if you help us here, I can¡¯t promise that we¡¯ll be able to help you facilitate your business, are you sure about that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . Of course . I¡¯m not asking for special treatment . What I expect is a fair deal . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei looked towards Murt as if asking . ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? Why me?¡¹ ¡¸No, among the people hired by Azoth Firm, you¡¯re the only one that can be considered Galahat¡¯s subordinate . In the first place, I was just threatened by Bolton and Brazos and Freon are completely uninvolved . ¡¹ Murt was confused but collected himself at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸Come to think of it, that¡¯s true . Certainly, I¡¯m in a position to say that . ¡­¡­Ah, Vettman-san . I¡¯ve heard various things about you . That is, you found Bolton¡¯s policy of sacrificing those that lived on the frontier and various other things repugnant . Surely, if Galahat-san becomes the representative of Azoth Firm, I don¡¯t think he will try to force you to do anything, but I can¡¯t promise . After all, Galahat-san has no knowledge on how to manage the firm . Basically, regarding the operation of the firm, decisions will be made with the cooperation between Galahat-san and the firm administrators . So, what I can do is to report to Galahat-san that you helped us¡­¡­is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course . Rather, I don¡¯t want to force you to owe us a favour here . Doing things like that goes against our business morals . ¡¹ ¡¸Well then¡­¡­I¡¯ll leave them to you . ¡¹ Murt gave a quick bow towards Vettman . Despite having a surprised expression for a moment at Murt¡¯s actions, Vettman clapped Murt¡¯s shoulder with a smile . ¡¸Leave it to us . Then, feel free to go crazy all of you . ¡­¡­However, please make sure you¡¯re not defeated . Even if it is only a little bit, we did help you . If the other side wins, the deals we would have to make would become harder than ever . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then, couldn¡¯t you just not guard them but help use with your full power instead? As long those guys see the situation, wouldn¡¯t your name carry more value? In particular, I think you would be given preferential treatment in future deals . ¡¹ Like that, at Rei¡¯s natural question, Vettman shook his head with a wry smile . ¡¸Unfortunately, we can¡¯t do that . We are merchants, not mercenaries . Even though we¡¯re armed merchants, that is for self defense only . We¡¯re not mercenaries who sell our strength as our business . Although you might think that is heartless of us, this is our absolute commitment, or it might be better to say, rule, as merchants . Regardless of whether we are attacked, I can¡¯t break that rule as the head of a merchant group . ¡¹ Right now, before Rei was a man who walked the way he had decided without leaving it . Rei saw that and bowed his head . ¡¸I see, I apologise . It seemed I tried to force my unreasonableness on you as I didn¡¯t know the way you worked . ¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t mind it . From other people¡¯s viewpoints, we seem like idiots . In fact, there are half merchant, half mercenaries groups as well . We just decided on this rule, merely that . ¡­¡­So, please leave the four people to us and get a move on as quickly as you can . ¡­¡­We¡¯ll carry them away . ¡¹ With one last word, Vettman spoke to his associates behind him, who gave a small nod before starting to carry the four people back into the inn . After seeing them off, Rei, Set and the other two turned to look at Murt . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ Nodding at Murt¡¯s words, the party left the Dusk Wheat . ¡¸Indeed it¡¯s dark . ¡¹ Freon murmured as they hurriedly walked towards the slums . With Murt¡¯s guidance, they were heading towards the place where Galahat was hiding . Various shops, bars and the well known so called night entertainment places lined the streets close to the slums . Naturally, those that lived around here weren¡¯t rich, so the moonlight was the only thing illuminating the autumn night sky . (¡­¡­Even in this world, the moon isn¡¯t different . ) Rei looked towards the moon unintentionally and thought to himself . As it was a different world, there might have been 2 or 3 moons¡­¡­or maybe a blue or purple one . However, there was no difference between the moon that Rei could see and the one from Earth . No, rather, there might be various difference that could be seen by experts, but Rei was just a high school student from a rural area and couldn¡¯t see any differences . ¡¸Damn, if it was possible, I wish I could run . ¡¹ Murt muttered as he clicked his tongue . ¡¸Don¡¯t say something so unreasonable . In the first place, you¡¯re one of the few people know where the hideout is . Do you want to lead people over by running all the way there? With your strength, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to oppose an adventurer from Azoth Firm . ¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡­¡­¡¹ Murt was hit where it hurt by Brazos¡¯ words . Of course, Murt was just a D rank adventurer . As it was, his strength was better than others and more than anything else, he had been trained by Galahat and didn¡¯t believe he would lose out to any other D rank adventurers . (If it were an ordinary rank D adventurer, that is . ) The figure of Rei, who was following behind him, appeared in his mind . Rei was also a D rank adventurer . But was also a person who had ranked up with great speed since he appeared in the city of Gimuru . His strength was not just at the D rank level . After all, when Rei had looked at Bolton murderously, Murt had been unable to stand and had stayed silent the entire time . (¡­¡­Wait . Though his killing intent wasn¡¯t directly targeted at me, the blood lust was enough to make me freeze . However, Bolton faced that straight on¡­¡­and although he wasn¡¯t much better, doesn¡¯t that mean that Bolton was more courageous than me since he was able to speak?) Thinking like that to himself, he shook his head in a panic . ¡¸It is true that Galahat-san is the only rank B adventurer hired by Azoth Firm . However, there are also a large number of rank C and D adventurers . If it was just me, it would be suicidal to just charge straight in . ¡¹ During this, Murt was thinking to himself, was he really inferior to Bolton in terms of courage? Murt shook off the idea . At his words, Brazos nodded as walked behind Murt in the dark . ¡¸So you do understand . ¡­¡­Leaving that aside, we¡¯ve defeated almost 10 adventurers hired by Azoth Firm, but there should still be a little over 30 left . Do you know the specific strength or rank of the remaining ones?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know exactly, but I can give a rough guess . There are few rank C¡¯s and not many rank D¡¯s either . The majority of them are rank E and F . If it comes down to a fight, you probably won¡¯t see any rank G¡¯s or H¡¯s¡¹ Murt explained while walking down the path lit only by moonlight . Hearing his explanation, Freon was puzzled . ¡¸Why is that? The ones with the same skill as those that were taken down by Set near Pamidor¡¯s workshop and those that attacked Set at the Dusk Wheat be factored in?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s impossible . At the very least, there should be very few thieves . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set wondered why his name had popped up, tilted his head and gave a cry as they walked down the street . Should it be said, as expected of a Griffon, he had great night vision and there was no unsteadiness in his gait as walked in the dark . ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it . You did an outstanding job . ¡¹ Freon lightly stroked Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Seeing Set give a cheerful cry, Murt felt his excessive tension dissipate . The party walked through the night like that, and eventually, a familiar hut entered his vision . At first glance, it was quite old and looked like no one still lived there . However, the insides had been repaired as needed and the building was in as bad shape as it looked . ¡¸¡­¡­There it is . ¡¹ That, was the place where Galahat was hiding . Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Legend Chapter 149 The cabin near the slums . It was the outskirts of the area and wasn¡¯t exactly in the slums . Still, due to its location, very few people would come by . It was also night time, when fewer people were about . During this time, Rei¡¯s group found the cabin and quickly went towards it . ¡¸¡­¡­It certainly looks worn out . If anything, it looks like it would collapse at any moment . ¡¹ Brazos muttered as he looked at the appearance of the cabin . Freon nodded silently in agreement . ¡¸Well, I implemented various measures so that people wouldn¡¯t come close . ¡¹ Murt replied as such and reached for the door to the cabin . Top right corner, bottom right, bottom left and top left . After pushing the door in that order, a clicking sound was heard . ¡¸I see, a door with a special mechanism . ¡¹ Rei muttered in admiration . Like this, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for people who didn¡¯t know it to open the door . Murt opened the door with a proud smile . Although it was a door that could be opened easily if the correct procedures were followed, it was quite high quality¡­¡­in addition, it had been made by a thief with no relations to Azoth Firm . Even if you tried to open the door without following the procedure, it wouldn¡¯t open . Without any other means, the only way would be to destroy the door¡­¡­however, not many people would make that decisions after seeing the condition of the cabin . There would be no point in forcing open the door and collapsing the cabin at the same time . In the first place, the cabin wasn¡¯t something people would usually turn their attention towards . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­sorry Set, but I¡¯ll have to ask you to wait outside . ¡¹ Comparing the door entrance with Set, Murt said that apologetically . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ However, it was normal that Set wouldn¡¯t be able to enter buildings . Having no particular objections, Set gave a small cry and lay down in the shadow of the cabin . ¡¸Set, I¡¯ll leave it to you to keep guard . ¡¹ Saying that to Set, everyone entered the cabin . (Maybe because he got helped out at Pamidor¡¯s workshop, Murt¡¯s attitude towards Set has softened quite a bit . ) Rei thought to himself with a small smile . ¡¸¡­¡­So, where is the important Galahat?¡¹ The first person to speak after entering the cabin was Brazos . The figure of Galahat, whom they had been told was in the cabin, was nowhere to be found . ¡¸Please wait a moment . ¡¹ Murt looked around the inside of the cabin and moved aside a barrel containing trash in a corner of the room without panicking . He then reached out to the floor under where the barrel was to do something . The next moment, a part of the floor moved sideways with a clacking sound and stairs to a basement appeared at the location previously hidden by the floor panel . ¡¸What to say . Should I call this expected or unexpected . ¡¹ When the stairs appeared, Brazos spoke in amazement . Next to him, Freon nodded . Only Rei looked at the mechanism that hid the stairs to the basement in interest . ¡¸Anyhow, it¡¯s a hideout . I think you understand why it goes this far? It¡¯s just to make sure . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­All this just to make sure, it must have cost quite a sum of money to build here . ¡¹ Of course, there was a possibility that it was made by just the two people who knew about this place, Murt and Galahat, but that would have taken too much time . Still, if they had asked someone who specialised in this area, since it was such a device, it should have costed quite a bit . That was what Brazos thought as he spoke, but Murt shook his head . ¡¸No, the one who helped me make this mechanism was Galahat-san, so it was finished with minimal expense . Even the minimal expense could just be paid to Galahat-san . ¡¹ Murt said that proudly before realising that this wasn¡¯t the time to discuss it . He stepped onto the stairs to the basement . ¡¸Then I¡¯ll go in . Galahat-san should be in the room ahead . ¡¹ Saying that with a nod, he went down the stairs . As expected, it was impossible to have a light as they went down the stairs . Or rather, because it was a short distance down, there was no place to put one . After going down the stairs, the floor above closed back and the surroundings became covered in darkness . ¡¸Hey, will this be okay?¡¹ Because of the surroundings, Freon became uneasy as she asked Murt . Murt nodded to indicate there were no problems¡­¡­the next moment, he realised that no one could tell that he had nodded because of the darkness and so he spoke up . ¡¸No problems . It¡¯s a mechanism that automatically closes the floor when there¡¯s no weight placed around the stairs . When we leave the basement, there¡¯s a switch on the floor near the closed panel that can open it if you press it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess that¡¯s true . Isn¡¯t it hard to be trapped inside such a dark place?¡¹ ¡¸Kukuku~ . Afraid of the dark, Freon has surprisingly feminine aspects . ¡¹ ¡¸Shut up drunkard . In the first place, I¡¯m a woman . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m drunk right now . ¡¹ While exchanging retorts, they all got to the bottom of the stairs in less than a minute . There was only a single door in front of them . Of course, it wasn¡¯t a unique door like in the Margrave¡¯s residence, but a very ordinary door that you could find anywhere . ¡¸Here . ¡¹ Murt just said a single word before knocking on the door . ¡¸Galahat-san, are you there? It¡¯s Murt . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Did you bring anyone along?¡¹ He probably guessed that there were other people besides Murt . A voice asked inquisitively from the other side of the door . This was a hideout only Galahat and Murt knew, so there must be a situation that would require him to bring people other than themselves to this place . At Galahat¡¯s question, Murt answered after taking a short, deep breath . ¡¸Pardon me, because of our shortage in fighting strength¡­¡­I asked for help without asking for permission . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . In the end, older brother still has the stronger force . ¡¹ When Galahat heard that, he murmured with a sigh . The sound of a lock opened by a sound echoed before the door was opened . Although the figure that appeared had stiff movements, Galahat was still able to stand on his own two feet . (Heh~, has he really recovered from his injury in the past few days? I don¡¯t know if it was a potion or healing magic, but the medical technology in this world isn¡¯t low . ) Rei thought to himself in admiration . However, Galahat unexpectedly stiffened when he saw Rei looking at him . ¡¸R-Rei!?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Didn¡¯t you hear what Murt said earlier? Finding helpers . That¡¯s me . ¡­¡­To be accurate, us . ¡¹ Rei shifted his body to reveal Brazos and Freon . However, Galahat had no time for them . Rei was in front of him . Yes, the person who had declared that there would be no next time for Bolton . If he was here then¡­¡­ ¡¸Murt-!¡¹ Galahat reproofed Murt on reflex . That was not unexpected . In the first place, Galahat had decided and resolved himself to defy his older brother, who he had obediently followed all this time . All to protect Bolton from the person in front of him . Despite being told that there wouldn¡¯t be a second time, after feeling the fear of death that day, Bolton had tried to get back at Rei . His older brother¡¯s life would be hard to save . In order to protect his older brother from the person before him, he had to pull his brother down from his seat of power . Judging so, he decided to revolt against his older brother, who he loved . Even so, the person who was the cause of all this was here . From Galahat¡¯s perspective, Murt¡¯s actions were nothing less than a betrayal . If his body had fully recovered, he might have drawn the sword at his waist . But in order not to worsen his injuries because of his rage, he didn¡¯t make any actions that could be seen a hostile before Rei . ¡­¡­And, a single hope . A variety of emotions mixed together as Galahat stopped himself . Several seconds passed . Galahat asked quietly . ¡¸Rei, did you come here after realising what my older brother is doing? If you came here knowing that¡­¡­will you kill my older brother as you declared before?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, about that . The previous case has already been reported to the Margrave Rowlocks, the lord of Gimuru . ¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ At those simple words, Galahat held his breath . Next to Rei, Murt also had a shocked expression . ¡¸As the lord of the city, it seems that the Azoth Firm controlled by Bolton has become troublesome . It¡¯s tacit understanding, but I¡¯ve been given permission to kill him . ¡¹ ¡¸Daska, is it . ¡¹ He couldn¡¯t believe it¡­¡­no, he didn¡¯t want to believe it . He wanted to be told it was a lie . Galahat looked towards Brazos and Freon with such eyes, but his face turned to one of despair when he saw both of them shake their heads in silent acknowledgement . At this point, Rei spoke up . ¡¸Well, if the the president of Azoth Firm is replaced and doesn¡¯t do what it has been doing so far, Margrave Rowlocks will be fine with that . ¡¹ ¡¸Really!?¡¹ Galahat felt hope at Rei¡¯s words as he looked towards him, until he heard Rei¡¯s next words . ¡¸As the lord of the city, that¡¯s fine for him . However, though I threatened you about what would happen if there was a next time, this happens not even after several days . What are you going to to about that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That, that is¡­¡­I will try to stop him next time . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve heard that before . At that time, I believed your words and what did Bolton do? After finishing a request and coming back to the city today, when I went to a blacksmith¡¯s workshop, I was told that weapons shops have been told not to do business with me . ¡¹ Without letting Galahat interject, Rei kept speaking . As it was a fact, there was nothing that Galahat could even retort . Instead, it was Murt that spoke out . He stepped forward to protect Galahat as he spoke . ¡¸Wait . Regarding the matter of the weapons shops, Bolton decided that after Galahat-san fell unconscious from your attack . There¡¯s no way Galahat-san would be able to stop that no matter what . ¡¹ ¡¸What about it? I allowed Bolton to live with the condition that there would be no second time . Galahat accepted those conditions . In that case, isn¡¯t this Galahat¡¯s responsibility? Even though he was unconscious, events still continue on¡­¡­do you think that would convince me?¡¹ ¡¸Th-That is!¡¹ Although Murt intended to continue to reply, Galahat grasped his shoulder to stop him . ¡¸No, no . It¡¯s as Rei said . Though I promised not to meddle with him anymore, I didn¡¯t keep it . It¡¯s my fault . ¡¹ ¡¸Galahat-san¡­¡­¡¹ Murt didn¡¯t care what would happen to Bolton, in fact, he felt rather good about it . However, considering the shock that Galahat received knowing what would happen to his brother, Murt couldn¡¯t agree with Rei . Seeing the two of them like this, Rei gave a sigh before speaking . ¡¸¡­¡­All right . I promise not to take his life . I¡¯ll agree to that . ¡¹ ¡¸You won¡¯t kill him?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I won¡¯t kill him . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Galahat, who asked to confirm . ¡ºI won¡¯t take his life . ¡»was saying in other words that he wouldn¡¯t kill Bolton . That is why Galahat asked to confirm . ¡¸Are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . This is the biggest concession I can give . If you can¡¯t follow through even this time, I will go take revenge on Bolton without your cooperation . Naturally, various issues will happen compared to if I cooperated with you . However, I already have tacit understanding about that with Margrave Rowlocks . I will be able to avoid the worst situation of having a bounty placed on me . ¡¹ (Although¡­¡­instead, he will probably make some demands of me . ) Rei thought to himself . In fact, if that did happen, Daska would happily use various methods¡­¡­to keep Rei in the city of Gimuru . In addition, he would try to keep Rei as unaware about it as possible . As an individual, Rei possessed great value as a fighting force . ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Galahat thought silently for a minute . He finally spoke up after deciding on it . ¡¸I understand . I will accept your demands . ¡¹ Galahat replied with a bitter expression . Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Legend Chapter 150 Rei would let Bolton live . However, he wouldn¡¯t care about anything else aside from that . Galahat nodded at Rei reluctantly . Of course, this wasn¡¯t something Galahat wanted to accept . But Bolton, his older brother that he loved, had his life in the balance . Even if it was just a one sided relationship between the two of them . (But¡­¡­if I refused Rei¡¯s proposal here, as he said himself, he would attack Bolton by himself regardless of me . And with Rei¡¯s abilities and his Griffon, if the two of them attacked, Azoth Firm can¡¯t deal with with them with just large numbers of low ranked adventurers . If they fought a straight on battle, they might be able to tire him out or exhaust his magic power, but in the end, Rei and Set are just a single person and animal . If they went for an ambush or night attack, there would be no hope . In that case, I have to join hands with Rei if I want to protect my brother from the worst case scenario . ) Thinking to himself, he swallowed his depressing thoughts . Why had it come to this . He couldn¡¯t imagine . However, the situation that was happening now was what his older brother caused . Even though they were only half connected by blood, as a younger brother, it was not the best choice he could make, but there was no better choice available . Galahat understood that and reluctantly accepted Rei¡¯s proposal . ¡¸Come in . First of all, I would like to tell you the current situation . ¡¹ Galahat moved away from the front door and welcomed the four of them into the room . The room was somewhat bigger than the cabin above . However, there still wasn¡¯t quite enough room for the four of them to relax . Anyhow, this hideout was only supposed to be used by Galahat and Murt . There was only a single bed and chair in the 3 tatami sized room . As expected it was difficult to fit 5 people in the room . At the very least, Rei had a small build and Freon was a slender woman . Normally, Brazos was shortest in the group, but although he was a Dwarf and short, he had a lot more muscle than most humans . Because of that, Brazos took up an amount of space closer towards Galahat and Murt . TLN: 3 tatami is just under 5m^2 ¡¸Seriously, there¡¯s no room because of you, you muscle daruma . Go change your muscles to gold and money . That would be more useful . ¡¹ ¡¸What did you say, you bitch! Why don¡¯t you sell all of your useless years after you turned 20! If you did that I would have some room to move around . ¡¹ Galahat took a deep breath in shock as everyone sat on the bed, a chair and on the floor . Seeing the two of them like that, Rei gave a sigh in amazement as he spoke out . ¡¸I know that you¡¯re on good terms with each other, but keep it down . Galahat is in shock . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, both of them turned to look at Galahat for a moment . Indeed, Galahat was looking at both of them with wide eyes . Maybe they tried to avoid that look, Freon gave a small cough before sitting back in her chair . There was only one chair in the hideout, but on account of being a woman, she asserted her claim on it . In addition, Galahat was sitting on the bed as his injuries had yet to fully heal . Murt sat beside him as Galahat¡¯s assistant . As a result, Rei and Brazos were sitting on the floor . ¡¸Ahem . So, the current situation¡­¡­Murt?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes, yes . The current situation is disadvantageous for us . The people who were forced into trivial jobs after opposing Bolton¡¯s management policy are supposed to cooperate with Galahat-san . However, that doesn¡¯t make much of a difference since the mainstream faction¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see . It would be better to think that it will be impossible to easily drag older brother down from his position of president . ¡¹ There were many adventurers in Bolton¡¯s faction, but except for a few people, most of them followed orders simply because they were being paid . As long as someone stood up to take Bolton down, there would be a few people who would join against him . Galahat judged that with a sigh . At the same time, he was also concerned that the adventurers would hurt each other . ¡¸I agree . Because we lack the influence, if we want to force Bolton down from his position of president and put Galahat-san on top of Azoth Firm, there¡¯s only the brute force method . We¡¯ll make our move when Galahat-san¡¯s supporters tie down the movements of the executives of Azoth Firm . During that time, we have to find the easiest and fastest way to secure Bolton . If the changeover of power goes smoothly, there will be less time spent fighting . The fighting between adventurers that Galahat-san is worried about will also be kept to a minimum¡­¡­is what I was told . ¡¹ ¡¸Is what you where told?¡¹ It wasn¡¯t my own thoughts, Freon asked with a strange look at Murt¡¯s words . At Freon¡¯s question, Murt nodded naturally . ¡¸There¡¯s no way I can come up with such a calculated plan . This was thought up by the members in Azoth Firm cooperating with Galahat-san . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Well, Certainly, if the battle time is short, the chances of adventurers getting injured becomes much lower . ¡¹ ¡¸That is right, as for people who like to fight¡­¡­well, I won¡¯t say there are none, but they are certainly a minority . Murt, is my brother currently in his mansion in the upperclass district?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . As you know, he has spent a disgusting amount of money on it . It¡¯s defenses have been upgraded quite a bit . ¡¹ ¡¸Do you mean there are traps in the mansion?¡¹ Rei asked with a fronw, but Galahat shook his head . ¡¸I don¡¯t think he would put traps inside the mansion . Or rather, if he did, he wouldn¡¯t be able to live in it due to the danger . If it were me, I would reinforce the walls and the fences around it with strong metal . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if you just jumped over the wall or fence right? In the first place, we have a small group . There won¡¯t be any problems if we just let Set go back and forth to carry people . Even if it¡¯s Brazos, the heaviest of us all, that short distance should still be fine . ¡¹ ¡¸That won¡¯t be possible . There definitely won¡¯t be traps in the mansion, but it will be different if it¡¯s the walls or fences . There¡¯s always the possibility that thieves would try to get in . My older brother would have prepared for that as well . ¡¹ Galahat did not say any more, but having lived in the mansion of the president of Azoth Firm, who carried out heavy handed business, he had seen righteous thieves and mercenaries try to break in several times as well as people who had suffered from disadvantageous deals and wanted to steal something back . However, most of them were caught by the patrols along the upperclass district . Others were caught after being discovered paralyzed on the ground after being electrocuted by a kind of magic item on the fences . Of course, covering a vast mansion in magic items in the walls and fences would cost a huge amount of money . But it was possible with the financial strength of Azoth Firm, that was Bolton¡¯s power . Anyhow, Gimuru was a frontier city and there was a lot of danger . Those who skimped out on money for their equipment paid the price with their lives . Azoth Firm dealt in the arms trade, the profit they gained by exporting weapons made from rare monster materials found at the frontier was huge . With that huge profit, they engaged in a lot of behind the scenes deals and bribery to lobby for for a variety of conveniences . Their power used that as the foundation . For example, the group that barged into the inn and the adventurers who attacked Set in the stables would both go innocent¡­¡­although, they were more likely to get away with just a small fine . ¡¸In that case, it looks like we¡¯ll have to break through the front . Well, I won¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible . Anyhow, it¡¯s Bolton¡­¡­or rather, the highest ranked ranked adventurer hired by Azoth Firm is you at B rank right? Everyone remaining is lower than rank B . That means at highest, they will be rank C . There are about 40 of them, but it won¡¯t be impossible to deal with them . ¡¹ Although Rei said that as if it was a trifling matter, there was person who was hung up on it . It was Galahat, the person at the center of this storm . ¡¸Please, wait a moment . It¡¯s true that Rei will definitely be able to blast away the adventurers hired by Azoth Firm from the front . However, As I said earlier, there are many people who work for them just for the money . As much as possible, I don¡¯t want to hurt them . ¡¹ ¡¸No, you want to minimise the the battle time and break through the front at the same time? You, aren¡¯t you contradicting yourself?¡¹ At Freon¡¯s words, Galahat nodded with a bitter expression . ¡¸Ah . Of course I know I¡¯m being unreasonable . However, let¡¯s think about it . Let¡¯s assume that we knocked out most of the adventurers here and settled the uproar . However, in that case, what do we do about the escorts we have to provide to the merchants heading to other cities from Azoth Firm tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the guild¡¯s¡­¡­oh, that¡¯s right . ¡¹ Freon sighed . Currently, Azoth Firm had a bad reputation in the guild and few people would accept escort requests . Even for adventurers currently hired by Azoth Firm, it was only because the pay was good . In other words, Galahat knew that in the short term, other than adventurers hired by Azoth Firm, no others would likely take up merchant escort requests . Alternatively, they could recruit more people if they lowered the request rank to rank F or G . However, if they included adventurers to the extent of beginners, there was a high chance that the wouldn¡¯t even add to the fighting strength of the escort at all . While there might be some talented people, the probability was only 1 in 10,000 . Knowing what Galahat wanted to say, Freon clicked her tongue . ¡¸But, then what are you going to do . If you can¡¯t defeat your opponent, the battle duration and the number of people who get injured will only increase . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . Because of that, I will depend on Rei . We¡¯ll have to depend on Rei . However, if possible, I would like to avoid causing any major injuries . Killing is obviously not allowed . ¡¹ ¡¸Is it really necessary for me to consider that? I¡¯ve said it several times already, but to be honest, I could settle this entire thing myself . Even so, I bothered to work with you . Are you trying to tie my hands and feet before I fight?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know how to put it¡­¡­please!¡¹ Galahat gave a deep bow . Rei thought about it for a few seconds as saw Galahat¡¯s worried look¡­¡­and soon spoke up . ¡¸Well, I can accept that as a request . ¡¹ ¡¸Really!? I understand . Please do it . Would a reward of two platinum coins be enough?¡¹ ¡¸Eh!?¡¹ Murt gave a surprised cry at the extent of the reward when Galahat said it . Two platinum coins . That size of a reward for a request could not be found in rank D, which was Rei and Murt¡¯s current rank . ¡¸All right . However, the only thing I can do is go easy on them . Naturally, I won¡¯t be able to give everyone only light injuries . You¡¯ll have to consider bone fractures as light injuries . ¡¹ Because there was a method of healing called magic in this world, injuries on the level of bruises could be healed in a few minutes . Even if it¡¯s a fracture, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to heal it on the spot if it was a good mage . Naturally, to heal a bone fracture with magic, the mage would use up a corresponding amount of magic power, so it couldn¡¯t be used continuously . Of course there are things such as potions and magic power potions¡­¡­however, potions that could heal fractures in a short period of time cost a fair amount and potions that could restore magic power were even more expensive . ¡¸I don¡¯t mind . If the internal organs are injured, like in my case, it will take time to heal . However, there are a few ways to fix it if it¡¯s only a fracture . ¡¹ ¡¸Alright . The plan is decided . Let¡¯s get started . Anyhow, a lot of things happened today . As expected, I¡¯m tired and want to wash up so I can sleep in a soft bed . ¡¹ While thinking back on the lively events that had happened today, Freon stretched . It hadn¡¯t be more than a day since they had subjugated the Harpies . Even though they had taken a few hours nap, as expected, fatigue still accumulated . Freon thought of the ultimate luxury, a warm futon to laze about and sleep in, as she stood up for one last job . Turning to look at Freon, Galahat also stood up . ¡¸Galahat-san? What are you doing?¡¹ Murt asked questioningly, but Galahat spoke as he checked the condition of his body . ¡¸I am dragging my older brother down from his position . I need to be there when it happens . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-! Galahat-san is not in a condition to fight! Even though we have to try to not kill any of them¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . However, I am taking my older brother down from his position as president . It is absolutely necessary that I am there when it happens . ¡¹ At Galahat¡¯s words, the group raised their eyes . It was true that it would be different whether Galahat was there when they take Bolton down . But¡­¡­ ¡¸For that reason, you want us to bring along a burden like you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Please . ¡¹ Galahat and Rei looked at each other for several seconds . Eventually, it was Rei who looked away . ¡¸Do as you want . However, you¡¯ll have to protect yourself . ¡­¡­No, Murt . You guard Galahat . Even if you say that there are different factions, the adventurers are still hired by Azoth Firm . It might become complicated if you fight at the front . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry . ¡¹ Galahat gave a brief reply . As they had decided their plan, they headed for the upperclass district as soon they could . Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Legend Chapter 151 ¡¸As expected, as it gets later you hardly see any people . ¡¹ Leaving the slums, Rei muttered as the went towards the upperclass district along the main street . It was nearly 10pm . For residents in the city, it was already late into the night . Naturally, the entertainment district, including the bars, were also nearing the end of their business hours . As the party continued through, drunks sleeping on the roadside or people walking with a lover for the night could be seen . However, there were a lot less than when they had been walking to Galahat¡¯s hideout . ¡¸Even if you do, there will start to be less people who fall asleep on the roadside drunk as it gets into late autumn . It¡¯s quite cold . If you¡¯re not careful, you might end up freezing to death . ¡¹ Murt looked towards an adventurer who was snoring with a barrel on the roadside as he muttered in amazement . ¡¸Well, there are plenty of kindhearted people around . In addition¡­¡­there . ¡¹ Next to Murt, or rather, it was more accurate to say that Murt was standing in a position to shield the injured Galahat, Galahat looked towards a group of several people that were walking towards the sleeping man . ¡¸They are?¡¹ They didn¡¯t look like adventurers, but they didn¡¯t look like ordinary inhabitants either . Rei asked Galahat as he watched those people . ¡¸Those are guild staff . They patrol around as night comes around to help out any drunks they find . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The guild does this as well?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . After all, Gimuru is a frontier city . Because there is a lot more danger, the presence of adventurers is indispensable . However, if you get drunk and fall asleep outside and end up hurting your health or freezing to death, the number of adventurers who can receive requests at the guild goes down . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Galahat expressed some pity as he saw the guild staff reach the drunk . He shook his head as he spoke up again . ¡¸Of course, the help isn¡¯t free . Anyhow, there¡¯s a risk of freezing to death in this season . That drunk will be asked to pay a good amount of money tomorrow morning . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s surprisingly clever . ¡¹ Hearing that they did something similar to gathering protection fees, Rei had a slightly surprised expression . Next to Rei, not understanding the what was going on¡­¡­Set continued walking along while cautious of the surroundings and wary against enemy attacks . ¡¸But even so, you can¡¯t just sleep on the roadside when you¡¯re drunk assuming that the guild will help you . If they don¡¯t help you, they don¡¯t help you . ¡¹ On a side note, this helping fee was earning a reasonable amount of income for the guild¡­¡­even Galahat didn¡¯t know that . Continuing to walk through the city, reaching the end of the main street, the upperclass district came into view . ¡¸That reminds me, where are there adventurers and ended up siding with Galahat? You said that there were at least 5 . ¡¹ Brazos asked Murt as he carried his Earthshaker Hammer on his shoulder . ¡¸They¡¯re going to go around to suppress the executives in Bolton¡¯s faction . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Aren¡¯t the people cooperating with Galahat coming with us?¡¹ ¡¸Of course not, there¡¯s no way that all the adventurers that are hired by Azoth Firm are in Bolton¡¯s mansion right? There will be a few people that will be sent out to protect the executives . In order to deal with that, I¡¯ve gotten the adventurers on Galahat-san¡¯s side into the guards of the executives . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that is true¡­¡­¡¹ When Freon heard the discussion between the two, she spoke ¡¸Is anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, from what I know about Bolton, even if you call them subordinates, they¡¯re just his cronies right? Sacrificing part of his own safety to protect others¡­¡­that would be strange for him to do . ¡¹ At Freon¡¯s words, Galahat gave a bitter smile at the natural question . Beside him, Murt, who had been talking until now, also had a bitter smile . ¡¸That is certainly likely if you consider the character of my older brother . However, the butler that has served my older brother¡¯s family for generations is sharp . Although it is less likely, there¡¯s a possibility he can persuade my older brother to dispatch a escorrt out . Even if it¡¯s just a few of his supporters . We can¡¯t be too careful about handling that . ¡­¡­With Rei on our side, that¡¯s enough of a fighting force . ¡¹ Saying that, he turned to glance at Set, who was walking slowly next to Rei . It had the figure of the lion, the king of beasts and the eagle, the king of birds of prey, it was an appearance of a high ranking monster . ¡¸In addition, to doubly make sure, we also have Set, a Griffon, here . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if you¡¯re an ordinary adventurer, you don¡¯t want to have to fight a Griffon . ¡¹ Freon said that with a laugh . In addition, in the city of Gimuru, Set was very popular . It would be awkward in many ways if it was known to the residents of the city found out that someone had fought Set . (First of all, there¡¯s a high possibility that food stalls will no longer sell them food, the same goes for other merchants . As for weapons shops, they can still buy items with the influence of Azoth Frim, but not for long since Galahat will take Bolton down from his position tonight regardless . Even if there were residents in this city who didn¡¯t do business, if someone was hostile towards Set ¡­¡­there would be no doubt that they would be looked at coldly . ) As long as they lived in the city of Gimuru, they would inevitably have to interact with others . Whether it was the guild, inns, eateries or shops . Everyone would look at them with cold eyes each time, as a coward who tried to bully a popular character in the city¡­¡­it would be difficult to live in the city of Gimuru like that . They could ignore it if they had a thick skin and didn¡¯t care about what other people saw of them, but there weren¡¯t many people like that . If they did, they would naturally be forced out of the city . Alternatively, there was a possibility they would sincerely apologise to Rei and Set¡­¡­but being hostile and fighting Rei and Set even once, to have the courage and guts to talk to to them again after that, there weren¡¯t many with that much courage either . (In the end, the other side was checkmated when Rei sided with Galahat . ) Freon thought to herself, and prayed that at the very least, the injuries of the poor adventurers would be minor . Like that, as they silently walked down the road, they eventually reached the entrance to the upperclass district . It was already late at night and the figures of several adventurers hired to patrol the area could be seen . ¡¸Halt! From here on is the upperclass district . What are you doing here so late night¡­¡­huh? Galahat-san?¡¹ An adventurer called out a warning, but as soon as he saw that it was Galahat, he lowered his axe to the ground . To the adventurers, Galahat approached with a smile . Although his movements were still a bit slow as he had not completely recovered from his injuries, his movements were not unsteady . ¡¸It¡¯s hard on you patrollers . Is something happening in the upperclass district?¡¹ ¡¸Not right now . ¡¹ The man with the axe shook his head slightly at Galahat¡¯s question . The man beside him with the long sword spoke up as if remembering something . ¡¸That reminds me, it seems the adventurers hired by Azoth Firm are gathering at Bolton-san¡¯s mansion¡­¡­do you know anything about it?¡¹ ¡¸Tch . ¡¹ Hearing the adventurer¡¯s words, Freon clicked her tongue . Fortunately, the sound was so soft that it didn¡¯t reach the adventurers . (Are they still gathering adventurers? Of course it¡¯s natural¡­¡­but if possible, if their fighting strength was lower it would be better . ) As Freon muttered that, the conversation between Galahat and the other adventurers continued . ¡¸Ah . I¡¯ve heard about it . There seems to be a bit of a dispute in Azoth Firm . I think that has had an effect . The people with me are concerned about it as well . Hey, have you heard the rumors about an adventurer with a Griffon?¡¹ At Galahat¡¯s words, Set, who had been hiding behind and keeping alert, stretched his head out . ¡¸Owa-!¡¹ The adventurer that saw the Griffon was surprised and tried to lift his axe but was immediately stopped by Galahat . ¡¸Hey, hey, stop it . As I was saying, this Griffon is Set, this is Rei, a D rank adventurer . Have you heard the rumors about him?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Now that you mention it, I seem to have heard about it . ¡¹ At Galahat¡¯s words, he remembered the adventurer with the Griffon . He turned his eyes towards Rei, who was wearing his Dragon Robe and an innocent looking face . ¡¸Is Rei the kid in the rumors? ¡­¡­Certainly, the rumors about his build can¡¯t be relied on . I¡¯ve also heard he¡¯s unusually strong for his size . Well, that¡¯s fine . There¡¯s no problems if you know Galahat-san . You can continue . ¡¹ The other adventurers had a sense of trust in Galahat . They let them pass without stopping them any further . When they went far away enough from the patrollers, Rei turned to look at Galahat in amazement . ¡¸Well, well, I can¡¯t lie like that so fluently . ¡¹ However, at Rei¡¯s shocked look, Galahat accepted it naturally . ¡¸Is that so? At the very least I don¡¯t recall lying about anything . It¡¯s a fact that adventurers are gathering at my older brother¡¯s mansion because of the dispute in Azoth Firm . Isn¡¯t it also true that Rei is involved in this disupte? It¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t tell them about everything¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That much information is plenty . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, please remember . If you become a high rank adventurer, sometimes it is necessary to wrap things up in smoke to mislead people . ¡­¡­Well, as far as you are concerned, your personality doesn¡¯t look like you would have problems with lying¡¹ ¡¸Ah well . I¡¯m not a good kid . Actually, if I was a good kid, I would have tried to reach a compromise with Bolton . ¡¹ Rei replied with a grin and smile . If he had been a good kid, Azoth Firm wouldn¡¯t have been thrown into confusion in their present state, there was nothing more persuasive than that . ¡¸Now then, either way, should we say as expected . A considerable number of adventurers are gathered at Bolton¡¯s mansion . ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, Galahat-san . My movements got found out . ¡¹ Coming back to reality at Rei¡¯s words, Murt lowered his head towards Galahat . However, Galahat didn¡¯t mind it and put his hands on Murt¡¯s shoulders as he shook his head . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . They would have done this anyway . It wouldn¡¯t have been possible for me to bring this to the end without my older brother finding out . It just happened that they found out on your move . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Galahat-san, I will definitely protect you . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine . I¡¯ll be relying on you . ¡¹ As they talked and and walked along the main street in the upperclass district, even though it was into the night, a mansion brightly illuminated came into view . ¡¸That¡¯s surprisingly extravagant, how to put it¡­¡­¡¹ Freon said that while looking at the mansion in amazement . Galahat spoke with a bitter smile . ¡¸Usually the lights aren¡¯t all turned on . Perhaps they¡¯re wary of us today . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right . That reminds me . Most of the people that were pursuing Murt were killed and the people that attacked Set at the Dusk Wheat didn¡¯t go back . Are they on guard because of that?¡¹ ¡¸Rather than that, their fighting force is just under 40 people and as Freon said, almost 10 people have already been caught . In other words, according to our calculations, there are only 30 people left¡­¡­why do I feel there are more people?¡¹ Brazos muttered as he looked at Bolton¡¯s mansion as they gradually approached . Certainly, the number of people who could be seen in the yard of the mansion was well over 30 . Considering that they were likely there to guard the mansion, Rei could see that it was quite different from what he had heard before hand from Murt and Galahat . ¡¸Perhaps they gathered the thugs that came over to the Dusk Wheat . I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re actually there to fight or to intimidate us . ¡¹ Rei muttered that as they got closer to the entrance to Bolton¡¯s mansion, protected by the adventurers . Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Legend Chapter 152 Sakant and Fader were the gatekeepers guarding Bolton¡¯s mansion? Even those the two of them were usually at a bar, brothel or sleeping at this time, they had been ordered to stay on duty overnight and were complaining about it . However, most of the complaints came from Fader, Sakant nodded occasionally while listening to his complaints . Still, the money they were paid for the job was good . At the same time, when they thought about the large number of adventurers gathered at the mansion, they weren¡¯t so concerned about their job . ¡¸Even so, I wonder what Galahat-san is thinking . Going against Bolton-san . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know . We should just do the work we¡¯ve been ordered to do . Right now, almost all of Azoth Firm¡¯s adventurers are gathered here . It would be stupid for Galahat-san to try to attack here¡­¡­¡¹ As Sakant said that, Galahat, who had come to make that stupid attack, showed up at the gate to Bolton¡¯s mansion . In addition, it wasn¡¯t just Galahat . It was within their expectation for Murt to show up, who was almost like Galahat¡¯s younger brother, but there were still several more . Moreover, one of them was someone they didn¡¯t like to remember . ¡¸R-Rei!? As well as¡­¡­hiih-!¡¹ Fader stiffened unconsciously when he saw the figure of Set come out from behind Rei . Next to him, Sakant still managed to speak up . ¡¸G-Galahat-san . Galahat-san is suspected of rebelling against Azoth Firm . Will you behave yourself?¡¹ ¡¸Rebelling¡­¡­well, since I¡¯m trying to drag my older brother down from his position of president, I guess you can say I¡¯m rebelling . ¡¹ At Galahat¡¯s reply, Fader and Sakant¡¯s cheeks cramped . But Sakant quickly looked back towards the mansion . Seeing that no one had noticed them yet, he was relieved . Fortunately for Rei¡¯s group right now, the adventurers in the mansion were careless about their surroundings right now because of their numbers . Rather than being alert of enemy attacks, they were just sitting around in the garden making idle talk . Although they hadn¡¯t gone as far as drinking alcohol, they were still complacent due to their numbers . This was the merit of higher ranking adventurers . Even in such a situation, they would have still stayed alert . Unfortunately, most of the adventurers gathered in the garden were either E or F rank . Others weren¡¯t even adventurers and had just been gathered here to add to their number . Of course, there were higher rank adventurers employed by Azoth Firm . Although not equal to Galahat, who was the only rank B adventurer hired by Azoth Firm, there were still D rank adventurers to some extent and a few C rank adventurers as well . But most of them were inside the mansion as Bolton¡¯s direct escort or felt sympathetic or obliged towards Galahat, which would much fewer in number . ¡¸Galahat-san, we have also been helped out by you before . Please don¡¯t say things like that . Can you apologise to Bolton-san and stop your rebellion?¡¹ At Sakant¡¯s words, Fader nodded repeatedly next to him . In any case, it had been their mistake to refuse Rei entry on their own judgement and it was impossible for them to not feel thankful to Galahat for helping them out there . (But¡­¡­) Thinking to himself, Sakant looked towards Rei and Set . (The person that caused Galahat-san to have to help us is here, I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t have thoughts about that . ) They tried to appeal to Galahat, but even if it was Galahat, he couldn¡¯t stop the current situation moving forward . Commercial groups were being suppressed by the current Azoth Firm . Margrave Rowlocks had also already heard everything from Rei and had tacitly consented to Bolton¡¯s removal . Furthermore¡­¡­ Galahat glanced towards Rei for a moment . Even though they were only half connected by blood, even if he had not cared for him, even if he was evil . To pay back the medicine Bolton provided when Galahat¡¯s mother was sick, he didn¡¯t want Rei to kill Bolton here . If he stopped here, he was sure that the first thing to happen would be Rei killing Bolton . ¡¸Sorry, I can¡¯t turn back here . I¡¯m sorry about my brother, but it has already been decided that my brother will have to resign from being the president of Azoth Firm at any cost . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­At any cost, is it?¡¹ Galahat nodded towards Sakant, who had a bitter expression . They stared at each other¡­¡­eventually Sakant took a deep breath and pointed his spear towards Galahat . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . ¡¹ Sakant muttered softly . and glanced towards Fader who also pointed his spear towards Rei . As expected of people who had worked as gatekeepers for so long . Fader understood his partner¡¯s intentions, took a deep breath and announced the enemy¡¯s arrival . ¡¸Enemy attack! Galahat who rebelled against Bolton-san is coming! Everyone prepare for battle!¡¹ The loud voice echoed into the garden in Bolton¡¯s mansion . At first they weren¡¯t sure if they could trust those words or not, but eventually, several people came over to the gate to check . The delay in their initial movements proved that most of the people in the garden were either just thugs or low ranking adventurers with little skill . ¡¸Wow, they really came! And only 5 people!¡¹ A young thug who was one of the first to head over to the gate gave a shout so that the people gathered at the garden would come over to the gate . Almost all of them ridiculed Galahat who was standing at the front of the group as well as Murt, who was guarding Galahat . Next, they looked towards Rei, who was wearing his Dragon Robe with the hood up, cutting a small figure which they thought couldn¡¯t make him and adventurer . At the back, they were more vigilant towards Freon with her long sword and Brazos with his Earthshaker Hammer, who both looked like veterans . And¡­¡­ ¡¸W-What, a Griffon!?¡¹ Their eyes stopped when they saw the Griffon who was right behind Rei . ¡¸Hey, wait a moment . A Griffon? There definitely was a guy with that rumor in the guild right? I heard he fought the D rank party Claws of the Hawk by himself and managed to beat them all . ¡¹ ¡¸Really? I don¡¯t remember hearing about that . As for the Griffon, I know that he¡¯s loved as a mascot in the city¡­¡­¡¹ Like that, they started to bring up the stories that they had heard until Brazos knocked his Earthshaker Hammer against the ground . Thump! Although he had just hit the ground, the sound it made echoed into the surroundings . At the same time, there was a small crater where the Earthshaker Hammer had landed . While they were all stunned by its incredible power, Brazos carried his Earthshaker Hammer to his shoulder . ¡¸Any of you who don¡¯t intend to fight me seriously leave! I¡¯ll only fight those who remain . ¡­¡­However, if you stay, I will consider you my enemy . Only those prepared to take my my attacks should stay . ¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡» That move just now . They could tell how much power was behind it just from the hollow crater in the ground . The thugs and low rank adventurers went quiet . It was the same for the two gatekeepers . However, being told to leave, given the situation, no one wanted to be the first to leave . After all, if they were the first to leave, there would be no doubt that they would be called cowardly right away . It would also be in front of so many people . Besides, this was the residence of Bolton, one of the most powerful people in the city . If they were considered to be traitors, it would be very difficult for them to continue living in this city after tomorrow . However, if they were told to attack Brazos, they would consider it even riskier after seeing what he had done . One of them finally decided to attack verbally instead of physically . ¡¸You, you think you can go against Azoth Firm in this city as an adventurer? Roll up your tail and quickly go home . I¡¯ll overlook this then . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, yeah, how many people do you think you have? If you see the difference in numbers you should run away . Are you stupid?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, leave quickly if you understand . ¡¹ Several of them spoke consecutively . It seemed that they wanted to intimidate them with their advantage in numbers . However, to Rei, they were just like a weak dog with a not so loud bark . It was the same even for Murt, the weakest in the group . Although they where somewhat surrounded, he was amazed that the other side hadn¡¯t taken even a signel step forward . But there was no wonder . Excluding Rei, the weakest person in their group was Murt, a rank D adventurer . They were still stronger than the people in front of them . Murt had seen Rei¡¯s anger when he had confronted Bolton several days ago . He had been exposed to such blood lust himself . Comparing that to the people before him right now, they were like a weak dog or a puppy barking at him . After they had rambled on for about a minute, Rei decided that they couldn¡¯t settle things like this and took a step forward . As soon as he did that, several people stepped back on reflex as Rei advanced . Persuading themselves that they were in the advantageous position, they started speaking again . ¡¸W-What . You think you can be arrogant just because you have a Griffon? You¡¯re a weak brat . Don¡¯t piss off you seniors so much . ¡¹ Incidents involving Rei had happened several times up until now . As a result, it was widespread in the adventurers guild in Gimuru that you shouldn¡¯t mess around with Rei . However, those stories had only spread among adventurers . Most of the thugs in the area didn¡¯t know about Rei . In fact, some of the adventurers had only heard rumors about him and believed that those rumors had come about because of Rei¡¯s reliance on Set, a Griffon . However, in a sense, they couldn¡¯t be blamed . After all, Rei hadn¡¯t quite reached 170cm in height and his body looked like it lacked muscle . ¡¸¡­¡­Haa . ¡¹ However, Rei wasn¡¯t bothered enough to pay attention to those people . Today had been a busy day and tomorrow he had to sit in on interviews for his request as well as strip materials from the Harpies . He decided to just quickly get rid of all the people in front of him . Naturally, there was also Galahat¡¯s request to not kill any of them and to avoid bone fractures as much as possible . Rei brought up the Misty Ring¡¯s list in his mind and took out the Death Scythe as usual . The people in the surroundings watched with wide eyes as the large scythe appeared from nowhere . ¡¸It¡¯s troublesome to waste time here . Come . ¡¹ While saying that, he readied his Death Scythe . Naturally, no one stepped towards Rei . No, rather, when the Death Scythe came out, they took some distance to surround him . ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong? As expected, are you all just good at talking? Well, it can¡¯t be helped since you¡¯re all just small fry who are weaker than Goblins . However, then don¡¯t pretend to be humans, just go back to your dirty hideouts and tremble . ¡¹ It was an outright mockery . It was obvious that he was trying to provoke them, but unfortunately, only a few of the adventurers surrounding Rei noticed . The rest of them didn¡¯t understand what he was saying at first, but as soon as the realised, their faces went red as they glared at Rei . Still, no one was sure they could gain victory over Rei . (Just a bit more . ) While watching the situation, Rei started to speak again as Freon and Brazos gave wry smiles behind him . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Even with so many people, if you¡¯re still scared of me, why don¡¯t you just show your true feelings and submit to me? Then I might have some mercy . I might overlook this . ¡¹ While looking at the people around him, Rei said that with ridicule . ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid you stupid brat! I¡¯ll show you what happens when you despise adults, I¡¯ll beat that into your body!¡¹ One of the thugs met Rei¡¯s look and said that as he charged towards Rei with a knife . Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Legend Chapter 153 Taking Rei¡¯s provocation, the thug thrust the knife in his hand . As he watched the movements of the thug, Rei gave a sigh in his mind . (There¡¯s no proper movements . He¡¯s just trying to stab his knife into the enemy, his actual movements are dull . ) ¡¸Slow . ¡¹ Rei swung the Death Scythe when his pitiful prey came close enough . However, because he had taken a request from Galahat not to kill them, he struck them with the other side of the blade . If it was a sword, it would have been fine . However, the Death Scythe was swung with Rei¡¯s strength¡­¡­no, it was because it was not a slashing but a blunt weapon that he used all his strength . The attack casually struck against the thug¡¯s left foot with a bang . Crack-! Like that, the man had his thigh bone broken with an unpleasant sound . It was fortunate that he had his thigh bone crushed and not the more fragile knee bone . With the complex bone structure at the knee, if it had been broken by the Death Scythe¡­¡­even if it was treated, it would be questionable whether he would be able to walk like before . ¡¸Gah-! Gaaaaah-! It hurts, it hurts-!¡¡Damn . Damn iiiiiiiiiit-!¡¹ Dropping his knife, the thug fell to the ground and rolled in pain . Rei looked away from the thug, which was like a rock on the roadside, as he turned to look at the people surrounding him . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . I won¡¯t kill you . I have a request for that . However, injuring you and killing you are two different things . Breaking an arm or a leg¡­¡­no, only those that are prepared should step forward . ¡¹ Raising the Death Scythe again, he pointed it towards them with an eerie sound . ¡º¡­¡­¡» The thug rolled on the ground while holding his legs and shouting ¡®It hurts, it hurts¡¯ in pain . Everyone looked at the thug and then at Rei with his Death Scythe . Regarding the number of people they had, they had overwhelmingly more people, so they thought they could finish this request without an issue . But, the result was the man crying in pain in front of them . They didn¡¯t want to suffer the same way as well . The feelings of the men around Rei were the same, without doubt . However, even so, they couldn¡¯t run away from here . As a result, the people in the surroundings could only keep their current state . At least, until the higher ranking adventurers in the mansion came to help them . Although Rei watched silently for a few seconds, he gave a sigh when one came forward and the man who just had his legs broken was still crying out in pain . ¡¸Right now you¡¯re too noisy . Shut up . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei jabbed the handle of the Death Scythe at the man who was rolling on the ground shouting, knocking him out . ¡¸So, how long do you guys plan to watch from the surroundings? I can¡¯t spend so much time here . If you don¡¯t come to me then I¡¯ll go to you . ¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡» Even though Rei provoked them like that, none of them stepped forward . Did I overdo it on the first guy? Thinking to himself, Rei finished talking and took a step forward . At that moment, a shadow appeared from inside Bolton¡¯s mansion¡­¡­ ¡¸Eeeeh-, all you lot are in the way! Move!¡¹ Because of the thugs and low ranking adventurers surrounding Rei, he couldn¡¯t move forward and yelled at them to get out the way . ¡¸¡­¡­Mm?¡¹ Rei tilted his head slightly at that voice . (That voice, it sounds familiar¡­¡­) As Rei thought about that, he temporarily stopped moving forward as he guessed how the situation would progress and waited for the owner of the voice to step out from the crowd . A man in his twenties with a rough looking appearance broke through the crowd . He advanced while despising all the people around him . ¡¸¡­¡­?¡¹ Looking at the face of the man who stepped forward, Rei looked puzzled at the familiar looking face . Rei didn¡¯t know who the person was, but that man was different . Stepping out of the crowd and holding a battle axe in his hands, he spoke with a brutal smile on his lips . ¡¸I¡¯ve been looking forward to seeing you here, Rei . The humiliation from last time, I will clear it here!¡¹ Voom~, the man swung his battle axe . You could see the power behind it just from that swing . It was to that extent . At the very least, it was not a sound that could be made by low rank adventurers . (But¡­¡­where have we met? If he knows me and hates me so much, was he involved with something I did?) Thinking in his mind, Rei tried to recall the face of the man before him¡­¡­any how, he only had his appearance to go by . The number of people that had tried to mess with him was quite a few and Rei wasn¡¯t kind enough to remember all the faces of people he didn¡¯t care about . Because of that, these were the next words he spoke . ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry, but I can¡¯t remember who you are . Could you tell me your name? Maybe I might remember if you tell me your name . ¡¹ Naturally, Rei¡¯s remarks basically meant that man was not worth remembering, making his face go red in anger . ¡¸Hey, could it be¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah . It¡¯s Vargas who led Claws of the Hawk . They got crushed by Rei in front of everyone . ¡¹ (¡­¡­Ah, that reminds me, that did happen . ) Hearing the mutters in the surroundings, Rei finally remembered who the person before him was . ¡¸Sorry, I remember now . That¡¯s right . You¡¯re the one who leads Goblin Drool . The Power Axe which I got from out bet was a pretty high quality item . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around! That, that was a magic item I got after desperately diving into a dungeon! You took it away all of a sudden¡­¡­¡¹ Vargas shouted out in an angry voice, or rather a roar . But Rei just replied with a sigh . ¡¸In the first place it was because you messed with me . Don¡¯t you know the saying, getting what you deserve?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­All this talk is fine . But the Power Axe you took from me? I will take it back today . ¡¹ At those words, Rei averted his eyes slightly . ¡¸Ah, sorry . About that axe, there was some circumstances and I gave it to party member in a temporary party I was in . ¡­¡­No, rather, I sold it . ¡¹ ¡¸What-! You, do you know the value of the Power Axe when you said that?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . Don¡¯t worry . Their talent with the axe was much greater than yours . Even as a magic item, it would be happier with someone who could master it . ¡¹ ¡¸D-D-D¡­¡­Don¡¯t joke around!¡¹ Vargas raised his voice, swinging his axe as he closed in on Rei . As expected of a D rank adventurer . Compared to the thug who had attacked with a knife earlier, everything was different, both in speed and body movements . The disadvantage was that the aim of his self taught attack was easy to see, while its advantage was in its power . The attack seemed to be impossible for an ordinary D rank adventurer to block . In strength alone, Vargas was said to be equal to that of C rank . However¡­¡­Vargas¡¯ misfortune was to make an enemy out of Rei . ¡¸Not good enough . ¡¹ Blocking the axe that was swung down at his left shoulder with the handle of the Death Scythe . Gakin~, a metallic sound echoed into the surroundings . The people around them saw Vargas swing the axe down with both hands while Rei blocked using the Death Scythe with one hand . The fact that Rei hadn¡¯t moved a single step even after blocking Vargas¡¯ strike gave the surrounding people a terrifying impression . ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s not a lie right? It¡¯s an attack from Vargas-san you know? He stopped it with one hand . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t Vargas just weak?¡¹ ¡¸You idiot, don¡¯t you know about Vargas!?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not an adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, this is why¡­¡­okay, listen carefully . Speaking of just skill, Vargas could be called C rank . However, because of various issues with his personality, he¡¯s still rank D . ¡­¡­Because of this, the rumors that Rei had overwhelmed the Claws of the Hawk by himself might be true . ¡¹ Hearing the voices of the adventurer and thug talking near him, Rei turned towards Vargas, who was desperately pushing the axe down with both hands . Pressing down with the axe with all the strength he had, even though he was using both arms, Rei blocked it with just one and with no change in expression . Although it was an bad situation, there was still no sense of dismay in Vargas¡¯ expression . Rather, he was aware of the difference in their abilities, had settled his anger and calmed down . (It¡¯s strange . The last time I saw him, he was a person who easily let his blood rush to his head . ) While thinking to himself, Rei slowly pushed forward with the Death Scythe against the axe . ¡¸D-D-Damn it! But you know-!¡¹ Vargas must have known that lose in pure strength if he didn¡¯t do something . Pushing away the handle of the Death Scythe away with his axe, he leapt back . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Now-!¡¹ As soon as he moved away from Rei, he gave a shout . At the same time, the sound of something cutting through the air at night could be heard . ¡¸Tch, petty tricks . ¡¹ Hearing the sound in the air, Rei poured magic power into the Death Scythe as he swung it . Kin~! The sound of metal scraping against each other was heard and the next moment, an arrow near Rei was split in two right down the shaft . ¡¸¡­¡­That was extremely underhanded . Was that the reason for your calmness?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s scornful eyes, Vargas smiled, as if convinced of his advantage even though his trump card had been dealt with easily . ¡¸Heh, you¡¯re really a monster . But you can¡¯t cut every arrow that flies towards you . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Vargas glanced towards Galahat . ¡¸I heard . You, I heard your injury hasn¡¯t healed yet . Can you dodge arrows like that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hostages, is it . ¡¹ Rei gently rubbed his eyebrows . However, in the present situation, taking Galahat hostage with his dulled movements was a valid tactic . Rei didn¡¯t know how many archers there were . If it was just a single person, Rei could deal with it, but it was hard to say if there were multiple archers and he had to defend a person . ¡¸I won¡¯t make it so easy to get to Galahat-san!¡¹ Murt shouted, but actually, he was the weakest in the group . As long as Murt was dealt with, the probability that Galahat would have to move to protect himself would be high . In fact, there was no doubt that his injuries would suffer from adverse effects if he did that . Knowing that, Vargas spoke lightly of Murt . ¡¸Heh, whatever small fry like you does, the result won¡¯t change . ¡­¡­Rei, don¡¯t you understand the situation? Let me chop you up quietly . ¡¹ Although Vargas had convinced himself that victory was just a step away¡­¡­ ¡¸Your execution is poor, idiot . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei swung the Death Scythe in the direction the arrow had come from . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ The swing of the Death Scythe produced a slash that flew through the air¡­¡­hitting the branches of a tree growing in the garden of the mansion . The next moment, the branch was cut and a man fell towards the ground while holding on to the branch and screaming . ¡¸There, Flying Slash!¡¹ A Flying Slash was released again . This one went towards a window on the second floor of Bolton¡¯s mansion . It cut a slit in the window and the walls, literally slashing through it rather than breaking it, blasting away the archer at the window . ¡¸What!?¡¹ Vargas raised a voice of astonishment at Rei¡¯s consecutive Flying Slashes . He must have though Rei had any long range attacks . However, he immediately turned his eyes towards the mansion with a smile as he gave a short shout . ¡¸Shoot!¡¹ An arrow left the mansion at Vargas¡¯ signal . That¡¯s right, there weren¡¯t just the two hidden archers dealt with by Rei . There was still one more . One of the few remaining C rank adventurers in the mansion . Vargas didn¡¯t know, but it was the adventurer who had shot arrows at Murt as he was running away through the back streets . (It¡¯s your mistake that you couldn¡¯t see it!) As he gave a cheer in his mind, Vargas gave a smile in victory¡­¡­when he saw the figure of a Griffon intercepting the arrow with his claws . And¡­¡­without noticing, Rei had moved up to him with the Death Scythe raised . The next moment, a thud was heard and Vargas consciousness faded away from the impact of the attack . Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Legend Chapter 154 The front of Bolton¡¯s mansion was now wrapped in silence . The thugs and low ranked adventurers that surrounded Rei had no words to describe what they had seen . As soon as Rei had swung his large scythe, a slash had flown out, cutting the branches of a large tree and dropping the archer that was hiding there . With the reverse swing, he had then sent another slash that flew towards a window on the second floor where another archer was . In the end, Vargas, who was a big man, was unexpectedly blasted away by Rei¡¯s Death Scythe, destroying the mansion door as he smashed into it . ¡º¡­¡­¡» If anything, the series of developments was too rapid and they couldn¡¯t say anything as they looked towards Rei . Still, even though Set had blocked the arrow for Galahat with his claws, it was hardly noticed because Rei¡¯s actions were too flashy . Even the person who had shot the arrow at the end decided that there was no point to arrow attacks, and though unhappy, disappeared in case he was hit by a Flying Slash like the other two . While such silence wrapped around the surroundings, Rei swung the Death Scythe onto his shoulder and glanced at the people surrounding him . ¡¸Well then, you were relying on Vargas but he¡¯s down now¡­¡­what are you going to do? If any of you feel motivated, step forward . ¡¹ Even though he declared that, seeing that brutal attack, no one wanted to step out . Some people looked towards Vargas, who had been blasted away . Until a few minutes ago, Vargas had been wearing a metal armour . But it was now crushed and he was unconscious after smashing into the doors of the mansion . If he was still conscious, he would have experience the suffering of hell with his rib fractures . Even in Bolton¡¯s mansion, Vargas was already one of the adventurers with better skills . Yet he was defeated easily . It had the effect of sapping the morale of the people still here . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? You were yelling at me so energetically just before . Show me your strength . Didn¡¯t you say it was common sense for us to run away since you had so many people?¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡» Now that they had seen Rei¡¯s overwhelming strength, they couldn¡¯t say anything . If they said something, they knew that it would taken as an act of hostility and would follow the same fate as Vargas . ¡¸Really, you¡¯re all small fry . When you grouped together, you immediately thought you could become more aggressive . ¡­¡­Well, fine then . Go and disperse . ¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡» Rei told them that, but if they ran away from here, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in Azoth Firm . However, their non-committal attitude made Rei frustrated . ¡¸After this, we¡¯ll be going inside Bolton¡¯s mansion . If you say you won¡¯t permit it, then stand in front of me . In that case, I will consider you an enemy and will eliminate you . If you don¡¯t want that to happen, then run as fast as you can with your tail between your legs . ¡­¡­Here I come . ¡¹ Behind him were, Freon, Brazos, Galahat and Murt . Rei called out to Set and stepped forward . Naturally, the Death Scythe was on his shoulder, ready to be swung at any time . Every time Rei took a step forward, the people surrounding them took a step back . Such a situation continued until eventually, Rei arrived at the front of the gate without having to do anything . That said, the gate had already been forced apart when Vargas was blasted through it . At the gate were Sakant and Fader . The two gatekeepers stayed in place, holding their spears . ¡¸Move aside . ¡¹ Rei gave a short order . Hearing that, Fader trembled for a moment and turned to look at his partner, Sakant . Sakant had a pale face, but his expression didn¡¯t change . ¡¸H-Hey, Sakant . ¡¹ Seeing that, Fader called out unintentionally . Seeing the series of events with Vargas, it was obvious that Rei was someone they couldn¡¯t handle by themselves . Fader was asking why Sakant still stood there given that . ¡¸It¡¯s because up to now, I have been hired here . That is what I feel . ¡­¡­Fader, you don¡¯t have to follow me, do as you like . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh, damn it! Damn it! Saying that and telling me I can leave like this!¡¹ Fader shouted at his partner¡¯s unexpected words and pointed the tip of his own spear towards Rei . ¡¸You don¡¯t have to follow me . ¡­¡­You really are stupid . ¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! I don¡¯t have to be told I¡¯m stupid . Seriously, why bother doing something like this¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing the two of them point their spears at him while arguing, Rei smiled for a moment before it quickly disappeared . ¡¸You¡¯re acting against me . I can take that as such right?¡¹ ¡¸OHHHHHHH-!¡¹ Rei¡¯s question was answered with a shout . It was a courageous shout instead of words to erase their fear as Sakant and Fader thrust their spears towards Rei¡¯s body . As expected of two people who guarded the gate, their coordination was very good . Sakant thrust first while Fader thrust at the place Rei would have to move to dodge or block the spear . It was a kind of delayed attack . It would have been effective on ordinary people . However, that was Sakant and Fader¡¯s largest miscalculation . Their opponent was Rei . ¡¸This is fine¡­¡­right!¡¹ Catching Sakant¡¯s spear with the Death Scythe, he used the blade to cut off it¡¯s tip before flicking his wrist to quickly move the Death Scythe, parrying Fader¡¯s spear with the handle . ¡¸Gah-!¡¹ Fader gave a cry of pain at the unexpected power in the parry . Sakant¡¯s spear wasn¡¯t damaged but it¡¯s tip had been cleanly cut off . With the the overwhelming weight of the Death Scythe¡¯s handle, Fader¡¯s spear had been knocked out of his hands by Rei . He couldn¡¯t handle the shock and was forced to open his hands, launching the spear far off to the right . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Sakant had a stunned look when he saw Rei instantly cut his spear and parry the other . While receiving that look, Rei picked up Fader¡¯s spear, which had fallen down, and stabbed into the ground . Zugon~ There was a sound that shouldn¡¯t happen when a spear was pierced into the ground . Including the spear tip and handle, the spear went 50cm into the ground . ¡¸That¡¯s enough already . You have no way to stop us . Move aside . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Please . Even I don¡¯t want to injure you . Move aside quietly . ¡¹ Galahat¡¯s words leaked out after Rei¡¯s words . Sakant heard them but still took a step forward¡­¡­ ¡¸Sakant, it will be okay . We¡¯ve fulfilled our role well enough . ¡¹ At Fader¡¯s words, Sakant stopped ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You know what? Bolton-san was already hard pressed by Rei before . Even so, he still challenged him, we¡¯ve played our role as gatekeepers well enough¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right . ¡¹ At Fader¡¯s words, Sakant replied with a small sigh . ¡¸I understand, Galahat-san . ¡­¡­Please enter . ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about this . However, you don¡¯t need to worry, nothing bad will happen to you . ¡¹ Galahat nodded as if to comfort Sakant and Fader as they walked through the gate between the two . ¡¸Please wait for Galahat-san . Right now, Galahat-san isn¡¯t in his best condition!¡¹ As Murt said that, Rei, Freon and Brazos followed after . As they left, the thugs and low ranking adventurers who had surrounded them just earlier were silent . ¡¸What to say, that was, wow¡­¡­the door¡¯s gone . ¡¹ The entrance to Bolton¡¯s mansion was about 10m from the gate . The door that was supposed to be there had been cleanly demolished when Vargas had been smashed into it by Rei¡¯s attack . With the door destroyed, they entered the entrance hall of the mansion . Vargas had collapsed on the floor unconscious . ¡¸Well, there might be a trap in the door¡­¡­wouldn¡¯t it be nice if everything was fine?¡¹ Rei said that as Freon looked at the unconscious Vargas in amazement . To Freon, Vargas had fought Rei before and should have know his ability . Even so, without learning from his experience, he challenged Rei again . Even though he challenged Rei to a rematch after training himself, he still used snipers with bows from long range . They were not targeted at Rei either but towards the injured Galahat to hold him hostage . Freon could see the result . That was the same for Brazos . Turning to look at Vargas for a moment, who had collapsed on the floor, he gave a snort before looking somewhere else . To begin with, they had seen part of Rei¡¯s ability during the Harpy subjugation . In ranks C and D, they didn¡¯t believe there was anyone who could defeat Rei even if they attacked him in a group . It was possible to fight an endless war of attrition¡­¡­but even so, as far as Rei¡¯s abilities were concerned, he could probably just sweep them away with fire magic . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ The last to enter the entrance hall was Set, who looked around as he gave a cry . Normally, as a Griffon, Set would never enter the mansion . But this time, they were going to fight the adventurers hired by Bolton, so no one was going to complain about it . Even Galahat, who had the closest feelings about the mansion, could not exclude him and had no choice but to welcome Set in because of his combat strength . ¡¸Even so, it¡¯s quite lonely that no one is here greet you . ¡¹ Brazos looked around the entrance hall with his Earthshaker Hammer on his shoulder, but there was no one in sight . ¡¸That is¡­¡­are they concentrating their forces to wait for us?¡¹ Freon muttered while reading to swing the sword at her waist at any time . ¡¸I wonder . With Rei, they are at a disadvantage in strength so they will probably gather their forces to a single location to try to break the current situation . ¡­¡­Speaking of my older brother, that¡¯s definitely like him . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, where do you think he¡¯s gathered his forces? Most of them are at the front of the mansion, we¡¯ve already cleared some of them out to some extent before coming here as well . There shouldn¡¯t be many left in terms of numbers . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s quite reasonable for Rei to say . ¡­¡­They¡¯re probably in the room where Rei met my older brother . The neighbouring or opposite rooms are also a possibility . There should be several rooms over there aside from my older brother¡¯s office . ¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not right . ¡¹ Galahat rejected his own words . He looked around while thinking about something¡­¡­and then spoke again . ¡¸It¡¯s true that my older brother¡¯s office is the most likely, but it would be too narrow for adventurers to fight there . Even if they could, my older brother would be uneasy with their ability to protect him . In that case¡­¡­¡¹ Muttering, Galahat turned to look towards the second floor . ¡¸What¡¯s on the second floor?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a kind of dance hall . My older brother often invited over his acquaintances for parties, it would be used then . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . The dance hall, is reasonably wide . ¡­¡­For example, can adventurers fight there . ¡¹ Listening into the conversation between Brazos and Galahat, Freon muttered in understanding . ¡¸Ah . It¡¯s the largest room in the mansion . Of course, there¡¯s still a possibility that my older brother has placed his own safety as the highest priority and barricaded himself in his office . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, any how, it would be stupid to rush straight ahead without checking his office only to be attacked from behind . If it¡¯s not a hassle, should we check anyway?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, it seems that won¡¯t be necessary . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s words interrupted Freon . He caught the shadow near the entrance to the dance hall on the second floor . And that person drew back their bow¡­¡­ ¡¸Haah!¡¹ The moment the arrow was released, Rei was already one step ahead, swinging the Death Scythe . The blade of the Death Scythe was like a flash of light, easily slicing the arrow that was aimed at Galahat . ¡¸As you can we, we have an invitation . I don¡¯t want to have to break up the mansion more than needed . ¡¹ Rei said that as he watched the person who shot the arrow enter into the dance hall behind him . Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Legend Chapter 155 ¡¸Now then, if we open this door, it will start the climax to this ridiculous uproar . Are you ready?¡¹ The dance hall on the second floor of Bolton¡¯s mansion . Rei muttered, standing in front of the large door . ¡¸I don¡¯t have any issues . I want to settle this uproar faster so that I can take my time drinking . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m ready at anytime as well of course . Seriously, I¡¯ve already decided to follow through with this stupid uproar . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . You got rolled up in my family issues . ¡¹ Galahat bowed his head to Freon, who was complaining with a sigh . ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not your fault . In the first place, Azoth Firm¡­¡­no, Bolton, made an absurd demand to Rei . ¡¹ At Galahat¡¯s words, Freon continued speaking hurriedly . ¡¸Leave Galahat-san¡¯s escort to me . However, don¡¯t expect me to be able to do much in a fight . ¡¹ Murt said that as he held his halberd ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Because it was a staircase for humans, Set flew directly to the second floor with his wings and gave a cry . Giving a wry smile towards his companions, who had no sense of tension, Rei tore the doors to the dance hall wide open¡­¡­the next moment, he sensed something flying towards him and swung the Death Scythe in reflex . Kin~, the dagger gave a metallic sound as it was blocked . ¡¸Wow, seriously . Cutting right through the door and blocking my dagger . ¡¹ An astonished voice was heard . As the voice said, Rei had swung his Death Scythe, tearing through the door to the dance hall and blocking the dagger that was thrown at him . What was surprising was how Rei had cut through the door and blocked the dagger in a single attack . That said, to Rei, doors and walls were not something that could be considered an obstacle . It might be said that Rei¡¯s power wasn¡¯t something expected by the people waiting in the dance hall . Brazos and Freon already understood that Rei was someone outside the standard . It wasn¡¯t too surprising to Galahat and Murt either, who had been watching when Rei had met Bolton . Because of that, they all entered the dance hall without saying anything in particular¡­¡­ ¡¸H-Hiii-!¡¹ One of the people who had been waiting for Rei was a middle aged woman in her thirties or forties, who looked like a mage as she held a cane in her hands and wore a robe . She suddenly screamed and stepped back . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ This person, what was she doing . Thinking the same thing, her companions turned away from Rei to look at her . The female mage felt that there was an absolute predator in front of her, she looked towards Rei with a fearful gaze, as if looking at a predator . (¡­¡­Ah . ) Seeing the female mage, Rei thought that she might have seen his magic power . ¡¸It seems we won¡¯t have to worry about the mage . In that case, who¡¯s left¡­¡­¡¹ Rei immediately lost interest in the middle aged mage and turned towards the other adventurers who had been waiting in the dance hall . There was a male thief, who had thrown the dagger earlier, a swordsman wearing leather armour made from monster skin, two spearmen in metal armour and another man who could be considered a heavy knight, wearing full plate armour and wielding a halberd . There was also an archer with a bow . A total of 6 people . ¡¸Brazos, Freon, Galahat . Among the ones you know, is there anyone we should watch out for?¡¹ Readying the Death Scythe, Rei asked Brazos and the others while observing their opponents . Freon and Brazos were experienced enough to be considered veterans in the city of Gimuru . And with high rank of rank B, Galahat had formerly been coworkers with the adventurers in Azoth Firm . It was Freon who spoke up first . ¡¸The swordsman and the two spearmen look familiar . Wolf of the Snowy Fields is a party that should have ranked up to rank C recently . Although their rank up is recent, they are talented so be careful . ¡¹ Galahat spoke, following on from Freon¡¯s words . ¡¸The male thief who threw the dagger is the person who manages the thieves hired by Azoth Firm . If I remember correctly, his name was Tenda . ¡¹ ¡¸The archer is the person who targeted me when I was looking for Rei in the back streets . Possibly, he might be the archer that Rei didn¡¯t attack when we were at the front of the mansion . ¡¹ Murt said that as everyone else stayed quiet . ¡¸Who¡¯s the man in full plate? From what I felt, he seems to be the most skilled . ¡¹ In Rei¡¯s sight was the heavy knight holding a halberd . The movement of the others was good but Rei felt that that man had an aura several levels above the other adventurers . ¡¸¡­¡­No, I don¡¯t know . If there were any unusual adventurers wearing full plate, it would spread around immediately . ¡¹ Anyhow, adventurers had to move around to do requests with their own strengths . ¤½During that time, if an adventurer showed up wearing full plate, which weighed 10¡¯s of kilograms, rumors would spread fast . But Brazos and Freon did not recall hearing rumors of such a strange adventurer . (Well, there are also some strange adventurers who wield large scythes taller than themselves . But I didn¡¯t think that there would be many adventurers wearing full plate mail . ) While thinking to himself, Brazos looked towards Galahat . ¡¸Do you remember anything? Since you were co-workers, people who stand out should be talked about right?¡¹ Even though he was asked, Galahat shook his head slightly . ¡¸I don¡¯t remember . I think that if he was as conspicuous as he is, I would not forget seeing him ¡­¡­in that case, was he hired in a hurry in the past few days that I was out? Murt, you know?¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t recognise him . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, hey, hey, how come you¡¯re just talking among yourselves here? We¡¯ve been waiting here all day you know? At least let me have some fun with the Griffon from the rumors¡­¡­yo-!¡¹ Saying that, Tenda, who led the thieves in Azoth Firm, dashed forward with a dagger in both hands, quickly closing the distance . ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll deal with the thief first . You all hold on until I finish with him! Set, deal with the archer! Murt, guard Galahat . Guard your position!¡¹ Holding up the Death Scythe to intercept the thief coming towards him, Rei called out to Brazos, Freon, Murt and Set . Rei didn¡¯t wait for Tenda and went forward . ¡¸Haha-! Something that long is useless when the distance closes! You¡¯re an interesting guy as the rumors said!¡¹ Fierce¡­¡­Tenda attacked Rei with his daggers, feinting from side to side with an amused smile . (I see, is he the type of person that Galahat mentioned in the hideout that loves to fight?) Thinking to himself, Rei watched his distance and timing as their fight started . Guessing left or right . If Rei thought it would be below, Tenda would unexpectedly attack from above . An ordinary person would be at the mercy of the feints . However, his opponent was a bad match up this time . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ In any case, Rei¡¯s large 2m long scythe was swung side to side and up and down as if it was a branch of a dead tree . Even if Tenda threw in some feints, it was easy to work around them as the Death Scythe was a magic item which had the effect of letting Rei wield it without feeling its weight as long as it sensed his magic power . ¡¸Well, you¡¯re certainly a monster as rumored, this is . ¡¹ In the first 10 seconds, he had a smell of a hunter seeing a responsive prey . In the next 10 seconds, he realised that his opponent was unexpectedly tough and switched his mode from playing around to attacking seriously . Another 10 seconds later, even if he attacked, his daggers couldn¡¯t hit anything . He was surprised that Rei could dodge everything . Even if Rei had little opportunities to fight someone using daggers as weapons, concentrating on reading Tenda¡¯s motion to avoid his attacks . Before long, Rei took a sharp breath and made a big swing . ¡¸Fu~!¡¹ ¡¸-!? Tch!¡¹ Tenda had received several attacks from the Death Scythe so far and understood the toughness of the weapon as well as Rei¡¯s monstrous strength as he suddenly crouched . (Certainly, your attack has tremendous power . However, there¡¯s no point to an attack if it doesn¡¯t hit anything! My daggers will apply paralysis poison on your legs if you swing and miss¡­¡­£© Yes . Tenda was going to attack Rei¡¯s legs as soon as Rei¡¯s attack passed over him . Although Rei was covered in a robe which seemed to have some sort of magic effect, with his skill, he could cut through the robe just to leave a scratch on Rei¡¯s legs . This was certainly a valid strategy . ¡­¡­However, that was under the assumption that his opponent wasn¡¯t Rei . At this point, Tenda had made two mistakes . First of all, Rei¡¯s robe was definitely a magic item, but he didn¡¯t know what it was . It was made from two layers of dragon skin from dragons that had lived for several hundred years . Dragon scales were also placed in between the two layers of dragon skin . It boasted an overwhelming defensive power, even compared to full plate mail . Even if Tenda tried to stab his dagger into Rei¡¯s legs, the tip would never pierce through the Dragon Robe . Then there was his biggest mistake . That was to underestimate Rei¡¯s physical ability . In the end, Tenda was a C rank adventurer . However, he took pride that his skill had reached the B rank level . Even if he fought against Galahat, a B rank adventurer, he was strong enough to fight on equal terms . But even though he was that skilled, he was still C rank . Honestly, it was because Azoth Firm told him that he would stand out too much if there was a B rank adventurer other than Galahat . In particular, Tenda held the position of the leader of Azoth Firm¡¯s thieves and often had to do a variety of dirty jobs . For that reason, he was requested that he shouldn¡¯t draw too much attention to himself . He remained at C rank in exchange for a huge reward each month . That confidence slowed Tenda¡¯s judgment . The Death Scythe made a whoosh sound as it swept through the air above the crouching Tenda¡­¡­the next moment, as he tried to stab his daggers, smeared with paralysis poison, into Rei¡¯s legs, Tenda¡¯s consciousness sank into darkness as a strong impact hit his side . ¡¸Your target was good¡­¡­but . ¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t do anything complicated . All he did was just switch direction just as fast as soon as the Death Scythe passed over Tenda¡¯s head . Normally, for someone using something as long as the Death Scythe, it was a movement that followed an impossible trajectory . It was the effect of the Death Scythe as a magic item, reducing its weight to a pair of chopsticks, that allowed this unique attack to be made . Blasted about 10m away, Rei briefly glanced at Tenda, who had collapsed and fainted due to the shock and pain from his broken left ribs before checking the fights everyone else was in . The male archer had already been taken to ground by Set and was in a state where he couldn¡¯t move with Set¡¯s right foreleg on his back . (As expected, even if he¡¯s an able archer, he can¡¯t take on Set . ) Rei gave a wry smile . In fact, the male archer had shot several arrows as Set flew around, fully utilising the size of the dancce hall . However, most of them were evaded or blocked with his claws . The moment he tried to pull back his bowstring to shoot another arrow, he had the terrible experience of being tripped by Set¡¯s tail while being attacked by Set¡¯s beak . He was now in a state where he couldn¡¯t move because Set¡¯s right foreleg was on top him . Next, he turned to look at Freon and Brazos . Although they were at a disadvantage in terms of numbers, they were still two veteran C rank adventurers who had weapons advantageous against spears . The swordsman acted as the front line for his other two party member in close combat . The two sword wielders clashed . The sword of the swordsman from Wolf of the Snowy Fields was parried by Freon¡¯s sword . Freon tried to seize the opportunity to attack his torso but was blocked by a spear . Brazos¡¯ Earthshaker Hammer smashed against the spear targeting Freon as another spear stabbed out towards Brazos . As far as Rei could see, they were in an almost equal stalemate . £¨¡­¡­They equally matched? Wait . ) Rei recounted the number of enemies that had been waiting for them and looked around the dance hall again . The middle aged woman who had sensed Rei¡¯s enormous magic power was still mumbling incomprehensible words, unable to get up . (That mage will not be a problem for the time being . ) Thinking to himself, Rei looked away from the woman¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei matched looks with the man holding the halberd, who stayed silent as he looked at Rei . No . Naturally, he was wearing a helmet that was hiding his whole face, so Rei didn¡¯t know if he was looking back at him . However, Rei instinctively felt that he was looking back . The man looked around to check that no one could interfere in his fight with Rei . Confirming that, he swung his halberd . Roar-! The noise from the wind was quieter than when Rei swung the Death Scythe . But that was still incredible for an adventurer¡­¡­in addition, it wasn¡¯t a sound that could be made by the adventurers under C rank hired by Azoth Firm . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Holding his halberd silently, he took a step towards Rei . Slowly, he took a second step, followed by a third . Steadily closing the distance to Rei . Chapter 156 Chapter 156 The dance hall on the second floor of Bolton¡¯s mansion located in the upper class district . The development of the battle that was happening there could be said to be gradually leaning towards Rei¡¯s side . First, out of the party that laid in wait for Rei and others, the middle-aged woman¡ªtheir sole mage¡ªhad lost all her fighting spirit the moment she saw Rei and sank down to the floor just like that . And of course, Set seemed too much to handle for the archer . The archer, who had aimed for Murt on many occasions, was now collapsed on the floor with Set¡¯s forelegs pushed on his back, becoming completely immobilised . And like that, the only remaining people capable of fighting on Azoth¡¯s side were the three from the C ranked party Snow Field Wolves that were now fighting with Freon and Brazos . And also¡­ ¡¸¡­¡¹ The man with a halberd, who was silently approaching Rei while setting up his weapon . (As expected, this guy is quite skilled . I heard the only B ranked adventurer they had was Galahat¡­but it seems they had quite a few unexpected individuals, be it the thief Tenda, or this guy . Well, neither Galahat nor Murt remembered this halberd guy, so I guess there¡¯s no point in dwelling on it . ) While observing the approaching opponent, Rei once again set up his Death Scythe and took a step forward . They both proceeded to shorten the distance between them¡­ ¡¸¡­!?¡¹ ¡¸Haah!¡¹ As they entered each other¡¯s attack range, they swung their weapons . Rei, his Death Scythe, and the man ¨C his halberd . Whoosh! The long weapons they swung tore through the air as they approached each other¡­ And then, they clashed, sending a high-pitched metallic sound around them . And it was not just once or twice . The sound repeated many times . The halberd¡¯s axe head and the Death Scythe¡¯s giant blade clashed again and again, repelling each other . From the shock that travelled to his hands, Rei revealed a slightly surprised expression . (Although I¡¯m still not putting a lot amount of magic power in it, he actually has a weapon that can exchange blows with the Death Scythe upfront? Could it be a Magic Item!?) But Rei wasn¡¯t the only one who showed surprise . It was the same for his opponent . He didn¡¯t expect for there to be a weapon that could exchange blows with himself, who had gone through countless battles so far, continuing on undefeated through them all . And above all, with his most trusty halberd in the world . Indeed¨Cwith his halberd¨Ca Magic Item made by the alchemist that was even called a legend . ¡¸¡­¡¹ Directing a gaze full of wonder at Rei, the man temporarily withdrew his halberd and took some distance . Normally, in a case like this Rei would to pursue him, but being vigilant of the halberd that could fight evenly with his Death Scythe, Rei decided to let him go . (Freon and Brazos are currently holding their own but the difference in numbers will show its effect sooner or later . They¡¯ve been acting non-stop for the whole day, after all . As long as their physical ability or something else isn¡¯t inhuman level like me, their stamina should be taking its toll sometime soon . When that happens, either Set will knock out the Archer and back them up or I¡¯ll go myself after defeating this man with the halberd . ) Even as he pondered about various things, Rei didn¡¯t let that man out of his sight even for a second . Despite staring silently at each other, they were both looking for gaps in each other¡¯s defences . Deciding to progress things, Rei put some strength in the hand that was holding the Death Scythe, took a half step forward, and even turned his gaze away to intentionally create an opening . But the man confronting him was very well accustomed to fighting personal battles . He didn¡¯t take any bait Rei threw at him and instead started using many similar feints, luring for an attack . They stood there trying to find each others¡¯ openings for several minutes . Thinking that Freon and Brazos, whose stamina were probably close to running dry, would be the ones to gradually fall into a disadvantage if neither of them made a move like this, Rei used a move that his opponent wouldn¡¯t expect in order to make things move . . ¡¸Magic Shield . ¡¹ It was one of the acquired skills of the Death Scythe that could manifest a magic shield that could defend against any kind of attack, albeit only once . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ While the man was surprised due to the sudden appearance of a light shield near Rei, he used that momentary gap and kicked the ground, brandishing his Death Scythe, and shortened the distance between them to get him inside his attack range . And without change, he invoked yet another skill of the Death Scythe to release his next move . ¡¸Wind Hand!¡¹ Brandished Death Scythe¡¯s handle, an invisible tentacle was produced from the tip . Although he understood that something was going on due to Rei¡¯s words, it seems he was still unable to instantly grasp the existence of the invisible wind tentacle as he hastily checked the surroundings with his helmet-covered face . But he was unable to find anything in the end, so deciding it was just a bluff he set up the halberd to receive Rei¡¯s swinging Death Scythe . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Rei swung down the Death Scythe along with sharp voice . But when the man, too, took a step forward to defend against the Death Scythe before it could reach its maximum power¡­ ¡¸There!¡¹ ¡¸¡­!?¡¹ Manipulating the wind hand, Rei trapped his right ankle in place with its tip as he was about to step forward . And at the same time . ¡¸Power Slash!¡¹ He released the final skill as if to settle everything with it . It was released towards the man who had his right foot trapped by the Wind Hand and couldn¡¯t move . Power Slash was a skill with an effect of blunting the blade¡¯s sharpness in exchange for raising the power of the attack . However, that was fine right now . After all, he had been asked by Galahat to try not to kill the enemies where possible . The other side of the blade of the Death Scythe, or back of the blade in sword terms, headed straight towards the man . ¡¸¡­!?¡¹ Even if his right leg was seized by the wind tentacle, the Wind Hand¡¯s level was still just 1 . If its level had been higher, it might¡¯ve kept the man¡¯s ankle caught, however, despite being momentarily caught off guard, the man broke free from the Wind Hand with brute force the moment he realized his right ankle was being sealed by some kind of movement, and without stopping, swung his halberd towards Rei . He went for a mutual strike as the final means after judging that he couldn¡¯t come out unscathed from Rei¡¯s attack no matter what he did . However¡­ (I could see that coming a mile away . ) Muttering that deep down, Rei showed a big smirk while swinging his Death Scythe without paying any mind to the halberd that was coming his way . Just as the halberd, aiming for his head, was about to reach its mark¡­ The shield of light that floated around Rei stopped the attack while giving off a metallic sound and then disappeared like mist after serving its duty . At the same time, the Death Scythe was driven into the side of the full plate mail as if getting sucked in . The Death Scythe exceeding 100 kg, coupled with Rei¡¯s own inhuman strength . And that blow which was powered by the Death Scythe¡¯s skill, Power Slash, gave off a thick sound as it easily smashed the torso of his full plate mail, blowing him away . ¡¸Guaah!¡¹ The first voice he let out ever since coming to this room, was a voice of anguish to endure the pain and shock . ¡¸Okay, I¡¯m finished here¡­ what?¡¹ If one received the current attack, they should have fainted in all probability . Judging that to be the case, Rei faced towards Freon and Brazos, however, the sounds he heard behind made him instinctively turn around in pure amazement . Tenda who received a normal blow to the flank had fainted on the spot . And yet, Rei couldn¡¯t believe that the man was still holding on to his consciousness even after receiving a blow that employed the Power Slash . Of course, Tenda wore a leather armour suitable for a thief, focusing more on mobility rather than defence . It couldn¡¯t be compared to the full plate mail in terms of defence, but even so, it was a blow made with Power Slash . As long as it wasn¡¯t a Magic Item, be it a leather armour or a full plate mail, their defence powers should¡¯ve been within the margin of error . ¡¸Are you really a human? No, well, judging from that sturdiness, you don¡¯t seem like a normal human¡­ That said, you are too tall for a Dwarf, and Elves should be physically weaker than humans, to begin with . Or perhaps you are from a race of Demi-humans that I¡¯m not aware of¡­¡¹ Rei asked while facing the man who still stood up to his feet, although his movements were somewhat duller, however just like before the man didn¡¯t say a word and merely set up the halberd . (It would be easy if I could just kill him, but it¡¯s a pain that I¡¯m prohibited to do that . With that being the case, I should break one or two of his limbs¡­ Wait, judging from the previous reaction, most of his ribs are definitely broken . So I¡¯m not so sure it would be of any use if I were to break his limbs at this point¡­ Wait . His movements¡­) Not even a minute had passed since he stood up, but his movements were certainly becoming smoother . So much in fact that it was just like before he received the injury . (Just like before he got hurt?) A thought flashed through Rei¡¯s mind, but the man raised his halberd and rushed towards him as if he didn¡¯t want to even give him time to think . His movements didn¡¯t look anything like how someone with broken ribs would move . (Ah!? I see, so it¡¯s a Magic Item with constant recovery effect just like the ¡ºLove of Shizukuishi¡» that Set is wearing, huh!) Even among the countless Magic Items, this was a particularly rare kind . For that reason, it took Rei quite a bit of time before coming up with that possibility, and as if aiming for that opening the man swung his halberd . He mowed down with the axe of the halberd, thrust with its spear, and sent strikes at him with the spike protruding from behind the axe . Rei repelled those waves of attacks with the blade of the Death Scythe, or warded them off by parrying with the handle . There were people who observed their fight, that was just like the repeat of their previous exchange . They were Galahat and his escort, Murt, who stood near the dance hall entrance . Seeing their movements that were like a blade dance¨Cno, like a dance performance¨Cimpossible for C or D rankers to achieve, they could do nothing but stand in pure awe . Be it the Death Scythe or the halberd, both of their attacks were sharp and fast . And above all, the overwhelming power behind those attacks was clear as a day; it was enough to make them believe that getting hit by a single one of those would undoubtedly spell their doom . (That man is a halberd user¡­like me? The difference between our ability is like day and night . ) Murt was overwhelmed deep down, instinctively realising the difference of skill between himself and the man that was fighting with Rei . Murt naturally wanted Rei to win . But after all, the opponent was the user of the same weapon as him . So in the end, he ended up supporting the opponent . However, such performance of theirs didn¡¯t last long, and soon enough it started to head towards the conclusion . The first one to notice that, as expected, wasn¡¯t Murt but Galahat whose rank was higher and had more battle experience . ¡¸¡­He won, huh . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Without thinking, Murt questioned Galahat¡¯s words . It was indeed a battle that he had trouble following even from this distance, however, from his viewpoint they still seemed to be on even ground . And despite that being the case, why was Galahat certain of Rei¡¯s victory? He couldn¡¯t figure out that reason by observing them, so he sent a questioning glance at Galahat . ¡¸You don¡¯t get it?¡¹ ¡¸No . They both seem equal from my perspective . ¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, they do look equal . At present¡­that is . But take a moment and observe them again . If you do that, you should be able to see what¡¯s different . ¡¹ Hearing Galahat¡¯s words, Murt carefully observed the dance of the Death Scythe and the halberd . As he did that, the meaning behind Galahat¡¯s words gradually became clear to him . ¡¸Eh? It¡¯s not much, but are the man¡¯s reactions becoming duller?¡¹ Murt muttered unconsciously . Indeed, from Murt¡¯s perspective, it was only a bit . His attacks were fast enough that calling them instantaneous wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration, but it seemed that his reactions were still delayed against Rei¡¯s attacks . However, Galahat responded with a little shake of his head to Murt¡¯s words . ¡¸Not quite . Well, it¡¯s technically correct but not exactly accurate . It¡¯s not halberd user¡¯s reactions that are becoming delayed, but Rei¡¯s who is becoming faster . ¡­I never expected for his speed to be on yet another level from that state . ¡¹ (Or perhaps, the attack from before started to show its effect now¡­huh?) Galahat muttered deep down while seeing that the battle was certainly inclining towards Rei¡­even if only for a bit . Exactly as he said, before his eyes, Rei¡¯s swings of the Death Scythe, slowly¨Ctruly little by little¨Cwere exceeding the speed of the man¡¯s halberd, and although they were light, many cuts started to appear on his full plate mail . If the situation continued without change, Rei would most probably come out victorious within the next ten minutes . That¡¯s what Galahat thought, however the next moment his expectation was proven to be quite off . As the Death Scythe put a big cut on the man¡¯s full plate mail, he started to take a few steps back for some reason . ¡¸¡­What¡¯s the matter?¡¹ Looking at his behaviour, Rei muttered without thinking . Certainly, the current attack probably gave the man quite a shock, even though it landed on the armour . But even so, it was also true that it wasn¡¯t something that would determine the outcome of the battle . And yet, the man who fought with him until a few seconds ago suddenly took a few steps back and continued doing so, widening the distance between them . No, rather than taking the distance, it was more like he was heading straight towards the back door of the dancehall . While being puzzled about the man who just gave up on the battle and withdrew without saying a word, he didn¡¯t do anything like pursuing him . (It¡¯s difficult to neutralise him without killing as I promised to Galahat, given that he has a Magic Item with automatic recovery effect . If he¡¯s retreating himself then that¡¯s all the better . ¡­If he suddenly reappears in the room where Bolton is hiding, I¡¯ll just deal with him then . Even so, that man just now was way stronger than a mere B rank . Why was someone with such ability cooperating with the likes of Bolton?) Although he was puzzled on the inside, the fact was that his hands were now free, so taking a step forward, he set up the Death Scythe to deal the blow from behind to the Snow Field Wolves that were fighting against Freon and Brazos . Chapter 157 Chapter 157 ¡¸¡­I did hear it from the young miss, but to think he was really someone that skilled . ¡¹ The man who had been fighting with Rei just a little ago gave a small mutter as he removed his full-face helmet that covered his face . His face revealed a man in his late thirties . From there, he forcefully removed his smashed up and cracked full plate mail . Finally, his muscle-covered body appeared within, trained to the point that it seemed to be bursting from the chain mail . ¡¸Not to mention that Griffon and his absurd level of magic power . To think such an outstanding individual was laying low in a remote region like this . No, I suppose it¡¯s precisely because this is a remote region¡­huh?¡¹ After completely removing his full plate mail and becoming lightening up, the man took up his halberd ¨C his long-time favourite weapon ¨C in hand and left the mansion while erasing his presence . ¡¸Young miss¡¯ eye for judging people isn¡¯t bad . Does that mean that even the Duke will have to make his move? However¡­ I don¡¯t think a person like Margrave Rowlocks would leave someone this powerful alone . If someone with such combat ability joins the neutral faction, even the Duke won¡¯t find it amusing¡­but with the Bestir Empire¡¯s shadow being present, he can¡¯t exactly lose himself in the power struggle . ¡¹ The man muttered . If Margrave Daska Rowlocks, the feudal lord of this town, was here, the man¡¯s identity would¡¯ve been quickly revealed . Or if it were the nobles who have been stationed in this town, then they would¡¯ve probably been left wide-eyed no matter if they were from Neutral, Royal or the Nobles Faction . And the reason for that was that this man was Philma de Giel . Someone who stood at the top of the knight order controlled by Duke Kerebel, a central figure in the Nobles Faction . In the first place, why was someone like him here ¨C in a place where he shouldn¡¯t have been by all rights? To answer that question, it was because Duke Kerebel had heard about Rei from his daughter Elena . An adventurer whose power was endless, followed by a Griffon ¨C an A ranked monster ¨C and the holder of an unbelievable amount of magic power . Holding the possibility of even attaining the S rank one day . Hearing all that, Duke Kerebel thought that if there was someone that strong hiding there, he wanted to try to get his hands on him no matter what it took . And with such thoughts, he gave an order to Philma who had just returned back after ending the pursuit of Viscount Sails¡¯ household . It was to head towards Gilm and confirm the ability of the adventurer called Rei . Properly speaking, this wasn¡¯t a job a knight captain like him had to expressly do . But various factors added up and it was decided that Philma would be the one to go . It was punishment for being unable to carry out the pursuit of Viscount Sails¡¯ family successfully¡­ That was the first reason . Naturally, Duke Kekebel didn¡¯t actually believe that the entirety of Viscount Sails¡¯ household, that fled to Bestia Empire, could¡¯ve been slain with just a single pursuit . So in the end, he merely used that as a pretext, and by doing that, he was able to entrust this mission to the knight captain who couldn¡¯t be easily moved in normal conditions . The second was a more straightforward reason ¨C it was because Philma was the only person whom Duke Kerebel trusted even more than Elena, the General Princess . Of course, it wasn¡¯t like there were no people who could see through abilities and aptitudes others . However, most of those were tied by various obligations, and their abilities aside, he couldn¡¯t trust them in other aspects . Therefore, Philma was dispatched towards Gilm, partly for him to take a well-deserved rest . And so he entered the town while hiding his identity, and through his collaborator¡¯s connections, he learned that his target was hostile against Azoth Firm . He then ascertained with his own body whether the information Duke Kerebel provided him about Rei¡¯s battle ability was true or not . ¡¸Still, I never thought that his ability would be at least equal to mine . No, he¡¯s certainly stronger than me, considering the fact that he was clearly holding back, huh? ¡­In this case, perhaps young lady deserves praise for seeing through the ability of someone like that . Well, Duke Kerebel wouldn¡¯t be so calm about it though . ¡¹ Although he looked strict, to the end, he just took that attitude for the public eyes . Recalling the face of his lord who loved his daughter dearly, Philma revealed a wry smile . The expression his daughter had on her face when she talked about Rei¡¯s personality and ability didn¡¯t look anything like the one the General Princess would have . If anything, it looked more like the one a maiden would have when talking about their beloved . Elena had single-mindedly followed the military path until now without knowing anything about love . Remembering her appearance had brought a faint smile to his face . But he quickly shook his head a bit and thought back about his fight with Rei while directing his eyes towards the halberd that was his long-lasting partner . ¡¸What¡¯s more, it wasn¡¯t just his ability . His Scythe seems to be quite a high-level magic item too . After all, it was actually able to exchange blows head on with this Dragon Fang, the work of that legendary alchemist Esta Nord¡­¡­No, to even surpass it . ¡¹ Indeed . The halberd Philma carried was a Magic Item that Esta Nord¨Crenowned as one of the followers of Zepairu and the greatest alchemist of the era of sorcery¨Chad created . It had an effect of consuming the owner¡¯s magic power and raising the attack power accordingly . It was a simple enough effect, but its trustworthiness was high . But Rei had sent out series of intense attacks that were practically on par¡­no, even stronger than his magically strengthened blows, one after another without breaking a sweat . And so, Philma disappeared through the night town, taking two reports to his lord . The good news that he proved Elena¡¯s judgment of him to be true, and the fact that Margrave Rowlocks had an eye on Rei, making his recruitment to their faction extremely difficult . ¡¸Gaah!¡¹ While raising a voice of anguish, the man with a spear ¨C the remaining member of the C Rank party Snow Field Wolves ¨C was blown away and lost his consciousness from the shock as he hit the ground . ¡¸It was more difficult than I imagined . ¡¹ Rei muttered as he glanced at the fainted trio . To start with, they barely matched with Freon and Brazos . And with Rei included, it was evident that they stood no chance . However, the Snow Field Wolves members didn¡¯t even lend an ear to Brazos¡¯ suggestion to surrender . Finally, As Rei joined in, they weren¡¯t able to overturn the scales of power, but they continued fighting without change until they all lost consciousness . ¡¸When talking about adventurers hired by Azoth Firm, I thought they¡¯d mostly be some good-for-nothing fellows¡­ but these three sure had some backbone . Though from what I heard about them at the Guild, they didn¡¯t give me the impression of being such strong-willed fellows . ¡¹ Freon muttered while fixing his disordered breathing, and Brazos also nodded as if in complete agreement . ¡¸That¡¯s true . But it hasn¡¯t been that long since their party ranked up . But well¡­ being in such situation, they probably feared about rumours spreading about them surrendering to the enemy right away . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well, if they were gossiped as a party that surrendered to the enemy right after their rank up, they would be taken advantage of in future requests and be looked down by other adventurers, huh . ¡¹ The swordsman fainted after getting hit in the torso by the Brazos¡¯ Earthshaker Hammer . The spearmen were taken out by the blows to their necks by Freon and by Rei¡¯s attack with the handle of the Death Scythe . The unluckiest of them was, as expected, or rather, naturally, the spearman who got knocked out by Rei . The spear user who fainted under Freon¡¯s attack didn¡¯t even suffer any broken bones, and his equipment didn¡¯t suffer the damage either . The swordsman did have a few fractured ribs, but his leather armour was made from monster hide and was therefore flexible, meaning that he didn¡¯t suffer much either . Compared to them, the spearman who tasted Rei¡¯s blow had his spear snapped in two after using it as a shield in the moment to block the Death Scythe¡¯s handle . Without even managing to slow its momentum, the attack also broke his right hand and also smashed his metal armor along with his ribs . He was unmistakably the one who suffered the most, in both medical and financial senses . ¡¸¡­Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Freon who was gazing at the fainted trio suddenly noticed Murt who was glaring at them and Galahat who had a bitter smile on his face . Murt glared at her he after he realised that he was also included in Freon¡¯s last remark about the adventurers hired by Azoth Firm being ¡®nothing but good-for-nothing fellows¡¯ . Galahat revealed a self-deprecating smile for not stopping his brother¡¯s deeds until now, even if he held respect for him . But even after seeing that, Freon didn¡¯t understand the reason behind their behaviour . ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing . It¡¯s indeed true that the adventurers employed by Azoth Firm are mostly good-for-nothing people, including me . ¡¹ After Galahat said so, Freon finally understood why Murt looked so angry . She looked the other way while scratching her cheek, revealing a dodgy smile . (Just what is she doing . ) Rei sighed in his mind as he observed their exchange, and then looked around while shouldering his Death Scythe . Tenda who was the first to attack was now lying unconscious with his ribs broken, and the Snow Field Wolves shared the same fate . Also¡­ ¡¸Eek!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ Rei directed his sight towards the middle-aged female mage and the archer who was still pinned down and immobilised by Set, the only people that were still conscious among the opponents . And after meeting his gaze, the female mage turned completely frightened and just crawled backwards, unable to put power into her legs to stand up . (¡­This one is no good . She¡¯s in no state to talk . ) Rei muttered deep down, but it was something that couldn¡¯t be helped . Although he had yet to fully master it due to practical issues, Rei¡¯s magic power was enormous, to say the least, boasting of both amount and density that surpassed even that of Zepairu who was called a Majin . For that reason, those with the ability to sense magic power or those who could see it like Runo, had been scared many times by the amount of magic power Rei held . And it was the same for that female mage Rei was looking at now, who was frantically retreating with both hands . But her misfortune was the fact that she acted hostile towards Rei . Just what would happen to her if she was hit by magic that utilised the outrageous magic power she could feel coming from Rei . She who felt the difference between their ability as a mage in the literal sense of the word had lost her fighting spirit through and through . ¡¸¡­She¡¯s in that state, so it comes down to having to ask you instead . ¡¹ Rei directed his gaze towards the archer that was pinned down by Set¡¯s right forefoot . However, the archer simply looked at Rei with a sharp look without uttering a single word . ¡¸Haah . Now that we defeated you people who were supposed to be the trump cards of Azoth Firm, you already understand that you have no chance of winning left, right? In that case, I think it¡¯s better for you to cooperate with Galahat right away . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ ¡¸What is left of the remaining forces on your side? Do you know whether Bolton is still planning something? How deeply are Azoth Firm¡¯s staff involved in this matter?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ Her asked questions one after another, but the Archer replied with silence to all of them . ¡¸¡­I don¡¯t like this sort of thing, but it can¡¯t be helped . Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu¡¹ Set responded with a small cry to Rei¡¯s indication and put strength to the forefoot that was pressing down on the Archer¡¯s back . ¡¸!?¡¹ The Archer felt his spine giving off creaking sounds inside from the force pressing down on his back, but still, not a word had spilled from the man¡¯s mouth . Rather, he didn¡¯t even leak a voice of anguish . ¡¸Rei, it¡¯s no use . This guy has the eyes that say he takes pride in his work . He wouldn¡¯t do anything that would put his employer at a disadvantage so easily . ¡¹ Freon muttered with a sigh while looking at the exchange between Rei and the silent archer . Hearing that, Rei looked towards Brazos and Galahat, but they also shook their heads in silence, implying that getting the information out of him would be impossible . ¡¸¡­With the increase of the rank, people like that also increase in number, huh?¡¹ Muttering that, he directed his gaze towards the fainted Tenda¡¯s direction . (Though the same goes for battle maniacs like that guy . Although I said ¡®people like that¡¯, It¡¯s not strictly in a good sense . If I had to say, I suppose it¡¯s better expressed as coming down to the individual?) Averting his gaze from Tenda, he looked towards Galahat . ¡¸So, what should we do about him? Since he¡¯s not being cooperative here, I don¡¯t want to leave him like this and get attacked from behind later . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . ¡­I¡¯ll ask just once more then . You have no intention of cooperating with me, right?¡¹ The archer returned silence to Galahat¡¯s question as well . He stared back towards the gaze directed at him¡­ . and finally, Galahat sighed and opened his mouth . ¡¸Rei, please knock him out . When I take over the Azoth Firm that person would be someone I can trust . I don¡¯t want to damage our relationship here . ¡¹ ¡¸Got it . ¡¹ Heaving a sigh, Rei hand-chopped the archer in the back of the neck, knocking him out in the process . ¡¸With this, it seems like the adventurers on brother¡¯s side have been mostly wiped out . There might be some left, but there shouldn¡¯t be more than few . ¡¹ Nodding to Galahat¡¯s words, Rei and others left the dance hall to head towards the office where Bolton was supposed to be waiting . ¡¸¡­Brother, it¡¯s about time we put an end to this foolishness . ¡¹ Galahat muttered as he was about to follow after Rei and others, and those words strangely resounded throughout the dance hall where no one was conscious anymore . Chapter 158 Chapter 158 After finishing their battle in the dance hall, Galahat walked through Bolton¡¯s mansion . On the way, they ran into other employed people in the mansion, such as the chef . Fortunately, most of then favoured Galahat over Bolton and nothing major happened . In actual fact, it was mostly because Galahat had promised to employ them after becoming the representative of Azoth Firm . Otherwise, there probably would have been some of them who would have tried to stop them to score points with Bolton . ¡¸¡­¡­So then, is Bolton in his office near the room where I met him?¡¹ Rei asked as he walked along with Set . Galahat gave a small nod . ¡¸Ah . There¡¯s no doubt about that . In most cases, a room would be prepared as an evacuation location if the mansion is attacked, but my brother has absolute confidence in this mansion . In fact, up until now, no one has ever intruded safely into the mansion . ¡¹ The largest factor was employing adventurers as guards and converting the fences and walls into magic items to harden the defenses of the surroundings . And even if they could break through, the adventurers stationed in the mansion, including Galahat, a rank B adventurer, were not people they could pass . ¡¸But, that was because Galahat-san was here . In fact, after Bolton decided to cut away Galahat-san and started to increase the security of the mansion, most of them are small fry like me . ¡¹ ¡¸Their level is certainly low . The guys we fought in the dance hall were probably the most elite of them¡­¡­seems to be the case . ¡¹ Although he said that, the man with the halberd was in Rei¡¯s thoughts . (Only that man was an exception . He had overwhelming skill even compared to Tenda, who was said to have skills equal to B rank . Fortunately, I don¡¯t know why, but he watched on at the beginning and it also felt that he wasn¡¯t using his full power¡­¡­if he had continued fighting, even if I didn¡¯t lose, it would have taken a lot longer to settle . The magic item he had that had a constant healing effect was especially troublesome . Although Set has one as well, it¡¯s much more troublesome when an enemy has it . ) Set also had a magic item equipped called Love of Shizukuishi, which had a constant healing effect . But since he was originally an A rank monster, he usually wouldn¡¯t receive any serious injuries . Because of that, Rei hardly ever noticed its effect . ¡¸Ah, Galahat-san . ¡¹ Walking through the mansion, a maid came out from a corner . She was a girl in her late teens . Galahat¡¯s face distorted slightly when he saw the maid¡¯s face . It was an expression of regret . This was because the maid before him was the one which his older brother had beaten with a whip to vent . Even if only by half, he was connected by blood to his brother . Thinking about that, Galahat spoke up while realising his expression was stiff . ¡¸¡­¡­Your injury, are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Thanks to Galahat-san giving instructions that my treatment receive high priority, I have no problems with moving now . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so . ¡¹ Galahat didn¡¯t know what to say to the maid before him . Her injuries were probably already fine . Because Galahat had given orders to give her treatment the highest priority . However, it was a fact that scars from being whipped still remained on her back . Her skin had been torn and there were several scars were her flesh had been ripped . For the maid who was still a teenage girl, how much trauma would that have caused . Thinking about that, Galahat unintentionally bit his lips, a trickle of blood flowed down from the edge of his lips . Seeing his look, the maid soon realised what Galahat was concerned about . She turned towards Set with a smile . ¡¸Galahat-san, is this the Griffon from the rumors in the city? I heard that it was friendly, can I stroke it?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ah, Ahh . Rei?¡¹ Being asked, Rei sensed the circumstances between the two of them and gave a small nod . ¡¸Ah, I don¡¯t mind . Basically, he¡¯s friendly . If you don¡¯t have any intentions of hurting him, Set is quiet so you don¡¯t need to worry . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much . Then¡­¡­¡¹ With a smile, she gave a bow to Rei and reached out to Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Giving a small cry, Set tilted his head . Seeing that, the maid smiled as she patted his head, not believing that this could possibly be an A rank monster in front of her . ¡¸Uwa~, his fur is extremely smooth . This is the first time I¡¯ve felt something like this . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, that¡¯s good . ¡­¡­More importantly, do you know which room my brother is in?¡¹ He thought that it was cruel to ask the girl, who had received terrible treatment from his older brother, but the current situation was tight on time . Although the adventurers who had been gathered in the mansion should have been mostly defeated or neutralised, he still wanted to bring this ridiculous commotion to a close before any irregularities occurred . That was Galahat¡¯s honest feelings . As a result, he persuaded himself that it was for the safety of the girl before him . ¡¸Master is in the reception room . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Not in his office?¡¹ Being told that Bolton was in a reception room, Galahat asked again . Because Bolton worked long hours in his office, there were magic items inside with significant defense capabilities . Galahat couldn¡¯t understand why Bolton would be in a reception room in this situation . Of course, it was called a reception room because it was where he would meet with guests . And as Bolton knew that he might be attacked, he would have been suitably prepared for such emergencies . However, compared to his office, where he would spend most of his day, his time spent elsewhere was negligible . Still, considering the reasons why he would be in a reception room¡­¡­ ¡¸Do you know why?¡¹ He asked as the mansion was currently under attack . Thinking like that, there was only one reason he would be in a reception room . ¡¸Yes . Some guests have come . ¡¹ The maid gave a plain nod . ¡¸¡­¡­He¡¯s still your employer right now, can you tell me where he is so easily?¡¹ Rei asked doubtfully, but the maid shook her head slightly . ¡¸Certainly, we were hired by the Master . However, we aren¡¯t dolls that can¡¯t speak . We have emotions and will feel dissatisfaction if we are treated unpleasantly . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ The maid gave a sad expression for a moment . Galahat noticed the reason, he had seen her being injured directly . Murt had been accompanying him during that time as well . Noticing their sympathetic looks, the maid shook her head with a smile . ¡¸I am also a resident of the city of Gilm . Since I work here, I know that Azoth Firm has done various shady deals . It is also what Galahat-san is trying to stop . Because of that, I feel that the uproar this time was bound to happen . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s wrong!¡¹ Though his voice was quiet, the people around him could hear his agonised voice . It was Galahat who spoke . ¡¸I¡­¡­I, I knew what my older brother had been doing but I pretended not to see it . And yet you call me a respectable person! The disturbance this time, even though I told Rei there wouldn¡¯t be a second time, things immediately went out of my control . Rather than have my older brother killed by Rei, I tried to drag my older brother down from his position as president of Azoth Firm so that he couldn¡¯t do anything to Rei . I only started this uproar for this purpose . As I said earlier, I¡¯m not the person you think I am . I¡¯m just a selfish person . ¡¹ Squeezing his voice out into the surroundings, everyone fell silent . The maid gently stretched out her hand to Galahat with a smile . Due to Galahat gripping his hand hard, his skin was torn by his nails . Several drops of blood fell to the floor from his hands . ¡¸That¡¯s no good, Galahat-san . Since Galahat-san is going to be the one to shoulder Azoth Firm from now on, injuring yourself like this . ¡­¡­This is all I have right now, pardon me, please bear with it . ¡¹ Taking a handkerchief out of her pocket, she bit down on it in her mouth and tore it in two with her teeth, tying a knot around the palm of Galahat¡¯s hand . ¡¸This is all I can do now, please finish this as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why?¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸Why didn¡¯t you say anything? I already told you didn¡¯t I? While I knew what my older brother had been doing, I didn¡¯t stop him . Why then¡­¡­if I have moved earlier, you would never have had those scars that would stay forever just because my older brother wanted to vent . ¡¹ ¡¸But even so¡­¡­¡¹ The maid grasped his hand, stopping his bleeding with a handkerchief . ¡¸Even so, Galahat-san finally stood up . Even though it was because you wanted to help your older brother, isn¡¯t it fine if people are saved because of that? At the very least, that¡¯s what I think . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At the maid¡¯s smile, Galahat had a stunned expression . Feeling embarrassed being stared at for so long, the maid¡¯s face turned red as she spoke with a mischievous smile . ¡¸Then, if no one will take me and I am left on the shelf¡­¡­will Galahat-san accept me?¡¹ ¡¸What! No, wait . Think about the difference in age . I am just over 10 years older than you!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not that uncommon for a married couple to have such a big difference in age?¡¹ Galahat¡¯s cheeks were dyed red at the maid¡¯s words . Well, it was safe to say that it was the final blow to Freon, who was still single at the age of over 30 and had been feeling annoyed at their conversation . ¡¸Eehh, let¡¯s leave it here for now! If you want to flirt, you can do it after we clean up this uproar!¡¹ Freon gave a sharp retort . Perhaps it was inevitable that there was some jealousy in those words . ¡¸Kya-, w-what do I do . S-Sorry . I got carried away as a maid . ¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s right . I have to give the highest priority to stopping my brother right now . That, we¡¯ll talk about this later . It will be noisy tonight, go hide in a room for now . Also tell any servants you run into as well as any other people working in the mansion . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . Please take care of Galahat-san . ¡¹ Nodding and blushing subtly, the maid took her leave from Rei¡¯s party¡­¡­or rather, she took her leave from Galahat . Watching her leave, Brazos muttered something as he realised it . ¡¸That girl . She told us to look out for Galahat¡­¡­I wonder why she said that . ¡¹ ¡¸Keh-, a girl in love only looks out for one person . Now then, there¡¯s that¡­¡­where is the reception room? Hey, don¡¯t get lost in your thoughts of love, get back to reality now . ¡¹ Galahat, who had been watching the maid, returned to reality at Freon¡¯s words and gave a small cough to pull himself together . ¡¸Sorry . So, the reception room was it . Then it¡¯s on the second floor . However, to get there, you have to go up a different set of stairs than the ones to the dance hall . It¡¯s in the other direction . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Let¡¯s finish this uproar quickly then . Tomorrow we will strip the materials from the Harpies¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, we don¡¯t have to strip the materials from the Harpies tomorrow do we? It would be rough to sleep for a short while after finishing this uproar only to wake up and strip materials from Harpies . I also have to host an interview for a request tomorrow afternoon . ¡¹ Rei recalled the interview for his request that he had discussed with Lenora in the guild . It was no wonder as so many events had occurred in a single day . ¡¸That¡¯s true, then we¡¯ll deal with the Harpies the day after tomorrow . If Rei didn¡¯t have that item box, even if it was tough, we would still have had to strip the materials off of them before they rotted . ¡¹ Brazos nodded as Freon continued down the corridor without bringing up any objections . And¡­¡­ ¡¸That room . ¡¹ About 10 minutes later, Galahat muttered as he looked towards a door that came into view . ¡¸There are several reception rooms in the mansion . But in this emergency situation, there is no doubt that this will be the one my older brother is using as it has a hidden escape route to the outside . ¡¹ ¡¸Escape route?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . If you move away a cabinet inside the reception room, it will reveal an escape route . My older brother¡­¡­rather, Azoth Firm¡¯s previous generations of presidents all had escape routes prepared just in case . As you enter the room, the cabinet directly to the right is the entrance to the escape route . Please stop him from getting there . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a nodded, saying leave it to me . Rei nodded, satisfied that at the very least, it would be impossible for Bolton to stand up against Set and go down the escape route . ¡¸Okay . ¡­¡­Here we go!¡¹ As Galahat said that with a shout, they opened the door to the guest room and rushed inside . Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Legend Chapter 159 The reception room in Bolton¡¯s mansion . Bolton, the owner of the mansion, was facing a single person . Bolton himself had an arrogant smile as usual, but he still reacted every time angry voices or sounds of destruction inside the mansion were heard . Just in case, a spectacular long sword was placed within reach . Even though he was an elderly person, Bolton didn¡¯t cut corners with training his physical strength, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to swing a sword for a minute or two . No, rather, compared to G rank adventurers, he was a lot more accustomed to handling weapons . Behind Bolton, there was only a man who looked like a thief . He was standing there while ready to pull a knife at any time . And behind the man opposite Bolton, two completely covered people with faces that couldn¡¯t be seen were standing beside him without saying a single word . ¡¸Oh, what¡¯s going on? It seems to be strangely noisy today . ¡¹ The person sitting opposite Bolton spoke up and asked . The man was in his forties . Looking slightly skinny and combining that with a stubbly beard and chubby cheeks, it gave an unhealthy impression . The words he spoke out could be said to be superficially polite . They poked fun towards Bolton, who was 20 years older than him . ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s no problem . We are about to finish our matters for the day . ¡¹ On the other hand, Bolton replied without trying to change the man¡¯s attitude . Yes . Normally, Bolton was very aware of his own power, but he said nothing towards the attitude of the rude man . ¡¸Heh~ . In that case, why did you call me over? It¡¯s because you need me . ¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ With a smile, he took out a small bottle the size of his fingertip from his pocket and placed it on the table . ¡¸¡­¡­I certainly called you over in case there was an emergency, but it was just because there might be an emergency, it¡¯s only insurance, nothing more . ¡¹ That said, Bolton¡¯s eyes were directed on the bottle placed on the table . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s nostalgic . It¡¯s been more than 20 years already since the first time I made medicine for you . With the improvements upon improvements I made to it, you could say it¡¯s already a completely different thing . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, medicine you say . You sure can speak eloquently . ¡¹ ¡¸Medicine is medicine right? As its name says, even poisons are medicines . However, wait a bit . Yes, it¡¯s just that the effect is a little bit too strong . ¡¹ TLN: The characters for ¡®poison¡¯ contain the character for ¡®medicine¡¯ . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s your idiotic nonsense as usual . So then, with this¡­¡­no, what¡¯s the effect of this medicine?¡¹ ¡¸From the experiments, a strong male D rank adventurer suffered for about 10 days in pain and anguish after getting scratched by a knife coated with this medicine . At the end, he was crying to heaven to kill himself . ¡¹ Out of the man¡¯s mouth came words with cruel information . However, Bolton listened to the man¡¯s words with no change in expression . ¡¸Hmph, that annoying fool . It¡¯s unbelievable that he shares half a blood connection with me . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, oh . Yet, you still used him as a chess piece for yourself?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It must be caused by the blood of that bitch . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Still, I think he was quite useful to raise up the name of Azoth Firm as a B rank adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸He was only useful to that extent . Although getting some other subordinates to take his credit was somewhat useful¡­¡­because he still has that shitty sense of justice in his mind, I can¡¯t trust my back to him . Tenda has the skill as well, but he gets battle crazed when he starts to fight . ¡¹ ¡¸Kufu~, hehehehe . That¡¯s enough to take advantage of him . ¡¹ When the man said that, the shadow of one of the cloak wearing people approached the man and quietly whispered something in his ear before immediately returning to his original location . ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­that¡¯s a shame . ¡¹ Unexpectedly, the man changed his tone from his previously rude manner . His words contained some feelings of disappointment . ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s a shame?¡¹ ¡¸Because of this . Don¡¯t you get it yet? It seems that the adventurers Bolton-san had been boasting of have already been annihilated . ¡¹ ¡¸What!? You¡¯re stupid, almost all of Azoth Firm¡¯s adventurers have been gathered here you know? It seems that brat Rei was coming as well but the difference in strength should be overwhelming . Galahat has the highest rank among them but he can¡¯t move with his injuries . There is no way the adventurers I¡¯ve hired could lose!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s because of that that I¡¯m troubled . Still, Rei was it? I heard the rumors¡­¡­it seems like he¡¯s a competent adventurer . Indeed, it¡¯s troubling to say but we can¡¯t deal with quality with quantity . Now it¡¯s come to this, you can only increase the quality to deal with him¡­¡­no, if you use my medicine, it might be possible to some extent . Then what is important is that you gather more people with a minimum level of quality . ¡¹ The man entered his own world and started muttering stuff as he spoke to Bolton while thinking of something . Bolton spoke up again while looking disagreeable . ¡¸Shut up for a moment . So then, have the adventurers gathered in the mansion been defeated?¡¹ ¡¸Do you doubt my words?¡¹ ¡¸Naturally . You were the one who said that they had been annihilated, but I can¡¯t confirm that . In other words, I can consider all you¡¯re saying right now to be nonsense . ¡¹ Hearing Bolton¡¯s words, the man¡¯s cheeks stiffened . ¡¸Well, I¡¯ve only given you advice, if you don¡¯t listen to it, I don¡¯t mind . Minas, Cordo, let¡¯s go . We¡¯ll get caught up in the disturbance here . Regardless of what we have to benefit, I don¡¯t want to get caught in this family disturbance . ¡¹ Speaking to the two robe wearing people, Minas and Cordo, the man rose up from his chair¡­¡­when the next moment, the door to the reception room opened . Not by the man¡¯s hand but by the hands of others . ¡¸-!?¡¹ Minas and Cordo noticed that and silently stepped forward to protect the man . Their eyes reflected several figures . Leading was a man in his thirties, from the information they had heard previously, Minas judged that he was Galahat . ¡¸¡­¡­Who is it?¡¹ But to Galahat, the they were covered in robes and had he had never seen them before . He asked unintentionally before immediately realising who the people before him were . ¡¸I see, are you my brother¡¯s guests?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right . I¡¯ve been trading with Bolton for a long time . I came today with that intention, I never considered that there was currently a family feud going on . Because of that, I¡¯m planning to go back today¡­¡­is that fine with you? Galahat-san was it, even if it¡¯s you, you won¡¯t involve a 3rd party irresponsibly in your family trouble right?¡¹ Towards the man, who said that somewhat teasingly, Galahat nodded while frowning slightly . ¡¸Of course . If you¡¯re just adventurers cooperating with my older brother, I won¡¯t do anything to his business partners . ¡¹ Saying that, Galahat made way . The man bowed his head with a frivolous smile . ¡¸Sorry . If Galahat-san becomes the president of Azoth Firm, I¡¯ll come to say hello again . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait! Are you going to leave just like that!¡¹ Seeing the man about to quickly leave the room, Bolton gave a shout . As for Bolton, the only forces he had left was the thief int he room acting as his escort . Of course, there was also his own strength, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t fight the adventurers before him on equal terms . If they left him here, Bolton¡¯s life would be over . Judging that, Bolton yelled at the man in anger . ¡¸Have you forgotten the benefits you¡¯ve received so far!¡¹ ¡¸Even so, isn¡¯t this your family feud in the end? Then, we¡­¡­¡¹ As the man was saying that, behind Galahat, Set appeared in front of Rei and gave a cry of urgency as the man tried to leave . ¡¸Gurururururururu~ . ¡¹ As usual, it wasn¡¯t a cry he gave when he was happy . His cry felt like one of anger . Even Bolton, whom Set wasn¡¯t looking at directly, stopped moving . (¡­¡­Not at Bolton?) While stroking Set, Rei thought to himself . Set was not looking at Bolton, who was not visible from the door, but towards the middle-aged man with a stubbly beard who was trying to leave the room past Galahat . ¡­¡­No, Set was looking towards the two people wearing robes with their faces completely obscured by their hoods on either side of the man . Set looked like he was ready to jump forward at any moment, carefully observing the three people while tilting his head . Near Rei, Set had suddenly revealed the ferocity that could be said to be the nature of an A rank monster . Murt was almost unable to stand due to his surprise and had to lean against his halberd . Brazos and Freon managed somehow with strained expressions . It was an explosive situation . At the potentially irreversible situation should anyone make a move, the man spoke up in interest . ¡¸Hey, a Griffon . It¡¯s my first time seeing the real thing . ¡­¡­Hey, you¡¯re Rei-kun from the rumors right? If you don¡¯t mind, please give that Griffon to me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~ . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t think he will hand it over, mm . ¡¹ The moment he said that, Set gave a bloodthirsty growl . Seeing that Set was upset, the man shook his head disappointingly . (¡­¡­What? Why is Set so alert against them? Have I met them before¡­¡­I don¡¯t understand why . If Set judges that he needs to be vigilant against them, there¡¯s no way I can ignore that . Then¡­¡­) Set could understand Rei¡¯s words but Rei couldn¡¯t understand Set¡¯s . Even if they were connected by the Magic Beast Art, Rei could only get a rough understanding . For example, Rei could understand¡ºI am hungry¡»,¡ºI¡¯m sleepy¡»or¡ºI want to play¡»but it was only a rough understanding . He still couldn¡¯t understand the fine details . Still, because Set was alert, it meant that there was something dangerous . Taking his hand off stroking Set, Rei spoke while ready to swing his Death Scythe at any time . ¡¸Hey, you guys¡­¡­who the hell are you? It¡¯s unusual for Set to be so wary of his opponents . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, even if you ask who we are . We aren¡¯t anyone other than Bolton¡¯s trading partners?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Considering all that, you seem to be trying to abandon your important trading partner?¡¹ ¡¸This matter can¡¯t be avoided . It¡¯s Azoth Firm that we¡¯re trading with, not Bolton as an individual . ¡¹ (¡­¡­He said¡ºWe¡» . In other words there¡¯s someone behind him? Or is he referring to the people wearing the robes with him . And while they said they were Bolton¡¯s trading partner, the next moment, they said they were trading partners with Azoth Firm . ) ¡¸Do-¡­¡­Don¡¯t be stupid-! You, are you forgetting the favours I¡¯ve given you up until now! In fact, you¡¯ve already started undertaking work in the city of Gilm¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure you want to say more?¡¹ The man spoke to block the words that Bolton was about to say . Hearing that, Bolton heard his breath on reflex . ¡¸Heeh~, that¡¯s interesting . I would be happy if you could tell me more about that?¡¹ Thinking that Bolton was about to say something he shouldn¡¯t be speaking of, Freon asked the man in interest . ¡¸Sorry, but as expected, this is something confidential . I can¡¯t afford to give a 3rd party information about that . ¡­¡­Now then, is that fine? Sorry, but we don¡¯t have that much time to spare . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, in other words . Apparently, you know a lot about Bolton¡¯s secrets . ¡­¡­In particular, that small bottle on the table over there looks meaningful . ¡¹ Rei looked around the room in his line of sight . There was a small bottle on the table . ¡¸-!?¡¹ Bolton might have noticed what Rei was looking at . He hurriedly reached for the bottle . Noticing that his behaviour only made it more suspicious, after grabbing the bottle, he glared at Rei . ¡¸As you can see, it seems to be quite special . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Turning towards Galahat, Rei nodded and held the Death Scythe¡¯s handle out towards the man . It¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t fast . Or rather, if the man was an adventurer, he could have avoided it without any problems . It was such an attack . Unfortunately the man wasn¡¯t an adventurer, he couldn¡¯t avoid it and the tip of the Death Scythe¡¯s handle struck his body¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¹ As the handle of the Death Scythe was about to hit his body, something flew out from the robe of the man called Minas, blocking the Death Scythe¡¯s handle . ¡­¡­Yes, a purple tentacle appeared from inside his robe . Seeing that, Rei finally understood why Set was so wary of the people before them . It was because Rei remembered those tentacles . Forcibly pulling the Death Scythe away from the tentacles, Rei muttered . ¡¸¡­¡­So it¡¯s underlings from the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Legend Chapter 160 In Bolton¡¯s mansion, Rei encountered a man and two other human figures clad in robes . He then thrust the Death Scythe¡¯s handle towards that man who seemed to be the leader among them . But the moment it was about to hit the man, the person called Minas had stopped the blow . ¡­With the purple tentacle protruding from his robe . Rei had indeed seen that tentacle before . It was on the lowest floor of the dungeon he went to along with Elena¡¯s party . It was like the one Vel ¨C who was thought to be Elena¡¯s guard ¨C had used, or better said, employed when he revealed his true colours at the Altar of Inheritance . After that, Vel changed sides to Bestir Empire, and proudly declared that the tentacle was a product of Alchemy from Bestir Empire . In other words . ¡¸¡­So it¡¯s underlings from the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ As the Rei muttered those words, everyone aside from that man directed their gazes at Rei . Their expressions were filled with shock . ¡¸It can¡¯t be! Did you just say Bestir Empire!?¡¹ While raising a surprised voice, Brazos brandished his Earthshaker Hammer that he shouldered . Seeing both Freon and Murt similarly readying up their weapons, Rei directed a sharp gaze towards the three in front and muttered . ¡¸I never thought you¡¯d appear in such a remote region . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh? Why did you think I was related to Bestir Empire¡­would you mind me asking that?¡¹ The man asked while giving a smile . He didn¡¯t seem to be trying to hide the fact that they were from Bestir Empire anymore . And as to protect him, Minas and Cordo stepped in front of him . Inside the reception room of Bolton¡¯s mansion, both sides faced at each other, divided by the doorway to the room . . Minas and Cordo in front and behind the man . Then the remaining members of Rei¡¯s group lined up next to himself and Galahat, and surrounded the two men, readying up their weapons to attack at any time . Even in such tense state of affairs the man didn¡¯t erase his smile and addressed Rei in a familiar manner, as if they were old friends . ¡¸We are indeed the Bestir Empire¡¯s subordinates . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­You sure admit it quite easily . ¡¹ Galahat muttered as he took a few steps back . He made that move after thinking that if it turned into a fight he would just burden them due to the current physical condition . Murt stepped in front of him so that he could protect him . Even as he observed that situation, the man didn¡¯t try to do anything and just smiled as he spoke . ¡¸After all, you pinpointed that we were from Bestir Empire . If you said a different country or thought I was some noble of this country, I would¡¯ve still tried feigning ignorance¡­ but since you identified us so accurately, I believe you saw something definitive that proved that we were indeed from Bestir Empire . So would you mind me asking about it?¡¹ While saying that his gaze was directed at Minas . Or more precisely, towards the numerous tentacles extending from the robe that he wore . Those tentacles that made one feel instinctively disgusted just by looking, were returning back into his robe as they wriggled . Perhaps he also understood that those tentacles were the cause of it . And the reason he took his time to still ask that question was that while he predicted that Rei saw through those tentacles, he was still not fully convinced . ¡¸Before that, I would like to hear your name by all means . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh? And what do you plan to do after knowing it?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s nothing that serious . If I don¡¯t at least know your name, I¡¯d be troubled on what to write on your tomb, wouldn¡¯t I? I can¡¯t just go and give you a random name, can I . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha . I would like you to save me from that . I¡¯d like for my tombstone to have my real name, after all . ¡¹ The conversation between Rei and that man could¡¯ve been described as a friendly chat if observed superficially . However, the contents of their conversation were full of danger . Rei¡¯s killing intent and the man¡¯s maddened curiosity were hidden behind the paper-thin veneer . While the surrounding people sensed that critical line and became very tense, the one to break the silence was the man . ¡¸Well, fine . I don¡¯t really mind telling you my name . My name is Postguerra . Let¡¯s get along . ¡¹ ¡¸Absurd! Didn¡¯t you introduce yourself to me as Riv!¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, that reminds me, I did give Bolton-san a fake name . Riv is my alias . My real name is Postguerra . Let¡¯s get along . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Why did you expressly use an alias?¡¹ As Rei asked that, the man scratched his bearded cheek somewhat awkwardly and smiled . ¡¸After all, there¡¯s no need to go out of your way tell your name to a puppet just because it asks the name of its puppeteer, is there?¡¹ ¡¸Wha, y-you bastard! Are you calling me a puppet¡­ How dare you, how dare you, how dare youuu! I am the president of Azoth Firm, Bolton! You are calling someone like me a puppet!? The likes of an alchemist making a fool out of me, there¡¯s a limit to everything! Get him! Kill that guy and let him receive the payback for looking down on me!¡¹ With Bolton¡¯s command, the thief man standing behind him took a single step forward . While his footwork seemed to be inferior to Tenda who was in charge of the underside of Azoth Firm, his movements could nevertheless be called smooth if compared to other low ranked adventurers around . He stepped forward with footwear that didn¡¯t emit the sound and quickly threw the knife he pulled out from his pocket towards Postguerra . The edge of the thrown knife was wet with what seemed to be poison; Rei and few others were the only ones to realise it . At the very least, Postguerra and Murt weren¡¯t able to see through that . However¡­ ¡¸Oh? What could be the matter?¡¹ Postguerra¡¯s voice mixed with laughter reverberated in the surroundings . The one to move wasn¡¯t Minas who was blocking the way between Postguerra and Rei¡¯s group, but instead the other person called Cordo . He extended a disgusting purple tentacle from his robe just like Minas and seized the knife heading for Postguerra¡¯s face . Moreover, the tentacle was tightly grasping and holding the knife¡¯s handle . It was a feat that wasn¡¯t possible to achieve unless the person perfectly saw the movement of the quickly thrown knife . And, the next moment . ¡¸Gaah!¡¹ He threw the knife he was grasping with the tentacle back towards its owner with an even faster speed, slicing through the air . Perhaps the thief was quite skilled himself, given that he was entrusted with Bolton¡¯s protection, or perhaps Cordo didn¡¯t really care about where he threw it . The thrown knife didn¡¯t go for his head or throat, or even his heart that could be said to be a vital point, but instead deeply pierced into his shoulder . The thief sank to the floor while leaking an anguished voice . After all, the knife was coated full of anaesthetic, and when the drug suddenly entered his body he became unable to move . ¡¸¡­¡¹ Properly speaking, he was supposed to follow up on his attack here, however, Cordo stood still at Postguerra¡¯s side without any further actions . ¡¸Not bad . ¡¹ ¡¸Right? As my guards, these two are quite skilled . That¡¯s why I think it¡¯s better for you not to start a fight with me and overlook me, how about it?¡¹ As Rei muttered while looking at the fallen man, Postguerra replied to Rei . ¡¸Brother¡­why did you get involved with the people of Bestir Empire . If Margrave Rowlocks learned of this matter, the Azoth Firm would be closed at the worst case, you know!?¡¹ Bolton momentarily tensed up from Galahat¡¯s voice, but he quickly shouted back . ¡¸Aaagh! Shut up! Anyway, do something about this guy who insulted me! If you do that, I¡¯ll pretend nothing happened today!¡¹ ¡º¡­¡» What is this guy saying? Rei and others directed a gaze at him with such thoughts . They saw an old man who was still thinking he would come out safely from it, after this late into the game . It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call this situation rather comedic . ¡¸Galahat, Ignore that old fool for now . Securing this man comes first . I didn¡¯t think an alchemist from Bestir Empire would come all the way to this remote region . Although the course of events brought this situation, I¡¯d like to fulfil my duty as the resident of Mireana Empire, in my own way . ¡¹ While saying that, the face of Vel, who faced the Altar of Inheritance along with Elena¡¯s group ¨C who betrayed them in the middle of a ritual they held there ¨C flashed through his mind . (Well, judging by the fact that he didn¡¯t know about me, I suppose he isn¡¯t related to Vel¡­ but even so, if I capture him it should deal a significant damage to Bestir Empire . ) ¡¸Hey, old fool . I have business with you later . Just stay trembling there for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Wha, y-you bastard! How dare you say that to me, the president of Azoth Firm!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up . I don¡¯t have time to deal with the likes of you now . If you keep moving around too much, you¡¯ll get dragged into this and die, you know?¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡­¡¹ He probably felt in Rei¡¯s eyes that he was being serious . He glared detestably at him, but he didn¡¯t say anything more and reseated himself on the sofa . Perhaps his guts should¡¯ve been commended . Despite the various problems, he was still the president of Azoth Firm so he did have some courage in him . ¡¸¡­It appears you are dead set on capturing me, but let me give you a single warning . Both Minas and Cordo are far stronger than adventurers around here, you know?¡¹ Postguerra¡¯s words made Murt swallow his saliva . Brazos and Freon next to him stiffened from tension, and Galahat, who was the highest in rank among them, also ground his teeth in frustration from realising that he would only drag them back in his current state . Postguerra smiled deep down that it was going as he expected, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud, as expected . Crash! The great swing of Rei¡¯s Death Scythe split apart the door of the reception entrance along with the wall . Rei who blew away all the accumulated hopelessness with that one swing, spoke while showing a smile on top of it . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, those two people¡­ no . Two beasts, I guess? Anyway, I and Set will handle those . You people keep an eye on that Alchemist so that he doesn¡¯t escape . ¡­Listen, that guy most probably has a Magic Item for teleportation . If he does some strange movement, you can go ahead and cut one or two of his limbs . In any case, pay attention so that he doesn¡¯t escape . ¡¹ It was the teleportation Magic Item Vel used at the Altar of Inheritance . Because Rei had witnessed it with his own eyes before, he was well aware of how the Bestir Empire people were fast on their feet when it came to escaping . After confirming that all of them nodded, Set appeared from behind Rei . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Then he raised a deep cry while facing Minas with a dangerous gaze . ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? Aren¡¯t you going to come? If you don¡¯t, then I and Set will both fight this Minas guy, you know?¡¹ Rei provoked Cordo while brandishing the Death Scythe in one hand . Cordo looked towards Bolton seated on the sofa for a few seconds, but then as if he had lost interest, he quickly sent a questioning gaze towards Postguerra . ¡¸Ah, go ahead . A puppet that has its strings cut wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything . So keep him company . ¡¹ After Cordo got his master¡¯s permission, he walked towards Rei and lined up next to Minas, appearing that he had completely lost interest in Bolton . While looking at that situation, Bolton, being called a puppet whose strings were cut, directed a hatred-filled glare towards Postguerra and Rei . (Shit, shit, shit! Looking down on me of me like that! I won¡¯t forgive them . I¡¯ll teach them a lesson one day!) Bolton burned with rage inside, but he didn¡¯t even consider the possibility of the Lord of Gilm, Daska, discarding him . He was convinced that if he overcame this situation, he would be able to continue to another day just as always . ¡¸This place is quite crowded so maybe it¡¯s better to move somewhere more spacious¡­ actually, there¡¯s no need for that . There¡¯s no need to go out of my way and make it more advantageous for them . ¡¹ Postguerra cut his talk short while observing Rei¡¯s Scythe, And his Griffon whose body exceeded 2 meters . ¡¸I don¡¯t really mind that, but it¡¯s no fun to get what you want so easily¡­right!¡¹ Along with those words, Rei kicked the ground and closed the distance with Cordo . Since there wasn¡¯t much distance between them in the first place, the distance disappeared completely in truly an instant . Rei who wielded the Death Scythe exceeding 2 meters had fully closed the distance . That meant that Rei had willingly given up on the distance where he could fully exhibit the power of his Death Scythe . As if realising that, Cordo momentarily stopped his movements due to surprise, but not minding that, Rei powerfully swung his Death Scythe . The Death Scythe that was swung while it broke the door and wall along its way wouldn¡¯t deal any significant blow to Cordo who was located within the inner side of the blade . ¡­That said, the inner side of its handle was sent his way, and due to Rei¡¯s strength combined with the Death Scythe¡¯s weight, the attack he received blew him away without being able to endure it and crashed him through the reception wall towards the outside . ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Minas¡¯ body also got blown away by the swing of Set¡¯s eagle claws, disregarding the existence of the wall just like Rei and was lying next to Cordo . (Shall I secure Postguerra and fall back for the time being? Now that a Bestir Empire alchemist has appeared, I¡¯ve no time to deal with the internal squabbles of this firm¡­ No, I can¡¯t exactly leave those suspicious alone here either, huh . ) He made a decision in split second and stepped towards the hole in the reception room . ¡¸Okay, I and Set will go finish those guys off . You guys stay here and keep watch on Postguerra!¡¹ Leaving those words behind to the remaining people, Rei jumped through the destroyed wall of the reception room and got outside . Set, too, made a new hole through the wall and jumped outside in order to follow him . Chapter 161 Chapter 161 It was nearing the time when the date changes . Inside Bolton¡¯s mansion in the upper class district, the climax to this uproar was about to happen . From the reception room, Cordo and Minas were literally blasted into the garden . Rei and Set confronted them together . ¡¸¡­¡­You are¡­¡­¡¹ At that point, Rei raised a voice of surprise towards the two he was confronting . Whether it was Cordo or Minas, after receiving an attack that destroyed the wall, the robes on their bodies were no longer intact, showing what was beneath them . Maybe it would have been a different story if they were wearing a magic item like Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe . However, Cordo and Minas simply wore robes to hide themselves . It was obvious why such robes were necessary as soon as what was underneath them was revealed . For Cordo, his facial skin was like a crustacean, similar to the shell of a crab . On his shell covered face, only his eyes were human and unlike the eyes of a crab . His looks made one feel disgust . Compared to Cordo, Minas looked closer to a human . However, her face was still deformed . There were about four different protrusions from her forehead and her ears were almost 30cm long . Still, unlike Cordo, she still looked similar enough to a human woman . Of course, even so, if an ordinary person encountered Minas at night, they would still fall into a state of panic . Still, it was better than Cordo, whose entire face was covered in a shell . ¡¸¡­¡­Monsters? Or are you demi-humans? ¡­¡­No, I see . ¡¹ Rei raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw their appearances, but eventually guessed what the two people before him were . (Elena said that the Bestir Empire simplified the inheritance ceremony . In other words, these guys?) Rei observed both Cordo and Minas while thinking to himself . Compared to Elena, who had formally undergone the ceremony at the Alter of Inheritance, the two people before him seem to have stopped being human . They seemed to be more like a hybrid between a human and a monster . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Are you terrified of our appearances?¡¹ Cordo spoke, asking in flat voice with no emotion . (While they stopped being human, they can still speak human language fluently . ) While thinking to himself, Rei shifted the Death Scythe with a smile . ¡¸No way . I was just surprised you were surprisingly human under those robes . ¡¹ ¡¸Humans, are we?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . If you ignore the things on your face that is . ¡¹ ¡¸You, have you seen Demon Soldiers other than us?¡¹ Cordo asked, seemingly puzzled . Rei frowned as he thought to himself . (Demon Soldiers is the name given to people who underwent the simplified inheritance ceremony . But when I think about what they said, there should be quite a large number of them . ) ¡¸Well, I wonder . Even if I have met Demon Soldiers other than you, what would you do after hearing that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What? What do you mean by that?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re a bit stupid . Is it because you¡¯re Demon Soldiers? Since you¡¯ll be taken out by me and Set, there¡¯s no point even if I tell you . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s impossible . We, Demon Soldiers, would be taken out by humans like you? Even if you have a Griffon, an A rank monster, in the end it¡¯s just a simple minded monster . The power of a monster and the wisdom of humans . It is us and not you who have combined the two . ¡¹ Minas replied unpleasantly to Rei¡¯s words . Nevertheless, she was still wary of the Griffon, which should be stronger than herself . Every time Set moved slightly, she would immediately look towards him . ¡¸Set, I¡¯ll leave Minas to you . Because I want to get more information from them, I want to hand over real Demon Soldiers to Margrave Rowlocks, so if you can, try to just incapacitate them . ¡­¡­However, only do that if you can . If your position gets dangerous, I don¡¯t mind if you kill him . Any how, we still have Postguerra as a source of information . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s words . Cordo glanced at them without any emotion while Minas frowned unpleasantly . ¡¸It seems we¡¯ve underestimated these Demon Soldiers one way or another . Okay then, I will crush Cordo¡¯s baseless confidence . ¡¹ As soon as Rei said that, Minas took off the robe she was wearing . Underneath, her entire body was covered in scales, like a Lizardman . Even though her entire body was covered in scales, her face, chest and waist still resembled that of a woman . However, the two purple tentacles growing out of each of her shoulders stimulated a physiological sense of disgust . ¡¸Is a fight inevitable? I guess it can¡¯t be helped . ¡¹ Cordo muttered as he took off his robe . Unlike Minas, who still had a human figure, although covered in scales, Cordo looked like a mix between a human and a crab . Both his arms were tough looking claws, similar to that of a crab or crayfish . He had three purple tentacles growing from each flank, left and right, similar to the ones growing from Minas¡¯ shoulders . As for his lower body, it was something like a squid or octopus, with slightly less than 20 tentacles with suction cups, growing from his lower body . Each of squirmed around like a worm . At that, Rei frowned his eyebrows at his irregular appearance that surpassed his expectations . Speaking of the inheritance ceremony that Rei saw himself, Elena had used a magic stone from an Ancient Dragon . The figure of Elena after safely completing the ceremony was no different from her figure before starting it . (Although I was told they used a simplified inheritance ceremony¡­¡­as far as I can see, it seems to be something completely different . ) Thinking to himself, Rei readied his Death Scythe . Beside him, Set was ready to jump at Minas . ¡¸Unfortunately, I have various errands to run tomorrow . I¡¯ll finish this quickly . ¡¹ ¡¸Your life ends today . You don¡¯t need to worry about tomorrow . ¡¹ Towards Rei¡¯s words of provocation, Cordo returned with a flat, emotionless voice as usual . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ ¡¸Come over here kitty . Even if you¡¯re an A rank monster, you¡¯re still just a monster . The wisdom of humans and the power of monsters . It¡¯s been 20 years since the two of us became Demon Soldiers . ¡¹ At Set¡¯s cry, which was filled with fighting spirit, Minas beckoned at him with her scaly hands . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Starting with a preemptive strike, Rei dashed towards Cordo, swinging the Death Scythe down . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Turning towards Rei, who was nearing him, the moment he saw the Death Scythe being swung down, Cordo moved back using his multiple tentacles growing from his low body . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ Swinging the blade down, Rei activated the skill Flying Slash and a slash flew out . As expected, Cordo was surprised and stopped for a moment . Judging that he couldn¡¯t avoid the attack, he raised both his claws to block it . Kin~! The sound of something metallic and unlike a shell was heard¡­¡­ ¡¸That¡¯s a shame . ¡¹ Speaking in a flat voice, Cordo moved his claws aside and hopped backwards after blocking the slash . ¡¸I see, it seems like those claws of yours are pretty sturdy . However, there¡¯s only so much you can block . Rather, aren¡¯t you Demon Soldiers? You guys are just the right opponents to train with . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­One¡¯s overconfidence will destroy themselves . No, your life will end here anyway . Use it as you please . ¡¹ (At that time with Vel, those purple tentacles blocked any attacks . The feeling from that time, the tentacles are the same¡­¡­well, the difference is that they¡¯re growing directly from their bodies instead of using a magic item in their hands¡­¡­they didn¡¯t block the Flying Slash though, or rather, they couldn¡¯t?¡¡In that case¡­¡­) ¡¸Fu~!¡¹ Rei threw a knife he took out from the Misty Ring and shortened the distance to Cordo again . ¡¸This is meaningless . ¡¹ Muttering, Cordo parried the knife heading towards his torso using the tentacles growing from his sides . However, that was what Rei had expected . And since he had been expecting that, his next action had already finished . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ Aiming for the moment the knife was blocked, the Death Scythe was swung again . Sending a slash flying out¡­¡­ Slash-! The tentacles, which had just blocked the knife, could not block the flying slash that Rei had sent out . The three tentacles growing from Cordo¡¯s left side where sliced off together . ¡¸Hey, eat this!¡¹ With those words, the Death Scythe was swung . Cordo saw Rei¡¯s movements and his face distorted into a tearless frown from the pain of the tentacles being cut off . The shell covering his arms was very sturdy . From his past experience in combat, swords, spears and bows, even if he took an attack from an axe or hammer, he wouldn¡¯t suffer a single wound . More often, the weapons that attacked him would be destroyed . (There¡¯s no doubt that this Rei has a magic item . I won¡¯t be able to destroy his weapon . However, there is no way my shell will break . ) Cordo came to that conclusion, but from the beginning, Rei¡¯s aim was not Cordo¡¯s upper body, which was covered in a solid shell . It was already too late by the time Cordo noticed . The Death Scythe, which should have been held in his sight, disappeared . The next moment, nearly half the tentacles growing from his lower body were cut off . ¡¸-!?¡¹ He had lost most of the tentacles growing from his lower body . Cordo instinctively realised that and used his remaining tentacles to push against the ground and retreat backwards . (Impossible . Cutting off the tentacles on my lower body so easily . ) Even though he had experienced many fights as a Demon Soldier so far, he never remembered having his lower tentacles being cut off even once . Of course, those who had found out that attacking his shell was useless had aimed at the tentacles growing from his lower body, that looked to be soft at first . However, the tentacles that looked like they could easily be cut off were protected by a liquid mucus, making it impossible for common weapons to exert their cutting power against them . As a result, it was unexpected for Cordo to have half his tentacles cut off like this . ¡¸To be able to cut them without putting any magic power into the the blade of the Death Scythe, it seems the tentacles on your lower body aren¡¯t much stronger defensively than the tentacles on your upper body . ¡¹ Waving the Death Scythe, Rei muttered as he flicked off the highly sticky liquid stuck on the blade . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Those words were basically a death sentence to Cordo . Because that meant that Rei¡¯s attack power against him could go even higher than it was right now . ¡¸Now then, I¡¯ve checked the hardness of your shell . I also found out about the tentacles on your torso and lower body . ¡­¡­Do you still have any means of attacking? If not, I would like to finish this fight soon . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I would be troubled if you underestimated us Demon Soldiers . ¡¹ After replying to Rei, instead of Cordo, it was Rei¡¯s turn for his eyes to go wide . From the wounds of the tentacles that should have been cut off, flesh swelled and grew . About 10 seconds later, new tentacles had grown back . ¡¸I see . So you have the ability to regenerate . ¡¹ Muttering, Rei raised his eyebrows as he thought to himself . (A crustacean similar to a crab . Three tentacles on each side . A lower body made of tentacles similar to a squid or octopus . ¡­¡­What kind of monster¡¯s magic stone did he use for the inheritance ceremony? As far as I know, there are no monsters with those features . In that case, did he simply use the magic stone of a monster he didn¡¯t know of¡­¡­or . ) Rei observed Cordo while holding the Death Scythe . (Regarding the purple tentacles growing from his sides, considering Vel used a similar magic item, they were probably added after the ceremony . Then a crab like crustacean and the tentacles of a squid or octopus . Speaking of a common point, they¡¯re both sea creatures . ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine . It¡¯s not my job to investigate this, I¡¯ll leave the details to Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ subordinates . ) ¡¸I was certainly surprised about your regenerative abilities, but it seems to be only the tentacles from your lower body . ¡­¡­Am I wrong?¡¹ That question was a kind of bluff . However, it wasn¡¯t completely guesswork . In any case, the tentacles on his lower body seemed to be distinctly different . It was a question he had only thought about simply . However, Cordo¡¯s face twitched slightly . That alone was enough of an answer for Rei . ¡¸It seems that was the correct answer . In that case, what if I do this!¡¹ Giving a sharp remark, Rei dashed forward and shortened the distance to Cordo . Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Legend Chapter 162 ¡¸HAAAaaa-!£¡¡¹ Rei dashed forward, narrowing his distance to Cordo while poising his Death Scythe . Despite declaring that he had many tricks up his sleeve, Cordo was relieved seeing that this attack seemed to have the same power as before . But he immediately remembered Rei¡¯s words that his previous attack was¡ºan attack that did not contain his magic power¡» . (Certainly, his attack that cut off my lower tentacles did not contain magic power, but he couldn¡¯t destroy my shell . Naturally, that means his next attack should be magic empowered . ) Seeing Rei head towards him, Cordo took a breath . Seeing that movement, Rei had a premonition and shouted almost on reflex . ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ Among the skills that the Death Scythe had, it could create a shield of light to block a single attack . The shield of light produced by that skill needed some time to form, but fortunately, it was in time for this moment . As soon as it was created, it disappeared the next moment . Yes, it immediately blocked the Water Breath spat out of Cordo¡¯s mouth . Released at high pressure, water could slice through metal smoothly . The Water Breath that Cordo used wasn¡¯t that powerful but was still powerful enough to easily hurt someone . Still, the Magic Shield blocked the attack . ¡¸-!?¡¹ Cordo, seeing his Water Breath blocked, which was one of his trump cards, he stopped moving for a moment in surprise . And for Rei, that moment was enough . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ A single attack from the magic empowered Death Scythe swept up from below . Even so, it only had the power to break or cut through Cordo¡¯s shell . Instead, Rei aimed for the joints between the shells . By the time Cordo realised it, the blade was already too close to avoid . The next moment, Rei¡¯s swing of the Death Scythe cut the three tentacles growing from Cordo¡¯s right side and sliced cleanly through Cordo¡¯s right elbow, sending it flying into the air . ¡¸Guh!¡¹ Even though he was a Demon Soldier, Cordo still felt pain and gave a groan as his right claw was cut away . Rei wasn¡¯t naive enough to miss the opportunity at the instantaneous gap in motion due to Cordo¡¯s pain . ¡¸Gaah~!¡¹ Cordo gave another groan . After cutting off Cordo¡¯s right claw, Rei cut through Cordo¡¯s right shoulder on the return slash . Right arm from the elbow and his entire left arm . Since he had lost both his claws, which were Cordo¡¯s main weapons, he had few means of attack left . All six of his strong defensive tentacles that grew from his sides had been cut off . Cordo had almost no way to attack anymore . ¡­¡­He had one method left, other than his Water Breath that had been blocked earlier as well . (He will come closer . Even if I die here, I will do my part as a Demon Soldier . Us Demon Soldier have to keep giving results . That is to encourage those that come after us . ) ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Cordo, who was still in a state of shock from being slashed at his right elbow and left shoulder, pretended to lose consciousness as he prepared himself for a final attack to try to reverse the situation . Za~za~za~, listening to the sounds of Rei approaching him in the garden, he watched his timing¡­¡­ (¡­¡­?) He wondered why the footsteps stopped several meters away from where he had fallen to the ground . However, since he couldn¡¯t let Rei know that he was still conscious, Cordo kept his eyes closed and waited for a chance . Probably because Cordo had focused all his consciousness to his limit to release a final attack, he noticed a sound . Otherwise, he probably would have missed it . It came from directly above him and was coming down . It other words, the sound was heading towards him . ¡¸-!?¡¹ Moving the tentacles on his lower body to shift himself . The next moment, Rei swept down with the handle of the Death Scythe where Cordo had been a moment ago . ¡¸¡­¡­I thought so . Didn¡¯t you say you were a Demon Soldier? I didn¡¯t think that the trump card of the Bestir Empire would faint from something like that . ¡¹ Landing on the ground with barely a sound, Rei muttered while holding the Death Scythe . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Knowing that his surprise attack was now ineffective, Cordo rose up using the tentacles on his lower body as he distorted his lips in bitterness . ¡¸Well, what will you do? You don¡¯t have any way to attack anymore, do you? It will be simple if you surrender here . If you obediently tell us the information we want, you probably could also receive good treatment you know?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ He disregarded Rei¡¯s proposal without even considering it . For Cordo, if he turned traitor now, it was clear that the treatment of other Demon Soldiers would get worse, so it was absolutely impossible for him to chose surrender here . ¡¸It seems you have no intention . I don¡¯t know why you won¡¯t, did you have to swear an oath of allegiance when you got this body? ¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t understand . ¡­¡­Yes, people with talent like you will never understand our feelings!¡¹ Crying out, as if his flat voice and lack of emotion was a lie, he spat out another Water Breath from his shell covered face . The first time he used it, it was a surprise, but now that Rei knew about it, it wasn¡¯t hard to deal with . ¡¸-!¡¹ At the Water Breath flying towards his face, Rei shifted his head a few cm to avoid it . ¡¸Since you¡¯ve revealed all your cards, I won¡¯t be caught out even if you use it two or three times . If you don¡¯t surrender, then I can only use more forceful means¡­¡­is that fine with you?¡¹ ¡¸Damn it!¡¹ Rei approached while holding the Death Scythe . Cordo continuously spat out Water Breath to try to stop him, but Rei avoided or blocked all of them with the Death Scythe . Before long, he ran out of body moisture to spit out using Water Breath and just watched Rei silently approach . Though his eyes hardly showed any emotion, it still demonstrated his will that he would not surrender . ¡¸If possible, I wanted to slice off the tentacles on your lower body so that you couldn¡¯t move . But seeing what happened before, you will probably regrow them . Because of that, I¡¯ll have to knock you out . ¡¹ Rei frowned slightly as he looked at Cordo . Most of his body was covered in shell . His defence was the real thing . In order to knock him out in a single attack, he had no choice but to empower his Death Scythe with magic¡­¡­ ¡¸Well, as long as you¡¯re alive, Margrave Rowlocks will be able to do something about it . Don¡¯t die . ¡¹ Saying that, he was about to thrust the handle of the magic empowered Death Scythe towards Cordo¡¯s stomach . ¡¸-!?¡¹ That moment, something moved in the corner of his vision . Rei dashed away from Cordo . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ An attack aiming to reverse the situation from the brink . Cordo seemed to have a regretful expression . After Rei took some distance from Cordo, he looked towards the place he had been earlier . There were two tentacles with sharp points like spears stabbed into the ground . The tentacles came from Cordo¡¯s lower body . He had about 20 tentacles growing from his lower body . Among them, two were longer than the others and had sharp pointed tips . (¡­¡­Are those squid tentacles?) Squid tentacles . This referred to the two extra long tentacles that squids had, the other tentacles of squids usually called arms . It was an organ used by squids to capture their pray, a squid¡¯s biggest weapon . (It can¡¯t be, a Demon Soldier with squid aspects as well? No, a squid isn¡¯t a monster in the first place, so there shouldn¡¯t be such a magic stone . ) While thinking to himself, the Death Scythe struck quickly swaying whip like tentacles . ¡¸Guh!¡¹ Unlike the other tentacles growing from his lower body, whether he felt the pain sensation or not, he gave a groan of pain from these ones . Not missing that moment that Cordo stopped, Rei swung the Death Scythe back with a flick of his wrist and used the momentum to thrust the tip of the handle towards Cordo¡¯s body . Cordo¡¯s shell had enough defense to break mediocre weapons . But as expected, it was impossible to block the magic empowered Death Scythe . The handle of the Death Scythe sank in as it crushed the shell . If he didn¡¯t limit his magic power, he could have pierced the handle of the Death Scythe through Cordo¡¯s back without much difficulty . However, Rei¡¯s purpose was the Bestir Empire¡­¡­in addition, as a prisoner of war, they could obtain more information about the existence of Demon Soldiers, which they didn¡¯t know a lot of at the moment . Because of that, if he killed Cordo, he would get nothing out of it . Alternatively, they could also get information out of the alchemist who should be suppressed inside Bolton¡¯s mansion . They might also be able to get information out of Minas, who was currently in an intense fight with Set . But Rei decided that it would be better to have multiple information sources . (Well, seeing the loyal personality of Cordo, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll sell out any information on his friends . Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ subordinates who will be doing the interrogating will have to do their best . ) While Rei was knocking Cordo out into a half dead state, the fight between Set and Minas was about to reach its climax . ¡¸Ugh, why¡­¡­why-!¡¹ Though she swung her whip, which seemed to have come out of nowhere, the tip couldn¡¯t even scratch Set, who was flying around freely in the sky . Even though they were both Demon Soldiers, unlike Cordo, who had both his hands turned into crab claws, aside from the scales, Minas had a normal human hand . Because of that, in terms of pure power, she was weaker than Cordo . However, this meant that she could use weapons that required human dexterity . The effect of the simplified inheritance ceremony that the Bestir Empire used was that it was completely unknown what appearance the person would have until the ceremony was completed . The quality of the magic stone, the person¡¯s personality, physical condition, magic power and disposition . The compatibility between the magic stone and the person . They were all connected in complex ways that decided the ultimate appearance of the person . That is to say, Minas, who still kept her human appearance, had a good compatibility with her magic stone . However, even if she had a compatible magic stone, it was still impossible to fight a Griffon . Even though it was an A rank monster, as a Demon soldier, Minas never thought she could be defeated by one . However, her confidence collapsed as soon as the fight started . ¡¸This-!¡¡For a beast like you to be stronger than a Demon Soldier¡­¡­I will not admit it . I will not acknowledge it!¡¹ Minas swung her whip while shouting . Minas, who as a Demon Soldier, boasted a physical strength several times greater than that of a normal human, swung her whip around . The whip with that power behind it struck at Set at lightning speed . However, Set avoided or parried all her attacks with his forefeet . ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Pan-! The sound echoed into the surroundings . But that was just the sound of the whip hitting the ground without hitting Set . And when Set saw that, he would flap his wings and soar back up into the sky . As soon as that happened, as Minas had no means of long range attack, she had to wait for Set to come back down again . Set would freely fly in the air and attack Minas every time he saw an opportunity . However, Set also had a handicap in a sense . This was currently downtown . There were also countless people watching him from Bolton¡¯s mansion . In such circumstances, he could carelessly use the skills he learnt from absorbing magic stones, which was a part of the Magic Beast Art . Set understood that what he could use was Size Transformation, which was easy to miss in the darkness of night . He might also be able to get away with using Poison Claws and trick the people watching him, but there was a possibility that the information could be leaked by the person struck by Poison Claw, so he couldn¡¯t really use that either . ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Deciding that there was no choice but to throw himself into melee, from a height of about 20m, Set started a steep descent towards Minas, who was brandishing her whip at him . ¡¸So you¡¯ve come!¡¹ Minas waited, ready to tie Set up with her whip¡­¡­ ¡¸Haah!¡¹ She swung her whip as soon as Set got within range . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ With a sharp cry, Set used his Size Transformation skill and shrunk himself to 1m in a moment . Most people would have felt a sense of incongruity at his sudden descent and barrel roll to avoid the whip, it was fortunate that no one could be sure that he had shrunk . Of course, Set had done the barrel roll aiming for that . While avoiding the high speed whip by shrinking himself and doing a barrel roll, Set descended to Minas . ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ As soon as he avoided the whip, he used his Size Transformation skill again to return to his original size¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set made a horizontal swipe with his right claw . ¡¸KAAA-!¡¹ Of course, it wasn¡¯t an ordinary attack . It was a strike from Set, a Griffon . His power was brutal to say the least . Even though Minas was a Demon Soldier and was covered in scales, it couldn¡¯t stop the attack and was blasted 10m away, fainting from the impact . This garden, which just a few minutes ago was filled with sounds of violent battle, was once again wrapped in the silence of the night as the battles ended . Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Legend Chapter 163 ¡¸¡­¡­Now then . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei looked around the garden in Bolton¡¯s mansion . The area around Rei and Cordo as well as Set and Minas had been messed up due to their fights . Still, it should be said that it was fortunate no one had died . (Aside from me and Set¡­¡­should I say that it¡¯s lucky that none of the thugs or low ranked adventurers who were gathered near the gate came here out of curiosity . ) Rei thought that to himself . But in actual fact, most of the people who had gathered near the gate had already scattered all over the city as soon as they could to avoid getting further caught up in this uproar . Right now, only a few of them remained . Even though there were very few people left, they should have heard the sounds of violent battle . But, they just stood quietly near the gate instead of curiously coming over to the other side of the gate . However, it could be said that the judgement of those who remained was correct . Anyhow, Bolton¡¯s mansion was in the upper class district where adventurers were hired to patrol around at night . In addition, a large number of thugs and adventurers had gathered there and sounds of battle had echoed into the surrounding . Because of that, patrols would eventually come around to inspect . If they did, they wouldn¡¯t just let the thugs and low ranked adventurers act as they wanted in the upper class district . As a result, in short, almost all those who fled from the mansion were caught by the adventurers in the area,interrogated about the situation and detained for the night . As for the ones who had committed a variety of crimes, they were arrested . ¡¸Set, sorry, but please watch these two . If they regain consciousness, just knock them out again . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Putting the unconscious Cordo and Minas in one place and asking Set to guard them, Rei climbed a tree in the garden, holding the 2m long Death Scythe in one hand, and went back into the reception room through the wall that had been destroyed when he had first left . As Rei entered the reception room again, he saw Bolton unable to move with Murt holding his halberd against him . Rei didn¡¯t know where the rope had come from but Postguerra had his hands and feet tied tightly and was also unable to move . Near Postguerra, some green gem like things rolled around . ¡¸I¡¯ve cleaned up my side¡­¡­but what is going on?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­We were cautious as you told us and were guarding both of them, but the moment it became disadvantageous for him, Postguerra took out those gems there . So I knocked him out and tied him up . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . So he had those items on hand after all . ¡¹ Rei picked up the green gems rolling around at his feet and looked at them for a few seconds before tossing them to Galahat . (Well, it¡¯s rather unfortunate¡­¡­since everyone here has seen the gems, I can¡¯t just take them away . ) ¡¸We will probably be teleported if we use these gems . I don¡¯t know if they will transfer us to a fixed location of if they will transfer us to the place we want to . Either way, this is one way to confirm the level of the Bestir Empire¡¯s alchemy, so it would be better to pass this to Margrave Rowlocks along with Postguerra and the two in the garden . ¡­¡­Can we contact him?¡¹ ¡¸For now, I¡¯ve sent a servant to the Margrave¡¯s residence . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Who was the servant? Will they believe him on that side?¡¹ ¡¸They probably won¡¯t believe it at first, but it¡¯s still a message from someone working for the president of Azoth Firm . At the very least, several knights should come . If they see this, even if they don¡¯t want to, they would still had to believe it . ¡¹ Galahat spoke in some distress . To Galahat, rather than have his brother killed by Rei¡­¡­he had caused this uproar . However, after entering the mansion, it had developed unexpectedly into underlings of the Bestir Empire being involved . After beating the bush to chase out the snake, it seemed like a dragon had come out instead . ¡¸In the worst case, Azoth Firm might be destroyed . ¡­¡­If we¡¯re lucky, we might be allowed to survive, but it would be fully under the management of Margrave Rowlocks¡­¡­no, it would be under his control . Although that might be better for the people of the company than looking for other work . ¡¹ ¡¸Galahat-san¡­¡­¡¹ Murt said Galahat¡¯s name anxiously as he held his halberd against Bolton . Murt tried to continue but someone else spoke up faster than him . It was Bolton, who still had a halberd held against him . ¡¸D-Don¡¯t mess around with me! You want to destroy Azoth Firm, which has controlled all the weapons business in Gilm!? You want it to be put under the control of that greenhorn, Daska!? I will never permit such a thing!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Galahat gave a sad look towards Bolton, who was disgracefully shouting . ¡¸In the first place, none of this would have happened if you didn¡¯t conspire to drag me down from my position of president . You, repaying all the kindness I gave you with ingratitude . Ha-, after all, your a child of a lowly concubine . You can¡¯t even return the favours you owe . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Shut up . ¡¹ As he spoke, Bolton became more and more agitated . Bolton¡¯s voice of abuse towards Galahat gradually grew louder . ¡¸You know, because of Azoth Firm, even though the city of Gilm is on the frontier, we can provide adequate weapons to adventurers . Tomorrow, when an adventurer dies due to lack of weapons, it will be all your fault . ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m telling you to shut up, you damned asshole!¡¹ Along with Murt¡¯s shout, Murt raised his halberd and swung the halberd head towards Bolton¡¯s face¡­¡­ Kin~! There was a sharp metallic sound as the halberd head was just about to bury itself into Bolton¡¯s head . ¡¸Stop it, Murt . ¡¹ It was Galahat who had pulled out his sword . ¡¸Why, Galahat-san! Such waste, he has no value . He¡¯s a waste of food and water! This guy, to treat Galahat-san like this until now¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Murt . I told you to stop . He¡¯s still my older brother¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, he glanced towards Bolton, who had finally gone silent and was holding his breath, as he had just been on the verge of losing his by a blow from a halberd . Galahat spoke to Rei, who had been watching the series of events silently . ¡¸Rei, if I remember correctly, you promised that you would take everything from my older brother except his life . As you can see, my older brother has now lost everything . After this, he will be arrested by Margrave Rowlocks and made to talk about all his past evil deeds . He will never see the light of day after this . ¡­¡­No, there is a possibility he might even be executed after he has spoken everything . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, leave him be, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Of course¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ha-, hahahahaha, ahahahahaha, kahahahahahaha-!¡¹ When Galahat tried to reply to Rei, a loud burst of laughter echoed into the reception room . The laugh that you could sense some insanity in it came from Postguerra, who had been tied up with rope and should have been unconscious . ¡¸Ha, ha, ha¡­¡­haa, I¡¯m laughing, I¡¯m laughing . No, I didn¡¯t think I could laugh this much, you guys, maybe you have the makings of street performers? As soon as I woke up I hear of such laughable developments . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but can you tell me what was so laughable?¡¹ While saying that, Brazos asked Posguerra . Next to him, Freon watched in displeasure . If Postguerra said he was joking, Brazos would immediately break one or two of his bones . ¡¸About that . Indeed the memories that you had when you were small are still effective until now . ¡­¡­Galahat, did you say? You, you¡¯re one of the biggest clowns I¡¯ve ever seen . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A clown?¡¹ When he were small, the memories he had, Galahat . Arranging those words in his head, Rei made a sharp look towards Bolton . Yes, there was only one thing he thought of from that chain of words . Why did Galahat not leave Azoth Firm even after being mistreated by Bolton? Rei had heard the reason himself . Probably making a similar association to Rei, the faces of both Brazos and Freon tightened . Only Murt didn¡¯t seem to be listening to Postguerra¡¯s words as he was desperately calming his anger against Bolton . ¡¸Shut up! What are you saying in this last moment!¡¹ He probably realising that Postguerra was trying to say something fatal to him . Bolton shouted at him, but Postguerra, who was tied down and could hardly move anything other than his mouth, spoke with a smile . ¡¸Galahat, remember all the way back . Back to when you first started to feel a sense of gratitude towards that puppet over there . Your mother was sick and that puppet handed over some medicine to help it . Isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ Puppet, Posguerra spook while referring to Bolton as such . ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸That disease . Green spots formed on the body and they would feel an intense itch right? There would be something like pus in the scratched spots and from there a green liquid with an intense odour would flow out . Instead of itching, there would intense pain instead then . ¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡» At Postguerra¡¯s explanation, Rei, Freon and Brazos frowned their eyes as they thought about the description of the terrible disease . ¡¸So, Bolton, who hated you, brought medicine . When you used that medicine, she would recover to a certain extent but she eventually died without fully recovering . ¡­¡­Thinking about it carefully, didn¡¯t that mean that it forced her to live in suffering for a long period of time instead of curing her disease?¡¹ ¡¸Shut up, shut up, shut up-! What are you going on about like this!¡¹ Bolton shouted angrily, but it was already too late . On the other hand, even Murt had calmed himself and was now listening to Postguerra¡¯s story . ¡¸You felt gratitude to that puppet who brought the medicine and devoted yourself to him up until today . ¡­¡­Hey, Galahat . Do you want to know something? Do you think that puppet over there really gave the medicine out of kindness? And, why do you think I know so much about the disease so far?¡¹ Postguerra gave a smile that could only be expressed as that of a shark . ¡¸In other words, it might be fairly interesting to examine the contents of that bottle . ¡¹ Next, he turned his eyes to the small bottle that Bolton had taken great care of . Judging that it could be evidence, when Bolton was arrested, Galahat had picked it up¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­Older brother . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, older brother . What he said¡­¡­is that true?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At Galahat¡¯s question, Bolton replied with silence . Normally, Bolton would claim that it was a lie, but seeing that Galahat held the small bottle, which was be definitive proof, he decided that it was useless to say anything . Seeing Bolton like that, Galahat realised the truth . Galahat didn¡¯t say anything and just stayed quiet . (This was the worst case¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think I was right on the mark . ) Rei gave a sigh in his mind . Why did Galahat want to help his older brother to that extent . When Rei had heard the reason, he had considered it . But he had quickly denied it . Although he had thought that Bolton wouldn¡¯t go that far, if he had done that to keep Galahat under his control, his handling of Galahat was quite sloppy . While looking at Galahat, Rei firstly walked towards Bolton . ¡¸Hey, what is that? You, what are you coming over for?¡¹ He saw Rei look at him like a stone on the roadside or a useless piece of junk . Bolton tried to move away, but the next moment¡­¡­ ¡¸Gah~!¡¹ His foot that was about to stand up was swept away by Murt¡¯s halberd and Bolton¡¯s face hit the floor . Bolton didn¡¯t suffer any injuries as he still trained himself as he grew older . If he were an ordinary elderly man, he would have definitely been injured . Bolton collapsed to the floor with enough momentum for Rei to think of that . ¡¸W-What are you doing!¡¹ Getting up, he scowled at Rei . However, Rei just looked back at him while Murt looked at Bolton as if he wasn¡¯t a human . ¡¸You shut up for a bit . ¡¹ Murt held down Bolton, who had fallen on the floor, by placing part of the halberd over his neck so he couldn¡¯t move . Rei slowly approached Bolton . ¡¸Cutting off your limbs, crushing your eyes, cutting off your nose, slicing off your ears¡­¡­I really considered that . But since I¡¯ll be handing you over to Margrave Rowlocks, I can¡¯t do that . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, which were spoken rather gently, Bolton had an expression of relief . However, that expression of relief collapsed the next moment . ¡¸You traded with an alchemist of the Bestir Empire . What kind of means with Margrave Rowlocks go to to extract information from you¡­¡­there¡¯s no need to think about it right? At that time, if you have no limbs, eyes, or anything else, how is the torturer supposed to do his job?¡¹ From heaven to hell . Bolton just experienced that and had an expression of despair as he heard Rei¡¯s words . Certainly, Margrave Daska Rowlocks was a military man who disliked underhanded tricks . However, if someone was connected to a foreign country which had the intention of attacking them and considering that the possibility of a lead was high, he wouldn¡¯t be that tolerant . No, as a military man, torture and interrogation would be a simple thing to him . ¡¸It seems you understand . Even so¡­¡­there¡¯s this . Take this with you . ¡¹ Muttering, Rei began to say and incantation with his magic power . ¡ºFlame, you are eternal hellfire . You are a flame that bring eternal pain and suffering . As time flows, let your host scream in pain and despair . Until your work is done in eternity . ¡» As Rei cast his magic, a flame appeared at the tip of the handle of the Death Scythe before being compressed down to a size of about 1cm with Rei¡¯s magic power . It looked exactly like that kind of flame . It was like one of the other magics used by Rei, the¡ºSeed of Contract¡» . They were like two peas in a pod . However, this magic was different . Instead of giving fire resistance in exchange for restrictions, this was a magic to torture someone with fire . Every time a new day started, the magic would bring a pain of being burned by fire until the flame itself acknowledged that the crime committed had been paid off . It was also a magic that would forcibly calm the mind if the person went crazy, just to inflict more pain¡­¡­ ¡ºFlame of Condemnation . ¡» A flame to condemn his crimes sank into Bolton¡¯s body through the handle of the Death Scythe . Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Legend Chapter 164 ¡¸Gyaaaa-¡­¡­ah¡­¡­ah?¡¹ Bolton screamed as the flame that had been compressed to about 1cm in size was placed inside his body . But the next moment, realising he didn¡¯t feel any heat, he stood up to check his body . Murt had been suppressing Bolton with his halberd a few seconds ago, but probably felt some danger from Rei¡¯s magic . He had already taken some distance away from Bolton . ¡¸¡­¡­Nothing, at all?¡¹ He checked his body but there was no sort of burns on his body or clothes . But he was certain some kind of magic had been used . ¡¸What did you do to me-!¡¹ He didn¡¯t understand, he couldn¡¯t understand . The confusion made it easy for his blood to rush to his head, as a result, he made a hasty action . With the Death Scythe on his soldier, the young man, or rather, young boy, watched him with eyes as if he was garbage¡­¡­seeing that, Bolton instinctively raised his fist¡­¡­ ¡¸Gafu-!¡¹ Rei avoided his fist without much difficulty and hit Bolton in the belly with the handle of the Death Scythe . ¡¸Quiet down . This magic won¡¯t kill you . It is my magic so I can guarantee it . ¡¹ (Well, your body will burn every time the date changes, so in a sense, you feel acute pain as if you were dying . Besides, you won¡¯t actually die and this magic will restore your mental state if you go crazy, so I didn¡¯t tell any lies . ) Thinking to himself, he continued his explanation . ¡¸The flame put inside you will cause a severe pain that burns your body at regular periods . ¡­¡­However, let¡¯s just say that you will be freed from it if it judges that your crimes have been compensated by your pain . ¡¹ ¡¸What!¡¹ Bolton was at a loss at Rei¡¯s words . How many crimes had he committed during his life? Understanding that, he only had the expression of despair . In addition, Brazos and Freon raised their eyes at the magic at the magic that was more brutal than they expected . Still, they didn¡¯t complain to Rei because they understood how much cruelty Bolton had inflicted in his life . ¡¸Physical pain from interrogators and torturers by day . Mental pain as if your body is burning by night . ¡­¡­This is the consequence of the way you have lived . Enjoy it to your heart¡¯s content . ¡¹ As Rei murmured that, one person jumped into the reception room . ¡¸Master! Are you okay!¡¹ It was an old man who looked about the same age as Bolton, or maybe older . As soon as he entered the room, he started shouting at Galahat with a stern gaze . ¡¸Galahat! To disrespect the debt you owe to Master! Know your place!¡¹ The shout of the old man wearing the clothes of a butler echoed in the reception room . Most people in the room frowned their eyes involuntarily . ¡¸Who is this guy?¡¹ It was Murt who responded to Freon¡¯s question . Murt spoke while looking bitterly at the old male butler . ¡¸He is the head butler of this mansion . He has been with Bolton ever since Bolton was a child . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Freon expressed her understanding at Murt¡¯s explanation . She looked at the old aged butler, who was not much older than Bolton and had literally been brought up as Bolton¡¯s bodyguard . And¡­¡­ (Did this fellow spoil Bolton up until now, resulting in his current character?) Because he could easily imagine how Bolton had been brought up until now, she clicked her tongue unintentionally . His original duty was probably to remonstrate with his master, but he probably barely did that or didn¡¯t do that at all . Azoth Firm¡¯s past practices, it was not difficult to imagine it based on his behaviour when he entered the reception room . ¡¸Galahat, what will you do with him? Do you plan to hand him over to the knights for now?¡¹ Understanding how cruel the magic used on him was, Bolton was frozen in despair and Rei ignored him, turning to look at the butler who was staring at Galahat intensely . ¡¸Ah, Ahh . That¡¯s right . Yes . Are you fine with that?¡¹ Galahat was Galahat . Finding out that his mother¡¯s illness, which was the greatest reason why he continued to help his brother, was contrived by Bolton, he fell into a state of shock . He probably didn¡¯t know what his mind was thinking . Rei gave a sigh and turned towards Murt . ¡¸While Galahat is like this, you are the one who knows Bolton¡¯s mansion the best . What do you think we should do with this butler?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right . As Bolton¡¯s confidant, I think he should know about a variety of things . ¡¹ ¡¸Well then . Although this is a frontier city, it would be better if fewer people found out that the biggest business in the city is connected to the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸Ku-, hahahahaha . It¡¯s useless, useless, useless . You¡¯ve caught me and that puppet over there, but there are many others like me that are meddling in this country . I¡¯m just the tail of the lizard, the tip of the iceberg . ¡¹ Postguerra talked proudly while still being tied up, but seeing that most people in the room were looking with cold eyes at someone else, he quietened down and clicked his tongue . (Is this guy an idiot . Why would he bother to tell us that there are other people lurking around besides himself? ¡­¡­No, anyhow, the city of Gilm is far away from the border with the Bestir Empire . So, it¡¯s not difficult to guess that they are lurking in other cities . ) Even if this matter didn¡¯t come to light, Rei guessed that the hunting down of underlings of the Bestir Empire within the Mireana Kingdom would happen for a while . Spies themselves weren¡¯t uncommon, but if the underlings of the Bestir Empire were hidden immediately next to people of power, the story would be different . ¡¸What are you doing! Release me, let me go! I am Bolton-sama¡¯s butler, don¡¯t touch me with your dirty hands, adventurer!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . Although my hands may be dirty¡­¡­if you say that to a woman, you¡¯ll have to bear the pain . ¡¹ Freon had blue veins on her forehead at the butlers words and swung her sheathed long sword against the butlers legs . Maybe he was aiming for the moment the long sword was still in it¡¯s sheath or he had just forgotten about it . In any case, the butler fell on the spot after being smacked with the sheath and rolled on the floor groaning in pain . And then¡­¡­ ¡¸Here!¡¹ A man in his thirties entered the reception room while shouting . Although the people inside though, again, as they turned to look at the door¡­¡­seeing that there was a knight wearing the armour belonging to the knights of the city of Gilm, they gave a sigh of relief . ¡¸Mm¡­¡­?¡¹ Having everyone suddenly concentrate their looks at him, the knight was confused for a moment and looked around the room while speaking . ¡¸Oh¡­¡­please explain the situation . ¡¹ The servants who had been sent to bring them over probably didn¡¯t explain any of the current circumstances . Freon and Brazos both turned to look at Galahat, but it looked like Galahat¡¯s mind was still elsewhere . ¡¸Murt, Galahat is like this at the moment, so please explain for him . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah? Ahh, I understand . Then, may I leave Bolton for the moment?¡¹ ¡¸Mm . ¡¹ Brazos nodded, but Rei interrupted as Murt approached the knight . ¡¸Can I have a moment before this?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯ve come to see Daska-sama several times¡­¡­was your name Rei?¡¹ Fortunately, the man seemed to know Rei and gave a small nod . Rei pointed towards the hole in the wall of the reception room . ¡¸You can see from the hole there, there are two unconscious people in the garden . You should secure them as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸Why? I haven¡¯t heard the details yet, but I don¡¯t think that would be any people with a higher importance than Bolton over there . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if the ones fallen in the garden are what could be called the secret weapon of the Bestir Empire? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ The knight, who had been about to turn towards Bolton, stopped and asked back . ¡¸I said they were the secret weapon of the Bestir Empire . To be exact¡­¡­¡¹ Speaking up to that, Rei wondered for a moment if he could talk about the inheritance ceremony . However, he judged that it would be better not to say anything stupid since Postguerra, an alchemist of the Bestir Empire, was nearby . (It would be better if I just told this to Margrave Rowlocks later . ) ¡¸They were created by the alchemists of the Bestir Empire, like a chimera of humans and monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, the knight understood how serious a matter it was . He hurriedly looked into the garden through the hole in the wall . From there, he could see a woman with scales growing all over her body and someone with their upper body covered in a crab like shell and multiple tentacles growing from their lower body . He could also see that both were unconscious and that a Griffon, Set, was watching the two of them . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s as Rei said . Still, alchemists of the Bestir Empire . To go to such depraved means . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha . What are you talking about . Technological advancements always comes with failure . No, rather, technology advances based on improving from failures?¡¹ At the voice of the tied up Postguerra, the knight looked at him suspiciously . ¡¸This person is?¡¹ ¡¸What, did you just mention me just now? I¡¯m that depraved person . ¡¹ ¡¸-!? A Bestir Empire alchemist!?¡¹ The knight revealed an expression of surprise when he saw the Demon Soldiers . ¡¸This is¡­¡­how should I say this?¡¹ ¡¸In other words, Azoth Firm¡­¡­¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked Galahat and rephrased his words . ¡¸Bolton was connected to the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s different, different, different! I Never thought he was an alchemist of the Bestir Empire . I never betrayed the Mireana Kingdom!¡¹ Bolton realised that he would be considered a traitor if he left things as they were and kept shouting . However, since Postguerra was here, anything Bolton said would only be an excuse . Seeing that, the knight thought about something for a few seconds before giving a small sigh and turning towards Murt . ¡¸Sorry, prepare some paper and something to write with . I can¡¯t do anything by myself since it has become such a big deal . I have to consult with my superior and Daska-sama . I would like to go get them directly, but I cannot leave this place like this . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Ahh . That is certainly true . ¡¹ Murt brought out some paper and writing utensils and the knight wrote down the rough circumstances, saying that a Bestir Empire alchemist had been captured, before giving it to the servant to bring back to the Margrave¡¯s residence . After seeing him leave, the knight turned back to Rei again . ¡¸As for the detailed story, I will hear it after my superior and backup arrives . Still, tell me roughly what happened so that I have an idea . ¡¹ ¡¸Because Galahat-san is like that at the moment, I¡¯ll explain¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Murt spoke about the story and reasons leading up to the disturbance in the mansion . While listening to the story, Rei stored the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring and went towards Galahat, who was still out of it . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Galahat looked at Rei approach but his eyes were out of focus . Seeing that, Rei eventually clenched his fist with a sigh . ¡¸That¡¯s enough¡­¡­snap out of it!¡¹ Although he wasn¡¯t series, it wasn¡¯t a soft blow either . In other words, he punched Galahat in the belly with enough force to knock a normal person out . ¡¸Guh!¡¹ Galahat knelt on the floor with a groan . Rei grabbed both his shoulders and forcibly lifted him up . ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t you have known for a long time that Bolton was someone like this? In fact, you have seen how he has treated others up until now . With all that, do you intend to escape from reality now that it¡¯s your turn?¡¹ Rei lightly hit Galahat¡¯s cheeks with the palm of his hand . Although the blood rushed to Murt¡¯s head and he tried to raise a complaint at Rei¡¯s aggressive attitude, Brazos and Freon held him back . 1 slap, 2 slaps, 3 slaps, 4 slaps . Each time a light pan~ pan~ sound echoed into the surroundings . And gradually, Galahat¡¯s eyes returned to focus and he stretched out to catch Rei¡¯s arm . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s okay now . I¡¯m sorry, I made you worry . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not particularly worried . This matter might have been caused by me, but you were the one that actually took action . Please take proper responsibility of this to the end . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . That¡¯s right . A variety of unexpected things happened, but this is certainly what I started . I will fulfill my responsibilities to the end . ¡¹ Thus, although Galahat hadn¡¯t fully recovered from finding out that he had been betrayed by his loved brother, he still gathered himself and started explaining to the knight with Murt . The other three, Rei, Brazos and Freon, finally finished their work and gave a sigh of relief that they could finally rest as they watched the situation . Chapter 165 Chapter 165 ¡¸¡­¡­It got quite messy as expected . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . No one would think that Azoth Firm, the largest business in this city, would have half collapsed overnight while they were asleep . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Freon gave a wry smile while dipping her firmly baked bread into a stew with plenty of meat and vegetables . ¡¸Anyone who saw the disturbance in this inn yesterday might have been able to expect what happened to some extent . This inn serves delicious meals so some customers come just for it . ¡¹ Although it was morning, Brazos spoke while drinking the liquor in his cup with relish . ¡¸Drinking in the morning¡­¡­no, well, since we¡¯re planning to take the entire day off today, that¡¯s fine . ¡¹ Sunlight fell through the windows in the dinning room, though it couldn¡¯t be called the morning light as it was already starting to get close to noon . Freon gave a sigh as she saw that . ¡¸It¡¯s almost noon . I¡¯m not so irritated anymore . I¡¯m not even yelling at that guy any more . Even though he¡¯s drinking it more like water than wine . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The liquor is good . ¡¹ Giving a sigh again, she turned towards Rei in resignation . ¡¸So, first is this . ¡¹ Rei received a small cloth bag from Freon . Looking inside, there were six platinum coins . ¡¸¡­¡­This is?¡¹ ¡¸You promised Galahat, didn¡¯t you? You didn¡¯t kill any adventurers hired by Azoth Firm . This is the reward . ¡¹ ¡¸That should have been two platinum coins, why are there six?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­the other four were collected by Brazos and me from the knight leaders and knights . ¡¹ ¡¸Is it to keep quiet about it?¡¹ ¡¸I wonder . After explaining all the circumstances last night, we went home . So, a person from the knights came to this inn early this morning and left this money here . We stayed here because it was already late last night . I collected it after I woke up this morning . ¡¹ Even for Daska, it must have been surprising that Azoth Firm, which could be considered the biggest business in the city he governed, would be corrupted by the Bestir Empire . Even though Rei listened closely to the gossip in the dinning room, they were mostly about the change in the leadership of Azoth Firm . Words such as the Bestir Empire and alchemists did not appear . ¡¸Well, the nobles have their honour . It¡¯s probably different for Margrave Rowlocks though . Perhaps he¡¯ll use this opportunity to clean out the spies of the Bestir Empire lurking in the city . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Well, here is just the frontier border and not the Imperial Capital . ¡¹ Rei nodded as he brought the stew to his mouth . If this was the Imperial Capital, even if all the Bestir Empire spies were caught at once, there was no doubt more would be sent to collect information . But since Gilm was a frontier city, the Bestir Empire probably judged it to not be as important . Of course, there was no doubt that spies would be sent again, but it should still be a fair amount of time before they would be sent . There would be no problem if countermeasures against spies were made during that time . ¡¸¡­¡­So, did you ask about what will happen to Azoth Firm in the future?¡¹ While storing the cloth bag holding 6 platinum coins into the Misty Ring, Rei asked Freon . Freon nodded while frowning slightly at Rei question . ¡¸Ah . Although it hasn¡¯t been officially decided yet, it will be rough . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Will it be dissolved?¡¹ The president at the top of the company was connected to alchemists from the Bestir Empire . He probably didn¡¯t know they were from the Bestir Empire, but his crimes were still heavy . Thinking that, Rei asked Freon, but she unexpectedly shook her head . ¡¸It seems that Azoth Firm will remain . ¡­¡­However, it seems subordinates of Margrave Rowlocks will be sent over under the role of consultants . ¡¹ ¡¸So effectively, they are government inspectors . ¡­¡­To put it nicely, they are supervisors . ¡¹ Brazos pointed that out as he poured more liquor into his cup . Rei looked surprised at their words . ¡¸That¡¯s surprising . After causing such a commotion and making such mistakes . At the very least, I thought that Azoth Firm would fall under the direct control of the Margrave at the very least¡­¡­although supervisors are being dispatched, it is unexpected that they would survive as they are . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei is also involved in this you know . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Me?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . To state the facts, weren¡¯t you were hired by Galahat and captured the Bestir Empire alchemist as well as those strange hybrids? In short, since the internal circumstances of Azoth Firm have been sorted out, Galahat petitioned the Margrave saying that Azoth Firm has cleaned itself and is functioning properly¡­¡­that seems to be what happened . ¡¹ ¡¸Well then . The internal situation in Azoth Firm won¡¯t thoughtlessly fall into confusion, he probably doesn¡¯t want to stop the trade of weapons in the city of Gilm . If it fell under the direct control of the Margrave, various things naturally have to change . If you are in a city it would be relatively safe, but this is the frontier . If any disruption happened to the weapons trade, adventurers would be the ones affected . That would have the same effect as reducing Gilm¡¯s force that is capable of fighting monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . I understand . By the way, is Galahat still the representative for Azoth Firm?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that seems to be the case . ¡­¡­Also, there was a message from that knight . The Margrave would like you to head over to his residence as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, okay, Well, there was something I wanted to talk about . Should I talk to you about it or not though . ¡¹ ¡¸What do you want to talk about?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei brought the last of the stew to his mouth and finished the bread with some fresh water . ¡¸Now then, I¡¯ll head over to the Margrave¡¯s residence right away¡­¡­what about you two?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be drinking here for a while . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll head back to the inn and enjoy a nice rest . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . Then, is tomorrow morning okay to strip the Harpy materials?¡¹ ¡¸Mm . We¡¯ll meet up here . ¡¹ Deciding on their plans, Rei headed for the Margrave¡¯s residence as soon as he could . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, a D rank adventurer . I was summoned by the Margrave . ¡¹ About 30 minutes after leaving the inn, Rei arrived at the front gate of the Margrave¡¯s residence . Incidentally, today was one of the rare days Rei was by himself, Set wasn¡¯t around . Actually, Rei had gone to pick him up, but unusually, Set was still sleeping . Although Set woke up when Rei came to find him, when asked if he wanted to come along, Set had shook his head and laid back down . Because of that, Rei had come out by himself . And without a big identifier like Set, Rei wasn¡¯t so conspicuous . If he had been holding the Death Scythe, it might have been different, but the scythe was currently stored inside the Misty Ring . ¡¸Mm, give me a moment . ¡¹ The gatekeeper, who was already familiar with Rei¡¯s face, nodded and immediately sent a person back to the mansion . In less than a few minutes, a person came to guide him to the Margrave¡¯s office, where Rei had been several times before . ¡¸It was hard on you yesterday . Here, take a seat . ¡¹ Daska said that to Rei as he sat down on a sofa . Giving a small bow, Rei sat down on the opposite sofa . ¡¸Pardon me . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . So, yes . ¡­¡­Wait a moment . Hey, bring some drinks and light snacks . This might be a long story . ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly . ¡¹ The butler nodded at Daska¡¯s words and left the room . Seeing that, Daska spoke while looking through the documents he had . ¡¸We¡¯ll leave the details until after the drinks arrive . Take it slow until then . I have to take a look through the papers over there as well . ¡¹ In the direction he was looking in, a 10cm thick stack of documents was on his desk . Seeing the amount of documents, Rei spoke in surprise . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s an amazing number of documents . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ah . That¡¯s for sure . I usually don¡¯t have half of this, but because of yesterday¡¯s various issues . ¡­¡­I am someone more suited to moving my body than paperwork . ¡¹ Daska gave a sigh, he certainly looked more like a military officer than a civil servant . A trained body and tough looking face . With his sharp eyes, he was clearly a military man . That said, he wasn¡¯t just a military man, this could be seen from the fact that he was a central figure among the Neutral Faction and ruled the city of Gilm successfully . ¡¸Seriously, it was more comfortable when I worked with the knights . I thought it would be comfortable after my father retired and I took over the seat Margrave Rowlocks¡­¡­looking at it like this, nobles are constrained in various ways . That¡¯s especially so as the head of a margrave household . How about it? Would you like to become a noble?¡¹ Though he said it like a joke, Daska looked at Rei with a serious expression . If he wanted a strong force like Rei, the easiest method was to put Rei under himself as a noble . In his position as a margrave, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Daska to use his influence in the Neutral Faction to lay the groundwork in the Imperial Capital to appoint someone a baron or viscount in recognition of their services . ¡¸You won¡¯t be granted any land, but you would be considered one of my subordinates . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t feel like becoming a noble . ¡­¡­In the first place, I don¡¯t think someone who lacks etiquette like me would be able get along with others in an aristocratic society . ¡¹ ¡¸Etiquette? You don¡¯t need to worry about that . Look at me . I don¡¯t want to boast about it, but I was born to the house of a margrave on the frontier . In the Imperial Capital, I was slandered by others as lacking manners . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry . I¡¯m an adventurer myself . I would like to explore my path as a magic warrior . ¡¹ Although Rei was polite, Daska still a small sigh at Rei¡¯s firm refusal to become a noble . ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped . I can¡¯t force you to say something you don¡¯t want . ¡¹ That said, Daska was satisfied after understanding that Rei didn¡¯t want to become a noble . (At the very least, if he doesn¡¯t want to become a noble, there¡¯s no danger of getting pulled in to other factions . If he stays an adventurer, the city of Gilm should remain as his base . Although I can¡¯t say for sure, it will be good to consider him as a fighting force in the case of an emergency . I shouldn¡¯t try to force aggressively but rather stay content with maintaining the current situation . ) ¡¸Pardon me . I have brought tea and snacks . ¡¹ As Daska thought to himself contentedly, there was a knock on the door and the butler came in . Pushing a cart over to the table side, he placed cups of tea onto the table . ¡¸Daska-sama, do you want anything else?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine . Thanks for you hard work . You may leave . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please excuse me . ¡¹ Giving a respectful bow, the butler left the room . Seeing him off, Daska left the documents he was reading on his office desk, sat down on the sofa and turned to Rei . After drinking some tea, he spoke with a serious expression . ¡¸¡­¡­Now then . Firstly is yesterday¡¯s matter, it was difficult in a variety of ways . Thanks to Rei, we managed to capture an alchemist of the Bestir Empire as well as their secret weapon . Because of that, about the secret weapon . From the report, you seem to know something about them?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s convenient that you called me over today because it¡¯s necessary to talk about it . As Daska-sama knows, I went to a dungeon a while ago . I think you also know that I headed to the alter of inheritance in it . ¡¹ Daska gave a small nod at Rei¡¯s words and prompted him to continue . ¡¸I heard the story from Elena-dono, does this have anything to do with that?¡¹ ¡¸The inheritance ceremony needs to be carried out at an alter of inheritance . However, I was told that the Bestir Empire had developed a method that could be considered a simplified version of it . ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wait . That means . ¡¹ Daska interrupted Rei¡¯s words . In his mind, he thought of the people who had been carried over to the Margrave¡¯s residence last night . The figure of Cordo, who was all covered in a shell, and Minas, who had scales growing all over her body . ¡¸Yes . They are Demon Soldiers . ¡¹ ¡¸Demon Soldiers? Their appearances certainly aren¡¯t human¡­¡­still, even though it¡¯s a simplified version, compared to Elena-dono whose appearance didn¡¯t change at all, this is very different . ¡¹ ¡¸I agree . It¡¯s probably a limitation of the simplified version . ¡­¡­However, since Minas and Cordo look quite different it terms of appearance, there is a possibility that there might still be issues even though it is a simplified version of the inheritance ceremony . ¡¹ ¡¸Speaking about this, I will check up on this in the Imperial Capital . I will take that alchemist Postguerra along . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You won¡¯t investigate it here?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a case that is too big to investigate in my territory . It¡¯s attractive to monopolise the information, but if the country is destroyed because I prioritised the power struggle, I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear that . To interrogate and analyse the information about the Demon Soldiers, it will be done with people from the Royal and Nobles Factions as well . ¡­¡­However, it has been determined that this case will also increase the influence of the Neutral Faction . I have to thank you for this matter . Thank you very much . ¡¹ Grinning, Daska brought a sandwich to his mouth with a big smile as he said that . Seeing that, Rei also reached for a sandwich . ¡¸No, I also live in the city of Gilm . I would be troubled if the Mireana Kingdom was occupied by the Bestir Empire . ¡­¡­That reminds me, I heard that Azoth Firm ended up surviving as it is . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . There are many things to consider, but I left it as it was and didn¡¯t dissolve it, there would be no confusion in the city . I couldn¡¯t be helped so I ended up sending people over to watch it . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, Bolton seems to have done a lot of vicious things . Still, that¡¯s fine . ¡¹ After that, Rei provided information about the abilities of the Demon Soldiers Minas and Cordo as well as the magic items for teleportation that Postguerra had on him . Rei and Daska¡¯s discussion finished roughly an hour later . Chapter 166 Chapter 166 ¡¸¡­¡­Demon Soldiers, is it . ¡¹ After Rei left, it became quiet in the Margrave¡¯s office in his residence . Daska murmured as he brought the already cold tea to his mouth before calling out towards the door to an adjoining room . ¡¸Hey, what do you think?¡¹ When he called out, the door opened without a sound and a man walked in . He was the Knight Leader who was in charge of maintaining Gilm¡¯s public order . However, the man¡¯s character was more like that of a shadow who worked behind the scenes than a Knight Leader . That was natural . This man was only a Knight Leader in name, he actually worked in the shadows of the city of Gilm under Daska . ¡¸To be honest, it¡¯s hard to say . Anyhow, once the two of them, Minas and Cordo, realised they were captured, they started raging about violently . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I wonder . ¡¹ Daska¡¯s mind drifted back to the report that was made from previous night¡­¡­or rather, very early this morning . The two demon soldiers had been brought to the dungeons in the Margrave¡¯s residence while they still knocked out by Rei and Set . However, they started rampaging violently and tried to escape from the dungeon once they realised where they were . As a result, while nobody died, several knights and soldiers were injured and had to be treated with healing magic . ¡¸I didn¡¯t think the sounds would make it this far . ¡¹ Daska spoke with a bitter smile while bringing the remaining sandwiches to his mouth . The screams and roars had echoed all the way to the Margrave¡¯s residence Normally, the Lord¡¯s residence and the Knight Order¡¯s base would be in separate locations . However, since Gilm was on the frontier and the city itself could be attacked by groups of monsters, the Margrave¡¯s residence also functioned as a fortress to evacuate the inhabitants of the city . As a result, the Knight Order had also built it¡¯s base in it . ¡¸So, how about the information?¡¹ Daska had told Rei that they would be interrogated after being brought to the Imperial Capital, but of course, he didn¡¯t mean it seriously . No, it was definitely true that they would be interrogated together with the Royalists and Nobles after they got to the Imperial Capital, but Daska was going to squeeze out as much information out of them as possible before that . As a central figure in the smallest faction among the three that existed, it was the proper decision to stop them from losing the initiative . However, the man shook his head at Daska¡¯s question . ¡¸It¡¯s no use . Did you call them Demon Soldiers? Those two are too dangerous if they get out of hand . If you absolutely want to get information, there¡¯s the alchemist¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is that no use as well?¡¹ ¡¸Ehh . We are just frontier knights . ¡­¡­To be blunt, we¡¯ve put a lot of effort into our combat strength, but we¡¯re not suitable fro things such as interrogation . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped . This is the frontier . I didn¡¯t think that the Bestir Empire would reach their hands as far as here . ¡­¡­No, could it be the opposite, because this is the frontier?¡¹ ¡¸Daska-sama?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Muttering, Daska closed his eyes and started thinking . When the knight saw that, he kept quiet so as to not disturb the Margrave¡¯s thoughts . Daska opened his eyes about a minute later . ¡¸I see, is that their aim?¡¹ ¡¸Have you thought of something?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s only a guess . Needless to say, the city of Gilm is a frontier city . And because it is on the frontier, a wide variety of monster materials are gathered here . There are also materials that are rarely available in the Imperial Capital . In addition, a dungeon has also appeared near here . ¡¹ ¡¸That is true . ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, the materials exported by Azoth Firm from the city of Gilm are materials unique to the Mireana Kingdom¡­¡­even if they aren¡¯t, they would still be valuable or have useful qualities . What if they all started flowing to the Bestir Empire?¡¹ At Daska¡¯s speculation, the knight held his breath . ¡¸The materials to make powerful weapons, armour and magic items, that should have become the strength of the Mireana Kingdom, would be collected by the Bestir Empire . That¡¯s definitely a clever way of thinking . But then why did they choose Azoth Firm as their trading partner? It probably isn¡¯t something the alchemist would know anyway . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, that sounds about right . Then we should mainly look at materials with a higher rarity . ¡­¡­Alright then, investigate it . Trading partners of Azoth Firm that have concentrated on purchasing expensive materials . Suspicious companies, merchants or traitorous nobles that might have connections with the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand!¡¹ With a quick salute, the knight left the office . Daska murmured with a fierce smile . ¡¸Bestir Empire, aren¡¯t you having fun doing your dirty business in my city . I will express my gratitude to you when the war starts next spring . ¡¹ He gave a smile like a large carnivorous beast looking at it¡¯s prey . ¡¸Oh, Rei-san . You came at the right time . A group of people who want to be interviewed are waiting for you . ¡¹ After finishing his report at the Margrave¡¯s residence, Rei quickly headed to the guild, where he was met by a smiling Lenora . Because it was just past noon, Lenora was the only one currently at the guild reception . The figure of Kenny, who would usually make advances on him, couldn¡¯t be seen . (Well, compared to having things like money or a higher rank, it¡¯s not a bad feeling to be liked by a beautiful woman . ) While thinking to himself, he gave a small nod towards Lenora . ¡¸Are they upstairs?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡­¡­I¡¯m sure you will be surprised . ¡¹ Looking puzzled at Lenora¡¯s words, he was told to go up if he wanted to know as he went up to the meeting room on the second floor . And the people who greeted him when he entered the meeting room were¡­¡­ ¡¸You¡¯re late! Seriously, we¡¯ve been waiting since noon!¡¹ A female thief yelled at Rei as soon as she saw him . ¡¸Rei has been busy with various things, it can¡¯t be helped . ¡¹ A male mage calmed the female thief down . ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph~¡¹ There were three people, including a male swordsman who looked at Rei grumpily . (¡­¡­I see . ) Rei came to a realisation . It was because he knew the three people who were sitting in the room . The female thief was Culotte . The mage was Scola . The swordsman was Arogan . The three of them had taken their rank up test along with Rei, adventurers of the batch so to speak . ¡¸That was really unexpected for you all to take my request . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahahaha . There are some circumstances and we don¡¯t have enough money . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Scola gave a bitter smile as he scratched his cheeks . ¡¸Money?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s fine to fight monsters as part of requests, but our weapons and armour are reaching the end of their use . Right now, we¡¯re having new ones made . Because of that, we obviously can¡¯t take any dangerous requests during this time . We have take up requests that are either in the city or can be done near the city¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸So you found my request . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . ¡­¡­So, how about it?¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ (From the rank up test, I know what their characters are like . And since they know me as well, they won¡¯t try to do things like cheat me of materials . ) ¡¸Well, that¡¯s fine . I¡¯ll be relying on you then . ¡­¡­That reminds me, the three of you said that you would form a party, what¡¯s the name of your party?¡¹ It was Culotte who responded to Rei¡¯s question, that he had suddenly thought of . ¡¸That reminds me, I never told you . Our party name is¡ºEternal Power¡» . Nice to work with you . ¡¹ ¡¸Eternal Power? That¡¯s a surprisingly bold party name . ¡¹ ¡¸What, are you complaining about it!?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t get so hot headed . That part of you has hardly changed from when we took the rank up test . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, it seemed he recalled the advice that Gran, their rank up test examiner, had given him after their test . Culotte frowned her eyes slightly . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s how it is . As Scola said earlier, we¡¯re taking on requests close to the city for now . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why bother to head out of the city? It¡¯s not that much of an issue to do it inside the city . ¡¹ Rei gave a sigh towards Arogan, who was avoiding eye contact with Rei . Originally, Arogan had despised Rei¡¯s ability, picked a fight with him and lost easily . After that, having met with Rei again in the rank up test, he was a bit afraid of Rei¡¯s abilities . However, he took such an attitude because he didn¡¯t want to admit it . Rei understood the general reason for his behaviour and so explained after a sigh . ¡¸As written in the request form, there¡¯s a massive number of monster corpses in my item box . Try stripping materials from such a large number of monsters in the city . There¡¯s a possibility we¡¯ll get knights or guards called on us if somebody sees us . Even if that doesn¡¯t happen, the smell of blood and entrails will be quite shocking . ¡­¡­In addition, the knights are busy today . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that reminds me . I heard that Azoth Firm caused some trouble and the knights had to intercede . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . So the news spread out like that . ¡¹ At Scola¡¯s words, Rei muttered to himself . Culotte, who¡¯s senses were a bit sharper, asked Rei . ¡¸Wait, were you by any chance involved in the uproar that happened last night?¡¹ ¡¸Well, if you¡¯re asking if I was involved, I was . However, there¡¯s various things I can¡¯t talk about right now . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I thought you¡¯d say that . Well, that¡¯s okay . Azoth Firm has only had a bad reputation up until now . At the very least, it can¡¯t be worse than what it was before . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s how it is . Getting back to the main story, there are also some high ranking monsters written in the request form . Do you know how to strip materials from them?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll leave that information to Scola¡­¡­how about it?¡¹ Looking towards him, Scola gave a small nod . ¡¸I know the methods to strip materials from most monsters, by the way, what are they specificly?¡¹ ¡¸The highest ranking one is a B rank Spriggan . The others are rank C, Emerald Wolves and Ogres . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You, where the hell did you kill such high ranking monsters . B rank monsters aren¡¯t things you can encounter so easily . Even C rank monsters, they would be hard to find around here . Did you go into the Forest of Monsters?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Culotte was stunned at the rank of the monsters they had to strip materials from . However, Rei answered the question as if it was nothing . ¡¸I went to a dungeon just a while ago . These are the monsters that were killed then . ¡¹ ¡¸A dungeon¡­¡­is it the closest one to the city of Gilm?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . I had request for it . It was seriously tough but there was a corresponding harvest . ¡¹ The figure of Kuust appeared in his mind . Their relationship could be considered a hate-hate one . However, if someone asked Rei if Kuust deserved an end like being betrayed and killed by a companion whom he had been friends with and worked together with for a long time, Rei would answer no without a doubt . ¡¸Rei?¡¹ Should he say, as expected of a thief, Culotte noticed Rei¡¯s momentary expression . She called out to Rei with a puzzled expression . Shaking his head at Culotte, he got back to the main topic . ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing . That¡¯s right . Can you strip materials from monsters including the Spriggan? You could say you passed the interview just before, but if you can¡¯t the strip materials from them¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s fine . I haven¡¯t actually stripped the materials from one, but I think I¡¯ll manage somehow since there are step by step instructions written in the book I have, which was written by people who have stripped materials from high ranking monsters . ¡¹ Scola interrupted Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸I¡¯ll point out where and how to strip the materials, so Culotte should be fine . If a bit more force is needed, Arogan can do it . How about that?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I don¡¯t mind how you do it . Still, it¡¯s surprising that you can assign roles quite precisely now . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because we¡¯re all members of the same part . ¡¹ As soon as the main discussion was finished, Rei stood up . Culotte stood up after him . ¡¸Well then . I will ask the D rank party, Eternal Power, to take my request . Do yo mind if we head out of the city immediately?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? So soon? No, well, we¡¯re free after this anyway . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t have any issues . Arogan?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Do as you want . ¡¹ Deciding to promptly complete the request, they headed down to the first floor of the guild . ¡¸Ah, Rei-kun . I was just asking Lenora, how was the interview?¡¹ As soon as Rei reached the first floor, Kenny saw him from the reception desks and called out . The figure of Lenora, who was here just before, could not be seen . Kenny was currently the only one at reception . Guessing that Lenora had probably swapped out to eat lunch, he brought Eternal Power with him as he headed over to the counter . ¡¸The request to strip materials . Since the three of them will be accepting it, I¡¯ll leave the procedures to you . We¡¯ll be stripping materials from the monsters out the city right away . ¡¹ ¡¸That request? I think that there were several other people who wanted to be interviewed¡­¡­is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . These three were the first to be interviewed . Fortunately, we took our rank up test together, so I¡¯m acquainted with them . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ For a moment, Kenny looked at Arogan . Perhaps she remembered that he had picked a fight with Rei in the guild before getting defeated straight after . Arogan probably realised it and seemed to be unhappy, but as expected, he stayed silent and didn¡¯t say anything . After Rei finished the request procedures, he left the guild with Eternal Power while avoiding Kenny¡¯s enticements . Chapter 167 Chapter 167 ¡¸Oh, this is quite unusual . Set isn¡¯t with you today?¡¹ At the main gate of Gilm, Rei nodded at the familiar face of Ranga as he took his guild card out of the Misty Ring and handed it over . ¡¸Yeah . He was kinda sleepy, he should still be sleeping at the stables of the inn . ¡¹ Technically, the Griffons had almost no need for sleep . However, that didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯t . In the end, it wasn¡¯t a necessity to sleep, but the act of sleeping itself was still plenty enjoyable . Especially since Set wasn¡¯t a natural-born monster but a Griffon born from the Magic Beast Art, he enjoyed his sleep . ¡¸Is that so . So, you are with those three today?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . But we¡¯re not doing a request together but a request that I issued . ¡¹ ¡¸That you issued?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a request to strip the materials from the monsters I killed . Since there are so many of them, doing them by myself would be difficult, so I posted a request in the Guild . Because of the large quantity, doing it in the city would be dangerous . Because of that, we are going to do it somewhere a bit further from here . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­You sure that¡¯s a good idea? If you stray too far from the city, monsters will be attracted by the smell of blood . ¡¹ Ranga asked him in worry, but Rei gave a smile . ¡¸These guys are D ranked adventures, so any monsters around this town wouldn¡¯t be a problem . Plus I¡¯m also going with them . ¡¹ Rei replied as he received his Guild Card back . (I thought I¡¯d leave everything to them when I issued the request, but after thinking about it, I decided it would be a good chance to learn how to strip off monsters that aren¡¯t included in my beginner¡¯s book . Fortunately, Scola seems to know how to strip materials from most monsters . ) He nodded at himself in his mind while looking at the other three, who were having their Guild Cards checked by other guards . ¡¸Is that so . Well, be careful then . ¡­Oh right, I almost forgot to say this . You were a great help with the yesterday¡¯s matter . ¡¹ Rei tilted his head due to suddenly being told that . ¡¸Yesterday¡¯s matter?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Talking about the Azoth Firm . Even we were told many unreasonable things until now . We¡¯re delighted that we don¡¯t have to go through that anymore . ¡¹ Rei wondered why he knew about it, but it was the knight order that did the investigation . He judged that it wasn¡¯t so surprising that Ranga, being the guard captain, was aware of that information . ¡¸It was partly just the course of events that led to it, so don¡¯t worry too much about it . Rather, are we free to go?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, no problems here . Then, take care . It would be dangerous to let down your guard, even if it¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about . ¡¹ After being told so by Ranga, Rei left the town along with Culotte and the others who also finished their procedures . He saw a caravan headed towards Gilm, but seeing as they were likely involved with the Azoth Firm¡¯s weapon trade, they were going to be in for quite a surprise . Rei smiled while thinking of that . ¡¸So, we¡¯ve left the city but how far are we supposed to go exactly?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, well, at the very least, any place where people entering the town won¡¯t see the blood would do¡­¡¹ Rei glanced towards the woods located beside the highway . When it came to forests, since they were full of trees, monsters were bound to live there . However, taking into account that it was close to the city, there should only be low-rank monsters there . Rei judged that to be the case and headed towards the woods while still taking out his Death Scythe just in case . ¡¸Inside those woods it is . Even if anything is attracted by the smell of blood, they would just be low-rank monsters or wild animals, and they can clean up all the monster parts that we don¡¯t need if we just leave them there . No well, I still plan to clean things up as much as I can . ¡¹ ¡¸True, even without extra weapons and armour we can still somehow deal with the nearby monsters . Arogan, your magic sword has the highest offensive power among us, so I¡¯ll be expecting good work from you if push comes to shove . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph . I think my magic sword is too good for those small fries . But, fine . ¡¹ Arogan showed a confident smile as he lightly tapped at the scabbard of his magic sword hanging from his side . However, even that smile of his hardened with Culotte¡¯s following line . ¡¸Well, with Rei being here, no nearby monsters can be our opponents anyway . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Culotte . Why are you saying things that will crush your comrade¡¯s spirit like that¡­¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Did I say something strange?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine . That¡¯s how Culotte is . ¡¹ They walked into the woods for about ten minutes while continuing their silly chatter . Rei¡¯s group discovered a water source that was narrow, but still wide enough to be called a river, and decided to do their work there . ¡¸It¡¯s not that cold now since it¡¯s still noon, but the evenings this season tend to be quite cold . Let¡¯s try to finish it as soon as we can . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . When it¡¯s cold, having a burning hot soup and drinking it as it cools down feels great . Let¡¯s do our best today for a tasty evening meal . Rei, Take out the monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸Right . Then, we¡¯ll start with this for now . The magic stone has already been removed so I¡¯ll be leaving the rest to you . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out the Ogre corpse from the Misty Ring . Its head was severed starting from its right shoulder, and the blood was also fully drained . Seeing that, Scola gave a small nod . ¡¸Wow, this is big even for an Ogre . We don¡¯t have to worry about draining its blood, this looks like it will be an easy job . Arogan, deal with its skin . Culotte, you take its right ear, which is the proof of subjugation, and the skull, which fetches a high price . ¡­Also, don¡¯t forget the tendons in its legs, they can also be sold at a high price . It¡¯s sad, but that¡¯s all the materials we can get from this one . What do we do with its flesh? Just saying, if you plan to sell a C rank monster¡¯s flesh, it canl be sold at a considerably high price . ¡¹ Rei looked with admiration at Aragon¡¯s skill, as he quickly removed its skin, and Culotte, who was dealing with its head, following Scola¡¯s instruction . However, Scola¡¯s question brought back his attention . ¡¸Y-Yes . Sorry, but can you cut it up into sizable chunks . After all, I¡¯ve got a monster with me . I¡¯ll use it as food for him . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you mean Set . There have been various rumours about him in the city . ¡¹ It seemed that even they had heard rumours about Rei and Set after all, given that they were also working as adventurers in Gilm . Scola spoke while skinning the Ogre¡¯s right arm with a knife after he finished giving instructions . Rei nodded as he observed the three, making mental notes about the proper way of removing skin, what materials could be sold and other things . ¡¸He¡¯s got a big body, after all . The amount of food he needs is correspondingly large . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­That¡¯s true . ¡¹ After Scola nodded, they barely talked any more and merely concentrated on removing the skin, and thus the surroundings got wrapped in silence . Meanwhile, since the blood drifting around was bound to cause some sort of effect, Rei had been acting vigilantly towards the surroundings . However, perhaps it should be expected from their skill, he still couldn¡¯t hide his surprise when he witnessed that gigantic Ogre being taken apart in less than 30 minutes . Afterwards, they dug an appropriately deep hole and threw everything unusable, mainly internal organs and bones, into it before moving on to the next one . ¡¸Next is¡­this one, it¡¯s not a high ranked monster, but there¡¯s a lot of them . ¡¹ While saying that, he took out the Water Monkeys from the Misty Ring . Seeing the monsters appearing one after another without stop, all the members of Eternal Power were dumbfounded . In the end, Scola came to his senses first . ¡¸Um, sorry . I didn¡¯t expect this amount . ¡­Give me a minute . These are Water Monkeys, right? First would be its fur that has water resistance . Its right ear is the proof of subjugation . These are the only valuable things I guess . ¡¹ When Scola told him that, Rei knit his brows . ¡¸My book said that their eyes would also be sold as materials though?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Wait a minute . Uhh¡­ Their eyeballs aren¡¯t of any use from what I know . Can you show me your book for a bit, Rei? Ah, Culotte and Argon deal with the blood draining for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Sure . Setting aside the eyes, for now, I¡¯ll cut off all of their right ears . ¡­Hey, Rei . What about their Magic Stones?¡¹ Rei gave Culotte a small nod as he retrieved the book from the Misty Ring . ¡¸Unlike the Ogre, I haven¡¯t collected the Magic Stones from them, so I entrust that to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Got it . ¡­Even so, what a crazy number of them . Did you really defeat all of these, Rei?¡¹ While leaking a little mutter, she proceeded to hang the Water Monkeys by their ankles on the rope the prepared in advance . Arogan as well, despite the number of monsters making him tedious, hanged them upside down on the nearby trees and slit their throats to drain blood . ¡¸Good grief . Usually, you wouldn¡¯t carry so many monster corpses around, not to mention that they¡¯d even rot . This is why the Item Box holders are so¡­¡¹ Culotte and Arogan . These two had some similar aspects to each other . As Rei thought so, he opened the book in hand and showed the page that depicted Water Monkeys to Scola . ¡¸Look, it clearly says that eyeballs can also be sold . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hmm, you are right . But the book I have didn¡¯t say anything about eyeballs . I think the one who wrote either this or my book has made a transcribing error . ¡¹ Scola muttered with a sigh . In this other world of Elgin, where the printing technology hadn¡¯t been invented, books were mainly manuscripts . With that being the case, it was no surprise for the writers of those manuscripts to make mistakes . ¡¸¡­What should we do?¡¹ ¡¸Well, Let¡¯s take them in any case . There¡¯s a lot of them, after all . It would be quite a loss if we didn¡¯t take them but later it turned out that they were actually sellable . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, got it . Do you have a container to store them?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah . ¡¹ After all, Rei had the Misty Ring ¨C a magic item that could be said to be a cheat item in a way . Taking into account that it could even store the corpses of defeated monsters, he had quite a lot of consumables prepared to be used for stripping materials . Especially now that he had already known about the number of defeated monsters in the Dungeon, he didn¡¯t make any mistakes with his preparations . He took out containers for the eyes one after another and gathered them on the ground . ¡¸Then, let¡¯s pick up the pace . Eyeballs need a certain level of delicate approach, so I¡¯ll take over that job . I¡¯ll also deal with their right ears that serve as proofs of subjugation . Culotte you deal with skinning and Arogan you cut up its flesh and collect the Magic Stones . ¡¹ Following his instructions, they proceeded to strip materials off the Water Monkey corpses that were already drained of blood . You could almost call it machine-like precision . It was honestly an order of magnitude better than what Rei, who felt that he had become skilled at stripping materials in his own way lately, was capable of . Meanwhile, Rei continued storing all the eyeballs, skins and Magic Stones that they obtained inside the Misty Ring one after another . Naturally, the useless internal organs were thrown into a hole similar to the Ogre¡¯s . While their individual heights didn¡¯t even reach up to the Ogre¡¯s knees, their numbers easily surpassed 50 . Because of that, by the time they finished stripping materials from every single Water Money, almost two hours had already passed . ¡¸¡­It¡¯s donee!¡¹ After being done with stripping the materials from the final Water Monkey, Culotte shouted without thinking . It couldn¡¯t be helped since they¡¯ve been stripping materials from the same type of monster all this time . She washed her hands and rinsed the attached blood in the nearby river . ¡¸Good work . Let¡¯s take a little rest for now . Here, drink this . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei and took out the meat and vegetable soup from the Misty Ring, put it onto plates and distributed it to everyone . Even Aragon who wasn¡¯t on such good terms with Rei accepted it without a single complaint . Perhaps it was proof that he also wanted to take a break . After they washed all the blood off their hands in the river, they proceeded to eat the soup . ¡¸But still . Aragon said it earlier, but item boxes sure are a great thing . ¡¹ Culotte muttered while eating the soup . She looked towards Rei¡¯s right hand where the Misty Ring was . ¡¸Indeed . It¡¯s so enviable that you don¡¯t have to worry about monster corpses rotting and stuff . Moreover, you don¡¯t have to worry about being attacked by other monsters while stripping the materials from them . ¡¹ ¡¸I admit that it¡¯s a handy tool, but because of that it also causes too much trouble since people tend to aim for it . ¡¹ Bolton¡¯s face appeared in Rei¡¯s mind . By the time Bolton was arrested, the date had already changed over . In other words, that meant that the ¡ºFlame of Condemnation¡» that Rei use on him would take effect starting from tonight . (¡­Now, will you be able to bear the pain of being burned from the inside for the sins you have committed, I wonder? Well, you won¡¯t be able to die from that pain no matter what, so you have no choice but to endure it . ) ¡¸Rei, you are showing a sinister smile, you know . ¡¹ While remembering the miserable end of Bolton, who reaped what he sowed, he suddenly heard Culotte¡¯s voice . Realizing that he smiled without noting it, Rei tried to dodge the matter and started tidying up the empty plates . ¡¸Now, next would be Harpies . There are quite a few of them too, but not to the level of Water Monkeys so you can rest easy . ¡¹ He shrewdly took out the monsters he had defeated outside the Dungeon, starting the material stripping once again . Chapter 168 Chapter 168 ¡¸Huh? Have you already stripped the materials from the Harpies?¡¹ It was the day after he finished stripping the materials from all the monsters with the members of Eternal Power . That was Freon and Brazos¡¯ reply when then came over to the inn after Rei had told them the Harpies had already been dismantled . ¡¸Ah . You know I had posted a request for stripping materials from monsters? I finished that yesterday and dismantled the Harpies as well . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, that is¡­¡­ahh, since you didn¡¯t specify what monsters were going to be dismantled, I guess that¡¯s fine . ¡¹ Freon looked a little puzzled, but then remembered the contents of the request Rei had submitted . She gave a small nod in understanding . ¡¸Well, I was out late dismantling monsters yesterday . Because sunset is starting to come early, it got quite busy near to the end . ¡¹ Rei said that with a sigh . By the time yesterday¡¯s request was completed, the sun was already setting . Naturally, when night fell outside the city, it became a world where monsters lurked . Especially since Eternal Power had most of their weapons and armour being repaired, they started hurriedly dismantling the monsters as the sun fell . ¡¸You are quite¡­¡­no, in a sense that¡¯s just Rei . ¡¹ Freon said that in amazement but pulled herself together called out to Rei again . ¡¸In that case, regarding the Harpy materials as had been agreed on . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm . Rei will take two magic stones . Everything else, including the remaining magic stones, will be sold to the guild . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have any problems with that . Well then, shall we go?¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, the three of them were about to head for the guild . ¡¸The sky is quite dark . ¡¹ Rei muttered as he left the inn and looked up to the sky . The sky was filled with clouds and it wouldn¡¯t be strange if it started to rain . ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s good that it wasn¡¯t raining when I was dismantling monsters yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm . At times like this, it¡¯s best to relax at a bar . I was tired yesterday and couldn¡¯t take my time drinking . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t lie, that¡¯s a lie . You stayed at the bar the whole time . ¡¹ The two of them were already having their usual exchanges as Rei headed to the stables to pick up Set . ¡¸Here, Set-chan . Eat this . ¡¹ A five year old boy held a sandwich in his hand as he held it out to Set . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ While watching this already familiar scene, Rei ate some skewers he bought at a street stall with relish . ¡¸Rei, here, how about this . Kelpie skewers . ¡¹ ¡¸Kelpie is it?¡¹ The owner of the skewer stall called out to Rei, who was watching Set play with the children . But it was not Rei but Brazos who responded . ¡¸Speaking of Kelpies, they¡¯re a rank C monster . You¡¯re great to get your hand on that . ¡¹ Next to Brazos, Freon, who had also been watching Set, spoke in surprise . ¡¸That¡¯s quite expensive . Hey, is there a merchant team led by Vettman in Gilm right now? Products they sell have started to come out . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ At the skewer stall owner¡¯s remark, Rei remembered the sociable merchant he had met at the Dusk Wheat . (Come to think of it, I wondered what happened to the adventurers I asked them to secure? I think they should have freed them since Azoth Firm¡¯s matter has already been settled . ¡­¡­Well, if they prolonged their restraint, it¡¯s probably because they will benefit from it somehow . I don¡¯t need to care about that . ) Rei thought to himself, but actually, the adventurers captured by Vettman had already been escorted out by the knight who came to the inn yesterday . Even if they called it a request, conducting a surprise attack in the inn¡­¡­or to be exact in the stables of the inn, was still a crime . Galahat, now the president of Azoth Firm, was currently steadily increasing his forces by bailing the adventurers that had committed crimes from Bolton¡¯s orders . In any case, Azoth Firm exported unique monster materials that could only be found at the various frontier cities and villages . They also exported weapons made from those materials . However, it wasn¡¯t so easy with their poor reputation, so they needed a combat force that could serve as an escort . For Daska, the lord of the city of Gilm, tax revenue paid would decrease if Azoth Firm¡¯s sales declined, so he allowed the adventurers to be released on bail . However, that was after they were warned that there would be a corresponding punishment the next time they committed any crimes . ¡¸Even then, to put Kelpies, a C rank monster, onto the market¡­¡­those merchants must be quite skilled . ¡¹ Brazos spoke in satisfaction as he held a Kelpie skewer . The meat was so soft that you could bite into it without any effort from the jaws . However, as you chewed and savoured the meat, the salty sauce used, meat juices and seasonings exuded an exquisite taste in the mouth . And the next moment, the meat would disappear like mist, only leaving that taste in your mouth . ¡¸Kuu~, it¡¯s delicious . Owner, two more¡­¡­no, five more . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry . Even though I said I have Kelpie meat, I don¡¯t have that much . My apologies, but please make do with one . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm, is that so . I wonder if I can take up a Kelpie subjugation mission in the near future¡­¡­¡¹ At the owners words, Brazos muttered to himself unintentionally . But the next moment, Freon¡¯s fist swung down at the back of his head . ¡¸Guh!?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say stupid things . I won¡¯t accept such dangerous subjugation requests just so you can have snacks with your liquor . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why isn¡¯t that possible? Freon, if you try it, you¡¯ll understand . ¡¹ ¡¸Shut up . Don¡¯t make me repeat myself again, seriously . Hey, stop eating and follow Rei and Set . Don¡¯t we have to sell the Harpy materials at the guild?¡¹ Freon said that while dragging Brazos along . Seeing that, Rei and Set apologised to the people in the surroundings and left the place . ¡­¡­Of course, that was after he bought some skewers and sandwiches . ¡¸Hm? You brought over a lot of materials and magic stones to sell yesterday, do you need something at the guild again? Ah, are you looking for a request?¡¹ Lenora called out to Rei when he entered the guild . After all, the amount of materials and magic stones he had obtained from yesterday¡¯s dismantling was enormous . All the staff available in the guild were tasked with dividing it up to assess it all . Of course, Culotte, Scola and Eternal Power in general weren¡¯t going to stay for that . They quickly went home after collecting their reward from Rei, leaving him by himself . ¡¸Work that is both profitable and fun is rare . ¡¹ Those words from an exhausted Culotte left an odd impression on Rei . ¡¸No, I¡¯m here to sell materials today as well . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh!? No, but yesterday¡­¡­¡¹ Lenora had a stunned expression at Rei¡¯s words . Next to her, Kenny, who showed some favouritism towards Rei, also had a stunned expression . Seeing the similar expressions, Rei gave a wry smile . ¡¸What I brought today are Harpy materials . Here, this is the request I took with those two . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei looked behind him towards Freon and Brazos . The two of them looked back at Rei, wondering how large an amount of material he had brought in . ¡­¡­In addition, for the Water Monkey eyes, which Scola and Rei had differing thoughts on, it turned out the the book Scola had was right . To be exact, Water Monkey eyes were still bought as materials 10 years ago . It was a material that alchemists had stopped using because a more effective and cheaper catalyst had since been found . In an area where materials were scarce, not at the frontier, someone might use it . But at the very least, they were no longer used in the city of Gilm . In addition, because there was no one who would transport them due to the difficulties in preserving them the price of the eyes was almost nothing . Such a situation occurred because the book Rei had was old, no one could be blamed so he had no choice but to sigh and give it up . Even so, the guild had bought a large amount of materials so he wasn¡¯t really worried to cover the cost of the extra expenditure . ¡¸In other words, you don¡¯t have to worry so much . There aren¡¯t that many materials . ¡¹ Saying that, he took out the right ears of the Harpies, which were the proofs of subjugation, their claws and their tail feathers, which were the other materials he had stripped from them . Lastly he also took out their magic stones . Of course, the two magic stones which had been promised beforehand as Rei¡¯s share had already been taken by him . ¡¸That¡¯s certainly not as much . We can appraise these right away so please wait a moment . ¡¹ Saying that, Lenora promptly collected the right ear proofs of subjugation . ¡¸Kenny, proofs of subjugation, please . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Since it¡¯s for Rei-kun, I have to work hard . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Because you¡¯re like that I can¡¯t trust you with material appraisal . Even yesterday you appraised the materials too kindly . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahahaha . Yes, but look here . Considering the state of the materials as a whole, it wasn¡¯t so bad right?¡¹ At Kenny¡¯s mischievous smile, Lenora gave a sigh and went back to appraising the materials . ¡¸This is¡­¡­ahh, did you ask Eternal Power to do this as well yesterday? The characteristics of how the materials were stripped are similar . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . But regarding the Harpy materials, it was part of Brazos¡¯ request . I can¡¯t cash them in on my own can I?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . Sometimes I hear stories about people selling off materials in the guild or at other stores without any issue, but I¡¯ve also heard cases where there was trouble after it because of that . In some bad cases, the party even breaks up because of it . ¡­¡­Heh~, it was the same yesterday, but these materials have been stripped quite nicely and are in good condition . Especially the Harpy tail feathers . If used to make arrows, they should be able to make some high quality arrows . Of course other parts are necessary as well . ¡¹ Nodding in admiration, Lenora carefully gathered up the Harpy tail feathers . Next, she looked at the Harpy claws . ¡¸¡­¡­I heard that Harpy claws can also be used as materials, but how are they actually used? Are they used by alchemists?¡¹ ¡¸In addition to that, there¡¯s also a method to attach it to the surface of armour . It¡¯s like an aggressive set of armour that can be used to hook onto the body of the enemy . It can also be embedded to the ends of clubs . It¡¯s a material with quite a lot of uses . ¡¹ Saying that in a good mood, the last thing Lenora looked at were the magic stones . ¡¸There are no chips or scratches here¡­¡­it¡¯s a good magic stone . ¡¹ As for the magic stones, she just quickly looked at their outer appearance before taking them and the materials to the back of the counters . ¡¸Please wait a moment . Kenny, how is it?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve already prepared everything . Here it is . This is their share for the proofs of subjugation . ¡¹ She had already prepared the amount . There were several silver coins inside the counter . Lenora checked it, gave a small nod and left Kenny to handle the procedures with Rei . Of course, Kenny wouldn¡¯t complain at having a chance to talk with Rei¡­¡­no, rather, to start a happy conversation with him . ¡¸By the way, have you heard about Azoth Firm?¡¹ The topic that Kenny brought up was in a sense the topic that was garnering the most attention in the city of Gilm . ¡¸Ah, more or less . I heard the president has changed . ¡¹ Because he had been given some hush money, Rei couldn¡¯t really talk about the details, so he talked along to pretend he didn¡¯t know much . ¡¸Yes, yes . The merchants registered with the guild haven¡¯t said anything, but it seems the space has opened up considerably compared to before regarding the trade of weapons . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Merchants registered with the guild?¡¹ Rei tilted his head unexpectedly at Kenny¡¯s words . While internally raising a cheer at Rei¡¯s expression, Kenny nodded with a smile . ¡¸That, you don¡¯t know about it? A few merchants hunt monsters themselves to collect materials and make weapons . They can then use the weapons they make or sell them¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ (Certainly, if they can supply the materials themselves and make weapons and armour, they can sell them and save on the cost of paying other adventurers to purchase materials . ¡­¡­On the other hand, an adventurer and blacksmith at the same time as well . That means that they¡¯re doing the three roles of a weapons shop by themselves¡­¡­is that possible? No, well, I guess it is possible since there are people doing it . ) Kenny kept talking with a smile as Rei thought to himself . ¡¸I don¡¯t know the details of what happened, but it¡¯s good for the city of Gilm . Ah, yes, yes . After today¡¯s work is over, would you like to head over to a merchant¡¯s shop together? I think Rei-kun will learn a lot . ¡­¡­Ow-!¡¹ A hand extended out from behind Kenny, who had just invited Rei, and pulled on her cat ears . Naturally, the person who did that was Lenora, who you could call Kenny¡¯s close colleague . ¡¸As expected, this happens as soon as I take my eyes off you . Please restrain yourself . ¡­¡­No, in this case, you should rather scorn yourself . ¡¹ TLN: The characters for self-restraint and self-derision are pronounced similarly . The pronunciation was the same but those words had two different meanings . Kenny pouted and protested . ¡¸Wait, that¡¯s not nice!?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry for making you wait . This is the amount we will purchase it for . ¡¹ Lenora handed the money over to Kenny who then passed it on . Seeing their usual interaction, Rei received the money while smiling . On a side note, after they got back to the inn, Set tried to absorb a Harpy magic stone while another was cut by the Death Scythe . But because no skill absorption happened, the two magic stones were wasted . Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Legend Chapter 169 ¡¸¡­¡­How did this happen . ¡¹ It had been about 2 weeks since the matter of Azoth Firm had been settled . Late autumn had already passed and winter was coming . The weather outside had already become quite cold, as Rei gave a sigh . But even though the temperature was starting to drop¡­¡­even if got hotter instead of colder, because the Dragon Robe had the effect of keeping a comfortable temperature around the wearer . Rei wouldn¡¯t be particularly affected unless it started snowing, which would make it difficult for him to walk . Rei was currently in the guild . For the past two weeks, Rei had just been reading books at the library and purchasing tools he needed in order to relieve his fatigue . Finishing his break, he decided to come to the guild to take on one more request before winter fully arrived . ¡­¡­But just as he was looking for a good request, an adventurer suddenly called out to him . When he asked for Rei¡¯s name and Rei told him, the other adventurer unexpectedly bowed his head . Because Rei didn¡¯t like crowds, he usually visited the guild between late morning and noon . It was almost 10am . Because of that, there weren¡¯t a lot of adventurers in the guild . Still, there were few around the area . Under such circumstances, someone suddenly bowed their head towards him . Naturally, Rei and the adventurer who was bowing their head stood out conspicuously . Yes, it was quite a spectacle . With the situation reaching this state, he wasn¡¯t too worried about it anymore . Still, being treated like a spectacle, Rei gave a sigh before speaking . ¡¸For now, just raise your head . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, could you listen to my story!?¡¹ At those words, which indicated that he wouldn¡¯t raise his head until Rei agreed to listen to him, Rei gave another sigh . ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . I¡¯ll listen to your story . In that case, go reserve some seats at the bar . I¡¯ll come over as soon as I finish my errands . ¡¹ ¡¸Really!? Thank you very much!¡¹ Raising his head vigorously, Rei was able to see what look was on his face for the first time . In terms of appearance, he looked about Rei¡¯s age¡­¡­no, if Rei looked about 15, the other adventurer looked to be around 18 . In this world of Elgin, he was already a young man that could stand on his own . His hair was a blonde¡­¡­or closer to a yellow and he had a somewhat serious look . He was equipped with a leather armour reinforced with metal pieces at certain points, which emphasised mobility . He also has a long sword as his waist . However, it was thinner than an ordinary long sword . Naturally, the sheath for the long sword was also narrow than a ordinary long sword . (Is that weapon the so called estoc?) Estoc . It was a thin sword that could be called delicate compared to an ordinary long sword . Basically it was a sword specialised for thrusting rather than slashing . It wasn¡¯t possible to use it to block an enemy attack . No, if you wanted to you could, but if it was done poorly, the blade could just snap right off . Regarding thrusts and stabs, which were the biggest strength of an estoc, the estoc would still break if it hit a decent metal armour . It could be called the weapon of an expert who loved to aim at points like joints which where not covered by armour . At the very least, it wasn¡¯t a weapon for beginners . (In that case¡­¡­he should be an adventurer with some level of skill?) Thinking to himself, he saw the back of the man as he left for the bar inside the guild . The way he walked certainly showed that he was someone with some skill . ¡¸Now then, another mess¡­¡­I hope it isn¡¯t one . ¡¹ It had been two weeks since the Azoth Firm power struggle . The confusion among the weapons shops in the city of Gilm had finally settled down and the normal bustle was coming back . Although it wasn¡¯t a big issue for the general public, it had been a rather troublesome issue to adventurers, since weapons were essential to them . Well, regardless, Rei had still taken a few weeks off for vacation . Since the war with the Bestir Empire was guaranteed to start next spring, at the very least, he wanted to spend a calm winter . While thinking like that, Rei headed for the counter . ¡¸Ahaha . You¡¯re quite conspicuous, Rei-kun . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Kenny! Don¡¯t be so noisy . So then, uh, Rei-san . What business do you have today? You don¡¯t seem to have a request form . ¡¹ Rei shook his head at Lenora, who had glanced at his hands as she spoke . ¡¸No, I want to know more about the man from just before . It was the first time I¡¯ve ever had someone suddenly bow their head at me . ¡¹ If there were adventurers that Rei knew in the guild, he might have asked them for information . However, it was just before noon, most ordinary adventurers had already picked up requests and there weren¡¯t a lot adventurers inside the guild . And among the remaining ones, Rei didn¡¯t know any of them . On the contrary, there were actually quite a few adventurers who had heard of Rei . Although Rei was originally quite prominent in various ways, his skill and ruthlessness had become more well known than ever due to his flashy dispute with the adventurers of Azoth Firm because of Bolton and Galahat¡¯s case . Because of that, few people who would try to speak with him . ¡¸Well, I can¡¯t speak about his skill, but I can tell you about his general reputation . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Lenora¡¯s words . But just as Lenora was about to speak, Kenny squeezed her body forward . ¡¸Ah, then I can tell you since I¡¯m free . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, Kenny!?¡¹ ¡¸Because I have a more outgoing attitude, I know a lot more stories than Lenora . ¡¹ Kenny, a catkin, turned to look Rei in the eyes while giving a purr like a real cat . ¡­¡­This was because Kenny had sat down . In fact, standing up, Kenny was actually a little taller . ¡¸Ahh, I see . ¡¹ Rei glanced at Lenora . Seeing that, Lenora nodded back and shrugged her shoulders as if she had no choice . ¡¸I understand . Well then¡­¡­I¡¯ll leave him to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me . His name is Hasta-kun . A D rank adventurer from this city . He rose to D rank roughly about a year ago, so I guess you could call him a veteran . As Rei-kun saw before, he has a straightforward personality . His parents seem to operate a restaurant near the library . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh~, a restaurant . ¡­¡­Mm? He¡¯s a D rank adventurer, but what about his party?¡¹ ¡¸Hasta-kun works solo, just like you Rei-kun . ¡¹ Rei was surprised at Kenny¡¯s words . Of course, he knew that there were other adventurers other than himself . Among Rei¡¯s own acquaintances, there was Runo with his magic eye that could see magic power . However, it was still true that there were far less solo adventurers . As for the reason why, some lacked confidence in their own skill, other had personality problems and couldn¡¯t stay in a party . Then there were the ones who had their own secrets they did not want to talk about, like Rei . ¡¸Even though you say that, it¡¯s unusual to be solo at D rank . Is there any reason?¡¹ ¡¸If you could call it a reason, it seems that Hasta-kun became an adventurer in the first place to help his family . As I said before, his parents run a restaurant . So if they could use the meat of monsters he kills, I guess the raw food cost would be considerably cheaper?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . If he works with a party, it will be necessary to share the rewards . However, it should be possible to split the meat with the magic stones . ¡­¡­¡¹ At that question that Rei just thought of, Kenny lightly shrugged her eyes . At the same time, Lenora had been listening to the story from behind Kenny . ¡¸At the beginning, as Rei-kun says, there were times where he formed a party and split the meat with the magic stones . But, there were disputes about how to distribute everything . In the end the party broke up . At that time he was still an E rank adventurer . But ever since Hasta-kun got to his current level of strength, he¡¯s been active solo . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . He certainly seems to have a level of skill . ¡¹ Rei thought back to how Hasta had moved himself when he left for the bar . ¡¸I have a rough understanding . I¡¯ll decide what to do after hearing his story . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . So¡­¡­if possible, could you help him?¡¹ After Kenny¡¯s somewhat worried words, Rei headed for the bar where Hasta was waiting . ¡¸Sorry I made you wait . ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine . I¡¯m sorry for taking up your time . ¡¹ When Rei arrived at his seat, Hasta had bowed his head to the extent that his forehead was almost touching the table . ¡¸Ah, since you took the trouble to hear me out, I¡¯ll pay for today . ¡­¡­But though I say that, I don¡¯t have much money so keep to the cheap ones please . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Hasta, who said that with an embarrassed smile, and ordered a set of warm soup, skewer and bread from an approaching waitress . It was a little early for lunch . ¡­¡­But with Rei¡¯s poor energy efficiency, this amount of food just amounted to snacks before lunch . ¡¸Well then, aside from that . ¡¹ He was relieved that it was a cheap set . Hasta also ordered similar dishes . While watching the waitress head to the kitchen, Rei lowered the hood of his Dragon Robe and turned back to Hasta . ¡¸Wow, you really are younger than me aren¡¯t you . ¡¹ Hasta was surprised to see Rei¡¯s childlike face . However, Rei was already accustomed to such reactions and spoke without any particular concern . ¡¸Well then . So, I¡¯ll be blunt, but what do you want me for? Coming over to me and suddenly bowing your head, you must be quite troubled?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . Actually, my parents run a restaurant . So I let my father and mother use the meat of the monsters I kill . ¡¹ (Selling the meat I have inside the Misty Ring to him cheaply, is this how it will go?) Rei anticipated that . Anyhow, with a body over 2m in size¡­¡­Set was still getting bigger recently . Rei¡¯s Misty Ring stored a lot of meat to let Set eat until he was full . The Orc meat he had had decreased by a large amount but there was still quite a bit left . He also had large quantities of Water Monkey meat, from the ones he had killed in the dungeon . In addition, Rei also had a wide variety of other monster meat . That was why he though Hasta¡¯s goal was the meat he had¡­¡­ ¡¸No, not that . ¡¹ Hasta realised it from Rei¡¯s expression and denied it himself before he was asked . ¡¸I heard that Rei-san is accompanied by a Griffon and that you collect monster meat for it . So it may look like that¡¯s what I¡¯ve come to you for, but what I actually want is to borrow Rei-san¡¯s strength . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Borrow my strength?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Actually, it¡¯s changing from autumn to winter¡­¡­it seems . A certain monster starts to appear during this change in seasons . But it¡¯s not near the city of Gilm but in the grasslands about half a day away . ¡¹ Grasslands about half a day away from the city of Gilm . When he was told that, the plains where he and Set dropped by whenever they acquired new skills pass through his mind . ¡¸That is, is it he plains on the way towards the Forest of Monsters from the city of Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, do you know already? That¡¯s right . I would like to cooperate with you to hunt some monsters that come out there . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Cooperation, is it . Couldn¡¯t you just post a request?¡¹ When Rei asked as he turned to look at the request board, Hasta shook his head with a bitter smile . ¡¸If I hired adventurers, that would cost money . Especially since I¡¯m in some finacial difficulty at the moment . ¡­¡­So I had planned to go hunt the monster myself . However, because the strength of me alone is lacking, I looked for Rei-san, who is the same rank as me and is also active solo . Of course, there are various other reasons for choosing you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ (This is the first time an adventurer has given me a request directly without going through the guild . ) Rei spoke while thinking to himself . ¡¸By the way, what kind of monster is it that would make you look for me to cooperate with you?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a Gamelion . ¡¹ Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Rei tilted his head at the name of the monster that was spoken by Hasta, the adventurer sitting opposite him in the guild tavern . ¡¸Gamelion?¡¹ Rei was puzzled at the monster name which he hadn¡¯t heard of before . He looked through Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, but there wasn¡¯t a monster called Gamelion in it . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of this monster . What kind of monster is it?¡¹ ¡¸Huh? You don¡¯t know? It¡¯s a famous monster in this city . ¡¹ At Hasta¡¯s justifiable response, Rei involuntarily gave a wry smile . ¡¸It hasn¡¯t been that long since I came to the city of Gilm . Even if it is common knowledge in Gilm, there are still many things I don¡¯t know . So please tell me about it if you don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, now that you mention it¡­¡­¡¹ He seemed to recall something at Rei¡¯s words . With a small nod, Hasta was about to speak again¡­¡­ ¡¸Sorry for making you wait . ¡¹ The waitress at the tavern brought the ordered dishes . Thanking her briefly, Hasta reached out for a skewer after paying for them . ¡¸Let¡¯s eat first . It¡¯s courtesy to eat the food while it¡¯s still hot . ¡¹ ¡¸I certainly don¡¯t want to have to eat cold skewers . ¡¹ Rei agreed with Hasta¡¯s words and asked a question as he reached for a skewer as well . ¡¸So did you say a Gamelion? Tell me what kind of monster it is . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . As I mentioned earlier, Gamelions are a monster that appears in the grasslands near the city of Gilm during the season change from autumn to winter . It¡¯s appearance¡­¡­that¡¯s right, I guess a huge rabbit would be the best way to describe it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A rabbit?¡¹ After more than a year since he was promoted to D rank, Hasta, who could now be considered a veteran, had asked Rei to help him to hunt a monster . Although not as far as a Dragon, Rei had imagined a monster that was on a similar level to the Spriggan he had fought in the dungeon . Are you serious? Although Rei¡¯s question included that meaning, Hasta nodded with a serious expression . ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s a rabbit . But even though I say that, of course it isn¡¯t an ordinary rabbit . It¡¯s a ferocious monster which just happens to have a similar appearance to a rabbit . It¡¯s about 3m in length and the fur that covers it¡¯s body gives it very high defense that makes it hard for bladed weapons to cut through . It¡¯s main methods of attack are it¡¯s long ears, which are as sharp as blades, and its fangs, which it uses to bite and inject poison into its target . Their tails are usually about 1m long and can be swung like a whip . As these are all instantaneous high offensive power attacks, characteristic of rabbits, it¡¯s a very difficult rank C monster . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A rabbit?¡¹ Rei asked the same question as before . Speaking of rabbits, Rei would occasionally see them in the mountains near his parents house where he lived before he came to Elgin . They were about 30cm in length, so at the very least, 3m rabbits were outside of his imagination . ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s a rabbit . However, as I said earlier, it only looks like a rabbit in appearance, its nature is that of a monster . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess . ¡¹ Rei tried to visualise the explanation he was told in his mind, but it was hardly what he could call a rabbit . ¡¸So what do you think? Could you lend me a hand?¡¹ At Hasta¡¯s question, Rei chewed his bread and drank some soup before speaking . ¡¸I want to hear a few things first . Depending on the result, this request¡­¡­no, I will decide whether to accept this request or not based on it . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I understand . ¡¹ Rei asked his questions after seeing Hasta nod docilely at his words . ¡¸First of all . What the benefits of accepting your request? You told me that you couldn¡¯t post a request through the guild because you didn¡¯t have the money to pay the reward . In that case, isn¡¯t it obvious that you don¡¯t have the money to to pay me anything either?¡¹ ¡¸That is right . However, I¡¯ve heard that Rei-san is a collector of magic stones . In the end, what I want is the meat of the Gamelion to use it in the restaurant . Regarding the magic stones and materials, you can take them all . ¡¹ At those words, Reid suddenly recalled what he had heard from Kenny . ¡¸If I¡¯m not mistaken, when you formed a party previously, I heard that there were problems with that arrangement?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­so you heard . That is certainly so, but it¡¯s not a problem if we¡¯re just dividing the Gamelion this time only right? All I want is the meat . What Rei-san wants is the magic stone . I can hand all the materials over . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well, I¡¯m fine with that . This last question has nothing to do with the request, but why do you know that I¡¯m collecting magic stones?¡¹ Rei hadn¡¯t openly declared that he was collecting magic stones and he hadn¡¯t told a lot of people either . He wondered how Hasta knew it and asked¡­¡­ ¡¸Eh? Rei-san, you didn¡¯t know that you are famous among the adventurers in the city of Gilm?¡¹ Hasta responded as such with a surprised expression when he was asked . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸In the first place, the materials and proofs of subjugation that Rei-san has brought to the guild is abnormally high for a solo adventurer . And for that reason, it¡¯s become pretty well known that the magic stones, that can be sold for the most, does not match the amount of materials that are sold . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s rare for a solo adventurer to earn that much . So, when the person in charge of selling materials noticed that the number of magic stones didn¡¯t match up with the amount of materials, it became widely known . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Hearing the harmless answer, Rei involuntarily gave a sigh . If the guild wasn¡¯t where adventurers gathered, maybe he should have sold his materials directly to stores¡­¡­Rei thought about it to himself, but he dropped the thought as soon as he considered the troublesome price negotiations he would have to go through . After all, as Hasta said, the amount of materials Rei provided was closer to that of a party of adventurers than someone working solo . If he had to negotiate with sly merchants every time, instead of having to negotiate, he would rather sell the materials to the guild, who would at a fixed price, even if it was for a little less . Ahem . Clearing his throat, Rei continued talking . ¡¸So, going back to the main topic . Since you asked to work with me, have you considered what to do if I turned you down? For example, going to hunt the monster by yourself . If you did that, you wouldn¡¯t need to bother with splitting the meat and materials . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course I had considered that possibility . However, I received advice from a certain person . If I explained the circumstances to Rei-san, he probably won¡¯t bluntly refuse . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s cheeks twitched at those words . There weren¡¯t many people in the city of Gilm that he was acquainted with . Even then, he couldn¡¯t think of who would say something like that . ¡¸Who was it that told you such annoying things . ¡¹ ¡¸That is, it was Pamidor-san, a blacksmith in the neigbourhood . ¡¹ Pamidor, a blacksmith . Hearing those two words, a tough looking face that reminded Rei of a bandit popped into his mind . ¡¸That guy . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Although it hasn¡¯t been long since he moved here, he¡¯s quite famous around the area . The gap between his looks and his personality is amazing . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess . ¡¹ (That said, if Pamidor introduced him, I don¡¯t have a reason to decline . What I heard from Brazos was that he is one of the most talented smiths in the country . When Azoth Firm my enemy, he ignored the order to not do business with me . I want to get along with someone of that character . If he doesn¡¯t forget any favours, I won¡¯t forget either . ) Rei quickly calculated in his mind before speaking . ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped . If it¡¯s an introduction from Pamidor, I can¡¯t really refuse it . I¡¯ll help you to hunt some Gamelions . It¡¯s hard to ignore magic stones from monsters that only show up at this time . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much . ¡¹ ¡¸So, since I¡¯ve agreed to that, when are we actually heading out there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That is, before that, I would like to confirm, but is it really true that you have an item box?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ah . So it¡¯s about that . Here . ¡¹ As soon as he said that, Rei took out a sheathed dagger from the Misty Ring . Seeing that, Hasta gave a beaming smile . ¡¸Wow, it really is an item box . ¡­¡­It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen the real thing . ¡¹ ¡¸It seems there are only a few in existance, so why do you need to confirm that I have one?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . That right . As I said, Gamelions are about 3m in length¡­¡­that is to say, if possible, would you mind letting me use your item box to store the meat?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I won¡¯t ask you to do it for free!¡¹ Although Rei was just lost in thought for a moment when he asked about the item box, Hasta immediately continued the moment he saw Rei pause . For Rei, it was what he usually did, so there weren¡¯t any problems in particular . But for ordinary adventurers, it felt like it was a very great honour to be able to use such a rare magic item that the item box was . (In that case, I can check how serious he is with this . ) Thinking to himself, Rei spoke up while looking at Hasta . ¡¸But you said that you basically have no money, what do you have to offer me?¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, I don¡¯t have that much money to spend . Because of that, I can provide labour . ¡¹ ¡¸Labour?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Rei-san has defeated a lot of monsters, but you¡¯re not that great at stripping materials and dismantling the monsters right? Since I was small, I¡¯ve helped to dismantle monsters in the restaurant at my house, so I¡¯m used to that work . Because of that, I believe I can be Rei-san¡¯s strength in that sense . Of course, I won¡¯t say for forever from now on¡­¡­but how about I can strip materials for you for free 10 times from now?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hou~ . ¡¹ At that unexpected proposal, Rei nodded in admiration . As for Rei, he was quite attracted by Hasta¡¯s proposal, since stripping materials and extracting magic stones wasn¡¯t really something he was that good at . It was also obviously beneficial to Rei that he didn¡¯t have to take the trouble of going through the guild . At the very least, he didn¡¯t need to go through the time consuming interviews . ¡¸That¡¯s certainly an attractive proposal . ¡­¡­But, why do you just want the meat of a monster like a Gamelion? I guess if it only appears in this season, it would be quite rare . ¡¹ Hasta stayed silent for a few seconds, but eventually started talking . ¡¸Actually, my parent¡¯s restaurant currently has a small debt . I want to return it as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸A debt?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Ah, of course, we didn¡¯t borrow from a nasty merchant or take over a friend¡¯s debts . That debt is purely from when we borrowed money to expand our restaurants facilities . The loan didn¡¯t carry particularly high interest . ¡­¡­But, since my childhood, my parents have brought me telling me how to lend and borrow money . Seeing their current circumstances of debt¡­¡­I don¡¯t feel good about it . ¡¹ With some embarrassment, Hasta drank some of the soup, that was already starting to go cold . ¡¸So, your solution to the debt is the Gamelion?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . As a rank C monster, its meat is considerably delicious . More than anything, it¡¯s also really rare because of its seasonality . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But if you have a debt, isn¡¯t better to have the magic stones and materials rather than just the meat?¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha . I also said that, but my father shouted¡ºWe are not so unreliable to have rely on our children to bear our debt!¡» . As a compromise, instead of bringing them the usual monster meat for the restaurant, I decided to bring in the meat of higher raking monsters that can be used for higher priced dishes . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ Rei nodded, but predicted that even if it was used to cook more expensive dishes, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to sell it all right away . Anyhow, there weren¡¯t really that many people who could order higher class dishes . (Well, if it¡¯s a monster about 3m in size, they can probably sell all the meat before it starts going off . ) As Rei nodded, Hasta, who had answered cheerfully up until now, hesitated to speak up . ¡¸That¡¯s right . Actually, I heard a story from one of my father¡¯s acquaintances a while ago . ¡¹ ¡¸A story?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . My father¡¯s acquaintance owns a street stall, the kind that sells simple snacks like sandwiches and skewers . So, he said that after receiving a little advice from Rei-san, the taste of his dish improved and his sales also increased . Because of that, I was wondering if you could give some advice about our restaurant . ¡¹ Saying that, the owner of a street stall who often gave sandwiches to Set appeared in Rei¡¯s mind . Since that owner loved Set, Rei often bought sandwiches for him at that stall . As thanks, Rei taught him a simple toasted sandwich recipe . It was pretty much just a sandwich that was toasted, it was a recipe that couldn¡¯t really be called a recipe . But at the very least, it seemed that toasted sandwiches didn¡¯t exist in the city of Gilm and it became a pretty popular item . However, the cooking method quickly spread as the only difference was that the bread with the fillings inside was toasted before being cut . ¡¸Normally, people don¡¯t think of toasting sandwiches . But, it¡¯s delicious when toasted . Especially with cheese or ham . ¡­¡­Depending on the ingredients, there are also some things that don¡¯t match . Because of that, with that knowledge, I was wondering if I could ask for a dish that could become a specialty of our restaurant . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m actually an amateur in cooking you know? Toasted sandwiches are just made from toasting bread, anyone could come up with it . ¡¹ ¡¸But that fact that you actually thought of it is really amazing . ¡­¡­Could you think of one for me?¡¹ Seeing Hasta¡¯s petition, Rei was troubled for several seconds¡­¡­but as soon as he thought of something, he gave a small nod . (There are no noodle dishes in Elgin . No, perhaps there are some in other cities or countries, but there are none in the city of Gilm . Then this might be a good opportunity? If there¡¯s wheat flour, salt and water, udon noodles could be made . ¡­¡­However, the problem is that I don¡¯t know how udon noodles are made myself . If I had made it at home before, I could probably do something about it? ¡­¡­No, that¡¯s the job of a professional chef . If I provide some hints, I should be able to leave the invention to them . ) After deciding on his thoughts in his mind, he called out to Hasta . ¡¸That¡¯s right . I have an idea of a dish I want to try, this would be a good opportunity to realise it . However, I only have the idea, whether or not it can be created will depend on the chef¡¯s skill . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, vigourously bowed his head . Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Legend Chapter 171 ¡¸Well, regarding the food, is it fine to leave it until after we¡¯ve taken down that monster you called the Gamelion?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . I would appreciate it greatly if you did that . But first of all, the Gamelion¡¯s meat is the priority . ¡¹ ¡¸So, I heard that Gamelions can be found about half a day¡¯s distance away from here¡­¡­but are we heading out now?¡¹ At those words, Hasta turned to look out a window in the bar before shaking his head . ¡¸The place where Gamelions appear is half a day away from here . Even if we left now, it would be into evening by the time we get there . Searching for our target in that situation would be tough . No, even if Rei doesn¡¯t have any issues, it¡¯s a bit harder for me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . I had hoped that both of us could ride Set, but unfortunately, he can only handle one . ¡¹ ¡¸If I¡¯m not mistaken, Set was the name of your Griffon . ¡­¡­Mm, then, we¡¯ll leave the city early tomorrow morning and arrive at the Gamelion hunting grounds just after noon . After that, the best would be to smoothly hunt some Gamelions and then return to the city of Gilm . ¡¹ Speaking up to there, Rei and Hasta both shook their heads . ¡¸That¡¯s impossible . ¡¹ ¡¸I agree . I don¡¯t think things will happen that conveniently . I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be able to find a Gamelion right away after we get there . ¡­¡­Or rather, that would normally be impossible . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, we might need to prepare to stay for at least one night at worst . As for dismantling them, it won¡¯t be a problem if I store the killed Gamelions into my item box and bring it back to the city . The main problem is how quickly we can find a Gamelion . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . However, I don¡¯t want to have to spent a night outside the city if possible at this time of the year . It¡¯s quite cold and stronger monsters also tend to appear around this time compared to spring and summer . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh~, is that so?¡¹ Rei, who hadn¡¯t heard about that before, replied in surprise . As for Rei, a monster he hadn¡¯t met yet meant a magic stone that he hadn¡¯t tried to absorb before . It was like a dream come true for him for new stronger monsters to appear . ¡¸¡­¡­Actually, why don¡¯t Set and I just fly over to the plains ourselves and hunt some Gamelions? In that case, it shouldn¡¯t take too long and wouldn¡¯t it be much easier?¡¹ Rei would hunt some Gamelions and a few other unknown monsters while he was at it to get their magic stones . Hasta could just wait in the city of Gilm . Rei brought up the idea that he had thought of but Hasta shook his head . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . Because of the conditions my father set, I have to do it myself . Because of that, I can¡¯t entrust it to you entirely . If, for example, the debt was to a corrupt money lender, I wouldn¡¯t care about the conditions at all . But in the end, this just started from me not wanting my father and mother to be in debt¡­¡­even if I left everything to Rei-san and received the Gamelion meat, I¡¯m sure that my father wouldn¡¯t use it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You must have a hard time dealing with your stubborn father . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahaha . But it¡¯s because my father is like that that I want to become stronger . ¡¹ Seeing Hasta say that with a smile, Rei was momentarily reminded of Bolton and Galahat from Azoth Firm . Bolton, Postguerra, Minas and Cordo . The four of them had already been escorted to the Imperial Capital . While they were being escorted, there had been a rumor that an unearthly cry would be heard every time the date changed, but even though Rei heard the rumors, he didn¡¯t show any particular expressions . ¡¸Well then, in that case, can we meet at the front of the main gate tomorrow morning? After that, we¡¯ll move to the location where Gamelions appear and start hunting as soon as possible . Then, we¡¯ll hurry back to the city of Gilm . If we don¡¯t make it back in time before the city gates close, we¡¯ll stay outside the city for the night . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine . Then that¡¯s that . ¡­¡­Although it can¡¯t be helped, it¡¯s hard when sunrise is so late . When it¡¯s still dark outside, monsters are quite active . ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped . But it¡¯s precisely because Gamelions only come out at this time of the year right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Probably to save up energy before winter, it¡¯s said that Gamelions come out to the plains to prey on other monsters and wild animals . ¡­¡­In fact, I had the opportunity to eat the meat of a Gamelion about 2 years ago, it was very delicious . The taste of its meat was comparable to to rank B monsters . ¡¹ Maybe he was recalling the taste of the meat, Hasta seemed to have a happy smile on his face . Seeing that, Rei started to feel hungry, even though he had just finished a light meal . ¡¸Anyway . Tomorrow morning . Can we meet at the front of the main gate at just about sunrise?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, y-yes! I¡¯m okay with that . Thank you very much!¡¹ Hasta gave a quick bow and Rei gave a small nod back before they parted ways to prepare for the next day . However, in Rei¡¯s case, since the Misty Ring held a lot of adventuring equipment already, he had nothing to buy in particular and ended up heading back to the inn while buying food to eat with Set . Dawn the next morning . Rei woke up earlier than usual, had a quick breakfast and paid extra to have plenty more sandwiches for snacks and lunch before walking towards the main gate with Set while it was still dark . ¡¸Hm, it¡¯s getting colder afterall . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he saw several other adventurers heading for the main gate aside from himself . Unlike a while before, many people were wearing robes and coats on top of their armour . There was also a mage who seemed to be wearing several layers of robes . Meanwhile, Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe kept the temperature comfortable for whoever was wearing it . Such a small change to the temperature was also inconsequential to Set . The two of them were quite out of place in the surroundings . If it was just about how conspicuous they were, there were hardly any people who didn¡¯t know about Set now . Still, since Rei was hardly wearing anything aside from his robe and coat in 10C temperatures, it was no surprise he attracted attention from the surroundings . It was clear to everyone that he was using some sort of magic item, but Rei had become known as someone that should be avoided as much as possible . As a result, he arrived at the main gate without anyone asking any questions . The main gate hadn¡¯t opened yet, but some adventurers were around waiting for it to open . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san . Good morning!¡¹ As soon as he found Rei, Hast gave a quick bow as he greet them . ¡¸¡­¡­You don¡¯t have to put up a brave front . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Heh, I¡¯ve seen it several times from a distance in the city, but this is my first time seeing it so close . Um, nice to meet you Set¡­¡­is that right?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry at Hasta¡¯s words . Seeing that, Hasta took something out of the backpack he was carrying and gave it to Set . ¡¸Um, I brought some cooked dishes from our restaurant . Would you like to eat it?¡¹ He held a sandwich in his hand . However, inside the sandwich was a large serving of meat . Rather calling it bread with some meat inside, it was more like meat covered by bread . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a cheerful cry, Set used his beak to bring the sandwich into his mouth . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san, have some as well . I received a lot of food from my father instead of having breakfast . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, then I won¡¯t be polite . ¡¹ Despite having a light breakfast before leaving the inn, Rei was still brought some of the meat sandwiches to his mouth . At first sight, it didn¡¯t look like an elegant dish, but the meat inside had been stewed and not roasted . It melted into his mouth without having to chew much . ¡¸¡­¡­Delicious . ¡¹ He said that without thinking . Hearing that, Hasta smiled happily . After all, he was glad that the food made by his father was praised . ¡¸It suits my tastes well . ¡­¡­Ah, it seems the gate will open soon . Let¡¯s go quickly . We have to be quick in a variety of ways today . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . Set, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Putting the last bit of the sandwich into his mouth, Rei headed for the front gate with Set and Hasta . Nearby adventurers who noticed their movements also started moving to complete their procedures to exit the city . But seeing Rei and Set, they stopped to talk with their party members to kill some time while they waited . ¡¸Oh, Rei-kun . It¡¯s been a while . ¡¹ It was Ranga, who could be said to handle Rei and Set exclusively . Even though the morning sun hadn¡¯t risen yet, his face was full of energy and his stern beard was a glossy black as usual . ¡¸Well, as expected my vacation is over . Today, I¡¯m heading over to the plains with that person over there to hunt a monster called a Gamelion . ¡¹ As soon as he heard the name Gamelion, his cheeks twitched . Rei didn¡¯t miss that and asked Ranga as he passed his guild card and Set¡¯s Necklace of Subservient Monster over . ¡¸Did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, that¡¯s right . If it¡¯s you there¡¯s nothing to worry about¡­¡­as you know, Gamelions are a monster that appears at this time of the year, every year . ¡¹¡¸That seems to be the case . ¡¹ ¡¸As a rank C monster and its meat is very tasty . So because of that, adventurers will take up requests for it every time this time of the year to hunt them so they can eat some¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But?¡¹ ¡¸This year, it seems that it¡¯s different from usual . No, of course several adventurer parties have already hunted Gamelions . But, there has been a strange report from a party . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei silently urged Ranga to continue . ¡¸Ordinary Gamelions are roughly 3m in size . However, some people have said that they¡¯ve seen a Gamelion over 8m in size . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Over 8m? Well, that¡¯s pretty big . It¡¯s almost 3 times larger than normal . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . I think it¡¯s probably a rare species¡­¡­anyway, if you¡¯re going to hunt Gamelions, I think it would be better to be careful around there . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Thank you for the information . Since it¡¯s not just me and Set, I¡¯ll be careful to avoid it as much as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸Please do so . It would be best to kill it if possible though . ¡­¡­Yes, here you go . Stay safe . ¡¹ Having his guild card returned, Rei left the main gate with Hasta, who had finished a little earlier . Naturally, Set walked along behind them, matching their pace . Continuing on from the city of Gilm, they headed in the direction of the Forest of Monsters . ¡¸The story about the rare species, did you hear about it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Since it¡¯s normal to rank rare species one rank higher, if it really is a rare species of Gamelion, it should be around rank B . ¡­¡­To be honest, I¡¯m worried about it . ¡¹ Hasta unintentionally gave a sigh as he spoke . Hasta was a rank D adventurer . To hunt a Gamelion, a rank C monster, by himself was already risky . Even though he had decided to aim for a Gamelion this time because of Rei and Set¡¯s strength, a rare species around B rank was just too tough . It was no wonder that Hasta thought like that . But . ¡¸Well, if it¡¯s a rank B, we¡¯ll manage somehow . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ At the words Rei muttered, Hasta heard it with shocked expression . A rank B monster¡­¡­there werne¡¯t many people in the city of Gilm that would take one on solo . Did he mean if it was a rank D monster, he could manage somehow? Although Hasta wondered about that, he immediately understood after glancing back at the Griffon following them . Surely, if a Griffon was a rank A monster, then they could manage a rank B monster one way or another . The Orc King Rei had defeated or the Spriggan that Rei had taken down with Elena and the others, Emerald Wolves were regarded as rank C individually but considered to be the equivalent of rank B in groups . It had hardly spread that Rei had defeated such monsters . More people knew about the Orc King but Hasta didn¡¯t seem to have heard . ¡¸In the case of emergencies, I¡¯ll be relying on you . ¡¹ Because of that, Hasta stroked Set¡¯s head while saying that he would be relying on him if the rare species appeared . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set didn¡¯t know why his head was suddenly patted and just gave a puzzled cry . Chapter 172 Chapter 172 ¡¸Tch, so troublesome!¡¹ ¡¸Gigigyi-!¡¹ A big and swift swing of the Death Scythe sliced three Goblins at the torso . Goblin blood and entrails scattered everywhere . Frowning at the uncomfortable sweat coming out around his eyes, Rei looked towards Hasta, who was fighting nearby . Avoiding a wide swing of a rusty long sword, the next moment, the tip of his estoc quickly pierced into the Goblin¡¯s forehead before being swiftly withdrawn . It looked like a practiced series of movements . ¡¸Heh, as expected of a D rank adventurer . His strength is quite good . ¡¹ Muttering in admiration, Rei decided that Hasta didnt¡¯ need any help and turned to look at his partner, Set . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thought as much . ¡¹ What had unfolded was a one sided stomp rather than a fight . A Goblin desperately wielded a rusted spear, which Set struck and destroyed with a swing of his claws . It wasn¡¯t hard for Set to avoid any stones thrown at him as he danced freely in the skies . A single blow from Set easily stole away the Goblin¡¯s life . A group of Goblins that had recklessly attacked Rei¡¯s group didn¡¯t even need 5 minutes before realising they couldn¡¯t win and running away . ¡¸I really didn¡¯t think we would get attacked by Goblins . ¡¹ ¡¸Me too . I don¡¯t think there were any reports in the guild of Goblins appearing along here . ¡¹ Both Rei and Hasta gave a sigh as they cut of the right ears, as proof of subjugation, and removing the magic stones from their hearts . ¡¸The meat¡­¡­I don¡¯t need it . What about you?¡¹ ¡¸Me neither . The meat of Goblins tastes bad . ¡­¡­If it was delicious, it would probably be more attractive . It is a troublesome monster for adventurers since they reproduce so quickly . ¡¹ ¡¸Their rate of reproduction is so high that if you see 1, there¡¯s probably 30 around . ¡¹ Regarding the corpses, they decided that other monsters would just eat them up if there were only 10 . Leaving them as they were, the three of them started walking again towards the area where Gamelions appeared . ¡¸Is this the first time you¡¯ve tried hunting a Gamelion?¡¹ As they walked along the road, Rei asked Hasta, who was walking next to him . Hasta shook his head . ¡¸I¡¯ve experienced it several times before . However, back then I was with a party . The amount of meat I received was inevitably small . Because of that, I made a request to Rei-san this time . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . By the way, did Goblins appear that time?¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­¡­I don¡¯t remember, but in this direction towards the Forest of Monsters, there are many kinds of monsters that appear . I guess it wouldn¡¯t be surprising even if there were Goblins . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In that case, that¡¯s fine . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei?¡¹ Maybe feeling uneasy about Rei¡¯s mutters, Hasta asked about it . However, Rei shook his head as if it wasn¡¯t much . (Yes, if there are a wide range of monster from the Forest of Monsters, it should be difficult for monsters like Goblins to survive here¡­¡­in this large plain . Luckily, we haven¡¯t run into any other monsters . ) Thinking to himself, he brought himself back to reality and continued talking . ¡¸By the way, can I ask what other monsters will come out to the plains aside from Gamelions?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, aside from them, Floating Jellyfish also show up around this time of the year . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Floating Jellyfish?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, right . If you lived in the mountains before you came to the city of Gilm, you probably don¡¯t know what I mean by jellyfish . ¡¹ Although Hasta was about to explain in a hurry, Rei shook his head to stop him . ¡¸No, I¡¯ve read about them in a book my teacher had . Is it a creature with tentacles growing from a transparent bell shape?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . It¡¯s said that they were originally jellyfish that became monsters for some reason . Well, as a D rank monster, it¡¯s not that strong . However, if the tips of its tentacles touch you, you¡¯ll get numbed . Following their name, they fly in the sky¡­¡­in your case, there¡¯s Set, so I don¡¯t think that will be a problem . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ You called? Set seemed to say as he tilted his head in puzzlement behind Rei . ¡¸It¡¯s nothing . We¡¯ll just be relying on you . ¡¹ Rei stroked Set¡¯s head, who rubbed his head against Rei . The three of them continued to chat as they walked while watching the surroundings, killing monsters such as Poison Toads and Fang Boars along the way, harvesting their materials, meat and magic stones . After several hours, they reached a place where the surroundings became dark green with the long grass that grew . It was a mysterious sight . Although it was already late autumn and close to winter, the grass hadn¡¯t withered and instead had grown lushly in all the places they had walked by . It was a scene that you could mistake for summer . But even though the view was like that of a summer field, the surrounding temperature was definitely that of late autumn with the temperature being below 10C . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s strange isn¡¯t it? Apparently around here seems to have received some sort of magical interference from the Forest of Monsters, so grass grows here all year round . ¡¹ ¡¸The Forest of Monsters is it?¡¹ In a sense, Rei¡¯s surprised expression when he heard the name was because he didn¡¯t expect that it had anything to do with the place where he was born . Any how, the Forest of Monsters was a few hours away from Gilm even by flying on Set . When walking by foot, it would take several days . From this, you could see how big the impact the Forest of Monsters had . ¡¸Yes, that seems to be the case . Well, it¡¯s also the reason why Gamelions will come out so far, so it¡¯s not a bad thing for the residents of Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸No, is that fine? To leave a phenomenon like that as it is . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, nothing particularly bad has happened because of it . So I guess it¡¯s okay?¡¹ (It seems there are various inconveniences . ¡­¡­I might as well investigate it a bit later . No, I can¡¯t sense magic power well, so it¡¯s impossible for me . In that case¡­¡­) At that moment, Rei recalled an adventurer who could see magic power directly with his magic eyes, Runo . (Of course, I can provide my own skills as compensation¡­¡­now then, what should I do . ) ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s been a while . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, if it isn¡¯t Hasta . Long time no see . Even you¡¯ve come here¡­¡­ah, I see . Mm, I get it now . ¡¹ Rei, who had been thinking to himself, brought himself back to reality at Hasta¡¯s voice . Looking ahead, there were about 5 adventurers who had stopped when they saw Rei¡­¡­no, to be exact they stopped when they saw Set . Some of the adventurers were pulling a cart that held the corpses of a few dead monsters . A long supple tail, pure white fur, sharp ears and blade like fangs . They all matched the characteristics of the Gamelion he had heard from Hasta . (I see . So they are also an adventurer party hunting for Gamelions . ) ¡¸¡­¡­I thought that it would be reckless to challenge a Gamelion with only two people . But if the rumors about Rei are true, it will be okay for the two of you . Or rather, with a Griffon, a Gamelion will be hard pressed . ¡¹ After the first person said that, the rest of them nodded in agreement . ¡¸Ahahaha . I was able to negotiate well, so I managed to borrow Rei-san¡¯s strength . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡­¡­I don¡¯t think I need to worry too much if there¡¯s a skilled adventurer like Rei, but stay stay safe . Be careful . We hunted a Gamleion, but it was strangely belligerent . It¡¯s somewhat different from last year . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . It¡¯s as I was thinking . I heard a story about a rare species as we were leaving the main gate¡­¡­is it that? On a side note, since you¡¯re coming back now, did you stay overnight?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . It¡¯s hard to find . It can¡¯t be helped . Fortunately, we weren¡¯t attacked overnight . ¡¹ Ahahahaha, the adventurers laughter echoed into the surroundings . Nevertheless, the fact that they stayed overnight in the plains near the Forest of Monsters indicated that they were quite skilled . ¡¸Aside from us, there are still some other Gamelion hunting parties scattered over the plains, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything too dangerous¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess you did mention that earlier . ¡¹ When Hasta spoke to the leader of the party, he replied with a wry smile . ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll be heading back to the city of Gilm soon . It will be troublesome if another monster come because of the smell of blood . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Stay safe on the road . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡­¡­Well, do you have a moment?¡¹ With a glance towards Rei, a man called out . ¡¸I don¡¯t mind . ¡­¡­What is it?¡¹ ¡¸That, that is . Although it may be unreasonable to ask this of you, please look after Hasta . ¡¹ Probably so that it wouldn¡¯t be heard by Hasta, the man whispered into Rei¡¯s ear . ¡¸That fellow, he¡¯s an energetic and polite adventurer . However, his feelings for his family are too strong . Sometimes he will charge ahead recklessly . Because of that, I will be grateful if you can look out for him . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m also a rank D like him . Isn¡¯t he a more veteran adventurer than I am?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t say something that stupid . There¡¯s no adventurer in the city of Gilm that doesn¡¯t know of your skill . Most people who¡¯ve just come to the city or just became an adventurer don¡¯t know left from right . You¡¯ve piled up a lot of achievements . It¡¯s strange that you¡¯re still in rank D . In addition, you¡¯ve also got a Griffon . ¡¹ There was sense of lying in the man¡¯s words . He genuinely admired Rei¡¯s ability . Rei could tell that by the eyes that looked straight at him . (Hasta is loved by the veteran adventurers quite a lot . ) Giving a small sigh, Rei nodded . ¡¸I see . If you trust in my skill that much, it would be sad to disappoint you . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand, I¡¯m very grateful . Well then, I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ With a manly smile, he struck Rei¡¯s shoulder lightly, who was a whole head shorter than him . ¡¸Um? What¡¯s going on?¡¹ Seeing Rei and the other man, Hasta asked . But the man shook his head to say it wasn¡¯t much . ¡¸It¡¯s a long story . ¡­¡­Well then, we should get going soon, hunt carefully!¡¹ Finally, the men continued pulling their cart as they left of the city of Gilm . ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, let¡¯s get going . ¡¹ Hasta said that as he watched the other party of 5 leave . Beyond his gaze lay a lush, dark green plain . Perhaps he was focusing his mind only on the Gamelions, the monsters he had come to hunt . ¡¸That¡¯s right . We should get going . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Hasta¡¯s words and stepped onto the plains with Set . ¡¸Rei-san, can you find where the Gamelions are if Set flies above? Even if we can kill it, we can¡¯t do that without finding one first . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see . Set, can you do it?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ With a cry saying leave it to me, after taking a few steps, Set stretched his wings and rushed up into the sky . ¡¸Wow¡­¡­it¡¯s really amazing isn¡¯t it . ¡¹ Hasta raised a voice of admiration while watching Set rise from the ground . To Hasta, who was a mere rank D adventurer, it was impossible for him to fly through the sky . After about 5 minutes, Set flew back down . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ As soon as he landed on the plain, he turned to his left and gave a cry to indicate the direction as he walked forward . ¡¸Apparently he seems to have found one . ¡¹ ¡¸To find one in such a short time¡­¡­¡¹ With a surprised expression, Hasta spoke in admiration . Set walked straight across the grassy plain for about 20 minutes before eventually stopping and looking towards a small forest in the plains . ¡¸You¡¯re sure it¡¯s over there?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a quite cry at Rei¡¯s question . ¡º¡­¡­¡» Hearing his cry, Rei and Hasta decided there was no mistake and nodded at each other before moving closer towards the forest while keeping their footsteps unheard . Hasta had already taken out his estoc to use at any time . Rei also had his Death Scythe in hand . And what they saw when they entered the forest was¡­¡­ ¡¸Ga, gaa¡­¡­¡¹ A 3m white monster was was eating the entrails of a Gobling that was in a half dead state¡­¡­no, in critical condition . Rei was familiar with that monster . Because he had seen a dead body of it being carted before they entered the plains . Sharp, blade like ears and a tail 1m long . From behind, it was impossible to check it¡¯s fangs, but there was no mistake . As Rei was about to name the 3m long monster, Hasta spoke it first . ¡¸A Gamelion . ¡¹ Chapter 173 Chapter 173 ¡¸A Gamelion . ¡¹ Hasta muttered the name of the monster in expectation . The white monster that had been greedily devouring the internal organs of the Goblin stopped and looked behind with a sharp gaze when he heard that sound . After noticing that there were two adventurers there, it buried its fangs back into the Goblin without caring at all . However, its 1m tail swayed from side to side, as if watching what was happening behind it . ¡¸¡­¡­Hasta, fortunately it hasn¡¯t noticed Set . Once we move from here, Set will attack from the sky . ¡¹ Although Rei quietly called out from behind the nervous looking Hasta, Hasta shook his head to reject that suggestion while firmly grasping the estoc in his hand . ¡¸Even though I asked Rei-san to help with hunting a Gamelion, I can¡¯t just leave everything to you . Besides, there¡¯s also the conditions my father set . ¡¹ At his words, Rei remembered that Hasta wanted to fight it himself and not just have someone do it for him . ¡¸If I left everything to Rei-san and Set, I would be betraying my father and mother . ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, Rei-san . Please let me try first . If I get into a hopeless situation, please help me then . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ As Hasta nodded without any hesitation, Rei remembered the words of the the adventurer they had met upon entering the plains . (It¡¯s true that he does have reckless tendencies . However, there¡¯s no helping it since conditions are conditions . I¡¯ll just step in once things get dangerous . ) Thinking to himself, Rei gave a small nod . ¡¸I understand . However, since I¡¯m working together with you, it would be troublesome for me if you died . If it get¡¯s dangerous, I¡¯ll step in right away . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be relying on you . ¡¹ While watching Hasta ready his estoc, Rei moved a short distance away to see what he could do . Of course, in case anything dangerous happened, he held the Death Scythe in his hands . In addition, Set had hid himself on the ground to make himself as unnoticeable as possible so that the Gamelion wouldn¡¯t detect him and run away . ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m going-!¡¹ Giving a sharp and tense cry, Hasta dashed forward with his estoc, narrowing the distance to the Gamelion . Zing~! Noticing a presence approaching it, the Gamelion swung its tail sharply¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Hasta slid forward to avoid the tail that was swung like a whip, closing the distance further . This situation reminded Rei of some of the sliding tackles he had seen in football on TV when he was in Japan . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Of course, with Rei¡¯s physical abilities, the swing of the tail wasn¡¯t too fast to him . He could slash it off with the Death Scythe¡¯s blade or block it with its handle . And that would only happen if it came to a point where avoiding it by even a hairs breadth was impossible . However, Hasta couldn¡¯t do that with his physical skills, as a result, he just slid under it . ¡¸Ga-!¡¹ But as a Gamelion, having its attacks avoided wasn¡¯t something unexpected . Holding the corpse of the dead Goblin it had eating from in its mouth, it gave a displeased cry as it threw the corpse towards Hasta . Although it was only the size of a human child and its insides had been eaten up, it still weighed over 20kg . If he had been using a common weapon that a lot of other adventurers used, like a long sword, spear or axe, he might have been able to cut through the corpse with force . However, Hasta used a estoc, that specialised in thrusts . Naturally, he couldn¡¯t cut down the corpse of the Goblin . If he was prepared for his weapon to break, he might be able to do so, but that would cause him to lose his means of attack against the Gamelion . In other words, Hasta had no way to deal with it . ¡¸I must gather my strength to do this!¡¹ Shouting as if to inspire himself, he pulled out a knife with his left hand, that wasn¡¯t holding the estoc and stabbed it into the ground to forcibly stop himself . At the same time, the corpse of the Goblin flew past Hasta and struck a tree a short distance from Rei, scattering blood into the surroundings . ¡¸Haa-!¡¹ Although being touched by its prey only caused it to pause momentarily, it was enough for Hasta, who only needed a moment to do a quick stab . With a cry, he thrust forward with the tip of his estoc, striking the base of the Gamelion¡¯s tail without missing . Though the body of a Gamelion was covered in fur that boasted a strong defense against slashing and stabbing attacks, its tail wasn¡¯t covered in fur¡­¡­ ¡¸Gyan~!¡¹ Having its tail cut near the base, the Gamelion let out a scream that echoed into the surroundings . (Heh, he can do it . ) Although he kept the Death Scythe ready to go in at any time, Rei gave a sigh of admiration in his mind . ¡¸Not yet!¡¹ Without needing to see the 1m meter tail fall off, Hasta instinctively understood from his experience as an adventurer that this was his biggest opportunity and stabbed forward sharply a second time . Since the fur of a Gamelion was resistant against cutting and piercing, he aimed for a place that wasn¡¯t covered with fur . It also had to be a place where the attack would be lethal . In other words, its eyes, which were close to its brain . If he could pierce his estoc into its eyes, he would destroy its brain . This was the only opportunity Hasta had to defeat the Gamelion with a single blow . However, of course a Gamelion would know its own weak point . And of course, it knew how to react when its eyes were targeted . Kin~! A sound of metal hitting metal echoed into the surroundings . The source of the sound was Hasta¡¯s estoc . And¡­¡­the tip of the Gamelion¡¯s sharp, blade like ears . ¡¸What!?¡¹ ¡¸GAAAAA-!¡¹ For Hasta, that thrust was one of the fastest and sharpest strikes he had ever made in all the battles he had fought so far . However, the huge rabbit before him had stopped it with its blade ears . Even though he knew its ears were like a knife, he had never had the opportunity to spar with an opponent like a monster of a higher rank . And as the Gamelion blocked Hasta¡¯s estoc with its blade ears, it opened its mouth showed its sharp fangs as it tried to bite into Hasta¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Hasta pulled back his estoc and tried to use it as a shield but it was already too late . The Gamelion¡¯s fangs would take his life faster than he would withdraw his estoc . The next moment after he thought that . Slash-! ¡¸Ga¡­¡­a?¡¹ Activating Shoes of Sleipnir and dashing into the air, Rei dropped from a height of about 6m and poured magic power into the Death Scythe before cutting straight through the neck of the Gamelion . ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ The head and fangs that were originally supposed to cut into his body passed by his side . Hasta leaked a voice as he saw that surreal scene . ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ Rei asked after shouldering the Death Scythe that had cut through the Gamelion¡¯s neck like a guillotine . ¡¸Ah, yes . Yes . Of course I¡¯m okay¡­¡­eh? That¡¯s?¡¹ Hasta turned to look at the Gamelion, which had blood gushing from its neck as it rolled a short distance away from him . However, Rei didn¡¯t pay that much attention to Hasta and just frowned slightly as watched the blood gush out . ¡¸Should I wait until most of the blood drains out?¡¹ Rei muttered to himself . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Hasta just looked at Rei silently . He had heard the rumors . But still, since Rei was the same rank as himself, D rank, even if Rei was stronger than him, Hasta didn¡¯t think he would be that much stronger . Somewhere in his mind, he had thought Rei¡¯s evaluation was mainly due to his Griffon, an A rank monster . However, with Rei¡¯s strength had easily killed a Gamelion that he was struggling with . Even though the Gamelion had been focusing its attention on him, Hasta being something like a decoy, Rei had still managed to slice through its neck with a single attack . Its fur coat was originally a strong defense against slashing attacks . At this time, it could be said that Hasta experienced the immeasurable abilities of the adventurer called Rei in person . ¡¸So, right after coming to the plains, we¡¯ve hunted the monster we came for¡­¡­what do you want to do now? Do you want to head back now? Or do you want to look for a few more?¡¹ Rei asked, not knowing Hasta¡¯s thoughts . Hearing that question, Hasta brought himself back to reality . ¡¸Ah, that . Since it¡¯s a monster that appears for a limited time during this period, I heard from the guild that less than 1 in 5 parties actually manage to hunt one . Because of that, let¡¯s head back if we hunt another one or two . Actually, I feel we¡¯re quite lucky to actually hunt one, I never imagined we could find a Gamelion so soon after arriving . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡­¡­By the way, since you said that they live in the Forest of Monsters, aren¡¯t there any risk taking adventurers that go into the Forest of Monsters?¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha . That¡¯s a good joke Rei-san . There no adventurers crazy enough to enter the Forest of Monsters . There are a few monsters that I could deal with in there, but I¡¯ve also heard that there are B and A rank monsters in there . There are even S rank monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ While nodding at Hasta¡¯s words, Rei remembered the Dragon he had seen as he left the Forest of Monsters . He wondered if that was an S rank monster . At the very least, it was a monster that would be really difficult for him or Set to deal with at the moment . At the same time, he thought of the Jalms, giant flying squirrel monsters, that he had encountered leaving the Forest of Monsters . (That said, I heard that the Gamelions came out from the Forest of Monsters, but what about those Jalms?) When Rei and Set had left the Forest of Monsters, they had been attacked by over 100 of them¡­¡­while thinking about that, he recalled the Jalm¡¯s habits . (I see, so we¡¯ll have no problems if we come out during the day because they¡¯re nocturnal . ) While Rei thought about that, Hasta broke away from the surprise he had off Rei, gulped and digested what had happened . He spoke while changing his impression of Rei he had in his mind . ¡¸Still, Rei-san is amazing . To kill a Gamelion in a single blow . ¡­¡­To be honest, although I was told you were strong, I actually thought it was mostly because of Set¡­¡­but now I have a much clearer impression . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I understand that my build doesn¡¯t look like one of an adventurer . Thanks to that, I¡¯ve had the experience of other adventurers picking fights with me . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha . At first glance, Rei-san certainly has a delicate build . When you wear that robe, you could only be seen as a small mage . ¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t want to boast about himself and gave an unintentional smile at Hasta¡¯s words . ¡¸Of course they gave me a reasonable reward . ¡­¡­So, should we hunt two more Gamelions before leaving it at that and going home?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . Let¡¯s do that . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well in that case, it will be quicker for Set to find them from the sky . Oh, looks like the blood has almost finished draining . ¡¹ It seemed that most of the blood had already flowed out from its body . The bleeding from its neck had ceased and a rusty smell had spread around to the surroundings . Fortunately for them, maybe because it was a forest, the smell was soon scattered by the wind . Touching the corpse of the Gamelion, Rei stored it into the Misty Ring . Of course, Rei didn¡¯t forget about the head, which he had cut off himself, and the tail, which was proof of subjugation that Hasta had removed . ¡¸Then, Set . Into the sky again¡­¡­Set?¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Rei was about to ask Set to fly up into the sky to look for another Gamelion, but Set looked back towards the plains from the forest they were in and gave a cry as if wary of something . And the next moment, Rei¡¯s own sharp hearing picked up what Set had been alerted to . He heard something like a scream . A voice that was shouting like they were trying to escape from something was coming closer . ¡¸¡­¡­Rei-san?¡¹ However, only Rei and Set heard it at the same time . Hasta, who was an ordinary human, had no idea what Rei and Set had noticed . ¡¸Get ready . Apparently there are some adventurers being chased here . ¡­¡­What do you want to do? Do you want to help them? Or do we keep looking for Gamelions, which is what we came here for?¡¹ Since they had come to this plain, which was under the effect of the Forest of Monsters, anything that happened to anyone was their own responsibility . That was why Rei had asked like that . However, Rei had already half expected how Hasta would reply . ¡¸Although that¡¯s true, I can¡¯t abandon adventurers who live in the same city . Besides, Rei and Set are also here . ¡­¡­That is, I¡¯ll have to rely on you . ¡¹ ¡¸I thought you would say that . I don¡¯t know what kind of monster attacked them, but for me, it¡¯s a great opportunity to collect magic stones . Any problems Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set nodded, saying leave it to me . Hasta, who was watching them, bowed his head and thanked Rei . ¡¸Thank you very much!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . We¡¯ll head for the adventurers being chased before they get done in . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ The three of them left the forest and returned to the plains . And the moment they returned to the plains, they could see some adventurers running towards them . They could be easily identified because there were few obstacles on the plain . Four adventurers were running towards the forest in Rei¡¯s direction . A Gamelion chased behind them . Everything up to this point was expected by Rei . There was just a slight difference¡­¡­ ¡¸A rare species . ¡¹ Hasta murmured to himself . Yes . The Gamelion that was pursuing the adventurers was nearly three times the size of the one which Rei had taken down Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Noticing the adventurers fleeing to the forest, Rei went out to the plains because Hasta didn¡¯t want to see adventurers from the same city be killed . But what he saw was expected in one sense and unexpected in another . As expected, the four adventurers were being chased by a Gamelion . Adventurers mainly came here for the purpose of hunting Gamelions, which only appeared around this time . It was a situation where they were running away after being overwhelmed by a Gamelion . But what was unexpected was the Gamelion chasing the adventurers . Even though they were normally 3m in size, those were like a joke compared to this one . The size of this one was nearly 3 times larger than the one Rei had killed . Rei and Hasta recalled a Gamelion of such size . It was because Rei had heard Ranga talking about the Gamelion rare species as he was leaving the city . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei turned to look at Hasta, who was stunned . Even an ordinary Gamelion was a rank C monster, a monster that was clearly a higher rank than Hasta, who was a D rank adventurer . Actually, with regards to the Gamelion Rei had killed earlier, Hast had only been able to cut off its tail . If Rei hadn¡¯t killed it, Hasta probably would have died . That said, the rare species that was heading towards the forest where Rei was had to be treated as being one rank higher than normal . That is to say, it was a B rank monster . It was a monster on the same level of strength as the Orc King or Spriggan that Rei had fought himself . It was clearly a massive opponent to Hasta . ¡¸Hasta . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . I know . This is an opponent I can¡¯t fight with my strength at the moment . Should I retreat back into the forest?¡¹ ¡¸I would be grateful if you could do that . Calm the four adventurers who are being chased, I will appreciate it if you could explain the situation to them as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Please leave it to me . I can¡¯t help you in battle, but I¡¯ll do something about that area . ¡¹ I will help you! Rei, who had thought that Hasta would say that, was surprised as he gave him some instructions . Of course, if Rei and Set weren¡¯t here, Hasta would still try to do something himself . Fortunately, extraordinary people like Rei and Set were present . Rei had made an attack that had cleanly killed a Gamelion . Because of that, Hasta knew that even if he tried to help Rei fight a B rank Gamelion, he would only get in the way . Knowing his own strength was one of Hasta¡¯s merits . As they made some simple arrangements, the distance between the four adventurers to the forest were Rei was gradually shrunk . But as expected, they were at a disadvantage, running away from a rare species Gamelion, a monster that appeared similar to a rabbit and was 8m in size . As the distance from the adventurers to the forest shrunk, so did the distance from the rare species Gamelion to the adventurers . The despair of approaching death could be seen on the faces of the adventurers, but they still ran towards the forest Rei was in, which was their only hope . Given the size of the rare species, it was a wise choice to escape into the forest . That was because it would be impossible for it to slip between the trees with such a huge body . It could chase them after destroying the trees, but if it did that, the rare species¡¯ speed would naturally slow down . (It seems that this Gamelion is surprisingly fast . It¡¯s too close to those guys for me to use magic without rolling them up in it . In that case, it¡¯s better to get between them to make some room . ) Rei thought to himself as he dashed forward silently . Seeing him off, Set flapped his wings and soared into the sky, ready to launch a surprise attack on the rare species to assist Rei . ¡¸Don¡¯t come¡ª! Run away, run away-!¡¹ Among the adventurers being chased by the Gamelion, a warrior like man running at the front shouted towards Rei . However, Rei didn¡¯t listen to him¡­¡­no, rather, he shouted back to the adventurers approaching in a loud voice . ¡¸I¡¯ll take over from here . Go to the forest! My friend is waiting there!¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ Maybe guessing that Rei was a mage from his physique, the man in the lead tried to argue back . But by that time, Rei and the other adventurers were already passing each other by and the rare species was firmly in his gaze . ¡¸-Don¡¯t die!¡¹ In the end, the adventurers ran straight for the forest . Rei didn¡¯t watch them go . Instead, he was already swinging his Death Scythe at the rare species, which was about 5m away . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ Saying the Death Scythe¡¯s skill, Rei let loose a flying slash . As its name, a slash flew out¡­¡­ ¡¸Gaaa~!¡¹ Maybe it felt the power of the slash . The rare species leapt high into the air with cry . As expected of a monster similar to a rabbit, its jumping power allowed it to easily jump over the flying slash . It was also a jump on the spot . From this, Rei could see the intelligence of the rare species, who didn¡¯t jump forward to close the distance to Rei and his magic item . Zing~! The moment Rei thought that, he heard a sound of whistling air and he swung the Death Scythe almost on reflex . Kin~! At the same time, a metallic sound echoed out . ¡¸Gya-!¡¹ Right after, he heard the rare species scream . He glanced at a 3m rope like object fall to the ground for a moment before raising his eyebrows . (That¡¯s right . Because it¡¯s three times larger, its tail is also much longer than other Gamelions . I won¡¯t need to worry about its whip like tail after that first blow . ) ¡¸Ga¡­¡­gaaaaaa-!¡¹ It seems that it was angry that its tail had been cut off so easily . The rare species gave a large cry and showed its powerful fangs, which were overwhelmingly larger than the Gamelion Rei had killed earlier . Nevertheless, Rei didn¡¯t lose his nerve when confronted by its rage and anger . Instead, he started speaking an incantation while pouring magic power into the Death Scythe . ¡ºFlame, burn the enemy according to my thoughts . ¡» And with that spell, a 30cm diameter ball of fire gathered at the tip of the Death Scythe¡­¡­ ¡ºFireball!¡» At the same time the magic was completed, Rei swung the Death Scythe and released the fireball . It was fast enough that it would have been unavoidable for low rank monsters . However, Rei was fighting a rare species of Gamelion, which was usually a rank C monster but was now equivalent to a rank B monster . In addition, because it was a rabbit-based monster, its instantaneous power and speed were quite high . ¡¸Gaaa~!¡¹ With a short cry, the rare species avoided the fireball by jumping sideways . Without pause, it pushed all its strength into its hind legs to jump towards Rei and make him pay for cutting off its tail¡­¡­ Roar-! ¡¸!?¡¹ The rare species looked around on reflex to find the source of the sound and saw that the fireball had burnt a 2m diameter area to nothing with its overwhelming power . Even the grass that was affected by the magic power of the Forest of Monsters and never withered all year round had been turned to ash before Rei¡¯s flames . (¡­¡­Okay . Since the rare species has to worry about me shooting magic at it from behind, it can¡¯t ignore me . The forest should be safe for now . ) Hearing footsteps coming from behind and feeling that the adventurers from before had entered the forest, he poured more magic power into the Death Scythe . ¡¸Ga¡­¡­ga, gaaaaaaaa-!¡¹ Realising that it was being overwhelmed by Rei, unlike its earlier angry voice, the rare species gave a cry as if to inspire itself . ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ As if to respond to that cry, Rei readied the Death Scythe . However, he also used the skill Magic Shield to deploy a barrier of light . ¡¸GAAAA-!¡¹ It seemed to feel a sense of crisis as Rei approached it . It would suffer a loss if it didn¡¯t do anything . Seeing that, the rare species threatened Rei by revealing its large fangs as he came closer . The Gamelion was over 8m in size . Its mouth and fangs were huge and for someone of Rei¡¯s size, it could swallow him in a single gulp . Even if that was impossible, if it pierced him with its fangs, it could inject poison . And if that happened, Rei would die . ¡¸You¡¯re too naive¡­¡­-!¡¹ Using abilities unique to Gamelions, it jumped forward to strike with its fangs before entering the Death Scythe¡¯s range . Gakin~! However, the fangs that should have struck Rei were block by the shield of light . Almost at the same time, the magic power loaded Death Scythe was swung . ¡¸-!? ¡­¡­Gya-!¡¹ The rare species recognised the blade of the Death Scythe approaching it and tried to catch the attack with its right blade ear almost on reflex . The sharp blade ear would have been able to block it if it had been an ordinary long sword or spear that had been swung . Alternatively, it might even have been able to cut through the weapon . However, the weapon this time was a magic item . It was also created through the Magic Beast Art that was performed with Rei¡¯s massive magic power . As a result, the rare species¡¯ right blade ear could hardly resist it and it was neatly sliced off . Rei flicked his wrist and swept the Death Scythe around, turning the blade towards the rare species again . ¡¸Power Slash!¡¹ Rei used a second skill . ¡¸Gagyaaaaa-!¡¹ As the cutting edge of the blade fell, the power of the attack was increased by the Power Slash skill . The rare species was hit by it, dyeing its usually blade proof fur with blood . It was blown away nearly 5m while raising a shriek . After rolling along the ground for several meters, it finally stopped moving . ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re joking?¡¹ Among the adventurers who were watching from the forest, the man who seemed to be the leader murmured . The man was the warrior who had briefly conversed with Rei earlier . However, it was already amazing that he had been able to speak . All his other friends had yet to fix their breathing and couldn¡¯t say anything at all . Rei had blown away the 8m large rare species . He was only around 160cm and looked to be a delicate child . Even for Hasta, the scene was unexpected . No voice came out as he looked towards Rei . At the end of his line of sight, he saw the rare species that had fallen to the ground get up unsteadily . The despair that it had brought the adventurers a short while ago was nowhere to be found . It would be right to call it half dead right now . While feeling the gazes of those 5 people, Rei focused on the rare species without worrying about them . The one sided situation that had unfolded so far was because Rei had cut off its tail, its only means of long range attack, at the first blow . Without that, it was clear that Rei would have struggled a little more . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ While watching the rare species get up without concern, Rei looked at the sky for a moment . There, Set flew around, ready to attack at any time . (Okay, if I don¡¯t use my time well and it runs away, I¡¯ll end up getting nothing out of it . I¡¯ll decide it here . ) As if to redirect the rare species¡¯ attention to himself, Rei deliberately swung the Death Scythe . Originally, he would have used this chance to use Flying Slash to strike . But because the rare species had already seen him use it, he couldn¡¯t ignore the possibility that it would use the remaining power in its body to jump past it again . ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ But Rei¡¯s aim was to make it jump . The rare species didn¡¯t have a way to move in the air as it saw Set rapidly approach with a courageous cry¡­¡­ The next moment, Set struck its head with his claws, using the momentum from dropping from a high altitude . If only their physical sizes were considered, the Gamelion was more than 4 times larger than Set . However, Set had the power of a Griffon, an A rank monster, as well as the Bracelet of Herculean Strength that he had equipped . A dive attack from the sky from a place the rare species didn¡¯t expect . As a result, the combination of all these factors demonstrated a tremendous power¡­¡­ Gokyaa~! Disregarding the difference in size, the single strike crushed the bones in the head of the rare species . ¡¸Haah!¡¹ And just for the sake of precaution, with a loud cry he closed the distance to the rare species, that had fallen to the ground, and swung his magic empowered Death Scythe¡­¡­ Slash-! From the top of it¡¯s neck to the bottom, it¡¯s head was cleanly cut off . Chapter 175 Chapter 175 ¡¸¡­¡­Phew . ¡¹ As a result of having its head cut off from the neck, blood began to spurt copiously from the cut, just like the first Gamelion that was killed in the forest . As he didn¡¯t like the blood spraying around, Rei took some distance from the dead body of the rare species Gamelion . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Beside him, Set, who had landed the fatal blow on the head of the rare species earlier, gracefully descended to the ground . ¡¸You did a good job . The timing couldn¡¯t have been better . ¡¹ Rei stroked Set¡¯s throat while thanking him . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Although as a Griffon he had the upper body of an eagle, Set purred happily like a cat as his throat was stroked . Disregarding his size, he looked like a spoiled kitten fawning over his master . ¡¸Heeeey-!¡¹ While stroking Set in thanks, a voice called out from the distance . Turning towards the direction of the voice, Hasta and the four adventurers who had retreated to the forest were running excitedly towards Rei . ¡¸Hey, hey, hey, hey, that was amazing . No . I heard from Hasta that you were the Rei from the rumors in the city, but you¡¯re a lot stronger than in the rumors . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . I didn¡¯t expect a rare species could be taken down by a single person . No, I didn¡¯t think a single person could defeat it, even with a Griffon . ¡¹ Following the male warrior that had called out to Rei when they passed by each other, a male archer wearing thick cloth armour called out . ¡¸Truly . I never thought that I would encounter the rare species that had been talked about . ¡¹ Next, a mobile female warrior equipped with a spear and leather armour chimed in . . ¡¸No, seriously . I thought my life would end here . ¡¹ Last to speak was a man about the same age as Hasta, wearing a robe and holding a cane . Throwing a few words of thanks to Rei and Set . Meanwhile, Rei turned towards the man with with the cane, who should be a mage . (Most mages are shocked when they first see me¡­¡­this is different . In that case, is his ability to sense magic power as low as me?) While thinking to himself, he shook his head as if it was nothing . ¡¸If you want to say thanks, thank Hasta . He was the one who decided to help you . ¡¹ ¡¸That-! I did ask you to help, but it was actually Rei who killed the rare species! I was only able to fight an ordinary Gamelion¡­¡­¡¹ At Hasta¡¯s hurried words, the leader of the adventurers raised a laugh and slapped him on the shoulder . ¡¸Ahahaha . There are few people who can do anything about a Gamelion by themselves . One of the few exceptions is Rei over there . ¡¹ While cheerfully laughing, he put on a serious expression as he turned back to Rei . Seeing the situation, his other three party members gathered near him . ¡¸Thank you for your help this time . I¡¯m Socrus, leader of the C rank party Wind¡¯s Blades . The archer over there is Uruipuka, the one with the spear is Jure and the mage is Koteshi . ¡¹ At Socrus¡¯ words, each party member bowed their head as they were introduced . Looking at Wind¡¯s Blades, it was not an exaggeration to say that they had had a narrow escape from death . If Rei hadn¡¯t been there, they understood that there was no doubt they would have ended up in the stomach of the rare species . Even if Hasta tried to help, he would only serve to increase the rare species¡¯ lunch by a small amount . ¡¸As a said earlier, don¡¯t mind it . ¡­¡­However, this rare species since I killed it right?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ah, of course it is . Do you need money or something?¡¹ Socrus unintentionally asked in surprise . At that question, Rei shook his head with a wry smile as he replied . ¡¸No, I don¡¯t any problems with money . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Hasta, who was currently troubled by money issues, gave an envious look . However, realising his expression, he turned and looked away . ¡¸But still, you saved our lives, we can¡¯t just not give anything back . ¡­¡­If it were possible, I would have liked to hand over the Gamelion we took down¡­¡­¡¹ Socrus shrugged his shoulders with a bitter smile . Any how, they had been chased by the rare species . They had no luxury to pull the cart that had been carrying the Gamelion they had killed earlier . He gave a sigh in complaint as it would probably have ended up as another monster¡¯s lunch by now . ¡¸Hey, Socrus . Just consider that we are alive . Regardless of the Gamelion we killed, the cart should still be safe¡­¡­I hope . In the end, isn¡¯t the cart just something borrowed? If it¡¯s broken, we¡¯ll just have to pay for it¡­¡­¡¹ It was the Jure, the one with the spear, that tried to comfort Socrus . However, her tone sank back down when she thought about after they returned to the city of Gilm . As the atmosphere darkened as Uruipuka and Koteshi thought about the same thing, Rei spoke up again . ¡¸Ahh, I see . If you really want to thank me, it would be nice if you could treat me to some food back in Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Or rather, given the possibility of your cart¡¯s reimbursement, you should refrain from extra expenses . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true . ¡¹ With that said, Wind¡¯s Blades didn¡¯t know how much Rei and Set could eat, so they accepted the proposal easily . ¡¸Even so, I had heard rumors about you in the guild¡­¡­but it¡¯s still amazing . I really can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re rank D . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I thought that your magic was much more amazing . It¡¯s impossible for me to use a fire magic that has that much power . ¡¹ Hearing Socrus¡¯ words, Koteshi followed with praises about the magic used by Rei, who was younger than him . ¡¸Hey, now¡¯s not the time to relax! One way or another, we have to get the cart!I hope it¡¯s safe . ¡­¡­Anyhow, we¡¯ll have to get going!¡¹ While shouting, Jure held her spear in her left hand while pulling Socrus¡¯ ear with her right hand as she quickly moved . Of course, Socrus didn¡¯t want his ear torn off and quickly followed after Jure . ¡¸That hurts, hey Jure! It hurts . My ear, my ear! You¡¯ll tear it off!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! Now that the dead Gamelion is eaten by other monsters, if even the cart is destroyed, our work this time will be in the red, a deficit! Moreover, completing requests will be much harder into winter, we won¡¯t survive the winter if we have a deficit here! I refuse to take on subjugation requests in the snow like last year . One way or another, we will save up enough to spend winter warmly!¡¹ ¡¸I understand . I understand! Please don¡¯t disgrace us in front of people we have met for the first time!¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait . Don¡¯t act rashly on the plains here without my magic!¡¹ Koteshi chased after the two of them, leaving behind Uruipuka, who gave a small bow . ¡¸Pardon me, I¡¯ll have to excuse myself as I can¡¯t leave those two as they are . ¡­¡­Truly thank you for helping us out this time . ¡­¡­When Socrus treats you two, eat as much as you like . ¡¹ Saying that with a smile, he chased after the other three people . (¡­¡­Socrus aside, it seems that Uruipuka know about how much Set and I eat for a meal . He doesn¡¯t seem to want to tell his leader though, quite strangely malicious . ) With a wry smile, he spoke to Hasta, who was watching Wind¡¯s Blades as they left . ¡¸Now then . It was quite unexpected that I managed to take down a big game like a rare species . Should we head back to the city of Gilm?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . I agree . Given the size of the rare species, it should have much more meat than an ordinary Gamelion . ¡¹ For Hasta, running into a rare species was honestly the worst thing that could happen . Nevertheless, with Rei¡¯s help, the massive rare species was taken down . Just looking at the results, you could say he was quite fortunate . (Calling out to Rei at the guild was a really good idea¡­¡­) While Hasta praised his past self, Rei stored the tail and head that he had cut off into the Misty Ring . The only thing that remained was the body that was still bleeding from the neck due to its large size . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­what do you want to do? Do you want to drain the blood here? Or do you want to drain it after returning to Gilm?¡¹ At that question, Hasta seemed to be a bit guilty as he replied . ¡¸From a safety perspective, it would be better to quickly collect it into Rei¡¯s item box and drain it in the city¡­¡­however, since it¡¯s so big, it will be hard to put it where monsters are usually dismantled near the dining area and it will take a long time to drain the blood . Because of that, I¡¯m sorry, but could I ask you to drain the blood here?¡¹ (Well, that¡¯s fine with me since there¡¯s a possibility of getting a magic stone that Set or the Death Scythe haven¡¯t absorbed yet . ) While thinking to himself, he asked Hasta with a serious expression . ¡¸If you want to, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­but, there is also the possibility that other monsters will come, attracted by the smell of blood . Of course, you are ready for that right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I won¡¯t be able to do anything by myself if a rank C monster like a Gamelion comes out, but if it¡¯s something like a Goblin, there are absolutely no problems . ¡¹ With Hasta¡¯s words, they waited for the blood to all drain out after Set forcibly turned it upside down . ¡¸Even so¡­¡­I never thought that we would run into the rare species we had heard about as we were leaving the city . ¡¹ Was that a flag by any chance? Rei muttered to himself . ¡¸I agree . My father might not be able to stand up due to surprise if I showed this to him . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, your goal is to provide cheap meat to your parents¡¯ restaurant . So if it had to be closed due to your head chef, you will be slow to return the debt, which is the whole reason you¡¯re doing this . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s true . But even if my father had to take a day or two off, I feel like I want to do it¡­¡­¡¹ While exchanging jokes with each other and continuing to talk as if they didn¡¯t care, they kept a watch of the surroundings since this was an area filled with monsters . Of course, they could only do this because they trusted each other to some extent . Otherwise, either one of them would have told the other to watch the surroundings carefully . Hasta looked at the place where Rei had killed the rare species . Hasta had reached rank D a year before Rei, so Rei knew that he was a veteran . And above all, the two of them still had the most reliable Griffon, Set, who was monitoring the surroundings as he lay on the ground near Rei . ¡¸By the way, you said the meat of a Gamelion is delicious, but what kind of dish would suit it specifically?¡¹ ¡¸Well . There are a variety of recipes, but the one I like best is a simple bake with salt . The skin is baked crisply and the meat is a little tougher but its quite chewy . A lot of meat juices spread in your mouth¡­¡­¡¹ As Hasta described the taste of Gamelion meat with an expression of bliss, Rei unexpectedly swallowed his saliva . ¡¸However, the most popular dish in the restaurant is the Gamelion stew . Probably because it had plenty of nutrition when the fat from the meat melts into the soup and is eaten with vegetables¡­¡­there are people who will have several servings of the soup . ¡¹ ¡¸Both of them sound delicious . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha . In any case, the meat itself is from a C rank monster, which is more delicious than your average meat . I guess it¡¯s because it¡¯s also limited to this time period . Ah, that¡¯s right . When I get back to Gilm, I¡¯ll ask my father to give me some of the food cooked from the Gamelions we killed . Thinking about the amount that Rei eats¡­¡­I probably can¡¯t give you that much, but I should be able to pass you some of the stew I mentioned earlier . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that okay? Our purpose coming out to hunt Gamelions this time was to return your restaurant¡¯s debts . ¡¹ At the unusually words of worry that Rei asked, Hasta nodded with a big smile on his face . ¡¸Yes . After all, because Rei killed a rare species, even if my father cooked up the Gamelion dishes, the might still be meat left over . That was because I had originally planned to only hunt one Gamelion . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . If you say so, I will kindly accept your offer . ¡­¡­Ahh, that¡¯s right . Then you might be able to use the Gamelion meat for the dish I had talked about . ¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­please do that!¡¹ Hearing about other potential dishes, Hasta gave a deep bow . In the end, attracted by the smell of the Gamelion¡¯s blood, they were attacked by several Goblins and Poison Toads . Nevertheless, Hasta finished them off quickly . Chapter 176 Chapter 176 ¡¸Rei-kun, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re safe . ¡¹ Half running and half walking, Rei, Hasta and Set set a forced march pace to arrive back to Gilm before sunset, where Ranga greeted them with a big smile on his bearded face . Ranga, the captain of the guards, unexpectedly gave Rei a big hug . Rei didn¡¯t have the hobby of hugging men, but seeing Ranga¡¯s big smile, he gave a sigh in his mind and just accepted it . ¡¸Captain, captain . About this . Rei looks quite bothered about it . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, ah . My bad . ¡¹ Ranga pulled himself together at his subordinates words and released Rei . ¡¸No, that¡¯s fine¡­¡­what¡¯s the matter, all of a sudden?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the matter¡­¡­I heard from the members of Wind¡¯s Blades that you fought against the rare species Gamelion . They said that you were fine, but I was worried until I actually saw you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ Hearing Ranga¡¯s explanation, Rei immediately understood . Next to him, Hasta nodded as well . ¡¸Have they arrived safely?¡¹ ¡¸None of them were missing . However, I was shocked that the cart they had borrowed had been destroyed by monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ Similar to Rei a few seconds ago, a sound of understanding came from Hasta¡¯s mouth . However, unlike Rei¡¯s, it was somewhat sympathetic . To Hasta, who had no money to spare, he was no stranger to having to go out to complete requests in winter, as Wind¡¯s Blades had talked about . ¡¸Well, at the very least I¡¯ve confirmed that both of you are safe¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As if to say don¡¯t forget about me, Set poked out his head from between Rei and Hasta . Seeing that, Ranga offered some dried meat . ¡¸Of course I wouldn¡¯t forget about Set . It¡¯s also great that you¡¯re back safely . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Giving a proud cry, Set grabbed the dried meat that Ranga presented in his beak . Stroking his head, Ranga turned to Rei again . ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s complete the procedures to enter the city . ¡­¡­That said, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re all fine . ¡¹ Ranga said that quietly to himself . He knew that Margrave Daska had a high evaluation of Rei¡¯s fighting power and he felt the same himself . As expected of the person his lord wanted to take in, he fought against a rare species of Gamelion, that was currently a popular ingredient in the city, and killed it¡­¡­thinking about that, it was no wonder that Ranga breathed a sigh of relief . After showing his guild card as usual, he received the Necklace of Subservient Monster and completed the procedures to reenter the city . ¡¸Ah, Ranga-san . I believe that Gamelion dishes will be served at the restaurant my family runs in a few days, so please come to eat if you feel like it . I will tell my father to provide some extra service for the various concerns I have caused . ¡¹ As they left, Hasta smartly advertised his family restaurant . ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­seeing the surroundings like this makes me feel like I¡¯m back at home . ¡¹ Seeing the people walking about the city, Rei muttered to himself . Because the city of Gilm was on the frontier, it was hard to say that it had a lively atmosphere . However, there were still quite a few people busily walking through the city . Perhaps there were some people who wanted to go home early to warm themselves up from the cold . Only in a frontier city like Gilm would various rare materials and magic stones gather . Of course, they were exported to other cities, towns and villages . But on the contrary, because merchants would come over to buy them, there was always a certain number of people in downtown . And as autumn was nearing its end, before winter came in earnest, a lot of merchants had come over¡­¡­there were plenty more people in the city of Gilm than usual . Among them were merchants who hadn¡¯t come to the city of Gilm for a long time or merchants that had come for the first time . Them and their adventurer escorts were startled seeing Set and would fall back unintentionally . Accustomed to that sight, Rei, Hasta and Set continued walking down the main street in the direction of the library . ¡¸Ah, here it is . ¡¹ Saying that, Hasta turned into a side street just before the library . They walked for about 5 minutes down the narrow road that could be called a back alley . Eventually, they saw a restaurant with a signboard hanging out with ¡ºThe Satisfied Stomach¡»written on it . ¡¸Heh¡­¡­it¡¯s quite nice . ¡¹ Rei couldn¡¯t believe it was in a back alley . It was nice enough to the extent that it wouldn¡¯t appear strange as a big restaurant on the main street . ¡¸Ahahaha . That¡¯s because we¡¯ve just rebuilt it . ¡­¡­Well, thanks to the money we borrowed . ¡¹ ¡¸In order to help return it, you wanted to get some Gamelion meat, isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, well, that¡¯s right¡­¡­even if we sold dishes made from Gamelion meat, that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll be able to return all our debts . ¡¹ ¡¸So, what do you plan to do? Although the place looks pretty popular and you¡¯ve gone to get some Gamelion meat, your father would still be worried about it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess so . It can¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s just wait until all the customers have left . ¡¹ Saying that, Hasta proposed that they went somewhere else to kill some time . But at that moment, a young girl under the age of 10 unexpectedly came out from the entrance of the restaurant and looked at Hasta with an expression of surprise before shouting back into the restaurant with a big smile . ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s onii-chan . Mother, father . Onii-chan is back!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is that so? Then why hasn¡¯t he come in?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know! But he has a friend¡­¡­ah, it¡¯s Set-chan . Set-chan is over there!¡¹ The girl, who was looking at Rei puzzled, raised a cheer and ran over to hug Set as soon as she saw him . ¡¸Set-chan, you¡¯re so fluffy and warm!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ The girl clung tightly to Set with an expression that was enchanted by his smooth fur and touch . At the girl¡¯s reaction, Set gave a somewhat troubled cry . ¡¸Is she your sister?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . She¡¯s my younger sister, Arka . Hey, Arka, Set is feeling troubled so let him go . ¡¹ ¡¸No! I haven¡¯t played properly with Set today!¡¹ Arka shook her head as she clung to Set . Every time she shook her head, her green braided hair shook intensely . ¡¸Hasta, Arka, what¡¯s wrong?¡¡¡­¡­Ah, are you a customer?¡¹ Wondering what Arka was up to, a middle aged woman in her forties with a good natured smile came out from the restaurant entrance . ¡¸Ah, mother . Mm . You see, you know how I told you I was going to hunt Gamelions yesterday? Rei-san helped me with that . ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­¡­Hasta didn¡¯t cause too much trouble for you did he?¡¹ Getting asked in a somewhat leisurely tone, Rei was lost for a moment but he soon nodded in reply . ¡¸There were no problems . As expected of someone who has been a rank D adventurer for over a year . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true . I can¡¯t kill a Gamelion by myself like Rei-san can¡­¡­¡¹ Involuntarily, Hasta immediately interjected, but Rei shook his head . ¡¸In the first place, a Gamelion is a rank C monster . You are rank D, you would be too proud if you thought that you could solo one by yourself . ¡¹ ¡¸Now that you say it, that¡¯s definitely true¡­¡­as expected, Rei¡¯s strength was absolutely necessary . ¡­¡­¡¹ Remembering Rei¡¯s fight with the rare species in his mind, Hasta gave a sigh . ¡¸First of all, you two haven¡¯t had dinner yet right? So come in and eat together . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? But there are still so many customers¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s all fine . I won¡¯t tell you who¡¯s more important between the customers and my son who just came back from a dangerous hunt . Here, Rei-san was it . You too . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that okay?¡¹ Rei asked as he glanced towards the restaurant . Certainly, the restaurant was still quite crowded as Hasta said . There weren¡¯t any customers lining up, but you could still imagine it was quite busy inside . However . ¡¸I can¡¯t just leave out someone who has taken care of my son . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ At that point, Hasta¡¯s mother stopped talking . Looking ahead, Arka was still hugging Set . ¡¸It seems Arka doesn¡¯t want to leave . I would be grateful if you could stay . ¡­¡­Ahh, that¡¯s right . It¡¯s a late introduction but I¡¯m Hasta¡¯s mother, Enedra . Nice to meet you . ¡¹ With a warm smile, Enedra bowed her head . While a bit puzzled over her gentle attitude, Rei was guided into the restaurant by Hasta and Enedra . ¡¸Set, I¡¯ll leave the girl to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Saying that before going in, Set heard it and replied with a gentle cry after getting used to Arka¡¯s actions . ¡¸¡­¡­The business is a lot better than what I could see from the outside . ¡¹ Rei mumbled that as he entered the restaurant . About 80% of the seats were filled . Dinner dishes of stew, ale and wine, dried meat, stir-fried food and salad were being passed back and forth . Naturally, the customers who were eating were also talking lively . The place was bustling with noise . ¡¸Here, Rei-san, Hasta . Please take a seat . I¡¯ll bring some food soon . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Thank you very much . ¡¹ ¡¸Mother, I would like some Fang Boar stew . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . Your favourite food will be served . Um, Rei-san . Do you drink?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­well, just a light one . ¡¹ Nodding with a smile at Rei¡¯s words, Enedra walked familiarly past the tables and went into the kitchen . ¡¸Your mother is very generous . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, well . Saying that she¡¯s generous, there are also naturally some troubling moments . ¡¹ While saying that, the smile on his face made it easy to tell he liked his mother¡¯s personality . They probably had a good parent-child relationship . Thinking about that, Rei asked about Hasta¡¯s future plans . ¡¸So, what do you plan to do now? Should I tell your father about the dish I¡¯m familiar with?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I would appreciate it greatly if you did . By the way, how much meat is used in the dish you know about?¡¹ ¡¸Not much . It is an ingredient but it¡¯s not the main one . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh~ . I¡¯m looking forward to it . We sell alcohol here, but since this is still a restaurant, we will be closing in under 2 hours . Would you be able to tell us then?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ Despite saying that, remembering the dish he wanted to tell¡­¡­he suddenly thought of something . (It will be nice to tell them about udon, but since there¡¯s not soy sauce or miso, what do I do about the broth¡­¡­? If this was close to the sea there might have been fish sauce, but there is no sea nearby . In that case, do you just eat the udon in stew or soup? Well, I guess there¡¯s still curry udon . ¡­¡­No, the only thing I can provide is udon, I¡¯ll just have to leave the method of eating to the chef . There¡¯s no reason that soy sauce and miso would exist in a different world . I don¡¯t know how to make them either . ) While a bit flustered in his mind, he decided to leave the cooking to the people who actually knew how to do it . ¡¸Here, I¡¯ve kept you waiting . Stewed Fang Boar and baked bread . Vegetable soup and cheese and ham sandwiches . Lastly, a cup of ale . ¡¹ Maybe considering it as a way to pay Rei back for his help, dishes were placed onto the table one after another as Enedra said them . ¡¸Wow, it looks delicious . Thanks mother . ¡¹ ¡¸It definitely looks delicious . I¡¯ll eat without reserve . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Because we¡¯re quite proud of our dishes, go ahead . ¡¹ Saying that with a smile, Enedra left the next moment after being called by other customers . Although there were several other employees, Enedra was also busy due to the large number of customers . Seeing that, Rei and Hasta started eating . ¡¸¡­¡­Delicious . ¡¹ It didn¡¯t just look delicious, it was delicious . In fact, as he brought a portion of the Fang Board stew to his mouth, the fatty part of the stewed meat slowly disappeared as if melting . Only the meaty portion remained, but it still delighted Rei¡¯s tongue . Next, he took a bite of the bread and filled the rest of his mouth with salad to clear up the thick taste . (Certainly, if it¡¯s cooked as well as these dishes, it will definitely be popular . However, I¡¯m still a bit regretful¡­¡­) Glancing at the stew and Fang Boar meat stuck on the tip of his fork, Rei gave a sigh while Hasta was absorbed in eating . (Is this is the so-called western style stew? Since there¡¯s no soy sauce, simmering pork or Fang Boar in soy sauce is impossible . If I recall correctly, the ingredients were soy sauce, sugar, mirin and ginger?) Remembering the cooking show he had seen on TV before, he gave a sigh again . (I have checked that sugar and ginger are sold in the markets . But, there¡¯s no mirin or soy sauce . Either way, I don¡¯t know how to make them . Was soy sauce made from soy beans?) While thinking to himself, Rei slowly tasted the delicious food . Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Legend Chapter 177 ¡¸Apologies, it looks like I¡¯ve kept you waiting . ¡¹ A middle aged man, Hasta¡¯s father and the chef of The Satisfied Stomach, gave a bow as he entered the dining area . ¡¸It seems Hasta has caused you various troubles this time, so please let me thank you . I¡¯m Dishot . ¡¹ While shaking the hand that was presented, Rei observed the man standing before him . He was in his early forties, but probably because he cooked in the kitchen of the restaurant every day, his arms were well built and he looked more suited for combat than a H rank adventurer . The way he grasped Rei¡¯s hand like he was holding an ingredient showed that he was a natural chef . Maybe because it had just past the busiest time of the day, he had a silent but calm expression . When Rei looked at him, he had the impression that he was¡ºa craftsman rather than a chef¡» . The time was about 7:30pm . If it was a bar, it would still be open for some time into the night, but The Satisfied Stomach was a restaurant and there were no longer any customers . After Dishot finished washing up along with Enedra and the other employees, the work for the day had been finished . In addition, Hasta¡¯s younger sister, Arka had already fallen asleep and had been brought to her room by Enedra . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . Now then, we can get to the main subject . At Hasta¡¯s request, we have been able to secure more than enough Gamelion meat . There is one regular sized one and one rare species . Especially considering the rare species is over 8m in size, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem with the amount of meat . ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Larger than 8m, is it . ¡¹ He understood what Rei was trying to say . Dishot frowned his eyes slightly . ¡¸There is a room to dismantle monsters that Hasta can bring you to, but this will be close to its maximum capacity . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, the blood has already been drained though, so it just needs to be dismantled . ¡¹ At Hasta¡¯s words, Dishot relaxed slightly . Beside him, Enedra was drinking tea with a smile . ¡¸Well, dismantling it is not something we can manage today . It will be fine to do it tomorrow . ¡­¡­Unfortunately, I¡¯m not that good at dismantling so I will leave it to Hasta . ¡¹ ¡¸No problems, leave it to me . I¡¯ve been doing it since I was small so I¡¯m good at dismantling monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸I will help as well, we¡¯ll manage the dismantling one way or another . ¡¹ As Dishot nodded in agreement¡­¡­Rei interjected . ¡¸Regarding that, Hasta has asked me to suggest an idea for a new dish . So I would like Dishot to hear me out if that is okay . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A new dish?¡¹ Dishot looked towards Rei doubtfully . However, that was understandable . Rei looked to be a 15 year old kid . Dishot was already a respectable adult while Rei was just a child . What would a child know about cooking? Even if he didn¡¯t say that aloud, it could be read on his expression . ¡¸I¡¯ve been learning magic from my master all this time . Because of that, I¡¯ve read various books . There were a lot of possibly lost recipes . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, father . Have you heard that Zeno from the skewer stall got some advice from Rei and increased his sales?¡¹ Being told by Hasta, Dishot remembered his acquaintance¡¯s face . He gave a small nod . ¡¸You¡¯ve reminded me now that you mention it . I see, so it was you¡­¡­¡¹ He gave a small nod . If his acquaintance actually increased his sales after listening to the boy in front of him, he should hear him out as well . Seeing that, Rei spoke while drinking the tea in his cup and gathering his thoughts . ¡¸The dish I would like to tell you about is called¡ºUdon¡» . ¡­¡­No, rather than a dish, I should call it an ingredient . ¡¹ ¡¸Udon? I don¡¯t recall hearing about that before . What kind of food is it specifically?¡¹ It was an ingredient that he was unfamiliar with as a chef . At Dishot¡¯s question that was stimulated by curiosity, Rei looked towards the kitchen . ¡¸I see . Well first of all, since you provide bread here, you have flour of course?¡¹ ¡¸Ah? Ahh . Of course . I naturally use it to cook as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Then bring me some of that wheat flour . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . I¡¯ll bring some right away . ¡¹ After saying that, Rei thought to himself as he saw Dishot going into the kitchen . (If I¡¯m not mistaken, there are several types of flour such as bread flour and plain flour¡­¡­is the same flour used to make bread and udon? Well, if I can¡¯t figure it out, I¡¯ll have to leave it to the chef . ) As he thought like that, Dishot returned to the dining area with a paper bag holding flour in hand . ¡¸Here, this is the flour we use at our place . That said, since we purchase our bread from the bakery, I don¡¯t know if it is the quality you want . ¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t make your own bread?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that a problem?¡¹ Hasta asked at Rei¡¯s words but Rei shook his head . ¡¸No, according to the book I read, it was made with flour used to make bread . Well, wheat flour is wheat flour so there shouldn¡¯t be any issues . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I hope so . ¡¹ ¡¸As I said earlier, all I know is the knowledge . I haven¡¯t actually made the ingredient before, so I can only tell you how to make the ingredient from what I read in the book . Also, as to how to eat the ingredient, I would like hear your opinions . ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, that means I can make some small adjustments?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I have expectations of your skills as a chef . Well, this is how it¡¯s made . the ingredients are simple . Wheat flour, salt, water . That is it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? That is it?¡¹ Simply put, the ingredients were too simple . Enedra, who had been listening in next to Dishot, mumbled in surprise . Although they didn¡¯t say it out, Hasta and Dishot were similarly surprised . ¡¸Ahh . The method of making it is to dissolve the salt into the water and then mix it with the flour before kneading it . Then¡­¡­¡¹ That said, Rei could only explain how to make udon as much as he remembered . At first, Dishot was somewhat in doubt about the few ingredients used, but he started mumbling with small nods as he made his own judgements as he listened . ¡¸¡­¡­So, cut it into long pieces and boil it in hot water . At this point, you need to pay attention to the boiling time . It depends on how thick you cut the dough¡­¡­¡¹ Looking around while explaining, Rei looked as his own hands . To be precise, he looked as his fingernails . ¡¸It should be about a third of the width of my fingernail . That should cook i about 10 minutes . As for the boiling conditions, I¡¯m sorry, but you will have to experiment with that on your own . ¡¹ ¡¸You explained how to mix the wheat flour, water and salt, but how much should be used exactly?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­the flour used is about half that paper bag, salt is just a small pinch . It should use about a glass of water . I¡¯m sorry, but regarding that, please adjust as you need while cooking . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ ¡¸So, rinse the boiled udon quickly under cold water to remove the slime . After that, if you want to eat it warm, warm it with warm water, same thing if you want to eat it cold¡­¡­¡¹ Rei glanced outside the restaurant . The season was already getting close to winter and he judged that there probably wouldn¡¯t be too many people would like like eating cold udon in this weather . (Well, a broth can¡¯t be made since there¡¯s no soy sauce . ) ¡¸In the case that you warm it up to eat, is there any way to eat it in particular?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . For example, the vegetable soup you let me eat today . You could put it into that and eat it that way . It would be nice to put some seasoned meat on top as a topping . ¡­¡­I guess that would be the meat of the Gamelion we brought today? There may be other ways to eat it like in a thick stew . ¡¹ As he thought of curry udon in his mind, Rei was slightly regretful that curry didn¡¯t exist in this world . ¡¸So, how is it . Can you make it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t know . I don¡¯t know¡­¡­as far as I¡¯ve heard, it can¡¯t be preserved like bread, but I think its potential as a dish is high . It¡¯s worth a try . ¡¹ Dishot said that to his wife, Enedra, but his face was full of curiosity and excitement that couldn¡¯t be suppressed . After all, as a chef, he was attracted to unknown foods and ingredients . Rei spoke further to fan Dishot¡¯s curiosity . ¡¸There is another recipe called stir-fried udon noodles . ¡¹ ¡¸Stir-fried udon?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . It¡¯s the same up until you rinse the udon in cold water, but after that you stir-fry it with meat and vegetables . As for seasoning¡­¡­the book I read said it used a seasoning called soy sauce¡­¡­have you heard of it?¡¹ Rei asked with slight expectations . Maybe, since Takumu Suzuno had been sent over from modern Japan at Zepairu¡¯s time, he might have created soy sauce . It was a possibility he though of in his mind, but reality wasn¡¯t that sweet as Dishot shook his head . ¡¸No, I haven¡¯t seen or heard of such a seasoning . At the very least, not in the city of Gilm . There¡¯s a chance it might be found in the Imperial Capital . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . That¡¯s regrettable but it can¡¯t be helped . In that case, the seasoning of the stir-fried udon¡­¡­¡¹ Thinking up to that, Rei suddenly thought of something . (Since there is salt fried yakisoba, maybe it¡¯s possible to make salt fried udon? Well, salt fried yakisoba does contain various seasonings besides salt . ) ¡¸How about salt . ¡¹ ¡¸Is is fine with salt?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . However, it¡¯s not ordinary salt . It¡¯s salt with various seasonings mixed in with it . ¡­¡­I also know about it from the books, but there is a dish called yakisoba that is close to fried noodles . It seems that there is a type of yakisoba called salt fried yakisoba¡¹ ¡¸Salt, is it . I understand . I will look into it . Well then, let¡¯s start with the udon¡­¡­¡¹ As Dishot said that, Enedra grabbed his clothes as he tried to stand up . ¡¸You, it¡¯s not good to overwork yourself . And if you start making udon now, it will be midnight by the time you finish . In that case, I think it¡¯s a good idea to make it tomorrow and taste it with everyone . ¡­¡­Can Rei-san participate in the tasting?¡¹ ¡¸Me too? No, I don¡¯t mind but¡­¡­¡¹ Rei turned to look at Hasta, who had been silent all this time as he listened to the progressing story . Hasta realised what Rei¡¯s glance meant and spoke somewhat embarrassed . ¡¸Ah, sorry mother . I would like to taste the new dishes but I have to dismantle the Gamelions as well . ¡¹ ¡¸That reminds me, you did say that . Mm, but can you do that by yourself?¡¹ ¡¸No, if I said I can do it, I can do it . But that¡¯s still quite a lot to do by myself . ¡¹ ¡¸But with regards to the udon, if Rei-san isn¡¯t there, we won¡¯t know if it¡¯s successful or not right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haa, it can¡¯t be helped . Then Rei-san, please help my father tomorrow . When that is over, could you please come and help me?¡¹ Having told his mother that, as part of his respect for his parents, he backed down . He asked Rei with a sigh . Rei nodded at Hasta . To be honest, if Rei had to chose between taste testing noodle dishes that had not been seen in this world and dismantling a Gamelion, which was a seasonal monster, he wouldn¡¯t mind either way . ¡¸I understand . Then, what time should I come in tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸After the morning peak but before lunch¡­¡­about 9 in the morning . Because I¡¯ll finish up the preparations for lunch tomorrow now, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem . ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s also the matter of tasting, so you should have a light breakfast . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll do that then . ¡¹ Giving a small nod, Rei stood up to head back to the inn . ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll head back to my inn to get ready for tomorrow . ¡­¡­Hasta, we¡¯ve been moving about for almost an entire day, you¡¯re tired right?¡¹ After leaving the city of Gilm early in the morning, aside from fighting the small fry on the way to the plains where the Gamelions could be found, Hasta had pushed himself to the limit fighting a Gamelion himself . After that, he hadn¡¯t fought it himself but they had also encountered a rare species Gamelion . He had then guarded the rare species from other monsters as they drained its blood before hurrying back to the Gilm . Even though adventurers were confident in their physical fitness, as expected, he was quite tired . ¡¸Ahahaha . That is certainly true, but strangely I don¡¯t feel tired at all . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s because your body is still tense . You know that yourself . ¡¹ He was older than Rei and had been an adventurer for a long time . Hasta knew his own physical condition and gave a slightly awkward smile . Seeing that, Rei said goodbye to the three of them as he left the restaurant . Chapter 178 Chapter 178 ¡¸Good morning . ¡¹ It was the day after they had returned to Gilm after hunting Gamelions . At 9am as agreed on, Rei greeted Enedra with smile . ¡¸Ah, good morning . ¡¹ Rei looked around the inside of the eatery as greeted her but as the morning peak had already passed, there were almost no customers . There were just a few adventurers who had maybe done an overnight request and were now eating breakfast lazily . ¡¸Is Hasta around?¡¹ ¡¸That kid is preparing to dismantle the Gamelions in a building a bit further away¡­¡­oh, speaking of him, here he is . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei-san, good morning!¡¹ With a happy smile, Hasta entered the eatery as he greeted Rei energetically . ¡¸Good morning . ¡¹ While greeting Hasta back as he had with Enedra, Rei looked towards the kitchen . ¡¸So, I don¡¯t think I can see your father?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Hasta and Enedra looked at each other with a small laugh . ¡¸That guy, he was probably very anxious about the ingredient you called udon noodles . When he got up in the morning, he immediately started to try to make it after finishing his preparations . ¡­¡­¡¹ Pang~, pang~! The sound of striking something can could be heard from the kitchen . ¡¸Go take a look . Seriously . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that the sound of flinging dough?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . He is trying to improve the elasticity of the dough to make the udon Rei-san said . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t remember telling him about beating the dough though . ¡¹ At the very least, in the way Rei had explained how to make udon yesterday, there was no process that included striking the dough . To get the elasticity right, he seemed to have put the dough inside a bag and was stamping it with his feet¡­¡­ ¡¸Well, I guess he¡¯s been experimenting in various ways . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . Anyhow, the failed udon became our breakfast . ¡¹ Hasta remembered his breakfast with a wry smile . For today¡¯s breakfast, Hasta¡¯s family had boiled a soup from all the failures at making udon . It was something close to a sujebi . TLN: Sujebi is a traditional Korean soup with dough flakes . ¡¸Still, the taste wasn¡¯t that bad was it?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s my father¡¯s soup, so it¡¯s not that bad . Arka ate it quite happily . ¡¹ While Rei listened to the conversation between mother and son, he noticed that Arka, Hasta¡¯s younger sister who had rushed straight for Set when she had saw him yesterday, wasn¡¯t around . ¡¸Where is Arka?¡¹ Maybe that was a bit of an unexpected question . Enedra had a blank look for a moment before she turned to Hasta . ¡¸Hasta, where is Arka? If I remember correctly, she went to the dismantling hut together with you?¡¹ ¡¸Arka found Set at the stables¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I can guess what happened . ¡¹ When Hasta awkwardly mumbled that, Rei understood what had happened . She was probably clinging onto Set like she had done yesterday . Anyhow, Set was like a mascot in the city of Gilm and children accounted for a significant proportion of people that liked him . As a result, it was no wonder that she would be happy seeing Set come to her house . ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, do you want me to take out the Gamelions? I can leave the dismantling to you as you said yesterday right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . We have to get Rei-san to take a look at the udon noodles . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Well then, I¡¯ll see you later . The process of making udon will probably continue with him . ¡¹ Enedra said that as Rei and Hasta left the Satisfied Stomach . Naturally, when the two of them got to the stables, they saw what they were expecting . Arka was hugging Set as she enjoyed his silky fur . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­Set . For now, Hasta and I have to go dismantle the Gamlions, what do you want to do?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set looked towards Arka, who was hugging him, somewhat hesistantly . Looking at Arka, she clung to Set even harder, refusing to let go . If Set wasn¡¯t a Griffon, he might have suffocated from her hug . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Realising that she wouldn¡¯t leave, Set gave a quiet cry and rubbed his face against Arka . ¡¸Ah, I did it . Hey, onii-chan, Set-chan is staying with me! That¡¯s great!¡¹ ¡¸I see . Thank you should thank Rei again . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Thank you, Rei-san!¡¹ Arka skillfully bowed her head with a smile while still holding onto Set¡¯s neck . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . It¡¯s because Set wanted to stay with you . I can¡¯t force Set to stay with you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Pardon me . ¡¹ Rei shook his head slightly with a wry smile at Hasta, who had lowered his head, before prompting him . ¡¸So where is the dismantling hut? Since you have to carry the meat to the Satisfied Stomach, it shouldn¡¯t be too far right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . That¡¯s right . It¡¯s only a few minutes walk from here . ¡¹ ¡¸A few minutes?¡¹ Since that was the case, Rei looked around, but all he could see were small stalls and back street residences . ¡¸You can¡¯t see it from here . It¡¯s over there . ¡¹ Hasta led Rei in the direction while saying so . Towards the back of the Satisfied Stomach . (¡­¡­I see . Well, as expected, even if it¡¯s a monster, there¡¯s no reason to dismantle it somewhere out in the open . ) Coming to a realisation, they continued walking for a few minutes . The building was short distance away from the back of the satisfied stomach . Although Hasta called it a dismantling hut, it couldn¡¯t really be called a hut with its size . If anything, it would be more correct to call it a small warehouse . Of course, it should be said that it wasn¡¯t a fantastic building . Rather, it was in quite poor condition . From its appearance you could see that it was made using recycled materials and various other items . ¡¸Ahahaha . My father built this from the ground up . That is, using materials left over from the construction of the Satisfied Stomach and other places that were demolished . ¡­¡­But as a result, the amount of debt has increased . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ Rei nodded in understanding . He could understand why Hasta had placed such a high importance on the Gamelion meat . Of course, Hasta loved his family . However, he also felt some sort of guilt that the place had been built with his parent¡¯s debt . He wanted to return the debt as soon as possible to clear his feelings . ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, let¡¯s start the dismantling . The entrance is over here, please follow me . ¡¹ Following Hasta, Rei entered the dismantling hut . The huge front door was to allow monsters to be brought in for dismantling . However, since the Gamelions this time were inside Rei¡¯s Misty Ring, it wasn¡¯t necessary to use it . ¡¸So this is the dismantling hut . ¡¹ Rei muttered as his looked around the inside . There was no stylish wooden floor, it was just a plain compacted dirt floor with a considerably large stand at one side . On the stand were hundreds of knives including huge knives the size of ones arm . Rei nodded, thinking that the meat would probably be cut up on the table after being roughly separated into large pieces . Near the stand was a cart that was probably used to carry the cut up meat . ¡¸What, I¡¯m a bit embarrassed comparing myself to an amazing person like you Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I envy you for having a workshop like this . ¡¹ At that moment, Rei thought back to heading out to a forest near Gilm to strip materials and meat from all the monsters he had accumulated along with Eternal Power . When doing work outside, it was obvious that they would have to watch out for monsters with the smell of blood . There were also time restriction and they had to head back into the city before night time when all the monsters became more active . Even if it was a somewhat poor looking building, it was a good thing that Hasta had a secure place where he could dismantle monsters inside the city . (¡­¡­That¡¯s right . I have money, is there somewhere in Gilm that I can buy unused land to build something like this? ¡­¡­No, in the first place, I don¡¯t have that many opportunities to kill that many monsters . It would be nice to have a place to test skills learnt from magic stones, but there aren¡¯t any areas of land that big . Well, it would be convenient if there was one but those aren¡¯t places I would like to use openly . In that case, maybe it would be best to borrow this place?) Thinking to himself, Rei asked Hasta . ¡¸Hasta, if i remember correctly, you promised to help me dismantle monsters 10 times for helping you with this?¡¹ ¡¸Yes? This was sudden, anything wrong? I certainly did promise you that . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, I don¡¯t need help with dismantling monsters . Instead, could you lend this place to me sometimes?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Here?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . It¡¯s valuable to be able to strip materials inside the city . How about it?¡¹ Hasta thought about Rei¡¯s proposal for several seconds . For Hasta, he didn¡¯t think that stripping off materials was a lot of work even before seeing Rei¡¯s fighting strength . But only after seeing Rei¡¯s skill, who was still a D rank adventurer, did he actually realise that Rei was someone outside the norm . Hearing at the guild bar that Rei had carried a large amount of materials to the guild before after completing and several subjugation requests, he thought that Rei might have been accumulating the materials . Although he had thought that, after seeing Rei¡¯s fighting strength, he realised that Rei might possibly have collected that many in a single request . In actuality, because of Rei¡¯s Misty Ring, a lot of adventurers thought the same thing as Hasta . But because Rei was also considered someone who should not be provoked, the misunderstanding couldn¡¯t be easily resolved . As for Hasta, who had his misunderstanding cleared up, Rei¡¯s proposal wasn¡¯t that bad so he tentatively agreed . ¡¸That is, there are times when we have to dismantle the meat for the dishes we serve at the eatery, so if it¡¯s other times¡­¡­¡¹ Rei nodded without hesitation at Hasta¡¯s answer . Rei didn¡¯t need to use this place that frequently . He only planned to use it when he had hunted so many monsters that he could strip all the materials by himself . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s done . Then I¡¯ll take out the Gamelions . ¡­¡­Do you want me to take out the ordinary one or the rare species first? Or do you want me to take out both?¡¹ ¡¸Mm, there might not be enough space to work with both, so please pass me the ordinary one . I¡¯ll leave the rare species for later . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Nodding at Hasta, Rei moved to a spot marked with blood and took out a Gamelion from the Misty Ring . The head that Rei had cut off, the tail that Hasta had cut off and the torso, which was the biggest part . ¡¸Thank you very much . I will begin the dismantling right away . Rei-san, please head to the eatery and help my father with the udon noodles . After all, if it goes well, it¡¯s a dish that could revive our eatery . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s not that exaggerated . Well, I¡¯ll do that then . I¡¯ll leave this here to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Once I finish processing this Gamelion, I¡¯ll return to the eatery right away . ¡¹ Hasta watched Rei as he left the dismantling hut before turning his eyes to the carcass of the Gamelion, picking up a knife for dismantling from the stand and piercing the Gamelion¡¯s fur . While alive, its fur had strong defensive properties against blades, but the effect disappears as soon as it dies . However, though the defense provided by the fur when someone passed magic power into it wasn¡¯t as good as when the Gamelion was alive, it was still a material in high demand as it possessed high anti-blade defense . Gamelion fur was especially rare since it would only appear on the market around this period of time . Because of that, the fur could sell for quite an amount . ¡¸-! However, this is difficult to work with considering its size¡­¡­isn¡¯t it!¡¹ Cutting open it¡¯s belly, he first took out its internal organs and threw them into a bucket . Next, with a lot of effort, Hasta skinned it while carefully avoiding scarring the fur . Maybe you could say this is where his skill shined . Compared with Rei, he was much more used to this . It hadn¡¯t been long since he had started to hunt monsters by himself as an adventurer, but he had assisted with dismantling monsters at his home since he was small . It was not strange that he was used to it . He finished skinning the fur off the the 3m large Gamelion in under 10 minutes . It could be said that all that was left was just a lump of meat . First of all, he removed the magic stone from its heart before cutting the meat and bone . Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Leaving the dismantling of the Gamelion to Hasta, Rei returned to the Satisfied Stomach . Near the entrance, Arka was eating soup made from the failed prototypes of udon, cooked with vegetables and bacon into something like sujebi . At the same time, she handed bowls of it to Set, who gave a happy cry as he dexterously drank the soup with his beak . Rei entered the Sastified Stomach after glancing at Arka, who was happily combing through Set¡¯s fur . As expected, since it was just past 10am and there was still quite some time before noon, the customers he had seen previously had all disappeared and there wasn¡¯t a single customer around . There was just Enedra, who was wiping down the tables . ¡¸Ah, you¡¯ve come back . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . I¡¯ve left the Gamelion to Hasta, so it should be fine . ¡¹ ¡¸That is good . In that case, could go to the kitchen right away? He¡¯s still working on the udon . It seems he¡¯s made some progress since earlier . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh~, he¡¯s quite fast . To do so much in such a short period of time . ¡¹ While muttering to himself, Rei turned to look at Enedra, who was still wiping down the tables, with a puzzled look . When Rei had returned to the city yesterday and came to the eatery, there had been several other waitresses aside from Enedra . But right now, only Enedra was here . Rei was puzzled and asked about it . ¡¸Weren¡¯t there other people around yesterday as well?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Yes . They come in at noon . Even though we¡¯re busy in the morning, the number of customers is still something I can handle by myself . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh~ . Is that so?¡¹ Getting the feeling it was something like a part time job, Rei headed for the kitchen so as to not interfere with Enedra, who was busily cleaning the eatery . ¡¸Whew, so it¡¯s like this . ¡­¡­Mm? Ah, you¡¯re here . ¡¹ The first thing Rei saw when he entered the kitchen was the figure of Dishot kneading and rolling wheat flour dough . ¡¸Weren¡¯t you stepping on the dough to knead? It seems you were flinging the dough around when I was here earlier so I didn¡¯t think you needed to bother with kneading the dough by hand . ¡¹ ¡¸I was certainly stepping on it with my feet¡­¡­anyway, if I stepped on it with my feet, wouldn¡¯t it get dirty? No one would want to eat it if they knew how it was being made . ¡¹ ¡¸No, it wouldn¡¯t get dirty¡­¡­ah¡¹ After saying that, Rei understood . In the city of Gilm¡­¡­no, in the world of Elgin, vinyl did not exist . If you think about put the dough into a paper bag and stepping on it, the paper bag might end up rupturing immediately . In that situation, there would hygiene risks and customers who knew about it would probably not order it . TLN: In traditional recipes, udon dough is very stiff and very hard to knead by hand . As a result, the dough would be kneaded by stepping on it and using your body weight to fold it . (If I think about it, it might be possible to tie fur coats around your feet for the sole purpose of stepping on the udon dough, there should be a way to do that¡­¡­but since you¡¯re still stepping on the dough, it might be pointless . ) ¡¸Thanks to you, it¡¯s gone quite smoothly . Did you call them noodles? They¡¯re quite hard to make . ¡¹ ¡¸I can only say that it¡¯s been compensated by your experience . Aside from the ingredients, I don¡¯t remember the exact proportions . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess so . If there¡¯s not enough moisture, the dough won¡¯t form . But if there¡¯s too much, it becomes sticky . If I don¡¯t experiment with it, I won¡¯t get anywhere . ¡­¡­However, I have confidence in this dough . Take a look . ¡¹ Saying that, Dishot placed the dough he had been working on onto the table . Certainly, the dough had some sort of glossy look to it, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t much different from the udon dough in Rei¡¯s own memories . ¡¸I will roll it out after this . ¡¹ Saying that to himself in satisfaction, he took out a rolling pin¡­¡­or something that looked like one . Looking towards the rolling pin, Rei felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right . Looking closely at the rolling pin, he noticed that the rolling pin had a pointed tip . The rolling pin that Dishot was using was definitely not a rolling pin but a short spear . ¡¸Why are you using a short spear?¡¹ Speaking of unexpected things, this was certainly unexpected . Rei asked about it without thinking too much . However, the person in question responded as if it was nothing at all . ¡¸I was looking around for the necessary tools to make the udon you told me about yesterday . This was what Pamidor gave to me when I told him told him about the shape of the rolling pin I needed . ¡¹ ¡¸Pamidor, is it?¡¹ The request with Hasta this time had been instigated by him . While thinking of the various connections the blacksmith with the bandit-like face had, Rei gave an expression of resignation before focusing back on the task at hand . ¡¸I¡¯ve let the dough rest for about 30 minutes, so I¡¯m thinking of starting the next step . ¡¹ (He¡¯s let the dough rest for 30 minutes, does that mean he¡¯s been kneading the dough up until then?) While wondering to himself, Rei decided that there shouldn¡¯t be any particular problems . ¡¸Ahh, don¡¯t mind me . If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll let you handle it, I can¡¯t really do too much . I can¡¯t possibly match up to a professional chef . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be grateful if you do that . ¡¹ Because he was proud of his work, Dishot didn¡¯t want an amateur like Rei interfering with anything . Of course, in some situations, he might appear to be arrogant . But fortunately, Rei accepted it as Dishot being a craftsman with confidence . In fact, Rei only taught him the dish because he wanted to eat the noodles he had eaten back on Earth . As Dishot had said, Rei knew he was an amateur and kept his own thoughts and advice to himself . Even if Dishot may have seemed arrogant because of it, Rei didn¡¯t say anything because he understood the reasons behind it . ¡¸Let¡¯s get started . ¡¹ Declaring that as if a ritual or ceremony had started, he used the handle of the short spear to roll out the udon dough that was slightly larger than his fist . Of course, the short spear had been properly washed down after Pamidor passed it to him . Since it had been cleaned, there was no need to worry about hygiene . While watching the short spear stretch out the dough, Rei spoke up after the dough had been rolled out enough . ¡¸I think this is good enough . You just have to cut it a third of a finger width after this¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I understand . A third of a finger width . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Wait a moment . It will be easier to fold the dough after covering it in wheat flour . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ahh, I understand . Dusting it . ¡¹ It seemed he knew about the process of dusting flour to make bread . Agreeing with Rei¡¯s words, he gently spread some wheat flour before folding the dough . Once he was ready, he lined up the dough before cutting it to size with a kitchen knife¡­¡­as expected of a professional chef, all the dough was cut into noodles in under a minute . ¡¸¡­¡­I see, so this is udon . It¡¯s quite different from what I made in the morning . ¡¹ After nodding in satisfaction at the quality of his udon, Dishot promptly started boiling water . After that, he boiled the udon for 10 minutes and rinsed it in cold water before rinsing it in hot water to warm it up again . He then placed them in a soup filled with plenty of meat and vegetables, this was the first udon dish to be created in Elgin . ¡¸¡­¡­Please try it . ¡¹ Dishot served the udon in soup to Rei . Naturally, there were no chopsticks in this world, so he was given a fork . Rei asked as he received it . ¡¸Is it okay for me to try it first? Shouldn¡¯t you be the first person to try tasting it?¡¹ ¡¸No, I believe that the person who gave me the idea of this dish is qualified to try it first . ¡¹ Seeing his expression that he wouldn¡¯t back down, Rei gave a small nod . Rei lightly rolled up the udon in the soup with the tip of his fork and brought it to his mouth . Suru~, sururururu~ . The sound of slurping noodles echoed into the surroundings . Even nobles wouldn¡¯t care about it in downtown¡­¡­there was no way the owner of an eatery in the back streets would complain about it . He finished the udon without speaking and drank all the soup . Dishot, who had been silently watching, asked Rei about it . ¡¸How is it?¡¹ ¡¸I see . I think it would be better to shorten the boiling time a bit more¡­¡­but that¡¯s a matter of preference . I think that the taste of the udon is delicious by itself . It would be better to have a variety of soups . A rich and seasoned soup or a lightly seasoned soup . The taste of udon will change considerably with the soup . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, I¡¯ll think about it then . ¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, he began to eat his own portion of udon and soup . Skillfully wrapping the udon around his fork, Dishot seemed to think about something as he took a bite . Watching him eat while nodding, Rei thought to himself . (Udon, udon . Without chopsticks, I can only eat with a fork . ¡­¡­Speaking of eating noodles with a fork, isn¡¯t that pasta? However, I don¡¯t know how to make pasta at all . Before coming to Elgin, I had eaten dried pasta . Would I be able to make it with wheat flour? No, I don¡¯t think the same flour can be used for both¡­¡­it would be interesting to see Hasta trying to make pasta though because of his name . ) While Rei was thinking of trivial things, Dishot seemed satisfied with the taste of his udon . With a small smile, he served some of the udon to different bowls . ¡¸Please wait a moment . I want to hear Enedra and Arka¡¯s thoughts on the taste as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, Sur-¡­¡­mm? No, you¡¯d better make another serving . ¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸It seems your son is back . I guess he¡¯s brought the Gamelion meat . ¡¹ As soon as Rei said that, Hasta¡¯s voice was heard from the eatery¡¯s entrance . ¡¸Father, mother, I¡¯ve brought the Gamelion meat, please help me carry it in!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So it is the Gamelion meat¡¹ Rei looked towards his bowl of udon . As he mumbled to himself, he remembered the discussion about using Gamelion meat as a topping for dishes . While Rei was thinking about that, Hasta appeared, carrying meat in his arms . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san . How are the udon noodles?¡¹ ¡¸Well, you could call it complete for now . However, although it¡¯s complete, that¡¯s only as an ingredient . What kind of dish it will end up as in future depends on the skill of the chef . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Really? Father is amazing . To learn how to make udon so quickly . ¡¹ ¡¸Here, this is it . Eat it and taste it . ¡¹ Putting the Gamelion meat onto the kitchen top, he took the bowl that was presented and coiled the udon around his fork before eating it the same way Rei did . ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, it¡¯s delicious . Mm, it¡¯s delicious . This will definitely be popular . Did you call them noodles? It¡¯s easy to eat and doesn¡¯t take up much time . ¡¹ Although he said so much, the contents of the small bowl soon disappeared . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Ah-, onii-chan is sneaky! Arka also wants to eat some as well!¡¹ Arka clamoured as she brought a chunk of meat in . Although she was smaller than Hasta, she could still carry a sizable chunk of meat . ¡¸Oh my, I would like to try some as well them¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ . Here . Let me know what you think . ¡¹ Dishot cooked up two serves of udon and gave one to each of them . Arka seemed to be quite happy . Enedra received the bowl with a gentle smile and started to eat immediately . ¡¸For now, we¡¯ll bring in the meat . There¡¯s no point in staying here for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . That¡¯s right . I will be grateful if you could do that . As for the magic stones and other materials, I¡¯ve left them in the dismantling hut, so please come to collect them later . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ Nodding, Rei and Hasta carried chunks of Gamelion meat into the kitchen one after another . The passerby¡¯s who saw that realised that it was now the season where Gamelion meat could be eaten and a larger number of customers started heading to the Satisfied Stomach for an early lunch . Dishot, who had been tasting the udon, noticed that and hurriedly began to cook the Gamelion meat as a stir fry rather than a slow simmered stew . Seeing that, when Rei and Hasta finished carrying in all the meat, the pulled the cart back to the dismantling hut . When Rei went back to the dismantling hut, he was met with the thick smell of blood, as a result of dismantling the Gamelion of course . While frowning slightly at the smell, Rei was led by Hasta to the workbench . ¡¸Here are the Gamelion¡¯s materials and magic stone . ¡¹ What was on the workbench were the materials that the guild would buy, including the fur, fangs that were used to inject poison, both blade like ears and the tail, which was both the proof of subjugation as well as a material that could be sold . More than anything else was the magic stone that Rei wanted . ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you for collecting them . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Hasta before placing them into the Misty Ring one after another . Hasta looked enviously at his Misty Ring as he watched Rei . For Hasta, who became an adventurer in could to provided monster meat to the eatery his parent ran, he really wanted an item box that he could use to store a large amount of monster carcasses without them rotting . However, considering the price of one, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get one no matter how hard he tried . Because of that, he looked on with even more want . ¡¸¡­¡­-sta, Hasta!¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ah, yes . What is it?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s voice, Hasta finally returned to reality . Though guessing what Hasta was thinking off, he pointed to the ground of the dismantling hut . ¡¸Is it okay to dismantle the rare species? There is a considerable amount of meat in its larger body, so it might rot before you use it all up . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, its fine . Since it¡¯s a seasonal thing, it will be sold in a blink of an eye as soon as we start selling the Gamelion meat . Because of that, we can dismantle it without worrying too much . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well, its fine if you say so¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that to himself, Rei took out the Gamelion rare species from the Misty Ring . Like that, Rei and Hasta dismantled the Gamelion rare species . In addition, aside from the magic stones and materials that he had been promised for helping out, lucky for Rei and Set, they were also given some of the Gamelion meat . Udon . A dish that originated from the Satisfied Stomach in the Mireana Kingdom and eventually spread to other countries . As it spread across Elgin, various noodle dishes including pasta, ramen and soba-like noodles were also created . Dishot went down in history as the¡ºFounder of Noodle Dishes¡», but that¡¯s a story for a different time . Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Near the edge of the Mireana Kingdom. A city that was closer to the frontier than the central lands was approaching destruction. About 30% of the cioty¡¯s residents were down with a feverish illness. The remaining residents were desperately nursing them. But unfortunately, that only served to spread the illness further. Yes, the illness that was spreading through the city was something that originally wouldn¡¯t occur in the area. This place was normally hot all year round, but illness would usually only occur with the addition of higher humidity. However, many people in the town started falling ill for some reason. There were some people who knew about the illness and about 10 hours ago, it had become clear it shouldn¡¯t be possible for it to appear in this area. They asked the pharmacists and alchemists about the medicinal cure for it¡­¡­but it turned out that they didn¡¯t have enough stock of a herb to make the medication. In situations like this, pharmacists and alchemists were usually the ones at fault. But they couldn¡¯t be blamed as no one in that city expected that the illness, commonly known as ¡ºMagic Fever¡», would occur here. ¡¸¡­¡­So, what herbal ingredient are we short of?¡¹ Diarog ,the deputy governor of the city of Baar, bitterly asked the elderly man in front of him. The elderly man¡¯s name was Seis. He was the guild master of Baar¡¯s adventurers guild. At the same time, he was highly skilled mage and a close friend of Diarog. ¡¸It¡¯s called Aurani grass powder, its a powder made from the dried grass that can be found growing in regions with high magic power. It¡¯s the main ingredient for making medication to suppress Magic Fever.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Aurani grass. The grass only grows in regions with high magic power you say? Where would that be specifically.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. The closest place from here would probably be the city of Gilm, near the Forest of Monsters.¡¹ ¡¸The city of Gilm? ¡­¡­If I¡¯m not mistaken, there is a method for guild masters to contact each other?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I thought of that as well¡­¡­but is that okay? The city lord is a member of the Nobles Faction. Margrave Rowlocks is a central figure in the Neutral Faction. If we ask for help from guild in his city, will the lord blame you for that?¡¹ The moment the guild master said that, Diarog slammed his fist onto the table. ¡¸If we do this, I know that something like that will happen! But, having a way to save people who are suffering from the illness and leaving them to die, what kind of lord is that! I will take all responsibility!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. I will contact Gilm¡¯s guild master immediately. But¡­¡­¡¹ Speaking up to that point, the guild master stopped. Diarog knew what his good friend wanted to say. Although the city of Baar and the city of Gilm were both on the frontier, the distance between them was vast. If a merchant caravan had a smooth journey, it would take half a month. Even if a seasoned adventurer who drove their horse to its limits, it would still take 10 days. It was possible to use an item in the guild to notify them of the city¡¯s current situation. But if you considered the time it would take to collect the Aurani grass powder and then transport it to this city¡­¡­ ¡¸It would be good if 40% of the residents can survive.¡¹ Diarog briefly said that with a bitter expression of regret. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s a situation of life and death. I will contact the city of Gilm immediately. ¡­¡­I don¡¯t know how much we will owe them for this.¡¹ ¡¸Haa~, such a debt, if we can salvage this situation, I¡¯ll pay back as much as I can.¡¹ Giving a depressed sigh, Diarog spoke with a smile. ¡¸That¡¯s true, right now we are helpless in this situation. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I¡¯ve used my authority as deputy governer to shut the city gates so to not spread the illness any further. I can¡¯t afford to spread it to other cities. Regarding food, I¡¯ll figure something out with our reserves.¡¹ Seis gave a small nod at those words and deftly left the office with movements unlike that of a mage in his fifties. Seeing his good fried leave, Diarog hit the table with his fist again. ¡¸Now then. This magic stone¡­¡­what should I do.¡¹ The Dusk Wheat, where Rei was staying. As he lay down on the bed, he took out two magic stones from the Misty Ring and looked at them. The two of them were obtained during the dismantling of the Gamelions in the dismantling hut with Hasta yesterday. A magic stone that was 5cm in diameter belonged to the ordinary Gamelion while the larger 10cm diameter one belonged to the rare species. Although the rare species was about three times larger than an ordinary Gamelion, the magic stone was only about twice as large. While wondering about that, he decided that it was just how it was¡­¡­his main trouble was how to use the magic stones. As to how Rei wanted to use the magic stones, it was naturally to get Set and the Death Scythe to learn new skills using the Magic Beast Art. If he had two magic stones of ordinary Gamelions, he wouldn¡¯t be so troubled over whether to let Set or the Death Scythe use it. However, now one of his magic stones was from a rare species. ¡¸In the case of Goblins, it was impossible to learn a skill with ordinary Goblin magic stones. But with a rare species, Set could learn Fire Breathe. In other words, it would be better to consider magic stones from ordinary monsters and rare species to be from two different types of monsters. Then¡­¡­well, to play safe, it would be better to give the rare species magic stone to Set?¡¹ While mulling over the issue on his bed, he was at a loss on what to do. However, he suddenly stopped moving and sat up before turning towards his door. His gaze was much sharper compared to just a few seconds before, when he was wondering what to do with the magic stones. Yes, he heard the sound of someone running up the stairs. (Who is it? I don¡¯t think that they¡¯re trying to raid someone¡¯s room with such loud footsteps. There shouldn¡¯t be many people in the inn since it¡¯s the afternoon.) He turned to look outside the window. Although he didn¡¯t know what the temperature outside was, since he was inside the inn, the noise of the wind and the rattling of the window still made him feel cold. Fortunately, the Dusk Wheat was a high class accommodation and there were magic items for heating. Because of that, it wasn¡¯t as cold inside the room. But, it was still easy to imagine how cold it was outside. Although it was unlikely for snow to fall in this season, this could be considered the home stretch for adventurers who wanted to take a break for winter. If they didn¡¯t work and earn money at this time, they would have to desperately complete monster subjugation requests in the snow. Meanwhile, Rei had accumulated enough money to live and play around for a few years. The only thing he really had to do was to consider what to do with the magic stones he had obtained from the Gamelion and rare species yesterday¡­¡­ ¡¸Well, I guess it has something to do with me after all.¡¹ Muttering with a sigh, he put on his Dragon Robe and the Shoes of Sleipnir. He would likely damage the room if he swung the Death Scythe here, so he didn¡¯t take it out from the Misty Ring. Instead, he equipped the Mithril knife he was familiar with at his waist. He prepared himself to retaliate in the event that anyone attacked¡­¡­ Gan~ Gan~ Gan~! While frowning slightly at the sound which was too loud to be considered a knock, Rei called out. ¡¸Who is it?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s me, Lenora!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Lenora?¡¹ Mumbling to himself, Rei opened the door to his room. Waiting outside was indeed the guild receptionist who Rei was acquainted with. She looked like she had run here. Her ponytail shook along with her rough breathing. First of all, Rei poured a cup of water from a jug in the room and passed it to Lenora. ¡¸Ah, thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸So, what¡¯s the matter? Do you want to buy the Gamelion materials?¡¹ For a delicate person like Lenora to run all the way over here, Rei couldn¡¯t think of any other reason. However, Lenora hurriedly drank the water in the cup while shaking her head. ¡¸No, it¡¯s not that. The guild master has requested you to come over.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The guild master?¡¹ Rei muttered to himself. Rei had passed through the guild many times, but he had never met face to face with Gilm¡¯s guild master. Rei wondered why the guild master, who he didn¡¯t even know the face of, had suddenly called him over. Lenora continued speaking after putting the cup on a table in the room. ¡¸It seems like an emergency situation, I was asked to bring Rei-san to the guild urgently. ¡­¡­You really don¡¯t know?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. A recent big disturbance¡­¡­maybe it¡¯s about the Gamelion rare species? I don¡¯t know why the guild master would call me over.¡¹ He recalled in his mind the Gamelion that was over 8m in size. Maybe killing it had some meaning. ¡¸I don¡¯t know, but please come over as soon as possible. Ahh, not just Rei-san but Set as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Set as well?¡¹ (In that case, it¡¯s not about the Gamelion. Although it¡¯s a rare species, it¡¯s still only B rank at highest. However, then I really have no idea why I would be called over¡­¡­£© There was nothing scarier than being called over without knowing the reason. While thinking like that, he got up from his bed. Since it was the direct call from the guild master, he couldn¡¯t just ignore it. ¡¸I understand. Set as well. We¡¯ll get ready immediately.¡¹ ¡¸After telling you, I¡¯ve been told to head back to the guild immediately, but please come over as soon as you can!¡¹ Lenora was in quite a hurry. As soon as she said that, she immediately left without waiting for Rei¡¯s reply. Seeing her leave, Rei went down to pick up Set while having a slightly bad feeling about what was waiting for him at the guild. ¡¸¡­¡­I wonder what has happened?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ As Lenora had asked him, Rei had made his way to the guild with Set. However, the guild seemed to have an unusual atmosphere compared to normally. To be exact, a large number of people were entering and leaving the guild. This was despite the fact that most adventurers would be out on their requests during this time. Next to Rei, Set gave a puzzled cry. ¡¸Ah well. I¡¯ll head into the guild for now, please wait outside as usual Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words. With his fur coat as a Griffon, the coldness didn¡¯t seem to bother him and he plopped himself down at his usual place without any complaints. ¡¸If Lenora reminded me to bring Set, some big trouble has probably happened. You might have a part to play this time so I¡¯ll be relying on you then.¡¹ Saying that, Rei scratched and rubbed Set¡¯s head for a few seconds before heading into the guild. When Rei entered, he was met with a scene¡­¡­ ¡¸How much Aurani grass powder have we collected!?¡¹ ¡¸I bought as much as I could from all the miscellaneous shops, alchemists and pharmacists in Gilm!¡¹ ¡¸Wait. In case anything happens here, we have to leave some behind. We should send them 70-80%.¡¹ ¡¸But, the city over there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It will be okay. Counting the number of residents there, 70% of the stocks from Gilm should be sufficient for all the people in Baar.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ll keep collecting Aurani grass for now, send me a few adventurer parties later.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Put out an urgent request as soon as possible for all the available adventurers.¡¹ Guild staff and adventurers were all in a haste, as if they had been possessed by something. ¡¸¡­¡­Really, what¡¯s going on?¡¹ Seeing that, Rei mumbled to himself as he though. Up until now, the most uproar the guild had been thrown into was when the Orc village was discovered. But right now, the noise was beyond even that. ¡¸Ah, Rei-san. Over here!¡¹ Lenora, who was busy at the counter, gave Rei a shout when she saw him. Several adventurers and guild staff turned to look at Rei when they heard that, but soon returned to their work as if they had no time for it. ¡¸Please come over here. I¡¯ll take you to the guild master¡¯s office immediately.¡¹ Lenora pulled Rei behind the counter. As Rei and Lenora were talking, Kenny could be seen at the counter as usual. However, it seemed that she didn¡¯t have the time to talk to Rei and just waved her hand before returning to her work. ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s going on?¡¹ Walking behind the counter, Rei asked Lenora as she guided him in. But, Lenora just shook her head at the question. ¡¸Please ask the guild master about that. However, something out of the ordinary has definitely happened.¡¹ Replying to Rei¡¯s question, she went up a set of stairs behind the counter. At the top was a door. (¡­¡­It seems to be a separate room from the meeting room I usually use. No, it might actually be the guild master¡¯s office.) While thinking to himself, Rei watched Lenora knock on the door. ¡¸Guild master, it¡¯s Lenora. I¡¯ve brought Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve been expecting you. Please come in.¡¹ Rei reacted with a twitch when he heard the voice from inside. In any case, the clear voice belonged to that of a woman, which he didn¡¯t expect from the title of guild master. Yes, the voice was as clear as a bell. ¡¸Pardon me.¡¹ Lenora opened the door and prompted Rei to enter, who was struggling at the sense of incongruity. Rei was met with a brown skinned woman when he entered. However, she wasn¡¯t a human woman as both her ears were much more pointed compared to ordinary humans. ¡¸Dark Elf¡¹ Rei¡¯s words echoed through the small, silent, office of the guild master, where the noise from the first floor couldn¡¯t be heard. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 ¡¸Fufu~, apologies for calling you over so suddenly . I wanted to borrow your strength for something . ¡¹ Seeing her gracious smile, Rei was breathless for a moment . Pointed ears and brown skin . Her silver hair flowed down her back . She was wearing something like an evening dress that you would wear to a party . Because she seemed to be working on some documents on the desk, she was seated in a lower position than Rei . The deep valley created by her large breasts accentuated itself greatly . Her smooth brown skin and seemingly soft twin hills would draw the gazes of men like insects to honey . Because she was a Dark Elf, Rei couldn¡¯t tell her exact age, comparing her appearance to a human¡¯s, she looked like a woman in her mid twenties . ¡¸-!?¡¹ However, Rei only looked at her enchanting valley for a moment before the figure of Elena looking at him with a cold smile appeared in his mind . He shook his head before diverting his gaze from her cleavage . The Dark Elf woman held a surprised expression for a moment after sensing Rei¡¯s mighty magic power, but disappeared as she spoke with a smile . ¡¸How do you do . I¡¯ve heard various things about you from your reputation . I am the guild master of Gilm¡¯s adventurers guild, Marina Ariansa . As you have noticed, I¡¯m a Dark Elf . Nice to meet you . ¡¹ After introducing herself, Rei finally turned towards the face of the guild master, Marina . Her face was well proportioned and Rei could feel a sense of deep wisdom from her eyes, that was a characteristic of Elves . Dark Elves . The ancestors of the Dark Elves and Elves were originally the same . However, the Dark Elves specialised more in combat . As a result, it was said that they lost the blessing from their spirits and skin and hair changed to brown and silver, compared to Elves who had whiter skin and golden hair . Nevertheless, the relationship between the Elves and Dark Elves wasn¡¯t bad . They had both existed since antiquity . Although they had fought against each other during the time that Zepairu was still alive, in the present time, those grudges had already disappeared . No, compared to the relationship between Humans and Elves, the relationship between Elves and Dark Elves could be considered more intimate due to their similar lifespan . Seeing Marina smile at him, a Dark Elf with significantly longer lifespan and higher magic power compared to a Human, Rei spoke up . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . I¡¯m registered as D rank adventurer at the guild here . ¡­¡­So, to get to the point, what business do you have with me?¡¹ As expected of a guild master, as the head of an organisation, Rei didn¡¯t talk to her in his usual casual tone but with more formal speech . The moment she heard Rei¡¯s words, the smile that was on Marina¡¯s lips disappeared and she turned to Lenora . ¡¸Lenora, thanks for bringing him here . Downstairs will be busy in a lot of ways for now, please take care of that . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Then, excuse me . ¡¹ Lenora gave a small nod at Marina¡¯s words before heading back down . When the door closed, Marina directed her dark green eyes towards Rei before speaking . ¡¸The guild can keep in contact with other guilds using magic items, are you aware of this?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . When I came to this city, I heard about it during the explanation on bounties . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, I can skip forward . Actually, we received an aid request from the guild of another city . It¡¯s an urgent request . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is the city close to Gilm?¡¹ The first thought that came to Rei¡¯s mind was that the city had been attacked by a large group of monster, monsters like the Orc settlement that he had fought against previously in the raid against it . They might have asked Gilm to dispatch adventurers because on the frontier the threat of monsters would be near to them as well . However, at Rei¡¯s question, Marina shook her head slightly . ¡¸No, it¡¯s far away . Even if a seasoned adventurer rushed to travel the distance, it would still take 10 days to get there . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why would a city so far away ask for aid from here?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . In addition to that, the lord of the city that the guild is in belongs to the Nobles Faction . Margrave Rowlocks is a central figure of the Neutral Faction, normally the guild there wouldn¡¯t ask us for aid first . ¡¹ At Marina¡¯s words, Rei¡¯s cheeks twitched . According to an explanation he hard heard previously, the guild should have been an independent power group . ¡¸I heard that the guild was an organisation independent of the country . ¡¹ Guessing that he would ask that question, Marina replied without any confusion . ¡¸That¡¯s right . There are no issues between the guilds themselves¡­¡­that said, there are some special cases . But the circumstances are a bit different this time . Either way, it¡¯s a request for aid from deputy feudal lord . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In that case, is that okay? That it is the deputy lord and not the lord himself?¡¹ ¡¸I heard that they¡¯ve been driven into a corner . Of course, I¡¯ve given instructions to contact Margrave Rowlocks as soon as possible to get his response . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s gotten to such a point for them? ¡­¡­So . May I ask what is going on?¡¹ ¡¸Of course . Or rather, if I don¡¯t tell you, you won¡¯t be able to help us . Your cooperation is absolutely required for this case . Also, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to use polite speech . Though I don¡¯t know about other guild masters, I don¡¯t mind so please speak as you usually do . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ . Thanks . In that case, I will do that . ¡¹ After all, he had been forcing himself to use polite speech . He nodded in relief . While looking at Rei, Marina took out a small bottle about 5cm tall . There was some sort of powder inside it . ¡¸This is?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a powder made from a medicinal herb called Aurani grass . It¡¯s an ingredient used in medicine for some infectious illnesses, but it has a characteristic of only growing in places high in magic power . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Infectious illnesses?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, infectious illnesses . Originally, it¡¯s an illness that should only occur in warm and humid areas where you would never have to wear long sleeved clothes, Magic Fever . However, it seems to have spread rapidly in a city called Baar even though it¡¯s nearing winter . ¡¹ ¡¸Magic Fever?¡¹ Hearing those words, Rei searched Zeipairu¡¯s knowledge . Fortunately, Magic Fever seemed to be an illness that had existed since Zepairu¡¯s time, so it wasn¡¯t hard to get a general outline . It was one of the so-called feverish illnesses, an illness that would affect people below a certain level of magic power . Conversely, if the person had a certain amount of magic power, they would¡¯t need to worry about it . However, the level of magic power needed to ignore it varied depending on the surrounding environment . Even if it was safe it one area, it could potentially be highly infectious in others . It was basically an illness that was only seen in tropical areas . After being infected, the patient¡¯s magic power would gradually decrease over time . It was an illness with a very high mortality rate if the patient¡¯s magic power ran out . It seems the symptom was discovered when people died after trying to use magic power to resist it . There was a medicinal cure for it that could be made using a medicinal herb called Aurani grass . If the medicine was used, patients would recover in a night . The incubation period of the illness was about 1 week . If no symptoms showed after that period of time, it meant that the magic power of the patient had been able to suppress it . Rei grasped the contents from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge and raise his eyebrows . ¡¸Surely in this season¡­¡­rather, it would normally be impossible for Magic Fever to appear anywhere in this area . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . That¡¯s the whole reason for the aid request . It can¡¯t be helped but Baar didn¡¯t keep a stock of Aurani grass . ¡¹ ¡¸However, it¡¯s also the reason why Magic Fever spread so rapidly . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . And, the closest area to Baar with a high concentration of magic power is Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸The Forest of Monsters, is it . ¡¹ When Rei heard Marina¡¯s words, he remembered the plains he had gone to to hunt Gamelions . According to Hasta, the grassland didn¡¯t wither even in winter due to the influence from the Forest of Monsters . ¡¸Correct . That is the reason why we fortunately have a certain stock of Aurani grass powder in this city . It is pretty much used only for medicine against Magic Fever, but still has its uses in alchemy . That¡¯s about it . ¡¹ Looking at the small bottle Marina held, Rei gave a small nod . It was also because he realised the reason Marina, the guild master, had invited him hear . ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s why you asked me to bring Set along . ¡­¡­By any chance, do you want me to bring the Aurani grass powder to the city of Baar?¡¹ ¡¸That is correct . Fortunately, you have an item box so you don¡¯t need to worry about carrying a lot of baggage . Furthermore, because you have a Griffon as a tamed beast, its speed will also be much faster than anyone else in this city . ¡¹ ¡¸I want to ask a question . Is this a nominated request?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course . ¡¹ ¡¸If so, can I expect a reward?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Marina looked towards the office walls as if she had expect that question . At the end of her gaze was a single spear that was decorating the wall . Part of the handle and blade were dark green . It was a spear that was dyed in a colour that would be best described as dark green . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s not just an ordinary spear is it?¡¹ Although Rei couldn¡¯t sense magic power, he still felt an attraction towards the spear . But what was strange was that he didn¡¯t notice it at all until Marina looked at it . At Rei¡¯s pondering, Marina nodded with a thin smile . ¡¸Correct . That spear is a magic item . It¡¯s also quite powerful . Rei, I heard that when you normally fight, you use a Scythe that is also a magic item . But you also use spears for long distance throwing don¡¯t you? I think such a spear would go well with that?¡¹ ¡¸Specifically?¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment . I think it would be faster to show you that to explain it . ¡¹ Getting up from her chair, she moved to the wall and picked up the spear . While doing that, the evening dress that Marina wore boldly exposed her back, asserting the sexy curves of her brown skin . Rei was slightly troubled over where to look, but Marina reached out for the spear regardless of it . Picking up the spear with her hand, she swung it lightly as if she was holding something that didn¡¯t weigh much . Vum~, the sound of the air being split proved that the spear actually had a reasonable amount of weight to it . (If it were a normal spear, it should weigh about 5kg¡­¡­as expected of a Dark Elves that specialise in combat . I never thought she¡¯d be able to swing a spear like that with her thin arms . ) While admiring her in his mind, he watched Marina¡¯s actions . ¡¸Ready? Take a good look . ¡¹ Saying that, she held the spear with both hands and made a quick thrust while using magic power . The speed of the thrust itself wasn¡¯t that fast, but that was because she was trying to show the effect of the spear to Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei unintentionally raised his voice when he saw the tip of the spear . At the end of his gaze, several sharp thorns stretched out from the spear tip, piercing through the air . They moved about in the air for several seconds before disappearing as if it had all been a hallucination . At Rei¡¯s surprised expression, Marina explained the effect of the spear with a small smile . ¡¸The name of this magic item is Thorns Spear . As you can see, when you supply it magic power, it has the ability to grow thorns from the tip of the spear to restrict your enemies . This time, I showed it in an easy to understand way . Usually it¡¯s activated after the tip has been stabbed into something in order to restrain the enemy with thorns . Please note that the thorns can only be used for restraint . For example, even if you produce thorns after stabbing the tip into an enemy, you cannot use the thorns to attack the insides of the enemy . ¡­¡­However, it is possible to hurt their skin while they are restrained by the thorns . ¡¹ ¡¸Is it only possible to produce the thorns while you are holding onto the spear? For example, it is possible to throw the spear and make the thorns grasp onto the enemy after it hits them?¡¹ ¡¸Of course that can be done . Otherwise it wouldn¡¯t be a good reward for you would it? The amount of magic power supplied to the spear will change the time when the thorns appear, you will get used to it after using it . ¡¹ At Marina¡¯s answer, Rei smiled . To restrain an opponent by throwing a spear at them and tangling them in thorns, for Rei, it was a pretty good magic item . (It certainly is more than enough for a magic item to have this effect . If I have over a certain level of magic power, it seems I won¡¯t contract Magic Fever, so I¡¯m safe from that as well . ¡­¡­No, maybe I should ask that first . ) After looking at the Thorns Spear, Rei turned to look back at Marina again . ¡¸Although Magic Fever has spread rapidly in the city of Baar, are all the inhabitants infected?¡¹ ¡¸No, only those with low magic power have been infected . To be exact, roughly 40% of the city¡¯s inhabitants . ¡­¡­However, that¡¯s only what I¡¯ve last heard . ¡¹ (40% of the city¡¯s residents . It¡¯s no different from the information I have that only people with low magic power are affected . The probability of me getting infected is quite low . Since it¡¯s the source of Magic Fever, I should stay therefor a week or so . Although its probably a pathogenic bacteria, I should probably wait for it to die out before coming back . ) Thinking to himself, Rei nodded after looking at the magic item a second time . ¡¸I understand . This request, I will accept it . ¡¹ Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Rei accepted the request . Obviously, Marina was relieved . Even though she was the guild master, she couldn¡¯t force someone to go to a place where a contagious illness was rampant . If Rei did not accept the request, the worst case scenario would be taking 10 days to rush Aurani grass powder to Baar . (Because I heard this kid had a strong interest in magic items, I took out the prized Thorns Spear . I¡¯m glad that my information was not mistaken . While giving a sigh of relief in her mind, she hid it with a smile . Marina understood her own features well and didn¡¯t hesitate to use it for the guild . (But from the information available to me, this kid seems to be closely related to the General Princess of the Nobles Faction, so it¡¯s highly likely he won¡¯t fall for my temptation . ) While thinking about that, she was able to tell that Rei felt a but restless when he saw her skin that was exposed by the party dress she was wearing . She seriously considered for a few seconds whether a honey trap would have been a good approach . However, she quickly cleared her thoughts and changed her focus to the Magic Fever . ¡¸Well, time is precious . I¡¯ll have to get you to fly out once all the kids in the guild have finished collecting Aurani grass powder around Gilm . Is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I have no problems . I can start at any time . All my necessities are basically stored in my item box . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Given that you¡¯re flying through the sky in winter, should I prepare some magic items for cold weather?¡¹ Rei shook his head at Marina¡¯s question . ¡¸That won¡¯t be an issue, I¡¯ve already taken measures against that . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Marina looked at his robe and nodded in agreement . ¡¸That robe, aside from having a concealment effect, it seems to have various other functions . ¡¹ At those words, Rei reacted with a twitch . ¡¸You can see that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It looks like a very high quality magic item . It made from the materials of a Dragon . A Dragon which had a considerable amount of magic power as well . At the very least, it must have lived several hundred years, it¡¯s likely to have stepped into the level of an Ancient Dragon . . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh~ . As expected of a Dark Elf . There have been few people who have seen through this magic item so far . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I wonder if I may ask . Aside from your item box and robe . The bracelet on your left arm and your shoes are also magic items aren¡¯t they? Even you were his student, to willingly pass you so many magic items . ¡¹ The background of the person in front of her . Marina recalled the story that Rei was the student of a magician and had been thrown out near the city of Gilm after his study had completed . Looking at him again, the quantity and quality of his magic items was extraordinary . She had also heard that Rei had a huge scythe that was also a magic item . To be honest, if Rei¡¯s equipment were sold, the sum would be enough to buy a small country . With such valuable magic items, even if she was the one sending Rei out, she wouldn¡¯t have done the same . She thought about such questions, but Rei just shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile . ¡¸My teacher was quite ignorant of the world . After all, I learnt magic as sorcery, I only knew it was now called magic after coming to the city of Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that is . ¡¹ Sorcery . There weren¡¯t a lot of people who knew that word now . Even for Marina, who was a Dark Elf that had lived for much longer than other people, it was a word she hadn¡¯t heard in a long time . She could have never imagined that Rei¡¯s own knowledge had been passed down by Zepairu . Understanding the reasoning, she gave a small sigh and nodded . ¡¸Certainly, if he doesn¡¯t have much interest in the world, the same could be said about the value of those magic items . ¡­¡­Oh . ¡¹ Her long ears, which were slimmer than an ordinary human¡¯s, twitched . Likewise, Rei also heard the footsteps of someone running up the stairs . Within 10 seconds, there was a knock on the office doors and a voice called out . ¡¸Guild master, the relief supplies including the Aurani grass powder have been prepared . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your hard work Lenora . I¡¯ll head over right away, so please head down first . ¡­¡­Rei, as you heard, preparations have been completed . ¡¹ Saying that, she took out a map from a drawer in her office desk . ¡¸This is a map of the region of the Mireana Kingdom . This is the city of Gilm . ¡¹ Marina pointed to a city at the very edge of the map . Because the frontier had yet to be reclaimed beyond here, Gilm was near the edge of the map . ¡¸If you advance this way and pass through several towns¡­¡­¡¹ Her fingers traced a highway that extended from Gilm . She passed over 3 towns and villages before stopping at a city . The name of the city on the map was Baar . ¡¸Your destination is the city of Baar, here . Regarding this map, I can lend it to you, but please don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m only lending it . Be sure to return it to me after this request is completed . If you lose it, I¡¯ll have to impose a heavy penalty, please be careful with it . ¡¹ In this time period, maps were one of the most important secrets of a country . On a map, the location of cities, rivers that could support farmlands and water sources where camps could be set up would be noted . It also became possible to find the best locations to set up ambushes . Normally, if it became known that Marina showed Rei, a D rank adventurer, such a map she would have issues with responsibility . Even if it was only temporarily, she had given the map to him . In the worst case, it was a crime that could warrant the death penalty . ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve heard various stories and received reports about your personality . I am also believing in my intuition from being a guild master for so many years . ¡­¡­More than anything, Margrave Rowlocks is also aware of this matter . His silence is his tacit consent . ¡¹ If he didn¡¯t have a map and his arrival to Baar was delayed, it would cause damage to the Mireana Kingdom if the people sick with Magic Fever died and the city was destroyed as well . Even if they were from a different faction, if they ignored it, it would also affect the city of Gilm and it¡¯s lord, Daska . That was the conclusion they had reached . ¡¸I understand . I will return the map without a doubt when I return to Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please do so . ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry about this, but the reward will only be given on completion of the request . ¡¹ ¡¸Understood . Having seen the reward, I will make this request a success by all means . ¡¹ ¡¸Please, I leave it to you . ¡­¡­Ah, there¡¯s also this . ¡¹ Following the map was a letter . It was tightly sealed and the sender was written as the guild master of Gilm, Marina Ariansa . The addressee was written as the guild master of the Baar guild branch, Seis . ¡¸This is¡­¡­slightly different from an introduction letter . Because the urgency of the case is higher than an ordinary request, I have written that this letter is from the guild master of Gilm and to confirm your identity as Rei . ¡­¡­That is because, your appearance is quite youthful Rei . ¡¹ Rei understood exactly what Marina meant . For a request that could be said to involve the life and death of a city, if she didn¡¯t clarify, Baar would be suspicious since Rei looked like a 15 year old . Rei himself was aware of his own face and delicate physique, so he received the letter without any complaints . (Diarog was only a thief so he can¡¯t sense magic power . If Seis is there though, he should be able to see that this kid¡¯s magic power is out of the ordinary . ) Marina thought to herself while imagining the expressions of her former party members . Standing in front of Marina, Rei placed the map and letter into the Misty Ring and bowed his head . ¡¸I apologise for the various issues I have caused . I will definitely complete this request . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please do . It¡¯s good that you were in Gilm with an item box and a tamed Griffon when this request came through . ¡­¡­Then, the Aurani grass powder and other supplies should be on the first floor, let¡¯s hurry down . I¡¯ve received special permission from Margrave Rowlocks, you can leave the city at the main gate without having to go through it . ¡¹ Giving a small nod at Marina¡¯s words, Rei left the office . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san . Take these please!¡¹ Lenora saw Rei come out of Marina¡¯s office from the counter and directed him to the center of the guild . Normally, that was were the request boards would be placed . There, Aurani grass powder had been divided into individual portions and packed into small 5cm bottles with the bottles crammed into a wooden box without gaps . Normally, if these were to be carried in a carriage, they wouldn¡¯t have packed it like this . The danger of the bottles cracking from the vibrations as the horse pulled the carriage would be too high . It was only possible because of Rei¡¯s Misty Ring . Because of that, the bottles wouldn¡¯t break during transportation, so the adventurers and guild staff prioritised the immediate usage to make medicine after arriving at Baar . Among the relief supplies, aside from the crucial Aurani grass powder, there were also potions for recovering physical strength and magic power . ¡¸Rei-kun!¡¹ A voice called out from behind Rei as he was about to step forward to store the supplies . When he looked back, he saw the figure of Kenny, who had tears collecting in the corners of her eyes . Her cat ears that would normally be pricked up were dropping today, clearly expressing her feelings . She quickly approached Rei with quick movements particular to those from cat family of Beastkin and reached for his robe . ¡¸Hey, why does Rei-kun have to be the one to go? Isn¡¯t there an epidemic there? Rei-kun might fall sick as well right?¡¹ While gently separating Kenny¡¯s hand from his Dragon Robe, Rei spoke to calm her down . ¡¸It¡¯s all right . Magic Fever doesn¡¯t infect people above a certain level of magic power, so I don¡¯t need to worry about getting infected . ¡¹ If the Magic Fever was on a level that could infect people with Rei¡¯s level of magic power, it would have infected everyone in the city of Baar . Even though Kenny looked a bit more relieved, she still clenched onto Rei¡¯s robe . ¡¸But, you can¡¯t say for sure that you will be okay right!?¡¹ ¡¸Kenny! You are a member of the guild as well . You shouldn¡¯t say things like that!¡¹ Lenora rebuked Kenny in a harsh tone . Even for Lenora, it was true that Rei was heading for a city where Magic Fever was running rampant, a boy younger than herself . But even so . ¡¸We can only rely on Rei-san . If you head to Baar normally by carriage, even if they hurried, it would still take half a month . You know that right!? Are you going to forsake all the people sick with Magic Fever in Baar!¡¹ At Lenora¡¯s reprimand, Kenny trembled . She then released her clutch on Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe after a few seconds . ¡¸¡­¡­Um, sorry . That is right . I was just saying that . Rei-kun, take care of yourself . You must absolutely com back to Gilm okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . After all, if I successfully complete this nominated request, I will get quite an amazing magic item as a reward . I will come back safely, whatever it takes . ¡¹ ¡¸Already, Rei-kun doesn¡¯t change even in a situation like this . ¡¹ Kenny¡¯s eyes were still moist, but she now had a smile on her face . ¡¸The, Rei-san . The supplies . ¡¹ Lenora prompted him while patting Kenny¡¯s back . Rei left the counter and reached out for the supplies, including the wooden boxes that were piled up on the floor . Adventurers and guild staff who were seeing Rei use the Misty Ring for the first time gave cries of admiration as Rei stored the supplies one after another . At the location where all the supplies for making the medicine for Magic Fever were placed, a huge pot was placed . ¡¸¡­¡­Is this from Dishot?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, ask Hasta . Aren¡¯t you going to deliver medicine to a city with Magic Fever? I don¡¯t know what happens when you get Magic Fever, but it would probably be troublesome to cook if your body is tired from illness . I don¡¯t know how much you will need, but take this . ¡¹ Rei opened the pot at those words . The inside was filled with vegetable soup, Gamelion meat and udon . (Is it something like an udon stew?) Thinking to himself, he nodded while the people around him who had never seen udon before started discussing among themselves . ¡¸I will accept this gratefully . ¡¹ Saying that, he stored the rest of the supplies and the pot into the Misty Ring . Actually, when Dishot heard that Rei was going to take medicinal supplies to a city where Magic Fever was rampant, he went with Hasta to bring the pot with today¡¯s lunch over since he felt that he should help his benefactor . . Rei looked towards Hasta, who had helped to bring the pot big enough for an adult to fit in and was now gasping for breath . Seeing that Rei was looking at him, he smiled with a nod . Since Rei had stored all the supplies into the Misty Ring, he headed out . The adventurers in the guild, Lenora, Kenny, Hasta and Dishot went out to see him off . ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s voice, Set gave a cry as he got up and walked towards Rei . ¡¸Set, we will be going on an outing . I¡¯ll be needing your wings . Will you help me?¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a cry as if saying ¡®of course¡¯ . Rei scratched his head before rubbing Set¡¯s head with a smile . ¡¸I see, I¡¯ll be relying on you . . ¡­¡­Well then, we should get going . It seems we are allowed to fly straight from here since it is a special situation . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set stooped down slightly so that Rei could get on . After getting on, Rei removed the Necklace of subservient monster from Set and threw it over to Hasta . ¡¸Hasta, pass the Necklace of Subservient Monster to the guards at the gate . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Please be careful . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Well, I¡¯ll be leaving . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s light words, Set started to run across the stone pavement while flapping his wings . Set flew up into the sky as if running on air . The people who had come to see them off watched until the two of them were no longer visible, praying that Rei and Set would return to Gilm safely . Chapter 183 Chapter 183 The adventurers guild in Gilm . Inside the guild master¡¯s office, Marina poured magic power into a crystal placed on the desk . After about a minute, a familiar face was projected on the surface of the crystal . It was the face of a man in his fifties . He had a long beard, wore a robe and had a sense of deep wisdom in his eyes . He was a mage who had been in the same party as Marina several decades ago, Seis . Their former party leader, Diarog, was the acting lord of the city of Baar while Seis, like Marina, was serving as a guild master . ¡¸Marina? Are you contacting us this time about the Aurani grass powder?¡¹ Her former party member, who usually kept a calm expression at all time, had a grave look . From that along, Marina could easily imagine the crisis that Baar was currently in . However, nothing would change even if she had a serious expression, so Marina nodded with a smile . ¡¸Yes, we gathered a large amount of Aurani grass powder and the carrier left the city a short time ago . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­I see . It will take 10 days to arrive at the earliest . I hope the patients with Magic Fever will be able to last . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, no, you¡¯re wrong . ¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ It would take 10 days for an adventurer who was prepared to run their horse to death . Seis knew that it was impossible to shorten the travel time further, he had a surprised look in his eyes at Marina¡¯s words . ¡¸In what way?¡¹ ¡¸It would certainly take 10 days at best to travel from Gilm to Baar across land no matter how fast you are . I know that . ¡­¡­But what if you flew instead of traveling across land?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Wait . Wait a moment . Marina, you were always a person to do crazy things, but what did you do this time? As far as I know, there shouldn¡¯t be any Dragon Knights in Gilm . Did you or Margrave Rowlocks hire a Dragon Knight recently?¡¹ Seis¡¯s face had a look of urgency . Hope could be seen in his eyes . Even if they had really sent a Dragon Knight, it would be impossible to carry enough Aurani grass powder for everyone in the city . However, they might be able to help the people in danger of dying . However, what Marina said next was unbelievable to Seis, who had worked as a mage and adventurer for many years . ¡¸No, it¡¯s something different . There¡¯s a kid who registered with the guild a few months ago, he has a tamed monster that can fly . ¡¹ ¡¸What¡­¡­¡¹ Seis had a surprised expression at Marina¡¯s words . However, he shook his head the next moment . ¡¸No, even if he is an adventurer with a tamed monster that can fly, he still can¡¯t carry a lot of Aurani grass powder right? Of course, I am grateful if we can get any at all . At the very least, final stage patients can receive the medicine and survive . ¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, you¡¯re still to naive . That kid has most of the Aurani grass powder in Gilm with him . He also has other supplies that are necessary . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be surprised . Anyhow, that kid has an item box . ¡¹ ¡¸What did you say!?¡¹ At the greatest surprise, Seis unintentionally shouted . However, Marina continued speaking, further amazing Seis . ¡¸By the way, that kid¡¯s tamed monster . What do you think it is?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If he has an item box, he must be a veteran high rank adventurer . Then, is it a Harpy or Wyvern?¡¹ ¡¸In-cor-rect . The correct answer is a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Seis took a sharp breath at those words . He took a deep breath to clear the confusion in his mind before speaking again . ¡¸Impossible, I¡¯ve never heard of an adventurer who has a Griffon following them . If there was such a person, I should have heard rumors about it . ¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, it can¡¯t be helped . That kid seems to have been brought up by a master mage in some remote place . ¡­¡­In addition, his master seems to be a self styled sorcerer . Actually, that kid just came to Gilm a few months ago . Before anyone knew it, he was running up the ranks . He is the current record holder for the shortest time from registration to rank D . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is . No, I¡¯m thankful that he has an item box . I want to ask more about it, but right now the highest priority is to deal with the Magic Fever . I hope he arrives as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡­¡­Please tell Diarog I¡¯m doing well . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸Also, helping with the intention of having this favour returned . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸Well then, I will excuse myself now as I¡¯m running out of Magic Power . ¡­¡­Don¡¯t die, if you die, it will be one less familiar face for me . ¡¹ As she said that, the face of Seis that was reflected on the crystal disappeared . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Marina gently stroked the crystal that was now silent with no projection . The crystal allowed free conversation between people far away . It was a valuable magic item supplied by the adventurers guild . It consumed a huge amount of magic power . Even though Marina was a Dark Elf who had more magic power than most Humans, all her magic power would be consumed in just 10 minutes or so . ¡¸Whether or not an individual is affected by Magic Fever depends on the magic power they have . Diarog and Seis should have no problems . ¡­¡­If it really is ordinary Magic Fever, that is . ¡¹ Muttering to herself, different to how she had faced Seis earlier, Marina had a gloomy expression as she gently played with the crystal with her fingers . ¡¸Tch! Monsters only seem to attack when you¡¯re in a hurry!¡¹ Rei made a large and sharp swing with the Death Scythe as he rode on Set . The magic empowered blade cut through the torso of a huge 30cm long bee, splitting it in two . Although various materials and its magic stone fell to the ground, since Rei was in a hurry, he wasn¡¯t able to collect them . He swung the Death Scythe again at another bee that attacked him while grinding his teeth . Sword Bees . As its name suggested, the originally needle like stinger of a bee was now closer to a long sword . It was an E rank monster, it wasn¡¯t very strong on its own . However, because of its habit of persistently pursuing its prey, it was a monster hated by adventurers . And right now, nearly 20 Sword Bees were flying around Rei and Set as they flew through the sky . ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set instinctively understood what Rei meant and took a deep breath before spitting out a fire breath . Roar-! ¡¸Shaaar-!¡¹ The instant it was wrapped in flames, a Sword Bee¡¯s wings burned up and plummeted to the ground still burning . Set swept his head while spitting out flames . Naturally, Fire Breath also swept across, wrapping several Sword Bees in flames just like the first . ¡¸Wind Hand!¡¹ Rei activated the Death Scythe¡¯s skill, Wind Hand, on a Sword Bee who was coming close to attacking as Set was looking in the other direction . A transparent tentacle extended from the handle of the Death Scythe and grabbed the Sword Bee¡¯s sword stinger . ¡£ ¡¸Haah!¡¹ Although it was a huge bee, it was still only 30cm in length . It wasn¡¯t very heavy and it was impossible for it to resist Rei¡¯s strength as it was grabbed and swung around by the wind hand . ¡¸Shaar-!¡¹ While hearing it¡¯s scream like voice from its vibrating mandibles, Rei swung the wind hand without care . Being swung around by the wind hand, the Sword Bee cut off the wings of another Sword Bee with its stinger . The next moment, it pierced the body of another bee . ¡¸Get smashed!¡¹ Being swung around by the tentacle, it smashed its head against another Sword Bee, crushing both their heads and scattering their corpses to the ground . ¡ºFlame, burn the enemy according to my thoughts . ¡» Continuing on to cast a spell, a fireball about 30cm in diameter appeared at the tip of the Death Scythe . The spell was short to cast and had a reasonable amount of power . In addition, the spell had a wide attack range and was a convenient magic that Rei could easily use . ¡ºFireball!¡» The fireball was released with those words and and engulfed several Sword Bees that were attempting to attack Rei and Set from below, burning them up in an instant before they could raise a sound . 10 remained . Although their numbers had been reduced to a fifth compared to when they had been first attacked, the Sword Bees showed no signs on giving up on Rei and Set . However, although the 10 didn¡¯t give up, they changed from constantly attacking to holding their position and waiting . ¡¸¡­¡­Tch, I can¡¯t waste time here . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei looked towards the ground . Fortunately there were no visible people, horses or carriages on the highway below them . ¡¸If I¡¯m going to do it, now is my chance . Fortunately those Sword Bees aren¡¯t attacking . Set, use King¡¯s Awe . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ As soon as he heard Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry and took a deep breath . ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ A cry echoed into the surrounding area . It gave off an overwhelming presence of a king . Normally, King¡¯s Awe should have been used when they had initially been attacked by the Sword Bees . However, the skill required a few seconds to use . As soon as the Sword Bees had appeared, Set no longer had those few seconds to use it and they ended up having to fight a battle as they flew through the air . However, once the Sword Bees took some distance, giving them a few seconds, King¡¯s Awe was activated . Once activated, E rank monsters were unable to withstand it . ¡¸Flying Slash, Flying Slash, Flying Slash!¡¹ Rei continuously fired out Flying Slashes at the Sword Bees which were now stationary . They had disastrously grouped up to watch Rei and Set, resulting in the slashes cutting, crushing and smashing their bodies to the ground . ¡¸¡­¡­Phew . Mm?¡¹ Finally able to take a break, Rei saw several people on the ground . He also saw a relatively big city . Rei had a spark in his mind and took the map he had received from Marina out of the Misty Ring . On the map, the name of the city closest to Gilm was written as Abuero . ¡¸Is that city Abuero? Well, if I ask I should be able to find out . Set, land somewhere near to those people . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words and descended to the ground while fluttering his wings . The people who were looking up at Set realised that a Griffon was coming down towards them . They tried to run away at first but stopped moving after noticing Rei sitting on Set¡¯s back . (I see, are they adventurers?) Rei thought to himself as he saw the people were wearing armour, thick clothes and equipped with swords and bows . He jumped to the ground when Set was several meters off the ground and landed on the highway . Staying silent, he approached the group that seemed to be an adventurer¡¯s party . They seemed to be surprised after noticing his age . Although he looked young, he was the same age as Hasta, in his late teens . ¡¸¡­¡­Stop!¡¹ Seeing Rei approach, a man who looked like a warrior gave a shout as he stretched his hand to the sword on his back . He looked really impressive, wearing a bright sky blue scale mail that seemed to be made from the scales of a serpentine monster . It would be problematic if they got into a fight, so Rei stopped and spoke out . ¡¸Relax, I¡¯m an adventurer from Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ The city of Gilm . The adventurers rustled at Rei¡¯s words . The city of Gilm was famous on the frontier for a variety of reasons . Even seeing the self proclaimed adventurer with a Griffon in front of him, he felt that it would be understandable if he came from Gilm . Although the man blanked out for a moment when Rei said he was an adventurer from Gilm, he still couldn¡¯t fully believe his words and spoke with some doubts . As expected of a true adventurer, he kept his hand on the handle of his sword . ¡¸Sorry, but could you show me your guild card? If you are really an adventurer from Gilm, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ Giving a small nod, Rei put his hand into his robe and took his guild card out from the Misty Ring before throwing it to the man . He usually wouldn¡¯t hide the existence of the Misty ring, but if he was found to have an item box here it would probably get troublesome and he might lose some time . The man checked the guild card that landed onto the highway and finally released his guard . And with that, the party naturally had some curiosity about him . ¡¸Hey, is that really a Griffon?¡¹ ¡¸What is an adventurer from Gilm doing all the way out here?¡¹ ¡¸Wow, hey . That kid is younger than us . ¡¹ Maybe he was still scared of Set, the man kept his eyes on Set as his party asked questions without pause before he eventually spoke in a loud voice . ¡¸Stop pestering him with questions! ¡­¡­Well, they don¡¯t mean any harm . Leaving that aside, what do you plan to do with the Sword Bees you killed? The quality isn¡¯t great, but you can still strip some materials from them . ¡¹ While saying that, the warrior looked towards the Sword Bee corpses scattered around the ground . Seeing that, Rei could guess what the man was thinking about and thought for a few seconds before speaking . ¡¸I would like to ask, is the name of the city over there Abuero?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ah . That is correct . ¡¹ The man blanked out for a moment, not expecting to be asked about the name of the city . He replied with a small nod . ¡¸Okay, then my journey is going well . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, he didn¡¯t his usual knife for dismantling but instead used the Mithril Knife at his waist to cut out the magic stone from a Sword Bee¡¯s heart . He repeated this to get a second magic stone before turning back to the adventurers . ¡¸I¡¯ll just take these two magic stones, as thanks for answering the question, you can do as you like with the materials and proofs of subjugation . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m in a hurry at the moment . Set, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Nodding at the man, Rei hopped back onto Set and flew back into the sky in the opposite direction from Gilm . ¡¸Who on earth was that¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ Meanwhile, seeing Rei leave, the female archer spoke up as if remembering something . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, I remember hearing from a merchant that there was a Griffon that was pretty much the mascot of Gilm . ¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡» The party looked up at the figure of the Griffon in silence, which was already getting smaller and disappearing from sight . In their minds, they were all thinking the same thing . ¡ºIt truly is the frontier . ¡» Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Legend Chapter 184 Set flapped his wings in the sky, flying as if cutting through the air . On his back, Rei stored the two Sword Bee magic stones he had taken into the Misty Ring and took out the map at the same time . He looked at the city of Abueror which they had just passed by . Passing Abuero from Gilm, following along the highway, the next city would be Sabrusta . After that, the highway split into two, the fork to the left led to the Imperial Capital . The fork to the right would lead him past the village of Kenith before reaching Baar, his destination . ¡¸¡­¡­As expected of Set . We are traveling much faster than if we went by land . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Normally, the distance from Gilm to Abuero wasn¡¯t something that could be covered in several hours . However, Set¡¯s wings overturned that hopeless distance . Set gave a proud cry as if Rei¡¯s words were a matter of fact . For Set, he just happy that Rei was pleased with the rate they were flying through the sky . Seeing Set like that, Rei stroked his neck with a smile as he thought about the next city they would reach . Normally, Magic Fever shouldn¡¯t occur in a place like this . If something impossible happened, it meant that something strange or some anomaly must have occured . ¡¸There¡¯s no doubt that the Bestir Empire are pulling the strings behind this¡­¡­I wonder if that really would be the case . ¡¹ While thinking about it, Rei judged that the probability was low . Certainly, the Bestir Empire¡¯s alchemy was on a considerably higher level than the Mireana Kingdom, but to use something like a disease as a biological weapon, Rei would have chosen something more lethal or something more infectious . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I guess the first thing is to arrive at Baar as soon as possible . Ahh, Set . Here . ¡¹ Storing the map into the Misty Ring, he took out some dried meat at the same time and brought it to Set¡¯s mouth . While turning his head back, as expected of a Griffon, Set¡¯s flight direction did not change . While thinking of such trivial things, seeing Set finish the dried meat, Rei took out some freshly grilled skewers to eat himself . ¡¸If it were spring or summer, the plains would be covered in a green carpet, but as expected of this season . ¡¹ Because they were flying at quite a high speed, Rei quickly ate the rapidly cooling skewers as he looked at his surroundings briefly . As he had said, the season was already changing to winter, the only thing he could see below him was a brown ground of withered grass . The only thing that could be seen was the straight line of the highway . Because they were flying in the sky the wind was strong and the temperature was low, Rei was only able to remain comfortable due to the effect of the Dragon Robe . Thanks to his own fur, Set had no problems either . Discarding the skewer that he had just finished eating to the ground, he checked their surroundings again from Set¡¯s back, watching out for enemy attacks like from Sword Bees . ¡¸That¡¯s the city of Sabrusta . ¡¹ Because winter was near, the sky was also clear . Rei muttered to himself in the beautiful sunset sky . A large city could be seen in the direction that Set was traveling in . As far as he could tell from the map, it was the city of Sabrusta . ¡¸Set, I don¡¯t want to fly over the city and be mistaken as a monster attack . Make a detour and fly around it . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Giving a cry at Rei¡¯s request, Set flew through the sky, making a detour around the city . Even though they tried to avoid the city like that, they couldn¡¯t completely hide the figure of Set . As they quickly flew through the sky, some travelers, adventurers and those who appeared to be merchants on the highway seemed to shout and point towards them . It was fortunate that Sabrusta had no means of attack against flying monsters . That said, if they had gotten closer to the city or flew lower, they might have been attacked by mages or archers . Because Rei and Set were able to determine that they were on the right path, they flew directly past Sabrusta without landing like they had near Abuero . They continued flying for another hour . Rei felt a bit confused because the journey was going so smoothly . In this season, the sun set quite early . The sun had already started to go down as they passed over Sabrusta and it was clear that the sun would soon set completely . In that situation, the only source of light would be the moon . Even then, the moon would be hidden by the clouds . Even though Rei¡¯s night vision was good, it still had a limit . And when it reached that limit, he would only be able to rely on Set¡¯s dark vision . ¡¸Set, let me know when we get to a fork in the road . We¡¯ll make camp there until dawn . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Aren¡¯t we in a hurry? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head to look back as they flew through the sky at high speed . However, Rei just brushed his neck lightly . ¡¸Ah . As things are, I would rather see where we are going myself . If you continue to fly through the night, we might end up somewhere completely different instead of reaching Baar . ¡¹ If they stopped for a night, some people might die of Magic Fever in Baar . Though he did think about that, considering the extra time he would need to get to Baar if they got lost, Rei decided it would be better to wait out the night until dawn . (Fortunately, according to the map, we have already left the frontier . In that case, we shouldn¡¯t have to worry about being attacked by monsters overnight . ) Of course, it wasn¡¯t perfectly safe . However, the rate that monsters appeared was significantly different, comparing the area near Gilm and places other than the frontier . (In addition¡­¡­) Rei glanced at Set, who he was currently riding . Since Set was here, he didn¡¯t need to worry, even if he was on the frontier . Although this area wasn¡¯t completely clear of the frontier, as long as nothing abnormal happened, they should be able to safely pass the night . Rei and Set continued flying through the sky under the dim moonlight, obscured by the clouds . They flew for another 30 minutes or so . Set slowed down when he saw it . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At his cry, Rei turned to look at the ground, as if guided by it . Eventually, they landed on the ground where a fork in the highway came into sight . Yes, it was the location that Rei had planned to set up camp previously . ¡¸As expected, Set¡¯s wings make traveling so much faster . At this rate, we will arrive at Baar tomorrow . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~¡¹ Being praised and stroked, Set gave a happy cry . Although Rei watched him with a smile, he soon turned to look at the surroundings . Although he didn¡¯t have the night vision to watch the ground while flying past it at high speeds at night, his sight was sufficient to check the surroundings from the ground . He looked towards a small forest he discovered next to the highway . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s good, that should be fine . Set, it¡¯s a bit late, but shall we have dinner? You¡¯ve flown a long time through the sky and should be hungry . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry and rubbed his head against Rei . While rubbing his head, the two of them moved towards the forest . ¡¸Mm, there¡¯s no problems here . Fortunately, there are quite a few dead branches that have fallen around here¡­¡­since there¡¯s no moisture I should be able to make a bonfire . ¡¹ Picking up some of the dead branches that had fallen to the ground, he used magic to ignite a flame . After that, he took out some of the Emerald Wolf meat from the the Misty Ring . He stuck them on some skewer sticks he had bought from a miscellaneous items shop and placed them towards the bonfire . Even though they were skewer sticks, the meat chunks were quite large and they were too big for Rei to eat in a single bite . To roast them, he sprinkled some salt he took out from the Misty Ring and coated some others with a secret sauce that Dishot had given him along with the udon . While stirring up his appetite with the fragrance that spread, he took out some freshly baked bread and a pot soup and some meat from the Misty Ring . After the meat had been roasted, he gave about 80% of it to Set . The bread, soup and remaining 20% of the meat he kept for himself made up about 3 normal servings . For dessert after his meal, he took out some persimmon like fruit and passed 10 to Set . He ate 3 of them himself . (¡­¡­They¡¯re not coming . ) While he had been eating, he had felt something in the forest . As for who they were, it was easy to imagine since they had surrounded him . However, despite Rei having finished his meal and clearly leaving his guard down, they seemed to show no indication that they would attack . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei turned to look at Set, who was quietly, but happily, eating those persimmon like fruit . Thinking about the reason they hadn¡¯t tried to attack a traveler who looked like a delicate child, it had to be the Griffon, Set . There was no other possible reason . (That said, I don¡¯t feel comfortable sleeping leaving those bandits as they are . ¡­¡­I can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll make them come out . ) Thinking to himself, he picked up some stones that had fallen on the ground¡­¡­and quickly threw them towards the forest . ¡¸Gya-¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ ¡¸That hurts-!¡¹ ¡¸Gah-!¡¹ Stones about several cm in diameter flew out, one after the other at a speed that cut through the air . However, most of them missed because they were only roughly aimed . Still, some of them seemed to hit the hidden bandits and several cries echoed into the night forest . Eventually, they realised that they had been found from their hiding spots . About 10 men and women appeared, brushing the bushes and branches aside . Most of them were strong, middle aged men, but there were also young men and women among them as well . In addition, nearly half of those who appeared where holding their bodies or face . Maybe their forehead was cut, there was even one with blood endlessly trickling down . ¡¸¡­¡­Tch, so you knew where we were . You little shit . ¡¹ A middle aged man in his fifties with several cuts on his face spat on the ground in annoyance as he took a step forward . The people around him also glared at Rei as they had been struck first even through they were the ones trying to ambush him, their irritation turning murderous . . Still, none of them attacked him . After all, there was still Set, who was silently staring at them all from beside Rei . ¡¸Regardless of whether I¡¯m a little shit or not, unfortunately I don¡¯t have any money to give to you . If you just leave, I¡¯ll overlook this, what will you do?¡¹ While watching the man who looked to be the boss of the bandits, Rei acted if nothing had happened at all . At any rate, Rei knew a blacksmith called Pamidor, who had a much more impressive face than the man before him . Compared to that face, this man was clearly less intimidating . ¡¸Not getting scared even after seeing this many people . ¡­¡­Who are you?¡¹ Gripping a huge battle axe in his hands, the man asked . Against such a man, Rei replied without any strain . At this point, the man had realised that Rei wasn¡¯t as simple as he looked . In any case, if he made a mistake, his head would fly, literally . For that reason, the bandit bosses eyes clearly sharper than the rest of the bandits . ¡¸Even if you ask that . I¡¯m nothing more or less than a D rank adventurer . ¡¹ D rank adventurer . Hearing those words, the man shook his head immediately . ¡¸Come on . We¡¯ve been active around this entire area . We know every adventurer to watch out for near the city of Sabrusta . If there was a guy with a Griffon following them, we would be the first to hear it . ¡­¡­I¡¯ll ask you again . You little shit, who are you?¡¹ The pressure the boss gave out increased . At this point, an ordinary D rank adventurer would had reflexively thrown his weapons down from the level of pressure and tried to escape . ¡­¡­Yes . Normal adventurers that is . ¡¸Didn¡¯t I say it? I¡¯m just a D rank adventurer . ¡¹ (That said, I probably can¡¯t say I¡¯m¡ºjust¡»a D rank adventurer . ) Thinking about how he had come to Elgin, he thought about how it wasn¡¯t really true before looking and the man and interrupting him as he was about to reply ¡¸However, you¡¯ve gotten one thing wrong . I¡¯m definitely an adventurer, but I¡¯m not an adventurer from Sabrusta, I¡¯m an adventurer from Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What!?¡¹ At those words, the man asked involuntarily . Basically, unlike Sabrusta, which didn¡¯t have a lot of monsters around, there were a large number of monsters in the vicinity of Gilm . The word was that the quality of adventurers who had to deal with that was also high . The bandits in the surroundings, who were guarding their boss, all had a look of surprise when they found out the adventurer in front of them was from Gilm . ¡¸¡­¡­What is an adventurer from Gilm doing in this place?¡¹ ¡¸Why do I have to tell you that? ¡­¡­What are you going to do . If you still intend to attack me, you should be prepared for me to respond . I¡¯m busy with various things . If you want to do it, I¡¯ll have to clean you up quickly . ¡¹ While Rei spoke as if it was none of his concern, the man instinctively felt a sense of blood thirst from Rei¡¯s sharp eyes . ¡¸Tch, I guess so . You all, we¡¯re retreating!¡¹ ¡¸But, bro!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! If we tried to fight him directly we would be annihilated . We¡¯ll retreat because I don¡¯t want to die . If you really want to fight him, go ahead only if you are ready to die . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ Like that, the bandits left Rei with barely a sound . While admiring the way they had just left, for the sake of their journey tomorrow, Rei lay down on Set to rest himself . Like that the first encounter between Rei and Egg, the leader of the roaming bandit group¡ºPrairie Wolves¡», ended near the town of Sabrusta . The two would meet again later, but that was still some time into the future . Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Legend Chapter 185 ¡¸I see it-! It¡¯s Baar!¡¹ Sitting on Set¡¯s back, Rei gave an enthusiastic shout as he saw the city on the ground ahead of him . In the end, the bandits didn¡¯t attack him again last night and he was able to rest well, wrapped in Set¡¯s fur . After they woke up in the early morning, the sun starting to rise and get brighter although the surroundings were still dim, Rei and Set quickly flew off after eating a light breakfast . Before the morning sun had completely risen, they had passed over the last village en route to Baar, finally reaching Baar late in the morning . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set was happy as Rei was happy, but he also looked at the sight ahead . What should they do about the dozens of soldiers he could see at their destination, Baar¡¯s main gate? Set gave a questioning cry . At Set¡¯s cry, Rei noticed that the city was blockaded, but decided that since he had brought the Aurani grass powder, he had to deliver it . ¡¸Set, land somewhere away from the people blocking the front gate . As expected, if we land right in front of them, there will probably be a fight . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a short cry at Rei¡¯s words and flapped his wings as he descended to the ground . It seems the soldiers also noticed Set . They each cautiously held their spears and swords as they stirred . While they watched the high ranked monster, the Griffon, Rei jumped from Set without care when he was a few meters from the ground and gave a loud shout . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei! I¡¯m an adventurer from Gilm! I¡¯ve brought Aurani grass powder to make the medicine for the Magic Fever that has spread around the city . Please get in notify Baar¡¯s adventurer guild as soon as possible!¡¹ Rei¡¯s voice echoed into the surroundings . However, although the soldiers showed a momentary expression of joy at Rei¡¯s words, Rei only looked like a delicate 15 year old . They also noticed he was empty handed even though he had said that he had brought Aurani grass powder . They exchanged confused looks with each other . One man came forward from the soldiers and approached Rei . The man looked to be in his twenties but was strangely calm . He stopped about 5m from Rei and spoke up . ¡¸I¡¯m Southernus . I lead the soldiers over there . I would like to ask, you said that you¡¯ve brought Aurani grass powder, but where is it . You seemed be empty handed when I looked over . No, of course, we will be very grateful if you have even a little of it . But, since you said you¡¯ve come all the way from Gilm, you would have brought a reasonable amount right?¡¹ At Southernus¡¯s words, Rei gave a small nod and took out the wooden crate from the Misty Ring . When the wooden crate suddenly appeared from nowhere, Southernus reached for the sword at his waist on reflex . However, he immediately realised that the crate wasn¡¯t anything that could harm him and he looked over it again . Inside the wooden crate, there was a large number of small bottles about 5cm tall . And inside each one, there seemed to be some sort of powder¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¹ At that moment, Southernus realised what was in front of him . ¡¸T-This is¡­¡­could it be¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . It¡¯s Aurani grass powder that can be used in the Magic Fever medication . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, not just Southernus, the other soldiers who heard it as well started murmuring . Of course, the reason was partially because of the large quantity of Aurani grass powder present, but above all, it was because of the item box . ¡¸An item box¡­¡­I see . Well, as far as I can tell, this seems to be the real deal . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Real?¡¹ Rei inquired unintentionally at the words that leaked from Southernus¡¯s mouth . In response, Southernus bowed his head slightly . ¡¸Sorry . It was just a test . Actually, the guild master from the city¡¯s guild¡­¡­rather, I heard that an adventurer dispatched from Gilm would come here . However, as you know, Magic Fever that isn¡¯t supposed to occur around here had spread explosively around Baar . Wherever they heard it from, some researchers who were interested in it came over here . Naturally, Diarog-sama rejected their attempts because letting them into the city could put people at risk¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Why? Wouldn¡¯t researchers possibly be able to determine the cause of the outbreak?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, if that really was their purpose then it wouldn¡¯t matter . ¡¹ Hearing those words, Rei realised that there were some complicated circumstances . He changed the topic without pressing any further . ¡¸So, can I head inside?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Ahh . ¡­¡­Does the Griffon over there attack people?¡¹ Southernus asked fearfully as he turned to look at Set, who was standing quietly behind Rei . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head . But as expected, fearing the existence that was the Griffon he had just met, he took a step back . Rei stroked Set¡¯s neck while remembering the incident when he came to Gilm for the first time . ¡¸It¡¯s fine . If you don¡¯t try to mess with him, he¡¯ll stay quiet like this . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a comfortable cry from being stroked . While Southernus was still looking at Set as if it was something unbelievable, Rei handed over the Necklace of Subservient Monster that he used inside Gilm . After handing that over, Rei also handed over his guild card, as per procedures to enter the city . ¡¸Open the gate!¡¹ Following Southernus¡¯s instructions, the soldiers opened the gate that had blockaded the city of Baar . (¡­¡­If I had entered from the sky, I wouldn¡¯t have to go through something so troublesome . Well, in that case though, I would probably be treated as an intruder . ¡¸Captain . I will go ahead to the guild first . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . Seis-sama will definitely be pleased to know this . ¡­¡­I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ A soldier gave a small nod at Southernus¡¯s words and entered the city ahead of Rei . ¡¸You will see the guild if you just head straight along the main street . ¡­¡­Because of the effect of Magic Fever, the number of people out in the city is getting smaller, head to the guild as quickly as you can . ¡­¡­Last but not least, thank you for coming to this city . ¡¹ Saying that, Southernus gave a deep bow . The soldiers he led followed suit and also gave a deep bow . Many of them had family, friends or lovers who had fallen ill with Magic Fever . Tears fell from several soldiers who had lowered their heads . It was obvious that they weren¡¯t tears of sadness but tears of hope from the help that had arrived . ¡¸The only thing I can do is to bring the medicinal ingredients over . After this, I can only leave it to the pharmacists and alchemists in the city . ¡¹ ¡¸Even so . The medicine cannot be made without the ingredients in the first place . ¡­¡­You have helped us greatly . ¡¹ Southernus spoke words of thanks again as the gates to Baar were closed as well . When the city¡¯s blocked was finally lifted, would it be because all patients suffering from Magic Fever would have recovered¡­¡­or, would it be when all the patients had died . Southernus hoped that it would be the former as he watched the gate close completely . ¡¸¡­¡­He was right, the number of people around is remarkably low . ¡¹ Rei murmured as he looked over the streets of Baar from the main street . Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t like a ghost town where everyone had disappeared . But the number of people around was still a lot less than in Gilm . The main reason for this was the spread of Magic Fever, but that said, the number of residents in the city was still lower than in Gilm . Although the city of Gilm was on the frontier, because of the monster materials that could be acquired, people like adventurers, merchants and blacksmiths naturally gathered there . Compared to that, this was only a small city in the countryside, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable that there would be differences in the number of people . A few residents of the city were surprised by the unfamiliar sight of Rei and Set, but they quickly lowered their heads the next moment (What?) Rei was puzzled in his mind . In fact, the information that an adventurer was heading over from the city of Gilm on a Griffon to deliver the medicinal ingredients required to produce the medicine to combat the explosive spread of Magic Fever in the city . This was because Diarog wanted to avoid as much panic as possible . The result was that even though the residents of the city didn¡¯t know them by sight¡­¡­when they saw the figure of Rei followed by a Griffon, there was a prevailing sense of joy rather than surprise . Originally, they had wanted to thank Rei directly, but they only stopped because they were forbidden by Diarog in order make the medicine as soon as they could . Rei didn¡¯t know the circumstances behind it so he wondered about the residents as he walked down the main street as Southernus had directed him . Before long, a large building came into sight . Seeing a sign board with Adventurer Guild written on it, Rei gave a small nod . ¡¸Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Guessing what Rei wanted to say, Set went over to the location for tamed monsters, the same as he did in Gilm when Rei went to the guild, and lay down . In Gilm, when Set lay down, adults who like cute things and children would start to gather, but no such thing happened in Baar . On reason was because Set wasn¡¯t well known around here, but the biggest reason was still the Magic Fever . At any rate, a lot of children didn¡¯t have much magic power and the majority of them in the city had fallen ill . Lightly stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei opened the guild door and went inside . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Those were the first words he said . Normally, guild staff would be working busily . But despite the fact that this was the time adventurers would usually be eating at the bar, there were almost no people in the guild . There was just one receptionist counter, who appeared to be slightly older than Kenny, and several guild staff behind her . There was no one that could be considered an adventurer around . However, it couldn¡¯t be helped that no one was eating or drinking at the bar if the city was blockaded and food was under a rationing system . Still, as expected of guild staff and the receptionist, they gave a smile and a polite nod when Rei entered the guild . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . I¡¯ve brought Aurani grass powder and other relief supplies from the city of Gilm . ¡¹ Surprise . The receptionist froze at Rei¡¯s words . At the same time, the other guild staff behind the counter were the same . ¡¸C-Could you pass me your guild card just to make sure?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ Rei nodded at the receptionist, who spoke in a trembling voice, and took out his guild card from the Misty Ring . ¡ºOhh-!¡» The guild staff gave a cheer when they saw him use his item box, which showed that the story they had heard was true . While watching the situation, Rei handed his guild card to the receptionist thinking that their reaction was reasonable if you considered the situation with Magic Fever . ¡¸C-Certainly, you are Rei, a D rank adventurer from the city of Gilm . I have verified it . ¡¹ Rei spoke again after storing his guild card, which had been handed back with trembling hands, into the Misty Ring . ¡¸So, where do I place the relief supplies I¡¯ve brought? Because it¡¯s a decent amount, I think a slightly larger space would be good . ¡¹ ¡¸Please wait a moment I will call the guild master over right away . ¡¹ After the receptionist said that, the guild staff headed further back in a hurry but was stopped by Rei . ¡¸Please wait . I would like you to hand this over to the guild master . It¡¯s a letter addressed to the guild master of Baar from the guild master of Gilm . ¡¹ Rei handed over the letter he took out from the Misty Ring . The guild staff who recieved it nodded and ran behind the counter . (If it has the same structure as the guild in Gilm, the guild master¡¯s office should be further back . ) Thinking to himself as he looked inside, Rei turned to another receptionist to get a bit more information about Baar . As expected of a receptionist, her appearance was better than average . What was different from Gilm was that there seemed to be only a single receptionist . Was that was due to magic fever or because it wasn¡¯t a frontier city, he didn¡¯t know . The difference wasn¡¯t obvious to Rei, but there was no doubt that he had to gather some more information . ¡¸Magic Fever, was it? I heard that 40% of the residents were ill with it when it was talked about in Gilm . I wonder how far it¡¯s spread now?¡¹ Knowing that question would come, the receptionist shook their head before speaking . ¡¸People showing signs of onset in Baar is now approaching 60% of the residents . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So many?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, unfortunately . I think you would know since you¡¯ve delivered the Aurani grass powder here, but Magic Fever will develop if the person doesn¡¯t have a certain level of magic power¡­¡­¡¹ The receptionist gave a sigh, but someone continued from her words . ¡¸In other words, the threshold for Magic Fever in this case was considerably high . ¡¹ Along with those words, a older man in his fifties appeared from behind the counter . Rei could easily guess who he was from the timing of his appearance . His expectations were proved correct from the receptionist¡¯s words . ¡¸Guild master¡­¡­¡¹ Chapter 186 Chapter 186 The person was wearing a cloak and had a long cane in his hand, he appeared to be a mage . He gave off the atmosphere of a veteran mage . From Rei¡¯s glance, he appeared to be in his fifties and a long beard extended from his chin . Wrinkles covered his face but were well matched to his aura of a mage . He was a mage worthy of being called one . That was Rei¡¯s first impression of Seis, Baar¡¯s guild master, who currently stood before him . Also seeing Rei¡¯s appearance, Seis was shocked in his mind . (This magic power¡­¡­is he really a human?) Standing in front of him, Rei looked like an ordinary boy at first glance . ¡­¡­No, with his small build and body wrapped in robes, he looked delicate compared to a warrior . But as he was wrapped in a robe, he looked close enough to be an apprentice mage . But¡­¡­ (I don¡¯t think he¡¯s trying to deceive me . ) Indeed, at first glance, you could only see Rei as an apprentice mage, but that was only to people below a certain level of ability . For example, he looked completely different to Seis, the guild master of Baar . (That robe seems to have a concealment effect . In other words, it¡¯s hiding its effect as a magic item . And he has Shoes of Sleipnir that will allow him to move fast and walk in the air . The bracelet on his left arm seems to be a magic item of some sort . The bracelet on his right arm should be an item box . ) Just by looking at him for a few seconds, he could tell that the boy standing in front of him wasn¡¯t an ordinary person . Above all, he could feel a tremendous amount of magic power from him . Yes, it was the same feeling as when he first saw the ocean . ¡¸¡­¡­Guild master?¡¹ The receptionist called out to Seis, who had been staring at Rei, seeming to be thinking about something . ¡¸Ah, no . Sorry . Are you Rei? I am Seis, guild master of Baar . I¡¯ve heard stories about you from Marina . Thank you for coming . ¡¹ ¡¸Stories¡­¡­?¡¹ Rei asked while grasping the proffered hand . At Rei¡¯s question, Seis replied with a small nod . ¡¸Guild masters are able to contact each other individually, she told me about you after you left Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ Rei gave a voice of assent after realising how Southernus had information on him even though the city was blockaded . ¡¸Well then, I would like to hear about various things in Gilm, but unfortunately we don¡¯t have the time for it . Could you bring out the Aurani grass powder you brought right away?¡¹ ¡¸No problem . Where do you want me to place it?¡¹ ¡¸Please put it in front of the request board . If you put it there, we¡¯ll be able to get right into making medicine after calling the pharmacists and alchemists over . ¡¹ Nodding at Seis¡¯s words, as soon as he walked over to the request boards, he started taking out the wooden crates, packed with bottles of Aurani grass powder, one by one . Potions for recovering magic power, potions to heal injuries and other materials used to produce medicine for Magic Fever were also taken out . ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m grateful that the Aurani grass powder is separated into individual portions . Although the recipe to produce the medicine for guarantee recovery is almost unchanged, it can¡¯t be made in large quantities at the same time because of the magic power that has to be added when making it . Because of that, its usually made by a group of several people¡­¡­no, as expected of Marina . ¡¹ Seis nodded in admiration . Hearing that explanation, Rei realised why the Aurani grass powder was divided into small portions . Lastly, he took out the huge pot that was given by Dishot . ¡¸¡­¡­This is?¡¹ A smell drifted from the pot, attracting the gazes of the staff members who had gathered in the guild . Among them, Seis, who was closest to Rei, asked with interest . ¡¸This is a dish that was recently created in Gilm . For now, since the guild will be busy in various ways, you can eat it to restore your strength . ¡¹ As Rei said that, he scooped up a serve of meat, vegetables and plenty of udon, handing it over to Seis along with a fork . Normally, if udon was left untouched in soup, it would get soggy and lose its taste . However, Rei had the Misty Ring . Immediately after the dish was cooked, it was brought to the guild, so the udon was still chewy . ¡¸That is, what is this long narrow thing?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Udon, it¡¯s an ingredient that was recently created in Gilm . ¡¹ To be exact, it was a few days ago rather than recently, but of course Seis had no idea . At the ingredients which he had never seen before in his life, Seis rolled some up on his fork and brought it to his mouth in interest . ¡¸¡­¡­This is, delicious . ¡¹ ¡¸It seems to suit your taste . Well, if you want to eat the genuine thing, please try it if you come to Gilm . ¡­¡­Here, you too . I have a whole pot of it . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, the guild staff gathered together after their guild master, Seis, affirmed its deliciousness . Rei served everyone a bowl of the soup and handed them a fork . Anyhow, even though it had only been several days, the city had been blockaded and food rationed . Naturally, it was impossible for distributed food to be enough for them to eat until they were full as they had no idea how long the city would be blockaded for . Because of that, although it wasn¡¯t so bad that they were starved, they wouldn¡¯t miss out on an opportunity to eat and relieve themselves from the mental stress . It wasn¡¯t just the guild staff, but the pharmacists and alchemists who came to the guild to collect the materials that Rei had brought . Each of them ate 1-2 bowls until they were full before going back to their workshops with the Aurani grass powder and other necessary supplies to produce the medicine . ¡¸Now then . Rei, was it . Could you come over here for a moment?¡¹ Seeing the large pot being emptied, after the guild staff washed up the dishes in the bar area and let Rei store them back into the Misty Ring, Seis called out to him . ¡¸Is there still something left? I thought that this would be the end of the request I was given . ¡¹ ¡¸Naturally, the request that you were given has been successfully completed by bringing the supplies here . However, we have a separate request for you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A request?¡¹ Rei was able to roughly guess what they meant at those words . (With my magic power, I don¡¯t need to worry about contracting Magic Fever . In that case, it¡¯s probably to do with investigating the cause . ¡­¡­Well, I can¡¯t leave the city for a week anyway until the Magic Fever pathogen is cleared from me body . So I have nothing to do in the meantime, it¡¯s better than not having enough time though . However, they can¡¯t really leave the investigation to me since it¡¯s my first time in this city . ) ¡¸Yes . ¡­¡­Well, from your expression, you seemed to have guessed it already . Come with me . ¡¹ While looking at Rein admiration at his clear observation, Seis walked behind the counter . After giving a small sigh, Rei followed after him . ¡¸Now then, I think you have a general idea of why we¡¯ve come to this room . ¡¹ Similar to the guild master¡¯s office in the Gilm guild branch, the office was located at the top of the stairs behind the guild counter . Seis sat down on the sofa for guests as he spoke . ¡¸Do you want me to investigate the cause of the rapid spread of the illness?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . You caught on quite quickly . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But as you know, I¡¯m an adventurer from Gilm . I arrived in this city about an hour ago, even if I investigated the cause of the spread of Magic Fever, I think it would be very difficult to find anything . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course I will lend my help as well, after this I will be meeting the deputy lord of the city, I can have you follow me along under the position of an assistant . ¡¹ The two of them stayed silent as they waited for each others response . However, in terms of life experience, Rei couldn¡¯t even reach Seis¡¯s feet . Because of that, it was Rei who spoke first . ¡¸Can I regard this as a request?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Naturally you can consider this a request . ¡¹ ¡¸What about the reward? It¡¯s a request that may save the city from a crisis . I suppose I would get a corresponding reward?¡¹ As an adventurer, it was only natural that he asked that question . Seis, the guild master of Baar, nodded in response . ¡¸Of course . Adventurers are rewarded for taking on requests . ¡­¡­But as you can see, the city is currently in a state of emergency . Even if the cause of the Magic Fever is found, there won¡¯t be much money as we¡¯re currently in a state of shortage . With that in mind, something other than money¡­¡­is that okay?¡¹ Seis asked as he looked at Rei, but Rei nodded without hesitation after a few seconds . ¡¸Even if you gave me money, I don¡¯t spend that much, so I would appreciate that greatly . ¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t have to worry about the usage of weapons and armour compared with other adventurers, so he had an overwhelming advantage from a monetary perspective . Other adventurers would have to replace, repair or adjust broken weapons or armour and it wasn¡¯t uncommon for more than half of the rewards earned on a request to be spent on maintaining equipment . Sometimes, if it went badly, they would need to spend more than they had earned from the request . Rei didn¡¯t have to worry about any of that . Even if he did spend, it was mainly accommodation costs and food expenses for Set . Books with knowledge necessary for adventurers and tools that looked to be convenient he bought only on rare occasions . Considering all that, he had also completed several relatively large requests and nominated requests . From the materials and proofs of subjugation from defeated monsters and selling magic stones that he didn¡¯t absorb using the Magic Beast Art, he had a lot of money with him . ¡¸I see . Then as a reward for this request, we can give a magic item or something of the like¡­¡­how about that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What kind of magic item specifically?¡¹ ¡¸Well, wait a moment . ¡¹ Saying that, Seis started to look around the shelf in his office, eventually taking out a dagger and bringing it over . The sheath that held the dagger was small but had several blue gems embedded into it . At first glance, he could tell that it was something valuable . However, it¡¯s value was to the end, purely artistic . It didn¡¯t seem to be the kind of magic item that could be used in real battle like Rei was looking for . Seis must have seen his disappointed expression . He placed the dagger on the table while smiling . ¡¸You seem to have a disappointed expression?¡¹ ¡¸Although I do have a personal hobby of collecting magic items, it¡¯s limited to magic items that can actually be used in battle . I¡¯m not interested in magic items as art pieces . ¡¹ Hearing those words, Seis handed the dagger to Rei while smiling . ¡¸Certainly, this dagger can¡¯t be used in an actual fight . However, it is one of the most helpful things for someone living as an adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s useful?¡¹ ¡¸Mm . Well, the proof is when you try it . At magic power¡­¡­whoops, wait a moment . ¡¹ When he handed over the dagger, Seis put a cup on the table in front of Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­What do I do with this cup?¡¹ Although Rei said that in puzzlement, Seis looked towards the dagger disregarding it . ¡¸Pull it out of the sheath, point it at the cup and pour magic power into it . ¡¹ Rei unsheathed the dagger as prompted . The dagger didn¡¯t lose out to the sheath in decoration . It had a beautiful white blade . It had a slight blue tinge as it shined . Following Seis¡¯s prompt, he pointed the tip of the dagger towards the cup and poured magic power into it . The next moment¡­¡­ Choro~, chororororo~ . It was little by little at first, but eventually the water that was flowing out from the tip gained momentum . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Dagger of Flowing Water . It is a magic item with the ability to literally create water if you supply it with magic power . ¡­¡­However, it seems you don¡¯t have a very good aptitude for water . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have an aptitude for water?¡¹ Regarding that, Rei knew it himself . His magic tended towards fire specialisation anyhow . Yet, he was still interested after being told that he had no aptitude and frowned his eyebrows slightly . Seeing Rei¡¯s reaction, Seis gave an unexpected smile . ¡¸Hahaha . It seems that the owner of such a mighty amount of magic power like you can still be troubled . Can I have it for a moment?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Yes . ¡¹ Rei handed over the Dagger of Flowing Water . Receiving it, Seis put another cup on the table a bit further away¡­¡­ ¡¸With the aptitude for water magic, you do tricks like this . ¡­¡­Haah!¡¹ Seis poured his magic power into the Dager of Flowing Water . The next moment, water spurted out from the tip of the dagger, it swung down like a whip¡­¡­and crushed the cup the next moment . ¡¸That is¡­¡­ . it¡¯s certainly amazing . ¡¹ Seeing what could be called a whip of flowing water, Rei murmured to himself . ¡¸How about that? Though you can¡¯t use it as a weapon, there will be times where you will be in a party, so you can pass it to your friends at that time . Or, you might need to take a break or camp for the night during a request, you won¡¯t have anymore troubles with water . Ahh, I can also tell you that the water produced from this Dagger of Flowing Water changes taste depending on the magic power of the person who activates it . Perhaps if it¡¯s someone with magic power of your level, it will be quite fine water you will be able to produce, something like spring water . ¡­¡­What do you think? I think that is a good enough reward for this request . ¡¹ Nodding at those words, Rei was about to accept request . Suddenly the door to the office was opened and a somewhat amicable voice spoke up . ¡¸Hey, what are you doing in an emergency like this?¡¹ Chapter 187 Chapter 187 The Dagger of Flowing Water, a powerful magic weapon for those that could master it, or for Rei who had no aptitude for water magic, it could only be used as an endless water source . After given an explanation of its usage, a somewhat exasperated voice echoed into the office . Turning in the direction of the voice, he saw a man in his fifties . Although he was past his prime, he probably didn¡¯t slack in his training as he had a well built body . (Who is that?) Rei reached for the Mithril Knife inside his Dragon Robe while thinking to himself . However, he immediately stopped after remembering this was the guild master¡¯s office . Whoever it was, he was probably an acquaintance of Seis . He was proven right the next moment . ¡¸Diarog, you¡¯re late . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid . Since we obtained the Aurani grass powder, I have to give various instructions . I managed to finish all that somehow¡­¡­¡¹ Diarog gave a big sigh after he spoke to that point . It wasn¡¯t easy . There was finally a way to deal with the Magic Fever spreading through Baar . He had come to the guild to discuss what to do next, only to see his good friend for many years destroying a cup with a magic item . ¡¸I¡¯m not playing around, I was thinking of making a small request of him . I was planning to give this Dagger of Flowing Water as a reward and was just showing its use . ¡¹ ¡¸Him?¡¹ Hearing that, Diarog finally noticed Rei and turned to look at him . Seeing that, Rei gave a nod and asked Seis who it was . ¡¸This is Diarog, the acting lord of this city . He¡¯s also a friend of Marina, Gilm¡¯s guild master, and were in the same party . Diarog, this boy is Rei . The adventurer who delivered the Aurani grass powder from Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸Ohh-! You¡¯re the boy who delivered the Aurani grass powder . I¡¯m very grateful . No, I am truly grateful . Many of the residents who have fallen ill with Magic Fever can be saved with this . Although it¡¯s impossible for everyone to survive, a lot less people will die than was previously estimated . No, thank you very much for coming here . ¡¹ Diarog expressed his gratitude while striking Rei¡¯s shoulder heavily . Finding out that the person in front of him was Diarog, the current representative lord of the city, Rei nodded his head . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, a D rank adventurer from Gilm . I hope it will be possible to eradicate the Magic Fever that is spreading around the city with the relief supplies I brought . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, of course . The adventurer in this city are a bit inferior to those from a city like Gilm, but our alchemists and pharmacists are competitive . ¡¹ He boastfully nodded, but in a way this was true . Gilm¡¯s adventurers were always fighting monsters on the frontier, naturally their skills were polished . Or rather, adventurers who didn¡¯t have a certain level of skill would be killed in fights against monsters and wouldn¡¯t be able to live as an adventurer in Gilm . One of the few exceptions were H rank adventurers who specialised in requests inside the city and didn¡¯t have to fight or those who were lucky enough to be working with more skilled adventurers . In comparison, alchemists and pharmacists didn¡¯t have such extreme differences between cities . As expected, there would differences in skill due to the ease of obtaining materials compared to that in Gilm, but the skill difference wasn¡¯t as great as that of adventurers . ¡­¡­Excluding exceptions like the Magic City Osus . ¡¸That¡¯s right . I wanted him to find out why Magic Fever has spread so rapidly around the city . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But, to begin with, he¡¯s not familiar with this city right? Ah, no, of course he¡¯s someone that she has sent over with confidence . I don¡¯t mean to look down on you kid . ¡¹ Maybe he thought his words were slightly disrespectful to Rei, Diarog followed up on his words in a hurry . But seeing the deputy lord act like that, Rei spoke up after shaking his head to indicate he didn¡¯t mind . ¡¸It¡¯s a fact that I¡¯m not familiar with this city, and in the end, I¡¯m still a D rank adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸However, you are still the record holder for the fastest to get to rank D after registering at the guild in Gilm right?¡¹ Rei nodded with a wry smile as Seis spoke with a somewhat roguish smile . ¡¸That is true¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That aside . Diarog might not know since he can¡¯t sense magic power, but this boy possess and incredibly massive amount of magic power in his body . Since the effect of Magic Fever is decided by the amount of magic power in a person, he should be completely safe . ¡­¡­If even this kid falls to Magic Fever, then you can consider that no one in this city will be immune to it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That much?¡¹ Diarog turned to look at Rei with astonishment at Seis¡¯s words . Naturally, Diarog was an adventurer with a long combat record . He had sharp eyes that could estimate the skill of his opponent and as far as he could see, the boy in front of him had extraordinary strength . However, Diarog was still a thief and because of that had absolutely no ability to sense magic power . The fact that Rei had a massive amount of magic power that he couldn¡¯t feel made him feel a sense of incongruity . Yes, the same feeling of incongruity when Rei saw a powerful magic item . ¡¸Speaking of that, Marina said that if anything happened, we should ask Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Marina . I wonder for how long she will consider herself as our guardian . ¡¹ Diarog and Seis were already in their fifties, but of course, Marina was a Dark Elf and had lived much longer than the two of them . Because of that, when they first became adventurers, including several other party members which weren¡¯t here, Marina had played the role of their guardian . ¡­¡­However, the leader of the party was Diarog, the thief, for some reason . ¡¸Anyway . Do you have any objections to asking Rei to investigate the cause of Magic Fever? As you said, he¡¯s not familiar with the city, so we will have to ask someone to assist him . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm, I see . ¡­¡­Boy . No, Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ ¡¸When you entered the city, there should have been some soldiers blocking the gate, one of them should have been called Southernus . Have you met him?¡¹ Asked by Diarog, Rei recalled the person he had talked to when entering the city of Baar . ¡¸Yes . Because he was the one leading the soldiers, I talked with him for a bit . ¡¹ ¡¸Good . Then I will get Southernus to assist you . However, I¡¯m busy with the various supplies that have been brought today¡­¡­tomorrow then . I¡¯ll pick you up to meet with him tomorrow . No, wait . Have you decided which inn to stay at in the city since you arrived?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Since I can¡¯t leave Baar for a week to see if Magic Fever symptoms develop, I¡¯m thinking of finding a place to stay at . I think Diarog might have seen him when he came to the guild, but I have a Griffon with me . ¡­¡­I¡¯d like you to introduce me to any inn that is okay with tamed monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that Griffon . It¡¯s a fine Griffon . When I saw it before entering the guild, I was reminded of a nightmare from when we were adventurers . ¡¹ Diarog muttered as his eyes seemed to look at something distant . ¡¸Hou~, how great is that Griffon?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . It looks might greater than the Griffon we desperately ran away from . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that is¡­¡­¡¹ In Seis mind, he recalled the appearance of a Griffon they had accidentally encountered in the remote frontier in the past . That was a time when they were arrogant, proud and believed themselves to be first class adventurers . Even though Marina told them not to attack it, they had scoffed at her and ignored her advice . He recalled the bitter memories of running away in panic from their reckless youth . ¡¸Greater than that Griffon? ¡­¡­Let me think, in that case, which inns can I refer you to that will accept a Griffon . Do you have any issues?¡¹ ¡¸No, I have no issues . That Griffon¡­¡­he¡¯s called Set, he¡¯s quite friendly if you don¡¯t try to mess around with him . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Friendly?¡¹ At those words which you couldn¡¯t imagine being used to describe an A rank monster, Seis and Diarog were shocked as they looked at Rei . Although they didn¡¯t say it, their eyes clearly indicated they doubted if he was sane . Seeing that, Rei nodded with a wry smile at their expected response . He was easily reminded of how he had been affected by the city of Gilm . (Well, maybe it¡¯s because this is the frontier . ) At the frontier, where they might be attacked by groups of monsters, as long as they weren¡¯t hostile, they would greedily accept any bit of fighting force they could get their hands on . That was the kind of spirit around the city . If they weren¡¯t so strong, the city of Gilm would have been destroyed by monsters by now . ¡¸A-Anyway . I¡¯ll take you to an inn where you can stay with tamed monsters right away . The inn is currently taking in people sick with Magic Fever as well, but they should still have some rooms available . ¡¹ ¡¸Please do that . I¡¯ll have to head back to the lord¡¯s residence to give out more instructions . As I mentioned earlier about investigating the cause of Magic Fever, I¡¯ll get Southernus to go to the inn tomorrow morning to have a more detailed discussion . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Regarding the Magic Fever, if we don¡¯t know the cause, there is a possibility it might also spread to Gilm . Considering that, we will definitely find the cause and deal with it somehow . ¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, Diarog quickly left the office to give out more instructions to each group at the lord¡¯s residence regarding the distribution of medicine . Rei and Seis slowly left the office after him . ¡¸Hou~, as expected . ¡¹ That was the first thing Seis said when he saw the request board on the first floor of the guild . At the end of his line of sight, the relief supplies had almost all disappeared . The huge pot that had been brought by Rei had been properly washed and placed in front of the request board . ¡¸Ah, guild master . And Rei-san . The food was very delicious . ¡¹ A receptionist who saw the two of them bowed with a smile . ¡¸I¡¯m glad to have helped . ¡­¡­Aren¡¯t there a lot less people around?¡¹ When Rei had first entered the guild, there were already few guild staff, but now there were even fewer left . Although Rei asked questioningly, the receptionist gave a small nod and replied . ¡¸Yes . They are giving out the medicine produced right away . Because of that, there are even fewer people here now . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ (It¡¯s true that the sick people are probably not all gathered in one place, so the medicine needs to be distributed individually . Anyhow, even if the symptoms are still mild, those with less magic power still might not be able to stand up . ) Rei nodded to himself as the receptionist turned to Seis . ¡¸Is there anything, guild master?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Rei will be staying in Baar for a while to investigate the cause of the Magic Fever epidemic . Because of that, I¡¯m planning to take him to an inn . ¡¹ ¡¸Do you really need to do that as the guild master!? I mean, I can guide him if you need . ¡¹ ¡¸No, there¡¯s no doubt that the guild is currently lacking in human resources . As you can see, you are currently the only receptionist in the guild . Because I¡¯m the guild master, I¡¯m not so busy right now, so I should show him around . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . That¡¯s right, I have to do my best here until the rest of the girls come back . ¡¹ The receptionist clenched both her hands to cheer herself up . Naturally, there were other receptionists in the city, but right now, most of them had either fallen ill with Magic Fever or were nursing people with it and couldn¡¯t come to the guild . ¡¸Well, with the medicine made from the Aurani grass powder he brought, everyone should be back before long . Believe in that and do your best . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Take care . ¡¹ Rei and Seis left the guild at the receptionist¡¯s parting words . ¡¸Hou~, that is¡­¡­as Diarog said earlier, it does look like a high ranking Griffon . ¡¹ Seis murmured when he exited the guild and saw Set . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Maybe hearing that and feeling Rei come over, Set opened his eyes while lying down and gave a cry as they came over . Seis almost stepped back for a moment before holding his ground . Seeing that, Rei stroked Set¡¯s head and back as usual . ¡¸What¡­¡­I couldn¡¯t imagine . Rei, if you don¡¯t mind, may I try stroking him as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . There shouldn¡¯t be any problems if you just stroke him ordinarily . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Okay . ¡¹ Taking a short but deep breath, he gently reached out for Set¡¯s back . Set looked at Seis for a moment, but judging that he meant no harm, continued to enjoy Rei¡¯s strokes . ¡¸Ohh, ohh¡­¡­so this is a Griffon, known as the king of beasts and birds . ¡¹ Seis murmured, impressed by the smooth feel . Approximately 5 minutes passed before he brought himself back to reality and brought Rei and Set to the inn . Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Legend Chapter 188 ¡¸¡­¡­Mm¡­¡­¡¹ Rei, who was sleeping in bed, wrapped up in a blanket, gave a yawn as he sat up . ¡­¡­But, the next moment, he went back to sleep . Several minutes passed . Finally waking up, Rei got up from bed again . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­ahh, ahh, oh right . ¡¹ Looking around, he found himself in an unfamiliar room . It was of a slightly lower class than the Dusk Wheat inn he stayed at in Gilm . Naturally, there were no luxuries such as magic items for heating, so the inside of the room was filled with the chilly winter air . He was at an inn that Seis, the guild master, had brought him to . In the first place, Gilm was a frontier city that nobles or big businessmen would visit, the city of Baar was close to the frontier but was really just in the countryside . Considering that, even though this was already the best inn, its comfort and facilities where naturally far from those in GIlm . According the the story Rei heard from Seis, this inn seemed to be quite famous for its food . Either way though, Baar was currently blockaded and such food couldn¡¯t be cooked due to the rationing system in place . Because of that, he wasn¡¯t expecting much from the food . ¡¸Well, I¡¯m sure the blockade will be lifted soon . ¡¹ The Magic Fever medicine was basically effective after a single night . In other words, Rei didn¡¯t know how many portions of medicine had been made since Rei arrived yesterday, but there should have been quite a few people who had recovered from Magic Fever . ¡¸¡­¡­That said, if I¡¯m not mistaken, Southernus will be coming over . I guess I should have breakfast before that . ¡¹ He changed his clothes and tidied his appearance while thinking of the food he had eaten the previous evening, black bread that had baked hard for preservation and soup with a little bit of meat and vegetables . It wasn¡¯t really enough compared with the meals Rei and Set usually ate at the Dusk Wheat inn, but satiated Rei and Set¡¯s appetite . Naturally, the food wasn¡¯t enough for them to eat, but as everyone was eating the same limited food, he couldn¡¯t just take out various dishes from the Misty Ring to eat himself . (I¡¯ll have to eat somewhere where the public won¡¯t notice me . In any case, I have to get food for Set . ) Thinking to himself, he gave a sigh when he thought about how difficult it would be to investigate the cause of Magic Fever with Southernus as he walked down to the first floor . It should be noted that while it was very cold when he got up out of his bed, the chill had left his thoughts right after he put on the Dragon Robe . ¡¸Good morning . ¡¹ A young man in his twenties with a pale complexion bowed at Rei and greeted him when he got to the first floor . This young man was originally an adventurer and not the person who ran the inn . However, because both his parents, who ran the inn, had fallen ill with Magic Fever, he was currently taking care of it as a substitute . His pale complexion was probably due to his fatigue from nursing his parents . Those were Rei¡¯s thoughts as he sat down in the dining area . ¡¸Here you go . ¡­That said, we can only serve this food . ¡¹ The young man put down a cup of wine diluted with water, some hard baked black bread and a bowl of dried meat and bean soup, which he had eaten yesterday . Normally, you would soak the bread in soup to soften it before eating, but Rei just chewed on the bread as it was with the power of his strong jaws . While looking at the face of the young man, who seemed to be surprised, Rei asked curiously after swallowing the bread . ¡¸How are your parents? The medicine should have been distributed around?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s partially because Rei-san is staying in this inn . ¡¹ Yes . Because Rei was staying in the inn, Seis had used his authority as guild master to passed some of the guaranteed cure medicine to the inn yesterday . Normally, such an action would be considered partiality, but Rei was currently the saviour of Baar . Because the inn was accommodating him, they wanted him to receive proper service . In addition, once the matter was settled, people would start coming to the city again, so they wanted to be able to make use of the inn . Still, right now, the original owner of the inn was still asleep in bed . Although the symptoms of Magic Fever had already subsided due to the medicine, the doctor had told them that it would be best to restore their physical strength after the exhaustion caused by Magic Fever ¡¸I hope they get better soon . That way, I¡¯ll be able to eat some good food . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha . I¡¯ll tell that to my father and mother . However, it will still be difficult to procure the ingredients to make good food unless the rationing system ends . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well, that¡¯s true . Sorry for holding you up . Take the food to the other sick people . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Pardon me . ¡¹ As expected, baked black bread wasn¡¯t really good for digestion, he left taking only some soup with him . Since the father of the young man was the real chef of the inn, Rei only had to eat such amateur cooking because the chef had fallen ill with Magic Fever . He tore up the bread, put it into the soup and drank the wine to finish up his meal . And just as he had finished eating everything, a person appeared outside the dining area at just the right moment . It was Southernus, the man who had met with Rei after he had arrived at the city of Baar yesterday . It seemed that Diarog had sent him over as promised yesterday, so Rei raised his hand lightly . ¡¸All right . I heard the situation from Diarog-san . You¡¯ll be investigating the cause of this damned illness . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­This is the dining area you know? Refrain from vulgar language . ¡¹ While sighing, Rei drank the remaining wine to finish his meal . ¡¸Hey, what are you talking about . In the first place, you¡¯re the only one in the dining area . Don¡¯t worry about it . ¡¹ The tone of his voice was a lot more casual compared to when he had first met with Rei in front of the main gate yesterday . ¡¸That reminds me, the main gate should still be blocked, so what¡¯s going on with food?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, there¡¯s no problems there . When it¡¯s meal time, we just eat bread and cheese we bring in bags from the city . Food is still okay despite the fact that the city is blockaded and we have rationing in place, Diarog-san is amazing after all . ¡¹ ¡¸To be entrusted as the acting lord, I guess that wouldn¡¯t be possible if he wasn¡¯t that good . ¡¹ ¡¸Kuku~, you¡¯ve got that wrong . Well, the lord of the city had taken several problematic actions and was half pressured by Diarog-san to step back from his position . ¡­¡­Well, anyway, that¡¯s that . Even if you say that you are going to investigate the cause of Magic Fever, how do you plan to do it?¡¹ Southernus asked while sitting in the chair in front of Rei . In a situation that had never occurred before, they couldn¡¯t predict the cause . Because of that, even if they were going to investigate it, Southernus pointed out that they still needed a starting point . ¡¸To be honest, I¡¯m confident in my combat strength, but I¡¯m not that good at using my head . Ahh, that¡¯s right . First of all is the possibility of a special area near the city which is not present around other cities . ¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not it . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . The surrounding area is mostly grasslands and plains, there¡¯s no real difference compared to other cities . If you¡¯re talking about the location, then wouldn¡¯t Gilm be more likely than Baar?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . ¡¹ On the frontier, there was also the Forest of Monsters, where A and S rank monsters could appear . In terms of peculiar geographical location, Gilm was much more unique than Baar . ¡¸Then is it a geographical problem?¡¹ ¡¸No . I don¡¯t think we can ignore the possibility, but the chance is very small . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Southernus¡¯s thoughts . Even Rei, while riding to Baar on Set, had been looking at the surroundings . He was able to see that there really wasn¡¯t anything special about this city in terms of location . And if there was something like the Forest of Monsters nearby, although Rei couldn¡¯t sense magic power, Set would probably have noticed something . ¡¸Then, could Magic Fever have adapted itself to survive even in cold and dry areas?¡¹ ¡¸Then why would it appear in such a remote place? If it had gradually spread from the south, that would be a possibility, but it suddenly spread in the city of Baar . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then, did someone intentionally spread it?¡¹ ¡¸Why would they? Why bother to cause a Magic Fever epidemic in such a remote city . ¡­¡­No, wait . Maybe . ¡¹ Southernus replied immediately at Rei¡¯s words . However, the next moment, he tilted his head as if he had thought of something . ¡¸Did you think of something?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s one possibility . As I said previously, the original lord of Baar has a history of causing various problems . Because he has such a character, he naturally has a bad relationship with the nobles in his faction, let alone from other factions . If someone held a grudge against him because of that¡­¡­¡¹ That might be possible . Rei, who had met several nobles in this world, could agree with that line of thought . There were nobles like Margrave Daska and Elena, but there were also those like Kuust, who was absorbed in his pride as a noble, or Vel, who would willingly betray his kingdom . As those faces passed through his mind, he nodded naturally at Southernus¡¯s words before slowly shaking his head . ¡¸No, I understand if they bore a grudge against him, but intentionally spreading an illness is an entirely different matter . And even if they could do it, how would they get around the initial requirements of Magic Fever, which are a hot and humid environment?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . If I think about it, that¡¯s definitely true . In the first place, if they could do it, they would be able to do huge damage if they spread it in the vicinity of the Bestir Empire¡¯s capital instead of on nobles from the same kingdom . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s certainly tru-¡­¡­e¡­¡­¡¹ The Bestir Empire . Rei¡¯s words stopped at what Southernus said . (If their alchemy is developed, naturally, their technology should also be at a similar level . As far as I know, diseases in this world are spread through pathogens, maybe something can be done with them using alchemy?) Thinking to himself, he considered the possibility¡­¡­but soon shook his head and dismissed the thought . (In the first place, if they could do it, there¡¯s no need to have to go to a city like Baar in the countryside . As Southernus said, they could use in the Imperial Capital or any other big city . In that case, was this just an experiment to see if it was usable? But if they did that, it would only be useful once . Once the information spread out from Baar, everywhere else would prepare the guaranteed medicinal cure . ¡¸Rei?¡¹ ¡¸No, nothing at all . If the Bestir Empire wanted to set a trap, they probably wouldn¡¯t pick this city . Then, is there anything else?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right¡­¡­the only thing I can think of is that idiot I mentioned earlier . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In that case, maybe we should change our way of thinking . ¡¹ ¡¸Way of thinking?¡¹ What are you saying? Southernus looked at Rei, but Rei spoke regardless . ¡¸For example . Is there anything special about this city?¡¹ ¡¸Huh? No, as I told you earlier, there aren¡¯t any notable features of this city . ¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, I worded that poorly . I meant, does this town have an specialties?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, we¡¯re talking about finding the cause of Magic Fever, I don¡¯t have time to look for souvenirs or things . ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re wrong . I¡¯m thinking that it might have something to do with the cause of the spread of Magic Fever . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Southernus had an expression of surprise . Southernus gave a nod even though he didn¡¯t think the chance was high, but he was still puzzled . ¡¸If that was the case, why hasn¡¯t Magic Fever had an outbreak before? It¡¯s been over 200 years since the city was established . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, maybe it took some time before the environment required for Magic Fever formed, or maybe it mutated . ¡­¡­Although it¡¯s not that likely, if we have no clues, we can only start from there . So, what is the specialty of this city?¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­something that other cities don¡¯t have, in that case the only specialty product of this city would be distilled spirits . ¡¹ ¡¸Distilled spirits?¡¹ Hearing those words, the knowledge he remembered from seeing it on TV when he was in Japan and the whisky his father drank passed through his mind . (I wonder if there are distilled spirits like brandy or vodka . If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be stored in large wooden barrels after distillation¡­¡­wait . In that case, where are the wooden barrels stored? If it was made by an individual, there would be enough room in a house . But since it¡¯s a specialty product, it would need a lot more space . ) ¡¸Southernus, where are the spirits stored? I think they should be stored in wooden barrels?¡¹ ¡¸Ah? Ahh . They are stored into barrels and then kept in a special storage location¡­¡­hey, no way¡¹ ¡¸Since it¡¯s a possibility, it would be better to check . If there¡¯s nothing there, then we can eliminate a potential cause . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Then let¡¯s go right away . ¡¹ Nodding, the two of them got up from the table and left the dining area . Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Legend Chapter 189 Rei and Southernus left the inn and headed for the place where the distilled spirits where stored . Set followed after them, guided by Southernus . Even with the guaranteed medicinal cure for Magic Fever, the majority of them were still asleep like the innkeeper as they hadn¡¯t recovered their physical strength . Nevertheless, people who had just shown signs of the onset of Magic Fever had already completely recovered, the number of people Rei saw around the city was clearly more than yesterday . When those people saw Rei¡­¡­or to be more accurate, when they saw Set, they showed surprised expressions before immediately smiling and bowing their heads . Those who had been given the medicine knew who had brought the Aurani grass powder over . At the same time, Diarog had also instructed the residents to not cause a fuss when they saw the monster, a Griffon, that would usually never be seen in the city . ¡¸¡­¡­So, how many distilled spirits storage locations do you have in the city?¡¹ While stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei asked Southernus, who was guiding them . At Rei¡¯s question, Southernus shrugged his shoulders lightly as he turned to look at the wall that surrounded the city and kept monsters out . ¡¸The biggest one is in the city¡¯s south . There¡¯s also one in the east and west . Those are the three big ones, if there¡¯s nothing there, the remaining possibility would be in an individuals storage . ¡¹ ¡¸Why would you do something that troublesome? You should have just stored them all in the same place . ¡¹ ¡¸Well then, I don¡¯t know the exact reasons, but there are various conditions required for liquor to age mature, I remember hearing about that . Actually, the liquor from all three sites taste different . ¡¸I see . ¡¹ Rei had just been and ordinary rural high school students before he came to Elgin, the only knowledge he had of liquor was from what he saw on TV or special reports . Because of that, he could only nod when Southernus explained it to him as such . Walking for about 40 minutes while talking, they eventually arrived at the southern storage storage facility . As expected of a place which kept the city¡¯s specialty product, city guards were stationed securely in front of the gate . However, two guards raised voices of surprise when they saw Southernus . ¡¸Southernus-san!? What¡¯s going on for you to come here . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, you know where this is . This is where Baar¡¯s local specialty is kept . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s no use even you say that you know? This place is checked regularly to make sure the amount stored is correct . . ¡¹ ¡¸Ha, you, you know how to tell jokes . I just came here to investigate why Magic Fever has spread around Baar . ¡¹ ¡¸The cause of Magic Fever? In this place?¡¹ One of the guards turned to look at Southernus suspiciously . His look clearly stated how he normally thought of Southernus . However, the guard who hadn¡¯t kept company with Southernus before tapped the shoulder of his partner . ¡¸Mm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, the two behind Southernus-san . Aren¡¯t they the ones we heard about who brought the Aurani grass powder?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, you¡¯re right . Southernus-san, it seems what you said earlier is true . Please come in . ¡¹ At the guards, whose attitude changed as easily as the flip of a hand, Southernus gave a stiff smile as the blood vessels on his forehead appeared . ¡¸I think I know how you guys think of me . It seems it will be necessary to correct those thoughts in the next joint training . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s unfair Southernus-san . In the first place, it¡¯s because you¡¯ve caused various problems in the past . ¡¹ ¡¸Haa? When did I do anything light that . ¡¹ ¡¸Early last month for example . You started a brawl with an adventurer who came to this city, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸That was because the adventurer was picking fights with people in the city you know!?¡¹ ¡¸Late last month, you went to a big party hosted by one of the blacksmiths in the city and started singing after you got drunk . ¡¹ ¡¸W-Well, that is . The blacksmith¡¯s daughter was getting married . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for the captain of the guards to kick up a fuss while on duty just because of that . ¡¹ ¡¸G-Guh¡­¡­¡¹ After that Southernus was blamed for more detailed events . Feeling sorry for him in that situation, Rei interrupted them with a wry smile . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll keep an eye on him, so can you let us in? I would really like to push forward with the investigation of Magic Fever . ¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped . You heard that, Southernus? Don¡¯t given in to your temptations and drink the liquor inside . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ At the guard¡¯s words, Southernus, who was feeling weak due the guard¡¯s blaming words, lightly waved his hand with a sigh before entering the storage area . Rei was going to follow after him when the guard who had be lecturing Southernus just before bowed his head and spoke . ¡¸Although it may be troublesome, please take care of Southernus . He may not look like it but he will end up doing various things . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You said various things?¡¹ ¡¸Naturally . The fact is, he will cause trouble . ¡¹ Rei gave a small smile at the guard¡¯s wry smile before entering the storage area for distilled spirits . The moment he went in, his nose was hit by the smell of wooden barrels and the odour of aged liquor . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ It was probably the same for Set . If it was a drinker, they would express the smell as being fragrant or rich . But for Rei and Set, who didn¡¯t like to drink that much, it wasn¡¯t a pleasant smell . While enduring the smell, they looked around . In terms of size, it was about the same space as five ordinary houses in the city with stairs leading to a second floor ¡¸Well then, Rei . Let¡¯s split up and look for each other if we find anything wrong . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ll just say, don¡¯t mess around with the liquor . If you do that, I¡¯ll report it to the guild master and representative lord . ¡¹ ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t be deceived by their lies . No matter what, I know that this matter isn¡¯t something that can be investigated jokingly . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, that¡¯s fine . I¡¯ve been mostly told about your behaviour anyway . ¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡­¡­ . well, that¡¯s fine . I¡¯ll get going . The second floor is narrower than the first floo so I will look in the second floor . You and Set can search the first floor . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ You called? As Set turned to look at Southernus, who had been reaching out his hand towards Set before immediately heading straight for the stairs . Seeing him leave, Rei immediately started surveying the first floor with Set . ¡¸¡­¡­Set, do you feel any strange magic power?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set shook his head at Rei¡¯s words . (In that case, is it unrelated to magic power? Because it¡¯s Magic Fever, I think it would be strange if it wasn¡¯t related to magic power . ) ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped . I¡¯ll have to take a look around . ¡¹ He looked around the shadows where the barrels for ageing were stacked, they were probably empty barrels that would later be filled with liquor . He also looked around the place were repairs were carried out, but he didn¡¯t find anything particularly out of place . ¡¸Mm, there¡¯s no clues here I guess . No, I can¡¯t say that for sure as we¡¯ve only searched this place . We still have to head to the other two places . ¡¹ Giving a sigh, Rei heard the footsteps of Southernus coming down from the stairs leading to the second floor . ¡¸There are no clues here . What about you¡­¡­no, I don¡¯t need to ask that . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything abnormal here, at least I couldn¡¯t see anything with my eyes . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Don¡¯t forget about me, Set seemed to say as Rei rubbed his head . ¡¸That¡¯s right . We couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious even with Set¡¯s senses as a Griffon, I don¡¯t think there is anything here . ¡¹ ¡¸What should we do? Do you want to head to another storage location?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . There¡¯s nothing here for now so I don¡¯t mind . Between east and west, which one is closer?¡¹ ¡¸Either way the distance is about the same, but I daresay the western one is slightly closer . ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s go to the western one then . Set, let¡¯s go outside . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Maybe he disliked the smell of alcohol that leaked from the wooden barrels, Set gave a cheerful cry . They would be heading to another storage facility after this, but in the end it was only a temporary check . ¡¸Ah, Southernus-san . You didn¡¯t steal a drink did you?¡¹ As soon as they left the storage area¡¯s main entrace, they were asked by the guard, which put a dent into Southernus¡¯s mood . Seeing that, Rei nodded with a smile and told him that there were no issues . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . Set, the Griffon, has a good nose . If he had been drinking, he would be able to tell right away . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Aren¡¯t I great! Set seemed to say as he puffed up his chest proudly . It seemed the A rank monster didn¡¯t have much dignity and seemed more like a rather large pet . A pet that was more than 2m in size . ¡¸Ah, ahahahaha . Surely Southernus-san won¡¯t be able to steal a drink with such a strong guard . ¡¹ ¡¸You lot, what are you saying . ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine . Here, we will head for the western facility . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡­¡­Sorry for troubling you . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no . Fortunately, there are signs of Magic Fever dying down, but if we don¡¯t know the cause, we won¡¯t be able to feel completely safe . Well, please investigate the cause of Magic Fever . ¡¹ Sent off by the two guards with a quick bow, Rei, Set and Southernus walked towards the western storage area . ¡¸You¡¯re pretty appreciated aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? It feels like I¡¯m being subtle insulted . Well, I¡¯m still attached to this city so it¡¯s fine . ¡¹ While talking like that and asking Southernus about the city of Baar, they eventually saw a building identical to that of the previous storage facility . ¡¸There . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . The western storage facility . ¡­¡­If there¡¯s anything strange, I hope we find it here . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, they walked towards the storage facility, where two guards appeared in the same way as the southern storage facility . ¡¸Southernus-san? What¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re investigating the cause of Magic Fever . ¡­¡­Hey, haven¡¯t you heard? This is Rei, who brought the Aurani grass powder . ¡¹ When Southernus turned towards Rei and Set who were behind him, one of the guards came over with a smile on his face . ¡¸So you¡¯re Rei-kun! No, I heard that you delivered the medicinal ingredients . I¡¯m really grateful . My father was taken down with Magic Fever . I was told by the doctor that without the ingredients you brought, he probably couldn¡¯t have been saved . ¡¹ Rei gave a small nod while being somewhat overwhelmed by the guard, who had grabbed his hand and was shaking it vigorously . ¡¸Ah, ahh . I¡¯m glad I helped . ¡­¡­So, as Southernus said, we¡¯re looking for the sudden cause of Magic Fever . There might be something inside the storage facility, so could you let us take a quick look?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course . However¡­¡­¡¹ The guard turned to glance towards Southernus . Slightly further away, the other guard also looked at Southernus . (This guy, how many problems has he caused up to now?) Rei gave a sigh and placed his hand on the shoulder of the guard to reassure him . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . I¡¯ll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn¡¯t drink anything without permission . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be relying on you . ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, you¡­¡­trust me a little more . ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . That is what Southernus-san says every day . ¡¹ And after finishing the same discussion that had happened at the southern storage facility, they went inside . ¡¸Mm, there¡¯s nothing in particular I can see about the surroundings¡­¡­Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei watched Southernus head up to the second floor before looking around the first floor . He asked Set, who was walking next to him, but Set shook his head as there didn¡¯t seem to be anything like magic power here either . ¡¸In that case¡­¡­the last one is the eastern storage facility . Ah, was it all just my own thoughts that it had something to do with the storage facilities? But, there¡¯s no other possibility . ¡¹ Nevertheless, Rei searched every corner of the first floor just to make sure, but he didn¡¯t find any abnormalities . Southernus also came down from the second floor and shook his head . ¡¸Only the eastern storage facility remains after this . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what if this is all a useless search?¡¹ ¡¸That said, is there anything else that might provide a clue?¡¹ ¡¸No, there isn¡¯t but¡­¡­¡¹ Leaving the storage facility, while voicing their thoughts to each other, they were sent off by the guards as they headed for the last storage facility . In any case, the lack of results from the investigation had dampened their motivation . But although they were feeling as such, they still went to the eastern storage facility as they didn¡¯t have any other options¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ As soon as the storage facility came into view, Set raised a cry of caution . ¡¸¡­¡­It seems that that unlikely chance has hit the mark . ¡¹ Rei also sensed something unfamiliar when the storage facility came into view and he muttered to himself . Chapter 190 Chapter 190 The three of them, Southernus, Rei and Set, proceeded with their investigation of Magic Fever, looking around the distilled spirit storage facilities in the north and west of the city. However, as they didn¡¯t find any clues, they headed for the eastern storage facility with a sense of inevitability. However, as soon as they saw the storage facility, Set gave a vigilant cry and both Rei and Southernus showed tighter expressions. ¡¸¡­¡­Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Ah. It seems we¡¯ve hit the jackpot.¡¹ Rei nodded at Southernus¡¯s words and held a stiff expression as they headed towards the storage facility before them. ¡¸Southernus-san? The person with you is¡­¡­?¡¹ The two guards standing near the entrance looked at them dubiously as they approached with a tense atmosphere, but Southernus ignored it and spoke directly to the guards. ¡¸Listen up, since we need to investigate inside the building, you guys stay a bit further away from the storage facility.¡¹ ¡¸Yes? That¡¯s find, but what are you investigating?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s about Magic Fever¡­¡­no, wait. If you guys are here, were you infected with Magic Fever?¡¹ He didn¡¯t know if it had anything to do with Magic Fever, but there was still something strange with the guards protecting the eastern storage facility. It was natural that Southernus, who was their boss, was worried for them and asked. However, both guards nodded without hesitation. ¡¸Yes. Fortunately, it seems I had sufficient magic power.¡¹ ¡¸Same for me as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so. I guess that¡¯s happiness in misfortune. Anyway, stay a bit further away from here. Do not enter the storage until we come out.¡¹ They responded similarly to the guards from the previous storage facilities, but fortunately the two guards knew Southernus well. As a result, it seemed they realised that the situation wasn¡¯t normal and took some distance from the storage facility with a small nod. After confirming that, Southernus put his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist, ready to pull it out at any time. Although Rei was at a loss for a moment on whether to use his Mithril Knife or Death Scythe, he eventually took out the more familiar Death Scythe from the Misty Ring. Next to Rei, Set readied his posture for evasion or attack at any time. Like that, Southernus reached for the door to the storage facility. The door to the storage facility opened with an echoing creak as the metal fittings rubbed against each other. And when the door opened, Rei and Southernus felt an uncomfortable feeling drifting from inside. ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know if that is the cause of Magic Fever, however there is definitely something here. ¡­¡­Do you have any idea what it is?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t be sure. In the first place, this is just an area to store ordinary distilled spirits.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry while looking towards the back of the first floor. Rei and Southernus had no ability to sense magic power. But even so, they still felt some discomfort from the sensation of the dense magic power drifting from the back where Set was looking towards. ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, what¡¯s over there. I will go in first followed by Set and Southernus.¡¹ ¡¸Is it fine if I don¡¯t go first?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. As you can see, my weapon is very long. It will be rather hard to use if you¡¯re in front of me.¡¹ Southernus looked at Rei¡¯s Death Scythe and nodded in understanding. ¡¸I know it will be hard to wield your weapon if there¡¯s people nearby¡­¡­but are you sure? There will be various complaints if any liquor barrels are broken.¡¹ ¡¸As for that, just tell them it wasn¡¯t done by me. ¡­¡­Well then, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Maybe to break the tension, Rei responded to Southernus in a light tone before heading to the back of the first floor. It took about 10 minutes. It took some time to move forward while watching their surroundings carefully as they reached the furthest end of the first floor¡¯s storage area. And what they saw was a pure white circular substance that was embedded into the ground. ¡¸What, what is that?¡¹ Southernus muttered from behind Rei. Seeing an object like that for the first time, his voice was filled with pure questioning. But¡­¡­ ¡¸Impossible, what¡¯s this doing here!?¡¹ The moment Rei saw the object, searching Zepairu¡¯s knowledge on reflex, he realised what it was and spoke in astonishment. ¡¸Rei, do you know what that is?¡¹ Rei gave a small nod at Southernus in confirmation. Yes, Rei knew what the object was. No, to be exact, rather than knowing what it was, he found it in Zepairu¡¯s knowledge. Nevertheless, it was still correct to say that he had seen something similar. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­a dungeon core.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Southernus instinctively asked back at the words that were spoken by Rei. Maybe Rei brought himself back to reality at Southernus¡¯s voice, Rei¡¯s expression became serious as he told Southernus what the object was again. ¡¸It¡¯s the core of a dungeon. There¡¯s no mistake¡¹ ¡¸Hey hey hey hey, wait a moment. What¡¯s a dungeon core doing in a place like this.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know even if you ask me. Well, I can make a general guess.¡¹ To begin with, a dungeon core was created from the materialisation of magic power in the surroundings. In other words, it was natural to consider that the magic powers from around the area here were materialised for some reason into the object that was now in front of Rei. ¡¸In the first place, why would you say that this is a dungeon core? Perhaps it¡¯s something completely different?¡¹ Southernus hoped that Rei had made a mistake. But his question was ruthlessly discarded as Rei shook his head. ¡¸Have you heard that there¡¯s a dungeon near the city of Gilm?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I know that¡­¡­hey, no way.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s as you imagined, Southernus. As part of a small request previously, I¡¯ve gone to the lowest level of the dungeon. At that time, I actually saw the dungeon core with my own eyes. This one is quite small in size, but I can say that it is one without a doubt.¡¹ He couldn¡¯t explain that he had Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, so he answered as such to trick Southernus while keeping his eyes on the object before him. ¡¸So, what are we going to do?¡¹ ¡¸Even if you ask that. In the first place, I¡¯m not someone from this city, if this is a dungeon core, I can¡¯t really just destroy it without permission you know? If I¡¯m not mistaken, I¡¯ve heard that there are several labyrinth cities. Even if it¡¯s a coincidence, a dungeon could form in a city. I can¡¯t overlook the possibility that this place could become a labyrinth city and destroy the core without permission.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s true. Speaking of which, do you think that the cause of Magic Fever is this dungeon core?¡¹ ¡¸I think so. At any rate, there¡¯s nothing that is more suspicious.¡¹ Even Southernus was convinced that the dungeon core before them was the cause of Magic Fever. After giving a small sigh, he headed back towards the entrance of the storage facility. ¡¸Southernus?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to report this to Diarog-san and Seis-san. If it¡¯s really a dungeon core, we can¡¯t arbitrarily make a decision on our own.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. However, make it as quick as possible. Fortunately, this dungeon core still hasn¡¯t fully formed, but as time goes by, it will grow and start bringing monsters here.¡¹ ¡¸I know. I¡¯ll tell them as quickly as I can. I¡¯ll leave this small nuisance for you to watch over.¡¹ Saying that, Southernus left the storage facility in a hurry. Right after that, Rei heard voices from outside, the guards asked Southernus what was going on. But it seemed that he just quickly ran past them without answering. ¡¸¡­¡­I never thought I would see a dungeon core in a place like this.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set looked towards the dungeon core and gave a cry, as if agreeing with Rei. Whether it was Rei or Set, they had seen the Silver Lion, an S ranked monster, that guarded the dungeon core at the bottom of the dungeon they had entered with Elena. No, to be exact, they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes but had been told by Vel. However, the sense of pressure he had felt from that room had not been ordinary. Well, even Vel, who was more like a monster than a human had his face turn pale. If such a high ranking monster were to appear here now, against such a thing, the dungeon core wouldn¡¯t be a treasure as he had told Southernus but more of an annoyance. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to ask while tilting his head. Rei gently stroked Set¡¯s head while keeping a firm grasp on the Death Scythe in his hand, ready to immediately deal with anything that might come up. ¡¸Haa, haa, haa¡­¡­¡¹ While Rei and Set were watching over the dungeon core, Southernus was running through the city at full speed. Speaking of the distinctive features of the city, the dungeon core had appeared in a city which only specialised in distilled spirits. He didn¡¯t know why such a dangerous thing as a dungeon core had formed but to Southernus, it was nothing but a plague. However, having found it, he couldn¡¯t make the decision to destroy it on his own. It might have been possible that Baar would have taken steps to become a labyrinth city if Diarog and Seis weren¡¯t standing at the top of the city. However, fortunately, the noble who was the original lord of the city wasn¡¯t around. If he was, it was highly probably that he would try to butt in and in that sense¡­¡­even though it just a slight feeling, he wanted to thank the Magic Fever for that. ¡¸S-Southernus-san!?¡¹ When Southernus reached the lord¡¯s residence, gasping for breath, the gatekeepers¡¯ expressions changed and they went over to him. The current Southernus wasn¡¯t how he usually was. ¡¸Is Di-Diarog-san, haa, haa¡­¡­here?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ah, yes. He¡¯s currently consulting with Seis-sama about future matters.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. I understand. Please tell him I have a matter to discuss right now. It¡¯s urgent!¡¹ As the gatekeeper came closer, Southernus spoke as loudly as he could. Even though he was just a gatekeeper, he must have realised that it was an unusual situation. Leaving Southernus with the other gatekeeper, he hurried inside the lord¡¯s residence. ¡¸Southernus-san, drink this for now and take a deep breath.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Ahh. Sorry about this.¡¹ Southernus drank the warm tea in the bottle before finally taking a breath. ¡¸What on earth is going on? For you who is usually always calm to run until you¡¯re gasping for breath.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t say anything about it yet. However, a slightly troublesome situation has occurred. I wanted to inform Diarog-san immediately and ran here. Also, you said Seis-san is also here?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes.¡¹ ¡¸I guess my luck is good.¡¹ Initially, Southernus was at a loss on whether to head for the guild or the lord¡¯s residence. Seis probably knew more about dungeons as a mage. But, as a city guard, he decided that the first thing he should do was to inform Diarog, his direct supervisor. Considering the distance from the eastern storage facility, the lord¡¯s residence was a little closer. If he had gone to the guild, he would have wasted all his time and missed Seis. It was just a small thing, but Southernus gave a small smile, thinking that he had gotten lucky. As Southernus was thinking that, the gatekeeper who had run off to report earlier came back. ¡¸Diarog-sama says he would like Southernus-san to come as soon as he can. He would like to hear your report with Seis-sama.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I will go immediately. Is it in his office?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ Southernus stopped after muttering that. The gatekeeper turned to look at his questioningly, but Southernus shook his head and they entered the lord¡¯s residence. (If that really was a dungeon core, it may not be a good idea to raise a fuss about it. Besides, there is a high chance that we won¡¯t be able to do anything with the strength of our army.) While thinking to himself, he proceeded through the lord¡¯s residence and arrived at the office. ¡¸Pardon me. I¡¯ve brought Southernus-san.¡¹ ¡¸Please come in.¡¹ Southernus entered the office after hearing the exchange between the gatekeeper and Diarog. As expected, Diarog was the main person in the room. The guild master, Seis, was also there. Alongside them were several other influential figures within the city. ¡¸You were investigating with Rei before you came here, could you have already found the cause of Magic Fever!?¡¹ At Diarog¡¯s enthusiastic words, Southernus thought for a few seconds before speaking. ¡¸We¡¯ve made a serious discovery that seems to be related to the matter. If possible, I would like to only tell Diarog-san and Seis-san.¡¹ In other words, Southernus was telling everyone else to leave. Currently in the office, there were only people with status or power in the city of Baar. Naturally, they frowned unpleasantly at those words. But Diarog, who knew Southernus¡¯s character well, hesitated for a few seconds before making his decision. ¡¸I understand. We¡¯ve been talking for a long time. Let¡¯s take a break for a bit. ¡­¡­Seis, you stay with me.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ With Diarog¡¯s words, their meeting took a break while Seis and Southernus moved with him to the next room. ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, since you¡¯ve come here, I guess it¡¯s a serious matter?¡¹ At Diarog¡¯s words, which meant that he wouldn¡¯t forgive him if it wasn¡¯t serious, Southernus spoke without care. Well, if he made a mistake here, the whole of Baar could be affected. ¡¸The distilled spirits storage facility in the east. We¡¯ve confirmed the existence of a dungeon core there.¡¹ Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Legend Chapter 191 ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ They couldn¡¯t understand what the man standing before them had said . No, rather, they didn¡¯t want to believe it . After thinking about it, Diarog asked Southernus again, but Southernus¡¯s reply was ruthless . ¡¸The distilled spirits storage facility in the city east . There is a dungeon core there¡­¡­to be exact, it¡¯s not big enough yet to be called a dungeon core, but we have identified at the very least it will become a dungeon core in the near future . Judging from the situation, the cause of Magic Fever is likely to be due to the core . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Again, Diarog was speechless at Southernus¡¯s words . Meanwhile, Seis, who had stayed silent after entering the room, spoke up . ¡¸Southernus, have you ever gone down a dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸I have not . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, why did you say that there was a dungeon core in the eastern storage facility . ¡¹ ¡¸It was Rei . He told me that he had gone down to the lowest level in the dungeon near Gilm . He probably saw it back then . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Well, considering his magic power and the Griffon following him, I guess it¡¯s not impossible . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I don¡¯t know about his magic power, but he has a Griffon following him . I thought I could believe his words and came here in a hurry to report . ¡­¡­What should I do?¡¹ At that question, Diarog replied in a fluster . ¡¸What should you do? What do you think you should do!? You should know already! Isn¡¯t it the cause of Magic Fever around this area? Destroy it immediately!¡¹ ¡¸I thought that as well, but Rei said that with a dungeon core in the city, there was a possibility that Baar could be developed into a labyrinth city . I couldn¡¯t make the decision carelessly . I would like Diarog-san, the person in charge of the city, to make the final decision . ¡¹ ¡¸M-Mmm . That¡¯s true . ¡¹ At Southernus¡¯s words, Seis nodded unintentionally . When it was mentioned that it could be developed into a labyrinth city, he certainly couldn¡¯t deny the possibility . However, Diarog spoke up to cut off Seis¡¯s hesitation . ¡¸Don¡¯t say stupid things . We could consider the possibility of developing a labyrinth city if the dungeon core didn¡¯t spread illness around it . However, we were able to deal with it this time only because it was such a well known illness as Magic Fever . The the dungeon core started spreading illness around it again, I¡¯m not sure we could handle it . I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to develop Baar as a labyrinth city by doing such a dangerous thing and putting all the residents of Baar in danger . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But, a dungeon core isn¡¯t something we can hide . In particular, if someone who can sense magic power went by the eastern storage facility, they might even sense it right away . In that case, it shouldn¡¯t take too long for your boss, that noble, to hear about it . ¡­¡­If that happened, you would have to bear the blame of disposing of a dungeon core that might have benefited him without his permission . Moreover, since the lord is a mage with a certain level of skill, it would be impossible to trick him . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . The reason why I took this position as the representative lord was just because I wanted to protect the city . It was not for the interest of nobles or others . ¡¹ Seis was surprised by Diarog¡¯s unexpected words and wore an embarrassed expression . Next to him, Southernus also stopped moving as well in surprise . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Southernus . Didn¡¯t you hear my orders? Tell Rei to destroy the dungeon core immediately . Make it quick, if it really is a dungeon core, even if cases of Magic Fever stop, I don¡¯t know what will happen next . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, I understand . I will inform Rei imme-¡­¡­¡¹ Immediately . That was what he was going to say . However, his words were cut off by someone who barged into the room the next moment . Yes . This wasn¡¯t the office, but the room next to it . Seis, the guild master, and Diarog, the city lord representative, were both in the room . So was Southernus, who had just received orders from the two . ¡¸What¡¯s going on!?¡¹ While shouting, Southernus stood forward to protect the two while reaching for the sword at his waist . As expected of the captain of the guards, his movement were truly fast . Even if it was an assassin who had jumped in, there was no doubt he would be able to deal with them . However, the person who had barged into the room was one of the guards who was usually out in front of the lord¡¯s residence . ¡¸S-S-S-Serious trouble! A purple fog appeared in the east side of the city! It¡¯s also expanding rapidly!¡¹ It might have been fortunate that the man who barged into the room wasn¡¯t an assassin . However, the report he brought was most definitely unfortunate . ¡¸The east of the city!?¡¹ At the guard¡¯s words, Diarog unintentionally gave a cry . It was unavoidable . Hearing about the mysterious phenomenon that had appeared from that direction, he was almost certain that it was related to the dungeon core he had just heard about . ¡¸Tch, are we too late . So, specifically, what damage has been done?¡¹ Southernus quickly released his hand from his sword, but the guard who barged into the room shook his head slightly . ¡¸No, unfortunately we don¡¯t know yet . However, I¡¯ve asked a few people to check so we should find out soon . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see Diarog-san . I want to try to contact Rei somehow . If there¡¯s purple fog, there¡¯s no doubt it¡¯s connected to the previous matter . Rei should be in the immediate vicinity . If it goes well, the damage should be minimal . ¡¹ Diarog heard Southernus¡¯s words and immediately nodded . Personally, he didn¡¯t want to make such a reckless decision, but he judged that Southernus was the only one who could protect the city . ¡¸Please . If you can contact Rei, tell him to destroy the dungeon core as soon as he can . ¡­¡­Normally, I would send the guards to do it and keep you here, but considering their combat skill and magic power, you¡¯re the mostly likely person to survive . ¡¹ ¡¸That is no problem . ¡­¡­However, I would like to take a drink from Diarog-san¡¯s valued stock if this finishes safely . ¡¹ ¡¸Hah-, deal . If this matter is settled, it will be my toast for victory . ¡¹ ¡¸After hearing that, I¡¯ll have to come back safely no matter what . ¡­¡­Then!¡¹ With a smile and a promise, Southernus quickly left the room . Turning back the clock, back at the eastern storage facility right after Southernus left . At that moment, Rei and Set were watching the dungeon core but didn¡¯t notice any abnormalities . That was why Set noticed it first . The dungeon core before them was starting to emit magic power . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Rei, who had no ability to sense magic power, tightened his expression at Set¡¯s alert cry . He didn¡¯t know what had happened . But, he was able to perceive that something bad was happening based on instinct . And the next moment, a clearly visible abnormality revealed itself in Rei¡¯s eyes . ¡¸Purple¡­¡­fog?¡¹ Yes, the dungeon core started pulsing as if it were breathing, and at the same time purple fog was blown out from the dungeon core . A clear abnormality . Rei judged that he should destroy the dungeon core and raise his Death Scythe . However, the next moment . ¡¸Woah!?¡¹ He immediately raised a cry of astonishment and retreated from where he had been a moment ago . ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ The attack was blocked by a swing of Set¡¯s fore claws . Set immediately blasting away the thing that had attacked Rei . It was something that could be called similar to an opaque slime . The difference was that the slime was producing purple fog from its body . At the same time, the dungeon core started to create one slime after another, releasing them into the surroundings . ¡¸No way, this¡­¡­does it plan to make this area into a dungeon!?¡¹ The slimes that existed in dungeons would clean up the corpses of monsters and adventurers without distinction . They would dissolve them and absorb them . In other words, slimes were absolutely indispensable for dungeons . And as since a dungeon core could create a dungeon, it was by no means impossible to create slimes . ¡¸Damn it, I don¡¯t have time to wait for Southernus . As it is, the residents of Baar will suffer a lot of damage . Then!¡¹ This, if it had happened in a normal situation, the damage wouldn¡¯t have bee so great . But right now in the city of Baar, many people were bedridden due to Magic Fever . Even if Magic Fever had been cured with the produced medicine, like the innkeepers of the inn Rei stayed in, most of them couldn¡¯t get out of bed due to physical exhaustion . There were a lot of medicinal ingredients, but the number of pharmacists and alchemists who could produce the medicine were limited . And what was produced naturally were given to priority patients with severe symptoms . ¡¸Tch, there¡¯s no end! Set, open up the way to the dungeon core! . This is a storage place for distilled spirits . Use anything except Fire Breath!¡¹ While swinging the Death Scythe freely and cutting down the slime that were being produce, Rei gave Set and order . The slimes that were sliced apart quickly disappeared, but when that happened, it also created more purple fog . (Damn it, fortunately this fog has no effect on me, but if I consider what happened with Magic Fever, this is probably related to some sort of illness as well . One way or another, this dungeon core¡­¡­) ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set immediately used his skills at Rei¡¯s words . The next moment after his cry, two 30cm diameter water balls appeared in front of Set . ¡¸Do it!¡¹ Following Rei¡¯s orders, Set released his water balls . The two water balls, shot out at high speed, popped any slimes it the moment it came it contact with them, scattering them into the surroundings . And as soon as the slimes tried to fill the gap, another water ball would fly through, destroying the slimes which were just created by the dungeon core . ¡¸Okay . Haaah-!¡¹ Rei dashed towards his target, not missing the momentary gap where slimes had disappeared from the path leading to the area around the dungeon core . Raising his speed with the Shoes of Sleipnir and his own explosive leg strength, he shortened the distance instantly . ¡¸Get destroyed!¡¹ He swung the Death Scythe with all the magic power he could pour into it . The blade was swung down in a flash, cutting the dungeon core in two without even a momentary resistance . The next moment, the dungeon core disappeared like smoke¡­¡­ ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill¡ºTerrain Manipulation Lv . 1¡»¡¿ At the same time, an announcement that could be considered familiar flowed into Rei¡¯s mind . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ It appeared that Set had heard the same announcement as Rei . He looked with puzzlement at Reil (The Magic Beast Art should only level by absorbing monster magic stones . Why would it absorb a dungeon core?) Although Rei thought about it on the spot for several seconds, he realised that he had no time to think about inspecting the new skill he had gotten from the dungeon core . The dungeon core that had been spitting out slimes had been destroyed and the number of slimes wouldn¡¯t increase further . However, the problem was the slimes that had already been created . Above all, the purple fog that the slimes seemed to spit out would also be released when they were killed . Although Rei and Set didn¡¯t seem to suffer any particular adverse effects, he couldn¡¯t leave the dangerous mist as saw it . ¡¸Well, let¡¯s first tell the guards . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ While he was thinking about that, the purple fog that was the remnant of the slimes filled the inside of the storage area and started to leak from the gaps at the front of the building . Whatever he did, Rei decided that it would be best to cooperate with someone who knew the city well as he and Set ran towards the door . However, when Rei came out from the storage area, what he saw was the two guards who guarded the repository fallen on the ground . ************************************************ ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºFlying Slash¡¡Lv . 2¡» ¡ºMagic Shield¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºPower Slash Lv . 1¡»¡ºWind Hand¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºTerrain Manipulation¡¡Lv . 1¡»new Terrain Manipulation: When the Death Scythe¡¯s handle is touching the ground, it is possible to manipulate the terrain around it in a limited range . At Lv . 1 the ground around it it a 10m diameter can be raised or depressed by 10cm . Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Legend Chapter 192 Although Rei managed to destroy the dungeon core that he found inside the storage facility, slimes had already been produced by the dungeon core . Purple fog would be emitted by them whether they were left alone or destroyed . Rei went out of the storage facility to inform the guards about the danger of the mist when he saw the two guards fallen on the ground . ¡¸Tch-, is this fog poisonous after all!?¡¹ Rei rushed over to the two people who had collapsed and fallen to the ground¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­!?¡¹ One of the guards noticed him and turned his eyes towards Rei desperately . ¡¸This, this isn¡¯t poison . ¡­¡­Paralysis!?¡¹ He heard Rei¡¯s words . Although he could hardly move his body, the guard somehow managed a small nod . (Damn it, this purple fog must have a paralysis effect . Why didn¡¯t it have any effect on me or Set? Considering Magic Fever, is it still about the amount of magic power? . No, I have to take action instead of worrying right now . ) Looking towards the storage facility he had just come out of, purple fog was overflowing out of every gap in the building, including the open doors . ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Understanding what Rei wanted to say he gave a sharp cry and turn his back to Rei . Seeing that, Rei put both the guards he was carrying onto Set¡¯s back before getting on himself . Normally, Set would only be able to fly with one person on him . But fortunately, there was no need to fly . If he was running along the ground, having two more people on his back wasn¡¯t too big of an issue . ¡¸Let¡¯s go . Any how, we have to meet up with Southernus!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ The two of them nodded at each other before leaving the storage facility . Fortunately for the residents of Baar, the dungeon core had appeared in a storage facility with few houses in the surrounding area . Because of that, the damage caused by the purple fog was much less than if it had appeared in the middle of the city . But . ¡¸Run away-! Coming in contact with that fog will paralyze you and you won¡¯t be able to move!¡¹ To say that there were few houses, it meant that there were almost none . Because of that, Rei ran towards the city center where the guild and lord¡¯s residence was while shouting . Whether the purple fog had any sort of will, unlike ordinary fog, after covering the storage facility, it started moving very, very slowly . For that reason, the residents in the area who heard Rei¡¯s shouts also detected the abnormality and the vast majority managed to escape it . ¡¸What, what is that fog! Purple fog!? Such a thing, I¡¯ve never heard or seen anything like it around here!¡¹ ¡¸Father, my father is still inside the house, ill with Magic Fever!¡¹ ¡¸Regrus, where are you, Regrus!?¡¹ A man shouted in a frenzy while a woman desperately tried to escape from the fog but was unable to help her family . A mother similarly looked for her child, who could not be seen . Seeing the state of the residents, Rei bit his lips before shouting again . ¡¸Head for the city center! If you stay here, you won¡¯t be able to move inside the fog!¡¹ While shouting, Rei headed for the city center as he saw the people in the area begin to move . Meanwhile, a few residents just stood on the spot . Maybe their spirits were broken after seeing this phenomenon after the case of Magic Fever, but they just stared at the fog moving towards them . ¡¸Rei!¡¹ Rei arrived near the city center and stopped to take a breath when he suddenly heard someone call out to him . It went without saying who the voice belonged to, as Rei had been working with him since morning . ¡¸Southernus!¡¹ ¡¸What the hell is going on!? What is that purple fog!?¡¹ Southernus was also confused, grabbing Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe at the chest before pulling him over and shouting . Fortunately, the speed of the fog was very slow and had not moved very far from the eastern storage facility . Because of that, most of the people who lived in the eastern side of the city had managed to gather at the city center, close to several hundred people . In such a situation, the reason why Southernus was able to find Rei immediately was probably because of Set, who as a Griffon was very conspicuous . ¡¸Calm down . You are the captain of the guards, the residents of the city will also feel uneasy . ¡­¡­I will explain . But first of all I have to report to Diarog-san and the guild master . Please lead me there . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ Giving a small nod, Southernus quickly gave some instructions to the guards nearby to carry the guards on Set¡¯s back before guiding them to the lord¡¯s residence . Set went up to the roof of a nearby building at Rei¡¯s request to monitor the fog for any changes . The guards had opened up the lord¡¯s residence and was currently housing the elderly, children and the sick . While seeing all that, Rei passed through to Diarog¡¯s office . Inside the office, aside from Diarog and Seis, there were several elderly and middle aged men and women . The moment Rei entered the room, several people tried to speak with expressions asking what he had done when Seis spoke up as if to warn the others ¡¸Ahh, you¡¯ve come . Can you explain what¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . In short, the dungeon core that Southernus and I found is probably the cause of Magic Fever . ¡¹ Dungeon core . The rest of them had heard the story from Diarog when Southernus had gone outside . However, when those words of confirmation came from Rei, the people who were going to complain stopped to hear the rest of the story . ¡¸So, then can I assume that the purple fog that is raising havoc outside is caused by the dungeon core?¡¹ Rei nodded at Seis¡¯s words . Of course, he continued his explanation when Southernus and the people in the surroundings continued to look at him . ¡¸With all that said, when something at the level of a dungeon core appeared, I didn¡¯t want to make a decision on my own and sent Southernus to Diarog-san and Seis-san for further instructions . But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Mm . We were listening to Southernus when this incident happened . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . After Southernus ran out to report this, I was watching over the dungeon core to make sure nothing would happen . Fortunately, it seemed to had settled down and nothing was happening in particular ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Then something happened?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . The dungeon core started to pulse and suddenly released a countless number of irregularly shaped slimes . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Slimes¡¹ In the office, a middle aged man muttered in surprise . It was a matter of course . Even though they were worrying about an event that could destroy the city, they were told the cause was slimes . To the man, he only see it as a joke . It was the same for everyone else, except for three people . Only Diarog, Seis and Southernus saw differently . Seis knew how much magic power Rei had . For Diarog, Rei was dispatched by Marina, his former party member, and Seis, his good friend, also vouched for his ability . And more than anything, as a former adventurer, Diarog could feel Rei¡¯s ability . Similarly, Southernus could also tell Rei¡¯s strength to a certain level . ¡¸Was it just slimes?¡¹ Seis spoke up to interrupt the middle aged man who was about to continue speaking . He did that because now wasn¡¯t the time to argue about who was to blame Rei gave a brief nod at Seis before continuing to explain . ¡¸Yes . They started to emit purple fog from their bodies . I judged that they were dangerous and attacked them, but when they received fatal damage, they would disappear and turn their entire body into purple fog . ¡¹ ¡¸Purple fog . ¡­¡­I see . So that is the cause of the fog in the east right now . On that note, do you know the effect of the fog?¡¹ At Seis¡¯s question, what came to Rei¡¯s mind were the appearances of the two guards who watched over the eastern storage facility . Although he didn¡¯t examine their symptoms in detail, it was obvious that their bodies were paralyzed and couldn¡¯t move . At the same time, even if Rei breathed in the purple fog, they could still move . ¡¸What know is that if you inhale or come in contact with the fog, it will paralyze you . That is what happened to the two guards who were at the front of the eastern storage facility . However, that is only the immediate effect, there is a possibility there are still other effects . And¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸And?¡¹ ¡¸Set and I were able to move normally in the fog . In particular I killed a lot of slimes that created a lot of fog . Nevertheless, I don¡¯t feel any paralysis in my body . ¡­¡­I think, the same as with Magic Fever, if you have a certain level of magic power, you won¡¯t be affected by it . ¡¹ If you had enough magic power, you could ignore the effects of the fog . The people in the office gave a sigh of relief, knowing that they could deal with it somehow . However, there was someone who didn¡¯t feel good about what was said . It was Southernus, who had been listening to Rei¡¯s story in the room . ¡¸Rei, please wait a moment . Just to double check, but the guards who were at the front of the storage facility were paralyzed? Were they the guards we talked to when we entered the storage area?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ah . That is correct . ¡¹ Seeing Rei nod, he frowned slightly and gave a sigh before speeaking . ¡¸In that case¡­¡­for Diarog-san, Seis-can, and everyone else . This might be a bit dangerous . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ At Southernus¡¯s words, Rei realised what he meant . Seis also had a bitter expression on his face . Next to him, Diarog also had a frown on his face . ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? If you can move around in that fog, is there a way to deal with it?¡¹ At the doubtful question from one of the influential people in the city, Southernus shook his head and spook up again . ¡¸The eastern storage facility . ¡­¡­Or rather, all the guards that were on duty today were ones who had enough magic power to not be taken down by the Magic Fever that spread recently . In other words, in order to ignore the effects of the fog, you need to have more magic power than was needed to ignore the effects of Magic Fever . ¡¹ ¡¸Do you know exactly how much is required?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, no . According to Seis-san, Rei has an enormous amount of magic power, so I think his body just ignored any effects from the fog . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, do we have to entrust the fate of this city . the destruction of the dungeon core, to that Rei over there!?¡¹ Did they have to entrust the fate of the city to an adventurer from another city and not their own? Not including the fact that Rei still looked like a kid . Although a middle aged man knocked his fist against his knee in indignation, Rei interrupted there . ¡¸Southernus . I forgot to mention, but the dungeon core has already been destroyed . It kept producing those fog creating slimes, so although I wanted to hear from you what the decision about the dungeon core was, I had to take emergency measures . ¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡» The surrounding went silent at Rei¡¯s words . Of course it wasn¡¯t silence due to despair . It was silence due to simple shock . After all, when they were all worried about how to destroy the dungeon core that was producing the paralyzing purple fog, they were told that the cause of it all had already been destroyed . ¡¸¡­¡­By any chance, was the decision to turn the city into a labyrinth city?¡¹ Although Rei asked with a bad feeling due to the silence in the surroundings, his worries were unfounded . The next moment, the faces of those in the office shined with hope . Diarog, the leader in the room, approached Rei with an excited expression and clapped Rei¡¯s shoulder heavily several times . With Diarog¡¯s strength, Rei might actually have been hurt if he had worn an ordinary robe instead of the Dragon Robe . ¡¸You¡¯ve done well . Certainly, destroying the dungeon core is regrettable, but it¡¯s not that big of an issue if it will hurt the city . The only thing I¡¯m in charge of is protecting the safety of the city¡¯s residents . No, you¡¯ve done really well . Seis!¡¹ After praising Rei, he called out to Seis . His expression was already no longer full of excitement as it was a moment ago but instead was the expression of his position as the acting lord of the city . The speed at which he could change his mood demonstrated his excellence . And Seis, having been with Diarog for a long time, immediately nodded back . Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Legend Chapter 193 A purple fog emerged in the city of Baar, paralyzing all those who touched it . Diarog and Seis reacted quickly after knowing that the dungeon core, that was the cause of the fog, had been destroyed . Whether they could be called mentally connected, Seis immediately nodded after looking at Diarog . ¡¸Mm . The slimes were the one producing the fog . If the dungeon core that was spawning the slimes is not around anymore, the matter is not that hard . If we manage to clear the fog itself before the fog causes anymore damage, we¡¯ll be able to end the disturbance . ¡¹ ¡¸But, Seis-san . The problem is how to do that . ¡¹ At the words of the middle-aged man, the others in the office nodded similarly . Indeed, the resolution to the situation was welcomed by everyone in the office, but it was important how they were actually going to deal with it . It was no exaggeration to say that the people here represented the interests of all residents in the city of Baar . If something bad were to happen . They couldn¡¯t help but have such thoughts . However, it was because they believed in the ability of Seis and Diarog, who was governing the city on behalf of the actual lord, that they only said that much . If it had been the original lord and not Diarog, what would have happened . The middle-aged man imagined that in his mind . As a noble very interested in magic, the dungeon core would have been extremely appealing . Yes, for example, he would nurture the dungeon core even at the cost of the residents of the city . He couldn¡¯t ignore the possibility that lord would even go all the way into turning the city into a labyrinth city . He felt a cold tingle down his spine before shaking his head and turning to look at the guild master . He hoped that Seis, the greatest mage in the city, would have some means to deal with it . ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s right . If that purple fog is really fog, the easiest method would be to blow it out of the city with wind magic . Or, if we can raise the temperature, the fog can be cleared¡­¡­however, those are only measures to deal with ordinary fog . I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve actually tried it . ¡¹ ¡¸Ignoring wind, fire isn¡¯t great . Especially in the eastern storage facility where the distilled spirits are stored . It¡¯s possible that it would catch fire if things go badly . ¡¹ Wind and fire . Seis proposed those two solutions but fire was immediately dismissed as an option by Diarog . Southernus, who had been listening in, nodded as well . Rei gave a sigh as it looked liked his fire specialisation wouldn¡¯t get a turn this time . Seis saw Rei sigh and gave a questioning look before asking . ¡¸Rei . If you have such great magic power, you should be able to use quite powerful magic . But can you use wind magic?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . Unfortunately . I might certainly have a great amount of magic power, but I¡¯m pretty much a fire specialist mage . It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t use wind magic, but the most I can do is to create a hand out of wind or to use it to slash enemies . ¡¹ ¡¸What¡­¡­no, it¡¯s true that it is difficult to master magic outside any attributes you are good at even if you have such an amount of magic power . Hmm, I have no answer to that . ¡¹ Seis gave a sigh as he looked at Rei . To be honest, Seis had thought it would be possible to utilise Rei¡¯s magic . However, his idea was easily rejected by Rei . (If it¡¯s somewhere no one can see, I might be able to manage with Set¡¯s Tornado and the Death Scythe¡¯s Wind Hand¡­¡­well, I¡¯ll consider it a last resort if we run out of options . ) As he was thinking about it, he also felt that Seis, who gave off the atmosphere of a first class mage, would come up with something different . And it was quickly proved that his thoughts were right . Seis, who had been thinking about something, suddenly turned and looked at Rei with a strong gaze . Maybe he was wondering about Seis¡¯s state, Diarog spoke up . ¡¸Seis, what¡¯s wrong? Is there some method?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm . Speaking of that, there is . However, it¡¯s a bit pathetic for me . Do you remember the magic item you got in the dungeon previously?¡¹ ¡¸Huh? What¡¯s with that all of a sudden?¡¹ Diarog was confused at the sudden change in topic, but Seis ignored that and kept talking while keeping his eyes on Rei . ¡¸It¡¯s the magic item we got in the dungeon called the Snow White Labyrinth . Hey, the one Marina used to pass me more magic power after I couldn¡¯t finish the Aqua Golem with my magic . ¡¹ At those words, Diarog though for several seconds before immediately remembering what his best friend was talking about . It was as if he was hit by a spark . ¡¸Ahh, the resonance necklace or something . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . That¡¯s the one . Do you remember it¡¯s effect?¡¹ ¡¸If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s used to send magic power to someone else¡­¡­-!?¡¹ It seemed he knew what Seis was suggesting . Like Seis, he looked at Rei with a strong gaze as well . ¡¸Diarog-san, Seis-san . I¡¯m sorry, but could you two explain it to use so we can understand?¡¹ Everyone in the office gave a small nod at Southernus¡¯s words as he turned to look at the two of them Diarog communicated with Seis using their eyes before Seis nodded and started to explain to everyone else in the room . ¡¸It¡¯s a magic item I have called¡ºNecklances of Resonance¡» . As Diarog said earlier, it¡¯s an item that only shows its effects when there are two mages . ¡­¡­At this point, I think you can understand that it isn¡¯t easy to use . ¡­¡­For the person recieving the magic power, in this case me, there are also some side effects¡¹ Everyone in the office, including Rei, nodded at Seis¡¯s words . Basically, there weren¡¯t many mages . If it was a magic item that could only show its effect when two mages were present, its usability was certainly quite low . ¡¸It¡¯s a pair of necklaces with the effect that magic power can be sent across them . In other words, using simple calculation, a single magic can be used by two people . ¡­¡­However, because there is some loss while sending magic power, it can¡¯t exactly be considered the addition of both mages . Right here, I am good with wind and water magic and Rei has a massive amount of magic power . I think Rei will understand by now . ¡¹ The others, who had been wondering what to do with the fog, finally understood . Their expressions shined brightly . ¡¸Is that possible right now?¡¹ At that question which was filled with hope, Seis turned to look at Rei . ¡¸I have no problems . ¡­¡­How about it . We will be grateful if you can do it for the city . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t have any problems . There would be no point otherwise even if we have gotten rid of Magic Fever . ¡¹ Should I request for some sort of reward? Rei considered that, but the first place, request was to investigate the cause of Magic Fever . In that case, he judged that the fog that was currently in the city would fall within the range of the request and nodded immediately . . Those in the office who heard Rei¡¯s words all had smiles on their faces as the situation finally reached a resolution . ¡¸Okay . Let¡¯s quickly clear up the fog before anymore damage is caused . Seis, where are the Necklaces of Resonance?¡¹ ¡¸They are in the guild office . ¡¹ ¡¸Can you get them right away?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, of course . ¡¹ Seis immediately answered at Diarog¡¯s question . Following the spread of Magic Fever, the city had been attacked by purple fog . He was filled with joy that he could do something about it . Neither Diarog or Seis had been born in Baar . But even then, because they ruled or worked with the city, it was impossible for them to not have feelings for it . ¡¸Okay . Seis will get the Necklaces of Resonance right away . Please wait outside Rei . We¡¯ll start right away when Seis gets back . ¡¹ Following Diarog¡¯s instructions, they each started their actions . Seis quickly headed for the guild while Diarog left the office to give further instructions . Rei was about to head out of the office to clean up the troublesome problem when . ¡¸Rei!¡¹ Southernus called out to him from behind, stopping him . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That, I don¡¯t know what to say . ¡­¡­This city, I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ Southernus¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t as casual as when he had been searching for the cause of Magic Fever with Rei today but was more like the serious attitude he had when Rei had reached the city of Baar yesterday . (It seems he¡¯s properly differentiated official and private situations . Or, is it because of this personality that he is liked by his subordinates despite the various things that have happened . ) While thinking to himself, Rei gave a small nod . ¡¸Leave it to me . ¡­¡­However, as you¡¯ve heard the story from the guild master, I can only supply magic power . Shouldn¡¯t you say those words to the guild master and not me?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But whatever I say to Seis, he is the guild master of this city . In other words, he has an obligation to protect this city . But isn¡¯t it different for you Rei? In the first place, you were only supposed to bring relief supplies, including Aurani grass powder . Although you can say you received a request to investigate the cause of Magic Fever, there was no need to go to the point of exposing yourself to danger . ¡¹ ¡¸You know, I¡¯m not working for the city without considering the danger to myself . I don¡¯t know whether you heard about it, but even though I brought the relief supplies, or even though I investigated the cause of Magic Fever, it was because I wanted the reward I was promised for it . Regarding Magic Fever in particular, with my magic power, I know that I won¡¯t be affected . ¡¹ ¡¸Even so . I would still like to thank you for saving this city . ¡¹ Rei gave a small sigh at the stubborn Southernus . ¡¸I understand . Do as you want . If there¡¯s any more, I¡¯ll have to get going soon . I want to be waiting outside before the guild master gets back . I would like to finish this troublesome thing quickly so I can sleep for the rest of the week . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be going as I have to watch over the paralyzed residents as the guard captain¡­¡­I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ Sent out as Southernus called out to him from behind, Rei left the lord¡¯s residence while receiving looks of expectation from the others in the office . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set, who had been monitoring the fog from the top of a roof, quickly found Rei as he came out of the lord¡¯s residence and landed on the ground with a flap of his wings . The residents near Rei retreated for a moment before noticing Rei and nodding in understanding . They resumed their actions of calming family and friends of those who had been paralyzed by the fog . Like that, Rei and Set walked together . The evacuation of those who lived in the east side of the city had finally settled down as he passed through the gate while looking at the surroundings and joining up with Diarog, who was giving out instructions nearby . ¡¸Oh, you¡¯ve come . Seis will be coming soon, please wait a bit . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . There¡¯s no problem . I can move out at any time . Diarog-san, please leave your time to giving instructions out . ¡¹ ¡¸Thanks . Hey, bring the injured and sick into the lord¡¯s residence! People ill with Magic Fever go to the hall! Those who are paralyzed due to the fog go to the garden!¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ ¡¸Also, calm down those who are evacuating . We still have plenty of food don¡¯t we? Start cooking!¡¹ ¡¸I understand!¡¹ While Diarog gave out instructions like that, Rei turned to look at the city¡¯s east . Fortunately, the fog that covered the eastern part of the city had spread no further . It just stayed there . In that regard, Rei¡¯s decision to destroy the dungeon core was a success in some way . If he had just evacuated from the storage facility without doing anything when it started to spit out slimes, half the city would have been covered in fog by this time . (Fortunately, the production of the fog has stopped . In which case, the only thing left to do is to deal with the remaining fog . ) While he was thinking about that, he heard footsteps approaching . When he turned around, he saw Seis wearing a green robe and holding a 1 . 5m cane in his hand with a serious expression . It seemed he had made his preparations . Although he was close to an elderly age, from his figure, Rei could feel his skill as a first class mage . ¡¸I¡¯ve kept you waiting . Let¡¯s go right away . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Nodding at Seis¡¯s words, Rei went after him, followed by Set . ¡¸Seis, Rei, I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm . Leave it to us . As the lord, make sure that the residents of the city won¡¯t get hurt . ¡¹ ¡¸Please leave it to us . I¡¯ll get rid of that horrible fog right away . ¡¹ At Diarog¡¯s words and expectations of the residents who were in the area, the three of them left for the city¡¯s east . Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Rei, Seis and Set headed for the east district covered in purple fog, taking about 30 minutes from where the Lord¡¯s residence was located. Coming so far, they hadn¡¯t seen any moving people, occasionally they saw some residents who had been paralyzed and had fallen to the ground. (They had probably only come in light contact with the fog and were gradually paralyzed¡­¡­or were they brought here and then left behind for some reason.) ¡¸¡­¡­Those people, about them, we¡¯ll bring them to Diarog as our highest priority after we handle the fog.¡¹ Following Rei¡¯s gaze, Seis murmured when he saw the figure of a 20 year old woman who had fallen to the ground. Rei didn¡¯t intend to blame the residents of Baar, but as the guild master, Seis probably felt silently blamed. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. Considering the state of that fog, it is a bit unreasonable for me to leave. Besides if you or I can deal with the fog, there¡¯s no problem.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. I want do something¡­¡­no, I will absolutely do something about it.¡¹ Muttering to himself to strengthen his resolve, he suddenly presented his left hand, which wasn¡¯t holding his cane. There were two magic items in his hand. One was a Necklace of Resonance that he had previously described. It was a necklace with a circular, 5cm diameter object that was made out of some kind of magical black metal. The other was a dagger inside a sheath. ¡¸Dagger of Flowing Water?¡¹ Yes. It was the Dagger of Flowing Water that was the originally to be rewarded for investigating the cause of Magic Fever. ¡¸Mm. Normally, the rewards is given after the request is completed. However, this request wasn¡¯t made through the guild. Even if I give it to you as pre-payment, there is no problem. In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Seis looked towards the eastern district, which they were heading towards. ¡¸I¡¯ve been a mage for a long time, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a phenomenon. Because of that, I may suffer an embarrassing defeat here. I wanted to hand it over first.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I will receive it gratefully.¡¹ Seis¡¯s determination to deal with the fog could be seen in his eyes. Seeing his determination, Rei gave a small nod as he accepted the Dagger of Flowing Water and the Necklace of Resonance. ¡¸Regarding the Necklace of Resonance, the white one I¡¯m wearing is dedicated to receiving magic power, the black one I gave you is dedicated to sending magic power. The thing I would like you to keep in mind is that you can¡¯t use any magic while wearing that necklace. When you try to use magic, magic power is automatically sent to me through the necklace, so be careful. Well, to be exact, it would be correct to say that if you tried to cast a spell while wearing it, the magic power it would have used would be sent instead.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then, should we give it a test?¡¹ ¡¸Mm. As expected, it would be hard to ask you to do it for the actual task right away, it will also be better for me.¡¹ Seis agreed with Rei¡¯s words. After glancing at it, he stored the Dagger of Flowing Water into the Misty Ring and wore the Necklace of Resonance. And the moment he focused on the magic power inside his body. ¡¸Heh. ¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Rei muttered at the unexpected feeling of something leaving his body. However, next to him, Seis had no time for that. ¡¸T-This¡­¡­Rei, please slow down your magic power. If I¡¯m not casting a spell, I can¡¯t take in that much magic power.¡¹ Groaning in pain, Seis called out to Rei. Looking at his body, even Rei could see that he was filled with magic power¡­¡­no, it seemed to be overflowing. To give a comparison, it would be right to call him like a balloon that had been blown to its limits. Seeing Seis like that, Rei hurriedly removed the necklace. The magic power that had been almost been flowing into Seis¡¯s body without limit finally stopped. Seis gave a big sigh of relief. ¡¸¡­¡­As I expected, should I say. I knew you had an enormous amount of magic power, but to think it was actually that much. Directly absorbing that magic power with my body, I am surprised again.¡¹ ¡¸My apologies. Are you okay? I was just doing as I usually do.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. For now. But as for the Necklace of Resonance I gave you, I would be grateful if you don¡¯t put it on until I need to cast a spell. As long as I only take in magic power then, my body will be fine. ¡­¡­Seriously, I wonder if I could have done better when I was still an adventurer. I didn¡¯t think I would feel my decline at such a time.¡¹ Despite sighing, in his mind, Seis thought that it was good that they tested it before actually using any magic. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set, who was watching the two of them, gave a cry as he turned to look towards the city¡¯s east. Rei and Seis nodded at each other at that cry and continued forward. ¡¸¡­¡­This is, also.¡¹ Reaching the boundary of the fog, Seis muttered involuntarily. Before his eyes was, of course, the purple fog. Even from where they were looking, several people had fallen down in the area covered with fog. Fortunately, the mist had stopped spreading after a certain distance. Thanks to that, the number of people suffering from paralysis was considerably less than what Seis had expected after hearing about it. ¡¸Guild master.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I know. Let¡¯s finish this up quickly.¡¹ Nodding, Seis concentrated his magic power into the cane in his hand. Confirming that, Rei put on the Necklace of Resonance and started sending magic power to Seis. ¡¸Guh!¡¹ With far more magic power than before, Seis breathing was stifled for a moment before he began to cast his spell while enduring the magic power Rei passed him. ¡ºWith my magic as the source, bring forth before us the great wrath of the spirits of wind. Bring wrath according to my will. Bring wrath according to my power. Bring wrath according to my magic power.¡» Keeping in mind that he had received additional magic power from Rei, Seis casted his spell slower but with more care than when using ordinary magic. The wind that flowed around his cane, his partner for many years, was slow at first. It didn¡¯t even have the strength of a breeze. But each time he spoke a line of his incantation, its force increased. Furthermore, with the enormous amount of magic power flowing from Rei, the force of the wind gradually increased. Not knowing where to stay, the wind eventually grew into a tornado 10m in height, sucking in all the surrounding air. ¡ºSylphen Frenzy!¡» And, the magic was activated. The huge tornado that suddenly appeared in the eastern district began to suck up the purple mist that was in the surrounding area as it started to move according to Seis¡¯s will. And the direction he moved it in was of course towards the source of the fog, the eastern storage facility where the fog was thickest. (¡­¡­Amazing) Rei muttered while continuing to send magic power. What was amazing was that despite making such a large tornado, he had hardly damaged the city. If it had been an ordinary mage, creating such a tornado would naturally affect the houses in the surrounding area. However, Seis was a talented mage with years of experience. The tornado he had created had barely destroyed any houses. Of course, not everything was undamaged. Walls were scratched and windows were broken. Some house had collapsed due to the considerable number of years since it had been built. However, for a tornado of this size appearing inside the city, the damage caused was at a level where it could be ignored. ¡¸G-Guh-¡­¡­¡¹ Of course, not even Seis could do this that easily. No, rather, large amounts of sweat were appearing on his forehead. Even though it was already difficult to control magic power precisely, Seis was also manipulating the enormous amount of magic power being sent over by Rei. Nevertheless, should it be said that as expected of a mage serving as a guild master, it was not enough to disturb his control of the tornado, As the tornado headed towards the storage facility, it rapidly gathered the vividly purple fog in the area. The tornado that had been close to colourless was already dyed a light purple. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Contrary to Seis, who was sweating heavily, Rei continued to send magic power without feeling any fatigue in particular. He continued while stroking Set lightly, who gave a cry as he looked worriedly at Seis. Normally, sending that much magic power to Seis would result in the person fainting. Even so, Rei didn¡¯t show any signs of fatigue, probably due to the enormous amount of magic power inside his body. Originally, the distance to the storage facility was only a few minutes walk, but because their speed was slow as they gathered the fog, they kept walking for about 10 minutes. Rei eventually saw the eastern storage facility, where the dungeon core had been present until a while earlier. ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, I¡¯m going to destroy the roof of that building now. In other places, I could collect the fog into the tornado with the power of slyphs, but the storage facility that is source of this all is too large to extract all the fog from the entrance alone.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ ¡¸I will move the mist gathered by the tornado up into the sky and then carry it out of the city. After that, I would like you to burn it up using you fire magic. It seems its something that can¡¯t be dealt with naturally.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring while nodding and prepared himself to use magic at any time. Seis looked carefully at the huge scythe, exceeding 2m, that suddenly appeared in Rei¡¯s hands with a surprised expression. Aside from the size of the scythe itself, he was surprised that he had such a high quality magic item as the Death Scythe. The cane that Seis possessed, was made from the branch of a high ranked monster that was over 500 years old, called an Elder Treant. However, if he compared it to the Death Scythe Rei had, he was sure that the Death Scythe was a superior magic item. (Where did he get that from¡­¡­no, now is not the time.) Regaining control of his magic, which he had faltered slightly with, Seis looked towards the roof of the storage facility. ¡¸Here I go!¡¹ Together with a short cry, the tornado thrust itself at the storage facility, destroying its walls, roof and the next moment, the storage facility itself. At the same time, the tornado gather all the fog that remained in the building as its colour rapidly deepened. A lot of barrels containing distilled spirits that were inside the the storage facility were caught in the tornado, but in a sense, that was good for Rei. The alcohol content of distilled spirits was higher than than normal alcoholic drinks due to distillation. In other words, it meant that it made the fog easier to burn. While checking that he was still sending magic power, he put his hand on the Necklace of Resonance to take it off at any time in order to use his magic. After all, he couldn¡¯t use magic while wearing this magic item. In a sense, it was an item that could be considered a mage killer. ¡¸Haa-, haa-, haa-, haa-¡­¡­¡¹ While taking several breaths at the magic power Rei was sending over, Seis used the tornado to desperately suck up all the fog present in the repository. After a few minutes, seeing that all the fog had disappeared after being sucked in by the tornado, he turned to look at Rei. Seeing Rei nod silently, with the last of his energy, he pushed the tornado up into the sky and moved it outside the city. It was a scene that would be impossible for natural phenomenon. But it was possible because it was done with magic. Rei unintentionally held his breath and gripped the necklace lightly. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Now-!¡¹ Seis gave a shout. Hearing his voice, Rei took of the Necklace of Resonance and threw it to the ground before jumping onto Set. Set immediately flew up without him needing to say anything and started flying towards the dark purple tornado. At the same time, Rei started casting a spell with the Death Scythe in hand. ¡ºFlame, show me your destruction as what you should be, you shall burn everything away, erase it and extinguish it. Bright forth great destruction and use that as a sacrifice for revival. ¡» A fireball appeared at the tip of the Death Scythe with his spell. It sucked up Rei¡¯s magic power and grew, increasing its size suddenly. As soon as the fireball the Death Scythe held reached 1m in diameter, he made a large swing from Set¡¯s back¡­¡­and the next moment, he activated his magic. ¡ºScorching Hellfire!¡» At those words, a huge fireball flew out, flying vigourously towards the purple tornado. The fireball was large due to the magic that place an emphasis on power, so its speed wasn¡¯t fast. But even so, the tornado of purple fog could do nothing against it. The next moment, it all disappeared while scattering vast flames into its surroundings¡­¡­no, rather, it was all burned up by the flames. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 The purple fog burned up in the sky . Rei flew around with Set for several minutes to visually confirm that the fog had completely disappeared before returning down to Seis . During that time, there were some people who were astonished by the purple tornado that suddenly appeared in Baar, growing before there eyes . But seeing the tornado disappear, they realised that the crisis the city was facing had passed . Gradually, cheers began to be heard . ¡¸¡­¡­It seems this matter has been settled I guess?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a cautious cry, as if saying that it was too early to say . Hearing Set¡¯s cry, while it might have been too early to relax, Rei still felt some relief . Rei thought about that, but nevertheless, he had destroyed the dungeon core that had caused this and was mostly confident that there would be no further commotion as he descended back into the city . However, when Rei flew back down, what he saw was¡­¡­ ¡¸Guild master!?¡¹ Seis had collapsed and was lying on the ground . ¡¸Set, quickly, to the guild¡­¡­no, to the lord¡¯s residence!¡¹ Rei quickly changed his instructions upon remembering that large numbers of people sick with Magic Fever or paralyzed by the fog had been moved to the lord¡¯s residence . Where there were sick people, there would be more doctors and mages who could use healing magic . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Rei put Seis on Set¡¯s back as Set gave a short cry . In addition, Rei also picked up the Necklace of Resonance he had thrown to the ground earlier along with Seis¡¯s cane . He stored the two items as well as Death Scythe into the Misty Ring before starting to run . While Set was carrying Seis on his back, Seis was still an older man with most of his equipment consisting of robes rather than armour like a warrior . While moving at speeds that would make people think that Set wasn¡¯t carrying anyone, Rei ran alongside . While passing by cheering residents, with Rei and Set¡¯s leg strength, they arrived back at the lord¡¯s residence in less than half the time they had taken previously . He probably saw Rei and Set . Diarog was busily giving out instructions but gave surprised frown when he saw Set approaching . His nimble movements were as expected of a former thief . As Diarog left his subordinates were they were and came over, Rei gasped for breath . ¡¸Rei, what happened to Seis!?¡¹ ¡¸It might be a side effect of using magic beyond his limits . Fortunately, as far as I can tell, there¡¯s no danger to his life . But as I thought that there were more doctors here, I thought I would quickly bring him here . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, I understand . Hey, Guild master Seis has collapsed . Call a doctor! Mages who can use healing magic come here immediately!¡¹ Instructions to the doctors in the lord¡¯s residence were immediately conveyed through Diarog¡¯s subordinates . At the same time, Rei lifted Seis off Set¡¯s back and left him to one of Diarog¡¯s subordinates, who also seemed to be one of his bodyguards . ¡¸I¡¯ll leave him to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, leave him to me . He is one of the heroes who saved Baar . We will not take care of him badly . ¡¹ The bodyguard was dressed in armour that was easy to move in . Wearing chainmail, he received the unconscious Seis and quickly entered the lord¡¯s residence . ¡¸¡­¡­Phew . Despite being being old, he still tries to do his best . More importantly though . I was looking from here but it seems you managed to do something about the fog . Thanks for your hard work . ¡¹ Diarog watched one of his bodyguards carry Seis in before giving a sigh of relief and calling out to Rei . Although his expression still held a tinge of worry for his close friend, he was still aware that the crisis Baar was facing had passed . He seemed to be in a good mood . ¡¸Yes . The guild master used magic to gather the fog and carry it out of the city, after that I burned it all up with fire magic . ¡­¡­However . ¡¹ ¡¸However? Is there still something left?¡¹ ¡¸No, in order for the tornado to gather all the fog inside the eastern storage facility, where it originated from, the storage facility was almost completely destroyed . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . That certainly does hurt the city, but it¡¯s still better than letting the fog remain here . You¡¯ve done well . ¡¹ ¡¸I am grateful that you¡¯ve said that . ¡­¡­Oh, and this . ¡¹ Saying that, he took out the black cane that Seis had used and one of the Necklaces of Resonance from the Misty Ring and handed them over to Diarog . ¡¸You see, by the time I had returned to the ground, the guild masted had already fainted and collapsed . Because of that, I collected these . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Seriously, that idiot should think about his age . ¡¹ Diarog muttered the same thing he had said earlier, but more earnestly than before . Diarog carefully received the two magic items from Rei . While looking at the situation, Rei wondered if there was some sort of message coming . He could see several soldiers running towards them . ¡¸Diarog-san . I think it would be best to tidy up this disturbance now . Especially in the eastern area, there are a lot of people who were left behind and paralyzed by the fog . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, that¡¯s right . I should postpone indulging in my own emotions . As for you and Set, you can take the rest of the day off . ¡­¡­Or rather, if you move about with all the commotion, it will probably only cause more trouble . You can stay at the same inn from this morning . I¡¯ve already spoken to them . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Then, I¡¯ll do as you advised . Please tell the guild master to take care of himself . ¡¹ As expected, it was decided that seeing Set, a Griffon, moving around the city would cause a commotion among those who didn¡¯t know about him . As a result, Rei headed to the inn following Diarog¡¯s suggestion . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san! Did you see that fog!?¡¹ As soon as he returned Set to the stables and entered the inn, the young man managing the inn immediately asked him . This inn was in the southern part of the city, but the tornado had sucked up all the mist in the east side of the city . Finally, he had seen it go up in flames . ¡¸Ahh, about that¡­¡­¡¹ Rei was about to continue, but the next moment he realised that if he talked about the dungeon core, a lot of people asking about the situation would probably hear about it . ¡¸No, that¡¯s right . Diarog will probably give an announcement sometime today, so please hear the details from that . ¡¹ ¡¸Come on, if you know something, you should tell me¡­¡­¡¹ Perhaps Rei knew something, or maybe he knew from his own work as an adventurer that it had something to do with Rei¡¯s request . Although the young man kept asking, Rei shook his head with a sigh . ¡¸As an adventurer, you should know about the dangers of leaking information about request . Anyway, I¡¯ll just say that you don¡¯t need to worry about the fog any more . Wait for Diarog¡¯s announcement later . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ Although he was reluctant, as an adventurer, he couldn¡¯t complain about what Rei had said . He quietly withdrew . ¡¸Don¡¯t forget food for Set . ¡¹ Leaving that to the young man, Rei went back to his room . The next day . While wrapped up in a blanket and feeling the cold, he awoke to the sound of several people coming up to the second floor . If it was just guests moving into other rooms, Rei would have continued sleeping . But he couldn¡¯t do that when he heard sounds of people running up swiftly . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ While waking up somewhat crankily, he considered the various event that had happened since he had come to this city and decided they probably had some business with him . He started putting on his accessories and as he wore his Dragon Robe¡­¡­ Kan-, kan-, kan-, the sound of someone hitting the door rather than knocking echoed into the surroundings . ¡¸D rank adventurer Rei . You have been summoned by Baron Soleil Levin, lord of this city . Please come out of your room . ¡¹ (Why is it the lord? If I¡¯m not mistaken, the governance of the city should have been entrusted to Diarog . In that case, has he come back now that the case of Magic Fever has been cleared up? And is it because he knows about the matter that he became curious about me?) ¡¸I understand, please wait a moment for me to dress myself . ¡¹ After replying to the soldier, Rei heard him click his tongue from the other side of the door . Normally, one wouldn¡¯t be able to hear someone click their tongue from the other side of the door . It was probably because of that that the soldier did it, but unfortunately for him, Rei¡¯s hearing wasn¡¯t ordinary . ¡¸All right . However, if you make Soleil-sama wait too long, he will rush to this inn . So for the inn¡¯s sake, you¡¯re going to have to hurry up . ¡¹ ¡¸Rush into the inn?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Soleil-sama doesn¡¯t know how to retreat when it comes to something he is interested in . Because of that, if you are late, he will definitely charge into this inn . ¡¹ While replying to the person on the other side of the door, who seemed to be a soldier, Rei was puzzled at the different attitude than he had expected . Thinking of the way he had knocked and clicked his tongue, he had thought the person was a fox borrowing the tiger¡¯s authority . However, hearing his words, it sounded like he was in a rush because he didn¡¯t want to bother the inn . (As far as I¡¯ve heard, he was a noble who cause various problems . Is this soldier his babysitter or something? It seems like nobles have their own various problems . ) Thinking to himself, Rei opened his door after checking his appearance . The person standing there was a man in his mid twenties . However, his face had a somewhat troubled expression . He looked like someone would say a lot of things while drinking or would rather drink than work . ¡¸You are?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I¡¯m Comish, Soleil-sama¡¯s bodyguard . More importantly, if you¡¯re ready, we will head over right away . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, but where are we going?¡¹ ¡¸Because he is the lord of the city, we will be going to the lord¡¯s residence of course . ¡¹ While answering Rei¡¯s question, he continued to advance down the corridor . As he was about to leave the stairs and walk out¡­¡­ ¡¸Wait . ¡¹ Rei spoke to Comish from behind . ¡¸Yes?¡¹ ¡¸Is it okay if I go alone?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I heard that you were a solo adventurer?¡¹ Is it different? Comish asked in confusion . Rei nodded at that question . ¡¸You¡¯re not wrong that I¡¯m a solo adventurer, but to be exact, I have a tamed monster . It¡¯s because of that that I can go solo . So, I don¡¯t need to bring my tamed monster?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­I don¡¯t mind . I was only told to bring you over . And you don¡¯t want Soleil-sama to be interested in your tamed monster do you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . In that case, just don¡¯t forget to feed him . ¡¹ Rei called out to the young man behind him, the temporary manager of the inn, who was surprised at how things were proceeding, before leaving the inn with Comish . ¡¸It¡¯s Comish . I¡¯ve brought this man on Soleil-sama¡¯s orders . I¡¯m coming in . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, come in . ¡¹ Calling out to the gatekeeper to the lord¡¯s residence, Comish entered the mansion . Rei followed after him without saying anything in particular . Then after walking through a slightly different set of corridors from yesterday, he eventually arrived in front of a room . ¡¸Here?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Soleil-sama is inside this room . He doesn¡¯t want to be rude¡­¡­no, it¡¯s different . He might do a lot of rude things, but please don¡¯t react too badly . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh?¡¹ If Rei was told that he shouldn¡¯t be rude to nobles out of courtesy, it was something that he would expect . However, to be told that the noble would be rude and to mind his own reaction, Rei replied reflexively . However, Comish knocked on the door without saying anything more . ¡¸Soleil-sama, it¡¯s Comish . I¡¯ve brought the person you wanted . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, let him in right away!¡¹ At that reply, Comish opened the door and Rei walked inside . The first thing that came into Rei¡¯s view was a person sitting on the sofa . In terms of age, he looked to be about the same as Comish, in his twenties . His thin, fox like eyes stood out . He had the atmosphere of a researcher rather than a noble . ¡¸Heh, so you¡¯ve rescued this city¡­¡­Rei¡­¡­?¡­¡­¡¹ As he spoke, his mouth gradually stopped moving as his expression stiffened . ¡¸Y-You¡­¡­what are you!?¡¹ Soleil muttered instinctively and tried to move backwards, forgetting that he was sitting on a sofa . With his back hitting against the backrest, the momentum caused the sofa to tip over, knocking him out as his head hit the floor . Chapter 196 Chapter 196 ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ He had originally been summoned by the real lord of Baar, but after being guided to the lord¡¯s residence and meeting the person face to face, the noble had just fallen over and fainted . That was a concise summary of what Rei had just experience . ¡º¡­¡­¡» It was the same for several other bodyguards who were in the room . To put it simply, they didn¡¯t know how to react for a moment . The first person to take action was Comish, the person who had brought Rei here . ¡¸Soleil-sama, are you okay?¡¹ Even though the lord he served had fainted, he didn¡¯t seem worried at all . No, rather it was like he felt it was truly troublesome . At his voice, the rest of the guards returned to reality and rushed over to Soleil . Rei just watched on until one of the guards eventually turned to look at Rei in confusion . ¡¸Hey, you . Did you do anything to Soleil-sama?¡¹ As a guard, he was confused when he saw what happened to his lord . It was no wonder he assumed Rei had done something . But the guards had been watching Rei since he walked in, if Rei had taken any actions, there would be no way any of them would have missed it . Although Rei was wearing a robe, he hadn¡¯t put on his hood since he was meeting a noble . Because of that, the guards could clearly see his childlike face and delicate build . How could such a kid, who looked to barely be a mage apprentice, manage to cause their lord to faint . Those were the thoughts of the guards, so the question itself wasn¡¯t really that serious . Naturally, those were false accusations against Rei . ¡¸No, nothing in particular . Or rather, didn¡¯t this happen as soon as I entered the room? What could I have done?¡¹ The guards agreed in their minds at Rei¡¯s casual response . However, Soleil¡¯s reaction couldn¡¯t be understood unless the person before them had actually done something . ¡¸That¡¯s true . But¡­¡­¡¹ The guard was going to press on and keep asking, but Comish placed his hand on his shoulder from behind . ¡¸Calm down, Soleil-sama just fainted . He will regain consciousness soon . We should hear from him then . ¡­¡­I¡¯ll ask again just in case, but you really didn¡¯t do anything?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Comish¡¯s words . For some unknown reason, Soleil had fainted, a slightly nervous atmosphere began to form . As bodyguards, even if Rei hadn¡¯t done anything¡­¡­no, in case that was true, they watched the surroundings in case their master was attacked by some other means . Rei was also unable to understand Soleil¡¯s reaction upon seeing him . But¡­¡­ (¡­¡­Ah . ) At Soleil¡¯s reaction at that time, Rei suddenly had a sense of deja vu . In the disturbance involving Bolton, he remembered a mage that had been unable to stand up the moment they saw Rei . If he remembered correctly, wasn¡¯t Soleil¡¯s response the same? From what he heard from Southernus, Diarog and Seis, Soleil was obessed with magic . In other words . (Does he have the ability to sense magic power?) If that were the case, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for him to have that ability . No, it would be quite reasonable . Rei thought that as he turned to look at Soleil, lying on the sofa . One of the guards who could use magic was holding a warm light in his hands and touching Soleil¡¯s head with it . About 30 seconds the light that touched his head faded away . Soon after, Soleil opened his eyes . He didn¡¯t seem to understand his current situation . He spoke up as he looked around . ¡¸¡­¡­Mm? What happened to me?¡¹ ¡¸Soleil-sama became panicked after seeing him and tipped the sofa over . ¡¹ Maybe the guard was feeling sympathetic and didn¡¯t tell him that he fainted after knocking the sofa over and hitting his head against the ground . While Rei was thinking about that, Soleil eventually turned his fox like eyes towards Rei . ¡¸I see . Did I faint? It¡¯s certainly not surprising that I panicked after suddenly seeing someone with that much magic power . ¡¹ Rei reacted with a twitch at Soleil¡¯s words . (When I entered his view? In other words¡­¡­) As Rei thought to himself, the face of Runo, who he had met several times in the guild, passed through his mind . He was a veteran rank C adventurer who was active as a solo adventurer . The main reason for that was because he had magic eyes which allowed him to directly see magic power . Considering the words the Soleil had just said, Rei became cautious of the man sitting on the sofa¡­¡­that aside, the fact that Solei was looking at him with interest made it easy to guess that Soleil had similar eyes . ¡¸So you are Rei, right?¡¹ At that question, Rei wondered what attitude he should take¡­¡­since he was a baron and Diarog¡¯s boss, he decided to use more formal language . ¡¸That is correct . I am an adventurer from the city of Gilm, Rei . ¡¹ Being told that Rei wasn¡¯t an adventurer from this city, Soleil seemed to ignore it completely as he continued to look at Rei with interest . ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm, hmm . Is it possible because you have this much magic power? No, but I heard that the dungeon core hadn¡¯t matured yet . ¡¹ Suddenly rising from the sofa, he began to observe Rei eagerly . ¡¸Mm? Rei, was it? That robe you¡¯re wearing, isn¡¯t that a rather high quality magic item?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ At Soleil¡¯s words, Rei took a breath . From his past actions, Rei could tell that he had magical eyes that could see magic power . However, he didn¡¯t expect him to see through the effect of concealment . (I heard that he was a skilled mage, but it seems he was a much more skilled mage than I expected . ) Thinking to himself, Rei turned a wary eye towards Soleil . Seeing that Rei seemed astonished, Soleil spoke with a smile . ¡¸Was it surprising that I could tell?¡¹ ¡¸No . I heard that you were a skilled mage . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right . It¡¯s true that I take some pride in my skill as a mage . Or rather, if you take away my magic from me, I¡¯m nothing more than a noble who indulges in hobbies . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ As expected, he couldn¡¯t careless just agree with Soleil¡¯s words, so Rei kept silent . However, Soleil just kept talking with a smile without looking at Rei¡¯s expression . ¡¸Anyhow, because I was too passionate with my magic research, I kept playing truant from governing this city . There¡¯s been a lot of fuss raised over the distribution of documents, financial statements and various other things . Because of that, I¡¯ve handed over the position as the city¡¯s lord to people in the city . ¡­¡­No, as far as I care, I¡¯m fine as long as I can bury myself in magic research . ¡¹ (¡­¡­I see . A stereotypical research idiot . To make things worse, his talent in that area isn¡¯t low . It¡¯s certainly inevitable for someone with no interest in being a lord to avoid doing work . ) ¡¸So, that¡¯s right . The dungeon core . Is it true that one appeared in this city?¡¹ Rei guessed that he was moving onto the real topic . Soleil¡¯s fox like eyes directed a burning gaze, resembling those of a researcher, towards Rei . Feeling the meaning of that gaze, Rei nodded honestly . After all, the dungeon core was something that had already been reported to Diarog and Seis . Even if Rei hid it now, it might end up doing more harm than good . ¡¸Yes . As for the Magic Fever which spread rapidly around the city a while ago, I think it was probably due to the dungeon core . ¡¹ ¡¸Damn, I knew it . When I heard the report, I couldn¡¯t believe it¡­¡­¡¹ As expected, he seemed to believe the words of Rei, who had seen the dungeon core with his own eyes . With that matter, it was obvious that Rei, with his huge amount of magic power, was involved . And since someone with that much magic power had made a move . ¡¸But, why did you simply destroy the dungeon core? As for dungeons, there are still a lot of unknowns . No, we barely know anything at all . That is to say, you have an item box, wouldn¡¯t it have been okay to temporarily store the dungeon core into it?¡¹ ¡¸The dungeon core was embedded into the ground of the eastern storage facility . In order to take it out, I would have to do something about the ground where the core was buried . If I did that, there would be a possibility of stimulating the dungeon core . Considering what would happen as a result, I was worried and couldn¡¯t use that method . ¡¹ ¡¸However, isn¡¯t that just speculation?¡¹ Rei shook his head at what Soleil pointed out . ¡¸There¡¯s also a possibility nothing would happen . But, in reality, it started to produce slimes that spewed purple fog . The dungeon core may have taken that action because we discovered and approached it carelessly . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Considering the amount of magic power I felt from you, that is certainly a possibility . ¡­¡­By the way, I stopped by the eastern storage facility before coming here but there wasn¡¯t a single fragment of the dungeon core left there . Do you know why that is?¡¹ At that question, Rei reacted with a twitch in his mind . Regarding the dungeon core, it had disappeared right after Rei¡¯s Death Scythe had destroyed it . Just like a magic stone, it had been absorbed . But of course, he could say such a thing, he pretended to think for several seconds before speaking again . ¡¸In order to gather the fog that had accumulated inside the storage facility, the guild master blew the roof off with a tornado . Could it be that the dungeon core remains were blown away or sucked into the tornado? ¡­¡­However, in the latter case, I think they would have been destroyed by my magic . ¡¹ ¡¸I really wanted a piece of a dungeon core though . ¡¹ Sitting down on the sofa with a sigh at Rei¡¯s words, he covered his face with his hands . Rei waited like that for about 5 minutes . But seeing that Soleil still didn¡¯t move after that long, Rei asked to leave . ¡¸May I return to my inn if you don¡¯t need me for anything else? I¡¯m a bit tired today after everything that happened yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Soleil didn¡¯t seem to have noticed Rei¡¯s question and was still absorbed in his own thoughts . This was one of the reasons why Rei felt that he really was a research idiot . ¡¸Ahh, well, that¡¯s fine I guess? I might call for you again if something else comes out . ¡¹ Comish said that lazily, so Rei reached for the door¡­¡­when he heard the thumping of footsteps running down the corridor . Because of that, Rei took a few steps away from the door . What is going on? Comish and the guards all turned to look at Rei¡­¡­ Gan-! The next moment, the door was smashed open with a loud noise . ¡¸Baron Soleil! I have told you that you can¡¯t just come back to Baar, so what are you doing so selfishly!¡¹ The person who charged into the room immediately started yelling at Soleil when she saw him sitting on the sofa, absorbed in his own thoughts . She wore a set of leather armour made from monster skin so as to not hinder her movements and carried a huge battle axe on her back . Rei held his breath for a moment when he saw her . He thought it might have been a mistake for a moment, but he was sure he recognised the battle axe on the back of the person yelling at Soleil . If it were just the face, there was a possibility it was just someone who looked similar, but it was a lot less likely to find a copy of a magic item that someone else owned . Because of that, Rei called out to the person before him . To the person carrying the well maintained Power Axe on her back . ¡¸Ara, is it?¡¹ ¡¸The main point . Because Baron Soleil is a mage, you should act appropriately¡­¡­eh?¡¹ At the voice from behind her, her scolding of Soleil was interrupted as she turned around on reflex . Catching sight of Rei, her face turned into an expression of surprise as if seeing something incredible . ¡¸R-Rei-dono!? Why are you here?¡¹ The person speaking in shock was Ara Skarlay, whom Rei had gotten to know from a previous nominated request . Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Ara was stunned for several seconds after seeing Rei, but soon spoke up after calming down . ¡¸It has been a while, Rei-dono . Thank you for taking care of me last time . ¡¹ Ara gave a knight-like bow while smiling with embarrassment . Her manners were different from the last time they met, but that was probably because Soleil and his bodyguards were around . Rei didn¡¯t care about that as much . ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s been a long time . But why are you here Ara? If I remembered correctly, weren¡¯t you Elena¡¯s bodyguard?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Following Elena-sama¡¯s orders, I am taking Baron Soleil to Anessis, in the Kerebel Dukedom . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Anessis?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a city that could be called the base of Elena¡¯s father, Liberty Kerebel . In order to oppose the Bestir Empire, I came to pick up Baron Soleil to do research for us¡­¡­that is, then he heard about the epidemic in Baar that shouldn¡¯t have been possible . ¡­¡­So, why is Rei-dono here?¡¹ ¡¸In the beginning, I came here in order to deliver the ingredients for the medicine required to fight the spread of Magic Fever . ¡­¡­As for why I¡¯m in the city right now . Now that I¡¯ve come to this city, I guess I can¡¯t leave until I can confirm that I¡¯ve not been infected?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Ara stopped moving . Like that, she turned her eyes towards Soleil with dull movements similar to that of a broken toy doll . ¡¸Ah, that seems to be so . Unfortunately, it will take some time for me to go back to Anessis . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Baron Soleil . You knew already, right? Rather, can he really not leave here?¡¹ Ara turned to Rei again, but Rei nodded it agreement . ¡¸That¡¯s right . Although if you use your title as a noble, you might be able to force your way out, there¡¯s a danger that you might end up spreading Magic Fever to even the city of Anessis . ¡­¡­Or rather . Once Magic Fever became an issue, the guards should have closed off all the entrances to the city . You¡¯ve managed to get in quite easily though . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that, I¡¯m sorry . Soleil-sama forced his way in with his authority at the city lord . ¡¹ Comish replied along with an troubled sigh . Ara nodded as well with a sigh . ¡¸Although Baron Soleil has entered the city, since Elena-sama asked me to bring him back, I can¡¯t just leave things as they are . (Ah, so she¡¯s still devoted to Elena I see . ) While thinking like, Rei nodded in understanding . ¡¸Fortunately or not, I can leave in about 5 days . So please do your best . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Ara looked at Rei with an expression complaining that he was playing dirty, but either way, they had entered a city where an epidemic has spread . An inconvenience to that extent was unavoidable . Even for Ara, she didn¡¯t intend to spread Magic Fever to the city where Elena was and nodded reluctantly . ¡¸Anyhow, I didn¡¯t know you two knew each other . As Rei said, I¡¯ll be staying in this city for a while, so don¡¯t worry . In that case, there must be a lot stories to tell if you haven¡¯t seen each other for so long . Why don¡¯t you take some time to talk?¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ Ara looked at Soleil somewhat worriedly . As soon as she took her eyes off him he might disappear into the city of Baar somewhere, so it was no wonder she was worried . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . There are various things I want to investigate in the city, so I won¡¯t disappear selfishly . Well, that¡¯s how things are . I will head over to the eastern storage facility again . Perhaps there will be a fragment of the dungeon core left over . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Soleil-sama, are you serious? Since you force marched yourself all the way here, aren¡¯t you going to take a break first? To be exact, you¡¯ll be leaving here in a week . ¡¹ Comish asked unenthusiastically, but naturally, Soleil refused to hear such words . ¡¸Don¡¯t say such stupid things, idiot . There¡¯s a possibility that I can get my hands on a fragment of a dungeon core . I don¡¯t have time to rest while I¡¯m in the city . Come on, let¡¯s go . Come quickly . You will be my bodyguard . ¡¹ ¡¸Haaa . ¡¹ Answering with a strange sigh, he immediately left the room with Soleil and his other bodyguards . Seeing them off, by the time they realised it, Rei and Ara were the only two people left in the room . ¡¸¡­¡­A dungeon core, was it?¡¹ Ara muttered unintentionally . Considering the incident that had happened in the dungeon, it was no wonder that her expression stiffened . ¡¸There was a dungeon core here?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . To be exact, it was something not quite a dungeon core . ¡¹ While replying to Ara¡¯s question, Rei sat down on the sofa in the empty room . ¡¸Then, the cause of Magic Fever was¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so . ¡¹ While sighing deeply, Ara took off the Power Axe from her back and sat down on the sofa opposite Rei . ¡¸Even so, I guess I didn¡¯t expect to see you in such a place . ¡­¡­It¡¯s a good thing that you¡¯ve seemed to familiarised yourself with the Power Axe . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Since it was a gift from Elena-sama, I¡¯m using it with great care . ¡¹ ¡¸Is Elena doing well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Her skill with the power of the Ancient Dragon isn¡¯t perfect, but she¡¯s beggining to master it . Training is essential . Ah, pardon me . ¡¹ Ara apologised as she poured tea into two cups on the table and passed one to Rei . Receiving it gently with a thank you, Rei brought the cup to his mouth . When he had headed for the dungeon, he had had the opportunity to drink some tea that Ara had brewed . Rei continued talking while thinking that her skill hadn¡¯t declined . ¡¸By the way, may I ask you what happened to Vel?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­His entire family fled to the Bestir Empire . Liberty-sama, Elena-sama¡¯s father, pursued after them but about 40% of them managed to escape to the Bestir Empire¡¯s territory . As expected, we couldn¡¯t just attack them inside the Bestir Empire¡¯s territory . ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What about Vel?¡¹ ¡¸I have no information about that at all . I think they are also being cautious about it . ¡¹ (Is that the case? Seeing his true nature then, I had thought he would gladly reveal himself to provoke us¡­¡­the only thing I can think of is that the injuries he suffered were severe and he is still being treated . ) ¡¸That reminds me . ¡¹ Unexpectedly, Ara changed the topic . ¡¸I heard that the knight captain of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights complimenting you¡­¡­have you met before?¡¹ ¡¸No, definitely not . I¡¯ve never met with such an important person . ¡¹ Actually, they had met in Bolton¡¯s mansion, but of course, Rei hadn¡¯t known the identity of his opponent . While hearing Rei¡¯s words, Ara gave a sigh with an expression of agreement . ¡¸That¡¯s true . But, such a rumor has been spreading around the knights . So because of that, I thought that it was probably because the knight captain went to Gilm to deal with matters back then . ¡­¡­Then did he hear about it from Elena-sama?¡¹ ¡¸No, I wouldn¡¯t know about that . ¡¹ After this unexpected meeting, Rei continued the conversation with Ara without any trouble . If possible, he had wanted to convey information about the Bestir Empire agents he had encountered at Bolton¡¯s residence . But as Daska had told him it was an important matter, he didn¡¯t mention it for now . Talking with each other about their current situations, Ara was surprised on hearing that Rei had defeated a Gamelion rare species . Ara also talked about the time she challenged a knight, who had tried to criticise Kuust, the duel finishing with Ara¡¯s Power Axe against the knight¡¯s neck . Suddenly, there was a knock at the door . When Ara gave permission to enter the room, a girl in her teens, clad in a maid uniform, entered the room . She had impressive blue hair, trimmed into a bobcut . ¡¸Pardon me . Diarog-sama has called you Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Diarog-san?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . That is, he wants to talk about Soleil-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . I¡¯m sorry but it looks like I¡¯ll have to get going . I¡¯ll be staying in this city for about a week . Let¡¯s talk again if we have the opportunity . I would like to hear what Elena has been up to . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Certainly . Since I was able to meet with Rei-dono here, I would also like to tell Elena-sama about this . ¡¹ ¡¸If anything comes up, come to the inn I¡¯m staying at . ¡­¡­I think Diarog will know where it is if you ask him . ¡¹ After saying that, Rei left the room for Diarog¡¯s office, guided by a maid . ¡¸Oh, you¡¯ve come . I was surprised to hear that you were brought from the inn to Baron Soleil . ¡­¡­However, it seems that nothing has happened in particular . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . He just wanted to hear about the dungeon core . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really, that person is still the same as before . But because of that, it was possible for me to control the position of city lord over other nobles . ¡¹ Although he sighed, his complexion was good . People who had contracted Magic Fever were gradually returning to their daily lives as more medicine was made . In addition, though it turned out that the dungeon core was the reason why Magic Fever had spread so virulently, it had already been destroyed . Since there was little chance that more troublesome events would occur, it was natural that he was in a good mood as the representative lord . ¡¸So, I¡¯ve called you here for several reasons . First of all, the purple fog that appeared yesterday . Those who touched it got paralyzed, but as for its effect duration, everyone seems to be able to move again after a night . Well, with regards to that, doctors say there shouldn¡¯t be any lingering effects, but they¡¯re not sure of the cause of paralysis . For now, we¡¯re going to keep watching them . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . I hope there aren¡¯t any aftereffects . Though that said, it hasn¡¯t had any effect on me or Set even though we breathed it in directly . ¡¹ To be exact, Rei and Set had come into the most contact with the purple fog inside the city . They had basically been at the location the fog had appeared from . ¡¸It¡¯s basically harmless for those above a certain level of magic power, so onto the second thing . That Seis woke up early this morning . It seems he fainted because he used magic power beyond his limits using the Necklace of Resonance . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . It¡¯s good that he¡¯s awake now¡­¡­is there anything else?¡¹ Anything more? Rei asked Diarog, who was still looking at him . At Rei¡¯s question, Diarog nodded with a sigh . ¡¸Ah . A side effect from using the Necklace of Resonance is that it seems he can¡¯t control his magic power at all right now . That is what Seis said, as a top class mage . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ (An item that can direct magic power to others . It isn¡¯t surprising for it to have side effects of that level . ) Rei remembered that Seis himself had said there would be some side effects on the receiver¡¯s side of the necklace . ¡¸Do you think the guild master knew the necklace would have this effect?¡¹ ¡¸I guess so . Fortunately, this incident has come to a close . When I asked him about it, he said he should be able to use magic again in about 3 months . ¡­¡­That is the sole relief . The city of Baar will need his magic after this . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the silver lining . But since the people in this city are excellent, you should be able to deal with things until the guild master recovers . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh well . We never did leave everything to Seis . We¡¯ll manage somehow until he recovers . ¡¹ Muttering that with a smile, he eventually looked back at Rei after gathering his thoughts . ¡¸Changing the subject, you¡¯ll have to remain in the city for nearly a week . You do understand right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I¡¯ll have to wait until any Magic Fever dies off . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I¡¯m sorry for all the constraints, but please endure it . ¡­¡­Of course, the dungeon core incident was an exception, you are forbidden to fly directly out of the city with Set . ¡¹ ¡¸I expected that so I understand . It was the same in Gilm . In the end, yesterday was an emergency . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . I hope you understand . That¡¯s all . You can go back . ¡­¡­Please let me know if Baron Soleil bothers you again . I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to do anything, but I¡¯ll do what I can . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please . ¡¹ Finally, Rei left the office . Though he asked the maid about Ara, he heard that she had gone after Soleil, so he left the lord¡¯s residence and returned to his inn . Thus, for approximately the next week, Rei walked the streets with Set, helping with reconstruction or sparring with Ara, spending his time busily . Chapter 198 Chapter 198 The main gate of the city of Baar . At present, various people had gathered there . They included Seis, who had been unconscious in bed due to the side effects of the Necklaces of Resonance until a few days ago, and Diarog, the representative lord of Baar . Others included Southernus, captain of the guards, and Ara, carrying her Power Axe . All those people were there to send of Rei, dressed in his Dragon Robe, and Set, the Griffon, who had both spent the past week leisurely . ¡¸You¡¯ve been a great help this time . I will contact Marina in Gilm later, but please take this . ¡¹ After saying that, Seis handed over some documents that proved the request had been completed . ¡¸If you hadn¡¯t come, we might have had ten to hundred times more deaths . I thank you as the guild master of Baar . ¡¹ ¡¸No . I wanted to help everyone if it were possible . ¡¹ Although he had traveled from Gilm to Baar in two days, it was natural that he wasn¡¯t able to save all patients from Magic Fever . Those who had low magic power and couldn¡¯t resist the effects of Magic Fever before the medicine could be made numbered in the tens . Diarog, who was next to Seis when Rei gave a sigh, shook his head . ¡¸It certainly feels bad that you couldn¡¯t help everyone, but it isn¡¯t your fault . It is arrogant to believe that you could save everyone . You did the best you could . As the representative lord, I am also grateful . ¡¹ ¡¸No, the reconstruction will be hard so please do your best . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course . The residents of the city are resilient . We¡¯re rebuilding the eastern storage facility now . ¡­¡­When the reconstruction is over, do come visit here again . At that time, we¡¯ll treat you to plenty of liquor, this city¡¯s specialty . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Don¡¯t be too hard on me . ¡¹ Rei, who wasn¡¯t particularly good with alcohol, could only answer as such . The next person to step forward was the captain of the guards, Southernus . In his hand, he held a small barrel, about 30cm in size . ¡¸Here, a souvenir . After what Diarog-san said, I was a bit hesitant, but this is one of our finest liquors . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oi, Southernus . ¡¹ Since he said that, he hadn¡¯t pilfered it from a storage facility had he? Rei looked at him suspiciously, but Southernus shook his head with a wry smile . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . This is from all the guards . They all chipped in a bit of money . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . In that case, thank you . I¡¯m not that good of a drinker, but I know someone in Gilm who really loves to drink . ¡¹ In Rei¡¯s mind, he thought of the liquor loving Dwarf that had been involved in that disturbance a while back . That Dwarf, who asserted that he had alcohol flowing through his veins and not blood, would probably drink this with pleasure . While thinking about that, Rei stored it into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Rei-dono . ¡¹ The last person to come forward was Ara, with her battle axe on her back . During the past week, she had sparred with Rei while she wasn¡¯t taking care of Soleil and she had several cuts and bruises . Nevertheless, she still had a bright smile on her face . Actually, the stress from having to watch over Soleil had been mitigated by her sparring with Rei, so it was natural in a sense . ¡¸Please say hello to Elena for me . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Um, if you can, please write a letter to Elena-sama ocassionally . I think she would be happy if you did that . ¡¹ ¡¸A letter, a letter is it¡­¡­¡¹ In Elgin, there were no post offices like in Rei¡¯s original world . Because of that, if you wanted to send a letter, you could have to ask an adventurer or merchant to deliver it . In other words, depending on the distance and luck of the delivery man, it could take up to several months for a letter to arrive . Depending on the distance, it might even take years . While thinking of that difficulty, he still nodded at Ara¡¯s words that he should send a letter occasionally . ¡¸That¡¯s right, I probably won¡¯t be doing much in winter, it might be good to write a letter . ¡­¡­However, it will take longer for letters to be delivered in winter . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm-, that is true . ¡­¡­Ah, I forgot . If that¡¯s the case, I could have had you write a letter in Baar for me to bring back¡­¡­¡¹ Ara was distraught that she hadn¡¯t been able to think of such a simple method . However, Ara had spent the past week being run around by Soleil . It couldn¡¯t be helped that she had no time to worry about other things . Moreover, there was no way that Rei would have known about writing a letter either before she mentioned it . Rei patted Ara¡¯s shoulder to encourage her, as she was still in a bit of shock . ¡¸Well then, it can¡¯t be helped, I can¡¯t talk here forever . Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set, who had eaten all the dried meat that Diarog had handed him with gratitude, came over at Rei¡¯s call . ¡¸So, here we are . I¡¯ll stop by here again if I ever have the chance . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm . I¡¯ve said this many times already, but you really saved us . I must really thank Marina for sending you here . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . As I said earlier, next time you come, I¡¯ll let you drink some of my treasured liquor, so do stop by again . ¡¹ While listening to Seis and Diarog, Rei got onto Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Giving a cry at Rei¡¯s voice, Set ran a few steps before flapping his wings . Like that, the two of them ascended into the sky as if running on air . The people below watched on until they could no longer see them . Set flew from Baar towards Gilm . As Rei was riding on Set¡¯s back, he felt that something cold had fallen onto his hood and looked to see what it was . ¡¸¡­¡­Snow, is it . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ It was faint, but he could still he white snow drifting down . Looking up into the sky, the weather looked to be cloudy and the sun, blocked by the clouds, felt dim . Even though it still hadn¡¯t reached noon, the ambient temperature had hardly risen . The good news was that the wind wasn¡¯t too strong . As for the cold, Rei and Set weren¡¯t too bothered by it, but as they were flying, the effect of winds could be quite strong . ¡¸But, snow . ¡­¡­Looks like winter is really here . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ They had no problems financially . But considering Set¡¯s diet, they may need to go out several times in winter in order to secure some monster meat . He remembered something as he thought about that . ¡¸Ahh, speaking of that, the magic stones and meat of from the Gamelions are still in the Misty Ring . ¡¹ After all, he had been considering what to do with the Gamelion magic stones when he had been requested to deliver relief supplies to Baar . After that, it had sunk to the bottom of his mind . He also briefly thought of the magic stones he had gotten from the Sword Bees and made up his mind immediately . ¡¸That¡¯s right . I would like to try using the terrain manipulation skill I got by absorbing the dungeon core . As for tonight, we¡¯re not stopping at a city, so I guess we¡¯ll be camping . Would you like to eat some of the Gamelion meat Set?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Hearing that there would be Gamelion meat, Set gave a joyful cry . It could be said that this decision was only possible because Rei and Set weren¡¯t bothered by the cold . If they were regular adventurers, they would have avoided camping for the night in this season as much as possible . Considering it was snowing, if things went bad, they could even end up dying after going to sleep . Flying through the sky, they passed by the nearest village from Baar,the fork in the road they had camped at previously and the city of Sabrusta . They continued flying without rest before the mental fatigue started to get to Rei rather that the physical fatigue . There was no snow, as had fallen in the morning, and there was a clean winter air as Rei enjoyed the sunset before his eyes . ¡¸Set, we¡¯ll have to set up camp before it gets dark . Since we just ate a few things for lunch while flying, dinner can be a bit more luxurious . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ They had eaten breakfast in Baar, but the city was still sealed since it had barely been a week since the last person sick with Magic Fever had recovered . Although the blockade was likely to be lifted within the next few days, food was still being rationed . As a result, there wasn¡¯t quite enough to satisfy Rei and Set . As for the taste though, the original owner of the inn had finally recovered from Magic Fever, so they had been able to eat some delicious food . Thinking about that, Rei saw some trees growing on the ground . They weren¡¯t large enough to be called a forest, but there were enough trees to provide cover if it rained or snowed . ¡¸Set, do you want to stay there overnight?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s proposal and descend from the air to the ground . Fortunately there were no monsters around the tree they were heading for and they could start setting up camp for the night under the tree without any problems . ¡¸Even though I said that, it¡¯s still a bit early for dinner . I guess I¡¯ll start checking my skills first . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ I started to get hungry when you said that Rei! Set seemed to say as he rubbed his face against Rei . In response, thinking about how things had gone in Baar, he took a chunk of Orc meat out of the Misty Ring . Although it was just a chunk of meat, it still weighed about 2kg . As usual, he cut the meat up for skewers or to use as an ingredient . ¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururururu~¡¹ Set, who had been enduring his hunger, didn¡¯t care that the meat was raw and bit directly into the chunk of Orc meat . Giving a small sigh as he saw that, Rei first took out the Death Scythe and stabbed the handle into the ground to test . ¡¸Terrain Manipulation . ¡¹ He activated the skill as he visualised the ground around him sinking 1m¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­No, I guess that¡¯s too hard for level 1 . ¡¹ Looking at his surroundings, he could confirm visually that the ground around him had sunk 10cm compared to a few seconds ago . The ground around Rei had sunk down in a perfect circle . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ While eating the Orc meat, Set tilted his head to one side as he looked around . Even though he was absorbed in eating the Orc meat, he had still noticed the ground sink . ¡¸It¡¯s effect has a radius of about 10m?¡¹ Rei turned to look at the tree that they were using as a substitute for a roof . The tree had also sunk down by about 10cm . ¡¸Then, how about this?¡¹ The next thing he visualised in his mind was raising the ground . The next moment, the ground which had sunken down swelled back up as his line of sight rose slightly . When he 10m from the place he had been standing, he confirmed that the ground had risen 20cm . considering that the original piece of ground had sunk down 10cm, he had raised it 10cm above its original level . ¡¸I see . Whether I sink or raise the ground, the limit is 10cm . If it were at least 1m or so, there would be many ways to use it in combat¡­¡­no, if I consider that this is the result of absorbing a dungeon core and not a magic stone, I should consider it lucky that I learnt a skill at all . ¡¹ Rei headed back towards Set while muttering . Originally, the Magic Beast Art was a magic that absorbed magic stones to grow . He was a bit puzzled as he didn¡¯t expect that it could also absorb dungeon cores but still understood that he was lucky to have gained a skill . ¡¸Well then, next . First, it¡¯s the Sword Bee magic stones . ¡¹ Rei looked towards Set again, but it seemed that he was completely focused on eating his chunk of Orc meat and hadn¡¯t heard his words . Considering their food situation for the past week, Rei gave a sigh and threw the Sword Bee¡¯s magic stone into the air . ¡¸Ha-!¡¹ He swept the Death Scythe across horizontally . The next moment, the magic stone split in two and disappeared¡­¡­ ¡¸No skills, it seems . ¡¹ However, the familiar message in his mind did not appear . Rei gave a sigh . Like that, seeing that the chunk of Orc meat had been significantly reduced, he finally turned to look at Set . ¡¸Set, dessert . ¡¹ With those words, Rei tossed a magic stone at Set¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ However, like the time with the Death Scythe, no announcements sounded . ¡¸So even Set can¡¯t learn any skills . Well, there¡¯s no helping if I think about it . Sword Bees are low ranking monsters . Hey, don¡¯t worry about it . ¡¹ Set seemed to be disappointed, so Rei stroked his head before taking out two Gamelion magic stones from the Misty Ring with his other hand . One was from an ordinary Gamelion while the other was from a rare species, which was one size larger than an ordinary Gamelion . ¡¸Now then, how to distribute the magic stones . ¡¹ Like when he was in his inn back in Gilm, Rei started feeling troubled again . Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Rei was troubled over how to distribute the two magic stones in his hands . But when he heard a growl from his stomach, indicating his hunger, he gave a sigh and turned to Set . Looking over, Set had already eaten up the entire block of Orc meat . Even though he had just eaten that entire block of Orc meat, Set was still looking at Rei hungrily as if the block of Orc meant had only been a snack . ¡¸That¡¯s right . It¡¯s not a good idea to keep thinking while hungry . First of all, let¡¯s eat something . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ While they had been flying through the sky, Rei remembered that he had said they would be eating Gamelion meat tonight . Set gave a happy cry . Wanting to eat quickly, Set brought dry deadwood that had fallen from the nearby trees by either carrying them in his beak or rolling them back with his feet . Rei smiled at Set in amusement, who was displaying his full strength, as he used simple fire magic to ignite the deadwood that had been collected . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Hurry up, hurry up, Set seemed to say as he rubbed himself against Rei . And with that, Rei took out a chunk of Gamelion rare species meat from the Misty Ring . ¡¸Hey, calm down . It¡¯s a seasonal meat that¡¯s only available during a limited time period . It¡¯s not just for today¡¯s meal so we won¡¯t eat it all up . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set looked down in sadness as he lay on the ground . While giving a wry smile upon seeing that, as Rei was also hungry after having to eat rationed food for a while, he started cooking the Gamelion meat immediately . That said, Rei wasn¡¯t really good at cooking . Considering where he was, he could either make meat skewers or a simple stew with vegetables from the Misty Ring . Because of that, he took out a knife and metal skewer to roast the meat . He then took out some sauces he had bought at store in Gilm that sold processed food ingredients . Speaking of food eaten by ordinary adventurers at night, it was basically dried meat and bread . Occasionally there would be a more elaborate soup with wild grass and dried meat . Compared to those foods, this was a luxurious meal¡­¡­as for Rei himself, it was normal for him as he had the Misty Ring from the time he started as an adventurer . His menu of Gamelion rare species meat skewers was something that other adventurers couldn¡¯t help but envy . First of all, he cut the Gamelion meat into bite sized pieces with a knife, he then put the meat onto metal skewers, he sprinkled them lightly with salt before stabbing them into the ground a short distance away from the campfire . And with the smell of roasting meat, he applied some sauce lightly when smell oil started to drift around . A few minutes later, when the smell of charred sauce appeared, the grilling was complete . Rei placed the skewers on a plate he took out from the Misty Ring . Rei kept his portion on skewers but removed the skewers from Set¡¯s portion to make it easier for him to eat . At that point, Set gave a cry to hurry him on as he wanted to eat . The noise from Rei¡¯s stomach made the same assertion . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, let¡¯s eat now . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set immediately started picking up meat with his beak . Rei also grabbed his chopsticks and bit into the meat . The first thing that spread through his mouth was the taste of burnt sauce . Then, the meat juices of the Gamelion meat flowed out and he finally could taste the flavour . Rei felt like it would give him enough nutrition for winter . It felt quite greasy, but the next moment the fat disappeared from his mouth, surprising Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­Hou~¡¹ As for the taste of the meat itself, the best way to describe it would be that it had the freshness of rabbit meat and the richness of pork combined . It felt like sirloin beef as it melted away in his mouth . (That said, I¡¯ve only eaten sirloin steak a few times . ) Thinking wryly to himself, he took out some freshly baked bread from the Misty Ring and brought it to his mouth . They continued eating for about 30 minutes . Rei finished eating after grilling several lots of meat and gave a satisfied sigh . Set was also satisfied with the taste of Gamelion, he lay on the ground happily, occasionally giving a soft cry . Rei took a break after finishing his food and leaned against Set . But thinking that he would probably fall asleep if he stayed as he was, he fixed his posture while shaking his head . ¡¸Now then, Set . I¡¯m done with my meal and will sleep to rest for tomorrow¡­¡­but before that, the Gamelion magic stones . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Noticing that the mood had changed, Set gave a small cry as he turned to look at Rei . ¡¸I¡¯ve thought about it in various ways, but because I can also use magic in emergency situations, I will take the ordinary magic stones . Set will take the rare species magic stones . Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that big of a difference who absorbs it . If we work together, it doesn¡¯t matter who absorbs the magic stones . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set also didn¡¯t want to leave Rei and gave a cry in agreement . ¡¸Okay . First is me . We managed to get the rare species one with a lot of trouble . I¡¯m looking forward to it at the end . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, he took the Gamelion magic stone out of the Misty Ring and threw it into the air . The next moment, the magic stone was split in two and disappeared like mist . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ After that, Rei waited, but the expected message was never heard in his mind . ¡¸Is it a miss?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a small cry while rubbing his face again Rei to cheer him up . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . Fortunately, I learnt how to manipulate the ground from the dungeon core . It¡¯s much better than not learning anything . ¡¹ Patting Set¡¯s head that was rubbing against him and enjoying the touch, Rei took out the magic stone of the Gamelion rare species from the Misty Ring . ¡¸Now then . It was no use with an ordinary Gamelion magic stone, but what about a rare species . From past experience, if it is a rare species magic stone, a skill should almost guaranteed to be learnt . Set . ¡¹ Instead of throwing it as usual, he held out the magic stone in front of Set, who narrowed his eyes in comfort while being patted . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set took the magic stone in his beak and swallowed it . The next moment . ¡¾Set has acquired the skill¡ºPoison Claw Lv . 2¡»¡¿ An announcement sounded in his mind . ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set raised a cry of joy at his new skill . Rei stroked Set¡¯s head while being quite pleased that Set had become stronger . ¡¸Even so, Poison Claw Lv . 2 is it? It¡¯s probably because the Gamelion had poison fangs . Set, can you show me it? Ah, of course don¡¯t hurt me with your claws . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set put his right forefoot in front of Rei and gave a low cry . The next moment, he activated Poison Claw . Rei understood how it worked after seeing Set¡¯s claw turn purple . ¡¸Purple, is it . That reminds me of the fog¡­¡­no, that fog paralyzed . Ahh, that¡¯s good enough . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ When Set gave a second cry, the colour of his claws immediately turned back from purple back to its original colour . ¡¸That was easy enough to understand, but I wonder how poisonous the claws become . The Ogre we fought in the dungeon took about 10 minutes for the poison to go all around its body . In that case¡­¡­no, I might not be able to make a simple comparison based on size . Any how, I can¡¯t find out unless we find a monster to test it on . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ I agree, Set seemed to say while giving a small cry . ¡¸In that case, everything we need to check has been checked . I should sleep for the night . Set, I¡¯ll leave the watch to you . This isn¡¯t the frontier, but it is still possible for monsters to come out at night . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry, saying leave it to me, and plopped himself down onto the ground . Seeing that, Rei was going to lean against a nearby tree and go to sleep, but Set¡¯s tail stretched out and wrapped around his foot . ¡¸Set?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set looked straight at Rei¡¯s torso . He seemed to say it would be could and that Rei should lean against him to sleep¡­¡­ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine . You have such kind thoughts . If I¡¯m leaning against you, it will get in the way of you keeping watch . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave cry to say that he had no problems with that . ¡¸Then, apologies, I¡¯ll take up your offer . ¡¹ If he wore his Dragon Robe, he would still be able to sleep warmly even if it snowed . Nevertheless, if he could on a monster with a warm temperature like Set, he still felt happy about it . ¡¸Tomorrow, when we return to Gilm¡­¡­I¡¯ll buy various foods from the stalls to eat¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ While giving a soft cry, Set looked at Rei, who like a true adventurer had quickly fallen asleep, before turning his eyes back into the darkness . The campfire burned near Set and Rei, a crackling sound would sometimes be heard from it . During that time, Set quietly moved his neck to grab a piece of firewood in his beak and threw it towards the campfire to allow Rei, his favourite partner, to stay a bit warmer . Slowly, slowly, night time passed until all the firewood had nearly been used up . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave a sharp gaze into the darkness while not moving his body to avoid waking up Rei, who was using him as a pillow . There were a couple of Orcs which had come over, attracted by the campfire, but feeling Set¡¯s glare, they understood that they would die if they took a few more steps forward and eventually ran back to where they came from without raising a sound . Looking at Rei to check that he hadn¡¯t woken up after that incident, Set closed his eyes in satisfaction before searching the darkness again using his hearing and smell . After that, there were two more occasions where monsters came over, attracted by the campfire or maybe the human near it . But in the end, they all ran away after noticing the presence of Set . That was how the night was spent . When the morning sun started to rise, Rei finally woke up . By that time, the firewood they had prepared the previous day had almost all been used up and the flame of the campfire was about to flicker out . ¡¸Fuu~¡­¡­ahh, good morning, Set¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s voice . Stroking Set¡¯s back several times, Rei gave a large stretch before taking the Dagger of Flowing Water out from the Misty Ring to wash his face . After taking a few minutes to wash up, Rei got ready to leave after having a light breakfast consisting of sandwiches he took from the Misty Ring . ¡¸Mm? Ahh, it seems no monsters came . Or did Set take them out? But if monsters attacked us, I would have been woken up since I was leaning against Set as I slept . ¡¹ When he realised there were no dead monsters in his surroundings, Rei muttered to himself . ¡¸Well then, I would like to get back to Gilm by noon today¡­¡­well, with Set¡¯s speed, we¡¯ll be fine . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Leave it to me Rei! Set seemed to say as he gave a cry . Rei glanced at the sky while enjoying the smooth touch of Set¡¯s back . ¡¸¡­¡­I hope not too much falls . ¡¹ It was a bit dim as the sun was just beginning to rise at the end of his sight . And because the temperature was cold in the morning, Rei¡¯s breath created a white mist . Fortunately it hadn¡¯t started snowing yet, but considering the season was already winter, it seemed just like a matter of time before it would start to snow . ¡¸Well, we should arrive early at the city and stay warm inside the Dusk Wheat . ¡¹ Having said that, he had been entrusted with delivering supplies for Magic Fever . Rei understood that he would have to make a minimal report of everything at the very least . After completing all his preparations, he got on Set¡¯s back before they flew up into the sky . The first thing he saw was the morning sun completely rising up and the soft sunshine spreading through the clean air . The light could have been described as spring sunshine if it weren¡¯t for the ambient temperature . Under the morning light, Set flapped his wings through the sky . Fortunately, maybe because it was still early in the morning, they flew back without being attacked by any Sword Bees, which had happened when they had been flying to Baar . About an hour later, they flew past Abuero, near the place they had camped overnight . As Rei handed Set a few pieces of fruit as snacks, who turned his head to receive them¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Set¡¯s cry, Rei turned his eyes forward . Because it was so far, Rei couldn¡¯t see it at first, even with his eyesight . But as the distance shrank, he realised what Set had seen . A huge wall, standing to surround a city . It was the same as other cities he had seen so far, but the thickness and height of the wall was definitely much greater than other cites he had seen as it was on the frontier . It was the first place Rei had gone to after arriving in this world . In some sense, the city of Gilm could be called his hometown . The good old city came within Rei¡¯s vision . ¡¸Finally, we¡¯re back . ¡¹ As Rei said that with a bit of relief, Set went down to the ground after hearing Rei¡¯s voice . ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv . 2¡»¡ºFire Breath Lv . 2¡»¡ºWind Arrow Lv . 1¡»¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv . 1¡»¡ºPoison Claw Lv . 2¡»new¡ºSize Transformation Lv . 1¡»¡ºTornado Lv . 1¡» Chapter 200 Chapter 200 ¡¸Rei-san!?¡¹ Seeing Rei enter the guild, Lenora gave an involuntary cry. Those who heard that turned their eyes to the guild entrance on reflex. The person standing there was wearing his robe as usual. At first glance, he looked like he had a petite and delicate appearance, but the person himself was not that weak. Without worrying about the people looking at him, Rei headed for the counter as usual, in such a way that you woudn¡¯t think he hadn¡¯t been in the city for 10 days. Lenora greeted Rei with a joyful smile while Kenny gave a delighted smile next to her. ¡¸Rei-kun!¡¹ Jumping over the counter using her physical ability as a catkin, Kenny hugged Rei. ¡¸Are you okay? Are you injured? Ah, not injured, but are you sick? There¡¯s nothing wrong with your body, right?¡¹ While patting Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe from behind with a peta~ peta~, Kenny asked without stopping. With a wry smile on his face, Rei tapped Kenny on the shoulder, who was slightly taller than him. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t have any problems. Of course, you can be relieved as well since it¡¯s been more than a week since I¡¯ve been in contact with Magic Fever.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s great¡­¡­¡¹ The moment she gave a sigh of relief, Lenora¡¯s fist dropped on Kenny¡¯s head were her cat ears grew. ¡¸Ouch-! Hey-, what are you doing!¡¹ ¡¸What are you doing. Suddenly jumping over the counter, what were you thinking. This isn¡¯t something a receptionist, who act as the face of the guild, should do.¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t help it, Rei-kun has come back safely. Can¡¯t I act just a be more freely!?¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re off duty or on break, I don¡¯t care. But, you¡¯re working as a receptionist right now aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haa.¡¹ Kenny gave a bothered expression at Lenora¡¯s serious look. However, the next moment, she grinned as she openly looked at Lenora¡¯s chest. She stared at it so intently as if to drill a hole through that point. And as expected, Lenora felt some shame and covered her chest with both her hands. As Lenora had said, receptionists were the face of the guild. Naturally, they had to wear appropriate clothing. In Lenora¡¯s case it was a one piece dress that gave of femininity from the perfect fit. ¡­¡­However, if you asked Kenny, she would say that Lenora wore it because she wasn¡¯t confident in her own body figure. Keeping her eyes on Lenora¡¯s chest, who was wearing such a dress¡­¡­before long, she turned towards her own chest, which was significantly more developed. ¡¸Fu~¡¹ At the same time, Kenny gave a triumphant snicker. ¡¸Guh-¡­¡­hey, Kenny. Why did you snicker at me just now?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? I wasn¡¯t laughing about anything. Yes, yes. I wasn¡¯t thinking of a particular someone despairing over their pathetic figure.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, who is pathetic! I¡¯m normal, normal!¡¹ Rei looked at their usual exchange with a small smile. Rei felt that he had returned, back to a place such exchanges would happen as usual. However, he had no time to continue watching the exchange before him and put his hands on both their shoulders before speaking. ¡¸So, I would like to report to the guild master about what happened in the city of Baar, could you inform her?¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment, Kenny! ¡­¡­Eh? Ah, s-sorry. Wait a moment. I will inform the guild master right away!¡¹ As he said that, Lenora became flustered and quickly glossed over her argument with Kenny before replying. But as she stepped to the back of the counter, a voice echoed through the guild. ¡¸Oh my, I did think it was quite noisy. You¡¯ve finally come back.¡¹ The voice wasn¡¯t loud. However, it was strangely heard by everyone in the room. The voice came from a Dark Elf with silver white hair, brown skin and a lavish figure, wearing dress reminiscent of an evening dress with a dignified aura. It was Marina Ariansa, the guild master of Gilm. ¡¸Guild master!? I-I¡¯m sorry. I was just about to tell you that Rei-san was back.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s true. But before that, you two showed me an fascinating scene.¡¹ Knowing that her exchange with Kenny had been seen, Lenora¡¯s face dyed red in shame. While smiling at Lenora¡¯s expression, Marina gently brushed her hair before speaking. ¡¸It may be winter already and the guild isn¡¯t too busy, but you still have to do your work properly as receptionists. ¡­¡­Kenny. You too.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes-!¡¹ Even if Kenny liked to show off her sex appeal, in front of Marina, she couldn¡¯t win. Kenny quietly returned to the counter without reckless trying to show off against someone who she couldn¡¯t win against even in her field of specialty. After seeing that, Marina directed her narrow eyes towards Rei. ¡¸Welcome back. I want to hear about the city of Baar right away, so could you come to my office?¡¹ Marina invited Rei back to her office with a sensual gesture as if tempting him. The adventurers in the guild who saw that were captivated, Lenora¡¯s face turned red and Kenny puffed her cheeks out somewhat unhappily. ¡¸Ah. There are a lot of things to report, so it would be great if we could do that.¡¹ Rei nodded at Marina¡¯s words and followed her to her office. ¡¸So, please take a seat. I¡¯ll prepare some tea now.¡¹ As soon as they arrived at the office, Marina started preparing tea by herself as Rei sat down on the sofa. Although Rei thought that this wasn¡¯t work that the guild master should be doing, seeing Marina happily preparing tea, he sat down on the sofa without saying anything. After about 5 minutes, a steaming cup of tea and a plate of cookies was placed in front of Rei. Marina sat down opposite Rei and sipped her tea. ¡¸¡­¡­So, I want to talk about what happened. But before that, I will return this.¡¹ Rei took the map out of the Misty Ring and placed it on the table. It was the map the Marina had passed him even though she could have been accused of handing it to him. Rei was grateful for such an important item as it let him head to Baar without any hesitation. ¡¸Thank you for giving it back. Was it useful?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, thanks to this map, I didn¡¯t get lost.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s good. By the way, I was just talking with the other side¡­¡­actually, I heard about situation roughly from Seis, so you¡¯ll just need to supplement some details.¡¹ Marina glanced towards a crystal orb on her desk for a moment. Following her gaze, Rei looked in understanding. ¡¸I see. So that is the magic item that you can use for direct contact.¡¹ The reason Rei understood so quickly was because Rei had a similar magic item himself, an orb from a pair that was given to him by Grimm, the lich. (Speaking of that, I haven¡¯t talked with Grimm since I left the dungeon. It might not be a bad idea to get in touch with him later.) Rei prompted Marina to continue while thinking of that. ¡¸Ah, so I have a rough understanding. ¡­¡­So, I would like to ask a question. Did you really see a dungeon core?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t say for sure since I haven¡¯t seen an actual dungeon core in a dungeon, but judging from it¡¯s magic power and feeling it gave off, I felt it might be one.¡¹ ¡¸In other words, you can¡¯t be certain?¡¹ Rei gave a small nod at Marina¡¯s words. To be precise, he was definitely sure as had Zepairu¡¯s knowledge, but he couldn¡¯t say anything about that. Having said that, if he said that he had seen it in the dungeon, thing might end badly if Elena or Ara ever heard that. Judging that, he had no choice but to just nod. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. You have no need to tell a lie, in regards to this case, I¡¯ll say that you weren¡¯t wrong in thinking it was a dungeon core¡¹ After that, Rei answered various questions and filled in details. Rather than listening, it was more like Marina confirming the integrity of the story she had heard from Seis. Then, after about 30 minutes, their discussion finished and Marina took down a spear that decorated a wall before handing it over to Rei. ¡¸Good job. I acknowledge that this request has been completed. ¡­¡­Well, to be exact, this request would be completed as long as you got Seis¡¯s signature that the request had been completed. Yes, this. Here is your promised reward.¡¹ Rei looked at the spear in his hands. Everything from the tip of the blade to the handle was dyed a deep green. This was the second time he had seen the Thorns Spear but it still was still the beautiful spear that almost looked like it was actually a work of art. Looking at the spear for about a minute, he then gave a bow towards Marina. ¡¸I have collected my request reward.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good. That spear was something I got during my active years. It¡¯s a beautiful spear that looks like a work of art at first glance, but in the end, it¡¯s a weapon. My fighting style was originally that of a mage and archer, so even during my days as an adventurer, I had little opportunity to use this spear. So I wanted to entrust this spear to someone who could use it one day.¡¹ ¡¸I see. But¡­¡­¡¹ Following on from Marina¡¯s words, she took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring. ¡¸As you know, the weapon I use for almost everything is basically this Death Scythe. I can also use this spear, but it would used more like a javelin compared to how an ordinary warrior would use it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s fine. The moment I saw you, I felt something. Not to be pretentious, but the skill level of adventurers in Gilm is high. Some are even A rank adventurers. For those people, I think they would definitely be able to use the Thorns Spear, but an Elf¡¯s intuition¡­¡­no, I guess it¡¯s a woman¡¯s intuition. Anyway, I knew I could entrust this spear to you when I saw you. That¡¯s what I thought.¡¹ ¡¸If an Elf or woman¡¯s intuition didn¡¯t work, what had you intended on giving as a reward for delivering relief supplied to Baar?¡¹ ¡¸It would probably have been something else. What would actually be¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, she turned to look at Rei and gave a wink. ¡¸But you know, that¡¯s a s-e-c-r-e-t. ¡¹ While receiving a sexy wink, Rei stored both the Death Scythe and Thorns Spear into the Misty Ring with a wry smile. ¡¸As for me, I¡¯m okay since I got a better reward than expected. ¡­¡­So, if we¡¯re done here, can I head out?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you aren¡¯t going to invite me out for a meal even though I¡¯m such a fine woman?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll leave that to someone else.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Marina looked towards the door with a giggling smile. ¡¸Since it seems like there are children who are jealous of various things, shall we leave it at that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Following Marina¡¯s gaze towards the door, Rei quietly got up from the sofa. Moving towards the door¡­¡­he yanked it open. ¡º¡­¡­Ah.¡» The two receptionists Rei knew made a sound as they froze in the position they had while they were listening through the door. ¡¸Oh my, I thought it was only Kenny, but Lenora is here as well.¡¹ Marina spoke with a smile as she brought her cup of tea to her mouth. She had a mischievous smile on her face. ¡¸By the way, since the two of you are here, what happened to the guild counter?¡¹ ¡¸N-No. That is¡­¡­we¡¯ve left it to some other people for just a moment¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, aha. Ahahahaha.¡¹ At Lenora¡¯s awkward reply, Kenny laughed nervously as she tried to gloss over it. While looking at the two of them, Rei looked at Marina in amazement. ¡¸It seems like there are many excellent staff members.¡¹ ¡¸Ufufu. That¡¯s right, my proud children. ¡­¡­But, I want to be more proud of you, so why don¡¯t you stay back to work today.¡¹ ¡¸Eh!? Wait, that¡¯s right. Guild master! I was thinking of inviting Rei out for dinner tonight.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that so? That¡¯s fine but¡­¡­your assessment, it will certainly be quite interesting?¡¹ ¡¸Guh!¡¹ (¡­¡­This is, it¡¯s the sound of a person literally lost for words.) Thinking that to himself, Rei watched the exchange between the three of them with a smile. ¡¸Rei-kun, I can¡¯t eat dinner with you tonight because of the mean guild master, but let¡¯s go out to eat together some other time.¡¹ ¡¸Oh? As a mean guild master, I have to meet your expectations. Kenny, you¡¯ll be working more overtime today¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry-!¡¹ Without waiting to hear the end, Kenny gave a quick cry as she rushed out of the office. ¡¸Haa. ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, guild master.¡¹ Seeing Kenny run off, Lenora gave a bow towards Marina. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. You two were also worried about Rei?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­yes. As you know, he went to a city with an epidemic.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that all it was?¡¹ Marina looked at Lenora meaningfully, but as Lenora genuinely didn¡¯t have any particular feelings other than that of an elder sister towards a younger brother, Marina¡¯s expectations were disappointed and she gave a sigh. Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Legend Chapter 201 ¡¸Woah, it looks cold today as well.¡¹ Rei muttered involuntarily as he left the inn. Next to him, Set gave a cry in agreement. Looking around, a thin layer of snow had built up on the ground. But at the very least, it wasn¡¯t snowing right now. Instead there was a warm winter sunshine, melting the snow that remained on the ground and turning it into water. It had been a few days since he had gotten back from Baar. With the disturbance finally settled, with regards to rest, he had taken plenty of walks with Set and had decided to finally head back to the guild after a long break. ¡¸These past few days have been busy.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Really? Set seemed to say as he tilted his head. As for Set, he was just happy that his partner would care for him every day. ¡¸Well, you¡¯ve eaten a lot of food from Milein.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry at Rei¡¯s words. After all, it was well know that Milein really liked Set. Naturally, when she had heard that Rei and Set had gone to a city with an epidemic, she was in bed for several days from shock and worry. Of course, when Rei and Set returned¡­¡­no, because of her extreme affection for Set, she had being coming over to the Dusk Wheat these past few days with food for Set. She loved Set so much that she scolded Rei for taking Set to such a dangerous place. A lot of the other people in the inn were quite sympathetic to her state. With regards to Milein, although it was winter it was still barely snowing, so she had been taken by her party, Scorching Wind, to the guild to take on one last request. Rei and Set were prompted by that to show his face in the guild for the first time in a few days. ¡¸Ah, Set. How are you? I heard you went to a dangerous place. Here, eat this. It¡¯s me treat today.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Rei. It feels like I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. Hey, how have you been? My skewers. In this cold, freshly roasted skewers are a must.¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying. In this cold weather, the soup we make is the best. Rei, there¡¯s some Gamelion meat inside. How about it?¡¹ ¡¸In that case, our sandwiches match the soup the best.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you really are shameless, you.¡¹ In such a way, Rei and Set exchanged greetings as they continued down the main street, eating sandwiches, skewers and occasionally stopping for soup. One of the things that had changed was that one of the stores that sold soup also had udon on the menu now as well. During the week Rei had gone to Baar, it seems that Dishot had taught the recipe to some acquaintances. (If only they sold it, The Satisfied Stomach would have been able to monopolise the profits for a while. Well, in terms of spreading the production method, this is probably the best way.) Even if he monopolised it for his own profit, its spread would be difficult if he was the only restaurant selling it. But if he spread the recipe to his acquaintances and they spread it to theirs¡­¡­and so on, the culture of udon and noodles would naturally spread. Rei didn¡¯t know if the artisan-like Dishot had thought that far, but it was a fact that udon dishes were spreading through the city of Gilm thanks to his decision. (The time for soba, yakisoba and pasta to be invented may be near. ¡­¡­If he could, I would like Dishot to explore the production of pasta. Just because of Hasta.) The appearance of the adventurer of the same rank that had gone with him to hunt for Gamelions passed through his mind. While thinking about that, he continued to buy sandwiches, a hotdog like snack, skewers, juice and fruits from street stalls to eat with with Set or to store inside the Misty Ring. When they finally saw the guild, Set went straight to the area for tamed monsters without a sound and plopped himself down. The children and several nearby adventurers who saw Set flocked towards him as Rei entered the guild. ¡¸¡­¡­As expected, there aren¡¯t many people here.¡¹ First of all, it was right between morning and the noon. Because it was about 10am there were almost no adventurers near the request board. As the season called winter had finally arrived, many adventurers had decided to take a break until spring. And as for what the people taking a break would do¡­¡­ Rei glanced towards the bar attached to the guild. The number of adventurers there was what it used to be like at the request board. Although there weren¡¯t as many people at the bar compared to night time, it was still the largest number of people he had ever seen in the guild since he came to Gilm. ¡¸Phew.¡¹ As he gave a sigh and went towards the request board. ¡¸Ah, isn¡¯t it Rei. It¡¯s been a while.¡¹ Someone called out to him from the side. Turning to take a look, there were three people there. A male warrior carrying a huge battle axe on his extremely trained body. A female mage dressed in robes and holding a staff in her hands. And a male swordsman with a forged body whose age didn¡¯t seem to differ that much from Rei. Rei naturally knew who the three were. They were the three members of the A rank party with top class combat power in the city of Gilm, Axe of the Thunder God. ¡¸Elk, Min, Rhodes. It¡¯s been a long time. I haven¡¯t seen you for a while, how have you been doing?¡¹ Elk, the leader of Axe of the Thunder God, spoke up with a playful smile as he scratched his head. ¡¸Nothing much, there have just been a nasty monster in another city. So we¡¯ve been out for a while.¡¹ ¡¸Nasty monster?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. It was a kind of dragon.¡¹ Rei twitched. He stopped moving without thinking when he heard that. After a few seconds, he turned to look at Elk suspiciously. ¡¸A kind of dragon?¡¹ However, it seemed that Elk understood what that look meant. He replied with a smile. ¡¸That said, it wasn¡¯t a S rank dragon like the one you¡¯re thinking of. Although it¡¯s called a dragon, it lacks the wisdom of an actual dragon. It¡¯s a low class dragon. ¡­¡­However, it still needed more than 5 A rank parties to take it down.¡¹ Hearing that, Rei was convinced. Although it was a kind of dragon, there was a big difference in level of strength. For example, the dragons that Dragon Knights rode on were called Wyverns, which were one of the lowest ranking dragon species. The kind of dragon that Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe was made from had a level of intelligence above humans and was a high ranking dragon that could even master its own magic, known as Dragon Language. Even higher up, an Ancient Dragon, such as the one Elena¡¯s magic stone had belonged to, was a true monster that had lived thousands of years. ¡¸So, what kind of dragon was it?¡¹ As expected, Rei was interested after being told that they had defeated a dragon. Rei asked Min curiously. Min, who was basically the Thunder God side of Axe of the Thunder God, smiled as she replied. ¡¸So even a boy like you is interested in dragons after all. It was a Rock Dragon we defeated. Even through it was a lower class dragon, it was strong enough for an enemy.¡¹ ¡¸Rock Dragon? Judging from its name, is it a land bound dragon?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh. Instead of being able to fly, it has a very high level of defence. ¡­¡­Against physical attacks at least.¡¹ ¡¸With my mum¡¯s magic, it wasn¡¯t that hard to beat it.¡¹ For some reason, Rhodes said that proudly as if he had been the one to do it. Seeing that, Rei had a wry thought. (It looks like his mother complex is the same as ever. No, wait a minute. That¡¯s why he can be so proud about it¡­¡­) ¡¸¡­¡­Did you follow them there by any chance?¡¹ Rei asked cautiously. Certainly, was a rank C adventurer while being about the same age as Rei. However, he was still only rank C. He was basically nothing compared to monster that required several A rank parties to deal with so there shouldn¡¯t have been anything he could have done. ¡¸Guh-.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Rhodes choked. Elk extended a hand to Rhodes¡¯s back and gave him a slap to help him out. ¡¸Gahahahaha. As expected, I couldn¡¯t take my son to fight a dragon. So at the time of battle, I asked him to protect the base.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. As expected, he can¡¯t deal with a dragon species at only C rank. If it¡¯s just a Wyvern though, it might be possible with enough people.¡¹ ¡¸Guh, ugh, shut up. Even if you say that, you¡¯re still rank D. You¡¯re not in a position to say that to someone who is one rank higher.¡¹ While saying that, Rhodes glared at Rei with a flushed expression. However, although he said that, he remembered Rei¡¯s combat strength that he had seen in the Orc settlement and wondered if Rei actually might be able to do it. But that was only his thoughts. ¡¸Rhodes. Your thoughts are naive.¡¹ The one who said that to Rhodes was Min. She continued to speak in a neutral tone that didn¡¯t carry a sense of femininity. ¡¸According to what I heard, Rei took on a nominated request to bring medicinal ingredients to a city with an epidemic. It was also the guild master¡¯s personal nominated request. The request was also completed successfully. If you think about it, his skill level and contribution to the guild is enough. It is quite likely that his rank will rise in the near future. It might be impossible with this request, but maybe several requests later.¡¹ ¡¸Mum¡­¡­¡¹ Rhodes moved back a step, as if shocked by the words of his beloved mother. Although Elk looked at his son in amusement, he turned to look at the request board as he thought of something. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Rhodes definitely won¡¯t be able to improve if he keeps holding onto us and letting us carry him. How about it Rei. Why don¡¯t take on a subjugation request together with Rhodes?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haah!? W-What are you suddenly saying dad!¡¹ Rhodes reflexively retorted at Elk¡¯s words. However, Min surprisingly easily agreed with Elk¡¯s opinion. ¡¸I see. Certainly that would be good.¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, mum as well. Why are you doing this! As far as work is concerned, did you say that we would be taking a break until spring!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rhodes. You are definitely a prominent young adventurer. However, thanks to being with us, you have been able to rank up without much difficulty. You know that there are people who think of you like that, right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ Rhodes had no response at Min¡¯s words. In fact, the other members who formed the party were both rank A. Furthermore, because the two of them were his father and mother, it was unavoidable for some people to think that way. Of course, as Min said, Rhodes was a young and promising adventurer. You could say his fighting strength was inferior to Rei, who was a newly appeared supernova, there were no others aside from Rei. Especially with regards with attitude and knowledge as an adventurer, since both his parents were rank A adventurers, it wasn¡¯t a mistake to call him a genius that had received special education. But that didn¡¯t mean there were no people who felt jealous of Rhodes. Most people would comment that it was all due to the influence of his parents who were both A rank adventurers. Of course, as a mother, it wasn¡¯t nice to hear that being said about their child. That was why she thought it was good for him to be able to show that he was a able adventurer on his own. Having said that, as expected, she also felt uneasy letting her beloved son take on a request by himself. To Min, Elk¡¯s suggestion was a timely offer. Looking to her side, she gave a wry smile towards the man with the mischievous smile of a boy. Of course, she didn¡¯t think that her husband, who wasn¡¯t good at thinking about difficult things, had thought that far. ¡¸Alright, if you¡¯ve decided, then you must chose a monster subjugation request right away. Fortunately, it is already winter. I think seasonal monsters will start to come out at this time.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, dad! Don¡¯t just push the things forward by yourself!¡¹ ¡¸Well, well. Min, you don¡¯t have any problems with that do you?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. You are our proud son. If I consider your skill, I can leave you to solo requests with peace of mind.¡¹ ¡¸Mum as well¡­¡­but, okay. I understand. If mum says so, I will try.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously. I can¡¯t do anything about how you cling to your mum.¡¹ Seeing the exchange between the family, Rei, who had been completely ignored, grumbled. ¡¸I¡¯ve just been dragged into this haven¡¯t I?¡¹ Although he had initially come to the guild to take up a request, he still gave and unconvinced sigh as he followed the three of them towards the request board. Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Legend Chapter 202 ¡¸¡­¡­Haa . ¡¹ Rei looked around and gave a sigh involuntarily . There was no helping it . The only thing he could see around him was wilderness . Snow was piled up thinly . The sky was covered with clouds and a cold wind was blowing . It was just a winter landscape . Rei and his partner Set were in such a place . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t sigh, seriously . I¡¯m the one who wants to sigh . ¡¹ ¡¸No, to be forced to take a request with you, there¡¯s no way I can¡¯t give a sigh . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At the end of Rei and Rhodes¡¯s line of sight was Set, giving a cry as he ran around the winter wilderness . (Running around in the middle of the snow, he almost looks like a dog . I thought cats would rather curl up inside a kotatsu¡­¡­no, Set¡¯s a Griffon so I guess he doesn¡¯t really count as a cat?) Just the day before, the leader of Gilm¡¯s prided rank A party, Elk, had come up with the idea of sending Rei and Rhodes on a monster subjugation request together . Because of that, since Rei had been planning on taking on a subjugation request anyway, he reluctantly accepted . That was how Rei and Rhodes came to this wilderness, several hours away from Gilm . ¡¸Blue Caterpillar . A rank C monster, is it . ¡¹ Rei spoke out the name of the monster they had to hunt for the subjugation request and gave a sigh again . Blue Caterpillar . As its name suggested, it was a caterpillar-like monster that liked cold places, it could also use wind and water magic . In addition, it was a ferocious carnivore, particularly dangerous because it favoured human flesh . Although it was only rank D, considering its pure fighting strength, it was treated as rank C due to its ferociousness . The proof of subjugation was its right feeler on its forehead while the only materials that could be stripped from it were its fangs . Although the degree of risk is high, the rewards were few . Like that, he remembered the information about Blue Caterpillars that he had looked up after being forced to take on this request . There weren¡¯t many adventurers who would willingly take on requests during this season, most active adventurers had collected enough money to stay back for winter . Because of that, very few people who could take on rank C quests were willing to take on subjugation requests of monsters like Blue Caterpillars that had high risk and low rewards . As a result, the suggestion from Elk was timely for the guild . ¡¸In addition, we have to hunt at least 6 of them . ¡¹ ¡¸What, you have the skills to defeat an Orc King, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems with a Blue Caterpillar . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true . I don¡¯t really mind the cold either . ¡¹ Saying so, Rei turned to look at Rhodes . Rhodes was wearing a coat on top of his usual leather armour as well as a robe on top of that . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s honestly enviable . No, not just your comment about the cold, if I wore clothes that were even a little thicker, it would slow down my movements . The fact that your equipment only consists of just a robe is honestly enviable . ¡­¡­By the way, that robe . Are you willing to sell it?¡¹ ¡¸No, not at all . ¡¹ Rei shook his head immediately at Rhodes¡¯s question . ¡¸Haa, I guess so . Even if I had one, I wouldn¡¯t consider selling it . ¡­¡­Let¡¯s look for a Blue Caterpillar as soon as we can . Have you fought one before?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ve only read up about it in a book . What about you?¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t fought one myself, but I¡¯ve seen my mum and dad fight one . ¡­¡­But, it was a fight of A rank adventurers . I don¡¯t think I could use it as a reference because it was more like a sweep . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, how to find one¡­¡­I guess I¡¯ll leave it to Set . ¡¹ While Rei and Rhodes talked, Rei looked at Set, who was running around chasing the snow that had started to fall . Rhodes nodded in silence while looking at Set as well . Considering the carefree atmosphere and lack of tension from Rei and Set, he had been thinking of searching for Blue Caterpillars himself . And in fact, as a top class rank C adventurer, it was possible for Rhodes to do that . Still, he decided to leave it to Rei and Set because he knew their strength . Although Rhodes had confidence in his own combat strength, he had no choice but to say no if he were asked if he could defeat the Orc King that Rei had killed in the Orc settlement . The wall between rank C and B was very tall . ¡¸Set, Look for a Blue Caterpillar from the sky . Because it¡¯s a huge worm-like monster that is literally blue in colour, I think it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s loud voice, Set used the momentum from chasing after snow to flap his wings and fly up into the sky . Looking up from the ground, because their best scout, Set, had left, Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring to deal with any enemies even if they were caught off guard . Rhodes also pulled out his longsword from the sheath at his hip, alert of his surroundings . ¡¸Now then . Before we can find a Blue Caterpillar, how much small fry do you think we¡¯ll have to deal with?¡¹ Rhodes asked Rei while holding his longsword, but Rei shook his head slightly . ¡¸It won¡¯t take too long to find a Blue Caterpillar since Set is scouting from above . But, the amount is going to be a problem . They basically don¡¯t act in groups, it may be hard for even Set to find six in a row . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is Set that good at scouting? I seem to still be disliked as usual . ¡¹ When they had been attack the Orc settlement, his first impression had been bad and Set would not approach Rhodes friendly . Even when walking next to Rhodes, Set would ignore him . Still, at least Set didn¡¯t put up an aggressive attitude . ¡¸Well, you¡¯ll get used to it . I guess we¡¯ll have to take our time . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph . ¡¹ In a way, even though it was his own fault, Rhodes wasn¡¯t too happy that he was disliked . While they were discussing¡­¡­ ¡¸Gurururururu~¡¹ Set, who was the source of the cry, flapped his wings while giving a cry and descending to the ground . ¡¸¡­¡­Has he found one already?¡¹ Rhodes muttered that but Set ignored him as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything and went to rub his head against Rei . His actions showed that he wanted to be praised . ¡¸Okay, okay . Set is the best . So, where is the Blue Caterpillar?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Asking while petting Set¡¯s back, Set looked in the direction diagonally to the right as was seen from Rei . ¡¸I see, over there is it . ¡­¡­Now then, what do you want to do?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean, what do we want to do?¡¹ ¡¸I mean, a way to fight it . This request was originally something you took up to wipe out the rumors that you got where you were because of your parents¡¯ influence right? In that case, do you want to try to fight it by yourself? I¡¯m not boasting but my fighting strength is well known . Even if you fight it with me and complete the request, there might be bad rumors regarding that . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say stupid things . I definitely picked up this request¡­¡­moreover, I understand the root of the problem . However, I don¡¯t intend to take a risk even though I have the strength . We should be able to use our strength effectively . If some idiot ever said that, they would only be at that level . After all, they are only at that level . Without knowing one¡¯s own ability, why would I care about people who envy me if they are only at that level . ¡­¡­Well, I wonder if my mum and dad might have let me take on this request because they were concerned about that . Or maybe it was because there are usually few adventurers who take on Blue Caterpillar subjugation requests, that might be the case . ¡¹ Rei unintentionally looked towards Rhodes, who had just finished his stating his thoughts . Contrary to the mother complex he had towards Min, it was surprising to think that he could make such a calm decision as an adventurer . ¡¸What, don¡¯t look at me like that . I know what you¡¯re thinking, but as a rank C adventurer I still have experience . I don¡¯t intend to make poor judgements based on useless personal feelings . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, my bad . I honestly wasn¡¯t looking down on you . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, that would be good . Let¡¯s go quickly . ¡¹ Being a little displeased at Rei¡¯s apology, Rhodes gave a snort and started moving in the direction Set had pointed towards . . Rei and Set chased after him . They walked on foot for about 30 minutes . Before long, they found a creature crawling through the wilderness . It was Rei¡¯s target, a Blue Caterpillar . It¡¯s appearance was like a caterpillar and it¡¯s body was blue as it¡¯s name suggested . But¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s definitely blue¡­¡­but although it¡¯s blue, it¡¯s a weird blue . ¡¹ ¡¸Definitely . ¡¹ Rhodes agreed with a bitter smile at the words Rei involuntarily spoke out . The Blue Caterpillar¡¯s body was blue, best described as an organic blue . But it also had a glossy look which made one somewhat reluctant to touch it just by looking at it . Whether or not the Blue Caterpillar had spotted Rei, it quickly moved towards them while stretching its body in order to eat human flesh, its favourite food . Although it was common for caterpillars to move slowly, there was no such problem for the Blue Caterpillar which was a monster . It shortened the distance between them at a considerable speed . Maybe its ferocity had clouded its vision, it continued advancing without caring about the presence of Set . ¡¸I might even think a Griffon as its food . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, there¡¯s certainly a possibility if you think of its ferociousness . ¡­¡­So, what do you want to do?¡¹ Rei was going to ask if Rhodes wanted the vanguard or rear guard¡­¡­but noticed something as he turned to look at the Death Scythe in his hands . ¡¸Rhodes, there¡¯s something I would like to try out . If it works, we should be able to reduce the danger to some extent, is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Because I can only act as the vanguard, I don¡¯t mind if the risk level is reduced . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay . Wait a minute . ¡¹ At Rhodes¡¯s reply, Rei stored the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring . Instead, he took out a spear with a handle dyed a deep green . Yes, it was the Thorns Spear, his reward for transporting relief supplies to the city of Baar . ¡¸¡­¡­You, how many magic items do you have . ¡¹ He could tell at a glance that Rei¡¯s Thorns Spear was a powerful magic item . ¡¸In regards to this, I¡¯ve only just recently obtained it . It was the reward for going to Baar . Rather than that¡­¡­don¡¯t miss your chance to attack it . ¡¹ While watching the Blue Caterpillar, that was 10m away, Rei poured magic power into the Thorns Spear . ¡¸Hmph, who are you talking to . Don¡¯t forget I¡¯m still a higher rank . ¡¹ ¡¸Then you should be able to do what your mouth says¡­¡­show it and I¡¯ll accept it . ¡¹ With those words, the Thorns Spear was thrown with Rei¡¯s tremendous strength, cutting through the air like an arrow shot by a skilled archer¡­¡­the next moment, its tip buried itself into the body of the Blue Caterpillar . And . ¡¸Gumoooooo-!¡¹ The Blue Caterpillar raised a scream like cry as its body was suddenly unable to move . There were several layers of thorns spreading out from where the Thorns Spear had pierced, completely immobilising it . The thorns that spread from its body dived into the ground, making it impossible for it to move . No, rather, if it moved under the restraint of the thorns, it would only hurt itself more . ¡¸All right-!¡¹ Rhodes understood the opportunity in the situation and dashed forward with his longsword, closing the gap¡­¡­ ¡¸Gumooo-!¡¹ The next moment, with the Blue Caterpillar¡¯s cry, Rhodes quickly jumped to the side . At the same time, something invisible passed through the point Rhodes had been at a moment ago . Rei reflexively avoided it as well at Rhodes¡¯s movement, who was running in front of him . Something thin and transparent passed by Rei¡¯s side as it flew in the opposite direction he was moving in . (A kind of Wind Arrow!) ¡¸Watch out, it¡¯s using wind magic . ¡¹ ¡¸I know!¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s words, Rhodes had already taken advantage of Blue Caterpillar¡¯s opening . ¡¸Haaaa!¡¹ Swinging his longsword with a loud shout¡­¡­the next moment, something transparent blocked it before it hit the Blue Caterpillar . Rhode¡¯s expression distorted slightly at the impact . (Something transparent¡­¡­no, a wind barrier or something?) ¡¸Rhodes! It¡¯s a wind¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know! It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve actually fought this thing, but I¡¯ve seen my dad fight them a couple of times . You¡¯ve done you¡¯re work . Next is my turn!¡¹ Shouting that, he jumped backwards lightly to avoid a smash from one of its legs, even though it was immobilised . He took some distance out of the range of the Blue Caterpillar . And . ¡¸The wind barrier is weak to single point attacks . My dad can tear it apart by force¡­¡­but, I can do this!¡¹ Muttering that, Rhodes adjusted his breathing before focusing his magic power . As his mother was a mage, Rhodes had inherited some magic power . Still, his fighting style was that of a warrior as he had inherited more of his father¡¯s, Elk¡¯s, qualities . Rhodes¡¯s trump card was that not only did he have magic power, he also had the talent to manipulate it . That is¡­¡­ ¡¸Fang Penetration!¡¹ The moment he released his magic, he stabbed forward, easily breaking through Blue Caterpillar¡¯s wind barrier the moment it came in contact¡­¡­tearing through its body and scattering fluids into the surroundings . Chapter 203 Chapter 203 ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry . ¡¹ At the sight spread before them, Rhodes gave a bow towards Rei . In order to pierce the Blue Caterpillar¡¯s wind barrier, Rhodes used a technique that could be considered his trump card . That attack did indeed penetrate the Blue Caterpillar¡¯s wind barrier . But because the attack¡¯s power was too high, it blew the Blue Caterpillar¡¯s body apart into fine pieces . A piece of the Blue Caterpillar¡¯s head rolled around while the rest of the body near the tail was tied down to the ground by the Thorns Spear . In other words, the most valuable part of the monster, its magic stone, had been shattered into pieces . Rei looked at Rhodes, who had his head down, and gave a sigh . ¡¸Well, what you¡¯ve done is done . ¡¹ If he had been an ordinary adventurer¡­¡­especially an adventurer with financial issues at this time of the year, they probably would have made a big fuss about it . Luckily, Rei wasn¡¯t pressed for money, even if his goal for this subjugation request was to collect magic stones . It might have gone bad if there was only one Blue Caterpillar and Rei wanted its magic stone, but fortunately, they had to hunt 6 of them . Because of that, he judged it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to obtain another magic stone and forgave Rhodes easily . ¡¸I¡¯ll say this in advance, but be prepared to lose this share of the reward for this mistake . ¡¹ Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to remind Rhodes . ` ¡¸Ah, I understand . ¡¹ Rhodes nodded with a sigh before pulling his dagger out from a sheath he wore on the opposite side of his longsword and starting to strip the teeth that could be sold as materials as well as its right feeler which served as the proof of subjugation . Seeing that, Rei grabbed the Thorns Spear that was pierced into its body and removed the thorns growing out from it before pulling it out . (The Thorns Spear, huh . It¡¯s a pretty good magic item, but it¡¯s a pity I can only make thorns while the tip has stabbed into something . If the thorns would remain after pulling it out, it would be quite versatile . ) Thinking about the Thorns Spear in satisfaction, he wiped off the fluids from the Blue Caterpillar using a cloth taken out from the Misty Ring before storing it and switching out for the Death Scythe . By that time, Rhodes had finished stripping off materials and was ready and waiting for Rei . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Since Set had nothing to do, he spent his time watching the surroundings . Maybe he had inherited some of Rei¡¯s preferences from the Magic Beast Art, apparently he didn¡¯t have the appetite for Blue Caterpillars . ¡¸Well then, onto the next one . Set, I¡¯ll leave it to you again . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ When asked by Rei, Set ran up into the sky again . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ A flying slash release from the Death Scythe¡¯s skill easily tore through the Blue Caterpillar¡¯s wind barrier, slicing into its soft body . It was several hours after they had hunted their first Blue Caterpillar . Finally, Rei and Rhodes hunted their sixth one and gave a sigh of relief . ¡¸It¡¯s finally over . It¡¯s getting dark and it would be better to return to the city before sunset . ¡¹ ¡¸I agree . Lunch was simple and I would like to eat something warm for dinner . ¡¹ Stripping off its teeth and right feeler with a knife, Rhodes grimaced slightly while cutting the bouncy flesh of the Blue Caterpillar . Rei agreed with Rhodes as he washed away the fluids from the Blue Caterpillar covering its magic stone using water created from the Dagger of Flowing Water . Rhodes gave a sigh at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸Lunch was simple¡­¡­that¡¯s what it¡¯s like having an item box . ¡¹ Rhodes seemed to mutter that in exasperation, but as Rei had heard those words countless times, he continued on without any particular concern . ¡¸Thanks to that, it¡¯s possible make some food and not just eat dried meat and bread . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that so . However, when I take a request with you, I¡¯ll get too used to the luxury when I have to go back and work with my dad and mum¡­¡­what happened?¡¹ As Rhodes spoke, he suddenly saw Rei stop moving and asked on reflex . Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to prepare himself to pull out the longsword at his waist at any time in case something went wrong . Rei wiped the fluids of the Blue Caterpillar off his knife using a cloth taken from the Misty Ring . Next to him, Set was vigilantly looking at the surroundings with a sharp gaze, ready to act if anything happened . (I felt someone looking at me for a moment¡­¡­however, that feeling disappeared immediately . In that case, did I just imagine it? No, looking at Set, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s wary of the surroundings . I think it¡¯s safe to say I didn¡¯t imagine it . But in that case, did they stop looking the moment they noticed I realised it? But there¡¯s no sign of them in the surroundings¡­¡­is there?) ¡¸Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set understood what Rei was asking at that short question . However, he could only give a small cry and shake his head in reply . (So it¡¯s impossible even for Set . Then, the moment I noticed them, they were already leaving¡­¡­no, in that case, Set wouldn¡¯t miss it with his senses . Then¡­¡­it can¡¯t be, teleportation?£© Rei quickly collected the thoughts in his mind and came to a conclusion . Speaking of teleportation, the first thing that came to his mind was the magic item for teleportation that had been created by alchemists from the Bestir Empire . There was also the possibility that space magic had been used, but Rei dismissed the thought as he hadn¡¯t run into any other mages that could use space magic aside from Grimm, the Lich Lord . ¡¸Hey, Rei . What happened all of a sudden . Is it another monster or something?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, it was just my imagination . I might be getting tense after leaving the city for the first time in a while . ¡¹ (Have they reached back into Gilm without learning their lesson¡­¡­or are they aiming for me?£© Rei shook his head at Rhodes but kept thinking to himself . In the end, he had interfered with their assassination plan targeting Elena in the dungeon and captured an alchemist who had been secretly working in Gilm in addition to two Demon Soldiers . Given that it was difficult to dispatch people to the frontier, Rei was just a nuisance to the Bestir Empire . And because they had suffered damage from him, given the possibility of suffering similar damage in future, they would naturally consider eliminating him . (However, in this wilderness, it¡¯s easy to detect even a small number of people . Especially since I have Set . Because of that, they will probably aim for when I¡¯m in downtown . ) ¡¸Any how, we¡¯ve defeated 6 Blue Caterpillars as requested . Even if we stay here, I¡¯ll just get cold, let¡¯s just get back to the city?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, right . I also remembered there are a few things I need to do . ¡¹ ¡¸What do you need to do?¡¹ ¡¸I just remembered I have to run a small errand . I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to head straight back to my inn after handing over the proofs of subjugation . I¡¯ll leave you to tell your family that I¡¯ll miss the celebration . ¡¹ ¡¸Celebration¡­¡­I¡¯ve only just completed a request, there¡¯s no need to do something that exaggerated . Well, let¡¯s go . I don¡¯t want my mother to worry because I¡¯m late to return to the city . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s true . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, are you really okay?¡¹ If it was the usual Rei, he would have responded with something to tease him at that point . Seeing that Rei¡¯s mind seemed to be elsewhere, Rhodes asked if he was really okay . ¡¸Mm? It¡¯s nothing . I just have some business to deal with . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, do you want to get on Set and head back to Gilm first? I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ Although Rhodes turned to look at Set, Set turned his head the other way as usual and ignored him . Rei shook his head while patting Set and smiling involuntarily . ¡¸No, I¡¯m not in a hurry to go back . Besides, I don¡¯t know what Elk and Min would say if I told them I left you behind and headed back to the city myself . ¡¹ (And, if it¡¯s really the Bestir Empire that is targeting me, there¡¯s a possibility that Rhodes, who took this request with me, will be targeted as a hostage . If I return to Gilm, Elk will be there . Until then, it would be safer to act together . ) Rei was thinking like that, but Rhodes raised his eyes as soon as he heard those words . ¡¸Hey, I¡¯m not a kid who needs a guardian or a newbie who just registered with the guild . There¡¯s no problem even if I head back myself . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be so stupid . In the first place, it¡¯s dangerous to go outside the city alone, you should know that better than I do . ¡¹ Acting alone outside the city . Thinking about it normally, it was a suicidal act . If it was near the city that had been developed to some extent and wasn¡¯t on the frontier, there would be some people who would head out by themselves . However, Rei and Rhodes were on the frontier . Unless they were someone confident about their own strength, overestimating their strength or knew nothing about the frontier, they wouldn¡¯t work alone outside a city on the frontier . (Well, as a rank C adventurer, he must have confidence in his own strength¡­¡­but even so, acting alone isn¡¯t an action a skilled adventurer should take . ¡­¡­He might be influenced by other adventurers who say that he¡¯s leeching off his parents fame . ) Despite disagreeing, Rhodes cooled down after hearing Rei¡¯s words and reluctantly headed back to the city with Rei . ¡¸Yes, your guild card is all good . And here¡¯s your Necklace of Subservient Monster . ¡¹ Completing the usual procedures with Ranga at the entrance to Gilm, Rei stored his guild card back into the Misty Ring and hung the necklace on Set¡¯s neck . ¡¸Even though you earn enough money¡­¡­in addition, why a request at this time of the year? You didn¡¯t go solo as you usually do either, but went with Rhodes-kun from Axe of the Thunder God . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I wonder why . ¡¹ Ranga looked a little puzzled when Rei replied as such . ¡¸Could it be something I shouldn¡¯t ask about? Then I won¡¯t ask any more . ¡¹ ¡¸No, not at all . I really wonder why I bothered to take up a request at such a time . All this was Elk¡¯s idea . ¡¹ ¡¸Wow, that is¡­¡­¡¹ Ranga had been the captain of the guards for a while, so he knew of Elk¡¯s unrestrained behaviour . ¡­¡­In other words, he knew of Elk¡¯s haphazard nature of doing things if it interested him and turned to look at Rei sympathetically . ¡¸Well at the very least, at least the monsters I killed can be used to feed Set . However, it seems Set doesn¡¯t want to eat the Blue Caterpillars . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Of course, Set seemed to say with a cry . ¡¸Ahahaha . Well, Blue Caterpillars are very ferocious . As a city guard, I¡¯m glad their number has been reduced . There¡¯s been some damage by them recently . ¡¹ Finishing the light conversation, they entered the city of Gilm . He went to the guild with Rhodes and handed over the materials and proofs of subjugation . They also sold the magic stones and split the rewards . Of course, Rei took two of the magic stones in exchange for less of the reward . Having done that, he evaded Elk, who invited him for a party, and Kenny, who was going to invite him out for a meal, before walking around the city with Set . (¡­¡­There . ) Rei felt someone looking at him again and thought to himself . Set ate the sandwiches bought by Rei while walking restlessly down the street . (As expected being in such a crowd makes it hard to pinpoint their exact position . ) It was already into the evening and people in the city were eating or heading for a bar . It was quite crowded with people leaving from work . The person looking at Rei had disappeared into such a crowd and Rei was unable to identify him . ¡¸Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a dissatisfied cry as it seemed impossible to find the source from the crowd . (In that case, I should lure them to a place that isn¡¯t that crowded . Considering what happened when I was out for the Blue Caterpillars, it¡¯s highly likely that they will run away the moment they realised I¡¯ve lured them in . Still, I¡¯m not interested in having someone watch me for so long . ) ¡¸Sorry, Set and I need to do a little more work . Please play again tomorrow . ¡¹ In the cold weather that wouldn¡¯t be strange for snow to fall, Rei told that to a few children who had come to play with Set . ¡¸Eh! We only just got to play with Set . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Hey, he¡¯s eaten the dried meat I brought . So, just a bit longer!¡¹ ¡¸Set-chan¡­¡­¡¹ Although they protested, Rei and Set were finally able to leave after about 5 minutes without having to call for the caretakers of the children . ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ With a wry smile at the vivaciousness of the children, he entered a back alley where few people in Gilm would walk . Confirming that someone was still looking at him¡­¡­he continued walking down the back alleys, which were like a maze to those unfamiliar with them, finally reaching a dead end . ¡¸Will a demon appear, or will it be a snake . ¡¹ TLN: Japanese idiom meaning you can¡¯t predict the future . While muttering, Rei took the knife he used to strip materials out from the Misty Ring . As expected, in such a narrow alleyway, long weapons like the Death Scythe, which Rei specialised in, were not easily wielded . However, he hid it inside his Dragon Robe so as to conceal his weapon to the enemy at first glance . The reason why he didn¡¯t use the more powerful Mithril Knife for throwing was because it was already visible . ¡¸It¡¯s already too late to hide yourself . ¡¹ Despite the alleyway being a dead end, someone had followed Rei and Set, watching them all the way . It was very different from the time Rei was outside the city, he could feel the other party¡¯s determination¡­¡­after a few minutes, a person appeared from the alleyway they had just come from . ¡¸Oh dear, I was quite confident of my stealthiness¡­¡­rather, I didn¡¯t think you could detect my gaze that easily . ¡¹ Chapter 204 Chapter 204 In order to reveal the person tailing him and Set, Rei had entered the complex back alleys. While waiting at a dead end, a single person appeared with a wry smile. ¡¸Seriously, I was really confident about my covert actions. If you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me how you noticed me watching you?¡¹ The person, a woman who seemed to be in her early twenties, tilted her head to the side as she asked Rei. ¡¸Why I could, I won¡¯t tell you.¡¹ While watching the woman, Rei grasped the knife inside the Dragon Robe carefully, making sure that she wasn¡¯t trying to do something tricky. The clothes she wore made it easy for her to blend it with the residents of the city. It wasn¡¯t much different from the clothes ordinary women would wear in winter. If a difference had to be said, it would be that the clothes were padded in several locations, but that by itself wasn¡¯t that rare. She looked to be in her twenties. Although she looked good in her own ways, she wasn¡¯t a beauty that would turn heads. She had black hair, tied behind her head, the so called ponytail hairstyle. ¡¸You seemed to have been eagerly watching since this afternoon, what business do you have with me?¡¹ At that question, the woman frowned subtly. ¡¸It seems I was noticed after all. Should I say as expected¡­¡­I¡¯m losing some of my self confidence. How about it? Will you keep me company for my training next time? It seems you would make a good training partner.¡¹ At the woman who said that with a smile, Rei gave a snort without any particular interest. ¡¸You weren¡¯t monitoring me for such a pointless thing right? You wouldn¡¯t do something that whimsical with the weather this cold. I want you to get to the point right away.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Seriously, you¡¯re a completely heartless person. Even with all that, I had felt confident in my appearance.¡¹ The woman glanced at Rei flirtatiously while pouting. However, in this case, it could only be said that her opponent was a bad match up. After all, there were a lot of beautiful girls above the average standard around Rei. There was Lenora and Kenny, the guild receptionists. Furthermore, there was Marina, the guild master, and Elena, the General Princess. Outside of them, adventurers in the city of Gilm who were better dressed were not few. Even if she was a woman with some pride in her figure, if you asked Rei, comparing her with the rest, she would probably end up in the category of ordinary woman. (But, there¡¯s no doubt that this woman is serious in trying to tempt me. Perhaps it¡¯s a bit of a side show before the main subject.) ¡¸Would you say that your introduction has been good enough? I have no spare time for idle stories. Get to the point right away.¡¹ Rei prompted the subject while preparing to throw the knife in his robe at any moment. Seeing Rei¡¯s attitude, she realised that if she delayed the subject any longer, it would only dampen the mood. Eventually, she gave a smile with a serious expression and started speaking. ¡¸Rei-san. We value your talent highly. Your high level of combat skill and huge magic power is something even leading mages cannot rival you in. And you are someone that even a rank A Griffon obeys, you should be appreciated more. I never expected that such a talent would simply end up as an adventurer¡­¡­won¡¯t you come under us?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The Bestir Empire.¡¹ Rei¡¯s murmur was soft, but in this back alley, it was loud enough to reach the woman¡¯s ears. The woman didn¡¯t change her expression even after hearing that and waited for Rei¡¯s reaction. But although there was expression of unease on her face, her fingertips trembled. Rei didn¡¯t miss that slightly motion. Normally, that brief moment of movement would never have been noticed, but it was enough for Rei. ¡¸I see, as expected. ¡­¡­It¡¯s a skillful method. If you take me in, since I¡¯ve been causing you so much trouble, the strength of the Bestir Empire will increase while the power of the Mireana Kingdom will decrease. Two birds with one stone.¡¹ ¡¸Two birds with one stone?¡¹ As expected, the woman hadn¡¯t heard the idiom before and frowned suspiciously. While looking at the woman, Rei paid attention to his surroundings after he had said the words Bestir Empire. (There are two. The top of the roof on the right and the corner of the passage behind the woman.) Looking at Set, he stayed silent and looked back at Rei, as if to confirm that. ¡¸Don¡¯t bother, it¡¯s an expression from where I grew up. Rather than that, can I assume then that you¡¯re an underling of the Bestir Empire?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is correct. It seems I was seen through from the beginning and there was no need to hide it. By the way, can I ask how you knew I was from the Bestir Empire?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a complicated story. I just thought about who was in this city and who would bother me.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t there also the Nobles and Royal factions? If they knew that there was a gem like you in Rowlock¡¯s region of the Neutral faction, I think that it wouldn¡¯t be strange to try to draw you out.¡¹ ¡¸The Nobles faction will use some sort of go between.¡¹ ¡¸A go between?¡¹ The woman asked questioningly, but Rei ignored her and kept speaking. ¡¸Of course, I know that within the nobility, their opinions aren¡¯t necessarily united. Besides, the Royal faction has yet to actually try to contact me.¡¹ ¡¸Why so?¡¹ ¡¸Well, there¡¯s no clear reason. However, I thinking about the power most troubled by me at the moment, the Bestir Empire is the top candidate. After all, even a few alchemists and Demon Soldiers where caught because of their interactions with me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The woman was silent in response to Rei¡¯s words. In fact, for the Bestir Empire, the incidents that had taken place around the city of Gilm where nothing but failures. The assassination of Elena, the symbol of the Nobles faction, one of the biggest factions in the Mireana Kingdom, had failed. The alchemist Postguerra, who had taken a long time to get close to Bolton, the head of Azoth Firm and an influential person in Gilm, had been captured. The two Demon Soldiers that had served as his guards were now also in the hands of the Mireana Kingdom. Because Gilm was a frontier city, it took a long time for information to reach the Bestir Empire. By the time they realised the situation, Postguerra and the Demon Soldiers had already been escorted to the Imperial Capital and were impossible for them to recover. Therefore, as a result of investigating, it had come to light that Rei was a D rank adventurer with A rank combat power. They came to the conclusion that Rei might even reach rank S in future. In addition, Vel Sails, who had betrayed the Mireana Kingdom for the Bestir Empire, had not been able to give any information about Rei. As a result, they resorted to other ways to find out more information. ¡¸So, leaving here for the Bestir Empire, is it. I¡¯m fully satisfied in this city. What could I benefit from doing that?¡¹ ¡¸You already know, but by next spring, the Bestir Empire will declare war on the Mireana Kingdom. If you know the existence of the Demon Soldiers, isn¡¯t it clear whether the Mireana Kingdom will win or not?¡¹ ¡¸I see, so it¡¯s in my interest to survive? ¡­¡­But I¡¯m an adventurer, not a soldier or knight employed by the kingdom. When the time comes, can¡¯t I just leave this kingdom?¡¹ ¡¸Since you¡¯ve hindered the Bestir Empire badly, do you think this will be easily overlooked? A war will start next spring. At that time, you will definitely become a target of the Bestir Empire. Even if you are not on the battlefield, there¡¯s no doubt shadows like us will come out. But if you come over to the Bestir Empire before it¡¯s too late, there will be considerable rewards promised. Money, woman, nobility. ¡­¡­Oh right, you have the hobby of collecting magic stones and magic items. Is it enough that I can guarantee those rewards?¡¹ He would be doomed if he stayed with the Mireana Kingdom as it was. The woman presented the rewards he would get if he turned to the Bestir Empire. If Rei was an ordinary adventurer, he might have changed sides. But¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to refuse. I¡¯ve been an enemy of yours up until now. I also have emotional attachment and a sense of obligation to the people in this kingdom. And above all, I don¡¯t want to be part of a country that would pull in a guy like Vel.¡¹ For Rei, those rewards weren¡¯t desirable enough for him to give up his current place. (Well, the magic stones and magic items are a bit regrettable though.) Thinking to himself with a wry smile, Rei felt the atmosphere given off by the woman slowly getting dangerous. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s a pity. However, just because you¡¯ve refused doesn¡¯t mean you can just go back. In addition, considering your combat strength, you will become someone difficult for us to deal with. Because of that¡­¡­¡¹ By the time woman had spoken up to there, the sun was already setting and the lighting was dim. Rei heard the sound of something flying towards him from his right. ¡¸-!¡¹ Raising his Dragon Robe to the right where the sound was heard, the next moment, there was a high pitched metallic sound of something bouncing off. ¡¸Impossible-!? Uruipuka¡¯s needle was blocked by a robe!?¡¹ The woman had an astonished expression after seeing what had happened before her. Not caring about that, Rei quickly threw his knife in the direction the needle had come from. ¡¸Guh!¡¹ Even for the person who threw the needle, it was unexpected that the needle he threw would be blocked by a robe. The knife pierced his body and he fell from the roof to the ground. The most unfortunate thing for those three people was that they were up against Rei. The attack of the needle that would even penetrate plate armour, was impossibly defended against by a robe. Furthermore, the powerfully thrown knife pierced through leather armour made by the alchemists of the Bestir Empire, many times stronger than ordinary leather armour. And. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a ferocious cry as he dashed forward, jumping off the wall and wrapping around the woman in triangular jump¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Maybe she felt fear towards Set, she immediately turned around tried to take a rod out from inside her coat to face Set. However, all she could see was Set¡¯s back, wings and tail. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ She gave a cry at Set¡¯s unexpected behaviour, she immediately realised Set¡¯s goal and was about to shout to her friend hiding in the corner when a voice was unexpectedly heard at her ears. ¡¸Taking your eyes off your target, there¡¯s a limit to being careless.¡¹ After that, the woman felt an impact on her neck with that voice and her consciousness faded. The moment she fell to the ground, she saw Rei, who should have been 10m away, swing a palm to her neck. ¡¸W¡­¡­hy¡­¡­¡¹ At her voice, Rei glanced towards the woman who was completely unconscious after falling to the ground. The next moment, there was a sound of a heavy strike. Turning to look over, he saw that a man in a black costume had been smashed by Set¡¯s forefoot, blasting him away and destroying a wall. In addition to having extraordinary strength as a Griffon, Set had also been boosted by a magic item. It was easy for Rei to predict that and ordinary human would be unable to endure the attack and be blasted away, destroying a wall in the process. ¡¸It seems their estimate of Set and my strength was naive.¡¹ Rei said that towards the woman who had fallen to the ground unconscious. As Rei said that, Set came back carrying the man dressed in black he had blasted away in his beak. ¡¸Next, so that¡¯s the guy who threw the needle. Set, I¡¯ll watch him so bring the man I took down by throwing a knife.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s request, Set gave a cry before heading over to the fallen man. Seeing Set walk off, he then remembered. ¡¸That reminds me, the needle¡­¡­¡¹ Rei looked at the ground. The sun had already set and the area was completely covered in darkness, but it wasn¡¯t so difficult to find the needle with Rei¡¯s good night vision. Rei picked up the needle that had been blocked by the Dragon Robe and fallen to the ground. ¡¸¡­¡­I see. So he¡¯s a shadow, or should I say, a spy.¡¹ Seeing and picking up a 20cm long needle, Rei muttered in surprise. The needle itself was painted black and the person had thrown it at a speed that no one would normally be able to react to it. ¡¸It¡¯s possible to evade it to some extent from the sound it makes. However, if it even scratches me¡­¡­¡¹ The tip of the black needle was wet with some liquid. Rei didn¡¯t know what effect it had, but it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t something that had a good effect on the body. After that, Set brought the man wearing black costume and with a knife in his belly over with his beak. Because it was clear that he would die from his severe bleeding, as more prisoners were better, Rei decided to take out a potion from the Misty Ring to stop the bleeding. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 ¡¸Wait, wait, wait . What the hell are you carrying!?¡¹ At night, with the snow floating down, Rei and Set were walking down the streets of Gilm . Of course, if they were just walking normally meant that the guards and knights on patrol would ignore them . However, the reason they were hailed down by three guards was probably because Rei was carrying the woman on his shoulder while Set carried the two men on his back . Moreover, one of the men had a strong smell of blood on him, it was natural for the guards to stop Rei and Set . ¡¸You, aren¡¯t you the adventurer with the Griffon, Rei? Please give me the details of the situation . Who are those three?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I don¡¯t mind, but could I ask you to do something? Of course it¡¯s related to this matter . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes? I can¡¯t guarantee I will be able to do it, but just say it . ¡¹ It was a winter night and there were few people in the city . But even so, they couldn¡¯t just agree . Was he heading for a bar or a brothel? As it was, the two people on Set¡¯s back were both unconscious and there was a woman on Rei¡¯s shoulder . They looked at Rei and frowned subtly wondering what incident had occurred . Because of the current situation, Rei handed over the woman he was carrying to one of the guards before approaching one of the other guards so that curious spectators in the surroundings couldn¡¯t hear him . ¡¸Go to the lord¡¯s residence and bring the knights over . These guys are something like spies for the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ The guard took a sharp breath at Rei¡¯s words . Normally¡­¡­if this had happened a few months ago, he probably would have just snorted at that . However, it was different now . Sometime ago, a Bestir Empire alchemist had gotten into the city and it had been revealed that he had been acting secretly for a long time . And the adventurer in front of him had been the one involved in the disturbance of catching him . The guards who participated in the investigation of Azoth Firm naturally knew about it . Because of that . ¡¸I understand . I will call one immediately . However, I still can¡¯t leave you here as you are . Could you come to the guard station . Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you than waiting for the knights in the cold? In addition, to be honest, what you said places a huge responsibility on me . ¡¹ Rei thought for a few seconds at the guards words before nodding . Rei was wearing the Dragon Robe and Set wasn¡¯t bothered by this degree of cold at all . However, he still didn¡¯t want to stand outside on a winter night . If he could sit somewhere to wait, he decided that that would be better . ¡¸I see, then I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Thanks . ¡­¡­Hey, call for the knights . ¡¹ One of the guards nodded in response to the guard talking with Rei . After all, one of them had to carry the woman while the other had to guide Rei to the guard station . It was clear who was free to call the knights . ¡¸I¡¯ll return soon . ¡¹ The guard said that briefly before running towards the lord¡¯s residence . Seeing him off, Rei was guided to the guard station near the downtown area . ¡¸It¡¯s a small place but please enter . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei and the other guards entered the guard station . After handing over the two men that were on his back to the guards, Set went to lie in the shadow of the building as usual . However, he wasn¡¯t relaxing or sleeping like he usually did . Bestir Empire spies had infiltrated the city of Gilm . He was vigilant of his surroundings to detect if they would try to rescue or silence the three people they had captured . Set¡¯s behaviour was all from Rei glancing at him . Rei decided that he would give set plenty of meat as gratitude once this was all done . ¡¸Wait here for a moment . We¡¯ll tie them up so they can¡¯t escape even those three wake up . ¡¹ A guard said that as he placed a cup of tea on the table where Rei was sitting . ¡¸Ahh, no problem . Rather, let¡¯s just stop them escaping quietly . They are part of the so called underworld . It would be normal for them to dislocate their joints to release the ropes binding their hands . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . I¡¯ll keep that in mind . ¡¹ Saying that, the two guards descended into the basement of the building . (I see . I thought this wasn¡¯t big enough for a guard station, are there rooms prepared for prisoners underground? But¡­¡­) Rei nodded to himself . Because of the existence of magic, if earth magic was used, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for them to escape? Although Rei considered that, basically, important offenders would not be kept at the guard station . It was mainly a prison for people who made a fuss in downtown . It wasn¡¯t necessary to build such a secure prison here, and above all, it was difficult to build such a facility since land around this area was limited . If this wasn¡¯t the frontier, expanding the wall surrounding the city wouldn¡¯t be too difficult . But, here was the frontier . If they messed up demolishing the wall, they didn¡¯t know what kind of monsters would appear to take advantage of that opportunity . Considering the possibility of stimulating monster by adding more walls as well, it wasn¡¯t easy to expand the city . Bringing the tea to his mouth while thinking that, he frowned involuntarily at the taste . ¡¸As expected of tea from the guard station . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha . Well, budget is budget . I can¡¯t prepare such expensive tea leaves . Even so, you¡¯re lucky that tea leaves are available . ¡¹ As the guards coming out from the underground prison smiled, they sat down opposite Rei . ¡¸By the way, I would like to hear the situation¡­¡­well, after the knights from comes from the lord¡¯s residence . You would want to avoid having to repeat it a second time wouldn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I would appreciate it if we could wait . ¡¹ While thanking the guards, Rei brought his tea to his mouth . Rather than calling it tea, it was more like coloured hot water . While sipping his drink, he turned to look around the room . ¡¸Mm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ The guards asked with anxious eyes, but Rei just gave a small shrug of his shoulders . ¡¸No, it¡¯s just that the guard station is near the down town area . I thought it would be noisier . But, as far as I can see, it doesn¡¯t look too busy?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, the guards shook their heads while sighing . ¡¸It¡¯s too early in the evening . It¡¯s going to get busy quickly from now . ¡­¡­Well, still . ¡¹ The guards kept talking while turning to look outside . ¡¸It might be because it¡¯s winter . If it was summer, the number of idiots on the road would be much higher and gets so busy it¡¯s no joke . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Suddenly, Rei remembered a special feature he had seen on TV about the police before coming to Elgin . He remembered seeing in the program that police stations in downtown were busy in various ways during summer . Fortunately, Rei had lived in a rural area that could be called the back of a mountain, so he had never experienced it himself . (If I think about that, being a guard isn¡¯t that easy either . ) After all, there were many adventurers in Gilm . That is to say, people who¡¯s real occupation was fighting would often get violent when drunk . If he considered that, the guards before him had a harder job to do than policemen . ¡¸Rather than that, you¡¯re were the one, weren¡¯t you? Delivering medicinal ingredients to the city with an epidemic . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ah . The city of Baar . ¡¹ ¡¸The city of Baar, was it? ¡­¡­It¡¯s not close, but it¡¯s not too far either . What¡¯s the danger of the epidemic spreading to here?¡¹ Being guards, they were probably worried about this city . While thinking like that, Rei nodded to reassure the person sitting in front of him . ¡¸No Problem . The epidemic was an illness called Magic Fever, they had to seal off the city of Baar because of that . The illness itself was cured from the medicine I brought . There¡¯s no danger of it spreading . ¡¹ (But, if a dungeon core was formed here like in Baar, that would be a different story . ) Rei kept talking with the guards without showing his thoughts on his face even though he was thinking that . After that, as they talked about udon, which had recently become popular, as well as the larger amount of Gamelion meat that was on the market compared with the the previous year, they heard a knock on the door of the guard station . ¡¸They¡¯ve come . ¡¹ They knew who had come from the sound of the knock . A guard opened the door and welcomed their visitors . Outside the door were, as expected, knights wearing suits of armour, the knights of Gilm . There were five of them in total . ¡¸We received your message . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Rei over there is the main person involved in this incident . ¡¹ The guards replied to the knight standing in front of the others, probably the head knight . (The main person¡­¡­that sounds like I¡¯ve caused more trouble . ) In a way that was true, but the knights naturally didn¡¯t care . The head knight glanced towards Rei . ¡¸I saw Set outside, so I thought it might be¡­¡­but it¡¯s you after all . ¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t remember him, but the knight knew Rei and Set . Nodding in agreement, the knight turned to look at the others . ¡¸Move the three captured people to a carriage . They¡¯re the so called underworld people . The will have much useful information for the Mireana Kingdom . We will extract that information by any means . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ The knights that followed the head knight here gave a brief nod and immediately followed the guards down to the underground prison . The head knight then approached Rei . ¡¸I would like to hear the details, but there¡¯s a bit of a problem . ¡¹ ¡¸Just a moment . What do you mean by there¡¯s a problem?¡¹ The guards turned towards the knight, wondering if he was ridiculing them . However, the knight shook his head slightly and spoke without worrying about it . ¡¸It¡¯s regrettable, but there are now people in the city like the ones that Rei caught . I can¡¯t say that all the members involved would have been caught . Because of that, there¡¯s a possibility of getting eavesdropped if we talk here . ¡¹ ¡¸Please wait . As long as Set is out there, you can be reassured . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . I wanted to hear it in the Knight Headquarters if it were possible, but there are certainly no fools who would try to listen in on a place with a high ranked monster like a Griffon nearby . All right then, let¡¯s hear it out here . ¡¹ Trusting Rei¡¯s words¡­¡­rather, trusting in the Griffon¡¯s ability, the knight sat down on the couch facing Rei . Although he wasn¡¯t wearing his helmet, probably because of the platemail breastplate he was wearing to cover his chest, his waist sank down into the couch . Not caring about that, he took out two magic items, a pen and paper, before turning to look at Rei . ¡¸Well then, Tell the events in the order they happened . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . First of all, I had felt someone watching me during the day . I was out of the city for a subjugation request to hunt Blue Caterpillars, during that time I tried to look for where it was coming from but it disappeared right away . ¡¹ Saying that, he explained the situation briefly . He moved to a deserted area in the city and lured them out . He was then invited by the Bestir Empire, which turned into a fight after he refused, so he defeated and captured them with Set . He was found by the guards carrying them out, leading up to now . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . For an underling of the Bestir Empire, it would be natural to think of bringing you in . ¡¹ The face of the alchemist who had stretched his hands to Azoth Firm passed through the knight¡¯s mind . The alchemist and Demon Soldiers had already be transferred to the Imperial Capital and he had heard from his superior that they were currently being interrogated . After that happened, it was natural that they had squeezed out a lot of information regarding the Bestir Empire that had been hard to obtain until now . Looking at the person sitting in front of him that was the cause of everything, Rei just looked like a delicate apprentice mage, so it made sense for the Bestir Empire to try to pull him in . (The Bestir Empire has placed a huge emphasis on alchemy, they probably wanted the adventurer with the Griffon in order to exchange back their alchemist . I can¡¯t feel it, but I¡¯ve heard that he has a huge amount of magic power . ) Even though the guards who were listening in on the story with the knight didn¡¯t think that it was a big deal, they still frowned slightly . The knight glanced at Rei before looking back down at the piece of paper where he had written down the story he had heard from Rei . After that, after hearing all the details, Rei was finally released an hour later . ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll take over the handling of those three from the Bestir Empire from here . They will probably be escorted to the Imperial Capital like with Postguerra after we extract information from them . ¡­¡­Possibly, there might be further contact from their side . If that happens, we would be grateful if you could catch them like this time and hand them over . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not too happy about this though . There aren¡¯t any particular benefits for me . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that can¡¯t be helped . After all, you¡¯re the cause of all this turmoil . ¡¹ The guards slapped Rei on his shoulder to cheer him up while the knights smiled wryly at Rei and the guards before before boarding the carriage they had to escort . Seeing them off, Rei finally returned to the inn with Set . Chapter 206 Chapter 206 ¡¸¡­¡­They¡¯re here . ¡¹ In the dark, a small voice echoed around . Moreover, it was a darkness that expressed the coldness of winter at night . There were 20 people in the area . Each of them wrapped up in a black costume that would blend in with the night as they waited on a roof . This road from downtown towards the lord¡¯s residence was much less crowded at night . In other words, it was a place that was more suitable for taking action that preferred much less people around . What lay ahead in the eyes of the people in the dark was a carriage moving along the road . It wasn¡¯t just an ordinary carriage . It was an escorted carriage used to transport criminals so that they could never escape from the inside . ¡¸Okay . Are you all ready? If possible, we¡¯ll rescue them . If it isn¡¯t, we¡¯ll silence them . ¡¹ At the emotionless voice of the of the man, the others silently nodded . ¡¸As things are, we have already lost an alchemist and two Demon Soldiers, who can be considered core people of the Bestir Empire . We can¡¯t allow any more information to be leaked . ¡¹ All the others silently nodded in agreement at the words the man whispered . Confirming that, they waited for the carriage like a predator watching their prey¡­¡­The moment it passed near them, 20 people jumped down towards the carriage traveling in the dark without hesitation . The next day . As usual, Rei had breakfast before heading out to the city with Set . He didn¡¯t plan to go to the guild today, but to look for interesting books in the library instead¡­¡­ ¡¸What¡¯s going on? The city seems to be strangely noisy . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei muttered unintentionally as he walked down the street . Set seemed to agree and gave a small cry . He could see a lot of residents that had uneasy expressions on their face . ¡¸What, you don¡¯t know the reason for all the noise Rei?¡¹ Seeing Rei like that, a stall owner who was making something like a crepe called out to him . However, it wasn¡¯t a sweet crepe made with sugar and fruits, but had ham and cheese or meat and vegetables instead . Something more like a Galette . ¡¸Looking around the city, it looks like it isn¡¯t anything good¡­¡­ahh, give me 6 please . ¡¹ On account of the information, he made an order and paid the money for it . The stall owner nodded with a smile at the order and quickly handed over a baked dough crepe that held its contents inside . Receiving the crepes, he bit into it deliciously even though it hadn¡¯t been long since he had eaten breakfast . While feeding Set, Rei turned to look back at the stall owner . ¡¸It seems a carriage being escorted was attacked last night . ¡­¡­And, the criminals who were on the carriage as well as all the knights that were escorting it were killed . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Hearing the stall owner¡¯s words, Rei stooped halfway biting into a crepe . Last night, an escorted carriage, knights . Rei recalled the events at those words . Set also stopped eating his crepe and turned to look at the stall owner as if just as surprised as Rei . It was something they had not expected to happen . The stall owner looked back at Rei¡¯s sharp eyes from under his hood and nodded while falling back a few steps without realising it . ¡¸Ah, there¡¯s no mistake . I don¡¯t know if it was an escorted carriage, but there was certainly some burnt debris on the roadside when I set up my stand here today . There were also some guards and knights around . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . The information was helpful . I would also like 10 ham, egg and tomato crepes . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your patronage . ¡¹ Because the crepes he ate were unexpectedly delicious, Rei bought more freshly baked ones and stored them into the Misty Ring . He then left the place as the owner of the stall thanked him . While eating a crepe that he had just bought along with Set, Rei thought to himself . (The carriage that was attacked was definitely the one carrying the people I caught yesterday . In that case, did they want to rescue their companions? All things considered, to do such a thing as trying to kill the knights, the knights would definitely get serious when that happens . ¡­¡­No, did they not care either way? Was there a need to do that? Why? Could it be, that the information the three of them knew was of great importance? Hmm, I don¡¯t know . Well, my job ended after I handed over the three spies I captured . I wish it actually ended there though¡­¡­) While thinking about that, Rei gave a sigh . (That would be impossible . Anyhow, the reason those three were caught were because of me . Because of that, there would naturally be a corresponding amount of hostility against me . Where the three of them rescued or silenced in order to prevent information from leaking? Either way, it seems things will get interesting in various ways . ¡­¡­If I think about that, if they plan to target me, it might be better if the three of them were silenced since that means they can¡¯t attack me?) ¡¸¡­¡­ait¡­¡­can you hear me? Hey . ¡¹ (Hmm . If I assume that, it might be a bad idea to go out . Should I just stay back at the inn until the noise dies down?) Rei was thinking about that when someone suddenly put a hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn around . ¡¸Hey! Don¡¯t ignore me!¡¹ ¡¸Hm?¡¹ He was greeted with a familiar face when he turned around . The person was involved in the events leading up to the attack on the knights that Rei had just been thinking about . ¡¸You were one of the guards¡­¡­¡¹ Yes, it was the guard who had stopped Rei in downtown yesterday and had taken him to the guard station . ¡¸Seriously, have you finally noticed? I don¡¯t know what you were thinking about, but it¡¯s dangerous to walk around while thinking . ¡¹ ¡¸My bad . I just heard the rumors about yesterday¡¯s matter . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Even though the guardsman wasn¡¯t a close friend with the knights who had died, he still probably thought of them as companions who protected the city with them . After giving a small sigh, he turned to Rei again . ¡¸It¡¯s about that matter that I stopped you . Captain Ranga want¡¯s to talk to you about the details of yesterday¡¯s matter . Could you come with me?¡¹ ¡¸Ranga?¡¹ Rei was surprised, but immediately understood . In Rei¡¯s eyes, Ranga might have been the person in charge of monitoring people going in and out of the city, but his actual position was that of the captain of the city¡¯s guards . Because of that, it wasn¡¯t strange for him to call for Rei in regards to yesterday¡¯s case . ¡¸Ah . After all, the notes about what you told us yesterday are all gone . There is a need to hear the story again . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine . I don¡¯t have any particular things to do today . ¡¹ He had been thinking of searching for books and encyclopedias on monsters in the library that would be useful on his requests . But as he didn¡¯t have to do that today, he just nodded his head decided to follow the guard to the station . ¡¸I see, sorry about this . It seems there will be some rewards for your cooperation in the investigation . ¡¹ Speaking up to there, the guard turned to look at Set . ¡¸But, if the rumors I¡¯ve heard about the Griffon¡¯s appetite are true, we¡¯ll only be able to provide one meal . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . As I said, I don¡¯t have any special business today . Considering that, there¡¯s nothing I¡¯m dissatisfied about . Rather, it¡¯s good enough if you can provide a single meal . ¡¹ (If I think about it, this world has almost no developments in terms of entertainment . There¡¯s no internet, no games, no manga . It¡¯s difficult to even find something to the extent of a picture book . It was a bit unexpected that there aren¡¯t any novels . ¡­¡­If I consider that, even if I have enough saved up to not take on requests during winter, how should I spend my time . Speaking of that, it would be stupid to deliberately go and take on requests in the middle of a blizzard . For ordinary adventurers, they would probably go drinking at the bar¡­¡­) As Rei knew he wasn¡¯t that good with alcohol, that option was impossible . In addition, he didn¡¯t have any friends or acquaintances to kill time with, which also served to indicate Rei¡¯s poor socialising skills . (In that case, I guess it¡¯s just the library in the end . Or maybe I could buy a book at a bookstore . I have a lot of money to spare . There¡¯s also eating and walking around . Collecting monster magic stones¡­¡­no, I can¡¯t take winter weather lightly even if I do have the Dragon Robe . ) Rei, who had been exposed to the horrors of winter due to growing up near the mountains in Tohoku, continued walking while remembering the dangers of winter again . Eventually, they arrived at the guard headquarters, a short distance away from the adventurers guild . ¡¸Please, come in¡­¡­there¡¯s not as many people as there were yesterday but the captain is already waiting . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry and moved to a gap between buildings, knowing what to do without needing detailed instructions . ¡¸Sorry about this . When this is all over, we¡¯ll head over to the Satisfied Stomach, so please eat this for now while waiting . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei threw some dried meat, that he had taken out from the Misty Ring, over to Set and went inside the building . He was guided by the guard and entered a room at the furthest end of the building . There, Ranga, who Rei had seen many times at the main gate, was looking at documents with a troubled expression . ¡¸Captain, I¡¯ve brought Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ah, I¡¯m sorry . I was too deep in thought . Take a seat on the couch over there . ¡¹ His beard was well kept, but it didn¡¯t look like he had had any time to rest due to yesterday¡¯s carriage attack . It seemed to Rei that Ranga¡¯s beard seemed to have lost of its spirit as well . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but please bring tea for the three of us and something light to eat with that . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, right away . ¡¹ Seeing the guard who had guided Rei here leave the room, Ranga left his desk and sat down opposite Rei . ¡¸Sorry for calling you over here so suddenly . ¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it . Anyhow, it¡¯s related to me . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess so . ¡­¡­Well, let¡¯s hear out the details of the story after he comes back . After all, we¡¯re short on personnel right now . ¡¹ At Ranga¡¯s words, Rei spoke up in puzzlement as he took off the hood that covered his head . ¡¸Is your personnel shortage because you¡¯re looking for the culprits?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . There are many adventurers in the city of Gilm, and as a result, there are also a lot of hot headed people . Because of that, there are cases of violence every day¡­¡­it¡¯s just that it¡¯s been a long time since a knight has been killed by several people . That is why we have to solve this matter as soon as possible so as to not raise any unrest among the city¡¯s residents . ¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s why you¡¯re here . You¡¯re almost always at the main gate . ¡¹ Ranga gave a big sigh at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸That¡¯s right . As for me, it¡¯s best that I stay there . But I can¡¯t help it if such an incident happens . ¡¹ He was definitely tired . As he was talking with Rei languidly, there was a knock on the door as the guard from earlier returned . In his hands was a tray with three cups of tea and a platter with plenty of sandwiches . ¡¸Sorry for making you wait . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, you also take a seat on the couch . I¡¯ll tell you about what happened while we drink the tea . ¡¹ Following Ranga¡¯s words, the guard took a seat on the couch and reached out for a sandwich before continuing the discussion . The contents of the guard¡¯s story was exactly what Rei had told the guards and knights yesterday . There was nothing new in particular . As for Ranga, he had already heard what had happened from the guard once . He had been hoping for some kind of clue, but in the end, he hadn¡¯t been able to gather any new information . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Yes, I¡¯ve roughly figured out the situation . Unfortunately we haven¡¯t had any new information . ¡¹ While carrying a cheese and vegetable sandwich to his mouth, Ranga apologised . Rei, who had been watching the situation, looked puzzled as he spoke up . ¡¸Still, there¡¯s no doubt that it was people from the Bestir Empire who attacked us right? There¡¯s no way bandits would try to attack a carriage guarded by knights . ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe¡­¡­no, definitely . As you said, even if bandits attacked an escorted carriage, it doesn¡¯t mean they would have been able to steal away treasures, food or supplies . ¡¹ ¡¸By the way, what happened to the spies that I caught? Where they taken away or silenced?¡¹ In Rei¡¯s mind, he thought of the three people who had attacked him . Two of them had worn black costumes and had ordinary looks which you could find anywhere . (But if they¡¯re spies, they would stand out if they looked too good . ) And a woman who no one would have any issues calling beautiful . (Well, maybe she had the role to find information using a honey trap¡­¡­maybe?) When asked that question, Ranga shook his head . ¡¸All three were found dead . However, since the corpses were all burnt, I can¡¯t say for sure that they are the three that you caught . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Was even fire magic used?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know if it was magic, but there¡¯s no doubt that all the corpses, including the knights, were burned . ¡¹ Rei frowned at Ranga¡¯s words . Then remembering, Rei took out the black needle from the Misty Ring and placed it on the table . ¡¸This was the weapon the three of them used to attack me yesterday . ¡­¡­I dont¡¯ know if it will be useful, but I¡¯ll pass it to you since you might find out something from it . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you . It will be helpful . ¡¹ Ranga wrapped the long, black needles on the table with a cloth . (Even if it¡¯s at night, they would specially use fire in the city to attack? Isn¡¯t that just saying that we wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything even if we tried? ¡­¡­It sounds a bit fishy . However, what¡¯s their purpose in doing that? Normally thinking, it would be to disguise the corpses . ) While looking at Ranga¡¯s expression, Rei¡¯s thoughts seemed to have shown on his own face . Ranga gave a heavy sigh as he nodded . ¡¸Yes . The later we became aware of the attack on the carriage, the better it would be for the spies . And yet, they used fire, which made it stand out . This is suspicious in various ways . ¡­¡­In fact, it¡¯s because residents found the fire that this incident was revealed . In other words, there¡¯s a possibility this incident isn¡¯t over yet . ¡­¡­Because of that . I would like to give you a nominated request . If you find the base of the people who caused this incident, I would like you to cooperate with us in their suppression . ¡¹ Ranga¡¯s words echoed through the room . Chapter 207 Chapter 207 If you find the base of the criminals who attacked the carriage escorted by the knights, please help us to suppress them . Although Rei was told that, he was confused in his mind . (Why bother asking me to do that?¡¡Is it an issue of strength?¡¡Even considering that, I would have to act as a group with either the guards and knights . Considering that, there is no need to specifically include me since I would disturb that¡­¡­no, there is . First of all, if the enemy wants to capture me, by bringing me along, the chance of causing excessive damage to the city decreases . At the same time, I would serve as a trump card if there was an opponent stronger that Ranga?¡¡The strength of the guards seem to be around the same level as the knights as well . ) ¡¸I understand . In that case, please submit a nominated request to the guild . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry about this . You adventurers basically suspend your work during winter . ¡¹ Ranga lowered his head to apologise, but for Rei, who had plenty of time to kill, it was something he had been hoping for . (But, saying that I would take up this request just to kill time, I can¡¯t say that because he might be hurt by me saying that . ) He thought to himself and shook his head in order to get rid of those thoughts . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . For me, I¡¯m close to ranking up again . This isn¡¯t something bad for me at all . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, I feel better now that you said that . Well then, let¡¯s go to the guild right away . ¡¹ Shoving a few sandwiches into his mouth and then washing them down with the tea, which had cooled down while they had been talking, Ranga then stood up . The sandwiches might have been bought from a nearby bakery or something . Because they were quite delicious, Rei stood up as well somewhat regretfully . l ¡¸Captain Ranga, I will head out to support the others . ¡¹ The guard also stood up and lightly thanked Ranga before leaving the room . ¡¸Ah . I would like you to focus on helping the ones who are gathering information . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand . ¡¹ ¡¸Fuu~¡­¡­Well, let¡¯s go now . ¡¹ Ranga put on a large robe, a magic item that provided some protection from the cold, before prompting Rei . ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get going . I know this case will cause some bother to you in various ways, but I would like to ask for your help regardless . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, don¡¯t mind it . ¡­¡­Even so, is it fine for you to go out with such a robe?¡¹ The guard who had walked out earlier had been wearing a fairly thick robe for protection from the cold . However, standing before him right now, Ranga was wearing only a thin robe . Ranga smile at Rei, was was wondering about that . ¡¸Ah . Even though this robe looks thin, it¡¯s a magic item . It has resistance to cold to some extent . It can¡¯t handle snowstorms, but it will manage the cold weather we currently have . ¡¸¡­¡­Heh, that¡¯s interesting . ¡¹ Rei, who had an interest in magic items, murmured to himself, but Ranga just smiled and shook his head . ¡¸I know you have been collecting magic items, but this isn¡¯t a big deal . It¡¯s cheap enough that you can buy it with silver coins . ¡¹ ¡¸Cheap, huh . ¡¹ Even if it was cheap though, it was still difficult for ordinary guards to get to use seeing that there weren¡¯t any other guards using it . While thinking that, Rei, who wasn¡¯t interested in the coat anymore due to the high performance of his Dragon Robe in terms of cold resistance, left the building and headed for the guild with Ranga . ¡¸Ah, Rei-kun¡­¡­and Ranga-san?¡¡Well, this is an unusual combination . ¡¹ After Rei and Ranga left Set outside and entered the guild, they were first greeted by Kenny¡¯s voice . Even the guild had mostly suspended business due to the large number of adventurers taking a break . Usually, there would be several receptionists including Lenora, but right now, only Kenny was here, checking through documents in her spare time . Naturally, Kenny had been quick to notice the presence of Rei . After momentarily glancing somewhat enviously at the adventurers who were drinking during daytime at the bar attached to the guild, Ranga returned his greetings to Kenny . ¡¸Hi, Kenny-san Actually, I was hoping to give Rei a nominated requested . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Could it possibly be about the rumored attack?¡¹ Even Kenny¡­¡­or was it because she was a receptionist at the adventurers guild, it seems that she already knew about it . Frowning slightly, she asked in a low voice . This was a murder case that had happened in the city . And the victims were knights . As it was a dangerous event, information about it had spread quickly . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right . ¡¹ ¡¸But, why Rei-kun?¡¡I know he¡¯s strong, but that¡¯s just in battle right?¡¡I don¡¯t think he¡¯s suited for investigations . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, but he was the one who had caught the criminals who had been escorted by the knights yesterday . And in fact, the perpetrators of this attack are probably quite strong . Anyhow, they managed to kill knights . Rei is our trump card against them . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Well, the official documents are different because this is a nominated request¡­¡­um, where are they . ¡¹ The request form submitted to the guild was probably different between regular and nominated requests . On the other side of the counter, she took out one form and handed it over to Ranga . ¡¸Please fill in this form . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ Ranga filled in the document quickly while saying that . As the captain of the guards, he was quite used to these types of documents . He kept writing with almost no hesistation . ¡¸Hey, Rei-kun . Are you okay?¡¹ Kenny called out to Rei while watching Ranga . ¡¸If you ask me that, I honestly can only reply that I don¡¯t know . There¡¯s no doubt I was their original target, but I have no time to be worried about myself anymore now that things have gotten to this stage¡­¡­I guess . ¡¹ In the case of the Bestir Empire, Rei replied as such as he didn¡¯t realise how important his existence was . (In fact, I think it should be more important to them to get out of the city rather than to remain fixated on me now that things have gotten to this stage . I don¡¯t think they would be able to escape immediately because the city guards are monitoring the people entering and leaving . But that won¡¯t last weeks or months, and it¡¯s almost impossible to get over the wall . ) Not just the city of Gilm, the wall surrounding the city could also be said to be a kind of magic item . It had several effects . There was one to increase the strength of the wall and one to shock enemies trying to climb over it . Or, as a measure against flying monsters, it was possible to set up a barrier covering the sky above the city . However, the final barrier was not always active due to the corresponding amount of magic power required . Rei concluded that they were probably cautious against some means of flight as the barrier had been activated right now . £¨That said¡­¡­£© As he thought about that, a thought about something the Bestir Empire had created passed through his mind . The magic items that made teleportation possible . (If they can use that magic item, it would be pointless to set up checkpoints . There is also a large possibility that they aren¡¯t in the city anymore . ) ¡¸Rei-kun, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no . It¡¯s nothing . Nevertheless, there¡¯s no shortage of incidents in this city . Since I came to this city, there have been various things occurring like the Orc settlement, mine closure and transportation of medicinal ingredients for Magic Fever . And now it¡¯s an attack on the knights . ¡¹ ¡¸There certainly have been more incidents than in the past, but this is the frontier . The assault case aside, Orcs will set up a settlement nearby once every few years . ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s rare to see an attack against the knights . ¡¹ Kenny gave a sigh somewhat depressingly . Even though Kenny was usually bright, she was still anxious that the knights who symbolised the city had been attacked and killed . ¡¸Kenny-san, is this fine?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . Wait a moment . ¡­¡­Well, yes, there are no problems . So, Rei-kun will accept this nominated request, right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . I¡¯ll handle the rest, so that¡¯s fine . ¡­¡­Be careful . ¡¹ After confirming that the document she had received from Ranga had no problems, Kenny asked whether or not Rei was going to accept it . When Rei replied that he had accept the request, the request was formally dealt with . ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll deliver it to my boss immediately . Let¡¯s go for a meal once this is done . ¡¹ Saying that, Kenny disappeared to the back of the counter . ¡¸Well, then let¡¯s get back to the headquarters . Basically, I¡¯m thinking of getting Rei-kun to stay at the headquarters until the case is resolved . ¡¹ As they left the guild, Ranga discussed what they planned to do after Rei had received the request . ¡¸So when the assassins aim for me, we¡¯ll try to avoid getting the surroundings caught in it?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s that, I also expect you to be a powerful force in the event that we find their base and launch a raid . I¡¯m sorry to say it, but the guards are used to deal with rough things, basically their main job is to arrest people who are fighting . Of course, there are cases where fights between adventurers lead to murders, but it¡¯s still tough for them to match up against the underworld as their opponent . ¡­¡­Our only bright point is that the knights are actively cooperating with us . After all, unlike the guards, the knights, who exist purely as a force to protect the city, had been attacked and killed . Even for the knights, they have their reputation to uphold . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Seeing Rei and Ranga coming out of the guild, Set came over with a cry . Seeing Set get up, the children, adventurers, merchants and residents of the city that were near Set also began to leave with disappointed sighs . The number of people was smaller than usual, probably because it was lightly snowing, but that didn¡¯t really make a difference . ¡¸We¡¯ll be relying on you for a while Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Watching Ranga pet Set, Rei suddenly thought of something . Set was like the police dog that would usually appear in many TV dramas . Of course, Set was a Griffon and had the body of a lion, part of the feline family . However, as a Griffon, his five sense were sharp and he also had the ability to sense magic . His sense of smell in particular was very sharp, as had been proven when they had entered the undead area in the dungeon . ¡¸Hmm, Ranga . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm?¡¡What is it?¡¹ Rei called out to Ranga, who was enjoying the feel of the smooth hair on Set¡¯s back . Rei was lost in thought for a few seconds as he thought about whether he should voice his thoughts . Ranga probably noticed his hesitation . He turned to look at Rei, his tough, bearded face showing a serious expression . ¡¸Tell me . I don¡¯t know what it is, but it might be related to this incident?¡¡I have no clue what to do now . Because of that, it might be helpful in one way or another, even if not right now . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¡I¡¯ll say this in advance, but this is just an idea and I can¡¯t say for sure that it will work¡­¡­is that still fine?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, no problem . ¡¹ Ranga wanted a clue, no matter how small it could be . It might just have been a possibility, but he welcomed it . Rei spoke up after giving a small sigh, as if understanding Ranga¡¯s thoughts . ¡¸As you know, Set is a Griffon and his five senses and sensitivity towards magic is much sharper than ours . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s certainly true . He¡¯s a rank A monster . It¡¯s clear that his abilities are much higher than other monsters in that regard . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s it . Five senses are good¡­¡­but his sense of smell is much better . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­-!?¡¡I see!¡¡That¡¯s right, I really hadn¡¯t thought of that . Even if it¡¯s impossible with the nose of a dog or a beast from the wolf family, there is certainly a possibility if it¡¯s a high rank monster like Set . ¡¹ He had not expected Rei¡¯s words . After being silent for several seconds, Ranga¡¯s face was dyed with astonishment as started to nod and talk excitedly . Originally, the guards had dogs and beasts who could track scents . However, as the carriage had been burnt out, there wasn¡¯t any traces of smell they could follow . But . Ranga looked at Set, who was looking back with round eyes . ¡¸If it¡¯s Set¡­¡­¡¹ As far as he could see, Set looked just like a large pet animal . But still, he was definitely a high ranked monster, a Griffon . This didn¡¯t guarantee that they would get to the bottom of the attack . Still, as there was a possible method, Ranga wasn¡¯t so lazy as to not try it . ¡¸Rei, Set . ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but will you come with me to the site of the attack?¡¹ Rei nodded silently at Ranga¡¯s question . Set also gave a cry in agreement . Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Even in the city of Gilm, there were slums . There, there were several people inside a hut that seemed like it would collapse at any moment . ¡¸Tch, the guards¡¯ patrols have expanded much faster than expected . If this were the Imperial Capital of the Mireana Kingodm, they would have been slower to mobilise . ¡¹ A seemingly ordinary man in his late twenties clicked his tongue as he looked outside through a gap in the hut . At the end of his line of sight were five men . From their uniform, it was clear that they were guards belonging to the city¡¯s garrison . Fortunately, the five guards just seemed to be looking around normally . ¡­¡­Or rather, even if they were specifically looking for something, they judged that the residents of the slums wouldn¡¯t do anything and would leave them be . ¡¸It¡¯s not unreasonable . Postguerra-sama, who had been hiding in this city, was caught several weeks back . They¡¯re probably still worried about the existence of foreign enemies . ¡¹ Near the man, a woman in her early 20¡¯s muttered with a sigh as she watch the guards leave the area . ¡¸If possible, I would have liked to rescue Postguerra-sama¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say that . By the time we got to this city, it was already after alchemist-dono had been escorted to the Imperial Capital . ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, with regards to Postgueraa-sama, there¡¯s no choice but to leave him in the Imperial Capital?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . ¡¹ Hearing the woman¡¯s words, the man shook his head bitterly . ¡¸It¡¯s too late for that . According to information that came through a while ago, the shadows that had infiltrated the Imperial Capital attempted to rescue him but were taken out instead . ¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¡Such a thing, hadn¡¯t a large number of shadows infiltrated the Imperial Capital?¡¹ The woman had an astonished expression at the man¡¯s words . As a woman with equal strength¡­¡­no, she had spoken those words involuntarily because she knew that those that had been dispatched were much stronger than her . She wanted him to say that it was a lie . That was why she turned to look at her boss, but the only response she was was a silent shake of his head . ¡¸Rank A parties seem to have taken on a request . Two of them . ¡¹ ¡¸Such a thing¡­¡­the nobles of the Imperial Capital would go as far as to tarnish their own honour and hire adventurers?¡¹ In a sense, what the woman had said was correct . The nobles were the ones that controlled the Imperial Capital . The largest factions were the Royalist Faction made of nobles supporting the king and the Nobles Faction with Duke Kerebel at its center . And although it was the smallest power, there was the Neutral Faction, that had succeeded in capturing Demon Soldiers and an alchemist, who could be considered the trump cards of the Bestir Empire . Even though the nobles had their own private soldiers as well as the kingdom¡¯s knights, the fact that they had hired adventurers was as good as saying that they may not have been skilled enough to deal with the present situation . This was something which the nobles, who placed a high importance on reputation and pride, would take very seriously . However, the woman had just been told that something as impossible as that had just happened . ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡­¡¹ The woman murmured to herself . However, the man who seemed to be the boss looked at her sharply and reproved her . ¡¸The nobles of the Mireana Kingdom are definitely not unified . However, that¡¯s the same even for our Bestir Empire . Even in our Empire, which we consider to be superiour to this kingdom, we wouldn¡¯t be able to do the same thing . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right . ¡¹ The woman nodded reluctantly in agreement at the man¡¯s words . ¡¸More importantly . Haven¡¯t you found the others yet?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Each of them are in their own shelter near this hut . There¡¯s no sign that the city guards or knights have found them yet . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . We can only keep low until this disturbance settles down . ¡¹ ¡¸I could escape immediately if there were more transition stones . ¡¹ At the woman¡¯s words, the man took out a stone from his pocket and spoke while looking at it . ¡¸Don¡¯t say that . In the first place, this magic item called a transition stone is a cost intensive item to make . Still, it can transfer 2-3 people . It¡¯s already a big deal for them to give us one even though we¡¯re in such a remote region . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That might be the case . Seriously, it¡¯s because that woman failed her mission that our plans are ruined . Even though she was full of confidence, she wasn¡¯t able to recruit him and also got herself and her subordinates caught as well . I could hardly see her as a captain of the shadows equal to me . ¡¹ Although she gave a low cry of resentment towards the woman who had been entrusted with that, she shivered involuntarily at the draft which came through the gaps of the building . It was currently cold enough to snow . Naturally, the wind blowing through the city was also cold . The only fortunate thing for these shadows was that there was currently a barrier around the city . Because of that, it was somewhat warmer than outside the city to some extent . However, they still couldn¡¯t be happy about it when they thought about the fact that the summoner among the shadows was unable to fly them out on summoned monsters because of the barrier . ¡¸Calm down . Anyhow, we will continue to hide until the noise settles down . I don¡¯t think they will be able to keep their tight stance for so long . Even if it¡¯s such a annoying barrier, it¡¯s not possible to maintain it forever considering the amount of magic power consumed . Probably a week or so . That should be it for the barrier, after that they will start to loosen the searches . ¡¹ ¡¸A week is it . If that¡¯s the case¡­¡­¡¹ Just as the woman said that . Suddenly, the man forcibly covered the woman¡¯s mouth . ¡¸-!?¡¹ Although the woman opened her eyes widely at the sudden action, she suddenly noticed that the man looking at the outside through a gap in the building and quietened her breath . Following his gaze, the woman saw the figures of two men, one large, one small, wearing robes and a Griffon more than 2m in size . (-!?¡¡Impossible!¡¡That is!) Yes, approaching this place was Rei and the Griffon, his follower . The one her superior and her colleague had been tasked with recruiting or silencing . (I don¡¯t know who the big guy is, but the smaller one is definitely the adventurer called Rei . Why is he in such a place!?) The woman quietly hid herself while feeling chills down here back . She had already heard about the combat capabilities of their target, Rei . Even if all the shadows hidden in the surrounding area attacked, there was probably a large enough gap in strength that they stood no chance of victory . (In that case, all we can do now is hide and quieten our breaths . ) The shadows hid signs of their own presence as they watched them approach one step at a time towards the hut that looked like it would collapse at any time . Going back a bit in time . Ranga¡¯s actions were quick after hearing that it might be possible to track the people who had attacked the escorted carriage with Set¡¯s sense of smell . He took Rei and Set to the site of the attack and showed the remains of the burnt carriage to Set . ¡¸¡­¡­I wonder, Set . Can you track it?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~, Guruu~, Gurururuu~¡¹ At Ranga¡¯s words, Set¡¯s pointed his eagle head in all directions as he sniffed around . As Rei and Ranga held their breathes and watched Set for about 5 minutes, Set eventually gave a cry while setting his eyes towards a certain direction . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¡Did you really find them!?¡¹ Ranga raised a voice of surprise while asking . Rei was also a little surprised, but as he often left the night watch to Set while he slept, he wasn¡¯t as surprised as Ranga . ¡¸So, what do we do?¡¡Do you want to call the guards right away?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re still not completely sure that Set will be able to track the attackers all the way . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Why?¡¡Set seemed to say as he tilted his head . A feeling of guilt passed through Ranga¡¯s chest for a moment after seeing Set¡¯s sad expression . However, it really wasn¡¯t possible for Ranga to gather the guards based on the vague possibility that they might be able to track down the scent . ¡¸Set, I¡¯m not doubting your ability . However, it¡¯s a fact that I can¡¯t just gather the guards based on that alone . ¡¹ While saying that, Ranga gently rubbed Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Then, how about you guide us to the source of the scent? ¡¡If I can confirm with my own eyes that the attackers are really there, I will be able to justify gathering the guards . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set looked towards Rei . Leaving the final decision to Rei, Rei gave a sigh as he spoke to Ranga . ¡¸If you just want to verify the attackers, there¡¯s no need to call for the guards . Wouldn¡¯t it be better just to leave it to me and head back to the headquarters to await the results?¡¹ It was unusual for Rei to say something like that, but Ranga shook his head . ¡¸No, it will be more persuasive if I¡¯m the one who actually confirms they were the attackers since I¡¯m the captain . No matter how famous you and Set are, I¡¯m sorry, but you are still only D rank adventurers . The persuasiveness is different to say the least . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . If you¡¯re fine with that, I won¡¯t say anything more . Set, I¡¯m counting on you . ¡¹ If it was about his rank, Rei could understand he lacked persuasiveness as he turned to Set . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s call, he gave a cry as he lead the two of them . As the two of them followed Set, children would sometimes come over to give food or play since Set was present . Set gave a cry in apology as Ranga, who was known by the residents, explained the circumstances to them and asked them to withdraw . The good news was that most adults that saw Ranga and Rei together understood that it was something related to the case of the attack on the knights . They quietly made way for Set without saying anything . Like that, Set would occasionally halt to look around the area while sniffing before tracing the smell to street stalls and looking regrettably at them before advancing down the road . Continuing on for about an hour, the surrounding area changed from the streets Rei was familiar with to the back streets, reaching the slum area . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s the second time I¡¯ve come here . ¡¹ Rei murmured as he looked at the surroundings . All around were buildings of considerable age, he worried whether they would survive the snowy winter . ¡¸You¡¯ve been here?¡¹ Since they had free time, Ranga, who had been silently following Set, asked Rei after hearing his murmurs . ¡¸Ah . It was a short time ago during the incident with Azoth Firm . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ In response to that reply, Ranga gave an unintentional smile . After all, as it was such a big incident, Ranga had to leave his post as a guard for a while to deal with all the aftermath . However, lucky for him, the knights had given him a lot of help as alchemists and Demon Soldiers of the Bestir Empire had been involved . Otherwise, he might have collapsed from the business, it had been hectic enough for that to be a possibility . ¡¸Anyhow, it seems the the attackers are hiding in the neighbourhood around here . There are many vacant houses here . It wouldn¡¯t be inconvenient to hide here . ¡¹ Rei looked here and there . (And¡­¡­there are a lot of signs of people for vacant houses . Not all of them are the attackers, some of them are residents of the slum¡­¡­well then, what should I do? Besides that, a lot of people are looking at us right now . Are they cautious looks at people who have come to the slum or are they looking for guards who might come to capture them . ) Ranga turned to look at Rei, but didn¡¯t notice what Rei felt . However, he still felt something . His usually calm eyes changed drastically as he looked at the surroundings with a sharp gaze . ¡¸Given this atmosphere, I feel this area may be suspicious . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s easy to hide here, you might think that this should be the first place to look . But in fact, we¡¯ve reached here due to Set¡¯s sense of smell . ¡­¡­Did the guards not check?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s natural question, Ranga gave a bitter smile as he nodded . ¡¸The people in the slums here¡­¡­they¡¯re rather hostile towards people they feel are in power . So, if they did try to inspect the slums, there¡¯s no choice but to do it in one sweep . If that were to happen, it would naturally require a lot of manpower . ¡­¡­After checking the city, if we still hadn¡¯t found them, I had thought about finally checking this place . Though there might have been some guards that came round here, they probably just gave a quick look from the entrance to inspect it . ¡¹ ¡¸A lack of manpower is it . ¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ In the first place, adventurers comprised of most of Gilm¡¯s workforce . Of course, there were a good number of guards for the times when wild adventurers made a fuss, but they were still not as numerous as adventurers . (Especially in this case, it seems that people are being used in various ways to collect information . A certain number of guards are required to maintain the security of the city, so it¡¯s not unreasonable considering the remaining guards conducting investigation . As expected, it¡¯s impossible for them to have a large force like the police . ) ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped . For now, I understand that this whole area is suspicious . I¡¯ll head back to the guards and get more to move hear¡­¡­tch-!¡¹ While talking, Rei heard the noise of something flying towards him and quickly swung the Mithril Knife at his waist . Kiiin-, the sound of metal colliding was heard several times as several daggers fell to the ground . ¡¸To find our hideout so easily¡­¡­as expected of a Griffon, should we say . I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to play with us for a while . ¡¹ Along with those words, nearly twenty people appeared from several buildings on the verge of collapse . Chapter 209 Chapter 209 A man and woman watched on as two people and an animal moved closer towards their hiding place. And hearing how they had managed to track their whereabouts, the man trained as a shadow had his cheeks twitch. Honestly, he wanted to click his tongue, but the Griffon wasn¡¯t far away. He couldn¡¯t click his tongue, considering the possibility that their position might be exposed by the sound. (No, they got here with only its sense of smell. It probably already knows we¡¯re hiding in this area. But, what do we do?¡¡It¡¯s hard to completely hide away anywhere in the city since we¡¯ve already been sniffed out to this place. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡­) The man reached for the teleportation magic item in his pocket. (Only two people can be transferred¡­¡­three at most. If that happens, it would mean abandoning the others. ¡­¡­However, our main purpose is to bring back information. Considering we might be annihilated here, there¡¯s no choice but to consider it the best option. The man looked toward the woman serving as his assistant. Catching that look, the woman understood it and nodded. She replied by mouthing words rather than actually saying them. ¡¸I will lead the others and draw away their intention. Captain should use that opportunity to use the transition stone.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t tell you to come back alive. Complete the task that needs to be done.¡¹ The man made the tough decision while frowning his eyes. It was more than just the sadness of losing his subordinates. First class shadows, spies, naturally required a large amount of money to groom. Aside from needing money to train them, only those recognised for excellence would become shadows. There were close to 20 shadows. Given the funding and effort required to train them, this could be considered a great blow to the Bestir Empire. It had to be questioned if the information they obtained after suffering that much damage was worth. In other words, considering the actions that they had undertaken in Gilm, it clearly wasn¡¯t a just a loss¡­¡­rather, it was a very large loss. (Damn it, all this is the fault of that adventurer called Rei. Since things have gotten to this stage, I will definitely bring back all the information that we¡¯ve collected about him back to the Empire.) ¡¸When you all attack him, I¡¯ll use the transition stone to escape the city. All of my subordinates will be left here, so you will take command.¡¹ ¡¸No. In case of emergencies, the Captain needs an escort. Please take two people with you. If you are attacked while trying to use the transition stone, you may end up taking the man called Rei to the base area. The man understood the woman¡¯s words and gave short instructions via hand signals to the rest of his subordinates in the neighbouring buildings. After that, it took less than 10 seconds to prepare their attack. It was no overstatement to say that their movements were those of the elite. (To lose the best in a place like this. How will this affect the war next spring.) Thinking in such a way, the man took out the transition stone from his chest pocket, ready to use it when their attack provided an opportunity. All he had to do was to wait for two skilled members of his team to join his as an escort. (While the other party is dealing with the attack, others here will reveal themselves. The moment they are distracted, I¡¯ll use that opening to activate the transition stone.) He verified that their preparations were complete. The woman held a knife towards Rei, who was approaching from the outside¡­¡­and threw it quickly. At the same time, some of the shadows who had remained at the current locations threw their knives like the woman. However, what happened next was unbelievable for the man who was watching the action. After all, as soon as Rei pulled out a knife from his waist, he had moved with lightning speed, literally knocking away all the knives flying towards him. ¡¸Captain, good luck!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The woman gave a short farewell to her boss and jumped out. At the same time, his other subordinates who where watching on also appeared from the buildings they were hidden in, surrounding Rei. The man didn¡¯t miss the moment when Rei turned to look at his subordinates. When the eyes of their two targets moved in confusion as the woman and her subordinates, their mutual intentions were conveyed and the captain tried to smash the transition stone into the ground. ¡¸Captain!¡¡Dodge itttttt-!¡¹ The woman¡¯s shout echoed into the surroundings before she was cut short by the sound of a loud crash and the man fell unconscious the next moment. The man¡¯s judgement was definitely correct. If his opponent had been an ordinary adventurer. Or if it had been the guards, he would have succeeded in escaping from this place using the transition stone by sacrificing his subordinates as had been the man¡¯s plan. However, he wasn¡¯t facing an ordinary adventurer. It was Rei, who was rumored to have the combat strength of an A rank adventurer. And in this case, what was more deadly was Set, who as a Griffon, could sense magic power. It was the moment after the woman and her subordinates had appeared and surrounded Rei. While surrounded, Set still detected the reaction of magic power from the hut the woman had come out from. He couldn¡¯t tell whether it was magic or some magic item, but he judged that, if ignored, it potentially harm Rei, who he liked very much.Because of that, Set dashed forward and flapped his wings, using his 2m large body and the effect of the magic item Bracelet of Herculean Strength to plunge into the hut he had sensed magic from. And the result was¡­¡­ ¡¸Set!?¡¹ Rei involuntarily shouted Set¡¯s name as the rest of the people around him looked on in shock. However, by the time Set heard that, the effect of the transition stone had already started to show its effects and a magic formation had already spread to the ground the hut was on. The man and his subordinates, who had been holding the transition stone, had been thrown against the walls by Set¡¯s body and had fallen to the ground unconscious. The transition stone was activated as fell to the ground. ¡¸Gururu~!?¡¹ It was already too late when Set noticed the magic formation. The magic formation grew, centered around the transition stone that had fallen to the ground. And being inside the magic circle¡­¡­Set was transferred. ¡¸¡­¡­Set?¡¹ Seeing signs of Set suddenly disappear after rushing into the building, Rei ran over. Next to Rei, Ranga had no idea what had just happened, but understanding that something bad had occurred, he gave a sharp gaze towards those surrounding him. However, the woman and her subordinates who had been surrounding Rei and Ranga were just as confused. The transition stone had been activated, but the Griffon had rushed in just before its activation. If the building that their captain had been completely demolished, they would have been able to see the inside. However, because Set¡¯s force was so spectacular that he had punched a hole in the wall rather than completely destroying it, they couldn¡¯t tell what had happened inside. It was even more unfortunate that the captain of the shadows had been knocked out by Set¡¯s hit. But, the worst misfortune for them was¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, you. It looks like you¡¯re the leader of these guys right?¡¡What were you doing in that hut?¡¡¡­¡­Answer me.¡¹ The person before them, Rei. He had noticed his own partner¡­¡­or rather, signs of Set, abruptly disappear. Fortunately or unfortunately, the person who could use magic among the shadows was unable to sense magic power. If there was someone who could sense magic power nearby, they would have been able to sense the magic power overflowing from Rei at this moment and lost the will to fight due to the vast difference in magic power. But still¡­¡­even if they couldn¡¯t see magic power, they could still see Rei¡¯s surroundings shimmer as snow falling from the sky disappeared and evaporated when they fell near him. ¡¸-!?¡¹ With the huge amount of magic power blowing towards her, the woman who had undergone the hard training to become a shadow had her hands and legs tremble unconsciously. She realised that the kachi- kachi- sound she had been hearing was was the sound of her own teeth chattering from fear. Looking around, she also noticed that her subordinates, like herself were no longer capable of putting up a decent fight. ¡¸¡­¡­Answer me. Did you hear what I said?¡¹ While watching on, Rei took the Death Scythe out from the Misty Ring and took a swing. The sharp screech of the blade tearing through the air was enough to convince them that he could tear them apart like paper. Step by step, Rei walked toward the shadows that surrounded him¡­¡­and went toward the woman standing at the front. The moment Rei got to her, would be when she would die. Feeling the intense bloodthirst coming from Rei and the sense of incongruity from being unable to sense magic power, not just the woman, the others with her were unable to move. ¡­¡­Yes. The ones who could were. ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Rei felt something flying through the air and swung his Death Scythe while clicking his tongue. Kin~! While a metallic noise, the Death Scythe, empowered with Rei¡¯s magic, tore apart the knife that had flew out from the hut that Set had rushed into. ¡¸Seriously, I hadn¡¯t heard about such a monster.¡¹ Coming out with a sigh was the man who led the shadows. ¡¸Ca-Cap¡­¡­¡¹ The woman tried to say something, but could speak a word after being hit by Rei¡¯s killing intent and magic power. However, her eyes said more than her mouth. The woman¡¯s look indicated that the man was an important person. ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Are you the boss of these fellows. It seems you wanted to escape by yourself, but¡­¡­¡¹ He looked at the surroundings without a change in his expression at Rei¡¯s provocative words. His subordinates couldn¡¯t move. Even if the man could overcome Rei¡¯s killing intent¡­¡­he realised instinctively that he couldn¡¯t beat Rei or run away. ¡¸If you are here, then Set interrupted you using a magic item to transfer yourself out. ¡­¡­In other words. Where is the transfer destination.¡¹ Rei turned the Death Scythe towards the man and asked. Unlike the woman and his other subordinates who were receiving Rei¡¯s killing intent and were unable to move, the man was still able to move, as expected of the captain that led the shadows. ¡¸¡­¡­If I tell you, can you let us off¡­¡­¡¹ Slash-! Not waiting for him to finish, a flying slash from the Death Scythe passed right next to the man before slicing through the building the man had come out from. ¡¸Do you think you¡¯re in a position to propose a deal?¡¡Do you want to answer or die. Make your choice.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure? If you kill me, there¡¯s no way to know where the Griffon was transferred to.¡¹ Yes, but as the man said that, his back was covered in cold sweat. He was feeling great pressure from Rei¡¯s heavy killing intent. ¡¸Even if you say nothing, I can still ask your subordinates?¡¡Fortunately, there are some things I can use for interrogation among my magic.¡¹ (It¡¯s the worst case¡­¡­it seems. As things are, we will be completely destroyed, and the worst part is that we won¡¯t be able to send back any information at all. Damn it, why are there monsters like this on the frontier. ¡­¡­No. Is it because it¡¯s the frontier?) He couldn¡¯t win even if he tried to fight. It was a fact that the man had already understood. If that was the case, should he give up his subordinates and run away or surrender? (No, I won¡¯t be able to run away. Particularly with how they can move right now¡­¡­) The man checked the appearance of his subordinates with his eyes. Because of the killing intent concentrated on the man, the woman, his assistant, was able to move a little. However, it was still not enough to escape. This extended to the rest of his subordinates. (If so, there¡¯s only surrender? It¡¯s almost impossible to run away from this guy, and there is his thirst for blood. If I make a mistake, everyone will probably be killed. It would be best to surrender and then try to escape when the man isn¡¯t around. ¡­¡­But that will probably significantly delay the sending the information.) If he still had transition stones, he would have abandoned his subordinates to bring back the information. However, transition stones required advanced alchemy to make, and catalyst aside, it also needed materials of high ranking monsters, up to rank B. Because of that, they weren¡¯t something that could be mass produced easily, even for the Bestir Empire with its great developments in alchemy. The one the man used when he had been interrupted by Set had been his only one. As long as he didn¡¯t have a transition stone, he realised that even if he gave up on his subordinates and tried to leave this place, it would only waste lives. Although some shadows would not hesitate to bet their lives to accomplish their mission, it was only because they believed their lives would be for the empire. At very least, it wouldn¡¯t be for the question which Rei, who was standing in front of them, was asking. Even while the man was thinking, Rei started pouring magic into the Death Scythe¡­¡­ ¡¸Rei-kun, that¡¯s enough!¡¹ Ranga, with those words, reached out to Rei¡¯s shoulder before stopping. Despite Rei¡¯s killing intent, unlike the shadows, Ranga was the captain of the guards and had a high level of strength. But in the end, the biggest reason was that Rei¡¯s killing intent wasn¡¯t directed at him. Even so, the fact that his own movements pause from Rei¡¯s leaking killing intent showed how truly angry Rei was. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ For a moment, he turned to look and Ranga, and after a short sigh, toned down his killing intent. However, he kept his eyes on the man who led the shadows. ¡¸Answer. Where was Set transferred to.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The river near Gilm. Inside a cave upstream of it.¡¹ After hearing the man¡¯s words, the river where he had stripped monster materials alongside Enternal Power passed through his mind. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Legend Chapter 210 A forest near the city of Gilm . There was a cave upstream of a river that flowed through it . The cave entrance was camouflaged so that even if adventurers from Gilm came by, they wouldn¡¯t notice it . There were no monsters, much less people, inside the cave . It was a mere cave that could be found anywhere in Elgin . However, if there was only a single difference compared to other caves, it would be the magic formation drawn on the floor of the cave . The magic formation was about 3m in diameter . It was like a marker for the transition stone . Transition stone . It was a magic item developed by the Bestir Empire that utilised spatial magic, a magic that was known to have a high level of difficulty . Furthermore, the spatial magic used required a magic stone of a high rank monster to be produced, B rank or higher, as well as several rare materials . Because of that, no matter how capable the alchemists of the Bestir Empire were, its usage had various limitations . For example, the weight limit of the transition was about 2-3 adults due to the amount of magic power that a transition stone could contain . It would also be impossible to use unless a specific magic formation destination was prepared . And, the biggest limitation was that the maximum transition distance was about 10km . Because of that, when the shadows had infiltrated into the city of Gilm, this cave had been prepared as the transition destination for the transition stone ahead of time . And at this time, the magic formation drawn on the ground was flickering intensely . The blue light flickered between bright and dim . The flickering repeated several times¡­¡­and the next moment, the blue light scattered into the surrounding . And when the light disappeared¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ There stood a Griffon over 2m in size . ¡¸Guru, Gururu~?¡¡Gurururururu~!¡¹ Because the transition had been so sudden, he probably hadn¡¯t realised what had happened . Set looked at the surroundings while tilting his head slightly one way and then the other . There was only a rock wall around him and a rock ceiling above . The only exit that could be considered was blocked up by dead trees, tree branches and stones to hide it from the outside . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ While giving a cry, Set remembers the events that had happened a moment ago . He had felt the activation of some sort of magic or magic item and had slammed into the hut that he had felt the magic come from in order to protect Rei . At that moment, he had hit several people before the surroundings were covered by a dazzling light and the next thing he noticed, he was in this cave . ¡¸Guru~?¡¡Gururu~¡­¡­Gurururu~!¡¹ He looked around for Rei, but of course couldn¡¯t find him in this place far from Gilm . Although he became disheartened, he gave a cry to encourage himself . He would be separated from Rei at night in the inn and he had also experienced a long absence away during Rei¡¯s rank up test . As he remembered that, he first blasted away the rocks and tree branches covering the entrance of the cave with his forefoot . Fortunately, the entrance was large enough that even Set could pass through . As he went through, he looked around the outside . Most of trees were bare due to winter while several other evergreen trees came into view . Looking at the ground, a lot of dead leaves had fallen, maybe due to the snow that had fallen . It was wet and damp . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set looked around as he gave a cry . However, there was of course no one nearby, and definitely not Rei, who he was looking for . ¡¸Guru~, Gurururu~ . ¡­¡­Gurururururururu~!¡¹ He gave a cry that soon became quite loud¡­¡­an earnest cry to say that he was here . Most of the monsters that were in the area hid away or fled when they heard his cry, but to Set, that was irrelevant . Rei wasn¡¯t around . That truth made Set feel discouraged . ¡¸Gururu~¡­¡­¡¹ He stood where he was and continued to cry out for another 30 minutes but still didn¡¯t see Rei . Naturally, there was no one there to smile back at him and pat and scratch his head or to brush his back . He stayed at the front of the cave for another 30 minutes . Even though he felt a bit nervous being separated from Rei, he still decided to stay a full hour before deciding that there was no point to remain there . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Eventually, he decided that Rei wouldn¡¯t come to pick him up even if he waited where he was and gave a small cry to encourage himself . Although the location the transition stone had transferred him to was already known due to the confession from the leader of the shadows, Set hadn¡¯t been present and naturally couldn¡¯t know . Because of that, if Rei couldn¡¯t find him without knowing where he was, Set decided to look for Rei himself . Fortunately, there was some space in front of the cave . Flapping his wings and running several meters, his body eventually floated into the sky as if running on air . ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ I will see Rei soon . Giving a determined cry, he looked down at the ground from the sky . ¡¸¡­¡­Guru~?¡¹ At this time, an unexpected sight entered Set¡¯s eyes . A high wall that surrounded a city wasn¡¯t far from where he had been just before . If it had been a different city, he might have mistaken it . However, the magic power he felt from inside the city was definitely Rei¡¯s . In other words, the city inside the wall was Gilm . ¡¸Guru~, Gurururu~, Gururururururu~!¡¹ It was a cry full of joy compared to the one he had raised a little earlier . His cry echoed into the surroundings just the same as before . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ And giving another cry, Set flapped his wings towards the city he could see in front of him . Walking along the ground, it would have taken more than half a day¡­¡­the distance to Gilm was a distance that could take up to a day to get to depending on the speed of travel, but it wasn¡¯t much for Set who could fly through the sky . He would arrive in less than an hour . Set flew through the sky while thinking that, but when he casually glanced towards the ground, he discovered a group of adventurers fighting a monster with his sharp eyes . And, his hearing, as sharp as his sight, picked up the voices of the adventurer party . ¡¸Eeyy-!¡¡If you¡¯re a lizardman, then go hibernate like a lizard!¡¹ A female warrior defended herself continuously from the attacks of several lizardmen . A middle-aged man with a cane in one hand cast a spell while a female archer released arrows to support the female warrior in the vanguard . Set knew the party . It was the C rank party Scorching Wind . The leader of Scorching Wind, Milein, had especially made a strong impression on Set as she had always given him delicious food . ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Turning to look at Gilm for a moment, he already knew where Rei was and didn¡¯t think Rei had any particular injuries from the magic power he felt . ¡­¡­Of course, the reason he could feel Rei¡¯s magic power from so far away was because Set had been created by Rei¡¯s Magic Beast Art and their souls were connected by a line of magic . No one other than him could sense Rei¡¯s magic power from such a distance . However, Rei didn¡¯t have the ability to sense magic power and could not sense Set as a result . So this was only a one way detection from Set to Rei . Understanding Rei¡¯s situation through the line of magic power than connected them, he was lost for a few seconds after seeing Gilm and Milein fighting lizardmen before eventually deciding to land onto the ground . Normally, lizardmen were rank D monsters that weren¡¯t a real opponent for Scorching Wind, which was a rank C party . However, it was now winter and the ground had gone mushy with snow . This had erased the advantage that Milein had as a speed oriented swordsman . Lizardmen were vulnerable to the cold of winter, but their bodies would warm up as they moved and their movements were not sluggish . ¡­¡­That said, once the temperature really started to drop, their movements would become extremely sluggish . ¡¸Hey, Sulunin, is your spell still not ready!?¡¹ ¡¸Please wait . Just a bit more¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Milein, in front, in front-!¡¹ Milein pressed Sulunin, the party¡¯s mage, for magic . But during that time, the lizardman holding a spear stabbed forward from the side of another lizardman who was fighting Milein with a sword¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ For the three member of Scorching Wind¡­¡­and, with a cry most familiar to Milein, Set dropped down with his 2m large body . Then, while falling, smashed his forefoot into the lizardman who had been fighting Milein with a sword, shattering its neck . ¡¸Eh!?¡¹ Although Milein involuntarily raised a cry, Set didn¡¯t mind it as he landed on the ground with barely a sound . Despite his sudden descent and attack from the sky, it was probably because he was a Griffon that his landing was still very quiet . ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ And when he landed on the ground, sinking his posture to absorb the impact, he then used that energy to jump up again . He swung his forefoot across the belly of a lizardman who held an axe and shredded its torso . Glancing at the surroundings to check that there wasn¡¯t anyone else, Set took a deep breath¡­¡­ ¡¸Gurururururururu~!¡¹ With a cry, he spat out a fire breath from his beak . ¡¸Shaaaaa-!¡¹ The moment the flames touched them, the lizardmen rolled onto the ground with their whole body in flames as they screamed . The good news was that it was currently winter . If it had been autumn, the fire would have spread to the dry leaves and trees . ¡¸-! Now, Sulunin, Ecryll!¡¹ Returning to reality at Milein¡¯s shout, Sulunin fired off a wind arrow while Ecryll shot her arrows from her bow, killing the last few lizardmen remaining . As for Milein, she swung down her sword at the neck of the lizardman on fire, who was rolling on the ground after losing its footing . And a few minutes later . At last, Milein finally calmed down and looked towards Set, who was looking around vigilantly, unlike how his eyes usually looked inside the city . ¡¸Set-chan¡­¡­right?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ When asked by Milein, Set gave a cry in assent . On his neck, he wore the Necklace of Subservient Monster, which he was required to wear while inside the city of Gilm . It was safe to say that the Griffon in front of Milein was the Set she knew . ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Are you okay?¡¡Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head . The feeling of relief from being saved, the joy of seeing Set in front of her and above all, seeing Set¡¯s cuteness, Milein¡¯s emotions exploded . ¡¸Set-chan, Set-chan, Set-chan!¡¡Thank you for your help!¡¡You¡¯re really cute, good looking, strong, cute and cute!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Milein, you¡¯ve said that he¡¯s cute several times . ¡¹ With a wry smile at Milein¡¯s appearance, Sulunin gently stroked Set¡¯s head with his cane in his other hand . He turned to look at Milein clinging onto Set¡¯s neck but didn¡¯t disturb her . Maybe it was the wisdom of an older man . Sulunin spoke to Set while ignoring it . The Griffon before them that had been at the forefront of events during the surprise attack on the Orc settlement was quite human like¡­¡­to go a step further, he seemed to be more intelligent than some humans . ¡­¡­It might have been because of that that Milein had praised him so much up until now . ¡¸Thank you for your help . We know how to deal with lizardmen of this level, but the timing was bad this time . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Don¡¯t worry about it, Set seemed to say as he shook his head . As Ecryll watched Set from a bit further away, she suddenly noticed something . ¡¸Huh? If Set is here, is Rei also here?¡¡I can¡¯t see him though . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ At those casually muttered words, Set gave a lonely smile with his round eyes and shook his head . ¡¸Hm?¡¡No Rei, just Set?¡¡¡­¡­That¡¯s strange, he really takes care of you Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set turned to look in the direction of Gilm while giving a cry . Milein¡¯s love for Set might be inferior to Rei¡¯s, but she had confidence that she wouldn¡¯t lose out to anyone else and immediately realised what that gesture meant . ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s in the direction of Gilm . ¡­¡­Then, is Rei still in Gilm?¡¡And Set was on his way back?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ That¡¯s right, Set seemed to say as he nodded his head . He could feel Rei¡¯s presence and Milein was now in front of him . The Set in front of the three members of Scorching Wind was already back to his usual self and wasn¡¯t like how he had been crying out at the front of the cave about an hour ago . ¡¸I see . I don¡¯t know the reason, but you were separated from Rei . ¡­¡­Hmm, that¡¯s right . Set-chan . We¡¯re heading back to Gilm now, would it be fine if you went with us?¡¹ ¡¸Milein . If it¡¯s Set, can¡¯t he just fly back to Gilm by himself? ¡¡Why bother slowing him down¡­¡­¡¹ Sulunin reproached Milein, who wanted to travel with Set . Nevertheless, even if Milein asked Set, it wasn¡¯t just to be with him . It was also because Set¡¯s presence as a Griffon was very useful when traveling outside the city . ¡¸I wonder?¡¡It would be good for him to stay with us for a while¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ He turned to look towards Gilm for a few seconds, hesitating¡­¡­but eventually nodded his head . Seeing the way he had appeared, they knew that he was probably worried about Rei . But still . Milein hugged Set¡¯s neck as one of her favourite companions . With regards to his immediate situation, Set judged that Milein had a higher priority than Rei and headed back for the city of Gilm with Scorching Wind . ¡¸Wait, Milein, you¡¯ve spent so much money already that our funds for winter have already decreased, please reflect on that a bit . ¡¹ ¡¸I know . Sulunin is so petty . ¡¹ ¡¸Milein, you¡¯ve spent your money quite extravagantly . I heard that you declared in the bar last night that you didn¡¯t have anymore money to spend . ¡¹ ¡¸That- . Ecryll . That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see . Let me hear more details about that . ¡¹ Their conversation continued as such . Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Legend Chapter 211 ¡¸So, come with me. As I said, don¡¯t think about running away. Though it¡¯s not the best, there are some detention facilities here.¡¹ As he said that, Ranga turned a sharp gaze towards the row of shadows. The usual gentleness in his eyes could not be seen. The reason for his sharp gaze was because they had tried to throw the city he lived in into confusion¡­¡­no, rather, he was observing them with his gaze. However, the shadows didn¡¯t think they could make any actions as long as Rei stood behind them with that large scythe. No, rather in Rei¡¯s presence, because their mental fortitude had been completely broken down by the series of events that had happened in the slum, they were completely obedient. (¡­¡­After this, it will take some time for them to recover.) The only exception was the captain of the shadows, who had retained his mental fortitude despite witnessing the overwhelming difference in strength. Of course, while walking to their destination, their group stood out like a sore thumb. Of the group of 20 people, their eyes were all dyed with despair. If he hadn¡¯t been the captain of the guards, he might have been mistaken as a slave trader leading slaves. ¡¸Captain, this is!?¡¹ Several guards who were in the headquarters unintentionally raised a cry when the shadows were brought inside the building. ¡¸I¡¯ll talk about the story later. First of all, prepare the prison. These people seem to be spies from the Bestir Empire even if they look like this, so don¡¯t let them escape. ¡­¡­Also, I want someone to go to the Lord¡¯s residence. The Knight Leader¡­¡­might be a bit difficult, so bring the higher ups. I think there won¡¯t be a problem if you say that we¡¯ve captured the people who raided the escorted carriage. Don¡¯t forget to submit a document describing the process to the Knight Leader again.¡¹ ¡¸I understand!¡¹ The guards acknowledged the information before quickly leaving the building. Snow was falling, but they had to report that they had captured the culprits of the major incident that had occurred in the city. The guards started running as the put on their coats. ¡¸¡­¡­Now then. Have the prisons been prepared?¡¹ ¡¸For now, we¡¯ve prepared enough spaces for the given number of people. However, it¡¯s not absolutely perfect.¡¹ At his subordinate¡¯s explanation, Ranga gave a small nod. Ranga knew they could manage to hold as many as 20 people in the guard headquarters¡­¡­however, he didn¡¯t expect that it would be able to hold top class spies forever. Anyhow, right now, they just needed to hold them until they could be handed over to the knights. (Oh, that¡¯s right¡­¡­) He glanced towards Rei, who was leaning against a wall nearby. His expression was sullen, he had told Ranga that he wanted head straight out of the city to Set if he could. But even so, he didn¡¯t leave as he knew that he was the only person who could handle the shadow leader if something happened. In addition, the shadows followed Ranga obediently because of Rei¡¯s presence. If Rei left in this situation¡­¡­ (It would be a repeat of the escorted carriage situation¡­¡­I expect.) As the captain of the guards, Ranga was self-confident in regards to his own combat strength. But even so, it was impossible for him to deal with what could be described as a large number of top class spies. If that happened, until all the shadows before him were isolated in prison, it would be very dangerous for Rei to leave. For now, they were obedient after having their mental fortitude smashed apart by Rei¡¯s strength, but the reality was that they had attacked an escorted carriage, killed knights and maybe even their former comrades inside the carriage. ¡¸Captain, preparations have been completed.¡¹ That was what Ranga had been thinking about when he heard the report from his subordinates and gave a small nod. ¡¸As for that man and woman, isolate them from the rest inside the prison.¡¹ Directing his line of sight to the man and woman who appeared to the be the leader and vice leader, his subordinates immediately took the shadows to their respective prisons. It took about 20 minute to move in all 20 people. Rei, who was getting irritated while waiting for that time to pass, looked towards Ranga. ¡¸May I leave now?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m very grateful to you. Thank you for your cooperation. I will let the guild know that your request has been completed.¡¹ ¡¸I will thankful if you you could do that.¡¹ ¡¸So, where is Rei-kun going?¡¹ Where will you go? Ranga already knew, but he asked just to make sure. According the explanation given by the captain of the shadows, the spy unit of the Bestir Empire, the transition stone was limited to a certain distance and it was also necessary to prepare a magic formation at the transition destination. And, he had also said that the man-made magic formation had been prepared in a cave upstream of the river near Gilm. Although this was all information that should normally have not been leaked, Rei had been leaking enough bloodthirst that he wouldn¡¯t allow no response. That was why he could easily imagine what would happen if he hesitated to talk about the information. And, as expected, Rei answered without hesitation. ¡¸I¡¯ve already decided. I¡¯ll go pick up Set. The man said that there was only a magic formation in the cave, but there¡¯s no confirmation that that is really the case.¡¹ (No, he shouldn¡¯t have had the fortitude to lie under that much bloodthirst.) Though Ranga was about to interrupt as such, Rei didn¡¯t seem to noticed and left the guard headquarters as soon as their conversation ended. Ranga watched him leave while muttering to himself. ¡¸It might have been destiny that he is Gilm at this time.¡¹ ¡¸Hm?¡¡Rei?¡¡Is Set not with you today?¡¹ When the guards asked him about it at the city¡¯s main gate, Rei gave a silent nod and handed over his guild card. ¡¸I¡¯ve got a little trouble. Sorry, but please ask Ranga about it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ Those words alone were linked to the attack on the escorted carriage. The guard had a more serious expression compared to when he first called out as he completed the procedures to leave the city. ¡¸No problems. All good.¡¹ With that voice saying that from behind him, Rei exited the city. As it was already winter, there were no stores or street hawkers at the main gate. Even if you were an adventurer, the only people who would head out in this season were those with financial troubles or maybe fanatics. As far as Rei could see, he was the only person around. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, there¡¯s no other way to do this. He said it was upstream of the river.¡¹ He headed for the place where he had stripped the materials alongside the members of Eternal Power from the monsters he had accumulated in the Misty Ring. He remembered about his magic stones along the way. ¡¸Speaking of that, the Blue Caterpillar¡¯s magic stone hasn¡¯t be absorbed yet.¡¹ Searching the Misty Ring, he took out a Blue Caterpillar¡¯s magic stone as well as the Death Scythe and threw the magic stone into the air¡­¡­ ¡¸Haah!¡¹ He split the magic stone in two with a cry. ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill ¡ºWind Hand¡¡Lv.2¡»¡¿ An announcement rang through his mind. Hearing that, he entered a forest near the city with slight satisfaction. He continued walking until he reached the river before focusing on the Death Scythe. ¡¸Wind Hand!¡¹ With those words, a colourless and transparent wind tentacle extended from the base of the Death Scythe. It extends to 100m, the same as when it was Lv.1¡­¡­it goes even further. This was probably the difference between Lv.1 and Lv.2. The Wind Hand continued to stretch out, reaching its limit at about 150m ¡¸I see. I see, it¡¯s effective range is about 150m?¡¹ Rei murmured in satisfaction. ¡¸This increases the safety a bit when creating a fire whirlwind with Set.¡¹ After stopping the skill, he turned towards the upstream direction of the rive as he watched the snow fall. Luckily, there were no monsters in the area as he walked and he hadn¡¯t been attacked by anything in particular during the past hour¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Suddenly, he felt signs of several people and stopped moving. There were a number of trees that grew within his line of sight and his view was very narrow. Because of that, he didn¡¯t know if the signs of people he felt were enemies or allies. However, since he had encountered them near the upstream of the river, Rei guessed that it might be people working with the spies. While smiling to himself and thinking that he had been deceived by the man¡¯s lies, he readied his Death Scythe to attack at any time. And the next moment, something huge came out from the shadows of the trees. Seeing the figure about 2m in size, Rei grasped the handle of the Death Scythe tightly¡­¡­before dropping it and embracing the figure that had come out. ¡¸Gurururururu~¡¹ The thing that had come out¡­¡­was the Griffon, Set, who gave a happy cry upon reuniting with Rei much sooner than he had expected. He knocked Rei over and rubbed his face against him. It seemed that even Rei couldn¡¯t kill the moment from the 2m large Set jumping towards him. Rei stroked Set repeatedly as Set rubbed his face against him. ¡¸Set!¡¡You¡¯re safe¡­¡­¡¹ He gave a sigh from the bottom of his heart as he brushed the face rubbing against him. ¡¸Guru~, Gurururu~, Gurururururuu~!¡¹ As Set gave several cries and earnestly stuck to him, Rei raised his body to look at the surroundings. ¡¸Set-chan!¡¡What happened, why did you suddenly start running!?¡¡¡­¡­Ah, Rei.¡¹ Milein, who was following after Set, jumped out suddenly, noticing Rei before being struck by the heavenly scene of Set squeezing Rei. ¡¸Uwa, I¡¯m envious¡­¡­not at all!¡¡Eh?¡¡Hm?¡¡Rei!?¡¹ However, as an adventurer leading a rank C party, she returned to reality immediately. ¡¸Milein, what on earth¡­¡­oh?¡¹ ¡¸Milein? ¡¡¡­¡­Well.¡¹ Sulunin and Ecryll, who came after Milein, were also surprised by the appearance of Rei, who was currently being squeezed by Set. ¡¸¡­¡­So, while we were fighting lizardmen, Set came down from the sky to help us.¡¹ It was about 20 minutes after meeting back up with Set. Rei, who had finally succeeded in settling Set, was hearing the circumstances from Milein. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set, who had suddenly transported somewhere else, refused to leave Rei and was constantly rubbing his face against Rei. As Rei listened to their story while stroking Set, he asked a question he just thought of. ¡¸I understand that. ¡­¡­But, I heard that most adventurers basically don¡¯t work during this time¡­¡­why is Scorching Wind out here?¡¹ ¡¸Ugh-¡­¡­¡¹ Perhaps it was something she didn¡¯t want to bring up. Milein groaned as she looked away. With that alone, Rei could probably guess the reason. Rei gave a wry smile as he brushed Set¡¯s throat. Even though Set would have charged forward regardless of the result, he was still happy to reunite with Rei after being transported to a place he didn¡¯t know. She hoped that since they were so happy at the moment, Rei wouldn¡¯t investigate further. However. ¡¸Well, I won¡¯t press for details if you don¡¯t want to talk about it¡­¡­but this is quite rough.¡¹ He stopped briefly as he glanced towards Sulunin and Ecryll. Catching his glance, the two of them replied with bitter smiles. ¡¸Yes, well. Still, it¡¯s because of Milein that Scorching Wind exists. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve already given up on that.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m speechless, aren¡¯t you mistaken?¡¹ Sulunin tried to smooth over the situation, but Ecryll interrupted him there. ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t say strange things in front of Set-chan. Besides, didn¡¯t we complete the lizardman subjugation request?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I would have been dangerous if Set hadn¡¯t helped us.¡¹ At Milein¡¯s words, Sulunin and Ecyrll both muttered. Facing Ecryll¡¯s glare, Milein didn¡¯t say anything else after. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s fine for now since my goal has been achieved. ¡­¡­We¡¯ll be heading off soon, what about you?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? ¡¡We¡¯ve completed the request, thanks to Set-chan, so we¡¯ll be returning to the city. Would you like to come with us Rei?¡¹ Rei shook his head at Milein¡¯s words. ¡¸No, there¡¯s something I need to confirm. Apologies, but I¡¯ll head off first.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh¡­¡­I thought I could go with Set-chan.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about this. It¡¯s quite busy for me at the moment. Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a short cry and bent his body slightly to make it easier for Rei to get on his back. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll leave first then.There were no monsters the last time we came here, but be careful.¡¹ ¡¸I know. We¡¯re still a rank C party.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Because of that, should you really still need to accept requests outside at this time?¡¹ ¡¸That-!?¡¹ Although Milein tried to respond back, Rei got onto Set¡¯s back without replying. ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ After a few steps, Set spread his wings and ran up into the sky. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Where are we going?¡¡Set seemed to ask as he looked back with a cry. Rei turned to look upstream of the river. ¡¸Set, I have to report back to Ranga, so head for the cave where you got sent to. I would like to verify the magic formation there.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a loud cry and headed for the cave with the magic formation. It should be noted that Set had absorbed the Blue Caterpillar¡¯s magic on their way back, but he hadn¡¯t acquired or upgraded any skills. ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv.1¡»¡ºFlying Slash¡¡Lv.2¡»¡ºMagic Shield¡¡Lv.1¡»¡ºPower Slash¡¡Lv.1¡»¡ºWind Hand¡¡Lv.2¡»new¡ºTerrain Manipulation¡¡Lv.1¡» Wind Hand: A kind of colourless and transparent tentacle made of wind magic extends from the Death Scythe. Only the tip of the tentacle is able to interfere with objects. At Lv.1 the tentacles can extend up to 100m, 150m at Lv. 2. Chapter 212 Chapter 212 The Nobles Faction, one of the factions within the Mireand Kingdom. In the city of Anesis, that could be called the home of Duke Kerebel, a central figure within that faction. In one of Duke Kerebel¡¯s residences in Anesis, a young woman sat while facing a knight. The young woman had golden hair, as if sunlight had materialised, and people who saw her for the first time would almost certainly be lost in her beauty. However, it would be more correct to call her a war goddess than a goddess as held a solemn and serious expression. It was Elena Kerebel, known as the General Princess in neighbouring countries. She had good looks, high charisma, command of soldiers and strong ability to fight herself. After performing the inheritance ritual at the Alter of Inheritance on the lowest floor of the dungeon she had explored with Rei and gaining the power of an Ancient Dragon while remaining human, her presence was now greater than ever. And now, Elena, who had gained so much power, was unconsciously releasing some of that pressure as she listened to the report from Ara, who was sitting opposite her. ¡­¡­No. Rather, it would be correct to say that the pressure seemed to be released after Ara spoke the contents of her report. The Magic Fever that had occurred in the city of Baar, the discovery of the dungeon core and the countless slimes that emitted purple mist after being spawned by the core. These events had of course already been reported to Liberty Kerebel, Elena¡¯s father. And Elena, who had been listening to the report with her father, called Ara to her personal quarters afterwards to ask about it again. ¡¸Hmm, I see. I understand the story.¡¹ Elena spoke while listening to Ara¡¯s report. Her voice was also beautiful, sounding like a bell, but Ara had served Elena for many years and had become used to it in a sense. She noticed that her lord sounded a bit unhappy. Of course, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess the reason. ¡¸So, Elena-sama. About the matter of Rei¡­¡­I wished I had remembered the letter a little earlier.l¡¹ At Ara¡¯s words, Elena shook her head slightly and folded her arms under her chest. As expected, since Elena was in her own house and private room, she wasn¡¯t wearing body armour but a dress suitable for a princess. By putting her arms under her chest while wearing such a dress, her large bulges were only further emphasised and Ara¡¯s cheeks grew red after unintentionally seeing that. Of course, to Ara, Elena was someone she respected and was devoted to. However, that didn¡¯t mean that Ara was a lesbian. But even then, the current glossy look that Elena had right now was something that appealed to Ara. (Rei-dono¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.) Thinking of the face of the youth who was the cause of this in her mind, Ara thought to herself. The Elena before her was a symbol of military might and beauty. As for the person Elena was thinking of to cause her cheeks to colour, as Ara had known Elena for a long time, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her guess. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. Did Rei say that he would write a letter?¡¹ Ara, who had lost herself seeing the unique, glossy look of a young woman in love, hurriedly returned to reality after hearing Elena speak with a sigh. ¡¸Yes. It may take some time for the letter to arrive because it is winter, but he definitely said that he would write a letter.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Let¡¯s wait until Rei¡¯s letter arrives then. ¡­¡­No, in this case, should I send him a letter?¡¹ Until now, Elena, who had dedicated her time to improving herself, had little association with children of other noble families and knew very little about the beginnings of love. Because of that, she asked Ara what to do with her eyes. But Ara hadn¡¯t fallen in love before either, and as she had always followed Elena, she had very little interaction with other noble children as well. But still, she couldn¡¯t say she didn¡¯t know what to either at Elena¡¯s question¡­¡­ ¡¸That, love is the same as war, so victory goes to the person who strikes first. Likewise, I think Elena-sama should be proactive here?¡¹ She somehow managed to arrange the words she was thinking of. And to Elena, there was no need to doubt Ara¡¯s words, as she had grown up with her since childhood. ¡¸I understand. Then, prepare a pen and paper. I¡¯ll write a letter right away.¡¹ And so she announced that. ¡¸Ahahahahaha. Set-chan~, Set-chan~, Set-chan~!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ The Satisfied Stomach in the city of Gilm. Milein¡¯s cheeks were dyed red from the liquor she had been drinking as she hugged Set¡¯s neck. At the same time, she ate and gave food to Set, who was inside the restaurant courtesy of Dishot. ¡¸Seriously¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, Rei-san. Milein looks like a kid right now.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. Set is also fond of Milein.¡¹ Rei replied to Sulunin, who was trying to stop Milein, as he ate his udon. At the end of his line of sight, Milein was giving a dish of boiled vegetables with sauce to Set. Rei smiled after seeing Set eat it with a happy cry. After returning to Gilm a short time ago, he had made an appearance at the guard headquarters to inform Ranga about Set¡¯s safety as well as to sign off the request completion before coming across Scorching Wind at the guild, who had just returned to Gilm. After that, Scorching Wind¡­¡­or rather, due to Milein¡¯s strong demand, joined Rei and Set for lunch. However, looking at Milein, it seemed that Set was her main goal and Rei was just a bonus. ¡¸That said, I was surprised you knew about the Satisfied Stomach¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha. There were times when even our ranks were low. At that time, we used to eat here often. Anyhow, the food here is cheap, delicious and plentiful, all three at the same time. After becoming a well known rank C party, we¡¯ve come here less often as we have to consider the attention and trouble we might bring¡­¡­but, thanks to the refurbishment, it¡¯s become quite wide. There isn¡¯t any concern that we might bring too much attention here anymore, so we¡¯ll try to come here again.¡¹ Sulunin smiled in a nostalgic way as he rolled up some udon with a fork and carried it to his mouth. Rei still wasn¡¯t used to eating udon with a fork, but this was Gilm¡­¡­and as Elgin didn¡¯t have chopsticks, he carried some of the udon to his mouth with a fork before slurping it up. ¡º¡­¡­¡» He then noticed Dishot, Sulunin and Ecryll looking at him for some reason. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing¡­¡­Rei-san, your manners are a bit bad.¡¹ Ecryll pointed that out, but Rei was puzzled as he couldn¡¯t understand why. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why!¡¡Eating while making noises!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah.¡¹ He finally remembered that udon noodles were originally a Japanese food. Fortunately or unfortunately, Rei had lived in a place that could only be called the epitome of the countryside and the only foreigners he had seen had been on TV. He remembered seeing a TV program where foreigners watched Japanese people eat noodles with surprised eyes. (Now then, how do I explain this.) He hesitated for a moment¡­¡­ ¡¸This udon is a dish I taught to Dishot, according to the historical book that the dish was introduced in, it was considered common to eat the udon while slurping.¡¹ He said that seriously. ¡¸Eh!?¡¡This udon dish is from you, Rei-san!?¡¹ Both Sulunin and Ecryll turned to look at Rei with eyes of surprise. In the first place, it was the first time Scorching Wind had visited the Satisfied Stomach in a long time. Udon had been secretly booming in the city of Gilm as a new dish that had never been seen or created before. Knowing that it had originated from the Satisfied Stomach, they had decided to finish up there. ¡¸Ah. I was in a party with Dishot¡¯s son for a while. At that time, I was asked if I knew any good food and I recalled a dish that I had read in a book previously and taught them it. ¡­¡­Well, I only told them the general idea, it was purely Dishot¡¯s skill to bring it to its current taste.¡¹ ¡¸Ha~Ha~Ha~. Considering you were the one who thought of this udon, I am happy that you say that.¡¹ A voice cut into Rei¡¯s words. The voice was from Dishot, the owner of the Satisfied Stomach. ¡¸Rei, it seems you¡¯ve come back safely. Were you able to eat any delicious food in the city of Baar?¡¹ Seeing that, Rei shook his head at Dishot, who was still greedy for new dishes. ¡¸No way. Food was rationed because of the fever. At first I stayed at an inn, but the inn¡¯s cook had been infected and was in bed.His adventurer son managed to avoid being infected, but he wasn¡¯t that good at cooking. ¡­¡­At the very end, the cook returned near the end of my stay, but as food was still being rationed, there was no helping it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, that¡¯s disappointing. Oh, that reminds me, how was the popularity of the udon?¡¹ Dishot showed a disappointed expression for a few seconds, but the next moment, changed to a more serious expression as he asked Rei. The popularity of udon had sparked in Gilm, but he might have been concerned about its reception outside. ¡¸There were no problems. Everyone enjoyed eating it. As far as I heard, I didn¡¯t hear a single person say it was bad. ¡­¡­Well, maybe no one said that to me since I was the one who offered it.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, was that so. That aside, did you end up leaving any behind?¡¹ ¡¸That wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡­¡­Oh, I almost forgot to return it.¡¹ Suddenly remembering, Rei took out the huge pot from the Misty Ring that had held the udon he had brought to the city of Baar. It had been properly washed and was so clean that it looked like a pot that was bought for the new year¡­¡­even if it wasn¡¯t looking that new, it was so clean that even Dishot, who was used to seeing it, couldn¡¯t imagine it. There were almost no oil stains on the outside either. ¡¸Heh, what an extremely clean pot.¡¹ Milein, who had been playing with Set, looked at the pot in admiration. Dishot smiled happily while looking at the pot. In the cheery atmosphere, Ecryll asked puzzledly. ¡¸Boss, what happened?¡¡I mean, seeing your pot come back shiny is nice.¡¹ ¡¸Well, to have the pot being cleaned up so nicely means that the udon was delicious. I think this pot is them showing their thanks. ¡­¡­I am delighted that my cooking had been received as such.¡¹ ¡¸Heh, so that was what it was. ¡­¡­Wait a moment!¡¹ As if suddenly realising something, Milein turned to look at the pot in astonishment. ¡¸Inside Rei¡¯s item box, time is stopped right?¡¹ ¡¸Hm?¡¡¡­¡­Ah. Otherwise I can¡¯t keep the food warm.¡¹ ¡¸In that case¡­¡­perhaps, would the cause of Magic Fever stay with the pot¡­¡­?¡¹ Milein pointed at the pot with her finger shaking somewhat. And the moment she heard that, Ecryll jumped back to take some distance. However, Sulunin just shook his head at the two of them as he touched the pot. ¡¸I understand that Magic Fever has never existed around here and you are anxious about it. However, it can basically only be transmitted through humans. There¡¯s no mistaking it as it is more commonly known in the south.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ Sulunin smiled and nodded at Ecryll, who asked doubtfully. Hearing that, Ecryll finally felt relieved. She returned to her seat and started eating her udon again. ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­that¡¯s right.¡¹ Moving past the brief disturbance, Dishot turned to Rei. ¡¸You wouldn¡¯t happen to have thought of other ways to eat udon, would you?¡¡It¡¯s definitely delicious in soup, but I would like to increase the ways of eating udon if possible.¡¹ ¡¸No, even if you say that¡­¡­¡¹ Rei, who had continued to eat his udon through the fuss earlier, finished his serve of udon and put his fork down on the table before thinking about what Dishot had asked him. (How to eat udon¡­¡­cold udon or something?¡¡Kind of like eating tightly packed chilled udon by dipping it into hot soup. ¡­¡­No, wouldn¡¯t that just be a substitute for soup udon? Wait. Soup?¡¡Not using soup. I see.) The conclusion he reached after thinking for a few seconds was extremely simple. It would take less time and effort than traditional udon and only required a few other ingredients aside from udon. However, the problem was. ¡¸Do you have the habit of eating raw eggs here?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Raw eggs, is it?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Dishot involuntarily frowned his eyebrows. ¡¸No, no, we can¡¯t eat eggs raw.¡¹ Milein, who was listening to Rei, shook her head greatly while enjoying the texture of Set¡¯s fur. ¡¸Hmm, so it¡¯s like that after all. In that case, it would be impossible¡­¡­no, maybe it might work with fried eggs or omelet.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that is true.¡¹ Looking at Dishot nodding, it looked like that would work? ¡¡Rei thought to himself in anticipation. ¡¸If that is okay. There is something called kamatama udon. To make it, beat 1-2 eggs into a bowl and put the boiled udon in after without cooling the udon in cold water. The egg is supposed to be semi cooked from the residual heat from the udon. As for seasoning¡­¡­it seems that soy sauce and other seasonings were used, but since there¡¯s none around here, you¡¯ll have to try the taste with other sauces. Also, I think that if was written in the book to put in herbs that accent the flavour and texture.¡¹ (There¡¯s probably no such thing as bonito, but I have seen several ingredients similar to green onions.) Like that, one more new menu item for undon appeared in the Satisfied Stomach. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 At the edge of Gilm. Because a large number of spies had been arrested in the city two weeks ago, the guards at the main gate seriously watching the surroundings as snow fell. As it was approaching mid winter, snow had continued to fall on and off since morning, reaching a depth of 10cm. In such circumstances, no travelers or merchants were coming to the city. Even though it was already noon, no one had entered or left the city so far. While wearing a magic item coats that had been borrowed from Ranga¡­¡­or rather forcefully given to them by Ranga, although the guards was vigilantly watching the surroundings while enduring the cold, even they couldn¡¯t notice its existence. That was because as the guards were looking around the ground, that existence was advancing through the sky. And that said, even if the guards looked up into the sky, it would have been extremely difficult to spot that existence. That was because it was only 20cm in size after all. ¡¸Kyu~, Kyu~¡¹ The existence that was flying while making cute cries could best be described as a chibi dragon. It flew through the air while flapping its small wings and waving its 5cm long tail. Even though it was so small, its flight speed was much faster than an ordinary mounted horseman. If anyone did see it, they would have doubted their eyes. ¡¸Kyu~!¡¹ While making several cries, it saw the city of Gilm appear ahead in its eyes. The dragon like creature gave a loud, delighted cry. It obviously wasn¡¯t an ordinary monster or a natural dragon. Young dragons are usually watched over by their parents in secret until they have grown to some extent because of their weak combat strength as young dragons. Yes if it really was a dragon flying towards Gilm now, it would definitely be under the protection of a parent dragon. However, despite the small size of this dragon, it flew towards its destination at a speed that couldn¡¯t be matched by an ordinary dragon. On its body, it was wrapped in a cloth that looked like a dress. ¡¸Kyuuu~.¡¹ The young dragon was delighted after finally reaching the sky over the city of Gilm and gave a short cry. It was lucky that at this time, the barriers covering the city had already been lifted as it had been about two weeks since the spy disturbance. However, as the young dragon had the ability to sense magic power, if there were some kind of barrier, it would have entered the city using some other means. ¡¸Kyu~!¡¹ It was relieved that it could enter the city normally, the young dragon gave a short cry as it descended into Gilm. All in order to carry out the work that had been given to it. ¡¸¡­¡­I see. There are a lot of high rank monsters in the sea after all.¡¹ The Dusk Wheat. While lying in bed, Rei was reading a book he had bought from the bookstore the day before. It was titled¡ºMonster Encyclopedia (Sea Edition)¡». Unlike on land, with few to no natural enemies, sea monsters had relatively high ranks. Of course, there were many fights between monster, but even so, there were basically no adventurers. High rank sea monsters were one of the important factors in the development of the sea ecosystem. ¡¸Speaking of which, Axe of the Thunder God said that they were dispatched to a port in the past to reinforce the subjugation of a powerful monster. I¡¯m sure that Elena was also there at that time.¡¹ TLN: I checked back and while Axe of the Thunder God have participated in a Kraken subjugation, it was never mentioned while Rei was present. The only mention of a quest where Axe of the Thunder God and Elena were both present was one about earth spirits. Because of this, I¡¯m just assuming it¡¯s a author mistake. As he said that, he recalled the faces of the three members of Axe of the Thunder God. Rhodes had hunted Blue Caterpillars with Rei about half a month ago. However, this activity by the young man who was seen as the successor of Axe of the Thunder God was swept away by the the escorted carriage attack that had occurred on the same day. Because of that, the straightforward Rhodes had been left in a rather sensitive mood. As Rei thought about that, he realised that he had forgotten something. Axe of the Thunder God. Sea. Monster. And¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­Oops.¡¹ As he closed the book in his hands, he covered his face with his right hand. (I forgot to write a letter to Elena as Ara had told me.) It had been more than half a month since he had returned from Baar to Gilm. He had completely forgotten about the letter Ara had asked him to write when he left the city. ¡¸I should write it now I guess?¡¹ He had paper for writing letters and an ink-free pen, a type of magic item, from the Misty Ring. The pen he had bought at a general store out of interest in the past. He had also bought paper as he thought that it would be useful. In other words, he could start writing as soon as he wanted to write a letter. However, he wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take to deliver it. It it had been when he had come back to Gilm, there would still have been merchant convoys or peddlers who would want to stock up on goods before it was completely winter. But now, they would have already all left Gilm. In other words, even if he wrote a letter now, it was completely unknown when it would reach Elena. There was also a possibility it would only arrive after the postwar period with the Bestir Empire in the worst case. That would mean he would probably end up meeting Elena before his letter would arrive¡­¡­ ¡¸With that said, I guess there¡¯s no option to not participate in the war with the Bestir Empire.¡¹ Up until now, Rei had hit the Bestir Empire several times. It was obvious that if the Mireana Kingdom lost to the Bestir Empire, he would be in danger. There was also the fact that he didn¡¯t like the Bestir Empire, who had continued to make moves against him. Gilm had originally been the place Rei and Set had accidentally arrived at after leaving the Forest of Monsters, but now it had become a city they like regardless of how they had first come. And more than anything¡­¡­ ¡¸When it comes to war, Elena, the General Princess, will definitely be on the battlefield.¡¹ Rei himself had been captivated by Elena¡¯s beauty. If the Mireana Kingdom lost to the Bestir Empire, as beautiful as she was and with her good figure that men loved, it was not necessary to consider what kind of treatment she would receive as someone who had dealt with the Bestir Empire several times. It would be a relatively good thing for her to be executed as a war criminal. At worst, there was a possibility she would made a plaything for the soldiers with past grudges against her. Or, she could become an experimental subject of the alchemists who had developed the Demon Soldiers, as someone who had completed the inheritance ritual using an Ancient Dragon¡¯s magic stone. ¡¸I can¡¯t afford to let that happen.¡¹ Elena¡¯s expression as the imposing General Princess passed through his mind. That, as well as her expression when her cheeks glowed after being dyed red. And¡­¡­ When she had reached for Rei¡¯s lips. It had been just once, but her lips had overlapped with his. ¡¸Wait, what was I thinking about? Not now, first the letter.¡¹ He propped his body up on the bed and took out paper and a pen from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Even if I can write a letter now¡­¡­well, what should I write about?¡¹ Rei had originally lived in the countryside, behind mountains. He had almost no opportunities to write letters. And as he also lived in a place where it was difficult for radio waves to reach, he hadn¡¯t had made many email exchanges either. If any communication was needed, it was normal to speak about it face to face. Because of that, he was lost for several minutes before he felt something and turned his eyes to the window. ¡¸¡­¡­Is that, a dragon?¡¹ Rei muttered unintentionally. The creature, that was only about 20cm in length, stared at him with circular eyes while flying outside the window. Its form was definitely that of a dragon, but rather than looking threatening, it looked cute due to how small it was. ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ Realising it had been noticed at last, the dragon gave a small cry. It seemed it wanted to open the window as it knocked it several times with its autumn leaf colour claws, making a peta~ peta~ sound. ¡¸¡­¡­?¡¹ Because he was puzzled by its behaviour, Rei didn¡¯t think a dragon of its size would be hostile to him as he approached the window and opened it with a key while thinking to himself doubtfully. ¡¸Kyu~!¡¹ The dragon, about 20cm in length, entered the room through the window after it had finally been opened before using its wings to fly towards Rei. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t think that the small dragon was an ordinary monster and hesitated to attack it, catching it instead. ¡¸Kyu, Kyu~!¡¹ The dragon rubbed its face against Rei while making happy cries to indicate it was happy that Rei had caught it. It¡¯s appearance when rubbing its face against him was strangely similar to the feeling when Set did the same thing, so Rei brushed its head¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm?¡¹ He noticed that a cloth was wound around it in a way that was tight to its body. ¡¸This is¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu~!¡¹ The dragon might have noticed that. Giving a short cry, it turned its back to Rei. ¡¸I should open this cloth?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu~!¡¹ That¡¯s right, the dragon seemed to say as it repeatedly nodded its head. Seeing that, Rei noticed that the dragon in front of him understood his words completely. (Are dragons normally this smart when they are young?¡¡Or, is the fact that this dragon can understand human words an indication that it is a high level dragon. Why would such a high ranking young dragon come to me?) While pondering over that question in his mind, he unwrapped the cloth that had been tied around the young dragon¡¯s torso. Inside the cloth was an envelope. Dragon, envelope. Those pieces combined rapidly in Rei¡¯s mind. ¡¸It can¡¯t be-!?¡¹ The person that went through his mind was the one he had been thinking about just a few minutes ago. And as if proving that, the envelope was sealed with a certain emblem. And Rei, of course, was very familiar with that emblem. The crest of a dragon and a sword placed diagonally over the face of the dragon. That was because it had been inscribed on the carriage of a certain noble he had gone with to a dungeon. That was¡­¡­ ¡¸Elena, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Correct!¡¡The young dragon seemed to say that as it shook its short tail. Involuntarily slackening his cheeks, he tore the seal on the sealed letter with the Mithril Knife he took out of the Misty Ring before taking out the letter inside. The moment he took out the letter, he could definitely small the scent of Elena¡¯s perfume, which was really nice. ¡­¡­That perfume was something he had only smelled before when Elena had kissed him before leaving Gilm. As his memory of that was clear, the scent remained strong in Rei¡¯s mind. Rei opened the letter and read it slowly while remembering that. ¡ºGreetings, Rei-dono. It is not uncommon for me to write documents to submit to my superiors, including the Chief of Knights. However, this is my first time writing a letter to a private acquaintance. Because of that, it may sound rude at some points, but I would be grateful if you could close your eyes to them. Well, I was very surprised to hear that you and Ara had met again in the city of Baar. As far as I heard from Ara, it seems that Magic Fever had been prevalent there and I am a little worried if you might have been infected. However, I¡¯ve heard that Magic Fever won¡¯t affect people with a certain level of magic power. I¡¯ve heard that you spent a week in the city of Baar without showing any symptoms, but I¡¯m still worried. I hope your body is fine. Anyway, I heard that Ara had spoken you about a letter when you returned to Gilm from Baar. I was also interested in exchanging letters and decided to write in this way. Changing the topic, I¡¯ll talk about the events after leaving you in Gilm. Most of the Sails family was killed by the knights of Duke Kerebel, but some still managed to flee to the Bestir Empire. It was said that Vel wasn¡¯t seen among them, but regarding that, there is no doubt that he would have also escaped to the Bestir Empire. I will be sure to show him the price of his betrayal. Deceiving us for such a long time, playing around and taking Kuust¡¯s life, I will deal with him with my own hands. He will know it with his own body. This is my duty as Elena Kerebel, for not seeing through his guise. The topic has become a bit heavy. Let¡¯s change the subject. You remember that I inherited the Ancient Dragon¡¯s magic stone on the Alter of Inheritance, but right now I am focusing on training to use that power. My physical ability is steadily increasing and my magic power has been amplified as well. It is hard to make good use of this power, but I have no doubts that it will be worthwhile. In addition, I can also use Dragon Language magic that only people with the magic power of a dragon can use. As for that, it will take a long time to learn because there isn¡¯t enough information about it, but we are steadily making progress learning it. With regards to the little dragon that carried this letter, it is an entity created from my magic using Dragon Language. For its name, I named it Yellow. It can only be such a small dragon because I¡¯m not accustomed to it yet, but it seems that it is possible to eventually create more splendid dragons as I become more skilled with Dragon Language. However, this dragon is not a real creature. It is something that is partially shaped with magic, a pseudo life form. You can consider it as a familiar of some sorts. As an existence created with all my magic power, it seems to have acquired some special abilities by accident. I hope to show you in future.However, the influence of the special ability is quite low, to say nothing about its potential offensive power. In this area, I still need training. Even with Yellow¡¯s special abilities, it seems to have been obtained almost purely by accident. I¡¯m looking forward to receiving a letter written from you as it will carry it back to me. Now then. I¡¯ve been writing for a long time and will have to finish soon. Perhaps we will be able to meet in spring, I hope you will stay alive until then. Chapter 214 Chapter 214 ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm . ¡¹ Rei read Elena¡¯s letter and gave a sigh . However, the sigh held some sort of satisfaction . ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ While watching Rei, the dragon¡­¡­Yellow, tilted its head . ¡¸¡­¡­A familiar created using her own magic power, was it?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ That¡¯s right!¡¡Yellow seemed to boast proudly as it puffed out its chest . Rei smiled involuntarily and stroked its head . Because it was only 20cm in length, it could only be described as adorable regardless of its posture . However, Rei¡¯s smile left his face as he stroked Yellow¡¯s head . (Using magic to create a familiar . ¡­¡­That¡¯s very similar to the Magic Beast Art . Given the contents of the letter though, it might not be able to absorb magic stones¡­¡­could the Magic Beast Art possibly be Dragon Language magic, or at that time, Dragon Language sorcery? Either way, was it at least created based on it?) Incidentally thinking to himself, he brought out Zepairu¡¯s knowledge . (¡­¡­It¡¯s quite complex . Certainly, ever kind of magic was taken into consideration during its development, and it contains Dragon Language as well . However, all sorts of other magic were also crucial because of the wide variety used . ) Looking through the knowledge he had pulled out, what was the difference?¡¡Rei turned to look at Yellow, who was looking back up at him . (Now then . What¡¯s important is Yellow . What should I do? Even if it¡¯s just a creature of this size, it would be quite noticeable if it accompanies me as I walk, especially since it looks like a dragon . Under normal circumstances, I¡¯m already quite conspicuous, I would stand out even more with a small dragon following beside Set . Well, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad, but best to avoid it¡­¡­) ¡¸Any how, I¡¯m going to take you along with Set regardless, but you might be targeted by strange people . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyu?¡¡¡­¡­Kyu~!¡¹ While Rei thought to himself troubledly, Yellow decided to flap his small wings and flew away from Rei . And . ¡¸Kyu~!¡¹ After a short cry, the next moment, it started to turn transparent as its figure melted away into the surroundings . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei raised a voice of surprise involuntarily and reached out his hand . However, when his hand reached the space where Yellow had been, there was certainly something there . ¡¸Was that the special ability written in the letter?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ That¡¯s right, Yellow seemed to say as Rei heard its cry from the empty space . The next moment, it released its transparency and reappeared . As he watched that, he remembered the contents of Elena¡¯s letter . ¡¸I see . Certainly, there¡¯s no need to be worried about being attacked if you can¡¯t be found by the enemy . Not being attacked by enemies is quite nice . ¡¹ Rei nodded in understanding, but the reality was a little different . Elena had been collecting old books and ancient documents little by little in order to learn Dragon Language, but even then, it was basically a magic that no one used anymore . It was difficult to learn and although she had succeeded in creating Yellow, it¡¯s ability was only on the level of fighting Goblins . Still she had the luck to create Yellow and was also fortunate enough for Yellow to be created with the ability to become invisible . ¡¸Well, I guess that¡¯s fine . So, will you deliver the letter I wrote to Elena?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Leave it to me! ¡¡Yellow seemed to say with as it puffed out its chest with pride . While watching it, he immediately grabbed the pen on the desk in his room¡­¡­and stopped moving . ¡¸¡­¡­What should I write about?¡¹ Speaking of letters, Rei had basically only written new year¡¯s cards . He thought that it would be nice to write about what had happened in Baar . But that would just be telling her again as she should have heard from Ara . (In that case, after returning to Gilm¡­¡­ah, that¡¯s right . I received a magic item from the guild master¡­¡­I should also write that she is a Dark Elf who was originally in a party with the guild master and lord in Baar . Rei thought about that in his mind and wrote it down as it was . Although his words weren¡¯t written beautifully, it still had a feeling of good handwriting . ¡­¡­However, Rei¡¯s only mistake was writing that the guild master was a beautiful Dark Elf . To Elena, who had given her first kiss to Rei, seeing on the letter that the guild master, Marina, was a beauty, would make her quite flustered in future . (Afterwards, I took on a Blue Caterpillar subjugation mission with Rhodes, who is a member of Axe of the Thunder God, which Elena knows about . As for the spies¡­¡­I don¡¯t know if I can tell her about that or not . ) After writing about how weird the Blue Caterpillar looked and how Set refused to eat it, he added that he hoped Elena would stay healthy as well . That was how he finished his letter . ¡¸Hmm, something like this?¡¡Well, this is the first time I¡¯ve sent a letter to a noble since I was born, even if something is wrong, Elena won¡¯t mind . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Don¡¯t worry, it seemed to say with a cry . For Yellow, Elena had only ordered it to bring back a letter and the contents of the letter were not so important to it . It had no life experience, or experience as a dragon, because it had only just been created recently . It couldn¡¯t be helped that it didn¡¯t care much about the details . Seeing Yellow like that, Rei, who wasn¡¯t really familiar with writing letters, made a brief conclusion . ¡¸So, what do you want to do now?¡¡Do you want to bring back the letter right away?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu~¡¹ Yellow shook his head when asked by Rei . Of course, his biggest job was to bring back a letter from Rei, but it also had another task that Elena had ordered it to do . However, Rei had no such knowledge of that and just tilted his head slightly at Yellow¡¯s response . ¡¸Hm?¡¡You don¡¯t want to go home yet? Hm, well then, do you want to look around the city?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow gave a small cry at Rei¡¯s proposal . ¡¸Okay . If Yellow also wants to do that, then let¡¯s go out to the city for a bit . Set would also be bored in the stables . ¡¹ Putting on his Dragon Robe, he got ready to head out . ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow, who was watching him, gave a short cry as it landed on Rei¡¯s shoulder, turning invisible at the same time . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s convenient . ¡¹ Rei muttered unintentionally . Rei had taken on many requests in the guild, but most of them had been subjugation requests in order to collect magic stones . Being able to turn invisible to hunt monsters, it was clearly obvious how advantageous that would be . (But, there are a lot of monsters that rely on sounds, smells, sensing magic and many other methods that don¡¯t use sight, so it wouldn¡¯t be completely safe either . ) Thinking like that, he went to the stables from the entrance of the inn . The snow outside had already fallen to about 10cm in depth and it was still snowing, although lightly . ¡¸Well, it seems that Set doesn¡¯t seem to dislike the snow . ¡¹ If Set was the type to curl up like a cat, Rei thought that it would be amusing¡­¡­however, if that happened, it would probably become troublesome to leave the city in winter . As he entered the stables while thinking of that, a horse and a large deformed bird monster turned to look at Rei with interest . (¡­¡­It¡¯s probably because they haven¡¯t been in the stables long enough that they¡¯re still scared of Set¡­¡­ahh, come to think of it, some mercenaries had come over . ) Over the past few days, Rei had seen strangers in the cafeteria several times . It also reminded him of the parties they had had at night . As expected, they were tamed monsters belonging to the mercenaries . But before Set, they weren¡¯t much different or greater than the horses that had belonged to other guests . Of course, they weren¡¯t restless . But it was more obvious when Set was around compared to when he wasn¡¯t . That said, they still weren¡¯t calm enough to move around normally when Set was around . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Guessing that Rei had come over, Set left the stables . ¡¸Guru¡­¡­Guru~?¡¹ As usual, Set tried to get Rei to dote on him but soon noticed the presence on Rei¡¯s right shoulder with his senses as a Griffon . Still, he didn¡¯t move to attack immediately, probably because he understood that Yellow, who had been invisible on Rei¡¯s shoulder, was not dangerous to Rei . What¡¯s on your right shoulder?¡¡But as Set was about to say that, his eyes went round as he looked at Rei¡¯s right shoulder . ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Even Yellow had noticed that Set was looking at it . It gave a small cry as it reappeared and used its short wings to fly towards Set . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ ¡¸Guru?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~, Gurururu~ . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyukyu!¡¡Kyu!¡¹ (¡­¡­They¡¯ve established a conversation¡­¡­have they?) For a while, Set and Yellow made small cries to each other . In the end, maybe they managed to communicate their intentions with body language . In any case, after a few minutes, Yellow had become completely attached to Set and was riding on his back . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s better than getting into a fight . ¡­¡­Yellow, don¡¯t forget to hide yourself if someone comes . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ With a short cry, Yellow lay down on Set¡¯s back . While smiling involuntarily, Rei asked as he stroked Set¡¯s head . ¡¸I¡¯m thinking of going for a walk in the city, do you want to go as well Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Of course, Set seemed to say . Rei prepared to leave the stables as he smiled at Set, who was quite excited . When Rei and Set left stables, the horses inside seemed to relax somewhat while Yellow turned invisible on Set¡¯s back . ¡¸¡­¡­That reminds me¡¹ Seeing the snow that had falling lightly and piling up on the road, Rei muttered to himself . (Yellow is a familiar created using Dragon Language, but it still looks like a dragon . ¡­¡­Is it okay in this cold weather? ¡¡I wonder if it needs to hibernate . ) ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ Rei had considered dragons and lizards to be the same thing, but that was just his own thoughts . A cry was heard from on top of Set . Yellow couldn¡¯t be seen because it had turned invisible, but it was still quite easy to guess that he was tilting its head to one side puzzledly . ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing . ¡¹ Thinking that it probably wasn¡¯t right to lump dragons and lizards into the same group, Rei shook his head as if it were nothing . As Set walked along and enjoyed the feeling of crushing snow with his forefeet, they eventually made it to the main street . Due to the cold weather and the fact that it was snowing, most of the street stalls that had been around previously had all gone . Overall, the number of stalls had decreased . However, the stalls that remained had quite a few customers . The food served by the different stalls were all slightly different with one exception . They all had udon . ¡¸Heh . A lot of different types of udon have appeared . ¡¹ While looking at the food stalls, Rei murmured . The main ingredient was udon, but the soups were all different . The most popular was a soup that contained plenty of meat and vegetables, like the one that was first made in the Satisfied Stomach . However, there were also stalls where you could eat it with something similar to a minced meat sauce . There were also stalls that offered a salty grilled udon, as soy sauce didn¡¯t exist . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set, who smelled the scent of food in the surroundings, gave a cry that he wanted to eat . However, hearing that, Rei looked at the stores around him a little troubledly . After all, udon was basically a soup dish . Some restaurants offered grilled udon noodles, but they were different from the sandwiches and skewers that were often eaten by Rei . And if they ate at the stall, Set with his 2m large body would obviously get in the way of other customers . If it were a stand without customers, that might have been fine, but from what Rei would see, most stalls selling udon had at least several customers around . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s not udon, but skewers are fine right?¡¹ Rei finally chose a food that was good for eating while walking . Although udon was now mainstream, it was typically only offered as a side menu to some extent by stalls . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a regretful cry . ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ As if to comfort Set, Yellow gave a cry from Set¡¯s back . Ultimately, he ended up buying about 20 skewers and ate them with Set and Yellow as they walked under the lightly falling snow . Chapter 215 Chapter 215 ¡¸Hmm?¡¡Rei-kun . Anything happened today?¡¹ Kenny was quick to spot Rei after he entered the guild and called out to him with a smile . Rei headed towards the counter . On that note, the fact that he didn¡¯t choose to head towards the bar showed that he wasn¡¯t that interested in alcohol . It also had the purpose of avoiding running into drunks who had been drinking during the day . After all, although there were almost no people would try to mess with Rei if they were sober, if they saw Rei while drunk¡­¡­a lot of trouble might end up happening . ¡¸No, I¡¯m just trying to kill some time¡­¡­it¡¯s seems that I have quite a lot of it . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha . It is winter after all . It¡¯s always like this at this time of the year . Hey, Lenora . ¡¹ Saying that, Kenny called out to Lenora, who was checking some documents next to her . ¡¸Yes . But that doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s no work . I still have to go through the documents . Ah, hello Rei-san . ¡¹ While looking through her documents, she replied lightly before pausing her work and bowing her head slightly to greet Rei . As she did did that, her familiar ponytail shook slightly . ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¡Did you say something just now?¡¹ Lenora asked involuntarily at the sound she heard from Rei¡¯s direction . ¡¸¡­¡­No, did you just imagine it?¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¡Hmm, I must be getting tired . ¡¹ Tilting her head, she decided to take a break and took her hand off the documents she was working with . But Rei turned his eyes to his shoulder . That was where Yellow, who was currently invisible, was . He had though that it might have wanted to wait outside the guild with Set, but for some reason had hopped onto Rei¡¯s right shoulder before he entered the guild . It wasn¡¯t a problem because it was invisible, but if it showed itself, there would have been a big fuss about him having a young dragon . No, maybe people would have just accepted it because he was Rei . That all said, Yellow had been told by its master, Elena, not to cause a fuss . But it had also been given a higher priority order . That was its next highest priority after delivering and bringing back a letter . In order to complete that order, Yellow stared at Lenora and Kenny, who continued their conversation with Rei . It remembered their faces to make sure it wouldn¡¯t forget . ¡­¡­Yes . That is, it faithfully followed Elena¡¯s instructions to investigate what kind of women Rei interacted with . ¡¸Speaking of which, what happened to Scorching Wind? ¡¡It seems they had gone out to hunt Lizardmen even though it is winter . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, it seems that Milein-san had wasted a lot of money . Sulunin-san was complaining a bit about it . Still, it seems that they managed to save up enough to last through winter with that last request . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Kenny . You shouldn¡¯t tell other adventurers that information so easily!¡¹ While listening in from the side, Lenora warned Kenny to be careful with a frown, but Kenny just shrugged her shoulders . ¡¸I know . Seriously, you¡¯re so strait laced . ¡¹ ¡¸You know . You¡¯re a guild receptionist, you should think with your common sense first . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . ¡­¡­Ah, speaking of which . ¡­¡­¡¹ Kenny, who was talking with Lenora, took out a document as she just remembered about it . ¡¸Rei-kun, I¡¯ve got good news and some not so good news¡­¡­which one do you want to hear first . ¡¹ Saying that, she picked up the two documents and waved them in front of Rei . (The good report¡­¡­it¡¯s probably about ranking up . In addition to the fact that I was close to ranking up after my time in Baar, there was also that request to hunt Blue Caterpillars and the spy incident . ) Passing through Rei¡¯s mind was the request from Ranga, which had been processed as a nominated request . The reward had included some hush money for him to keep everything a secret for now, but excluding that, the reward was still extraordinary for a D rank adventurer . While thinking about that, Rei decided to reply first . ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll hear the good news first . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay . Ta-dah!¡¹ Kenny showed him the document he had on her right hand as she said that . The document clearly stated that Rei¡¯s rank would go from D to C, along with the guild masters approval, as expected . ¡¸C rank, is it . ¡¹ Because it was what he had expected, Rei nodded his head as he received the document from Kenny and filled in the necessary details, including signing his name with a pen . Kenny, who was looking on, spoke while looking somewhat astonished . ¡¸Huh?¡¡You¡¯re not surprised?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I had been told by Min before taking on the Blue Caterpillar subjugation request that I was only just a bit short of ranking up . ¡¹ ¡¸But to get to rank C in such a short time!?¡¡Do you know we¡¯ve still been updated the fastest rank up record since the adventurers guild was established in Gilm!?¡¹ Although Kenny said that with great emphasis, it wasn¡¯t something that would make Rei so happy that he would get so excited . Of course, since his rank had risen, it meant that he could receive requests with a higher rank than before, which meant encountering more powerful monsters and increasing the probability of getting new magic stones . Because of that, if he was asked if he was happy or not, he would definitely say he was happy about it . However, he had lost his timing to say it after seeing Kenny, who was so much more excited about it than he was . ¡¸Mm . Well, it can¡¯t be helped . In that case, enough about that¡­¡­yes, next is that trickier one . It¡¯s related to your rank up . ¡¹ At those words, he was passed a request form . The contents were that he was requested to provide combat instruction to a person for about a week . What was unusual that where the client was stated, ¡ºMouet Cisne¡»was written . It was a request from a noble with a surname . In addition, the politely written request had named him specifically . The reward was 5 copper . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Reading the contents, Rei frowned . Speaking of the nominated requests he had received so far, they had been to search dungeons, deliver medicinal ingredients to Baar or to capture spies that had infiltrated into the city of Gilm . Comparing each of them, they had all been troublesome . Of course, he knew that nominated requests usually had some good reason . But considering what he had experienced so far, it was the truth . (There wouldn¡¯t be any problems with a nominated request to hunt monsters¡­¡­but, among all things, to train a noble . There¡¯s no other request that would fit me worse than something like this . In addition, the reward is unusually cheap . ) ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t look so disgusted by it . Because this is also involved in ranking up . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I heard that you would only need to take tests when ranking up from E to D and from C to B?¡¹ Rei asked while recalling what he had heard previously, but simply nodded her head in agreement . ¡¸That¡¯s right . In fact, this is not a test . So, even if you fail this request, it won¡¯t affect your rank up . However, this is sort of like a C rank request¡­¡­well, maybe it¡¯s like a trial . That is why the reward is so small . You would be given your C rank guild card on completion of this request . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . So, why have I been nominated in this case?¡¹ ¡¸This is due to a result of negotiations by the guild . The guild has referred you as a suitable person to the other party . ¡¹ ¡¸What is the failure condition of the request?¡¹ ¡¸A statement from the other party . However, since the premise of the request is to gain the experience of a C rank request, it¡¯s a lot easier as it isn¡¯t an ordinary request . ¡¹ (Well, what¡¯s up with that deal? No, I don¡¯t really have a choice but to upgrade my rank . Of course, I could still rank up even if I didn¡¯t take the request, but some negative factors would probably show up later . ) Giving a sigh at Kenny¡¯s words, Rei nodded his head . On Rei¡¯s right shoulder, Yellow rubbed his body against Rei¡¯s cheek as if to silently encourage him . Yellow stayed silent as it remembered that it had been told to keep its presence hidden . Rei continued to talk with Kenny while being impressed at Yellow¡¯s intelligence . ¡¸So, specifically, when does the noble¡­¡­uh . ¡¹ ¡¸Baron Cisne . ¡¹ ¡¸When should I head over to Baron Cisne?¡¹ ¡¸That hasn¡¯t been specified yet . However, there is a deadline . Let me see¡­¡­within 10 days, including today . ¡¹ ¡¸10 days, is it? I understand . I should head there soon then . Can you give me directions to Baron Cisne¡¯s residence?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, wait a moment . ¡­¡­Here, this . ¡¹ Without any hesitation, Kenny took out a hand drawn map from nearby documents and handed it over to Rei . Perhaps she had predicted that Rei would not decline the request . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, okay then . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡¡What?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing . In that case, I guess I¡¯m done here?¡¹ Hearing from Rei that he would get going if there was nothing else, Kenny reached out from behind the counter and grabbed the hem of Rei¡¯s robe . ¡¸Is there still something I have to do?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t have anymore business¡­¡­but a meal¡­¡­how about that?¡¹ Kenny was older than Rei, but Rei was currently taller as she had been sitting down . As Kenny invited Rei out for a meal with upturned eyes, Rei almost involuntarily nodded when¡­¡­ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ ¡¸Kenny, you always talk about those things . I¡¯ve told you no discussions about your own life while at work . ¡¹ Yellow¡¯s right forefoot hit Rei¡¯s cheek as he gave a small cry at the same time Lenora called out to Kenny . Luckily, Lenora and Yellow¡¯s voices almost overlapped, so it seemed no one noticed anything strange¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, Lenora . ¡¹ ¡¸W-What¡¯s with this all of a sudden . This isn¡¯t how you usually are . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not it . Didn¡¯t you hear a strange sound just now?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A strange sound?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It sounded like a small animal¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­there are no summoners or summoned beasts here though?¡¹ ¡¸Did I mishear that?¡¹ Lenora didn¡¯t seem to have heard it, but Kenny, who was on same side as Yellow, seemed to have heard it . Still, she looked like she might have misheard it because of its quiet cry . ¡¸Maybe . ¡­¡­That¡¯s not the point . Never mind that, you should concentrate on your work Kenny . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you tell me to work¡­¡­there¡¯s not much left . After all, most adventurers have stopped work, so naturally won¡¯t we have less work?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . ¡¹ In some way, Kenny¡¯s reasoning made sense and Lenora was at a loss for words . Rei watched the two of them, but Yellow, who was still invisible, poked Rei¡¯s cheek withi its forefoot and prompted him to hurry out . ¡­¡­Yes, this was one of the orders Yellow had received from Elena . In other words, try to find out who likely held some affection for Rei and if they tried to get close to him, stop it as much as was possible . However, because Yellow was only 20cm in length, it¡¯s physical strength was limited . The only thing it could do was to interfere with the current situation . ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll get going if there¡¯s no more business¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh, hey, Rei . Since you¡¯re at the guild, stop by our table!¡¹ Soon after Rei spoke, someone put a hand on his shoulder . It was fortunate that the person¡¯s hand had grabbed his left shoulder . If they had grabbed his right shoulder, Yellow would have been knocked off and exposed . Even though it could turn invisible, it was only it¡¯s appearance . Even in that state, Yellow was still physically there . In other words, you could still feel it . Feeling a sense of relief, Rei looked back and saw a female warrior in her 30¡¯s or so . Perhaps she was drunk . Her cheeks were faintly dyed red . ¡¸Freon . ¡¹ Turning around, Rei called out the name of the female warrior while looking at her face . She was a member of the Rank C party, Crushing Warriors, with who he had previously taken on a Harpy subjugation request . Even though she was in her 30¡¯s, she still looked pretty good . Kenny, who had been fighting with Lenora a few second ago, turned to look at Freon alertly . To Kenny, a guild receptionist, Freon, who was an adventurer like Rei and had no particular partner was definitely worthy of her vigilance . However, this was just Kenny¡¯s own imagination . For Freon, Rei was a kid in his mid teens, half her age . She didn¡¯t see him as someone of the opposite gender . To Freon, she only saw Rei as someone like a younger brother . ¡­¡­Still, it would be a mistake to say they looked like a ¡ºson¡»and¡ºmother¡»and it was forbidden to call them¡ºparent and child¡» . Brazos, the other member of Crushing Warriors, had said that before and considering that he was hammered into the ground despite being a Dwarf, famed for their ability to take hits, the danger of those words was understood by everyone . In the end, he was invited to participate in a party with Freon and Brazos in the yard attached to the guild . Luckily for Rei, he was able to leave before getting drunk . Chapter 216 Chapter 216 ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Today, it wasn¡¯t the dazzling morning sun or a knock on the door that woke him, but a cute cry . ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm¡­¡­¡¹ The first thing that greeted Rei when he opened his eyes was a small dragon about 20cm in length . It was Yellow, the dragon that Elena had created as a familiar . ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow looked at the direction of the window at Rei¡¯s sluggish question . ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Continuing on, he looked at the letter on the table¡­¡­the letter Rei had written to Elena . Rei, who was watching on, finally understood what Yellow wanted to do . In short . ¡¸You want to go back to Elena?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Yellow gave a small cry . Seeing that, Rei brushed its head lightly before reaching for the piece of cloth that was used to wrap up Elena¡¯s letter . ¡¸Here, come over for a moment . I¡¯ll do the same as when you brought Elena¡¯s letter over, it will keep it from being blown away by the wind . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s voice, Yellow flew over to Rei¡¯s knees, lightly flapping his wings . Seeing that, Rei leaned over . (The size of its wings is less than 10cm, but it can still fly through the sky with them . ) He thought about that, but saying that, it was the same for Set . The wings that grew from Set¡¯s back torso of a lion were large, but they still shouldn¡¯t have been enough for a giant over 2m in length to fly just by flapping its wings . (Well, no matter how I think about it, it¡¯s not aerodynamically possible, I guess it¡¯s better to say they fly using magic . ) While thinking to himself, he wrapped up the envelope containing his letter with the piece of cloth before wrapping it around Yellow¡¯s torso and tying a knot . ¡¸Even so, I hope you¡¯ll fly a bit slower . You arrived yesterday and are heading back today¡­¡­you¡¯ve been rushing around for a while . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow shook his head at Rei¡¯s words . Because it was only this large to begin with, its flying speed wasn¡¯t that fast . Of course, it was still much faster than traveling along the ground, but it was still nothing compared to the speed of other monsters that flew through the sky . In that sense, even though it was by chance, it was quite fortunate that Yellow had gained the ability to become invisible . But even with that ability, it would take some time to get back to Anessis where Elena lived . It could be considered a blessing in disguise that it was a familiar, as a result, it wasn¡¯t necessary for it to eat any food and he didn¡¯t have to worry about eating . However, there was a risk that it would disappear if the magic power that Elena had given it ran too low . In the end, it was impossible for Rei to command Elena¡¯s familiar, and with a short cry, Yellow jumped out the open window . ¡¸Heh . As expected of a dragon . ¡¹ Rei watched Yellow as he saw it fly out the window . It took it a few seconds to turn invisible with its special ability, but during those few seconds Yellow was small enough that it could go on its way without being noticed . And because Yellow had turned invisible, Rei¡¯s sendoff also ended . He shivered for a moment at the cold winter wind that blew into the room before he immediately closed the window and put on his Dragon Robe . Then, quickly getting ready, he ate a meal at the cafeteria before taking Set out into the city . Of course, his destination was the noble district where Baron Cisne¡¯s residence was, as per the request he received yesterday . People who were walking through the city were wearing robes and coats, enduring the cold and hurrying around quickly while dyeing their breath white . Rei and Set walked through the city like that . After all, Rei had the Dragon Robe which blocked off all the cold, and to Set, this degree of cold was barely noticeable . He looked very out of place given the harsh environment, but it was obvious who he was as he had taken Set with him, so not too many people paid attention to him as he walked towards the noble district . He had visited the noble¡¯s district previously during the incident with Bolton, so he arrived there without any particular issues . Some adventurers, who had been hired as gatekeepers, kept a lookout for any suspicious people trying to enter . But as they already knew Rei¡¯s face, they passed through without any problems . After all, it was Rei and his Griffon, Set . The case with Azoth Firm that had happened a while ago was also very famous . ¡¸Uhh, follow this road to the left¡­¡­the third house? There is a bronze statue of an owl at the gate, so it should be easy to spot¡­¡­ah, this is certainly the one . ¡¹ Rei, who was walking along the road, found the mansion he was looking for using the map Kenny had given him yesterday . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Wow . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei involuntarily raised a voice of surprise, and Set gave a cry in agreement . After all, the residence that Rei was looking at was clearly smaller than what he had expected to see after hearing of a noble¡¯s mansion . It was probably only 1/5 of the size of Bolton¡¯s mansion, which he had previously got caught up in a disturbance at . Of course, it was still quite large compared to the homes of the general residents of the city, but it was still unexpected to say the least . And unlike the residences of other nobles, there was no sign of a gatekeeper at the gate of the small mansion . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, Set . How should we do this?¡¡Do you think it¡¯s fine to just enter ourselves?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Even though he asked Set, Set could only look back at him puzzledly, not knowing how to reply . ¡¸As an adventurer who is supposed to be promoted to rank C, I can¡¯t just intrude into a noble¡¯s residence without permission . ¡¹ To be exact, whether this request was a success or a failure, he would only reach rank C after reporting back to the guild . Because of that, Rei¡¯s current rank was still rank D . (Anyhow¡­¡­) Rei looked into the mansion from outside the gate and gave a involuntarily sigh . Looking at what could be seen from the outside, the mansion was properly maintained, at least the parts that could be seen . As for the areas that couldn¡¯t be seen from the road in front of the mansion, they were hardly maintained and left in a state of neglect¡­¡­although not completely dead, there was quite a large amount of dead grass and trees . Perhaps if he had come to the residence in summer, there would have been a lot of weeds . (The scale of the house and the state of the garden . Given how they look, it¡¯s not unreasonable that the reward is so low . It would probably right to say that Baron Cisne is poor . In that case, the condition for raising this request to rank C might have been discussed between the guild and Baron Cisne in order to both get what they wanted¡­¡­something like that?) Even though he had thought about it, he couldn¡¯t just head back, nor could he enter the residence without permission . Because of that, Rei, who was just standing in front of the mansion, became an unnatural presence¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, you . What are you doing there!¡¹ And in that situation, there would of course be adventurers who had been hired to patrol the noble district . Approaching Rei were a total of 3 people, a man in his 30¡¯s and a man and woman in their 20¡¯s . Each of them wore a matching armour and sword . (As expected, nobles like boasting of their wealth, or maybe because they would look strange wearing different equipment¡­¡­actually, that¡¯s probably the reason . ) Rei called out while thinking of that to escape from reality . ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯m not a suspicious person . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, I think aimless standing in front of a noble¡¯s residence is suspicious enough . ¡¹ The man in his 20¡¯s quickly replied at Rei¡¯s words . His tone was light, but his eyes were observing Rei vigilantly . He moved his hand to the handle of his sword, ready to pull it out as soon as anything happened . ¡¸¡­¡­I will ask first, but why are you standing in front of this mansion?¡¡It also looks like you¡¯ve been standing here for a while . ¡¹ Seeing that the snow that had fallen at the front of the gate had all been stepped on the, the female adventurer asked . ¡¸A mage with a Griffon . If I remember correctly, you¡¯re that adventurer, Rei, right?¡¹ Perhaps he knew about Rei . When asked by the man in his 30¡¯s, Rei replied . ¡¸Ahh . I¡¯m Rei, a rank D adventurer . I received a request from Baron Cisne today¡­¡­but as you can see, there¡¯s no gatekeeper . I was troubled as I can¡¯t just walk into the mansion without permission . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . ¡¹ The man in his 20¡¯s smiled in understanding at Rei¡¯s words . However, that smile was something that would be best called a bitter smile . ¡¸¡­¡­Just in case, let me check your guild card . I think there¡¯s basically no doubt since you have a Griffon with you, but just in case . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ The man in his 30¡¯s listened to Rei¡¯s explanation, and seeing that the man¡¯s attitude had relaxed, Rei took out his guild card from the Misty Ring and handed it over . (Seeing this, it seems that the poverty of Baron Cisne is quite well known . ) ¡¸I have confirmed that you are a rank D adventurer, Rei . But, I think that if you just stay here as things are, you¡¯ll still be called out by the others on patrol aside from us¡­¡­what do you plan to do?¡¹ ¡¸No, even if you say that . I¡¯ve received a request¡­¡­¡¹ As he was replying to the man in his 30¡¯s, who appeared to be the leader of the adventurers, a shadow rushed out from the other side of the road towards Rei and entered his line of sight . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . Are you an adventurer from the guild?¡¹ The person called out loudly while running . In terms of age, she was a girl in her mid teens, no different from Rei . Under the coat she wore was something that looked like a maid uniform . And in her hands was a bag containing food that she had just bought¡­¡­ ¡¸Apologies for making you wait . I¡¯m Ashieka, a maid who serves Baron Cisneaahhh!¡¹ ¡¸Oh!¡¹ The female adventurer supported the girl, who gave a cry as she was about to fall over . ¡¸¡­¡­Ashieka is a rare name . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not really true . ¡¹ The young man whispered as the man in his 30¡¯s retorted . The female adventurer spoke while holding onto the maid so that she didn¡¯t fall . ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . Sorry for the inconvenience¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine . But it¡¯s snowing and slippery, so don¡¯t run too much . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you . ¡¹ The maid repeatedly thanked the female adventurer who supported her while bowing her head . The younger male adventurer, who had been looking at her with some amusement, finally spoke after calming down . ¡¸This person is an adventurer called Rei, he told us that he¡¯s received a request from Baron Cisne¡­¡­speaking of what you just said, you¡¯re a maid from Baron Cisne¡¯s residence right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . That¡¯s right . I was going to meet with you, but I had forgotten to buy some food . ¡­¡­Ah?¡¡Wow, is this the rumored Set-san? Nice to meet you . ¡¹ When the maid answered Rei¡¯s question¡­¡­for some reason, she then went over to Set . ¡¸Uwa~ . It¡¯s really a Griffon . I¡¯ve only heard about him . ¡¹ The influence of Rei coming to the noble district several times before was that rumors of him had spread even here . That was what Rei had thought, but it really wasn¡¯t true . Nobles all knew that Duke Kerebel, a central figure in the Nobles Faction, valued Rei highly . In addition, he had tried to reel him in due to the relationship he had with the General Princess, the symbol of the Nobles Faction . With regards to the largest faction, the Royalist Faction, Rei was being watched by them with great interest and they had intentions of making contact with him . It went without saying that the lord who governed this city was a member of the Neutral Faction . ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯d be glad if you could ignore Set for now . Well then . I¡¯ve been asked to provided combat training¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . That¡¯s right . My master had entrusted me to request combat training for the young master . ¡¹ The maid bowed her head with a smile . In order not to get in the way of her work, her blue hair, which was now fluttering, was trimmed to above her shoulders . She gave off a naturally warm atmosphere as she smiled and turned to Rei . ¡¸Well, so you can confirm that this person is the one you¡¯ve requested for?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I guess so . ¡¹ At the female adventurer¡¯s question, the maid answered with a smile . They judged that there was no longer an issue after seeing the situation . Among the three of them, the middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader nodded his head . ¡¸There¡¯s no problem with that . Well, we are sorry for this . We still have to continue patrolling . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . We apologise for the inconvenience . ¡¹ The maid bowed towards the three people again as they went on their way . Chapter 217 Chapter 217 After the three adventurers patrolling the nobles district left, the maid, Ashie, turned towards Rei after seeing them off . ¡¸Now then, Rei-san and Set-san . Please come in . I¡¯ll call my master right away . ¡¹ While smiling, she opened the gate and invited Rei and Set in . Following her prompt, Rei and Set went through the gate, but¡­ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave an unfortunate cry . At any rate, the door to the residence was not big enough and it would be very hard for Set to enter . Although his body could squeeze through, the wings growing on his back got stuck . ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­I¡¯m really sorry but¡­¡­¡¹ Ashie looked at Rei looking somewhat troubled . With a wry smile, Rei spoke while brushing Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Sorry about that Set . Wait outside as usual . If it¡¯s too cold you can go back to the inn, what would you like to do?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set turned to look at the garden with a cry . ¡¸Can he wait for me in the garden?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, but¡­¡­the garden is¡­¡­¡¹ Rei more or less understood what Ashie wanted to say to him . The garden as seen from the outside was neatly arranged, but its back was a different matter . Rei wondered if the places he couldn¡¯t see from the path to the residence were not as well kept . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Set is a monster in the first place . There isn¡¯t a problem even if it is well maintained because he used to live deep in the mountains . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Pardon me¡­¡­¡¹ For the residence of a noble, the maid was probably quite embarrassed at its current state . Rei looked around as Ashie¡¯s face went red . ¡¸That¡¯s that . Wait for me outside, Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a cry to say that he understood, Set walked over to the garden . Seeing that, Ashie guided Re into the residence . Inside the residence, some things were as Rei expected and some things were way out of his expectation . He had expected that the Baron wasn¡¯t rich even though he was a noble, but the entrance hall right after entering the residence wasn¡¯t decorated with any sort of paintings or artworks . It was beyond his expectation to see such a barren sight . Rather than calling it an entrance hall, it would be more accurate to call it a simple entryway . (¡­¡­Could he be, what people call a fallen noble?¡¡Or did he make some mistakes in the capital and was sent to the frontier?) As he thought about that, Ashie guided Rei to a reception in under a minute . ¡¸Please wait a moment here . I¡¯ll call my master right away . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand . ¡¹ While holding her paper bag with with food, she apologised lightly before leaving the reception room . Rei, who was left in the reception room, sat on the sofa and looked around . ¡¸Here again . ¡¹ Speaking of the reception room, it was basically a room to accommodate guests who were visiting . In other words, it was room that could be called the face of a residence . However, in this reception room, like the entrance hall, the items that were likely to decorate the room of a noble¡¯s residence such as paintings, vases, ornaments, weapons or trophies from monsters and animals were nowhere to be seen . After looking around the room, he turned to the sofa . The sofa may be a fine item for ordinary people, but there was no doubt that for nobles, it would be considered inferior furniture . (I don¡¯t know the reason, but there¡¯s no doubt that they are poor . That said, it might actually be interesting if they turned out to be just a miserly family . ) As he was thinking about that as he sat on the sofa, there was a knock on the door, and Ashie, who had just left earlier, came back in . ¡¸Pardon me . My master and young master will be coming soon, so please wait a moment longer . ¡¹ Informing Rei, she picked up a cup of tea from the tray she held in her hands and placed it in front of Rei . (¡­¡­Heh . ) There was a faint floral scent coming from the cup as he brought it to his mouth and a sweetness spread through his mouth with a slight astringency as he drank some . ¡¸Delicious . ¡¹ Rei spoke instinctively as he tasted the tea . Ashie smiled happily when she heard that . ¡¸It¡¯s good that it suits your taste . Actually, this tea was hand made by me . It¡¯s from drying the flowers in the garden¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see, herbal tea . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . That¡¯s right . My master also likes this tea, so I serve it often¡­¡­ah, I¡¯m sorry . Telling all this to a guest . ¡¹ She was happy that Rei had praised her herbal tea . Smiling, Ashie was about to continue speaking before immediately covering her mouth . But to Rei, it wasn¡¯t something to be too concerned about, especially with regards to etiquette . If it had made him feel unpleasant it would be a different matter, but it wasn¡¯t the case . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . I don¡¯t know what other guests would think if they were nobles, but I¡¯m just an adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much . ¡¹ Ashie gave a quick bow before suddenly turning her head towards the door . ¡¸It seems the master and young master have come . ¡¹ Saying that, she moved to the wall . A few seconds later, the door was opened and two people came in, Rei stood up from the sofa to welcome them into the room . One was about 170cm in height . A middle-aged man with a smile that looked more like a civilian than a noble . Although he had a mustache, it seemed to Rei that it emphasised his lack of care rather than looking dignified . And next to him was a weak looking child about 130cm in height . He looked to be about the age of 10 . ¡¸Hello . Are you Rei-kun?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I am Rei, the rank D adventurer who has accepted your request . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, feel free to talk as you usually do . Even if you call me a noble, I¡¯m just a poor noble as you can see . It wouldn¡¯t be strange for me to lose my nobility at any time . It¡¯s not necessary for you to use noble etiquette . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, then, if you¡¯re okay with that, I feel more at ease not using it as well . ¡¹ It was as Rei expected¡­¡­no, it seemed that their financial situation was even worse than what he had expected . (So that¡¯s why the reward was such a tiny amount of money . ) ¡¸As you should know from the request form, I¡¯m Mouet Cisne . I have the status of a baron . ¡­¡­Well, I say that, but I¡¯m just a poor noble . And, here is my son, Baslero Cisne . Baslero, say hello . ¡¹ Prompted by his father, the boy called Baslero took a step forward . ¡¸Nice to meet you . My name is Baslero Cisne . I am very happy to be trained by Rei-san, who I¡¯ve heard a lot about in the city . ¡¹ His clever words despite his age of 10 was probably due to the education he received as a noble . Rei thought of that as he looked as Baslero, who had bowed his head energetically . ¡¸Well then, greetings are done with . ¡­¡­Ah, yes . Ashie, sorry, but could you get some tea for me and Baslero? All the herbal teas you make are delicious . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand, master . I will prepare some immediately . ¡¹ Ashie, who was waiting near the wall, gave a bow before immediately preparing some tea as Mouet had asked for . ¡¸Now then, please sit down first . I will explain the request as we drink the tea . ¡­¡­As you can see, my family are poor nobles, to say the least . Though this may sound sarcastic if I said this to a poor person . ¡­¡­However, as a poor noble, I¡¯m glad to just own a residence with a yard . Well, I can¡¯t afford to hire a person to take care of the garden, so I have no choice tbut to manage it myself . ¡­¡­All that said, I take some pride in the herbal tea made from the flowers in the garden . ¡¹ Mouet recommending Ashie¡¯s tea to Rei with such an attitude was very unlike that of a noble . Rei also knew how delicious the tea was, so he spoke as he raised his cup . ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s definitely delicious . It¡¯s taste is good enough to be sold at a store . ¡¹ Saying that it wouldn¡¯t be strange for it to be sold at a store, Ashie¡¯s cheeks turned red . Rather than seeing Ashie as a maid, Mouet seemed to treat her more like a daughter . Next to him, Baslero also smiled happily seeing Ashie praised . It was fine for Rei to continue the conversation for a while, but his reason for being here was to take on a request . Rei spoke to the three people, who had created the atmosphere of a family gathering . ¡¸So, about the request . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry . Let me see, as described in the request form, I would like to ask you to provide Baslero combat training . ¡¹ ¡¸I-I will be in your care!¡¹ Baslero sat down as he gave a quick bow . ¡¸¡­¡­No, wait a minute . What you just said, what to say¡­¡­¡¹ Most people would have thought the same thing, but Baslero was just a 10 year old child and Rei was a bit confused as to why he would need combat instruction . And, Mouet probably expected Rei¡¯s reaction . He brushed the head of Baslero, who was sitting next to him, with an awkward smile . ¡¸Yes, I know what Rei-kun wants to say . You want to say that it¡¯s meaningless to have such a young kid undergo combat training for just a week¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, yes . ¡¹ Rei agreed with Baslero¡¯s words . In the first place, combat instruction was only for a short period of time, it didn¡¯t mean that he would be able to learn anything . In Rei¡¯s case, he had Zepairu¡¯s knowledge and his own amazing physical ability and enormous magic power . If they had the experience of fighting in the mountains as Rei had, they might be an exception, but ordinary humans would be unable to imitate him . And more than anything . ¡¸My style of fighting is basically self taught . It¡¯s not from some sort of school or anything . ¡¹ (Well, since the Death Scythe was created using the Magic Beast Art, it can¡¯t be helped . ) Even in this world of adventurers and knights, there were very few people who would use a scythe as a weapon . If one wanted to use a weapon with reach, the spear was the most popular . Rei was the only person in Gilm, Baar or the dungeon to use a large scythe, which was overwhelming harder to wield in comparison to a spear . Of course, Rei wouldn¡¯t be the only one in the world to use a large scythe, but there were few enough people wielding one for Rei to understand the difficulty . ¡¸To put it nicely, it¡¯s a combat style that I have refined in actual combat, but there may be some problems for nobles to learn it . Of course, it won¡¯t be an issue if the other party is just sparring for practice, but in that case, there¡¯s no point in learning my combat style . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know that . I know¡­¡­but to learn a noble¡¯s sword technique, you would have to go to an appropriate school to learn their sword technique . And of course, the schools which nobles attend are expensive . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ (This mansion¡­¡­no, I wonder if it¡¯s big enough to actually be called a mansion . Anyhow, just looking at this residence, they are not likely able to afford that . ) While understanding it in his mind, Rei spoke up again . ¡¸I understand the reason . But¡­¡­is that all right with you?¡¡As a noble, to learn my style¡­¡­no, to receive instruction from someone who¡¯s style is best expressed as unorthodox . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Because I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a right or wrong way for strength . If you¡¯re strong, you¡¯re strong . If you¡¯re weak, you¡¯re weak . That¡¯s all there is . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Baslero had a bitter smile on his face that didn¡¯t seem to match his age . ¡¸My father has said this already, but poor nobles are only nobles in name . It wouldn¡¯t be strange for us to lose it at any time, so I would like to have the necessary skills in my hands for that time . Luckily, the city of Gilm has a good environment for living as an adventurer . ¡­¡­In that sense, it might be fortunate for us in all the bad things that happened that we were driven from the Imperial Capital to Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸Uh¡­¡­it makes me feel weak when you say that so easily¡­¡­Rei-kun, how about it? ¡¡The person himself has also said he doesn¡¯t care about the means to become strong . Can I ask you to provide him with combat instruction?¡¹ Saying that, Mouet gave a deep bow . His modesty and humbleness probably came from his struggles of being a poor noble . Next to Mouet, Baslero also gave a polite bow . Standing near the wall, Ashie also looked towards him as if pleading . A few seconds passed in this state with looks from the family and the maid . Eventually, Rei gave a big sigh . In the first place, this request was one of the conditions of ranking up in a sense . He hadn¡¯t thought of refusing it from the beginning . (And, my style¡¯s not the best, but it sounds like something I can do to spend my time in winter . ) Thus, for a week, Rei would instruct the son of a noble on how to fight . Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Baron Cisne . Originally, the great grandfather of Mouet Cisne, who was the current family head, had received the lesser noble title of baronet from achievements he made in a war with the Bestir Empire . After that, he continued to fight in several more battles against the Bestir Empire and was eventually appointed a baron, becoming a formal member of the nobility . Although Mouet¡¯s grandfather was quite talented, his son¡­¡­Mouet¡¯s grandfather, did not inherit his talent . His son, Mouet¡¯s father, lacked the talent or skills for political intrigue as well as Mouet¡¯s great grandfather¡¯s talent for war . The title of Baron Cisne, which had been one of the foremost barons at one time, continued to fall . By the time Mouet became the head, they had already become poor nobles, holding nobility in name alone . Still, though it was small, he still had the territory of a baron¡­¡­but even that was caught up in a power struggle within the Imperial Capital and as a matter of course, Mouet, who had little talent as a noble, was used and thrown away as a scapegoat¡­¡­eventually losing his territory and moving to the city of Gilm . Mouet¡¯s biggest misfortune was that he wasn¡¯t part of any faction . Of course, the Imperial Capital had a few nobles who were not part of the Royalist, Nobles or Neutral faction . However, those nobles who didn¡¯t belong to any faction were able to do so because they had the power and backing to do that . Mouet, who had no power or backing, had no way of resisting the power struggles that occurred within the capital . Still, because he had several close friends among the Neutral faction, relying on that connection, he was protected by Margrave Rowlocks, a central figure in the Neutral faction, and made his way to Gilm instead of staying in the capital . He came along with his son, the last memento of his wife, and Ashie, their maid and only servant . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . You¡¯ve gone through various hardships . ¡¹ Rei, who had asked Mouet about the origins of the Baron Cisne title in the reception room, gave a sigh . In response to that sigh, Mouet shook his head with a fainthearted smile . ¡¸No, no . I wasn¡¯t suited for life as a noble to begin with . Living a leisurely life in Gilm isn¡¯t so bad . Rather, as a noble, I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have to copy their behaviour . ¡¹ It was clear to Rei that Mouet was saying that seriously . It seems his interaction with nobles in the Imperial Capital may have shaved away his spirit . ¡¸And, I¡¯m neither someone with the social skills to interact with my peers nor as brave as my great-grandfather who was given the title of baron . But, my son¡­¡­Basrelo is different . It might be the from the eyes of a parent, but I think he has considerable talent . ¡¹ ¡¸Father, that is¡­¡­¡¹ Being praised all of a sudden, Baslero¡¯s cheek went slightly red . Ashie also looked at her master¡¯s son with a smile full of compassion . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s okay then . I understand . However, as I said earlier, my style of fighting is my own . It has been refined through actual combat . Anyhow, the main focus will be on mock battles so if you go to a proper school that teaches combat in future, they might say you have some strange habits . Is that okay with you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¡I¡¯ve heard that Rei-san has the strongest combat strength in Gilm . I¡¯m sure that sparring with Rei-san will definitely boost my skills . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, ahh . Is that so . Well that¡¯s fine . ¡¹ Rei replied with a little embarrassment at the words that didn¡¯t sound like a child¡¯s . With that, it was quickly settled . ¡¸So, the key necessity for sparring is a suitable location¡­¡­is there a place for training on this estate?¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s question, Mouet calmly shook his head . ¡¸You see, I was given this residence here due to the kindness of Margrave Rowlocks . I couldn¡¯t hope for a residence nice enough to have a training ground . ¡¹ ¡¸So, where would you like me to practice with him?¡¡Borrowing a training ground somewhere¡­¡­I guess isn¡¯t possible . ¡¹ Rei laughed when he saw Mouet shake his head without saying anything . In the first place, Mouet, Baron Cisne, had said himself that he was poor and had no money . If he had enough money to borrow a training ground, he would probably just send Baslero to a proper school to learn how to fight rather than ask an adventurer for cheap combat training . ¡¸About that, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡¹ As Mouet said that, he looked towards the window of the reception room . ¡¸Tentatively, the garden is quite wide . Although it¡¯s a bit messy¡­¡­there shouldn¡¯t be any problem moving around for things like combat training . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well, I guess that will do . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¡Is that okay?¡¹ Mouet asked, surprised at Rei¡¯s reply, despite him suggesting it in the first place . ¡¸Ahh . After all, fighting is not something that will only happen in a training ground . No, for adventurers, fighting takes place in the mountains, grasslands, swamps and narrow caves rather than in the city . If you consider that, this isn¡¯t too bad . Well, it doesn¡¯t make sense to practice real combat without any basic skills though¡­what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸As far as that goes, I¡¯ve read through notes left by my great grandfather and I¡¯ve practiced a bit myself¡­¡­but I don¡¯t know if that counts as having the basic skills . I apologise, but please judge for yourself after seeing Baslero¡¯s skills . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if the client is fine with it, then I¡¯m fine with it . ¡¹ Because he had no talent himself, he left the gauging of Baslero talent to someone who could . In some way, he was quite gracious person . While thinking of that, he turned to look at Baslero . ¡¸Well then, for now, could you demonstrate your skills in the garden? ¡­¡­Is that okay with you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¡I will get ready right away . Ashie!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Baslero called out to the maid before leaving the reception room . Seeing him leave, Rei turned back to look at Mouet . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸You talked about combat training, but in practice, how far can I go?¡¹ ¡¸How far, you ask?¡¹ He didn¡¯t understand what Rei was asking . Seeing Mouet ask like that, Rei spoke with a sigh . ¡¸For example . Does it matter if there is a certain level of bruising or as far as bone fractures . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If it¡¯s possible for you, I don¡¯t want him to be injured too much, but it¡¯s just small injuries, Ashie can treat it with healing magic . ¡¹ ¡¸Healing magic?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Although Ashie looks like that, she¡¯s a master of high level healing magic . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then why would she bother staying as a maid?¡¹ Rei asked that involuntarily at Mouet¡¯s words . After all, if she was a master of healing magic, she would never have trouble with work . Especially for adventurers, even if they got injured in the middle of a request, with healing magic, they wouldn¡¯t need to worry about a loss of strength, so they were in high demand . Of course, if she didn¡¯t have the ability to fight, that would be a negative, but it wasn¡¯t too much of a big deal if she just said it in advance . Or, she could work in a hospital, where mages who used healing magic were welcomed in most places . At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t be the maid in the mansion of a poor baron who¡¯s son might not end up inheriting his title . Rei¡¯s thoughts were expressed clearly on his face . Mouet spoke with a smile . ¡¸Actually, Ashie¡¯s family¡­¡­going back from the time of my great grandfather, they have served my family . They have always served us since they were saved by my great grandfather on the battlefield . ¡­¡­I¡¯ve also told her that she has a talent for healing magic, so why not work a job that could make more money, but I was told that her family aside, she wanted to continue serving us¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, she¡¯s quite sincere . From hearing that, it seems Ashie¡¯s family has found other work?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . After all, as poor as we are right now, we couldn¡¯t give them a proper salary . Right now, I¡¯m at a state of living off the salary that is given to us by Margrave Rowlocks . ¡­¡­Ahh, I¡¯m sorry for telling you all this, but this is the current situation . ¡¹ He might have noticed the footsteps approaching the room . Mouet bowed his head apologetically . Rei nodded back silently . (If he died, they would be left without any means of monetary support . In other words, he was worried about that and hired me so that his son could manage to support himself in the event that anything happened to him . ¡­¡­Nobles don¡¯t always just play around it seems . ) It was just Rei¡¯s own thoughts, but Baron Cisne was arguably the poorest of all the noble there were . In fact, if you actually looked at the high ranking nobles, there were many people who just lived and played around like Rei had thought . ¡¸Rei-san, I¡¯m ready!¡¡Please take care of me!¡¹ ¡¸Hou . ¡¹ Baslero entered the reception room wearing a set of leather armour that was easy to move around in . Rei was surprised when he saw it because the leather armour appeared to be of high enough quality that he could tell at a glance . Of course, Rei didn¡¯t have an eye for aesthetics . If it had contained a strong magical power, such as the various magic items Rei had, he would also be able to feel something strange about them . But, Baslero wasn¡¯t wearing any magic items . However, Rei still felt that it gave the feeling it had some history to it . ¡¸¡­¡­That armour, it¡¯s quite substantial . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s a rework of the leather armour my great grandfather wore . It was made from something like the skin of a B rank monster . ¡­¡­Well, the tailoring cost a lost of money, but it was an unavoidable expense considering the safety of my son . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Mouet¡¯s words as he went over to Baslero, who was looking at him with hopeful eyes . ¡¸Now then . Let¡¯s see your skills as we talked about earlier . As I¡¯ve said before many times, my fighting style is completely my own . Of course, I haven¡¯t fought that much against other people . ¡¹ As he said that, Rei thought of the time he had sparred on the guild¡¯s training grounds . There was the mock battle with Milein and the rank up test a while later . In either case, the opponent had been an experience adventurer to some extent . (But, Baslero is just an amateur kid . ¡­¡­Even though Ashie can use healing magic, it would be best to avoid any injuries . ) ¡¸Yes!¡¡I¡¯ll be in your care! . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, of course . Well then, please guide me to the garden . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . It¡¯s this way, teacher . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Teacher?¡¹ Being called that, Rei asked in confusion . However, Baslero just replied in some confusion of his own . ¡¸Because you¡¯re the teacher who will train me right? ¡¡Or, should I call you master?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m fine with teacher . ¡¹ Having never been called teacher in his life, he was a bit embarrassed . However, he still decided to be called teacher, feeling that it would be better than being called master . Then, leaving the reception room, it took them a minute or so to reach the back door of the residence before walking outside . The first thing he saw was different kinds of dead plants . Weeds weren¡¯t all over the place because it was winter, but if he came here in spring or summer, the vegetation would probably have grown all over the place and made it difficult to walk . There also seemed to be a lot of fallen branches spread around . ¡¸Eh¡­¡­?¡¹ However, it was not Rei who was surprised at what he saw, but Baslero . Ashie, who came over from behind, also had a surprised expression without saying anything . That was because¡­¡­ ¡¸Set, what on earth are you doing . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Yes . Among all the fallen branches that were scattered all over the garden, Set had picked up all the large ones and carried them over to a single location for some reason . Rei asked Set in a somewhat confused way . Hearing Rei¡¯s voice and noticing his presence, Set gave a questioning cry . As it seemed Set didn¡¯t seem to realise what was wrong, Rei just gave a wry smile while Baslero and Ashie just looked at the pile of fallen branches lying in the corner of the garden . Maybe they were surprised that the big branches had been grouped up, considering the size of their garden, although there were still many fallen branches left lying around . Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Rei had gone to the garden of the Cisne family¡¯s residence to test Baslero¡¯s skills . There, Rei and the others saw Set in the process of collecting fallen tree branches . ¡¸Um, teacher . What is going on?¡¹ Baslero asked Rei in confusion, but Rei didn¡¯t have a clear answer to that question either . As a result, he just shrugged his shoulders while sighing in surprise . ¡¸Well, I¡¯ve never heard that Griffons have a habit of collecting fallen branches . I don¡¯t think he¡¯s building a nest¡­¡­well, perhaps the real reason was that they were in his way . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ That¡¯s right, Set seemed to say with a cry . The reason why he had gathered up all the big branches that were scattered around the garden into a single place was just because they were a nuisance to lie on top of . Of course, as a Griffon, Set¡¯s body wasn¡¯t so weak as to be hurt by tree branches, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that they were a hindrance to lying on the ground . Because, it was true that he had cleared away the branches to make his stay more comfortable . Of course, it wasn¡¯t strange for him to turn his head to one side when he lay down in order to have have a comfortable time outside in the snow . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­fortunately, the tree branches that would have been big enough to get in the way have been clear away by Set . Let¡¯s start now then . Baslero, are you ready?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, y-yes!¡¹ Baslero, who had been fascinated by the sight of Set lying down beside the pile of branches he had collected, nodded his head vigourously when Rei called out to him . ¡¸Ashie, you would be cold if you stay here . You can go back inside the residence . I¡¯ll call you if we get hurt . ¡¹ ¡¸No . Since it¡¯s the young master¡¯s training, please allow me to watch . ¡¹ Although Ashie seemed to give off a somewhat relaxed atmosphere, she requested not to leave at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸Baslero and I will be moving around during the mock battle, but you won¡¯t be right?¡¡If you just watch silently, your body will get cold and you might get sick you know?¡¡If that happened, Baslero would feel troubled . After all, there¡¯s only one maid in this residence . ¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s true¡­¡­but¡­¡­¡¹ Ashie turned to Baslero with some concern . After all, Baslero had only taught himself how to fight until this point in time . Because it was his first combat lesson, she had a desire to watch and to immediately use healing magic if he was hurt in any way . However, Baslero, who was her main focus, shook his head as he replied to her . ¡¸Ashie, I¡¯m fine, you can go back inside . As teacher said, it would be a lot of trouble if you caught a cold . ¡¹ Ashie, had taken care of all the housework in Baron Cisne¡¯s residence . There was no doubt that if she caught a cold as Rei and Baslero had mentioned, it would result in difficulties in various ways . Ashie herself realised this at Baslero¡¯s words . While showing a disappointed expression, she gave a bow in apology without Rei needing to say anymore . ¡¸Then, pardon me . Rei-san, thank you for your time . Call me immediately anyone gets injured . I¡¯ll run over right away . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡¹ After seeing Rei nod, Ashie went back inside while looking back at Baslero several times . ¡¸You¡¯re quite loved . ¡¹ Rei said that to Baslero with a smile as he saw Ashie leave . Hearing that, Baslero replied with a smile . However, that smile would be best described as an embarrassed one . ¡¸Ashie is a maid that has stayed with my family . ¡­¡­For me, I just want her to be happy . ¡¹ Those were the words he said in a manner unlike that of a 10 year old . ¡¸That¡¯s right . But, if you become stronger than you are now, you shouldn¡¯t have to worry about getting injured . ¡­¡­Well, let¡¯s stop talking shall we . Are you ready?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes-!¡¹ Replying to Rei in a loud voice, he pulled out the long sword that hung from his waist . Although it was a long sword, it was only a long sword to Baslero . To most adventurers, it was something closer to a middle length sword . While watching him, Rei took out his weapon from the Misty Ring . However, he didn¡¯t take out his signature Death Scythe, which was the weapon that basically represented him . Neither did he take out the dark green tipped Thorns Spear nor the Dagger of Running water with a blue jewel embedded in its hilt . Instead, he took out an iron spear he had seized from bandits during his rank up test . ¡¸¡­¡­I heard that you use a scythe which is taller than you . ¡¹ Baslero looked at the spear and spoke as if he was slightly offended . Looking at Baslero, he seemed to be quite blunt about it . ¡¸That¡¯s correct . My usual weapon is definitely the Death Scythe, but sorry, I¡¯ll be using this for now . In the first place, this mock battle is to gauge your ability . If that¡¯s the case, this iron spear will be enough . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph¡­¡­¡¹ After hearing Rei¡¯s words, Baslero¡¯s cheeks flushed with anger and indignation . Even though he knew there was a great difference between his and Rei¡¯s competence, it seemed he wasn¡¯t happy that Rei wasn¡¯t taking this seriously . ¡¸Then, if I can hit teacher, will you fight me seriously?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­that is right . Well, if you can do that . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set, who had been watching them while lying on the snow, gave a cry . ¡¸¡­¡­Teacher . That Griffon . Was he called Set? What is he saying?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I wonder . I don¡¯t exactly understand what Set says . But I have a general understanding . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good enough . Could you please tell me what he was saying?¡¹ What the meaning of his cry could more or less be understood by the feeling Set gave off . That is to say, the general message he wanted to convey . ¡¸¡­¡­He thinks it¡¯s impossible for you to hit me, even if the heavens and earth flips over . ¡¹ Of course, Rei didn¡¯t fully understand what Set wanted to say . But still, what Rei said wasn¡¯t too much different from what Set¡¯s cry would have meant . Rei spoke as he though about that . ¡¸-!?¡¡¡­¡­I understand . Then, I will show you that you¡¯re wrong . ¡­¡­Here I go!¡¹ He was being looked down on . Replying to Rei, Baslero pulled the sword from his waist and slashed towards Rei . ¡¸Hyaaaaa-!¡¹ His attack was swung with a spirited cry . Rei avoided it by pulling his right leg back and twisting his body to the side to dodge . ¡¸Ku-!¡¹ Although it had been a confident attack, it was simply dealt with by avoiding it . He swung the sword diagonally, as if to chop off the top of an object . ¡¸Oh . ¡¹ The metallic sound of Rei repelling the iron sword with his iron spear echoed into the surroundings . (Teacher uses a spear!¡¡Since that is the case, I can also attack like this!) Baslero felt some resistance and raised a cry of joy in his heart . He slashed with his sword diagonally, downwards and across, chopping and thrusting . However, his thrusts were dodged and continued to be strung along . Although Baslero continued to attack for another minute, he still couldn¡¯t hit Rei . And¡­¡­ ¡¸You¡¯re not paying attention to your feet . ¡¹ Along with Rei¡¯s word, Baslero had his feet tripped by the butt of the iron spear and rolled to the ground . (Well, even though he¡¯s fallen over, it was on his backside and he didn¡¯t take any serious injuries . I don¡¯t have to worry about injuries myself because I¡¯m wearing the Dragon Robe . ) ¡¸Ku-!¡¹ Baslero fell to the ground, but he got up again and readied his sword . ¡¸It¡¯s okay, you can still keep going . Come . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¡Hyaaaaaaa-!¡¹ Replying to Rei, Baslero dashed forward and closed in with his sword . Avoiding the swings of the sword or parrying them with the handle of the spear, he watched and considered Baslero¡¯s movements . (In terms of his movement, considering he¡¯s only 10, he¡¯s quite good . ¡­¡­However, that¡¯s only for his age . Maybe he would be a match for a single Goblin¡­¡­I guess . Given that, it would still be difficult to be an adventurer . Well, it doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s going to become an adventurer right away, a situation where something happens to Mouet right away is unlikely, so I guess I¡¯m just overthinking it Rei thought to himself at Baslero¡¯s offensive . Considering that he was a 10 year old and he had gotten to this stage by teaching himself, he admitted that Baslero had talent for the sword . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Look, you¡¯ve become careless with your footing again . ¡¹ The handle of his spear knocked Baslero¡¯s feet from under him as he was about to attack again . ¡¸Uwa-!¡¹ ¡¸What happened?¡¡Are you done already?¡¹ ¡¸No, not yet!¡¹ He wasn¡¯t allowed to give up . He stood up again, stiffening his lips . (That¡¯s the bad side of being self taught . Because his sword technique was learnt by himself, no one has pointed out the weakness in his footing . And because it was never pointed out, it has grown into a habit of his . If a monster is a little smarter, they¡¯ll definitely see the opportunity . In that case, correcting the weakness in the positioning of his feet should be the highest priority . ) ¡¸Haa, haa, haa¡­¡­fuuu¡­¡­¡¹ Baslero took a deep breath to adjust his breathing as he exhaled roughly . Normally, this would be a decisive moment to attack, but in this case, it was just a mock battle to see how far Basrelo could fight . In order to do that, Rei decided it would be better to see all his strength and waited silently until Baslero was ready . And even though Set was lying down watching from some distance away, he could tell the end of the battle was approaching . He watched the movements of the two people with his round eyes . ¡¸¡­¡­Here I come!¡¹ Baslero finished adjusting his breathing and squeezed out the last of his strength into his sword . Baslero¡¯s attacks had been evaded or blocked by Rei and he had been hit back many times . As a 10 year old kid, he was exhausted enough that he wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to run out of strength at any moment . However, the speed at which he attacked was the was the fastest Rei had seen from him today . ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ Along with his spirited cry, he mustered the last of his strength and made a final sweep with his sword . Of course, that attack was still made by a 10 year old kid . However, the attack he made with his full strength and the power and speed that some G rank adventurers would have had difficulty avoiding . When Rei felt the speed of of the attack, he took a step back . To Baslero, his attack was done to the limit of his ability . But that one step was an endless gap and the sword simply passed by Rei¡¯s eyes . ¡¸Phew-!¡¹ He was hit with the handle of the spear . Locking up the blade of the sword with the handle of the spear, Rei twisted them up . ¡¸Ah-!?¡¹ Baslero gave a cry as the sword in his hand disappeared in an instant . The next moment, he heard the sound of his sword falling to the ground a short distance away . ¡¸What, so easily¡­¡­¡¹ It was unbelievable to him that his attack was dealt with so easily . Looking at his hand and then the sword that had fallen on the ground several times, he eventually looked at Rei incredulously . ¡¸What, did you expected to be able to hit me?¡¡I¡¯m still a rank C adventurer . No matter what the situation is, it¡¯s not that easy to be hit by a kid . ¡¹ Rei said that to him, but when saying that, he had forgotten that he only looked the age of 15 and as an adventurer in this world, he had a delicate looking physique . After all, considering looked about 15 years old, he was only 5 years older than Baslero . However, to a kid, a 5 year difference in age was big . Even if it was just 1-2 years, the difference in physical strength would be quite large, not to say 5 years . ¡¸Uuu¡­¡­¡¹ Still, he must have been quite confident in his sword skills . Baslero turned to look at Rei while groaning regretfully . Rei smiled and spoke while gently brushing Baslero¡¯s head . ¡¸At any rate, I¡¯ve got a general understanding of your skill . Pleased to be teaching you for the next week . ¡¹ Thus, Rei was hired by Baron Cisne as a combat instructor for about a week . Chapter 220 Chapter 220 It was the next day after agreeing to provide combat instruction to Baslero at Baron Cisne¡¯s residence . After finishing breakfast a little earlier than usual, Rei headed for Baron Cisne¡¯s residence in the nobles district . As the weather was still quite cold, the ground was still covered in snow . Set, who was usually with him, was nowhere to be seen . Part of the reason was that Set didn¡¯t like the garden he had lay in yesterday that much, but the biggest reason was that Milein had charged into the Dusk Wheat for the first time in a long while . She had bought a lot of food with the reward she had received from the Lizardmen subjugation request and had forcefully entered the stables as usual . (Still, it could be said that he¡¯s started to grow up and settle down since he was able to decide not to follow me . ) Rei thought to himself as he stepped on the frozen ground early in the morning and enjoyed the sound of the ice and snow being crushed . Still, considering the amount of stuff that Milein had brought for Set, he was worried about how much she would have left over from the Lizardmen subjugation . ¡¸Well, if I really run out of money, I¡¯ll take on a request with Scorching Wind again . ¡¹ Remembering that, Rei felt a little sympathy for both Sulunin and Ecryll . While thinking like that, he showed his guild card at the entrance to the nobles district before entering and heading for Baron Cisne¡¯s residence . Naturally, there was no sort of gatekeeper to the residence when only the master, his son and a maid lived there . Rei silently opened the gate and entered the mansion . The day before, Mouet had told him that they didn¡¯t have enough money to hire a gatekeeper so he could just enter when he arrived . When Rei had heard that, he was surprised by the lack of security, but when told that there was almost nothing that could be stolen, Rei could only agree . (That said, anything important enough that it would cause an issue if stolen should be hidden in an appropriate location . ) Thinking of that, he knocked lightly on the door of the mansion . Ashie immediately appeared from the hallway behind it . ¡¸Welcome, Rei-san . I¡¯ll be leaving the young master¡¯s combat training to you from today . Please take care of him . Call me immediately if there are any injuries . I¡¯ll use healing magic right away¡­¡­kyaa-!¡¹ Seeing Rei, Ashie smiled and spoke with a bow, but as she bowed down¡­¡­she should have remembered the broom in her hand . There was a broom handle at the end of her bow and naturally, the broom handle hit her forehead . Ashie gave a cry at the pain and dropped the bag in her hand onto the floor . ¡¸¡­¡­Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes¡­¡­I¡¯m okay¡­¡­¡¹ Ashie¡¯s forehead was red and there were some tears at the edge of her eyes, but she smiled as if there was no problem . ¡¸Well then, the young master is already ready so I will take you to him . ¡¹ ¡¸No, if it¡¯s just the garden from yesterday, you don¡¯t need to guide me there you know?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true¡­¡­but I was told to guide you properly . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I think it would be better for you to take care of your own injury first rather than guide me . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹ Perhaps she realised that her forehead, which had been hit by the broom handle, was swollen red . While giving an embarrassed whisper, the next moment, she produced a white light from her hand . When the light touched her forehead, all traces of the bruise disappeared in less than a few seconds . ¡¸Hou~ As I had heard, your healing magic is quite good . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that is¡­¡­thank you . I, I¡¯ve always been clumsy¡­¡­because I kept using healing magic to heal myself, I became good at it . Originally, it was only effective on healing small cuts . Because I improved in that way, it¡¯s not something that¡¯s really praiseworthy . ¡¹ Unlike her previous pained expression, Ashie laughed shyly . But Rei, who was listening to her story, shook his head indicating it wasn¡¯t an issue . ¡¸I don¡¯t care about what the reasons were and how you eventually got good at healing magic . All that matters is that you can use healing magic . That¡¯s why I decided that it would be okay to go a bit harder on Baslero¡¯s training . ¡¹ ¡¸R-Rei-san!?¡¡That¡¯s harsh on the young master¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going to bully him . But, it¡¯s true that some danger is necessary to become stronger . ¡¹ (The strength my body that Zepairu created was there from the beginning . But in order to master it, I had gone through battles with monsters and people over and over again . If I think about it, if Baslero gains the power to fight by starting from the beginning, he should eventually become stronger than me . And that¡¯s why healing magic will be useful . ) ¡¸Anyhow, I would like to start the training first so please take me to Balero . No, the garden I mean . ¡¹ Rei encouraged Ashie while thinking secretly to himself . Hearing those words, Ashie immediately gave a bow to invite him . ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll take you there . This way¡­¡­kyaa-!¡¹ Ashie fell to the ground when she suddenly turned around and lost her balance . Seeing that, Rei was convinced that this maid was a clumsy girl . ¡¸Good morning, teacher . ¡¹ As expected, Rei was guided to the mansion¡¯s garden . However, what had changed from the previous day was that there were no longer any more tree branches lying throughout the garden . It was just as strange as the large branches that Set had piled up yesterday . Baslero probably guessed Rei¡¯s surprise after seeing his expression . Baslero smiled and looked towards Ashie ¡¸Actually, Ashie cleaned it out yesterday because it was dangerous to to practice mock battles here . ¡­¡­I wanted to help, but Ashie didn¡¯t let me . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course . Young master is the son of Baron Cisne, you can¡¯t be allowed to do any cleaning!¡¹ She was proud of her work . Ashie announced that resolutely . ¡¸Ashie¡­¡­even if I look at it, the Baron Cisne house is waning, it will definitely collapse soon¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true!¡¡Despite how he looks like, Master is a person who works hard . I¡¯m sure he will help Magrave Rowlocks a lot . ¡¹ (¡­¡­Despite his appearances¡­¡­is it okay to say that?) Hearing Ashie¡¯s words, Rei immediately thought to himself . But maybe that was normal in this house . There was no intention from Baslero to interrupt so the conversation regarding Baron Cisne continued . ¡¸Speaking of that, where is Mouet?¡¹ ¡¸Master went to work at the Lord¡¯s residence . Originally, he had been planning on taking a week off to wait for Rei-sama, but fortunately Rei-sama came yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡­¡­Well then, let¡¯s start training now shall we?¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ Baslero gave a nod at Rei¡¯s words and pulled his sword out of his sheath . Ashie seemed worried¡­¡­but continued to watch seriously . Doesn¡¯t she have work to do as a maid?¡¡Rei thought about that, but when he saw Baslero not saying anything unlike yesterday, he concluded that some sort of discussion had been held with Baron Cisne . To Rei, he had thought that Ashie¡¯s presence, as someone worried about Baslero, would interfere with his training . But in the event of an emergency, he understood that she would be able to use healing magic immediately . And then, he stopped Baslero, who was about to attack him . ¡¸Please wait a moment . First, let¡¯s review yesterday . Think back to yesterday¡¯s mock fight, how many times were your feet attacked?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡¡­¡­Ah, yes . Because of how many times it happened, there¡¯s no way I could forget . ¡¹ ¡¸So you agree . Then, do you know why I focused your feet so much?¡¹ ¡¸Um, because me feet were full of gaps¡­¡­is that it?¡¹ Rei nodded, impressed with Baslero¡¯s words . Even Baslero would remember after it happened so many times during yesterday¡¯s mock battle . Of course, he hadn¡¯t expected to be able to win against Rei, who was an active adventurer, but he had trained desperately while following the book left by Mouet¡¯s great grandfather . He thought that he would be able to hit Rei at least once, since Rei was using a cheap spear that would have been sold a local weapon store rather than his original weapon . There was also his own pride from training so much . Nevertheless, his feet were struck by the spear handle so many times and tripped him to the ground so many times that it was ridiculous . After Rei left, he had been found by Ashie and was taken to a bath immediately . While he was thrown into a bath heated by a magic item, his body washed without any questions and healing magic used, he was still in a state of surprise . In such a situation, Baslero thought back to his mock battle with Rei several times and eventually reached the natural conclusion that his feet had been full of openings . ¡­¡­In addition, when Ashie greeted Rei this morning, part of it was her professionalism as a maid, but part of it was also because Baslero had almost no injuries when she had washed him in the bath . Rei agreed with Baslero¡¯s words . ¡¸That¡¯s right . I know you didn¡¯t got to a sword school or hire a fencing instructor . That¡¯s why you learnt from the book that was handed down . But because of that, the result is that you¡¯ve given too much focus onto attacking . ¡¹ ¡¸T-That is¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, it came to Baslero¡¯s mind . It was true that the contents of the book that was handed down was rather attack oriented . That said, of course, notes relating to how to practice defending were also written¡­¡­but, even though Baslero seemed quite mature, he was still only 10 years old . It could be said that it was inevitable that he focused on the better looking offensive training rather than the plain looking defense training . ¡¸That¡¯s because I¡¯ve neglected defensive training . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . There¡¯s that as well . Well, there¡¯s no helping that . If you had gone to a sword school or had a sword instructor, it would have been a different story . ¡¹ ¡¸Still, the young master has been doing his best . ¡¹ Ashie felt that Rei¡¯s words were disparaging Baslero and spoke up loudly to support him . Rei nodded at Ashie before continuing . ¡¸Of course I know that . Yesterday¡¯s mock battle let me fully understand how desperately Baslero has trained . As for this, he had no one to teach or guide him, so it can¡¯t be helped . ¡­¡­And, it¡¯s not so bad to be biased towards attacking . ¡¹ Rei recalled the thrusts Baslero had made several times in yesterday¡¯s mock battle . The power of the attacks were still limited by his muscle strength, but his speed and skill was at a level that he should be able to easily kill a Goblin . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s more or less your current situation . So, in future mock battles, I will attack the places that seems to be your weak points . Of course, the most obvious attacks will be at your feet if you leave an opening, but that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t attack anywhere else . ¡¹ Telling that to Baslero, he took out the same iron spear from yesterday . ¡¸Yes!¡¡Defending my footing . I understand, I¡¯ll pay attention to that today . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . ¡­¡­Now then, discussion is over . Come!¡¹ ¡¸Here I come!¡¹ With that cry, just like yesterday¡­¡­no, even faster than yesterday, Baslero closed the gap . However, the moment he moved to attack, a moment of awkwardness appeared before disappearing again . Even his thrusts, which were Baslero¡¯s greatest strength, felt awkward for a moment . Rei understood why . After the issues with his defense had been pointed out¡­¡­Rei felt his awkwardness came from him paying more attention to the area around his feet . ¡¸Look, you¡¯re too focused on defense and you¡¯re starting to neglect your attacks!¡¡It¡¯s your strength, so keep your focus on it!¡¡In order to slow your opponent¡¯s attacks, first of all attack aggressively to prevent your opponent from having the opportunity . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei tried to knock out Baslero¡¯s legs with his spear handle¡­¡­ Kin~! Baslero parried the spear handle stretching towards his feet with his sword . For a moment, joy lit up his face . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t think the enemy¡¯s attack is over with a single blow!¡¹ Drawing a large arc with the spear while using the rebound from the sword parry, he swung around to the other side of Baslero¡¯s feet and attempted to trip him again . If you only looked at the movement, Rei¡¯s was much larger . Because of that, Baslero tried to shift his sword around to the other side . However, because of Rei¡¯s physical ability, it was faster for him to swing his spear around in a circle than it was for Baslero to shift his sword . ¡¸Uwa-!¡¹ Baslero fell to the ground with a cry . Ashie watched him worriedly, eager to use her healing magic . Thus, the second day of combat training ended . Chapter 221 Chapter 221 The third day of combat instruction with Baslero . This day, as with the two previous days, Rei and Baslero were training intensively in the garden in Baron Cisne¡¯s residence . ¡¸Look, the defense of your feet is lacking again!¡¹ As Rei said that, Baslero¡¯s legs were swept out from under him by the spear handle and he rolled to the ground . Today alone, he had rolled to the ground more than 20 times . But even so, compared to yesterday, it could be said that he was a child with a high learning rate as he could already respond appropriately to attacks aimed at his feet . (Or perhaps he inherited his great grandfather¡¯s talent for the sword . ) Rei muttered to himself as he watched Baslero, who used his hands to lift himself back off the ground . Two pairs of eyes watched them as they continued their sparring . One was the maid of the Cisne family, Ashie, who also waited from the side, ready to use healing magic as soon as anyone was injured . The other pair of eyes belonged to Set . Set, who hadn¡¯t come along the day before, had come today because Rei had told him that all the tree branches which had been scattered around the backyard had been cleared out and also because Milein had not come to play with him today . As for the latter, Sulunin and Ecryll had no intention of taking on another request during the snowy winter and forcibly stopped Milein from heading over to the Dusk Wheat . If they had let her come over and give as much food as she wanted to Set, the money she had earned from the Lizardman subjugation would start to drop rapidly . Sulunin, who could be considered the advisor of Scorching Wind, had noticed that . Anyhow, with that situation, Set had also come to Baron Cisne¡¯s residence . ¡¸Fuu, fuu, fuu¡­¡­here I come!¡¹ Baslero steadied his breathing and shortened his distance to Rei while holding his sword . Rei¡¯s method of teaching him how to fight was to repeatedly spar . Rei couldn¡¯t teach the¡ºform¡»of how to use his body or swing his sword . However, as Rei had said, he had gotten to this point in his own way . Because of that¡­¡­he couldn¡¯t teach the eldest son of a noble how to fight in a proper manner, so the final decision he reached was to repeated fight mock battles for now . ¡¸Yaaa-!¡¹ He thrust out his sword with a spirited cry . Its speed was much faster compared to yesterday when he had been distracted by his defense . However, it was still duller compared to the attack he had made with all his strength on the first day when he paid no attention to defense ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei silently parried it with his spear handle . The tip of Baslero¡¯s was parried just like that . However, this time was different from before . Baslero used the momentum from his parried attack to spin around on the spot . Then, maintaining that momentum, he struck out towards Rei¡¯s body . ¡¸Eiii-!¡¹ Rei¡¯s raised his eyes lightly, as if impressed with the attack . But the next moment, he flicked his wrist and parried the blade with the spear handle . Kin-! A high pitched sound of metals colliding against each other echoed into the surroundings . If only the sound was heard, Rei and an Baslero¡¯s attacks would sound as if they were equal . However, there was a fundamental different in the physical strength of the two . The next moment, the iron spear was still in Rei¡¯s hands but the sword that was in Baslero¡¯s hand a few seconds ago was nowhere to be seen . ¡¸Ouch!¡¹ His hand had gone numb from the impact of the spear handle with his sword . Baslero crouched to the ground while holding his right hand with his left . ¡¸Young master!¡¹ ¡¸Wait, don¡¯t move!¡¹ As soon as he saw Baslero crouch down, Rei stopped Ashie¡¯s almost reflexive movements . ¡¸But!¡¹ Why did you stop me, Ashie¡¯s expression seemed to say as she turned to look at Rei fiercely . However, her fierce expression soon went away . After all, the sword that had been knocked high into the sky by Rei had fallen down right between Baslero and Ashie, stabbing into the ground . ¡¸It¡¯s okay now . But, I don¡¯t think you need to go over since he¡¯s not really hurt that badly . ¡¹ Ashie rushed to Baslero¡¯s side as soon as Rei started to speak . ¡¸Young master, are you okay?¡¡I¡¯ll use healing magic right away¡­¡­¡¹ As she said that, Baslero gently held out his hand . ¡¸I¡¯m okay, Ashie . As teacher said, there is no need for healing magic for this level of injury¡¹ In fact, Baslero¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t really injured . The numbness was just caused by the impact of Rei¡¯s parry hitting his hand . It was just that the numbness had reached his bones . ¡¸Are you really okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, don¡¯t worry . More than that, it¡¯s dangerous here, so you should stay away Ashie . I still have to practice . ¡¹ Baslero reached for the handle of his sword that had fallen to the ground, though his grip hadn¡¯t fully returned yet due to numbness . . Ashie looked worriedly as Baslero but decided that remaining here would only be a hindrance to his combat training . She gently bowed apologetically at Rei before returning to her previous location . After that, he continued to practice attacking and being struck by the spear at his weak points, although not as many times as the previous day . Day 4 . Unlike the previous days, it was snowing heavily and it was impossible to train in the garden . No, rather than being impossible, it should be said that it was still possible but the chance of getting unnecessary injuries was much higher . Of course, if Baslero had a certain level of skill, he should have also practiced combat in bad weather . But, he was still a beginner . No, in fact he was more dangerous than an ordinary beginner since he had some knowledge on how to use a sword . For that reason, Rei didn¡¯t feel the need to risk needless injury even though Ashie could use healing magic . Instead, they did a different kind of combat training rather than mock battles . ¡¸Here¡¯s the next one . ¡¹ ¡¸Haa, haa, haa¡­¡­yes!¡¹ Taking in short breaths, Baslero nodded at Rei . The two of them were now in the guest room where Rei had first been brought to when he came to Baron Cisne¡¯s residence . Speaking of what they were doing there, Rei was throwing crumpled paper balls at Baslero and Baslero was training to dodge them . The maid, Ashie, spent her time on housekeeping as she judged that there wasn¡¯t much danger to this training and that there would be no point in her staying with them . In addition, Set stayed back at the stables due to the strong snow . ¡¸You ready? I¡¯ve said this many times, but this paper ball is an enemy attack . Don¡¯t let it hit you!¡¹ As Rei said that, he threw lumps of crushed paper at him, one after another . Baslero tried to avoid it, but the speed of the balls thrown by Rei were so fast that he would do well to avoid half of them . ¡¸With regards to your defense of your weak points, you¡¯ve improved somewhat in yesterday¡¯s mock battle . However, you¡¯re still focused on attack . This exercise helps to train your kinetic vision . Look firmly at the paper ball and dodge it . Instead of anticipating the direction of the paper ball and avoiding it, avoid it after you see it . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ Rei said that to Baslero while throwing multiple paper balls in succession . On a side note, Rei didn¡¯t come up with this training himself . Because he was unable to spar outside, he improvised with reference to a manga he had read while in Japan . Because of that, Rei knew that it was quite ridiculous in various ways, but he still decided it was better than doing nothing as he continued to throw paper balls . How tough this training actually was could be seen at a glance by looking Baslero was running out of breath as he stood up . After all, even if it was just paper, it could still be thrown at a reasonable speed when crumpled up . And since the paper ball was thrown with Rei¡¯s strength, although there was no worry of injuries, there was still a fair bit of superficial pain . Moreover, the paper balls were thrown with almost no breaks in between, so since Baslero didn¡¯t want to feel the pain, he had to dodge them desperately . As a result, his dodging skills, which Baslero was originally poor at, were compensated by his rapidly draining stamina . Day 5 . Unlike the previous day, the weather was so unusual compared to a normal winter day . The sun shone brightly on the ground from early morning . Still, it was winter so the temperature was still quite cold . Meanwhile, the location of today¡¯s combat training had moved back to the garden . There wasn¡¯t that much defensive training done yesterday¡­¡­but there was a greater focus on avoiding attacks . His kinetic vision also showed some improvements . After completing that, the next step today was to learn to defend against or avoid magic attacks . Today as well, Baslero was looking at Rei energetically . He had sore muscles due to yesterday¡¯s training, but his movements weren¡¯t awkward thanks to Ashie¡¯s healing magic . ¡¸You ready? I will use magic from now on . ¡­¡­That said, although it¡¯s a fireball, it only feels a bit hot and won¡¯t burn you . The main point is the same as yesterday . To avoid it¡­¡­or to intercept it with your sword . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡Teacher, my sword isn¡¯t a magic item though?¡¹ Baslero responded to Rei almost reflexively . In a sense, it was natural that a noble as poor as Baron Cisne would be unable to afford to buy an expensive magic item . Of course, although being magic items¡­¡­not all magic swords were expensive . An ordinary magic sword could be made with metal with magic powers such Mythril or Flame Ore . Or, if made by coating a sword with a processed magic stone, a magic sword could be purchased at a reasonable price . ¡¸That¡¯s fine . I have made the fireballs such that they can be affected by an ordinary sword . If you hit it, the fireball will disappear . The purpose of today¡¯s training is to get used to magic . Unlike yesterday¡¯s paper balls, this is real magic, although its power has been adjusted . Whether you become an adventurer or take over the title of Baron, the worst thing is not being able to deal with an enemies use of magic in battle . Here we go . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes!¡¹ Baslero nodded at Rei¡¯s words and readied his sword . Unlike the previous days, his stance wasn¡¯t an outright offensive one but one that could shift to defense immediately . Perhaps this was due to how intently Rei had attacked his weak points . Taking the Death Scythe out from the Misty Ring, Rei cast a spell while Baslero was inadvertently distracted by the strange weapon . ¡ºFire, be soft and warm . With my magic power, appear as a cloud . ¡» At the same time as his incantation, a flame about 30cm in diameter formed at the tip of the huge blade of the Death Scythe . And¡­¡­ ¡ºFaint Flame¡» The spell was completed and the next moment, a fireball about 10cm in diameter was shot out from the tip of the Death Scythe towards Basrelo . However, its speed was very slow, just like a lightly thrown stone . ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Baslero made a surprised noise when he saw its speed . However, as soon as he collected himself, he swung his sword down at the fireball approaching him . ¡¸Yaa-!¡¹ With a spirited cry, his sword swung down, cutting the fireball cleanly in two and causing the flames to scatter into the air . ¡¸I did it¡­¡­?¡¡I did it teacher!¡¹ Baslero revealed his happiness at cutting through magic . Ashie, who had been watching them from inside the mansion, was also smiling happily . ¡¸You know how to do it now?¡¡Even if it touches you for a while, you won¡¯t get burnt, so we¡¯ll continue . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ Baslero nodded cheerfully at Rei¡¯s words and readied his sword again . After seeing that, Rei then shot two fireballs at him at a slightly faster speed than before . ¡¸Ei!¡¡Yaa-!¡¹ One strike, two strikes . The two fireballs were cut apart instantly . Whether due to his own attack focused training or whether he had learnt something from Rei in the past few days, his attacks with his sword were rather sharp . But that was only at the beginning, as the speed and number of fireballs increased, his responses reached a limit and the fireballs began to hit his body . ¡¸Look, you don¡¯t have to slash everything with your sword . You can also dodge them . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . I understand!¡¹ Like that, Baslero was hit by several more fireballs that day . Chapter 222 Chapter 222 The sixth day of Baslero¡¯s combat training . Today, Rei, Baslero and Set were out in the city and not at Baron Cisne¡¯s residence as usual . Fortunate enough to have the fine weather from yesterday, the two people and one animal headed for their destination as the bright sun shone down . But of course, if Rei and Set walked through the city, there would obviously be people calling out to them . ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t it Rei? Long time no see . Where are you heading?¡¡Want to buy something as usual?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Rei . Today¡¯s sandwiches are mostly Garm Bird ones, would you like some?¡¹ A cheerful older man in his 50¡¯s who was selling skewers called out . A woman in her 20¡¯s, who was selling sandwiches next to him, recommended some Garm bird sandwiches . On that note, the Garm bird was a chicken like monster . It¡¯s fatal flaw was that it couldn¡¯t fly . It¡¯s only means of attack were with its beak and claws . Even G rank adventurers could easily kill one and its meat was also delicious . For low ranking adventurers, it was quite literally a tasty monster . As people called out to them like that, they walked through the city while buying skewers and sandwiches as usul ¡¸Hey, Baslero . You try some as well . ¡¹ Rei said that as he passed some freshly cooked Fang Boar skewers to Baslero . Next to him, Set was eating a Garm bird sandwich with a happy cry . When Baslero saw that, he wondered if Set was fine with eating birds like him . ¡¡However, he wasn¡¯t courageous enough to ask about it and just walked straight through the city with Rei . (Oh, delicious . ) He thought as he happily at the freshly cooked Fang Boar skewers that were still dripping fat . After that, the proceeded straight down the main street and eventually arrived at the adventurers guild . ¡¸¡­¡­Teacher?¡¡I¡¯m still haven¡¯t decided to become an adventurer yet . ¡¹ Baslero said that hurriedly to Rei, who was about to leave Set and head inside the guild as he usually did . However, Rei placed his hand on Baslero¡¯s head to assure him . ¡¸I didn¡¯t come here to register you as an adventurer . ¡­¡­Or rather, they wouldn¡¯t let you register as an adventurer since you¡¯re still too young . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s true . ¡­¡­whew . ¡¹ Hearing Rei say that, Baslero gave a sigh of relief . Rei smiled when he saw that and put his hand on the door to the guild . ¡¸Today, what we¡¯ll be using¡­¡­is the guild training ground . ¡¹ With that, Rei entered the guild with Baslero . ¡¸Training ground?¡¹ Baslero followed Rei puzzledly . After all, they had the garden in Baron Cisne¡¯s residence for training . Of course, it wasn¡¯t possible to run around that much there, but there was still room to some extent . Regardless, Baslero didn¡¯t know why they were heading to the guild . Still, he didn¡¯t ask about it but just followed Rei and entered the guild due to his respect for Rei from the past few days of training . ¡­¡­No one knew what would happen if he found out that the methods Rei had used to train his evasion and defense in the past few days were all things he had recalled from manga . ¡¸Uwa~ . ¡­¡­This is the gui¡­¡­ld?¡¹ As soon as he entered the guild, he heard some noise . Baslero almost sighed in admiration, but his expression soon turned strange . After all, the only noise that could be heard was from the bar in the guild . There were only a few people near the important guild reception . There was Rei, who had already gone over to talk to the receptionist, but aside from him, there were only about four people . ¡¸Uh¡­this is?¡¹ Looking around while confused, he suddenly saw a drunk adventurer come towards him and Baslero waited where he was . He wondered if the man needed something because he was coming towards him . He decided that was the case, but in a way that was right and in a way that was wrong . ¡¸Oi, oi, what¡¯s a kid doing in this place . Hey, go home and suck on your mother¡¯s breast . ¡¹ ¡¸-!? ¡¡Just now, what did you say . ¡¹ Due to the sudden insult, Baslero¡¯s cheeks turned red . In particular, the mention of his mother was particularly bad . For Baslero, his mother was already not around by the time he could understand things . In other words, it was a figure he longed for . He couldn¡¯t keep quiet after having his longing being made fun of . ¡¸Hah?¡¡Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡¡I¡¯m telling you to go home boy . ¡¹ A drunk said that to him as if he was stupid . Friends of the man, who had stayed at their table, laughed as if they were tasting a good drink when they saw Baslero¡¯s cheeks go red . ¡¸-!?¡¹ Just as he reached for the sword at his waist¡­¡­ ¡¸This happens as soon as I take my eyes off you . ¡¹ His hand extended from the side and pressed against Baslero¡¯s sword sheath with a sigh . ¡¸Seriously . It¡¯s nice to have a drink and make some noise, but don¡¯t cause problems . ¡¹ ¡¸Aah!?¡¡You, what do you think you¡¯re doing¡­¡­¡¹ Because he was drunk, even though Rei was there¡­¡­he didn¡¯t realise that Rei was an adventurer in Gilm that he shouldn¡¯t mess around with . He glared at the impudent fellow who had interrupted his fun and showed off his arms as if he would beat him down . However, the friends of the man, who had been watching while laughing pleasantly a few seconds ago, suddenly had their smiles start twitching and woke up from their moderate intoxication . Yes, the man¡¯s friends were not completely drunk yet, unlike the man who was currently with Baslero . Because of that, they didn¡¯t miss the existence of Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei gave a flat look towards the men . The men realised that Rei¡¯s look basically meant¡ºI¡¯m going to do something to this man here¡»and hastily got off their chairs before coming over to Rei . ¡¸Hey, Plage . You¡¯re drunk . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . Do you know who you¡¯re trying to mess with?¡¹ ¡¸Look, just come over here . Don¡¯t you know what will happen if you get drunk and cause a mess in such a place?¡¹ The man, whose face was red due to intoxication, turned to look at his friends . ¡¸Aah!?¡¡Do you think I¡¯m causing trouble dealing with these two kids?¡¹ ¡¸No, I understand . Hey, let¡¯s go . Sorry kid . He¡¯s drunk . I also didn¡¯t know you were a friend of Rei . Please forgive us . Take this money as apology for the inconvenience . ¡¹ One of the men took out a silver coin from the pocket of the man called Plage and handed over to Baslero . ¡¸Oi, why did you take that from my pocket¡­¡­¡¹ The man tried to complain, but had his mouth held down by his friends the next moment and was dragged towards the table . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The gave a bow with a bitter smile towards Baslero, who was just watching him silently . ¡¸Hey, sorry . Besides, we¡¯re not stupid enough to pick a fight with one of Rei¡¯s friends . Could you accept this and call it even?¡¹ For the man, he had known that Claws of the Hawk had had all their belongings taken from them in a fight . Because of that, if the price of accidentally messing around with Rei¡¯s friend was just a silver coin, and it wasn¡¯t even his own money, then he would be happy with that . ¡¸Take it . ¡¹ ¡¸But, teacher¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Baslero looked uncomfortably at him, but still received the silver coin given to him with reluctance . ¡¸Ehem, sorry about this . I¡¯ll tell him when he sobers up . ¡¹ Saying that, the man returned to the bar . Seeing him off, Rei gave a small sigh and went to the guild¡¯s back door . Then they headed out towards the training grounds . Baslero also followed after Rei with an unsatisfied look . ¡¸Rei-san!¡¹ Rei and Baslero arrived at the training ground . And a voice greeted the two of them and Set . The voice came from a yellow haired man who looked a little older than Rei . A thin sheath that didn¡¯t seem to hold a long sword hung at his waist . (An estoc?¡¡It looks like he has a unique weapon¡­¡­is he a friend of teacher?¡¡Since he¡¯s here, I guess he¡¯s an adventurer . ) While looking at the person who had greeted them, Baslero whispered to Rei . Rei wasn¡¯t particularly concerned about Baslero¡¯s question and raised his hand in reply to the person who had called out to him from the training ground . ¡¸Hasta, sorry for calling you over all of a sudden . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, don¡¯t worry about it . I have to be cautious about taking on requests in winter, especially since I hunt monsters . I would rather you invite me to get some exercise . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t it tough to solo hunt monsters in winter?¡¹ Because he had grown up in the mountains of Tohoku and knew about the dangers of winter, Rei had decided not to take on any monster subjugation requests during this season . However, if Hasta, who was weaker than him and had no partner like Set, told Rei he was taking on requests, he would be worried . Hasta shoook his head with a wry smile at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸Of course, I¡¯m not thinking of going out solo at this time since that would be reckless . I¡¯ve formed a temporary party with some people lacking money . Well, that¡¯s enough about that story¡­¡­who¡¯s this kid?¡¹ Hasta asked as he looked at Baslero . ¡¸Ahh . At the request of the guild, I¡¯m supposed to teach him how to fight for about a week . Baslero, this is Hasta . A solo D rank adventurer . After yesterday¡¯s training, I negotiated with him to help you with today¡¯s training . ¡¹ ¡¸Nice to meet you!¡¡My name is Baslero Cisne . I¡¯m receiving combat training from Rei-san!¡¹ Hasta¡¯s eyes went wide when he saw Baslero give a vigorous bow . ¡¸You have a last name¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . He¡¯s the son of a Baron . ¡¹ ¡¸That is, well¡­¡­for a noble to receive combat training from Rei-san¡­¡­¡¹ Hasta knew that Rei¡¯s main weapon was the Death Scythe, a huge scythe, and inadvertently turned to look at Baslero . However, although it was still a bit short, it was still a sword than hung at Baslero¡¯s waist . No matter how he thought about it, it wasn¡¯t a scythe like the Death Scythe . Rei probably guessed what Hasta meant when he looked over like that . Rei gave an involuntary smile . ¡¸Well, for that reason, I¡¯m going to ask you lend a hand today Hasta . I don¡¯t use a sword, so my way of teaching is distorted . In the first place, it¡¯s my own style . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that, my own sword style is one that was taught to me by a senior adventurer you know¡¡It seems that he learned his swordsmanship from another senior, and that senior had learnt from an established sword school¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be in your care! . ¡¹ Baslero listened in to the conversation between the two and gave a large bow . Rei¡¯s training had taught Baslero the importance of defense and avoidance, it was now ingrained in his blood . Still, Rei¡¯s weapon was a scythe and it was a fact that it wasn¡¯t enough to teach Baslero, who used a sword . ¡­¡­But he were to say such a thing to Rei, he would have been scolded so thoroughly that he wouldn¡¯t be able to speak a thing . ¡¸I understand . Well then, I¡¯ll be your sparring partner . Is a mock fight fine?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that was how teacher taught me . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . ¡­¡­Come then . ¡¹ As Hasta said that, he pulled out his own estoc from his sheath . Baslero took a deep breath when he couldn¡¯t spot any gaps in his stance . Still, when Baslero looked towards Rei, he thought to himself as he pulled out his sword from the sheath at his waist . (Is this what a D rank adventurer that isn¡¯t teacher is like? His strength is amazing . ) Exclaiming to himself, Baslero gave a shout to raise his spirits under the pressure from the man who was ready to thrust out his estoc at any time . ¡¸¡­¡­Here I come!¡¹ Along with that shout, he dashed forward to close the distance . It was an attack he judged impossible for a weapon like an estoc, which specialised in thrusting, to block . Certainly, it was difficult to block a sword with the very thin blade of an estoc . However, that was only true if it was used to block . Hasta didn¡¯t show a particularly surprised expression and pulled back a step to avoid it . As soon as Baslero¡¯s sword passed by him, he quickly stepped forward to thrust out his estoc . The next moment, the tip of his sword was touching Baslero¡¯s neck . ¡¸Your attacks are quite sharp, but you¡¯re conscious about them . It¡¯s better to be more conscious about defense . ¡¹ In this way, Baslero¡¯s sixth day of training went by as such, tossed around by the sharp attacks of Hasta while Rei watched on from the side and Set slept on the ground . Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Day 7 . Today, Rei and Baslero headed to the guild training ground again . Before using the training ground, Rei had gone ahead to let Lenora know and fortunately there weren¡¯t any drunks who tried to mess around with Baslero, which was understandable in a sense if you considered the events of the previous day . ¡¸Teacher, is my training partner today also Hasta?¡¹ On the way to the training ground, Baslero asked Rei, but Rei shook his head . ¡¸Hasta¡¯s not a particularly high rank, but he¡¯s a busy guy . ¡¹ Rei explained that Hasta hunted monsters to supply meat to the eatery at his home . ¡¸Heh¡­¡­so Hasta-san is also thinking of his family . ¡¹ For Baslero, he often thought about his father, Mouet, and the maid, Ashie, so he understood Hasta¡¯s feelings . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s why Hasta should be out of the city today . Together with some other adventurers low on money . ¡¹ ¡¸So, will I just be training with teacher today?¡¡But then, in the garden¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve called a special guest in today . ¡¹ While saying that, Rei looked towards the training ground . Over there, there was a female warrior wearing leather armour made from monster skin . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ For a moment, Baslero was amazed at her beauty, but the next moment that all collapsed . The moment the woman saw Rei and everyone with him, she rushed towards them at an incredible speed to Baslero . ¡¸-!?¡¹ At that speed, he felt a sense of crisis and tried to pull his sword out from his sheath involuntarily¡­¡­but he was stopped by Rei, who smiled as he spoke . ¡¸Teacher?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . She¡¯s always like this . ¡¹ ¡¸Set-chan, Set-chan, Set-chaaan~!¡¡How have you been!?¡¡Are you hungry?¡¡I¡¯ve brought some things that Set-chan likes today, so let¡¯s eat it together!¡¹ The female warrior, Milein, quickly shortened the distance between them and passed by Rei and Baslero as if she couldn¡¯t see them at all before hugging Set¡¯s neck, who was behind Rei . ¡¸Gururu¡¹ He gave a cry at Milein, who he had already become accustomed to, and rubbed his face against her . ¡¸Um¡­¡­teacher?¡¹ Baslero asked Rei, confused at the scene of the ecstatic female warrior he had just seen . ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t worry . She loves to spoil Set . She¡¯s always like this when she sees him . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that okay?¡¹ Baslero asked Rei unintentionally while watching Milein, who was embracing Set and rubbing his cheeks and back with a blissful expression . At that question, Rei replied with a wry smile . ¡¸Well, there¡¯s no point worrying about it, she might look like that, but she¡¯s a leader of a C rank party . Especially because she also uses a sword as her main weapon, I thought that she would be the best opponent for you . ¡¹ ¡¸Rank C!?¡¹ Baslero shouted at Rei¡¯s words . He couldn¡¯t imagine that the female warrior who was trying to spoil Set so much right now was a higher rank adventurer than Rei . Rei could understand Baslero¡¯s feelings . While looking at Milein, who was playing with Set, he gave a wry laugh as he looked at Baslero . ¡¸She¡¯s a typical example of a person with a personality that doesn¡¯t match her ability . In fact, I have no doubt about her sword skills . ¡­¡­If she fought Hasta, who you trained with yesterday, her win rate wouldn¡¯t be below 90% . ¡­¡­If she was up against two Hasta¡¯s, it would be about an equal match . ¡¹ ¡¸So strong¡­¡­¡¹ She might have noticed that they were looking at her . Milein finally left Set and turned towards Rei . ¡¸Mm, ahem . I¡¯ve gotten a bit distracted, but I¡¯m Milein and I will be training with you today . Nice to meet you . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¡I¡¯m grateful to be able to train with an adventurer of a higher rank than teacher . I¡¯ll be in your care! . ¡¹ Although Baslero bowed his head vigourously, Milein¡¯s cheeks twitched involuntarily at his words . ¡¸Um, Baslero, was it . I¡¯m certainly a higher rank than Rei-san . But, you know?¡¡What I don¡¯t want you to mistake is that Rei is someone outside normal standards . Even if his rank is lower than mine, if you just consider his strength, he¡¯s the equivalent to a rank A adventurer, so don¡¯t have any strange misunderstandings . ¡¹ Milein said that to tell him to drop the thought if he thought she was stronger than Rei . In fact, the adventurers in Gilm who had worked with Rei for the longest time were Scorching Wind, so she knew how crazy Rei¡¯s power actually was . If all adventurers above rank D were at Rei¡¯s level or had the same level of talent, the city of Gilm would be a gathering of monsters . Baslero nodded, as if forced by Milein, who was in a semi-reflective state . As Rei watched the two of them, he eventually gave a sigh and clapped his hands to draw their attention . ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s enough talking . That aside, Milein, you ready to go?¡¹ ¡¸Of course . I won¡¯t forget about the reward . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . ¡¹ Since he had pulled Milein into this, who was completely unrelated, to help with his request, there was a need for a reward . There was no issue in terms of compensation for winter training with Hasta yesterday, but that was a special case . Most ordinary adventurers would close up for winter . ¡¸Fufu~, a date with Set-chan, a date with Set-chan . A date with Set-chan . A date with Set-chan . ¡¹ Milein pulled out her sword from her sheath while repeating those words like a broken radio . Rei noticed that her sword was different form the sword she had used when Set had been teleported by the transition stone . (Maybe she bought is with the reward from back then¡­¡­she¡¯s spent a lot of money . ) Originally, Milein wasn¡¯t usually that pushed for money . However, after meeting Set, Milein was shot through the heart and began to spend a lot of money to feed him to show her affection . And as her gold spending habits changed, the end result was the new sword in Milien¡¯s hands . ¡¸T-Teacher¡­¡­I¡¯m feeling scared . ¡¹ Although Baslero hurriedly said that to Rei, with his eyes starting to tear up, Rei responded as if it were nothing . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t mind it . If you become an adventurer, there¡¯s a possibility you¡¯ll end up fighting against opponents who will talk in a similar way . Think of it as training to get used to it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I feel like I¡¯ve lost some of my urge to become an adventurer . ¡¹ Baslero said that in a small voice . However, his mindset soon switched over . Pulling out his sword from his sheath, he took a stance facing Milein . ¡¸Here I come!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, come . ¡¹ After exchanging words with each other, the next moment Baslero dashed forward and thrust his sword towards Milein . This was basically his substitute for a greeting . It was different from yesterday¡¯s thrust, much sharper than before Hasta had taught him the technique of thrusting with an estoc . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Naive . If you¡¯re going to throw out a thrust, put more emphasis on speed . ¡¹ A metallic clang was heard and, the next moment, Baslero realised that his sword had disappeared . ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Baslero suddenly turned to look at his hand . However, his sword was of course not there . A few seconds later, he could hear his sword fall to the ground to his right . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¡Is it over already?¡¹ Milein threw out some provocative words . And Baslero, who returned to reality at those words, hurriedly picked up his sword that had rolled to the ground . ¡¸Not yet!¡¡H-Here I come again!¡¹ He faced Milein again with sword in hand and took his time . This time, instead of going straight for her like before, he watched Milein intensely . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¡You¡¯re not coming over?¡¡Then you¡¯re running from me?¡¹ With that voice, a sword shot forward . In the first place, Milein was a swordwoman who was better with speed and skill than strength . However, she still had more than enough strength in comparison to the 10 year old Baslero . Because of this, although Basleor managed to block her sword at each swing, the shock would run through his hands and they were getting numb . And of course, there was no way to block her attacks like that indefinitely . ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s the end . ¡¹ Although he managed to block the blow coming in from his side, his wrist was twisted aside and the next moment, the tip of Milein¡¯s sword was pointed at his neck . ¡¸¡­¡­I surrender¡¹ ¡¸Mm . You seem to be bad at defense . In the first place, you can¡¯t really block attacks with raw strength with your physique, so learn to parry it instead of blocking it directly with your blade . Understand?¡¡When your sword is swung like this, don¡¯t receive the attack with the blade vertically but with it slightly shifted . That way, you can deflect some of your opponent¡¯s power . ¡¹ While explain, she demonstrated how to parry an attack with his own sword . Being careful not to miss it, Baslero concentrated on Milein¡¯s movements so as not miss even the smallest of movements, absorbing her actions intently . In Baslero¡¯s mind, she was no longer someone with a suspicious personality and was someone who had taught him practical skills . ¡¸Um, like this?¡¹ Baslero mimicked Milein and cut down with his sword at a slight angle . Seeing that, Milein smiled as she spoke . ¡¸Yes, yes . That¡¯s it . So, ready?¡¡Do you want to try again?¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ They separated from each other before clashing again . As before, Milein¡¯s sword was swung from the side . Baslero tried to parry it with a slight angle as he had been taught¡­¡­but the next moment, his sword was knocked away by Milein¡¯s attack as they collided . ¡¸Look, now you¡¯re too weak . You can¡¯t use too much strength, but you can¡¯t use too little either . ¡¹ ¡¸Um, then how much power should I use?¡¹ ¡¸That depends on the person . You have to fail many times through trial and error . Look, get ready . Here I come!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes!¡¹ After seeing Milein ready her sword again, Baslero ran to grab he sword that had been knocked away . And repeated the parry . ¡¸Uwa-!¡¹ ¡¸Look, you¡¯ve used too much strength this time . Think of the difference in physique between you and me . ¡¹ Following Milein¡¯s advice, this time he had put too much strength into his hand holding the sword . Milein¡¯s attack numbed his hands and dropped his sword . Then, after about an hour of repeating the same attack many times, Baslero was already so exhausted that he couldn¡¯t even hold a sword or get up . ¡¸Milein, how about a break?¡¡Seeing Baslero¡¯s condition, he¡¯ll only get injured if you keep going . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡Hmm¡­¡­that¡¯s true . I forgot he was still a child . Let¡¯s take a break for 30 minutes . ¡¹ Baslero took a deep breath at the word ¡®break¡¯ and silently nodded while his face sweated like a waterfall even though it was winter . Although the weather was fine, it was still winter and the surrounding temperature was could, so it looked like steam was coming off Baslero¡¯s entire body . ¡¸Hey, wipe away your sweat for now . And don¡¯t forget to drink and rehydrate . ¡¹ Rei handed over a towel taken out from the Misty Ring as well as a bottle of fruit juice . ¡¸Ah, thank¡­¡­you¡­¡­¡¹ Even though it was just a short period of time and the opponent used a sword, the same as him¡­¡­he was exhausted having to deal with Milein, who he was not comparable to at all . Somehow saying that while wiping away his sweat, he brought the bottle to his mouth and gulped it down . ¡¸¡­¡­So, how was it?¡¹ Rei asked Baslero¡­¡­no, he asked Milein, who had been moving around more than Baslero but had yet to break out in sweat . as he threw over a bottle like the one he had passed to Baslero . The difference in their physique was the difference between and adult and a child, an amateur and a rank C adventurer . ¡¸Yes, I think he has some natural talent when it comes to attack with the sword . However, he¡¯s neglected his defense because of his talent . If I rated his talent out of 10, his talent for attack would be a 7¡­¡­no, 8 . He would be something like a 2 in defense though . ¡¹ Rei listened to Milein and sighed unintentionally . He had been told a similar thing by Hasta yesterday, who had been involved in training, and Rei realised once again the bias in Baslero¡¯s talent . ¡¸Then¡­¡­how would you use him if he was in a party?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, true . If i was in a party with that kid, I would give him a buckler and use him in the vanguard . And I think that kid would take the role of a dedicated attacker . As an attacker, he has a lot of talent, if there was a mage like Sulunin, he could use magic to raise his defenses¡­¡­but, there¡¯s still an element of anxiety . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So you agree . ¡¹ Even if it was Rei, if he had to form a temporary party, his honest feelings were that he would want to stay away from teaming up with such a heavily attack focused warrior . That was because if he was hit, the chances of him going down would be high . Even if he had a high attack power, the element of chance involved was too high . (In the end, there¡¯s no choice but to train his defense . ¡­¡­Or maybe, I could use magic like my Death Scythe¡¯s Magic Shield skill¡­¡­) While thinking like that, he waited for Baslero to recover and resume training as he talked . Chapter 224 Chapter 224 The 8th and last day of Baslero¡¯s combat training . Today, as with the days before, Rei, Baslero and Set were at the guild training grounds . ¡¸Uwa, there¡¯s no muscle pain¡­¡­I¡¯m a little jealous of those who can use healing magic . ¡¹ For some reason, Milein, who he had practiced with yesterday, was also present at the training ground . Of course, her aim was Set, but it was also because she was concerned about how Baslero was doing after all the moving, defending and dodging, straining his muscles like never before, which was why she was surprised to see him again at the training ground and asked how . ¡¸Ahaha . There will be some negative impact on my growth . But because today is going to be the last day, I pressured Ashie into using a bit of healing magic . ¡¹ He knew that it would have a negative impact on his growth as a swordsman . However, Baslero requested it because it would have been impossible for him to go through the same level of training as he had yesterday with his muscle pains . Basically, there was no way Ashie could refuse Baslero¡¯s sweet request . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s okay . Today, I¡¯ll show you something interesting . This isn¡¯t something you¡¯ll be able to do now, but just remember that there¡¯s such a trick . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is it, a technique?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Well¡­¡­it might be a bit dangerous to demonstrate it on you . Rei, can you block one of my attacks?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­but won¡¯t that be too dangerous?¡¹ While saying that, Rei took out the iron spear from the Misty Ring that he had used to train with Baslero on the first day of training . While holding on to it, he went over to Milein . ¡¸Okay then, what do you want me to do?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to attack you now, so please block it with your spear handle . ¡¹ Baslero, who was watching from the side, could understand from Milein¡¯s tense expression that unlike her comfortable expression when training with him yesterday, what she was about to do was not going to be easy . Set, who had been lying down, opened his eyes to look at them . However, because he knew both of them¡­¡­especially Rei¡¯s strength, he decided that there wouldn¡¯t be any problems and closed his eyes again . ¡¸Fuu~¡­¡­here I come!¡¡Haaaaa-!¡¡Shock Wave!¡¹ Milein closed in on Rei with her sword . Then, as soon as she came within range, she swung her sword sideways . (What?) Rei thought to himself . No matter how he looked at it, it was just a normal attack from his flank . In particular, there was no noticeable change in the way Milein¡¯s muscles moved as she swung her sword and Rei blocked the blade with his spear handled puzzledly . Then the next moment . ¡¸Uwa-!¡¹ A shock struck Rei¡¯s hand through the handle of the spear that had blocked the blade . Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a powerful impact, so he didn¡¯t let go of his spear . However, he still looked at his hands, which were feeling a bit numb, before stopping and turning to Milein, who had stopped moving . ¡¸What was that?¡¹ ¡¸That was one of my special techniques¡­¡­I never thought you wouldn¡¯t even drop your weapon . I¡¯m a little depressed . ¡¹ Milein looked at her sword and then at Rei¡¯s spear . It must have been a bit of a shock to her that one of her finishing moves had so little effect . ¡¸Milein-san, how did you do that just now!?¡¡I¡¯ve never seen teacher¡¯s expression change after taking an attack . ¡¹ However, even if the attack didn¡¯t hurt Rei, it was still true that his expression had changed involuntarily, and because of that, Baslero looked at Milein with a look of respect . ¡¸It¡¯s a skill to give your enemy a magic shock through their weapon . In my case, although I have magic power, it¡¯s not enough to actually use magic, so I devised this technique¡­¡­no . Well, I guess that¡¯s Rei for you . ¡¹ She shook her head as if giving up on someething . ¡¸Then I, can I, can I do that too!?¡¡Um¡­¡­that skill just now . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know . I think you should be able to do it if you have at least a bit of magic power . ¡¹ ¡¸Magic power¡­¡­um, magic power, is it? I¡¯m not very confident about that . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if you rely on this technique right now anyway, your skill won¡¯t get better . Whatever you do, the basics come first . Ah, the basics in this case are physical strength . It looks like you¡¯ve trained more than an ordinary kid, but it would still be difficult for you to become an adventurer . ¡­¡­Well, there¡¯s no way a child of your age would be able to become one right now anyway . ¡¹ Whether she was happy to be seen with respect, Milein gave some advice to Baslero . However, what she said wasn¡¯t wrong either, so without interrupting them, Rei went over to the sleeping Set . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Why did you decided to come over all of a sudden?¡¡Set seemed to ask as he gave a cry . Rei asked while stroking Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Well, Set . I can¡¯t feel magic power, but does Baslero have any?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words . Humans in this world more or less all had magic power . However, having it and using it were very different things . If you had a certain amount of magic power and could control it, you could use magic . Or, if you didn¡¯t have that much, it could still be utilised in a unique technique like the Shock Wave that Milein had used just now . ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­that¡¯s too bad, but I won¡¯t give up . Instead, I¡¯ll try to develop a technique like Milein-san¡¯s when I¡¯ve mastered the basics!¡¹ Baslero said those words with determination . Seeing that, Milein smilled at the result she had wanted . ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s boring to train the basics . But, the basics are the foundations for everything¡­¡­it¡¯s the beginning . There are some idiots who don¡¯t know the basics and pursue techniques, but those people only know fancy tricks . It would be lucky for them to reach rank D . The quality of adventurers is high in Gilm because it is located on the frontier . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . I understand . I will do my best not to neglect the basics . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, do your best . Even if you don¡¯t neglect them though, your defense is still poor¡­¡­¡¹ After saying that, Milein realised something . She suddenly turned to look at Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, Rei . I haven¡¯t really thought about it, but why am I teaching this kid so enthusiastically while you¡¯re just silently watching?¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s about teaching the sword, isn¡¯t it better for you to do it than me?¡¡In fact, I¡¯ve never used a sword before . ¡¹ Speaking of Rei¡¯s experience with a sword, the only times he had ever swung one was either when playing as a kid or with a friend from his high school kendo club . If there had been a class for kendo in his high school, it might have been a different story, but his high school taught judo rather than kendo in PE classes so he had no experience there . ¡¸That¡¯s not the point!¡¡In the first place, this is a request that you received!¡¡I did say that I would assist in return for a date with Set, but I¡¯m not the main teacher!¡¹ ¡¸Well, as for that, my excuse is¡­¡­mm?¡¹ As Rei was thinking of an excuse to tell Milein, he noticed someone run out from the back door of the guild to the training ground . With the characteristic cat ears and suppleness of a Catkin, Rei immediately knew who it was . It was the receptionist, Kenny . ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Whether or not she was confused about why Rei suddenly stopped talking, Milein also noticed Kenny when she looked towards Rei . ¡¸Oh, that looks like Kenny . ¡­¡­She looks like she¡¯s in a hurry, what¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t she a guild receptionist? . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . ¡­¡­Well, it looks like she¡¯s looking for someone . ¡¹ Rei looked back at Milein as he replied to her . ¡¸She looks like a certain someone looking for Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¡But, unlike other people, what I have for Set is pure love!¡¡Pure love does not seek rewards and only wishes to be by their side!¡¹ Milein reached out to Set with a playful gesture while waiting for Kenny to come over from Rei¡¯s direction . As they conversed, Kenny ran over like a Catkin towards them, as they were the only people in the training ground . Even though it was winter, her outfit remained the same as when she was inside the guild and she wasn¡¯t wearing a coat . ¡¸¡­¡­What do you think happened?¡¹ ¡¸Well . Is it a fight in the bar?¡¡Because of that, she¡¯s looking for us¡­¡­or rather, for Rei to stop them?¡¡Well, if you ask, she would tell you . ¡¹ While conversing, a the two of them felt a bad premonition in their heart . Maybe it was just the sharp intuition that was part of an adventurer¡¯s qualities . And right now, they only had a bad feeling . ¡¸Rei-kun, Milein, it¡¯s urgent!¡¡A merchant caravan heading for Gilm is under attack from a flock of Icebirds, please help them!¡¹ Kenny¡¯s voice echoed around the training ground, but what she said was surprised Milein, Rei aside as this was his firs winter in Gilm . ¡¸Hah-!?¡¡Hey, Kenny!¡¡Why are there merchants coming here at this time of the year!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s all I was told!¡¡Anyhow, the guards contacted me!¡¡But as you know, the drunks in the bar can¡¯t really be counted on¡­¡­then, I remembered that Rei-kun and Milein were at the training grounds . Either way, please!¡¡It seems to be a big flock and there are over 50 Icebirds!¡¹ ¡¸You say that, but fighting a flock of Icebirds in this season¡­¡­ah . ¡¹ Milein turned to look at Rei with an expression that could be best expressed as a grin . She asked she put a hand on the should of his Dragon Robe . ¡¸Hey Rei . You said you were good at fire magic right?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . I have the greatest aptitude for fire magic . ¡¹ To be exact, he couldn¡¯t really use much magic aside from fire magic . However, he could only say that as he was currently hiding his Death Scythe¡¯s skills under the guise of magic . ¡¸Then maybe it¡¯s possible . Icebirds, as their name suggests, are an ice based monster, so they are vulnerable to fire . ¡¹ ¡¸Icebirds, I remember reading about them in a book about monsters . ¡¹ Rei said that as he recalled what he had read . Icebirds . They were a bird shaped monster about 1m in length and were listed as rank D . However, they had a habit of grouping into flocks and attacking their prey . Because of that, when Icebirds grouped into flocks, there were ranked as rank C monsters . They only appeared in cold winter months and attached with their sharp beaks and claws . And, as its name suggested, they were good at ice based magic . However, they weren¡¯t that difficult to deal with if there was a mage or a magic item that could release fire magic as they were weak to that . Their proof of subjugation were a 20cm long pure white tail feather . The materials that could be stripped from them were their tail feather and beaks . Their internal organs were also used as catalysts for manipulating ice magic . ¡¸I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what was written in a book I read before . Then we should manage somehow if Set and I were there . Kenny, is it okay for me to go?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡Yes, please . I¡¯ll arrange the documents for a nominated request later, so please rescue the merchants as soon as possible . ¡¸I understand . Then, can I fly from here?¡¹ ¡¸You have permission . ¡­¡­How long for you Milein?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m not able to head over as I am right now . I have to head back to my inn to get my armour . ¡¹ Milein said that as she was only here to assist with Baslero¡¯s training instead of sparring today . Of course, her clothes weren¡¯t her usual leather armour but a set of everyday clothes instead . She knew there might be some training though, so she wasn¡¯t wearing a skirt but pants instead . ¡¸Then, head back quickly!¡¡Rei-kun, I¡±ll leave it to you . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu!¡¹ Called by Rei, Set reacted immediately . Milein headed back to her inn right away, with a slightly jealous expression at Rei and Set¡¯s innate understanding . Seeing the current situation, Rei got on Set¡¯s back . At the same time, he took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring¡­¡­ ¡¸Teacher!¡¡Please take me too!¡¹ The moment Set was about to fly up, Baslero, who had been watching on from next to Kenny, shouted out . ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid . Even if I took you with me, you would just be a burden . In the first place, Icebirds are considered rank D, but when in a flock, they¡¯re treated as rank C you know?¡¡They¡¯re not something you can handle . Kenny, take care of him for me . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . I understand . Rei-kun, be careful as well!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I just told Baslero, but in a flock, Icebirds are rank C monster . And fire is their weakness . They aren¡¯t that scary to me and Set . ¡­¡­Set-!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu-!¡¹ After answering Rei¡¯s call, Set took a run up of a few steps before flapping his wings and climbing into the sky . Chapter 225 Chapter 225 The term used to count Icebirds, from what he had heard was a group . However, because it was a bird monster, it made more sense to him to call them a flock . TLN: This is hard to translate . Basically the term used in Japanese to call a group of Icebirds is the same term that is usually used to refer to groups of small animals . However, Rei feels that a different term, one used to describe groups of birds would sound more appropriate . Rei and Set left directly from the guild¡¯s training ground . Kenny saw them off before looking at Baslero, who was next to her . ¡¸Well then, instead of staying here, why don¡¯t we head back into the guild? If you don¡¯t wipe away your sweat, you¡¯ll catch a cold . ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ Baslero heard Kenny¡¯s words, but continued to look at the direction Rei had flown towards with heated eyes . ¡¸Hey, if you just stay here, you¡¯re going to catch a cold . Kid, just stay quiet and listen to this onee-san!¡¹ Kenny pulled Baslero away scoldingly . Even if she did have a preference for younger guys, she didn¡¯t have any such feelings towards the 10 year old Baslero as she dragged him back into the guild . Perhaps at this time, if she had looked into his eyes, she would have seen some sort of determination . ¡¸There!¡¹ A few minutes away from Gilm . Rei, who was looking at the surroundings, identified a blue mass on the road leading to Gilm . Icebirds were swarming around two of the three carriages there . From a distance, the merchant escorts could be seen desperately resisting the Icebirds, but there were well over 50 of them . The average length of the Icebirds was about 1m and there weren¡¯t enough escorts with the skills to defend against that many attacks . One of the carriages had already been completely destroyed and the adventurers defending it, horses pulling the carriage and any merchants inside devoured alive by the flock of Icebirds . ¡¸Tch, if they¡¯re stuck inside those carriages, I can¡¯t use magic to just blast through them . ¡¹ Rei clicked his tongue as he held the Death Scythe in one hand . He knew the Icebirds were vulnerable to fire magic, but he couldn¡¯t just kill all the Icebirds while destroying the carriage he was supposed to help . Even as he thought, the distance between Set and the Icebirds shrunk as he watched on . ¡¸There¡¯s no time to think about it . Set, I¡¯m going to support the carriage on the right . I¡¯ll leave the left one to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s instructions, Set nodded and gave a cry as he dived towards a flock of Icebirds swarming a carriage on the ground . ¡¸Gurururururu-!¡¹ Set gave a loud, high pitched cry to make known his presence . ¡¸Ki!? Kii-!¡¹ Noticing Set, Some of the Icebirds attacking the carriage gave a high pitched cry, that sounded more like the cry of a monkey than a bird monster, in order to let them know of the threat . ¡¸Ki, Kiki, Kii-!¡¹ However, their friends were too late in noticing Set . ¡­¡­No, rather, it would be correct to say that Set¡¯s speed was too fast . By the time most of the flock noticed the existence of a high ranking monster, a Griffon, Set was already about to pass over the carriage as Rei jumped off at the same time . ¡¸Haaaaaa-!¡¹ While falling to the ground, one strike with the magic empowered Death Scythe struck a Icebird to the ground, slicing it in two without the least resistance . ¡¸Shoes of Sleipnir, activate!¡¹ Activating his magic item that would allow him to walk several steps in the air, he landed on a horse at the front of the carriage . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Get out of my way! Flying Slash!¡¹ With a cry, a slash flew out from the Death Scythe, slicing two Icebirds in half just like like the one before . ¡¸Wha-!? W-Who is it!?¡¹ One of the adventurers who was fighting to protect the carriage shouted unintentionally at Rei, who had suddenly appeared . Four adventurers had been hired to escort this carriage . One held a spear and two held a sword . The only female among them held a bow . They all looked to be in their late teens to early twenties . The man who had shouted at Rei was the spearman, who hadn¡¯t been forced to fight at close quarters . The two men who were defending with swords were desperately struggling to keep the Icebirds from getting near the carriage . However, the Icebirds ability to manipulate ice, their sharp beak and claws covered in ice and ice arrows couldn¡¯t be completely defended against . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, an adventurer dispatched from the guild in Gilm!¡¹ With those words, he made a big swing with the Death Scythe . The handle was more than 2m in length and the blade was over 1m in length . When it was swung out, it had a wide range of attack and with Rei¡¯s strength and the Death Scythe¡¯s weight, this weapon could be easily described as the weapon of the god of death . Because of the magic power in it, anything that touched the blade would be cut apart without any exceptions . If hit by the handle, bones would be broken and their head snapped off their body . That was the highlight . The four adventurers who were defending the carriage and the merchants hiding inside were stunned for a moment as if wondering if the scene before them was actually real . However, Rei shouted at them as if he couldn¡¯t care less . ¡¸Don¡¯t get distracted! There are still enemies around! And tell your friends in the carriage over there that the Griffon is on their side!¡¹ Normally, they would have never obediently followed an order from Rei, who in terms of age, would be best described as a child much younger than them . The merchants were people who had made thousands of negotiations and the adventurers escorting them had ample experience and skill . But by Rei¡¯s attack, they were all overwhelmed at that moment and didn¡¯t feel like arguing back at all . That said, the adventurers who heard the word Griffon all had their cheeks twitch . A Griffon was an A rank monster . If it really was an ally, it would be a great source of strength, but if something happened and the Griffon attacked them¡­¡­as an adventurer, they couldn¡¯t help but think of that . But still . The reality was that they couldn¡¯t choose the way to be saved right now . Because of that, among the adventurers escorting this carriage, the spearman who Rei had just spoken to shouted out towards the carriage a short distance away in a loud voice . ¡¸The Griffon is on our side! It seems to be a monster following the adventurer reinforcing us from Gilm . Don¡¯t attack it!¡¹ Either way, the loud shout to alert his friends carried all the way to the adventurers who were defending the other carriage ¡¸Did you hear that? Reinforcements from Gilm!¡¹ ¡¸But, for a Griffon to follow someone¡­¡­ah, gaah, so persistent!¡¹ While answering in a somewhat leisurely voice, she made a large swing with his halberd, cutting off the head of an Icebird that was about to attack with the tip of its beak . ¡¸More than that, arrows, arrows! Cover me! My shield is already nearing its limits . ¡¹ A woman with a shield gave a scream like shout as she swung a sword in her right hand in order to restrain the Icebirds . Unlike the carriage Rei had gone to rescue, the three adventurers in this carriage were all female . As an adventurer focusing more on defense than mobility, which was rare for an adventurer, the one who had just shouted for arrow cover was equipped with half-plate armour and wielded a sword and shield . The woman swinging the halberd wore a set of leather armour with metal fittings while the female archer desperately shot arrows to keep the Icebirds away . All of them were in their twenties and appeared to be in good shape . Of the three, the woman with the halberd, who appeared to be the leader, tried to attack an Icebird that was approaching . ¡¸Gurururururu!¡¹ Along with the cry from the sky, something huge rapidly passed by the three of them, flinging aside several Icebirds that were about to attack with its giant wings . ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? That cry I heard just now¡­¡­that, that was the cry of a Griffon!?¡¹ Smacking the Icebird that had rushed towards her with her shield, she broke its neck with her metal reinforced boots the moment it fell to the ground . She shouted out unintentionally as she did that . Crushing the neck of an Icebird, Set glanced towards the woman wielding the halberd for a moment before directing a sharp gaze towards the Icebirds to prevent them from getting close to the carriage . ¡¸Ki, Kiki, Kikiki~!¡¹ ¡¸Kikiki, Kiki¡¹ ¡¸Ki~!¡¹ The low ranked monsters were unable to resist the pressure from a Griffon and circled around the carriage while making monkey like cries as they had done earlier . ¡¸Eh? What? Does this mean¡­¡­we¡¯re saved¡­¡­?¡¹ The woman with the halberd muttered to herself . Looking around, she saw about 20 Icebirds flying around the carriage they were in . Even so, they were lucky to have the time to catch their breath even while surrounding by monsters . ¡¸Fabel, Louise, can you still fight?¡¹ ¡¸I-I can still go on . ¡­¡­But, my shield is nearing its limit, so it won¡¯t hold for long . ¡¹ The female adventurer called Fabel replied while looking at her favoured shield, which had blocked the attacks from the Icebirds time and time again . Her body was almost completely covered in metal armour, so she barely had any injuries . However, she still had several lacerations on her cheeks and on her hand holding her sword . ¡¸M-Me as well, I¡¯m worried about the number of arrows I have left . ¡¹ The archer called Louise replied back in a somewhat carefree manner . Unlike Fabel, who was in the vanguard, she didn¡¯t have any injuries as she used her bow from the rear . However, her arms were already close to their limits due to the after effects of shooting several arrows in a row rapidly and were twitching slightly . ¡¸E-Either way, don¡¯t be careless . Use potions to treat your injuires . ¡¹ ¡¸But, Taenia-chan . Isn¡¯t it safe as long as that kid is around?¡¹ The female adventurer with the halberd called Taenia shook her head as she sprinkled some of the potion on cuts caused by ice arrows . ¡¸I¡¯m sure we¡¯re safe for now, but I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll come back . It would be best to take the minimum precautions against them . ¡­¡­Do we have any potions left?¡¹ Taenia replied to Louise as she spoke to several merchants who had hidden themselves inside the carriage so as to not to interfere with the battle . The merchants nodded and hurriedly offered several potions¡­before freezing when they saw Set . However, they only stopped for a few seconds out of fear . They immediately saw that the Griffon was an ally because they saw the Necklace of Subservient Monster still on its neck . As merchants, they had had the opportunity to see various adventurers and at the same time they had heard about mages who could use summoning magic or tame monsters to follow them . ¡¸¡­¡­This is, a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one . ¡¹ ¡¸Me too . ¡¹ ¡¸Same for me . ¡¹ Taenia gave a wry smile as she saw the merchants fascinated by Set . Anyhow, a Griffon was an A rank monster . As an enemy, it was a great threat . But if it was protecting them, there was no ally that would be more reassuring . ¡¸Now then, I wonder what happened to the carriage over there . As far as I saw, some jumped down from the Griffon¡­¡­¡¹ As she said that . Roar-! A huge flame tornado appeared from the carriage Taenia was looking at and nearly 10 Icebirds were burnt up in an instant . ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Taenia murmured in shock as the flame tornado appeared . Even her two companions, the merchants hiding in the carriage and the Icebirds surrounding them were stunned . However, the feelings they felt seeing the flames differed greatly . Taenia and her companions saw hope when the Icebirds were burned by the flames while the Icebirds were angry and terrified by the flames they hated that had just killed their allies . If the magic had been used a little later, overwhelmed by the presence of Set, the Icebirds might have left . However, seeing their own killed by fire, which they hated, the Icebirds were driven into a state of rage and the option of running away disappeared completely from their minds . ¡ºKikikiki-!¡» However, they still understood instinctively that it was suicide to attack a Griffon . While making monkey like cries peculiar to Icebirds, they tried to attack the other carriage rather than the one Set was near . Hum-! ¡¸Ki!?¡¹ The Icebird at the front was shot through its body by an arrow from a direction it wasn¡¯t expecting . ¡¸Reinforcements!?¡¹ From the distant Gilm ahead of them, a wagon was driving towards them from beyond the Icebirds surrounding them . And, when she saw a female adventurer drawing and shooting arrows one after another, Taenia gave a cry of joy . Chapter 226 Chapter 226 The carriage surrounded by Icebirds . Even though Rei had rushed over as reinforcements, no matter how strong he was, it was impossible for him to deal with all the Icebirds attacking the carriage from all sides . For that reason, while Rei overwhelmed the Icebirds in his area, a large number of Icebirds attacked the other adventurers . This back and forth state continued as such . ¡¸Hey, you! Can¡¯t you do something about them!? You came to reinforce us right!?¡¹ The first people to be unable to stand the situation were the merchants who were hiding inside the carriages and out of the way . One of them looked outside the carriage and shouted at Rei . However, they were immediately pulled back inside the carriage by the other merchants, who had noticed ice arrows being shot at them . The next moment, several ice arrows pierced the carriage . Rei clicked his tongue as he swung the Death Scythe to restrain the Icebirds as he threw a knife he had taken out from the Misty Ring at an Icebird that was trying to attack one of the adventurers guarding the carriage . (It can¡¯t be helped . Even if they are part of a merchant caravan, in the end, they are still merchants . Compared to merchants who stay in cities, they are more used to rough situations, but they still probably have never been attacked by this many monsters . ) Thinking to himself, he shouted out so that he would be heard by both the merchants and the adventurers guarding the carriage . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, help from Gilm will be coming soon . If you can endure until then¡­¡­you win!¡¹ Rei moved one step to the side to dodge an Icebird that had attacked him from above as if to pierce through him . Just before it hit the ground, it slowed down as it tried to leave . But instead, it had its blue plumage skewered by the handle of the Death Scythe before being forcefully thrown at the other Icebirds that were watching on . ¡¸Kikiki-!¡¹ The Icebirds that Rei had been restraining gave a louder cry than before, maybe because their friend had been killed . ¡¸Now, I did say that reinforcements are coming, but this is endless¡­¡­ . I don¡¯t have a choice . ¡¹ Rei took in his surroundings as he said that . The adventurers, including Rei were all protecting the carriage . A flock of Icebirds were flying around them as if to surround them . And most importantly, the carriages and adventurers were behind Rei and Icebirds were weak to fire . ¡¸I¡¯m going to use magic now . Don¡¯t careless get in the way!¡¹ ¡¸Ah? Ahh, we understand . If you¡¯re going to use it, hurry up . No matter how many reinforcements are coming, we¡¯ve basically hit our limits!¡¹ Nodding at the words of the defending adventurer, Rei began to chant an incantation as he grasped the Death Scythe, his magic casting tool . ¡ºFlames, manifest your burning power as a whirlwind . ¡» Casting the spell, compressed flames under the effect of magic appeared at the tip of the Death Scythe¡¯s blade¡­¡­ ¡ºTwisting Flames!¡» With those words, the compressed flames flew quickly towards where the Icebirds were most crowded . And the next moment . Roar-! With such a sound, a flaming whirlwind appeared . Icebirds caught in the flames were completely enveloped by them and were killed as they burned to charcoal without being able to raise a cry . ¡¸W-Wow, a-amazing¡­¡­I¡¯ve never seen such powerful fire magic before . ¡¹ One of the male adventurers whispered to himself unintentionally as he swung his sword to fend off an Icebird . Actually, the power of a magic was several times more powerful when used by Rei compared to another mage due to his magic power . The flaming whirlwind instantly killed nearly 10 Icebirds . We can handle them . It was no wonder that this feeling of hope rose up in the minds of the adventurers . At this point, there was only one large miscalculation . When the Icebirds realised their friends had been killed by fire, their greatest weakness, it only caused them to form a greater murderous intent . ¡¸Hey, hey . That¡¯s a little . The Icebirds around here are getting strangely agitated . ¡¹ The female archer noticed that and murmured to herself . ¡¸It¡¯s true . It seems to be us¡­¡­I mean, the kid who came over to reinforce us isn¡¯t ordinary . ¡¹ An adventurer muttered in a surprised voice as he held his sword in his hand, ready to respond to the attacks of the Icebirds . But perhaps as a small blessing in the midst of misfortune, as the Icebirds fell in to a frenzy, they all attacked Rei . A man with a spear, who was the leader of the escorting adventurers, watched as an Icebird that had been attacking the carriage was pierced through by an arrow that flew out from nowhere . And quickly looking around, the man saw a wagon rapidly approaching from the direction of Gilm . On it was the figure of a young woman holding a bow . ¡¸It¡¯s reinforcements! We¡¯ve got more reinforcements coming from Gilm!¡¹ In response to that voice, Rei looked towards the approaching wagon with a smile . Milien was controlling the horses from the driver¡¯s seat and Ecryll was the one shooting arrows . (They seem to have succeeded in getting Ecryll out . But then, why hasn¡¯t Sulunin, the mage, joined them? At this distance, he should have been able to attack them one sidedly . Unlike my fire magic, his isn¡¯t too powerful . ) As Rei thought of that, the Icebirds were thrown into confusion at the sudden reinforcements and Rei wasn¡¯t so nice as to let that go . Sending magic power into the Death Scythe, he started casting another spell . ¡ºFlames, you are a spear of fire . Gather to the flame . Flap your great fiery wings!¡» As he cast the spell, flames gathered at the tip of his blade . However, the difference compared to his previous spell was tha the flames at the tip of the blade gradually changed into the shape of a bird . When the magic was completed, the flames had changed shape completely into the shape of a bird . ¡ºSky Conquering Phoenix!¡» The Phoenix released with the completion of the magic was about 3m in width with its wings spread out . Sending overwhelming waves of heat to its surroundings as it flapped its wings, it thrust itself into the Icebirds as directed by Rei . Phoenix and Icebirds, the moment the Icebirds came in contact with the flames, the fight would immediately be over . Rei controlled the Phoenix without caring about the Icebirds that had been burnt up and immediately directed it to attack the next one . ¡¸Kiki, ki!¡¹ ¡¸Kikikiki!¡¹ It must have been a cry of caution . While making such cries, the Icebirds move away from the Phoenix . The escorting adventurers didn¡¯t miss this opportunity as the Icebirds¡¯ focus were drawn away by the Phoenix . ¡¸Reduce their numbers as much as you can now!¡¹ Following the man¡¯s instructions, they all squeezed out the last of their strength to fight back . At the same time, the wagon carrying Milein and the rest of the reinforcements arrived and about 10 adventurers jumped straight off the wagon . Their numbers were terribly small compared to the number of adventurers currently in GIlm, but it was still good enough considering that many were gathered immediately as soon as Rei had left first . ¡¸Everyone, prioritise guarding the carriages over killing the Icebirds . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ ¡¸I understand!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll start right away!¡¹ While responding to Milein¡¯s instructions, they each attacked the Icebirds from behind to open a path as the Icebirds were focusing on the Phoenix Milein, Ecryll and three other adventurers headed for Rei¡¯s carriage . The remaining seven headed for the one that Set was guarding . The difference in numbers was due to the difference in strength in the group with C rank adventurers, Milein and Ecryll, and the other group . ¡¸¡­¡­Tch! I can¡¯t keep the Phoenix up much longer! Watch out for the Icebirds¡¯ movement!¡¹ Rei gave a shout as the magic he had activated reached its time limit . After a few seconds, the bird shaped flames disintegrated, spreading its flames to its surroundings in one last blow . Due to that, several Icebirds screamed as they crashed into the ground . Milein and the other adventurers who were rushing over to support them momentarily held their breaths . (How pretty . ) The gave a sigh when they saw it . Of course though, the Death Scythe was held warily in Rei¡¯s hands . But, all that said, with Rei and Set sent over as reinforcements, they had already been able to keep everything together . Even though, the stamina of the adventurers who had been hired as escorts for the merchants were close to their limits, there were more than 10 adventurers who had come here from Gilm, which was said to have some of the best adventurers in the Mireana Kingdom . ¡­¡­Yes, the outcome ¡ºhad been¡» clear . The reason this was in past tense was because Rei saw something out of the corner of his eye . It was the face of a child who was looking at the scene from the wagon . Rei immediately recognised who it was . After all, he had been training him in combat for the past week . (-!? Why is Baslero here!?) While holding his breath in his mind, Rei still managed to give a shout to draw the attention of the Icebirds away from Baslero . ¡¸Milein!¡¹ However, that wasn¡¯t something that could work for long, he shouted to Milein, who was parrying an ice arrow that an Icebird had shot at her with her sword . ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s going on . I¡¯m busy here, so you¡¯ll have to get straight to¡­¡­the point!¡¹ A gap was created momentarily when the last ice arrow was parried by her sword and Milein wasn¡¯t naive enough to let this opportunity go . Dashing forward and closing the distance to the Icebird who tried to escaped into the sky, she swung her sword down and bisected its close to 1m long body . ¡¸Look at the wagon! Why is Baslero here!?¡¹ ¡¸Haa!?¡¹ As expected, Milein was not expecting that question . Milein almost reflexively looked back towards the wagon . At the end of her line of sight, she saw Baslero peeking out from the wagon with fearful eyes . Seeing that, Milein retreated to Rei¡¯s side as her cheeks twitched . ¡¸I-I don¡¯t know! Hey, what is he actually doing here!?¡¹ Milein was truly surprised . Completely confused¡­¡­seeing Baslero¡¯s next action only caused her cheeks to twitch further . Baslero came down from the wagon with his sword . Although his face looked tense and nervous, he still took one to two steps towards the battlefield . Fortunately, the attention of the Icebirds had been completely gathered towards Rei and Milein and there weren¡¯t any looking outward . Because of that, they weren¡¯t away of the new threat approaching them from behind, or rather the existance of new prey, Baslero . However, it didn¡¯t change the fact that it would be Baslero¡¯s end when he was noticed . Right now, his life was hanging by a single thread . Finally, Rei decided to shout to Baslero . Of course, he paid close attention to not direct the attention of the Icebirds to Baslero and had raised his voice while looking at Milein, who was standing right beside him, instead of at Baslero . ¡¸Baslero, you¡¯re in the way! Stay quiet and hide in the wagon!¡¹ Twitch . As soon as he heard Rei¡¯s words, Baslero stopped for a moment . And confused, he turned to look towards the carriages, Rei and the Icebirds several times . After a few seoncds, he started walking towards the Icebirds seiging them again with a lost expression (Tch, he¡¯s not listening to what I¡¯m saying!) Spitting out a sigh in his mind, Rei deliberately swung the Death Scythe to draw attention away from Baslero . ¡¸Hey, Baslero¡­¡­you don¡¯t want to hide in the wagon but you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in your first fight in a battle either!?¡¹ Rei heard Milein¡¯s words and glanced at Baslero again . Over there, he could clearly see Baslero¡¯s face dyed in tension . From Rei¡¯s perspective, he only looked nervous, but from Milein¡¯s experience as a significantly more experience adventurer than Rei, there was no room for confusion or impatience when one first steps into a battlefield . ¡¸Rei, it¡¯s not good . If this continues, the Icebirds will notice him¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡­¡­It¡¯s no good, I can¡¯t do anything about it . I¡¯ll break through the flock of Icebirds and secure Baslero . In the meantime, can I rely on you to defend here?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, it can¡¯t be helped . Ecryll, you heard that? I¡¯m going to be busy for a while!¡¹ ¡¸I understand . But, because we didn¡¯t have that much time to prepare, I don¡¯t have a lot of arrows left . It would be great if you could get back here as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You heard it . ¡¹ Milein took Ecryll¡¯s words and looked at Rei . Seeing that, he nodded and took a step towards Baslero . ¡¸Ba-, stop it!¡¹ ¡¸Eiii-!¡¹ Rei shouted towards Baslero involuntarily . Maybe because of the rush going through him, Rei¡¯s voice reached him as he gave a spirited cry and swung his sword down at an Icebird that was on the ground as the rest surrounded Rei . ¡¸Kiki!?¡¹ Certainly, Baslero¡¯s attack had some power . With Baslero¡¯s talent for the sword and the Icebird being much slower down on the ground, it was completely surprised by the attack from behind it that hurt it . However¡­¡­the sword stopped moving after only cutting a few cm into the Icebird . Certainly, Baslero had talent for the sword . But, he was still a 10 year old child . Without abnormal strength like Rei or a powerful magic item like the Death Scythe, there was no way for him to cut down an Icebird with his sword . ¡¸Kikiki-!¡¹ After receiving a blow from behind, the wounded Icebird shot an ice arrow at Baslero in anger . ¡¸Damn it! Shoes of Sleipnir, activate!¡¹ The effect of the Shoes of Sleipnir and his physical ability allowed Rei to instantly break through the flock of Icebirds . Rei covered Baslero with his back as ice arrows from the Icebirds hit him one after the other almost simultaneously Chapter 227 Chapter 227 ¡¸Rei-!?¡¹ Milein screamed . At the end of her line of sight, she saw Rei expose his back as he covered Baslero from the Icebirds . And¡­¡­the scene of numerous ice arrows striking his defenseless back . Considered the injuries one could suffer from ice arrows piercing your back, it could even be a fatal wound . Such thoughts passed through Milein¡¯s mind momentarily . ¡¸That hurt, you shitty birds!¡¹ But the next moment, Rei shouted with an angry voice and swung the Death Scythe, instantly slicing the Icebird in two without any resistance . How powerful and fast had that strike been? It was clear from the fact that the Icebird that had been sliced in two had taken several steps before splitting in half, scattering its internal organs and blood all over the ground . ¡¸Eh? Wai-¡­¡­huh? What!?¡¹ As far as Milein had seen, ice arrows had definitely pierced Rei¡¯s back . Nearly 10 of them . Nevertheless, he was completely uninjured and could still swing his large scythe as Milein shouted in confusion . And, the Icebirds around here were not going to miss such a decisive opportunity . ¡¸Kikikiki-!¡¹ Two Icebirds covered their beaks in ice as they stabbed towards Milein . ¡¸Milein-san, don¡¯t let your guard down!¡¹ Arrows from Ecryll and an adventurer with a shield came over to support Milein . Whether or not it was due to their ease of handling, the small shields were made of wood and leather instead of metal caught the beaks of the Icebirds . The next moment, the adventurer swung his shield and smashed the Icebird to the ground, stomping its head at the same time . ¡¸Milein, you¡¯re the leader of the rescue team . Keep it together!¡¹ Returning to reality at the words of the adventurer with the shield, Milein quickly looked at her surroundings . Almost all the Icebirds had been dealt with, with only twenty remaining . If they paid attention and weren¡¯t careless, it was unlikely that there would be any further casualties . ¡¸Rei, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll leave Baslero to you!¡¹ ¡¸I understand¡­¡­okay!¡¹ With a shout, he swung the Death Scythe again, splattering it¡¯s internal organs and blood into the surroundings . But that was it . All Rei could do right now was to kill the Icebirds that approached him and Baslero . He couldn¡¯t attack offensively himself . ¡¸Hic¡­¡­ . hic¡­¡­¡¹ That was because Baslero was crying as he held onto Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe . Yes, the Dragon Robe . It was a magic item that had reduced his injuries to the level of light bruising even though the Icebird had fired ice arrows straight into his back . It was impossible to penetrate and inflict fatal damage on Rei through the robe, that was made with the skin and scales of Dragons, which highly resistant to both physical and magical attacks . ¡¸Stop crying! In the first place, you came along on your own wish! That can¡¯t be helped, but right now, don¡¯t get in our way and keep quiet already!¡¹ Baslero was startled . At Rei¡¯s angry voice, filled with frustration, he stiffened up for a moment . Still, he wiped away his tears, endured his fear and didn¡¯t get in the way of Rei as he watched the Icebirds . His hand still held onto Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe tightly, but it was already much better for Rei that he wasn¡¯t crying during the battle . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ As long as he couldn¡¯t move, Rei had to find some way to increase the range of his attacks . And with regards to magic, it was impossible for him to make an attack with a wide range of effect carelessly due to the current state of the battle . As a result, he chose to use Flying Slash, an easy to use skill of the Death Scythe . The slash that flew out cut through two Icebirds that he had been aiming at, causing internal organs, blood and flesh to rain down below . ¡¸Kyaa-!? Wait, what!? Eh? Uwa-, blood! Who did that!?¡¹ Unfortunately, Fabel, who was directly under them, had her armour, sword and shield covered by the red blood of the Icebirds . While hearing that hysterical voice, Rei thought that it was still better than to be attack from above and ignored the shouts as he looked for his next target . And within a few minutes, he number of Icebirds had visibly declined with only three remaining . When one of the remaining Icebirds noticed that, it have a shrill cry . ¡¸Kikikiiiii-!¡¹ Perhaps it was a signal to withdraw . As soon as they heard the cry, the remaining two Icebirds flapped their blue wings and soared into the sky as they flew north . ¡¸¡­¡­We, we¡¯re saved?¡¹ Of the escorting adventurers, the spearman murmured unconsciously . ¡¸Uooooo-! We¡¯re saved! We¡¯re all saved!¡¹ Hearing that, one of the sword wielding adventurers gave a shout of joy . At the same time he raised a shout, the adventurers who had been hired as escorts and the reinforcement that had come with Milein all cheered . 5 minutes later, the joy of surviving had settled down and the adventurers and merchants finally could afford to take a look around . Feathers, blood, flesh and the internal organs of the Icebirds were spread all over the place . And most importantly, among the adventurers and merchants who had traveled here, one carriage had been completely destroyed to a state that it was no longer usable . The horse that had been pulling the carriage had been killed . The six adventurers who had guarded the carriage were also all dead as they lay on the ground . The merchants, who had been hiding inside the carriage had met the same end as the horse and adventurers . ¡¸¡­¡­Six adventurers, was it? It seems the Icebirds aimed for them first because they seemed to be the most threatening . ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, ughhh!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s feet, Baslero was vomiting out the contents of his stomach after seeing the corpse of a human for the first time . At the end of Rei¡¯s line of sight, the merchants, escorts and adventurers who had come with Milein from Gilm collect the dead bodies and cremated them before collecting the goods that were piled up in the destroyed carriage as well as the dead Icebirds lying on the ground . The reason for cremation was simple . If they were left as they were, they could potentially cause a plague or even become undead . There was also the possibility that they would be eaten by other monsters . They were all cremated to prevent that . The reason Rei wasn¡¯t cooperating with them was simple . It was because Baslero still refused to let go of Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe . Being unable to assist while Baslero cried and vomited, Rei kept a watch on the surroundings alongside Set . ¡¸¡­¡­Teacher¡­¡­¡¹ Baslero turned to Rei and called out after vomiting everything out of his stomach and settling down . Rei felt Baslero¡¯s look and turned his eyes to him . ¡¸Remember . If you become an adventurer, you will see countless sights like this . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Baslero looked towards the dead bodies that were being cremated as he held back his nausea . After about 10 minutes, Rei turned to look at Baslero again . ¡¸Baslero, why are you here? Did you ever consider that you would be a burden if you came here?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­but¡­¡­¡¹ He was confident in his own sword skills . That feeling had only increased after the previous week of training . He had also been told he had a natural talent for attacking . It was a fact that he had gained some confidence in his own strength after hearing those words . It was at this time that he had heard there were monsters attack people outside the city . Furthermore, during this time of the year, almost all adventurers were resting instead of working . And, many of those adventurers had been partying during the day in the guild¡¯s bar . Their strength wasn¡¯t enough . It didn¡¯t take Baslero long to reach that conclusion . Of course, since the number of adventurers in Gilm was enormous, not all of them were drunk at that time . Some adventurers trained and used this rest period to improve themselves while others went to read books at the library to improve their knowledge . Even the adventurers partying at the guild bar didn¡¯t spend every day there . In the first place, their physical strength and combat skills would decline they weren¡¯t used . It was said in general that if you rested for a day, it would take 3 days to get back to the same level . If they spent their whole winter like that, there was a high chance that they wouldn¡¯t be able to perform at their usual performance when they resumed their work in spring . Because of that, most adventurers held parties during their break between sessions of training . ¡­¡­That said, it was also true that there were some adventurers who took the profession lightly and would spend their entire winters in dissolution Baslero, who wasn¡¯t aware of that, decided that they were short on combat strength . He hid himself in the wagon, thinking that he could support them with his own strength, and come all the way here . And then the battle actually started . Baslero saw the real thing for the first time in his life . Pieces of flesh being cut away, blood flying everywhere, a scream of despair, adventurers fighting for their very lives . In such a sight that he had never seen before, Baslero¡¯s heart had been filled with fear . Still, he had taken up his sword and left the wagon¡­¡­and all he had ended up doing was being a burden to Rei . ¡¸I¡­¡­to teacher, I was¡­¡­a burden?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . It was lucky that I survived . Any other ordinary adventurer would be dead now . ¡­¡­By your mistake . ¡¹ At Baslero¡¯s timid question, Rei nodded without hesitation or forgiveness and thrust the reality before him . Hearing those words, Baslero¡¯s expression became distressed as tears spilled from the edges of his eyes . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m very sorry¡­¡­I, I¡­¡­¡¹ Rei watched Baslero sob with words leaking out his throat for several minutes . ¡¸Guru¡¹ Set, who was watching the surroundings behind Rei, rubbed his body against Rei and gave a small cry as if to prompt him . Then, following Set¡¯s actions, Rei gave a small sigh and took his hand out of his robe before placing it lightly on Baslero¡¯s head . ¡¸If you know your own recklessness, that is good enough . Fortunately, this robe of mine is a magic item, those kinds of attacks have little effect . ¡¹ Rei said that as he rubbed Baslero¡¯s head . ¡¸Today is the last day I have been requested to teach you how to fight . I wasn¡¯t injured, and neither were you . You now understand how reckless you were and what a battle is like . All things considered, you¡¯ve earned a lot out of it . ¡¹ ¡¸But, teacher¡­¡­I, I¡­¡­¡¹ Although encouraged by Rei, Baslero was still a clever child, more so than other kids his age . How reckless he had been and how dangerous it had been for the other adventurers, including Rei . He couldn¡¯t stop crying because he understood that . ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but could I talk to you for a second? It¡¯s about the distribution of the monsters you defeated . ¡¹ It was the spearman, who was the leader of the adventurers who had been defending the carriage Rei had gone to support . He called out to Rei apologetically . ¡¸The distribution¡­¡­that¡¯s right . ¡¹ Taking his hand off Baslero¡¯s head and looking around, the adventurers had already gather all the corpses of the Icebirds into one place . There was no difficultly in spotting it because there were enough to pile up into a small mountain . There were over 50 Icebirds that had originally attack the carriages . However, the number of Icebirds in the pile was less than 30 . The reason was simple, Icebirds that had been burned by Rei¡¯s fire magic hadn¡¯t left any corpses . Of course, it was also impossible to recover their magic stones, proof of subjugation or any materials . All that was impossible due to the overkill of Rei¡¯s magic . (And¡­¡­) In front of the pile of Icebird corpses, Rei could see some of the adventurers that Milein had brought from Gilm arguing . It was clear from the sounds of their argument that they were arguing over their share . Fortunately for Rei, his acquaintances, Milein and Ecryll were not participating in the dispute . That said, as long as they were an adventurer, they would want to be paid for offering their strength . In that sense, it was natural that they would want to argue how much they had done to increase their reward . Rather, Rei was part of a rare group of people that didn¡¯t focus on the reward . And even for the adventurers who were part of the escort, it was natural that they would want a larger share of the rewards as their equipment had deteriorated to the state that there was a need to replace them . However, there was no doubt that Rei and Set had been the most active participants in this battle with the Icebirds . FOr that reason, the spearman had been sent to Rei as a representatives of the adventurers to ask how big a share Rei wanted . ¡¸Well, if I can get two Icebirds, that¡¯s good enough for me . ¡¹ Rei, who wasn¡¯t really troubled with money right now, told the two escort leaders that he would just like the magic stones and some of the Icebird meat . Chapter 228 Chapter 228 ¡¸Rei-kun! ¡­¡­Phew, I¡¯m glad . You¡¯re okay . ¡¹ Rei arrived back at Gilm after deciding on the distribution of the Icebirds and escorting the two remaining carriages back . The guards, including Ranga, came out as if waiting for them and greeted them with a surprised smile . ¡¸Has the request from the guild been settled?¡¹ Rei asked as he gave his guild card over to Ranga . ¡¸Ahh, it is being handled of course . As it was an emergency, you were also permitted to fly directly out of the city with Set . Because an application was submitted by the guild, you don¡¯t need to worry about any penalty of flying straight out of the city . ¡¹ Ranga replied as he checked Rei¡¯s guild card before returning it . At the end of his line of sight was the Necklace of Subservient Monster that was hanging on Set¡¯s neck, that would normally be handed over when leaving the city . ¡¸That aside . A flock of Icebirds . Does this happen often?¡¹ ¡¸No, no . There have been quite a few sightings of Icebirds, but it is rare for them to form such a large flock . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In that case, this is a rare occurrence?¡¹ ¡¸Probably . ¡¹ As Rei and Ranga conversed with each other, the merchants, escorting adventurers, Milein, and other adventurers who were sent to support them proceeded to enter the city . Meanwhile, one of the portly merchants called out to Milein, who was looking over at Set . ¡¸Pardon me, who on earth was that person? Looking at his face, he only looks like a child mage apprentice in his mid teens . But, he had a Griffon, a high ranking monster, following him . He also showed overwhelming combat strength, and even magic . ¡­¡­I can¡¯t believe it . ¡¹ The other merchants and escorting adventurers listened in at the merchant¡¯s voice . Child adventurers weren¡¯t uncommon and neither were monster tamers, mages and warriors . However, it was unusual for an adventurer to be all of them, and it would have been strange if there had been no interest . Milein knew that, and even if she mislead them, Rei was pretty famous in Gilm . If they just asked shopkeepers around Gilm, they would be able to easily gather some information . Milein quickly thought about it in her mind before turning a hand to the merchant . An information fee . It was clear what she was asking for . As a merchant, he understood the importance of information and handed over a silver coin to Milein without hesitating . Milein had been thinking that the merchant would only give her some copper coins, so was quite amazed at the amount of money the merchant had given her . However, she spoke into the merchant¡¯s ear without revealing her surprise . To the merchant, to get information on a adventurer of that strength, it wouldn¡¯t have been a loss for him to give a gold coin, let alone a silver coin . ¡¸His name is Rei . The Griffon is Set-cha¡­¡­no, Set . It¡¯s been only half a year since he arrived at Gilm, but right now he¡¯s the most well known adventurer in Gilm . He holds the record for the fastest rank up time from registration to rank D . ¡­¡­Oh, that¡¯s not right . After finishing his request with Baslero, he¡¯ll be rank C . Well, it is true that Gilm¡¯s adventurers are historically one of the fastest to rank up . Any how, he defeated a rank B Orc King while he was in rank G . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s a lie right?¡¹ The merchant asked Milein involuntarily as if he couldn¡¯t believe it . However, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable . If you had any common sense, you wouldn¡¯t believe that a rank G adventurer would have beaten a rank B monster . It was such a feat . ¡¸Oh, I know . I¡¯m sure the rumors are exaggerated . Rumors often have a life of their own . ¡¹ Milein shook her head silently at words of the merchant . ¡¸Some might be rumors, but there is no doubt about the Orc King . That¡¯s because he killed it in front of me . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, as I said before, I can guarantee his combat strength . Right now, he¡¯s in rank D, but other adventurers have said he can probably fight evenly with rank A adventurers . In fact, I¡¯ve never seen the limits of Rei¡¯s combat strength . It¡­¡­¡¹ At that moment, at the back of Milein¡¯s mind was the number of special abilities that Set displayed, that a Griffon shouldn¡¯t normally have, during the battle with the Orcs . But, of course, she didn¡¯t speak about that . After all, a magic seed made from the spell ¡ºSeed of Contract¡» had been placed inside all of the members of Scorching Wind, including Milein . ¡¸No, never mind . As you saw in the battle, he has a lot of magic items . It seems he had a hobby of collecting magic items for himself . ¡­¡­You could make some money there, couldn¡¯t you?¡¹ Milein grumbled a few complaints . In recent times, Set had had a crazy influence on Milein resulting in her grumbling as she was short on money, let alone money to buy magic items . ¡¸Magic items? I see . I should be able to do something about it then¡­¡­¡¹ The merchant nodded as he muttered something about magic items to himself . Milein continued to speak to the merchant . ¡¸Besides that, he also collects magic stones . But, strangely, he collects two of each type . I asked him about it and he had that one is for ornamental purposes while the other is for conservation . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Magic stones? No, it¡¯s not that weird to have a hobby of collecting magic stones . ¡¹ ¡¸Aside from that, he also seems to be familiar with cooking . The udon noodles that were popularised in the city some time ago were also thought up by him . ¡¹ ¡¸Udon, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Well, they sell it at food stalls, so if you¡¯re interested, try it . The Satisfied Stomach is the restaurant whose owner Rei had taught directly, so if you want to eat it properly, you might want to go to the Satisfied Stomach . ¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­¡­still, to be the adventurer with the fastest rise in ranking and to have real skill . And yet to also be knowledgeable in other things . What kind of superhuman is that Rei?¡¹ Rather than being impressed¡­¡­the merchant seemed to be more amazed as he turned to look towards Rei, who was talking with Ranga . ¡¸He seems to have been brought up by an eccentric magician since birth . Because his training was completed or something, he was thrown out to become an adventurer or something . ¡¹ ¡¸Really¡­¡­there are such people as well . ¡­¡­I was glad to be able to some beneficial information . Thank you . I¡¯d like to thank you for this later . ¡¹ Giving a bow, the merchant sat back into the carriage with his companions and entered Gilm . Although Milein thought to herself that she might have said a bit too much as she saw the merchant leave, she headed over to Ecryll when she was called over . ¡¸Young master!¡¹ When Rei and Baslero entered the guild, a shout echoed out . ¡¸A-Ashie!?¡¹ Baslero instantly realised who the voice belonged to, but before he could react, his small body was hugged by Ashie, preventing him from moving . ¡¸Young master, outside the city¡­¡­what do you think you were doing, going to fight monsters! And sneaking there on a wagon! How do you think I felt when I came to pick you up and heard about that¡­¡­¡¹ As she hugged Baslero tightly, her face was filled with tears . ¡¸Wai-Wai-Wait a moment! Why does Ashie know about it!?¡¹ The 10 year old finally escaped before he suffocated inbetween the two moderately size hills and asked Ashie with a shout . The shout gathered the gazes of those who were drinking at the bar, but they immediately looked away once they saw the girl wearing a maid uniform and the 10 year old boy . The reason for that was because they also saw Rei, Milein and the other adventurers from the rescue team standing nearby . ¡¸You didn¡¯t come back at the usual time, so I went over to pick you up . But the reception said that there weren¡¯t any kids around . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, but you wouldn¡¯t normally consider that I would sneak into a wagon right? I could have just stopped by somewhere on the way back right?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think young master would do such a thing when Rei-san had gone to help the people attacked by monsters!¡¹ Ashie said that with absolute conviction and Baslero unconsciously stepped back at that power . ¡¸And my maid¡¯s intuition told me that young master had sneaked into a wagon . ¡¹ ¡¸No, at least make it a woman¡¯s intuition . ¡¹ Milein, who was listening to their conversation, abruptly interrupted them . At the sudden retort, Ashie looked around in a panic . Up until now, she had been too preoccupied with making sure that Baslero was safe, she couldn¡¯t help it . ¡¸Ah, that¡­¡­pardon me . My name is Ashie, a maid who serves Baron Cisne . This time, the young master has troubled you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s fine . The only one hurt by Baslero¡¯s actions was Rei . And even then, Rei didn¡¯t seem to be too injured . ¡¹ Of course, Milein had seen Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe blocking the ice arrows from the Icebird . However, she had no intention of mentioning that . After all, Rei was an extraordinary person . Since she knew that he was collecting magic items, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the robe he was wearing was a magic item . ¡¸Rei-san!? Are your injuries okay!? Healing magic¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, there¡¯s no issue since I¡¯m not really hurt . As Milein said, I¡¯m not injured . Rather, it would be best to bring Baslero back to the mansion . Today was the first time he¡¯s seen dead monsters and humans . It would be better for Baslero to take it slow and rest today . I¡¯ll head over to the mansion tomorrow . ¡¹ Seeing Rei say that with a straight face, Ashie judged that he really wasn¡¯t injured and immediately placed the short wand she used for healing magic back at her waist . ¡¸Is that so . ¡­¡­Then in that case, pardon me and the young master . Thank you for protecting him . ¡¹ Ashie gave a deep bow of thanks and Baslero gave a bow to follow . ¡¸Again, no need to worry aobut it . If you asked me if this was part of the combat instruction, I¡¯m not entirely sure . ¡­¡­It might have been a little early for Baslero to experience this . ¡¹ ¡¸Such a thing! I think it was a good thing for me to see it with my own eyes . It¡¯s not teacher¡¯s fault¡­¡­¡¹ Baslero responded in a panic, but Rei just put his hand on Baslero¡¯s head to tell him not to worry . ¡¸Any how, you might not realise it, but you¡¯re tired . Go back to the mansion and rest . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡­¡­Then, we will be waiting tomorrow . ¡¹ Giving a deep bow, the two of them left with Ashie holding tightly onto Baslero¡¯s hand . ¡¸When you look at them like that, I can only see her as a good sister . ¡¹ ¡¸I see that as well . More importantly though, Kenny is calling you . It¡¯s about this urgent request . ¡¹ At Milein¡¯s words, Rei, who had been watching Ashie and Baslero leave, turned to look towards the reception counter . Over there, he could see Kenny beckoning him over . Considering that the other adventurers with Milein were deflected over to Lenora if they went over, she was doing it quite skillfully . The other adventurers didn¡¯t find it as amusing that they were being ignored . However, they didn¡¯t show it as Kenny was a popular receptionist and the one she was calling over was Rei . The ones that just wanted to head over to a bar or brothel early quickly finished their procedures and ignored what was going on . ¡¸Look, go on, go on . Your beloved Kenny is waiting for you . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not like I¡¯m in love with her . Though it¡¯s true she¡¯s taken care of a lot of things for me¡­¡­¡¹ At that moment, a certain General Princess passed through Rei¡¯s mind, but he dealt with post-processing of the request with Kenny without expressing it . In the end, the reward was only 5 silver coins, not really matching the effort required for the request . But in the first place, Rei wasn¡¯t really that troubled for money and was happy enough getting his hands on two Icebird magic stones, a new type of monster . Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Anessis, the second largest city in the Mireana Kingdom . A small dragon about 20cm in diameter flew above it with its small wings flapping . The name of the dragon was Yellow . It was a familiar that Elena Kerebel, the daughter of Duke Kerebel, who governed Anessis, created using Dragon Language . It had gone to Gilm to deliver its master¡¯s letter, and in addition, under secret orders to find out what women were around Rei . Yellow had finally returned to its master¡¯s place . Using its special ability, it went straight into the city of Anessis and headed to the Duke¡¯s residence . Because it was connected to Elena by magic, it flew straight to its master without any hesistation . ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow knocked against the window repeated with the sharp claws on its forefeet . Of course, it was done with great care so that the window wouldn¡¯t be damaged by its claws . Elena, who was in the room, eventually noticed Yellow and opened her window with a smile . ¡¸Yellow, you¡¯re back . It doesn¡¯t seem like you have any injuries . ¡¹ Elena, who was wearing a dress, hugged Yellow as she pushed it against her twin hills . ¡¸Kyu! Kyukyu!¡¹ Yellow wasn¡¯t an ordinary creature, it was just a familiar made with magic . For that reason, it wouldn¡¯t suffocate even if it didn¡¯t breathe . ¡¸Mm? Ahh, sorry . I was so happy that I lost myself for a moment . ¡­¡­Well then, did you deliver the letter safely?¡¹ While stroking Yellow to calm it down, she unwrapped the cloth around its body . Elena saw the envelope containing a letter within the cloth and gave a slight smile after seeing the sender of the envelope marked with ¡ºRei¡» . Normally, the Princess General already displayed a sense of beauty . But, many people would have had their hearts taken away by the expression of the beautiful maiden in love . ¡¸Elena-sama, pardon me . I¡¯ve brought you some tea . ¡¹ It was, of course, Ara . A close friend of Elena from childhood and a member of knights who escorted her . As soon as Ara entered the room, she almost dropped the tray in her hands when she saw Elena¡¯s glowing expression . However, as Ara had been brought up with Elena, she was able to leave her state of confusion in an instant . ¡¸Elena-sama loooks very happy . ¡­¡­Ah, Yellow? So that¡¯s it . Did you receive a letter from Rei-dono?¡¹ ¡¸Um? No, that is¡­¡­well, you¡¯re right . ¡¹ Elena tried to hide the fact as she was aware that she was smiling, but realising that Ara recognised her habits after being together for so many years and wouldn¡¯t be tricked by that, she sighed and reluctantly admitted it . Feeling somewhat shy as Ara looked at her while smiling, Elena took the letter out of the envelope . Calming herself, she took a sip of the tea that Ara had brought as she read through the letter . ¡¸Hmm, I see . A magic item? Thorns Spear is a really flashy name¡­¡­but, if it¡¯s performance is as stated in the letter, it¡¯s certainly not a bad match with Rei¡¯s fighting style of throwing sp¡­¡­ea¡­¡­rs¡­¡­ ¡¹ Twitch . As Elena read through the letter, a sentence caught her eyes . She had an astonished expression . One of frustration . Confusion . ¡­¡­And finally jealousy . The complex emotions on her face seemed to blend with each other . ¡¸Elena-sama?¡¹ Ara asked her master when she noticed Elena¡¯s expression . Elena had reached the part where Rei had mentioned that the guild master was a beautiful Dark Elf . Eventually, she brought her cup of tea to her mouth to calm herself, but her arms were shaking slightly due to her agitation, causing some ripples in the cup . Still, she wasn¡¯t so upset as to spill the tea . Or rather, she really was a young maiden to be agitated by something like that . Either way, Elena calmed down after drinking the tea and turned to Ara . ¡¸Ara, you said you met with the guild master and acting lord in Baar?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ah, yes . I did meet with them . ¡¹ Confused by the sudden change in topic, Ara nodded as she poured more tea into Elena¡¯s empty cup . ¡¸So, what kind of people were the two of them like?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? I think I reported about that previously?¡¹ ¡¸No, not that . I¡¯m not asking about their skill and abilities but their personalities . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Diarog-sama, who was the acting lord, was a man who didn¡¯t care about the details about rules . Guild master Seis-sama was thoughtful and kind person at heart . ¡¹ ¡¸What did they look like? They should be at a decent age if they could become a lord and guild master . ¡¹ ¡¸Let me recall . I think both of them could be described as seniors . ¡¹ Ara nodded naturally . Regardless of whether it was Diarog or Seis, they were adventurers . In other words, they had been ordinary people . If they had been nobles, there would have been a possibility of being placed into an important position in their twenties . But it was impossible for ordinary people to do the same at that age unless something close to a miracle happened . ¡¸Then, in that case, the Dark Elf mentioned in this letter would also be around that age . No, but in the case of Elves, they would definitely look youthful . ¡¹ Elena began to worry with a serious expression, but she eventually noticed the sleeping Yellow, curled up at the edge of the sofa she was sitting on . Yes, out of the several orders she had given, one of them was to look out for any women who might hold some feelings for Rei . ¡¸Yellow . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ Hearing its name called, Yellow turned towards Elena . Holding its torso, Elena brought her forehead against Yellow¡¯s . ¡¸Yellow, show me the women you¡¯ve seen near Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Leave it to me! Yellow seemed to say . As soon as it gave a cry, the scenes that Yellow had seen flowed through its forehead and into Elena . As Elena received it, she frowned lightly at the pressure of the compressed images flowing through . The ability to see what Yellow had seen was one of the greatest merits of creating a familiar . Such a high efficiency familiar was only possible due to the existence of Dragon Language magic . In Elena¡¯s mind were the figures of a catkin woman who openly tempted Rei and woman who conversed with Rei in a relaxed manner while teasing the catkin next to her . Needless to say, they were the guild receptionists, Kenny and Lenora . ¡¸¡­¡­Seriously . Even though I gave you my lips, you¡¯re still distracted by other women . However, there¡¯s no sign of the guild master¡­¡­I can¡¯t really say much about her . ¡¹ Lenora aside, although Kenny was so clearly sending amorous glances at Rei, she didn¡¯t really feel a sense of danger because in the memories Yellow shared with her, Rei didn¡¯t seem to be attracted by Kenny . Maybe she was more distracted by the words describing the beautiful Dark Elf¡­¡­only Elena herself would know . Or maybe, she didn¡¯t know herself either . Either way, as a result, Elena spent her time distressing over what kind of person the Dark Elf in Gilm was like . She could have obtained some information using Duke Kerebel¡¯s information network . However, because of the war that would definitely breakout next spring, it wasn¡¯t a situation where she afford the people to do that . And, Elena herself had the task of training herself and her soldiers for the war that wasn¡¯t far away . ¡¸Welcome, Rei-san¡¹ The day after the battle with the Icebirds, Rei visited Baron Cisne with Set . He was greeted by Ashie before being led to the reception room he had visited several times . After entering and walking to the reception room, there wasn¡¯t any particular conversation . However, Rei could easily tell that Ashie had cried a lot the day before as her eyes were still red and puffy . But although she had cried like that the day before, it had no influence on her work attitude . Admiring the maid¡¯s attitude, as soon as Rei entered the reception room, Mouet stood up from the sofa he was sitting on and went up to Rei . ¡¸Rei-san! Yesterday, really¡­¡­ . thank you, thank you very much . ¡¹ Mouet bowed deeply as he said that . Although some nobles would be enraged seeing the loss of his pride as a noble, Mouet didn¡¯t care about such things . Rei had protected his son, Baslero, from the attacks of Icebirds . Of course, because of his magic item, Rei was unharmed . But for Mouet, bowing was the best way to express his gratitude . Feeling his sincere gratitude, Rei nodded as he spoke . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . I told Ashie yesterday but I was requested to provide combat instruction, so yesterday¡¯s battle can just be considered as part of it . ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­I heard that Baslero sneaked into the carriage without permission . If you hadn¡¯t been there¡­¡­¡¹ Mouet raised his head and looked towards Baslero, who was also bowing after standing up from the sofa . ¡¸¡­¡­Fuu . Yesterday¡¯s incident was certainly a dangerous event in various ways . However, as I said before, it¡¯s not a waste if you consider that he managed to experience and see a real battle . But¡­¡­¡¹ Rei turned to glance at Baslero . ¡¸The next time you do anything, you should think carefully about your own ability . If not, you will die along with your companions, not just yourself . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Baslero nodded quietly . His expression had lost a lot of brightness compared to when he had sparred against Rei several days ago . He had cried as he was lectured to by Mouet, who had heard from Ashie that he had sneaked into a carriage and participated in the battle with the Icebirds . Seeing his father¡¯s figure, Baslero once again realised how dangerous a thing he had done and wasn¡¯t sure how to handle the seriousness of it all . The result was a kid that was vastly different today compared to a few days ago . ¡¸Haah¡­¡­okay, Baslero . Think about it like this . If you hadn¡¯t experienced this, then the first time you encounter such a situation could have been more deadly . For adventurers who form a party, that is the moment of life and death . But fortunately, you¡¯ve seen a real battle . And, Set and I were there, along with a rank C party, Milein and Ecryll . If you think about it, you were quite lucky with your actions . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . ¡¹ ¡¸So don¡¯t repeat the same mistakes from now on . And make use of this experience . Whether you become an adventurer or the head of a noble family, if you can take advantage of your experience when you face a similar situation, then that is good enough . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ Baslero immediately nodded at Rei¡¯s words, somewhat more energetically . Mouet and Ashie smiled slightly after seeing Baslero like that . ¡¸Thank you very much . You¡¯ve helped us significantly this time . ¡¹ ¡¸Again, it was within the scope of the request . Don¡¯t worry about it . But, I guess¡­if you want to return the favour, just help me out the next time something happens . Of course I can help you as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I promise you in the name of Baron Cisne . ¡­¡­If the the Cisne Barony is still around then . ¡¹ He tried to lighten the atmosphere . Mouet said that with a wry smile . ¡¸For now, here is a certificate to show that the request has been completed . Please submit it at the guild . ¡¹ Rei received the document with Mouet¡¯s name on it . There had be various unexpected events, but he had successfully completed the combat instruction request . Chapter 230 Chapter 230 The Gilm adventurers guild . Rei was able to head straight for the counter as in winter the bar was more crowded than the request board . After receiving the certificate of request completion from Baron Cisne, he went to the guild with Set . Of course, the only reason for him to go to the guild was to receive his rank up . ¡¸Oh, Rei-san . What can I do for you today? Unfortunately, Kenny is on break today . ¡¹ Lenora called out to Rei from behind the counter . Kenny, who could be called Lenora¡¯s work partner, was not around today because she had a day off . Lenora¡¯s voice was somewhat teasing . Possibly, if this had been any other season aside from winter, she would have been too busy dealing with adventurers to joke around . With a smile on his face in response to Lenora, who was usually straight laced, Rei place his guild card and certificate of request completion on the counter . ¡¸The combat instruction request is complete . I¡¯m rank C now, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right . I will update your guild card, so please wait a moment . ¡¹ Saying that, Lenora went behind the counter . Rei, who had nothing to do, just looked around . If Kenny was here, she would start to talk with him, but there was no point thinking about that as she was on holiday . (Now then, what should I do after my guild card is updated . ¡­¡­Come to think of it, there are the Icebird magic stones . Should I let Set and the Death Scythe absorb them outside the city? Considering the possibility of having to deal with winter monsters, somewhere not too far out¡­¡­) ¡¸Um, pardon me . By any chance¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei thought about his future plans, a voice suddenly called out to him from the side . Looking back, the person who had called out was a portly middle-aged merchant-like man who stood there with a smile . ¡¸Are you looking for me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Um, you¡¯re Rei-san right? I¡¯m the leader of the merchant caravan you rescued from the Icebirds yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yesterday . ¡­¡­It¡¯s good that you¡¯re safe . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I really want to thank the adventurers in Gilm, including Rei-san . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, I got some new magic stones out of it . ¡¹ A new magic stone . When Rei said those words, the merchant¡¯s eyes shone sharply for a moment . That was because it matched the information he had heard from the adventurer called Milein when they had entered the city previously . However, the sharp light in his eyes only appeared for a moment, and soon returned to its original mild expression . ¡¸How about this? I¡¯ll treat you to a meal as thanks for yesterday . I would like to talk with a promising adventurer like you . ¡¹ Rei hesitated for a moment before nodding at the merchant . Rei also had some questions for the merchant before him . ¡¸That¡¯s fine . Take a seat at the bar . I¡¯ll head over when I¡¯m done here . ¡­¡­Oh, I don¡¯t like to drink alcohol that much, so I would appreciate it if you could order some cold tea and juice . ¡¹ The merchant¡¯s eyebrows shifted slightly, but he gave a small nod before heading over to the bar . ¡¸¡­¡­He¡¯s quite a shrewd merchant . ¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he watched the merchant leave . If you just looked at his appearance, he looked like an ordinary rich merchant . But he occasionally showed a sharp expression in his eyes . His expression made Rei realise he wasn¡¯t just a good matured merchant as his looks indicated . (Surely, the Bestir Empire wouldn¡¯t send someone here at this time¡­¡­right? That¡¯s unlikely, the probability is low seeing how loud and showy an arrival they made . And even the guards would be wary of spies from the Bestir Empire based on their past experience . ) ¡¸Rei-san, sorry to keep you waiting . ¡­¡­Rei-san?¡¹ Lenora, who had updated his guild card, returned to the counter and called out to Rei . ¡¸Fuu~¡­¡­REI-SAN!¡¹ Giving a sigh, Lenora leaned over the counter a pulled on Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe as she called out in a louder voice . At this point, Rei finally noticed Lenora as he returned to reality . ¡¸Oh, my bad . I was just thinking about something . ¡­¡­So that¡¯s my guild card?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Your rank C guild card . ¡¹ Lenora said that as she handed over the guild card back to Rei . Looking at the guild card that Rei had received, you could see the letter C written on it . ¡¸Well, the only thing that as really changed is the ranking symbol, so it doesn¡¯t really feel different . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true . You¡¯re the youngest and fastest person to reach rank C in Gilm . If you look at the entirety of the Mireana Kingdom, a few might be faster¡­¡­still, I think that it is amazing that you managed to set both records to rank C in Gilm . After all, because it¡¯s the frontier here and there are many adventurers . ¡­¡­As a result, there are also a lot of aspiring adventurers . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s remark, Lenora appeared to be astonished as she rambled off information . Rei looked at Lenora in surprise . Lenora was usually calm and was rarely excited by anything, except her exchanges with Kenny . ¡¸Oh, ahem . My apologies . Any how, Rei-san will be a rank C adventurer from today . If you become a rank C adventurer, you¡¯re already recognised as a veteran, so please watch how you act from now on!¡¹ ¡¸How I act? Can you give an example?¡¹ ¡¸Like Claws of the Hawk . ¡¹ That being said, Rei didn¡¯t understand was Lenora said for a moment . But after a few seconds, Rei finally remembered the people he had named Goblin¡¯s Drool . ¡¸I couldn¡¯t help it in that case because it was the other part who dragged me into it . No way you¡¯re going to ask me to avoid getting caught in these things even if the other party forces me into it right?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, but¡­¡­it was too much to take away all their belongings . The Claws of the Hawk, it was hard for them to pay back their debt after the borrowed from the guild . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s their own fault . In the first place, don¡¯t you think that the guild is also responsible since they didn¡¯t crack down on such adventurers?¡¹ ¡¸Uh, that¡¯s true . However, there are a lot of such rough people, that is why Gilm is so lively . Still, there are times when strength is not enough . Either way, don¡¯t forget that you are now a rank C adventurer from now on . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Your explanation was very helpful . ¡¹ After saying that, Rei left the counter . ¡¸Rei-san, over here!¡¹ Rei headed for the bar located in the guild . The merchant waved his hand as he called Rei over . Rei went over to the table where the merchant was sitting and saw several dishes already served . ¡¸Did I keep you waiting?¡¹ ¡¸No, no . If I consider it as an opportunity to talk to an adventurer like Rei-san, this kind of waiting time doesn¡¯t matter . It seems that you¡¯ve ranked up to rank C . Congratulations . This celebration¡¯s on me, so please eat as much as you want . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hou . You know that I¡¯ve ranked up . Not a lot of people know about that . ¡¹ Somewhat impressed and somewhat wary, Rei sat down on the seat opposite the merchant as prompted to him . ¡¸That¡¯s because merchants treat information as importantly as their lives . Now, please go ahead . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes frowned slightly when he saw the barrel offered to him . ¡¸I think I mentioned a bit earlier that I don¡¯t really like alcohol?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s to celebrate your rank up . Just one cup is fine right? I specially picked a weak wine . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine I guess . ¡¹ Rei waited silently for the wine to be poured into a glass without being distracted by the merchant¡¯s generosity . ¡¸Well, well, I¡¯m sorry . It would have been best to drink with a beautiful woman, but you¡¯re stuck here with a middle-aged man . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, the food is delicious enough . Better than drinking at a shoddy bar . ¡¹ To make sure there was nothing in the wine, Rei took several small sips to see if there were any abnormalities within his body . Of course, Rei didn¡¯t know what drugs or poison tasted like, but he could still tell if his body had any strange responses to it . However, Rei¡¯s body had been made from the essence of Zepairu¡¯s technology . It was sufficient enough to resist most poisons and drugs . And, the merchant, who saw Rei¡¯s actions, smiled wryly . He could tell that Rei was suspicious of him . Rei may have tried to conceal it, but as expected, it wasn¡¯t possible for him to hide it completely from a merchant who had been through a lot of negotiations . (In yesterday¡¯s battle, he showed overwhelming combat strength, but he still has some parts to him that match his age . Well, at his age, it would be strange to have that much combat strength in the first place . ) Now that he had pulled his hood down, Rei¡¯s 15 year old appearance was revealed . The merchant hadn¡¯t been able to make out Rei¡¯s face in the fight the day before, but the way Rei ate food still matched his age . ¡¸¡­¡­So, this meal isn¡¯t really because you want to celebrate my rank up is it? What can I do for you?¡¹ Rei asked the merchant while carrying a Fang Boar skewer to his mouth . The merchant smiled and spoke up as if he had been waiting for that question . ¡¸I agree . Let¡¯s start with self introductions . I know Rei-san¡¯s name, but you don¡¯t know me . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . It would be helpful if you could do that . ¡¹ Nodding, Rei started to eat some vegetable salad to cleanse his palate after eating the skewer . ¡¸My name is Alektor, as I said earlier, I¡¯m the leader of the merchant caravan you rescued yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh~¡¹ Rei stopped eating his salad as he gave a slight sound in admiration . He had known the man was a merchant, but he hadn¡¯t expected him to be the merchant who led the caravan . ¡¸It¡¯s been hard for you in various ways . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Definitely¡­¡­¡¹ Alektor responded to Rei¡¯s words with a slightly gloomy expression in his eyes . In the first place, Alektor¡¯s caravan only had three carriages and wasn¡¯t considered a large merchant group . But because of the attack from the Icebirds, one carriage had been completely destroyed . The death of adventurers was unavoidable, since they had been hired to guard them . The horse that had been killed by the Icebirds was a painful expense, but still within Alektor¡¯s margin . However, the carriage itself was completely destroyed to an irreparable state by the attacks of the Icebirds, with all the goods inside mostly destroyed . The worst part was that even the merchants who had been hiding inside the carriage had been killed by the Icebirds . In particular, the merchants were like Alektor¡¯s family, who he had been through hard times with together . With more than ten people killed before him, you could guess how he was feeling in his mind despite the tough appearance he displayed . And then he met Rei and Set . When he had been prepared to die¡­¡­as he started to have those thoughts, they had appeared and swept away the Icebirds . As a result, it was not unreasonable for him as a merchant and as a person to hold an interest in Rei and Set . ¡¸Fortunately, the damages will probably be covered to some extent by the trade in Gilm . ¡­¡­Looking at it on a whole though, it¡¯s a deficit now matter how I think about it . ¡¹ ¡¸In the first place, why did you come all the way over here in winter? In addition, in winter, aside from ordinary monster there are also monsters that only appear during this season, such as the Icebirds from yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I agree . Certainly, I normally wouldn¡¯t come to a frontier city like Gilm in winter . At the very least, if it¡¯s not the frontier, there wouldn¡¯t be as many monster, so we would manage somehow¡­¡­¡¹ Alektor brought a glass of wine to his mouth with an expression as if he had just bitten into a bitter bug . It seemed like he couldn¡¯t talk about it without drinking . Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Alektor had been saved by adventurers from Gilm, including Rei, Set and Scorching Wind, when they had been attacked by Icebirds the day before . What was the reason Alektor¡¯s merchant caravan had come to Gilm at this time of the year when the number of people who came through was drastically reduced¡­¡­after drinking some wine, he spoke with a heavy voice . ¡¸When I set up my merchant caravan, there was a noble that had helped me . Their child has fallen ill with a certain illness . I was told that the only source of medince for the illness was here in Gilm¡­¡­¡¹ (¡­¡­I feel like I¡¯ve heard that before somewhere . ) Rei thought about the case of Magic Fever that had recently come up . Placing the skewers in his hand onto the plate, he asked Alektor . ¡¸Is the illness, Magic Fever?¡¹ ¡¸No . I heard that it had spread quite rapidly in Baar for some reason, but it isn¡¯t Magic Fever . It is normal for a child¡¯s magic power to increase as a child grows up, but it is an illness that is hinders the growth of magic power and affects the child¡¯s physical health as a result . The ingredients required to create the medicine to deal with the illness is the root of a rare flowering plant that only grows on the frontier . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Looking for a plant root in winter?¡¹ That would be impossible to find . Rei replied while hinting in that manner, but Alektor shook his head with a slight smile . ¡¸It is winter, but since the plant is a magic plant, there¡¯s no need to worry about it withering . In fact, I obtained the plant root yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re moving fast . ¡¹ ¡¸I am a merchant after all . However, just selling the root to the person who helped me won¡¯t cover the damage this time . So, I¡¯m looking for some sort of business to cover that somehow . Fortunately, there are few rival merchants in Gilm at this time of the year . Thanks to you saving us from disaster¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But?¡¹ Rei prompted Alektor, who had paused as if to hint something, to continue his story/ Then, Alektor lowered his voice slightly and continued as if it would be troublesome for it to be heard by others . However, Rei felt it was just part of his setup . After all, adventurers were drinking noisily all around . The sounds of cheers and everything else wouldn¡¯t make it easy for anyone to hear if they tried to eavesdrop on Rei and Alektor . ¡¸Actually, more adventurers that were hired to escort us died in the fight against the monsters yesterday than I had expected . I¡¯m at a loss on how to fill that gap . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are the seven who survived when I arrived to rescue you not enough? In the first place, since you¡¯ve lost a carriage, isn¡¯t seven enough?¡¹ Unfortunately, Alektor shook his head when Rei asked . ¡¸Certainly, if the seven from yesterday continued to escort us, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem . However, the adventurer party of four, rank D party Moonlit Night Blades, were originally hired on the condition that they would only need to make a one way trip . ¡¹ ¡¸Moonlit Night Blades¡­¡­the four in case would be the 3 men and 1 woman?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . They were originally an adventurer party heading for Gilm . Winter set in before they got to Gilm and they were stranded in the city of Sabrutsa because they decided it was to dangerous for them to head out . We met with them there and came to the agreement of a one way escort contract as we had already hired two adventurer parties as escorts . Originally, the other two parties had been contracted for a round trip escort, so we didn¡¯t care too much about it . I had heard about the frontier, but there are times when you don¡¯t really understand without experiencing . I never thought we would be attacked by that many monsters . ¡¹ Alektor had a gloomy expression as he picked some food from the dishes on the table and explained to Rei . While other adventurers were noisily talking at the neighbouring tables, the table where Rei and Alektor were sitting at was covered in a serious atmosphere . ¡¸I apologise . This wasn¡¯t really a story to tell to celebrate your rank up was it? Anyway, that¡¯s what happened . ¡­¡­That¡¯s right . Actually, I have a request for Rei-san . ¡¹ Alektor spoke back up in a bright voice to change the dampened atmosphere . Hearing this much up until this point, Rei could easily imagine what Alektor wanted to ask . ¡¸So, you want to hire me as an escort?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Yesterday¡¯s battle was amazing . When Rei-san swung that scythe, several Icebirds were quickly silenced . And when you used magic, it was also very powerful . To be honest, I would like to sign an exclusive contract with you and my merchant caravan and not just as a temporary escort . ¡¹ Those words were not entirely flattery . No, rather, he was serious about it . However, his proposal was something Rei couldn¡¯t accept . Rei had become an adventurer to collect magic stones, but as an escort¡­¡­and an exclusive escort, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight monsters as freely from what he had heard from Alektor . Because it was the frontier, there were many different kinds of monsters and Rei had no intention to go anywhere else . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s a lot of things I would like to do . I¡¯ll have to refuse your offer of becoming an exclusive escort . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so . ¡¹ Even for Alektor, considering the information he had heard from Milein the day before, he had guessed that it would be impossible to hold Rei to him . Still, he found it unfortunate to have his proposal refused . ¡¸The remuneration could be discussed?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not troubled for money . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Alektor shook his head with a sigh after offering to increase the remuneration, his last trump card . (According to the information from Milein-san, he seems to have a hobby of collecting magic items¡­¡­it wouldn¡¯t be profitable if I had to give him a magic item every time he provided escort . As for magic stones, it¡¯s also limited to two of any type . ¡­¡­I have no choice but to give up . ) Alektor thought to himself, but fate hadn¡¯t abandoned him yet . ¡¸However¡­¡­¡¹ Alektor raised his head with a start when Rei spoke . ¡¸Fortunately, it¡¯s winter now and I don¡¯t have too much to do . So, I can escort you to Sabrutsa¡­¡­what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure!?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . But, as I said, it¡¯s only up to Sabrutsa . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Thank you very much! If we can get to Sabrutsa, it won¡¯t be the frontier anymore and Beautiful Raindrops can take us from there . ¡¹ ¡¸Beautiful Raindrops?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s the party of 3 female adventurers . ¡¹ Hearing that, Rei recalled the faces of the trio of female adventurers who used a sword and shield, halberd and bow who had fought with Set . ¡¸Beautiful Raindrops, is it . What¡¯s their rank?¡¹ ¡¸They are a rank D party . It¡¯s quite an achievement for their age . ¡­¡­However, Rei-san managed to get to rank C at your age . ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re good with compliments . That aside, about the matter of the request¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Should I submit a nominated request?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it would be helpful if you could do that . ¡¹ ¡¸What about the reward? Because I¡¯ve suffered considerable loss in this matter, I would be grateful if you could give a discount . ¡¹ Alektor said that with a bitter smile as the losses that he had suffered passed through his mind . Or, it might have been a remark he made after hearing from Rei himself that he wasn¡¯t troubled for money . The rewards that Rei requested after thinking for several seconds was much appreciated by Alektor . ¡¸Let¡¯s see . Then, at least 20 iron spears . ¡­Ah, with regards to the iron spears, they don¡¯t have to be of high quality . However, it would be troublesome if handles broke when I use them . As for the spear tips¡­¡­¡¹ Rei paused for a moment after thinking about his physical strength . A rusty tip wasn¡¯t a disadvantage when using it as a long range throwing weapon with his strength . Rather, it was actually more convenient for him considering the possibility of causing tetanus from injuries due to the rusted spear tips . ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t mind if the tips are a little rusted . Rather, I would be more troubled if they broke on impact . And, if we encounter any monsters during the escort, if it¡¯s a monster magic stone I don¡¯t have, I would like you to give me priority for two of them . Aside from that, meals would be provided?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Let me think . Rei-san is a rank C adventurer, so hiring you for that much is a bit cheap, is that really okay for you?¡¹ he had asked for the rewards to be discounted as much as possible, but Rei¡¯s reward decrease was still a lot larger than he had expected . Because it was so cheap, Alektor thought to himself if Rei was planning anything . However, Rei thought it was a reasonable reward . After all, Alektor would have to prepare meals for Set, so the overall price wasn¡¯t much greater than hiring an ordinary C rank adventurer . With regards to the spears, unlike the Thorns Spear, he wanted something disposable and valued quantity over quality . ¡¸Ah, no problem . And as I said, there¡¯s nothing for me to do during winter . To some extent it serves as a time killer . I¡¯ve never been to Abuero or Sabrutsa either . ¡¹ Alektor stared at Rei as if looking into the bottom of his heart . And Rei took that gaze head on . Eventually, Alektor was the first to look away . ¡¸I understand . Then, I¡¯ll send a nominated request to the guild tomorrow . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You can¡¯t do it today?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Actually, I have a business discussion about some goods I have to go to later . So I¡¯m sorry, but I would be grateful if you could accept the request at the guild tomorrow afternoon . Of course, I will prepare the spears Rei-san wants for the request . ¡¹ ¡¸It would be great if you could do that . So, when exactly will you leave Gilm?¡¹ ¡¸It will be the day after tomorrow . I¡¯ll write it into the request form, but please meet at the main gate when the 6am bell rings . It¡¯s still a bit dark at that time, but it¡¯s hard to follow the road due to the snow and I want to arrive at Abuero by nightfall . ¡¹ This was the first time Alektor had come to the frontier, but he knew that monsters were still active at night . In particular, it was now winter and monsters that usually didn¡¯t appear would start to show up . The Icebirds that had attacked them yesterday was exactly an example of that . Because of that, he planned to leave the city as soon as possible, staying overnight at Abuero without pushing too far, staying overnight on the highway half way to Sabrutsa and finally arriving the day after . Of course, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down during the day . Compared to at night, monsters weren¡¯t as active, but there was no option but for Alektor to stay alert as long as the memory of being attacked by Icebirds they day before stayed in his mind . But even so, Rei had easily buried the Icebirds, and Set, an A rank monster followed Rei . The number of escorts had decreased with the number of adventurers lost, but in terms of quality, Rei was definitely better . ¡¸Now then . Well, sorry about this but I¡¯ll have to excuse myself, but please eat the food that was ordered . It is to celebrate your rank up after all . ¡¹ ¡¸Thanks . I¡¯ll see at 6am the day after tomorrow then . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you . ¡¹ Being able to hire Rei, Alektor gave a smile in relief, bowed his head and stood up from the table before leaving the bar . Looking at Alektor¡¯s cheerful back as he left, Rei began to reach out for the various dishes on the table . The noisy adventurers in the bar looked at Rei curiously, but didn¡¯t think too much about it as they continued to merrymake with their friends . Basically, Rei didn¡¯t have a nice reputation . Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t be merciful to anyone who messed with him either . ¡­¡­But that was an expected response, so there was nothing they to say to that . For that reason, Rei received the treatment of a wild beast which would stay quiet when left alone . Two days later, Rei¡¯s first merchant escort request began . Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Rei and Set were in front of the main gate at the city of Gilm in the morning just as the 6am bell was ringing and the sun wasn¡¯t fully visible. Disregarding that it was winter, it was still dark at this time because of the clouds that spread out infinitely, as if covering the sky. The temperature was also lower than in the past few days and the breath of those around Rei were white. In that situation, Rei, who was only wearing a robe, stood out as he wasn¡¯t wearing a coat. After all, the people all around him were wearing thick coats to overcome the cold. However, even though he wasn¡¯t wearing anything on top other than a robe, he didn¡¯t feel cold at all, so he had no choice by to stand out. In addition, rubbing his face against Rei while giving a cry was Set, a 2m large spoiled Griffon, so it was easy to draw gazes from around him. Still, there wasn¡¯t much aversion or awe from the merchants around them. After all, when they had been attacked by a group of Icebirds a few days ago, they had been saved by them. And it was the same for the adventurers¡­¡­ ¡¸Rei-kun, is it? I¡¯m grateful that you rescued us the other day. Thank you.¡¹ As Rei stood there, a female adventurer with a halberd came over and called out to him. She held a halberd in her hand and looked used to handling it. She held the atmosphere of a veteran. ¡¸Gururu?¡¹ Set tilted his head while giving a cry at the familiar female adventurers. It was a gesture so lovable that you wouldn¡¯t think of, considering Set¡¯s large size. A female adventurer with a bow and another with a halberd approached them. ¡¸Ahh, so cute.¡¹ The woman with the bow reached out with her hand that wasn¡¯t holding it. ¡¸Hey, Louise! I know you like cute things, but at least greet other properly first!¡¹ ¡¸But, Taeniaaa~.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t stretch out the end of my name! My name is Taenia, not Taeniaaa. Seriously¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait. Taenia, you¡¯re drawing too much attention, too much.¡¹ Taenia gave a shout at Louise, her party member. In response, the female warrior with a sword and shield whispered to Taenia. As a result, Taenia finally noticed. She started coughing in a fluster. ¡¸Mm, ahem. My party members have been kicking up a fuss. Please excuse us. So, I would like to introduce myself and discuss the escort plan as soon as possible¡­¡­do you mind?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it would be a great help if you could do that. As you already know, I¡¯m Rei. I think you saw in the previous fight with the Icebirds, I¡¯m a magic warrior. The Griffon here is Set.¡¹ Rei introduced himself before glancing at Set, who was currently being stroked by Louise. Taenia gave a small nod before speaking. ¡¸I¡¯m Taenia, the leader of this rank D party. As you can see, I¡¯m a warrior that uses a halberd, my role is a mid range guard. I can also serve as the vanguard. And this is¡­¡­¡¹ Taenia looked towards the woman with the sword and shield next to her. ¡¸I¡¯m Fabel. As you can see, I¡¯m in the sword and shield group when it comes to basic weapons. However, if you look at my equipment, you can see that my main role is a defender and the sword is only an auxiliary equipment.¡¹ Rei looked at her half plate armour. Her shield was carried on her back, ready to be taken out at any time, and her sword was sheathed at her waist. It was rare to see such heavy equipment on adventurers, who usually focused on light movement. However, it was still within the range of an adventurer to wear that, unlike full plate armour, which required a certain level of strength to move around in. ¡¸And finally¡­¡­¡¹ Taenia finally turned her eyes to Louise, who was playing with Set. However, Louise seemed to not notice it at all as she stroked Set with a blissful expression. Twitch. Taenia¡¯s cheeks twitched unpleasantly as she looked at her other party member. Fabel unintentionally covered her face with her hand, but Louise continued stroking Set without realising it. And as expected, Taenia took a deep breath¡­¡­ ¡¸Louise! Don¡¯t play with the Griffon, introduce yourself now!¡¹ ¡¸Aaaaahhh-!?¡¹ Louise gave a startled cry a the angry shout. ¡¸Taenia, don¡¯t suddenly shout like that.¡¹ Louise protested with a sluggish voice, but Taenia sharpened her eyes as she looked at Louise. As for Taenia herself, she held the dignity of a party leader, but to other people right now, she looking like an angry mother scolding a naughty daughter. ¡­¡­Disregarding that their ages were about the same, it still looked that way maybe because of their personalities¡­¡­or perhaps it was due to the number of years they had worked together. ¡¸Then introduce yourself properly. Look, the Griffon¡­¡­get your hands off Set!¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I want to play more with Set.¡¹ Taenia pulled Louise away from Set as she forced her to stand in front of Rei. (¡­¡­She seems like someone who would get along well with Milein.) When Rei saw her affection for Set, he thought to himself involuntarily. (No, although they might be similar, it¡¯s possible that they might never get along because of that.) That¡¯s what he thought. While Rei was at a loss, Louise gave a bow as forced by Taenia. ¡¸I¡¯m Louise~. My weapon is a bow as you can see, I¡¯m an archer~. Thank you for your help the other day~. Let¡¯s do our best together for this escort~.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahh. Nice to work with you.¡¹ Introducing herself with a unique extension of the her last words, looking at Rei, who was slightly puzzled at the way her words were dragged out, she decided she was done and went over to Set again. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry about that. Even if she looks like that, she¡¯s pretty good with the bow. ¡­¡­But, she really doesn¡¯t look like it.¡¹ Perhaps she felt embarrassed by her party members, Taenia explained with a red face. ¡¸I guess. In the previous battle, she was shooting arrows quite accurately. Don¡¯t worry, I understand very well that a person¡¯s personality and skills don¡¯t necessarily match.¡¹ Telling Taenia not to worry, the figure of Elk, the leader of Axe of the Thunder God, passed through his mind. He was often called a mischievous boy in an adult¡¯s body. To put it badly, he was a coarse man. Because such a person could still become a rank A adventurer, Rei never considered an adventurer¡¯s skill and personality to have to match. However, even for Rei, if there was any trouble that he was dragged into by other people or adventurers, he would just smash it apart without letting anyone go. He wasn¡¯t aware that a lot of the older veterans had many questions around whether his character was good enough for a rank C adventurer. ¡¸Ah, aha. Ahahahaha. I¡¯m grateful that you say that. ¡­¡­More than that, you used a large scythe that time, you didn¡¯t bring it today? It¡¯s too big to fit under your robe.¡¹ Taenia laughed and changed the topic to move away from the issue and to ask something she had been interested in at the same time. Most of the time, monsters that Rei killed, such as the Icebirds, would usually be stored right away into the Misty Ring. But even after Baslero stopped crying, he had still been holding on tightly to Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe, so he only managed to store them into the Misty Ring when he finally got back to Gilm. That was why most people at the time probably didn¡¯t know about the Misty Ring. ¡¸Ah, I have an item box. See.¡¹ Saying that, he took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring. ¡¸Eeeeeehhhh-!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Fabel. Your voice was a bit loud!¡¹ Fabel, who was listening in to the conversation between the two of them, suddenly gave a shout at the Death Scythe, which appeared from nowhere. And Taenia, who had been right next to her, naturally hit Fabel¡¯s head while holding her ears. ¡¸That hurts! Hey, Taenia. Even if I¡¯m wearing a helmet, the impact will still go through, so go a little easier¡­¡­wait that¡¯s not the point! It¡¯s an item box, an item box! Why are you so calm!¡¹ Although Fabel whined at Taenia, Taenia just spoke with a sigh. ¡¸Calm down, whatever surprise I had disappeared after you were so shocked. Also, take a look. Louise is not surprised.¡¹ At the end of Taenia¡¯s line of sight, was Louise, who was stroking Set as if all the fuss had nothing to do with her. Set didn¡¯t dislike the stroking either¡­¡­rather, he quite liked it, so he just let Louise do as she pleased while giving soft cries. ¡¸Louise has always been like that since she was a kid. I¡¯m already used to it.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true. But this is the first time I¡¯ve actually seen an item box, I¡¯m surprised, very surprised.¡¹ Rei, who was listening in to the conversation between the two of them, suddenly asked Taenia as he thought of something. It could be said although his time with them had been short, he had more or less grasped their personalities, which was why he didn¡¯t ask Fabel. ¡¸You just said you¡¯ve known her since you were a kid¡­¡­are the three of you from the same place?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Yes, that¡¯s right. I guess we¡¯re childhood friends who grew up in the same village.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s rare to see a party made up of childhood friends.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? It¡¯s not unusual to form a party with people in the same area right?¡¹ Taenia replied to Rei, but in this regard, Rei¡¯s point of reference was the city of Gilm, on the frontier. The difference was due to the fact that Taenia was from a guild in a city that wasn¡¯t on the frontier. The number of adventurers on the frontier was high on average, so there weren¡¯t many people who formed a locals only party¡­¡­in both good and bad ways, meritocracy was spread quite widely. Of course, local parties weren¡¯t completely non-existent and there were actually a certain number of such parties in Gilm, but Rei wasn¡¯t really that involved with other adventurers and didn¡¯t know about such information. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s it for self introductions. About the escort then¡­¡­has Rei ever worked as an escort?¡¹ ¡¸Not officially.¡¹ At those words, his request to head to the dungeon with Elena passed through his mind. However, that request had various political reasons and it wasn¡¯t something that could be carelessly mentioned because even the Sails viscount family had left in exile. ¡¸This is a little troublesome then. ¡­¡­Well then, I¡¯m sorry, but could I take command of this escort? Normally, it would be taken by you since you are rank C, but since you don¡¯t have any formal escort experience¡­¡­¡¹ Taenia worded her question carefully as she looked towards Rei apologetically. For Taenia, she was wondering if it was okay to take command away from the higher ranked Rei. It was a suggestion she made as she was more confident of taking command of her own party, which had been given the original escort request. What if Rei, who was higher ranked than her, insisted on taking command of the escort? Taenia held such worries, but¡­¡­ ¡¸I see. Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t hesitate and flatly accepted Taenia¡¯s offer to take command of the escort. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Taenia made a surprised sound when her proposal was so easily and quickly accepted, but to Rei, this arrangement was a lifesaver in many ways. After all, Rei often acted solo and he wasn¡¯t that good at giving out commands. In that case, it was best to leave the commands to someone who was used to it and to just follow their lead. That was the decision he had made, but looking at Taenia, it seemed that there was something wrong? Of course, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable for her to have some doubt. ¡¸Rei, you really¡­¡­¡¹ Are you sure? When she was about to ask that question, someone called out to them from behind. ¡¸Good morning, Rei-san, Taenia-san. Thank you in advance for your escort today.¡¹ The voice that was heard along with the rattling of a carriage was Alektor. When the two of them that were called turned around to look back, there was, as expected, the portly figure of Alektor and a carriage carrying some men and women. ¡º¡­¡­¡» As soon as they saw the carriage, the merchants in the area and the two adventurers from the Beautiful Raindrops party were silent. As for the last member of the party, she was still focused on stroking Set and didn¡¯t even realise Alektor¡¯s arrival. As for why the people nearby were surprised. That was because nearly a 100 spears were currently on the carriage. In addition, many of the spears were rusted and couldn¡¯t really be used unless they were repaired at a blacksmith or weapons store. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 There was nothing special about the cart that was being pulled beside Alektor . However, there were about 100 spears on it¡­¡­moreover, most of the spears were either rusted or lacking spear tips . They were in such a state that they drew the frowns of adventurers, rather adventurers who specifically used spears . The merchants who were looking at it were wondering why Alektor had bought those spears that looked like nothing more than garbage . Taenia had a bad feeling that she might be asked to use them . In the midst of this, it was Rei who broke the silence as he took a step forward . ¡¸I thought I said 20 or so would be fine¡­¡­but you went and collected this many . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no . It really wasn¡¯t that much trouble . As you can see, there are things which are basically useless unless repaired or were going to be thrown away . Because of that, the blacksmiths and weapon shop owners were quite happy about it . The result is this amount¡­¡­actually, I don¡¯t mind it that much since it hardly takes any money to collect thes . ¡¹ Alektor replied to Rei with a big smile . After all, the reward he needed to pay for hiring a rank C adventurer was just this garbage, so it was impossible for him not to smile as a merchant . ¡­¡­But, Alektor happy thoughts would later disappear after seeing Set¡¯s appetite as well as Rei¡¯s . ¡¸Wai-wai-wai-wai, wait a moment, Rei! What are you going to do with all these garbage spears?¡¹ Taenia called out to Rei, who was speaking to Alektor with a smile . It seemed that Taenia had quite a few thoughts about the large pile of trashy spears as she used a halberd herself . However, Rei responded to Taenia¡¯s indignation to clear up any confusion . He didn¡¯t feel there was anything wrong . In reality, to Rei these were just disposable weapons for throwing, so there were no issues . Since they were disposable, he was happier with the cheap spears that Alektor had bought rather than quality spears . ¡¸What? Use them in battle of course . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why! Wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous to use these spears in battle!? If you stab an enemy with one, the tip or handle might break!¡¹ Taenia warned with a serious expression . However, Rei spoke with a smile, saying that there was no problem . ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s okay . In the first place, as you can see, I use a large scythe, so I wouldn¡¯t use those spears in actual melee combat . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What? What are you talking about? Doesn¡¯t that contradict with what you just said?¡¹ Taenia looked at Rei suspiciously, not understanding what Rei had said . Receiving such suspicious, Rei immediately reached for the bag on the carriage . ¡¸I use the spears for long ranged attacks . There are times where bandits use throwing daggers right? Think of the same thing but with spears . ¡¹ ¡¸No, but even if you said you can throw the spears¡­¡­¡¹ Because she used a halberd, Taenia had a good understanding of how much a spear weighed . A spear, even a light one, was typical 2-3kg . If it were a heavy one, it would be closer to 5kg . She knew because the halberd she used was just under 5kg . ¡¸Hm? Ah, that¡¯s right . You don¡¯t know what I can do . I can do this . ¡¹ Even wearing his robe, Rei looked short and delicate . even though she had seen him fight, it was hard for Taenia to believe how strong Rei was . She had guessed that the Death Scythe was a weapon with a weight reduction effect . No, technically that was true . It was conditional as it only had its weight reduced when Rei or Set held it, but when it was, its weight would be reduced to a negligible amount . About the same weight as a tree branch, chopsticks, a knife or a fork . ¡¸It¡¯s faster to actually show it . ¡¹ Seeing is believing, Rei picked up a bag holding 5 spears from the cart . He then picked up one of the spears as if he was picking up a small twig that had fallen to the ground . One by one, he stored them into the Misty Ring . To put it simply, any words that Taenia was going to say dried up . Fabel watched on beside Taenia and the merchants who were part of Alektor¡¯s merchant group . The same went for the people who had worked hard to carry the 100 or so spears here . While being exposed to such an astonishing sigh, Rei stored the rest of the bags on the cart into the Misty Ring, all the spears were gone in under 10 minutes . ¡¸¡­¡­I, I think I¡¯m feeling tired . I¡¯ll stay back at the inn for a night . Please take care of the rest Fabel . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­of course¡­¡­wait, wait a moment! Where are you going!¡¹ Fabel grabbed Taenia¡¯s shoulders as she tried to go back to the city . If she really went back at this point, they would have to pay compensation for dropping the request, and above all, she would have to deal with Rei, this crazy person . Her actions were based on that judgement . ¡¸Why, how can you lift a spear so easily . How much do you think I struggled before I could use a halberd freely? This must be a dream, yes . There¡¯s no doubt . So let go Fabel . I¡¯m going back to the inn to have a good sleep! I¡¯ll sleep until spring!¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, you¡¯re still so weak to sudden shocks . And you¡¯re a human, you don¡¯t need to hibernate . Come on, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸No-! I want to go home-!¡¹ Fabel calmed Taenia down, who had a tendency to act like a child in situations like this and eventually got her back to normal after several minutes . During that time, the men and women who had carried over the cart holding the spears went back, leaving the merchants, the escorting party, Rei and Set . ¡­¡­In addition, some of the merchants who saw Taenia acting like a child felt slightly uneasy . ¡¸Oh, Rei-kun . So you took up an escort request? Well, that¡¯s rare¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the way things worked out . You know, the last time I helped out with that Icebird attack . ¡¹ Rei spoke to Ranga as he handed over his guild card and the Necklace of Subservient Monster . Nearby, the other guards checked the merchant carriages for anything suspicious or if there were any issues with their identities . After all, the Bestir Empire had caused several incidents within a short period of time, so the checks at the city¡¯s entrances and exits was more stringent than ever . Ranga, who was the commander of the guards, was here to deal with any situations that might arise, in addition to his usual work here . ¡¸Ah, come to think of it . ¡¹ Ranga must have recalled the incident a few days ago . Rei nodded in reply . ¡¸Has there been anyone attacked by monsters since then?¡¹ ¡¸About that, not since then . After all, there are few people who would come to Gilm in this season . ¡¹ Ranga replied, implying that merchants like Alektor were rare . That was also why their identity checks were much stricter . ¡¸I see . Well, I don¡¯t think there will be any issues¡­¡­with regards to that, I¡¯ll leave it to the experts . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that would be a great help . ¡¹ While conversing like that, the security check finally finished with no issues . ¡¸Okay, you can pass . ¡­¡­Rei-kun, be careful . ¡¹ With those parting words, Rei and the others left the city . ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll be on the left of the caravan . Fabel will be on the right . Louise is an archer, so she¡¯ll keep an eye out for monster or bandit attacks from the middle . Rei, I¡¯ll leave the back to you . Because Set¡¯s sense of smell is sharper than the rest of us all, he¡¯ll know immediately if something tries to attack us from behind . ¡¹ Taenia started to give instructions . You wouldn¡¯t guess that just 10 minutes ago, she had been acting like a kid . The expressions on the merchants also changed from unease to relief . (Oh no¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think I would get so embarrased back there . Thank¡¯s to that, all the looks from the merchants¡­¡­this is all Rei¡¯s fault . Doing something that crazy . ) ¡¸¡­¡­Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ As direct by Taenia, Rei started to head to the back when he noticed a gaze . Taenia seemed to be looking at him as if she was holding a grudge . ¡¸No-Nothing . Rather, the rearguard is a very important place for an escort, so be sure to stay wary!¡¹ ¡¸Is it fine to give me such an important location?¡¹ ¡¸Because you have Set . ¡¹ Rei thought that it might have been because they were lacking in numbers, but as he had never received a merchant escort request before, he gave a sigh thinking it couldn¡¯t be helped . As it had been up to now, he asked Taenia what he had been wondering about . ¡¸The merchants are in the carriage, but are we walking?¡¹ Hearing that question, Taenia replied to Rei with a somewhat shocked expression . ¡¸What, you want ride comfortably in the carriage as an escort? If you stay inside the carriage, you won¡¯t be able to respond quickly to monster attacks . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand that, but if everyone just rode on the carriage and travelled faster, the risk of an attack would be lower . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true that some parties have taken that approach . In short, the trade off is that the number of attacks is reduced, but the response of the escort is a lot slower when they are attacked . That¡¯s why we stay outside . ¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s why . It¡¯s definitely true that if you¡¯re inside the carriage, the response to an emergency event will be a lot slower than if you were walking outside . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Taenia¡¯s explanation . At that moment, Alektor came by and added in a few words . ¡¸As I said in the guild, because of the Icebird attack, we lost a carriage and one of the escort parties . That¡¯s why the carriages are loaded to the limit with products from Gilm . I¡¯m sorry but the merchants are actually crammed in to the point that they can barely squeeze in themselves, so that¡¯s why we can¡¯t afford to let any of the adventurers ride inside . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is what he said . Understand? Go on then, head to your position! It¡¯s almost time to leave the city, so we have to get our formation together . ¡¹ ¡¸Understood . Set, let¡¯s go . We¡¯re at the back . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s words and turned to head to the back . While stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei recalled that he still hadn¡¯t used the magic stones from the Icebirds yet . With the carriages lined up in a row, Rei and the rest started on the road from Gilm to Abuero . That said, although they were lined up, there were only two carriage . It was a situation where Rei and the others were just serving as guards in the surroundings Taenia directed as she walked to the front and back . ¡¸¡­¡­Hm, it¡¯s getting much brighter . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru? ¡­¡­Guru~¡¹ Both Rei and Set looked up at the sky . At the end of their line of sight was the dazzling sun . Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t snowing, a fine winter day . ¡¸Well, I can¡¯t do anything about the cold . ¡¹ When he looked to the roadside, he would see several ice needles on the ground . With a mischievious thought, Rei stepped on one of them . A clear crisp sound was heard . ¡¸Guru?¡¹ Seeing Set give a cry, saying that he would like to try himself, Rei immediately remembered his role as an escort and headed back towards the carriage . From behind, he could hear Set crush the ice needles with a happy cry . Chapter 234 Chapter 234 It was about 2 hours after leaving Gilm as part of the escort . There were no monster attacks in particular as Alektor¡¯s merchant caravan traveled down the road . ¡¸Compared to when we were heading to Gilm, there¡¯s been a lot less monster attacks . ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously . I thought we were cursed considering how many times were were attacked by monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . If we hadn¡¯t been attacked that much, the amount of stamina the escort wasted wouldn¡¯t have been as much . And if that had been the case¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Forget about it, it¡¯s no use talking about it now . The important part is that we survived, so we¡¯re going to enjoy our lives as much as we can . Of course, it¡¯s all business . ¡¹ The merchant¡¯s voices could be heard from the carriage in front of Rei . Rei, who was somewhat interested in their conversation, moved to the back of the carriage and called out to the merchants . In any case, considering the pure range of their scouting abilities, Rei was no better than Set . And as long as Set walked around to keep an eye on the surroundings, it was highly unlikely that they would be attacked by monsters . ¡¸When you came to Gilm, you were attacked by that many monsters?¡¹ Although the merchants were surprised for a moment at the sudden question, they spoke with peace of mind after realising it was Rei asking them . ¡¸Ahh, about 3 times from Abuero to Gilm? No, was it 4 times?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . We were attacked by Icebirds 4 times . That said, there were also a few Goblins, Soldier Ants and Sword Bees . But because there were never more than 10 at a time, we managed somehow¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect over 50 Icebirds in that last attack . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There were a lot . ¡¹ Rei listend in to the merchants . Of course, Rei had never traveled along this road . Basically, every time Rei left Gilm, he had traveled on Set . The only time he had traveled along the highways was during the bandit subjugation for his rank up test . Even so, because he had been headed for a bandit¡¯s hideout, they had been moving off the main road . That time he had gone to the dungeon with Elena or to the Orc settlement, they had been completely different road than the one to Abuero, so this was his first real experience on it . ¡¸Well, there certainly were a lot of monster attacks, but it¡¯s nothing strange . ¡¹ One of the merchants replied to Rei . The rest of the merchants nodded as if they agreed with what was said . In fact, it wasn¡¯t uncommon to be attacked by monsters or bandits along the road . That was why adventurers were hired as escorts, and in the first place, it was natural that there would be more monster attacks near the frontier . ¡¸That¡¯s usually the case, isn¡¯t it . ¡­¡­However, right now, I don¡¯t think we need to worry about monster attacks that much . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­?¡¹ The merchant¡¯s didn¡¯t quite understand what Rei meant . They all looked at him strangely or with confusion . Seeing that, Rei stroked Set¡¯s head as Set walked beside him . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry at the feeling of getting stroked . Rei spoke again as he saw that . ¡¸After all, Set has come with us . Monsters with a certain level of intelligence will instinctively sense the difference in rank and will hesitate to attack . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But, didn¡¯t the Icebirds not care when Set came to support us?¡¹ ¡¸That was probably because they were already in an agitated state after fighting . ¡¹ Rei replied to the merchant¡¯s question . Rei was correct, but in actual fact, the Icebirds had been agitated because of the fire tornado that Rei had used, not that he was aware of it . ¡¸Then, only monsters below a certain level of intelligence will attack?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . To be exact, Goblins are a good example . It may seem to contradict my earlier words, but becuase it has somewhat higher intelligence, they don¡¯t understand the different in ability between themselves and Set . And¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸And?¡¹ Rei continued at the merchant¡¯s prompt as he looked ahead as if to look for something . ¡¸Human¡¯s aren¡¯t sharp enough to notice the aura that Set gives off . If they don¡¯t see him with their own eyes, they won¡¯t recognise that Set is a Griffon . ¡­¡­In other words, the thing we have to be most wary off is bandits rather than monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, when you say that, I can understand . Abuero aside, there are quite a few bandits in the area near Sabrusta . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are there that many?¡¹ At the back of Rei¡¯s mind was the face of the bandit leader who had almost attacked him on his way to Baar . He didn¡¯t know that the bandits were called the ¡ºPrairie Wolves¡» and were one of the most powerful bandit groups around Sabrusta . The important part of the Prairie Wolves where not their numbers but their individual strength . In large groups, the strength of bandits naturally varied and there were some who could be called basically farmers holding weapons . But Egg, the leader of the Prairie Wolves, would not keep such amateurs as his companions, but only those with a certain level of strength . Furthermore, he conducted strict combat training every day and stood out from other bandits, who simply enjoyed the life of fighting . ¡¸Ah . After all, it¡¯s a city near the frontier . In other words, carriages loaded with rare items from the frontier travel through . From the bandits¡¯ point of view, they are mountains of treasure . There¡¯s no reason not to attack them . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I know that, but won¡¯t the lord and deputy lord of Sabrusta send out subjugation forces?¡¹ It was a natural question from Rei, but the merchants just shook their heads and sighed . Their expressions held surprise, mockery and sympathy . ¡¸They send out knights regularly of course . But it¡¯s more of a token response from the lord more than anything else . They don¡¯t take getting rid of the bandits seriously . ¡¹ ¡¸What? If the number of bandits increases, the number of people that travel through the highway would decrease, and that would affect the city¡¯s tax revenue . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, there are various reasons¡­¡­the biggest one is that there are probably secret connections between the deputy lord and the bandits . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes widened at the words the merchant had said casually . However, the next moment, he understood why . ¡¸They must have taken bribes or something similar¡­¡­from what you said . However, based on that, aren¡¯t they just the deputy lord¡¯s minions? In that case, if the lord of the city finds out, won¡¯t he be sentenced to death rather than just imprisoned?¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, if the tax revenue drops considerably, that might happen¡­¡­after all, this is the only road that connects to Gilm . In other words, to get to the frontier, you have to go along this road, which means more merchants, escorts and so on . Tax revenue might drop, but it will not be to the point where the nobles will notice . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Rei nodded at the merchant¡¯s reply and frowned at the cunning of the deputy lord . One of the merchants, who mistook Rei¡¯s frown for dislike of bandits, reached a hand out from the carriage and tapped Rei on the shoulder . ¡¸Well, you don¡¯t need to worry about it at this point in time . After all, I don¡¯t think anyone else would go to the frontier in this time of winter except Alektor-san . They would be waiting a long time for a prey they don¡¯t know would ever come¡­¡­I don¡¯t think they would do something like that . ¡¹ ¡¸I hope so . ¡­¡­Well, I understand the situation . I¡¯ll keep a look out for bandits though . I don¡¯t know if there might still be some, though it¡¯s unlikely . ¡¹ Rei replied to the merchant before leaving the carriage and walking along the road with Set as they kept watch . About 6 hours after leaving Gilm, the sun, which had been bright since morning, was already directly above them . ¡¸I¡¯m hungry . It¡¯s about time for lunch isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸This isn¡¯t a good spot . Wait until we¡¯ve found some large rocks or somewhere more difficult for monsters to find us . ¡¹ Rei and Set could here voices talking form the carriage near them . (As expected, I¡¯m starting to get hungry now as well . ) Thinking like that to himself, he looked at Set, who was walking next to him . When he did that, Set gave a hungry cry as he appealed to Rei to give him something to eat . ¡¸I guess we have no choice . Set, be patient until lunch . ¡¹ While taking out some dried meat from the Misty Ring to give to Set, they continued on for another 30 minutes . Eventually, they passed a place where some 5m tall rocks could be found near the highway . As soon as it came into sight, the caravan started to slow down . And after Alektor got off the first carriage¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, let¡¯s have lunch here . Get your stuff ready . ¡¹ He called out to the carriage near Rei . The merchants who heard that got off the carriage one after the other, and as if they couldn¡¯t wait, started handing out sandwiches they had bought at Gilm to each person as they started preparing a campfire to boil water . ¡¸Here, Rei . ¡¹ After Rei received it, Set turned to look at the merchant . ¡¸Guru?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, wait a moment . The meals for Set are prepared by Alektor . If I remember correctly¡¹ ¡¸Sorry for keeping you waiting . ¡¹ It seemed that Alektor had been looking for Rei . He came over while holding a 1m large bag . ¡¸Yes, here you are . This is Set¡¯s meal . ¡¹ He took out a 1kg lump of meat from the bag and gave it to Set . ¡¸Guru!¡¹ Maybe Set was too hungry, Rei turned to look at Alektor, who was startled at Set¡¯s cry as he started eating the raw meat . ¡¸That bag¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s a simplified version of an item box . Though I¡¯m just borrowing this one from the noble this time . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­This time? Didn¡¯t you go to Gilm because of Alektor¡¯s decision?¡¹ ¡¸There were various background matters . ¡¹ Rei had an absentminded expression for a moment at the merchant¡¯s proud answer that there were some shady deals behind it . Seeing that, Alektor smiled and tried to invite Rei over to where the merchants and Beautiful Raindrops had gathered . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set, who finished the meat in no time, turned to look at Alektor while giving a cry asking for more . ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? Please wait a moment . Did you eat all that meat in such a short time!?¡¹ A normal person would take about 30 minutes to eat a kilogram of meat . Rather, it was more likely that they wouldn¡¯t even finish it . However, considering Set¡¯s size, 1kg of meat was nothing more than a snack . Alektor hurriedly took out the next piece of meat, but that piece immediately fell into Set¡¯s belly as well . ¡­¡­After this happened five more times, Set¡¯s lunch finally finished . At that point in time, Alektor¡¯s cheeks were twitching, but he was still somewhat happy that Set had only eaten five pieces instead of eight . Everyone gathered together and had a simple meal of sandwiches and tea, but of course they weren¡¯t completely disregarding their surroundings . Anyhow, as long as something was nearby, it wasn¡¯t possible for them to approach without getting caught by Set, whether they were monsters or bandits, unless they were at a much higher level of skill . Thanks to that, the group was able to eat a meal with relative peace of mind¡­¡­except for Alektor, who¡¯s cheeks were twitching as he considered their future food costs at Set¡¯s unexpectedly great appetite . Of course, not everything was left to Set . Rei and Beautiful Raindrops continued to pay some attention to their surroundings as they ate and talked . Meanwhile, the conversation between the merchants discussed the war between the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire which was guaranteed to happen next spring . Rei, who was interested in the topic, turned an ear to it . ¡¸In terms of strength, the Bestir Empire has the advantage, but our kingdom is one of the more powerful kingdoms . There¡¯s no clear conclusion . ¡¹ ¡¸But, we¡¯re already preparing now aren¡¯t we? Actually, I heard that the Bestir Empire had reached out all the way to Gilm and there was a big commotion about it . ¡¹ ¡¸No matter how the Bestir Empire prepares, I¡¯ll feel safe with Duke Kerebel and the General Princess . ¡¹ ¡¸How many times have they lost to the General Princess? Are they going to make the same mistake again?¡¹ Rei listened in on the merchants¡¯ conversation while eating a sandwich, but suddenly decided to enter the conversation . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but can I ask a question?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? What is it?¡¹ One of the merchants turned to Rei while eating a ham and cheese sandwich and pouring himself some warm tea . Rei asked the merchant a question he had always been interested in . ¡¸First of all . Why does the Bestir Empire keeping invading over and over again? It should cost a large amount of money to start a war . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You don¡¯t know?¡¹ Although the merchant was surprised, fortunately or not, Rei had not gained any understanding of why the Bestir Empire was so insistent on invading the Mireana Kingdom . Of course, if he had studied up about it, he would have easily found out, but as it had nothing to do with monster subjugation requests, magic stones or the guild, he had put it on hold . ¡¸Ah . I don¡¯t know . I¡¯ve only been in Gilm for a year . Before then, I had been living up in the mountains . ¡¹ In the end, Rei used his usual excuse to explain his ignorance and prompted the merchant to continue the conversation . ¡¸Is that so . ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯ll put it simply . The Bestir Empire is located in an area surrounded by mountains and land . Because it¡¯s in such a location, agriculture thrives and they have a lot of mines, so it¡¯s a very wealthy empire . They have been pouring in resources into alchemy for nearly a decade . But for the Bestir Empire, there was something they¡¯ve always wanted for ten years, hundred years or even longer . That is¡­¡­the sea . ¡¹ ¡¸The sea?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . The Bestir Empire is landlocked and doesn¡¯t face the sea . And the sea¡­¡­it brings tremendous wealth to countries because of ports . This includes salt and other marine resources . They have been attacking our country, which faces the sea, because they want it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Rei nodded at the merchant¡¯s words, but in the back of his mind, he was thinking about the Demon Soldier he had fought in Gilm . The Demon Soldier he had fought had been created with the magic stone of a monster that seemed to live in the sea, as he had the shell of a crab as well as scales . It would have been very difficult for Demon Soldiers like him to be made without access to any seas or oceans . (No, if the Bestir Empire¡¯s goal is really the sea, then isn¡¯t it natural to have prepared Demon Soldiers who could adapt to it in advance?) At the merchant¡¯s words, Rei finally understood why the Bestir Empire continued to invaded the Mireana Kingdom . Chapter 235 Chapter 235 ¡¸I see the city of Abuero!¡¹ Except for a break during lunch, they kept walking along the highway . And as the sun was about to set, they heard a voice from the first carriage . ¡¸Alright! We managed to get here without being attacked by monsters!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The trip on the way to Gilm and the trip back¡­¡­honestly, the difference was disappointing . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah . Rei and Set . Especially Set . As Rei said, ordinary monsters won¡¯t try to attack a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . However, aside from monsters, bandits would attack without realising . There are a lot of bandits between Abuero to Sabrusta . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s true . We were attacked several times when we passed by here last time . It¡¯s winter right now, they¡¯ll probably be more in spring . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . This is probably the first and last time our merchant caravan will come to the frontier . You won¡¯t have to worry about bandits after spring . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . Well, we¡¯ll stay overnight in Abuero . I¡¯ll eat good food, drink wine and maybe head to a brothel to raise my spirits for tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t be late for the departure . If I recall correctly, something like this happened before and Alektor was angry with you wasn¡¯t he?¡¹ Maybe they were relieved to see the city . In the carriage, the merchants talked cheerfully to each other . ¡¸Have you been to Abuero, Rei?¡¹ Unexpectedly, one of the merchants called out to Rei from the carriage . Because Abuero was a city near to Gilm, it was natural to ask that, but Rei shook his head . ¡¸No, I¡¯ve never been there before . ¡¹ Rei had only passed over the city with Set when he was on his way to Baar . ¡¸I see, I wanted to ask if you knew any good restaurants¡­¡­it can¡¯t be helped . ¡¹ During the conversation, the merchant caravan continued its way forward until it arrived at the main gate to Abuero . ¡¸Oh, you guys passed through here last time¡­¡­I feel the number of carriages seem to have dropped though . ¡¹ ¡¸We were attacked by monsters . A carriage, the merchants inside and the escorting adventurers¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Sorry for asking about that . Rather, your ID please . ¡¹ ¡¸Here it is . ¡¹ Alektor talked with the guards as he handed over his documents . At the same time, Rei and the adventurers from Beautiful Raindrop also handed their guild cards to the other guards¡­¡­ ¡¸A-Aaaahhh¨C! G-G-G-G-Griffonaaaaaaah!¡¹ One of the guards who saw Set fell into a panic as he screamed . Even if they didn¡¯t intend it, the guards around him immediately sharpened up and readied their weapons when they heard the cry . Their expressions were different from those who were fearing death or in despair, but seeing a Griffon, none of them seemed optimistic . ¡¸Guru?¡¹ For Set, who was used to interacting with people in Gilm, he couldn¡¯t understand why the guards were afraid of him . What¡¯s wrong? He seemed to ask as he looked around with his head tilted . Fortunately at this time, the guards were still self aware . Even though he was used to people, if the guards had attacked Set, he would still fight back . If that happened, there was no doubt that things would have gotten very bad in various ways . ¡¸Wait a moment! This Griffon is his tamed monster! There¡¯s no danger!¡¹ Alektor shouted desperately as his big belly shook . The guards who heard his shout and turned their eyes to Set, and Rei who was standing next him, as if confirm the truth of Alektor¡¯s story . ¡¸¡­¡­Is that really true?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . Set¡­¡­this Griffon is my tamed monster, it¡¯s true . ¡¹ When Rei replied to the guard¡¯s question, a stir immediately spread . ¡¸Hey, you must be lying . You taming a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸Moreover, you¡¯re just a kid¡­¡­I can¡¯t see you too well under the hood of your robe, but you¡¯re just a kid aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re small and have a delicate build . ¡¹ ¡¸No, not a kid, a girl?¡¹ ¡¸His voice was definitely a guy¡¯s . ¡¹ ¡¸But, to tame a Griffon¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . Speaking of which, I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s an adventurer in Gilm that has a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, there were some parties in the area that I heard from¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I remember hearing about that . ¡¹ Rei, who was listening to the guards, spoke as he stroked Set¡¯s head . ¡¸So, what¡¯s going to happen now?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but to confirm just in case, show us your guild card . ¡¹ One of the guards stepped forward as he called out to Rei . Seeing the other guards watch him with trust, he was probably the captain or leader . ¡¸Is it okay?¡¹ Rei handed over his guild card without showing any opposition . Looking carefully over the card, the guard eventually returned it to Rei with a small nod . ¡¸I¡¯ve checked it . City of Gilm, Rei, rank C adventurer . There¡¯s nothing suspicious with the guild card . ¡¹ Murmurs . Once the words ¡®Rank C¡¯ were mentioned, the other guards began to stir again . ¡¸Hey, are you sure? Rank C at that age!?¡¹ ¡¸Wow, is the city of Gilm really that peaceful?¡¹ ¡¸No, no . He¡¯s followed by a Griffon right? In that case, isn¡¯t strange that he isn¡¯t a higher rank?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see . In other words, that Rei isn¡¯t really that strong himself? If you think of him as a monster tamer, that¡¯s true I guess?¡¹ The guards continued to talk in whispers as they looked at Rei¡¯s face, who had taken off his hood for identification . However, with Rei¡¯s sharp senses, he could hear it all . Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t say anything because there was no need to cause anymore fuss . ¡¸But¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry . As the person in charge of this place, I can¡¯t let you into the city . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, isn¡¯t that unfair? That¡¯s harsh, they haven¡¯t even done anything wrong . ¡¹ Among the merchants, who were watching the course of the conversation, Louise, who was very attached to Set, made a protest to the guard . However, the way she dragged out her words and because she was also angry, she looked like an angry child pouting . ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but this is my judgement as a guard . So you¡¯ll have to follow it . ¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Louise! You have to stop it!¡¹ Louise tried to say something more, but her mouth was covered by Taenia¡¯s hand, which suddenly stretched out from behind her . ¡¸Okay? I also find what he said to be unreasonable . But, if a Griffon entered the city, won¡¯t an ordinary town panic? The commotion might cause the knights to come out . That¡¯s why I¡¯m sorry, but please keep quite here . ¡¹ ¡¸But . I thought I would be able to relax and take my time playing with Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set moved forward a step and gave a cry to tell them not to worry . The leader of the guards stopped breathing for a moment when he saw Set glance over¡­¡­but he couldn¡¯t step back . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set turned to look at Rei and gave a small cry . Rei understood what he wanted to say and spoke up . ¡¸Set says he¡¯s going to spend the night outside tonight . I will also¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ I¡¯ll stay outside as well . Rei was going to say that, but was stopped by Set . Set¡¯s act of rubbing his head against Rei while giving a cry told Rei to have a good rest without worrying about him . ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . Set will stay outside, I¡¯ll head inside . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s answer, Set seemed to be satisfied and started heading away from the city of Abuero right after . ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry . ¡¹ The person in charge bowed toward Rei as he watched Set head off . Even in this case, he didn¡¯t want to have make the decision . After all, there were also a few monster tamers in Abuero . However, most of the monsters that followed them were rank D at most . Although it might have been a tamed monster, it was still a rank A monster . After working for such a long time as a guard, he could imagine the reaction of someone who hadn¡¯t seen one before and what trouble it could easily cause even after putting on a Necklace of Subservient Monster . No, rather, it could be said that Gilm, which accepted Set rather readily, was not a normal place . Or it could be because it was on the frontier that they accepted it . Rei understood that and shook his head at the guard standing in front of him . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . Set and I understand . ¡¹ Seeing Rei¡¯s understanding of Set¡¯s treatment, Alektor, who had been closely watching from nearby, breathed a sigh of relief . After all, he had hired an adventurer with the ability equal to A rank for the cheap fee of disposable spears and food . That was why he was worried that before he crossed the Abuero to Sabrusta highway, which had a lot of bandits, Rei would quit the request there . However, considering the events during lunch time, the cost of food was much higher than he had expected . Despite the fact that Rei¡¯s strength had reached that level, the fact that he still looked only 15 was part of the reason events had turned out as such . ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s head into the city . The hotel I stayed in last time served delicious food . Let¡¯s restore our energy to prepare for tomorrow . ¡¹ (And, I have to hurry to buy some edible meat for Set¡­¡­it should be as cheap as possible and as much as possible . ) Alektor pulled Rei into the city in case Rei decided to change his mind . Then, as if following him, the two carriages and Beautiful Raindrop entered Abuero . They walked for 20 minutes after entering through the main gate of Abuero . There was an inn where Alektor had stayed at before . The sign outside showed two swords with crossed blades . ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go in . The Crossed Swords Pavilion is well known to merchants . Oh, Clerona, I¡¯ll leave the carriage to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Sure, Alektor-san . In return, I¡¯ll have more food . ¡¹ ¡¸Will do . ¡¹ With a wry smile at the at the merchant¡¯s request, Alektor entered the inn with the other merchants, Beautiful Raindrop and Rei . The group was greeted by a middle-aged man who was just as wide as Alektor . However, it there was any difference between them, Alektor wasn¡¯t really overweight, but the man who welcomed them at the counter had muscles all over his body . ¡¸Welcome . Oh you guys are¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, owner . Thanks for this time as well . As you can see, this is how many people we have, do you have the room?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s not an issue at this time because there are few customers . ¡­That said, the number of people in your group has decreased . ¡¹ Alektor shook his head without saying anything in reply . And as a store manager who managed an inn in Abuero, which could be said to border the frontier, it was not hard for him to understand what had happened . ¡¸I see . Wait for me to get the rooms ready right away . The price is the same as before . ¡¹ Alektor nodded and completed the inn procedures . ¡¸Well, everyone . We¡¯ll take a break for today . I want you to keep your spirits up for tomorrow . ¡¹ Alektor¡¯s voice echoed through the dining area attached to the inn . The inn itself might have a small number of guests, but dining area attached to it was rather large, probably due to the delicious meals served, as Alektor had said . In such a way, the party, which had been on the road for the whole day, drank alcohol and ate the delicious food to fill their hunger . ¡¸No, Rei-san . I¡¯m sorry . I wanted to Set to be inside the city if I could . ¡¹ Alektor called out to Rei, who was digging into a steamed chicken like monster as he dipped it into a dish of sour sauce before eating it . Alektor had a glass of wine in his hand and his cheeks were already flushed, showing that it wasn¡¯t his first glass . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Set wants to relax outside sometimes . I think he will just hunt any monsters he finds and eat them . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m quite grateful now that you say that . After all, I said I would prepare Set¡¯s meals, but with how things are . ¡¹ They continued the conversation like that for a few more minutes before Rei suddenly asked about what he had been interested in . ¡¸Speaking of which, what did you purchase in addition to what you originally went to Gilm for? I heard that one of the carriages was enough to make up for the loss for the rest to some extent . At this time of year, there isn¡¯t that much monster material is there?¡¹ After all, adventurer usually closed up for winter . And when that happened, there would naturally be fewer monster materials and magic stones . In response to Rei¡¯s question, Alektor spoke up softly with a smile on his mouth so that the surroundings couldn¡¯t hear him . ¡¸Actually, surprisingly¡­¡­I succeeded in getting some Flame Crystals . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Flame Crystals?¡¹ Rei was surprised at the unexpected words . However, Alektor continued to speak as if he didn¡¯t notice, maybe because he was drunk . ¡¸Yes . Have you heard of it? It¡¯s an ore created by trapping fire magic power into crystals . In addition, the magic power contained in the crystals is quite large and pure, it¡¯s a fine Flame Crystal . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I-I see . ¡¹ ¡¸Even so, I didn¡¯t expect Flame Crystal to be mined near Gilm . This ore is an alchemic material and a catalyst for making magic items . They can also be used in weapons to make swords, they¡¯re used as part of weapons with fire properties, they¡¯re very versitile ores . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­I-I see . ¡¹ Rei responded the same way he did a few seconds ago . After all, Rei was familiar with the Flame Crystal . It was probably the result of Rei¡¯s own fire magic that he had used in the Harpy¡¯s nest . Because of that, he couldn¡¯t ask anymore about it and had no choice but to reply to Alektor¡¯s words vaguely . ¡¸Gururururu!¡¹ While Rei had cold sweat as he conversed with Alektor in the dining area, Set was running through the forest near Abuero after finding an Orc that was also looking for prey and eating it to fill his stomach . Chapter 236 Chapter 236 The next day in Abuero, an hour after the 6am bell had rung . Alektor, the other merchants, escorting adventurers and Rei walked to the main gate to leave the city . Rei handed over his guild card to the leader of the guards, who still seemed apologetic for yesterday . ¡¸Huh? It¡¯s you?¡¹ Unexpectedly, a voice called out to him from behind . When Rei, who had handed over his guild card, turned around, he saw four adventurers . The one at the front was a warrior who seemed to be the leader of the group . His deep blue scale armour, made from the scales of snake and other serpentine monsters stood out . Rei recalled a person with such characteristic equipment . ¡¸If I remember correctly, the Sword Bees from that time¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes! You helped us out there! But, why are you here at Abuero?¡¹ ¡¸As you can see, I¡¯m part of a small escort . ¡­¡­That aside, how did you know it was me? We barely met and I¡¯m not even someone that conspicuous . ¡¹ With Set, Rei wouldn¡¯t have been as surprised since Set stood out greatly . However, Rei was just was just wearing his Dragon Robe, which with its concealment effect, looked like an ordinary robe . He wasn¡¯t holding his Death Scythe either, one of his most recognisable features . That was why Rei was surprised that they were able to recognise him like that . ¡¸What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you give us most of the Sword Bees? I can¡¯t forget the face of such a benefactor . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that all? Well, you seem to be doing fine . So, why are you preparing to head out at this time?¡¹ Being in line behind people who were about to leave the city meant that they had something to leave the city for as well . Rei asked them, but the adventurers only smiled . (¡­¡­I see . Short on money . ) Rei more or less understood when he looked at them . It was because they held a similar feeling to Milein, when she was short on money . And he wasn¡¯t wrong . ¡¸Ah, ahahahaha . Well, you know . It¡¯s a¡­¡­bit . ¡¹ Rei nodded at the man with scale armour, who tried to pass it off with a bitter smile . ¡¸Well, good luck . As for me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Rei . We¡¯re leaving now, stop chatting and join us!¡¹ Rei was about to say something when he heard Taenia¡¯s voice from the merchant caravan . he raised his hand lightly to let Taenia know he had heard her . ¡¸¡­¡­As you can see, I have to get going . ¡¹ The adventurer wearing scale armour hurriedly called out as Rei headed over to Taenia . ¡¸We¡¯re a rank E party, Blue Sky Blades! Thank you for your help with the Sword Bees . If there¡¯s anything we can help with, please let me know!¡¹ In response, Rei raised his hand back slightly as he headed over to Alektor¡¯s merchant caravan . ¡¸Do you know those people?¡¹ Fabel asked as the carriages started to move, but Rei shook his head slightly . ¡¸They¡¯re acquaintances . When I passed by here previously, I killed some Sword Bees but didn¡¯t have the time to strip materials from them . So I just gave them to those guys who happened to pass by . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Don¡¯t you have an item box?¡¹ Fabel asked while walking near a carriage . On her back was her beloved shield, with her sheathed sword at her waist, ready to be drawn at any time . Her old shield had been damaged beyond repair in the battle against the Icebirds . But, she had gotten a new shield in Gilm, completely different from her old one . After glancing at the shield for a moment, Rei replied with a small nod . ¡¸Ah . Even if I have an item box, I still have to touch each one to store them . I didn¡¯t have the time . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What were you in such a hurry for?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s . ¡­¡­Ah, he¡¯s here . ¡¹ As he looked up to mislead Fabel, he saw the figure of Set gliding down towards the ground as he stretched his wings . ¡¸Gurururururururu~!¡¹ As soon as he landed on the ground, Set rushed towards Rei at high speed . No matter how he slowed down, Set was still Griffon over 2m in length . Fabel¡¯s cheeks twitched as she moved away from Rei . The neighbouring carriages also sped up as to avoiding getting caught up . The horses that pulled the carriage were also scared of Set and showed no resistance to speeding up¡­¡­no, rather, they sped up quite happily . Of course, the horses were still well trained enough not to fall into a panic . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh! ¡­¡­There, there . Set, how was spending the night outside? Are you hungry?¡¹ Set didn¡¯t blast Rei away as he ran over¡­¡­instead, he just stopped and stood there as Rei stroked him . While everyone around him looked at Set with surprise, Set was just satisfied with Rei . After finally calming down, Set took up his place next to Rei . ¡¸Um¡­¡­Rei-san, are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry for surprising you . No problem . We can¡¯t waste too much time here, so let¡¯s move on . ¡¹ Rei replied to Alektor, who had asked cautiously . At that moment, the people around him all though ¡ºAs if you can talk!¡» . In a sense, it was natural for all of them to think that . ¡¸T-That¡¯s right . Then let¡¯s head off from Abuero, the carriages are lined up already . We¡¯ll be relying on the rest of you as escorts like yesterday . Considering the distance to Sabrusta, we¡¯ll be camping out tonight, so be careful about that . Well then, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ Along with Alektor¡¯s words, the carriages lined up like yesterday . Beautiful Raindrops stood to the left and right of the carriages . Rei and Set stood to the back . Louise wanted to be with Set, but Taenia forced her away so as to not cause any fuss as they started to move towards the city of Sabrusta . Perhaps it was due to the presence of Set . Same as yesterday, the caravan continued down the road without being attacked by monsters . In the first place, they were already out of the frontier, so they didn¡¯t have to worry that much about monster attacks . But instead¡­¡­ (Tch, have they come again?) With his extraordinary eyesight, Rei discovered a figure hiding behind a tree at the side of the road . It wasn¡¯t long after leaving the city of Abuero that he had noticed the presence of a few people tracking them . The scouts, if they could be called that, were so adept at hiding themselves that when Rei had made a casual remark about them during lunch to Taenia, who was in charge of the escort, he found out that none of them had actually noticed . In this case, it should be noted that the skills of the members of Beautiful Raindrops weren¡¯t low, but that the skills of the bandits were superior . Rei suspected that the bandits¡¯ skills had improved due to their acts of robbery along this highway . (Should I have ignored Taenia and Alektor¡¯s opinions and done something different during lunch?) He had thought about that, but Taenia hadn¡¯t wanted to split up their strength and be caught out . Rei then suggested that Set could attack from the sky . Taenia was eager to support that method, but this time, Alektor expressed his reluctance, albeit passively . Certainly, Rei and Set were powerful on their own . However, that was just their individual strength . Alektor¡¯s opinion was that the bandits would take advantage of their numbers if one of them went alone . (But the came to tail us soon after leaving Abuero¡­¡­perhaps there are bandits on the streets of Abuero . ) It wasn¡¯t strange at all . In teh first place, bandits were most common on the highway connecting Abuero to Sabrusta, and it was only natural that there would be people on the streets gathering information about merchant caravans travelling through . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong Rei . Is it that again?¡¹ She might have noticed Rei¡¯s frown as he walked . Taenia, who was walking next to one of the carriages, slowed down and called out to Rei . ¡¸Ah . Can you see several trees growing a bit further ahead along the highway? There was a person there who seemed to be a bandit scouting, just behind the second tree from the right . ¡­¡­But, he¡¯s not there anymore . He probably came over to check the level of the merchant escort . ¡¹ Taenia listened to Rei¡¯s words and turned to look down the road ahead, but unfortunately, she could only see the trees that grew there . However, as Rei had said already, the man who may have been acting as a scout for the bandits had already left . ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll be more than happy to attack us then . ¡¹ ¡¸Probably . That¡¯s why I had suggested catching a bandit while we were having lunch . If we could get some more information, we would have be able to find out where they are and clean them up in one go . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not possible as long as your employer says you can¡¯t . And in the end, they were just scouts right? In the worst case, they might be just acting as bait to be found . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You think the bandits think that much?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know . However, there are bandits spread out all through this highway . Who would lead groups of bandits? It wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to use their heads to some extent . Well, if they¡¯re really smart, I don¡¯t think they would continue being bandits in the first place . ¡¹ Rei nodded after listening to Taenia¡¯s words for a few seoncds . Certainly, the head of a group of bandits should be more intelligent than the bandits he led¡­¡­or shrewed in their own way . ¡¸However, I think the possibility of being attacked is actually quite low . ¡¹ ¡¸Why do you think that?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Taenia tunred to look at Set, who was walking next to Rei . ¡¸Do you think bandits would attack when there¡¯s a Griffon around? Normally, you wouldn¡¯t attack if you saw an A rank monster . No matter how you think about it, they can¡¯t win . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . ¡¹ Rei was understood quite easily at Taenia¡¯s words . But even so, Rei still had an unpleasant premonition . ¡¸Still¡­¡­if they were to attack, what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t attack . ¡­¡­But, you¡¯re right . If they were to attack, I guess it would be tomorrow at dawn? It¡¯ll will probably be the time when a guard¡¯s wariness is lowest . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess so . Then in that case¡­¡­is it better for me to do the dawn watch?¡¹ To Rei, he had already assumed the bandits would attack . Although she was surprised at Rei¡¯s expression, Taenia was no longer confident that there wouldn¡¯t be an attack . (If Rei, the youngest rank C adventurer in the frontier city of Gilm says so, is it too rash to discount the possibility of a bandit attack?) Thinking of that, they continued down the road, and before long, the sun started to set . Alektor told them to stop the carriages near a decently sized forest and they each started to prepare to camp . ¡¸Then, can we have two night watch shifts?¡¹ After eating dinner, as it was winter, the surroundings were already dark . However, it was still too early to sleep . The merchants talked among themselves, warming around a campfire while drinking, playing card games and killing time . Meanwhile, Rei and the three adventurers from Beautiful Raindrops were discussing the order of the night watch as they warmed themselves up around the campfire . ¡¸Two shifts, huh . It would definitely be nice for the three of us to be able to keep watch at the same time¡­¡­but is it okay for Rei to be by himself?¡¹ At Taenia¡¯s words, Rei shrugged his shoulders and turned to look at Set, who was lying on the ground next to him . By the way, only Rei, Taenia and Fabel were actually discussing the night watch . Louise was just patting Set¡¯s fur with an ecstatic expression on her face . ¡¸You don¡¯t need to worry about that with Set . To be honest, I think it¡¯s enough to just have Set keep watch . ¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ Rei held out a hand to stop Fabel as she almost responded on reflex . ¡¸I know . You want to say we have to keep a watch ourselves because we¡¯re hired as escorts right? I have no objections to that of course . That¡¯s why I¡¯m proposing this . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you confident with just yourself and your monster?¡¹ Rei nodded without hesitation at Taenia¡¯s question asking for confirmation . Rei had absolute confidence in Set¡¯s abilities on night watch . It was not groundless confidence, but confidence after having left it to Set many times before . ¡¸Well, I¡¯m okay with it . If you consider Set, Rei¡¯s self confidence isn¡¯t unfounded . And Rei himself is a higher rank adventurer than the rest of us . ¡¹ Taenia, the leader of Beautiful Raindrops, nodded and decided on the order of shifts for the night watch . Chapter 237 Chapter 237 It was late at night and the only sounds that could be heard was the cold of winter and the sound of wind rolling through the forest that the merchants had decided to set up camp close to . That, and the snores from the tents where the merchants were sleeping . Meanwhile, three people, Taenia, Fabel and Louise, who taken measures against the cold by wearing robes and coats, were on night watch as they stayed near the campfire . Next to the campfire, Set was also lying next to them, and Louise, who was on guard duty, kept looking over with wistful eyes . And as Taenia and Fabel stopped her from going over to hug Set, they continued to talk to fight their drowsiness . Of course, their weapons were within reach, ready to fight back as soon as any monsters or bandits attacked . ¡¸It¡¯s only been two days since we¡¯ve worked together¡­¡­but what do you think of Rei?¡¹ Fabel suddenly asked as brought a cup of tea to her mouth to fight her drowsiness . ¡¸What do I think¡­¡­well, he¡¯s skilled . He proved that when he fought the Icebirds, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know that much . But isn¡¯t that strange? Such a small kid like him has the power of a rank C adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸Small kid¡­¡­he¡¯s just about as tall as you . ¡¹ While holding down Lousie with one hand, who was about to move towards Set again, Taenia replied with a bit of surprise as she drank some tea with her other hand . ¡¸Wait, that¡¯s not true . I¡¯m taller! T-A-L-L-E-R!¡¹ Fabel¡¯s height was 166cm, slightly taller than Rei . Even if it was just 1cm taller, she was still taller . This seemed to be a line that Fabel would not yield on . She insisted while yelling in a whisper . By the way, Taenia was 172cm tall, and surprisingly, Louise¡¯s height was 175cm, which was the tallest among the party of Beautiful Raindrops . ¡¸Yes, yes, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re taller . ¡­¡­So, what¡¯s wrong with Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Mm, it feels like the way he handles things is a bit rough . ¡­¡­I mean, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit crazy for him to reach rank C at his age? What¡¯s more, he has such an amazing creature following him . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru?¡¹ Perhaps he felt Fabel¡¯s gaze . Set opened his closed eyes and tilted his head as he gave a cry . Originally, in this situation without Rei, putting a Griffon next to people would only bring fear . But Louise was an exception and Taenia and Fabel had little fear of Set after he had helped them fight off the Icebirds . The merchants were the same, they hadn¡¯t had the time to get used to Set unlike the residents of Gilm . However, they were still able to interact normally . ¡¸I can see that, but every now and then, you here such crazy things right? In addition¡­¡­¡¹ Taenia tried to continue . But Set, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly got up and gave a cry towards the depths of the forest . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ The cry seemed to be a warning for Taenia, who hadn¡¯t worked with Set for long . It was easy to understand what such a warning cry meant in this situation, as they had already left the frontier . After all, Rei had seen bandits tailing them with his own eyes during the day . ¡¸¡­¡­Fabel, wake up Rei . Louise, stop looking at Set and prepare to intercept!¡¹ ¡¸I understand¡¹ ¡¸I also know as welll . ¡¹ Fabel hurried to the tent where Rei was sleeping while Taenia readied her favoured halberd . Louise notched an arrow, ready to release at any time . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru!¡¹ Set, who had been lying on the ground a moment before, suddenly jumped up from the ground with an amazing burst of energy and moved in front of Taenia . He immediately swung his front claws . Kin- Kin- Kin- Kin-! A continuous metallic sound was heard as something fell to the ground . When Taenia reflexively looked towards the ground, there were about 5 knives and broken arrows . (Are they seriously trying to kill us!?) Taenia held her breath in her mind . Taenia was aware of her own looks . It was the same with Fabel and Louise . She wouldn¡¯t consider herself beautiful enough to turn heads when she brushed past men in the streets . However, she had enough confidence that at least two out of ten people would call her beautiful . And, she knew that bandits usually targeted money and goods as their first priority, followed by women . She knew that if she got caught, she would be humiliated as a woman, but as long as she stayed alive, there would be a chance to get her revenge . Yet, unexpectedly, the bandts tried to kill her outright without even talking . ¡¸Louise, shoot!¡¹ ¡¸Roger that . ¡¹ Following Taenia¡¯s orders, Louise shot an arrow in the forest . However, in the dark¡­¡­Louise, who had been looking at the campfire previously, was not used to the lighting and her arrow flew wide . (But, that¡¯s my aim . It certainly didn¡¯t hit anything, but now they know we can attack from range . ) As Taenia expected, the momentum of the enemy attacking them from the forest paused for a moment¡­¡­ ¡ºFireball!¡» With those words, a fireball about 30cm in diameter flew out from behind her and lit up the forest in an instant with light from the flames . ¡¸Ughaaaaaaa-!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s magic, extinguish it, put the fire out! They¡¯ll be able to see our whole position from there!¡¹ Unfortunately for them, the fireball had hit one of them by luck . A man rolled on the ground ablaze, trying to put it out with the remains of snow or soil on the dew soaked ground . As one of the bandits spoke, the darkness in the forest was somewhat washed away by the flames . At the same time, several spears flew out and buried their tips into the bodies of the bandits . ¡¸Rei!?¡¹ Rei, with the Death Scythe in his left hand and a spear with a rusted tip in his left, appeared next to Taenia, who realised who had cast the spell . ¡¸We can see where the enemy is for now . What do you want us to do? Fight or run away . That said, if we run away, the heavy carriages will be a hindrance . ¡¹ At the somewhat provocative question, Taenia made her decision immediately with a wry smile . ¡¸We will fight . We were hired as escorts for that purpose . Considering our own strength, we will guard the merchants! Rei and Set, go to the forest and attack the bandits!¡¹ Following Taenia¡¯s orders, Louise fell back with her bow and arrows¡­¡­more precisely, back to the carriages . However, with a long range weapon, she could still attack from behind as she shot arrow after arrow towards the human figures illuminated by the magic used by Rei . Protecting Louise, Fabel and Taenia stood on either side as the merchants rushed out of their tents near the carriages and gathered behind them . ¡¸Set, you sneak behind the enemy from above!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu!¡¹ Along with that shout, Rei threw the last spear in his hand . The spear penetrated the belly of a bandit, sending him flying into a tree that was growing behind him . At the same time, the handle of the spear snapped in two due to the impact . The next moment, Set ran a few steps before jumping off the ground and into the sky . The bandits who saw that immediately followed Set¡¯s movements with their eyes, but¡­¡­ ¡¸You can¡¯t look away when dealing with me!¡¹ With a slash, Rei¡¯s Death Scythe split several people in half at the waist . At the same time, their organs and blood scattered into the surroundings, their blood evaporated by the flames that had yet to disappear, causing a rust like odour to drift around . (This is all thanks to Taenia¡¯s arrangement . Even though there is light, it is still dim . If it had been anyone other than me who had rushed into the forest, there would be a high probability they would be taken out . ) Rei swung his Death Scythe while admiring Taenia¡¯s judgement in secret . Several people were slashed by the huge blade as another was smacked away by the handle, breaking a few bones . One more was fatally injured as the base of the handle was thrust through his torso . The number of bandits who had attacked them had exceeded 30 . However, not only did Rei have his extraordinary physical ability, the Death Scythe was also a large scythe with a blade that wouldn¡¯t dull even after cutting through several people at once . The bandits must have become afraid after seeing the number of their companions slowly decreasing every few seconds . Some tried to turn around and run back into the forest¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu!¡¹ Something came down towards the eyes of the male bandit who was about to flee, as if tearing through the night sky . Needless to say, it was Set, who had gone around behind the bandits at Rei¡¯s order . The huge body that fell from the night sky could have been described as a death god of the sky . The bandit who tried to escape flew nearly 5m away after being hit by Set¡¯s forefoot, along with Set¡¯s momentum . He hit a tree, which broke his spine, before dying on the spot . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ The first man who tried to run away died in a joke like death, causing the remaining bandits to stop moving . The next moment, a bandit who had turned around just a few seconds ago was cut down by a large scythe and his body thrown aside as if he was a weed . Regardless of whether the opponent was a man or woman, the blade of the death god swung down . Whether they were old or young, they were all killed equally . Those who tried to run were killed by a Griffon, a rank A monster . The death god cut them down without hesitation, as if he didn¡¯t care about their lives . The only options there were given were to run away towards the sides, where their escape paths had not been blocked, or to drop their weapons, knowing that they had no chance of winning . ¡¸I-I-I surrender! Please, don¡¯t kill me!¡¹ ¡¸Me too! I¡¯ll do anything . I won¡¯t do anything bad ever again, so don¡¯t kill me!¡¹ ¡¸I will surrender as well!¡¡L-Look . I have a nice body . I can sleep with you, so don¡¯t kill me!¡¹ Three bandits were left . Considering that only 5 had managed to run away, the lives of nearly 30 bandits had disappeared in a matter of a few minutes . ¡¸The ones who were begging for their lives¡­¡­should I let you go?¡¹ Rei asked as he shook the Death Scythe . Feeling that those words meant that they might have a chance of survival, the 2 men and 1 woman nodded desperately . ¡¸Of course . You shouldn¡¯t kill those who have surrendered . I-I-Isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course . To help others is to help yourself . ¡¹ ¡¸We are good bandits . ¡¹ The bandits desperately tried to persuade Rei that he should let them go . When Rei heard those words, a smile floated onto his lips . We¡¯re saved . Just as the hearts of the three people were filled with relief¡­¡­the bandits realised that the Death Scythe was swinging towards them . Despite spilling the blood of nearly 30 people, there was no dullness on the blade and it gave off a sparkle that could almost be called glossy . When they realised that Rei¡¯s smile was not a compassionate one, but a sneer, it was too late and the Death Scythe was already swinging down . ¡¸Rei, wait!¡¹ The moment he heard Taenia call out from behind, the blade of the Death Scythe stopped . If her voice had been a moment later, the head of the male bandit closest to the blade would have been severed at the neck . The blade stopped as it reached his skin . ¡¸Why did you stop me?¡¹ ¡¸You can kill them at any time, but we can only get information from them while they¡¯re alive . ¡­¡­Hey, you lot . If you answer my questions honestly, I¡¯ll overlook this . What will you do?¡¹ Of the three bandits, the man in the middle and the woman on the left nodded without hesitation . Taenia was a bit worried that the man on the far right had no response, but looking at him, only the white of his eyes were showing with foam at his mouth in fear of death . The wet patch around his groin must have been due to his fear of impending death . (¡­¡­It¡¯s understandable I guess . ) The blade of the death god had literally almost cut his head off . It was impossible for him not to faint from fear of death . Taenia looked at the other two . ¡¸Why are you still active at this time of the year? Merchants are usually not active in this area during this time of the year right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­we don¡¯t know . Our leader got your information and decided to attack you . ¡¹ ¡¸How many of you are there?¡¹ ¡¸About 50 people? But, if I consider how many were killed today, I think there are only 20 or so left . ¡¹ ¡¸Where is your hideout?¡¹ ¡¸A cave just past this forest . ¡¹ The two bandits answered Taenia¡¯s questions one after another . The two spilled the location of their hideout without any hesitation towards their companions . If they could save themselves, they would sell out their friends . The act itself showed that they were low level bandits, and at the same time caused Rei to frown unpleasantly at their answers . Eventually, after 5 minutes of questioning, Taenia judged that there wasn¡¯t anymore information they could get out of them . She nodded slightly and turned around . ¡¸That¡¯s enough . I will do as I promised . You can go now . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ Are you really going to let them go? Rei asked with such a meaning, but Taenia winked lightly such that only Rei could see and stopped him from saying anything more . ¡¸R-Really! I¡¯m sorry!¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, thank you very much!¡¹ They survived . That was enough to satisfy them . The two bandits tried to escape from the place immediately . ¡¸Take that unconscious guy with you . I don¡¯t want to leave him here . ¡¹ The two of them lifted the unconscious man at Taenia¡¯s words and disappeared into the forest . Chapter 238 Chapter 238 ¡¸Why did you let them go so easily? Do you really think that bandits would become good people just like that?¡¹ With a questioning expression, Rei made a big swing with the Death Scythe to shake off the blood on the blade . Then, after using his magic power to make sure that the Death Scythe was in perfect condition, he stored it back into the Misty Ring . Taenia watched his actions before shrugging lightly when Rei glanced at her . ¡¸Whether bandits would seriously regret their action¡­¡­I don¡¯t think they would . But that can¡¯t be helped, right? Because it¡¯s their employer¡¯s request . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸Well, let¡¯s join up with Alektor-san and the others for now . I¡¯ll explain it properly there . ¡¹ Taenia headed back, leaving Rei and Set where they were . After a few seconds, Rei gave a small sigh before leaving the dark forest, when the smell of blood and organs drifted around . The fire, which had started due to Rei¡¯s first spell, had already gone out, leaving countless bodies in the dark night . (I guess it would be better to burn them now¡­¡­) Rei thought that to himself, but he couldn¡¯t do it alone in the dark, so he put off dealing with the corpses and headed out of the forest to join back with Alektor first . ¡¸Rei-san! It¡¯s great that you¡¯re safe!¡¹ The first person to call out to Rei when he left the forest was of course Alektor, the leader of the merchants . His eyebrows raised slightly on seeing that Rei¡¯s robe didn¡¯t have a single drop of blood on it, but he didn¡¯t mention it as he greeted both Rei and Set with a smile . ¡¸So, why did you let the bandits go? If we disposed of them there¡­¡­or would it have been better to take them to a city to sell as slaves?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I had thought about it at first . However, as you can see from the current state of the carriages, there is no room to hold the bandits . You could tie them up with rope and make them walk, but since there¡¯s only the three of us in Beautiful Raindrops and you, we can¡¯t keep constant watch on them and it¡¯s very likely that they¡¯ll run away because our main job isn¡¯t to watch them . To be honest, it¡¯s quite regrettable that we can¡¯t sell them as criminal slaves considered the losses we made on this trip . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then, why not kill them?¡¹ It wasn¡¯t Alektor who answered that question, but Taenia, who was standing guard next to him . ¡¸Rei, even with Set, you didn¡¯t notice that Louise isn¡¯t here?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Now that you mention it . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru?¡¹ Set tilted his head as he looked at Rei and Taenia . Certainly, from their experience so far, it was very strange that Louise didn¡¯t come to hug Set right after they showed up . ¡¸What happened?¡¹ ¡¸Although Louise looks like that, she¡¯s actually good at covert actions . Well, it¡¯s not that unusual for an archer . ¡¹ As Taenia said, archers often fought with a style of staying hidden as they shot arrows . Louise was probably one of them . And that was why Rei was able to connect her disappearance with the fleeing bandits earlier . ¡¸¡­¡­So that¡¯s it . Did you deliberately let them go so that you could find their hideout?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Even if we weren¡¯t escorting a merchant like Alektor-san, we would do the same thing . The bandits probably have some savings in their hideout . ¡­¡­You can¡¯t expect a share, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . As a merchant, reducing the number of bandits is of the highest priority . Of course, I¡¯d like to have a share too¡­¡­but I won¡¯t force it here . ¡¹ At Taenia¡¯s mischievous smile, Alektor also replied with a jestful smile . Fabel listened to the conversation between her leader and employer with a wry, but aggressive smile . They came to kill them without asking any questions . There was no being too careful . ¡¸That¡¯s why¡­¡­will you cooperate with us Rei?¡¹ When Taenia asked, she looked at Rei with a strong gaze to press Rei . After all, it was better to have a stronger force to attack the bandit hideout . Rather, with just the three of them in Beautiful Raindrops, it was was basically impossible to deal with the bandits if there were still 20 or so of them . Only Rei and Set would be able to kill nearly 30 bandits in such a short period of time with overwhelming strength . ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡­can I have priority with the bandit¡¯s treasures?¡¹ And of course, Rei knew that as long as he was the core of the operation, he could claim priority on the compensation . A fairly large bandit group with over 50 people . At that point, it was pretty much certain that there would be some items that he would be interested in, like magic items or weapons that could be thrown . ¡¸¡­¡­Can¡¯t help it can I . But don¡¯t be too greedy . ¡¹ Even Taenia knew Rei held the initiative at this point, so she could oly grit her teeth and accept the negotiations . Louise finally returned by the time the moon was starting to go down . ¡¸Sorry to keep you waiting~ . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, aren¡¯t you too slow?¡¹ ¡¸But~ . I¡¯ve been busy you know~ . I wanted to come back as soon as I could~ . Besides, I can¡¯t help it if the other party has to carry an unconscious person on their backs~ . ¡¹ Louise protested by puffing up her cheeks at Fabel¡¯s words . ¡¸Okay, okay, that¡¯s enough Fabel . That aside, did you find where their hideout is? According to the bandits we interrogated, they said they were in a cave deep in the forest . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, there are definitely bandits in the cave~ . But, you need to be careful because there are traps~ . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ . I see . As expected, they¡¯re quite cautious . ¡¹ ¡¸So, who¡¯s going? Do you want me and Set?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s a bit hard . I think Rei and Set are more than enough, but we also want to go . ¡¹ That was what Taenia said, but basically what she was considering was the possibility that Rei might take away all the good stuff that the bandits had gathered if no one from her party went along . (In any case, Rei has an item box . So no matter how much treasure the bandits have amassed, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to prove if he went by himself . ) ¡¸But wouldn¡¯t that make the division of our strength bad? We are just merchant escorts and this bandit subjugation is just a coincidence . If you come as well, aside from me and Set, the remaining escort would be too sparse . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . So I¡¯m going to have to split you and Set . Rei, Louise and I will kill the bandits . Set and Fabel will stay as guards . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh~, I wanted to be with Set~ . Fabel is so cunning~ . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if we¡¯re dividing our strength, that¡¯s how it is . It¡¯s a bit regrettable, but I¡¯m fine with that . ¡¹ Fabel nodded at Taenia¡¯s instructions, and Louise, who wanted to play with Set, complained . But Taenia responded with some astonishment . ¡¸What are you talking about? In the first place, only you know the exact location of the hideout . I¡¯m going as well, so lead the way quietly . ¡­¡­Is that fine, Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­of course . It¡¯s true that to divide our forces evenly, Set and I should be separate . ¡­¡­Set, can I leave the merchant escort to you?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Leave it to me, Set seemed to say . Giving a small smile, Rei stroked his head . ¡¸Alektor, is this fine?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course . I would like to ask you to subdue the bandits so that other merchants aren¡¯t sacrificed . We¡¯ll stay here quietly¡­¡­¡¹ When Alektor said that, Rei suddenly remembered about the bandits he and Set had killed . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but could you clean up the corpses of the bandits in the forest?¡¡I don¡¯t think they will rot now because it¡¯s winter, but if we leave them here until srping, they will rot and might spread strange diseases or turn undead . Aside from that, there¡¯s also the possibility of drawing in strange monsters . ¡¹ Alektor thought for a moment at Rei¡¯s words and nodded . ¡¸I understand . We won¡¯t be coming back down this road for some time, but it¡¯s possible that other merchants and travelers could be affected . And it¡¯s also not a pleasant feeling to stay the night somewhere near corpses might turn undead . But the equipment the bandits were using¡­¡­¡¹ Given the damage caused by the Icebirds¡¯ attack, Alektor wanted to earn back as much as he could . He would have loved to have a share of the treasure that the bandits would have collected in their hideout, but either way, the majority would have gone to the adventurers actually assaulting the bandits . In that case, it wasn¡¯t a bad choice to take the equipment the bandits were using, even if that only amounted to a small sum . And since Rei had expected Alektor to ask for that much, he agreed and nodded without hesitation . ¡¸Okay . Then, let¡¯s get moving right away . Louise, please . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh~¡­¡­but Set~ . ¡¹ ¡¸Louise . ¡¹ Taenia looked at Louise sharply as she spoke . ¡¸I understand~ . ¡­¡­This way~ . ¡¹ Sighing, Louise walked into the dark forest, leading Rei and Taenia with her bow in hand . ¡¸Set . I¡¯ll leave the escort to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~ . ¡¹ ¡¸Fabel too . Work properly and don¡¯t play around . ¡¹ ¡¸I know . Please bring back some presents . It¡¯s pretty tough to have to buy a new shield . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if you¡¯re a good girl, I¡¯ll bring some presents back . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, mum . ¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s your mum? I don¡¯t need a child like you . ¡¹ Taenia face scrunched up at Fabel¡¯s words . ¡¸What, you¡¯re the one who started it . Anyway, Set and I will protect this place well, so I¡¯ll leave the bandits to you . ¡¹ Hearing that as they left, the three of them entered the dark forest to raid the bandits at their hideout . The three of them went through the forest while trying to make as little noise as possible . Needless to say, Louise was at the front, followed by Rei and Taenia . Louise traveled through the forest wrapped in the dark of night without getting affect by the low light, whether that was because she had just passed through here before or because she had good night vision . As for Rei, his body had night vision in the first place, so he didn¡¯t have a hard time following Louise . But Taenia, the only one of the three who wasn¡¯t used to moving in the dark or had good night vision, was desperately trying to keep up . If the moon in the night sky wasn¡¯t hidden by the clouds, she would have had greater visibility . No, even if the moon was shining brightly, not much light may have made it through anyway with the tree branches blocking most of it . ¡¸Hey, hey . Both of you, slow down¡­¡­kya!¡¹ Taenia stumbled over the roots of a tree that extended out from the ground, almost falling over . However, as a D rank adventurer, she immediately reached for the tree trunk and avoided falling over . ¡¸Already~? You should be able to do this much if you¡¯re an adventurer, Taenia~ . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid! In the first place, I¡¯m an ordinary adventurer . You can¡¯t expect me to be able to run through a forest at night like you Louise . Anyway, Louise is an archer and trained to be able to move in the mountains, but why can Rei move around in the dark so easily!¡¹ Taenia turned to look at Rei, who was moving next to her, as if to say it wasn¡¯t fair . The moon was hidden by clouds and what faint moonlight came through was blocked by the surrounding tree branches . Even in such a state, the two of them could still manage to move as if it had no effect on them at all . (Even if Louise was trained, Rei is wearing a robe, and even a hood¡­¡­) ¡¸Don¡¯t look at me like that . I have good night vision as I lived in the mountains with my master until a short while ago . There¡¯s no issue if it¡¯s only this dark . ¡¹ ¡¸Uu¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped~ . Here, Taenia . Grab my hand~ . ¡¹ Although she wasn¡¯t seriously injured, she already had several abrasions . Seeing Taenia like that, Louise reached out a hand without hesitation . ¡¸Saying it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡­some people¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wait . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s hand covered Taenia¡¯s mouth just as she was about to say something . ¡¸Mmm!? ¡­¡­Mm?¡¹ Taenia¡¯s eyes opened wide at Rei¡¯s actions, but when she saw Rei¡¯s sharp gaze into the forest, she felt something wasn¡¯t right . She also held her breath and looked towards the depths of the forest . And at the end of her line of sight, she noticed that it seemed to have gotten a bit brighter . At the same time, the shouting of voices could be heard in her ears . Feeling that Taenia had calmed down, Rei removed his hand . As soon as Rei¡¯s hand moved away, Taenia looked at Rei and Louise and spoke . ¡¸What happened?¡¹ ¡¸I dont¡¯ know . But I¡¯m pretty sure that it¡¯s not a big party or celebration¡­¡­Louise, the bandit¡¯s hideout is a bit further ahead, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right~ . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case¡­¡­are the bandits who failed their attack being scolded by the boss?¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think so . ¡¹ Rei immediately denied Taenia¡¯s guess . ¡¸Why?¡¹ ¡¸If you head over, you¡¯ll understand . ¡¹ Rei gave a short reply as he started walking towards the bandit¡¯s hideout . At the same time, he frowned at the smell of blood drifting around . Chapter 239 Chapter 239 ¡¸Hey¡­¡­what is this.¡¹ In the depths of the forest that Rei and his companions had stayed the night next to, Rei, Taenia and Louise had gone to raid the bandit¡¯s hideout. But what they found there was an unexpected sight. No, for Rei, it wasn¡¯t unexpected as he had felt the bloody smell drifting around with extraordinary senses as well as the brightly burning flames, angry cries and screams. At a group of bushes overlooking the bandit¡¯s hideout, Rei and the others surveyed the surroundings. And what they saw in before them was a struggle between nearly 50 people Swords, axes and clubs were swung around. Shields blocked attacks as spears were thrust out to intercept. Louise was astounded and Taenia stunned as Rei calmly looked at the battle taking place. ¡¸Why are they already fighting before our raid?¡¹ At Taenia¡¯s muffled voice, Rei replied as he watched the battle taking place before them. ¡¸As far as I can see, it looks like a fight between bandits. ¡­¡­No, can you even call it a fight?¡¹ Yes. As Rei said, both sides were not wearing metal armour, only coats for protection, so it was clear the attacking side weren¡¯t knights. And considering the equipment they wore, the chance that the attackers were adventurers was also low. All that remained was a battle between bandits, and yet the battle had already fallen to a state where it couldn¡¯t even be called a fight. There were only about 20 bandits who were left after the rest had been killed by Rei in his retaliation. The attacking side had around 30 bandits in their group, about 10 more than the defending side, and they were also several levels higher in terms of combat skill. The defending bandits had lost in quantity and lost in quality. It was obvious that the defending bandits had no chance of winning. Normally, they would immediately run away in such a situation, but the attacking bandits had spread out and surrounded them, they couldn¡¯t escape. Their purpose was soon known the three who were watching from the side. Rather than trying to make them surrender, they were planning to annihilate them. Killing every single bandit. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s also quite unexpected. Those aren¡¯t the skills of a bandit in the first place, ah.¡¹ Taenia whispered as she looked at the numerous bandits. ¡¸Yeah~. Their average strength looks to be about F rank~.¡¹ Louise agreed with her usual dragged out words. Speaking of F rank adventurers, although it was still a beginner rank, bandits were basically a group of amateurs. At worse, there were quite a few people who just called them armed farmers. What would happen if they ran into a group of people who had the same level of skill as ordinary low ranked adventurers? The answer was the massacre that was now happening in front of the three of them. ¡¸What do you plan to do? They¡¯ve completely beat us to it.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you ask me what to do¡­¡­this is troublesome. I want the stuff the bandits have accumulated, but there are too many enemies.¡¹ Their own strength consisted of two rank D adventurers and a rank C adventurer. As for Rei being rank C, he was outside the norm, but his rank was the only real way to account for his strength at the moment. Moreover, Louise¡¯s main role was an archer. Such thoughts passed through Taenia¡¯s mind. ¡¸Ah.¡¹ While Taenia was thinking, Rei suddenly made a sound. He had recognised one of the bandits who was fighting. However, that person wasn¡¯t really someone he knew well. Rather, they had only met once. And that was when he had tried to attack Rei. ¡¸What happened Rei?¡¹ Taenia asked if Rei had noticed anything. Rei pointed towards the man who was directing the large number of bandits from the rear. ¡¸No, I was almost attacked by bandits on the way to Sabrusta previously. Back then, I took the initiative and forced them back, but just now I saw a face I recognised.¡¹ ¡¸Heh, a bandit who dared to attack Rei. Which one was it?¡¹ Taenia asked Rei. The reason she could joke around was because she knew Rei¡¯s fighting strength and thought that it was quite possible for someone to try to attack Rei if they tried to gauge his strength from his appearance. However¡­¡­when they saw the person Rei pointed to, Taenia¡¯s cheeks twitched. It was the same with Louise. There were a number of scars on his face and at first glance he clearly looked like a bandit. He also carried a huge battle axe. However, unlike his appearance, he was giving detailed instructions to his bandit companions to minimize the damage they took. ¡¸Hey, hey. That guy is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m pretty sure~. I think that¡¯s Egg, the boss of the Prairie Wolves~.¡¹ Yes. They knew who the man was. As Louise had mentioned, he was the leader of a small but renowned bandit group operating in this area. Unlike other bandits, they didn¡¯t conduct acts of murder or rape, but would simply disappear after obtaining the goods they wanted. Sometimes there were even stories that they would take the sides of merchants and help those attacked by bandits. Of course, as long as they remained bandits, they would still be targets for subjugation. However, their danger level was still far below that of other bandits. Some even considered them to be heroes. Taenia told Rei as much as she knew about Egg and the Prairie Wolves. As they discussed, the fight between the bandits continued and eventually victory and defeat became clear. Only three bandits had survived the attack until now. One was savage looking man, probably the bandit leader. He carried a battle axe and wore monster fur on his body. And following him were two men, wielding a bow and a sword. The leader aside, the other two seemed to be looking for a way to survive as tears fell from their eyes and their limbs shook from fear of death. ¡¸Egg! You, what are you thinking!¡¹ ¡¸What? What do you mean?¡¹ Egg replied to the words of the bandits leader as if it were something troublesome. But contrary to his tone, his eyes were sharply hostile against the 3 remaining bandits. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you a bandit like me!? Why are you doing this! Are you crazy!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Bandits like you? Kukuku¡­¡­the same is it. The same as you¡­¡­? I guess I¡¯m the same as you here as you are on the highway!¡¹ He laughed as if the bandit leader¡¯s words were funny, but the next moment, his expression changed into one filled with anger as he shouted in a roar. His voice alone caused the two bandits aside from the leader to drop their weapons to the ground as they fell unconscious. (Was that¡­¡­.a technique?) Rei thought to himself when he saw that. Rei didn¡¯t have the ability to sense magic, but watching the series of events, Milein¡¯s shock wave technique passed through his mind. (The shock wave technique that Milein created by herself used her magic power, which was insufficient for ordinary magic. In that case, there¡¯s a possibility that the man called Egg could have created a similar kind of skill.) ¡¸Guh, guh¡­¡­¡¹ Things continued to happen as Rei put his thoughts together. The bandit leader stumbled for a moment after suffering from the effects of the roar before turning a bloodthirsty gaze towards Egg. ¡¸You, are you serious? Are you really going to kill me?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Haven¡¯t I been warning you for a while? That it¡¯s good to steal. That¡¯s our job. But, we don¡¯t kill people for fun. The more we kill people, the more we are hated by the city, the merchants and adventurers guild. I¡¯ve warned you again and again. But you wouldn¡¯t listen to me at all¡­¡­rather, just to annoy me, you would continue to kill everyone for fun.¡¹ ¡¸Keh¡­¡­keh, what are you saying! Our targets are our prey! What¡¯s wrong with killing our prey!? The splashing of blood when human flesh is cut! And when they realise they can¡¯t be saved, their sad look of despair! What could be more interesting!? No! You can¡¯t get that feeling just by fighting and killing monsters and animals, only by killing humans and demi-humans!¡¹ The bandit leader, who was being stared down by Egg, shouted as if trying to get rid of the fear born in him. ¡¸¡­¡­Such scum.¡¹ Suddenly, Rei heard those words. Those words were spoken by Taenia, who was watching the fight between the bandits. The first attack they had made in their assault. She now knew while they aimed directly for their lives without any intention of capturing them despite their decent looks. ¡¸They get pleasure from murder¡­¡­that¡¯s what bandits are.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not completely true~. But, the worse bandits are already dealt with, right~? Look~.¡¹ At Louise¡¯s words, Taenia turned her eyes back to the cave again. There, Egg held a huge battle axe as he stared at the bandit leader. ¡¸Enough. There¡¯s a line that even bandits can¡¯t go past. You have gone too far¡­¡­I can¡¯t save you anymore. At the very least, I¡¯ll dispose of you here.¡¹ ¡¸Shut up, shut up, shut up! All the time, all the time! Why are you always talking like you¡¯re the boos of this area! I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll¡­¡­I¡¯ll aahhh-!¡¹ Along with his cry, the bandit leader swung his battle axe at Egg. Both of them had a battle axe in their hands, and from what Rei could see, the quality of their weapons didn¡¯t differ by much. Sure, they were good weapons, but they weren¡¯t first class weapons like magic items. However¡­¡­ ¡¸Naive. Idiot!¡¹ Egg smashed the bandit leader¡¯s hand with a side sweep of his battle axe. The next moment, he hit the bandit leader¡¯s head with the blade, bursting it apart and killing him instantly. ¡¸¡­¡­Amazing.¡¹ What took place before the three of them was not a one sided battle but a one sided execution. Still, Taenia was astonished at the sharpness of Egg¡¯s battle axe and unconsciously voiced her thoughts. But, that was until Egg turned his eyes towards the bushes Rei and the others were hiding in. ¡¸Hey, you two hiding over there. You¡¯ve tried very hard to conceal yourselves, but it¡¯s not enough to be able to track us back to our base. Are you with them?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Taenia unconsciously raised voice of surprise at Egg¡¯s words. After all, he had only said two people. There were three of them hiding in the bushes here. But while Taenia was still confused, Egg continued. ¡¸Come out while I¡¯m asking politely. Otherwise I¡¯ll consider you as one of them and attack. You have 10 seconds.¡¹ 1, 2, 3¡­¡­at the same time he started counting, Egg¡¯s companions readied their weapons towards the bushes. ¡¸Hey, what are we going to do!?¡¹ ¡¸Do you want to go out? I can deal with them if they¡¯re only at that level.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Even if you¡¯re fine with it, we can¡¯t do anything ourselves!¡¹ During their brief discussion, Egg¡¯s voice counted from 8 to 9¡­¡­and at the same time, the bandits who had readied their weapons towards the bushes prepared to attack at any time. ¡¸Wait! We¡¯ll come out, we¡¯ll come out now!¡¹ In that situation, Taenia judged that she and Louise wouldn¡¯t survive regardless if Rei fought or not and called out from the bushes. ¡¸Are you sure?¡¹ Rei asked Taenia in a low voice, but Taenia shook her head with a sigh. ¡¸We can¡¯t help it. What else can we do in this situation? Besides, considering the reputation of the Prairie Wolves, they might not make too much of an issue about it. And they only think there are two people over here. So¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Tentatively speaking. There might be a way to handle this situation. If it all fails, there¡¯s a possibility of a real fight breaking out¡­¡­what will you do?¡¹ Rei interrupted Taenia¡¯s word to speak. At that moment, Taenia made an immediate decision. If they went out as it was, there was a chance they would be able to get out without any issues. But the other party were bandits after all. Even if they were the Prairie Wolves who were said to be more honourable. ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. Are you okay as well Louise?¡¹ ¡¸Yes~. In the case that happens, I¡¯ll do what I can with my bow!¡¹ ¡¸Hey! That¡¯s enough! Get out here now!¡¹ At Taenia¡¯s angry shout, Taenia looked at Rei. Rei looked back and gave a small nod. ¡¸I¡¯m heading out, so you guys wait here. In the event anything happens, you should run away while I distract them.¡¹ ¡¸Is that really okay?¡¹ ¡¸It should be fine. As you said earlier, it should be fine if it¡¯s just me.¡¹ Saying that, Rei left Taenia and Louise where they were and took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring before leaving the bushes. ¡¸It¡¯s been a long time¡­¡­it hasn¡¯t really been long enough for me to say that. We meet again at an unusual place.¡¹ Putting the Death Scythe on his shoulder, he looked around with a sharp glance to intimidate them. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Rei emerged from the bushes, holding the Death Scythe on his shoulder, as he appeared before the bandits of the ¡ºPrairie Wolves¡» . About half the bandits looked at Rei in surprise, the other half in astonishment . The former were those who hadn¡¯t run into Rei previously and were wondering what such a weak child was doing here . The other half, including Egg, were the ones who had tried to rob Rei previously and had withdrawn after they were forced into a situation where a fight would end in a one-sided defeat . ¡¸Hey, that guy¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah . There¡¯s no doubt . What¡¯s he doing here . ¡¹ ¡¸What a moment . If he¡¯s here¡­¡­then is that Griffon also nearby!?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, if we have to fight a Griffon in a dark forest, we have no chance . ¡¹ Those who had seen Rei before exchanged information in whispers . Despite their almost silent whispering, their conversation was still all heard by Rei . (Certainly, with Set, it would have been possible to handle this situation quite simply¡­¡­but because I was hired as an escort, the safety of the client was the highest priority . There¡¯s no helping that . ) ¡¸¡­¡­Why are you here?¡¹ In the midst of all that, Egg asked Rei while carrying his battle axe on his shoulder . His face, filled with countless scars, looked confused as he asked the question without any underlying intent . Even Egg knew how strong Rei was . After all, he had a Griffon following him . Even though he only looked like a small kid¡­¡­or rather, an apprentice mage, he had no intention of letting his guard down . At the the same time, with the strength of the person before him, there was no need for Rei to have been working with the bandits . More than that¡­¡­ ¡¸I felt the presence of two people . I couldn¡¯t feel you at all, the other two are still in the bushes . What did you come out for?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, you have a bunch of strange questions . ¡­¡­Well, I don¡¯t want a pointless fight, so I¡¯ll just tell you honestly . As for why I¡¯m here¡­¡­that¡¯s easy . I¡¯m escorting a merchant that was attacked by the bandits here . So, I had been thinking of coming here to dispose of future trouble¡­¡­but you got here before us . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . With their skill, those guys wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with monsters like you with their skills . They¡¯re unlucky . Although if they were lucky, they wouldn¡¯t have been killed by us in the first place . ¡¹ As soon as Egg¡¯s words were heard, the bandits around him began to buzz . After all, they had absolute trust in Egg as the leader of the Prairie Wolves . Many people had been attracted to his character, but in addition to being their leader, it was also true that he was the strongest person among the Prairie Wolves . Yet, the strongest person among the Prairie Wolves had described Rei as a monster, all except the ones who had seen Rei before looked at him in amazement . ¡¸You already cleaned them up before I got here though . As far as I could tell from your conversation, the bandit leader seemed to be a dangerous person in various ways . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh . He was someone who found pleasure in murder and killing the weak . That¡¯s why we took the initiative so that we wouldn¡¯t get dragged down with them . ¡­¡­ . So what do you plan to do . Your target has already been wiped out, but what do you plan to do with us? There¡¯s no chance we can beat you, but you¡¯ll have to pay a price, right?¡¹ They wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight . Even as his head was cut off, he would still bite at the neck . Rei smiled at Egg¡¯s defiant words . ¡¸Hey, Rei . What are you trying to do? If they let us off, we¡¯ll pull back!¡¹ Rei heard Taenia whisper to him from the bushes ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure? Didn¡¯t you want the stuff that the bandits collected as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, but the prerequisite was that we could get it safely! Even if you can, don¡¯t expect me to fight against the Prairie Wolves . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right~ . I agree with Taenia~ . ¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re fine with that, then I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ That said, Rei still really wanted to try out some of the rusty spears he had recently acquired . (Well, if Taenia and the others fought here and got injured, that would hinder the escort request . That said, it¡¯s a pity to go back without any harvest¡­¡­ . that¡¯s right . ) Thinking to himself, Rei swung the Death Scythe on his shoulder . Due to its speed and weight, the sound of the air splitting could be heard by the members of the Prarie Wolves . One slash . Just looking at that swing, even those who hadn¡¯t run into Rei before could instinctively feel that Rei wasn¡¯t someone to make an enemy out of . ¡¸As I said, I don¡¯t like pointless fights . ¡­¡­But regardless of your attitude towards those bandits, bandits are bandits . I could hunt all the Prairie Wolves here, but¡­¡­¡¹ As soon as Rei said those words, there was a sense of tension around him . Even if they fought, they couldn¡¯t win, maybe half of them would die if they tried to run away . But, as their boss, Egg, had said, they would at least make him pay for it . With such determination, the atmosphere tilted towards a fight . But . ¡¸But, of course, I do owe you a favour for dealing with the bandits before I got here . I¡¯ll overlook it this time . ¡¹ It was the words from someone who stood above them . If Rei were serious, he could kill them at any time . If it had been any other adventurer to say the same thing¡­¡­if Taenia, who was hiding in the bushes, was the one to say that, he would have killed her on the spot . However, the way Rei said it was different from other adventurers . Rei was also the strongest person in the area, so even the Prairie Wolves couldn¡¯t carelessly refute what he said . If they refuted what Rei said, Egg was sure that if the small, robe wearing person in front of him decided to get serious, they would suffer an incalculable amount of damage . ¡¸¡­¡­What is your condition?¡¹ Egg spoke as if squeezing out his voice . Egg had considerable combat strength, as had been shown in his fight against the bandit leader earlier . However, he still judged that he was no match for Rei and sought to end the matter with Rei without fighting . And Rei, who was waiting for those words, spoke with a smile . ¡¸You owe me a favour . If ever something happens, I¡¯ll ask you to pay it back . You should return the favour then . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ To owe Rei a favour . He didn¡¯t know what it would be, but it was clear which was the better option to take with Rei . Moreover, they had just finished fighting not long ago . Though they hadn¡¯t suffered any major losses, there were some who were injured and they were mostly exhausted . After a few seconds of silence, Egg spoke . ¡¸Fine . In the name of the Prarie Wolves, we declare that we owe Rei a favour . ¡¹ Egg declared that in front of the cave where the dead bandits had fallen . ¡¸¡­¡­Those words, you were the one who said it . ¡¹ Nodding at Egg, Rei finally asked the question he had been wondering about . ¡¸You seem to know my name¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, we also have our own information network . And above all, that was what those two hiding in the bushes called you . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh, sounds like you have pretty good ears . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not happy to be praised by you . Rather, I¡¯m worried that you have ulterior motives . ¡¹ Egg frowned as he spoke, but Rei replied without care . ¡¸Don¡¯t take it like that . It was purely admiration . ¡­¡­Well then, since our targets have been taken out, we¡¯ll go back to our escort . ¡¹ ¡¸Do that . Seriously, between them and you, today has been the worst day . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? All the goods that the bandits have collected are yours now . Of course, I know that wasn¡¯t your goal, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re not getting anything out of this?¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, the money that they¡¯ve accumulated doesn¡¯t go into our own pockets . There are a lot of people we have to give it to . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh . ¡¹ Rei, exclaimed softly at Egg¡¯s words . Rei understood from Egg¡¯s previous remarks and actions how he intended to use the money that was in the hands of the bandits . (I asked for a favour because I didn¡¯t have anything to lose¡­¡­but surprisingly, I made a profit out of it . ) ¡¸Then, we¡¯ll be leaving soon . I¡¯ll see you next time if I have the chance . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want to see a person like you again . Leave quickly . ¡¹ Rei left the place while hearing such words from behind him . As he passed by the bushes, Taenia quickly pulled Louise¡¯s hand and joined him . She looked back several times anxiously, but none of the Prairie Wolves had gone after them . ¡¸You know, when you suddenly asked all the Prairie Wolves for a favour, I was skeptical . I didn¡¯t care if you were crazy, but don¡¯t drag the rest of us with you . ¡¹ Taenia muttered to Rei as they walked along the dark path in the night . Their direction was being guided by Louise, just as when they had headed for the bandit hideout, followed Rei and Taenia . The difference was that they didn¡¯t have to worry about being detected by the bandits and didn¡¯t have to speak quietly . That was why Taenia, who was particularly scared of the dark, complained without pause . ¡¸That said, we had gone all the way there . We should at least get something out of it right? To get a group of righteous bandits to owe me a favour, that was a good enough harvest for me tonight . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, yes . You¡¯re right . But, we didn¡¯t get anything in the end . ¡¹ ¡¸But~, we ran into the Prarie Wolves and survived~ . And a person like Egg let us go as well~ . ¡¹ Louise, who was in front of them, said that without looking back . In fact, if only the two of them had been there without Rei, they didn¡¯t know what they would have done . Even though the Prairie Wolves were known not to harm other people as much as possible, their temper and skill were why they were called wolves . They had shown that in their fight against the bandits . Of course, in terms of pure skill, they were better than most of the Prairie Wolves . However, there were nearly 20 of them and there was no chance they could have beaten Egg . When she thought about it, her complaints to Rei were completely pointless . ¡¸I know, seriously . ¡­¡­That aside, let¡¯s stop talking and hurry back faster . If they got attacked on their side, it wouldn¡¯t be a joke . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei and I both have good night vision~ . ¡¹ Who was the one slowing us down? With that being implied, Taenia gave snort as they made their way through the forest . ¡¸Rei-san? Taenia-san and Louise-san as well . You were fast . Have you defeated the bandits already?¡¹ Seeing the three of them, Alektor asked unintentionally . As he said that, he saw Set acting spoiled to Rei as Louise stroked Set . Taenia looked on dumbfounded at what her party member was doing . Taenia gave a sigh towards Louise before shaking her head at Alektor . ¡¸It was no good . When we arrived at the bandit¡¯s hideout, they were in a struggle against the Prairie Wolves and were losing one-sidedly . We weren¡¯t able to do anything . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The Prairie Wolves, I heard that they were an exceptional bandit group in this area . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah . Rei managed to deal with them without a fight, but the bandits were wiped out already and we couldn¡¯t take anything in that situation, so we came back . Did anything abnormal happen on this side¡­¡­?¡¹ Taenia looked around . At the back, Fabel, who she had left in charge of the escort, waved her hand lightly to indicate there were no issues . The eyes of the merchants had adjusted to the dark after the previous bandit raid and the subsequent disposal of the corpses . Most of them were still awake even though it wasn¡¯t dawn yet were drinking some sort of soup as they overcame the winter chill by the campfire . ¡¸As you can see, we haven¡¯t had any issues . As previously discussed, the bandit corpses have been dealt with . ¡­¡­But, was that so? It¡¯s quite unexpected that the Prairie Wolves came out . ¡¹ ¡¸Apparently, the bandits that attacked us were a bunch that enjoyed murder . The Prairie Wolves had tried to warn them but it didn¡¯t work¡­¡­eventually, they resorted to force . ¡¹ Taenia explained their meeting with the Prairie Wolves to Alektor and the merchant caravan set out for the city of Sabrusta at dawn . Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Legend Chapter 241 The day after the fight with the bandits . Since then, there had been no other attacks by bandits, and the merchants who had stayed up the night before had breakfast before starting a little earlier as they went along the highway . Many of the merchants were mentally strained due to having gone through a bandit attack and then being asked to deal with the bandit corpses . The appearance of several merchants dozing off in the carriages was noticeable . (Well, they weren¡¯t originally frontier merchants, I understand they¡¯re not used to that kind of thing¡­¡­ . that said, even if we are escorting them, it¡¯s amusing to see them completely let their guards down while sleeping . ) Rei thought to himself as he walked at his usual position behind the carriages with Set . Looking to the left and right of the carriages, Taenia and Fabel were wary of the surroundings, not showing any signs of drowsiness . After the fight with the Prairie Wolves and the bandits, they had left the watch to Rei and slept . So as expected of D rank adventurers, unlike the merchants, they didn¡¯t show any signs of drowsiness . Fortunately, they continued down the highway for several hours without any attacks from monsters or bandits . ¡¸I can see the city of Sabrusta!¡¹ One of the merchants on the leading carriage gave a yell . At the same time, the merchants who had been dozing in the carriage at the back woke to cheers . Meanwhile, Rei headed for the front carriage with Set and called out to Alektor . ¡¸With Set, there will be a fuss trying to get into the city again . I think it would be better let Set roam around here, like he did at Abuero . ¡¹ ¡¸I agree . Since we¡¯ve come this far, we won¡¯t have to worry about being attacked by monsters or bandits anymore . Rather, I would be very grateful if you could save us the trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸Understood . Well, unlike in Abuero, I don¡¯t have to stay in Sabrusta . So I don¡¯t need to split with Set like last time . ¡­¡­Hey, Set . Go play around for a while . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~ . ¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words, spread his wings after a few steps and flew away from the merchant caravan . Looking back, Rei turned to Alektor and noticed him staring back . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, I thought I heard you say that you weren¡¯t going to stay at Sabrusta¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah . Isn¡¯t the escort only up to this city? In that case, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, but, what are you plans from here?¡¹ The way Alektor had been thinking, he had thought Rei would stay the night in Sabrusta and head back to Gilm the next day . But from what Rei had said, it sounded like he was planning to head back as soon as he finished this request . Rei nodded without any hesitation, because that was what he had been planning to do . ¡¸Of course . The escort request was only up to this city right? Sure, I might looked around the city for a bit to see if I can find anything interesting, but I¡¯ll definitely start to head back today . ¡¹ ¡¸But then, won¡¯t you have to camp overnight again?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, I see . You don¡¯t know, do you? Given Set¡¯s speed when he flies, it will only take me half a day to get back to Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I-Is that so?¡¹ Rei nodded naturally at Alektor, whose eyes went wide as he replied unconsciously . In fact, Rei had already calculated in his mind how long it would take to go back, comparing it to the time he needed to get to Baar . ¡¸However, if it will take me half a day, it¡¯s highly likely that the gates will be closed by the time I get back to Gilm . In the end, I¡¯ll still need to camp for a night . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, why don¡¯t you stay a night in Sabrusta and leave early tomorrow morning?¡¹ ¡¸I had considered that, but it would be troublesome if Set started sulking again . ¡¹ With a wry smile, Rei spoke as he watched the city of Sabrusta draw nearer . Basically, back in Gilm, Set slept in the stables while Rei slept in his room . Set didn¡¯t have many complaints about that, but he still looked forward to the opportunity of sleeping with Rei . In the first place, monsters that appeared along the highway were not considered enemies to a Griffon like Set . Rather, they were more like food . So camping with Rei was closer to a picnic to Set . ¡¸¡­¡­I see, that¡¯s regrettable . As for me, it¡¯s quite unfortunate that I have to part ways with Rei-san here . But thinking about it, it would certainly be troublesome if Set started sulking . ¡¹ ¡¸What, you still haven¡¯t given up on trying to recruit me?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . If I could hire a promising adventurer like Rei-san as an escort, I would be buying more security . I was thinking about renegotiating here . ¡¹ Rei shook his head at Alektor, who was explaining with regret . ¡¸I think I told you in Gilm, but unfortunately I can¡¯t do that . Only on the frontier can Set and I grow . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . But if you need anything, please contact me . My merchant group basically operates in the center of the kingdom, our headquarters is in the Imperial Capital, but we¡¯ll probably have a branch in Sabrusta soon as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Branch office? Aren¡¯t you travelling merchants?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Of course, our merchant caravans are definitely our main business . But we also manage stores . However, I¡¯ve left that to an old friend and I lead the caravans myself . ¡¹ Even as they conversed, the merchant caravan continued down the highway, eventually arriving at Sabrusta . After showing their ID and guild cards, they completed the procedures to enter the city . Unlike at Abuero, Set wasn¡¯t around, so they managed to enter without any commotion . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll mark the request as complete here . Thank you very much . ¡¹ Alektor handed over a signed document as proof of request completion . ¡¸I was glad to be able to work with someone like you . It¡¯s a bit difficult since you mainly work somewhere else, but if the opportunity comes up, let¡¯s work together again . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not fair~ . I want to go with Set~ . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Louise . I¡¯ve known for a long time that you like animals¡­¡­but why do you cling to Set so much?¡¹ Fabel smiled as she said goodbye . Louise tried to follow Rei back to Set, but Taenia stopped her with an appalled expression . Having seen this scene several times over the past few days, Rei smiled at the sight . The surrounding area may have been close to the city gates, but it was winter, so there wasn¡¯t much activity . As such their group was looked at strangely by passersby . ¡¸That¡¯s right . I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll have the chance again, but if there is, I might ask you to join us on a request again . I¡¯ll look forward to working with you again then . ¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about? As the higher rank, Rei will be the one taking care of us then . ¡¹ Like that, Rei split up with them as he entered the city . Louise was still complaining from the back, clamouring for Set, but Taenia was holding her down as she scolded . Smiling at that situation, since he had come to Sabrusta, he decided to look around to see if there was anything interesting . There wasn¡¯t anything of particular interest, but there was a street stall that attracted Rei¡¯s attention . If it had been a stall selling ordinary skewers, Rei wouldn¡¯t have paid much attention . However, it was different if the stall sold udon, which had spread all the way from Gilm . In Abuero, he hadn¡¯t looked at the food stalls as he hadn¡¯t the time to go around the city . Rei hadn¡¯t thought that udon would have spread from Gilm all the way to Sabrusta, which was quite far away, and immediately ordered some udon . But¡­ . . after being boiled, the noodles had been simmered in soup and had gone all soggy . It was so sticky that Rei almost couldn¡¯t eat it . He had to flatten everything down before trying to pour it into his mouth . After walking around the city, Rei hadn¡¯t made any new discoveries aside from magic items and new food, with the exception of bad udon . He bought some firewood and a variety of food for his plans for the night and then headed for Sabrusta gate . The time was just past noon . Rei judged that he should to be able to make some distance by riding on Set if he left at this time . ¡¸Your ID please . ¡¹ ¡¸Here it is . ¡¹ Rei simply handed over his guild card, put on his hood and left the city without any particular issues . As a guard, he was suspicious of Rei, who wasn¡¯t carrying much with him, despite Rei being an adventurer . However, seeing the letter C on the guild card, he hesitated to ask about it . Fortunately for Rei, the city guard was one of the ones who had looked through Alektor¡¯s merchant caravan¡¯s ID and guild cards . He remembered that Rei had been an escort of the merchant and decided to trust the C rank written on the guild card . If it had been a thickheaded guard, Rei might have been detained for holding a fake guild card . After all, Rei looked delicate and short, not like a C rank veteran . ¡¸Even if I meet up with Set, if it¡¯s too near the city, it will still cause a fuss . ¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he walked a short distance down the highway . When Sabrusta was out of sight, he looked around before calling out . ¡¸Set-!¡¹ His call was loud, but not to the extent of reaching Sabrusta . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Obviously, Set had good hearing and couldn¡¯t miss him . He immediately rushed down to Rei with a cry . Then, Set proceeded to rub his face all over Rei . While patting his head, Rei took out a sandwich with plenty of meat he had bought in Sabrusta from the Misty Ring . ¡¸Here, I¡¯ve kept you waiting . Here¡¯s a souvenir . I think it¡¯s quite good as the shop was doing quite well . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~ . ¡¹ Set ate the sandwich Rei handed over while giving a happy cry . A large number of sandwiches, costing about a silver coin, were emptied into Set¡¯s stomach in a matter of minutes . ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s go back to Gilm . We¡¯ll have to camp out for a night¡­¡­but we won¡¯t have to worry about guarding anything, so it¡¯s not too hard for us . The cold isn¡¯t really an issue either . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei got onto Set¡¯s back . Set also lowered his back quietly to make it easir for Rei to get on . ¡¸So, let¡¯s head back to Gilm . I want to eat udon at the Satisfied Stomach . ¡¹ Rei said that as he remembered the udon he had eaten in Sabrusta . As for Set, udon was a bit hard to eat, but he didn¡¯t dislike it, so he gave a cry to say that he had no objections . ¡¸You think so too Set? ¡­¡­Then, let¡¯s go shall we?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ With a cry, Set flapped his wings and flew up into the sky after a short runup . Hearing his cry, nearby monsters all scattered in fear of the Griffon, but that was a story that had nothing to do with these two . A few hours out from Sabrusta . Rei and Set had already passed the place where they had set up camp the previous night and were attacked by bandits . They had also flown past Abuero . However, the sun had already set, and even if they headed for Gilm, Rei calculated that it would be in the middle of the night¡­¡­so, he asked Set to land on a rocky outcrop near the road . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ It it fine here? Set seemed to ask with a tilted head . Rei stroked his head with a smile in response . ¡¸There¡¯s no problems here . I had planned to camp out for a night anyway, so I bought some firewood in Sabrusta . ¡¹ Saying that to Set, he took out some firewood and the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring before using magic to light a fire . Then, putting a pot of stew on the bonfire, he stabbed Icebird meat skewers around the campfire . The stew was already ready, but since he was used to it, he kept it hot anyway . Taking out some freshly baked bread from the Misty Ring, he shared an extremely luxurious meal, if he had been an ordinary adventurer, with Set . After eating some dried fruit for dessert, Rei called out to Set, who was lying on the ground without care of the cold winter night . ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, let¡¯s get on with today¡¯s main event . ¡¹ Saying that, he took out the Icebird magic stones from the Misty Ring . Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Legend Chapter 242 Winter night . The campfire that was lit with Rei¡¯s magic continued to burn despite being blown by strong winds . After finishing his meal, Rei pulled out a magic stone from the Misty Ring as Set, who had eaten two Icebirds on skewers, lay down in satisfaction . It was a Icebird magic stone which he had gotten from Alektor when they had been attacked . Finishing his meal and then absorbing magic stones as if it was a dessert . In that sense, the magic stones could be described as another course in a meal . ¡¸¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not right . ¡¹ Rei denied the words he thought in his mind with a wry smile . Then, he gave the magic stone to Set, who was looking at him with shining eyes . Set was a creature created using the Magic Beast Art . Naturally, the absorption of magic stones and its essence would make him stronger, so he took the magic stone from Rei¡¯s hand with his beak and swallowed it in one gulp . And¡­¡­ ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºIce Arrow Lv . 1¡»¡¿ And, as usual, an announcement echoed through his head . ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Set rubbed his head against Rei, while giving a happy cry at learning a new skill . While stroking his head, Rei spoke with a satisfied expression . ¡¸As expected, since it was a magic stone from an Icebird, the skill acquired would be ice based . ¡­¡­If fire breath had been leveled up with this, it would have been interesting¡­¡­no, but maybe there¡¯s a chance that Water Ball could have leveled up because the two magic systems are similar? Or rather, instead of Ice Arrow, it would become Ice Ball . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head . Rei shook his head and turned his eyes to a nearby rock . ¡¸Set, show me the skill you just learned . Aim for that rock over there . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a sharp cry towards the rock as directed by Rei . At the same time, five ice arrow were created around Set . The ice arrows were slightly smaller than the ones used by the Icebirds, which the magic stone had come from, but sharp tip still held the cold light of ice . Or maybe because it was a winter night that it felt like that . ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ A cry echoed through the night sky . The next moment, the 5 arrows were quickly shot out, flying towards the rock . 1, 2, 3, 4 . Although the rock was able withstand four ice arrows with its own toughness, crushing the arrows on impact, when the fifth arrow struck it, there was a cracking sound . The next moment, the over 100kg rock cracked where the ice arrow had struck and broke apart, falling to the ground . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ How was it? As Set tilted his head, Rei gave a smile and scratched Set¡¯s head . ¡¸That¡¯s great, in terms of pure power, it¡¯s more powerful that Wind Arrow . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry at Rei¡¯s praise . (Wind and ice . Is the difference in power due to one being a gas and the other a solid? Well, this is its power at Lv . 1 . It¡¯s useful enough . ) ¡¸Okay, next is my turn . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, he took out another Icebird magic stone . ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ With Set giving a cry as to say ¡®good luck¡¯, Rei threw the magic stone into the air . At the same time, he slashed with the Death Scythe . The magic stone was cut in half by the blade and disappeared like mist . And¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei waited silently for a few seconds, but the announcement of a skill acquisition didn¡¯t not sound in Rei¡¯s mind . ¡¸¡­¡­Tch¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Seeing Rei shake his head and click his tongue, Set gave a cry to comfort him . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . In the first place, Icebirds weren¡¯t a high ranking monster . I think the fact that you managed to learn a skill was due to luck . The Death Scythe¡¯s skills are good enough for now . I can do without learning anything new . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s words sounded like he was just trying to make excuses, but it was really what he thought . Even if he couldn¡¯t use any skills, Rei could still use fire magic . In addition, he had various magic items as well as his own physical strength and the Death Scythe . He had many ways to attack, but there was no point if he had too many to use . ¡¸Rather, yesterday¡¯s bandit extermination left me with very little sleep . Can I leave the watch to you?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set probably felt that Rei was telling the truth . He gave a short cry before lying on the ground . Set told Rei to lean against him to sleep, as he usually did at night . Rei understood that and stroked Set¡¯s back to thank him before leaning back¡­¡­in a few minutes, Rei was asleep . Seeing that, Set also closed his eyes after giving a gentle glance towards the sleeping Rei . Of course, Set didn¡¯t actually go to sleep . As usual, he closed his eyes to strengthen his sense of hearing, smell and magic . If any monsters or bandits attacked Set, thinking he was asleep, they would pay for their shallow judgement with their lives . And, despite being a winter night, Rei slept soundly, surrounded by Set¡¯s warm body temperature . ¡¸Set, let¡¯s hurry a bit . The cold is fine, but if it starts to snow, it will be a hindrance when flying, right?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set flapped his wings greatly at Rei¡¯s words . Rei, who had a good night of sleep the previous not, showed no signs of tiredness, though he hadn¡¯t shown signs of tiredness even when he had been tired . As he patted Set, Rei looked to the sky, which was covered with clouds with little sunlight coming through . Of course, snow or rain wasn¡¯t fatal for Rei or Set . But just because it wasn¡¯t lethal didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t unpleasant . If they were struck by lightning, even Set would be hurt . However, as a Griffon, he wouldn¡¯t die from it . In Rei¡¯s case, he had the Dragon Robe, so he wouldn¡¯t die if he was hit with lightning either . But in any case, Rei and Set were in a hurry to reach Gilm before it started to snow or rain . Fortunately, they weren¡¯t attacked by any monsters in particular¡­¡­not long after flying, he saw the familiar sight of the city below him . ¡¸Phew, we managed to make it somehow . ¡­¡­Set, we¡¯ll land a short distance away from the city and go from there . ¡¹ Rei called out to Set, remembering that Ranga had previously asked him not to land right outside the city . The reason for that was in consideration for people entering the city who might have been intimidated, but it wasn¡¯t necessary to worry about it in the current situation where there were barely any people entering the city in winter . ¡¸Welcome back Rei-kun, Set . It¡¯s been a while¡­¡­was the escort only up to Abuero?¡¹ Ranga greeted the two of them in front of the main gate to Gilm . His face was stern as ever and his beard gave a power presence, but his tone was gentle . It was a contrasting appearance and personality that gave a strange feeling to those who met him for the first time . However, Rei had already become accustomed to it after meeting with Ranga so many times . Rei shook his head at Ranga¡¯s words as he handed over his guild card . ¡¸No, it was to Sabrusta . However, since we got there early in the day, I flew back with Set and camped a night out near Abuero . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Set¡¯s speed is truly fast . ¡¹ Ranga murmured in admiration as took out a piece of dried meat for Set from his pocket . Set ate the dried meat and gave a cry . Getting his guild card back and collecting the Necklace of Subservient Monster, Rei and Set entered Gilm . Looking back, Ranga had enjoyed peaceful days during winter and had gained back the weight he had lost due the accumulated fatigue of dealing with the aftermath of the Bestir Empire events . (I hope they don¡¯t try to do anything here again¡­¡­but I guess that¡¯s not possible . It¡¯s never boring with Rei-kun around . But if this turmoils lets Gilm become more peaceful in future, I¡¯m willing to work a little harder . ) Ranga muttered to himself as he saw the two of them enter the city . ¡¸Ahh, delicious . As expected, udon has to be like this . ¡¹ ¡¸Was the udon you ate in Sabrusta not as good?¡¹ Kenny, who was sitting in front of Rei, asked as she blew on her udon, which was wound around her fork, to cool it down before bringing it to her mouth . After completing the request procedures at the guild, Rei went to the Satisfied Stomach in an attempt to overwrite the unpleasant memories of the udon he had eaten in Sabrusta the day before . At that time, Kenny, who had just started her lunch break, decided to take this opportunity to get out and have a meal with Rei . Kenny had wanted to have a meal in a place with a good atmosphere rather than a popular eatery, but she lost out to Rei¡¯s desire to eat udon . ¡¸Ah . Because the noodles were boiled in soup, the springiness was all gone and it was soggy . ¡¹ (That¡¯s¡­¡­it was like the time I forgot that I had poured hot water into my cup ramen until 2 hours later . ) Rei remembered a mistake he had made when he was back in Japan . He tried to eat a bit of it, because he couldn¡¯t just throw it away, but it wasn¡¯t very good . In the end, he experience the depressing experience of throwing it away anyway . ¡¸It certainly didn¡¯t look tasty . I guess they mistook udon for a soup ingredient . I think the recipe must have been miscommunicated along the way . ¡¹ ¡¸Probably . I think so too . Well, there might be some people who make their own changes as the recipe is passed on, but that one is an example of a failure . They¡¯ve been teaching people how to make it correctly¡­¡­but what¡¯s happened is that people don¡¯t listen . ¡¹ Rei recalled the owner of the street stall, who wasn¡¯t so much a craftsman as someone who went down his own path . Kenny spoke while giving a wry smile towards Rei . ¡¸Speaking of which, ordinary adventurers usually don¡¯t take on any requests during this time and will rest their bodies, but Rei-kun is rather strange, taking on requests . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I guess . It was still autumn when I went out to hunt Gamelions . ¡¹ Thinking about the many commotions that had happened in his mind, he realised that he seemed to be someone who easily got into trouble . ¡¸Ahaha . I¡¯ve been a guild receptionist for about five years, but it¡¯s unusual for people to get caught up in this much trouble . Of course, in the case of Rei-kun, you¡¯ve profited quite a bit from it, haven¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸A magic item . The Thorns Spear I got from the guild master is a great weapon¡­¡­but unfortunately, my main weapon is the Death Scythe . The Thorns Spear can only be used as a throwing weapon . Moreover, it¡¯s a difficult to use, high-level magic item . In that sense, it wasn¡¯t bad to take on that request to escort those merchants . I received nearly 100 disposable spears as my reward . ¡¹ ¡¸Disposable spears, is it . The other day, I heard that some merchant had been going around to blacksmiths and weapon shops collecting spears that could no longer be used¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That would be it . In fact, when I use spears, it¡¯s basically only for throwing, so as long as they could withstand one throw, it¡¯s fine . After it hits an enemy, usually either the shaft or tip would break . ¡¹ Despite saying something cruel, Rei used his fork to pick up some meat in the noodle soup . Perhaps it had been boiled for long enough, the fork pierced the meat without any issues and was carried to his mouth . Rei looked at his fork with some dissatisfaction while enjoying the taste in his mouth . Rei had grown up with the culture of chopsticks . Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t used a fork to eat pasta before, but it was a bit uncomfortable to eat noodles with a fork . (There¡¯s not much I can do . Regardless of whether I¡¯ve used chopsticks since I was a child, the residents of this city have never used chopsticks . I would be conspicuous if I started using them¡­¡­well, at least right now . ) Even in Gilm, a city where there were plenty of oddballs, Rei knew he stood out . In that case, he decided that using chopsticks, which were unknown to the people of this world, would be no different and decided to make his own . If he just used the excuse that he learned about it from a book he had read before, he decided that there shouldn¡¯t be any problems . ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv . 2¡» ¡ºFire Breath Lv . 2¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv . 1¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv . 1¡» ¡ºPoison Claws Lv . 2¡» ¡ºSize Transformation Lv . 1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv . 1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow Lv . 1¡» new Ice Arrow: Create and shoot 5 ice arrows . It has enough power to break rocks if all 5 arrows hit . Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Legend Chapter 243 A sword that stretched out like a whip due to magic power entangled a sword held by a knight, pulling it away . The next moment, the knight realised that his sword had disappeared from his hand . But by then, his opponent¡¯s sword, that had extended like a whip, had turned back into a long sword and its tip thrust at his eyes . ¡¸¡­¡­Guh, t-this¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Do you want to continue? I¡¯m willing to keep going if you can . ¡¹ ¡¸I, I¡­¡­give, up¡­¡­¡¹ Reluctantly, the knight said those words while clenching his teeth . At the same time, explosive cheers erupted from teh surrounding knights and soldiers who were watching the battle between them . The knight, who heard the cheers, was so humiliated that he wasn¡¯t taken seriously by the onlookers . His face, which couldn¡¯t not be called handsome, was dyed a deep red . The man tried to glare at his opponent who shamed him¡­¡­but was was overwhelmed by the presence of the woman before him, unintentionally dropping his gaze to the ground . (That was . ¡­¡­Just now, what happened? Certainly, her appearance was good enough to be a match for me . But, that¡¯s something I¡¯ve known for a long time . But now, aside from her appearance, there¡¯s this indescribable aura around her¡­¡­it¡¯s as if she¡¯s a completely different existence¡­¡­no, that¡¯s not right! I shouldn¡¯t be overwhelmed! Even if my opponent is the General Princess!) The man murmured to himself and forcibly turned his eyes, which had been looking down, back up towards his opponent¡¯s face¡­¡­but the next moment, he was caught in the aura that she release and ended up falling backwards to the ground . The moment he looked straight at his beautiful opponent standing before him, his legs gave out and he couldn¡¯t stand up . ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll ask you to follow the decisions of the Kerebel Knights rather than your own judgement, is that acceptable?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . ¡¹ The man¡¯s voice already showed his defeat and none of his proud atmosphere that he had before the fight started remained . ¡¸Elena-sama, you must be tired . ¡¹ Ara gave her a towel, but because the fight had been finished with a single attack by Elena, she wasn¡¯t out of breath, let alone sweating . ¡¸Mm . There probably won¡¯t be any more unnecessary fights after this . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyu~!¡¹ A small dragon, Yellow, flew out of nowhere and landed on Elena¡¯s shoulder, giving a cry . Ara looked at it with a smile before turning to look a the man sitting on the ground with a complicated expression . Right now, in preparation for the war against the Bestir Empire, which was definitely going to happen next spring, the different knight orders belonging to the nobles had gathered in the Kerebel duchy to conduct intense training to enhance their discipline . However, as the number of knights serving the various nobles increased, some naturally wore their status with an arrogant attitude . This was an inevitability within the nobles faction, and of course, Elena couldn¡¯t just stand and watch it happen . One of the people working for the Kerebel Knights had stopped another knight who had drawn their sword just because he had blocked their way . But the other party was the heir of a marquis and was a knight commander in his knight order, which led to a dispute he couldn¡¯t get out of . In fact, the whole issue was set up by the marquis¡¯s heir in order to get Elena, who was famed as the General Princess . Whether he had thought it through or not, he set up a duel with Elena where she would become his wife if he won and he would have absolute obedience to the orders of the Kerebel Knights if he lost¡­¡­the result was that he lost without swinging his sword a single time . ¡¸Such a thing, why¡­¡­I am¡­¡­¡¹ The man spoke to himself while looking at the ground without standing up . Of course, even without his father¡¯s influence as a marquis, he had the ability to be a knight commander . In fact, he was a knight commander because among the marquis¡¯s knights, he was the strongest . But, in this case, his opponent was a bad match for him . Elena Kerebel . Most widely known as the General Princess, after performing the inheritance ritual to inherit the power of an ancient dragon, her ability was now such that she could even treat a top class knight as nothing . An ancient dragon¡¯s physical strength resided in her body, magic power was passed on as well . Of course, not all of that power had been mastered yet . But nonetheless, due to her original skill, her strength was still a class apart from the others . In addition, although the spells she could use were limited, she had also mastered Dragon Language, which originally could only be used by intelligent dragons . ¡¸Your skill wasn¡¯t bad . But I was better . The nickname of the General Princess isn¡¯t something I like, but I won¡¯t lose it in a place such as this . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kuh . ¡¹ The man didn¡¯t have time to reply to Elena¡¯s words as he left the training ground as if he were running away without even looking at Elena¡¯s face . Seeing him leave, Elena gave a small sigh . (Indeed, it will be impossible to win the war next spring unless the nobles strength is increased . But is this really okay as it is? Perhaps the upcoming war will be bigger than ever . There are also the Bestir Empire¡¯s Demon Soldiers . Nevertheless, with the way things are¡­¡­no, I¡¯m the General Princess who serves as a symbol for the nobles . What would happen if I showed weakness now? That was why I held the inheritance ritual and gained the power of the ancient dragon . ) ¡¸Elena-sama? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing . ¡¹ Elena shook her head at her long time friend¡¯s question . Because Ara was a long time friend, there were some weaknesses she couldn¡¯t show . (Rei¡­¡­) At that time, the face of a boy with bright red hair came to her mind . The thinking of his face, a warm feeling sprung up in Elena¡¯s chest . From information from Duke Kerebel and letters from Rei, she knew that the Bestir Empire had intruded into Gilm several times . Elena wanted to go to Gilm herself right away . But when she thought of her current position, it wasn¡¯t possible for her to do such a thing . ¡¸Elena-sama, in an hour, there will be a mock battle with the knights . Do you want to rest until then?¡¹ Ara asked Elena with a worried expression . But Elena shook her head slightly and refused as she started to walk . ¡¸No, there¡¯s not much time left until the war . As much as possible, I want everyone to make to come back alive and go home . All I can do is to teach them how to survive in a war, and for that I want to use every little bit of time I have . ¡¹ ¡¸But Elena-sama, Elena-sama is an essential person and we can¡¯t afford for you to fall ill in a critical situation!¡¹ Elena listened to Ara¡¯s reply with a smile . She looked back while shaking her head, swinging her golden hair . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . Who do you think I am? What happened in the dungeon¡­¡­the power that I inherited . You know what happened best, don¡¯t you?¡¹ Despite her vague words, it was obvious what Elena wanted to say . The matter of the inheritance ritual was something only the upper echelons of the nobles knew, not even the royalists knew . It was, however, known to Margrave Rowlocks, a member of the neutral faction . But, Ara didn¡¯t step away even after hearing Ara¡¯s words . ¡¸I believe that Elena-sama¡¯s strength has never been greater . But, that¡¯s only because your body has been getting stronger . Elena-sama¡¯s mental strength hasn¡¯t changed . And although there¡¯s been no adverse effect up until now¡­¡­even if there aren¡¯t any negative effects on your body, what about your mind?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Elena fell silent at Ara¡¯s words . In fact, these days, she had been training the knights that served as her escort . She had also trained with the Kerebel Knights and even the knights of other nobles that had gathered in Duke Kerebel¡¯s territory . And, like the marquis¡¯s heir from before, she had to deal with those that were dazzled by her beauty . Although she was physically sound, her stress had steadily accumulated . However, there were also some people who didn¡¯t understand their position and tried to visit Elena at night, and in various ways ended up miserably as Elena¡¯s stress relief sandbag . After all, she was the only daughter of Duke Kerebel, a central figure among the nobility . Anyone who did such a thing would owe a debt to Duke Kerebel, no matter how physically battered they ended up . Not the nobles who tried to visit Elena at night, but the head of that noble¡¯s house . ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re right . Then I¡¯ll have some tea and take a break . Ara, prepare some tea and something sweet to have here . ¡¹ Looking away from Ara, Elena replied with a happy smile . ¡¸Yes! I¡¯ll bring some to you right away!¡¹ Ara then left the training ground while carrying the Power Axe, a magic item and her favourite weapon, with a happy smile . After seeing her off, Elena also left the training ground, slowly following behind Ara . Many eyes belonging to the knights gathered in the training ground watched her leave . Some who loved Elena¡¯s beauty, some who renewed their determination to make Elena their wife, some who looked at the elegant curves of her back with vulgar eyes and some with worship at her overwhelming power she had shown in the previous duel . A wide range of eyes swarmed Elena from behind, all of which were fascinated by the unique appearance of Elena, a war goddess with overwhelming strength . A city in the Mireana Kingdom . Despite being winter, the people in the city were walking around without wearing any coats . As expected, no one was wearing short sleeves, but most only had long sleeves . It was a southern port city in the Mireana Kingdom which had a mild climate throughout the year . In this port city, a man and woman were walking while eating fish skewers . One was carrying a huge battle axe while the other was wearing a robe and holding a cane . They appeared to be an adventurer combination of a warrior and mage . ¡¸Hmm, it was the right decision to get here before winter started for real . It should be snowing in Gilm now shouldn¡¯t it? ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re probably right . To be honest, I wished we had stayed in Gilm . I could have slowly enjoyed reading magic books . ¡¹ ¡¸But then Rhodes and me would get out of shape . Rhodes has finally gained enough skill as a rank C adventurer and it would be a waste for his skills to dull . ¡¹ A man explained as he chewed on a 30cm large roasted fish on a skewer . The man was Elk, who was the leader of Axe of the Thunder God from Gilm, the most famous adventurer party in the city . The woman wearing a robe was Min, Elk¡¯s wife, who put the Thunder in Axe of the Thunder God . And behind them was Rhodes, their son, who was chasing after them with a lot of luggage in his hands . ¡¸Dad, mum, slow down a bit . Right now, with the amount of luggage I¡¯m carrying, you¡¯ll be out of my sight soon . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haa, I guess I¡¯ve got no choice . Here, give me some . I¡¯ll carry some as well . Earlier, you said to leave the luggage to you, so I left it to you, right? Seriously, you have to train harder . ¡¹ Elk took about half of the luggage that Rhodes had been carrying . ¡¸I don¡¯t have as much strength as you dad, so I can¡¯t help it . Basically, I¡¯m training my body with speed in mind . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that, just look at Rei . He¡¯s more of a speed oriented fighter, but he¡¯s still pretty strong, isn¡¯t he? He might even be stronger that me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t compare with with someone so far out the norm!¡¹ Rhodes gave a shout without thinking, remembering the time he had taken on a subjugation request with Rei . At that moment . ¡¸¡­¡­?¡¹ Elk suddenly looked around . Min did the same as she tightly grasped the cane in her hand . ¡¸Was that just my imagination?¡¹ ¡¸No, both you and I felt those eyes . It¡¯s not just your imagination . It¡¯s possible that it was just a skilled adventurer who looked over because he was surprised by Rhodes¡¯ voice . ¡¹ ¡¸I hope that is the case . ¡¹ Min looked around and shook her head lightly as the gaze on them disappeared . It was a long awaited vacation . They thought that they should enjoy themselves¡­¡­but Elk and Min would regret their decision at a later time . And, they would learn of the meaning behind the gazes that had looked at them from nowhere . Chapter 244 Chapter 244 As the winter cold gradually gave way and the temperature started rising bit by bit, Rei looked up towards the sky as he brought a sandwich to his mouth with Set walking beside him . ¡¸Mm, it¡¯s delicious . I¡¯ve hardly gone to that street stall before and didn¡¯t know that they had this level of sandwiches . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As Rei said that, Set also gave a cry as he swallowed a sandwich he held in his beak . He had finished Alektor¡¯s merchant escort request about a month ago . The temperature had also grown warmer from the winter cold . In the mornings and nights, it was still cold enough to snow, but the footsteps of spring were growing faintly audible . During that time, Rei read books at the inn or at the library . But when he looked out the window in his room, the sky was blue with no clouds and the sun was shining brightly, so he decided to talk a walk with Set through the city . Anyhow, he had gone to a place they had never gone to before to search for a new stall and as a result they had found some unexpectedly delicious sandwiches . After buying them, they ate them together as they walked . Even though it was a place that Rei and Set had gone to for the first time, they were still celebrities in Gilm . Most street stall owners knew Rei and Set and recommended sandwiches and meat skewers . In some rare cases, some offered dried fish for them to eat . For Set, he was happy to be able to go out with Rei into the city after such a long time . He had a happy and busy time with the kids who came over to touch him and was more cheerful than usual as he gave happy cries and ate the food that was given to him . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s only now that we can enjoy ourselves like this . ¡¹ Rei said to himself as he saw some passersby give Set some boiled sausages they bought from a nearby stall . Spring was approaching, meaning that the war between the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire was coming soon . In fact, not long ago, when Rei had gone to the guild, he had seen adventurers in the bar getting excited about participating in the war and making some money . The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was an independent organisation and wasn¡¯t under state control . In other words, there was no authority that could force adventurers to gather as a fighting force even if a war started . But it would be very regrettable if such a strong force was left to fight monsters . Even adventurers had some love for the city or country they lived in, so many of them wanted to participate in the war to protect that . And as for the guild, no matter how independent it was, it was certain that if the country they were in was occupied by another nation, their activities as a guild would be somewhat hindered . As a result of the complex relationship between country, adventurers and guild, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the Kingdom would send out requests to hire adventurers as mercenaries . Of course, it wasn¡¯t unusual for influential adventurers or adventurers with high combat power to be given nominated requests . That said, if all adventurers were to go to war, a city defenses would drop and there would be fewer people to deal with monsters . For this reason, those who wanted to participate in the war requests were filtered by the guild to some extent . It was rumored that in the near future, war requests would soon be pinned to the request boards . In fact, when such rumors started to float around the bar, some adventurers started to engage in combat training to retrain their bodies which had dulled over winter . Of course, not everyone training was preparing for war . In spring, like many animals, monsters would also become more active . If they were slow to react, instead of killing the monsters, they might end up being their food when they went out to deal with them . Rei was walking down the road thinking about that when he suddenly saw a blacksmiths shop on the street . No, to be exact, what he saw wasn¡¯t the shop but a barrel about 1 . 5m in size placed by the entrance of the shop . The barrel held items that were either failed forging creation or were brought in for repair but were subsequently determined to be irreparable . Some were broken sword tips, some were halberd blades that were broken in half . There were parts of battle axe heads and rusted knives . In addition, there was a large amount of ore scraps . ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm . ¡¹ Looking at the barrel and thinking about the war at the same time, a sudden thought passed through Rei¡¯s mind . ¡¸That¡¯s right . ¡­¡­Could I do that? Well, there¡¯s no harm in giving it a try, carrying it around isn¡¯t a problem . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, he entered the smithy where the barrel was placed . ¡¸Welcome, can I help you with anything?¡¹ The man was somewhat surprised by the appearance of Set, who looked inside with interest from the entrance, but he probably realised it was Rei who was standing in front of him . The shopkeeper, who had heard rumors that Rei would spend money casually, called out to him with a smile . ¡¸The things in the barrel outside, are they things you plan to throw away?¡¹ Because of that, the man was surprised at Rei¡¯s question . He had been wondering if he had come in for weapons or something, but the first thing Rei had asked about was the barrel on the table . ¡¸Eh, yes . They a failed smithing products and can¡¯t be used anymore . Even if it were to be melted down again, it still can¡¯t be used due to purity problems . After all, its a mix of scrap ore and metal fragments . Are there any issues with it?¡¹ The man in his forties answered in a confused manner . When Rei heard that, he took out three copper coins and put them on the counter . ¡¸I want that whole barrel . It would also be helpful if you have any more weapons, scrap ore or blade fragments that you don¡¯t need anymore . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t mind at all¡­¡­rather, if you¡¯re going to take all this scrap for me, it will save me the trouble of handling it all and I would be quite grateful . If you collect it all, I¡¯ll even pay you a small amount for it . ¡¹ ¡¸What, don¡¯t worry about that . Scraps aside, I¡¯ll pay for replacing the barrel . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, a single copper coin is enough . That barrel was made from scraps anyway . ¡­¡­Wait a minute please . I¡¯ll check if there are any metal fragments or ore scraps that I don¡¯t need anymore . ¡¹ Rei nodded as the shop keeper went to the forge at the back . There was a smile on Rei¡¯s lips . However, it wasn¡¯t a compassionate smile but a smile that could be described as cruel or ruthless . (The fire tornado made from Set and my skills . It already does quite a considerable amount of damage, but if the tornado contains countless ore scraps and broken metal blades¡­¡­well, I wonder what would happen . With regards to that, it only cost me some copper coins and even if it fails, I won¡¯t lose anything . ) ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ve kept you waiting . Out of curiosity, why do you want all these scraps?¡¹ As Rei thought deeply about the fire tornado, two people came out from the forge at the back . One was the shopkeeper, the other was an old man . However, even though he was an old man, the amount of muscle on his body was greater than most novice adventurers around here . Not even many of the older adventurers, let alone the younger ones, had that much muscle . ¡¸Ahh . I just had a little thought . Something like that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh, that¡¯s nice . You didn¡¯t look startled when you saw me, I like that . Wait a minute . I¡¯ll get you what you want right away . ¡¹ The old man gave a broad grin before heading back to the forge . ¡¸Fuu~, that would be great . That said, this was a good deal for me as well . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . It¡¯s a relief to hear you say that . ¡¹ Saying that, they continued talking for the next 5 minutes . Eventually, the old man came back holding a barrel full of metal shards . ¡¸Here, take this with you . Such scraps are just a hindrance . It would be great if you could take it with you . ¡¹ With a slight smile at the words of the old man, Rei took out three more copper coins and placed them on the counter . ¡¸Then, here¡¯s the payment . ¡¹ Handing over the money, Rei touched the barrel on the floor and stored it into the Misty Ring . Maybe the didn¡¯t know about Rei¡¯s item box, or maybe they were surprised to see it for the first time . When the barrel that was sitting at the front of the smithy was stored into the Misty Ring as well, the two of them were left in shock at the sudden disappearance of the barrels . ¡¸You¡¯ve saved me a lot of trouble this time . If I have the chance to come by again, could you possibly¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s fine . Of course, in some cases, we might have already disposed of the scraps, so I can¡¯t be sure . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind . I consider it as trying my luck if I come by . ¡¹ Saying that lightly, Rei said goodbye before leaving with Set . Despite it only being scraps, Rei gave a smile under his hood at his unexpected gains . Seeing Rei¡¯s good mood, Set shook his tail slightly and gave a happy cry . They visited various street stalls and bought food as they enjoyed the nice weather . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san . Welcome back . You have a guest . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A guest?¡¹ A graceful voice welcomed Rei, who had spent his day off with Set, back to the Dusk Wheat . The voice was from Lana, the Dusk Wheat¡¯s proprietress . She looked fine as usual, but her face held some excitement . ¡¸Yes, Elk-san, the leader of Axe of the Thunder God, came over . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Elk, is it?¡¹ Hearing an unexpected name, Rei tilted his head . After the Blue Caterpillar subjugation, the members of Axe of the Thunder God¡­¡­Rei had heard that their entire family would be heading out of Gilm until spring . ¡¸Yes . He¡¯s waiting for you in the dining area . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Then I¡¯ll order something light to eat . Ah, I would like tea or something similar . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll bring it over soon . ¡¹ Rei headed towards the dining area as Lana replied to him from behind . ¡¸Ohh, Rei! Long time no see . How are you doing?¡¹ Immediately after Rei entered the dining area, Elk, who Lana had said was here, called out loudly to Rei . But the other members of his party, his wife, Min, and his son, Rhodes, were nowhere to be seen . ¡¸It will be pretty boring until spring . However, it seems a war will break out once spring comes around . ¡¹ When Rei said that, Elks cheeks twitched . But the next moment, he smiled as if nothing had happened . Elk was famous in Gilm as the leader of Axe of the Thunder God . The dining area was also busier than usual . Meanwhile, Rei, who was also famous in a different sense, had gone over to talk with him, so they were very conspicuous . Rei felt the gazes from the surroundings and gave a bitter smile . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but you stand out too much here . Why don¡¯t we talk in my room?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? ¡­¡­Ahh, that¡¯s right . Yes . It would be more convenient for me as well . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Convenient?¡¹ ¡¸No, eating food everyone is looking at you just doesn¡¯t taste as good . I thought it would just be better with the two of us alone . ¡¹ While feeling doubtful about Elk¡¯s excuse, Rei thought that he had gotten into a fight with Min and had come back to Gilm early . Normally, traveling alone at this time of the year was suicide, but he was an A rank adventurer . If he did such a thing, it was because he had the ability to back it up . Rei asked Lana to bring the food to his room as he and Elk went up to the second floor . ¡¸Come in . That said, it¡¯s a room with pretty much nothing . ¡¹ Basically, everything he needed to live was stored in the Misty Ring . Inside the room, there was only items like a bed, table and chairs, which were originally in the room . There was almost none of his personal belongings . Opening the door to the room, he invited Elk in . ¡¸Ah, ahh . I¡¯m sorry . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Seriously, what¡¯s going on? You¡¯ve been acting kind of strange?¡¹ Instead of the usual smile of a naughty boy, Rei was puzzled at Elk¡¯s forced expression . It was the same feeling he had when he had seen Elk in the dining area and he tried to ask Elk as he turned around . But at that moment¡­¡­ ¡¸KAAAAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Hearing the shout from the hallway, Rei reflexively looked back . As he was doing that and tried to step out into the hallway¡­¡­Rei saw Elk swinging his battle axe just outside the door . His face had no expression and looked like a puppet or machine . He mouthed the words ¡ºsorry¡» as he swung his battle axe towards Rei . Chapter 245 Chapter 245 ¡¸-!?¡¹ The next moment, Rei saw a huge battle axe swinging towards him . Almost on reflex, he tried to dash back into the room to escape, but¡­¡­ ¡¸Guh-!¡¹ As expected of an A rank adventurer . As the blade of the battle axe swung by Elk almost touched the floor, which would have let Rei escape, it swung back up as if tracking its target . Rei¡¯s misfortune was that Elk, as an A rank adventurer, was more capable that he was expected . And, the battle axe used by Elk was a magic item . On the other hand, Rei was lucky that he had just come back from outside and was wearing his Dragon Robe . And, it seemed that the power of the battle axe was greatly diminished after reversing the direction of its swing just as it reached the ground . As a result, the Dragon Robe¡¯s defenses prevented any fatal injuries but Rei was violently knocked back, slamming into the room wall . ¡¸Guh, t-this¡­¡­what are you doing, Elk!¡¹ Rei was stunned for a moment as he was slammed into the wall, but Rei quickly regained his footing and shouted at Elk, who was swinging his large battle axe in front of Rei . ¡­¡­No, rather than a shout, it might be better to describe it as a roar . Most of the customers and adventurers who were in the dining area were stunned the moment they heard that roar . A few high ranking adventurers weren¡¯t affected by it but immediately went into a fighting stance . ¡¸¡­¡­Rei . I¡¯m sorry, but I have to kill you . I won¡¯t ask you to forgive me . You can hate me for it . You can hate me . But¡­¡­your life, I will take it here . ¡¹ At first glance, Elk seemed to have no expression . But Rei, who had shouted in anger, felt a sense of incongruity when he saw Elk¡¯s state . (What? Right now, Elk¡­¡­it doesn¡¯t feel like he¡¯s being directly controlled by someone . But, his killing intent right now¡­¡­tch!) Perhaps Elk didn¡¯t want to even give Rei the time to think . He quickly rushed into the room with his battle axe . Rei avoided the battle axe swung towards him by pulling the right side of his body back . (Damn it! All my weapons are hard to use in this room!) Rei¡¯s usual weapons were the Death Scythe and throwing spears, which were 2m in length or longer . Both were weapons with long reach and were not effective in this small space . Of course, he also had knives . However, if he were asked if a knife could fight against Elk¡¯s huge battle axe, Rei¡¯s conclusion would be it was impossible . (That said, it¡¯s still better than my bare hands . ) Thinking to himself, he quickly selected the Mithril Knife from the list in his mind . The next moment, the Mithril Knife appeared in his right hand . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Elk glanced at it without saying anything in particular before attacking with his battle axe again . Rei dodged the horizontal swing of the battle axe by squatting down to the floor . ¡¸Naive-!¡¹ Just as the battle axe went over Rei¡¯s head, with Elk¡¯s shout, purple light shone from the battle axe and lighting struck out towards Rei . But . ¡¸What¡¯s naive¡­¡­is that-!¡¹ With such words, Rei grabbed Elk¡¯s arm that was above him and forcibly slammed Elk, who was over 2m in size, to the ground . ¡¸Gah-!¡¹ Even though his back in the floor, Elk still didn¡¯t let go of his battle axe . On the contrary, more purple electricity sparked out from the battle axe, slamming into Rei . ¡¸I told you . You¡¯re too¡­¡­naive!¡¹ A Rei continued to hold onto Elk¡¯s right arm, lifting him up and slamming him onto the floor . Again and again and again and again . Elk¡¯s mistake was that he didn¡¯t know about the quality of Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe . The power required to break through the defenses of a robe made from the skin and scales of a dragon that had lived for a long time was something that couldn¡¯t be done even with the magic item that was the origin of the party name Axe of the Thunder God . ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s going on!¡¹ ¡¸Oi, what the hell!?¡¹ A few people appeared at the entrance to the room after hearing screams of a woman from the hallway, Rei¡¯s roar or the sounds of fighting from the 6 tatami sized room . And what they saw was the diminutive Rei grabbing Elk¡¯s arm and slamming the 2m tall Elk onto the ground endlessly . Looking at the scene from that angle, it looked like Rei was one-sidely attacking Elk . The fact that Elk was a famous and popular person in Gilm was also a factor . Even though Rei was also famous among adventurers, he was famous in a bad way . Because of that¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, what are you doing! Release Elk!¡¹ The first man to rush in was well built and tried to hold Rei down as he was about to slam Elk to the ground again . Of course, he wasn¡¯t at a level where he could stop Rei . But he did manage to distract Rei¡­¡­ ¡¸Uoooooh-!¡¹ Elk shook his right arm that was grabbed by Rei as he gave an angry roar . At that moment, Rei was only able to fracture Elk¡¯s right wrist as Elk broke free of Rei¡¯s grip on him . ¡¸Ah!¡¹ Despite frowning slightly at the pain, Elk jumped up from the floor . He rushed to attack Rei, who was currently fighting the man who was trying to hold him down, while not releasing his grip on the Axe of the Thunder God even with his fractured wrist . At that point, the people who had come over finally realised the situation . It was Rei who had attacked Elk, but Elk who had attacked Rei . ¡¸Eh? Wai- Elk!?¡¹ The man that was struggling with Rei was surprised¡­¡­¡­¡­to be exact, he gave a shout asking what was going on as Elk swung his battle axe towards Rei . However, nothing would stop Elk at this point . The man¡¯s cheeks twitched in fear as the battle axe was turned towards him . ¡¸Tch, you¡¯re in the way!¡¹ Rei, who was struggling with the man, forcibly shoved away the hand that was trying to hold him down and kicked him away . At the same time, Rei used the recoil to move towards the window to get away from Elk, who was approaching him with battle axe in hand, before breaking the glass and jumping out . Yes, if he couldn¡¯t use the long weapons he was good at in the room, Rei just had to move to a place where he could use them . The problem was that Rei¡¯s room was on the second floor, but jumping down from that height would be perfectly fine with Rei¡¯s physical ability . He landed on the ground, killed the impact and immediately turned around¡­¡­looking towards his room . What he then saw was Elk jumping out the same window as he had several seconds ago . ¡¸¡­¡­Tch, is there any way to make him give up?¡¹ Rei took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring as he clicked his tongue . As Elk landed on the ground, like Rei, he killed the impact of his landing . Indeed, as expected of an A rank adventurer . ¡¸I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re trying to kill me . But, if you are, then you¡¯re prepared to lose your own, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . ¡¹ Elk gave a short grunt in reply . Seeing that and seeing the distress in Elk¡¯s eyes, Rei frowned slightly . (What¡¯s his reason? That said, it¡¯s not easy to take advantage or capture someone with Elk¡¯s ability . And if they could, why would they release him to make him fight me¡­¡­wait . Why is Elk here? I know Rhodes wouldn¡¯t be here because he¡¯s not a match for me . However, Min is an A rank adventurer and a skilled mage herself . And, she can also stop Elk, who can sometimes get out of control . Why isn¡¯t Min here? Could that be possible? In that case, maybe¡­¡­) ¡¸That¡¯s why, put your life on the line Rei! If you don¡¯t, you will die!¡¹ Elk¡¯s shout cut off Rei¡¯s thoughts as he dashed forward, swiftly closing the distance and swinging the Axe of the Thunder God horizontally like a whirlwind . Like Rei, who couldn¡¯t use his main weapon in his room, it was probably the same for Elk . The speed of his charge was incomparable to when he had been fighting inside earlier . ¡¸Yes, yes, that¡¯s what I want to see you do!¡¹ Rei also swung his Death Scythe, intercepting Elk¡¯s Axe of the Thunder God . The sun had already set and the collisions between the scythe and axe scattered sparks into the darkness of the surrounding night . At the same time, lightning sparks ran through the axe . ¡¸Tch-!¡¹ Elk¡¯s miscalculation was Rei¡¯s strength and the weight of the Death Scythe itself . Elk was confident in his own strength and his favoured magic item . But even though he was swinging his party¡¯s namesake, the Axe of the Thunder God, he lost out in power, weapon weight and speed of the weapon swing . Still, because of Elk¡¯s high skill, he was able to fight Rei without being being blown away by a single attack like most of Rei¡¯s enemies up until this point . Rei¡¯s miscalculation was that Elk¡¯s Axe of the Thunder God was a higher level magic item than he had expected and could clash with the Death Scythe straight on . Initially, he had tried to cut the Axe of the Thunder God with the magic empowered Death Scythe . But, empowered by the purple lightning, the Axe of the Thunder God was able to match the magic empowered Death Scythe . There were miscalculations on both sides, but the state of the fight remained in Rei¡¯s favour . Nevertheless, Rei was aware of Elk¡¯s odd behaviour, and for that reason, didn¡¯t intend to finish the fight even though it was in his favour . As he blocked an attack from the Axe of the Thunder God, Rei whispered to Elk as he watched his eyes . ¡¸Elk, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this, but I have a rough idea as Min isn¡¯t here . ¡¹ For a moment when the scythe and axe collided, yes¡­¡­only for a moment, Elk¡¯s face cramped and hesitation showed in his eyes . And, Rei, who was observing Elk¡¯s face closely, couldn¡¯t miss his momentary movements . (I thought so . Min and Rhodes were probably captured and taken hostage or something, and the condition for their release¡­¡­is my life . ) Even while thinking that, Rei and Elk continued to fight with scythe and axe . Each time, sparks and purple electricity would scatter around . The people who had gathered at Rei¡¯s room watched the fight in the garden from the inn . The reason they didn¡¯t go out was because they knew that if they interfered with that fight, they would die . (He won¡¯t stop attacking even when I said that, but he¡¯s not trying to kill me anymore like at the beginning . In that case, maybe¡­¡­) Rei whispered again when the Death Scythe and the Axe of the Thunder God clashed again in an exchange that held no blood lust . ¡¸There¡¯s someone watching you, isn¡¯t there?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Elk was surprised at Rei¡¯s words, but nodded immediately . Seeing that, they both jumped back at the same time to make some distance while keeping close to each other . (Well then, in order to end this farce, I¡¯ll have to deal with his watcher first . Fortunately, this is the backyard of the inn and the stables are just around the corner . ) After taking some distance, they immediately dashed forward again, fighting with their scythe and axe . At first glance, they seemed to be fighting seriously . As the Death Scythe was swung, Elk parried the grim reaper¡¯s blade with with the blade of the Axe of the Thunder God, pushing it aside before releasing purple lightning as a counter . However, the two of them were exchanging information as they struck each other with scythe and axe . It turned out that Min and Rhodes had been taken hostage and Elk had been forced to fight . One of the people who was holding Min and Rhodes hostage had entered Gilm along with Elk to watch him and this fight . The total number of enemies were small as there were only four of them and one was sent to watch him . The two hostages were currently in the city of Abuero . With that information, Rei gave some quick instructions to Elk as they struck each other . ¡¸Listen up, I¡¯ll attack you with a big swing . You avoid it and hit me with an attack that will blow me away . Hit me towards the stables . I¡¯ll ask Set to look for your watcher . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can you do it? They are good at hiding in the dark . It¡¯s hard to find them . ¡¹ Rei nodded lightly as he used the Death Scythe to parry the Axe of the Thunder God, which had been swung at him from below . ¡¸Yes . Set has good night vision, and above all, he¡¯s the most realiable helper at this point in time . ¡­¡­You ready?¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped . I can only rely on you . ¡­¡­Please . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Elk, who had a remorseful expression . ¡¸Now then¡­¡­let¡¯s finish this!¡¹ Loudly declaring it so that it could be heard by the watcher, Rei swung out horizontally with the Death Scythe . Elk avoided it by ducking close to the ground and swung the Axe of the Thunder God from that position¡­¡­Rei blocked it with the handle of the Death Scythe, but was blown away by the attack, as if pushed away by Elk¡¯s strength, and crashed into the stables . Chapter 246 Chapter 246 ¡¸¡­¡­Phew . ¡¹ Rei, blown into the stables by Elk¡¯s attack, sighed as he brushed off the dust and straw off his robe before heading over to Set, who tilted his head . ¡¸Set, I need you to do a favour for me . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru?¡¹ What? Set seemed to ask . Rei quickly explained the situation to Set . Elk¡¯s wife and son, Min and Rhodes, had been taken hostage . And, they were used to threaten Elk to try to kill Rei . The number of enemies seemed to be small and only one of them had come to Gilm to watch Elk and stop him from betraying them . And, that person was probably watching Elk from somewhere nearby . ¡¸Magic items like farsight crystals were very expensive and there were ways to block them if you notice it . Given that, the watcher is probably observing with his own eyes and not with some kind of magic item . So Set, find and capture the watcher . I want you to take him alive if you can, but he tries to escape, you can kill him . Can I leave it to you?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set nodded, saying leave it to me . Swiftly stroking his head, Rei swung his Death Scythe towards the back wall of the stables . The wall was cut without a sound and a hole just the right size for Set to leave was opened up . ¡¸Okay, I¡¯m going to head out of the stables and start fighting Elk again . That will get the attention of the observer, so you have to get out during that gap . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ When he saw Set nod, Rei took a short and deep breath . And¡­¡­started running towards Elk through the hole in the stables he had been knocked through . The other horses and tamed animals which were in the stables during this series of events were surprised and making a lot of noise, but probably because they had become accustomed to Set, none of them tried to run away . ¡¸Uooooh-!¡¹ Rei jumped out of the stables with a loud cry to attract the watcher¡¯s attention . Elk also have a loud shout, holding the Axe of the Thunder God to intercept Rei . ¡¸Come on! Let¡¯s play this game!¡¹ In response, Rei swung his Death Scythe in a swift attack . Elk was simply inferior in pure strength and weapon weight . There was no way to withstand that attack, which had increased power with the addition of the run up, and was blasted away like a pinball . Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t roll along the ground but corrected his posture and stood back up before sliding along the ground . Elk gave a sharp look towards Rei . Fortunately, there hadn¡¯t been any buildings, trees or rocks in the direction he had been blasted towards . If there had been, Elk would have been severely hurt if not fatally injured . ¡¸Tch, this stupid strength . You¡¯ve got to do something about this . ¡¹ Being chased, Elk frowned as he muttered as he parried the blade of the Death Scythe that was swung again as he stamped his feet on the ground . ¡¸Huh, what are you talking about? If your watcher finds out you¡¯re faking it, you¡¯re the one in trouble, not me . ¡¹ Rei replied as their weapons clashed closely . Inverting the blade and handle of the Death Scythe, Rei used it as a lever and flicked it up towards Elk . ¡¸Uoh-!¡¹ Elk sensed the stones flying towards his chin and tried to block the Death Scythe with the handle of the Axe of the Thunder God¡­¡­ ¡¸Bah-!¡¹ Unable to compete with Rei¡¯s strength, his axe was able to block the stones, but he was still launched 3m into the air . Elk was desperate to right himself in the air, but Rei didn¡¯t give him that time . Elk was blown away like a pinball again by the attack of the Death Scythe, which was swung horizontally . Still, he did manage to block the attack with the Axe of the Thunder God . Elk stuck his feet into the ground to kill the impact as he used his hand that wasn¡¯t holding his axe to balance himself . He managed to recover his balance without falling to the ground . Elk suddenly felt killing intent and once again thrust the Axe of the Thunder God to his size to block the attack of the Death Scythe, which collided with a high pitched metallic sound . ¡¸Hey, aren¡¯t you overdoing it? Just now, if it hadn¡¯t been me, that person would have been split in two!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because it¡¯s you . Also, I¡¯ve never had a straight fight with someone as famous as you in this city . I¡¯ll take this opportunity to experience your fighting skills, which are said to be one of the best in Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, hey, hey, this isn¡¯t the time to do this . ¡¹ As they were locked in close combat, Elk struck out with his knee . Avoiding that, Rei kicked out towards Elk¡¯s ankle . In addition to that, the two of them struck out with their unarmed hands as they continued to fight at close distance . Even though they were fighting each other in such a fight, they continued to talk as if they were just complaining to each other . ¡¸In any case, as long as you¡¯re still being watched, you have to fight seriously to some extent . In that case, it would be better for you to think of this as a rather thorough combat train¡­¡­ning!¡¹ Scraping the ground with the handle of the Death Scythe, Rei shot out what could be called frozen dirt, made by the wet ground freezing over at night, towards Elk¡¯s face . ¡¸Guh, t-this!¡¹ Although he could turn his face away to avoid it, naturally, that would leave an opportunity¡­¡­ ¡¸Haaah-!¡¹ ¡¸Tch, as if I¡¯ll let you do that!¡¹ Elk listened for the sound of the Death Scythe being swung and used his reflexive instinct to bring the Axe of the Thunder God to the side of his head . However¡­¡­the next moment, Elk felt an attack so light that it couldn¡¯t be considered an attack from Rei . The sound of collision with the Axe of the Thunder God was very light . ¡¸What? Guh-!¡¹ The attack he received at his head was light, but that was only a feint . At the light contact between the Axe of the Thunder God and the handle of the Death Scythe, Elk frowned his eyebrows, but the next moment, he tried to defend his lower body with his weapon . He was struck by a strong attack from the side and was blown away sideways . A man¡­¡­a man who was built with a hefty amount of muscle was blown away . For those who saw that, it seemed like a dream or something . Of course, it wasn¡¯t a happy dream, but a nightmare . ¡¸Geh, geha, geha¡­¡­huh, huh¡­¡­¡¹ Elk was blown away, scraping the ground as it happened, but this was as expected of a rank A adventurer . Smashing the Axe of the Thunder God into the ground, he killed his momentum and stopped on the spot . ¡¸Hou, can you still fight? As expected of you, should I say . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t feel good being told that by you . My ribs were almost completely destroyed . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, you jumped backwards to kill the impact, but¡­¡­huh?¡¹ Rei was talking to Elk, who was holding his left side, when he suddenly turned to look towards the darkness of the night . It might have also caught his attention . Elk followed Rei¡¯s gaze . At the same time, the spectators watching the fight also followed Rei¡¯s gaze . ¡¸It looks like you managed to do it . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ It was Set and not a person who answered his voice . From the dark sky, with little sound, a pair of wings flapped as Set landed into the garden area of the inn where Rei and Elk were . However, what was different from usual was that Set¡¯s left and right foreclaws were holding what seemed to be a person clothed in black . ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ Elk murmured when he saw the man in black that Set was holding onto . ¡¸Is this the watcher you were talking about?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Elk looked at the face of the man placed on the ground by Set and gave a small nod in silence . ¡¸Ah, there¡¯s no mistake . When I entered the city, he came with me and told me not to do anything strange . The guards should have a record of that . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Elk¡¯s words before searching the man¡¯s clothes . ¡¸Hey, what are you doing? Don¡¯t tell me you have that kind of hobby?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t . If he has some magic item for communication, even if we caught him, wouldn¡¯t it still be dangerous?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Elk held his breath when he thought about the possibility . And, as he stared at the man¡¯s face¡­¡­before long, Elk grasped his Axe of the Thunder God tightly . ¡¸Stop it . ¡¹ His hand was grabbed and stopped by Rei . ¡¸Why! This guy¡­¡­those guys! They took Rhodes hostage to capture Min, and then they used both of them as hostages and ordered me to kill you! Why would you protect such a guy!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not trying to protect him . ¡¹ Contrary to Elk, who was furious, Rei¡¯s gaze was cool . No, it might have been better to describe them as cold than cool . ¡¸-!?¡¹ As Elk looked into Rei¡¯s eyes, he involuntarily took a few steps back . Quite literally, Rei felt nothing about the man in black . It was clear that he treated the man just like a stone on the roadside . ¡¸Wait here for a moment . ¡¹ Leaving Elk, who held his breath after Rei looked at him, Rei went towards the inn and called out to the people in his room . ¡¸Hey! I¡¯m sorry, but please call the guards!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve already called them! But, what happened to Elk-san!¡¹ The man who responded was the one who had tried to hold Rei down earlier . He seemed to be quite sturdy and didn¡¯t look like he had taken any injuries after being kicked away by Rei . His voice held genuine worry about Elk but no apology for holding Rei down . For the man, Elk may have held more weight than Rei, but even so, Rei couldn¡¯t hold down his slight unhappiness . ¡¸It seems he was being threatened by that guy . Thanks for calling the guards . ¡¹ After saying that, Rei turned away from the man, who seemed to want to hear more, before going back to Elk . Elk was glaring at the man in black . Set sat next to him, ready to stop Elk at any time if he tried to do anything . Rubbing Set¡¯s head, Rei called out to Elk . ¡¸It looks like the guards have already been called . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s good, but I can¡¯t understand why you would hand him over . ¡¹ ¡¸You killing him in anger while he¡¯s unconscious or passing him to the knights through the guards and will get as much information as we can out of him . ¡­¡­Which one would be more painful?¡¹ Elk reacted with a twitch at Rei¡¯s words . Maybe he didn¡¯t expect Rei to say that, he turned to look at Rei with wide eyes . Feeling Elk¡¯s eyes, Rei spoke with a smile that didn¡¯t have a care in the world . ¡¸And, it¡¯s not hard to guess where this guy is from . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Elk turned his eyes to Rei, showing that he wouldn¡¯t let Rei just stop there . His eyes weren¡¯t as surprised as before but emitted a sharp light like a bird of prey that had found its target . ¡¸Where is he from?¡¹ ¡¸Do you know what you¡¯re going to do once you know?¡¹ ¡¸I have decided . ¡­¡­I will make them regret touching Min and Rhodes . ¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, it will be difficult . No matter how strong you are, if you attacked a nation, you would still be caught and dealt with . ¡¹ ¡¸A nation? You don¡¯t mean¡­¡­¡¹ Rei¡¯s words made Elk frown . Elk had been living in Gilm for a long time . And he knew about the various incidents that had happened in the city in the past year . It hadn¡¯t be publicised by the knights or guards that another nation had been pulling the strings behind the scenes, but it was still impossible to hide it from everyone . In particular, the Axe of the Thunder God was an A rank party . Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t take the collection of information lightly . It was mainly Min that was in charge of information collection and Elk would usually just hear about it later . However, in the several stories he had heard, he knew about the enemy that had been plotting against Gilm multiple times . Namely¡­¡­ ¡¸The Bestir Empire . ¡¹ The Dusk Wheat¡¯s garden was wrapped in darkness . Elk¡¯s abhorrent murmurs were only heard by Rei and Set . Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Seeing Elk glare at his watcher on the ground with semi murderous eyes, Rei called out to him again . ¡¸So, what do we do now?¡¹ ¡¸What do we do? That¡¯s already been decided . We¡¯ll deliver him to the guards and immediately head to Abuero to rescue Min and Rhodes . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s impossible . ¡¹ Rei cut Elk¡¯s words . When he heard that, Elk turned his semi murderous eyes towards Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­Why?¡¹ ¡¸Think carefully about it . It¡¯s about a day to travel to Abuero . Even if you rush there without caring for the state of the horse, it will still take half a day . By that time, if the man in charge of watching you still hasn¡¯t made regular contact with them, Min and Rhodes will be killed . That¡¯s what I think of it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸More to the point, you¡¯ve broken a few ribs . You could use potions and healing magic to heal them, but you¡¯re still not in good shape . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you tell me that, you¡¯re the one who caused those injuries . ¡¹ Elk sighed with a bitter smile . ¡¸But then, what do we do? Do I just have to shut up and let them kill Min and Rhodes?¡¹ ¡¸No one said that . There are a few steps we have to take first . ¡­¡­Well, for example, heading to Abuero . Fortunately, with Set, it will only take a few hours . Even if they make regular contact, if it¡¯s only for that duration, we should be able to deceive them?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . I think so as well . ¡¹ A bearded man with a gentle expression interrupted the conversation between Rei and Elk . It was Ranga, the captain of the guards, who Rei was familiar with . Behind him were about five guards . ¡¸Ranga¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, you¡¯re at the center of this trouble again . ¡¹ Ranga gave a bitter smile as he looked at Rei . Rei simply shrugged his shoulders as he turned towards the man in black . ¡¸I can¡¯t help it . In the first place, they¡¯re trying to kill me . Isn¡¯t it the job of the guards to take care of suspicious people before they enter the city?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say something so absurd . He came in with Elk, an A rank adventurer you know? We can¡¯t refuse entry or arrest him without any evidence . ¡¹ It was hard to fault their carelessness when it had been a A rank adventurer who was based in their city . While saying that much, Ranga gave orders to his subordinates to restrain the man in black . ¡¸Now then, I would like to hear as many details about the events as possible¡­¡­¡¹ Ranga looked at Elk and Rei, but quickly shook his head after seeing that it was impossible . That was because Rei and Elk were arguing . ¡¸Then lend me Set . There shouldn¡¯t be any problems . ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a lot of problems . First of all, you¡¯re too heavy . Set will definitely be tired out and won¡¯t be able to move by the time you get to Abuero . Rather, in the worst case, he might even be exhausted before arriving at Abuero . ¡¹ Compared to Rei, Elk¡¯s body was much larger and was filled with muscle . In addition, he wore leather armour made from monster skin and carried the Axe of the Thunder God, a huge weapon, though not as large as the Death Scythe . All together, Rei guessed that Elk weighed over 150kg . ¡¸Then what should I do¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, why don¡¯t I go in that case?¡¹ ¡¸Wait! Min and Rhodes have been taken hostage you know!? If you¡¯re going to help, it¡¯s natural that I should go as well!¡¹ ¡¸I already said, that¡¯s impossible . It¡¯s out of the question for you to ride on Set . The only way Set can fly around without getting tired is when I¡¯m riding him . ¡¹ Listening in to the two of them, Ranga frowned when he understood the general situation . It was very unfortunate that a famous A rank adventurer from Gilm had his family taken hostage by the enemy . ¡¸But your scythe should weigh a lot right? At worst, it should be tens of times heavier than my Axe of the Thunder God . ¡¹ ¡¸The Death Scythe has a weight reducing effect for its user . In other words, as long as I hold it, Set won¡¯t feel its weight . ¡¹ To be more precise, Set and the Death Scythe were both created by the Magic Beast Art and had a magical connection . This allowed Set to carry the Death Scythe almost at lightly as Rei . But, Rei couldn¡¯t explain that as he was still hiding the Magic Beast Art . But, even when told that, he still couldn¡¯t convince Elk . Elk was silent for a few seconds before he spoke up again . ¡¸Even if you went to Abuero, you don¡¯t know where his friends are hiding, right?¡¹ ¡¸You say that, but isn¡¯t it the same for you Elk?¡¹ ¡¸No, I stopped by Abuero before coming here . I saw Min and Rhodes then, so I know where they are . ¡¹ ¡¸Then just tell me . Also, I don¡¯t think they would underestimate you since you are an A rank adventurer . Maybe they¡¯ve moved from where they met you . In that case, your meeting place could only be used as reference . ¡¹ One after another, Rei denied Elk¡¯s reasons and Elk eventually went silent when he could no longer defend his reasoning . Ranga was silently watching them, but spoke up after seeing Elk go quiet . ¡¸As a guard, I would like to hear the situation on what is happening from someone who knows what is going on . ¡­¡­How about this? Why don¡¯t you talk to the guild master about it?¡¹ ¡¸The guild master?¡¹ At Ranga¡¯s unexpected words, Elk asked . However, Rei, who knew that the guild masters had a magic item that allowed them to communicate with each other, nodded without saying anything in particular . Elk knew that guild branches could communicate with each other of course . However, he was basically in charge of fighting and all the difficult things were usually left to his wife, Min, so he hadn¡¯t really thought about it . ¡¸Yes . The guild master can also contact Abuero¡¯s guild master . That way, while Rei-kun is riding on Set to Abuero, you can use the guild thieves to investigate and carry out rescue operations immediately . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . It looks like I won¡¯t be able to go to Abuero either way . ¡­¡­Rei, can I leave it to you?¡¹ After closing his eyes for a few seconds, Elk turned to look at Rei . Despite his ribs being broken, Rei couldn¡¯t see any pain on Elk¡¯s face . ¡¸I know I have no right to ask you this after trying to kill you . If you can help Min and Rhodes, I¡¯ll compensate you with whatever you want . If you want a magic item, I¡¯ll give you the Axe of the Thunder God . If you can¡¯t forgive me, I¡¯ll give my life . So¡­¡­please! Min, Rhodes¡­¡­please save them both, they mean everything to me!¡¹ An A rank adventurer and the Axe of the Thunder God . Even in Gilm, Elk was loved by many adventurers for his generosity and carefree personality . Of course, just considering his skill, he was one of the best in Gilm . In the entire Mireana Kingdom, he would still be at the top, just below S rank adventurers . But such a man had thrown away his pride and was bowing sincerely to a boy even younger than his own son . The spectators who were watching from Rei¡¯s room in the inn and the guards who came with Ranga all gasped at the unexpected sight . They couldn¡¯t believe it . Was this really happening? And Rei, who Elk was bowing towards, sighed as he felt the gazes of all the people around him . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . It¡¯s not like Min and Rhodes are strangers to me . I¡¯ll definitely rescue them¡­¡­I can¡¯t say that, but I will do everything I can . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸In addition?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing . ¡¹ Ranga asked Rei . But when Rei shook his head slightly, he didn¡¯t pursue further . (The Bestir Empire has been messing around with me again and again . No, to be exact, should I say that I¡¯ve been messing up their plans? They must have become quite angry about it and decided to do something about me¡­¡­but they¡¯re too naive . I¡¯ll mess up their plans this time as well . And they will pay the price for threatening the people I know . The countdown to the war with the Bestir Empire starts now, their soldiers will pay in blood, flesh and anguish . ) ¡¸The, shall we head to the guild first? Let¡¯s get Guild Master Marina to get in contact with Abuero . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I think it¡¯s better to act than to just think about things here . Rei, let¡¯s go!¡¹ As soon as Rei said that, Elk grabbed Rei¡¯s arm and started to drag him into the city . ¡¸Hey, wait, wait! It¡¯s fine to go now, but what are you going to do about my room! There¡¯s a hole in the wall you know!?¡¹ ¡¸-, that¡¯s true . Um¡­¡­Ranga, could I leave that to you?¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­¡­I understand . I¡¯ll explain it to the innkeeper . Although I¡¯ll need more details from you later, it¡¯s fine for now . Regarding repair costs¡­¡­¡¹ Ranga directed his gaze towards Elk . He probably understood what Ranga meant . Elk spoke without hesitation . ¡¸Ah . Use this . ¡¹ Saying that, he took a coin out from the cloth pouch at his waist and tossed it to one of Ranga¡¯s subordinates . Just one coin? Ranga¡¯s subordinate frowned, thinking that it was just a small sum from Elk . But, he suddenly took in a sharp breath when he saw that the coin was a light gold coin . ¡¸C-C-CCCaptain!?¡¹ The voice was almost like a shriek . That was because that amount of money was enough for a family of 4 to live comfortably for 10 years . If they lived modestly, a light gold coin would allow them to live without working for 30 years . It was no wonder that such a voice would be heard . ¡¸Elk-san, don¡¯t you think this is too much?¡¹ Seeing the light gold coin, Ranga gave a bitter smile . But Elk shook his head . ¡¸No . This is the city¡¯s most famous high class inn and I started a big fight in it . Given its reputation, it can¡¯t be helped . ¡¹ Even as an A rank adventurer, it wasn¡¯t easy to earn a light gold coin . But for Elk, who had caused all this trouble for his own purpose, he thought that this kind of expense was a matter of course . Still, it was obviously too much, but it was probably a side effect from leaving his party¡¯s money management completely to Min . ¡¸¡­¡­Haa, I understand . If you say that much, I won¡¯t say anything more . You, give this light gold coin to the inn manager and tell them about the situation . Please remind them that Rei-kun is not at fault for this situation . ¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes! I understand!¡¹ Ranga¡¯s subordinate headed towards the inn while holding the light gold coin with both hands, as if he were afraid of dropping it . Seeing him off and deciding that it was fine, Ranga turned to Elk and Rei again before speaking up . ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go to the guild . We have to take action as soon as possible to rescue Elk¡¯s family . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Elk, Rei and Set nodded in order before heading to the guild, led by Ranga . On the way to the guild, there was a spectacle when Rei forced Elk to drink a potion, that was said to be completely unpalatable, as a form of punishment and healing¡­¡­Elk, who had no choice, drank the potion halfheartedly . Night time at the adventurers guild . Inside, the noise was about the same as during the day . The bar inside the guild had more guests than when the sun was up . They were making noise and drinking as if to forget the winter weather . And in contrast to the bar was the guild counter . Even during the day there were few people . It was even harder to find people around there at night . Occasionally, there would be some people around due to financial reasons but fortunately there were none today . ¡¸Oh? Isn¡¯t it Elk? What happened? And Rei as well¡­¡­hey, even the captain of the guards? Did something happen?¡¹ As expected, since it was night time, the person at the counter was not Lenora or Kenny, who were the guild¡¯s flowers, but one of the male guild staff . It was a rare combination of people to enter the guild and the man looked at the three of them and the guards with a surprised expression . ¡¸Ahh, it¡¯s a bit troublesome . Sorry, but I would like to meet with the guild master . ¡¹ ¡¸The guild master? ¡­¡­It seems like it¡¯s something serious . ¡¹ At Elk¡¯s words, the guild staff looked at the faces of all the people standing there . Rei was calm without any trace of disturbance . Ranga¡¯s expression was slightly strained . And Elk had a tense expression, unlike how he was usually . After seeing the three of them like that, the guild staff member immediately came to the conclusion that it wasn¡¯t a small matter and went to look for the guild master . Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Legend Chapter 248 They walked up the stairs that could only be accessed from behind the guild counter . On behalf of the three of them, Ranga knocked on the door at the top of the stairs . On that note, only three people were here . Ranga, Elk and Rei . One of Ranga¡¯s subordinates was waiting near the counter in the case of an emergency, one had gone to report the incident to the lord¡¯s residence and one had gone to the headquarters of the guards and knights . That said, aside from the guard headquarters, most of the knights were basically stationed at the Lords¡¯s residence . ¡¸I¡¯m Ranga, the captain of the guards, guild master . I have an urgent request, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t mind, come in . ¡¹ Ranga opened the door when he heard the voice from inside the room . What immediately came into view was a Dark Elf clothed in a skimpy dress, exposing her brown skin as if she were showing off . Marina Ariansa . The guild master who handled the adventurers guild branch in Gilm, on the outskirts of the Mireana Kingdom . The adventurers that gathered in the remote city of Gilm were among the most energetic and rowdy in many ways . Especially among the low rank adventurers, there were a large number of rough people . The person who kept them all in line was Marina Ariansa . Eyes that held high intellect while wearing provocative clothes . High magic power that was a characteristic of the Dark Elves . A person with superb skills as an archer and a former A rank adventurer . ¡¸So, I heard you say it was something urgent¡­¡­but what is it? It¡¯s late at night, but the three of you still came to the guild . It must be a big incident then?¡¹ Elk took a step forward as Marina spoke with with the feeling that she wouldn¡¯t tolorate any trivial business . She may have met with Rei before, but as expected of the guild master of Gilm, she was able to take a firm stance against them, despite sensing Rei¡¯s overwhelming magic power . ¡¸I will explain . Actually¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Elk explained what had happened to him . His party members, and at the same time his family, Min and Rhodes, had been caught by a man in black at a port town where they had been staying at to stay away from the cold of winter . And, after they were taken hostage, Elk was ordered to kill Rei in Gilm . He had come back to Gilm with one of the men watching him and tried to kill Rei . But with Rei¡¯s quick wit, they were able to get Set to capture the man and neutralise him . Min and Rhodes were currently held hostage in Abuero . After saying everything, Elk bowed his head forcefully . ¡¸Guild master, please! I need your help!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Marina silently watched Elk bow his head . Rei and Ranga were quiet, but they both seemed to feel something radiating something from Marina¡¯s body . In fact, if anyone could perceive magic at that location, their cheeks would twitch . The magic power of nearly 10 ordinary human mages was being emitted from her . ¡¸Fufu~, fufufu~ . Really, using an adventurer who could be called the figurehead of my guild branch to try to kill a promising up and coming adventurer¡­¡­to do something like that . ¡¹ ¡¸G-Guild master?¡¹ Elk, who had his head bowed down, felt something abnormal . He raised his head and called out as his cheeks twitched . In fact, Marina was really angry this time . For Marina, a long lived member of the Dark Elves, the adventurers of Gilm were something for her to protect, so to speak . They had tried to kill Rei, someone under her protection, and threatened Elk, who was also someone under her protection . In this particular case, it didn¡¯t matter that Rei had more magic power than Marina . As long as she was the guild master, Rei was one of the people under her protection . And in that sense, it was the same for ELk, who was stronger than Marina in pure physical combat . ¡¸¡­¡­Fine then . If they¡¯re trying to pick a fight with my guild, then I¡¯ll play along with them . ¡¹ Muttering to herself, Marina gave a smile that was fierce and dangerous but still enticing . Gulp . When Rei heard that sound, he looked to his side and saw Ranga, who seemed to have lost his soul looking at Marina . ¡¸Elk, Rei . What do you want from me?¡¹ Elk hesitated for a moment after being looked at fiercely . However, he immediately spoke back up . ¡¸Min and Rhodes are currently being held hostage in Abuero . We want you to contact the guild branch there and find out where they are held . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, no problem . I¡¯ve taken care of the guild master there for various things in the past, so he shouldn¡¯t mind this sudden request . ¡¹ Marina immediately nodded at Elk¡¯s request . In fact, because Marina was from the Dark Elf race that lived much longer than humans, she had a much wider network of relations than most humans . Her connections were so great partially because of her fame as an adventurer . She also held confidence that the other party would accept her sudden request . ¡¸Then, what are you going to do?¡¹ At Marina¡¯s words, Rei spoke up . ¡¸I¡¯ll be flying on Set to Abuero . If possible, I want to clear this all up tonight . If we take our time, they might use some other strange tricks again . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . The fastest pair in the city right now is definitely Rei and Set . Let¡¯s go with that then, wait a moment . ¡¹ Marina promptly decided and nodded at Rei . She reached out to crystal placed on her work desk and poured her magic power into it . The crystal connected to another crystal she wanted and the face of another person was projected via magic power . ¡¸Hm? Marina-san . What¡¯s happened for you to call at this time?¡¹ What was reflected in the crystal was a shabby looking man in his 50¡¯s . The man hadn¡¯t been a talented adventurer but a former merchant who was selected as guild master to form a connection between Gilm, which was at the frontier, and Abuero, which was just outside the frontier, in light of his organisational management skills . In his youthful merchanthood, Marina had worked as an escort for him . He had also served as an intermediary for special magic items made by the Dark Elves and materials used to make them . He had also been someone attracted to Marina . Having been helped out by Marina and her party members, Diarog and Seis, he usually wouldn¡¯t go against what any of them said . ¡¸It¡¯s been a long time, Tirage . I¡¯d like to talk but I¡¯ll leave that for later and get straight to the point . Do you know the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course . Our city has been indebted to them numerous times . ¡¹ If Gilm was at the frontier of the Mireana Kingdom, then Abuero was the city closest to the frontier . Naturally, the probability of being attacked by violent monsters that were native to the frontier was much higher than in other cities . Because of that, the city had been attacked by monsters several times before and rare species had also made appearances . The Axe of the Thunder God had resolved those issues several times before . Rei nodded at Elk¡¯s explanation . ¡¸You know Elk then right? A member of Axe of the Thunder God . ¡¹ As she said that, Marina moved the crystal towards Elk . On the other side of the crystal, Tirage nodded slightly . ¡¸Yes, of course . It¡¯s been a long time Elk-san . And I believe you¡¯re the captain of the guards¡­¡­who¡¯s the other child?¡¹ Tirage looked towards Rei, who he was seeing for the first time . It was Marina and not Rei who answered that question . Basically, she didn¡¯t want to waste time by letting Rei answer, who had questionable manners when talking to his seniors . ¡¸That¡¯s Rei . I wonder if the information has reached Abuero yet? He¡¯s Gilm¡¯s famous rookie who holds the record for the shortest time to get to rank C after registering with Gilm¡¯s adventurers guild . ¡¸Oh, come to think of it . He¡¯s the one with the Griffon following him everywhere¡­¡­no, I really envy you, Marina-san . Promising newcomers one after another¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ll leave that discussion for later . I don¡¯t have the time for it right now . ¡¹ Marina interrupted Tirage¡¯s words . From that alone, he probably understood that something was going on . In the first place, it was late at night and those that slept early were already all asleep . When he was contacted through the magic item crystal at this hour of the night, he had already expected that something had happened . It just happened that the issue was more urgent that even what Tirage was expecting . ¡¸¡­¡­Let¡¯s hear it from you . ¡¹ Seeing Tirage¡¯s expression change, Marina spoke with a serious expression as well as she spoke without her usual mood . ¡¸Right now, Elk¡¯s party members, his wife and son, are being held hostage by some group . He was threatened and told to kill Rei if he wanted them to live . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸Well, fortunately, his watcher who came to Gilm with him was caught by Rei¡¯s cleverness . But after capturing him, I want to deal with the rest as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . So the rest of the group and Elk¡¯s family members are in Abuero?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that is the case . I¡¯m going to send Rei over, so would you be able to gather some information before he arrives?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Starting right now? Wouldn¡¯t it be faster for us to move directly?¡¹ At Marina¡¯s words, which seemed to be insulting the guild of Abuero, Tirage frowned slightly . But that wasn¡¯t surprising . If he took Marina¡¯s words at face value, it meant that they couldn¡¯t solve it with their own strength so she would lend hers . Guessing that, Marina shook her head lightly . ¡¸This time, it¡¯s probably the Bestir Empire¡¯s underground forces . They¡¯ve been crushed by Rei several times, so it seems they¡¯re trying to eliminate him . But Rei is strong . Enough to be called abnormal . That¡¯s why they tried to use Elk, and A rank adventurer . In other words, Rei is used to dealing with the Bestir Empire¡¯s underground forces . I¡¯m afraid there are few people like in Abuero¡¯s guild, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . However, our guild still has a few A rank adventurers and even if they aren¡¯t that strong, it shouldn¡¯t be anything we can¡¯t deal with¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Tirage . Did I say anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹ When Marina cut off his words again, Tirage was silent . Rei, Elk and Ranga just silently observed the conversation . After all, this was currently a conversation between guild masters . Whether they were an A rank adventurer or captain of the guards, they were not eligible to cut into the conversation . It was out of the question for Rei, even if he held the record for the fastest rank up to rank C . Both sides were silent for about a minute . Eventually, Tirage gave a sigh as he lost to Marina¡¯s persistence . ¡¸I understand . I¡¯ve never made a loss when I followed Marina-san¡¯s advice . For now, I will focus on gathering information . ¡¹ ¡¸Good . I¡¯m glad you understand . I will send Rei and Set to you soon, so please use your guild master¡¯s authority to prepare everything in advance . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . I¡¯ll follow what Marina-san says . Any other requests? If it¡¯s something I can do, I¡¯ll agree to it . ¡¹ ¡¸Right¡­¡­let¡¯s see . Rei, is there anything else?¡¹ Hearing Tirage¡¯s words, Marina turned to look at Rei . Since Rei was the one actually going to Abuero, it was better to ask the person himself if he needed anything . ¡¸Let¡¯s see . Previously, when I stopped by Abuero as part of an escort request, I wasn¡¯t allowed to bring Set into the city to avoid disturbing the residents . But this time, we need to launch a surprise attack . It would be helpful if you could do something about that . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Do you mind?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? A-Ah, yes . No problem . I¡¯ll let the guards and the deputy lord know with my authority as guild master . ¡¹ Marina recognised herself as the superior side . Tirage nodded in light surprise when Rei spoke to Marina in a casual tone . Marina didn¡¯t like to use formal speech herself, but she was also one of the strongest Dark Elves around . Because of that, even if he was asked to use casual speech, it was difficult for him . And yet Rei didn¡¯t have any trouble with that¡­¡­it was like he was talking to one of his friends . It might have been at this time that figure of Rei was firmly engraved into Tirage¡¯s mind . Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Legend Chapter 249 ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Please, Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, leave it to me . ¡¹ At the front of Gilm¡¯s main gate, Rei nodded at Ranga and Elk from Set¡¯s back . As expected, he wasn¡¯t able to get permission to fly out of the city on Set from the streets, as he had done on the way to Baar . However, Ranga did lift the restrictions of leaving the city at night with his authority as captain of the guards . However, maybe this was a natural response . After all, their actions had to be discrete . In recent times, Rei had become quite famous in Gilm and would be very noticeable if he flew straight out of the city on Set, even if not many people were out during the night . And, for the spies of the Bestir Empire, who were probably still present in the city, those from the Mireana Kingdom, who were looking to reduce Gilm¡¯s influence and neutrality, Rei¡¯s absence would become an opportunity for them . For now, guild master Marina had been granted permission by the lord, Daska Rowlocks, to expand the city¡¯s barrier and temporarily disable all communication magic items . However, that couldn¡¯t be deployed for long and the situation had to be resolved as soon as possible . Rei didn¡¯t think it was all that complicated, but Marina and Ranga, as the guild master and captain of the guards, decided that it would be better for Rei to leave through the main gate after considering it . In addition, although Elk was worried about Min and Rhodes, maybe he hadn¡¯t thought about the particulars that much, so he didn¡¯t say anything about it . Rei gently stroked Set¡¯s neck as Ranga and Elke watched him . ¡¸Set, to Abuero . Full speed all the way if you can . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a loud cry at Rei¡¯s request and, after a few steps of run up, flapped his wings, stirring up the cold wind and quickly disappearing into the night sky . Ranga gave a silent prayer for the two of them . Elk bowed his head deeply as he saw them off . The seasons were changing from winter to spring, but the nights were still cold . If Rei had been an ordinary human, he would have been so cold that even the roots of he teeth would have been frozen . However, his Dragon Robe could basically nullify extreme temperatures . In addition, Rei¡¯s physical body couldn¡¯t really be called an ordinary human¡¯s and Set was a Griffon, an A rank monster . The two of them flew through the air without any consideration so this level of coldness . Fortunately, there was no snow or rain and the wind wasn¡¯t that strong . Flying through what could be called the pleasant night sky, Rei took out some food from the Misty Ring that could be eaten by hand, such as sandwiches and skewers for him and Set to eat . After all, Elk had attacked after he had returned to his inn for dinner . After communication between the two guild masters had been made and a decision made, there had been no time to eat as the situation had progressed rapidly . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set ate the sandwich Rei gave with with a cry . As Set did that, eating his dinner, he showed off his dexterity by continuing to flap his wings, flying at his fastest speed . At the same time . ¡¸Guru~? Gurururu¡­¡­ . Gururururururu~!¡¹ If a monster with low intelligence or a monster that couldn¡¯t feel the threat from Set recklessly flew over and tried to attack him, Set would use King¡¯s Awe to demonstrate their difference in strength . In addition, with his night vision, Set would actively keep a watch in all directions as he advanced towards Abuero without any hesitation . Set used King¡¯s Awe again as a large bat monster called a Big Bat reckless tried to attack him . As Rei watched it fall to the ground from the intimidation of Set¡¯s magic empowered cry, he found some lights on the ground . The area, where several lights were noticeably gathered, was clearly a place where people lived . ¡¸Set, let¡¯s go down . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set glided down towards the ground . Upon reaching the ground, Set folded his wings and ran along the ground before slowing down . ¡¸Looks like we¡¯ve arrived . ¡¹ There was a huge gate about 100m away . It was definitely the city of Abuero . When Rei had been escorting Alektor¡¯s merchant convoy previously, Set had been denied entry into the city by the guards, surprised by the presence of a Griffon . ¡¸We¡¯ve been waiting for you, rank C adventurer Rei-san . The Griffon you¡¯re the master of is Set, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ A group of people immediately appeared in front of the gate . About 10 adventurers and a guild staff member . ¡¸Yes, have I kept you waiting in the cold?¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it . The guild master said there are lives on the line . ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but could you show me your guild card? Procedures are still procedures . ¡¹ Nodding at the guild staff member, Rei handed over his guild card, which he took out from the Misty Ring . Nobody noticed the existence of the Misty Ring due to the dark night surroundings, unlike during the day, and no one in the area showed any surprise that would usually be seen when Rei used the Misty Ring . ¡¸I¡¯ve confirmed your identity . Here is a Necklace of Subservient Monster . The guild master is waiting for you, so let¡¯s go straight to the guild . For now, the guild has gathered up some adventurers and got them to scatter around and look for suspicious people . However, it¡¯s unlikely that they¡¯ll find anything . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand . ¡­¡­Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set responded to Rei¡¯s call and stuck out his head . After hanging the Necklace of Subservient Monster on Set¡¯s neck, they followed the guild staff into Abuero . It was already night and most houses were dimly lit or completely dark as their residents had gone to sleep . Meanwhile, Rei, Set, the guild staff member, hired adventurers and guards proceeded along silently . After walking for about 20 minutes, a huge building compared to its surroundings came into view it was Abuero¡¯s adventurers guild branch . As expected, the guild was still lit up at this time, but the there was no noise from the guild bar, unlike what would be heard in Gilm . Seeing Rei look puzzled, the guild staff member spoke to Rei as he turned his eyes towards him . ¡¸Adventurers and thieves who have a lot of experience in covert operations have been sent out . The remaining adventurers have closed the guild bar to use in urgent meetings for this operation . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡­¡­Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Even if he didn¡¯t say it all out, Set knew what Rei wanted to say . Set¡¯s tail shook lightly before he headed for the area where tamed monsters stayed . ¡¸Set, if you notice anyone watching the people from the guild, capture them . I¡¯ve heard that there aren¡¯t too many of them here, so I don¡¯t think it will be easy for them to do that, but there¡¯s nothing such as being too safe . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a short cry at Rei¡¯s words . As they entered the guild, the guild staff member looked at Rei with a surprised expression . ¡¸Well, that was surprising . I heard that Griffons were smart, but I didn¡¯t think they could understand human language . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know about ordinary Griffons, but it¡¯s because Set is special . ¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s why . He was raised specially as a tamed monster . ¡¹ Rei knew that it was caused by the Magic Beast Art, but since he couldn¡¯t really say that, Rei just went along with the guild staff member¡¯s misunderstanding . And, as Rei entered the guild, he was greeted by someone unexpected . No, considering the series of events, it wasn¡¯t really that unexpected . The person was Tirage, the guild master of Abuero¡¯s adventurers guild . ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s been a while . Still, it only took you a few hours to get to Abuero from Gilm . As expected of a Griffon . ¡¹ Rei gave a small bow towards Tirage who had called out to him with a smile . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, a rank C adventurer from Gilm . Thank you for your cooperation this time . ¡¹ Rei used formal speech, which he wasn¡¯t used to, as he was talking to a guild master from another city, but Tirage immediately shook his head with a smile . ¡¸You can talk with me like you do with Marina . I¡¯m not such a great person that you have to speak formally with me . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Understand . It¡¯s really helpful for me to not use words I¡¯m not used to . ¡¹ As Rei raised his head as he replied, the staff members inside the guild all looked startled . Even though he had been told he didn¡¯t need to use formal speech with the guild master, they didn¡¯t think he would use such casual language . Although Rei didn¡¯t know, Tirage, who had been selected as guild master purely for his organisational management, had quickly demonstrated his skill after his arrival by shutting down departments that were wasting resources and catching staff that had been embezzling money from the guild . He had taken several steps to reorganise the complex and inefficient guild as well as removed the bad apples from the staff to restore its reputation . Despite his shabby appearance, he was known for his brilliant skill and was much loved by the adventurers in Abuero . Because of that, some people looked at Rei with harsh gazes for using casual speech with the guild master, despite being permitted to do so . But as for Rei, having been exposed to these gazes quite often, he just ignored them without a care . As a result, several of the people who had been ignored looked at Rei with even more animosity . This was one of Rei¡¯s major shortcomings, who was basically only well known within the city of Gilm . Although Rei had met with the guild master of Baar before, fortunately or unfortunately, he had met with Seis during a bad situation . As a result, the people in the area at the time were in no state to be angry with Rei due to the outbreak of Magic Fever . ¡¸¡­¡­Shall we talk a bit more in my office? I¡¯d like to share the results of our search in the past few hours . ¡¹ Maybe he had sensed the dissatisfaction of a few staff members . Tirage brought Rei to his office . ¡¸Well then, please . Come in . ¡¹ Tirage invited Rei in as he opened the door . At Tirage¡¯s invitation, Rei entered the room . Inside, it was very different the offices of Marina and Seis, which he had visisted so far . Marina and Seis were both adventurers, so their offices had a focus on practicality . Swords, spears and wands were displayed on their walls . However, Tirage¡¯s office had his desk at the back of the room and many other desks arranged in a regular manner . (It¡¯s like a school classroom . ) That was Rei¡¯s first impression when he entered the room . That said, the office wasn¡¯t really that large, at least not as large as a classroom . ¡¸Ahhahaha . Are you a little surprised? It¡¯s very different from Marina¡¯s office . After all, my role is more of a coordinator than a guild master . Because of that, various documents come through here and it ends up like this . ¡¹ Tirage scratched his head with an embarrassed smile . ¡¸I was surprised, but if you work in this office, then I think it¡¯s fine to make it easier to do your work . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for saying that . Others usually are stunned when they enter this room . Now, take a seat . Unfortunately, I¡¯m not good at brewing tea and we can¡¯t drink any alcohol with how things are so I can only serve plain water . ¡¹ As he said that, Tirage touched a pot that was placed at the side of his desk, alongside some utensils for making tea, and poured some magic power into it . Then, the next moment, the water in the pot immediately heated up and steam started to rise . ¡¸A magic item?¡¹ Rei murmured when he saw the water instantly boil . Tirage smiled and nodded at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸Yes . As you can see, there are a large number of people working around here . Because of that, this was prepared in order to make tea at any time . However, as I said before, I can only serve plain water as I¡¯m not good at brewing tea . Let¡¯s go to the sofa over there . ¡¹ ¡¸Pardon me and thanks . ¡¹ Rei sat down on the sofa that was offered as Tirage placed a cup of plain hot water in front of him . As he did that, Tirage took a seat opposite Rei . ¡¸So, let¡¯s talk about the information we¡¯ve gathered . ¡¹ Tirage spoke as he brought a cup of hot water to his mouth . Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Legend Chapter 250 There was no one in the guild master¡¯s office except for Rei and Tirage . As Tirage brought a cup of plain water to his mouth, he spoke first . ¡¸After Marina-san¡¯s call, I asked the thieves that were available to move out to look for places where Elk¡¯s family could have been held . However, we have very few thieves, so I also asked some others who could move discretely, such as rangers and archers, to search as well¡­¡­¡¹ As Tirage said that, he shook his head left and right apologetically . ¡¸As expected, it¡¯s a bit too difficult to find them in such a short period of time . I¡¯m sorry, but I haven¡¯t heard anything back yet . ¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it . I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to catch their tails right away because they¡¯ve been trained professionally . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The Bestir Empire?¡¹ Tirage brought a cup of plain water to his mouth as he gave a deep sigh . He held a bitter expression . It was as if the hot water he was drinking was something very bitter . ¡¸To be honest, I knew that there were quite a few people from the Bestir Empire lurking around the city . But, I didn¡¯t expect them to take such a bold action . ¡¹ ¡¸I wonder if they¡¯re starting to get impatient over there . Fortunately or unfortunately, I¡¯ve gotten in the way of the Bestir Empire many times . I think they can no longer ignore me¡­¡­that¡¯s the state of things . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . But, if that happens, there are dangers in various ways . I don¡¯t know what they will try to do when cornered . ¡¹ Tirage said those words with a sigh . As a guild master, he wanted to say some things to Rei, who had brought unnecessary commotion into Abuero . However, as a citizen of the Mireana Kingdom, he was grateful that Rei had managed to stop the schemes of the Bestir Empire . There was also the request from Marina, who had taken care of him many times before . And, above all, to intimidate high rank adventurers to follow their orders was something he couldn¡¯t forgive as a merchant who believed in honest deals . ¡¸So, what do you plan to do if you their hideout? Marina-san said to leave it to you¡­¡­¡¹ If possible, we want to play a part as well . Rei was slightly worried at the implied meaning of Tirage¡¯s words . Of course, Tirage didn¡¯t mean to steal Rei¡¯s credit . The reason was that although it was technically an external issue, it would still be seen as something happening inside the city of Abuero . Even if they were just trying to gather information by sending out thieves or people with covert operations experience, that was just behind the scenes . If he didn¡¯t do anything officially in the open, he wouldn¡¯t be able to show his face as the guild master of Abuero . Although Rei didn¡¯t know about the circumstances, he still nodded after hearing Tirage¡¯s words . ¡¸Let¡¯s see . All you have to do is to surround the area so that none of them can escape . I¡¯m going to have Set waiting in the sky, but even if he has good night vision, it¡¯s still night . Moreover, since it¡¯s inside the city, I¡¯m not sure if I would be able to capture them all if they tried to escape under the cover of darkness . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, I understand . I¡¯ll make the arrangements right away . As soon as we find their hideout, we¡¯ll surround it . ¡¹ Saying that, Tirage stood up from his sofa and signed a few pieces of paper that were at the top of his office desk . As soon as he finished that, he reached for a bell that lay under the table . Chireen~, a high pitched ring was heard several times . Before long, there was a knock on the office door . ¡¸Pardon me, Guild Master . Did you call?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please come in . ¡¹ After Tirage spoke, a woman entered the room . She was in her mid 20¡¯s, had bright green eyes and had her hair tied up into a ponytail . Rei¡¯s first impression on seeing the woman was that she gave off the firm impression of a secretary . She matched the image of a secretary that Rei had in his mind from the dramas and manga he had seen when he had still been in Japan . ¡¸Verde-kun, I want you to gather up the people listed in this document as soon as possible . ¡¹ The secretary¡­¡­a woman called Verde, turned to glance at Rei and gave a small nod before receiving the documents . ¡¸I¡¯ll gather them immediately¡­¡­but Ogre¡¯s Heart as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . They have the minimum level of skill and a lot of people . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . I¡¯ll follow the Guild Master¡¯s instructions . ¡¹ She nodded at Tirage, but her expression didn¡¯t change at all . She remained calm¡­¡­or rather, it might be better to say she was expressionless . But, Tirage seemed to be used to Verde¡¯s reaction and smiled before bowing his head . ¡¸Please . I¡¯ll leave it to you Verde-kun . ¡¹ The Guild Master bowed his head as he requested some work from his secretary . Normally, this would be a scene that would make people feel uncomfortable . But, it seemed that their positions had reversed due to humble appearance of Tirage and the expressionless Verde, making it look natural to Rei . Verde probably didn¡¯t realise Rei¡¯s thoughts, but glanced at him again regardless . Their eyes only intersected momentarily, but Rei clearly saw Verde¡¯s eyebrows move slightly as she maintained her expressionless face . However, as soon as she returned to her usual dead pan state, she left the room with the forms in her hand . In fact, Verde had the ability to feel magic power . The fact that although she could see magic power, she only moved her eyebrows slightly when looking directly at Rei, who had enormous magic power, showed how expressionless she was . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . Verde-kun is not a very friendly person . ¡¹ Maybe he noticed Rei and Verde¡¯s glances meet or maybe he was just following up, Tirage gave and amiable smile . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . If he can do his work then I don¡¯t have any problems . ¡¹ Rei told him not to worry about it as he brought a cup of hot water to his mouth . (No, wait . If he has a secretary, shouldn¡¯t Tirage get her to brew the tea or something?) Though he thought that to himself, Rei decided not to ask about it since the topic at hand was more important . ¡¸So, if you have any precautions when going to capture the Bestir Empire¡¯s spies, could you tell me about it?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ah, ahh . Let me think¡­¡­¡¹ Replying to Tirage¡¯s words, Rei spoke as he remembered his experiences up to now . ¡¸That¡¯s right . The people I fought had a magic item that allowed them to teleport, so I think it¡¯s better to take them away as soon as you capture them . However, those magic items are valuable, so I don¡¯t know if they will have them . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Spatial transition magic? That¡¯s a surprising magic item¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a stone about 5cm in diameter, smashing it against the ground using magic power seems to activate the teleportation spell . However, there are several disadvantages . For example, the transfer distance isn¡¯t that great, it¡¯s one use only and a magic circle needs to be prepared at the transfer destination in advance . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . I¡¯ll keep that in mind when mobilising the adventurers . Anything else aside from that?¡¹ As expected of a guild master, Tirage¡¯s eyes remained calm as he prompted Rei to continue . Admiring the calmness in Tirage¡¯s eyes, Rei spoke again . ¡¸Have you heard of the term Demon Soldier?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Demon Soldier? Not, it¡¯s my first time hearing it . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a new weapon developed by the Bestir Empire, or rather, a new kind of soldier¡­¡­in short, they are soldier that can use the power of monsters through alchemy . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸As their name suggests, their appearance is far from human . For example, they might have a shell covering their body or tentacles growing from them . However, while becoming a Chimera of sorts, they have considerable strength . If there are only spies in this city, you don¡¯t have to worry about Demon Soldiers, but keep in mind that you have to be on guard against them . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . I¡¯ll let this be known . ¡¹ At the same time that Tirage nodded, the sound of knocking on the door echoed through the room again . ¡¸Please come in . ¡¹ Entering the room at those words was Verde, Tirage¡¯s secretary, who had just left the room earlier . Bowing her head lightly, she spoke with no expression . ¡¸The people who were searching around have returned . They said they found the targets in a building in the slums . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, that¡¯s great . Call the person who scouted there up hear right away . I want a detailed account . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Please wait a moment . ¡¹ Verde nodded at Tirage¡¯s words and left the room . Seeing her leave, Rei spoke with some admiration . ¡¸To be able to find the spies from the Bestir Empire in such a short time, they must be an excellent adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸What, this is a city on the border between the frontier and the inner kingdom . Even if they aren¡¯t as good as the adventurers from Gilm, they can¡¯t survive here without a certain level of skill . ¡¹ Having said that, he wasn¡¯t going to feel bad after having the adventurers in his guild praised . There was a happy smile on Tirage¡¯s face . Then, after talking for a few more minutes, the sound of knocking echoed through the office again . After Tirage gave his permission, five people entered the room . One, of course, was his secretary, Verde . The other four were the adventurers who had found the whereabouts of the spies . Rei turned to look at them . Then, at that moment . ¡¸AHHHHHHHHH-!¡¹ The four adventurers looked at Rei and raised a cry simultaneously . ¡¸You¡¯re the one from Gilm!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, the one with the Griffon!¡¹ ¡¸Ara~ ara~ . This is unexpected . ¡¹ ¡¸Absolutely . I never thought we¡¯d meet again in such a place . ¡¹ The warrior at the front with scale armour gave a shout, followed by the warrior with the poleaxe, the warrior with the spear and the female archer . ¡¸¡­¡­You know them?¡¹ Rei thought for a bit before nodding towards Tirage, who was surprised at the attitude of the four . ¡¸We know each other, or rather we¡¯ve seen each other before . We¡¯ve met several times . Azure Blades, was it?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Yes . We¡¯re a rank D party, Azure Blades . I didn¡¯t think we would meet in such a place . ¡¹ ¡¸Rank D? Didn¡¯t you say you were rank E last time?¡¹ Rei asked, but the man spoke with a smile when he heard that . ¡¸We¡¯ve taken the rank up test since then . We were all promoted to rank D . So we¡¯re now the rank D party, Azure Blades . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . My congratulations then . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahahahaha . Well, from now on, it will be our time . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The man laughed loudly before eventually noticing Verde¡¯s ruthless gaze piercing into him . His laughter gradually diminished . And, as if grasping the timing, Tirage spoke up . ¡¸Well then, since we don¡¯t know each other¡¯s names yet, could you introduce yourselves?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . Guild Master . Well, I¡¯m Bilt . As you can see, I¡¯m a warrior . My weapon is a long sword . I¡¯m the leader of Azure Blades . ¡¹ To escape Verde¡¯s cold gaze, the man with brown hair in his late teens, wearing scale armour, introduced himself . Next to him, a man who could be described as muscular, in his late teems and holding a poleaxe took a step forward . ¡¸I¡¯m Begriff . I¡¯m a warrior and my main weapon is a poleaxe . ¡¹ The man who called himself Begriff spoke with a macho smile . Next to him was a woman who looked to be a little older than Rei and held a spear . Her face had a boyish feeling to it rather than a feminine one and was full of energy . ¡¸I¡¯m Birke, As you can see, I use a spear . I¡¯m also Bilt¡¯s sister . ¡¹ Lastly, the archer in her mid 20¡¯s, who appeared to be the oldest among the members of Azure Blades . Probably so that it wouldn¡¯t get in the way when she pulled her bow back, she had short cut blue hair that only reached her ears . ¡¸Carla . I¡¯m the one who¡¯s mainly been moving around for this case . ¡¹ As he shook Carla¡¯s offered hand, Rei spoke up . ¡¸I think you know me, but I¡¯ll introduce myself anyway . I¡¯m Rei, a rank C adventurer from Gilm . You¡¯ve been a great help this time in various ways . ¡¹ After everyone¡¯s introductions, everyone except Verde took a seat on the sofa . Only Verde stood back behind Tirage . ¡¸Well then, can you tell me about the details first?¡¹ Nodding at Tirage¡¯s words, everyone turned to look at Carla . ¡¸I found them in one of the buildings in the slums . ¡­¡­About six months ago, a group called the Gilgmon family started a fight with Ogre¡¯s Heart . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, is it there?¡¹ It must have been an event that he hadn¡¯t been very happy about . Tirage¡¯s eyebrows frowned lightly . Rei tilted his head in puzzlement as he remembered that the name Ogre¡¯s Heart had been mentioned by Verde earlier . ¡¸Yes . It was the case that Ogre¡¯s Heart caused a big scuffle and was made to pay a fine . There were two people, a man and a woman, on the second floor of the building near the place where the incident happened . There were on the floor tied with rope . There were also three other people nearby, dressed in black . ¡¹ As Tirage listened to the report, he turned to look at Rei . Rei returned his look with a silent nod . ¡¸There¡¯s no doubt . That¡¯s the place . ¡¹ Rei muttered, looking like a carnivore that had found its prey . Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Legend Chapter 251 Even though spring was approaching, night times were still cold . Rei, Set and Azure Blades walked through the darkness of the night . Of course, they were heading for the building in the slums where Min and Rhodes were being held . Aside from Rei¡¯s group, the other parties gathered by the guild should have been heading for that location as well . The objective of the other adventurers was to surround the area to prevent anyone from escaping . ¡¸¡­¡­Heh~¡¹ As Rei entered the slums and looked at the surroundings, he gave an unintentional murmur . At Rei¡¯s voice, Bilt, the leader of Azure Blades, turned to look at him . ¡¸What happened?¡¹ ¡¸No, I just thought that the slums are strangely small . There¡¯s a slum in Gilm of course, but it¡¯s much bigger . ¡¹ Anyone at the frontier city of Gilm could become an adventurer if they were strong enough . However, conversely, there was also the reality that those that went to the frontier with no skill could do nothing . Of course, not everyone was helpless . Some were picked up by strong parties or developed their own skills and abilities to survive on the frontier . In the past, there were those who even moved to jobs other than being an adventurer . However, not everyone who stumbled could start over . Some were forgotten by luck, others simply had no skill and some had broken their bodies . There were quite a few of those such people, who ended up falling into the slums . There were also those who had fallen into the criminal world . Margrave Daska Rowlocks had been recruiting more security forces, but it was still difficult to completely eliminate the slums . The slums were a necessary place for those people . However, the slums that now appeared before Rei¡¯s eyes were much smaller than the one in Gilm . Of course, Gilm and Abuero had very different population sizes . That said, the slums before Rei were still small . When Rei said that to Bilt, Bilt gave a proud smile as he spoke about it . ¡¸Is that so? When I was born, the slums seemed to have been much larger . But as a result of Tirage-san becoming the guild master, running the guild and talking to the deputy lord, various actions were taken . ¡¹ Hearing those words spoken by Bilt, Rei nodded . If the results were so good, it was understandable why Tirage was loved by the guild¡¯s adventurers . ¡¸However, there are some people that dislike the Guild Master saying that he is weak . That aside, let¡¯s move faster . The other adventurers should be moving soon . If we, the ones breaking into the building, are the last to arrive, it would be shameful, shameful I say . In the first place, we didn¡¯t even have to break in, it¡¯s just because Bilt suggested we go in aggressively¡­¡­¡¹ The archer, Clara, muttered her complaints to her leader and the others . ¡¸But we owe a big debt to Rei right? Thanks to those Sword Bees, we were able to get out of our money shortage . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, yeah . But there were only two of us that were running out of money, Bilt and Begriff . Birke and I still had some to spare¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡¹ Bilt was silenced by Carla¡¯s words . But, her sharp tongue didn¡¯t stop there . ¡¸And, if you think that you¡¯ve escaped poverty with the money from the Sword Bees, you¡¯ll run out of money again . ¡­¡­Hey, are you stupid? Using more money when you have more money, do you want to die? Can I put an arrow into your brain? I¡¯d like to replace your useless brain with one from a Goblin . ¡¹ ¡¸Ughhh¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡¹ As for the words that came from Carla¡¯s sharp tongue¡­¡­or rather poisonous tongue, Bilt and Begriff had no response . ¡¸W-Well, that¡¯s all fine . Carla is a bit restless . And the Sword Bees allowed us to get to know Rei . Normally, there¡¯s no chance to meet with famous adventurers from the frontier you know?¡¹ Maybe she was feeling sorry for Bilt, being torn apart by Carla¡¯s words, Birke tried to change the topic . As for Carla, she understood what Birke was trying to do and nodded without any objections . ¡¸That¡¯s true . But don¡¯t forget that most of the credit goes to me this time, okay? I will exercise my right to my reward . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahahahaha . I know . Carla loves money as usual . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . You can¡¯t buy food without money, and most of all, I need a lot of money to make my dream come true . ¡­¡­I can see it . Over there . ¡¹ Because they continued walking as they talked, before they knew it, they had arrived at their destination . ¡¸¡­¡­Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s the right place . ¡¹ Set sensed the signs of a few people from the building Carla pointed to and turned towards Rei with a cry . ¡¸Uwa, amazing . You can communicate with a Griffon . ¡­¡­Doesn¡¯t it feel less scary if it can understand what we say?¡¹ Birk, who had been watching Rei and Set, spoke in amazement . The other three nodded in agreement . They knew the relationship between Rei and Set as they had seen them many times . But, it was still a different feeling seeing them actually communicate with each other . ¡¸Alright then¡­¡­where are the other adventurers . ¡¹ Begriff looked around the area with his poleaxe in hand¡­¡­but, he immediately shook his head . ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s no good . I can¡¯t sense anyone else . How about you Carla?¡¹ ¡¸Begriff¡­¡­no, it would be useless to expect anything from someone with a brain made from muscle . Seriously . If your brain hadn¡¯t been filled with muscle but with gold, I would have cracked open your head and taken the gold for myself . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t suddenly start muttering something so scary! Your face says that you¡¯re being serious!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up . If it¡¯s not gold, then shut up . We don¡¯t want the other side to notice us¡­¡­eh?¡¹ Carla ruthlessly told Begriff that, but immediately turned her eyes towards the building when she noticed something . According to the plan, the only people there should have been the spies from the Bestir Empire and the hostages . Yes¡­¡­that was what it was supposed to be . However, what Carla could see was several figures trying to get into the building . Some of the silhouettes were equipped with swords, others with spears . Because of that, Carla was able to determine that they were adventurers from Abuero . ¡¸Wai-, what? Why!? Rei and Set are supposed to be the ones who rush in and we follow after right?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what happened?¡¹ Bilt asked at Carla¡¯s sudden dismay . However, it wasn¡¯t Carla that answered his question, but a third person . ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t hold back the rash ones . ¡¹ As they said that, two people emerged from the shadow of a building, a man in his mid 20s and a woman in her early 30s . They both had swords and it was clear that they were adventurers from Abuero . Rather, they were familiar people to Bilt . ¡¸Iseberg-san, Horti-san as well¡­¡­¡¹ The man was Iseberg . The woman was Horti . The two of them formed a C rank party called Dragon¡¯s Fang . At the same time, they could be called seniors whom Azure Blades had relied on . ¡¸The guys from Ogre¡¯s Heart are out of control trying to earn achievements¡­¡­I couldn¡¯t stop them or they would kick up a fuss . ¡¹ ¡¸What!? Because they¡­¡­ . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but could you explain it to me? I heard that Ogre¡¯s Heart was a group that had cause some trouble before . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, who was completely out of the loop, Iseberg gave a small nod after turning to look at Set . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . You must be the Rei that the Guild Master spoke of . And that Griffon must be Set . Ogre¡¯s Heart is an E rank party . Although it¡¯s a single party, it¡¯s made up of almost 10 adventurers . You knew that they had kicked up a fuss around here before?¡¹ At Iseberg¡¯s words, Rei recalled the story he had heard at the Guild Master¡¯s office . ¡¸I heard that they had some trouble with another group called the Gilmont family or something . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . They were made to pay a fine for that as punishment, but¡­¡­¡¹ When he heard that, Rei understood what was going on . ¡¸In other words, they want to take credit for this and deal with the fine using this reward?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It looks like it . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, they¡¯re just some people who are strong due to their numbers . We¡¯ve gotten involved with them in various ways before, which has been a bother . ¡¹ The sound of Bilt clicking his tongue echoed slightly, but quickly disappeared . Rei silently jumped onto Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Anyway, it¡¯s no use kicking up a fuss here . It would be pointless if they got noticed by the enemy and the hostages were put in danger . I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll break in first . ¡­¡­Ogre¡¯s Heart and some of the others might suffer some injuries, but I would be grateful if you could overlook that . ¡¹ Horti nodded at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸Of course . It¡¯s their fault for ignoring the plan and going in the first place . Don¡¯t hesitate to go wild, we will testify for you . ¡­¡­It seems they weren¡¯t punished hard enough for their last uproar . ¡¹ The people around him nodded at those words while throwing out sighs in amazement . The party called Ogre¡¯s Heart seemed to be one that only caused trouble . ¡¸I see, then I¡¯ll go first . Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu-!¡¹ Set gave a short cry at Rei¡¯s call and flapped his wings, soaring into the sky with a few steps . After seeing that, the remaining people all nodded as they went to fill their roles . The two from Dragon¡¯s Fang had made their own arrangements . The four from Azure Blades, who were originally supposed to break in with Rei, went to fill the gap that was left by Ogre¡¯s Heart . Rei, who watched them diperse from the sky, gave a quick nod before heading towards the building with Set . However, they only did that after flying high enough to avoid the sight of the person watching from the window . (Well, there are definitely three of them . One is watching from the window, the other two are waiting around near Min and Rhodes, who are tied up and can¡¯t move . ¡­¡­This means that if those people from Ogre¡¯s Heart rush in, I can¡¯t guarantee Min and Rhode¡¯s lives . Ogre¡¯s Heart is an E rank party after all . In that case, it would be better to clear out the three of them somehow before Ogre¡¯s Heart makes a move . Muttering to himself as he search for the members of Ogre¡¯s Heart, he made his way towards the second floor of the building from the outside . ¡¸Alright, Set . Dive into the building as fast as you can . Just before you hit the wall, go up . I¡¯ll jump into the room where Min and Rhodes are held at that time . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru?¡¹ Are you okay with that? Rei nodded towards Set, who had tilted his head, and told him there was no problem . Because the enemies in Gilm that were taken down were easily neutralised by Set, Rei judged that they probably weren¡¯t very strong, even if he didn¡¯t underestimate them . (However, that was because Set had ambushed them under the darkness of night at that time . I¡¯ll have to act based on that . ) Even if Rhodes and Min had been taken hostage, considering that they were holding Elk down, they might have become careless . ¡¸¡­¡­Okay, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry in response to Rei¡¯s voice and flapped his wings as they descended towards the target building . On Set¡¯s back, Rei¡¯s eyes saw the building rapidly approach . The person who was watching the surroundings from the window was late to notice Rei and Set, but not due to his carelessness . After all, basically no one flew through the sky, with a few exceptions like the Dragon Knights . And because there were no Dragon Knights in Abuero, he had concentrated most of his attention on the ground and very little in the sky . Although he had heard some information about Rei, he hadn¡¯t thought that the person dispatched to watch ELk would be caught so easily and that Set could fly so quickly to Abuero . Even more unfortunately, the movements by Ogre¡¯s Heart had helped to direct the man¡¯s attention to the ground, creating a crucial gap . And by the time the person at the window felt something and looked up, Set was already rapidly approaching the window¡­¡­ ¡¸Wh-¡­¡­¡¹ Before the man could shout, Rei jumped off Set¡¯s back and broke through the window, swinging his arm at the man and hitting him . While Rei¡¯s arm was almost unhurt, his attack crushed the man¡¯s jaw, blasting him sideways, through a wall and out of sight . ¡¸Haah-!¡¹ Rei instantly pulled out two daggers from the Misty Ring and threw them towards the two men in black who were beside Min and Rhodes, who were on the ground and tied up . Originally, he had wanted to through a spear . But in this narrow room, whether it was a spear or the Death Scythe, Rei¡¯s long weapons were hard to swing around . Because of that, he chose to use daggers . ¡¸Kuh . ¡¹ ¡¸Gah!¡¹ The thrown daggers pierced into their arms, causing the long sword and dagger they held to drop to the floor . ¡¸-!?¡¹ While lying on the ground, Min, who had been desperately looking for an opportunity, swung her foot at the legs of the man who was near her, causing him to fall to the ground . At the same time, Rei dashed towards the last man standing, swiftly punching him and causing the whites of his eyes to show as he fainted . The only thing the man that Min tripped saw was the blade of the Death Scythe, held in Rei¡¯s hands, thrust towards his neck . Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Legend Chapter 252 ¡¸¡­¡­Don¡¯t move . ¡¹ Rei said . The Death Scythe¡¯s blade went to the neck of the man in black near Min . In his other hand, a newly dagger was taken out from the Misty Ring, ready to be thrown at any time while it was pointed at the man who had fallen near Rhodes, who was searching for an opportunity against Rei . If the man tried to take Rhodes hostage, Rei would be able to stop him . That was the only thing he could do right now . They had taken hostages, made Elk a pawn and tried to assassinate Rei, who had been interfering them . Among the spies who had sneaked into the Mireana Kingdom, those who were able to move freely, except those who had been given important missions, were given an opportunity to fix their own blunders . But this moment, all that collapsed . ¡¸This big scythe¡­¡­you! It¡¯s all because of you! Without you we wouldn¡¯t have had to feel this miserable, that time¡­¡­that time!¡¹ The man stared at Rei with hateful muddied eyes as the Death Scythe¡¯s blade was at his throat . As if to teach the man his position, Rei cut into his neck with the Death Scythe . The man stopped rambling as he felt the blood dripping from his throat . However, he still looked at Rei with hateful eyes that would have killed Rei if looks could kill . Ignoring the man¡¯s glare, Rei looked towards the two hostages . ¡¸Mugh!?¡¹ ¡¸Ngu¡­¡­¡¹ Rhodes, who had been lying on the ground, raised a voice of surprise when he saw Rei . Min gave a small groan in agreement . Hearing them, Rei threw a dagger into the floor as he took out a new dagger from the Misty Ring . ¡¸Min, Rhodes . I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help you two out right now . Use that dagger to get yourself out of the rope . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Rhodes was the first to move . Crawling to where the dagger was stuck, he cut the ropes that were tying him down . And once the rope was cut, the rest was quick . He untied the rope that was wrapped around his body multiple times, untied the cloth covering his mouth and then untied Min¡¯s ropes . ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, why are you here? What happened to dad?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . Elk is alive . He might be a bit injured, but only to the extent that he can still recover quickly with potions and healing magic . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You had a fight with Elk, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ With a sigh, Min murmured in a bitter voice . Rei nodded . ¡¸Anyhow, we¡¯ll catch these guys and get some inform¡­¡­-!?¡¹ Get some information . Rei was going to say that, but the next moment, he reacted to a sound of something cutting through the air . He moved the blade of the Death Scythe away from the man¡¯s neck and swung it . Kinkinkin-, numerous metallic sounds and sounds of things falling to the ground were heard at the same time . The man that Rei had his Death Scythe pointed at was safe . However, Rei alone, as well as Min and Rhodes, who had all their equipment taken away, couldn¡¯t stop the over 20 projectiles that had been thrown . ¡¸Keugh-!¡¹ The man near Rhodes ate a black dagger between his eyes and at his throat, falling to the ground with a choking sound . At the same time, the thick smell of blood spread all around . ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Clicking his tongue and afraid that anymore sources of information would be killed, Rei smacked the surviving man with the butt of the Death Scythe and knocked him over towards Min and Rhodes . Min caught the man, who had immediately lost consciousness after being hit by the Death Scythe and immediately knew what to do . If they wanted information about the people who had captured them, he couldn¡¯t be killed . ¡¸Take care of him!¡¹ Saying that to Min and Rhodes, Rei went towards the wall that had been destroyed by his earlier attack . A dagger painted jet black as if it were dipped in darkness . Rei remembered them . They had been used in the fight with the Bestir Empire¡¯s spies, who had once infiltrated Gilm¡¯s streets . Of course, as a weapon used by those in the shadows, it wasn¡¯t something that would normally be that conspicuous . However, Rei could only think of one group who could dispatch adept spies, four of which could take control of Elk . (In the end, it¡¯s the work of the Bestir Empire . ) Although there was no evidence, based on what he had heard, he rushed to the other side of the wall . ¡¸¡­¡­?¡¹ Rei frowned unconsciously at the lack of an attack . Because he knew about Rei¡¯s strength because he was knocked away and he knew that Rei would deal with him as quickly as possible, Rei instinctively felt that something unexpected must have happened¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­Tch . ¡¹ As he went through the wall, Rei clicked his tongue when he saw a figure lying on the floor . ¡¸Silencing yourself because you know the difference in strength . Should I call you brave or loyal?¡¹ Rei tried to pull the man over, who was lying on his face, with the handle of the Death Scythe¡­¡­but stopped shortly . A man, a spy, who killed himself in order to not give away information . This was a familiar scene in movies, manga and novels that he had seen in Japan . And he also half expected what would happen next¡­¡­ ¡¸Magic Shield . ¡¹ He used a skill from the Death Scythe, a single use, absolute defense shield . The next moment, a shield of light was created near Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­Alright . ¡¹ Seeing the shield of light, Rei gave a small nod and used the Death Scythe¡¯s handle to pull back the body lying on the ground . ¡¸There¡¯s nothing I guess . ¡¹ He gave a sigh of relief when there was no explosion . Rei checked for any strange items, but most of what the man had were dark swords, painted black, 30cm long needles and so on . There weren¡¯t any other clues like transition stones to be found . ¡¸They¡¯re thorough enough to not leave any evidence . ¡¹ Rei clicked his tongue as put the darkened equipment into the Misty Ring as his reward . (Normally, wouldn¡¯t some poison be applied to their weapons¡­¡­no, that¡¯s just my own imagination . If I think about it, daggers and needles aren¡¯t just for use against enemies . Or, if I look more closely, there might be some kind of poison . As long as the body shows no visible signs of injury, some sort of poison or something similar was probably used to kill himself¡­¡­) ¡¸Hey, what the hell are you doing!?¡¹ As Rei was thinking about that, Rhodes¡¯s voice suddenly echoed around . ¡¸Shut up! All you have to do is give us that person in black! Hey, hurry up!¡¹ ¡¸This man is involved in this situation . I can¡¯t hand him over to you . ¡¹ A threatening shout was followed by Min¡¯s calm reply . ¡¸¡­¡­Hah . ¡¹ Just by hearing her voice, Rei give a small sigh as he understood what was going on . Leaving the spy that had committed suicide by drinking poison, he went back into the room he had just left . There was the one man, who had been knocked out by Rei¡¯s attack and another who had died to the black daggers . Rhodes and Min were standing in front of them . Finally, there were 8 men . ¡¸It¡¯s as I thought . ¡¹ ¡¸Hah? Who¡¯s this brat . Where did you come from? Go away for now . We¡¯re busy here . ¡¹ Judging by his appearance, Rei looked like a kid . A man in his 20¡¯s and holding a sword gestured with his hand as if driving away insects . For a moment, Rhodes and Min showed a sense of pity towards the men, but it was completely ignored by them . ¡¸Ogre¡¯s Heart was it? A rank E party trying to fight members of a rank A party . You seem to be ignorant of your current position . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hah?¡¹ What did you just say? The men¡¯s eyes seemed to say that as they looked at Rei . Rei looked straight back at them with his hood on . Eventually, one of them reached the limits of his patience and started to laugh . ¡¸Kukuku . Hey, kid . Are you a clown or something? This little boy and woman are part of a rank A party? In that case, we¡¯re an rank S party . ¡¹ ¡¸Haa . In the first place, you guys got this job from the Guild Master right?¡¹ ¡¸What? No way . Why would be ordered around by such a weak man . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ With those words, Rei understood that none of the men in front of him held any respect for the Guild Master . It seemed from their crude speech and behaviour that they didn¡¯t recognise Tirage, who had become the guild master due his potential in running an organisation, as someone above them . ¡¸Power is everything, is it . ¡¹ The members of Ogre¡¯s Heart grinned at Rei¡¯s involuntary mutters . ¡¸That¡¯s right . You¡¯re a brat but you know well . Then you know what I mean right? This is a place where you should tuck away your tail and disappear . We¡¯ll forget that you were so cheeky to talented adventurers like us . So go away . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kuku . ¡¹ Rei smiled unexpectedly at the man¡¯s words . The men probably didn¡¯t like that . They were proud of their own strength and were being mocked by a kid who looked to be a mage¡­¡­and only an apprentice mage . Seeing Rei¡¯s smile, the men glared at him with blue veins on their foreheads . Their impressions couldn¡¯t have been more accurate . Rei had been targeting his ridicule towards them and the way they had acted for their own convenience despite the guild¡¯s request . ¡¸Hey, look here! If you think we¡¯ll play nice just because you¡¯re a brat, you¡¯ve made a big mistake . ¡¹ The man who was closest to Rei yelled at him threateningly . The first to respond was not Rei, but Rhodes . ¡¸Uh, hey . I¡¯ll tell you quickly, the person you¡¯re trying to fight is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! Trash that got taken hostage by such small fry should stay silent!¡¹ Twitch . Rhodes also had blue veins appear on his forehead after being called trash . For Rhodes, he was a rank C adventurer that was being called trash by some rank E¡¯s . However, for once, he didn¡¯t immediately get angry as he was conscious of being the first one to be captured and causing his parents trouble . Rhodes¡¯s conflicted feelings aside, Rei spoke with a sneer . ¡¸If you¡¯re that capable, why do you go to Gilm instead of working in Abuero? Isn¡¯t that the city where most capable adventurers gather?¡¹ ¡¸Hah, this is why brats who don¡¯t have common sense are troublesome . The city of Gilm is said to be a place where amazing adventurers gather, but it¡¯s only a gathering of adventurers who don¡¯t know what danger is . You¡¯re talking about people who are not as smart as we are . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm, in the end it¡¯s just a group of cowards who aren¡¯t capable enough to go to Gilm . Ogre¡¯s Heart? That¡¯s too brave to be your party name . Know yourselves . You lot are, at most¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that much, Rei started thinking of an appropriate name for the party before him . At that moment, the party called Claws of the Hawk, who had tried to mess with him in Gilm, passed through Rei¡¯s mind . He had called the Claws of the Hawk, Goblin¡¯s Drool, so a name that suitable for the group in front of him was¡­¡­ Thinking about it, he came up with what to say . ¡¸Something like Goblin¡¯s Gallstones is more appropriate . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You, trying to make a fool of us, do you know what will happen after this? Even if you apologise, it¡¯s too late you know? I¡¯ll show you our abilities that you¡¯re making fun of!¡¹ Hearing their party name being made fun of, the man who was at the front took a step forward with his face dyed red with anger . At the same time, the others also started to move to surround Rei . ¡¸Ahhh, you idiots . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, looking at Rei, it¡¯s no use . Rather, I¡¯m more worried about what happened to Elk since it was Rei who came here . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay mum . Dad won¡¯t be done in that easily . Rei said that he was only hurt to the extent that he could be immediately healed . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m worried because it¡¯s Rei that said that . ¡¹ Rhodes and Min both looked toward Ogre¡¯s Heart, who were surrounding Rei as they inched forwards, as they worried about Elk, who had been used by the spies to target Rei after they had been held hostage . While they had been captured here, they had heard the spies endlessly spouting abusive language about Rei . That was how they knew how many resentment those who were in charge of intelligence operations from Bestir Empire had against Rei . One of the decisive reasons for using Elk was because he was also a rank A adventurer . It wasn¡¯t unusual for quality to be used above quantity in wars in this world . And if there was a capable rank A adventurer, they would be able to play a big part by themselves . Rank A adventurers were the kind of people who could overturn tactics if handled poorly . The war between the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire was close at hand . Although he was still low ranked, they would be able to take out Rei and maybe Elk by getting them to fight each other . At the same time, with Min and Rhodes hostage, they would be able to use Elk in the war . That was the whole goal of the spies who had participated in this operation . But even the spies hadn¡¯t thought that Rei could beat Elk, and in the end, their plans collapsed . ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, looks like he¡¯s done . ¡¹ As Rhodes thought to himself, he muttered to himself when he saw all the members of Ogre¡¯s Heart lying on the floor . Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Legend Chapter 253 ¡¸¡­¡­Were those guys serious?¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he looked at the unconscious members of Ogre¡¯s Heart who were lying on the floor . His expression was one of surprise rather than amazement . The members of Ogre¡¯s Heart had confidently challenged Rei, but all of them had been easily beaten back by Rei¡¯s bare handed attacks without the Death Scythe and were knocked out on the spot . What Rei was surprised at was how weak they were . He hadn¡¯t thought they would be strong from their tone, skill and actions, but they were still much weaker than what Rei expected . Rei had thought they were pretending to be weak . Even though he had his doubts for a moment¡­¡­in the end, that was apparently their true strength and Rei quickly knocked them all out . ¡¸Don¡¯t say that . It might look like that since you work in Gilm, but the adventurers from Gilm are some of the best in the Mireana Kingdom you know?¡¹ Rei frowned involuntarily at Rhodes¡¯s words . ¡¸Even then, they¡¯re weak . They¡¯re too weak . Even Goblin¡¯s Drool was more responsive . ¡¹ ¡¸Goblin¡¯s Drool¡­¡­you also called these guys Goblin¡¯s Gallstones, do you have a grudge against Goblins?¡¹ Rhodes turned to look at Rei with an astonished expression . ¡¸No, not really . But¡­¡­it just ends up like this . ¡¹ ¡¸You two, you¡¯ll have to stop talking for now and think about what¡¯s next . No, rather, there¡¯s something we have to do first . ¡¹ Saying that, Min gave a deep bow towards Rei . ¡¸Hey, mum!?¡¹ ¡¸Rhodes, bow to Rei as well . Whatever their reason was to capture us, it was for a scheme against Rei . And even Elk¡­¡­thank you . I¡¯ll return this favour at any cost . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡­I won¡¯t say that, but it¡¯s fine . There is something I¡¯d like to ask you for later, so help me out then . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you . ¡¹ With his head bowed, Min thanked Rei again . Seeing that, Rhodes was compelled to follow suit and gave a bow beside Min . ¡¸Thank you for saving us . I will return the favour one day . ¡¹ Rhodes thanked him while giving off a tough expression . Rhodes understood that Rei was better than him . Still, losing out to someone younger than him was something he didn¡¯t feel good about and was one of the reasons why he couldn¡¯t answer honestly . However, while Rei was definitely stronger than Rhodes in terms of combat, it was also true that Rhodes was better than Rei in his overall capabilites as an adventurer . Part of the reason was because Rei specialised in combat, but Rei was also not good at socialising and had very little experience with investigation and escort requests and was below Rhodes in that aspect . However, Rhodes had been mislead by other people that the biggest factor of an adventurer was their combat power . ¡¸We¡¯ll leave the formalities for later . ¡­¡­What should we do with these guys?¡¹ Rei looked at the members of Ogre¡¯s Heart, which he had named Goblin¡¯s Gallstones . Fortunately, the problem of Ogre¡¯s Heart was shortly resolved . ¡¸Rei, you¡¯re safe¡­¡­? I¡¯m not going to ask . ¡¹ With sword in hand, Bilt rushed into the room . At the same time, the other members of Azure Blades appeared from behind him . ¡¸Ah . In a way, things went according to plan¡­¡­until they showed up . It couldn¡¯t be helped, I had to knock them all out . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah right¡­¡­even if they have the larger numbers, they¡¯re still rank E adventurers . They can¡¯t beat Rei who is a rank C¡­¡­and also works solo . I really wanted to show them the difference in strength . ¡¹ The words that came from Birke after her brother were unexpectedly cold as Ogre¡¯s Heart had previously tried to mess with them because they were younger and had less members as a four man party . ¡¸That¡¯s right . We had gotten tangled up with them before¡­¡­but I thought that we should stop that after we ranked up . Messing around with Rei, who¡¯s a higher rank than us, and getting beaten back down . They seem to like trying to kill themselves¡­¡­they should have entrusted all their belongings to us before trying to commit suicide . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, they¡¯re not dead . Not dead . ¡¹ Begriff retorted with a cold sweat at Carla¡¯s response . ¡¸But, they ignored the Guild Master¡¯s request and this it what happened? I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to pay off the fine this time . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s for sure . I don¡¯t think it will go as far as being expelled from the guild, but they¡¯ll probably drop a rank or be forced to take on specific events . ¡¹ Bilt nodded at Carla¡¯s words . (Even if you¡¯re covered in armour of muscle, you can¡¯t block blades from words . ) Rei thought to himself as he listened into the conversation between Azure Blades . ¡¸Gurururu?¡¹ And just at that moment, Set peeked in from the other side of the window that Rei had crashed through . ¡¸Ahh, don¡¯t worry . Thanks Set, we¡¯re already done . ¡¹ Because of Set, Rei had been able to launch his surprise attack . Knowing that, Rei reached out the window with a smile to stroke Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Sorry for troubling you, Set . Thank you . ¡¹ Min gave a bow towards Set and Rei with a smile . Set and Min had got along with each other from the first time they met, so Set gave a cry in response¡­¡­ ¡¸That, Set . Thanks¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru!¡¹ Rhodes also called out to Set as soon as Min finished, but was met with a sharp cry and a glare . Set was still not on good terms with Rhodes, who as opposed to Min, hadn¡¯t made a good first impression . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­mm . I¡¯m sorry . This is not my place to say anything . ¡¹ As Rhodes couldn¡¯t really complain against Set, who had helped him, he quietly left it as it was . After watching them for a while, Bilt eventually spoke up . ¡¸So, for now, leave Ogre¡¯s Heart to us . Rei and the others should go to the guild . Can you tell the Guild Master that this is all finished? The two hostages probably want some time to relax as well . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . If I could leave them to you, it would be a great help . ¡¹ As expected, as a woman, being held hostage must have been painful in many ways . Min nodded at those words as Birke and Carla, who were both also women, looked at her sympathetically . Eventually, Azure Blades were left to clean up the area while Rei and the others left for the guild . (¡­¡­Speaking of which, there weren¡¯t any Demon Soldiers in the end . Well, it¡¯s not surprising considering the Bestir Empire considers information about them as important and confidential¡­¡­I guess?) Rei, who had that question in his mind, decided that Demon Soldiers just hadn¡¯t been mobilised to this place this time . (I see . So that¡¯s the Rei who has been disturbing the activities of the shadows in this area again and again . Certainly, his strength is very high¡­¡­but that¡¯s all . Rather, it¡¯s the Griffon with him that we need to be careful of . There were some moments where the Griffon noticed me . ) About 5km away from the building where Min and Rhodes had been held, there was a man who was lying within the darkness of the night . From this location, 5km away, he had watched the entire turn of events with his naked eyes . Of course, this wasn¡¯t something ordinary people could do . Even the Elves or Dark Elves, who were skilled with the bow, or Beastkin, who had much better sight than humans, or Dwarves, who were used to living in underground locations, would not have been able to watch from this distance . In addition, it was night time as well . However, despite being outside the range of his senses¡­¡­Set still instinctively felt the existence of the man . As a result, after launching Rei into the building, Set had continued to fly around the sky and keep a watch on his surroundings in order to prevent anyone from escaping . (Either way, this was half a failure and half a success . The best result was that Rei and Elk fought . Still, was able to evaluate part of his skill . And his companion, that Griffon . ¡­¡­When we see each other on the battlefield, it will better to take him down underhandedly instead of hitting him straight up . Fighting someone like him properly is too exhausting . ) Thinking to himself, he disappeared from the shadow of the building and vanished into the darkness of the night . ¡¸Nothing will stand in the way of my Empire from getting the blessings of the sea . ¡¹ As he left he muttered some words that seemed to hold some obsession . ¡¸Rei-san, it¡¯s great that you and the two members of Axe of the Thunder God are safe . I heard there were some problems at the location . ¡¹ Verde, the Guild Master¡¯s secretary, greeted Rei at the entrance when they returned to Abuero¡¯s guild . Min was the only person who could feel a slight softness in her tone despite her lack of expression . At the very least, Rei and Rhodes didn¡¯t seem to notice any changes . However, unlike Rhodes, Rei had only just come to this city and had only met her once, so it was no surprise . ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Verde . I¡¯ve troubled you this time . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Verde-san, it¡¯s been a while . ¡¹ Rhodes, who understood why him mum was bowing and that he was the biggest reason why both his parents had been trapped, also bowed with a red face at his blunder . ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it . Our city has been helped several times by Axe of Thunder God . Even if it¡¯s just a bit, we would like to return the favour in any way possible . ¡¹ The words she said were very sincere, but none of them could tell if she was talking to Rei or Rhodes because of her lack of expression . ¡¸W-Well . Anyhow . In the end, one of the three men was killed by their compatriots . Another committed suicide with poison or something similar . Only one was caught alive¡­¡­Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set appeared with a cry . On his back was an unconscious man in black . However, he had been gagged to prevent him from committing suicide by biting his tongue, he was also prevented from moving by rope¡­¡­the rope was tied so tightly around him that the man would only have been able to move his head and the tips of his fingers and toes . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ At the unexpected scene, Verde was surprised for a few seconds as she turned to look at the captured man . ¡¸It¡¯s to stop him from committing suicide . We would be in trouble if he broke out from the ropes . ¡¹ Even though Min said that with a smile, Verde just nodded a little without a change in her expression . ¡¸I¡¯ll keep guard over the man here, so please go to the Guild Master¡¯s office . ¡¹ ¡¸I will do that . I have to report what happened clearly . ¡­¡­Oh, yes . The problem you mentioned earlier¡­¡­Goblin¡¯s-, wait that¡¯s not right . Ah, right . The members of Ogre¡¯s Heart tried to rush into the spies¡¯s hideout . I decided that the two of them were in danger, so I burst in first . I supressed the spies, but shortly after that, Ogre¡¯s Heart rushed in and tried to grab the spy that we had captured . In the end I had to knock them out . They might have suffered some fractures, but there weren¡¯t any fatal injuries, so you don¡¯t need to worry . ¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­sorry . I apologise for the inconvenience . ¡¹ Rei and the other two headed for the Guild Master¡¯s office as Verde saw them off with no expression . ¡¸Min! Rhodes!¡¹ A voice was heard as soon as they entered the office . The voice that came from the communication crystal on Tirage¡¯s desk belonged to Min¡¯s husband and Rhodes¡¯s father . ¡¸Elk, we¡¯ve caused you some trouble this time . ¡¹ ¡¸Dad!? ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry . ¡¹ The two of them apologised to Elk, who¡¯s face was projected on the crystal . Tirage looked at them with a smile . ¡¸The most important thing is that you¡¯re both safe . That both members from Axe of the Thunder God who were taken hostage are safe . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Guild Master . For this to happen to us in a different city¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, no, don¡¯t worry about it Min-san . The ones who decided to cause trouble in this city was the other party anyway . To be honest, I¡¯m not happy to be taken so lightly either . ¡¹ ¡¸G-Guild Master?¡¹ Rhodes spoke up unconsciously at the words Tirage spoke with a smile . It was an unexpected reaction from someone like Tirage, who was well known for his warm personality . However, it was impossible for Tirage to assume the position of guild master with just kindness . Behind his gentle face were definitely sharp fangs . The members of Ogre¡¯s Heart didn¡¯t realise that, and neither did Rhodes . ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s hear the report . I would like to thank everyone who helped the guild out with this dodgy case . ¡¹ Even though Tirage had a gentle smile on his face, Rhodes still retreated a step back at his aura . Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Legend Chapter 254 The day after Min and Rhodes had been rescued, Rei was walking alone through Abuero . ¡­¡­Yes . Just by himself . As expected, the previous day had been and emergency situation, so Rei had requested that Set be able to enter the city with the guild master¡¯s authority . However, it wasn¡¯t possible to let a Griffon walk around freely during the day . That was what Tirage had told him . Currently, Set was enjoying himself outside the city as he freely hunted monsters to fill his stomach or napping as the weather warmed . However, it was only for today . Originally, Rei and Set were planning to return to Gilm as there was no need to help Min and Rhodes any further . However, without Elk, who was the greatest strength of the Axe of the Thunder God, they decided that it would be too dangerous for them to return alone agreed to head back together . Min and Rhodes had to stay in the city for an extra day as they explained how they had been taken hostage and how Rhodes had been attacked, leading to Min¡¯s capture . Because of that, Rei spent the day off, looking around the city which he had barely any time to see when he had been on the escort request . ¡¸Heh . This spear is a fine item . ¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s something that came from a blacksmith I¡¯ve made a deal with . It¡¯s not a magic item, but it¡¯s a superb weapon when evaluated purely as a weapon . But¡­¡­it¡¯s not something you can buy kid . As it¡¯s a excellent weapon, it has a price to match . ¡¹ ¡¸How much is it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Let¡¯s say 2 gold coins . ¡¹ There was no doubt that the price was quite high for a weapon . However, it was easy to see that the spear in Rei¡¯s hand was worth the price¡­¡­no, more than the given price . As a result . ¡¸2 gold coins? I¡¯ll take it . ¡¹ Rei simply took the gold coins out of the Misty Ring and handed it over to the owner, as if the coins had come from under his robe . ¡¸H-Hey!? Kid, who are you¡­¡­is this gold coin real?¡¹ Seeing the gold coins being handed over, the owner hesitated for a moment, looking to see if they were real or fake . However, from his many year of experience in business, there was no doubt that the gold coins were the real thing . ¡¸T-Thank you for your patronage¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Since I bought something expensive, don¡¯t you think it would be fine to throw in a dagger as an extra bonus?¡¹ ¡¸A-Ahh . I understand . Here, take this . ¡¹ Before the surprise of the gold coins had cooled down, Rei asked the owner to throw in some bonuses . The owner handed over two sheathed daggers without a word . ¡¸Heh . This dagger is also pretty well made . ¡¹ Rei was also surprised by the quality of the daggers that were handed to him . He pretended to put them into his pocket as he stored them into the Misty Ring . Rei left the weapons store with a happy smile . All that was left behind was the figure of the shopkeeper, who was wondering if the events that had just occured were a dream or not . However, as soon as he grasped the gold coin in his hand, he knew that it was all real . After leaving the store, Rei, who had unexpectedly bought something good, continued his walk around the city in a good mood . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ At the end of his line of site was a stall, which he stopped to look at . The stall itself wasn¡¯t unusual . There were stalls selling skewers, stews and some that sold udon, which was invented in Gilm . But, in terms of udon, most of it wasn¡¯t complete, like what was sold in Sabrusta . However, the food that was being sold in the stall that Rei was looking at was fundamentally different from the rest . Even in this world, hot plates were used for barbecue . An iron plate was placed in the center of the stall as meat and vegetables were fried on the heated plate . Udon noodles were boiled in water and drained with cooking utensils at the corner of the stall before being fried on the hot plate . The moment the udon was put on the hot plate, some sort of demiglace sauce was sprinkled on top before being stir fried . The seasoning that was added a demiglace sauce and not soy sauce, but the recipe was definitely that of fried udon which Rei knew of . What surprised Reiw as that instead of the salted fried udon that Rei had taught in Gilm, this was served with a demiglace sauce instead . ¡¸Welcome . Would you like to have some, kid?¡¹ A man in his late twenties to early thirties noticed Rei walk over and called out to him . Nodding at the man¡¯s question, Rei paid the slightly pricier cost of two copper coins and sat down at the stall . Then, in less than a minute, he was served a plate of fried udon with a fork . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Silently wrapping the fried udon around his fork, Rei brought it to his mouth¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s delicious . ¡¹ ¡¸Hehe, isn¡¯t it? Udon and fried udon were ingredients that were created in Gilm, but this sauce was made by me . That said, the way the dish is cooked is the same way it¡¯s cooked with salt . ¡¹ ¡¸Fried udon, is it . ¡¹ Because it had be fried quickly on high heat, the texture of the fried meat and vegetables was chewy but not tough . This mostly depended on peoples tastes, but Rei liked it to be a bit more chewy, so he had no complaints . The Udon was boiled, drained and not fried for too long, so it still had a firm and chewy texture . At the very least, the udon was cooked well enough that it the udon he had eaten in Sabrusta couldn¡¯t compare to it at all . (Well, demiglace sauce isn¡¯t the same as the original¡­¡­but it can¡¯t be helped . I¡¯m used to eating fried udon with soy sauce, but I don¡¯t dislike the taste of this sauce . ) Rei ate the fried udon while thinking to himself . Seeing Rei eat it, the owner of the stall spoke with a smile . ¡¸How¡¯s the taste? I can say with confidence that it¡¯s been popular recently with how good it tastes . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s delicious . ¡­¡­But, can I only buy it on a plate? I would like to buy some to take away if possible . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry kid . Unfortunately I haven¡¯t considered take away . It¡¯s a matter of the tableware . I can¡¯t sell all my plates as a street stall . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In that case, I¡¯ll provide the container then . How about you sell the udon you make and put it into that?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Hmm¡­¡­well, that¡¯s true . If you provide the container, I can sell it to you, no problem . But, you won¡¯t get a discount on the udon for providing the container okay?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a deal . Please wait a moment . I¡¯ll get a container right away . ¡¹ Saying that to the stall owner, Rei immediately went to a nearby general store and bought a container . ¡­¡­Of course, it wasn¡¯t a plate or a bowl but a huge pot, which Rei had been aiming from the beginning . Then, holding the huge pot, he returned to the place where the stall had been . ¡¸Hey, hey, hey, hey, you said you were going to buy a container, but why is it so big? Rather, it¡¯s going to cost you a lot you know? Can you afford that kid? No, well, if you have enough money to buy that big pot, then I guess that¡¯s fine . ¡¹ The stall owner couldn¡¯t hide his surprise at the size of Rei¡¯s pot as Rei took out a gold coins as if it wasn¡¯t anything major . ¡¸¡­¡­Kid, who the hell are you? Why do you have gold coins?¡¹ Rei silently handed over this guild card at the stall owner¡¯s question, who was stunned by the pot and even more so by the gold coins . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, a C rank adventurer from Gilm . So the money is something I made fairly, it¡¯s not something I got from shady means . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡­¡­But, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t believe your story . ¡¹ ¡¸Why not? I¡¯ll even pay you the full amount for it . ¡¹ Rei asked with a puzzled expression . The owner gave a big sigh before speaking . ¡¸Listen okay? The fried udon is certainly delicious . That¡¯s natural because I made it . However, delicious food doesn¡¯t stay delicious forever . There is a duration which it will remain delicious . But if the noodles get cold or is kept for too long, the fried udon will spoil . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see . Come to think of it, this is Abuero . ¡¹ Rei nodded when he finally understood the owner¡¯s words . For Rei, he had always bought a large amount of food back in Gilm, so he had thought of it as something normal . He never thought he would get stuck on this point here . ¡¸No problem . I¡¯ll eat all the fried udon while it¡¯s still hot . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you, if you buy so much in a pot, it will cool down as you eat it . Or what are you going to do? Are you going to eat everything in one go?¡¹ As he spoke with Rei, blood seemed to rise in the stall owner¡¯s head as he set his eyes on Rei . In a sense, that was understandable as Rei wouldn¡¯t take a step back regardless of what he said . However, Rei just shook his head again as he replied . ¡¸Even though I look like this, I have an item box . ¡¹ Then, to give an example, he took out some dishes from the Misty Ring . Stew with large chunks of meat and vegetables, freshly baked bread with a crispy texture and meat skewers that if the stall owner was told that they had just been cooked, he would have believed it . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The owner could only silently watch the many dishes appear out of nowhere one after another . Eventually, Rei stored all the dishes he had taken out back into the Misty Ring as he spoke to the stall owner . ¡¸As you can see, food can be kept hot . ¡­¡­how about that? Can you sell me the fried udon?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­My cooking, in an item box, you want to use such an expensive magic item to store food?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . fried udon with demiglace sauce¡­¡­it¡¯s excellent . However, maybe you should consider the types of vegetables and frying the vegetables for a bit longer . ¡¹ Rei spoke with some regret that there were no leeks in the fried udon he had ate . Onions may have been the more common ingredient for fried udon¡­¡­but because Rei¡¯s family had used leeks, he was more familiar with those . ¡¸Vegetables, vegetables, is it? Well, it might be a good idea to look into it a bit further . Alright, I understand . You¡¯ve given me such a good evaluation of my dish . Even wanting to use an item box to eat it . As a cook, I also have to respond to those feelings . Wait a moment, I¡¯ll make it right away!¡¹ Then, the owner started to cut up the vegetables and meat as he started to boil the water for the udon . Then, as Rei was watching him cook¡­¡­ ¡¸Ah, isn¡¯t that Rei?¡¹ Someone suddenly called out . Turning around, Rei saw four people from the night before . Bilt, Begriff, Birke and Carla, the four members of the D rank party Azure Blades . ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right . Just right after yesterday¡¯s events¡­¡­hey . ¡¹ Begriff, carrying his poleaxe, noticed the stall owner as he called out to Rei . The stall owner was making a large amount of grilled udon on the hot plate¡­¡­the amount of fried udon being made was enough to get heartburn just from looking at it . ¡¸Hey, Rei . How many people did you order for?¡¹ ¡¸I mean, what¡¯s with that huge pot? Are you going to put the fried udon into that pot?¡¹ Birke followed up from Begriff¡¯s question and Rei nodded as he replied . ¡¸Ahh . It¡¯s a fried udon with a taste that I¡¯ve never seen before in Gilm, where udon was invented . He deserves credit for inventing his own sauce . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that too much? Certainly, I thought it was delicious as well the last time I ate it, but it didn¡¯t seem like something to be praised that much . ¡¹ ¡¸The fried udon here can be considered excellent . Especially if you smell the scorched flavour of the original blend of sauce, it makes me want to eat as much as I can . ¡­¡­Well, if you only know about the fried udon here, then this would be the standard¡­¡­but I¡¯ll be honest, there is no fried udon in Gilm, the home of udon, that is more delicious than this fried udon . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha . Saying that makes me happy kid . ¡¹ The stall owner smiled as he fried a large amount of ingredients, wiping his sweat with a nearby cloth . The boiled and wet udon was thrown in, followed by the sauce . Immediately after that, the smell of scorched sauced started to drift around, stirring the apetite . To Rei, the smell was slightly different, but it was reminiscent of yakisoba, takoyaki and okonomiyaki that he had eaten at summer festivals back in Japan . However, compared to oknomiyaki, the toppings of the fried udon was mostly cabbage . Gulp . As Rei looked at the fried udon with a watering mouth, he was given a plateful . ¡¸Here . You don¡¯t need to look so hungry, don¡¯t worry about this udon, it¡¯s yours so feel free to eat it . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahh . ¡¹ He had just eaten a plate, but Rei¡¯s stomach was still not filled, insisting on eating more . Giving in to the temptation, he reached out to the plate with his fork¡­¡­in the end, the four members of Azure Blades were treated to fried udon by Rei and ate some as well . Like that, the scent drifted along the street for a while, in turn stimulating the appetite of passersby passing through . Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Legend Chapter 255 ¡¸Min, Rhodes, you¡¯re safe!¡¹ At that shout, a muscular man jumped out from the main gate and gave a tight hug to the woman in a robe and the boy in leather armour who were next to Rei . ¡¸Wai-, dad!?¡¹ ¡¸-!? This stupid strength of yours! Learn to control it!¡¹ At Rhode¡¯s involuntary shout at the tight hug, Min hit Elk over the head with her cane . Fortunately, Min and Rhodes had managed to get back their old equipment . It had been returned by the members of Azure Blades, who had found the equipment left in a corner of the building they had been held hostage in . It wasn¡¯t strange for greedy adventurers like Ogre¡¯s Heart to take it for themselves, but since it was Azure Blades that found them, Min and Rhodes could be considered lucky . However, the other members of Azure Blades had all looked at Carla suspiciously, who had a penchant to do things for money . A few days after the case had been resolved, due to Tirage¡¯s good will, Min and Rhodes returned to Gilm in a carriage . Originally, this hadn¡¯t been part of the request, so there was no need for Rei to join them . However, Rei, Min and Rhodes were on friendly terms with each other, so there was no reason to reject . Set slowly escorted the carriage back from Abuero for almost a full day . ¡¸Thank you for the hard work . ¡¹ As he looked at the members of Axe of the Thunder God, Ranga greeted Rei and Set with a stern smile on his face . ¡¸Ah, it was quite tiring . But, that doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t get a good harvest . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s mind searched through the Misty Ring, passing through the high quality spear and the large pot of fried udon . Rei had been caught up in various matters, but those two items, especially the fried udon, were his biggest harvests on this trip . (I wasn¡¯t able to find out how to make the sauce, but I still have the real thing with me . If I take it to the Satisfied Stomach for tasting, maybe I¡¯ll be able to have fried udon in Gilm as well . ) Rei took out his guild card and handed it over to Ranga as he thought to himself . Giving it a quick check, Ranga spoke up as he returned the Necklace of Subservient Monster to Rei . ¡¸That¡¯s right, I was told by the Guild Master to tell you to go the guild as soon as you came back . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I thought that would happen . ¡¹ Since they had asked for the help of Guild Master Marina to solve this case, there was no surprise that they had to report back to her . Rei nodded without any particular objections and started heading towards the guild with Set, leaving behind the members of Axe of the Thunder God, who were still making a lot of noise . ¡¸H-Hey! Rei! Do something about my dad!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not that rude to interupt a family reunion . Just don¡¯t end up being too late to the guild . ¡¹ Replying to Rhodes, Rei told him blandly that he didn¡¯t want to be dragged into that hot mess . ¡¸Oh, Rei-san . I heard you had some urgent work in Abuero¡­¡­but you¡¯re back quick . ¡¹ As usual, Rei split with Set at the guild entrance as he went inside . A receptionist called out from the counter . It was a girl with black hair in a ponytail . It was Lenora, who Rei was familiar with . At Lenora¡¯s words, Rei nodded vaguely, knowing that it hadn¡¯t been publicly disclosed that he had gone to help Min and Rhodes in place of Elk . ¡¸Ah, there were some circumstances . ¡­¡­I heard the Guild Master wanted to see me . ¡¹ Lenora tilted her head slightly at Rei¡¯s words . She had heard from her boss and colleagues that the request hadn¡¯t been too serious, so she didn¡¯t know why the Guild Master was brought up here . However, she was still a guild receptionist, the face of the guild . She immediately nodded as she spoke . ¡¸I understand . I¡¯ll check with the Guild Master, so please wait a moment . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay . Your workmate, Kenny¡­¡­mm? I thought it was quiet . ¡¹ Looking around, Rei realised that there wasn¡¯t anyone else to talk to, so he involuntarily asked Lenora with a smile . Spring was just around the corner, and even though it was still winter, there were still active adventurers . Because of that, even though there weren¡¯t too many adventurers gathered in front of the request board, there wasn¡¯t any reason for receptionists to be free . Rei asked with such thoughts, but Lenora stopped walking behind the counter as she replied with a smile . ¡¸She was feeling a little feverish, so Kenny is taking today off . Seriously, coordinating everything in this busy period is giving me a headache¡­¡­it¡¯s really inconvenient . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . I guess it¡¯s unavoidable as it¡¯s the turn of seasons, so it¡¯s easy to get sick . I understand, I¡¯ll wait here quietly, so please check in with the Guild Master for me . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please watch the counter for me . ¡¹ Lenora spoke to a nearby colleague before walking to the back of the room . After seeing her leave, Rei thought about the possibility of a similar incident happening before deciding it wasn¡¯t possible . In fact, Kenny seemed to have contacted Lenora telling her she would be taking today off, so she probably hadn¡¯t been taken hostage . ¡¸A good number of people have already resumed their activities . ¡¹ Rei murmured to himself as he looked at the adventurers in front of the request board . From what he could see, the number of people around the board was several times higher than a month ago . It wasn¡¯t necessarily related, but the number of people in the bar attached to the guild had also decreased noticeably . There were still people drinking and being noisy in the bar, but those were probably people who had already resumed their activities and completed a request¡­¡­only a few had yet to resume their activities as adventurers . As Rei was waiting for Lenora to come back, he felt somebody approaching him . ¡¸¡­¡­Rei . Couldn¡¯t you have given a bit of help? Abandoning us so easily¡­¡­¡¹ It was an emancipated Rhodes, who spoke with some resentment . Behind him was Elk, who had a big grin on his face, and Min, who had a wry smile on her face . Rei spoke with a smile in his eyes as he saw the family of three . ¡¸Didn¡¯t I tell you? I would just get in the way of the happy family gathering . Besides¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sorry for making you wait . The Guild Master would like Rei-san and the Axe of the Thunder God to come to her office . ¡¹ Before Rei could say anything, Lenora cut in . Hearing those words, Elk¡¯s big smile tightened as Min and Rhodes¡¯s expressions changed . ¡¸I understand . We¡¯ll go immediately . ¡¹ Elk took a step forward on behalf of the rest of them . This was probably due to his role as the oldest, as a party leader and as a father . However, all that didn¡¯t have much to do with Rei . The four of them went past the counter and towards the back . Seeing the head up, Lenora looked towards a nearby guild staff member to ask¡ºwhat happened?¡»¡­¡­but people who knew what had really happened were few in Gilm . The Dusk Wheat guests, who were the most aware of what had happened, were not aware of the details as they had only seen the fight between Rei and Elk . They had just assumed that they ended up in an argument after drinking . Or rather, information had been spread in such a way as to cleverly change the details . In the case of Gilm, the only person who knew most of what was going on was Marina, the guild master, and other high level people like Margrave Rowlocks . The rest were Rei and members of Axe of the Thunder God, who were the related parties . And in Abuero, there were only four groups of people who knew, the higher ups in the city, the Guild Master, his secretary Verde and the members of Azure Blades . ¡¸Guild Master, it¡¯s Elk . Min, Rhodes and Rei are with me . ¡¹ Elk spoke while knocking lightly on the door . Even though it was light knock, it was still a knock by a giant like Elk . If anything, the sound of his knocks echoed around . Still, it was the door to the Guild Master¡¯s office and not some fragile door that would be damaged that easily . ¡¸Please come in . ¡¹ Following that voice, the four of them entered the office . Inside, Marina was looking at documents with a complicated expression . ¡¸You¡¯ve come back . It¡¯s good that strong party like you is safe . ¡­¡­Well, let¡¯s sit down and talk about the details . I¡¯ll prepare some tea, so take a seat on the sofa . ¡¹ Following Marina¡¯s words, the four of them sat down on the sofa . Seeing that, Marina brewed some tea for the four of them . ¡¸¡­¡­Now then . First of all, can I ask about the cause of this all? Why was a rank A party like you so easily used by the enemy?¡¹ Rei, Min and Rhodes all held strange expressions at Marina¡¯s question . After all, Elk had been in Gilm the entire time since Rei had left for Abuero . They all thought that there should have been enough time to explain the situation . Reading the question from their expressions, Marina spoke with a smile . ¡¸¡­¡­I heard about it from Elk, but he wasn¡¯t good at explaining and we were worried about you two, so we didn¡¯t get to that point . ¡¹ ¡¸But, haven¡¯t you been in contact with the guild master of Abuero? We talked about the situation there in detail after we were rescued, you didn¡¯t hear about that?¡¹ Marina shook her head at Min¡¯s question . ¡¸Of course I had heard from him . But, it¡¯s better to hear from the person themselves than to hear it from someone else right? And, there might be things you may remember now because you¡¯ve had time to think about it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Rhodes, you start . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Me?¡¹ Rhodes responded unintentionally at his mum¡¯s nomination . However, Min nodded naturally . ¡¸I was caught because you were taken hostage . And Elk silently obeyed them because you and I were held hostage . In that case, it would be best for the first person taken hostage to explain first . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ Rhodes nodded at Min¡¯s words and began to explain while remembering the humiliating events that had hit him . ¡¸My dad and mum were busy around the port town, so I went out to explore the city alone . At that time, a girl about my age was kidnapped in front of me, so I chased after her . I was able to defeat the kidnapper and rescue her¡­¡­but when I tried to wake up the girl who was lying on the ground, she grabbed my hand¡­¡­I felt a tingling pain and my body was gradually paralyzed and couldn¡¯t move . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, so they took advantage of Rhode¡¯s kindness and naivety . ¡­¡­You¡¯re a C rank adventurer, but you¡¯re still young . I¡¯ll have to tell you to be more alert to women . Well, I guess it¡¯s because you¡¯re young that you would get caught in a trap with a girl as bait . ¡¹ Marina spoke with a sigh as she brought a cup of tea to her mouth . It was a perfect trap to catch Rhodes, who was younger, more aggressive and less accustomed to dealing with women . (That¡¯s certainly perfect . ¡­¡­But, it¡¯s too perfect . It was probably an operation they put in motion after collecting enough information about Rhodes . And, the Axe of the Thunder God is mainly active in Gilm . In other words, the information must have been obtained in Gilm . That said, they might also have received that information from other people . ) Axe of the Thunder God was a well known party in Gilm . If something happened, people would definitely talk about it, so getting information wasn¡¯t that difficult . Thinking like that, Marina prompted Rhodes to continue his story . ¡¸After that, I was gagged, tied up and couldn¡¯t move . So¡­¡­¡¹ Rhodes¡¯s eyes turned to Min . Min, who also turned to look back, nodded slightly before speaking . ¡¸I¡¯ll talk from here . Rhodes didn¡¯t come back after going out, so Elk and I split to look for him around the city just in case . Then, one man approached me and showed me a necklace that increased defense against fire that Rhodes had been wearing . At that point, I was already in their hands . At least, if Rhodes had been in front of me, I could have rescued him, but he was somewhere far away¡­¡­moreover, the man who contacted me said that Rhodes was in their hands and if I did anything, they would hurt Rhodes . He also said that it was pointless to capture him to lure them out since he was a stranger to them, so I had no choice but to surrender . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, that¡¯s clever . If I think about it, no matter what you did, it would only move things in a worse direction . ¡­¡­In that case, Elk?¡¹ Seeing Marina turn to look at him, Elk nodded bitterly . ¡¸Ah . I was told the same thing as Min . Min and Rhodes were also held in separate places . I couldn¡¯t even fight my way through it . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t it . Even if I were to try to capture Elk, I¡¯d use underhanded means instead of combat . ¡¹ Marina muttered to herself before silently carrying a cup of tea to her mouth as she seemed to think . Then, after drinking a few mouthfuls of tea, she spoke again . ¡¸Adventurers are basically responsible for themselves, so the plan from the guild is only to issue a small fine . ¡­¡­However, we¡¯re also indebted to Abuero¡¯s guild, so if any request come through from Tirage, Axe of the Thunder God will have to give them priority . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand . He helped my family . I¡¯ll do everything I can . ¡¹ At Marina¡¯s words, Elk gave a declaration as Min and Rhodes nodded in agreement . Marina looked at the three of them with a satisfied expression before turning to Rei¡­¡­ ¡¸Then, there¡¯s Rei . You¡¯re the one who suffered the most disadvantages in this case . So you can ask for compensation from Axe of the Thunder God . ¡­¡­What will you do?¡¹ And asking him that question . Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Legend Chapter 256 Rei was told to name his compensation from Axe of the Thunder God, but he tilted his head in response . (Compensation . Normally, that would mean money, but I¡¯m not short on money . In that case, magic items? The Axe of the Thunder God, that can emit lightning, is certainly attractive . But even if I had another spear or axe, it wouldn¡¯t be of any use . ) At the back of Rei¡¯s mind, he thought of the Power Axe that he had passed to Ara . The Power Axe had been a fairly high quality magic item, although still inferior to the Axe of the Thunder God . However, the weapons Rei used were basically the Death Scythe and spears for throwing at long distances . Aside from those, he had daggers for some situations . Because of that, after taking that axe from Vargas, it had basically been kept in the Misty Ring . Of course, there were quite a few adventurers who used battle axes . But fortunately or unfortunately, barely any of the adventurers that Rei worked with used one . As a result, the Power Axe was never brought out until an issue arose where Ara¡¯s sword became useless . (In that case, there¡¯s no point in asking for a magic item as compensation . There¡¯s nothing that stands out aside from the Axe of the Thunder God . A necklace that increases resistance to fire is not that useful to me either, as someone who is good at fire magic . ¡­¡­Then¡­¡­no, wait? Rank A party . If I think of them as a fighting force¡­¡­would that work?) He quickly put the thoughts together in his head . After about 30 seconds, Rei spoke . ¡¸Compensation . In other words, I can consider it as returning a debt?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I understand it as such¡­¡­what about Elk?¡¹ Marina nodded at Rei¡¯s words and turned to Elk . ¡¸Of course . I¡¯ll do whatever I can . ¡¹ Elk nodded in agreement towards Rei, who was sitting beside him . Rei, who heard those words, smiled internally but kept expression level as he spoke . ¡¸I see . The war with the Bestir Empire will start soon . I want you to participate in the war and play an active part . As much as possible, I want to maximise the strength of Axe of the Thunder God . The greater the damage to the Bestir Empire, the better . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What? Is that all you want?¡¹ Elk responded at Rei¡¯s proposal . For Elk, the Mireana Kingdom was his beloved homeland . He thought of Gilm as the place he¡¯d evenutally like to bury his bones . In order to protect his city and country, he had intended to participate in the war as a mercenary from the beginning . In fact, if Axe of the Thunder God participated in the war, as a rank A party, the Mireana Kingdom would welcome them . For adventurers, rank A wasn¡¯t a position that could be reached by strength alone . However, strength was still something that contributed greatly to it . ¡¸Ah . But, of course, I won¡¯t be satisfied with average battle results . I expect great results like beheading enemy generals and large numbers of enemy soldiers . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . ¡¹ Elk nodded firmly when he heard Rei¡¯s requirements . To Elk, Rei¡¯s proposal was nothing more than a bridge that had to be crossed . After all, the Bestir Empire had taken his loved ones hostage . In exchange for their lives, he had been ordered to kill Rei . (If the target of assassination hadn¡¯t been Rei¡­¡­if it had been an ordinary adventurer, I probably would have killed them . And after that, I probably would have been killed as well . After all, Min and Rhodes had been taken hostage . And if I had died, Min and Rhodes¡­¡­would probably have had to return the debt of my stupid deeds . ) In his inner self, Elk renewed his determination to fight the Bestir Empire . Fighting spirit and bloodlust spilled out from his large body . ¡¸-!?¡¹ Rhodes held his breath momentarily as his dad¡¯s aura as he loooked at the others . However, no one else seemed to show any particular change to their expression after seeing Elk¡¯s aura . (¡­¡­I¡¯m still too weak . This was all caused by me as well . ) When Rhodes sighed, Marina turned to look at Min and Rhodes . As a member of Axe of the Thunder God, Rhodes had met with Guild Master Marina several times before . Still, Marina¡¯s overflowing sex appeal had always dazzled him each time . However, this time, it was safe to say that Elk¡¯s murderous aura had saved him from embarrasment due to the fear in his heart . ¡¸So Elk will need to achieve merits in the war . What will the other two do?¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment, Guild Master! I was the one who tried to kill Rei . For those two¡­¡­¡¹ Perhaps Marina¡¯s words were unexpected . Elk¡¯s murderous aura from several seconds ago was suddenly extinguished . But, Marina silent shook her head at Elk¡¯s response . ¡¸No, it can¡¯t be done . I¡¯m sorry, but this time, it¡¯s not just about you, but about Axe of the Thunder God as a whole . Because of that, the punishment you will receive must also be carried by the whole of Axe of the Thunder God . ¡¹ ¡¸But, Guild Master!¡¹ Elk still tried to make a plea, but surprisingly, it was Min, who sat next to Elk, who stopped him . ¡¸Elk, don¡¯t worry about it . Like you, I¡¯m also angry with the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸Min¡­¡­but what about Rhodes? Yes, it¡¯s true that he¡¯s much stronger than most soldiers in terms of ability alone . He has also killed bandits . But, you know that it¡¯s different from war right? You¡¯ve also experienced that . ¡¹ ¡¸Dad! Even I¡­¡­¡¹ Rhodes interjected at Elk¡¯s point, but when Elk looked back with sharp eyes, he couldn¡¯t say anymore and kept quiet . Min spoke as she looked at Rhodes with a bitter smile . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . In the first place, I¡¯m a mage, so I¡¯ll focus on shooting magic from the back . Rhodes will stay near me as my guard . I won¡¯t be going to the frontlines, unlike you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In that case¡­¡­¡¹ Elk tried to nod reluctantly at his wife¡¯s words when a voice was heard again . ¡¸Wait a moment you two . It¡¯s nice that you¡¯re worry about me, but I was the biggest cause of all this . So I want to be able to take responsibilty for it properly . ¡¹ Rhodes had retreated at Elk¡¯s gaze earlier, but he spoke up again . And, when Elk tried to say something again¡­¡­ ¡¸Ah, you can talk about that later in a family meeting or something . Anyway, my request is that Axe of the Thunder God participates in the war . Regarding the division of roles, you can decide that . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s words interrupted them . After all, to Rei, it was Elk who was important to his request . If Elk, a rank A adventurer used his power to his full potential, he would be a powerful force for the Mireana Kindgom . Moreover, it was also true that Min was a mage with great skill, so it would also be good if she could demonstrate her skill . (In the next war, the Demon Soldiers will definitely appear . In that case, it will be necessary to prepare our forces to be as strong as possible . In that sense, by goal was achieved by I pulled both Elk and Min into the battlefield . It¡¯s too bad for Rhodes, but the situation won¡¯t change much with or without him . However, as Elk said, Rhodes is much stronger than an ordinary soldier . ) As he thought about it, Marina, who had been silently listening and hadn¡¯t gotten herself involved in the dispute, clapped her hands to gather the attention of everyone . ¡¸Well then, Rei¡¯s punishment for Axe of the Thunder God is to participate in the war . I¡¯m sorry, but since it¡¯s a punishment, you won¡¯t get paid . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s not an issue . ¡¹ Certainly, the reward from being hired as a mercenary wasn¡¯t high, but if you contributed notable merits, the reward would be greatly increased . However, since Elk and the rest of the party had been active as rank A adventurers, they had plenty of money and were not particularly concerned with the reward . Even though it was painful for them to participate in the war without any rewards, in the end it was only a little painful . ¡¸The guild will confisticate any rewards that Axe of the Thunder God receive . That is the Guild¡¯s punishment for Axe of the Thunder God . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡­¡­Guild Master, Rei . This time, I¡¯ve cause a lot of trouble . ¡­¡­I¡¯m very sorry . ¡¹ Elk gave a bow, followed by Min and Rhodes . After a few seconds, Marina spoke up . ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped¡­¡­I won¡¯t say that, but something like this was bound to happen eventually . Also, it was brought up in the conversation about the war earlier, but don¡¯t overprotect Rhodes . I know that kids are cute, but doing that will prevent a child¡¯s growth . This is a warning not as a guild master, but as a Dark Elf who has lived much longer than you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Marina continued to speak to the silent Elk and Min, who had raised their heads . ¡¸I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s wrong to from a party with family . In fact, I¡¯ve seen a lot of people who have formed a party with their family . And, with your ability, Axe of the Thunder God was able to rise to a rank A party . But it¡¯s also a fact that parents will eventually need to separate from their children . Please think carefully about it . ¡­¡­Ah, I ended up talking about quite a bit . Anyway, this matter is now closed! I¡¯ll get in touch with Daska, so don¡¯t worry about it . Please prepare youself for the war and hone yourself . Now then, you can all leave . ¡¹ Saying that that was it, Marina stood up from the sofa, went to her desk and started reading documents . The four of them watched her, but eventually realised that there was no point in staying any longer and left the office . ¡¸Rei, so¡­¡­about that . How about getting some food together? I don¡¯t expect this to make up for anything, but will you let me treat you?¡¹ Those were the first words Elk said after leaving the guild . As expected, he was feeling sorry for causing so much trouble in this situation . ¡¸I see . I¡¯m happy for you to treat me to a meal . Of course, it¡¯s not just me, it¡¯s Set as well, right?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ As Rei came out of the guild, Set who was coming over, gave a cry a tilted his head when he heard about getting fed . Elk, who was feeling very sorry for the trouble he had caused, didn¡¯t reject and nodded his head . ¡¸O-Of course . But where would you like to eat? Since it¡¯s not just us, we can¡¯t take Set to an ordinary dining place right?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, you¡¯re right . As far as I know, the Satisfied Stomach will cater for Set . Of course, he can¡¯t go inside . ¡¹ ¡¸Satisfied Stomach? Min, do you know about it?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . It¡¯s an eatery on back street . I think the shopkeeper son there was an adventurer . I heard that the taste and quantity of food there is above average . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, if you say so, then it must be so . You okay with that Rhodes?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, right . I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡­ah, no, sorry . Actually, I¡¯m fine . There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to think about by myself, so I¡¯ll split up with you all here . ¡¹ After saying that, Rhodes left before Elk and Min had any time to say anything . For Rhodes, it was because he needed some time to think carefully about what Marina had said . Elk and Min realised that . Although they looked somewhat regretful, they let him leave without stopping him . ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, shall we go? A lot of things happened today, so I want to eat and drink to my fill . Rei and Set, eat as much as you¡¯d like . Well then, please lead the way to the Satisfied Stomach . ¡¹ After Elk said that, Rei led them straight to the Satisfied Stomach without another word . ¡¸Heh~¡­¡­this is quite nice . ¡¹ Elk muttered to himself as he stuffed stir fried meat, skewers and stew on the table into his mouth . In his hand was a cup with a high alcohol percentage beverage, which he drank from as he picked up food . The Sastified Stomach could be considered a common eatery . Normally, there would have been a big fuss if a celebrity like Elk came over, since it was past 2pm and peak hours, there were only a few guests in the dining area . Moreover, the owner, Dishot, wisely reserved the rest of ths eatery for them, so only the customers who were already present were suprised by Elk¡¯s appearance . And even for those customers, Elk¡¯s presence alone wasn¡¯t something to raise a fuss about . Thanks to that, Rei and Elk enjoyed their meal without being disturbed by their surroundings . That said, since Set naturally couldn¡¯t enter the dining area, he had his meal outside . ¡¸Wait a moment . ¡¹ Saying that, Dishot brought out a juicy Fang Boar steak with a crunchy exterior . It was probably due to Dishot¡¯s skill as a chef that the meat had almost no odour . When he saw that steak, Rei smiled as he suddenly thought of a mischievious idea . ¡¸Dishot, I have some fried udon that doesn¡¯t exist in Gilm . ¡­¡­Would you like to try some?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that a challenge for me? All right, I accept the challenge . ¡¹ Dishot said that with a smile as Rei¡¯s words had stimulated his pride as a chef . In response, Rei also smiled and took out the pot containing the fried udon with demiglace sauce that he had bought in the city of Abuero . ¡­¡­In the end, the huge pot of fried udon was eventually finished by Dishot and Elk . Chapter 257 Chapter 257 ¡¸It¡¯s finally come, it seems . ¡¹ It had been a few days since the events with Axe of the Thunder God . Rei murmured to himself after seeing the new request on the guild board . The request was for the recruitment of mercenaries for the war . The war with the Bestir Empire hand¡¯t started yet, but no one was surprised as they all understood that it was only a matter of time before the war began . E rank adventurers or lower were not permitted to take the request and the basic daily payment was 1 silver coin . If you had a higher rank, past achievements or some sort of special ability, additional rewards would be given . In addition, their employer, Margrave Rowlocks in this case, would take care of everything including clothing, food and shelter during the request period . Military blacksmiths would take care of weapon maintenance and repairs . As a result, the 1 silver coin earned was basically 1 silver coin of profit . However, the amount of alcohol distributed at meals was only a few cups and the food was ordinary . If you wanted to eat or drink any more, you would have to pay for it . The adventurers around Rei were also discussing whether or not to accept the request . ¡¸Hey, what do you plan to do? There were rumors that the war would start after winter¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I will join . Can you stand the Kingdom being trampled over by those guys from the Empire! With the rewards being that great, I¡¯ll do everything I can . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, what should I do? Aside from monsters, I don¡¯t really like killing people . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­My rank isn¡¯t high enough, so I¡¯m automatically rejected . ¡¹ ¡¸Why not E ranks! I¡¯m confident that I can beat a D rank adventurer with my skill . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll stay behind . I can¡¯t let the city¡¯s protection be weakened if everyone leaves for the war . ¡¹ ¡¸With my arrows, I¡¯ll put a hole into the heads of those Empire invaders . Their heads will become more ventilated after I knock out their brains . ¡¹ As Rei listened to those adventurers talk between their friends and party members, he suddenly felt a pull on his Dragon Robe and turned to take a look . Turning around, Rei saw Kenny, the guild¡¯s catkin receptionist . But, instead of her usual curious eyes, she looked somewhat anxious . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Rei-kun, you have a nominated request . That is, about this war . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ As for Rei, he had been expecting a nominated request as his ability was much higher than his rank . Rather, even if he hadn¡¯t received a nominated request, having a score to settle with the Bestir Empire, he would have taken up the request anyway . (Elena should also be participating as a leader of the nobles . And¡­¡­) The next thing that passed through his mind was a murderer who found pleasure in killing people . A traitor who revealed his true nature at the very end while serving as one of Elena¡¯s bodyguards . (Vel Sails¡­¡­I¡¯m the reason why we couldn¡¯t finish him off . This time, his head¡­¡­) ¡¸Rei-kun?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing . A nominated request you said?¡¹ Looking at Rei with a somewhat worried expression, Kenny replied as per her duties as a guild employee . ¡¸Yes . You have a nominated request from Margrave Rowlocks . He¡¯d like you to go to the Lord¡¯s residence to receive it¡­¡­what will you do?¡¹ You shouldn¡¯t accept it if you don¡¯t need to . Kenny spoke with such an expression . But Rei nodded with determined eyes even though he understood her concern . ¡¸No problem . Of course I¡¯ll accept . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure? This is a request for the war, isn¡¯t it? Unlike before, you¡¯ll be dealing with people instead of monsters you know?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I know . But, I¡¯ve killed bandits before . I¡¯m not going to say I can¡¯t kill others because they¡¯re also people . In the first place, if you can¡¯t deal with that, you shouldn¡¯t become and adventurer in the first place . ¡¹ In fact, Rei had killed many people since coming to Elgin . Of course, he didn¡¯t love to kill people, unlike Vel, who had the habit of taking pleasure in murder . However, he was the one who chose to be an adventurer in the first place . The world wasn¡¯t such a kind place that he could survive by showing kindness and compassion to those who fought against him¡­¡­the frontier wasn¡¯t such a wonderful place . ¡¸Is that so . I understand, I will let the Lord¡¯s residence know¡­¡­when do you plan to go to hear out the request?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fine anytime . I can go whenever it¡¯s convenient for you . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, you can head there now . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you serious?¡¹ As the other party was a noble and the lord of this region, Rei had thought that it would take a few days to before he could get a face to face meeting . Kenny¡¯s words surprised him . ¡¸Ahahaha . It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Rei-kun have that expression . But the other party requested you to hurry as fast as you could . Well, I can guess why . ¡¹ ¡¸My item box, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Correct . ¡¹ Kenny¡¯s words weren¡¯t to surprising for Rei . Especially in this case, he knew that the Mireana Kindgom would be in a full scale war, so naturally no one cared about factions anymore . No, rather, if they were still concerned about factions, it would be impossible for them to win against the Bestir Empire . Rei judged the situation to be so, knowing about the Bestir Empire¡¯s Demon Soldiers and magic items they could create from alchemy . However, while that was true, it was also not true . As the saying went, seeing is believing, many people who hadn¡¯t seen the power of the Bestir Empire didn¡¯t believe the reports and considered it to all be nonsense . ¡¸This time, a lot of power will come from the Neutral faction as well . Many adventurers in Gilm have taken up this request . Naturally¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯ll need food, spare weapons, tents for the night and all sorts of other supplies . ¡¹ ¡¸Correct . And, of course, the number of carriages required to carry the supplies will increase . But, if there is an item box¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸There is no need to worry about the transportation of goods . And finally, the speed at which they can leave the city will also increase greatly . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the way it is . Depending on whether or not Rei-kun accepts the nominated request, the speed at which troops can depart the city will change considerably, so it¡¯s natural to sort that out as soon as possible . Besides, if Rei-kun accepts the reqeust, they won¡¯t have to worry about the quality and quantity of supplies . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess . ¡­¡­I understand . Then I¡¯ll head for the Lord¡¯s residence . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please . ¡­¡­Rei-kun . ¡¹ Kenny called out to Rei again as he turned around was about to leave the guild . ¡¸¡­¡­Don¡¯t die, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, leave it to me . Regardless, I¡¯m the adventurer who reached C rank in the fastest period of time since I registered with the guild right? And that was in Gilm . Besides, I also have Set . I¡¯m not planning to get caught out, so I won¡¯t die so easily . ¡¹ Rei responded to Kenny in a light tone . In actual fact, he would likely have to fight Demon Soliders, who could be considered the Empire¡¯s trump card . And with magic items made from the Empire¡¯s high level of alchemy, there was no situation where he was defintely safe . However, he didn¡¯t want Kenny to worry any more than she already was . ¡¸That¡¯s true . Yes . Rei-kun will be fine . Rei-kun¡¯s strength is unfair after all . ¡¹ ¡¸When you say that, I can¡¯t really agree completely¡­¡­well, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back soon after the war . And even if I do go to war, there¡¯s still some time . If you¡¯re so worried now, your body won¡¯t be able to hold up later . ¡¹ Rei walked out of the guild with a smile as he said that to Kenny, who waved her arms at him as she pretended to be angry . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, a C rank adventurer . I would like to meet with Daska-sama regarding a nominated request . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I heard about that . Wait a moment . ¡¹ Perhaps the guild had already contacted them, when Rei called out to the gatekeeper in front of the Lord¡¯s residence, he was immediately allowed in . As Rei watched the gatekeeper leave, the other gatekeeper, who had already become familiar with Rei, called out to him . ¡¸Have you come this time regarding the war?¡¹ ¡¸They seem to have given me a nominated request . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, your item box . ¡¹ The gatekeeper understood what kind of request it was without Rei needing to say any more . ¡¸¡­¡­You know about this quite well . ¡¹ ¡¸Why do I know that? I¡¯ve heard many of the knights from logistics fervently appealing to Daska-sama about it . ¡¹ ¡¸To go that far¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set tilted his head slightly to ask what was wrong . ¡¸No, the more supplies they have, the slower their travel . It¡¯s not like moving with just you and me Set . ¡¹ It would take about half a day to get to Abuero, the nearest city, by carriage . And, it would take more than a day to get from Abuero to Sabrusta . If the supply wagons had to travel with the infantry, the travel time would only increase and not decrease . As Rei and Set talked with the gatekeeper, the one that had left earlier returned . ¡¸Daska-sama will meet with you . The maid will guide you . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Set, same as usual . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry before heading for the stables in the Lord¡¯s residence . After seeing Set leave, Rei was guided through the Lord¡¯s residence by the maid and evenutally arrived at a door that looked like a piece of art . (This door feels overwhelming every time I see it . ) As he thought about that, the maid knocked on the familiar door . ¡¸Master, I¡¯ve brought Rei-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, come in . ¡¹ Hearing the reply, the maid turned to look at Rei . Asking if he was ready with her eyes, Rei replied with a small nod . With that, the door was opened¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh! Thank you very much for coming Rei!¡¹ Daska Rowlocks, the lord of this region and a central figure in the Neutral faction, Margrave Rowlocks, welcomed Rei with a bright smile as he stopped reading the papers on his desk . (As usual, he doesn¡¯t look like a lord . ) Looking at Daska¡¯s strict face, Rei thought that to himself, but he didn¡¯t reveal his thoughts as he bowed his head . ¡¸Daska-sama, long time no see . I heard that you have a nominated request for me . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I¡¯ll tell you more about it, so take a seat for now . Hey, bring me something to drink and some light snacks . And call Keo . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, right away . ¡¹ The maid who had brought Rei here gave a bow before leaving . As he heard the sound of the door closing, Rei also gave a light bow before sitting down . ¡¸So, I¡¯ve heard that the nominateed requested was about transporting things using my item box . Is that correct?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . The only way to carry supplies is to use carriages, which takes too much time . We haven¡¯t decided how many adventurers we¡¯ll hire, but if we add in the soldiers and knights we will dispatch, the amount of supplies needed will be quite large . If you pack the carriages into your item box, it should be a lot easier to move around . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­My item box can¡¯t store living things, so what about the horses?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing to move then as they will be carrying my men . Ah, in this case, I¡¯m refering to general soldiers and not knights . The knights all have their horses and servants . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . In that case, they¡¯ll be able to reserve their physical strength to some extent and will also be able to move faster . ¡¹ Of course, not everyone leaving Gilm will be able to ride a horse, so their speed will have to match the infantry . However, if you look at it as a whole, their speed should definitely increase . ¡¸That¡¯s that . Then there¡¯s Keo¡­¡­we¡¯ll have a detailed discussion after the person in charge of this supply plan arrives, but there¡¯s a possiblity that you won¡¯t just be carrying military supplies . Please be aware that you may also have to carry supplies for nobles belonging to the Neutral faction and possibly the Noble and Royal factions as well . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The other factions as well?¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes widened unconciously at Daska¡¯s unexpected words . Despite the power struggles, they would still assist with the hard work . Perhaps he read Rei¡¯s question from his expression, Daska held a bitter look but noddedly silently without withdrawing his previous statement . ¡¸That¡¯s right . This war, the Bestir Empire will likely be pouring in considerable strength . In this situation, if we still have faction infighting, the disadvantageous situation would become even more disadvantageous . In that situation, the least influential of the factions, the Neutrals, will have to act as a go between for the Noble and Royal factions and do something about it . ¡­¡­All for the Mireana Kingdom to survive . ¡¹ It was a decision Daska had made after seeing Gilm, the place he governed, be the location of several attempts of the Bestir Empire to cause trouble . He had a sense that this war would be different from the past ones . Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Legend Chapter 258 ¡¸Excuse me, Daska-sama . I¡¯ve brought Keo-sama . ¡¹ As Rei and Daska were discussing replenishment, there was a knock and a voice from the door . The voice was familiar to Rei . It was the maid who had guided him to this room . ¡¸Come in . ¡¹ The door opened after Daska¡¯s reply and a maid with a large tray in her hands entered the office . Even though she was holding various tableware for drinking tea and sandwiches prepared as a light snack in one hand, as expected of a professional maid, she could still bow in a smooth manner . And, following her was a young man . Even though he was a young man, he was still about 10 years older than Rei and gave off the impression that he was in his late 20¡¯s . His blonde, close to yellow, hair extended to his shoulders . ¡¸Daska-sama, you called for me?¡¹ ¡¸Mm . You¡¯ve only heard about him before and this is your first time meeting . This is Rei . He has an item box and can be regarded as the key to this supply plan . Rei, this is Keo Nigs . He is the one in charge of this supply plan . ¡¹ In response to Daska¡¯s words, the man called Keo turned to look at Rei with wide eyes . Similarly, Rei turned to look at Keo . However, the meaning of their two looks were completely different . Keo held great interest in Rei and had wanted to meet with him for a long time . Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to do so . Rei noted that Keo had a last name, which meant that he was a noble who served under Daska . (No, Daska is an important figure in the Neutral faction . Of course it would be natural for him to have a few nobles as his subordinates . ) As Rei was thinking to himself, Keo suddenly approached Rei with a shining expression . ¡¸Hey, hey, you must be Rei-kun from the stories . No, nice to meet you . Daska-sama introduced me, but I¡¯m Keo Nigs . I¡¯m in charge of the supply line for the knights that serve under Daska-sama . I¡¯ll be in your care . ¡¹ Saying that, Keo held his hand out to Rei . Even Rei, who hadn¡¯t thought that Keo would be so friendly, almost shook his hand in reflex . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . You¡¯re exactly the person I heard about, I¡¯ll be leaving it to you then . Since you¡¯re here, I can assume that you will be helping with the supplies, right?¡¹ Rei nodded under the slight pressure from Keo¡¯s shining expression . ¡¸Ah . I had originally planned to participate in the war . I was then called here, so it looks like I will be cooperating with you in this matter . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s a great help . If it wasn¡¯t for you, it would have been difficult to carefully select supplies and limit the amount in order to minimise the impact on movement as much as possible . But, it¡¯s a great relief if you have an item box . So, what is the capacity of your item box? Are there any restrictions on what you can put in? Or, do you need to use magic when you use it?¡¹ Though he was taken aback at Keo¡¯s vigorous enquiries, Rei answered his questions . ¡¸I don¡¯t know what its capacity is . I¡¯ve never been able to fill it before . There are also restrictions on how many items I can take out at once . For example, if 20 long swords were stored separately, I would have to take out each sword one at a time . However, if 20 swords were put into a container and the container was stored, I can take out the container and everything in it at once . It doesn¡¯t need magic power to use, but the item box only responds to my magic power, so its use is limited to me . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . It would be more convenient to put everything inside a container to take out all at once . Also, it¡¯s a bit inconvenient that no one aside from Rei-kun can use it, but it might also be helpful to not worry about anyone else using the item box that contains all the supplies . ¡­¡­However, if all the supplies are in the item box, then conversely, if they killed Rei-kun or stole the item box, it would be a large and immediate loss in military strength . What can you do about that?¡¹ Keo asked Rei with a sharp look, in the same light tone he had previously . Keo was proud of his work and wanted to know if there were any loop holes . Rei answered Keo¡¯s question without hesitation because he knew what Keo wanted from his eyes . ¡¸First of all, I think it would be difficult to kill me . I¡¯m not being proud, but I have the same fighting skills as a rank A adventurer . I also have a Griffon, Set, always beside me . Lastly, anyone who tries to steal it from me will probably receive a baptism of fire . ¡¹ Rei told him as he recalled the magic that he had applied to the Misty Ring . However, he suddenly turned to look at Keo when he suddenly remembered something . ¡¸Speaking of which, as I said, I have a tamed Griffon called Set . He¡¯s my partner, my best friend and my family . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ve heard . He looks pretty cute and seems to be famous around the city . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . In this city¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Keo nodded at Rei¡¯s words . He knew what Rei wanted to say . As was the case in Abuero, whether they were an adventurer, a civilian, a soldier or a knight, few could withstand a rank A monster like a Griffon . In that sense, the residents of Gilm, who could accept Set, were part of a unique city due to its location on the frontier . And even in Gilm, there were some people who were scared of Set, even though Rei had put a Necklace of Subservient Monster on Set since they first arrived . In other words, if a Griffon appeared in a location where people from all over the kingdom gathered due to the war¡­¡­it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what kind of commotion there would be . ¡¸That is certainly true . So how about announcing in advance that some of the forces dispatched from Gilm by Daska-sama will be followed by a Griffon? Then, even some people make a fuss about it, I think the ones in charge can suppress them . ¡¹ In the middle of Keo¡¯s words, Daska turned to look at him and thought for a few seconds . Eventually, Daska nodded . ¡¸That¡¯s fine . I¡¯ll let the important people know . ¡­¡­But, Rei . That¡¯s not the only problem, is it?¡¹ Rei nodded in agreement at Daska, who¡¯s eyes seemed to see through everything . ¡¸Yes . If they know that Set is quietly following me, there¡¯s no fear of confusion . However, on the contrary, I wonder if some people who think I will obey their orders will try to do something bad . ¡­¡­Whether they¡¯ll do that or not, who knows . ¡¹ ¡¸Probably . The main issue are those outside of our faction . It¡¯s fine for me to control the Neutrals, but there are many nobles who don¡¯t see the same as the others . Duke Kerebel, the central figure in the Nobles faction won¡¯t be a problem, because he places greater emphasis on strength than status, but the people who make up the rest of the Nobles faction may be a problem . The Royalists as well . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Listening to Rei and Daska, Keo understood what they were worried about . A Griffon, a rank A monster . If they could kill a monster of that rank, they would be able to make incredible profits with just the magic stone and materials from the body . In fact, they couldn¡¯t deny the possibility of that happening because of what Bolton from Azoth Firm had tried previously . (Well, Bolton should have paid for his stupid behaviour by now . ) Rei thought to himself, remembering the magic he had cast on Bolton, which was not an exaggeration to call torture . ¡¸Regardless, if you use my name, some if not all problems should be suppressed . ¡­¡­Although not all necessarily due to my faction power . If someone tries to do anything funny¡­¡­I don¡¯t care, beat them up . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Rei was surprised at Daska¡¯s unexpected words . Daska, the person who held the position of Margrave Rowlocks, had told Rei to use his name to stop any unwanted meddling . But of course, even with Daska¡¯s influence, there were certain people who he couldn¡¯t do anything to . Even so, Rei did not expect Daska to just tell him to beat them up . ¡¸Is that okay? If that happens, you would end up building grudges with the other nobles . If it were just me, I could do whatever I wanted, but if Daska-sama got involved¡­¡­¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s words, Daska snorted with a fearless smile on his lips . The only issue was that when Daska smiled, his usually stern face looked like that of a bandit leader to Rei . ¡¸The Mireana Kingdom must unite to face the Bestir Empire, those who prioritise satisfying their own desires will only be an obstacle in war . They will ruin the greater strategy for their own achievements . So, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing for the Mireana Kingdom to remove them from the frontline to begin with . ¡­¡­Ah, I¡¯ll say this first though, please refrain from killing anyone . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . If Daska-sama says so, I won¡¯t worry about it . I¡¯ll use my power to its fullest in the war with the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ If someone from a more influential faction tried to do something to him, he could do whatever he wanted as long as he didn¡¯t kill them . Rei replied to Daska with a smile . But if Daska¡¯s smile was like that of a bandit, Rei¡¯s was closer to a carnivore who had found its prey . ¡¸Um, should I stay here?¡¹ Keo, who seemed to have been forgotten about, returned Rei and Daska to their senses . ¡¸Ahem, that¡¯s right . First of all, the item box . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, continuing on from before . ¡­¡­Then, Rei-kun . If there¡¯s anything else that would be useful to know about the item box, I would like to know . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you ask me¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Rei brought a cup of tea to his mouth . As he reached out his hand to a sandwich that was on the table, a thought struck him . ¡¸Keo, I would like to ask a question, what are the meals like when moving with the army?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s basically dried meat or cheese with baked bread . ¡¹ ¡¸I guessed so . When I was working as an adventurer, the other adventurers said the same . So when I took out food that I had stored in my item box, they were all surprised by it . ¡¹ They could tell what Rei meant by the words he said . Keo¡¯s eyes went wide and Daska also looked astonished . ¡¸I see, meals!¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, the food distributed by the military prioritised reducing space needed over nutrition and taste . Because of that, most food is either dried meat or baked bread, but¡­¡­if we used an item box . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Daska, who¡¯s eyes were filled with high expectations . ¡¸Yes . Naturally, eating good food will increase morale . ¡¹ ¡¸Probably . At the very least, it will be significantly different in terms of morale than eating military rations . Warm delicious soup or stew, fluffy and soft baked bread, all without worrying about the need to preserve them . And if Rei carried a barrel of liquor that we usually wouldn¡¯t take to such places¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll go¡­¡­I¡¯ll leave at once, Daska-sama!¡¹ Keo, who was listening to Rei and Daska, shouted with a shining expression . ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, I will ask the cooks and bakers to prepare the food immediately . As expected, it¡¯s meals made in this city, so we can only prepare it for those who are dispatched from here¡­¡­if I consider the morale of the soldiers, if we could prepare meals for the whole army¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Keo, that¡¯s impossible . It¡¯s not possible to prepare meals for the entire army that will take part in the war from this city alone . ¡¹ In the end, Rei accepted the nominated request and signed a contract as a mercenary and supplies office . An ordinary mercenary would be paid one silver coin per day, while Rei was promised the significantly larger sum of five silver coins per day . Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Legend Chapter 259 ¡¸Rei! Soup for 500 people in 3 pots is ready!¡¹ ¡¸The baked bread is starting to cool, please store it away! If you don¡¯t store the bread quickly, there won¡¯t be any space to place the next lot of bread, so please hurry up!¡¹ ¡¸The Fang Boar and stir fried vegetables are ready! Because it won¡¯t taste as good when it cools down, please store the pot away as soon as possible!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve brought a barrel of liquor, where should I put it! If you don¡¯t pick them up soon, the entrance is going to be blocked up!¡¹ Normally, this would be the guild¡¯s training ground . But today, there was a plethora of chefs, bakers and merchants carrying goods to be delivered . In the end, it was decided to follow Rei¡¯s recommendation and prepare fresh food for the military . Because of that, preparations started immediately the next day . After all, if food was stored in the Misty Ring, time wouldn¡¯t flow for it . In other words, there was no problem even if the food was prepared now, despite the fact that details regarding the soldiers Gilm would send hadn¡¯t been decided yet . ¡¸These are the soup pots . ¡¹ Unusually, Rei was running around the training ground with sweat on his forehead . He stored freshly cooked food into the Misty Ring one after another . Yes, everything including the pots and pans . Then, right after Rei stored them away, new cookware would be brought out and the next dish prepared . ¡¸Keo, 3 pots of soup have been stored . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, got it . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s call, Keo, who was following behind him, answered as he wrote onto a piece of paper with a pen . If you only considered efficiency, there was no need for the city¡¯s chefs to gather at the guild¡¯s training grounds . However, in this case, they had to check who delivered what and how much was brought over, such as the amount of cooked food, baked bread or barrels of liquor . As a result, Keo followed Rei around at the same time as chefs gathered in the training grounds under the blue sky to cook food and bake bread . Of course, normally there weren¡¯t any cooking facilities at the training grounds . However, as the lord of the city, Daska made a quick request to Marina, the guild master . After that, the blacksmiths in the city literally stayed up all night to create a large amount of cookware, which was then used to cook food before being stored into the Misty Ring by Rei . It had been a few hours since they started this busy job . After doing it for a while, they began to get used to it, but being busy was still being busy . Rei had been running around the training ground with Keo, who was in charge of supplies . ¡¸Next is the bread . Is it fine if it¡¯s cooled!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s fine . The next lot of bread will be baked soon, so please hurry . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Keo . ¡¹ Rei turned to look at Keo, but Keo had already written down the amount of bread on his piece of paper . Finally, quickly checking the amount of bread, he turned to look at Rei . ¡¸Rei-kun, 180 loaves of bread, confirmed . ¡¹ Keo had the special ability to instantly count the number of items in a group just by looking at them . That was the main reason why Keo was in charge of supplies . When there were too many items though, Keo¡¯s brain wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it and he would start getting headaches . Nodding at Keo, who had instantly counted the number of loaves, Rei touched the wooden tray and stored it into the Misty Ring . Then, as if it had been waiting for that moment, another large wooden tray was prepared and freshly baked bread taken out from multiple ovens and lined up to cool . ¡¸Hey, Rei! Please hurry to me!¡¹ ¡¸I understand, wait a moment!¡¹ Called over by the chef in charge of stir fry, Rei headed over with Keo to the area where many kitchens were lined up and flames were roaring and flaring everywhere . Rather than a pan, which was what stir fry was usually cooked in, there was a huge pot . Inside, there were various monster meats that were stir fried with plenty of vegetables . There were also other stir fried meats like pork and chicken . The busiest part of the training ground, which had now become a big kitchen, was the stir fry area where Rei and Keo where . After all, stewed foods and soups took a long time to cook . Bread didn¡¯t take as long, but they still needed time . On the other hand, the stir fry area used magic items made from Flame Crystal and food was cooked with the equivalent heat of a magic attack . In addition, because the food didn¡¯t need to be served on plates from the pots, dishes were made one after the other . ¡¸Come on, hurry up . The next stir fry will be done soon . ¡¹ ¡¸I know . ¡­¡­By the way, what¡¯s next?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the fried udon with sauce I made with reference to the fried udon you brought back from Abuero . I guarantee the taste . ¡¹ Dishot smiled as he wiped the sweat on his forehead with a nearby cloth . The fried udon with demi glace sauce that Rei had brought back . Impressed by its taste, Dishot worked hard to match its taste with what he used in his eatery, and the other day, the first fried udon with sauce in Gilm was finally completed . ¡¸Heh . That¡¯s great . I¡¯ll taste a bit of it¡­¡­¡¹ Those words came out of Rei¡¯s mouth because he knew how good Dishot¡¯s cooking skill was, but as if waiting for that, Keo¡¯s hand stretched out to Rei¡¯s shoulder . ¡¸Rei-kun, this food is for military rations . There will be a problem if you eat it now . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Even just a little?¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s the chef sampling it, that¡¯s fine . But as expected, if you want eat some in front of me, since I¡¯m in charge of supplies¡­¡­¡¹ His words were mild, but he still held pride in his work . He looked at Rei quietly . Seeing his gaze, Rei sighed as he spoke . ¡¸Okay . ¡¹ After his reply, Rei obediently stored the cooked dish into the Misty Ring . Then, as he looked around, a person near the entrance to the training grounds called out . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry! Could you take away the liquor as soon as possible? I can¡¯t get through here with all the barrels!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes, yes . I¡¯ll be right over, so please wait a moment . ¡­¡­Rei-kun, let¡¯s go . It won¡¯t be good if the entrance ends up being blocked by barrels . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . In the first place, if the entrance is blocked, extra ingredients won¡¯t be able to get in . ¡¹ Just as they were talking about that and were heading to the person who had called out to them . ¡¸Hey, move everything away from here! I can¡¯t get inside! Hey, move out of the way!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, please wait a moment . The people from the supply team are coming to pick it up now . It¡¯s liquor that¡¯s in the barrels, so don¡¯t handle them too roughly!¡¹ Apparently they were one step behind and a dispute had already begun near the entrance to the training grounds . ¡¸Yes, yes, yes, wait a moment . We¡¯ll pick them up right away so don¡¯t fight!¡¹ Keo, who was in charge of supplies, stood between the two people as he spoke . Of course, there was no way that a single person could carry a barrel of liquor . There were almost 30 people in total, all bringing carts with a large number barrels loaded on them . In fact, liquor was considered as one of the most important commodities in this war . In order to maintain morale, a single cup of liquor would be given to each person to celebrate after winning a battle or a skirmish, or at times when the soldiers were greatly disadvantaged in order to maintain morale and prevent deserters . In addition, the high alcohol content could also be used for disinfecting when treating injuries . However, troops departing from Gilm would be unlikely to run out of medicine or potions due to the benefit of Rei¡¯s item box . ¡¸Rei-kun, just store the barrels! If it stays as it is, nobody else will be able to get inside . ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Keo¡¯s shout from the entrance to the training ground as he headed over . ¡¸Is this all of it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . But please don¡¯t store the cart because it¡¯s ours . ¡¹ ¡¸No problem . ¡¹ Rei nodded at the representative who had brought the barrels and touched them one after another as he stored them into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Wow, that¡¯s amazing¡­¡­it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen an item box . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Is that so? Rei is pretty famous in this city . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no matter how famous he is, it¡¯s usually because of Set right? He usually doesn¡¯t use his item box that much . ¡¹ ¡¸Not really . Rei often buys large amounts of food at stalls and stores it into his item box . At the very least, I¡¯ve seen it many times . ¡¹ While listening to the conversations of the muscular men who had brought the carts here, Rei moved from right to left as he stored the barrels of liquor one after the other . Then, seeing the empty carts that were parked near the entrance to the training ground, Keo called out to the other group . ¡¸Sorry for making you wait . Some people are running out of ingredients, so please carry more in!¡¹ ¡¸Righto, leave it to us . No matter the Bestir Empire, if our troops eat food made from the ingredients we bring, we¡¯ll kill them all in no time . Hey, everyone!¡¹ ¡ºYeah!¡» Those who were following behind shouted together at the man¡¯s words . ¡¸Ahahaha . We¡¯ll do our best, so please work with us . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey! The bread is baked! Please store them into the item box!¡¹ As soon as they had stored all the barrels away, the persons leading the bakers called out to Rei and Keo again . ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll be right there . Rei-kun!¡¹ ¡¸I understand!¡¹ As expected, being this busy tired him out mentally and physically . Rei gave a small sigh before walking again . ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m really tired¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he walked down the dark road at night . Are you okay? Set seemed to ask him . He looked straight at Rei as he gave a cry . While Rei and Keo were desperately storing food items into the Misty Ring, maybe because he was too big and would take up too much space or because his hair and feathers might get into the food, Set had lay down over at the guild¡¯s tamed monster area and spent his time playing with children, adventurers and other residents of the city . Then, after the sun set, the chefs who had been cooking all day said that there was nothing more they could do, so that had been the end of today . ¡­¡­Of course that hadn¡¯t happened . The chefs had all been given their rewards before splitting up from the guild . On that note, it was clear that even though carriages weren¡¯t required to carry the supplies, because the food being prepared was proper food, the fee for each dish also rose higher . Paying for all this was only possible because Gilm was extremely wealthy from it export of high ranking monster materials and medicinal herbs that could only be found in this region to the rest of the Mireana Kingdom . The cost of food would have been too high for other nobles, but Daska was sure that his decision was right . Anyhow, Rei and Keo¡¯s work wasn¡¯t over just because the chefs had left . After a 10 minute break from storing food supplies, the two of them, along with Set, had gone to various shops around the city to buy items such as potions, weapons, armour, medical items used for treatment, fodder for military horses and large containers of water . Unlike the case with cooking, those items didn¡¯t lose their taste after getting cold, so considering the effort required to gather them all to the same place, it was faster for Rei to go to each one after another . However, also different compared to the food, it wasn¡¯t possible to store all the items in one day, so it would take them several days to go around collecting everything . Still, Daska knew that it would be risky to have Rei carry all the supplies . Rei was only in charge of half the supplies outside of food . ¡¸That¡¯s right . However, this busyness will soon be over . If my calculations are right, it shouldn¡¯t take 10 days, including today, so do your best . ¡¹ Keo, who was walking behind Rei and Set, said that to him . ¡¸¡­¡­By the way, why are you following us? Don¡¯t you have to go back to the knights?¡¹ Rei asked as he looked at the empty handed Keo . The reason why Keo was empty handed was because the large stack of paper he had used to write down stored supplies was currently in the Misty Ring . If he was going to work with Rei anyway, he might as well use Rei¡¯s item box instead of hold the heavy stack of papers himself . Rei tolerated it since he didn¡¯t have to carry the heavy stack of paper himself either . Although Keo had a knightly figure, it was limited to the sheathed sword that hung from his waist . ¡¸No, because I¡¯ll be workin with Rei-kun for a while from today, I should also wake up from the same inn as you . Since my boss told me to do that, I have to follow as a subordinate, right?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set tilted his head as he turned to look at Keo . For Set, it wasn¡¯t too bad to have someone nearby who was friendly with him without being scared . Keo would also give him some food every now and then . ¡¸¡­¡­Do what you want . ¡¹ Looking at Set, and the accompanying Keo, Rei gave a wry smile . Like that, Rei and Keo worked together for the next 10 days, continuing to collect and store supplies into the Misty Ring . ¡­¡­And then, the day finally came to depart for the battlefield . Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Legend Chapter 260 The front gate of the frontier city of Gilm. Many people were currently gathered there. Soldiers, knights and adventurers. Numerous carriages. Lovers, family and friends to see them off. There were those who cried as they hugged, some who encouraged others to do their best and others who didn¡¯t hide their worried expression. It was a bittersweet day. Yes. Today was the day that Daska, Margrave Rowlocks, would lead his army to war. Normally, it would be rare for the lord to head out as well, but Daska was a veteran warrior himself. Furthermore, his experience and instincts were screaming that this war would be different from past ones. Many schemes had been prepared in Gilm, a remote city at the frontier. There had also been many Demon Soldiers and magic items that he had never seen before. Wary of that, he decided to take part in the war with most of his available forces in Gilm, leaving behind a minimal defence. Of course, he had instructed the other members of the Neutral faction to provide as much military strength as they could as well. In addition, he even urged the Nobles and Royalist faction members in Gilm to spread the news of the danger of this war and to prepare as much strength as they could. (The Nobles faction listened to me. It seems that those from this city have taken it at least half-seriously. But the royalists¡­¡­) With those thoughts in his mind, he turned to look at the army he led. 800 adventurers, 500 knights and 3000 soldiers, including volunteers. Including other people here and there, Daska led about 5000 troops. Given that the population of Gilm was about 100,000 people, the number of people that could still fight and were left in the city was minimal. Only in Gilm was it possible to extract so much military power and still have enough to defend the city. The reason why there were that many adventurers was probably due to the fact it was on the frontier. Since there were also knights and soldiers that were needed at the frontier, the relative military power was high and their skill level greater than most. However¡­¡­ (It¡¯s not enough. If the Bestir Empire is serious about destroying this kingdom, a force this size would soon be swallowed up. After all, cooperation with the Nobles and Royalists will be¡­¡­) Muttering to himself, Daska turned to look at his Knight Leader. The Knight Leader caught his gaze and gave a small nod. At the same time, he gave a loud shout that echoed around. ¡¸Listen up-! Margrave Daska Rowlocks has some words to say!¡¹ As expected of the man entrusted with the command of the knights that protected Gilm, the 5000 people¡­¡­no, 10,000 people, including the ones who were sending them off, all heard him. All the mages had an impressed expression. Yes, the Knight Leader¡¯s voice reached everyone by using wind magic. However, the heavy power and enthusiasm contained in the voice was definitely due to the Knight Leader. The Knight Leader used the same magic on Daska to allow him to speak directly to the ears of everyone there. ¡¸This war is unmistakably an act of aggression by the Bestir Empire. As many of you know, they have long wanted a port¡­¡­access to the sea. Certainly, a port would bring a lot of wealth to their country. It is the same as increasing national power. But does that mean our homeland, the Mireana Kingdom, can be invaded by the Bestir Empire? No! No way! No matter how much they want it¡­¡­can we allow others to invade our country to obtain it? That is impossible! We head to battle to protect our homeland. It is not a war against the monsters that are commonly found on the frontier. It is to kill other people. But don¡¯t hesitate. If you hesitate to kill your enemies, those who live in this country¡­¡­your friends, your parents, your children and loved ones will be at their mercy. The invaders are the enemy. Moreover, they are an invader of our country. I¡¯ll say this again, do not hesitate. My friends, my children, my dear people! You are the ones who live on the frontier of the Mireana Kingdom. That is to say, you are the strongest people in this country!¡¹ At Daska¡¯s resonating voice, silence followed. But the next moment¡­¡­ ¡ºUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!¡» Every one there started to shout¡­¡­including adventurers, knights, soldiers and those who had come to see them off. ¡¸We¡¯ll do it! We will definitely protect this country!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! We¡¯ll kill all those Bestir Empire guys!¡¹ ¡¸This country¡­¡­this city, I¡¯ll never give up on it!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll smash them with my sword!¡¹ ¡¸And I will use my bow!¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s attacks with a wide area of effect, there is no match for magic!¡¹ Daska nodded in satisfaction from the voices he heard in his surroundings. Waving his hand from side to side, the excited people gradually quietened down. ¡¸The, Rowlocks army, we set off!¡¹ ¡ºOHHHHHHHHHH-!¡» With that shout, the Rowlocks army, led by Daska, left for the battlefield. About half of the adventurers led the way. Since they usually did requests on the frontier, they were vigilant of their familiar surroundings. Particularly for thieves, rangers and archers, it was possible for them to detect monsters before they attacked. At the same time, both Rei and Set were assigned to this group. After all, a Griffon¡¯s senses were much sharper than an adventurer¡¯s. Furthermore, the fact that a Griffon was here served as a form of monster repellent, not dissimilar to insect repellent. Even so, there were occasional attacks from monsters like Goblins, but most were cleared by the adventurers the moment they appeared. Following the adventurers were a group of wagons and Daska¡¯s knights. Normally, they would have had to load a large amount of supplies onto wagons to carry it all, but this time almost half the supplies had been stored into Rei¡¯s Misty Ring. As a result, the group had an overwhelmingly smaller amount of supplies than usual in the wagons, which allowed them to march without fatiguing the horses pulling the wagons as much. Of note in this group, in addition to the knights on horseback, there were also others on horseback. The additional horses had originally been intended to pull wagons, but as the wagons themselves had been stored into the Misty Ring, they were ridden instead. Aside from carrying supplies, the additional wagons would be used to carry injured people, and if some were still left over, they could be used to carry supplies to places that couldn¡¯t be reached by Rei alone. Following them were the soldiers and volunteers from the general public. This group was close to the middle of the army led by Daska and they marched without any particular care of their surroundings. The only exception were the elites that were placed at the outer edges to guard their flanks. Because morale was so high, there would be occasional shouts as they travelled down the road. That said, even though they were monsters, some monsters with higher intelligence might attack them from behind, so a reliable force was needed to take up the rear. Perhaps the most prominent group in the rear guard was the rank A party, Axe of the Thunder God. Almost everyone in the army, not just Daska, believed that Axe of the Thunder God would be able to deal with any attacks from the rear, if there were any attacks at all. Of course, there were other A rank parties in Gilm. However, when it came to adventurers of that rank, their numbers were few, let alone S rank. As a result, they naturally mostly did requests like hunting down monsters that couldn¡¯t be defeated by low rank adventurers in the Mireana Kingdom, searching for dungeons, escorting nobles and securing rare materials in unexplored lands. Because of this, there were many that were unable to get back to the city they were based in. The fact that Rei happened to meet Axe of the Thunder God during the Orc settlement raid was due to luck as they didn¡¯t have any solicited requests at that time. Of course, there were also other adventurers closely related to Rei, such as Scorching Wind and Eternal Power. But as of right now, they weren¡¯t so prominent and weren¡¯t talked about as much. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Next to Rei, who was assigned to the leading group of adventurers, Set gave a cry as he watched the forest next to the road. Right after, Rei could feel the signs of many creatures leaving that area. (No. It¡¯s not that they¡¯re retreating, it¡¯s more like they¡¯re running away.) ¡¸What¡¯s going on? Are you thinking about the receptionist girls by any chance?¡¹ Runo, who was walking next to Rei, called out to him. ¡¸Not really. Or rather, if you have magic eyes that can directly see magic power, shouldn¡¯t you have noticed?¡¹ Glancing at Runo beside him, Rei looked back towards the forest. Runo possessed magic eyes that allowed him to directly see magic power. He also had the skills of a thief to the extent that he was placed into the scouting group placed at the front, alongside Rei. ¡¸Ahh, maybe it was Forest Wolves or something. Normally, they are a wolf like monster that attacks in packs, but they are also low ranked¡­¡­¡¹ There, Runo stopped talking and looked back. At the end of his line of sight were people, people and more people. Although they were mostly walking on the road, with 5,000 people moving, some walked alongside the road. ¡¸The Forest Wolves don¡¯t have the courage to deal with this number of people, let along a rank A monster like Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set turned his head around with a cry at Runo¡¯s words, but immediately continued walking down the road as he watched the surroundings. ¡¸Rather, how about it?¡¹ ¡¸How about what?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s up with receptionists, Lenora and Kenny? They came to see you off right?¡¹ Runo looked at Rei with a teasing grin on his face. In response to Runo, Rei gave a small sigh and shook his head. ¡¸There¡¯s nothing like that. I was just told to be careful and come back safely.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I think that¡¯s a big deal. Hey, Rei. You may have become used to them and forgotten about it, but both Lenora and Kenny, or rather the guild receptionists in general, are hugely popular with the adventurers you know? I¡¯m worried that other adventurers might be jealous and hold a grudge against you for having those two beautiful women. That¡¯s why you have to watch your back in this war.¡¹ Runo said those words jokingly as he stroked Set¡¯s head with a grin. ¡¸Lenora doesn¡¯t see me as a man. More like a younger brother that keeps getting into trouble. Kenny¡­¡­well I¡¯ll admit she has strange tastes.¡¹ ¡¸A naughty brother. Well, it seems you do get into a lot of trouble, so she¡¯s not wrong.¡¹ Smiling as he muttered that, Runo threw a gaze towards Rei. In fact, although it had been less than a year since Rei had come to Gilm, the trouble he had caused was already too numerous to list. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Perhaps Rei was aware of that, he quietly diverted his eyes and ended the story there as he continued to scout his surroundings. As there were more than 5,000 people, they didn¡¯t manage to make it to Abuero the same day. If it had just been adventurers, knights or people on wagons, there would have been no problem and they would have made it to Abuero within the day. However, the largest group of people under Daska were the soldiers. ¡­¡­And volunteers. Of course, although they were called volunteers, they had all done some training before applying. There were also quite a few former adventurers. However, volunteers were still volunteers and it was expected that their marching speed would be slower. Eventually, they ended up setting camp 70% of the way to Abuero from Gilm. Because it was the frontier, it was normal for monsters to pop up at night. Fortunately, few monsters were able to take on an army of 5,000 and they were able to get through the night with only a few injuries. ¡­¡­On a related note, Rei was very busy that night taking out food and tents for 5,000 people from the Misty Ring. At the end of the day, he was probably the most tired person. It was a fact acknowledged by the upper members of the military, including Daska. As a result, Daska shelved the thought of asking Rei to store military supplies for other forces that had been initially discussed. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Legend Chapter 261 ¡¸Rei, wake up . We can almost see Abuero . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Hmm¡­¡­ahh¡­¡­¡¹ Being called, Rei¡¯s consciousness quickly awakened . When he looked around with open eyes, the first thing he was was a carriage . ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, I see . ¡¹ Looking around with half open eyes, Rei nodded after realising where he was . The moving scenery from a window in the carriage told Rei that the carriage he was currently on was moving . (In the end, I fell asleep after we left . ) Rei thought to himself as he gave a big stretch . After that, finally clearing his mind, he remembered why he had been sleeping in a carriage . Yesterday night, he had served meals for 5,000 from the Misty Ring . He had also taken out tents for the same number of people . After that, he had the difficult task of collecting all the pots and pans that had contained food . The huge pots that had held the food were all washed in cooperation by those who could use water magic, so that hadn¡¯t been an issue . However, it was still pots for 5,000 people . It was a matter of fact that it would take time to store everything back into the Misty Ring . Fortunately, it was routine for the soldiers to manage their own cookware . If not, Rei would have been even more fatigued . In addition to food, tents for sleeping in at night were folded into small bags, which were then put into a larger bag . Those bags were then put into even larger bags¡­¡­that way, Rei only had to store 10 of the largest bags . Aside from physical fatigue, Rei also spent a large amount of time conversing with people he wasn¡¯t familiar with as he provided supplies . He was able to sleep well and reduce his physical tiredness partially due to the mental fatigue he wasn¡¯t used to¡­¡­until he was woken up by the soldiers on duty to prepare breakfast . Of course, if you thought about it, the people who needed to prepare breakfast would have to get up earlier than everyone else . With all the fatigue from the previous night, he was woken up to prepare breakfast just as he thought that everything was over . As expected, Rei was exhausted, so Daska told him to take a rest in the carriage . However, only Rei was resting in the carriage . Set, who was usually always with Rei, stayed with the scouting group from yesterday due to his sharper senses . If there had been adventurers from another city, they might have been confused to see Set . However, because most adventurers here were from Gilm, they were already used to Set and continued down the road within Rowlocks territory without any particular commotion . No, in fact, for other adventurers who had been interested in Set for a long time, it was an opportunity to get friendly with him . They were able to give things like dried meat and nuts to Set for the first time . ¡¸Rei? What¡¯s the matter?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing . Have we arrived at Abuero?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . That said, we¡¯re not stopping at the city and will be leaving immediately . ¡¹ Runo said to Rei as he turned ahead to look at Abuero, which could now be seen at the end of the road . Yes, Runo, who would normally have been scouting at the front of the Rowlocks army . As for scouting, it was left to other people who were good at reconnaissance as well as Set, Runo was guarding Rei as necessary while he slept¡­¡­to be exact, he was riding in the coach by Daska¡¯s orders, who knew about Rei¡¯s high mental fatigue . This was, of course, because Runo knew Rei . It was also because the Bestir Empire could try to take some actions while Rei was asleep . In addition to that, it was a means to prepare against any people among the Rowlocks army who might have been blinded by Rei¡¯s magic item and try to do something . To ensure that, not only were Runo and Rei in the carriage, there were also two knights watching each other . ¡¸¡­¡­Mm? There¡¯s an army in front of Abuero . ¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked outside the window . Rei¡¯s eyes could clearly see the group of people gathering at the front of Abuero . It was clear that most of them were residents of Abuero who had come to see the Rowlocks army and many were also equipped with armour and weapons . Yes, just like the Rowlocks army . Rei¡¯s thoughts were proved to be correct when the knight across from him nodded . ¡¸The city of Abuero is also part of the neutral faction, like Daska-sama . We will be moving ahead together . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh, was Abuero also part of the Neutral faction? So what about Sabrusta?¡¹ ¡¸The city of Sabrusta is with the Nobles . However, since they informed us in advance that they would like to travel together, we will likely be moving to the battlefield together . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are there no issues if different factions work together?¡¹ Rei asked as he took some cold fruit juice, that he had bought last summer, from the Misty Ring to wake himself up . The knight gave a small nod as his eyes widened at the fruit juice that had appeared from nowhere . ¡¸To Daska-sama, it seems silly to wear out our forces with faction wars while we head to war with the Bestir Empire, like with those dispatched from Sabrusta . If anything, working together with the Rowlocks army, one of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s most powerful forces in terms of quality, gives peace of mind to the soldiers . ¡­¡­Ah, I¡¯m sorry for the trouble . ¡¹ While listening to the story, Rei took out three more cups of the fruit juice he was drinking and handed it over to Runo and the two knights . ¡¸However, up until Abuero is the frontier, so there is a chance of being attacked by monsters¡­¡­from there on, monsters won¡¯t show up like in Gilm, even at night . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . However, after leaving the frontier, bandits will appear instead of monsters . Of course, it is unlikely that bandits will act recklessly against the army, but some are bloodthirsty mad dogs who enjoy murder . I don¡¯t know what they are thinking . Perhaps they just want to cause mutal destruction . If you¡¯re dealing with those people, it¡¯s better to travel together than by ourselves . Duke Kerebel, one of the major figures in the Nobles faction, is noted to employ people based on meritocracy, even commoners if they are useful . ¡­¡­But, the deputy lord of Sabrusta doesn¡¯t hold a good reputation . ¡¹ Runo, who was listening to the knight¡¯s words, suddenly leaned forward with a strange expression . ¡¸Even though he¡¯s a major figure in the Nobles faction, he will employ people if they are useful? Even commoners? Wouldn¡¯t the other nobles disagree? Nobles are literally people who take pride in their nobility . ¡¹ ¡¸Even those fools who have no brain and only their family can¡¯t fight against Duke Kerebel . That is the scary part of Duke Kerebel . It¡¯s also why Daska-sama is wary of him . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If that¡¯s true, then Duke Kerebel is amazing . ¡¹ Next to Runo, who nodded at the knight¡¯s story, Rei was absorbed in his own thoughts . (Perhaps the bandits that enjoyed murder were the ones who passed by us during the escort request . There might be bandits similar to them, but¡­¡­I don¡¯t think there are a lot of them¡­¡­no, wait . Bandits . Yes, bandits . After passing Abuero, we should be within the activity range of the Prairie Wolves . In that case, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to get in contact with Egg¡­¡­? If I can get in contact with him, I think I will be able to call in the old favour . Since it¡¯s war, espionage is important and I can expect those skills from a strong group of bandits . At worst, they can still fight . ) Deciding what to do, Rei turned to one of the knights before speaking . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I would like to talk to Margrave Rowlocks . Can you tell him that I might be able to pull in some unexpected reinforcements . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm? What¡¯s this all of a sudden . Of course, I know that you¡¯re an important figure in this war, so it¡¯s not impossible . But it¡¯s not possible right now . Take a look . ¡¹ Rei turned to look towards the city of Abuero, where he saw Daska and a smiling knight in luxurious full plate armour . ¡¸That¡¯s Viscount Vipper, who will be leading the army out of Abuero . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is he the lord of Abuero?¡¹ ¡¸No, I think he was either the deputy leader of the knights or the deputy lord . ¡¹ ¡¸Even though it¡¯s the Neutral faction, there are some unexpectedly talented people . ¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked at the man called Viscount Vipper, who still maintained smooth movements despite wearing full plate mail . (From his appearance, he looks to be in his late twenties or early thirties . If he is a deputy leader at that age, he probably has the ability to become the next knight leader . ) As Rei looked at him and thought, the army from Abuero eventually joined with them and continued down the highway . Their movement speed had never been fast, but Rei felt that they were moving slower after the merge . Because there had been no need to carry supplies, the speed of the Rowlocks army had been much faster than average¡­¡­that said, this was the first time that Rei had worked with the Rowlocks army, so it felt much slower for him to travel with supply wagons . (Well, at least it looks like there are no plans to increase my burden . ) Handling the Rowlocks army was already exhausting for Rei in many ways . It was impossible for him to take care of the Abuero army as well . If Daska requested it, he would probably decline . It had been about 30 minutes since joining up with the Abuero army and heading down the road . One of the knights stood up after deciding it was the right time . ¡¸I¡¯ll contact Daska-sama first . You should be called up soon, so be prepared . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s reply, the knight left . After seeing the knight leave, Runo, called out to Rei with a strange expression, The other knight also leaned forward at Rei¡¯s unexpected request to see Daska . ¡¸Hey, Rei . Why did you suddenly want to meet with Margrave Rowlocks?¡¹ ¡¸I have some connections . Maybe we can give the Rowlocks army a small boost . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A small boost?¡¹ ¡¸Well, the details are a secret . I can¡¯t say anything without permission from Margrave Rowlocks . ¡­¡­Hm? That was quick, he¡¯s back already . ¡¹ Even inside the carriage, Rei could hear the sound of metal rubbing against each other . The knight was doubtful of Rei¡¯s words, but soon after the door to the carriage opened and startled him . Runo was not particularly surprised because he already understood that Rei wasn¡¯t an ordinary human after looking at him with his magic eyes . ¡¸Daska-sama will meet with you . Head to the carriage . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . ¡­¡­What about those two?¡¹ ¡¸They are part of your escort, including me . We¡¯ll go with you . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ As for Rei, he had no particular objections, so the four of them headed for Daska¡¯s carriage . ¡¸Good to see you . Is your body doing fine?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Fortunately, I was just mentally tired and not physically tired, so I was fine after a good night¡¯s rest . ¡¹ Rei looked around the carriage after replying to Daska¡¯s question . The carriage Rei was in was comfortable in its own way, but it didn¡¯t stop the vibrations of movement completely . Daska looked at Rei¡¯s expression with a smile . ¡¸This carriage is a kind of magic item made from monster materials that can only be found on the frontier and processing them with alchemy . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, I see . ¡¹ Rei understood as Elena had said the same thing about her carriage on the way to the dungeon . However, the grade of this carriage was significantly lower as Margrave Rowlocks didn¡¯t have the same finances to spare as Duke Kerebel . ¡¸So, what can I do for you? I heard that you might be able to pull in some unexpected reinforcements . ¡¹ As the leader of the Rowlocks army, he didn¡¯t have a lot of time to spare . Orders to troops, coordination with the Abuero army, gathering information and more . There were many things to do . Normally, he wouldn¡¯t be able to spare the time to talk with Rei, who was only a hired adventurer . But he still allowed it, due to Rei¡¯s item box and the presence of Set . Although Rei was only a hired adventurer, it could be said that his role of carrying half of the army¡¯s supplies by himself already made him close to the core of this force . After being given permission, Rei spoke to Daska with a thin smile . ¡¸Daska-sama, do you know about the bandit group Prairie Wolves?¡¹ At those words, Runo looked shocked while the two knights turned to look at Rei, who was trying to pull in bandits as their allies . Daska, who was the key person in this discussion, gave an interesting smile . Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Legend Chapter 262 At night, moonlight fell from the sky into the surrounding darkness . 1 person and 1 creature flew through the sky as they were illuminated by the moonlight . Needless to say, it was Rei and Set . Their goal was part of the mountains off the road . ¡¸Whew, it¡¯s good that it¡¯s a cloudless moonlit night . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set glanced back with a cry at Rei¡¯s murmurs . Unlike Rei, who had basically been sleeping in the carriage during the march, Set had lead the forefront of the army alongside other adventurers . Not that Set was tired as he wouldn¡¯t be injured or have his abilities compromised by monsters like the Goblins that had attacked without care . Still¡­¡­to Set, it was a lonely time to be away from Rei during the entire march . For that reason, he replied to Rei with a cry asking to be spoiled more than usual . Rei, who understood what Set wanted to say due to the magical connection of the Magic Beast Art, stroked Set¡¯s head with a smile . ¡¸Even so, although he is a bandit that is close to a hero to the general public, I didn¡¯t think the Prairie Wolves would be allowed to join . ¡¹ While muttering to himself, Rei recalled what he had proposed . Runo, who had been listening in next to Rei, had looked at him dumbfounded, not expecting Rei to have connections to a group like the Prairie Wolves . The two knights that had been assigned to escort Rei had raised their eyebrows, not impressed at Rei¡¯s proposal to invite bandits to be their allies and complained to Daska . Daska, the key person in this, had an amused expression as he urged Rei to continue . When Rei had passed by here previously as part of an escort request, they had been attacked by a group of murderous bandits . After repelling them, Rei worked with the other escorting adventurers to track them to their hideout in an attempt to launch an attack . However, when they had finally arrived at the bandit hideout, it was already on the verge of being destroyed at the hands of the Prairie Wolves . Eventually, Rei had appeared on the battlefield and let them go in return for a favour from the bandits of the Prairie Wolves . Did the knights not know about the Prairie Wolves, who were famous bandits outside the frontier, because they were knights? Runo was at a loss as to whether he should be impressed by Rei¡¯s story or think of them as still bandits, but Daska had different thoughts . Since he was a lord, he knew about the Prairie Wolves, and from the information gathered, he also knew about the honour of their leader, Egg . Daska immediately realised the usefulness of making the Prairie Wolves their allies and immediately requested Rei to pull in the Prairie Wolves into the Rowlocks Army . The fact that it was a request and not an order was likely proof of how much Daska valued Rei . As a result, after Rei finished distributing lunch and dinner, handing out tents for the night and various other work with the Misty Ring, he flew with Set into the night sky . Of course, it wasn¡¯t clear where the Prairie Wolves kept their hideout . So¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ As Set flew through the night sky, wings flapping and eyes on the ground, he gave a soft cry . ¡¸Did you find them? As expected of you . Good boy . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry after being praised by Rei . While stroking Set¡¯s neck with a smile, Rei spoke . ¡¸Then¡­¡­let¡¯s say hi to those bandits moving around at night . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Gliding with his wings, Set plunged into the forest . Seeing the forest grow near, Rei took out a dagger from the Misty Ring with no sign of fear, awe or surprise . Normally, Rei would use spears for throwing, but they were too powerful here . It would have been fine if he had come to eliminate the bandits, but his goal this time was to integrate them into the Rowlocks Army, so he wanted to avoid killing them as much as possible . After all, that would only reduce the strength of their own forces . ¡¸¡­¡­Fuu~!¡¹ Rei quickly threw the dagger from atop Set, who had been gliding and flapping his wings . Even though it was spring, nights were still chilly . The dagger flew as if cutting through that cold air¡­¡­ ¡¸Ahh-!¡¹ A light cut was made on the bandit¡¯s thigh by the dagger before it pierced into the ground . ¡¸Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Replying with a short cry, Set tilted himself at an angle as he flew down to make it easier for Rei to land on the ground . Rei rolled off from Set¡¯s back as he landed in the forest . He landed from a height of almost 5m but killed the impact, hardly making a sound . Of course, as long as it was forest ground that hadn¡¯t been compacted, there are various things like soft soil and fallen leaves that would reduce the impact to some extent . However, to someone who lived in the forest, landing without a sound could only be considered abnormal . ¡¸Who¡¯s there!?¡¹ The man shouted sharply as he held onto his right thigh, which had been slashed by the thrown dagger . But, Rei simply took off the hood of his Dragon Robe and approached the wary man without any concern . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, an adventurer from Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸Tch, an adventurer!? How did you sniff us out!?¡¹ The man didn¡¯t seem to react to Rei¡¯s name as he held an axe that had hung at his waist . The man¡¯s axe wasn¡¯t a battle axe that was designed for combat but a hachet for chopping wood . ¡¸¡­¡­Looks like it¡¯s someone different?¡¹ If he had been a member of the Prairie Wolves, he should have reacted to the name Rei . Even Egg had a strong impression of his name . In other words, Rei guessed that the bandit in front of him was completely unrelated . Rei called out to him as he took another dagger out of the Misty Ring . ¡¸Do you know where the Prairie Wolves hideout is>¡¹ ¡¸Hah? I don¡¯t know . And even if I did, did you think I would tell a little shit like you who attacked me?¡¹ The man yelled with blue veins on his forehead . Hearing that, Rei threw the dagger in his hand with a frown . Thump . The man heard a light sound in his ears . ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Just one moment . It had really just been a moment . But the next moment, the little kid who looked to be in his mid teens had turned towards him and the dagger in his hand had disappeared and reappeared deep in the tree trunk just behind him . Yes, normally it was very had task to stab a dagger into a live tree, all the way to the hilt . It was only possible by a master that he couldn¡¯t even imagine or someone with extraordinary strength . And¡­¡­ The man glanced at the tree that the dagger had pierced all the way into . He then looked at the Rei¡¯s robe, which looked like an ordinary mage¡¯s robe with no particular features . The Dragon Robe had an effect of hiding its own effects, so to the man, who wasn¡¯t a mage, it looked just like an ordinary mage¡¯s robe . And that was the cause of the man¡¯s misfortune . (He looks like an apprentice mage . But, he didn¡¯t chant any spells . In that case¡­¡­a magic item? He must have just been trying to bluff, but letting of that magic item was a fatal mistake . There was no doubt that this man, as could be seen from the fact that he could act alone in the forest at night, was a strong man among the bandits . However, he was nothing more than a bandit . For adventurers from Gilm, the difference in his strength was like comparing acorns . If he could feel the difference in strength between himself and Rei, he might have tried to run away and escape like a bandit . No matter how low his chances of survival, it would still have been better than fighting Rei . But, the man had been fooled by Rei¡¯s appearance . Perhaps another reason that the man failed to realise his crisis was that Set hadn¡¯t shown himself and remained on lookout duty in the sky . ¡¸That¡¯s a shame, but it¡¯s not going to work on me!¡¹ The man shouted and quickly leaped backwards before Rei could take action . Beside where he had leapt to was the tree where Rei had thrown the dagger into . The man quickly reached for the handle of the dagger that had pierced into the tree . (I¡¯ve won! In order to beat me, that brat would have to get to this magic item before me . But I¡¯m faster!) He turned his proud expression towards Rei as he grabbed the dagger . But¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ He gave a surprised sound when the dagger didn¡¯t budge . And¡­¡­ ¡¸It seems you¡¯ve misunderstood something, but that dagger isn¡¯t anything special . It¡¯s just something you can easily buy in the city . ¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ When the man heard Rei¡¯s voice from a few metres away, who was supposed to have been much further, he turned to look immediately . ¡¸In the meantime, let¡¯s teach you the difference in strength . ¡¹ Along with those words, he felt a strong shock at his belly and his consciousness faded into darkness . ¡¸Seriously . Even up to now, do I look that childish?¡¹ With a bitter smile, Rei looked at his own body, wrapped up in the Dragon Robe . As someone who lived in Japan, he didn¡¯t think himself to be that short . But even so, every one in this world seemed to be taller than him, due to the taller average height . While remembering the numerous troubles that had occurred because of that, Rei shook his head lightly as he reached out to the dagger in the tree and pulled it out easily . Yes . The same dagger that the man had pulled on with all his might but hadn¡¯t budged at all . If the unconscious man had seen that, he would have been stunned by Rei¡¯s strength . But fortunately or unfortunately, the man was unconscious and lying on the ground . ¡¸Now then¡­¡­¡¹ With the dagger in his hand, so as to not injure the man further¡­¡­Rei kicked the man¡¯s thigh with just the right amount of force . ¡¸Guah!?¡¹ The man woke up in an instant from the pain . He had no idea what was going on . He looked around constantly, but Rei spoke up before long . ¡¸You¡¯re awake?¡¹ ¡¸Hiii-!¡¹ And the moment he saw Rei, he remembered what had happened before he had fainted . He screamed as he tried to run away, forgetting the attitude he had before completely . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Hi-Hiiiii-!¡¹ Realising it was some kind of large creature that had knocked him back, he looked back at the face with a sharp beak before screaming further and distancing himself from Set . ¡¸Now then, do you know your position?¡¹ Perhaps he thought that Rei was better than a monster, he nodded earnestly while hiding behind Rei . ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll ask again . Do you know where the Prairie Wolves¡¯ hideout is . ¡¹ ¡¸W-Well¡­¡­I don¡¯t know exactly, but if it¡¯s just the general direction¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Alright . Guide me there then . I¡¯ll release you when we arrive . Aren¡¯t you lucky? After all, I¡¯m a C rank adventurer and I¡¯m letting a bandit like you leave . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­R-Rank C!?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Didn¡¯t I show you earlier? I¡¯m telling you, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate your opponent just because of how they look . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The man nodded silently at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸If you understand, that¡¯s fine . Then, lead the way . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahh . ¡­¡­It¡¯s this way . ¡¹ Perhaps he knew what would happen if he resisted any further . Especially since there was a rank C adventurer in front of him . He understood that he had little chance of winning even if he was brave and would die in vain in this hopeless situation . As a result, he guided Rei to location where the Prairie Wolves were rumoured to gather . Probably due to the injury from Rei¡¯s kick to his thigh earlier, he walked with staggered steps . (If those rumours aren¡¯t true¡­¡­am I going to die?) Thinking of that, the man led Rei and Set through the forest . For a moment, he turned around to look at them and was met with Set looking straight back . An hour passed without the man feeling alive comfortably . ¡¸As far as I¡¯ve heard, the Prairie Wolves¡¯ hideout should be near here . ¡¹ The man who had led them up to this point explained as they arrived near a pile of rock 5m tall . ¡¸Is it here? Well, this is certainly and easy to mark to locate, but¡­¡­no, it seems to be the right place . ¡¹ Rei muttered as he gazed at the fantastic marker as moonlight poured down on it . But he immediately turned his eyes to his surroundings . He could feel numerous signs rapidly approaching . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ It was the same for Set . He gave a short cry in agreement with Rei . ¡¸Okay, you seem to be right . ¡­¡­You can go now . But, if you try to attack us again¡­¡­you know what will happen . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahh . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s cold gaze, as if he were looking at a rock on the roadside, the man nodded as he swallowed his spit¡­¡­there was no further point in staying here so he turned around and ran away . Rei watched him leave before looking around at the seemingly silent forest and speaking up . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . A rank C adventurer from Gilm . Tell Egg that I¡¯ve come to collect my favour . ¡¹ Rei called out to the people watching him . At this point in time, Rei had no thoughts that the people surrounding him were not from the Prairie Wolves . It was because the man who had guided him here had been scared himself and because the people around Rei knew who to hide their signs compared other bandits . Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Legend Chapter 263 Somewhere in the depths of the forest, near a 5m tall pile of rocks . Rei and Set stood there without any hesitation as the moonlight poured down, creating a fantastic atmosphere . In Rei¡¯s hand was the Death Scythe, taken out from the Misty Ring . Maybe because of the Dragon Robe he was wearing, Rei looked like a real god of death . Set looked completely relaxed as he lay on the ground next to the god of death . Of course, Set wasn¡¯t completely relaxed . Set seemed to be lying on the ground, but by closing his eyes, he enhanced his other senses like hearing, smell and his ability to sense magic power, even the sixth sense peculiar to monsters . If it came down to it, Set was able to immediately dash forward to attack the enemy . However, many of the Prairie Wolves surrounding them had seen Rei¡¯s power directly and many others had heard from Egg . Back then, Egg had told them never to mess with Rei . Because of that, time passed without the pair of them needing to fight . After about 20 minutes, several people showed up, as if parting the forest . ¡¸Did we keep you waiting? You showed up all of a sudden, so it was a bit troublesome . ¡¹ A man over 2m tall and with scars on his face called out, it was Egg, the leader of the Prairie Wolves that Rei had been waiting for . Probably to show Rei that he didn¡¯t come here to fight, he wasn¡¯t holding his huge battle axe . It was still on his back, but he had nothing in his hands . ¡¸No, not at all . Don¡¯t worry about it . ¡¹ In return, Rei stored the Death Scythe back into the Misty Ring . If the other side didn¡¯t intend to be hostile, Rei¡¯s action was to indicate the same . Part of his decision was also because he was confident that he would be able to handle things if the people surrounding him attacked . However, to some others, it wasn¡¯t as amusing . A sharp eyed man next to Egg lashed out with words . ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t do anything unbecoming . He¡¯s my guest . ¡¹ ¡¸But, Egg-san . We didn¡¯t invite him over, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason to come out of your way to meet him¡­¡­¡¹ (From where he¡¯s standing, he¡¯s probably either the number 2 or 3 man position wise among the Prairie Wolves¡­¡­is he the type who is overconfident in his ability? Of course, he has a certain level of skill, but it¡¯s still at a level that he can¡¯t see how strong I am . That said, I don¡¯t know if he would be able to show the same attitude against Set though¡­¡­) ¡¸Kirtos, do you have any complaints about my guest?¡¹ Egg asked the man called Kirtos with a sharp gaze . From Egg¡¯s perspective, he didn¡¯t think that even the Prairie Wolves, called the strongest bandits in the area, would be able to fight Rei and survive . In addition there was also a Griffon, a rank A monster . For those reasons, he decided that it would be better to avoid hostilities with Rei . If it became necessary, he would even cut off Kirtos from him . Furthermore, Rei hadn¡¯t come to subjugate bandits this time, so he couldn¡¯t say that Rei had attacked them first and fight back just because he had come back to collect his favour back . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing . ¡¹ However, from Kirtos perspective, it didn¡¯t feel good that the man he admired was acting so weak against Rei . There was nothing more for him to say, but he still snorted as he implicitly declared his thoughts . ¡¸I see . That¡¯s good . ¡­¡­Sorry about that Rei . The juniors were rude . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . Reckless people are everywhere¡­¡­rather, would you like to get to the main subject?¡¹ Kirtos, who was pointed out as being nothing to be concerned about, sharpened his eyes further, but Rei continued talked without worrying about him . ¡¸Ah . So you want me to return the favour?¡¹ ¡¸The favour from letting you leave last time . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course I know . So what do you want us to do? I know the favour from back then was big, but there are things that can be done and things that can¡¯t . ¡¹ I¡¯m not going to return more than what the favour is worth . Rei nodded at Egg¡¯s words before speaking . ¡¸It¡¯s not that difficult . Do you know about the war that is about to take place between the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Even if we¡¯re bandits, we¡¯ll still hear about that information . We have an information network of our own . And most of all, the war between Mireana and Bestir is almost an annual event . ¡¹ ¡¸Then this will be quick . My request is for the Prairie Wolves to join the war as part of the Rowlocks Army . ¡¹ The words from Rei were said as if it were nothing major . However, those words had a large impact on the Prairie Wolves . ¡¸Are you stupid-! You want us, bandits, to become the dogs of the country!?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re planning to use us as shields!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re not going to accept this, are you?¡¹ Negative reactions could be heard from the surroundings . However, Egg, the key person in all this, didn¡¯t agree or refute as he silently looked at Rei . Rei, who was on the receiving end of that silent gaze, spoke up again as the surrounding voices quieted down . ¡¸I¡¯m not requesting you to be part of the Rowlocks army . ¡­¡­No, looking from the larger perspective, you¡¯re certainly a strong force, but not for fighting straight up . What I¡¯m expecting from you as bandits are reconnaissance and covert actions . For example, fast discovery and reporting of enemy locations or sneaking into the enemy for various covert operations . ¡¹ After Rei told them that he didn¡¯t want them to fight but to do reconnaissance and various covert works, an air of confusion spread around them . They were called the strongest bandits around this area, the closest to the frontier . They seemed to be discouraged after being told they were not expected to fight, but at the same time they despised fighting as the minions of people in power . And as if reading the atmosphere, Rei continued talking . ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you now, it¡¯s the most important thing you can do . War is all about information¡­¡­I won¡¯t say that, but it is certain that information will contribute greatly to victory . ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re going to leave such an important role to us?¡¹ ¡¸You guys aren¡¯t as strong as me, but you¡¯re still stronger than ordinary soldiers . Besides, you¡¯re also good at covert actions as bandits . I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone more suited to act as scouts . ¡¹ Weaker than him . To say that so clearly, Rei was definitely not experienced in interpersonal relationships . However, it was true that Rei was vastly superior to them in terms of combat, but looking at his childish appearance as a 15 year old kid, it wasn¡¯t really possible for Rei to convince them just by saying that . Especially to the Prairie Wolves, who held some pride as the strongest bandits in the region . ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Rei asked after feeling a sharp atmosphere begin to grow in the surroundings . However, those words only caused more irritation to those around him . And of course, it was the people who had never seen Rei fight before who felt this atmosphere and ran out of patience first . ¡¸You, are you mocking us Prairie Wolves?¡¹ The first person to take a step forward was Kirtos, who had been rebuked by Egg earlier . Holding a dagger in each hand, he gave off a feeling that he wanted to stab Rei at any moment . ¡¸Kirtos, stop . ¡¹ ¡¸But, Egg-san!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve told you . He¡¯s my guest . Are you going to embarrass me? Rei, you to . In the first place, everyone here is hot blooded . Stop provoking them . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Provoking?¡¹ As Rei didn¡¯t remember trying to provoke them, he could only tilt his head in confusion . ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re so clueless . Well, I understand what you mean . But as they¡¯ve said, it¡¯s not our way to take orders from nobles or the country . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey . Are you trying to renege on the favour for letting you go last time? In that case, I¡¯ll have to collect what I let go back then, right?¡¹ With a murderous gaze, Rei took out the Death Scythe he had stored into the Misty Ring as he readied himself to kill them at any time . Seeing him take the Death Scythe out from the Misty Ring, those who were seeing Rei for the first time smiled as if they were looking at an idiot for trying to wield such a large weapon¡­¡­and those that had previously encountered Rei held their breath when the scythe appeared . ¡¸Wait! I¡¯m not thinking of reneging!¡¹ At this rate, most of the people here would be killed . Sensing that, Egg shouted out reflexively and the Death Scythe that was about to be swung stopped moving . At this time, it was Egg¡¯s failure for trying to negotiate with Rei . For ordinary adventurers, there might have been some room to bargain, but in the case of Rei, he knew he wasn¡¯t good at talking and had never planned to negotiate from the beginning . ¡¸Hou~ . Then tell me . Are you going to pay back the favour¡­¡­or are you going to renege on it?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I will return it . I won¡¯t forget about it . But, this is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Egg-san! Why do you need to act like this in front of that guy! Owing him your life? Even then, he attacked when you and the others were exhausted . It¡¯s not a problem for us right now . Can¡¯t you see the difference in numbers? A single brat can¡¯t stop us . Hey, guys!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t let a brat look down on us Prairie Wolves!¡¹ ¡¸Wait, you guys haven¡¯t fought him before? He¡¯s a real monster . And he has a Griffon? Do you really think we can win!?¡¹ Rei gave an amazed look at the Prairie Wolves who had begun to argue among themselves . Next to him, Set looked around with sharp eyes, but also somewhat dazed by the arguing bandits . Rei listened in for a few minutes as the Prairie Wolves derailed the conversation before speaking up . ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s enough . From what I¡¯ve heard, some of you don¡¯t agree with my request . And those people are the ones who weren¡¯t around last time . In that case, it¡¯s fine if only the ones who around last time agree . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around! Do you think the Prairie Wolves will act like tamed dogs!?¡¹ ¡¸Just like Kirtos said! You¡¯ll making a big mistake if you think we¡¯ll wear collars!¡¹ Voices rose in sync with Kirtos¡¯ words . (At this rate, we¡¯ll just continue to waste time . Looking at this series of exchanges, Rei turned to look at Egg, who had the final say . ¡¸You decide what to do . Either you return the favour¡­¡­or . ¡¹ Rei glanced towards the Death Scythe in his right hand . ¡¸Haa . I understand . It can¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s settle it our usual way . Kirtos, you¡¯re the strongest out of those opposing right?¡¹ ¡¸What? Uh¡­¡­ahh, I think so . ¡¹ Kirtos nodded as he turned to look at those who were in agreement with him . ¡¸Then you fight Rei . And if you win, we won¡¯t cooperate with Rei as you suggested . ¡­¡­Of course, in that case, I will also give you a corresponding reward . ¡¹ ¡¸Me? Egg-san is stronger than me though?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m willing to work as a scout . Of course, covert operations will probably be dangerous, but it¡¯s still better than being at the forefront of the war . And, everyone who was there previously seems to accepting of working with Rei, if not the Mireana Kingdom . ¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡¹ Kirtos looked at the surroundings in a hurry at Rei¡¯s words . But when he did that, Kirtos saw that all those who had been with Egg that time and encountered Rei silently divert their eyes . (If I don¡¯t say it this way, we will never reach a resolution . And if he actually fights Rei, he¡¯ll understand his power, whether he likes it or not . At that time, he¡¯ll understand what Rei was saying . If we don¡¯t repay the favour, he¡¯s serious about taken our lives that he left us with last time . ) Egg thought to himself . Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Egg was willing to cooperate with Rei . But the reality was that they owed Rei a favour for sparing their lives . As the Prairie Wolves, it was impossible for them to renege on their debt . In addition, Egg knew that fighting Rei would mean the destruction of the Prairie Wolves . In that case, let Kirtos fight Rei to experience how strong he was . Egg¡¯s proposal was a result of those thoughts . ¡¸¡­¡­Okay . If Egg-san says so, I¡¯ll take care of this kid . ¡¹ Holding his daggers, Kirtos stepped forward . Seeing that, Rei gave a sigh at Egg¡¯s pleading eyes before proceeding forward . ¡¸It ends when either side surrenders or becomes incapacitated . Don¡¯t try to kill the other side . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Egg-san . Do you think I would lose?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­We¡¯ll see . I leave it to you two . ¡¹ Saying that, Egg¡¯s eyes were on Rei and not Kirtos . Of course, Kirtos noticed that and wasn¡¯t amused . ¡¸Start!¡¹ Dashing forward at Egg¡¯s voice, Kirtos rapidly shortened the distance to Rei . His speed was unbelievable for a bandit and clearly showed that Kirtos wasn¡¯t all talk . However . ¡¸Oh, you move at a decent speed . ¡¹ Rei continued to dodge the rapid dagger strikes that brushed past his skin . ¡¸Ku-!¡¹ Kirtos, who was feeling Rei¡¯s strength for the first time, felt frustrated as he spat and raised the speed of his daggers up another notch . ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­so you can still go faster? But what a shame . You¡¯re not at my level . ¡¹ ¡¸Gah-!?¡¹ Kirtos tried to respond to Rei¡¯s mutter, but¡­¡­the next moment, he took a heavy blow to the stomach and lost consciousness . The last thing he saw before fainting was the handle of the Death Scythe . Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Legend Chapter 264 ¡¸Daska-sama, I¡¯m back . ¡¹ Late at night, Rei returned to the place where the Rowlocks army had camped for the night and met with Daska . Inside the tent, which was a magic item, was Daska, the commander of the army, three knights serving as bodyguards, Rei, the one who had made the suggestion, and Egg, the leader of the Prairie Wolves that Rei had brought along . ¡¸You¡¯re back . ¡­¡­So, he¡¯s one of the Prairie Wolves?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . He¡¯s the leader of the Prairie Wolves, his name is Egg . ¡­¡­Egg . ¡¹ Rei turned to face Egg and raised his head slightly . ¡¸As introduced, I¡¯m Egg, the leader of the Prairie Wolves . I¡¯ll say this first, but we don¡¯t like nobles . Especially Sabrusta¡¯s deputy lord, he¡¯s doing a lot of dirty work behind the scenes . But, just because we don¡¯t like the nobles doesn¡¯t mean we hate the country itself . It¡¯s also because I owe Rei a favour . For now, we¡¯ve decided to cooperate with you¡­¡­but don¡¯t think we Prairie Wolves will become tame dogs . ¡¹ I¡¯m warning you . Such thoughts came to mind from Egg¡¯s expression . Those were words that were spoken based on feelings he had for nobility for a long time . And if Daska got angry with him, he might not even have to take part in the war . Even if they killed and discarded him here for his rudeness, if he didn¡¯t return, the Prairie Wolves would hide themselves in the mountains . And above all, he had heard from Rei that Margrave Rowlocks was a bold and open minded person, so he felt it was worth a try . And as a result¡­¡­ ¡¸Ahahahahaha . Hey, did you hear that? He wasn¡¯t afraid of me at all and just said all that at once . ¡¹ Instead of finding it impolite or impertinent and drawing his sword, Daska found it amusing as he gave a hearty laugh . He showed no sign of reaching for the sword sheathed at his waist . If Daska had really drawn his sword, Egg would have been helpless as he had left his weapon, his axe, outside in order to meet Daska . But that was completely beside the point . ¡¸Hey, what do you think of this man?¡¹ In addition, after his bout of laughter had subsided, Daska asked the knights who were serving as his bodyguards . ¡¸I agree . I think it¡¯s amazing to have the courage to say this to Daska-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸If I were him, I wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to Daska-sama like that¡­¡­you look a lot more fierce than a common bandit . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, even if it¡¯s the truth, it still hurts . Chose your words a bit better . ¡¹ ¡¸Daska-sama feels hurt¡­¡­isn¡¯t Daska-sama rumoured to have a heart of Orichalum?¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s been telling such lies . ¡¹ Egg, who was confused at the sudden conversation before him, turned to Rei . From Egg¡¯s perspective, this wasn¡¯t the attitude that the commander of the Rowlocks army would have towards him . ¡¸¡­¡­Rei?¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸No . ¡­¡­He¡¯s a strange person as well . ¡¹ ¡¸I know right? That¡¯s why he¡¯s willing to cooperate . If he was one of the arrogant nobles you had been thinking about, I probably wouldn¡¯t have brought you here . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you two . It¡¯s not nice to talk secrets in front of others . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sorry Daska-sama . ¡¹ Rei bowed his head at Daska¡¯s voice before turning to Egg again . ¡¸As you can see, even towards Daska-sama, he has boldness in his voice . I think he will be usefully acting as the eyes of the Rowlocks army because they are good at covert actions as bandits . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . I can trust Rei¡¯s words and I know of the rumours around the bandit group the Prairie Wolves . Because of our nature of being on the frontier, the number of people we have for covert operations such as reconnaissance and sabotage is still limited . I¡¯d welcome you if you are happy to assist¡­¡­but at the very least, you¡¯ll have to show me your strength, right? I don¡¯t care that you are bandits, but if some of the others find out, there will be people who want to cause trouble . And if something happens, there may be cases where you won¡¯t be able to protect the people involved . Will you still cooperate with us?¡¹ ¡¸No problem . The Prairie Wolves are simply returning a favour to Rei . However, as I said earlier, we¡¯re wolves and we¡¯re not going to become some noble¡¯s dogs . ¡­¡­Margrave Rowlocks, you are, as Rei said, a capable and honourable man, more of a noble that the other nobles . However, some of the other nobles are not as capable as you and are nothing but scum . Remember that the Prairie Wolves and some of the bandit gangs around here were forced to become bandits because of those nobles . ¡¹ He spoke simply and stated only the facts . Not only Daska, but even his bodyguards were silent . The previously peaceful atmosphere a few seconds ago was gone as they listened quietly . Even Daska understood what Egg was talking about . No, it was only understandable to Daska because he served as a buffer between the power struggles of the Royalists and Nobles factions . ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . I¡¯ll keep those words in my heart . Moving on, would you be fine to arrange a briefing session right after this?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care . Since we¡¯ve decided to cooperate, use us as you¡¯d like during the war . You don¡¯t seem to be like one of those nobles . ¡¹ With a grin on his face, Egg gave Daska a meaningful glance . Daska responded with a fearless smile as he looked back . Were they on the same mental wavelenght or were they just similar to each other? Anyhow, the two of them hit off with each other in this short period of time as they reached out to shake hands . While shaking hands, Daska turned to look at Rei . ¡¸Rei, I¡¯m sorry to have to make you do extra work aside from supplies . This is a good achievement so please look forward to the reward . ¡¹ ¡¸No, it was my own suggestion to begin with . ¡­¡­But, if possible, I would like a magic item rather than money . Also, something that could actually be used in battle . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hou~¡¹ Daska gave a small nod a Rei¡¯s words when he recalled the contents of a report that had been raised previously . ¡¸Spekaing of which, you did have a hobby of collecting magic items . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . ¡¹ Rei nodded, slightly surprised that Daska knew about his hobby of collecting magic items . But because he understood himself to be an anomaly, it must have been report to Daska somewhere . ¡¸All right . It depends on your achievements in this war but¡­¡­that¡¯s right, if you can perform a great merit that everyone agrees is number 1 merit, then I will give you a treasured magic item that has been handed down the Rowlocks family . ¡¹ Twitch . Rei perked up at the words ¡®treasured magic item¡¯ . The Margrave Rowlocks family had always kept the frontier under control . Although they were a small to medium sized force that was very small in terms of strength, it was still a treasured magic item passed down a family that had wide influence within the Mireana Kingdom . It was hard to imagine what it could be, even for Rei, who had inherited Zepairu¡¯s knowledge . ¡¸I understand . Then, I¡¯ll used all my power to achieve a merit that no one can match in this war . ¡¹ ¡¸Please do so . The more active you are, the more likely this country will survive . ¡¹ Daska nodded with a smile . Of course, Daska also benefited a lot from providing such a magic item as a reward . With such an attractive reward, he was telling Rei not to leave Gilm¡­¡­and out of his sphere of influence . Or, even if he went to another city, it would show himself as someone from the Neutral faction . Rei¡¯s presence was even more important to Daska now, especially when it came to his transport capacity with his item box . This was Rei¡¯s first time in the army, so he was only carrying a large amount of food and half of the other supplies, but if Daska decided Rei could be completely relied on, he was planning on letting him take care of all the supplies . Without voicing his dreams and hopes in his heart, he told Rei to leave the tent . Seeing Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe covered back leave, Daska began to discuss the details of scouting with Egg . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Waiting for Rei, who had just left the tent, was Set, who was lying on the ground as usual . Because it was night time, Set turned to look at Rei with a softer cry than usual . ¡¸Did you wait long? There were a few things that needed to be done . Rather, should we sleep in a tent now? It¡¯s going to be busy again tomorrow . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set stood up with light movements that didn¡¯t match his weight as he rubbed his face against Rei . During the day, Set stood at the front of the Rowlocks army as a scout . At meal times, Rei was busy taking food out of the Misty Ring . Set had wanted to be spoiled by Rei during the night, but at night, Rei was busy with taking out food, tents and searching the mountains to win over the Prairie Wolves without any clues . Fortunately, Rei was able to get some information from the lone bandit, so it hadn¡¯t taken as long as Set had expected, but he still felt that he had a lot less time to play with Rei . Of course, other adventurers, soldiers and even the knights were familiar with Set . However, Set still wanted to play with Rei, who was his favourite person . For that reason, he gave a cry and shook his tail as he rubbed his head . Rei also sensed Set¡¯s general feelings so he reached out to rub his head while smiling and thinking it couldn¡¯t be helped . Rei relieved his own fatigue as he stroked the smooth silky fur that grew on Set . Although he wasn¡¯t good at socialising, after joining this war as part of the supplies team and as a mercenary, it was inevitable that he would have to interact with others . That was one of the main causes of Rei¡¯s fatigue when he was providing supplies . ¡¸¡­¡­Here, when you¡¯re marching, you can¡¯t eat that much food, right?¡¹ Rei took a sandwich from the Misty Ring that was made with sweet and spicy stewed chicken . The sandwich was one of the leftovers from dinner which Rei had kept for his own meal . There were quite a few dishes he had previously stored for himself, but the sandwich was the first thing he noticed on the Misty Rings list . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Can I eat it? Rei gave a small nod at Set, who had tilted his head to ask before eating the sandwich as it was¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ While giving a cry, Set bit into it with his beak and broke it half before using his head to push Rei¡¯s hand which still held the other half . Rei, who felt Set telling him to eat the other half with his round eyes, brought the sandwich to his mouth with a smile . ¡¸Thanks . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Like that, the two of the walked through the camp to their own tent, not far from Daska¡¯s tent . Normally, this position near the centre was where the commanders¡¯ tents would be gathered, but Rei was given this spot as he was in charge of supplies . Incidentally, Keo, who was also in charge of supplies, was assigned a place near Rei¡¯s tent . ¡¸¡­¡­It will be busy again tomorrow . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei looked up into the night sky . There were no clouds and the light from the stars and moon illuminated the surroundings . There was no need for him to use a torch . That said, this might have been because Rei had good night vision . Bright as it was, it was still dark enough to have difficulty walking around if not for the campfires scattered all around the camp . ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ As Set lay on the ground beside the tent and shook his tail, asking to be spoiled, he turned to look at Rei . Leaning against Set, Rei reached for his throat . If a cat¡¯s throat was stroked, they would make a purring sound . But as Set had the head of an eagle, he gave a happy cry instead . Of course, Set was happy that his throat was being stroked, but the biggest reason for his happiness was being able to stay with Rei . He knew that Rei was close by while they travelled . But since he was inside a carriage, Set couldn¡¯t help but feel lonely not seeing him . Maybe it was because Set knew that Rei needed to do what he had to do that he felt lonely . Like that, Rei slowly played with Set until he started to doze off . Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Legend Chapter 265 ¡¸To actually pull in the Prairie Wolves . Really, Rei has really performed beyond my expectations . ¡¹ Inside the carriage, Runo mumbled out loud . Beside him, the two knights who heard that turned to look at Rei in surprise . ¡¸Speaking of the Prairie Wolves, they¡¯re the most well known bandits in this area . To be able to pull them to our side¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸For now, if they¡¯re here, maybe it means we won¡¯t have to be wary of other bandits . ¡¹ At the words of the knights, Rei frowned involuntarily . ¡¸Are there bandits that would try to do anything? To an army this big?¡¹ The Rowlocks army alone had over 5,000 troops . Considering the number of troops that had joined in Abuero, there were already more than 7,000 troops in the combined army . Rei really didn¡¯t think there were any bandits that would try to do anything to them . However, Runo shook his head at Rei with a bitter smile . ¡¸Certainly, if you think of it as an army of 7,000, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to us . However, even if there are over 7,000 of us, we¡¯re still people . We¡¯re not always going to act as a group . Especially those on night watch, they are good prey for bandits . Ordinary soldiers are strong in groups . By themselves, they aren¡¯t that strong . Furthermore, the surroundings are dark at night¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s how it is . Nevertheless, Daska-sama has considered that . Several adventurers are mixed in with the soldiers on night watch to improve their overall strength . ¡¹ ¡¸Adventurers, is it . ¡¹ Rei mumured to himself at the guards¡¯ words, remembering the faces of his acquaintances who were participating in this war . Many adventurers from Gilm had joined the Rowlocks army . For example, following the promise made with Rei, the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God would protect this country¡­¡­there was also the C rank party Scorching Wind, who secretly hoped Set wouldn¡¯t be hurt in this war, and the D rank party Eternal Power, who had joined purely for the rewards . As an individual, Rei wasn¡¯t that good at socialising, so he didn¡¯t know that many people . But even then, many of them had decided to participate in this war . ¡¸Well, anyway, bandits probably won¡¯t be targeting us . They¡¯re looking for our supplies . However, nearly half the supplies are stored inside Rei¡¯s item box and the remaining half of the supplies are strictly guarded . ¡­¡­Well, the army from Abuero seems to have taken some damage . ¡¹ ¡¸That seems to be the case . Because they don¡¯t have an item box like Rei does, they¡¯ve probably followed the ordinary arrangement . ¡¹ The knight nodded at his fellow knight¡¯s words . The original plan had been for Rei to carry supplies other than the Rowlocks army¡¯s in his item box . In fact, when hiring Rei, Daska had hinted at that in one of his statements . However, after actually carrying out the logistics work, Rei¡¯s mental fatigue was quite high and he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle even more military supplies . As a result, Rei stayed in charge of only the Rowlocks army¡¯s supplies . ¡¸That said, I never imagined that moving an army was that big of a hassle . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha~, well, that¡¯s right . Since you travel on Set all the time, it¡¯s rare to walk like this, right?¡¹ One of the knights smiled at Rei¡¯s murmuring . It was quite well known among the adventurers of Gilm that Rei travelled around on Set . It wasn¡¯t like anyone was stalking him, rather he moved around on Set openly in public . Even the general public who kept somewhat up to date with events knew, let alone adventurers . And because the knight had heard about this as well, he laughed at Rei as he pointed it out . ¡¸Even if you tell me that, it¡¯s normal to me . ¡¹ From Rei¡¯s perspective, after entering his current body in this world called Elgin, he had created Set with the Magic Beast Art shortly after . Because of that, it had become normal for him to move around with Set . That was why he was able to understand why Set had felt so lonely and wanted to be spoiled last night after having to act separately from Rei for such a long time . It had been something similar to after Rei¡¯s rank up test previously . ¡¸I did have to walk around while working as an adventurer . ¡­¡­Well, even then, I didn¡¯t move so slowly . ¡¹ The slowest speed he had ever travelled at so far was probably during escort request with Beautiful Raindrops . Coincidentally, his destination at that time had been Sabrusta, which they were now heading towards . The favour the Prairie Wolves owed him, which they had been talking about previously, had also happened at that time . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, speaking of it, here it is . Look . ¡¹ While Rei was recalling that, Runo, who had been looking out the window, spoke out . Following Runo¡¯s line of sight, Rei saw the city of Sabrusta, dyed in the colours of the setting sun . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­it¡¯s better to join up, but what should we do?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? What do you mean?¡¹ One of the knights asked in response to Rei¡¯s casual mutters . ¡¸Well, the more people we have, the slower we¡¯ll move . In the end, it will take us more time to reach the battlefield . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? According to what I heard, it seems the number of reinforcements from Sabrusta is less than 1,000 . I don¡¯t think there will be a difference in travel time . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Less than 1,000? That¡¯s very few people . ¡¹ Runo responsed at the knight¡¯s words . When the knight heard that, he shook his head with slight frown . ¡¸The deputy lord of Sabrusta has many bad rumours surrounding him . In particular, he seems to have a strong obsession with money¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, hey, hey, wait a moment . What does that mean? No way, since it costs a lot to form a large army, he¡¯s only sending the minimum number?¡¹ At Runo¡¯s confused words, Rei suddenly remembered the rumours he had heard during his previous escort request . ¡¸Come to think of it, have you heard anything about Sabrusta¡¯s deputy lord being connected to bandits?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s probably true . Otherwise, it would be unnatural for there to be so many bandits, including the Prairie Wolves, in this area . ¡¹ ¡¸Why don¡¯t you ask Egg for confirmation?¡¹ The knight shook his head in response to Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸Certainly, he¡¯s connected to bandits . But that doesn¡¯t mean that merchants are being completely destroyed . Even though there¡¯s foul play, there is also a sense of balance . It¡¯s only up to the level where the noble who left the territory to him will overlook it . ¡¹ ¡¸And as for the number of reinforcements, he can make up some good excuses for the noble¡­¡­that¡¯s about it . ¡¹ The other knight, who was looking out towards Sabrusta from the window, murmured with a frown . The city of Sabrusta, which could be seen from the window, was getting larger and larger . The dispatched troops waiting in front of the city could also start to be seen from inside the carriage . Seeing the number of people waiting, Rei spoke somewhat dumbfounded . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s not even 1,000 people, maybe 500?¡¹ Of course, Rei didn¡¯t have the special ability to count things just by looking at them like Keo, who was in charge of supplies . However, even so, he couldn¡¯t believe that the number of people he was looking at would reach 1,000 . It was the same for the knights and Runo . ¡¸It looks like it . However, 500 is less than 1,000 . I didn¡¯t lie . ¡¹ ¡¸Again, with all the technicalities . ¡¹ At the knight¡¯s words, Runo grumbled . ¡¸Still, since they are from a different faction from us, Daska-sama has no right to order them around . ¡­¡­Seriously, if only they would consider the possibility of losing the war rather than a little bit of money . ¡¹ ¡¸What, he probably never thought about losing the war . And if we did, he would probably be the first to run away . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei, that¡¯s a bit of exaggeration . ¡¹ One of the knights called out to Rei with a laugh . Even if he didn¡¯t draw any attention to himself, for the deputy lord to only send the minimum number of people to save on money seemed silly to Rei . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . ¡­¡­It¡¯s strange to say this, but if this gets spread around to the other nobles, things will get interesting . ¡¹ The other knight advised Rei with a smile . ¡¸Things will get interesting?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Daska-sama will definitely make great achievements in this war . In fact, he¡¯s prepared as much military strength as he can for this . In other words, he will have a considerable amount of influence after rewards are granted post-war . At that time, if he mentioned this matter¡­¡­well, what do you think would happen? To nobles who are concerned about keeping up appearances, the deputy lord who only worked for his own interests will probably lose his job . In the worst case, he will literally lose his head . I don¡¯t know if the deputy lord is aware of that though . ¡¹ At the same time the knight told Rei about what would likely happen, the carriage started to move again . As there were only 500 people joining, it took almost no time to decide the formation to march in, unlike back at Abuero . ¡¸At any rate, we¡¯ll pass Sabrusta soon . After that¡­¡­what¡¯s next? I recall the road splits into two after, right? One leading to the capital and the other to the countryside . ¡¹ Looking out the window as the carriage started to move again, Runo spoke aloud to no one in particular . The one who answered him was not the knights, but Rei . After all, it was only a few months ago that he had delivered Aurani grass powder, a sure remedy for Magic Fever, to Baar by air . It was still fresh in his memory . ¡¸Ahh . The countryside road is the one that leads to Baar . ¡­¡­We¡¯re heading toward Baar right?¡¹ Rei asked the knights to confirm . The Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire . It had been customary for these two countries, considered major powers, to collide at the Selemus Plains, a vast plain where negotiations between the two countries would usually take place . Of course, there were times where both sides would try to infiltrate the other to sabotage some things, but battles generally took place on the Selemus Plains . The knights nodded at Rei¡¯s question, which had been asked with some expectation . ¡­¡­However, the knight frowned slightly after that . ¡¸Basically what Rei said . If the flow of the war develops the same as past ones, a battle will take place on the Selemus Plains¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Daska-sama thinks this war is different . A battle on the Selemus Plains may not be the same as before . ¡¹ Hearing the two knights converse, Runo asked in confusion . ¡¸However, the strength of both the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire won¡¯t fall below tens of thousands of soldiers right? In that case, won¡¯t a battle have to take place at the Selemus Plains?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah . Normally, that would be true . But¡­¡­¡¹ At Runo¡¯s question, the knight shook his head without much confidence as he whispered . ¡¸This is the first time I¡¯ve hoped Daska-sama¡¯s guesses are wrong . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry . With Rei¡¯s skills, things will be fine, we¡¯ll win without any trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That would be nice . ¡¹ The knight muttered with sigh and the carriage went silent . The silence continued for several minutes . Suddenly, Rei took out some fruits from the Misty Ring . They looked like bite sized cherries, but their colour was a blue, reminiscent of summer skies . Their texture and taste was similar to persimmons . They were called Keti fruits . They were a springtime seasonal fruit and were in season right now . ¡¸Rei?¡¹ Rather than answering Runo¡¯s puzzled question, Rei handed over the Keti fruits to the knights and Runo . The knights had a surprised expression at the coldness of the Keti fruits, which had been stored in the Misty Ring after being cooled . As expected of Runo, his eyebrows only moved slightly as he accepted the Keti fruit . ¡¸Why are you already scared of the enemy even before reaching the battlefield? Right now, you should just eat your fill and forget your worries¡­¡­I won¡¯t tell you to go that far, but don¡¯t show your feelings . If you, the knights, are worried, your worries will carry over to the soldiers and volunteer soldiers . ¡¹ ¡¸Why did you give some to me as well?¡¹ Since he hadn¡¯t been worried, Runo asked Rei . However, Rei replied with a grin on his face . ¡¸If I only gave some to those two, you would complain that you didn¡¯t get anything, wouldn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Kukukuku¡­¡­yes, that¡¯s true . If you¡¯re going to hand stuff out, you have to hand it out to everyone . ¡¹ Runo gave an unintentional smile . The knights followed suit with wry smiles¡­¡­as a result, the dark atmosphere in the carriage disappeared completely . Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Legend Chapter 266 ¡¸Mm¡­¡­looks like I¡¯m getting used to this kind of life . ¡¹ In the early morning, just as the sun had risen, Rei did some stretches inside his tent within the camp as he got dressed . More than half a month had passed since leaving Gilm . The Rowlocks army had continued moving towards the battlefield at Selemus Plains as they absorbed troops from nearby cities . Rei, who had been in charge of providing supplies, had started to get used to this life after half a month . Even though he still came in contact with a large number of strangers, the mental fatigue was no longer as great . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ He might have noticed Rei . Set, who was lying just outside the tent, thrust his head in from the entrance and rubbed his face to greet Rei in the morning with a cry . ¡¸Ah, good morning . Well then, I heard that we will be arriving at the Selemus Plains around noon today . We¡¯ll only be marching until then . Set, can you do your best for the rest of the day?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a small cry in response to Rei¡¯s words as he stroked Set¡¯s head . However, since they were already away from the frontier where they could be attacked by monsters at any time, the burden on the scouts, like Set, was much less . Bandits were more intelligent than monsters . Very few of them would do something as stupid as attacking a grouped of armed forces . The few that did were annihilated by the Prairie Wolves before they could actually launch their attack . Because of that, for a while, Set had also been excused from the group of leading adventurers and had been travelling near the carriage Rei had been riding in . That said, it was also true that those in the armies dispatched by other nobles that had joined up were also scared of Set . Only those from Gilm had abandoned their fear of him . Rather, in this case, the adventurers from Gilm were quite unusual . Normally, it would be difficult to get along well with an A rank monster, which would usually be considered a natural disaster . In that regard, they were probably influenced by seeing Rei and Set working together in Gilm or watching Set happily eat food that was bought in large quantities from the street stalls, despite the pair only having been around for less than a year . ¡¸Fuwahh¡­¡­hmm¡­¡­Rei? You seem to be energetic this morning . ¡¹ Runo came out of tent near Rei¡¯s . Runo, who had a relatively high rank and was versatile in many jobs, was a useful person in various ways . Because of that, he had taken up the role of a guard for Rei to save himself any trouble before they arrived at the Selemus Plains . After all, as long as he remained as Rei¡¯s guard, he would be able to ride in a carriage and wouldn¡¯t be moved to the front or back of the army, where it was most dangerous during a march . That said, as a guard, he had to maintain Rei¡¯s safety . But despite their identical rank, Rei had an overwhelming advantage in terms of combat . Because of that, while acting as Rei¡¯s guard, he didn¡¯t really have to do anything . Just simply having a conversation in the carriage would net him a reward . It was even a bigger reward than usual because he was acting as a guard for Rei, who was an important person with regards to supplies . ¡¸Ahh . That¡¯s because the daily marching will finally be coming to an end . After sitting in a carriage for almost half a month, I feel that my body has dulled . ¡¹ Runo gave a wry smile at Rei¡¯s complaints . ¡¸What are you talking about? Recently, you¡¯ve been exercising your body every night before going to sleep . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But in the end, practice is practice . It would be different if I could at least spar with someone¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hah, I¡¯ve said this before and I¡¯ll say it again . That¡¯s because you went on a rampage . There¡¯s a limit to how much trouble you can cause . ¡¹ In response to Runo¡¯s words telling him that it was his own fault, Rei gave a sigh as he silently stroked Set¡¯s head beside him . As they were taking military action, war would break out soon after they reached their destination, the Selemus Plains . Because of that, time off was taken during the march in order to keep up their training . Although there were differences depending on who was in charge, different units would have their own training time after lunch, before dinner, after dinner or just before going to sleep . At the beginning of the march, Rei didn¡¯t show up to the training sessions due to his mental fatigue of having to provide supplies, but now, he was actively participating in training to stop his skills from dulling . That said, although he particiapted in them¡­¡­ (There are idiots everywhere, but I didn¡¯t think that they would target me in particular . ) Unlike soldiers and knights, adventurers were mercenaries . Of course, those who were participating in the war would cooperate with each other . But effectively, each party or solo adventurer, like Rei, acted as their own unit . For this reason, it was normal for training to be carried out by individuals or separate parties . However, an incident occurred about 10 days ago . Of course, adventurers from Gilm, Abuero and Sabrusta, who had heard about Rei, didn¡¯t treat him as a low ranking adventurer . But, some of the adventurers from the armies that had just grouped up with the Rowlocks army didn¡¯t . Needless to say, Rei wasn¡¯t one to be shy, so he broke their hands and feet without killing them¡­¡­ Naturally, those who saw that became afraid of Rei . It wasn¡¯t too bad, but it was a situation where he could no longer train with them . However, it was only the people that didn¡¯t know Rei well that would avoid him like that . The adventurers from Gilm showed no concern in particular . Rather, some of them looked at the people who had tried to mess around with Rei in pity . ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . Then, do you want to spar with me?¡¹ Rei, who had just sighed again, must have looked depressed . Runo, who had just been doing some stretches, called out to Rei unusually . ¡¸That would help, but are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸Well, sparring with a strong opponent isn¡¯t bad for me . But if you¡¯re taking this seriously, we can¡¯t hit each other, please go easy on me . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no problem . Then, I¡¯ll request a spar with you after breakfast . ¡¹ ¡¸Sure . ¡­¡­Well, today will be the end of our march . Let¡¯s do our best on the last day . ¡¹ Along with Runo¡¯s words, Rei headed towards the supplies unit where Keo was waiting to prepare breakfast for 5,000 people . ¡¸Hey, hey, what¡¯s with their food? Why is it so luxurious even though its just rations? Our army rations are just bread, cheese and dried meat right?¡¹ Such a voice echoed around at a place where the adventurers gathered . Even if it was called an army, it was really a mix of many knights, soldiers, volunteer soldiers, adventurers and more . Of course, each of them would gather with their own kind . In this situation, the adventurers would gather towards the training grounds to eat . However, since adventurers usually had their own parties and acquaintances, there were countless small groups . One adventurer in one of those groups muttered involuntarily when he saw the breakfast a nearby adventurer was eating . After all, that adventurer had a sandwich with plenty of ham, vegetables and cheese inside freshly baked bread . They also had bacon and vegetable soup alone with some meat skewers that had the appetising smell of dripping fat . When the adventurer muttered those words, another nearby adventurer smiled as he spoke . ¡¸What, are you part of the army that joined yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ah . Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡­but, how did you know?¡¹ The middle-aged male adventurer started to talk with a wry smile at the adventurer¡¯s surprised expression as he shrugged his shoulders . In the hand of the male adventurer who had brought this up first were typical rations, bread, dried meat, cheese and water . The two of them looked towards a group of adventurers who were having their breakfast¡­¡­rather, their food so luxurious that it almost couldn¡¯t be considered breakfast . ¡¸They¡¯re part of the Rowlocks army . ¡¹ The Rowlocks army . At those words, the first adventurer stopped moving . ¡¸Could the Rowlocks army, possibly¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . You might have guessed, they¡¯re adventurers from Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸So they¡¯re from the frontier . Then, there¡¯s no doubt that they have good skills . ¡­¡­But, why can they eat such delicious food just because they¡¯re from the frontier? If they¡¯re from the frontier¡­¡­no, rather, because they¡¯re from the frontier, shouldn¡¯t it have taken longer for them to get here? That is to say, they couldn¡¯t have brought that much food . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, you¡¯d think so normally . But¡­¡­oh, look . Here it comes . ¡¹ As he ate a piece of bread that had been soaked in water to soften it, he looked towards an open area within the training ground . Though he wasn¡¯t happy, the young adventurer followed his gaze without voicing his complaints . As he turned to look, some other adventurers started screaming and shouting as they tried to run away from where they had been eating breakfast . It appeared with the morning spring sun . That is, a Griffon, an A rank monster . ¡¸H-Hey . What¡¯s a Griffon doing here?¡¹ He asked the adventurer next to him in a whisper, so as to not draw the attention of the Griffon, known as the shinigami of the skies . However, what he got back was a reply with a smirk . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . It won¡¯t attack you . There, look at its neck . ¡¹ Hearing the man¡¯s words, he slowly turned his eyes towards the Griffon . What he saw was something familiar . However, it wasn¡¯t something you would normally hang around a Griffon¡¯s neck . ¡¸¡­¡­Necklace of Subservient Monster?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Surprisingly, it¡¯s a tamed Griffon . ¡¹ The man couldn¡¯t believe his words . With an expression as if a large amount of Mythril had just fallen from the skies, he looked towards an adventurer in his mid-twenties that was near the Griffon . At that moment, it was natural for him to not look towards the person wearing robes . From the man¡¯s point of view, they looked like a expert adventurer, who had tamed the Griffon, teaching his apprentice . However, his thoughts were broken by the words of the other adventurer, who saw him looking over with a dazed expression . ¡¸No, wrong person . It¡¯s the one in the robe that has tamed the Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸Hah!? Hey, a kid like that can¡¯t tame a Griffon, can he? I can¡¯t even laugh at your joke . ¡¹ The middle-aged man couldn¡¯t help but smile at the almost instant retort . The guy in the robe¡­¡­most people have the same reaction when talking about Rei . Of course, those who have the skills can see his real strength, those that can see magic power would have their breath taken away by him . However, the man that was listening to him seemed to be neither . ¡¸I guess so . I thought the same as you at first . ¡­¡­But look at them . ¡¹ The middle-aged man called out to the young adventurer as he looked towards the direction of the Gilm adventurers . The man who had been looking at him turned around and almost dropped his cheese to the ground . ¡¸You have to be joking¡­¡­?¡¹ Many adventurers around him were looking at Rei with frightened eyes . Some were waving there hands lightly and some female adventurers were rushing over to the Griffon, but those were few . ¡¸No way . Hey, that woman¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s fine . That woman has a particular hobby . ¡¹ The man was stunned¡­¡­like the others who had seen this for the first time, as the woman rushed over and started happily hugging the Griffon . ¡¸¡­¡­Are the adventurers from Gilm a collection of monsters? To hug a Griffon so calmly . ¡¹ I can¡¯t believe it . At his murmurs of disbelief, the middle-aged man spoke with a smile again . When he had seen it for the first time, he had felt the same . ¡¸Maybe in Gilm, this is normal¡­¡­well, not exactly like that, but to some extent . ¡¹ The reason why he had rephrased his words was because there were still a lot of adventurers in Gilm who were surprised to see groups of children following after a Griffon . ¡¸In other words, that kid is allowed here because he has a tamed Griffon?¡¹ The man asked as he looked at the Griffon . However, the middle-aged adventurer shook his head slowly . ¡¸No, that kid¡¯s skills are also extraordinary . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh!? Is that kid that strong?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . In fact, some C rank adventurers who joined up 10 days ago had all their hands and feet broken in under a few minutes by him . Besides, he¡¯s the one . The reason why the adventurers from Gilm can have such luxurious meals . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ha?¡¹ ¡¸From what I was told, he seems to have an item box . They said that he¡¯s packed a lot of food into it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­An item box? You¡¯re lying aren¡¯t you?¡¹ He couldn¡¯t believe the words from the middle-aged man . He murmured to himself in shock . But, the middle-aged man silently shook his head . ¡¸There are things in the world you can¡¯t even imagine . Look here, here¡¯s some advice . That kid¡­¡­don¡¯t try to pick a fight with Rei . He might look like a kid and an apprentice mage, but I heard that he holds the record for the shortest time from registering as an adventurer to reaching C rank in Gilm . It¡¯s hard to believe that he had a Griffon following him, but he also has an item box, which are rumoured to be very few in the world . He¡¯s even got such a massive amount of magic power that mages are scared of him . He¡¯s a first class monster, a super warrior . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why is such a monster here¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Because it¡¯s war . ¡¹ The middle-aged man replied simply to the young adventurer¡¯s question as he continued to finish his breakfast . The young adventurer who was told that had no choice but to look on in shock at the scene before him . Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Legend Chapter 267 Selemus Plains . It was a buffer zone between the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire . It was a vast plain with forests, small woods and even small lakes . At the same time, it was the site of countless wars that had been waged between the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire . Originally, due to the location of the plains, it would have been a safe area for either side to settle in . In fact, previously, the Mireana Kingdom, Bestir Empire and other small countries nearby had tried to settle here . But each time, a dispute would break out over who¡¯s territory the Selemus Plains belonged to, resulting in skirmishes that occasionally developed into war . For this reason, basically all countries had given up on settling in the Selemus Plains and the fertile region became a buffer zone . In addition, because the land had absorbed the blood, flesh and fear of death from thousands and tens of thousands of lives in battle, it became a natural habitat for undead . At night, it was a wandering ground for undead such as Skeletons, Zombies, Wraiths and Living Armours . Of course, the Mireana Kingdom and Bestir Empire, who wanted to make the Selemus Plains their own, also sent Holy magic mages to purify the Selemus Plains . However, the number of grudges that had accumulated in this land where not at a level where they could be handled easily any more . In the end, the Selemus Plains were only cleansed near the border to prevent undead from entering their countries . And now, countless tents where set up on the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s side of the Selemus Plains . All for the upcoming war, instilling grudges back into the Selemus Plains . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, there¡¯s a lot of people here . Did they all come to fight in this war?¡¹ Rei said that as he and Set overlooked the camp of the Mireana Kingdom from a small hill near the Selemus Plains . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry as if to say the same thing . In his eyes, tents and tents stretched out as far as he could see . Knights were training to ready themselves as soon as possible . People were preparing dinner already, even though the sun was still high up and it hadn¡¯t reached early evening yet . There were also scenes of soldiers maintaining their weapons . Rei¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t only roughly guess how many people there were, but it looked to be close to 100,000 people . ¡¸Even then, this is not as much as our forces could have been . ¡¹ While stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei remembered what he had heard from the knights that had been guarding him . Daska, who was a central figure among the Neutrals faction had instructed those in his faction to bring as big a force as they could, and in fact, the Neutral nobles had done that . However, despite the fact that Duke Kerebel, a central figure in the Nobles faction, had also ordered those in the Nobles faction to bring their maximum strength, because of the high cost of doing so, some had only sent half or even a third of their military strength . And, despite being the largest faction, the force that the Royalists dispatched was only 1 . 5 times greater than the Nobles faction . Furthermore, even though those nobles belonged to the Royalist faction, most of them were ones that had taken opposing viewpoints or were considered problematic by their superiors . Rei had been stunned at the time, but eventually understood why . He was told that it was inevitable many of the nobles didn¡¯t hold the same sense of crisis as Daska, who had been directly affected . What was surprising, however, was that the Royalist nobles that had been dispatch had prepared as large a force as they could . This wouldn¡¯t have happened if the King had decided to fight this war as usual, but Rei guess that the nobles that were sent here were probably those who¡¯s views conflicted with the mainstream Royalists . (The bigger the faction, greater the number of sub-factions within it . It seems that the people who have been sent here are those who have lost out in internal faction disputes . ¡­¡­?) While stroking Set and looking at the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army, he noticed some people coming up the hill . A group of 5 people were heading straight for Rei and Set . (Are they knights?) All 5 of them were wearing chest plates and a family crest was engraved on each of their armour pieces . That alone made it clear that they were a group of nobles . (Well, I hope they ignore me . ) If it was someone form the Neutrals faction, there wouldn¡¯t be any issues . After all, Rei was hired by and reported directly back to Daska, who was also part of the Neutrals faction . However, it was clear that if it were someone from the Nobles or Royalists, there would be trouble . However, Rei also judged that it would be a problem to just go back to the Rowlocks area with Set and ignore them if they were actually looking for him for something . Finally, Rei decided to wait for the five people to come over to him as he stroke Set . Within a few minutes, the five nobles, or knights, were sprawled on the ground at the hilltop . Then after a few more minutes, they came over to Rei, who was relaxing in front of Set . ¡¸May I have a minute?¡¹ Rei looked over, somewhat surprised, at the unexpected question of the noble who called out . The man wore a green chest plate, probably made from some special metal . He was in his early twenties and had a mild look on his face . Overall, his body had a good build . In addition, Rei felt the uniquely strange sensation of a magic item from the sheath at his waist . Most of all, Rei was surprised at his lack of fear of Set . No, he may have held some fear, but just didn¡¯t voice it . The other four clearly showed their fear in their eyes . Rei was quite interested in the man and gave a small nod as he stood up from Set . ¡¸Guru?¡¹ When Set gave a small cry towards Rei, despite being a short distance from them, the four knights who had called out to Rei took a step back at the small sound . No, that was the expected reaction . Rather it was the man that didn¡¯t react to Set¡¯s voice from nearby that was more abnormal . ¡¸No problem . What do you want from me?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you! How dare you speak to Siminar-sama like that¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine . ¡¹ The the knights around the man called Siminar heard Rei¡¯s words, they immediately started to shout at Rei, but surprisingly, it was Siminar that stopped them . ¡¸But, Siminar-sama, that adventurer was talking to you so insolently¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m saying it¡¯s fine, so it¡¯s fine, understand?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If Siminar-sama says so¡­¡­hey, you . No matter how good an adventurer you are, it¡¯s never a good idea to speak insolently to nobles . Siminar-sama has generously forgiven you, but you can¡¯t complain if you get killed on the spot . ¡¹ The man who was stopped by Siminar had a discontented expression as he called out to Rei . (Heh¡­¡­they¡¯re not too bad . ) At first, Rei thought that he was a typical noble, but after hearing the knight¡¯s warning, Rei was a bit more impressed . Rei nodded in response before giving a bow . ¡¸I¡¯m used to the nobility style of talking . It would be different if you were my employer, but you¡¯re not right now, right?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Siminar held a blank expression for a moment . ¡¸Ku-hahahahaha . Yes, that is true . We¡¯re just strangers to each other right now . That¡¯s right . Let me introduce myself again . I¡¯m Siminar Gupsos . The next head of the Count Gupsus family . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . I¡¯m a C rank adventurer from Gilm . This is Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ While stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei introduced himself . After receiving Rei¡¯s self introduction, Siminar nodded with a smile . Although he was someone with a gentle face, Siminar still had a dignified expression . But, when he smiled, he looked a lot more childish . That was Rei¡¯s impression of him . If you considered that Rei had a generally prejudiced view against nobles, it could be considered a good impression . ¡¸Ah, I know . I came here looking for you in the first place . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I just wanted to talk with you for a while . Do you mind?¡¹ Rei had a slightly puzzled expression as he looked at Siminar, who despite being a noble from a high ranking noble family, treated him in a friendly manner without worry about the difference in status . If a noble tried to start a fight with him, he could do whatever he wanted, but Rei¡¯s lack of experience showed when he was treated amicably . Seeing, Rei¡¯s confused expression, Siminar nodded as if understanding something and called out to the four people with him . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but please move a little further away . It seems Rei is of the shy kind . ¡¹ ¡¸Siminar-sama!?¡¹ ¡¸Please reconsider, it¡¯s an adventurer you¡¯re not familiar with¡­¡­and we can¡¯t just leave you somewhere with a high ranking monster like a Griffon . ¡¹ The two knights spoke quickly to change Siminar¡¯s thoughts as the other two knights hurriedly nodded, but Siminar was stubborn . ¡¸If the Griffon there really wanted to do anything to me, it wouldn¡¯t change much even I had four guards . ¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ ¡¸Too much talk . I said stand down . ¡¹ His stronger tone gave people a feeling that he was familiar with ordering people around . Even from Rei¡¯s point of view, Siminar held a suitable amount of dignity to be the successor of a noble family . ¡º¡­¡­¡» Eventually, the four knights followed his orders, albeit reluctantly . The left Rei and Siminar alone on the pretext of scouting around the hill . ¡¸To be honest, I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­For me? Why?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re famous among the adventurers, aren¡¯t you? Before this war began, you would have only been famous around Gilm, but there are a lot of adventurers D rank and high gathered here . In the midst of all this, you¡¯ve come from Gilm, a city which is said to have the best elites among adventurers . You¡¯ve brought a Griffon, an item box and can also stand your ground in combat¡­¡­you understand? It¡¯s natural that rumors would spread . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you talk about my combat skill, the war has yet to actually start¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei said that, he remembered something Runo had told him previously . The fact that stories of him beating up people who tried to mess with him had spread rapidly . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I understand the general situation . So, why are you so interested in me?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll ask straightforwardly then . It seems you¡¯re not so good at talking in a roundabout way . ¡­¡­Rei, why don¡¯t you come under me?¡¹ ¡¸Under you?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . ¡­¡­That¡¯s right, I forgot to tell you . My family, the Count Gupsos family, is part of the Royalists . No, to be exact, I should say that we are an alienated member of the Royalists . ¡¹ ¡¸You are alienated?¡¹ ¡¸My father had a fallling out with the King¡¯s close aide . Currently, the Count Gupsos family is the black sheep among the Royalist faction . ¡¹ It was his own family, but he held no sadness at all¡­¡­seeing what seemed to be a happy smile, Rei was somewhat puzzled inside . Rei knew how important family standing was to nobles in Elgin . But yet, the man in front of him seemed to be openly downplaying his house . ¡¸So, how about it? If you come to me, I think can provide you suitable treatment . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but for the short term, I don¡¯t plan to leave Gilm . I¡¯ll have to turn down your offer . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh . If you don¡¯t mind, may I know why?¡¹ ¡¸Because being in Gilm is convenient for me in various ways . ¡¹ It wasn¡¯t possible for Rei to say he was collecting uncollected magic stones for the Magic Beast Art, so he tried to dodge the question . ¡¸I don¡¯t know how convenient it is, but still, wouldn¡¯t it be better to be in the Count Gupsos territory near the Mireana capital than to be on the frontier?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see . I guess I should say that it¡¯s better because it is the frontier . ¡¹ ¡¸Kuku, you¡¯re a really interesting person . I never thought you would decline an invitation from a noble so bluntly . ¡­¡­But well, there¡¯s no helping it if you refuse . I don¡¯t want to force our relationship to worsen . And¡­¡­it seems that there are more invitations to come aside from me . ¡¹ Siminar glimpsed something for a moment as he saw a single person climb up the hill before smiling . ¡¸Oh, I see . Is it because you have an invitation from the Princess General? In that case, I guess it is natural that you would refuse the invitation of a sordid man like me . ¡¹ When Rei heard the words ¡®Princess General¡¯, he almost reflexively turned to look at the person coming towards him . At the end of his line of sight was the figure of a female knight carrying a battle axe . On her shoulder, he could see a small figure . At that point, Rei could guess who was climbing up the hill and had a small smile on his mouth without even realising it . ¡¸Well, I guess I¡¯ll just leave my greetings today . If you¡¯re looking for work or want help, just tell me . I¡¯m always welcome to lend a favour to a strong person . ¡¹ At that point, Siminar called his four guards back before going down the hill . On the way, he seemed to talk briefly to the female knight with the battle axe, but soon returned to his own position without any altercations . Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Legend Chapter 268 ¡¸Rei-dono, it¡¯s been a while.¡¹ The female knight climbing the hill called out to Rei, who was standing near a sprawled Set. Rei had already guessed who was climbing the hill. After all, it was rare for a female knight to use a battle axe. In addition, the battle axe was one that used to be his, so there was no way Rei would mistake it. What made it even more certain was the small Dragon on the shoulder of the female knight. Yellow. That was the name of the Dragon, a familiar created using Dragon Language magic. And standing before Rei was a knight who served the person who could use Dragon Language magic. ¡¸Ahh, Ara, you seem to be doing well. Did you go down with Magic Fever at all after we split up at Baar?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve been fine. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have any issues with Magic Fever. After you left, I was shortly able to return to Anessis.¡¹ Rei and Ara exchanged greetings. Despite not having seen each other for while, they were able to converse quite easily. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu~!¡¹ Set and Yellow exchanged cries with each other. Could they actually understand each other, or were they able to just convey nuances? Rei had no idea which one it was. Regardless, Set and Yellow created a calming scene for viewers. ¡¸¡­¡­Haah~! No, that¡¯s not the main point.¡¹ Ara had a gentle smile on her lips as she looked at the two of them before shaking her head and collecting herself. Turning to Rei, who also had a gentle smile on his face, she explained the reason she had come here. ¡¸Rei-dono, Elena-sama would like to invite you to her camp.¡¹ ¡¸Elena? Ah, but¡­¡­is that fine?¡¹ His current position was of great importance, as a mercenary hired by Daska to take care of the Rowlocks army¡¯s supplies. Was he allowed to visit Elena for personal reasons? Rei asked in reply, thinking of that. However, Ara nodded with a smile and told him there were no issues. ¡¸Daska-sama has already agreed. He said that it¡¯s fine if you start the preparations for dinner in an hour or so.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure?¡¹ Rei asked again to confirm. According to Rei¡¯s thoughts, he would have to start preparing dinner in about 30 minutes. That said, even though it was called preparing dinner, it was only taking out a large amount of bread, wine and other dishes from the Misty Ring. Distributing the food was left to professionals. Normally, he would also have to distribute tents for camping at night, but fortunately they had already arrived at the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s camp and he no longer needed to do that. ¡¸Yes. He said that there wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Elena-sama also want to meet with Rei-dono.¡¹ Ara had a somewhat teasing light in her eyes. Rei had no issues meeting with Elena. No, rather, Rei wanted to meet with Elena again. They had worked together in a dungeon previously and Rei had talked about what he really was with two other people¡£ Considering the other person was a Lich, Elena was the only person alive that knew. At the same time, it was true that he was attracted not only by her beauty but also her kindness and dignified nature. Even Kenny, the guild receptionist, tried to make some moves on him, Rei didn¡¯t show any response as he still had Elena on his mind. ¡¸Kyu~!¡¹ When Rei turned towards the cute voice from his side, he saw Yellow sitting on Set¡¯s back, ready to leave. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set also gave a cry towards Rei. Smiling at the two of them, Rei gave a small nod. ¡¸Is that so. I also want to meet with Elena after such a long time. Should we get going?¡¹ ¡¸This way then. I¡¯ll guide you there.¡¹ Rei called out unthinkingly to Ara, who was standing in front to guide him. ¡¸If you tell me where she is, couldn¡¯t I go by myself?¡¹ ¡¸Um, Rei-dono. Do you understand Elena-sama¡¯s position? Did you think that if you, an unknown adventurer, asked to meet with the Princess General, the symbol of the Nobles faction, that they would let you see her? In the worst case, you would be considered a spy from the Bestir Empire.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I-Is that so.¡¹ Of course, Rei knew that Elena was the General Princess and a symbol for the Nobles faction. However, he had only known about it and had never seen it himself. Even though there had been Kuust, Rei had just thought him to be a special case who had been blinded by his dedication. That was why Ara threw up a sigh at his obliviousness. (Seriously, is Rei-dono aware at all that Elena-sama has feelings for him? ¡­¡­No, I guess not. Or rather, maybe he feels something but hasn¡¯t fully realised it yet. I hope no strange commotion comes up. ¡­¡­That¡¯s impossible, isn¡¯t it?) Although an optimistic thought popped into her mind for a moment, she immediately realised the reality of the situation and shook his head. However, Ara judged that few people could really do any harm to Rei or Set. Some people might try to use their authority to do something, but even that would be difficult. After all, Rei was sided with Margrave Rowlocks, an important figure in the Neutral faction, and had been hired by Daska to fill and important role. If someone were to take unscrupulous actions against Rei, Daska would definitely strike back and make them pay. That was what Ara thought. However, her thoughts were still too naive¡­¡­no, rather, being dazzled by Elena¡¯s beauty herself, she hadn¡¯t noticed the delusions of others who wanted to make Elena their own. Rei and Ara went down the hill along with Set and Yellow as the four of them made their way through the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s camp. ¡¸Heh, it¡¯s almost like a different city here.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as walked along with Ara and took in his surroundings. Looking around, many of them seemed to have come from nearby towns or villages. There were people selling food, weapons and armour at street stalls as well as prostitutes provoking men in sensual dresses. (It¡¯s fine to have prostitutes here¡­¡­but where do they work? It can¡¯t possibly be in a tent right? Rei was thinking of that as he looked at a prostitute in a blue dress, her back and chest exposed, when he felt a cold stare¡­¡­or rather, a frigid glare, from his side. ¡¸Hmm? Does Rei-dono like that kind of woman?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Wait. Don¡¯t make any strange assumptions. I didn¡¯t mean to have that kind of intention.¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure? When you saw those sexy women, didn¡¯t your face go loose? Ah, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll properly report this to Elena-sama.¡¹ ¡¸I said wait a moment. I didn¡¯t mean anything like that at all¡­¡­I can¡¯t say that. That is. I was just wondering where those prostitutes would work.¡¹ ¡¸You can¡¯t say that, you say.¡¹ Catching Rei¡¯s words, Ara¡¯s gaze only became colder. Bearing the glare that could freeze a Goblin in a matter of seconds, he decided that saying anything more would only make the situation worse and shut up. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu~!¡¹ Set and Yellow followed after the two silent people as they kept up short conversations with each other. On that note, Elena had the ability to let Yellow share things he had seen with her¡­¡­but fortunately or unfortunately, Rei did not know. Like that, the two people and two animals proceeded towards the part of the camp where the nobles gathered. Any soldiers, knights or nobles who saw Set either retreated on reflex or looked on in interest with their greedy eyes¡­¡­but after seeing Ara leading Rei and Set, they knew it would be suicide to try anything and simply frowned lightly. Ara was well known as a Knight Guard of the General Princess. Especially in recent times, Ara had become well known due to her peculiarity as a female knight wielding a battle axe. At the same time, Ara was well known to be a close and trusted friend of the General Princess Elena since they were children. Because of that, most people judged that messing with Ara to mean being hostile with Elena. ¡­¡­Yes. Most of them. In other words, not all of them. ¡¸Hey, you there. You with the rare monster. You look like an adventurer.¡¹ As they were heading to Elena¡¯s tent, a voice abruptly shouted at them. When Ara heard that voice, she turned around with a slight frown. Rei followed Ara and also turned to face the man who had called out to them. The person who shouted at them was a man in his mid twenties. His face was well proportioned, but Rei could clearly tell that his eyes were clouded with greed as he looked at Set. It was natural for others to follow his orders and no one was of importance aside from himself. His eyes clearly showed his nature. ¡¸What do you want, Renodis-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Shut up, you¡¯re just from a Count house¡­¡­in fact, as a third daughter, you have no right to speak to me like that. I¡¯m the next Marquis of Imarhen house. Even if you are a member of Elena-sama¡¯s Knight Guard, you have to know your place.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. But, it is wartime right now and I have understood that regarding status, your position in the military is prioritised. I am Elena-sama¡¯s Knight Guard Commander. Renodis-sama is the commander of the Imerhen Knights. In that sense, our positions are equal.¡¹ Rei, who was silently watching on, was surprised when Ara mentioned the words ¡®Knight Guard Commander¡¯. Since they had gone to the dungeon, Ara, who had only been a member of the Knight Guard, seemed to have been promoted. (No. Kuust died and Vel betrayed them. Even if there were other members of the Knight Guard, I think Ara would naturally become their commander. In the first place, she is trusted by Elena.) Although that was what Rei thought in his mind, the fact that Ara become the Knight Guard Commander was largely due to the Power Axe that Elena had given her after getting it from Rei. Originally, although Ara had been proud of her strength, as a woman, she was still physically inferior to the male knights. But, with the Power Axe and its effect of constant stamina recovery, she was able to overcome that gap. As a result, being the strongest knight among the Knight Guards, she was promoted to commander. There were some voice of concern about making Ara a commander, who was more prone to actions than thought. But with the assistance of a deputy commander and having Elena¡¯s great trust, Ara was able to safely assume the position of Knight Guard Commander. ¡¸¡­¡­You. Just because you¡¯re under Elena-sama¡¯s patronage, you think you can stand up to me?¡¹ His face distorting unpleasantly, his hand moved towards the sword sheathed at his waist. Seeing that, Rei reached within his robes for a dagger at his own waist, ready to throw immediately. Ara had a serious expression as she shook her head towards Renodis. ¡¸I¡¯m not getting carried away. I am only exercising my rights. Renodis-sama, this is a battlefield, so I don¡¯t think it is a good idea for you get carried away with your own status, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ Listening to Ara¡­¡­Rei felt her words seemed to make sense. However, when it came to Renodis, who felt it was natural for others to obey his orders, it was an absolutely unforgivable act for them to defy him¡­¡­and by extension, a high ranking Marquis house. ¡¸If you say that, then you must be prepared for the consequences. Pay for your disrespect with your life!¡¹ At the same time he said those words, he pulled out the sword at his waist and moved towards Ara. His speed was significantly faster than other adventurers around here. It was proof that Renodis was not just someone who ran his mouth, but had the ability to back it up. No, perhaps it was Renodis¡¯s misfortunes to have such skills. Because of that, he had always been able to force his way through with his attitude. But, that wasn¡¯t possible here. The moment Ara was about to step back and avoid the strike and Rei tried to throw his dagger¡­¡­ Kin-! A high pitched sound of metal colliding with each other echoed around. And, the next moment, the blade of the sword Renodis was holding was cut in half. Those in the surroundings who had been watching Renodis¡¯s actions had no idea what had happened. Only two people and two animals knew. That is to say, Rei, Ara, Set and Yellow. ¡¸Seriously, causing trouble as soon as you arrive.¡¹ The moment that beautiful, bell like voice was heard, the attentions of people in the surroundings were drawn to that voice. Illuminated by the sun, her gorgeous hair glittered like real gold as it swayed in the wind, revealing its sharp beauty. Those who saw her face understood. Why was she called the General Princess? It was because she had an aura of ambition and beauty that one would never forget. She wasn¡¯t a weak woman but held the overwhelming aura of a knight instead. In her hands was a magic item known as a sword whip. It was clear from the extended blade whip that it was what had cut Renodis¡¯s sword in two. ¡¸Elena-sama¡­¡­¡¹ Beside Rei, Ara said the name of her adored superior. Elena Kerebel. The General Princess praised for her skills and beauty. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Legend Chapter 269 She felt the eyes of people in the area gather on her . However, Elena didn¡¯t care about them as she looked at the person who had caused all this trouble . Renodis Imarhen . He was the heir to Marquis Imarhen, and while capable, had a tendency to look down on others . As she recalled the character of the person in front of her, Elena let her magic power flow through her sword whip, returning it to its normal state, before sheathing it at her waist . ¡¸I felt that trouble was probably going to happen¡­¡­Renodis, what are you doing to my subordinate and guest?¡¹ Twitch . Renodis¡¯s body reacted at those words which were spoken without any emotion . Renodis considers others as people to be used by him, but he wasn¡¯t that stupid to oppose the daughter of Duke Kerebel . Even in a fight, he considered it dangerous because Elena was someone on equal levels with him . And most of all, she was the one who would become his wife in future . However, the fact that he judged Elena to be his equal in battle was only because of his own great pride . That said, it was also true that if he could admit he wasn¡¯t her equal, he wouldn¡¯t have the personality he had . With his sword¡¯s blade sliced right in half, he shook his head with a smile . ¡¸Elena-sama, if you have such a stern expression, your beautiful face will be ruined . Right now¡­¡­¡¹ As he said that, he turned to look at Ara and Rei . He knew at this point that saying anything about Ara right now, even if she had acted against him, would make Elena unhappy because Ara was her childhood friend . To Renodis, Ara was just a fox borrowing the power of tiger¡­¡­no, more like a lizard borrowing the power of a dragon . Still, he wanted to avoid dampening Elena¡¯s mood, since he wanted to make her his wife . Because of that, his gaze turned towards Rei, who was next to Ara . (It looks like he¡¯s wearing some kind of magic item, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be a very good quality magic item . The clothes he is wearing under his robe are also extremely shabby . In other words, he¡¯s not a noble¡­¡­since he¡¯s at this battlefield, he¡¯s probably an adventurer . ) He immediately made his judgement after glancing at Rei . The fact that he could tell that Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe wasn¡¯t ordinary, but a magic item, was a real sign of Renodis¡¯s ability . However, even though he could tell it was a magic item, he was unable to understand the quality of the Dragon Robe due to its strong effect of concealment . ¡¸Because that adventurer over there wasn¡¯t understanding of his own position, I was thinking of giving him a little discipline . ¡¹ Elena frown slightly at Renodis¡¯s words . Seeing that, Ara threw all sorts of abuse at Renodis in her mind, who had just stepped on all of Elena¡¯s landmines . It was true that in appearance, Rei couldn¡¯t compare to the noble Renodis . However, Rei was someone that Elena, her superior, admired . For him to insult Rei, especially after Elena had sent Yellow to Gilm and started to show her side as a girl . (I have to handle this somehow¡­¡­) Normally, Ara would have been the first one to charge out . But, she knew what would happen if Elena and Renodis were to start a duel . They had also started to draw more people here compared to before . ¡¸This adventurer is a friend of mine . Pointing your sword at him is the same as pointing it at me, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, if you¡¯re an acquaintance of Elena-sama, I¡¯ll let this pass . ¡¹ At any rate, even if Rei was just an adventurer, Renodis must have realised the foolishness of entering a head on conflict with Elena . Renodis returned his sword, blade broken in the middle, back to to its sheath . However, he didn¡¯t forget to glare at Rei at the very end . (I didn¡¯t have anything to do with this though? Why is he glaring at me?) As Rei thought to himself, he decided that the incident had nothing to do with him now that it was all resolved . Why did he glare at him even though it was Ara that had brought things to this stage? It would have been fine if he had been the one involved in the incident¡­¡­was what Rei thought, but he knew better than to say that here . If Renodis had heard his thoughts, it would likely get even more troublesome . ¡¸Sorry Elena-sama . I caused necessary trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . His actions have been too much for me and it was convenient to take him down a notch . ¡­¡­Rather, Rei, it¡¯s been a long time . ¡¹ Elena nodded at Ara and smiled at Rei as they came over . At the same time, those who were watching from the surroundings, regardless of gender, where shocked by Elena¡¯s smiling face . It was not the smile of the General Princess . Rather, it was her own smile as Elena Kerebel . Their next thought was who the smile was directed towards . Even if the majority of them did not know Rei¡¯s name, there were no other adventurers with a Griffon . He was conspicuous enough that anyone among the 100,000 people that formed the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army would know about him . Rei¡¯s prominence was inevitable, alongside the rumours that Margrave Daska Rowlocks had spread, saying that he was a hidden trump card of the Neutrals faction . ¡¸Ah . It looks like you¡¯ve been doing well . I was a bit worried when I sent Yellow back, but it seems it arrived back safely . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I read your letter¡­¡­well, I also got a lot of other things . ¡¹ The figures of Kenny and Lenora that Elena had seen through Yellow flashed past her mind for a moment, but perhaps because it was only for a moment, there wasn¡¯t any change in her expression . But¡­¡­ (Elena-sama¡­¡­) For Ara, who had been with Elena since they were children, it was very easy to understand her unusual behaviour . Still, because of her devotion to Elena, she refrained from saying anything . ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s not talk here any further . Do you want to come to my tent? I¡¯d like to hear about what you¡¯ve been doing since then . ¡¹ Elena¡¯s tent . At those words, a buzz started to stir again . The adventurers, knights and soldiers near Elena didn¡¯t fully understand, but the nobles who knew what she meant were all surprised . After all, this was Elena they were talking about . Despite her beauty, she had never had a lover . If she had ever called a man to her tent, it was always either her subordinates or colleagues from her position as General Princess . But, those who saw her smile a few seconds ago wouldn¡¯t think that way . ¡¸Ah, sure . I would like to do that as well, but¡­¡­¡¹ Rei looked at the sky while speaking . It was still too early to call it sunset, but it was already late into the afternoon . ¡¸Hm? What is it? Was there something you had to do? I won¡¯t force you in that case . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, it¡¯s not a problem . I have have to prepare meals for dinner in about 30 minutes, is that fine with you?¡¹ Elena¡¯s eyes seemed lonely for a moment at Rei¡¯s words, but went back to normal in an instant . Right after, Rei replied to Elena and told her there was no problem . ¡¸Of course, I don¡¯t mind . I can¡¯t be too unreasonable since you were hired by Daska-dono . ¡¹ Right after he said that, Ara walked forward to guide Rei . ¡¸Over here, Rei-dono . Let¡¯s get moving . Elena-sama¡¯s tent is ahead . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay . Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s call, Set waved his tail, put Yellow on his back and proceeded to walk through the noble¡¯s camp as if it were his own . The people who saw them leave had a wide range of expressions . Some were astonished that Rei was accompanied by a Griffon, such a high ranking monster . Some envied his ability to talk with a beauty like Elena . Others were fascinated by Yellow, the little dragon on Set¡¯s back . ¡­¡­And, there were also several nobles who didn¡¯t find it acceptable for an adventurer to speak on such friendly terms with the General Princess . With such gazes on their backs, Rei and the others left, guided by Ara . (Even they¡¯re all nobles, they are all different . ) The figure of Siminar Gupsos, who he had met on the hill, passed through Rei¡¯s mind . One was from a Count¡¯s house and the other was from a Marquis . Yet, Siminar¡¯s friendly attitude was vastly different to Renodis, which caused Rei great surprise when he thought about it . However, it might also just have been because the two nobles he had just encountered were of two extremes . He contemplated that by himself . Ara continued walking silently without saying anything¡­¡­and eventually, a tent came into Rei¡¯s view . ¡¸Heh, so it¡¯s something like that as well . ¡¹ The tent used by Rei¡¯s employer, Daska, was also a high quality tent and magic item . Back then, Rei¡¯s eyes had been wide in surprise, but the tent before him now was comparable to Daska¡¯s¡­¡­no, rather, it was obviously a higher class magic item . ¡¸As long as I remain the General Princess, this kind of appearance is absolutely necessary . This is the same carriage from last time . ¡¹ A carriage and horse were to the side of the tent . Normally, warhorses and work horses would be kept in the same place, but the horse used by Elena had been bred with magic and doubled as an extra watch for people who tried to sneak into Elena¡¯s tent at night, both for those who wanted to make a move on her or assassins from the Bestir Empire . For that reason, it was connect to her tent on one side as a special case . ¡¸Come in, let¡¯s talk over a cup of tea . Ah, you can come in as well, Set . ¡¹ Elena, who knew about the relationship between Rei and Set, opened the tent entrances without care . That said, part of the reason was due to the wariness Elena¡¯s favourite warhorse, which was bred as a first class warhorse, showed towards Set . Although Set and the horse had travelled to the dungeon together previously, it seemed that it had been unable to get used to a Griffon like Set during that time . However, in this case, the reason it was unable to get used to Set¡¯s presence was because it was a warhorse trained to detect danger . In the stables of the Dusk Wheat, where Rei stayed at Gilm, the horses and other tamed animals had gotten used to Set within a few days¡­¡­or rather, their sense of danger was numbed and they stopped kicking up a fuss . Even then, they were still unable to settle down completely whenever Set was nearby . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ As for Set, he didn¡¯t have any intention to scare the warhorse, so he entered the tent with a cry . And¡­¡­ ¡¸I thought the tent was quite great when looking from the outside, but after actually coming inside, it¡¯s completely different from the tents we¡¯re using . ¡¹ Rei mumured to himself in admiration as he looked around . From the outside, the tent was only 10 tatami (~16m^2) in size, but in the inside it was over 20 tatami in size (~32 . 5m^2) . Even the furniture in the tent was unlike what would normally be found on a battlefield . Compared to the carriage outside the tent, which Rei had travelled in to go to the dungeon, this was far more luxurious . ¡¸It¡¯s a gift from my father . After all, it¡¯s not uncommon for me to head to battlefields as the General Princess . ¡­¡­That said, this is the first time I¡¯ve used this tent . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­This tent was prepared as a reward for Elena-sama¡¯s successful Inheritance Ceremony . Originally, Elena-sama¡¯s position as the General Princess was primarily a symbol for the nobles, but now she also has the power of an Ancient Dragon . Because of that, this tent was prepared so that people wouldn¡¯t look at her strangely when she practised her powers . Even though this tent is one of Duke Kerebel-sama¡¯s magic items, this item would normally have been passed down by inheritance to the next lord . ¡¹ Perhaps she thought Elena¡¯s words didn¡¯t explain enough . Ara added a few points while preparing tea . ¡¸That¡¯s right . That said, I don¡¯t think this war will end in just skirmishes like it used to . That is why he probably gave me this tent, which is usually passed to the next lord . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Duke Kerebel-sama wants Elena-sama to return safely . That was why he also dispatched Philma-sama, his right hand man and the Knight Leader of the Kerebel Knights . I¡¯ve brewed some tea, so please go to the sofas . ¡¹ Rei and Elena sat down on a sofa in the tent as prompted by Ara . Set lay down on the floor next to Rei . Remembering the time they had gone to the dungeon, Ara put a cup of tea on the table with a slight smile on her face . Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Legend Chapter 270 ¡¸¡­¡­Fuu~ . As expected, the black tea that Ara brews is delicious . ¡¹ Inside the tent, praised Ara with a smile as she brought a cup of tea to her mouth . Rei also nodded, silently agreeing with Elena, as he also brought the tea to his mouth . ¡¸Thank you very much . ¡­¡­Set and Yellow can eat these . ¡¹ Thanking Elena, Ara placed a plate of fruit for Set, who was lying down next to Rei, and Yellow, who was on Set¡¯s back . It was a action that seemed more like that of a veteran maid than of a knight who carried a huge battle axe . ¡¸Well then, again, it¡¯s been a while Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Last time was at the dungeon? I was surprised Yellow brought the letter . Especially since I was writing a letter to you at that time . ¡¹ ¡¸Pft, I¡¯m happy to hear that . ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s also because Ara wasn¡¯t able to get a letter to you in Baar . ¡¹ ¡¸But, Elena-sama¡­¡­I didn¡¯t expect to see Rei-dono again in Baar, so far from Gilm . It couldn¡¯t be helped . ¡¹ Ara protested at that comment, but seeing Elena¡¯s eyes looking at her with a mischievous light, she realised what was happening and sighed as there was no point saying anything more . ¡¸Well, don¡¯t worry about it . I didn¡¯t think of writing a letter myself after the surprise meeting with Ara . ¡¹ To be exact, Rei knew how long and how much effort it took to exchange letters in Elgin, so he had never thought of sending a letter at all, but Rei continued without saying that out loud . ¡¸Speaking of that . It seems the guild masters have a magic item that allows for long distance communication . If I had something like that, I would be able to talk with Elena whenever I want . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Certainly, I¡¯ve heard of such a magic item . It would also make it easier to deploy my army if I could talk to specific people at any time . ¡­¡­What do you think, Ara? ¡¹ Even during a conversation with someone she liked, her thoughts turned to how she could efficiently run an army . It wasn¡¯t that Elena didn¡¯t think of others, but it wasn¡¯t without reason that she was called the General Princess . However, Ara shook her head in response to the General Princess¡¯s question . ¡¸I¡¯ve definitely heard about such a magic item, but it seems to be something that can only be found in dungeons . Alchemists and researchers have been desperately studying them, but what they can currently produce requires a large amount of magic power and only has a range of 20m . In addition, it needs a large amount of valuable materials to produce . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . I had hoped something like that would make it more convenient to control an army¡­¡­¡¹ Fu~, Elena sighed . At the same time, although it was somewhat impolite, she put her elbow on the table as she looked at Rei . ¡¸Ah, Rei . If such a magic item can only be found in a dungeon, then why not head down a dungeon again?¡¹ Rei felt like he was being sucked in as Elena asked with with moist eyes, but he soon collected himself and gave a small nod . An ordinary man would have been distracted by Elena¡¯s moist eyes . Right now, she had a glossy aura around her . (Elena-sama¡­¡­if she¡¯s like this now, I wonder what will happen when she finally becomes a woman . I often hear the words ¡®Beauty of the Kingdom¡¯, but considering Elena-sama¡¯s charm and ability, she¡¯s a ¡®War Godess of the Kingdom¡¯ . When I think about that, the fact that Rei-dono isn¡¯t only focused on Elena¡¯s beauty is really great . ¡­¡­Although he¡¯s also a blockhead . ) Not knowing Ara¡¯s thoughts, Rei gently averted his eyes as he spoke . Of course, even for Rei, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t care about Elena¡¯s beauty . Her appearance, where her strength and beauty harmonised strangely, had no doubt taken away Rei¡¯s thoughts . Furthermore, Elena had even given him her first kiss . He wasn¡¯t such a child to not feel anything even after that . ¡¸That¡¯s right . After this war is over¡­¡­that might be a good idea . The only dungeon I know of is the one I went with Elena to, but if I remember, there¡¯s a place in the Mireana Kingdom called the Labyrinth City?¡¹ ¡¸Mm . The rare ore that can be taken out from that dungeon as well as materials from monsters that can only be found in that dungeon makes it a city as valuable as Gilm on the frontier . It is one of the most important locations in the Mireana Kingdom . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Monsters that can only be found in that dungeon . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Are you interested?¡¹ Elena looked towards Set who, along with Yellow, was eating the fruit given by Ara . Her meaning was clear . After all, Elena was the only person outside of Rei who knew about the Magic Beast Art . And, Rei was also happy for the invitation to descend into a dungeon . ¡¸Ah, yes, very . I¡¯m also interested in the Labyrinth City itself . ¡¹ Replying to Elena, Rei patted the back of Set, who was eating fruit . At the same time, Rei wondered aobut the magic items that could be found from the dungeon . There were many useful magic items that could be obtained from a dungeon . For example, the ones that allowed two distant people to talk directly to each other, like the ones used by guild masters they had mentioned previously . Another familar example was the Power Axe that Rei used to own that was now used by Ara . As for the ability to allow communication between distant people, the pair of orbs that Rei received from the Lich he had met in the dungeon, Grimm, would be one of them . As Rei was thinking about undiscovered magic items, he suddenly realised that Elena was staring at him . ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸I did bring up the subject of dungeons . However, isn¡¯t it a bit rude to forget about the person in front of you and sink into your own thoughts? Especially since you¡¯re in a woman¡¯s room . ¡¹ ¡¸Room? ¡­¡­Ah, that¡¯s true . It definitely is a room . ¡¹ At Elena¡¯s sudden words, Rei looked around with a wry smile . Although they were currently in a tent, the inside didn¡¯t look like a tent that would be found on the battlefield . If someone were to be brought inside without knowing where they were, they would probably think they were in a room . ¡¸Besides, I¡¯ve been the only one talking up until now . I mean, aside from the letter, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve seen each other, so you should ask me more questions . ¡­¡­Or, did you not miss me?¡¹ Elena only whispered those last words, but Rei, with his enhanced senses, was able to hear that completely . (I have been letting Elena do all the talking so far, but I don¡¯t have too much experience what to do now . For now¡­¡­) Thinking to himself, he stood up from the sofa and sat down next to Elena, who had been sitting opposite him . ¡¸Hey, what are you doing¡­¡­¡¹ At Elena¡¯s surprise at his sudden action, Rei gently reached out to her shoulder, which was covered in armour due to their location on the battlefield . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not very tactful . Until now, I¡¯ve rarely had the opportunity to be close to a woman¡­¡­so . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s actions, Elena gave a small smile, which could be described as somewhat melancholic . ¡¸It is the same for me as well . Since I¡¯ve been absorbed in martial and magic training, I¡¯ve lived a different life compared to the average noblewoman . I¡¯m not familiar with relationships between men and women either . But when I kissed you that time, I did it by my own choice . ¡¹ Elena placed her hand over Rei¡¯s hand, which was on her shoulder . As the two of them looked at each other without saying anything¡­¡­ ¡¸Ahem . ¡¹ They were brought back to reality at the sound of a purposeful cough and quickly separated . ¡¸I know that Elena-sama and Rei-dono are on good terms, but I would like you to consider your surroundings . ¡¹ ¡¸That, I¡¯m sorry . ¡¹ ¡¸It wasn¡¯t intentional . ¡¹ At Ara¡¯s jittery gaze, both Rei and Elena immediately apologised before Rei went back to his previous seat . ¡¸Now that both of you have calmed down, let¡¯s get into the main subject . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The main subject?¡¹ Rei had thought that they had just wanted to talk with him since it had been such a long time, so he turned to look at Elena after what Ara said . Hearing Ara¡¯s words, Elena decided that this wasn¡¯t the time to talk about love . With a small nod, she changed from the woman, Elena Kerebel, to the General Princess, Elena Kerebel, as she turned to look at Rei . ¡¸Actually, even before this war began, my father had sent many spies to gather information on the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words without any surprise . Elena¡¯s father was Duke Kerebel, a central figure among the nobility . Obviously, he had heard from Elena that this war was different from the past ones or had understood that from the spies trying to gather information after making their way into Gilm . Conversely, if Daska, who was a central figure among the Neutral faction, was collecting information about the Bestir Empire, it was easy to guess that the Nobles faction and Royalists would also be doing the same . ¡¸So, did you get any important information? Or, even if you did find out anything, are you allowed to tell me?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . My father has given me permission in advance for this matter . And¡­¡­it¡¯s not completely unrelated to you . ¡¹ ¡¸It isn¡¯t unrelated to me?¡¹ Rei gave Elena a strange look at those words . However, Elena just nodded in agreement as she continued . ¡¸One of the spies that entered the Bestir Empire brought back some information . ¡­¡­It seems that they saw Vel among the Bestir Empire¡¯s expeditionary force . However, at the very end, we lost contact with the person who gave that information . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ At those words, Rei understood that Elena¡­¡­or rather, the nobles, had received that information at the expense of the spy¡¯s life . ¡¸Since they were the traitors we let escape, we have to clean them up ourselves . ¡¹ ¡¸Duke Kerebel didn¡¯t say that explicitly, but I think that is likely the case . ¡¹ Ara, who was listening silently to their conversation, agreed with Elena . This was because Ara had some personal feelings regarding Vel¡¯s betrayal . Or rather, because of Vel¡¯s long association within their group, Ara held more emotions compared to Rei, who had only met him for the first time when he accepted the request for the inheritance ceremony . ¡¸I understand the information . However, although Vel was able to escape at the Altar of Inheritance, he must have been severely injured right? His left arm was cut off from the shoulder and his face was chemically burnt . In such a short period of time¡­¡­no, healing magic?¡¹ Healing magic didn¡¯t exist in Rei¡¯s original world . But, he had seen it with his own eyes several times and knew how effective it could be . Because of that, Rei spoke his thoughts thinking that Vel could have recovered from the injuries Rei inflicted with healing magic¡­¡­but, Elena shook her head to say that was incorrect . ¡¸Vel certainly survived his injuries . But, it¡¯s not healing magic¡­¡­apparently he survived with alchemy or other techniques . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸According to the report, he had something like tree roots growing from his left arm . As for his face, it was basically Vel¡¯s face, but he had four eyes . ¡¹ After hearing those words, Rei understood how Vel had survived . An existence created using a simplified inheritance ritual that Vel himself had told Rei about back in the dungeon . Rei had fought against those created with that technology . They were called . ¡¸Demon Soldiers . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s words echoed around the silent tent . Elena and Ara, who already knew about the existence of Demon Soldiers, nodded silently at Rei¡¯s words . Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Legend Chapter 271 ¡¸Rei, sorry to call you here . You weren¡¯t busy, were you?¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it . The tents had already been set up, so all I needed to prepare was dinner . That said, after doing this for so long, I¡¯ve gotten used to it . ¡¹ At night, Rei went to Daska¡¯s tent . Aside from Daska, there were about 10 knights serving as guards and 10 nobles, probably from the Neutral faction, sitting in chairs . ¡¸Daska-sama, is the the person you mentioned earlier?¡¹ ¡¸No, no matter what¡­¡­isn¡¯t he too young?¡¹ The nobles of the Neutral faction looked at Rei with slight frowns . Rather than contempt though, they seemed to be thinking if Rei was really the right person . They were looks of worry . However, Daska had no such worry as he turned to the noble who said that Rei looked too young . ¡¸What, you don¡¯t trust my eyes?¡¹ Daska¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t a blaming one, but rather, one that was interested in the reactions of the nobles that saw Rei . ¡¸No, I¡¯m not doubting your eyes . After all, it¡¯s Margrave Rowlocks, the Lord of the Frontier . ¡¹ The noble next to him nodded at his somewhat hurried response . ¡¸But, that is because it¡¯s Daska-sama, Margrave Rowlocks . The rest of us are nothing but rural nobles, not on the frontier . I have had many opportunities to meet with adventurers in my territory, but most of the ones I saw were muscular people¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . It¡¯s the same for me . Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m in a rural area, but there aren¡¯t many mages, only warriors . ¡¹ The nobles voiced their agreement one after another . But, Daska just smiled at them sarcastically . ¡¸Then is there anything wrong? Rei is also a mage . I can¡¯t feel it myself, but if get a mage who can detect magic power, it looks like they can see that he has an incredible amount of magic power . But, he¡¯s a magic warrior, not a true mage . In other words, he¡¯s someone who wields magic while fighting in the vanguard . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ One of the nobles made a dazed sound . Only one of them made such a sound, but all the nobles turned to look at Rei . But then¡­¡­ ¡¸Ah, ahh . Is that so . Was he the one with the Griffon following him? In that case I understand . He let¡¯s the Griffon fight in close combat while he focuses on magic . ¡¹ Those words came out with some struggle, but because of that, they seemed to be more persuasive . Most of the nobles present nodded, thinking that that was something they could agree on . But, Daska shook his head with a smile as he denied it again . ¡¸Indeed, Rei has a powerful tamed Griffon . But, I¡¯m talking about Rei himself . In fact, he is strong enough sweep away the knight guards who protect the General Princess . I assume you can tell how strong Rei is when I say that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Certainly . I know that Duke Kerebel loves Elena-dono, the General Princess, while making the most use out of her . And, of course, he has also attached an excellent guard to protect his dear daughter . ¡¹ One of the nobles nodded as he turned to look at Rei again . ¡¸However, that¡¯s just the ability of a single person, right? That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying this, but even if you tell us his individual ability, to ask if we can entrust Daska-sama¡¯s plan to him¡­¡­¡¹ (What¡¯s this all about? Since they¡¯re talking about my ability, it must be related to the war . ) Rei knew that he was the cause of some debate, but he didn¡¯t know what the debate was about . Rei frowned slightly at the way they were discussing about him without telling him . Probably noticing the situation, Daska, who had been talking to the nobles with a smile, called out to Rei . ¡¸Rei, these people are my allies . ¡­¡­Rather, you can call them my friends . ¡¹ Allies . Friends . From those words, Rei understood what kind of nobles were here . Margrave Daska Rowlocks, who wielded a large amount of power on the frontier . The people that Daska could call his allies and friends were few . In other words¡­¡­ ¡¸The Neutral faction . ¡¹ ¡¸Exactly . ¡¹ Daska nodded with a satisfied smile at Rei¡¯s response . After having said that much, the nobles finally realised they hadn¡¯t introduced themselves . On behalf of the rest of the nobles, an older man in his fifties spoke up . ¡¸We¡¯ve been too impatient . I and the others here are part of the Neutral faction led by Daska-dono . We were told by Daska-dono about your strength, but your appearance is¡­¡­¡¹ Rei, who had gotten into trouble many times due to his outward appearance up until now, shook his head at the man . ¡¸I am fully aware that I don¡¯t look very strong . So don¡¯t worry about it . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm-mm . I¡¯m sorry . ¡­¡­Daska-dono, we can¡¯t keep him standing forever, why don¡¯t we sit down and talk?¡¹ Daska nodded at those words and looked at one of the guards, who brought another chair over . As could be imagined, the tent owned by Margrave Rowlocks wasn¡¯t as big as the one Elena had but was still sizable at 10 tatami (~16m^2) . While marching here, Rei had come in this tent several times due to events with the Prairie Wolves . However, he was still impressed by its size . ¡¸Please . ¡¹ Rei sat down on the chair presented by the knight and turned to look at the Neutral faction nobles, including Daska . The first to start talking was, of course, Daska, the leader of the Neutral faction . ¡¸Actually, I¡¯ve been discussing the war with the nobles and Royalists since noon today . ¡­¡­The Royalists seem to think this war is going to be the same as previous ones . ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously! Even though Daska-sama captured those people from the Bestir Empire and sent them to the Royal Capital to get information from them! Despite that, they still overlook it all . ¡¹ Perhaps he couldn¡¯t bear it any more, the man who had called out to Rei previously spoke gruffly . ¡¸Well, calm down . ¡­¡­Then, returning to the main point, the Royalists seem to think this will be a regular war, which means that the Mireana Kingdom will win by protecting this area of the Selemous Plains . Now, the question . If the Royalists think we will definitely win, what will they do next?¡¹ ¡¸What¡­¡­? Avoiding the amount of damage done to them by the Bestir Empire army?¡¹ Even though this kind of war occurred regularly, the Mireana Kingdom had to dispatch troops each time . Of course, this costed money . Rei¡¯s thoughts were a matter of course, particularly because he remembered Sabrusta¡¯s deputy lord, who had dispatched a small force because he didn¡¯t want to spend that much money . But when Daska heard that, he shook his head . At the same time, the rest of the nobles also shook their heads . The reason was a misunderstanding, but their gazes towards Rei softened somewhat . They had become accustomed to power struggles among the nobles, so it was natural for them to read into things . Rei¡¯s thoughts were immature and naive, but it was pleasant for them . Many were still skeptical about Rei¡¯s strength, but if it was even half of what Daska told them, it would be quite terrifying . There was no doubt that such a person would be considered a high risk factor if he had a sharp brain in addition to his fighting capabilities, but after hearing Rei¡¯s thoughts, it looked like that wasn¡¯t the case . On the contrary, everyone other than Daska showed signs of relief . Rei wouldn¡¯t have been amused if he found out that the nobles had let their guards down due to his own lack of understanding . However, whether fortunate or not, Rei didn¡¯t notice and the conversation continued . ¡¸Ahem . So, let me continue¡­¡­¡¹ As Daska had met with Rei several times up until now, alongside reports from Ranga and the Adventurers guild, he had a good understanding of Rei¡¯s character . Because of that, he was not worried about Rei¡¯s political ambitions at all . ¡¸Sorry, Daska-sama . Pardon the interruption . ¡¹ The noble said that while looking apologetic . Shaking his head to say he didn¡¯t need to worry about it, Daska continued speaking to Rei . ¡¸So, the Royalists, which expects to win this war . What they are aiming for, of course, is to increase their faction¡¯s influence . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In other words, the Royalists want to conduct a full scale attack on the Bestir Empire army?¡¹ ¡¸No . ¡¹ Daska shook his head decisively at Rei¡¯s words . In response, Rei asked with a confused expression . ¡¸Why? If they want to increase their influence, then of course, you have to win the war right?¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, if they can make some great achievements in this war, the influence of the Royalists will increase . But, it also comes with a high risk . For example, let¡¯s say they launch a full offensive against the Bestir Empire . If they rout the enemy, the influence will definitely increase, but if the attack fails, their influence and strength will decrease . But, what if the Neutral or Nobles factions led the attack?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t know . Wouldn¡¯t it be the same as the Royalists?¡¹ In response to Rei, Daska shook his head again . ¡¸It may be the same in terms of influence risk and reward . However, the initial influence that each faction had is different . The Royalists faction is centred around the King and is a large force itself . Even if the Neutral or Nobles faction achieved great merit in this war, there wouldn¡¯t be a large effect . ¡¹ After being told that, Rei understood what the Royalists were thinking . ¡¸Then, they want Daska-sama¡¯s Neutral faction and the Nobles faction to fight for them?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . If we win the war, the influence we will gain will be limited . As the Royalists are the largest faction, they would never allow us to have more influence than themselves . Even if we win, our forces will still decrease . It is not possible to win without anyone dying . ¡¹ ¡¸That is true I guess . No matter how big a victory, there can hardly be no losses . ¡¹ (If there is a possibility, could you destroy the other side with a unilateral attack from long range before they can get close? No, there is a way to attack from long range, but, I can¡¯t say there will be no losses even with that . ) Rei nodded at Daska¡¯s words as he thought to himself . ¡¸And, the worst case for us, and the best case for the Royalists, is that they will attack when the Neutral faction, Nobles faction and the Bestir Empire¡¯s army are exhausted and can no longer hold a front line . The Royalist forces will come in then and decided the battle . ¡¹ At Daska¡¯s words, the nobles in the room frowned at him . Rei finally understood what the Royalists were trying to do, based on what Daska said . ¡¸Your face seems to show you understand . Yes, what I have just said is how the Royalists intend to fight this war . ¡­¡­Now then, the backstory was long, but the reason I called you here comes up now . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You want me to be in the vanguard?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ Without hesitation, Daska nodded at Rei¡¯s words . Of course, Daska¡¯s original thoughts were to put Rei on the front line . ¡­¡­In other words, he didn¡¯t dislike the idea of his army being used as a shield . However, the current situation of the Neutral faction didn¡¯t allow it . Of course, the adventurers, knights and soldiers from Gilm, led by Daska, were well trained from being on the frontier and they numbered among the best in the Mireana Kingdom in terms of discipline . However, what was more important in a war was five people with the strength of two each rather than a single person with the strength of ten . Of course, there were various exceptions . ¡¸I understand the situation, but if it¡¯s leading the vanguard, wouldn¡¯t Elk or someone else be better?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . Of course, Elk was the first person I spoke to . And he accepted without hesitation . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ At those words, Rei was certain that Elk was really doing his part to defeat the enemy in this war as a means of apologising to Rei . ¡¸The previous events between you and Axe of the Thunder God came into play here . It was a big reason why Elk accepted this request . ¡¹ Daska was probably thinking of the same thing as Rei . Daska nodded as he replied . And Rei, who had been thinking to himself for a few seconds, recalled a magic that would be convenient to use in this situation . It was wide area of effect annihilation magic that he could use in cooperation with Set . ¡¸¡­¡­Daska-sama, if you were to clash head on with the Bestir Empire, it would be nice if we didn¡¯t take that much damage, right?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Well, to be honest, yes . ¡¹ ¡¸What if there was a way to do that?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no problem if it¡¯s a method normally used in war . However, if you¡¯re thinking of things like taking hostages, the Royalists might say something about the pride of nobility after the war, so it would be a great help if you didn¡¯t do anything like that . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then, what about something like this?¡¹ With that, Rei explained one of the magics he could use as a trump card as he suggested it to Daska . Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Legend Chapter 272 ¡¸The vanguard for the Neutrals? Well, with Rei¡¯s skils, that¡¯s not too surprising . ¡¹ Runo muttered as he maintained his sword . Rei heard that as he was lying against Set, who was sprawled on the ground . ¡¸Where were you assigned?¡¹ ¡¸Me? I¡¯m near the middle . Unlike Elk and you, who specialise in combat, I¡¯m more of the dexterous kind, so I¡¯m not suited for the vanguard . ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve been in charge of guarding me though . Since I¡¯m considered an important person, you can¡¯t be lacking in fighting strength right?¡¹ He had been in charge . After arriving at the battlefield, Runo was relieved of his job as Rei¡¯s escort and was now back to being an ordinary adventurer . Even so, the reason why he was still sticking around Rei was because they were reasonably well acquainted with each other from past association . ¡¸Haha, even if I¡¯m one of your guards, do I even need to protect you? Now that I think about it, I was probably appointed to be your guard to keep you company . After all, my escort target is stronger than the escort, there¡¯s even Set as well, right? I don¡¯t even know why I was told to guard you . ¡¹ Although he said that in a self-depreciating manner, Runo¡¯s eyes seemed to show that he was quite happy to have such an easy job . ¡¸Someone to keep me company¡­¡­hey . Maybe that¡¯s the truth . ¡¹ Rei looked up into the sky where the spring sunlight was pouring down and sighed at the cloudless sky . ¡¸What¡¯s up with that sight? You¡¯re not the kind to be scared of war are you?¡¹ ¡¸No, not at all . I¡¯m not worried about the war itself . But, how do I say this¡­¡­¡¹ Rei tried to express his feelings, but couldn¡¯t find the right words . Regardless, he started to speak . ¡¸We set up camp here last week, didn¡¯t we?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, we arrived here in the afternoon last week . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­How long do we have to wait here? Hasn¡¯t the war started yet?¡¹ ¡¸What, you aren¡¯t scared of the war? You aren¡¯t satisfied it hasn¡¯t started yet? ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not the case . But I don¡¯t like this atmosphere before the start of a war . Up until now, I could always decide when to fight . But this time, it¡¯s a war between countries, so I don¡¯t know when it will actually start . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . Although it¡¯s a periodic war, it¡¯s a war between countries . I think the war can only start after we¡¯ve gone through the formalities . If we ignore the formalities and start the war, even if we win, the surrounding countries won¡¯t leave us alone . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Runo¡¯s words, but inside, he thought differently as he leaned his neck into Set while feeling his warmth . (They were the ones who caused so much trouble in the Mireana Kingdom even before the war started . Do the formalities matter to them at all?) As he thought that, he continued to watch Runo maintaining his sword . At some point though, it turned into a stare and Runo looked at Rei with an unhappy expression . ¡¸It bothers me if you watch me like that . Don¡¯t you have to take care of your own weapons?¡¹ ¡¸Since the Death Scythe uses my magic power, there¡¯s almost no need to maintain it . All my other weapons like my Mithril Knife, skinning knives and spears were all taken care of by the blacksmiths before we left Gilm . ¡¹ While saying that, Rei recalled the face of the blacksmith Pamidor, who he had left the maintenance of his weapons to . As far as Rei could see, Pamidor was a man with a face so vicious looking that he could be mistaken for a bandit, but he was really a family man . Although he was such a person, his blacksmithing skills were quite considerable and had come all the way from the Royal Capital to Gilm to use his skills for the sake of those on the frontier . Pamidor had initially turned down the job when Rei had visited his store to ask for weapon maintenance due to his participation in the war . His skills were not intended to be turned against people but to protect people on the frontier from monsters . But, when Rei told him that those on the frontier would be the ones to suffer the most if the Bestir Empire was allowed to invade, Pamidor reluctantly agreed to take care of his weapons . But even if he was reluctant, he did not cut corners on his work . All Rei¡¯s weapons aside from the Death Scythe ¨C the Mithril Knife, Spear of Thorns and the Dagger of Flowing Water, a useless weapon due to Rei¡¯s fire attribute specialisation ¨C were returned to Rei in good condition . As expected, Rei didn¡¯t ask him to maintain his throwing spears as they were disposable weapons, but it still cost him several silver coins, a large expense, to maintain his magic items . ¡¸Tch, isn¡¯t it nice being rich . If that¡¯s the way things are¡­¡­¡¹ As Runo was speaking, several soldiers ran into the Rowlocks camp while shouting . ¡¸The Bestir Empire¡¯s army has arrived at the Selemous Plains! It seems they have already started to set up camp . Maybe the war will start tomorrow! Don¡¯t neglect your preparations! I repeat, the Bestir Empire has arrived at the Selemous Plains . ¡¹ Hearing those words being shouted, Rei muttered to himself . ¡¸Since they¡¯re in the middle of setting up camp, I think we would be able to use that to our advantage if we attacked them right now?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s thoughts voiced, Runo smiled as he shook his head . ¡¸Didn¡¯t I tell you? The formalities are important . If we tried to win using such means, the Bestir Empire would probably be happy for the rest of the surrounding countries to join in and condemn us . ¡¹ ¡¸But, aren¡¯t we a big kingdom? I don¡¯t think it would make that much of a difference even if all the small countries condemned us . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if it¡¯s only military strength, then yes . But, consider the Magic City Ossus, which is the home of alchemy . If it were to side with the Bestir Empire and reduce the export of magic items to the Mireana Kingdom, that would be an unfortunate situation . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ ¡¸Besides, weren¡¯t you assigned the position at the vanguard of the Neutrals? If you did that, even if we did win, you would be reprimanded by the Royalists . You would be accused of damaging the Kingdom¡¯s prestige or something . At worst, you would get the death penalty . ¡¹ Pausing his hand from sharpening his sword, Runo tapped his neck with his hand several times . Not liking that, Rei frowned . Of course, Rei didn¡¯t intend to lose even if he fought against an army . In a war, five people with the strength of two each may be more effective than a single person with the strength of ten . However, Rei preferred to be someone with the strength of ten . Because that way, he could move as he liked to target others . (In the worst case, I can always hide back in the lab inside the Forest of Monsters . ) Rei thought to himself . In the Forest of Monsters, there were some creatures, such as Dragons, which the current Rei and Set couldn¡¯t fight . Still, he could return to the lab without anyone finding them . And once inside the Forest of Monsters, it would be impossible for even A rank adventurers to get to them . ¡¸Anyway, I understand the situation . So I can¡¯t do anything until the war officially starts . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . However, once the war starts, there¡¯s no problem in attacking the enemy¡¯s camp . Well, if you can penetrate that deeply into the enemy¡¯s ca¡­m¡­p¡­¡­¡¹ Runo¡¯s words trailed off without finishing . He turned, not to look at Rei, but at Set, who Rei was leaning against . ¡¸I see, that¡¯s right . You can make a surprise attack on their camp . ¡¹ Guessing Rei¡¯s goal, Runo spoke with a grin . ¡¸That won¡¯t happen . ¡­¡­A preemptive attack would be difficult if not impossible . ¡¹ ¡¸Why?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because I¡¯m planning on using a wide area annihilation magic from the vanguard . If I use that, I¡¯ll definitely be noticed by the guys from the Bestir Empire . In that case, Set will also draw attention . No, rather, because he¡¯s a Griffon, he¡¯ll probably draw more attention than me . ¡¹ ¡¸Wide area annihilation magic? It sounds amazing just hearing that, but there won¡¯t be any damage to our side, will there?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think there will be any damage since the plan is to use it in the centre of the enemy army . But, if a powerful force like Elk charges in too far, they might get caught up in it . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, is that okay?¡¹ Turning towards Runo, who was looking at him suspiciously, Rei gave a small shrug and spoke as if were nothing . ¡¸If it¡¯s Elk, I don¡¯t think my attack would do too much if it hit him . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The reason why Runo went silent at Rei¡¯s words was because he himself thought that Elk would actually be okay for a moment . ¡¸I mean, it can¡¯t be . There¡¯s no way¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know . I¡¯m joking . I¡¯m not going to drag Elk into this . I¡¯ll give him a proper heads up before the battle begins . ¡¹ ¡¸Are you really sure? Something tells me you would drag Elk into it just for the fun of it . ¡¹ As they were talking, they soon noticed a familiar knight coming their way . It was one of the knights that had escorted Rei on the way here . Seeing that, Rei stopped leaning against Set and got up to meet the knight . Because the knight was heading straight for him, Rei guessed that he had some business with him . And, Rei¡¯s judgement was correct as the knight called out to Rei . ¡¸Rei, Daska-sama has called for you . I need you to come with me right away . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? The soldiers were just saying that the war was going to start tomorrow . Is that why?¡¹ Rei guessed that it was a meeting of the leaders including Elk . However, the knight shook his head at Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸No, not really . ¡­¡­That is, I¡¯m sorry . We need you to head over to the headquarters tent as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Headquarters tent?¡¹ The headquarters . In other words, the Royalist camp . As long as it was called the Mireana Kingdom army, it was natural that the Royalists, the King¡¯s faction and the one with the greatest strength, would have the headquarters in their camp . But for Rei, those words from the knight made no sense . Since he was hired by Daska, why would he be called to the Royalist camp? The knight might have seen Rei¡¯s confusion . The knight spoke with a somewhat apologetic expression . ¡¸Roughly speaking, there¡¯s no doubt that the war will begin soon . But, the Royalist general in charge has been accused by a noble saying that it is impossible to leave the vanguard to just Elk and some unknown, no name adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Runo seemed to look at Rei with eyes that seeme to say, my condolences . Seeing those looks from Runo, Rei spoke out . ¡¸Are you serious?¡¹ ¡¸At the very least, they are serious . They¡¯re not crazy¡­¡­at least I wish I could say that . ¡¹ As the knight replied, he could understand Rei¡¯s mood . The knight gave a bitter smile . ¡¸No, you have the right to say they¡¯re crazy . In the first place, didn¡¯t the Royalists leave the Neutrals and Nobles to take the lead? In that case, it shouldn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m in the vanguard . I¡¯m also sure it¡¯s not just me and Elk in the front lines, but other soldiers, knights and adventurers as well . Is it even possible for all of them to be famous people?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . It may be strange to say this, but there are many soldiers without a name . Not even all the knights, who boast higher fighting strength than ordinary soldiers, are well known . I don¡¯t need to say anything regarding adventurers . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, why am I being targeted?¡¹ ¡¸Do you know someone called Renodis Imarhen?¡¹ At the name that came from the knight¡¯s mouth, Rei had a sudden bad feeling . ¡¸Yes, he was some noble knight or something . I got dragged into something with him yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s probably the cause . He¡¯s complaining that he¡¯s not going to share the battlefield with some no name like Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you serious?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s repeated question, the knight shook his head regretfully . Understanding the situation, Rei gave a sigh of annoyance . ¡¸Even if he was a noble, we could ignore this if he was from a house of a lower standing, but¡­¡­he¡¯s from a Marquis house . ¡¹ ¡¸But, he¡¯s a noble, right? In that case¡­¡­¡¹ Wouldn¡¯t Elena, who knew him well, chide the other party for making such a fuss over such a stupid issue? Rei spoke with those thoughts in mind, but the knight silently shook his head . ¡¸I know you have relations with the General Princess . Definitely, there wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if it was only within the nobles . Unfortunately, the Royalists have gotten wind of this . Because of that, both of them have been making a fuss about it and the General Princess can¡¯t do anything about it . ¡¹ ¡¸So it¡¯s faction dynamics, is it?¡¹ Rei remembered something he had seen on the TV news or something when he had been back in Japan . At Rei¡¯s words, the knight looked surprised . ¡¸Yes, you know some difficult words . ¡¹ ¡¸Who did you think I was? ¡­¡­So, what do I do?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s not hard task . The bottom line is that Renodis guy seems to have the idea that since Rei isn¡¯t a famous adventurer, it must mean your skills aren¡¯t that good . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sure Elena knows my capability . ¡¹ The knight looked surprised at Rei for casually saying the General Princess¡¯s name, but he quickly decided that he shouldn¡¯t be surprised since it was Rei . ¡¸The General Princess¡¯s prestige is certainly great, but it seems that the Royalists aren¡¯t convinced with just the General Princess vouching for you . ¡¹ The knight muttered that with a sigh, but there was actually someone else here who knew of Rei¡¯s abilities aside from Elena . It was Philma de Giel, the Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights . But because he only knew of Rei¡¯s abilities in the midst of the turmoil that had occurred in Gilm, he was unable to say that out . ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . They want me to demonstrate my strength, right? Set, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s voice, Set stood up from the ground . However, the knight seemed to have anticipated that . ¡¸We¡¯ll be going to a place with a lot of higher ups, so I would like to show some restraint with Set . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Doesn¡¯t my strength include Set?¡¹ ¡¸I know, but the other party argued otherwise . ¡­¡­Maybe Renodis felt that he couldn¡¯t beat a Griffon . ¡¹ Sighing at those words, Rei stroked Set¡¯s head as he spoke . ¡¸Apparently that coward is scared of you . I¡¯ll go shut him up for a bit so wait for me here . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ That¡¯s a shame, Set seemed to say . Rei turned to leave after seeing Set lie back down on the ground . ¡¸It¡¯s hard being famous . Well, do your best . Just don¡¯t kill him or anything . ¡¹ As Rei headed for the main camp with the knight, Runo¡¯s somewhat amused voice could be heard from behind . Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Legend Chapter 273 As word spread that the war would begin the next day and the people participating in the war started moving busily, Rei was walking through the main camp of the Mireana Kingdom army accompanied by a knight under Daska¡¯s command . A huge tent was in front of his eyes . From Rei¡¯s point of view, it was big enough to be called a house rather than a tent . However, there wasn¡¯t a look of surprise on Rei¡¯s face . After all, it was a huge tent, but it was merely a tent . It wasn¡¯t a magic item like the tents used by Elena and Daska . In Rei¡¯s eyes, that alone placed the owner of this tent in lower standing compared to the other two in terms of their ability as a noble and their financial power, regardless of status or faction . However, one¡¯s ability as a noble was largely based on the amount of influence they could exert on those around them . In that sense, it wasn¡¯t strange to say that the people he was about to meet, the ones appointed as general and his staff, were only there because they had the ability to be there . In fact, in the first place, it was wrong to compare Elena, the daughter of a duke, the highest noble rank, and someone with the prestige of the General Princess or Daska Rowlocks, the ruler of the frontier, to common nobility . ¡¸So, here we are . ¡­¡­Daska-sama doesn¡¯t care that much about etiquette, but typical nobles like the Royalists and Renodis are particularly annoying about it . Try not to be rude to them . ¡¹ ¡¸In the first place, I¡¯m an adventurer . I can¡¯t be expected to know anything about etiquette . ¡­¡­But, I¡¯ll do my best . ¡¹ Giving a sigh a bitter smile at Rei¡¯s words, the knight called out to the soldiers on guard outside the tent . ¡¸I am Sanju, knight serving Margrave Daska . I have brought Rei, who was summoned here . I request an audience . ¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged! Please wait a moment . ¡¹ One of the guards quickly saluted with his right hand clenched into a fist at his heart before entering the tent . Seeing that, Rei judged that the quality of the guards wasn¡¯t that bad . (From what I heard, the Royalists seem to have taken for granted that they would win this war¡­¡­but seeing the level of their soldiers, that¡¯s not unreasonable . I always thought that were lazy people . No, rather, it is only the nobles who are lazy, it can¡¯t be the case for the soldiers who actually stand on the battlefield . If they were lazy on the battlefield, they would be the first to die . ) Although it was the first time he had been in a war, Rei was quick to understand due to his significant experience fighting monsters and other people . ¡¸You ready? Don¡¯t be rude, okay? If you do that, you¡¯ll embarrass Daska-sama as well . ¡¹ After nodding at the knight, Sanju, who was reminding him, the soldier from before came back out of the tent . ¡¸Come in . They are all waiting . ¡¹ (¡­¡­Everyone? Who would they be?) Seeing Sanju hand over the sheathed sword at his waist, Rei also handed over the Mithril Knife he had hidden inside his robe . Sanju entered the tent first, followed by Rei . Inside the ten, Rei saw that the nobles had split into three groups, forming something of a U shape . ¡¸Oh, is that the person you were talking about?¡¹ ¡¸What, isn¡¯t he just a kid? This is definitely strange, as Renodis-dono had said . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no . What is important as an adventurer is ability . If he really has the ability to lead the first line of defence, as far as I¡¯m concerned, that is perfectly fine . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, we will need him to demonstrate his ability to us . ¡¹ ¡¸Renodis¡¯s actions are really shameful in this situation . Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s confident in his own strength this time, but even I can tell that this kid¡­¡­no, this adventurer has unusual abilities . ¡¹ ¡¸What? I¡¯m surprised that you would praise someone like that . You think he¡¯s that good?¡¹ ¡¸After all, adventurers are different from us nobles with noble blood . We should just use them as meat shields . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . I¡¯m worried about the fate of the Imarhen Marquis house if their heir can¡¯t handle something of this level . ¡¹ ¡¸Hi-¡­¡­Hiiii¡ª!¡¹ And the moment the people inside saw Rei, there was a large number of voices from the nobles inside the house sized tent . Most of them, as Rei expected, were insulting his appearance, but there were others who seemed to have sensed Rei¡¯s abilities at a glance and were not as hostile towards him as Rei thought they would be . However, the actions of one of the nobles changed the scene in the noisy tent . The moment one of the nobles waiting in the room saw Rei, he leapt up from his chair and started screaming as he crouched on the ground and covered his head . Yes, it was as if he were a small child afraid of thunder rumbling in the night and had wrapped himself under the covers endure his fear . For most of the nobles in the tent, this action was completely unexpected . The noble was just in shock, crouching on the ground and looking away from them as if he didn¡¯t want to see, hear or say anything . Meanwhile, some of the more capable nobles, or those who already knew of Rei¡¯s strength, understood why this had happened . (¡­¡­I see . ) It was the same for Rei as well . Because he had seen the same thing happen many times before, Rei guessed that the noble who was currently crouching in fear probably had the ability to sense magic power . ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, what did he do?¡¹ A noble¡¯s murmurs echoed through the silent tent . Most of the nobles in the tent turned to look at Rei . They knew that Rei was the cause . But, as Rei hadn¡¯t actually taken any actions, they couldn¡¯t assume he had done anything . Silence ruled the tent . Eventually, one of the nobles, a man in his fifties who was sitting at the centre in a fancy suit of armour, yelled at the crouching and crying noble . ¡¸You, you¡¯re shaming the Royalists! Hey, you guys, take him away!¡¹ He commanded his knight escorts to take the noble out of the tent . After the man had been taken out, he turned to look at Rei again . Feeling that gaze, Rei had the luxury of turning to look at the nobles in the tent for the first time . There were several familiar faces in the room . The most familiar of them was Daska, Rei¡¯s direct employer . He could also see the faces of the nobles who had been in the tent when Daska asked him to lead the vanguard . On the edge of where the Royalists were sitting, he saw the face of Siminar, who turned to look at him with an amused expression . Across from them, in the Nobles side, Elena was looking at Rei with a trusting gaze with no change in her expression . he could also see Renodis, who was the cause of all this commotion . When his gaze met Rei¡¯s, just for a moment, Renodis had an expression as if he had just seen the corpse of a Goblin on the side of the road . And¡­¡­ (¡­¡­Who is that?) At the centre of the Nobles group, he saw a man in the same position as Daska . The moment he saw the man, Rei felt a sense of deja vu . It was as if they had met before . Maybe he noticed that Rei was looking at him . The man also turned to look at Rei . (Oh, did he notice? I was sure I hid my face when we met in Gilm . ) The man who thought that to himself was Philma de Giel, the Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights and someone who was participating in this war as representative of Duke Kerebel . He had fought Rei once in Gilm on the order of Liberty Kerebel, who had been told of Rei¡¯s ability . However, even though he had hid his face, Rei instinctively felt a sense of discomfort when looking at Philma . That said, as far as fighting power was concerned, Rei wasn¡¯t a match for Philma, as Duke Kerebel¡¯s Knight Commander . When they looked at each other, there was hardly any change in Philma¡¯s expression and Rei started to think that maybe this was the first time they had ever met and it was just his mind playing tricks on him . But at that moment, a noble a short distance from Philma suddenly came forward . ¡¸Hey, you! How dare an adventurer like you stare at the Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights! Know your own place!¡¹ His voice held a sense of superiority as if it were natural to trample on others . Some of the other nobles frowned at him involuntarily as he looked at Rei in contempt . Renodis Imarhen . It was the person who had brought Rei here to begin with . As for Renodis, maybe he wanted to remind Rei of the difference in status between an adventurer and a noble . It was clear why he did that as he continued to glance occasionally at Elena, who was next to Philma . However, Elena simply looked back at Renodis with a frigid gaze that couldn¡¯t be called happy in any way . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Recalling advice of the knight, Sanju, who had guided him here ¨C that any trouble caused would be a nuisance for Daska ¨C Rei simply kept quiet as he turned to look at Daska . Noticing that Rei was keeping silent to save him face, Daska turned to the Royalists and spoke to the man in his fifties at the centre . ¡¸Anyhow, Arius-dono, the main point of discussion, Rei, has arrived . But, what do we do now?¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, the original question was whether or not an adventurer was good enough to be entrusted with the front lines?¡¹ ¡¸That seems to be so . Of course, as he is an adventurer working actively in Gilm, I have a good understanding of his skills . I have no worries about letting him take the lead . After all, he has the skills to hold the record for shortest time to reach rank C after registering at the guild . In addition to that, he even has a Griffon . ¡¹ Daska¡¯s words caused a stir . A Griffon had such an impact . But of course, some people found Daska¡¯s words unamusing . ¡¸Haha, Margrave Rowlocks really likes to joke around . ¡¹ Yes . This came from Renodis of course . ¡¸Oh, you think this is a joke? Would you tell me which part of that was a joke?¡¹ ¡¸It is about his skill of course . Indeed, he may have been the fastest person to reach rank C in Gilm after registering with the guild . As there is actual evidence for that, I will accept that . But isn¡¯t that because of his Griffon and not his own skills?¡¹ Hearing Renodis¡¯s words, the nobles around him started to buzz again . There were many voices who basically said that with a Griffon, it naturally wouldn¡¯t be difficult for a kid to rank up, especially those that were close to Renodis and those in the Royalists who welcomed this conflict . In particular, the Royalists that were trying to fuel the conflict believed that if the relations between the Nobles and Neutrals deteriorated, then the war with the Bestir Empire would result in the further exhaustion of their forces . (Hey, is he stupid? Right now, the Bestir Empire is already in an advantageous position, but he¡¯s just adding fuel to the fire in our own camp?) Daska clicked his tongue in his mind, but there was already no way to calm the situation around him . Or, maybe some of the Royalist nobles were friends of of the noble that had been disgraced when Rei came in . If Daska¡¯s memory was correct, the noble that had been cowering had been a Royalist noble . In addition, he was also someone famous as a competent mage . The fact that he had lost all face was more than enough for the nobles to look on Rei harshly . Daska was wondering how to control the situation when his gaze met another person . The person was at the centre of the Nobles faction and was someone that even Daska had to be aware of . The Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights, Philma de Giel . He was a fearless person with highly masculine person features . (Hm? It seems he has the same thoughts as me . ) The moment their gazes met, Daska and Philma both nodded at the same time as they exchanged their opinions eye to eye . Philma raised his voice ¡¸Silence!¡¹ As expected of one of the most powerful warriors in the current age, his voice was charged with an equal power . Seeing that he had stopped all the nobles from talking with a single word, Philma¡¯s power was clear to everyone . ¡¸If you want to determine Rei¡¯s power, then all you need to do is to actually see him fight . ¡­¡­Renodis, all this trouble started because of you, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . ¡¹ As expected, the arrogant Renodis nodded obediently at the question from the general of the Nobles faction, Philma . ¡¸Then the answer is simple . Renodis, you fight the adventurer, Rei . See his abilities for yourself . ¡¹ ¡¸You want me to fight an adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸That is right . Do you have any objections?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, I¡¯ll follow your suggestion . ¡¹ Renodis came from a Marquis family, the same as Philma . However, in comparison, Renodis was the heir of his family, while Philma was only the second son, meaning that he wasn¡¯t going to be next family head, but a substitute heir . That was what Renodis though, but he couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure from Philma and nodded obediently . ¡¸Arius-dono, do you mind?¡¹ Seeing Renodis nod, Philma asked Arius, a Royalist noble and the general of the Mireana Kingdom army, who could be considered the commander in chief . ¡¸Mm . I would like to see the power of that kid down there . ¡¹ Arius nodded calmly, thus agreeing to the fight between Renodis and Rei . Incidentally, Siminar, who was on edge of the Royalist faction, watched the series of events unfold with an amused smile on his face . Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Legend Chapter 274 ¡¸Cloudy, is it? If only it had been a spring sunshine, that would have added to my victory . But¡­ . . ¡¹ One man looked up into the sky as he muttered at the clouds that covered the sun . With sword in hand, his armour and cloak were fancy, but still practical . That man was currently standing in front of the tent at the headquarters of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . All the nobles, except those who were delirious after seeing Rei¡¯s magic power, were spreading out to watch the fight that would take place . There was nothing wrong with that in itself . This was an opportunity to show others his skill and engrave his name into the mind of the General Princess, who was in love with someone else . At the same time, it was a chance to do the same to Philma, the general of the Nobles faction . (Although he might be the Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights, he is only a second son . How dare he give orders to me, the heir to the Marquis Imarhen family, he should know his place . While cursing Philma in his mind, he turned his eyes to someone he hated even more . It was a person wearing a robe that seemed to have some kind of magic effect . He was just a kid that was a whole head shorter than him . However, Renodis had no intention of going easy on such an opponent . It was because the gaze that the kid, the adventurer Rei, looked back at him with was so unpleasant . Renodis, with his pride as a noble, couldn¡¯t bear for a mere adventurer to look at him as if he was nothing special . The situation might have been different if Rei hadn¡¯t acted so casually with Elena and Elena with Rei . That was something absolutely unforgivable to Renodis . (If I beat this filthy adventurer, Elena-dono will realise her mistake . And eventually, we will marry and unite our houses together¡­¡­) Although he didn¡¯t realise it, the main reason Renodis was so hostile to Rei was largely due to Elena¡¯s attitude . The action that Elena had taken when Renodis and Ara had clashed the day before . It hadn¡¯t been to reprimand Ara, but to destroy Renodis¡¯s sword . In other words, to Renodis, Elena sided with Ara more than him and eventually sided with Rei, who was with Ara, which only made him more jealous . The fact that the person himself was unaware of this made it a tragedy¡­¡­or, maybe a comedy . The only thing that had stuck in his mind was the fact that Elena had defended both Ara and Rei . And, since Rei was a man, his jealousy towards him was much greater than towards Ara, who was a woman . When he heard that Rei was being assigned to the vanguard, his jealousy easily turned into hatred . ¡¸Well, I am ready! Let us see if you are really capable of leading the vanguard!¡¹ With a shout, he drew his sword, ready for the fight to begin at any time . Seeing that, Rei turned to glance at Daska for a moment . Then, after seeing Daska give a small nod, Rei opened up the Misty Ring¡¯s list in his mind and took out the Death Scythe, the weapon that could be called another part of him that was created alongside Set . ¡¸An item box!?¡¹ ¡¸No, wait a moment . Isn¡¯t that just a space expanded container and not an item box? How could a mere adventurer have an item box¡­¡­especially such an unknown kid . ¡¹ ¡¸Your information is outdated . Didn¡¯t you know that the Rowlocks army is having a much better time that the rest of us? I heard that they had someone with an item box carrying items for them¡­¡­he seems to be the one . ¡¹ ¡¸I heard that as well, but actually seeing an item box like this, the impact is completely different . ¡¹ Daska gave a bitter smile as he heard the conversations of the nobles around him . There some people who nodded in silence towards the Neutral nobles who were talking with them while others had their eyes blatantly change as they looked around themselves . It wasn¡¯t just one or two of them . More than half the nobles here were looking at Rei¡¯s item box with greed . Of course there were differences . They ranged from some that thought ¡ºAn item box, that¡¯s nice¡» to ones that thought ¡ºThat magic item . I must get that no matter what¡» . (Well, well . Considering the rarity and convenience of an item box, it¡¯s no wonder . It can¡¯t be helped . Thinking to himself, Daska spoke out in a voice that all the nobles around him could here while pretending to be only talking to his fellow Neutral nobles . ¡¸It¡¯s true that the item box is valuable, but it seems that it has severe restrictions on who can use it as a result . The wavelength of magic power is slightly different for each individual, so if someone with different magic power tried to use it, the results would be quite terrible . Besides, the item box records the magic power of the first person to use it, so it seems that it can¡¯t be used by anyone else . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What, it¡¯s that strict?¡¹ Daska continued to explain, as if he were unaware of the greedy eyes from the other nobles looking at him . ¡¸Now, I don¡¯t know the details¡­¡­but it is still a measure implemented by an alchemist that can make a magic item like an item box . At the very least, I don¡¯t want to find out what those measures are myself . ¡¹ Almost all the nobles who heard Daska, as they tried to get whatever information they could, looked disappointed . Yes, almost all . Even after hearing Daska¡¯s explanation, there where still some that hadn¡¯t given up as they directed their greedy eyes towards Rei . (I¡¯ll need to be careful of these guys . ) That was what Daska thought to himself . But, ignoring the exchange between the nobles, Rei and Renodis were ready to exchange blows at any time . ¡¸I¡¯m always ready . ¡­¡­Come . ¡¹ While holding the Death Scythe with his right hand, Rei provoked Renodis to come over with his left hand . Renodis, with his high pride, was unable to bear such an action . The next moment, he dashed forward with his sword, quickly closing the distance to Rei . (He¡¯s certainly quick to rush forward . But if he¡¯s that easy to provoke¡­¡­) Compared to his provocative expression previously, Rei looked disappointed . But the next moment, his expression turned to one of astonishment . ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ Rei thought that Renodis would slash downwards once he got into range . But the moment Renodis got close, he jumped sideways . At the same time he moved sideways, Renodis used the momentum from his feet pushing against the ground to slash at Rei¡¯s waist¡­¡­ Kin-! A high pitched metal sound echoed around . ¡¸Oh, so you can stop my attack? You seem to be quite strong for an adventurer . Or is it just the power of that stupidly huge weapon?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about . ¡¹ Blocking the sword with his Death Scythe, Rei replied as the look of astonishment on his face disappeared . ¡¸But still, to not take any damage from my magic sword . Where did an adventurer like you find such a high quality magic item?¡¹ ¡¸Are you jealous? Well, you¡¯re not going to get it anyway . ¡¹ ¡¸Screw you!¡¹ Rei parried his sword again with the shaft of the Death Scythe . A metallic sound, one even higher pitch than before, echoed into the surroundings . The metallic sound echoed outwards the same way as before, but there was one difference . That was¡­¡­ ¡¸Guh¡­¡­impossible, it¡¯s like cutting into a wall¡­¡­no, it¡¯s like cutting into a metal wall!¡¹ Taking advantage of the impact from the clash with the Death Scythe, Renodis put some distance between himself and Rei as he frowned at the numbness in his hands . Perhaps it was because he muttered those words, the only person to hear them was Rei . In addition to Rei¡¯s own strength, the Death Scythe¡¯s weight was also overwhelming . At the same time, Rei had been pouring magic power into the Death Scythe, increasing its power further . Even if it was a magic sword, it would have shattered the first time it clashed with the shaft of the Death Scythe unless it was a high quality magic sword . Considering that, Renodis¡¯s magic sword, which was still intact, must have been quite a powerful weapon . Renodis¡¯s hand relaxed its grip on the magic sword he was holding to relieve the numbness in his hand, but Rei wasn¡¯t naive enough to miss that . ¡¸Well, it seems your attack is over, it¡¯s my turn next . You¡¯ve been ridiculing people a lot . At least survive this first attack?¡¹ The moment he heard those words, the veins on Renodis¡¯s forehead began to appear . From Renodis¡¯s view, those weren¡¯t words that an adventurer was allowed to say to a noble . ¡ºFire, burn your enemies~¡» Rei quickly cast a his magic . At the same time he activated it, a fireball 30cm in diameter was created at the butt of the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft . ¡¸Ohh, that large scythe is also a magic invocation tool?¡¹ ¡¸Having an item box and a magic invocation tool like that . I suppose it¡¯s fair to say that he had a certain level of skill, but¡­¡­¡¹ Rei swung the Death Scythe around as he heard the voices of the nobles watching on . ¡ºFireball¡» The fireball flew through the air as it shot toward Renodis . Fortunately for Renodis, it wasn¡¯t that fast . Of course, the reason was because Rei had intentionally slowed it down . This was because he didn¡¯t want the fireball to miss and hurt the nobles in the surroundings and the blame extend to Daska . ¡¸You think you can insult me with magic of that level?!¡¹ Since Rei¡¯s fireball was so slow, Renodis assumed that Rei¡¯s combat style was to use magic to assist him . Making that judgement and deciding that there wouldn¡¯t be any problems, he dashed forward and shifted his body to avoid the fireball flying past¡­¡­ Snap- The sound of a finger snap was heard and the next moment, the fireball next to Renodis exploded in a big bang . Fortunately, it was a small explosion, so none of the nobles spectating nearby were hurt . Renodis himself was only injured to the point of slight burns . However, Renodis hadn¡¯t expected that explosion to happen and was unable to react as he was blown sideways . ¡¸Guah-!¡¹ Still, with his pride as a noble, his training and spur of the moment decision making, Renodis stabbed his sword into the ground to support himself rather than rolling on the ground and dirtying himself . Indeed, the reason why Renodis had been able to survive that attack was because he had a high level of combat skill, better than that of the adventurers around him . But, in the end, he was only better than the average adventurer . ¡¸Here, I¡¯ll attack your body . Block it or dodge it . ¡¹ Calling out where he would attack, the Death Scythe swung in from the side . Renodis tried to block it with his magic sword, but because the tip was buried in the ground, it took him a moment to pull it out, delaying his defence . And that moment, was enough to be fatal . ¡¸Guaaah-!¡¹ If he had held firmly onto his magic sword and blocked Rei¡¯s attack, he could have endured it to some extent . Renodis¡¯s magic sword was a high quality item and was able to contend with the Death Scythe . However, that was only if he was in a perfect posture . With his defensive posture not fully ready, his actions led directly to the end of the fight . With his magic sword still in hand, he was knocked aside . Most of the nobles in the surroundings couldn¡¯t believe the sight of an adult man in full plate being thrown around . Only three people were not startled by the sight . Daksa, Elena and Philma . Even the Neutral nobles, who had been told about Rei¡¯s abilities by Daska in advance, were unconsciously rubbing their eyes at the scene that unfolded before them . Under such astonished gazes, Rei slowly walked up to Renodis, who had fallen to the ground and was covered in dirt . His armour, which had been polished to reflect the sun¡¯s rays before the fight had begun, was now covered in dirt . His face was also fill with small cuts from contact with the ground . ¡¸Guh, damn it¡­¡­this, this is¡­¡­¡¹ Renodis tried to push the sword in his hand into the ground to support himself, but the damage that Rei had dealt to him was too great . Taking slow steps towards Renodis, who was unable to stand up after that last attack¡­¡­Rei gently placed the blade of the Death Scythe against his neck . All he had to do was pull the Death Scythe towards himself and Renodis¡¯s head would separate from his body . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Renodis glared at Rei . However, disregarding his glare, Rei looked towards Arius, the Royalist noble and commander in chief . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s enough . ¡¹ Arius gave the signal to stop the fight . Perhaps he understood that any further fighting would only waste their strength/ Although the aim of the Royalists was to exhaust the power of the Nobles and Neutrals, it would be meaningless to reduce their strength by too much before the start of the war if they ended up losing the war . As Arius¡¯s voice was heard, Renodis turned to glare at Rei hatefully . Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Legend Chapter 275 ¡¸Hey, Rei . I heard you got into a fair bit of trouble yesterday . ¡¹ As Rei and Set walked along the Selemus Plains, a voice called out to them . Turning to face the familiar voice, Rei saw Elk with his trademark huge battle axe . ¡¸I mean, there was some guy who didn¡¯t like me being in the vanguard, that was why . ¡­¡­There wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if I had a name to me like you Elk¡­¡­no, I think there would have been some trouble anyway¡­¡­¡¹ Rei sighed as he replied to Elk . In the first place, the reason why Renodis tried to mess with Rei and get him kicked off the vanguard wasn¡¯t because Rei didn¡¯t have the ability or because Rei wasn¡¯t well known among the Mireana Kingdom, even if he was on the frontier . No, maybe that did play a part, but the real reason was because he felt Rei was an eyesore for sticking close to Elena . At the very least, that was what Rei thought when he saw Renodis look at him with hateful eyes, dark with jealousy . ¡¸Having a name to yourself? Hey . ¡¹ Elk looked around at Rei¡¯s words . The people looking back at him were all those who had been assigned to the Neutral faction¡¯s vanguard . It was true that many of them were famous adventurers and knights, but naturally, the majority of them were soldiers and few of them were well known . Especially for the adventurers who had chosen to serve in the army, there weren¡¯t many who were hired from Gilm in the Neutral¡¯s army, let alone well known adventurers . Still, considering the weakest of them was still rank D, they were still a decent fighting force . The adventurers dispatched from the Labyrinth City may have strength equal to those from Gilm, but that was because Labyrinth City, as its name implied, had many dungeons all over the city and you never knew when monsters might flood out . Because of that, the number of troops dispatched from that city was small and less than that sent by Gilm . ¡¸Well, it¡¯s the nobles¡¯ job to think about difficult things like that . Don¡¯t worry too much . Rather, do you actually understand the formalities for war?¡¹ Looking around, many eyes were gathered on them, partly due to the influence of Elk, a member of the rank A party Axe of the Thunder God . However, Elk ignored that as he talked to Rei, who was walking alongside him . Rei wasn¡¯t sure if talking with Elk had anything to do with it, but eyes naturally gathered on Rei because people had heard about his item box, Set or the fact that he had fought one on one against a noble the day before . Perhaps it was because he was more well known now, there were a lot more people looking at him . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ None of this meant anything to Set, so he gave a small cry as he rubbed his head against Rei, who was walking beside him . While stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei spoke up as he recalled the information . ¡¸If I remember correctly, our troops have to face off against each other first . Then, the representatives of each army will step forward advise the other to surrender while refusing to surrender themselves . After that, the battle starts when the representatives return to their army . ¡­¡­Is that correct?¡¹ ¡¸No, you¡¯re not wrong . The representatives have to step forward from the front line and there are other minor matters as well, but only the nobles need to know about that . All we need to know is the general flow of events and who we have to fight . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I won¡¯t be in this group once I get to the battlefield, so I¡¯m not too interested in the details of the exchange . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s explanation must have reminded Elk of what Daska had told him in person . Unable to contain his curiosity, Elk turned to look at Rei . ¡¸Ah, I heard about that . But is it really possible to use wide range annihilation magic like you talked about? If what I heard from Margrave Rowlocks is true, then we¡¯ll definitely be able to take the lead and change the tide of the battle, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve already tested it before, so leave that to me . And even if that fails, I still have some long range magic I can use . ¡¹ Rei said that with a smile . The magic that had come to his mind was ¡ºDancing Wild Flame¡» . In terms of coverage, it wasn¡¯t at the same level as the fire whirlwind Rei was aiming for, but its power was by no means inferior to the fire whirlwind . No, in fact, as far as power was concerned, it might even be more powerful due to its limited coverage . ¡¸Well, if you¡¯re confident, I won¡¯t worry about it then . ¡¹ Rei turned to face another familiar voice that had suddenly interrupted Rei and Elk¡¯s conversation . As expected, it was someone he knew . ¡¸Milein?¡¹ ¡¸What, can¡¯t I be here? Hey, Set-chan . Where Set-chan is, is where I will be . ¡¹ She complained to Rei before going to hug Set the next moment, who was walking along nearby . It was because of Milein¡¯s love for Set that she had tried to not bother Set too much as they were marching here . ¡¸Sorry for bothering you . ¡¹ From behined Milein, a middle aged man with a cane called out . At the same time, a girl holding a bow, who about the same age as Rei, bowed her head apologetically . ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it . More importantly, where you also brought into the vanguard? Since you¡¯re a mage, aren¡¯t you supposed to be in the back line?¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s question, the middle aged mage¡­¡­Sulunin, who held the other members of the rank C party Scorching Wind in line, shook his head with a smile . ¡¸Even though I¡¯m a mage, my magic is more mid-range oriented . Those who were sent to the back lines all specialise in long range magic . ¡¹ ¡¸So, since both Milein and Sulunin were stationed here, I can¡¯t be the only one in the party left behind . ¡¹ Ecryll, the archer girl, added with a smile . ¡¸Well, we¡¯re usually divided by party . It¡¯s rare to see a party like us split up by vanguard and rearguard . ¡¹ Hearing Elk¡¯s words, Rei nodded in understanding . As for the soldiers, their roles were divided by what they had been training for . Those that trained with bows and those who had trained for the vanguard . But, adventurers were different . Complete parties were either assigned to either vanguard and rearguard with the division of roles within each party . Even if an adventurer party was split and divided into the vanguard and rearguard, it was unlikely that the party members would be able to cooperate properly with other people . Because of that, adventurers who had formed parties were sent to either the vanguard or rearguard as a complete party . However, the situation was different if it was an adventurer that could work well as a solo person, like Elk from Axe of the Thunder God . (Thinking about that, it¡¯s a lot easier to sort out the ones that work solo . Since I work by myself¡­¡­no, on the contrary, because I¡¯m used to working alone, there¡¯s a chance that there will be issues when working in cooperation with others . That¡¯s why most adventurers work in a party . ) Thinking that way, he soon saw a small forest in the direction he was walking . The forest wasn¡¯t densely packed, but it was dense enough that you couldn¡¯t see what was inside . That was Rei¡¯s destination . ¡¸Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set answered Rei¡¯s call with a cry . Elk and the members of Scorching Wind must have realised that Rei and Set were going to separate from the rest of them here . They nodded at Rei and wished him the best . ¡¸Set-chan, be careful . Don¡¯t get hurt . If something happens, use Rei as a shield and run away . ¡­¡­Rei, you shouldn¡¯t bother Set-chan either . ¡¹ Rei gave a wry smile towards Milein, who¡¯s attitudes towards Rei at her blunt words and just nodded simply as he was already used to it . ¡¸Leave it to me . In the first place, there¡¯s no chance of being attacked by anything here . ¡¹ ¡¸But, what about after the battle starts? Understand? If Set-chan gets hurt by Rei¡¯s actions, I¡¯ll make sure you make you pay for it . ¡¹ (She makes it sound like Set is her partner . ) Though Rei thought that to himself, he knew how much she cared for Set, so he just nodded without saying anything else . ¡¸Hey, Milein . Don¡¯t cause Rei-san that much trouble . To begin with, once the war starts, no one can guarantee absolute safety . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, hey, Sulunin . Don¡¯t pull me! I have a noble mission to protect Set-chan!¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, do you understand that the fighting is about to start? I know how Milein-san thinks of Set, but please pay attention to the safety of your own party at the very least . ¡¹ Sulunin pulled Milein¡¯s arm as Ecryll pushed her from behind, moving her away from Rei . Elk waved his hand as if to wish him luck . Rei waved back as he continued to move away from the vanguard and towards the forest . Of course, there were people who looked strangely at Rei¡¯s actions, but when they saw Set with him, they guessed that there must have been some special reason . Rei and Set arrived in the forest without anyone calling them out . ¡¸Now then, all we have to do is wait to face off against each other on the Selemus Plains and begin the war . ¡­¡­Listen, Set . Our goal is to hit the enemy with the first strike and make it as deadly as possible . For that purpose, I want to use the combination skill we worked together on previously that created a fire whirlwind . You understand what I mean?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei, as if saying ¡®leave it to me¡¯ . Rei stroked his head with a smile on his face . ¡¸Anyway, as you can see from what happened in Gilm, this war is dangerous in many ways . At the very least, this is definitely not a regular invasion as the royalists think . However, it seems there are some people that won¡¯t listen no matter how many times you tell them . Because of that, we should do our best to hurt the Bestir Empire as much as possible and decide the battle at once . Hopefully, it will take less than a day¡­¡­no, less than a few hours to end this war . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ While he explained the plan to Set, who nodded back in response, Rei thought about the fact that the battle that took them half a month to arrive at would end in just a few hours . He didn¡¯t like to kill people, but he wasn¡¯t against killing people either . Rei felt that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if both sides took some damage . As Rei watched, the Neutrals passed by the forest, followed by the nobles . Most of them passed by without noticing Rei and Set inside the forest, but one of the mounted cavalry, who was in the Nobles¡¯ army that was proceeding towards the front line, suddenly turned to look into the forest . A small Dragon rested on her shoulder as luxurious blonde in vertical rolls spilled out of the helmet she was wearing . Her proportions and beauty, which would be seen even through her armour, gave away her identity . There was also the figure of a female knight next to her, also mounted on a horse and with a large battle axe on her back . ¡¸¡­¡­Elena, don¡¯t die . ¡¹ Rei had only mouthed those words, but he clearly saw Elena nod at his direction . ¡¸No way . ¡¹ However, there was no way she could have heard him . Judging that, Rei decided that nod must have been a coincidence . And, as Elena and her group passed by, another group of nobles followed soon after as they passed by the forest . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ A voice leaked from Rei unintentionally . The reason was because of the Noble faction¡¯s troops that had just passed by . Rei¡¯s eyes had met with the person at the center . The name of the man who was astride a horse and holding a massive halberd was Philma de Giel . He was the person leading the nobles in this war and was the Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights . Their eyes had only met for a moment . Right after, he had moved his gaze away as if he hadn¡¯t seen anything and moved his horse forward firmly . As expected of someone called Duke Kerebel¡¯s right hand man, he held no sense of tension or fear . ¡¸As expected, should I say . To spot me right away . ¡­¡­No, I was assigned to take the vanguard with the Neutrals . Did Daska tell him about our plan? ¡¹ Rei stroked Set while waiting for the time to come . After the Neutrals and Nobles, the Royalists passed by the forest Rei was hidden in . Among the three factions of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army, it seemed that the Royalists had the largest and densest formation . Their movement was slow due to the large number of people, but it gave them a sense of momentum once they started moving . That was the atmosphere Rei felt from them . And, as they had a large number of people, there were also quite a few skilled ones . Some of them sent suspicious gazes towards the forest that Rei and Set were hiding in . None of them were able to firmly grasp Rei¡¯s location, but it seemed that quite a few of them could feel something in the forest . Thus, after spending several hours watching the army head towards the site of battle on the Selemus Plains, leaving the minimum number of people to defend the camp, Rei and Set waited for the order to take their next action . Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Legend Chapter 276 Selemus Plains, at the Bestir Empire¡¯s camp. In a tent near the centre of the camp, a man sat on a chair with a faint smile as he looked at the map before him. He had glossy black hair that stretched all the way down his back. He was handsome enough that some people might even mistake him for a woman. However, there was a strong will in his eyes that would destroy all that opposed him. Anyone who saw his gaze would not underestimate him. It was a gaze that gave off a sharp will and unfathomable awe. With so many years of fighting between the Bestir Empire and the Mireana Kingdom, both armies had a good grasp of the terrain in the surrounding area and detailed maps of the Selemus Plains. The map in front of the man was a secret map that had been created with certain people, it was probably the most detailed map of the Selemus plains in the world. However, the area that the man was looking at wasn¡¯t the centre of the Selemus Plains, which would be the main site of battled¡­¡­but rather, an area closer to the Mireana Kingdom. ¡¸¡­¡­How are the preparations going?¡¹ A woman in her mid twenties, who was standing next to the man, quickly spoke after hearing the man¡¯s murmurs. ¡¸Yes, the transfer circle is already prepared and can be sent over at any time. With your Excellency¡¯s command, we can transfer over and ambush the Mireana Kingdom from the rear.¡¹ ¡¸There are no problems with hiding the transfer circle?¡¹ ¡¸Gilgos is standing by at the transfer circle destination, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡¹ The man smiled faintly at his second in command¡¯s calm explanation. Normally, that smile would have looked glossy with the man¡¯s neat face. But, his smile was one that would send terrifying chills down your spine. ¡¸I see. If Gilgos is there, it is unlikely that the transfer circle will be found by the Mireana Kingdom. ¡­¡­How much longer do we have?¡¹ At her leader¡¯s question, the woman took out a watch from a pocket and checked the time. In most cases, watches were an expensive magic item. But in the Bestir Empire, the rapid development of alchemy had succeeded in reducing its cost to the level that it wasn¡¯t hard for military officers to own one. ¡¸If it is as scheduled, it will be 20 minutes before the war begins¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then, the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army will cease to exist in under an hour.¡¹ ¡¸That is only if things go according to our calculations. In particular, according to the information we have collected, Philma de Giel, known as the right hand of Duke Kerebel, Elena Kerebel, the General Princess and Daska Rowlocks, the general and leader of the Neutral faction, have all been sighted in the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army. There are also many other famous people from the Nobles and Neutral factions.¡¹ Hearing the woman¡¯s report, the man gave a faint smile. However, it wasn¡¯t a ferocious smile that one would have when facing a powerful enemy. Rather, it was more like a smile of pity. ¡¸It is true that both the Nobles and Neutrals are aware that our actions this time are serious. You can see that based on the preparations they have made for this war. But, that¡¯s only two factions, right? The Royalists, their largest faction and main fighting force, have not done the same.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. The general of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army appears to be Count Arius.¡¹ ¡¸Count Arius? Not a bad choice. ¡­¡­If this war was the same as past ones, that is.¡¹ The handsome man gave a cynical smile. ¡¸It is as Theorem-sama says. An invasion like this happens every few years. It is clear from the Royalist¡¯s choice of general that this is all they think of this war.¡¹ The woman had a smile like she had just caught a fish. However, it wasn¡¯t a warm smile, as one would expect when they hear the word ¡®smile¡¯. Rather, it was a cold smile that would chill people who saw her. That was the kind of smile to be expected from someone of the same mind, as the second in command of Lord Theorem. ¡¸It seems our work behind the scenes has gone well. The shadows are exhausted, but since they¡¯ve managed to get these good results, that is fine.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I heard that the Ministry of Magic had a lot of things to say to Theorem-sama about the death of a skilled alchemist?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that did happen. It is true that Postguerra was a good alchemist, but once he got caught by the Mireana Kingdom, there was a possibility he would betray us and become a threat. In the first place, his skill aside, Postguerra was too honest about his curiosity. If the Mireana Kingdom offered to give him ample research facilities, he would probably have turned traitor.¡¹ At Theorem¡¯s words, Cyanus frowned slightly. ¡¸It¡¯s good that alchemy is advancing, but why is it that so few of our key alchemists have decent characters?¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Well, I see what you mean, but his personality was decent¡­¡­well, our country¡¯s alchemy would definitely have not developed so far with common sense and tastes. And¡­¡­do you think that people with common sense would have been able to tolerate the existence of Demon Soldiers in the first place?¡¹ After Theorem said that, Cyanus had no more words to say. The Demon Soldiers were the secret weapon of the Bestir Empire. It was true that their strength was amazing and each one was a match for 30 soldiers, if not 100. But in exchange for that ability, those that became Demon Soldiers lost many things. There were few that could endure the process of becoming a Demon Soldier and the probability of losing their lives was high. Even if they could endure it, they would lose their way of life and even their original appearance. In some cases, some might even lose certain emotions and their ability to reason. It was hard to say that an alchemist with common sense and ethics would allow such as existence as a Demon Soldier. Because of that, there were very few alchemists with common sense in the Bestir Empire. The Bestir Empire had protected alchemists who had been exiled from the Magic City Osus for various reasons including illegal research. ¡¸Anyway, that is that. ¡­¡­Did you find him?¡¹ At the sudden change of topic, Cyanus thought for a moment before quickly understanding who her leader was talking about. ¡¸Rei, that adventurer? He¡¯s repeatedly interfered with our work around the city of Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the one. I couldn¡¯t confirm his ability, but I could confirm that he has a heaven defying amount of magic power. He¡¯s also followed by a rank A monster, a Griffon. ¡­¡­To be honest, the Griffon is more vigilant than Rei is.¡¹ In Theorem¡¯s mind he thought of the Griffon that he had seen in the final stages of the plot he had set up in Abuero. The monster was over 5km away, and even though he had been hidden in the darkness, the Griffon had still sensed him. It was the first time that Theorem had seen a Griffon, but the appearance of that rank A monster was printed firmly into his mind. However, since she hadn¡¯t seen it herself, Cyanus was puzzled after she heard the story. ¡¸It¡¯s true that as far as I¡¯ve heard from Theorem-sama, it¡¯s a monster that we can¡¯t let our guard down around. But isn¡¯t it still a tamed monster? So, as long as we can hold Rei down, the Griffon won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡¹ ¡¸No, that would be difficult. As I said, he¡¯s someone with such an enormous amount of magic power that I could feel it from 5km away. ¡­¡­Honestly, it is hard to say whether I could win in a straight up fight¡­¡­no, no matter how well things go, my chance of winning would only be about 30%¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Theorem-sama, isn¡¯t that joke too much? Someone that Theorem-sama, the Bestir Empire¡¯s invincible general with the title of Flash, cannot defeat?¡¹ Can my leader also make such a joke? Thinking like that, Cyanus gave a sharp smile. But, she soon realised that Theorem wasn¡¯t laughing at all as she started to frown. ¡¸Is that really true?¡¹ ¡¸Do I look like I¡¯m joking? No, I may joke from time to time, but I won¡¯t tell jokes when I¡¯m having a serious discussion.¡¹ ¡¸Such a person, someone that Theorem-sama cannot defeat even if you fought seriously?¡¹ Those words were spoken calmly and collectedly, but Cyanus wasn¡¯t able to believe those words. She looked at Theorem in shock. However, despite saying that he would likely lose in a fight, Theorem remained calm as usual. ¡­¡­No, he even had a faint smile on his mouth. ¡¸Theorem-sama? Are you sure that it wasn¡¯t a joke that you couldn¡¯t win?¡¹ Because of that, it wasn¡¯t surprising that his second in command would ask a question like that. Theorem shook his head before continuing. ¡¸I only said I couldn¡¯t beat him in a straight up fight. If I can¡¯t beat him, I don¡¯t have to fight him directly. All I have to do is to hold Rei and his Griffon on the battlefield. Fortunately, the Royalists, which have the largest force of Dragon Knights, has only brought a few Dragon Knights this time. The Nobles faction seems to have brought a few as well, be we have the greater number of Dragon Knights overall. In that case, I guess I should hold him down with Dragon Knights?¡¹ Cyanus was convinced by Theorem¡¯s words, but the next moment, she sighed in regret. ¡¸That¡¯s the only thing we can do. If our Dragon Knights can move more freely, the battle will progress faster, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s not good to be too greedy. It¡¯s fine as long as we can suppress such an abnormal force like this Rei. If we can avoid unnecessary damage, there is nothing better we can do.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t have any Demon Soldiers that can fly in the sky. According to the information that came from Gilm, the Demon Soldiers can fight against Rei fairly evenly.¡¹ ¡¸For some reason, even if we used magic stones of flying monsters to create a Demon Solider, there is a high probability of failure. When it did succeed, none of them were able to fly, so the higher ranking researchers soon gave up on flying Demon Soldiers. However, it seems that research is still continuing, perhaps because it is an interesting research target.¡¹ ¡¸To be honest, I don¡¯t really like those Demon Soldiers, but¡­¡­¡¹ Theorem shook his head at his subordinate¡¯s frown. ¡¸The Bestir Empire is definitely the most powerful country in the area. However, even so, a powerful country is not one that is unrivalled. Don¡¯t our repeated losses to the Mireana Kingdom on the Selemus Plains prove that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. Those are just my own sentiments.¡¹ As a citizen of the Bestir Empire, as a soldier, as a woman and most of all, as a human being, Cyanus had her own feelings about the Demon Soldiers. However, she wasn¡¯t so stupid as to ignore their overwhelming strength. That was who Cyanus was, second in command to Theorem, the Flash of the Bestir Empire. Seeing his second in command like that, Theorem spoke to comfort her. ¡¸If we can get access to the sea, the power of the Bestir Empire will grow further. If that happens, you¡¯ll be able to fight against them. ¡­¡­And, Mercurio-sama doesn¡¯t like those Demon Soldiers either.¡¹ The figure of the Third Prince passed through Theorem¡¯s mind as he said those words. Although he was only 15 years old, Theorem was convinced that the Third Prince had what it took to become the next emperor. The current emperor of the Bestir Empire was still in his 40s and the fight to succeed him hadn¡¯t officially started. But under the surface, people were already paying attention to who would be his successor. There were currently four people who had the rights to succeed the throne, and the one Theorem revered¡­¡­no, the one he was trying to protect, Mercurio, was the Third Prince. In terms of succession, he was fourth in line and the one furthest from becoming emperor. However, in his capacity as the Flash, he had seen the Third Prince and decided that he was the right person to become the next emperor, thus forming the Third Prince¡¯s faction. This war had drawn in people from the military, the Ministry of Magic and even the Demon Soldiers, their secret weapon. The Bestir Empire had long coveted the sea as a means to increase their national strength. It was also a step needed for the Third Prince to step into the light. (Yes, because of that, we cannot lose this war.) As he muttered to himself, an unpleasant premonition went through his mind. The person that had blocked their plans over and over again came to his mind, but he immediately shook his head to erase his thoughts. (Sure, he might be strong, but we should be able to hold him down with the Dragon Knights. But for now¡­¡­) ¡¸Theorem-sama, get ready. It¡¯s time to transfer over.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Then tell the Demon Soldiers to prepare for battle. We¡¯re going to deal a deadly blow to the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army.¡¹ Saying that Theorem stood up. Victory and glory had to be grasped. All for the person he saw as the next emperor. Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Legend Chapter 277 ¡¸Set, no one else is around, right?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s call, Set gave a cry . Currently, only the two of them were in this silent forest . Outside, there was no longer any sign of the Royalists except on the other side of the forest . Aside from Rei and Set, there were only small animals . Undead, such as Skeletons and Zombies had also attacked the Mireana Kingdom to some extent . But as expected, being very outnumbered, they were all cleared out by the army . ¡¸All we have to do now is to wait for the order¡­¡­no, looks like I don¡¯t actually need to wait any longer . ¡¹ Feeling the signs of someone approaching rapidly, Rei took out his Death Scythe from the Misty Ring on his right hand . Of course, he didn¡¯t expect to be attacked by enemies here as this area was on the Mireana Kingdom side of the Selemus Plains . Still, he didn¡¯t let his guard down . The battlefield was already here . Anything could happen . However, Rei¡¯s worries soon turned out to be unfounded . Perhaps he had been given Rei¡¯s location in advance, the person went straight to Rei and Set¡¯s location without any hesitation . Furthermore, the man who appeared from the thickets was a familiar face . ¡¸You are someone from the Prairie Wolves¡­¡­¡¹ Rei had pulled in the Prairie Wolves and introduced them to Daska as scouts for the Rowlocks Army . One of them had been a man who had tried to fight Rei because he hadn¡¯t been happy with Egg¡¯s decision . However, although he looked familiar, Rei had only fought him once before so he didn¡¯t remember what the man was called . The man looked at Rei and tried to say something before giving up and sighing before speaking . ¡¸Ah . It¡¯s Kirtos, I¡¯m the one you beat up lightly that time . I have a message from Egg-san . He said that in a few minutes, both sides will be asking the other to surrender before preparing for battle . ¡­¡­And, since there are quite a few Dragon Knights that have been sighted over there, he said you should be careful . ¡¹ Rei perked up at the words ¡®Dragon Knight¡¯ . He stroked Set¡¯s head with a frown . ¡¸Dragon Knights? I know they¡¯re pretty strong, but I¡¯ve never fought one before . ¡­¡­How about you?¡¹ Kirtos looked at Rei before shaking his head with an uncomfortable expression . ¡¸Give me a break . Dragon Knights are one of the most elite among the Knights you know? Although it is ridiculously expensive to maintain, their strength is incomparable to an ordinary knight . They are also an opponent that can fly in the sky . If us bandits tried to fight one head one, we wouldn¡¯t stand a chance . We¡¯d be wiped out . Maybe Egg-san would be able to escape though . ¡­¡­To be honest, I know your strength, I¡¯ve felt it myself . But about your Griffon, was he called Set? I don¡¯t know how strong he is . I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re planning, but it¡¯s definitely better to not fight a Dragon Knight¡­¡­especially more than one of them . ¡¹ Surprisingly, Kirtos¡¯ words expressed some concern for Rei . ¡¸I know what you mean, but this war will be dangerous for us in various ways if we don¡¯t try something reckless . ¡­¡­Anyway, thank you for delivering the message . I¡¯m about to head out, I¡¯ll leave you to your work . ¡¹ Rei said that as he went over to Set . Seeing Rei like that, Kirtos spoke up again . ¡¸Hey, if you fly through the sky, the Dragon Knights will see you, you know? I don¡¯t know what you plan to do, but if you meet one¡­¡­¡¹ Kirtos was still trying to make his point, but when he saw that Rei¡¯s face had no sense of tragic resolve or despair, he was puzzled . He wouldn¡¯t want to fight a Dragon Knight, but maybe Rei would have a chance . ¡¸¡­¡­What are you going to do?¡¹ ¡¸What, it¡¯s not that hard to tell right? Dragon Knights are humans after all, aren¡¯t they?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, well, that is true . ¡¹ ¡¸Then no matter how strong the Dragon Knights are, the altitude to which a Dragon Knight can fly up to is limited . The higher you go, the slower the knights will be . Besides, a Dragon Knight¡¯s Dragon is a Wyvern and not really a proper Dragon . ¡­¡­Of course, I understand what they can do . ¡¹ Kirtos had a difficult expression on his face as Rei explained to him . Even though he was a bandit, Kirtos knew that the temperature was lower in the mountains than on the plains . He could guess what Rei was talking about, but¡­¡­ ¡¸But isn¡¯t that the same for you? If a Dragon Knight can¡¯t go that high, won¡¯t you be unable to as well?¡¹ Such a question was natural and he asked it frankly . However, Rei shook his head in response . ¡¸I have a hobby of collecting all sorts of practical magic items . Because of that, I¡¯m quite well protected when it comes to cold and heat . ¡¹ To be exact, the Dragon Robe worn by Rei was the key magic item in this case, but Rei wasn¡¯t that naive to tell him that . Kirtos nodded, as if convinced by Rei¡¯s response . But, he then turned to look at Set, who was standing beside Rei . ¡¸Does the magic item work on the Griffon as well?¡¹ ¡¸No, it doesn¡¯t . But, you can¡¯t lump Set in with those other Griffons . He can do this without much difficulty . ¡¹ Rei replied while stroking Set¡¯s head . In fact, he had ridden on Set several times before and had reached an altitude where the air was quite thin . This was something that an ordinary Griffon would probably be unable to do, but Set could because he was created with Rei¡¯s enormous magic power using the Magic Beast Art . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Well, you¡¯ve made your point . I¡¯ll head back to where Egg-san is now, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, please do that . ¡­¡­Also, leave a message for Egg . The Bestir Empire is serious in this war . It is very likely that they will break into the Mireana Kingdom and cause some trouble in the rear or something like that . I¡¯ll leave it to you to take care of . ¡¹ Rei told him that, but was met with a grin on Kirtos¡¯ face . ¡¸Your boss has already told us . Quite a few members of the Prairie Wolves are scattered around to scout the area . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . ¡¹ Rei nodded in admiration, knowing that Daska had already thought of the same thing he had been thinking . ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll leave the rear to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . ¡­¡­That is, never mind . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm?¡¹ ¡¸Be careful . ¡¹ At those unexpected words, Rei paused for a moment before giving a small nod . Their first meeting had been one of the worst, but perhaps Egg had done something on his side . Kirtos¡¯ attitude towards Rei lacked the thorniness from when they had first met . (Seriously, I wonder where all his hostility went?) Perhaps he was waiting until Rei and Set had both left . For a moment, Rei turned to look at Kirtos, who was looking back from a distance, before getting onto Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Well then Set . Our turn is coming up . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Perhaps he was inspired by Rei¡¯s voice . Set rose into the sky after running a few steps and flapping his wings as he gave what sounded like a war cry . Looking at Rei and Set with at sense of hopefulness, Kirtos headed back to Egg to make his report . About the same time that Rei and Set took off, the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire were facing off on the Selemus Plains . The Neutral and Noble factions¡¯ forces were concentrated on the front with the Royalist army, the main force of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army, waiting behind them . At the same time, a situation was developing secretly in the forested area behind the Royalist¡¯s forces . ¡¸Damn it, m-monster¡­¡­gah¡­¡­¡¹ The man whispered in regret as he fell to the ground . There was a lot of blood flowing out from his torso that was lying on the ground . It was clear to anyone that the man could no longer be saved . Looking at the man without feeling was another man with a robe on his body and a cane in his hand . He looked to be about 40 years old . No matter how one looked at him, he only looked like a middle-aged mage . However, if you looked at the man¡¯s lower body, you would immediately understand why the dying man had called him a monster . That was because the man¡¯s lower half was that of a giant spider . No, considering its size, it would be more correct to say that the body of a man was growing out from a spider¡¯s body . There was a monster known as an Arachne that was famous for having the body of a spider and a human . However, Arachne¡¯s had a woman¡¯s body growing from a spider and not the body of an indifferent . middle-aged man . The man¡¯s name was Gilgos . He was a mage that had volunteered to become a Demon Soldier . Because of that, in addition to his power as a Demon Soldier, he could even use magic . Also, although those who had gone through the Demon Soldier ritual tended to have their reasoning and intelligence deteriorate, Gilgos was an extremely rare type of Demon Soldier whose mind had become sharper than when he had been human . Because of that, he was greatly trusted by Theorem and was often given the role of commanding the Demon Soldiers . ¡¸It was your own sharp senses that did you in . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, he spat out some silk from the spider section of his lower body before wrapping the dead man in a cocoon of thread . ¡¸Even a man like this could be used for some sort of experiment . At worst, I don¡¯t mind using him as food for some of the Demon Soldiers that have lost their minds . ¡¹ While muttering to himself and talking about eating humans in a completely comfortable tone, he moved the cocoon to a place where it wouldn¡¯t get in the way . ¡¸When did the Mireana Kingdom have such skilled people, was Theorem-sama¡¯s predictions unusually wrong? No, since we¡¯re looking at Arius as the commander in chief, there¡¯s no doubt the Royalists are taking this lightly . In that case, it¡¯s either the Nobles or the Neutrals?¡¹ The man frowned slightly as he looked at the blood spreading across the ground and waved his cane as he cast his magic . Then, the next moment, the traces of blood on the ground disappeared as if swallowed up by the ground . After a few seconds, all traces that a person had died here disappeared into the ground . ¡¸Even so, it¡¯s too late . It¡¯s about time . ¡¹ He glanced at the ground . What was drawn there was a magic circle . It wasn¡¯t an ordinary magic circle, but a huge magic circle was drawn over most of the ground Gilgos was standing on . However, even if someone from the Mireana Kingdom was here, they wouldn¡¯t have noticed the magic circle . This was because Gilgos had been using magic to shift the perception of the magic circle away from it . Normally, it wasn¡¯t such a powerful magic, people would feel a sense of incongruity and realise something wasn¡¯t right, but Gilgos had increased its effectiveness by placing himself near it . Even if someone came over, the first thing they would notice would be Gilgos, due to his strange form . And, of course, the discomfort caused by the ground would be erased by Gilgos¡¯ presence . It was because of Gilgos¡¯ ability to draw out and maintain such a magic circle that he was deployed here, despite the Mireana Kingdom being some distance away . ¡¸An ambush using transition stones and Demon Soldiers at the same time . It¡¯s a tactic that anyone who knows about transition stones can think of . But, it¡¯s only Theorem-sama who can do it on such a large scale . However, once used, it¡¯s the kind of tatic that will end everything . ¡¹ The Demon Soldiers and transition stones were both created in the Bestir Empire . Gilgos judged that this surprise attack using both of them would bring and end to the war when used for the first time . And¡­¡­that time had come . The magic circle before Gilgos shone faintly and blinked . As the blinks became faster¡­¡­the next moment, countless figures appeared in the forest where only Gilgos had been a few seconds ago . There were about 500 of them . Some had scales growing on their bodies, some had tails like monkeys, some had poisonous flowers growing on their heads, some had snake like bodies and some had huge fangs in their mouth . It was an absurd number of strange people . However, considering the strength of each individual Demon Solider and their position behind the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that they were enough to end this war . Of course, two people stood out from that group, Theorem and Cyanus . That was because with so many strange people around them, the two humans were very conspicuous, even compared to the Demon Soldiers . However, it wasn¡¯t just their appearance, the power that could be felt from the two of them was also different from the rest of the Demon Soldiers . ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Theorem-sama . ¡¹ Gilgos gave a dexterous bow with his upper body that grew out of his lower spider body . Receiving it with a calm attitude, Theorem spoke up . ¡¸Thank you . No one has found this place yet?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . There were a few sharp sighted people, but I¡¯ve taken care of them . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, well done . Then, what we should do next is to watch the time and head for the headquarters of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army¡­¡­what!?¡¹ As he was about to say something, Theorem instinctively turned to look in the direction of the battlefield . It was the same for Cyanus, Gilgos and the rest of the Demon Soldiers with them . And then, Theorem and the others saw it . A huge tornado that had appeared in the direction of the battlefield . An incarnation of destruction made from fire and wind . Even though they were in a forest, and even though they were far from the battlefield, they could still see it clearly . ¡¸What the hell is that¡­¡­that huge tornado¡­¡­no . It¡¯s not a tornado?¡¹ Only Gilgos¡¯ stunned voice was heard in the surroundings . In that situation, only one of the Demon Soldiers had a smile on his disfigured face . He had tentacle like tree roots growing from his left shoulder . His face was burnt up in some places and he had four eyes . With his four eyes, he gazed at the tornado of flames as he spoke in a happy and amused tone . ¡¸Ke-, kehe-, I-I¡¯ve found you¡­¡­I¡¯ve found you, Rei . This is your doing isn¡¯t it? ¡­¡­ . . Kehe-!¡¹ The Demon Soldier started convulsing with a smile . The man who had once called himself Vel Sails turned his exhilarated gaze towards the flaming tornado . Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Legend Chapter 278 Going back a bit of time. Rei and Set flew out of the forest and climbed straight up. They flew to a height that would be impossible for ordinary flying monsters to reach, and as if that was not enough, they flew even further up. The pressure and temperature dropped as the altitude rose, but Rei¡¯s body had been created by Zepairu and he was also wearing the Dragon Robe. In addition, because Set was a Griffon created by Rei¡¯s enormous magic power, Set managed to maintain consciousness in such a harsh environment. Even so, after climbing to this altitude, they didn¡¯t have the leisure to talk. Rei stroked Set¡¯s neck to convey his thoughts as they danced in the sky. (Now then, even if I were to create a flaming tornado, which I need to work together with Set to create, I still need to land at least once. If Set¡¯s skill level was higher, then we would be able to attack from further away¡­¡­no, it can¡¯t be helped.) Aside from Rei¡¯s own magic, the current range of the Death Scythe¡¯s Wind Hand Lvl 2 was about 150m. On the other hand, Set¡¯s Tornado, which was the key to creating a flaming tornado, had an effective cast range of 1m at Lvl 1. Because the tornado was the basis and core of a fire whirl, in order to achieve what Rei wanted to do, it was essential that he created the tornado on the ground. And to do that, he had to land on the ground. (However, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve climbed to this altitude. As expected, even if they are Dragon Knights, they won¡¯t expect Set to be much higher up than them. ¡­¡­That said, this will only work once.) It was a surprise attack from an altitude much higher than compared to an ordinary Dragon Knight and other monsters that flew in the sky. It was certainly effective, but once such a method became known, the height they were currently at would definitely be monitored. It was strange to see, but the attacks used by Rei and Theorem were both ones that were highly effective the first time they were used, but would also be very easy to protect against if used a second time. No, rather, a surprise attack from a high altitude was something that could only be done due to the uniqueness of Rei and Set, so in terms versatility, its use was much less practical compared with Theorem¡¯s strategy of using transition stones, which could be carried out by anyone. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set¡¯s cry could be heard as he seemed to ask if Rei had any problems flying at this altitude. Hearing that, Rei gave a small nod as he turned to look at Set. Looking past SEt, Rei saw two figures meeting between the two armies before returning to their own camps. It was clear what that meant. (In other words¡­¡­the war has started!) Rei recalled what he had heard from Runo, the knights and the Neutral faction nobles. The war would begin after representatives from each army had demanded the other to surrender, while refusing to surrender themselves, and returned to their own army. That meant¡­¡­ (That¡¯s it, now!) As Rei said that in his mind, the war officially started on the ground. Both the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s vanguard and the Bestir Empire¡¯s vanguard began to move. The forces on both sides was about 100,000 for the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army and 150,000 for the Bestir Empire¡¯s army. However, the Royalist section of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army that made up the rear remained where it was and showed no signs of advancing. That said, Arius, the commander in chief of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army, was not an incompetent person and had prepared his soldiers in formation to fill the gap as soon as the vanguard collapsed. On the other hand, the main force of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army had moved to follow the vanguard. They had expected the movements of the Mirena Kingdom¡¯s main force to be slow and this move was to take advantage of that. While watching this situation, Set started a rapid dive towards the Bestir Empire¡¯s army. On his back, Rei had already taken the Death Scythe out from the Misty Ring and was ready to swing it. Of course, there was no way that the Bestir Empire¡¯s army would fail to notice such a obvious action. However, Set was too fast for them to do anything. There were, of course, some Dragon Knights, which Rei had judged to be troublesome opponents. But since the majority of Dragon Knights had been assigned to the main team as the Bestir Empire¡¯s trump card to decide the battle, and since the war had only just begun, most of them were still on the ground and were unable to deal with Set. And as for the few Dragon Knights that had been assigned to the vanguard, they had almost no way to handle Set as he dived down from an even higher altitude. Several Wyverns managed to spit out flames from their mouths towards them, but that was all they could do. If they had been proper Dragons rather than Wyverns, they might have been able to deal with Set by spewing out a fire breath rather than spitting out fireballs. However, there were no Dragon Knights on this battlefield that could handle a real Dragon and the fireballs that were spat out by the Wyverns failed to hit Set as he fell towards the ground like a meteor tearing through the sky. Still, it was lucky that some of the fireballs that had been shot at Set had gone in the wrong direction. Some Wyverns were confused by their Dragon Knight¡¯s sudden actions and had shot fireballs into their own forces. Lost within the havoc of a battle that had just begun, Set fell towards the ground from a high altitude¡­¡­no, Set was flapping his wings to accelerate even further as he landed in the centre of the Bestir Empire¡¯s vanguard forces. ¡¸UUAAAHHHHHHH-!¡¹ The Bestir Empire soldiers that noticed Rei and Set diving towards them at tremendous speed screamed as they tried to escaped from the drop zone. The reason for that was because they instinctively realised they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance if they were hit by something falling at that speed. However, the soldiers¡¯ worries ended up being pointless. Because as the Griffon was falling like a meteor, it spread its wings wide before it hit the ground, slowing its fall abruptly before landing on the ground like a cat. In that moment, the soldiers in the surroundings were silent at the unbelievable scene they had just saw with their own eyes. It was just a few seconds, but for Rei, that was all the time he needed to make his next move. ¡¸HAAHHHH-!¡¹ Landing on the ground as he rolled off Set¡¯s back, he swung the Death Scythe at the same time, pouring his magic power into the blade as he swept it across horizontally. Slash-! With that first swing, nearly five soldiers and adventurers were split in two at the torso, dividing their upper and lower bodies as their blood and organs splattered around. Rei gave a sharp shout as he swung the blade back, a rich smell of rusted iron rapidly gathering around him. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ Among the Death Scythe¡¯s skills, Flying Slash had a wide range and was easy to use. As the skill activated, a slash flew out from the blade, cleaving the bodies of several soldiers and adventurers who had been outside the range of the Death Scythe. In a single moment, more than 10 people were killed. And the next moment, the soldiers, adventurers and knights around him brought themselves back to reality. ¡¸Set-!¡¹ Rei gave a loud shout. Set instinctively understood what Rei wanted and responded with a loud cry himself. ¡¸GURURURURURURURURURUUUUU¨C!¡¹ The moment that cry was heard, everyone in the near vicinity stopped moving. King¡¯s Awe. Although it had no direct offensive power among Set¡¯s skills, it effect on stopping the movement of enemies was much more powerful. And most of all, it was a skill that Rei could use without worry as it didn¡¯t have any signs like Fire Breath or Wind Arrow. With Set¡¯s cry, the cry of a Griffon, an A rank monster, most people wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing if they suddenly froze up. Because of that, to prevent others from finding out that Set was a special Griffon, this was the most appropriate skill to be used in this situation. Set¡¯s cry had stopped the movements of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army in the area. That was the moment Rei had been waiting for to use his trump card. Rei glanced at Set for a moment to silently convey his plan. After confirming that Set understood what he wanted to do, Rei began to cast his magic. Flames, manifest your burning heat as a vortex.¡» The incantation transformed the world, gathering flames at the bottom end of the Death Scythe. Then, swinging the Death Scythe horizontally, the compact mass of flames flew towards an area where the Bestir Empire¡¯s soldiers had gathered. ¡ºTwisting Flames!¡» The moment Rei said those words, the magic was activated and a flaming tornado appeared. The soldiers, adventurers and knights who were in the immediate vicinity were all burned up without distinction. Their arms and legs burned, anywhere their armour touched burned, their faces burned and their eyes went a cloudy white from the heat.It was a scene that could be called a scorching hell as the people around the limited area of the flame tornado were burned alive. If this had been a magic cast by an ordinary mage, the only victims would have been those caught in the flames around them. But¡­¡­ Looking towards the tornado, Set gave a loud cry. ¡¸GURURURUU-!¡¹ At the same time, Rei began to swing his Death Scythe purposefully. The next moment, a wind tornado appeared, overlapping with the flame tornado. Seeing that, Rei got onto Set¡¯s back because he no longer needed to be here. As if waiting for that, Set flew straight up into the air, knocking the surrounding soldiers away. And, the moment Set flew up into the sky, Rei activated his Wind Hand skill. Tentacles of wind grew from the shaft of the Death Scythe and extended out towards the fire and wind tornadoes. At the same time, numerous arrow and magic flew towards them from the Bestir Empire army that had regained their movements. However, Set moved his wings as he desired, flying through the sky as if he was the wind itself, dodging all attacks. Rei¡¯s magic was so powerful that his flames would erode the wind tornado. But with the Wind Hand extending out from the Death Scythe and coming in contact with both tornadoes, the magic in Rei¡¯s Wind Hand was passed onto Set¡¯s tornado. The wind tornado, that had been about to be swallowed up by the flame tornado, suddenly increased in power, reaching the same size as the flame tornado. The moment after they overlapped, the two tornadoes fused as the wind caught the flames. Yes, a flame whirl was created just as Rei had been aiming for. At the same time. ¡¸Tch, Set-!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu-!¡¹ As expected, it was impossible for Set to avoid all the attacks from the surrounding Bestir Empire army. One arrow flew rapidly towards his body. However, in response to Rei¡¯s warning, Set quickly used the effect of his magic item, the Bracelet of Wind Manipulation, which had the effect of blocking projectiles, blowing all arrows away with the wind. ¡¸Go up!¡¹ By the time Set had reached a height where attacks below could no longer hit them¡­¡­the ground had turned into hell. The flame whirl that had been created by magic had wind speeds exceeding 100m/s and a temperature of over 1000¡ãC, burning up the lives of everyone in the area. Those who had managed to survive Rei¡¯s initial flame tornado but were too close when it merged with Set¡¯s tornado were instantly burned to ashes from the outside in, their corpses scattering as they were sucked into the tornado. Those who were further away were burned away from the inside as their internal organs were burnt to a crisp by the hot gas as they suffocated. It was the scene of a disaster. The tornado of fire reigned with overwhelming death and destruction that was beyond the power of any single individual¡¯s magic and was tall enough to seem like it was piercing the sky. The reason why the damage was so great at this time was because the soldiers, knights and adventurers had crowded together in the vanguard to intercept the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army as the first line of defence. The flame whirl had broken out in the centre of the densely packed area and the surrounding area was filled with people who were unable to escape, spreading the damage further. Burning to death due to the flames and being cut to death but the sharp wind blades thrown out by the tornado itself. With just those two, the vanguard of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army lost several thousand with many times more people injured. And¡­¡­Rei wasn¡¯t done with his work yet. ¡¸Set, keep climbing! Get high enough that you won¡¯t be affected by the fire tornado and keep your distance!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gururururu~!¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, Set was about to fly higher when he noticed something approaching him and gave a wary cry. The cause of that was the approach of a Dragon Knight, who was approaching from the Bestir Empire¡¯s main force in an attempt to stop the escaping Griffon. Many of the Dragon Knights that had been in the vanguard had been burned to death by the flame tornado, both dragon and knight. As a result, the only Dragon knights who could fly freely in the sky above the battlefield were those who had come over from the main army. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about them, we¡¯ll deal with them later. They won¡¯t be able to do anything about it.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry and sent a glance towards the Dragon Knight that was approaching them before flapping his wings and climbing further into the sky. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Legend Chapter 279 Rei and Set reached a part of the sky where the fire whirl could no longer affect them . Meanwhile, there were many casualties on the ground as people where either burned to death, slashed to death or wounded in the confusion and panic . Although he could still see the ground, Rei had risen to an altitude where he could no longer discern faces or even individual people . Stroking Set¡¯s back, he opened the Misty Ring¡¯s list of items in his mind as he retrieved the one he wante . d From the outside, it looked like an ordinary barrel . But inside, there was a large amount of garbage that had come from a blacksmith¡¯s shop . Swords with their blades broken in the middle, sword tips, spears without their tips and broken sword blades missing the hilt . Their were also things like rusty kitchen knives and many other pieces of scrap iron ore and trash that the blacksmith had decided to discard because he could no longer use . But even though it was called trash, it was only trash to a blacksmith . There was not doubt that they were still dangerous items . Holding the 1m diameter barrel filled with loose items in his hand, Rei looked towards the ground . The fire whirl was still ranging as it continued to take the lives of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army . ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s finish up . ¡¹ Looking towards the ground, Rei released the barrel in his hand¡­¡­naturally, the barrel started to fall towards the ground . Then, right after he dropped the barrel, Rei took another one out from the Misty Ring and repeated his actions . After doing this about five times, more than half the barrels that had been dropped had been caught by the fire whirl and destroyed . The blades that had been packed inside were swallowed by the fire whirl as they spun around inside . Confirming that, Rei didn¡¯t bother to see the results as he tapped Set¡¯s neck lightly to send the signal to return back to the Mirena Kingdom¡¯s vanguard . At he left, the vanguard of the Bestir Empire was further damaged by the barrels of dangerous materials that Rei had dropped from the sky . Countless pieces of iron ore and blade scraps were mixed into the fire whirl . Some were thrown out from the fire whirl, and like bullets, they would pierce, slash and destroy, taking the lives of those who were some distance away from the fire whirl . Because that was what it was like outside the fire whirl, anyone who was swallowed up by the fire whirl fared even worse . Some mages who were sucked into the fire whirl when it was first created managed to set up barriers to protect themselves . Others managed to use magic items that enhanced their defences or created barriers . However, the wind speeds inside the fire whirl were upwards of several hundred meters per second and there was no way to defend against the countless bullets of blade fragments and iron ore as their barriers and armour were slowly torn apart . In the end, they were unable to escape and died helplessly . The fire whirl itself didn¡¯t move and remained in one place, so the damage caused by the barrels thrown into it was limited . Still, it was impossible to stay calm after seeing a blade fragment or piece of iron ore shoot out and kill someone next to you . Furthermore, heated to temperatures over 1000¡ãC, the molten metal would fly out and stick to the skin of those who had been injured and had fallen to the ground unable to walk . They could already barely move and the additional pain only made them scream louder . In other cases, at further distances, after rapidly cooling due to the effect of being thrown out by the fire whirl, the metal fragments would penetrate into people wearing non-metal armour, such as leather armour . Those who wore metal armour were able to prevent fatal injuries, but they were still unable to stop the impact from the metal fragments hitting them . The fragments could also still easily penetrate into their body if it hit places where their armour didn¡¯t cover . As the huge fire whirl was over 100m in height, it was no exaggeration to say that the damage brought about by it was a disaster that couldn¡¯t be prevented . This had all happened after the start of the war between the Mireana Kingdom and Bestir Empire and just before their forces were about to clash . Naturally, the first to be thrown into confusion were the ordinary soldiers . Adventurers had more or less gone through the experience of overcoming dangers and knew about the effects of magic . Knights had also undergone fighting on a regular basis . That was why the adventurers and knights were able to keep their composure and not panic, even though they were astonished by the scene before them . But, it was different for the soldiers . Rather, to be accurate, it was different for the volunteer and conscripted soldiers . Among the soldiers, those that had be trained for combat as their job had been initially confused by the presence of the fire whirl but had quickly managed to recover . Unfortunately, most of the soldiers were made up of volunteers and conscripts . Of course, they had undergone some combat training for this war, but it was only the bare minimum and only for fighting against other people . They had not been trained to deal with natural disasters like what was happening before them . Because of that, volunteer and conscripted soldiers were thrown into confusion as the fire whirl engulfed them . In turn, this meant the Bestir Empire needed more time to contain the commotion, spreading the damage further . Taking that into consideration, but Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army was much less confused . After all, it wasn¡¯t their army that had been hit by the fire whirl, but the enemy¡¯s . Even so, the shock was more than enough to halt the feet of those who had been leading the vanguard to fight the enemy . Some started to become scared as they saw the sight before them . ¡¸Hey, hey, hey, hey, what the hell . That Rei, how can he get away with something that crazy . ¡¹ Out of the vanguard troops, one at the very front muttered in a stunned voice . In his hand was a giant battle axe, a magic item great enough that it had become the name of his party . ¡¸Elk-san! That was¡­¡­¡¹ Three people stopped walking as they called out to Elk . Elk nodded at them when he saw that they were people who were on close terms to the person who had caused the scene before them . ¡¸Ah, as Milein said, it¡¯s probably Rei¡¯s work . ¡­¡­I heard from Min that Rei had a great amount of magic power, but I never thought it was this much . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Rei after all¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah . He said that he would launch a preemptive attack to reduce the amount of damage we may take as much as possible as a means to deal with the Royalists¡¯ petty schemes¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well then¡­¡­are we just going to sit here and watch?¡¹ At Milein¡¯s words, her party members beside her, Ecryll and Sulunin, the archer and mage, nodded . No, not just them . Everyone around them also nodded as they looked towards Elk, who was the most skilled among them . However, seeing their gazes, Elk frowned with a difficult expression . ¡¸I mean . Do you want to dive into that fire tornado?¡¹ ¡¸No thanks . ¡¹ Milein answered Elk¡¯s words almost instinctively . The people around her also nodded . After all, even though they were more than a kilometre away from the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, there could still feel the temperature rise by several degrees . In other words, where the fire whirl was, it was a burning hell that would make the midsummer heat feel cool . Even if they rushed forward, they would only take unnecessary damage . That was the honest feeling of everyone here at the vanguard, including Elk . Under such circumstances, Milein was the first to notice something flying through the sky, which was to be expected considering her love for Set . She gave a shout as she saw the shadow flap its wings as it approached the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army from the Bestir Empire¡¯s side . ¡¸Set-chan!¡¹ Hearing Milein¡¯s shout, the people around her looked towards the same direction, where they saw a Griffon flying through the sky . On its back was the figure of someone wearing a robe and carrying a huge scythe . It was obvious to those that knew them that it was Set and Rei . They were a famous duo in Gilm that no one was unaware of . ¡¸That¡¯s great, Set-chan is safe¡­¡­h¡­¡­uh . ¡­¡­Eh? Huh? What?¡¹ Seeing Set¡¯s appearance, Milein gave a sigh of relief before making some surprised noises as she saw three Dragon Knights approaching Set . Still, it was fortunate that the Dragon Knights hadn¡¯t taken any hostile actions such as throwing their spears at Rei . From Milein and Elk¡¯s position on the ground, all they saw was Set quietly following the Dragon Knights back to the main force of the vanguard, where the leaders of the Neutral and Nobles factions were stationed . ¡¸Elk-san, what is going on?¡¹ Milein asked Elk, who was beside her, as they watched Set leave as if being detained . Elk, who had experienced various things before, roughly understood what was happening . At the question directed towards him, Elk replied with a frown on his face . ¡¸Maybe he was called over to report¡­¡­?¡¹ Elk glanced towards the fire whirl that was still raging within the Bestir Empire¡¯s army . From this far distance, he couldn¡¯t see the details as the Bestir Empire soldiers blocked his view . However, he understood that they would continue to take damage as long as the fire whirl remained . Milein nodded at Elk¡¯s explanation and was about to ask what they should do from here on when a soldier ran up to them from behind while shouting . ¡¸All troops advance! The Bestir Empire¡¯s army is currently in turmoil due to the fire tornado . We will reduce their numbers to even out the difference in strength for now! However, do not approach the area where the fire tornado is and wrap around to attack from the flanks! Neutrals will attack the enemy¡¯s left wing, Nobles will attack the enemy¡¯s right wing! I repeat, whole army advance!¡¹ Hearing the soldier¡¯s orders, the bewildered vanguard immediately took action . Each unit, party or solo adventurer made their individual moves as they advanced on the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, splitting up to slam into the flanks Bestir Empire¡¯s army . Of course, the Bestir Empire¡¯s army didn¡¯t watch this silently . The commander, who was still safe, gathered up the nearby troops as started to take action to counter the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . However, the confusion of their volunteer soldiers caused a great deal of trouble here as they struggled to organise their forces . It was at that moment, that the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army attacked the confused Bestir Empire forces . Going back a bit in time, after Rei and Set created the fire whirl and left the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, he returned to the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . The two of them were about to join up with Elk when Rei noticed three Dragon Knights flying towards them . ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re on our side, right?¡¹ Since they had come from the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s side, it was clear that they were allies . However, the approaching Dragon Knights seemed to look nervous, so Rei asked them without thinking . If they pointed their spears at him, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for Rei to be to consider them as enemies due to his wariness . ¡¸Y-Yes! I am a member of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights, the Dragon Knight unit! The Knight Commander and Daska-sama have sent us because they would like to speak with you as soon as possible . If you don¡¯t mind, I would like you to come with me right now!¡¹ The three Dragon Knights positioned themselves either side of Set as the one leading them replied loudly to Rei in a somewhat nervous voice . From the outside, it looked more like they were surrounding an enemy than guiding an ally . ¡¸That¡¯s fine, lead the way . Since I¡¯ve thrown them into confusion, I want to be able to finish this as soon as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand, this way!¡¹ True to his word, the three Dragon Knights led Rei to the headquarters of the vanguard forces . ¡¸Daska-sama, as promised, I¡¯ve used a wide range annihilation magic against our enemies . The Bestir army is now in confusion, so we have an overwhelming advantage . We should push our offensive . ¡¹ As soon as he arrived at the headquarters, Rei reported to the Neutral and Noble faction¡¯s nobility . When he heard the report, Daska looked around with a wry smile . Looking around, most of the nobles were looking at the fire whirl within the Bestir Empire¡¯s army with shocked expressions . ¡¸As you can see, the shock seems to have been a bit much . You¡¯ve gone a bit too far . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think so . This man has done his part . He will be rewarded and not reprimanded . ¡¹ At Daska¡¯s words, Philma, the Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knights, replied with a wry smile of his own . It seemed that those words from the leaders of the Neutral and Noble faction brought the rest back to reality . The other nobles started talking to each other excitedly with surprise on their faces . ¡¸¡­¡­So Daska-sama . Should we push our offensive?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s right . It would be a shame to miss out on this opportunity while the enemy is in turmoil . ¡­¡­Philma-dono?¡¹ ¡¸I have no issue with that . Rather, it would be stupid to waste such an opportunity . ¡¹ Morale rapidly rose at the words from the two people in charge . The rise in morale was contagious as it spread to the whole vanguard . ¡¸Send a message to the front! Push the offensive!¡¹ Daska¡¯s shout echoed out from the headquarters of the vanguard . Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Legend Chapter 280 At the headquarters of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s vanguard army . There, the two leaders in charge of the Neutrals and Nobles factions quickly finished issuing their instructions before once again turning back to Rei . In the midst of all this, Rei looked around the headquarters before letting out a sigh of disappointment when he couldn¡¯t see Elena . Hearing that sigh and seeing Rei look towards the Nobles faction, Philma immediately know what¡­¡­no, who he was looking for . Philma spoke up as if not talking to anyone in particular . ¡¸The General Princess boosts our morale just by being there, not to mention her own strength . She¡¯s a flower that only blooms when she¡¯s on the front lines . ¡¹ The nobles who were nearby all looked at Philma in confusion . They wondered why he had said that in this hectic moment . In fact, as the vanguard resumed their advance, the headquarters would naturally have to advance as well . As a result, the surroundings were now moving things in a hurry in preparation for that . That said, this headquarters was only set up to discuss the sudden appearance of the fire whirl, so if all the nobles present needed to move out, they would be able to do so immediately . ¡¸Put away these chairs and prepare a carriage . Food and drink as well! I¡¯m going to be sick if I¡¯m exposed to the wind on the battlefield!¡¹ However, there were also some nobles who started shouting like that . A middle-aged man, oblivious to the stares of the nobles around him, climbed into a carriage that he had prepared . The carriage was shiny to the point that it felt out of place on the battlefield . The carriage was more of a luxury item that was made to show off his money . ¡¸¡­¡­Anyway, I just wanted to say that Elena-sama is on the front line, so you don¡¯t have to worry about her . ¡¹ Philma looked at the noble who was making such a fuss without reading the atmosphere for a moment before turning to Rei again . That was enough for Rei to understand what Philma meant . That Philma was aware that Rei cared about Elena . Daska, who was Rei¡¯s direct employer, had also seen through Rei¡¯s feelings as well . ¡¸Well, Rei . After causing so much chaos among the enemy, how is your magic power holding up?¡¹ Rei nodded at that question with what could be called a fearless smile . ¡¸There¡¯s no problem . I can continue to fight for a while . ¡¹ To be exact, the amount of magic power Rei used to create the fire whirl wasn¡¯t that great . That said, that was only when considering Rei¡¯s magic power . If an ordinary mage wanted to use a wide range annihilation magic on the same scale, they would need the magic power of more than 10 mages . ¡¸I see, in that case, I¡¯m sorry, but could you head for the front lines again? I can¡¯t let someone with your strength remain in a place like this¡­¡­¡¹ Just as Daska said that, a lone horseman hurried up to them from behind . ¡¸Is that¡­¡­?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, some of them started to notice the person on horseback approaching them . At the same time, many of them started to frown as they understood what a messenger coming from behind them meant . However, the person coming towards them didn¡¯t care for any of that . As soon as he got close, he got off his horse and knelt before Daska and Philma . ¡¸Orders from Arius-sama . We don¡¯t know why, but the enemy is currently in confusion . We will not miss this opportunity to launch our attack . He has said not to worry about our forces as the main army will begin to move shortly . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh~ . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ Daska and Philma looked at each other with wry smiles as they nodded . It wasn¡¯t surprising that the Royalists didn¡¯t know about the fire whirl, as neither of them had told the Royalists about their plan . They didn¡¯t need to worry about their strength as the main army would be moving soon . They didn¡¯t need to think to understand what those words meant . (It¡¯s fine that they pushed us to take the lead, but it seems that they think it will be hard to exhaust the Neutrals and Nobles strength due to the confusion caused by Rei¡¯s fire whirl . Because of that, they¡¯ve chosen to take action themselves rather than to let us take the credit . Well, at least they¡¯re quick to see the opportunity¡­¡­) While muttering to himself, Daska turned to look at Philma . At the same time, Philma also turned to look back at him . ¡º¡­¡­¡» They looked eye to eye at each other for a few seconds, communicating with their eyes before coming to an agreement in silence . ¡¸I understand . Please tell Arius-dono that we will be moving immediately . If you can, tell him that it would be great help if he didn¡¯t directly join the fight but keep his eyes on the enemy¡¯s main camp to stop them from making any moves . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand . I will definitely tell Arius-sama . ¡¹ The kneeling messenger listened in before giving a small nod, standing back up and jumping onto his horse and riding away . ¡¸He¡¯s pretty quick on the uptake for a Royalist soldier . ¡¹ Murmurs could be heard from the surrounding nobles of the Nobles faction . ¡¸Even if they are Royalists, not all of them are involved in power struggles . Most of the soldiers are surprisingly serious about their work . We should also get moving . ¡¹ Philma spoke some words regarding the messenger that had come over before Rei interrupted him there . ¡¸Please wait . When you attack, stay away from my fire whirl . When you approach it, there is a possibility of taking serious damage due to the high heat, wind blades from the tornado and the large number of metal fragments that I threw into it . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, the nobles who were listening in had shocked expressions . They could only see the fire whirl from this distance, so only now did they understand how powerful the fire whirl was from Rei¡¯s explanation . If they got too close, there was no hope of saving their own lives . The fire whirl was something more atrocious than they had imagined . The first to respond, was of course, Philma, the Knight Commander . Because he had survived so many battles up until now, he had a certain level of resistance to things that existed outside of common sense . Or maybe it was because he had the experience of fighting Rei previously in the city of Gilm . Thinking for a few seconds, he called out to a nearby messenger . ¡¸Did you hear that? Try to stay away from the fire whirl when you attack . Turn and attack the enemy from the flanks . ¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see . How about the Neutrals attack the enemy¡¯s left wing and the Nobles attack the right wing?¡¹ ¡¸That seems fine . There shouldn¡¯t be any problems . ¡­¡­Pass the order on . Go! Every minute and second counts now . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ Philma nodded in response to Daska¡¯s orders to the messenger . Giving a brief acknowledgement, the messenger quickly left . Thanks to this messenger catching up with the messenger that had been sent out earlier, Elk and the others were able to avoid unnecessary losses . ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, Daska-dono . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I know . ¡¹ At Philma¡¯s words, Daska nodded immediately as he turned to Rei . As if following Daska¡¯s gaze, Philma also turned to look at Rei alongside the most of the people present . At first glance, Rei looked like a kid, but he was a person who had created a terrifying amount of destruction . ¡¸As I said earlier, I can¡¯t leave a force as strong as you behind in this current situation . It seems the Royalists have gotten greedy after seeing the current situation . ¡­¡­Head straight to the front lines . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, no problem . I¡¯ll head over right away . ¡¹ At Daska¡¯s words, Rei nodded with a light smile as if it was nothing serious . The nobles in the surroundings were taken aback for a moment, but by the time they had recollected themselves, Rei had turned his back to nobles in the headquarters . Normally, it would be almost unavoidable for someone to accuse him of being rude, but no one said a thing . That was because they had seen Rei¡¯s skills for themselves . Among them, only Daska, Rei¡¯s direct employer, or Philma, who had past experience in dealing with Rei, could have said anything . But they knew that Rei knew what he had to do, so they just silently watched him leave . And, about 30 seconds after Rei left, Daska spoke up when he heard the flapping of Set¡¯s wings . ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t just leave it to the vanguard . We¡¯ll start marching as well . If we¡¯re not careful, there¡¯s a chance the Royalists will make a move and throw the battlefield into chaos . To avoid that, let¡¯s quickly decide the battle before that happens . ¡¹ The Neutrals, who returned to reality at Daska¡¯s voice, scattered as they went to take command of their own advance . . ¡¸The same goes for us . As the Nobles faction, we have to make sure the Royalists don¡¯t take our credit . ¡¹ Similarly, the Nobles were also brought back at Philma¡¯s words as the followed the actions of the Neutrals . Seeing them leave, Philma turned to Daska . ¡¸He¡¯s better than we ever imagined . ¡¹ ¡¸I agree . I didn¡¯t expect him to use such a vicious magic . Maybe the magicians of old used magic like that . ¡¹ Daska said that as he thought about what had happened . However, he would have never guessed that Rei was actually the successor to the magician Zepairu, who had created the Magic Beast Art . ¡¸Fire!¡¹ At the orders of the commander, arrows and magic were released at the same time . The Bestir Empire¡¯s army knew that the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army was splitting in two as they approached them, but they still weren¡¯t fully prepared to intercept them . After all, there was still a fire whirl in the middle of their army . Even if they tried to fall back, the volunteer soldiers were in too much confusion and in the end the two armies clashed before the Bestir Empire¡¯s army could set up their formations to intercept the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . The countless arrows and magic was released preemptively as a means to protect the vanguard as they closed with the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, who showed nearly no reaction due to the chaos they were in . There were some people who put up shields, but they weren¡¯t able to do much more than that as they were defencelessly attacked . Furthermore, the rain of arrows continued with no end, giving them no time to rest . It was fortunate for them that the big magic attacks were only released before the armies made contact as smaller scale magic was used after to avoid hurting their own side . Gradually, the strength of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army was worn down . On the front lines, all that could be seen was a one sided demolition . ¡¸UOOOOOOOH-!¡¹ Elk¡¯s Axe of the Thunder God severed arms, heads and bodies as he scattered the blood, flesh, bone and guts of the soldiers of the Bestir Empire as if they were straw men . Each soldier had been given their own set of armour, but it was useless as they lost their lives . No, not just them . Even knights who were wearing plate armour were slashed, crushed, destroyed and burned by lightning as their armour was smashed by Elk¡¯s great strength and the vicious power of his magic item, the Axe of the Thunder God . ¡¸Ha, I never thought I¡¯d have to deal with Scorching Wind . As for that stupid tornado, it¡¯s just more bad luck today-!¡¹ At those words, Milein evaded the sword strike towards he lower body as she shot out a counter . ¡¸I¡¯m not going to let you do that!¡¹ With a strange voice, a woman over 2m in height picked the man up as she parried Milein¡¯s attack with a huge shield that seemed to be made of a unique monster¡¯s skin and bones . ¡¸Woah, what¡¯s with that outfit . Are you a pervert or something? Ecryll!¡¹ Milein gave an unintentional shout as looked at the woman who only wore clothes that covered her chest and the lower half of her body and no armour . However, she couldn¡¯t help be be surprised at the hardness of the skin and bone shield that had blocked her sword . Milein called out to her party member as she leapt back . The man had started to chase after Milein but was forced to stop by Ecryll, who released several arrows in quick succession from behind Milein . ¡¸Damn it! Today is a terrible day!¡¹ The man gave up the chase while shouting, quickly swinging his sword and cutting down the arrow that had been shot towards his female partner . Right after, he leapt backwards, the same as Milein had done a few seconds ago, in order to evade several wind blades that slammed into the ground where he had been standing . The three members of Scorching Wind faced off against the man and woman duo . They weren¡¯t evenly matched, but they still managed to hold their ground . This was because of the difference in their abilities compared to the soldiers who were panicking left and right . At the same time, the fact that the two of them could hold back Scorching Wind, a well known talented party, showed how strong they were . But even so¡­¡­that was it . They were only able to hold down Scorching Wind and weren¡¯t able to even touch Elk, the strongest force in this area, who was running rampant wherever he wanted . And then¡­¡­even more despair for the Bestir Empire¡¯s army fell from the sky . ¡¸Get out of the way! Move it!¡¹ The man that fell alongside a Griffon swung his huge scythe, slicing cleaning through the shield that Milein could barely scratch before cutting through the woman¡¯s right wrist that was holding onto it . ¡¸Gyaaah!¡¹ ¡¸Tch, what!? Retre¡­¡­aaat-!¡¹ Seeing the huge shield destroyed in a single strike, the man tried to block a strike from the Griffon¡¯s forefoot with both his swords, but was blown away in return . The two of them took down their opponents as if they were twisting the hand of a kid . The three members of Scorching Wind knew who had arrived . ¡¸Rei!¡¹ Milein shouted his name at the unexpected reinforcements . Milein¡¯s voice echoed out strangely, even amidst the noise and clamour of the battlefield, raising the morale of the adventurers from Gilm who were fighting on the front lines alongside the other Neutrals faction soldiers . The war, which had already taken an unexpected turn for the Bestir Empire, had just taken another turn . Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Legend Chapter 281 To the adventurers in Gilm, the pair of Rei and Set were considered abnormalities . Gilm was a city in the Mireana Kingdom, where the most elite of adventurers gathered to venture into the frontier . In such a city, followed by an A rank monster, a Griffon, Rei had been the fastest person to reach C rank after registering with the guild . He looked like an apprentice mage and had an arrogant attitude . Some of the more skilled adventurers didn¡¯t like that . But, his strength was overwhelming . His skills had been shown to the adventurers of Gilm so many times that they could no longer doubt it . As a warrior, Rei had the overwhelming strength and skill to handle such an unwieldy weapon like the Death Scythe to its fullest . Those that could feel magic power could sense the immense magic power that Rei had . Such a person had arrived on the battlefield . Normally, Rei was someone who was difficult to get along with, but because they knew of his skill, all the adventurers from Gilm had their morale rise up without stopping . Furthermore, the soldiers, knights and adventurers hired by other adventurers also had their morale rise after seeing the morale of the Gilm adventurers go up . The vanguard of the Bestir Empire had been gradually weakening and the fire whirl had continued to reduce their forces and morale . The confusion made it even harder for them prepare to intercept the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s forces . No, rather, because the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army had made a pincer attack during the confusion, the confusion had only worsened instead of subsiding . In other words, Rei, with his overwhelming strength, had arrived at a time where even the Neutrals were at an advantage . There was no way that morale wouldn¡¯t rise under those circumstances . ¡¸Set-chan, Rei!¡¹ Despite being on the battlefield, the soldiers of the Bestir Empire hesitated to do anything when confronted by that series of events . Scorching Wind took advantage of that as they slashed through the enemy while shooting arrows and using wind magic . ¡¸It looks like things are okay here . ¡­¡­Flying Slash!¡¹ Rei glanced towards Milein¡¯s party of three who were coming over as he threw out a Flying Slash . That attack, flung out by the swinging blade of the Death Scythe, cut off the right hand of an adventurer thief, who was trying to stab Rei with his dagger, causing blood to spurt out . ¡¸Gaaaahhh-!¡¹ The adventurer screamed in pain as he held his bleeding right arm on the ground . However, in such a battlefield where angry cries and screams were everywhere, no one paid attention to him . ¡­¡­The next moment, noticing the sound of something slicing through the air, Rei turned aside . At the same time, an arrow flew past where Rei¡¯s head had been a moment before and pierced into the forehead of the adventurer who had been screaming with his right hand cut off, killing him instantly . (If I didn¡¯t avoid that, that arrow would have hit me¡­¡­was that just a stray arrow?) Had that arrow just been a stray arrow or had someone aimed and shot it at him? Rei wondered about it for a moment, but he didn¡¯t have the time to worry about such things on the battlefield . Keeping an eye on his surroundings¡­¡­ . to be exact, with Set, the Griffon, using King¡¯s Awe to hold back the soldiers, knights and adventurers from the Bestir Empire who tried to approach them, Rei called out to Milein . ¡¸Did the messenger reach you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . We¡¯ll take advantage of their confusion and destroy the enemy at once! With that, we¡¯ll bring an end to this war . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . All we have to do now is to defeat the enemy and crush them further . That way, we¡¯ll engrave fear into the Bestir Empire¡¯s army as we destroy them . ¡¹ Rei swung the Death Scythe and cut a spear, belonging to a knight who made a sharp thrust at him, in half . The knight must have been too confident . He looked at his broken spear with stunned eyes as Rei grabbed the spear tip in the air and threw it back at him . Although he was wearing a helmet designed for knights, it still couldn¡¯t completely cover his face to allow him to breathe and see . That attack aimed for that gap . ¡¸Won¡¯t they lose anyway at this rate? Rei¡¯s fire tornado is still going . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s fire whirl . Those who were watching Rei, Set and Milein for an opening all reacted at those words . Their eyes widened on reflex when they gathered from the context that the kid in a robe who had fallen from the sky with a Griffon had been the one to create that hellish landscape . Considering the damage the Bestir Empire¡¯s army had taken from the fire whirl, that reaction was unavoidable . However, that was too big an opening to show in a battle . Hyu-, hyu-, hyu- . The sound of multiple objects cutting through the air was heard . But unlike the previous time, Rei wasn¡¯t particularly worried because he knew who was shooting the arrows as he poured magic power into the Shoes of Sleipnir . ¡¸Shoes of Sleipnir, activate . ¡¹ At the same time, he dashed forward and jumped into the sky, passing over the heads of the Bestir Empire soldiers who had been facing him . Stepping through the air for several more steps, he leapt to the back of the enemy¡¯s vanguard forces . As he confirmed that the people Ecryll¡¯s arrows had hit had stopped moving, Rei swung out with his Death Scythe, creating a rain of blood as descended into the space where the people he had just killed once stood . ¡¸Gurururu-!¡¹ Seeing Rei go in, Set stayed back to support his allies . ¡¸Eh? Wait, Set-chan!? Will Rei be okay by himself?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a short cry in reply to Milein as he jupmed into the battlefield to do what he had to do . Milein was dazed for a moment before immediately deciding that it must have been fine as she, Ecryll and Sulunin rushed into the battlefield . The appearance of Rei¡­¡­no, the Griffon, normally would have caused more confusion, but in this case, it actually calmed the enemy down . Those from the Bestir Empire¡¯s army that saw Set gradually started to group up and resist . It wasn¡¯t all Set¡¯s fault, but after this point, the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, which had been suppressed up to this point, gradually consolidated themselves as they joined the battle . Although the Bestir Empire¡¯s army had started to put up organised resistance for unexpected reasons on the front lines, it was only limited to those who could see Set directly with their eyes . Closer to the centre of the vanguard, in other words, closer to the fire whirl, desperate commanders tried to control their soldiers as their soldiers tried to escape from the fire whirl . And¡­¡­it was in this confusion that Rei, who had been leaping through the air, came down upon . Slash-! The moment he landed, Rei struck out to the side . With just that attack, three knights lost their lives as they were bisected . From that posture, Rei rotated the shaft in his hand and changed the direction of his scythe¡¯s blade . Pulling his right foot back, he forcibly moved his body to make a full rotation . The adventurer that had been about to swing his sword at Rei met the same ending as the knights several seconds ago . And since everyone in the surroundings were his enemies, Rei swung his Death Scythe without hesitation . The reason he had split with Set was so that he could make this situation possible . To Rei, the people in front of him were no longer humans, but enemies that had to be defeated . The 2m blade of the Death Scythe was swung freely as it cut through blades . The shaft crushed bones as bodies were pierced by the butt of the shaft . Dancing, dancing, dancing . Red flowers were scattered everywhere with 1 strike, 2 strikes, 3 strikes . Crimson flowers bloomed every time his blade struck . He was a symbol of death, a dance of death leading to the underworld . Crimson, Rei¡¯s eventual title, was later sung of by a bard because of his penchant for using fire magic and his appearance after staining the surroundings with blood . There was no doubt that part of that title originated from the events here . ¡¸Damn it, you monster! Great shield soldiers forward! Give us time to cast magic! Archers don¡¯t stop firing arrows, restrain his movements as much as possible!¡¹ ¡¸Captain, it¡¯s dangerous! Our allies are behind him! If he avoids our attacks, they will hit our allies!¡¹ Watching his allies cut down by Rei one after another, the man in charge of the unit shouted out . But, his lieutenant immediately opposed him . However, the captain forcibly pulled his liuetenant over as he shouted . ¡¸I know that! But there¡¯s no way to stop that monster without going to such extremes, you understand!? If you think my plan is crazy, then you come up with a better one . ¡¹ But before he could finish his words, a strike from the Death Scythe cut through the captain¡¯s neck, sending his head into the air . ¡¸Captain¡­¡­damn it, kill him, destroy that monster whatever the mea¡­¡­ns¡­¡­?¡¹ As the lieutenant tried to give orders to his surroundings, he realised that there was no sound around him . He looked around hastily, but all that he could see was red . Everyone around him had already been killed . Body parts, limbs and torsos were cut, crushed, destroyed and scattered across the ground . In addition to the red blood, a wide range of colours including the pink of flesh, the white of bones and bodily fluids from internal organs covered the ground . However, it was still the colour of the crimson liquid that had the biggest impact on the lieutenant . ¡¸Ha, hahahaha¡­¡­this is a lie right? You¡¯re telling me all these people were killed in under a minute? This is just a nightmare, it¡¯s just a nightmare¡­¡­right? Tell me that!¡¹ He couldn¡¯t believe what he saw . He turned to look at Rei with empty eyes as he swung his sword towards him at what could only be called a dull speed . There was no way such an attack could touch Rei and he simply leaned backwards to avoid it . The blade of the Death Scythe swung from below as it went towards the lieutenant¡¯s waist . ¡¸-!?¡¹ Just as he was about to slash the lieutenant, Rei heard the sound of objects flying towards him as he reflexively brought the Death Scythe back with a large swing . Kin-, kin-, kin- kin-, several metallic noises were heard in quick succession as four daggers were knocked to the ground . ¡¸This is impossible!? You¡¯re going to block every dagger thrown at this distance!?¡¹ The man who had suddenly thrown four daggers at Rei from behind the lieutenant spoke in a stunned tone . Next to him was a giant man, 2m tall, ready to swing his halberd at any time . ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re adventurers?¡¹ Their equipment was too good for volunteer soldiers . However, it was also not consistent from the perspective of a professional soldier or knight . Because of that, Rei guessed that they were adventurers who were active in the Bestir Empire . ¡¸That¡¯s correct . You might have fought one hell of a fight, but as long as we¡¯re paid in this war, we can¡¯t just keep getting beaten up . We might not win, but we¡¯ll still resist . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­All we have to do is to buy some time . Fortunately, that fire tornado has already disappeared . If we can continue to hold out here, those who were thrown into confusion will be able to calm down and fight back . But first, we have to deal with this monster . ¡¹ As the giant man said, the fire whirl that had been raging until a little earlier had finally disappeared . It could be said that the damage it had caused to the Bestir Empire¡¯s army was tremendous, but since the fire whirl that had dealt most of the damage had finally gone, the confusion had started to dissipate as the chain of command was restored and they were no longer suppressed by the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s forces . The man with the daggers replied with a sigh as he waited for Rei to reveal an opening . ¡¸That¡¯s true, but considering our current damage, there¡¯s nothing more our vanguard can do . There¡¯s a possibility of winning this battle if we can rejoin the main army and regroup, but do you think he will let us do that? If we turn our backs to such a monster, you can guess what will happen to us, right? I¡¯ve noticed that all the vanguard soldiers who were running back to the main army were killed from behind, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if something happened . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But, he doesn¡¯t seem to want to do that right now?¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ The man with the daggers finally noticed at his partner¡¯s words . While they had been talking, they could have been attacked once or twice . As they were fighting a war, there was no need to wait for the other to stop talking . However, the monster standing before them hadn¡¯t chased after them . Instead, he was looking at the sky with a frown . In the direction of the sky he was looking at, a Dragon Knight was heading straight for him . If the Dragon Knight had been from the Bestir Empire, Rei would have struck first by throwing a spear . However, the Dragon Knight had come from the direction of headquarters where Daska and the other leaders were . In other words, the Dragon Knight was an ally . Although his superior had told him to look for Rei by looking for his Griffon, it was truly a coincidence that he had managed to find Rei, who was not fighting together with Set . Thankfully, the prominent space in the battlefield where Rei was standing was conspicuous enough to identify him . Rei seemed like he was facing off against two enemies, but because his superior had said to contact Rei urgently, he landed his Wyvern behind Rei as he called out . ¡¸The main camp seems to have been ambushed by the enemy . Rei-dono, you have to rescue the main army as soon as possible! Several other people are being sent to assist you, but you need to get there as fast as possible . ¡¹ Like that, another turning point appeared in the battle as Mireana Kingdom was pushing their one sided advance . Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Legend Chapter 282 The main army had been ambushed. Hearing those words, Rei tilted his head in confusion. The current battlefield was in a state where the Mireana Kingdom and Bestir Empire¡¯s vanguards had collided head on. He didn¡¯t think it would be possible to wrap around the battlefield to ambush the main army. ¡¸Did they wrap around the battlefield to ambush the main army?¡¹ Rei asked the Dragon Knight without letting his guard down as he kept an eye on the man with the daggers and the 2m giant. However, despite him asking that question, he felt that it wasn¡¯t really possible. Naturally, a certain amount of strength was required to carry out an ambush on the main army, and that would be impossible without being detected by the vanguard. (No. ¡­¡­Did they send out the Demon Soldiers?) In his mind, Rei thought to himself. But his prediction was only half right. ¡¸The enemy ambushed the main army from behind. In addition, the ambushing force is made up of some sort of monster human hybrids.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. So they¡¯ve showed themselves.¡¹ Rei clicked his tongue after hearing the story from the Dragon Knight. The reason for that was that he hadn¡¯t expected them to use transition stones. According to what Rei had heard, transition stones were quite expensive and could only move a limited number of people. (But, this time, it¡¯s a war between nations. So if they needed to use expensive magic items, they would use as many as they needed¡­¡­well, they wouldn¡¯t go that far, but they probably wouldn¡¯t be frugal either.) ¡¸Okay, I will head over to support them immediately.¡¹ Clicking his tongue again, he poured magic power into the blade of the Death Scythe as he swung it to shake the blood of the blade. He had killed dozens, no, hundreds of people. ¡­¡­Yet, his Dragon Robe didn¡¯t have a drop of blood on it. Even if he killed more than a thousand Bestir Empire soldiers and turned the area into a sea of blood, there still wouldn¡¯t be any blood on his robe. That was because it was a magic item made from the skin of a Dragon. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set appeared as he gave a cry. The Dragon Knight¡¯s Wyvern was startled at Set, who had appeared without a sign. At the same time, the two adventurers facing Rei also froze. ¡¸Set, it seems those idiots at the back got ambushed from behind. They want us to rescue them.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave cry and a small nod. His claws, beak and body was covered with blood that probably belonged to Bestir Empire soldiers, but Set himself didn¡¯t seem to care. At the same time, although Rei¡¯s Death Scythe and Dragon Robes were clean, there was some drops of blood on his face. Rei didn¡¯t pay any attention to that as he got on Set. Rei was about to head straight over to provide support when he turned to look at the Dragon Knight, who had braced himself at Set¡¯s appearance. ¡¸I understand the need to support them. But, is it okay to let the enemy vanguard go?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s fine. Since the troops led by Philma-sama and Daska-sama have already joined the fighting.¡¹ At Rei and Set¡¯s presence, the Dragon Knight, which would normally be considered an elite unit that could match a thousand, replied as if he were somewhat pressured. That was no accident. In fact, the Wyvern that the knight was riding on had instinctively tried to shrink itself at Set¡¯s presence. ¡¸I see.¡¹ As he was about to call out to Set¡­¡­he turned to look at the Dragon Knight again as he asked a question that suddenly came to his mind. ¡¸You said that additional reinforcements will be sent in addition to myself, but do you know who they are?¡¹ ¡¸Because we need the more mobile forces, I heard that Elena-sama and some others are heading back. In addition, the advance troops from the main army that were making their way here are also turning back.¡¹ ¡¸Heh, I see.¡¹ Rei smiled at the Dragon Knight¡¯s words. (I didn¡¯t head for the same side of the battlefield because of the division of the Neutrals and Nobles, but Elena is Elena. She probably went on a rampage. And if she¡¯s going to deal with Demon Soldiers, as someone who underwent the genuine Inheritance Ritual, she can definitely be relied on.) Muttering to himself, Rei turned to look at the two adventurers who had stopped moving due to Set. ¡¸You¡¯ve narrowly escaped death.¡¹ Rei told them briefly before patting Set¡¯s neck to signal him. Without needing to say a word, Set understood what Rei wanted to say. He dashed forward as he flapped his wings and ran into the sky. ¡¸It really was a narrow escape. If we had fought him straight up, we probably wouldn¡¯t have won.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I have nothing to say against that. We will also fall back. Even if that monster is gone, the Dragon Knight is still here. I don¡¯t want to fight that in this situation.¡¹ ¡¸Alright. And, did you hear what they were talking about? They said that a force had attacked the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s main army. We need to spread the news, that will lift our morale. ¡­¡­And now we have a way to survive this war.¡¹ Talking to each other in low voices, the two adventurers retreated. The Dragon Knight looked at them provokingly but didn¡¯t make any move to chase after them. This was because he had seen Rei fighting them and had judged that the two of them had about the same amount of strength as him. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t lose, but he would still struggle to beat them. And right now, time was more important than anything else. In this situation, a minute was worth its time in gold and he had no time to waste. (Besides¡­¡­) The man gently looked at his partner. He gently stroked his Wyvern¡¯s neck, but the Wyvern continued to tremble. That was just the difference in rank between it and a Griffon. An overwhelming majesty. So powerful that one could instinctively tell the strength of an A rank monster. If they had met at the Dusk Wheat, where Rei stayed in Gilm, it wouldn¡¯t have been this overwhelming. But this time, the situation was different. Unlike in the stables, where Set would lie down and relax, this was the middle of a battlefield. Naturally, the aura Set gave off was different in the middle of a battle. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ll have to work a little harder. First of all, I have to head back to Philma-sama and tell him that Rei¡¯s on his way to help.¡¹ He gently stroked his Wyvern to calm it down before leaving the area. ¡¸Damn it, there are enemies behind you! And they¡¯re not even human!¡¹ A soldier shouted abhorrently as he thrust his spear towards the enemy approaching him. The deformed opponent facing him had two bristly gorilla like arms growing from his back. The two arms reached out and grabbed the spear from either side, stopping it briefly before snapping it with their grip alone. ¡¸Damn monsters!¡¹ Pulling back the shattered spear shaft, the next moment, the soldier thrust out the broken spear with all his strength. Although the spear tip was lost, the broken shaft was still sharp, leaving the broken spear a somewhat usable weapon. However, his opponent simply blocked his with his attack. Not the bristly one that had crushed his spear, but the human one that grew from his shoulders that was holding a shield.. ¡¸Gyahahahahaha. Naive, naive. Did you think that would be enough to save you!¡¹ While laughing, he swung the arm on his back and grabbed the soldier¡¯s face. ¡¸Guah, shit, let go of me!¡¹ The soldier raged desperately, but the Demon Soldier seemed to be enjoying himself¡­¡­the next moment, he crushed the head of the soldier in his hands. The Demon Soldier had a fascinated smile on his face at the feeling of crushing bones, flesh, blood and brains in his hand. As he looked around, he saw similar scenes unfolding around him. ¡¸Hmm, that felt good. Hey, how¡¯s it going over there?¡¹ When he asked a snake man, who was a short distance from him, a smiling voice responded. ¡¸It¡¯s the best. The feeling of every bone in their body breaking continuously.¡¹ ¡¸Hyaagyaah, ha, hagyaah, aaaahhhh-!¡¹ A man who seemed to be a noble had his body wrapped in the snake tail as it gradually tightened. His jaw bone seemed to have been broken already. The words that came out his mouth didn¡¯t make any sense. ¡¸Heey, hey. Let¡¯s tighten it up slowly, slowly okay? ¡­¡­Ah, another broken bone. Was that a broken rib? You still had an unbroken rib? I hope it didn¡¯t puncture your lungs, so you can live as long as possible.¡¹ The Demon Solider that was torturing the noble move his strangely elongated tongue in and out of his mouth. ¡¸No-, stop it-, stop iiitttt-!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, shut up. Be quiet. It¡¯s better than dying right?¡¹ A Demon Soldier removed the armour of a resisting female adventurer and tore her clothes as he exposed her bare skin to the sun. The woman desperately tried to resist and hide her exposed chest as she struck the face of the lizard like man with her other hand. But, she had no strength. The blow glanced off the scales growing on the man¡¯s face, barely hurting him. While laughing at the woman, the Demon Soldier exposed his lower body¡­¡­before feeling a sense of incongruity. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ The lizard like man turned to look at the object sticking through his chest in shock. Slowly, he turned his eyes to look behind him. There, a man was looking at him as if he was looking at trash on the roadside. It wasn¡¯t an enemy. The person behind him was by no means their enemy. Rather, he should have been an ally. ¡¸What, why? Theorem-sama¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t talk. When you speak, you pollute the air around me.¡¹ Without a change in his expression, the sword stuck in the lizard man¡¯s chest was swung upwards. When he did that, the lizard man¡¯s body was naturally sliced open as the lust in his eyes rapidly faded. ¡¸Lowlife.¡¹ Muttering briefly, Theorem shook the blood off his blade before looking at his aide. She probably understood what that gaze meant. Cyanus turned what could best be described as a frigid gaze towards the Demon Soldiers who were indulging in their lust for violence against the soldiers of the Mireana Kingdom. ¡¸What are you lot doing here? Have you forgotten your role? ¡­¡­You there, say it. Tell me, what did Theorem-sama order you to do?¡¹ The snake man Demon Soldier, that had been happily strangling a someone a moment ago, managed to speak up with a stutter as Cyanus shot her gaze at him. ¡¸T-To capture or kill Arius, the commander of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s Royalist forces.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. You seem to know better¡­¡­but what are the rest of you doing? Did someone order you to kill the rest of the soldiers?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No.¡¹ As expected, he must have foreseen that things would only get worse if things continued as they were. He quickly darted his eyes around thinking of a way to get out of this situation. But unfortunately, no good ideas came to his mind. ¡¸Understand? Like I said before, speed is everything is in this ambush. You saw the fire tornado, didn¡¯t you? What kind of enemy can create that? Originally, he should have been held down by the Dragon Knights, but you know that he isn¡¯t that easy to deal with right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah.¡¹ ¡¸If you know that then get a move on immediately. Most of the Demon Soldiers are already going after the main army. I don¡¯t have time to play around in such a place.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At that frigid gaze, the snake man Demon Soldier finally stopped speaking. Cyanus was about to raise her voice again when Theorem raised his hand and stopped her. Why? Cyanus turned to look at Theorem, but fell silent when she saw his expression. ¡¸I¡¯ll say this to all Demon Soldiers here. 100 soldiers, 30 adventurers or 30 knights. One noble, general or knight commander. Anyone who can¡¯t achieve that will be severely punished after this operation.¡¹ At those words, the Demon Soldiers in the surroundings began to buzz. It was easy to say, but tough to achieve the merits Theorem had just said. No, rather, it would be impossible for an ordinary soldier. It was only because they were Demon Soldiers that such a level of difficulty was considered¡­¡­ ¡¸Do you understand? I am serious. Get the hell out of here!¡¹ At Theorem¡¯s emotionless words, most of the Demon Soldiers present started running immediately in fright. Seeing them leave, Theorem gave a sigh when he saw that there was no one left except his aide, Cyanus. ¡¸Seriously, even though this is the first time I¡¯ve used this tactic, I can¡¯t help but realise how much of a miscalculation this was.¡¹ The mindless actions of the blood crazy Demon Soldiers or the absence of the enemy general that should have been in the rear headquarters. Regarding the former, even though he had expected it to some extent due to the effect of the process of becoming a Demon Soldier, the atmosphere of war and blood had caused them to become intoxicated much earlier than what he had been told by the alchemists from the Ministry of Magic. But that was still fine. His biggest miscalculation was the absence of the general of the main army. According to what Theorem had heard from a noble who had been taken prisoner, the vanguard had achieved more merits than expected, so their plans to make the Neutrals and Nobles lose credit or exhaust themselves had failed. Because of that, he had gone to the front to try and take some credit for himself. Although it was a typical act for a general, it was also true that this move had also resulted in minimal damage taken by the Demon Soldiers¡¯ surprise attack. ¡¸¡­¡­Count Arius, did he see through our plan?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s unlikely. According to the information I have, his character is one that values theory over intuition.¡¹ Theorem gave a small sigh at his aide¡¯s words. ¡¸Either way, our plan has come apart. All we can do now is hope the Demon Soldiers are quick to use their heads, otherwise¡­¡­¡¹ He looked towards the distance where the Demon Soldiers and Royalist soldiers were fighting before shaking his head and approaching a warhorse that had been tied up nearby. ¡¸Let¡¯s go. Even though this is a situation we didn¡¯t prepare for, it¡¯s still an opportunity to take out the enemy general. We¡¯ll decide the course of this war before their reinforcements arrive, no matter what it takes.¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ Giving a short acknowledgement, Cyanus straddled another nearby horse as she headed for the fierce battlefield in order to take out the chief commander of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Legend Chapter 283 ¡¸Haaaahh-, don¡¯t, don¡¯t underestimate me!¡¹ Slash-! A sword as tall as his body . Wielding such a huge sword, which would be better called a great sword than a longsword, the old man gave a shout as he split the face of the boar-headed enemy in front of him . At first glance, he looked like an Orc, but the only thing that resembled an Orc was his face . Something like a beetle¡¯s shell covered his arm like armour and two tentacles grew from either side of his body . Looking at him, he wasn¡¯t really something you could call an Orc . In addition, there were all kinds of strange beings around him, people that could only be called the children of monsters . The old man adjusted his breath as he looked at the dead person he had just split in half . ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­I didn¡¯t expect them to ambush us from behind the main army . What method did they use to get behind us? I¡¯m sure we scouted out the area properly . ¡¹ Leaning on his great sword, the old man¡­¡­Count Arius, commander of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s Royalist army, muttered to himself as he adjusted his breath . ¡¸At this rate, they will take all the credit . I had decided to move to the battlefield since we couldn¡¯t allow that, but¡­¡­I didn¡¯t expect this to happen . ¡¹ He looked around and saw the people he had brought fighting against the deformed enemies . The deformed soldiers had high individual strength, but were mostly poor in coordinating with each other, probably due to their different forms . It was Count Arius¡¯ thoughts that if those monsters didn¡¯t have such a weakness, he and his soldiers would all be dead already . (¡­¡­I didn¡¯t expect them to abandon me that easily . It seems I¡¯m not very liked among the nobility . No, it¡¯s not unreasonable considering what I¡¯ve done up until now . ) Count Arius thought to himself . As soon as enemy had taken him by surprise from the rear, he had shut out all thoughts of the Royalist nobles who had scattered around him . Count Arius thought that if he could hold out a while longer, the troops he had sent to the front line would return and he would be able to handle the situation, but he quickly shook his head . It was not time to think about such an uncertain future, but to think about how to overcome the predicament of the present . At that moment¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh, Count Arius . You seem to be alive and well . ¡¹ It must have been a fierce battle . His blade was dyed with blood and the armour he wore was coated in a large amount of blood as he approached Arius with a bitter smile . ¡¸Siminar? It looks like you¡¯re also safe . ¡¹ With a stern expression on his face, Arius turned to look at the person, who was also from the Royalist faction . In terms of age, he was less than half his own age, but Arius acknowledged his ability . That was why he had allowed Siminar to participate in this war . However, Siminar¡¯s ability was only at the level where he could achieve some merits . He had never expected this situation to happen . ¡¸Yes . But these guys¡­¡­what do you think? As for me, I think they are the Demon Soldiers from the rumours I heard in the Royal Capital . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I suppose so . I¡¯ve only heard rumours, but they are just as strange as what was described in them . ¡¹ Of course, the Royalists had a hold of the information that came from Gilm . However, because he had never actually seen a Demon Soldier, he didn¡¯t think too deeply about the story and judged that Margrave Rowlocks had just made it up to hide his blunders . Originally, Cordo, the crab like Demon Soldier, and Minas, the one with many tentacles growing from his body, had been caught by Rei in Gilm . However, because a higher importance had been placed on Postguerra in terms of security, the two Demon Soldiers had been killed during a lapse in vigilance . Then, when they died, they melted away like ice in the sunlight, burying their existence in the darkness . If there had been any bodies left, the Royalists might have taken the Demon Soldiers more seriously . ¡¸Even if we didn¡¯t believe all the information from Margrave Rowlocks, we should probably have placed more importance on it . ¡¹ At those words spoken with a sigh, Arius picked up his great sword that he had stuck into the ground and readied himself . That was because he had seen several Demon Soldiers heading for him . ¡¸Even if you say that now, there is no use . Any how, now is the time to survive here . If we do that, the fools who didn¡¯t provide me the important information and those who followed me just to collect a share of the credit will get what they deserve . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In this war, only Count Arius would have been able to gather so many people . ¡¹ Siminar also held his longsword as he waited for the Demon Soldiers approaching them . As far as the surroundings were concerned, there was no doubt they were being pushed back in strength . But next to him was the Chief Commander of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . If this ambitious, but war savvy, person was defeated, the soldiers, nobles and knights would flee as if they were chased by an avalanche . If that happened, the defeat of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army in this war would be decided and the Bestir Empire¡¯s army would reach into the heart of the Mireana Kingdom . ¡¸Seriously, I can only say that this is an unexpected development!¡¹ Siminar swung his sword towards a female Demon Soldier that had poisonous flowers growing from her head . However, the plant-like Demon Soldier avoided the attack by shifting the roots growing from her lower body without actually moving her main body . At the same time, she swung an ivy vine with many thorns with her right hand . Her arm, which was more appropriate to call a whip at this point, swung forward and wrapped around Siminar¡¯s sword blade, stopping it from moving . Siminar, who had been holding his sword with both hands, had now lost his means of attack as his opponent grew a second thorny whip from her left hand . ¡¸Ara~, you¡¯re a nice guy . ¡¹ ¡¸I would like to thank you for the compliment, but not in a place like this . ¡¹ ¡¸Really? It¡¯s because this is a battlefield that we can show each other our true faces that we normally wouldn¡¯t show, right? Now then, receive my embrace . I¡¯ll show you a taste of heavenly comfort . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re not my type . I¡¯ll have to decline . ¡¹ ¡¸Ara~ ara~, you shouldn¡¯t embarrass a woman like tha¡­¡­t~!¡¹ Along with that shout, a thorny whip grew out from her left hand and stretched forward¡­¡­ Siminar let go his hand from his sword and leapt back in a hurry . ¡¸Ufufu~, you¡¯re quite impatient . Watch, the next one is coming, so avoid this properly, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ku-!¡¹ Siminar pulled out a dagger from his waist and managed to deflect the whip that was swung at him . However, he wasn¡¯t unharmed as the clothes on his lower body not covered by armour was torn and he was scratched by the thorns . Still, he had blocked the thorny whip and it was far from a fatal injury . He looked towards Arius, where he saw the great sword bury itself into the head of a ant-faced Demon Soldier . (He¡¯s strong) That was the impression he left on Siminar¡¯s mind . ¡¸Ara~ ara~, don¡¯t look at other people instead of me . Don¡¯t be embarrassed because of a woman¡­¡­ . you see, it¡¯s almost time for you to stop moving because of my charm, you know?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Siminar finally realised his current situation at the words of the female Demon Soldier . His arms, legs and body¡­¡­all his movements felt sluggish . ¡¸This¡­¡­what the hell did you do¡­¡­?¡¹ Even his mouth felt sluggish and he wasn¡¯t able to speak normally . While grinning at Siminar, the female Demon Soldier approached as she moved the tree-like roots that grew from her lower body . Of course, those seemingly impatient movements didn¡¯t actually mean the woman was in a hurry . It was just an act to toy around with Siminar . ¡¸I carved my charm onto your body . ¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ In response to the woman¡¯s words, he quickly moved his head, which he could still manage to move, and looked at his own body . The clothes on his lower body, which hadn¡¯t been covered by a suit of armour, had been torn by the thorny whip and some blood was bleeding out . ¡¸Impossible¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Ara~, so you understand? That¡¯s right . My whip has the ability to inject my charm . ¡¹ ¡¸Poison . ¡¹ ¡¸Ara~ ara~, you¡¯re a bad boy . I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s my charm . I¡¯m going to have to punish you for being such a bad boy¡­¡­right?¡¹ With a cruel smile, she raised her arm and flung out her whip again . ¡¸Make some nice cries¡­¡­okay?¡¹ With those words, the whip was swung down at Siminar . Slash-! ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ A stunned voice was heard . It wasn¡¯t from Siminar, who had almost been struck by both whips extending from the woman¡¯s arms, but the owner of the whips . ¡¸When I heard that there had been an ambush, I didn¡¯t expect to find you in this situation . ¡¹ Saying that, she withdrew he magic power from the weapon she swung out as it turned back into a longsword . A sharp beauty that gave out an aura of her strong will as her blonde hair shone under the sunlight . Of course, Siminar, who had fallen to the ground unable to move, knew who the person was . ¡¸G-General Princess . ¡¹ ¡¸Siminar-dono, it looks like it was quite the close call¡­¡­though I can¡¯t really say that . ¡¹ Elena looked at him for a moment before saying that . Elena immediately turned to look at the female Demon Soldier, but her dignified beauty had already been strongly engraved in Siminar¡¯s mind . Of course, he knew that Elena was beautiful . At the same time, she was a symbol of the Nobles faction, known for her beauty, fame and achievements in war . However, this was the first time he had actually seen Elena as the General Princess on the battlefield . (This¡­¡­this certainly explains why the soldiers have so much faith in her . ) Even though his own life had just gone through a crisis, he was still distracted by the overwhelming charisma and beauty of the person standing in front of him . (No, or maybe it¡¯s because their lives are in danger that they are attracted to someone they can entrust their life to?) While Siminar was thinking that to himself, the battle between the female Demon Soldier and Elena was about to begin . ¡¸I was the first to see him . And now you¡¯re going to snatch him way . What kind of homewrecker are you?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯m a homewrecker or not, but I¡¯m not about to let you kill him . ¡­¡­If you leave quietly, how about I let you go?¡¹ Elena said that while wielding her sword whip . However, the female Demon Soldier just snickered at her as she struck the ground with both her whips . ¡¸Ha, if you can joke like that, then that¡¯s good enough for me . Looking at you, you¡¯re the one they call the General Princess, right? I can only say I¡¯m lucky for such an important person to come here alone . ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, I¡¯m the only one here facing you right now . But¡­¡­I don¡¯t remember saying that I was the only one on this battlefield . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What do you mean?¡¹ The woman looked around in a hurry at the words of the person before her . As she did that, the first thing she saw was a Demon Soldier with a turtle shell have his shell smashed in by a large battle axe . ¡¸Impossible!? His offensive power aside, he should have great defensive power . Even so, he was killed in a single attack!?¡¹ ¡¸Now that she has the Power Axe, Ara is probably one of the highest ranking in the Mireana Kingdom when it comes to raw attack strength . And, of course, each of my subordinates are extremely capable, you know?¡¹ As Elena had said, her guards were scattered across the battlefield, rushing to rescue the Royalist soldiers, including Arius¡¯ men . Since they had been entrusted with the responsibility of guarding Elena, they had no problems in their ability to fight solo or in groups . They were able to fight a large number of Demon Soldiers and somehow evenly match them . Fortunately at this time, the Demon Soldiers were scattered all over the place . In the beginning, the number of Demon Soldiers that had been transferred over for the ambush was only 500 . And, those 500 had scattered around to try to find Arius, the Chief Commander of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . It so happened that the nobles who saw the strength of the Demon Soldiers during the ambush and scattered ended up serving as decoys as most of the Demon Soldiers chased after them . And since most of the Demon Soldiers had chased after the fleeing nobles, the actual number of Demon Soldiers who were fighting Arius only numbererd around 50 . There were only very few Royalist nobles left, including Siminar and his subordinates . That said, with Elena¡¯s own strength and her knight guard that were able to rush over as well as limiting the scope of fighting to this battlefield, they were able to match evenly in terms of power . ¡¸I guess it¡¯s true that they are competent . But I wonder what will happen when their leader, the General Princess, is gone!¡¹ The woman screamed as she swung both whips on her arms . The tips easily exceeded the speed of sound and was accompanied by a shock wave as she attacked Elena . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Naive-!¡¹ A flash of the magic empowered sword whip, which was swung with that shout, easily cut off the tips of the whips . Both at the same time . ¡¸Eh?¡¹ That event must have been unexpected . Elena gave a sharp shout as she looked at the stunned woman . ¡¸Get out of my range!¡¹ At those words alone, they must have understood what Elena wanted to do . Her knight guards forcibly pulled the nearby Royalist soldiers back to take some distance from Elena . At the moment the Demon Soldiers were taken aback by their actions¡­¡­ ¡ºManifest, power of the Ancient Dragons!¡» With that short incantation, explosive magic power poured out from Elena¡¯s body, forming an illusory Dragon¡¯s head, 5m tall, behind her . ¡¸Hii-!¡¹ Even though it was an illusion, the power that could be felt from it was overwhelming and legs of all the Demon Soldiers gave out immediately . The female Demon Soldier who had been fighting Elena until just before had the same reaction and was unable to move . ¡ºLaser Breath!¡» And, as those words were released from Elena¡¯s mouth, a breath of light was spat out from the illusory Dragon¡­¡­ The next moment, more than 20 Demon Soldiers in path of the beam disappeared instantly . ¡¸Haah, huh, huh¡­¡­it¡¯s really hard to use . ¡¹ Dragon language magic was only supposed to be usable by Dragons . A part of its strength had been shown here . The soldiers of the Mireana Kingdom that saw that turned to look at Elena with a mix of awe and admiration, as if she were a goddess from myth . About 10m away from where that had all happened, Arius, who was breathing heavily after just cutting apart a Demon Soldier with the face of a tiger and the tail of a monkey, looked at Elena with a slight frown . Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Legend Chapter 284 The battle between the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire on the Selemus Plains . In terms of the exhaustion of their forces, far more damage had been dealt to the Bestir Empire, whose vanguard had been half destroyed . The Bestir Empire had also launched an ambush from behind the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s main army using transition stones and Demon Soldiers . But the Royalists, who had seen the power of the fire whirl with their own eyes and was worried that all the credit would go to the Neutral and Nobles factions had headed for the battlefield . Because of that, they had fortunately not suffered any fatal damage from the ambush . Although they had suffered some losses, the damage taken by the Bestir Empire was overwhelmingly greater as far as the bigger picture was concerned . That said¡­¡­speaking of the advantages and disadvantages in this war, although they hadn¡¯t caused much damage, it was safe to say that the Bestir Empire forces that had ambushed Arius, the chief commander of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army, was at an overwhelming advantage¡­¡­ If Theorem, who was currently leading the Demon Soldiers, had been the chief commander of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, the Mireana Kingdom might have been at a greater advantage considering the overall losses as the two chief commanders fought each other . However, although Theorem was one of the greatest generals in the Bestir Empire, he was just one of many generals . Because of that, it was still clear that the Mireana Kingdom was at a disadvantage as the Bestir Empire¡¯s chief commander was still completely unharmed in their main army headquarters . ¡¸¡­¡­What the hell is going on now?¡¹ Theorem muttered to himself as he calmed his warhorse . Next to him, Cyanus looked around as she also calmed the warhorse she was riding . Just a few seconds ago, the two of them had been running on their warhorses in search of Count Arius, their target on the battlefield, followed by 50 Demon Soldiers when something suddenly appeared on the battlefield . It was the head of a Dragon . yes, there was no body, just the head¡­¡­yet, that contradictory existence made them feel a sense of overwhelming fear, even though it was only illusory . Opening it¡¯s mouth with sharp fangs, a flash of light came out from it as it tore through the ground . At the same time, the blast reached Theorem, who was several kilometres away from where the light beam had occurred, sending the warhorses that Theorem and Cyanus had been riding on into a state of panic . Fortunately, only one beam of light had been emitted from that illusory Dragon, so they were successful in calming their warhorses . That said, it was still the first time that their warhorses, that had been bred with magic, had entered such a panicked state . It was the first time Theorem and Cyanus had ever seen that happen, despite having experienced many battlefields . Furthermore¡­¡­ ¡¸Theorem-sama . ¡¹ Theorem looked around at his aide¡¯s whisper . What he saw was the sight of some of the Demon Soldiers somehow enduring their fear . No, those that could endure it were already doing better . Some had fallen to the ground, literally curling their tails around themselves . ¡¸I didn¡¯t think that even from such a distance it would instinctively cause the Demon Soldiers to be scared . ¡¹ Theorem¡¯s first thought as he muttered those words was, of course, the extraordinary person who had managed to tame a Griffon . So far, all the information he had heard pointed to the fact that Rei like to use fire magic . Of course, he knew that Rei could use magic other than fire magic . He had seen Rei use wind magic to create an air slash, and above all, create that disastrous tornado that had still been raging until a short time ago . (But it¡¯s not the same?) He thought for a few seconds before shaking his head . The magic that had just been used belonged to light magic . Theorem had no information that Rei had used light magic before . That said, the only reason why he couldn¡¯t be completely certain was because he had just seen such a magic used . ¡¸Theorem-sama, what do we do? If we keep going like this¡­¡­¡¹ When Cyanus called out to Theorem, he looked around at the Demon Soldiers . There were still a few of them on the ground, but most of them had recovered from their shock . However, if he gave the order to move towards where the Dragon head had appeared, they would probably be fearful . Of course, they wouldn¡¯t refuse¡­¡­no, rather they couldn¡¯t . But with their morale so low, he wouldn¡¯t be able to expect much from their combat power, which was the greatest strength of the Demon Soldiers . (It looks like it¡¯s necessary to raise morale . ) Theorem spoke as he looked towards the Demon Soldiers around him . ¡¸Listen, you are the strongest in our Bestir Empire . And because of that, you offered yourselves up and abandoned your former appearance . Then don¡¯t be afraid . Because you are the strongest swords of our Bestir Empire . Show your strength to those who have blocked our path to the blessings of the sea numerous times . And obtain the blessing of of the sea for your country!¡¹ In this situation, it was fortunate that the Demon Soldiers around him were willing to abandon themselves due to their great loyalty to their homeland, the Bestir Empire . If the Demon Soldiers here had been the ones who were torturing Mireana Kingdom soldiers earlier, they probably wouldn¡¯t have recovered . On this battlefield, there were many who were in such a state . (Of course, this won¡¯t last for long¡­¡­but every minute, every second is precious right now . ) Even though they had become Demon Soldiers, a being more powerful than humans, it wasn¡¯t without drawbacks . Although it was unexpected, it wasn¡¯t all bad because they knew what they had to do next . It was hard to be positive in this situation, but they convinced themselves as they looked back at the direction where the Dragon head had appeared earlier . ¡¸What do you think, Cyanus? Do you think Count Arius is where that Dragon head appeared?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s very likely . Perhaps it¡¯s magic, but I can understand why such a crazy thing would be used if it was to protect the chief commander . ¡­¡­Honestly, going towards a place where there are people who can use that kind of power feels like suicide . ¡¹ ¡¸However, in order to end this war quickly¡­¡­without exhausting too much of our strength, it is best to defeat or capture the enemy¡¯s chief commander . ¡¹ ¡¸Our strength, is it?¡¹ Murmuring those words, Cyanus turned to look at where their main army was . The area where the fire whirl had been present until a short time ago . She couldn¡¯t imagine how powerful it had been, but there was no doubt that it had caused enormous damage to their army . Theorem nodded as well as he looked in the direction of their main army . ¡¸That is why . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Could it be the work of that mage, Rei, who created that fire tornado?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s definitely a possibility . But I think it¡¯s probably someone else . ¡¹ ¡¸May I ask why you think that?¡¹ Cyanus continued her question, knowing that the Demon Soldiers around her were listening . Their morale had returned at Theorem¡¯s previous speech, but he could still tell there was some fear in their eyes . Because of that, it was necessary to give shape to the source of their horror and to conclude that there was no possibility of a second fire tornado used to attack them in the near future . ¡¸I know the person who created the fire tornado . He basically only uses fire magic . Of course, if he wanted to use other attributes, he probably could, but even then, never such powerful light magic . ¡¹ At the words he spoke without any sense of impatience, the fear in the Demon Soldiers gradually faded . This will do for now . Inwardly relieved, Theorem and Cyanus led the Demon Soldiers to where the illusory Dragon head had appeared . The warhorses that had been panicking earlier had settled back down and the Demon Soldiers moved forward as they kept an eye on their surroundings . ¡­¡­Eventually the sound of fighting could be heard . ¡¸¡­¡­Over there . Look, we¡¯re only aiming for Count Arius¡¯ head . Ignore the others . ¡¹ Beyond the battlefield, Theorem turned to speak to the Demon Soldiers following in the trees behind him . Cyanus and the Demon Soldiers nodded at his words . ¡¸Of course, we¡¯re going to kill Count Arius, but it doesn¡¯t matter who takes the credit . Don¡¯t hesitate to ask for assistance if you need, understand?¡¹ ¡¸Theorem-sama knows everything . Everything is within Theorem-sama mind . ¡¹ Cyanus replied to Theorem as he repeated his words . The Demon Soldiers around her nodded in agreement at the same time . ¡¸That is right . Let us go . To end this war, to obtain the sea and to achieve victory . ¡­¡­Soldiers, follow me!¡¹ With those words Theorem¡¯s warhorse started running . And next to him was Cyanus, whose expression barely changed even in this situation, followed by 50 Demon Soldiers . ¡¸Enemies, new Bestir Empire forces have appeared! Everyone be careful!¡¹ One of the knights who saw them approaching quickly shouted out . But in their current situation, they could only barely match the enemy . ¡­¡­No, because the forces on the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s side had been at a disadvantage, there was no way they could cope with the additional forces that Theorem had brought with him . In the first place, they had been at an overwhelming disadvantage until Elena and her knights had rushed over to reinforce them . Aside from Elena¡¯s reinforcements, the main army was already on its way to the vanguard while the forces of the other nobles had scattered everywhere . The result of all that was their current situation where the faces of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s soldiers were dyed with despair . The total number of enemies wasn¡¯t that high, no matter how you estimated, it was only around 200 . However, each of them was a strange monster that had the strength to fight 10 to 20 people by themselves . It would take nearly 30 soldiers attacking in waves without rest to defeat one . They had such strength . It was no wonder that they would despair when 50 more of such monsters with tremendous power appeared . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t panic! Focus your strength to stop the enemy¡¯s advance first! Archers and mages support from behind! Ara, I¡¯m heading to the front! Please follow me!¡¹ Elena¡¯s voice spread throughout the battlefield . It was a battlefield where more than 1000 people were present, but for some reason, her voice echoed unmistakably through all the noise . And that voice succeeded in connecting the feelings of the soldiers, knights and adventurers who were about to lose themselves in despair . ¡¸Yes, the General Princess is with us!¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama has repelled the invasions of the Bestir Empire many times . She will win this time as well!¡¹ ¡¸For the General Princess!¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama, Elena-sama, Elena-sama!¡¹ One sentence . With just one sentence, the morale of the soldiers, that had fallen to the bottom, suddenly rose . Her beauty and charisma may have had some influence, but above all, the soldiers¡¯ enthusiasm came from her history of defeating the Bestir Empire¡¯s army many times before . ¡¸¡­¡­I will follow you . ¡¹ However, Ara, who was standing beside Elena simply nodded at her orders as she looked at her superior anxiously . At first glance, Elena looked the same as usual, but her face showed the faint colour of fatigue . She was very worn out from her use of Dragon Language magic, which she was still learning, and the continuous combat against the Demon Soldiers that followed . However, Elena was only able to deal with the Demon Soldiers after using such an attack . If Elena and her knight guards hadn¡¯t been here, the war would have ended by now with Arius being decapitated or captured . Considering that there were already more than 10 dead Demon Soldiers spread around Elena and that the Laser Breath she had cast using Dragon Language magic had killed more Demon Soldiers than that, this battlefield could be said to only be held in balance due to Elena¡¯s own strength . Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that the others weren¡¯t strong . Ara used her Power Axe to slash through bodies, necks, limbs and other parts of Demon Soldiers, dealing deadly blows to the Demon Soldiers who prided themselves on their hard scales, shells or crustacean bodies . Her physical strength, which used to be her weakness, was no longer a problem due to the stamina recovery of the Power Axe . There was also Arius, who was cleaving through Demon Soldiers with his great sword, and Siminar, who had recovered from the poison and was now using his swordsmanship that focused on speed to deal with the Demon Soldiers . Even so¡­¡­even if Elena and her subordinates were playing an active role, they couldn¡¯t deal with the strength and numbers of the Demon Soldiers . Several people had already started to fall, like teeth missing from a comb, as they managed to inspire themselves to continue supporting the front . But then 50 new Demon Soldiers appeared . Leading them was one of the few humans within the ambushing force, that was mostly made up of Demon Soldiers . Elena knew his title . Just as as the title of General Princess was well known, the title of this man was also well known . ¡¸Flash, Theorem Enerji¡¹ Muttering his name, Elena called her own horse over and moved with Ara to confront the force lead by Theorem before his name demoralised the soldiers of the Mireana Kingdom . Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Legend Chapter 285 Theorem, who was leading the Demon Soldiers, went straight towards his goal, Count Arius. It was then natural that Elena, the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s greatest present force, would obstruct him. Her appearance was dignified, noble and beautiful. Even the Demon Soldiers following Theorem couldn¡¯t help but admire her. Her beauty that bloomed gorgeously on the battlefield was what made her the General Princess. (No. As her title of General Princess suggests, it is only on the battlefield that her beauty shows?) Theorem muttered to himself as he saw the distance to the Flower of the Battlefield shorten as he rode on his warhorse. However, he immediately got rid of those thoughts in his mind, raised his sword and called out to the Demon Soldiers who were admiring Elena. ¡¸I will take on the General Princess! All others disregard me and aim for Count Arius! Cyanus, I¡¯ll leave the commands to you.¡¹ Normally, it would be a bad idea for a general to hand over the command of a unit and to fight himself. However, it was also true that he was the only one who could deal with Elena, the General Princess. For a moment, he considered leaving some Demon Soldiers behind to slow Elena down. But Theorem knew that it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Elena to deal with 10-20 Demon Soldiers. If he really wanted to stop Elena, he would only be able to do it if he sent all 50 Demon Soldiers he currently led. If he did that, he would run out of people to deal with Count Arius. Considering that, he decided to go out and hold down Elena himself. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to worry too much about commanding the Demon Soldiers as he had Cyanus, his lieutenant. Passing on his instructions, Cyanus, who was riding beside Theorm, showed some hesistation. ¡¸Theorem-sama has no choice but to deal with the General Princess. But in that case, what will we do with her?¡¹ In the corner of Cyanus¡¯ eyes, she saw Ara straddling a warhorse and holding a large battle axe beside Elena. In this battlefield, where physical exhaustion was rife, only one person showed no signs of fatigue due to the effect of the Power Axe as she stood beside her superior. ¡¸¡­¡­Ara? Come to think of it, she was still in the Knights.¡¹ Vel Sails had betrayed Elena¡¯s Knight guard and turned to their side. He had told them that he had killed Kuust Brassin. However, he had also told them that he had failed to kill Ara, who could be considered Elena¡¯s right hand aide. Turning to look at Ara, Theorem made and instant decision and told his lieutenant. ¡¸It is unfortunate, but we can¡¯t leave the Demon Soldiers with no commander. We will leave 5 Demon Soldiers to hold her here.¡¹ ¡¸Yes sir.¡¹ Originally, she had wanted to stay and fight near Theorem. Killing those thoughts, Cyanus quickly gave orders to the Demon Soldiers running behind her. ¡¸You 5 over there. You guys deal with the one with the large battle axe. Remember, she has extraordinary strength as a human, so don¡¯t fight her straight up. Do your best to buy us time until we take down Count Arius.¡¹ The 5 Demon Soldiers nominated by Cyanus nodded without question at her order. There was some dissatisfaction at being told to focus on buying time against a single woman as they had become Demon Soldiers for the purpose of gaining strength, even at the cost of losing their human figures. However, they nodded obediently because they knew that, as Theorem¡¯s lieutenant, Cyanus¡¯ judgement was accurate. Deciding on their strategy, the distance between the two forces narrowed¡­¡­and eventually, the two collided head on. ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ The sword whip, which was swung with great spirit, changed from a long sword to a whip with Elena¡¯s magic power as it drew a curved trajectory, cutting through the sky as it tried to pierce itself into Theorem¡¯s body. As for Elena, she knew that she was the only one who could stop Theorem, who was leading the enemy force. As a result, oddly enough, the two of them ended up facing off in single combat. ¡¸I won¡¯t let you do that-!¡¹ Theorem flicked away the tip of the sword whip, that drew a complex trajectory as it came towards him, with his own sword as they faced off at close range. ¡¸The General Princess is as beautiful as ever. A beautiful flower is bound to have thorns on its sides though.¡¹ ¡¸Then why don¡¯t you have a taste of those thorns?¡¹ While exchanging words, they swung their swords at each other, cleaving and stabbing as they tried to avoid, parry or block the other¡¯s attacks. The General Princess and the Flash. Of course, this was not the first time the two from the Mireana Kingdom and Bestir Empire, which had been hostile for many years, had met. Up until now, they had crossed blades many times. And for that reason, they could read each other¡¯s attacks to some extent, giving Elena the advantage. Although she had exhausted a lot of her stamina in the previous battle by using Dragon Language magic and fighting numerous Demon Soldiers, she was able to demonstrate notable strength due to her higher physical strength after undergoing the Inheritance Ritual. Because of that, Theorem guessed that Elena¡¯s exhaustion was almost negligible and fought cautiously, allowing Elena to recover her stamina slowly as she fought with her sword. ¡¸Haaaaaah-!¡¹ At the same time as that violent clash of swords and words, a short distance away, Ara swung her Power Axe sideways with a loud shout. If she hit, she would have definitely torn them apart. ¡­¡­No, rather, she would have crushed them. However, the 5 Demon Soldiers realised that as they focused on dodging and staying clear of her attacks. ¡¸Cyanus-sama ordered the 5 of us to face you.¡¹ A Demon Soldier covered in a crustacean shell had cold sweat as he heard the sound of an axe slashing through the air. Even though he was confident in his own defence, he didn¡¯t think he could withstand such a blow. ¡¸But, don¡¯t think that you can actually take on 5 of us!¡¹ A Demon Soldier, whose arms had turned into those of a bear, closed the distance to Ara, who had just missed her attack. ¡¸It¡¯s a trap!¡¹ A female Demon Soldier with snake scales all over her body shouted. However, it was too late by the time the bear Demon Soldier noticed as the stone axe pommel smashed through his head. ¡¸Gyah-!¡¹ The stone pommel of the Power Axe crushed his eye as it went into his brain. Although he didn¡¯t die instantly due to the vitality of a Demon Soldier, Ara forcibly rotated the shaft of the axe, destroying his brain. As expected, even a Demon Soldier wouldn¡¯t survive after suffering such an injury and he gave a strange cry before collapsing on the spot. ¡¸Idiot, Cyanus-sama just told you to buy time.¡¹ The other Demon Soldiers nodded at the words of the female Demon Soldier with the snake scales as they moved to surround Ara to avoid being overwhelmed. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ ¡¸This? What¡¯s this?¡¹ A Demon Soldier with sharp claws and the lower body of an antelope, that seemed to be capable of high speed burst movements, and a Demon Soldier with the upper body of a lizard and the lower body of a horse, both suddenly spoke. Even their fellow Demon Soldiers couldn¡¯t understand what was happening at first. The reason was that tree roots were growing from the chests of the two that had raised their voices. Then, turning to the source of the tree roots, they saw that the tree roots piercing them had come from the left shoulder of a Demon Soldier with four eyes and a burnt face. The Demon Soldier looked back at them with a distorted smile. ¡¸Ke-kehi. Ara? Hihi, it¡¯s been such a long time, right? How are you doing? I didn¡¯t expect to find you in such a place, I¡¯ve been looking for you. Kehi.¡¹ The man convulsed with a smile. There was little trace of his original face, but Ara immediately knew who it was. After all, he had been with the Knight guards for several years. ¡¸Vel! You, how dare you brazenly show your face in front of Elena-sama!¡¹ Vel gave a happy smile and the angry words that were spat out of Ara¡¯s mouth. ¡¸Kehi. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re doing well. Look at me, see, see this figure. It¡¯s because I failed to assassinate you guys that I became the subject of an experiment. ¡­¡­Well, thanks to that I got this ability-AHHHHHHHHH-!¡¹ At the same time as Vel¡¯s shout, the two Demon Soldiers who had been pierced by the tree roots began to move. Yes, they moved even though the light of life had already left their eyes. ¡¸Tch, what did you do!¡¹ The spear used by the lizard centaur was parried by the axe as Ara used the blade to cut off the claws of another Demon Soldier that were swung at her. However, even though his arm was cut off, her enemy didn¡¯t seem to have any change in expression as he swung the claws on his remaining hand. ¡¸W-What do you mean? Well, if I were to say, they are dead now. Kehi!¡¹ Despite the horrifying behaviour of killing an ally and manipulating their corpse, there was an unmistakable smile of joy on Vel¡¯s burnt face. Including the two eyes on his forehead, the colour of pleasure could be seen in all four of his eyes. However, it was natural that those who had just seen their friends killed by Vel would turn on him angrily. ¡¸Hey, you! What are you doing!¡¹ The first person to shout out was the female Demon Soldier with the snake scales. She forcibly grabbed Vel by the shoulder, who was manipulating the corpses pierced by the tree roots, and turned him around¡­¡­ ¡¸Shut up, shut up, shut uppppp-!¡¹ ¡¸Gah-!¡¹ A newly grown tree root extended from his left shoulder as it pierced into the eyes of the female Demon Soldier with snake scales and covered her body. The female Demon Soldier with the snake scales gave a dull scream before dying immediately and moving towards Ara in a flurry of footsteps. ¡¸Damn it, he¡¯s crazy!¡¹ The beetle Demon Soldier, who was the only one still alive, glared at Vel abominably. However, he couldn¡¯t release his anger. If he did that, it was clear that he would also become Vel¡¯s puppet. ¡¸Vel!¡¹ Even though her standpoint was different, Ara also shouted at Vel angrily. Of course, the Demon Soldiers were her enemies, and if they had fought properly, it was highly possible she would have killed them with her own hands. However, she couldn¡¯t forgive Vel for killing them for fun and humiliating their corpses. ¡¸Kehi-kehihihihihihi-¡¹ Laughing at Ara mockingly, Vel launched his attack on her using the Demon Soldiers he had turned into puppets using his tree roots. As expected, they couldn¡¯t move the same as when they had been alive, but because they were dead, they were able to engage in a fierce attack against Ara with reckless movements, not caring about the damage to their bodies. Elena and Theorem, Ara and Vel. In addition to those two, of course, fierce battles were fought in the surrounding area. Soldiers, knights and adventurers attacked in waves against singular Demon Soldiers without rest, finally evening out the battle. Of course, the fiercest fighting was around Count Arius, the chief commander of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army. ¡¸Don¡¯t retreat! If you retreat here, Arius-sama will be defeated! If that happens, this war will be our defeat! So never retreat!¡¹ The knights under Arius shouted as they desperately intercepted the Demon Soldiers attacking them. Under the command of Cyanus, the Demon Soldiers were nothing less than a powerful enemy as they worked together tirelessly. No, rather, you could say that they were strong to the point that they couldn¡¯t be described with just the words powerful enemy. ¡¸Damn it, I won¡¯t let you¡­¡­I won¡¯t let you!¡¹ A knight with a huge metal shield that could cover more than half his body desperately tried to suppress the attacks of a Demon Soldier. He was a knight close to 2m in height and with a strong body. Yet, the Demon Soldier who suddenly appeared to his side easily bypassed his shield as he swung his arm down. The attack from the Demon Soldier, whose arms were both that of a mantis, cut through the knight¡¯s two arms at the elbow. No matter how strong full plate mail was, not even the joints were protected by the armour and it was impossible for the knight to defend against that attack. ¡¸Gyaaaaaaah-!¡¹ The scythe arms swung again to the back of the neck of the screaming man. The next moment, the knight¡¯s head flew up as his body fell to the ground with no head and no arms from the elbow down as blood flowed out. However, a new knight immediately came out to fill the gap of the knight who fell. All to buy a bit more time for reinforcements to arrive. A little further away, an adventurer wielding a sword was fighting against a Demon Soldier with sharp claws. Claws against sword. The adventurer was in an overwhelmingly advantageous position in terms of reach, but he was actually forced on the defensive. The next moment, as he parried the claws swung at him with his sword. ¡¸Ah-!¡¹ The adventurer took a step back with a shout. The next moment, the sharp fangs of the Demon Soldier were thrust into the space where the man¡¯s neck had just been. Yes, for a moment, the Demon Soldier¡¯s neck stretched 2m out. From the fact that the adventurer¡¯s leather armour was torn in several places, you could tell how sharp the Demon Soldier¡¯s fangs were. One by one, their allies collapsed while there was almost no damage to the Demon Soldiers. Furthermore, seeing a gap in the formation protecting Arius, Cyanus quickly threw in a spare Demon Soldier to widen the opening. How long had they been fighting in such a state? It had actually been about 10 minutes, but for the soldiers of the Mireana Kingdom, it had felt like a long fight that had gone for over 2 hours. At this time, many were close to giving up the fight. Roar-! Something fell down from the sky, sending the surrounding Demon Soldiers flying away at the same time. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, it seems I made it in time.¡¹ Rei, who had just sent the Demon Soldiers flying, jumped off Set¡¯s back as he muttered to himself as he held his Death Scythe. His voice echoed mysteriously into the surroundings. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Legend Chapter 286 The first thing that appeared in Rei¡¯s eyes when he landed on the ground was the chaotic melee . No, it wasn¡¯t really a chaotic melee but a desperately fierce battle where the soldiers, knights and adventurers of the Mireana Kingdom were on the verge of defeat against the Demon Soldiers . ¡¸Rei-!¡¹ It was Siminar, who was some distance away from Ara, who raised a joyful cry as he saw Rei, drawing the attention of many Demon Soldiers . While the people around him were only able to survive by dedicating themselves to defence, Siminar, who had now recovered from the Demon Soldier¡¯s poison, had managed to go on the attack and kill several Demon Soldiers . However, as the Demon Soldiers¡¯ commander, Cyanus naturally couldn¡¯t overlook such an enemy who could do that and ordered multiple Demon Soldiers to focus on this risk factor in the battle . As a result, Siminar had no choice but to defend himself . If the battle continued as it was, his loss was assured . Under such circumstances, someone had fallen from the sky and knocked away the Demon Soldiers attacking him, so it was no wonder that he raised a joyful shout . ¡¸Well, it looks like you¡¯re safe . ¡¹ Siminar nodded with rough breaths as Rei approached with his Death Scythe . ¡¸A-Ah . However, if things stay the way they are, we¡¯ll be pushed out . If we could just defeat their commander over there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Their commander?¡¹ Rei looked around at Siminar¡¯s words . His eyes stopped on Cyanus, who was commanding the Demon Soldiers from upon her warhorse . ¡¸Should I kill that woman?¡¹ ¡¸No, not her . That woman is just a lieutenant . The commander of the Demon Soldiers who attacked us is the person held down by the General Princess over there . ¡¹ A momentary longing appeared in Siminar¡¯s eyes without him noticing as he continued . ¡¸Then what do you think we should do? I don¡¯t think it will be an issue to leave it to Elena . ¡¹ Passing through Rei¡¯s mind was the illusory Dragon¡¯s head that had appeared near here previously . When Rei had seen that, he immediately guessed that it was Dragon Language magic and rushed over with Set and found the last line of defence protecting General Arius on the verge of collapse . Rei forcibly knocked away the Demon Soldiers with Set and now faced off against the wary Demon Soldiers led by Cyanus . The reason they were so wary was because of Set, who was a high ranking monster, and because Cyanus had been told by Theorem about the danger of Rei, the person who created the devastating fire whirl . Even the Demon Soldiers didn¡¯t carelessly approach Set after seeing nearly 5 of their companions blasted away . They could feel a sense of overwhelming pressure from the Griffon standing in front of them . ¡¸Cyanus-sama, what do we do?¡¹ A Demon Solider asked for orders quietly, so as to not let Rei hear . But upon being asked, Cyanus frowned slightly . The Griffon in front of them and the extraordinary adventurer who the Griffon followed . She knew how much strength each of them had . After all, Theorem, the Flash, had told her that his chance of winning in a fight was less than 30% . Cyanus honestly felt that there was nothing she could do about Rei . Originally, he was an enemy that would be suppressed by a group of Dragon Knights . The plan had been that Dragon Knights, the most elite soldiers in the army, would be able to hold him down even if they couldn¡¯t defeat him¡­¡­but that plan had been completely destroyed by the fire whirl that had appeared in the centre of their vanguard . (Still, he¡¯s just one adventurer . Can one adventurer do much up against this many people? ¡­¡­No, that would be pointless . If we attacked him with numbers, we won¡¯t be able to reach Count Arius . ) If she tried to hold Rei down, she would have no choice but to send out all the Demon Soldiers with the understanding that they would probably all be killed . But if she did that, Count Arius and his soldiers would be free to move . On the other hand, there was no way she could let someone so abnormal as Rei alone . Cyanus¡¯ face distorted unpleasantly at the dilemma of her current situation . ¡¸Wait for him to move for now . If we fight him straight on, we¡¯ll only suffer needless losses . ¡¹ The Demon Soldier nodded obediently while surprised at his commander¡¯s words . He turned to look at Rei for a moment, to see why his commander was so wary of him¡­¡­but, he couldn¡¯t understand why Set, the Griffon, wouldn¡¯t be the greater threat . Maybe it would have been a different story if he could see magic power . Meanwhile, Rei and Siminar were also discussing what to do next . ¡¸Anyway, even though the General Princess is holding the commander over there, the commander himself is the problem . ¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s the problem?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . Just as Elena-dono is called the General Princess, the commander over there is called Flash . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A general is leading the ambush force? He¡¯s not just a vanguard commander or someone lower down the command line?¡¹ Siminar nodded with a bitter smile at Rei¡¯s doubtful eyes . ¡¸It is said that his title of Flash came from the speed at which his army would strike . That is where his true strength is demonstrated . However, even though he may not be the chief commander, he is still a general level commander . ¡­¡­You understand what I¡¯m saying?¡¹ ¡¸So we can turn this crisis into an opportunity?¡¹ Rei responded to Siminar¡¯s words, that implied that they could kill the enemy commander here . And Siminar, whose intention had been conveyed, nodded as he continued . ¡¸You being here is just overkill . Even considering guarding Count Arius, you can leave that to Set . You should join the General Princess and defeat the Flash . ¡­¡­Is that okay?¡¹ While discussing, Siminar turned to Arius to ask for permission . Arius had a somewhat uncomfortable expression on his face at the plan to leave him behind, but in the end he nodded in silence and accepted Siminar¡¯s proposed plan . For Arius, that was an unavoidable choice . Originally, the war plan had been to exhaust the Neutral and Noble forces . But when the war actually started, the two factions had destroyed the Bestir Empire¡¯s vanguard with barely any losses . At the same time, his Royalist army, which should have been safe, was scattered by the enemy¡¯s surprise attaack . The current situation, where he had blundered in his attempts to earn credit for the war, was nothing more than the worst situation for Arius . However, if he could defeat the famous Theorem here, the Flash, he would be seen as decoy that had lured the enemy into their trap . Of course, the truth was very different, but it was also true that looking at it objectively, that level of implausibility could be ignored by the Royalist factions influence . If he followed Siminar¡¯s plan, Rei would receive the greatest credit for defeating the Flash, but it was still far better than being branded a defeated general . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s fine . I will draw the attention of the Demon Soldiers so that you can attack the Flash . ¡¹ With orders from the chief commander, there was nothing Rei could say otherwise . Regardless of his ability, Rei was currently just and adventurer employed as a mercenary . ¡¸Set, I¡¯ll leave this to you . If those Demon Soldiers attack us from the sides, show them what you can do as a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, Set used his sharp gaze to intimidate the Demon Soldiers led by Cyanus . Because they had been talking quietly, Cyanus was unable to tell what Rei and Siminar had discussed . However, she knew that the stalemate was coming to and end . With that in mind, Cyanus gave visual signals to her Demon Soldiers to stay alert . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Go!¡¹ With Siminar¡¯s shout, Rei dashed forward with the Death Scythe in his hands as he went towards Cyanus . ¡¸-!? Get ready to stop them!¡¹ Rei had decided to fight them alone . Cyanus, who had misunderstood Siminar¡¯s strategy, gave a sharp shout . Following her orders, the Demon Soldiers formed a ring around Cyanus, their commander . But . ¡¸Eh?¡¹ However, the next moment, Cyanus raised a voice of surprise from within the ring . Her expression was unbelievable to anyone who knew the usually calm Cyanus . In fact, some of the Demon Soldiers turned to look at her involuntarily . Rei rang around the ring protecting Cyanus with his Death Scythe in hand . Cyanus was shocked to see him run off, but the next moment, she realised what¡­¡­no, who was in the direction Rei had run towards as her expression tightened . ¡¸Theorem-sama!¡¹ With a loud shout, Cyanus tried to turn her warhorse around on reflex . ¡¸GUURURURURURURUU-!¡¹ In response, Set gave a loud cry to restrain her . ¡¸I see . So they¡¯ve chosen that method? That is really hard to deal with¡­¡­¡¹ Using the Griffon to stop them here and taking the opportunity to defeat their commander, Theorem . By the time Cyanus saw through Siminar¡¯s plan, it was too late for her to chase after Rei . If she turned back here to chase after Rei, the Griffon and Count Arius would then chase after her . (No, if it was just Count Arius alone, it wouldn¡¯t matter . But that Griffon is going to block all the actions of the Demon Soldiers . What do I do¡­¡­all of us, should we prepare for a battle of attrition and join back up with Theorem-sama? No, the Griffon is far from tired and it¡¯s more likely we¡¯ll all be killed rather than wear them out . I should have brought more Demon Soldiers . ) Even though the superior she admired was in danger, she clenched her teeth knowing that she had no choice but to remain calm . Only a few minutes ago, they had been at an overwhelming advantage . However, with only one move, an adventurer with a tamed Griffon had struck and nullified their strength . The fact that Rei was so unreasonably strong made Cyanus grit her teeth as she stared at Set . While Cyanus was gritting her teeth, Rei kept running in a straight line in the direction Siminar had pointed him in as he held his Death Scythe . If he saw any Demon Soldiers fighting members of the Mireana Kingdom army, he would slice through them with the Death Scythe as he passed by . His actions were like an angel of death, but thanks to that, not few Demon Soldiers were killed or injured and many members of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army were able to survive somehow . He kept running towards where Elena should have been fighting the enemy commander, they had probably moved around as they fought . They seemed to have left this battlefield as he couldn¡¯t see Elena¡¯s characteristic blonde hair anywhere even as he looked around . As he looked around while running rapidly, he suddenly saw a familiar person . It wasn¡¯t Elena, but Elena¡¯s aide . Rei could see her wielding a large battle axe as she fought multiple Demon Soldiers . ¡¸Alright!¡¹ If that person was Ara, then she would definitely know where Elena would be fighting . Deciding on that, Rei went towards the Demon Soldier that Ara was fighting with the Death Scythe in hand . (¡­¡­What?) Rei felt uncomfortable as he approached the place where Ara was fighting . The Demon Soldiers that were fighting her felt sluggish and there were tentacles growing from their body . He could see that the tentacles seemed to be connected to another Demon Soldier at a distance . For a moment, Rei had a sense of deja vu, but discarded those thoughts and he went towards Ara . With a slash of the Death Scythe from behind, he attacked the Demon Soldier who was using tentacles to control the other Demon Soldiers¡­¡­ Slash-! ¡¸Kehi!?¡¹ The Demon Soldier¡¯s torso was split in half, top and bottom, and fell to the ground as he tried to approach Ara . Fortunately, the Demon Soldiers who were fighting Ara collapsed to the ground as soon as Rei slashed the Demon Soldier with the Death Scythe . (Tentacles? No, tree roots?) Momentarily turning to look at the Demon Soldiers who had fallen to the ground, he hurried over to Ara, who appeared dazed . ¡¸Ara, can you see where Elena is fighting?¡¹ ¡¸E-Eh? A little earlier, I saw a sword whip being used over there¡­¡­ah um, Rei-dono? Do you know who you killed¡­¡­just then?¡¹ As soon as Rei heard Ara¡¯s response, he immediately ran in the direction she pointed in . Seeing him leave, Ara turned to look back at her former companion who had been split in half at the torso with a shocked expression . ¡¸¡­¡­You were once our companion . Such a pitiful end . ¡¹ Ara¡¯s sad voice echoed out on this now quiet battlefield . Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Legend Chapter 287 Vel¡¯s torso was cut in half and fell to the ground . As Ara looked at him, she suddenly glanced around anxiously . She could only see four Demon Soldiers who had fallen to the ground and were no longer moving . Yes, even though there had initially been five Demon Soldiers, only four had been killed an controlled by Vel . ¡¸The last one is¡­¡­¡¹ Murmuring as she looked around, she could only see others fighting Demon Soldiers in the distance . Especially in this area where Ara had been fighting, she could see many of Elena¡¯s knight guard . No matter where she looked, there was no one left . That wasn¡¯t surprising as Vel could have killed him if he stayed nearby . The beetle Demon Soldier had already left this place . After that, while he was heading back to Cyanus to report what Vel had done, he encountered Rei, who has split his body in half, just like Vel . ¡¸¡­¡­He was once a knight guard . ¡¹ ¡¸Ara-sama!¡¹ As Ara muttered her own thoughts about Vel¡¯s end, someone called out to her from behind . Ara turned around a saw a middle-aged man with blue hair, about 10 years older than her . The man was her deputy commander and handled most of the actual organisation of the Knight Guard on behalf of Ara . That said, he was also a subordinate who didn¡¯t let all that power go to his head . ¡¸It looks like you¡¯re safe, Machen . ¡¹ As expected of her position as Knight Captain . Instead of the tone she used to speak with Elena and Rei, she spoke to Machen in a firm tone . ¡¸Yes . As far as I was able to confirm, there are currently 2 dead and 13 seriously injured among the knight guards . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . 2 dead . ¡¹ With sadness in her eyes, she gave a sigh as she looked at Vel, who was lying on the ground . Following her gaze, Machen noticed the person lying on the ground with his body split in half . ¡¸Vel!? Captain, this is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, this is Vel Sails, our former compatriot . A mere shadow of what he once was . ¡¹ ¡¸So it really is Vel? It, it seems that he has changed a lot . ¡¹ There was no trace of his former self with the tentacle like tree roots extending from his left shoulder and four eyes on his burnt face . Hearing that from his captain, Mechan gave a sigh . ¡¸Honestly, when I heard that Vel had betrayed us, I wanted to kill him with my own hands . But after seeing him like this¡­¡­I¡¯ve lost that feeling . ¡¹ ¡¸That true . Even I, who saw his betrayal with my own eyes, felt only pity when I saw him like this . After all, in his final moments, the person who killed him didn¡¯t even realise who he was and just brushed him aside like trash . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Didn¡¯t you do this? His body is split in two . ¡¹ Ara looked at her deputy with a stern gaze when he unintentionally spoke those words . Of course, she was aware that her strength was extraordinarily high compared to most other people, but as a woman, there were still some things that shouldn¡¯t be said . ¡¸When you say that, I now see what kind of person you usually view me as . But unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t the one who killed Vel . Ironically, it was Rei-dono, the one Vel really hated . ¡¹ ¡¸Speaking of Rei-dono, I believe Elena-sama¡­¡­¡¹ The knowledge of what Elena thought of Rei was also known by Machen, partly because he was the deputy commander of the Knight Guard . Of course, Elena hadn¡¯t told him directly, but Ara had let him know in order to keep the relationship between Rei and Machen friendly . ¡¸It seems he was looking for Elena-sama and happened to end up here . ¡­¡­At that time, when he saw me being attacked by the Demon Soldiers that Vel was controlling, he helped me out . That said, all he did was slice Vel in half from behind with that large scythe . ¡¹ ¡¸A large scythe? From the information I heard from the Rowlocks army, it is definitely a very large scythe . Since he can wield it as if it were an extension of his arm, he must be even stronger than Captain¡­¡­¡¹ As Machen said that, Ara saw something moving in the corner of her eyes . Yes, tree roots were extending out from both halves of Vel¡¯s body and were trying to connect them back together . Seeing that, Ara pushed Machen aside almost on reflex, as he was blocking her path to Vel . Even though she didn¡¯t put much force behind her push, this was still with her strength . Natrually, Machen staggered backwards several meters before falling to the ground . ¡¸Aah-! C-Captain, I don¡¯t know if that made you mad¡­¡­but, I won¡¯t¡­¡­do, huh¡­¡­?¡¹ Wasn¡¯t that punishment a bit overkill for the joke he had just made? He sputtered out those words questioningly, but when he looked up, he saw tree roots wrapped around Ara¡¯s Power Axe . And of course, the source of the tree roots that were wrapped around the Power Axe was Vel, who was still lying on the ground . ¡¸He¡¯s still alive in that state?¡¹ Even though he was shocked, Machen quickly got up from the ground and pulled out the sword sheathed at his waist . ¡¸Captain!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll hold these roots down! Machen, crush his body and head!¡¹ ¡¸Yes sir!¡¹ ¡¸Ke-Kehi, Rei? Did you say Rei? Ah, it was Rei who killed me!¡¹ Even though his body had been split in half, Vel shouted seemingly without a care . The tree roots were growing out from his split torso as they tried to extend and connect with each other . Seeing that, Ara¡¯s face distorted in disgust . ¡¸Vel, have you abandoned even your dignity as a person?!¡¹ ¡¸Kehi, it¡¯s not like I became like this because I wanted to . I failed to assassinate Elena¡­¡­you¡¯re in my way!¡¹ He tried to extend his tree roots to Machen, who was attempting to swing a sword down on his head . But before he could do that, Vel saw Ara, who had torn apart the tree roots holding the Power Axe down, move over and intercept him . ¡¸You who was once our companion . ¡­¡­Rest, in peace!¡¹ With those words, Machen thrust his sword sharply at Vel¡¯s head . Realising that his tree roots wouldn¡¯t be able to block the attack in time, Vel used his right hand, his only human hand, to launch his body into the air . By becoming a Demon Soldier, his physical strength had increased greatly compared to when he had been just a human . Vel¡¯s upper body flew nearly 2m into the air, even though it was only with the strength of his right hand . However¡­¡­Vel was originally someone who fought with his brain . After becoming a Demon Soldier, his thoughts had dulled and he became mentally unstable, reducing the speed of his decision making . Yes, if it had been the old Vel, he would have known what launching his body into the air would mean . ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ Roar-! Swinging the Power Axe, it was an attack made with all the strength she had . In terms of the pure power behind this attack, it would even surpass an attack made by Elena . Vel, whose body was now in mid air, was unable to avoid the attack and could only block it with his tree roots . As a result¡­¡­the large blade of the battle axe swung down right between his four eyes and exploded his head . Brains, bones, flesh, blood and green liquid, which might have been a side effect of becoming a Demon Soldier, splattered everywhere . When Machen saw Vel¡¯s upper body fall to the ground, there was already nothing left above his neck . ¡¸With his head crushed, it shouldn¡¯t be possible for him to regenerate any more . ¡¹ While muttering, Ara frowned unpleasantly at Vel¡¯s upper body, now missing its head, and lower body . ¡¸Just in case . Machen, we¡¯ll crush the rest . I¡¯ll destroy his upper body, I¡¯ll leave his lower body to you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It looks like it would be better to do that . I didn¡¯t think he could still move like that after being cut in half . ¡¹ Pulling out his sword that was stuck in the ground, he turned to look at Vel¡¯s lower body . The tree roots extending from her belly were still moving as if they were still alive even though Vel¡¯s head had been destroyed . ¡¸What was the Bestir Empire thinking when making something like this? ¡­¡­Vel, as our former companion, rest peacefully . ¡¹ Along with those words, he swung his sword down at Vel¡¯s lower body . Next to him, Ara swung her Power Axe at Vel¡¯s upper body, which had lost its head . Vel Sails . Born and raised as the second son of the Viscount Sails family . Over the course of his upbringing, he began to find pleasure in murder, but he never revealed it and even his family never knew . When his entire family defected from the Mireana Kingdom to the Bestir Empire, Vel was seriously injured in the resulting commotion and his body was used in an experiment by an alchemist from the Ministry of Magic to create a Demon Soldier that specialised in vitality . Even though he underwent an experiment with a survival rate as low as 1 in 500, he survived . However, his personality had changed as a result of the experimental process . After that, he served as a Demon Soldier and participated in the ambush operation utilising transition stones in the battle at Selemus Plains . While fighting his former compatriot, Ara, he was casually struck by Rei from behind and his body split in half . However, he managed to survive in that state due to his characteristics as a Demon Soldier that specialised in vitality . In the end, his head was crushed by Ara, finally killing him . ¡¸I don¡¯t know what he was thinking . But this is the result of his own choice . He has to accept the consequences . ¡¹ Briefly saying that, Ara turned to look at her deputy . To Ara, who held Elena¡¯s life as her highest priority, she no longer held any compassion for Vel, who had betrayed Elena . ¡¸Machen, we will support our allies now . We have to preserve the strength of everyone in the knight guard . ¡¹ ¡¸Is Elena-sama okay?¡¹ ¡¸Rei-dono is on his way . There¡¯s no need to worry about Elena-sama any further . ¡¹ For Ara, she considered Rei¡¯s skills to be sufficient to place her absolute trust in . So while it was regretful that she wouldn¡¯t be able to assist Elena, she was certain that Elena would be able to defeat Theorem with Rei¡¯s help . ¡¸Come on, let¡¯s go . Even if we can repel this ambush, the war is not over yet . For now, we have to secure as much strength as we can for Elena-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s going to be hard on my stamina . It must be nice to have that axe, Captain . ¡¹ With wry smiles on their faces, the two headed for the battlefield to help their companions . ¡¸Phew¡­¡­General Princess, your strength has made a lot of progress compared to before . ¡¹ Theorem called out to Elena as he kept his distance, parrying the tip of her sword whip that flew towards him from an unexpected direction . It was no wonder as Theorem, who was called the Flash, was starting to run out of breath while Elena maintained a cool expression as she faced him . ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t know . Haven¡¯t you just gotten weaker instead of me getting stronger? According to the information I heard, it seems you¡¯ve joined the Third Prince¡¯s faction . Have you neglected to train yourself after busying yourself in the power struggle?¡¹ Elena replied as turned her sword whip back into a long sword . However, Elena wasn¡¯t really as at ease as her words suggested . No, in her mind, she was actually surprised by Theorem¡¯s skill . He had been able to match her after she had inherited the power of an Ancient Dragon from the Inheritance Ceremony . Although she wasn¡¯t able to fully use the power she had inherited, her physical strength had still increased considerably compared to before . Her words saying that Theorem¡¯s skills had dulled were just a way to provoke him as he was actually matching her evenly . ¡¸It¡¯s true your skills have definitely gotten better . But that¡¯s not enough to one-sidedly suppress me . In that case, I will just trust in Cyanus to defeat Count Arius and maintain this situation . Because of that, I¡¯ll keep playing with you for a while . ¡¹ Theorem replied again said that as he held his sword on top of his warhorse . Elena knew that aside from the fight between her and Theorem, time was also her enemy . Because of that, her mind was bitter at Theorem¡¯s words . Still, there was nothing she could do as she was the only one that could hold Theorem down on this battlefield . ¡­¡­Yes, until now . ¡¸KYUUUU-!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ A cry that shouldn¡¯t have been heard in the middle of battle echoed out . Theorem looked around quizzically at the sound while Elena smiled . Holding her sword whip, she turned to look in the direction the cry had come from . And as Elena had expected, she saw the person she loved with a small Dragon at his side and a large scythe in his hands . Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Legend Chapter 288 Rei split up with Ara and was running in the direction she had indicated . Regardless that he didn¡¯t feel its weight, Rei stored the Death Scythe away into the Misty Ring as it was getting in the way of his movments as he ran through the grassland . He was looking for the place where Ara had said she had seen a sword whip being used, but with the situation where Ara had been fighting Demon Soldiers, she had been unable to give a more detailed description of the direction . In the midst of all this, as Rei was looking for Elena, he saw a familiar figure appear in his vision . It looked like the figure had found Rei as well . It dived straight to Rei and jumped into his chest . ¡¸Kyu, kyukyu-!¡¹ Yellow gave several cries as if trying to tell him something . However, whether it was Rei or Set, they couldn¡¯t directly communicate with Yellow, who was created with Dragon Language magic . Still, seeing Yellow crying out so desperately, it was clear that something was wrong as Rei called out to Yellow . ¡¸It is Elena?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow nodded without hesitation at Rei¡¯s question and faced the direction he had flown in from . ¡¸I see, is Elena over there? I¡¯ll let you lead the way . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring . As there was a fight awaiting him ahead, he would definitely need a weapon, even if it got in the way of his running . (Even more so since she¡¯s dealing with someone who has a title like herself . ) He spun the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft in his hand as he release Yellow into the sky . ¡¸Yellow, if you¡¯re moving with me, you might suddenly get dragged into battle, so fly to lead the way . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Giving a brief cry in response to Rei, Yellow flapped its short wings and flew into the sky . Seeing that, Rei followed after Yellow . (Title or not, I don¡¯t know how strong he is, but Elena will never lose to him . ) Thinking to himself, Rei dashed forward . As this point, Rei had no idea that he had already earned the title of Crimson because of the fire whirl he had created and his subsequent rampage in the Bestir Empire¡¯s vanguard with the Death Scythe . ¡¸Over there!¡¹ Following Yellow for about 5 minutes, Rei started to hear the sounds of metal clashing against each other from what seemed to be a naturally formed arena . Between the gaps in the trees, Rei could see a sword stretching out like a whip . It was Elena¡¯s sword whip without a doubt . Slipping in between the gaps of the trees, Rei saw Elena facing off against a man on top a warhorse . (So that man is the Flash¡­¡­) They must have noticed Rei entering their fight . The two of them, who had been facing off against each other, turned to look at Rei . ¡¸Rei!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, this is unexpected . ¡¹ The two of them had surprised expressions . However, Elena¡¯s face held joyful surprise while Theorem¡¯s surprise quickly turned into an expression as he had just bitten into a worm . As he looked at their two contrasting expressions, Rei moved forward step by step as he held the Death Scythe . ¡¸¡­¡­Did I keep you waiting?¡¹ ¡¸Then, did you only just arrive?¡¹ Confirming that the other was not injured, they exchanged words in light tones . However, as they conversed, neither of them took their eyes off of Theorem . Whether it was Elena, who had been fighting Theorem up until now, or Rei, who was seeing him for the first time, both were wary of Theorem doing something if they took their eyes off him . That said, Elena understood that their side now held the advantage as she poured magic power into her sword whip and called out to Theorem . ¡¸You were already struggling against just myself . If Rei joins me, you know you stand no chance of winning right? How about you surrender? If you do that, I will guarantee your life . ¡¹ Theorem silently shook his head at Elena¡¯s words . ¡¸Certainly, I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the two of you together . However, you seem to have forgotten that my lieutenant is still leading the Demon Soldiers¡­¡­wait . ¡¹ As Theorem was speaking, he suddenly turned to look at Rei . ¡¸Rei, was it? I was sure you had a Griffon that followed you around . Could I ask¡­¡­where it is?¡¹ ¡¸From the way you¡¯re asking, you probably already know . He¡¯s defending the chief commander . ¡¹ Elena gave a sigh of relief when she heard Rei¡¯s words . She understood that the Demon Soldiers were superior in terms of strength on the battlefield . However, if a Griffon like Set was in the fight, she had no fear that their chief commander would be defeated first . Contrary to Elena, Theorem had a slight frown . It was the only change in his expression that indicated any of his agitation . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Then I can understand your confidence . As expected, with a monster like a Griffon, you¡¯ll definitely be able to protect against Cyanus and the Demon Soldiers . ¡­¡­Well then, why don¡¯t we make a deal?¡¹ ¡¸A deal?¡¹ Rei unintentionally responded at those surprising words . Theorem nodded with a faint smile at Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸That is correct . Fighting any further here will only result in needless casualties . If you weren¡¯t here then we wouldn¡¯t leave, but unfortunately, you¡¯re here . And you have a Griffon . Don¡¯t you think it would be foolish to waste our time here and exhaust our strength?¡¹ Theorem said that lightly . The ambush had been carried out using a large number of extremely expensive transition stones as well as Demon Soldiers, the Bestir Empire¡¯s secret weapon . It was an agonising choice to make, even for Theorem, to withdraw after having prepared so much strength to decide the fate of this war . However, if they spent any more time here, they would only waste their strength as he had said . Since it costed a lot to produce a Demon Soldier, it was a foolish idea to waste them here . The determination to make that decision instantly without hesitation was also a testament to his title of the Flash . But of course, Rei and Elena didn¡¯t see the need to consider Theorem¡¯s proposed deal . ¡¸Why do we have to let you retreat? As you can see, there¡¯s two of us here and just one of you . In this current situation, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to capture or kill you . ¡¹ Rei replied to Theorem as he walked over to Elena step by step . Elena agreed with Rei as she watched to make sure Theorem didn¡¯t make any strange moves . Theorem glanced at the two of them . Despite being in danger of dying, he spoke up with a faint smile . ¡¸It¡¯s true that I was struggling to handle the General Princess . I also won¡¯t be able to win against the two of you . But have you forgotten? I¡¯m the commander that leads the Demon Soldiers . As a result of the process to turn a human into a Demon Soldier, some of them have experienced a sharp decline in ethics and intelligence . However, to prevent the secrets of Demon Soldiers, our trump card, from being stolen by other countries, some measures have been put in place . ¡­¡­That said, this was all done hastily because of the Demon Soldiers that were captured in Gilm . ¡¹ All thanks to you . Although he didn¡¯t voice those words, Rei could tell what Theorem wanted to say to him . ¡¸¡­¡­What have you set up?¡¹ ¡¸What do you think? Maybe I don¡¯t have anything prepared, maybe it will be something fatal . Of course, you are the ones who will decide, not me . But¡­¡­I recommend not regretting your choice . You might kill me, but Count Arius will be killed by the Demon Soldiers¡­¡­how could I not thank you for that?¡¹ He¡¯s bluffing . That was Rei¡¯s first thought . However, he had no evidence and could only base it on his intuition . Set was also close to Count Arius . Even though they hadn¡¯t met for long, the incredibly friendly and sociable noble, Siminar, was also there . But unless they could prove that Theorem was lying, there was nothing they could do to him in that situation . To make matters worse, when Rei and Elena had gone to the dungeon to perform the Inheritance Ceremony, the giant mantis monster, created by the Bestir Empire¡¯s alchemists, that they had fought had disappeared without a trace after they had killed it . They had seen it happen with their own eyes . Because of that, they couldn¡¯t just treat Theorem¡¯s words as some random bluff . ¡¸What do we do? As for me, I think he¡¯s just bluffing as final attempt, but I can¡¯t guarantee that . In the worst case¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Elena frowned slightly . Elena¡¯s guess was that Theorem was lying . However, for the same reasons as Rei, she had no way of proving it . She couldn¡¯t make a careless decision . The two of them spent 30 seconds considering . That time ended up being decisive for Theorem . ¡¸¡­¡­Theorem-sama, are you okay?¡¹ What appeared with those words was a robe wearing mage with the lower body of a spider and the upper body of a human . ¡¸Ah, somehow . By the way, sorry to call you over so early, but can you do something about them? Especially the one with the large scythe . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s impossible . ¡¹ Gilgos replied to Theorem without any delay . ¡¸Given his enormous magic power, I will definitely be pushed back in a magic fight . ¡¹ Despite saying that, Gilgos didn¡¯t seem to be upset about it . Just from that, it was possible to tell how strange Gilgos was considering that most people who could see magic power would usually fall into a state of panic or confusion after feeling Rei¡¯s magic power . ¡¸Well . Seeing that Gilgos has come this far and you have yet to make a move, can I consider the deal to be accepted?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It can¡¯t be helped . Leave . ¡¹ Rei unintentionally turned to look at Elena at her words . In response, she shook her head at Rei to say that there was nothing they could do . ¡¸I see, we¡¯ll pull out . Gilgos, signal . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ At Theorem¡¯s words, Gilgos used some fire magic to shoot a signal as he pointed his cane to the sky . Maybe it was something like a flare gun to signal withdrawal, a circular flame burned with a flash in the air before disappearing . Seeing that, Theorem left on his warhorse . Following after Theorem, Gilgos left Rei and Elena . Before he left, Gilgos turned to look back at Rei, as if watching him, leaving a strong impression . (Most of the other Demon Soldiers look like humans with monster like elements added on top . But that man, Gilgos, has a distinct human and monster parts to his body . He must have used a different method to other Demon Soldiers¡­¡­if I think back to this moment in the future, I will probably wish I had killed him right here . ) ¡¸¡­¡­What do we do now?¡¹ Seeing Theorem leave, Rei called out to Elena beside her . ¡¸Well, it depends on the decisions of the higher ups . As it is, the battle coming to an end¡­¡­will probably not happen . ¡¹ ¡¸You mean we can¡¯t just stop at repelling the Bestir Empire¡¯s invasion?¡¹ ¡¸The main army was ambushed, the Royalist faction suffered a lot of damage and the chief commander is Count Arius from the Royalist faction . Furthermore, the Bestir Empire¡¯s army was also devastated by Rei¡¯s fire tornado and the following fighting . ¡¹ ¡¸Do they want to attack the weakened enemy and earn merit to cancel out the losses of the main army being ambushed?¡¹ ¡¸Probably . Any how, let¡¯s go over to Count Arius right away . No matter what judgements we make, there¡¯s no point in talking about it here . ¡¹ Saying that, she reached out a hand to Rei from on top her warhorse . Rei looked at her hand for a moment before realising Elena¡¯s cheeks were faintly red . Grasping her hand in embarrassment, Rei got on the warhorse as well . ¡¸Normally, the positions of the man and woman would be reversed . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s embarrassed voice disappeared silently into the field where Elena and Theorem had been fighting fiercely until a short time ago . Fortunately, the only one who heard that was Yellow, flying above them . Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Legend Chapter 289 ¡¸Haah, haa, haah¡­¡­¡¹ A soldier looked around with unbelieving eyes as he panted heavily . Next to him was the figure of a fellow soldier who had been fighting Demon Soldiers with him until a moment earlier . ¡¸H-Hey . ¡­¡­Why do you think they suddenly disappeared . ¡¹ It must have been a fierce battle . The soldier asked as he tried to smooth his breathing, but the man sitting on the ground beside him found it to difficult to say anything and just shook his head . Looking at his fellow soldier, he roughly understood why the Demon Soldiers had retreated . Some fire magic had been shot up into the sky . Seeing that, the Demon Soldiers immediately stopped fighting and fell back . It wasn¡¯t just one or two of them . It was all the Demon Soldiers around them . (Well, if that didn¡¯t happen, I might have died . ) Continuing to adjust his breath, he looked around again . In the beginning, there were nearly 100 soldiers in his unit . But now, there were less than 10 still alive . All against just a few . They had suffered so much damage from just a few Demon Soldiers . In fact, he was sure that they would have died to the Demon Soldier they had been fighting if they had fought for a few more minutes . On the contrary though, they were saved by the Demon Soldiers¡¯ retreat, so rather than feeling resentment, he was thankful to the person who had sent out that signal flare . ¡¸Phew¡­¡­anyhow, we managed to survive . That¡¯s all that matters, right?¡¹ Maybe he had finally composed himself, the man sitting on the ground murmured in a quiet voice . The survivors around him all nodded . ¡¸But the damage suffered was also massive . ¡¹ At the end of his line of site were the corpses of numerous soldiers cut apart at the torso . The soldiers had been fighting a Demon Soldier who looked like a hybrid of a crab and a human . Their upper body was covered in a crab shell which negated the attacks of all swords and spears while their scissor like claws easily cut through the soldiers . The foam from the Demon Soldier¡¯s mouth poisoned and slowed the soldiers down, making it impossible to avoid any attacks as they were beaten to death by the sturdy claws . It was against such a Demon Soldier that the man had fought . Of course, there were other Demon Soldiers that the others had fought, including ones with the face of a dog, ones with scales all over their body and hybrids of beetles and humans . They were just ordinary soldiers . Being able to survive against such enemies, the man felt that they were quite lucky . As he was thinking about that, several knights on horses appeared . ¡¸¡­¡­Are you the only survivor here? Who is the commander?¡¹ The soldiers stayed silent at the knight¡¯s words . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Does this unit have no commander?¡¹ When the knight asked a second time, seeing that no one around him was saying anything, the man spoke up . They couldn¡¯t stay silent, and above all, they couldn¡¯t anger the knight . ¡¸The commander was killed by one of the enemy monsters during the battle¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . I apologise for my bluntness . In that case, who was in charge during the fighting?¡¹ It was almost impossible to fight against Demon Soldiers without a commander . When the knight asked that question, the rest of the soldiers turned to look at the one who had told the knight of the commander¡¯s death in battle . He had been the first to speak after after the Demon Soldiers had left . ¡¸Uh, yes . That would be me . ¡¹ The soldier, being stared at by all the other soldiers and the knights, quickly answered . ¡¸Then, gather everyone up . The meeting place is ahead . Everyone scattered around the battlefield are to gather there to reorganise their troops . ¡­¡­Rest assured, you only have to lead the soldiers until you get to the meeting place . Once your unit has been reorganised, a proper commander will lead you . ¡¹ At the knight¡¯s words, the soldier gave a sigh of relief . Although he had commanded his unit and survived the battle, it was purely due to luck . That was quite natural . In the first place, soldier were not trained as commanders . ¡¸I understand . I will head there right away . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . It¡¯s true that all those monsters have withdrawn, but it¡¯s not clear what will happen in future . It depends on Count Arius¡¯ decision¡­¡­¡¹ Despite the knight¡¯s vague words, it carried the implication that they were definitely going to go on the offensive . He also understood the implications . The soldiers stood up with an involuntary sigh . Their position was nothing more than soldiers . It would be possible for nobles to disagree with that order, but such a thing was impossible for for soldiers even if the world was turned upside down . In other words, as soldiers, all they could pray for was that they would at least be assigned a competent commander in their unit that would let them survive the war if they followed orders . ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s hurry up and group up . I have to gather up everyone else scattered on the battlefield . ¡¹ Saying that, the knight left on his horse alongside the other knights . Seeing them leave, the soldiers used what little stamina they had regained after their short break to stand back up . The soldier, who ahd been told to lead the others, hoped that they would get a decent commander . ¡­¡­However, at the meeting place, he ended up being appointed as the official commander for his unit . The soldiers with him were assigned as his subordinates and, in the end, the soldier¡¯s wish to be assigned a good commander were not met . Still, the unit led by him would survive the war without a single loss . As a result, the soldier that was forced to become a commander would have his role evaluated by the some senior military personnel and eventually awarded the rank of baron . In addition, many of his subordinates that survived the war ended up becoming his vassals . ¡¸Count Arius, are you okay?¡¹ Arius gave a snort at the person who called out to him as if he was worried about Count Arius . The noble¡¯s face distorted unpleasantly for a moment, but he immediately erased it as he spoke again . ¡¸I was very surprised at the sudden ambush . I had no choice but to act on my own discretion to block any enemies from appearing in the surroundings¡­¡­but because I was keeping watch, it seems that the Bestir Empire didn¡¯t dare to send any more reinforcements . ¡¹ His words could only be considered shameless, but Arius just listened to the noble in silence . Of course, Arius hadn¡¯t forgotten that the noble had been the first to escape when the Demon Soldiers had appeared . However, because the man was also from a Count house, the same as himself, and a more powerful one at that, there was nothing he could do . The most Arius could do was to put the man in a position where he would be unable to earn any merit from this war . (Damn it, if I had the power¡­¡­at the very least, if I were a Marquis, I would be able to punish him on the spot . ) Suppressing the anger in his mind, he ignored the noble¡¯s excuse without any expression on his face . Siminar looked at Arius with a bitter smile . That said, Siminar was now in a position much closer to Arius¡­¡­closer than when Rei had been called up previously . This was of course because he had fought on the same battlefield as Arius and was different from the other nobles in that he didn¡¯t run away in that situation . To Siminar, that was only to be expected . If the chief general was defeated, they would lose . Because of that, it was natural for him to protect the general . Arius¡¯ evaluation of Siminar was relatively high because many of the nobles had scattered instead of protecting him . As Siminar smiled at the situation he was in, he suddenly noticed all the soldiers and nobles around him start buzzing . It was same for Arius . He looked around questioningly . The soldiers around him started to split left and right as they opened up a path¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s great that everyone is safe and sound . ¡¹ As she said that, Elena, surrounded by a dignified aura as usual, and Ara, the leader of her knight guard, appeared . Alongside them was Rei . Yellow was naturally sitting on Elena¡¯s shoulders but there was no sign of Set . Rei wasn¡¯t able to bring Set here, partially because the nobles would be scared to see a Griffon . Seeing them¡­¡­especially Elena, made Siminar¡¯s heart beat rapidly as his face flushed lightly . Realising what was happening, Siminar thought to himself with a bitter smile . (Such a thing . I never thought I¡¯d fall in love with the General Princess . ) Even Siminar had gone to brothels along with his noble friends and subordinates . Of course, the places he went to were called ¡®luxury houses¡¯ which were only visited by nobles and other wealthy people . Since he had experienced similar feelings in those places, he knew the situation he was currently in . (That said, as a Royalist, any thoughts I have about the General Princess will probably never come true . Well, these thoughts will go away soon anyway . ¡­¡­I hope . ) Seeing everyone else locked in place, Siminar shook his head at the confused feelings in his heart from seeing Elena and out to her . Of course, there were others that wanted to talk to Elena . However, those that had run away at the beginning of the fight had no choice but to shut up at Elena¡¯s cold gaze when they wanted to speak . On the other hand, the nobles who had fought alongside Arius and wanted to thank her were unable to say a word due to the difference in their standing . For those people, they were envious but grateful that Siminar had spoken up first . ¡¸Elena-dono, thank you for your help . ¡¹ ¡¸Siminar-dono? It looks like you¡¯re safe as well . It was quite impressive that you were able to fight evenly against the Demon Soldiers . ¡¹ ¡¸No, not really . In fact, I was almost done in by that woman with the plants . ¡­¡­Well, I would like to talk for a bit longer, but we have to decide what to do from now on . Count Arius, what do you plan to do now . ¡¹ At Siminar¡¯s reply, those around him also recollected themselves as they turned to Count Arius . Arius was the only noble not facing any pressure from Elena as he spoke to answer Siminar¡¯s question . ¡¸It is true that the main army was ambushed . However, it¡¯s also true that we repelled the attack and are currently pushing the Bestir Empire on the front lines . Because of that, we will go on the offensive immediately . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! We repelled the ambush! That means that it should be possible to destroy the Bestir Empire¡¯s army!¡¹ ¡¸I agree with Count Arius . Let¡¯s ready our troops right away . ¡¹ ¡¸If we take the time to reorganise the troops, we might miss our chance . In that case, first of all, everyone that can move¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid! No matter what you say, it¡¯s impossible! The ambush exhausted our forces considerably . At the very least, we have to reorganise the units that lost their commanders and rebuild our strength¡­¡­¡¹ At Count Arius¡¯ words, all the nobles around him were united in their opinion to launch an all out offensive . But at that moment . ¡¸Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stop here?¡¹ Elena¡¯s words entered the ears of the noisy Royalists . ¡¸¡­¡­Elena-dono, what did you just say?¡¹ Among the Royalists, Count Arius, who wanted to achieve great merits to outweigh the blunder of ambush on the main army, turned to look at Elena with a strong gaze . There was no sign of gratitude in his eyes for being saved earlier . Instead, his gaze had turned into one where he wanted to eliminate the opponent that was trying to prevent him from earning any merit . But, of course, Elena wouldn¡¯t be frightened by such looks . ¡¸I said no more fighting is needed . The purpose of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army is to prevent the enemy invasion . In that case, haven¡¯t we already achieved our goal?¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think so . If we let the Bestir Empire¡¯s army return safely as it is, we will be invaded again in the near future . In order to prevent that, it is necessary to do as much damage as possible now . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can you still say that after seeing the strength of the Demon Soldiers? Although we succeeded in repelling the Flash, more than half of the Demon Soldiers were still alive . Now that they¡¯ve been publicly revealed, there¡¯s no longer anything preventing them from appearing on the front lines . ¡¹ Elena¡¯s words made the nobles buzz . In the first place, the Royalist nobles had fled because of the difference in strength between them and the Demon Soldiers . It wasn¡¯t strange that they would be scared when told that they may have to fight them again . No, rather, Arius, who wasn¡¯t as concerned, and Siminar, who was currently distracted by Elena, were the odd ones out . ¡¸Unfortunately, I don¡¯t agree . Elena-dono, you also saw how the Demon Soldiers looked like, right? Even in the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, I don¡¯t think the soldiers on the front lines would be able to see the Demon Soldiers as their compatriots . Perhaps their use of the Demon Soldiers will be limited . ¡¹ (Like where the Flash used them as a strike force . ) As he thought that in his mind, Arius spoke up again, voicing his final decision and settling down the surrounding nobles . ¡¸And, unfortunately, I have overall command of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . Because of that, the plan will not change . According to the information I have, the enemy¡¯s vanguard has already joined back up with their main army due to their total collapse . We can¡¯t afford to miss this opportunity . Because of that, we¡¯ll carry out a full scale offensive . ¡¹ Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Legend Chapter 290 Selemous Plains . The plains were now in a strange state of stalemate . The fire whirl had caused severe damage to the forces of the Bestir Empire, but the vanguard had managed to join back up with the main army before they suffered critical losses . At the same time, the forces from the Neutral and Nobles factions of the Mireana Empire, which made up the vanguard, were preparing to resume their offensive at any time . Yes, originally, this would have been a great opportunity to attack the enemy vanguard and main army while they was still some confusion from joining up . But they didn¡¯t attack . No, rather, they couldn¡¯t because they had received orders from the Royalists, that is to say the main army, to refrain from attacking . ¡¸What is Count Arius thinking!? Even though the enemy is in confusion, we¡¯re overlooking such a good opportunity to attack!¡¹ Inside a tent that was hastily set up as a command post, Daska slammed his fist against the armrest of the chair he was sitting on . ¡¸Maybe he wants to write off his blunder of being ambushed by crushing the enemy¡¯s main army with his forces . ¡¹ Hearing Philma¡¯s words, as the leader of the Nobles faction here, the surrounding nobles nodded in agreement . ¡¸Seriously, taking such measures just to cover up his own mistakes . The pride of the Royalists is really obvious here . ¡¹ ¡¸In the first place, it was the achievement of the Nobles faction to defeat the enemy¡¯s vanguard . They¡¯re blind to their own shortcomings while they try to take the credit of others¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute . The biggest credit for defeating the enemy vanguard should go to the fire tornado . In that case, of course, our Neutral faction should take a larger share of the credit for hiring the adventurer who created the fire tornado . ¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying? I¡¯ll admit, the fire tornado definitely surprised the enemy . However, it¡¯s clear to everyone that it was us Nobles that who defeated the most enemies after that . I know you want to show off your accomplishments, but are you trying to steal the achievements of others?¡¹ ¡¸How dare you! I¡¯ll return those words straight to you . How much damage do you think that fire tornado did to the enemy¡¯s vanguard!? You can¡¯t just ignore whatever you want and steal those achievements!¡¹ We did most of the work, those achievements are ours . Daska gave a sigh when he saw the disputes start . At the same time, he heard the sound of Philma sighing similarly . ¡º¡­¡­¡» They exchanged thoughts with each silently before sighing again . Whether it was Daska or Philma, they had both expected this situation to occur . Their offensive against the main army was halted by Count Arius and the main army as they were just about to attack . Their attack would have been able to cause massive damage to the Bestir Empire¡¯s army while taking minimal losses in return . But, they had received orders to stay put . In this situation, with no other place to release the tension from their previously high morale, it wasn¡¯t strange for arguments to start . Previously, the number of enemies had been overwhelming, which was why the Neutral and Nobles factions, two different factions, had managed to work with each other . But now that it was no longer necessary, the usual faction conflicts started to appear again . Daska and Philma tried to calm the situation down by drawing the attention of some of the nobles with their eyes, but eventually, as a central figure in the Neutral faction, Daska was forced to speak out . ¡¸All of you, that¡¯s enough . Even though our attack dealt considerable damage to the enemy¡¯s vanguard, we only managed to even out the difference in power . If we fight over achievements right now, don¡¯t you understand that it will only benefit the Bestir Empire? War merits will be properly evaluated after the war . So focus on the war right now . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s as Daska-dono says . As a member of nobility, I would like you to not act ungraciously and to act in a manner worthy of your pride . And¡­¡­it seems that the situation is going to change . ¡¹ Philma followed up after Daska¡¯s words and, as he was speaking, a buzz could be heard from outside . The nobles who were absorbed in arguing, or rather discussion, also noticed the noise . Their eyes all turned to look outside the tent . ¡¸The General Princess, Elena-sama, and the adventurer, Rei-dono, have returned . They¡¯ve brought a letter with orders from Count Arius . ¡¹ The words from a soldier guarding the tent explained the cause of the noise to the nobles . However, at the same time, many of them showed fear on their face for a moment . They had been happy to hear Rei¡¯s report after his attack on the enemy vanguard, but that was only until they had seen the people that had been killed by the fire whirl . Of course, they had heard what had happened and had some expectation for what it would have looked like . All the nobles here were ones that had been in battle many times before . But even for them, the countless people that had died from the fire whirl was unbelievable . There were those whose bodies were burnt to carbon, crumbling from any impact . There were those who were torn apart by the wind blades and metal fragments thrown into the fire whirl by Rei . And there were those who had finger sized holes all over their body . All those corpses could only be called eerie . ¡¸Daska-dono, Philma . We¡¯ve managed to repel the ambush over there¡­¡­hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Entering the tent, Elena looked around after feeling the strange atmosphere . At those words, the nobles seemed to collect themselves as they turned their eyes away from Rei, who was behind Elena . (¡­¡­I see . ) During that time, only Rei knew why the nobles had all looked at him . It was both a good and unexpected turn of events that Rei managed to kill so many enemies, but it also caused a certain level of fear among the nobles . ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing . So Elena-dono, you¡¯ve brought orders from Count Arius?¡¹ ¡¸¡­ . . Ah, it¡¯s here . ¡¹ Elena looked at him doubtfully for a moment before handing over an envelope with the orders inside . Upon receiving it, Daska opened the envelope and took out the orders after making brief eye contact with Philma . Daska took a minute to read the orders before handing them over to Philma with bitter expression on his face . ¡¸Our vanguard troops are to wait where they are . The main army, led by Count Arius, will attack the enemy¡¯s main army . We will support from behind . ¡¹ At Daska¡¯s words, the surrounding nobles started making noise again . Compared to their fear of Rei, the Royalists¡¯ clear plan to steal their achievements made the nobles indignant . Daska looked at his surroundings with a sense of relief in his mind . ¡¸Daska-sama! Is it really okay to let the Royalists do this!? It¡¯s true that Count Arius is the chief commander . However, it was definitely our vanguard that brought this battle to our current advantage . Such an order!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down . Even so, we can¡¯t ignore the orders of the chief commander . Elena-dono, Count Arius¡­¡­no, how were the Royalists faring?¡¹ Looking at Daska, Elena shook her head in silence . From that alone, they could roughly understand the situation of Arius and the Royalists . No matter what, they would attack the Bestir Empire¡¯s main army by themselves . Daska wasn¡¯t unable to understand why . Count Arius may have used a considerable amount of bribes in order to gain the position of chief commander . He would be eager to seek a victory to justify what he had spent . And, Arius must have thought that the weakened and demoralised Bestir Empire army could be defeated by the Royalist main army alone . Furthermore, with the Neutral and Nobles factions backing them up, they wouldn¡¯t lose in any situation . Count Arius had many problematic issues with his character, but when it came to war, he was by no means incompetent . Rather, he was quite competent . Given that Count Arius had judged that he could win, Daska was sure that Arius must have had some plan to achieve victory . (But¡­¡­) Daska thought to himself as he frowned . But . Yes, there was a ¡®but¡¯ . (Is the Bestir Empire, that has caused trouble in our territory so many times before, going stay quiet and not fight back? No, that¡¯s impossible . In fact, I don¡¯t know how they did it, but they managed to ambush the main army¡­¡­wait . After they appeared, they immediately launched their ambush, and as soon as they saw it was a failure, they retreated without hesitation . The speed of those decisions¡­¡­I see, it was probably those two . ) Suddenly remembering the face of an enemy general, Daska turned to Rei and Elena . ¡¸Elena-dono, Rei . The commander that launched the ambush on the main army¡­¡­did you know who he was?¡¹ Rei knew little about the situation, so he didn¡¯t say anything as Elena gave a small nod . ¡¸Flash, it was General Theorem Enerji . ¡¹ Flash . The moment that name came out, the nobles broke out into discussion again . But, the discussion wasn¡¯t full of motivation to attack the Bestir Empire like it had been a little earlier . Instead, it was closer to the fear they had shown towards Rei earlier . ¡¸Flash? Was Theorem participating in this war!?¡¹ ¡¸I see . Then it¡¯s no wonder the enemy¡¯s fighting spirit is still there . ¡¹ ¡¸No, but¡­¡­no matter how strong the Flash is, isn¡¯t the outcome already decided?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid . This kind of disadvantage is not a disadvantage for the Flash . Rather, this difference in strength is not enough to deal with him . The movements of the troops he leads is as fast as his namesake . ¡¹ Among the discussion between the nobles, one of them suddenly spoke out . ¡¸But then¡­¡­how will Count Arius deal with the Flash? He said that the main army will take the lead, is there something he has planned?¡¹ The other nobles showed questioning expressions at those words . Of course, the Royalists weren¡¯t without talent . The Flash, Theorem, and the General Princess, Elena . They had many people who could match either of them, alongside the S rank adventurers that were present in the Royal Capital . However, although they may have the people, none of them had participated in this war . When asked how to counter Theorem in this situation, there was only one solution . ¡¸Elena-sama and Rei have been temporarily placed under the command of the Royalists for the attack . ¡¹ The answer was given by Philma, who was reading through the orders that Daska had passed onto him . ¡¸But Elena-sama isn¡¯t part of the Royalists!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Even if you say that . It wasn¡¯t me or Philma-dono who decided that Elena-dono and Rei would follow the Royalists . That¡¯s why I said it was what they said . It was also a direct order from Count Arius . And unfortunately, Count Arius is the chief commander of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . In other words, he has the authority to give orders to our subordinates . ¡­¡­Well, usually this doesn¡¯t happen because of faction relationships, but I don¡¯t think Count Arius can afford to consider that right now . That¡¯s why he ended up using such means . ¡¹ At the protest of one of the nobles, Daska smoothed things over . Because it was an actual order from the chief commander, in terms of the chain of command, there was nothing wrong with that order and the nobles were unable to say anything in response . ¡¸That is why . Rei, I¡¯m sorry, but can you go? Honestly, I feel like I¡¯m overworking you in this war, but in my current position, I still have to send you . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Daska, who had asked him apologetically . ¡¸I was hired by Daska-sama for this war, so that isn¡¯t an issue . Fortunately, I still have plenty of magic power and Set is also fine . In addition¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸In addition?¡¹ ¡¸The best thing about this war is that you promised me a magic item kept by the Rowlocks family . Considering that this is an opportunity to earn more merit, it¡¯s not all that bad . ¡¹ Daska understood that Rei was trying dispel the atmosphere in the and responded with a grin . ¡¸I see . Come to think of it, I did promise you that . To be honest, I feel your merit is already unmatched at this point, but that¡¯s fine . You need to earn enough merit that no one can say anything back . ¡¹ As Daska¡¯s voice and smile spread through the tent, Elena, who had been talking with Philma, joined up with Rei to work with the Royalists . Of course, she didn¡¯t want the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army to suffer any more losses, but it would be a lie if she said that she had no desire just to work together with Rei . Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Legend Chapter 291 Before Rei and Elena¡¯s eyes, the main armies of the Mireana Kingdom and Bestir Empire collided head on . A group of about 30 people on warhorses watched on from a distance . In addition to Rei and Elena, Siminar was also present . No, rather, it could be said that Siminar was the commander of this unit, considering its formation . As they moved, Rei heard some voices talking as he sat astride Set . ¡¸An ambush? Count Arius must be in over his head . ¡¹ One of the adventurers hired by the Royalists said that out loud . The irony in his words was unavoidable considering the current situation . ¡¸Does he want to return what was done to him? Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand since he lost a lot of respect due to that as the chief commander and leader of the Royalist faction . ¡¹ ¡¸Probably . He¡¯s trying to use reverse psychology . They¡¯d never think they would fall to an ambush similar to the one they just did . ¡¹ ¡¸Kukuku~, it¡¯s quite a change, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s hard for nobles who care a lot about how others look at them . ¡¹ At the adventurer¡¯s words, laughter spread throughout the entire ambush unit . Normally, Siminar would have reproved them, but he stayed silent without saying anything . No, he even had a smile on his face as if he agreed with the words of the adventurers . But, as the commander of the ambush unit, he couldn¡¯t help but speak out . ¡¸Hey, calm down a bit . I believe you understand the situation, so that¡¯s why this ambush has to be successful . Of course, being selected for this ambush unit will have its own rewards . ¡­¡­However, if this ambush fails, you can¡¯t expect any rewards . ¡¹ At Siminar¡¯s words, one of the adventurers replied without thinking too deeply . ¡¸No, captain, if this ambush fails, we would be isolated in the middle of the enemy¡¯s main camp anyway . I don¡¯t think rewards would matter in that situation . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, but then what? You don¡¯t want a reward if that happens? No, that may be a great spirit to show as an adventurer, but I have pride to show as the leader of the ambush unit . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, wait a moment . Nobody said anything about not wanting any rewards!? This unit has an adventurer with a Griffon and, above all, the General Princess, right? There¡¯s no way this ambush will fail . So we definitely should be rewarded . ¡¹ The adventurer¡¯s panicked words made everyone around him laugh even more . From the looks of it, there was no sense of tension¡­¡­even though they were about to ambush the enemy¡¯s main headquarters where the chief commander would be located . (This is all due to Rei¡­¡­no, it¡¯s probably due to Set . ) While travelling alongside the adventurers, Siminar quietly turned to look at Set, who was leading the unit, and Rei, who was on top Set . At the same time, he felt his heart pounding when he saw Elena moving next to Rei, but he forced himself to quash those emotions . He was able to move forward with peace of mind because of the Set . Even though they were going to ambush the enemy, there was no anxiety thanks to Set . In addition, they had Rei, who had created the fire whirl that had driven the enemy¡¯s vanguard into retreat, and Elena, the famous General Princess . With that much strength, Siminar could understand why the adventurers that made up the ambush unit weren¡¯t feeling uneasy . (But¡­¡­that doesn¡¯t mean we can let our guard down . ) As Siminar thought to himself, the appearances of Demon Soldiers, who could be called the spawn of monsters, passed through his mind . The figure of Theorem, the Flash, also passed through his mind . It was no exaggeration to say that each Demon Soldier had the strength of more than dozens of ordinary soldiers . And Theorem, who led them all, seemed to be stronger than a Demon Soldier . (As for the Demon Soldiers, we should be able to deal with them if we consider the people in the ambush unit . ) Most of the people in this ambush unit were talented adventurers hired by the Royalist faction . In terms of skill, they probably weren¡¯t as good as the adventurers from Gilm, which was famously known as the frontier city of adventurers . Even if the Demon Soldiers had the strength of a dozen ordinary soldiers, it wasn¡¯t impossible to deal with them given the skills of those in this unit . And since they were ambushing the enemy, there was no need to fight the Demon Soldiers head on . Their goal was the head of the Bestir Empire¡¯s chief commander . If Count Arius had known about the Prairie Wolves, he might have asked Daska for help . However, Count Arius was completely unaware of the existence of the Prairie Wolves and Daska had no intention of telling Arius and simply wasting them . (But, the Flash is different . Since he is good at conducting ambushes, it¡¯s highly likely he will expect this move . If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no doubt that they will prepare something for it . And, the only people who can take on the Flash in this unit are Rei and the General Princess . What will the situation be like at that time¡­¡­) As he repeated his unanswered questions in his head, a hand was suddenly placed on his right shoulder . Looking back, it was the adventurer who had been talking about rewards with him earlier . Although he was riding a warhorse, it seemed that he was accustomed to handling horses as he was selected to be part of the ambush unit . ¡¸There are a lot of thing to worry about as a noble, but, at the very least, I am not worried about this ambush unit . So we don¡¯t we just relax and don¡¯t think too hard about it?¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that . In fact, there¡¯s no doubt that the outcome of this ambush will decided this war . With that in mind, taking it easy is¡­¡­¡¹ Impossible . When he was about to say that, Set, who had been walking at the front, stopped walking . At the same time, Elena also stopped . Even the other members of the ambush unit, who seemed to be playing around, immediately stopped their horses as they took a look at their surroudings . Finally realising that the surrounding atmosphere had changed, Siminar¡¯s expression tightened as he asked Rei . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . ¡­¡­In the end, it looks like they are wary of ambushes . Maybe it¡¯s because they had just ambushed us themselves that they are more cautious about it . ¡¹ Hearing those words, Siminar turned to look at what Rei was looking at, but unfortunately he couldn¡¯t see anything . ¡¸¡­¡­Can you see anything? I can¡¯t see anything . ¡¹ ¡¸Siminar-dono, over there . ¡¹ Next to Rei, Elena pointed over to some trees growing on the grassland . It was a small forest about 1km away and to Siminar, they looked like ordinary trees . ¡¸Do you see anything?¡¹ He asked the adventurer he had been talking with earlier, but the adventurer simply replied by shaking his head to indicate he didn¡¯t know . But Rei, unconcerned by Siminar, got off Set¡¯s back and called out to Set while stroking his back . ¡¸Set, can you go?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ No problem! Rei turned to look back at Siminar after hearing Set¡¯s cry . ¡¸There seems to be a Demon Soldier in that forest . Probably a lookout . I¡¯d like to have Set take them out with a single attack . That said, can you give your opinion as the captain of the ambush unit?¡¹ ¡¸If there really is one, I can only leave it to you¡­¡­is that fine?¡¹ He knew of Rei and Set¡¯s strenght, he had seen it with his own eyes . Even so, to be told that they would get rid of some enemies that were at a distance he couldn¡¯t even distinguish¡­¡­because they had seen a Demon Soldier, he would definitely be confused . Still, if there really was a lookout, he couldn¡¯t just ignore them . Because of that, Siminar gave his permission . Seeing that, Rei nodded at Set to signal him . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ With a brief cry, Set dashed forward and ran up into the sky . The ambush unit silently saw Set off . After that, about 5 minutes passed¡­¡­ ¡¸Gurururururu~¡¹ Set returned from the forest indicated by Rei . With the scales of a Lizardman, compound eyes like an insect and the tail of a fox, a Demon Soldier was brought back in Set¡¯s beak . ¡¸¡­¡­Should I say, as expected . ¡¹ As the adventurers around him settled back down, Siminar murmured those words . The adventurers nodded silently in response . To kill a Demon Soldier, who had considerable strength, in just a few minutes¡­¡­and to kill one with almost no sound, was not possible for any of the people who were part of the ambush force, despite how skilled they were . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Siminar¡¯s words, Set gave a proud cry before dropping the corpse on the ground and turning towards Rei . Set silently appealed to him for praise as Rei stroked his head with a wry smile . ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ And here¡¯s my praise! Yellow seemed to say as it jumped from Elena¡¯s shoulder to Set¡¯s back before making more cries . ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸Um, those two are of completely different species and their cries are also different¡­¡­can they actually communicate with each other?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh . I don¡¯t know why, but for whatever reason, they can talk with each other . ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe they¡¯re communicating more with gestures rather than actually understanding each other . ¡¹ Elena, who was listening in to Rei and Siminar¡¯s conversation, smiled at the two creatures . Even though the ambush unit was a place where stern people had been gathered, the atmosphere flowing around the place was warm and friendly . The few female adventurers in the group had to endure the urge to hug them as they watched the two interact . Seeing the two of them give off an atmosphere unlike a battlefield, Siminar spoke up apologetically ¡¸Sorry, but don¡¯t forget that the battle is still ongoing . While we¡¯re here, the battle with the Bestir Empire is still continuing . Prepare for the ambush and ready the signal . ¡¹ Everyone nodded with a disappointed expression at those words before continuing their march . It took them about an hour to make a large detour around the battlefield . At last, Set, who had been walking at the front, stopped . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set turned to look into the distance with a short cry . Since they had spotted the Demon Soldier earlier, they all understood what that meant . That was right¡­¡­the headquarters where the chief commander was . They had found it . ¡¸¡­¡­Elena-dono, I need a messenger . ¡¹ ¡¸Mm, I understand . ¡¹ Nodding a Siminar¡¯s words, she turned to look at Yellow, who had sat itself on her shoulder . Then, flapping its wings, Yellow rose into the sky . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s faster than I expected . ¡¹ One of the adventurers muttered . In fact, Yellow¡¯s speed was much faster than when it had delivered the letter to Rei . Of course, it wasn¡¯t as fast as Set, but it was still overwhelmingly faster than the speed at which warhorses could run at . And since the Bestir Empire had few means to attack in the sky, it was a faster and more reliable means than sending a messenger on a horse . However, this method only worked because the strategy had already been decided . If difficult decisions needed to be made, a human messenger would still be needed . ¡¸How long will it take to get to Count Arius . ¡¹ ¡¸If nothing happens, it will take less than 30 minutes . All we have to do now is to wait for Count Arius to move before we ambush their headquarters, where we¡¯ll take out the Bestir Empire¡¯s chief commander . ¡¹ ¡¸Do you think it will work?¡¹ In response to Siminar¡¯s question, Elena shook her head . With that momentum, her gorgeous blonde hair danced through the air, distracting Siminar for a moment . ¡¸This strategy has considerable uncertainties . In the first place, the success of an ambush is completely reliant on striking the enemy by surprise . In fact, wasn¡¯t that what happened to us? While the troops at the front collided, Demon Soldiers suddenly appeared behind us and ambushed the main army . As a result, the Royalist forces were thrown into confusion and broke apart . ¡­¡­It was only because we had exhausted the enemy¡¯s vanguard that we managed secure enough forces to launch a counterattack¡­¡­I doubt the Flash doesn¡¯t understand that . To be honest, I¡¯m sure the Bestir Empire¡¯s chief commander will be there, but there¡¯s also the possibility it will be a trap . ¡¹ ¡¸So it could be a bait to lure us out . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words as he muttered . The members of the ambush unit looked at him in surprise . Since most of the ambush unit was made up of adventurers hired by the Royalists, they understood the strength of the Demon Soldiers and had seen Theorem lead them with their own eyes, so it was only natural . ¡¸However, in the end, it¡¯s still only a guess . ¡¹ Siminar said that to ease the tension in the ambush unit . It was also because as the leader of the ambush unit, he couldn¡¯t allow words that would lower the morale of the unit . And above all¡­¡­ ¡¸Even if they read our ambush, we have the General Princess . There¡¯s also the Griffon, Set, and Rei, the one who created that crazy fire tornado . Even if there are Demon Soldiers, there¡¯s a good chance we will win . ¡¹ Hearing those words, the morale of the ambush unit rose . Many of them had seen Elena and Set¡¯s power directly with their own eyes . And since everyone had seen Rei¡¯s fire whirl, it was only natural that morale would rise . And¡­¡­after about 40 minutes, as the front lines started to get noisy and the chief commander¡¯s camp started to get busy, the ambush unit spurred on their warhorses as they plunged into the enemy¡¯s main camp . Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Legend Chapter 292 Inside a tent at the Bestir Empire¡¯s army headquarters, one man was yelling . ¡¸You should have expected that the enemy¡¯s attacks would be fierce from the beginning, idiots! Since you idiots failed the ambush, it is clear that Count Arius, their chief commander, would attack fiercely to make up for his blunder! For now, just focus on defence . The enemy¡¯s attacks are intense, but they can¡¯t maintain it for long . I will wait for them to exhaust themselves before I launch our counterattack . ¡­¡­Theorem, if you really deserve the title of Flash, then show me your strength . ¡¹ An over 2m tall man in black half plate amour stood in the tent . Maybe he shaved it, he didn¡¯t have a single hair on his head . Right now, a large number of blood vessels were visible on his head as his face was dyed red in anger and agitation . He was in his fifties and could be considered old . However, no one would call him that after seeing his body, filled with muscles . At the shouting of a man like that, Theorem just shook his head with a cool expression . ¡¸General Kastom, as you said, Count Arius wants to make up for his blunder . With that in mind, I can¡¯t leave this position . ¡¹ Saying that much, he turned to look at Kastom meaningfully before continuing . ¡¸If I go to the front lines, the defence here will be weaker . ¡¹ Can you fight here with peace of mind if I¡¯m not here? At those unspoken words, blood vessels appeared on Kastom¡¯s head . ¡¸Do I look like I won¡¯t be able to survive if you don¡¯t protect me!? My experience on the battlefield is not so little that a weakling like you needs to worry about me! You better head to the front lines and use that unmerited title of yours to raise morale!¡¹ Although Kastom¡¯s words were closer to insults than orders, Theorem¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change¡­¡­no, he smiled and gave a small nod . Instead, it was Cyanus, standing next to him, who frowned her eyes unpleasantly . ¡¸Well, since you¡¯ve given the order, General Kastom, I will head for the front lines . As for the troops I¡¯ll take, is it okay to use the Demon Soldiers?¡¹ In response to that question, Kastom frowned unpleasantly as he replied . ¡¸Let¡¯s see . You are much better suited to lead such monsters than human soldiers . Do whatever you want . However, you are not permitted to do anything that will damage our army! Show me what you can do with that great title of yours . If you don¡¯t get any achievements, Mercurio-sama won¡¯t be able to save your reputation . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is right . Certainly, right now, I have not contributed any great achievements . It is true that I am too ashamed to meet with Mercurio-sama in this current situation . ¡¹ In this current situation . When he said those words, it was with more emphasis than usual . But, not noticing it, Kastom simply motioned with his chin to order Theorem to leave . With that, Theorem gave a small bow before leaving the tent with Cyanus . And . ¡¸Theorem-sama, why did you let someone like him speak to you like that? Is it because General Kastom is on the Second Prince¡¯s side?¡¹ As soon as they left the tent, Cyanus whispered in a voice that only Theorem could hear . It was unusual for Cyanus, who rarely expressed her emotions, to show a resentful expression, red with indignation . It was true that Theorem¡¯s ambush had failed . However, he had still attacked the enemy¡¯s chief commander with his unit, shocking the enemy . Thanks to his ambush, he had succeeded in pulling away the General Princess and the Griffon away from the front line . If it weren¡¯t for that ambush, it was likely that their vanguard would have been unable to withstand the fire whirl and would have completely collapsed under the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s attacks . Because of what the ambush had achieved, Kastom¡¯s words were unacceptable to Cyanus . However, Theorem just gave a small smile towards Cyanus . ¡¸It¡¯s true that my ambush failed . Even if they are Demon Soldiers, the shock factor was only so great because it was the first time we had used them . However, now that the Royalist army of the Mireana Kingdom knows about the Demon Soldiers, it won¡¯t be possible to produce the same level of surprise any more . In addition, we used a lot of transition stones, a very expensive magic item and still didn¡¯t manage to defeat Count Arius . General Kastom didn¡¯t say anything wrong . ¡¹ ¡¸But even then, he didn¡¯t have to despise Theorem-sama so much!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down, Cyanus . The soldiers around us are looking . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Pardon me . ¡¹ Recollecting herself at Theorem¡¯s words, Cyanus bowed her head . It was a rare sight for the usually calm Cyanus to be in such a rage . The guards at the tent entrance and the soldiers preparing for battle all looked at Cyanus with wide eyes . Noticing that, Cyanus¡¯ face went red for a reason different to her earlier indignation . Looking at his aide with a small smile, after seeing that the gazes at them had left, Theorem whispered into Cyanus¡¯ ears . ¡¸As I said earlier, I¡¯m in a bad position right now . You can tell that by looking at General Kastom¡¯s attitude . ¡¹ Cyanus nodded at slightly at Theorem¡¯s words and prompted him to continue . ¡¸However, if it was reported to the Emperor that he had made an even greater blunder¡­¡­do you think I would be blamed?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­yes, if things happen as Theorem-sama says, but is there a possibility that such a thing would even happen?¡¹ Theorem nodded with a smile towards the puzzled Cyanus . ¡¸There¡¯s is no doubt . After all, the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s ambush unit will be approaching soon . ¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Cyanus took a deep breath at those unexpected words and looked up at Theorem . Was he making things up? She suspected it was just a joke, but Theorem¡¯s eyes were clear and had a thin smile on his face . In other words, it was Theorem¡¯s usual expression . ¡¸Why, why would you say that?¡¹ ¡¸What, it¡¯s not hard . One of the Demon Soliders that was on lookout nearby, just in case, seems to have disappeared . You know the strength of the Demon Soldiers, right? They¡¯re not so weak as to be killed by ordinary soldiers . ¡¹ ¡¸How did you find that out?¡¹ ¡¸I was told by Gilgos . ¡¹ Saying that, Theorem turned to look at the tent he had just come out of earlier . She didn¡¯t know how, but Theorem had received the news from Gilgos while he was in the tent . That was why he just let it go even though Kastom had insulted him so much . Understanding that, Cyanus quietly looked at Theorem before turning to look at the tent as well . ¡¸General Kastom is one of the most powerful backers of the Second Prince in terms of strength . If he was unfortunately defeated in this war, the Second Prince¡¯s influence would shrink . ¡¹ ¡¸No way, were you aiming for that from the beginning?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s impossible . Of course, I intended to take out Count Arius . In fact, if we managed to gain access to the sea, it would be impossible for General Kastom to hide my achievements no matter how hard he tries . That would increase the influence of Mercurio-dono . If I had achieved that, I would have no complaints¡­¡­but unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case . So, I just decided to make the next best move . ¡¹ ¡¸You mean, to eliminate General Kastom from the Second Prince¡¯s faction?¡¹ Theorem nodded at that question in confirmation . ¡¸Currently, there are four people aiming for the position of emperor . The First Prince, the Second Prince, the First Princess and the Third Prince, Mercurio-dono, whom we have pledged allegiance to . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course I know . The largest faction is the First Prince¡¯s, and on the contrary, the Third Prince¡¯s faction is the smallest . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Only the Second Princess¡¯ faction would be smaller if she was interested in the throne . ¡¹ Theorem thought of the Second Princess with a bitter smile . She was a unique beauty who was said to surpass even the First Princess in terms of beauty alone . However, her personality wasn¡¯t very graceful and could only be best described as a battle maniac . Because of that, she couldn¡¯t stand the cramped life inside the castle and left the Bestir Empire about 2 years ago . Of course, the Emperor ordered his guards, knights, the army and even nobles to search for her . But in the end, she disappeared and they never found her . Because of that, although the Second Princesses¡¯ faction had existed at one point in time, it was basically non-existent now . ¡¸The story has gone off topic . Anyway, the Second Prince¡¯s faction is above us in power . Unfortunately for them, General Kastom, an important figure in the Second Prince¡¯s faction, will be sent off here . A person who is both fierce and strong is only an obstacle for Mercurio-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . In that case, there are no problems . So, we will not be held accountable because we were on the front lines when General Kastom was defeated?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . We went to the front lines on General Kastom¡¯s direct orders . Others in the area will take the blame for failing to protect the General . ¡¹ ¡¸That all said, I feel like we will still be blamed for the failure of the ambush, will it really be okay? The Second Prince might argue that General Kastom was only defeated because of Theorem-sama¡¯s failed ambush . ¡¹ ¡¸As for that, it can¡¯t be helped . It was a fact that the ambush failed . However, it will be impossible for me to take responsibility for those who couldn¡¯t directly protect the General . If I weren¡¯t part of Mercurio-sama¡¯s faction though, it might be possible for something that unreasonable to happen . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then, let¡¯s head to the front lines before the ambush happens . I¡¯ll gather the Demon Soldiers immediately . ¡¹ AS Cyanus replied to Theorem, she suddenly noticed the gazes of people in the surroundings were gathered on them¡­¡­to be exact, they were gathered on her . ¡¸Hey, isn¡¯t that Cyanus-sama and General Theoerem?¡¹ ¡¸You can tell just by looking, right? They¡¯re too busy flirting on the battlefield . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Theorem-sama, Cyanus isn¡¯t worthy of you . Look at me . ¡¹ ¡¸Please stop . You can¡¯t beat Cyanus-sama . ¡¹ Cyanus¡¯ face quickly turned red when she heard the whispers of her rumoured relationship with Theorem . It wasn¡¯t redness from resentment like when she had left the tent, nor shyness from being seen by the soldiers around her . It was the redness of shame . ¡¸For me, when I hear rumours that Cyanus is with me, it gives me a sense of superiority over others . ¡¹ She sent a strong glare towards Theorem, who had made fun of her, before leaving to give instructions to the Demon Soldiers . Seeing her leave, Theorem turned to look towards the other side . Some people were curious and tried to see what he was looking at, but all they could see was the Selemous Plains with nothing of particular interest . However, if there was someone here with extraordinary eyesight, with eyes as good as Set¡­¡­they would have been able to see the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s ambush force at the end of Theorem¡¯s line of sight . Of course, Theorem¡¯s five senses were only those of an ordinary human, so he was unable to see the ambush unit with his own eyes . However, he had a reliable subordinate . A report from his subordinate had told him that the Demon Soldier that had been on lookout duty in the direction he was looking had died . In other words, the ambush unit was already in their immediate vicinity . (Because they were chosen to be part of the ambush unit, they are probably the most elite of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . In that case, I can roughly predict who it will be . The General Princess, Elena Kerebel . And¡­¡­the person feared by the vanguard, who they called Crimson . There are also rumours that Elk from Axe of the Thunder God is participating in this war . In that case, even with Dragon Knights, how long can General Kastom resist against such extraordinary opponents . ) ¡¸Theorem-sama, the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s assault is getting more intense on front lines . Immediately head over to reinforce them . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, let us go then . For our goals . ¡¹ Giving a small nod towards Cyanus, who was readying the Demon Soldiers to sortie, Theorem left the headquarters . In his mind, he prayed that the ambush unit from the Mireana Kingdom would succeed in their mission . Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Legend Chapter 293 The site of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army headquarters. There were about 30 people on horseback riding towards it. From Rei¡¯s view from the sky, it was clear that their speed was faster than even the warhorses used by ordinary knights. ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, Set. Shall we get going?¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s voice, Set gave a cry filled with fighting spirit as he flapped his wings in the sky. His speed was by no means slower than the horses running across the ground. No, in fact it would be wrong to compare Set¡¯s flying speed with the people riding horses below. Easily overtaking the ground forces, Rei headed straight for the enemy¡¯s main camp, ahead in the distance. Rei had been appointed with the task of going ahead to through the enemy camp into confusion. Taking advantage of the confusion, the ambush unit would then rush in and kill General Kastom, the enemy¡¯s chief commander. There had been thoughts that Rei could re-create the fire whirl that he had used at the beginning of the war, but due to the range limitations of the magic, it would have been necessary to rush into the enemy¡¯s main camp before he could make the fire whirl. Others thought that even if they could, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to determine if they had killed the enemy general or not if they did that. ¡­¡­But all things considered, it would only have been possible if everything went well. If there were any obstacles that appeared, they would have to eliminate them first. Yes, obstacles like the 20 Dragon Knights that were currently flying up from the main camp. ¡¸I thought that I had killed quiet a lot of them with the fire tornado¡­¡­but there are still so many of them. Set, remember our role? We have to keep the Dragon Knights away from Elena and Siminar. If a Dragon Knight shot a fire ball at them from the sky, we¡¯ll be wiped out before we can carry out our ambush.¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURURURURURU~!¡¹ Set gave an awe inspiring cry at Rei¡¯s words. They had probably heard Set¡¯s cry. For a moment, Rei saw the Wyverns that the Dragon Knights were riding on slow down. However, it was only for a moment. As expected of the Dragon Knights, the most elite soldiers in an army, they immediately calmed their Wyverns down before changing their target from the ambush unit on the ground to Rei and Set in the sky. What Rei didn¡¯t expect, however, was that not all the Dragon Knights flew towards him. It was true that most of the 20 Dragon Knights flew towards him and Set, but three of them headed for the ambush ground forces. ¡¸Tch, I guess some of them are smarter. ¡­¡­Set, we¡¯ll take them out quickly.¡¹ ¡¸GURU~!¡¹ Giving a sharp cry at Rei¡¯s words, the next moment, Set flapped his wings as he narrowed his form. At the same time, a large number of fireballs shot out from the Wyverns flew past where Set¡¯s body had been a moment ago. Without pause, Set continuously dodged the fireballs as Rei used the Death Scythe to block the ones that got too close. Basically, Rei wasn¡¯t on the offensive, but on the defensive. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ With his shout, another Flying Slash flew out from the Death Scythe, bisecting to Dragon Knights that had lined up. At the same time, confused that the knight controlling it had disappeared, a Wyvern lost its balance and collided with the Dragon Knight next to it as they both fell to the ground. ¡¸15 left! Set, I¡¯m at a disadvantage from range. Melee combat!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURU~!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set sped up as he plunged into the Dragon Knights. Of course, Set had a number of ranged skills, including Fire Breath, Water Ball and Wind Arrow. However, using them here would be showing Set¡¯s uniqueness. It could also result in the existence of the Magic Beast Art being revealed. It was hard to notice when Set used them in conjunction with Rei¡¯s magic, like with the fire whirl, but it was a lot harder to hide with so many enemies around them. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ A Flying Slash flew out again. However, the Dragon Knights were considered the most elite soldiers in the army and it was natural for them to pay attention to attacks they had seen before¡­¡­in particular, extremely fatal attacks. Yes, the moment Rei shot out another Flying Slash, they all moved out the way to avoid it. ¡¸Tch, they¡¯re quick to respond. But, if they move too much, it will only slow them down!¡¹ With a shout, holding the Death Scythe in his left hand, he took out a spear from the Misty Ring that didn¡¯t have its spear head, which would normally make it useless. ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ Rei threw the spear with a spirited shout. The spear was superior to a Flying Slash in terms of speed alone and was also a pin point attack. The spear flew through the air and pierced into a Wyvern rather than a Dragon Knight. ¡­¡­The moment it hit the Wyvern, it pierced all the way through and into the shoulder of the Dragon Knight on its back, knocking the Dragon Knight off. There was no limit to the ammunition in the item box, or rather, to be exact, given the number of spears he had stored inside, there wasn¡¯t anything limiting his use of them on the battlefield. The Dragon Knights were surprised and were slow to order their Wyverns for a moment. Rei couldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity and neither did Set. ¡¸GURURURURURU-!¡¹ With a cry, Set flapped his wings vigorously as he rapidly flew towards a Wyvern. Originally, the Dragon Knight¡¯s aim had been to keep a certain distance between them and Set as they continued to attack with fireballs. Of course, they also had to be careful about long range attacks such as Rei¡¯s Flying Slash and other magic, but their formation had been based on the assumption that Set had no means of long range attack. However, after allowing Set to close in during a moment of mental lapse, the Wyverns could do nothing against a Griffon. Even though thte surrounding Wyverns could shoot fireballs at Set, there was a possibility they could hit their own allies if they weren¡¯t careful. They could try to use their spears or the Wyverns claws, but those were easily avoided by Set or blocked by Rei¡¯s Death Scythe. As Set dived into the Dragon Knights, he knocked a Dragon Knight of their Wyvern as he crushed the Wyvern¡¯s neck with his claws. Rei also swung his Death Scythe at nearby enemies, striking fatal blows through a Dragon Knight¡¯s armour with the scythe blade or knocking the Dragon Knights off their Wyvern with a single blow with the shaft. ¡¸Damn it! Fall back! We don¡¯t stand a chance in melee! Focus on bombarding him from a distance! Don¡¯t think about attacking when he gets close!¡¹ The commander of the Dragon Knights¡¯ shouted in a rushed voice. The number of Dragon Knights had already fallen to five. Even if three of them had been sent to intercept the ambush ground forces, they had still lost 10 knights. (Damn it, it¡¯s because there is such a high ranking monster like a Griffon. The fact that he¡¯s on a Griffon also means he¡¯s definitely that Crimson that the soldiers were talking about¡­¡­) It was just a moment. Yes, the commander had only be lost in his thoughts for a moment. He was shocked to see the Griffon and the young man on its back right in front of him. The young man then swung the huge scythe in his hands¡­¡­ ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ The commander saw the scythe swing across with a shout before his life faded as his torso was split in half. ¡¸Set-!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURU-!¡¹ Rei called out to Set and didn¡¯t watch as the commander¡¯s upper body fell to the ground while his lower body stayed atop the Wyvern. Set answered as he did a loop on the spot. ¡¸Huh-!?¡¹ At the unexpected sight, the Dragon Knight momentarily forgot his anger from seeing his commander killed as he froze in disbelief. After doing a full loop, Set¡¯s forefeet swung down towards him¡­¡­crushing his head together with his helmet. At the same time, knocked unconcious from the sudden shock, the Wyvern crashed towards the ground. But, Rei¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t over yet. After his strike, Set spread his wings to slow his fall, but by the time he had stabilised himself again, he was quite close to the ground. In other words, the three remaining Dragon Knights were all above him. The three Dragon Knights had also been shocked by Set¡¯s loop and had lost sight of him for a moment¡­¡­and the next moment, two of the Wyverns had their body pierced by spears thrown from below as they fell towards the ground. ¡¸1 left! Set!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURURU-!¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s shout as he climbed into the sky. Probably deciding that he couldn¡¯t win by himself, the remaining Dragon Knight tried to escape and join back up with the other Dragon Knights that had gone to intercept the ground force. The Dragon Knights which were considered the elite within the army, one of those Dragon Knights had turned their back to the enemy as they tried to run. ¡¸GAAAAaa-!¡¹ The next moment, the Wyvern gave a cry as it fell. ¡¸W-What-!?¡¹ The Dragon Knight looked at the Griffon as he fell, but the Griffon was still far away. The only thing the Dragon Knight saw as he fell was a whip like weapon pierced into the body of his Wyvern. Following the whip as he fell, he saw a beautiful woman looking at him from on top a warhorse on the ground. As the scene was burned into his eyes, he slammed into the ground, ending his life shortly. Seeing the last Dragon Knight cleaned up, Rei descended to the ground with Set. Of course, it had been Elena, holding her sword whip in her hands. None of the others in the ambush unit were with her and the fighting had already began in the main camp. ¡¸Thanks for the help.¡¹ ¡¸What, there were only three Dragon Knights heading our way. Rather, since the Dragon Knights have all been cleaned up, we will assist the ambush unit.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ Rei glanced at the Wyvern that had fallen to the ground and was no longer breathing. However, he had no excuse to go and collect its body while they were fighting for every minute and second. Because of that, he had a disappointed expression as he got back on Set and headed for where the chief commander of the Bestir Empire army was located alongside Elena. At the headquarters of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army. The place where General Kastom, the chief commander, was located had turned into a fierce battlefield. ¡¸Haa-, you lot from the Mireana Kingdom. I¡¯d never thought you¡¯d try come for me.¡¹ As Kastom shouted, swinging the sword in his hand and slashing through the head of one of his enemies, he saw five people aiming their bows at him from the corner of his eyes. ¡¸Everyone, fall back!¡¹ The act of putting the general at the front usually wouldn¡¯t happen in the army, but the soldiers with him did not hesistate as they followed Kastom¡¯s orders and moved behind him. Then, the next moment, the five archers in the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s ambush unit fired a barrage of arrows towards Kastom. Despite seeing more than 20 arrows heading towards him, there wasn¡¯t the slightest impatiance on Kastom¡¯s face. With a ferocious smile, he pointed his right arm, covered in armour, towards the falling arrows. ¡¸Roar, Behemoth!¡¹ The moment Kastom said those words, the dirt on the ground instantly rose, covering Kastom, his knights and his soldiers within a dome, blocking all the arrows aimed at him and protecting everyone inside. The Behemoth Bracelet was a magic item that could manipulate dirt. The Bestir Empire¡¯s Ministry of Magic had poured a large number of rare materials to make it and it was a valuable magic item that was unique even in the Bestir Empire. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Legend Chapter 294 ¡¸An earthen dome?¡¹ Rei, after annihilating the Dragon Knights, arrived at the battlefield in headquarters of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army ahead of Elena, who was on horseback . Turning to look down from Set in the sky, the first thing that caught his eye was a huge earthen dome about 5m in diameter . The ambush forces were attacking the dome, but most of them only damaged it lightly . The next moment, the damage easily repaired itself . Because the ambush unit was focusing their attacks on the dome, they were naturally attacked by the soldiers and knights of the Bestir Empire . In the first place, as this was an ambush attack, they had to quickly defeat General Kastom, the enemy chief commander, and take him prisoner . They also had to finish this ambush while the main forces of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army were still on the front lines . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if we don¡¯t make it quick, we¡¯ll run out of time . ¡¹ As Rei looked around the battlefield, Set gave a cry towards a particular location . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Guessing that Set wanted to point him towards something, Rei turned to look over as well . There, he saw Siminar, the commander of the ambush unit, brandishing his sword at someone who looked like a mage while busily giving out orders to the surrounding ambush force . ¡¸Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ With one words, Set understood what Rei meant . With a cry, he flapped his wings as he descended to the ground . ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ As soon as Rei was got close, he swung the Death Scythe, cutting off the head of a nearby Bestir Empire knight . Leaving behind the headless body of the knight, which started bleeding like a fountain, Rei arrived at Siminar¡¯s location, where he was giving orders to those nearby . ¡¸Siminar, what¡¯s the situation?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not good . We¡¯ll run out of steam if we don¡¯t do anything . ¡¹ Saying that, Siminar turned towards the earthen dome . ¡¸Is the chief commander of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army inside there by any chance?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right . The chief commander of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army was a man called General Kastom . We had no information that he could use magic . ¡¹ ¡¸We can leave the questions for later . We should assume that news that we¡¯ve attack here will be known by the front lines . I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to kill General Kastom before soldiers come back from the front . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Siminar¡¯s expression tighted as he turned to look at Rei . ¡¸Rei, can you do something about that dirt?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll see . I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to, but I¡¯ll do what I can . ¡¹ ¡¸I leave it to you . In the meantime, we¡¯re still on the battlefield¡­¡­ah-!¡¹ During their conversation, a soldier suddenly attacked Siminar with a spear in hand . Seeing Siminar talking leisurely on the battlefield and wearing high class armour, the soldier probably guessed that he was the commander of the ambush unit . He wasn¡¯t wrong, and his choice to attack while Siminar was talking wasn¡¯t wrong either . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Too slow . ¡¹ With a murmur, the Death Scythe struck . The spear that the soldier had been holding was sliced in half . ¡¸Damn it!¡¹ The soldier threw away the remains of his spear as he drew his sword from his waist to slash at Rei . However, as he did that, a whip like sword extended out from nowhere and slashed the soldier¡¯s neck before the sword could reach Rei . A sword whip . Sometimes it was a sword, sometimes it was a whip, as far as Rei knew, there was only one person who had mastered such a magic weapon . Then, turning to look at the direction from where the sword whip had come from, he saw the person he expected . ¡¸Elena, that was fast . ¡¹ ¡¸Was I? Even then, I only came over after defeating my enemies . What¡¯s going on? It seems like we¡¯re being pushed back . ¡¹ Elena swung her sword whip as she spoke . Her blade stretched out like a whip, slashing the neck of a soldier wielding a bow, creating a fountain of blood . In addition, near Rei, Set also moved quickly, crushing the helmet and head of a knight while wrapping his tail around a soldier¡¯s legs and swinging him as a weapon . Due to efforts of Set and several adventurers who had been left behind to guard Siminar, the area around him and Rei become some sort of a safe zone where he could talk calmly, even in this battlefield . However, it wasn¡¯t an absolute safe zone, as could be seen by the soldier who had managed to sneak in with a spear . Looking at the surroundings for a moment, Siminar called out to Elena . Siminar had some feelings towards Elena, but he couldn¡¯t afford to think about that in this situation . He spoke with a serious expression . ¡¸Elena-dono, General Kastom, the chief commander of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, is inside that dirt dome . However, that dome is quite sturdy and it seems that it will use dirt from the surroundings to repair any damage it takes . I¡¯ll be leaving it to Rei to destroy the dome . Elena-dono, I would like to use your strength as the General Princess to focus on reducing the number of enemies in the area . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Because we are an ambush unit, it was unavoidable that we would have a small number of people . I¡¯ll do my best . ¡­¡­Rei, I¡¯ll leave that to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . It¡¯s just a lump of dirt, I¡¯ll do what I can . Set-!¡¹ ¡¸GURURU-!¡¹ Set responded to Rei¡¯s call as he knocked several soldiers aside with single swipe of his forefeet . Gently stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei got on his back, leaving Elena and Siminar at their current location as he moved towards the earthen dome . Along the way, he passed by several ambush unit members fighting against soldiers from the main camp . Swinging the Death Scythe, Rei cut down some of the soldiers to help his allies . Only those with great skill had been chosen to be in the ambush unit and they didn¡¯t miss that chance to launch their attacks . Although it was only for the short term, the ambush force held the advantage in several places around the battlefield . Elena looked at Rei and Set from behind before riding into the battlefield on her warhorse, as if not wanting to lose to them . In terms of pure attack range, her sword whip had much greater reach than the Death Scythe . Swinging her sword whip, she gave appropriate orders to her allies in the ambush unit as she displayed the greatness of the General Princess to her enemies and allies in a battlefield where they were greatly outnumbered . ¡¸¡­¡­This is?¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he looked at the earthen dome . Having already gotten off Set, Set was left to guard the surrounding area while Rei did something about the dome in question . In fact, even right now, Set swooped down at a soldier that was aiming his bow at Rei from a distance, crushing the soldier¡¯s head . Despite the noise on the battlefield, Rei tried to touched the earthen dome to see how it worked¡­¡­ ¡¸Tch-!¡¹ The moment Rei tried to touch the dome with his hand, the earthen wall turned into 50cm long spikes as they tried to stab him . Rei jumped back in a hurry, distancing himself from the spikes . Fortunately, the spikes didn¡¯t shoot out but were absorbed back into the wall as it returned to its original state . (When I looked at it earlier, it didn¡¯t seem like it could attack me¡­¡­why can¡¯t it shoot out the spikes? He can¡¯t control it unless he¡¯s touching the dirt? No, in that case, how did he know that I was an enemy? If he¡¯s inside the dome, he shouldn¡¯t be able to see outside . No, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s magic or some magic item, but I should assume he has some means of telling apart enemies and allies . ) Taking some distance, Rei swung the Death Scythe quickly . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ The Flying Slash that shot out left a deep scar on the earthen dome, but it wasn¡¯t enough to destroy it in a single attack . Gradually, it repaired itself . (I see, the repair speed isn¡¯t that fast . ) When observed by Rei, it looked like the dirt that formed the dome seemed to fill up the scar little by little . (However, the more it repairs itself, the thinner the dome should get . In that case¡­¡­) Next, Rei turned to look not at the dome¡­¡­but at the area where the dome had formed . In other words, the ground . Naturally, the ground was made of dirt . (In other words, the dirt used to repair itself is being replenished from the surroundings . If it¡¯s like this, it will definitely be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive . ) Thinking that far, some question appeared in his mind . Why was the chief commander of the Bestir Empire hiding instead of taking command of the defensive battle? In such a situation where the general hid in an absolutely safe position, the morale of the soldiers would fall . In fact, despite the ambush unit being made up of elite fighters, their numbers were far less than the number of soldiers in the enemy¡¯s camp . To be only an equal match against the ambush unit, it would normally have been impossible considering the difference in military strength . However, given that Elena, the feared General Princess, Set, the Griffon, and Rei, who had made a name for himself in this war, were in the ambush unit, maybe it was natural that the enemy¡¯s morale would fall . (Anyway, it repairs itself, but it doesn¡¯t do so quickly . If I get too close to it, it will attack with spikes, but those aren¡¯t too fast either . It also can¡¯t create spikes unless there is enough dirt to do so either . ¡­¡­Then, there¡¯s only one thing to do . That is¡­¡­) Grasping the Death Scythe, Rei stared at the earthen dome formed by magic power . ¡¸Smash it with enough force that it can¡¯t repair itself fast enough!¡¹ At the same time as he said those words, he swung the Death Scythe again . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ Same as the attack he had used previously, the slash caused major damage to the earthen dome . At the same time, Rei dashed forward, shortening his distance to the earthen dome . Perhaps it sensed that Rei was approaching, spikes grew out to intercept him . However, the Flying Slash had damaged the dome it greatly and repairing itself might have been its priority . The speed of the spikes growing towards Rei was clearly slower than before . Avoiding the spikes with a half turn, Rei used that momentum to smash the Death Scythe against the earthen wall as he activated the skill he wanted . ¡¸Power Slash!¡¹ As the skill activated, Rei struck at the location where the Flying Slash had landed, blasting apart the dirt wall rather than slicing through it . Power Slash was a skill that reduced the sharpness of the Death Scythe¡¯s blade but increase its impact . That effect was fully displayed as the earthen dome was unable to withstand the damage while it was still trying to repair itself after the Flying Slash had hit it . The dirt wall exploded with a bang around the location where the Flying Slash had hit . To stop the dirt wall from repairing itself, Rei slashed around the opening several times with the magic empowered Death Scythe, eventually opening up a hole big enough for him to enter . ¡­¡­Inside, Rei saw more than 20 bodies lying on the ground, their skin wrapped tightly against shrivelled bodies and bones . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei was stunned for a moment at the unexpected sight . One of the mummified corpses on the ground had a bracelet around its wrist that seemed to be pulsating . At the same time, Rei felt magic power being drawn out from his body . At that point, Rei realised what had happened . ¡¸They ran out of magic power because too much was absorbed from them . After they ran out of magic power, it still kept trying to draw more, so it ended up taking their life force and turning them into mummies . ¡¹ Rei muttered as he suddenly turned to look at the bracelet that was absorbing his magic power . Rei didn¡¯t know, but the Behemoth Bracelet had been a magic item created by the alchemists of the Bestir Empire using the essence of their technology . It had the ability to freely manipulate dirt, but contrary to the alchemist¡¯s original intention of using it to create spikes to attack the enemy, General Kastom had used it to make a huge dome . Because of that, the prototype magic item had gone haywire and started to absorbed all the magic power and life force of General Kastom and everyone around him, leading to this disaster . However, even such a bracelet that greedily absorbed magic power was unable to absorb all of Rei¡¯s enormous magic power . Piki-, pikiki- . With such sounds, the bracelet rapidly cracked before falling apart the next moment . At the same time, the effects of the Behemoth Bracelet faded and the earthen dome, which had been strengthened by magic power, began to collapse . ¡¸Tch-!¡¹ At that moment, Rei immediately dashed out in a hurry through the gap in the dome he had made¡­¡­before the earthen dome collapsed on itself . Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Legend Chapter 295 Rei escaped from the crumbling earthen dome . As the earthen dome literally fell apart before Rei, it caused a great hit to the morale of the Bestir Empire soldiers who were in the vicinity¡­¡­especially to those who reported directly to General Kastom . The earthen dome where General Kastom, their commander, had been was destroyed and Rei had been the only one to come out . It was easy to imagine what had happened inside . In actual fact, by the time Rei had broken in, the Behemoth Bracelet had already wiped out everyone inside, including General Kastom . However, the soldiers of the Bestir Empire had no way of knowing that . ¡¸G-General Kastom!?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, wasn¡¯t General Kastom inside!?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes . He should have been¡­ . . ¡¹ In the midst of this rapidly growing chaos, a warhorse approached Rei . Rei gave sigh of relief when he saw Siminar, the commander of this ambush unit, on the horse . It was unexpected that General Kastom, his target when breaking into the earthen dome, was already dead with only skin and bones remaining . Seeing that, Rei had been hesitant about loudly announcing anything . Considering the possibility that he could be accused of spreading false information if things went wrong, it was a good thing that Siminar had come over . ¡¸Rei, what¡¯s with all the commotion? Did you defeat General Kastom?¡¹ Around the crumbling earthen dome, the Bestir Empire soldiers had frozen in shock . But further away, the battle between the ambush unit and the soldiers guarding the headquarters was still continuing . If Rei had killed General Kastom, then it would be necessary to stop fighting immediately, but strangely, Rei could only look back in confusion . If Set, who was keeping an eye on the surroundings, was here, he would have probably tilted his head alongside Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯ happened? Seeing that the earthen dome has collapsed, you were successful in breaking into it, right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right . But, when I rushed in, everyone who had had been inside was already dead with only skin and bones remaining . ¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸By my guess, it looks like some magic item went out of control . The corpses were so dry that it was hard to tell which one would have been General Kastom . It could also have been a ruse to pretend that he died¡­¡­what do we do?¡¹ Even so, there was nothing that Siminar could do . Rather, since he hadn¡¯t seen the situation with his own eyes, it only added to his confusion . ¡¸Even if you ask me what to do¡­¡­any how, since we definitely saw that General Kastom had hidden inside the earthen dome, why don¡¯t we just claim that you have killed him?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Me?¡¹ Siminar nodded at Rei¡¯s instinctive question . ¡¸Naturally . After all, it was Rei who broke through the dome . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I think it would be best to not do that . ¡¹ The two of them turned to the voice that interrupted them and it was the person they had expected . ¡¸Elena-dono . Looks like you¡¯re safe . No, I mean, I didn¡¯t expect the General Princess to have any difficulties in this kind of battle but¡­¡­¡¹ Siminar stumbled through his words as he looked at Elena . Elena was wearing pure white half-plate . It would have been natural for blood and other stains to appear on her armour during the turbulent battle, but there was no sign of any stains . Not just blood from wounds, not even dust could be seen . This was due to an effect of the armour, which was also a magic item, but Siminar had no idea as feelings of love welled up and he looked at Elena with a light blush . In order to hide his feelings, he started speaking in a loud voice . ¡¸Rather, why are you against claiming that Rei defeated General Kastom? The Bestir Empire¡¯s army won¡¯t stop fighting until they know that their chief commander is dead . ¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you hear Rei? He couldn¡¯t identify General Kastom . In other words, once this war is over, some people might claim that it wasn¡¯t actually General Kastom . Even the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . After all, Rei was an adventurer hired by Daska-dono . He has an item box, fought the Bestir Empire¡¯s vanguard and rescued the ambushed Count Arius . If you give this credit to him as well, Rei will probably end up being the person with the greatest achievements in this entire war rather than just a candidate . ¡¹ The reason why Rei had only been a candidate up until now, it was basically because he was only an adventurer . No matter if he had a Griffon following him, that his name was famous in Gilm, where the most elite adventurers gather, or that he held the record for the fastest rank up to rank C, an adventurer was still and adventurer . If he had been a rank A or rank S adventurer, it might have been a different story, but he wasn¡¯t . ¡¸I¡¯m sure that Rei has already become the focus of a lot of resentment, even if he doesn¡¯t know about it . It¡¯s enough for people to target him immediately if he shows any openings . If we said that he killed General Kastom but weren¡¯t able to directly identify the corpse, it would become an opportunity for those people who want to target him . ¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Rei recalled Renodis, who had tried to mess with him before the war had even began . (That¡¯s true, if they were that kind of people, if I gave them an opportunity, they would probably take advantage of it . ) Rei nodded in understanding . ¡¸Then what do we do? We can¡¯t just keep fighting until one of us gets wiped out . And don¡¯t forget the possibility that their reinforcements, will be heading back from the front lines . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course I know . I also don¡¯t have the habit of letting people die for no reason . Because of that¡­¡­¡¹ Elena turned to look at Siminar in a meaningful way . Although the person herself probably didn¡¯t realise it, her gaze was close enough to make Siminar¡¯s heart palpitate . ¡¸W-What? Is there anything about me?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Following Elena¡¯s gaze, Rei looked at Siminar in understanding . ¡¸Well, I¡¯ve already stood out in this war, so I can¡¯t take too many more achievements . In other words, if a Royalist takes the credit, there won¡¯t be any issues . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait, hold on . Doesn¡¯t that mean that I will be taking Rei¡¯s credit!?¡¹ After getting this far, it seemed that Siminar finally understood where the discussion was going . He raised a voice of surprise . However, Rei and Elena just nodded back at his surprise . ¡¸Rei was hired by Daska-dono, a Neutral . I am part of the Nobles faction . In that case, the only remaining option is Siminar-dono from the Royalists . ¡¹ ¡¸No, but even the Bestir Empire soldiers saw that it was Rei who destroyed the dome right? Even the Ambush Unit would have seen that . Can you even say that it was my achievement?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a good point . However, the Royalist faction should have enough influence to turn lies into truth and truth into lies right? Besides, rather than having people disparage Rei, who is only an adventurer, wouldn¡¯t it be better to claim that the Royalists had defeated the chief commander of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡¹ Comparing the advantages and disadvantages of Elena¡¯s words, Siminar understood that the advantages were definitely greater . It wasn¡¯t just achievements for the Royalist faction . It also meant that Rei wouldn¡¯t end up drawing too much jealousy for his achievements . And¡­¡­ (The advantage for Elena is that Rei won¡¯t end up being targeted because of this . ) Thinking to himself, Siminar sighed as he nodded . ¡¸I understand . It¡¯s true that this basically fits all our aims . It¡¯s not too bad for me to take the credit here either, as someone who is considered an outcast among the Royalists . ¡¹ Rei and Elena gave a sigh of relief at his words . They honestly didn¡¯t want to be dragged into any unnecessary trouble . Elena aside, who was a noble and had an established position as the General Princess, Rei had gathered numerous achievements, let along the achievement of killing the enemy¡¯s chief commander, so there was no doubt that Rei had attracted a lot of jealous and envious people . Still, considering everything, Rei still decided that it would be better if he didn¡¯t take credit for killing the enemy¡¯s chief commander in addition to everything else . (Or, if they misunderstood that Siminar, a Royalist, snatched my achievements, their jealousy towards me might also be reduced . ) Thinking to himself, he looked towards Siminar, who was heading towards the earthen dome . However, the next moment, it would Renodis that popped into his mind . The reason Rei thought of Renodis was because Renodis was someone who probably wouldn¡¯t hesitate to make an enemy out of Rei . Rather, he would be more than happy to gleefully pursue Rei . ¡¸Well, if that happens, Elena would do something about it . ¡¹ She probably heard Rei¡¯s mutter, Elena turned to look at him . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, I was just saying that you would help me out if I got into trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If I can help you, I will always lend a hand . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ In case he forgot about him, Set also came over and rubbed his head against Rei . As Rei stroked Set¡¯s head, a voice was heard from the earthen dome . ¡¸General Kastom has been slain by Siminar Gupsos of the Mireana Kingdom!¡¹ In the surrounding area¡­¡­no, in the entire headquarters camp, a voice echoed out . There were cheers from one side and mourning from the other . Looking around, Rei silently turned to look towards the collapsed earthen dome . Of course, he wasn¡¯t praying for the souls of General Kastom or the soldiers that had died in battle . Nor was he happy that the war was over . No, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have such feelings, but Rei¡¯s current thoughts were on something else . That is¡­¡­ (That magic item that could create that earthen dome¡­¡­I really wanted that . ) That was a matter of fact . Of course, it had the clear drawback of randomly absorbing the magic power of people around him . However, it had the ability to create a strong earthen dome that wouldn¡¯t collapse even when hit by Rei . With his hobby of collecting magic items that could be used it combat, it was natural that he had wanted it . (of course, to make such a high quality magic item, a certain level of alchemy is needed . Thinking about that, it might be good to head over to the Bestir Empire at least once . Rei thought that in his mind, but with his prominent actions in this war and his feared title of Crimson among the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, there was no doubt that it would be difficult in many ways if he went to the Bestir Empire . ¡¸Rei¡­¡­Rei-! Can you hear me!?¡¹ Rei, who had been absorbed in his thoughts, finally noticed Siminar, who had been standing in front of him . ¡¸Ah, sorry . I was thinking about something . What¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸Hah, I know this war has been tiring, but please focus for a bit longer . I want you to tell Count Arius that I have killed General Kastom . Set is the fastest out of all right?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ That¡¯s right! Set seemed to say as he puffed out his chest and gave a cry . The surroundings seemed to calm down for a moment at Set¡¯s cry, but the next moment, they realised that the battle was still on going on the front lines . They all immediately took action . Siminar gathered the remaining ambush forces while Elena gathered up and disarmed their captives . Rei got on Set to fly to Arius . ¡¸¡­¡­It seems that headquarters has fallen . ¡¹ The forefront of the fierce battle between the Bestir Empire and the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s armies . Among the fighters, Gilgos, who was ordering a group of Demon Soldiers, spoke to Theorem . Upon hearing those words, Theorem gave a faint smile while instructing the Demon Soldiers to wrap around the enemy¡¯s left wing . ¡¸Well then, what happened to our chief commander?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, he is dead . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ Theorem responded to the death of their chief commander with two simple words . Since Kastom¡¯s death had been according to his expectations, that was his only reaction . However, he frowned at the words that followed . ¡¸It seems that General Kastom wasn¡¯t killed by the enemy but died due to the effects of a magic item, giving to him by the the Ministry of Magic, going out of control . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s not very good . Regardless of whether he was killed by the enemy, if it was partially caused by a magic item given to him by the Ministry of Magic¡­¡­¡¹ At the end of his line of sight, a strange centaur with the upper body of a lion and the lower body of a horse plunged into the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s flank, sending it into confusion . The rest of the Demon Soldiers followed up, driving a wedge into the front lines and forcing an opening . However, Theorem¡¯s expression didn¡¯t appear to be happy at all . The Ministry of Magic had a close relationship with the Third Prince, Mercurio . If General Kastom had died from a magic item given by the Ministry of Magic going out of control, Third Prince Mercurio would naturally be suspected . The headache for Theorem was that the suspicious wasn¡¯t necessarily incorrect . After all, he had known that the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s ambush force was aiming for the headquarters camp, but had let them attack . ¡¸Theorem-sama, that may be important, but I think it would be better to consider withdrawing for now . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . If we don¡¯t do anything, our morale will drop and the enemy¡¯s will rise as reports of the death of our chief commander spread . ¡¹ Nodding, Theorem began giving the orders to withdraw . Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Legend Chapter 296 ¡¸What, is this¡­¡­?¡¹ Rei and Set flew over to the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s headquarters to report that they had defeated General Kastom, the chief commander of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army . However, when Rei arrived at the site of the battlefield, he only saw the forces of the Mireana Kingdom and not the fierce battle he had expected . From the sky, it seemed that they had taken considerable damage . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What do we do? Set seemed to ask . Stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei turned to look at the Royalist headquarters, which fortunately didn¡¯t seem to have suffered any damage unlike the troops that were on the front lines . (Well, if they haven¡¯t at caused at least 2-3 times more damage to the enemy, they probably won¡¯t earn any achievements . ) Thinking to himself, Rei asked Set to land to head towards the headquarters . (But why is the battle already over? First of all, I came straight over from the enemy headquarters . Why haven¡¯t I encountered any enemy forces withdrawing? They probably knew by some means that we were going to kill their chief commander, so they managed to withdraw somehow so that they wouldn¡¯t be seen by Set flying through the sky? It doesn¡¯t look like something they didn¡¯t expect, it¡¯s as if it was planned from the beginning¡­¡­no, that¡¯s impossible . There shouldn¡¯t be any reason for them to go out of their way to let us kill their chief commander . ) While thinking of that, Set descended to the ground as he arrived near the headquarters tent . Rei was familiar with this tent . When Renodis had complained and said that he wasn¡¯t convinced that Rei deserved to be in the vanguard, he had been called to this tent . And the same as before, there were two guards in front of the tent . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, who was assigned to the ambush unit . I want to report to Count Arius, please tell him I have come . ¡¹ ¡¸-!? Did you succeed!?¡¹ ¡¸Either way, they are withdrawing¡­¡­¡¹ As soon as they heard Rei¡¯s words, the guard looked astonished . Eventually his astonishment turned into admiration . ¡¸Ah, it ended without any issues . Rather, could you let Count Arius know?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes . Wait a moment . ¡¹ Seeing the guard enter the tent, Rei called out to the other guard . ¡¸So, what¡¯s going on the battlefield? It looks like the Bestir Empire has already withdrawn . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Weren¡¯t you on a Griffon? In other words, weren¡¯t you flying through the sky? Couldn¡¯t you see the Bestir Empire withdrawing?¡¹ Contrary to what Rei had expected the guard asked back in confusion . ¡¸Count Arius has called you in . Please come in . ¡¹ The guard who had entered the tent came back out to tell Rei . The time needed could be considered to be exceptionally fast . Of course, it could have been because that this was the battlefield and they wanted to hear the report from the ambush force as soon as possible, but Rei had still been expecting to wait for a certain period of time . Still, since it was more convenient for Rei this way, he didn¡¯t hesitate to enter the tent . Of course, that was after leaving behind the Mithril Knife at his waist . ¡¸Rei, you¡¯ve worked hard . With the enemy withdrawing, can I assume that the ambush unit was successful?¡¹ Arius asked Rei as soon as he saw him . (¡­¡­Is the situation unclear to them as well?) Rei nodded while thinking to himself . ¡¸Yes . Siminar¡­¡­-sama has successfully defeated General Kastom, the chief commander of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army . ¡¹ Rei was about to call him just Siminar before managing to rephrase his words . The Royalists who noticed that just smiled at him . ¡¸Yes! Did the ambush unit defeat the enemy¡¯s chief commander? This will maintain the honour of us Royalists . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not right . It should be said that defeating the enemy¡¯s chief commander would be the greatest achievement of the entire war . ¡­¡­Rei, was it? You would say that the greatest achievements in this war belong to the Royalists, wouldn¡¯t you?¡¹ A noble near Count Arius asked Rei . Of course, the noble wasn¡¯t ignoring Rei¡¯s achievements . However, to maintain the Royalists¡¯ honour, it wasn¡¯t possible for a single adventurer to have the greatest achievements for the entire war . Because of that, he tried to get Rei to admit it himself . If Rei later went against his own words, the Royalist faction would then be able to move against him . However, Rei nodded without hesitation at the serious question . ¡¸It is true that it was Siminar-sama who killed the enemy¡¯s chief commander, so it can be said that the greatest achievement in this war belongs to Siminar-sama . ¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, the noble¡¯s cheeks twitched for a moment . It was no surprise as Rei had told him that Siminar deserved the greatest merit rather than the Royalists as a whole . However, Count Arius spoke out before the unhappy noble could say anything more . For Count Arius, it was more important to understand the current situation and to leave the personal pride satisfying actions of the nobles for later . ¡¸So, the fact that you¡¯re reporting to us now means that you were flying on the Griffon, right? Did you see the Bestir Empire withdrawing on your way?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t see any of them . When I arrived, I was surprised that the battle had already ended . ¡¹ A few nobles frowned at Rei¡¯s choice of words, but they probably realised that as an adventurer, Rei wasn¡¯t so concerned about his wording . They didn¡¯t say anything in particular, but instead prompted Rei to continue . ¡¸Since that was the case, I¡¯d also like to ask when did the Bestir Empire start to withdraw?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know how long ago it was . I can only say that they withdrew long before you arrived . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I long time ago?¡¹ Rei muttered with a frown . He didn¡¯t know the exact time, since watches were an expensive magic item, but if the whole army had already withdrawn, it would have been at least 10 to 20 minutes ago, which would have been when Rei had destroyed the earthen dome¡­¡­meaning that they would have already started to withdraw after General Kastom had died from having too much magic power absorbed by the Behemoth Bracelet . (Then, it was a set up from the beginning?) It felt like they had fallen into a trap . The discussion within the ambush unit that Theorem may have read the ambush from the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army passed through his mind . (But, what good is it for them if we kill their chief commander?) ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Is there anything you thought of?¡¹ Rei, who had been absorbed in his thoughts, was brought back to reality at Count Arius¡¯ question . ¡¸This is only my thoughts, but the Bestir Empire¡¯s army withdrew and took a detour so that I wouldn¡¯t spot them on my way back to report the success of the ambush . ¡­¡­Since that is the case, I think it¡¯s all according to someone¡¯s plan¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid-! You¡¯re saying that the Mirena Kingdom¡¯s army was used by someone!?¡¹ The nobles around Count Arius all shouted at Rei . The rest of the nobles who agreed all looked at Rei unpleasantly with a sharp stare . ¡¸Stop, it was I who asked for his thoughts, and he also said it was only a possibility . There is no need to judge him . ¡­¡­But, used by someone? The chief commander of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army was General Kastom, right?¡¹ A subordinate near Count Arius nodded at his question in confirmation . ¡¸Yes . He is said to be one of the leading military figures of the Second Prince¡¯s faction . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What about the Flash?¡¹ ¡¸He belongs to the Third Prince¡¯s faction . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case¡­¡­¡¹ Count Arius looked like he had just bitten into a bitter worm . It was no wonder as they had just been used to eliminate someone¡¯s political opponent and key military figure . ¡¸Count Arius, we can¡¯t confirm it, but it¡¯s likely that we were used . Even if we weren¡¯t used, it is still a fact that the ambush unit formed by the Royalists defeated the chief commander of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army . In that case, it wouldn¡¯t be a mistake to say that this war, where we stopped the Bestir Empire¡¯s invasion, protected our lands and defeated their chief commander, was a complete victory for the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s absurd! Then, that means we only good enough to be used by the enemy! Is there any pride as a noble of His Majesty to be happy about victory gained from the whims of the enemy!?¡¹ ¡¸Wait, it might not be pleasant that we were used by the enemy, but that is all . They must have done it because it was worthwhile for them . Could they have done that because they feared the strength of our forces and wanted to reduce it as much as possible? Of course, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they used their chief commander as a pawn and threw him away . ¡¹ The nobles around him all argued loudly about their current view of the matter . Their opinions were roughly divided into three groups . The first admitted that it may be true that they were used, but should still maximise the gain from what had happened . The second could not accept that they had been used and proposed to counter invade the Bestir Empire . The third group claimed that the enemy had been afraid of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army strength and had abandoned their chief commander in an attempt to split their forces . It was fortunate for Rei and the Mireana Kingdom that the majority of nobles supported the most realistic first option after hearing everyone¡¯s opinions . (In fact, in our current state, it would be impossible to launch a counter invasion even if we wanted to . In the first place, the Mirena Kingdom was weaker in terms of national power . The Mireana Kingdom was a large country compared to the surrounding countries . However, the Bestir Empire was even bigger than the Mireana Kingdom . In terms of national power, the Bestir Empire was around 1 . 5 times stronger than the Mireana Kingdom . Moreover, since the King¡¯s orders had been to repel the invasion, if they had tried to counter invade now, they would be punished for violating orders . While thinking of that, Rei listened in to the discussion between the nobles before noticing that Count Arius¡¯ eyes were on him again . ¡¸Rei, I would like to hear your opinion again since you actually fought General Kastom¡¯s troops . What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸In my opinion, even if we were used, General Kastom¡¯s death is still the outcome . Then, shouldn¡¯t we take the maximum profit we can from that?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, most of the people in the tent agreed . A few nobles glared at him, but didn¡¯t say anything unnecessary . Since Rei didn¡¯t have a choice in expressing his opinion, all they could do was to pass on their feelings with their eyes . Count Arius nodded at Rei¡¯s opinion and made his decision . ¡¸Rei was actually in the ambush unit, we should consider his opinions . ¡­¡­Okay, give the orders out to the whole army . There may be some important information or magic items in the enemy¡¯s camp . We should also recover the prisoners of war that the ambush unit has captured . Anyhow, there is no doubt that this war has ended with our victory . Let¡¯s declare it proudly and make a triumphant return . ¡¹ They might have been used, the but result was that they had still killed the enemy¡¯s chief commander and repelled the Bestir Empire¡¯s invasion . For Count Arius, who had spent a considerable sum of money to become the chief commander of this army, it was more than enough . As for the attack of the Demon Soldiers, which could be considered the enemy¡¯s secret weapon¡­¡­it was definitely a great achievement for him to be able to repel the ambush, which had used transition stones in an attack that had never been seen before . (Although I did make a blunder and was ambushed¡­¡­even though I struggled, I still did resist against the transition stone attack . I also launched an ambush back against the enemy¡¯s chief commander . In that case, I shouldn¡¯t have made any fatal mistakes . ) Thinking to himself, he turned to look at the adventurer standing before him . It was battle with many unexpected issues, but it was definitely due to the adventurer standing before him that they had won this war . At first glance, he looked like an apprentice mage, but the ability hidden within that small body was definitely first class . Furthermore, he held an item box, a rare item in this world, and was accompanied by a Griffon, a famous high ranking monster . If you considered his negative factors, he just didn¡¯t show any courtesy to his superiors . (But, I can change anything I want from here on . There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to miss out on someone like this . ) Glancing towards the nobles who were celebrating their victory in this war, Arius turned towards Rei . ¡¸Rei, what do you plan to do in the future?¡¹ ¡¸What do I plan to do? First of all, I plan to report the success of the ambush operation to Daska-sama . ¡¹ Of coure, Count Arius shook his head at Rei¡¯s reply . ¡¸No, not that . After this war is over . If you wish to do so, would you like to serve under me?¡¹ The moment he said that, the nobles who had been celebrating all turned to look at Rei . That was because the nobles all knew of Rei¡¯s talent and didn¡¯t want let him go . However, they hadn¡¯t expected Count Arius to be a step ahead of them and give Rei and offer right here . However, Rei shook his head before the worried expressions of the nobles . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m more fit to work as an adventurer on the frontier than serve nobility . ¡¹ Rei replied simply and turned down Count Arius¡¯ invitation, which the nobles though he would have accepted . ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Come see me if you ever feel like it . I don¡¯t hate strong people like you . For now, go report on the ambush to Margrave Rowlocks . ¡¹ Count Arius didn¡¯t push the matter any further as he let Rei leave the tent . Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Legend Chapter 297 Rei emerged from the tent where Count Arius and various other Royalist nobles had gathered and gave a small sigh before welcoming the approaching Set . (Anyhow, this is the end of the war . I hope I don¡¯t get dragged into any troubles after this . ) While muttering to himself, he judged that it would be difficult . After all, he had stood out too much in this war . He stood out enough that even he recognised the issues himself . (That said, it will be inevitable that I¡¯ll stand out as long as Set is with me . Thinking about that, it¡¯s a good thing I told them that if anyone tried to mess with Set, they were going to get hurt . ) In particular, Rei¡¯s use of the fire whirl, which was more of a natural disaster than magic, was part of his plan to dissuade anyone from trying anything within the Mireana Kingdom . (Well, that said, there seem to be some people who think it will still be fine for them to try something¡­¡­) ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Rei was thinking of that when Set gave a cry and looked at Rei with round eyes that seemed to ask if there was anything wrong . ¡¸It¡¯s nothing . Rather, I have to report to Daska-sama . Can I leave it to you?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s words, which was followed by another cute cry at almost the same time . Rei turned towards the familiar voice and saw Yellow, who was sitting on a nearby tent . ¡¸¡­ . . I see, now that you mention it, Elena sent you back to liaison with the camp . ¡¹ Reaching out as he spoke, Yellow gave a happy cry as it jumped into Rei¡¯s chest, looking as if it were complaining about something . Seeing that, Rei guessed what Yellow was probably worried about . Stroking its small head, he spoke to reassure Yellow . ¡¸Elena¡­¡­your master is safe . She hasn¡¯t suffered any injuries in particular either . So you don¡¯t need to worry . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ It must have felt some relief at Rei¡¯s words . Giving a cry, it flapped its wings and landed on Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu?¡¹ ¡¸Kyukyukyu!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As usual, the two of them communicated with each other without any issues despite being different species . Rei got on Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Yellow, I¡¯m going to report the success of the ambush to the Neutrals and Nobles . Do you want to come with me?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ Yellow tilted its head at Rei¡¯s words . When Yellow, a baby Dragon about 15cm in length, made that gesture, it looked like a lovely stuffed toy . In fact, regardless of gender, the soldiers, knights and adventurers who were watching the interactions between Rei and his Griffon all looked over with a gentle expressions . Maybe it was because the war was over that they were able to hold such expressions . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei, an adventurer who was dispatched to the ambush unit . I would like to report to Daska-sama, so can I ask you to let him know?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you¡¯ve come back? Both Daska-sama and Philma-sama are waiting for your report . I¡¯ll bring you over soon, please wait a moment . ¡¹ As one of the guards went into the tent, Rei handed over the Mithril Knife at his waist to another guard . ¡¸That said, seeing that you¡¯ve come back safely, I assume the ambush was successful? The noise from the front lines has also stopped for a while . ¡¹ As he received the Mithril Knife, the guard looked at Griffon standing next to Rei and Yellow on his back before asking . ¡¸Ah . The enemy¡¯s chief commander was defeated by the commander of the ambush unit, and as you can see, the enemy has withdrawn . If you just consider the results, you could say it was our overwhelming victory . ¡¹ When it came to damage suffered in this war, the Royalists had taken an overwhelming large amount . That was because Rei had used the fire whirl in the fight between vanguards, drastically reducing the damage to the troops of the Neutral and Noble troops . However, that didn¡¯t mean that the Neutrals and Nobles hadn¡¯t taken any damage . During their full-scale attack, taking advantage of the confusion caused by the fire whirl, their forces had still been worn down . However, in terms of the relative damage they suffered, damage to the Royalist forces was overwhelmingly greater . Considering the losses they had suffered from the ambush by Theorem and his Demon Soldiers using transition stones and the losses from the main attack as they drew attention away from the counter ambush, the damage taken by the Neutral and Noble factions was insignificant . ¡¸Really? I had only known about the withdrawal from the mages and archers who were entrusted with providing back line support . ¡¹ The guard nodded in admiration as the previous guard came back from inside the tent . ¡¸Daska-sama and Philma-sama will meet with you . You mustn¡¯t be impolite . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have too much confidence in that area, but I¡¯ll be careful . ¡­¡­Set, please wait outside with Yellow . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ The Griffon and Dragon responded to Rei at almost the same time . Like with the guards at the Royalist tent, the two guards here also smiled involuntarily . However, they soon remembered their roles as guards . They forced themselves to put a serious expression on their faces before speaking . ¡¸Well, come in . ¡­¡­Ah, no, before that, your weapons . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve already got it with me . ¡¹ The other guard replied as he showed the sheathed Mithril Knife to his fellow guard . ¡¸That¡¯s fine . Come in . Everyone wants to hear your report, including Daska-sama . ¡¹ Rei entered the tent . The first thing he felt was the strong gazes of the nobles who were inside the tent . Of course, when he had come here before joining with the ambush unit, he had been exposed to the same gazes . But this time, the pressure was incomparably higher . The strength of their gazes represented the nobles¡¯ interest in the report that would come from Rei . Because of that, Daska asked immediately without bothering with greetings . ¡¸Rei, seeing that the enemy has withdrawn, can I assume the ambush was successful?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . The ambush was successful . ¡¹ For a moment, Rei wonder if he should say that he was the one who killed the enemy general or that it was Siminar, but before he could say anything, the nobles exploded into noise . ¡¸Alright! Does that mean we¡¯ve successfully fought off the Bestir Empire¡¯s army?¡¹ ¡¸It was a close bet by Count Arius¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It might have been a close bet, but a win is a win . In fact, Count Arius will undoubtedly be credited with the outcome of this ambush . Even if you take into account his blunder of being ambushed himself, the successful ambush will still be evaluated highly . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, in that case, I should have put more people into the ambush unit . ¡¹ ¡¸No, because Elena-sama was part of the ambush force, that¡¯s not a problem for the Nobles . But for the Neutrals¡­¡­¡¹ A few of the noisy nobles turned to look at Rei . Their gazes were filled with complex looks and emotions . It was a fact that Elena, a symbol of the Nobles faction, had joined the ambush unit and ultimately contributed to the fight that decided this war . However, Rei was in a different position to Elena . No matter how much he had contributed to this war, he was still only an adventurer . And compared to the Nobles, the Neutral faction had achieved far less merits . ¡¸Should we have sent out the Axe of the Thunder God?¡¹ ¡¸No, no, it¡¯s also true that the strength of the Griffon was also very important . It¡¯s true that the Axe of the Thunder God is a powerful force, but considering the pair of Rei and Set, they were a good choice . Besides, since it was an order from Count Arius that Rei had to join the ambush on the enemy chief commander, it would have been difficult for Daska-sama to add any other adventurers . ¡¹ ¡¸No, it might have been possible if it were just an adventurer . It would be impossible for knights, let alone nobles, but for adventurers¡­¡­¡¹ While the Neutral nobles argued with each other, saying that they should have done this or that, the nobles from the Nobles faction just looked on . This time, they had coordinated with the Count Arius, and by extension, the Royalists . Because both Daska and Philma knew that, they had told those in their factions to not cause trouble with people from the other factions . They were fighting with the Bestir Empire and they would lose if they didn¡¯t cooperate with each other . Among them was Elena, who had no desire to be hostile with Rei . Philma, taking Elena¡¯s feelings into account, had also avoided hostilities . But, now that the war was over, they were back to being on different factions . In particular, the Nobles faction had always been causing trouble for the Royalists in an attempt to narrow the power gap . The petty troubles they had caused may have stopped for now, but there was a high chance that they would start to pick up again in the future . Above all, the Nobles faction still paid a great deal of attention towards Rei . He was only C rank, a low rank¡­¡­but it wasn¡¯t a suitable rank given his ability . With that much strength, if they could pull him in, he would be a great force . For Philma, considering Elena¡¯s feelings for Rei, if Rei became a noble¡­¡­he thought that it might be a good idea to make him a direct vassal of Duke Kerebel . (Or, it might be interesting to welcome him as my successor . ) Philma was thinking of that when Daska spoke up . ¡¸So, Rei . You¡¯re the one who killed the enemy chief commander, General Kastom, right? In that case, as I said before you joined up with the ambush unit, there¡¯s no doubt you will have the greatest merits in this war . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No . ¡¹ The question caught Rei by surprised and he was lost for words for a moment before denying it . ¡¸Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t the one who killed General Kastom, it was Siminar-sama, the commander of the ambush unit . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course he did, didn¡¯t he . ¡¹ They probably understood the meaning of those words . Daska and Philma both gave a faint smile . ¡¸In that case, won¡¯t the person with the greatest achievements in this war be the one who killed the enemy commander, Siminar-dono, instead of Rei?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is likely . ¡¹ ¡¸In other words, you won¡¯t be able to get the heirloom magic item you wanted, right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s looks to be the case . ¡¹ Rei frowned slightly . Of course, he knew that this would happen and he had talked with Elena and Siminar about this . Even so, the magic item handed down the Margrave Rowlocks family, located at a unique frontier location, had still been very attractive . Daska looked at Rei funnily while Philma sighed somewhat troubled manner . A subtle silence spread through the tent, but Daska broke it as he spoke up . ¡¸Certainly, Rei did miss out on killing the enemy chief commander . That is a fact . ¡­¡­At least that¡¯s what we¡¯ll say . However, considering all your other merits, even if you don¡¯t have the most, you will be at least second . Because of that, while I won¡¯t give you a magic item handed down my family, I will give you a similar magic item as a reward . ¡¹ Daska words seemed to be unexpected . Rei looked back at his stern face . Perhaps the nobles around Daska felt the same . The Neutrals eyes widened while the Nobles turned to look at Daska bitterly . Even if it wasn¡¯t an heirloom magic item, Daska would give a magic item of a similar level . Of course, part of the reason was due to Rei¡¯s achievements, but it also served to keep the rest of the nobles that wanted to solicit Rei in check . At the same time, it was a way of showing that he held Rei in great importance and did not want him to leave Gilm . Of course, Daska didn¡¯t think he could take Rei in as his subordinate, aside from keeping Rei in Gilm, his territory, and hiring him temporarily like in this war . He understood that Rei wasn¡¯t someone ordinary and wasn¡¯t someone who could fit under his control . Even if he could force Rei under him, it would only lead to Rei causing all sorts of issues . Those from the Nobles faction sent Daska nasty looks, but Daska himself was unconcerned as he happily continued his conversation with Rei . Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Legend Chapter 298 Turning time back a short while, as Rei was heading towards the Royalist camp of the Mireana Kingdom to report on the success of the ambush, the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, which had begun its withdrawal, was moving under the leadership of Theorem . Of course, the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army had tried to give chase, but since the Demon Soldiers had been entrusted with the rear guard, the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army suffered more losses as they pursued and the nobles in charge eventually gave the order to give the chase rather than suffer more losses . Led by Theorem, the Bestir Empire¡¯s army didn¡¯t head straight back towards the Bestir Empire . Knowing that General Kastom had already fallen and knowing where their main camp had been, Theorem moved so as to avoid that location . It wasn¡¯t even a small detour, but a large loop, as if moving along the edges of the vast Selemus Plains . Even though they had wagons loaded with supplies, didn¡¯t mean that they had much room for food . Given the rations required for tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, it was clear that considerable rationing had to be put in place . Of course, many complained about it . However, they had all been silenced by Theorem¡¯s words . ¡¸According to my information, General Kastom has been defeated by an ambush force . And, among the ambush forces, there is a person called Crimson, who was the one who created the fire tornado . If he¡¯s followed by his Griffon, there¡¯s a good chance he will report that they have defeated General Kastom . What would happen if he ends up creating a second fire tornado in areas with high troop density as we are retreating?¡¹ The majority of the withdrawing troops belonged to the main army, where they had seen the fire whirl appear in the densely packed vanguard, even if they were some distance away . They had seen the sight of people being lifted like leaves as they were thrown around in the air . Fortunately, they hadn¡¯t been able to see the sight of the fire whirl burning people alive from that distance, but the horror of it was still more than enough . And, it went without saying what the vanguard soldiers that had been absorbed into the main army thought of it . If that fire whirl appeared as they were withdrawing . Just imagining it caused them to bite their rattling teeth as they hugged their bodies to suppress the shaking . There were many who couldn¡¯t stand as they crouched down on the ground . Even if it didn¡¯t go that far, some people still went pale . For the Bestir Empire¡¯s army¡­¡­no, for those who had participated in this war, the title of Crimson was synonymous with the god of death . As for the title of the General Princess, Elena had a beautiful appearance and many people had feelings of longing rather than fear . But as for Rei, who had showcased overwhelming power, there were very few people who felt anything other than fear and awe . The commanders of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, who had seen what had happened in various ways, agreed to return to the Bestir Empire in a way that largely bypassed the location where General Kastom had been, in accordance with Theorem¡¯s words . ¡¸Even so¡­¡­it will be difficult to fight the Mireana Kingdom from now on . That Griffon was as strong as the stories I had heard . ¡¹ As they travelled through the Selemus Plains, Cyanus, who was travelling next to Theorem, spoke to him in a voice that wouldn¡¯t be heard by others . Both of them were mounted on warhorses, but they were bascially moving at walking speed as most of the main army was made up of foot soldiers . Because of that, their horses were moving slowly and they didn¡¯t need to worry about fatiguing them compared to when they had been galloping at full speed . ¡¸That¡¯s right . According to the information I have, almost all the Dragon Knights were killed by him . In that case, we can¡¯t even buy time by gathering up the Dragon Knights, which are considered the most elite soldiers in the army . Honestly, I can¡¯t think of how to fight him . The best way is to not fight him, but even if we use some means to pull him away from where the fighting is taking place, distance doesn¡¯t matter as long as that Griffon exists . ¡¹ Set had been the first real Griffon that either Theorem or Cyanus had seen, but there had been records of past encounters with Griffons in the history of the Bestir Empire . From the information left behiind in the books, it was easy for they to imagine the speed of a Griffon . If it was just either Rei or Set, they could still manage . However, the fact that the two of them were always together was a cause for concern . ¡¸For the Bestir Empire¡­¡­no, for the Third Prince¡¯s faction, the best option would be to make him defect¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Even if he defects, how would we make him defect? If you think about the usual methods, it would be status or money . Leaving those out, the only option left is women . ¡¹ Theorem shook his head after thinking about Cyanus¡¯ words for a moment . ¡¸According to the information provided, he¡¯s done many big jobs as an adventurer and isn¡¯t troubled for money . Even before that, he didn¡¯t appear to be obsessed with money . His status is¡­¡­I wonder what it is . With his strength, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for him to be picked up by Margrave Rowlocks if he wanted to . Even if he didn¡¯t want to, the nobles from the Royalist or Nobles factions would be racing to employ him . All that¡¯s left are women, but¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that much, he recalled the information that had been collected on Rei, but shook his head again soon after . ¡¸It¡¯s no good . There are no reports that he lusts after women . On the contrary, it will be difficult to catch him with a honey trap unless we get any reports that he has a lover . If I dare say it, it seems that he is on good terms with the receptionists of Gilm¡¯s adventurers guild, but even then, they are only on good terms . If we at least knew his tastes, we could try fishing around with a woman . ¡¹ Luckily, Vel hadn¡¯t known about the relationship between Elena and Rei . Of course, Vel knew that Elena favoured Rei, but thought that it was more of something between friends than between lovers . In addition, while Vel knew that Elena favoured Rei, he didn¡¯t leak that information to the Bestir Empire as he felt that he might be able to use it for his own benefit at some point . ¡¸His type of woman? Since he was so active in this war, even if he doesn¡¯t like it, Rei will still stand out . If that¡¯s the case, it has always been said that heroes are fond of sensual pleasures, so it might be possible to find that information . Besides, he¡¯s only 15 years old . It wouldn¡¯t be surprising for someone of that age to have a strong interest in women¡¯s bodies . ¡¹ Theorem suddenly turned towards Cyanus at her reply and stared at her face . ¡¸¡­¡­What is it?¡¹ It was a bit rude to have her face stared at and Cyanus asked as she looked back at Theorem . ¡¸No, I¡¯m just wondering if Rei would fall for a honey trap if you were the one who tried to tempt him . ¡¹ ¡¸Me?¡¹ Cyanus looked back at him without a change in her expression . As for herself, she had always considered herself a knight, so she was surprised by Theorem¡¯s words due . However, ignoring the lack of expression on her face, it was definitely true that Cyanus had a well proportioned face . She liked clothes that didn¡¯t stand out because she didn¡¯t have the habit of dressing up, but that was more due to her personal taste . She had a fit body from physical training with no excess flesh and was like an agile feline beast . Her body was more on the slender side, but Theorem didn¡¯t think that it would be an issue . However, that didn¡¯t mean he was actually asking Cyanus to seduce Rei . ¡¸Just kidding . I don¡¯t want to lose my reliable lieutenant . Don¡¯t take it seriously . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . ¡¹ At Theorem¡¯s words, Cyanus nodded back in dissatisfaction as she urged her warhorse forward a little faster . ¡¸Oh, Rei . Since you¡¯re back, that must mean that the ambush unit was successful in defeating the enemy chief commander . ¡¹ As Rei was explaining Elena¡¯s status to Ara, who appeared from nowhere as soon as he had left Daska¡¯s tent, another voice called out to him from behind . Turning around to face the familiar voice, he saw all the members of Axe of the Thunder God, led by Elk . ¡¸It looks like you¡¯re safe as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, enemy soldiers are humans after all . It¡¯s definitely easier than dealing with rank C or B monsters . Rather than that, the girl beside you is¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing Elk, Ara placed Yellow down from her arms onto Set¡¯s back and bowed her head . ¡¸It¡¯s been a long time Elk-dono . I¡¯m Ara from Elena¡¯s guard knights . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh right, Ara was it? It¡¯s been a while since we met at Gilm¡¯s gates . ¡­¡­Hm? Wasn¡¯t your weapon a sword? That battle axe is¡­¡­¡¹ Elk looked at the Power Axe on Ara¡¯s back as he asked . Although he was already using a magic battle axe himself, the Axe of the Thunder God, he was still curious about the Power Axe as he looked over at it with interest . Unfortunately, Elk, who was staring at the Power Axe, looked to everyone else that he was staring at Ara¡¯s body, especially the part of her body that was bearing the weight of the Power Axe, her chest . He probably didn¡¯t intend for that to happen, but when viewed from the surroundings, he could only be seen as a middle-aged man staring at the chest of a young female knight . And, of course, the looks from the surroundings became quite sharp . Noticing those looks, Ara¡¯s cheeks went red from embarrassment . ¡¸Hey . ¡¹ Contrary to that light tone, a cane was slammed into the back of Elk¡¯s head like a mace . The sound of the impact didn¡¯t sound like something hitting someone¡¯s head . ¡¸Ow-! Hey, Min, what are you doing all of a sudden!? Even though I survived the war, are you trying to crush my head and kill me!? I¡¯m not a Hydra, if I lose my head, I won¡¯t grow it back!¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? In that case, it¡¯s a surprise you grew up at all . ¡­¡­Rather, you should pay attention to your current appearance . What do you think people will think if they see you staring at the chest of a young female knight . ¡¹ With those words, Elk finally noticed Ara¡¯s chest, wrapped in half-plate, in his line of sight . Elk frantically shook his head as his cheeks went red . ¡¸Wai-, no! I wasn¡¯t looking at her chest, I was just curious about Ara¡¯s battle axe! Look Min . Maybe it¡¯s a magic item?¡¹ He pointed at Ara in a hurry as he shouted, but it was unconvincing as his fingers happened to be directed at Ara¡¯s chest instead of her battle axe due to his sudden confusion and hastiness . ¡¸¡­¡­Kyu!¡¹ Yellow flew up from Set¡¯s back and tried to kick Elk in the face with its small feet . ¡­¡­But, as expected, Elk wouldn¡¯t bit hit by something like that and just looked puzzled as he easily parried the attack . ¡¸What is this small¡­¡­dragon?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes . This is a familiar created using Elena-sama¡¯s magic . I guess it¡¯s correct to call it a small Dragon?¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, is that so . Rather than that . I¡¯d like to continue what I was saying . ¡¹ ¡¸No, you having been staring at Ara¡¯s chest as soon as you got here . ¡¹ ¡¸I have not!¡¹ Elk immediately cut Rei off . The reason why Elk¡¯s forehead was covered with cold sweat as he shouted was probably because he didn¡¯t want to cause any rumours in such a crowded place . ¡¸We were talking about what we plan to do from now on . The war is over, but we can¡¯t just disband here, can we?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s natural . You can request to disband here if you are a knight or a soldier, but there are some adventurers who have problematic behaviour . If they group together and become bandits, it would be bad in various ways . In particular, those who participated in this war are all rank D or higher, so their skills have reached a certain level . If people of that level of skill group together to become bandits, the military force required to suppress them would be no joke . In order to prevent this from happening, they basically disband after returning to a city first . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh, is that so?¡¹ Elk nodded at Min¡¯s words, but Rei asked in puzzlement . ¡¸Aren¡¯t you guys quite a high rank? Is this the first time you¡¯ve participated in a war?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s right . Until now, we haven¡¯t had the opportunity . I¡¯ve been in some skirmishes, but never such large scale battles . ¡¹ ¡¸As Elk said, most high ranked adventurers tend to not participate in wars . However, that¡¯s just a tendency and that can easily change depending on the person¡¯s personality . Well, this time, I participated to take revenge on the people who tried to harm us . ¡¹ You reap what you sow . Min had a nasty smile on her face as she said that . Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Legend Chapter 299 Two days after the withdrawal of the Bestir Empire . The Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army was still on the Selemous Plains . The prisoners of war that had been captured, including those captured by the ambush unit, had been gathered back the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s camp and squeezed into areas created by an earth mage . Of course, there were some who were given a tent after taking appropriate measures, but those were all people who had a certain level of status . That is to say, it was limited to nobles who could be released in exchange for a ransom and those from wealthy families . After being interrogated, the rest who had been squeezed into the temporary areas would be sold to slave dealers . Maybe because they understood their situation, there were many people who¡¯s eyes had given up hope . Some might have thought of escaping, but it would be difficult to escape considering the lookouts that were on guard in the surroundings . On the other hand, preparations for withdrawal were already underway in the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s camp . But since it was a place where more than 100,000 people had gathered, the process of withdrawing caused quite a commotion . ¡¸Rei, next one please!¡¹ The knights of the Rowlocks army said that as they placed a large number of weapons such as swords and spears in front of Rei . Rei silently reached out and stored them into the Misty Ring as he stood under the spring sunshine that fell from the cloudless sky . Rei might have been unrivalled in terms of physical strength, but there was a lot of fatigue on his face . Of course, what was on his face wasn¡¯t physical fatiuge, but mental fatigue . Even though he had become somewhat accustomed to working with people he didn¡¯t know well, it still wasn¡¯t an easy experience for Rei to interact with so many strangers . Some of the nobles who participated in the war had already withdrawn from the Selemous Plains . ¡¸Come to think of it Rei . What do you plan to do?¡¹ As Rei stored a large amount of armour that had been placed in front of him into the Misty Ring, he suddenly heard a voice . Turning to see who it was, Rei saw Runo . When they had been fighting, Runo had almost no contact with Rei . But right after the war, he had popped up in front of Rei and acted as his escort just like before the war . That said, he had the ability to earn the name of Crimson in this war and he always had a Griffon by his side . In such a situation, no matter how weak of an apprentice mage he may look like, no one would cause any trouble . (Unless they¡¯re an idiot who can¡¯t see reality . ) Runo muttered as he looked back at the people looking at them . There were a group of knights that were wearing half-plate that were watching them . The knights frowned unpleasantly when they saw Runo looking at them, but they didn¡¯t do anything in response . However, Runo knew that they were only a drop in the bucket . He didn¡¯t know which faction they belonged to, but there were many more eyes watching them . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s been hard on you too . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ Rei gave a short reply to Runo¡¯s words . Rei was naturally aware of the eyes watching him, but he was more mentally exhausted from having to deal with strangers . Furthermore¡­¡­ ¡¸Rei-dono! Would you like to come visit my master? My master said that he would like to hear about Rei-dono¡¯s story at least once . ¡­¡­Of course, we will give you the appropriate compensation . ¡¹ A knight showed up in front of Rei without anything in his hands . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t plan to go anywhere for now . If you really want to, you can hear about what happened from Daska-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸No, but, isn¡¯t Margrave Rowlocks busy? Because of that, I didn¡¯t want to bother him and thought to contact you directly . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have the time to do that right now . I¡¯ll have to decline . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure? My master has a certain level of nobility, if you refuse here¡­¡­¡¹ At that moment, the knight who had just been refused said some threatening words . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set, who Rei had been leaning against, turned his head towards the knight as he gave a cry . ¡¸Hi-hii-!¡¹ The knight gave a short scream at the power of the Griffon¡¯s stare . Mumbling something from his mouth, the knight left as if running from Rei . ¡¸Those looks are still better than having to deal with such people . ¡¹ Without even glancing at the back of the knight, Rei replied to Runo . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s definitely difficult, isn¡¯t it? Well, you¡¯ve stood out too much in this war, so it¡¯s no wonder you¡¯ll encounter such things . You do understand that you did something crazy right?¡¹ Runo had a magic eye that allowed him to see magic power . Because of that, when Rei had created the fire whirl that would be better called a natural disaster rather than magic, his first thoughts had been ¡ºAh, as expected¡» instead of the shock that other people had experienced . Of course, he had still been amazed by its scale . ¡¸There were a lot of things that happened in this war . ¡¹ The Bestir Empire¡¯s underground forces had been sent to trouble Gilm and Rei several times . He had also done things with the purpose of showing how much damage they would suffer if they tried something similar in future . Of course, he had also really wanted the heirloom magic item that Daska Rowlocks had promised him . In fact, because of his success, he was going to be rewarded with a magic item of equal worth, even if it wasn¡¯t the heirloom, so it wasn¡¯t a complete waste for Rei, who liked to collect magic items . (Although it¡¯s a fact that I attracted a lot of unnecessary attention because of that . ) Even though he was an adventurer from the Mireana Kingdom, borders weren¡¯t anything troublesome as long as he remained an adventurer . Because of that, many of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s nobles considered Rei to be on their side this war, but didn¡¯t wholeheartedly believe that Rei would necessarily still be on their side the next time war broke out . The result was that many guards had their eyes on him as Rei stored wooden boxes filled with swords into the Misty Ring . ¡¸I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s all about, but it¡¯s true that you¡¯ve stood out the most in this war, so it will probably be noisy for a while . And¡­¡­those people are coming out as well . ¡¹ With a wry smile, Runo looked at a young soldier around Rei¡¯s age . Catching those words, Rei turned to see what Runo was looking at . When the young soldier saw Rei turning to look towards him, his face flushed with excitement as his eyes shone . Yes, almost as if he had met a hero . Considering the fire whirl he had created and the Griffon he had with him, it wasn¡¯t surprising that some people saw Rei as a hero . However, Rei¡¯s honest feelings were that he wanted them to give him a break . He was glad they held him in high regard, but he felt that their gazes were currently causing him more trouble than happiness . Elk, who he had met a short while ago, had laughed loudly saying that he knew what it was like . However, Min had immediately swung her cane and smacked the back of his head . ¡¸I have a feeling that all this attention is only going to cause more trouble . I¡¯m not a such a great person, but I seem to always get dragged into strange troubles¡­¡­even if it¡¯s just on the streets of Gilm, I¡¯ve been caught up in many commotions . ¡¹ Giving a sigh, Rei calmly diverted his gaze away from the surrounding eyes . Many people had already withdrawn from the Neutral faction¡¯s camp . Most of those who remained were preparing to withdraw and maybe the entirety Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army would disappear in a few days . Although there was a lot of work to prepare for withdrawal, many people were smiling knowing that they had won the war . And among those people, there were two groups . One group consisted of those frantically packing up items, loading them into carriages and bundling things up with string so that they wouldn¡¯t fall apart . The other group were those who brought all their packed items to Rei . Naturally, the latter group belonged to the Rowlocks army led by Daska, who used Rei¡¯s Misty Ring to transport their items . The former group was everyone else . If items had to be put onto a carriage, you had to consider weight distribution and free space . But with the Misty Ring, none of that had to be considered at all . If they simply brought the items to Rei, it would be stored int the Misty Ring, so it was natural that there would be a difference in franticness . ¡¸Back on topic, what do you plan to do after all this?¡¹ Runo asked Rei, as Rei stored a series of boxes filled with arrows, that had been brought over by soldiers, into the Misty Ring . ¡¸After this?¡¹ Rei felt that he had just heard those words recently, but guessing that Runo wasn¡¯t asking him to become a vassal, Rei asked back . ¡¸Ah, after this . Of course, our Margrave will head straight to the Royal Capital when we withdraw . I was wondering if you plan to follow him . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Those words must have been unexpected for Rei . He took his hand off one of the boxes of arrows he had been storing as he turned to look at Runo with a surprised expression . Seeing that, Runo judged that Rei might still be unaware as he spoke with a sigh . ¡¸As I said earlier, you¡¯ve made your presence known in this war . No, rather, your presence has overwhelmed everyone else . Didn¡¯t you hear? Theorem Enerji is called the Flash, Elena Kerebel is called the General Princess . Like them you¡¯ve now been named Crimson . ¡¹ ¡¸Crimson, huh . Well, I wonder why they chose that . ¡¹ There were a large number of soldiers that had been captured by the ambush unit in the enemy¡¯s headquarters alongside other soldiers that had been captured during the war . Of course, all kinds of rumours would leak out from them . The name Crimson had become so widespread that even Rei, who didn¡¯t socialise that much, had learnt of it . ¡¸Because I mainly use fire magic, I feel that Crimson gives it a easily understandable feel . ¡¹ ¡¸I heard it was because of the blood of the enemies you killed?¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s neither of those, is it my hair then?¡¹ His hair might not have been as bright as crimson, but Rei spoke as he looked at the red hair in the corner of his eye . In Japan, his hair colour would have definitely been conspicuous, but in Elgin, hair colours like red and blue were common . Gold, silver, brown, black, green and many other hair colours also existed, so his red hair wasn¡¯t really that noticeable . That was Rei thought . ¡¸So, you were wondering if I would go to the Royal Capital¡­¡­I have no plans to go . Daska-sama also said that if I went to the Royal Capital, it would definitely be a hassle, so I shouldn¡¯t follow him . ¡¹ ¡¸But in that case, won¡¯t the Margrave be blamed for that? The merit you¡¯ve earned might not be as great as the noble who defeated the enemy¡¯s chief commander, but you would probably be next in line . ¡¹ Hearing Runo¡¯s justifiable reasoning, Rei shook his head . ¡¸It seems that an adventurer¡¯s merit is basically the employer¡¯s merit . Of course, if the adventurers themselves wanted to stand out in order to get a position in the army, it would be a different story, but I have no intention of doing that . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯ve never earned that much merit to care, so it¡¯s like that . However, is it really okay if the person with the second most merits doesn¡¯t show up? I¡¯m sure that many nobles in the Royal Capital would want to see you . There would also be quite a few people who would want to see Set . ¡¹ Runo turned to look at Set, who seemed to be taking a nap as he became a sofa for Rei . Feeling Runo¡¯s gaze, Set yawned like a cat as he looked at Runo with thinly opened eyes . If he didn¡¯t know anything about Set, Runo would probably have been on guard at this moment . But having served as an escort for Rei as they marched here, it was hard for him to make such a mistake now . He reached out and stroked Set¡¯s neck, who responded with a cry as he enjoyed the sunlight . ¡¸Hmm, I guess Set¡¯s fur is really fine . Wouldn¡¯t it be expensive to make clothes with this fur?¡¹ ¡¸Well, clothes made from Set¡¯s fur would definitely be a luxury item . If you actually made one though, I would like to give it to Elena-sama . ¡¹ ¡¸Uwa-!?¡¹ Runo was startled when he suddenly heard a from behind him . Turning around in a hurry, he saw a female knight holding a large battle axe . ¡¸A-Ah, you were¡­¡­?¡¹ Recalling that the young woman standing in front of Rei was an acquaintance, Runo gave a sigh of relief . As an escort guarding Rei, he couldn¡¯t allow suspicious people to get too close . Understanding Runo¡¯s feelings to some extent, Ara gave a small bow . ¡¸Pardon me, you seem to have been surprised . My name is Ara, I am the leader of Elena-sama¡¯s escort knights . Actually, Elena-sama wanted to meet with Rei-dono . Would you mind coming with me?¡¹ Thinking over Ara¡¯s words for a few seconds, he nodded right after . Fortunately, he had finished storing everything into the Misty Ring, so he decided that a short break would be okay . ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll be over there shortly . Runo, it¡¯s been tiring for you to have to stick with me all the time, you can take a break . ¡¹ ¡¸You sure? Well, if you say so, I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei took Set over towards the Noble faction¡¯s camp with Ara after sending Runo off . Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Legend Chapter 300 After Rei, Set and Ara arrived at the Nobles faction¡¯s camp, many eyes turned to look at them . Of course, the Nobles faction was also preparing to withdraw . But even in such a situation, Set, a Griffon over 2m is size, was naturally conspicuous . When it became known that it was Rei who had brought the Griffon along, it immediately drew even more attention . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, since I¡¯ve stood out so much, it can¡¯t be helped . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about this . ¡¹ Set gave a cry to comfort Rei as Ara apologised . She knew that there would be a commotion in the camp when they saw Rei, but her master, Elena, had wanted to meet with Rei, so there was no other option than to bring him over . Of course, Rei was also in the spotlight in the Neutral faction¡¯s camp, but he was still in the same place the whole time, storing supplies into the Misty Ring . As a result, the gazes weren¡¯t as strong, relatively speaking . In comparison, all eyes were on him as he walked through the Nobles camp with Ara, eventually arriving at Elena¡¯s tent . ¡¸Please . ¡¹ ¡¸Are weapons fine?¡¹ A knight, probably Ara¡¯s subordinate, was guarding the entrance to the tent . However, even though it was normal to request weapons to be handed over before heading into the tent, the guard made no moves as Ara prompted Rei to enter . Ara smiled at Rei¡¯s question as she spoke . ¡¸As long as Rei-dono has an item box, it wouldn¡¯t make that much of a difference for you to hand over your weapons . And if we asked you to hand over your item box, you would probably refuse, right?¡¹ Rei nodded silently at Ara¡¯s question rather than replying . He trusted Elena and Ara, but not all of their subordinates . Especially because there had been someone like Vel previously in the escort knights . ¡¸So, that¡¯s why . I can¡¯t tell you that I won¡¯t let you in if you don¡¯t hand over your item box . Please come in . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, thank you . ¡¹ He gave a brief thank you to Ara for her consideration before entering the tent with Set . During all this, the knight who had been guarding the tent had frozen up from when he had seen Set . It was only after Set entered the room like tent, he finally breathed out in relief . ¡¸Rei, you¡¯ve arrived . Come over here . ¡­¡­Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing . ¡¹ Rei shook his head lightly as Elena stood up from a sofa to greet him and Set . Elena mind was probably still focused on the battlefield . She was wearing an almost pure white set of half-plate . ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow gave a cry as it flew up from the sofa that Elena was sitting on and flew over to Set . Set let Yellow land safely on his back . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Kyukyu!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ As usual, Rei was prompted by Elena to take a seat, leaving the two creatures to converse with each other, despite their different species . ¡¸Ara, tea please . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, right away . ¡¹ Ara nodded at Elena¡¯s words and headed towards a simple kitchen to prepare some tea . Seeing her leave, Elena immediately started talking to Rei . ¡¸Rei, I heard from Philma that will be going straight back to Gilm instead of heading for the Royal Capital, is that true?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . As you know, I stand out a bit too much right now . If I went to the Royal Capital right now, I¡¯m absolutely certain that trouble will happen with solicitations or other things . If I go to the Royal Capital, I won¡¯t be allowed to deal with things the same way as on the battlefield . With that in mind, Daska-sama told me to do the smart thing . ¡¹ Rei understood that Daska had his own goals for not exposing Rei to the public, but he decided to quietly accept it as Daska¡¯s plan was directly linked to Rei¡¯s own interests . Explaining why, Elena nodded in agreement, though she looked a little disappointed . ¡¸That¡¯s true . If Rei, who was so active in this war, went to the Royal Capital, various nobles¡­¡­or even the Royal Family would start to move . But¡­¡­it¡¯s a shame to have to split with you here . Since I was able to meet with you again, I wanted to spend a bit more time together . ¡¹ Elena cheeks were red, possibly because she was shy of talking about her feelings . With her originally beautiful face, Elena now had a glow around her that changed her from a girl to a young woman . For a moment, Rei almost reached out to Elena, who was sitting opposite him, but immediately shook his head and stayed his hand . If he and Elena had been the only ones here, he might have reached out . However, he remembered that Ara was still inside the tent . Taking a small breath to calm himself down, Rei spoke up . ¡¸Before this war started, you mentioned about going to the Labyrinth City together right? What about that? As for me, I don¡¯t plan to force you if you don¡¯t want to . ¡¹ Perking up at Rei¡¯s words, Elena turned turned to Rei confidently . ¡¸Really? That¡¯s great, but don¡¯t you have a lot of things to do?¡¹ Saying that, Elena glanced towards Set, who was playing with Yellow . The Magic Beast Art . For Elena, who knew how Set was created, she didn¡¯t think Rei would take what she had casually mentioned seriously . Because of that, her glance towards Set was filled with a mix of joy and confusion . ¡¸Let¡¯s see . The war has just ended, so we¡¯ll be busy for a while¡­¡­I don¡¯t know when, but it will probably be a few months . ¡¹ Ara placed cups of tea before the two of them as she spoke . ¡¸Really!?¡¹ Elena asked with a glowing expression . ¡¸Yes . Fortunately, this war with the Bestir Empire ended in our victory . Since we¡¯ve dealt the enemy quite a serious blow this time, I am certain it will take some time for them to rebuild . Probably a year¡­¡­no, two years . Especially with regards to the Dragon Knights, Rei-dono killed almost all the ones who participated in this war, so it will take close to 10 years for the Dragon Knight corps to reach the same level of strength they had before this war . However, they are still rearing Wyverns, so it won¡¯t be too difficult for them to build up a certain level of military power . ¡¹ ¡¸Wyverns¡­¡­huh . ¡¹ Rei gave an involuntarily sigh at Ara¡¯s words . In fact, as Ara said, Rei had killed almost all the Bestir Empire¡¯s Dragon Knights that had participated in the war . However, he didn¡¯t managed to get any materials or magic stones from them . While reporting the success of the ambush to Count Arius, the disarmament of all the prisoners of war around the enemy headquarters as well as the dismantling of dead Wyverns had all taken place . Of course, since Rei had been the one to kill the Wyverns, he wanted to receive the materials for at least two of them, not all . However, by the time he got back to Siminar, he was told that everything had already been divided up, so he could only give up tearfully . (Apart from Wyvern materials, I would also like their magic stones . Wyverns are considered low ranking monsters even among lesser Dragons with no wisdom . Still, a Dragon is a Dragon . As Rei sighed at the opportunity he missed, two objects were placed on the table . It was Elena who had placed down the objects, which were familiar to to Rei . ¡¸Magic stones?¡¹ Elena smiled as she nodded at Rei . ¡¸Mm . You weren¡¯t there when the fight for the Wyverns started . As expected, I couldn¡¯t afford to secure the materials, but I asked Siminar-dono to keep two magic stones . Rei needs¡­¡­rather, collects magic stones, right?¡¹ That¡¯s why I got them for you . Inferring that, Elena gently pushed the two magic stones towards Rei . The magic stones were about 5cm in diameter . Even if they were both Dragons, these magic stones were significantly tinier than the one from the Ancient Dragon that Elena had used at the Altar of Inheritance . That said, they was still without a doubt the magic stones of a Dragon monster . ¡¸Is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ He probably heard the words magic stone . Set, who had been conversing with Yellow, turned his head to look towards the table . Elena nodded as she glanced towards Set with a smile . ¡¸Ah . I¡¯ve kept them for you . I can¡¯t be helped that you couldn¡¯t get any yourself . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a great help . ¡¹ Thanking Elena for the magic stones, Rei stored them into the Misty Ring . He couldn¡¯t give them to Set or use them on the Death Scythe because Ara was here . To Rei, he thought it would have been nice to show Elena how Set could absorb magic stones . ¡¸¡­¡­So, what were we talking about?¡¹ Rei tried to bring the topic back on track after being distracted by the unexpected appearance of Wyvern magic stones . ¡¸I was saying that the Bestir Empire consumed a considerable amount of resources in this war and will probably need several years to recover . So, after finishing the victory parade at the Royal Capital and returning to Anessis in the Kerebel Duchy and finishing various post war tasks¡­¡­well, about two months from now¡­¡­no, about three months to have some buffer, Elena-sama will be able to travel freely again . When that happens, I think we should be free for a good period of time . ¡¹ ¡¸Really!?¡¹ Elena smiled as she asked Ara for confirmation . Happy to see that Elena was happoy, Ara nodded back with a smile . ¡¸Yes . Machen said that when checked with him a little earlier . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Machen?¡¹ Seeing Rei hear a name that he wasn¡¯t familiar with, Ara explained . ¡¸He is the Deputy Commander of Elena-sama¡¯s escort knights . Well, to be honest, I¡¯m not to familiar with clerical work, so he¡¯s in charge of that . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so . ¡¹ Rei knew that Ara wasn¡¯t good at paperwork, so he nodded in understanding . ¡¸I see, I see . Then Rei . In three months time¡­¡­so, about early summer . It will be a good season to travel, so would you be fine with travelling to the Labyrinth City together?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . As I said, there¡¯s no problems for me . If Elena is happy with it, I¡¯ll always be free to join . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Then, come to Anessis in three months . ¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama, I think it would be better to stop there . Anessis is the centre of the Kerebel Duchy . If people see Rei-dono together with Elena-sama there, there will be a big commotion . ¡¹ Elena was a symbol of the Nobles faction and was loved by everyone . Of course, there were many people who longed for her, regardless of gender . Likewise, there were countless nobles who wanted to woo her . After all, she was an unparalleled beauty and next in line to a Duke family . Furthermore, she held the name of General Princess and was unmatched by even knights when it came to combat . For single nobles, she was the most attractive partner . Because of that, when they knew of any man approaching her, they would all cause a fuss for various reasons . Ara, who didn¡¯t want Elena to have to deal with all that trouble, spoke her mind . ¡¸That¡¯s true . In that case, there¡¯s a small village outside of Anessis . There¡¯s a bar owner there that used to be an escort knight before he retired . So if you can get in touch with me there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I understand . I¡¯ll remember that . ¡¹ Nodding, Rei noticed that it had been a while since he had entered the tent . Of course, he¡¯d like to talk to Elena for longer, but right now he was hired by Daska and it was time for him to get back to storing supplies . ¡¸I¡¯ll have to resume work soon . This will probably be the last time we meet during in this war, but it¡¯s good to see you again . ¡¹ ¡¸It was good for me as well . ¡¹ Elena murmured in reply as she turned to look at Elena . Ara probably guessed what Elena meant . She picked up the cups on the table before leaving . Of course, she was still inside the tent, but there was some distance between them now, so Ara¡¯s attempt to leave Elena and Rei by themselves was successful . Elena watched Ara leave gratefully before standing up from her sofa and sitting down beside Rei . ¡¸Rei¡­¡­it might have been a battlefield, but I was glad to be able to meet with you again . ¡¹ ¡¸A-Ahh . Me too . ¡¹ Rei replied as he was sucked in by Elena¡¯s eyes as she looked at him from a short distance . Elena was older than him about about 5 years in terms of Rei¡¯s current age and about 2 years older in terms of mental age . Seeing such a glowing expression from a girl older than him, Rei unintentionally reached out to touch Elena¡¯s smooth cheeks . ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹ As he heard Elena¡¯s feverish voice leak out, Rei gently approached her¡­¡­and kissed her on the lips . Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Legend Chapter 301 Night time . The moon had just passed its peak was was starting to sink . Rei suddenly woke up in his tent . It might have been that he was still excited and nervous from his meeting with Elena . But, it wasn¡¯t the only reason he had woken up . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Rei-san . Are you awake?¡¹ Yes . He had woken up because someone had come so close to the tent he was sleeping in . Of course, Set, who was always by Rei¡¯s side, couldn¡¯t have missed the person as they called into Rei¡¯s tent with a whisper so as to not disturb the surroundings . However, since the person didn¡¯t seem to be planning to hurt Rei directly, Set only opened his eyes thinly as he lay beside Rei¡¯s tent instead of taking any further action . ¡¸Rei-san, Rei-san . ¡­¡­This is troubling, is he already asleep?¡¹ As if whispering to someone else, the person tried to call into the tent again¡­¡­ ¡¸What¡¯s do you want in the middle of the night?¡¹ Rei, dressed in the Dragon Robe as usual, appeared from inside his tent . Rei had appeared without any signs and the man looked shocked for a moment before immediately collecting himself and speaking . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . Actually, someone asked me to call for you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Me?¡¹ Rei looked at the man in front of him . He was wearing leather armour and had a sheathed long sword at his waist . He looked to be in his late 20¡¯s to early 30¡¯s, a typical adventurer . ¡¸Who is that someone?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not someone I can tell you easily . If you don¡¯t mind, could you please come with me?¡¹ Rei frowned at the man¡¯s words . (Even if I refuse, it looks like he will pester me consistently . In that case, I¡¯ll probably be able to go back to sleep faster if I just quickly go and talk with whoever that is . Fortunately, I¡¯ll be leaving by carriage tomorrow, so lack of sleep won¡¯t be an issue . ) Quickly putting his thoughts together in his head, he called out to Set, who was lying beside his tent, with some frustration . ¡¸Set, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ When he saw Set get up from the ground, the man, who seemed to be an adventurer, shook his head in a panic . ¡¸S-Sorry, but I would like only Rei-san to come . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I can¡¯t bring Set?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, about that . The person who wants to see you isn¡¯t that good with monsters . So, he would like Rei-san to come over by yourself . ¡¹ Rei looked at him for a moment and then sighed before turning to Set . ¡¸That seems to be how it is . I¡¯ll be going with this guy, you can keep sleeping Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Will you be okay? Set seemed to ask . Rei patted Set¡¯s head lightly . ¡¸I¡¯ll be fine . The war is already over so there won¡¯t be that much danger . ¡¹ As he said that to Set, Rei had a smile on his face . Seeing that there weren¡¯t any problems, Set closed his eyes and lowered his head again as he was stroked . ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go . Show me the way . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, this way . Sorry to trouble you . ¡¹ Whether it was the first time the adventurer had seen a Griffon or not, hearing Rei¡¯s words to Set, he gave a sigh of relief . Then, leading Rei, he advanced into the darkness . After the battle, the nobles had given out wine as part of the victory feasts . Of course, the wine of the Rowlocks army was stored inside the Misty Ring . But, many nobles had already left the Selemus Plains and there weren¡¯t any more feasts at this point in time . With regards to the remaining nobles, soldiers and adventurers, it was already late at night and most of them were sleeping . Of course, there were still guards as there was a chance of undead appearing, but it was undeniable that the guards were quite lax as the war was already over . In a camp like this, Rei and the adventurer moved forward . However, it wasn¡¯t towards the tents where the nobles stayed, but towards the outskirts of the camp where there were few people . ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t it a noble who¡¯s asking for me?¡¹ He called out to the man¡¯s back, but the only reply Rei recieved was another apology . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I was only requested to lead you to him . ¡¹ Rei frowned slightly at the man¡¯s reply . (There¡¯s no doubt it¡¯s a trap . But, it doesn¡¯t feel like this guy is hiding anything from me, could he also have been cheated? In that case, should I protect him as a witness? ¡­¡­No, if he¡¯s an adventurer and he¡¯s been on the battlefield, he should be able to hold his own, so I shouldn¡¯t need to worry about him . ) In the first place, only adventurers who were rank D or higher could participate in this war . Furthermore, the man must have had considerable skill seeing that he hadn¡¯t returned with any major injuries or even slight wounds . Thinking about that, they finally approached their destination, a deserted place . ¡­¡­To be exact, the adventurer had brought Rei to a place outside the camp where no soldiers would have been around and where undead could appear at night at any time . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but since you¡¯re about to meet with a noble, could you hand me your weapons?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In this situation? We¡¯re already outside the camp, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for us to be attacked by undead you know?¡¹ As he said that, Rei felt the presence of 20 people ahead of him . With a deep sigh at the developments he expected, he took out the dagger he used to disassemble monsters from the Misty Ring within his Dragon Robe and swapped it with the Mithril Knife before camly handing it over . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but they told me to do this . We¡¯ve secured the safety of the area . What¡¯s more, Rei-san, who people call Crimson, shouldn¡¯t have any issues even without weapons, right?¡¹ The man responded to Rei¡¯s words . In some way, it was a natural response . The man knew how strong Rei was . Knowing this and guessing that this must be a trap, Rei would have killed the adventurer . But before he could ascertain the man¡¯s intentions, they arrived at their destination . And the person who was waiting for him there was¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for you . It was rude of such a lowly person like you to keep a noble waiting . No, I suppose you are in this situation because you can¡¯t even see your own position . ¡¹ It was a familiar face to Rei . He had a tinge of mockery in his eyes, taking for granted that he could look down on others . It was Renodis Imarhen, a noble who had past conflicts with Rei . All those around him, about 15 people, held swords, spears and bows in their hands . Those were the people Rei had sensed earlier . In addition, there were signs of 5 more people hiding in the surroundings . All the people holding weapons around Renodis, apart from those who were hiding, had one thing in common . All of them were wearing matching suits of armour . In meant that all the people present were part of the same group . It wasn¡¯t difficult for Rei to guess who they were . (Those are the knights he leads, I guess . ) Rei remembered hearing that from Elena before the battle began as he talked with the man in front of him . He was the heir to a Marquis house and had taken part in this war with the knights he led . But¡­¡­ ¡¸All things considered, your knights¡¯ armour looks very polished . It¡¯s almost as if they didn¡¯t take part in the war . ¡­¡­Oh, I see . Did you want to show me the place of your great success? No, if I remember correctly, after I made my attack on the enemy vanguard, you didn¡¯t participate in the following attack?¡¹ It was clearly a provocation . He didn¡¯t care about making fun of other people, but Renodis, who wasn¡¯t used to being made fun of himself, glared at Rei with anger . ¡¸You, who do you think you¡¯re talking to! In the first place, it was because you were so rude to me that I was given a location to be in where I couldn¡¯t earn merit in this war!¡¹ When Rei heard those words, he just looked at Renodis mockingly . But inside his head, started to think . (To a location where he couldn¡¯t earn any merit in the war? In that case¡­¡­is that the result of Elena¡¯s actions?) That was what Rei though, but in truth, Philma was the one in charge of the Nobles faction . Philma had judged that Renodis would probably go off the rails if he let him do whatever he wanted and ended up moving him as a result . Of course, Renodis didn¡¯t know about this . And even if he did, there was no way it would convince him that he wasn¡¯t moved because he had lost the duel against Rei . ¡¸Certainly, I might have lost the duel . I¡¯ll admit that, but that was only because of the magic weapon you have . Since I have taken away that weapon, and with the differences in our numbers, you have no chance of winning right? Hey, give me the weapon you took from him . ¡¹ Renodis turned to look at the adventurer who had led Rei up to this point . He seemed to have an expression of pity as he heard Renodis¡¯ words before calmly offering the weapon that Rei had passed to him . ¡­¡­Yes, an ordinary knife that was used to disassemble monsters . ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, what¡¯s this? Didn¡¯t I order you to take all his weapons? Why have you only taken this piece of garbage?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, this was the only weapon he had . ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯m sorry about that . No matter what happens here from now on, none of it has any relation to me¡­¡­what are you trying to do?¡¹ The adventurer asked when he saw one of the knights by Renodis¡¯ side point a spear tip towards him . However, Renodis just looked at him as if he were a stone on the roadside . ¡¸If you can¡¯t even do this much, then I can only get rid of you . Die cursing your own incompetence . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Didn¡¯t I take Rei-san¡¯s weapon exactly as you told me?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t play dumb! What kind of person would take away his weapons without taking away his scythe, which is practically his signature weapon! Don¡¯t look so proud handing over just this weapon!¡¹ With an angry shout, Renodis threw the knife onto the ground . ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s one of my favourites . Don¡¯t treat it too roughly . ¡¹ The moment Rei spoke up and told him to be careful with it, Renodis¡¯ anger reached its peak . ¡¸Do it, kill him! Even if he¡¯s called Crimson, it¡¯s only due to that magic weapon! He was only able to defeat me because he had that¡­¡­¡¹ In his fit of anger, Renodis shouted out . As he shouted, a knight holding a spear next to him was hit by something hurled at his face, which wasn¡¯t covered by armour . The object smashed into his face and sent him flying 10m away . Renodis¡­¡­no, all the knights had no idea what had just happened . But, a series of meteor like objects continued to be thrown at them, killing a knight with each hit as if they were nothing . Just a few seconds . More than half of the knights had been killed when Renodis finally came back to his senses and shouted out . ¡¸Kill him, kill him!¡¹ The moment he shouted, more things were thrown at them again . At that moment, surrounding knights, including Renodis, finally realised what they were being attacked by . Yes, they saw the cheap rusted spears in Rei¡¯s hand . Throwing spears was a long ranged attack that Rei liked to use . Rei¡¯s physical strength was immense and the spears were cheap¡­¡­on the other hand, even though there were on the verge of being scrapped and couldn¡¯t be used in normal combat, if thrown, they could pierce into bodies and send them flying . Even if the targets had armour or shields, the spears would still penetrate them if they weren¡¯t of a high enough quality . It was possible to block the spears with armour made by first class blacksmiths, but even then, the impact would still be transferred to their bodies . ¡¸-!¡¹ Next to Rei who was throwing spears, the adventurer quickly pulled out his sword and swung it . In that moment, Rei and the man knocked several arrows to the ground . The fact that the adventurer had parried 5 arrows with his sword in a single breath proved that he wasn¡¯t ordinary . ¡¸You-, you-!¡¹ He had probably realised that things were no longer going the way he had been expecting them to go . Renodis started to yell¡­¡­ . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ The next momement, he mumbled in incredulity at the sight before him . Yes, Rei, who had been 10m away, had somehow taken out the huge scythe from when Renodis had fought him previously . The next moment, all the knights around Renodis fell to the ground bleeding . ¡¸Who did you think you were picking a fight with? ¡­¡­Understand the consequences . ¡¹ With those words, the Death Scythe was swung, slicing right through Renodis¡¯ armour and taking off his right arm from the shoulder . Right after, the Death Scythe was swung back down, cutting through Renodis¡¯ armour again as it sent his left arm flying from the shoulder as well . Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Legend Chapter 302 ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Not believing that both his arms had been cut off in a single breath, Renodis let out a voice or surprise . However, the next moment, blood sprayed out from both his shoulders as pain that he had never experienced before began to set in . ¡¸Aaaaaaaaaargh-! It hurts-, it hurts-, it huuurts-!¡¹ It looked like Renodis was unable to bear the severe pain . He rolled around on the ground as the dirt was soaked with his blood . ¡¸Rei-san¡­¡­isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡¹ The adventurer, who had walked up to Rei, spoke in a somewhat dazed tone . Even if Renodis had betrayed him, it seemed that he couldn¡¯t bear to see both his arms cut off from the shoulders . ¡¸You think so? ¡­¡­So, I guess I can assume you¡¯re not my enemy? So you were tricked by him . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s of course! There¡¯s no way I can fight against Rei-san!¡¹ The man shook his head vigorously, as if were a crazy idea that he would be hostile to Rei . Rei stared at the man for several seconds as Renodis screamed in the background before giving a sigh . It was true that the man had brought him here, but even he had almost been killed by Renodis . Thinking about that, he probably wasn¡¯t Rei¡¯s enemy . ¡¸Let¡¯s put you aside for now . Right now, this guy is more important . ¡¹ Flipping the shaft of the Death Scythe in his hand, Rei thrust its blade towards Renodis¡¯ neck as he rolled around on the ground . As expected, seeing the weapon of Death touching his neck, Renodis looked up towards Rei without moving any further as he suppressed his screams of pain . He was the heir to a Marquis family and his life was worth overwhelmingly more than an adventurer . Even so, despite not understanding how he had ended up in this situation, he still realised that his life was in a dangerous position . An ordinary person would have started begging for their lives in this situation . Others would have accepted their death in silencce . However, Renodis was a proud noble who could do no such thing . He couldn¡¯t accept that he was in a situation where he was at the mercy of an adventurer . Because of that . ¡¸You, you! This kind of insult against me, the heir to the Marquis Imarhen family¡­¡­do you think you will be forgiven for this!? I will absolutely never forgive you! I¡¯ll make sure you regret this! Your friends, acquaintances, lovers, all of them will be punished for this!¡¹ Despite not having both his arms and being in severe pain, Renodis glared at Rei . His eyes weren¡¯t filled with mockery but hatred and murder . Indeed, if Rei let him go here without doing anything, Renodis would definitely carry out his threats . But, Renodis¡¯ biggest failure was to say it to Rei¡¯s face . Looking down back at the person who was glaring at him in hatred, Rei gave a laugh . At the same time, the blade of the Death Scythe started slowly moving towards Renodis¡¯ neck . Slowly, slowly, the blade started to move towards his throat . The blade continued advancing without stopping . It didn¡¯t take long for Renodis to see the blade approaching his neck . Stopping his movements that were due to the pain of losing both his arms, he turned to look towards Rei with surprise . ¡¸H-Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing! You want to kill me!? Keep that dirty weapon away from me!¡¹ ¡¸Why should I do that? I have an opportunity to deal with someone who wants to kill me . So why don¡¯t I just deal with you and be done with it?¡¹ Deal with him and be done with it . Those words made Renodis think of something as he finally realised his situation . His face was filled with confusion . ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid, you! You want to kill me? A noble?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ Rei nodded with ease, as if he were just talking about today¡¯s fine weather . Renodis finally understood . The person in front of him was someone who held no respect for nobles . If they got in his way, he would clean them up as if they were garbage . As for why it had taken him so long to realise¡­¡­in the Mireana Kingdom, or rather the world of Elgin, nobles were considered to be special . Of course, some people didn¡¯t care if if they were dealing with nobility or not, but fortunately or unfortunately, Renodis had never met such people . ¡¸In the first place, I was given permission to deal with any nobles that tried to mess with me . And, it¡¯s true that you did try to kill me . In that case, why should I hesitate to get rid of you here? Fortunately, no one will know if someone dies here . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-¡­¡­¡¹ As Renodis tried to shout something, the blade of the Death Scythe cut into his neck, causing more blood to pour out than both his arms combined¡­¡­that didn¡¯t happen . The adventurer with Rei had used his long sword to hold back the shaft of the Death Scythe . Normally, the weight of a long swords wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop Rei from swinging the Death Scythe . But Rei still stopped as he wanted to know the reason for the adventurer¡¯s actions . At the same time, maybe due to his fear of death, Renodis had fallen onto the ground unconscious . The area around his groin was soaked and it went without saying where that liquid had come from . Though he was unconscious, he was still bleeding from his shoulders and was sure to die of blood loss if left alone for much longer . Rei turned towards the adventurer, wondering why he had tried to stop him from killing Renodis . However, while the man¡¯s sword was still propped up against the shaft of the Death Scythe, his eyes were looking into the forest rather than at Rei . (Come to think of it, no arrows have been shot at me . ) As Rei thought of that, a man suddenly appeared from the forest, pushing aside the bushes . At first, Rei thought that it was one of Renodis¡¯ knights, But the person who appeared was a familiar face to Rei . His face was full of scars and he had a powerful presence like that of a bandit . He held a battle axe in his hand . ¡¸Egg?¡¹ It was Egg . The leader of the Prairie Wolves, who emerged from the forest . ¡¸Oh, it looks like you¡¯re safe . ¡¹ Egg raised the hand that didn¡¯t hold his battle axe as he gave a casual greeting . Rei responded in puzzlement . ¡¸No, that¡¯s true¡­¡­but why are you here?¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about? You¡¯re the one who asked us to cooperate with the Rowlocks army . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In other words, Daska-sama expected this to happen?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s basically it . It¡¯s also why Verda is here . ¡¹ ¡¸Verda?¡¹ Rei was puzzled at the name he hadn¡¯t heard before . Seeing Rei respond like that, Egg turned to look at the adventurer, who moved his long sword away from Rei¡¯s Death Scythe . . ¡¸What? You didn¡¯t even introduce yourself?¡¹ ¡¸No, no, I didn¡¯t have the time for that . ¡­¡­Well, let me introduce myself again . I¡¯m Verda, and old friend of Egg . ¡¹ ¡¸An adventurer has a bandit for an old friend?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I was surprised when I saw Egg here . I never thought he¡¯d become a bandit . And I definitely didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be working under Margrave Rowlocks . ¡¹ ¡¸Shut up . There¡¯s a lot of circumstances surrounding this . ¡­¡­Well, Margrave Rowlocks noticed this guy¡¯s suspicious movements, so I was allowed to use Verda to catch them . ¡¹ It sounded like Egg didn¡¯t like the adventurer . But the smile on his face indicated that he didn¡¯t mean it seriously . Seeing Egg¡¯s smile, Rei realised the general flow of events . ¡¸I see . So I was bait . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s how it is . That said, nobles are scary . Even if you are only a temporary subordinate, they would use you as bait to cut down the power of opposing factions . This is despite the fact that they were all cooperating with each other during the war agains the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ Oh, how scary . Egg seemed to say as he hugged his shoulders and shivered . However, from Rei¡¯s perspective, Egg¡¯s shiver wasn¡¯t due to him actually being scared but because he was trying to hide his laughter . Maybe seeing Rei¡¯s cheeks twitch under his hood, Verda spoke up hastily . ¡¸Even though we used the term bait, Margrave Rowlocks only used you because he had peace of mind that you were actually the bigger fish . After all it¡¯s Rei, who managed to earn a title in this war . Of course, he wouldn¡¯t want to throw away someone like you . ¡­¡­Rather than that, Egg, what will we do with this dying kid?¡¹ Thinking that it was probably a bad idea for Rei to get angry any further, Verda turned to look at Renodis, who was lying on the ground unconscious . The blood from his shoulders had already stopped for some reason, even though he had lost both his arms . There was also an ugly scar on his neck, which was from the wound made by the Death Scythe, but the bleeding had also already stopped . ¡¸¡­¡­Why are his wounds already sealed?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . ¡­¡­Well, if this guy is a noble¡­¡­¡¹ Muttering, he went over to Renodis, where he immediatelly found a necklace around his neck . ¡¸I guessed as much . I¡¯ve seen this before . It¡¯s a single use magic item that activates when the holder gets seriously injured in order to heal their wounds . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you said it would heal his wounds, aren¡¯t his arms still gone from the shoulders?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . It¡¯s not that high level of a magic item . When we say heal, it¡¯s only the minimum treatment to stop the holder from bleeding out and dying . It¡¯s also a single use item . ¡¹ Even though it was a magic item, to Egg, the necklace just looked like a piece of rock . ¡¡As it was a disposable magic item, it looked like it had lost its effect after stemming the bleeding from Renodis¡¯s shoulders . ¡¸Well, as for me, I don¡¯t want him to die like this, so it¡¯s a great help . ¡¹ Saying that, Egg took his hands off the necklace and smiled as he picked up the unconscious Renodis ¡¸¡­¡­So, what¡¯s going to happen to him?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s for Margrave Rowlocks to consider . At the very least, I¡¯m pretty sure he won¡¯t have a happy future . He tried to assassinate Rei, his ally . That alone would put him in disgrace . He¡¯s also lost both his arms, so I¡¯m pretty sure he won¡¯t be able to take over his Marquis family? So, I would like Rei to hold back here as well if you can . You don¡¯t have to kill him, do you?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have to kill him, but I also don¡¯t care if I kill him . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei stored the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring . Even though he had said that he didn¡¯t care if he killed Renodis or not, it was honestly Egg¡¯s words that had made him change his mind . (Actually, it would probably be better for Renodis if he died here . From now on, he¡¯ll be known as a noble who tried to assassinate an adventurer out of jealousy . He¡¯s also lost both arms, so he¡¯s as good as dead as a noble . ) Rei thought to himself . It was easy to guess that Renodis would never appear in public again as a noble, even if he survived now . If he had still been in good physical shape, he might have been able to make a name for himself as an adventurer or a knight . However, it was impossible for hiim to do that without his arms . (Well, there¡¯s a possibility he¡¯ll be able to get some sort of prosthetic arms since magic items exist in this world¡­¡­but I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll never have to deal with him again, so he can do whatever he wants . ) Rei looked at Renodis, who was being carried by Egg, before turning away as if losing interest . ¡¸So, Egg, you¡¯ll take him to Daska-sama and that will be the end of your work?¡¹ ¡¸No, I promised that I would stick around until the end of this war¡­¡­that said, Margrave Rowlocks is quite different from the noble I thought he would be . I¡¯ll be sticking around a little longer . ¡¹ ¡¸A little longer?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . I was asked to take charge of the Rowlocks army¡¯s intelligence or something . More than half of the Prairie Wolves were hired alongside me . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh¡­¡­¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes widened slightly at those unexpected words . Renodis had already completely left his mind . ¡¸The guy who used to be a bandit now works for a noble . Can you hire me as well right now?¡¹ Egg replied to Verda, who had mumbled to himself somewhat enviously . ¡¸If you really want to¡­¡­if you¡¯re willing to quit being an adventurer, I¡¯ll be glad to . Well, I¡¯ll be leaving . I have to take this guy to Margrave Rowlocks . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯ll leave you to it . As for the others¡­¡­I guess they might just become undead wandering around the Selemous Plains . ¡¹ Looking at the many corpses lined up on the ground, Egg and Verda both nodded in agreement at Rei¡¯s words before they all returned to camp . Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Legend Chapter 303 ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s going to take another half a month, isn¡¯t it¡­¡­this is just boring . ¡¹ Rei muttered to himself inside a carriage . When Runo heard his mutter, he turned to look at Rei . ¡¸You say that it will be boring, but can¡¯t you just get on Set and fly back to Gilm first?¡¹ ¡¸Well . If I were the only one heading back, I could probably do that . But as long as I¡¯m hired to carry the supplies, I can¡¯t just do whatever I want . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . Not only will order start to disappear, we would also starve to death . ¡¹ The knights who was riding in the same carriage replied at Rei¡¯s words . He was a different knight to the ones who had escorted Rei on the way to the Selemous Plains, but he was still comfortable with Rei as he saw him as a fellow member of the Rowlocks army . Living in the city of Gilm, where elite adventurers gathered, the knight felt at ease with Rei and wasn¡¯t afraid despite of Rei¡¯s new title . It was because the knight had such a personality that Daska had chosen him to be Rei¡¯s escort . Yes, right now, Rei and the Rowlocks army had already left the Selemous Plains as they started their journey back to Gilm . Currently, he was still travelling with Daska, but about half the knights, including Daska, would head to the Royal Capital to attend a ceremony celebrating their victory in the war while the other knights and adventurers went straight back to Gilm . ¡¸Anyway, a ceremony is it?¡¹ ¡¸What, are you feeling envious? I thought you weren¡¯t interested in those kinds of things . ¡¹ The knight looked at Runo as if he had just seen something unusual . ¡¸Definitely, I¡¯m not interested in troublesome ceremonies, but there will be a lot of luxurious food served at parties as well as dressed up noble girls . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Food? That¡¯s true . ¡¹ It was Rei, rather than Runo, who replied to those words . However, Rei¡¯s emphasis was more on the food rather than the dressed up noble girls . ¡¸Sure, if you attended a nobles party, you¡¯d definitely be able to rare dishes . But¡­¡­you would have to have a lot of merits to attend right? Either that, or you¡¯d have to be a noble like Daska-sama . In that case, you would have been able to enjoy good food and drink if you had attended the party . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, you want me to get dragged into disputes between nobles? That¡¯s no joke . In that case, even if I don¡¯t get to eat good food, it would be much better to be in Gilm where I can spend my time freely . ¡¹ (Especially if I consider Renodis¡¯ parents, I will definitely get dragged into troubles . ) At his own thoughts, the face of a haughty noble passed through his mind . In the end, the matter of how to deal with Renodis was left entirely in Daska¡¯s hands . Of course, Dask was one of the negotiators with the Aristocratic faction¡­¡­or rather, the one of the lead negotiators with the Aristocratic faction, so he was more than happy to take care of it . Thinking of how Egg and Egg¡¯s old friend Verda has been used, Rei felt that it had been Daska¡¯s plan from the beginning . ¡¸Those are just disputes between nobles, isn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t achieve too much this time, so it doesn¡¯t really matter for me . If I attended the ceremony, I would have just relaxed and enjoyed the food and drink . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If you didn¡¯t achieve much, you wouldn¡¯t get invited to the ceremony in the first place . ¡¹ Rei retorted at Runo¡¯s words, but the knight smiled a little when he heard that . ¡¸That¡¯s not true right? Runo is charge of escorting you . And since Rei has attracted a lot of attention, naturally your escorts would also recieve some focus . ¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, so you think I¡¯ll also get dragged into it? I¡¯m sorry then . As Rei said, let¡¯s go back to Gilm right away . ¡¹ Rei turned to look at Runo, who immediately went back on his earlier words . Regardless, the atmosphere inside the carriage wasn¡¯t as tense as before the war had began, probably because they had won the war . If they had been defeated in the battle at Selemous Plains, it was certain that the Bestir Empire¡¯s army would have collapsed on the Mireana Kingdom by now . ¡¸Anyway, this war was easier than I expected . The actual battle was over within a day, and even in that fight, the neutrals just plunged into the enemy when Rei threw them into confusion with his magic . After that, we just threw out magic to support the Royalists while the ambush unit attacked the enemy¡¯s main camp . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not uncommon for battles to continue for several days normally, it might even go on for weeks or months in the worst case . ¡­¡­In fact, we barely used any of the supplies in Rei¡¯s Misty Ring, did we?¡¹ The knight looked at Rei after replying to Runo . ¡¸Ah . Most of the food that had been brought has been finished . However, that was only because of the massive celebration that happened with the victory feasts . ¡¹ Rei recalled the victory feasts that were held . Originally, they had brought along a large number of cooked dishes as food . Those freshly cooked dishes that had been stored into the Misty Ring were served in large amounts in the feasts . Thanks to that, Rei ended up being more exhausted than when he had been fighting . Like that, the Rowlocks army continued their way down the road . A few days after they left the Selemous Plains, the number of people in the march started to gradually decrease . This was because many of the nobles that were accompanying them split off to return to their own territories . Of course, the Aristocratic faction would also be attending the ceremony scheduled to take place in the Royal Capital, so they were travelling alongside the Rowlocks army, which belonged to the Neutral faction . However, even they couldn¡¯t bring their entire army to the Royal Capital . If they did that, there was a possibility that others would accuse them of trying to start a revolt . ¡¸¡­¡­Are you serious? We¡¯ve finally repelled the Bestir Empire¡¯s army, so why are they causing so much trouble?¡¹ Rei asked hearing what was happening from the knight, who had brought it up to kill time inside the carriage . ¡¸It¡¯s because we have just driven away the imminent threat of the Bestir Empire . Moreover, the damage our armies took as a whole was minor . ¡­¡­The problem is that it was the Royalists that suffered most of the minor damage that our armies as a whole received . The Neutrals have made quite a name for themselves thanks to you . That¡¯s not surprising considering you earned the title of Crimson . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s undeniable . ¡¹ Rei nodded after remembering the prisoners of war they had captured from the Bestir Empire . ¡¸Even though the Royalists were able to defeat the enemy¡¯s chief commander, you, and by extension Daska-sama who hired you, arguably were the ones who earned the most merit in this war . In other words, it has pushed the Neutral faction to prominence . Do you think that the Royalist faction, the largest faction, would be pleased with that? They will want to try and reduce the influence that the Neutral faction by making it as hard as possible for them . With that in mind, it¡¯s best to not go to the Royal Capital . ¡¹ Rei, who didn¡¯t know much about noble etiquette, had no idea about sort of fault they could find about him . As a result, he had no particular objections to what the knight said . ¡¸If it were just the Royalist nobles who participated in the war, they would know about the dangers of offending you¡­¡­unfortunately, the Royalists who participated in this war can¡¯t be considered part of the mainstream Royalist faction . Even if they¡¯ve heard about you, they won¡¯t actually realise the danger of angering you . As for the Aristocratic faction, I think they know about how dangerous you are in great detail . ¡¹ The knight gave a bitter smile . Rumours that Rei had taken action against a noble named Renodis, who had tried to kill him, had become widespread among the nobles who were part of the Mireana Kingdom army . However, although Daska had been spreading the story as such in order to push his own agenda, most of the nobles had seen Rei¡¯s ability with their own eyes . Rei had shown such skill that even the proud Aristocratic nobles were convinced . However, that only applied to the nobles who had participated in the war . For those who hadn¡¯t seen Rei with their own eyes and had only heard about him from others, that information might cause them to make a different judgement . Because of that, there was a risk that someone might give the order to try to capture Rei if he went to the Royal Capital . With that in mind, Daska¡¯s decision to not bring Rei to the Royal Capital couldn¡¯t have been more correct . ¡¸¡­¡­If you were to use that fire tornado in the Royal Capital, they would suffer even more damage than what the Bestir Empire¡¯s army received . In addition, Rei also has Set . ¡¹ Runo muttered after hearing the knight¡¯s words . Even the strongest soldiers, like Dragon Knights, were easily dispatched by Rei and Set, who were able to fly . With that in mind, it was clear that even if a capture order was issued in the Royal Capital, they would take unnecessary damage as long as Set was around . ¡¸Anyway, Rei and the rest of us will be able to return to Gilm safely . The problem is what come after¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Problems? Is there still something after?¡¹ He wasn¡¯t going to the Royal Capital where he would definitely get dragged into disputes . So why would there still be problems? Rei asked, but Runo just shrugged his shoulders as he replied . ¡¸You don¡¯t know? Gilm sent out many adventurers to join the war . Of course, the city still had a certain level of defence, but it was just the bare minimum . From my experience in previous wars, it¡¯s safe to guess that many requests that were sent to the guild have been delayed . Of course, urgent requests and subjugation requests where monsters are likely to cause a lot of damage are given higher priority, but conversely, any requests other than those would be pushed back . There should be quite a lot of requests on the request board . ¡­¡­You should be prepared . After you return to the guild in Gilm, you are likely to recieve priority requests from the guild for a while . Usually, I¡¯ll just pick a request and take it to the counter¡­¡­but my feeling is that you¡¯ll be busy until you complete a fair number of requests . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ugh¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Runo¡¯s words, Rei gave an involuntary groan . Rei, whose goal was to collect the magic stones of different monsters, welcomed subjugation requests . However, he wasn¡¯t as fond of other requests . Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t take them on, like the time he received an escort request, but it was also true that he didn¡¯t like them . That said, he did have the thought that he might be able to fight monsters if served as a guard in an escort request . (In that case, I should choose a request that allows me to fight more monster . ¡­¡­I hope I¡¯ll be able to do something in the three months before heading for the Labyrinth City . ) ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped . If we don¡¯t work hard, it will be dangerous for Gilm in various ways . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . After all, there are even times when the knights will be requested to help . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that okay? For knights to work like adventurers?¡¹ ¡¸Of course it¡¯s not great, but it doesn¡¯t make sense to let the economy and security of Gilm to lapse just because of the rules, right? For that reason, it¡¯s tolerated to a certain extent¡­¡­it¡¯s really only for times when adventurers really can¡¯t get around to finish requests . ¡¹ After saying that, there was the sound of a knock on the carriage door . ¡¸Who is it?¡¹ Runo judged that it wasn¡¯t an enemy seeing as Set, who was walking beside the carriage, wasn¡¯t on alert . However, he still asked just in case . ¡¸I am a knight . Daska-sama is calling for Rei . ¡¹ Opening the door and poking his head out to check, it was definitely a knight . Whether it was Runo or Rei, it was a knight they were familiar with . Naturally, the knight inside the carriage recognised the face of his fellow knight and greeted him with a smile . ¡¸Daska-sama? Why does he need Rei again?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re near the point where the road splits towards the Royal Capital . Before we reach that, he would like to talk with Rei, since he was the one who earned the most merit in this war . I think there are also various things to take note of . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, are we already near that point? I got it . I¡¯ll bring Rei to Daska-sama¡¯s carriage right away . ¡¹ Saying that, the knight got out of the carriage with Rei to meet with Daska . However, Runo, who was acting as Rei¡¯s escort, didn¡¯t follow as he stayed inside the carriage . ¡¸Hey, aren¡¯t you coming?¡¹ ¡¸You are basically safe here and I don¡¯t feel so comfortable having to meet with nobles . I don¡¯t like feeling so suffocated . ¡¹ ¡¸Daska-sama isn¡¯t someone who cares about that . ¡¹ Even though the knight said that, just shrugged his shoulders and apologised as he saw Rei off . A few hours later, the army split into two with Rei¡¯s group heading back to Gilm while Daska¡¯s group went towards the Royal Capital . As for the magic item that Daska had promised Rei, he would receive it after Daska returned to Gilm . Until then, he would only receive the basic reward from the guild . Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Legend Chapter 304 ¡¸It¡¯s Gilm, I can see Gilm!¡¹ Such a cry echoed out from the Rowlocks army that was travelling along the highway . It had been about 2 weeks since they had split from Daska¡¯s group that was heading for the Royal Capital . As they made their way to Gilm, the forces belonging to other nobles split off one after the other . They continued all the way to Abuero, where they stayed the night before splitting up with the last army there . With Gilm in sight, it was no surprise that the Rowlocks army was filled with joy . It had only been about a month since they had left Gilm for the war, but everyone was still smiling nostalgically . In the midst of all this, the carriage that Rei was in was naturally filled with smiles . ¡¸We¡¯ve finally made it back . I have to say, it¡¯s a real relief to see Gilm again . ¡¹ Runo murmured as he looked towards Gilm from the carriage window . Naturally, there was a smile of relief on his face . ¡¸That¡¯s right . It¡¯s not until that I¡¯ve come back that I realise . This city is our home . ¡¹ The knight looked at Runo with a similar expression of relief as he nodded in agreement . However, for Rei, who was inside the carriage with Runo and the knight, it had been less than a year since he had come to Gilm, so he didn¡¯t have that strong sense of returning yet . Feeling that it would be somewhat impolite to say that out, Rei didn¡¯t say anything as he went back to a book about different monsters in his hands . Of course, he was happy to be back in Gilm, but he was also not looking forward to the trouble that would come after he returned . That was why he couldn¡¯t be completely happy about it . The others might have noticed Rei¡¯s expression . The knight¡¯s smile of relief changed to a wry smile as he called out to Rei . ¡¸Rei, why don¡¯t you seem to happy about this?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unhappy . However, if I think about all the troublesome things that are going to come after this, I can¡¯t help it . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is it handing back all the supplies in the item box?¡¹ After hearing the two of them speak, Runo looked at Rei with a sympathetic smile . Yes . Inside Rei¡¯s Misty Ring, there was still a large number of supplies that were thought to be needed in this war . Weapons like bows, arrows, swords and spears . There was also a large amount of other supplies such as food, drink, tents, awnings and various medical supplies . Fearing a shortage of supplies, Daska had prepared a few months worth, however the actual battle had ended after a day . Naturally, this meant that less supplies had been consumed and most of them were still inside the Misty Ring, having never been taken out . When they had headed for the Selemous Plains, many supplies had been distributed among the various carriages as a precaution . But, since the war had ended, and it had been an almost complete victory, there hadn¡¯t been that many injured people . Most of the surplus supplies had ended up being passed to Rei . OF course, the supplies weren¡¯t Rei¡¯s so he would have to return them after getting back to Gilm . Rei looked quite annoyed after thinking about all the trouble it would be . ¡¸Weapons aside, it might be better to leave the food preserved inside the item box as much as possible . In particular, there are still a lot of freshly prepared dishes . ¡¹ When told by the knight, Rei went through the list in his mind before nodding with a sigh . The Rowlocks army¡¯s high morale was due to many reasons . Aside from their pride of being the most elite adventurers, it also included their ability to eat freshly prepared food . The looks of envy directed at them by the other armies may have also played a role in their high morale . Of course, if the envy had been left to grow, there was a high chance that disputes could develop, so they did share their food to some extent . Anyhow, a few months worth of freshly prepared food was still sitting inside Rei¡¯s Misty Ring . If he took it all out, it would naturally go bad . With that in mind, Rei couldn¡¯t just carelessly take out all the food . ¡¸That may have to wait until Daska-sama gets back from the Royal Capital . No, maybe we could ask whoever is in charge while he is away? Anyhow, for now, it will be best to take out the medicine, weapons, tents and foods that have already been preserved . If it¡¯s stuff that doesn¡¯t last too long, you should still keep them inside the item box . Even then, would it be easier for you Rei if you divided the items out into several batches instead of taking everything out at once?¡¹ Rei nodded at the knight¡¯s words . ¡¸That would be a great help . ¡¹ As they continued their conversation, the carriage eventually came to a stop . They could see the main gate of Gilm from the window . The residents of the city lined up around the main gate and welcomed them with cheers . ¡¸Even if we didn¡¯t go to the Royal Capital, this is fine . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, there is a large difference in the number of people living in the Royal Capital compared to Gilm . ¡¹ As Runo was talking with the knight, there was a knock on the carriage door . Judging that it was safe to do so, Rei opened the door and was met with a familiar face . ¡¸Rei-san, Runo-san, knight . You¡¯ve come back a lot sooner than expected . ¡¹ Despite his stern face, Ranga, the captain of the guards in Gilm, greeted them casually . ¡¸Ranga, it¡¯s been a while . Has Gilm been okay?¡¹ Although Ranga held a relatively high position as the captain of the guards, maybe because they were familiar with each other, the knight started talking with him without caring for honourifics . ¡¸About that . As expected, there have been various problems because there haven¡¯t been as many adventurers . But fortunately, there haven¡¯t been any major problems . Rather, since you¡¯ve all made it back safely¡­¡­?¡¹ The knight smiled as he nodded back at Ranga . ¡¸Ah . We¡¯ve driven the Bestir Empire off the Selemous Plains . This adventurer and his Griffon played a big role . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Then all the rumours¡­¡­¡¹ At the knight¡¯s words, Ranga glanced at Rei . Since the knight had mentioned a Griffon, it was clear who the adventurer was . Ranga nodded in understanding . Rei was bothered about what the rumour could be, but before he could ask, Ranga immediately spoke up again . ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯ll quickly run through the procedures . Please pass me your IDs or guild cards . I don¡¯t really want to do such a pointless check, but rules are rules . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . We¡¯ll let the people who have completed the procedures enter the city first . There¡¯s a lot of festivities right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s been a while since we found out that you were all coming back . At first, some people said that we might have lost for you to come back so soon, but seeing how you look, that doesn¡¯t look like it was the case . The only other possible result is that we had an overwhelming victory to end the war so soon . And¡­¡­¡¹ Ranga smiled meaningfully for a moment . As he spoke, the other guards checked the guild cards and IDs of people in the other carriages as well as the adventurers, soldiers and knights who were walking . Thanks to the efforts of the guards, the procedures were completed in less than 30 minutes and they were finally able to enter Gilm . ¡¸Well, the procedures have been completed . Everyone, welcome back . ¡¹ Ranga handed over a Necklace of Subservient Monster to Rei before smiling at everyone inside the carriage . Rei poked his head outside the carriage and hung the necklace on Set . Everyone smiled back at Ranga as the carriage entered Gilm . ¡ºWAAAAAAAAAA-!¡» As soon as they entered the city, they heard a large number of voices . From inside the carriage, all they could see were people, people and more people . It was a scene that could only be called a sea of people . Rei¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected scene . However, in a sense, he should have expected this . Runo and the knights looked at the crowd from the carriage window with happy and satisfied smiles . ¡¸This is¡­¡­amazing . ¡¹ Rei, who had finally recollected himself, muttered at the vast number of people . It felt like the entirety of Gilm¡¯s residents had gathered on the streets . Of course, that was just an illusion . There was no real way for 100,000 people to be gathered here and most of the people were actually the adventurers, soldiers and knights that were part of the Rowlocks army . However, there were still many people in the crowd who were cheering for Rei and the others . Many voices and cries could be heard everywhere as they blended together . ¡¸We had quite a big welcome when we came back from dealing with the Orc settlement, but this is even bigger than that time . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . The Orcs might have been a big problem then¡­¡­but in the end, they are just monsters . This time was a war with a neighbouring country . We were also the ones being invaded . Given that, it¡¯s no surprise everyone is so happy . What¡¯s more, thanks to Rei, the death toll of those who came from Gilm was significantly reduced . Look, wave your hand as well . ¡¹ Runo waved through the window in the carriage as he spoke . Giving a small sigh, Rei also waved through the window . Originally, Rei didn¡¯t like to grab that much attention, so unlike Runo and the knight, he had an awkward smile on his face . ¡¸Hey, look, next to that carriage . It¡¯s a Griffon . Does that mean he¡¯s in that carriage?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it was said he played a big part in this war¡­¡­what did they call him? Red? No, that wasn¡¯t it . It was definitely Crimson . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh right, wasn¡¯t he still in his mid-teens? He¡¯s a genius . ¡¹ ¡¸Set-chan! Thank you for bringing my dad back safely!¡¹ ¡¸Set, here . Eat this . It¡¯s a reward for your hard work . ¡¹ A lot of noise could be heard, even from inside the carriage . Of course, Runo and the knight couldn¡¯t hear everything, but for Rei, who had sharper sense, he could hear everything without any problems . And of course, he noticed some information that most people normally wouldn¡¯t be able to hear . ¡¸Well, regardless, we won the war . But¡­¡­how has the title of Crimson spread all the way here?¡¹ Runo and the knight looked surprised for a moment at Rei¡¯s words, but they soon nodded in understanding . ¡¸The information network of merchants is amazing . While we were still preparing to withdraw from the Selemous Plains, the armies of other nobles as well as merchants had already gone back . Maybe that information spread from them? But even then, I didn¡¯t think it would spread to the frontier so quickly¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s exactly as Runo said . Merchants are smart . Of course, they are also smart at collecting information . Isn¡¯t Rei, an adventurer, someone who should be more familiar about that than us?¡¹ The words of the knight reminded Rei of the merchant he had escorted previously . It had been about the Flame Crystal ore that Gilm had been able to obtain due to Rei . The merchant had somehow managed to find that information from nowhere . ¡¸I see, so it¡¯s like that . ¡¹ ¡¸And, as long as they live in this city, people will probably know of Set as well . They¡¯re happy that Set, who is quite popular in this city, played an active role in the war . ¡¹ From the window of the carriage, Runo looked at Set, who was happily eating the dried meat thrown at him by the gathered crowd . Whenever a child gave a shout and threw a piece of dried meat at Set, he would dexterously catch in his beak and swallow it down . ¡¸Looking at it now, Set has become quite popular . When he first came to this city, everyone was scared of him . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . He¡¯s a Griffon after all . No matter how many Necklaces of Subservient Monster you put on him, it won¡¯t provide any immediate relief . Rather, it¡¯s more suprising that Set has managed to fit into the city in less than a year . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . Even the guards who patrolled the city were scared at first . ¡¹ The knight chipped in at Runo¡¯s words as he turned to look at Rei with a sense of surprise . ¡¸In the first place, it¡¯s strange that there would be someone with a Griffon as a tamed monster . Normally, I wouldn¡¯t even thinking of such a high ranking monster as a tamed monster . ¡¹ While glossing over the knight¡¯s words, Rei and the Rowlocks army disbanded after the representative of the knights briefly greeted the adventurers guild . The official celebrations were only supposed to start after Daska¡¯s return, but even so, the city was already buzzing with victory celebrations . In addition, at the orders of the representative of the knights, most of the remaining food and drink that was inside Rei¡¯s Misty Ring was served out . Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Legend Chapter 305 As the spring sunshine poured through his window, Rei woke up in his bed . His eyes widened slightly at the scene, which was completely different from what he had experienced in the past month or so . However, he soon remembered where he was . The Dusk Wheat . Rei was back at the inn in Gilm . Although there had been a possibility of the war taking several months, Rei wasn¡¯t worried about money, the food was good, the service attentive and he could relax comfortably with various magic items . ¡­¡­Furthermore, he had no plans to cancel an accommodation that would accept a Griffon like Set . Because of that, he had paid the fee for the last month in advance while he had been taking part in the war . ¡¸Oh right¡­¡­I¡¯m back . ¡¹ With a murmur, he recalled the events of the previous day and sighed as he looked out the window . He knew it was a sunny day from the sunshine, but seeing the blue sky which had a lot less clouds compared to the day before calmed his mood . After spending a minute looking out in silence, he eventually got dressed before heading down to the first floor . It hadn¡¯t been long since the 6am bell had rung, but were still a lot of people in the dining area . ¡­¡­That said, more than half of them were dead drunk and sleeping . ¡¸What a mess . ¡¹ The dining area was still filled with the smell of alcohol, even after Rei had slept . ¡­¡­Rather, it was clear that they had all continued to drink and party until just a few hours earlier . Still, some of them, like Rei, had left the celebrations early . Rei took a seat as he saw a few other people also eating breakfast . ¡¸Good morning, it was hard on you yesterday . ¡¹ A woman¡¯s voice called out to Rei . Turning his eyes towards the voice, Rei saw a stout middle-aged woman . It was Lana, the proprietress of the Dusk Wheat Inn . ¡¸Ah, I didn¡¯t think it would get busy so quickly after I got back . ¡¹ The first thing that went through Rei¡¯s mind was the large amount of supplies that he had to take back out of the Misty Ring . The Knight¡¯s storage warehouse, which had been almost empty, was packed to the brim with supplies he had taken out . After that, a huge feast had been held causing a big fuss around the city and Rei had to take out a large amount of food and drink from the Misty Ring again . After serving everything, he was then surrounded by people who wanted to play with Set as well as children and adults who wanted to hear about stories from the war¡­¡­in many ways, he felt exhausted . He spent time talking with Lenora and Kenny, who were delighted, worried and busy as well as Brazos and Freon from the Rank C party Crushing Warriors, who had stayed back to defend Gilm rather than participate in the war . After that, he had gone back to the Dusk Wheat to avoid getting into trouble with drunk people late at night . He had ignored the people who had been partying in the dining area and gone straight to his room . He fell straight onto his bed and slept to recover from his mental fatigue . Recalling the events of the previous day for a few seconds, Rei eventually nodded at Lana . ¡¸It was a celebratory party, so it can¡¯t be helped . That aside, I would like to have some breakfast . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand . That said¡­¡­my husband went a bit too hard last night, so I¡¯ll only be able to serve some simple food . ¡¹ Rei nodded to indicate that was fine at the apologetic Lana . In any case, there was only so much food that could be served and what could be provided in the inn was definitely not enough . Because of that, Rei decided to eat more than usual at the street stalls later . A bit later, Lana brought over some simple food, such as sandwiches, vegetable soup and some boiled eggs . After finishing the food, Rei and Set left for the city . ¡¸Set, you must be tired from yesterday . Here, eat this . ¡¹ ¡¸Set, here, this . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ As Rei walked down the main street towards the guild, many voiced called out them as dried meat, bread and skewers were given to Set . The fact that there were more people feeding Set than before the war made it clear that Set had become a lot more well known after the parade that was held the day before . ¡¸Oh, Rei . How are the skewers?¡¹ ¡¸Rei-niichan, tell me stories about the war!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s not fair . I was going to ask first!¡¹ Rei wasn¡¯t as famous as Set, street stall vendors would still recommended food to him and he would be swarmed by children wanting to hear stories from the war . ¡¸Ahh, I¡¯m sorry . I have to go to the guild right now . I won¡¯t have time for a while . Please ask somebody else . ¡¹ As expected, even if Rei wasn¡¯t good at socialising, he wouldn¡¯t do something like ignoring or threatening children . In the end, he managed to get them all to leave with a sigh as he continued his way to the guild with Set, who was eating the food he had recieved with a happy cry . And¡­¡­after arriving at the guild, he saw quite a sight . ¡¸What¡¯s with this number of people?¡¹ Those were Rei¡¯s first words after stepping into the guild . Set, as usual, had split with him at the entrance . First of all, the bar . Like the Dusk Wheat¡¯s dining area, adventurers, city residents and merchants who had come to do business had all collapsed without distinction . From the smell, it looked like they had been celebrating until just a few hours ago . In a sense, that was what Rei had expected . However, the reception counters were completely different from what he had expected . ¡¸I would like to take this request please . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay!¡¹ Several adventurers left reception desk after handing over request forms to Lenora . As they left, Lenora glanced at Rei for a moment before immediately going back to her work as if she hadn¡¯t seen him . ¡¸Hey, you two, could you also take this request? About 10 Goblins have been sighted on the road . I¡¯d be happy if you could check if it is true, and if it is true, kill them . ¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes! For Kenny-san, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s 10 or 20 Goblins! Right?!¡¹ ¡¸R-Right . Well, rather¡­¡­if we complete this request, could you go out for a meal with me!¡¹ ¡¸Ridiculous, that¡¯s unfair . Kenny-san . Instead of him, how about a meal with me!¡¹ Two adventurers in their 20¡¯s who were caught by Kenny tried to get a promise of a meal together from her . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t really do that for now, I have to clear out all the accumulated requests and paperwork . ¡¹ Kenny spoke with a smile on her face as the adventurers looked down regretfully, However, as one would expect from a receptionist of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡­¡­or rather, because it was Kenny? She immediately called out to the two young men again . ¡¸But, when this busy period is over¡­¡­maybe I¡¯ll have time to go out for dinner . ¡¹ At those words, the two adventurers raised their heads at the same time . ¡¸I-Is that really true!?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I will be able to take more time off than I can right now . ¡­¡­However, I don¡¯t know when this busy period will end . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll do my best to clear out all the accumulated requests!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, wait, there¡¯s only just the two of us though . ¡¹ ¡¸Fufufu~ . I wish you the best of luck . ¡¹ ¡ºYes!¡» Nodding back at Kenny¡¯s smile, the two of them left the guild with red faces . Then, after the two adventurers had finally left, Lenora turned to speak to Kenny . ¡¸I think it¡¯s a bit much to trick them like that, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that so? But, that¡¯s why I was hired as a receptionist, right? Sometimes a little teasing is needed to get some requests done . ¡­¡­Well, it might be a bit hard for some others . ¡¹ Kenny showed off her breasts as usual . Normally, Lenora would get angry right away, but today was different . That was because she had caught sight of her anti-Kenny weapon . ¡¸Eh, is that so . Kenny is good at using her figure to tempt people after all . I wonder what Rei-san would say if he saw that?¡¹ Twitch . At Lenora¡¯s unusual response, Kenny stopped for a moment . ¡¸Hey Lenora . You¡¯re not trying to put some strange thoughts into Rei-kun¡¯s mind are you?¡¹ ¡¸What strange thought? I¡¯m not telling him lies or nonsense am I?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You were going to exaggerate some things that happened though . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true . ¡­¡­What do you think?¡¹ Lenora finally turned to look at Rei . Kenny probably realised why Lenora had responded like that . Turning her eyes towards the same direction as Lenora with cold sweat, Kenny saw Rei dressed in his Dragon Robe as usual . ¡¸Wai-, R-Rei-kun!? Were you watching earlier?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, well . ¡¹ Rei nodded ambiguously at Kenny¡¯s words without saying that he had or hadn¡¯t seen it . Kenny wanted to reply, but her mouth froze and she was unable to say anything . In the meantime, Lenora spoke up as if nothing had happened . However, there was a triumphant smile on her face after her victoy against Kenny who had always beaten her, on breast size that is . ¡¸Rei-san, what your business today? If it¡¯s the reward for the war, I believe you received it yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not here for the rewards . I heard that there were many requests right now . I thought I would take a look for any subjugation requests . ¡¹ He had heard from Runo in the carriage that subjugation requests would have already been cleaned up as high priority requests . That said, he still wanted to wanted to check in the guild . But, as expected, Lenora shook her head slightly . ¡¸Unfortunately, we¡¯ve already taken care of the highest priority, high risk subjugation requests . Besides, Rei-san just got back from the war, so I would thinking you could do with a bit more rest . There aren¡¯t any urgent requests, and even if there are, they are still at the level where they can be handled by the adventurers who stayed back . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Th¡­¡­That¡¯s right! Rei-kun played a big part in the war, didn¡¯t he? You had no experience in fighting war before, so you should take a break!¡¹ Kenny, who had finally collected herself, told him that . However, Rei just shook his head . ¡¸I slept well last night, so I have no issues with my physical body . If there aren¡¯t any subjugation request, I¡¯ll head off then since there¡¯s still some stuff I have to do . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, wait a minute . Rei-kun, if you don¡¯t have anything to do, how about you go on a date with me! As a present to celebrate your victory in the war¡­¡­should I just wrap a ribbon around my body and present myself as a gift?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Rei-san just said he has other things to do . What I mean is, don¡¯t be stupid and get carried away with your love affairs . What¡¯s with a naked ribbon anyway?¡¹ Lenora smacked Kenny on the head with the documents in her hand . ¡¸You can¡¯t say that, it¡¯s my freed to give Rei-kun whatever present I want, right? ¡­¡­Well, if I only had breasts like Lenora, even if I tried to tie a ribbon, it would probably just fall down without stopping at them . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey! Even if they¡¯re not that big, they¡¯re not that small! They¡¯re still larger than most people!¡¹ At Kenny¡¯s words, Lenora shouted at Kenny as she put down the documents in her hand . The adventurers who heard her shout all turned to look at Lenora¡¯s chest . Actually, Lenora¡¯s breasts weren¡¯t as small as what Kenny made them out to be . Of course, they weren¡¯t as big as Kenny¡¯s, but they were still above average . However, it looked really bad in comparison as Kenny¡¯s guild uniform emphasised them more . ¡º¡­¡­¡» ¡¸-!?¡¹ Noticing that the adventurers who had heard her shout were now all looking at her chest, Lenora immediately sat down at the reception desk and covered her chest with her arms as her face went red with embarrassment . However, even though the adventurers¡¯ eyes weren¡¯t focused on her chest, Kenny¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t hide her pride . ¡­¡­After propping up her chest using her uniform, Kenny sat down with a smile at her victory over Lenora . Lenora glared at Kenny as many adventurers slowly walked away from her counter because they didn¡¯t want to catch her in a bad mood . In the midst of all this, Rei, who could be called the cause of their dispute, had already escaped from the guild in an attempt to avoid getting dragged into any further trouble . ¡¸Eh? What? Rei-kun? What about our date?¡¹ Noticing that Rei had disappeared, Kenny shouted out in a charming voice . However, she was immediately smacked over the head by an embarrassed Lenora using some rolled up documents Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Legend Chapter 306 About an hour after seeing the fight between Kenny and Lenora in the guild, both Rei and Set were outside Gilm . They were in an open area surrounded by trees that seemed to hide the place . Yes, it was the place he had used to absorb magic stones previously . Rei preferred to absorb magic stones here partially because how fast Set could travel and because he could absorb the magic stones without worrying about anyone seeing them . And because there were monsters in the surrounding area as well, there was no shortage of targets to test their new skills on . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve come here, but because it¡¯s so remote, it doesn¡¯t look like anyone has been here . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he looked at the surroundings that seemed to be the same as the last time he came . Set gave a cry as if agreeing with him . Of course, it was the first time he had been here in a few months, so some details were different . For example, a tree that seemed to have been knocked over by some monster was lying on the ground . There were also monster bones here and there . At first, Rei thought that some magic stones might have remained, but it wasn¡¯t that convenient and all that was left was just bones . As far as he could see, not even skin or organs were left . It definitely wasn¡¯t a monster that had died today or the day before . ¡¸Even if there are bones left, it¡¯s just something useless . It looks like it¡¯s been left here for a long time, so it¡¯s no longer useful as material . ¡¹ If he stepped on them with the Shoes of Sleipnir, he could probably break them quite easily without any effort . Rei didn¡¯t know what monster the scattered bones belonged to, but they were a bit of an eyesore . ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Thinking Rei was playing with them when he broke some of the bones, Set gave a cry with round eyes asking if he could try . Rei was lost in thought for a moment, but since the bones on the ground were annoying him anyway, he nodded thinking that it would be fine for Set to pick them up and play around with them somewhere else . ¡¸That¡¯s right . Set, can you move these bones out of sight? Of course, it doesn¡¯t matter if you break or destroy the bones in your beak . ¡­¡­That said, I think it would be better not to eat them . ¡¹ Set¡¯s body was that of a lion, but at Rei¡¯s words, he seemed to be acting more like a dog considering his friendliness . Set gave a happy cry and immediately picked up what looked to be a femur bone before flying over to the other side of the tree cover . Since this was the frontier, there would naturally be some danger, but Rei didn¡¯t think that anything would try to attack a Griffon like Set . He didn¡¯t think that any high ranking monsters would be able to deal with Set in the first place . After thinking about that, Rei took out a Wyvern¡¯s magic stone as well as the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring . The magic stone was about 5cm in diameter . Although it was a small magic stone for a Dragon, it was nonetheless a lesser Dragon¡¯s magic stone . Judging that there should be skills that could be learned without a doubt, he threw the magic stone into the air as he readied the Death Scythe . ¡¸Let¡¯s see if we can learn some new skills!¡¹ Rei swung the Death Scythe down towards the magic stone as it arced through the air . The next moment, the magic stone that was sliced by the Death Scythe¡¯s blade disappeared like haze . And¡­¡­ ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill ¡ºPower Slash¡¡Lv . 2¡»¡¿ Such an announcement echoed through Rei¡¯s mind . However, Rei frowned slightly when he heard it . Of course, he was happy that he was able to learn a skill . To be exact, it was a skill level up, but it was still nothing to complain about seeing how Rei had started to use skills more frequently as of recent times . But still¡­¡­ ¡¸Why would Power Slash be learned from the magic stone of a Wyvern?¡¹ Yes, that was the problem . Rei remembered how the Wyverns fought in his mind . Their most impressive attack was, of course, their fire breath . Of course, it wasn¡¯t really a fire breath and was more of a fireball . But, if he had to classify it, he would still call it a fire breath . It was only natural for Rei to expect a skill that could release fire similar to how Flying Slash worked, or be able to cover the blade of the Death Scythe in flames . However, all he learned was a skill upgrade to Power Slash . ¡¸Well, it¡¯s true that they used the claws on their feet while fighting¡­¡­I guess?¡¹ That was the reasoning he decided on after thinking about how they fought . At the very least, he had managed to upgrade a skill rather than get nothing at all . ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set seemed to have also heard the skill acquisition announcement . He flew towards Rei while flapping his wings . Rei watched with a smile as Set flew over . ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Why did you use the magic stone when I wasn¡¯t here! Set seemed to say . However, Rei just stroked his head with a smile . ¡¸Look, no need to be mad . Here, this magic stone is for you . ¡¹ Rei took out a second magic stone and offered it to Set . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set looked at the magic stone in Rei¡¯s palm before immediately turning his head away . No matter how you looked at it, Set just looked like he was mad¡­¡­or sullking . With a wry smile, Rei took out some Fang Board skewers from the Misty Ring in order to try and cheer him up . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . Come on, eat this and cheer up . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~? ¡­¡­Guru~!¡¹ Set glanced at the skewers for a moment, but turned his head away again as if he wouldn¡¯t be bought over by such things . However, even so, he probably cared about the skewers as his lion tail was swinging side to side . Usually, even a knight in full plate armour would only cause his tail to shake slightly . Shaking his tail like that would usually only indicate a threat . However, Rei just gently reached out and started to stroke Set¡¯s back to appease him . ¡¸Hey, I¡¯m really sorry . Please cheer up . When we get back to Gilm, we¡¯ll go to the Satisfied Stomach . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Really? Set seemed to ask as he looked at Rei . Nodding at Set with a serious expression, Set finally cheered up . To start, Set dexterously picked off the meat from the skewers with his beak . Although it was a meat skewer, it was still ultimately a meat skewer designed for humans . After having that small snack, he tilted his head and demanded the magic stone as he looked at Rei . Set was more than 2m in size, but even so, when he made such a gesture, combined with his round eyes, he looked more like a spoiled cat . That said, considering his size, you couldn¡¯t really call him a cat . ¡¸Here, really . It¡¯s not a substitute for dessert though . Just eat it . ¡¹ This time, Set picked up the Wyvern magic stone without complaining and swallowed it . As Rei watched, the thought of a snake swallowing an egg briefly crossed his mind, but he didn¡¯t say that out loud . And¡­¡­ ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºFire Breath¡¡Lv . 3¡»¡¿ Such an announcement was heard in his mind . ¡¸I guess I should have expected that in some way . ¡¹ Since a Wyvern¡¯s main method of attacking was fireballs, it made sense to Rei that Set¡¯s Fire Breath would go up a level . At the very least, it was better than Power Slash leveling up . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ As for Set, he felt pretty happy that the easy to use Fire Breath had levelled up . Set gave a cheerful cry . Or rather, maybe Set was happy because Rei was happy . Rei and Set shared their happiness with each other for a few minutes before calming down and trying out heir new skills . ¡¸Set, you go first . There are trees around, so please aim it towards the sky . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ With a cry, Set turned his head upwards . ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ With that cry, Fire Breath was used . The flames that Set spat out were undoubtedly wider and denser than before . The Lv . 2 Fire Breath was a powerful attack, but the Lv . 3 flames could be called an attack worthy of a killing blow . ¡¸¡­¡­ If it¡¯s like that, the only downside is that I can¡¯t use it publicly anymore . ¡¹ The more powerful the skill, the harder it would be to use in public . Rei had expected that to be unavoidable, but there were still many things Set couldn¡¯t fully utilise because of those limitations . (I could team up with Scorching Wind, or Elena and Ara . Considering that, it¡¯s quite nice to be able to go to the Labyrinth City with Elena¡­¡­Elena . ) Rei recalled Elena¡¯s appearance and the feeling of her lips . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set gave a worried cry at Rei, who had suddenly stopped moving . ¡¸-My bad . It¡¯s nothing . Anyway, Set¡¯s Fire Breath has become more powerful and easier to use . There aren¡¯t many situations where it can be used, but it¡¯s a good trump card in the case of an emergency . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ It was amazing . Set seemed to boast as he gave a cry . Stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei gripped the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft in his hands . ¡¸Well then, I¡¯m next . Power Slash¡¯s Lv . 1 was a powerful single attack, but the Death Scythe¡¯s blade wasn¡¯t as sharp . It was basically a skill that made the Death Scythe more like a club . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei looked at the trees around him . Among them, he approached the first one he saw . Slowly, slowly, step by step, he approached a tree with a trunk as thick as an adult¡¯s body before raising the Death Scythe . ¡¸Power Slash!¡¹ The blade of the Death Scythe was swung with those words, smashing rather than slicing through the tree trunk the moment it hit¡­¡­ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ Although he had attacked with a huge scythe blade, the tree showed no signs of having been cut . Instead the raw power was transferred in the impact, smashing the tree directly . A few seconds later, a creaking sound was heard and the tree that Rei had attacked fell over like a broken tree branch on a tree . Watching from short distance away, Rei had an unhidable smile on his face . ¡¸As expected, even though it¡¯s just Lv . 2, it¡¯s a lot more powerful . ¡¹ Rei found it to be much more powerful that when he had used it before . Previously, he had used Power Slash to attack an opponent¡¯s weapon, but this level increase meant that he would still be able to deal a fair amount of damage even if he hit his opponents armour or shield . ¡¸It will also be do effective damage against monsters with armour or shells¡­¡­ouch!¡¹ Saying that, he looked at his hands as he felt a dull pain . His wrists were pale and purple . If he moved them slowly, there wasn¡¯t much pain, but if he tried to do anything like swinging the Death Scythe, he would feel a dull pain . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Are you okay? Set seemed to ask . Nodding slightly, Rei took out a potion from the Misty Ring and poured it over his right and left wrists respectively . It must have been a moderate sprain . Within a few seconds of pouring the potion, the pain was gone and the colour of his skin, which had become a blueish purple, had gone back to its original colour . ¡¸No need to worry, it¡¯s okay . ¡¹ Rei gently stroked Set¡¯s back with his pain free arms . While enjoying the particularly smooth feeling of a Griffon¡¯s fur¡­¡­or rather Set¡¯s fur, Rei frowned slightly . (The power is high, but the kick back is also large . I can¡¯t use this carelessly . I can only use it as a final attack to defeat an enemy . If I used it in the middle of a fight, in the worst case, I will be at a disadvantage in subsequent fights . ¡­¡­Could this be harder to use the higher the level?) Despite the minor injury he suffered from the recoil, he decided that he would eventually be able ignore the kick back when he used it . ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv . 2¡» ¡ºFire Breath Lv . 3¡» new ¡ºWind Arrow Lv . 1¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv . 1¡» ¡ºPoison Claws Lv . 2¡» ¡ºSize Transformation Lv . 1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv . 1¡» ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion Lv . 1¡» ¡ºFlying Slash Lv . 2¡» ¡ºMagic Shield Lv . 1¡» ¡ºPower Slash Lv . 2¡» new ¡ºWind Hand Lv . 2¡» ¡ºTerrain Manipulation Lv . 1¡» Fire Breath: Breathes out hot flames . The breath is not like a Wyvern¡¯s fireball . The strength of the flames can be controlled at will by Set . Power Slash: Increases the power of an attack . At Lv . 2, it is strong enough to hurt enemies even through their armour . However, the recoil is a lot stronger . Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Legend Chapter 307 Kafiri, the Royal Capital of the Mireana Kingdom . In the heart of the castle, Daska undid the collar on his unfamiliar clothes with a cramped expression . He was in a spacious room with decorated bare frames . No, the room was so large that it couldn¡¯t really be called a room anymore . The room was spacious enough to accommodate countless people, even the low ranking barons and viscounts . Most of them were nobles, but there were also waiters and maids walking around handing them glasses of wine . After the victory ceremony had ended, it was followed by the celebrations . In this case, many nobles gathered as they conversed and laughed . However, behind the scenes of the discussion, there was a quiet war being fought by those who had mastered the art of talking as nobles . (After the real war, the victory ceremony celebration is just another war, how boring . However, I guess it was the right decision not to bring Rei along . ) As Daska thought to himself while drinking wine and conversing with some other nobles, he suddenly noticed a few people walking over to him . However, as the leader of the Neutral faction, he couldn¡¯t run away from them . As a result, he could only wait for them to speak while pretending to be enjoying the food and drink . ¡¸Margrave Rowlocks, congratulations on your victory in the war . ¡¹ The fat man called out to him . He had only walked over to Daska, but there was already sweat on his forehead . Judging him by his appearance, he looked like a man in his 50¡¯s, partly due to his unhealthy lifestyle . However, if Daska¡¯s memory was correct, the fat man before him was only in his 30¡¯s . Two other people of similar builds followed him . ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Viscount Ottervo . And I believe¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, these are my unworthy sons . I was thinking about looking for wives for them at this celebration . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . So you don¡¯t have too much time to talk with me, do you?¡¹ Daska, who knew how marriages between nobles were arranged, didn¡¯t intend to say anything in particular about it . However, he wasn¡¯t inclined to continue speaking to Viscount Ottervo . That said, Daska held the title of a Margrave . Even though he knew that the viscount in front of him was squeezing taxes out of the people in his territory to the point of starvation, he wouldn¡¯t show any outward disgust . ¡¸What, rather, I¡¯d like you to tell about the heroes of the war . So, where is the adventurer from the rumours?¡¹ Daska immediately shook his head at Viscount Ottervo¡¯s, whose flesh on his jaw shook as he asked that question . ¡¸Unfortunately, if you¡¯re talking about him, he¡¯s not in the castle¡­¡­or rather, he¡¯s not in Kafiri . He went straight back to Gilm . ¡¹ The moment Daska said that, Viscount Ottervo¡¯s eyes, half buried behind the flesh around them, sparked sharply . ¡¸Huh? Haha . The war hero isn¡¯t participating in this celebration? Why would that be? It looks like Margrave Rowlocks doesn¡¯t want to expose him to the public and wants to keep him hidden¡­¡­¡¹ Daska¡¯s cheeks twitched at those words, but before he could say anything, the other Neutral faction nobles spoke out . ¡¸Viscount Ottervo, isn¡¯t that rude to Margrave Rowlocks? As a Royalist noble, we should have a little more discretion . ¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Ah, yes, certainly . Pardon me . ¡¹ Viscount Ottervo bowed politely¡­¡­or rather, he bowed with fake politeness . All that time, the flesh on his face jiggled around, making him feel more creepy than funny . ¡¸That said, the other nobles participating in this celebration also wanted to see the rumoured adventurer with their own eyes . In the event that he did not join at the behest of Margrave Rowlocks, who was his employer¡­¡­why would that be?¡¹ Viscount Ottervo called out to his two sons standing behind him . ¡¸That¡¯s right, as my father said, it¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t any rumours . For example, Margrave Rowlocks is planning something by keeping an adventurer that is strong enough to defeat a whole army by his side . ¡¹ ¡¸Haha, that¡¯s not true . Rei may be powerful, but there are S rank adventurers in this kingdom . I don¡¯t know what Rei would be able to do before people like them . And if such rumours were really to spread, the person who stirred all that up within the Mireana Kingdom would be accused of causing a disturbance . ¡¹ What are you trying to do with Rei? If you¡¯re trying to plot anything with him, we¡¯ll spread rumours about it and you will be punished . S rank adventurers are even stronger than Rei, so don¡¯t try to complain . If you spread strange rumours, I¡¯ll thoroughly investigate it and make sure you are held accountable . They exchanged such roundabout conversations with each other . Of course, not with Viscount Ottervo¡¯s sons, but with Viscount Ottervo himself . Seeing that the situation was disadvantageous to him, Viscount Ottervo bowed his head with a smile and took out a silk handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sweat flowing down his forehead . ¡¸Is that so . It¡¯s a pity that I wasn¡¯t able to see the rumoured adventurer, but there will be future opportunities . By the way, I¡¯m curious, why didn¡¯t you bring the adventurer called Crimson this time?¡¹ Even if I have to withdraw, I still want some information . Daska smiled wryly at the question that was asked to him . ¡¸As you Rei is an adventurer, not a noble . Moreover, before he came to Gilm, he lived deep inside the mountains, so he doesn¡¯t know much about noble etiquette . Considering that, I had him go back to Gilm without visiting the Royal Capital because there would have needed to be an audience with His Majesty and it seemed like a lot of trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Certainly, disrespect against His Majesty is not permitted . Considering that, I think Margrave Rowlocks made the right decision . ¡¹ As expected, it wasn¡¯t possible for Viscount Ottervo, a Royalist noble, to say that Daska should have brought an adventurer who could have been disrespectful to the King . Cornered, Viscount Ottervo gave another bow as he cheeks flushed with irritation . ¡¸I said a lot of rude things, but all my thoughts came from trying to help Margrave Rowlocks to avoid misunderstandings, I would appreciate it if you could forgive me for that . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, of course . I¡¯m glad that you were worried about me . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no . We are both nobles of the Mireana Kingdom and the pillars that support His Majesty . In particular, Margrave Rowlocks, as your title suggests, is the only noble to rule the frontier and provide rare materials and magic stones to the whole kingdom . If someone like you is punished due to a misunderstanding, it wouldn¡¯t be good for the whole kingdom . ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯ll part with you here, I have to find a partner for my son . ¡¹ The flesh on his cheeks shaking as he bowed once again, Viscount Ottervo led his two sons away from Daska . Seeing them leave, a Neutral noble clicked his tongue . ¡¸Tch, a small viscount talking to Daska-sama like that . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t get angry . I don¡¯t care . Look, it¡¯s a celebration . There¡¯s delicious food and drink . It¡¯s your loss if you don¡¯t enjoy it, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, Daska-sama . If only we had more power¡­¡­¡¹ Another noble spoke quietly as he apologised to Daska . Daska sighed as he looked at the noble . ¡¸That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t worry about it . If I don¡¯t care about the people who say things like that, what do you have to worry about? You¡¯ve seen that we have had much less people and influence for a long time, right? Well, we¡¯ve stood out unusually this time thanks to Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­yes . That is definitely true . But, shouldn¡¯t we use this opportunity to expand our influence then?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think so . Certainly, if we used this opportunity, we could expand our influence to some extent . But, what was the goal of the Royalist faction? Count Arius wanted military success for his career, but basically, didn¡¯t he want to weaken the strength of our and the Aristocratic faction¡¯s forces? However, on the contrary, they weren¡¯t able to do that and their military strength decreased instead, so there¡¯s no doubt they will be unhappy about that . ¡¹ Daska replied . That was why Viscount Ottervo had come over just before . ¡¸However, the nobles who participated in this war, including Count Arius, shouldn¡¯t be part of the mainstream Royalist faction . So even if the Royalist faction¡¯s military forces have decreased, would they care?¡¹ One of the nobles responded to his statement, but Daska just shook his head lightly . ¡¸That¡¯s wrong . Even if they aren¡¯t part of the mainstream, they are still part of the Royalist faction . The Royalist, Aristocratic and Neutral factions are still different factions . For the Royalists, it an insult on them that our military forces are still the same as before . ¡­¡­It is a shame for a big kingdom like us to be doing this during a national crisis . ¡¹ ¡¸Or, maybe it is because we are a big kingdom . ¡¹ With a wry smile, Daska looked towards thes tables filled with high quality food that could only be eaten at the Royal Capital . Because it was the celebration party, the chefs had done their best and every dish was delicious as everyone enjoyed them to their fullest . The King appeared and made a brief speech before exchanging some conversations with nobles from the Neutral faction as well as the other factions . But for Daska, who didn¡¯t really like such conversations, the only time he could relax was when he was enjoying the food and drink . That was until a person came over to him . ¡¸It¡¯s been a while Margrave Rowlocks . Are you enjoying yourself?¡¹ The person who came over to Daska was a noble with good looking features . He was someone who held the dignity of a duke, the highest rank for a noble . Of course, Daksa knew who he was . No, in the Mireana Kingdom¡­¡­or rather, even they were nobles from a neighbouring country, there were few who didn¡¯t know his face and name unless they were ignorant or lived in a box . Liberty Kerebel . He was the father of Elena, the General Princess, and the leader of the Aristocratic faction . ¡¸Duke Kerebel¡­¡­we¡¯ve both been put into a difficult situation this time around . ¡¹ Daska¡¯s tone changed to become more polite than usual because of the person he was conversing with . ¡­¡­It was only to the extent where it could be called slightly more polite than usual, but Liberty nodded at Daska¡¯s words . ¡¸Ah, seriously . I didn¡¯t think that the Royalists wouldn¡¯t trust the information about the Demon Soldiers . Considering that, we won this war well . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thanks to the cooperation with the Aristocratic faction against the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I heard from Philma that an adventurer employed by you was very active . He seems to be on good terms with my daughter, so I wanted to see his face . Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t come . ¡¹ ¡¸It was because he doesn¡¯t know much about noble etiquette . ¡¹ They talked with each other with smiles on their faces, but their eyes weren¡¯t smiling . Daska knew that Elena and Rei were on friendly terms, but it was because of that that he couldn¡¯t lose and adventurer with as much strength as Rei . As for Liberty, Duke Kerebel and the leader of the Aristocratic faction, he really wanted to draw in someone with that much strength . Of course, Liberty¡¯s highest priority was strengthening his faction, but at the same time, he was also thinking of his beloved daughter, Elena . It wasn¡¯t uncommon to only see one outstanding person among a dozen, a hundred, a thousand or even ten thousand soldiers . In fact, the work that Rei had done in this war was so great that not even several A rank adventurers would be able to match him . ¡¸That aside, Margrave Rowlocks . It seems that some people from our faction caused you trouble this time . I¡¯ll be careful not to let such fools out after this . ¡¹ Hearing Liberty¡¯s words, Daska thought of Renodis, the jealous noble who had tried to assassinate Rei by calling him out in the middle of the night . ¡¸That¡¯s right . I never thought he would try to assassinate Rei, a war hero . If possible, it would be helpful if you could make sure such things don¡¯t happen anymore . Even Duke Kerebel, leader of the Aristocratic faction, would be troubled if such events became public . ¡¹ Daska spoke in a worried tone, but his meaning was obvious . Of course, Liberty understood that as well . Because that, he nodded with a smile on his face . ¡¸Indeed, Margrave Rowlocks is correct . If anything happens, let¡¯s help each other out . In that case, I look forward to working with you . ¡¹ Saying that, he offered his hand out for a handshake . Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Legend Chapter 308 ¡¸Ah, Rei-san . Could I have a moment?¡¹ One day, where rain clouds covered the sky and it looked like it would rain at any time, Rei was immediately called out to by Lenora at the reception desk as soon as he entered the guild . Next to her, Kenny waved at him with a smile . Many adventurers who were looking at the request board frowned when they saw that, but none of them tried to mess with Rei because of it . Rei was already well known in Gilm, but the war made him even more well known under the name Crimson . Information about the war spread quickly as many adventurers above D rank had participated and there were few who still hadn¡¯t heard about it . If there were any, they would have been adventurers who had only come to Gilm after the war ended or newbies . Fortunately, there were no such people in the guild at the time . ¡¸Is it a nominated request?¡¹ It had been about half a month since the Rowlocks army had returned to Gilm . As expected, it had been quite busy after their initial return, but the guild had more or less returned to normal operations . Rei asked if he had been nominated for a request, but both Lenora and Kenny shook their heads with a smile . ¡¸No . Actually, a knight came from the Margrave¡¯s residence and left you a reward for your previous request . I thought I would pass it over to you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What reward? I thought that Daska-sama was going to give that to me directly . ¡¹ When he had returned from the Selemous Plains and split with the group heading towards the Royal Capital, Daska had told Rei that he would personally hand over a magic item as a reward . That was was why Rei had replied as such . However, Lenora bowed her head to apologise . ¡¸Yes, I did hear that . In the guild¡¯s upper management told me the same thing . However, it seems a lot of things have happened in the Royal Capital¡­¡­I haven¡¯t been told the details, so would you mind hearing about it directly from the Guild Master? She¡¯s waiting for you in her office . ¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, what is the Guild Master¡¯s intentions, calling Rei-kun into her office . ¡¹ Kenny complained as the words ¡®Guild Master¡¯ reminded her of the seductive face of the Dark Elf . However, the next moment, she was hit over the head by Lenora using some rolled up documents as she fell onto the counter . ¡¸Who are you to complain about the Guild Master . At the very least, we receptionists aren¡¯t in a position to complain . ¡¹ ¡¸But! ¡­¡­Rei-kun, don¡¯t get caught in the Guild Master¡¯s honey trap . If you like, I¡¯ll treat you to a drink later!¡¹ Kenny raised her chest, emphasising her breasts and almost causing Rei to fall over . As for the nearby male adventurers who had caught sight of the deep valley in Kenny¡¯s breasts, those with female adventurer companions either had their sides smashed or their faces smacked with spear shafts . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s enough for now . Whatever you say is pointless anyway . ¡¹ Giving a disappointed sigh towards Kenny, Lenora invited Rei behind the counter . ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll take Rei to the Guild Master¡¯s office now, you take care of things here for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes . Why is Lenora in charge of Rei-kun . I could have supported him better and deepened his relationship with the guild . Right?¡¹ Saying that, Kenny went over and hugged Rei¡¯s arm . The soft bulge on his arm caused Rei to blank out for a moment, but his other arm that wasn¡¯t being hugged was immediately pulled away, leaving Kenny behind . Naturally, it was Lenora who was pulling his hand as she turned a sharp eye towards Kenny . ¡¸Just because you can use your seductive skills? In any case we are guild staff members . We can¡¯t leave him to a person to plays favourites . ¡¹ ¡¸Ehh, but that wouldn¡¯t really be playing favourites would it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, if you¡¯re going to talk nonsense, do it when you¡¯re asleep . ¡¹ Kenny was a held back but Lenora¡¯s sharp eyes, but she suddenly looked towards Rei with a smile as she thought of somethinig . ¡¸That¡¯s true . In that case, I¡¯ll say that in my sleep when I spend a night with Rei-kun . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You . That¡¯s enough . I don¡¯t have the time to play around with you . Anyhow, I¡¯ll be taking Rei-san to the Guild Master¡¯s office . I¡¯ll leave the reception to you, Kenny . ¡¹ Deciding that she wouldn¡¯t be able to solve the problem by staying here, as soon as she said that, Lenora held Rei¡¯s hand as she took him to the back of the guild . Rei also understood that they wouldn¡¯t get anywhere if they stayed, so he didn¡¯t say anything in particular as he was pulled away by Lenora . After going up the stairs behind the counter, arriving at the Guild Master¡¯s office and knocking at the door, Lenora finally realised that she was still holding onto Rei¡¯s hand . Lenora let go with a somewhat embarrassed smile . ¡¸Ah, sorry . I shouldn¡¯t have kept arguing with Kenny . Well, um¡­¡­Guild Master, I¡¯ve brought Rei-san . ¡¹ ¡¸Come in . ¡¹ As as she knocked and called out, there was an answer from inside . Opening the door, they saw a person with brown skin, silver hair and pointed ears . Marina Ariansa . The Guild Master of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild in the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s frontier city of Gilm . She was wearing a slightly more mature outfit than when Rei had met with her before, but the part dress that showed off her chest was still the same as before . If Elena¡¯s beauty was gorgeous and dignified, Marina¡¯s gave off more of a charming and sensual feeling . ¡¸Oh, Rei . You¡¯ve come . The war must have been hard . Thanks to you though, most of this city¡¯s talented adventurers have survived . ¡¹ ¡¸I just did my job . I also had a lot of personal feelings about the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ Despite Rei¡¯s blunt tone, Marina still gave a dazzling smile . ¡¸Lenora, thanks for your hard work . You can go back down now . Please stop Kenny before she tries to do anything strange . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m not Kenny¡¯s babysitter . ¡¹ Although she had a slightly discontented expression at Marina¡¯s words, Lenora could predict what would happen if they left Kenny alone to her own devices . With a small sigh, she gave a bow towards Marina and Rei before leaving the office . Aftter seeing her leave and making sure the door was closed, Marina led Rei to a sofa beside her office desk . ¡¸Please, take a seat . ¡¹ An ordinary man would have been charmed by her as Marina looked at Rei, but Rei simply shook his head slightly as he spoke . ¡¸I just came to collect the magic item as my reward . I don¡¯t have to stay for long, do I?¡¹ ¡¸Even if that was your plan Rei, there¡¯s some things I have to tell you . Take a seat . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At Marina¡¯s words, Rei reluctantly took a seat . Rei didn¡¯t hate Marina . However, he felt uncomfortable having to deal with her . Of course, Rei wasn¡¯t a stranger to dealing with people of the other sex . He had found Elena attractive and had even kissed her . However, for Rei, who wasn¡¯t completely used to handling those relationships, Marina¡¯s sensuality was, in a sense, excessive . If he wasn¡¯t careful, he might end up reaching out without realising it . Maybe she was aware of Rei¡¯s thoughts . Although she probably would have felt Rei¡¯s magic power, Marina was unconcerned as she spoke up with a glossy smile . ¡¸Now then, you heard from Lenora why I called you here today, right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah . She said that you¡¯re holding Daska-sama¡¯s magic item on his behalf . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Originally, he had planned to give it directly to you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸He hasn¡¯t come back from the Royal Capital yet though . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . According to his message, the factions are making their own moves in the Royal Capital after the war . I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t move easily for now because of that . ¡¹ Hearing that, Rei nodded . For Rei, Daska was someone who protected him from the other nobles, and even if he did not necessarily respect Daska¡¯s character, he did still owe him favours . If Daska had told him to go and interact with the nobles in the Royal Capital, Rei would have refused because he would only have caused meaningless confusion or do something that would put Daska at a disadvantage . But if Daska just put him up for a nominated request, that would be a different matter . Looking at Rei, Marina reached out to mass of somethinig that was sitting next to her desk and cast a spell as she lifted it with one hand . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes widened involuntarily at the sight . However, seeing that Rei was watching her, Marina just laughed mischievously as she spoke . ¡¸To set the record straight, I¡¯m not some kind of monster . This is the power of spirit magic . Watch . ¡¹ As she snapped her fingers, a 10cm tall tornado appeared on her fingertips . ¡¸I asked the spirits of the wind to help me . ¡­¡­Now, let me go back to what I¡¯m keeping for Margrave Rowlocks . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­This piece of cloth? I heard that was supposed to get a valueable magic item . ¡¹ Rei looked at the lump of cloth on the ground suspiciously, but Marina just smiled as she replied . ¡¸You haven¡¯t seen this before? Then, touch it first and let your magic power flow into it like how you would use a magic item . Then you will see how valueable it is . ¡¹ For a moment, Rei looked at Marina and at the lump of cloth on the floor before realising she wasn¡¯t joking . With a small sigh, he gently reached out to the lump of cloth and poured magic power into it . The next moment¡­¡­ ¡¸Woah-!¡¹ Rei let out a surprised voice when he saw the lump of cloth that had been lying on the floor suddenly turn into a tent the moment he poured magic power into it . ¡¸Fufu-, you look surprised . But, it¡¯s still too early to be surprised you know? Why don¡¯t you go inside the tent?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s true that I was surprised that it would instantly unfold into a tent when I poured magic power into it, but even then, it can only fit three people inside at best¡­¡­what?¡¹ Following Marina¡¯s words, Rei pushed his head into the entrance of the tent . From the outside, it was a brown tent, matching the floor colour, about 2m in size . But after sticking his head inside, what Rei saw was a room about 10 tatami mats in size (~16m^2) . Yes, it wasn¡¯t a tent, but a room . ¡¸-!?¡¹ Pulling his head out of the tent, Rei looked around . They were definitely inside Marina¡¯s, the Guild Master¡¯s, office ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ When Rei stuck his head inside the tent again, it was still 10 tatami wide . There was a sofa, a guest room like table and sofa as well as a bed . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ It wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen a magic item that had surprised him . In the war that had just taken place at the Selemous Plains, he had seen similar tents several times . For example, Daska or Elena¡¯s tents . Both were tents that were several or tens more times larger than the tent before Rei right now . But they still functioned the same way in how they looked outside and inside . ¡¸You look surprised . Even though it looks like this, it¡¯s quite an expensive magic item . It was created on the assumption that it would be used outside the city, the frontier to be exact, so it has various convenient functions . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Convenient functions?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . When you look at it right now, its colour is brown to match the colour of the floor . But if you used it inside a forest, it would turn green . Simply put, the colour automatically changes to blend into the surroundings . It also has the ability to keep monsters below D rank away¡­¡­don¡¯t put too much faith in that though . If you plan to use this on the frontier, it¡¯s not unusual for monster C rank or higher to appear . ¡¹ Those weren¡¯t words that one would say with a smile, but what Marina said was true . It wasn¡¯t unusual for monsters C rank or higher to appear outside the city because of their location on the frontier . ¡¸Also, I will warn you in advance, but this type of tent with spatial magic is quite valuable . ¡­¡­Well, it goes without saying for you and Set, but if you use it in front of someone who doesn¡¯t know about your strength, they might try to attack you and steal it from you . As for everything else¡­¡­¡¹ Marina closed her eyes as if remembering something . Her simple gestures were full of sensuality, but fortunately, Rei was distracted by the tent in front of him and didn¡¯t pay any attention to her . ¡¸Ah, right . This tent has a light function, but no water . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Water?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . You didn¡¯t see a kitchen, did you?¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, that¡¯s true . ¡¹ Rei popped his head back inside the tent . As was said, there was no kitchen inside the tent . (The tent that Elena used had a kitchen though . ) ¡¸Well, this is an older tent, so it can¡¯t be helped . Still this kind of tent doesn¡¯t hurt for an adventurer to have . ¡¹ ¡¸That is true . ¡¹ Naturally, sleeping in a bed was much different from sleeping out in the open . There was also no need to panic at sudden changes in the weather . This tent was something that was very nice for Rei . (And if it¡¯s water, I have the Dagger of Flowing Water, so I shouldn¡¯t have any problems . ) Rei thought to himself as he recalled the magic item inside the Misty Ring . ¡¸I am very thankful for this tent . I will have to thank Daska-sama when he comes back . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Tents made with spatial magic aren¡¯t as rare as item boxes, like the one you have . However, they are still rare . Margrave Rowlocks has been surprisingly generous . ¡­¡­Well, I guess that just shows how much you did . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess it was worth it . ¡¹ Saying that, he touched the tent and stored it into the Misty Ring . As she watched Rei, Marina sat down on the sofa and crossed her legs before speaking . ¡¸So, Rei . Do you have any plans to travel to the Port City Emoshion for a bit?¡¹ Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Legend Chapter 309 Port City Emoshion . It was the name of the largest port city in the Mireana Kingdom . It was famous as a centre of trade that used the sea . Part of the Bestir Empire¡¯s goal in the war that had just occurred was to take the city of Emoshion . Due to the large number of ships that came through every, day the city¡¯s population fluctuated day to day . However, it usually hovered between 500,000 to 600,000 people . Ships from other countries and continents would come through this port, meaning that the city of Emoshion brought many benefits to the Mireana Kingdom . Naturally, there were many people who targeted the wealth the city brought, resulting in the appearance of many bandits and pirates around the city . Rei, who received a brief run down of the city from Marina, nodded as he asked . ¡¸So, why do I have to go all that way to Emoshion?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m not ordering you do go . It is more like, would you like to go?¡¹ Marina told Rei that this was more of a request from the guild rather than a directive . But for Rei, that wasn¡¯t really the problem . ¡¸But why?¡¹ ¡¸Fu~¡­¡­well, actually, a large monster has made appearances off the coast of Emoshion over the last half month or so . It has been sinking ships trying to enter the harbour . Of course, it¡¯s not sinking all ships . Ones which happened to have well known adventurers on them were able to fight it off . However, they¡¯ve still taken a fair bit of damage . Enough that the position of the port city of Emoshion will be in danger if the monster isn¡¯t dealt with . ¡¹ Marina didn¡¯t speak in a particularly serious tone, but the contents of events she spoke of were heavy . Given the benefits that the port city of Emoshion brought to the Mireana Kingdom, it seemed that the higher ups in Emoshion wanted to destroy the monster as soon as they could . Hearing about it, Rei suddenly recalled what he had heard from Elk previously . ¡¸Come to think of it, Elk previously mentioned that he had once fought a monster for several days and nights at a port city¡­¡­was that at Emoshion?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I definitely have sent Axe of the Thunder God there before . However, the difference this time is that the monster hasn¡¯t directly attacked the port . That¡¯s why there has been relatively little damage compared with previous times . But on the other hand, since it doesn¡¯t come out from the sea, it hasn¡¯t been possible to kill it, only repelling it temporarily . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ At Marina¡¯s words, Rei understood what the difficulty was . If it attacked the port, it would have to leave the sea unless it had some sort of long range attack . That would mean that land based attacks would be effective against the monster . However, if it didn¡¯t approach the port, that would mean that it was sitting under the sea outside the port . Even if they tried to forcefully attack the monster, the sea itself would become a barrier that would block their attacks . ¡¸What about using water magic?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s impossible . As Emoshion is a port city, there are quite a number of people who can use water magic, a mage from a B rank party also tried¡­¡­but it seems that the monster itself is able to use water magic, so it had very little effect . ¡¹ ¡¸Very little? So it had some effect?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Somewhat¡­¡­kind of . ¡¹ Marina replied vaguely . ¡¸Were there any problems?¡¹ ¡¸Water magic has relatively good healing spells . What I mean is¡­¡­¡¹ That was all Marina said . At that point, Rei could already guess what the problem was as he asked with a frown . ¡¸The monster also uses healing magic?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately yes . To be more exact, it¡¯s closer to regeneration magic than healing magic . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What do you want me to do against something like that?¡¹ At the bare minimum, the monster could use the sea as a shield . With regards to the match up, there were few opponents that would be harder for Rei to fight against than this . And above all¡­¡­ ¡¸As you know, I am best with fire magic . Disregarding that it won¡¯t be effective against something that lives in the sea and that it can regenerate, I don¡¯t even have a way of hitting it . ¡¹ Marina shook her head as she gave a sigh . ¡¸Indeed, fire magic won¡¯t be effective, but don¡¯t you have other ways to attack, Rei? I heard that your magic scythe can use wind and fire magic . And above all, you have an absolute advantage that other adventurers in Emoshion don¡¯t have . ¡¹ ¡¸An absolute advantage?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Don¡¯t you have a tamed Griffon, Rei? In fact, I¡¯ve seen you fly on it before . The ability to fly gives you an overwhelming advantage against everyone else in this case . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s true . ¡¹ Rei had experienced how great an advantage it was to fly at the Selemous Plains . But on the other hand, if flying was such a great advantage, Rei wasn¡¯t the only one who could fly . ¡¸Then, why don¡¯t you send Dragon Knights?¡¹ ¡¸A Dragon Knight costs a lot of money . If we sent one out, we¡¯d of course have to pay for it as well . ¡¹ ¡¸But isn¡¯t Emoshion one of the largest port cities in the Mireana Kingdom? If they take too long to kill the monster blocking the port, won¡¯t the amount of money entering the kingdom decrease?¡¹ ¡¸That is true . But if we used that as an excuse to send out a Dragon Knight for free, we will end up with requests from all over the country and adventurers will start to lose their jobs . After all, if they can request Dragon Knights for free, they don¡¯t have to pay to hire adventurers . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ At Marina¡¯s words, the reasoning hit Rei . If they could get rid of monsters without needing to spend any money, or more to the point, if the military¡¯s elite, the Dragon Knights, could exterminate monsters for them, every lord would request for them . ¡¸Besides, Dragon Knights are a small group of elites due to the cost of training one . If they had to work continuously without taking any breaks, the Dragon Knights would be exhausted . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . ¡¹ Rei nodded as he replied . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s why the guild in Emoshion got in touch with other guild branches in the Mireana Kingdomwith as well as guilds from neighbouring countries . ¡¹ ¡¸They want to kill the monster at sea?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s natural question, Marina shook her head silently . ¡¸It¡¯s a bit different . It is similar to calling for adventurers to fight in the war, but a large prize for killing the monster has been offered instead . It¡¯s quite a sum of money . Right now, it will probably be given to people in the Mireana Kingdom¡­¡­but if things don¡¯t go well, the prize might end up going to the adventurer guilds of neighbouring countries . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, you want me to go for it?¡¹ Marina nodded with a smile to confirm Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸That¡¯s right . You made quite a name for yourself in the war, so if you do it again here, it would be good from my position as the guild master of Gilm . Besides, there are some adventurers from Gilm who said that they would go there, but if they¡¯re only D or C rank, they¡¯ll just be going to their deaths . ¡¹ ¡¸No, wait, aren¡¯t I C rank as well?¡¹ ¡¸You realised that? Still, Rei is Rei . From the war, it was clear that you can¡¯t be compared to an ordinary B rank adventurer . Shouldn¡¯t you know? You created a fire tornado that destroyed the vanguard of the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that is an exaggeration . In fact there are now rumours that I have finds and gills on my legs and hands . ¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, in that case, that would make you a Merman . ¡¹ Marina smiled as if that would have been an interesting prospect . Judging that he had no chance winning in an dispute with Marina, Rei gave a sigh as he responded . ¡¸Practically speaking, even if there is a prize, I¡¯m not pressed for money . Besides, I have no real interest in fame . ¡¹ For Rei, he had enough money to not worry about his day to day expenses . If he wanted an expensive magic item from a store, he could get enough money by completing requests or hunting monsters with Set and selling the materials and magic stones that he and Set had already absorbed . ¡­¡­That said, considering the amount of food that Set ate as well as Rei¡¯s unusual appetite, it was true that the two of them needed several time more food than ordinary people to survive . However, Marina had expected Rei to have no interest in the money, so she added a bit more information . ¡¸I heard that you were collecting magic stones? So you don¡¯t want the magic stone of that huge sea monster? Plus, including everything you did in the war, if you add on this in Emoshion, you¡¯ll be able to take the rank up test to B rank . Normally, it would require a lot of experience after reaching C rank, but with two major achievements like this, there won¡¯t be any complaints from other adventurers or guilds . ¡¹ Rei, who had been wondering how to turn down Marina, perked up at those words . Magic stones . They were certainly essential for Rei, given the existence of Set and the Death Scythe which had been created by the Magic Beast Art . In addition, he had experienced the fact that the magic stones of higher ranking monsters had a higher probability of giving new skills when absorbed . And, even if it hid in the sea, a monster strong enough to have sunk several ships was sure to give him a skill . (¡­¡­I see . Thinking that way, it certainly is worth doing . In addition, there should be many other sea monsters besides the big one since it¡¯s a port city, so I should be able to get some new skills . I also want to do it if it means I can attempt the rank up test . ) Quickly summarising his thoughts in his mind, Rei immediately changed his attitude as he nodded . ¡¸Well, talking about magic stones, it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t want to miss out on such a rare magic stone . ¡¹ ¡¸Ara~? I thought you would want to do it for the rank up test . ¡­¡­Well, will you be heading there then?¡¹ She probably understood that Rei had already made up his mind . Rather than asking question, her tone was more asking to confirm his decision . Naturally, Rei nodded . ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s good . ¡­¡­But, be careful . The goal this time is to be the first to kill it . Of course, I don¡¯t mind if you work with other people to defeat the monster . ¡¹ Though she said that, Marina knew that it was highly unlikely . Considering Rei¡¯s character, he wasn¡¯t one to socialise . If he wasn¡¯t lucky, there probably wouldn¡¯t be anyone who would work together with him . ¡¸I see . However, I feel like it will be a lot of trouble to split the prize money, materials and magic stone . Thinking about it, I think it would be better to kill it with just Set¡­¡­I¡¯ll consider it further once I arrive . At the very least, I¡¯ll trying fighting it once to get some information and see how hard it would be to solo¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure that Rei and Set will be able to escape if you wanted to . Be careful, okay? Oh right, wait a moment . I have something to pass to you . ¡¹ Getting up from the sofa, Marin took an envelope and a piece of paper from a drawer at her desk before handing them over to Rei . ¡¸These are?¡¹ ¡¸This is a letter with my introduction . Anyone who is an adventurer can take on this subjugation request, but if you have a guild master¡¯s referral letter, the procedures will be less troublesome . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, I appreciate this a lot . And this piece of paper¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a simple map to Emoshion . I can¡¯t give you a detailed map like I did last time, but if you have this map, you¡¯ll be able to find your way . ¡¹ Looking at the map he had recieved, it was a simple map that pointed out the rough locations of cities . Unlike the map he had used when flying to Baar during the outbreak of Magic Fever, this was only a rough map¡­¡­rather, it was a rough hand drawn map . However, considering the importance of maps, the one that Rei had been given was still a valuable one . Of course, he wouldn¡¯t get the death penalty for losing this one like what would have happened with the other map, but it was still one of importance that would usually only be obtained by those who held a certain level of position . For example, this would be something impossible for a merchant to obtain . ¡¸Once you get to Sabrusta¡­¡­no, nevermind . Anyway, you¡¯re going to be flying on Set, so you don¡¯t have to follow the roads . If you fly straight south from Abuero, you can fly over the forest and take a shortcut . If you continue flying after that, using the cities along the way as a guide¡­¡­it might not take that much time . ¡¹ Travelling from the city of Gilm to the port city of Emoshion would usually take about a month if you hurried . However, for Rei, who had his partner, Set, it was clear the travel distance could be drastically reduced since he could fly and ignore the roads . (It¡¯s quite a big advantage to be able to take shortcuts and avoid areas that would be dangerous on foot . ) ¡¸What do you think? Are there any problems?¡¹ ¡¸No, no problems . ¡¹ Shaking his head at Marina¡¯s words, Rei stored the map into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Right then . I¡¯ll make a final confirmation . You will be heading to Emoshion?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ ¡¸This isn¡¯t a request, so you understand that if you don¡¯t kill the target, there¡¯s no reward, right?¡¹ ¡¸No problem . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Okay . Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you . Fortunately, I¡¯ve finished the work that had been piled up from the war . I¡¯m not saying you aren¡¯t, but I¡¯ve got several other good adventurers around for now, so I hope you can take your time . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Take my time?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t mind it . You must be tired from the war, so go to the port city, take a break and relax . ¡¹ Although he had some doubts about Marina¡¯s attitude towards this event, Rei nodded as he made up his mind to visit the port city . Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Legend Chapter 310 ¡¸¡­¡­He¡¯s gone . Phew . ¡¹ Marina took a deep breath after she saw Rei leave the Guild Master¡¯s office . From a bystander¡¯s perspective, Marina seemed to have her usual attitude when dealing with Rei . But even among Dark Elfs, who were known for their ability to handle magic, her ability to sense magic power was only second to powerful mages . Because of that, she inevitably felt a great deal of pressure from Rei¡¯s enormous magic power . That said, it wasn¡¯t that hard for her to hide it since she had lived for so long . In addition, she had come in contact with Rei several times already and understood his personality . ¡¸In addition¡­¡­fufu~¡¹ His reaction to being tempted made him look like a naive boy, in contrast to the enormous magic power within his body . This imbalance greatly reduced the pressure felt by Marina . ¡¸Anyhow, Rei has decided to go to Emoshion as expected . I¡¯ll need to clean out Gilm while he¡¯s there . ¡¹ While muttering to herself, Marina took out a letter from her desk . The letter had been sent from the Royal Capital two days ago using a summoner¡¯s bird . The sender had been Daska Rowlocks, the lord of Gilm . ¡¸Seriously, as soon as the war finished, the faction conflicts began¡­¡­the Royalists are surprisingly carefree about it . ¡¹ Murmuring languidly, after casting a short spell, the letter immediately caught fire . After a few seconds, the letter was completely reduced to ash without even the slightest burn on her fingers . ¡¸Well, Emoshion should be an interesting place for Rei in various ways . And above all, it should take some time and effort to kill a monster that stays in the sea . Considering his travel time, I should have at least half a month . If it takes him a long time, maybe a month . That should be enough to do something about the request from Margrave Rowlocks . ¡¹ Marina recalled the contents of the letter that had already been turned to ashes . Among the nobles from the mainstream Royalist faction, several of them had sent out their subordinates into Gilm to learn about Rei¡¯s abilities and to draw him over to their side . Of course, Daska already didn¡¯t like people trying to draw Rei away using ordinary means . But this time, the people that had been sent over were very problematic . They were people who would do the dirty work for nobles, using whatever means necessary¡­¡­they would achieve their goals even if it meant resorting to measures such as threatening people . Did they despise Rei for being an adventurer, or were they convinced that he wouldn¡¯t make a move against a noble? Those who took part in the war knew that the only result would be like what happened to Renodis, but for those who hadn¡¯t participated, it seemed impossible for them to understand . As a result, they decided on such a reckless path . Whether or not Marina had been asked by Daska, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted to give up such a good adventurer to another branch . More to the point, she didn¡¯t want someone like Rei to end up in unpleasant situations . Her favour towards Rei wasn¡¯t so much something between a men and a women, but more that of friends . Because of that, while Rei, the cause of all this, was out of the city, she would take action . Fortunately, as Rei had agreed with himself, the problem in the port city of Emoshion was a good reason for him to leave Gilm . No, rather, if they didn¡¯t deal with the monster lurking off the coast, the damage the Mireana Kingdom would suffer would be enormous, so Marina hadn¡¯t lied . ¡¸First of all, I¡¯ll need to work with the Knights . And the Prairie Wolves, was it? I was sure that there was a bandit group under that name¡­¡­I wonder how they were pulled in?¡¹ As she tilted her head, Marina used her years of experience to think up a plan to deal with the people wanting to bring more trouble to this frontier city . ¡¸Ah, Rei-kun . Have you finished your business with the Guild Master?¡¹ It was Kenny who greeted Rei after he left Marina¡¯s office and went back down to the first floor . Rather than interest¡­¡­she seemed to be worried that Marina might have tried to tempt him away . Rei noticed that, but just nodded lightly without worrying about it . ¡¸Ah . It looks like I¡¯ll be going to another city . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Those were unexpected words . But, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable . In the first place, Marina had called Rei up to pass him a magic item . Why had the topic suddenly changed to leaving the city? Not just Kenny, even Lenora, who was listening in from the side, couldn¡¯t understand . ¡¸Wait! Is Rei-kun leaving this city!?¡¹ Kenny¡¯s loud shout echoed through the guild . At the same time, she was heard by the few adventurers who were still in the guild during the day . ¡¸Hey, just now¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Rei is going to another city? No, but as an adventurer, there¡¯s no place better than here, right?¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, maybe the Labyrinth City?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, a dungeon? ¡­¡­But if it¡¯s a dungeon, there¡¯s one near here as well, right? It hasn¡¯t even been captured yet . ¡¹ ¡¸But the dungeon there isn¡¯t that big yet . Maybe he wants to go to a bigger dungeon?¡¹ Although there weren¡¯t that many adventurers who were close to Rei in Gilm, he was still one of the most well known adventurers after making a name for himself in the war . He was a representative of Gilm¡­¡­it might be too early to say that, but he had still become famous among the people who had participated in the war, particularly within the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire . No, in fact, Rei¡¯s name was actually more widespread in the Bestir Empire, which had suffered directly from him . There was a buzz when they heard that Rei would soon be leaving Gilm, but Rei immediately shook his head to deny it . ¡¸No, I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m not coming back . It seems that there¡¯s a monster rampaging and sinking ships off the coast of the port city of Emoshion . I¡¯m just going there to kill it . ¡¹ Lenora and Kenny both looked relieved at Rei¡¯s words . It was true that they both held different attitudes towards Rei, but they both had goodwill towards him . However, maybe as expected of a receptionist, Lenora immediately recalled the general information about the matter . ¡¸Emoshion, is it? There is no official request for it, but the first person to kill it will be rewarded¡­¡­it was like some kind of event with a prize . ¡¹ ¡¸That seems to be the case . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Lenora¡¯s words to indicate she was right, but maybe it was the first time she had heard about it, Kenny¡¯s eyes were wide with surprise . ¡¸If it¡¯s attacking ships, then that means it has partially sealed the port, right? But, why are they doing to do such a casual event? Shouldn¡¯t they just put out a request to kill it?¡¹ ¡¸Even if you ask me, I¡¯m not the one who decides whether to put out a request¡­¡­but, according to what I heard, it seems to be complicated in various ways?¡¹ ¡¸Complicated?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It seems there are various interests involved . The adventurers guild in Emoshion has it¡¯s own honour to uphold, so they want to kill it themselves . However, from the perspective of the lord of Emoshion, he would expect other higher ranking adventurers from other guilds to kill the monster seeing that Emoshion¡¯s guild has already failed to kill it several times . Of course, the guild in Emoshion won¡¯t like that, but if the lord tell them to¡­¡­it¡¯s like that . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­From what you said, it looks like there really are various difficulties . But, is it okay for Rei-kun to go to such a place? You might get dragged into some strange situations with other people . ¡¹ Kenny looked anxious, but Rei didn¡¯t intend to quit here because of it . ¡¸I might be able to get the magic stone of a rare monster . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Your hobby of collecting magic stones, I honestly don¡¯t know what to think about it¡­¡­¡¹ Kenny, who had feelings for Rei as a woman, couldn¡¯t understand his hobby of collecting magic stones . She also didn¡¯t understand Rei¡¯s other hobby of collecting magic items . There were quite a few people who held an interest in collecting magic items, but considering their price, most of those collectors were nobles, owners of large companies or high ranking adventurers . Such an expensive hobby wasn¡¯t something that Kenny could understand . However, as a receptionist, Kenny knew how much money Rei made, so it wasn¡¯t that strange for him to have such a hobby . However, understanding why he would have such a hobby was a completely different matter . ¡¸Well, whether it¡¯s collecting magic stones or magic items, I can¡¯t say much since each person has their own hobbies . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your understanding . Any how, I was just going to let you know I will be going to Emoshion . ¡¹ Realising there was no way to hold him back, Lenora pulled on the hem of Kenny¡¯s uniform and shook her head before asking Rei . ¡¸So, Rei-san, when will you be leaving?¡¹ ¡¸Today¡­¡­I probably can¡¯t do that, so it will be tomorrow morning . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? ¡­¡­Rei-san, I believe this will be your first time dealing with monsters in the sea . Especially in this case, it has sunk several ships, so it¡¯s probably a fairly large monster . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah . In my case, I have Set . If I run into any danger, I¡¯ll be able to escape right away . ¡­¡­Well, thank you for your concern regardless . ¡¹ When Rei said that, Kenny suddenly spoke up . ¡¸Now you mention it, I¡¯ve been working for quite some time . Don¡¯t you think it would be good to get some time off?¡¹ Kenny spoke meaningfully as she glanced at Lenora . It was clear what she was asking as their eyes did the talking . However, Lenora¡¯s response to Kenny was to roll up the documents in her hand and swing them down on the back of Kenny¡¯s head . A light smack echoed out . ¡¸Ouch-! Hey, what are you doing!¡¹ ¡¸What do you think you¡¯re doing! You know we¡¯re busy, don¡¯t you? But that is the same for all guild staff!¡¹ Lenora yelled at Kenny, who was protesting after being smacked in the head . In fact, it was true that the guild had been quite busy after the war had ended . However, as Lenora said, everyone was still busy, so if Kenny was the only one who got to rest, of course Lenora would explode in anger . ¡¸Uu¡­¡­but what if Rei-kun get¡¯s caught by some strange woman in Emoshion? Don¡¯t you care about that Lenora?¡¹ Kenny tried to persuade Lenora by saying that, but Lenora¡¯s response was simply to smack Kenny with the documents again . ¡¸Gyah-!¡¹ It might have just been some rolled up documents, but it felt like Lenora had poured all her power into it as Kenny sank into the counter . ¡º¡­¡­¡» As expected, that was quite the shocking scene . The other guild staff, a few adventurers and Rei all turned to look towards Lenora . Feeling all those gazes on her, Lenora put her hand over her mouth and smiled as she apologised . ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I showed you something unsightly . ¡¹ Using an expression that would usually be seen as someone laughed with an ¡®Ohohoho¡¯, she tried to calmly sit down at her seat . After a few seconds of silence, the usual noise returned to the guild . It depended greatly on the person, but most people just decided to pretend nothing had happened . Meanwhile, Rei looked over towards Lenora as well as Kenny, who was still sunk down at the counter . ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll get going now . I have to get ready for tomorrow . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ah . I understand . Sea monsters are completely different from the monsters Rei has fought so far, so please be careful when fighting them . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no problem . It will be quick¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that much, he suddenly paused . (Well, it¡¯s a port city¡­¡­so, there must be many monsters unique to the sea . In that case, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to collect magic stones for month or so, right?) ¡¸Rei-san?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing . I¡¯m heading to the sea anyway, so I thought it might be good to relax for a while . ¡¹ ¡¸The south sea¡­¡­beaches¡­¡­liberal women¡­¡­enemies¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up . ¡¹ Kenny was hit at the back of her head with more documents as she muttered and tried to prop herself up . ¡¸Guh¡­¡­even if you beat me, a second and third will appear . I will not¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up and act properly!¡¹ A strike from the Holy Sword to destroy the Demon King . Seeing Lenora swing the documents down at Kenny¡¯s head, such thoughts passed through Rei¡¯s mind . Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Legend Chapter 311 ¡¸The weather is great . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry . Set was currently fly through the sky, about 30 minutes away from Gilm, as the spring sun gently shined down . There was probably a warm breeze blowing along the ground . Unfortunately, Rei and Set were flying through the sky, so there was a strong wind blowing against them As for where they were heading, Rei and Set were currently on their way towards the port city of Emoshion to defeat a sea monster that the guild master, Marina, had told them about the day before and claim it¡¯s magic stone and bounty . Because it was still early in the morning, only ordinary animals like birds could be seen around them and there were no monsters . Rei had seen adventurers leaving Gilm in the morning moving along the ground . But with Set¡¯s speed, after flying for 30 minutes, they had long left them behind . ¡¸Here, Set . It¡¯s going to take us a few days to get to Emoshion, so let¡¯s take it slow . This is also a good time to take a break, so I feel like doing some sightseeing . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out a sandwich from the Misty Ring and gave to Set, who turned his head around . ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Set gave a cry as he ate the sandwich, as if asking, ¡®Can we really take our time?¡¯, as he looked at Rei with round eyes . Guessing Set¡¯s question, Rei spoke as he gently stroked Set¡¯s neck . ¡¸Of course, it might be a problem if we¡¯re too slow, but in any case, the monster always stays in the open sea and doesn¡¯t come over to the shore . I don¡¯t think there would be anyone other than us who could kill it . Of course, there¡¯s always the possibility of adventurers going out to sea on a boat, or directly firing a high power magic attack at it from the port¡­¡­¡¹ Although he said that, Rei still felt it was a difficult task . (Large boats can¡¯t make tight turns, and if it is targeted from below, it can¡¯t do anything about it either . On the other hand, if used a small boat that could make tight turns, it would capsize as soon as are any big waves . In that case, the mostly likely thing to happen would be to try and shoot a high power magic attack at it from the port into the sea . But in that case, most of the power from the attack will be blocked by the sea . What¡¯s left is water magic¡­¡­but that will probably end up the same . ) Thinking that far, he realised that his thoughts also applied to him and Set and couldn¡¯t help but sigh . Rei was only good at fire magic, so he was at a great disadvantage attacking monsters in the sea as his methods of attack were quite limited . ¡¸Maybe Set¡¯s Wind Arrow and Tornado would be effective? Since King¡¯s Awe is still at a low level, it probably won¡¯t have much effect on higher ranked monsters, like what this one seems to be . Water Ball is out of the question . ¡­¡­Ah, thinking about it, maybe Poison Claws would be the most effective?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ After eating the sandwich, Set gave a cry, as if saying ¡®Leave it to me¡¯ . ¡¸In my case, Corrosion¡­¡­can¡¯t be used since monsters don¡¯t have metal equipment . Terrain Manipulation is not useful in this case either . As for Wind Hand, can I combine it with Set¡¯s Wind Arrows or Tornado? The only remaining options are Flying Slash and Power Slash which deal direct damage¡­¡­direct damage? Direct damage . That might be the best way . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to ask as he gave a cry . Rei stroked Set¡¯s back as he spoke . ¡¸Certainly, the effect of fire magic would be far weaker in the sea, but fire magic doesn¡¯t work from the outside, I can just burn it from the inside with something like ¡ºDancing Fire Snakes¡»¡¹ Rei guessed that stabbing an enemy and then casting ¡ºDancing Fire Snakes¡» inside their body to burn them up from the inside should also work against an enemy in the sea like that monster . ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Guru~?¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words before suddenly turning a sharp eye towards the ground . Down there, although it was a bit off the road¡­¡­or rather because they were off the road, a group of 30 people had surrounded and were about to fight two travellers or adventurers . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What are we going to do? Rei thought for a few seconds before replying to Set . Originally, he wouldn¡¯t care too much about others being attacked by bandits . No, rather, since they had travelled so far from the road like this, you could say that they only had themselves to blame . And even if they were attacked by bandits, the only reason why they would be that far off the road would be because they were confident in their own strength . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Hunting bandits sounds quite nice . ¡¹ The bandits he had killed during his rank up test had a large amount of weapons and armour . They didn¡¯t have any magic items for Rei to collect, but weapons were weapons¡­¡­in particular, Rei could store the spears into the Misty Ring and take them out to throw, so that wasn¡¯t an issue . Best of all, it was cheaper to get weapons by killing bandits and no one was going to complain if he killed them . ¡¸It¡¯s not a bad thing to have more money . ¡¹ Emoshion was the largest trading port in the Mireana Kingdom . It was true that it would be better to have more money if he came across a magic item he wanted to buy there . ¡¸In that case, let¡¯s help out those people attacked by bandits . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, Set flapped his wings as he started to descend to the ground . But the next moment, Rei¡¯s eyes went wide in surprise . ¡¸Uoooooh-! Go and die-!¡¹ Out of the two people that Rei thought were being attacked started attacking the surrounding bandits as he swung a massive weapon . Looking for both mobility and defence, he wore a set of armour made from both leather and metal . In his hands, he held an axe with a long shaft . It was a weapon better known as a poleaxe . ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t poke that thing at me!¡¹ The woman behind the man who was brandishing his weapon blocked a bandit who had tried to circle around the man . There was a sound of something cutting through the air followed by a crack . ¡¸Gyaaaaaah-!¡¹ At the same time, the bandit that had been trying to attack the man with the poleaxe started screaming as he rolled on the ground . He had been wearing a bandit like set of weapons and armour, a set of leather armour to be exact . However, the weapon swung by the woman had hit a place not covered by the armour, tearing his skin and into his flesh . Yes, her weapon was a whip with sharp thorns at its tip . ¡¸Oraaa-! Who did you think you were attacking, go and die!¡¹ Hearing the bandit¡¯s screams, the man with the poleaxe swung it with a shout, easily cleaving through the sword the bandit had raised to protect himself and slashing through his neck . ¡¸Hou, he¡¯s quite good . ¡¹ Rei, who was watching from above, muttered in admiration . Despite having a blade, an axe was basically a weapons used for smashing things . With a shaft longer than that of an axe, he had still managed to use such an unwieldy weapon to cut off the bandit¡¯s head instead of smashing it . From what Rei could see, he was someone with considerable skill . ¡¸But, in that case¡­¡­is this a territorial dispute between bandits?¡¹ Rei thought that for a moment, but immediately changed his mind after seeing the large bag at the feet of the woman, who was making extraordinary attacks with her whip . ¡¸Is they adventurers or a travellers? ¡­¡­Well, I guess they¡¯ren adventurers . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What do we do? Set seemed to ask as he turned his head around . If they had been merchants or ordinary travellers, he could hunt the bandits as per his original plan . However, since the people fighting the bandits were probably adventurers like Rei, he didn¡¯t want to be mistaken for a bandit if he came too close . He was wondering what to do when¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re not a friend of there¡¯s right? Then I¡¯d like you to help us!¡¹ The woman wielding a whip called out when she saw Set flying in the sky . Rei was surprised at the woman¡¯s actions in two ways . First of all, Set had been flying about 20m above the ground, he wasn¡¯t at a location that would normally be noticed by people fighting on the ground . Second, it was clear at a glance that Set was a Griffon, yet she still called out without fear . ¡¸¡­¡­Interesting . ¡¹ He had been about to give up and just leave, but the woman who had called out to him had caught his curiosity . Rei signalled Set to land on the ground . ¡¸I thought so . I thought it was strange for a Griffon to appear in a place like this, is it tamed?¡¹ Seeing Set land on the ground without a sound, the woman muttered as she swung her whip . Likely trying to be friendly, she talked to Rei with a smile . However, in the midst of all this, her whip was swung side to side, gouging out eyes, cutting throats and tearing the flesh from the weapon wielding arms of the bandits . From Rei¡¯s point of view, she was hurting the bandits with remarkable brutality . In addition, the man with the poleaxe brandished his weapon as if the bandits had no armour or shields, cutting through both weapons and bandits together . Each of his attacks had tremendous power with some bandits sliced in half at the torso, bisected in the head or just simply beheaded . (Even though he¡¯s probably not as strong as Elk, he would still be stronger than Ara . ) In his mind, Rei thought of an axe wielding fried of his . ) It seemed that the man was so engrossed in fighting that he hadn¡¯t heard the womans voice or even noticed Rei and Set . Seeing Rei and Set¡­¡­or to be more exact, seeing Set, the bandits immediately tried to run away . However, the woman refused to let them run as she swung her whip at them one after another, tearing the knee ligaments and other tendons of those who tried to run away . ¡¸If you¡¯ve tamed a Griffon, you can¡¯t be an ordinary traveller, right? Are you a fellow adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m Rei, an adventurer from Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸The city of Gilm!? How did you get here from somewhere so far¡­¡­ah . ¡¹ She probably didn¡¯t realise Set¡¯s speed . The woman looked at Rei in shock as she swung her whip following her previous tempo, accidentally striking a bandit in the groin and causing him to pass out in agnoy . ¡¸¡­¡­Oops . I didn¡¯t mean to attack such a dirty place . Or rather, as a bandit, you should have been prepared! Seriously, trash bugs should know their place and do nothing more . You think so too¡­¡­right? Uh, Rei, was it? I¡¯m Miroir . The guy rampaging over there is Egret . Nice to meet you . ¡¹ Miroir spoke as she continued to swing her whip to kill the other bandits alongside Egret . When Egret swung his poleaxe, bandits would die in groups . At best, the bandits would be seriously injured and slowly die as they bled out on the ground . Considering the cruelty, it might have been better for them to be killed by Egret in a single attack . ¡¸Miroir and Egret? I was just travelling by and thought you were being attacked by bandits . ¡­¡­Looking at it now though, it doesn¡¯t seem like you need my help . I¡¯ll ask just in case though, do you need a hand?¡¹ The woman thought about Rei¡¯s words for a few seconds before swinging her whip and smashing the ankle of a bandit who was trying to run away . Miroir gave a small nod as she saw the bandit tumble to the ground . ¡¸Yes please . It won¡¯t be great if the smell of blood ends up attracting monsters if the fight here drags on for too long, so I¡¯d welcome you if you could give us a hand . ¡¹ ¡¸Then, I can take half the share, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Half the share? They don¡¯t have anything particularly worth much as you can see though?¡¹ Miroir tilted her head at Rei¡¯s words . That action might have made her look cute if it wasn¡¯t for the whip covered in blood in her hands . That imbalance only served to give a scary feeling . Looking at Miroir, Rei spoke as he took the Death Scythe out from the Misty Ring . ¡¸If we go to the bandit¡¯s base, I¡¯m sure they would have accumulated a fair amount of supplies and treasures . ¡¹ Both Miroir and the bandits were shocked at Rei¡¯s words . Or, maybe they were just surprised at Rei taking out a huge scythe from the Misty Ring . Either way was fine for Rei . ¡¸Set, we¡¯re going!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s shout, Set gave a cry and attacked with his wings spread out as Rei dashed towards the bandits with the Death Scythe in hand . Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Legend Chapter 312 Most of the bandits had either been sliced in half at the torso, beheaded or had various limbs chopped off . In the midst of all this, the man with the poleaxe the same height as him turned to look at Rei with a questioning expression . ¡¸So, Miroir, who¡¯s this guy?¡¹ ¡¸Egret, you . You should have asked that when you first noticed him, not now . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine . I don¡¯t want to distract myself while fighting . And that monster¡­¡­seeing how friendly it is to that kid over there, it¡¯s a tamed monster, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one like it . ¡¹ At his words, Miroir gave a sigh . She knew that Egret didn¡¯t think that much, but she didn¡¯t think that he wouldn¡¯t recognise a high ranking monster like a Griffon . Glancing towards Rei and Set, who were interrogating the remaining bandits who were fortunate or unfortunate enough to be still alive, Miroir spoke up again . ¡¸That¡¯s a Griffon, an A rank monster . Don¡¯t try to mess with it, mind you . There¡¯s no way even you can beat a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I¡¯m not going make any moves against it . But, that kid is more dangerous that the Griffon, isn¡¯t he?¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? It¡¯s true that he demonstrated a great deal of strength in the battle just now, but for me, the Griffon is much more scary . ¡¹ Though she said that, Miroir honestly felt that whether it was Rei or Set, they were both scary . She was tall for a woman and was much taller than the kid in a robe who looked like a mage apprentice . However, the huge scythe he had wielded had sliced through bandits in a single swing . In order to interrogate the remaining bandits, Rei was just using the shaft of the Death Scythe to beat them, but it was true that her spine went cold when she thought that he also could have used the huge blade . As for the Griffon, it went without saying . ¡¸So, who is he?¡¹ ¡¸He seems to be an adventurer from Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ha? What is an adventurer from Gilm doing all the way out here?¡¹ As Miroir and Egret had said, they were quite a long distance from Gilm . Probably about 20 days travel from Gilm, partially due to their location off the road . However, that was only the number of days of travel if they followed the main road . It was only about half a day¡¯s travel for someone like Set who could fly through the sky, ignoring roads and cutting across forests and mountains . ¡¸I don¡¯t know . But you cat tell right, Egret? You can tell he¡¯s extraordinary just by looking at him . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I looked at him for a moment when he broke into the battle, it¡¯s true that he¡¯s quite strong¡­¡­hey . Hey, hey, hey, hey . ¡¹ Egret nodded at Miroir¡¯s words before looking at Rei with an expression of surprise . All Rei had done was to simply store the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring . But Egret, who hadn¡¯t known about it, looked back at Miroir . ¡¸Maybe he has a spatial magic pouch? No, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case . ¡¹ ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s inside his robes? Because, if he has such a high class magic item, it would cause a lot of troubles . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s true . ¡¹ Although they hadn¡¯t realised that Rei had an item box, they were pretty sure that he had a very expensive magic item like a pouch made with spatial magic . Because of that, Miroir just assumed that it was inside his robes . After getting the information he wanted out of the bandits, Rei broke their necks to kill them before coming over . Adventurers like themselves aside, as they had a certain level of experience, they were somewhat surprised that Rei could kill the bandits without any change in his expression . A 15 year old kid like Rei looked like he didn¡¯t have any combat experience . That said, they didn¡¯t show any hostility towards Rei¡­¡­no, rather, he had helped them so there was no need to act defensive around him . ¡¸Do you know where the bandit¡¯s base is?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s in the forest about an hour from here . ¡¹ ¡¸Really? An hour? Even if people are just doing their own things around here, it would get found out really quickly . ¡¹ When Egret muttered that after hearing what Rei said, Miroir sighed as she spoke . ¡¸In the first place, this place is already off the road . If you consider that, an hour¡¯s walk from here is already more than enough . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? ¡­¡­Ah, I still haven¡¯t introduced myself . Thank you for helping us . I¡¯m Egret . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . An adventurer from Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really? I¡¯m not doubting you, but what is an adventurer from Gilm doing all the way out here? If you don¡¯t mind, could you show me your guild card?¡¹ Egret said he didn¡¯t doubt him, but hiss gaze was still sharp as he looked at Rei . Of course, he didn¡¯t think they could win if they fought Rei . But, he was still determined to resist as much as he could¡­¡­ ¡¸Sure, I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ Rei easily threw out his guild card as Egret caught it on reflex . Looking at the guild card while puzzled by the unexpected developments, he saw that the guild card had definitely been issued in Gilm . ¡¸C rank!?¡¹ Egret shouted at Rei¡¯s unexpectedly high rank . Speaking of which, C rank was a rank seen among veterans that had been in the business for a long time . But as for whether it was the right rank for the kid in front of them, the answer was both yes and no . (Just looking at him, he doesn¡¯t look like a C rank adventurer . However, on the contrary, considering how well he fought against the bandits, he definitely has the skill . ) After showing Rei¡¯s guild card to Miroir, who was also surprised by the C rank on it, Egret and Miroir both passed their guild cards to Rei . However, Rei just tilted his head when he saw their guild cards . He understood that the two of them had great strength from the battle they had just fought . Because of that, he wasn¡¯t surprised to find out that both of them were high ranking B rank adventurers . But, he didn¡¯t recognise the name of the city where their guild cards had been issued . ¡¸Where is Rusch located? I¡¯ll ask that first . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­from here, it¡¯s to the far west . It¡¯s a city so far away that can take nearly six months to get to by horse . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What is an adventurer from such a distant city doing here?¡¹ Contrary to Egret¡¯s suspicious feelings about Rei earlier, this time it was Rei who looked at the two of them suspiciously . Next to Rei, feeling his thoughts, Set lowered his upper body, ready to attack at any time . ¡¸Hey, wait! We¡¯re not suspicious . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think someone suspicious would admit that they were suspicious . ¡¹ The thought that passed through Rei¡¯s mind at that moment was the possibility that the two people in front of him might have bounties . If an adventurer committed a crime and tried to escape, the guild would put a bounty on their head . Usually, it was necessary to capture criminals alive, but it wasn¡¯t uncommon for heinous criminals to be wanted dead or alive . Rei wondered if they had a bounty on them, but looking an Miroir and Egret, they might have been accused under been false charges . Still, it was a fact that the city listed on their guild cards was more than half a year¡¯s travel from here, so it was normal to doubt them to some extent . In this case, it was unfortunate for Miroir and Egret that they hadn¡¯t worked for the guilds of other cities since they registered in the guild at the city they came from . The name of the last city you did work in would usually be recorded on the guild card . If another city had been recorded, Rei wouldn¡¯t have been as suspicious of them . Unfortunately, the two of them had just been travelling around since they left the city of Rusch, so they had no way to prove it . However, since the two of them didn¡¯t want to die here, they desperately thought of ways to survive . ¡­¡­That said, it was basically Miroir¡¯s job to think of ways to survive . Egret would only be able to try and protect himself if Rei and Set attacked . Finally, Miroir spoke out with a bright expression as she thought of a way to avoid fighting with Rei . ¡¸That¡¯s right, you can come with us to the nearest city! If we go to the guild, you¡¯ll know right away that there¡¯s no bounty on us!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s right . There won¡¯t be any problems that way . How about that?¡¹ Egret thought that it was a great idea, but Rei just shook his head slightly . ¡¸I¡¯m on my way to Emoshion and in the first place, I was flying on Set . Basically, I was going to pass straight by without stopping at the city . ¡¹ ¡¸B-But, then what are you going to do at night? Even if you have a Griffon, when you say Emoshion, you¡¯re talking about that Emoshion, right? Isn¡¯t it still quite a distance from here? Are you going to set up camp all the way there?¡¹ ¡¸I have Set, I don¡¯t need to worry about camping outside . ¡¹ Rei said that without mentioning the magic tent he had, but as he was thinking, Set came over and rubbed his head against Rei . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei was puzzled for a moment at Set¡¯s actions, who was basically trying to tell him that the two of them weren¡¯t enemies . However, giving a small sigh, he stored the Death Scythe away into the Misty Ring . ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Just a few seconds ago Miroir had been prepared to fight against Rei, so his sudden change in attitude made her make a dumbfounded sound . ¡¸You should thank Set . Anyhow, I¡¯ll believe your words for now and head for the closest city with you . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­ahh! I see, I see, you finally understood that we don¡¯t have a bounty?¡¹ ¡¸You idiot! He¡¯s only trusting us for now!¡¹ Although Miroir punched Egret in the back of head with her bare hands, she still looked relieved . If they actually went back to the city and visited the guild, it would make it clear that they didn¡¯t have a bounty on them . ¡¸Anyhow, that is for later . Let¡¯s go to the bandit¡¯s hideout first . Fortunately, all the bandits seem to have come here, so there shouldn¡¯t be anyone else in their hideout . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Did they really all attack us? That would have been really reckless . Normally, they¡¯d leave someone behind to guard the place . ¡¹ ¡¸They seem to have been a small group of bandits . They only moved here recently . In that case, I don¡¯t think they would have too much . ¡¹ Rei sighed after explaining what the bandit he had interrogated had said . This was a strange situation to begin with . But even so, Rei still wanted to get something out of it . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Perhaps he felt sorry for Rei, Set brought over a spear that had been lying on the ground in his beak . Bandits took care of the weapons they used . It was shining brightly¡­¡­was something he couldn¡¯t say . Still, it was a spear that was still very much usable . ¡¸Sorry about this . ¡¹ Thanking Set, Rei stored the spear into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Hey, Rei . You¡¯ve been using that quite a few times¡­¡­could it be a magic item made with spatial magic? I remember hearing that they were quite expensive?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s an item box . ¡¹ ¡ºHah!?¡» When Rei responded lightly, not only Egret, even Miroir was shocked . Pouches made with spatial magic were very expensive and were items that ordinary adventurers couldn¡¯t afford¡­¡­no, rather, they were expensive enough that even a first rate adventurer wouldn¡¯t be able to afford one . Item boxes were even rarer . There was no way they wouldn¡¯t be surprised after being told Rei had an item box . ¡¸Wait a moment . Is it really an item box?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡­¡­I¡¯ll say this first, but it registers magic power, so it can¡¯t be used by anyone aside from me . Because it has a self defence function, don¡¯t have any strange thoughts . ¡¹ To be exact, rather than a self defence function, it had Rei had casted magic on it . However, Rei decided that there was no need to tell them that . However, unexpectedly, both Egret and Miroir nodded easily . ¡¸That¡¯s right . If we steal someone¡¯s things, that would make us no different to those bandits . ¡¹ ¡¸Right . Rather than that, let¡¯s quickly go to the bandit hideout . ¡¹ You shouldn¡¯t steal from other people, but stealing from bandits was fine . Their thoughts weren¡¯t too far off from Rei¡¯s as he started to lower his guard against them . In the end, there was very little money in the bandit¡¯s hideout . It ended up being very empty aside from a few weapons that had been stored there . Still, Rei managed to get his hands on several spears and didn¡¯t complain . Neither did Egret, who managed to get some swords as part of his share . However, if there was one thing that Rei was a bit annoyed about, it would be that Egret had asked if Rei could carry his swords for him in the Misty Ring . Thus, the three of them started to make their way back to the adventurers guild at the closest city . Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Legend Chapter 313 ¡¸We¡¯re here!¡¹ Miroir raised a shout of joy when the city walls came into view . On the afternoon of the day following their encounter with Rei and Set, they finally arrived at a city with an adventurers guild where they could prove their innocence . However, there were other reasons as to why Miroir was so happy . In fact, the night before, she had been surprised when Rei use his magic tent . But, she hadn¡¯t been allowed inside . Of course, that was because the inside of the tent wasn¡¯t actually that big, but it was also because Rei didn¡¯t want to sleep too close to people he still didn¡¯t trust . In the end, Miroir and Egret ended up spending the night outside the tent with Set, who kept an eye on their surroundings . Miroir seemed to be a little dissatisfied about that, but Egret didn¡¯t seem to have any complaints as he played around with Set . Whether it was good or not that Egret hadn¡¯t heard about Griffons before, Egret didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of Set and loved to stroke Set¡¯s head . In that regard, Miroir honestly felt that Egret was a great partner . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s smaller than I expected . ¡¹ ¡¸What are you comparing it to? You¡¯re probably comparing it to Gilm, aren¡¯t you? In comparison to the only city bordering the frontier, most other cities will be smaller¡¹ Miroir replied to Rei without thinking too much about it, but Rei shook his head . ¡¸No, it¡¯s not just smaller than Gilm, but also Abuero, Sabrusta and Baar . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that, those are cities we¡¯ve never been to before . The one here is basically what most cities are like . ¡¹ Being told that, Rei looked back towards the city . The city was surrounded by a wall about 3m tall . But for people with a certain level of athletic ability, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to climb over it . Naturally, it seemed useless against monsters, which better physical abilities than humans . When Rei about it, Miroir was surprised as she replied with a wry smile . That¡¯s right . Because this isn¡¯t the frontier, there aren¡¯t that many monsters outside the city . Of course, it¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t any, but it¡¯s basically only Goblins and the like that wander too close to the road . The walls around the city are enough to keep them out . The other problem is bandits, but the walls are also tall enough that it¡¯s impossible for one or two of them to sneak in without being found . Then there¡¯s that . Look at the outer wall . ¡¹ Looking over the wall, Rei saw some stone pillar like objects . They were about 1m tall and were arranged along the tops of the wall at regular intervals . ¡¸Those stone pillars are a kind of magic item . If a person doesn¡¯t have a matching magic item, they will get shocked by the stone pillar if they try to climb over the wall . In places like Gilm on the frontier, it¡¯s not as useful due to its weak power, but in regions like this, it provides enough safety . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh . That¡¯s convenient . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s impression from Miroir¡¯s explanation was that they were a combination of an alarm and defence system . If it was such a convenient magic item, Rei wouldn¡¯t stay quiet about it . ¡¸Where can I buy that magic item?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s probably something that¡¯s hard to buy? It¡¯s an important magic item used to protect cities . In you think about it, they wouldn¡¯t want to sell it to bandits and let them figure out how it works . Even if you could buy it, you would probably need permission from the lord¡­¡­I recall hearing that . ¡¹ Miroir replied as they walked towards the city . But, as they got closer, passersby that saw Rei¡­¡­or rather, saw Set, took some distance from them as they looked in astonishment . Feeling somewhat nostalgic about the reactions of the people nearby, Rei continued walking with Miroir and Egret until they reached the main gate . Several people were waiting in line in front of the guards to enter the city, but when Rei and his Griffon came near, they immediately gave up their spots in the line . ¡¸Is that okay? No, actually, that makes things more convenient . ¡¹ Egret, carrying his poleaxe, asked the people in line . However, they all replied with a quick nod . ¡¸It¡¯s okay . From what I can see, it¡¯s tamed, but even then, if a Griffon is standing behind me¡­¡­¡¹ Oh, this again? It was a response that he had experience before, but it still didn¡¯t feel great . However, since Rei¡¯s intention wasn¡¯t to senselessly threaten the city¡¯s residents, after approaching the guards who were handling the procedures to enter the city, he called out to Set . Naturally, the guards were surprised and told him that Set couldn¡¯t enter the city, so it was decided that Set would wait outside until Rei left . However, whether Set didn¡¯t want to scare the people outside the city or if he was feeling a little hungry, he quietly flew away from the city to hunt for monsters . ¡¸¡­¡­Is that really okay?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve asked this before as well . You don¡¯t have to worry too much . Anyhow, after I finish up things at the guild, I¡¯ll leave the city right away . It will only be a few hours and if any monsters try to attack Set, they would only end up in his stomach . ¡¹ Rei answered Egret lightly as they walked through the city . It was a very small city compared to Gilm, Abuero, a city just outside the frontier, and Sabrusta, a city close to Abuero . However, it was still buzzing with activity . After buying skewers from a street stall, they continued down the road towards the guild which they had been directed to . Eventually they arrived in front of the guild building . ¡¸Now then, I¡¯m sure you know what you¡¯re doing¡­¡­are you ready?¡¹ That said, Rei was already half convinced that the two of them didn¡¯t have a bounty . In the first place, if they really had bounties, they wouldn¡¯t go to the guild so easily . Because of that, they were really only going to the guild for official confirmation . If Rei really had to give another reason for coming here¡­¡­it would be to restock on some delicious food . Thinking of that, he opened the guild door and the three of them went in . Entering the guild, they could see several people at the bar, which was attached to the guild, but that was it . The reason for the small number of people inside the guild was because most adventurers were still doing requests during the day . (Well, the size of the guild itself is quite small compared to Gilm . It¡¯s about the same size as Baar?) It was obviously wrong to compare the guild of an ordinary city to Gilm, which had a population of over 100,000 people, but Rei still thought of that as he went over to a counter . There, a middle-aged woman in her 40¡¯s, who was a bit hard to call a receptionist, looked at Rei as if he was a bother . ¡¸Boy, have you come to make a request?¡¹ Seeing Rei¡¯s appearance, she didn¡¯t think that he was an adventurer . She asked, guessing that he had come to post a request . However, Rei shook his head as he turned to Miroir and Egret, who were standing behind him . ¡¸I want to know if these two have a bounty on them . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hah? A bounty?¡¹ Perhaps unable to stand her confused expression, Miroir spoke up . ¡¸To be exact, this kid suspects the two of us have bounties on us . So we stopped by the guild to prove our innocence . ¡¹ ¡¸Hah, looks like it¡¯s been a lot of trouble for you to be caught by such a kid . Well, I¡¯m free right now . Show me your guild cards . ¡¹ Hearing that, Miroir and Egret put their guild cards on the counter . Seeing their cards, the receptionist had a slightly surprised expression when she didn¡¯t recognise the name of the last city they had completed a request in . ¡¸Huh, it certainly can¡¯t be helped that you were suspected of having a bounty on you . Why haven¡¯t you taken up a request in so long? Hey, bring me the list of bounties . ¡¹ After the receptionist called out to a young male guild employee who didn¡¯t have any work, Miroir shrugged her shoulders as she replied to why they hadn¡¯t done any requests recently . ¡¸There¡¯s no real reason . Simply speaking, there just wasn¡¯t an opportunity . Well, as you can see from our rank, it¡¯s quite high . We didn¡¯t have any particular issues with money as we have a fair bit of it . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, being B rank means that you have a considerable level of skill . ¡¹ At the receptionist¡¯s words, the few adventurers who remained inside the guild started to buzz . In this rural city, even the highest ranking adventurer was only C rank, so it wasn¡¯t unreasonable . Finishing looking through the list before long, the receptionist nodded as she returned the guild cards to Miroir and Egret before looking towards Rei . ¡¸These two aren¡¯t on the bounty list . They¡¯re just ordinary adventurers¡­¡­no, skilled adventurers . It¡¯s easy to misunderstand if you look at their guild cards, but you should try to mess with B rank adventurers . Fortunately, these two were good mannered, so it was fine . If they weren¡¯t, you might have been killed by them . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so . It was wrong of me to doubt you without any clear evidence . Sorry about that . ¡¹ Rei bowed his head towards Miroir and Egret at the receptionist¡¯s words . However, the two of them who had been half convinced they were dead after the fight in the forest didn¡¯t appear to hold any grudges against Rei after all the doubts were cleared out . ¡¸Well, is the misunderstanding is resolved, then that¡¯s fine . But, you know . If you really want to apologise, you should treat us to a meal . It¡¯s past noon and I¡¯m hungry already . Are you fine with that, Egret?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Yes, that¡¯s fine with me . ¡¹ Egret nodded at Miroir¡¯s suggestion and the three of them left the adventurers guild . At the guild entrance, they passed by several adventurers on the way in, but they didn¡¯t pay any attention to them as they went into the city looking for a place to eat . They didn¡¯t realise the adventurers look back at them with shocked expressions . ¡¸Hey! Who were the adventurers who left just now!?¡¹ After Rei and the others left, one of the adventurers who came in as they went out asked the receptionist with a hurried expression . No, maybe it would be better to say that his expression was more excited than anything . The receptionist was surprised as she asked the adventurer . ¡¸Why are you so flustered? You¡¯re one of the best in this city¡¯s guild, so you have to show some composure . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine! Tell me why those adventurers were here just now!¡¹ A female adventurer behind the man responded with almost just as much energy . Seeing that the rest of them looked the same, the receptionist replied with a confused expression . ¡¸They said the kid just wanted to know if the two of them had bounties on their heads . In the end, there wasn¡¯t . ¡¹ Hearing that, the adventurers looked at each other unintentionally . With a puzzled expression, the receptionist asked the adventurers . ¡¸So, why do you care about those adventurers so much? Those two were B rank, so maybe they are famous?¡¹ B rank adventurers . If that were the reason, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising that the party in front of her, one of the best in the city, would raise such a fuss about it . The receptionist asked thinking that, but the reply from the adventurers was unexpected . ¡¸No, we¡¯re not talking about the two adventurers, but the kid in the robes . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That kid? Why?¡¹ ¡¸That kid is Rei . He¡¯s an adventurer from Gilm that participated in the war against the Bestir Empire, which we participated in last time . He burned up the enemy¡¯s vanguard and also participated in an ambush force that attacked the enemy¡¯s chief commander . After the war, he was given the title of Crimson . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hah?¡¹ At the adventurer¡¯s unexpected words, the receptionist¡¯s mouth went wide as if she didn¡¯t understand . After a short while, she finally recollected herself and asked . ¡¸A title? You¡¯re joking, right?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true . In fact, if you had seen the fire tornado he created, you would understand that it fits him well . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that was amazin . ¡¹ ¡¸Rather, it was more scary than amazing . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s a fact that I¡¯m glad he wasn¡¯t an enemy . ¡¹ The party nodded in agreement to the man¡¯s words . The receptionist continued to look at them in a daze . ¡¸Huh? What did you say?¡¹ ¡¸As I was saying, you¡¯re going to Emoshion, right? Then take us with you . It¡¯s a bit ironic that after clearing it up that there wasn¡¯t a bounty on us, we¡¯d now go after a monster with a bounty on it . ¡¹ As they ate a large amount of food in a eatery in the city, Egret asked after hearing Rei¡¯s destination and purpose . Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Legend Chapter 314 ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s fine right? Take us to Emoshion as well . Even if we look like this, we¡¯re still B rank adventurers you know? We¡¯ll definitely be able to help . ¡¹ Egret slapped on Rei¡¯s shoulder as they walked through the city . Of course, Rei was wearing his Dragon Robe, so he wasn¡¯t hurt . Still, he felt some of the impact . Rei replied with a slight frown . ¡¸You¡¯re basically travelling around without taking on any requests right? Then you don¡¯t need to follow me . Since you¡¯ve cleared my doubts about the bounty on your heads, why don¡¯t you just go somewhere else?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why you should bring us along to Emoshion . You¡¯d have more strength on your side that way, right? right? right?¡¹ ¡¸Not necessarily . Or, do you have some way to fight a monster in the sea? Can you fly or walk on water?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh? There¡¯s no way we can do that . But, if you¡¯re dealing with a monster in the sea, you can always rent a ship . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Egret, I don¡¯t want to fight against such a monster . ¡¹ Realising that her party member just wanted to fight a monster, Miroir kicked Egret in the back . However, that was probably something that just happened every day . Egret was completely unconcerned about it as he kept pestering Rei . ¡¸Hey, listen okay? It¡¯s not like this was a request that needs to be accepted . This is all just a coincidence . That¡¯s all . ¡¹ It had already been close to an hour since Rei had treated them to a meal as an apology for suspecting that they had a bounty on them . Since then, he had been endlessly bothered by Egret . Eventually unable to stand it any longer, Rei spoke up with a sigh . ¡¸Fine, I won¡¯t stop you . ¡¹ ¡¸Really-!?¡¹ Egret had a grin on her face while Miroir looked annoyed . Miroir had confidence in her own skills . However, if you told her that she had to catch a monster in the sea that had sunk several ships, even she would start to question it . As Rei had said, in the sea, their means of attack narrowed significantly . ¡¸Yes . I won¡¯t stop you . So you can go to Emoshion however you like . I¡¯ll be going there by myself . ¡¹ Although he agreed to let them follow if they wanted, Rei was obstinate about parting ways with them . ¡¸Eh? Hey, wait a moment . There¡¯s no need to split up . Why don¡¯t you go with us?¡¹ ¡¸I refuse . ¡¹ ¡¸But, why¡­¡­¡¹ Even though Egret wanted to push further, Rei continued to speak as he looked towards the city¡¯s main gate . At the end of his line of sight were the guards that had handled the procedures to enter the city for them when they had first arrived . ¡¸In the first place, I¡¯m getting there by flying on Set . How are you supposed to follow me? You¡¯re not suggesting that I walk with you, are you?¡¹ ¡¸T-That is¡­¡­¡¹ Hitting right on the mark, Egret was at a loss for words . However, after looking troubled for a few seconds, his face brightened up as if he had thought of a good idea . ¡¸Then, if Miroir and I both fly on Set, it will be fine right!?¡¹ ¡¸You idiot! Don¡¯t drag me into this, how many times do I have to tell you!¡¹ At last, reaching the limit of her patience, Miroir slammed a powerful kick into Egret¡¯s back . He probably wasn¡¯t hurt as he was wearing plate mail, but he couldn¡¯t stop the impace as he stumbled forward several steps . But even then, Egret didn¡¯t seem to care as he looked at Rei with a hopeful expression . ¡¸I refuse . ¡¹ ¡¸Why not!¡¹ He really hadn¡¯t thought that his suggestion would be rejected . His face turned red, possibly out of anger, resentment or indignation? However, Rei just replied to Egret with a sigh . ¡¸To begin with, Set already has to do his best to carry me when he¡¯s flying . Let alone lighter, each of you are probably heavier than me . ¡¹ After being told she was heavier than Rei, Miroir looked away in disagreement . Even though she was an adventurer, she still wasn¡¯t happy to be told that she was heavy as a woman . That said, she was being compared to a kid in robes . On the other hand, contrary to Miroir, Egret was surprisingly convinced . After all, he was wearing plate mail and carrying a poleaxe . Above all, he was more than twice Rei¡¯s build¡­¡­it was clear that he probably weighed three times as much as Rei . ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . ¡¹ By the time Egret nodded, they had arrived at the main gate . The guards received their guild cards and quickly completed the process for them to leave the city . Whether it was because they were guards or because they honestly wanted someone followed by a Griffon to quickly leave the city, the process was completed quite quickly . While guessing their thoughts, Rei didn¡¯t care too much as he placed his guild card under his robes before storing it into the Misty Ring . ¡¸As long as you get there on your own, but I won¡¯t stop you from going to Emoshion any more . But as I said just now, I won¡¯t be working together with you . In the first place, why do you want to go to Emoshion? You don¡¯t need money, do you?¡¹ Rei had already heard from them that when they had set out from their home city, they had brought with them the rewards they had earned as B rank adventurers . In that case, why would they go out of their way to go hunt a monster that had sunk several ships at sea? Rei asked that question, but Egret¡¯s reply was very simple . ¡¸That¡¯s because there¡¯s a strong enemy there . ¡¹ Like a mountaineer saying that he climbed mountains because they existed, Egret went straight to the point . Hearing that, Rei could only sigh . He decided that there was no point in saying anything more . Standing next to Egret, who looked very proud at what he had just said, Miroir held her hand against her forehead as if she had a headache . Looking at the two of them, Rei quickly decided that he would only suffer further if he continued to stay with them . ¡¸Fine then . We¡¯re going there separately after all . If you arrive in Emoshion before I kill the monster, then you can help out . ¡¹ From here to Emoshion would take less than two days flying on Set . However, if you were to walk there, it would take close to half a month . Rei had told them that while considering the time it would take for them to get there . Miroir, who didn¡¯t want to fight a huge sea monster, smiled at his words . However, Egret also smiled for some strange reason . (¡­¡­Well, I guess that¡¯s fine . ) Rei didn¡¯t know what Egret was thinking, but he thought it was best not to get involved with them any further . Rei started to move off the road, without asking the reason for his smile . Miroir and Egret looked on in interest at Rei¡¯s actions . Leaving the road, Rei eventually reached a plain, covered in a green carpet due to the spring season . Telling the two of them to cover their ears, he took a deep breath¡­¡­ ¡¸Set-!¡¹ Rei gave a loud shout that echoed into the surroundings . As Miroir and Egret frowned slightly at his loud shout, despite covering their ears, Rei heard the flapping of wings . ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set spread his wings wide as he descended to the ground . Rei caught Set as he came down¡­¡­before being pushed straight into the ground . Set gave a cry as he rubbed his face against Rei . ¡¸Gururu~, Guru~, Gururu~¡¹ While stroking Set¡¯s head, Rei took a cloth out of the Misty Ring to wipe Set¡¯s beak . It seemed that Set had found something to eat for lunch as his beak was stained with monster blood . Still, considering that he hadn¡¯t heard an announcement that he had learned new skill in his mind, it seemed the monster must have been pretty weak . ¡¸¡­¡­All right, this is it . ¡¹ As Rei continued to stroke Set¡¯s head, he turned towards the other two that were looking on in interest . ¡¸I¡¯m going to leave with Set now, so looks like it¡¯s goodbye . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Is it fine? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head . Rei nodded as he scratched Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Ah, like you thought Set, they didn¡¯t have a bounty on them . Well, they¡¯re too thickheaded for that . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey-! Egret aside, I¡¯m not that thickheaded!¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? ¡­¡­Well, yes, I guess so?¡¹ ¡¸It is so!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Okay . ¡¹ Rei gave in to the pressure from Miroir . To Rei, Miroir was pretty strong to be able to use a whip as her main weapon, ignoring himself of course . In the first place, compared to scythes, whips were a much more common weapon . Not to mention its appearance, a large scythe had many problems when it came to using it as a weapon . The only reason he used the Death Scythe was because it was a magic weapon and also due to his own physical ability . ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯ll be going now . If you¡¯re serious about going to Emoshion, you¡¯ll have to hurry . Before I kill that monster lurking in the sea . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course! We won¡¯t lose to you Rei, just wait for us to get there!¡¹ He must have thought that Rei was encouraging him . Egret called out to Rei with a smile as Miroir gave a sigh beside him . Seeing that, Rei got on Set¡¯s back . Set started to run along the ground while flapping his wings . Flying into the sky as if running on air, Miroir and Egret watched the two of them leave the ground . Then, as soon as they disappeared from their view, Egret immediately heaved their bagged onto his shoulder . ¡¸Come on Miroir . We have to get to Emoshion as soon as possible so we don¡¯t lose to Rei . ¡¹ ¡¸Haah¡­¡­if you¡¯re serious about it . Well, I have to follow you anyway . ¡¹ Giving another sigh that had become a habit after working with Egret for so long, Miroir followed after him . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ As they flew through the sky under the soft spring sunshine, Set suddenly turned his head towards Rei and gave a cry . Was that okay? Rei rubbed Set¡¯s head at the question he seemed to ask . ¡¸If we get involved with someone like that, we¡¯ll definitely get dragged into trouble . Egret in particular is someone who looks like he¡¯ll easily get into trouble . ¡¹ Hearing Rei say that with certainty, Set just tilted his head a somewhat doubtfully . ¡¸We ended up taking up some time here . Can you speed up a little?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, Set flapped his wings strongly . As he flapped his wings, Set¡¯s speed increased visibly . Admiring Set¡¯s speed once again, Rei took out his map from the Misty Ring and looked at it . The city he had just stopped by at was the first city along his way . After passing through two more cities, he would arrive at his destination, Emoshion . ¡¸Come to think of it, this will be the first time Set sees the sea, won¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s question . While he had been in Japan, Rei had lived deep in the mountains . That said, the mountains were less than two hours drive to the sea . Because of that, the sea wasn¡¯t a rare sight for Rei and he would often go there in the summer . ¡­¡­However, the beaches he went to weren¡¯t the ordinary sandy beaches that most people thought of, but rather a rocky shoreline . ¡¸Gilm is inland, so there are only river fish . But, there will be many kinds of fish, shellfish, crabs, shrimp and other things in Emoshion . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set gave happy cry at Rei¡¯s words . For Set, who had barely ever eaten seafood, the city of Emoshion was a very attractive city . Rei gave a smile as Set increased his speed again while keeping an eye out for any other monsters flying through the sky . Fortunately, there weren¡¯t many monsters that fly in the sky at the frontier and they had already long left the frontier . Because of that, they flew through the sky like they on tour rather than on constant guard as they flew towards their destination . At night, there was plenty of space to set up his magic tent, so Rei and Set travelled comfortably all the way to Emoshion . So, about three days after leaving Gilm¡­¡­Rei and Set saw it on the horizon as they flew through the sky . Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Legend Chapter 315 ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set¡¯s happy cry echoed through the sky . Rei and Set were flying through the sky on the way to the port city of Emoshion . The spring sunshine made the heavy rain from the previous day feel like it never happened . Ahead of the two of them was a vast horizon that seemed to never end . Some ships could be seen moving off the coast of Emoshion while others were moored at port . As for the kinds of ships that were visible, there were huge ships designed for open seafaring, ships that travelled between the various ports of the Mireana Kingdom and ships built for fishing . Both Rei and Set were fascinated by the scene they saw from the sky . However, at that moment¡­¡­one of the ships within their line of sight began throw everything they had into the sea, whether it was arrows, magic, swords, spears or barrels . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ For a moment, Rei wondered if they had been boarded by pirates or something . However, he soon realised that pirates wouldn¡¯t show up within visible distance of the port . The next moment, he remembered why he had come to Emoshion in the first place . ¡¸Ah right, is it because of the monster that¡¯s been rampaging outside the port?¡¹ From what he saw, lightning arrows, fireballs and water spears were cast out one after another, but the monsters in the sea were protected by the seawater, which absorbed most of the power of the magic attacks . Even so, the people on the ship didn¡¯t stop attacking . Despite the monsters not appearing above the surface, the ship eventually started to tilt and sink, as if a hole had opened up underneath it . Whether they were on their way to rescue the ship or to hunt the monsters to earn some money, many ships could be seen leaving the port at the same time . ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What do we do? Troubled by the situation, Set tilted his head as he turned to look at Rei . As for rescuing people, aside from Rei, the best that Set could do would be to carry women or children . If the person they had to rescue was wearing heavy equipment like armour, it would make it very difficult to handle . It would be possible to grab them using Set¡¯s front claws, but even if they hadn¡¯t drowned yet, there was a high chance they would be injured by Set¡¯s claws and even die from that . ¡¸But¡­¡­let me think . This is a good opportunity to promote myself here . If I give a good impression here, I should be able to avoid more idiots . ¡¹ Making his decision based on rational benefits rather than an act of kindness, Rei turned to look towards the sea . The bottom of the ship must have already been completely destroyed as the ship was sinking fast . ¡¸Set! For now, we¡¯ll rescue them to make ourselves known . Try to avoid the port walls!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Giving a high pitched cry at Rei¡¯s words, Set flapped his wings as went down towards the sea . Rei didn¡¯t forget to tell Set to keep away from the outer walls, considering the possibility that there was a countermeasure in place to stop flying monsters similar to Gilm¡¯s walls . Of course, it wasn¡¯t necessarily the case since Gilm was a unique case as a frontier city . However, Rei didn¡¯t want to take that chance . He didn¡¯t want to die by crashing to the ground due to a city¡¯s defence mechanism while trying to help others . As Set headed out to sea, bypassing Emoshion, most of the rescue ships that had left the port had yet to arrive at the scene . A few magic ships had already arrived and were keeping a watching eye on the sea as they rescued people thrown into the water . However, most of the other ships either used oars or sails, which made them a lot slower . However, there wasn¡¯t just the monster that had sunk the ship earlier . There were other monsters that targeted the people that had been thrown into the sea . ¡¸Damn it, attack it with more magic! You don¡¯t have to kill the monster, so just try to shoot as many weak attacks as you can to try to buy time! Reinforcements from the port will be coming soon! We can kill the monsters then!¡¹ One of several magic ships that first to arrive at the scene . It was actually only a small boat about 3m in length and didn¡¯t have much room . There was no space to rescue those who had been thrown into the sea . Because of that, the leader of the adventurers on the boat didn¡¯t try to rescue the people in the sea, but instead focused hard on keeping the monsters targeting them at bay . ¡¸Please, hurry¡­¡­¡¹ Looking towards the ships heading towards them from the port as if praying, he threw a harpoon in his hand towards a monster with the upper body of a crab and the lower body of a jellyfish . The attack itself was blocked by the double barrier of the seawater and the crab-like shell, so no actual damage was inflicted . However, it was still enough to restrain it as it turned around and dived back into the sea . ¡¸Leader! Right now, can we get the ship close enough to rescue those people!? At this rate, there will be too many monsters for us to deal with!¡¹ At the shout from a fellow adventurer, the leader shook their head as if they had just bitten into a bug . ¡¸Impossible . If we try to get people on the ship now, we won¡¯t be able to move . If that happens, the resulting damage will be even greater!¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­hah! It¡¯s persistent!¡¹ A female archer shouted as she fired arrows from her bow . Her arrows pierced into the head of a huge fish about 2m in length that had been trying to swallow a person whole, killing it . The dead sea monster sank into the water where smaller monsters immediately gathered and bit it into tiny pieces . ¡¸Hey hey hey! Over there! There¡¯s a large group of snake like monsters coming!¡¹ As the leader turned towards the voice from another adventurer, he saw that there was indeed a large group of snake like monsters coming towards them from the open sea . ¡¸Tch, that¡¯s a bad amount to have to deal with . Suore, wide range magic! I¡¯m pretty sure you know a lighting based one right?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t! We¡¯re surrounded by the sea! The people in the water will also be hit by it!¡¹ Monsters in the sea were vulnerable to lighting magic, but if they used it, it would naturally hit the people who were also stuck in the sea . Remembering that, the leader was lost for words for a moment¡­¡­but that moment led to a fatal delay . ¡¸AHHHHHH-!¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡¹ Hearing a sudden scream, he turned just to see a middle-aged man in his forties sink into the sea . Because the sea was quite clear, the leader could clearly sea what had caused the man to sink . ¡¸Damn it, it was a decoy!¡¹ Yes, the group of sea snake like monsters which were heading towards them were just decoys . The real danger was much closer and swimming much deeper . They weren¡¯t thick, but the snake like monsters were more than 4m in length . Opening their mouth filled with sharp teeth, it wound it¡¯s body around the man floating in the sea¡­¡­the next moment, the water was filled with blood . ¡¸Damn it, damn it, damn it! Where are our reinforcements!¡¹ He turned around and shouted as he looked towards the ships coming towards them . However, they didn¡¯t appear to be much closer than they had been before . At the current rate, by the time their reinforcements arrived, they themselves would be in danger, let alone helping those who had fallen into the sea . Not just them, all other parties which had arrived on the scene in magic ships thought the same in despair . In a moment like this, rather than dying out here, should they run away themselves? Such thoughts passed through their minds . However, seeing the people still stuck in the sea, they couldn¡¯t do that . ¡¸Leader, there¡¯s a big one coming!¡¹ The leader turned towards one of the archers in his party . It was at that moment that a huge mouth large enough to swallow him whole and filled with innumerable teeth entered his sight . (Ahh, this isn¡¯t good¡­¡­) The leader thought that in his mind . The monster was already too close to avoid and there was no time to intercept it . Would his life of less than 20 years end just like this? As his mind was filled with despair . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ At the same time as that shout, the huge mouth that had been about to swallow him was forcibly shifted in mid air¡­¡­flying right past the leader . The huge shark like body, 5m in length, flew over the magic ship and dived back into the water without managing to get anything inside it¡¯s belly . ¡¸¡­¡­What was that?¡¹ Shouldn¡¯t he be dead? Why was he still alive? Whose unfamiliar voice had he just heard? He muttered to himself but didn¡¯t get any replies from his party members . No, for some reason, they hadn¡¯t intercepted the monster heading towards him just a moment ago and instead were looking up towards the sky with their mouths wide open . The leader was confused, but it was just the same for the other adventurer parties that had come out on magic ships and the people who had been thrown into the sea . Trying to understand what had just happened, the leader turned to look up on reflex . ¡¸Tch, it¡¯s tough . I didn¡¯t think a Flying Slash would only leave a scratch . ¡¹ With the flapping of wings, a voice came down from above . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, yes . Anyhow, I know I can deal with sea monsters if tries to attack like it did just before . The rest is timing¡­¡­hey, are you okay?¡¹ The leader was brought back to reality at the voice of a young boy . But for a moment, he couldn¡¯t fully believe he was back in reality . Maybe he was just still sleeping on a bed at an inn back in Emoshion . Maybe this was all just a dream, was what he thought . After all, he was looking at a monster with the upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a lion, an A rank monster, a Griffon . On its back was a kid who seemed to be an adventurer, carrying a huge scythe the same height or even taller than himself . Even though he was an adventurer¡­¡­no, because he was an adventurer, he was stunned by the incredible sight . In his shock, his eyes met with Rei¡¯s, who had been looking down towards the sea . ¡¸I¡¯ve come to help, if you can, I¡¯d like you to assist me . ¡¹ Hearing that, the leader finally remembered what they had come out here for . In addition, the ships that had left the port were finally closing in . Several of the faster ones were already quite close . Seeing that, the leader called out to Rei after quickly checking his surroundings . ¡¸I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯ve come to help . We¡¯ll leave the details for later, please rescue the people in the water and take them to the big ship coming from the port! I know you¡¯ve come to help us, but I¡¯d like you to save them first if you can . ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­hey, you¡¯re persistent!¡¹ Noticing the huge shark like monster coming up from the sea again, Rei moved the Death Scythe to his left hand as took out a spear from the Misty Ring in his right . ¡¸A fish is just a fish¡­¡­get skewered!¡¹ With those words, he threw the spear, which not only cut through the air, but even the water as it pierced the mouth of the shark like monster which had been about to spring back up into the air . As Rei himself had said, the spear pierced all the way through the shark like monster as it sank back into the sea . (It sank? I thought things would usually float when they die . Especially since this is the sea . ¡­¡­I might have to give it up . It will be hard to get the magic stones of monsters I kill like this . ) If it simply just sank back into the sea, the water was clear enough that he would be able to pull it back up . However, there were many other monsters in the surroundings and they wouldn¡¯t overlook such prey . That included monsters that were be killed by adventurers . In fact, the shark like monster that Rei had just killed already had a large number of sea monsters surrounding it, rapidly decreasing its size . Perhaps there would only be bones left in a few minutes . ¡¸Hey, you! Rescue them first! Carry those people in the water to the large ship heading towards us!¡¹ A male adventurer, who was finally able to catch his breath because most of the sea monsters had gone after the one Rei had killed, called out to Rei . Rei immediately turned his eyes towards the people floating in the sea and nodded . There about 100 of them still in the sea . There had been many more on board the ship, but some had died fighting the monsters while others had gone down with the ship . Above all, many had fallen prey to the monsters swimming in the sea, reducing their numbers to the current state . ¡¸Considering their weight, the only ones I can carry on my Griffon are women and children . Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes! Please!¡¹ If he pushed it a little, they could manage to carry an adult man . However, that would rapidly drain Set¡¯s stamina, so Rei wanted to avoid that in a situation where he didn¡¯t know how long the rescue would take . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a cry as he showed Rei the necklace hanging around his neck . Love of Shizukuishi . It was a magic item that gave a constant healing effect, which included stamina . Set insisted that he would be okay carrying an adult man to the larger boats nearby, even if the necklace¡¯s effect wasn¡¯t that strong . Stroking Set¡¯s neck, Rei told him that they should still rescue the women and children who didn¡¯t have a way to fight off the monsters first . Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Legend Chapter 316 ¡¸U-UWAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ A sailor gave a scream as he saw Rei and Set come down towards the ship deck . However, Rei and Set didn¡¯t care at all as they landed on the ship . ¡¸Look, it¡¯s alright now . Just get off . Explain the situation to the men on the ship . I¡¯m going back to resuce more people . ¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes . Thank you very much for your help . Without you I¡¯m afraid we would have¡­¡­¡¹ A woman in her 20¡¯s got off Set¡¯s back as she spoke . In her hands, she held a baby . Even after being thrown into the sea, she had desperately protected her baby, so while they were wet from the sea water, the baby didn¡¯t appear to have any injuries . The mother seemed to have a few injuries on her legs from the monsters, but none of them were fatal and the worst one was a bite several cm deep . ¡¸H-Hey! You guys are¡­¡­and, that monster¡­¡­¡¹ The sailors and adventurer who saw Set land all held weapons such as swords, spears and axes in their hands, but Rei helped the mother and child without paying them any attention . That said, the presence of Set, who was by Rei¡¯s side, kept everyone at bay as he created an atmosphere that stopped anyone from doing anything stupid . Even if no one had actually seen a real Griffon before, they knew its shape . That was why they were even more scared . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have time to talk . You can think of me as an ally . I¡¯m going to pick up the people who¡¯ve been thrown into the sea, so get ready to receive them . ¡¹ Saying that without caring for a response, Rei signalled to Set, who flew back into the sky after a few steps . ¡¸W-Wait! Give me more details!¡¹ ¡¸Ask the woman for more information!¡¹ As Set flew away, Rei heard a shout trying to stop them from behind . After Rei¡¯s response, the sailors and adventurers who had been dazed by the situation immediately recollected themselves and began to prepare blankets, warm drinks and medicine to treat injuries . Quickly giving orders to his men, the captain in charge of the ship called out to the woman who had been brought over to ask about the situation . ¡¸That monster that was with the kid just now¡­¡­was that a Griffon?¡¹ The captain asked, as if he couldn¡¯t believe his own words . He was an older man in his 50¡¯s, but his expression was amusingly one of shock . If the woman hadn¡¯t just gone through the ordeal she had and had seen what the captain usually looked like, she probably would have laughed . The captain¡¯s expression was just that blank . However, having just been in danger of losing her life, she couldn¡¯t laugh in this situation and simply just nodded at the question . ¡¸Yes, they were the ones who came to help me and my child after we were thrown into the sea . There are still many others out there, but because of what the Griffon is limited to carrying, he said he would rescue the women and children first . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . An adventurer followed by a Griffon¡­¡­could it be that Crimson who became famous in the last war? No, that¡¯s not something I need to care about right now . Anyhow, I have to make the highest priority protecting the people he brings over . Hey, boys! The adventurer with the Griffon will be bringing people thrown out to sea . I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll get sick due to the weather, but prepare blankets, cloths and warm drinks anyway!¡¹ At the captain¡¯s command, the sailor sprung into action . Their discipline was much better than that of the average army . ¡¸Captain, we left in a hurry, so we barely have anything to drink . What should we do?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then tell the cooks to hand out what we have . ¡¹ ¡¸Captain, I brought a blanket!¡¹ ¡¸Leave it there . We¡¯ll be right over . ¡¹ ¡¸A monster, a monster is coming here!¡¹ ¡¸Tch, if you¡¯re not doing anything, start intercepting them! This ship is big enough that it wouldn¡¯t get done in easily, but it¡¯s still not good to take any damage!¡¹ Following the captain¡¯s orders, the sailors and adventurers on board took up their positions to attack with weapons such as bows, harpoons or short throwing axes . As the captain busily worked, he soon heard the flapping of wings again . As he turned his eyes to the sky, he saw the adventurer again with two children in his hands . Where had the large scythe he had previously gone? The captain didn¡¯t know that Rei had an item box, but he didn¡¯t care too much about it either . He waved his arms towards the Griffon to signal it to land on the deck . ¡¸Hey, this way! Come down here!¡¹ Hearing his shout, Rei signalled to Set, who descended as he glided through the sky . ¡¸Two children . There are more children, so I¡¯m going back . Come on, get down . ¡¹ ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAH-! Dad, dad!¡¹ ¡¸Eguehegueh¡­¡­sister¡­¡­¡¹ Had their families been attacked by monsters before their eyes or had they gone down with the ship? Either way, the two children were crying in Rei¡¯s arms . The mother that Rei had rescued first quickly came over to receive the two children from Rei . ¡¸Here, you¡¯ll be safe . This brother will help all of you, so don¡¯t disturb him . ¡­¡­Please save who you can . ¡¹ Nodding at the woman who bowed her head at him, Rei flew off on Set again . The woman kept her head bowed as they left . It seemed more correct to say that she was giving a prayer . At least that was what the captain seemed to think when he looked at her . ¡¸Hey, young man, keep bringing them in! This ship can¡¯t can¡¯t be taken down by monsters, so bring as many as you can!¡¹ Waving the back of his hand at the captain¡¯s shout, Rei and Set returned to where the magic ships were gathered . ¡¸The water is clear enough that you can still see the monsters, but the sea is a nuisance . So much of my attack power keeps getting absorbed¡­¡­hah!¡¹ While flying, Rei took out a spear form the Misty Ring and threw it at a monster swimming in the sea . But¡­¡­ ¡¸Tch . ¡¹ As Rei had said himself, the power of the spear was greatly weakened by the water and it simply bounced off the large shell that the monster he targeted had on its back . ¡¸Not to mention the loss of power due to the impact with the sea water, the refraction of the sea water is also a pain . ¡¹ While muttering to himself bitterly, Set arrived back where the magic ship had gathered in less than five minutes . ¡¸Hey, please take that parent and child over there next!¡¹ As Rei came down, the adventurer who he had previously saved from the shark like monster waved his hand at Rei as he shouted . Rei nodded as Set flew down . As expected, after seeing Set fly down so many times to rescue the people who had been thrown into the sea, the middle-aged woman desperately grabbed Rei¡¯s outstretched hand while a 10 year old boy clung to her back . ¡¸Listen, if you keep moving about, you¡¯ll fall off . So stay still and don¡¯t move . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ While Set kept an eye on their surroundings, the adventurers nearby also watched for any monsters approaching Rei and Set . Making sure he had a firm grip on the woman¡¯s hand, Rei pulled as hard as he could while Set flew up at an angle . Putting them on Set¡¯s back, they started the trip back to the larger ship again . (Come to think of it, if I used Set to intimidate the monsters, at their level, it should be fine¡­¡­but they¡¯re too spread out . ) Rei glanced behind him . In this situation where magic ships and people in the sea were spread over a large area, if Set used King¡¯s Awe, it would definitely affect their allies . No, if you considered that most of the people that had been thrown into the sea were ordinary people, the damage to their own side might even be greater . King¡¯s Awe could only be pointed in a rough direction . In this case, if he directed it towards the sea, it wouldn¡¯t affect just monsters . ¡¸Thank you, thank you very much . ¡¹ The woman continued to thank Rei as she rode on Set¡¯s back . She had just experience a narrow escape from death, so it couldn¡¯t be helped . But in the end, Rei and Set were only able to help 1-2 people at a time . And even as they carried people to safety, the more unfortunate were dragged down into the sea while still alive before being eaten by the monsters in the sea . The adventurers on the magic ships desperately tried to keep the monsters in check, but even so, the difference in numbers was too large and they were basically using cups of water to put out a fire . It was because the woman knew of this that she continued to express her gratitude . (The rescue boats are finally getting close enough . But how much can they help?) Because the ships had gotten closer, Set¡¯s flights had also become shorter . However, compared to Set¡¯s speed flying through the sky, they were still as slow as turtles . (My original purpose was to leave a good impression on the people in Emoshion, but now I don¡¯t feel good about just watching innocent travellers become monster bait . Somehow¡­¡­) Rei desperately tried to think of a countermeasure, but he couldn¡¯t come up with anything . While working his mind, he once again closed the distance to the deck of the ship where he had previously dropped off the children . ¡¸Two more!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s voice, a sailor came over with a blanket . As the woman got off Set¡¯s back, she almost collapsed onto the deck . Rei called out the captain as he saw that . ¡¸Can you speed up the ship? If things continue like this, there¡¯s a limit to how many I can help . Quite a few of them will become sea monster food . ¡¹ ¡¸I know! But this is as fast as the ship can go . I¡¯m sorry but please keep doing what you can . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Alright . ¡¹ Rei already knew . The rescue ships had been moving at full speed ever since they left the port . However, Rei had no choice but to ask as he had no other solution to their current situation . It was probably the same for the captain . He may have replied bluntly to Rei, but his expression was distorted with regret . ¡¸Anyhow, please just help whoever you can . We¡¯re on our way¡­¡­please . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay . ¡¹ Nodding at the captain¡¯s words, Set flapped his wings as they flew back up into the sky . As they were flying back to the smaller ships where the people had been thrown into the sea again¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set suddenly gave a high pitched cry and rapidly tilted his body . Rei also responded quickly, wrapping his legs tightly around Set to stop himself from being thrown off . What just happened? As Set¡¯s body levelled back out, something went past where Set had been just a moment before . ¡¸A tentacle? ¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not right . Seawater!?¡¹ Sea water shaped straight like a bamboo pole had rapidly shot from the sea surface . It was clear that it wasn¡¯t a natural phenomenon . It was definitely caused by something on purpose . And that wasn¡¯t the end . ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave another high pitched cry and rapidly changed his position in the sky . Then, as with before, pillars of sea water pierced through the location Set had been just a moment earlier . ¡¸Tch, was that magic!?¡¹ As Rei looked into the sea to find the monster that had used that magic, he found that all the monster that had been there previously had disappeared . (All the monsters that were there are gone . I definitely couldn¡¯t have killed all of them, so they must have run¡­¡­run? Why? That could only mean that there¡¯s something strong that them¡­¡­here . ) ¡¸It¡¯s the one with the bounty! Set, avoid it for now!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Pillars of sea water shot out at him from the sea¡­¡­no, at this point, they should probably be called spears of sea water instead . Set gave a loud cry at Rei¡¯s voice . As Set dodged the spears, Rei looked into the sea but couldn¡¯t find the monster targeting them . ¡¸Tch, is it somewhere on the seabed?¡¹ Even if the sea was quite clear, it didn¡¯t mean Rei could see all the way to the sea bed . As there were no monsters as far as he could see, it could only be attacking from somewhere he couldn¡¯t see¡­¡­which meant it was likely attacking from the seabed . ¡¸It¡¯s too disadvantageous to us if it can attack one-sidedly from this distance!¡¹ As Rei said that, a sea water spear suddenly bent in mid air as the tip turned towards Set¡­¡­or rather it turned towards Rei . Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Rei swung the Death Scythe, which he had swapped a spear for, and slashed through the sea water spear . The moment the tip was cut, the sea water spear turned back into water as it fell back down . As expected, it wasn¡¯t possible for Rei to rescue people while being attacked by such an unseen enemy . He moved away from the place where the monster had sunk the ship as Set changed courses and spent about 5 minutes looking for the monster . But in the end, he couldn¡¯t find it and the sea water spears disappeared as well . Yes, it was almost as if it had gotten tired of playing with them . Frowning at the one-sided attack he had received, Rei returned to where the magic ships were located to resume rescuing people . Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Legend Chapter 317 ¡¸You¡¯re safe!¡¹ After avoiding the sudden continuous water spear attacks, Rei and Set arrived back where the magic ships had gathered to resume rescuing people . Hearing the call from the leader of the adventurers he had conversed with previously, Rei nodded in reply . ¡¸Can I assume that the monster that attacked me just now was the one with the bounty?¡¹ ¡¸Probably . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Probably?¡¹ Since they were here, the adventurers must also have though of collecting the bounty . However, as he rode on Set, Rei just looked confused at the man¡¯s vague response . However, the adventurer simply just looked around with a troubled sigh . The impatience in his expression had already gone . It had been quite problematic when the monster with the bounty had shown up, but fortunately, it had caused the rest of the sea monsters that had been targeting the civilians and sailors in the sea to disappear . Of course, they would appear again before long, but by then, most of the rescue ships would have arrived here . While they remained vigilant of the surroundings, the other adventurers in the neighbouring magic ships also showed relief on their faces . Some had started to pull women, children and the elderly into their ships while others thrown into the sea started to grab onto the boats even if they couldn¡¯t get on board . As he watched his fellow adventurers pull several children out of the sea and into a boat, the man continued talking with Rei . ¡¸Yes . So far, many ships have been sunk, but no one has ever seen the monster . Or maybe someone has, but they¡¯re holding onto that information for themselves . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I heard that a mage managed to fight it off when it was about to sink a ship¡­¡­was that a lie?¡¹ ¡¸No, that did happen . That said, they didn¡¯t directly attack the monster . They did the same as you, destroying the water spear and shooting magic into the sea . After that, the monster stopped attacking . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a problematic monster . ¡¹ The man nodded silently at Rei¡¯s words . A monster that didn¡¯t show itself but just attacked ships from a distance . Rei was able to avoid most of its attacks thanks to Set, but the attacks still had enough power to punch a hole through a ships hull, making it difficult for ordinary adventurers to deal with it . (¡­¡­It¡¯s like a sniper . ) A deadly blow from an invisible location . That was what Rei thought of in his mind . Rather, considering it could attack in quick succession, like the water spears that had been aimed at him just earlier, it was much more troublesome than a sniper . ¡¸However, that problematic monster also helped us in this case . Because it showed up, the other monsters disappeared . ¡¹ ¡¸The situation feels a bit like a self created performance because it was the one who cause this situation in the first place . ¡­¡­You¡¯re Rei, right? And the Griffon is Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right . ¡¹ The man nodded at Rei¡¯s acknowledgement . ¡¸I heard from some people who participated in the last war . I¡­¡­¡¹ Just as the man was about to continue speaking . ¡¸Heey! We¡¯re ready! Start the rescue!¡¹ The large ship that Rei and Set had been shuttling between several times previously had finally arrived at the scene and requested that rescue operations commence as soon as possible . ¡¸Well, they¡¯re here . We¡¯ll introduce ourselves later . Right now, let¡¯s rescue the people in the sea first . We¡¯ll start to help as well, so we¡¯d like you to assist if you don¡¯t mind . It¡¯s reassuring to have someone who can fly in this situation . ¡¹ Saying that, the adventurer quickly pulled up a man from the sea before moving his magic ship towards the larger ships which had rope ladders leading to the deck . The adventurers using the other magic ships also quickly moved to rescue people out of the sea and send them over ot the larger ships . Seeing that and confirming from the sky that there were no monsters around, Rei and Set focused on rescuing the people floating further out as they carried them back to the ship deck . That said, even though it was a short distance, it was still a struggle for Set to carry well built adult men . Still, as expected of sailors, the ones in the sea told Rei to prioritise rescuing the women, children and elderly over themselves . Nodding in response, Rei pulled more people out of the sea and brought them over to the ship decks . The whole rescue operation ended up taking about an hour . As expected, it took a while to rescue nearly 100 people, but in the end they finally succeeded in rescuing everyone . Still, it hadn¡¯t been possible to rescue everyone who had been thrown into the sea and quite a few civilians and sailors had fallen victim to monsters . Yet, there were still smiles on the faces of the rescued people . Of course, the extent of the damage was obvious and the person or organisation that owned the ship would have suffered a great loss . But in the end, many of the civilians and sailors had still survived and that was why they smiled . ¡¸Oh, young man! Thanks for taking care of all the trouble this time!¡¹ The captain of the ship, who had become quite acquainted with Rei with the number of times he had carried people over, gave a loud shout towards Rei . ¡¸No, if I could, I would have wanted to help everyone¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say something that unreasonable . It¡¯s good that you managed to help the people you were able to help . And, the damage didn¡¯t increase because you attracted its attention . Good work, good work . ¡¹ It¡¯s attention . It was quite clear to Rei who the captain was referring to . ¡¸Was the one creating the water spears the monster with the bounty?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It manipulates the sea water like you saw before and stays inside the sea even when sinking ships . It¡¯s not clear what kind of monster it looks like . It¡¯s an intelligent monster . ¡¹ As the captain spat out an annoyed sigh and directed a sharp glance towards the sea, a sailor came over to report that they were ready to return to port . Hearing that, the captain gave the order to return to port . Seeing that and judging that there shouldn¡¯t be any further problems, Rei was about to get back onto Set when the captain called out to him again . ¡¸Young man, young man, if you bring that Griffon into the port, you¡¯ll alarm the people there . They probably saw that the monster flying in the sky was helping with the rescue operations, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If you say that, I can understand why . ¡¹ Rei nodded at the captain¡¯s words . In fact, given that he had participated in the rescue operation, he shouldn¡¯t be considered too much of a threat . However, Rei still understood that there was a high chance of causing a disturbance if he just flew over on Set . However, he immediately recalled the letter he had received from Marina . ¡¸I have a letter of introduction from a guild master, so I don¡¯t think there should be that much trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, young man . You don¡¯t want to get into trouble walking around with a Griffon . Anyhow, it would be better for you to head back on my ship . I¡¯m sure Emoshion will be happy to welcome you . There are a lot of people who want to thank you and you didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­¡­what will you do?¡¹ ¡¸Even if you ask me what I¡¯ll do . ¡­¡­Well, if you say that much, I¡¯ll be in your care . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a happy cry to say that was fine . It would have been awkward if Set had scared ordinary people who only knew Griffons as a high ranking monster . If it were a bandit or someone hostile to Rei though, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem . ¡¸I see, it¡¯s good that you understand . Well, it will take less than an hour to get to the port, so enjoy the short trip . ¡¹ Nodding at the captains words, Set lay down on the large deck . With a smile on his face as he watched Set, Rei leaned against him as he watched the captain return to his job . While all this was happening, Rei noticed several children looking over at him¡­¡­or more accurately, looking at Set . At first, Rei thought that they were scared of the Griffon, but there was no fear in the eyes of the five children that were looking at Set . Instead they shone with curiosity . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set also noticed their eyes looking at him . Opening his eyes, which had been closed as he lay down, he turned his head towards the children . ¡¸Uwa-! It looked over here!¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have to be scared . They helped us . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Wasn¡¯t Tet the one who said he would go say thank you?¡¹ ¡¸Uuu, but I¡¯m a little scared¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Really? From what I can see, it looks cute . Look, what is it doing? Is it tilting it¡¯s head?¡¹ To the children, they might have been whispering among themselves, but unfortunately for them, Rei¡¯s ears were able to hear it all clearly . (As expected of kids¡­¡­no, weren¡¯t the kids in Gilm also the first ones to not be scared of Set?) As Rei thought of that and enjoyed the smooth feeling from stroking Set¡¯s back, the five children eventually approach him and Set before calling out . ¡¸Um¡­¡­excuse me . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ As Rei continued stroking Set and looked at them, the five children bowed in unison as if they had practised the timing . ¡ºThank you for helping us!¡» ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, right, don¡¯t worry about it . I didn¡¯t do it just to help you . ¡¹ Rei hadn¡¯t thought that their thanks would be so straight forward, so he replied in a slightly embarrassed manner . ¡¸But, it¡¯s true that you saved us, right?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, nii-chan . That aside, can I touch the Griffon?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you . You¡¯re already touching it . Don¡¯t do anything that will make it angry!¡¹ The children all acted on their own, some speaking to Rei while others reached for Set . Some tried to stop the others, but everyone was basically doing what they wanted . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ As Set, who quite liked children, gave a playful cry, the other adults nearby also started to pay attention to Set . Most of them had been rescued after losing all the luggage, so they had to worry about things like food and accommodation after returning to port . In that sense, it might have been a way for them to escape from reality . After about an hour like that, when the ship finally arrived back at the port, Rei could see the concern shown by the residents of Emoshion as they gathered in the area around the port . Of course, the people there were able to see Set as the ship approached and the noise soon spread . Likely noticing the events in the port as he directed his subordinates, the captain approached Rei again as he called out . ¡¸Ahh, young man . I¡¯m sorry, but do you mind staying on the ship a bit longer after we get to port? I¡¯ll talk to a few people I know to see if I can get you into the city . ¡¹ Even the captain knew about Griffons, so he proposed that in order to prevent the possibility of one running rampant in the streets . ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I definitely don¡¯t want to get dragged into anything troublesome, so I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ Because of that, Rei nodded at the captain before taking Marina¡¯s letter of introduction out from the Misty Ring and passing it to him . Rei had thought for a moment that revealing the Misty Ring to the public might cause some trouble, but in the first place, he had been seen using the Death Scythe and several spears during the rescue operation . Since it had been seen then, it was probably meaningless to hide it here . However, the only thing Rei hadn¡¯t considered at this time was that there were a lot more rescued people on the deck of the ship than he had rescued himself during the rescue operation . As for the crew, they were busy preparing to dock the ship . The rescued people didn¡¯t help the crew but silently looked towards the city of Emoshion instead¡­¡­or to be more precise, they looked towards the port . But, for the few people that had seen Rei take out the letter from nowhere, they probably didn¡¯t think it was an item box but a magic item like a pouch that used spatial magic to expand its internal capacity, which was well known for being very expensive . Many of those that had been rescued had also lost most of their property when the ship they were on had been sunk . What if those two factors were combined? The answer was that gazes muddied with greed started to be directed towards Rei . Despite feeling quite a few of those gazes, Rei didn¡¯t care as he looked at the captain who received his referral letter . In the first place, considering the existance of Set, it wasn¡¯t rare for people to look at him with greed . ¡¸This is?¡¹ ¡¸This is the letter of introduction I received from the guild master in Gilm . I think this should reduce the hassle somewhat . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, thank you . Then I¡¯ll give this letter to the person in charge right away, so please just wait on the deck a bit longer . ¡¹ Nodding at the captain¡¯s words, Rei waited for the ship to dock at the port . Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Legend Chapter 318 The port city of Emoshion was considered a gateway into the Mireana Kingdom . In a room within the city, the heads of the city¡¯s security forces were arguing loudly . ¡¸That¡¯s why! I¡¯m against letting a high ranking monster like a Griffon into this city!¡¹ As a man in his late twenties shouted that, a woman of a similar age sitting opposite him slapped the table with her palm as she shouted back . ¡¸Then, what are you saying we should do!? That thing¡­¡­the one we¡¯re calling Lemrace, are you saying we should just let it do as it pleases!¡¹ The man who had been shouting at the woman earlier shut up at those words while the rest of the people in the meeting room went quiet . Lemrace . That was the name of the calamity currently striking Emoshion, the largest port city in the Mireana Kingdom . Lurking off the coast, it sank ships passing by on it¡¯s own whims . It was completely unknown what it was trying to do and since it never appeared when sinking ships, they didn¡¯t even know what it looked like . There were reports from some people who had succeeded in fighting it off that they had seen something like a tentacle, but city administrators and adventurers guild believed that they might actually have seen the water spears under the surface . Finally, the the last card that the city administrators could play was to put out the huge bounty of two light gold coins for someone to kill the Lemrace, a provisional name given to the unknown monster causing this trouble . It was a painful expense for the city of Emoshion to have to pay, but it was still an acceptable amount compared to the damage they would suffer if the monster continued to sink ships . The main problem with the damage being caused was that it was irregular . At one point, ships were able to freely access the port for several days before a ship trying to enter the port was sunk the day after . Because of that, ship owners started to hold onto their goods and stay in port despite running into deficit¡­¡­only ships running very low on food or water would attempt to enter the port¡­¡­resulting in the Lemrace continuing to sink ships . In this situation, an adventurer from Gilm, called the true home of the adventurers guild, was sent to subjugate the Lemrace, a problematic nuisance . Not only was he an adventurer strong enough to receive a letter of introduction from a guild master, furthermore, he was someone who had distinguished himself in the war with the Bestir Empire not long ago . Despite only being C rank, he had also been given the title of Crimson . It was a fact that many people would have wanted to welcome him with open arms . The only problem was that he had an A rank monster with him, a Griffon . That was only one of the reasons why the meeting to discuss whether they should accept Rei and the Griffon or isolate the Griffon somehow was so complicated . The decision on whether or not to accept Rei clearly showed the dilemma that Emoshion was currently in . ¡¸The Griffon obeys the adventurers called Rei, it won¡¯t do anything to the general public . No, on the contrary, it¡¯s well liked by the ordinary people¡­¡­especially the children who were rescued . Considering that, aren¡¯t you being too worried . ¡¹ A man in the group that supported letting Rei in said that . However, the group that warned of the dangers associated with letting a Griffon into the city spoke out against that opinion . ¡¸That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to tell you . The city of Emoshion is the largest port city in the Mireana Kingdom . In other words, we have many residents . I don¡¯t want to say this about the city I live in, but there are many people who might try to do something bad . In the event that someone is stupid enough to mess with a Griffon, that might cause the Griffon to rampage in the city, right? If that happened, the damage might be even greater than the rampant Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸As for that, I¡¯ve already consulted many tamer adventurers . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? From what I¡¯ve heard, he was a crude adventurer, right? What do you think would happen if a titled adventurer went wild in the city? I¡¯ve heard that the adventurer called Rei was just a kid but was very good at using wide range destruction magic . There are rumours that in the last war, the vanguard of the Bestir Empire was burnt up by a fire tornado that he created . ¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­but if it¡¯s not an adventurer with that much strength, how is he supposed to kill the Lemrace?¡¹ In any case, the two sides argued over whether Set should be accepted into the city . At this point, a person who had been listening to the two groups argue suddenly spoke out . ¡¸In the first place, isn¡¯t Rei a mage who specialises in fire magic?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that was what was in the information I received . ¡¹ The woman who led the group that insisted that Set should be accepted nodded as she replied . ¡¸¡­¡­Then isn¡¯t it a bad match for him this time? We haven¡¯t been able to confirm it, but doesn¡¯t the Lemrace stay at the bottom of the sea? With that in mind, he¡¯s an adventurer who specialises in fire magic . ¡¹ After hearing that, the meeting room went quiet . Actually, many of them had thought the same thing . If the monster was like the Kraken that attacked a while ago, it would have been possible to attack it with fire magic . No, in fact, since the Kraken usually stayed underwater, fire magic might even have been the most effective method of attack . However, it was different in the case of the Lemrace . Although they believed it was confined to the sea, no one had ever seen it . In other words, fire magic would have to be cast into the sea, which was enough to question Rei¡¯s usefulness . ¡¸I¡¯ve heard that he specialises in fire magic, but I¡¯ve also heard he can use wind magic . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to say . I mean, will he really use wind magic against the sea monster? Certainly, it would be more effective than fire magic, but isn¡¯t fire magic what he¡¯s best at?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­no, he could boil all the water in the port, no, definitely not . ¡¹ She might have realised that she was talking nonsense . The voice of the woman defending Rei gradually grew quiet . ¡¸Of course, the Lemrace is definitely a formidable enemy for Emoshion . But, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s reasonable to boil all the water in the sea just because of that . Even if it were possible, we wouldn¡¯t want to do that . If that happened, all the fishermen who have to go out to sea or those who go fishing in the area will have their source of income cut off . We would also have to guarantee the ships berthed in the port and that will all cost a lot of money . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­but captain . Then what do we do? As a famous adventurer, there¡¯s no doubt that he has real skill . And he¡¯s also an adventurer who has a referral from the guild master of Gilm . Are we just going to tell him to go back because his Griffon might cause issues?¡¹ A letter from the guild master of Gilm . When those words were said, the decision was set . Marina Ariansa was a Dark Elf with much influence . ¡¸Tch, that¡¯s true . If you bring that up, there¡¯s not much I can do . ¡­¡­It can¡¯t be helped, give him access to the city . ¡¹ ¡ºCaptain!¡» As the decision of the man called the captain echoed through the room, many voices sounded out . However, those voices were split into those filled with disappointment and those filled with joy . ¡¸But!¡¹ The captain continued in a sharp voice to draw the attention of the people who were in dismay or exultation . ¡¸No matter what you say, even if he has a referral letter from Gilm¡¯s guild master, we don¡¯t need to make a big fuss of it . Treat him like any other adventurer who has come for the bounty . The same for the Griffon . Same as all the other adventurers with tamed monsters . Let Rei know before he enters the city that if anything happens it¡¯s his responsibility . Of course, don¡¯t forget the Necklace of Subservient Monster . ¡¹ At those words, some left the room in delight and others in disatisfaction as they went to carry out their tasks . Seeing his subordinate off, the captain gave a deep sigh . ¡¸Seriously, I don¡¯t mind that the higher ups don¡¯t trust in the abilities of this city¡¯s adventurers, but thanks to that, we haven¡¯t had any time to rest from all the trouble caused by the adventurers who¡¯ve come for the bounty . It¡¯s fine to put a bounty on the monster, but can¡¯t they at least give us more manpower?¡¹ The number of adventurers who came from surrounding cities multiplied greatly after the bounty had been put out . In addition to that, a large proportion of adventurers were rough people . With so many gathered, it was only natural that disturbances would happen . Because of that, the guards in Emoshion had been busy from day till night for quite a while . The man, the captain of the guards, hadn¡¯t seen his four year old daughter in the past few weeks . Every day, she would already be asleep by the time he came back from work and he would be gone in the morning before she would wake up . ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­I¡¯m going to be late tonight again . ¡¹ With the Lemrace appearing and sinking another ship today, there was no doubt that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see his daughter again today . His head fell onto the table with a deep sigh . ¡¸We¡¯ve kept you waiting, Rei-san . ¡¹ On the deck of the rescue ship that had returned to harbour, Rei and Set met with two people . One was a woman with a friendly smile while the other was a man who seemed like he was glaring at Rei . Both of them were in their twenties . ¡¸I¡¯ve certainly been waiting a while . ¡¹ It had been about three hours since the rescue boat had returned to port and the sun was already starting to set . Of course, the rescuers had long left the ship, only Rei and Set were still on the deck . Of course, the ship¡¯s captain was still on board as he had to stay around as long as Rei was still on the ship . The sailors had also finished their work at the port and most had gone out to bars or brothels . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . There were various things that had to be discussed . ¡­¡­So, as you might have guessed, it¡¯s not simple to just let a Griffon into the city . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Knowing they were talking about him, Set turned his round eyes towards the woman as he gave a cry . ¡¸-!?¡¹ The man behind the woman suddenly took a few steps back and held his breath at Set¡¯s sudden action . And, likely seeing that his movements had been noticed, he spoke out with a red face . ¡¸L-Listen up! I¡¯ll allow you to enter the city, but if you cause any trouble, it will be all your responsibility! Don¡¯t forget about that and don¡¯t cause us any trouble!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what are you saying all of a sudden . ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but the situation is more or less as he said . The Griffon¡­¡­Set . It has permission to enter the city . ¡¹ Saying that, she handed over a Necklace of Subservient Monster in her hands to Rei . ¡¸We received the referral letter from the guild master of Gilm and there¡¯s no problem with that either . However, the treatment of tamed monsters is still the same as any other adventurer . I¡¯m sorry about that, but please understand that even with the letter of introduction, that won¡¯t change . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine . I didn¡¯t expect special treatment to begin with, so that¡¯s okay . Set won¡¯t do anything to bother people . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ It¡¯s as Rei said of course, Set seemed to say as he gave a cry . Seeing Rei stroke Set¡¯s head, the woman gave a sigh of relief while the man continued to look at them suspiciously . ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll complete the procedures here, can you pass me your guild card? The letter of introduction did talk about you, Rei-san, but even so, rules are rules . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ Hearing that, Rei took his guild card out of the Misty Ring from under his robes . The two guards received it and continued with the city entry procedures following the rules . The impression Rei got from the two of them was that the woman held a favourable attitude towards him while the man looked highly suspicious of him . However, it wasn¡¯t like the man hated Rei himself . Rather, he was just expecting a well known adventurer like Rei to end up causing trouble within the city while the woman viewed Rei as more of a force against the Lemrace, a yet unknown monster . In any case, there was no doubt that both of them were thinking about the best for Emoshion, which was why they were still able to work with each other without any awkwardness despite their opposing attitudes . Within 5 minutes the procedures had been completed and the woman returned the guild card to Rei . ¡¸The procedures have been completed . Welcome to Emoshion, the largest port city in the Mireana Kingdom . We welcome you Rei-san . I hope you enjoy your stay in this city . ¡¹ Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Legend Chapter 319 As the sun started to set, Rei and Set walked along Emoshion¡¯s main streets . The two of them had come for the bounty placed on the unknown monster called a Lemrace . However, their target destination was not the adventurers guild . Normally, they would have gone to the adventurers guild to find out information on the Lemrace . However, it was already evening and many adventurers, having completed their requests for the day, would return to the guild . Because of that, Rei decided that it would be better to head to the guild to ask for information and a slightly more leisurely time tomorrow so as to not trouble the guild staff . In addition, the guards that had processed his entry into the city had told him to avoid places with large numbers of adventurers in order to avoid getting dragged into any trouble . The guards had advised Rei with some desperation as they would really be in trouble if they had to deal with a famous adventurer and Griffon running rampant in the city . Of course, that wasn¡¯t all the guards did . ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it looks like there are quite a few people who aren¡¯t afraid of Set . ¡¹ Seeing Set tilt his head in puzzlement, Rei responded with the same action . This was one of the things the guards had done . They had spread the information that the Griffon, Set, had contributed greatly to saving the civilians and sailors on the sinking ship . They had also spread the information that the famous adventurer and high ranked monster would become an important force against the Lemrace . However, the news wasn¡¯t spread purely by the guards but also by the people and sailors that had actually been rescued . The news was also spread by the adventurers who had been on the scene as well as the sailors on the many ships that had gone out to rescue people . ¡¸Well, there¡¯s nothing better than there being more friendly people . I don¡¯t want to cause a disturbance here either way . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Of course, not everyone was friendly to Rei and Set . Some just associated Set as a monster like the Lemrace while other tried to run away as soon as they saw Set . However, there were many more looks of gratitude for assisting with the rescue operation . Most of all, there was hope that a high ranking monster like a Griffon would be able to deal with the Lemrace that was causing damage to the city of Emoshion . ¡¸I would like to be able to meet their expectations¡­¡­but, I didn¡¯t think that it would really stay completely underwater all the time . Now then, what should we do?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry and rubbed his head against Rei to cheer him up . The two of them continued down the street as Rei scratched Set¡¯s head . (I was thinking of using ¡ºDancing Fire Snakes¡» as one of my trump cards, but if it never leaves the water, it¡¯s not of much use . Maybe it¡¯s tentacles¡­¡­) Rei thought to himself for a moment but soon remembered the time he tried to use ¡ºDancing Fire Snake¡» on the Queen Ant . (It¡¯s no use, it would likely cut off its own tentacles before the fire snakes reached its main body, similar to that time fighting the Queen Ant . In the first place, I don¡¯t even know if it has tentacles . ) He had to think of new ways to attack the monster . As Rei thought about that while he walked through the city, a fragrant smell suddenly drifted over towards him . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set must have smelled the same thing . Looking around, they searched for the source of the fragrance . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Hm?¡¹ Looking where Set¡¯s gaze had stopped at, Rei saw a street stall . It was a street stall selling grilled seafood such as fish skewers . Various kinds of fish were prepared and grilled on skewers . Even though they were only seasoned with salt, the sight of them being grilled on a fire and the smell of the fat burning whet their appetites . The city of Gilm was located on a plain with no sea nearby, only mountains and forests . The only fish that could be caught were river fish . It was also true that one of the reasons Rei and Set had come to Emoshion to enjoy the seafood . ¡¸You want to eat some?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ As Rei said, let¡¯s eat! Set seemed to say as he nodded . The two of them immediately went over to the stall . The closer they got, the more fragrant the smell of grilled fish became and the more appetite they felt . In fact, there were already nearly ten people around the stall, happily eating seafood that had been grilled on skewers or on metal nets, perhaps for dinner . ¡¸Woah!¡¹ In the midst of all this, a man eating a skewer with a fluorescent green fish about 30cm in length raised an astonished voice when he saw Rei and Set¡­¡­or rather, when he saw Set . The other guests who heard his voice also turned to look at Rei and Set . However, most of them just watched on in interest without trying to run away . Of course, not everyone stayed where they were . Some did run away in a hurry . However, they didn¡¯t cause a commotion as it was more on reflex . It could be said that there was a vast difference between how the people acted here compared with the cities Rei had stopped along his way to Emoshion . The old man in his 50¡¯s who ran the street stall noticed the Griffon approaching . However, without changing his expression, he focused on grilling his food . As Rei and Set came over¡­¡­ ¡¸Boss, two fish skewers please¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Here, eat . ¡¹ Without letting Rei finish, he immediately served him some grilled skewers . The skewered fish had yellow and blue spots that would normally make a person hesitate to eat, but all the guests in the surroundings just started discussing in surprise . ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s a pretty high quality fish¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s delicious, but it¡¯s usually a rare catch and quite expensive . ¡¹ ¡¸Moreover, because of the Lemrace, the number of people going fishing has also dropped¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸As expected of the old man . He¡¯s a man of great character . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I wanted to try it once as well . But, two silver coins is a bit much for a snack . ¡¹ Hearing the voices of the people around him, Rei realised that the fish on his skewer was worth 2 silver coins . He looked at the old man who owned the store in surprise . ¡¸I didn¡¯t ask for such expensive fish . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s my treat . You¡¯re hungry aren¡¯t you? Eat it . It¡¯s because of you kid that a lot of people were saved from the Lemrace . It¡¯s my thanks as a man who lives in Emoshion . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, thank you . Thank you very much . ¡¹ Giving a brief thank you, Rei bit into the fish skewers he had been given . The skin was so crisp that he couldn¡¯t imagine it was fish . It started to melt as soon as it entered his mouth . The meat was full of fat, but there was no bad aftertaste . Rei took one bite, followed by a second, a third and a fourth in quick succession . Next to Rei, Set was also in a good mood . However, the size of the fish was a lot smaller compared to Set, so he had eaten it in one bite, making it seem kind of lacking . As Rei silently ate the skewers, he gave a sigh in satisfaction before calling out to the old man at the stall . ¡¸It¡¯s delicious . ¡¹ ¡¸Was it? Then that¡¯s good . ¡¹ Smiling at the old man¡¯s fatherly like attitude, Rei suddenly asked as it suddenly came to his mind . ¡¸Could you tell me if there¡¯s a good accommodation in this city that can accept a Griffon?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Let me think . Go straight down the street, turn right at the fifth corner then walk for about 10 minutes . You will find the Blue Sea Coral Inn . It¡¯s a bit expensive, but it will accept your Griffon . I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s pretty crowded right now¡­¡­but, if you say it¡¯s an introduction from Arctos, it should be fine . ¡¹ ¡¸The Blue Sea Coral Inn, I got it . That will save me a lot of trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it . You¡¯re welcome . ¡¹ Giving a brief acknowledgement of the old man¡¯s words¡­¡­no, smiling at Arctos¡¯ words, Rei and Set were about to head towards the inn they had been directed to¡­¡­when he turned around on the spot and called out to Arctos again . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but could you prepare 5 silver coins worth of skewers and shellfish?¡¹ In the end, Rei was defeated by the taste of seafood that he hadn¡¯t had in a long time as well as Set¡¯s eyes . ¡¸The Blue Sea Coral Inn . It certainly matches its name . ¡¹ Following Arctos¡¯ directions, Rei found an impressive building that had blue walls reminiscent of the sea with coral embedded into it . In terms of its size, it was slightly larger than the Dusk Wheat but was still only considered a medium sized inn in Emoshion, which was home to up to several times more visitors and residents compared to Gilm¡¯s population . ¡¸It seems to be quite busy as I was told¡­¡­well, it can¡¯t be helped given the current situation . ¡¹ Thinking of that, Rei finished chewing and swallowing his fish before storing the skewer back into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry after seeing the beautiful building for the first time . The Blue Sea Coral Inn . Although it was originally a relatively well hidden inn that was only known by a few people, the current city of Emoshion was filled with adventurers aiming for the Lemrace¡¯s bounty . Naturally, many inns were short on accommodation and many adventurers crowded into the Blue Sea Coral Inn, which was originally more well known as a more hidden inn . ¡¸¡­¡­Can I even stay in this inn?¡¹ Even from the outside, you could hear lively voices from inside the building, so Rei couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself . That said, he still decided he should go in to take a look as he let Set wait outside . After entering, the first thing he saw was a large number of adventurers eating and drinking in the dining area near the back of the first floor . Like an ordinary inn, the first floor served as a dining area and bar . The second and subsequent floors served as accommodation . After making up his mind, Rei called out to a girl in her mid teens who was at the inn counter . ¡¸Excuse me, I¡¯d like to rent a place to stay . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ah¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s a little hard right now . As you can see, all our rooms are filled . ¡¹ Rei understood right away as the girl told him apologetically . As far as he could see from the inn¡¯s entrance, the dining room was completely packed . However, he still decided to mention Arctos¡¯ name just in case . ¡¸I was introduced here by an old man called Arctos who runs a street stall¡­¡­is that still no good?¡¹ ¡¸An introduction from Arctos-san!? U-Umm¡­¡­wait a minute . I¡¯ll ask my father right away . ¡¹ After Rei said that, the girl immediately ran off towards the dining area, leaving him behind . ¡¸So, what do I do?¡¹ As expected, Rei was a bit surprised by the sudden developments, but fortunately the girl returned in less than a minute . However, the difference was that this time was that there was a woman in her 30¡¯s behind her who seemed to be her mother . (No, didn¡¯t she say she was going to ask her father?) Just as he was thinking about that, the girl¡¯s mother, who appeared to be the proprietress here, called out to him . ¡¸I heard you were introduced by Arctos-san . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . After I bought some skewers from him, I asked about where I could find a place to stay and he introduced this place to me . ¡¹ ¡¸Pardon me, but I don¡¯t think that Arctos-san would introduce someone to us just because they bought skewers from him . ¡¹ ¡¸I was told it was thanks for helping out the civilians and sailors who were on the ship that was sunk by the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah! The customers from the city were talking about that!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, they probably understood why he had been given an introduction . Their somewhat doubtful expressions turned into smiles . ¡¸Were you the one with the Griffon that they were talking about?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . So, can I stay here?¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re asking whether you can stay or not, you can stay¡­¡­¡¹ The girl¡¯s mother seemed hesitant to speak . Seeing her mother like that, the girl spoke up herself . ¡¸Right now, all our usual rooms have been filled . ¡¹ ¡¸I thought that was the case . ¡¹ Rei looked towards the dining area again . He could see many adventurers having their meals . ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll look for another inn¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No!¡¹ As Rei was about to say he would start looking for another inn, the girl immediately cut him off . ¡¸I can prepare a different room from the usual ones, is that fine with you?¡¹ ¡¸A different room from the usual ones?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s a room in a corner which is about half the size of the other rooms¡­¡­¡¹ After thinking about it for a few seconds, Rei nodded his head . ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t care about the size of the room as long as I have a place to sleep and eat . Would I be able to take that room?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . Hey, mother . That¡¯s okay, right?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes . It¡¯s an introduction from Arctos-san and it¡¯s fine to use that room . He¡¯s also a benefactor of the city, so he¡¯s very welcome . ¡¹ ¡¸So, how much will it cost? Oh, I¡¯d like you to include food for the Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸It will be one silver coin per day, including breakfast and dinner . ¡¹ Rei expressed his surprise at the cheap fee . Even at the Dusk Wheat Inn in Gilm, it was 3 silver coins a night, excluding the cost of Set¡¯s food . Considering the number of people currently in the city as well as the usual prices, it could only be considered extremely cheap . ¡¸You have an introduction from Arctos-san and a benefactor of our city, we can¡¯t take any more from you . Even though we can provide a room, it¡¯s also half the size of our usual ones¡­¡­¡¹ Pressed by those words, Rei decided to stay in the Blue Sea Coral Inn during the rest of his stay in Emoshion . Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Legend Chapter 320 ¡¸Phew¡­¡­I managed to find a place to stay the night . ¡¹ Rei took off his Dragon Robe and Shoes of Sleipnir as he lay down on the bed in his room in the Blue Sea Coral Inn . The dinner he had in the dining area had been satisfactory and while the stables weren¡¯t as large as the Dusk Wheat¡¯s, it was enough . His only complaint was that his room was only 3 tatami (5m^2) in size due to it¡¯s location in a corner of the inn and most of it was taken up by the bed . Still the inn had given him a room under their current circumstances and price with breakfast and dinner included was only one silver a night . Considering the treatment that other adventurers currently received in Emoshion right now, his treatment could only be considered exceptional . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s how it is . First thing to do now is to figure out what to do starting from tomorrow . ¡¹ Since he had come here to subjugate the monster called the Lemrace and collect its bounty, Rei decided that he should focus on that . However, the all important target was hidden under the sea and even if it sunk ships, it would use magic to do that . Even if Rei could kill it, he needed to be able to see it first to do anything against it . ¡¸I can¡¯t just boil all the sea water¡­¡­I don¡¯t think think that would be good either . ¡¹ Considering Rei¡¯s magic power, if you asked him whether or not it was possible, it was probably possible . However, since this was a port city that lived with the sea, it was the worst thing he could do . In the worst case scenario, he might be able to kill the monster with the bounty, but he would end up with a bounty on himself instead . Of course, even if he did end up with a bounty on himself, Rei was confident in being able to fight off any bounty hunters . However, in that situation, he wouldn¡¯t be able to go back to Gilm, his home city . That would be bad in various ways . ¡¸In that case, I guess all I can do tomorrow is to fly out on Set and try to bait out the Lemrace?¡¹ Muttering, he gave a small sigh . That was because he recalled the water spears that had been created with magic . For Rei, who was good at fire magic, an opponent that used water magic was a bad match up . Even so, as long as the monster showed itself, there would be a way to do something about it . Rei couldn¡¯t help but feel depressed . ¡¸That said, I don¡¯t really have a choice . I¡¯ve come all the way out here and this monster has been causing a lot of trouble . I also want to get the monster¡¯s magic stone and materials . ¡­¡­Now that I think about it, maybe it would have been better to bring Miroir and Egret along?¡¹ Rei thought about that for a moment, but there was no doubt that if he had brought them along, they would still have been wandering around the city looking for accommodation . There was no way three people would have been able to sleep in the room Rei was staying in . And above all, Rei expected that Miroir would probably hate to stay in the same room with two other men . ¡¸First things first¡­¡­I don¡¯t have a choice but to fly out to sea to see if I can bait out the Lemrace . If we can see the monster, we can think of some way to deal with it . ¡¹ He was tired from travelling and rescuing The next day, Rei woke up at the 6am bell and went to the dining area to eat a breakfast consisting of seafood, soup, bread, grilled fish and seafood salad, just the kind of food you would expect from a port city . While eating, he looked around at the other adventurers in the room . ¡¸What do you plan to do today?¡¹ ¡¸What do I plan to do? Even though I came all this way to the Mireana Kingdom to collect the bounty, I haven¡¯t even been able to see the monster with the bounty . I¡¯ll go to the guild and pick up some doable requests . This is a port city and the cost of living is expensive . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s not great . In that case, can I join you?¡¹ ¡¸Yoo? Well, based on the last request you did, our strength is about same, so I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I don¡¯t want to give up my original goal, so let¡¯s pick up a request that¡¯s near the sea . If we¡¯re lucky, we might be able to kill some monsters around the area and collect their magic stones and materials . ¡¹ ¡¸No, when you say you¡¯re not giving up your goal, you¡¯re not aiming for the Lemrace are you?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not sure¡­¡­it¡¯s true that the bounty is attractive, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll actually manage to get it . Moreover, since a large number of adventurers have gathered here, the number of available requests has also gone down . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . Also, the original adventurers of Emoshion don¡¯t look on us nicely . ¡¹ ¡¸That can¡¯t be helped though . After all, the had to put out a bounty because they couldn¡¯t deal with the monster themselves . We are outsiders who came here for the bounty, of course they wouldn¡¯t look at us in a friendly way . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I think I might give up the bounty and head for a different city . Even if I could get rich here, right now I¡¯m just wasting time and money . ¡¹ ¡¸If you want to do that, then go ahead . The less competition for the rest of us, the better . ¡¹ While listening in to all the voices around him, he nodded in understanding as he tasted the seafood soup . (It would be good to collect the Lemrace¡¯s bounty, but it¡¯s also a fact that there¡¯s nothing that can be done if the Lemrace doesn¡¯t show itself . In that case, I should consider myself lucky that I can fly and attract its attention somewhat safely . ) Simply seasoning the grilled fish with salt, Rei squeezed some citrus fruit juice on top of it before placing it on a piece of bread along with some seafood salad and bringing it to his mouth . As expected of a hidden away inn, the breakfast they served was as good as what Rei had at the Dusk Wheat in Gilm . In particular, the food had texture and a deep flavour like the steamed shrimp in the seafood salad, which seemed to make his his teeth bounce off it . (If there¡¯s any fried shrimp, I would like to try that . There are eggs, bread crumbs and shrimp, so oil is the only thing missing? Since this is a port city, there should be at least olive oil or sesame oil¡­¡­in that case, the only thing left is sauce, tartar sauce . Are there pickles in this world?) Thinking up to that point, Rei came back to reality . He hadn¡¯t come to this city to eat shrimp but to hunt a Lemrace . The shrimp in his seafood salad had been so delicious that he had distracted himself . Rei shook his head to clear up his mind . ¡¸Hey, whats with that kid? He¡¯s shaking his head . ¡¹ ¡¸Who knows . But what is a kid doing here anyway? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s come here for the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸Kuh, that¡¯s a good joke . If the Lemrace could be beaten by such a brat, I would have gotten the bounty already . ¡¹ Rei sighed as he heard the adventurers talking about him from the table next to his . Even though it was just the consequences of his own actions, he couldn¡¯t feel happy about it . Recently, his title of Crimson had become more well known, but it was really just another nickname magic warrior and Griffon pair . Without Set at his side, Rei was just seen as an apprentice mage, the same as before . (Well, it can¡¯t be helped . First of all, I head to the guild and collect all the information I can about the Lemrace . However, it would be best if I went over after the morning rush . ) Muttering to himself, Rei finished the rest of his food and completed his breakfast with a mixed fruit juice . After that, he went out into the city with Set to buy a large amount of raw and unique seafood to this port and stored them into the Misty Ring as they killed some time . For Rei and Set, they took this time to relax, as in a sense, that was why they had come to Emoshion . Eventually, they noticed that the busiest time in the adventurers guild had passed and they started to head there with some regret . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Even on the way, Rei thought back to Japan as he saw the white curtains that were made from squid hung on laundry lines to dry . Set gave cries as he greedily looked at the various seafood dishes . Eventually, they arrived at the guild . ¡¸Well then, Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Without needing to be told, Set silently lay down at the guild¡¯s area for tamed monsters . There was a carriage there that was probably being used by some people who were inside the guild and the horse pulling it went stiff when it saw Set . There were also people who had only arrived in Emoshion this morning and were scared of Set as they hadn¡¯t heard about the incident from yesterday . However, those reactions had already become normal to Rei and he entered the guild without care . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t joke with me!¡¹ As soon as he opened the door, he heard a shout from inside . Hearing the voice of a woman, Rei thought it might just have been another drunken dispute . However, the voice that Rei heard from near the guild¡¯s counter was from a brown skinned woman wearing a swimsuit, that looked close to a bikini, who was yelling at some adventurers . (Brown skin? A Dark Elf?¡­¡­no, a tan? But why is she wearing a swimsuit in the city?) The sensory overloading figure of Gilm¡¯s Dark Elf guild master passed through his mind for a moment, but the woman at the end of his line of sight had a darker skin colour purely due to exposure to the sun . Of course, unlike Marina, there was no sense of excess sensuality from the woman in the swimsuit . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but we took up a request for it, so it couldn¡¯t be helped . ¡¹ One of three male adventurers bowed his head towards her as he apologised . The other two adventurers seemed to disagree with his actions, but didn¡¯t say anything against it . (A request? Did some trouble happen?) Rei felt some interest for a moment, but his purpose in coming here was to ask about information on the Lemrace . Because of that, he moved to a counter a little further away from the place where the woman and adventurers were arguing before calling out to a receptionist . ¡¸Excuse me, I¡¯d like to hear information about the Lemrace . ¡¹ As long as there was a bounty on it, the guild would always hand out a minimal level of information regarding the target . Before departing from Gilm, he had asked Lenora and Kenny about it as well, but the information then was already old news . However, the receptionist couldn¡¯t just give the information to Rei after seeing his appearance . The fact that low ranking adventurers dared to fight the Lemrace and die in vain wasn¡¯t a good thing for the guild, even if they were adventurers from other branches . ¡¸Can I see your guild card? Information on the Lemrace is restricted to adventurers D rank and above . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is this fine?¡¹ ¡¸-!? ¡­¡­Pardon me, C rank adventurer Rei-sama . I¡¯ve seen your guild card . Here is the information . ¡¹ Whether she was surprised after seeing Rei¡¯s guild card, or she had known about the referral letter from Marina, Gilm¡¯s guild master, or that she knew about Rei¡¯s title as Crimson, the receptionist expressed her surprise for several seconds before immediately recollecting herself and handing Rei a single sheet of paper . Perhaps she had handed out the same information many times already, there was something practised about her motions . ¡­¡­In fact, some adventurers who had heard Rei¡¯s request for information on the Lemrace had been planning to persuade him against it based on his appearance . But when they found out that he was a C rank adventurer from the receptionist¡¯s words, they stopped themselves as they unintentionally gave a sigh of relief . The sheet of paper contained all the information they had acquired about the Lemrace after all this time . But from the fact that there was only a single sheet of paper, there was almost no actual information known . (No one has even seen what it looks like . Even with regards to the name it was given, Lemrace, it was only given because because they don¡¯t know anything else about the monster . The only known method of attack it has is water magic . It can use water magic from a long distance away and without revealing itself . With just this much information, a single sheet of paper is definitely more than enough . Even in the cases where it was fought off, it was more like it just decided to leave . ) Quickly looking over the page, Rei didn¡¯t find any particularly new information, so he decided to resort to the idea of flying over the sea with Set to lure the Lemrace out and take it down and went to leave the guild . ¡¸Wait a minute! If you¡¯re an adventurer, why don¡¯t you say something to them!?¡¹ As he was about to leave, the woman in the swimsuit arguing with some adventurers at a counter a bit further away called out to Rei . Seeing that he was being dragged into the argument, Rei gave a sigh . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m busy . I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re arguing about, but I don¡¯t want you to drag me into it . ¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t want to get dragged in¡­¡­then you¡¯re an outsider adventurer like these guys as well!? Then, you¡¯re not on my side!¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t want to just get lumped together with all the other outsiders¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the same for people in this city!¡¹ Sighing again after dragged back into the dispute for a second time, Rei turned to face the woman¡­¡­to be exact, Rei turned to look at the three adventurers who had been one-sidely blamed for something . ¡¸I can hear you out, but at least we could go to the bar? You were the ones who dragged me into this, so the least you could do would be to treat me, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, I¡¯m sorry . ¡¹ The good natured adventurer out of the three bowed apologetically at Rei as the five of them went over to the bar . Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Legend Chapter 321 ¡¸¡­¡­So, what was the cause of the argument . ¡¹ At the guild bar, as the three adventurers were treating him, Rei asked about the menus before ordered a 50cm long shrimp cooked with vegetables and sauteed in butter as he asked what the problem was . The three adventurers, two male and one female, looked at Rei somewhat grudgingly . The woman in a swimsuit, who was the main culprit for dragging Rei into this mess, was in a bit of a daze as she looked at Rei and not the adventurers . There was no helping it . That was because the sauteed shrimp that Rei was currently eating was one of the most expensive dishes on the menu in this bar . Normally, it was common to crack open the shell with a hammer or something similar . However, Rei was tearing the shell off with his bare hands as the woman started to speak after Rei¡¯s prompt . ¡¸I¡¯m Rocha . I¡¯m a fisherman here in Emoshion . That said, I only fish in the port and don¡¯t go out to sea on my boat . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . So, why is a fisherman like you arguing with adventurers?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ One of the male adventurers tried to speak up but was immediately interrupted by Rocha . ¡¸These guys were doing a subjugation request and attacked me while I was diving in the water! If it was just that I would have forgiven them, but they destroyed my net that had all the fish and shellfish that I had caught¡­¡­thanks to that I made a big loss!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why we apologised! We didn¡¯t attack you just because we felt like it!¡¹ ¡¸If you hadn¡¯t apologised, I would have called the knights or the guards . Anyway, what I¡¯m saying is that I will forgive you only if you pay for the fishing equipment you destroyed and the amount I would have earned from my harvest today . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be ridiculous! 7 silver coins is outrageous!¡¹ This exchange made Rei understand where the problem was . However, what surprised Rei more was the fact that this woman went diving in the sea despite the monsters that could be found there . Elgin had many monsters . As Rei had seen off the coast yesterday, the sea was no exception . Yet, the woman in front of him, without any armour, would go diving into the sea by herself as if it were natural . To Rei, he felt she was nothing but reckless . ¡¸So, Rocha, was it? I understand your points . What do you guys have to say?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­We don¡¯t have anything to say . It¡¯s entirely our fault . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment! Sure, I¡¯ll admit we are at fault, but asking for 7 silver coins is being too greedy! Even now, we¡¯re running out of savings you know!?¡¹ At the accusing words from one of the adventurers, the woman in a swimsuit looked like she didn¡¯t care¡­¡­no, rather she gave a snort as she replied . ¡¸I was diving, which already is risky work . I was then almost killed while diving . And, it was by adventurers who had come all the way to Emoshion from other cities . ¡­¡­Do you want to settle this before I go the guild and the city administration? Or would you rather not pay me and take the risk of being kicked out of the city? Of course, the other adventurers in the city will also look down on you for not taking responsibility for the trouble you caused . Especially these days when you adventurers from outside have been causing so much trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸W-Well, that is¡­¡­¡¹ Rei brought the last shrimp to his mouth as he looked at the silent female adventurer . Wiping his dirty hands and looking at the surroundings, Rei spoke . ¡¸I¡¯ll decide the settlement . Pay her 5 silver coins, which covers the trouble you caused her as well . Even if you say your savings have been decreasing, you can still afford to pay that much, right?¡¹ A female adventurer, who hadn¡¯t spoke up until now, called out to Rei as he stood up to leave after finishing his role . ¡¸We¡¯re treating you right now, can¡¯t you be a bit more lenient?¡¹ ¡¸Think of the food as the fee for taking up my time . And¡­¡­look around . You should know when you have to pay up . ¡¹ ¡ºEh?¡» At Rei¡¯s words, the three of them looked around . What they saw was the rest of the guests at the bar looking at them as if blaming them for something . Since the bar was attached to the guild, it was clear that most of those people were also adventurers . Some of them had always been active around Emoshion while others had come here for the bounty, like Rei and the three adventurers . The sight of all those adventurers staring at them gave the three adventurers a sense of pressure . For the adventurers who had always worked around Emoshion, they didn¡¯t want other adventurers to cause them to lose respect . And as for those who had come here for the bounty, they didn¡¯t want others to making their work in this city difficult due to their actions . The fisherman woman looked at Rei with complaining eyes as Rei had told them to pay out less than she had asked for . However, she kept quiet and didn¡¯t say anything . Seeing that, Rei turned back to the three adventurers . ¡¸You get it, right? I feel the same as well . I don¡¯t know what you guys did to make that mistake, but I don¡¯t want to bothered by you guys because of something you did . ¡¹ Rei quickly left the place . The three adventurers and fisherman woman silently watched him leave . In the end, after some more discussion, the adventurers eventually paid the woman 3 silver coins and made up the remaining amount by working for her . ¡¸Set, did you wait for long?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Leaving the guild, Rei called out to Set, who had been facing a bird monster about 1m in size before he turned around and gave a happy cry . However, Rei¡¯s attention was drawn to the bird monster rather than Set . ¡¸¡­¡­An Icebird?¡¹ Yes, the monster was an Icebird, a monster that Rei had fought before . It was a D rank monster that wasn¡¯t that powerful . Howeve, Rei¡¯s attention was focused on the necklace around it¡¯s neck . Necklace of Subservient Monster . It was the exact same as the one around Set¡¯s neck . In other words, the Icebird in front of Rei was either a tamed or summoned monster . ¡¸¡­¡­Even so, this Icebird is still fine even in this season¡­¡­ah, I see . ¡¹ From the strange feeling Rei got from the ring around it¡¯s right leg, it was probably some sort of magic item . ¡¸I¡¯ve never seen a tamed monster aside from Set . ¡­¡­No, I guess a Dragon Knight¡¯s Wyverns count?¡¹ The Dragon Knights he had fought in the war flew on Wyverns . Even though they were raised from eggs, they were still technically tamed monsters . (I¡¯d like to talk with the person who tamed it, but right now, the sea is a higher priority . ) ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Are we not going? At Set¡¯s questioning expression, Rei left the guild and headed for the port . Of course Rei and Set bought and enjoyed various seafood from street stalls and eventually arrived at the port after eating enough that they wouldn¡¯t need lunch . Arriving at the port, the first thing Rei saw were the ships that were anchored there . Some were huge open sea voyaging vessels while others were ones that travelled along the coast . There were also ships used by fishermen docked at the port . Of course, they all weren¡¯t anchored here because they liked it . Rather, they were left here because of the risk of being attacked by the Lemrace if they left the port . However, even if they anchored at the port, it wasn¡¯t free . Above the cost of the berthing fee, the owners of the ships suffered losses from the delay in transporting goods . Of course, Emoshion had no need to force them to pay the berthing fee for now as the cost was cheap . However, even dust would accumulate over time and the berthing fees would eventually mount up . Because of that, the ship captains¡¯ would eventually have to resort to desperate actions . Aside from the ships, there was also a large number of people wandering around the port . Labourers looking to haul goods, sailors looking out towards the sea and adventurers aiming to collect the Lemrace¡¯s bounty all gathered around the port . Especially the adventurers, many of them had no way to head out to sea and had no choice but to use the tactic of waiting in the port . Of course, whenever the Lemrace appeared, some of them would head out on ships in hopes of killing it . However, they were all either one-sidedly attacked without being even being able to see the Lemrace and were turned into flotsam, wasting their time without finding the Lemrace or attacked constantly by other monsters . Because of that, no ship owners would easily lease out their ships now . Now, the only adventurers that could go out to sea were the small number of rich adventurer parties that either owned magic ships or bought ships instead of renting them . Especially with regards to the latter, they had paid considerable sums of money depending on the size of the ships, so they looked out for the Lemrace with sharp eyes as they kept a watch on their rivals . But, in the end, they only accounted for a small number of adventurers in Emoshion . Most adventurers were either waiting for the Lemrace in the harbour or doing guild requests to earn some money first . In the midst of all this, Rei sat on Set¡¯s back as numerous people looked at them with jealousy, envy, hope, hatred and pleading eyes . ¡¸Well then, Set, please . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s request, Set dashed forward several steps before flapping his wings and rising into the sky as if running through the air . Set continued out until he got to the place where the had been attacked by the Lemrace the day before . There were several ships around the area hoping to find some clues, just like Rei . Those on board the ships looked up as they noticed the shadow flying over them and looked at Set with eyes of envy . As expected, none of the people here were surprised by Set since they had been engaging in rescue work together the day before . Everyone gathered here could be considered a high ranking adventurer . Finding a familiar face among the magic ships, Rei let Set descend . ¡¸Did you find any clues about the Lemrace?¡¹ ¡¸No, there¡¯s nothing new . ¡¹ Answering Rei¡¯s question was the leader of the adventurer party that had conversed with him several times during the rescue operation yesterday . The rest of party hadn¡¯t forgotten Rei and his Griffon either and they greeted him amicably . However, the other adventurers on board the magic ships or ships that had been bought from the port looked at Rei as if shunning him . For the other adventurers who could only travel by boat, Rei, who could fly through the sky on Set, was considered a strong rival aiming for the bounty . Because of that¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, kid, you came here late, don¡¯t think you can just ignore us . ¡¹ The adventurers on a docked ship they had probably bought called out to Rei . ¡¸If you¡¯re going to sleep talk, you should go to sleep first . ¡¹ Since it their words were belligerent from the beginning, Rei responded to them in kind . Naturally, they couldn¡¯t keep quite hearing that and glared back at Rei with furious eyes . ¡¸Hey, you . Just because you¡¯re on a Griffon¡­¡­¡¹ As the adventurer was talking, Set suddenly flapped his wings and rapidly moved away from his previous position . And the next moment¡­¡­ ¡ºWha-!?¡» The shocked voices of the adventurers echoed out . Yes, that was because a water spear went through the space where Set had been until a moment earlier . ¡¸Tch, let¡¯s go! Set, let¡¯s get away from here . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Glancing at his surroundings, Rei saw that it would be pointless to deal with the adventurers any further and gave instructions to Set . When Set heard that, Set flew away from where he was, flapping his wings as he gave a high pitched cry . ¡¸Hey, wait a moment! You want to collect the bounty all for yourself!?¡¹ The voice of the man who had been shouting at Set echoed into the surroundings, but Rei ignored him as he flew away on Set . As if following Set¡¯s trajectory, several water spears pierced through the air ¡¸Damn it, hey, you guys, we¡¯re following after him! I can¡¯t let him take the bounty all for himself-!¡¹ Telling his companions, they turned the ship to follow after Rei and Set . However, it was impossible for them to keep up with the massive difference in speed between Set, who was travelling in the sky, and the ship, that was sailing through the sea . ¡¸As far as I can see to the bottom of the sea¡­¡­it¡¯s not there . ¡¹ Set tilted his body again to avoid a water spear . Rei gazed into the sea while firmly holding onto Set¡¯s body to stop himself from falling off . The sea was clear enough to see through to quite a depth, even though it wasn¡¯t possible to see the bottom . However, Rei still could not see any monster that could be the Lemrace anywhere . ¡¸The sea¡­¡­the sea-!?¡¹ Rei suddenly looked up towards the sky when he suddenly thought of something . However, there was nothing suspicious in the sky, only clouds and seabirds . ¡¸Tch, I thought it might be a monster flying in the sky that was just pretending to be a monster in the sea¡­¡­¡¹ Set tilted his body to avoid another water spear . The Lemrace used water magic to attack them . However, it didn¡¯t mean that it had to be in the water to do that . Because of that, Rei had a thought for a moment that it could be a monster flying in the sky . But, seeing that his guess was off the mark, he gave a small sigh . Set had been avoiding the water spears for about 5 minutes when the attacks suddenly stopped, as if the Lemrace was saying it was no longer interested . Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Legend Chapter 322 ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­what can I do . ¡¹ Rei took off his Dragon Robe and Shoes of Sleipnir as he collapsed onto his bed . It had already been 5 days since he had arrived at Emoshion . He had flown out to sea several times, but each time he was attacked by water spears without being able to find the Lemrace anywhere . Yesterday, he had gotten some help from the adventurer party with the magic ship he had worked with previously . While Rei and Set were attacked, they searched the sea in great detail, but even then they were unable to find any signs of the Lemrace . ¡¸In the first place, how does the Lemrace know where I am? If Set and I fly over, it attacks me right away¡­¡­¡¹ Yes, Rei and Set were attacked by the Lemrace whenever they went out to sea without any exceptions . Although there had never been any exceptions, Rei wasn¡¯t sure exactly how the Lemrace had been able to find them . ¡¸If I think about it, it can probably sense my magic power¡­¡­but there¡¯s no conclusive evidence to say that . Well, I don¡¯t care that much since it means I can attract its attention . ¡¹ Glancing at the floor of his room, there was a bag full of silver and copper coins casually lying there . There were even some gold coins mixed in . All that money was what Rei had earned in the past few days and would likely continue to increase until the Lemrace was defeated . As for how they made that much money, it was because the Lemrace would always focus its attacks on Rei and Set if they flew out to sea . In other words, if a ship sailed out at the same time, there was hardly any danger that they would be attacked . Rei took advantage of that to make some money . That said, safety wasn¡¯t guaranteed . The Lemrace seemed to attack Rei and Set based on its own whims and while it did attack them, it would stop attacking them at any time, as if it got bored . If that happened, it might choose to go after the ships, and in fact, the Lemrace had done that several times . Still, there was a relatively high probability of being able to leave the port without being attacked, so the more and more ship owners had started to ask Rei to assist them . In that sense, if he continued to do that, he would probably be able to make more money than what the bounty for killing the Lemrace was . Even so, Rei¡¯s goal was magic stones and materials, which were more important that money, so he wasn¡¯t satisfied with the current situation . That was also another reason why many adventurers had been looking at him with looks of jealousy . To other adventurers, Rei was making a lot of money by simply flying around in the sky, so it was only natural in some sense . Many adventurers, especially the ones who had bought ships to hunt the Lemrace, hated Rei greatly . Still, the fact that they hadn¡¯t tried to do anything to Rei was because of Set¡¯s power as a Griffon as well as the fact that Rei himself was a well known adventurer . If Rei had just been an ordinary C rank adventurer, he might have already met with an unfortunate accident by now . So instead, some adventurers who knew they couldn¡¯t touch Rei started to spread rumours like ¡ºRei released a monster he tamed off the coast of Emoshion in order to extort money from ship owners or to win the Lemrace¡¯s bounty¡» . Of course, most of the jealous adventurers didn¡¯t believe the rumours, but there were a few that did . They mostly consisted of adventurers who had come to Emoshion to earn a fortune but had ended not making any money instead . When asked whether it was even possible for Rei to tame such a large monster, they would say that since Rei had tamed an A rank monster, a Griffon, it wasn¡¯t impossible . When told that Rei had only found about the Lemrace after being told by Gilm¡¯s guild master, those who believed the rumours would say that he must have heard about it before then since the Lemrace had been such big news, despite Gilm being so far from Emoshion . Some of the people who believed the rumours went up to Rei indignantly . However, Rei just simply dealt with them by knocking them out and throwing onto the streets . Since they were knocked out and thrown out to the streets, there was a chance that they might get robbed, but Rei decided that if that happened, they only had their own bad luck to blame . In addition, if any of the people who believed the rumours demanded he pay them, Rei would knock them out, and take their money and then throw them out onto the streets . Because of that, some of the money Rei had earned had come from those people . ¡¸Anyhow, there¡¯s nothing I can do if I can¡¯t find the Lemrace . Even though I can¡¯t see it, it¡¯s completely aware of where I am . ¡­¡­Damn it, if only it wasn¡¯t in the sea . ¡¹ As he gave a sigh, Rei fell asleep, healing himself of the fatigue he had accumulated over the day . The next day, with little real hope, Rei and Set headed for the guild in order to see if there was any new information¡­¡­but as he arrived at the guild and was about to part ways with Set, someone suddenly called out to him . ¡¸Um, e-excuse me! The one in the robe!¡¹ Turning around to face the voice behind him while thinking if it was something troublesome again, he immediately realised why the person had called out to him . The person that entered his eyes was wearing leather armour and had a long sword at his waist, a typical warrior . He had a somewhat timid smile on his face, but looking at him, he was likely in his late teens, older than Rei . But that wasn¡¯t what drew Rei¡¯s attention . It was the huge bird about 1m in height standing beside him . It was the Icebird, a D rank monster, that had been next to Set the last time they had come to the guild . (Since that monster is following him¡­¡­that means . ) As Rei thought to himelf, the young man¡¯s asked what Rei expected . ¡¸Um, were you the one who tamed the Griffon?¡¹ Rei nodded at the strangely forced question . ¡¸Oh, Set¡­¡­I¡¯m certainly the one who tamed the Griffon . You¡¯re the one who tamed the Icebird right? No, is it a summoned monster?¡¹ ¡¸No, you were right, this one is tamed . ¡­¡­Uh, may I speak with you for a moment?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­let me see . ¡¹ Rei glanced towards the guild for a moment, but considering that there wasn¡¯t a high chance that he would find out any new information about the Lemrace, he didn¡¯t need to stick with his original plan . ¡¸Well, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve met another tamer, so it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just 30 minutes or so . ¡¹ He had to fly out to sea to try to bait the Lemrace out again at the request of a certain ship owner, but he still had time to spare for now . ¡¸Thank you . Well, um¡­¡­that¡¯s right . There is a stall selling juice nearby, why don¡¯t we go there to talk?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m fine with that . Then, lead the way . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Um, this way!¡¹ The young man had such a wide smile that it made Rei wonder where his timid smile from earlier had disappeared to . ¡¸Shen, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Kiki-!¡¹ At the young man¡¯s words, the Icebird called Shen gave a short cry in response . (Oh, they did sound like that . ) Rei recalled his memories of fighting them during winter in Gilm when Shen suddenly jumped up and landed on Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ ¡¸Kiki-!¡¹ ¡¸I-I¡¯m very sorry . Come on, Shen!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Seeing Shen jump onto Set¡¯s back, the young man shouted in a hurry, but Set gave a cry as if to tell him it was fine . ¡¸Set is saying he doesn¡¯t mind, so don¡¯t worry about it . Oh, I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet . I¡¯m Rei, a C rank adventurer from Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know . It¡¯s because Rei-san has become a famous adventurer in Emoshion in various ways recently . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess so . ¡¹ Rei nodded, guessing he was talking about the rumors that had swept around the city . ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m Hendeka . I¡¯m a D rank adventure from a village called Cuenca . ¡¹ ¡¸Cuenca?¡¹ Rei asked back at the unexpected name . However, Hendeka shook his head with a smile . ¡¸It¡¯s a small village in the countryside, so you probably haven¡¯t heard of it . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true . So why did you want to talk with me? As you said, I¡¯ve become quite well know here in various ways . ¡¹ ¡¸I wanted to talk with you after the Griffon, Set, in the guild . However, you seemed to be having a serious conversation at the time, so I didn¡¯t want to call out to you¡­¡­¡¹ At Hendeka¡¯s words, Rei remembered the last time he had seen the Icebird, Shen, at the guild . It was the time several adventurers had gotten into an argument with a female fisherman and had somehow gotten dragged into it to arbitrate . After completing his role and leaving the guild, Rei had seen Shen next to Set . ¡¸In the village of Cuenca, there aren¡¯t any other tamers aside from me . Even when I went out to the city, there were mostly only summoners . ¡¹ ¡¸I can understand that . ¡¹ To be exact, taming and summoning might have the same effect of having an animal or monster follow you, but they were quite different . Tamers always had the animal or monster by their side while summoners only called on them when they were needed, like in battle . Since they were always by their side, tamers, of course, had to prepare everything for their tamed creature, including food . Compared to that, it was almost unnecessary for summoners, who only summoned their creatures when needed and sent them back after their job was done . Because of that, although taming and summoning were quite similar in some ways, an overwhelming number of people were more likely to choose the latter . ¡¸But even so, Rei-san was able to tame a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not like I tamed Set after he grew up though . We¡¯ve been together since we were kids . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . That would definitely make it easier than taming a wild monster¡­¡­but I still think that¡¯s amazing . ¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it also unusual for you to be able to tame an Icebird? It¡¯s not hard to tame one, but it¡¯s a monster that only shows up in winter, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Actually, about five years ago, I found Shen when he was injured and treated his injuries . He became attached to me after that . There were some lucky coincidences and I was fortunate enough to have an alchemist I knew make a magic item that allows Shen to survive outside of winter . ¡¹ ¡¸You were definitely lucky . ¡¹ They continued walking as they talked about taming, eventually reaching a street lined with stalls . Hendeka proceeded to a store decorated with numerous fruits from the south and bought two mixed fruit juices as well as some fruit . Handing the juice to Rei, he gave the fruit to Set and Shen . Receiving the juice, Rei was surprised by the unexpected coldness of the cup . It was as if it had been refrigerated . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, were you surprised? This stall uses a magic item to provide cold juice . It¡¯s not so hot right now, so it isn¡¯t too crowded, but in the summer there are people lining up for it every day . ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha . That¡¯s right . I went all out and magic item custom made for this . It wasn¡¯t cheap, so it would have been a problem if it didn¡¯t become popular . ¡¹ The shopkeeper replied with a laugh . As a bonus, he tossed a small piece of fruit over to Rei and Hendeka . ¡¸Ah, thank you very much . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you . ¡¹ Receiving the fruit, the two of them went over to some shade . ¡¸¡­¡­So, why did you call out to me? You didn¡¯t want to just talk about taming, did you?¡¹ Rei asked Hendeka as they drank the mixed fruit juice . Hendeka¡¯s body stiffened up for a moment before he responded with a small nod and a timid smile . ¡¸I heard that Rei-san and Set have been going out every day to look for the Lemrace . You also got some ships to help out . So, actually, I wanted to work together with you . If it¡¯s Shen, he can fly together with Set and he also has good eyesight as a bird . What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ Thinking about it, Rei nodded at Hendeka¡¯s proposal . (The fact is that Set and I have been unable to find the Lemrace in the past 5 days . Since that is the case, I¡¯ll try anything that can raise my chances even a little bit¡­¡­I guess?) Rei looked at Hendeka¡¯s desperate expression and at Shen, who was poking at some fruit . ¡¸On that note, how much do you want for your work?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­for now, how about 1 silver coin for a trial today?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that enough? Well, if you are okay with it, I¡¯m fine as well . I don¡¯t know if I will continue to ask for your help tomorrow, but I guess you can fly out with me today . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, y-yes! Thank you!¡¹ Thus, the two of then went over to the port . Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Legend Chapter 323 Two monsters were currently flying in the sky off the coast of Emoshion as they basked in the spring sunshine that fell from the sky . The two of them were Shen, the Icebird, and Set, the Griffon . Rei was riding Set as usual but Hendeka was nowhere to be seen . Shen was only a 1m long Icebird . So, of course, it was impossible for Hendeka, who wore leather armour, to ride Shen . That said, even if Hendeka was here, there wouldn¡¯t be much point as he had no way to attack the Lemrace in the sea . (That said, it might have been good if he were able to give instructions to Shen . ) ¡¸Kiki-¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei looked towards Shen, who seemed to be talking with Set . Hendeka might not have been around to give Shen orders, but Set and Shen had been able to converse with each other quite a bit . However, Set didn¡¯t seem to have any plans to do much else with Shen as just gave cries in response . ¡¸¡­¡­Hah . Well, I don¡¯t know what difference Shen will have . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei looked towards the port . There, several ships were watching and preparing to leave while Rei drew the Lemrace¡¯s attention . The next moment, Rei felt Set¡¯s body tilt to the side . ¡¸It¡¯s here! Shen, start looking for the Lemrace! Set, focus on avoiding the Lemrace¡¯s attacks like usual!¡¹ ¡¸Kikiki-!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Shen and Set nodded at each other while Rei took out the Death Scythe, preparing to intercept water spears at any moment . The next moment, a water spear pierced through the space Set had been several seconds ago . Two, three then four more spears shot out one after another, shooting out towards Set . ¡¸Set, right!¡¹ The Lemrace seemed to have gotten used to fighting Set over the past few days . As if predicting Set¡¯s evasion, a water spear shot up from Set¡¯s right, bending sharply as tip flew towards him . It was definitely an effective attack . If the Lemrace had set up a large number of water spears to block Set¡¯s escape routes, it might have been able to hurt Set even if it couldn¡¯t kill him . However, that was only if it was just Set . Right now, Rei was on Set¡¯s back¡­¡­ ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ With a shout, Rei swung the Death Scythe, destroying the water spear that was targeting Set . Bringing the Death Scythe back to both his hands and killing the momentum from the swing, Rei quickly turned his eyes back to the sea¡¯s surface . What Rei saw, as a matter of course, was the sea¡¯s surface . He couldn¡¯t see the Lemrace anywhere . ¡¸Kyi, kikikiki?¡¹ The same as Rei, Shen was unable to spot the Lemrace . With a shrill cry, he turned to look around in confusion . Seeing that, Rei felt something strange . (Only Set is being attacked by the water spears¡­¡­?) Looking around calmly, Rei realised what was strange . Only Set was being targeted by the water spears . Shen, who was flying near Set, was not targetted by any of the attacks . Of course, since Shen was flying next to Set, many of the water spears flew close by . But in the end, Set was the only one the spears were really targeting . (Why is that the case? I thought it would just prioritise anything that flew in the sky . ¡­¡­The only difference between Set and Shen is that Shen is a real monster while Set was created using the Magic Beast Art . Can it somehow tell the difference?) While Rei thought to himself, Set flew freely across the sky to avoid the water spears . After doing the same thing for several days, both sides had gotten used to it . The paths of the water spears had become a lot sharper and Set had started to avoid them with minimal movements rather than large actions . And, when countless spears approached in a saturated attack¡­¡­ ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ The attack from Rei¡¯s Death Scythe flew out, cutting through several water spears and creating an exit for Set and Shen . At the edge of Rei¡¯s eyes, several ships had just left the port . Set continued to avoid the water spears as Rei watched on . Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t doing anything in the meantime . Rei looked into the sea to try to find his enemy and even occasionally threw flames into the sea . However, the Lemrace endured it all and never made an appearance even as it continued to fire out water spears . ¡¸If this is all it¡¯s doing, I really have no idea where it is at all¡­¡­what?¡¹ Rei swung the Death Scythe again, destroying several water spears as Set tilted his body again to avoid several more . As he continued dealing with those attacks, he noticed another ship leaving the port moving separately from the rest . It seemed like the owner or captain of the ship didn¡¯t want to pay Rei any money and had decided to leave the port while Rei was fighting . Of course, the request Rei had received had been direct to him . The city of Emoshion wasn¡¯t involved and it hadn¡¯t been a request through the guild, so no one could complain even if an owner or captain decided to do that . (That said, the trust merchants have in me would take a hit . ) Perhaps the ship that was leaving now was one that had only arrived in the port within the last few days . The captain that had hired Rei had told him that other ships had tried the same thing before, but they had ended up in a lot of trouble and had to return to port . The ones who had guaranteed safe passage if they were paid ended up getting into a lot of trouble with their clients . That was what Rei thought as Set tilted his body again to avoid another water spear . However, he was astonished when he saw the surprising scene . It was the ship that Rei had saw previously . However, it wasn¡¯t the ship that had hired Rei . Nor was it the ship that he had boarded previously . It was a ship that had been bought by the adventurers who had gotten into an verbal spat with Rei previously . ¡¸Tch, they¡¯re using me as a decoy to try to find the Lemrace themselves . ¡¹ Rei clicked his tongue . At the same time, he swung the Death Scythe and smashed a water spear . He wouldn¡¯t have heard Rei clicking his tongue, but one of the adventurers on the ship suddenly turned to look at Rei . Of course, it wasn¡¯t possible for the man to make eye contact with Rei at that distance . However, Rei was still able to see the expression of mockery on the man¡¯s face as he looked up towards Rei . ¡¸Ki? Kikiki-!¡¹ Shen, with eyes peculiar to birds, might have seen the man¡¯s mocking expression as well and gave an excited shrill cry . Of course, Rei didn¡¯t really care much for them . However, it was also true that since Rei and the adventurers weren¡¯t working together, they could be considered rivals . As a result, it was only natural that they would try to take advantage of Rei . (But¡­¡­that doesn¡¯t come without risks . ) ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ A water spear that shot out to Set¡¯s altitude bent at right angles as it came at Set straight from the front . Flapping his wings and using Rei¡¯s weight to control his motion, Set dodged the water spear, causing it to spiral away . If Rei hadn¡¯t had a firm grasp on Set¡¯s body, he probably would have fallen off . Both Rei and Set had held their breaths as they had done their utmost to avoid that attack . Fortunately, because the Lemrace¡¯s attack had only been aimed at Set, Shen had been out of the water spear¡¯s attack range and took some distance from Set . As Set pulled out of his barrel roll to avoid the water spear, he did a half turn on the spot and turned to face the water spear as Rei looked back towards the sea . ¡¸A-AA-AAAHHHH-!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, close the hole! We¡¯re going to sink!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! If you¡¯re going to say that then you should go block the hole first!¡¹ ¡¸Damn it, it can¡¯t be helped, tch! I¡¯m going to the bottom of the ship, so you guys better keep an eye on the surroundings!¡¹ Rei heard such shouts . The direction the voices came from was, needless to say, the ship the adventurers were on . The Lemrace¡¯s attack had left a hole in the bottom of their ship and the adventurers were rushing to patch it up . However, from Rei¡¯s viewpoint, it was only a matter of time before they sank . Giving a single glance towards the noisy adventurers, Rei prepared himself alongside Set to face the water spears that could shoot out at any time¡­¡­ After waiting 30 seconds, Rei realised that there wouldn¡¯t be any more attacks and stored the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring . ¡¸Phew, looks like that¡¯s it for today . ¡­¡­In the end, I couldn¡¯t see the body of the Lemrace today either . It might be necessary to come up with alternative plans . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Rei! If you can fly, help us!¡¹ The man that had been looking at Rei mockingly earlier shouted out towards Set¡­¡­or rather, towards Rei, who was on Set . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What do we do? Set seemed to ask as he turned his head back . As Rei and Set looked at the slowly but surely sinking ship, Rei spoke with a small sigh . ¡¸Just head for the ship . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set flapped his wings as he flew towards the sinking ship . Hovering next to the ship, Rei called out to the adventureres on board . ¡¸Even if you are asking me for help, I¡¯m the only one who can ride on Set and I weigh barely as much as a girl . If it¡¯s guys like you, it would be impossible to carry your weapons and armour . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey! Then why did you come over! Why!? Did you come to try to pay us back because we tried to use you!?¡¹ ¡¸You were the ones who called me over . ¡­¡­In the first place, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange to take advantage of me while the Lemrace was attacking me only to ask for help when you get attacked?¡¹ ¡¸What do you know!? Just help us out!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Whew . Okay . Wait a moment . I¡¯ll call for parties with magic ships . If there are two or three of them, you¡¯ll be head back . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s proposal, the adventurers gave a sigh of relief . However, one of them immediately called out to Rei . ¡¸Wait a moment . So from what you¡¯re saying, aren¡¯t we just moving from one ship to another?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, of course . Yours is already sinking after all . ¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a moment! How much money do you think it costed to buy this ship!? There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll just throw it away!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Not just Rei, the other adventurers on board the ship were also stunned by his words . Fortunately for Rei though, there was only one person uttering such nonsense . ¡¸Oh¡­¡­let¡¯s see then . Why don¡¯t you just stay on the ship then? I won¡¯t try to force you to leave, so do what you want . I¡¯m going to call over some parties with magic ships for those who are willing to leave . But, if you insist on staying like that guy over there, I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ ¡¸R-Right . ¡¹ The adventurers gave a confused response at those words as Rei signalled Set to head off . ¡¸Set, please . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, wait a moment! It¡¯s only natural to help us, but you have to promise to pay us reparations for sinking this ship!¡¹ ¡¸Are you an idiot? Why do I need to compensate you when you were the ones who decided to come out to this dangerous area while using me as a decoy? In that case, why don¡¯t I charge you 5 light gold coins to call over people to rescue you?¡¹ ¡¸Are you cra-!¡¹ A few other adventurers quickly clamped the man¡¯s mouth shut as if they were scared that Rei might have taken his request for compensation seriously . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about him! This guy has had a problem with treating his delusions as reality for a while . Of course, we won¡¯t ask for compensation, so please call for help!¡¹ The adventurer who had been looking at Rei mockingly when he was avoiding the Lemrace¡¯s attacks shouted out in a rush . Even for someone like him, he was feeling desperate when he considered the possibility of drowning . Even though they weren¡¯t that far from the port, it was impossible for any of them swim all the way back while wearing amour and other equipment . ¡¸¡­¡­Hah . Well, that¡¯s fine . Then, I¡¯ll call for help, so get ready . ¡­¡­Don¡¯t let him start spouting nonsense . ¡¹ Saying, Rei made his way over to some magic ships a short distance away . Fortunately, the magic ships could already see the larger ship sinking and several of them had started to make their way over . Because of that, the adventurers on the sinking ship were rescued without any particular difficulties . ¡­¡­In the end, the adventurer who had been shouting out for reparations ended up being the first to flee the sinking ship, leaving his companions behind as soon as the first magic ship arrived . He left the city of Emoshion soon after, unable to stand the disgusted looks he received from the other adventurers . Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Legend Chapter 324 ¡¸Hah, today was a waste of time again in the end¡­¡­¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he lay on his bed in the Blue Sea Coral inn . The Lemrace, the monster with the bounty . Being unable to find the Lemrace again and with the added troubles of the adventurers using Rei as a decoy followed by their ship sinking, Rei was greatly mentally fatigued . After bringing some magic ships over to rescue them, he had then returned to port with Shen, the Icebird, given a silver coin to Hendeka as payment and then returned to his inn . ¡¸If the situation doesn¡¯t change, this makeshift solution will just go on forever, I have to change something fundamental¡­¡­¡¹ He knew that, but didn¡¯t know how to change the fundamental situation as he gave another sigh . In the past few days, the Lemrace hadn¡¯t done much damage . To be exact, no ships leaving the port had suffered any damage, but some ships entering the port had been sunk . Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t been asked to distract the Lemrace the next day, so if he wanted to try anything, he could do it tomorrow . However, Rei was worried because he didn¡¯t know what he could do . ¡¸Is there a magic item I could use to find an invisible enemy¡­¡­¡¹ Giving a sigh, Rei looking through the list of items that were stored in the Misty Ring as he looked for anything he could use . ¡¸There¡¯s nothing I could use in this¡­¡­case?¡¹ Rei gave another sigh as he looked the list . But then¡­¡­he suddenly noticed a certain magic item . To be exact, he remembered the person who had given him the item . He was a Lich who had been living from the same time as Zepairu, who had fused with Rei, and could use magic even more powerful than what Rei could use right now . To be exact, Rei had more magic power, but the Lich was much further ahead in how magic could be utilised . Unlike Rei who could only use fire magic, the Lich was a real monster who could use spatial magic, space-time magic and dark magic . ¡¸¡­¡­I really didn¡¯t want to rely on him too much, but¡­¡­¡¹ Even so, Rei didn¡¯t have much of a choice left as he took the item out of the Misty Ring . It was a crystal orb the size of his fist, it was one of a pair of orbs that made up the magic item called ¡ºTwin Orbs¡», which allowed two people to communicate with each other using them . As soon as he poured magic power into the orb it started to shine . The next moment the image of a skull with a crown was projected on the orb . ¡ºOh, this crystal¡­¡­Rei? It¡¯s been a while . ¡» At the Lich¡¯s somewhat amused greeting, Rei replied with a slight smile as well . ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s been a while, Grimm . ¡¹ ¡ºSince you¡¯ve contacted me, have you run into any trouble? Of course, even if it isn¡¯t anything big, you¡¯re welcome to talk about it . ¡» Grimm¡¯s face, since he had become a Lich, was made of just bones, so Rei couldn¡¯t really read his expression . Moreover, even if his face had flesh and skin, Rei didn¡¯t think he would be able to match Grimm, who had lived for an eternity, in acting . ¡¸Actually, I¡¯m in Emoshion right now . Do you know about that city?¡¹ ¡ºWell . It¡¯s called the gateway to the Mireana Kingdom . Even if all I do is research, I still know at least that . ¡» ¡¸In Emoshion right now, there¡¯s a monster called a Lemrace sitting off the coast . The city administration has put a bounty on the monster . ¡¹ ¡ºYes? So you¡¯ve gone there for the bounty?¡» Grimm gave a laugh as his jaw bones shook . Maybe it was because Grimm was a Lich, but Rei felt a chill go down his spine as he shook his head, even though they were talking through crystal orbs . ¡¸I¡¯d like to collect the bounty if I could, but my main focus is the magic stone . As Grimm knows, it¡¯s for Set . ¡¹ ¡ºHmm, I¡¯m relieved to hear you¡¯re still raising Set, who was created using the Magic Beast Art . If the money had been your only aim, I would have to ask about your qualifications as Zepairu-dono¡¯s successor . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ The quick thought passed through Rei¡¯s that Grimm¡¯s thoughts regarding his qualification could potentially lead to his death . Rei knew how much Grimm really respected the already dead Zepairu, the the chances of that happening weren¡¯t zero . ¡ºSo, a Lemrace, did you say? Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t heard of such a monster before, can I ask you for the details?¡» Rei shook his head silently at Grimm¡¯s question . ¡¸That¡¯s what I want to know, which is why I used this pair of orbs . ¡¹ ¡ºHm? Could you tell me more?¡» ¡¸First of all, I don¡¯t know the specifics about its magic and species capabilities, but it can manipulate sea water and use it as spears or tentacles to attack . ¡¹ ¡ºAs a monster in the sea, to use water magic¡­¡­no, just magic for now . It¡¯s not that usual for a sea monster to use water magic . ¡» ¡¸Considering the amount of water around it, there¡¯s no way it would use it . Above all, the biggest point is that I have no idea where it is . ¡¹ ¡ºYou don¡¯t know where it is?¡» Grimm asked back at Rei¡¯s reply . Even for a Lich who had lived for thousands of years, that was still an unexpected response . However, Rei just replied with a sigh as his question . ¡¸I mean that literally . Since it has been attacking things, there¡¯s no doubt that the monster we¡¯ve called the Lemrace exists . However, I can¡¯t see it anywhere . It¡¯s enough to make me believe that it¡¯s been using water magic from somewhere far away . ¡¹ ¡ºIt¡¯s a monster off the coat of Emoshion? So it¡¯s underwater?¡» ¡¸That¡¯s what I think . At the very least, I couldn¡¯t find it anywhere in the sea that was visible to me . The seawater in the surroundings is very clear, so I can see up to a certain depth¡­¡­since I can¡¯t see it, there is a high probability the Lemrace is near the seabed and attacking from there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡ºIf you know that, you should be able to think of a way to deal with it . ¡» ¡¸I can¡¯t . I¡¯m only good at fire magic and I have few effective ways to deal with an enemy in the sea . Even if I throw a spear at it, it wouldn¡¯t reach the bottom of the sea aside from the shallow regions . And even if it did get that far, it would have almost lost all its power . ¡¹ Rei gave a sigh to indicate there was nothing he could do . Grimm looked at Rei with a somewhat amused expression but eventually spoke up when he saw Rei staring at him . ¡ºWhat¡¯s wrong? Your eyes have a scary look in them . ¡» ¡¸Do you find this amusing?¡¹ ¡ºWell, I¡¯ll leave that to you to decide . But since that is the situation, how can I help you?¡» Cheeks twitching, Rei asked Grimm . ¡¸What exactly can you do?¡¹ ¡ºWell, I could destroy all living beings off the coast of Emoshion and turn them into undead¡­¡­¡» ¡¸Please don¡¯t do that . ¡¹ Rei responded almost on reflex . ¡¸If you did that, it would destroy Emoshion . ¡¹ ¡ºThat¡¯s true . Well, since I¡¯m a Lich, dark magic is what I¡¯m best at¡­¡­in that case, I think spatial magic should be fine?¡» Grimm was quick to respond to Rei¡¯s refusal . From the beginning, he had no intention of flooding the waters of the coast of Emoshion with undead . When Rei realised he was being teased, he gave another sigh . ¡¸You should have said that from the beginning . ¡­¡­So, what can you do with spatial magic?¡¹ ¡ºWell¡­¡­simply put, I can find the Lemrace and then forcibly transfer it to a different location using spatial magic . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei involuntarily responded at those unexpected words . How could he hurt an underwater enemy with fire magic, or even better, how could he find the Lemrace? It would be strange if Rei wasn¡¯t surprised after Grimm easily gave a solution to deal with the problems he had been struggling with . ¡¸Is that possible?¡¹ ¡ºHmm . If you¡¯re asking if it¡¯s possible or not, it is . However, there are various preconditions . ¡» ¡¸Preconditions?¡¹ ¡ºThat¡¯s right . For example, the size of the object . For large objects, an enormous amount of magic power would be required to forcibly transfer it using spatial magic . In addition, there is the issue of how far it can be transferred . We can¡¯t move it too far away from Emoshion . In addition, since you need to kill it, we can¡¯t transfer it in the middle of the night when monsters are more violent, so it will have to be done during the day . In that situation, naturally, my abilities as a Lich will be weakened¡­¡­no, since I¡¯m an undead, I will be weakened even further than ordinary monsters, so I probably will not be able to assist you after completing the transfer . As I had said earlier, I am best at dark magic, spatial magic is only something I can use to a certain level . ¡» Rei, who had been listening to the prerequisites that came out of Grimm¡¯s mouth one after another, frowned as he asked a question . ¡¸In that case, wouldn¡¯t be faster for you to just kill it?¡¹ ¡ºStupid idiot!¡» An angry voice echoed out from the orb . Even though there was no magic used, Rei felt a huge amount of pressure from the Lich who had lived for thousands of years . ¡ºDon¡¯t you already find it pitiful that someone who inherited Zepairu-dono¡¯s power and will has to ask for my help to this degree? No, you don¡¯t just want me to set the stage for battle, but to leave it all to me¡­¡­can you really say that Set will surpass Fenrir, that Zepairu-dono created using the Magic Beast Art?¡» ¡¸That¡­¡­you¡¯re right . It¡¯s not like I should leave everything to you since you¡¯re helping me out . ¡¹ Taken aback for a moment at Grimm¡¯s scolding, Rei nodded . ¡¸I understand . Then I¡¯ll leave it to you to transfer the Lemrace¡­¡­no, can you find the Lemrace in the first place?¡¹ ¡ºIt won¡¯t be too difficult for me, so don¡¯t worry about it . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­I had been struggling with that for so long . All my troubles with it until now¡­¡­¡¹ ¡ºIt¡¯s because I¡¯ve been studying magic for so many years . At any rate, you can leave that to me, but there are other problems to solve . ¡» ¡¸Other problems?¡¹ ¡ºYes . You don¡¯t expect me to just show up there do you?¡» ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true . ¡¹ If a Lich were to appear in the sky off the coast of Emoshion, it would definitely cause a huge fuss . Enough to cause people to forget about the Lemrace . Even Rei could predict that, so he nodded at Grimm¡¯s words . ¡ºIn this situation, when I transfer the Lemrace using spatial magic ¡ºsomeone¡» has to be there in place of me . And, the only one who knows about me is you . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Rei nodded as he thought of the commotion that would happen sooner or later if the Lemrace suddenly disappeared without warning . ¡ºAnd, you also have to have someone at the location where I¡¯m sending the Lemrace . You know this right?¡» ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s fine to transfer it with spatial magic, but it¡¯s just left there, it will probably just go on a rampage there or move towards the sea . ¡¹ ¡ºHmm . Because of that, you will need someone who will be able to hold down the Lemrace until you get there . ¡» Grimm said that, but Rei could hardly think of anyone he could work with in Emoshion . Of course, if he put a request out to the many adventurers in the city, they would all follow Rei¡¯s suggestion . However, in that case, they would all demand a share, which would make it difficult for Rei to claim the magic stone and materials for his own . (I hope they will be satisfied with just the bounty¡­¡­as the number of people increases, the split will naturally decrease . Scammers will also show up as well . It would probably be better to have a few elites considering the location . ) Hendeka, the tamer he had hired for a trial today, passed through Rei¡¯s mind . However, the thought left soon after . It was true that he was familiar with Hendeka¡¯s character and Set was also friendly with the Icebird that he had tamed . However, considering that he was only a D rank adventurer, Rei didn¡¯t think he could hold off the Lemrace until Rei arrived at the location . (At the very least, I¡¯d like to have a few more skilled adventurers¡­¡­) Rei thought to himself . Suddenly, Rei heard rapid footsteps coming down the corridor outside his room . Eventually, the footsteps reached Rei¡¯s room¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, Rei! We¡¯re here as promised! You haven¡¯t killed the bounty monster yet!¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, Egret . At least knock!¡¹ Without any more words, the door to his room was opened as two people appeared . It was a warrior like man with a poleaxe on his back and a woman with a whip hanging at her waist . They were Egret and Miroir, the two B rank adventurers Rei had encounted on his way to Emoshion . Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Legend Chapter 325 ¡¸¡­¡­Why are you here?¡¹ It was definitely unexpected . With a surprised expression, he greeted Egret and Miroir, who had suddenly showed up in front of him, as he slid the orb he had next to his pillow . ¡¸Why? Weren¡¯t we all coming to Emoshion to collect the bounty?¡¹ ¡¸No, I know that, but¡­¡­aren¡¯t you a bit too fast?¡¹ It had been less than 10 days since Rei had parted ways with them on the way to Emoshion . It should have taken them at least half a month to reach here from the city where they had split up, so Rei had no idea how they had made it here . ¡¸Hahaha . I put in some serious effort and it ended up like this . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hah . Well, it is true that we rushed it . We¡¯ve been travelling day and night . ¡¹ Miroir grumbled as she supplemented Egret¡¯s words . In fact, while Egret was still full of energy, Miroir had a tired expression . Just the expression on her face was enough to convince Rei that they had come all the way to Emoshion with barely a break as she had said . At t=he same time, an idea popped into Rei¡¯s mind . (I need a few elite adventurers who can hold down the Lemrace until I get there after Grimm uses spatial magic to transfer it somewhere else . And, from what I heard before, Egret came here because he wanted to fight a strong enemy and not because he wanted to collect the bounty, Lemrace materials or magic stone . In that case¡­¡­) Thinking to himself, Hendeka, the tamer, came to his mind again . He had thought that it would be too reckless to leave the Lemrace to just Hendeka and his Icebird . But, if Egret and Miroir, two B rank adventurers, took the vanguard, Hendeka could support them while Shen provided cover from the air . (Hendeka used a sword as his weapon, but if he bought a bow or something and provided support from the back¡­¡­maybe that would work?) Rei quickly thinking in his mind, he turned to look at the two adventurers before making his decision . At that moment, both Egret and Miroir felt something go right through them . In Egret¡¯s case, it was an expectation of battle, while for Miroir, it was a bad feeling she couldn¡¯t shake off . ¡¸You¡¯ve come at the right time . Come in and close the door . We¡¯re in a good spot . ¡¹ ¡¸Come in you say¡­¡­this is a very small room . Why don¡¯t we just talk in the dining area on the first floor?¡¹ If she entered the room to discuss things, Miroir felt that she would definitely not be able to get out of it . Miroir said that, but it was already too late . Her partner, Egret, quickly entered the room as he dragged Miroir in with him . ¡¸Look, just come in . It¡¯s definitely small, but even then, there¡¯s still room for the three of us to sit . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Egret! I¡¯m not getting involved with this Lemrace¡­¡­¡¹ Although she tried to resist, she couldn¡¯t do much against Egret¡¯s pure physical strength as he easily dragged her into Rei¡¯s room . (¡­¡­Looking from the outside, doesn¡¯t this look kind of bad?) From the outside, Egret looked like a man trying to force a reluctant woman into his room . As he thought of that, he quickly whispered to Grimm, who¡¯s dumbfounded expression was projected on the orb, that he would call back later before cutting the connection . Egret forced the reluctant Miroir to sit on the floor while Rei, as the owner of the room, sat on the bed . As expected, there was barely any other furniture in the small room aside from the bed . There were no chairs or sofas . However, he was staying here at a cheap price due to an introduction from Arctos, who seemed to be influential in various ways . ¡¸Well then, let me tell you why you¡¯ve come at a good time . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Egret, who leaned his poleaxe against the wall, and told them about the current situation . The lack of information on how the Lemrace attack and what it looked like as well as the adventurers who had come for the bounty and the stalemate they were stuck in . However, for some reason, if he flew over the sea with Set, they would almost certainly be attacked by the water spears . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s definitely a troublesome opponent . ¡¹ ¡¸But, even though you¡¯ve said or that, since you said we¡¯re in a good spot, that must mean you have some way to deal with it right?¡¹ At first, Miroir hadn¡¯t been willing to hear him out, but she was still a B rank adventurer and eventually grew some interest in it . She turned her eyes to Rei to prompt him to continue . Catching Miroir¡¯s eyes, Rei nodded . ¡¸Yes . With a little help from someone, I¡¯ve managed to get my hands on a certain magic item . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A magic item?¡¹ Rei nodded again at Miroir¡¯s parrot like response . ¡¸Using spatial magic, it can identify the location of an attacking enemy and forcibly transfer it somewhere else . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what is that! If that¡¯s really true, it¡¯s a magic item with an extremely powerful effect! I think that if the guild or countries knew about it, they would try to use any means possible to obtain it¡­¡­¡¹ The unexpected words from Rei¡¯s mouth made Miroir shout out . Even though Egret was basically a muscle brain who just wanted to look for strong opponents, it seemed that he was still stunned by the description of a magic item that could forcibly transfer away an enemy that attacked him . ¡¸If you consider that it¡¯s a magic item from a dungeon, then it¡¯s only natural right? However, it¡¯s a one time use item only . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if there was such a powerful magic item that could be used over and over again, countries would really make a move . In the first place, what kind of person would be able to get something like that for you?¡¹ Rei continued to explain as he glanced at the stunned Miroir . ¡¸Anyhow, with this magic item, it¡¯s possible to force the undiscovered Lemrace to a specific location . The problem is that while it¡¯s possible to transfer it somewhere, it can¡¯t transfer me as well . In other words, after transferring it somewhere, I¡¯ll have to fly over on Set . ¡¹ Egret nodded with a ferocious smile at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸I see . So, until you get there, Miroir and I will have to deal with the Lemrace, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Of course, I¡¯m not asking you to hold back . If you can kill it before I get there, I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh, that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about . It was the right choice to come to this city . Hey, you think the same, don¡¯t you?¡¹ Miroir gave a sigh at Egret¡¯s words as he leaned against the wall beside her . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s all fine for you since you can fight such a strong enemy . Against a monster that can destroy ships from under the sea¡­¡­under the sea?¡¹ Miroir suddenly realised something as she responded to her partner in a dumbfounded manner . ¡¸Hey, Rei¡¯s magic item forcibly transfers the target, right? So, if we don¡¯t want to move it too close to the city, we can move it somewhere further . Of course, we can¡¯t just move it to some other place in the sea . It should be somewhere in a desert or forest . Or maybe even the capital of the Bestir Empire, which Rei had fought against a short while ago . ¡¹ She felt like she had just come up with a good idea, but Rei silently shook his head . ¡¸Unfortunately, it¡¯s impossible to transfer it that far . Because of that, I was looking around for somewhere near the city of Emoshion, and that¡­¡­is how things have been going . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­I see . As expected, it¡¯s impossible for such a magic item to be that powerful . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Egret, who was listening in next to Miroir . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s the way it is . In any case, as I said, I would like you to stop the monster from trying to go back into the sea . There¡¯s one more person who I¡¯d like to help, which I¡¯ll explain later . Well, as I mentioned previously, if you can kill it, kill it . But if that isn¡¯t possible, just focus on stopping it until I arrive with Set . That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking of at the moment . Do you have any thoughts?¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s the other person? Are they so good that even you want them to join?¡¹ If he was a competent adventurer, I¡¯d like to have a bout with him . Egret asked with that intention as he gave a ferocious smile . However, Rei just shook his head . ¡¸He¡¯s not that strong himself . He¡¯s a D rank adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸Wai-, hey, hey, hey, hey . Why would you bother with such a low ranked adventurer¡­¡­if he¡¯s stronger than his rank, like Rei, then that would be a different matter . But from what you¡¯ve said, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case . ¡¹ Maybe he was grumpy that he wouldn¡¯t be able to spar against a strong person, Egret looked kind of sulky as Rei spoke with a slight smile . ¡¸Sure, he¡¯s not strong himself . But, he¡¯s a monster tamer, like me . He¡¯s tamed an Icebird . ¡¹ ¡¸If I recall correctly, Icebirds¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s that one . It¡¯s a monster that comes out in winter . By itself, it¡¯s a D rank monster, but in flocks, they are treated as C rank . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, they are strangely intelligent for a monster . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . If you¡¯re not careful, it might be even smarter than you . ¡¹ Miroir muttered sarcastically, but Egret just laughed as if had gone over his head . ¡¸Even I know the importance of working together with others . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . ¡¹ Miroir gave a wry smile at his expression that seemed to not realise the sarcasm . Seeing the two of them like that, Rei brought the coversation back on topic . ¡¸Anyhow, the tamer is an adventurer called Hendeka . Considering that he¡¯s tamed an Icebird, a monster that can fly in the sky, it will be of great help to keep the Lemrace in check . He¡¯s not an idiot who will lose himself in excitement . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, you¡¯re in charge of this . If you say so, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­he won¡¯t drag us down, right?¡¹ ¡¸I can vouch for his ability . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, I have no objections . But I¡¯ll say this now, if he drags us down, I¡¯ll cut him off right away . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ll make sure to let him know . So, about splitting the rewards¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Of course, we¡¯ll get what we deserve, I assume?¡¹ Rei nodded at Miroir¡¯s question . ¡¸Naturally . However, I¡¯m going to use a magic I only just got . As for my share, it¡¯s fine with you two even if it¡¯s the largest?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . As long as I can fight a strong enemy, that¡¯s enough for me . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Egret . You should at least pay some importance to money . ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯m sure this plan wouldn¡¯t work without Rei¡¯s magic item . ¡­¡­Rei, let me take a look at that magic item . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s a fragile magic item . I can¡¯t let touch it, but I can let you take a look, do you mind that?¡¹ As expected, Rei couldn¡¯t show them the non-existent magic item that formed the core of his plan . Of course, since the forced transfer would be carried out by Grimm instead of a magic item, he decided to take out something that had been stored in the Misty Ring to trick them . The next moment, Rei¡¯s right hand held a crystal orb about 5cm in diameter . Miroir and Egret¡¯s eyes went wide when they saw it . ¡¸This¡­¡­is a magic item for forced spatial transfer?¡¹ ¡¸What is this¡­¡­it doesn¡¯t seem to look very powerful . ¡¹ Fortunately, whether it was Miroir or Egret, they were both pure warriors that couldn¡¯t sense magic power . After all, the crystal orb it Rei¡¯s hand was nothing special . On the contrary, it was just something he had bought at a general store in Gilm . Showing the crystal to them for about 30 seconds, Rei stored it back into the Misty Ring . That was because he wanted to avoid them realising anything was wrong . ¡¸Well, most of the plan has been decided . I¡¯ll just talk to Hendeka afterwards¡­¡­if you don¡¯t mind, how about we meet in front of the guild at 9am tomorrow morning?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡­where should we stay? I¡¯ll say this, but we can¡¯t have three people in this room . I also don¡¯t want to stay in a room with two men . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, this is definitely a small room . ¡¹ Looking around the 3 tatami sized room, Egret spoke with an interesting smile . However, Rei just shrugged his shoulders . ¡¸At any rate, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any spare rooms left in this inn, so we¡¯ll just have to deal with that . It¡¯s hard to find inns with available rooms because of the large number of adventurers who have gathered due to the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­there definitely were a lot of adventurers . Miroir, let¡¯s quickly go find an inn . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t want to have to camp outside the city tonight . ¡­¡­Then, Rei . We¡¯ll see you at the guild at 9am tomorrow morning?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s around the time I¡¯ll be meeting up with Hendeka . I¡¯ll be in your care . ¡¹ Thus, with the plan to defeat the Lemrace set out, Egret and Miroir went out into the city to find a place to stay . Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Legend Chapter 326 ¡¸Rei-san, good morning . ¡¹ ¡¸Kikyi, kyi-¡¹ By the time the 9am bell rang, Rei had met up with Hendeka as the guild reached its peak hour . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ As Shen, the Icebird, jumped onto Set¡¯s back, Set turned around to give a cry in gretting . ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ll be relying on you again today¡­¡­is what I¡¯d like to say, but I need to talk with you about something . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Hendeka held his breath at the words he hadn¡¯t expected . As a low ranking adventurer, working together with Rei was nothing short of lucrative . After being told that Rei needed to talk with him only on their second day working together, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that he would be tense . ¡¸So, what did you want to talk about? Could it be that you don¡¯t want to work with me anymore?¡¹ Rei shook his head with a wry smile at Hendeka¡¯s fearful question . ¡¸No . In the first place, I haven¡¯t received any requests to attract the Lemrace¡¯s attention today . Well, if I went to the port, someone might ask me on the spot . But actually¡­¡­¡¹ Rei stopped speaking when he sensed several adventurers, who had been about to enter the guild, start to pay attention to them . Rei was now quite famous for many things in Emoshion . There were also quite a few people looking for information about him to make some money . After all, he had a Griffon, an item box and a title . Furthermore, in the case of the Lemrace, the biggest problem for Emoshion right now, the Lemrace seemed to pay a lot of attention to him . Ships would pay him a lot of money to attract the Lemrace¡¯s attention while they left the port, so there was no reason he wouldn¡¯t become well known . Despite some danger remaining, Rei was the reason that ships docked at port could still leave and the initial sharp gazes from the guards had already calmed down somewhat . ¡¸Well, you can be assured that I¡¯m not planning to stop working with you . I¡¯ll tell you the details as we at a stall somewhere after the people I¡¯m waiting for arrive . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It hasn¡¯t been that long since I had breakfast, so I¡¯m not that hungry . ¡¹ ¡¸Breakfast was more than an hour ago though? You have quite the small appetite Hendeka . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s just compared to Rei-san! The amount I eat is normal for ordinary people . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right . We can¡¯t just eat more food just an hour after breakfast . You and Egret and the only ones who could do that . ¡¹ It was Miroir who interrupted the conversation between Rei and Hendeka . Behind her, Egret could be seen bringing a fish skewer to his mouth as he enjoyed the delicious taste . ¡¸Hmm, I feel Rei is right . Adventurers should eat when they need to eat . Isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I agree with that opinion . ¡¹ Rei nodded back at Egret¡¯s words while Miroir and Hendeka both looked each other in the eye in mutal understanding . ¡¸At any rate, all the people we need are here now . Let¡¯s move somewhere to finish the story . Do you know anywhere good? Somewhere with simple food and tea where not too many people will hear us . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, then I know a place I guess . It¡¯s a short walk from here, but it¡¯s a shop that sells delicious snacks, tea and rare fruits . It¡¯s in an obscure part of the city though, so it¡¯s not that popular . ¡¹ ¡¸I see, then I¡¯ll leave that to you . Are you two fine with that?¡¹ Egret and Miroir nodded silently at Rei¡¯s question . Egret was more interested in the delicious snacks that were mentioned while Miroir was more interested in the fruit . With their agreement, Rei followed Hendeka down the road . ¡¸Heh, this is definitely not an easy place to find . ¡¹ ¡¸I mean, it¡¯s only natural that it won¡¯t be popular in a place like this . Does the owner not want to do business?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . From what the owner told me, he seems to be doing this as his hobby, so as long as he wasn¡¯t making a loss he was fine with it . ¡¹ Hendeka replied to Rei and Egret¡¯s murmurs . Looking at the three of them¡­¡­or rather three people and two monsters, Miroir entered the shop . It was located on a back street and there were no signs . If you didn¡¯t know this shop existed, you would never notice it . ¡¸Then, Set . Please wait here a moment . ¡¹ ¡¸Shen, wait with Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Kikyi!¡¹ The two of them responded, as if asking for their owners to bring something back for them when they were done . Rei and Hendeka looked at each other with wry smiles before entering the shop as well . ¡¸Oh, over here . ¡¹ The shop was only large enough for 10 visitors and definitely looked like a shop that the owner was only running as a hobby . Taking a seat next to Egret and Miroir, they ordered some desserts, tea, sanwhiches and fruit as they faced each other . Miroir had only just been saying that they had already eaten earlier, but seeing her order dessert firmly, sweet things might not have counted . As each order arrived, Rei was the first to speak out . ¡¸Hendeka, these two are Miroir and Egret . Both of them are B rank adventurer . This is Hendeka, the person I was talking about yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸B rank!? A-Ah, pardon me . Pleased to meet you! I¡¯m Hendeka, a D rank adventurer . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, nice to meet you . I¡¯m Egret . As you can see, I¡¯m a warrior . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Miroir . I¡¯m also a warrior, like Egret . ¡¹ A whip wielding warrior? Although Hendeka looked a bit confused for a moment, he didn¡¯t question Miroir, who was a much higher ranked adventurer than himself . Seeing the three of them like that, Rei felt that the introductions had been good enough . Taking a sip of chilled mixed fruit juice, he started to explain . ¡¸So, that¡¯s it . As for why I asked you to meet with these two, it¡¯s to defeat the Lemrace of course . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But, the only ones who can fly in the sky are just Rei-san on Set and Shen? Will Miroir-san and Egret-san take a ship?¡¹ ¡¸No, I managed to get a powerful magic item with a bit of help . It can forcibly transfer the Lemrace onto land when I use it . ¡¹ ¡¸Hah?¡¹ Hendeka couldn¡¯t understand what Rei had just said . He turned to Rei, expecting more information . Probably because he was looking at Rei with his mouth wide open, the tea he had drank just a few second ago started dripping from the corners of his mouth . It seemed that she felt sorry for Hendeka, so Miroir interjected from the side . ¡¸Hendeka, was it? Well, I know you¡¯re shocked as well . But, Rei doesn¡¯t have any reason to trick us, does he? That¡¯s the way it is . So, what do you plan to do? Join us? Quit? I don¡¯t mind either way . After this, we are going to look for a place to move the Lemrace to, so you need to make up your mind quickly . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? No, I¡¯m not¡­¡­well, what do you want me to do? I¡¯m just an ordinary D rank adventurer . I can¡¯t fight a Lemrace like you B rank adventurers . ¡¹ Confused by the sudden turn of events, Hendeka looked at the three of them with his mouth shut . It the end, it was Egret, who was called a muscle brain by Miroir, that got annoyed with Hendeka¡¯s attitude . ¡¸What, don¡¯t bother me about that . Anyhow, just decide whether you¡¯re going to do it or not . The only thing I¡¯m expecting you to do is for your Icebird to provide support from above . All you need to do is to shoot arrows from a bow and you¡¯re good to go . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? A bow?¡¹ At Egret¡¯s words, Hendeka gave a happy smile for some reason . However, it was true that it was much easier to shoot arrows from the rear than to be told to fight a monster like a Lemrace, which no one had even seen yet at this point . (He probably came here for the bounty after all¡­¡­) As Rei thought to himself, he seasoned a steamed scallop and prawn sandwich before bringing it to his mouth . Enjoying it¡¯s taste and texture, he swallowed it before speaking again . ¡¸Honestly speaking, what I¡¯m expecting from you is not your own strength, but Shen¡¯s strength, since he can attack enemies from the air . As the Lemrace is a sea monster, it definitely shouldn¡¯t be able to fly in the sky . If it could, it wouldn¡¯t be at the bottom of the sea . If we can attack it from the sky, it won¡¯t be able to fight back¡­¡­probably . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s explanation seemed to be enough to convince him . Nodding at Rei¡¯s explanation without saying anything further about his own ability, he thought for a few seconds before asking . ¡¸In that case, what about the rewards?¡¹ ¡¸Since I¡¯m using my magic item to forcibly transfer it, I will take the monster¡¯s magic stone . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not a problem for me . I want materials . If there¡¯s anything that can be used to make a powerful weapon, I want that . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like the money after all . ¡¹ Rei, Egret and Miroir said what they each wanted in turn before turning to look at Hendeka . ¡¸Ehm, I would like the money . If I could get a share of that . ¡¹ ¡¸It would be best to share out the bounty . Of course, since Miroir and Hendeka would rather have the money than anything else, they¡¯ll get a bigger share . ¡­¡­What does everyone think?¡¹ Every just replied silently after Rei asked them for final confirmation . ¡¸Alright, that¡¯s all then . Let¡¯s go find somewhere to transfer the Lemrace . Fortunately, it¡¯s still morning, so we have plenty of time left . ¡¹ Thus, the unique party set out from the city of Emoshion . ¡¸¡­¡­Somebody is following us . ¡¹ About 30 minutes out from Emoshion, Rei suddenly spoke up . ¡¸Who is it?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s not just one or two people . At least 10 or 20 . ¡¹ ¡¸What do we do? Do we wait for them? I don¡¯t know what their goal is, but if we stay here, it will definitely be trouble . ¡¹ Egret asked Rei as he reached for the poleaxe on his back . However, he was hit in the head by Miroir, who was walking behind him . ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid . If we attack them, we¡¯ll be the bad guys . I am absolutely sure they would report to the guild and we¡¯d end with the highest bounty instead of the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸No, but what do we do then? Are we still going to look for a place to transfer the Lemrace to while they are following us? In that situation, we might be interrupted while fighting the Lemrace . And after the fight is over, they might try to take it away from us . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true . That is definitely possible . ¡¹ Hendeka nodded in agreement with Egret¡¯s opinion . ¡¸What do we do then? This time, Rei is leading us, so let him decide . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s not going to be great if they get in our way¡­¡­hm?¡¹ As Rei muttered, he looked back again as if noticing something . Eventually, a smile came to his face . ¡¸Rei? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Thinking that he must have noticed somehting, Egret asked Rei . However, Rei just shook his head with a smile . ¡¸No, we don¡¯t need to worry about it anymore . Well, I guess it makes sense if they just walked around in a large group like that?¡¹ ¡¸Rei?¡¹ Following after Egret, Miroir also asked him the same question . Rei just shrugged his shoulders as he replied . ¡¸You know, I don¡¯t think those guys will be able to continue following us any more . ¡¹ Saying that, they continued moving along to find a place where they could fight the Lemrace . ¡¸Hah-, shit, these Goblins just keep coming at us!¡¹ A long way behind Rei and the others, about 20 people were fighting a group of Goblins . However, most of them were only D rank adventurers with some C ranks among them . There were more Goblins than there were adventurers, but in terms of pure strength, the adventurers should have won . In fact, as their leader saw, they were able to kill most of the Goblins with barely any injuries . If things continued the way there were, they would win without taking any real losses . That was what the leader thought¡­¡­ ¡¸Hii-Hiii-!¡¹ The leader shouted at the cries of the merchants who had hired them . ¡¸You lot shut up and stay out of the way!¡¹ The men, who had received a secret request to steal Rei¡¯s item box, had no choice but to give up on their attempt, at least for today . Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Legend Chapter 327 ¡¸How about here?¡¹ A green clearing, peculiar to this time of the year as the seasons changed from spring to summer, was spread out in front of Egret¡¯s eyes . It was located about 30 minutes away from the highway and there weren¡¯t any people in the area aside from Rei¡¯s group . Seeing the surrounding area, Miroir seemed to agree with Egret . Nodding, she turnd to look at Rei . ¡¸Maybe? I don¡¯t think there should be any problems . It¡¯s away from the highway, so we won¡¯t have to worry about dragging travellers into it . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei nodded as he continued to speak with a smile . ¡¸And here, we won¡¯t have to worry about other adventurers aiming to collect the bounty intruding . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, we definitely won¡¯t need to worry about that, but I¡¯m concerned about how big the Lemrace might be . It¡¯s fine to move it here, but if the monster is big enough that it can be seen from the highway, other people would naturally see it . ¡¹ ¡¸But, even though you say that, it¡¯s the same anywhere else, right? Since we don¡¯t know how big the Lemrace is, we¡¯ll have to consider this place acceptable . ¡¹ While hearing Hendeka¡¯s response to Miroir, Egret turned to look at Rei . ¡¸Well, Rei is the one in charge of all this, so what are your thoughts Rei?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have any particular problems with this place . We¡¯ll continue to look around a bit more after this, but for now, this is the most likely location . ¡¹ Rei was satisfied with the location . It was located far from the road and wasn¡¯t easy to find . Considering the surrounding area was grassland, it would work in favour of Set and Shen, who could attack from the sky . ¡¸I had considered the possibility of intruders, but I don¡¯t think that will be a problem . ¡¹ Rei nodded as he thought of the group from earlier . In the end, the group had been attacked by monster and didn¡¯t continue following them, so he wasn¡¯t particularly worried . However, it wasn¡¯t a mistake to consider countermeasures against such people as the same thing might not happen next time and they might be targeted again after today . ¡¸That said, those guys are probably aiming for my item box, so I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll try to interfere in a fight against the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In that case, why did you go out of your way to use your item box in the city?¡¹ Miroir asked in a somewhat dumbfounded manner . However, Rei just shrugged his shoulders as he replied . ¡¸It would be stupid to be scared of using such a convenient magic item . If I was going to do that, I might as well not use it from the beginning . At the very least, I don¡¯t want to have to use a magic item that I have to be careful and scared using every time . ¡¹ ¡¸But, a group of them might come to try and take it from you?¡¹ ¡¸Then I just have to give them what they deserve . ¡¹ Saying that much, Rei gave a grin . (However, there¡¯s a high chance they¡¯ll just end up getting attacked by monsters like the group from before . ) Since what Rei was mostly looking for were magic stones, he would often go to dangerous places to complete requests . Since others couldn¡¯t attack him in a city¡¯s streets, if they wanted his item box, they would have to go to wherever Rei was . It was obvious what would happen then . Even if they could defeat any monsters that attacked them, they would soon realise with regret that there was a reason Rei had a title if they tried putting their hands on him or Set . And if they tried other means to get to him, Rei was under the protection of Daska, Margrave Rowlocks . If anyone ignored everything to still try to get him, Rei¡¯s last resort would be to leave . In the end, the Mireana Kingdom would lose a C rank rare talent, the A rank Griffon that followed him as well as his item box . ¡¸Woah, Rei has a scary look on his face . ¡¹ Seeing the look on Rei¡¯s face, Egret hurriedly spoke with surprise as he tried to divert the topic . ¡¸Anyway, why don¡¯t we continue looking for places to transfer the Lemrace to . If we find any place better, we¡¯ll use that as the place to fight it . ¡¹ Both Miroir and Hendeka didn¡¯t understand what had happened . They just followed after Rei without asking anything, along side Egret, Set and Shen, who was on Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Ahh, in the end we couldn¡¯t find anywhere better than the first spot . ¡¹ As the sun started to set, Egret¡¯s dull words echoed along the highway . Behind Egret, the rest of the group nodded as they walked . ¡¸Well, we were limited to places near Emoshion . It was inevitable that it would narrow our choices significantly . Rather than that, we should consider our strategy . How much time do you all need to prepare?¡¹ The first person to answer Rei was Egret . ¡¸I¡¯m always ready¡­¡­even right now . ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re stupid you know¡­¡­we can¡¯t just start now . Ah, I¡¯ve got to buy some potions and maintain my weapons, so I should be ready after tomorrow . What about Hendeka?¡¹ ¡¸U-Um, that¡¯s right . Aside from Shen, I¡¯ll be using a bow, right? Then I would like some time to buy a bow and some arrows and maybe just pratice a little bit . ¡¹ Aside from being the weakest one, Hendeka also had some anxiety after being asked to use a bow at short notice, so he asked Rei if he could have some time to practice . Seeing Hendeka react like that, Rei asked a question that he had just thought of . ¡¸By the way, have you ever used a bow?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . When I was back at my village, I used one to go hunting several times, so I have some pratice with it . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡­¡­Then, I¡¯d like you to pratice for a day to get back into shape . We¡¯ll deal with the Lemrace the day after tomorrow . Does anyone have any other thoughts?¡¹ The three of them nodded silently at Rei¡¯s question without any objections . Seeing them nod like that, Set and Shen also nodded, which gave everyone a warm feeling . ¡¸Alright, then it¡¯s decided . Each of you will get ready tomorrow . We¡¯ll assemble at the guild at 9am the day after tomorrow . ¡¹ ¡¸Fufufu~ . We¡¯re finally fighting the Lemrace . I wonder how strong it is . I¡¯m looking forward to it . ¡¹ ¡¸Haah, why am I even following this guy? But, if I¡¯m not there, he¡¯ll probably just run wild and cause trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸Fuuu~¡­¡­haaa~¡­¡­calm down, calm down . First of all, I have to pratice with a bow tomorrow so that I can play as active a role as I can . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ ¡¸Kiki!¡¹ As the rest of them aside from Rei regained their energy, Set turned to Shen on his back and seemed to say something, to which Shen replied . Seeing them act like that, Rei realised that he had become less tense about having to do the most crucial part of the plan¡­¡­when something suddenly caught his eye and stopped him in his tracks . ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Egret asked after seeing Rei stop . But Rei just stared at one point without answering . Seeing the large amount of red scattered on the road, Rei nodded as if convinced of something as he looked towards Egret . ¡¸No, it seems like there was a large fight that happened a bit further ahead . ¡¹ ¡¸Enemies!?¡¹ ¡¸You idiot! He said that it had already happened . I mean, in the first place, you can¡¯t hear any shouting, so the fight must definitely be over . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh . That¡¯s true . Well, I haven¡¯t moved my body around today, so it would have been just right if there were monsters . ¡¹ ¡¸Wow, as expected of a B rank adventurer, Egret-san . You have a completely different way of thinking than me . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess you¡¯re right . Hendeka, if you ever reach a higher rank like me¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t teach him wrong things!¡¹ Angered by Egret¡¯s behaviour, Miroir cracked her whip at the ground near Egret with a loud snap . ¡¸Hendeka, this kind of muscle brain is very rare among B ranks . He¡¯s just a special one . ¡¹ ¡¸I-I see¡­¡­is that so?¡¹ At Miroir¡¯s words, Hendeka had a somewhat happy¡­¡­yet regretful expression at the same time . As he watched the exchanges between the three of them, Rei continued to move forward until they eventually reached the spot covered in blood . ¡¸Hey, there definitely was a big fight here . From the amount of blood, there must have been at least 40 people on both sides?¡¹ Egret muttered as he looked around . Those who had fought here had been careful to not let any of the corpses become undead . Whether it was fire magic or just fire, there were traces of dead monsters and people being burnt a short distance away from the road . (Well, if they left the dead bodies here and they turned into undead, who knows what kind of penalty the people who left the bodies here would face . Especially the ones who were following us . It looks like they¡¯re hiding something in the dark . ) Muttering to himself, Rei looked around with Egret . ¡¸It looks like a group of Goblins attacked them . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah . ¡¹ Egret spoke as he turned towards a Goblin¡¯s arm, which seemed to have been missed after it was killed . Rei nodded as well . ¡¸Goblins, if they were adventurers who were gathered in the city, it shouldn¡¯t have been too big of a threat¡­¡­ . that is what I would have expected, but¡­¡­¡¹ Egret spoke again . This time, he was looking at a sword which had broken in the middle of the blade . It must have been left by one of the adventurers who had been fighting here . Egret frowned his eyebrows as it saw it . ¡¸Judging from the condition of the sword, which had barely any rust, it had probably belonged to an adventurer . In that case, it seemed like the adventurers had also suffered some losses . Would such proud adventurers who had come here for the Lemrace lose to Goblins?¡¹ ¡¸In that case, could there have been a high ranking or rare species?¡¹ Miroir asked, but Egret shook his head . ¡¸No, there was probably something dragging them down . Look around the road . The fight looks like it was gathered around one place, as if they were protecting something . ¡¹ Even though Miroir called him a muscle brain and a fighting maniac, he was still a B rank adventurer who could judge what had happened based on footprints and traces of battle around the road . No, rather, maybe he was able to see that because he was a fighting maniac . ¡¸Well, now that you say that, that was definitely the case . Anyhow, the people who had fought here were the ones who had been following us right? In a sense, they got what they deserved . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? I-Is that really okay?¡¹ Hendeka asked somewhat timidly, but not just Miroir, even Egret and Rei nodded in response . ¡¸Whatever happened to the people who were following us, they deserved it . If they were just adventurers who were hired to escort someone and not those who were targeting us, then it¡¯s just normal adventurer work to have to fight Goblins . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei started to head back towards Emoshion . Hendeka followed after him without saying anything further . Returning to Emoshion, the group parted ways after agreeing to meet in front of the guild at 9am the day after . Shen, who had been riding on Set¡¯s back, was reluctant to part and resisted to the very end . However, Rei found it impressive that Shen eventually left after making a sad cry, probably because he didn¡¯t want to be left behind by Hendeka . Aside from Rei, Miroir also had a bright smile on her face when she saw that . ¡¸Well, if we¡¯re taking out the Lemrace the day after tomorrow, then we will only be working with each other for a few more days . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei sat down on his bed in his room at the Blue Sea Coral inn . Rei had wanted to go to sleep right after he finished eating, but he couldn¡¯t do that as he took out his crystal orb from the Misty Ring and started to pour magic power into it . Eventually, a skull with a crown was projected onto the crystal . ¡ºHm? Oh, it¡¯s Rei? Since you¡¯re contacting me, I assume you¡¯re ready to deal with the Lemrace?¡» ¡¸That¡¯s right . It¡¯s not that detailed, but I¡¯ve come up with a plan . So about forcibly transferring the Lemrace¡­¡­are you fine with the morning after tomorrow?¡¹ ¡ºHmm, the morning the day after tomorrow . ¡­¡­That¡¯s fine . Do you mind if I join you when you head out to sea?¡» ¡¸It would be a great help . After that, I¡¯d like you to transfer the Lemrace¡­¡­all you need is to be able to see where it has to go, right?¡¹ Whether it was spatial magic or spatial sorcery, Rei couldn¡¯t use it, as he was only suited to fire magic . Because of that, he asked Grimm, who nodded back with laughter . ¡ºWell . I¡¯m not too worried about that . When I use spatial magic, I have a technique that allows me to move it to the place you are thinking of in your mind . ¡» ¡¸Oh, you can do that with spatial magic?¡¹ Listening to Grimm, Rei spoke unthinkingly at the convenience of spatial magic . However, Grimm just laughed in response . ¡ºHohoho~ . Of course, it isn¡¯t possible for an ordinary mage . Although I may not be the best user of dark magic, I have still studied for thousands of years . Hmm? Oh, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m in the middle of an experiment right now . I can¡¯t talk for too long . Well, I¡¯ll meet with you off the coast of Emoshion the morning after tomorrow . ¡» Saying that, Grimm¡¯s figure disappeared from the orb . Rei returned his orb back into the Misty Ring and lay down on his bed as he thought about the fight that would take place the day after tomorrow . Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Legend Chapter 328 The seasons were changing from spring to summer and the sunlight was still strong despite it still being in the morning . In the midst of all this, an adventurer made his way through the city of Emoshion . He wore leather armour that focused on mobility and a scabbard with a sword hung from his waist . From this perspective, he might be mistaken for an ordinary warrior who was slightly more timid than the rest . However someone looked up, they would have been surprised . That was because an Icebird, over 1m in size, was flying after him leisurely . But of course, few people looked up and so few saw the Icebird flying in the sky . A few city guards watched on, but as the Icebird had been registered by the guild, they had nothing to say and remained silent . There were also some who were lost in their thoughts as they saw the friendly Icebird, Shen, flying through the sky . Anyhow, with his Icebird flying above him, Hendeka ran through the city towards his destination . Even though it was lighter than most other armour, he was indeed an adventurer to be able to keep running in leather armour . Continuing to run through the city, he soon saw the building he was after before long . It was a store that had been recommended to him by the owner of the inn he was staying in, one of the many weapon stores in Emoshion . ¡¸Please give me a bow!¡¹ Hendeka shouted out as soon as he entered the store . At his shout, several adventurers inside the store as well as the store manager, a middle-aged man in his 40¡¯s, suddenly turned to look at Hendeka . Before long, Hendeka realised that everyone was looking at him . With a red face, he approached the manager at the counter . ¡¸Pardon me, but could you please give me a bow?¡¹ ¡¸Yes? Oh, of course, this is our business after all¡­¡­what¡¯s your budget?¡¹ ¡¸Um, that¡¯s right . About 3 silver coins . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­At that price, you can¡¯t really buy much, you know?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s fine . It¡¯s okay for now as long as it will last for a single fight . Aside from the bow, I¡¯d also like some arrows . ¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re a business, so selling more is always good . Give me a minute . ¡¹ Saying that, the store manager went behind the counter . Seeing him leave, Hendeka became aware that the other adventurers in the store were still looking at him . Remembering his earlier actions, his face went red with shame until the manager came back with a bow and arrows . ¡¸¡­¡­Now then . I embarrassed myself, but at least I managed to get a bow and some arrows . I have to get my feel back for the bow right away . ¡¹ ¡¸Kikyi!¡¹ In a training area beneath the guild building, which was built in the middle of the port city, Hendeka muttered to himself as he held his bow and looked around . Next to him, Shen gave a cry as if to cheer him on . ¡¸That said, this is a guild in a port city . I didn¡¯t think that there would be an area for practising archery here . ¡¹ There might have been many reasons why bows would be an effective means of attacking pirates as well as monsters in the sea, but the guild in Emoshion had a specialised training area for bows . While it wasn¡¯t any fancy, it still existed . Drawing his bow and aiming at a target, which seemed to have been created using earth magic, Hendeka shot an arrow . The arrow flew out with a whistle as it tore through the air, heading straight for the dirt dummy target¡­¡­and hitting it¡¯s right foot . ¡¸Hmm, I haven¡¯t used one in a long time so my skills have dulled . ¡¹ With a sigh, he notched another arrow and drew his bow again . The sound of an arrow tearing through the air was heard again, but only the target¡¯s left arm was hit . Even though he had used a bow to hunt since he had been a kid, he still hadn¡¯t touched a bow for years, so it was natural for his skills to have dulled . No, rather, it should be said that Hendeka had some talent for archery if he was still able to hit a target after using a bow for the first time in years . After that, he continued drawing the bow he had bought and shot arrow after arrow . Before long, when all the arrows he had bought for just practising had been used up, the earthen target at the end of Hendeka¡¯s line of sight had be filled with arrows . At a glance, it looked like a hedgehog with spikes all over its body . Some arrows were stuck in the target¡¯s head or in the centre of its body . However, Hendeka knew that those were almost accidental . Pulling them out of the dirt, he went back to his original position . ¡¸Kyi, kikiki!¡¹ Shen gave a cry to cheer on his master as other adventurers who were also practising their archery simply looked at Hendeka in admiration as he continued to practice . ¡¸Is this the right kind of potion?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t know how strong the Lemrace is, so I think it would be better to be safer . According to what Rei told us, the only thing we know so far is that it can use water spears? If we force transfer it onto land, it might still be able to use water magic or its own specific abilities, even if it is not at its full power . Still, it should definitely be less powerful than fighting it in the sea . ¡¹ Two adventurers walked along the street of Emoshion under the fine weather . One of the was Egret, with his poleaxe on his back, while the other was Miroir, his partner . Taking on the role of holding down the Lemrace in tomorrow¡¯s battle, they were currently shopping for supplies that they might need in the fight . ¡¸What else do we need?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a sea monster right? Then it might use paralysis or poison, so we should get antidotes . Look, you¡¯ve fought that giant turtle monster on beaches before, haven¡¯t you?¡¹ Thinking back at Miroir¡¯s words, Egret soon remembered . ¡¸Ahh, that tough one . I had a hard time killing it . As soon as it got dangerous for itself, it would pull its limbs inside its shell and spray poison everywhere . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s the one . That time those fisherman asked us to fight C rank monster and didn¡¯t pay us much . Similar to that monster, the Lemrace might also use poison . We should be prepared to deal with that . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Speaking of which, don¡¯t the fishermen around here have any issues with monsters?¡¹ ¡¸I guess they¡¯re fine? Now that there a lot of adventurers in the city, due to the Lemrace, if anything happened, subjugation requests would be put out . And in the first place, fishermen are able to deal with some monsters themselves . It¡¯s rare for something like that 2m turtle monster to come close to shore¡­¡­otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to survive as fishermen in the first place . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . ¡¹ Egret¡¯s shoulders fell after hearing Miroir¡¯s explanation . To Egret, the more chances to fight, the better it was . Even if they were already going to be fighting a monster like the Lemrace tomorrow . As the two of them talked, looking into weapon and accessory shops along the way, Egret frowned unpleasantly . ¡¸Egret?¡¹ As soon as Miroir noticed Egret¡¯s strange behaviour, she saw him look towards a narrow alleyway on the side of the road¡­¡­to be exact, he was looking towards 5 men standing beside the alleyway . The men didn¡¯t seem to care even though Egret noticed that they were watching them . Even when Egret looked straight at them, they didn¡¯t make any particular moves¡­¡­rather, they just looked back provocatively . Egret and Miroir didn¡¯t know, but those were five adventurers who were part of the group that had fought off the horde of Goblins on the highway the day before . They were also from the same party that had used gold to buy a ship that ended up being sunk by the Lemrace as they tried to use Rei as a decoy . However, it had been less than five days since Egret and Miroir had arrived at Emoshion, so they didn¡¯t know anything about these adventurers . Similarly, unfortunately for them, the men also didn¡¯t know that the people they were trying to pick a fight with were B rank adventurers . ¡¸Hah, seriously¡­¡­don¡¯t take too long . ¡¹ While chasing after Egret, who was moving towards the men, Miroir touched the whip at her waist, ready to swing it at any time . ¡¸You¡¯ve been watching us for a while, aren¡¯t you going to do anything?¡¹ At Egret¡¯s question, a bearded man who seemed to be the leader of the group spoke with a crude smile . ¡¸Ahh, there¡¯s something we¡¯d like to tell you . Why don¡¯t you come over to this alley for a minute?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, why not . It will save us both a lot of trouble . ¡¹ An ordinary man might have been frightened by the rough presence the adventurers had around them . Even low ranked adventurers might have felt the same . However, Egret loved to fight, and at the same time, didn¡¯t think too deeply about things, leading his partner to call him a muscle brain . Because of that, while it was clearly an invitation with bad intentions, he followed after the men with a fierce smile . Walking along, they soon reached a dead end . The bearded leader turned to face him while the rest of the adventurers started to surround them to prevent them from escaping . ¡¸So, now that we¡¯re all set, let¡¯s hear it . What did you want to tell me?¡¹ ¡¸What, it¡¯s a simple story . I want you to call out that little brat of an adventurer Rei . Call him here . Oh, without his tamed Griffon of course . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, could it be that you¡¯re jealous that he¡¯s the only person able to continue making money right now?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Shut up . Now that our ship was sunk, we¡¯re running out of time . I¡¯m certain that Rei is hiding something . Whatever the case, it doesn¡¯t matter, call him here . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you know, what do you plan to do after getting him to come here? Rei is a C rank adventurer with a title you know? There¡¯s no way you¡¯d be able to handle someone like that, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ ¡¸Hah, as if he¡¯d be a problem if he didn¡¯t have his Griffon!¡¹ Rei hadn¡¯t made his name through his own strength, but because of his Griffon, Set . Anyone who saw Rei might misjudge him due to his short height and delicate body that wasn¡¯t very warrior like as well as his robe, which made him look like an apprentice mage . However, even those that misjudged him would soon realise their assumptions were wrong after seeing Rei fight . (¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not true . These guys just seem to think their own convenient imagination is the truth . In fact, if they saw that big scythe that Rei uses, I don¡¯t think they would be feeling as comfortable . ) Miroir¡¯s assessment of the adventurers surrounding her and Egret dropped by several notches as she called out to Egret . ¡¸Go ahead and do it . However, we don¡¯t want to make too much noise, so leave it at fractures . ¡¹ ¡¸Sure!¡¹ With a fierce smile on his face, Egret didn¡¯t extend his hand out to the poleaxe on his back¡­¡­but clenched his fist and threw a straight punch instead . A few minutes later, city residents spotted a few adventurers were seen stumbling out of the back alley with several fractured bones . ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s call, Set flapped his wings and tilted his body . A moment later, the tip of a water spear flew past where Set had just been . However, the Lemrace seemed to have predicted that and nearly 10 more water spears appeared, attacking Set from all sides, as if to surround him . ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ With Rei¡¯s shout, he swung the Death Scythe and sliced apart several water spears attempting to surround Set . ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ Not missing the gap in the net of attacks, Set flapped his wings greatly and broke through . ¡¸Phew, when I see it do the same thing over and over again, I wonder if it doesn¡¯t have that many ways to attack or if it¡¯s just stupid¡­¡­I still don¡¯t know what is causing it to focus its attacks against Set . ¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he watched a ship leave the port before he turned his attention back to the surroundings . ¡¸I¡¯ve turned down any requests for tomorrow just in case . As long as I can make it through today¡­¡­it should be fine . ¡¹ Rei muttered to himself again as he watched 10 more water spears appear . Thus, everyone¡¯s day of preparation passed for the decisive battle tomorrow . Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Legend Chapter 329 The day of battle . The sun had come out in full brightness and the sunlight poured down as if to cheer on Rei and the others . The last few days had been good weather, but today was the best yet . ¡¸It¡¯s still morning, but it¡¯s already this hot . ¡¹ Miroir glared at the sun with a fed up expression, which continued shine down strongly . ¡¸Well that¡¯s how it is, Miroir-san . If you consider that this is a port city though, it should be a lot more comfortable with the sea breeze than further inland . ¡¹ Aside from his usual sword, Hendeka carried a bow and quiver of arrows as he told Miroir to just accept the situation . ¡¸It might be cooler with the sea breeze, but it¡¯s not enough to ignore the heat . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm? This heat isn¡¯t that bad . Rather, I¡¯m feeling great because I can finally fight the Lemrace . Especially since my opponents yesterday were too weak and I¡¯ve built up too much stress . I would really like to loosen up my body before fighting the Lemrace . ¡¹ Miroir gave a sigh at Egret¡¯s wish that monsters would suddenly attack them as they walked along the road . ¡¸Seriously, you . Why do you suddenly feel so motivated when it comes to fighting the Lemrace? ¡­¡­Oh, because you¡¯re Egret . ¡¹ ¡¸Exactly!¡¹ Those words could have been taken as an insult, but for some reason, Egret just smiled as he threw out his chest with pride . ¡¸Was there something to fight yesterday? I didn¡¯t hear anything about the city being attacked by monsters?¡¹ Hendeka asked, not knowing what had happened yesterday . However, Miroir just went up to him with a smile as she stroked his cheek . ¡¸Hendeka, there are some things that you shouldn¡¯t need know, you know?¡¹ ¡¸Y-YYYY-Yes!¡¹ Hendeka¡¯s cheeks went bright red in embarrassment and shame at her sudden action . To Hendeka, although Miroir was less than five years older than him, she was a B rank adventurer who was even higher up than Rei in a sense . In addition, Miroir had decent features . If such a good looking woman approached him so closely that cheek to cheek contact was possible, it wasn¡¯t surprising for Hendeka, who wasn¡¯t used to such interactions, to get into a fluster . ¡¸E-Egret-san¡­¡­¡¹ In order to break out of the current situation, Hendeka called out to Egret for help . However, for some reason, Egret just happily held Shen up in one of his arms as he fed him some dried meat he had taken out from his pouch . ¡¸Kyi, kikiki!¡¹ Shen ate the dried meat it was given and gave a cry in a happy mood . (Ah, I¡¯m fine . ) When he saw what was happening, Hendeka thought that in his mind . There was no way that Hendeka would have been able to support Shen on one of his arms . No, rather, he could hold Shen up for a minute, but it would be impossible to do so for much longer . That was why Hendeka felt a sense of envy when he saw Egret hold Shen up on his arm as if were nothing . ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s wrong? Already can¡¯t handle Miroir? I¡¯m sorry, but she can be difficult to deal with . I can help you out a bit as long as I don¡¯t get hurt¡­¡­¡¹ Miroir swung her whip to interrupt Egret¡¯s words as the sound of the tip striking the ground echoed out . ¡¸Egret, if you¡¯re looking for a fight, I¡¯m more than happy to give you one . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­My bad . Miroir is a very wonderful woman and you should really try to understand her charms . ¡¹ As expected, Egret didn¡¯t dare disobey Miroir, who usually took care of everything he found to difficult, and immediately changed his words . In fact, there were many things that Egret would find inconvenient if he had to work separately from Miroir . In some sense, it could be because he recognised himself as a muscle brain . ¡¸A-Ahahaha . That¡¯s right . Miroir-san is definitely an attractive person . ¡¹ Seeing that, all Hendeka could do was mumble out something to cover up the situation . As they continued talking with each other, they finally arrived at the clearing that they and Rei had chosen to fight the Lemrace at . ¡¸Well, all that¡¯s left is to wait for Rei to use his magic item and move the Lemrace here . ¡¹ ¡¸You know though, that¡¯s a ridiculous magic item to be able to forcefully transfer an attacking enemy . ¡¹ ¡¸That just shows how strong of an enemy the Lemrace is . In fact, a monster that could attack from nowhere and not be seen would be impossible to deal with without such a crazy magic item . Moreover¡­¡­¡¹ Egret looked puzzled as Miroir stopped talking after speaking up to that point . Hendeka was probably also confused . He called out to Miroir with a concerned expression . ¡¸Miroir-san?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m probably just imagining things . Anyway, the task we were given was to hold the Lemrace here until Rei arrives . ¡¹ Seeing her partner¡¯s dissatisfied expression, she continued with a sigh . ¡¸If we can kill it before Rei gets here that¡¯s fine, but otherwise, we should keep attacking it to stop the Lemrace from leaving here¡­¡­speaking of which . ¡¹ The space above them opened into a 10m sized eye¡­¡­or mouth . Beyond the opening, they could see the bottom of the see . Strangely enough, although the space was connected to the bottom of the see, no seawater fell from the space crack . The three of them were momentarily caught off guard at the unimaginable sight . In the end, it was Egret, who was most looking forward to fighting the Lemrace, who was the first to recollect himself . ¡¸It¡¯s here, prepare for battle! Hendeka, back up and cover us with your bow! Shen, hold it down from the sky . Miroir, attack from short range as usual . I¡¯m going in to smack it!¡¹ At Egret¡¯s instructions, Hendeka fell back with his bow in a hurry as Shen flew up into the sky . Miroir readied her whip as usual while Egret took his poleaxe off his back . Each of them readied themselves to fight at any time . Suddenly, something fell from the space rift, making a loud sound as it hit the ground . The three of them were shaken by the earthquake like impact . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ Was it Hendeka or Miroir who said that? Those words were mixed with fear and awe as both of them held intense expressions on their faces . Only Egret looked at the fallen monster with a fierce smile . But even he was unable to stop cold sweat from forming when he saw what it was . The monster was large and long . Maybe due to the danger it felt after hitting the ground, a purple liquid was being secreted from its body . It was close to 30m in length and had a body so thick that it would take 5 large men to wrap their arms around it . Its mouth took up half its face and numerous sharp fangs extended past it . At first, fear showed in its eyes, but it soon turned to anger . That was proof that the huge monster in front of them had a certain level of wisdom and intelligence . ¡¸A Sea Serpent? No, it¡¯s size and shape is very different . ¡¹ Miroir muttered in bewilderment, but soon reached an answer . ¡¸In other words, it¡¯s a high ranking or rare species of Sea Serpent!?¡¹ Sea Serpents . Normally, they were a C rank monster, not exceeding 10m in length and 3m in circumference . No poisonous purple liquid could be secreted from their bodies and their teeth were only as big as their mouth . And above all, they relied purely on instinct and had no real wisdom or intelligence . ¡¸It¡¯s not good for such a big catch to show up . Sea Serpents are considered C or B rank when in water . This one is clearly at least B rank no matter how you look at it . In the worst case, it might even be A rank . ¡¹ This was the monster known as the Lemrace, which previously had never been seen before . Miroir desperately scraped her will to fight together as the monster glared at them threateningly, talking rapidly as she tried to stop her body from trembling . At Miroir¡¯s fast explanation, Hendeka, who was only a D rank adventurer, could only give a small nod . He had already forgotten the what had been said just a few seconds ago as he was lost in the giant presence before him . If his state of mind had continued for several more seconds, Hendeka might have given up without being able to do anything more . But¡­¡­ ¡¸UOOOOOOH-! B rank would be the same rank as us . There¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t deal with! Besides, our job is to just hold it here until Rei arrives . I¡¯m not scared!¡¹ Shouting as if to rouse himself¡­¡­no, shouting to rid himself of his own fear, Egret gave cry as he struck the Sea Serpent with his poleaxe . Returning to reality, Miroir swung her whip while Hendeka drew back his bow, despite his trembling . ¡¸Kyi, kikikiki-!¡¹ Even Shen, who was flying in the sky, attacked the monster which made it seem insignificant in comparison . All to protect Hendeka, his beloved master . ¡¸SHAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ However, the Sea Serpent simply sat there as it took all their attacks . ¡¸UOOOOOOH-!¡¹ The blade of Egret¡¯s poleaxe, which was swung with a loud shout and great force, slipped on the purple liquid the moment it touched the Sea Serpent¡¯s skin, deflecting it and causing an uncomfortable feeling in Egret¡¯s hands as the blade started to visibly corrode . At the same time, an arrow shot by Hendeka slid off in another direction without piercing the Sea Serpent¡¯s skin as soon as it touched the purple liquid . The only weapon causing any real damage was Miroir¡¯s whip . The moment the whip¡¯s tip struck it¡¯s skin, the snap back would pass the impact into the Sea Serpent¡¯s body . However, it wasn¡¯t possible for a whip to cause significant damage to a monster with a body over 30m in length . Instead, it only served to draw the Sea Serpent¡¯s attention . ¡¸Hey¡­¡­I don¡¯t know how to deal with this¡­¡­¡¹ Miroir murmured to herself as the Sea Serpent¡¯s eyes looked towards her . From now until Rei arrival, the three of them would be locked into a desperate strugle . Going back in time, as Rei and Set were still flying over the coast of Emoshion . Reaching a point far enough from the city that the port was only a dot, Rei looked around before speaking . ¡¸Grimm, it¡¯s about time isn¡¯t it? Fortunately, I haven¡¯t been attacked by the Lemrace yet, but I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be long . Before that happens, I¡¯d like to ask you to move it . ¡¹ ¡ºHmm, that¡¯s true . It¡¯s hard to stay under the sun for long . At the very least, it would have been better if there were clouds around . ¡» Rei gave a small gasp as Grimm somehow appeared floating next to Set without him noticing anything . He had called out to Grimm, but Rei hadn¡¯t actually expected him to appear so suddenly . ¡ºHohoho, don¡¯t be surprised . Since I had agreed to meet here, I was ready to start at any time . ¡» ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so? Or should I say, as expected . ¡¹ Maybe only a Lich who had lived for such a long time would have been able to appear without him or Set noticing anything . While convincing himself in his mind, he calmed Set down by stroking his neck, who was a bit spooked after Grimm had showed up like that . Grimm smiled at the two of them, though neither Rei or Set were aware of it due to his skeletal face . However, he was still uncomfortable due to the sunlight that continuously burned him . If Rei and Set were as calm as they usually were, they would have noticed something black slowly leaking out of Grimm¡¯s body . For a Lich, sunlight was the same as poison . Even if Grimm had lived for so long, it didn¡¯t make a difference . Even as he spoke, he was still burning, albeit very slowly . ¡ºWell then, there¡¯s no time to waste . Let us get started . ¡» Muttering that, Grimm started focusing his magic power . Right here, the magic of Grimm, who had lived for thousands of years, was about to appear . Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Legend Chapter 330 ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei and Set both gasped after seeing Grimm suddenly appear next to them . Rei didn¡¯t have the ability to sense magic power . But even so, the massive amount of magic power that Grimm had gave Rei an uncomfortable feeling as he stood beside them . ¡ºFirst, let¡¯s look for the Lemrace, which should be around here somewhere . ¡» Grimm murmured as he waved his arm, covered by a magnificent robe . Rei didn¡¯t notice it, but as Grimm waved his arm, he released his magic power into the sea . If Rei could see the way Grimm¡¯s magic power spread out in a ring around him, it would have reminded him of the sonar pulse of a submarine . ¡ºHmm, looks like this fellow here is the so called Lemrace . It seems to have noticed me and is trying to escape¡­¡­but it¡¯s a bit too late . ¡­¡­Ah, caught it . ¡» Grimm captured the location of the Lemrace with his magic pulse as easily as if he were picking a stone off the ground . Even after been attacked by the Lemrace many times¡­¡­ever since Rei had arrived in Emoshion to be exact, he had been unable to find the Lemrace . This was the proof of the difference between Grimm and Rei purely in terms of magic . ¡ºOh, interesting . ¡­¡­From its appearance, it looks like a Sea Serpent . Is it a rare species or a high ranking species? ¡­¡­No, should I consider it a completely new species? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen something like this . Don¡¯t run away . ¡» Rei listened closely to what Grimm was saying, hoping to get any information about the Lemrace . (Sea Serpent? I understand now . I had imagined it to be a Kraken or something, but I was thinking in the wrong direction . Rather than swimming near the bottom of the sea, it was actually moving along the seabed . ) ¡ºHmm, I see what you mean . It seems to have some interesting abilities . It¡¯s understandable why you couldn¡¯t find it easily . ¡» ¡¸Grimm?¡¹ ¡ºThis monster you called a Lemrace¡­¡­no, let¡¯s leave it at that for now . For a monster at this level, it shouldn¡¯t be necessary to tell the successor of Zepairu-sama anything . For the sake of your own training, I won¡¯t give you any more information . Rather¡­¡­are you ready?¡» Rei nodded with a slight frown at Grimm¡¯s meaningful words . This was because Rei had realised he wouldn¡¯t be able to get any more information out of Grimm, even if he kept listening . At the same time, Set directed a sharp look towards the sea, ready to deal with anything that might happen . Glancing towards the two of them with a smile, Grimm moved his right hand, which was fitted with various magic rings and bracelets, towards the sea¡¯s surface . ¡ºWell then, let¡¯s get started . ¡» Saying that, Grimm muttered several short incantations as he focused his magic power . It was only a single action, but the sea was torn asunder by it . A spatial rift tore the sea apart for several kilometres . Still, the fact that there was no sign of the sea water flowing into the spatial crack just went to show how high Grimm¡¯s skill was in spatial magic . ¡ºIt¡¯s no use trying to escape . It¡¯s impossible for a creature like you to escape from my magic . ¡» Grimm laughed with a smile as he started to transfer the Lemrace . However, the Lemrace itself couldn¡¯t be seen on the seabed from the sky . Regardless, Grimm called out to Rei, who continued to stare into the sea without giving up . ¡ºRei, the sea floor has already been connected to the place you told me last night . The Lemrace is rampaging desperately, but it¡¯s just a matter of time . You can head over there whenever you want . ¡» ¡¸Okay . Honestly, I wish you could have transferred me there with spatial magic as well . ¡¹ ¡ºBut you were the one who didn¡¯t want to do that, no? To make your cover story that you used a magic item to transfer the Lemrace more believable . ¡» ¡¸I know . ¡­¡­So, I¡¯ll be leaving then . I¡¯ll leave it to you, Grimm . ¡¹ ¡ºMm, leave it to me . You should fight alongside Set to your fullest . ¡» Nodding at Grimm¡¯s words, Rei pulled the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring as he stroked Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Well then, Set . The Lemrace that has been attacking us all this time is finally out . All that¡¯s left is to kill it . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a loud cry to show his fighting spirit . Set was usually quite mild tempered, but it seemed that even he had his own thoughts about the matter after being one-sidedly attacked by the Lemrace for so long . Flapping his wings vigorously, he flew towards the battlefield that they had agreed on with Miroir¡¯s group in advance . For a moment, many people in Emoshion wondered if something bad had happened, but when they looked out to sea, they couldn¡¯t see anything special happening and just went back to their own work . However, the guards, who had been bothered many times by the adventurers who had gathered in the city, were an exception . There were also the few mages who could sense magic power, of which many fell into a state of panic after sensing the amount of magic power used in Grimm¡¯s spatial magic . Rei¡¯s magic power was already overwhelming, and now there was possibly another person with the same level of magic power, at least as far as the limit of what they were able to sense . When the upper echelons of the guards learned of this, they had a bitter expression but all breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that there was no direct damage to the city . On the other hand, the adventurers took a different action than the city¡¯s guards and residents . Those who felt Rei and Grimm¡¯s magic power walked out of the guild and their inns to see what was going on . Seeing that, the other adventurers followed after them . As a result, though it was located a fair distance away from Emoshion, they still saw a monster fall from the sky . It was the massive body of the Lemrace, a monster well known for it¡¯s bounty and the disaster it had brought to Emoshion . They didn¡¯t know it was the Lemrace, but weighing up the danger and the possible profit, many adventurers still rushed out of the city . Many adventurers had already given up on killing the Lemrace and had long since left Emoshion . In turn, this caused many other adventurers to give up as well and leave . However, it also sparked the greed of others who didn¡¯t want to give up on the bounty as well as those who had run out of money after arriving at Emoshion and had no means to travel to other cities . Furthermore, the fact that Rei, who had recently earned a large sum of money by attracting the attention of the Lemrace for various ship owners and captains, was flying towards the massive monster, was likely a major factor in the adventurers¡¯ decision . In other words, if they followed Rei, money would likely be waiting for them at their destination . In the past, the problem was that those who didn¡¯t have a ship wouldn¡¯t have been able to follow Rei out to sea even if they wanted to . However, this time, Rei was heading inland, so the his destination wasn¡¯t a problem . Because of that, a large number of adventurers left Emoshion and followed straight in the direction that Set had flown towards . Adventurer parties which had a carriage rode in a carriage . Those who had horses rode their horses . The people who didn¡¯t quickly negotiated with the city¡¯s residents . Those who couldn¡¯t ran on their own feet . Each of them, whether for greed or honour headed towards the direction Set had been flying in . That is to say, to the place where the massive monster had appeared . After passing through Emoshion, Rei flew towards his destination on Set, knowing that many of the adventurers in the city would following after him towards the location of the decisive battle . However, his expression grew serious when he saw the monster at the end of his line of sight . Considering that the 30m long Lemrace was visible from the ground in Emoshion as it fell to the ground, there was no way that Rei, who was flying in the sky, would miss it . The reason why Rei looked at the Lemrace like that was because he could see it start to thrash around . In other words, it was proof that people were starting to fight it, and the only people who could be fighting it right now were Egret, Miroir and Hendeka . ¡¸Set, hurry up . I didn¡¯t think that such a large monster would show up . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set responded to Rei¡¯s shout with a loud cry as he flapped his wings faster . Thanks to that, their speed increased as they approached the giant body of the Lemrace . With a deep breath, Rei grasped the Death Scythe as he started to focus his magic power . He started to cast his magic as he prepared to deal a strong blow on his arrival . ¡ºFire, your power is my power . With my magic power, burn the enemy at my command . You are a fire that spreads fire . With my magic power, grow in power . ¡» As Rei cast his magic, 10 fireballs appeared around the Death Scythe . All of them were created with Rei¡¯s overwhelming magic power and even had some ability to track their target . It was a magic suitable for dealing with the Lemrace, which was over 30m in length . As soon as he got within range, he would throw all the fireballs against the massive monster . That had been Rei¡¯s intention as he cast the spell¡­¡­ ¡¸SHAAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ As if sensing danger approaching, the Lemrace turned to look at Rei and Set . As if it knew they were coming near . (¡­¡­No, it could detect me while it was at the bottom of the sea . Of course it would have been able to sense me from this distance . ) Thinking to himself, Rei lightly tapped Set¡¯s body with his feet . I¡¯ll leave the evasion to you . The Lemrace appeared to be wary of the approaching Rei and Set . It looked only at them as it seemed to ignore all other attacks against it . Observing the monster as the distance between them shrank rapidly, Rei prepared to activate his magic at any time . (Even though there¡¯s some purple liquid around it, it¡¯s appearance is clearly visible . If such a huge monster was moving along the seabed, I should have at least seen part of it if not its whole body¡­¡­) As he thought of that, the Lemrace soon came within distance of his magic¡­¡­swinging the Death Scythe, Rei activated his magic . ¡º10 fireballs . ¡» With those words, the 10 fireballs flew towards the Lemrace as if they each had their own will . Each of the fireballs was created with Rei¡¯s magic power and a D rank monster would have disappeared into one without any bones remaining . Shen, instinctively sensing their catastrophic power, took some distances from the Lemrace . However¡­¡­ ¡¸SHAAAAA-!¡¹ Seeing the 10 fireballs fly towards it, the Lemrace opened its mouth wide and bared its fangs as it have a shrill cry . In that moment . ¡¸Set-!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Rei, reflexively sensing danger, gave a sharp shout as Set forcibly swung his wings around to move his body diagonally to the right . At almost the same time, a large jet of water was spat out from the Lemrace¡¯s mouth . It was like a fire breath, but with water instead of fire . However, it seemed to be purely water or seawater, so even considering the weight of the water, it wouldn¡¯t have been a fatal blow if it had hit Rei and Set . Yes, if it had hit Rei or Set . However, the water breath wasn¡¯t targeted at Rei and Set . To be exact, Rei and Set were the only people within it¡¯s range, but it wasn¡¯t aimed at them . The Lemrace¡¯s target was the 10 fireballs that were flying towards it . The Lemrace move its head sideways as it sprayed out water to meet the fireballs flying towards it . Fire and water . What would happen if the two collided? Normally, water would end up putting the fire out . However, this time, power of the water and fire were equally matched as they collided in mid air . Eventually, the fireball was doused by the water and disappeared . The Lemrace continued to target the fireballs Rei was controlling as it shook its head side to side, eventually putting out all 10 fireballs . However, the fireballs that Rei had created didn¡¯t disappear just like that . The collision been the fireballs and the water ended up creating a large amount of water vapour that covered the surrounding area . Seeing that, Rei clicked his tongue as he gave a loud shout . ¡¸Egret, Miroir, get away from the Lemrace! Set!¡¹ Those words were enough for Set to understand what Rei wanted to do . With a big flap of his wings, Set appeared above the Lemrace . ¡¸Set, support me from the air . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ After their brief exchange, Rei jumped from Set¡¯s back and dived towards the Lemrace, obscured by the water vapour . Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Legend Chapter 331 As Rei felt himself falling through the air, it wasn¡¯t fear in his eyes, but determination Of course, he felt frustrated from being constantly attacked from an unknown location ever since he arrived at Emoshion . However, it also fueled his will to fight the Lemrace, which likely located on the other side of water vapour that covered the entire area . Continuing to fall through the water vapour for several seconds, Rei¡¯s intuition told him there was an opportunity to attack and he readied the Death Scythe . It was impossible to accurately measure the distance through the water vapour, which limited vision to less than 1m . In such a situation, even if the Death Scythe was quite large, as a melee weapon, it wouldn¡¯t be that useful¡­¡­if Rei had no means of attacking from long range that is . (It looks like it will be hard to use magic to deal with it, judging from the water breath it just used . ) Muttering to himself, Rei activated the Death Scythe¡¯s skill . ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ With that shout, a slash flew out from the blade of the Death Scythe, cutting through the water vapour and towards the Lemrace behind it . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t do it, Rei-!¡¹ Hearing Egret¡¯s shout from the ground, Rei frowned as he continued to fall after swinging the Death Scythe . As Rei didn¡¯t understand what Egret was trying to tell him, he just activated the Shoes of Sleipnir just before hitting the ground . Stopping his fall, Rei landed on the ground without a sound . As the water vapour hadn¡¯t covered the ground completely yet, he was able to see Egret, who had a serious expression as he held what remained of his poleaxe, Miroir, who had a bitter expression, and Hendeka, whose face had become quite pale . Realising that Rei had landed nearby, the three of them hurriedly ran over . ¡¸Rei, here . Let¡¯s get out of here . Fortunately, that guy can¡¯t see its surroundings due to the water vapour . ¡¹ ¡¸Egret!¡¹ Rei kicked Egret, who had been running over to him, knocking Miroir and Hendeka back as well . At the same time, Rei use the recoil to push himself away . The next moment¡­¡­ ¡¸SHAAAAA-!¡¹ With such a cry, the Lemrace¡¯s head went past where Rei had been just a moment earlier . ¡¸Dman, it can still tell where we are by some means other than sight . I had hoped it wouldn¡¯t be able to do that out of the sea . ¡¹ Twisting his body in the air and landing on the ground, Rei prepared himself for the Lemrace¡¯s pursuit . (No, wait . It noticed me and not Set? In that case, when I was flying over the sea, it wasn¡¯t sensing Set, it was sensing me¡­¡­for sure, when Shen was flying with us, it only targeted me and Set . That must mean¡­¡­tch!) Just as Rei was gathering his thoughts, the huge head of the Lemrace flew towards him again . Missing Rei again, the Lemrace moved its head up before diving back down, as if trying to swallow Rei whole . ¡¸You¡¯re not going to eat me!¡¹ Shouting that, Rei jumped into the air, using the Shoes of Sleipnir . Moving one, two then three steps, he ran up to the sky as he swung the Death Scythe . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ A Flying Slash flew out again . It could be used almost instantly by Rei and it¡¯s attack power was quite high . In addition, it was a long range attack and the skill Rei was most familiar with . However¡­¡­the next moment, Rei came to understand why Egret had shouted at him previously . The slash that flew out from the blad of the Death Scythe struck the body of the Lemrace . However, its body, that was covered in a purple liquid, remained unchanged after it was hit . Yes, it didn¡¯t even suffer any injuries ¡¸Impo-!¡¹ It was one of his most used attacked . Rei had been so confident in the power of the Flying Slash that he stopped for a moment as he saw the Lemrace remain unscathed . The effect of the Shoes of Sleipnir had already ended and the intelligent Lemrace wasn¡¯t going to miss the opportunity as Rei just stopped in mid air . Whoosh-! Instead of its head, the Lemrace swung its tail as its giant body moved towards Rei . ¡¸-!? Tch, damn itttttt-!¡¹ All Rei could do as he was stuck in the sky was to use his Dragon Robe to bolster his defenses . Because of that, he was able to block any direct damage . However, it couldn¡¯t block the impact from the Lemrace¡¯s 30m long tail . Rei was blasted away like a stone thrown by an adult . After bouncing several times, he was finally able to halt his momentum . Considering his had been smashed 500m away from where the Lemrace had been, it was quite the surprise that he was able to keep a hold on the Death Scythe the entire time . Rei felt a dull pain in his side as used the shaft of the Death Scythe to prop himself up . (That hurt¡­¡­considering that, it¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t break anything . ) Putting his hand inside the Dragon Robe, he felt his sides and checked his injuries before muttering to himself in annoyance . Even as he did that, the Lemrace lifted its head up as it looked down on Rei from its higher position, eyes glistening . Rei hadn¡¯t known when he first jumped down from the sky, but now he guessed that it was probably preparing for a water breath . ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ As he said that, a shield of light appeared beside Rei . Seeing that, Rei tried to close the distance to the Lemrace . At the same time, he stored the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring as took out a spear from the Misty Ring . This was Rei¡¯s best strength¡­¡­or rather, since his fire magic would only be blocked by the Lemrace¡¯s water breath, Rei judged that he should try a different means of attack . However, as Egret shouted out as he ran towards Rei, who was about to through his spear . ¡¸Don¡¯t do it, Rei! The purple liquid covering its body will corrode your weapon!¡¹ Hearing those words, Rei glanced towards Egret¡¯s hands for a moment . Indeed, Egret¡¯s poleaxe was already a wreck that couldn¡¯t be called a weapon anymore . It was at the point where the shaft could only be used as a club if it was used at all . In fact, Egret had been using the remains of the poleaxe as a club rather than risk having his spare weapon also be corroded . As he heard Egret¡¯s shout, Rei threw the spear towards the Lemrace with all his strength . At the same time, the Lemrace spat a huge amount of water, taking advantage of the gap Rei left as he attacked . (Please!) The spear thrown by Rei pierced through the air, stabbing towards the thick body of the Lemrace . At the same time, the Lemrace¡¯s water breath hit the Magic Shield, scattering water into the surroundings without hurting Rei . Seeing that, Rei took a relatively good condition spear that could still be used as a weapon out of the Misty Ring as he threw it over to Egret . ¡¸Use it!¡¹ At the same time as his shout, Rei took three spears out of the Misty Ring in quick succession to prepare to throw . Rei glanced towards the Magic Shield that was holding the water breath back before looking back to the spear he had thrown earlier . However, all he could see was the spear lying on the ground and not in the body of the Lemrace . ¡¸Damn it, it¡¯s no good!¡¹ From the corroding spear tip lying on the ground, he could what Egret had told him was true . After seeing that, he turned back to the Lemrace again¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¹ At that moment, Rei blanked out at what he saw . Yes, the light that made up the Magic Shield that had been blocking the Lemrace¡¯s water breath was gradually turning to mist around its edges . ¡¸Impossible-!¡¹ Rei gave an unexpected shout, but shouting wouldn¡¯t change the current situation . What was needed now was to think of a way to stop the water breath that would hit him want the Magic Shield was completely drained . (I thought it was able to block any attack once¡­¡­no, the continuous water breath might be considered more than one attack¡­¡­that¡¯s not the point! What I have to think about is how to get out of this situation!) As Rei hurriedly looked around, he could see Hendeka desperately drawing his bow and shooting arrows towards the Lemrace¡¯s head . The arrows fell away as soon as they touched the purple liquid secreted by the Lemrace, making it seem like a pointless action . However, seeing Hendeka desperately shoot arrows, Egret and Miroir quickly realised what Hendeka was trying to do . Seeing that their spear and whip couldn¡¯t reached the Lemrace, they grabbed whatever rocks they could find in their surroundings as they threw it towards the Lemrace¡¯s head . At the same time, Set and Shen, who were flying in the sky, also began to attack the Lemrace¡¯s head . ¡¸KIKIKIKIKI-!¡¹ Along with a shrill cry, five ice arrows appeared around Shen as it shot them at the Lemrace¡¯s head . Even if the purple liquid was able to block weapons, it didn¡¯t seem to be the same for magic . With the ice arrows aimed at its head, the Lemrace reluctantly closed its eyelids to protect its eyes . Still, it was a testament to how much a threat the Lemrace considered Rei to be as it continued to attack Rei with its water breath without stopping . Another reason was that even with its eyes closed, the Lemrace was still able to sense Rei¡¯s location and didn¡¯t have to worry about Rei running away . However¡­¡­the Lemrace had misjudged this time . He had forgotten Rei¡¯s partner, a monster that had been created by the Magic Beast Art . ¡¸GURURURURURU-!¡¹ Set fell straight down from the sky as it raised a cry . He wasn¡¯t just falling, but flapping his wings to increase his speed . The Lemrace must have realised the threat approaching it when it heard Set¡¯s cry . The Lemrace moved¡­¡­but the next moment, Set¡¯s claws slammed into the Lemrace¡¯s head . With Set¡¯s weight, his increased dive speed from flapping his wings and the effect of the Bracelet of Herculean Strength on his foreleg, his attacks slammed the head of the 30m long Lemrace to the ground . As the sound of flesh hitting the ground echoed out, a shock wave close to that of an earthquake was felt by everyone in the area as the Lemrace¡¯s head hit the ground . Naturally, the Lemrace¡¯s water breath that it had been spitting out a moment ago was interrupted after having its mouth forced shut . Seeing that, Rei gave a shout . ¡¸Now! There¡¯s no corrosive liquid on its head, so attacks should go through!¡¹ ¡¸UOHHHHHHHH¡ª!¡¹ Alongside Rei¡¯s shout¡­¡­no, Egret, who had started moving a moment earlier than Rei, attacked the Lemrace¡¯s head with his spear as he gave a cry . ¡¸SHA-SHAAAAAAA-!¡¹ The Lemrace seemed to realise what was happening . The Lemrace shook its head and turned to face Egret who had just attacked it, opening its jaws wide to bite down on Egret with its fangs . It was at that moment, as the Lemrace was shaken and confused by Set¡¯s incredibly strong attack, that Rei¡¯s greatest opportunity appeared . To the Lemrace, facing two attacks towards its head, which currently didn¡¯t have any purple liquid protecting it, Egret was the closer person . Even though Rei had blocked its water breath, he was still 100m away . Both Egret and Rei were within its attack range, but the Lemrace judged the fast approaching Egret to be the higher threat . Whoosh-! The moment the Lemrace bared it¡¯s massive fangs to attack Egret, the spear thrown by Rei pierced through the air and went straight into the Lemrace¡¯s throat, to be exact, the part needed to use its water breath . ¡¸SHAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ Maybe it was due to the spear stuck in its throat, the Lemrace¡¯s cry seemed a lot more stifled than before¡­¡­ ¡¸Just go and dieeeeee-!¡¹ As the Lemrace cried out in pain, Egret stabbed his spear into its right eye . As the Lemrace writhed on the ground due to the severe pain caused by that attack, Rei grasped the Death Scythe and closed the distance to the Lemrace as he dealt with the pain in his side . All this to deal the final lethal attack . Chapter 332 Due to deal restructure text to speech player is currently unavailable. Will find a solution soon. Chapter 332 Legend Chapter 332 ¡¸Rei, don¡¯t let your guard down . I don¡¯t think a monster like this would just die from a spear in its throat and right eye . ¡¹ As Rei held the Death Scythe and carefully closed the distance to the Lemrace, Egret, who had just thrust his spear into the Lemrace¡¯s right eye, called out to him . As Rei nodded at Egret¡¯s words, Hendeka shouted towards him as he shot arrows at the Lemrace, who was writhing on the ground . ¡¸Rei-san, wouldn¡¯t it be better to attack with magic instead of the scythe?¡¹ Hendeka¡¯s arrow was aimed at the Lemrace¡¯s head, but because it was writhing on the ground from having its throat and right eye injured, the arrow ended up hitting its body instead, soaking itself in the purple corrosive liquid before flying off in a unexpected direction . By the time the arrow hit the ground, it was almost completely gone due to the effect of the corrosive liquid . Seeing that, Rei shook his head in response to Hendeka as he tried to think of a way to strike the Lemrace with the Death Scythe . ¡¸If the purple liquid covering its body was evaporated, our damage would definitely increase . But¡­¡­tch-!¡¹ Rei wanted to cut off the Lemrace¡¯s head with a single strike from the Death Scythe, but the Lemrace seemed to notice death approaching as it struggled . With a wide swing of its head, it used its momentum to restrain Rei from getting any closer . If Rei had been in perfect condition, he might have been able to strike the Lemrace¡¯s neck as it swung by and deal the fatal blow . However, as he tried to take a step, he felt a dull pain in his side, slowing his movement . (Tch-, nothing is broken, but the pain is still a problem . ) Thinking to himself, Rei realised that it would be difficult to close the distance on his own . (In that case, I¡¯ll just have to use a means that isn¡¯t just myself!) Enduring the pain, Rei gave a loud shout as he kept an eye on the Lemrace . ¡¸Egret, Miroir, Hendeka, distract the Lemrace . I¡¯ll use that opportunity to deal the fatal blow!¡¹ At the same time, Rei took a spear out of the Misty Ring and threw it at the Lemrace¡¯s face to restrain it . At this moment, what frustrated Rei the most was the fact that the Lemrace¡¯s body, the largest and easiest part of the Lemrace to hit, was covered in corrosive liquid, giving the Lemrace the advantage . However, the Lemrace, which was still wary of Rei after he had struck his throat, swung its ehad greatly and used its fangs to parry Rei¡¯s spear as tears of blood fell from its right eye . ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Set quickly descended from the sky at Rei¡¯s voice the moment the Lemrace moved . As Set passed by, Rei jumped onto his back . ¡¸Guh-!¡¹ Rei frowned at the dull pain in his sides due to the shock from his sudden series of actions . However, the Lemrace wouldn¡¯t let him rest and swung its head to flick away the arrows and stones thrown at it as it attack Rei and Set, who were the ones able to deal fatal injuries to it . ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ As the Lemrace opened its mouth wide and bared its fangs, Rei swung the Death Scythe sending out a Flying Slash that slightly wounded the Lemrace¡¯s mouth . (Tch, even without the corrosive liquid, the damage from Flying Slash barely scratches it . ) Rei clicked his tongue when he saw that, but the next moment, his eyes went wide . ¡¸What-!?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~? ¡­¡­Gururu~!¡¹ Set turned to looked towards the ground when he heard Rei¡¯s voice . But soon, Set gave a cry of surprise just like Rei . It was no wonder . The Lemrace, which was over 30m long, seemed to be grow smaller and smaller . To be exact, the colour of the edges of its body was slowly changing to match the colour of its surroundings . Rei quickly calmed down after a moment of astonishment . (I see . It wasn¡¯t just because it was lurking at the bottom of the sea that no one ever saw it even as it sank ships . I don¡¯t know if it can consciously do it, but if it can change the colour of its skin to match its surroundings under the sea, it would be only natural that I couldn¡¯t see it . ¡­¡­However, it¡¯s only really effective underwater, on land, it doesn¡¯t do as much . ) Rei thought to himself as Set made a large turn in the sky back towards the Lemrace . In fact, on the ground, Egret shouted at Hendeka, who had been astonished at the Lemrace¡¯s sudden change, to continue attacking . ¡¸Even if can blend into the surroundings, it doesn¡¯t disappear completely . If an attack hits it, it will still take damage . Rather, it hurts to lose sight of the corrosive liquid . ¡¹ The purple corrosive liquid that oozed out from the Lemrace¡¯s body significantly reduced the sharpness of weapons if it didn¡¯t outright damage them . However, as the Lemrace¡¯s skin changed colour, the corrosive liquid that had been poisonous purple until a moment ago also changed colour as well . ¡¸At the very least, it¡¯s a good thing it can¡¯t use water breath anymore, although we can¡¯t be completely sure . Woah-!¡¹ It might not have been water breath, but the Lemrace coiled up its 30m long body like a spring before launching itself forward the next moment with fangs bared . If someone had seen the scene of such a large monster launching itself towards Set, who was flying in the sky, they would have doubted if what they were seeing was reality . Still, as expected of Set, he put some distance between himself and the Lemrace with a large flap of his wings, bringing him just out of range of the jaws that wanted to eat him . At the same time, Rei threw another spear that he had taken out of the Misty Ring towards the falling Lemrace . He wasn¡¯t standing on the ground, so his throw wasn¡¯t as powerful as when his lower body had a stable stance, however the spear still succeed in piercing into the Lemrace¡¯s head . ¡¸SHAAAAA-!¡¹ Whether it was due to the pain from the spear piercing its head or because its fangs had been avoided, the Lemrace gave a loud cry . Seeing that, Rei gave a sigh of relief . However, the Lemrace soon coiled itself up again . ¡¸Tch, it¡¯s hard to get a sense of its distance because of its camouflage . Rather, since its clearly a Sea Serpent, how can it move so naturally on land?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Rei complained to himself and tried to think of a way to attack the Lemrace as Set gave a cry in agreement . (Even if the outside effect isn¡¯t that good, if I attack from the inside¡­¡­¡ºDancing Fire Snakes¡» should be effective . As its body has a corrosive liquid, the Death Scythe¡­¡­no, wait a moment . If I use magic power to enhance the Death Scythe, would I be able to ignore the corrisive liquid?) Rei felt some excitement for a moment at the idea that came to his mind, but he shook his head immediately . (Yes, that might work . But I still can¡¯t ignore the possibility that the corrosive liquid can¡¯t be ignored . And, considering how thick the body of the Lemrace is, I would have to put a lot of magic power into the Death Scythe to cut through it . In that case, the best choice would be to use ¡ºDancing Fire Snakes¡» in its head, but its huge body¡­¡­no, wait . The original reason why I wanted to use ¡ºDancing Fire Snakes¡» was because the effect of any fire magic outside of it would probably have had little effect against the Lemrace under the sea . It¡¯s true that the Lemrace is now secreting the corrosive liquid all over itself, so I can¡¯t attack it carelessly, but its head¡­¡­? I can attack an enemy larger than me from in the inside . And I have the means to do that . ) The Lemrace crawled around, looking for an opening to jump at Set while Set just casually flew through the air to avoid it . Ignoring the tense exchanges between the two monsters, Rei quickly collected the thoughts in his mind . It was only possible for Rei and Set as they weren¡¯t the same person while the Lemrace had to focus all its attention on waiting for Set to show and opening . Also, Set wasn¡¯t Rei¡¯s only companion . Right now, he also had Egret, Miroir, Hendeka and Shen, an Icebird who could fly in the sky like Set . The four of them continued to attack the Lemrace, which had coiled itself up, to try to give Rei and Set an advantage . Of course, it wasn¡¯t possible for them to inflict fatal damage, but it was still enough to distract the Lemrace and prevent it from focusing on Rei . For the Lemrace, the attacks from the others were definitely a hindrance, but it couldn¡¯t draw its attention away from Rei and Set . This state continued for several minutes before Rei stroked Set¡¯s neck and spoke after deciding on something . ¡¸Set, I¡¯ve thought of a way to beat it . If everything goes well, we¡¯ll be able to kill it . However, there is considerable risk . ¡­¡­Will you still believe in me?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Set gave an immediate cry in response without a moments hesitation . Smiling at Set¡¯s response, Rei explained his plan . ¡¸It¡¯s simple . I just need to throw a barrel of scrap iron and blade fragments, like the ones I used in the fight against the Bestir Empire, into its mouth then blow it up with fire magic . It will shred its head from the inside when the barrel explodes . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set gave a worried cry at the risk that it would put not only himself but also Rei . Rei stroked Set¡¯s neck to reassure him . ¡¸Just as you believe in me, I¡¯ll believe in you as well . So¡­¡­Set, get me as close to the Lemrace as possible . Then, just before it attacks us with its fangs, we have to get out . ¡­¡­What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a high pitched cry, saying to leave it to him . Then, the next moment, he flapped his wings greatly as he plunged towards the Lemrace . Naturally, instead of watching them silently, the Lemrace gauged its timing and prepared to leap towards Rei and Set and as it was about to jump up¡­¡­ ¡¸Kikikikikikiki-!¡¹ Shen, who had been approaching the Lemrace from the opposite side to Set, shot out nearly 30 ice arrows . Most of them just hit he Lemrace¡¯s body and slid off the corrosive liquid, but some of them also struck the back of the Lemrace¡¯s head, injuring it . And above all, those attacks succeeded in disrupting the concentration of the Lemrace . ¡¸SHA-SHAAAAAAA-!¡¹ It was just a moments¡¯ delay . ¡¡Trying to make up for that delay, the Lemrace sprung up and opened it¡¯s mouth wide as it tried to swallow Set . ¡¸Take thiiiiiis-!¡¹ With Rei¡¯s loud shout, he lifted a barrel he took out from the Misty Ring with just his right arm and with Set¡¯s speed, threw it into the mouth of the Lemrace . ¡¸SHA-!?¡¹ It must have realised that something had just been thrown into its mouth . The Lemrace gave a panicked cry . However, its confusion didn¡¯t end there . ¡ºFire, burn my enemies according to my will . ¡» Rei moved the Death Scythe from his left to right hand as he spoke a short incantation . What he needed right now wasn¡¯t a long incantation with high magic power, but the same amount of magic power with short incantations . (Although the efficiency is bad for the amount of magic power I have to use, it¡¯s still possible to forcibly increase the power of my magic this way!) A magic¡¯s power was determined by the composition of the magic and the amount of magic power supplied . Short incantations had low magic power conversion efficiency while long incantations had higher magic power amplification effects . However, if you used enough magic power, even if the conversion efficiency of short incantations was low, it would still eventually become a powerful magic . Rei poured a lot of magic power into his short incantations . Near the blade of the Death Scythe, a 30cm diameter fireball appeared . ¡ºFireball . ¡» The fireball, created with a massive amount of magic power, flew alongside Rei as it orbited around the Death Scythe . Then, he threw the fireball into the mouth of the Lemrace after the barrel . ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu-!¡¹ Set responded to Rei¡¯s shout immediately as he flapped his wings greatly and flew away from the Lemrace . The Lemrace looked back at Rei for a moment¡­¡­ BOOM-! The next moment, the barrel thrown into the Lemrace¡¯s mouth was blown up by the fireball . The Lemrace¡¯s mouth was torn to shreds by all the metal fragments and burned at the same time . It wasn¡¯t just limited to its mouth, the Lemrace¡¯s head was also blown to pieces, scattering pieces of flesh, bone, blood, brain and the Lemrace¡¯s eyes into the surroundings . When the adventurers from Emoshion finally arrived at the scene, they saw 4 people and 2 monsters sitting on the ground, soaking in the aftermath of a fierce fight with a 30m long monster, which was lying on the ground next to them . Chapter 333 Due to deal restructure text to speech player is currently unavailable. Will find a solution soon. Chapter 333 Legend Chapter 333 The adventurers who arrived at Rei¡¯s location were significantly fewer in number than those who had left Emoshion earlier . Most of them were either warriors equipped with leather armour for easy movement or thieves and archers, who wore light armour . Even if they were part of the same party, those who wore heavy armour or mages who were too slow were left behind . However, there were also many others who had given up after seeing the Lemrace, despite not knowing it was the Lemrace yet . When those who hadn¡¯t been discouraged after seeing the 30m monster leap into the air or those who wanted to gather more information to protect the city arrived on the scene, they saw the huge monster with most of its head shattered, clearly dead . Rei and the others were all gathered around the body, trying to recover as much of their strength as they could . One of the adventurers approached Rei as the others were taken away by the sight of the huge corpse before their eyes . ¡¸H-Hey . You guys were the ones who did in this monster, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, we killed it . ¡¹ In a place that was clear of the Lemrace¡¯s blood and flesh, Rei, who was leaning against Set to recover his strength, gave a small nod as Egret and the others nodded in agreement as well . Hearing them confirm it, the adventurer took in a small breath at the huge size of the Lemrace before speaking up again . ¡¸If such a huge monster got this close to the city, we would have found out immediately . Where did this come from? It didn¡¯t come from underground, did it?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right . It was in the sea until a short while ago . ¡¹ Rei said that as if it were nothing big, and for a moment, the adventurer didn¡¯t seem to understand what he meant . It was the same for many of the other adventurers who were listening in to his coversations with Rei . Rei continued to rest on the ground, next to the dead 30m long monster . The surrounding area was a mess due to Rei¡¯s attack, the Lemrace¡¯s water breath and the destruction from the Lemrace leaping up repeatedly . Observing the surroundings again and again, another adventurer asked Rei before long . ¡¸You¡¯re not saying¡­¡­it¡¯s the Lemrace¡­¡­are you?¡¹ For whatever reason, Rei had been persistently targeted by the Lemrace . Because of that, it wasn¡¯t that hard to guess the identity of the monster Rei had killed . However, despite having seen ships being sunk many times, it was completely unexpected for the adventurers that Lemrace had been this big . Almost everyone at the scene, including the rest of the adventurers, looked at the dead body of the Lemrace with stunned expressions . While this was happening¡­¡­ ¡¸AH-AHHHHH-!¡¹ There was a sudden scream . As the adventurers all turned to look in the direction of the scream, they saw a man in his twenties with a cunning face . He shook his hands while screaming to get rid of the corrosive liquid that had stuck to his hands as well as both his daggers . The corrosive liquid had only touched his hands for several seconds, but the man¡¯s hand already looked like it had severe burns . However, not everyone who looked at the man seemed to be worried . Some held disgusted expressions as they looked at him . Most of them had realised what the screaming man had been trying to do . That was right, he had tried to secretly take away some materials from the Lemrace . ¡¸I¡¯ll say this now, the Lemrace has the ability to secrete corrosive liquid from its skin . If you touch it, you¡¯ll end up hurting your hands like that man over there . ¡­¡­Well, should I say as expected of an adventurer, his injuries don¡¯t look that bad, probably because he let go of his daggers quickly . ¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, the man¡¯s companions quickly rushed to pour a potion over his injuries . Seeing that, Rei remembered the pain in his side before noticing it wasn¡¯t as bad as when he had been fighting earlier . (As expected of a body made by Zepairu . ¡­¡­Well, even if the injury heals itself after the fight, it¡¯s still very slow . No, maybe that¡¯s not true if I consider the case of a drawn out fight . ) A short distance away from Rei, who was thinking to himself, a few other adventurers had serious expressions as the watched the screaming man . They had also been aiming for the Lemrace¡¯s material, but were now glad they hadn¡¯t been the first ones to make a move . ¡¸But, how can you prove that this is the Lemrace?¡¹ The first adventurer to speak suddenly asked Rei . Saying that the Lemrace had been forcibly transferred from the coast off Emoshion and then killed didn¡¯t seem like it would convince Emoshion¡¯s guild or city administration . ¡¸That¡¯s a good point . ¡¹ Of course, Rei had half expected to be told that . In the first place, only he knew what he had actually done, Rei had only told Egret that he had some kind of magic item . And, for the residents of Emoshion, all they knew was that a 30m long monster had appeared not far from the city . It was a fact that it would be hard to ¡¸If Set and I fly out to sea and the Lemrace doesn¡¯t attack us¡­¡­no, that¡¯s not good enough proof, is it?¡¹ ¡¸Probably not . Few people would be convinced by such uncertain circumstantial evidence . It would probably be better to stay in Emoshion for a bit longer to make sure that there is no more damage from the Lemrace . ¡¹ Rei nodded as he had no choice but to agree with what the man had said . However, Rei immediately looked at the man as he asked questioningly . ¡¸Why are you telling me this? At first, I thought you would try to take whatever was left over, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case . ¡¹ The other adventurers who had also spoken to Rei nodded . Many of the adventurers here had planned to take away as big as a cut of profit as they could away from Rei . Of course, it would be impossible to strip any materials away from the monster without Rei¡¯s permission unless they were bandits . But, there wouldn¡¯t be an issue if both sides made an agreement or contract . However, the man shook his head and smiled as everyone else around looked at him . ¡¸What are you saying, unlike many of the other adventurers here, I¡¯m from Emoshion . If the Lemrace is really gone, I would be more than happy . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . ¡¹ Rei, who was thoroughly convinced by the man¡¯s explanation, finally finished resting as he stood up . Likewise, Egret, who had also gotten up, spoke to Rei . ¡¸Rei, you¡¯re going to split the rewards as promised, right?¡¹ Egret looked to be in a great mood despite his treasured poleaxe being destroyed by the corrosive liquid . The reason became clear to Rei the moment he turned around . Egret had a sharp fang in his hands . ¡¸¡­¡­When did you even get that . You¡¯ve got good eyes . ¡¹ Rei had thought of Egret as a battle maniac, but he nodded after seeing what he had . ¡¸Yes, no problems . As promised, you have priority on any materials that can be made into a weapon . ¡­¡­That said, I don¡¯t know how you managed to find a whole intact fang after I blew its head up . ¡¹ ¡¸What, when its head was blown up by your attack, it happened to fly near me . ¡­¡­To be honest, if it had flown a little more to this side, I would have been in danger . ¡¹ ¡¸You say that, but you¡¯re still laughing about it . ¡¹ Rei gave a sigh, maybe it was Egret¡¯s mental resilience that made him a B rank adventurer . Looking around, Rei could see a lot of people looking to get their hands on fragments of the Lemrace¡¯s fangs, which had been scattered around its body . ¡¸Now then, how are we going to dismantle this? I don¡¯t know what could be used as material in the first place, and how do we even strip the skin with all that corrosive liquid? It would be a waste to let the meat rot as well, since it would definitely taste great . ¡¹ High ranked monsters¡­¡­it was known to the general public that the meat of a monster which had a lot of magic power would taste delicious, so Rei wasn¡¯t going to give up this huge mass of meat . There was also Set, who gave a happy cry as he looked at the body of the Lemrace from behind Rei . But most important of all, Rei wanted to eat it himself . (Long strips, kabayaki¡­¡­no, it¡¯s too thick to broil . In the first place, there¡¯s no soy sauce either . Should I just grill it with salt?) As he thought about how to eat the meat inside, he first took out a spear from the Misty Ring to test something . Seeing that, the adventurers in the surroundings spread out as if they didn¡¯t want to get involved . With a large swing, Rei tried to cut the skin of the Lemrace with the tip of the spear . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Tch, it¡¯s no good . ¡¹ As soon as the spear tip came in contact with the corrosive liquid on the skin, it corroded and broke apart within a few seconds . ¡¸Hey, Rei . As you can see, there¡¯s no way we can dismantle it as long as there is corrosive liquid around, in that case, why don¡¯t we just start from somewhere without it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re right . ¡¹ Rei nodded at Miroir¡¯s words, who called out to him from behind . Because he had only considered stripping away the skin from its body, he hadn¡¯t considered starting from somewhere without the corrosive liquid, the neck area near its head that had been blown apart . ¡¸But, what about the skin then¡­¡­is it no good with the corrosive liquid? ¡­¡­No . Maybe that¡¯s not the case . ¡¹ At that moment, Rei recalled the fire whirl that he had last used in the war against the Bestir Empire . At that time, with the goal of causing as much damage as possible, he had thrown barrels of scrap iron and blade fragments into it, just like with the Lemrace . Similarly, Rei thought that if he threw in the skin of the Lemrace, covered in the corrosive liquid, it would be a vicious force alongside his fire magic . (But in that case, it would create corrosive smoke that would spread out . So I wouldn¡¯t be able to use it if the wind is too strong . If I use it, it would be best indoors . Thinking like that, he took out the knife he used to dismantle monsters from the Misty Ring . ¡¸An ordinary knife is no good huh?¡¹ The tip sunk into the skin, but there was no sign of cutting through it . Even when he tried to cut the skin from where the head had been blown off, the blade still couldn¡¯t do it . Thinking that there might be something wrong, he tried cutting the grass on the ground, but the blade cut through that easily . ¡¸Then¡­¡­that¡¯s the only way . I didn¡¯t really want to use it to dismantle monsters with corrosive liquids or poison . ¡¹ Giving a sigh, Rei took out the Mithril Knife from the sheath at his waist and pushed the blade against the skin as he poured magic power into the knife . ¡¸It looks like this works as expected . The meat should be find to handle with an ordinary knife¡¹ The skin couldn¡¯t be cut without the Mithril Knife, but fortunately, the Lemrace¡¯s flesh could be cut with his ordinary knife . Rei shouted out to the adventurers around him . ¡¸Magic weapons can be used to remove the Lemrace¡¯s skin . As for its meat, it can be cut with ordinary weapons . If anybody wants a share of this, help out to dismantle it . I¡¯ll give you 20% of the meat you can take out as a reward . ¡¹ ¡¸30%!¡¹ ¡¸No, give us 40%!¡¹ As soon as Rei said that, he heard several voices from the adventurers in the surrounding . It seemed like they wanted to increase their share by as much as they could¡­¡­Rei and Set glanced at each other before nodding as Set gave a cry . Set understood that if they had to pay out more of the meat, he would get less to eat . That was why he immediately understood Rei¡¯s intentions . ¡¸If you have any complaints, you don¡¯t need to help out . If you do help out, Set will be keeping an eye on you from the sky . His main role will be to keep an eye out for any monsters that might be drawn over to the blood and meat of the Lemrace . However, he will also be watching if anyone dismantling the Lemrace tries to hide anything . If any of you think you can hide from a Griffon¡¯s eyes, you¡¯re more than happy to try . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a loud cry . After hearing Rei¡¯s final offer, the adventurers compromised and agreed to 20% . The adventurers who were reluctant to do any dismantling were also hired to guard the surroundings on the condition that those who did the dismantling would split half their share with them . Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t even noon yet, so Rei and the large group of adventurers immediately started on dismantling the Lemrace . Chapter 334 Due to deal restructure text to speech player is currently unavailable. Will find a solution soon. Chapter 334 Legend Chapter 334 ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ The group that just arrived looked at the sight spread out before them . The first thing they saw was the incredibly huge monster, which was a matter of course . That they understood, but the monster was already being dismantled by a group of more than 50 adventurers . With so many people working together to dismantle it, the huge monster was gradually shrinking, as if they were ants taking apart insects larger than themselves . ¡¸You guys, this monster¡­¡­¡¹ They had been sent by the higher ups from the guild and city administration because of the huge monster that had appeared outside Emoshion and because none of the adventurers who had gone ahead of them had come back . In the worst case scenario¡­¡­they would almost certainly die . They had come with the resolution of death when they saw the scene of the huge monster being dismantled . It was only natural for the group, and for the man leading them, to be greatly confused . In order to learn about the situation, the leader of the group called out to a man, who seemed to be an adventurer, as he passed by with a chunk of meat in his arms . ¡¸Hm? This? This monster is the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸Hah-!?¡¹ The man involuntarily paused at the unexpected reply . Speaking of the Lemrace, it was a monster that been sitting off the coast of Emoshion for a while, sinking numerous ships . It could even be considered to be a natural disaster of sorts . Why was on the other side of the city? Why was it already dead? The man couldn¡¯t understand it and was at a loss for words . Misunderstanding that that was all the man wanted to know, the adventurer started to leave with the meat he was holding . ¡¸Wait, wait a moment! Give me more details!¡¹ ¡¸Ah? I¡¯m sorry, but as you can see, I¡¯m working right now . If you want the details¡­¡­no, that¡¯s right . Some of you come with me, I¡¯ll introduce you to my boss . You can here the details from him . ¡¹ As the adventurer spoke, what appeared to be another party of adventurers passed by carrying a hefty chunk of meat . Seeing that, the adventurer spoke in a hurry . ¡¸Anyhow, now is the time to earn money . I¡¯m sorry, but if you want any more information, ask the boss . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . Thanks for leading the way . You guys, spread out and see what you can find out . Ah, ask the ones guarding the surroundings, not the ones dismantling the monster . ¡¹ ¡ºYes!¡» Nodding at the man¡¯s words, the people following him scattered around . Nodding in satisfaction, the man followed after the adventurer, who walked alongside the body of the monster as he carried his chunk of meat . ¡¸¡­¡­I knew it was huge when I saw it from the city, but it really is massive now that I¡¯m looking at it from up close . Was Rei the one who killed it it? He¡¯s been attracting the Lemrace¡¯s attention for some time to allow ships to leave the port . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It was amazing . We only saw it from a distance, but his coordination with his Griffon was like watching what the knights and cavalrymen call ¡®man and horse as one¡¯, or in this case, a Griffon I guess . Anyway, that was how it was . He ended up blowing apart the entire head of this huge monster . Look, there . ¡¹ As they continued walking, the head of the monster soon appeared . As the adventurer had told the man, the head was completely gone . Nearby, a pair of big and small adventurers were dismantling the monster with a weapon while another male adventurer with a timid expression conversed with several other adventurers before writing something onto a piece of paper . Beside him, a female adventurer with a whip gave orders on how to split up the chunks of meat on the grass . Needless to say, the four of them were Rei, Egret, Hendeka and Miroir . Set and Shen, who were both monsters, were nowhere to be seen . However, if the man had looked up, he would have seen them keeping an eye on on the surroundings . In addition, they were also watching out for any adventurers who might try to pocket materials or meat when no one was looking . ¡¸Hey, Rei! This person is looking for you . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ahh, wait a moment . ¡­¡­Egret, over there . Take out the magic stone embedded in its heart . Don¡¯t damage it by mistake . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, even if you keep telling me that¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Who was it that broke the Lemrace¡¯s vocal chords¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ahhh¡­¡­I get it . I¡¯ll be cautious and careful . Yes, just leave it to me . It will be all right this time . ¡¹ Rei spoke with his eyes fixed on Egret, who replied as he averted his eyes . ¡¸I say, if you scratch this magic stone¡­¡­you know what¡¯s going to happen right?¡¹ ¡¸L-L-L-Leave it to me!¡¹ Muttering in a slightly higher pitched voice, Egret thrust his spear into the Lemrace¡¯s heart and slowly removed the magic stone . (If the heart hadn¡¯t been so high up, I would have taken out the magic stone myself . ) Rei thought to himself as he looked at the heart that was bigger than his body, about 2m in height . For someone 165cm tall, it was a difficult task to remove a magic stone from a 2m tall heart, which was why he had asked Egret to do it . For Rei, who had come to Emoshion almost entirely for this magic stone, he wanted to avoid dropping and damaging the magic stone at all costs . ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s do this . One, two, three . ¡¹ Along with those words, Egret succeeded in prying out the magic stone from the heart with the tip of his spear . Without dropping it on the ground, he passed it over to Rei . With a diameter of about 30cm, it was the largest magic stone Rei had seen so far . Looking at the magic stone that Egret handed to him, the only larger magic stone he had seen was the one belonging to an Ancient Dragon when he had gone into the dungeon with Elena . (It definitely doesn¡¯t look like C rank magic stone . ) Thinking to himself, Rei wiped away the blood and pieces of flesh away from the magic stone and stored it into the Misty Ring before finally speaking to the man who had been standing behind him, who was looking at Rei in shock¡­¡­or to be exact, Rei¡¯s right hand, which had been holding the Lemrace¡¯s magic stone a moment ago . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry . As you can see, I¡¯m a bit busy . ¡­¡­So, what did you want me for?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, yes . My name is Obrus, I work for Emoshion¡¯s city administration . A huge monster suddenly appeared on the other side of the city, so I came to find out what had happened¡­¡­though it looks like I was a bit late, or maybe just in time . ¡¹ Obrus gave a bitter smile, feeling a bit unfortunate that he hadn¡¯t made it at the crucial moment . Hearing that, Rei also introduced himself . ¡¸I¡¯m Rei . A C rank adventurer from Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know . Rei-san has become a famous person in various ways . As someone from the city administration, I am very thankful for your assistance in helping so many ships leave the port . ¡¹ ¡¸I was just taking on requests . And, as for this guy¡­¡­¡¹ Rei glanced towards the body of the giant monster behind him . ¡¸You may have heard from the others, but this is the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸The Lemrace¡­¡­but why would the Lemrace end on land?¡¹ ¡¸I managed to get my hands on a small magic item . I used it to forcibly transfer the Lemrace here . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Forced transition? Can you show me the magic item?¡¹ Although Obrus asked in some disbelief, Rei simply shrugged his shoulders lightly in reply . ¡¸Unfortunately, it was a single use item . It disintegrated after I moved the Lemrace here . ¡¹ ¡¸But, in that case¡­¡­no, thank you . There isn¡¯t anything I can complain about . But at the same time, there are a lot of problems¡­¡­¡¹ At Obrus¡¯ words, Rei nodded in understanding . ¡¸No one has seen the Lemrace . So this monster might not be accepted as the Lemrace . ¡­¡­Is that right?¡¹ ¡¸You are correct . But since you know that, what do you plan to do?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not that complicated . I am best at fire magic . I can use other magic, but only to the level of just playing around compared to my fire magic . So, it was a very bad match up with this guy who just hid at the bottom of the sea . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I know that much . But how does that prove this is the Lemrace?¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t Set and I just fly off the coast of Emoshion?¡¹ Rei asked Obrus just in case, but Obrus just shook his head . ¡¸I know that the Lemrace has always targeted you . But that has just been a general observation . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess so . In that case how about I stay in Emoshion for a while . If no ships are attacked during this time, can this monster be recognised as the Lemrace?¡¹ ¡¸Even in that situation, there may be some people who might think it just escaped somewhere else¡­¡­okay, I¡¯ll try to persuade the others with this argument . So, this¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Obrus turned to look towards the body of the Lemrace . ¡¸What do you plan to do with the Lemrace¡¯s material? If you don¡¯t mind, it would be a great help if bring them to Emoshion . ¡¹ ¡¸Even if you tell me that, it¡¯s probably a rare or high ranking species of Sea Serpent that no one has ever seen one before . Right now, I¡¯m just skinning it and keeping it¡¯s meat for food . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if the Lemrace is a Sea Serpent, the materials you can sell would be its fangs, bones, skin, liver, blood and even its internal organs . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei followed after Obrus, who looked towards the ground . The large grassland was completely covered in the Lemrace¡¯s blood . ¡¸¡­¡­I think you should give up on the blood . ¡¹ ¡¸Looks like that will be the case . Aside from that, I plans to use the skin from the Lemrace, so I can¡¯t really bring it to the city . In the first place, the Lemrace¡¯s skin is dangerous due to the corrosive liquid on it . ¡¹ ¡¸How do you plan to use the skin if it¡¯s that dangerous?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t know if I can tell you¡­¡­I guess it¡¯s better than to be suspected of strange things . What do you think the smoke would be like if I burned this skin with the corrosive liquid on it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that a bit dangerous?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going to use it on people . Probably on something like a massive group of Goblins . ¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders in reply to Obrus as he walked over to Miroir . ¡¸Rei, we¡¯ve collected quite a lot . If this goes any further, we¡¯ll start to run out of space . Can you start storing it away?¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Do you have the guild cards of the people doing the dismantling and the ones guarding the surroundings?¡¹ ¡¸No problems there . Hendeka is taking notes . Hey, Hendeka?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . Fortunately, I can read and write . ¡¹ Nodding at Hendeka, who was smiling somewhat in embarassment, Rei immediately headed over to the place where the meat and skin had been gathered . Obrus, who was looking on from nearby, had a look of surprise as Rei stored everything away the same way as with the magic stone . A few people came over to Obrus . They were the people he had ordered to ask around earlier to find out what had happened . ¡¸Obrus-san, I¡¯ve found out the major points of information¡­¡­I mean, to be honest, by the time all of them got here, the monster had already been killed . ¡¹ According to the man¡¯s report, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference between what Obrus had learned himself . Still, he had some additional information that he had found out from Rei directly . ¡¸In that case, sorry, but could you go back to the city and report to the higher ups? The monster that showed up near the city has already been subjugated . In addition, there¡¯s a high chance that the monster is the Lemrace, that was forcibly transferred here using a magic item . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes sir, I can do that, but am I going back alone? Even if monsters don¡¯t show up on the way back, it is a bit dangerous . ¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about? We came all the way here on horses, of course you¡¯re going back on horse as well . If you do that, you won¡¯t have to worrry about running into Goblins . ¡¹ ¡¸If any other monsters appear though¡­¡­no, it¡¯s nothing . I¡¯ll head back to report right away . ¡¹ Perhaps noticing Obrus¡¯ eyes grow colder as he kept talking, the man immediately retracted his previous words as he left . As Obrus watched him leave, he though that even he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit scared after such a huge monster showed up so close to the city . ¡¸Alright, all the meat and skin has been stored . Give me a shout If it builds up again . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Rei, Egret, do your best . ¡­¡­Well, this might take a while . ¡¹ Miroir spoke to Rei and Egret as she looked back at the huge body of the Lemrace . With a wry smile, Rei and Egret got back to work dismantling the Lemrace . Still, even with more than 50 adventurers working together, it was almost evening by the time the Lemrace was completely dismantled . Chapter 335 Due to deal restructure text to speech player is currently unavailable. Will find a solution soon. Chapter 335 Legend Chapter 335 That day, a report was urgently brought to the attention of the people who ruled Emoshion¡­¡­to be exact, it was subordinates of the nobles, who were the nominal lords, that were astonished . ¡¸What-! The Lemrace has been killed?¡¹ A man in his early 30¡¯s was the first of the group people in the room to raise his voice . ¡¸Yes, that was what was reported to me . It was a report from people on the field, so there shouldn¡¯t be any mistakes . ¡¹ At the words from a man in his 20¡¯s, the colour of joy momentarily appeared on the faces of the 10 or so people in the room . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Hm? Wait, wait, wait . It¡¯s great and all that the Lemrace has been killed, but why wasn¡¯t it in the sea, where it lives, and on land instead? No, no one has actually seen what the Lemrace looks like, so if it can move on land, then I can¡¯t say much . ¡¹ At those words, everyone calmed down as their faces turned serious . The people gathered here were the ones who practically kept Emoshion running . It wasn¡¯t possible for them to make decisions without having concrete information . After all, they had to be careful, Emoshion was known as the gateway to the Mireana Kingdom where countless merchants from the sea gathered . ¡¸That¡¯s right . In the first place, is that monster really the Lemrace? The information we¡¯ve been given says that it suddenly appeared not far from the city . ¡¹ ¡¸As for that matter, it was also reported from the field, the Lemrace was forcibly transferred there using a magic item . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hah?¡¹ That answer might have been unexpected . All the people in the room looked at the man who had come to report with dumbfounded expressions . It was as if they couldn¡¯t understand what the man had just said . Even so, the man continued to speak as if he had expected that response . ¡¸In the end, it¡¯s just a report from the field . We should be able to get more information later . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . Regardless, if the Lemrace really was killed, there¡¯s no better news than that . It was that adventurer who killed the Lemrace, right? The one with a tamed Griffon that had been acting as a decoy to let ships leave the port . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . ¡¹ As the man who had come to report nodded, one of the women spoke out as if understanding something . ¡¸That makes sense . If a Griffon is following an adventurer like him, it¡¯s certainly possible that he would have an unusual magic item on him . This adventurer seems to be quite competent . ¡¹ ¡¸Forget about it . As stated in the report, he¡¯s under the care of Gilm¡¯s guild master . Also, according to the information I have here, he seems to be on friendly terms with Margrave Rowlocks . If you try to snatch him from them, it¡¯s not going to end well . ¡¹ The man replied to her, telling her to give up the idea . Hearing that, the woman sighed . ¡¸But, it¡¯s more than worth the risk . He¡¯s good at using long range magic attacks and he has a Griffon that can freely fly in the sky, right? You can¡¯t get much better than that when trying to deal with things like pirates . ¡¹ Voices of agreement rose at her words . Recently, there had been barely any pirate activity due to the situation with the Lemrace . But if the Lemrace was really gone, the pirates would be back to their old business . The Lemrace could be considered a natural disaster to Emoshion, but it did have the small upside of making all the pirate disappear . However, there were too many downsides for anyone to appreciate that benefit . ¡¸Even so, considering Marina Alianza¡¯s personality, there wouldn¡¯t be any issues if the adventurer called Rei decided to move here himself¡­¡­however, if we forced him, things will definitely end badly . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I know . ¡¹ The woman grudgingly nodded at the man¡¯s words . Beside her, another woman, who was in her 40¡¯s, spoke up . ¡¸Then, that aside, is it fine to ask the guild to confirm if the Lemrace really has been killed?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . The guild should have the information to find out if the monster that showed up outside the city was really the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸By the way, out of interest, what kind of monster was the Lemrace?¡¹ When she spoke, all eyes turned to the man who had given the report . Pressured by the silence, the man spoke up . ¡¸This isn¡¯t confirmed yet, but from the reports from the adventurers who were at the site¡­¡­it might have been some sort of Sea Serpent?¡¹ ¡¸Hah? Wait a moment . I don¡¯t recall Sea Serpents being that big?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . That means it was either a rare species or higher ranking species . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . In that case, did it have more intelligence compared to the usual Sea Serpents? Well, we¡¯ll get more information from the adventurers guild later . Now, assuming that the Lemrace is really dead, we¡¯ll have to get the ships at port ready to leave . If everyone were to leave at the same time, there would be a lot of confusion . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s certainly true . Many people would¡¯t want to continue paying the port fees if the Lemrace is gone . ¡¹ Like that, the people in the room felt their heads hurt as they thought of the busy days ahead of them . In fact, starting from the next day, they became so busy that they didn¡¯t even have time to sleep, causing some of them to collapse from fatigue . The sun had already set and it was nearing the time to start closing the city gates . Despite that, there were still many adventurers waiting outside the gate . They were the people who had seen the Lemrace appear and had left the city right after, eventually helping to dismantle the Lemrace at Rei¡¯s suggestion before finally coming back to the city . ¡¸Your guild card¡­¡­yes, that¡¯s fine . You may enter . ¡¹ ¡¸Check mine as well . I¡¯m in a hurry!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, please wait . Take your turn . Regardless, anyone who tries to jump the queue will be sent to the back!¡¹ ¡¸My guild card¡­¡­eh? What? Where¡¯s my guild card¡­¡­ Um¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Support, someone call for more support! It will take too much time with just five of us! There definitely must be more people available at the guard headquarters!¡¹ Regardless, there were over fifty adventurers, with many of them having their own horses or carriages . It was so crowded that there wasn¡¯t much space to move easily, even in front of the main gates of Emoshion, the largest port city in the Mireana Kingdom . Needless to say, the guards desperately tried to speed up the process of checking guild cards before letting people into the city, but even then, the remaining number of adventurers didn¡¯t seem to decrease . Still, many of the adventurers, who would usually cause a fuss in this situation, were in high spirits . The reason they were smiling in satisfaction was because Rei had given them some of the Lemrace¡¯s meat as part of the reward that was promised for dismantling the Lemrace . The party that was going to be held in the guild today was also going to be Rei¡¯s treat . Originally, Rei hadn¡¯t considered throwing a party . But, after defeating such a huge monster, Egret had said it wouldn¡¯t be such a bad idea to treat everyone to food and drink . As for Rei, he had succeeded in killing the huge monster known as the Lemrace and had gotten his hands on the magic stone that he wanted, so he could understanding the good feeling . Because of that, Rei finished the process to enter the city one step ahead of the others and headed for the guild with the people he had fought alongside . ¡¸Phew, the Lemrace was really tough . I never thought it would secrete a liquid from its skin that would be able to destroy my weapon . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re in a good mood even though your treasured pole axe was destroyed . I don¡¯t want to have to fight that monster again . It¡¯s a Sea Serpent, so why was it so large, brutal and violent . ¡¹ ¡¸W-Well, don¡¯t mind it too much . Miroir-san, please calm down . In the end, we killed the Lemrace . ¡¹ As they walked down the road, Rei looked around as he listened to Egret, Miroir and Hendeka converse with each other, Those who had arrived back before Rei may have spread the news . The whole city was bustling and people could be seen talking with each other happily . However, no one had yet to call out to Rei as it seemed, for better or worse, information on who had killed the Lemrace had yet to spread . (I guess it¡¯s good that there¡¯s no strange commotion or anything . ¡­¡­Well, if anyone tries to take away the stuff I got, I¡¯ll just deal with them appropriately then . ) As he thought about that, their party continued moving forward, eventually reaching the guild, their destination . ¡¸Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Shen as well . ¡¹ At Rei and Hendeka¡¯s words, the two monsters moved over to the space for tamed monsters . Seeing Set and Shen head off, the four of them entered the guild . ¡¸Hey, that person . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s Crimson . Then, that means¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are you talking about the monster you saw just before noon?¡¹ ¡¸There are rumours that it was the Lemrace, but why would the Lemrace appear on land when it should be in the sea?¡¹ ¡¸Is it a kind of monster that can move on land as well? As far as I could see from here, it was clearly a Sea Serpent like monster . In that case¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But, why would it suddenly be on land if it¡¯s been in the sea all this time?¡¹ The adventurers in the guild, or those who had come to the bar attached to the guild for an early dinner, saw Rei enter the guild and immediately started to talk about the rumours as they made guesses . However, Rei didn¡¯t care about them as he headed straight for the counter . Egret and Miroir must have become accustomed to this from past experiences as they didn¡¯t seem to care either . Only one person, Hendeka, looked around with a restless expression . ¡¸Come on, calm down . You¡¯re one of the main characters of this event . ¡¹ ¡¸But, Miroir-san, I¡¯m not really used to situations like this¡­¡­¡¹ While hearing Miroir talk to Hendeka in the background, Rei called out to a receptionist . ¡¸We¡¯ve killed the Lemrace, what should we do now? We¡¯ve brought proof of subjugation, but since no one has seen the Lemrace in the first place, it can¡¯t really serve as evidence . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Wa-Wait a moment, I¡¯ll call my manager right away!¡¹ Judging that this case was beyond his capabilities, the receptionist hurriedly responded before heading to the back of the guild . At the same time, those who heard what Rei said raised astonished voices . ¡¸So it¡¯s the Lemrace after all¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But, how can they prove it?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows? But, the city will finally quiet down . Because of all the adventurers coming in from other places, all available requests were taken and I was wondering what to do from here on . ¡¹ Rei continued waiting without any concern about the voices . Before long, a man in his 40¡¯s appeared alongside the receptionist who had left the counter earlier . ¡¸Hello, nice to meet you . My name is Roseus, I¡¯m the assistant guild master in this guild . I heard that you killed the Lemrace¡­¡­may I hear more details about it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ Rei nodded at the unexpectedly polite words from the man who had come out . Since most of the guild staff he had met until now had stern expressions, he was quite surprised by the man before him . They were guided by Roseus to a meeting room on the second floor of the guild . The structure wasn¡¯t much different from guilds in other cities . Of course there were many different details . The number of meeting rooms on the second floor and their atmosphere would vary . For example, in Emoshion, which was a port city, the meeting room was decorated with corals and shells . The room was also painted in colours reminiscent of the sea . Hendeka, who was entering a guild meeting room for the first time, looked around curiously . Egret and Miroir, who had entered meeting rooms like this countless times as high ranked adventurers, had no change in expression . It wasn¡¯t Rei¡¯s first time entering a guild meeting room either, so he didn¡¯t have any particular thoughts about it . ¡¸Well, that¡¯s how you say you killed it¡­¡­but, I¡¯m sorry, do you have any evidence? After all, no one has actually clearly seen how the Lemrace looked like, so I¡¯m honestly not sure how to deal with this . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess so . ¡­¡­ . Then, how about this?¡¹ Sayinig that, Rei took out the huge, 30cm diameter, magic stone from the Misty Ring and placed it on the table . Chapter 336 Due to deal restructure text to speech player is currently unavailable. Will find a solution soon. Chapter 336 Legend Chapter 336 ¡¸T-This is¡­¡­¡¹ Roseus raised his voice at the large magic stone that suddenly appeared in front of him . Of course, the magic stone appearing from nowhere did suprise him, but what surprised him the most was the size of the magic stone . Basically, the larger a monster got, the larger its magic stone would be . In addition, the quality and size of the magic stone would also changed based on the rank of the monster . The magic stone in front of him definitely had a different presence compared to ones from low ranking monsters . ¡¸As you can see, it¡¯s the Lemrace¡¯s magic stone . There¡¯s other parts as well . This is Egret¡¯s share¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out a fang that was more than a meter in length . It was one of the fangs from the Lemrace¡¯s mouth that Egret had requested as his share of the reward . ¡¸Is this a fang?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . One from the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It was large enough to be seen from the city . I don¡¯t doubt that its fangs would be this big¡­¡­but, I¡¯m sorry, but this isn¡¯t enough to confirm that the monster you killed was the Lemrace . In the first place, what was the Lemrace doing on land when it has been off the coast, never nearing the port, all this time?¡¹ ¡¸As for that, I can only say I used a magic item . ¡¹ Rei explained the effect of the magic item he had used . Of course, the magic item was a complete lie, but there was no way he could talk about Grimm, a Lich who had lived for thousands of years¡­¡­because of that, he had no choice but to push through with that lie . ¡¸Is that so? A magic item¡­¡­that is true, if you wanted to move the Lemrace onto land, you would only be able to use a magic item to do that . If you don¡¯t mind, would you be able to show me that magic item so that I can study it?¡¹ His words were soft, there was a smile on his mouth and his eyes were calm . However, there was a sharp light in Roseus¡¯ eyes when he asked Rei to show him the magic item . As a guild official¡­¡­no, as a citizen of the Mireana Kingdom, he couldn¡¯t ignore the existence of a magic item that could forcibly transfer its target . If someone were to use that for criminal activities, it would even be possible to kidnap nobles or even the royal family . However, Rei just shrugged his shoulders at Roseus¡¯ request . ¡¸Unfortunately, it was a disposable magic item . Because its effect is so powerful, it¡¯s not something that could be used multiple times . It has since turned into dust and scattered into the sea . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Roseus looked into Rei¡¯s eyes as he replied . There was a tense atmosphere in the room as he seemed to gaze into the depths of Rei¡¯s mind . Egret and Miroir just watched on calmly, but Hendeka had a tense expression as he seemed to have turned into a statue . After a few seconds of silence, Roseus spoke again . ¡¸I won¡¯t pry any further into the magic item . However, here¡¯s some advice for you . Whether it be superior strength, skill or tools, those with any one of them will stand out . Naturally, there will also be people who will target them . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course . I am more than aware of that . ¡¹ While saying that, Rei glanced towards the Misty Ring on his right arm . The Misty Ring was an item box, a very convenient item . But, there were many people who targeted him because of it . Thanks to its rarity, Rei was already familiar with people targetting him for a magic item . But¡­¡­ ¡¸If they attack me, all I need to do is to fight back . ¡¹ ¡¸And if they are stronger than you?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true . There are definitely people stronger than me . ¡¹ The face of skull with a crown, who he had met just this morning, passed through Rei¡¯s mind . ¡¸However, even if someone like that shows up, I still have my partner, Set . If it¡¯s someone the both of us can¡¯t beat, there¡¯s always the option of running away . ¡¹ Grimm was a Lich who could fly through the sky as if it were nothing . However, there weren¡¯t many creatures who could fly in this world . If you further limited it to people, the number was even less . ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so . If Rei-san is aware of this, I won¡¯t say anything more . Ahem, pardon me . We¡¯ve gone off topic . So, about the Lemrace . I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t confirm that the monster that was killed was the Lemrace with just this . ¡¹ ¡¸Is it because we killed the Lemrace on land when it should have been in the sea?¡¹ It was Miroir who interjected at Roseus¡¯ words . However, looking at her expression, she didn¡¯t seem to have any complaints . Rather, it might have been something she had half expected . ¡¸Yes . As I asked you about earlier, if there really was a magic item that could forcefully transfer it, and we saw the effect happen ourselves, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems . ¡­¡­As it is, all we can say is that your party worked together to kill a monster that appeared out of nowhere . ¡¹ ¡¸I guess so . However, if ships leaving the port tomorrow aren¡¯t attacked¡­¡­and that continues for 10 days, can you judge that the Lemrace is no longer off the coast? It¡¯s hard to give any clear evidence considering no one has ever seen the Lemrace . ¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s suggestion, Roseus thought about it for several seconds before nodding . ¡¸Hm, that would be fine . The decision on this matter is up to me, so I will accept that . However, with regards to the bounty prize, is it okay if you only get paid when we confirm the Lemrace is gone after the 10 days?¡¹ ¡¸I have no problems with that, what about the rest of you?¡¹ Rei looked at the other three, who nodded to indicate that they didn¡¯t have any issues with that . ¡¸Then, starting from tomorrow, if the Lemrace doesn¡¯t appear for 10 days, I will judge that you have killed the Lemrace . Aside from that¡­¡­¡¹ Roseus pointed to the magic stone on the table . ¡¸With regards to the magic stone and materials that you got from killing the monster you said was the Lemrace . What do you plan to do with them? Are you splitting it between the four of you?¡¹ ¡¸No, all the materials, except for the fang I got, have been given to Rei . Anyhow, even if it was a disposable magic item, Rei had still used a magic item that could be considered a national treasure . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei-san, would you be willing to sell the magic stone and the materials? Of course, it¡¯s an unknown monster, so I will give a suitable price for everything we buy . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing Roseus¡¯ eager gaze, Rei thought for a few seconds before speaking . ¡¸Since it was a kind of Sea Serpent, we¡¯ve stripped all the materials we could, but I¡¯ve only got its bones, skin and some of its organs . Most of the blood was spilled during dismantling due to my incompetence . ¡¹ Saying that, he took out a few bottles of blood from the Misty Ring . ¡¸With regards to the blood, bones and organs that I have, I can sell you as much as you¡¯d like, aside from a small amount I would like to keep for myself . If I do sell the skin though, I will only sell a small part of it . ¡¹ ¡¸Why is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Because I have a use for it . ¡¹ Rei just said that without explaining his planned use for it . Roseus nodded with a disappointed expression, as he had wanted to use it in blacksmithing and alchemy . After that, he turned his eyes to the magic stone, which was his greatest goal . ¡¸As for the magic stone¡­¡­I¡¯m not selling it . ¡¹ Roseus sighed in resignation when he saw Rei¡¯s expression, not even needing to hear the rest of his words . Seeing Roseus like that, Rei nodded with a small smile . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I like to collect magic stones . I¡¯m greedy, so I usually like to keep one to preserve and second for display . However, I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll ever be a second Lemrace, so I don¡¯t want to give this one up . ¡¹ ¡¸Collecting magic stones? That¡¯s a considerably expensive hobby . ¡¹ ¡¸Not really . Normally, it¡¯s a hobby that you wouldn¡¯t be able to sustain unless you were rich . But fortunately, I¡¯m an adventurer, so if I kill monsters and collect their magic stones myself, it¡¯s not that big of a burden in terms of money . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I think that¡¯s only possible for Rei-san . Normally, magic stones are the most expensive material, so most people wouldn¡¯t keep them unless they were really eccentric . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess I¡¯m just that eccentric . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Roseus seemed to be quite surprised by Rei¡¯s response before suddenly turning serious as he asked Rei . ¡¸Rei-san, I know you¡¯re not willing to sell this magic stone . But¡­¡­could you lend it to the guild for a few days? Of course, I¡¯m not expecting to be able to learn everything about the Lemrace just by looking at the magic stone, but I still think we should be able to find out some information . ¡­¡­Would that be possible?¡¹ ¡¸What benefit is there for me to leave the Lemrace¡¯s magic stone at the guild? I don¡¯t want to be rude, but it could be stolen by someone . If I had it, I could store it into my item box and it would be safe . ¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­I guess we could give you the information we get from investigating the magic stone? Of course, on the honour of Emoshion¡¯s guild, we wouldn¡¯t let anyone take it away . ¡¹ Rei frowned his eyebrows slightly at the heated gaze Roseus directed towards him . (Certainly, any information about the Lemrace would be greatly appreciated . Especially since only either Set or the Death Scythe can absorb the magic stone . I don¡¯t know how much information I would be able to get, but if I could get any on places where it would likely live¡­¡­) Collecting his thoughts, Rei nodded slightly . ¡¸Fine then . If you really want it, I can leave the magic stone with you . But, you¡¯ll be carefull with it, won¡¯t you? If it¡¯s damaged or is stolen by someone¡­¡­Set and I won¡¯t forgive you . I won¡¯t let anyone in the guild get away with it, even if it means a bounty if put on me . You¡¯ll see why I was given a title in the war against the Bestir Empire . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes . There will be absolutely no problems with regards to security . ¡¹ Roseus probably realised Rei¡¯s seriousness . If there were any mistakes, the whole city of Emoshion would probably go up in flames . Because of that, Roseus nodded as he looked straight back at Rei with a serious expression . Then, gently reaching out towards the magic stone, making sure Rei didn¡¯t make any moves to stop him, he gently touched its surface . Being over 30cm in diameter, it was a very large magic stone . Even Roseus, who had worked in the guild for many years, had only seen magic stones of this size several times . In addition, it was also a high quality magic stone . Comparing this to the magic stone of a Goblin, one of the lowest level magic stones, was like comparing a jewel to a stone on the roadside . ¡¸This is amazing¡­¡­it must be B rank at worst, it might even be close to A rank . Whether the monster was really the Lemrace or not, there¡¯s no doubt that this magic stone belonged to a powerful monster . ¡¹ ¡¸I thought the same . It¡¯s one of the most powerful monsters I¡¯ve fought before . As for monsters I¡¯ve seen that are stronger than it¡­¡­¡¹ Rei recalled the Silver Lion, the S rank monster, that was the boss of the dungeon he had gone into with Elena . Although Rei hadn¡¯t seen the Silver Lion directly, he had still felt how powerful the monster was . The Lemrace was clearly not comparable to such a monster, but Rei still agreed with Roseus¡¯ words . Rei half instinctively understood the difference between A and S rank and he finished his sentence . ¡¸I¡¯ve only ever seen one . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Even C rank monster are rare around here . No, I guess this one did come from the sea . ¡¹ Rei looked at Roseus, who gave a sigh, before turning to face the other three . ¡¸Well then, that¡¯s all I¡¯ve come here for . All that¡¯s left is the party in the bar that I promised everyone . ¡­¡­Roseus, everything at the bar will be my treat today, can you handle that? We¡¯re going to have a big celebration for killing the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸That can be done . However, there are a lot of costs that will make it expensive¡­¡­are you fine with that?¡¹ ¡¸No problem, take off the cost from the Lemrace materials I sell . ¡¹ Nodding as he replied, Rei left the meeting room with Roseus, who hid the magic stone so that others wouldn¡¯t find it, before returning to the first floor . ¡¸Looks like everyone has already gathered . ¡¹ When Egret turned to look toward the bar on the first floor, there were already a large number of adventurers there . Seeing that, Rei, who wasn¡¯t that good at interacting with people, asked Egret to shout out to them . ¡¸Hey, all of you! As promised, today is Rei¡¯s treat! Drink and eat as much as you¡¯d like! We all did a great job today!¡¹ Along with his shout, the adventurers in the bar gave a loud cheer . ¡­¡­Aside from that, Rei also took out some of the Lemrace meat that he had in the Misty Ring . It was cooked in large dishes and everyone got drunk as they ate the meat of a high ranking monster . Chapter 337 Due to deal restructure text to speech player is currently unavailable. Will find a solution soon. Chapter 337 Legend Chapter 337 ¡¸Ahhh¡­¡­mmm, fuaaaah . ¡¹ Rei, who was sleeping in his bed, woke up with a big stretch . Waking up and looking around, he was back in his small, 3 tatami sized room . Most of the room was taken up by the bed with barely enough space for one person . In fact, a man nearly 2m in height and his female party member had visited a while ago . But, Rei remembered how suffocating it had felt at the lack of space as he looked out the window . The sky outside the window was much darker and filled with rain clouds compared to the time they had fought the Lemrace the day before . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s a good thing we were able to fight the Lemrace yesterday . ¡¹ Wearing his Dragon Robe and Shoes of Sleipnir, Rei spoke to himself as he took the Dagger of Flowing Water out from the Misty Ring . For clear reasons, Rei, who was good at fire magic, wouldn¡¯t have the greatest time fighting in the rain . Similarly, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted to fight a huge monster like the Lemrace in the rain . ¡¸That said, we really did party too hard last night . It looks like it¡¯s almost noon already . ¡¹ Hearing the noise from outside his room, he could roughly guess the time . He had stayed up late drinking and singing at the guild bar and it was past midnight by the time he got back to the inn . That said, Rei had already left early, there had still been many adventurers in the guild¡¯s bar . Given that everyone was still fighting over the dishes cooked with the Lemrace meat that Rei had taken out from the Misty Ring, it was still noisy when Rei had left the bar . ¡¸The guild¡­¡­I guess I don¡¯t really need to go there . ¡¹ Even if he went to the guild now, the only people there would be the ones still dead drunk . Thinking of that, Rei considered how he was going to spend the next 10 days of his agreement with Roseus . Since his goal was to make sure the Lemrace was really gone, he couldn¡¯t go that far from Emoshion and could only kill time around the city¡­¡­ ¡¸I guess I can collect the magic stones of monsters that live around here, so that¡¯s not too bad? I¡¯ll get ready for that first then . ¡¹ He had killed several sea monsters up until now, but their bodies would always sink back down into the sea . Normally, corpses would have floated to the surface in the sea¡­¡­ ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll need to be able to pull up the bodies of the monsters I¡¯ve killed¡­¡­a harpoon? It¡¯s a port city, so I think I could get one made up if I went to a blacksmith . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei left his room and went to the dining area on the first floor . There were a good number of people eating lunch and there was a bright atmosphere . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san . Good morning¡­¡­no, I can¡¯t really say that . It¡¯s a bit late, but¡­¡­what can I do for you? Would you like some food? Because you dealt with the Lemrace, you don¡¯t need to pay for today . ¡¹ Rei gave a nod towards the innkeeper¡¯s daughter, who had called out after seeing him come down the stairs and head towards the dining area . (As expected of a port city . It seems news about the Lemrace has already spread . ) As Rei waited for his meal, he listened in the voices of the adventurers and sailors around him . Eventually, a seasoned and grilled fish sandwich, a seafood soup and a glass of cold water was placed at his table . In addition, maybe guessing Rei¡¯s tastes from his previous meals, there was also a gratin like dish where a big shrimp was cut in half length-wise and baked with cheese and bread crumbs . ¡¸That¡¯s quite luxurious . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . It¡¯s thanks for killing the Lemrace . There were quite a few adventurers because of the bounty, but they were all just trouble because they couldn¡¯t leave the port . As a resident of this city, Rei-san, thank you for removing the problem . ¡¹ Hearing what the innkeeper¡¯s daughter was saying as she laughed lightly, he first reached out to the shrimp . Stabbing some of the meat with a fork, he brought it to his mouth along with the cheese . THe chewy texture of the shrimp and the rich taste of the cheese merged together into an enjoyable flavour in Rei¡¯s mouth . ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s delicious . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Isn¡¯t that right? It¡¯s a bit expensive because we used half a big shrimp, but it¡¯s a speciality of this restaurant . ¡¹ ¡¸This taste definitely can be a speciality dish . ¡­¡­Do you know what¡¯s going on in the port?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . The first ship left the port early this morning . At first, the other ships just watched on, but after seeing it pass the area of the sea where the Lemrace usually appeared, they all left at the same time . I don¡¯t think there¡¯s many ships left at the port anymore? Even if there are any left, they¡¯re mostly fishing boats . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh . ¡¹ Rei responded as he smiled in admiration . The inn keeper¡¯s daughter was dazed for a moment, but immediately got back to work after coming back to reality . Seeing her leave, Rei thought to himself as he drank a bowl of shellfish soup . (The captain or owner of the first ship to leave the port either had a lot of guts or was in danger of not being able to to pay the port fees . ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s none of my business . Eating and enjoying a meal that was too extravagant to call a lunch, he first went to the stables to get Set before taking a look around the city . ¡¸As expected, it¡¯s definitely more lively than yesterday, though the number of adventurers has reduced significantly . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei muttered as he walked through the city with Set . In his hands was a large amount of grilled fish skewers, overnight dried squid, sandwiches and tropical fruits . Set gave a cry as he threw red and blue spotted fruits into his beak . Rei hadn¡¯t even needed to pay a single copper coin for all that food . All of it had been given to him for free, courtesy of the various stall owners . Rumors that the Lemrace had been killed had travelled through the city overnight and it seemed that there had been celebrations with drinking and singing at every bar in the city . At the same time, as Rei had expected, news of who had killed the Lemrace had spread through the adventurers, resulting in a massive amount of food he wasn¡¯t able to carry . Originally, when Rei had first come to Emoshion, he had bought a lot of seafood as ingredients for cooking . Because of that, like in Gilm, he was considered to be a good customer by all the food shops in the city and he had become quite well known . Food and ingredients he couldn¡¯t carry had already been stored into the Misty Ring and everything he was holding was only a portion of what he had been given . ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s here . ¡¹ In the midst of all this, Rei arrived at store which he had heard had a good blacksmith . It was a bit oof the main street and wasn¡¯t easy to find if you tried looking for it normally . The owner was also a Dwarf, who was stubborn and didn¡¯t get along with people that well . However, Rei had been told by a stall owner that the blacksmith still had work in Emoshion because his skill was just that good . As Rei went to enter the smithy of the stubborn Dwarf¡­¡­he stepped aside on reflex to avoid something that came flying out . ¡¸UAHHHHHHH-!¡¹ Something screaming flew past the space Rei had been before stepping to the side before crashing into the wall of the store opposite and tumbling to the ground . ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ A familiar face entered Rei¡¯s eyes at the unexpected turn of events as he turned to look at who it was . It was man, nearly 2m tall, who had helped Rei fight the Lemrace . ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Set approached Egret, who was lying on the ground and use his forefoot to shake Egret¡¯s huge body, who was small in comparison to Set, as he gave a cry . Are you okay? Set seemed to ask . Egret, seeing that Set was worried about him, got up and stroked his head . ¡¸S-Sorry Set¡­¡­huh? Wait, Set? What are you doing here Set? Rei as well¡­¡­¡¹ Egret seemed to have finally realised . He looked puzzled as he asked Rei . ¡¸I heard that there was a good blacksmith here . ¡­¡­Why are you here? What happened to Miroir, your external brain?¡¹ ¡¸No, I do work with Miroir, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s always with me right? She¡¯s doing something else today . ¡¹ Even though he had been thrown out, Egret didn¡¯t seem to have any particular injuries, whether it was due to his armour or his tough body . (There¡¯s a 90% chance that it was just Egret¡¯s tough body . ) Thinking about that as he gave a quick glance towards Egret, Rei made Set wait outside before entering the smithy . But at that moment¡­¡­ ¡¸Oi, get out of here! I¡¯ll never forge a weapon for people who know nothing like you!¡¹ From the back of the smithy, a forging hammer flew out alongside an angry voice . ¡¸Um, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not Egret . ¡¹ Rei caught the shaft of the spinning hammer, stopping it . A Dwarf appeared from the back of the smithy, wondering why he hadn¡¯t heard the hammer hit the ground . Although he was only 130cm in height, his muscles were well trained and he was probably close to Egret purely in terms of weight . He might even be heavier than Egret . Typical of a Dwarf, he had strong face and a beard that reached his chest . ¡¸Hah? What, you¡¯re not that guy from earlier? ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not in a good mood right now . So, what do you want?¡¹ The Dwarf glared at Egret, who was peeking out from the smithy¡¯s entrance, with a big scowl on his face before Rei started to speak . ¡¸I want something to deal with monsters sinking into the sea after I kill them . Some sort of harpoon? Aside from that, if you have any barrels of scrap such as iron fragments, scrap ore or weapon fragments that you don¡¯t need anymore, could you give them to me?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Harpoon aside, what use do you have for such garbage?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s for one of my trump cards . It¡¯s a very powerful weapon when I fight against large monsters like the Lemrace . ¡¹ Lemrace . Hearing that word, the Dwarf¡¯s eyebrows twitched . ¡¸The Lemrace? Hey, you¡¯re kidding me, the adventurer that was rumoured to have killed the Lemrace yesterday¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah . That would be me . Also, Egret, who was thrown out earlier was one of the people who helped kill it . ¡¹ ¡¸What-!?¡¹ Egret gave a wry smile from the entrance to the smithy as the Dwarf looked at him with wide eyes . ¡¸Even if you say I helped to kill it, most of the achievement belongs to Rei . It was Rei who prepared the magic item to move it and it was also Rei who killed the Lemrace after we were hardly able to hurt it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It was because of your attack with that spear that the Lemrace lost one of its eyes . ¡¹ Hearing that, the Dwarf gave a small nod as he called out to Egret, who was still looking in from the outside . ¡¸Tch, well, if you say that you were the ones who killed the Lemrace, I can¡¯t kick you out . Enter . ¡¹ Clicking his tongue, the Dwarf invited Egret into the smithy and directed with his eyes to sit on a chair . Both Rei and Egret sat on a chair facing the Dwarf, who was the first to speak . ¡¸You¡¯re stupid, but since you killed the Lemrace, I¡¯ll put up with it and hear you out . What kind of weapon do you want to make with that material . ¡¹ ¡¸A poleaxe . I want to make a poleaxe with the Lemrace¡¯s fang . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I told you this earlier . That fang isn¡¯t a good fit for a poleaxe . It¡¯s such a long fang . It would be more effective to make a spear or halberd out of it . You could use the tip of the fang as the spear tip on a halberd, but for a poleaxe, I can only crush the fang and mixing it into the blade when I forge it . In terms of pure strength, it will only be 60% as good as a halberd¡­¡­even if I try my hardest, it won¡¯t be more than 70% . Are you sure you still want to make a poleaxe with it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course . ¡¹ Egret nodded without a moments hesitation . The Dwarf stared at Egret before giving a deep sigh and nodding while scratching his head . ¡¸Not much I can say . It¡¯s hard to say no to a guy who helped to kill the Lemrace . I understand . But since I¡¯m making it, I won¡¯t settle for something half-baked . ¡¹ ¡¸Alright! Since I brought this much material, it would be a bother if I couldn¡¯t get what I wanted . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, of course . Well, that¡¯s enough of him . So, Rei, did you say? You wanted a harpoon?¡¹ Rei nodded at the Dwarf¡¯s words, who seemed to start talking with him to change his mood . ¡¸Yes . To be exact, it would be better if the edge of the blade had barbs to stop it from getting pulled out after piercing into a monster . Also, since I plan to use it as a throwing weapon, I would like the shaft of the harpoon to be attached to a rope or something so I can pull it back . You don¡¯t have to worry about weight, so please just make it as sturdy as possible . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that okay with your physique?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Even if I look like this, I¡¯ve done a lot of training . Also, if you have any Flame Crystal ore scraps, please put them into the barrels as well . The explosive power from that would make a difference . ¡¹ The Dwarf nodded at Rei¡¯s words, letting out a similar sigh to when he had heard Egret¡¯s request . Chapter 338 Due to deal restructure text to speech player is currently unavailable. Will find a solution soon. Chapter 338 Legend Chapter 338 Moving away from Emoshion and back to Gilm . Today, as usual, the guild was filled with many adventurers as one of the receptionists gave a sigh . ¡¸Hey, Kenny . You haven¡¯t been into work much recently?¡¹ ¡¸I know . After all, without Rei-kun, I¡¯m not as motivated . ¡¹ ¡¸Rei-san is doing his best in Emoshion . Don¡¯t you know how strong Rei-san is?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­it¡¯s a port city, I hope there aren¡¯t any women who try to do anything strange . ¡¹ Kenny gave another small sigh as she looked through some documents . Work kept her busy in the mornings and evenings, so she didn¡¯t have time to think of much else . However, aside from the busy mornings and evenings, the afternoons were quite free and she would start thinking about Rei . ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you now, if you¡¯re not serious about your work, I¡¯ll report it to Rei-san when he gets back . ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Hey, why do you have to do that!?¡¹ Kenny panicked at Lenora¡¯s words as she frantically whispered into Lenora¡¯s ears to protest . However, Lenora just had a small smile on her face as she pretended to not understand what Kenny meant . ¡¸It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a guild secret, I can just mention it while we talk . ¡¹ ¡¸But, that will cause my image as a capable onee-san¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What capable onee-san . If you don¡¯t like that, they you should take your job more seriously . Here . These are the documents of the adventurers who accepted requests today . Please look over them along with these documents here . ¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­¡­Lenora¡¯s a devil! Demon! Lenora!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, Kenny . What kind of insult is that? And why are you calling me a devil and demon?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry . Well, I¡¯ll try again . Lenora! No tits! Zero female charm!¡¹ ¡¸Kenny-!¡¹ Thus, their exchange, which could already be considered a speciality of Gilm¡¯s adventurers guild, was looked on with warm eyes by the few adventurers in front of the request board, those who had come for an early lunch and the other guild staff behind the counter . While listening into the conversation occurring on the first floor with her sharp hearing as a Dark Elf, Marina gave a small smile as she placed a report on her desk and called out the person in front of her . ¡¸Most of the nobles who came to Gilm for nefarious purposes have been dealt with . As expected of the Prairie Wolves . ¡¹ As Marina gave a beaming smile, Egg, the leader of the Prairie Wolves, averted his eyes slightly . ¡¸That is true, but we only really handled the ones who planned to do something against the law . However, there are others¡­¡­those that have come to try to persuade Rei to leave normally . We can¡¯t do anything to those . ¡¹ An evening dress leaving her chest wide open . Her fascinating valley and brown skin made it hard for even Egg, the leader of the Prairie Wolves, to concentrate . Even though she knew how Egg was feeling, Marina continued to speak . ¡¸There¡¯s nothing I can do about it . However, in that case, none of them will be hostile to Rei, it¡¯s enough to get rid of those who wanted to do things like stealing or taking hostages . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I hope so . ¡¹ Marina¡¯s beautiful eyebrows caused Egg¡¯s to feel stuck as he spoke . ¡¸Are you still worried?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s a cause for concern, but there are a few people with their eyes on Rei who seem to want to break up any negotiations with the others . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, that¡¯s interesting . I don¡¯t think that would be good though if they made Rei angry . ¡¹ Marina was surprised at Egg¡¯s words for a moment, but started to smile in interest as she put her hand over her mouth . However, for Egg, this wasn¡¯t a laughing matter . ¡¸I¡¯d prefer if you could handle them . ¡¹ ¡¸But, aren¡¯t you the one in charge of this? Are you sure you want me to get involved?¡¹ ¡¸I was told Rei listens to what you say?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true . ¡­¡­Well, I personally don¡¯t mind if he¡¯s interested in me . ¡¹ Marina smiled again as she spoke . However, her smile was different from the one she had just a few seconds ago, and it was one that filled with a woman¡¯s charm . Egg felt the man inside of him writhe for a moment at Marina¡¯s aura, but whether she had realised it herself or not, Marina immediately returned to her usual expression . ¡­¡­That said, she still held a fascinating beauty that seemed to invite men in . ¡¸Anyhow, if they actually try something, I can¡¯t interfere as a guild master . But if they don¡¯t make any moves, it¡¯s a bit difficult . Can you do your best on that end?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know what we can do . Unlike the guild, we work completely behind the scenes . If we were to get in touch with them, it would only cause more trouble . That¡¯s what they¡¯re after in the first place . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, I see . That¡¯s right . I wonder what Rei would want from them after negotiations break down, they fight him and lose . Well, Rei is collecting a lot of magic items, so maybe he would be interested in that . ¡¹ With a wry smile, she recalled the Thorns Spear she had given to Rei as a reward . In addition, there was also the Magic Tent that Daska had given him as a reward for his efforts in the war with the Bestir Empire . Marine didn¡¯t know how many nobles knew about that, but those magic items were all very expensive and the number of people who would want them were as many as the stars . ¡¸Or, would they try to force him to serve them as punishment for hurting the messenger of a noble family?¡¡¡­¡­If that were to happen, that noble family would probably end up disappearing completely . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, don¡¯t scare me . ¡­¡­No, Rei actually has that power, so I can¡¯t treat that as a joke . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . But if things stay like this, that¡¯s probably going to happen right? So, what are you going to do about it?¡¹ As Marina asked that, Egg nodded with a red face . ¡¸Fine, I get it . I can¡¯t believe I have to do this . Lord Daska told me to cooperate with you until he got back . ¡­¡­I wonder when Lord Daska will actually come back . ¡¹ Egg really wanted Daska to return as soon as possible . That¡¯s why he put his heart into those words as he said them . The Dark Elf in front of him was definitely capable . However, she appealed too much to his male instinct . Because of that, he ended up heading to a brothel every time after reporting and consulting with Marina . (It¡¯s no wonder most of my salary has ended up there . But, if I send one of my subordinates to report instead, there will be a lot of them who will try to do something crazy¡­¡­) His men had worked for him for many years . He didn¡¯t want any of them attack the guild master, not in a violent sense, but a sexual sense . Because of that, he had to go all out and report in person . ¡¸He¡¯s very busy in the Royal Capital . Well, he¡¯s also a noble¡­¡­and there are various things he needs to do as the leader of the Neutral faction . Back to the nobles though . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll do as much as I can . ¡¹ Marina spoke with a smile as she nodded at Egg . ¡¸Please do so as soon as you can . I just got a call from the guild master in Emoshion that Rei killed the Lemrace yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Already? I had heard that the Lemrace seemed to be quite intelligent and that no one had actually seen it in person . ¡¹ Was he impressed or shocked? Marina just smiled as Egg replied with a sigh . ¡¸You are completely right . According to what the guild reported, he used a disposable magic item to forcibly move it out of the water¡­¡­it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a magic item in my life . I wonder where he really got such a thing . I¡¯ll have to make him tell me when he gets back . ¡¹ Although he said that with a grimace, there seemed to be a shadow of a smile on his face . Egg, who was about to become distracted, shook his head slightly . ¡¸So, when is he comping back specifically . ¡¹ ¡¸Because he used such a magic item, they can¡¯t confirm that it was the Lemrace he really killed . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I guess that¡¯s true . Normally, you wouldn¡¯t even believe that there would be such a magic item that could forcibly move a monster . ¡¹ ¡¸Right? Because of that, he¡¯ll be staying in the city for 10 days . If the Lemrace doesn¡¯t appear again, they will accept that it was the Lemrace he killed . ¡¹ ¡¸At least 10 days . No, we should have half a month to spare if we consider that he still needs to collect the bounty before returning . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, he quickly thought about how to take actions to eliminated the dangerous people . In a few minutes, he summarised all his thoughts and gave a small nod . ¡¸Half a month should be fine . Of course, you¡¯ll be able to help out to some extent, if you don¡¯t mind?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, there are no problems . But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know . I¡¯ll be careful to avoid being exposed . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good . If you know, then it¡¯s fine . Then, please . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s time for me to leave . Thinking about it, I really don¡¯t have the time to relax . ¡¹ Saying that to Marina, who was still sitting at her office desk with a thin smile, Egg left the room . Seeing him leave, Marina called up some people to cooperate with Egg . Like that, the dangerous people in Gilm gradually disappeared from the city . Some were buried in the darkness while others hastily returned to where they came from, believing the falsified reports that were sent from where they came . Others were arrested by adventurers and the guards when nobles who had discriminatory attitudes against commoners acted violently . There were many reasons, but the nobles who encroached upon the city lessened day by day . As for Rei, who had no idea his home city was the site of a struggle in the dark between nobles, he went to the smithy to collect the harpoon he had requested the day before . And, of course, he had a large number of dishes and seafood in his hands . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Is that grilled squid over there? Look . ¡¹ Rei passed a salted grilled skewer over to Set, who gave a covetous cry as he walked alongside Rei . The grilled squid was a large one about 30cm in length, but Set placed it in his mouth and ate it with a single bite . (Squid, squid¡­¡­octopus? Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve eaten a lot of squid since I¡¯ve come to Emoshion, but I haven¡¯t eaten any octopus . Do they not like how it looks? There are even places on Earth where it is called the devil fish and isn¡¯t eaten . Thinking to himself, Rei bit into his own grilled squid skewer . (But, takoyaki¡­¡­I can¡¯t remember the ingredients for it . Was it made from flour, octopus and soup stock? If it¡¯s okonomiyaki, I can put eggs and other things into it . Oh, but I don¡¯t have any red ginger? There are vegetables similar to leeks and there aren¡¯t any issues with eggs, so it should be fine . Can I make tenkasu with flour, water and oil? But aonori, katsuboshi and the sauces¡­¡­no, there has to be a way with the sauce if I try hard enough¡­¡­I guess that¡¯s it? Well, I¡¯ll try to find some octopus later . ) Rei reached a decision as thought about other flour dishes like okonomiyaki and takoyaki . Then, after finishing his grilled squid, he arrived at his destination, the smithy . ¡¸Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Without Rei needing to say anymore, Set gave a cry as he was handed two pieces of dried fish . Seeing Set move a short distance away, Rei entered the smithy . ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re here . ¡¹ Rei nodded in response to the Dwarf owner, who called out to Rei as he came out from the forging area the moment Rei entered the smithy . ¡¸Am I a bit early?¡¹ ¡¸No, you¡¯re not . It¡¯s ready . Here, take it . ¡¹ There were two barrels at the end of the Dwarf¡¯s line of sight . On top of them was a spear about a meter in length with a sturdy string tied to the shaft . The spear tip was barbed to prevent it from being pulled back out easily after hitting its target . ¡¸The string was made from a powdered magic metal called Earth Crystal, so it¡¯s very strong . However, it¡¯s quite heavy due to the Earth Crystal . ¡­¡­If you could swing that large scythe you called the Death Scythe yesterday though, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem . Try holding it first . ¡¹ Picking up the spear, as the Dwarf prompted, Rei felt that it was quite heavy, weighing about 5kg . However, for Rei, it could only be considered to have some weight, so he could use it without any issues . ¡¸¡­¡­I thought it would be fine, but I didn¡¯t think you could hold it so easily . Well, that¡¯s good . Also, those barrels over there are filled with the stuff you want, scrap ores, blade fragments and other stuff . There¡¯s also bits of Flame Crystal in there . ¡¹ ¡¸This is really more than I expected . You really are one of the best blacksmiths in Emoshion . ¡¹ ¡¸Hah, that¡¯s enough compliments . ¡¹ At the Dwarf¡¯s response, Rei paid him a bit more for the items before leaving the smithy . Chapter 339 Due to deal restructure text to speech player is currently unavailable. Will find a solution soon. Chapter 339 Legend Chapter 339 Rei and Set went over to the port as soon as they could after collecting the harpoon for catching monsters and the barrels of scrap metal from the blacksmith . When they got to the port, Rei was surprised . His surprise came from the fact that there were almost no adventurers at the port anymore . Most people there were just loading cargo onto ships . The few remaining adventurers were probably those who had been hired to escort the ships . The number of ships docked at the port had now decreased to a number that he could see them all in one glance . It had only been two days since the Lemrace had been killed, but the information seemed to have spread everywhere . The ships that didn¡¯t want to pay any more docking fees had already all left . Of course, as for the ship that left first early yesterday morning, it was a really risky departure . As the remaining captains and owners of the ships still docked gathered to watch, the ship that couldn¡¯t stay in the port any longer financially received some money from the guild, city administration or other ship owners to become the first to leave the port . As for the results, they could be seen by looking at the port now . The merchants who had profits highest in their minds had all already left, there were even some new ships that had entered the port . ¡¸When you think about it, the ship that arrived yesterday was really lucky . ¡¹ It was definitely lucky of them to be to able to enter the port without having the Lemrace attack them . With that in mind, Rei spoke to the guard who was assigned to handling the procedures to leave the port . ¡¸Not at all . Rei, was it? Thanks to you, the port has finally settled down . ¡¹ ¡¸It was crowded when I first came, so I thought that was how it was usually . ¡¹ Making some small talk, Rei handed over his guild card and Set¡¯s Necklace of Subservient Monster before getting permission to leave . ¡¸All the procedures have been completed . So, why are you going out to sea when the Lemrace isn¡¯t around anymore?¡¹ ¡¸Gilm is based inland . I¡¯ve always wanted to try hunting sea monsters . I can also sell the materials at the guild . ¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, the guard seemed to be surprised . As a guard, he didn¡¯t really understand Rei¡¯s desire to hunt monsters . Especially because even though Rei hadn¡¯t received the bounty prize for killing the Lemrace yet, he had heard rumours that Rei had earned a lot of money from selling the Lemrace¡¯s materials . Rei might not have noticed the guard¡¯s confusion, but he looked towards Set, who wanted to quickly fly out to sea . ¡¸Besides, I have to prepare food for Set . ¡¹ The guard, who had heard the rumours of how much the two of them had to eat, looked convinced . Although they were just rumours, he had also heard that the food stalls Rei and Set bought from had all their income increase by 10% recently . Of course, Rei hadn¡¯t actually spent that much money, which was why they remained rumours . But even so, the guards that had seen Rei and Set shop in the city believed them . ¡¸Well, he¡¯ll definitely need a lot of food for each meal . ¡­¡­All good, you can go . However, if it¡¯s possible, it would be a great help if you left the city first and then wrapped around to the sea instead of directly leaving from the port . This is mainly a place to handle ships leaving the port . ¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes widened slightly a the guard¡¯s words . Up until now, he had always flew out to sea directly from the port to attract the Lemrace¡¯s attention, so he hadn¡¯t really considered that . ¡¸My bad, I¡¯ll keep that in mind tomorrow . ¡¹ ¡¸Haha, please do so . ¡¹ Hearing the guard say that, Rei was about to get onto Set¡¯s back when he thought of something and called out to the guard again . ¡¸Speaking of which, do you know what happened to the parties that owned magic ships? I¡¯m sure there were quite a few . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Oh, most of them left Emoshion yesterday . Some are still around, but most will be leaving soon as well . Having a magic ship means they all have a certain level of strength and there are other places where they can make money . Either by catching people with bounties or by selling the materials of monsters they kill . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so?¡¹ Rei looked slightly disappointed . Although Rei was mainly interested in collecting magic items that could be used in combat, a magic ship was something he still wanted . It would be an indispensable item if he ever needed to kill monsters at sea together with anyone else . (I hope that Set will eventually be able to carry more people than just me¡­¡­well, I¡¯ll just have to hope he grows up soon . ) ¡¸Is there anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸I was just wondering if any of them would sell their magic ship . As for money, I¡¯ll have plenty after collecting the Lemrace¡¯s bounty as well as from selling its materials . Well, that said, it will be a while before I can collect the bounty . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I see . But magic ships are quite expensive¡­¡­or, should I say, scarce . I don¡¯t think anyone would sell it so easily . I think it would be easier to try to buy one at a shop that sells magic items . ¡¹ Nodding at the guard¡¯s words, Rei got onto Set¡¯s back . ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll just have to give up on getting a magic ship for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, those kind of magic items are rare . It¡¯s not something you can get easily just by wanting it . There¡¯s a rumour you can find them in dungeons and some other areas though¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Dungeons . ¡¹ The figure of Elena passed through Rei¡¯s mind . (I was going to try and find a magic item like the Twin Orbs, but if I could get a magic ship, that would also be good . ) As Rei thought of that, the guard called out to him just as he was about to give Set the signal to leave . ¡¸I¡¯ll pass the Necklace of Subservient Monster over to the main gate, so when you come back, go through the main gate instead of the port . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that would be a great help . Set-!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Rei thanked the guard briefly before lightly kicking Set¡¯s sides to signal him . Then, the next moment, Set gave a loud cry and flapped his wings, moving like he was running into the air . Looking up from the ground, the guard was seriously troubled by the eyes that focused around him due to Set¡¯s cry . Rei looked towards the surface of the water from time to time as he saw the sea stretch out to the horizon . His goal was to look for monsters, but after flying for about an hour, fortunately or unfortunately, he had yet to find any . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Even though Set had given a enthusiastic cry as they left the port, he had started to get bored after failing to find any monsters . Are we still going to look for one? Set seemed to say as he turned to look at Rei and give a cry . ¡¸Well, if we still can¡¯t find any monsters in a little while, we can go back to land and take a break . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words and flew through the sky after regaining his energy . Rei and Set were completely unaware of this, but in fact, there were barely any monsters around Emoshion right now . It was not just the sea, but on land as well . Why? The reason was simple . It was because Rei had relied on Grimm to move the Lemrace . The magic Grimm had used to find the Lemrace was like a sonar and the magic used to move the Lemrace had happened immediately after that . With the overwhelming amount of magic power the Lich had used, all the monsters in the surroundings had become scared and fled . Because of that, it was a bit of an irony that Rei was now unable to find any monsters after finally killing the Lemrace . ¡¸Hmm, there really are no monsters . You can¡¯t see any either Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry as if to say he was sorry . Rei stroked Set¡¯s back to tell him not to worry . ¡¸Since we still can¡¯t find any, why don¡¯t we go take a break? If we can¡¯t find any monsters near Emoshion, we¡¯ll probably find some further off the coast . ¡­¡­I hope . ¡¹ As Rei tried to believe the words he was saying, Set suddenly looked down¡­¡­and gave a sharp cry towards the sea¡¯s surface . ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ ¡¸Did you find a monster!?¡¹ Rei followed Set¡¯s eyes, but all he saw were two ships . That wasn¡¯t strange in itself . There were trading fleets with up to several ships in a group . But, the distance between the two ships was very close . In general, the distance between two ships would be between several hundred meters to a kilometre . However, the ships that Rei could see where almost touching each other . It was clear at a glance what was going on when he saw arrows and magic flying between the two ships . ¡¸Pirates?¡¹ Originally, pirates roamed around this area . As this was an area near Emoshion, the largest port city in the Mireana Kingdom, there was no better place for a pirate . However, the Lemrace had showed up and started to attack ships . If it only attacked ships that were heading to or departing from Emoshion, that would have been fine . But it wasn¡¯t possible for a monster like the Lemrace to tell ships apart . As a result, a considerable number of pirate ships had be sunk as well . As a result, the pirates had decided it wasn¡¯t worth the risk and withdrew from these waters . However¡­¡­ ¡¸It hasn¡¯t taken them long to come back . Maybe they secretly have people in Emoshion? ¡­¡­Well, are they lucky or unlucky . No matter how I see it, I can only say they are unlucky . Set-!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s call, Set dived towards the ships . They might have noticed Set approaching them . The arrows and magic attacks stopped from one ship as cheers started to be heard from them ¡¸If they¡¯re happy to see us, they must be the side being attacked . In that case¡­¡­¡¹ Signalling Set, Rei landed on the ship that seemed to belong to the pirates and called out to them . ¡¸I¡¯ll ask first, are you pirates?¡¹ At his voice, most of the people on board the ship immediately turned their eyes to him as a few of them clenched their teeth . Knowing that the Lemrace had been killed, the pirates had come back to this area . Of course, most of them knew about the adventurer who had killed the Lemrace . Naturally, they had heard about the Griffon he had tamed as well . They didn¡¯t think they would be able to defeat the adventurer who had killed the Lemrace, which was why they clenched their teeth . What was unfortunate for them was that they hadn¡¯t been able to get too much information from the pirates that were hiding in Emoshion . Because of that, the pirates in Emoshion had been unable to tell their friends that aside from having a Griffon follow him, Rei had contributed so much in the war against the Bestir Empire that he ended up receiving a title . As a result¡­¡­ ¡¸UOOOOOH-! DIEEE-!¡¹ One of the pirates threw a hatchet towards Rei in a desperate attempt to kill him instead of surrendering quietly . However, the spinning hatchet didn¡¯t reach Rei before it was knocked down by Set¡¯s forefoot . ¡¸¡­¡­Hah? It looks like you don¡¯t want to surrender quietly . Do you want to become seaweed fertiliser here?¡¹ Saying that, he took a spear out from the Misty Ring . The next moment, Rei threw it towards the feet of the pirate who had thrown his axe, breaking through the ship¡¯s deck and disappearing below . ¡¸Well, what are you going to do? I¡¯ll ask you again . Do you want to fight and have me sink your ship, or will you surrender and be sold off as criminal slaves? Choose what you want . I¡¯m not short of money right now, so I¡¯m fine either way . ¡¹ After seeing Rei¡¯s attack, they must have realised they didn¡¯t stand a chance . Rather than sinking into the sea and dying¡­¡­most of them chose to surrender . Even so, a few of them attacked Rei, trying to escape the fate of becoming criminal slaves . However, they were all knocked unconscious after Rei broke several of their ribs with a swing of a spear . In addition, the reason why most of the pirates chose to surrender was because Rei had said they would be sold as criminal slaves instead of instead of saying he would kill them, so he probably wouldn¡¯t kill them unnecessarily . The ship that had been attacked hadn¡¯t suffered too much damage and gave Rei a reward to thank him before continuing on their voyage . As for Rei, he returned to Emoshion¡¯s port on the pirate ship . Chapter 340 Due to deal restructure text to speech player is currently unavailable. Will find a solution soon. Chapter 340 Legend Chapter 340 The guard at the port¡¯s guard station sighed as he called out to Rei . ¡¸Didn¡¯t you say you were going to hunt monsters? Why did you end up hunting pirates?¡¹ ¡¸Well, why you ask? I was looking for monsters but I couldn¡¯t find any and ended up finding pirates instead . ¡¹ They were there, so I had to do it . The guard gave another sigh at Rei¡¯s explanation . ¡¸Normally, a single person wouldn¡¯t be able to go up against a pirate ship . ¡¹ ¡¸I have a reliable partner with me . In the first place, compared to a ship that sails on the water, a Griffon can fly over the sea and sky . You can see which one would be better, right?¡¹ ¡¸Still . Most people would be suppressed by the difference in people¡­¡­at the very least, the pirates would run away if they couldn¡¯t do that . Well, as a guard of Emoshion, I¡¯m thankful that you captured them . ¡­¡­Even so, they¡¯re back surprisingly quickly . I guess they must have people here in the city . ¡¹ ¡¸Probably . That¡¯s why most of them immediately lost their spirit . They realised that they had no chance of winning if they tried to fight me, since I killed the Lemrace . ¡¹ Even if they tried to fight an adventurer who managed to kill the Lemrace, they would just die for nothing . In that case, it would be better to survive as a criminal slave . Maybe one day, they would be able to escape . The guard nodded at Rei, who told him what the pirates probably thought . ¡¸Regardless, the city will be happy to receive some criminal slaves . We can sell them at auctions, or if they can¡¯t be sold, we can get them to work in the more dangerous locations such as mines . It¡¯s a great help to the city . I¡¯ll just need you to sign here . ¡¹ Rei glanced over the documents that the guard handed to him, but his eyes went wide when he saw how much he would be paid . The amount listed was 9 gold coins, far more than what he had expected . ¡¸They¡¯re worth quite a lot . ¡¹ ¡¸You think so? If you consider that most of the money was for the ship, it¡¯s actually the opposite, they¡¯re quite cheap . You would usually need several platinum coins to build a ship of that size . However, because it¡¯s a pirate¡¯s ship, it was in pretty bad condition . The amount also excludes the cost to repair the ship where you broke it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, so it¡¯s mostly the price of the ship . But in that case, isn¡¯t the cost of those slaves really too low?¡¹ ¡¸Well, we usually handle them in groups . There¡¯s also the brokerage fee we have to settle . Of course, if you were to sell directly to a slave dealer or auctioneer, you would be able to sell them for double this amount¡­¡­maybe even more . What do you think?¡¹ With more money was more trouble, hearing what the guard said, Rei immediately decided against more trouble . If he was a good negotiator, it might have been different . However, Rei understood that he didn¡¯t have much talent in that area other than in extorting people, so he just nodded lightly . Another important reason was that he wouldn¡¯t be staying in Emoshion for too much longer . ¡¸I don¡¯t care about the price . You can deal with it for me . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand . Well, here¡¯s your reward then . ¡¹ Hearing that, the guard placed the 9 gold coins on the table . Rei immediately stored them into the Misty Ring after collecting them . ¡¸But really, are you lucky or unlucky? No, it would be great if you could deal with more pirates . If you could, please keep heading out to sea from tomorrow . ¡¹ At the half joking, half serious words from the guard, Rei just smiled and shoook his head . ¡¸My goal is just monsters . But unfortunately, I can¡¯t seem to find any . I¡¯ll keep looking for a few more days, but otherwise, there are many other things I want to do . ¡¹ ¡¸What else do you want to do?¡¹ ¡¸Just a little cooking . Since I¡¯ve come to Emoshion, I want to taste some of the delicious food here . There are also various other dishes I would like to try . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s rare for an adventurer to cook . Well, that¡¯s fine . Just don¡¯t cause a commotion . Although the number of adventurers who came here for the Lemrace has dropped, there are still a few who might stir up trouble . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I understand . ¡¹ Giving a brief reply to the guard, Rei headed out to where Set was sleeping as he waited . ¡¸Hmm, as expected there are a lot more shops that have a good smell when it gets closer to the evening . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set¡¯s shoulders drooped . In the end, after towing the pirate ship in, explaining the circumstances, dealing with the procedures for the captured pirates and so on, they barely had any time to eat lunch . Although the guards had given Set a sandwich, the bread had been dry and couldn¡¯t compare with the food he had eaten from the food stalls . As for Rei, he could have taken his own food out of the Misty Ring, but in front of the busy guards, he couldn¡¯t have eaten by himself . In the end, he also had to put up with the unsavoury sandwiches . Even though some of the people at the port who knew Set gave him dried meat and sandwiches, Set was over 2m in length and it was nowhere near enough . Next to him, sounds from Rei¡¯s stomach could also be heard . ¡¸¡­¡­Guru~¡¹ With Set giving a cry to say he was hungry as well, they went over to a nearby stall . ¡¸Welcome . Oh, Rei . Would you like something to eat?¡¹ The stall owner, who had grilled quite a few fish and squid, greeted the two of them with a smile . ¡¸Yes, I¡¯d like a silver coin¡¯s worth . ¡­¡­Hm? Wait . Could that be¡­¡­¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes widened when he saw what was on the net grill . It had eight legs with suction cups on each leg . Only the legs had been cooked, but it was clear at a glance what it was . ¡¸Octopus?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, this? People from some parts of the world don¡¯t eat it, but it¡¯s pretty common around here . It looks disgusting, but I can guarantee you it tastes good . ¡­¡­No, since you know its name, then you should know what it looks like . Would you like some of it as well?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Yes . Please . ¡¹ Nodding and seeing the octopus legs being placed onto the grill, Rei couldn¡¯t help smiling . (Takoyaki¡­¡­maybe I can make it . It¡¯s not like I can find any sea monsters anyway . Why don¡¯t I try making some tomorrow?) Thinking to himself, he soon shook his head as he thought of something else . (No, that might not be possible since I don¡¯t have an iron plate to cook the takoyaki . If I¡¯m going to make it, I¡¯ll have to go to a blacksmith or somewhere else to make one . Come to think of it, that blacksmith was quite good . I¡¯ll head around tomorrow and ask . If it goes well, it might even become quite profitable . ) ¡¸Here, one silver coin¡¯s worth . ¡­¡­Is anything wrong? You¡¯ve be quiet for a while . ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s just been a long time since I¡¯ve seen an octopus . I¡¯ve bought a lot of seafood so far, but I haven¡¯t seen it sold anywhere . ¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a lot of people who can¡¯t stand how it looks, so it¡¯s not displayed in stores very often . If you ask the counter directly thought, I think they should sell it to you . ¡¹ ¡¸Is it disliked that much? Anyhow, thank you for letting know how to buy it¡­¡­isn¡¯t this a bit too much?¡¹ The fish and shellfish that had been handed to him was clearly more than 1 silver coin¡¯s worth . In fact, it was probably closer to 2 silver coins . However, the stall owner just replied to Rei with a smile . ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, it¡¯s a sign of gratitude as a resident of Emoshion . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve already been thanked enough . The Lemrace materials I had were even bought out at a higher price . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, it¡¯s fine . It¡¯s my way of showing thanks, so please just accept it . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­My bad, thank you . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh, I¡¯ll start to go crazy if you keep on like that . Just eat it . Net grilled food is best eaten freshly cooked . Here, pass some to Set . ¡¹ At the owner¡¯s words, Rei passed part of the pile of seafood on his plate onto another . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set ate all the fish that was given to him . As for the prawns and crabs, he ate them without peeling the shells, chewing right through them . ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Standing next to the stall owner, who was surprised at how Set ate, Rei also bit into the fish on his plate . Naturally, he didn¡¯t have any forks, knives or chopsticks, so he just used his hands . Normally, it would have been hot to touch, but Rei skillfully removed all the bones without worrying about it at all . The prawn and crab shells were peeled of and their meat taken out with a wooden skewer and brought to his mouth . It was a bit messy to eat . Nevertheless, Rei and Set still ate as cleanly as they could as they filled their bellies with the seafood on their plates, as if to make up for the lunch they missed . The large amount of seafood that had been on a 50cm diameter plate was eaten up by the two of them in less than 15 minutes . ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re back . I¡¯ve heard about it, Rei-san . You caught some pirates . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that just happened somehow . Thanks to that, I was able to make a bit more money . ¡¹ ¡¸Right? In that case, do you want tonight¡¯s dinner to be a bit more luxurious? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because Rei-san killed the Lemrace, but there aren¡¯t any monsters around the sea . The fishermen are delighted . I¡¯ll give you a bit more service today because of that . ¡¹ As soon as he entered the Blue Sea Coral Inn, the innkeeper¡¯s daughter called out to Rei . ¡¸I know there aren¡¯t any monsters, but there are still fish?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, for some reason, they weren¡¯t affected . No, rather, it seems that the recent catch has been quite big . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really . That¡¯s strange . Well, anyhow, let me have dinner first . I¡¯ll eat as much good food as I can . Also, if you don¡¯t mind, please give a bit more to Set as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, leave it to me . ¡¹ On the way back to the inn, Rei had eaten some more grilled seafood, but he was still feeling hungry as he went to the dining area on the first floor . In the end, as the innkeeper¡¯s daughter had said, the dinner was more luxurious than usual and he was able to eat until he was satisfied . ¡¸Octopus? No, well, we have some¡­¡­so you like it as well . ¡¹ The day after catching the pirates, Rei and Set went down the main street of Emoshion . Rei planned to use the money he had earned from catching the pirates yesterday to buy some octopus and other seafood . When Rei had first come to Emoshion, he had bought several gold coins worth of seafood . However, as he was still based in Gilm, he decided to buy as much as he could right now, so he didn¡¯t feel he was wasting his money . However, it was only because Rei had the Misty Ring that he was able to do this . Usually, the seafood would go bad if he bought this much . ¡¸Next¡­¡­¡¹ At those words, Rei stopped as he thought about what he need for his cooking . (Whether it¡¯s takoyaki or okonomiyaki, I¡¯ll need soup stock . But¡­¡­) Looking at the products displayed at the shop, he could only see seafood like fish, there wasn¡¯t any sort of seaweed or kelp . ¡¸You don¡¯t sell seaweed?¡¹ ¡¸What? Seaweed? You can¡¯t sell stuff like that, can you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei asked back without thinking at the shopkeeper¡¯s words . His expression was one of disbelief, surprised that things such as seaweed and kelp weren¡¯t sold here . Rei didn¡¯t know, but even on Earth, there were far more cultures that didn¡¯t eat seaweed than those that did . Aside from Japan, there weren¡¯t many other countries that ate seaweed . It was probably the same in Elgin . Even the shopkeeper in front of Rei seemed to think seaweed wasn¡¯t anything useful . ¡¸Ah, I see . That¡¯s fine . Don¡¯t worry about it . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, if you need anything else, stop by again . ¡¹ Saying goodbye to the shopkeeper, Rei left the shop with Set . However, he had a difficult expression on his face as he frowned . (I never thought that seaweed wouldn¡¯t be sold . If I don¡¯t have any soup stock, I won¡¯t be able to make takoyaki¡­¡­Oh, I won¡¯t be able to make okonomiyaki either . I should be able to find yams in a port city though¡­¡­should I just give up on takoyaki and okonomiyaki for now? Or¡­¡­should I just use meat broth to make the takoyaki and okonomiyaki? Well I guess I¡¯ll just have to try it . However, in that case, I probably shouldn¡¯t go to the trouble of getting a blacksmith to make a griddle for the takoyaki . If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll probably just end up storing it away . For now, I¡¯ll stick with okonomiyaki since it can be made on an ordinarly hot plate . ) Collecting his thoughts in his mind, he walked around the market again in search of someone who might have a hot plate or something similar he could use for okonomiyaki . Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Legend Chapter 341 ¡¸There¡¯s flour . The cabbage and yam aren¡¯t the same, but there equivalents . Eggs are okay . As for the meat broth, I bought a chicken, so there shouldn¡¯t be any issues using that as a substitute . As for the sauce and mayonnaise, they need aonori, which is a kind of seaweed¡­¡­so I think I¡¯ll have to give up on that . There is sauce for skewers, I guess I¡¯ll just have to use that . ¡¹ Confirming the ingredients he had found in the market, Rei gave a sigh . For the cabbage and yam, they weren¡¯t called the same thing, but he was able to find similar matches called kiberk and Jakob potatoes, which Rei was very satisfied with . Originally, he had planned to ask a blacksmith to make him an iron griddle to cook takoyaki, but as he didn¡¯t have the aonori or dried bonito, he decided to see if he could make takoyaki or okonomiyaki in the first place before getting something like that made . As he walked through the city with Set, heading back to the Blue Sea Coral Inn, Rei saw a street stall he knew . It was the one belonging to Arctos, the stubborn looking old man who had introduced Rei to the Blue Sea Coral Inn . ¡¸¡­¡­Maybe I could try it there . ¡¹ Fortunately, it was only just past 9am and there were few customers around Arctos¡¯ stall, which was usually bustling . Thinking that he might be able to borrow the stall, Rei headed over . Set must have remembered the taste of the grilled fish from Arctos¡¯ stall he had eaten before . He followed after Rei with a happy cry . ¡¸Hm? How are things, Rei? Set as well . If you¡¯re hungry, would you like something to eat?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not here to buy anything today . I want to try making a new dish, but I need somewhere to cook it so that some people can taste it and give me their opinions . Would you mind?¡¹ Arctos thought about Rei¡¯s question for several seconds before eventually responding . ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t mind . Fortunately I still have some time before lunch, when it will be busiest, so I¡¯m not too busy right now . And, if it¡¯s a new dish, I can try it as well, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could taste it . ¡¹ ¡¸Hmph . Seriously, I wonder what the adventurer who killed the Lemrace is thinking, trying to make a new dish . Come over here . I¡¯ve got a few magic cooking utensils, so if you need to use them, I¡¯ll do it for you . ¡¹ ¡¸That would be a great help . Set, wait here . Eat this while waiting . ¡¹ Borrowing a plate from Arctos, Rei put some dried fish on it for Set . Of course, it hadn¡¯t been grilled, so it was technically still raw . Regardless, Set gave a content cry as he ate up the fish . (I guess grilled fish has a grilled taste and raw fish has its own taste . ) Glancing sideways at Set, Rei poured some water into a pot and passed it to Arctos . ¡¸Please boil this . ¡¹ ¡¸Sure . ¡¹ Arctos gave a brief reply as he placed the pot on part of the charcoal fire that wasn¡¯t burning as fiercely . ¡¸What is it, is it a stew?¡¹ ¡¸No, this is broth¡­¡­well, it can also be used as a soup base . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then, wouldn¡¯t you usually put in some herbs to removed the smell?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I guess so?¡¹ Even though Rei could cook to some extent, he had never done anything as detailed as making meat broth when he could just buy it outside . When making okonomiyaki or takoyaki, he had used pre-made mixtures and he had never made stewed dishes before except for curry, so he wasn¡¯t sure either at Arctos¡¯ question . ¡¸I usually put some in, but¡­¡­what would you like to do?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry, please add some for me . ¡¹ ¡¸Sure, leave it to me . ¡¹ Arctos quickly prepared the other ingredients such as the leeks, ginger and onion before putting them into the pot . Seeing that, Rei felt that it was a good thing that he wasn¡¯t trying to cook it alone . (The heat has to be turned off before it boils so it can cool¡­¡­I think?) Recalling what he had seen on a cooking show before, he asked Arctos to take it off the fire just before it boiled to start the next step . Cuting, squid, shrimp, octopus and finely chopped kiberk, Rei grated the Jakob potatoes with an utensil Arctos had given him . After that, while waiting for the pot to cool down a bit, he scooped away the soup scum before mixing in the chicken broth with the flour, eggs and other ingredients before mixing them together¡­¡­all that was left was just to cook it . ¡¸¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t look very delicious . ¡¹ Was this mix in the bowl something that could really be eaten? As soon as Arctos asked that, Rei heated up the iron plate and poured the contents of the bowl onto it . ¡¸By the way, there is another method to place the ingredients on the dough after it is spread out . Well, this is up to each person¡¯s preference . I feel that mixing is better, so I mix the ingredients into the batter like this . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . So, do you want something to flip it?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, do you have a utensil that can be used to flip things?¡¹ ¡¸Like this?¡¹ With his words, Arctos gave Rei a spatula, that while slightly different in shape, clearly looked like a fly swatter . (This is¡­¡­no, there are things like steaks, so it¡¯s not so suprising that there¡¯s such a cooking utensil . ) Thinking that in his mind, Rei used it to repeatedly flip the okonomiyaki . Since it was only a test, there wasn¡¯t too much to flip as it was only 20cm in diameter . Rei succeeded in flipping it repeatedly without fail . ¡¸¡­¡­Heh . You¡¯re not bad for a beginner . Did you say this was called okonomiyaki? It looks pretty good after being cooked . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Normally, I would need to flip it more times to cook it properly, but this time I made it a bit thin . I think this is good . Arctos, can I borrow the sauce you use for the grilled fish?¡¹ ¡¸Ah? Oh, I don¡¯t mind . Here . ¡¹ Rei poured the offered sauce on top of the seafood okonomiyaki that was being cooked on the plate . The sauce that fell onto the plate gave off a mouth watering burnt smell that spread rapidly into the surroundings . ¡¸¡­¡­Not bad . Ah, not bad at all . ¡¹ ¡¸I know right? Here, it¡¯s done . Try it . ¡¹ Rei used the spatula to cut up the okonomiyaki as he offered Arctos a slice on a plate . After receiving it, Arctos sniffed the smell wafting from it lightly before pushing his fork into it and bringing it to his mouth . (Should I use a fork for okonomiyaki¡­¡­or maybe a knife? Well, it does feel quite exotic . ) Smiling wryly at the thought in his mind, he gave Set another share on a new plate . ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ As Set gave a happy cry and immediately bit into it, Rei also used a fork to bring a piece of his own okonomiyaki to his mouth . The first thing he tasted was the unique flavour of the sauce . Since it wasn¡¯t a sauce designed for okonomiyaki, it tasted a bit strange at first, but it wasn¡¯t that bad considered it was a sweet and salty sauce . As the umami taste of the shrimp, squid and octopus mixed into the batter spread through his mouth, he enjoyed the texture of the crispy kiberk as well as the shrimp and squid . The batter itself was fluffy because he had put plenty of Jakob potato into it . However, the chicken broth might not have matched well with the seafood okonomiyaki . Because the sauce was also different, there were no ingredients such as red ginger, tenkasu, aonori, dried bonito flake or mayonnaise . However, that was just for Rei, who was used to eating normal okonomiyaki, and not for those who were eating it for the first time in their life¡­¡­ ¡¸This is¡­¡­no, it¡¯s delicious . This is the first time I¡¯ve eaten something like this . It¡¯s so easy to make but it can have such a taste¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Arctos¡¯ face was filled with surprise as Set turned to look at Rei with round eyes . As if defeated by those eyes, Rei moved one of the remaining portions of his okonomiyaki to Set¡¯s plate as he called out to Arctos . ¡¸This dish is called okonomiyaki . Like it¡¯s name, you can add what you like to it . As far as I know, leeks, onions and meat are quite common . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh, so okonomiyaki is a something you can cook with your favourite ingredients . ¡­¡­The fluffy texture of this dough is from the grated Jakob potatoes, right? However, there still seems to be quite a bit of room for improvement¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸As for that, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to look into that yourself . All I can do is to reproduce the dish from what I know . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Reproduce?¡¹ Arctos tilted his head in confusion at Rei¡¯s words . If a kid had done that it would have looked cute, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for a stubborn looking old man . ¡¸It¡¯s not very well known here, but I was raised in the mountains by a magician . Some of the books the magician had contained recipes for dishes that no longer exist . This okonomiyaki dish was one of the ones mentioned in the book . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hou~ . Dishes that no longer exist? That¡¯s interesting, Rei . May I sell this dish here? Or even pass it on to others?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I don¡¯t mind . Rather than saying I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­maybe it would be better for you to do something about it now?¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ Following Rei¡¯s gaze, Arctos saw nearly 10 people gathered around his stall . All of them looked at the small amount of okonomiyaki left on the iron plate . The smell of burnt sauce could still be smelt from the plate . The sharp smell stirred up the appetites of those who walked near the stall . Of course, skewers usually had the same burnt smell, but part of the attraction might have been the novel looking okonomiyaki on the iron plate . ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh, Rei . Sorry, but could you give me a hand? As expected, it would be difficult for me to serve this many people after only just being taught how to make it . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped . What about the ingredients? Seafood aside, I only prepared enough vegetables for myself . ¡¹ ¡¸Let me think¡­¡­it¡¯s kiberk and Jakob potatoes . Hey, you there . Use this money and buy kiberk and Jakob potatoes as quickly as you can . Oh, and flour . ¡¹ He might have had some in case as spare change . Arctos passed several copper coins to a customer standing in front of the stall that he seemed to know . ¡¸Eh? A-Are you talking to me? Old man, I¡¯m a customer as well though!?¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! Just go and buy it! I¡¯ll give you your portion on the house instead . But, if you buy any bad quality items, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yesss-!¡¹ Watching the customer leave as he shouted that out, Arctos immediately poured more water to the chicken stock to make more broth . On that note, after being used to make the broth, the chicken was used to cook a different dish with another sauce instead of the one Rei had used . ¡¸Rei, I¡¯ll make as much as I can with what I¡¯ve got . If things stay like this, too many people will gather and it will cause a commotion . ¡¹ ¡¸I understand, I¡¯ll leave it to you to cut up and mix the ingredients . I¡¯ll do the cooking, so just keep making the mix . ¡¹ ¡¸Sure, as for the price¡­¡­well, I¡¯ll sell it at three copper coins for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that too cheap?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll have to focus on making it today and I don¡¯t know how much it will sell for . That will be the price for now . ¡¹ Saying that, he quickly mixed the remaining chicken broth with eggs and flour to make the okonomiyaki batter before adding other ingredients and passing the bowl to Rei . Receiving it, Rei quickly poured the mixture onto the hot iron plate . The fragrance spread with a sizzling sound . The smell also started to attract curious gazes from other people near the stall . Because a single piece wasn¡¯t that large, Rei repeatedly poured out more mixture and sauce . Aside from the earlier aroma, the smell of burning sauce also started to spread out, making the gazes from the surrounding customers stronger . As he quickly cooked several okonomiyaki and sprinkled them with sauce¡­¡­other people who were curious about the crowd around the stall came over before ending up being attracted by the smell of the burning sauce¡­¡­this scene repeated itself several times . In the middle of all this¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, Rei-san . What are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸Rei? That¡¯s right . Did you decided to switch jobs from an adventurer to a street stall seller?¡¹ Suddenly looking up at the familiar voice, Rei saw the figures of Hendeka and Miroir . In a sense, it was unlucky for them to show up at this busy time . They were dragged in to help in a flash and were forced to work as temporary employees at the stall . The sales on the day ended up being the highest ever due to the novelty of okonomiyaki . From the next day, it became a speciality of Arctos¡¯ stall . In addition, it wasn¡¯t hard to make and Arctos taught the recipe to others without hesitation, so okonomiyaki spread throughout the city of Emoshion . With the Mireana Kingdom as its starting point, it continued to spread into neighbouring countries . Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Legend Chapter 342 It had been a few days since he had taught Arctos how to make okonomiyaki . Although Rei had flown out to sea several times after that, he had failed to find any monsters . Since then, he had just eaten, slept, walked around the city buying seafood and training with Set outside the city to make sure his skills didn¡¯t dull . In the end, he decided that the guild should have had enough time to examine the magic stone he had left with them . ¡¸Yes, here is your overnight dried squid . It¡¯s hot, so be careful . ¡¹ Of course, he ate seafood with Set on their way to the guild . ¡¸Here, Set . Half for us each . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry at Rei¡¯s words . Tearing the squid, wrapped in paper, in half, he gave half to Set, who received it in his beak . ¡¸Hm? This smell¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei smiled at this, he caught the smell of burning sauce and glanced towards a nearby stall . It wasn¡¯t Arctos who was there¡­¡­instead, it was a stall that used to sell hotdogs and sandwiches not long ago . However, there was no longer any bread sold at that stall as it had become a food stall for okonomiyaki . ¡¸The number of okonomiyaki stalls has increased by quite a bit . ¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as looked at the surrounding stalls . The okonomiyaki that Rei had taught Arctos was steadily gaining momentum around Emoshion . One of the reasons for this was that it was easy to eat and unusual . It was also filling, so was great as a snack . However, the biggest reason that okonomiyaki had spread so quickly in such a short time was because of it¡¯s name ¡ºokonomiyaki¡», which literally meant cooked however you like . People put in whatever their preference as they cooked it, ranging from seafood such as shrimp, squid, octopus, shellfish and fish to pork, chick, beef and even monster meat . There was a large variety of okonomiyaki . (That said, the okonomiyaki with bread I had yesterday was a bit much . ) Rei recalled the taste of the okonomiyaki he had eaten from a street stall yesterday as he gave a sigh internally . The food stall that sold okonomiyaki had previously sold sandwiches, like the stall Rei had glanced at before . However, they had made a terrible mistake and decided to cut up the leftover sandwiches from the previous day and mix them into the okonomiyaki as an ingredient . (Well, I had seen okonomiyaki sandwiches in bakeries back on Earth, there were also places where okonomiyaki was served as a side dish, so I guess it¡¯s not that strange¡­¡­) Shaking his head, Rei bit into his overnight dried squid to overwrite the taste of the okonomiyaki he had the day before . As they continued walking, they eventually arrived at the guild, where Rei split with Set before entering as usual . ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s a lot less people . ¡¹ The was a considerable drop in the number of people in the guild compared to the last time Rei had come . The reason, needless to say, was because the Lemrace had been killed . Even then, Rei hadn¡¯t expected the number of people to drop so drastically . However, for the guild staff and adventurers of Emoshion, the current situation was the normal one and situation when the Lemrace had been around was the unusual one . Even though the number of people had decreased, that was still only compared to the peak period when the Lemrace had been around, there were still quite a number of adventurers around . Since this port was known as the gateway to the Mireana Kingdom, there were of course many requests that came through, necessitating a greater number of adventurers . ¡¸Ah, Rei-san . I¡¯ve been waiting for you . I¡¯ll call Roseus-san right away, please wait a moment . ¡¹ Rei gave a small nod towards the receptionist, who immediately left to the back of the counter after seeing Rei . ¡¸Hey, wasn¡¯t Rei the name of the adventurer who killed the Lemrace? That brat over there?¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, you only got back by ship yesterday . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah . Because of the information on the Lemrace, I¡¯ve been stuck at that other port all this time . Well, I don¡¯t have any complaints with the cost of living there as I was employed that whole time . ¡¹ ¡¸You had a good employer . Oh, I¡¯ll say this first, you shouldn¡¯t try to mess with him . There were some who insulted him and tried to drag him into something, but most of them are now so injured that it¡¯s no joke . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­ . . That brat?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a big difference between how he looks and fights . In fact, from what I¡¯ve heard, he¡¯s a C rank adventurer, but in terms of combat strength, he¡¯s probably better than the B rank adventurers that fought with him to kill the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You got to be lying to me . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, what do you think? I wasn¡¯t far when he blew apart the head of the Lemrace and I was hired to help dismantle it afterwards and received a good amount of meat from it as a reward, so I¡¯m not going to repay good with evil . In the first place, I think only suicidal people would be stupid enough to mess with someone with a title . ¡¹ As Rei waited, listening in to the gossip, Roseus appeared from the office behind the guild counter . It was clear what was inside the cloth bag he held in his hands with great care . ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for you . There¡¯s a lot of things I would like to talk with you about but there¡¯s too many people here, so let¡¯s go upstairs . ¡¹ ¡¸I think that would be best . ¡¹ Nodding back in reply, Rei and Roseus both headed up to a meeting room on the second floor . Even as they climbed the stairs, they received the gazes of many adventurers inside the guild . Rei was already used to people looking at him and Roseus, as someone from higher up the guild administration, was not afraid of this level of attention . ¡¸Well, first of all, I¡¯ll return the magic stone . Please check if there are any issues . ¡¹ As they sat down opposite each other in a meeting room, Roseus immediately handed over a cloth bag as he spoke . Receiving it, Rei opened it and took out what was inside . Inside was naturally a 30cm diameter magic stone . As far as Rei could tell, he couldn¡¯t see any scratches, so he gave a small nod towards Roseus . Seeing Rei nod, Roseus gave a sigh of relief . If anything had gone wrong, the entire city of Emoshion might have disappeared, let alone the guild . Although Roseus had been careful about it, there had still been some people who had guessed that he might have had the Lemrace¡¯s magic stone . There were some who had taken the risk to try to steal it, but fortunately, the guild was able to dispose of them . However¡­¡­ ¡¸I asked each guild branch for information on past magic stones they might have seen before, but unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t get much information . ¡¹ Yes, there was very little information that could be obtained from the all important magic stone . They had borrowed the magic stone from Rei and prepared themselves to deal with all the danger because they had hoped to be able to find out any information about the monster they believed to be the Lemrace . ¡¸However, considering the purity of the magic stone and the magic power contained in it, the result from our investigations is that it was at least a B rank monster, as I said when I first received it . The magic distribution of the magic stone is also very similar to that of Sea Serpents, so it was probably a higher ranking Sea Serpent as you predicted . Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t possible for us to find out its likely habitats and how many of them there might be from just the magic stone and its materials . ¡¹ ¡¸No, I hadn¡¯t expected to find out much anyway . I understood there wouldn¡¯t be much information¡­¡­but I still wanted to get whatever I could, which is why I agreed to your proposal . Don¡¯t worry about it . ¡¹ ¡¸Still, even after you lent us this magic stone¡­¡­¡¹ Roseus¡¯ expression seemed to hold some regret that they were hardly able to get any information from their investigation . ¡¸Well then¡­¡­if you ever get any information of Lemraces appearing somewhere else, please let me know . I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to do much, but if I can afford it, I would like to get the magic stone . By the way, other rare species aside from the Lemrace are also welcome . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that okay? As someone from the guild, it would be a great help if someone like Rei-san¡¯s strength could help us fight against a rare species when we need help¡­¡­but it¡¯s still a rare species . I¡¯m sure it would be even stronger than the Lemrace you fought . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why . It¡¯s usually hard to get rare magic stones . If I could know if one shows up, that would be more than enough for me . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand . Fortunately, the city of Emoshion attracts ships from many different places . Because of that, information also comes through in large quantities, so it¡¯s easier to collect information on rare species compared with other guilds . ¡¹ Roseus nodded strongly, as if to make up for the lack of information he had been able to provide . It might have all stemmed from his own inability to accept that they were unable to get the results they expected after being entrusted with such a precious magic stone . ¡¸Then, is that all you had to discuss?¡¹ Roseus gave a small nod towards Rei, who stored the magic stone into the Misty Ring as he asked . ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t manage to get that much information . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . From the beginning, if you had found any information at all, that would have been a bonus to me . ¡¹ Standing up from his chair, Rei clapped his hand on Roseus¡¯ shoulder to encourage him . ¡¸Well, in that case, the next time I come to the guild will probably to confirm that the Lemrace hasn¡¯t shown up since 10 days ago . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, as a resident of this city, I also hope that it will prove that the Lemrace has been subjugated . ¡¹ After hearing Roseus apologise and thank him, Rei left the meeting room and returned to the first floor . As all eyes turned to look at him, he immediately left the guild and flew out of the city with Set to absorb the magic stone . It took them 30 minutes of flying away from the city . It was only 30 minutes of flying because of Set, but for ordinary adventurers, it was about a day¡¯s walk . Although he was requested to go too far away from the city until it had been confirmed that the Lemrace was gone, he wanted to avoid absorbing the magic stone near the city . Because of that, he found a clearing near a small 1m wide stream where he could return to the city in about 30 minutes . ¡¸Now then, no one should find out about absorbing the magic stones here . ¡­¡­Let¡¯s be quick, Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Seeing the magic stone get taken out from the Misty Ring, Set gave a cry as he tilted his head . Can I really absorb it? Set seemed to ask . It was almost certain that a skill could be acquired from it because it was from the Lemrace, a monster that was B rank at worst and maybe A rank at best . Rei had the option of letting the Death Scythe absorb it . Seeing that, Rei patted Set¡¯s head with a small smile on his face as he looked at Set staring back with round eyes . ¡¸I can use fire magic, the Death Scythe and throw spears . If I think about it, it would be better to give you more ways to attack . Don¡¯t worry about it and absorb it Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a cry of gratitude . With a smile, Rei tossed the magic stone in his hand to Set . Set caught the magic stone in his beak and swallowed it . ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºOptical Camouflage Lv . 1¡»¡¿ A familiar voice echoed through his mind . ¡¸Getting a skill was a success, but¡­¡­optical camouflage?¡¹ Rei tilted his head in confusion at the skill¡¯s name . Set also seemed to be surprised at the skill he had learned as he tilted his head towards Rei . (It¡¯s true that the Lemrace had the ability to blend into its surroundings . I guess it¡¯s not too much of a surprise if I think about it¡­¡­?) Rei thought to himself at the appearance of skill that seemed to be different from what the Lemrace had mostly used before out to Set as it would be easier to just test it than to think about it . ¡¸Set, try out Optical Camouflage now . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set moved a short distance away just incase . And¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ The moment Set gave a loud cry, he disappeared . Set had become invisible in the literal sense . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei walked over to where Set had been and gently reached out . He felt the smooth texture of Set¡¯s fur in his hands . ¡¸Set, are you there?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set answered Rei¡¯s call . Set was definitely there, but he just couldn¡¯t be seen . As Rei stretched out his hand to Set again, Set suddenly reappeared . ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set shook his head slightly . Seeing that, Rei suddenly thought of something . ¡¸Maybe, there¡¯s a time limit on how long it can be used for?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry as if to say that was the correct answer . Rei looked surprised for a moment, but soon remembered that Optical Camouflage was still just a Lv . 1 skill . He decided that it wasn¡¯t too unreasonable . ¡¸The effect of Optical Camouflage allows you to hide yourself for about 10 seconds . ¡­¡­It¡¯s a bit short, but it¡¯s different from all the flashy skills we¡¯ve gotten so far . And, if I think about Set¡¯s strength¡­¡­¡¹ Set, who boasted unrivaled strength as a Griffon in the first place, also had a powerful magic bracelet that enhanced his strength . Even the 30m Lemrace had been smacked to the ground after being hit on the head by him . Considering that, Optical Camouflage, which allowed Set to become invisible, couldn¡¯t be better for Set . ¡¸Next¡­¡­Set, use Optical Camouflage again . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~! ¡­¡­Gurururu~?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s request, Set gave a cheerful cry, but didn¡¯t disappear . The next moment, Set looked around in confusion . ¡¸Set?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set shook his head at Rei¡¯s call . Rei was also confused when he saw that, but suddenly thought of something as he called out to Set . ¡¸If you use it once, you can¡¯t use it again for a while?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Set¡¯s gloomy nod in response, Rei stood up to comfort him with a difficult expression . ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it . It¡¯s a powerful skill, so if the level goes up, that might solve the problem . Now then, let¡¯s start figuring out the effects of the skill . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words . In the end, after a series of test, they found that after being used, it would go on cooldown for 30 minutes . Set could also make other things turn invisible with him, but if he used it together with Rei, its duration would be limited to 5 seconds . ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball¡¡Lv . 2¡» ¡ºFire Breath¡¡Lv . 3¡» ¡ºWind Arrow¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw¡¡Lv . 2¡» ¡ºSize Transformation¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºTornado¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºOptical Camouflage¡¡Lv . 1¡» new ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºFlying Slash¡¡Lv . 2¡» ¡ºMagic Shield¡¡Lv . 1¡» ¡ºPower Slash Lv . 2¡» ¡ºWind Hand¡¡Lv . 2¡» ¡ºTerrain Manipulation¡¡Lv . 1¡» new Optical Camouflage: Allows the user to become invisible . However, at Lv . 1, it is only effective for 10 seconds . Once used, about 30 minutes are needed before it can be used again . In addition, any objects the user also touches will become invisible, but if another person is also made invisible, the duration it lasts for will be cut to about 5 seconds . Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Legend Chapter 343 ¡¸Well, I¡¯d better get going . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, see you later . Do you still want your room after you collect the bounty?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I think I¡¯ll stay for another day or two, so you can keep the room as it is . ¡¹ ¡¸Understand . I look forward to your souvenirs . ¡¹ As Rei left the inn, the inn keeper¡¯s daughter saw him off with a mischievous smile . The city of Emoshion had been in a festive mood for several days following the defeat of the Lemrace . But, after 10 days, things seemed to have settled down and almost all the ships that had previously been unable to leave the port had left, soon replaced by new ships arriving at Emoshion . Yes, today was the 10th day since Rei had killed the Lemrace, which meant that the guild would recognise the Lemrace¡¯s subjugation if there had been no further damage . ¡­¡­That said, there were now several cases of pirates attacking ships as it seemed they had various people collecting information from within the city . It seemed that the pirates Rei had captured had only been the tip of the iceberg . ¡¸Well, I wasn¡¯t hired to hunt pirates, so I can tell the adventurers of Emoshion to do their best . ¡¹ If Rei were to deal with those pirates, he and Set would have to escort ships out or continue to patrol the waters off Emoshion . There was little need for him to head out to sea now since there weren¡¯t any monsters showing up . It might have been different if the guild had given Rei a request to patrol the waters, but Emoshion¡¯s guild couldn¡¯t do that as they would lose a lot of respect if Rei, an outsider, had to solve all their problems . In the end, the only way to deal with pirates was for the ship owner to hire adventurers from Emoshion¡¯s guild to deal with them as usual . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ What¡¯s wrong Rei? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head . Rei replied with a smile as he stroked Set¡¯s head . ¡¸It¡¯s nothing . Rather, we¡¯ll be heading back to Gilm when the matter of the Lemrace is over . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded as he looked at the surrounding seafood stalls and food stalls cooking okonomiyaki that had spread around recently . With the money he got from selling the Lemrace¡¯s materials and the rewards from capturing a pirate ship, he had used it all up buying seafood such as fish, crabs, shrimp and shellfish . Even if he had to live by only eating the ingredients stored in the Misty Ring, it was enough to last him several months¡­¡­at best, he had enough to eat for the next year . Also, since they now knew the way here, Rei and Set could also come back here to buy more ingredients and dishes if the Misty Ring ever ran out . As he kept walking, Rei eventually met up with Egret, Miroir and Hendeka who were in front of the guild building . Shen, the Icebird, was perched on the roof of a nearby building . ¡¸Oh, Rei . It¡¯s been a while . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahh . You haven¡¯t changed much¡­¡­no, your weapon is different . Is that the poleaxe you requested to be made with the Lemrace¡¯s fang?¡¹ Rei asked as he looked at the poleaxe Egret was carrying . It was a white coloured poleaxe with a shaft that looked like it was made by carving the fang of the Lemrace . The fang also seemed to have been used as a material in the forging of the blade . ¡¸The Dwarven blacksmith had complained about it a lot . Still, a poleaxe is best for me . Compared to the one that was ruined by the Lemrace, this one is a lot stronger . ¡¹ Egret stroked his poleaxe with a satisfied smile as Miroir sighed in amazement next to him . ¡¸I guess it can¡¯t be helped that you needed a new weapon since your old was was destroyed¡­¡­but the materials that were used were quite expensive . Thanks to that, I was forced to do a lot of guild requests over the past 10 days . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Guild requests? Did you manage to get any requests? I haven¡¯t seen any monsters around recently . ¡¹ ¡¸There are certainly not a lot of subjugation requests . However, there are still quite a few requests within the city . Especially since a lot of ships are coming in now that everything is cleared up . The requests to help them carry things also paid well . ¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t think that B rank adventurers would take up requests like carrying goods . ¡¹ ¡¸We also did several requests to hunt pirates . But, after we damaged their ship, they would just run away . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . For the pirate hunting quests, Shen made it very easy . ¡¹ Miroir patted Hendeka¡¯s head with a small smile . Rei¡¯s eyes widened for a moment at their somewhat casual interaction, but quickly nodded his head in agreement . ¡¸So, you formed a party?¡¹ ¡¸Well, even if Hendeka looks like this, he¡¯s still reliable . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, no, I¡¯m nothing much compared to the two of you¡­¡­¡¹ Hendeka looked embarrassed by Miroir¡¯s words, but the expression on his faced looked like something more than he would show to his fellow party members . ¡¸Hey, are you two¡­¡­¡¹ Hendeka froze at at Rei¡¯s words . Miroir also lost some of her composure, though not to the same extent as Hendeka . After seeing their response, Rei finally understood the exact relationship between the two . ¡¸I see now, you didn¡¯t just party up, you¡¯re going out with each other . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ahaha . Did you find out?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a secret . Isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ Egret replied to Miroir¡¯s shy response . As for Egret himself, he didn¡¯t seem to have any issues with Hendeka joining his party or becoming a couple with Miroir, his partner . ¡¸I thought you two were actually a couple . ¡¹ ¡¸Ack, no, no . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I can¡¯t imagine being like that with Miroir either . ¡¹ Miroir burst out at Rei¡¯s words . Egret agreed with her as he nodded . Rei was convinced that the relationship between them was purely that of friends . (It¡¯s often said that pure friendship between men and women isn¡¯t possible¡­¡­but these two are rare exceptions I guess . ) ¡¸Ahaha . As for me, I¡¯m happy to be with someone I like . ¡¹ ¡¸Kikikyi~!¡¹ Shen gave a happy cry as if to give his blessings to Hendeka, who laughed shyly . If they were to have such a conversation in front of the guild, it was only natural to draw the attention of others around the guild . Various adventurers gave them warm looks, jealous glances and expressions wishing them happiness . Hendeka probably noticed Miroir¡¯s cheeks go red as she reflexivly reached out for the whip at her waist¡­¡­ ¡¸L-Look . Miroir-san . Let¡¯s go inside the guild . It¡¯s the day we can collect they bounty, so it¡¯s no good to cause a fuss!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­H-Hmph . It can¡¯t be helped . Come on Egret, you too Rei . Let¡¯s go . ¡¹ After saying that, Miroir and Hendeka entered the guild . As he watched the two of them go inside, Rei had an amused smile on his face . ¡¸Heh~, isn¡¯t Miroir¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are you surprised? I was surprised as well . But I guess it makes sense if you think of Miroir¡¯s personality as an older sister and Hendeka as someone who makes mistakes sometimes . ¡¹ Egret gave a small shrug before the two of them went into the guild as well . The moment Rei entered the guild, the receptionist at the counter, who was already used to this, went to call Roseus . As it had been 10 days since the Lemrace had been killed, Roseus had been expecting them and invited them up to a meeting room as he came out from behind the counter . ¡¸Welcome . I¡¯ve been looking forward to seeing you all . ¡¹ ¡¸If you say that, I assume there¡¯s been no further damage from the Lemrace?¡¹ The city of Emoshion had already started moving under the assumption that the Lemrace had already been killed . It was the same for ships, so if the Lemrace were to really reappear, there would definitely be a huge fuss . Yes, such an event would be clear to Rei as he was in the city . However, such a commotion never occurred, so he already knew the answer to the question he asked . In a sense, Rei¡¯s question was a bit of an accusation towards the guild and city¡¯s higher administration who were suspicious of his words . However, Roseus nodded seriously at Rei¡¯s question . ¡¸Yes, that is correct . Thanks to that, it is enough proof that the Lemrace has been defeated, so it¡¯s not too bad for Rei-san and the rest of you, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess so . ¡¹ Smiling at each other, Roseus softly took out a small cloth pouch from his pocket . Hearing the clinking sound when it was placed on the table, it seemed to contain something hard . Egret gave a whistle as he guessed what was inside . ¡¸2 light gold coins¡­¡­did you split it into 20 platinum coins so that it would be easier to divide up?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I heard the 4 of you planned to split it up . I thought it would be better to do this than for you to have problems . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much . ¡¹ Rei expressed his gratitude for Roseus¡¯ thoughtfulness . Egret and Miroir both gave their thanks while Hendeka, who had never seen a platinum coin before, froze up just by seeing the pouch . What would have happened to him if it hadn¡¯t been platinum coins in the pouch but 2 light gold coins, which had been the original bounty prize? For a moment, Miroir wanted to see what her lover would have looked like, but immediately shook her head as she started to think about how to split it . ¡¸Rei, I¡¯m getting a bigger share of the money because I didn¡¯t need any of the materials, right? Hendeka as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t mind . ¡¹ Nodding at Miroir¡¯s words, Rei poured out the contents of the pouch and split them into four equal piles, each of them sparkling white like their name . Rei pushed the four piles to each of them . ¡¸First of all, 20 platinum coins . Out of that, Miroir and Hendeka wanted a bigger share of the money¡­¡­¡¹ Rei took two platinum coins from his and Egret¡¯s piles and moved them to Miroir and Hendeka¡¯s piles . Rei and Egret both got 3 platinum coins while Miroir and Hendeka received 7 each . ¡¸Is this okay?¡¹ The other three nodded at Rei¡¯s question without any objections . ¡¸There are many parties that fallout over dividing rewards, but you guys don¡¯t seem to have any issues . ¡¹ Roseus smiled, but Rei really didn¡¯t lack for money as he had sold off all the Lemrace materials that he didn¡¯t intend to use himself . Furthermore, he had received a reward for capturing a group of pirates . In that sense, he had made a huge fortune since coming to Emoshion¡­¡­though most of that had been used to buy up food and ingredients . As for Egret, he just wanted to fight a strong enemy . He didn¡¯t have any issues as he was able to get himself a new poleaxe . The remaining two, Miroir and Hendeka, were both satisfied with their share of the prize money . ¡¸Well, there aren¡¯t many of us to begin with . Now that we¡¯ve been paid out the bounty, I guess that¡¯s about it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, the guild doesn¡¯t have any further issues . To be honest, if it were possible, it would have been better for adventurers from Emoshion¡¯s guild to have killed the Lemrace from the perspective of honour¡­¡­having said that, removing the cause of the problem takes a higher priority over our honour when people who need to use the port start to run into trouble . I can¡¯t thank Rei-san enough . Also, as promised, I will let you know as soon as I have any information about rare species . ¡¹ Saying that, Roseus gave a polite bow before seeing them off . There wasn¡¯t any point in them continuing to stay in the meeting room, so they all went downstairs and left the guild . ¡¸¡­¡­So, we¡¯re going to leave the city as soon as we collect our belongings from our inn, what about you, Rei? Would like to work together for a bit longer?¡¹ Egret, with his poleaxe on his back, asked Rei . Rei thought for a bit before shaking his head as he stroked Set¡¯s head . ¡¸No, I¡¯ll be staying here for a little longer . There are still some things I want to buy . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I understand . Then, this is goodbye . ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah . You guys take care . ¡¹ ¡¸Take care as well Rei¡­¡­is what I¡¯d like to say, but I think you¡¯ll be fine regardless of what I say . ¡¹ ¡¸Ahaha . What Miroir-san said is true . But, thanks to Rei-san, I was able to learn many things . Thank you very much . Come on, you too, Shen . ¡¹ ¡¸Kiki~! Kikiki!¡¹ At Hendeka¡¯s words, Shen, who was sitting on Set¡¯s back, gave a short cry towards Rei . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set also gave a cry of farewell to the four of them . Thus, the extraordinary temporary party that was formed to subdue the Lemrace disbanded . Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Legend Chapter 344 ¡¸Um, will Rei-san be leaving the city tomorrow?¡¹ The daughter of the Blue Sea Coral Inn¡¯s innkeeper asked Rei sadly . However, Rei nodded without hesitation at her question . ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve been here a bit too long . At this rate, I¡¯ll just end up staying here . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine though . I don¡¯t mind at all . You know, I didn¡¯t really talk much with Rei-san . ¡¹ When she responded, her cheeks flushed red and it was clear what she was thinking . However, only Rei himself didn¡¯t realise as he shook his head . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not planning to move my home city away from Gilm . It¡¯s very convinient there because it¡¯s on the frontier . Well, it is a pity though that I could hardly find any sea monsters around Emoshion . ¡¹ ¡¸In that case, instead of making this your base, why don¡¯t you just stay a little longer?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s because I¡¯ve already stayed here for a month . After this, there¡¯s still something else I have to do . ¡¹ Of course, his business was to head to the Labyrinth City with Elena, that was his highest priority . However, the innkeeper¡¯s daughter didn¡¯t know of that as she puffed up her cheeks in disatisfaction . ¡¸Why, even though such a cute girl is asking you to stay . ¡­¡­Hmph, I don¡¯t care anymore . You can do whatever you want . Go back to Gilm or wherever . ¡¹ Saying that, she left Rei . Rei couldn¡¯t understand why she was in such a bad mood and was wondering if she could just leave the counter like that as he tilted his head . However, he soon noticed the proprietress coming towards him and gave a sigh of relief . ¡¸Rei-san, you¡¯re leaving tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . I¡¯ve been in your care for a while . I¡¯ve already cleaned up the Lemrace, so it¡¯s about time I head back to Gilm . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­it is a bit sad to say goodbye to Set-chan, but it can¡¯t be helped . I can¡¯t thank you enough for subjugating the Lemrace . Thank you very much . However, in the end, your room is still that small room in the corner¡­¡­would you like to stay in a normal room for at least today? Of course, the price will stay the same as before . With the Lemrace gone, the number of customers has decreased greatly . ¡¹ Rei thought about the proprietress¡¯ words for a few seconds, but eventually shook his head . ¡¸No, I don¡¯t mind staying in my current room . There¡¯s no reason to move to a different room now . ¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure? In that case, we¡¯ll make sure at least tonight¡¯s dinner is a good one . You will eat dinner at the inn, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s what I plan to do . ¡¹ Rei replied to the proprietress with a wry smile as she asked about dinner even though it wasn¡¯t even lunch time yet . Considering Rei¡¯s appetite, it was quite common for him to get hungry and get food at various other places . Even then though, he would still usually eat the meals served at the inn . ¡¸Anyhow, I¡¯ll be leaving the city tomorrow . You¡¯ve been a great help during my stay . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no . We¡¯re the ones who are indebted to Rei-san in many ways . ¡­¡­Um, please don¡¯t mind my daughter too much . I think she had a bit of longing for someone who was close to her age and was also and adventurer who could kill the Lemrace . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, I understand . ¡¹ Rei finally understood what was going on after the proprietress explained it like that . After giving a small nod, Rei spoke out again . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have any plans on settling here . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know . I¡¯ll go after her, so please don¡¯t worry about it . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡¹ Saying that, Rei left the inn . There were some people he wanted to say goodbye to before he left the city tomorrow . He also wanted to buy up as much seafood as he could . ¡¸Oh, Rei? What¡¯s wrong? Did anything happen to the harpoon?¡¹ The first place Rei went to was the smithy of the Dwarven blacksmith who had made his harpoon . When he saw Rei, the Dwarf called out in a good mood after being handed a small barrel of ale that Rei had bought along the way . ¡¸I¡¯m leaving the city tomorrow . I thought I¡¯d go around and thank all the people who have helped me out . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, your idea of throwing a harpoon and pulling it back with something like a chain or rope was interesting, so I had hoped you would stay for a bit longer . Well, I¡¯ll forgive you since you brought me some ale . ¡¹ ¡¸I never thought that sea monsters wouldn¡¯t show up though . In the end, it¡¯s nice to have the harpoon, but I¡¯ve never even used it . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s not your fault . The monsters will come back eventually, whether we like it or not . As a resident of this city, I honestly hope they don¡¯t come back . Thanks to you, the fishermen are now able to go back to fishing and make up their losses . ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not sure what is with the monsters, but the fish seem to still be around as usual . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess it might have something to do with the Lemrace . ¡­¡­Oh, right . Wait here a moment . ¡¹ Putting the barrel of ale in the back of the smithy¡­¡­the Dwarf headed to the back of his forge . When he came out a few minutes later, he was carrying a different barrel in his arms . ¡¸Take this with you . It¡¯s something extra . ¡¹ The Dwarf placed the barrel on the floor . As the barrel was placed on the ground, the sound made Rei realise what was inside . ¡¸Are you sure? You can¡¯t have gotten enough scraps to fill this barrel in such a short time, could you?¡¹ ¡¸Hah, don¡¯t worry about it . It¡¯s not just collected by me . I collected all this garbage from the various weapon shops and blacksmiths in the city . They were grateful that they wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the disposal themselves . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry for the trouble, it¡¯s a great help . ¡¹ Rei expressed his gratitude with a smile towards the Dwarf, who was surprisingly caring despite his serious looking expression . Reaching out, Rei stored the barrel into the Misty Ring . ¡¸If you feel like it, come back to this city again . If you need to clean up your harpoon, I can do that . ¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, sorry for the trouble . ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯ll get going . ¡¹ ¡¸Sure . I don¡¯t think I need to worry about you, since you were strong enough to kill the Lemrace, but take care heading back . ¡¹ Rei left the smithy as the Dwarf told him that . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ After leaving the Dwarven smithy, Rei made his way towards Arctos¡¯ stall . Set, who was walking beside Rei was starting to feel hungry as he gave a cry . Smiling, Rei scratched Set¡¯s head as he spoke . ¡¸I¡¯ll get some okonomiyaki when we get to Arctos¡¯ stall, so please just wait a bit longer . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set dropped his shoulders at Rei¡¯s words and looked at the ground as they continued to walk . Of course, there were many other stalls and eateries along the way . However, Rei decided that if they were going to eat a light meal, they would go to Arctos¡¯ stall for that since he had taken care of them in various ways . Walking for another 10 minutes, the burning smell of sauce started to waft from the surroundings . Set, who was walking next to Rei, had his appetite aroused more than ever and finally regained his strength as he raised his head and gave a cry . ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gururururu~!¡¹ Hurry, hurry, Set seemed to say as he kept looking back towards Rei . Rei himself was also hungry, so he headed towards Arctos¡¯ stall with a smile . Nearing the stall, he saw almost 20 people clustered around it . Every one of them seemed to have an impatient expression, but didn¡¯t seem like they wanted to cause any trouble . In other words, the people here were¡­¡­ ¡¸Really, it looks like business is going very well . ¡¹ Yes, as Rei had said, they had all come for Arctos¡¯ food . Originally, Arctos¡¯ stall had already been famous for serving delicious food . Arctos himself was also a well known person in the city . The combination of all these factors caused the seafood okonomiyaki taught by Rei to explode in popularity . ¡¸Gururu~¡­¡­¡¹ What do we do? Set tilted his head as he seemed to ask . Since Rei had come here to say goodbye, he didn¡¯t have the option to just leave . ¡¸Line up . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set nodded and gave a cry at Rei¡¯s words . However, different from his previous appearance, Set looked somewhat depressed . His plan had been to fill his empty stomach with seafood okonomiyaki, but when he actually got here, there were people lined up and he couldn¡¯t eat it right away . ¡¸¡­¡­Do you want to eat this while waiting?¡¹ Feeling sorry for Set, Rei took out some dried meat from the Misty Ring for Set to eat, but Set refused as he shook his head . For Set, since he had come here for seafood okonomiyaki, he wouldn¡¯t eat anything else even if he was hungry! His response seemed to hold that feeling . Rei was surprised at Set¡¯s unexpected response, who was honest with his appetite, for better or worse . Still, he gave a small nod and decided to wait for their turn . There were a few people who were surprised to see Rei and Set, but most of them didn¡¯t make any commotion in particular as they both of them had become quite famous in Emoshion in various ways . ¡­¡­No, rather, the customers near Set, gently stroked him as they waited for their turn to pass the time . It was possible to cook multiple servings of okonomiyaki at the same time, so the number of waiting customers gradually decreased from 20 . Before long, it was Rei¡¯s turn to make his order . ¡¸Hm? Oh, Rei? Set as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Your stall seems to have become quite popular . There are other stalls selling okonomiyaki, but I¡¯ve seen as people lining up as here . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry to urge Rei on . Seeing that, Rei ordered their okonomiyaki after a brief conversation . ¡¸4 servings¡­¡­is what I¡¯d like to say . ¡¹ Looking behind him, he could see that new customers had appeared as they moved up the line . As a result, the length of the queue hadn¡¯t actually changed . ¡¸But, it would be a bit impolite to eat that much ourselves . I¡¯ll get 2 pieces for now . ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sure . It¡¯s freshly cooked and hot, so be careful . ¡¹ Along with those words, he handed over two plates of okonomiyaki with forks . On a side note, a short distance away from the stall, several people hired as dishwashers could be seen frantically washing plates and forks . ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s dig in . Here¡¯s your portion Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Hury, hurry, Set seemed to say as they moved to side of the stall . Rei place a plate on the ground and, as if waiting for that, Set immediately poking his beak into it . Seeing that, Rei also cut up the okonomiyaki on his plate into bite sized pieces with his fork and brought it to his mouth¡­¡­before his eyes went wide . ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ It hadn¡¯t been very long since Rei had taught Arctos how to cook okonomiyaki . However, the okonomiyaki that Rei just ate was already different from what it had been before . Of course, the taste hadn¡¯t gotten worse . Instead, it had gotten more delicious . The outside was crispy and the inside was filled with the umami taste of fish and seafood alongside a fluffy texture . At the same time, chewing it would spread the umami taste of the fish and shrimp through his mouth while the chewy and sweetness of the finely chopped kiberk remained . (¡­¡­Is the soup stock different? When Rei had taught the recipe, he had used chicken broth to mix the flour, but the okonomiyaki he ate now seemed to have used a seafood broth instead . At the same time, he could see that the soup stock must have been quite thick as it soaked its way all through the mixture . ¡¸Delicious . ¡¹ Rei looked at Arctos in surprise after taking his first bite . Seeing Rei¡¯s look of surprise, Arctos just smiled as he continued cooking okonomiyaki as well as fish, shellfish and shrimp on a nearby grill . ¡¸Even if I look like this, I¡¯m still a chef . The recipe you taught me was certainly complete, but there were many improvements that could be made . This okonomiyaki is the result of me going down my own path . ¡­¡­Well, thanks to that, okonomiyaki has now become the main dish I sell . ¡¹ Although it sounded like he was complaining, he was still happy that his customers were satisfied with his food . The shrimp he was grilling on a net was carried over to Rei¡¯s plate . ¡¸Still, thanks to you, I¡¯ve created a dish that might become a speciality of this city . Eat this . ¡¹ ¡¸A-Ah, thanks . ¡¹ He had seen Rei eat several times already and knew that shrimp was one of his favourite foods . After that, Arctos placed a large fish onto Set¡¯s plate, who had already eaten all his okonomiyaki with his large beak . ¡¸Since you¡¯ve come to this city, you¡¯ve been lucky in quite a few ways . There was the Lemrace and then this seafood okonomiyaki . Until a little while ago, this would have been unthinkable . Those who live here are grateful to you . ¡¹ Rei had a different expression of surprise compared to before as he heard what Arctos said, as if Arctos already knew he was going to leave the city tomorrow . ¡¸Hmph, after working a street stall in this city for so many years, I have a pretty good idea of what you want to say with your expression . Especially because you¡¯re easy to read . ¡­¡­Anyway, if you have the chance, come here again for work or relaxation . I¡¯ll make the okonomiyaki even more delicious by then . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sure . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei and Set both gave a small nod at Arctos¡¯ clumsy way of showing his care . Thus, their last day in Emoshion was busy but enjoyable as the two of them entertained themselves . Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Legend Chapter 345 It was the day after Rei and Set¡¯s last day in Emoshion . Rei was at the main gate, going through the formalities of leaving the city . The weather was sunny, as if to bless their departure . ¡¸Rei-san, thank you for your help with this matter . As soon as we here any information about rare species, I¡¯ll send it to Gilm¡¯s guild . ¡¹ Roseus bowed his head as the daughter of the Blue Sea Coral inn¡¯s innkeeper spoke with reddened eyes . ¡¸You must come back again . Absolutely!¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, you¡¯ve given me some ideas for an interesting weapon . Come see me again any time . I¡¯ll keep some barrels of scraps for you . ¡¹ ¡¸I look forward to okonomiyaki becoming dish that spreads out from this city to the surroundings¡­¡­no, I hope it becomes a dish that spreads out to the whole world . ¡¹ After her, the Dwarven blacksmith and Arctos also spoke to Rei . Nodding at their words, Rei recieved his guild card back from a guard and stored it back into the Misty Ring . Since the Necklace of Subservient Monster, that had been hung on Set¡¯s neck, had already been returned, there wasn¡¯t anything else he still needed to do . ¡¸Well, if I ever want to eat more delicious seafood again, I¡¯ll drop by . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ As Rei said his goodbyes, Set gave a reluctant cry, maybe because he felt some attachment to the various seafood dishes he had eaten while in Emoshion or because leaving the people who had cared for him . . ¡¸Oh, I almost forgot . Here, have this . If you¡¯re heading back to Gilm, you¡¯ll have to camp outside . Please have this for lunch . ¡¹ Arctos handed Rei a hefty basket . Folding back the cloth cover, he saw a large number of sandwiches . There were particularly many shrimp sandwiches as Arctos knew what Rei liked after he had visited his stall several times . The amount might be small considering Set, but that was unavoidable considering how much he could eat . ¡¸Arctos-san, we also prepared a lunch box¡­¡­I even made it myself . ¡¹ The innkeeper¡¯s daughter complained to Arctos before murmuring to quietly . ¡¸No, it¡¯s a great help . I¡¯ll have to spend several nights outside on my way back to Gilm . With my item box, the food won¡¯t go bad . ¡¹ As he said that, Rei stored the basket of sandwiches into the Misty Ring and got on Set¡¯s back . ¡¸Well, I guess I¡¯ll get going . I¡¯ve been all of your care . Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set flapped his wings and ran up into the sky . Those who had come to see him off were stunned at Set¡¯s speed, which was faster than they had expected . But, they eventually went back to their daily lives, which had changed in various ways after their meeting with Rei . A few hours after leaving the city of Emoshion . Rei, who was thinking about stopping to have lunch, frowned somewhat unpleasantly at the intense sunlight shining down on him and Set . ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯m glad that the weather is nice¡­¡­but as expected of this season, the sunlight is strong . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ The reason he hadn¡¯t minded it for so long was because the Dragon Robe was able to regulate its temperature to some extent . As for Set, as a Griffon, he didn¡¯t care for this level of heat . Spread out on the ground below them was a green carpet . Sometimes, adventurer parties comprising of several people could be seen . ¡¸They¡¯re a bit off the road, but if they¡¯re here¡­¡­maybe that¡¯s what they¡¯re looking for . ¡¹ There was a group of about 20 Fang Boars located a few kilometres away from the adventurer party . Although it wasn¡¯t a monster but an ordinary animal, Fang Boars were well known for the taste of its meat . For low ranking adventurers, it was a delicious target in the literal sense . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set, who was looking at the Fang Boars, gave a cry . Seeing them made him hungry, so he wanted to go hunt them . That¡¯s what he seemed to say . ¡¸It¡¯s no good . Those Fang Boars have already been targeted by those adventurers . As expected, we can¡¯t just steal their prey . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gurururu~!¡¹ I want to eat, I want to eat! Rei gave a wry smile towards Set, who seemed to want to say that as he turned his head back, before they gradually moved away from the adventurers who were aiming for the Fang Boars . It wasn¡¯t possible for the adventurers on the ground to have heard Set¡¯s cry, but they raised voices of surprise as they pointed towards the Griffon flying in the sky . Rei noticed that, but ignored them as they continued to fly on . Soon after, rushed by Set, they landed near a small river a short distance away . Rei took out the large basket of sandwiches that Arctos had given him . ¡¸Here, just eat this and calm down . ¡¹ Washing his hands in the river, Rei placed a few sandwiches on a large leaf instead of a plate and handed it over to Set . ¡¸Ahh, this is cool and comfortable . ¡¹ Rei muttered to himself after lowering his hood with his hands, which were still wet with the river water, as he breathed in the early summer air . After moistening his throat with the cold water, he placed his hands back into the river and enjoyed the coolness for a minute before he heard Set give a cry from behind . ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Smiling at Set¡¯s invitation to eat sandwiches with him, Rei stopped playing around with the water as he started to eat his sandwich alongside Set . As expected of the sandwiches made by Arctos, every sandwich was made with time and effort . Rei and Set were both able to enjoy them deliciously . ¡­¡­That said, most of the sandwiches were okonomiyaki sandwiches . In other words, Rei, who considered okonomiyaki to be a dish of its own, passed those sandwiches to Set while he ate the seafood salad sandwiches, chicken and vegetable sandwiches and boiled egg and bacon sandwiches himself . After about 20 minutes, the 10 servings of sandwiches had all gone into the bellies of the two of them . After that, Rei took a break to eat some sweet and sour fruits, which were similar in sharp taste to mulberries, near the river for dessert . Set went into the river and used his forefeet to throw fish out of the water, which were cooked by Rei¡¯s magic before being given back to him as a snack . By the time Rei had dried out Set¡¯s fur, it had nearly been 2 hours . ¡¸¡­¡­Looks like we¡¯ve been playing around for too long . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Is that so? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head . Rei smiled, but if they kept playing around like this, they would end up having to stay the night here, so he called out to Set . ¡¸If we keep going like this, it will take us too long to get back to Gilm . Let¡¯s move a little faster from now . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gurururu~!¡¹ Even Set somewhat missed Gilm, so he easily nodded at Rei¡¯s words and lay down on the ground so that Rei could get on his back . ¡¸All right, let¡¯s go!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set, who had eaten lunch, dessert and even had grilled fish as a snack, gave a cheerful cry as he took a few large steps, flapped his wings and flew up into the sky . With 1, 2 then 3 steps, they rose into the sky as if running on air . On Set¡¯s back, Rei looked at the sunlight rather unpleasantly, which had only gotten stronger into the afternoon . The heat itself wasn¡¯t an issue, but the glare was strong enough to blind Rei¡¯s sight . ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Even Set, who had been relaxing by the riverside a few minutes ago, found the intense sunlight to be uncomfortable as he gave a sullen cry . Set, who was a Griffon, didn¡¯t have issues with his body temperature . However, he was still dazzled after being exposed to the glare of the direct sunlight . ¡¸Maybe it would be better to rest during the day and fly at night . ¡¹ He suddenly thought of desert travellers, who rested during the day and travelled at night when it was cooler as he muttered to himself . However¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ So you want to take a break? Set seemed to ask as Rei shook his head in response . ¡¸No, let¡¯s keep going . If we are stopped by something at this level, we won¡¯t be able to go very far in future . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ While gently stroking Set¡¯s back, Rei took out some more of the mulberry like fruit from the Misty Ring and offered it to Set . After seeing Set eat them up in a flash, Rei took out some for himself as he brought them to his mouth . The fruit was about three times the size of the mulberries that Rei had eaten in the mountains back when he was on Earth, but the sweet and sour taste was definitely the same as the mulberries Rei knew . ¡¸All right, it¡¯s only a few days to Gilm . Let¡¯s do our best!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ After eating the mulberry like fruit and regaining his strength, Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s words, flapping his wings as they flew through the sky . ¡¸Hmm, I guess it¡¯s time to stop for the night . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ It had been about five hours since they had finished their lunch and left . It wasn¡¯t quite dark yet, but the bright red from the setting sun created a scene that seemed to cover the whole sky . Watching the sombre scene of an early summer sunset, Rei, who had decided to stop and camp for the night a little earlier, called out to Set to land . Fortunately, there was a grassland below and there was no trouble in finding a place to stop for the night . Ferocious monsters might attack at night, but with the magic tent given to him by Daska after the war with the Bestir Empire, he wouldn¡¯t be bothered by low ranking monsters . Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set flew towards the ground and landed with barely a sound, as expected of a Griffon, and took a few steps to stop himself before Rei got off his back . ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s quickly do this . ¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei took out his magic tent from the Misty Ring and poured magic power into it . The next moment, the tent expanded in front of him . ¡¸Set, what do you want to do?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Rei asked if Set wanted to go inside, but Set shook his head as he looked towards the sky . Rei nodded at Set, who still wanted to play for a while as he wagged his tail and gave a cry . ¡¸I understand . Just come back before it gets dark . Ah, if you catch any monsters or animals that can be eaten, please bring them back . I¡¯ve bought a lot of food from Emoshion and I also have a lunch box from the proprietress of the Blue Sea Coral inn, but it would be better to be conservative . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Leave it to me! Set seemed to say as he gave a sharp cry, flapping his wings after a few steps before leaving . (One way or another, since we spent most of our time today flying, it seems that Set has accumulated quite some stress . ) While thinking to himself, Rei went inside the magic tent . The inside of the tent was about 10 tatami size . Unlike the magic tent Elena had, there was no kitchen, but there was still enough space to fit it out for a single person to stay in . ¡¸Well, if I need to use fire to cook anything, I can do that outside . I also have water here . ¡¹ Placing a cup on the table in the room, he poured magic power into the Dagger of Flowing Water, which he had taken out from the Misty Ring . The next moment, water began to trickle out from the tip of the dagger . This magic dagger that could produce water had been given to him as a reward for his previous request . However, Rei¡¯s aptitude only lay in fire magic, so he couldn¡¯t use it as a water whip like its previous owner had . That said, the taste of the water became better the more magic power that was used . Because of this, when Rei used the Dagger of Flowing Water, he could only use it to create pure drinking water . However, its taste was so good that even the royal family might not have tasted such water before . ¡¸Ahh, delicious . ¡¹ Rei was satisfied with the taste of the cold water that moistened his throat . He was about to drink a few more cups of water when he suddenly noticed Set outside the tent . ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Take a look, take a look, Set seemed to say as he gave a cry . Rei left his cup on the table as he went out . Outside, lying on the ground, was a huge¡­¡­yes, huge, Fang Boar, about the same size as Set . ¡¸This is¡­¡­it¡¯s rare to have such a large Fang Boar . ¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ It¡¯s amazing! Set seemed to say with a proud cry . Rei stroked Set¡¯s head as he took out a dagger from the Misty Ring to disassemble it . Fang Boars weren¡¯t monsters, but their meat was a popular food and its characteristic fangs were a cheap material . ¡¸However, with regards to the meat, most of it would probably fit into Set¡¯s belly . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a happy cry at Rei¡¯s words . After that, Rei quickly disassembled the Fang Boar and heated up a metal plate on a campfire he had created with magic before grilling the meat to eat it . While cooking the meat, he also took out some seafood that he had bought in Emoshion to eat while waiting . After eating a sumptuous meal that one wouldn¡¯t think of while travelling, he slept¡­¡­this continued for several days . Eventually, the city of Gilm came into Rei¡¯s eyes as he flew on Set¡¯s back . Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Legend Chapter 346 It had been 4 days since they had left Emoshion . It had taken them a few extra days to return as Rei and Set had hunted some monsters and had to dismantle them . It was mainly because they had run into a stray group of Orcs along the way and didn¡¯t want them to cause damage to the surroundings¡­¡­to be exact, they just found it a pity miss out on relatively deliciously Orc meat, even though they weren¡¯t high ranking monsters . Because of that, Rei and Set killed the Orcs and dismantled them . However, there were no higher ranking species or rare species in the stray group of Orcs, causing Rei to be dissatisfied that they were all ordinary Orcs . Anyhow, despite the extra time they spent dismantling the Orcs, they still arrived back at Gilm from Emoshion at an amazingly short period of time compared to travelling along the ground . In order not to shock the people travelling near Gilm, after landing near the main road, they walked to Gilm, mixing in with the other travellers . There were few people who would travel all the way out to the remote city of Gilm, and most of those that did knew of Set . Many of them smiled when they saw Set and some offered him dried meat . However, it was different for those who were coming to Gilm for the first time¡­¡­or for those who had only come to Gilm after Rei had left for Emoshion . There were people who were shocked to see a Griffon, an A rank monster, for the first time and tried to run away on reflex . Those that knew that Set wasn¡¯t dangerous explained the situation to them causing them to look towards Rei with doubtful eyes . Receiving a wide range of glances, Rei finally arrived at the main gate . It was already summer, so the surrounding temperature was still rising . Still, as Gilm wasn¡¯t in the mountains¡­¡­or rather, because it was built on a grassland, it wasn¡¯t as hot and humid . Even so, it was still hot, so the people lining up to enter the city were all covered in sweat . Among the crowd, Rei, who was wearing his Dragon Robe that passively regulated its internal temperature, queued up without a sweat . Eventually, he saw the face of a stern man with a beard for the first time in a long time . ¡¸Hey, Rei-kun . It¡¯s been a while . ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes . Now that I think about, I didn¡¯t see you before I left for Emoshion . ¡¹ Rei handed his guild card over to Ranga, recalling when he had left Gilm . Ranga gave a wry smile as he received Rei¡¯s guild card and quickly went through the procedures . ¡¸I was on holiday that day, spending time with my wife and children . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei looked at Ranga in surprise at his unexpected response . ¡¸You, you are married?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . To a childhood friend, about 10 years ago . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so . ¡¹ What kind of person was Ranga . Rei felt like knew but didn¡¯t know at the same time . He had a stern face but a gentle character and was loved by his subordinates . As for his job as captain of the guards, it was so that he could earn money . Considering all these factors, Rei found Ranga to be a surprisingly great person . ¡¸Well, all the procedures are done . Welcome back Rei and Set . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry at Ranga¡¯s words . Rei finally recovered from his surprise, stored his guild card back into the Misty Ring and hung the Necklace of Subservient Monster on Set¡¯s neck . ¡¸That said, I¡¯m planning to leave for a while soon¡­¡­¡¹ Having said that much, Rei remembered his promise to go to the Labyrinth City with Elena in about 2 months time . ¡¸I have plans to go somewhere, but I plan to stay in Gilm for the next two months, so I¡¯ll be in your care . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . Well, you have made a name for yourself, so I understand that you¡¯d be busy with various things . But, don¡¯t go causing a commotion, okay?¡¹ Rei tried to reply that he wasn¡¯t someone to stir up trouble, but remembering all the disturbances he had caused in Gilm, he couldn¡¯t really say anything . ¡¸Ahh, I know . I¡¯ll be as careful as I can . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please do so . Come on in . The people in the city have been feeling lonely without Set around . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave another happy cry at Ranga¡¯s words before entering the city with Rei . Rei watched Set with a wry smile and briefly said goodbye to Ranga before entering the city . Seeing them leave, Ranga had a happy smile on his face that turned to a troubled one the next moment . ¡¸Ahh, I know I told them not to cause a fuss¡­¡­but there definitely is going to be one . ¡¹ They were natural trouble makers¡­¡­no, rather, they seemed to have a trouble inducing constitution . Ranga had no choice but to admit that it was unlikely he would be able to enjoy his time quietly . Still, he didn¡¯t hate Rei and Set as he knew from experience that the trouble they caused was often a good thing for the city . Ranga gave a bitter smile as he realised the city would become busier and that his guards would have more work to do . ¡¸Oh, Rei! Set as well! I heard that you were out of town for a while, looks like you¡¯ve come back . ¡¹ ¡¸Kyaa~~! It¡¯s Set-chan, Set-chan . Mum, can I feed Set-chan?¡¹ ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s go buy a sandwich at that stall . ¡¹ ¡¸A-A Griffon!?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t draw your sword . Look, he¡¯s wearing a Necklace of Subservient Monster . Set won¡¯t attack people, so don¡¯t worry about it . ¡¹ ¡¸A tamed monster? That Griffon? ¡­¡­Hah? Then, that kid must be Crimson from the rumours!¡¹ As soon as Rei and Set appeared on the main street, passers-by, street stall owners and even adventurers had their attention drawn to them . In any case, Rei had a strong presence and Set was particularly eye catching, so in a sense, it was unavoidable . In the midst of all this, someone who looked to be an adventurer seemed to look at Set in surprise before approaching Rei . ¡­¡­Yes, as most of the attention was on Set, he went over to Rei . He was wearing armour made from monster leather and had a long sword at his waist . He looked like a typical lightly armoured warrior that focused on mobility . The man spoke with a friendly smile . ¡¸Pardon me, but are you the adventurer that people call Crimson?¡¹ Rei expressed his surprise at the man¡¯s words . He knew what kind of impression his appearance would give other people, so he was surprised that man asked him in such a polite tone . Anyhow, Rei couldn¡¯t really act rudely to someone so polite, so he took off his hood . The moment he did that, he felt the heat from the summer sun on his face that had previously been cooled by the Dragon Robe¡¯s passive effect . (I see, he might be wearing leather armour to help against the heat . If he wore full plate armour in this heat, he would probably get heatstroke and dehydration . And above all¡­¡­he¡¯s strong . ) Rei gave a small nod as he half instinctively gauged the strength of the man approaching him . ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve definitely been called Crimson by people . What business do you have with me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . My master would like to meet with you because of the unprecedented contributions you made in the war against the Bestir Empire . Fortunately, my master is currently staying in Gilm, would you be able to meet with him?¡¹ Master . Such words meant that the person in front of him wasn¡¯t an adventurer but someone serving a person . Rei made that judgement in his mind, but it had no effect on his reply . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I have to report back to the guild first now that I¡¯ve returned . It¡¯s impossible for me to see your master right now . ¡¹ The Lemrace he had killed had been designated with a bounty and hadn¡¯t been part of a special request given by the guild . However, when he had left for Emoshion, Lenora and Kenny had been worried about him . Rei also wanted to meet with Marina, the guild master . It was with those thoughts in mind that he replied as such, but to his surprise, the person in front of him gave a small smile as he nodded back . ¡¸You went to Emohsion to kill a monster called a Lemrace . I¡¯ve heard about that, so I don¡¯t mind if you visit after you give your report¡­¡­is that fine?¡¹ Rei was somewhat doubtful at the man¡¯s calm response . However, since the master that the man served was willing to concede this much, it wouldn¡¯t be good to refuse . Rei gave a small sigh before nodding . ¡¸That¡¯s okay . In that case, I¡¯ll come with you after I¡¯m done at the guild . ¡¹ ¡¸No, that won¡¯t do . I¡¯ll prepare a carriage for you . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s fine . ¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t know why the man was so polite, but even so, he could tell that the man wasn¡¯t just saying things like that to get Rei¡¯s good will . There were quite a few people in the surroundings, not just residents of the city, who were please to see Rei and Set return, but also people who looked like knights or warriors that served nobles . All of those people were looking at Rei abominably¡­¡­no, they were looking at the person in front of Rei with those eyes . Knowing that people were looking at him like that, the man gave a sigh of relief . It was because he had been able to make first contact with Rei, his target . (I was lucky . ) Right now, inside Gilm, there were many people trying to draw Rei to their side¡­¡­even if that was impossible, many nobles were trying to at least make an acquaintance and many people had been ordered to contact Rei . Those who wanted try and force Rei to join them by holding people Rei was close to hostage had already been dealt with by the Prairie Wolves, led by Egg, and Marina, the guild master¡¯s, schemes . The only ones left were those who wanted to contact Rei without using dirty means . Still, the large number of peopel that still remained in the city was a testament to how big of an impact Rei had in the war with the Bestir Empire . Even if it was a coincidence, the man had still been able to come in contact with Rei before any of the others, so he continued to speak while thanking his good luck in his mind . ¡¸Should we get going? I also have some business at the guild, would you mind if I accompanied you?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sure . It looks like you have your reasons for this and I don¡¯t mind . Set, let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set came back to Rei with a hotdog wrapped in paper in his beak as he gave a cry . Seeing the hotdog wrapped in paper, Rei turned to look at the stall . However, the stall owner just waved his hand in response . Apparently it was for him . Rei raised his hand to show his gratitude before taking the hotdog from Set¡¯s beak . Crispy on the outside, the texture of the bread, boiled sausage and sour source blended together to entertain Rei¡¯s tongue . Surprised by the unexpected delicious taste, Rei quickly finished eating it and headed towards the guild with Set as he talked with the man . Along the way to the guild, city residents, adventurers, merchants and other people who wanted to solicit Rei called out to them continuously . ¡¸Rei-san is well liked by everyone in this city . ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s more him than me . ¡¹ Rei stroked Set¡¯s head with a smile at the man¡¯s words . Set¡¯s eyes narrowed as he received Rei¡¯s comfortable strokes . ¡¸I¡¯ll see you later . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ It had been a while, but Set understood what Rei meant and moved to the waiting area for tamed monsters before lying down . ¡¸He seems to be quite clever¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing the man murmur that, Rei nodded naturally . ¡¸That¡¯s right . That¡¯s because Set is a high ranking monster, so it¡¯s smarter than most people . And, as you just saw, he can understand what we say just fine . ¡¹ ¡¸I see . That¡¯s why you were able to ride through the battle field like man and horse as one . Although, that said, man and horse as one isn¡¯t an expression that fits a Griffon . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true . Well, I¡¯ve got my own business to do and you have yours . ¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me . I¡¯ll prepare a carriage and will call out to you when I¡¯m done with my business . ¡¹ Rei entered the guild as the man called out to him from behind . And as he entered the guild¡­¡­ ¡¸Ah-! Rei-kun, when did you get back!?¡¹ As soon as Kenny saw Rei, she waved at him with a smile . Next to her, Lenora bowed with a small smile, happy that Rei was safe . The adventurers in the guild as well as those at the bar turned to look at the guild entrance on reflex after hearing Rei¡¯s name . For better or worse, Rei was a high profile personality in Gilm . However, Rei ignored those looks and pretended he didn¡¯t see them as he headed straight for the counter . ¡¸It took a bit longer than expected, but I¡¯m back . The Lemrace was successfully subjugated . ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right . I knew you wouldn¡¯t fail to collect the bounty, even if it was a monster . ¡¹ ¡¸But, you seemed to be worried about Rei-san every day?¡¹ ¡¸Mgh-, i-it was the same for Lenora, right? Hey, Rei-kun . Did any weird bugs try to get to you in the port city?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Weird bugs? No, there weren¡¯t any insect monsters¡­¡­¡¹ Rei tilted his head at Kenny¡¯s words . Seeing that, Kenny gave a sigh of relief . ¡¸More importantly, is the guild master in? I¡¯d like to say a few words with her . ¡¹ ¡¸The guild master isn¡¯t in right now . She went to the lord¡¯s residence . I¡¯ll let her know later that you¡¯ve come back . ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then, please do that . That said, has Daska-sama returned?¡¹ ¡¸Has he? I heard he was busy with various matters in the Royal Capital, but¡­¡­¡¹ Kenny replied as she shrugged her shoulders lightly . At the same time, her large chest shook, causing other adventurers to look at here . However, Rei continued to speak without paying any attention to that . ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll leave greeting the guild master for later . ¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, Rei-kun . What kind of place was Emoshion?¡¹ Like that, Rei spent the next 20 minutes talking with Lenora and Kenny . Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Legend Chapter 347 After greeting Lenora and Kenny, Rei continued to talk with them for another 20 minutes . Kenny still felt like she hadn¡¯t talked enough when someone interrupted them . ¡¸Pardon me, could I borrow Rei for a moment?¡¹ It was the lightly armoured warrior who called out to the three of them . However, Lenora and Kenny, who both worked as guild receptionist, had never seen him before . They didn¡¯t remember the faces of all the people who went through Gilm¡¯s guild, which was considered to be the true home of adventurers, but they wouldn¡¯t forget faces of people with strong presences like the man before them . Because of that, Kenny tilted her head slightly, unsure of who the man was . It was the same for Lenora, but maybe because of her more serious attitude towards her work as a receptionist, she just looked back politely . ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry . My name is Coan, I work for a certain person . While you were talking with Rei-san, I was able to get all I needed ready . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see . ¡¹ With just those words, the two of them were able to understand what kind of person Coan was . After all, it had become quite well known that many nobles and their subordinates had gathered at Gilm . All to see Rei, who was in front of them . ¡¸What do you plan to do, Rei-kun?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it is true that I did promise him earlier, so I¡¯ll head out for a bit . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so? Then, be careful . It¡¯s better now, but until recently, there were a lot of disturbances . ¡¹ Kenny¡¯s words implied that people like Coan had been the cause for all that . As for Coan, who had come this far to meet with Rei, he knew that many other people with the same purpose as him had caused a wild mess, so he couldn¡¯t refute Kenny¡¯s words . Still¡­¡­ ¡¸But those who had been causing trouble should have already been driven out of the city, so everything should have calmed down now?¡¹ At the very least, Coan wanted to distance his master from such people . Kenny nodded her head in response without saying anything else, seemingly in agreement . In fact, most of those who had been expelled from the city were those who had not intended to bring Rei to their side using legitimate means . Thus, Egg and Marina had made their moves from behind the scenes to expel them . So, it was true that the only ones who were allowed to remain in the city were those who had been recognised as people who wanted to properly negotiate with Rei . Of course, most people had no idea abut that . ¡¸Well, I promised you before I came to the guild, so I don¡¯t care about all that . What about Set?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, my master told me they would like you to bring him with you . ¡¹ Does that mean that Coan¡¯s master isn¡¯t part of the Royalist faction? Rei thought to himself for a moment . After all, when he had been called up by the Royalist nobles during the war with the Bestir Empire, he had been told by the messenger that he could not bring Set with him . However, he then recalled that many of the Royalist nobles who had been sent to fight the way had been quite problematic . (Well, in the end, I¡¯ll just have to see who it is . ) Concluding to himself, Rei turned to Lenora and Kenny . ¡¸In that case, I better get goin . If the guild master comes back, please tell her I¡¯ve returned . I¡¯ll come again tomorrow . ¡¹ ¡¸Mmm¡­¡­hey, Rei-kun . Why do you want to see the guild master so much?¡¹ Kenny looked a little dissatisfied, but Lenora soon replied to her with a dumbfounded expression . ¡¸You know¡­¡­it was a request from the guild master¡­¡­or rather, Rei went to Emoshion with information she provided, so it¡¯s only natural to report back to her when he comes back . Don¡¯t be stupid and just do your work . Even if it isn¡¯t the busiest time of the day, there¡¯s still things that need to be done . ¡¹ ¡¸Okay, okay¡­¡­seriously . I had wanted to spend leisurely time together with Rei-kun now that he came back . ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, do that on your days off . ¡¹ Seeing the two of them return to their usual pattern of conversation, Rei felt a strong sense that he had returned . ¡¸Now then, we¡¯ve kept your carriage waiting outside, so let¡¯s go . ¡¹ ¡¸Sure . ¡¹ Led out the guild by Coan, there was a carriage waiting outside . However, the carriage wasn¡¯t a fany carriage for nobles that Rei had expected, but rather a carriage that would best be described as solid and robust . OF course, the materials used to build it were expensive materials . ¡¸¡­¡­Heh . ¡¹ While looking at the carriage, Rei¡¯s impression of the noble he had yet to meet increased a notch . Although having a fancy looking carriage wasn¡¯t bad for a noble, Rei himself wanted to refrain from riding such a garish carriage . ¡­¡­That said, Rei himself would still have been much more prominent than a carriage, with Set following him around, carry the Death Scythe and having an item box . ¡¸Come in, please . ¡¹ Coan opened the carriage door himself and invited Rei inside . ¡¸Set, we¡¯re going . ¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a short cry and got up from where he had been lying and Rei¡¯s voice before he got into the carriage . The children who had been playing with Set all gave sounds of regret, but they still let him go as they waved their small hands, knowing who was number 1 to Set . After leaving the guild, the carriage naturally headed towards the nobles district . The horse that was pulling the carriage had been intimidated by Set, who was walking beside them, but the carriage driver was skilful enough to stop the horse from running wild . ¡¸So, do you think you can tell me now who wants to see me?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry . My master told me that it should be a surprise . ¡¹ ¡¸A surprise, huh . ¡¹ It was true that a surprise would leave a strong impression on the other party when meeting for the first time . But on the other hand, if the surprise did not go well, it would leave a bad first impression . The other party must have known that and yet still didn¡¯t want to tell Rei who they were¡­¡­ (Are they too confident in themselves?) As Rei remained slightly confused, the carriage carried on and eventually arrived at the entrance to the nobles district . What surprised Rei was that they had only needed to give the guards at the entrance to the nobles district a small glance before they were let in without any additional words . It was proof that the owner of this carriage was someone with considerable power in the nobles district, to the point where they didn¡¯t even need to answer questions like providing ID . (To have such power in Gilm, a middle-sized city, they would have to be middle ranking nobility at least? If they are part of the Royalist or Aristocratic faction, it would be a big deal . But why would someone that important go all this way to the frontier? I don¡¯t think the risk and return is worth it, no matter how strong I might be . Or¡­ . . are they a big shot who can afford to do all this? Well, as far as face value goes, it seems quite likely . ) As Rei thought about that, the carriage continued into the nobles district before eventually stopping . ¡¸Well, it looks like we¡¯ve arrived safely . Then, please . My master is waiting for you . ¡¹ Coan opened the door with a small smile as he guided Rei out . The first thing Rei saw when he got out the carriage made sense, but surprised him at the same time . It was a place that could be considered the best among the residences in the nobles district . The residence had a strong presences compared to the others around it and was clearly different . The outer gate of the residence had already been passed by the carriage and there was only a huge door before them that led to the entrance hall of the residence . ¡¸This residence?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . My master is waiting inside . ¡¹ If Rei had a good knowledge of nobility, he would have realised who the owner of the mansion before him . It was the residence of a very famous noble family in the Mireana Kingdom . That is, it was the residence of the Duke of Quent¡¯s family, a major figure in the Royalist faction . ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ll be blunt, I¡¯m not familiar with noble etiquette . If you have any concerns about that, could you suggest that we don¡¯t meet?¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t want to cause Daska or Marina any trouble by causing a strange fuss here . That was why he asked, but Coan gave an unexpected response . ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter . My master doesn¡¯t like formalities either . If anything¡­¡­¡¹ Woosh-! As Coan was about to say something more, an unnatural gust of wind blew out from the mansion . ¡¸Oh, it looks like I¡¯ve been told not to talk about unnecessary things . ¡­¡­Anyway, you don¡¯t have to worry about etiquette . However, my master is still a noble, so please don¡¯t be rude . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­They are definitely a strange person . All right, if you say so, then let¡¯s go . What about Set? He can wait in the garden if you like . ¡¹ Rei glanced towards the mansion¡¯s garden . Despite being in the nobles district, the garden was quite large . It was big enough to have built another noble residence in it . As Set didn¡¯t care much for cold or heat, if told that he could do what he wanted in the garden, he would have just lied down to wait . That was what Rei had in mind when he asked . But Coan¡¯s response was again unexpected . ¡¸No, the Griffon¡­¡­Set, may also enter the residence . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh . Your master is quite bold . ¡¹ Rei had never been so surprised as smile came up on his lips . It was clear that the earlier gust of wind had been magic, meaning that the person had the self confidence that they could handle a Griffon whether alone or with Coan . ¡¸Come in, please . ¡¹ Saying that, Coan opened the door that led to the entrance hall . As Rei entered with Set, what greeted them was¡­¡­ ¡¸Umu, it¡¯s been hard on you! You did well, Coan!¡¹ Compared to Rei, who was shorter than average in this world, the girl that appeared before him looked to be younger than 10 as she only came up to Rei¡¯s chest in height . With a big smile on her face, her eyes shone as she looked at Rei and Set . ¡¸¡­¡­Coan?¡¹ Rei glanced towards Coan for confirmation, but kept his eyes on the girl who was slowly approaching Set with a loving expression . ¡¸Oh, you . Would you let me stroke you a little?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As Set like to play with kids in the first place, when the girl in front of him looked and spoke to him with such curiosity, he didn¡¯t refuse and gently stretched out his head to rub against her face . ¡¸Ahaha, ahahahaha . Look Coan . He¡¯s friendly . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course . I¡¯m glad that you are happy ojou-sama¡­¡­but as a daughter of the Quent family, I¡¯m not sure you should ignore Rei-san, who you invited . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu, that is certainly true . Umu, are you Rei, the one they call Crimson? My name is Marka Quent . I am the one who will be the next Duchess of Quent . You should know me . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Coan?¡¹ Rei had expected a dignified noble to appear . Or, he had thought that girl in front him could have been the daughter of the noble¡­¡­no, rather, it would be impossible for her not to be the daughter of a noble . However, it seemed like this girl was actually the one who wanted to draw Rei to her side . This must be a mistake right? Coan spoke up with a small smile at Rei¡¯s confused glance . ¡¸Marka Quent-sama . There¡¯s no doubt that she is my master and the one who invited you here today Rei-san . ¡¹ ¡¸Of course! So you are Rei . You certainly have enough magic power to deserve a title . Admirable!¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes widened slightly when Marka said that while continuing to stroke Set . Those words meant that the girl in front of him had undoubtedly felt Rei¡¯s magic power . Yet, she was still able to maintain her current attitude . There had been many people who had been able to sense Rei¡¯s magic power . However, almost all of them had held some fear towards him after sensing his immense power . Those who displayed no change in their attitude could be counted by him . Yet, the girl in front of Rei could still look back at him with a smile on her face . (Considering the magic she used to cause that gust of wind earlier, she can¡¯t be ignorant of magic . In that case, she must also have a lot of magic power herself?) From the way she stroked Set¡¯s head, she could only be seen as an ordinary child . However, the feeling still grew inside Rei that it would be better not to underestimate her . ¡¸Umu, Rei . You and Set¡­¡­why don¡¯t you work for me? I¡­¡­or to be exact, the Duke of Quent, would like to have your assistance . ¡¹ As she said that while stroking Set¡¯s head, her eyes held such depth that you wouldn¡¯t think they belonged to a little girl . Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Legend Chapter 348 Marka Quent, daughter of Duke Quent . She had displayed a remarkable talent for magic and had been using it from a young age . If the General Princess, Elena Kerebel, represented the warriors of the Mirana Kingdom, Marka Quent could be be considered the equivalent for magic . She was just 7 years old¡­¡­but despite being young, she could use magic from three attributes, wind, earth and light . Her magic power was also one of the greatest within the Mireana Kingdom . Despite this, she was not arrogant or condescending and had an innocent character, making her very popular within the Quent duchy . The gossip within the duchy was that with her long green hair, reminiscent of emeralds, and her well proportioned features, although young, she would be a beautiful woman in furture . There were many nobles in the Mireana Kingdom that looked down on the common people, but Marka did not permit such things . She had even beaten up the heir of a viscount with her magic for trying to treat people within the Quent duchy the same way they treated commoners in their own territory . Of course, the act of the heir of a viscount causing trouble in a duke¡¯s territory and even trying to attack the duke¡¯s daughter wasn¡¯t without consequence . The viscount family was later crushed and fell into ruin¡­¡­ Of course, Rei had no idea that the girl with deep eyes, that was currently stroking Set in front of him, was such a person . However, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t an ordinary girl and he had to act appropriately . Because of that, Rei didn¡¯t just consider her as a girl when he took off the hood of his Dragon Robe and replied . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t plan to serve under anyone at the moment . ¡¹ Should have I said that in a more polite way? Rei thought of that after he spoke and gave a sigh of relief when he saw Coan give a small nod to say that it was fine . ¡¸Hoh, why not? You¡¯re an adventurer, are you not? I do not think it would be bad to serve a noble . I would not limit your actions and would provide whatever you desired . Will your answer still not change?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . Even if I were only hired temporarily¡­¡­it is not in my character to serve under a noble . Regardless of how much freedom I am promised¡­¡­it is still no . ¡¹ ¡¸What if, as a result, you become an enemy of Duke Quent, one of the strongest powers in the Mireana Kingdom?¡¹ ¡¸So be it . ¡¹ Rei nodded without hesitation . For the sake of his own freedom, he would make enemies with a duke . Marka looked at for a moment, taken aback . Her expression didn¡¯t have the same feeling of depth that she had several seconds ago, but rather, felt more like surprise from a child her age . Next to Rei, Coan looked at him with a wry smile . However, it wasn¡¯t look that was reproaching Rei for impoliteness, but rather a friendly smile like one that would be directed to companions . ¡¸Ku¡­¡­a-ahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahahaha!¡¹ Marka broke the silences as she suddenly burst into laughter . Set, who was still being stroked until moments earlier, turned to look at Marka with round eyes . Rei also looked at Marka, who seemed to be laughing at his unexpected reply . After about a minute or so, Marka finally calmed down from her laughter and held her sore sides as she regulated her breath . ¡¸Hah, hah, hah¡­¡­ahh, that made me laugh . No, I hope you do not get mad . I did not mean to make a fool of you . However, I did not think there would be anyone who could so easily say that they did not care making an enemy of Duke Quent, my family . No, as expected of someone with a title . Brilliant!¡¹ As she praised Rei with a smile, Rei was at a loss on what to do . Rei didn¡¯t know much about nobles, but he still had a general image in his mind of how nobles were . The girl in front of him was completely different from how he thought nobles to be . If he were to compare her to someone similar, he would compare her to Elena . Of course, they were completely different in appearance, but Rei felt like their underlying way of thinking felt somewhat similar . ¡¸Ojou-sama, that¡¯s enough . You¡¯re troubling Rei-san as well . ¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Umu, that is true . I am sorry for my unexpected words, please forgive me!¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­sure . I don¡¯t have any problems with that . ¡¹ ¡¸Umu, in that case, forgive me for asking one more thing . I won¡¯t ask you to serve me anymore . Why don¡¯t we become friends?¡¹ Saying that proudly, Marka extended her hand . She was a young girl and her figure was small . However, the hand she proudly extended to Rei had, without a doubt, an aura of nobility . Seeing that, Rei was lost for a moment, but he quickly reached out to her hand in response . ¡¸Ah, there are a lot of things I¡¯m not familiar with, so I may cause trouble, but please take care of me . ¡¹ Those might not have been words to say to a 7 year old kid . But even so, Rei regarded the girl in front of him as a proper individual asking for friendship and he had no intention of refusing . ¡¸Umu, umu . It seems I am different from ordinary people in many ways . I don¡¯t have many people I can call friends . There are only a few that I am close to and fewer that I feel comfortable with . Coan is a good example . ¡¹ ¡¸There are not many people who can deal with ojou-sama . Despite her high maturity, being too mature can have a negative effect in many ways . ¡¹ Coan spoke with a small laugh at Marka¡¯s words, but what he said seemed to have a lonely feel to it . ¡¸Well, don¡¯t worry about it . It is a pity that there are not many people who can keep me company, but there are still good encounters like this . Don¡¯t you think so?¡¹ However, Marka didn¡¯t seem to care much for Coan¡¯s words as she continued to stroke Set¡¯s head . ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a comfortable cry as he was stroked . A minute or so of silence passed like that before Marka suddenly looked at Rei as if she had just thought of an idea . ¡¸So, Rei . You are famous for being strong . Why don¡¯t you spar with Coan?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Marka-sama?¡¹ Coan asked without thinking at Marka¡¯s unexpected words . The reason was that he didn¡¯t know why his young but intelligent master would suddenly say such a thing . He had thought it might have been her way of trying to get Rei back for refusing to serve under her . Rei was equally surprised . There was no need to test each other¡¯s strength and there hadn¡¯t been any disagreements between the two of them . Why would they suddenly need to fight? However, despite their confusion, Marka quickly walked out to the garden . ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, follow after her I guess . ¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Rei followed after Marka with a brief cry . As Rei watched Set head out, Coan, who was next to him, bowed his head . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, ojou-sama¡­¡­she usually isn¡¯t the kind of person to say things like that . ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess she has many things to consider as a duke¡¯s daughter . So, what are we going to do?¡¹ Are we really going to spar? At Rei¡¯s implied question, Coan nodded with a smile and didn¡¯t deny it . ¡¸Since ojou-sama has said that, she won¡¯t give up no matter what¡­¡­also, I would like to spar with Rei-san as well . If you don¡¯t mind that is . ¡¹ Rei could roughly guess Coan¡¯s skill from the way he walked, the aura he carried and using his own intuition . The reason why he wasn¡¯t that keen on sparring was because if they fought, he would naturally have to expose some of his skill . However, it was also true in his heart that he did want to try fighting Coan . After tussling in his mind, his latter thought eventually won out . ¡¸¡­¡­Fine . ¡¹ Coan¡¯s smile remained unchanged at Rei¡¯s words . ¡¸Thank you . Shall we go then? I¡¯ll lead the way . ¡¹ The residence of Duke Quent, which resided in the most prominent position within the nobles district . Inside the garden, Rei faced Coan . A short distance away, Marka was hugging Set, who was lying down on the ground . In the heat of the summer sunshine, although Set¡¯s fur felt smooth, he was quite hot to the touch . Casting a small spell, Marka lowered the temperature around Set as she leaned against him . (Heh, she really knows how to use magic . ) Seeing that, Rei nodded in admiration at Marka¡¯s skill with magic as he moved away from Coan . The Death Scythe had already been taken out from the Misty Ring, and Coan, who was about 5m away from Rei, had also taken out his sword from his sheath at his waist . ¡¸Just so everyone remembers, this is just a spar . Try to avoid anything that could fatally injure each other . ¡¹ ¡¸That said, I think most injuries can be healed with ojou-sama¡¯s healing magic . ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around . In the first place, you should not rely on your master¡¯s magic . ¡­¡­However, since the two of you are both highly skilled, I do not think either of you would make mistakes like amateurs . ¡¹ ¡¸Heh, so you can use healing magic?¡¹ ¡¸Yes . With ojou-sama¡¯s magic, it won¡¯t be a problem even if you lost 2 or 3 arms . ¡¹ ¡¸Having three arms would be quite amazing . ¡¹ The two of them looked for opportunities as they lightly talked with each other . As Rei subtlety changed the position of the Death Scythe, Coan responded in turn, ready to react to the rare weapon known as a scythe, regardless of where an attack might come from . (I can¡¯t believe that even when we¡¯re facing each other like this, he doesn¡¯t have a single change in his expression . In fact, it almost feels like he¡¯s using his smile to hide his expressions . ) Thinking to himself, Rei pointed the blade of the Death Scythe downward for a scooping attack . Coan reacted immediately, changing the position of his sword from a high guard to a middle guard . Many people fighting Rei for the first time would be perplexed by the large scythe that was that was the Death Scythe . Large scythes were a rare weapon and there were few people who could immediately know who to deal with it . In a sense, large scythes were weapons that were deadlier the first time they were seen . This was only magnified by the fact that there were not many people who had survived fighting against Rei with his Death Scythe . However, Coan was able hold his guard with his sword while smiling the whole time . As Rei felt disconcerted about Coan¡¯s expression, the two of them continued to make small feints and respond with fine actions . Looking on from the sidelines, Marka eventually got tired of this seemingly meaningless series of actions and spoke out as she leaned against Set . ¡¸If that is all you do, this spar will never end . Make this fight a little more worth watching . Oh, yes . I forgot to mention, Coan is a former A rank adventurer . He won¡¯t die from your attacks, so you can attack with confidence . As long as he does not die, I can heal him with my magic . ¡¹ It was the exact opposite of what she had said earlier, saying that they shouldn¡¯t rely on her healing magic . However, there was no doubt that those words did progress the fight . ¡¸So it¡¯s no problem even if one or two of your limbs are cut off . In that case¡­¡­here I come!¡¹ Rei dashed forward with a short cry . As if scooping up the ground, he swung the Death Scythe¡¯s large blade up from below . ¡¸I won¡¯t make it that easy for you!¡¹ Coan responded quickly to the unconventional attack coming from a low position . He struck out with the sword in his hand, parrying the blade of the Death Scythe . However, as expected of a former A rank adventurer, he didn¡¯t stop there . He used the impact from his sword¡¯s collision with the blade of the Death Scythe to directly strike at Rei . Normally, if one used the impact of an opponent¡¯s attack to carry out your own attack, it would be less powerful and easily blocked . However, the attack was from a former A rank adventurer, who was already able to fight with a strength beyond ordinary humans . Because of that, common sense didn¡¯t work here as the blade moved towards Rei¡¯s face¡­¡­ ¡¸Uoohhh-!¡¹ The moment Rei saw the long sword coming towards him, he twisted the hand that held the Death Scythe almost on reflex, forcibly blocking the long sword with the shaft . A shrill metallic noise echoed into the garded as the two of them leapt back to take some distance after blocking each other¡¯s attacks . ¡¸I¡¯m impressed . The Death Scythe is strengthened with magic power, if it had been an ordinary long sword, it¡¯s blade would have been cut in the clash . ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, despite how it looks, this sword was created by an alchemist from the Magic City, Osus, using the best techniques and materials that could be bought . If you consider that, it would be a problems if it was so easily destroyed . ¡¹ Coan responded with a smile on his face . Seeing that, Rei looked back with a fierce grin . Then, the next moment, both of them lowered their weapons . ¡¸Huh? What is going on?¡¹ Marka, who was listening in to their conversation with shining eyes, called out to them in confusion and Coan replied to her . ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, ojou-sama . If I continue to fight Rei-san, it will probably end up being a death match . Anyway, since this was just meant to test his skills, I thought it would be better to stop here . ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mmm, I guess so . If Coan says that, then it must be true . It is not that great that I could not properly confirm Rei¡¯s skill, but it is clear that he is strong enough to fight Coan, so we will leave it at that . ¡¹ With Marka¡¯s words, the spar was finished . Chapter 349 Chapter 349 If audio player doesn''t work, press Stop then Play button againLegend Chapter 349 ¡¸Then, come again to play! You too Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ As Rei got onto the carriage parked outside the Quent residence, Marka called out to Set, who was standing close by. Her expression wasn¡¯t that of a genius mage or of a duke¡¯s daughter, but rather of a seven year old girl. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ll come to see you again. Show me something delicious to eat then.¡¹ ¡¸Umu, leave it to me. This time I might have lost to the dish you called okonomiyaki, but next time I will let you eat a dish you have never seen before!¡¹ As someone from a duke¡¯s family, she couldn¡¯t stand that Rei had a dish that she didn¡¯t know of. The next time Rei came over, she would definitely show him! Seeing her look so proud, Coan, who was sitting in the carriage with Rei, gave a brief smile. His smile wasn¡¯t the usual smile that he always had on his face, but a genuine smile from the bottom of his heart. (She really needs friends after all. Especially since ojou-sama is too wise for her age¡­¡­no, too smart. Because of that, she didn¡¯t have anyone who was close to her until now¡­¡­we didn¡¯t manage to achieve our goal of recruiting him, but it was still worth the risk of coming all the way to Gilm.) Giving a sigh of relief in his mind, Coan called out to his master from the carriage. ¡¸Then, ojou-sama, I¡¯ll send Rei and Set back to their inn.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Not the guild?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I thought at first as well¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, both Marka and Coan turned to look at Rei, who shrugged his shoulders lightly before looking up to the sky, which was already turning red with the sun setting. ¡¸As you can see, it¡¯s evening already. The adventurers who have completed their requests will be back and the guild will be busy processing everything. As for the guild master, I¡¯ll see her tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Could it be because I called you here?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, but in the first place, the guild master wasn¡¯t there when I went to the guild. You wouldn¡¯t have made a difference.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so, that is good then¡­¡­see you later!¡¹ Saying their goodbyes, the carriage left Duke Quent¡¯s residence. ¡¸Rei-san, thank you for today. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve see ojou-sama so happy.¡¹ ¡¸If you say that, then I guess it was worth me coming here.¡¹ ¡¸If it had been possible, it would have been interesting to work together with Rei-san. As for Set, I hadn¡¯t expected ojou-sama to like him that much.¡¹ Coan said that as he watched Set walk alongside the carriage from the window. ¡¸I¡¯ve been invited by others many times before, but I¡¯ve refused them all. Well, if it¡¯s you, it might not have been that bad to work together¡­¡­temporary employment as an adventurer aside, I don¡¯t feel like being formally employed.¡¹ ¡¸I thought as much. I was half expecting this to happen as I was collecting information about Rei-san in this city. Even so, I had still been hoping that you would join us¡­¡­well, it¡¯s still good that you¡¯ve formed a friendship with ojou-sama.¡¹ ¡¸By the way, Duke Quent¡­¡­which faction does he belong to?¡¹ ¡¸The Royalist faction.¡¹ Coan replied simply to Rei¡¯s question. There wasn¡¯t anything to hide in particular, and above all it was something that could be found out easily, so Coan thought that it would be better to say it himself. And, in fact, that was the correct decision. ¡¸The Royalists, huh.¡¹ In Rei¡¯s memory, he only remembered them from dragging their feet in the war with the Bestir Empire. Of course, he knew that many of the Royalist nobles who had been sent to the war were problematic to being with, but it had still left a strong impression. ¡¸Ahaha. Well, there are many things for Rei-san to think about.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­So, why did you want to serve Marka? From what I¡¯ve seen, it looked to me that you are serving Marka as an individual rather than serving Duke Quent.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no doubt about that. I was willing to serve ojou-sama because I felt like it.¡¹ ¡¸Still, a seven year old kid?¡¹ ¡¸It certainly might look strange from the outside¡­¡­but, it¡¯s also true that ojou-sama saved me.¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t feel like Coan was lying. ¡¸May I ask what happened?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not really an interesting story¡­¡­are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ There was a strong relationship of trust between Marka and Coan that Rei could see. A former A rank adventurer, who would be considered a superman to many people in this world, and a seven year old child. It was interesting to think about what series of events could have occurred for them to be the way they were now. (No, from what he said, the two of them didn¡¯t meet just yesterday. That means that Marka would have been even younger then. Without seeming to care about the thoughts in Rei¡¯s mind, Coan spoke up. ¡¸I believe ojou-sama mentioned it earlier when we were sparring, but I used to be an A rank adventurer. The party I worked in was also an A rank party.¡¹ ¡¸Heh, an A rank party? The only one I know of is Axe of the Thunder God.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, they are famous in many ways. It¡¯s good to be able to form a party with just family. ¡­¡­Unfortunately, the party I worked in wasn¡¯t that close. No, rather I should say it was pretty bad. After all, it was a party formed purely on the basis of gains.¡¹ Rei looked at Coan in surprise, who mocked himself as he laughed at his own stupidity. From Rei¡¯s point of view, Coan seemed to be a person of good character. ¡¸I really needed money at the time¡­¡­it wasn¡¯t a small amount, it was enough that it wasn¡¯t something I could earn even as an A rank adventurer at the time.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Money?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. My sister¡­¡­had a difficult illness. In order to treat her, I needed a medication that used a number of rare ingredients. That was why I joined a party that was formed purely for financial gain. That was why I took advantage of it to make some quick money. Thanks to that, I was able to accumulate a good sum, but just when I was about to be able to reach the amount I needed to complete the medicine¡­¡­I was betrayed by everyone in the party. No, I guess the word betrayed isn¡¯t quite right in this case. As I said earlier, the party was originally formed to make money. When I told them that I would be leaving the party after we finished a request, it wasn¡¯t strange for them to try to kill me and take away the money I had saved rather than just letting me go.¡¹ Giving a small sigh, Coan shook his head. It was as if he was showing Rei his own stupidity. ¡¸Anyway, at the end, I nearly died from their attack. I fought madly to survive to not leave my sister behind and killed them all¡­¡­but in the end, they were all either A or B rank adventurers. It was impossible for me to get out unscathed. No, in fact I was on the verge of dying. As I walked back along the road back to the city, half dead and half alive, I happened to pass by a carriage that ojou-sama was riding in and I was saved by her healing magic. After that, she introduced me to a skilled alchemist and I was able to obtain the medicine to cure my sister¡¯s illness.¡¹ Coan talked about his encounter with Marka with the expression of a child gently showing his treasure. ¡¸I see, so you ended up serving Marka for that reason.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I owe her for saving my life and my sister¡¯s life. And, above all, I was charmed by her tolerance for others. How far can she go and how much will she achieve? I want to see it with my own eyes.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s quite amazing to be charmed by that.¡¹ If I twist his words slightly, doesn¡¯t that make him a lolicon? Even though Rei thought that in his mind, he didn¡¯t say it out loud. If he had even mentioned it, a continuation of the fight in garden at Duke Quent¡¯s residence might have happened¡­¡­and it would have been without anything held back. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m sorry that you didn¡¯t decide to work with us. ¡­¡­Nevertheless, I¡¯m very happy that you became friends with ojou-sama. To be honest, ojou-sama is highly capable in many things¡­¡­no, rather, she¡¯s too capable and has difficulty talking with the children of other nobles her age. However, for children older than her, they don¡¯t like been inferior to ojou-sama, so they don¡¯t go near her. As for people who she can talk with, they are all inevitably significantly older than her.¡¹ As they continued talking, the carriage stopped before long. While listening to Coan¡¯s past, the carriage had continued on, eventually reaching the Dusk Wheat inn where Rei stayed. ¡¸Oh, it seems like we¡¯ve arrived. Sorry for talking all this time¡­¡­is what I want to say, but I would really like to ask that you continue to be friends with ojou-sama.¡¹ Rei nodded without a change in his expression as Coan gave a deep bow. ¡¸There¡¯s no need to do that. Now that Marka is friends with me, I don¡¯t think she would want you to do this.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is true. I definitely got ahead of myself there.¡¹ Coan gave a wry smile at Rei¡¯s words and opened the carriage door before stepping out. ¡¸Then, please.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, thanks for taking care of me.¡¹ Saying a brief goodbye to Coan, Rei went straight to the inn with Set while feeling nostalgic. Seeing them off, Coan got back into the carriage. He was glad that the person who had become a friend of the young lady had the character he expected. If Rei had tried to use Marka for some kind of plot¡­¡­at that time, Coan would have tried to stop Rei, even if it meant giving his life. (However, I honestly don¡¯t think I could beat him by fighting normally. If I had to, I would have to catch him off guard. They had only crossed weapoins once in that fight in garden in Duke Quent¡¯s residence. However, considering the power he had felt behind the Death Scythe on its initial attack and when it blocked his own attack, he could easily tell that in pure combat strength, Rei was stronger than him, a former A rank adventurer. (That¡¯s why it¡¯s quite strange in many ways for him to be C rank right now. That said, considering you need more than combat strength to get to B rank, maybe it¡¯s not that surprising.) Coan thought to himself as he went back to Duke Quent¡¯s residence in the carriage. ¡¸Oh, you¡¯ve come back. You¡¯ve been away for quite a while this time.¡¹ ¡¸Just a short trip to Emoshion. ¡­¡­How much do I need to pay for my accommodation up to now?¡¹ It was Lana, the middle-aged proprietress who ran the Dusk Wheat inn. Looking through some documents at the counter, Lana spoke with a smile. ¡¸The amount you gave to me previously will run out this month. What would you like to do?¡¹ ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll be in your care again. Let me know when it runs out.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took three platinum coins from the Misty Ring and placed them on the counter. After seeing that, Lana wasn¡¯t too shocked as she ran a high class inn in Gilm. However, she still looked back at Rei in surprise. ¡¸Well, this is quite a bit. Did things go well for you this time?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, there were definitely many unexpected events though. But in the end, the profits were still big.¡¹ Recalling the vastness amount of raw and cooked seafood in the Misty Ring, Rei nodded his head. If Rei¡¯s purpose was to make money, he could make a fortune from all the seafood he had. ¡¸I¡¯m glad to hear that. But for me, I¡¯m just happy that you¡¯ve come back safely.¡¹ Feeling somewhat embarrassed under his hood after seeing Lana smile as she said that, trying to hide his embarrassment, Rei took out 5 relatively large fish, 30cm in length, from the Misty Ring and handed them over to her. ¡¸A souvenir from Emoshion. Because it¡¯s a sea fish, it¡¯s comparatively bigger than the fish around here, but it can still be eaten with salt after grilling.¡¹ ¡¸My, my, this is really big. Thank you very much. I¡¯ll serve it for tonight¡¯s meal. I can¡¯ refund you the fees for the time you were away due to the city¡¯s rules, but I¡¯ll treat you to tonight¡¯s meal.¡¹ While a smile on her face, she immediately headed over to the kitchen to preserve the fish. That night, Rei enjoyed his meal at the Dusk Wheat for the first time in a long while. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 If audio player doesn''t work, press Stop then Play button againLegend Chapter 350 As sunlight poured in through the window, Rei woke up from his bed and sat up. ¡¸Hmm? Hm? Hmm?¡¹ He looked around several times in confusion and frowned as he wondered why his 3 tatami sized room wasn¡¯t mostly taken up by his bed before realising he wasn¡¯t at the Blue Sea Coral inn anymore where he had stayed in Emoshion. ¡¸That¡¯s right, come to think of it, I¡¯m back in Gilm.¡¹ Muttering to himself, he gave a stretch as he looked around his now nostalgic room in the Dusk Wheat. That said, he didn¡¯t have much in the room. Usually, if one stayed in an inn for a long period of time, there would naturally be more personal items. But in Rei¡¯s case, most of his personal items were just stored in the Misty Ring, so there was only the bare minimum items necessary in his room. Getting dressed, he put on his Shoes of Sleipnir and Dragon Robe before getting ready to leave. ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll head to the guild after breakfast.¡¹ Saying that, he left his room and went downstairs to eat breakfast. ¡¸¡­¡­Am I too early?¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he entered the guild and looked at the adventurers inside. After finishing breakfast at the inn, Rei had headed to the guild with Set as usual, buying and eating various food from stalls along the way. However, after coming to the guild in the morning for the first time in a while, there were more people than Rei had expected. (No, doesn¡¯t look like it? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been in Gilm, so maybe it just feels that way?) Rei thought to himself inside in his head. However, the receptionists, including Lenora and Kenny, were all busy dealing with the adventurers. As far as he could tell, it would be best to wait a bit longer before trying to speak with them. Since he didn¡¯t have anything else to do, he decided to take a look at the request posted on the request board. (Subjugation, escort, collection, well these are all common ones. As for the others¡­¡­?) As he looked around, a D rank request posted on the request board made his eyes widen slightly. It was a request to act as training partners for the city guards. (A training partner¡­¡­why is this here? Aren¡¯t the guards good enough?) Looking closely at the request details, it seemed the guards wanted the adventurers to pretend to be bandits. It seemed like the training was to have the guards fight off bandits who attacked the city. ¡¸¡­¡­I see, well that¡¯s interesting.¡¹ ¡¸No, please don¡¯t. If someone as crazy as you takes that request, the guards will definitely lose.¡¹ Hearing that voice from behind, Rei turned around and saw a man with a stern face. ¡¸What¡¯s the captain of the guards doing here?¡¹ ¡¸I had meetings regarding various requests. I didn¡¯t expect someone like you to consider a request from the guards¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t plan to take that request. I¡¯m just looking for something to pass the time. Look, it seems like they¡¯re still busy over there.¡¹ Rei replied to Ranga as he looked towards the counter. There were still adventurers in line as Kenny and Lenora dealt with them busily. ¡¸Didn¡¯t you come back yesterday? I thought you were going to take it slow and relax.¡¹ ¡¸No, I came here yesterday to see the guild master, but she wasn¡¯t in.¡¹ ¡¸Heh. ¡­¡­Speaking of which, there¡¯s been a lot of people who¡¯ve come to Gilm in hopes of meeting with you, have you met any yet?¡¹ At Ranga¡¯s question, Rei though of Marka and Coan, whom he had become friends with yesterday. However, he had only met with the two of them and there hadn¡¯t been anyone else since. To be exact, the fact that Marka, the daughter of Duke Quent, had met with Rei had caused a certain amount of deterrence. If Rei refused Duke Quent¡¯s invitation, what chance did they all stand¡­¡­something like that. Of course, not everyone had given up. But since Rei had now returned to Gilm, many people were now thinking of ways to collect information on him that they could use to their advantage in negotiations. Fortunately or unfortunately for Rei, who didn¡¯t know about any of this, the people who kept their eyes on him but didn¡¯t try to contact him were probably cautious because of Duke Quent. ¡¸No, I haven¡¯t. Well, I guess they have a lot of considerations to make. Did anything interesting in the city happen while I was away?¡¹ ¡¸Anything interesting¡­¡­well, there were a lot of small disturbances, but nothing major.¡¹ Of course, there had been plenty of disturbances with those who had wanted to use any means possible to get Rei to serve them or give concessions. The result had been a struggle in the dark, which Ranga, as the captain of the guards, knew about but didn¡¯t want to tell Rei. As the captain of the guards, Ranga was also a resident of Gilm. He knew exactly what it meant for someone as strong as Rei to be at the frontier. ¡¸Anyway¡­¡­looks like it¡¯s about time?¡¹ As Ranga said that, Rei also glanced towards the counter. It was true that there were still a few adventurers at the counter, but only Kenny was busy and Lenora didn¡¯t have anyone at her counter. It seemed like there hadn¡¯t been any changes in the popularity rankings of the receptionists. Of course, Lenora was also popular, but she didn¡¯t have fans comparatively due to her stricter character. Kenny stood in contrast with her outgoing character and was significantly more popular than Lenora among the adventurers. ¡¸Well then, pardon me. Good luck with your work with the guards.¡¹ Rei waved his hands as he parted ways with Ranga and walked over to the counter. Of course, he went over to Lenora, who didn¡¯t have to deal with anyone else at this moment. That said, Lenora wasn¡¯t exactly free. She still had work to do organising and checking documents for received requests. Still, he called out to Lenora because she and Kenny were the receptionists he knew best at the counter. ¡¸Lenora, can I meet with the guild master?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Rei-san. Yes, I told her yesterday so it¡¯s fine. Fortunately, she¡¯s in her office right now. I was told to bring you over when you arrived. Please follow me.¡¹ Rei followed Lenora behind the counter. In front of Kenny, who was looking at Lenora grudgingly, a male adventurer in his twenties was trying hard to invite Kenny out for a meal¡­¡­he had only just come to Gilm recently and had no idea that Kenny liked Rei, meaning that all his efforts were in vain. (Seriously, just finish talking and go on your request. Because of you, I didn¡¯t have any time at all to talk with Rei-kun.) However, she couldn¡¯t say that out loud as a receptionist and just thought that in her mind as she continued as the man continued to try inviting her out. It might have been better for her to just decline him bluntly, but the man wasn¡¯t being particularly aggressive about it, so she couldn¡¯t respond so rudely as she watched Lenora walk past her. ¡¸Guild master, I¡¯ve brought Rei.¡¹ Despite being on the receiving end of Kenny¡¯s jealous gaze, whether she had deal with that too often or not, she ignored her and went up to the stairs to the second floor behind the counter and knocked on the door to Marina¡¯s, the guild master¡¯s, office. ¡¸It¡¯s not locked, come in.¡¹ Lenora opened the door after hearing Marina¡¯s reply and entered with Rei. Inside the room, Marina was writing on some documents at her desk. Seeing Lenora and Rei enter, she immediately glanced at them before speaking. ¡¸Pardon me, please wait a bit longer until I finish this document. Lenora, use the utensils over there to brew Rei a cup of tea.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Following Marina¡¯s words, Rei sat down on the sofa while Lenora used some utensils near the table to prepare some tea. The pot with hot water was a kind of magic item that had the effect of keeping water at the optimal temperature for making tea. It wasn¡¯t a common item, but was reasonably priced for a small wealthy family to buy. It¡¯s best functionality was that it could keep water warm for several months off a Goblin¡¯s magic stone. That said, when the magic stone ran out of power, it would need to be replaced. ¡¸Here, Rei-san.¡¹ Taking a sip of the cup of tea, Rei was surprised at its flavour. ¡¸These tea leaves are basically only available from the Royal Capital.¡¹ Lenora said that with a small smile and made a second cup of tea for Marina before giving a bow and leaving the office. Rei watched her leave as he brought his cup of tea to his mouth. In the room, only the sound of Marina writing on paper could be heard¡­¡­after about five minutes, Marina¡¯s work finally came to an end. ¡¸Pardon me for keeping you waiting. ¡­¡­Now then, sorry for having you come all this way, I¡¯ve heard mostly what happened from the guild in Emoshion. However, I wanted to hear a report directly from you¡­¡­you¡¯ve come here with that in mind, haven¡¯t you?¡¹ As usual, her chest and back showed a lot of skin and her evening dress seemed to show it off as she sat down on the sofa opposite Rei. She then crossed her legs, as if inviting Rei from an outsider¡¯s perspective. Rei was almost sucked in by Marina¡¯s appearance and quickly looked away as he spoke. ¡¸Yes. As for the Lemrace, it has been safely subjugated. You were right, it was a good vacation. Aside from the Lemrace, I was also able to buy a lot of seafood. I was also able to cook something good there.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I heard about that. Did you spread the recipe for something called okonomiyaki over there? Udon here, okonomiyaki there, I really don¡¯t know if you are an adventurer or a chef anymore.¡¹ Rei smiled back in response. However, his smile was a bitter one. ¡¸I just happened to know about it. However, all I know is just what I read from books, when it comes to actually making them, there¡¯s not enough information.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s just too bad¡­¡­that aside, I¡¯ll get to the main point. You used a magic item to kill the Lemrace by forcefully moving it from sea to land, right?¡¹ Rei took a deep breath at Marina¡¯s gaze, which seemed to look into the depths of his heart. However, there was no way that Rei could say he had been helped by Grimm, a Lich, so he simply gave a small nod as he tried to hide his discomfort. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸Heh. ¡­¡­I¡¯ve never heard of such a powerful magic item, even though I¡¯m been an adventurer for so many years followed by being Gilm¡¯s guild master.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s a magic item I found in a dungeon. Considering that, it¡¯s no surprise that you don¡¯t know about it.¡¹ ¡¸A dungeon, huh. The only dungeon you¡¯ve been to was that time you followed the General Princess as a bodyguard. Did you find it then?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. There¡¯s no doubt that I got it then.¡¹ At the very least, Rei¡¯s words weren¡¯t a complete lie. After all, it was true that he had received the magic item that allowed him to communicate with Grimm when he went to the dungeon with Elena. However, his words weren¡¯t exactly the truth either. ¡¸You¡¯re lying.¡¹ It was impossible for him to fool Marina, who had spent many years as an adventurer and guild master. As she said that, Marina stared back at Rei. As Rei couldn¡¯t say the truth, he simply looked back silently. The silence continued for several minutes. As the atmosphere in the room started to get heavy¡­¡­ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s natural for adventurers to have a secret or two. ¡­¡­However, listen up okay? If it ever harms Gilm or the Mireana Kingdom¡­¡­I will stop you Rei.¡¹ She said that even though she knew she probably wouldn¡¯t stand a chance of winning. However¡­¡­as long as she remained the guild master, she could not hesistate in carrying out her duty. ¡¸I understand.¡¹ Rei probably realised that. He nodded back at Marina, who had been looking at him with sharp eyes until a moment ago. ¡¸Then. That¡¯s fine. Well, I don¡¯t think you would do anything to this city.¡¹ Marina returned to her seductive aura and crossed her legs as her serious expression from earlier vanished. Her half exposed thick brown thighs tried to suck Rei¡¯s gaze in, but thanks to her many years of experience, her underwear wasn¡¯t visible. Smiling at Rei, who¡¯s cheeks had gone slightly red, Marina spoke up. ¡¸So, Rei. It¡¯s about time for you to take the B rank test.¡¹ Marina got to the main point she wanted to discuss with Rei. Chapter 351 Chapter 351 If audio player doesn''t work, press Stop then Play button againLegend Chapter 351 Inside the guild master¡¯s office, Marina spoke about the rank up test for B rank. When Rei heard that, he gave a small nod. ¡¸Come to think of it, you did mention that last time.¡¹ Rei had been so successful that he had been given a title after the war with the Bestir Empire. He had even killed the Lemrace, which seemed to be somewhere between B and A rank. Considering that, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that Rei had the chance to discuss the rank up test. In fact, by the time the war with the Bestir Empire had ended, Rei already had enough achievements to take on the rank up test. Still, the rank up test hadn¡¯t been offered when he first returned to Gilm because of all the people who had been looking for him. If he had taken the rank up test at that time, the was no doubt that there wouldn¡¯t have been few disturbances within the city. ¡¸Ara~ ara~, did you forget about that?¡¹ Marina gave an alluring smile as she used the tea utensils to make herself more tea. Despite Rei¡¯s distraction from her gesture, he still replied with a small shrug. ¡¸Well, there was the matter of the Lemrace. I did forget about the rank up test though. ¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. ¡­¡­So, what do you want to do? Do you want to hold off taking the test for now?¡¹ ¡¸No, if I can take it, of course I¡¯ll take it. I had been hoping to increase my rank. In particular, requests for the subjugation of rare species and high ranking species of monsters are usually rank restricted.¡¹ ¡¸In that case, in some sense, that works out well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸Your current situation. You¡¯ve been to Duke Quent¡¯s residence yesterday, so you can guess what your current situation is, right?¡¹ Marina wet her lips with the tea before smiling with her eyes. Rei half understood what she was saying. After all, there were many eyes directed towards him. Of course, living in Gilm, Rei and Set were familiar with adventurers looking at them with longing, awe, affection and fear as well as gazes trying to gauge their strength from adventurers who had come to Gilm while they had been away. However, there were now also people watching him, waiting for the right moment to make contact. And, after his talk with Marka yesterday, it was clear what those people were thinking. ¡¸I have no intention of serving under anyone.¡¹ ¡¸I know that much, but even if others know it, they¡¯ll still want to bring you over to their side. Besides, most ordinary adventurers would have conditions that they would definitely accept.¡¹ With a smile on her face, Marina spoke up again after putting down her cup of tea. ¡¸So, going back to the rank up test. The test is to complete a subjugation request alongside nobles.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei was surprised by the task he had not been expecting. The rank up test to D rank had been testing if they could kill people and work well with others in a temporary party. However, now, the test was about completing a request together with a noble. Marina continued to speak despite Rei¡¯s surprise. ¡¸You¡¯ve probably heard about this before, but at B rank and above, you can receive requests from both nobles or from the kingdom¡­¡­sometimes you might even receive requests from the royal family. You will need to make decisions based on that understanding. I will let you know if you pass or fail based on your results. ¡­¡­Originally, I had planned to ask some of the nobles who live in Gilm to assist in this test, but this time there are many nobles who are trying to get you to serve them. Because of that, this seemed like a good time to get some help from outside.¡¹ ¡¸May I ask why?¡¹ Getting Rei to work together with nobles who had come all this way to try to get Rei to join them seemed like something that would only cause trouble. At least for Rei. ¡¸They¡¯ve come here to meet with you. Whether you accept them or reject them, you¡¯ll still have to face them. ¡­¡­Well, aside from that, there are also a few others.¡¹ ¡¸A few others? Am I not the only one taking the test?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Aside from you, there are also a few others taking the test. I have already been in touch with them.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so it had already been arranged for some time.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the way it is. The explanation of the test details will be in three days. Come to the meeting room of the seconds floor of the guild in three days before the bell rings at 9am.¡¹ Rei gave a small sigh as Marina told him with a smile. Now that he had come this far, he no longer had the option to back up. No, maybe he still could, but he realised that doing that would cause a lot of problems. ¡¸Okay, 9am in three days. I¡¯ll just check this first, can I bring Set with me? I couldn¡¯t bring him along in the last rank up test.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Last time, the objective was to see your cooperation with others, so you weren¡¯t allowed to take Set with you. This time, there aren¡¯t any issues. ¡­¡­That said, I think you know this already, but if tamed or summoned monsters cause any problems, their owner is responsible. You can bring him with you as long as you remember that.¡¹ Rei was surprised by Marina¡¯s reply. Basically, it was a well known fact that if a tamed or summoned monster caused a problem, it was the owner¡¯s responsibility unless there was some other clear reason. But when Marina told him that with some emphasis, he felt like she was trying to tell him something. (Is there any chance a noble or someone similar might try to do something to Set? Or will I be put in a situation where that will happen? ¡­¡­No, there¡¯s no point in me thinking about that now. This choice in itself might be what Marina was talking about.) Thinking to himself, he realised he was looking at Marina again. ¡¸By the way, may I ask how many other people will be participating in the rank up test?¡¹ ¡¸There will be three more people in addition to you. I hope you will work together with them to complete the test.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, I understand.¡¹ Rei was honestly happy that he wouldn¡¯t be the only one taking the test, but there were also some parts of it that made him feel uneasy. Since they were able to take the rank up test to B rank, there was no doubt that they were skilled people. The question was whether he could work well together with them or not. This was a big problem for Rei, who wasn¡¯t particularly good at openly socialising with others. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s all I have to say for now. You¡¯ll hear more details from the examiner in the meeting room three days from now.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s fine.¡¹ Hearing that, he poured down the rest of his tea, which had now gone cold, down his throat before getting up from the sofa. ¡¸Ara~ ara~. It¡¯s not good to drink the tea cold, even if it¡¯s a delicious tea.¡¹ ¡¸Not really. The cold tea isn¡¯t that bad considering it¡¯s now summer.¡¹ Saying that, he took out some dried fish from the Misty Ring and put them on the table. ¡¸¡­¡­This is?¡¹ Marina had no idea why Rei had taken them out. Rei shrugged his shoulders replied to the confused Marina. ¡¸A souvenir from Emoshion. It¡¯s a dried fish I bought from a store in Emoshion that had a good reputation.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, thank you.¡¹ Marina had an indescribable expression on her face as she received Rei¡¯s gift. After feeling like he¡¯d been dancing in Marina¡¯s palm ever since he entered her office, seeing her frown slightly at the smell of the dried fish, Rei finally felt like he had gotten his payback as he smiled and left the office. That said, Rei hadn¡¯t given her the overnight dried fish purely to annoy her, it really was delicious. In fact, the overnight dried fish that Marina was currently looking at was a decently high class item that had cost Rei 5 copper coins each. ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking. I don¡¯t really like sea fish because the smell is so strong.¡¹ As Marina had been born in a forest as a Dark Elf, there was really only river fish around, so she had no idea what to do with the fish in front of her. That said, if you asked the fisherman from a port city like Emoshion, they would say that river fish had a bad muddy taste. This was all probably to do with the environments they had all grown up in. ¡¸Ah, Rei-kun. Have you finished talking with the guild master?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? Ah, yes. It was about my rank up test.¡¹ Kenny, who spotted Rei coming down from the guild master¡¯s office, called out to him as her ears twitched. It seemed like she was wary of someone sexier than her, even if it was her own boss, because Marina was liable to mess around with Rei. However, her eyes went round at Rei¡¯s response. ¡¸Eh? Rei-kun, are you going take the rank up test already!?¡¹ Her words were heard by everyone around them as the busy time period had just finished. Lenora, who was working next to Kenny, as well as all the other receptionists at the counter who hardly talked with Rei looked over in surprise. The guild staff weren¡¯t the only ones surprised. Even though there were fewer adventurers around than when Rei first entered the guild, there were still some around. Even they looked over towards Rei in amazement. However, that was not surprising. Rei was currently famous for being the fastest adventurer to reach C rank after registering with the guild in Gilm. If he passed this rank up test, he would be the fastest adventurer to reach B rank since joining the guild as well. ¡¸Rei-san, are you really going to take the rank up test?¡¹ Lenora spoke anxiously when she heard that Rei, who she treated like a younger brother, was planning to take the rank up test. ¡¸Yes, fortunately, I have gathered enough achievements. Thanks to that, I was given the chance to take it.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­isn¡¯t it a bit to early? Why don¡¯t you gather more experience in C rank?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Lenora. It was because it was judged that Rei-kun could move up to B rank that he was asked if he wanted to take the rank up test, right? In that case, there isn¡¯t any problem.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡¹ Even as Kenny replied to her, Lenora looked at Rei anxiously. Rei knew that Lenora was worried about him, so he replied with a small smile to reassure her. ¡¸Besides, this time will be different since I can bring Set with me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about. Basically, I¡¯ve heard that the rank up test to B rank judges more than just the ability of an adventurer. Oh, of course your skills are judged as well. I¡¯m just worried about what troubles might happen if Set-chan went with you¡­¡­¡¹ He gave a small sigh. Set¡­¡­anyone who worked with adventurers would know how valuable a Griffon would be. Yes, it was because Lenora understood that she was worried. Basically, since nobles were always involved in rank up tests to B rank, there were some adventurers who would become hostile with nobles after taking the test or parting with each other after a fight. The guild honestly wanted to refrain from dealing with such nobles, but it was impossible for them to completely exclude them as there were many which had varying influence over the guild in various ways. With that said, Glim, where Margrave Daska ruled, was in a much better position compared to the Royal Capital, where nobles had a strong influence. ¡¸That is to say, I think it¡¯s too early to take the rank up test, but if you still want to take it, be sure to be very careful about working with nobles.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll remember that. If it makes you worry that much, I¡¯ll be careful.¡¹ Rei himself had little respect for nobles. No, there were a few nobles he respected, but for those who thought of nothing but themselves, he had no good feelings or remorse towards them. In this way, Rei accepted his rank up test. On a side note, Rei gave all the guild staff sandwiches with a lot of seafood as a souvenir from Emoshion, it was very much appreciated. Chapter 352 Chapter 352 If audio player doesn''t work, press Stop then Play button againLegend Chapter 352 ¡¸Ohh-! Rei. It¡¯s been such a long time. It¡¯s late for me to say this, but thanks to you, we were able to win the war against the Bestir Empire and the Neutral faction was able to maintain its respect. Thank you for that.¡¹ Inside Daska¡¯s office, in the lord¡¯s residence. As soon as Rei entered, Daska, who had been cleaning up documents at his desk, stood up from his chair with a smile on his stern face as he thanked Rei. At first glance, he looked like a grim middle-aged man who could be a warrior or a knight, so it was surprising to see the mismatch of someone like Daska doing paperwork. However, Rei only laughed at that in his mind. ¡¸I was hired as a mercenary, so I was just doing my job.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha. That¡¯s right, but you still played a very big role. Transporting supplies and using Set to keep a watch on the surroundings as we marched. Your biggest help was in battle. If you hadn¡¯t been there, us Neutrals and the Aristocratic faction would have suffered a lot of damage. I was late to come back to Gilm because of the mess in the Royal Capital that I had to deal with, but did the guild master give you the magic tent?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it was very useful on my trip to Emoshion.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that¡¯s good then. That magic tent was one of the best magic items I had. It¡¯s a bit old and there¡¯s no fire or water in it, but it¡¯s still fine to use when camping out at night.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. In my case, I have a dagger that can make water and I can use magic to create a fire. It is a bit of a hassle to have to do that outside the tent, but it¡¯s like day and night comparing it to camping outside normally.¡¹ Daska nodded with a smile at Rei¡¯s words. To Daska, it might have been a smile of satisfaction, but to others who didn¡¯t know him, they might see it as a smile closer to that of a savage carnivorous animal. It was the day after Rei had decided to take the rank up quest. He had come to the lord¡¯s residence to thank Daska for the magic item he had been given. Strangely, all the knights he met, and even their boss, Daska, were surprisingly friendly to him. If you thought about it though, it wasn¡¯t really that much of a surprise considering how much Rei had benefited them. Originally, they would have likely suffered a great amount of damage to their vanguard forces, but Rei¡¯s magic meant that they had suffered almost no casualties. Thus, that alone was already sufficient to increase the influence of the Neutral faction within the Mireana Kingdom. Daska had remained in the Royal Capital for such a long time to take advantage of his additional influence and had only returned to his territory in Gilm several days ago. After returning to Gilm, he had to deal with one task after another, hearing about what had happened in Gilm while he had been away. He had spent the past few days sorting that all out when Rei had come. Because of that, it was natural for Daska to be in a good mood. ¡¸That aside, that Lemrace. I heard in the Royal Capital that Emoshion had been blockaded by a monster¡­¡­well, you did solve that problem in the end. Thanks for that.¡¹ ¡¸No, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. Besides, the Lemrace was a highly intelligent monster. Why would it blockade Emoshion? It won¡¯t be perfectly safe unless the cause is eventually found.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true. That part is certainly still not known. However, I have heard rumours that researchers will be dispatched from the Royal Capital, so you won¡¯t need to worry about that. Rather.¡¹ Daska, who had been smiling and talking in a good mood, suddenly turned serious as he looked at Rei. ¡¸I heard you met with Duke Quent¡¯s daughter?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I have. Is there any problem with that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, I don¡¯t have the right to stop you from meeting who you want, so I can¡¯t say I have a problem with that. Rather, how was it? Seeing the young lady.¡¹ ¡¸Well, she was surprising in various ways. It¡¯s amazing to see someone able to use magic so well even though they are less than 10 years old.¡¹ ¡¸When you say that about her magic, I can only hear it as sarcasm.¡¹ Daska said that with a wry smile. However, unlike Rei, who could only use fire magic, Marka was definitely amazing in the sense that she was good at wind, earth an light magic. (Well, I don¡¯t think I would lose to her if we fought.) Rei was aware that he wasn¡¯t a match for Marka in terms of the range of magic they could use, but he didn¡¯t think that she would be able to handle the fire magic that he specialised in. That said, she was also followed by Coan, who could serve as her vanguard. ¡¸For now, I¡¯m just friends with Marka.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Friends. Well, if you say that, I won¡¯t say anything more. But be careful, Marka aside, her father is pretty determined person.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you for your advice.¡¹ At Daska¡¯s advice, Rei bowed his head honestly. ¡¸So then, may I ask what your plans for the future are? You¡¯re going to take the rank up test, so can I think that you plan to continue working in Gilm as an adventurer for a while?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m planning to go to the Labyrinth City soon.¡¹ ¡¸The Labyrinth City? ¡­¡­Well, if you want to collect magic stones and magic items, then that¡¯s not a bad place to go. However, it¡¯s going to be tough to go down a dungeon by yourself.¡¹ Daska looked at Rei worriedly. When he had still been serving in the knights back at the Royal Capital, Daska had once received a mission to go down the dungeon in the Labyrinth City. He spoke with a seriousness that only those who had seen the real thing could have. However, Rei shook his head with a small smile at Daska¡¯s words. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t be going down alone. There¡¯s Set as well.¡¹ Originally, he had wanted to say that he would be going down the dungeon with Elena. However, Rei hesitated to explain it, considering the difference in stance between the Neutral and Aristocratic factions. ¡¸I see. ¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Daska nodded twice with a smile as he realised it. It wasn¡¯t hard to see Rei¡¯s reluctance to say any more and having known Rei for so long, it wasn¡¯t hard for Daska to guess what Rei was hesitating about. (If I had to make a guess¡­¡­it¡¯s probably the General Princess.) There was a dungeon close to Gilm. The two of them had first met on the way there and they had met again during the war with the Bestir Empire. Daska knew that their relationship had gotten closer. However, naturally, he had no right to speak about the love affairs of others. Of course though, Daska did hope that the relationship between the two would help to create a friendly relationship between the Neutral and Aristocratic factions. Because of that, although he was very much aware of Rei¡¯s plans, Daska diverted the subject without saying anything more. ¡¸The rank up test though. If you pass that, you¡¯ll be the fastest adventurer to have reached B rank.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know too much about that.¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders as he drank some cold water a maid had given him to quench his thirst. The ice water in the cup was more than enough to welcome guests in summer. As he drank all the water and placed his cup on to the table, there was a knock on the door. ¡¸Come in.¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me, Daska-sama. It¡¯s about time you promised to meet with Baron Milotos. What would you like to do?¡¹ The maid who entered gave an graceful bow as she asked Daska. Daska, who had been focusing on his discussion with Rei, seemed to had forgotten about a prior appointment. (Or maybe he didn¡¯t want to see him.) Rei frowned slightly as he thought to himself. However, Rei couldn¡¯t detain Daska if Daska had made a prior appointment with another noble, nor did he have the need to keep Daska here. After all, Rei had only come to the lord¡¯s residence to thank Daska for the magic tent he had been given before he went to Emoshion. ¡¸Well, Daska-sama looks to be busy, so I¡¯ll be on my way¡­¡­ahh, I almost forgot about this, here.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took a large 50cm long fish out of the Misty Ring. It was a conspicuous fish that numerous green and red scales all over it. When he had seen it at a fishmonger in Emoshion, he had wondered if it would have been targeted by monsters in the sea, being so conspicuous. He had heard from the owner of the fishmonger that it was a fish that lurked around the crevices in rocks and seaweed. It was also a delicious fish, which was why he had decided to buy it. ¡¸Wow, this fish¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a souvenir from Emoshion. Please eat it for dinner if you¡¯d like. Fortunately, at this size, it should be enough for Daska-sama to eat with others. By the way, the recommended way to eat it from the fishmonger was to steam it and pour a sour sauce over it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so, thank you. Here.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, leave it to me. I will use it for tonight¡¯s dinner.¡¹ The maid bowed her head at Daska¡¯s words and took the big fish from Rei before leaving. The way she took the fish with her bare hands and calm face gave Rei a bit of a strange feeling. ¡¸¡­¡­Then, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, please do your best in the rank up test. As the lord of this city, I¡¯m glad to have high rank adventurers come out from here.¡¹ Daska didn¡¯t seem to feel anything strange about the maid and had no change in his expression as he saw Rei off. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Seeing Rei leave the lord¡¯s residence, Set gave a delighted cry as he ran up to him. When Rei had first visited the lord¡¯s residence, Set had stayed in the stables. However, after visiting so many times, the knights had become accustomed to Set and let him run freely. Part of the reason might have been because Rei and Set had been the first to strike in the war with the Bestir Empire, resulting in a surprisingly low amount of casualties on their side. Some of the knights would now even give Set dried meat as thanks if they saw him on the streets. This time, Set still had some dried meat in his beak. That was why his cry was a slightly lower pitch than usual. ¡¸What, did you receive some dried meat?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Lightly stroking Set¡¯s head, they headed towards the main gate of the lord¡¯s residence. They had met with the gatekeepers there many times and he had become a familiar face to them. In fact, it had been the gatekeepers who helped him out this morning when he came to the lord¡¯s residence this morning. There were usually two of them at the gate, but today, there seemed to be only one of them around. ¡¸Hm? Are you finished already? That was quite quick.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it was because Daska-sama had an appointment with another noble.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Now that you mention it, another carriage passed through just a bit earlier.¡¹ The gatekeeper frowned as he muttered to himself. It seemed like it hadn¡¯t been someone he liked. Seeing that, Rei decided it wouldn¡¯t be any good to press further and went out the gate with Set. As he was about to head back to the city, Rei suddenly decided to take out an overnight dried fish from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Have this.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? This is¡­¡­a fish?¡¹ Rei nodded as he handed it over to the gatekeeper, who had a doubtful expression. ¡¸I¡¯m not sure if you knew, but I went out to Emoshion. It¡¯s a souvenir, not a bribe. I¡¯ve been indebted to Daska-sama, so this is to thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, a sea fish? It¡¯s definitely rare around here. Thank you.¡¹ The gatekeeper received the overnight dried fish with a smile as he continued. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s true that bribing a gatekeeper like me doesn¡¯t make any sense. Besides¡­¡­who would give a fish as a bribe, guess I won¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll enjoy this fish for dinner tonight.¡¹ ¡¸Please do so.¡¹ Raising his hand in goodbye, Rei and Set left the lord¡¯s residence and headed into the city. First of all, he had to hand out souvenirs from Emoshion to the people he knew, then he had to prepare for the rank up test. Like so, the remaining two days passed¡­¡­and the day where more details about the rank up test would be explained arrived. Chapter 353 Chapter 353 If audio player doesn''t work, press Stop then Play button againLegend Chapter 353 On the day of the rank up test briefing, Rei made his way to the guild as usual. ¡¸Set, I don¡¯t know what the test will be, but let¡¯s do our best together.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ I can come to? Set seemed to ask. Rei gently stroked Set¡¯s tilted head as they walked. ¡¸Ah, it seems that this exam will be different from the previous one and it¡¯s fine to bring you along. You also want to come along this time, right Set?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Of course! Set seemed to say with a cry. In the last rank up test, he had been forbidden to bring Set along as the main goal had been to suppress bandits with their own skills. But this time, he had heard from Marina, the guild master, that there wouldn¡¯t be any issues. However, he had also been told that there would be nobles going with them. (The rank up test for B rank. I wonder what it is?) Arriving at the guild with complex feelings of excitement and worry, he separated from Set before entering the guild. The first thing Rei noticed when he entered the guild was the surprisingly large number of people. Usually, during this time, the guilds busiest time would have passed and there would only be ten or so people who either overslept or had decided to take up less popular requests. However, today was different. Although it wasn¡¯t full¡­¡­there were still many adventurers in the guild. ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ Rei tilted his head in confusion, but the adventurers in the guild immediately started talking to each other when they saw him. ¡¸Hey, isn¡¯t that Rei, the favourite this time?¡¹ ¡¸Well, if you think purely in terms of ability, he¡¯s definitely B rank¡­¡­however, unlike the rank up test to D rank, it¡¯s not purely about combat. Considering that, I think Rei is at a disadvantage. If it were only about combat power, there would be no mistake that he would be the favourite.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Now that you mention it, he wasn¡¯t that good at socialising. Then, it might be surprisingly hard?¡¹ ¡¸I wonder about that. No matter what you say, the most important strength of an adventurer is their ability to fight. Considering that, Rei is one of the best.¡¹ ¡¸What does this idiot think he knows. It¡¯s definitely true that high ranking adventurers have good combat strength, but on the other hand, not all strong adventurers are high ranked. In particular, this test is said to have various elaborate tests.¡¹ ¡¸What is it? Are you complaning about my analysis.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, you two. Don¡¯t argue here. Even thought fights between adventurers is mostly tolerated, if you do anything on the day of the rank up test, the guild will have your eyes on you.¡¹ ¡¸He has an item box though, right? Rei¡¯s advantage with that doesn¡¯t change. Moreover, he has high combat strength and his tamed monster, Set. ¡­¡­He¡¯s still the favourite after all. I¡¯ll bet 5 silver coins on him.¡¹ Hearing their lively voices, Rei finally understood what the purpose of this large group of adventurers was. (They¡¯re betting on whether or not I¡¯ll pass the test¡­¡­no, to be exact, they¡¯re betting on everyone who¡¯s taking part in the exam?) Although Rei frowned. Gilm was considered to be the home of adventurers. Those who could make it to B rank were considered top notch adventurers. That was why it was true that many adventurers treated the B rank test as a form of entertainment, in the sense that they would place bets on it. ¡¸Ah, Rei-kun. You¡¯ve come to hear the details about the rank up test?¡¹ Kenny noticed Rei as the adventurers started to talk about him and called out as the ears on her head moved happily. Unlike her profession smile when greeting adventurers who had come to take up requests, it was a genuine smile from being happy to see Rei. Many adventurers, who wished Kenny would look at them with that smile, looked towards Rei enviously. However, the fact was that Rei¡¯s position in this city had been firmly established and no one could take any acutal actions against him. ¡¸Hm? Is Lenora not in today?¡¹ ¡¸Lenora¡¯s on holiday today. ¡­¡­That¡¯s why I can have you all to myself.¡¹ ¡¸All to yourself¡­¡­no, well, that doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, it¡¯s upstairs?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Good luck with your rank up test. Of course, I bet three silver coins on Rei.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so.¡¹ At Kenny¡¯s words, that she had bet on the rank up test as a guild staff member¡­¡­he realised that the guild had given tacit approval for it. Nodding after a small sigh, he went up the stairs to get to the meeting room on the second floor as quickly as he could. All the while, he heard Kenny cheer for him from behinid. ¡¸Hey, are you that Crimson from the rumours? You look more ordinary than I thought. Well, idiots who judge based on looks alone would have had a miserable experience.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, stop it! Um, sorry about that. I¡¯m Stee, this rude guy over here is Roble. We are both C rank adventurers who will be taken the rank up test with you. Pleased to meet you.¡¹ A voice called out to him as soon as he entered the meeting room. Turning his eyes towards the voices, he saw two adventurers. The first person to have called out to Rei was a wolfkin in his early 20¡¯s, who wore a set of armour that could really only be called partial armour. It just covered the parts of his body that were most likely to be hit, such as his arms and torso, in metal armour. The dog or wolf ears that grew from his head were proof that he was a wolfkin. A 2m long spear rested against the table he was sitting at. The young woman next to him had big ears and a thin tail that stretched out from her waist, she seemed to be a foxkin. She had a bow placed on the table and a quiver of arrows on her back. She also looked to be in her early 20¡¯s, the same age as the wolfkin called Roble. ¡¸You guys are also here for the rank up test?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. We¡¯ll be part of your group. I heard that there is one more person taking the rank up test, but it seems they haven¡¯t come yet.¡¹ ¡¸Or maybe we¡¯re too early. Roble was so excited about it yesterday that¡­¡­¡¹ As Stee was about to say something with a smile, Roble covered her mouth in panic. ¡¸Hey. Don¡¯t just go about saying that to someone you just met for the first time.¡¹ ¡¸Mmphmph.¡¹ Stee looked at Roble with eyes in protest and Roble gently let go. ¡¸Last night, he was so excited about it that he couldn¡¯t sleep. I couldn¡¯t sleep either because I was worried about him.¡¹ The moment Roble¡¯s hand moved away, Stee quickly said everything in one breath. ¡¸Stee!¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, you think I can¡¯t read your mind Roble? My experience from dating you for so many years hasn¡¯t been for nothing.¡¹ (¡­¡­I see.) After seeing their interaction, Rei quickly understood what their relationship was. In other words, they were a couple who were also a party together. ¡¸L-L-Listen up! Just because you have a title doesn¡¯t mean that you will make it to the next rank! If I had also participated in the war, I would have recieved one or two titles myself¡­¡­¡¹ After Roble said that with a red face, it wasn¡¯t Rei, who Roble was talking to, that responded, but Stee. ¡¸Um, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that easy to earn a title. In the first place, we couldn¡¯t participate in the war because you decided to take up an escort request, right? Even though we knew the war would have been soon.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s¡­¡­I spent too much money during winter and we were short on funds.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s your own problem though, seriously. You should have considered what I had to go through.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry.¡¹ From an outsider¡¯s perspective, Roble seemed to be the one holding the initiative, but in fact, Stee was the superior one. Considering their personalities, Rei was a bit surprised. However, he turned to look towards the entrance to the meeting room when he felt a presence approach. Soon after, a man in his 40¡¯s appeared. ¡¸Oh, is he also taking the rank up test?¡¹ ¡¸Heh, he¡¯s not very talented, finally taking the B rank test at this age?¡¹ Whether he wanted to change the topic or not, Roble spoke up in provocative tone. However, Stee¡¯s fist soon dropped on his head. ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry. This idiot. Um, even if he looks like this, he doesn¡¯t mean bad, but¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. Hey, Roble, apologise!¡¹ ¡¸Ouch-!¡¹ Rei, who watched on as he saw the wolfkin¡¯s ears flatten from the hit, had a strange expression. (A foxkin who¡¯s stronger than a wolfkin¡­¡­well, maybe it¡¯s just because they¡¯re lovers.) ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ The man gave a short response and continued to walk without any change in expression on his tough looking bearded face as he sat down next to Rei. He was equipped with leather armour that seemed to be made from the skin of some snake monster. His weapons were two short swords at his waist. It was a typical set of equipment for a thief. (Still, he¡¯s taking the B rank test, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to have some secret skills.) As Rei thought that to himself, Stee got up from the chair she was sitting in and walked over to the man. ¡¸Pardon me. Really, Roble had no bad intentions. Can you forgive us?¡¹ From the man¡¯s seemingly unfriendly expression, she might have thought he was still angry. Roble, who¡¯s lover had just smacked him over the head, scratched his cheeks as he looked away. As Stee said, he hadn¡¯t meant anything bad. However, it was impossible to take back words that had already been said, so in the end, they had to wait and see. However, the man just silently shook his head before speaking. ¡¸I really don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m just a quiet person.¡¹ ¡¸¡­..Oh, is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸May I ask what your name is?¡¹ ¡¸Ons.¡¹ Stee gave a bow to the man who called himself Ons. ¡¸So, we¡¯ll be taking the test with you, I look forward to working with you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Ons nodded silently at Stee¡¯s words and kept quiet without saying anything more. Although Roble had a somewhat strange look on his face, he didn¡¯t say anything more either¡­¡­ ¡¸They¡¯re here.¡¹ Suddenly, Roble turned to look towards the meeting room¡¯s entrance. At the same time, Rei and Stee also turned to look over. After about 30 seconds, five more people showed up to the meeting room. On was a middle-aged man in his late 30¡¯s to early 40¡¯s wearing the guild uniform. It was easier for everyone in the room to guess that he was the examiner for the test. Out of the remaining 4, one was a young girl under the age of 10 while the other was a young man in his 20¡¯s. Rei knew who they were. After all, he had just become friends with them a few days ago. It was clear that the other two men who came in were also nobles. ¡¸Marka and Coan?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Do you know them?¡¹ He gave a small nod toward Roble, who hear Rei¡¯s murmurs. But before they could saying anything more, the man who seemed to be from the guild staff spoke up. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s start with introductions. I¡¯m Residence. I think you can tell by my uniform, but I¡¯m a guild staff member and also your examiner for this test.¡¹ At the words of the middle-aged man, Residence, Roble and Stee¡¯s expressions became serious. Rei and Ons listened to the briefing without any change in their expressions. ¡¸And, these are the nobles who we¡¯ve requested to assist in this rank up test.¡¹ When Residence said that, one of the nobles that Rei had not met before stepped forward and spoke up. He was a man in his 20¡¯s with blue hair that reminded him of the summer sky. ¡¸Alnicht Alwe. I¡¯m heir to a baron, so I expect appropriate respect. I also want you all to understand that this was a request from the guild and has nothing to do with people like you at all.¡¹ Alnicht looked around at the adventurers like they were just stones rolling around. Roble frowned at his gaze, but Stee gently grasped his hand and held it down. He might not have noticed that happening under the table, but Alnicht just gave a snort as he stepped back. The next person to step forward was the man next to Alnicht. ¡¸Orkide Dafni. I¡¯m the second son of a count. Regards to you all.¡¹ The man named Orkide was also in his 20¡¯s like Alnicht. He spoke to those participating in the rank up test languidly as his trifled with his brown hair. The next person to step forward was the young girl under the age of 10. Marka Quent. ¡¸I am Marka Quent. I have been allowed to accompany the rest of you in this rank up test. Pleased to meet you all! This is Coan, who is also my bodyguard. Although he was a former A rank adventurer, he will be serving purely as an escort for me.¡¹ Marka said that with great pride as Coan gave a bow from beside her. Chapter 354 Chapter 354 If audio player doesn''t work, press Stop then Play button againLegend Chapter 354 Three nobles and an escort. Along with the guild examiner, a total of five people stood before Rei in the meeting room. After Marka¡¯s introduction¡­¡­Stee had an expression of astonishment when she heard the name Quent. On the other hand, Roble frowned uncomfortably at the attitude of the noble called Alnicht. Rei and Ons were far apart in age, one a teenager and the other in their 40¡¯s. However, the both of them showed no change in emotion. That said, Rei was slightly surprised to see both Marka and Coan appear, both of whom he knew. Residence, the guild examiner, looked at the four test takers and spoke as he collected his thoughts about each of them. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s the introductions for the four people you will be working together with in this rank up test. Now, I will announce the test details. A few hours walk from Gilm, a herd of a monster known as Bicorns has recently appeared on a grassland¡­¡­just to check, you all know what Bicorns are?¡¹ Everyone in the room nodded to say they knew. Rei, like everyone else, nodded as he recalled what he had read in a book previously. A ¡ºBicorn¡» was a monster that could be considered a variant of the Unicorn. It had two horns on its head as opposed to the single horn on a Unicorn. Unlike Unicorns, Bicorns were a fierce horse monster that was carnivorous. They were intelligent and hunted in groups like wolves. Alone, they were considered a D rank monster, but in herds, they were classed as a C rank monster. The horns from their head were extremely poisonous and it was said that you would die within three hours if you were injured by a horn and not treated. On the other hand, the horns were also a useful material and were almost as valuable as magic stones. Other than its horns, it¡¯s skin was also a material that could be used. You could eat its meat, but it wasn¡¯t particularly delicious, so it was quite reasonably priced. Its proof of subjugation was its tail, which was worth five silver coins each. It was quite a lot for a proof of subjugation from a D rank monster. However, that was because of the Bicorn¡¯s ferocity and poisonous horns. Rei raised his eyebrows as he remember information about Bicorns. (The B rank test is to subjugate a D rank monster? Even at worst, they are only C rank in herds. ¡­¡­This is strange.) It was clearly strange that the test to get to B rank, which was considered the first of the higher ranks, was to hunt C or D rank monsters. Rei turned to Residence, the examiner. However, Residence simply looked back at all the participants without correcting anything he had said regarding the Bicorns. ¡¸Hey, hey, hey, hey, are you serious? Do we really only need to hunt Bicorns to reach B rank? Or is it a service provided to the guild because they know how good we are?¡¹ Roble started to mutter to himself in a excited manner, he seemed to be happy as the tail extending from his waist was swinging rapidly. ¡¸Hey, Roble. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? Why would it be that easy to get to B rank¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I said it was a service. In fact, we¡¯ve gathered a lot of experience in C rank, so the guild must have taken that into account. Rei and that old man must be lucky to have ended up in the same test as us.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Ons stayed silent at Roble¡¯s words. Even after hearing about the Bicorn subjugation, he just looked back at Residence without saying a word. Rei also looked towards Residence without saying anything in particular to Roble¡­¡­no, he looked towards the nobles instead. (If hunting Bicorns was all there was to the test, why would nobles be involved? There must be some other meaning to have to deal with C and D rank monsters. In the first place, since I was told that at B rank requests and above, I might have to deal with nobility or royalty¡­¡­I have a bad feeling about this.) Rei glanced towards Coan and Marka. Rei wasn¡¯t particularly concerned about those two. One was a former A rank adventurer while the other had extraordinary magic power. (So, the problem is those two, is it?) With a small sigh, he looked towards the haughty Alnicht and the annoying looking Orkide. As Rei came to his own conclusion, Stee similarly came to her own as she also looked towards the nobles. Residence, who had been quiet until now, seemed to have noticed that and spoke up again. ¡¸Some of you seemed to have noticed it. These nobles will be following you on this request.¡¹ ¡¸Hah!? Wait a moment! That former A rank adventurer aside, there¡¯s a kid and two typical nobles. No matter how you look at it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you. What did you just say? We¡¯re from beasts like you. You should watch your mouth more.¡¹ Alnicht immediately responded to Roble¡¯s words with a frown. Hearing that, Roble, who might not have liked Alnicht referring to him as a beast and glared back with a murderous expression. ¡¸Hey, Roble!¡¹ Stee panicked at the series of events and immediately held Roble down while Orkide, who was next to Alnicht, told him it wasn¡¯t worth the trouble. ¡¸Come on, let¡¯s not bother with something so troublesome here? Our aim is to hunt Bicorns. Let¡¯s consider that first.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If you say that, I guess I will let them off. You should thank me, beast. Normally, your words would be enough for me to behead you, but I will forgive you this once.¡¹ ¡¸Grgh-!¡¹ Glancing towards Roble, who was growling,out of the corner of his eye, Rei felt uncomfortable with the series of events that had just occurred. (Hmm, although they¡¯ve only met once, I don¡¯t think Marka would ever allow a noble like Alnicht to act like that. In fact, Marka¡¯s popularity within Duke Quent¡¯s territory is because of her personality. Why isn¡¯t she saying anything? I don¡¯t know why Coan isn¡¯t saying anything either, but that might be because he¡¯s Marka¡¯s subordinate¡­¡­) Thinking to himself, they were hunting Bicorns, a D ranked monster. Nobles would be accompanying them. B rank adventurers may receive requests from nobility or royalty. Putting that all together¡­¡­ (I see. Could that be it?) Rei came up with a hypothesis. That was to say, the main purpose of the test was not to hunt Bicorns but to work together with nobles¡­¡­including typical nobles like Alnicht. (If I think about it, maybe these nobles were picked with that consideration in mind. No, could it be possible that they are even deliberately faking that attitude?) Margrave Daska was the lord that ruled Gilm. He didn¡¯t have the character to allow nobles to use their status to act tyrannical. Of course, not all the nobles in Gilm were the same, but Rei didn¡¯t think he would have let a noble like Alnicht look down on others so blatantly in a public place like the guild. However, Rei¡¯s guess was only because he had met with Marka and Coan before. As for the other three, Roble was grumpily silent while Ons remained the same and didn¡¯t say a word. The only one glancing back towards the nobles was Stee. ¡¸Well then, this request¡­¡­or rather, this rank up test, has everyone understood the details? The rest of today can be spent preparing for it. We will leave from the main gate at 9am tomorrow morning. Any questions?¡¹ At Residence¡¯s words, Stee, who seemed to be the one with the most common sense, was the first to raise her hand. ¡¸How are we getting to where the Bicorns are located?¡¹ ¡¸We will prepare a carriage for that. However, if you have your own means of transportation, you may use that.¡¹ As he said that, he looked at Rei as he knew that Rei would likely be travelling on Set. The speed of Set, a Griffon, was significantly faster compared to animals running along the ground. If you compared him to a carriage, the difference in speed would be even greater. ¡¸However! Don¡¯t forget that is a rank up test.¡¹ In other words, Rei and Set couldn¡¯t go ahead and exterminate the entire herd of Bicorns. However, Rei just nodded in understanding without any change in his expression. (So, we have to work together with the nobles. Looks like my expectations weren¡¯t too far off.) He thought to himself in his mind. ¡¸It¡¯s just a few hours walk from the city, can I assume we will complete the test and return on the same day?¡¹ The next person to ask a question was Roble. He asked Residence as if intentionally ignoring the nobles¡­¡­or rather Alnicht. However, Residence shook his head. ¡¸That is up to your own discretion. If you think you need to stay the night, you should prepare for that, if you think you don¡¯t need to, then you don¡¯t need to prepare for that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Got it.¡¹ With that answer, Roble understood that they would also be evaluated based on what they prepared. However, the answer was completely meaningless to Rei, who had the Misty Ring. No matter how much he had to bring along, he could just store it into the Misty Ring. He also had the magic tent that was given to him by Daska. (But, I could do that. Should I improve my evaluation here?) Thinking to himself, Rei looked around before speaking. ¡¸As you know, I have an item box. You don¡¯t need to worry carrying things, so prepare whatever you think you might need.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously!? Then, Rei can carry most of what we prepare!?¡¹ At that moment, it was Roble who shouted out happily. As a front line fighter and a spearman who wore light armour, he didn¡¯t want to slow his own movements down, even if he could put most of what he brought in the carriage. It seemed to be the same for Stee, the archer, and Ons, the thief, who both looked at Rei. That said, in Ons¡¯ case, there was little change in his expression as expected. ¡¸An item box? I was told that there was an adventurer in this city who had one. I see, so it was you.¡¹ As Alnicht said that to Rei, he reached his hand unexpectedly. ¡¸That item box, let me take a look¡­¡­no, give it too me to take a look.¡¹ Marka spoke up before Rei could say anything in response. ¡¸I think you should stop there. The Rei¡¯s item box has some sort of magic on it. If someone either than it¡¯s owner touches it carelessly¡­¡­well, I wonder what would happen?¡¹ ¡¸What!? I-Is that true?¡¹ Hearing what Marka said, Alnicht¡¯s complexion changed as he quickly asked Rei. He knew that Marka was a talented mage, so he couldn¡¯t just ignore what she said. Rei nodded without denying it. ¡¸Yes, this item box can¡¯t be used by anyone either than me. If anyone else tried to use it, the defence system will kick in and you¡¯ll probably have a rough time.¡¹ To be exact, it was the magic Rei had placed on it that had that effect, but he wasn¡¯t going to explain. Alnicht was quite scared of the potential curse that might be on the item box and didn¡¯t reproach Rei for his response or force him to hand it over anymore. In the first place, as long as he was in Gilm, Alnicht would definitely know about someone as well known as Rei. That was why he naturally had information that Rei didn¡¯t care for who you were¡­¡­noble or not. Understandably, he didn¡¯t want to push too far against such a person. ¡¸Well then, that¡¯s all I have to say about the rank up test. We¡¯ll disband here. Gather in front of the main gate before 9am bell rings tomorrow morning.¡¹ As if he didn¡¯t want to see any more commotion, Residence left the meeting room after saying those words. After that, Alnicht and Orkide looked at each other before they both left as well¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m expecting you to play an active role.¡¹ Marka said that as she looked towards Rei for a moment before leaving the meeting room with Coan. After that, Rei bought everything he needed¡­¡­the next day, the rank up test finally arrived. Chapter 355 Chapter 355 If audio player doesn''t work, press Stop then Play button againLegend Chapter 355 The day after the rank up test briefing in the guild meeting room, Rei and Set made their way towards the main gate as they walked through the main city street some time before the 9am bell. Unlike usual, they had no food in their hands that could be eaten while walking, such as skewers or sandwiches. Part of the reason was because of the seriousness of the rank up test, but the biggest reason was to do with time. Breakfast time had already past, but since it wasn¡¯t 9am yet, many stalls had yet to open. If it had been past 9am, more stalls would probably have been open. Of course, that didn¡¯t apply to all stalls. Some stalls had already opened shop, but even so, it was an important day for Rei and Set¡­¡­most of all, Rei was afraid of getting too absorbed in eating and missing the meeting time. Because of that, even when some of the stall owners called out to them as they made their way to the main gate, Rei would briefly refuse. When Rei finally made his way to the front gate¡­¡­ ¡¸What is this insanity?¡¹ Sitting there was a carriage that was shining¡­¡­rather, it had been decorated to the point that it was glaring and could be considered poor taste. Its exterior was covered in gold and silver, and in some places, it even had jewels and magic stones embedded. If anyone else saw it, they might have the impression that it was luxurious or glamorous, but to Rei it was¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s terrible taste.¡¹ That was all it was. In fact, many adventurers, merchants and travellers who went in and out of the main gate were surprised and shocked when they saw the carriage before eventually leaving with a bitter smile on their faces. Rei judged their responses to be quite reasonable and gave an unintentional sigh when he saw a man get out of the carriage. The man with brown hair and dull eyes was one he had met in the guild¡¯s meeting room yesterday. Orkide Daphni. He was someone who would be accompanying Rei and the others on their request to subjugate Bicorns as part of the rank up test. Orkide had just happened to step out the carriage and not because he knew Rei had come¡­¡­because of that, he called out to Rei. Yes, all while receiving the curious gazes of everyone walking nearby. ¡¸Uh, Rei, was it? Well, it¡¯s a bit early, but you¡¯re not the first, so I guess arrived at a good time?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re not the first?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? Ah, yes. I invited him into the carriage but he refused flatly.¡¹ Unlike Alnicht, he didn¡¯t seem to care about how Rei spoke. As Orkide spoke with some sort of languor, he turned to look towards Ons, who was a fair distance away. As Rei looked over, he was convinced when he saw Ons¡¯ statue like appearance. (I can hardly imagine a man as silent as Ons would be willing to ride in such a garish carriage.) As Rei thought of that, Orkide spoke as if reading Rei¡¯s own thoughts. ¡¸Well, I know you wouldn¡¯t want to ride in a carriage like this.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then, why bother bringing a carriage that stands out so much?¡¹ Rei asked as he looked at the stunned expressions of the people who passed by the carriage. Fortunately, Rei and Orkide were currently talking a short distance away from the carriage, so the people just entering the city didn¡¯t assume they had anything to do with it. However, they frowned at the thought of riding a carriage that could only be described as having very poor taste. However, maybe he had opposite tastes to Rei, Set looked at the carriage with some interest. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ You¡¯re not going to ride it? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head. Rei gave a wry smile when he saw that. Rei didn¡¯t know what part of the carriage attracted Set, but Rei wouldn¡¯t hold it against him. ¡¸Well, I have a lot of reasons. ¡­¡­That aside, it looks like you¡¯ve got company.¡¹ Looking in the direction of Orkide¡¯s gaze, Rei saw Roble, with a large backpack on his back, and Stee, with with two small bags on her shoulders. ¡¸You don¡¯t need to stay here, so head over. I¡¯ll just take my time in my carriage.¡¹ ¡¸S-Sure.¡¹ Without even waiting for Rei¡¯s reply, Orkide went back inside his garish carriage. Seeing Orkide go back inside, Rei went over to the main gate to meet with Roble and Stee. ¡¸Oh Rei. You¡¯re early. I was sure we would be the first to arrive.¡¹ ¡¸Some people were even earlier than me though.¡¹ Rei looked over his shoulder towards Ons. After following Rei¡¯s gaze and nodding, Roble quickly handed his backpack over to Rei. ¡¸We can leave our stuff for you to carry, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. No problem.¡¹ Receiving the backpack, Rei stored it into the Misty Ring. As he did that, a voice of astonishment leaked from Roble¡¯s mouth. Stee similarly had a look of surprise. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? You knew I had an item box, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s a big difference between knowing something and actually seeing it. It¡¯s seriously amazing.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes. That¡¯s right. Um, could you take this as well?¡¹ ¡¸No worries.¡¹ As Rei stored both of Stee¡¯s bags into the Misty Ring¡­¡­he suddenly found Ons standing beside them. As usual, Ons didn¡¯t say anything in particular, but he had his eyes on Rei. Then, suddenly, he gave Rei his bag. ¡¸¡­¡­Please.¡¹ Rei nodded at Ons¡¯ brief words and stored it into the Misty Ring as well. ¡¸So, I can store things, but if they¡¯re in the item box, you won¡¯t be able to take anything out unless I¡¯m around, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s not a problem. Most of what was inside is either food or equipment to camp out.¡¹ ¡¸Same for me. Potions and other items are here.¡¹ Stee lightly tapped the pouches at her waist. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Ons didn¡¯t say anything and just nodded. ¡¸By the way, why don¡¯t we go through the procedures to leave the city now? I don¡¯t like being near that tacky carriage and don¡¯t want people to think we have anything to do with it.¡¹ Roble said that as he glanced towards the carriage Orkide was in. Rei wondered whether or not he should tell Roble that it actually did have something to do with them, but didn¡¯t say anything in the end as they went over to the guards in front of the main gate. Of course, Set, who had been staring at the carriage that Roble had called tacky, followed after him. ¡¸Gururu?¡¹ Are we going now? Rei nodded and rubbed Set¡¯s back, as Set seemed to ask with his head tilted. Stee stared at Rei enviously as he stroked Set¡¯s back. However, she still didn¡¯t quite have the courage to stroke Set without being told she could. With all the people taking the B rank test gathered, they completed the procedures to leave the city without any particular problems. On a side note, Ranga was on leave and wasn¡¯t at the gate. Orkide showed no signs of wanting to move his carriage alongside them, so Roble¡¯s ignorance continued for a bit longer. ¡¸Oh, wasn¡¯t that the carriage¡­¡­? What? Huh?¡¹ The four of them were waiting for Residence, the guild examiner, and the nobles they would be working with. As the 9am bell rang, Roble raised his voice as he saw several carriages coming towards them. ¡­¡­However, the next moment, he had a confused and unpleasant expression at the same time. At the end of his line of sight were three carriages. The first was an ordinary carriage you could see almost anywhere, that was the guild carriage. The second carriage was not as ordinary as the first, it gave off a feeling of solidness and robustness with functionality being the highest priority. As for the last one¡­¡­it was the very garish carriage that had been at the gate. Rei had been on a similar carriage to the first one during the time he had participated in the Orc subjugation. As for the second carriage, he had ridden on it when he had visited Marka¡¯s residence. Because of that, Rei was able to determine who the carriages belonged to. ¡¸Hey, hey. That carriage couldn¡¯t be¡­¡­¡¹ Roble, seeing the carriage that was more glaring than shiny, turned to look at the others, hoping that it was a lie. However, Rei and Ons, who both knew the truth, shook their heads without any expression, telling Roble to give up. Roble had an unpleasant expression when he saw that, but the three carriages continued to move towards them without care. As the adventurers, merchants and travellers around the gate all looked towards them, the carriages finally stopped in front of Rei and the others. As all the eyes in the surroundings turned towards them, Roble looked somewhat uncomfortable while Stee looked down in embarrassment, waiting for the gazes to disappear. Rei was already used to being conspicuous since he had Set, an item box and the Death Scythe. Ons was a silent and expressionless person, so it didn¡¯t seem like he cared. ¡¸Well then, we¡¯re all here.¡¹ Residence got off the first carriage and said that as he looked towards Rei and the others. At the same time, Marka and Coan got of the second carriage while Alnicht and Orkide got off the third. Ignoring Orkide¡¯s lethargic expression, Alnicht looked tired just from realising that he would have to travel to where the Bicorns were located in such a garish carriage. (But, if he¡¯s already that tired just getting to the main gate, what will happen from now on?) As Rei thought about that, everyone got off their carriages as they gathered around Residence. ¡¸First of all, there are four of you and three carriage. It¡¯s time to discuss how you¡¯re going to split up.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is the carriage we get on also part of the rank up test?¡¹ ¡¸Do you think I can tell you? All I¡¯ll say is that I¡¯ll be watching the decisions you make.¡¹ After Residence answered Stee¡¯s question, Rei, Roble and Stee¡¯s expressions twisted slightly. Ons remained expressionless as he listened to Residence¡¯s explanation. ¡¸Anyhow, you decide how to split up. Apologies to the nobles, but please don¡¯t say anything and just watch.¡¹ Rei frowned at those words. (Why couldn¡¯t he let us at least decide that somewhere else? No matter which carriage we decide to ride on, it will be troublesome to decide while everyone is listening in. ¡¸I would like to refrain from getting on that tacky carriage.¡¹ Normally, Alnicht would have complained after being told by Roble that the carriage he was riding in was tacky. However, he kept his mouth shut. It seemed like even he understood how poor in taste the carriage he was riding in was. ¡¸The appearance of the carriages aside, it¡¯s true that Roble and Alnicht don¡¯t get along with each other.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you there. Rei, was it. You should watch how you speak¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Alnicht-san, I believe we agreed to leave this matter to them. I¡¯m sorry, but I did tell you advance that we would be doing things the adventurers¡¯ way during this request.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is right. It¡¯s true that I accepted this matter under those conditions. I¡¯ll won¡¯t say anything here.¡¹ After Residence¡¯s words, Alnicht nodded grudgingly before Rei spoke up again. ¡¸So, what do we do?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ll ride in the guild carriage.¡¹ The first to speak was, surprisingly, Ons. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped then, I¡¯ll take that carriage.¡¹ Stee continued as she looked over towards the carriage Alnicht was in. ¡¸Hey, wait a moment. I can¡¯t leave you to ride that tacky carriage alone. I¡¯ll come with you.¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure? You don¡¯t seem to get along with him, Roble.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. Besides, if I left you alone, he might try to do something strange.¡¹ At Roble¡¯s words, Alnicht frowned, but he stayed quiet, remembering what Residence had said. Next to him, Orkide had an expression that seemed to say that it was troublesome to be standing out as the temperature started to rise, even though it was still relatively cool in the morning. ¡¸Then, Rei will ride in that carriage¡­¡­do you mind?¡¹ ¡¸No. For better or worse, I¡¯m acquainted with Marka and Coan.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. We are not acquaintances. We are friends!¡¹ Maybe she didn¡¯t like the term acquaintance, Marka immediately protested. But, immediately after, she continued with a serious expression. ¡¸But, rest assured. I will be fair in my evaluation of the rank up test. No, rather, I should be stricter because you are a friend.¡¹ Alnicht seemed like he wanted to say something to Marka, but he didn¡¯t dare say anything to a duke¡¯s daughter. In the end, the carriages were assigned as follows, Ons on the guild carriage, Rei to the Quent carriage and Roble and Stee on the last carriage alongside Alnicht and Orkide. Chapter 356 Chapter 356 If audio player doesn''t work, press Stop then Play button againLegend Chapter 356 ¡¸¡­¡­I am bored.¡¹ Marka murmured to herself inside the carriage. Looking in front of her, Rei was gazing out the window towards the surroundings. Of course, as long as Set was on watch around the carriages, most monsters wouldn¡¯t attack them even if they left the road. Sometimes, some monsters and animals would attack, not realising the difference in strength. However, they would simply be killed by a single strike of Set¡¯s claws, eventually settling inside his stomach. ¡¸Even if you say you¡¯re bored. I need to ask, as a duke¡¯s daughter, why are you even participating in a rank up test? And this is even the city of Gilm, where most nobles of the Royalist faction have been kept in check by Daksa.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Well, the reason why I and Coan came to this city was to find out what kind of person you were. My father wanted to pull you into the Quent forces if I could, but even if that was not possible, he wanted me to find out what kind of person you are. That is part of the reason.¡¹ Marka explained with a smile, seemingly happy that she could play with Rei. Sitting next to them, Coan listened into the conversation between the two with a smile on his face, looking happy that his master was happy. ¡¸With regards to that, didn¡¯t you finish what you wanted to do after I visited your residence?¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, but it is not possible understand everything about you from just one meeting, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­However, in the case of ojou-sama, she was feeling sad after seeing Rei-san and Set leave since you had just become her friends.¡¹ Marka¡¯s cheeks flushed at Coan¡¯s casual words. ¡¸C-C-C-C-Coan! What are you saying all of a sudden!¡¹ ¡¸Was that unnecessary to say?¡¹ ¡¸H-Hmm. Well, it is true that I wanted to Rei and Set some more. I am not afraid to admit that. But, you understand right? Even though I forced my way into this rank up test I will not go easy on you¡­¡­no, that is why I should have even stricter standards than the others. You cannot expect me to make things easier for you just because we are friends.¡¹ Marka, who had been sitting down in the carriage, stood up as she stuck her finger out. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it was a pose that could only be called adorable. However, no one in the carriage would tell her that. ¡¸Besides, it¡¯s true that those monsters known as Bicorns are troublesome in various ways. Even if Gilm belongs to the Neutral faction, it¡¯s still the only frontier city in the Mireana Kingdom. There will definitely be many problems if materials that can only be obtained at the frontier stop flowing, regardless of faction.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Gilm can be considered one of the most important bases in the Mireana Kingdom. It was because Gilm is such a place that my father built a mansion in case it was ever needed.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Rei nodded in understanding at Coan and Marka¡¯s explanations. ¡¸I was wondering why Duke Quent would have a residence in Gilm as he is part of the Royalist faction, so that was why. ¡­¡­Hm? Wait? In that case, why doesn¡¯t Duke Kerebel have a residence in Gilm?¡¹ Rei asked as he recalled when Elena had previously come to Gilm. Elena had been staying at the lord¡¯s residence at the time. If Duke Kerebel had a residence in the nobles district¡­¡­or if one of the people with her, like Ara, had a residence in Gilm, they should have stayed there instead. However, Marka replied as she shook her head. ¡¸Among the nobles, some of the more influential people would have residences, but not all of them would have one. If they just want to collect information, then they probably considered it enough to have another Aristocratic noble have a residence here without needing Duke Kerebel to have his own. ¡­¡­Oh. As expected of Set. It looks like he¡¯s killed something that came too close.¡¹ As she explained to Rei, Marka expressed her happiness as she saw Set from the window. As a seven year old, she had incredible insight as a noble. But at the same time, she showed delightful innocence when she saw something she liked, such as Set. From the side, Rei was surprised at her duality. ¡¸Umu, Set is cute. I would like to have one myself¡­¡­Rei, you wouldn¡¯t know where there might be other Griffons aside from Set, would you?¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t.¡¹ Rei shook his head as he recalled the back story he had built for himself. ¡¸It¡¯s only because I grew up with Set since he was young that he¡¯s so friendly. I¡¯ve never seen any other Griffons aside from Set. Aside from that, if you tamed any other Griffon, whether they would be as friendly as Set¡­¡­to be honest, I think it would be hard.¡¹ At the end of Rei¡¯s line of sight, Set was taking on a pack of five wolves, striking them with his claws, poking them with his beak and kicking them with his back legs. The pack of five wolves was instantly annihilated as the softest parts of their flesh ended up in Set¡¯s stomach. If anyone else had seen that sight, they might have struggled to agree with Rei¡¯s description of Set as friendly or gentle. It was such a one sided beat down that it couldn¡¯t even be called a fight. The wolves literally couldn¡¯t touch Set at all. ¡¸Oh, is that so. I really wanted a tamed monster like Set¡­¡­I am envious of Rei.¡¹ Marka murmured to herself as she watched the spectacle outside. On the other hand, inside Alnicht and Orkide¡¯s carriage. Although the outside of the carriage could only be described as garish, to the relief of those riding it, the inside was luxurious but not as glaring. However, the inside of the carriage was filled with silence. Alnicht ignored Roble, who showed no respect for nobles, as he looked out the window. Orkide seemed to want to avoid any trouble and seemed to be sleeping with his eyes closed. Roble didn¡¯t hide his dislike for Alnicht, who he thought of as a proud noble, and never spoke to him at all. In the meantime, Stee would sometimes call out to Roble and Alnicht in an attempt to make some conversation. However, after just saying a word or two, they would go silent again. (Wait, wait, wait, wait. What do I do in a situation like this!?) Although Stee cried out in her mind, since everything could be part of the criteria for the test, she had no choice but to deal with nobles that made Roble unhappy. (Seriously, I didn¡¯t think there would be a noble who would have the worst compatibility with Roble. ¡­¡­But it would be even worse to ride in Duke Quent¡¯s carriage with the bigshot kid. However, if I chose the carriage prepared by the guild, we might have gotten a negative evaluation, so there was no other way. But, I really want to do something about this heavy silence.) Stee gave a small sigh as she looked out the window. At that moment, she just happened to see Set breaking a wolf¡¯s head as he swung his claws against it. ¡¸Wow, I know it¡¯s not a monster, but I can¡¯t believe how overwhelming it was against those wolves.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. As expected of a Griffon. Since it¡¯s an A rank monster, wolves are no match for it.¡¹ Maybe he had gotten tired of the silence, Alnicht spoke up. Although surprised by his sudden remark, Stee felt that it was better than staying silent and replied with a small smile on her mouth. ¡¸That¡¯s true. When I think about it, Rei is really amazing.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not all. Although the Griffon is why people have become so familiar with his name, above all, he has great skills himself. If it wasn¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Alnicht.¡¹ Alnicht tried to say something, but Orkide, who had seemed to be sleeping, suddenly stopped his words. ¡¸Alnicht-sama?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Never mind.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, Rei might be strong, but that doesn¡¯t make us weak. Rest assured, Stee.¡¹ Roble didn¡¯t like his lover praising another man even though they were adventurers of the same rank and unexpectedly interjected here even though he had decided to ignore Alnicht. However the only responses he got back was a nod of agreement from Stee and a sigh from Alnicht. ¡¸Hey, what is it? You got a problem?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, no matter what you say, it¡¯s all just hot air. I won¡¯t say anything more since you¡¯ll understand it later.¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Being told he was just full of hot air, Roble would have attacked Alnicht but was stopped by Stee before he could do so as she held his arm down. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Without saying a word, Roble listened to his lover¡¯s request and took a deep breath before sitting down again. Stee decided that even if she tried to get a coversation going again, it would only end up further hurting the relationship between Roble and Alnicht. Because of that, she stayed silent after that without saying anything further. Unlike the carriage Rei was riding in, a heavy silence enveloped the carriage as it continued forward. ¡º¡­¡­¡» Inside the guild carriage. Only Ons and Residence were on board. However, this carriage had been silent ever since it had first started to move. Ons wouldn¡¯t start a conversation on his own and, likewise, Residence had no plans to ask Ons any questions. But, the silence wasn¡¯t the heavy silence that was inside the carriage Roble and the others were riding. Instead, this silence was closer to that of a natural silence. If Stee had been in this carriage, she would have cried, wondering how the same silence could be so different. As the silence continued, Residence eventually looked out the window and murmured. ¡¸It seems like we¡¯ve arrived.¡¹ The carriages arrived at the locations where the heard of Bicorns has been last seen. Those were the first words that were said inside the carriage Residence and Ons were in. After reaching their destination, of course, they couldn¡¯t just immediately get out the carriages and fight the Bicorns. The first thing they had to do was to find the heard of Bicorns while protecting the carriages, the people that drove the carriages and nobles that had come with them. Nobles wouldn¡¯t typically come to such a place, but this was part of the rank up test. Because of that, they also had to deal with protecting the nobles. ¡¸So, how do we plan to divide the roles? Should Stee and I scout ahead?¡¹ Roble said that they could find the Bicorns as beastkin had sharper senses than most others. ¡¸You say that, but Set and I can also search for the Bicorns from the sky, right? Ons is also a thief, so he should also be able to scout well.¡¹ In this particular case, what was unfortunate was that everyone taking up the rank up test had the skills to scout out. They had the sharper sense peculiar to beastkin, the experience and skills of a thief and the eyes and wings of Set, an A rank monster. ¡¸With so many people who can scout, it will be hard to decide who goes.¡¹ ¡¸It will be fastest if we go, right?¡¹ Roble said that as he didn¡¯t want to stay around the nobles. However, Stee shook her head at his thoughts. ¡¸It¡¯s true that our sense of smell, hearing and vision are sharper than the average person. But in this case, I think that Set being able to see things from the sky would be better. Fortunately, there are very few patches of trees on the grasslands where the Bicorns could hide.¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­but¡­¡­ah, then why can¡¯t Stee and I ride on Set to scout?¡¹ ¡¸Rejected.¡¹ Rei simply dismissed Roble¡¯s plan, who had thought he had come up with a good idea. ¡¸Why not!¡¹ ¡¸First of all, Set can¡¯t fly freely with two people on him. Secondly¡­¡­or rather, the biggest reason, Set doesn¡¯t like people other than me riding on his back.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh-, t-that¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t want to forcefully ride him and get thrown off mid air do you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Looking up to the cloudless blue sky, Roble eventually nodded. Even though beastkin were physically stronger than ordinary humans, it was still highly unlikely they would survive if they fell from a height of 30-40m. ¡¸So, no one has any problems with me and Set scouting?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s request for confirmation, Roble nodded reluctantly, Stee nodded easily and Ons nodded without any change in expression. ¡¸That¡¯s that. Set, we¡¯re going scouting.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set rubbed his feet, which had some wolf blood on it, against the nearby grass before giving a small cry as he went over to Rei. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll let you all know as soon as I find the herd of Bicorns. Prepare yourselves to move out at any time.¡¹ Saying that, after Rei got on his back, Set ran several steps and flapped his wings, running into the sky. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 If audio player doesn''t work, press Stop then Play button againLegend Chapter 357 The others watched as Rei and Set rushed up into the sky to scout, taken away by Set¡¯s leisurely appearance before starting work on what they needed to do. The drivers of each carriage moved them to one place while the guild examiner, Residence, and the nobles, Marka, Alnicht and Orkide gathered about 10m away from the carriages. The remaining three participants, Roble, Stee and Ons stood between midway between the carriages and the nobles, ready to get into action should either side get attacked. ¡¸Seriously, why did they bother to move so far away from the carriages. If you think about how much trouble it is to guard them, it would have been easier if they just stayed there. It would also make it easier to protect them in case something happened.¡¹ Roble clicked his tongue as he stabbed the shaft of his spear into the grassland. Stee smiled at her lover and spoke up to calm him down. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. The target monster in this rank up test is weak. Perhaps guarding them will be graded as part of the test. Don¡¯t skimp out just because you don¡¯t get along with them.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, of course I wouldn¡¯t cut any corners, as much as I would like to. More importantly¡­¡­¡¹ Muttering that, he turned to look at Ons, who was a short distance away, daggers in both hands as he watched his surroundings. ¡¸I¡¯m not confident in being able to work well together with him. Whatever I say, he¡¯s always silent.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That might be so, but since he¡¯s taking the rank up test, he definitely has the skill. We don¡¯t have a lot of people, so we have to cooperate where we can.¡¹ ¡¸Then, why don¡¯t we get that Coan guy to help us? He looks pretty good at what he does.¡¹ ¡¸Of course he is, he¡¯s the bodyguard of a duke¡¯s daughter.¡¹ ¡¸A duke¡¯s daughter, what is a kid like that doing here¡­¡­¡¹ To Roble and Stee, Marka was nothing more than a child. In actual fact, she was a skilled mage, but unlike Elena, who was well known as the General Princess, few people had heard of Marka¡¯s name. Because of that, the two of them from Gilm could not have known what the name Marka Quent represented. ¡¸Now then, it¡¯s time for the real thing. What do you think so far?¡¹ Over where the nobles had gathered, away from Roble and Stee. Residence asked the people around him. ¡¸I have no doubts about Rei¡¯s skill. I will need to see the skill of the remaining three when they fight the Bicorns.¡¹ The first to answer was Marka. Rei, her friend, was the first one to be brought up as Residence nodded in agreement. ¡¸Certainly, Rei has the strength to be considered in the B rank. However, as you know, B rank adventurers aren¡¯t gauged only on their combat strength, but also on their courtesy towards nobility and royalty and, above all, their ability to make decisions in times of crisis. Regarding Rei, his skill is unquestionable. However, his manners are a problem. The only thing left is his decision making. However, I¡¯m not sure if I can comment on that right now¡­¡­let¡¯s see what he can do.¡¹ Marka had a complex expression on her face when she heard Residence¡¯s evaluation. For Marka, she had a strong desire for her friend, Rei, to pass the test. However, she also was well aware that wasn¡¯t much for etiquette. Marka herself didn¡¯t like formal speech that much as she was still young and didn¡¯t like using complex language. However, she also knew that there were few exceptions like her. A typical noble would definitely have felt uncomfortable. In fact, Alnicht, who had originally come to Gilm to try to pull Rei to his side had disliked Rei¡¯s use of words. (The rest is your decision making. ¡­¡­Don¡¯t let it get away from you, Rei) As Marka said that in her mind, Alnicht spoke as well. ¡¸For my part, I would have to recommend the Beastkin called Stee. Unlike her partner, Roble, she seems to be able to demonstrate some courtesy towards nobles. The question is her skill in combat¡­¡­what do you think?¡¹ When Alnicht looked towards him, Residence, the guild examiner, nodded his head slightly. ¡¸As a Gilm adventurer, she shouldn¡¯t have any problems. We will find out when we get to the Bicorns.¡¹ ¡¸Umu. I hope she is capable.¡¹ Orkide, who had been sighing unenthusiastically next to Alnicht was the next to speak. ¡¸So, how about Roble, the Wolfkin?¡¹ ¡¸No good.¡¹ Alnicht asserted that without a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡¸Being strong minded isn¡¯t a bad quality for an adventurer. But he¡¯s too strong minded. He also has a strong attachment, or rather obsession towards his party member, Stee. No, I don¡¯t mind his obsession, but he expresses it too openly. It¡¯s going to be hard considering that.¡¹ The others, including Marka and Coan, were of the same opinion and gave no objections. With his sharper senses as a Beastkin, if Roble had heard what they said, he would have been angry. However, Marka was talented in wind magic and had deployed a special barrier to stop their voices from leaking out. For better or worse, Roble never heard what they said. ¡¸Then, the last one is Ons¡­¡­¡¹ There was a wry smile on Residence¡¯s lips as he said that. The reason was quickly brought up by Alnicht. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s hard. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking as he¡¯s always silent with his taciturn expression.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. But, he could be more reliable than someone with a loose character? But considering he¡¯s been stuck at C rank to this age, I don¡¯t think we can expect much else from him in future.¡¹ Orkide¡¯s words were spoken with a sigh, but Coan disagreed. ¡¸That said, as a former A rank adventurer, I can tell you that there aren¡¯t that many adventurers who can move up to B rank. Considering that¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸He might still have a future.¡¹ Marka finished Coan¡¯s words. ¡¸That¡¯s true. However, I don¡¯t think we need to worry about his combat skill. His skill are guaranteed by the guild.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, then what¡¯s left is his etiquette. Since he rarely speaks, I can only say it is unknown. The same goes for his decision making.¡¹ Thus, the nobles who had gathered each gave their own marks to the rank up test participants in their minds. About five minutes of flight away from where the carriages, nobles and test participants had been left, Rei and Set were flying through the sky. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sure they are Bicorns, but¡­¡­¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he looked at the herd of horse like monsters with two horns growing from their foreheads. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s mutters, Set gave a confused cry. That was because they were confused by what the herd about 30 Bicorns at the end of their line of sight were doing. The Bicorns in Rei and Set¡¯s eyes were more than able to take advantage of their numbers as they attacked a group of Goblins. They either stabbed the Goblins to death with their two horns or stomped them to death with their hoofs after the poison slowed down the Goblin¡¯s movements if they were scratched by their horns. What was even more tragic was that the Goblin leader, which was larger than the rest of the Goblins. It had its arms, body, legs and even internal organs were devoured by the herd of Bicorns. Rei had envisioned Bicorns to be similar to Unicorns. However, the fangs that grew from their mouths were so sharp that they were definitely more for biting the flesh off its prey than for eating plants, which was a far cry from what Rei had expected, even with his knowledge of meat eating horses. (No, now that I think about it, there are carnivorous rabbit monsters like the Gamelion. So I guess it¡¯s not that strange to have carnivorous horses?) Forcing the thought to the back of his mind, Rei decided to head back to the others after confirming the presence of the Bicorns, which were their target. It had only taken Set five minutes to fly here, but only only because Set was a Griffon. It would take them about an hour to get here by carriage or a few hours on foot. His biggest worry was whether or not the Bicorns would stay in the same place, but fortunately, the Bicorns had just killed and eaten a group of Goblins and had laid down to rest. (From the look of it, they should be okay to deal with to some extent. If they can smell us coming towards them, they¡¯ll probably attack. ¡­¡­What will they do if they sense Set though?) Rei muttered to himself as he leaned against Set¡¯s back. It was clear that as vicious as Bicorns were, they would definitely be able to sense the difference in strength and would run away if a high ranking monster like Set showed up. (Could Marina have known this when she said it would be fine to bring Set along? ¡­¡­It¡¯s possible. That said, without Set, it would have taken a lot of effort to find the herd of Bicorns. ¡­¡­No, maybe it wouldn¡¯t with Beastkin and a thief participating in the test? Anyhow, I¡¯d better head back and discuss it with them.) Thinking that it would be more efficient to discuss it in a group than by himself, Rei signalled Set to go back to where the carriages were. The first one to notice Rei¡¯s return in the tense atmosphere, where they might be attacked by Bicorns at any time, was surprisingly Ons and not the Beastkin Roble and Stee. When Ons noticed something approaching from the sky, he tapped the nearby Roble on the shoulder. ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s the matter? An enemy?¡¹ Ons silently pointed towards the sky when Roble gripped his spear and asked. Looking into the sky in confusion, Roble saw something approaching as well. He held up his spear on reflex, but gave a sigh of relief the next moment when he saw it was Rei and Set. ¡¸¡­¡­Is that Rei? Is he back because he¡¯s found the Bicorn herd?¡¹ ¡¸I hope so. At any rate, let¡¯s get ready to move. I¡¯ll tell the others first. I think they¡¯ve noticed as well.¡¹ Turning their eyes towards the nobles, they saw Coan point towards Rei as he said something to Marka. Alnicht, Orkide and Residence all turned their eyes towards the flapping wings of Set when they saw that. ¡¸Bicorns themselves aren¡¯t high ranking monsters, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡­¡­However, if they drag us down, that¡¯s going to be a different story.¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about. In the first place, this test covers everything including communication. If we could simply just kill the monsters, they might as well have put a subjugation request on the board and be done with it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Ons nodded in silence at Stee¡¯s words to show his agreement. Roble couldn¡¯t argue with the two of them and kept silent until Rei and Set returned. ¡¸I¡¯ve found a herd of Bicorns.¡¹ Everyone¡¯s expressions became serious at those words as Rei got to the ground. The monster they had to subjugate was finally here. ¡¸From here, straight south¡­¡­about an hour by carriage or so. The herd of Bicorns have just filled their bellies on a group of Goblins and are now resting. There are about 30 of them in the herd. What do we do?¡¹ The only people who paid serious attention to Rei¡¯s report were the others taking the rank up test. Everyone else, including Residence, stood at a distance and just listened in silence. (Of course, one of the things being tested is how we deal with a herd of Bicorns. So I guess we can¡¯t make careless decisions.) Stee looked around as she quickly gathered her thoughts. ¡¸Keep in mind that if we start to move from here, they might sense Set¡¯s presence and run away.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Can I assume that if the Bicorns sense Set, they will immediately try to run away?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. With regards to that, you can consider it past experience.¡¹ ¡¸If they sense Set, they will run. Fortunately, Bicorns always move in herds, so this might work. How about if we do this?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Stee began to think up a plan. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 If audio player doesn''t work, press Stop then Play button againLegend Chapter 358 A grassy plain stretched out below, with white and brown dots located across the green carpet. They appeared as dots due as Set was looking down from a considerable altitude, but the white and brown dots below were actually Bicorns lying down on the plain. ¡¸Gururu~¡­¡­¡¹ Usually, he would be working with Rei, but now he was by himself. While feeling a bit lonely in the current situation, Set gave a small cry as he turned his attention towards the Bicorns below. Stee¡¯s proposed plan had been very simple, Set would approach the Bicorns without hiding his presence and force them to run towards where Rei and the rest were. Normally, a plan so basic as driving a herd of Bicorns to a location to be hunted wouldn¡¯t work. ¡­¡­Yes, normally. However, because a Griffon like Set was herding the Bicorns, the difference was clear. That was why they could guarantee the Bicorns would immediately flee in the right direction after Set approached them without concealing his presence. Flying through the sky, past the herd of Bicorns, Set flapped his wings¡­¡­and descended to the ground. ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Set made it clear to the Bicorns that there was a Griffon after them. ¡¸Hihihihihiiii~!¡¹ As an overwhelmingly superior monster approached their location, the first Bicorn to notice gave a loud roar. The next moment, it stood up from the grass it have been lying on and ran in the opposite direction Set had come from¡­¡­that is to say, towards the direction where Rei and the others were waiting. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ As Set saw this, he used skills like Wind Arrow and Water Ball to adjust the movements of the Bicorns if any of them tried to run anywhere else other than where the ambush was waiting. Such actions might have reminded people of sheepdogs if anyone had been watching. ¡­¡­However, this was a sheepdog with the power of a vicious monster. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ ¡¸Hihii!¡¹ Even if any of them tried to move away from the group, a Water Ball would strike the path in front of it, spraying grass and dirt everywhere. Alternatively, Wind Arrows would be shot out continuously, slicing through the grass before the Bicorns. As a result, the startled Bicorns ran in a single herd with loud cries towards the waiting ambush. At one point, the Bicorn leading the herd deviated from the desired destination. Wrapping around them to adjust their movements, the herd of Bicorns continued to run for another 15 minutes before Rei and the others entered Set¡¯s eyes. ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a loud cry as he herded the Bicorns towards Rei, who was at the end of his line of sight. Hearing Set¡¯s cry, the subjugation party readied their weapons as they waited for the approaching Bicorns. Going a bit back in time. After Stee¡¯s plan was accepted, Rei and the others all readied their weapons as they waited for Set to fly off and drive the Bicorn herd towards them. From the Misty Ring, Rei took out his Death Scythe and a throwing spear. The sheer size of the Death Scythe drew astonished looks from those who hadn¡¯t seen it before. Roble, Stee and Ons each held onto a spear, bow and arrows and daggers respectively as they ducked into the tall grass to wait. In addition, as for the carriages, they were moved to a location a fair distance away from the designated battlefield so as to not interfere with any fighting. Although Stee was worried that the carriages might be attacked by other monsters, Roble insisted that it would be dangerous to keep the carriages close to where they would be fighting the Bicorns. However, it wasn¡¯t possible for them to leave someone taking the rank up test behind to guard the carriages. As a result, the reached a compromise where the carriages would be moved to a location still within sight where Rei could rush over to if needed. ¡¸Hey, Rei. Can I have a moment?¡¹ A voice suddenly called out to Rei, who was hiding behind some grass. Turning his head, he found Alnicht, one of the nobles he was supposed to protect during the Bicorn subjugation. ¡¸What is it? As you know, we don¡¯t know when the Bicorn herd might appear. If you have any business with me, you¡¯ll have to make it quick.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course. It¡¯s not going to be a long talk. ¡­¡­So, I¡¯ll be blunt with you. I¡¯m sorry, but I would like you to fail this test on purpose.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei couldn¡¯t help but look straight at Alnicht, not understanding what he was saying. After waiting a few second to check if the person in front of him was sane, Rei spoke up. ¡¸Why? I¡¯ve heard that Bicorn herds are ferocious and may affect the procurement of materials from Gilm in various ways.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why. Actually, I have some connections. It will be profitable for us if the Bicorn herd makes materials from the frontier scarce. What do you think?¡¹ Rei frowned distastefully at Alnicht¡¯s words. ¡¸This request also doubles as my rank up test¡­¡­no, that¡¯s not the most important question here. So, you¡¯re asking me to deliberately let the Bicorns escape?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I will give you a decent reward. I heard you were collecting magic items?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­How did you know?¡¹ ¡¸As someone who was planning to negotiate with you, it was natural to look into it. So, what are you going to do?¡¹ When Alnicht prompted Rei for a reply, Rei made his decision without a moments¡¯ hesitation. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I refuse. I might be collecting magic items, but getting to B rank is worth more than whatever magic item you can offer me. You might be the heir to a baron, but there¡¯s a limit to what magic items you can buy with money.¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡­¡­well, that¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no point pressing further if you refuse. It wasn¡¯t a necessity for us to profit. However, I advise you to not tell anyone else about what I just told you if you wish to pass the test.¡¹ Alnicht said that somewhat threateningly, but Rei just shrugged his shoulders. His eyes had already left Alnicht and had gone back to keeping a lookout out for when Set drove the herd of Bicorns to them. Alnicht might have judged there wouldn¡¯t be any issues from Rei¡¯s attitude. He left without saying anything further. (Well, I wonder if that was part of the exam or if it was part of Alnicht¡¯s own desire for money. ¡­¡­Either way, I think it would be best to just report it to Residence.) As Rei thought about what he should do in his mind, he soon saw the shape of a horse monster on the other side of the plain. Looking around, Rei saw that Set¡¯s herding was going well. Of course, everyone had hidden themselves. Furthermore, since they had no idea how the Bicorns might move, they had naturally spread out their ambush over a large area. However, just because they couldn¡¯t see the Bicorns didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t hear them. ¡¸They¡¯re coming soon!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s voice, the others all readied their weapons. Among them, Stee, who used a bow, was able to attack the Bicorns Set was chasing from a distance that was even further than what Rei could reach with his Flying Slash or throwing spears and was entrusted with starting the battle. Even if all the adventurers here were C rank and Bicorns were no match for them, there was no need to take unecessary risks. It was true that the Bicorns would shift their course if they realised they were being attacked from a distance. However, as long as Set was chasing after them, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for them to do that. As a result¡­¡­ ¡¸Fuu-!¡¹ When Stee judged that they were within her shooting range of 500m, she shot an arrow that had been notched in her bow. Considering that the usual effective range of ordinary hunters that weren¡¯t adventurers was around 100m, you could see how good of an archer Stee was. On the other hand, it was because she had the ability that it was possible for her to challenge the rank up test as a C rank adventurer. The arrow shot from Stee¡¯s bow decended towards the Bicorns as it drew a tall trajectory, striking the body of one of the Bicorns in the herd. ¡¸Hihihihiiiiii!¡¹ The Bicorn gave a cry in pain but didn¡¯t stop. It¡¯s speed slowed down, but it still struggled desperately to get away from the death approaching them from behind. ¡¸Look at that, Stee¡¯s skill with the bow!¡¹ From the tall grass where Roble seemed to be hiinding, a boastful voice was heard. However, Stee didn¡¯t respond as she shot another arrow. Even though it was impossible for arrows to drop like rain, the arrows continued to drop down towards the herd of Bicorns, one after the other. And, unfortunately for any Bicorns that were struck by several arrows or hit in their legs, they fell to the ground unable to run any longer before immediately being trampled by the Bicorns running behind them. Any Bicorns which slowed down and were left behind by the herd were caught by Set, who was chasing them from behind¡­¡­easily killing them with a strike from his claws. The herd of Bicorns, either killed or injured by Stee¡¯s attacks, came towards the location where Rei and the others were waiting. When they were about 100m away, Rei took a spear from where he was hiding and used all his strength to throw it at the Bicorns. The spear tore through the air, piercing through the body of one Bicorn near the front, only stopping after piercing the body of the Bicorn behind it. Roble and the nobles who were watching on were astonished by the power and range of the spear that Rei had thrown. In fact, Stee was so shocked that she forgot to keep shooting arrows for several seconds. ¡¸Stee!¡¹ Hearing Roble¡¯s reprimanding shout, she realised this and hurriedly started shooting arrows again. Rei was aware of what had happened byt prioritised reducing the number of enemies rather than speaking. Taking spears out of the Misty Ring one after the other, he threw them with seemingly inhuman strength, skewering the Bicorns one after the other. It wasn¡¯t as crazy as the first spear he threw which killed two Bicorns at once. However, he still took out another 2-3 Bicorns. However, as the Bicorns were desparate to escaped from Set, who was chasing them from behind, a few continued to rush forward without slowing down despite being struck by spears. Finally¡­¡­the herd of Bicorns that had suffered countless wounds fell into the ambush that had been set up. ¡¸Oriyaaaah-!¡¹ The first to jump out from the grass where they were hiding was Roble, who was naturally feeling bloodthirsty. With a 2m spear in hand, he thrust it sharply towards a Bicorn coming straight towards him. The spear, which was thrust with the strength of a Wolfkin, easily cut through both of the Bicorn¡¯s horns before piercing through its head. (Heh, so his strength is as good as his mouth.) Rei swapped the weapon in his hand from his throwing spears to the Death Scythe as he muttered to himself. And, jumping right in front of a Bicorn¡­¡­ ¡¸Haaaaah-!¡¹ Like a shinigami reaping souls, he cut off the head of a Bicorn. The blade of the Death Scythe, empowered with magic power, couldn¡¯t be blocked by the horns that couldn¡¯t even stop Roble¡¯s spear. Every time the blade struck, the neck of a Bicorn, which was larger than an ordinary horse, would be cut and a head sent into the air. After a moments fresh blood sprayed everywhere from the cut, dyeing the surroundings the colour of blood. The sight of Rei dancing around with his scythe while using fire magic was certainly worthy of his title of Crimson. At the same time, Roble¡¯s spearwork was brilliant and wouldn¡¯t lose out to Rei. Stee¡¯s arrow¡¯s pierced the bodies of any Bicorns that tried to escape. Even deadlier towards the Bicorns was Set, who after finally catching up to them, killed them one after another with swings of his claws or sharp attacks with his beak. ¡¸Watch out for their horns!¡¹ Rei shouted out just in case, but in the first place, Bicorns were only a D rank monster. In a herd, they were considered C rank monsters, the same rank as Rei. But after being chased into a panic by Set, it wasn¡¯t really possible for them to work together and fight. ¡­¡­In the end, Rei cut off the head of the Bicorn that was a size larger than all the other Bicorns and seemed to be leading the herd, finishing the Bicorn subjugation Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Legend Chapter 359 ¡¸They were quite weak.¡¹ The herd of Bicorns had been in the area for a while. They were savage monsters with poisonous horns. However, they met their fate at the hands of four adventurers about to reach B rank, vanishing like butter melting on a hot plate. At Marka¡¯s words, Coan nodded as he replied with his usual smile. ¡¸Individually, Bicorn¡¯s aren¡¯t a match for Rei and the others¡¯ strength. But, with a Griffon like Set chasing them from behind, they couldn¡¯t work together to fight us off either¡­¡­if they had been a smarter monster, even in that situation, they might have been able to work together to save the stronger ones at the expense of the weaker ones.¡¹ ¡¸Umu. After all, they were low ranked monsters.¡¹ Although Marka said that, Bicorns, which were considered D rank monsters on their own and C rank in herds, were not something that ordinary adventurers could kill. This time, it was because they were all C rank adventurers, including two extraordinary factors in Rei and Set, that they had been cleared out so easily. If ordinary adventurers had been asked to subjugate the herd of Bicorns, there would have been some injuries and, at worst, some adventurers might have died. The two horns that grew out from Bicorn¡¯s head were very poisonous. A strike from their hoofs also had to be considered as they were one size larger than an ordinary horse. The fangs that grew from their mouth to chew meat were also a threat. ¡¸¡­¡­Anyhow, the Bicorn herd subjugation has been completed. After this¡­¡­¡¹ Alnicht, who was listening to Marka, looked around. Seeing his gaze, Residence nodded slightly. ¡¸From the beginning, I didn¡¯t expect them to struggle against a herd of Bicorns. After all, one of them has a title.¡¹ ¡¸Then, next is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please do as planned.¡¹ Alnicht and Orkide both nodded at the same time at Residence¡¯s words. (Although it¡¯s necessary for the guild exam¡­¡­I don¡¯t really like to deceive people.) Marka gave a small sigh, but she also knew that it was necessary to become a high ranking adventurer. Without saying anything more, she went over to where Rei and the others had killed the herd of Bicorns. ¡¸Well~, that was pretty easy. Is this really B rank? Well, it¡¯s not that strange with my skills.¡¹ Roble proudly muttered in front of the nearly 30 dead Bicorns lying on the ground. He had killed 5 Bicorns with his spear, and given the results, it was no wonder he wanted to brag about it. ¡¸Overwhelmingly more Bicorns were killed by Rei than you.¡¹ ¡¸That said, I couldn¡¯t believe Rei was throwing spears to attack from that distance, you know? Especially considering the price of spears you don¡¯t plan to use again. There¡¯s no way I could afford that.¡¹ Rei cut off the tails, which were the proof of subjugation, as well as the two horns, which were the most dangerous parts, without caring for Roble¡¯s look towards him.. Normally, he would have wanted to skin the Bicorns, take out their magic stones and cut up their meat, but he judged that there was no time to do it during the rank up test. Maybe he understood that, Set just grabbed the dead Bicorns with his claws before bringing them over to Rei. (¡­¡­Set can easily carry dead Bicorns but can¡¯t fly with two of us on his back?) Stee, muttered to herself in confusion as she watched Set. However, Rei didn¡¯t seem to care as he continued to cut off the tails and horns of the Bicorns that were lined up along the plain. Even though it was just a temporary party, these were still monsters they had killed together. Since they hadn¡¯t decided on how to divide everything up yet, the horns and tails were just put aside in one place for now. ¡¸Thank you for your hard work everyone. I will accept the Bicorn herd subjugation, which was also the goal of your test, has been completed.¡¹ ¡¸I think there¡¯s still more to talk about though.¡¹ Roble muttered at Residence¡¯s words as he looked over towards Marka. Marka herself listened to Residence¡¯s words in silence without a change in her expression despite Roble looking over at her. She probably intended to hide it, but Stee also turned to look at Orkide for a moment. Only Ons stayed silent without a change in his expression. Perhaps Residence wasn¡¯t paying attention, he just took out a magic whistle from his chest and blew it to send a signal to the carriage drivers. ¡¸Oh right, I¡¯ll leave it to you to decide how to split the Bicorns. We can¡¯t just leave right away, so it¡¯s not a bad idea to take a break so you can discuss and decide.¡¹ ¡¸Um, is it fine for us to decide on our own? I mean, this is the rank up test¡­¡­¡¹ Stee asked, but Residence nodded to tell her there were no issues before he went back to converse with the nobles. Seeing that, the rest of the rank up test participants judged that there really weren¡¯t any problems. They got together to decide how to split the 30 or so Bicorns. ¡­¡­No one noticed that the nobles, including Residence seemed to be paying attention to what they did. ¡¸Then, what do we do? As for me, I would like to take the Bicorns I killed as my share.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment, in that case, Ons-san, who spent his time assisting us, will have too small a share. You might say that you killed a lot of the Bicorns with your spear, but did you know that Ons-san was following you to block any other Bicorns that might have obstructed your attacks?¡¹ ¡¸Guh-, no, well, it¡¯s true that I was able to kill the Bicorns with his help¡­¡­y-yes, that¡¯s right. What do you think Rei? After all, there¡¯s no doubt that you killed the most this time. Especially considering Set¡¯s contribution.¡¹ Roble asked Rei to change the topic. Hearing Roble¡¯s words, Stee stopped moving. Even Stee had to admit that Rei had played the biggest role in the Bicorn subjugation. However, conversely, if Rei decided to split the Bicorns based on the number they had each killed, she couldn¡¯t really oppose him either. After all, from Rei¡¯s point of view, they might be seen as stealing what he deserved. However, Stee¡¯s worries were immediately resolved by Rei. ¡¸Well, we don¡¯t really have to care about who killed what right? We¡¯ll just split it up normally. I¡¯ll take any leftovers as Set¡¯s share.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if Rei says so, then I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¹ Roble spoke as if he was dissapointed, but if he just got the number he killed, he would only have 5. However, if they split everything up equally, he would get 7, so the increase in his share put a small smile on his face. ¡¸So, that¡¯s what Roble has to say about it, but is that really okay Rei? If we just split it based on what we killed, you and Set would have gotten a lot more.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s fine as long as I get at least two magic stones. That said, I am a bit interested in the Bicorn meat.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ The reason why Rei was interested in the meat was more about Set than Rei. In fact, Set gave a happy cry as he looked over to the dead Bicorns lying on the ground. However, if Rei had directly asked Set if he was interested in the Bicorn meat, he wouldn¡¯t have admitted it. ¡¸If Rei, who hunted the most Bicorns, says so then I guess that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. Any problems Roble?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t like the feeling of conceding, but well, it¡¯s better to make a profit.¡¹ Roble still seemed somewhat disatisfied, but it wasn¡¯t a problem since his share was increasing. He nodded at Stee¡¯s question to indicate he had no issues. ¡¸How about Ons-san? Um, I¡¯m a bit sorry that I just left all the support to you¡­¡­¡¹ If anything, Ons had been left to follow Roble, who would make abrupt decisions, or protecting Stee, the archer, against any approaching Bicorns. Ons nodded without any particular objections. Like that Rei¡¯s opinion was accepted. They had no idea that Marka and Coan, who had been listening into their conversation, both gave a soft sigh of relief. ¡¸So, Set and I have 9, everyone else has 7. What do you want us to do? We don¡¯t have time to strip all the materials here.¡¹ Residence nodded naturally at Rei¡¯s question, which was more of a request for confirmation than an actual question. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but please take the Bicorns back on your own.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute! You¡¯re telling us to take them back, but what do I do with 7 of them!¡¹ Bicorns were larger than regular horses and weighed well over 500kg. Using some simple calculations, 7 of them would weigh about 3.5 tons. Thinking about it normally, it was impossible for them to bring back so much individually. Even with a carriage, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to carry that much. ¡­¡­Yes. Normally that is. ¡¸Haah. ¡­¡­Rei, could you please?¡¹ ¡¸Okay. For now, I¡¯ll store them all in the item box and we¡¯ll divide them back up in the city later.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh. So that¡¯s it.¡¹ Roble, who finally remembered about the item box, gave a sigh of relief. Next to him, Rei started to store away the Bicorns which had been lined up along the ground. Of course, he didn¡¯t just store the corpses, but also the horns and tails that had been cut off in advance. Everything was stored into the Misty Ring in less than 10 minutes. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go back to Gilm. After that, we¡¯ll interview you each one by one.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh-!?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ At Residence¡¯s words, Roble, Stee and Rei¡¯s voices were raised in that order. Only Ons remained silent without any particular exclamation. However, even if he heard the 3 of them, Residence just shrugged his shoulders as if it were nothing as he made his way into one of the carriages that had come over¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, wait a moment! Why do we still have to have an interview!? Wasn¡¯t the rank up test just subjugating the herd of Bicorns!?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, subjugating the herd of Bicorns was part of the test, but that¡¯s not all of it. It¡¯s just one part of the test. In general, the rank up test to B rank isn¡¯t something that can just be decided by subjugating D like Bicorns, C rank if they¡¯re in a herd. And, in addition to the interview¡­¡­¡¹ At Residence¡¯s last words, Roble went silent as he didn¡¯t understand what it meant. However, both Rei ans Stee nodded in response. It was because they hadn¡¯t expected the contents of a B rank test to only be at this level to begin with. (No, rather than that, this is probably just one of many tests. As Residence said, after each test is completed, there might be new tests announced suddenly. ¡­¡­It¡¯s quite a nasty series of tests.) Rei muttered to himself as he looked at Roble, who was grinding his teeth in chagrin. However, it seemed that Rei didn¡¯t need to say anything to him as Roble had a sharp minded lover. ¡¸Come on, Roble. Quickly get on the carriage. You don¡¯t want to have points deducted in a place like this do you?¡¹ The latter part of her words was said in a whisper so that only Roble could hear, whose eyes widened after hearing that, before they got on the carriage. ¡­¡­The same garish carriage that had brought them here. Rei stepped back into Duke Quent¡¯s carriage, where Marka was, while Ons likewise got into the guild¡¯s carriage. When the three carriages were ready, they left the site where they had slaughtered the Bicorns while Set walked alongside. Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Legend Chapter 360 ¡¸¡­¡­Hm? Why have we stopped here?¡¹ Rei muttered when he felt the speed of the carriage slow down as they made their way back to Gilm after completing the Bicorn subjugation request. Looking out the window, it was clear that the carriage was about to stop as the changing scenery was also slowing down. However, Marka, who was sitting opposite Rei, crossed her arms as if to say ¡®of course¡¯. ¡¸It¡¯s already past noon, so why not? It¡¯s time for lunch.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, that¡¯s right.¡¹ Rei was somewhat convinced before tilting his head in confusion. If they were going to eat lunch, they should have just eaten where they had killed the herd of Bicorns. Rei didn¡¯t have an accurate time keeping device, but it had definitely been close to noon at that time already. You could say there was a possibility that other monsters would attack them after being attracted by the smell of the Bicorns¡¯ blood, but if Set didn¡¯t hide his presence as a Griffon, the only monsters they would need to be concerned about would be the ones that were either too powerful or too stupid to sense the difference in strength. However, Rei¡¯s question was answered by Coan, who spoke with a small smile. ¡¸It¡¯s not uncommon for adventurers to eat in places where there is a smell of blood. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same for guild staff like Residence-san. Judging from the way he moves, he¡¯s probably a former adventurer. However, it would be quite cruel to expect the same from nobles. I also don¡¯t want ojou-sama to have to eat in such a place.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, it would certainly be impossible.¡¹ Maybe Daska, the lord of Gilm, might also have eaten in such an environment with other adventurers. As Rei thought about that, he considered the three nobles they were working with this time and immediately understood. (Marka doesn¡¯t seem like she care¡¯s too much about it. Orkide is one of those people who hates doing troublesome things, so he probably wouldn¡¯t even bother to move somewhere else. Then, the problem is Alnicht? But, that¡¯s only if it¡¯s really his true personality.) Rei had previously conversed with Alnicht, who had always treated the test participants, including Rei, with a condescending tone and attitude. However, from Rei¡¯s point of view, he didn¡¯t seem to be the same type of noble as the ones who had tried to mess with him so many times before. More than anything, the decisive factor was that Set wasn¡¯t wary or put off by Alnicht. ¡¸Come on, let¡¯s get out. The others are probably waiting for us.¡¹ Rei got out of Marka¡¯s carriage and saw Roble, Stee and Ons standing near Residence. ¡¸Well, this is fine, please go ahead. I will take care of ojou-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, Coan, don¡¯t treat me like a kid.¡¹ ¡¸That said, ojou-sama is still young.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I just look young, I am not a childish person. Well, that is fine, Rei should go over first.¡¹ At Marka¡¯s urging, Rei walked over to Residence, who was probably waiting for him come over. Seeing Rei arrive, Residence gave a small nod before speaking. ¡¸Well then. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all heard in your carriages, we¡¯ll be having lunch now. You¡¯ll have to cook a meal for the rest of us, including me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hah?¡¹ As expected, Roble let out a dumbfounded voice at Residence¡¯s words. Next to him, Stee seemed to be pondering over something with a complex expression, but she eventually spoke up and asked Residence. ¡¸This, is this lunch related to the rank up test?¡¹ ¡¸You can consider it as such. As you all know, when you reach B rank, there might be cases where you will work together with nobles. It¡¯s fine if the noble has brought a cook with them, but that¡¯s not always the case. If you can¡¯t cook a single meal as the adventurer with them, it¡¯s not good for you.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait, wait, wait. Then why can¡¯t we just give them some preserved food like dried meat or baked bread?¡¹ Roble¡¯s words indicated he didn¡¯t want to have to indulge the nobles, but Residence shook his head slightly. ¡¸The aristocracy isn¡¯t used to eating that kind of preserved food. It might not go down well with their bodies and they could fall sick. To prevent that, it¡¯s better to serve cooked dishes to some extent. Regarding this, the more you can provide, the better.¡¹ Having said that, since they had been told that this was part of the test, Rei and the others couldn¡¯t afford to cut corners. ¡¸Just in case, I have a large amount of cooked food in my item box, I assume I can¡¯t use that?¡¹ ¡¸If it was just you, that would be fine, but this time it¡¯s a test for everyone. The only things you can use as part of this test are the ingredients you brought along for the test and the Bicorn meat.¡¹ ¡¸If I¡¯m not allowed to use my item box, then what about everyone¡¯s belongings that I¡¯ve stored inside it?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll allow you to use them. In the first place, those could just have been brought along in the carriages. Any other questions?¡¹ Having his idea of serving pre-cooked food from the item box rejected, Rei raised his hand and asked another question. ¡¸I understand that directly serving cooked food isn¡¯t allowed, but what about seasonings then?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true, they don¡¯t take up much space so it wouldn¡¯t be strange for an ordinary adventurer to carry some around. No problem, I will allow anything other than pre-cooked food and ingredients that were not bought for the test. Anyone else have any questions?¡¹ No one else spoke at Residence¡¯s question. Roble hadn¡¯t considered at all that cooking would have been part of the rank up test while Stee immediately though about what she would have to take care of as the cook, worrying over what to make. Ons, as usual, kept his expressionless face and didn¡¯t say anything in particular. ¡¸All right, let¡¯s get to work. However, you only have one hour to cook.¡¹ Saying that, Residence went back over to Marka and the others. Seeing him leave, Stee immediately called out to Rei. ¡¸Rei, sorry to hurry you right away, but what seasonings do you have?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a lot of basic stuff like salt, pepper, sugar and some herbs. I also have some sauce for skewers.¡¹ ¡¸Is there anything we can use for cooking? Aside from the food and ingredients that were banned?¡¹ ¡¸Let me see¡­¡­¡¹ After worrying for a few seconds as he looked through the Misty Ring¡¯s list in his mind¡­¡­he eventually found something and smiled. ¡¸How about this?¡¹ As he said that, Rei took out a sheathed dagger with multiple blue gems embedded in it. ¡¸A dagger? Was that the one you used for the Bicorns¡­¡­oh right, I¡¯m sorry, but could you take out a Bicorn first? I don¡¯t have much time, so I need to prepare it. Roble, Ons, please dismantle the Bicorn. As for the materials¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m the one who got the most Bicorns, so I¡¯ll supply the one we¡¯ll use for cooking.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. In that case, please strip the Bicorn¡¯s materials as well. Make sure to take care of the skin and magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I understand. I got it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Roble nodded with motivation at Stee¡¯s request. Ons nodded silently as well. The two of them dragged the dead Bicorn that Rei had taken out from the Misty Ring a short distance away and started dismantling it immediately. ¡¸Sorry I interrupted you. So, what¡¯s with the dagger?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a magic dagger ccalled Dagger of Flowing Water. It¡¯s a magic item that can be used to make water. ¡­¡­Here, drink some.¡¹ Rei used the Dagger of Flowing Water to pour some water into a wooden cup he had taken out of the Misty Ring before handing it over to Stee. Although she was a bit suspicious, she took several sips after receiving it¡­¡­ ¡¸-!? T-This is¡­¡­delicious. This water is amazingly delicious.¡¹ ¡¸I was told I can¡¯t take out cooked food, but I¡¯m not forbidden from using magic items. How about we use this water to make soup or something?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. ¡­¡­We could do that.¡¹ Muttering the same words to herself, Stee eventually shook her head. ¡¸We definitely could use this water. However, considering that it¡¯s so unusually delicious, I think it would overwhelm the ingredients, even in soup. In that case, I think it would be better to serve it as just drinking water.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Well, Stee is a better cook than me, so if you say so then I guess it¡¯s so.¡¹ ¡¸As for the soup, I¡¯ll just use plain drinking water to make it. Bicorn meat and¡­¡­vegetables are a problem. I¡¯ve got some dried ones with me. Rei, could you bring my stuff out?¡¹ Hearing Stee¡¯s words, Rei took out two bags from the Misty Ring. Stee took out another bag from inside one of them. Inside that bag were several kinds of dried mushrooms, which she planned to use to make a soup. She also took out some salted and dried vegetables, meat and nuts as she thought of other dishes. As she did that, Rei gathered some nearby dead wood and used magic to start a fire before heading over to Roble and Ons, who were dismantling the Bicorn. ¡¸How is it?¡¹ ¡¸You can tell just by looking.. We¡¯re almost done.¡¹ Roble replied to Rei snappily. It was probably because he had seen his lover, Stee, get along well with Rei as they discussed the lunch menu, at least from Roble¡¯s perspective. However, Rei was insensitive to such matters and didn¡¯t notice the reason for Roble¡¯s grumpiness and just shook his head slightly as he looked at the dismantled Bicorn. It had already been skinned and the internal organs had been removed. The magic stone had also been taken out from its heart. Now, they were in the process of carving up meat. It could be said that their skill was outstanding to be able to get this far in less than 10 minutes. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Next to them, Set gave a cry as he ate some of the raw Bicorn meat that was given to him by Ons. ¡¸Set, don¡¯t eat too much.¡¹ Although Rei said that, he didn¡¯t stop Set and let him continue to do as he wanted. ¡¸Roble, bring me the meat! We don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll start cooking a simple dish!¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll bring it over right away.¡¹ Hearing Stee¡¯s voice as she prepared the soup on the fire Rei had lit up earlier, Roble carried a chunk of Bicorn thigh meat over as he took a look at Rei with a proud expression before moving on. ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ However, Rei had no idea what Roble¡¯s actions were supposed to mean as he just looked back with a confused expression. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Next to Rei, Ons cut off a piece of shank meat that was too tough to eat with the short cooking time available before looking at him. ¡¸Anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Can I give this meat to Set?¡¹ Rei nodded at the sound of Ons¡¯ voice, which he hadn¡¯t heard for a long time. Seeing that, Ons gave Set the piece of shank meat with his usual expression, but with a slight smile at his mouth. ¡¸Guru~, Gururururu~!¡¹ The meat was still raw, but Set¡¯s beak shredded through it, even if it was a little tough. Piece by piece, Set¡¯s beak sliced through the meat and in the blink of an eye, the Bicorn¡¯s shank meat and four legs disappeared into Set¡¯s stomach. About 30 minutes later¡­¡­the food was ready. ¡¸Now that the food is ready, it¡¯s time for lunch!¡¹ Hearing Stee¡¯s voice, Rei, Set and Ons, who had been feeding Set, went over to her. As for the Bicorn meat that was dismantled, it had all been stored back into the Misty Ring, except for the parts Roble had taken away in several trips and the parts Set ate. It was the same for the materials such as the magic stone and skin that had been stripped from it. ¡¸¡­¡­Wow, it is unexpectedly more than I expected. According to what Coan told be before, the food that is usually brought along on requests would be things like dried meat and baked bread, food that prioritised preservation over taste.¡¹ Mark spoke in admiration when she saw the food that was served. ¡¸That¡¯s right. This time is only because we had the Bicorn¡¯s monster meat and some food I had bought before leaving the city.¡¹ Coan reached for a Bicorn skewer as he explained to Marka. ¡¸However, as a noble, it isn¡¯t very appropriate to ask us to sit on the ground to eat. And, the food is very simple compared to what is served at home.¡¹ ¡¸Well, don¡¯t say that. You can¡¯t blame them as they are cooking outside the city in the first place. It¡¯s also quite welcome considering you don¡¯t need to worry about all that troublesome etiquette and manners.¡¹ Alnicht frowned slightly as he reached for the soup, but Orkide just smiled happily that he didn¡¯t need to worry about all the troublesome table manners as he reached out to the skewers. There were three dishes prepared by Stee, grilled Bicorn skewers, Bicorn meat soup and dried vegetables as well as edible wild grasses, that grew around the area, with baked bread, which couldn¡¯t be helped considering how long it could last. As for the skewers, various portions of Bicorn meat was used, such as loin, thigh, belly and fillet. Normally, meat would taste better after marination, but the various portions used as well as the variety of seasonings used were a delight to the palate. And above all¡­¡­ ¡¸Delicious! W-What is this water? I have never drank water that has tasted this good before!?¡¹ Alnicht shouted out as he drank his glass of water. Yes, it was the water made with Rei¡¯s Dagger of Flowing Water. The dagger had the ability to change the taste of the water depending on the amount of magic power that was put into it and it was water made with Rei¡¯s enormous amount of magic power. The water wasn¡¯t just plain water anymore and had already become tasty enough that it could be considered its own dish. It was as good as the grilled skewers and soup. Like that, they all enjoyed Stee¡¯s cooking and Rei¡¯s water. Although Stee was shocked to hear that the water tasted better than her elaborate cooking, they were able to finish their lunch without any issues. Chapter 361 Chapter 361 Legend Chapter 361 ¡¸Oh, it looks like we can see Gilm.¡¹ Marka gave a happy shout from within the carriage. It had been several hours since they had lunch with dishes made from the meat of the Bicorns they had hunted on the grassland. By the time they arrived back in Gilm, it was evening. Inside Duke Quent¡¯s carriage, Marka had happily talked about the food she had eaten as well as the delicious water Rei had served her. In addition, Marka had borrowed the Dagger of Running Water from Rei and created some water, which although was not as clear tasting as Rei¡¯s, still made her very happy. Because of that¡­¡­ ¡¸So, Rei. Would you give that Dagger of Flowing Water to me? Of course, it would not be for nothing. Name your price and I will give it to you.¡¹ Marka, who had come to love the Dagger of Flowing Water more than ever, offered to buy it from Rei several times. However, for Rei the Dagger of Flowing Water, which could produce water just by pouring magic power into it, was not just essential to working as an adventurer¡­¡­it was also a very useful magic item in of itself. If he just needed water, he could use a water bottle or he could store some in barrels and then store the barrels into the Misty Ring or on a carriage like ordinary adventurers. However, if you considered the taste of the water, the Dagger of Flowing Water was far superior, so Rei did not accept Marka¡¯s offers. ¡¸Sorry, but I have no intention of giving it up.¡¹ ¡¸Ojou-sama, if you¡¯re too persistent, Rei will hate you. If that happens you won¡¯t be able to play with Set.¡¹ ¡¸M-Mm. That certainly is a problem. ¡­¡­I guess I will just have to ask around Osus if there is a similar magic item.¡¹ Osus. Also called the Magic City, it was a city that thrived on the selling and purchasing of magic items. Spurred on by the development in alchemy that had been made by the Bestir Empire in their last war, the Mireana Kingdom was now planning to broaden their connection with Osus. It was safe to say that the only daughter of Duke Quent, a leading figure in the Royalist Faction, would be one of the people chosen to do that. ¡¸Let¡¯s do that. If this kind of magic item becomes more popular, it will be quite convenient for adventurers who need to camp out.¡¹ ¡¸Umu, I don¡¯t think that ordinary adventurers would be able to afford such an expensive magic item, let alone use it on a frequent basis.¡¹ As she replied with some puzzlement at Rei¡¯s words, the carriage continued on, going straight to the guild after completing the procedures to enter the city. ¡­¡­On a side note, Stee was feeling depressed after having the food she had worked so hard to prepare be defeated by water created from a magic item, having had a good deal of confidence in her own cooking skills. The four people in the carriage, which could only be called garish, were Roble, Stee, Alnicht and Orkide. Of the four, Roble and Alnicht did not get along as just ignored each other. Orkide was leaning against the side of the carriage, enjoying a leisurely nap. In order to lighten the mood in the carriage, Stee had to take the initiative to continue the conversation like she had done in the morning when the went out to hunt the Bicorns. However, there was no way for her to do that in her current state of depression. As a result, the carriage was silent with a strange tension. Speaking of silence, the guild carriage that Ons and Residence were riding was no different. But, fortunately for them, the two of them didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by the silence. Like that, the one boisterous carriage and two silent carriages finally arrived at the guild. With regards to the rank up test, the main task of subjugating Bicorns had been completed, so only one task remained. Everyone got off their carriages and Set went over to the space for tamed monsters without anyone needing to say anything. Seeing that, Residence spoke up. ¡¸Now then, first of all, the subjugation of the Bicorns has been hard on you all. The only thing left is the individual interview, as I have mentioned to you previously. Each of you will be called from the meeting room one at a time.¡¹ Saying that, Residence quickly entered the guild. The others followed after him¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh, they¡¯re back. So, what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, as far as I can see, Stee? She doesn¡¯t look too good. Did she make a mistake in the Bicorn subjugation.¡¹ ¡¸That guy called Roble¡­¡­he doesn¡¯t look too good either. It¡¯s Bicorns right? I don¡¯t think guys who about to get B rank would fail to kill monsters like that.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I think it¡¯s something else. I know a bit about Roble, he wouldn¡¯t be so depressed just from failing something.¡¹ ¡¸Then what is it?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows? That¡¯s not something I can tell you.¡¹ ¡¸Rei¡­¡­I can¡¯t see much of his expression under his hood, but it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s anything wrong.¡¹ ¡¸Well, if it¡¯s pure combat strength, whether he¡¯s C or B rank is not even a discussion. In the first place, it¡¯s strange to have a title at C rank.¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah. So if Rei is going to fail, it¡¯s going to be on something else¡­¡­¡¹ While hearing the discussion of the people around them, the group went straight past the counters and upstairs. Lenora and Kenny were at the counter and naturally saw Rei. However, it was the evening and they were too busy giving the rewards for adventurers who had completed their requests or dealing with those that had failed to call out to him. Evenings were the busiest time period alongside mornings, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. However, Kenny still let out a sigh of disappointment that she couldn¡¯t talk with Rei, who was only visible for a short moment. However, she soon returned to her work dealing with adventurers after Lenora hit her head with a rolled up set of documents. Even though it was already evening, it was still quite bright, the sun had yet to fully set as it was now summer. Meanwhile, in the meeting room on the second floor of the guild, the participants of the rank up test gathered there. There were the people who were taking the test, including Rei, the guild examiner, Residence, and the nobles, including Marka. A total of 9 people. In the middle of all this, Residence spoke up as Rei and the others all took a seat. ¡¸Now then, as I said before, I will be conducting the individual interviews. You may rest assured that I will be the only one interviewing you.¡¹ Roble gave a sigh of relief. He was probably grateful that Residence would be the only one interviewing him as he definitely would not have got along with Alnicht. Glancing at Roble¡¯s reaction, Residence immediately called out to him. ¡¸Good timing. Roble will be the first to be interviewed. The rest of you wait here. The interview will take place in a private room next to this meeting room. Roble, come with me.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? O-Oh. I understand.¡¹ ¡¸Roble, good luck.¡¹ Stee called out to Roble, who nodded tensely. With that, Roble left the meeting room, following after Residence. ¡¸¡­¡­Roble, I hope we will be fine. He doesn¡¯t like interviews or things like that.¡¹ Stee murmured to herself. ¡¸However, if his rank goes up, he will have to meet with more nobles right? Well, there are still quite a few B rank adventurers, so it does not mean that you will definitely have to deal with nobles.¡¹ At Stee¡¯s murmurs, Marka, who had sat down on a chair that Coan pulled over, replied. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Besides, if you¡¯re in a party, you can let other members handle discussions with the nobles.¡¹ ¡¸Now that you mention it, Elk from Axe of the Thunder God was like that.¡¹ Rei, who was listening to their conversation, recalled the face of an A rank adventurer, who looked like a grown up mischievous kid. He had heard Elk tell that to him directly, so it left a strong impression on him. ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true, I definitely can¡¯t imagine someone like Elk-san caring about etiquette.¡¹ ¡¸That said, he still knows the bare minimum. He also has more to offer than just etiquette.¡¹ It was clear that he was valued for his combat skills and not for his politeness to the client. ¡¸However, I still think a certain level of etiquette is required. Especially when dealing with requests from nobles or royalty.¡¹ Alnicht spoke as he listened to the conversation between the 3 of them. Marka and Coan both nodded in agreement. Although it might be possible to rank up without knowing proper etiquette, it was always better to know some than to know nothiing at all. In the first place, it was rare to have such a strange person as Elk. ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­I don¡¯t care much for stuff like etiquette. It¡¯s troublesome. I don¡¯t want to have to be so formal.¡¹ ¡¸Haah, where¡¯s your pride as a noble?¡¹ As they spent their time talking, Roble returned to the meeting room after about 20 minutes. Immediately after he entered the room, all eyes focused on him and he flinched for a moment before speaking. ¡¸Rei, you¡¯re next.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Me?¡¹ Rei that thought that Stee would have been next considering she was Roble¡¯s partner, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask to confirm. However, Roble just silently nodded. Robles nod made Rei realise he was serious. Rei stood up from his chair and left the meeting room. As he walked out, he felt everyone¡¯s gazes on his back. ¡¸Well, take a seat first.¡¹ A small room next to the meeting room. It was about 10m^2 in size, just good enough for a small group of people to have a discussion. After entering the room, Rei sat down in a chair at Residence¡¯s prompt. ¡¸So, I will now start the interview with you¡­¡­ah, that¡¯s right, before we start, please tell me if you have any thoughts or feelings regarding this rank up test.¡¹ ¡¸Anything at all?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, of course.¡¹ Hearing his reply, Rei looked at Residence before starting to speak. ¡¸Alnicht gave me a strange request when Set was herding the Bicorns over. Was that part of the test?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A strange request? No, I didn¡¯t ask him to do anything. What did he ask you?¡¹ Residence prompted Rei to continue, but Rei paused for several seconds. Should he say it or not? Rei hesitated for a while before finally deciding that it was probably part of the test and spoke up. ¡¸He asked me to intentionally let the Bicorns flee and said he would reward me separately. He wanted to restrict the amount of materials that can only be found around Gilm that would go to the rest of the Mireana Kingdom.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is this true?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, definitely.¡¹ Rei nodded and acknowledged it immediately, even though Residence asked him if it actually happened. ¡¸I¡¯ll say this first, framing a noble would be a very serious crime. You understand that when you say this, right?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not trying to frame Alnicht for anything. I am only telling you what he said, purely in terms of the request he gave me.¡¹ While Rei explained, he was already half convinced that Alnicht¡¯s request wasn¡¯t real and only served to be part of the test. (In the first place, Alnicht¡¯s arrogant personality seems to be a deliberate show made for the purpose of the rank up test. Considering that, mentioning Alnicht¡¯s request here should be the right choice¡­¡­) ¡¸Hm, is that so. In that case, I will look into it myself¡­¡­are you sure about this? You can¡¯t just tell me it was a joke or an accident later after saying that here.¡¹ As if double checking¡­¡­Residence asked Rei again after telling him that there would be penalties if the results of his investigation turned nothing up. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s fine. If I¡¯m wrong, then it¡¯s my mistake, so I should be punished for it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s fine. If you say that, then I won¡¯t say anything more. I¡¯ll tell you the results of my investigation later, so remember that.¡¹ That was the end of the matter about Alnicht and the interview ended after he was asked for his impressions on the test as well as Roble, Stee and Ons, who he had worked together with. The results of the rank up test would be revealed after 5 days. Until then, the participants of the rank up test, including Rei, held a sense of tension. Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Legend Chapter 362 As the outside grew dark, nearly 10 people gathered in the meeting room on the second floor of the guild. You could tell how late it was from the fact that the outside was already dark despite it already being summer. However, the guild was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so magic items that used magic stones were used to light up the guild all around, meaning that there were no problems with it being too dark. Anyway, inside the meeting room, sweating from the summer heat, the discussion between everyone continued as they drank fruit juice chilled using a magic item. The honest thoughts of the people in the meeting room where that they would rather drink chilled fruit wine rather than fruit juice. Even though they were in a meeting, they could still hear the sounds of people drinking and making noise in the guild¡¯s bar below. ¡¸As far as I¡¯m concerned, Stee is fine, but it¡¯s too early for Roble to reach B rank. I can¡¯t blame him for not being able to get along with me. But, if that clouds his eyes and dulls his decision making, I cannot confidently give him a request.¡¹ Alnicht said that as he brought a glass of chilled fruit juice to his mouth. Any of the people taking the rank up test would have been surprised if they saw Alnicht now. Aside from Rei, who had already half expected his attitude to have just been for show, Roble, who had been very disagreeable with Alnicht, would have been astonished to find his arrogant personality from the rank up test completely gone. In the first place, Alnicht wasn¡¯t that arrogant of a person, even if he was a little harsh on others. Although his original purpose in coming to Gilm had been to recruit Rei, he had not been swept away by the actions taken by Egg and Marina, who had eliminated those likely to cause trouble with Rei. The character he had in the rank up test, had just been for show. ¡¸That is true, I understand what you mean, Alnicht-sama. With regards to his combat strength, he¡¯s barely at the B rank threshold¡­¡­¡¹ One of the guild staff responded with a sigh as Residence listened in with a smile. ¡¸For him to say that Alnicht-sama wasn¡¯t worthy of nobility instead of bringing up Marka-sama¡¯s request during the Bicorn subjugation in the interview¡­¡­I really didn¡¯t expect him to do that.¡¹ As expected, in this meeting where only nobles and his superiors from the guild were present, Residence spoke in a polite manner compared to his casual tone when speaking to Rei. ¡¸There¡¯s nothing wrong with being impulsive. But that is only realises his own tendency to do that. He can¡¯t act carried away with his emotions. He managed to pass the combat test, but he failed the etiquette and decision making tests. He couldn¡¯t even talk with Alnicht-dono, who was supposed to be the client for this request.¡¹ Alnicht gave a bitter smile at what Residence¡¯s superior had to say. ¡¸It might sound immature from me, but if I were to make a nominated request, I wouldn¡¯t ask him.¡¹ ¡¸Personally, I don¡¯t mind people with that kind of personality. That said, I¡¯m not too keen on having a self-centred high ranking adventurer as a party member either. I think it would be best I passed up on him.¡¹ Following after Alnicht, Marka rubbed her eyes and spoke as she drank some chilled fruit juice to wake herself up. Even if she was more mature than her age, her body was still that of a 7 year old child. Because of that, she was fighting against the sleepiness taking over her. ¡¸As for me, I wasn¡¯t involved in any particular way, so I guess he probably has reasonable tolerance towards people who aren¡¯t hostile to him.¡¹ Orkide continued after her. Alnicht had played the role of a haughty noble, but it was Orkide¡¯s true nature to avoid trouble, so he didn¡¯t bother getting himself involved much with Roble, the topic of their conversation. But because of this, he had been able to observe the interactions between Roble and Alnicht from an outsider¡¯s perspective. ¡¸Hmm, I see. ¡­¡­Then, what did you think?¡¹ Residence¡¯s superior turned to look towards one of the men in the meeting room. It was a middle-aged man in his 40¡¯s who had been silently listening in to their discussion. If Rei, Roble or Stee had been here, they would have been surprised. It was because the man attending the meeting as a guild staff was someone who had taken the rank up test alongside them. ¡¸He¡¯s not a bad person, but it¡¯s too early for him.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. If even Ons says so, then it¡¯s settled.¡¹ Yes, it was Ons. The seemingly inconspicuous and silent man had in fact been working alongside Rei and the others as one of their examiners. Yet, Rei and Stee, who had both felt suspicious of Alnicht, had not felt anything from Ons at all, showing his skill. That was why he had been invited from outside Gilm¡¯s guild to help with the test. At first, when everyone else had gathered in the meeting room to discuss the rank up test, Marka, Coan, Alnicht and Orkide had been surprised to see Ons. However, they understood after it was explained to them that Ons had also been one of the examiners. ¡­¡­In addition, Alnicht had a rather interesting expression on his face. ¡¸So, with respect to Roble, we will not be promoting him to B rank this time.¡¹ With the the decision from Residence¡¯s superior, Roble was given a fail for the test. ¡¸Next is Stee. She¡¯s a Foxkin and an archer. She was quite skilled with the bow and among the members participating in the rank up test this time, she was able to attack from the furthest distance.¡¹ Everyone else nodded in admiration at Residence¡¯s high evaluation. Although Stee was in a party with Roble, her skills were still highly regarded because she was an archer. She had an advantage that most ordinary warriors didn¡¯t have, the ability to one-sidedly attack the enemy from a distance. It was because of this that weren¡¯t as many archers as warriors. ¡¸She also showed far more respect towards nobles that there¡¯s no need to compare her with Roble. She was a little unfamiliar with conversing, but I think she will get used to it working more at B rank.¡¹ Following after her combat strength, Alnicht praised her etiquette skills. At this moment, everyone listening in thought that Stee would be passed. ¡¸But, she has some difficulty making decisions. The matter about the Bicorns that you each approached them about. I believe it was you who talked with her¡­¡­¡¹ Residence¡¯s gaze turned to Orkide, who nodded as he spoke. ¡¸It was me. She refused my request, but looked somewhat troubled. Of course, she wasn¡¯t going to let the Bicorns escape, but it seemed like she overthought it in her mind.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that natural? I think it¡¯s a lot better than to say yes or no without any thought.¡¹ One of the guild staff responded, but Orkide shook his head. ¡¸If you think about it normally, then that¡¯s true. But the way she was acting at the time made it seem like she felt like she might be seen as having colluded with me. That¡¯s just what I felt, so I can¡¯t say for sure¡­¡­how did the interview go?¡¹ Fuah~, Orkide gave a small yawn as he asked Residence about the interview. Residence nodded in response with slight concern. ¡¸Well, I told her in the interview that she could say anything she wanted, but she didn¡¯t bring anything up at first. In the end, she told me that Orkide-sama had asked her to let the Bicorns escape, but it still took her considerable time to bring it up. Considering that, I still have some doubts about her ability to make decisions on a moment¡¯s notice.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem in the end though, since she still told you.¡¹ At the guild staff¡¯s words, the other nodded in agreement. ¡¸Ons, how was Stee from your perspective? Do you think it¡¯s appropriate for her to go to B rank?¡¹ At the question from Residence¡¯s superior, the eyes of everyone in the room turned towards the silent man. Ons may not have been expecting that, but he nodded as he spoke. ¡¸I¡¯m a little concerned about her skill, but she has high potential. Besides, unlike Roble, she¡¯s not aggressive. If anything, she¡¯s the type of person that uses others well.¡¹ ¡¸Huh, that¡¯s quite a high rating, unlike Roble.¡¹ Marka said that with a small smile on her face. However, the others couldn¡¯t help but noticed she was starting to rub her eyes to fight off her sleepiness. ¡¸Does anyone else have anything to say about Stee?¡¹ ¡¸She worked quite well as someone to smooth out relations within the party. And, I don¡¯t¡¯ know if this is a necessary skill for a B rank adventurer, but she was also a pretty good cook. If she worked with other nobles on a request, the food she can make won¡¯t be so bad that they would reject it, even if it wouldn¡¯t fully satisfy them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so? The water that Rei had served during that time was so good that I don¡¯t remember too much about the food¡­¡­¡¹ Orkide followed on after Alnicht¡¯s words. In fact, the dishes that Stee had served during lunch were not bad at all. However, since the water Rei created with his magic power and the Dagger of Flowing Water had been so good that it could have been called dew from the heavens, Stee¡¯s food ended up being perceived as neither good nor bad. ¡¸Umu, that water was delicious. I wonder if it could even be served to royalty.¡¹ At the words of praise from the daughter of Duke Quest, a royalist noble, the guild staff who hadn¡¯t tasted the water Rei had created using the Dagger of Flowing Water couldn¡¯t help but gulp as they imagined what it must have tasted like. The unfortunate problem for them was that it was water. Since it was such a common drink, they found it impossible to imagine how it would have tasted like. In the end, as if to bring the conversation to a close, Residence¡¯s superior spoke up. ¡¸Anyway, although Stee is still somewhat immature, she still has the ability to be promoted to B rank. Are there any objections?¡¹ The meeting room was silent as nobody raised any objections. ¡¸Then it is decided, Stee will be promoted to B rank. ¡­¡­Now, lastly, the most important one¡­¡­¡¹ The moment Rei¡¯s name came out, the meeting room started buzzing in a different way from before. Some of them frowned while others smiled. In the midst of all this, Residence, the on site examiner, decided to speak first. ¡¸Honestly, I have no issues with his combat strength. If it¡¯s just that, he¡¯s not just B rank. It¡¯s enough to reach A rank.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true. Considering that he even has a title, we don¡¯t need to worry about his combat strength at this point.¡¹ The guild staff all nodded in agreement. Everyone here already knew about Rei¡¯s combat strength. As for the guild staff, many of them had known Rei since he first came to Gilm. It had started with him killing the Orc King at G rank, which finally allowed him to take on requests outside the city. And more recently, he had been given a title after overwhelming the vanguard of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army by himself. He had even killed the Lemrace, a huge B rank monster bordering on A rank. ¡¸Removing the criteria for combat strength, how about the rest?¡¹ In response to his superior¡¯s question, Residence spoke up after a moment of hesitation. ¡¸First of all, I don¡¯t have any issues with his decision making. During his interview, he immediately reported the matter that Alnicht-sama had proposed to him. Well, it would have been nice if he had shown a little more thought about it, but at the very least, I don¡¯t think he would have chosen to do anything that would damage the kingdom, guild or Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸Well, in that case, the last issue is his etiquette¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not sure what to say about this one¡­¡­I can only say he is unsubtle. However, he has no malice behind it. I¡¯ve heard that he was raised by his master deep in the mountains, so I can¡¯t blame him for that.¡¹ Hearing Residence¡¯s thoughts, most of the people present were troubled. Aside from etiquette, he had no issues stopping him from being promoted to B rank. But the key problem was his etiquette. After that, they continued to discuss Rei¡¯s rank up for about an hour¡­¡­by the time they had reached a conclusion on whether or not to promote him, it was already well past midnight. Chapter 363 It had been several days since the rank up test had ended. Rain clouds covered the sky and there was a light drizzle falling. Rei and the others who had participated in the rank up test arrived at a warehouse like space in Gilm¡¯s back streets. ¡¸Wow, what is this. I¡¯ve been living in Gilm for a long time, but I had no idea there was a place like this in the back streets.¡¹ Roble muttered curiously as Stee slapped his back without agreeing with him. ¡¸Rather than that, let¡¯s get inside the warehouse. We don¡¯t want to get soaked by the rain and catch a cold.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At Stee¡¯s words, Ons, who was also present, nodded before entering the building with Rei leading the way. ¡¸The owner of this place calls it a dismantling room, if you know what I mean.¡¹ ¡¸A warehouse this size¡­¡­¡¹ Roble muttered as he opened the door and stepped inside. ¡¸Ahahaha. That said, doesn¡¯t a dismantling room sound better than a dismantling warehouse?¡¹ For more, visit novelhall[.]com As they entered the building, a young man appeared as he spoke. Both Roble and Stee knew him. Ons didn¡¯t know, as he was an adventurer from out of town, but didn¡¯t show any sign as he stayed silent. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set, who went inside the building with Rei, gave a happy cry when he saw who it was, having not met for a long time. ¡¸Hasta, sorry for borrowing this place so suddenly.¡¹ Rei called out to Hasta, the adventurer they had gone with to hunt Gamelions, a giant carnivorous rabbit, last winter. ¡¸Hasta!?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? So this is part of the Satisfied Stomach¡­¡­?¡¹ Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com Having lived here for a long time, Roble and Stee had both gone to the Satisfied Stomach many times in their lower ranking days and knew Hasta because of that. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while Roble-san, Stee-san. I heard you took the B rank test. Congratulations!¡¹ Hasta bowed his head with a small smile, but Roble shook his head with a smile himself as he replied. ¡¸Don¡¯t say that. We haven¡¯t passed just yet. Save that until they announce it.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I might have taken the rank up test, but I don¡¯t know if I will pass.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure Roble-san and Stee-san will pass. ¡­¡­So, more importantly, did Rei-san say you wanted to borrow this place today?¡¹ Seeing that greetings were over, Hasta looked over at Rei and asked. ¡¸Yeah. We want to dismantle the monsters we hunted during the rank up test. Going out of the city is troublesome and, above all, it¡¯s raining. ¡­¡­Oh right, the silent one over there is Ons. He was an adventurer who took the rank up test with us.¡¹ Turning to look at him, Ons bowed after Rei¡¯s introduction. Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸Oh, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Hasta, a D rank adventurer. Um¡­¡­I¡¯ll be in your care.¡¹ Seeing Ons bow his head, Hasta was a little puzzled at the unfamiliar face. Of course, Hasta couldn¡¯t remember the faces of all the adventurers in Gilm. Still, he thought that he should have known if it was an adventurer close to B rank. He had no idea that Ons was an adventurer who had been called in from another city just for the rank up test. ¡¸Well, I would like to use the warehouse right away if that¡¯s okay with you.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯ve already processed everything that was going to be used in the eatery today, it¡¯s fine as long as you clean up properly. After all, it¡¯s summer¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh, of course. I¡¯ll take care of that and make sure everything is clean.¡¹ Stee nodded in agreement and Hasta, who was relieved to see that, bowed his head slightly. ¡¸Well, I still have to help out at the eatery. Please come around when you¡¯re done here. My dad he wanted you to try a new dish he made.¡¹ This content is taken from novelhall[.]com ¡¸A new dish?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, he was boasting that it was the best food too keep cool with in the hot summer.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s true. I lose my appetite in summer when it¡¯s hot.¡¹ ¡¸Come on Roble, that¡¯s never happened in summer. You¡¯ve always had a big appetite.¡¹ Stee lightly whacked Roble¡¯s head from behind. Seeing that, Hasta left the building with a small smile. ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll prepare some for all of you and not just Rei-san, so please drop into the eatery when you¡¯re finished.¡¹ Saying that, he ran out through the drizzling rain. ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, let¡¯s start dismantling the Bicorns. I¡¯d like to finish troublesome work as soon as possible.¡¹ This content is taken from novelhall[.]com Rei took out 29 Bicorns from the Misty Ring and laid them down on the floor. ¡¸If there¡¯s this many, is it fine for everyone to dismantle their own share?¡¹ Everyone nodded at Rei¡¯s question. ¡­¡­For some reason, Set nodded as well. 4 Bicorns were hung up on hooks for dismantling and each of them started on their own. Rei brought out the dismantling knife he usually used. Cutting the skin from the body, he cut up the meat and removed internal organs as he took out its magic stone from its heart. After that, he divided the meat into chunks after skinning and taking apart the first Bicorn. As expected, Rei gradually took less time after doing the same thing several times. However, it was still far from Roble¡¯s rate of dismantling. Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com While Rei finished one Bicorn, Roble dealt with two. ¡¸Wow, Ons-san is fast!¡¹ As everyone silently handled the Bicorns while enduring the midsummer heat, a voice unexpectedly echoed out. Rei looked over and saw Stee looking at Ons with surprise and respect. However, it was no wonder that Stee had been surprised. While Rei had finished one, Roble handled two. However, Ons had dealt with three in the same amount of time. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s definitely amazing.¡¹ Rei spoke his own admiration, following Stee. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of speed. There were almost no useless cuts on the skin, only those that were there when it had been killed, and the meat had been cut apart beautifully. Naturally, there were no scratches on the magic stones, which were neatly taken out and placed on the ground. Compared to skin that Rei had cut, Ons¡¯ method of skinning was so beautiful that you could see the difference in appearance. There were some things that could only be gained with experience. For more, visit novelhall[.]com ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set, who had been watching Ons divide up the meat, gave a cry as he went over to him. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing that, Ons gave Set a piece of meat from the Bicorn¡¯s back, one of the most expensive portions, without saying a word. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Is this okay? Set seemed to say with a cry. Ons didn¡¯t say anything but just went back to processing the rest of the Bicorns after putting the portion of meat in front of Set. ¡¸Sorry about that. Thanks.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s thank, Ons glances towards Set for a moment and nodded before moving onto his next Bicorn. Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience ¡¸I can¡¯t lose!¡¹ Feeling a sense of rivalry with Ons, Roble tried to start skinning his third Bicorn. ¡¸Idiot, rather than going fast, be more careful. If you want to sell it, it will be worth less if the skin is damaged. Especially if you want to sell it to the guild, they¡¯re very strict about that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then, what if we sell it to another eatery?¡¹ ¡¸You definitely might be able to earn more, but you would have to negotiate a price. Roble is no good at that and I¡¯m not particularly good at it either.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll do it more carefully.¡¹ Roble nodded and restrained himself after his lover¡¯s words as he carefully moved his knife to focus on quality rather than speed. Like that, each of them focused on dismantling their Bicorns, and by the end of the day, there were all finished. Of course, the first to finish was Ons, followed by Roble, Stee and Rei, who was last. However, it was natural that Rei was last as he had more Bicorns to take apart aside from being the slowest to dismantle a Bicorn. In the end, Ons, who finished first, helped with Stee¡¯s share. After Stee and Roble were finished, the 3 of them helped to deal with Rei¡¯s portion. ¡¸¡­¡­Phew, I can just put my share of the meat and skin into my item box, but what do the rest of you plan to do?¡¹ Rei asked the others as looked over at Set, who was eating the leftover chunks of meat that Rei had cooked with his magic by picking them up with his beak and swallowing it. ¡¸I¡¯ve already got that handled. I arranged to rent a cart to carry the meat.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡­¡­Ah-!?¡¹ At Stee¡¯s words, Roble realised that he hadn¡¯t arranged anything to handle his own share. But¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve arranged for your share as well.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah. I¡¯m sorry. As expected of Stee.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like you to be able to do that yourself soon. I¡¯ve been the one to do this every time.¡¹ ¡¸No, but isn¡¯t it more reliable for you to do it than me?¡¹ As Rei listened it to their conversation, which could only be best described as a lover¡¯s quarrel, he turned to look at Ons. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ However, Ons just nodded back without saying anything. ¡¸It looks like Ons has his side handled as well. In that case, I¡¯d better get on with my own share.¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei cut off the meat from the Bicorns, which were twice the size of ordinary horses, and stored them into the Misty Ring in chunks. Even discounting the skin, bones and internal organs, the meat from seven Bicorns still added up to several tons. Still, Rei didn¡¯t have any particular issues as he stored the meat, skin and magic stones into the Misty Ring one after another. (As for absorbing magic stones¡­¡­I don¡¯t think I can do that today.) This content is taken from novelhall[.]com Rei thought to himself as he continued his work. After each of them had dismantled their share of Bicorns and sold the meat to butchers, except for Rei, who kept the meat and materials, they went back to the Satisfied Stomach as they had promised Hasta. It was bit late for lunch, so even though there were still customers, it wasn¡¯t full. As Set lay down out the front as usual, Rei entered the eatery. ¡¸Oh, Rei-san! Everyone! Have you finished? You¡¯re just in time, come on in.¡¹ At the words of Hasta, who was serving customers inside the eatery, Rei and the others sat down at a table. ¡¸Oh, Hasta. I¡¯m sorry, but Set¡¯s still out the front of the eatery, could you please get him something? For that¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Rei tried to take out a silver coin to pay for Set¡¯s share, but Hasta shook his head. ¡¸It¡¯s my treat today. Set as well of course.¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience ¡¸Wow, seriously!?¡¹ ¡¸Is that really fine?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Roble looked happy at Hasta¡¯s words while Stee was worried if it was really okay with Hasta. Ons nodded silently. However, Hasta just laughed as he spoke. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s fine. Instead, I would like your thoughts on the new dish.¡¹ ¡¸New dish? You did mention that back in the dismantling shed¡­¡­is it an udon dish?¡¹ The Satisfied Stomach was famous for being the birthplace of udon. That was why Stee, who had eaten udon before, had naturally asked whether it was a new udon dish when she heard about it and she was right. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s udon. However, it¡¯s a good dish to eat in summer. Do you mind?¡¹ Everyone nodded at Hasta¡¯s question. ¡¸Hey, have you ever eaten udon? It¡¯s become quite popular these days.¡¹ Although Roble didn¡¯t know who had created udon, Rei had no intention of telling him that and just nodded. Ons, who had only come to Gilm for the rank up test, shook his head. ¡¸This is your first time Ons? As for what udon is¡­¡­¡¹ Stee and Rei looked at each other with a wry smile as Roble explained to Ons how to eat udon. Although Roble was fundementally an impulsive and straightforward person, he was also surprisingly caring. ¡¸Yes, here¡¯s your food. Summer udon.¡¹ In the middle of Roble¡¯s udon explanation, Hasta came over with a tray. It was not the bowl of udon that Rei was used to, but rather a dish on a plate. He couldn¡¯t even feel any heat from the udon soup. This content is taken from novelhall[.]com ¡¸¡­¡­This is?¡¹ Rei asked Hasta, his voice accompanied with some surprise. It wasn¡¯t because it was the first time he had seen the dish¡­¡­rather, it was because it looked familiar. Not in Elgin, but in Japan. ¡¸It¡¯s made by pouring cold soup over chilled udon noodles and topping it with various ingredients. Even people who lose their appetite in summer can eat it.¡¹ ¡¸Wow, it looks delicious!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, I could eat this even when it is hot.¡¹ Chilled udon with broth, the name of the dish went through Rei¡¯s mind. Of course, there were many differences compared with the chilled udon that Rei knew of. There was no soft cooked or raw egg and there were no condiments like dried bonito, leek, ginger or shiso leaves. The meat and vegetables had also been boiled before being chilled. ¡¸How did you manage to chill it?¡¹ Roble asked Hasta with a smile as he wound the udon around his fork and brought it to his mouth. Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com ¡¸It was a bit expensive, but I bought a magic item that can chill things. I told my dad that he shouldn¡¯t go this far, but he said that he absolutely needed one for this dish. So I didn¡¯t have a choice but to go get one¡­¡­¡¹ An embarrassed smile appeared on Hasta¡¯s face as Ons and the others looked at him in surprise. Magic items that needed magic stones to make were expensive, excluding basic household items like ones used to light fires. For a magic item used to chill things, it would naturally cost quite a bit, which was why Rei and the others were surprised. Ons didn¡¯t know about the financial situation of the Satisfied Stomach, but he still knew that magic items used to chill things were expensive. Like that, they all enjoyed the new dish at the Satisfied Stomach as Rei smiled at Dishot¡¯s decision to create such a dish. Chapter 364 Two days after dismantling the Bicorns. Rei was walking along the street with Set as they made their way towards the guild in the afternoon. The reason they were heading over was because they guild had sent him a message yesterday. They would be announcing the results of the test, so Rei needed to head to the guild the next afternoon. In the previous rank up test to get to D rank, the results of the test were announced the day after the test was concluded. However, for the B rank test, 5 days had passed before the announcement on whether they had passed or failed was made. In a sense, it was unavoidable as reaching B rank meant that a person was regarded as a first class talent. ¡¸Phew, B rank. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s an issue with my skills, but I¡¯m not sure how the rest of what I did will be judged.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei stroked Set¡¯s head as he bit on a skewer in his hands. The moment he bit down, his mouth was filled with the fragrant flavour of the sauce before the taste of meat spread through his mouth. Some people might have lost their appetite due to the summer heat, but nothing of the sort happened to Rei. Because of that, he made his way down the main street, buying food from stalls and sharing it with Set. ¡¸Oh, Rei. Set as well. What¡¯s happening today? Would you like anything to eat?¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m running late. I¡¯ve been called over by the guild, so I need to hurry.¡¹ Although he said that to the owner of a sandwich street stall, he still bought a ham and vegetable sandwich. The people in the surroundings had some thoughts about Rei¡¯s contradictory words and actions, but just moved on by without saying anything. Like that, although Rei said he was in a hurry, he continued to buy snacks from food stalls as he made his way down the main street, eventually arriving at the guild. ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Set gave Rei an encouraging cry before heading over to the space for tamed monsters as usual while Rei entered the guild. At that moment, Rei realised that there were more adventurers in the guild than usual, even though it was day time. At the same time, there seemed to be more people over at the bar area in the guild. He easily realised what was the cause after listening in to what they were saying. ¡¸If you go by combat strength alone, I¡¯d say Rei is the favourite and Roble is second.¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience ¡¸But, it¡¯s B rank. It¡¯s necessary to have more than just combat strength. If you consider that, I think Stee has more common sense.¡¹ ¡¸What about Ons?¡¹ ¡¸Who is that? I¡¯ve been in this city for a long time, but I¡¯ve never seen someone called Ons before.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve never seen Ons-san either. However, I bet on Stee-san based on her overall ability, so I¡¯m not too worried.¡¹ ¡¸Idiot. You won¡¯t earn much money from that. I put a big bet on the old guy called Ons.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What were you thinking? You¡¯ve never seen him or heard of him? I don¡¯t know what skills he has, so how could I place a big bet on him. And he¡¯s taking the rank up test at that age? It¡¯s a fact that he¡¯s at a bigger disadvantage compared to the others.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, that¡¯s why. A man must be able to make a big bet. By the way, my bet was the three silver coins I earned from the last request I took.¡¹ ¡¸An idiot, an idiot is over here.¡¹ Rei headed over towards the counter while hearing the sounds of voices coming from all around him. There, Kenny, who had been trying to get Rei¡¯s attention since he entered the guild, waved at him while Lenora handled some paperwork beside her. Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸Welcome, Rei-kun. Everyone who was part of the rank up test is already in the meeting room. It¡¯s unusual for Rei to be last. Were you nervous and unable to sleep? Actually, I couldn¡¯t sleep well last night myself.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, why couldn¡¯t you go to sleep? That has nothing to do with Rei-san¡¯s rank up test. Ah, Rei-san. Hello. As Kenny said, everyone else is already here, I would like to talk some more, but you¡¯d better hurry to the meeting room.¡¹ ¡¸There is a reason. I was worried about whether Rei-kun would be promoted to B rank.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I¡­¡­ahh, forget it.¡¹ Rei smiled lightly at their usual exchang and thanked them before going upstairs. ¡¸Rei-kun, let¡¯s celebrate together after you pass.¡¹ Jealous glances were directed to Rei from male adventurers who heard Kenny¡¯s invitation. ¡¸You¡¯re quite late. It seems you¡¯re confident.¡¹ It was Roble who called out to Rei as he entered the meeting room. For some reason, there was a slight seriousness in the way he looked at Rei. ¡¸Even so, there¡¯s still time, so there¡¯s no problem right?¡¹ Roble hadn¡¯t been as antagonistic when they had worked together to dismantle the Bicorns two days ago¡­¡­thinking of that, Rei replied as he took a seat. There was no way that Rei could have known that Roble was feeling envious of him because he had heard Kenny invite Rei out with his hearing, peculiar to Beastkin. If course, Roble didn¡¯t really want anything to do with Kenny since Stee was his girlfriend. However, he was still jealous of Rei as a man, since he was liked by a beautiful woman like Kenny. ¡­¡­He had no idea that Stee, who was sitting next to him, could tell what Roble was thinking in his heart. Rei, after sitting in his chair, turned to look over at Ons without noticing what was going on between the lovers. ¡¸We¡¯ve been through a lot, but this will be the last time we¡¯ll be working together like this.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Ons nodded in silence. For more, visit novelhall[.]com Ons had been sent here from another city as an examiner for the rank up test, but he still enjoyed working together with Rei. Because of that, he didn¡¯t feel that bad for deceiving them. ¡¸¡­¡­They¡¯re here.¡¹ The 4 of them continued to converse as they killed time before Roble noticed footsteps coming up towards the meeting room. At that moment, the meeting room, which had previously heard a calm atmosphere, was gradually filled with a tense feeling. Roble, Stee and Rei. All three of them felt that they had the ability to be promoted to B rank. However, if it were that easy to rank up, B rank adventurers wouldn¡¯t be as uncommon as they were. It was because they knew this that the meeting room grew tense. ¡¸It seems everyone is here.¡¹ Residence entered the meeting room and looked around before speaking. Following after Residence, 4 more people entered, Marka, Coan, Alnicht and Orkide, which everyone was familar with. Everyone understood that the 4 of them were present as they had served as test examiners. Standing in front of Rei¡¯s group, Residence immediately spoke up. ¡¸Well then, I don¡¯t want to drag too long here, so I¡¯ll quickly announce the results for the rank up test. Those who passed are¡­¡­Stee and Rei. Roble did not pass.¡¹ ¡¸I failed!?¡¹ The first person to react at those simple words was, of course, Roble. It was only natural as he had been confident in his own ability. ¡¸¡­¡­Yes. In your case, you were barely able to pass the requirement for combat strength, but your promotion was rejected on other factors.¡¹ ¡¸Wait! What other factors!?¡¹ ¡¸First of all, your character. It¡¯s not bad to be strong minded, but you can¡¯t control yourself. Regarding Alnicht, you ignored him just because he didn¡¯t match your personality. That¡¯s no way to treat a client, to say the least. In addition, when you were discussing how to divide up the Bicorns, you tried to get the bigger share for yourself first. Also, during the interview, you talked more about Alnicht-sama than about Marka-sama¡¯s offer regarding the Bicorns. There are many other details, but that¡¯s the brief explanation.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Roble could be heard clenching his teeth as he listened to Residence¡¯s words. ¡¸Then, next¡­¡­¡¹ Feeling that, he had provided enough information regarding Roble¡¯s test, Residence was about to move on¡­¡­ ¡¸Wait a minute, I have a few questions.¡¹ ¡¸Regarding Roble¡¯s test results, it has already been decided by the higher ups in the guild. It can¡¯t be overturned.¡¹ ¡¸No, not that.¡¹ Stee glanced anxiously towards her lover for a moment, but then turned to look towards Ons. Yes, towards the silent man who¡¯s name wasn¡¯t mentioned in the list of people who passed or failed. ¡¸Oh, he hasn¡¯t told you yet? Ons isn¡¯t a test taker, he¡¯s a test examiner.¡¹ For more, visit novelhall[.]com ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Stee looked towards Ons with a stunned expression. Roble, who had just been told that he had failed the test, was so shocked that he forgot about his exam results. Rei also looked over at Ons with surprise. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Ons nodded in silence as he took in the gazes from the three. Roble tried to say something as he opened his mouth, but eventually stayed silent without saying anything. However, the indignation over his test results had disappeared from his face. He must have been too shocked to think about that. ¡¸Ons is an adventurer who came here from another city for this test. He may look like that, but he¡¯s a B rank adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? But, his guild card was¡­¡­oh, right.¡¹ Stee muttered to herself but quickly realised. Since he was requested to be a test examiner by the guild, Stee realised that it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for them to make a fake guild card. ¡¸You seem to understand now. Now, regarding combat strength, Stee is slightly short of B rank. However, considering that she is an archer, she managed to pass the minimum requirement. As for etiquette, it¡¯s clear that she has the highest score in this group. ¡­¡­However, Roble and Rei were really too lacking in etiquette. Other than that, she spoke up for Ons¡¯ share when dividing up the Bicorns and her cooking during lunch wasn¡¯t bad either. During the interview, she lost some marks for taking a while to talk about the details of the deal Orkide-sama had offered, but it wasn¡¯t that big of an issue. That said, since you have reached B rank, there will be times where urgent judgement will be required during requests from the Kingdom or from nobles. You need to be able to make decisions immediately¡­¡­I won¡¯t say that, but try to make decisions faster. Also, if you¡¯re going to take requests as a B rank adventurer, you should train some more to improve your combat strength.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I will bear that in mind.¡¹ Stee nodded at Residence¡¯s extended comments. Residence nodded in satisfaction when he saw that before finally looking at Rei. ¡¸Rei, first of all, I have no complaints regarding your combat strength. No, to be honest, I¡¯d say you¡¯re way beyond even B rank. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be happy to hear that.¡¹ Marka and the other nobles nodded in agreement. Ons, while silent, nodded as well. ¡¸And, even though you and Set killed more than half the Bicorns, you still suggested that they be distributed equally. That demonstrated your decisiveness. During the interview, you also discussed the deal that Alnicht-sama had offered you. That showed your decision making. Also, the water that was served alongside the food was good enough for nobles to drink¡­¡­no, rather, it was delicious enough for even royalty to drink.¡¹ Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com That seemed to remind everyone of the taste of the water that had been made from the Dagger of Flowing Water. They all had a happy expression on their face. ¡¸Although it was banned at the time, you also have an item box. There is no doubt that it is a great advantage when transporting good, including food.¡¹ So far, there had been nothing but praise. To the others and Rei himself, it seemed quite clear that he would be promoted to B rank. But¡­¡­ ¡¸However, regarding your etiquette towards nobles. You lost a lot of marks. Even though you might have formed a friendship with Marka-sama, you should still behave appropriately in front of the other nobles, and as you had never met Alnicht-sama and Orkide-sama prior to this, you should have treated them accordingly as well.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think that is something that needs to be worried about so much.¡¹ ¡¸Marka-sama, that¡¯s no way to present yourself as a noble.¡¹ Residence shook his head slightly at Marka¡¯s words. He turned to face Rei again before speaking. For more, visit novelhall[.]com ¡¸However, considering Rei¡¯s ability in general, it¡¯s strange for you to be in C rank. ¡­¡­So, we are treating you as a provisional B rank adventurer.¡¹ Residence¡¯s words echoed through the meeting room. Chapter 365 In the meeting room on the second floor of the guild, Rei asked a question at Residence¡¯s unexpected words. ¡¸Is provisional B rank different from normal B rank?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. To be exact, you will be treated as an ordinary B rank adventurer. However, if you receive requests from nobles or royalty, the guild assistant will step in.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­An assistant?¡¹ ¡¸You can consider them to be an interpreter of sorts. Because you lack knowledge in noble etiquette, the assistant will handle that side of things. To put it simply, the assistant will act alongside you when you need to talk or work with a noble for a request. They will deal with the noble so that you can focus on the request.¡¹ At Residence¡¯s response, Rei, Stee and Roble thought about it for a moment¡­¡­eventually, Stee was the first speak up about it. ¡¸In other words, a babysitter?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess you could say that.¡¹ Rei looked at Residence with an unpleasant expression, who had nodded simply at Stee¡¯s description of a babysitter. ¡¸Don¡¯t look like that. It¡¯s only because you lack etiquette towards nobles. And, of course it¡¯s not always necessary to provide an assistant. The guild will explain your character to any nobles who bring forward a request first. After that, the guild branch will only provide an assistant if there are any concerns regarding etiquette.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute! If it¡¯s just etiquette, can¡¯t I pass that way as well!?¡¹ Roble raised his voice in protest as he hit the table with his strength, peculiar to Beastkin. But, as expected of a table used by the guild, it was not damaged in any way after being struck with Roble¡¯s strength. Residence shook his head as he explained why. ¡¸Indeed, both you and Rei do not meet the criteria of noble etiquette required to pass the test. However, there was a big difference between you and Rei in other areas, even if you both failed that criteria. That¡¯s why this was arranged. In addition, there are other differences in terms of pure ability as an adventurer. I explained this to you earlier, did I not?¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ After Residence¡¯s reply, Roble had no response. How they had divided up the Bicorns, the Misty Ring, the Griffon, Set, and maybe even Rei¡¯s title all contributed to Rei being given a special pass to B rank. All those thoughts went through Roble¡¯s mind. ¡¸Rei, I challenge you to a duel!¡¹ For more, visit novelhall[.]com Holding up his spear that had been propped against the table, Roble pointed the tip towards Rei as he said that loudly. Roble¡¯s words continued as everyone else in the room looked at him, taken aback. ¡¸Honestly, I¡¯m not that smart. I just can¡¯t accept that Rei passed but I failed despite both of us not meeting the same criteria. Because of that, I want compete against you as an adventurer.¡¹ Rei thought about Roble¡¯s challenge for a few seconds as he turned to look over at Residence. Seeing Residence nod, Rei nodded as well in response to Roble. ¡¸I understand. I accept your challenge.¡¹ Even though he and Rei had received the same fail mark on the same criteria, Rei passed while he didn¡¯t. It was because Roble was dissatisfied that he made the challenge. However, his lover, Stee, couldn¡¯t stay quiet when she heard it. ¡¸Hey, Roble. Don¡¯t you know how strong Rei is after we hunted the Bicorns!? So why do you have to be so reckless!¡¹ For more, visit novelhall[.]com ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Stee. I know it in my mind. As Residence told me, my attitude was deserving of failing this exam. But¡­¡­my heart still isn¡¯t convinced. I¡¯m fighting to clear my heart.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Idiot, idiot, idiot. You¡¯re really and idiot. Fine. Do what you want. I will keep an eye on you.¡¹ Roble smiled slightly at Stee¡¯s pout before looking back over at Rei and laughing. However, it wasn¡¯t the gentle smile he had shown to Stee just a moment earlier, but a savage smile like a carnivore before it¡¯s prey. ¡¸Well, if you both agree to it, do what you want. It will take some time to update your guild cards anyway. Rei and Stee both pass your guild cards over before you head to the training ground. Only the guild needs to know about Rei¡¯s provisional status, so the results will be announced without that information.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­An announcement? That didn¡¯t happen when I went to D rank. Is there only an announcement when reaching B rank?¡¹ Rei suddenly asked Residence as he handed over his guild card. ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s because there is a big difference between D rank and B rank. Moreover, B rank and higher indicates you are a highly skilled first rate adventurer. That¡¯s why the names of those who pass the B rank test are publicised. However, that is only in the guild you belong to, so when you go to another city, they will still use your guild card to check your rank. We don¡¯t communicate our adventurer ranks through to other guilds unless there is something serious going on.¡¹ Although Residence said that, he frowned his eyes slightly as he received Stee and Rei¡¯s guild cards. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience (That said, Rei has an item box and a Griffon, so there¡¯s a good chance that might happen.) ¡¸Uoooooooh-! Stee, thank you so much! Thanks to you, we can go on break for a while!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, did Rei pass after all? It¡¯s true that I won my bet, but I didn¡¯t make a lot off it.¡¹ ¡¸Then why did you bet on Rei? Are you trying to be sarcastic to me since I bet on Roble and lost?¡¹ ¡¸But, better than that guy right?¡¹ ¡¸Boohoohoo¡­¡­it was a big mistake after all to bet big on the dark horse Ons¡­¡­I¡¯ll have to eat nothing but dried meat for a while.¡¹ ¡¸What the hell were you thinking, going all in on someone you didn¡¯t even know?¡¹ ¡¸It was because he was a dark horse¡­¡­¡¹ After handing over their guild cards, Rei, Roble and Stee made their way down to the first floor of the guild, where they heard some sad voices. While Rei and the others had been told whether or not they passed the rank up test, the results had also been announced on the first floor of the guild for the people who had bet on the test. Normally, those who had placed bets on Ons, who was actually an examiner, should have been refunded. However, the bets were being handled by a group of volunteers, and even within the guild, only those involved in the test knew who Ons was. Because of that, those who bet on the dark horse could only be called unlucky. But, unlike Rei, who was well known thanks to Set, and Roble and Stee, who had been active in Gilm for a while, few people bet on Ons who everyone barely knew anything about. Those that did bet on Ons mostly did so as a token bet on the dark horse. Those who were happy and those were sad all saw Rei, Roble and Stee coming down from the second floor. They were about to congratulate them or offer words of comfort, but they stopped when they saw the serious expression on Robles face as he led the way. Kenny, who had some feelings towards Rei, stopped herself from congratulating Rei when she saw him and turned to her eyes to her coworker beside her. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Roble-san failed and Rei-san passed, right? He couldn¡¯t stand it so Roble-san challenged Rei-san to a fight? That said, Rei-san hasn¡¯t gotten himself dragged into stupid things as often as he did before, so that¡¯s a relief.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­aren¡¯t you worried about Rei-kun?¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience ¡¸You know, Rei-san has already become a B rank adventurer. There¡¯s no need for receptionists like us to worry about him¡­¡­¡¹ Even though she said that, Lenora still had some concern as she looked towards the door in the guild that Rei and the others had just left through. Kenny looked at Lenora with some surprise, who obstinately refused to say she was worried about Rei, as she enviously watched the adventurers follow Rei and the others out the guild. The training ground next to the guild. Rei and Robles faced off against each other on the bare ground. The Death Scythe was in Rei¡¯s hands while a spear was in Roble¡¯s. Stee was between them while the adventurers that followed them from the guild for some reason gathered around them. Perhaps sensing Rei¡¯s presence, Set could also be seen outside the training ground. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, Rei. Sorry for my selfishness.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. In fact, if I was in your position, I can¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t do the same thing.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, alright you two. Don¡¯t forget this is just a mock fight. It is absolutely prohibited to hurt each other with attacks that could be fatal.¡¹ Stee, who had been asked by Roble to be the referee, spoke grudgingly. Rei and Roble both nodded their heads in agreement. Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com And around them¡­¡­ ¡¸All right, I¡¯m putting three silver coins on Rei!¡¹ ¡¸5 copper coins on Roble.¡¹ ¡¸If you consider their pure combat strength, Roble won¡¯t win. 4 silver coins on Rei.¡¹ ¡¸He lost prevoiusly, so he better win this time. One silver coin for Roble!¡¹ The heat from bets on the rank up test had yet to cool. The adventurers around them started betting on who would win, the moment they found out that Rei and Roble were going to fight. Stee, looked at them with a steady gaze before eventually realising it would never stop unless they started. With a small sigh, Stee spoke out. ¡¸So, ready? Both of you, don¡¯t hurt each other or anything, okay? ¡­¡­Start!¡¹ As soon as Stee gave the start signal, Roble jumped back to close the gap to Rei. As expected from a Wolfkin and a participant in the B rank test, his instantaneous power was extremely high. He quickly closed the distance between him and Rei before unleashing an unrestrained sharp thrust¡¡to start off. Rei swung his Death Scythe and parried it with the shaft as it tore through the air. Kiin-, a metallic sound echoed throughout the training ground. At this point, those who watching but were not skilled in combat were unable to understand what was happening. From then on, the sound of metal clashing against metal echoed out over and over again. Needless to say, it was the sound of Roble¡¯s spear colliding with the Death Scythe. ¡¸Hey, are they evenly matched?¡¹ ¡¸No way, it¡¯s Rei right? He¡¯s probably just waiting to see what Roble¡¯s got.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I can hardly see what¡¯s going on¡­¡­¡¹ Such voices could be heard from the spectating adventurers. Indeed, it seemed that Rei¡¯s Death Scythe and Roble¡¯s spear were confronting each other equally. However, that was because Rei hadn¡¯t poured any magic power into the Death Scythe, which was how it was supposed to be used as a magic weapon. Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com Roble knew that as well. He ground his teeth in chagrin as his own thrust was easily parried. (This¡­¡­is this the ability needed to earn a title? But, not yet. I¡¯m not going to let things end like this!) Giving a shout, he leapt back as he pulled back his spear. ¡¸Here it comes, this is my strongest attack!¡¹ Roble focused his magic power as he shouted that. Roble, who was a warrior, basically couldn¡¯t use magic. However, it wasn¡¯t because he had no magic power, but because he had no talent for magic that he focused on his training as a warrior. Some warriors were able to attack with their magic power even if they weren¡¯t able to use magic, just like Roble. When Rei saw Roble do that, the Shock Wave technique that Milein had showed him before flashed through his mind, the next moment¡­¡­ ¡¸Penetrating Fang!¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience With his shout, Roble thrust his magic empowered spear forward, demonstrating the instantaneous power of a Beastkin at the same time. The magic power that had been poured into his spear revealed itself, covering it in wind and causing it to spin sharply around the spear tip, increasing the penetrating power of the spear to the limit it could physically withstand. It was a thrust with a penetrating power incomparable to spear thrusts Roble had unleashed in the past. The spear went straight towards Rei¡¯s throat, bearing its fangs. ¡¸Power Slash!¡¹ With Rei¡¯s shout, the Death Scythe swung out and struck the approaching spear from below, sending it flying into the air. ¡¸Guoooooooh-!¡¹ In that instant, Roble¡¯s hand was paralysed from the shock of his spear being knocked away by the Death Scythe¡¯s blow. At the same time, he froze due to the mental shock of having his attack crushed so easily. ¡¸It¡¯s my loss.¡¹ Roble admitted his defeat, wondering when Rei had moved behind him, as the Death Scythe¡¯s blade was held as his throat. Chapter 366 Roble¡¯s spear fell to the ground with a metallic clang. At the same time, Stee, who had been watching their fight anxiously, pulled herself together as she spoke up. ¡¸I-It¡¯s over! The winner is Rei!¡¹ As could be imagined, Roble couldn¡¯t help but silently admit defeat after having his weapon knocked aside and the huge blade of the Death Scythe held against his neck. ¡¸You¡¯re strong.¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah. I¡¯m a C rank¡­¡­no, a B rank adventurer, so I have to be at least this strong.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph, you¡¯re a sarcastic bastard. But, I do have to admit that you are definitely better than me in combat. ¡­¡­Congratulations on your B rank promotion.¡¹ The battle seemed to have succeeded in clearing Roble¡¯s mind of his complex emotions of jealousy, hopefulness, admiration and dislike. With a small smile, he lightly slapped Rei¡¯s shoulder, which was covered by the Dragon Robe. ¡¸Your skill was also amazing. If it had been an ordinary adventurer or I had an ordinary weapon, I might not have been able to handle that Penetrating Fang.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, good that you know that. You didn¡¯t seem to have any trouble parrying it though. You weren¡¯t serious yourself, were you? You didn¡¯t use your throwing spear or magic.¡¹ Roble sounded regretful, but there was a smile on his face that belied his words. Seeing his smile, Rei shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸I told you, didn¡¯t I? I would only have been in trouble if I were an ordinary adventurer or had an ordinary weapon. I don¡¯t consider myself ordinary and the Death Scythe isn¡¯t an ordinary weapon either.¡¹ Saying that, Rei stored the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring. Seeing that, Roble picked up his spear from the ground with a sigh. (When I used it before, I wasn¡¯t able to suppress the kickback from the Power Slash, so my wrist was hurt. But this time there wasn¡¯t any kickback. Was it because I¡¯ve gotten used to the skill? Or was it simply because I used Power Slash against a spear? ¡­¡­If possible, I hope it¡¯s the former.) Watching Roble, Rei thought to himself as he covered his head with the Dragon Robe¡¯s hood. The people who had been watching the fight between Rei and Roble looked at him with some surprise, seeing that he had taken the trouble to cover his head with a hood in the middle of this summer weather. And, this was right after fighting as well. Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com However, it was probably because they didn¡¯t know that the Dragon Robe had the ability to maintain a constant temperature within itself. Cool in summer, warm in winter. The Dragon Robe had a rather simple temperature regulating effect as a magic item. However, it was still an extraordinary item. If it¡¯s effect was found out by others, there would be people from all over the Mireana Kingdom as well as neighbouring countries who would want it. ¡¸Yeah, I fought and I fought. I fought with all my strength and it was refreshing, I don¡¯t care that I failed the rank up test. Besides, I¡¯m still C rank, so I can accept B rank requests if Stee is with me, as it¡¯s only one rank higher.¡¹ Roble looked at Stee with clear eyes and a smile. Stee had a slightly surprised look on her face as she caught Roble¡¯s gaze. ¡¸Damn it, I can¡¯t stand this. I¡¯ve got to find a good woman somewhere.¡¹ ¡¸A lover, huh. ¡­¡­That would be nice. Me too, one day¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh? What about me then?¡¹ ¡¸Well, you¡¯re an adventurer, the same as me. To start with, you¡¯re not my type of guy.¡¹ With conversations like that, the adventurers around them returned to the guild. ¡¸Alright, I won my bet! ¡­¡­But, I didn¡¯t win a lot of money.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. In the first place, Rei was the favourite, right? Think about the odds. But, at least you¡¯re not like that guy.¡¹ ¡¸Roble¡­¡­I bet on you, why did you lose¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, he put a big bet on Ons during the rank up test. I guess he got what he deserved. Anyone in a party with him is going to be miserable.¡¹ Those who won were in a state of joy while those that lost were left in sadness. ¡¸Hm? You¡¯re back?¡¹ Residence spoke up when Rei and the others returned to the meeting room on the second floor of the guild. Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience He had half expected the results, so Residence didn¡¯t ask who had won or lost. ¡¸Huh? Where did the nobles and Ons go?¡¹ When Stee asked why Residence was the only person left in the meeting room, he simply shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸They are already done with their business here, so they went home. They are nobles, so they have many things they have to deal with. Same for Ons.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The nobles aside, Ons should at least have said goodbye.¡¹ Stee sounded somewhat sad. Although Ons had been mostly silent, Stee might have felt a certain closeness after having he had worked together with them and helped them out at times. With a small smile on his face, Residence handed over guild cards back to Rei and Stee. ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience Looking at her guild card that was handed back, Stee murmured to herself as she confirmed the B ranking that was on it. It was the same for Rei, who without much though, looked at the rank that was written on his guild card. ¡¸As of right now, both of you are B rank. In particular, Rei now holds the record for the shortest time to reach B rank after registering with this guild, so you might be in for some trouble. However, please also remember that as B rank adventurers, which means you are now considered first rate, highly skilled adventurers. Also, as I said when I said that you passed, Rei¡¯s B rank is provisional. Keep in mind that if you recieve a request from a noble, the guild may step in to assist.¡¹ Rei nodded at Residence¡¯s words. For Rei, having someone dealing with the nobles for him was a welcome help and not a detriment. Stee must have also felt that she had finally reached B rank and had a smile on her face. Next to them, Roble opened and closed his mouth several times as if he wanted to say something before eventually deciding. ¡¸Why don¡¯t we celebrate Stee and Rei¡¯s promotion to B rank after this? I know I failed, but it¡¯s still good to celebrate.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure?¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s for Stee¡­¡­and Rei too. Let me celebrate with you. I¡¯ll treat today.¡¹ ¡¸You okay with that? I may look like this, but I still eat a lot.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll take care of it. I might have failed this exam, but I¡±m still a C rank adventurer. I¡¯ve earned a good amount of money, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Roble slapped his chest. Stee laughed at her lover¡¯s response as she watched on. ¡¸Thanks. Then, we¡¯ll see you in the future.¡¹ Like that, they were about to leave the meeting room when a voice called out to Rei from behind. ¡¸Wait a moment. Actually, I still have something I want to talk to Rei about.¡¹ ¡¸Something you want to talk about?¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware of it, but there are a lot of nobles in this city who would like to recruit you to serve under them. Or make a connection with you.¡¹ Roble and Stee were both surprised to hear about nobles wanting to recruit Rei. However, Rei shook his head without hesitation. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t plan to stop being an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸I know. Until recently, there were a lot of them who asked if I could set up a meeting with you.¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ ¡¸It seems your friend has given you a helping hand. Most of the nobles have given up and quite a few have already left he city.¡¹ The figure of Marka passed through Rei¡¯s mind when Residence said that friend had helped him out. ¡¸Then, I shouldn¡¯t have any business here anymore, right?¡¹ This content is taken from novelhall[.]com ¡¸No, there are still some who want to meet with you. Even if it was impossible for Duke Quent¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸So troublesome.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself, but it seemed like Residence had the same thought. He shrugged his shoulders slightly as he spoke. ¡¸It¡¯s no surprise considering that you¡¯re a B rank adventurer and have a title. And, I¡¯m not saying you have to meet them one by one. We¡¯ll do it all in one go, so it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a hassle.¡¹ ¡¸All of them at once? No, that¡¯s certainly a good thing, but¡­¡­do they know that? I don¡¯t want to get dragged into trouble with a bunch of nobles, you know?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, there are no problems. Of course, they all wanted it to be at their own residences¡­¡­but, if they kept pushing like that, Rei would dislike them and run away, is what the guild master told me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, is that so.¡¹ Rei understood the feeling well, if nobles continued to pester him to join them, he would definitely run away. ¡¸Because of that, the guild master suggested they all meet up together for a single meeting. We all know how it¡¯s going to end, be we don¡¯t want the nobles to feel uncomfortable when they have to talk with you. Anyhow, we are currently settling the date with the nobles. Once that¡¯s done, you¡¯ll only have to meet with them once. Is that okay?¡¹ Rei already felt that it was going to be troublesome after hearing what Residence had to say. Not only Roble, even Stee looked at Rei with a pitying gaze. ¡¸That¡¯s all I needed to talk with you about. You may go. ¡­¡­Oh, wait.¡¹ As Rei and the others were about to leave the meeting room, they were stopped by Residence again. Rei gave a sigh as he turned around when he felt something fly towards him, which he caught on reflex. Feeling hard metal in his hand, he opened his palm and saw a gold coin. ¡¸What¡¯s this?¡¹ ¡¸Ahem, well, a gift to celebrate your promotion. It should be enough for you all to eat and drink as much as you want.¡¹ Needless to say, it was Roble, who had declared that he would be paying for their promotion celebration, who was the most happy. He had been worried if he had enough money as it wasn¡¯t just Rei and Stee, but also Set. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience ¡¸Thank you very much, I appreciate it greatly.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ Roble, Stee and Rei left the meeting room after saying their thanks. Seeing them leave, Residence couldn¡¯t help but look up after they had all gone out of sight. (¡­¡­I had been planning to give them a silver coin, why did I give them a gold coin¡­¡­) Residence¡¯s thoughts changed to thinking about saving after realising his unexpected mistake. Even though it hadn¡¯t been much, Roble, who had collected his reward for hunting the Bicorns in the rank up test from the counter, said that the celebration would be his treat as he raised his cup with a smile and spoke. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s celebrate Stee and Rei¡¯s B rank promotion¡­¡­cheers!¡¹ ¡ºCheers!¡» The three of them tapped their glasses with each others as they followed Roble¡¯s cheer. ¡¸Congratulations!¡¹ ¡¸Even though you failed this time, Roble, do your best next time!¡¹ ¡¸I love you Stee. I want you to go out with me!¡¹ In order to celebrate their promotion in the guild¡¯s bar, the adventurers who had heard the results of the rank up test also threw out words of celebration, comfort and love. ¡¸Who¡¯s the one who just confessed to Stee!?¡¹ ¡¸Calm down. He¡¯s drunk, it¡¯s just a joke.¡¹ Stee stopped Roble from reaching for his spear, that was propped against the table while Rei watched with a smile as he drank some watered down wine. ¡¸Rei-kun, congratulations on passing the rank up test.¡¹ Rei heard a voice call out to him. Looking around, he saw Kenny. She was offering a plate with a huge pie on it, giving off a fragrant smell. ¡¸It looks delicious, thank you¡­¡­don¡¯t you need to work?¡¹ Rei couldn¡¯t see the counter from where he was sitting, but he could definitely imagine Lenora being angry. However, Kenny smiled in response to Rei¡¯s question. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not so busy during this time of the day and I¡¯ve already finished my work. That said, I¡¯ve only got 5 minutes.¡¹ Surprised that the serious Lenora had allowed Kenny to take a break from work, he quickly reached for the pie that Kenny was offering. Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com Because it had already been cut with a knife, he just took out a slice of the pie¡­¡­ ¡¸Ooh? ¡­¡­It¡¯s amazing.¡¹ The moment he saw the filling through the pie crust, he smelled the rich aroma of meat. It wasn¡¯t a dessert pie but a savoury meat pie. As soon as Rei took a bite, the crispy pie crust and buttery aroma spread through his mouth. The next moment, he enjoyed the taste and texture of the large meat chunks. Normally, meat pies were filled with minced meant, but the meat pie that Kenny had brought had the meat cut into small pieces so that they could be fully enjoyed. It was closer to diced meat than minced meat and was paired with mushrooms and onions. ¡¸Ehehe, this is a dish that has been passed down my family. I prepared it this morning for Rei¡¯s promotion celebration.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Even if were going to celebrate my promotion, it might not have been here, right?¡¹ ¡¸I had thought of that, but then, I could also just bring it to wherever you were going to celebrate your promotion later. What do you think? My cooking is quite good, right?¡¹ Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com Kenny gave Rei a flirtatious look as it looked like Rei had enjoyed her cooking. Rei¡¯s attention was completely on the pie. (There¡¯s onion in this, is that okay for Catkin? No, I guess the fact that the recipe has been passed down Kenny¡¯s family for generations means that it¡¯s probably okay.) Rei brought another piece of the pie to his mouth as he thought about that. The party continued late into the night after that. Everyone in the bar dug into the Lemrace meat that was brought out by Rei to celebrate and a large amount of food was also served to Set as it was all paid for by Residence and Roble. By the end, Roble¡¯s wallet was looking quite lonely. Chapter 367 ¡¸Hmm? ¡­¡­Mmm¡­¡­¡¹ Rei got up in his bed as the dazzling morning sun fell into his room. It was the day after the party celebrating his promotion and he had stayed up late, only returning to the inn close to midnight. Considering that, it was quite amazing that he had woken up while it was still morning. Throwing his clothes into a laundry basket, he took out a new shirt from the Misty Ring as he got dressed. Walking out of his room and heading to the dining area, he saw only a few people eating breakfast as it was already past that time in the morning. However, when the guests of the Dusk Wheat who were still around saw Rei, they started talking among themselves. ¡¸Hey, that guy in the robe, did he get promoted to B rank yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, he¡¯s the one. I heard about it this morning from an adventurer I know well.¡¹ ¡¸B rank, huh. I¡¯d try to hire him as an escort if I could.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. You won¡¯t know what kind of monsters might attack in this area near the frontier. And even outside the frontier, having a B rank adventurer as an escort would give you peace of mind in the event you are attacked by vicious bandits, it would also affect your merchant ranking as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That said, with how he looks, most people wouldn¡¯t believe him if he said he was a B rank adventurer unless he showed them his guild card.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right about that. In fact, I heard that he got dragged into a lot of trouble when he first came to this city because people underestimated him based on how he looked. Most of them regretted it though.¡¹ Rei took a seat as he heard the voices of lone merchants and merchant caravans talk about him from either side. As if waiting for him, Lana, the inn proprietress, walked over with a smile. ¡¸Good morning. I heard you had a big night last night.¡¹ She placed a glass of cold juice on the table as she greeted Rei. ¡¸Yeah, good morning. I would like breakfast please.¡¹ ¡¸You must have eaten and drank until late yesterday, would you like something light for breakfast? Or just a regular one?¡¹ This content is taken from novelhall[.]com ¡¸I¡¯d like a regular breakfast please.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand. ¡­¡­Rei-san, congratulations on your B rank promotion.¡¹ Giving one last smile along with her congratulatory words, Lana returned to the kitchen. Seeing her leave, Rei drank the fruit juice on the table while waiting for food to be served. However, as he waited, about 10 people in the room kept glancing over at him. Eventually, one of them stood up and walked over to Rei as if he had made up his mind. ¡¸Um, you are Rei-san, the adventurer who was promoted to B rank yesterday, right?¡¹ The man in his late twenties asked in a polite tone. He couldn¡¯t underestimate Rei as, despite looking like a kid in his mid teens, Rei was still a B rank adventurer. ¡¸Yes, you are?¡¹ Rei prompted the man to continue as he drank his fruit juice and observed him. (He looks pretty young. But if he¡¯s staying in the Dusk Wheat in Gilm, he has to be rich in some way¡­¡­a merchant?) Rei¡¯s words seemed to ignore the face that he was much younger than the man, but the man didn¡¯t seem to mind as he bowed his head. ¡¸Actually, I was wondering if you would accept a request.¡¹ ¡¸A request?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. My name is Prizon. Although I look like this, I¡¯m actually a merchant. I wanted to ask if you, as a B rank adventurer, could be my escort¡­¡­what do you think about it?¡¹ As soon as the man called Prizon said that, the other merchants in the dining room all turned to look towards him with sharp eyes. They all looked at him as if they were praising him for outsmarting the rest of them while having looks as if they had let something get away at the same time. ¡¸An escort, huh? For how long exactly?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? No, I mean, just for a short while¡­¡­2 months if possible.¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com After hearing that it would be for two months, Rei shook his head. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t accept your request.¡¹ ¡¸Why is that? I haven¡¯t even spoken about the details of the offer yet¡­¡­is there something not to your liking?¡¹ ¡¸No, not at all. Well, it¡¯s true that I wasn¡¯t originally keen on accepting an escort request, but I actually have some pre-arranged business to attend to soon, so I¡¯ll be out of the city for a while.¡¹ Yes, he had promised to head to the Labyrinth City with Elena back in spring, there was only one month to go. Because of that, he had to leave Gilm with Set and it would be impossible for him to accept a request that would take several months. ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so, well that¡¯s too unfortunate.¡¹ Prizon let out a sigh as said that and walked back to his table weakly. The other merchants who were watching them probably heard Rei¡¯s reply to Prizon when he refused and didn¡¯t make any other invitations to Rei. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience They did want to get to know Rei better, as he was a B rank adventurer. However, the aura around Rei made it hard for them to approach him. After that, Rei ate a simple breakfast made up of bread with nuts in it, bacon and vegetable soup and an omelette before thinking about his plans for the day. (First of all, my highest priority is to absorb the Bicorn magic stones. As for buying and selling Bicorn materials¡­¡­well, there¡¯s no rush, so I can do that later. In that case, where should I absorb the magic stones¡­¡­no, if I want to do that near Gilm, it has to be that place.) What crossed Rei¡¯s mind was a small clearing surrounded by trees, where he had gone to absorb magic stones many times before. There was a certain amount of space there and even if someone walked by, there was not need to worry about being seen as they absorbed the magic stones due to the trees surrounding it. It was the perfect location for that. Finishing his breakfast as he finalised his plans for the day, he moistened his throat with the cold tea that was served alongside his breakfast. Cold tea was an ordinary drink in the Dusk Wheat inn, but this was only possible because the Dusk Wheat was a high class inn. In lodging where ordinary adventurers stayed, magic items to cool drinks would be too expensive to use. That said, if there was someone who could use water magic, it would be a different story. ¡¸Thank you for the food. It was delicious, I look forward to dinner.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Rei headed towards the stables after Lana¡¯s response, ignoring the merchants who looked at him leave regretfully. ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been here¡­¡­it¡¯s hot though, as expected of summer.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Is that so? Set seemed to ask Rei with a cry. Rei judged that Set couldn¡¯t tell the difference because he was a Griffon and looked around. A clearing surrounded by trees. That was where Rei and Set were right now. Although it was hot, it was still only mid morning, so it still wasn¡¯t the hottest time. In the first place, since Rei was wearing the Dragon Robe, which could regulate his temperature, saying it was hot or cold was nothing really more than small talk. ¡¸Well, we¡¯ve come all the way here. Rather than wasting our time for nothing, let¡¯s just get one with what we¡¯ve come to do.¡¹ Saying that, he took out a Bicorn¡¯s magic stone from the Misty Ring. As a D rank monster, the magic stone was only a few cm in diameter and couldn¡¯t be compared to the Lemrace¡¯s magic stone. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience ¡¸Set.¡¹ Tossing the magic stone at him with that word, Set caught it in his beak and swallowed it. And¡­¡­ ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.3¡»¡¿ An announcement echoed in his mind as usual. ¡¸Poison Claw, huh? Well, I guess it¡¯s appropriate if you consider a Bicorn¡¯s horns.¡¹ Their two horns were poisonous and Rei had seen Goblins scratched by them immediately slow down before being devoured by the herd of Bicorns. Thinking about that, it was only natural that the skill level of Poison Claw would increase. ¡¸That said, Poison Claw. There¡¯s no way to test it on a tree or something like that. I guess we¡¯ll have to find some monsters later.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words in agreement. Seeing that, Rei smiled. ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ What¡¯s the matter? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head. Rei stroked Set¡¯s back as he replied. ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, Fire Breath was your strongest skill until now, but Poison Claw is now also level 3. I had considered Poison Claw to be a utility skill, but if it¡¯s strong enough, it might be useful as a basic attack. ¡­¡­However, I have no idea what the maximum skill level is.¡¹ Giving a sigh, Rei took out another Bicorn magic stone from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Now then, if Set can acquire a skill, I can expect the Death Scythe¡­¡­to do so as well!¡¹ Throwing it into the air, Rei struck it with the Death Scythe. The magic stone disappeared after being cut by the blade¡­¡­ ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill ¡ºCorrosion Lv.2¡»¡¿ Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com The announcement echoed in his mind. ¡¸Huh, well, it¡¯s true that corrosion and poison might be similar¡­¡­but honestly, it feels out of place.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he sighed. As an adventurer who collected magic stones, the opponents he would usually fight were naturally monsters. Corrosion was useless unless the enemy he fought had metal equipement. Of course, some humanoid monsters, such as the Orcs he had fought before, had metal equipment. However, the overwhelming majority of monsters used their own bodies as weapons. Considering that, Rei¡¯s sigh was quite understandable. However, since he would be heading to the Labyrinth City, there was a chance he might get dragged into trouble with people that either didn¡¯t know him or wanted to cause trouble due to Elena¡¯s looks, who would be going there with him. Encouraging himself by thinking that it would be a useful skill when fighting against such people, Rei changed his line of thoughts. ¡¸Well then. I can¡¯t check how Corrosion has improved, so I¡¯ll have to check Poison Claw first.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ For more, visit novelhall[.]com Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, Set crouched down with his back facing Rei. After Rei got on Set¡¯s back, Set flapped his wings after several steps and soared into the sky. Their actions could best be described as in sync with each other. ¡¸But, even if I want to check the effectiveness of Poison Claw¡­¡­the last time Set used it was when I went into the dungeon with Elena. If I consider that, Poison Claw is hard for other people to notice, so it should be fine to use it normally. Of course, I can¡¯t let anyone see a monster slowly dying from poison if they don¡¯t know anything about Set.¡¹ Currently, the only people who knew that Set was different from ordinary Griffons were Elena, Ara and Scorching Wind. The only non-human who knew was Grimm, the Lich. In front of anyone else, he couldn¡¯t reveal that Set was special compared to other Griffons. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ As Rei thought to himself, Set gave a cry to draw his attention. Following Set¡¯s line of sight, he looked down at the plain below and saw a group of 10 Goblins. ¡¸Goblins. ¡­¡­Well, I did see them dying from a Bicorn¡¯s poison, so that¡¯s some indication. If possible, I would have preferred a higher ranking monster though.¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry as if to tell Rei to not ask for too much. Rei nodded as there was nothing he could do. ¡¸Let¡¯s do it then. Use King¡¯s Awe first to stop the Goblins from moving. If they scatter and run, it will be troublesome for us to test anything.¡¹ With Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry before diving towards the Goblins walking along the plains. ¡¸Gururururururururu~!¡¹ The moment King¡¯s Awe was used, all the Goblins froze in place. ¡­¡­Some of the Goblins just straight out died from the shock. Then, against the Goblins that had froze in place, Set activated Poison Claw and swung his claws. Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸Guru~¡¹ However, with Set¡¯s overwhelming strength as a Griffon compared to a Goblin, Set¡¯s claw just crushed the Goblin¡¯s body, scattering it¡¯s internal organs, blood, flesh and bones all across the grass. Seeing that, Set¡¯s shoulders slumped involuntarily. But, as if thinking that it was pointless to stay like that, Set activated Poison Claw again as struck out at another Goblin. This time, he did so gently so as to not kill it in a single blow. The Goblin was scratched by Set¡¯s claws in an attack that couldn¡¯t really be called an attack. But¡­¡­within 5 minutes, the Goblin was in agony and after another 3 minutes, it spat blood from its mouth as it collapsed. Set tried the same thing on the other Goblins and there were some differences, but they all died within 10 minutes of being poisoned. Rei gave a sigh as he looked at the Goblins lying on the ground. For more, visit novelhall[.]com ¡¸The strength of the poison has definitely increased. Although it has gone up in strength¡­¡­it¡¯s a little hard to tell exactly how powerful it is though when only dealing with Goblins.¡¹ He wanted to test it on other monsters if possible, as he thought to himself. ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv.2¡» ¡ºFire Breath Lv.3¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv.1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.3¡» new ¡ºSize Transformation Lv.1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv.1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow¡¡Lv.1¡» ¡ºOptical Camouflage¡¡Lv.1¡» ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion Lv.2¡» new ¡ºFlying Slash¡¡Lv.2¡» ¡ºMagic Shield¡¡Lv.1¡» ¡ºPower Slash¡¡Lv.2¡» ¡ºWind Hand¡¡Lv.2¡» ¡ºTerrain Manipulation¡¡Lv.1¡» Poison Claws: Secrets poison from claws to poison injured enemies. The strength of the poison varies with level. Corrosion: Corrodes metal objects if they are cut several times. The number of cuts required decreases as level increases. Chapter 368 It had been a few days since Rei had tested the effectiveness of the upgraded Poison Claw. During that time,, he went around buying and eating food from various stalls while roaming the streets looking for any bargain magic items or the like. Set also played around with Milein after they happened to meet in the streets. In a sense it was business as usual, including having to deal with adventurers who were new to Gilm and had tried to mess around with him. Of course, Rei wasn¡¯t just playing around. He had also collected information on the Labyrinth City that he planned to visit soon. He also practised his fighting skilled outside the stables at the Dusk Wheat inn. During that time, as a result of being asked by an adventurer staying at the inn if they could spar, he ended up sparring against more and more people, one after the other. In the end, Rei defeated nearly 20 adventurers in a row for a total of over 50 consecutive victories. The reason why Rei was able to fight 20 adventurers over 50 times was because Rei went easy on them and they took turns to recover while the others were fighting. In addition, for the adventurers staying at the inn, sparring with a B rank adventurer like Rei was a valuable experience. The adventurers had a lot to gain from sparring with a B rank adventurer and one with a title¡­¡­Rei also pointed out his opponents¡¯ mistakes as they were just training. In a sense he was just working for free. In addition to training themselves, the adventurers were also lucky to be able to make an acquaintance with Rei, a B rank adventurer. Aside from the adventurers sparring with Rei, the other guests watched them like spectators and some even started betting on how long someone would be able to hold out against Rei. However, it was finally stopped by the thunderous voice of Lana, the inn¡¯s proprietress. As for Rei, he had to deal with Lana¡¯s complaints after that. Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com The day before, a messenger from the guild had come to inform him that the meeting with the nobles had been scheduled and Rei should head to the guild the next day¡­¡­that is to say, the afternoon today. ¡¸Nobles, huh. I don¡¯t feel like recruiting me would do them any good.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set gave a cry as if to ask if that was really true. However, Rei just silently patted Set¡¯s head as they continued down the main street. Considering that the guild messenger had told him it would be a dinner party, he didn¡¯t buy and eat anything from the street food stalls that he had become quite well known among. ¡­¡­However, considering that he would buy a lot of food to store in the Misty Ring, it would be a surprise if he didn¡¯t become well known. Like that, he continued walking without buying or eating anything and eventually arrived at the guild. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ With a short cry, Set moved over to his usual spot, he already had his own dedicated space that other tamed monsters and horses wouldn¡¯t approached even when Set wasn¡¯t around. With that, Rei entered the guild as usual. ¡¸Oh, Rei-san. Hello. The higher ups have let me know, so please wait a moment. I¡¯ll get a carriage ready right away.¡¹ Lenora called out to Rei when she saw him. Normally, Kenny would be there alongside Lenora, but she wasn¡¯t at the counter today, maybe she might have been on holiday. Lenora spoke a few words to a nearby guild staff member and Rei waited for her to finish before asking her a question. ¡¸I heard that Set can go with me, is that right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been told, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. Still, I¡¯m a bit jealous of you. Having dinner with nobles.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s such a good thing though.¡¹ ¡¸But, aren¡¯t you interested in the food that nobles eat? It looks so much more delicious than what we commoners usually eat.¡¹ Rei nodded his head in agreement with Lenora¡¯s words. ¡¸Now that you say that, maybe dinner will be good. I¡¯m looking forward to what food will be served.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, it looks like Rei-san¡¯s interest has been raised. ¡­¡­Oh, it looks like it¡¯s ready. Please go to the entrance.¡¹ Hearing those words, he thanked Lenora before leaving the guild. A carriage was already waiting outside the guild, despite Rei only having spent less than 10 minutes in the guild. It wasn¡¯t a carriage normally used by the guild. Rei had seen guild carriages several times before and this wasn¡¯t one of them. Of course, it wasn¡¯t the garish carriage that looked like it belonged to some noveau rich that he seen during the rank up test either. There was no doubt that it was a guild carriage as there was an emphasis on practicality. However, delicate decorations were engraved in various places that expressed a sense of artistry that would impress viewers. (Come to think of it, I wonder who actually owned that garish carriage.) As Rei thought about that, a voice called out to him. ¡¸Please get on. Everyone else is already waiting.¡¹ Following the prompt of the elegantly dressed guide, they boarded the carriage. Rei was slightly concerned about the various eyes looking at him, but ended up deciding not to think too much about it. ¡¸Then, we¡¯re heading off.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡¹ The carriage started to move forward after Rei¡¯s response. ¡­¡­Looking out the window of the carriage, Rei tilted his head slightly after noticing the direction it was going in. It was because he was familiar with the route. Yes, it was the way to the lord¡¯s residence. ¡¸Are we heading to the lord¡¯s residence?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we are¡­¡­weren¡¯t you told about that?¡¹ After hearing those words, Rei realised that he had only been told that he was going to a dinner party. For more, visit novelhall[.]com ¡¸¡­¡­Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think I was told that.¡¹ ¡¸In that case, yes, the dinner party will be held in the lord¡¯s residence.¡¹ Rei nodded inwardly. After all, it was easy to imagine that Daska, the lord of Gilm, wouldn¡¯t want to hand Rei over to another power. With that in mind, it would be best for Daska to hold the dinner part at his residence under his supervision to stop Rei from being recruited by anyone. (Well, I don¡¯t plan on leaving this city. No matter how I look at it, it¡¯s definitely better to stay on the frontier if I want to hunt monsters.) Rei thought to himself as he looked out the window and watched the scenery pass by. As he did that, the carriage eventually stopped outside a familiar outer gate, and after a word or two between his guide at the gatekeeper, they went in. The carriage stopped in front of the gate to the lord¡¯s residence and the carriage door was opened by a guard. Rei got out before suddenly noticing many eyes on him. (Well, I¡¯m not the only one, of course.) To be exact, half the eyes were on him while the other half were on Set. ¡¸Is it fine for Set to come along as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I have been informed that it is fine.¡¹ Rei asked the person who brought him here just in case, but was told that it would be fine. After entering the lord¡¯s residence with Set¡­¡­a maid eventually approached them and spoke with Rei¡¯s guide. The guide nodded before turning towards Rei. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re running a little late, so I¡¯ll bring you straight to the meeting room, is that fine with you?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine, but is it okay to wear what I¡¯m currently wearing?¡¹ Rei asked as he looked down at his Dragon Robe. The Dragon Robe itself was a high quality magic item, but since it had the effect of concealing it¡¯s uniqueness, many ordinary nobles might not realise how good of an item it was. But¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s fine. If they can¡¯t see what¡¯s special about your robe, they don¡¯t have the qualifications to try to recruit you.¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes widened slightly at those words. The guide wouldn¡¯t have been able to say those words unless he had been able to see through the Dragon Robe¡¯s concealing effect. ¡¸So, this way please.¡¹ With those words, he led Rei to a door. Behind the door was the garden area of the lord¡¯s residence. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Umu, you have arrived. I have been waiting for you!¡¹ It was Marka, who was wearing a pale green dress. This content is taken from novelhall[.]com Of course, there were many nobles other than Marka. As far as Rei could see, there were almost 30 of them. Some were familiar faces, like Alnicht and Orkide, but the rest of them he had never seen before. Most of the nobles were talking as they stood or eating the food placed on plates that were arranged on the tables in the garden. It was basically a garden party. ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ After Rei had heard it was going to be a dinner party, he had expected a meal that would require formal manners. However, what he saw was nothing like that. It was more like a house party held between friends. It wasn¡¯t even a party held inside the building, but a standing party held in a garden, which was why the atmosphere felt so relaxed. In fact, while some of them were wearing dresses like Marka, many others were wearing casual clothes. Among the escorts of the nobles attending the party, Rei could see mages in robes, knights in armour and warriors with swords. Fortunately, none of the mages seemed to be able to directly sense magic power, so there were no scenes of surprise at Rei¡¯s magic power, which had become somewhat of a regular occurance at such occasions. (I see, it¡¯s true that my outfit doesn¡¯t stand out too much.) For more, visit novelhall[.]com As Rei thought that, a man came over to him. ¡¸Hahaha. How is it, are you surprised? Well, I don¡¯t like dealing with etiquette or things like that either. It¡¯s easier to stand, talk and eat freely.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for inviting me, Daska-sama.¡¹ Rei gave a bow towards Daska, who walked over with a bold smile on his face. However, Daska waved his left hand, the one not holding his wine glass, as if he didn¡¯t care. ¡¸I¡¯ve already told you. You don¡¯t need to worry about etiquette. At least not here. I¡¯m going to introduce you to everyone, so come over here for a moment.¡¹ With those words, Daska brought Rei and Set over to the centre of the venue, the centre of the garden. The nobles who had been enjoying their conversation and food, or enjoying the sights of the summer garden, started to notice them. No, rather, the nobles here had all gathered to meet with Rei and Set, so it would be strange if they didn¡¯t notice them at all. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience ¡¸Pardon me, everyone, could I have your attention please. As you can see, Rei, the leading factor of this gathering, has arrived. Next to him, as many of you may know, is his tamed monster, Set, the Griffon. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve ever seen a Griffon before, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve at least heard of it. Griffons are called the reapers of the sky, but Set is quite docile and won¡¯t hurt anyone. ¡­¡­However, if any of you try to hurt him, that¡¯s a different matter. I¡¯d like you all to keep that in mind.¡¹ Any noble with a difficult personality would have complained at Daska¡¯s words. Or maybe they would make a fuss over how a monster like a Griffon was let into the venue. However, any nobles who were likely to cause problems had already been filtered out of this gathering. Because of that, those that remained had already collected sufficient information on Rei and Set in advance and knew that Set, a Griffon, was included as part of Rei¡¯s evaluation. In fact, in the war with the Bestir Empire, where Rei had gained a title, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible to cause great damage to the enemy vanguard without Set. And, having collected information on them within Gilm, they knew how friendly Set was. Because of that, the nobles accepted what Daska told them without any complaints. ¡­¡­That said, even if the escorts of the nobles who were participating knew that Set was friendly, they still prepared themselves for the worst case scenario. ¡¸Thank you for your invitation to such a wonderful gathering today, Margrave Rowlocks. ¡­¡­Rei, it¡¯s been a few days. How have you been doing after your promotion to B rank?¡¹ After Rei and Set were introduced, someone immediately approached them. The reason why the person approached them without worry was because they knew Rei. It was Alnicht, who had been with Rei and the others during their rank up test. Rei noticed Alnicht¡¯s attitude was much milder than it had been during the test and was surprised for a moment before immediately realising. This content is taken from novelhall[.]com (So his attitude during the rate up test really was a facade.) ¡¸Yo, how are you doing.¡¹ As if following after Alnicht, Orkide raised his hand as he greeted Rei with a languid expression on his face. Alnicht¡¯s cheeks twitched as he called out his friend¡¯s attitude. ¡¸Hey, Orkide. If you¡¯re going to greet someone, it should be Margrave Rowlocks first.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha. I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s a casual gathering today anyway. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have called Rei here in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, Margrave Rowlocks. My friend here¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ouch-, come on Alnicht. Get your hand off my head.¡¹ Orkide protested against Alnicht, who forcibly pushed his head down, but Alnicht ignored him of course. Follow current novels on novelhall[.]com After seeing their exchange, the other nobles started to feel like they could speak with Rei and many of them called out to him. That said, since Rei had already declined an invitation to serve under Duke Quent, they mostly focused on getting to know him rather than recruit him. While Rei dealt with some of the nobles, Set was fed by others and enjoyed his time at the dinner party eating delicious food or being petted. Chapter 369 It had been a few days after the garden party at the lord¡¯s residence. Fortunately, Rei hadn¡¯t been invited to any other events with nobles since then. ¡¸Pamidor, do you have any more cheap spears?¡¹ The bald man with a menacing face gave a sigh as he responded to Rei¡¯s question. ¡¸You know. I¡¯m happy for you to come over as a customer, but you can¡¯t just only ask for cheap spears right? If you want those kind of things, go to a weapon shop instead of a blacksmith like me.¡¹ ¡¸A weapon shop, huh.¡¹ Rei gave a small sigh at Pamidor¡¯s words. Most of the weapon shops in Gilm had used be in partnership with a company called Azoth Firm. Or rather, you could say they were under Azoth Firm¡¯s control. The fact was, they had been ordered not to sell weapons to Rei during his dispute with the head of Azoth Firm at the time and they had followed the order, refusing to sell weapons to Rei. The problem had already been solved, but after information on the incident spread throughout the city, there had been a lot of push back from those who loved Set, not to mention Rei himself. Set had already become well known as a friendly Griffon in Gilm. To be exact¡­¡­those who learned that the weapon shops had acted unreasonably against Set¡¯s master were quick to respond and weapon shops had been hard pressed as a form of retaliation. All that had since gone completely after Galahad had taken over, or more precisely, stolen, Azoth Firm. However, Gilm¡¯s weapon shops still treated Rei as a sore point, which made it awkward for him to visit any weapon shops. Also, as far as Rei knew, the weapons made by Pamidor were of high quality, which was one of the reasons why he stayed away from the other weapon shops. Pamidor smiled as he saw Rei give an involuntary sigh. Because of his villainous face, it made him look like a bandit or pirate giving a ferocious smile after finding his prey. ¡¸Well, you¡¯re always welcome to come here.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s not me you¡¯re after, but Set, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ At Pamidor¡¯s words, Rei turned to look outside. Outside, a 10 year old boy was playing with Set. The boy¡¯s name was Kumito. Although he didn¡¯t look anything like Pamidor, he was Pamidor¡¯s only son. ¡¸No matter how many times I see him, he doesn¡¯t look like your kid.¡¹ ¡¸You didn¡¯t have to say that. ¡­¡­Well, to be honest, I¡¯m glad he doesn¡¯t look like me. After all, my face does look like this.¡¹ Pamidor said that with a smile. He realised himself that he had quite the intimidating face. ¡¸Maybe you should stop shaving your head? It only serves to make you more intimidating. You might do that as an adventurer to intimidate bandits or monsters with some intelligence, but you¡¯re just a blacksmith, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I guess so.¡¹ Pamidor nodded at Rei¡¯s words. He had originally been a blacksmith of some renown in the Royal Capital. However, he had come to Gilm because he wanted to help the adventurers and residents who worked on the frontier rather than make decorative weapons that would never be used for the nobles who lived in the Royal Capital. Although he now had a good number of customers, when he first came to Gilm, he had been feared and avoided due to his intimidating face. Even so, he did he work well and earned the trust of those around him through his abilities. Even during the Azoth Firm incident that Rei had been involved in, he had openly defied the order not to sell weapons to Rei. However, he hadn¡¯t been able to actively support Rei due to his concerns about his family. As a result, Rei had come to trust him and he had become Rei¡¯s go to blacksmith. Pamidor replied to Rei. ¡¸When I first started training as a blacksmith, I made a small mistake that caused my hair to catch fire. I was burnt pretty badly. Fortunately, the blacksmith I studied under had a close relationship with a skilled mage who could use healing magic, so there were hardly any burn marks left. I stopped growing my hair out after that. It¡¯s more of a habit now.¡¹ Pamidor shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸Are you planning to use any weapons other than spears? With your strength, you would probably manage with a sword or an axe.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that, my main weapon is my Death Scythe. As for spears, I only use them as throwing weapons when I need to attack from range.¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸That scythe you have certainly is an extraordinarily high quality weapon, but it¡¯s still a polearm, right? What do you do if someone gets close to you?¡¹ Pamidor asked with a concerned expression, but Rei just pulled out the Mithril Knife from the sheath on the left side of his waist as he stuck it out slightly from under his Dragon Robe. ¡¸I also have this. ¡­¡­As you can see, this knife is made with Mithril. If I put my magic power into it, it¡¯s a lot stronger than most weapons around.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haah. Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Here, take this with you.¡¹ WIth those words, Pamidor threw over a sheathed blade that was longer than a knife but shorter than a sword. It was a weapon often called a dagger. Holding the dagger in its rugged sheath, Rei asked Pamidor. ¡¸This is?¡¹ ¡¸Aren¡¯t you B rank now? It¡¯s to celebrate your promotion. You also said you¡¯re heading for the Labyrinth City. I¡¯ve heard that there are various unique monsters that appear in the dungeon there. You might have a lot of difficulty in stripping materials from the monsters with just the knife you normally use. Take it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is this reall okay?¡¹ ¡¸I said that it was to celebrate your promotion. Don¡¯t make me embarrassed and just accept it quietly.¡¹ Pamidor looked away from Rei as he said that. He was probably embarrassed, but to a casual passerby, his expression probably looked more like one of a bandit who didn¡¯t care about whether someone lived or died. But to Rei, who had dealt a fair bit with Pamidor, he understood his true intentions as he pulled the dagger out of its sheath. It was a 30cm long blade. The thick blade reflected the light on it, revealing its sharp cutting edge. There were no decorations carved on the sheath, handle or blade, making it a functional blade designed for combat and stripping materials. It wasn¡¯t a magic item, but if you considered it as an ordinary weapon, it was worth several silver coins. No, considering Pamidor¡¯s skill as a blacksmith, its value might even reach a gold coin. ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, you might have reached B rank, but I¡¯ve heard there are many differences between a labyrinth city and other cities. You¡¯ll have to move with caution. If it¡¯s pure about combat strength, you and Set won¡¯t have a problem. However, only cities with large dungeons are called labyrinth cities. Some of the monsters there will be quite powerful.¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com (He¡¯s quite a tsundere even though he has that face.) Rei thought that in his mind without saying it out loud before replying. ¡¸I¡¯ll take your advice then. I¡¯ll be going to the Labyrinth City for a month¡­¡­no, maybe two months? I¡¯ll be back before winter though, so look forward to some souvenirs.¡¹ ¡¸Souvenirs, eh? Speaking of, the fish you gave me last time was delicious.¡¹ At the word souvenir, Pamidor recalled the dried fish he had received from Rei as a souvenir from Emoshion. It had a fishy smell, but after grilling it to eat, he thought it was an unusual dish that went really well with alcohol. Pamidor thought it wouldn¡¯t be bad if Rei brought back more as a souvenir, but it wasn¡¯t until an hour or so later after Rei left his smithy that he realised Rei was going to the Labyrinth City and not a port city. ¡¸It¡¯s rare to see you here. Oh right, I know it¡¯s a bit late, but congratulations on passing your rank up test.¡¹ Inside the guild master¡¯s office, Marina gave Rei a seductive smile. Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience Today, she was wearing a white party dress. White usually gave off a sense of purity, but when Marina wore it, it seemed to emphasise her sex appeal, which felt very strange to Rei. ¡¸Well, I made it somehow. To be honest, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d make it to B rank, although it¡¯s only provision B rank.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, I heard there was a lot of debate over Rei¡¯s promotion. In fact, although your fighting skills are unquestionable, I heard that your etiquette was a major negative factor.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guessed as much.¡¹ Knowing his own shortcomings, Rei gave a short nod. ¡¸So, what brings you here today? Don¡¯t tell me you came here just to report your promotion? Of course, you¡¯re more than welcome to do so. If you want, do you want to spend the night with me to celebrate?¡¹ Marina glanced at Rei invitingly. Even though she was sitting at her office desk organising documents¡­¡­no, maybe because she was doing that, her invitation to Rei along with her voluptuous body and revealing dress stimulated Rei to the point where he thought she was a high class courtesan. Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience Rei held his breath when he saw Marina like that, but he thought of Elena, he quickly shook his head as he resisted Marina¡¯s temptation. ¡¸No, I just wanted to tell you that I¡¯ll be heading to the Labyrinth City in a few days.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re not obligated to tell the guild master where you¡¯re going even if you are a B rank adventurer you know?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, I might not be obligated to report to the guild master, but it¡¯s different for one who has helped me out a great deal.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Marina nodded after some silence at Rei¡¯s calm response. ¡¸Thank you for informing me. So, when do you plan to return?¡¹ She continued talking as if to hide her thoughts, but Rei didn¡¯t seem to notice anything wrong. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll be back before winter, but I don¡¯t know when.¡¹ Rei gave the same answer he had given Pamidor and Marina gave a small nod in response. ¡¸I see, I understand. Take care of yourself.¡¹ ¡¸I will. Look forward to some souvenirs.¡¹ ¡¸No more dried fish, okay?¡¹ Shaking Marina¡¯s hand lightly, Rei left her office. Seeing him leave, Marina gently touched her cheek. Her cheeks were tinged with a light reddish hue which Rei hadn¡¯t noticed due to Marina¡¯s dark brown skin, characteristic to Dark Elves. ¡¸¡­¡­I must be going crazy.¡¹ She no longer had the seductive expression she had earlier when Rei had been in the room. After leaving Marina¡¯s office, he told Lenora and Kenny that he would be away for a while before leaving the guild. He promised them he would be back before winter as they watched him leave with concerned expressions. Kenny said that, as a guild employee, it was her duty to follow Rei to the Labyrinth City, but Lenora smacked her over the back of the head with a stack of documents, forcing her to shut up. It was already a familiar routine to Rei, so he left the guild without thinking about it any further. Behind him, Kenny immediately showed her zombie like immortality as she said she would see him off. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Rei understood what Set wanted to ask with that cry as he gave a small nod. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve said goodbye to most of the places I needed to. ¡­¡­It was a bit hectic at the Satisfied Stomach though.¡¹ Rei laughed lightly to himself. The place had been full of customers, so he just ate, paid his meal and said a few words to Hasta. ¡¸All that¡¯s left¡­¡­is here.¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience Rei muttered to himself as the Dusk Wheat came into view. It had been the inn he had stayed at for over a year now. It wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t going to come back, but he still had a somewhat regretful feeling. It was one of the more premium inns in Gilm and had a price to match. But for Rei, it wasn¡¯t a price he couldn¡¯t afford, and more importantly, it was an inn that was worth the price. The rooms were spacious, the beds were always neat and clean, the food was delicious and the inn was filled with various magic items to make his stay more comfortable. Thinking of that, Rei parted ways with Set at the front of the inn before walking inside. ¡¸Rei-san, welcome back. ¡­¡­You said this yesterday, but you plan to check out tomorrow, right?¡¹ He gave a small nod towards Lana, who was at the counter. ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m going to be away for quite a while starting from tomorrow. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be gone, but it might be all the way until winter. It wouldn¡¯t be too nice to keep my room booked out all that time, so I¡¯ll be checking out tomorrow as planned.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand. Thank you very much for staying at the Dusk Wheat for the past year.¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com Rei smiled and shook his head as Lana gave a bow towards him. ¡¸I¡¯ll rent a room here again when I get back from the Labyrinth City. After all, this inn is quite comfortable.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much. I will return the money you have left over when you check out tomorrow. ¡­¡­I¡¯ll make tonight¡¯s meal a bit more luxurious as a token of appreciation for your stay here.¡¹ ¡¸I would appreciate that a lot.¡¹ Rei went back to his room with a smile. His dinner that night was certainly more luxurious than usual and filled his stomach with happiness. Chapter 370 It was summer, the hottest season of the year. However, it was still early in summer and the mornings and morning air was cool as Rei stood at the main gate of Gilm. The 6am bell had just rung and there weren¡¯t many people near the gate except for Rei and the group of people who had come to see him off. Even so, there were already a few merchants heading out the city or adventurers leaving for requests. In the midst of all this, Rei and his group were very conspicuous. The sight of Set was enough to make them stand out. However, there was also Lenora and Kenny, the guild¡¯s signature receptionists, Pamidor, the blacksmith with a villainous face and Kumito, who was rubbing his eyes sleepily in Pamidor¡¯s arms. From the Dusk Wheat, only Lana had come to see him off as her husband and son were probably busy preparing breakfast at the inn. In particularly, unusually, Milein from Scorching Wind was also here. She had come to see Rei off after hearing that he was leaving for the Labyrinth City and was hugging Set as she said goodbye. If Marka, who had become friends with Rei and Set, was still in Gilm, she would definitely have been here. But fortunately or unfortunately, Marka had already left for the Royal Capital. Meanwhile, Kenny spoke to Rei with a serious expression. ¡¸Rei-kun, be careful when you go to the Labyrinth City. Okay? Women are wolves, so you have to be careful. ¡­¡­No, women are more like vixens than wolves. Yes, vixens! So you have to be careful out there.¡¹ ¡¸Haah, you¡­¡­all this¡­¡­no, just never mind.¡¹ If you¡¯re so worried about him, then why don¡¯t you just follow him? Lenora was about to say that, but stopped after realising that Kenny might actually take her seriously. She didn¡¯t finish what she was saying as she turned to look at Rei. ¡¸Rei-san, I wish you the best of luck as a B rank adventurer of Gilm. The Labyrinth City is quite different in how things work compared to the frontier here. But, I still believe that with your skills, you¡¯ll be able to break through all difficulties. ¡­¡­However, it would be best for Gilm if you could hold back on beating up other adventurers.¡¹ As for as Lenora was concerned, there was no doubting Rei¡¯s ability as a B rank adventurer. The same was true for many other Gilm adventurers. Compared to when Rei first came to Gilm, his skills had already become well known and no one would deliberately mess with Rei unless they were ignorant or overconfident. The Claws of the Hawk that had first messed with Rei when he first came to Gilm had become a sort of legend. That said, they also lamented the fact that the nickname of ¡®Goblin Drool¡¯ for their party had spread quite a bit. The least that could be said was that Vargas¡¯ arrogant personality had somewhat improved about being beaten down by Rei twice and had come to understand his own abilities to a certain extent. But all this was just in Gilm. Lenora was half convinced that when he went to the Labyrinth City, where almost no one would know of him, he would undoubtedly get into trouble with his personality and Set¡¯s existance. That said, considering Rei¡¯s abilities, she didn¡¯t think he would get into any trouble that he wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with. (Besides, there must be a good number of adventurers in the Labyrinth City who were hired as mercenaries in the war with the Bestir Empire. If those people spread the news that Rei earned himself a title¡­¡­) Updated from novelhall[.]com That was what Lenora thought. Also, although Rei hadn¡¯t told anyone, including Lenora and Kenny, him and Set weren¡¯t the only ones going to the Labyrinth City. Elena, the famed General Princess was also going with them. Because of that, they were guaranteed to attract some real trouble. ¡¸Yes. As an adventurer of Gilm, I¡¯ll work hard to not be looked down on.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Lenora gave a sigh. For a moment, she felt pity for the guild employees in the Labyrinth City and she was right. Beside Lenora, Lana handed Rei a large basket. ¡¸Rei-san, this is for your lunch. I¡¯ve made a fair bit, so please eat it before it goes off. ¡­¡­That said, you have an item box, so you don¡¯t really need to worry about that.¡¹ ¡¸No, thank you. Food from the Dusk Wheat is delicious, I¡¯ll be sure to savour every bite.¡¹ ¡¸Please come back here whenever you return to Gilm. You¡¯re always welcome here.¡¹ Rei bowed his head in appreciation for Lana¡¯s thoughtfulness. Next to come forward was Pamidor. One of the merchants nearby who hadn¡¯t heard of Pamidor before involuntarily took a step back when he saw Pamidor smile. The fact that he was more surprised by Pamidor compared with Set, a Griffon, was a sign that Set had made himself well known. Either that or Pamidor¡¯s face was scarier. ¡¸¡­¡­Set, see you later. Rei-san, bye bye.¡¹ Kumito sleepily rubbed his eyes and waved as Pamidor carried him in his arms. ¡¸Goodbye. Look forward to the souvenirs I¡¯ll bring back by winter.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m looking forward¡­¡­to¡­¡­¡¹ Before he could finish his sentence, Kumito fell asleep in Pamidor¡¯s arms. He had to get up earlier than usual because of the time when Rei was leaving, but it seemed that he had reached his limit. Pamidor looked at his son with a smile on his face. He might have thought he was smiling at his beloved son, but everyone else proved otherwise as they took several steps back from him. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll get going now. I don¡¯t want to be stuck here forever.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, take care until winter.¡¹ Pamidor might have had a villainous smile, but he still gave off a friendly feeling. ¡¸Rei-kun, watch out for vixens. Rei-kun is very attractive.¡¹ Kenny gave Rei some advice with a serious expression. ¡¸Rei-san, take care of yourself. I look forward to hearing about your activities, even if it¡¯s through the guild.¡¹ Lenora said that with her usual serious expression. ¡¸See you again soon. When you come back to Gilm, please come to our inn.¡¹ Lana smiled encouragingly. ¡¸Set-chan, Set-chan, Set-chan¡­¡­ahhh, it¡¯s going to be so lonely if I can¡¯t meet with Set-chan again until winter. Let¡¯s go to the Labyrinth City together.¡¹ Still hugging Set, Milein stroked his silky back with regret. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gently rubbed his face against Milein before moving away. ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid. I¡¯ve already told you this before, but two people can¡¯t ride on Set in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸What, then how about I go to the Labyrinth City with Set instead of you Rei? Won¡¯t that work?¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience ¡¸Stop saying all this nonsense¡­¡­¡¹ Rei let out a sigh or relief when a familiar figure appeared in his eyes. ¡¸Seriously, I knew it was going to be like this. Milein, you promised me that you wouldn¡¯t bother Rei-san when you went to see him off.¡¹ The person who had come over was a middle-aged man in his forties. He held a staff in his hand and was wearing a robe. It was the mage from Scorching Wind and, in a sense, he also served as Milein¡¯s external conscience. It was Sulunin. ¡¸Rei-san, sorry for all the trouble we¡¯ve caused.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. I think I understand Milein¡¯s love for Set.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m going to have to drag her back. ¡­¡­I¡¯ve heard that the Labyrinth City is a different place compared to the frontier. Please take care.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ve heard a lot about it, so I¡¯ll be careful.¡¹ ¡¸Ahhhhhhhhhh, Set-chan. Don¡¯t eat anything strange.¡¹ As Rei and Sulunin were speaking, Milein held onto Set as if she didn¡¯t want to leave. However, she was forcibly dragged away. (¡­¡­He¡¯s pretty strong for a mage, huh.) As he though that, Rei looked at all the people who had come to see him off before saying goodbye. ¡¸Okay, I¡¯m off.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a cry in response to Rei¡¯s words and the two of them walked out the front gate. Although Rei wanted to take off right away, in the past, Ranga had asked Rei and Set to not take off or land near the city, so Rei had no choice. ¡ºHave a safe trip!¡» Hearing the voices behind him, Rei and Set travelled a short distance away and made sure that there weren¡¯t any other people around before Rei got on Set¡¯s back. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s go. To a small village close to Annesis. There¡¯s a guy there who retired from being a knight and opened a bar. I was told to contact Elena from there.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s word. Rei didn¡¯t have a detailed map to Annesis, but he decided that if he continued along the road and collected information, they would eventually get there. (If I had a map, I would have been able to shorten the travel time to the same time it took me to get to Emoshion. However, I can¡¯t really ask to borrow a map for a private trip, can I?) Thinking to himself, he gently patted Set¡¯s back after getting on. ¡¸Well, the agreed meeting time was only specified as early summer, so it should be okay if I¡¯m a little late¡­¡­right?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Will that really be okay? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head towards Rei on his back. Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience However, Rei didn¡¯t see it as too much of a problem. After all, with Set¡¯s wings, even if they took a bit of a detour, he was confident that they would still be much faster than a carriage going from city to city. ¡¸However, if I¡¯m too slow, I might end up getting hit with a sword whip. It would probably be better to hurry a bit.¡¹ Going back on his earlier words, Rei asked Set to fly a little faster. Set gave a cry and flapped his wings. Since he was flying, he couldn¡¯t really gauge how fast they were going, but the scenery on the ground flew by quickly. It was still early in the morning, so there were few travellers and adventurers on the road. There were some who had left Gilm before Rei, but Set had already overtaken them. All he could see was a green carpet spread out before him with roads running through it. Occasionally, monsters such as Goblins and Fang Wolves could be seen, but they soon disappeared from his sight after Set flapped his wings several times. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience ¡¸¡­¡­It seems like you¡¯ve gotten faster than before.¡¹ Rei couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself after seeing Set¡¯s speed. The speed at which the scenery along the ground was passing by was definitely much faster than before. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Is that so? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his his, possibly unaware of the fact. Anyhow, that was how Rei left Gilm. After that, they passed through Abuero, the closest city to Gilm, and then onto Sabrusta. Along the way, Rei spent a night in his magic tent, and even though they weren¡¯t far from Sabrusta, it seemed to be a common area for bandits and they were attacked overnight. However, the bandits couldn¡¯t hide their killing intent and only relied on their numbers. Rei and Set easily dispatched them. As a matter of course, Rei interrogated the bandits, forcing them to reveal their hideout. He then attacked their hideout and stole everything they had. At one point, he found a caravan under attack by Goblins even though it was a long way away from the frontier. He helped them out and served as a temporary escort for the caravan until they reached the next city after about half a day. On the way, he was told that he wouldn¡¯t reach the Kerebel Duchy if he continued along this highway, learning of his mistake, Rei hurriedly went back the way he came after escorting them to a city. During his trip to the Kerebel Duchy, he found a beautiful lake near the highway. Swimming with Set to overcome the summer heat, he caught some fish that were several meters in length. They were attacked by a huge catfish and succeeded in killing it after struggling underwater. However, when Rei went to dismantle it, hoping for a magic stone, he found out that it wasn¡¯t a monster but an ordinary fish, which was disappointing. However, because the lake was very clean, the catfish didn¡¯t have any muddy smell on it, and after using salt to remove the slime off it, he made it into skewers and soup, which were very tasty. Like so, after getting lost and taking many detours, they finally arrived at their destination, a village in the Kerebel Duchy, about two weeks after they had left Gilm. Chapter 371 ¡¸So this is the village Ara told me about. ¡­¡­There really aren¡¯t many people here.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry in agreement as he walked alongside. After two weeks of travel from Gilm, he arrived at the village where he was going to contact Elena. What surprised Rei more than anything was that the gatekeeper at the entrance to the village was not afraid of Set, despite being surprised to see him. Most of the cities that Rei had gone to in the past had some form of threat in the vicinity. That was why quite a few would panic upon seeing Set, a Griffon. ¡¸Well, I guess that¡¯s the sign of a peaceful village.¡¹ Looking around, he could see that the village was quite expansive. Because the farmlands were located within the village grounds, it had an idyllic feel to it. Most of the people were still working in the fields under the summer heat and very few noticed Rei and Set. Those that did notice greeted them without any sign of fear. Even the children came up to them with happy shouts when they saw Set. (I guess there really aren¡¯t any threats near this village.) Rei thought to himself as he watched several children petting Set. Because this was far from the frontier, the threat of monsters was much less compared to Gilm. Duke Kerebel, who ruled this area, had also kept bandit at bay, which was why the area was so quiet. As they walked through the village, Rei called out to a man who happened to pass them by. ¡¸Excuse me, could you tell me where the bar is in this village?¡¹ ¡¸What? Going to the bar in the middle of the day? Ah no, I can understand why you¡¯d want to have a drink and enjoy yourself in this weather¡­¡­must be nice being a traveller. The monster you have with you is also quite cute.¡¹ The villager with a hoe looked over towards Set enviously. At first glance, the village might be described as quiet and idyllic. But even so, farming under the blazing sun was quite unbearable. (I don¡¯t even like alcohol, but why am I being seen as a daytime drunk?) Rei, who wasn¡¯t a big fan of alcohol, replied as he gave a sigh in his mind. ¡¸I just arrived at this village. I want to go to the bar to collect some information.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, well, I guess that¡¯s fine. There¡¯s only one bar in this village you know? As you can see, it¡¯s a small village.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s convenient.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Convenient?¡¹ The man seemed quite puzzled as Rei realised that he wouldn¡¯t need to look through several bars. Rei shook his head to indicate it was nothing before asking for directions to the bar. Given the size of the village, it was only natural that there would only be a single bar, but that made it convenient for Rei as he didn¡¯t need to search through several bars to find the person who had a means of contacting Elena. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience ¡¸So, I¡¯ve got some work to do, I¡¯ll leave you on your way. It¡¯s a pretty empty village, but at least you can relax.¡¹ The man with a hoe in his right hand waved with his left hand before leaving. Seeing him leave, Rei followed the directions he was given. ¡­¡­After about 10 minutes, he found the bar. It looked like an ordinary house, but the sign near the door with a glass of wine indicated what building it was. ¡¸I guess there¡¯s only village residents here. ¡­¡­Hm?¡¹ Thinking of that, he realised something. If the main guests of the bar were the village¡¯s residents, then there would be no reason for the bar to be open during the day when all the residents of the village would be busy with work out in the fields or other activities. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Is anything wrong? Set seemed to ask as he gave a cry. Hearing Set¡¯s cry, Rei decided that he could just check if the bar was open and play around with Set until it did open if it wasn¡¯t. ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Set, wait here a moment. It will be hard for you to fit through the door.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Understanding Rei¡¯s words, Set lay down to sleep under a tree a short distance away from the bar. Fortunately, there was plenty of summer grass belown him, so it felt like a soft carpet to Set. ¡­¡­That said, as a Griffon, it didn¡¯t really matter if he was lying on dirt, in a meadow or even on a rocky hill. Glancing over at Set for a moment, Rei put his hand on the bar¡¯s door¡­¡­and to his suprise, found that it wasn¡¯t locked as he easily pushed it open and went in. ¡¸Welcome.¡¹ The moment Rei walked inside, a voice came from within. Turning towards the voice, he saw an older man in his 50¡¯s. He had a smile on his face, but his eyes were sharp as he looked at Rei. His mouth and eyes seemed to have completely different expressions. However, that was only for a moment. He smiled again as he turned his eyes towards a counter seat. ¡¸What would you like to drink? An ale in this heat?¡¹ ¡¸No, just water or tea.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s response, the man frowned slightly. ¡¸You know that this is a bar right?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t really like to drink alcohol. ¡­¡­Fine then. Give me some diluted wine. I¡¯d like something to eat while I¡¯m at it.¡¹ ¡¸Hah, I should have expected that when a kid like you walked in. Give me a minute.¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience Saying that with sigh, he poured some wine into a glass and diluted it with water before placing it in front of Rei. He also gave Rei a plate with some fruit, mushrooms and sausages. ¡¸Here. That will be two copper coins.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s cheap.¡¹ Rei was surprised at the price requested by the man as he placed two copper coins on the counter. ¡¸That¡¯s because all the wine and food are made here in this village. It¡¯s still profitable though. ¡­¡­So, is your name Rei?¡¹ Rei¡¯s hand stopped reaching out for his glass when he heard the man¡¯s casual question. He looked at the man, observing him, as he brought the glass to his mouth. Needless to say, there was no magic item to cool things down in a village like this. The watered down wine in the cup wasn¡¯t very cold. ¡¸Did you hear that from Ara?¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ve heard what you generally look like. A teenager with red hair, blue eyes and looks like an apprentice mage. However, you also have a large attitude despite how you look.¡¹ Hearing the man¡¯s reply, Rei was convinced as he stabbed his fork into a sausage on his plate and brought it to his mouth. (Well, since she knew I would be coming around this time, it¡¯s only natural that Ara would have told him what I look like.) ¡¸Then, can I assume you know why I¡¯m here?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll send a bird to Anesis later.¡¹ Rei looked confused as the man smiled at him. ¡¸A bird?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s about a whole day¡¯s trip from here to Anesis by carriage, but it won¡¯t take that long for a bird. They¡¯ll know that you¡¯ve arrived in this village by the end of the day.¡¹ ¡¸Even though it¡¯s only a day¡¯s journey from Anesis, this village isn¡¯t really that developed. Normally, a village on the route to a major city would be developed accordingly.¡¹ The man shrugged his shoulders at Rei¡¯s reasonable question. ¡¸This village is located in the middle of nowhere. There are some roads, but they¡¯re not very well maintained. Besides¡­¡­this village has intentionally remained as such for various reasons.¡¹ Rei was curious why the man stopped speaking halfway through, but decided it was probably something to do with the Duke¡¯s family and gave up asking further. Instead, Rei asked a question as he stabbed his fork into some fruit. ¡¸So, when will Elena arrive in this village?¡¹ The man¡¯s expression twitched when he heard Rei call Elena by just her name. (Was it bad to call her that since he was a former escort knight?) He thought about that for a moment but decided not to worry about it thinking that it would end up being the same anyway once Elena arrived at this village. However, the man didn¡¯t call Rei out on his casual language. ¡¸Ah-ha-ha-. I never thought I¡¯d here someone call the General Princess, Elena-sama, like that. It seems like what Miss Ara told me was true, that there are various complicated circumstances.¡¹ The man started laughing instead of getting angry. His reaction was completely unexpected for Rei. When it came to Elena¡¯s escort knights, both Kuust and Ara had left a striking impression on him and both had held a strong sense of respect towards Elena. In particular, Kuust would probably swung his magic spear at Rei if he had called out Elena without any honorifics. The face of the man who¡¯s personality was thoroughly at odds with him to the moment of his death passed through Rei¡¯s mind. That said, Kuust and Ara were both special, there were many other talents within the escort knights, especially Machen, who served as Ara¡¯s assistant. But because Kuust and Ara had both left a strong impression on their first meeting, it was inevitable that they would become what Rei expected from the other escort knights. ¡¸So, when will she be able to get here?¡¹ Rei asked the laughing man. At Rei¡¯s question, the man gave a small shrug as he shook his head. ¡¸I can send the message to Anesis today, just as I said earlier. However, since Elena-sama has her own schedule, I¡¯m not sure when that will be. If she can leave right away, she will arrive tomorrow. If she still has something she needs to do, it will be delayed by however long that takes.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Rei could only admit it was a reasonable response. Seeing that, the man smiled as he took out another cup and poured some wine into it. ¡¸Didn¡¯t I say I didn¡¯t like to drink alcohol?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, this isn¡¯t for you. It¡¯s for me.¡¹ ¡¸You drink what you sell¡­¡­?¡¹ Rei couldn¡¯t help but ask in confusion at the man¡¯s actions. However, the man just downed the glass of wine immediately without caring for Rei¡¯s expression. ¡¸Pwaah¡­¡­don¡¯t say that. There¡¯s been quite a few remarkable events, so let me drink like this for a bit. ¡­¡­By the way, Rei, was it? Do you have anywhere to stay in this village while waiting for Elena-sama and Miss Ara?¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s right. Now that you mention it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha. Well this is a small village and there aren¡¯t that many travellers. There¡¯s an inn, but it¡¯s not that big. Why don¡¯t you just stay at my place? I¡¯d like to hear more about your relationship with Elena-sama and Miss Ara.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine¡­¡­but is it okay with you to let a strange traveller stay with you?¡¹ Or is it because it¡¯s a quiet village? ¡­¡­That was what Rei thought to himself, but the man just poured more wine into his glass as he brought it to his mouth again. ¡¸Hah, don¡¯t worry about it. I don¡¯t have anything to worry about being stolen. Even if there is, it¡¯s basically only preserved food. More than that, I¡¯d rather listen to your story.¡¹ ¡¸Well, if you say so, I¡¯ll be in your care for the night. ¡­¡­I also have a Griffon with me, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸A Griffon? You have a hell of a monster, don¡¯t you? I don¡¯t have a stable, so it¡¯ll have to stay outside if that¡¯s okay with you.¡¹ ¡¸Outside, like the front of this bar?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. If you don¡¯t mind, I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll serve you food here until you¡¯re full. ¡­¡­How about it?¡¹ Although Rei was a bit worried about where Set would sleep, Set was still a Griffon, so it probably wouldn¡¯t bother him. Rei got up from his seat. ¡¸Pardon me, I¡¯ll just have to ask Set¡­¡­my Griffon. I¡¯ll get back to you in a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Sure. ¡­¡­A Griffon, is it? These adventurers seem to have changed quite a bit since I served in Elena-sama¡¯s escort.¡¹ The man seemed somewhat puzzled at Rei¡¯s words, but Rei just answered with a small shrug. ¡¸That¡¯s because I¡¯m an adventurer from Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Gilm, it seems to be quite different from what I remember¡­¡­has that much changed in the past few years?¡¹ Leaving the man¡¯s common sense twisting into a knot in his head, Rei went out the bar and over to Set, who was lying under a nearby tree. ¡¸Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What¡¯s the matter? Set seemed to ask as Rei stroked his head and spoke. ¡¸I¡¯ve been invited to stay in the bar. Do you mind sleeping out here?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s question to say there was no problem. Thus, Rei¡¯s worries about Set were solved and he decided on which inn to stay at. Chapter 372 Anesis, the home of Duke Kerebel. An eagle flew towards the second largest city in the Mireana Kingdom. What made this eagle different from other eagles was its size. An ordinary eagle, no matter how big it was, would only have a wingspan of 2m a most after spreading its wings. However, the eagle flying towards Anesis was 1.5¡­¡­or even 2 times larger than an ordinary eagle. It wasn¡¯t a monster of course, but the result of a magical breeding process. They were bred to fly faster and for longer periods of time than ordinary eagles. And although they weren¡¯t a monster, they were still strong enough to take on a few Goblins by themselves. Such an eagle flapped its wings as it descended towards Anesis with a metal tube containing a letter tied to its leg. The gatekeepers were surprised at the size of the eagle but didn¡¯t panic as they warned travellers, merchants and adventurers who were trying to enter the city to not get in its way. Flapping its wings, the eagle dove through the gate and headed straight for its destination, Duke Kerebel¡¯s residence. A room in Duke Kerebel¡¯s residence. Inside, Elena was looking through documents at her desk. In front of her was a man in his 20¡¯s, as still as a statue. He looked very tense¡­¡­no, as he was standing in front of the Duke¡¯s daughter, it was natural that he would be nervous. However, his tension wasn¡¯t because of that. Rather, he was feeling overwhelmed by Elena Kerebel, the young woman in front of him who looked like a work of art. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience (¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s no surprise. Elena-sama has changed a lot since spring. Her beauty had always been something that drew the gazes of others, but now some sort of charm has been added on top of that.) Ara thought to herself as she checked some documents before signing them off on her own desk, a short distance away from Elena¡¯s. After the war with the Bestir Empire¡­¡­or more precisely, after parting with Rei on the battlefield, Elena had become prettier and prettier by the day. Of course, she wasn¡¯t distracted by love and didn¡¯t neglect her role as a noble, the leader of her knights or as the General Princess. In fact, her work efficiency was faster and more reliable than ever. (Is this the strength of a girl in love?) A small smile crossed her face as she thought of Elena, her superior, and Rei, who Elena was in love with. However, Elena hadn¡¯t been the only one who had changed. Ara had also changed a lot compared to before. In the past, she had never taken paperwork seriously. ¡­¡­That said, there was still a clear difference between Elena, who had just discovered her feelings of love, and Ara, who was taught by Elena and Machen, her deputy, to do paperwork. Meanwhile, Elena, who had been reading through some documents, nodded before turning to look at the young man. ¡¸¡­¡­There are no problems. Please proceed as is.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes!¡¹ Because of Elena¡¯s serious expression¡­¡­or rather because of the dignified aura she gave off because of her serious expression, the young man¡¯s cheeks flushed. However, Elena didn¡¯t seem to notice that at all as she shifted her gaze to the next set of documents. The young man standing before her might have already disappeared from her mind. Despite being visibly depressed seeing that, the young man went towards the door to leave Elena¡¯s office¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh, pardon me.¡¹ Just as he was about to open the door, the door was opened from the hallway side as a voice called out. The young man involuntarily took a step make to make way for the voice. The person on the other side was a man in his 30¡¯s with a calm expression on his face. It was Machen, the deputy commander of Elena¡¯s escort knights, to which the young man belonged. ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ After responding to Machen, the young man left the room. He closed the door and had walked a few steps away when¡­¡­ ¡ºWhat-, really!?¡» He stopped in his tracks when he heard Elena¡¯s loud voice from within the office. To him, Elena was the General Princess. Because of that, he had never though he¡¯d hear her lose her composure and shout so loudly. For a moment, he had thought that the Bestir Empire might have attacked again, but Elena¡¯s voice that he had heard was filled with more astonishment and surprise. He judged that it probably wasn¡¯t something bad for the Mireana Kingdom or Duke Kerebel, so continued on his way. He was also grateful for the¡­¡­rare opportunity of hearing Elena shouting outside of the battlefield. ¡¸Calm down, Elena-sama.¡¹ As one of Elena¡¯s escort knights walked down the hallway with a small sense of happiness at the unexpected event he had overheard, inside the office, Elena was smiling as she got up to leave immediately. Machen spoke to her to calm her down. Normally, it would be role of Ara, Machen¡¯s superior, to stop Elena. But seeing Elena¡¯s response, she had also prepared herself to leave immediately. Even though parts of her personality might have changed compared to before, Ara¡¯s blind faith in Elena had not. In a sense, this was unavoidable as it formed a core part of Ara¡¯s personality. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve been waiting a long time to hear this. Seriously, Rei. I told you that we would meet up after about three months, but didn¡¯t you make me wait too long?¡¹ Realising how flustered she had been, Elena spoke up to hide her embarrassment before sitting back down on the chair at her desk. Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸So, Elena-sama. I¡¯ll ask first, what do you plan to do now? Fortunately, there isn¡¯t too much urgent work, and as for paperwork, as I¡¯ve said before, me and Commander Ara can handle it. If you really want to leave Anesis now, there won¡¯t be any problems.¡¹ At Machen¡¯s words, which were spoken without hesitation, Ara couldn¡¯t help but worriedly ask back. ¡¸Wai-Wait a moment. Machen, did you just say that I¡¯ll be staying here?¡¹ At her question, Machen nodded without pausing. ¡¸Of course. After all, Elena-sama, who is the leader of the knights, will be absent. In that case, of course, Ara-sama, the leader of the escort knights, will have to take charge as the next in command.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? But, doesn¡¯t that mean I can¡¯t go to the Labyrinth City with Elena-sama?¡¹ Ara asked in a daze. However, Machen, who had been selected as Ara¡¯s deputy due to his pratical abilities, nodded mercilessly. ¡¸That is right. ¡­¡­Were you planning on going out with Elena-sama by any chance?¡¹ Ara silently turned her head away at Machen¡¯s question. Shortly after, she turned to look back at Machen with a gentle expression. Unfortunately, Ara¡¯s expression, which would have surprised anyone who knew her, did not affect Machen in any way. ¡¸You can¡¯t give me that look. If the Knight Commander Ara leaves along with Elena sama, the escort knights will stop working completely. In short, we can¡¯t do anything if you¡¯re not here.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is¡­¡­¡¹ Ara was at a loss for words. As someone who greatly looked up to Elena, she couldn¡¯t do such a foolish thing as to put the escort knights into such a situation. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of Ara¡¯s pride. If anything went wrong, Elena would looked down on with contempt by the other high nobility. As Elena¡¯s best friend and subordinate, she couldn¡¯t do such a thing. Seeing Ara go silent, Machen asked her again. ¡¸Do you understand?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­B-But! We can¡¯t just let Elena-sama go to the Labyrinth City by herself, can we? That¡¯s the whole reason why the escort knights exist!¡¹ That was all she could manage to say, but Machen shook his head without sympathy. ¡¸Please rest assured. He may be a carriage driver and not an escort¡­¡­but I¡¯ve asked Tufal to take her there.¡¹ Ara words got stuck in her throat for a moment when she heard the name of the carriage driver that served Duke Kerebel, but she recovered and responded almost immediately. ¡¸Escorts! We are Elena-sama¡¯s escort knights!¡¹ ¡¸I know that she would normally need an escort, but¡­¡­in the end, hasn¡¯t Elena-sama inherited the power of an Ancient Dragon¡¯s magic stone? Who can hurt her? Furthermore, Rei-san, who got the title of Crimson during the spring war will also be with her. If Rei-san is with her, his tamed Griffon will of course also be there. ¡­¡­So, I¡¯ll ask you again¡­¡­does she need an escort?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience Ara choked on her words again. Ara felt like she was facing a monster as she looked towards Elena, but Elena just smiled back without saying anything. ¡¸You understand? What we should do is to keep the escort knights in a fully operational state to respond to anything that might happen. It¡¯s also a good idea to improve your own training.¡¹ The reason Machen said that was because while the escort knights served to protect Elena, they were also an elite unit that specialised in offensive manoeuvres, contrary to their name. Because they were a knight unit under Elena¡¯s direct control, who favoured fighting on the forefront while commanding to raise the morale of her allies, they were all naturally highly trained. Those who couldn¡¯t keep up had the option of moving to another knight unit. Seeing that the discussion was over, Elena, who had been silent up until now, spoke up. ¡¸Ara, I want you to remain in Anesis.¡¹ ¡¸But-!¡¹ She hadn¡¯t expected Elena to tell her that. Ara looked back at Elena in disbelief. But, before she could say anything else, Elena continued. ¡¸No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you. It¡¯s the opposite. I want you to remain in Anesis, my home city, because I trust you.¡¹ ¡¸Elena-sama, but that¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Could you accept my request?¡¹ With Elena looking directly into her eyes, Ara couldn¡¯t say no and eventually gave a small nod. ¡¸I understand¡­¡­ Then, I will guard this place with my life until Elena-sama returns.¡¹ It was Ara who agreed with Elena¡¯s request, but it was Machen who silently cheered as he watched on. (There¡¯s no doubt that Elena-sama intends to go to the dungeon in the Labyrinth City, but her main purpose is to meet with Rei-san. Probabaly¡­¡­at least that¡¯s what I think.) But even if he knew that, Machen wasn¡¯t going to say anything about it. He knew how much Elena had been looking forward to going to the Labyrinth City with Rei and how much work she had done in order to make time for that. He also knew that Duke Kerebel was aware of Rei¡¯s ability and would be happy to have him join their faction. Of course, if Elena didn¡¯t have feelings for Rei, the Duke wouldn¡¯t have made such a decision. Duke Kerebel held a strong affection for Elena and wouldn¡¯t have used her to try to bring Rei into his faction. However, it was a different matter as his daughter had feelings towards Rei, so in a sense, their interests were aligned. (In a way, I guess you could say we were lucky¡­¡­if Elena-sama didn¡¯t have feelings for Rei, even if Duke Kerebel tried to pull him in¡­¡­no, in that case, he would have just used other means.) As he thought of that, Machen called out to Elena, who was smiling faintly while retaining her dignified expression. ¡¸So, Elena-sama, I would like to have the maids prepare for your trip as soon as possible if that is alright with you. As for your departure, you could leave tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t think I would be able to make it in time to leave today. ¡­¡­Should I send Yellow ahead?¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience Elena thought about it for a moment, but her senses weren¡¯t directly connected to Yellow. She could see was Yellow had seen in the past, but that needed Yellow to be with her. It would make little sense to look through Yellow¡¯s memories after arriving at the village. ¡¸¡­¡­I should just forget about that. It would be better to just get there as soon as possible instead. Fortunately, I¡¯ve already handled my work, and even if I¡¯m not here, it will be fine with Knight Commander Ara.¡¹ Elene muttered to herself as she looked over her remaining documents, looking forward to reuniting with Rei again. Chapter 373 ¡¸¡­¡­Huh? This is¡­¡­¡¹ Rei got up from his bed as he looked at the strange sight around him. The room wasn¡¯t particularly large. No, considering it was only about 4 tatami, it could even be considered small. Looking around the room¡­¡­he finally remembered where he was. ¡¸That¡¯s right, I was invited to stay overnight at the bar.¡¹ Getting up, he put on his Dragon Robe and Shoes of Sleipnir before leaving the room. ¡¸Oh, good morning. You¡¯re pretty late.¡¹ The owner of the bar immediately called out to Rei, but Rei¡¯s reply was somewhat grumpy. ¡¸I thought I told you I didn¡¯t like to drink.¡¹ ¡¸Did you? Well, I don¡¯t seem to recall that.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re clearly lying¡­¡­¡¹ Yes. Even though Rei had told the man in front of him that he didn¡¯t like to drink, the man had gathered up all the villagers at night and held a party to welcome Rei. Rei didn¡¯t know, but it wasn¡¯t that unusual for this village to receive guests. However, it was true that there weren¡¯t many guests who stayed overnight. He had been planning to stay at an inn at first, but decided not to after the man invited him to stay over at the bar as they hadn¡¯t been guests for a long time. What he said was true. ¡­¡­At least to the point that not many guests stayed in the village overnight. ¡¸There¡¯s a well out the front, so you can wash up there. After that, it will be time for breakfast.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, I¡¯ll do that. ¡­¡­Could I ask you to prepare some food for Set as well?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­that Griffon eats a lot. I¡¯ve got enough for today, but I¡¯ll have to find something for tomorrow. The only saving grave is that it¡¯s not too far into summer. It won¡¯t be a problem to replenish the food supply during the rest of summer and autumn.¡¹ At those words, the grumpy expression on Rei¡¯s face disappeared as he felt somewhat apologetic. After all, he knew from attending the party last night that Set¡¯s friendliness had been accepted by the residents of this village and that he had eaten a lot of food in the bar. The man might have been mischievous in many ways, but Rei still felt somewhat bad as the man and let him stay over out of the goodness of his heart. Reaching into his Dragon Robe, Rei took out a few silver coins from a pouch he had taken out from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Here¡¯s food money for me and Set for now. Please take it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, hey, hey, hey, no matter what, you can¡¯t possibly spend several silver coins for a few days worth of food¡­¡­¡¹ The man was was about to say something when he remembered Rei and Set¡¯s appetites from the day before and choked on his words. ¡¸Well, the thing is, I don¡¯t know when Elena will arrive at this village. But, considering the cost of food for me and Set, it should be at least that much.¡¹ ¡¸Ahem, if you say so, I¡¯ll accept.¡¹ The man didn¡¯t show any particular signs of happiness as he accepted the silver coins. In the first place, few merchants visited the village. The residents basically lived on their own and exchanged goods with each other in a way similar to bartering. Considering this, taking the silver coins was probably just the man¡¯s way of accepting Rei¡¯s thanks. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯ll cook up breakfast while you wash up, so go ahead. Oh, Set has also already been fed.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, thank you.¡¹ Thanking the man briefly, Rei went outside. Looking back, it looked like an ordinary building¡­¡­no, it did look like quite a fine place for the countryside, but even so, it looke like a simple house. The only thing that indicated that this was a bar was the sign of a glass of wine near the entrance. ¡¸Well, this seems to be a village with a lot of stories behind it¡­¡­I shouldn¡¯t worry too much about it. I don¡¯t want to get into any trouble.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ As Rei murmured to himself, Set, who had come over without him realising, rubbed his face against Rei as he gave a cry. ¡¸Good morning. Did you sleep well last night?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set gave a cheerful cry to indicate he had no problems the previous night. ¡¸I see, that¡¯s good. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a good night¡¯s sleep outside of a magic tent.¡¹ After washing up with some well water, Rei took out a few pieces of dried meat and gave them to Set. Even though Set had already eaten his breakfast, he still ate the dried meat Rei gave to him without hesitation. With the way Set was purring happily, he looked more like a cat than a Griffon, an A rank monster known as the reaper of the skies. (That said, his lower body is that of a lion, so he¡¯s definitely catlike.) After playing with Set for about 5 minutes, stroking his head and brushing his fur, a man walked out from the bar with an exasperated sigh. ¡¸Hey, hey, I told you I was cooking up breakfast. I was wondering if you¡¯d left from how long you took. ¡­¡­Hey, Rei! Are you going to have breakfast?!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, sorry. Of course I¡¯ll have breakfast.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Rei stood up at the man¡¯s words and Set looked over with a sad cry. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t be busy until Elena arrives. After we finish breakfast, we can relax together.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a happy cry as if his lonely expression a few seconds ago never existed. Looking at the two of them, the man was convinced that they were people related to Elena. After that, Rei ended up having a breakfast of bacon, sausage, ham, dried meat and bread, which wasn¡¯t really a meal you¡¯d eat in the morning. After eating a breakfast that was composed of almost entirely meat, Rei decided that his meals would be cooked from whatever he had stocked up in the Misty Ring. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s you again. What are you doing here?¡¹ After a meal of meat and bread, which would have been a treat for some, but not for others, Rei and Set were looking around the village with nothing to do in particular. From the outside, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything unusual about the village, it was just an ordinary farming village. Rei decided to take a look around the farm area to see if he could find any tasty vegetables to cook with, which he could barter for using things like the Bicorn meat he had collected from the rank up test, The first person he happened to run across was the man he had met in the fields yesterday when he asked for directions to the bar. However, when Rei saw him again, holding his hoe¡­¡­Rei¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly. He might have been wearing long sleeves in summer to protect himself from sunstroke, sunburn or insects, but it couldn¡¯t hide his body¡¯s constitution. At first glance he might look like a farmer, and he was definitely a farmer, but Rei was pretty sure the man had been a fighter before becoming a farmer. As he thought that, he known since yesterday that this village held some secrets relating to Duke Kerebel, so he didn¡¯t pursue the matter further as he told the farmer what he wanted. Actually, if you have any summer vegetables, I¡¯d like to have some. Of course, not for free. I¡¯d like to exchange some Bicorn meat for it.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I guess I have some potatoes I just harvested. Is that okay?¡¹ The farmer turned to look at a nearby hut. It seemed to be the place where he had harvested his potatoes. After being harvested, the potatoes would be left to dry in the shade to stop them from rotting, after which they could be stored for almost a year. That said, dried out potatoes tasted much worse than ones which were freshly harvested. Knowing this from his life in Japan, Rei nodded as he took out some Bicorn meat from the Misty Ring. The 30kg chunk of Bicorn meat was still quite fresh despite the fact that it had been stored in the Misty Ring for quite a few days. (Well, it was stored in the Misty Ring¡­¡­but while it won¡¯t decay, there¡¯s also no way to age anything.) The more magic power a monster had, the better its meat tasted. Rei wondered how good the meat would taste if it were aged, but as an adventurer, he couldn¡¯t think of a place where he could age meat. If there was one possible place, it would be Hasta¡¯s dismantling hut, but he couldn¡¯t casually ask to use it if it would interfere with Hasta¡¯s dismantling work. Above all, there was also the problem of controlling the temperature. (No, if it¡¯s temperature control system, the Dusk Wheat should have at least one? In that case, next would be the highest ranking monster meat I have. That would be the Lemrace. Given how much meat I have, I could probably use some.) The Lemrace was a sea serpent that was over 30m in length. The head might have been blown up and some meat given to the adventurers who helped to dismantle it or served to others during celebrations, but there was still a considerable amount left in the Misty Ring. There was enough for Rei and Set to eat for over a year. ¡¸Ohh, this is great. This Bicorn meat. If I can get this much, I wouldn¡¯t mind trading potatoes for it. In fact, I¡¯d ask you to trade it with me.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so, then I¡¯d like the potatoes.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, how much do you want?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, just as much as the meat.¡¹ The farmer looked quite shocked at Rei¡¯s words, but didn¡¯t seem to have a problem with it as he guided Rei to the hut. ¡¸This is¡­¡­amazing.¡¹ Inside the hut, there were potatoes, potatoes and more potatoes. It was close to what you could call a carpet of potatoes. (They look more like potatos than a sweet potatos. ¡­¡­But I guess that¡¯s natural as this was harvested in summer.) Nodding, Rei stored about 30kg of potatoes into the Misty Ring. Although it was the same weight¡¯s worth, 30kg of potatoes was still a considerable amount and it took him about 20 minutes to store it all away. ¡¸Then, thanks for the meat.¡¹ After being seen off by the farmer, Rei and Set went back to exploring the village. They spent the rest of the day wandering around, collecting vegetables and catching fish in the river when some children invited them. (Come to think of it, it¡¯s been more than a year since I first came to Elgin.) Rei thought to himself as he vaguely looked towards the summer sunset in the distance. Rei didn¡¯t regret coming to Elgin from Japan. After all, if he hadn¡¯t he would have died. For that Rei held no grudges towards Zepairu. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Seeing Rei like that, Set, who had a deep connection with him, seemed to sense something. He rubbed his head against Rei as he gave a small cry. Petting Set¡¯s head, Rei looked over at some green ears of wheat, which were the symbol of summer, as he gave a small smile. Nothing happened in particulr. But at that moment, he remembered that the green ears of wheat he saw weren¡¯t the same as the green ears of rice he knew. Rei spoke as he scratched Set¡¯s head, who was looking at him with concern. ¡¸I haven¡¯t had the chance to relax in such an idyllic farming village since I came to Elgin. Maybe I¡¯m a bit sentimental because of that.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ It was true that Rei had stopped by farming villages before. Especially on his travels during the war with the Bestir Empire, he had stopped by many farming villages. However, there was no way that he could have taken the time to watch the summer sun slowly set, hence his sentiments. Set was in a good mood, having his head scratched, and gave a cry. The two of them watched the summer sunset with a somewhat emotional atmosphere¡­¡­when suddenly, they noticed a big stir near the village entrance. ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he looked towards the village entrance questioningly while petting Set. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that a large number of villagers had gathered near the entrance. However, they didn¡¯t seem to be in a frenzy and many of them had joyful expressions on their faces. Rei was curious about the villagers¡¯ reaction, so he naturally headed for the village entrance with Set. There, they saw a luxurious carriage pulled by two warhorses approaching the village. Even if the carriage was luxurious, it wasn¡¯t the same kind of garish luxury that Rei had seen during the rank up test. It was luxurious in the sense that the carriage itself was a magic item. Rei was familiar with the carriage and immediately understood why it had caused such a stir. However, the next moment, his understanding turned into confusion. The reason was that the carriage driver wasn¡¯t someone he knew. If it had been Ara or even Machen, who he had met during the Bestir Empire war, he would have known who was inside immediately. However, the carriage didn¡¯t seem to care for Rei¡¯s confusion as he came closer, eventually stopping at the village entrance¡­¡­ ¡¸Thank you everyone for your hard work. I heard an adventurer called Rei had come here?¡¹ The person who got out the carriage was a beauty with a dignified aura. ¡¸Kyikyi~!¡¹ Along with that person, a small chibi dragon also appeared from inside the carriage. It was Elena, the famed General Princess, and her familiar, Yellow, who was created using Dragon Language magic. In other words, they were the two that Rei had been waiting here for. Chapter 374 The person who exited the carriage didn¡¯t make any particular gesture. All she did was call out asking for Rei. Despite this simple action, it attracted the attention of all the villagers who had gathered around her. Elena had a beautiful and dignified aura. It wasn¡¯t unusual for her to gather the gazes of people in her surroundings. But right now, she was radiating the aura of a girl who had become a young woman. The moment she saw Rei, she had a beautiful smile on her lips. Anyone who saw that smile wouldn¡¯t have been able to recognise her as the same Elena that was the General Princess. People who knew Elena as the General Princess might even have thought she was someone else. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that Elena never smiled. However, her smile as the General Princess was usually one that brought fear, confusion and awe to the enemy while having the opposite effect on her allies. But the smile that was on Elena¡¯s face right now was so different that it couldn¡¯t be considered the same smile. ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, ahh. It¡¯s been a while. The message that I had arrived was only sent to Anesis yesterday, you arrived quite quickly.¡¹ Even Rei, who had interacted with Elena many times before, was momentarily taken aback by her smile. However he quickly recovered and called out to her. ¡¸Yes. After all, I had previously agreed to go to the Labyrinth City with you. I made my preparations to be able to leave as soon as I got your message. How are your preparations coming along? I would like to leave as soon as we can.¡¹ ¡¸I have no problems with that. We can leave right now.¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience Rei had almost all his belongings stored inside the Misty Ring, so he rarely needed to prepare anything when travelling. If he had to prepare anything, it would be just to buy items that he didn¡¯t already have in the Misty Ring. But in a rural area like this, there wasn¡¯t anything in particular for him to replenish. At best, there would only be food. ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ Next to Rei and Elena, Set and Yellow gave some cries as they started to converse with each other. Set turned his head around to reply to Yellow, who was riding on his back. For some reason, they were able to communicate with each other despite being different species. (Or, maybe they could be considered the same species since they were both created with magic?) While smiling at the exchange going on beside him, which warmed his heart just by watching, Rei suddenly asked a question about something that had caught his attention. ¡¸Are you by yourself this time Elena?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸No, I mean, normally Ara would have come out with you. But you were the only one who came out the carriage.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. As Ara is the knight commander, she can¡¯t leave Anesis unattended. Unfortuantely, she had to stay behind.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What about your escort knights?¡¹ Didn¡¯t they have to follow Elena, who was the target that the escort knights were supposed protect? Elena nodded without hesitation at Rei¡¯s question. ¡¸They¡¯ve remained behind to protect the city. And¡­¡­well, there are various circumstances.¡¹ Elena couldn¡¯t say that she just wanted to enjoy a trip with Rei in front of the villagers, so she just waved it off. ¡¸However, while not a replacement, my carriage driver is also skilled. Tufal, this is Rei, who will be travelling with me to the Labyrinth City.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, an older man in his 40¡¯s or 50¡¯s got down from the carriage and bowed his head. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Rei-sama. I am Tufal, serving Duke Kerebel. I will be accompanying you and ojou-sama. I will do my best to make the trip as comfortable as possible for the two of you, I will be in your care.¡¹ Saying that, he gave a graceful bow. His gesture looked like something closer to a butler than a carriage driver. (I guess that should have been expected from one of Duke Kerebel¡¯s carriage drivers.) Nodding in admiration, Rei also spoke up. ¡¸Nice to meet you as well. This will be the first time I visit the Labyrinth City, so it is reassuring to have a professional guide. Also¡­¡­Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s call, Set, who had been conversing with Yellow in kyi kyi¡¯s and guru guru¡¯s, turned to look over. Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸This is Tufal, he will be driving us to the Labyrinth City.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry as a way of saying hello. Tufal¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when he saw Set do that. He hadn¡¯t expected the Griffon to greet him so naturally. But, as a carriage driver of Duke Kerebel, he didn¡¯t get too flustered. ¡¸This is¡­¡­nice to meet you, Set-sama.¡¹ Tufal gave a graceful bow, saying Set-sama instead of Set, realising in his brief exchange that Rei considered Set an equal, before turning towards Elena. ¡¸Ojou-sama, what are your plans for the rest of the day? Personally, I would like to stay the night here.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, let¡¯s get going. It will only take 10 days to get to the Labyrinth City, even in a regular carriage. With this carriage, which is a magic item, and our horses, which are warhorses, it should be considerably shorter. Considering we want to enter the dungeon, I want to get there a little faster. I only have 3 months¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I understand. That is what ojou-sama said. What about you, Rei-sama?¡¹ ¡¸As I said before, I don¡¯t mind. I have a magic tent I can use to stay during the night.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you have a magic tent as well?¡¹ Elena nodded in admiration at Rei¡¯s response. ¡¸It¡¯s not that surprising right? You also used one during the war, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸I did use one during the war, but it doesn¡¯t belong to me. It¡¯s something that belongs to the Duke Kerebel family.¡¹ To be exact, it was something she had borrowed from her father. And since it had been borrowed, it needed to be returned once the war was over and was no longer in Elena¡¯s possession. ¡¸If you have a magic tent, I don¡¯t see a problem with setting up camp. ¡­¡­As for me¡­¡­¡¹ Elena muddled her way through her words near the end. Elena really wanted to say that she wanted to stay in the carriage overnight with Rei, but she was too embarrassed to say it. Seeing that, Tufal spoke with a smile. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s finish any business we have left before we leave. Ojou-sama, I believe you have a letter?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Oh, yes. That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­Rei, I¡¯m sorry, I have some business to attend to in the village, so please wait for a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, I have to head back as well. I have to thank the owner of the bar who let me stay over last night.¡¹ Elena perked up when she heard the words ¡®bar owner¡¯. She must have remembered the face of the knight who used to serve in her escort knights. And, above all, he was the person she needed to hand a letter over to. Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience ¡¸Is that so. That¡¯s the man I¡¯m looking for as well. Then, I¡¯ll accompany you to the bar. Tufal, I¡¯ll be right back so you can wait here.¡¹ ¡¸Very well. Take care.¡¹ Tufal gave a graceful bow as he saw Rei and Elena off. His bow was so elegant that even the villagers who had gathered around them gave a sigh of admiration. ¡¸Hm? Oh, you¡¯re back¡­¡­speak of the devil, it¡¯s Elena-sama. You got here fast.¡¹ When Rei and Elena entered the bar, the owner¡¯s eyes went wide in surprise. It had only been yesterday afternoon when he had released the bird to carry the message that Rei had arrived, so he hadn¡¯t expected Elena to show up by evening the next day. To do that, Elena would have had to leave Anesis early this morning, and he knew that it would have been difficult for her to do so due to her position as the General Princess. If the owner had misjudged anything, it would have been the determination of a girl in love. Moreover, since she had previously agreed to travel with Rei around this time of the year, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to get as much of her work done beforehand as possible. Updated from novelhall[.]com That said, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to finish her work ahead of time, but she was only able to leave because of Ara and Machen, who would be acting on her behalf while she was away. ¡¸After all, the person I was waiting for is here, so I thought I¡¯d just come over to say hello.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean? ¡­¡­Wait, you¡¯re not leaving the village now, are you?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s Elena¡¯s plan.¡¹ Rei glanced over at Elena beside him. However, Elena didn¡¯t seem to notice his glance as she handed over a letter she had been carrying to the bar owner. ¡¸There are new orders from the other side.¡¹ ¡¸-!? ¡­¡­Roger that.¡¹ A short, concise exchange. Both Elena and the man probably only needed to say that much because they knew what they were talking about. It wasn¡¯t that Rei wasn¡¯t interested, but he didn¡¯t want to be dragged over to Duke Kerebel¡¯s side, so he didn¡¯t pursue the topic. £¨I guess I¡¯ll have to deal with that eventually, given my relationship with Elena¡­¡­£© Even though Rei was an adventurer, he knew that he was considered to be part of Margrave Daska¡¯s faction, who was the leader of the Neutral faction. On the other hand, Elena was the daughter of Duke Kerebel, the leader of the Aristocratic faction. Furthermore, she was also known to neighbouring countries as the General Princess, a symbol of the nobility. The Neutral and Aristocratic factions were opposed to each other. During the spring war with the Bestir Empire, they had fought together to oppose the Royalist faction, but it was clear that it was only a temporary alliance. (In addition, the nobles in the Aristocratic faction tend to have a strange sense of pride.) The faces of the nobles he had met so far passed through Rei¡¯s mind. There weren¡¯t many he had directly talked with, but it was rare to find someone like Elena, who was willing to use casual speech while dealing with adventurers. (When I first met Ara, she came at me slashing with a sword.) He recalled the time he was attacked with a long sword with a smile. As Rei thought about that, in a way escaping from reality, the conversation between Elena and the bar owner eventually ended as they went over to Rei. ¡¸Elena-sama, Rei as well. Please wait a bit¡­¡­5 minutes at least. If you¡¯re not staying in the village, at least bring some food with you. I¡¯ll prepare something to eat.¡¹ The man¡¯s words brought to mind the almost exclusively meat meal he had been served for breakfast. However, Rei decided that if it was just preserved foods like sausages, bacon or ham, they could eat it bit by bit before reaching the Labyrinth City as he had the Misty Ring. ¡¸Fufu, that man hasn¡¯t changed.¡¹ Elena murmured softly as the man left. ¡¸Ara told me that he used to be an escort knight, were you close?¡¹ ¡¸Rather than close¡­¡­he was more well known for being an eccentric. That was why he ended up living in this village here after leaving the escort knights.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words that indicated there was a story behind it, Rei almost asked about it but caught himself immediately. For now, he had no intention of delving further into the Kerebel Duchy¡¯s secrets and it was unlikely that Elena would willingly share those secrets so easily either. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm, take this with you for now. This is my homemade sausage, I¡¯m pretty proud of it.¡¹ At the same time that Rei went silent, the bar owner came back from the back of the bar. In his hands were a pile of sausages about 10kg in weight. The sausages seemed to have been smoked and were still connected to each other, uncut. ¡¸I had wondered if you had made them yourself. It was definitely delicious.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he remembered the taste of the sausages he had for breakfast. ¡¸Yeah, there are no butchers in this village. Everything is basically done ourselves, including preserving food.¡¹ ¡¸These sausages definitely look delicious as far as I can tell. ¡­¡­Rei, please.¡¹ ¡¸Okay.¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s words, he touched the chain of sausages and stored them into the Misty Ring. Although he was somewhat surprised to see the sausages disappear in front of his eyes, the man nodded without saying anything in particular. ¡¸Well then, now that I¡¯ve taken care of all my business, we¡¯d better get going. Thank you for all your help.¡¹ ¡¸No, no, I should get back to work as well. Please take care Elena-sama. ¡­¡­You too Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, thanks.¡¹ Briefly saying their thanks, Rei and Elena left the bar and went back to the village entrance, joining up with Set and Yellow, who had been conversing with each other near Tufal and the carriage. Chapter 375 A lone carriage travelled along the road. Pulling the carried were two warhorses that were twice as large as ordinary horses. The speed at which they were pulling the carriages was also incomparably faster than ordinary horses. Next to the carriage, Set walked alongside while keeping an eye on the surroundings. Tufal, the old carriage driver, wasn¡¯t too tired as he controlled the warhorses well to maintain their speed. At the same time, because of Set, there was no need to be worried of being attacked by anything outside of the dumbest monsters or bandits. As for the warhorses, since they had come across Set before, they were a little nervous but didn¡¯t do anything out of fear. This might also have had to do with them being warhorses and the environment they had been trained in. ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s getting dark.¡¹ Tufal muttered to himself as he looked at the setting sun. Although it ahd only been about an hour since they left the village, it had already been sunset when they left, so it was about time to set up camp. That said, even though it had only been about an hour, the carriage was a magic item and it was being pulled by warhorses that could could be counted among the best in the Kerebel duchy. Although there were various factors affecting the physical condition of the warhorses, such as the road conditions and weather, the speed at which they could travel was 3 to 5 times faster than the carriages used by ordinary merchants. It was because she knew this that Elena had decided to leave the village even though it had almost been night time. Even so, it would be hard for them to continue travelling along the road with no light of any sort. Of course, it wasn¡¯t unusual for messengers on fast horses to go down the roads relying on moonlight or starlight. However, for this trip to the Labyrinth City, there was no need to push themselves so hard as there was no need to travel through the night. The carriage, as a magic item, might have had the effect of reducing the physical fatigue of the horses pulling it by a significant amount, but it was impossible to completely ignore their fatigue. Thinking about this, Tufal called into the carriage. ¡¸Ojou-sama, I think it¡¯s time we set up camp.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, it¡¯s getting quite dark now. With this carriage and Rei¡¯s magic tent, we won¡¯t have any problems when it gets dark, but we should certainly start preparing to set up camp. Tufal, please stop the carriage if you find a good spot to stay for the night.¡¹ Elena¡¯s reply from inside seemed okay¡­¡­but inside the carriage, it was a different situation. In the first place, Elena was the daughter of a duke. At the same time, she was a warrior with the title of General Princess. Of course, she rarely had the opportunity to cook or brew tea. In short¡­¡­ Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience ¡¸Here, let me do it.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­no, I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Elena let out a regretful sigh as she handed over the tea utensils to Rei. The only benefit of the current situation was that her regretful expression gave of a different sense of beauty than usual. As Rei thought of that, he brewed a pot of tea with the utensils he had been given. It was basically the first time Rei had brewed tea with special utensils, let alone just brewing tea in a pot. However, he had seen tea prepared several times before in cafes and he had also brewed green tea himself back in Japan. In that regard, he was still more used to it than Elena. ¡­¡­That said, he was only better than Elena and the tea wasn¡¯t really that good either. ¡¸Mm, it¡¯s good.¡¹ However, Elena still brought the tea to her mouth with a small smile on her face. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience Normally, Elena gave off a dignified aura, but with the way she was smiling right now, she looked more like a girl her age than the General Princess. Rei¡¯s cheeks reddened slightly when he looked at her and averted his gaze as she spoke up to hide his embarrassment. ¡¸I¡¯ve always drank the tea brewed by Ara, so I don¡¯t think this is that good. You don¡¯t have to flatter me.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true that the tea Ara brews is very good, but this is tea that you went to the trouble of making for me. How can it not be good?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s response, Rei only gave a brief reply. Elena also seemed to have realised what she had just said and averted her eyes from Rei as she blushed in embarrassment. If there had been a third person in carriage, they would probably have felt uncomfortable from the awkward atmosphere¡­¡­eventually, the two of them noticed the carriage slow down. Despite the inside of the carriage having been expanded significantly with spatial magic, they could still feel a good sense of movement from within. ¡¸Ojou-sama, Rei-sama, there is a forest by the road. Why don¡¯t we spend the night there?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that will be find. I will leave it to you.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand.¡¹ The awkward atmosphere within the carriage was finally cleared away when Elena replied to Tufal. They stopped near the forest and set up dinner. That said, they were basically served food from Rei¡¯s Misty Ring as well as some of the sausages that the bar owner had given them, which they roasted. ¡¸This is very delicious. It¡¯s definitely something he could boast of.¡¹ Elena took a bite of a lightly charred sausage as she murmured in admiration. Rei and Tufal both looked impressed as well as they took a bite of the sausages. Rei¡¯s expression in particular was quite different. He had eaten the same sausages that morning, which the owner had served him for breakfast. However, even though these looked like the same sausages, their taste was completely different. (This is¡­¡­I see. He really did put his heart into making this.) He had probably given them the best sausages he had ever made, wanting his former boss to have as comfortable a trip as possible. Rei smiled as he savoured the sausages he ate and thought of the bar owner¡¯s clumsy kindness. After that, he made a simple hot dog by cutting apart some freshly baked bread while simmering a soup with salted fish he had bought in Emoshion. It was such a splendid meal that you couldn¡¯t have guessed that they were camping outside. ¡¸Well, I was surprised that Rei-sama had an item box, but I¡¯m also surprised that we can have such a sumptuous meal while camping out.¡¹ Tufal was impressed, but Rei wasn¡¯t going to let his surprise stop there. Using the Dager of Flowing Water, Rei filled three cups and pot with water before hand the cups to the others and the pot to Set. Set ate a chunk of Bicorn meat beside them, which had been cooked with Rei¡¯s fire magic so that the outside was cooked but the inside was only half cooked. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Water, huh¡­¡­I never knew that water could taste this good.¡¹ Elena was no less astonished than when she had tasted the sausages. Tufal was speechless. Watching the two of them, Rei brought his own cup to his mouth. As you could imagine, after drinking so much of it, Rei had gotten used to it, no matter how good it was. Because of that, he didn¡¯t show as much surprise as the others. That said, what tasted good, tasted good. Rei also had a satisfied expression on his face. Set, after devouring the Bicorn meat, plunged his beak into the pot as he drank the water, which he seemed to treat as some sort of heavenly nectar, with relish. When Elena and Tufal recollected themselves after tasting the water, they asked about it. Rei explained that it had been created with a magic item before their discussion eventually moved onto their lives after the war with the Bestir Empire with satisfied expressions. ¡¸Was it you who killed the Lemrace that was blockading Emoshion? ¡­¡­No, it¡¯s not surprising considering your skill. I had once fought a Kraken in Emoshion alongside Axe of the Thunder God.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I have heard about that before.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. At that time, the Kraken had come to the port, so we were able to do something about it. I heard that the Lemrace lurked at the seafloor and never left the water. How did you manage to kill it?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei glanced around. Tufal had been listening in to Rei a bit earlier, but he wasn¡¯t around anymore as he gone to prepare Elena¡¯s bed in the carriage. The only people here were Rei, Elena, Set, who served as Rei¡¯s couch, and Yellow, who was sleeping soundly on Set¡¯s back. Elena was also one of the few people who knew the truth about him and Set, so she deserved to be trusted. Because of that, Rei spoke about how he had dragged the Lemrace to land. ¡¸Do you remember Grimm? The one we met in the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Grimm? I believe that was the Lich¡¯s name.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. And, as you saw when we parted, I have a convenient way of contacting him. He could also use spatial magic, as we experienced when leaving the dungeon. So¡­¡­¡¹ Elena seemed to realise what he meant after he said that. She nodded in understanding. ¡¸I see. It¡¯s definitely true that with a Lich like him, it would be possible to forcibly move a monster the size of the Lemrace.¡¹ ¡¸I know right. Because of that, we were able to attack it on land. In the end I killed it with some other people I had temporarily partied up with. I hadn¡¯t thought that it would be over 30m in length though.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, I¡¯ve heard stories of that. It¡¯s definitely higher than B rank, but not quite A rank. ¡­¡­I heard that the guild is still discussing what to do with its ranking.¡¹ So the guild still hadn¡¯t decided that¡­¡­with that thought in his mind, Rei took out his guild card from the Misty Ring. ¡¸So, in recognition of my achievements in the spring war and killing the Lemrace, I was able to take the B rank test and be successfully promoted to B rank.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Fighting strength aside, how did you manage to pass with your etiquette.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not sure about that one, to be honest. If I get a request from a noble and they have any concerns about that, the guild will send an assistant.¡¹ Elena couldn¡¯t help but smile at Rei¡¯s explanation. Elena herself didn¡¯t mind Rei¡¯s casual language, but there were nobles everywhere that were very proud of their nobility. Thinking about it, the guild¡¯s decision was probably the right one. In any case, if you only considered Rei¡¯s strength, he could be considered at the A rank. That was why Elena was surprised by Rei¡¯s next words. ¡¸Now that you mention it, I became friends with an interesting noble before the rank up test.¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸A friend? They must be an unusual noble, if I may say so myself.¡¹ Up until this point, even though Elena was surprised, she had thought that they would be a man. However, when she heard the name of the noble that had become Rei¡¯s friend, her face was filled with surprise once more. ¡¸Her name was Marka Quent, she wasn¡¯t even 10. She¡¯s the heir to Duke Quent, do you know her?¡¹ ¡¸Marka Quent? Of course I know her. I heard that she had a very high level of skill in magic despite her age. That is, you know right? I¡¯m known for my military prowess, but Miss Marka is known for her talent in magic and her cleverness. She has mastered several attributes of magic and has great prospects of becoming an excellent mage in future. In addition¡­¡­Duke Quent is an important person within the Royalist faction, the largest faction in the Mireana Kingdom. If we are speaking objectively, Duke Quent holds a higher position than my father and Daska-dono.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it turns out she was a lot more important than I had expected. She had an innocent personality and seemed to really like Set.¡¹ Saying that, Rei remembered how attached Marka had been as he stroked Set, who gently turned his head so as to not wake up Yellow, who as sleeping on his back. From the side, she had looked like an ordinary child. She hadn¡¯t been much different than the children in Gilm who always crowded around Set. ¡¸Fufu, those who know Miss Marka know her well, but I think few people would think of her in the same way you do.¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t view nobles as nobles. If she had heard that out of context, even Elena wouldn¡¯t have been able to ignore it due to her position as the symbol of the Aristocratic faction. However, maybe because she was a young woman in love, Elena wouldn¡¯t have Rei¡¯s attitude be any other way. The night passed slowly until Tufal came out of the carriage to inform Elena that her bed was ready. Chapter 376 Rei, Elena and Tufal continued their way down the road. After traveling for a few days, Elena was finally able to brew tea herself, with the help of advice from Tufal. Today, inside the carriage, Elena brewed some tea and offered a cup to Rei, who was relaxing on a sofa. ¡¸Rei, I tried my best to make today¡¯s tea, so please try it.¡¹ Elena¡¯s face was dyed slightly red because the words ¡®married couple¡¯ went through her mind for a moment as she said that. Of course, Elena had not forgotten her position as the daughter of Duke Kerebel, the leader of the Aristocratic faction. In the end, she would have to carefuly consider her relationship with Rei¡­¡­which left a bitter feeling in her heart. That said, Duke Kerebel himself was not against Elena¡¯s feelings for Rei. Given Rei¡¯s abilities, it was natural for Duke Kerebel to want to draw Rei to his faction. Had Rei been an incompetent commoner, even Duke Kerebel would have never supported his beloved daughter¡¯s love. However, unlike his previous life, Rei was overwhelmingly strong in this world. For that reason, Rei was someone who Duke Kerebel could support a relationship with Elena. However, Elena had no idea about this, so she had been spending her days worrying about how to get her father to recognise her relationship with Rei. ¡¸If it¡¯s tea, then we should have some biscuits to go with it¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei was about to close the monster encyclopedia he had been reading to take out some biscuits from the Misty Ring¡­¡­ ¡¸Ojou-sama, Rei-sama, a merchant caravan ahead seems to be chased by bandits!¡¹ Tufal, who was sitting outside, called out to the two people inside the carriage. When Elena heard those words, she acted quickly. Although they had already left the Kerebel Duchy, the area they were in was still governed by nobles from the Aristocratic faction. Even ignoring that, Elena¡¯s personality prevented her from abandoning people attacked by bandits. ¡¸Tufal, which direction are they running towards?¡¹ ¡¸They are coming this way.¡¹ ¡¸How many bandits?¡¹ ¡¸No more than 20. However, they¡¯re all on horseback.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Go to aid them immediately. I don¡¯t think we should have any problems with that many bandits. What about you, Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I¡¯ll help. Bandits are good business for me.¡¹ Rei replied to Elena with a smile as she promptly gave instructions to Tufal. To Rei, bandits were simply treasure chests. Any goods that the bandits had stolen would belong to any adventurer that could deal with them. The residents in the surroundings would also no longer need to worry about bandits. Although Rei didn¡¯t usually bother with it, capturing and selling bandits as slaves was also a good way for adventurers to earn money. However, that would only be possible with a small group of adventurers who were capable of defeating bandits. Some bandits were much more skilled, like the Prier Wolves that Rei had fought before, who were now working under Daska. ¡¸Hah, seriously¡­¡­well, I have no complaints since you also want to deal with these bandits.¡¹ Elena must have realised Rei¡¯s thoughts. She gave a wry smile as she pulled out her sword whip and got ready to fight. Her feelings for Rei seemed to have made that a bit of a weak spot. Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience Rei was almost lost in Elena¡¯s dignified expression for a moment, but quickly shook his head before calling outside the carriage. ¡¸Set, go behind the carriage. If the bandits see you, they might try to run immediately. If a fight breaks out, get behind the bandits to catch them in a pincer.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry. Leave it to me! He seemed to say. When they fought, Set would complete a simple pincer attack. At that point¡­¡­ ¡¸Elena-sama, Rei-sama, we are about to pass the merchant caravan, so please prepare for battle.¡¹ As Tufal stopped the carriage by the roadside and called out, the caravan of several carriages gradually narrowed the distance to them. The last carriage in the caravan seemed to hold their escorts. Arrows were shot towards the bandits, but the bandits weren¡¯t stopped. With simple wooden shields, they kept their distance from the carriage as they blocked the arrows. Of course, the bandits could only protect themselves from arrows, they couldn¡¯t protect their horses. In fact, several horses were shot by arrows, throwing the bandits on their backs to the ground. Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience Still, there were more than 10 mounted bandits running towards the merchant caravan. ¡¸It looks like they¡¯re a bigger bandit group than I expected.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he saw the exchange between the bandits and the last carriage. ¡¸Indeed. If you consider the number of horses they have, there can¡¯t be a small number of bandits. Perhaps the ones on horseback stop the carriages so that the ones on foot can follow up. That might be why the carriage is so desperate to escape.¡¹ As Elena and Rei conversed casually, the merchant carriages rapidly closed in. ¡¸Run away, they¡¯re bandits! If you go that way, you¡¯ll be caught as well!¡¹ The driver of the first carriage cried out to them. Hearing the shout, Rei and Elena looked at each other with surprise and a bit of admiration as they opened the carriage door. If they had only wanted to save themselves, they wouldn¡¯t have bothered to call out to someone they just passed by along the road. In fact, this might even have been a good opportunity to push the bandits that were chasing them onto someone else. However, they hadn¡¯t done that and had gone out of their way to call out to them. ¡¸Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I know.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena, who held a favourable impression towards the carriage driver¡¯s previous actions. ¡¸Hey! They¡¯re bandits, bandits! Just get out of here!¡¹ The carriage driver shouted at them again, but Rei just shouted back in response. ¡¸We¡¯ll handle the bandits! You guys just keep running!¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s too many of them! ¡­¡­Argh, damn it! There¡¯s no time! Listen, if you¡¯re in danger, just get out of here!¡¹ As they shouted at each other, the merchant caravan got closer and closer. At some point, the carriage driver must have judged that Rei and Elena wouldn¡¯t be able to get away even if they started to move their carriage right away. They gave one last shout to Rei before they passed them by and left. One carriage after another passed by them before the last one finally went by. The bandits were close behind the last carriage, but when they saw another carriage parked on the roadside, they couldn¡¯t help but take a look. At the same time, they also paused to look at Elena, who was ready to draw her sword whip from the sheath at her waist. The reaction from the bandits was strong. Normally, it was clear which one was the more profitable to attack, Rei¡¯s group, which only had one carriage, or the merchant caravan, which held a large amount of goods. However, Elena¡¯s looks easily overrode the thoughts of profit and loss in the minds of the bandits that saw her. ¡¸Stop, stopppppppp-!¡¹ At the voice of the man leading the bandits, all the bandits following after him pulled on their reins to stop their horses. Of course, there was no way that the horses could stop immediately, but they finally succeeded in turning their horses around after 10m to look back at Rei¡¯s group. By that point, all the bandits who had seen Elena already had their minds numbed and couldn¡¯t focus on anything else. ¡­¡­Yes. Not even Set, who had jumped out from behind the carriage and moved behind them. ¡¸Hey, hey, hey, hey, I didn¡¯t expect to meet such a beauty here. You rarely see such a woman even in the Royal Capital. The warhorses with her are also some of the finest. It¡¯s a bit disappointing to let that caravan escape, but it¡¯s nothing compared to this woman and the warhorses.¡¹ The man looked at Elena with eyes filled with animalistic lust. Elena had been courted by men many times in the past and she knew what those eyes meant. Because of that, she frowned uncomfortably as she spoke up. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t really want to deal with stupid bandits like you. Why don¡¯t you just surrender and save yourself the trouble of getting hurt?¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience ¡¸Hahaha, don¡¯t be stupid. Can¡¯t you see the difference in numbers? There¡¯s still more on their way now. If you just hand yourself over, we won¡¯t hurt you.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, boss. Could you pass her around to us too?¡¹ Another man called out to the bandit at the front. Hearing their conversation, and despite her displeasure, she understood that the man who had accosted her was the leader of the bandits. ¡¸Rei, don¡¯t let a single one of them get away.¡¹ ¡¸I under¡­¡­stand-!¡¹ Elena¡¯s words were a trigger. Rei threw a spear out from the Misty Ring as a first strike. The spear that Rei threw with all his strength tore through the air, blowing the bandit leader¡¯s head apart. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? What?¡¹ The man who had just asked his boss to share Elena with them had been standing right next to the boss and had his face covered with pieces of flesh, bone, blood and brains. He gently touched his face, failing to understand what had just happened. He almost cried out when he saw that his hands were stained a bright red. ¡¸Guh-!¡¹ At that moment, Elena¡¯s sword turned into a whip as she pulled it out, slashing the man¡¯s neck with its blades. The man didn¡¯t raise a scream, but just a gurgle of blood instead. The next moment, the tip of the sword whip pierced through his head and his life was snuffed out without a second thought. ¡¸Ah-Ahhhhhh-, it¡¯s a monster!¡¹ Neither Rei nor Elena knew, but the man who had just died had been the second in command of the bandits. With the two leaders dead, the rest of the bandits were thrown into confusion. Rei and Elena had just easily dispatched their leader and second in command. What chances did they have of winning a fight? They thought about it for a moment before immediately dismissing the thought. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience If they had no chance of winning, they could just run away, but from looks of it, they didn¡¯t think Rei and Elena would let them them go. And, with the leader and second in command both dead, the thought of who would take their places also crossed their minds. That said, the biggest reason why none of them tried to run away was due to Elena. She had the most beautiful looks that any of the bandits had seen in their lives and they felt like they could just give up on a woman of that level. It was a shame that it distracted them from gauging Rei and Elena¡¯s strength. And, even if they had wanted to run away¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set, who had gotten behind them, would never let them go. ¡¸Hi-Hiii-! A G-G-G-Griffon-!¡¹ Among the bandits that had turned around at Set¡¯s cry, there was one who had been a former adventurer and was somewhat familiar monsters. An A rank monster known as the reaper of the skies. Even though he had never seen one before, he still knew what it looked out. None of the other bandits around him had even heard of a Griffon before. While Rei and Elena¡¯s fighting skills were unbelievable to the bandits, the two of them were still humans. However, a Griffon was different. For the first time in their lives, they saw a Griffon, a great unknown. Their fear of this unknown creature broke down the last mental barrier in the bandits¡¯ minds, who had only managed to stay because they had been dazzled by Elena. ¡¸R-R-R-Run awaaaaaay-!¡¹ The voice of the former adventurer, who had realised that Set was a Griffon, echoed into the surroundings. As if on cue, the horses that the rest where riding on immediately tried to flee the area. ¡¸Gururururururu-!¡¹ Set¡¯s skill, King¡¯s Awe, froze all the bandits¡­¡­and most importantly, their horses as well. After that, the bandits were unable to put up any meaningful resistance. They became prey to Elena¡¯s sword whip and Rei¡¯s Death Scythe, which he had taken out from the Misty Ring. Just as they had killed all the bandits, leaving only a few behind, a carriage came up from behind them. ¡¸Hey, are you all right!?¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience The man who called out to them was the same carriage driver that had passed them earlier, telling them to run. Chapter 377 After clearing out all the bandits, only leaving 3 of them alive, a voice called out to them from behind. Turning to face the direction of the voice, they saw that it was the man in the leading carriage of the merchant caravan who had passed them earlier. ¡¸Those guys¡­¡­they chose to come back? They really are a strange lot.¡¹ Normally, people wouldn¡¯t have come back to check if other were safe from bandits that had been chasing them even if they were forced, let alone voluntarily. However, the man in front of them had taken the trouble to come back and see if they were okay. As Rei and Elena wondered whether they should be impressed or dismayed by the man¡¯s foolish honestly, the remaining bandits naturally took the chance to try and run away. Seeing that the horses they were riding were still frozen in fear, they jumped down and tried to run¡­¡­ Slash-! A Flying Slash landed at the feet of the man at the front, stopping him in his tracks. ¡¸Don¡¯t run away. I still have some questions for you. At the very least, I¡¯ll let you live until after you answer them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hi-Hiii-!¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com The Flying Slash seemed like wind magic in the bandits¡¯ eyes as they lost their breath. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ The moment they saw Set approach them with a cry, they all sat on the ground in terror. The man from the merchant caravan muttered in an impressed voice. ¡¸We were worried about you guys, so we came back, but I guess that wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡­¡­I didn¡¯t expect you to have a Griffon with you.¡¹ His cheeks twitched slightly as he looked at Set in surprise. The three adventurers he had brought along with him as reinforcements to support Rei and Elena were frozen as they looked at Set. ¡¸You don¡¯t need to be scared of Set. If you aren¡¯t hostile towards him, he won¡¯t attack you.¡¹ ¡¸So, who does the Griffon belong to?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Rei¡¯s¡­¡­the adventurer over there with the scythe.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s casual response, the carriage driver¡¯s eyes went wide as he realised something as he looked over at Rei and Set. ¡¸An adventurer with a scythe and a tamed Griffon¡­¡­then that kid¡­¡­no, he¡¯s the one that was called Crimson after the war with the Bestir Empire?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I guess so. ¡­¡­Well, we¡¯ll leave that for later. Right now, there¡¯s something we need to do first.¡¹ ¡¸S-Sure.¡¹ As he nodded at Elena¡¯s words, the carriage driver¡¯s eyes widened for a second time as he just thought of something. He looked at Elena¡¯s beautiful golden hair, which was dazzling under the sun, as well as the sheath at her waist. If what was inside the sheath was what he was thinking of then¡­¡­Elena knew from his expression that he had realised who she was. In the first place, Elena had appeared in public many times before, including the victory parade, as the General Princess. She was also a noble, so it was no wonder that some people would recognise her. After seeing her once, she wasn¡¯t one for people to forget. However, Elena spoke up to stop the carriage driver from saying anything. ¡¸I¡¯m just a travelling adventurer. ¡­¡­Understand?¡¹ At that pressing tone of voice, the man swallowed the words that he had been about to say. Rei watched the two of them conversed when he saw 30 people approaching from afar. However, it was only because of Rei¡¯s eyesight that he had spotted them. Aside from Elena, who had somehow also sensed them, and Set, who¡¯s 5 senses were even sharper than Rei¡¯s, no one else had noticed the remaining bandits. ¡¸Set, it¡¯s not going to be good if we leave the bandits on the loose, so please go clean them up.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s call, Set gave a cry, and after a few steps, soared into the skies with a flap of his wings. The carriage driver and the adventurers watched Set leave with a gasp, but Rei didn¡¯t mind them as he called out to the surviving bandits. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s get started, shall we? How many bandits are in your group in total? It¡¯s not quite right to call them cavalry¡­¡­but there¡¯s only those on horseback here.¡¹ ¡¸T-That is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know there were about 30 bandits headed this way. That¡¯s why I left them to Set, as you saw. All I want to know is how many more there are. That and the location of your hideout.¡¹ ¡¸I-I won¡¯t sell out my companions!¡¹ A different bandit responded to Rei¡¯s question. His thoughts must have changed somewhat after Set had disappeared. With a surprised expression, Rei spun the shaft of the Death Scythe in his hand as he held the huge blade at the man¡¯s neck. ¡­¡­Yes. Not the man who said he wouldn¡¯t sell out his companions but the man who had first responded. ¡¸¡­¡­Hi-Hiii-!¡¹ For the first few seconds, the bandits seemed unaware of what was happening, but when he saw the huge blade under his chin, he let out a scream. ¡¸Don¡¯t try to move. If you do, with how sharp the blade is, you¡¯ll lose your head in an instant.¡¹ ¡¸A-Ahhh. Okay¡­¡­I understand, just get this thing away from me!¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to make an example out of you. The other two seem rather stubborn, but maybe they¡¯ll change their minds when they see you getting tortured.¡¹ As Rei said that, he moved the scythe just a little bit closer to the bandit¡¯s throat, making a thin scratch Even with such a small cut, the bandit could still feel the blood flowing down his neck. His cheeks twitched as he looked at his two companions, begging for help. However, the other two bandits stayed silent, still judging that they couldn¡¯t sell out their companions. The bandit who had said he wouldn¡¯t sell out his friends glared at Rei while the other averted his gaze. Seeing that, Rei whispered into the bandit¡¯s ear as he kept the blade at his neck. ¡¸Apparently they¡¯ve made the decision to abandon you. I¡¯m sorry, but you are going to have be an example of pain. After you lose your fingers, arms, legs, nose, eyes and tongue¡­¡­I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be more open minded when they see you like that.¡¹ The bandit¡¯s forehead broke out in cold sweat and his teeth started chattering as he was told words that would send chills down the spine of even the most hardened bandit. (I got to push him¡­¡­just a bit more.) Keeping his eyes on the bandit, Rei took out a dagger from the Misty Ring¡­¡­and threw it at his right foot. Rei had wanted to stab him directly to arouse more fear, but it was hard to do from his current position. ¡¸AHHHHH-!¡¹ The bandit gave a bitter scream as the dagger suddenly went through his shoe and into his foot. Still, he didn¡¯t move due to the blade of the Death Scythe at his neck. In fact, Rei had been ready to move the blade away in case the man did move. ¡¸It hurts, it hurts¡­¡­damn it, how did I get into this mess¡­¡­damn it!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s just because your friends won¡¯t give me any information, isn¡¯t that right? That¡¯s a shame, because as far as I¡¯m concerned, I don¡¯t find hurting people a particularly fun activity. ¡­¡­Now, that was your right foot, next is your left.¡¹ Saying that, Rei gently showed him the blade of another dagger that he took out from the Misty Ring. As he did that¡­¡­ ¡¸Wait! I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you everything instead of those guys, so just stop!¡¹ ¡¸You-! You¡¯re going to sell out your companions!?¡¹ As one of the other bandits yelled at him for selling his companions out, he responded with disgust. ¡¸You¡¯ve just sat there and watched me suffer, so don¡¯t you dare talk to me like that!¡¹ ¡¸No! That guy, he¡¯s been trying to get to you from the beginning¡­¡­¡¹ As he was shouting, he was struck by the shaft of the Death Scythe. Because Rei had adjusted his strength to the minimum, the shaft didn¡¯t pierce through the bandit and kill him. However, he was still unable to remain conscious and collapsed to the ground. The last bandit just shivered without a word as he watched on. The person most surprised by the sudden change in events was the man who had been tortured by Rei. After all, the scythe that had been at his neck a moment ago had disappeared as one of his companions was struck by it. He couldn¡¯t understand what had just happened and once again felt regret for attacking someone they really shouldn¡¯t have as he answered Rei¡¯s questions. Everyone else, including Elena, just watched the interrogation without saying anything. Some of the adventurers were even wondering why Rei was so merciful, as he could have just killed them without asking them anything. Going back a bit in time. After being asked by Rei to get rid of the remaining bandits, Set was flying high in the sky to stop any bandits from spotting him. After a few minutes, he saw the bandits walking along the road and gave a cry before flapping his wings to accelerate as he plunged towards his targets. With the help of gravity, Set fell¡­¡­no, dived down in a straight line. After an initial flap of his wings, he closed them while in a steep dive to hide himself from the bandits. At that moment, one of the bandits who were walking along happened to look up. ¡¸¡­¡­Hm? Must have been my imagination.¡¹ The bandit who said that was walking at the tail end of the group. Looking up and not seeing anything, he turned his gaze forward again¡­¡­before having every single bone in his body crushed and dying in an instant as Set fell on top of him. ¡¸What-!?¡¹ The bandits around the man couldn¡¯t help but shout out, not realising what had just happened. There were some that hadn¡¯t even realised that one of their companions had died. Set had used a skill as he dived down. It was the optical camouflage skill he had obtained from absorbing the Lemrace¡¯s magic stone. Level 1 optical camouflages had an active effect time of about 10 seconds. Since he had used it as he was diving down, 3 seconds had passed and only 7 seconds were left. However, with Set¡¯s agility as a Griffon, 7 seconds was enough. It wasn¡¯t ¡®only¡¯ 7 seconds, it was 7 seconds. As the organs, bones, blood and flesh of the bandit he had crushed splattered into the surroundings, Set jumped forward again, slashing his claws at the nearby bandits. A head was crushed by the sharp eagle-like claws as another bandits was kicked away by a lion-like foot, shattering his ribs. A blow from Set¡¯s beak smashed through a bandit¡¯s head, just like his claws. It was a few seconds before the bandits realised something strange was happening and turned to look around. By then, Set had demonstrated his capability as an A rank monster and killed or heavily injured more than 10 bandits in the blink of an eye. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Uwahhhh, what¡¯s going on!? What¡¯s happening!¡¹ Set looked at the bandits, who started to scream after realising what was going on, with his transparent eyes. ¡¸Gurururururu-!¡¹ With a high pitched cry, Set flapped his wings as he lept forwards. While they could hear the cries from other bandits, none of them could see a monster nearby. There was no way that bandits, who had no experience as adventurers, could cope with such a situation as they were flung away, bones broken and flesh torn by a Griffon¡¯s strength and size. ¡¸A m-monster!? Everyone, weapons up!¡¹ One of the bandits who had yet to be injured shouted out, but by then, Set had already gone through the bandits once and was preparing himself to attack the remaining bandits. Just as Set¡¯s claw was swung at the man who had told the other bandits to ready their weapons¡­¡­the effect of Set¡¯s optical camouflage wore off. It had only been 7 seconds since Set had fallen from the sky. In less than 10 seconds, 30% of the bandits were dead and 40% were lying on the ground heavily injured. Some were unconscious while other could only moan in pain. However, in a sense, the bandits that were still unhurt were in a more miserable situation. After all, the others had been killed or injured without knowing what they had been attacked by, but all those that were left could see Set¡­¡­a Griffon, up close as personal. After being thrown into a confusion, there was no way for the bandits to recover¡­¡­it didn¡¯t take long for them to be all annihilated. After obtaining information about the bandit¡¯s hideout, Rei and Elena were able to successfully raid them and take all their goods. There had been several guards there, but there was no way mere bandits could do anything to Rei and Elena. As for the remaining bandits, they handed the ones that survived to the merchants, who were willing to sell them as slaves. The merchants also bought all the horses and goods that Rei and Elena had taken from the bandit hideout but didn¡¯t need, earning them a few gold coins. Chapter 378 It had been a few days since Elena and Rei had anhilated the bandits that had attacked them along the way. Since then, there hadn¡¯t been any particular issues as they continued safely along the road. Eventually, they saw the city they were going to from the carriage, a huge city. Rei¡¯s home base of Gilm had a population of over 100,000 people. However, the size of the labyrinth city that could be seen from the carriage window was several times the size of Gilm. ¡¸Is that¡­¡­the Labyrinth city?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. There are several labyrinth cities in the Mireana Kingdom, so to be exact, it should be called Labyrinth City Exil. Its exact population isn¡¯t known due to the large number of people that flow through it, but it¡¯s said to be between 200,000 to 300,000.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is a lot of people.¡¹ ¡¸If you are only going by the number of people, you¡¯re right.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Elena shook her head as she looked towards Exil. ¡¸Only the number of people? Considering that there are at least twice as many people here than Gilm, the quality of adventurers here should be quite high, right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not the case. It seems that if a labyrinth city is safe, only relatively weak monsters will appear in the dungeon. That¡¯s why even people who have just become adventurers can still have a certain level of safety. It¡¯s a good idea to have a general understanding of the quality of adventurers there. In terms of quality, they are far inferior to adventurers from the frontier. If two adventurers of the same rank fought, the adventurers from Gilm would almost always be the winner.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So that¡¯s how it is.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words. Rei and Elena were getting along well inside the carriage, but outside, there were no other carriages or travellers around them. Of course, the warhorses pulling the carriage were a big factor, but the biggest reason was probably because of Set. Although Set was just walking beside the carriages, he seemed quite depressed due to the frightened looks everyone would have when they saw him on the road. It was hard to believe that he was the same monster that had one-sidedly demolished 30 or so bandits by himself. Exil was a labyrinth city with a population several times that of Gilm, so naturally there were many merchants and adventurers who came and went from the city as well as those who wanted to settle there. However, those people naturally kept their distance from Set. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a lonely cry. Noticing Set¡¯s cry, Rei paused his conversation with Elena and opened the window to call out to Set. Updated from novelhall[.]com ¡¸Set, the labyrinth city¡­¡­Exil is close by, so do your best. With your personality, I¡¯m sure everyone will love you without getting scared, just like the residents in Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set regained some of his energy as he gave a cry. Rei¡¯s carriage continued down the road while maintaining a certain distance with the other carriages around them and finally arrived at their destination, Exil, after about 30 minutes. At the main gate, there was a long line of people waiting to complete the process to enter the city. ¡¸What would you like to do, ojou-sama? If you use your privileges as a nobles, we can receive priority rights.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­that¡¯s true.¡¹ As she thought about what to do, Elena took a look at the surroundings outside the window. Although a considerable number of people were waiting in line to enter the city, there were no other carriages near the carriage Rei and Elena were in. Needless to say, it was because of Set. Whether due to awe, fear or curiosity, many eyes were watching Set. As for the curious gazes, there were probably due to Yellow, who had jumped out the carriage and onto Set¡¯s back a little earlier. Yellow had mostly been sleeping or playing around on a sofa in the carriage, but noticing that people in the surrounding carriages were scared of Set, he jumped out to comfort his friend. After watching them for a few seconds, Elena called out to Tufal as she made her decision. ¡¸If we stay here, the people nearby will only continue being scared. In that case, we should get inside the city as soon as possible and hang a Necklace of Subservient Monster around Set¡¯s neck. People will be scared as long as he¡¯s a Griffon. That can¡¯t be helped, but at least they shouldn¡¯t be as scared if they see the Necklace of Subservient Monster on him.¡¹ Elena normally didn¡¯t like to use her aristocratic privileges. No, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use them if she needed it on a mission, but this time it was just a personal affair, a private outing. Because of that, she hadn¡¯t been willing use her title as being from a Duke¡¯s family, but given the situation, Elena decided it would be best to just enter Exil as soon as possible. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry about that, it¡¯s a great help.¡¹ Rei knew that, so he said a short thank you to Elena. Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. If I didn¡¯t do that, the commotion would only have gotten worse.¡¹ Tufal called out ot the guards who had been observing them, ready to take action if anything happened, and showed them their ID. Most of the guards looked confused while one of them rushed over to their captain with a serious expression. Within a few minutes, a man in his 40¡¯s came over and, after a bit of discussion as the man remained cautious of Set, Tufal knocked on the door. ¡¸Pardon me ojou-sama, Rei-sama. Barret-sama, the leader of this guard squad, would like me to show him Rei-sama¡¯s guild card.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see. Rei.¡¹ Nodding in response to Elena, Rei opened the carriage door and walked out. Barret, who was only the leader of a squad of guards, was in no position to go against Duke Kerebel, so he had decided to let Elena into the city regardless of anything. ¡­¡­Of course, given that Elena Kerebel was the famed General Princess, he would naturally have to report it to his superior. While talking with Tufal, he had heard that there was another person that wasn¡¯t under Duke Kerebel inside the carriage, so as it was his job, he need to confirm who it was. Someone who was travelling with the General Princess and was followed by a Griffon. Barret has his fair share of adventurer friends in Exil, so he already had a guess as to who it was. ¡­¡­That was why, as the carriage doors opened, his eyes widened in amazement when he saw an adventurer walk out. He was said to have a Griffon following him. He was said to have used fire magic so potent that it had caused enormous damage as it burned the vanguard of the Bestir Empire. He was said to wield a giant scythe that literally reaped the lives of enemies like the Grim Reaper. He was said to have unbelievable strength. He was said to have been given the title Crimson because of his fire magic and overwhelming combat strength. He had heard a number of stories from the adventurers who returned from the war with the Bestir Empire. At first, he had thought it a joke, but with so many people having seen it with their own eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but start to believe them. Visit novelhall[.]com for the best novel reading experience Barret had been wondering what kind of person that title would have been given to, so it was no wonder that he was taken aback when a boy in his mid-teens appeared from the carriage. ¡¸Eh¡­¡­um¡­¡­uh, sorry, could you show me your guild card?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, here it is.¡¹ Rei handed his guild card over to Barret, who finally collected his thoughts. Looking at Rei¡¯s guild cards, Barret¡¯s eyes went wide again. ¡¸B rank!?¡¹ His small but echoing voice startled the guards nearby. No, their astonishment might even have been greater than Barret¡¯s. After all, Barret had his suspicions that Rei might have been the adventurer titled Crimson, despite how he looked. The rest of the guards had no idea as the looked at Rei with shocked expressions. Despite the guards looking at him like that, Rei had already gotten used to it as he received his guild card from Barret, who fearfully returned it. ¡¸Is everything okay?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes. There are no issues with you entering the city.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Before I forget, could I ask for a Necklace of Subservient Monster?¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s right. Hey, grab a Necklace of Subservient Monster.¡¹ ¡¸Yes sir!¡¹ Barret called out to one of his subordinates, who gave Rei a Necklace of Subservient Monster. Set, with the necklace around his neck, rubbed his face against Rei as he gave a cry. As he watched them, Barret noticed a small dragon on Set¡¯s back. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience ¡¸¡­¡­A dragon?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s ojou-sama¡¯s familar. I¡¯d like a Necklace of Subservient Monster for Yellow as well.¡¹ This wasn¡¯t the Kerebel Duchy but a labyrinth city. Because of that, a Necklace of Subservient Monster was needed for familiars as well. At Tufal¡¯s words, a guard got a small Necklace of Subservient Monster designed for cats and birds, which he handed over to Tufal. Seeing that the procedures seemed to be all settled, Tufal asked Barret. ¡¸Then, are we all fine to head inside the city?¡¹ ¡¸There are no problems. However, since you¡¯v used your aristocratic privileges, I¡¯ll have to let my superior know¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No problem. We don¡¯t have any dark secrets to keep. So, if you¡¯ll excuse me, sorry for the inconvenience.¡¹ Tufal gave a graceful bow before returning to the drivers seat. Rei stroked Set¡¯s head and Yellow¡¯s back before getting back inside the carriage. Leaving the queue, Rei and the others entered Exil. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve become a squad leader in the guards¡­¡­but I haven¡¯t been this surprised for a long time.¡¹ The guard who had given Rei a Necklace of Subservient Monster smiled and agreed with Barret with a wry smile. ¡¸Not since the case of the Mad Beast?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s definitely better since nobody died unlike that time. ¡­¡­Any how, the cause of all this commotion has left. I¡¯ll report the matter to the higher ups, so you get back to work.¡¹ ¡¸Roger that.¡¹ As he watched his men hurriedly return to dealing with the queue, Barret gave a sigh. ¡¸I hope this doesn¡¯t cause any unnecessary commotion¡­¡­¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com He said that to himself while realising it wouldn¡¯t change anything. ¡¸¡­¡­This, this is definitely something I¡¯ve seen before¡­¡­¡¹ Rei nodded as he looked out the window. At the end of his line of sight was a barrier covering the entirety of Exil. ¡­¡­However, this wasn¡¯t a barrier to stop enemies from getting inside. Rather, it was designed to trap threats inside Exil. That was natural. In fact, the barrier was designed to keep monsters inside Exil in the event that monsters overflowed from the dungeon due to some unforeseen circumstance¡­¡­it was a kind of cage. In the first place, Labyrinth City Exil wasn¡¯t on the frontier like Gilm/ Of course, some monsters, like Goblins, could be found everywhere. Sometimes Orcs would appear and, because it wasn¡¯t near the frontier, there were also a large number of bandits. However, in the end, the biggest threat to Exil was, as a labyrinth city, the monsters inside the dungeon. It was an underground type of dungeon, and while there were no powerful monsters in the upper layers, it was said that A rank monsters had appeared on the deeper floors in the past. If such a powerful monster came out of the dungeon, the barrier was designed to keep something that could be considered a natural disaster from leaving the city. Although he had researched and heard about it advance while still in Gilm, it was quite shocking to Rei when he saw it for the first time. Elena gave a small smile when she saw Rei look out the window with a stupefied expression. Part of it was because Rei usually had his Dragon Robe hood covering his head, but the other reason was because it was rare for Rei to show such a surprised expression. (I¡¯m quite lucky to see Rei¡¯s surprised expression up close.) That was what Elena thought in her mind, but she didn¡¯t say her thoughts out loud as she spoke. ¡¸Did you know that Labyrinth City Exil is treated as a semi-autonomous city state?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. According to the information I collected in Gilm, it¡¯s supposed to be governed by nobles¡­¡­but that¡¯s basically only in name.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. The Kingdom won¡¯t admit it, but there are various circumstances surrounding labyrinth cities. It¡¯s not just Exil. It¡¯s more or less the same for the other labyrinth cities in the Mireana Kingdom. They¡¯re basically all treated as semi-autonomous city states. ¡­¡­That said, they still pay taxes to the Kingdom and in times of war, like against the Bestir Empire, they will send military forces in emergency situations. There are 4 families that effectively control Labyrinth City Exil¡­¡­no, well, there are only 3 now.¡¹ Elena continued explaining as the carriage went down the main street. Chapter 379 As the carriage made its way down the main street of Exil, Set walked beside it with Yellow on his back. The carriage, Griffon and small Dragon attracted the attention of the surroundings, even in a city as unique as a labyrinth city. Fortunately, the Necklace of Subservient Monster hung around Set¡¯s neck seemed to have an effect as almost no one ran away the moment they saw him, unlike when they had been going through the procedures to enter Exil. However, a Griffon still seemed to be a subject of much awe and Set was feeling quite down because he didn¡¯t have anyone caring for him like back in Gilm. ¡¸Kyikyi, kyi~!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Yellow, on Set¡¯s back, gave a cry to encourage him as Set gave a lonely cry in response. Some of the people in the surroundings thought, ¡ºWhat? Can they really be so cute?¡». That said, having just seen Set for the first time, no one came up to pet him. Even so, the appearance of Set and Yellow conversing with each other definitely left something in the hearts of those watching. As Set and Yellow continued to converse outside, Rei and Elena were still discussing Labyrinth City Exil. ¡¸There are 3 houses that govern the labyrinth city? If I remember correctly, the party of 4 who first found this dungeon was the ancestor of each house, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Until about 300 year ago, the 4 houses jointly ruled Exil. However, one has since fallen and it is now ruled by the other 3 houses. ¡­¡­There are a number of conspiracies about the Mireana Kingdom, conflicts of interest between the houses internal troubles within the house¡­¡­however, none of these theories have been proven.¡¹ ¡¸Well, they might have been in a party when they first discovered the dungeon¡­¡­but that was a long time ago.¡¹ Elena shrugged her shoulders as she nodded silently at Rei. They might have been nobles, but their house still collapsed for some reason. As someone born to the house of a duke, the highest of noble families, she was no stranger to this. ¡¸Anyway, Exil is governed by the 3 houses. ¡­¡­We haven¡¯t come to take away their control of anything, right? We¡¯ve simply come to go down the dungeon¡­¡­I hope we don¡¯t have to deal with the houses.¡¹ At the end of his words, he looked at Elena¡¯s beautiful face and shrugged his shoulders with a bitter smile. ¡¸I heard earlier that they would be reporting your visit to the higher ups.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going to worry about that. Since I¡¯ve come to Exil, it would have been known to them sooner or later.¡¹ ¡¸Ojou-sama, we¡¯ve arrived at the inn suggested by Barret-sama.¡¹ As Elena spoke, Tufal¡¯s voice came in from outside. ¡¸Thanks for your hard work. Please deal with the necessary procedures.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, leave it to me. However, I think it would be better for Rei-sama to directly explain Set¡¯s situation to the inn. ¡­¡­What do you think?¡¹ In response to Tufal¡¯s question, Elena turned to Rei and asked. ¡¸How would you like to go about it? I think it would be better for you to explain the situation with Set directly. ¡­¡­It¡¯s a pity that our discussion on Exil was interrupted.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess that would be best. I¡¯ll be right back then.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, be careful¡­¡­that isn¡¯t something I really need to say to you. In the first place, do even need to explain about Set to the inn?¡¹ Elena caught herself making a mistake she usually wouldn¡¯t after getting a bit carried away. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience Rei stepped out the carriage as he heard those words from Elena. ¡¸Rei-sama, I¡¯ve just completed the inn procedures, so you just need to explain Set to this person.¡¹ ¡¸Understand. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡¹ After Rei nodded in response to Tufal, a man in his 30¡¯s, who was standing next to Tufal, stepped forward. ¡¸You¡¯re the one with a Griffon¡­¡­? Huh, you¡¯re quite different from what I imagined.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve been told that a lot. That aside, is Set¡­¡­a Griffon okay?¡¹ Seeing Yellow go back inside the carriage, Rei asked while stroking Set, who was rubbing his face against him. ¡¸Yes, of course. This is a very long storied inn in Exil. It¡¯s not uncommon for nobles to stay here, so we can handle that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so.¡¹ Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience Rei turned to look at the inn at the man¡¯s words. The inn was considerably larger than all the surrounding buildings and was also built facing the main street. There was no doubt that it was a high class in. (Speaking of it¡¯s size, it¡¯s 3 times as large as the Dusk Wheat. ¡­¡­No, it might be even bigger?) Rei thought to himself. The Dusk Wheat, where Rei had settled down in Gilm, was a high class inn. However, in the end, it was still family run, so it had a cosy atmosphere. Compared to that, this inn gave Rei a very systematic feel. (If the Dusk Wheat is an inn, then this feels more like a hotel.) Thinking like that, Rei went to the back of the inn with Set, guided by the man. At the back was a fairly large stable, about 2-3 times larger than the one at the Dusk Wheat. ¡¸It¡¯s quite big.¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. It seemed that there was a guest who stayed here 30 years ago who succeeded in taming a huge snake like monster in the dungeon. The stables at the time were so small that it was impossible to fit the monster inside. After that, the owner of the inn rebuilt it as he said it would affect the reputation of the inn.¡¹ The man spoke with a bit of pride. Perhaps these stables was one of the inn¡¯s points of pride to him. That said, since Tufal had asked Barret for recommendations to inns that could accept a Griffon without any problems, it was natural in a sense that the inn would have such a large stable. After being guided into the stables by the man, Rei saw cow like monsters with ferocious horns and giant spider like monsters alongside horses, which surprised him. ¡¸I had thought that tamers were rare, but there seem to be quite a few.¡¹ ¡¸It might be safer to form a party with large number of people, but the individual rewards would be reduced in return. Considering that, it has become quite popular to use tamed monsters as support. However, I think it¡¯s just a passing fad. It¡¯s true that you won¡¯t need to split the rewards with other people, but in the end, monsters are monsters and many of them are not that intelligent. In other words, many won¡¯t even reach the level of touching an adventurer¡¯s feet. ¡­¡­That said.¡¹ The man glanced over at Set, who was looking around the stables. Many of the monsters and horses seemed to be holding their breaths, perhaps out of fear of the Griffon that had just entered the stables. ¡¸A high ranking monster like the Griffon you have might be better at judging situations than your average adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯m glad that there are many tamers.¡¹ Rei muttered. Rei and Set¡¯s relationship was like a master and tamed monster, but it wasn¡¯t really. In truth, Set was a monster created using the Magic Beast Art. That was why Rei felt that he wouldn¡¯t stand out as much with that many tamers around. ¡­¡­Unfortunately, as long as he walked around with Set, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be conspicuous. ¡¸Then, please take care of Set.¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me. I¡¯m more than happy to take care of an A rank monster. Normally I¡¯d be too scared to do so, but this Set looks smart and seems to understand words.¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ ¡¸In that case, Set, I¡¯m going back to the inn. Take your time to relax in the stables.¡¹ As Rei patted his back and left, Set gave a cry and went inside the stables. Updated from novelhall[.]com Seeing him go in, Rei left Set with the man and returned to the inn¡¯s entrance. The carriage had already been moved and could no longer be seen. A man who seemed to be an inn employee bowed his head when he saw Rei. ¡¸Rei-sama. Welcome to the Golden Wind. We have heard from Elena-sama and Tufal-sama. We will guide you to your room right away.¡¹ As expected of an employee of a high class inn, his bow was very polite, if not as good as Tufal¡¯s. In actual fact, there were slight differences, but Rei, who lacked knowledge in this area, didn¡¯t notice such small differences. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ll be in your care. About the accomodation fee¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Rei tried to take out a bag of coins from the Misty Ring, but was stopped by the man. ¡¸We have already received the accommodation fee from Tufal-sama.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei hadn¡¯t expected that and responded on reflex. The inn was a high class inn and it would be priced as such. That said, Rei wasn¡¯t afraid to have to pay that much. ¡­¡­Rather, he had enough wealth that even if a family played around and lived in luxury until they died, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to use up all his money. Why did Tufal pay for him¡­¡­that was what Rei thought, but before he could say anything, a voice called out to him. ¡¸In a way, this is my own selfish outing. Because of that, why shouldn¡¯t I pay for your accommodation?¡¹ ¡¸Elena¡­¡­¡¹ Rei turned towards the owner of the voice. Elena continued with a smile after seeing Rei¡¯s gaze. ¡¸I¡¯m the daughter of a Duke and the General Princess in charge of knights. I¡¯m working with an adventurer, so it¡¯s only natural that I pay for you. ¡­¡­Can you let me pay for you without any issues? There is also the problem of my respectibility as a noble.¡¹ Elena and Rei¡¯s eyes met for a few seconds and it was Rei who turned away first. He wasn¡¯t much for aristocratic pride or respectability, but he wasn¡¯t willing to push any further after being told that by someone he liked. ¡¸I understand, I¡¯ll accept your offer this time.¡¹ Elena gave a sight of relief at Rei¡¯s words. Elena as an individual wanted to show her good side to Rei, but as the daughter of a duke, if she didn¡¯t pay for people following her, it would reflect badly on her from the outside. Because of that, it was fortunate for Elena that Rei gave in easily/ ¡¸Thanks, that¡¯s a great help. That¡¯s right, I would like to enter the dungeon tomorrow. Is that fine with you?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ve told others that I would be back to Gilm before winter, so it would be best for me to enter the dungeon as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, it¡¯s the same for me as well. Ara aside, Machen regularly comes to me with more paperwork to sign off. ¡­¡­That aside, after we check our rooms, why don¡¯t we go straight to the guild? It seems we have to register at the guild to enter the dungeon.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei closed his eyes to recall something¡­¡­before nodding. ¡¸Yeah, I heard from the guild back in Gilm that there was such a rule.¡¹ Updated from novelhall[.]com Normally, it was an adventurer¡¯s own responsibility to take care of themselves. Even at the dungeon that Rei and Elena had gone to previously, they only needed to show their guild cards as ID and there was no need to go through a separate procedure at the guild. However, in Exil, there were many more adventurers who would go down the dungeon because of unique characteristics. The number of adventurers was incomparable to the dungeon Rei and Elena had previously gone to, so in addition to a guild card, a special dungeon card was also issued to keep track of how many adventurers had gone into the dungeon. Rei had heard that it was like this so that people who weren¡¯t registered with the guild, such as nobles or knights, could also enter the dungeon. However, he suspected that it probably had more to do with the self interests of the 3 houses that governed the city. In fact, this rule had only been put in place after one of the original 4 houses had fallen, so that was likely the case. Even so, the Mireana Kingdom made no particular comments about it as it did make it convenient for those without a guild card to enter the dungeon. (That said, I heard that quite a few stories of giving bribes to get let in.) Elena nodded in response to Rei as she recalled the rumours she had heard when she had been in Gilm. ¡¸The process shouldn¡¯t be difficult, especially in my case because I come from a Duke¡¯s house. Even so, it will likely still take some time. Rather than wasting tomorrow, it¡¯s a better idea to get it done now. ¡­¡­What do you think?¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t want to waste any time either, so he nodded at Elena¡¯s words and checked where his room was located before heading to the guild. CH 380 Even though it was a labyrinth city, there were still times when the guild was busy and times where there were less people. After all, like ordinary monsters, dungeon monsters would become more ferocious at night, so naturally less people wanted to fight monsters during that time. However, there were also monsters that only appeared at night as well as ores and plants that could only be collected at night, so it wasn¡¯t true to say that no adventurers entered the dungeon at night either. Then, there were the battle maniacs who enjoyed the act of fighting monsters itself rather than conquering the dungeon or collecting materials. For such people, entering during the night, when monsters were most fierce, may have been a sort of paradise to them. All in all, with a few exceptions, the number of adventurers in Exil¡¯s guild during the day was small. Because it was just past noon when Rei and Elena entered the guild, the number of curious glances from the surroundings wasn¡¯t high. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect Set to fall asleep.¡¹ ¡¸Even though you say that, it¡¯s the same for Yellow. Even though it¡¯s my familiar, it decided to prioritise sleeping with Set over its master¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess that wouldn¡¯t happen with ordinary familiars.¡¹ The two of them entered the guild while conversing with each other as the adventurers and guild staff turned to look at them. One was a boy in his mid-teens wearing a robe, seemingly a mage apprentice. No one paid much attention to him. The robe he wore seemed to be of good quality, but that was it. It wasn¡¯t like there were mages everywhere in Exil¡­¡­but there were still a decent number of mage apprentices around. Unfortunately, there was currently no one in the guild who could sense the magic power of others. Not many people had that ability, and those that did had all gone into the dungeon. Because of that, those who saw Rei only thought of him as a follower of sorts. As for the person next to him, she had golden hair and a feminine body that drew a rich curve that could be seen even from her armour. She had a dignified aura and couldn¡¯t help but draw the eyes of onlookers. Elena¡¯s overwhelming presence quietened the guild for a few seconds. However, whether it was Elena or Rei, both had become used to such reactions and they didn¡¯t care as they made their way to the reception counter. ¡¸Pardon me. We just arrived at Exil today but would like to go through the procedures to enter the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, y-yes!¡¹ The receptionist had been lost in admiration after seeing Elena up close but immediately recollected herself. That was as expected of a labyrinth city¡¯s guild receptionist. ¡¸Then, could I please see your ID? ¡­¡­Him as well?¡¹ The receptionist glanced over at Rei. ¡¸Yes, please do it for me as well. Here is my guild card.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out his guild card from the Misty Ring under his Dragon Robe. As he placed his guild card on the counter, the receptionist¡¯s gaze was still directed towards Elena. After casually picking up the guild card, she turned to look at Rei to confirm his identity. To be honest, the receptionist wanted to know Elena¡¯s identity more than Rei¡¯s. That was why she froze for a moment after seeing the guild rank on Rei¡¯s guild card. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? B rank?¡¹ Her voice was almost a whisper. Normally it would have disappeared into the surroundings. However, all the eyes in the guild were currently gathered on Elena and no one was making a sound. Because of that, even the receptionist¡¯s small voice was loud enough to be heard by all the adventurers near the counter. It wasn¡¯t heard everywhere in the guild. In the first place, Exil¡¯s guild was much larger than Gilm¡¯s because it was a labyrinth city¡¯s guild. In Gilm, it was hard for a beginner adventurer to subjugate monsters that appeared near the city due to its location on the frontier. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience There were monsters such as Goblins that even beginners could kill without any problems. However, because it was the frontier, there would occasionally be monsters near the road that low rank adventurers wouldn¡¯t be able to handle. Because of that, most new adventurers in Gilm were born and raised in Gilm. There would rarely be low rank adventurers coming in from other places. Compared to Gilm, Labyrinth City Exil basically only had low ranking monsters in the upper levels of the dungeon. Conversely, there were higher ranking monsters in the deeper levels. In other words, because of the larger number of new adventurers, the guild had to be large enough to accommodate them all. Furthermore, unusually, the guild in Exil didn¡¯t have a bar attached to it. This was probably because there would have been too many adventurers for them to handle. Because of the size of the guild, the receptionist¡¯s words weren¡¯t heard by everyone, but¡­¡­ ¡¸B rank?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? That kid?¡¹ ¡¸Are you joking? No matter how you look at him, isn¡¯t he just an apprentice mage?¡¹ ¡¸Did the guild make a mistake? Even I¡¯m still D rank, there¡¯s no way that brat is B rank.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­-!?¡¹ Like that, the news that Rei was a B rank adventurer gradually spread out from those near the counters to the rest of the guild¡­¡­when a C rank adventurer who had come in late to the guild to train gasped. That adventurer wasn¡¯t famous in the sense that he stood out, but he was well known as a caring veteran who had spent nearly 15 years as an adventurer. It was natural for a person like him to draw attention after gasping with an astonished expression. ¡¸Is anything wrong, Nebrus-san?¡¹ Noticing the strange expression on the veteran adventurer¡¯s face, an adventurer who saw him asked. The adventurer was a young man in his late teens who had been indebted to Nebrus many times. In a sense, they could almost be considered to have a master and disciple relationship. It was because of there relationship that he asked worriedly, but Nebrus just silently shook his head in response. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, I just thought of something.¡¹ ¡¸But, you¡­¡­ah, could it be something to do with that self-proclaimed B rank? If you want, I can call him out. At any rate, if he isn¡¯t B rank, which I¡¯m sure he isn¡¯t, we¡¯ll be able to find out if we cross examine him¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Stop it!¡¹ Nebrus responded in an unintentionally loud voice. If they actually did that, he knew what would happen. Yes, just like when Nebrus first learned of Rei¡­¡­ ¡¸Nebrus-san?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I didn¡¯t know he was at B rank, but it¡¯s true that he has the skill. I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes.¡¹ ¡¸This is the first time we¡¯ve seen them in Exil. No, I don¡¯t know about the kid, but if such a beautiful young woman had come here before, there would definitely have been gossip.¡¹ What are you talking about? The young man asked as he though Nebrus was joking. However, Nebrus¡¯s eyes were serious as he replied. ¡¸Listen up, you know that I participated in the war with the Bestir Empire back in spring, right?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes. Of course I know. I wanted to join as well, but I couldn¡¯t because of my rank and was so disappointed. ¡­¡­No way, that kid was in the war?¡¹ He realised what Nebrus had been trying to say at those words. The young man turned to look at Rei with an astonished expression. In the war with the Bestir Empire, anyone below E rank had been banned by the guild from joining as a mercenary. At the same time, the young man had been about to take his D rank exam, but due to timing issues, had missed it and hadn¡¯t been able to participate in the war. In other words, the mage apprentice he was looking at¡­¡­at best, a freshly graduated mage, that kid, had been at least D rank or higher at that time. In other words, there was a possibility that the B rank the guild receptionist had said earlier might have just been a mistake on the guild¡¯s part. Visit novelhall[.]com for a better experience That was what the young man thought, but reality easily betrayed him. ¡¸Did he participate in the war? No, it¡¯s not that simple. He¡­¡­he¡­¡­he is Crimson.¡¹ It was a jarring revelation. The other adventurers who had been listening into the conversation between the young man and Nebrus started to buzz after hearing the name Crimson. Am adventurer who had nearly destroyed the enemy¡¯s vanguard troops all by himself. A person who be called a new hero, accompanied by an A rank monster, a Griffon, known as the reaper of the skies. Although it hadn¡¯t been made public who it had been, it was said that among the adventurers, knights and soldiers who participated in the war, this person¡¯s power was what determined whether the war was won or lost. That was the person known as Crimson. At the mention of the name Crimson, several adventurers who had been planning to mess with Elena and Rei, stopped in their tracks. At this time, all eyes gathered on Rei as no one had yet to realise that Elena was the General Princess. Her title was well known in neighbouring countries, but no one here had actually seen her before. And, even if they had seen the General Princess before, they would have probably felt that there was no way she would, as the General Princess and a duke¡¯s daughter, come to such a place. ¡¸Crimson¡­¡­is that kid!?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ve seen him use magic in person. ¡­¡­It was amazing. To be honest, I had never seen such a huge fire tornado. After that, he even threw barrels into the tornado from the sky, which after being destroyed, sent metal fragments flying everywhere, making it even more lethal. He also used a huge scythe with a shaft taller than himself to cut down his enemies. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ His eyes weren¡¯t joking. Nebrus was telling the truth of what he had seen. The young man understood that because he had been taught the basics of adventuring by Nebrus for a long time¡­¡­for many years. In other words¡­¡­ ¡¸He¡¯s the real deal, the real Crimson.¡¹ He gulped as he spoke. The men around Nebrus who were listening in did the same. Crimson, that title spread through the guild the same way the words B rank had spread earlier and eyes of all the adventurers in the guild turned towards Rei. Depsite everyone looking at him, Rei didn¡¯t seem to care as he called out to the receptionist. ¡¸Is there any problem with being B rank?¡¹ ¡¸N-No. No problem at all. It will be ready immediately. ¡­¡­As for the young lady there¡­¡­¡¹ She glanced at Elena fearfully. Maybe she was also someone extraordinary like Rei. It was because she had considered the possibility that she didn¡¯t speak out after reading the documents handed to her. Even after seeing the name Elena Kerebel written there. ¡¸-!? ¡­¡­I-I understand. There are no problems. I¡¯ll have everything ready in a moment.¡¹ Taking a deep breath and deciding she couldn¡¯t say something like what she had said about Rei earlier, the receptionist hurriedly completed the procedures. Few people paid attention to the receptionist, probably because they were focused on Rei. A few minutes later, two cards were prepared and a crystal like ball slightly larger than the size of her palm was placed on the counter. ¡¸Put your right hand on this crystal and lightly apply magic power while holding this dungeon card with your left hand. After that, the procedure will be complete. ¡­¡­Just to confirm, you can both use magic power, right?¡¹ The two of them nodded silently at the receptionist¡¯s question. Although there were differences in how much magic power was needed, the act of using magic power was necessary to use a magic item. This was the case for Rei using the Death Scythe or Elena using her sword whip¡­¡­this was true even for every day magic items like those used to start fires. That said, there were also some people who couldn¡¯t even use magic items every day life due to their constitution, so the receptionist asked just in case as standard procedure. After all, it was Crimson and the General Princess who were standing in front of her. As expected, the registration of their dungeon cards was completed without any problems. CH 381 ¡¸So, this is a dungeon card?¡¹ Sitting down on a sofa in his inn room, Rei took out the dugeon card that he had registered with the guild. Seeing him do that, Elena sat down on the sofa opposite and nodded as she took out her own card. After registering their dungeon cards in the guild, Rei had bought a dungeon map that was on sale before returning to his room at the inn, where Elena followed him inside with an expression as if it were natural for her to do so. Rei had no intention of complaining so they each sat down in his room facing each other. As for Tufal, he seemed to keep to his position as a carriage driver or servant and didn¡¯t say anything when Elena went to Rei¡¯s room, instead devoting himself to taking care of the warhorses. Yellow spent its time either in the stables with Set or napping, so only Rei and Elena were in the room. However, it seemed that the two of them were not used to creating a sweet atmosphere and their discussion went towards the dungeon. ¡¸It seems to be a magic item that was created by an alchemist who lived in the ancient times. I had heard about it before coming to Exil¡­¡­but it feels strangely convenient.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. After all, with this card, you can record how many floors you have gone down in the dungeon and you can be sent directly to that floor in future using a spatial magic device.¡¹ Elena replied as looked at her dungeon card while thinking to herself how surprisingly high tech it was. ¡¸As far as I can tell, it¡¯s almost the same size and thickness as a guild card.¡¹ The dungeon card stored the owner¡¯s name, how many floors they had cleared and up to 3 special notes. Regarding these special notes, in Rei¡¯s case for example, it would say his adventurer rank, or in Elena¡¯s case, her position as someone from the family of a duke. It was quite basic, so it only 3 notes could be written on a card. Even so, what the dungeon card could do made it much more advanced than many other magic items. (Even though it can only be used within a dungeon, it¡¯s extremely convenient to be able to use spatial transfer magic freely. If that could be analysed to find out how it works, wouldn¡¯t there be huge benefits?) That was what Rei thought. In reality, many people had tried to analyse the magic device used for spatial transfer installed inside Exil¡¯s dungeon. However, most of them had failed and few people could do anything with what they learned. Every once in a while, a curious scholar, alchemist or mage would come by to analyse the devices, but none of them had ever produced any results. ¡¸In the first place, no one knows who exactly made the magic device. ¡­¡­You can¡¯t tell either, even with your knowledge?¡¹ Rei shook his head at Elena¡¯s question. The only alchemist in Rei¡¯s knowledge was Esta Nord, a member of Zepairu¡¯s group. However, a number of magic devices for spatial transfer had already existed in Exil back then. (It¡¯s probably something from an ancient magical civilisation.) Rei thought to himself. In fact, from time to time, some super high quality magic items that could no longer be made today would be discovered inside the dungeon. The magic item that Rei and Elena were planning to look for inside the dungeon, one that could be used for remote calls, was actually one of them. ¡¸Anyhow, it¡¯s good know that once you¡¯ve reached a certain floor, you can always transfer back to it whenever you like. This dungeon is so deep that the dungeon core still hasn¡¯t been destroyed and it¡¯s still expanding further underground. If you think about it, it¡¯s a great help that we won¡¯t have to start from the first floor every time we re-enter the dungeon.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words. ¡¸The first floor is said to pose no danger even to people who had just become adventurers, so it¡¯s definitely a great help. It just takes time to deal with the small fry. But, with a transfer device, can¡¯t people go much deeper into the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸It seems that most ordinary adventurers settle down on a level they can safely handle to earn money. I¡¯ve heard that there are some adventurers seriously trying to capture the dungeon, but they¡¯re more or less a minority.¡¹ ¡¸Even if they can be sent straight down to a floor they¡¯ve reached before?¡¹ ¡¸Between life, honour and money, they¡¯re most likely to chose the first. That said, that is more or less to be expected of ordinary people.¡¹ Although Elena¡¯s words implied that they weren¡¯t normal, Rei couldn¡¯t really say anything against that. In the first place, he was in an artificial body and Elena was closer to the extraordinary after taking in the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon using an inheritance ritual. If the two of them were to insist that they were normal people, there would no doubt be many objections from various places. ¡¸The reason I¡¯m going into the dungeon his time is to get a magic item for remote communication. I don¡¯t plan to leave until we get one. ¡­¡­Although I will probably have to go leave once winter comes.¡¹ ¡¸As for me, it¡¯s monster magic stones. I definitely want them to improve Set and the Death Scythe. There are also many magic items that can be found in dungeons, including a lot of practical ones, so I hope that includes a magic item for communication. ¡­¡­Speaking of which, do you care about the materials from the monsters we kill?¡¹ Rei asked Elena as he just thought of it. However, Elena shook her head to indicate that it wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡¸As I said before, all I¡¯m really after is a magic item for remote communication. As long as I stay in my role as a general, I have a decent income as well as other perks. ¡­¡­No, that¡¯s right. In that case, why don¡¯t you get me something with the money you get after selling the materials?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A present?¡¹ ¡¸Mm. That is, how to say it. Like that, the two of us¡­¡­¡¹ As she said that, Elena remembered about Tufal and choked on her words before quickly continuing. ¡¸Anyway, I came to Exil with Rei, so you can just treat is like some sort of souvenir, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t mind if you say that¡­¡­ah, that¡¯s right. Then, why don¡¯t I pay for my stay at this inn with the money I earn from the dungeon? It¡¯s quite awkward for me in various ways. If I pay for the accommodation with money I make from the dungeon, I don¡¯t it will reflect that badly on you.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not that simple¡­¡­but it is true. If you really want to do that Rei, that¡¯s fine.¡¹ Rei gave a sigh of relief at Elena¡¯s words. He really wanted to refrain from constantly relying on Elena for everything. ¡¸Now then, since our goals have been decided¡­¡­it¡¯s time to discuss the biggest drawback of us entering the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. If the two of us went down the dungeon by ourselves, it would be equivalent to suicide. That¡¯s because we don¡¯t have a¡­¡­¡¹ ¡ºThief.¡» Rei and Elena¡¯s voices overlapped perfectly. Yes, it could be said that thieves were indispensable for challenging a dungeon. It might only have been a small dungeon, but the dungeon they had entered to reach the Altar of Inheritance was deeply etched into their bones. However, there no longer existed Vel. Not just in the Mireana Kingdom, he had gone from the world. He had died as a demon soldier in the war with the Bestir Empire. Although Rei had bought a map for up to the 5th floor, it was highly unlikely that the magic item they were after would be found on levels where maps would be sold. Such rare and expensive items would be found in places that had yet to be explored. ¡¸I had originally intended to hire a solo thief from the guild, but today¡¯s commotion has made that difficult.¡¹ Elena gave a sigh as Rei gave a bitter smile. The fact that Rei was Crimson had definitely spread past the adventurers who were there during the time. The only good news in that misfortune was that it was just information about Rei was spread by the receptionist¡¯s words and none about Elena. However, being Elena, she had the unique feature of being an incredibly beautiful young woman. If she tried to hire a thief, she was sure get into a lot of trouble with people trying to take advantage of them. For better or worse, the number of thieves in the guild was also much larger than other guilds because it was a labyrinth city, making the situation even more complicated. ¡¸If it¡¯s come to that, then it¡¯s only possible to go down the shallower floors with you, Set and Yellow and wait for the commotion to subside before looking for a solo thief¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸That would be the safest thing to do, but the problem would be if the commotion doesn¡¯t die down by the time we break through the shallower floors.¡¹ ¡¸Things should have settled down by then. Or rather¡­¡­I hope things will have settled down by then.¡¹ Rei voiced his wishes with some uncertainty. ¡¸Better yet, we could just deal with the commotion and hire a thief tomorrow. If we continue to hire them, it shouldn¡¯t be as much of a problem.¡¹ ¡¸That is true, but it¡¯s difficult to choose from such a large number of people. We¡¯ve just come to Exil and we don¡¯t know who is a good thief.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see what you mean. Then I think it would be better to go with the idea you had.¡¹ Rei had no objections to his own idea and nodded at Elena¡¯s words. (In the worst case scenario, I can use the thin layer of flames I used back in the dungeon with the Altar of Inheritance, but¡­¡­no, it lacks certainty because it can only detect traps set on the ground and walls. In the end, a professional thief is essential.) Thinking to himself, Rei spoke with a sigh. ¡¸At the very least, even if there are traps, if they are set by monsters, some odour will remain. With Set¡¯s sense of smell, he should be able to detect them.¡¹ ¡¸Yellow is still not experienced in that area, but it should still be fine for reconnaissance.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Speaking of which, has Yellow always been like that? It¡¯s a familiar created using Dragon Language magic right?¡¹ ¡¸To be honest, I don¡¯t know. I know that the magic can be used to create a familiar, but I couldn¡¯t read the section that explained the magic. However, I¡¯m completely satisfied with the current adorable Yellow.¡¹ ¡¸Well, you took quite the gamble.¡¹ ¡¸Not really. I was certain it was magic for summoning a familiar. In the first place, Dragon Language magic is very rare, so I decided that I should use whatever magic I could find for it.¡¹ ¡¸But, with your magic power, it would be quite a huge problem if the familiar went out of control¡­¡­¡¹ Rei couldn¡¯t help but think that Elena¡¯s actions had been done without too much thought. However, Elena gave a small smile to reassure Rei. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. I might not have mastered it yet, but I¡¯m someone who inherited the power of an Ancient Dragon. Even if Yellow went out of control¡­¡­I should still manage to suppress it somehow. And¡­¡­¡¹ Elena glanced over at Rei. ¡¸Until I saw you again¡­¡­¡¹ She was about to continue what she wanted to say when suddenly there was a knock on the door. ¡ºPardon me. Rei-sama, is ojou-sama inside? She wasn¡¯t in her room.¡» ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The voice from the other side of the door was unmistakably Tufal¡¯s voice and the person that he was looking for was in front of Rei. ¡­¡­However, while Elena¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed, she had subtlety started to give off a lot of pressure. ¡ºIt seems that Rei-sama isn¡¯t inside either. There¡¯s no other choice. I¡¯ll keep searching the inn for now.¡» He probably didn¡¯t realise that Elena was inside as Tufal muttered to himself and left the door. Although Rei had half expected to suffer from the awkward interruption, he wasn¡¯t used to dealing with love matters at all. Even if they were in battle, Rei had no idea how he how he was supposed to deal with the current Elena, who was currently a very dangerous object. So. ¡¸Oh¡­¡­it¡¯s about time for dinner, so why don¡¯t we head for the dining area?¡¹ As expected of a high class inn. There was a clock in each room, which seemed to be an expensive magic item. Rei noticed that it was close to 6pm as he said those words. It was finally, properly, summer and it was still bright outside at 6pm. No, in fact, it was too bright and too hot for anyone still directly under the sunlight. However, for better or worse, the Golden Wind inn that they were staying at used even more magic items than the Dusk Wheat, making the inside of the inn a comfortable conditioned place to stay. ¡¸Mm, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve come to expect a certain level of food from this inn.¡¹ Rei left his room following after Elena, thinking to himself that he had managed to deal with her. Like so, their first day in Exil passed by. CH 382 Even though it was summer, the sky was still dark by 8pm. Labyrinth City Exil was covered by such darkness. Places like bars and brothels were still lit up by magic items though, probably because, like Gilm, there were many adventurers within the city. However, as Exil had an overwhelmingly larger population compared to Gilm, it was lit up by proportionally more magic items. The entrance to Exil¡¯s dungeon was at it¡¯s centre. Four large mansions were located in the north, south, east and west of the city. Those mansions were the homes of the descendants of the adventurer party that had first discovered Exil¡¯s dungeon as well as the people who governed of Exil, which operated as a sort of autonomous city state. However, the mansion to the south of Exil belonged to a house that had already fallen and was in considerable disrepair. Since Exil¡¯s main gate was located in the northeast, this decreased the number of visitors to the mansion was even more. Although it was small compared to the mansions of aristocratic families, it was still decently sized and could be considered a large mansion to ordinary people. Many merchants and other people had tried to buy it before, but it wasn¡¯t something that could be sold freely due to it¡¯s historical value to Exil as a labyrinth city, causing it to become deserted. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Looking at the mansion on a whole, it was completely covered by the darkness of the night. However, one room was leaking a slight light. A single room inside the mansion. In that room, a girl about 10 years of age was eating a simple meal of dried meat and water. The girl¡¯s name was Byune Fraut. She was a descendant of one of the four adventurers who had discovered the dungeon here and had cleared it to some exent before reporting it to the Kingdom, setting up the model for a labyrinth city. With their achievements, the adventurers had been granted the right to carry down a family name, but only as a formality as they had no rights as nobles. However, to look at it another way, they also did not have any obligations that would be required of nobles. It had been about 300 years since the Fraut family had fallen. The reason why the mansion was still somewhat maintained was because of the large number of magic items used in its construction. However, as expected, a large amount of money was still needed to maintain the mansion and its magic items. Both of Byune¡¯s parents had already passed away and she was the only remaining member of the Fraut family. As the only successor, Byune entered the dungeon every day to earn money. It was quite unfortunate for her that she was a thief with a certain level of skill. If she didn¡¯t have any skills at all, it would have been impossible to maintain the mansion. But, if she had been a genius, maintaining the mansion wouldn¡¯t have been a problem at all. Still, working as a solo thief, she was able to earn enough money to maintain the mansion. Given Byune¡¯s age of 10, in the future¡­¡­those that knew her had various thoughts. However, there were also many who didn¡¯t want to see that happen. For example, there were those who wanted to recruit Byune¡¯s skills as a thief into their family. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune, who had become a lot less talkative from working solo, turned her gaze towards a portrait hanging in the room. It was a portrait of her parents when they had just gotten married and had been drawn with what little money they had. She look at it in stillness with almost no change in her expression. It was a lonely gaze that seemed to ask why she was the only one here, a gaze that longed for the love of her parents, a gaze that seemed to look somewhere far away. After gazing at the portrait for about 10 minutes, she looked away and lay down on the floor. There were no longer any usable beds, neither were there any sofas. Because of that Byune rested her body on the floor with a thin blanket. Tomorrow, she would have to enter the dungeon again to earn money. There was a large mansion at the north side of Exil, directly opposite the location of the Fraut family¡¯s mansion. However, the mansion, so to speak, was more like a fortress designed to hide within than anything else. The garden wasn¡¯t a place to enjoy looking at, but rather was maintained like a training ground for warriors. Inside a room within the mansion, an angry voice echoed out. ¡¸The General Princess of Duke Kerebel and Crimson have entered Exil!?¡¹ Along with those words, a fist was slammed onto the table. The table was made from the materials of Treant monsters that appeared in the dungeon and boasted considerable durability compared to ordinary tables. However, the surface of the table still caved into the shape of a fist from the man¡¯s strike. The name of the 2m tall, over 120kg man was Vosk Silva. He was also a descendant of one of the adventurers who had found the dungeon in Exil and, unlike the fallen Fraut family, he was one of the people that actually governed Labyrinth City Exil. The man who had brought the report involuntarily shrunk back as Vosk looked at him with blazing eyes. Seeing that, Vosk immediately exhaled and calmed himself down before speaking to the man. ¡¸Pardon me. I was surprised by the unexpected report. Don¡¯t worry, you didn¡¯t make any mistakes.¡¹ ¡¸Yes sir-!¡¹ Vosk¡¯s personality was indeed violent and he showed no mercy towards those that opposed him. However, he also had a caring side that took care of those that looked up to him like an older brother. Vock was the youngest of the three family heads who currently governed Exil, but there were many who were attracted to the vigour of his youth. ¡¸Damn it, why would two people as famous as them come to Exil¡­¡­no, if they¡¯ve come here, they¡¯re probably here for the dungeon. Thank you for your report. Get yourself a drink with this.¡¹ Muttering to himself calmly, he flicked a silver coin over to his subordinate who had delivered the report. It seemed the man hadn¡¯t expected to receive a silver coin just for delivering a report, he bowed with a smile at his unexpected luck. ¡¸Thank you, Boss Vosk!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you can go now.¡¹ His subordinate gave a bow before leaving the room. ¡¸However, trouble is trouble. Crimson¡¯s combat strength is at least A rank, he had a Griffon as it also rumoured to be one of Margrave Daska¡¯s weapons. But¡­¡­what is his relationship with the General Princess of the Kerebels? Anyhow, the matter of Byune is about to come to a close. I hope they don¡¯t get involved in it.¡¹ Although Vosk might look like a warrior, and in fact his fighting style was very much that of a warrior, he knew the importance of information and naturally collected information on all the influential people within the Kingdom. Of course, there was information about the General Princess, Elena, as well as Crimson, Rei, who had quickly made a name for himself in the war with the Bestir Empire. As he said that, he stabbed his fork into a steak, which hadn¡¯t spilt off his plate even after his previous strike on the table, and lifted the whole thing up and biting into it without using a knife to cut it. The steak was only lightly browned on the outside and he could taste the blood dripping in his mouth. As he washed the meat down with a glass of wine, Vosk thought about what was to come. Inside a mansion to the west, a woman in her 40¡¯s heard the name of the troublesome people who had appeared as well. ¡¸Crimson and the General Princess. I wonder why such two famous people would come here.¡¹ Her words and expression, which were spoken with a sigh, belied her appearance. Her fingers were covered with jewelled rings and her hair was adorned with an extravagant gold hairpiece that covered her entire head like a crown. Her arms and legs were adorned with bracelets and anklets while her ears had earrings made from mithril. Around her neck was a necklace made from polished wind and thunder crystals, crystallised from wind and thunder magic. The clothes she wore were made from the highest quality fabrics, sewn by specialised craftsmen over a period of several months. If some random thug were to see her, they would gladly rob her. There was no doubt that the ornaments and clothes she wore would be enough for someone to play around and live for the rest of their lives. ¡­¡­However, anyone who tried to do that would have been put into a miserable situation by her magic. In fact, the people who had tried to rob her were no longer in this world. Pree Marschel. Among the 4 adventurers who had found the dungeon, she was a descendant of the mage and the head of the Marschel family, one of the 3 families that governed Exil. She was also a powerful mage that specialised in earth and water magic. Using the many magic items she wore, she was also capable of firing out offensive magic for extended durations without running out of magic power. She loved jewels and her greed was enough to use underhanded methods to obtain them. ¡¸It¡¯s fine if famous people come here, but they¡¯re not going to interfere with what I do, right? If they do, I¡¯m afraid they might have to¡­¡­get lost within the dungeon. Oh dear, a Duke¡¯s daughter and a new war hero going missing within a dungeon. It¡¯s going to cause a lot of trouble, but they knew that coming to a dungeon. Of course.¡¹ ¡¸Of course, master.¡¹ As she said those words while looking at her jewels, a voice replied from within the room. There wasn¡¯t anyone else in the room aside from Pree. However, she didn¡¯t seem to care as she continued speaking without a change in her expression. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s a pity, but it can¡¯t be helped. ¡­¡­I¡¯m sure nothing will happen if they don¡¯t have a strange sense of justice though. You¡¯d better pray for that too, Bridget.¡¹ ¡¸Understood, master¡¹ Looking at the lovely jewels on the rings on her right hand, Pree spoke as she imagined the jewels she could obtain. ¡¸Yes, all the jewels should be gathered under me.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, master.¡¹ Pree smiled in satisfaction at the voice that came from nowhere. Inside a large mansion to the east of Exil, an old man in his 70¡¯s or 80¡¯s raised his eyebrows in displeasure as he listened to a report. ¡¸The General Princess? Crimson? Why are such people coming to my Exil?¡¹ ¡¸That, I think they¡¯ve come here for the dungeon¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You, shut up-! Who allowed you to open your mouth!?¡¹ The old man, in his rage, threw a glass which hit the forehead of his subordinate who had spoken, causing blood to flow out from the injury. It was fortunate for the subordinate that the old man had lost a lot of strength in his arms. If the old man still had the same strength as when he had been an active adventurer, his subordinate¡¯s head would probably have been shattered alongside the glass. The old man¡¯s name was Schaffner Levisor. A descendant of the archer among the four adventurers who had found Exil¡¯s dungeon. The old man governed Exil alongside the Silva and Marschel families. However, unlike Vosk, who was in his prime as a warrior, and Pree, who kept her skills as a mage, Schaffner was already well past his prime. On the contrary, he was already old and could die at any time. ¡¸Damn it, finally¡­¡­I finally might get my hands on what that little girl has. So why did these two have to show up now!?¡¹ With an angry shout, he threw a cask of wine off the table causing the strong scent of wine to spread after it was spilled. A glass of wine might have a good scent, but if there was too much of it, it would only smell bad. ¡¸I¡¯m not going to die. I¡¯ve lived desperately until now. Even thought I was told I wasn¡¯t talented, I grabbed my bow. Even though I was told I was stupid, I ruled Exil. The goddess of fortune smiles at me at last. ¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not right.¡¹ As he muttered those words, Schaffner¡¯s eyes became muddy with craziness. The madness of an old man who didn¡¯t want to admit his old age. However, Schaffner¡¯s subordinates, who were waiting around him, didn¡¯t seem to notice as they silently waited for their master¡¯s tantrum to subside. ¡¸That¡¯s right. If the goddess of luck doens¡¯t smile on me, then I just have to approach her myself. Hey, you. Didn¡¯t you say those men asked to see me before?¡¹ At the old man¡¯s words, one of his subordinates looked confused¡­¡­before taking a small breath when he realised was the old man was talking about. ¡¸You mean, the Church of Holy Light?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. They worship a holy goddes of light or something like that. As long as I preach of them in Exil, they will have no choice but to respond to my request.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true that the Church of Holy Light has beccome a popular religion in the city these days, but there have been various questionable rumours about them. Isn¡¯t it dangerous to trust them carelessly?¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, even if it¡¯s dangerous, they can¡¯t do anything inside Exil. You must bring them to me as soon as possible without Vosk or Pree noticing.¡¹ His subordinates tried to speak up in an attempt to dissuade him, but Schaffner, obsessed with his own delusions, paid no attention to their words. Like so, the presence of Crimson and the General Princess was known in Exil as each party made their moves to fulfil their own goals. CH 383 ¡¸See you later, Elena-sama, Rei-sama.¡¹ Rei and Elena left the inn and headed for the stables as Tufal saw them off. It was the second day after they had arrived in Exil. After a leisurely breakfast, the two of them decided to head straight to the dungeon. Rei was dressed in the Dragon Robe and was wearing the Shoes of Sleipnir as usual, looking very much like a mage. Unlike the day before, where Elena had gone to the guild in plain clothes, she was now wearing white metal armour and a cloak alongside a pair of Shoes of Sleipnir, similar to Rei. Sheathed at her waist was her sword whip, Elena¡¯s signature weapon. All of Elena¡¯s equipment were magic items, and if they knew the value of everything she had, it was worth an amount that would make bandits and thugs attack without hesitation. However, in many cases they would be more focused on Elena than her magic items. After all, she was a beauty, the daughter of a duke and the General Princess. Overall, there were too many reasons for people to attack her. ¡­¡­That said, it would be a very difficult matter for someone to actually attack her. Regardless, as the two of them left the Golden Wind inn, they received all sorts of looks from the other guests who were staying there. However, no one called out to them, probably because some drunks who had been dazzled by Elena¡¯s looks or judged that Rei was weak due to his appearance had been beaten up severely during dinner the night before. Of course, none of them were seriously injured, but they were still injured to the extent that their pain wouldn¡¯t subside for another day or so. Because of that, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the other guests had decided it would be best not to careless interact with them, lest they got badly hurt themselves. As for the inn employees, they were grateful to Rei and Elena for subduing the drunks who had been making a racket in the dining area. The fact that the food they had been served for breakfast was a bit more sumptuous than the other guests was probably a sign of the inn¡¯s goodwill. ¡¸Come to think of it, did Yellow not return to you last night, it¡¯s not with you now. ¡­¡­Did Yellow stay with Set overnight?¡¹ Elena nodded with a wry smile at Rei¡¯s question on the way to the stables. ¡¸That¡¯s right. For some reason, Yellow is strangely fond of Set. I had known that for a while, but I didn¡¯t think it would go this far.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Well, in a sense, they are quite similar.¡¹ Rei said that as he looked at his surroundings. (After all, Yellow was created as a familiar and Set was created using the Magic Beast Art. Although there are various minor differences, they were both created using magic power. It¡¯s probably because of that.) Walking along as Rei thought about it internally, the two of them eventually arrived at the stables. Seeing Rei, a person approached them. ¡¸Oh, are you heading out right away? You are¡­¡­you were the one working under Duke Kerebel. I¡­¡­pardon me, I am Proton, the person in charge of the stables at the Golden Wind. Forgive me for my lack of politeness.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, nice to meet you. There¡¯s a small Dragon inside the stables, right? It¡¯s probably with Set. Do you mind if we go inside?¡¹ ¡¸No. Of course not.¡¹ Elena replied to the man called Proton. Rei had a slightly surprised expression on his face, seeing the interaction between the two. After all, Proton had used two completely different ways to refer to Rei and Elena. However, in a sense, that was natural. Even though they were working together, Rei was an adventurer while Elena was a duke¡¯s daughter. It would probably have been a bigger problem if Proton had referred to each of them the same way. As they entered the stables, the man called Proton seemed to look at them suspiciously, as if wondering what their relationship was. ¡¸Kyikyikyikyi~!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Immediately after entering, they heard two cries from the back of the stables. Both Yellow and Set came over to them, with Yellow sitting on Set¡¯s back, which had become it¡¯s usual spot. As the two of them came close, Yellow jumped off Set¡¯s back and towards Elena while Set rubbed his face against Rei to say good morning. ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ ¡¸Mm, good morning Yellow. You seemed to have slept well last night.¡¹ Yellow gave a happy cry at Elena¡¯s words as it shook its short tail that was so small that it couldn¡¯t be compared to that of a real Dragon. ¡¸Set as well, you seemed to have slept well.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei spoke with a smile as he stroked Set¡¯s head. That situation continued for several minutes before Elena briefly called out to the two warhorses that pulled her carriage and the 4 of them left the stables. At the same time, it probably wasn¡¯t just Rei¡¯s imagination that the other horses and monsters inside the stables seemed to be relieved. ¡¸Hmm, in the end, we really do stand out.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set tilted his head and turned his round eyes towards Rei, who muttered as he walked down the main street towards the dungeon. Set had been sad and depressed when he arrived at Exil the day before, but today, with Rei and Elena were next to him and Yellow was on his back like yesterday. Thanks to that, his dispiritedness seemed much less. ¡¸Oh, that smells kinda good. Set, let¡¯s get some.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Giving a cry at Rei¡¯s words, they headed for a nearby food stall. As expected of a labyrinth city, there were many adventurers heading for the dungeons at this time of the day. Most of them were attracted by Elena¡¯s appearance while simultaneously astonished when they saw Set. However, they all had looks of understanding when they saw Rei. In some cases, a few female adventurers who liked cute things looked at Yellow fervently, but those people were a minority. Normally, some of those adventurers would definitely have tried to mess around with Rei and Elena, but the day before, Rei¡¯s title of Crimson had spread through the guild and to every adventurer who came to the guild after. ¡­¡­As a result of the story being spread from person to person and they were fortunate to avoid any meaningless troubles, unlike when Rei had first started his activities in the guild. Regardless, Rei called out to the owner of a stall that was selling skewers, despite the looks from the surroundings. ¡¸Those skewers look delicious. What kind of meat is it?¡¹ ¡¸I-It¡¯s Lizardmen meat from the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Huh, Lizardmen? In that case, give me two skewers for now.¡¹ ¡¸I understand, it will be done right away!¡¹ The stall owner hurriedly grilled up two Lizardmen skewers with sauce while feelings the stares of adventurers around them. Rei paid for them without seeming to care. Receiving the skewers, which had been prepared at a speed as if the owner was scared that the Griffon would kill him otherwise, Rei took a bite out of the first one. The Lizardmen meat in his mouth had a taste and texture similar to that of chicken. It was coated in sauce as it was grilled and gave off a sweet and spicy taste with a crispy texture when chewed as the gravy overflowed in his mouth. ¡¸It¡¯s delicious. Here, Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ With a cry, Set ate the Lizardmen skewer by pulling the meat off the skewer Rei offered with his beak. ¡¸Guru¡­¡­Gurururu~!¡¹ It¡¯s delicious! Set seemed to say with a cry. The stall owner watched on happily as he saw Set eating the skewers he had made, as if his fear from a few minutes ago had just been a lie. The adventurers and other stall owners nearby also started to wonder why they had been so afraid of someone who was now happily eating skewers. (Seriously¡­¡­I never thought Set eating skewers would take away peoples¡¯ fear of him. Well, I suppose it¡¯s all part of Set¡¯s loveliness.) With Yellow on her shoulder, Elena could feel the fear leaving the people who had been watching Set. At the same time, some of the residents and adventurers, who had stopped moving previously out of fear, felt a sense of warmth in their hearts as they saw Set happily eating the Lizardmen skewer. After that, they continued to eat for about 10 more minutes. Seeing Set like them so much, Rei ordered a few more skewers and by the time Set had eaten them all, the fear in the stall owner¡¯s eyes was completely gone. ¡¸That¡¯s for the food. It was delicious, I¡¯ll be stopping by again.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, y-yes! We¡¯ll be waiting for you again!¡¹ The stall owner bowed his head in a hurry. There was no fear in the stall owner¡¯s attitude. Rather, he looked over at Set as if he was a familiar person. ¡¸Here, a bonus. Did you call him Set? Give them to the Griffon.¡¹ Saying that, he offered a few more skewers to Rei. However, they were made from meat that couldn¡¯t normally be sold. ¡¸Are you sure? Sorry about this. Set, say thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry. The stall owner¡¯s cheeks relaxed involuntarily at Set¡¯s adorable appearance. ¡¸Since it¡¯s a labyrinth city, there are quite a few people gathered around the dungeon.¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked over towards the adventurers lined up in front of a gate to enter the dungeon. Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s words as she looked around. ¡¸But, aside from the gate to the dungeon¡¯s entrance, it doesn¡¯t seem to be particularly crowded?¡¹ A gate was installed near the dungeon and people had to show the guards their dungeon card in order to enter. Unlike the dungeon where the Altar of Inheritance had been located, which had been the only dungeon Rei and Elena had been to, it didn¡¯t seem like adventurers lined up directly in front of the real dungeon entrance. ¡¸Well, we¡¯ll find out when we get there.¡¹ Saying that, Rei and Set headed for the gate with Elena, Yellow on her shoulder. As expected, with so many adventurers gathered, many had yet to know about Set and were surprised to see him. However, even so, none of them ran away after seeing the Necklace of Subservient Monster on Set, as expected of adventurers. Eventually, it was Rei¡¯s turn. He showed his dungeon card to the guards before heading through the gate. Although the guards were surprised to see Set, they were even more surprised when they saw Rei¡¯s dungeon card. Going past the gate, the first thing Rei saw was a brown pillar standing next to a set of stairs which seemed to be the entrance to the dungeon. The pillar was about 3m tall and 1m in diameter. There were no decorations on it, it was really just a brown pillar. ¡¸What is¡­¡­that thing?¡¹ Rei muttered out loud, but it became clear before Elena could answer him. A party of 3 touched the pillar and the pillar glowed dully before the 3 of them disappeared the next moment. ¡¸I see, is that the transfer device I had heard about?¡¹ ¡¸That seems to be the case. And because of the transfer device, it doesn¡¯t get unnecessarily crowded when entering the dungeon. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen it in person.¡¹ Rei and Elena were naturally distracted by the prominent device and only came back to their sense after being lightly poked by Set and Yellow. Let¡¯s quickly go into the dungeon. The two of them recollected themselves after being poked by Set¡¯s beak and Yellow¡¯s foot. ¡¸Well, we won¡¯t know what it¡¯s actually like until we enter the dungeon. Rei, do you want to go down right away? In our case, we¡¯ll be starting from the first floor.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ll learn if we get used to it I guess. That¡¯s fine, but¡­¡­take a look.¡¹ Rei looked over towards the dungeon entrance. Although they had only been paying attention to the transfer device previously, looking more closely, there were actually quite a few people around it. When Elena turned her attention to what they were doing, she found that they were calling out to other people, some by themselves, others in small groups at most. ¡¸Recruiting thieves. Our goal is the search the third floor.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re looking for a warrior! We are an archer and a warrior!¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re looking for a warrior! Anyone with healing magic would be appreciated as well!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m a porter. I carry baggage around. You can leave your baggage to me. I¡¯m confident in my strength, so hire me and you won¡¯t need to worry about carrying materials!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m also a porter but I can also assist in combat with a bow. Would anyone like to hire me?¡¹ There were people who were advertising their skills while others were calling out what skills they needed. ¡¸Are these the so called pick up groups?¡¹ Elena caught Rei¡¯s gaze as he looked around as she spoke. Pick up groups were temporary parties or the otherwise called one day parties. They were like dungeon versions of the temporary parties Rei had experienced several times in the guild. However, unlike guild requests, dungeons almost always involved combat. It wasn¡¯t that desirable to party up with strangers, but not everyone could find a proper party. In a labyrinth cities like Exil, where the number of adventurers greatly exceeded that of Gilm, it wasn¡¯t rare for this to happen. In a sense, it was even considered a speciality. One of the reasons was that unlike proper parties, that had to report back to the guild each time, temporary parties didn¡¯t require that. ¡¸Well, that shouldn¡¯t matter to us¡­¡­?¡¹ As Rei said that, he was about to start heading over to the dungeon entrance when his eyes turned to a certain location. Unlike other pick up groups, there was a group of nearly 20 people. In addition, although all of them were wearing different equipment, they were similar enough to give off a sense of unity. Aside from the many warriors they had, they also had thieves and mages, although much lesser in number. One of the mages sensed Rei¡¯s magic power and his expression tensed up. However, Rei just shrugged it off as he asked a question. ¡¸Hey, what do you think that group over there is?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the Church of Holy Light.¡¹ It wasn¡¯t Elena who answered Rei¡¯s question, but the voice of a young man from somewhere else. CH 384 A space just outside the dungeon entrance that could be called a plaza of sorts where groups of adventurers attempted to recruit others into temporary parties. After Rei asked a question regarding a group of 20 or so people who were wearing equipment of similar design, it wasn¡¯t Elena who responded to him but a voice he didn¡¯t recognise. Turning to face the voice, Rei saw a human male in his late teens, a bit older than Rei. He was dressed like an ordinary warrior, wearing leather armour that focused on ease of movement with a scabbard at his waist. ¡¸Church of Holy Light?¡¹ Rei¡¯s question was less about the identity of the man who had answered him and more about the group of 20 people that had been called the Church of Holy Light. With so many people, he didn¡¯t know if they actually planned to enter the dungeon or not¡­¡­ (A Church, huh? I haven¡¯t seen anything like that in this world so far. ¡­¡­If possible though, I don¡¯t want to get involved with them in any way.) Rei thought that in his mind. Having lived most of his life in Japan, Rei had gone to shrines for New Years and parties for Christmas, accompanied with by hubbub each time, as well as temples for funerals. ¡­¡­He didn¡¯t recall being bothered by religion as a typical Japanese person. However, it wasn¡¯t uncommon to see wars, conflicts and terrorist attacks related to religion on the news, or even incidents caused by suspicious new cults in Japan. In Rei¡¯s mind, religion and troublemakers were the same thing. But, of course, the man was not aware of Rei¡¯s thoughts as he continued to explain. ¡¸They¡¯re a religion that isn¡¯t well known within the Mireana Kingdom. It¡¯s only recently that they¡¯ve become known in Exil as mercenaries. It seems their main temple is quite far away from the Mireana Kingdom. As for what they do¡­¡­they¡¯re basically working as mercenaries.¡¹ ¡¸Mercenaries?¡¹ Rei involuntarily asked at the man¡¯s unexpected words. ¡¸Yeah. It seems they charge 30% of what a party earns in a day as their fee per person. Even if you hire 5, 10 or 15 people, there¡¯s no difference. As long as you hire one person from the Church of Holy Light, they will charge 30% of your total earnings each. They¡¯re just ripping people off.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. So that¡¯s why there are adventurers who still look for other random adventurers despite the Church of Holy Light being here.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Having to give up 30% of your income is painful, so unless they have no other choice, few people would hire them.¡¹ The man seemed to disdain the people from the Church of Holy Light. Glancing over at the group of 20 people, he gave a snort before looking away. ¡¸So, I¡¯m grateful for your explanation about the Church of Holy Light, but that¡¯s not what you came here for, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I was wondering if you would like to form a temporary party with me. How about it? You¡¯ve never been into a dungeon before, right? In that case¡­¡­¡¹ Rei shook his head to stop the man from continuing his words. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯re not from Exil but we¡¯ve entered a dungeon before. We¡¯re also more than enough to act as a vanguard.¡¹ Rei could use his Death Scythe and fire magic to deal with both enemies at both close and long distances. Elena could use her sword whip and wind magic to do the same. Even for Set, his main strength as a Griffon might be his melee attacks, but he could still attack from range using wind arrows and water balls. Yellow had no combat skills, but as a familiar, he had the useful ability to scout out tight spaces. As far as party balance was concerned, Rei¡¯s group was made up of people who could play an active part in all roles. That said, their most significant drawback was that they didn¡¯t have a thief who could find and disarm traps in the dungeon, but they were going to deal with that later. ¡¸¡­¡­I see. I had thought that the dungeon would have been easier to clear with you guys. Well, it can¡¯t be helped that it didn¡¯t work out. If you¡¯re feeling up for it though, give me a shout.¡¹ The man shrugged his shoulders lightly before leaving. Rei was a bit surprised at the unexpected development. He had thought for sure the the man would have persistently pestered them to get something out of it. However, he simply left after he was refused without being unreasonable at all. ¡¸Rei, wasn¡¯t that a bit uncalled for?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I had thought he was just trying to take advantage of us. I¡¯m sorry about that. I¡¯ll apologise the next time we see him.¡¹ ¡¸Well, in that case, that¡¯s fine. Rather, if we¡¯re looking for a thief, the Church of Holy Light¡­¡­doesn¡¯t seem like a good place to look¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m sorry, but I really don¡¯t want to get involved with religious affairs. And, although I don¡¯t care much for how much we earn, taking 30% is a bit much.¡¹ Replying to Elena, Rei looked away from the group of people from the Church of Holy Light as he searched elsewhere. Although Rei had refused the man who had asked to form a temporary party with them, he hadn¡¯t been particularly violent about it. Because of that, several people who were also looking to join a temporary party started looking over at Rei. They had nothing to lose by calling out to Rei. Just as the situation started to move in that direction¡­¡­ ¡¸Elena, why don¡¯t we just enter the dungeon? We¡¯re just going down to take a look around first, so we should be okay.¡¹ Rei spoke to Elena in a voice that was loud enough on purpose for the people around them to hear. Elena nodded with a smile, restraining those who had been planning to try to openly recruit them. ¡¸You¡¯re right. That¡¯s definitely the better option. We¡¯ll only find out by actually fighting inside the dungeon.¡¹ For Elena, this dungeon trip was meant to be a private outing with Rei. That was why she didn¡¯t want any extras in the party if at all possible. Hearing the two of them converse, those who had been watching them dropped their shoulders and gave up before starting to look for other people Some people had been reckless enough to still think of forcing Rei and Elena into a party with them, but seeing a Griffon with their own eyes, they realised the difference in strength and backed down. Leaving those people behind, Rei and Elena descended the stairs to the first floor of the dungeon. As long as they were adventurers of a certain level of ability, it would take a few days at most to get past the first floor no matter how slow they were as it was just for beginners. Because of that, although Rei had spoke aloud to the people outside that they would wait and see how things went, his expectation was that they would be able to clear the first floor as early as the end of today. ¡¸¡­¡­The inside is almost the same as that dungeon.¡¹ Rei muttered after spending about 10 minutes on the first dungeon floor. Passages were wide enough for Set to fight and the walls glowed dimly. The enemies that appeared were low ranked monsters like Poison Toads and Goblins while slimes cleaned up the corpses, not much different from the dungeon they had previously entered to look for the Altar of Inheritance. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei took the leg of a Poison Toad from Set, who had bitten it off and brought it over in his beak. He stored it into the Misty Ring alongside its tongue, poison sac, magic stone and proof of subjugation, which he had stripped away with a knife. ¡¸Since we¡¯re still on the first floor, there¡¯s not much to compare. Perhaps the shallower floors are all the same in different dungeons? ¡­¡­That said, I only know of the dungeon here in Exil and the one where the Altar of Inheritance had been.¡¹ Elena said that as she swung her sword whip, flicking away the Goblin blood before sheathing it. ¡¸Kyikyi!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Yellow. It¡¯s dirty, so don¡¯t touch that.¡¹ Elena called out to Yellow after noticing it flying through the air, curiously approaching a Goblin who¡¯s belly had been torn open, spilling its guts everywhere. Rei looked on with a smile before stripping the remaining materials from the Goblins and Poison Toads and proceeding down the dungeon with Death Scythe in hand. ¡¸We definitely won¡¯t need a thief on this floor if these are the only enemies we¡¯ll encounter. In fact, I haven¡¯t seen anyone else aside from ourselves.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. You¡¯d think that there would be at least one adventurer who would be new to the dungeon.¡¹ Walking down the dungeon passageway, they eventually reached a fork in the path. ¡¸Which way do we go?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Give me a moment.¡¹ Saying that, Elena took out a piece of paper from a pouch at her waist. It was a map of the dungeon they had bought in the guild the day before. Maps were sold of single floors separately and he had bought maps for the first 5 floors. All things considered, they didn¡¯t really have a need for a map, but the two of them had experienced their fair share of troubles in the dungeon with the Altar of Inheritance where they didn¡¯t have a map, so they decided to buy them just in case. Rei and Set kept a wary eye on the surroundings as Elena looked at the map. Yellow, who was perched on Elena¡¯s shoulder, peered down at the map similarly to its master. ¡¸If you go to the right, there are several rooms, after continuing down the passageway a fair way, there will be a staircase. The left side is a dead end, but it leads to a sizeable room. It seems that monsters often spawn there.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so it¡¯s like a combat training ground for beginners to let them get used to the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Possibly. ¡­¡­What would you like to do? At this rate, the only enemies that will show up will be small fry, which isn¡¯t much for us. In that case, should we go to the next floor?¡¹ Rei made up his mind after thinking about Elena¡¯s words for a few seconds. ¡¸It¡¯s probably a good idea to go down to the second floor. Let¡¯s go to the right.¡¹ For some reason, Rei was making the final decisions rather than Elena. However, Elena just listened to what Rei said without any complaints. That might have been because she had worked with Rei enough to know his ability and because Rei was also an adventurer with a good sense of judgement. That said, she wasn¡¯t entirely relying on Rei. If she found something wrong, Elena would definitely speak up about it. ¡¸Mm, right it is then. If we go straight, it seems there are a number of small rooms regularly lined up on both sides of the passageway. Monsters might be found in the smaller rooms, so if you¡¯re looking for materials, be careful not to get swarmed. ¡­¡­We¡¯re not concerned about that, so we¡¯ll head straight for the stairs, is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Even if we strip any materials, there are only small fry monsters like Goblins and Poison Toads on the first floor. Naturally, their materials and magic stones aren¡¯t worth much either.¡¹ Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s reasoning in agreement. On her shoulder, Yellow nodded as well, regardless of whether it understood what they were talking about or not. Like that, the two of them cut down any low ranked monsters that showed up as they made their way through the dungeon. At first, they stripped the materials, magic stones and proofs of subjugation from the monsters they killed. But, in the case of Goblins, even if they took out their magic stones, they were barely worth anything considering their time and effort. Except for the right ears, which were proofs of subjugation that could be collected easily, they left the corpses behind in the passageway. Maybe a beginner to the dungeon would find it later and be lucky enough to strip some materials from it. Otherwise, eventually, a slime, the dungeon cleaners, would clean them up. After continuing along the passage for about an hour, Rei¡¯s group finally arrived at the stairs. The stairs were easy to find as they had a map and didn¡¯t need to stop to search any unnecessary rooms. ¡¸It¡¯s so easy?¡¹ ¡¸Well, this is the first floor, meaning it¡¯s for beginners, so it can¡¯t be helped, can it?¡¹ Rei looked at Elena with a somewhat surprised expression before immediately turning to the stairs. ¡¸Well, shall we go then?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡¹ With that brief exchange of words, they went down the stairs¡­¡­and the first thing they saw was a magic circle right next to the stairs. From the information they had collected in advance, they knew what the magic circle was for. It was used by the transfer device that was located near the entrance of the dungeon. As they looked at it in interest, the magic circle started to glow faintly as a girl appeared there. CH 385 A girl appeared from the magic circle Rei and the others had been looking at. Rei and Elena aside, the girl had no change in her expression when she saw Set and didn¡¯t say a word. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ She walked straight past Rei after arriving though the magic circle. ¡¸Wait a moment.¡¹ Elena, who was next to Rei, involuntarily reached out for the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Mm?¡¹ Her gesture was cute as she tilted her head, but the expression on her face remained the same, giving off a robotic feel. ¡¸Mm? Wait that¡¯s not the point. This isn¡¯t a place where a child like you can come alone. Are you alone? Where are your parents, guardians or party members?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ The girl gave a small nod in response to Elena¡¯s question. Rei observed the girl as Elena tried to interact with her. She seemed to be about 10 years old or so. Perhaps for ease of movement, she was wearing leather armour that seemed to use monster skin to cover the minimum necessary places, such as her torso and arms. She had a pair of daggers sheathed on either side of her waist and a small crossbow in her hands. On her back, she had a quiver and a backpack. Her well proportioned features, black eyes and blue hair that stretched to her shoulders gave Rei the feeling that she would definitely grow up to be a beautiful woman. Her most distinctive trait was her facial expression. Even after seeing Set up close, it didn¡¯t change. (A kid like her is in the dungeon all by herself? Well, I¡¯m not one who can really say that considering my own age, but still¡­¡­) Rei knew that he looked like a 15 year old on the outside, but he had experienced a lot more than he looked. However, although he might only be 5 years older than the girl, the difference between a 10 year old and a 15 year old was massive. As for Elena, she was surprised to see a girl smaller than herself¡­¡­or rather, younger than herself, alone in the dungeon. Bending down, she looked at the girl to ask a question. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re lost, so why are you entering the dungeon alone today?¡¹ ¡¸Mm? ¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ The girl, still expressionless, tilted her head as she took out a card from a chest pocket and presented it, as if understanding what Elena was asking. Watching the two of them from the side, Rei immediately realised the card was a dungeon card. ¡¸Do you want me to take a look?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ The girl gave a small nod at Elena¡¯s question as she presented her dungeon card. Seeing her prompt, Elena received the girl¡¯s dungeon card and took a look at it. Perhaps the girl lost interest in Elena, she went over to Set with small steps and stared at him. ¡¸G-Guru~?¡¹ Set must have felt uncomfortable at the girl looking at him with an unmoving facial expression as he gave a confused cry. Staring at Set, the girl suddenly reached out to stroke his head. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Set had a confused expression as the girl stroked his head with a static face. However, maybe because Set had been feeling nervous after arriving at Exil, the girl¡¯s friendly pats caused him to squint his eyes and give a comfortable cry. ¡¸She went to pet Set without fear after meeting him for the first time? That¡¯s rare to see after coming to Exil. Most people were still scared until they saw Set eating.¡¹ As Rei said that with some admiration, Elena tapped him on the shoulder. Rei turned to look at the dungeon card that Elena handed over to him. The name ¡ºByune Fraut¡» was written on it, the girl who was expressionlessly stroking Set¡¯s head in front of them had a surname. ¡¸A surname? Is she a noble? No, what kind of noble would throw a child like this into the dungeon?¡¹ Elena shook her head in response to Rei¡¯s questions. ¡¸No. This girl¡­¡­Byune, might have a surname, but she¡¯s not a noble. Do you remember? Originally, Exil had four families that governed it as a semi-autonomous city state, but one of them had fallen.¡¹ Speaking up to that point was enough for Rei to understand Byune¡¯s identity. ¡¸So, you are saying that this Byune is a descendant of that fallen family?¡¹ ¡¸Maybe. Take a look at the bottom of the dungeon card.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s prompt, Rei looked at the dungeon card again. At the bottom, Guild Rank D was written there. ¡¸Hey, D rank at her age¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. She¡¯s pretty good. As far as I can tell, she¡¯s solo as well.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not just that.¡¹ ¡¸Mm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Rei shook his head in response to Elena¡¯s words. (Elena doesn¡¯t know much about adventuring, so of course she wouldn¡¯t know about the rank up tests.) Rei thought to himself. The rank up test to D rank. It basically involved killing another person. The fact that Byune was D rank meant that the girl in front of them had experienced murder at about the age of 10. (No, or is it just the guild in Gilm that requires you to kill people? In the first place, there¡¯s no way the guild would let a child like this kill someone, no matter what.) Several guild staff passed through Rei¡¯s mind. Guild receptionists like Kenny and Lenora, Gran, the person in charge of the rank up test, and Marina, the guild master. He didn¡¯t think anyone in their right mind would let a 10 year old girl like Byune participate in a rank up test where killing someone was compulsory. Rei himself was probably barely over the threshold, and he looked like a 15 year old¡­¡­ His thoughts were definitely correct. If the guild master in Exil had been Marina, that wouldn¡¯t have been possible. However, as long as it was something requested by the descendants of the four families who established Exil, the guild had no choice but to accept it. As a result, Byune had successfully passed the rank up test at the age of 10 and was successfully promoted to D rank. This could only be called a tragedy as Byune herself only wanted to become an adventurer half-heartedly¡­¡­but she had talent as a thief. However, Byune herself had no issues with that if it meant she could earn more money, she was more than happy to dye her hands in blood. ¡¸Anyway, it would be dangerous for a child like you go through the dungeon by yourself. If you don¡¯t mind, how about you come with us?¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune shook her head at Elena¡¯s words. For Byune, the second floor was a floor she had passed through a long time ago and she hardly felt any danger here. She had only come to this floor because she had been asked by the guild to deliver a special thread that was used in traps on the second floor. One of the reasons Byune worked solo was that if she joined a party, she would have to split the rewards. No, that was actually the biggest reason. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune looked at her dungeon card that Elena was holding and held out her hand. Elena knew what she meant and gently returned the dungeon card. ¡¸Are you sure you want to continue solo?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded at Elena¡¯s question. Seeing that, Elena eventually reached out to Byune¡¯s blue hair with a sigh. ¡¸I see, I really don¡¯t like seeing a child like you enter the dungeon alone¡­¡­I¡¯m Elena. I¡¯m staying at an inn called the Golden Wind, so if anything happens, please let me know.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune nodded and then turned to look at Rei. Seeing her stare, Rei realised she was asking for his name. He shrugged his shoulders as he repsonded. ¡¸I¡¯m Rei. This is Set. The one on Elena¡¯s shoulder is Yellow. Nice to meet you.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Nice to meet you too, Byune seemed to say. At Set¡¯s cry, she reached out her hand to pet him. ¡¸Kyikyi!¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune stroked Yellow¡¯s head as well, after Yellow jumped off Elena¡¯s shoulder with a cry and landed on Set¡¯s back. Yellow might look small, but he was definitely a Dragon. Yellow might not cause as much fear as a Griffon like Set, but it was still enough to scare some people. However, Byune stroked Yellow¡¯s head without any fear at all. ¡¸Kyikyi!¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ ¡¸Kyi?¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡¹ ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ The two of them seemed to have a mysterious conversation. Byune only ever said ¡®Mm¡¯, but it seemed to be enough for them to communicate, which puzzled Rei. Elena kept her usual dignified expression, but watched on with a slight smile on her face. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ In the end, Byune gave a quiet murmur as she stroked Set and Yellow¡¯s heads. After a few seconds, she lifted her hands from the two, raised her hand slightly at Rei and Elena, and then left. ¡¸Byune, we¡¯ll see you again soon!¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune gave a small nod at Elena¡¯s words before starting to run deeper into the second floor. Seeing her leave, Elena and Rei both quietly looked around before Rei spoke. ¡¸Well, we should get moving ourselves. Byune was running, so I hope she doesn¡¯t trigger any traps¡­¡­ Looking at her, she seemed to be a thief though.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. ¡­¡­Hey, Rei.¡¹ At those words, Rei knew what Elena wanted to say. Child soldiers weren¡¯t rare on the battlefield. Some were forcibly drafted by their lords, others volunteered as a substitute for paying taxes, others became soldiers, hoping to turn their fortunes around. However, even though they were called ¡®child soldiers¡¯, there were very few who were as young as 10, like Byune. If you looked around for one, you could probably find one. But at the very least, Elena had never seen one before. It was probably for that reason that she was curious about Byune. ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a problem if she¡¯s D rank. ¡­¡­Also, did you see her deepest floor on her dungeon card? She has reached the 12th floor. If I remember correctly, even current elite parties have yet to reach the 30th floor. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard. Moreover, Byune has been working solo. I don¡¯t think she would have any problem on the second floor.¡¹ ¡¸I know that, but looking at her appearance¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ Set and Yellow interrupted Rei and Elena¡¯s conversation. Don¡¯t talk here, let¡¯s get moving. They seemed to say. ¡¸That¡¯s right. It doesn¡¯t make that much sense to keep talking here. If Byune has gone ahead, then maybe all the traps will have been disabled?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a dungeon after all¡­¡­¡¹ Rei replied to Elena as they started walking down the passageway. At the end of their line of sight was a crossroads. Excluding the path they had just come from, there were still three choices in front of them, forward, left and right. ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right. If the road splits, then we can¡¯t tell if Byune has disabled any of the traps in the passage we take.¡¹ ¡¸So, which way do we go?¡¹ ¡¸On the map, the stairs are to the right. ¡­¡­I¡¯m a little reluctant to go down to the third floor on our first day though. For now, why don¡¯t we go to the left or straight ahead. As for which way, I¡¯ll leave it to your intuition as a B rank adventurer.¡¹ Elena had no hesitation when she said that she would leave it to Rei¡¯s intuition. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling to hear Elena say that and for her to rely on him. Although Rei¡¯s face was covered by a hood, he had a small smile as he silently pointed to the left. ¡¸Gururururu~?¡¹ ¡¸Kyikyi!¡¹ Set tilted his head as he gave a cry. Yellow, on Set¡¯s back, tilted his head as well as if to mimic him. Feeling somewhat warmed by the exchange between the two of them, they proceeded down the left passageway. Some monsters appeared along the way, but there were mostly the same as those on the first floor, Goblins and Poison Toads. The only difference was the appearance of Soldier Ants. ¡¸Hup-!¡¹ Dashing forward and wrapping around to the side of a Soldier Ant, Rei swept it up with his Death Scythe before turning it over and stabbing straight into it¡¯s torso. Beside him, Elena shot a wind blade at a Soldier Ant, slicing it¡¯s body, while Set used his right foot to smash another Soldier Ant¡¯s head. They ended up spending several hours on the second floor that day, getting used to combat in the dungeon, before leaving via the magic circle near the stairs. CH 386 His body was wrapped in light for a moment, and the next thing he knew, the scenery around him had changed completely. A few seconds ago, they had been surrounded by the stone passageways with faintly glowing walls that made up the dungeon. However, he and the others were now standing beside the 3m tall pillar of a magic device that was at the dungeon¡¯s entrance. ¡¸Huh, so that¡¯s how the transfer works? There¡¯s no uncomfortable feeling at all. As expected of technology from an ancient magical civilisation.¡¹ Moving away from the transfer device, Elena muttered in an impressed manner. Rei nodded as he walked beside Elena. The two of them aside, Rei stroked Set¡¯s head as Set looked around in surprise at the sudden transfer. Meanwhile, Yellow climbed onto Rei¡¯s hand, giving a warm fuzzy feeling to the people around them. In fact, in terms of experiencing a magical transfer, Set was the only one who had experienced it before. However, no one would be able to tell from his reaction as he looked around. When Rei¡¯s group had returned, there were some people who were surprised and tried to move away from them. But, seeing Yellow, they couldn¡¯t help but relax their tense expressions. The time was roughly in the middle of the afternoon, the fact that there weren¡¯t so many adventurers around right now was one of the reasons there wasn¡¯t too much of a commotion when they came back up. ¡¸Well then, what should we do for now? Since we¡¯ve come back from the dungeon, should we get some food?¡¹ Rei asked Elena as he returned Yellow to Set¡¯s back, but Elena shook her head. ¡¸No, let¡¯s go to the guild first.¡¹ ¡¸The guild again? Why?¡¹ ¡¸Part of it is so you can hand in your materials, magic stones and proofs of subjugation. I used to leave this kind of work to Vel. I¡¯ve wanted to try experiencing it for a while.¡¹ ¡¸Experience it? I really don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to experience there.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s probably because it¡¯s already become part of your daily life to hand things in at the guild. That¡¯s not the same for me. And¡­¡­there¡¯s a few questions I would like to ask them.¡¹ Elena¡¯s eyes shone sharply when she said that. It was clear that her real purpose wasn¡¯t to hand in materials at the guild, but to find something out from the guild. As for Rei, he had a feeling he knew what she wanted to ask, so he accepted Elena¡¯s decision without saying anything more. The adventurers who were nearby watched them leave without a saying a word¡­¡­finally opening their mouths after Rei and Elena could no longer be seen. ¡¸Hey, hey, hey! What¡¯s an adventurer with a Griffon doing here? This isn¡¯t a joke right?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah. Also¡­¡­if I didn¡¯t mistake it, there seemed to be a Dragon on the Griffon¡¯s back.¡¹ ¡¸You aren¡¯t hallucinating, I saw that as well.¡¹ ¡¸You know, I¡¯ve never seen such a beautiful woman in my life. I would really want to spend a night with her.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t say that. Don¡¯t you know that the person with the woman was Crimson?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re not joking?¡¹ ¡¸Oh right, didn¡¯t you spend the night in the dungeon yesterday? It¡¯s no wonder you don¡¯t know. That has to be it. I heard it from others that the two of them had participated in the war with the Bestir Empire when they arrived at Exil yesterday and registered their dungeon cards. It seems that Crimson is a B rank adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ ¡¸As serious as I can be. There¡¯s no doubting the information, the guild receptionist accidentally leaked it when she saw his guild card.¡¹ ¡¸That kid in his mid-teens? He¡¯s a B rank adventurer¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸So, if you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll get done in.¡¹ The female adventurer who said that drew her finger over her neck. Seeing her gesture, the man held his breath. ¡¸No, no. That couldn¡¯t possibly happen right¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You think so? As far as I¡¯ve heard from the rumours, Crimson has no mercy against people hostile to him. There were stories that he burned the Bestir Empire¡¯s army all by himself and that he had made a show of cutting off the limbs of nobles who complained against him.¡¹ Cutting off people¡¯s limbs for show. Hearing that, the adventurer held his breath again. If he did that to people who were just complaining about him, what would happen if someone laid a hand on his companion. ¡¸¡­¡­No matter how good she looks, it seems it would be better not to touch her.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Well, I would be more than happy to be your companion though.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Just like that, a couple was made off the act of exaggerating Rei¡¯s deeds, causing rumours and gossip to spread endlessly. However, it was true that Rei had cut off both the arms off a noble and the heir of a Marquis, Renodis Imarhen, causing rumours of him to spread from there with significant embellishment and exaggeration. ¡¸I would like to hand in some materials and ask some questions.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ah, r-right. Please hand in materials over there. As for questions¡­¡­what would you like to ask about?¡¹ The guild receptionist replied to Rei¡¯s questions. Next to him, Elena responded to the receptionist¡¯s words. ¡¸I want to know about Byune Fraut. Why is she allowed to enter the dungeon solo at her age?¡¹ ¡¸In her case, it¡¯s because she wants to do that. It¡¯s partly due to her family problems and because we as the guild can¡¯t refuse.¡¹ ¡¸But, at her age?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand what you mean, but she needs the money and we as the guild never have enough good thieves. Besides, as you know, adventurers are responsible for their own actions, the guild can¡¯t refuse them as long as they have the skills and the motivation to do so. This is especially true when it comes to the daughter of the Fraut family, one of the families who built the prosperity of Exil.¡¹ Although she was overwhelmed by Elena, the receptionist didn¡¯t not retreat from her points. To the receptionist, Elena was the most beautiful person she had seen in her 20 years of life. Elena was also a duke¡¯s daughter and the General Princess. However, as a guild staff member, she couldn¡¯t concede on the matter. Understanding the receptionist¡¯s predicament, Rei placed a hand on Elena¡¯s white shoulder armour. ¡¸Elena, you¡¯ve lost here. As the receptionist said, it¡¯s true that all adventurers have to bear their own risk. That is why adventurers have become so strong.¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ Rei also thought to himself as he tried to calm Elena down. (Although adventuring is certainly at your own risk, when a 10 year old child tries to register, other adventurers would usually try to stop them. It¡¯s suspicious that no one stopped her. Well, maybe it¡¯s something to do with the fact that her ancestor was one of the people who discovered the dungeon and built Exil¡­¡­but, I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s been 300 years since the Fraut family fell. Are they still that influential?) Rei was skeptical himself as he thought about it, but realised that any further argument would only bother the guild. Ignoring the gazes from the curious surroundings, he took Elena over to the area for handing in materials. The fact that the reception area and the area for handing in materials were two different places was probably unique to Exil as a labyrinth city with a large number of adventurers. ¡¸Rei! Why¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Elena.¡¹ Rei interrupted Elena¡¯s words as she started to speak out. ¡¸¡­¡­What is it.¡¹ Elena reluctantly responded. ¡¸You¡¯ve been a soldier up until now, so you¡¯re not familiar with adventurers¡­¡­right?¡¹ Elena nodded silently at Rei¡¯s question. She was well verse in the world of the army and knew a fair amount about nobility as well. However, Elena had never been deeply involved with adventuring outside of killing monsters, so all she could do was nod. ¡¸Soldiers have their military ways and adventurers have their rules as well. ¡­¡­You understand that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Elena nodded silently at Rei¡¯s words again. She wasn¡¯t convinced emotionally, but she understood the reasoning behind it. ¡¸Look, if you meet Byune again, you can ask her about it. For now, we¡¯ll sell off our materials and head back to the inn.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ Accepting Rei¡¯s words, the two of them headed to the place where materials could be sold to the guild. Fortunately, the number of adventurers lined up at the counters wasn¡¯t too great, probably because it was still early in the day, so there were several open counters. Rei and Elena went up to one of the counters and called out to the guild staff. ¡¸We would like to sell some materials.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s fine, but where are the materials? It doesn¡¯t look like you have anything with you.¡¹ The female guild staff in her 30¡¯s looked confused when she saw Rei. On the other hand, seeing the General Princess up close, who¡¯s identity had been spread around the guild staff, made her want to shout for joy. However, as expected of a professional, she didn¡¯t reveal what she was thinking. ¡¸Oh, my bad. Here.¡¹ Saying that, Rei lined up the materials, magic stones and proofs of subjugation he took out from the Misty Ring on the counter. The materials themselves were quite ordinary and their quality was in the lower middle range, with the best ones being in the upper middle range. But event so, the female employee still looked at Rei with astonished eyes. ¡¸An item¡­¡­box¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, ah well. More importantly, could you assess the materials? That said, I¡¯m not expecting much since they¡¯re all materials from monsters on the first and second floors.¡¹ The woman seemed quite shocked, but she immediately recollected herself after Rei admitted he had an item box and asked her assess the materials. Several adventurers who saw that sighed and shook their heads as they left the guild. Given that Rei had a title, it probably fine for him to own an item box. If it had been a more crowded time of the day, someone might have been reckless enough to try and steal the Misty Ring from Rei. Fortunately, it was still early and there weren¡¯t that many adventurers in the guild. ¡¸Ah, yes. Please wait a moment.¡¹ After coming to her senses, the woman went through the materials Rei had brought out. There weren¡¯t that many in total, so the check didn¡¯t take long¡­¡­ ¡¸The materials, magic stones and proofs of subjugation are worth 4 silver and 5 copper coins in total. Is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m surprised, thtat was more than I expected. I was thinking it would only be 2 silver coins if I was lucky.¡¹ ¡¸Recently, the price of magic stones has risen, the Marschels and Levisors have been competing to buy up magic stones from the guild. Of course, the guild can¡¯t complain as long as they¡¯re buying it at a fair price, but thanks to them we¡¯re starting to run short on magic items we can produce. That¡¯s why the price of magic stones have gone up. Magic stones are also used for magic items used in daily life by the residents of Exil, so it¡¯s more about quantity than quality. So, if it¡¯s okay with you two, it would be a great help if Rei-san and Elena-san could keep that in mind when you enter the dungeon.¡¹ The woman said that as she glanced at Rei¡¯s wrist. ¡¸Especially Rei-san, as you don¡¯t need a porter if you have an item box.¡¹ ¡¸We will continue moving down the dungeon, but it looks like we¡¯ll only be able to sell the magic stones of small monsters for now. If you don¡¯t mind, I will bring as many magic stones as I can collect.¡¹ ¡¸That would be a great help.¡¹ Rei nodded at the woman¡¯s words, but Elena interjected as if to douse water on the conversation. ¡¸That said, Rei has the unique hobby of collecting magic stones, so it might not be possible to buy all of them.¡¹ ¡¸Collecting magic stones?¡¹ The woman turned to look at Rei at those words. Elena knew Rei¡¯s main purpose for coming to the dungeon was to let Set and the Death Scythe absorb magic stones. Because of that, she was stopping Rei from promising to sell all the magic stones they collected in the dungeond to the guild. Rei understood what Elena was trying to do. He nodded at the woman with a wry smile at Elena¡¯s concern. ¡¸Yeah. I basically keep two of each magic stone for preservation and ornamental use. I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t sell those ones.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. But in that case, it means you can sell all other magic stones aside from two of each right? Oh, of course, you can also directly sell them to stores within the city instead of the guild.¡¹ Rei was puzzled at the woman¡¯s words. If the Marschel and Levisor families wanted to buy up magic stones, they could buy them from the guild. It was also a way for the guild to make money. Because of that, he wasn¡¯t sure why the woman said he could also sell the magic stones to stores outside of the guild. However, this was related to Exil¡¯s current situation of having insufficient magic stones. There might still be some buffer in the current stock of magic stones, but if magic stones continued to be bought up at their current pace, there was a possibility that there wouldn¡¯t be enough left over to create magic items. Because of that, the guild¡¯s idea was to throw as many magic stones as they could into the open market to make up for the shortfall. Elena aside, who understood that due to her aristocratic upbringing, Rei was about to ask the woman when¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid! You caused us to lose so much!? But you still want that big a cut of the rewards!?¡¹ Such an angry voice echoed out in the guild. CH 387 Rei and Elena heard an angry voice just after they finished the sale of the materials and magic stones they had. Probably because it was still early in the day, there weren¡¯t that many adventurers, guild staff or passing by residents and merchants who were inside the guild. Naturally, their eyes were drawn to the commotion, including Rei and Elena¡¯s. The first thing that caught their eyes was a male warrior, who seemed to be the owner of the angry voice. Next to the warrior was a woman with a spear, a man with a bow, probably his party members. All three of them looked to be in their mid twenties. The one conspicuous person that stood out among them was another male warrior in his forties. Adding to that, Rei was familiar with the armour worn by the male warrior in his forties. No, it wasn¡¯t just familiar to Rei. Rather, the longer you stayed in Exil, the more familiar you would become with that set of armour. ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s the Church of Holy Light again.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that too much of a rip off, charging 30% of their total rewards?¡¹ ¡¸But, they must have hired him knowing that right? I don¡¯t think they should complain in that case.¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s also only charging 30% of their total rewards. If you think about it the other way, with a party of two, you could just hire one of them and split the remaining 70% themselves.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s just counting your chickens before they hatch. In the first place, if you have the skill to go down the dungeon with so few people, you wouldn¡¯t need to hire someone from the Church of Holy Light in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸If you hire one of them, it¡¯s 30% of your rewards. Two is 60% and three people would mean 90% of whatever you get. ¡­¡­That really is a bit too much of a rip off.¡¹ ¡¸They also don¡¯t give discounts as well. As followers of the Church of Holy Light, it¡¯s not really possible to bargain with them either.¡¹ Rei was slightly surprised to hear the discussion going on in the surroundings. Despite knowing that they would take at least 30% of their rewards if they were hired, people still seemed to be more positive about the Church of Holy Light than Rei had expected. That was probably due to the fact that they stated their hire price in advance. If hired themselves out without saying anything and then said the party had to give them 30% after a day¡¯s work, there would definitely be a much greater commotion about them. Despite the situation gradually attracting more attention, the argument between the four only heated up further. No, rather, the man from the Church of Holy Light was responding calmly, surprisingly more calmly than expected. On the other hand, blood started to rush to the head of the other male warrior, the leader of the trio. ¡¸Unfortunately, when you first hired me, I did explain my price. I told you that as long as I borrow the power of the Holy Goddess of Light, I cannot discount my price.¡¹ ¡¸Stop messing around! Your mistake ended up costing me an extra potion. It was a special potion I had kept for emergencies as well!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for that, but I had already made a promise when I formed a party with you. I apologise again, but as I have made a promise in the name of the Holy Goddess of Light, I cannot break it. Please understand.¡¹ The man from the Church of Holy Light said that with a bow. However, it seemed that the patience of the other man had been exceeded. The male warrior, leader of the trio, clenched his fist¡­¡­ ¡¸Are you planning to make an enemy out of the Church of Holy Light?¡¹ At those words, the male warrior stopped himself. He understood well. The Chuch of Holy Light¡¯s power had rapidly increased in the last few years. They had many believers like the male warrior standing in front of him. It was clear how dangerous it was to turn the Church of Holy Light, which could currently be described as a mercenary group, into enemies. In addition¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, let¡¯s just leave it. It¡¯s said that the Levisor family is backing the Church of Holy Light. If we turn Exil¡¯s Levisor family into enemies¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing those words from the woman with a spear, the man clenched his fists again as he glared at the man from the Church of Holy Light. He glared at him with such anger as if he was punching the man. However, the man from the Church of Holy Light simply spoke while brushing away the angry glare as if it were a breeze. ¡¸It seems you have no further accusations to make. I will excuse myself then. May the Goddess of Holy Light bless you.¡¹ Saying that, he turned around to leave. He must have felt the angry glare from the man behind him, as if trying to stab the back of his head. However, he knew that they wouldn¡¯t do anything to touch him. The man from the Church of Holy Light left calmly as he walked out the guild. As soon as everyone else saw that the argument had ended, they looked away and went back to their own conversations. ¡¸So that¡¯s the Church of Holy Light. From what I saw of the exchange, they don¡¯t seem as bad as I had heard about.¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s words, the guild staff member who had been in charge of exchanging materials shook her head with a sigh. ¡¸You are quite right, they tell you upfront that they will charge 30% of the day¡¯s rewards before they enter the dungeon¡­¡­but, arguments like this as still quite common.¡¹ ¡¸Speaking of which, why is the Church of Holy Light in Exil anyway? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen them in Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? I don¡¯t know much about them, but I¡¯ve heard that they were a small religious group that was once located in a rural area within the Mireana Kingdom. After receiving the blessings of a goddess, their power started to grow rapidly in the past few years.¡¹ Rei was puzzled at her response. Although it was smaller than Exil, Gilm was still a city with a population of over 100,000 people. Considering that, it was strange that he hadn¡¯t seen a trace of this religion that had started gaining so much power. Elena also had a faint frown on her face. ¡¸It seems you¡¯ve heard of it before, Elena.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It has been confirmed within our territory, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s gained much momentum. It¡¯s something only a few people have heard about.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In that case, does that mean that they¡¯re deliberately choosing places to spread their message? In the first place, if they really intend to spread the Church of Holy Light, why don¡¯t they they just hand out their services without any pay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course, some adventurers have told them that. However, their doctrine forbids them to lend their power without receiving anything in return.¡¹ The female guild staff answered their question with a sigh before covering her mouth and giving a laugh. ¡¸Hahaha. Well, it¡¯s not a good idea for the guild to discuss the reputation of adventurers, so please leave it at that. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Please collect as many magic stones as you can.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, of course. Well, we¡¯ll ahve to get used to the dungeon first and find ourselves a thief before we can start to talk about magic stones.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. We will have to deal with traps somehow. To be honest, if it¡¯s just combat, Rei, Set and I is more than enough. So all we want is someone with skills purely as a thief. ¡­¡­That is going to be hard.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena, who said that with a sigh. The female guild staff nodded as well after hearing that. To being with, as a labyrinth city, thieves were in high demand within Exil. Ordinary thieves would be invited into parties immediately while even unskilled thieves would often be invited into parties for the sole purpose of training them up for the future. Under such circumstances, the only thieves who still worked solo were those who either had personality problems that stopped them from forming a party with others or were skilled enough to work alone. They could also have other problems that prevented them from joining a party, like Byune. (Considering their circumstances, they could considering hiring a thief from the Church of Holy Light¡­¡­however, the one called Rei, who appears to be in charge, seems to have a strange dislike of religion. I wonder if anything had happened to him before?) The female guild staff member had some confusion in her mind, but as someone who worked in the guild, she didn¡¯t reveal any of it. Seeing Rei and Elena leave the material purchase counter, she quickly began to deal with the materials in preparation for the upcoming busy hourse. ¡¸The Church of Holy Light¡­¡­¡¹ There was a hint of dislike in Rei¡¯s voice as they walked out the guild. Elena noticed that and was about to ask about it when she spotted Set and Yellow coming over to them, having seen them leave the guild. That said, Yellow wasn¡¯t really moving over itself and was just tagging along on Set¡¯s back. ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ Giving a short cry, Yellow jumped off Set¡¯s back and landed on Elena¡¯s left shoulder. Elena scratched Yellow¡¯s throat, who gave a small cry in response. Next to those two, Set also rubbed his face against Rei with a cry. The reason for Set¡¯s cry seemed to be because he saw Rei¡¯s expression. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to ask. Rei gave a smile and scratched Set¡¯s head to tell him it was nothing. This continued for about a minute. Rei seemed to have regained his composure after playing with Set. Unlike when he left the guild, he was now smiling under the hood of his robe. ¡¸Well then, there¡¯s still quite some time before evening¡­¡­what should we do?¡¹ Elena must have also felt Rei¡¯s change of state of mind. She responded carefully to not trigger Rei¡¯s thoughts again. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m a little hungry¡­¡­but, we still have dinner at the inn, don¡¯t we?¡¹ ¡¸Mm. It¡¯s a bit early isn¡¯t it?¡¹ Timewise, it was only just past 3 pm. The sun was shining brightly, as if to say ¡®It¡¯s Summer!¡¯. They had eaten lunch, which had been packed by the inn, inside the dungeon. However, the food that had been packed was only enough for ordinary people. Rei and Set were much less energy efficient that most other people. It wasn¡¯t enough for Elena either, who had absorbed the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon. Due to the magic stone she had absorbed, it was very hard for Elena to gain any weight. However, at the same time, her body was still physically growing slowly, so there was no doubt she would earn the jealousy of women around the world. ¡¸Since it¡¯s a high class inn, if we asked for food, they would probably give us something¡­¡­what would you like to do? As for me, I would like to walk around while eating.¡¹ Rei looked at Set while stroking him as he spoke. Of course, part of the reason was that he wanted to explore Exil, which was bigger than Gilm, while eating. However, he also wanted the residents of Exil to become more used to Set. After seeing Set happily eating skewers at a street stall before they had entered the dungeon, the fear and awe that many people had of Set had started to diminish. They started to see Set as just a cute, if not slightly large, animal. Based on Rei¡¯s experience in various cities and towns, including Gilm, he judged that it was the quickest way for people to get used to Set. Elena nodded to indicate she had no problems with that, probably because she understood Rei¡¯s thoughts. ¡¸Come to think of it, I would also like to try eating food with Yellow. ¡­¡­With my position, I¡¯ve never done something like that before.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that can¡¯t be helped. In the first place, a duke¡¯s daughter normally wouldn¡¯t be able to go out to buy and eat whatever they wanted. In that case, let¡¯s call this your first experience of buying and eating outside.¡¹ ¡¸First experience¡­¡­is it? It¡¯s a strangely exciting term. Okay, let¡¯s call it my first experience then. Rei, let me know if there are any rules I need to know.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you ask me if there are any rules. If I had to say any, it would be to not throw your skewers to the roadside after you¡¯ve eaten them.¡¹ In the first place, even if Elena asked Rei about the rules of buying and eating street food, there were really only the basics of not littering or swinging around the food you bought and spilling gravy and sauce everywhere. Everything else would be better learnt over time than being told. The four of them headed for a nearby stall. Since they were buying food, the first thing they bought were skewers, the most popular food item for sale. After that, they ate some sandwiches and hot dogs. One of the more unusual things they ate was a sort of crepe. However, it wasn¡¯t a crepe with fresh cream or fruit wrapped inside. Instead, it was a galette with ham, cheese or stewed meat inside. This was something that Rei had eaten several times before, but it wasn¡¯t as common as skewers, so it could be considered a rare dish. After eating his galette, Rei turned to look at a nearby eatery. Something inside was giving off a fragrant and appetising smell. ¡¸Hm? Is that where we¡¯re going next? That¡¯s fine. There¡¯s certainly a nice smell from there.¡¹ Saying that, the two fo them were about to enter the eatery when they stopped. The next moment, a man was blasted straight out of the eatery. CH 388 Rei and Elena both took a step away from the entrance of the eatery they wanted to enter, seemingly oblivious of the man who had been sent flying out. Rei stepped to the left and Elena to the right as the man passed between the two of them, bouncing several times along the road before falling to the ground. Glancing over, Rei saw the fallen man, about 180cm tall and wearing brown plate armour with his sheathed sword falling close by. It seemed his sword had come loose from his waist due to the impact of his fall. ¡¸¡­¡­Would you look at that, it never gets boring around Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Well, well, it never gets boring around Elena.¡¹ The two of them spoke at the same time before looking dissatisfied at what the other had said. ¡¸The troublesome stuff usually has to do with you Rei, right? You always get pulled into things like that.¡¹ ¡¸You say that, but don¡¯t you draw as much trouble as I do?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ While arguing over their minor disagreement¡­¡­the two of them went to enter the eatery. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ Both Set and Yellow looked at them with expressions of surprise at Rei and Elena¡¯s similar responses. ¡¸-!¡¹ As he was about to open the door to the eatery, Rei sensed something flying towards them again and caught the trouble heading his way¡­¡­ ¡¸Eh? O-Oh. Than-¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re in the way.¡¹ Catching the object¡­¡­or rather, person, Rei ignored the person as he tossed them onto the ground. ¡¸-!? ¡­¡­That hurts!¡¹ ¡¸Is something wrong?¡¹ The man, who landed on the tail of his spine, tried to complain to Rei, but he was unable to say any more words after seeing Rei¡¯s gaze. It wasn¡¯t just how Rei looked at him, but also because Rei had caught him with one hand. With just that, the man realised how much strength Rei had. ¡¸¡­¡­N-No. It¡¯s nothing.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? That¡¯s good to hear. I did catch you, so I had been expecting thanks. Well, that¡¯s fine.¡¹ Rei and Elena entered the eatery, leaving the man there as he was. Elena seemed slightly apologetic to the man sitting on the ground, but she followed after Rei without saying anything. The first thing that came into Rei¡¯s eyes after entering was a clear brawl. However, different from what he had expected, the attacker was a lone woman while the other side had five men. Even so, it was clear at a glance that the woman held the advantage as the brawl played out in front of Rei and Elena. Three men were already lying on the floor. The remaining two men were holding a spear and sword as they tried to pin the woman down. The issue was the woman. She was dressed like a bar dancer with clothes so transparent the others could see through everything except her rich bulges and her lower body. Contrary to her costume, which seemed to invite men, she had five 50cm long claws equipped on both her hands as well as a blade coming out the back of the heel of her shoes. She had the clothes and body of a dancer but was equipped with weapons that would be expected of a warrior, giving off a sense of incongruity. She signalled with her fingers provocatively while giving an inviting smile. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t you want me to dance with you? I can¡¯t believed you¡¯ve become so useless just with something like this¡­¡­you would probably be just as bad in bed. ¡­¡­Maybe you should learn a thing or two from the person who just walked in.¡¹ The woman gave a seductive smile as she looked over at Rei and Elena, who had just walked in. The woman¡¯s smile was different from Elena¡¯s dignified smile, it was seductive and¡­¡­euphoric, as if drunk on blood. You are a match for me, aren¡¯t you? Rei became distracted as the woman spoke as such. One reason for Rei¡¯s distraction was, of course, the woman¡¯s beautiful appearance, which was as good as Elena¡¯s looks, and her outfit, which showed off her seductive body. However, the biggest reason that Rei became distracted was due to the bloodthirsty woman¡¯s expression of incomparable beauty, lustre and cruelty. It was as if she were a goddess of death. ¡¸We¡¯re not going to let you get away with this, bitch!¡¹ The moment the woman¡¯s gaze intersected with Rei¡¯s as they recognised each other¡¯s presence, the two men attacked from the front and back with sword and spear, as if to take advantage of the woman¡¯s momentary lapse in guard. However, the woman kept her eyes on Rei with a glossy smile as she moved her body without even looking at her attackers. The sword that was swung at her was split in two by the claw on her right hand. At the same time, she swung her body around to avoid the spear thrust that came from her back before using her momentum to break the jaw of the man with the spear. At that moment, the man with the spear ended up spitting out blood, adding a crimson hue to the woman¡¯s white and sensual thighs. Landing on the floor after her roundhouse kick, she crouched down, causing her twin hills to jiggle, further collecting the gazes of the surrounding customers with her chilling sensuality. ¡­¡­No, considering her actions had mostly been directed towards Rei as she crouched down, what she did was probably a service aimed towards Rei and not the other customers. The moment the woman crouched down, a man¡¯s fist went through the space her head had been a moment ago. It was the last man who¡¯s sword had been destroyed by the woman¡¯s claws. ¡¸Ah, what a shame. If you wanted to have a passionate time with me, you should have at least used a bit more strength before going down.¡¹ Saying that, she jumped up. As she moved up, the base of her palm grazed the tip of the man¡¯s jaw, causing a concussion and knocking him out on the spot. Then after floating close to 2m into the air, she landed with the graceful movements of a cat. She then gave a bow to her surroundings. ¡ºWOAAAAAAAAAAAH-!¡» At that moment, the customers in the eatery exploded into applause, as if they had been watching a performance or something similar. ¡¸The weapons on her hands and feet and probably magic weapons.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah.¡¹ Elean agreed with the words Rei spoke after a moment¡¯s delay. Rei glanced over in confusion before realising that Elena had an annoyed expression as she looked towards the woman with mysterious weapons who seemed to be both a dancer and warrior. ¡¸Elena? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹ ¡¸If you say it¡¯s nothing, then that¡¯s fine¡­¡­so, what do you want to do? I had been thinking of eating something here. ¡­¡­Huh.¡¹ In the middles of his words, Rei gave a quiet exclamation as he watched the woman lift up the man on the ground with one hand, as if she were carrying a piece of light baggage, and carry him to a corner of the eatery. The man hadn¡¯t been wearing any armour, but he had still been well built as an adventurer. The man might not have weighed 100kg, but he must have been close to that. The woman, who easily lifted up such a man with one hand, clearly wasn¡¯t what she looked like. Furthermore, the claws that had extended out from her hand earlier had all disappeared. The blade that extended from the heel of his foot had also disappeared. (I see. It seems her magic weapons have the ability to extend and retract. ¡­¡­If it¡¯s just that, then that¡¯s not really too rare.) Rei thought about that as he watched the woman literally pile up the men in a corner of the eatery. The fight had ended in several seconds, but the woman¡¯s dexterity was very high up among all the people Rei had ever seen¡­¡­rather, she was one of the best he had seen. ¡¸Hey, you. ¡­¡­No, you two.¡¹ The woman stopped as she stared and spoke towards Rei and Elena. This was the first time Rei had seen the woman from the front. She had reddish purple hair that extended to the middle of her back. Her hair had a wavy style near the tips. Her eyes, which Rei was only seeing clearly for the first time, were golden. Opinions on her appearance might vary between people, but to Rei, the woman was arguably one of the most beautiful he had seen. As for her height, she was a head taller than Rei, probably close to 180cm. She seemed to be in her early twenties, a little older than Elena. Next to Rei was Elena, who had a dignified sort of beauty. Marina, the Dark Elf guild master of Gilm, had a mature sexiness to her. Those two were two of the most beautiful people Rei had ever seen, but the woman before them was definitely a match for the two. Unlike Elena or Marina, the woman¡¯s beauty could be best described as aggressive. Aside from the weapons on her hands and feet, she only wore several layers of translucent cloth like a dancer. Her white thighs, belly and shoulders were all exposed in a sensual way, as if to lure in men. Her ample breasts and groin were neatly covered, but even so, her appearance and clothes did not look like they belonged to someone who could fight the way she just did. If Rei hadn¡¯t seen her fight, he might have thought of her as just a bar dancer or a prostitute. The woman was just dressed that sensually. Rei couldn¡¯t help but be attracted by the strong feminine presence that had suddenly appeared in front of him. It was a natural reaction for a male his age, but whether Elena, who was standing next to him, would tolerated it or not was a different matter. ¡¸Ouch-!¡¹ Elena, wearing her Shoes of Sleipnir, stepped on Rei¡¯s foot, who was also wearing his Shoes of Sleipnir. Rei gave a cry at Elena¡¯s sudden action. However, Elena didn¡¯t seem to care as she stepped forward and looked at the woman before speaking. ¡¸What do you want from us?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. You guys¡­¡­are strong right? You definitely are. Unlike those guys lying over there who are probably useless at night.¡¹ Glancing over at the men piled up in the corner of the eatery, she waited for Rei and Elena¡¯s reply. ¡¸Even if you say we are strong¡­¡­I can only say I¡¯m reasonably confident.¡¹ ¡¸What about you? You are strong, right?¡¹ The woman ignored Elena¡¯s response as she asked Rei. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m confident in my own strength as well.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then, why don¡¯t we fight right away?¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­Hah?¡» Rei and Elena both responded the same way at the same time. However, the woman didn¡¯t seem to care as she turned to look at Elena. ¡¸The weapon on your waist is quite good isn¡¯t it? I can tell that it¡¯s a powerful magic weapon just by looking at it. I know you¡¯re pretty strong as well, but you don¡¯t seem to have any weapons with you. Do you use your bare hands? Maybe you are a close combat warrior like me?¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment. We came to this eatery to eat, not to fight. And, since we only just came back from the dungeon, we¡¯d also rather not fight.¡¹ The woman appeared disappointed at Elena¡¯s words. Just seeing the woman¡¯s expression at her reply made Elena feel guilty for some reason. ¡¸Then, what about you? Why don¡¯t you fight me for a bit?¡¹ The woman¡¯s interest shifted away from Elena and towards Rei. (Seriously, I never thought I¡¯d be able to meet two such¡­¡­exquisite prey in an eatery. I can¡¯t miss out on this.) The woman¡¯s thoughts seemed to have appeared on her expression. For a moment, there was undoubtedly a crazy glint in her eyes, like that of a bloodthirsty beast. Seeing the woman look at him like prey, Rei didn¡¯t hesitate to reach inside his Dragon Robe for the Mithril Knife at his waist. Originally, he had wanted to take out the Death Scythe, but that would have been had to swing around in such a tight space like an eatery, which was why he chose the knife. However, before he could do anything, Elena stepped in again. ¡¸As I said before, we came to this eatery to eat, not to fight.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that just what you said though? That doesn¡¯t seem to be the case with the boy?¡¹ The woman glanced over at Rei provocatively. At the woman¡¯s words, Rei replied with an equally provocative smile. ¡¸In the first place, even if I fought with you, I have nothing to gain. In that case, I¡¯d rather just eat.¡¹ Rei said that as he held onto the Mithril Knife under his Dragon Robe. However, the woman¡¯s response was completely unexpected. ¡¸Nothing to gain, huh. In that case¡­¡­how about we do this? If you beat me, I¡¯ll spend a night with you. What do you think? I¡¯m pretty confident in my body you know? In fact it was because of this that those useless bastards caused all this trouble after making a pass at me.¡¹ At her words, the customers who were listening in to their conversation all gulped. The woman¡¯s physical appearance was close to that of a first class prostitute¡­¡­no, even a first class prostitute wouldn¡¯t be a match for her. That was why it was safe to say that there were dozens or even hundreds of men who would have been willing to party with all their fortunes to spend a night with a woman like her. ¡¸Besides, I might cause a lot of misunderstandings dressed like this, but I don¡¯t know any men who would pass up on this. ¡­¡­How about it? If you can beat me, you can taste my body. That should be attractive enough for you.¡¹ She didn¡¯t know any men who would pass up her offer. The woman made a provoking gesture as she said that. In response Rei was about to speak when¡­¡­ ¡¸Huh, so you¡¯re the rumoured Mad Beast. In that case, let me fight you before that brat. I have to avenge my younger brothers¡­¡­right?¡¹ Such a voice echoed into the eatery. CH 389 ¡¸No, boss. We¡¯re not dead.¡¹ ¡¸Shut up. I just got to a good point, so shut up.¡¹ The voice that interrupted the conversation between Rei, Elena and the woman came from outside the door that Rei and Elena had entered through. The owner of the voice entered the eatery. He was a huge man with a physique that could be best be described as a wall from Rei¡¯s perspective. Both Elena and the dancer-like woman were taller than Rei, but the man was even taller, probably over 2m in height. He wore a large set of body armour that had been dyed blue¡­¡­and carried a massive sheathed sword with him, 2m in length from pommel to tip. Due to the length of his sword, it wasn¡¯t possible for him to carry it at his waist like Elena did. Looking at it purely as a weapon, it was on the same size scale as Rei¡¯s Death Scythe. Naturally, the weight of the weapon must have matched its size, ordinary people would have had a hard time lifting it up. However, with the man¡¯s physique, he could probably swing it around without any problems¡­¡­ ¡¸V-Vosk-sama!?¡¹ One of the girls who worked at the eatery couldn¡¯t help but cry out. The next moment, the customers in the eatery were wrapped up in a loud buzz. ¡¸H-Hey, Vosk-sama¡­¡­is that Vosk-sama from the Silva family!?¡¹ ¡¸What is one of the heads of the three families governing Exil doing in such a place?¡¹ ¡¸No, Vosk just said it earlier. He¡¯s here for his younger brothers.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Don¡¯t tell me, could it be that the woman earlier¡­¡­I mean, the people piled up over there.¡¹ ¡¸It could be.¡¹ ¡¸Woah, are you serious? They were the Silva family¡¯s men!? That woman messed around with the wrong people.¡¹ ¡¸That might not be the case. Look at her. Didn¡¯t Vosk-sama call her the Mad Beast earlier?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not sure.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s a name that only people who know will know, so I guess it¡¯s not that unexpected.¡¹ As they heard the noisy voices of the surrounding customers, the situation reached a sort of equilibrium. As for Rei and Elena, whether it was the woman or the man named Vosk, there was no need to fight. In the first place, they had come to this eatery because they had smelt something good coming out from it, not because they wanted to fight. As for the woman, another prey had appeared soon after finding two high quality prey in Rei and Elena. She wanted to fight with everyone if she could, but that would be difficult. In that case¡­¡­who should she fight with? Lastly, for Vosk, he had come to avenge his subordinates. However, as he looked around¡­¡­Vosk¡¯s gaze centred on Rei and Elena. At first glance, he had thought that they might try to get in the way of the person he wanted to fight. However, after looking at them for a moment, he froze. A man¡­¡­no, a boy, who looked like a mage. Red hair could be seen under his hood. Above all, Elena was standing next to the boy. Vosk¡¯s focus might have been on the woman with aggressive beauty, but he now looked towards the woman with comparable beauty. At this point, the report that he had heard from one of his subordinates the day before passed through his mind. (Crimson and the General Princess? What are they doing here at this time of the day¡­¡­no, wait. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t see a Griffon outside.) Unfortunately for Vosk, Set was smarter than he had expected. Knowing that many Exil residents were still afraid of him, Set had hidden himself in a back alley with Yellow on his back, so as to not be as noticeable. In addition, Set had used his abilities as an A rank monster to hide his presence as much as he could, causing Vosk to be completely unaware of Set. Vosk hurriedly looked out the door, but still couldn¡¯t see Set anywhere. Judging that the Griffon must have been left back at a stable somewhere, he gave a sigh of relief. No matter how confident Vosk was, he wanted to avoid having to deal with a Griffon. ¡¸So, I cam here with the intention of dealing with that sexy sister over there¡­¡­what about you two? Do you plan to fight me?¡¹ ¡¸No, we don¡¯t plan to do that. We just came here to eat. We don¡¯t have a hobby of fighting people.¡¹ ¡¸What about the boy over there? Are you going to fight me?¡¹ To Vosk, Elena, who¡¯s father was a duke, was certainly a problem. However, the more direct threat was Rei, who had a Griffon following him. If Rei used the large scale magic that gave him his namesake in Exil, Vosk didn¡¯t know how much damage that would cause. That was the reason for his question¡­¡­ ¡¸No. If I¡¯m not attacked, there¡¯s no reason for me to fight.¡¹ Vosk unintentionally gave a sigh of relief at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸In that case, how about we settle this first? ¡­¡­Is that fine? You do realise it¡¯s impossible to deal with those two while fighting me at the same time.¡¹ At Vosk¡¯s words, the woman paused for a few seconds¡­¡­before eventually turning to give Rei a charming glance. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll have to give up fighting you today. Fortunately, I like to save my favourite dishes for last.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, what¡¯s with that? Are you trying to say I¡¯m just an appetiser?¡¹ Vosk frowned unpleasantly at the woman¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t like Vosk was able to fight all three of them at once, but he was confident that he would be able to take on any one of them individually, Rei, Elena and the woman. Naturally, he didn¡¯t like it after hearing that he was being treated as just an appetiser. However, the woman just smiled at Vosk and shrugged her shoulders. At the same time, her huge breasts swayed around, attracting the gazes of the men around her. The woman didn¡¯t seem to care though as she started to walk out the eatery. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s go then. We can¡¯t start a fight in a place like this, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Fine. If you¡¯re going to look down on me that much, I can¡¯t back down. Follow me, I know a good place.¡¹ After Vosk said that, the woman followed, passing by Rei¡¯s side. ¡¸So, let¡¯s have a good time next time. Here¡¯s payment as thanks in advance.¡¹ Saying that, the woman lightly touched Rei¡¯s cheeks with her lips. It was a light kiss, but the results were intense. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Elena¡¯s hand quickly reached for the sword whip at her waist¡­¡­but by the moment she remembered that this was an eatery and stopped, the woman had already moved away from Rei and her. ¡¸Ufufu. You two are the perfect main dish after all. I¡¯ll see you again soon. Oh, I almost forgot. My name is Vihera. Nice to meet you.¡¹ Giving a wink after saying that, she left the eatery with Vosk. She didn¡¯t seem to show any signs of despondence or tenseness despite having to fight someone shortly. As he watched the woman leave, Rei turned around and gave a sigh at the anger emanating from the person behind him. ¡¸Elena, don¡¯t be angry. I wasn¡¯t planning on playing along with that woman, Vihera, was it?¡¹ ¡¸That might be true, but you weren¡¯t careful enough. That¡¯s why it was so easy for that woman to get to you.¡¹ ¡¸No, I may have been a bit off guard, but Vihera, that woman, was definitely skilled. You felt that as well Elena, right?¡¹ Elena nodded reluctantly, dissatisfied with Rei¡¯s response. To Elena, the woman was dressed like an exhibitionist, but she certainly was strong. Elena wouldn¡¯t lose to someone like her, but she would still struggle in a fight to some extent. ¡¸¡­¡­I won¡¯t deny that.¡¹ Elena muttered as she turned to Rei. ¡¸However, that doesn¡¯t mean you can be careless with your lips.¡¹ ¡¸No, wait, what did my lips do. ¡­¡­Rather, I was the one who was kissed, so do my lips have to do with it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph. Rei, you look quite happy with yourself. Maybe you were thinking about spending a night with that woman named Vihera?¡¹ Elena took a step forward. The aura that exuded from her was deserving of her title as General Princess. (No, I meant what was I supposed to do in that situation.) Rei thought that in his mind as he looked around the eatery for a way to change the topic. It had all started with Vihera causing a disturbance before she challenged Rei and Elena to a fight. Shortly after, in a moment of confusion, the head of the Silva family, Vosk Silva showed up and turned it into a three way standoff. For that reason, many of the customers in the eatery looked over at the two of them, who were the only ones left from the disturbance¡­¡­however, none of them seemed to want to get involved in any way. As Rei glanced around the customers all quietly diverted they eyes back to their meal or started conversing with their friends. As he looked around, Rei still felt he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, but quickly called on one of the eatery¡¯s waitresses. ¡¸Excuse me, may we take those empty seats?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ah, yes. Of course. Please take a seat.¡¹ Honestly, the waitress didn¡¯t really want to have to deal with them, but she couldn¡¯t say that to Rei and Elena and just quietly guided them to their seats. A park within the city of Exil. Normally, it would be a place for nearby residents and adventurers to relax, but right now, there were no such people anywhere in the park. There were only two figures with several more around them, sticking close together before separating and repeating, as if dancing under the summer sun. ¡¸HAAAAAH-!¡¹ Vosk swung his claymore with strength that seemed to shatter the air itself. Vihera avoided the huge blade that seemed to symbolise pure destruction with her light movements. Of course, simply avoiding the attack wasn¡¯t good enough. As it was such a large weapon, there was naturally an opportunity after Vosk missed his attacked. Taking advantage of the gap, claws came out of her left and right hands as she swung them quickly. However, there was no doubt that Vosk was a first class warrior. He avoided the swift claw attacks by a paper thin margin as he blocked them with the hilt of his claymore. Although he was wearing armour, he still chose to block the attack with his claymore¡¯s hilt. This was probably because despite his armour being made from Mithril and Flame Crystal, it was still easily torn through by Vihera¡¯s claws when she first attacked. Vosk¡¯s armour speciallised in defending against magic and fire attacks, but it was unable to withstand attacks from Vihera¡¯s claws. Even so, he hadn¡¯t suffered any real injuries as it had only been the shoulder armour that had been slashed. If it had been his torso, Vosk would have been at a huge disadvantage. ¡¸Heh, as expected of the head of the Silva family, one of the families that rules Exil. I didn¡¯t think I would have been able to fight you. I¡¯m quite lucky.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your compliment. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect the woman called the Mad Beast to have such skill. Alright, here I come!¡¹ With a loud shout, Vosk dashed forward as he swung his claymore. ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ The huge blade seemed to come down with a scream. However, Vihera didn¡¯t seem to care as she closed the distance to Vosk. It was the right choice when fighting someone with a large sword like a claymore. After all, the larger the weapon, the harder the base of the weapon was to manoeuvre. And, more than anything else, most striking swords like the claymore were sharpest at the tip. ¡¸Hmph, you¡¯re too naive.¡¹ With a seductive smile on her face, smacked the base of the claymore¡¯s blade with her right hand as it swung towards her, forcibly changing its trajectory. Quickly spinning around to hide her leg, she kicked out at Vosk¡¯s unprotected torso. ¡¸Which is it!¡¹ As her leg was on the verge of connecting, Vosk forced his body into a half turn on the spot, using the momentum he had left from swinging the claymore. As a result, Vihera¡¯s leg passed by the space where Vosk¡¯s body had been a moment ago. Understanding that she was at a disadvantage physically, Vihera avoided Vosk¡¯s punch and used it as a foothold to jump into the air and take some distance. ¡¸Wow¡­¡­¡¹ Watching on, Vosk¡¯s subordinate, one of the people that had been thrown out of the eatery by Vihera earlier, murmured out loud. The fight that was similar to a performance continued on for another 20 minutes, causing people to gather, before it was settled as a draw after a time out. CH 390 ¡¸Then, ojou-sama, Rei-sama, have a good day. I wish you a safe return.¡¹ Rei and Elena left the inn as Tufal saw them off. Their destination was the stables, where Set and Yellow were. It was the third day after they had arrived in the Labyrinth City, Exil. Their aim today was, of course, to enter the dungeon. Fortunately for them, although there was the incident with Byune, the first day in the dungeon had be free of danger. That was why Elena and Rei were discussing whether to go all the way through the second floor and make their way to the third floor today. (Although, if anything, the bigger issue occured after we left the dungeon. Elena glanced sideways at Rei, who was walking beside her, as she thought to herself. In her mind, she thought of Vihera, who had been dressed very suspiciously, wearing thin cloth that could been seen through with barely any undergarments. (Seriously, instead of been pressed by a woman like that, Rei should have responded resolutely. ¡­¡­Could it be that Rei likes those kinds of clothes? But, wait¡­¡­I think Ara once said that men liked women who wore clothing like that. Then¡­¡­do I have to wear clothes that could barely be called clothes as well!?) Although Elena¡¯s facial expression barely changed, her heart was in turmoil. Rei might not have had any idea about what Elena was thinking, but he spoke up after glancing at her as they walked with each other. ¡¸Elena, our goal today is the third floor, but what do we plan to do with traps¡­¡­Elena?¡¹ ¡¸No, but¡­¡­in that case¡­¡­but, I¡¯m the daughter of a duke¡­¡­¡¹ Elena seemed to be muttering to herself about something, completely oblivious to Rei¡¯s question. While wondering what Elena was thinking about, Rei stretched out his hand to her shoulder, which was covered by her white metal armour. ¡¸Hey, Elena. Can you hear me?¡¹ ¡¸-!? Y-Yeah. Of course. Are we aiming for the third floor today? That¡¯s fine with me.¡¹ Although her mind was still in a mess, due to her experience as the General Princess, she had still managed to catch some of what Rei had said. Or, maybe, she had just caught it purely by chance. Somehow fumbling out an answer to Rei, the two stopped by the stables to pick up Set and Yellow before heading into the city. The looks they received from the surroundings seemed to be about 70% fear and 20% curiosity. As for the last 10% they seemed quite admiring of Set. (I hadn¡¯t expected people¡¯s impression of Set to change so quickly. Well, in terms of cuteness, Set isn¡¯t outdoing Yellow¡­¡­however, I think the initial shock was greater due to Set¡¯s larger size.) Elena glanced over at Yellow, who was on her left shoulder, and looked around as she stroked Yellow¡¯s back. Same as yesterday, they stopped by the stall that sold Lizardmen skewers to buy a few. But, compared to the day before, the stall owner wasn¡¯t as afraid of Set. Of course, his fear wasn¡¯t fully dispelled. However, it seemed he understood that Set wouldn¡¯t attack anyone if he wasn¡¯t provoked. At the very least, Elena could tell that the owner was able to keep a composed expression on his face. ¡¸You¡¯re going to the dungeon again today? Didn¡¯t you just go yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯re going back to the dungeon again.¡¹ When Rei said that, the skewer stall owner nodded with an impressed¡­¡­yet somewhat concerned expression. ¡¸Is there anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, since I sell skewers near the dungeon, I often hear adventurers discuss things. Most adventurers would take a day off after entering the dungeon. At most, they might even take several days off.¡¹ ¡¸If you consider their physical state, that might be the best option¡­¡­but, can they afford to do that? Especially on the shallower floors where beginners can enter. Would they be able to maintain a good income?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know much about that. That¡¯s just what I¡¯ve often heard them say, maybe they take on other jobs when they don¡¯t enter the dungeon?¡¹ Rei looked a bit confused for a few seconds after the stall owner responded. However, after paying for the skewers, thanking the stall owner and leaving, they decided to continue at their own pace. ¡¸It¡¯s nice that there are stalls opening close to the dungeon.¡¹ Eating the last piece of meat on his skewer, Rei stored it into the Misty Ring. Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s words, her hands empty. Elena had also eaten a skewer, but just one, so the skewer was disposed of back at the stall. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set nodded, seemingly in agreement as they passed through the gate to the area outside the dungeon entrance. ¡¸Wait! Could you please party up with us!?¡¹ ¡¸No, party with us instead!¡¹ ¡¸We were first!¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait, wait! I was the first one! I was the first to ask them.¡¹ ¡¸This isn¡¯t a first come first serve basis. We should decide things purely based on our ability!¡¹ ¡¸It will take a while for them to sort things out when they get like that, so you discuss it with me first¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you there. Don¡¯t think about getting ahead of us.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. You guys always seem to like to lure away all the people we want to invite.¡¹ The moment Rei and Elena entered the area, they were immediately called out to by three different people. The two men and one woman immediately started to argue with each other nonstop. Rei was stunned for a moment as he watched them argue, but he soon realised what was happening. Seeing that Set was quieter than what people had expected and that Rei wasn¡¯t as ferocious as what the rumours about him had said, they immediately tried to invite Rei¡¯s group to join them. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Perhaps Elena had reached a similar conclusion, she gave a sigh as she turned to Rei. They had previously half expected such a situation to occur if their abilities were revealed. Previously, only one person had tried to approach them as people hadn¡¯t known about what the people in Rei¡¯s group were like. The fact that Rei and Elena¡¯s characters had spread somewhat due to them walking around buying and eating food from street stalls might have accelerated the commotion to its current stage though. ¡º¡­¡­¡» Rei and Elena both tried to push the other forward as they silently looked at each other, but it was Rei who finally lost. After gently stroking Set¡¯s head, he went over to three arguing people. While he hadn¡¯t been paying attention, it seemed that the argument between party leaders had somehow escalated to arguments that included all their party members. One had snatched out promising new members from the side, another had taken away all the materials from monsters that had been killed, yet another had lied about ores they had found within the dungeon. From the party leaders¡¯ perspectives, there was no doubt that Rei, Elena and Set would significantly bolster their party¡¯s strength if they could be invited to join them. Because of that, they were arguing loudly, saying that they would never give up the opportunity, which only served to furhter decrease Rei and Elena¡¯s motivation to join them. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but we have enough party members for the time being. We have no intention to party up with anyone, including you all.¡¹ ¡¸No matter how strong you are, it isn¡¯t safe to enter the dungeon with just two people. On average, you would need at least five people, including porters.¡¹ The female party leader argued back at Rei¡¯s words. Rei sighed and gave a small nod as he suddenly thought of something before showing everyone the Misty Ring on his right arm. ¡¸Do you know what this bracelet is?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is it some kind of magic item?¡¹ The one to respond wasn¡¯t the woman but a teenager who appeared to be slightly older than Rei. Nodding at the young man, Rei took out his main weapon, the Death Scythe, from the Misty Ring. At the sudden appearance of the Death Scythe in Rei¡¯s hands, the noisy surroundings quietened down, if only for a moment. It was the same even for the Church of Holy Light, which was the largest group in the area. ¡¸Item boxes¡­¡­you know that there has been various research into creating similar magic items, right? The amount it can store isn¡¯t large, so it can only be called a simple item box, but this is still one of them.¡¹ Rei said that as he showed off the Death Scythe. Rei had originally wanted to tell them that it was a real item box. However, he decided that it would have caused too big of a hassle and decided to borrow the same background behind the pouch Elena wore at her waist, a magic pouch created using spatial magic. Of course, since spatial magic was a very difficult magic to use, magic pouches were highly valuable items. However, Rei decided that it was still better than saying it was a proper item box, of which there were only a few in the world. ¡¸And, that¡¯s not the only one we have. The pouch at Elena¡¯s waist over there is a similar magic item. That means we don¡¯t need a porter. You understand that right?¡¹ ¡¸Then, what about your combat strength! Our party places an emphasis on combat. You would still need a certain level of strength.¡¹ The next person to speak was a man in his twenties. He had been the first person to call out to Rei earlier. He was wearing half-plate armour and had a pole axe in his hands. (I know that I¡¯m in no position to say this, but isn¡¯t it difficult to use long weapons inside the dungeon?) Rei thought to himself as he ignored the fact that his Death Scythe was even more awkward to use than a pole axe. Glancing at the man, Rei slowly shook his head. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to say, but we have no problems with the strength of our party. As far as I, Elena and Set are concerned that is. It might be a different story if an A rank monster showed up, but we¡¯re still on the second floor. If an A rank monster shows up and we really need the help, we¡¯ll rely on your help then. How about that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, dealing with an A rank monster is a bit¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s response, the man was at a loss for words. The man had been confident in his own party¡¯s strength, which is why he dared to ask if Rei¡¯s group was strong enough. However, he understood that if he were to face a monster of that level, or even a B rank monster, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much at all. It was actually because of that reason that he probably wanted to attract more people with exceptional combat strenght like Rei and Set. If he had known that Elena was the General Princess, his solicitations might have even been more enthusiastic. (No, would he even have the guts to invite a duke¡¯s daughter into his party?) As Rei thought that in his mind, he made a blunt statement. ¡¸Right now, what we need is a thief¡­¡­but only on the provision that they won¡¯t drag us down in comabt.¡¹ When Rei said that they needed a thief, there was a brief moment of hope on the man¡¯s face. However he just gave a sigh when he heard that the thief couldn¡¯t hold them back in combat. It wasn¡¯t just him, it was the same for the other two parties, which also had thieves, as well as those who were watching them from the sidelines. Some sighed as they looked at their fellow thieves, blaming them for not being good enough. The thieves looked back at those people without hiding their unhappy expressions. Seeing that, Rei shrugged his shoulders at the three party leaders he had been talking with. ¡¸You understand now right? Well, pardon us, but we have to enter the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡¹ As the three of them responded to Rei, he quietly passed by them. Meanwhile, several thieves from the Church of Holy Light, who had been watching them, seemed to want to say something before eventually staying where they were. For the thieves from the Church of Holy Light, they might have seen this as an opportunity to sell their services as they judged themselves to be reasonably skilled. However, as long as they remained in their current situation, they were only allowed to provide assistance when requested, they couldn¡¯t offer it themselves. Even thought they somewhat sensed the situation from the group of people from the Church of Holy Light, Rei, Elena and Set ignored them as they touched the transfer devices and disappeared to the second floor of the dungeon. CH 391 The second floor of the dungeon, a level that was considered shallow and suitable for beginners. The magic circle next to the stairs up to the first floor shone¡­¡­and the next moment, Rei, Elena, Set and Yellow appeared. ¡¸Huh, so this is how the spatial transfer feels like when entering the dungeon. I did experience it when we used it to leave yesterday, but it seems like there¡¯s not much of a difference since it¡¯s the same magic device.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ While Rei opened and closed his hand and thought about how the transfer had felt, Set turned to look at him and gave a cry. Rei couldn¡¯t understand Set¡¯s pround appearance for a moment, but soon realised what he meant. ¡¸Oh right, Set had previously been sent to a different location by a transition stone that was created by the Bestir Empire.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ That¡¯s right! Set seemed to say boastfully as Yellow, who was sitting on Elena¡¯s shoulder, tilted its head slightly. ¡¸A Bestir Empire transition stone? Are you talking about those ones? The ones used by the Bestir Empire in the spring war to raid our headquarters?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. When some Bestir Empire spies that were in Gilm tried to escape using one, Set ended being transferred instead of the spy. ¡­¡­It was quite a surprise.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words. For Set, he had just been trying to stop someone from escaping, but the next moment, he had found himself inside a cave he didn¡¯t know about, so it was no wonder. After that, Set had frantically searched his surroundings, eventually finding the members of Scorching Wind before ultimately rejoining with Rei¡­¡­the series of events was explained to Elena. ¡¸I see, so something like that had happened. Some transition stones were obtained after the war and are being researched by the Mireana Kingdom, but they seem to be quite complex. At the very least, it looks to be quite difficult to mass produce them.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? It¡¯s possible to make them?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. However, it costs a lot and their performance is significantly inferior, including the maximum distance objects can be transferred to.¡¹ ¡¸Even so, if research has made it that far, they must be close to mass production, right?¡¹ For some reason, Elena just smiled at Rei¡¯s question. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No. There¡¯s some things I can¡¯t even tell you Rei. Please understand that.¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s what it was.¡¹ As the daughter of a duke belonging to the Aristocratic faction and the General Princess, there were some things she could tell Rei, who was considered to be part of the Neutral faction. Rei realised that and just gave a small nod in response as he looked around. ¡¸Well then, do you want to head for the stairs to the third floor?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Yesterday, in order to become accustomed to this dungeon, we went down the left path at the crossroads, that does not lead to the stairs. I would like to make some more progress today.¡¹ ¡¸In that case, we¡¯ll go down the right path to the stairs today.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine with me. ¡­¡­But, we still don¡¯t have a thief. I don¡¯t think it will be a problem since we¡¯re still on the shallower levels, but let¡¯s proceed carefully regarding traps.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words. ¡¸Do you want me to use Thin Flames? Complex traps in the deeper floors aside, I should be able to find traps on the shallow floors quite easily.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true¡­¡­¡¹ Elena thought about Rei¡¯s option for a moment before shaking her head. ¡¸I think it would be better if we didn¡¯t do that. It would be fine if we were the only people in the dungeon, but given the presence of other adventurers, it would probably cause an unfortunate mess.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true.¡¹ Rei nodded without any objections at Elena¡¯s decision. For a moment, the headline ¡ºMysterious! Flames overflowing through a dungeon passage¡» pass through his mind. In the worst case scenario, people might even think that he was a new kind of undead or something. Of course, it might be fine if they discussed it with the guild beforehand, but it was still likely that they would probably get dragged into complicated situations with other people. ¡¸In that case, let¡¯s just go ahead for now. Be wary of traps.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. As for our formation, we¡¯ll go with the same as yesterday. Rei and I will be at the front, Set will be at the back.¡¹ ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ Sitting on Elena¡¯s left shoulder, Yellow gave a cry as if to remind them of its presence. ¡¸Yellow, you can ride on Set¡¯s back. Is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Elena¡¯s question, the two of them responded with a brief cry of agreement. Settling their formation, the four of them left the second floor¡¯s magic circle. Defeating several monsters, they soon arrived at the crossroads they had come to the day before without much trouble. ¡¸Today, we¡¯ll take the right path to the stairs?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, watch out for traps though. Fortunately, we didn¡¯t run into any yesterday, but that could be because Byune had disarmed them¡­¡­then again, I don¡¯t think there would be any deadly traps on the early floors.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re probably right, but it would still be best to proceed with proper caution from here on out.¡¹ Rei started to slowly observe his surroundings¡­¡­particularly the ground as they moved forward. Because of that, the speed at which they went through the dungeon went down by half¡­¡­no, down to 1/3 of their original speed. Normally, there wouldn¡¯t have been any traps on this floor which would cause fatal injuries to Rei. However, considering that they would be proceeding further down without a thief, they would have to get used to finding traps themselves. Because of that, their progress was slow. Looking at it the other way, since they wouldn¡¯t suffer fatal injuries even if they did trigger a trap, there was no better place to try to learn the skills of a thief. Rei and Elena continued down the passageway, silently and carefully. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Occasionally, they would hear a cry behind them as Set took down a monster. They would stop only to remove the monster¡¯s magic stone before moving on again. This state of progress continued for about 2 hours. Rei and Elena continued to advance while defeating the monsters that attacked them from time to time. However, as expected, after repeating the same tasks endlessly but only progressing slowly, they gradually became impatient. Rei was the first to speak out. In comparison, Elena, who had served in the army, had significantly more patience in situations like this. That said, even she was beginning to feel tired. ¡¸Hey, why don¡¯t we take a break?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s a good suggestion. There¡¯s still some time before noon, but do you want to have lunch?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ Hearing the word ¡®lunch¡¯, both Set and Yellow gave a joyful cry. Rei was troubled about whether they should stop for lunch or not. However, although he had been too focused to notice earlier, it was true that he was starting to feel hungry. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s a bit early, but we might as well have lunch. Needless to say, we¡¯ll still need to be wary of the surroundings.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, of course.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ After the three of them responded to Rei, he went to move to a spot close the passage walls¡­¡­ ¡¸Ah.¡¹ Spotting something in front of his eyes, Rei unintentionally raised his voice. Hearing that, Elena turned to look over, before making a similar sound herself. There was a switch. It was disguised as part of the passageway and was hard to tell from a distance. However, if you were close by, you would be able to see it clearly. However, the question was who would push a switch like that in the first place. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Could it be designed for people who happen to take a break nearby, like us?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s very obvious when you look at it up close.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, maybe it¡¯s for people who are tired or distracted? The monsters that appear on this floor are basically all low rank monsters. Considering that, the traps might just be equally shoddy.¡¹ Rei nodded in agreement at Elena¡¯s words. Given that Goblins were the most intelligent monsters to show up on the floor, Elena might have been correct. ¡¸I heard that most adventurers who stayed on this floor would be beginners. Considering that, it might not be surprising for some of them to fall for it.¡¹ ¡¸Maybe. Fortunately, we¡¯re not stupid enough for fall for it. ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s have lunch first.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out his magic tent from the Misty Ring. Normally, meals would be eaten in the corners of passageways or rooms while keeping an eye on the surroundings. However, in Rei¡¯s case, the magic tent had an effect that kept away D rank or lower monsters. On deeper floors where C rank or higher monsters appeared, the magic tent would no longer be effective, but on the second floor, its effects were more than sufficient. That said, aside from monsters¡­¡­it had no effect on human adventurers, so it wouldn¡¯t do anything if other adventurers wanted to attack them. (Well, in a situation like that, I could just go out myself¡­¡­in the first place, there shouldn¡¯t be that many idiots who would do something like that after hearing about Set and my title.) As he thought about that, Rei entered the tent with Elena, Set and Yellow. The inside of the tent was about 10 tatami in size. Rei and Elena immediately sat down on the sofa as Rei took out lunch boxes from the Misty Ring. Set was given roasted Bicorn meat that had been prepared back at the inn while Yellow bit into a piece of roasted meat that had been prepared for him. ¡¸Thinking about it, I had been really impressed with your food situation when we entered that dungeon to look for the Altar of Inheritance. However, looking at it now, you really are too lucky to have a tent like this. How to put it, it feels like things have gone in a strange direction.¡¹ ¡¸We still had to camp out in the dungeon back then. If we have to to set up camp now, this magic tent would be a great help since we wouldn¡¯t need to worry about hurting our bodies by sleeping on the ground.¡¹ Rei nodded as he chewed on some chicken stew and a cheese sandwich that had been given to him for lunch. Actually, this magic tent they were using was quite old and lacked some functions such as a water supply. However, it was still a magic item that had been handed down Margrave Rowlocks family. Of course, it was something that would be difficult for a commoner or adventurer to buy unless they had a considerable amount of money. They could be bought at a price of an A rank adventurer¡¯s rewards or with the rewards of a B rank adventurer after considerable saving. ¡¸It also has the nice effect of keeping monsters away. However, in Rei¡¯s case, since you have Set, most monsters won¡¯t come near anyway. I would also like to have a magic item like this of my own without having to borrow one from my family.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In Elena¡¯s case, don¡¯t you have your carriage?¡¹ Rei responded to Elena¡¯s comments. The carriage they had travelled in on their way to Exil was much better than the magic tent they were using in terms of the facilities it came with. It had a much larger room and higher quality furnishings than the sofa Rei and Elena were currently sitting on, let alone all the other furniture. In terms of comfort, it was definitely superior to the magic tent. In terms of its effectiveness as a magic item, it also had the effect of making it seem ordinary, warning people inside of approaching hostile threats and reducing the physical drain on the horses pulling it. As a magic item, the carriage was an overwhelmingly superior item. (The only thing the magic tent is better at is being able to shrink down to a portable size. Well, that is a pretty useful feature for adventurers.) Rei thought about that, but it wasn¡¯t really something that important to him as he could just store it inside the Misty Ring. That said, it was function that would cause ordinary adventurers to shed tears in happiness. Conversing like that, Rei and the others quickly finished their lunch. They would have liked to take a longer break if they could, but that would have been too careless of them to do so inside a dungeon. After finishing their food, Rei quickly stored the tent back into the Misty Ring before moving ahead. Continuing on, Rei kept an eye out for traps, but in the end they arrived at the stairs to the third floor without finding any traps. CH 392 ¡¸So this is the third floor¡­¡­ It doesn¡¯t look any different than the other ones.¡¹ Elena murmured after they went down to the third floor. A magic circle for the transfer device was installed next to the stairs, the surrounding passageways were made of cobblestone and the walls shone faintly. The scene was almost identical to that of the first and second floors, so much so that there was a faint sense of deja vu. ¡¸We¡¯re still on the shallower floors. If you remember, the dungeon with the Altar of Inheritance, it didn¡¯t change very much in the first few floors, right? Especially since this dungeon is extraordinarily large compared to that dungeon. If you consider that, it¡¯s inevitable that the same environment will remain for a while.¡¹ The dungeon they were currently in was at least 30 floors deep, which was the deepest floor that adventurers had reached. Compared to the dungeon where the Altar of Inheritance had been, where the dungeon core had been located on the 7th floor, the Exil dungeon was at least 6 times deeper, and that was only if the dungeon was as deep as adventurers had gone. ¡¸Anyway, it hasn¡¯t been that long since we had lunch. In that case, could we break through the third floor¡­¡­and get to the magic circle on the fourth floor before leaving the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s no problem. How far is it to the stairs?¡¹ Although they were at a magic circle, it didn¡¯t mean the surroundings were completely safe. Rei asked while looking over at Set, who was keeping an eye on the surroundings. Elena looked at a map that she took out from her magic pouch. ¡¸Let¡¯s see. This floor is filled with a lot of crossroads, so without a map it would be very hard to reach the stairs. Fortunately, we have a map. Considering that, we should be able to continue without any problems.¡¹ Using the map, there was no doubt that they would be able to use the shortest path to the stairs to the fourth floor. However, there was no way the map would tell them how long it would take them to walk the path to the stairs, it only mean they didn¡¯t need to worry about going down the wrong path. If it was someone who had cleared the floor multiple times, they would have had a general idea of how long it would take. However, that was hard to expect from Rei and Elena, who were new to the third floor. ¡¸Anyhow, let¡¯s get moving. What do we do about traps? Do we handle them like on the second floor?¡¹ Elena was troubled by Rei¡¯s question for several seconds before she spoke up. ¡¸Let¡¯s take the same care as the previous floors. I don¡¯t think there will be any fatal traps on this floor, but it would still be better to keep up the habit of keeping an eye out for traps as we don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be able to get a thief to join us¡­¡­hmm?¡¹ As Elena said that, the magic circle near the stairs shone¡­¡­the next moment, a group of five men appeared next to the magic circle. All five of them were at ages that could be considered young, some were a little older than Rei but younger than Elena. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s go. The request was to collect Sword Bee magic stones. We need seven of them. However, it goes without saying that magic stones are also currently the most valuable material from monsters. Especially since the Marschel and Levisor families are paying a lot of buy them. For the sake of big bro¡­¡­hmm?¡¹ A young man who seemed to be the leader of the group started speaking to his companions before he realised that there were other people nearby. Turning to see who it was, he saw Rei, Elena and Set looking back at them. As for Yellow, it was napping on Set¡¯s back. When he saw Rei, the leader shouted out. ¡¸AHHHHHH-, you guys¡­¡­no, you¡¯re the people from yesterday!?¡¹ You could see his impression of Rei as the man rephrased his words. ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, oh right. You¡¯re the guy who was thrown out of the eatery from yesterday?¡¹ At the man¡¯s words, Rei remembered the events from the day before. The man had been the one Rei had caught after being thrown out by Vihera as he and Elena were entering the eatery. It wasn¡¯t rare for Rei to be dragged into troubles by other people, so even if he recognised the man¡¯s face, it didn¡¯t mean he remembered who it was right away. ¡¸-It took that long for you to remember-!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is something wrong?¡¹ When Rei asked if he had any complaints, the man shook his head vigorously. ¡¸Speaking of which, I see some familiar faces with you.¡¹ Standing next to Rei, Elena murmured as she looked at the men behind the leader. It was quite easy to see why, they were the men who had been beaten up by Vihera in the eatery yesterday, including their leader. ¡¸¡­¡­So, what on earth are you doing on such shallow floors?¡¹ Seeing that they wouldn¡¯t get anywhere if he didn¡¯t say anything, the leader eventually asked Rei. Although they had barely met in person, the leader¡¯s judgement of Rei showed that he was quite astute. However, Rei replied with a simple answer as he carried his Death Scythe on his shoulder. ¡¸What do you mean? We¡¯re here to clear the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸No, I mean, if you¡¯re in the dungeon, I know you plan to clear it. But why are you on the first few floors?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because we only started to clear the dungeon yesterday.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah.¡¹ The leader nodded in understanding at Rei¡¯s response. The men with him nodded as well. Those who had already been knocked out by Vihera when Rei entered had no idea of his strength, but it was clear that Rei wasn¡¯t someone they could look down on after they saw Set. ¡¸So¡­¡­are you here on a guild request?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. We have to collect seven Sword Bee magic stones. Normally, we would be working on the 10th floor¡­¡­but yesterday¡¯s events made big bro angry. Because of that, this is our punishment¡­¡­¡¹ The leader scratched his cheeks with a embarrassed smile. ¡¸In that case, do your best. We¡¯re about to head off.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please take care! Hey, you lot bow your heads as well!¡¹ ¡ºTake care!¡» The men all bowed their heads in a row at the words of their leader. They weren¡¯t quite in unison¡­¡­but it was still something they did at the same time. Giving a small nod, Rei and the others left the magic circle. The leader silently watched them leave¡­¡­before finally exhaling after Rei and Elena were out of sight. His forehead was covered in cold sweat. He had managed to hold up a front when Rei was in front of him, but after Rei had left, his sweat poured out all at once. ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s unusual for you to be covered in cold sweat.¡¹ One of the men called out to their leader. The rest of them were equally surprised at their leader¡¯s reaction. However, the leader simply tapped the helmet of the man who had asked as he wiped away his cold sweat with his arm. ¡¸Don¡¯t you know that he has a title?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course. Didn¡¯t big bro Vosk personally tell us not to pick a fight with him?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Aside from Crimson, I¡¯ve heard of other people with titles. Of course, since they have titles, they¡¯re definitely stronger than us. But he¡¯s not the only one. The woman called Vihera from yesterday, even though we were the ones to cause trouble at first, she was able to fight big bro Vosk to a draw yesterday. Can you believe it? The woman who could go toe to toe with big bro Vosk admitted that the two of them were strong. In other words, they are probably as strong as big bro Vosk.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ At their leader¡¯s words, the men all held their breaths. Vosk was someone they all looked up to as an older brother. Despite having been born into the Silva family, Vosk was still willing to talk with them casually. Above all, Vosk¡¯s combat strength with his claymore was very high. He had once struggled in a spar against a B rank adventurer, but had still eventually won. He had even been able to fight on equal terms against some A rank adventurers. For someone to be a match for Vosk¡­¡­that wasn¡¯t even mentioning about the Griffon, an A rank monster, and Elena, the General Princess. The leader didn¡¯t mention those things to his companions so as to not scare them any further. With such a difference in strength, it was clear why Vosk had told his men not to mess with them. ¡¸Anyhow, you guys shouldn¡¯t mess around with Rei or the woman inside or outside the dungeon. I¡¯m not the only one who has been told this. Do you understand? This isn¡¯t my order to you. This is an order from big bro.¡¹ ¡ºYes sir!¡» Seeing them all nod with one voice, the leader decided not to worry about it any further. He grasped the spear in his hands. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s go. Sword Bees move quickly but have low defences. We can easily kill them as long as we can hit them. We¡¯ll collect the seven magic stones for the request as quickly as possible and take as many others as we can get. This work will get us drinks and girls tonight. Understand you lot!?¡¹ ¡ºUOHHHHHHH!¡» They all gave a shout on the spot before moving out. The thief moved at the front of the party, but unlike Rei, he didn¡¯t seem to be actively searching for traps around them. Part of the reason was because he was a professional thief, but the other reason was that from his years of experience he knew the traps on the third floor couldn¡¯t cause any fatal injuries. Continuing straight ahead, they took a right at the first crossroads followed by a left and then straight ahead. The third floor had a complicated layout with many crossroads, but the monsters that appeared weren¡¯t that strong. Killing any low ranked monsters that appeared, such as Goblins, they stripped away any materials and collected proofs of subjugation as well as magic stones. ¡¸There don¡¯t seem to be any Sword Bees.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s been quite a while but not a single one has appeared¡­¡­what¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re not just choosing paths that don¡¯t have Sword Bees are you?¡¹ The thief at the front frowned at the words from his companions. ¡¸I shouldn¡¯t be. I¡¯ve been heading for areas were Sword Bees appear, but I can¡¯t help it if none of them show up, even though they would usually show up by this point.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s going on?¡¹ Hearing the thief¡¯s words, the leader asked questioningly. It was obviously quite strange that they hadn¡¯t encountered any Sword Bees after entering the dungeon. Of course, Swords Bees showed up on floors other than the third floor. So if they didn¡¯t find any here, the thought of moving to the next floor passed through the leader¡¯s mind. However, the reason why he didn¡¯t make that decision right away was that he felt somewhat uncomfortable. Yes, his intuition as an adventurer who had entered the dungeon for multiple years was telling him something. (What should we do? It seems like something has happened. ¡­¡­Should we leave?) The leader thought about it for a moment, but he was one step too late. ¡¸They¡¯re here! Sword Bees!¡¹ The thief at the front shouted out. The people behind him finally gave a sigh of relief as they prepared for battle¡­¡­ ¡¸Wait!¡¹ The thief shouted again. However, his voice held some confusion before his expression turned serious. ¡¸This number¡­¡­this is¡­¡­this is bad! It¡¯s not just 10 or 20, there might be more than 50 of them!¡¹ ¡¸What-!?¡¹ One of the men cried out involuntarily at the thief¡¯s words. However, the leader ignored him as he quickly made his decision. ¡¸Hey, we¡¯re leaving right away. Something is wrong. Or could it be¡­¡­¡¹ In that moment, the leader thought of Rei, who he had conversed with back at the magic circle. He wondered if this was the result of the two people and monsters doing something. At any rate, they needed to leave this place immediately. His decision was fast, but it was still too late to deal with the situation. ¡¸They¡¯re coming from behind!¡¹ As the thief shouted, a large number of Sword Bees appeared from in front and behind them, as if they were of the same mind. There were about 50 coming at them from the front with slight less, roughly 40, closing on them from behind. ¡¸Tch, every prepare for battle! Although there are a lot of them, there are only Sword Bees. If we can hit them once, they will die! This is a chance to collect a lot of magic stones!¡¹ Although the leader shouted as such, he had to admit their disadvantageous situation. He readied for combat as he tried to think of a way for him and his party members to make it back to the surface. The leader¡¯s words were technically correct. Sword Bees were an easy opponent to deal with and would die easily. However, their numbers were too large for them to deal with from the front and the back. As they started to become flustered¡­¡­ Whoosh-! Almost all 40 of the Sword Bees approaching them from behind were instantly wrapped in flames, burning to ashes alongside their magic stones before scattering to the winds. The temperature of the passageway rose for a moment, causing sweat, whether hot or cold, to appear on the men¡¯s foreheads¡­¡­ ¡¸Do you need any help?¡¹ The leader¡¯s eyes widened when he heard a familiar voice from the direction which the flames had come from. It was a boy with a huge 2m scythe and a dignified beauty with a sword whip in hand. A Griffon gave a cry while a small Dragon flew alongside them so as to not be a burden. It was an all too familiar group. CH 393 Going back a short while in time. Rei¡¯s group were making their way through the maze like, intersection filled, passageways of the third floor while reading their map. Although they weren¡¯t lost, the endless similar surroundings had started to slow their progress. Aside from the same looking surroundings, they also had to be cautious of traps as well as the monsters that frequently attacked them. The monsters were just low ranked monsters that could be killed in a single strike. But every time one appeared, they would have to stop, kill it, take out it¡¯s magic stone and so on¡­¡­ ¡¸Tch, Sword Bees again. There really are a lot of them today!¡¹ A single strike of the Death Scythe cut through the bodies of several Sword Bees, which fell to the dungeon floor. ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ Yellow flew over behind Set while chased by a Sword Bees. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set opened his beak with a loud cry. Set used Fire Breath as Yellow flew past him. Set had many ranged methods of attack. However, the one with the best combination of range and firepower was Fire Breath. Set turned his neck as he spat out fire, pouring hot flames over the 10 Sword Bees chasing after Yellow. The Sword Bees fell to the ground as their bodies burnt up. Elena also swung her sword whip as she slashed 5 Sword Bees in one stroke. Rei¡¯s fireball turned the last few Sword Bees to ashes, ending the battle. ¡¸Hah, I wonder why these monsters are attacking us. They should just go look for those guys who wanted Sword Bee magic stones.¡¹ Rei gave a sigh as he took out a magic stone from a Sword Bee using a material stripping knife. He then cut off the ¡®sword¡¯ that grew from it¡¯s tail end, which was it¡¯s proof of subjugation. ¡¸Well, don¡¯t say that. Weren¡¯t we told to bring back as many magic stones as possible? It¡¯s not a bad thing considering that.¡¹ Elena dismantled some Sword Bees herself, copying Rei¡¯s actions, as she replied. It wasn¡¯t hard for her to cut off the ¡®sword¡¯ that grew from their tails, but she seemed to be unfamiliar with taking out the magic stones buried in their hearts, making her take a bit longer. However, she was still much faster and cleaner than the time Rei had dismantled a Water Bear shortly after coming to Elgin. ¡¸She did say she wanted us to bring back more magic stones, but there surely has to be a limit. ¡­¡­Sword Bee magic stones are also small, so they won¡¯t be worth very much.¡¹ ¡¸Still, despite the trouble, it would be better to sell these magic stones than for the residents of Exil to run out of magic stones, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Given the number of people in Exil, they basically use magic stones like water.¡¹ As they talked about that, Rei stored the Sword Bee magic stones and proofs of subjugation into the Misty Ring. ¡¸At the very least, beast like monsters could be kept as food¡­¡­but, these are insects.¡¹ (Well, I have heard that wasps, beehives and bee larvae are considered high class foods in Japan¡­¡­they¡¯re all related to honey though, insects are a different matter. No, that¡¯s really a pointless constraint on myself seeing as I¡¯ve eaten Orc meat as if it were something normal.) Although it was a monster, Orcs were humanoid monsters that stood on two legs and wielded weapons in their hands. Rei was able to eat Orc and Lizardman meat without much hesitations, but he just didn¡¯t feel like eating insects. On the other hand, Set just stabbed his beak into them and ate them like snacks. Yellow seemed just as interested in them as Set as it ate some as well. ¡¸Come on, let¡¯s keep going. If we keep moving, it won¡¯t take as long to reach the stairs to the 4th floor.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­We really need a thief.¡¹ Rei gave a sigh as he thought of their slow speed due to being wary of traps before they started moving again. Elena gave a small smile in agreement. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ As they relaxed for just a moment, Set suddenly gave a sharp cry. Realising the vigilance in Set¡¯s cry, Rei immediately readied his Death Scythe without a word. Elena also held her sword whip at the ready. Rei clicked his tongue as he quickly looked around, ready to respond to attacks from any direction. Currently, they were in the middle of a crossroads. In other words, the enemy could be coming at them from the front, back, left or right. Fortunately, Set was looking to the right of the crossroad, so even if enemies came from different directions, the strongest one would come from the right. Rei waited while ready to cast magic in a first strike. Elena spoke up quietly beside Rei. ¡¸¡­¡­Is it an enemy?¡¹ ¡¸Definitely. However, our current location isn¡¯t great. The direction we came from¡­¡­no, there¡¯s no point.¡¹ Set pulled on Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe with his beak and shook his head as Rei was about to bring up the option of going back the way they came. ¡¸In that case¡­¡­it would be best to quickly defeat the enemies coming from the right as fast as we can.¡¹ ¡¸That can¡¯t be helped. However, considering the enemies we¡¯ve run into on this floor, I can roughly predict what they¡¯re going to be.¡¹ Well, yeah.¡¹ Rei gave a small smile at Elena¡¯s words. Almost all the monsters that had attacked them had been Sword Bees. And, it seemed that despite the presence of Set, there was something else suppressing their instinctive fear. That didn¡¯t leave many options. In other words¡­¡­ ¡¸I knew it.¡¹ Rei muttered as he saw the monster that appeared from the end of the passageway. Sword Bees were normally 30cm in length, but the Sword Bee in front them was nearly 3 times as large at 1m in length. ¡¸A rare or higher ranking species, it could also just be a queen bee. ¡­¡­What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t know, Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, unfortunately. It isn¡¯t in my monster encyclopedia.¡¹ Maybe monster encyclopedia¡¯s with pictures and more information could be found for sale in a labyrinth city like this compared to Gilm? As Rei thought of that, he tried to recall the monster from the monster encyclopedias he had read as well as Zepairu¡¯s knowledge. However, he couldn¡¯t find any information on the huge Sword Bee in front of them. ¡¸In that case, it would be better to treat it as a queen bee. The likelihood of it being a queen bee is probably more likely than it being a rare or higher ranking species.¡¹ Elena spoke as she looked at the Sword Bees trying to surround them and held her sword whip, ready to swing it at any time. Rei started to pour magic power into his Death Scythe as he nodded. It was Rei¡¯s magic that broke the balance of the two sides observing each other. ¡ºFire, follow my will and burn your enemies.¡» Along with his incantation, a 30cm fireball was created at the tip of the Death Scythe. ¡ºFireball!¡» As soon as the magic was completed, the fireball flew through the air as it attempted to burn the queen bee. ¡¸Kikikikiki-!¡¹ The wings of the queen bee began to rub against each other and a high pitched sound that seemed like a cry echoed out. No, it was clearly some sort of cry. A large number of Sword Bees threw themselves in front of the fireball as if to protect the queen bee. Rei clicked his tongued as he saw the Sword Bees¡¯ protect their queen. (The queen bee is the only one that can make them work together. In that case¡­¡­I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to kill the queen bee first.) Making a quick decision, Rei looked over at Elena. Understanding what Rei wanted to do with a glance, Elena swung her sword whip out. The tip of the sword, controlled by Elena¡¯s magic power, headed for the queen bee as it avoided other the Sword Bees, drawing a complex trajectory in the air¡­¡­but, just as it was about to hit the queen bee, a Sword Bee stopped the tip with its body. ¡¸Gurururururu-!¡¹ Seemingly finding a gap, Set used Wind Arrow to strike the Sword Bees around the queen. ¡¸The path is open! It¡¯s your mistake for misjudging our strength!¡¹ With a shout, Rei threw a spear that he took out from the Misty Ring. The spear, which was pierced through the air as it was thrown out, stabbed, crushed, destroyed and smashed through any Sword Bees that threw themselves in its way in an attempt to protect the queen¡­¡­yet, as it was about to strike the queen bee¡¯s large torso. ¡¸Kikikikiki-!¡¹ The queen bee rubbed it¡¯s wings against each other again, creating a wind barrier between Rei and the Sword Bees, hiding the figure of the queen bee. Although Rei¡¯s spear pierced the wind barrier, it¡¯s path clearly veered away from the queen bee. ¡¸Wind magic!? ¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think it had a hidden trick like that.¡¹ ¡¸Rei, no. I can¡¯t see Sword Bees approaching from any other direction. It seems that they¡¯ve withdrawn.¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯ve retreated? I see, in that case.¡¹ Just as Rei said that, the wind barrier lost it¡¯s power and the area behind it became visible again. Of course, the queen bee was no longer there, just a few Sword Bees that had been pierced by the spear, which was now stuck in the wall. The worst part was that the corpses of the Sword Bees that had been struck by the spear were then caught in the wind barrier, tearing them to pieces. Rei gave a sigh as he clicked his tongue. ¡¸I had expected it to run away because it let its subordinates die¡­¡­but to destroy the bodies of its subordinates. Don¡¯t you know that we¡¯re trying to collect magic stones, materials and proofs of subjugation?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That might actually be possible. Insect monsters basically aren¡¯t very smart, but sometimes, I¡¯ve heard that strangely intelligent individuals would appear. This may be one of them. As expected of a queen bee¡­¡­what do we do now?¡¹ Elena asked while only half expecting a response from Rei. As far as their current situation was concerned, this was the first time they had encountered a Sword Bee queen, and of course¡­¡­ ¡¸I haven¡¯t absorbed a magic stone from one of them before. Of course I¡¯ll chase after it.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I thought. This is why I can¡¯t leave you alone. I¡¯ll have to go with you.¡¹ Elena was a loss for words for a moment before she continued speaking. She considered herself to have great appeal, but unfortunately it had no effect on Rei, who¡¯s focus was now completely on the queen bee¡¯s magic stone. Rei looked towards the direction the queen bee had likely left and thought about it for several seconds before coming to a decision. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Elena, I¡¯d really like to get the queen bee¡¯s magic stone. We can head straight for the stairs to the fourth floor after that.¡¹ ¡¸Haah. ¡­¡­I understand. Well, I had expected it to happen because of who you are. I wish you¡¯d care a little more for me though.¡¹ Elena gave a sigh when she realised her appeal had no use. However, Elena couldn¡¯t deny that she was in agreement with Rei¡¯s decision. ¡¸Well then. Let¡¯s go. However, it looks like this path leads to another crossroads¡­¡­Set, can I leave it to you?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Leave it to me, Set seemed to say with a cry. Seeing that, Rei gave a smile and stroked his head. Set squinted his eyes for a moment before immediately breaking out into a run. The scent still lingered for now, but as time went by, it would become more difficult to follow. Rei and the others started to run after Set. Originally, they had planned to advanced while keeping an eye out for traps, but if they continued to do that in their current situation, the queen bee would definitely escape. Considering that, they judged that it would be better for them to run through the passageways, catch up with the queen bee and kill it, even if it meant putting themselves at greater risk. Both Rei and Elena understood each other¡¯s thoughts just by looking at each other. (Fortunately, all the traps on the third floor aren¡¯t too big of an issue.) Rei thought to himself while chasing after Set. Elena ran alongside him with Yellow sitting on her left shoulder. It was a party of two people and two monsters, but Rei felt strangely satisfied at their ability to communicate with each other without wasting time on words. They ran through the dungeon, past many crossroads, without hesitation. Sometimes they went straight, sometimes to the right and sometimes to the left. Ocassionally, they would run into a monster the moment they turned a crossroad. However, since most of them were low levelled monsters like Goblins, their heads or bodies would either be slashed by Rei¡¯s Death Scythe and Elena¡¯s sword whip, or be crushed by Set¡¯s forefeet. The unluckiest one was a Goblin that had gotten caught on Set¡¯s shoulder as he passed by. As a result of pushing the Goblin against the wall and running without slowing down, there was less than half a Goblin left by the it fell from Set after being scraped against the wall. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set gave a short cry. Hearing that, Rei thought that they had caught up with the queen bee when heard the noise of fighting. There was the sound of shouting, screaming and objects slashing or slamming into something. Hearing that, the voice of the adventurer who had talked with them at the stairs passed through Rei¡¯s mind. When they finally turned the corner, Rei saw what he had been expecting. He cast the magic that he had prepared earlier just in case and burned up all the Sword Bee that had been a short distance away from the adventurers¡­¡­ ¡¸Do you need help?¡¹ Rei called out. CH 394 ¡¸Wha-, t-this is!?¡¹ Just as they had been surrounded by Sword Bees, 40 or so of them suddenly disappeared from behind them. No, rather than disappearing, it would be more correct to say that they were burned to ashes. As that happened, the leader heard and saw a familiar voice and appearance. ¡¸Rei-san!?¡¹ Rei nodded towards the leader as he, Elena and Set approached them from behind. Yellow didn¡¯t fly over but sat on Elena¡¯s left shoulder instead. ¡¸Why are you here? Weren¡¯t you heading for the fourth floor?¡¹ ¡¸Why? We just had some minor business to finish.¡¹ Despite being surrounded by Sword Bees from all directions except the one they came from, Rei replied casually. In this situation, the leader felt a sense of security as he spoke¡­¡­similar to the same feeling he would have when Vosk, his big bro, was around. ¡¸Some minor business? No, either way, you¡¯ve saved us Rei-san. I didn¡¯t think that the Sword Bees would attack us like this.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. These aren¡¯t ordinary Sword Bees. ¡­¡­No, well, to be exact, the Sword Bee leading them isn¡¯t ordinary.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not ordinary?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It seems to be a queen bee of sorts, it¡¯s much bigger than ordinary Sword Bees. ¡­¡­Do you know what I¡¯m talking about?¡¹ Glancing at Set to tell him to watch his back, Rei asked the leader. With outsiders around, Set couldn¡¯t show off his skills, so he directly went over to the Sword Bees to physically attack them. Set ignored the adventurers, who seemed to be in shock, as he walked past them. ¡¸A queen bee? No, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve never heard of one before. ¡­¡­Hey, have any of you heard of one before?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ve heard of it.¡¹ In response to the leader¡¯s question, the thief replied as he held up his daggers, holding back the Sword Bees that were looking to attack him at any moment. However, the Sword Bees didn¡¯t move at all, despite being right in front of the thief. ¡­¡­No, rather they couldn¡¯t move. They had attacked the adventurers thinking that they had lost Rei completely. However, Rei had suddenly appeared before them again. As for the queen bee, it watched Rei from behind the swarm of Sword Bees. Although its compound eyes gave off an emotionless feeling, as expected of insect monsters, the sound of it¡¯s vibrating wings seemed to show its frustration. The queen bee was once again thinking whether or not to retreat from an enemy that could easily defeat its swarm. However, as she had been chased so far, the queen bee decided that it was unlikely she could escape. She had originally decided to fight the adventurers while Rei and the others had yet to catch up to her. The queen bee¡¯s mistake was overestimating her own strength. She had definitely been dizzied by the power of Rei¡¯s group. Certainly, Rei, Elena and Set¡¯s strength was overwhelming. However, ignoring the three of them, the six adventurers she had attacked, after escaping from Rei, weren¡¯t to be looked down on either. In the first place, they were adventurers who were usually active on deeper floors and had the skills to match. At the very least, they were more than strong enough to clear the third floor. After all, even though it was a queen bee, it was still a E rank queen bee at best. ¡¸Kikikikiki-!¡¹ Instructions were given to Sword Bees with the beating of wings. Take out the adventurers first and buy her as much time as possible. Following the instructions they were given, the Sword Bees all attacked at the same time. Countless Sword Bees slashed towards the adventurers with the ¡®swords¡¯ that extended from their tails¡­¡­ ¡¸What do they think they¡¯re doing. Are they aiming for us because they think we¡¯re weak? Don¡¯t underestimate us too much!¡¹ With a shout, the leader rapidly struck out with his sword. One strike, two strikes, three strikes. His sword swiftly passed through the air, leaving behind Sword Bees without their abdomens. ¡¸¡­¡­Heh.¡¹ Rei, who was watching from close by, made a sound in admiration. Given what had happened to him the day before, Rei hadn¡¯t expected the leader to be a good fighter. As for the rest of the adventurers, they wielded their spears, daggers, bows, swords and battle axe as they took down the Sword Bees attacking them one after another. They had been surprised when the Sword Bees had initially surrounded them, but demonstrating their true abilities, E rank Sword Bees were no match for them. The number of enemies slowly started to decrease. However¡­¡­ ¡¸It won¡¯t be good if things continue like this.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he used his Death Scythe to slice several Sword Bees in half. The Sword Bees were definitely not very strong. Right now, Rei and the adventurers were in an advantageous position. ¡­¡­Yes. For now. (There are a lot of them. No, there are too many of them. In that case¡­¡­it would still be better to deal with the queen bee giving the orders than deal with the small fry.) Rei¡¯s aim wasn¡¯t the Sword Bees, but the queen. Quickly putting his thoughts in order, he looked around. Rei guessed that the queen bee had to be in a position where it could watch the entire fight if it were to give out such precise orders to the Sword Bees. However, no matter where he looked, he could only see 30cm large Sword Bees. The queen bee couldn¡¯t be found anywhere. (Tch, did we scare the queen too much after our first fight? I didn¡¯t expect it to be so clever. It might be because they¡¯re bees, but I didn¡¯t think the Sword Bees would protect their queen to the point of killing themselves. In that case¡­¡­) Although he couldn¡¯t see the queen bee, Rei had several ways of finding her. He looked around to see what method he could use. Fortunately, following their leader¡¯s orders, the adventurers seemed to be doing more than enough. Rei called out to Set, who was fighting off the Sword Bees which were trying to wrap around behind them. ¡¸Set, find the queen bee!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~? ¡­¡­Guru~!¡¹ Knocking down a Sword Bee with his forefoot, Set gave a sharp cry. Jumping off the ground before leaping off both walls in a sort of triangle jump, Set passed over the heads of the adventurers before rushing straight towards the place where the Sword Bees were densest, blasting away nearly 30 Sword Bees before landing next to Rei. At the same time, Set looked around for several seconds. Sword Bees hardly had any emotions, but it seemed they weren¡¯t entirely emotionless. The moment Set paused, he sensed the scent of the queen bee from the right side of a crossroad. ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Leaping forward with another cry, Set jumped from wall to wall like a ping pong ball as he controlled his speed¡­¡­ ¡¸Kikikikikiki-!¡¹ The queen been must have noticed Set coming towards her. She vibrated her wings to give orders to the surrounding Sword Bees as she shot out multiple wind blades. The wind blades were invisible as they headed towards Set. Naturally, the Sword Bees attacking Set were not immune to them and many were sliced apart. However, with orders from the queen bee, the Sword Bees continued to block Set¡¯s path without regard for their own injuries. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Seeing Sword Bees sliced apart by the invisible wind blades, Set gave a loud cry and flapped his wings to forcibly change his trajectory. Jumping off a wall with his momentum¡­¡­he finally reached his target, the queen bee. ¡¸Kikikikiki-!¡¹ The queen bee probably realised it could no longer escape. She vibrated her wings threateningly and shot out more wind blades while thrusting with a poisonous stinger at the same time. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set gave a brave cry despite sensing the approaching wind blades. Instead of avoiding them by sight, Set used his hearing, smell and even his sixth sense to avoid the wind blades as he moved forward. With so many wind blades shot at him, Set had no choice but to use his skill to shrink himself, slipping past the wind blades as he rushed forward. Fortunately, the adventurers, who weren¡¯t aware of Set¡¯s secret, were too preoccupied dealing with the Sword Bees. Despite being significantly stronger than the Sword Bees, there were an innumerable number of them. The young men might have been active on the deeper floors, but that didn¡¯t mean they had the same level of extraordinary strength as Rei and Elena. In Elgin, quality could make up for a lack of quantity, but that required a certain level of quality. As for this group of adventurers, their quality wasn¡¯t high enough to deal with the quantity of Sword Bees. Because of that, they were too busy doing their best to hold out and didn¡¯t notice Set shrinking his body down to 1m in length. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the queen bee, who saw Set transform right in front of her. After all, Set had just avoided the dense wind blades she had shot out. The queen bee had been waiting for an opportunity to strike with her poisonous stinger right after Set was hit by the wind blades. Unfortunately, that moment became a fatal opening for the queen bee. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set returned to his original 2m size and gave a cry as he swiped out with his forefoot. The effect of his Bracelet of Herculean Strength overlapping with his natural physical strength made Set¡¯s attack fatal for a monster 1m in size, even if it was a queen bee. Set¡¯s eagle claw struck the queen bee¡¯s abdomen where her poisonous stinger was. The momentum caused the queen be to make a half turn in the air, pointing its head towards the ground. Set¡¯s other other claw attacked mercilessly¡­¡­the next moment, the queen bee¡¯s head exploded just like her abdomen. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a victory cry as he looked at the corpse of the queen bee. At the same time, the Sword Bees that had been attacking the adventurers and Rei¡¯s group froze for a moment as if they had lost signal. Immediately after, they flew away in different directions as if escaping. All Rei and the others did was watch them leave. Of course, if they had wanted to chase after the Sword Bees, they could have done it. But the adventurers were exhausted after the extended fight and Rei and Elena had no reason to hunt down the Sword Bees either. That was especially so for Rei, who only wanted the queen bee¡¯s magic stone and wasn¡¯t as interested in the ordinary Sword Bees. ¡¸Phew¡­¡­I¡¯m dead.¡¹ One of the adventurers said that as he leaned against the dungeon wall. His other companions just looked at him as they took a break and drank from the water bottles given to them from their porter ¡¸Hey, you lot! Strip out the magic stones and proofs of subjugation before taking a break!¡¹ ¡¸Ehhh¡­¡­big bro, can¡¯t we just take a short break?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid! Remember what big bro Vosk always says! You have to be careful in the dungeon! Anyway, get to work!¡¹ The leader shouted at his party before turning towards Rei and the others. ¡¸Uh, thank you for your help. So¡­¡­about splitting the rewards¡­¡­¡¹ After glancing at Elena, Rei nodded towards the leader, who seemed to hesitating over something. ¡¸Well, we can give you the Sword Bees, but I¡¯d like to take the queen bee here.¡¹ ¡¸No! That¡¯s too much for us! We can¡¯t do something like that to people who saved our lives. You were the one who killed the queen bee, so that¡¯s fine for you to take. But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. In the first place, we entered the dungeon to collect magic items and magic stones from rare monsters. In particular, I already have a lot of Sword Bee magic stones. I don¡¯t want any more and I don¡¯t have any money issues right now either.¡¹ ¡¸But, still¡­¡­¡¹ Rei judged that it would be useless to continue talking with the leader, who still seemed to want to give them a share. However, despite making that judgement, Rei¡¯s impression of the leader did improve. After all, there were 100 dead Sword Bees lying around, maybe even more. Considering that, it was only natural that people would want to monopolise it all. Even so, the leader had still asked to divide it up. However, for Rei, it would be a troublesome task to dismantle all the Sword Bees here. Queen bee aside, it would also be troublesome if he stored the Sword Bees into the Misty Ring now and took out the magic stones later. In the end, it was just a matter of weighing effort against reward. For that reason, Rei simply shrugged his shoulders after storing away the queen bee¡¯s corpse before leaving with Elena, Set and Yellow while the leader¡¯s voice still hung in the air. CH 395 The fourth floor in the Exil Dungeon. Rei and the others finally reached it about an hour after the Sword Bee incident. ¡¸So this is the fourth floor? It looks just the same.¡¹ Elena muttered as she looked around the room where the stairs and the magic circle were. The surroundings were still cobblestone walls and floors, more or less the same style as the third floor. ¡¸Looking at it another way though, it just goes to show how basic the dungeon with the Altar of Inheritance was.¡¹ ¡¸The first floor was the same, but it started to change as we went down. However, the dungeon hadn¡¯t been around for long, so maybe that had something to do with it. Considering that, perhaps this dungeon will also change into a forest when we go deeper¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I hope so. As expected, it starts to get tiring seeing the same scenery all the time. ¡­¡­What do we do now? Do you want to explore this floor a bit? Or do you want to head back up?¡¹ Rei rubbed and stroked Set¡¯s head and back as he thought for a few seconds before looking over at Elena before making his decision. ¡¸Let¡¯s go back for today. I¡¯m tired from dealing with the Sword Bees and, in the end, we¡¯ve only been in Exil for a few days. We don¡¯t have to overdo it here.¡¹ ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t mind exploring a bit further¡­¡­¡¹ Although Elena said that, she understood Rei¡¯s reasoning for ending their dungeon dive here for the day as she wasn¡¯t fully accustomed to the dungeon environment either. Her strength on the battlefield was fine. However, fighting monsters while staying wary of traps inside dungeon, with no idea where they might appear, was a different situation. Adding on the fight with the queen bee, the subsequent chase and countless Sword Bees she had killed, Elena was more tired than she looked. ¡¸However, I do want to absorb the queen bee¡¯s magic stone before returning to the surface using the magic circle.¡¹ Rei said that after looking around and making sure there wasn¡¯t anyone nearby. When Elena heard him, she gave a small smile, her expression changing from few seconds ago. ¡¸Absorbing the magic stone? I would like to see that at least once, but¡­¡­is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Am I going to hide it from you now? Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out the corpse of the queen bee from the Misty Ring. Its head and abdomen, which was where its poisonous stinger had been, had both been crushed. At a glance, it was hard to tell what the monster had originally looked like. ¡¸Looking at it, that was definitely from Set¡¯s attack.¡¹ Elena murmured as she looked at the corpse of the queen bee. Rei took out his dismantling knife and cut into the body of the queen bee as Elena watched. The queen bee¡¯s abdomen had been completely crushed, but fortunately the magic stone was still in its heart as normal, so Rei was able to remove it without any problems. ¡¸¡­¡­Do you think the wings or other materials would sell?¡¹ ¡¸Even if you ask me, I have no idea. Well, we could take everything with us. If it doesn¡¯t sell, we can just burn it or throw it away. Since you have an item box, Rei, the weight shouldn¡¯t matter.¡¹ ¡¸That is true.¡¹ Rei nodded as he stored the corpse of the queen bee, which was now missing its heart, back into the item box. He then took out the Dagger of Flowing Water to wash his dirty hands and knife. Knowing how good the water tasted, having been created with massive amounts of magic power, Elena looked over towards Rei as if she wanted to say something. However, since the water was made with Rei¡¯s magic power and because he could make as much as he wanted, she stopped herself from saying anything. Rei didn¡¯t seem to care at all as he finished washing his hands and knife before presenting the queen bee¡¯s magic stone to Set. ¡¸Set, you can eat it.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Rei grabbed the magic stone with his beak before swallowing it. Rei gave a sigh when the familiar announcement didn¡¯t sound in his mind after 30 seconds. (Well, it might have been a queen bee, but a queen bee is still just a queen of E rank Sword Bees. Considering that, I guess there weren¡¯t any skills that could be learnt.) As Rei thought to himself, he looked over towards Elena, who was looking back at him and Set with some expectation. As if waiting for that moment, Elena voiced her questions. ¡¸So, what did he learn? If it¡¯s a queen bee, is it something to do with poison?¡¹ Rei shook his head at Elena, who looked unusually interested. ¡¸Unfortunately, no skills were learnt. Well, even if a magic stone is absorbed, it doesn¡¯t guarantee that a skill will be learnt.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so?¡¹ Elena gave a sigh at Rei¡¯s reply. Rei tapped her shoulder, covered in white armour, to encourage Elena. ¡¸Well, there are stronger monsters the deeper down the dungeon we go. I think we will have the opportunity to absorb their magic stones, so you can look forward to that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Elena nodded without any change in her forlorn expression, possibly because she had wanted to see what it looked like when Set learnt a new skill. ¡¸Kyi!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Yellow sat on her left shoulder, comforting Elena by rubbing against her cheek while Set bowed his head at her, as if apologising. Seeing the two of them act like that, Elena spoke up with a small smile on her face as she stroked both their heads. ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just that I had my own expectations. Besides, as Rei said, if we continue to the deeper floors, there will be many strong monsters. More importantly, let¡¯s go back up. We gave away all the Sword Bee magic stones, but we¡¯ve still been collecting other magic stones. After selling them at the guild, we¡¯ll get something to eat like yesterday before heading back to the inn. ¡­¡­However, Rei, if you do meet that Vihera from yesterday, don¡¯t you get seduced by her.¡¹ ¡¸No, I wasn¡¯t¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Did you say something?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s glare, Rei couldn¡¯t continue speaking and decided to keep silent. Perhaps she was happy to see Rei¡¯s reponse, Elena gave a small nod before immediately turning to head for the magic circle. ¡¸Come on Rei. Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Elena said that as she held Rei¡¯s hand. ¡¸I would like to sell these.¡¹ Rei immediately went over to the the materials sale counter after returning to the guild. He took out magic stones, proofs of subjugation and a small number materials from the from the Misty Ring and placed them onto the counter. They had gone to the guild at a later time compared to the previous day, but it was still before 4pm, which was the busiest time. Because of that, they were able to quickly sell off everything, except for the queen bee, which didn¡¯t have any saleable materials, without having to line up. Just as they were about to leave the guild. ¡¸Pardon me, Rei-san, Elena-san. There are some people looking for the two of you, do you have some time?¡¹ The person who called out to them wasn¡¯t the one who they had handed in materials over to, but a receptionist from the request counter. ¡¸Looking for us?¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t recall causing any issues recently, especially in Exil, which was why he asked, wondering if there had been a mistake. However, the receptionist shook her head in response. ¡¸They are definitely looking for Rei-san and Elena-san. They¡¯re waiting upstairs in the innermost meeting room.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Who is it?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Vosk Silva-san.¡¹ Hearing that name, Rei recalled what had happened in the dungeon. (I see, is it related to that?) Thinking about that, he recalled the giant 2m tall Vosk, who he had seen briefly back at the eatery. He also recalled the huge claymore than Vosk had carried at his back. (Well, I wonder what he wants¡­¡­if possible, I don¡¯t want the discussion to turn sour.) As Rei thought about that, he and Elena went up the stairs to the second floor and made their way to the room at the very back. ¡¸I wonder how things will turn out.¡¹ Rei muttered as he knocked on the door, after which there was an immediate response. ¡ºCome in.¡» Hearing that, Rei opened the door, finding the man he had seen the day before. As expected, a claymore was too much of a hindrance to carry around inside the room and was casually placed on the table. No, it would only appear casual to most people. To those with a certain level of skill, they could see that it was in a position where Vosk could instantly swing it. ¡­¡­Even if there were nearly 30 skewers on the table. ¡¸Hey, I¡¯ve been waiting.¡¹ Vosk greeted Rei by raising his left hand as his right hand reached out for a skewer. Bringing the skewer to his mouth, he bit into the meat closest to his hand and pulled the skewer out in one go, putting all the meat in his mouth. Next, he reached out for a cask of wine, which he casually poured into a cup the size of a bowl before pouring it into his mouth alongside the meat. ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­pardon me, there¡¯s a lot of work in governing this city. Thanks to that, I¡¯m eating what can be considered something between a lunch and a dinner. ¡­¡­So, you already know why I called you two over, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, is it about what happened in the dungeon today? News moves fast.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a young man after all, being fast on my feet is one of my selling points.¡¹ With a smile on his face, he stood up from his chair and walked over to Rei and Elena. After a few seconds of silence¡­¡­ ¡¸Thank you very much for helping my brothers!¡¹ Saying that, Vosk gave a deep bow. It was not something Rei or Elena had expected. They had never thought that one of the heads of the three families governing Exil would bow his head so easily. Although Rei and Elena had though that he was just thanking them for the sake of appearances, the sight of Vosk actually bowing his head made them realise he was serious. At the very least, the bow looked serious to Rei and Elena. ¡¸This is a surprise.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That I¡¯m bowing towards you?¡¹ Vosk raised his head at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸Yeah. I didn¡¯t think you would do something like this considering your attitude yesterday.¡¹ ¡¸Under normal circumstances, that¡¯s definitely true. I know that better than anyone. But this time is different. They are my younger brothers who rely on me and love me. They are my biggest asset. Much more important than money.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh.¡¹ Elena seemed to like Vosk¡¯s reasons and looked impressed as she stood next to Rei. ¡¸So. This is my gratitude. Please accept it.¡¹ Saying that, Vosk took out several gemstones from his waist pocket. They weren¡¯t big in size, but there were still a total six rubies, emeralds and turquoise gems. Rei immediately understood what the number of gems represented. It was the number of adventurers that Rei and Elena had helped out in the dungeon. ¡¸Are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s not all mine anyway. Half of them are from the people you helped out as thanks for saving their lives. In fact, this was only possible because you gave them all the Sword Bee magic stones, I didn¡¯t force them to give these to you.¡¹ ¡¸Well, appearances aside, they¡¯re quite responsible.¡¹ Vosk gave a hearty smile at Rei¡¯s reply. Looking at Vosk, Rei was reminded of Elk, the leader of Axe of the Thunder God, for some reason. (Are they similar? ¡­¡­Well, if you ask me if they¡¯re similar, they¡¯re definitely similar. Especially the part where they highly value their friends.) Rei thought about that as he received the gems from Vosk, who handed them over in a small bag. Normally, this could be considered an excessive rewards for saving the lives of several adventurers. In another sense, it could be said that the lives of adventurers were cheap, but the person who handed over the reward didn¡¯t seem to care as he nodded in satisfaction. After that, Vosk just returned to his seat and started stuffing skewers into his mouth. That was the end of the matter, at least that was probably the case. However, as Rei and Elena were about to leave the room, Vosk called out to them again. ¡¸Hey, what are Crimson and the General Princess doing here in Exil?¡¹ ¡¸Is there a problem? We just came here for the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ ¡¸Well, who knows. But, at the very least, there¡¯s no other reason. I just have a hobby of collecting magic items and magic stones, I don¡¯t plan to do much else in this city.¡¹ They didn¡¯t know what Vosk took from Rei¡¯s response, but he didn¡¯t ask anything more as the two of them left. CH 396 Night time, same day after they had dealt with the queen bee incident. It was late at night, but there was still a stuffy heat peculiar to summer when Rei left the inn. Normally, it would be dangerous to head out into the city after dark due to all the drunk people who would be rampaging about. However, for Rei, those people weren¡¯t a problem and, above all, he wasn¡¯t feeling sleepy at all. If Elena had been awake, the two of them might have just spent time talking with each other. It was true that he liked Elena and he somewhat knew that Elena liked him as well as he had been allowed to kiss her on the lips several times. However, fortunately or unfortunately, it seemed that Elena was mentally exhausted from the day¡¯s events and when Rei went to her room and knocked, there hadn¡¯t been a reply. With nothing else to do, Rei decided to spend a night out in Exil. It was close to 9pm. Even though it was summer, the surroundings were already dark. Some places used magic items to light up their surroundings. The areas the the lights covered consisted mainly of the entertainment district where the bars and brothels were. In the meantime, the street stalls caught Rei¡¯s eyes. ¡¸Heh, it¡¯s rare to find food stalls still out at night.¡¹ Rei was reminded of the festivals and night markets in modern Japan when he saw the street stall. Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, cotton candy, squid pancakes and so on. There were also more unusual food stalls like ones that served doner kebabs, but in Rei¡¯s case, there were only basic food stalls in the area he lived. Some of the more foods that could be served included oden and grilled fish that had been caught from nearby rivers, such as sweetfish, char and yamame trout. ¡¸Welcome. Kid, do you want something to eat?¡¹ The stall owner must have noticed Rei looking over at the stall. A brash looking man in his 40¡¯s called out to Rei. Rei wasn¡¯t sure how to respond for a moment. The food from the inn had filled him up, the kitchen had been like a war zone because of the amount of food Rei ate, so he didn¡¯t have space for much more. Fortunately, it seemed that the stall mainly sold light food such as sandwiches and soups, probably to put some food into the stomach after drinking alcohol. (It is true that drunk people often want to eat ramen. ¡­¡­Hm? Considering that, I could probably make some money by selling udon here. No, there are probably already stalls like in Gilm which exist for the purpose of serving drunk people.) Although the thought of udon from the Satisfied Stomach passed through his mind, it was unlikely that people would eat udon noodles here¡­¡­rather, it was impossible that anyone would eat udon in Exil as no one here even knew about udon. Rei though about that as he ordered a sandwich. Probably because it was night time, there was no place to sit down and eat at the food stall. Because of that, Rei had no choice but to lean against a wall of a nearby building as he brought a ham and cheese sandwich to his mouth. The sandwich seemed to contain mustard or something like it. The spicy taste, the mellow cheese and the salty ham blended together in his mouth, the taste making Rei unintentionally take several more bites. As he ate his sandwich, the watched people walk down the street, illuminated by magic items giving off light. There was an adventurer wearing leather armour and a thief who wore cloth, focusing on easy of movement over armour. There was a man who seemed to have drank too much as stumbled with an unsteady gait, using his spear as a walking stick. Aside from adventurers, there were also merchants and residents of Exil. They drank, sang and argued with each other, as if trying to blow away the feeling of the hot weather. As Rei looked down the street, a hand suddenly reached out from his side. Rei almost grabbed the hand before eventually letting pass after sensing that the owner of the hand had no murderous intentions. The hand reached in and pulled out a few sandwiches from the bag in Rei¡¯s hand before bringing them to the mouth of its owner. Although it was summer, she didn¡¯t have any sunburns on her lustrous white arms. Her arms were wrapped in an extremely thin layer of fabric, thin enough that it could be seen through. Even without looking at her face, Rei could guess who the arm belonged to. After all, she had left such a strong impression that it was impossible to forget her. That said, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure as the woman wasn¡¯t wearing her signature weapons on her hands. ¡¸Vihera, was it? What are you doing here?¡¹ ¡¸Ufufu. I was walking along and enjoying a drink when I saw a familiar kid. Hello, hello.¡¹ Vihera grinned with her aggressively beautiful face as she brought a sandwich to her mouth. She was just eating a sandwich. Yet, Rei felt it to be strangely sophisticated. However, that feeling quickly dissipated at the sight of her licking her fingers after eating the sandwich. ¡¸Enjoying a drink¡­¡­huh. It seems like you have a bloody smell following after you.¡¹ Rei turned to look at Vihera after a light sniff. There was definitely a scent of blood coming from the woman in front of him, mixed into the scent of alcohol and some perfume Vihera might have used. ¡¸Oh? How did you know? You seem to have a good nose. ¡­¡­Are you a beastman?¡¹ ¡¸No, I am 100% human.¡¹ To be exact, he was an artificial human, but he didn¡¯t mention that in his reply. ¡¸Really? You seem to have a very keen sense of smell.¡¹ ¡¸Who knows. So, since you have the smell of blood on you, have you been fighting someone?¡¹ Rei asked Vihera, who had a happy smile on her face. However, his hand was ready to take out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring at any time. He had only met with her for a few minutes before. Still, that was enough for Rei to understand that the beautiful woman before him had a lust for blood¡­¡­or rather, she was a battle maniac. However, Vihera just shrugged her shoulders with a smile. That action caused her large twin hills to shake, drawing the attention of several drunk people walking along the main street. That said, she didn¡¯t seem to care, as if she had become used to the rude stares directed at her from men. Vihera was one of the three most beautiful women he had seen in his life. If someone like that were to wear translucent clothes, dancers clothes, and expose their skin¡­¡­adding on that it was night time and there were drunks on the street¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, girl. Why don¡¯t you play with me instead of that boy? I have plenty of money? ¡­¡­Hic.¡¹ It was inevitable that someone would call out to her. It was a man in his late twenties or early thirties with a solid build, just under 2m in height. His eyes were glued to her body and his cheeks were flushed with intoxication as he licked his lips. As he had come out just to drink, he only had his long sword at his waist. However, it could also be said that the man¡¯s physique in itself was a vicious weapon. ¡¸I don¡¯t like people who are weak and dull like you. Sorry.¡¹ Vihera responded to him bluntly. Not only did she not want to be disturbed as she talked with Rei, who was someone she had set her sights on, she could also tell the man¡¯s strength at a glance. The man might have been well built and quite strong. However, although he was drunk, the way he moved his body was clear enough to show that he didn¡¯t have much skill. In other words, he was just a typical power fighter. Vihera also judged the man¡¯s strength to be below her own. Seeing that, she had quickly lost interest, causing her to reply as such. However, there was no way the man would remain silent after hearing such words. He was confident in his own strength and although Vihera was beautiful, she didn¡¯t look like someone who could fight. Because of that, the blood rushed to his drunken head. Unfortunately, Vihera didn¡¯t have her hand and feet weapons equipped at this point in time. If she had, the man might have realised who she was, given the mismatch between her weapons and her clothes. Because of that, he reached out the woman who was ignoring him as she smiled at the kid beside her¡­¡­the next moment, he found that the woman was no longer in front of him as his hand stretched out towards Rei for some reason. Avoiding the man¡¯s arm, Vihera had skilfully moved to the other side of Rei, as if sliding along the ground. If the man hadn¡¯t been drunk, he would have realised Vihera¡¯s skill from her movements and withdrawn. However, he wasn¡¯t able to tell in his drunken state. Beacause of that, Rei, who appeared to have a close relationship with the beautiful woman from his perspective, became his target as his extended hand turned into a fist. ¡¸Seriously, don¡¯t drag me into this.¡¹ With a sigh, Rei grabbed the outstretched fist with his right hand and jerked it to throw the man off balance before sweeping his legs. The man had been quite sure of his own strength. Rei and Vihera might not have known it, but the man was a somewhat well known D rank adventurer. That said, his level of strength couldn¡¯t be compared to Rei¡¯s and his drunkenness meant that he was swept away and landed on his backside like a sack of rice hitting the ground. ¡¸Uooh!¡¹ Rei pushed his foot against the fallen man with a certain amount of force to stop him from moving. ¡¸G-Get off me! D-Damn it! W-What did you do!¡¹ The man tried to get Rei¡¯s leg off him as his face turned red. However, he couldn¡¯t exert much strength from his position and just ended up getting flustered. Rei looked at the man and gave a small sigh as he turned to the person next to him. Vihera had intentionally dragged Rei into it despite being able to beat someone at the level of the man with her own strength. Even so, Rei didn¡¯t voice his complaints as he knew that even if Vihera had dealt with the man herself, he would probably still have been dragged into the matter in the end. He knew this from the fact that he had been dragged into various matters before due to his appearance of a 15 year old. ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s great. You¡¯re the one I¡¯ve set my eyes on.¡¹ After hearing the words ¡®I¡¯ve got my eyes set on¡¯ that Vihera said to Rei, several gazes which had been watching the situation unfold focused on Rei. The gazes were filled with jealously. Or curiosity. The former were from men while the latter were from women who had heard Vihera¡¯s straightforward words. After putting a bit more pressure on the man with his leg to knock him out, Rei finally spoke. ¡¸I¡¯m pretty sure you meant a different meaning from what you just said.¡¹ ¡¸Well, what do you think? Maybe it¡¯s really true?¡¹ The two were conversing as such when they heard some noise come from the onlookers around them and looked to find the cause. ¡¸Really, it¡¯s just another drunken commotion again. Why do they all become so rowdy in summer.¡¹ ¡¸Well, there¡¯s no use saying it now. There, the guy who¡¯s knocked out over there. You go pick him up. Yes, yes, move along everyone. There¡¯s no more issue here.¡¹ Two people who seemed to be guards approached Rei and Vihera with a sigh as they called to the onlookers to move along before the two of them picked up the fallen man. ¡¸Are we okay?¡¹ Rei called out the the guards without thinking as they went to carry the man away, completely ignoring him and Vihera. He had thought they would at least be questioned if not taken away. However, the guards were only carrying away the unconscious man. ¡¸Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. We heard the situation from the sandwich stall owner over there. We can also usually tell the situation just by looking.¡¹ The guard smiled as he tried to shrug his shoulders, but was unable to do so due to body of the man getting in the way. Of course, if this had happened during the day, they might have questioned Rei. But, right now, it was night time and similar cases, if not a dozen more, would happen every night. Because of that, it was more accurate to say that with the number of cases like this, they didn¡¯t have the time to question Rei. The guards left with the man and the onlookers dispersed after seeing the commotion had ended. ¡­¡­Some men had been enticed by Vihera sensual appearance, but after seeing what had happened, they lost all desire to cause a fuss and left. As they all left, Vihera whispered into Rei¡¯s ear. ¡¸Hey, do you want to try something nice with this sister?¡¹ CH 397 Labyrinth city Exil had a much larger population than the frontier city of Gilm. Even so, there were few places in the city that were lit up at night. Even though magic items that provided lighting weren¡¯t expensive, if a large number was needed, the cost would inevitably increase. Because of that, such magic items were basically only installed in the red light districts and at the guild, where most people would gather at night. Adding on to that, because the Marschel and Levisor families were currently buying up magic stones, the prices of even the small magic stones used in such magic items had risen. Because of that, it was mostly moonlight and not magic items that illuminated the darkness surrounding a park a short distance away from Exil¡¯s red light district. ¡¸Well, this is enough light.¡¹ Vihera had a seductive smile as she looked over at Rei and called out to him. ¡¸I think this will do. It seems you and I both think similarly, but we¡¯re definitely different. I see why you had your eyes set on me. No, of course, if you had meant those words in their original meaning, I wouldn¡¯t have followed you here.¡¹ ¡¸Oh? But normally, if a woman like me were to invite someone, they¡¯d be happy to come with me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I can¡¯t deny that.¡¹ Rei nodded with a sigh. She was one of the top three most beautiful women he had met so far and had a body that men would love. She also wore a sensual outfit made up of multiple layers of thin translucent cloth giving off the vibe of a dancer. Most men¡­¡­or even women would not be able to refuse Vihera if she invited them out. Rei couldn¡¯t dispute that claim. ¡¸However, I don¡¯t know if they would have followed you if they knew it was for something like this.¡¹ Even though Vihera was smiling at Rei, it wasn¡¯t a smile with amorous intentions. It was a smile containing pure fighting spirit. It wasn¡¯t filled with murderous intent either, her aim wasn¡¯t to kill Rei but to enjoy the struggle of the fight. Feeling the sense of tension in the air, Rei looked over towards Vihera¡¯s arms and legs. Maybe it was due to the moonlight, but her limbs seemed to have a glossy whiteness to them. However, it was clear from Rei¡¯s gaze that he wasn¡¯t distracted by her seductive body. Rather, Rei called out to Vihera. ¡¸Even if you want to fight, are you sure without the weapons on your hands and feet? Aren¡¯t they decent magic items?¡¹ ¡¸Well, you could almost literally call them extensions of my hands and feet. However, I don¡¯t have them with me right now because I left them at a blacksmith for maintenance. If I had known that I would meet you in a place like this, I would have shifted the maintenance to tomorrow.¡¹ Vihera gave a sigh of regret, similar to that of a young lady lamenting the fact that she wasn¡¯t dressed at her best when encountering someone she loved. However, the big difference was that she was disappointed with her lack of weapons and not her outfit. She gave a sorrowful sigh as she brushed her wavy reddish purple hair. However, the next moment, her gaze towards Rei turned sharp, like that of a bird of prey¡­¡­or a carnivore. ¡¸But just because I don¡¯t have my weapons doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t have a tryst right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, you do know that the tryst you¡¯re talking about and the way the word tryst is used are two different meanings, don¡¯t you?¡¹ Even though Vihera had sighed several times today, Rei did not take his eyes off her. His gaze wasn¡¯t that with amorous intentions though, but one like a hunter who was wary of a dangerous carnivore. ¡¸Fufu~, it doesn¡¯t matter. A quiet park at night, only the moonlight illuminating the two of us alone. If you think about it normally, it has to be a tryst no matter how you see it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If you¡¯re only considering the word.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? ¡­¡­I¡¯ve introduced myself, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard your name. May I ask for it?¡¹ ¡¸Why are you only asking that now? Haven¡¯t you heard Elena call my name?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s just what the girl, Elena, called you though. You haven¡¯t properly introduced yourself to me.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t get stuck on such a strange point. ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m Rei, a B rank adventurer from Gilm. I¡¯ve been given the title of Crimson.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve know your title. I heard that you burned the whole army of the Bestir Empire on your own.¡¹ She said that with a brilliant smile, but her words were quite disturbing. Rei gave a bitter smile at the rumours that seemed to get more exaggerated each time he heard them. ¡¸It seems like the story keeps getting more exaggerated each time, it¡¯s nothing that exciting. I only burned the vanguard and they weren¡¯t all destroyed by my magic either.¡¹ ¡¸Really? But it¡¯s true that you have at least that much strength. ¡­¡­In that case, please show me that strength.¡¹ With those words, Vihera dashed towards Rei, her feet seemingly gliding across the ground. The 5m distance between them vanished in an instant, the next moment, Vihera was smiling as she stretched out her right hand towards Rei. Rei seemed like he couldn¡¯t respond to that as her hand almost touched his left shoulder. At the same time, Vihera¡¯s face started to fill with disappointment¡­¡­ ¡¸Heh, that¡¯s quite neat. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such a move.¡¹ Just before her hand reached Rei¡¯s left shoulder, Vihera¡¯s wrist was grabbed by Rei¡¯s right hand. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? -!?¡¹ For a moment, she seemed to have no idea about what had happened. Especially because she thought she had overestimated Rei¡¯s ability, her surprise was even greater. Still, she immediately pulled her arm out of Rei¡¯s grasp. She didn¡¯t use all her strength to pull her arm away. Instead she used her technique to disperse Rei¡¯s strength as she withdrew her arm. Jumping backwards, she landed softly. The thin clothes she wore danced in the wind as if they were an illusion. ¡¸Did I underestimate you?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows, what do you think? It¡¯s true that your movements surprised me though. It was very smooth.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, that¡¯s not something you can say, Rei, after how you responded to it.¡¹ For the first time¡­¡­Vihera used Rei¡¯s name when she called out to him. It meant that she recognised him as an individual she needed to confront properly and not just someone she held expectations of. Rei too looked back at her with a fierce smile on his face. ¡¸Well then, that was your first attack¡­¡­now it¡¯s my turn!¡¹ Along with his shout, Rei dashed towards Vihera. Rei¡¯s movement was linear and powerful, as opposed to Vihera¡¯s smooth flowing movements. It was a method of movement that made full use of his physical strength and the Shoes of Sleipnir he wore on his feet. Unlike Vihera¡¯s movements which were sleek and curved towards her target, Rei went straight for his. A curve or a straight line. Which one would reach their destination faster¡­¡­ ¡¸Fast-!¡¹ Vihera unconsciously raised her voice in surprise at straightforward and fast speed of Rei¡¯s fist. However, she was still able to take evasive action immediately despite voicing her surprise. Watching the movement of Rei¡¯s fist, she gently reached out for his right arm. And, immediately after that. ¡¸Woah-!¡¹ It was Rei¡¯s turn to voice his surprise. From in the air. Rei realised what had happened. Using the momentum from Rei¡¯s fist, Vihera had thrown him into the air. Knowing his physical ability, Rei was impressed as he rotated his body in mid air and regained his posture. Although what had just happened wasn¡¯t particularly difficult, how many people could do what Vihera had done just now? Rei landed on the ground while thinking of that. Thanks to the rotations he had made in the air, he succeeded in softening most of the impact. But, because Rei¡¯s force had been so great, even after landing on the ground, he still slid several meters before coming to a stop. ¡¸I never thought you¡¯d be able to throw me with my strength.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, I¡¯m a weak woman. I can¡¯t beat men with force, so I have to fight with technique, right?¡¹ Her smile was just as glossy as before the fight had started. However, the light in her eyes was different. It was like a ferocious beast, rejoicing in combat and growing stronger and sharper as she stared at Rei intensely. Rei gave an unintentional smile when he saw her glowing eyes, showing the opposite of what she had just said. ¡¸Come then, Rei, let you and I dance a bloody ball under the moonlight!¡¹ As Vihera said that, she closed her distance to Rei with movements so fluid you couldn¡¯t even see when she started to move. However, Rei had still be able to handle that after seeing it just once. Her arm stretched out to Rei as before. However, the difference was that her target was not Rei¡¯s shoulder, but his side. Gently reaching out towards a punch Rei threw¡­¡­in that moment, using the momentum from Rei¡¯s fist, Vihera made a full turn on the spot At the same time, she threw a backfist towards Rei¡¯s chin¡­¡­ ¡¸Tch!¡¹ Rei reflexively bent his upper body as he saw Vihera¡¯s fist pass in front of him as he tried to counter her counter. ¡¸Guh-!¡¹ Rei felt a strong impact at his abdomen as he was blown away from his initial position. (What? I was hurt through the Dragon Robe?) As he flew through the air, he quickly looked towards Vihera. He saw her arm placed where his body had been. However, it wasn¡¯t her right fist, which had been swung like a back fist, but her left hand, which was in an open palm Vihera must have noticed Rei calmly looking at her as he flew back. Her eyes widened in surprise as she chased after him. Seeing that, Rei tried to forcibly correct his posture in the air. As he moved his body slightly, he felt a dull pain in his abdomen where he had been hit just before. Rei ignored the pain as he landed on the ground. His knee went down for a moment at the unexpected hit, but sensing the imminent struggle, he got up at once. (It¡¯s awkward to deal with a dull pain. I¡¯d rather deal with sharp pain that goes away right after.) Rei thought to himself as he waited for Vihera to reach him. Her dancer like outfit and reddish purple hair fluttered in the wind, revealing her sensual body as she approached, like a maiden bringing death. ¡¸This is no joke¡­¡­at all-!¡¹ Vihera¡¯s movements had no sense of when they started, but it wasn¡¯t hard for Rei to deal with, having seen them several times already. He avoided Vihera¡¯s fist, which was thrown with speed in addition to her strength, by tilting his head to the side. However, he still received a cut on the cheek due to the speed of her fist. Instead of trying to respond with a counter, Rei rotated his body half a turn instead. The next moment, a fist passed through where Rei¡¯s side had been earlier. Like before, it was an attack that caused him to focus on the first attack while striking a different gap in his defences. Instinctively sensing that, Rei forced his body to make a half turn to avoid the attack. Using that momentum to complete a full rotation, he tried to slam his elbow into Vihera¡¯s head¡­¡­before stopping. At the same time, Vihera¡¯s right hand touched Rei¡¯s throat. The head and throat, both vital points of a person. What that meant was¡­¡­ ¡¸A draw, is it?¡¹ Rei muttered, but Vihera shook her head. ¡¸I specialise in close quarters combat, but that¡¯s not the same for you, right? I don¡¯t want to say that I lost, but I am at a disadvantage.¡¹ They were at a close distance where their lips would make contact if either of them moved their head a few centimetres closer. However, the atmosphere between them wasn¡¯t a sweet one, but one filled with tension between warriors. ¡¸Besides, you went easy on me, didn¡¯t you, Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Went easy? I don¡¯t recall doing anything like that?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re not using any weapons.¡¹ ¡¸You say that, but you¡¯re not using any weapons either.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s my own business, but you could have taken out the knife at your waist if you wanted, right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ Rei was at a loss for words. Since Vihera wasn¡¯t using the weapons on her arms and legs, Rei also fought without using any weapons. In a sense, it was a rule decided by tacit understanding. However, it seemed that Vihera, who excelled in unarmed combat, was not satisfied that Rei, who specialised in fighting with weapons, was able to fight her to a draw. ¡¸But, that¡¯s right. We should fight each other in our best conditions. I¡¯ll use the weapons on my arms and legs and Rei can use all your means of attack.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­As for me, I don¡¯t really want to fight.¡¹ Vihera shrugged her shoulders in amazement at Rei, who responded with a sigh. With their close proximity, Vihera¡¯s movements were naturally felt by Rei¡­¡­her huge twin hills, wrapped in thin clothes, squished up as they pressed against Rei¡¯s body. ¡¸You should be more modest.¡¹ Rei said that with flushed cheeks. Vihera smiled as she seemed to think of something. ¡¸We didn¡¯t do our best, but I lost. ¡­¡­It¡¯s impossible for us to spend a night together because of that, but this is your reward.¡¹ Saying that, Vihera gently place her lips over Rei¡¯s. It was a kiss that only lasted several seconds. Still, Rei¡¯s cheeks turned redder than ever at her sudden action. ¡¸Fufu~, thank you. That was my first kiss. Let¡¯s fight again sometime. If you win then, let¡¯s spend a night together.¡¹ Vihera gently stroked Rei¡¯s cheeks, which were now a bright red, before leaving. As for Rei, he was frozen solid for a few minutes. He didn¡¯t notice Vihera softly leaving at all. CH 398 The following day after Rei¡¯s fight with Vihera. Rei greeted Elena in the morning the same way as he had done for the past few days before they headed for the dungeon along with Set and Yellow. ¡­¡­Yes, Rei didn¡¯t show any signs that anything had happened. However¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Elena kept glancing over towards Rei for some reason as she walked beside him. Even though Rei noticed that, he made no effort ask about it as they walked down the street. They bought some Lizardman skewers on their way to the dungeon as Elena continued to glance over at Rei. ¡¸Are you two going to the dungeon again? Why don¡¯t you take a break?¡¹ ¡¸What, no need to worry about us. We can get rid of our tiredness quickly and, above all, Elena can only spend a limited amount of time in Exil. Hey, Elena?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm. That¡¯s right. Time certainly is limited. That¡¯s why Rei wants to stretch his wings.¡¹ ¡¸Set¡¯s wings? I feel Set always takes things leisurely though.¡¹ Rei turned his eyes away from Elena narrowed eyes as he stroked Set¡¯s head. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Is anything wrong? Set seemed to ask as Rei stroked his head to say that it was nothing. After finishing their skewers, they passed through the dungeon gate before arriving in the plaza where the transfer device was. As they entered, the people forming temporary parties all turned to look at Rei. However, it seemed that Rei saying that they only needed a skilled thief had been effective. No one in particular called out to them as they made their way to the transfer device, where they saw some familiar faces. ¡¸Okay, Byune. I¡¯ll be the vanguard today.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ ¡¸I hope a strong monster will show up today. I haven¡¯t been able to use all my strength recently.¡¹ ¡¸Mm?¡¹ ¡¸yes, that¡¯s right. I had a good time last night, so I can¡¯t help wanting to fight more enemies today¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ A superb beauty with reddish purple hair, golden eyes and dressed like a dancer. She had weapons equipped on her arms and legs. Her revealing outfit caused many men to look over at her¡­¡­but most of them looked away shortly after. Everyone knew who she was. The woman was known as the Mad Beast. Rather than a title¡­¡­.it was more of a nickname. It was a name only known within Exil, but it was obvious why she had that nickname of Mad Beast seeing the unconscious adventurers lying beside her. In addition, the Mad Beast was talking with Byune, the bereaved child of the Fraut family. A 10 year old D rank adventurer. Byune wasn¡¯t particularly dangerous in her own right, but due to the influence of her family, anyone who tried to mess with her would draw the attention of the other three families¡­¡­in a bad way. In that sense, she was also someone dangerous to deal with. For that reason, there were very few people who would approach them, aside from the men lying on the ground near Vihera, who were probably newcomers to Exil and were not familiar with the situation they were getting themselves into. The two of them were both treated as dangerous individuals, but that similar treatment seemed to make them get along with each other. Rather, it seemed that Vihera couldn¡¯t leave the young Byune alone. Left alone for a while, the two of them maintained a sense of distance between each other as they conversed before eventually deciding to form a temporary party to enter the dungeon. Whether it was Vihera or Byune, they were both solo adventurers. There was no doubt they were good at their roles, but due to their individual circumstances, no temporary parties were willing to recruit them. Byune aside, when Vihera had first arrived at Exil, a large number of men and a small number of women had rushed to her because of her beauty. When she refused their invitations, some adventurers turned to force¡­¡­and were easily beaten down. After seeing that, many other parties who were looking for stronger members tried to recruit her, but she just told them that she wasn¡¯t interested in weak people. Hearing themselves called weak, some adventurers tried to attack her, continuing the cycle and resulting in the current situation. Those that didn¡¯t know the situation would be stopped by those that did. Those who knew the situation would just mind their own business in the dungeon. ¡­¡­That is, until this time. ¡¸Ara~? Rei, good morning.¡¹ Vihera¡¯s greeting astonished the people in the surroundings. Then, as they followed her line of sight, they saw who she was calling out to. Some looked jealous while others seemed to understand. Of course, with regard to the jealous looks, that was due to the fact that although Rei already had a beautiful woman like Elena beside him, he had been called out by Vihera, a beauty at the same class as Elena. In addition, most of the jealous looks were from male adventurers who were new to Exil and either hadn¡¯t heard about Vihera or Rei or were not interested in information and had neglected to collect any. ¡¸¡­¡­Heh. She seems quite close to you.¡¹ However, none of that mattered to the voice beside Rei. As for the owner of the voice, which sent chills down Rei¡¯s spine as she played around with the curls in her golden hair. Needless to say, it was Elena. ¡¸Uh¡­¡­Elena?¡¹ ¡¸Yes? What is it? If you have something to say, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡¹ Elena even smiled as she replied in a soft tone that could almost be called calm. However, her eyes were definitely not smiling as she looked at Rei. You have a beautiful woman at your side and Vihera still called out to you, you bastard-! That said, the people who had been looking at him in jealousy must have felt fear when they saw Elena¡¯s reaction. They slowly looked away from Rei and his group. ¡¸No, I was wondering why you are so angry.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Do I look angry to you? It¡¯s a bit strange. I feel so calm.¡¹ That¡¯s a lie-! The people who had looked away from Rei, but still kept their ears open, all shouted in their minds when they heard Elena¡¯s words. Whether she sensed that or not, Elena glanced over at her surroundings. At that same moment, the nearby adventurers unnaturally started up random conversations with the other adventurers close to them. ¡¸Ara~ ara~, you seem to be in a bad mood. What¡¯s wrong? Could it possibly be, jealousy? In contrast to your appearance, you¡¯re actually quite cute.¡¹ In this tension filled moment, it was naturally Vihera who spoke up happily. There was a smile on her face as she looked at them with a teasing gaze. At the same time, right next to the bloody battlefield, Byune gently stroked Set and Yellow¡¯s head to say good morning. It was as if the bloody battlefield had nothing to do with her at all. ¡¸Hmph, I don¡¯t care for getting called cute by an exhibitionist like you.¡¹ ¡¸An exhibitionist? You mean my outfit? But, unlike you, I have a body that isn¡¯t embarrassing to show to others, so it¡¯s fine.¡¹ As she said that, Vihera jiggled her breasts, showing off her huge twin hills. She was quite proud of her body and was indeed as beautiful as Elena. However, unlike Elena, Vihera used her beauty and her body as weapons to fight against strong opponents. That was why she dressed herself up so invitingly to men. If someone could beat her, she would be willing to entrust herself to them. On the contrary, Elena had grown up as a noble and a general who led soldiers. Because of that, she considered it a shame to expose her skin unnecessarily in public. Because of that, there was no reason for Elena and Vihera to share the same values. ¡¸Y-Y¡­¡­.You. Did you seduce Rei with that body!¡¹ Elena¡¯s shout echoed out. Of course, the curious adventurers who had been listening in to their conversation couldn¡¯t miss that. ¡¸Grrrrrr-, even though¡­¡­even though he¡¯s Crimson, I will still defeat him, I have to defeat him!¡¹ A man who had been listening in tried to brandish his spear with a furious expression. ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t be stupid. If you cause a fuss here, you just end up at the guard station instead of the dungeon. I mean, you¡¯re never going to be able to beat Crimson, so just give up.¡¹ ¡¸Why-! Don¡¯t you find this frustrating!?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s frustrating! But we¡­¡­we can¡¯t beat him with our strength. So, we have to wait for someone more powerful!¡¹ Such exchanges occurred in several places. If Rei had been looking in from the outside, he might have been laughing at the comedic situation. However, it was a different matter when he was in the middle of it all. At Elena¡¯s shout, he turned to look at her on reflex. That was a mistake. His face had a look of surprise on it. His actions showed that what Elena had said was true. ¡¸W-What are you talking about?¡¹ ¡¸Am I wrong? ¡­¡­Rei, let me ask you something. Did you forget the ability of my familiar, Yellow?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Rei took in a sharp breath at Elena¡¯s words. Yellow, the small Dragon, had moved from Set¡¯s back to Elena¡¯s left shoulder before he knew it. Yellow had various abilities, but one of them was that Elena could directly read it¡¯s memories. ¡¸¡­¡­No way.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it natural to worry when the person you¡¯ve been partying up with went out one night, something that they had never done before? That¡¯s enough for me to send Yellow after you in case anything went wrong.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You were awake?¡¹ Rei had thought Elena had been sleeping, but now he knew that it hadn¡¯t been the case. At the same time, he finally understood why Elena had seemed to be angry with him since this morning. In other words, Yellow had been watching the fight between Rei and Vihera. If that was the case, Yellow would have of course seen the subsequent result¡­¡­that is to say, Vihera¡¯s kiss. At the same time, this mean that Elena would have found out after reading Yellow¡¯s memories. ¡¸Yeah. So, when you came back, Yellow also returned anxiously¡­¡­you know what happened after that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei was at a loss for words with no way out. Of course, he wanted to claim that he hadn¡¯t been the one kissing but the one kissed. However, it was clear that such an argument wouldn¡¯t convince the angrily smiling Elena. Then, there were some people that wanted to stir up trouble as they dropped a bomb on the volcano on the verge of eruption. ¡¸Ara~, I¡¯m so sad to hear that when I gave you my first time.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t say something so outright misleading.¡¹ A woman¡­¡­a beautiful woman like Vihera at that had given Rei her first time. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what others would think. Of course, the people around them thought exactly that, and so did Elena. ¡¸Your first time? An exhibitionist enthusiast like you?¡¹ ¡¸Ara~? Are you judging a person by their appearance?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I barely know anything about you. No, I know you¡¯re a combat maniac, but that just makes it even worse.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph. I won¡¯t be told that by a stuffy person. That¡¯s why Rei will fall over to me.¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s not falling for you! Besides, I¡¯ve been thinking about it, Rei, you¡¯re too easy going.¡¹ ¡¸Ara~? Rei and I kissed each other though, so that outcome should be expected.¡¹ ¡¸Stop saying that! For the most part, didn¡¯t you just force your lips on Rei!?¡¹ Elena frowned unpleasantly as she shouted at Vihera, who had a brilliant smile. Of course, the eyes of everyone who had been listening in gathered on Rei. The men had jealous gazes while the women were filled with curiosity. It looked like two beautiful women, Elena and Vihera, were fighting over Rei, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. However, the person at the centre of it all couldn¡¯t be as relaxed. It had become quite used to people looking down at in in contempt over the past year. In contrast, he had also become accustomed to people look at him in awe due to the presence of Set and his own strength. However, it was the first time that he had received a large number of such looks. If he had to make a comparison, it would be similar to when he interacted with Lenora and Kenny in the guild, but even then it wasn¡¯t this intense. (What do I do in this situation?) In the meantime, he tried to block the gazes with the hood of his Dragon Robe, but that didn¡¯t stop people from continuing to look at him. As Rei was feeling troubled¡­¡­ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune, who had been stroking Set and Yellow, went over to Rei and grabbed his Dragon Robe as she made a small sound. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune gave a short response before pulling Rei. Set and Yellow both followed after them for some reason¡­¡­ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong Byune?¡¹ ¡¸Byune?¡¹ Vihera and Elena seemed to have noticed what was going on and followed after the four of them. When she got to the transfer device, she took out her own dungeon card and urged Rei to take out his own as well. ¡¸Oh, I understand now. Here.¡¹ Nodding, he took out his dungeon card¡­¡­before turning to Elena and Vihera, who had also taken out their dungeon cards. The next moment, the transfer was completed and Rei, Elena, Vihera, Set and Yellow were sent to the magic circle on the fourth floor. CH 399 ¡¸This is¡­¡­the fourth floor of the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded at Elena¡¯s question as Elena looked around. ¡¸Byune, why are we here?¡¹ ¡¸Mm-!¡¹ Byune frowned as she shook her head in response to Vihera¡¯s question. Surprisingly, Rei was the first to understand Byune¡¯s actions. ¡¸You didn¡¯t want us to just be a spectacle for everyone to watch?¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, she nodded to say that was right. The reason why Rei had guess that was because he had similar feelings. Standing in the same group, the discomfort he felt was similar to what Byune had been feeling. But, considering that Rei was one of the involved parties while Byune was a complete bystander, Byune felt significantly more uncomfortable at the situation. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ With that, Byune pointed towards the passageway that extended from the stairs on the fourth floor as she motioned to the three other people. Vihera was the first to understand what Byune meant, probably due to the extended time they had spent with each other. ¡¸Are you sure? I thought you wanted to go to a deeper floor today.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded back at Vihera to say that she had no problem with that. Next, she looked towards Rei, Elena, Set and Yellow. ¡¸Eh? You want Rei and the others to go with us?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s unusual. You normally don¡¯t like to work with others.¡¹ Although Vihera said that, it seemed that her working with Byune was an exception. ¡¸Mmm, mm.¡¹ It might also have been the fact that she was one of the few people who could communicate with Byune, who basically only ever said ¡®Mm¡¯. Those were Rei¡¯s thoughts as he watched the two of them. After several more exchanges, Vihera turned to look at Rei. ¡¸Why don¡¯t we work together today? Byune says that it¡¯s fine.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­With you?¡¹ Elena asked back with a frown, but Vihera just shrugged her shoulders and nodded. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind if Byune says she wants to do that, it doesn¡¯t matter if Rei joins without you either.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid. As if I would leave Rei with an exhibitionist like you. Rei and I are a party together, so if Rei is staying, of course I¡¯ll stay with him. ¡­¡­I need to keep a good eye out for the homewrecker.¡¹ ¡¸Ara~? It must be hard being a woman who isn¡¯t confident in her own charm. Rei, why don¡¯t you chose me instead of this stuffy woman? I won¡¯t tie you down.¡¹ Vihera might have said that to Rei, but she was looking at Elena. It was an obvious provocation, but it was still something Elena couldn¡¯t ignore. She glared back at Vihera with sharp eyes. However, Vihera didn¡¯t seem to care about her glare and even smiled as she looked back. ¡¸You want to try? I don¡¯t have any problems if you do?¡¹ Rei gave a sigh as he held Elena back and called out to Vihera, who was giving a challenging look towards Elena. ¡¸No, stop causing trouble. Anyway, why are we on the fourth floor?¡¹ Rei forcibly changed the topic for the moment, as he was worried about Elena, and ignored what Vihera had said. However, Elena had already engraved Vihera in her mind as a person to remember. Without knowing that she had just been classified as such, although Vihera might have welcomed it anyway with the goal of amusing herself in combat, Vihera and Byune both looked at Rei with surprise. ¡¸You don¡¯t know? ¡­¡­Elena too?¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t deserve to call me by name, but¡­¡­what are you talking about?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haah, this is information you¡¯d normally know when entering a dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded at Vihera¡¯s words as if it were a matter of course. Rei and Elena still couldn¡¯t understand what was going on and just tilted their heads. ¡­¡­In addition, for some reason, Set and Yellow also tilted their heads. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune gently stretched out her hand and stroked both Set and Yellow¡¯s heads at their response. Vihera looked at the actions of the person and two animals with a strange feeling before immediately recollecting herself and continuing her explanation. ¡¸Since you¡¯ve used this several times before, you know that you can use your dungeon cards to go to floors you have previously been to right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸You can only be transfered to the deepest floor you¡¯ve been to, even if you¡¯re working with others. For example, two adventurers, one has reached the 10th floor, the other the 20th floor. If the two of them are transfered together, they can only go down to the 10th floor.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Who decides if they¡¯re working together?¡¹ ¡¸The transfer device. Well, it¡¯s an ancient magic device with a number of unexpected functionalities. There is a theory that it reads the thoughts of people who use it, but no one knows the details. After all, transfer devices are rare. I heard that they won¡¯t give permission to research it because they don¡¯t want to lose the device in the chance it gets damaged.¡¹ Both Rei and Elena both had their eyes wide in surprise at Vihera¡¯s explanation. Both of them had collected various information in advance, but neither of them had heard about this. ¡¸So, Vihera and Byune got sent here to the fourth floor because we¡¯ve only made it this far?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­As for me, I would have preferred a floor with stronger enemies. How about you, Byune?¡¹ ¡¸Mmm¡­¡­Mm!¡¹ Byune nodded after thinking a little. Her face remained as impassive as ever with no expression. However, Vihera, who knew her to some extent, seemed to be able to read Byune¡¯s feelings from her small gesture. Vihera gave a small smile as she gently brushed Byune¡¯s head, who¡¯s height only went up to the middle of her chest. (¡­¡­Huh. So she also has that kind of expression.) Rei thought to himself as he watched the two of them. Most of Vihera¡¯s expressions that Rei had seen so far were either trying to seduce him¡­¡­or to provoke him. However, her provocations were mainly against Elena and not Rei. ¡¸Oh, so you can also show that kind of expression. This is a little surprising. Should I change my impression that you are an exhibitionist and a homewrecker?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah? Oh, huh? A woman who isn¡¯t confident in her own charm and proudly calls herself that embarrassing title of General Princess or something¡­¡­are you selling a fight? Of course, I¡¯ll buy in. I¡¯ll buy in to your fight at a huge discount of 90%.¡¹ Vihera clenched her fists with a smile as soon as she heard Elena¡¯s words. However, it was an exact opposite smile of the one she had when she was brushing Byune¡¯s head. (Why does she have to do this with the same smile¡­¡­) Rei gave a sigh, unsure of what to do. Byune tapped Rei¡¯s shoulder before stretching greatly to stroke Rei¡¯s red hair under his hood. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ It seemed like she was trying to encourage Rei. Turning to lok at Elena and Vihera again, Rei gave a small sigh before speaking up. He started to wonder how many times he had sighed today. ¡¸Look, there¡¯s nothing to argue about anyway. So, to summarise what¡¯s going on, are you to fine with working together with us today? Honestly, since you two have reached fairly deep floors, I think it¡¯s a waste of time for you here.¡¹ Both Vihera and Byune shook their heads in response to Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸Ara~? Byune as too? ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. For me, it will be great to be able to observe Rei and that stuffy person fighting up close.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, who¡¯re you calling stuffy.¡¹ Elena retorted in disatisfaction, but Vihera didn¡¯t seem to care as she turned to look at Byune. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ With her voice, Byune took out several bottles from a pouch at her waist. There were small bottles about 5cm tall, they seemed to be made from some sort of blue glass. Each bottle had some liquid inside. ¡¸This is?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I see.¡¹ Rei¡¯s confused voice and Vihera¡¯s nod in understanding overlapped. ¡¸What is that?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a liquid that can be extracted form the body of a monsters called Seal Worms that can be found on the 4th floor. It hardens several seconds after coming in contact with air, so it has to be stored in a specially treated bottle.¡¹ ¡¸Seal Worm? ¡­¡­From it¡¯s name, is it an insect type monster?¡¹ As he asked, Rei recalled what had been written about the monster in a monster encyclopedia he had read. Seal Worms. There looked like a white caterpillar, roughly 50cm in length. It¡¯s most notable feature was its ability to spit out a liquid from its mouth. When the liquid comes in contact with air, it hardens after a few seconds, stopping its target from moving. However, it was quite brittle, so it was easy to break with a certain amount of strength. They were considered an E rank monster. The proof of subjugation was their right fang. The only materials that could be stripped from them were its fangs, which doubled as proof of subjugation. ¡¸Speaking of the liquid, isn¡¯t it the stuff that the Seal Worms spit out of their mouth? What do you do with that?¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune thrust out a bottle as if to protest being told that the liquid wasn¡¯t useful. Vihera spoke up with a slight smile on her face. ¡¸Although it¡¯s not well known, the Seal Worm¡¯s liquid is reasonably useful as a material for alchemy. ¡­¡­.But in the end, it¡¯s still a Seal Worm. Even if it¡¯s useful, it¡¯s not profitable to sell. ¡­¡­Normally that is.¡¹ ¡¸Normally?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. A certain person has develped a unique process that allows it to be used as a material in magic items. And, since Byune has connections to that person, she can get a good price for it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A certain person?¡¹ Rei asked with some concern as no name was given, but Vihera simply just passed it off with a smile. No matter how interested Rei was, there were some things that couldn¡¯t be said. ¡¸Well, anyway, that¡¯s why it¡¯s fine for us to work with Rei.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not just Rei though, I¡¯m here as well.¡¹ ¡¸Ara~, is that so? Well, I will allow Elena to come with us.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Do you want to fight¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Maybe she realised that an argument was about to start up again. Before Rei could stop them, Byune moved between the two of them and spread out her arms. No fighting! ELena was a little confused as Byune showed no change in expression. ¡­..Only Vihera gave an immediate sigh before lowering her fist. At this point, Rei spoke up. He decided that if they kept arguing here, it would just go on forever. ¡¸Come on, let¡¯s get moving. Byune is a thief, so she¡¯ll go first alonge with Vihera, who is mostly a close quarters fighter. I¡¯ll take the middle with the Death Scythe along with Elena¡¯s sword whip. Set and Yellow with take the rear guard, is that okay?¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring. Its shaft was over 2m in length and it had a large blade to match. Seeing that, Vihera unconsciously raised her voice in admiration. ¡¸So this is Rei¡¯s main weapon¡­¡­¡¹ Vihera murmured as she looked at the Death Scythe. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Even for Byune, who had seen the Death Scythe before, her small eyes were a little wider than usual on her expressionless face. However, as expected, Vihera and Byune quickly recollected themselves. ¡¸I really don¡¯t recommend using long handled weapons inside the dungeon, but¡­¡­well, we¡¯re talking about Rei, so it¡¯s fine.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. To be honest, if I saw someone using such a stupid weapon that wasn¡¯t Rei, I¡¯d tell them to use something more normal¡­¡­like a sword or something.¡¹ ¡¸Even though you say that Elena, although your weapon looks like a sword, isn¡¯t it a sword whip? It¡¯s much harder than my Death Scythe in terms of difficulty of handling.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A large scythe and a sword whip. You two use really rare weapons.¡¹ Vihera said that with a surprised expression. However, Elena seemed to be waiting for her to say that. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect to be told that by someone who equips their weapons on their hands and feet. Also, I¡¯m wearing armour and Rei has his robe, but what about your outfit? I honestly don¡¯t want to call that armour.¡¹ At first glance, Vihera¡¯s clothes looked like underwear, only covering her large twin hills and the lower half of her body. In addition, the cloth it was made from was so thin that it was basically transparent. If they hadn¡¯t known anything about Vihera, they might have thought of her as a dancer or prostitute and not an adventurer. ¡­¡­That said, if she had been a prostitute, with her beauty, she would have been a high class one. Vihera gave a provocative smile as she twisted her body to show off as she looked at Rei with somewhat reproachful eyes, or from Rei¡¯s point of view, malicious eyes. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. Even though it looks like this, these thin garment is actually a magic item with strong resisting against slashes, penetrating strikes and magic. If you hit it with a sword, the sword will probably take more damage than me.¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s just slashing and penetrating strikes, then what about protection from impacts? Things like hammers and axes.¡¹ ¡¸I just have to avoid them.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ They won¡¯t hit me. Next to Vihera, who was smiling confidently, Byune seemed to say that Vihera¡¯s equipment was of very high quality. CH 400 ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ About 30 minutes into the fourth dungeon floor. As they were making their way through the same cobblestone environment, Set suddenly gave a cry, followed by Byune several seconds later. Rei sensed an enemy approaching from their two raised voices as they all prepared for battle. Byune held daggers in both her hands while sharp claws and blades extended out from Vihera¡¯s hands and heels. Elena unsheathed her sword whip from her waist, Set crouched down, ready to pounce, and Rei readied his Death Scythe. In addition, Yellow, who had been sitting on Elena¡¯s left shoulder, started hovering in the air so as to not get in the way. And¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s here. ¡­¡­But, it¡¯s very slow. It¡¯s probably¡­¡­¡¹ As Vihera finished speaking monsters about 50cm in length showed up at the end of the passageway. There were seven of them, slowly moving across the stone pavement. ¡¸¡­¡­I feel like an idiot for being so wary. ¡­¡­Are these Seal Worms?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Rei and the others had been ready to respond to anything as this was the first monster they had come across on the fourth floor. However, after seeing that they were slow moving Seal Worms, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that they felt deflated. Vihera spoke with a wry smile at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s a bit troublesome to deal with because of its ability to slow the movements of its enemies, but in reality, it¡¯s a dedicated support role monster with no real offensive power.¡¹ Elena also seemed to have expected a stronger monster to appear. She looked at the Seal Worm with some confusion. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Among the members of the party, Byune seemed to be the only enthusiastic one. Despite maintaining the same expressionless face, she seemed to be quite motivated to collect the material she was looking for. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What do we do? Set seemed to ask with a cry. Rei stroked Set¡¯s head before readying his Death Scythe again. ¡¸No matter how weak the enemy is, it¡¯s still a monster and we haven¡¯t collected the magic stones of Seal Worms yet. It¡¯s also lucky for Byune to run into them.¡¹ ¡¸Magic stones?¡¹ Compared to Rei, Vihera seemed to have lost all motivation as she asked while withdrawing her claws and blades. (¡­¡­What? It seemed like they just disappeared rather than retracting into the back of her hands and feet. Are those claws and blades shaped by magic power or something?) Elena was surprised by what she saw out of the corner of her eyes as held her sword whip and observed the Seal Worms. However, she had no time to think about it before the battle commenced. The first one to jump forward was, of course, the thief, Byune. She approached the Seal Worms with a speed unlike that of a 10 year old. A white liquid was spat out from the mouth of the worm in an attempt to intercept her. The liquid hardened immediately after hitting the walls and ground. However, Byune continued to move forward as she evaded the liquid spit out by the seven Seal Worms. Finally, after reaching them, she slashed at the soft sides of the closest Seal Worm with a low posture, passing by it as if crawling along the ground. ¡¸Gigigigigi!¡¹ Was it anger or pain? Either way, the Seal Worm that was slashed gave a cry by rubbing its fangs. As if it were a signal, the other six Seal Worms immediately spat out the hardening liquid again. Their aim wasn¡¯t Byune, who had already passed by the Seal Worm¡­¡­but the Seal Worm that had been slashed by Byune¡¯s dagger. The liquid struck the Seal Worm¡¯s wound before hardening and stopping the bleeding. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect them to treat the wound like that.¡¹ Rei murmured unintentionally as he watched the Seal Worms. Elena nodded silently in agreement. ¡¸It¡¯s fine as a temporary fix¡­¡­but it will only buy them time. There, look at Byune¡¹ Following Vihera¡¯s eyes, they could see Byune dashing forward, jumping off the walls and soaring above the Seal Worms. As she did that, she took out several 20cm long needles and held them between her fingers. Swinging her arm¡­¡­the next moment, she threw them. The way she threw them was completely different to how Rei threw spears as a means of a long ranged attack. Unlike Rei¡¯s throwing method, which used his entire body to increase the spear¡¯s speed and power, Byune¡¯s needles were thrown using the suppleness of her wrist. The speed of the needles wasn¡¯t particularly fast. However, it was an excellent method for throwing them out in rapid sucession. In under a few seconds, she had thrown out all the needles between her fingers. All that remained was the figures of the seven Seal Worms that were pierced by the needles and unable to move. After throwing out all her needles, Byune pulled out her two daggers from the left and right sides of her waist again¡­¡­before falling towards the ground. Taking advantage of her falling speed, she buried the tips of both her daggers into the heads of two Seal Worms. Landing on the ground, she lept forward¡­¡­towards another Seal Worm. Swinging her blades at her sides, she slashed through a Seal Worm that couldn¡¯t move. Her movements never stopped. Doing another triangle jump, similar to what Set often did, she repeated her attacks over and over, gradually tearing through the bodies of the Seal Worms. Normally, the Seal Worms should have been able to seal their own wounds with the liquid they could spit. However, that became difficult for them to do in the current situation, where they were pinned down by needles. Because of that, they continued to be torn apart one-sidely¡­¡­eventually, all the Seal Worms were killed. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ These are mine! Byune insisted that they were all hers as she had taken them all down by herself. Rei and the others acknowledged that as they helped to strip materials from the Seal Worms. ¡¸This fight, aren¡¯t you going to say it¡¯s cruel? You¡¯re a stuffy general so I thought that you would make a big fuss over this.¡¹ After inserting a bottle into the Seal Worms body to collect the hardening liquid, the Seal Worms fangs were removed, which served as materials and proofs of subjugation. The magic stone was also removed from its heart. As they did that, Vihera seemed to have some time to spare as she asked Elena a question. As she stripped the fangs off a Seal Worm, Elena responded to Vihera¡¯s somewhat provocative question with a serious expression. ¡¸At first glance it might seem like a cruel way to kill them. However, can Byune actually kill a Seal Worm in a single strike? Because of that, she used her speed to compensate and raise her attack power¡­¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so? If you know that then I guess it¡¯s fine.¡¹ Vihera had a surprised look on her face at Elena¡¯s response before nodding as if satisfied. In the back of her mind, Vihera thought of several adventurers who had accompanied Byune beefore. The adventurers had been jealous of Byune, who was more than 10 years younger than them, and had called out her fighting methods as cruel, brutal and even heartless. The adventurers¡¯ words of condemnation were all the stronger as it seemed to them that Byune just brushed them off with the same expressionless face. But, for Vihera, who had partied with Byune several times before, she could see that Byune was deeply hurt. Vihera had been so angry that if Byune hadn¡¯t stopped her, the party probably would have gone missing in the dungeon. ¡­¡­In the end, the party dived deeper into the dungeon without considering their own level of skill and never came back after that. (There were a lot of suspicious things about that part, such as targeting Byune, who is a survivor of the Fraut family, but¡­¡­after that incident, Byune began to hide her emotions even more. She didn¡¯t even form temporary parties anymore. Given that, it¡¯s good that she was willing to form a party with Rei and Elena, even if it¡¯s only a temporary one¡­¡­) In her heart, Vihera was grateful for meeting Rei and Elena. It wasn¡¯t just that she was interested in fighting the two of them, but also because they were open to interacting with Byune. (Ahh, but because of that¡­¡­if I fight those two and end up dying, Byune would be sad. Vihera had a slightly sad expression imagining that as she took out a magic stone. However, no matter what she thought, Vihera didn¡¯t have the option of not fighting Rei and Elena. Even if the fight would kill her, Rei or Elena. She had a desire for combat that burned within her. Fortunately, it was currently a cold, dim flame. However, it was clear that the flame would eventually grow. When that flame had grown, when she fought Rei and Elena, how much fulfillment and pleasure would it fill her with? There was no way for her to stop it, that primordial impulse. (because I enjoyed that fight, the flame within me burned a little greater.) Vihera was enraptured as she recalled the fight she had with Rei the day before. Forunately, no one else was around to see her expression right now. However, if any men had seen Vihera in her current state, her expression would have been enough to suck away their souls and many would have tried to assault her without knowing their own strength. If the flame within her was able to burn like that in a half hearted battle where neither of them used their weapons, if they were to fight at their full strength¡­¡­ Badump. Just imagining that moment made her heart thump as if she were in love. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune called out to Vihera worriedly. To an outsider, they might not have seen much emotion, but her eyes showed¡­¡­some concern. Seeing that, Vihera shook her head as she smiled. Even though it was a gentle smile, completely different from her previous smile. ¡¸Fufu~, it¡¯s nothing. Rather¡­¡­yes, here. The Seal Worm¡¯s magic stone and proof of subjugation.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ With a small nod, Byune placed the items into her waist pouch. Because it was a normal pouch, unlike Elena¡¯s magic pouch, the amount of items that could be stored inside was limited. Since Byune needed to earn as much money as possible, she collected items that didn¡¯t take up as much space, mainly magic stones. However, today, she didn¡¯t need to worry about choosing what to take back as Rei had his Misty Ring and Elena still had her magic pouch. When Byune looked at the materials, magic stones and bottles containing the hardening liquid, she nodded in satisfaction. ¡¸May I have a moment? If you could, the next time Seal Worms show up, I¡¯d like to take two of them.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ ¡¸Is two enough?¡¹ Rei nodded at Vihera, who had responded on behalf of Byune. ¡¸I have a hobby of collecting monster magic stones. I don¡¯t have any Seal Worm magic stones yet, so I¡¯d like to get one to preserve and one for display.¡¹ ¡¸Mmm¡­¡­Mm!¡¹ I understand, Byune seemed to say. Thanking Byune briefly, Rei and the others continued down the dungeon. ¡¸I had to look at a map for the upper floors¡­¡­but it doesn¡¯t look like she needs one.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. She¡¯s just memorised the dungeon passageways. That¡¯s why thieves are popular when entering the dungeon.¡¹ Elena and Rei walked while conversing. However, Vihera seemed to have different thoughts. ¡¸It¡¯s actually slightly different to what you think. Even if there is a thief, they¡¯re not all equal. Especially bad thieves won¡¯t even be able to see and disarm traps. If you consider that, tell how good a thief Byune is.¡¹ ¡¸How good is she, specifically?¡¹ Rei asked Vihera, who seemed quite proud for some reason. Speaking of the thieves Rei knew, there was Culotte and Ons, both of which he had worked with on rank up tests. While he wasn¡¯t a professional thief, Reno was a jack of all trades adventurer who knew some thief skills. There was also Vel, one of Elena¡¯s former escort guards. At Rei¡¯s question, Vihera thought about it before replying as she watched Byune chose the right path at a Y intersection with no hesitation. ¡¸Let me see. I think that purely in terms of skill as a thief, Byune would be one of the best in the world at her age. ¡­¡­Well, I don¡¯t know how many adventurers there would be at her age. If we consider thieves of all ages, she probably sits around the lower middle. But considering her current age¡­¡­you can guess how skilled she would be when she grows up.¡¹ As Vihera said that, she watched Byune walk down the passagewway, scouting for traps. CH 401 ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set¡¯s cry echoed through the dungeon passage as he swung his claw equipped with the Bracelet of Herculean Strength. His eagle claw struck the body of an Orc which weighed well over 100kg, knocking it aside easily. The Orc, whose ribs were crushed as it was knocked back, slammed heavily into a wall and stopped moving for a few seconds. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ In those few seconds where the Orc stopped moving due to pain and shock, Byune, wielding two daggers, swept right up to it and slashed its throat with her right dagger while stabbing her left dagger into the Orc¡¯s brain from under its jaw. What impressed Rei, as he watched, was that Byune pulled her dagger out of the Orc¡¯s head while jiggling it around. If she had simply pulled the dagger out and had bad luck, or good luck for the Orc, the Orc might have counter attacked in its hazy consciousness. In order to prevent that from happening, she moved the blade around in the Orc¡¯s to take away its consciouness¡­¡­and life. This cautiousness was something that Rei admired. Sometimes, Byune would party up with Vihera, but she normally would enter the dungeon solo. For that reason, she naturally acquired her cautiousness after experiencing the danger of being caught off guard and being counter attacked by an enemy she hadn¡¯t properly killed. That was why she acted the way she did. However, contrary to Rei¡¯s admiration, Elena was looking at Byune with concern. Elena knew how to fight from a young age. But even then, it wasn¡¯t until her mid teens that she had taken part in a real battle. Until that point, she had only fought in mock combat with the knights she led. ¡¸You can feel sympathy for her all you want, but it would be insulting to show that in your attitude. Keep that in mind/¡¹ Elena reflexively glared back after Vihera called out to her. However, Vihera didn¡¯t flinch at Elena¡¯s reproachful eyes and just looked back steadily. After staring at each other for several seconds, Elena slowly deviated her eyes. She understood that. As Vihera had said, showing that attitude to Byune would be nothing but an insult. But still, Byune was working solo in a dungeon at the age of 10. Elena naturally felt concern due to her kind nature. While seeing Elena and Vihera interact, Rei quickly cut off the Orc¡¯s right ear, its proof of subjugation, and took out its magic stone before storing the Orc¡¯s body into the Misty Ring. Having eaten Orc meat before, Rei had found it to be quite tasty and planned to use it as food for Set. As he was about to store the magic stone into the Misty Ring. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Rei felt a sudden tug on his Dragon Robe as he turned to see what it was. There, for some reason, Byune was holding two magic stones from the Seal Worms she had killed earlier as she looked at Rei¡¯s Orc magic stone. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t quite understand what you want to say. Vihera, do you know what she wants?¡¹ Troubled by Byune, who was looking at him with a blank expression, Rei turned to Vihera. Vihera gave a shrug as she replied. ¡¸It¡¯s not that hard. You said that you were collecting two magic stones of every monster, right? You also don¡¯t have the magic stones from Seal Worms. She probably wants to trade them for the magic stone of the Orc you just killed. Between two Seal Worm magic stones and an Orc magic stone, the Orc magic stone can sell for a bit more due to the difference in rank.¡¹ ¡¸I see. But what if I hadn¡¯t collected the magic stone of an Orc before?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows? That said, she probably thought you wouldn¡¯t refuse?¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune nodded at Vihera¡¯s words. Rei thought about what to do for a moment, but he decided that it would be his loss if he didn¡¯t exchange them seeing as both Set and the Death Scythe had already previously absorbed the magic stones of Orcs. He gently placed the magic stone he had on the palm of Byune¡¯s small hand. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Giving a small nod, Byune looked over at the Orc¡¯s right ear, its proof of subjugation, before looking back at Rei. Although she didn¡¯t express it in words, it was clear that she was showing she wanted it. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Byune turned her eyes upwards as she looked straight at Rei. After thinking for a few more seconds, Rei decided that he should probably get along with Byune, who was also a thief, and gave her the right ear with a small sigh. Rei felt like he had lost out a bit, but it was an obvious advantage that he didn¡¯t need to look out for traps if he was working with Byune. In that sense, an Orc¡¯s proof of subjugation could be considered a cheap price to be able to form a party with her, even if only temporary. If Byune had wanted the Orc meat, Rei would probably have thought twice about it. ¡¸Well then, if that¡¯s all settled, let¡¯s hurry along. If we keep up our current pace, we¡¯ll be able to reach the fifth floor by the end of today¡­¡­no, we might even make it further.¡¹ Elena spoke up with a smile as she watched the exchange between Rei and Byune. Everyone else nodded before proceeding down the passageway. Unlike the third floor, there weren¡¯t as many crossroads. However, there were still occasional branching paths as the passage continued on. Like that, they all followed Byune through the basic dungeon floor. The monsters that showed up from time to time were stronger, but only still ordinary Orcs. Aside from Byune, Rei and the others had no trouble fighting any of them. Due to her small build, Byune wasn¡¯t able to deal any serious injuries to the Orcs through the skin covering their thick fat and tough muscles. However, she would still throw her favoured needles to blind them while following up attacks from the others, contributing from her role. After walking for several hours¡­¡­they finally found the stairs to the fifth floor. ¡¸¡­¡­What can I say, this was preety straightforward. It took Rei and I a long time to find the stairs yesterday.¡¹ ¡¸You struggled even after buying a map?¡¹ Elena had originally tried to use her map on this floor but had decided to leave it all to Byune after being told that she had basically memorised the path. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t possible to get lost if they had a map, so Rei responded to Vihera with a bitter smile. ¡¸We were thinking of the case where we wouldn¡¯t have a thief and would need to look out for traps and unknown monsters.¡¹ ¡¸A thief, eh. ¡­¡­If you really needed a thief, couldn¡¯t you hire a thief from the Church of Holy Light in the plaza in front of the dungeon?¡¹ In response to Vihera¡¯s question, Elena shrugged her shoulders as she looked over at Rei. ¡¸I don¡¯t think Rei likes the Church of Holy Light¡­¡­or rather, religions in general. It it wasn¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t mind paying 30% of what we collected.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Do you hate religions?¡¹ ¡¸Well, to be honest, I don¡¯t have a good impression of it. And, when it comes to paying out 30% of what we find, I still think we¡¯d run into a lot of trouble with the kinds of magic items we¡¯re looking for, monster materials and magic stones aside.¡¹ As they conversed, they went down the stairs to the fifth floor. ¡ºAh.¡» Seeing other people there, they unintentionally let out a sound. At the stairs on the fifth floor, there was a 4 member adventurer party. That by itself was fine, but there was also someone from the Church of Holy Light with them. ¡¸Oh, hey¡­¡­you¡¯re the one with the Griffon, the Crimson from the rumors. You have a lot of notable people with you.¡¹ The leader of the party, a warrior, seemed to want to do something about the awkward atmosphere as he called out to Rei. Indeed, the people in Rei¡¯s party were no less well known that Rei, the Crimson. Vihera, the Mad Beast, was someone who used her beauty as a weapon. Byune was the descendant of one of the four families which had laid the foundation of the Labyrinth City of Exil. Elena¡¯s identity had been hidden by the guild¡¯s upper management at her request, but her beauty still ranked up there with Vihera. As expected, with such well known people, they were certainly noticable. ¡¸I guess we do stand out¡­¡­? Well, we¡¯re only partying up for today. So, what are you doing here?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Nothing much. We¡¯re planning to hunt for magic stones on this floor. Right now, it seems that there aren¡¯t enough magic stones, so we received a request from the Levisor family.¡¹ The Levisor family. Hearing that name, Byune¡¯s eyebrows moved. Quite a few people noticed that, due to her usual expressionless face. However, they mostly ignored it as it seemed to make sense, seeing that the Levisor family was one of the four founding families, like the Fraut family. At the same time, Vihera looked at the warrior from the Church of Holy Light in understanding. It was an open secret that the Levisor family, one of the three that currently ruled Exil, was close the Church of Holy Light. It wasn¡¯t clear what the reason was, but it was known that they were competing with the Marschel family to buy up magic stones. (In other words, it¡¯s not enough for them to buy up magic stones from the guilds or stores, so they¡¯re asking adventurers to collect magic stones directly¡­¡­what are they thinking?) Vihera listened in to the conversation between the man and Rei as she thought to herself. Before long, after their short greetings, the other party decided to head into the dungeon first. They waved their hands lightly before leaving the room where the stairs and magic circle were. ¡­¡­As the warrior from the Church of Holy Light walked past Rei. ¡¸I understand from what you said previously that you don¡¯t like religion. However, we are blessed by the Goddes of Holy Light. You cannot deny that from us.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I just don¡¯t like religion. I don¡¯t have any intentions of degrading any religion in particular.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so. Personally, I would like a promising young man as you to receive the blessing of the Goddes of Holy Light. Please come to the church at least once. Then, you will surely understand the teachings of the Holy Light.¡¹ The man from the Church of Holy Light smiled as he said that to Rei. Rei frowned slightly as he hid his face under the hood of his Dragon Robe. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but all religions are the same to me. I have no intention of joining the Church of Holy Light.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. That¡¯s all right. I had just wanted someone with high combat strength and a title like you to join.¡¹ High combat strength. At those words, several people perked up. Vihera was one of them, but she didn¡¯t display any reaction. Instead, she turned to look at a man in the adventurer party that was distracted by her. It was as if Vihera was trying to show she hadn¡¯t noticed anything. There might not have been a signal, but after the man from the Church of Holy Light gave a sigh, he bowed towards Rei¡¯s party before returning to his own. The rest of his party members left the small room with the stairs while forcibly dragging away the man who had been distracted by Vihera¡¯s body. ¡¸Seriously, the Church of Holy Light is a new religion and might not be that strong, but don¡¯t go around arguing with them, okay?¡¹ Vihera, who had been listening in to the conversation between Rei and the man from the Church of Holy light, said that. However, it was clear from her tone that she didn¡¯t really mean it. However, it was true that there was something for them to think about. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ It was the same for Byune, who was pulling on Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe while hitting his shoulder repeatedly. It seemed that she was telling Rei it wasn¡¯t that good to interact with the Church of Holy Light like that. ¡¸¡­¡­What would you like to do? If we proceed through the dungeon as is, we might run into those people again. If that happens, that probably won¡¯t feel so great.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about that. The fifth floor is a rather complicated maxe, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll come across them so easily¡­¡­but there¡¯s no guarantee. I¡¯ll leave the decision to Rei¡­¡­what would you like to do?¡¹ Rei nodded with a smile as he took off the hood of his Dragon Robe in response to Vihera, who asked him with a provocative smile. ¡¸Of course we¡¯ll go. Our¡­¡­Elena and my purpose, was to find magic items and new magic stones deeper in the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Right. Shall we go them? Let¡¯s be careful not to run into those guys again. ¡­¡­Byune, we¡¯ll be relying on you.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Having almost perfectly memorised the passages on this dungeon floor, Byune nodded with her usual blank expression at Vihera¡¯s words¡­¡­and with that, they made it to the stairs of the sixth floor without running into anyone else. CH 402 ¡¸So this is the sixth floor¡­¡­it¡¯s quite different compared to the upper floors.¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked around the small room where the stairs and magic circle was. Although it was a small room, the surroundings were clearly different to the cobblestone environment of the upper floors. His Shoes of Sleipnir stepped onto the exposed ground. Unlike the fifth floor, the environment was like the inside of a cave. As could be seen from feel of the ground they stepped on, it was bare soil. There were also rocks scattered around. ¡¸I¡¯m not sure how to describe it, but this has more of the dungeon atmosphere¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, you can think of it as a cave if you¡¯d like. There are places where you can mine ore as well as many Golem type monsters. ¡­¡­That said, the Golem type monsters, such as mud or stone Golems, are only the same size as Rei if not smaller.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune grabbed Vihera¡¯s arms as she pointed at the ceiling. Noticing what was up there, Vihera nodded. ¡¸That¡¯s right. There are also Wind Bats that can use wind magic. Unlike the Golems, those are what you need to be careful of¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Vihera turned to look at Rei, Set, Elena and Yellow, who was sitting on Elena¡¯s left shoulder. ¡¸¡­¡­But that goes without saying for Rei and Elena, you¡¯re not ordinary adventurers. Rather, I want to tell the monsters to watch out for you.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that underestimating them? We haven¡¯t seen any Golems yet, but this is the first time we¡¯ve seen Wind Bats.¡¹ ¡¸But, in the end, they are still low ranking monsters. Will the General Princess struggle against such enemies? In that case, my expectations of you must have been wrong.¡¹ Vihera asked with a bullish, provocative smile, but Elena didn¡¯t falter as she replied with a smile. ¡¸Of course I¡¯m confident. But since it¡¯s a monster we¡¯ve never seen before, it¡¯s natural to be careful. Or did you just rush headfirst into monsters you saw for the first time?¡¹ Although Elena wasn¡¯t aware of it, the fact that she was properly talking with Vihera was a sign that she was finally beginning to accept interacting with her. Vihera nodded naturally at Elena¡¯s question¡­¡­ ¡¸Of course? You mean when meeting a monster for the first time? If you want to learn how to deal with an enemy like that, you have to fight them directly and feel it with your body.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ The combat fanaticism that came from Vihera¡¯s words made Elena give a sigh of resignation. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ It was an impressive sight for Rei to see Byune patting Elena¡¯s waist to cheer her up. ¡¸Anyway, as for fighting Golems¡­¡­oh, that¡¯s right.¡¹ As he said that, Rei recalled Vel¡¯s Golem, which they had fought at the Altar of Inheritance. (There was no magic stone in that GOlem at that time because it was made using alchemy¡­¡­would monster Golems have a magic stone in them? Well, we¡¯ll find that out when we fight them.) ¡¸Heh, have you fought a Golem before Rei?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ve only fought a golem created using alchemy, so I think it¡¯s different from a monster Golem. That¡¯s right, I wanted to ask, do you know if the Golems in this dungeon, or any other similar kind of monsters, have magic stones in them?¡¹ Rei was a little worried that if Golems didn¡¯t have magic stones, it would be a great loss of effort and rewards. Fortunately, Vihera nodded as if it were a matter of course. ¡¸They have magic stones. Golem are basically juicy prey for this kid.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded without hesitation at Vihera¡¯s words. Seeing Byune nod, Elena was confused. ¡¸Are Golems that good to kill? Are their proofs of subjugation worth a high price?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately not. Of course, you can get some money for them, but the important parts are the materials. The bodies of Mud Golems are used in alchemy and the bodies of Stone Golems are used as building material at a slightly higher price due to the magic power it retains. It¡¯s not all that good though. Since the Golems just turn to mud and stone after being killed, their magic stone is their proof of subjugation. In other words, compared with ordinary monsters, there is no additional reward from proofs of subjugation. That said, they do add a small amount to the price of the magic stones.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ For Byune, who was looking for ways to earn more money, it was a shame. She looked down in dissapointment, agreeing with Vihera. ¡¸In addition, there is usually so much mud and stone that it¡¯s hard to bring it back unless you have a porter. ¡­¡­Fortunately, Rei is here today.¡¹ Vihera glanced at Rei as she said that. It was clear what she meant. Rei wasn¡¯t unwilling to let others use the space in the Misty Ring. However, if it was a typical noble which Rei hated, he might have refused. ¡¸I meant to say this earlier, but while we¡¯d normally need to be careful about Wind Bats getting close, we won¡¯t need to worry about that with Set around.¡¹ ¡¸Getting close?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Wind Bats are bats, so they are good at moving stealthily. They are also hard to find because they can use wind magic¡­¡­normally that is.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see. No matter how good the Wind Bats are, it¡¯s not enough to hide from Set¡¯s eyes, ears and nose.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. There are also some other monsters like Orcs and Goblins, but we won¡¯t have to worry about them. I¡¯d like to make some money on this floor for Byune, would that be okay?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ At Vihera¡¯s words, Byune gave a small nod as she turned to look at Rei and Elena. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. Anyway, we only have maps down to the fifth floor. I was thinking of buying maps for the sixth floor after we were done for the day, but if we can reach the seventh floor, that would be great.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I have no objections to Rei¡¯s opinion.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Rei and Elena both nodded while Set and Yellow gave cries of agreement. Now that everyone had reached an agreement, they immediately stepped into the cave like dungeon floor. There were stalactites growing from the dimly lit ceiling, which was still brighter than the even darker walls. In some places the ground was covered by puddles. As the ground was basically dirt, the footholds were even worse than the stone pavements that had been seen up until the fifth floor. ¡¸¡­¡­Seeing all this, this is really different compared to the fifth floor.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. Like the dungeon we entered previously, the environment changes from floors to floors.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, well you¡¯re half right.¡¹ Vihera, who had been listening into Elena¡¯s words, spoke up. ¡¸To be exact, until the fifth floor, it¡¯s the basic dungeon environment. From the sixth to tenth floor, it¡¯s a cave like environment, same as where we are. From the 11th floor, it¡¯s a desert and so on, changing roughly every five floors. ¡­¡­But, after the 16th floor, it won¡¯t be every five floors anymore, the environment changes floor to floor¡­¡­it might be a bit early to tell you two though.¡¹ Elena frowned unhappily at Vihera¡¯s words, but there was no point arguing back. It was a fact that she and Rei were not used to the dungeon yet. They continued walking for another 30 minutes while conversing with each other. Eventually, Byune, who was walking at the front, gently stretched out her hand to stop them. At the same time, they heard a dirty squelching sound. (This kind of sound¡­¡­it reminds me of the Zombies I encountered in the dungeon with the Altar of Inheritance.) Although Rei thought of that, he didn¡¯t sense the bad smell that he had previously encountered. Glancing sideways at Elena, who was walking beside him, he saw her frown slightly, as if she had thought of the same thing. Elena seemed to have felt his gaze and turned to look at him. When their eyes met each other, the two of them, who were thinking of the same thing, gave a wry smile towards each other when they heard a soft ¡ºahem¡». The two of them turned to look at Vihera, who was looking at them with a dumbfounded expression as she spoke. ¡¸It¡¯s nice to flirt with each other, but could you wait for after the fight ends?¡¹ ¡¸No, Rei and I aren¡¯t¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Look, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Considering it¡¯s footsteps, it should be a Mud Golem approaching. ¡­¡­Well, do you want to try fighting it Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It should be a lone Mud Golem based on it¡¯s footsteps, so it would be good to gain some combat experience. ¡­¡­Do you mind, Byune?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded in response to Vihera. Personally, Mud Puppets could earn her a lot of money, but she couldn¡¯t fight them with force. Rather, she thought that it would be more convinient for Rei and Elena, who had never fought a Mud Golem before, to gain some experience in fighting them, considering the future. From the dark passageway, the squelching sound gradually approached. And, eventually, a muddy figure became visible to Rei¡¯s eyes¡­¡­ ¡¸Is that a Mud Golem? It¡¯s just like its name.¡¹ It was roughly 1.5m in height. You could call it a humanoid figure, but as Rei said, it was just a rough humanoid. It had arms, legs a body and a head. It looked just like larger version of something a child made out of mud. Its head had no eyes, nose or mouth and was almost completely flat. But even then, it must have had some way of sensing its surroundings. As soon as it sensed Rei and the others at the other end of the passageway, it started walking at a slightly faster speed than before while making squelching sounds. Every time it moved, mud would spill from its body and into the cave. Rei frowned his eyes slightly as he saw the Mud Golem walking towards them while polluting its surroundings. (For now, it would be better to avoid fighting it in melee combaat using the Death Scythe. In that case, should I use magic?) Thinking that in his mind, he muttered an incantation while focusing his magic power. ¡ºFlame, burn the enemy according to my will.¡» The magic Rei used had high magic power for the short incantation it had. As he spoke the incantation, a fireball about 30cm in diameter formed at the base of the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft. ¡ºFireball.¡» Along with that word, the magic was activated and the firaball that was created was shot out¡­¡­ ¡¸Ah.¡¹ Just before the fireball hit the Mud Golem, Vihera unintentionally raised her voice. However, it was already too late. The fireball hit the Mud Golem. The next moment, the 1.5m tall Mud Golem was wrapped in flames, drying out in the blink of an eye before burning up. The mud that formed it collapsed to the ground in under a few seconds. ¡­¡­¡¯No¡¯, Byune seemed to murmur in sadness when she saw the remains of the Mud Golem, whose water had completely evaporated and dirt burned up due to Rei¡¯s fireball. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Only a single sound was heard from Byune, but it was enough to make listeners feel her regret. ¡¸Ara~, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d go that far. I thought you were just going to take it down with your Death Scythe. ¡­¡­Well, I guess this is also an experience.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What do you mean?¡¹ All that remained was a pile of burnt dirt. Rei look confused at Vihera¡¯s words as he looked at the pile. ¡¸I told you that the mud that makes up the body of Mud Golems is a useful material in alchemy, right?¡¹ ¡¸yes. I did hear you say that.¡¹ ¡¸Conversely, if it¡¯s not mud, it can¡¯t be used in alchemy. The water that makes up the mud seems to be the important thing.¡¹ Twitch. Hearing Vihera¡¯s words, Rei¡¯s eyebrows twitched involuntarily. At the end of his line of sight was a pile of dirt that had been half turned to glass by Rei¡¯s magic after all the water had evaporated. If what Vihera had said was true, that meant that this dirt, which had lost all its water content and was no longer mud, was now useless for alchemy. ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry.¡¹ Rei bowed his head after realising that his use of fire magic had been a mistake. However, Byune and Vihera both shook their heads as if to say it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡¸This is also an experience. It¡¯s true that Rei¡¯s magic is powerful and can be used to eliminate enemies. But, it¡¯s also good to remember that it means you won¡¯t be able to collect materials from some monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded at Vihera¡¯s words. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Set tried to cheer Rei up by rubbing his face against Rei with a cry. Yellow also sat on Rei¡¯s shoulder and tapped him with its foot with a cry. The whole group couldn¡¯t help but feel softened up by the sight. ¡¸I can¡¯t say much about it since I didn¡¯t know either, but don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡¹ After receiving words of encouragement from Elena, they collected the Mud Golem¡¯s magic stone before continuing to move through the cave like dungeon floor. CH 403 ¡ºBlade of wind, slash my enemies.¡» As the magic was cast, reality was altered as wind aspected magic power gathered around Elena. ¡ºAir Cutter!¡» With those words, the magic was completed and nearly 20 wind blades where shot out. The invisible attack of the wind blades split the body of the approaching Mud Golem into multiple slices before it eventually lost all strength and collapsed to the ground. All that remained was mud, containing some magic power, and a magic stone, buried in the mud. ¡¸I see. Fire magic isn¡¯t that useful, but wind magic seems to be okay.¡¹ ¡¸Well, the problem was the water in the mud evaporating and just leaving dirt behind, so wind magic shouldn¡¯t have any problems.¡¹ Vihera nodded in agreement at Elena¡¯s words. Next to them, Byune immediately dug out the magic stone from the mud before handing it over to Rei. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I understand.¡¹ Along with those words, Rei took the Dagger of Flowing Water out of the Misty Ring. Washing the magic stone with water created from the dagger, he then stored the magic stone into the Misty Ring. After that, he took out a barrel and filled it up with mud with help from the other four people before storing it away. ¡¸¡­¡­This is quite troublesome.¡¹ Rei muttered with a sigh. Washing the magic stone aside, it took about 10 minutes to move all the mud from the Mud Golem into a barrel. They had already does this three times. It was certainly true, every time they killed a Mud Golem, they had to stop moving to collect the mud¡­¡­it was a fact that it took time. However¡­¡­ ¡¸Considering how much time it takes to strip materials from monsters, I think this is quite short, no?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess so.¡¹ In fact, in terms of income, all the mud that made up the Mud Golem could be sold as alchemy materials, so it was true that nothing would go to waist, unlike ordinary monsters. Of course, to bring back the mud, there was a corresponding weight, so it would normally be impossible to carry the mud back without a porter. In addition, a barrel like container would need to be prepared as well, so Mud Golems usually weren¡¯t consider good prey for ordinary parties. If they were going to bring back all the mud from a Mud Golem, they might as well bring back more magic stones and other expensive materials instead, as it would earn them more money. But, in this case, Rei had barrels stored inside the Misty Ring, so they didn¡¯t have any issues bringing it back with them. Because of that, an item box wasn¡¯t necessarily a requirement to bring back the mud and magic stones of Mud Golems¡­¡­if you had a magic pouch, like what Elena had, that would also work. There was once a tough guy who used the fact that the transfer device could directly send people to the level they wanted to pull a cart with him. After killing Mud Golems and Stone Golems, he then collected all their materials. After collecting all the materials from Mud Golem, Rei and the others continued their way through the sixth floor. Occasionally, they would come across a trap. When Byune saw one, she would tell Rei and Elena about the trap and show them how to disarm it. However, because Byune didn¡¯t really speak, it was more like the way a master craftsman would teach their apprentice, by watching and remembering. As they made their way through the cave like environment, Byune, who was walking at the front, reached out her hand and signaled them to stop. ¡¸Is it another trap?¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune gave a small nod at Vihera¡¯s question and left Rei and the others behind as she crouched on the ground 5m ahead to disarm the trap. The reason why Rei and Elena weren¡¯t invited over to watch this time was probably because it was a dangerous trap. In fact, as Rei looked over to where Byune was, he could see something like a thin spider thread about 20cm off the ground. The spider thread lead to a cave wall, up the wall, and to stalactites on the ceiling. Seeing that, Rei could half guess what kind of trap Byune was currently disarming. Probably, if someone touched the thread, it would cause the overhanging stalactites to fall. What made it worse was the trap trigger was spider thread. Thin and light. Since most adventurers exploring the dungeon would be wearing armour, they wouldn¡¯t even notice if they touched the thread. Even Vihera, who wore the least armour among them, would not have noticed if she touched the thread. The 20cm high thread would touch her shins, which were covered from her feet up. If it was Set, who was unarmoured, he might have felt it or spotted it with his sharp eyes beforehand. ¡¸It¡¯s a very nasty trap.¡¹ ¡¸Ara~, you figured it out?¡¹ Rei nodded at Vihera, who was looking at him with eyes wide in surprise. ¡¸Hm? You know what kind of trap it is?¡¹ Elena couldn¡¯t tell what the trap was just by looking at it as she asked Rei. ¡¸Yeah. Simply put, it¡¯s a trap that drops stalactites from above. If a stalactite of that size fell on your head, anyone not expecting it would almost certainly die. ¡­¡­It seemed like the danger of traps increased significantly from the sixth floor.¡¹ ¡¸Well, a lot of people who are new to the sixth floor are either killed or seriously injured by these kinds of traps. I believe the guild is very careful about it, but there are still overconfident parties that make their way here.¡¹ ¡¸So these are everywhere¡­¡­mm?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ As Rei was about to say something, Set, who had been keeping an eye on the surroundings, gave a cry. His line of sight was directed towards the end of the passage where Rei and others were. ¡¸It looks like a new enemy has arrived. ¡­¡­Is it a Mud Golem again?¡¹ Muttering to himself, he immediately shook his head. That was because he couldn¡¯t hear the squelching footsteps he had heard many times before. While he hadn¡¯t run into any yet, he couldn¡¯t hear the thumping sound of Stone Golems either. (So, is it a Wind Bat? No, since there is a trap set up here, it could possibly be something else.) As he thought of that, Rei suddenly noticed something flying towards him and swung his Death Scythe on instinct. At that moment, something invisible collided with the blade of the Death Scythe¡­¡­before shattering. Even so, he was able to grasp the identity of something he had struck on reflex because he had seen a similar attack just earlier. ¡¸Wind blades?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Looks like it¡¯s Wind Bats. Byune!¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Vihera?¡¹ When Vihera called out to Byune, who was about to return to them, Byune gave a small nod, as if understanding something and stayed by the trap. Seeing that, Elena asked what was going on. However, Vihera, who had a smile on her face, just stared down the passageway with a smile on her face without replying. What were the two of them planning? It became clear when a huge bat with a wingspan of 1.5m silently appeared from the end of the passageway. ¡¸Now!¡¹ With Vihera¡¯s shout, Byune, who had hidden herself near the trap, cut the thread before quickly running back to Rei¡¯s group. And, because the thread was cut, the trap was naturally triggered and the stalactites growing from the ceiling fell down. ¡­¡­But not on Rei¡¯s head, they fell on the Wind Bat¡¯s head. ¡¸Hey, they¡¯re not going to come down on us are they?¡¹ Rei asked as he watched a sharp stalactite slam into the ground after piercing through the Wind Bat. Next to Rei, Set also gave a cry as he worriedly watched a large number of stalactites falling down. ¡¸It will be fine. If it¡¯s a trap of this type, its range isn¡¯t that great. It will be a few meters radius around the place where the trap was. That¡¯s why we needed to drag the Wind Bat over.¡¹ Vihera replied as she looked over a the Wind Bats, crushed by stalactites, as if it were a matter of course. Due to the fall of stalactites, there was now a small mountain of stalactites on the ground. In such a situation, of course, the Wind Bat had been completely crushed and no blood could be seen, let alone any part of the Wind Bat. However, the people in their group were Rei, who had extraordinary physical ability and senses, Elena, who had inherited the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon, Set, a Griffon, Yellow, a Dragon although small, Byune, who had sharper sense than most after working as a thief, and Vihera, who was a combat fanatic and had trained her senses accordingly. All of them had sharp senses and could clearly smell the scent of blood drifting out from under the stalactites. ¡¸If you have a thief in your party, you can use traps in the dungeon to attack monsters. It might not be as useful for Rei and Elena, since neither of you are thieves, but it never hurts to know.¡¹ ¡¸It was certainly a learning experience. I never thought you could use traps against monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Well, of course, you need a certain amount of experience to do this. At the very least, it would be impossible for amateurs like me, you, and Elena to do.¡¹ ¡¸I know that much, in the first place, I don¡¯t have any skills as a thief.¡¹ ¡¸Ara~, that is a little surprising. I was expecting you retort back.¡¹ All things considered¡­¡­especially considering what had happened with Rei the night before, Vihera hadn¡¯t expected that Elena would agree with her without a fuss. She had a surprised expression on her face. However, Elena just gave a snort as she responded. If it hadn¡¯t been Vihera who was looking at her, someone else would have fallen in love with Elena as she scooped up the rolls in her blonde hair. ¡¸That¡¯s true, there are so many things I would like to say to you¡­¡­so many things. However, that¡¯s not the kind of thing we should be talking about in a dangerous place like a dungeon.¡¹ Saying that, she stared sideways at Rei, who had involuntarily gave a sigh of relief, before speaking. ¡¸I will be asking Rei to explain it to me after we leave the dungeon today, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it for now.¡¹ ¡¸Ara~, that¡¯s right. ¡­¡­It¡¯s hard having a jealous lover.¡¹ Rei turned look at Vihera, who smiled as she called out to Rei. It¡¯s your fault no matter how you look at it. Rei seemed to say with a look of protest. However, Vihera didn¡¯t seem to care about Rei¡¯s look as she turned towards the stalactites piled up on the ground. ¡¸What about the Wind Bat? Aside from its fangs, which is the proof of subjugation, and the magic stone, I think it would be difficult to get any other materials considering it was crushed by stalactites.¡¹ ¡¸The materials were¡­¡­.the wings and eyes?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But its head has definitely been crushed and wings torn.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. I haven¡¯t collected a Wind Bat¡¯s magic stone, so it will do.¡¹ Saying that, Rei went over to the pile of stalactites with Set. Even though the stalactites were huge, many of them had been crushed after hitting the ground and the individual pieces weren¡¯t that large. There were also a few that had barely broken, but it wasn¡¯t too difficult to shift them with Rei and Set¡¯s strength. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t glow any more after breaking. ¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not right. It should have stopped glowing after falling from the ceiling.¡¹ Rei muttered as he lifted a stalactite about the same height as himself. The glow the stalactites had was gone and they had become ordinary stalactites after falling to the ground. ¡¸Yeah. If they had continued to glow, there would be a few more adventurers who would come here. These stalactites glow like the walls, they stop glowing when they leave the dungeon. ¡­¡­If the mystery could be unravelled, nights would become brighter in cities, towns and villages.¡¹ Vihera replied with regret in her eyes as she looked at the stalactite Rei had lifted up. As they heard those words, Rei and Set finally succeed in moving the stalactites that had fallen on the Wind Bat. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a disappointed cry as he rolled a stalactite away with his feet. The stalactites had fallen on the Wind Bat in such great numbers that the Wind Bat had been crushed beyond all recognition, there was hardly any part of it left intact. As for parts that were still intact¡­¡­only its fangs, the proof of subjugation, were intact from its head. Rei reached out a tore the fangs straight off, a sight that the average person would frown at. ¡¸The magic stone¡­¡­is a loss.¡¹ Rei sighed when he saw what was left of the magic stone, which had be shattered by the stalactites. ¡¸That looks to be the case, doesn¡¯t it? Well, I suppose we can just collect the fangs as proof of subjugation. ¡­¡­Byune, how is it? Any signs of new monsters?¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ ¡¸Elena?¡¹ ¡¸No problems here¡­¡­rather, isn¡¯t it pointless for me to keep watch if Byune is doing it?¡¹ Vihera smiled meaningfully at Elena¡¯s words. ¡¸Well, you might be right. ¡­¡­But, it¡¯s just a coincidence that we are partying together with Byune, right? It would be better for you to get used to it. That aside, let¡¯s move on.¡¹ With Vihera¡¯s words as a signal, Rei and the others continued making their way through the cave like dungeon floor. CH 404 It had been about 30 minutes since they had used a stalactite trap to kill a Wind Bat. After taking several forks in the path, Byune suddenly stopped. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Byune?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune pointed to towards the end of the passageway with a sound as she responded to Vihera, who was walking beside her. Looking in that direction, everyone understood why Byune had stopped them. ¡¸Swords are no good, a hammer though¡­¡­do it-!¡¹ ¡¸OOO-, leave it to me. Out of the way, Rambros! My hammer is more effective against this stone bastard!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! This Golem hurt hurt my Karsana, I¡¯m going to destroy it!¡¹ ¡¸Hah-, this is such a pain. I¡¯m going to attack it, so don¡¯t get hit! I won¡¯t care if I hit you! Get behind him! UOOOOOOOOH-!¡¹ It was faint, but they could hear such voices. They were at a distance where you¡¯d normally be unable to hear anything, but everyone here had sharper senses than most others. That was why they could hear the voices. ¡¸Mm?¡¹ What do you want to do? Byune seemed to ask. She wasn¡¯t asking Rei¡­¡­but Vihera, who she had the longest working relationship with. Considering Vihera¡¯s experience from entering the dungeon though, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Rather than fighting a pointless battled¡­¡­no, we heard them call it a Stone Golem. It¡¯s definitely a Stone Golem. Maybe we should show Rei and Elena what it¡¯s like.¡¹ ¡¸But is that okay? I feel that it wouldn¡¯t be good to surprise another party while they are currently in combat.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Yellow, who was sitting on left shoulder, seemed to give a cry in agreement. However, Vihera thought it about for a few seconds as she listened in to the angry shouts echoing from down the passageway before shaking her head. ¡¸It¡¯s an unspoken rule that it is rude to interrupt another party¡¯s battle. However, if there is a request from the other party, that¡¯s a different story. So, let¡¯s go up and ask them if they need help, if not, we won¡¯t do anything. Do you have any objections?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m slightly concerned about the glint in your eyes.¡¹ Although Vihera had said that she just wanted to help the other party, her eyes clearly showed that her mind was struggling against the instinct to want to fight something. Still, Vihera was still in enough control of her urges to not be too risky. Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Vihera lightly fiddled with the weapons on her hands as she glanced at the rest. Seeing that no one objected, she gave a glossy smile before dashing forward and running in the direction they had heard the voices. While she was wearing thin clothes and only had weapons on her hands and feet, fighting spirit radiated from her attractive body. She moved through the cave with her peculiar movements, as if she were gliding across the ground. Eventually, a shadow much larger than a Mud Golem came into view. It was one head taller than Vihera, who was 175cm tall. The Stone Golem was probably over 2m in height. Two warriors were slamming their weapons into the Stone Golem, which was a bit small to call a large golem, but was too big to call small either. The warrior with a sword swung down at the Stone Golem from behind while another warrior swung a huge iron hammer, the size of a person¡¯s head, from the front. ¡¸What do you think, Vihera?¡¹ Elena quickly ran over to Vihera and watched for several seconds before asking. Next to her were Rei, Set, and, of course, Byune. ¡¸Yeah. It seems that this party was a bit overconfident to come to the sixth floor.¡¹ Vihera¡¯s right arm pointed towards a lightly armoured woman, a thief it seemed, who had fallen to the ground a short distance away from the Stone Golem. Next to her, a man with a bow was shooting the Golem in an attempt to restrain it. But¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s no good.¡¹ Rei muttered out loud. The fact was, the arrows being shot out weren¡¯t a good match for the Stone Golem. Although they hit its roughly shaped face, similar to when the Mud Golem had, they just bounced off. IF the arrows had a magic metal arrowhead, or if the bow itself was a magic item, it might have been different. If the archer had been more skilled, he might even have been able to shoot through the stone body. However, it didn¡¯t seem like he had the skills to do that and could only draw a bit of its attention. ¡¸This¡­¡­Rei, could you ask them if they need help?¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I think a man like Rei is better than a weak woman like me in this situation, even if people tend to underestimate you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Glancing over at Elena and Byune, the two of them nodded slightly without any objections. Next to them, Set and Yellow also gave short nods to show their agreement. ¡­¡­That said, in Yellow¡¯s case, it was more likely that he nodded because Set nodded. (I definitely think that it would be better for Vihera to ask rather than me, considering she¡¯s well known around Exil.) Rei thought about that but, seeing the adventurers fighting the Golem fall into a disadvantage, he couldn¡¯t ignore them. ¡¸Hey, do you need some help?¡¹ ¡¸Shut up, stay out of this!¡¹ The man with the sword immediately responded to Rei¡¯s words. His sword, which he swung with a loud shout, bounced off the Golem with a high pitched sound without cutting through its stone body. (¡­¡­That sound? He¡¯s striking stone with his sword?) Rei had some questions in his mind, but a shout from the man with the hammer interrupted his thoughts. ¡¸Rambros, don¡¯t let your emotions get the better of you! I¡¯m sorry, please help us if you can¡­¡­woah!¡¹ The man shouting at Rei evaded the Stone Golem¡¯s fist by a hair¡¯s breath before exhaling in relief. ¡¸A-Anyway, if you can help us, do it! Please!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid! I¡¯ll break this Stone Golem¡­¡­!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s enough¡­¡­!¡¹ The Stone Golem changed its target to the man with the sword again as the man with the hammer had taken some distance. The man with the hammer swung it down at the Golem from behind. Unlike the sword, the hammer¡¯s impact couldn¡¯t be stopped as chips scattered off the Stone Golem¡¯s body. ¡¸UOOOOOOOOH-!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t rush in! Step back!¡¹ While the two men with the sword and hammer were interacting as such, the archer, who had been shooting arrows as support beside the female thief, went over to Rei and the others. He knew that his support had basically no effect and decided to prioritise talking with Rei. (Heh, he¡¯s a lot calmer than the man with the sword.) Rei called out to the approaching man with some admiration. ¡¸May I assume you would like us to help?¡¹ ¡¸Please. ¡­¡­Forgive Rambros. His girlfriend was was the one hit by the Stone Golem at the beginning of the fight¡­¡­¡¹ At the end of his line of sigh was the female thief, who was lying unconscious on the ground. Rei nodded, understanding why the blood had rushed to the head of the man called Rambros. ¡¸So you don¡¯t mind if I take it down? If that man complains later, you can handle that, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I didn¡¯t know that Stone Golem would be this strong¡­¡­¡¹ (They didn¡¯t know, huh.) Vihera thought to herself as she listened in. Having been active on this floor several times, she had fought Stone Golems several times. However, even for Vihera, the Stone Golem she could see was very different from the Stone Golems she had fought in the past. First of all was its size. Ordinary Stone Golems were the same size as Mud Golems, this one was much larger. Even the stones that made up its body were not destroyed after being hit with a hammer. At the very least, after being smashed by a hammer so many times, it barely had any scratches. (I wonder if this is¡­¡­.this is unexpected. I had thought it would be enough if I just watched Rei and Elena fight it.) The flames of struggle burnt bright within Vihera as here eyes glinted with a belligerent light. A lustrous beauty. That was the best way to describe Vihera¡¯s face, who had a smile on her face as she looked forward to the struggle. ¡¸Rei, Elena, Byune, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to take that prey. You don¡¯t mind, right?¡¹ ¡¸Wait! It¡¯s not the type of enemy you can defeat alone!¡¹ The archer barely manged to say that as he was exposed to Vihera immense seductiveness. Unluckily for the man, he hadn¡¯t heard of Vihera before. She was called the Mad Beast, but that name was only known to those who knew. It was different from titles that had spread to neighbouring countries, such as Crimson and General Princess. Because of that, it wasn¡¯t a surprise he didn¡¯t know Vihera¡­¡­ ¡¸Ara~, are you planning to get in the way of my struggle?¡¹ Vihera turned to look at him with eyes filled with fighting spirit. ¡¸-!?¡¹ The archer, pressed down by the pressure of her gaze, immediately prepared for his own death. It was a gaze with that much power behind it. Seeing the man¡¯s legs give way from under him, Vihera gave a snort before turning to Rei. However, it wasn¡¯t a gaze asking for permission. It was one saying that he shouldn¡¯t get in the way. ¡¸¡­¡­Hah, I understand. But don¡¯t go and hurt the two people fighting over there.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, you know me very well. That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll give you a good thank you later.¡¹ Saying that, Vihera dashed forward as she closed the gap towards the Stone Golem. ¡¸Vihera!¡¹ Elena gave an angry shout as Vihera left. ¡¸Damn it, why is this stone so hard!¡¹ Rambros clicked his tongue as he swung his long sword down at the Stone Golem without giving up. It was an action he had repeated many times. Each time, his sword bounced off the stone body without scratching it. The reason he couldn¡¯t stop himself was because he had seen his girlfriend hit by the Stone Golem¡¯s fist and fall unconscious with his own eyes. Of course, since they were in a dungeon, it was true that it was an adventurer¡¯s own fault if they let their guard down. But although he understood that, he continued to attack the Stone Golem. He couldn¡¯t stand the fact that his girlfriend had been hurt¡­¡­ Seeing all of his attacks bounce off, he clicked his tongue internally. At that moment. ¡¸Step aside!¡¹ Someone said those words to him as they ran past Rambros. As a warrior, he couldn¡¯t understand her movements. The next moment, his eyes widened with surprise at the smoothness of her movement, which could called fluid. Vihera didn¡¯t know, or didn¡¯t care, about him as he poured magic power into the weapons on her hands, forming claws, before cleaving the side of the Stone Golem. She then headed straight for the cave¡¯s stone walls without slowing down¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s dangerous!¡¹ Ignoring the voice of the man with the hammer, she rushed towards the wall without slowing down, jumping against it before leaping back towards the Stone Golem. The Stone Golem headed straight for Vihera as it threw a fist to intercept her. However, as soon as she saw that, Vihera danced through the air as she shifted her balance, bending her body to create space for the stone fist to pass by her. Grabbing onto the stone fist that passed by her, she stopped moving for a moment¡­¡­the next instant, she used the Stone Golem¡¯s strength against itself as she slammed its large body onto the ground. ¡¸¡­¡­What just happened?¡¹ Rambros muttered as if he couldn¡¯t understand what had just happened. It was the same for the man with the hammer, who could only watch the series of stunning movements. However, Vihera¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t end there. Jumping off the ground lightly, she poured magic power to the weapons in her heels, forming a blade. She swung it down on the shoulder of the Stone Golem that was trying to get up, destroying it. At the same time, she continued to swing her fists and legs repeatedly, using her claws and blades. By the time Vihera had satisfied her own desire to fight and stopped attacking, the Stone Golem had lost almost half its body and was unable to move. Vihera looked down on it with a glossy smile. Rambros was distracted by her appearance and only returned to reality when the archer called out to hime. CH 405 ¡¸That person is¡­¡­incredible.¡¹ The archer next to Rei murmured as he watched Vihera¡¯s fight. Hearing that, Byune puffed up her chest as if to show her pride. Her expression didn¡¯t change much though, so the archer didn¡¯t notice anything. ¡­¡­However, after seeing Byune, he the looked away before seeming to remember something¡­¡­the next moment, he took in a sharp breath. He had probably realised who she was. Although he had only recently arrived in Exil, he had still heard about the four families that had laid the foundations for this labyrinth city, and that one of those families had since fallen. It was rare to find a 10 year old girl who worked as a thief, which was probably how he was able to identify her. Unlike what he knew about Vihera, the archer seemed to know enough regarding the Fraut family to make a guess. Still, only his expression changed and there was no change in his attitude. ¡¸So, thanks for saving us. As I said earlier, I hadn¡¯t expected Stone Golems to be so strong.¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯re definitely different from Mud Golems.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯ve fought Mud Golems several times, so we thought we could take on a Stone Golem¡­¡­but our thief ended up getting hit at the beginning. Fortunately, she¡¯s not dead, just unconscious¡­¡­¡¹ The moment the archer said that. ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around! That Stone Golem was our prey! What do you think you¡¯re doing, crashing in like this!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you can¡¯t talk like that after she helped us. You know well you couldn¡¯t have killed this Stone Golem on your own.¡¹ Such voices were heard by Rei¡¯s group and the archer. Hurriedly looking towards the direction of the voices, the archer saw Rambros shouting at Vihera while the man with the hammer rebuked him. Vihera, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to care that she was being yelled at as she checked the weapons on her hands and feet. She had only just had them adjusted the night before, so she was probably seeing how they were. However, Rambros couldn¡¯t stand being ignored like that. Seeing Vihera blatantly ignore him, blood rushed to his head¡­¡­ ¡¸Stop it, Rambros!¡¹ The archer rushed over to Rambros, who was about to shout at Vihera again. ¡¸Menos, why are you stopping me! These people interfered with our fight without permission!¡¹ Changing his target, Rambros shouted at the archer. Vihera glanced sideways at the situation for a moment before sighing in exasperation. Yes, just like seeing an idiot who couldn¡¯t be taught. Of course, Rambros couldn¡¯t stand her reaction as the blood rushed to his head. Changing his target again, he tried to shout at Vihera. ¡¸Calm down!¡¹ Along with those words, the archer, Menos, slapped Rambros across the cheek. Rambros didn¡¯t understand what had happened for a moment. However, he soon realised that he had just been hit¡­¡­ ¡¸Cut it out, it¡¯s unsightly. Don¡¯t take out your failure to protect Karsana on others¡­¡­and don¡¯t take it out on the people who helped us, that¡¯s disgusting.¡¹ The man with the hammer probably held the same thoughts as Menos. Telling that to Rambros in a low voice with a sigh, he turned towards Vihera again. Vihera looked like a dancer, wearing multiple layers of thin, underwear like clothes. However, different to ordinary dancers, she had weapons equipped on the back of her hands and feet. Her sensational outfit would stir up mens lust while the weapons she had covered her hands and feet. The imbalance made Vihera¡¯s impression only stronger. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for my party member. I¡¯m Energeia. The part leader of Blue Sky.¡¹ Placing his hammer on the ground, the man called Energeia bowed towards Vihera. At this point, Vihera finally seemed motivated enough to deal with them. Perhaps she had finished checking the condition of her weapons, Vihera turned to look at the hammer wielding Energeia. ¡¸Finally, someone who knows what he¡¯s talking about. So what are we going to do with this¡­¡­? Can I have this Stone Golem here?¡¹ ¡¸Hey! We were the first ones to fight it!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Fufu. Can you give me a break? In the first place, your sword barely did anything to it at all. It was purely my effort in killing it. I can only hope you¡¯re not as useless at night.¡¹ Twitch. A blood vessel popped on Rambros¡¯ forehead as he heard Vihera¡¯s words. However, Vihera wasn¡¯t joking after saying what she had to say. She just looked at Rambros with a contemptuously as she gave a provocative smile. ¡¸Hey! You¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Stop it! You were in the wrong no matter what you think! You know that we would have been killed by the Stone Golem if they hadn¡¯t helped us! Besides, you have better things to do than to get angry at her!¡¹ At Energeia¡¯s words, Rambros took a deep breath as he hurriedly looked over towards his girlfriend, who was lying in a corner of the passageway. ¡¸Karsana!¡¹ Whether it was just a hassle for him to resheath his sword or not, Rambros just threw his sword aside before rushing over to Karsana. As his long sword hit the ground, its blade snapped in half, probably because it had reached its limits after hitting the Stone Golem so many times. However, Rambros was the only one to not realise as he ran off. ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­let me thank you again. Thank you for your help. Thank you very much. You saved our live.s¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, he doesn¡¯t seem to think that though.¡¹ ¡¸He doesn¡¯t mean it. He¡¯s usually a considerate person, but after seeing his girlfriend get suddenly injured and knocked unconscious, I can understand his recklessness.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. But, I still don¡¯t like people taking that out on me like that.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll give him a good talking to later.¡¹ ¡¸Well. I¡¯m not interested in someone with that level of strength, so it¡¯s fine. Anyway, you don¡¯t mind if I take the Stone Golem, do you?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I know best that we could have only bought ourselves time. Take it. Is that fine?¡¹ At Vihera¡¯s question, Energeia asked Menos, the archer, who nodded with no objections. ¡¸Honestly, I didn¡¯t think that a Stone Golem would be that strong. We had killed several Mud Golems before¡­¡­it seems that the sixth floor was too much for us. We¡¯ll come back down when we are more skilled.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯ll also have to wait for Karsana to recover.¡¹ Energeia and Menos both nodded as they sighed. However¡­¡­ ¡¸Mmm¡­¡­Mm!?¡¹ Byune, who had been listening to them, suddenly raised her voice as she looked at the Stone Golem, which lying on the ground unmoving. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong Byune? ¡­¡­This is troublesome, I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s saying.¡¹ ¡¸Well, in the first place, it¡¯s strange to be able to communicate by just saying ¡®Mm¡¯.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s response, Rei agreed with a wry smile. However, there was someone who was able to notice the strangeness. No, it wasn¡¯t about Byune¡¯s method of communication, but rather something from having fought the Stone Golem. ¡¸She¡¯s saying this Stone Golem is strange.¡¹ Everyone else only tilted their heads at those words as they had no prior experience in fighting Stone Golems¡­¡­everyone except Vihera, who was the one to speak out, and Byune, who had crouched down to examine the Stone Golem with a pitter patter. Even Rambros, who was close to Karsana, looked back at Vihera. Seeing everyone look at her like that, Vihera shrugged her shoulders as she spoke up. ¡¸Sure, Stone Golems are stronger than Mud Golems, but they¡¯re not significantly stronger than Mud Golems.¡¹ ¡¸Wait. We had also fought Mud Golems, but¡­¡­¡¹ Energeia spoke up at Vihera¡¯s unexpected words. Seeing that, Vihera gave a small nod in agreement. ¡¸Yes, this Stone Golem was clearly stronger. No, rather, it was too strong to think of it as a Stone Golem. How is it, Byune?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Nodding at Vihera¡¯s words, Byune picked up a piece of the Stone Golem that had fallen to the ground from one of Energeia¡¯s hammer attacks and passed it to Vihera. Menos tried to speak up as he stared at it. ¡¸As expected, this isn¡¯t stone. No, I think it would be more correct to call it as an ore of some magic metal rather than stone.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute. That means this Stone Golem is¡­¡­¡¹ Vihera nodded before waiting for Menos to finish his words. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s probably a rare species¡­¡­or a higher ranking species.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Again?¡¹ Twitch. Vihera¡¯s eyes shifted towards Rei when she heard him say that. ¡¸Rei, what do you mean by ¡®again¡¯?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Oh, I fought a Sword Bee¡¯s queen in one of the higher floors. That was another monster that wasn¡¯t supposed to show up on the floor it was found on.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Even if it wasn¡¯t very skilled, the Queen Bee was still able to use Sword Bees in basic tactical actions. Considering that, there¡¯s no doubt that it was probably a higher ranking Sword Bee.¡¹ Elena nodded in agreement at Rei¡¯s words, and Vihera, who had started thinking for a few seconds after hearing that, turned to Byune before asking. ¡¸¡­¡­Byune, what do you think? Is this a strange occurrence for you, as someone who has been in this dungeon for a longer time than me?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded with a single response as usual, but there was a harsh light in her eyes. However, it was something that only Vihera could feel. ¡¸You¡¯re right. It¡¯s definitely strange. I¡¯ve rarely seen anything like this before. ¡­¡­Then, something must be happening. But what? ¡­¡­I don¡¯t know much about it. I¡¯ll have to dig a little deeper.¡¹ Vihera muttered to herself as she turned towards Energeia and Menos. ¡¸Hey, you guys. Now that you¡¯re in this situation, are you planning to leave the dungeon today?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. Of course. I wouldn¡¯t explore the dungeon without a thief and, besides Karsana, we also have other issues.¡¹ Saying that, he looked over at Rambros¡¯ long sword, which had broked after he had thrown it aside. With Rambros¡¯ weapon broken, one of the party¡¯s main attackers, it would have been nothing but suicide to attempt to continue exploring the sixth floor. Of course, since they had been able to make it this far, it was a fact that Rambros had a certain level of skill. Naturally, he had spare weapons as well. However, his spare weapon was only a dagger and it was clear that it fell several steps short compared to the long sword he had used up until now. ¡¸Ahh, we should have brought a porter with us so we¡¯d have a spare long sword.¡¹ Menos murmured with a sigh as Energeia shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸That might be the case, but our party always operated without a porter. In the first place, we never thought that a port would be essential to enter the dungeon¡­¡­well, we might be injured, but at least we still have our lives. Given that, this is fine. So, did you want us to do anything if we¡¯re going back up?¡¹ ¡¸I would like you to tell the guild about this. Something strange might be happening.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s fine, but¡­¡­you guys are? You¡¯re Crimson, right? Wouldn¡¯t it be more persuasive for someone like you to tell them?¡¹ Energeia asked Rei, who had been keeping an eye on the surroundings as he stroked Set. Rei had expected that they would realise who he was after seeing Set, but he didn¡¯t immediately responded as he turned to look a Vihera. ¡¸Unfortunately, we plan to explore a bit more¡­¡­hopefully down to the seventh floor. There might be something else aside from the Stone Golem.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that can¡¯t be helped. Then I¡¯ll leave that to you. We¡¯d only be dragging you down if we forced it. Rambros, let¡¯s go!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand.¡¹ Responding to Energeia, Rambros carried the unconscious Karsana as he walked past Vihera. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for my anger earlier. Thank you for your help.¡¹ He briefly thank Vihera before leaving. CH 406 Morning was drawing to a close and it was almost noon. The number of adventurers in the guild was much less than the busier morning and evening hours. The guild receptionists and other staff members were looking forward to lunch when the doors to the guild opened and two male adventurers walked in. Of course, that by itself wasn¡¯t unusual. There weren¡¯t many of them, but some adventurers chose to enter the dungeon in the afternoon. There were also others that would come in to collect the reward for completing quests outside the dungeon. That was what a receptionist thought. However, seeing the serious expressions of the two adventurers approaching her counter, she had a bad premonition. With lunch break so close, she really wanted them to go to a different receptionist¡¯s counter. Unfortunately, the two adventurers headed straight for hers ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s something I need to talk about regarding the dungeon.¡¹ A male adventurer with a hammer said that. Next to him, another adventurer holding a bow and quiver continued with a serious expression. ¡¸It¡¯s an urgent matter, so I¡¯d like you to let your superior know if possible.¡¹ ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry, but even if you say that, I still have to hear what the matter is before deciding whether or not to report it to the higher ups. Otherwise, the higher ups will have too much to deal with¡­¡­¡¹ In Exil¡¯s guild, a receptionist had previously caused a big incident by not raising a report to the higher ups because it was from someone they didn¡¯t like. Because of that, rules were changed so that the higher ups would be contacted at any time if anything happened. However, that resulted in more people calling on the higher ups for even the most trivial things, such as dropping potions inside the dungeon. In the end, one of the people in charge at the time collapsed due to overwork, resulting in the current system where several people would hear the story first before the receptionist made a decision. Naturally, the receptionist that had caused the problem in the first place by not passing up a report was severely punished, sentenced to 20 years in prison. It was only natural considering the damage that Exil had suffered when monsters showed up outside the dungeon as a result of their late report. Anyway, for that reason, the current procedure in Exil¡¯s guild was to first present reports at the reception before sending it further up. The man with the hammer and the archer, Energeia and Menos, both understood this. Looking at each other before nodding slightly, Energeia, the party leader, spoke up. ¡¸We went down to the sixth floor today, but a monster we fought there was several orders of magnitude stronger than ordinary Stone Golems. At the very least, it wasn¡¯t a monster that should have appeared on the sixth floor.¡¹ ¡¸So, does that mean¡­¡­someone else told you that?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Can you show me your dungeon card?¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Energeia and Menos both placed their dungeon cards on the counter. Seeing their dungeon cards, the receptionist decided that she didn¡¯t need to take Energeia¡¯s information that seriously. In fact, parties with limited dungeon experience would often think that monsters they fought were significantly beyond their actual strength and report it to the guild. It wasn¡¯t that common, but there were still cases. As far as the receptionist could see, the two people in front of her were both newcomers who had just arrived in Exil and registered dungeon cards. Of course, they were D rank adventurers with the guild, so they had a certain level of skill. However, conversely, it would probably because of their middling abilities that they couldn¡¯t directly see their own weaknesses¡­¡­however, Energeia¡¯s next words soon corrected her judgement. ¡¸That judgement wasn¡¯t something we came to on our own. It was what a woman who was part of the party led by Crimson told us when we met them.¡¹ Energeia said that after sensing what the receptionist was thinking based on how she looked at them. When she heard those words, the receptionist stopped breathing for a moment. A woman in a party led by Crimson. The first person that came to the receptionist¡¯s mind was Elena, the General Princess. It was inevitable that there would be a misunderstanding at this point. The receptionist only knew that Rei was partying with Elena and Energeia had no idea that Vihera and Byune had only joined them temporarily. Deciding that she couldn¡¯t ignore something that was said by the General Princess, the receptionist looked towards a few other guild staff members who were listening in before nodding. ¡¸I understand. I will let the higher ups know, please wait a moment.¡¹ Aft that, the receptionist¡¯s boss was called in to hear about their experience in detail. In addition, when the guild staff who had heard the story talked to some other adventurers, they found that there had been many cases of monsters showing up that were much stronger for the floor they appeared on. Discovering this, the guild was forced to deal with the issue. Rei and his group, which had no idea about what was happening in the guild at the surface, continued their way through the sixth floor. ¡¸Haaaaah-!¡¹ Elena swung her sword whip with an enthusiastic shout. The whip like sword tip rushed forward, tangling up the limbs of the Stone Golem. The next moment, they were sliced off by the magic empowered blades. Of course, the Stone Golem was unable to move any further after having its limbs cut off and most of the stones that made up its body were destroyed before it died. ¡¸¡­¡­It certainly feels la lot weaker than the Stone Golem Vihera fought earlier.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that right? That last one was just an anomaly, this one is an ordinary Stone Golem.¡¹ Vihera said that as she watched Rei take out the magic stone. The expression on her face wasn¡¯t one of frustration from not being able to fight a fierce battle¡­¡­but one thinking about the current strange situation with the dungeon. Her concern was that this wasn¡¯t something just happening on the sixth floor, but across the whole dungeon. ¡­¡­That said, it seemed that her primary worry was that if the incidents persisted, the dungeon might be closed and she would be unable to fight against strong monsters. ¡¸In any case, should we go down to the seventh floor?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I think that would be best. Even for Rei and Elena, it would be good to increase the number of floors you can directly transfer to from the magic device if needed, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true.¡¹ Elena spat out a sigh at Vihera¡¯s words. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. I just reaffirmed my thoughts that I need to keep my guard up.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei was confused, but decided that it probably wasn¡¯t anything much as he placed the remains of the Stone Golem into the Misty Ring. (She wants to let Rei and I to experience fighting more powerful monsters to determine our abilities and improve our combat strength? Anyhow, she¡¯s a women that will only grow more dangerous over time. I should be careful not to mess up.) Thinking about that, Elena gave Vihera a side glance¡­¡­and involuntarily felt a cold shiver up her spine. Vihera was laughing. Yes, she was smiling as if she knew what Elena had been thinking about. If it had contained feelings of impatience or anger, Elena would understand. But the only thing she could see was a smile. A smile of confidence and of elation. Seeing that smile, Elena held a strong sense of caution against the beast known as ¡®fighting instinct¡¯ that seemed to be sleeping within Vihera while remaining expressionless.. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Let¡¯s move on quickly.¡¹ Rei called out to the two of them without noticing anything. Yes, that in of itself was a good indication of the current situation. After all, Rei was very sensitive to the bad intentions of others. However, Rei didn¡¯t seem to have any reaction to Vihera smiling at Elena. (¡­¡­I can¡¯t do it right now, but if I tell Rei about it tonight¡­¡­no, if I talk about it carelessly, Vihera will realise it and will probably try to pull something strange. Rei is really bad and hiding things like that.) Nodding as she thought to herself, they continued their way through the dungeon. The order in which they were moving was the same as when they had first arrived on the sixth floor. Byune and Vihera were at the front, Rei and Elena in the middle, and Set and Yellow at the rear. As she walked forward, Byune would occasionally looked back at Rei. For Byune, who needed to earn money, Rei¡¯s Misty Ring, which could store all the remains of the Stone Golems, was something she envied. ¡­¡­However, only Vihera, who had a long relationship with Byune, would have noticed her feelings. Because the stones that made up a Stone Golem retained a certain amount of magic power, there were used as materials in alchemy as well the creation of weapons and armour. They could also be used as building materials in construction. It made a good profit if you did not consider its weight. ¡¸¡­¡­Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Rei asked Byune, slightly bothered by her stares. However, Byune just turned away as she continued walking while keeping a cautious eye on the surroundings. ¡¸Does she dislike me?¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, that¡¯s not the case. Byune needs a lot of money, so she¡¯s just envious of your item box.¡¹ Vihera¡¯s earlier smile had disappeared and was now replaced with a seductive smile as she answered Rei. Although her expression tightened for a moment, Elena continued to keep an eye on her surroundings without saying anything. OF course, Rei and Vihera also remained vigilant of their surroundings as they talked. ¡¸Mmm¡­¡­¡¹ Byune looked at Rei again. However, her expression didn¡¯t really move Rei as her expressionless face wasn¡¯t really that cute. ¡¸Well, unlike the proofs of subjugation, I can¡¯t give you my item box.¡¹ He had given her the right ears of Orcs they had killed, which were their proofs of subjugation, so Rei might have seemed like a generous adventurer¡­¡­however, it wasn¡¯t like Rei would give her the most important item he had on him. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry about that. However, if you have a bit of money, item boxes aside, you should be able to buy a magic pouch. Haven¡¯t you made a fair bit of money in the past few years?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Byune shook her head at Vihera¡¯s question. Indeed, Byune had earned a significant amount of money as D rank adventurer in the last six months, thanks to her talent, her determination to make money, and Vihera¡¯s help. She had made a C rank¡­¡­no, B rank adventurer¡¯s amount of money. However, most of the money she earned was used to maintain the mansion and repay her debts, leaving little in her hands. As for what was left, it disappeared into consumables that were required to explore the dungeon, repairs of weapons and armour, replacement when repairs weren¡¯t possible, and so on. Because of that, it could be said that Byune had almost no money she could freely spend. The money needed to buy something expensive like a magic pouch was impossible no matter where she looked. One of the reasons Byune spend so much time in the dungeon was actually to find a magic pouch. Or to be precise, a magic tool that used spatial magic. The current time was no different from the past¡­¡­when the ancient magical civilisation had existed, item boxes were still rare. Although there might have been more items boxes around than there were now, there were still far and few between. Because of that, many other magic items were made with spatial magic instead, such as magic pouches. ¡­¡­Of course, not all of them had survived until now, many were destroyed or lost due to various reasons. Permanently granting an item spatial magic was much more difficult than making a regular magic item, so magic pouches were still rare, although not as much as item boxes. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s head to the seventh floor. After that, we¡¯ll have to head back up to go to the guild.¡¹ Nodding at Vihera¡¯s words, Rei and his group continued through the sixth floor. ¡­¡­Defeating all the monsters they ran into across several encounters, they arrived at the seventh floor. After that, everyone ate lunch inside Rei¡¯s magic tent before they returned to the surface using the magic circle. CH 407 ¡¸Ohh, you¡¯re back!¡¹ After Rei and the others used the magic circle on the seventh floor to get back to the surface, they were greeted by a voice as they entered the guild to settle their loot. Looking over to see who it was, they saw a man with a hammer and a man with a bow. It was Energeia and Menos, members of the party that Rei and the others had helped out in the dungeon. The two of them had smiles on their faces. ¡­¡­However, they weren¡¯t smiles that said ¡®you¡¯ve returned safely¡¯ but smiles of happiness that Rei¡¯s group could finally provide more information to the guild. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Vihera and Byune, who had lived in Exil for a long time, immediately realised what Energeia and Menos meant as they both gave a small sigh. ¡¸You look tired.¡¹ ¡¸So you understand! No, I admit that it is important to provide information, but after telling the same story over and over again¡­¡­it¡¯s as expected.¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. By asking you to repeat the story, they¡¯re just making sure it is consistent. But¡­¡­considering you¡¯re still here.¡¹ Energeia nodded at Vihera, who had spoken somewhat reluctantly. ¡¸Yeah. Of course, we¡¯re done talking, so now it¡¯s your turn. I¡¯ve been waiting here to let you know.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That goes for the rest of us as well?¡¹ Rei, who was listening in to Energeia and Vihera¡¯s conversation, asked with a similarly reluctant expression. ¡¸Are you planning to make me the sacrificial lamb? Rest assured. I¡¯m the one who fought the Stone Golem, so I¡¯ll be the one doing most of the talking. Rei and Elena will supplement what I say at most.¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t Byume provide more information as well?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s question, Vihera stroked Byune¡¯s head, who looked back at her with a small smile. ¡¸Do you think this kid would be able to provide an explanation?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t think that would be possible.¡¹ Elena had no choice but to agree with Vihera. Byune had once spoken normally. However, that had been when she was younger. After entering the dungeon alone for so long, living a life silently earning money, the number of words she spoke each day gradually shrank, becoming less and less. Eventually, she got by with just a single sound, like right now. Even if they didn¡¯t know as much as Byune, they could still explain more than a single sound. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Seeing Byune nod her head in agreement, Rei gave up and went over to a counter where a receptionist had been looking at them. ¡¸So, if you saw our previous exchange, then you know, you want to here more from the rest of us.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Please head to the meeting room on the second floor. It¡¯s the room at the back where you met with Vosk-sama previously.¡¹ At those words, Rei remembered that the receptionist was the one who had previously been at the counter when Vosk had called them up. (It seems she keeps getting caught up in our matters¡­¡­well, she might just be unlucky.) Though Rei thought that in his mind, he judged that she probably couldn¡¯t show that in her attitude. Thanking her briefly, Rei made his way upstairs. He was followed by Elena, Vihera, and, of course, Byune, who had no intention of doing any explaining but decided not to head back home by herself. Arriving at the meeting room where he and Vosk had met previously, Rei knocked on the door, ignoring the noise and loud voices coming from inside. ¡ºCome in.¡» After knocking, a voice came from inside, as if waiting for them, so Rei opened the door. In fact, it seemed that the people inside the meeting room had been waiting for Rei and the others to come. The five people in the room all turned to look at Rei, who was the first to enter. If it had been an ordinary person, they would probably have been frightened. All five people in the meeting room held certain levels of position within the guild. However, Rei didn¡¯t seem to care that they were looking at him as he walked inside the room. There were different reactions to that with some nodding in admiration while others frowned unpleasantly. THere were also those who just observed without any changes in expression. That said, when Elena appeared from behind Rei, most of them gently averted their gazes. After all, she was the daughter of Duke Kerebel, the leader of the second largest faction in the Mireana Kingdom. Next was Vihera, the Mad Beast, and Byune, the bereaved child of the Fraut family. They made up an extraordinary party of four. But all of them were in many ways untouchable. Considering that, Rei looked to be the easiest one to talk with, which would have sounded like a joke to the people living in Gilm. ¡¸Hm, ahem. I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve come. Please take a seat. I would like you to tell us the details.¡¹ At the prompting of a man in his forties, who seemed to lead the five, Rei and the others took a seat. After seeing that, the man immediately spoke up. ¡¸So, do you know why you were called here?¡¹ They all looked towards Rei. He probably felt that Rei was the easiest to talk to, even as the leader of the five. (I didn¡¯t think that this role would fall to me. ¡­¡­Well, even though this is only a temporary party, we have a lot of big names so it seems they feel like I¡¯m the safest to talk with. I can¡¯t be helped.) Hearing the question, Rei thought about it before speaking, although Elena would probably have immediately object to his thoughts. ¡¸I heard from Energeia after entering the guild. Is it about the Stone Golem we fought?¡¹ ¡¸That is right. I¡¯ve heard the story from them, but I can¡¯t really make a judgement from the words of just one party. ¡­¡­Let¡¯s get straight to the point. What did you think of that Stone Golem.¡¹ When the man asked, the eyes of the other four people also gathered on Rei. However, Rei just shook his head in response. ¡¸I think you probably know, since we¡¯re here, but Elena and I have only just arrived in Exil. It¡¯s been less than a week and we just got to the sixth floor. Since it was our first time on the floor, it was also the first time we¡¯ve fought a Stone Golem. ¡­¡­However, we did fight an ordinary Stone Golem after and it certainly seemed different from the one that Vihera had fought. But, well, I¡¯ll leave the details to the person herself.¡¹ Rei turned to Vihera, who was sitting next to him. Their current seating order was Elena, Rei, Vihera, then Byune. Elena hadn¡¯t wanted Rei to sit next to Vihera, but considering the room¡¯s atmosphere, it was clear that she couldn¡¯t say that out loud, so she had to reluctantly accept it. Vihera nodded at Rei¡¯s words before speaking. ¡¸Then, let me explain. I was the one who actually fought the Stone Golem. ¡­¡­.Bluntly speaking, it was completely different from the Stone Golems I¡¯ve fought before. First of all, it was overwhelmingly larger than usual, it was a head taller than Elena, about 2m in height.¡¹ The five senior guild staff started buzzing at Vihera¡¯s words. After receiving a report about the incident with the Stone Golem, the five of them had already looked into what Stone Golems normally were in advance. However, none of them were taller than 2m. In other words, this was a clear abnormality. Of course, they had heard that from Energeia and Menos, but the persuasive power of Rei and Elena, who had just arrived at Exil, was different. It could be said that they were finally looking at it seriously. ¡¸Aside from that, Stone Golems are usually just made of stone. Swords, axes, hammers, and other weapons should be able to damage them. However, it only dropped some shards from its body even after eating strikes from a hammer, barely taking any damage. In other words, its body wasn¡¯t made up of ordinary stone. ¡­¡­Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Sure.¡¹ At Vihera¡¯s words, Rei took out fragments from the body of the Stone Golem in question from the Misty Ring. What was placed on the table seemed to be ordinary stone at first glance. However, one of the senior guild staff soon noticed something unusual. He involuntarily stood up and went over to the seats where Rei and the others were sitting, picked up the piece of stone from the Golem and spoke while looking at it seriously. ¡¸Is this¡­¡­magic metal? No, there is still stone in it. Then¡­¡­is it close to turning into a magic metal?¡¹ ¡¸Correct.¡¹ Vihera nodded with a smile. However, when she saw the other senior guild staff give a sigh of relief after hearing that, she frowned slightly. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s not too big of a problem then. Isn¡¯t it fine to just recognise it as a rare species of Stone Golem that just happened to appear this time?¡¹ Several of them seemed to agree with those words as they also sighed in relief. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that too premature? Magic metals are created over long periods of time. As you can see from this fragment, this has only happened recently. There¡¯s a high possibility that some kind of anomaly has occured.¡¹ The senior guild staff holding the stone spoke. (Does it take time for magic metals to form? ¡­¡­Speaking of which, that was the same with the Flame Crystals.) Rei thought to himself as he listened in. He recalled the Flame Crystal, which had been created due to a series of miracle like coincidences, after a Harpies nest had been wiped out by Rei¡¯s powerful magic. Even if he wanted to repeat that, it would be quite difficult to reproduce Flame Crystal. ¡¸Then, the Stone Golem they fought wasn¡¯t a rare species?¡¹ ¡¸It probably was. Of course, you could also consider that the body of the Stone Golem started to turn into magic metal for some other reason.¡¹ ¡¸So you¡¯re saying there¡¯s something wrong with the labyrinth itself?¡¹ ¡¸Have you heard of any similar cases? At the very least, I have not.¡¹ ¡¸Me neither. I can¡¯t find out any more without looking through past records, but this is probably the first case.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Wait a moment. Could it be because adventurers have reached a certain floor level?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the deepest floor now?¡¹ ¡¸About two months ago, the B rank party Canopies¡¯ Edge reached the 33rd floor.¡¹ ¡¸The 33rd floor? That¡¯s a meaningful level.¡¹ ¡¸However, wouldn¡¯t it be strange for anomalies to appear on the sixth floor after reaching the 33rd floor? I don¡¯t think it makes any sense.¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ As the five of them were discussing, Rei spoke up. ¡¸Regarding that matter, we encountered a similar incident on a higher floor.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, the discussion between the guild staff stopped. They seemed to want Rei to tell them it was a lie or to say that he had just misspoke. Seeing them look at him with varying emotions, Rei continued. ¡¸Monsters known as Sword Bees usually appear on the third floor, but there was a monster there that was clearly different from the other Sword Bees. To be exact, it was nearly three times as large as the others and seemed to be sending tactical orders to the other Sword Bees.¡¹ ¡¸Impossible-!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, one of the senior staff couldn¡¯t help but shout out. However, that wasn¡¯t without reason. Sword Bees were insectoid monsters that had barely any intelligence outside of instinct. At the very least, the staff had never seen or heard of a Sword Bee that could order around other Sword Bees. ¡¸It¡¯s a fact. Unfortunately, its body was badly damaged in battle and only its torso was left. I was told that I couldn¡¯t sell it so I¡¯ve already disposed of it and don¡¯t have it any more.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Could it be an unknown higher ranking or rare species?¡¹ At the words of another senior guild staff member, the man who shouted out earlier shook his head. ¡¸The third floor is a place for many beginners in the dungeon. In other words, there are a lot of people there. It would be hard to think that a completely unknown higher ranking or rare species would show up there. Of course, that¡¯s just a matter of probability, so it¡¯s undeniable that it could really be just an unknown higher ranking or rare species.¡¹ After that, the senior guild staff continued discussing for a while. After hearing about what seemed to be a queen bee from Rei, the interview was concluded for the day. In addition, the guild negotiated with Vihera for the purchase of the Stone Golem she had killed. Of course, as the Stone Golem had been taken out by Vihera alone, Rei didn¡¯t play any part in negotiation of her loot. As for his true thoughts, Rei really wanted the magic stone¡­¡­but, he couldn¡¯t really say that in this situation. CH 408 Normally, the darkness of the night would be softened by the glow of moonlight. However, the moon was hidden by clouds, unable to illuminate everything. Two people blended into such darkness as they waited in a corner of one of Exils back streets. Even if someone had been nearby, the two people hid themselves well enough that they would probably have been mistaken for some sort of random item. The two silent people suddenly heard the sound of soft footsteps. The footsteps were so soft that they would have been easy to miss. However, it was more than enough for the two people who had been as silent as statues. The two of them opened their eyes as they looked at the third person who had showed up. ¡¸Did I keep you waiting?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s no problem. It¡¯s better for us to wait than for us to keep you waiting.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ One of the men replied while the other nodded in agreement. The newcomer gave a small nod before speaking. ¡¸So, I heard you got some results from the experiments?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It looks like an adventurer party ran into it. There¡¯s also additional information, it looks like the missing Sword Bee mutant was killed.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. However, the Sword Bee mutant should have gone missing on one of the floors close to the surface? It shouldn¡¯t have been at the level where it could be killed by beginners. ¡­¡­If it could, it wouldn¡¯t be called a mutant.¡¹ The duo nodded at the man¡¯s suspicious response. ¡¸Sure, if they were ordinary beginners, it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem. Beginners often go missing in the dungeon. ¡­¡­However, it was no ordinary adventurer which killed the mutant this time. It was party led by someone known as Crimson.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Crimson, the one famous from the spring war? I heard he has a Griffon with him.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. That Crimson. There was also the General Princess, Elena Kerebel, the Mad Beast, Vihera, and the bereaved child of the Fraut family, Byune Fraut. The party of four were the ones who reported the mutant Sword Bee and Stone Golem.¡¹ The man gave a sigh at the report. ¡¸I never thought that we¡¯d run into such well known names, out of all people. Just to confirm, only two mutants have been taken out?¡¹ ¡¸No, it seems several more were killed by other parties.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is data available?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, there are no issues in that regard.¡¹ ¡¸Then there¡¯s no problem. It is not time for us to show ourselves yet. We¡¯ll leave that to our supporters.¡¹ Supporters. That word indicated that there was someone in a stronger position than them helping them. However, the man¡¯s words held nothing but ridicule. However, it seemed that the two men who had been waiting here were of the same mind. They didn¡¯t mind the newcomer¡¯s ridicule as they continued conversing. ¡¸Then, with regards to the mutants, is it fine to proceed as is?¡¹ ¡¸Do it, but be careful not to reveal ourselves.¡¹ ¡¸Understood, we¡¯ll be more careful than ever. Fortunately, there is no shortage of people who are willing to take front stage, and even if they don¡¯t want to, there are always others who will.¡¹ ¡¸Still. I don¡¯t know why this is happening, but if we have to continue dealing with monsters like Crimson, our losses will only increase.¡¹ A bitter voice echoed out. It was clear that it was his true thoughts. The two other men seemed to agree as they both nodded. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, just in case. If you ever think that you are about to be found out by either Crimson or the General Princess, withdraw from Exil immediately. I know I¡¯ve said this over and over again, but we have to keep ourselves hidden.¡¹ ¡ºYes sir!¡» The two men responded as one while the third man nodded in satisfaction before looking up at the night sky. The moon was hidden by clouds, blocking the moonlight from the sky. ¡¸¡­¡­Exil really is hot and inhospitable. It really is hard to live in such a hot and humid city.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. It only feels like it¡¯s getting hotter as well, especially with so many people.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ One of the duo muttered while the other nodded in agreement. Watching the two of them, the third man came to the conclusion that the heat and humidity wouldn¡¯t change even if he stayed here to talk. He let out a sigh before turning around. ¡¸Then, this is where we are up to¡­¡­keep a close watch on them. We don¡¯t need to go too deep, but if they start moving as well, there will probably be a commotion.¡¹ ¡ºYes sir-!¡» Those words of acknowledgement echoed through the dark night. ¡­¡­The next moment, no one was left, only the hot humid air peculiar to tropical nights remained. Labyrinth City Exil. No one but them knew of the plot that was going on. After finishing their report at the guild and buying maps up until the 10th floor, Rei and Elena split with Vihera and Byune and eventually found themselves at their inn¡¯s dining area. As it was a summer night, many guests were drinking beer and wine to get rid of the heat. However, around the table where Rei and Elena were sitting, there was a tense atmosphere. On the table was a hearty soup filled with meat and vegetables and roasted Orc meat with a crispy outer layer sealing the juices inside. There was a salad, fresh with seasoning made with only salt and citrus juices, and steamed fish, a rarity in this world, served with a rich nutty sauce. There was also fluffy white bread with cheese close by. For Rei, it was truly a luxurious meal and it should have been more than enough to enjoy while conversing with Elena. However, there was only silence at the table as Elena silently brought food to her mouth. Although it was such a casual action, it still showed her upbringing. From Rei¡¯s perspective, she gave off a somewhat elegant impression. (Come to think of it, Vihera¡¯s casual actions also seemed quite sophisticated. Could she also be a young lady with a good upbringing?) Rei thought to himself as he stabbed his fork into some Orc meat and brought it to his mouth. ¡¸¡­¡­Are you thinking of something strange?¡¹ As she carved up the steamed fish with a fork and knife, Elena turned a keen eye towards Rei. Rei wondered for a moment if she had caught him thinking about Vihera. However, he managed to avoid his thoughts appearing on his face as he swallowed the meat his mouth before responding. ¡¸No, I¡¯m not thinking about anything strange. It¡¯s just that we¡¯ve been through a lot today.¡¹ His comment was made on the spur of the moment, but he ended up stepping into a complete minefield. Elena¡¯s movements stopped as she turned to look at Rei again. ¡¸Oh, hard was it? That¡¯s probably true. You didn¡¯t expect to run into the person you kissed yesterday so soon.¡¹ It probably wasn¡¯t Rei¡¯s imagination that he felt the temperature drop several degrees at those words. While everyone else around them was making a lot of noise as they tried to blow away the summer heat, the area around the table where Rei and Elena were sitting felt as cold as winter. It was to the point where other guests sitting near Rei and Elena asked a waiter if they could move somewhere else. Even though their table become completely isolated from their surroundings, Elena elegantly swallowed a piece of steamed fish before sipping from her wine glass. Rei watched for a bit before eventually sighing and speaking up. ¡¸Yes, I was kissed by Vihera, but you know that it¡¯s not because she likes me, right?¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? In fact, Vihera has publicly stated that she would give herself to anyone who could fight her and beat her. Vihera is definitely interested in you, Rei. I think this is an undeniable fact, don¡¯t you?¡¹ While placing the fault on Rei, her long time habits continued to show through. She swallowed a spoonful of soup without making any noise. She had an expression of admiration on her face, due to the flavour of the ingredients penetrating into the soup, creating an intricate taste that tangled itself inside her mouth. Even in her argument with Rei, the taste of the soup involuntarily piqued her interest of the cooking of the chef who was entrusted with the kitchen of the finest inn in Exil. Regardless of whether he knew what Elena was thinking about, Rei washed down some cheese and bread with cold juice before speaking. ¡¸Sure, if you¡¯re asking if Vihera views me favourably or maliciously, she definitely views me favourably.¡¹ Elena, who had impressed by the soup, had her fingers start to twitch at Rei¡¯s words. But, as if to interrupt Elena¡¯s attempt to say anything, Rei continued. ¡¸However, it isn¡¯t romantic favour. Definitely not. There is no love in the way she looks at me. There¡¯s just fighting spirit and the urge for combat.¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ Elena had no words to deny that. After all, Vihera had looked at her with similar eyes. Food, sleep, and sex. Elena felt a similar primal desire from Vihera, the desire to fight. ¡¸But, isn¡¯t it still true that Vihera said she would entrust herself to the one who could beat her? Didn¡¯t you hear that yourself?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. But, isn¡¯t that because she¡¯s confident that she wouldn¡¯t lose? In fact, her combat strength is quite higher. At the very least, to the point that she can fight me with her bare hands.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Elena recalled Vihera¡¯s fight in the dungeon. It was true that she had killed a Stone Golem that a D rank party had struggled to even chip. Elena couldn¡¯t help but admit that Rei¡¯s argument was reasonable as she had seen it with her own eyes. However, there were still some questions that needed to be asked. ¡¸I see, there¡¯s a certain logic to your words that I can understand. ¡­¡­Then, let me ask again. What were your first thoughts when you heard Vihera say that she would entrust herself to someone who could defeat her in combat? What were they?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ As expected, Rei was unable to immediately deny it as his words got stuck in his throat. It was a fact that Vihera was one of the three most beautiful women he had ever seen. Of course, if he were to ask himself if he had not been moved at all by Vihera¡¯s invitation, he would have to say no. ¡¸I knew it.¡¹ Seeing Rei like that, Elena gave a sigh. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not angry at you for it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei asked back at Elena¡¯s unexpected words. To Rei, Elena appeared to be angry because of his interactions with Vihera. With such a high probability that she was angry, it seemed strange that she would tell him she wasn¡¯t angry. ¡¸Although I am like this, I¡¯m still a duke¡¯s daughter. My father, as the head of the Kerebel family, also has a second and third wife aside from my mother. ¡­¡­Unfortunately, I am the only child.¡¹ After hearing what Elena said, Rei understood. As a noble, one need to have a certain number of children to succeed the family. At least, with Elena alone, if something went wrong, there would no longer be any heirs to a Duke¡¯s family, one of a few in the Mireana Kingdom. (However, of course, if there are many children, there could still be a fight for succession, so having more children isn¡¯t necessarily better.) Her words meant that Elena acknowledged she wasn¡¯t blaming Rei for his relationship with Vihera. (She still gave off an angry atmosphere at any rate though.) It seemed to be some sort of front put up by Elena. Or perhaps she simply wanted to silently express the fact that her personality didn¡¯t match well with that of Vihera¡¯s. The cold atmosphere around Rei and Elena¡¯s table dispersed as the hot tropical summer night heat returned. ¡¸And¡­¡­I just don¡¯t want Rei to pay attention to other women.¡¹ In some ways, it was fortunate for Elena that Rei didn¡¯t catch her words as she mumbled to herself. CH 409 It was the day after Rei and Elena¡¯s eventful night at the dinner table. Nevertheless, the two of them, along with Set and Yellow, made their way along the main street towards the dungeon as usual. As expected, after yesterday¡¯s events, their attitudes towards each other were still a bit awkward, but at the very least, they no longer gave off an intimidating atmosphere like the previous night. (I guess that¡¯s the bright side of the situation.) As they walked along, they exchanged casual conversation in an attempt to lesson the awkwardness. Soon they saw the skewer stall that they had become familiar with. It hadn¡¯t been many days since they had arrived in Exil, but even so, they had always bought skewers from that stall and it had become something of a habit. Rei had originally felt slightly uncomfortable seeing a Dragon like Yellow, albeit a small one, eating the meat of Lizardmen. However, after realised that he also ate the meat of humanoid monsters such as Orcs, he decided not to think about it any more as he enjoyed his spice heavy skewer. ¡¸You two, are you planning to enter the dungeon again today?¡¹ The stall owner asked as he looked at Rei and Elena with some concern. On a side note, the meat that he couldn¡¯t normally serve to customers were made into skewers and grilled for Set and Yellow. ¡¸Of course we are, hasn¡¯t that always been what we¡¯ve done? With the exception of the first day we arrived, we¡¯ve entered the dungeon every day.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡­actually, I heard from a customer who is an adventurer a little earlier, it seems that there is something wrong with the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Something wrong?¡¹ Some thoughts popped into Rei¡¯s mind at those words, but he asked the stall owner just to confirm. ¡¸Yes. The guild has put out warnings that powerful monsters may appear on floors they wouldn¡¯t be expected on.¡¹ Hearing the stall owner¡¯s words, Rei knew what he was talking about. Powerful monsters would mean ones like the Sword Bee queen or the Stone Golem that Vihera had killed. (They moved fast¡­¡­no, maybe that should be expected? If you think about it, Exil is a labyrinth city, so it¡¯s only natural to put out information regarding the dungeon as soon as they can.) As he thought of that, Rei made eye contact with Elena, who was eating skewers beside him, to communicate his thoughts. It could be said that the two of them were quite good at it. They managed to communicate their thoughts to each other without a hint of the awkward atmosphere from the previous night or when they had left the inn. ¡¸Could you tell us more details?¡¹ Rei asked the stall owner as he ate his Lizardman skewer. However, the stall owner shook his head. ¡¸I¡¯ve only heard that much, but if it¡¯s you two, you can get more information by going to the gate in front of the dungeon entrance.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The gate?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it seems that the people in charge of checking dungeon cards are handing out leaflets with information regarding what is going on.¡¹ Hearing that, Rei couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice in agreement. It was true that this was important information about the dungeon, so it was good to receive it before going in. Although Rei and the stall owner didn¡¯t know, the information was also posted extensively at the guild. As one would expect from a city built on a labyrinth, the guild was quick to react. ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll go check out the leaflets as soon as I can. Let¡¯s go, Elena.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s prompt, Elena nodded, paid, and thanked he stall owner before heading for the dungeon. When they were far away enough from the stall, Elena murmured in a voice that could only be heard by Rei. ¡¸I¡¯m curious to know what information is written. ¡­¡­But, I don¡¯t think there will be more that what we already know.¡¹ ¡¸Maybe not. Because it¡¯s a labyrinth city, Exil¡¯s guild is pretty fast on matters regarding the dungeon. Maybe they¡¯ve collected more information from researchers, specialists, or higher ranking adventurers who are familiar with Exil¡¯s dungeon. If so, there¡¯s a good chance that there will be information that we don¡¯t know yet.¡¹ ¡¸Can they really move so fast?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. As a labyrinth city, everything in Exil revolves around the dungeon. The economy as well as everything else.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s true. In fact, most of Exil¡¯s exports are materials of monsters that appear in the dungeon or magic items. In that sense, they are a rival to Gilm, your home base. ¡­¡­Ah, I see now, that¡¯s what you mean.¡¹ It seemed Elena realised what Rei was trying to say. Elena gave a small nod in agreement with Rei. Since Exil was a labyrinth city based around a dungeon, if anything went wrong with the dungeon, it would affect the whole of Exil. While the two of them were somewhat surprised with their ability to make natural conversation, they eventually arrived at the gate leading to the dungeon. Unlike when they had come here previously, there were now many more adventurers gathered outside the dungeon, as if to discuss something. Seeing the leaflets in their hands, it was easy to guess what it was about based on what the skewer stall owner had told them. As expected, the two of them, with Set and Yellow alongside, were given a piece of paper like the other adventurers when they showed their dungeon cards to the gate keeper. ¡¸There are currently some anomalies with the dungeon. We won¡¯t stop you from entering, but you have to understand that it is more dangerous than ever before.¡¹ ¡¸We understand.¡¹ Nodding at the gate keeper, Rei immediately read the leaflet. What was written there was as Rei expected. Monsters that were neither rare species or higher ranking species could appear and most of them would show up on floors where they were significantly stronger than the monsters that would normally appear. They were tentatively named abnormal species. Rewards would be paid out to those who could provide the guild with more information regarding these anomalies. That was what was written in the leaflet. Most of the details were what they had expected. However, there was also some information that Rei and Elena were reading about for the first time. The most important one was that there were people other than themselves who had also encountered these abnormal species. It was written that about 10 types of abnormal species had been currently confirmed with one unconfirmed case. The unconfirmed case was the Queen Bee of the Sword Bees that Rei and Elena had encountered. The Stone Golem was probably one of the confirmed cases. That meant that nine other parties aside from Rei¡¯s group, or solo individuals, had run into these abnormal species. ¡¸We couldn¡¯t have been the only ones to run into these abnormal species. Considering that, this isn¡¯t a surprise.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. But, considering that abnormal species are considerably stronger than the monsters that would usually be found on the floor they appear on, it seems that Exil has its share of strong parties.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Seeing Elena say that with a small smile, Set gave a cautionary cry. Turning to look around at Set¡¯s cry, Rei and Elena saw many of the adventurers in the dungeon plaza looking towards them. It went without saying what those gazes meant. Rei and Elena were both strong fighters, and about all, there was Set, a Griffon. Many people wanted to join their party. Up until yesterday, the party requests had mostly settled down, but it was clear that the guild¡¯s information regarding abnormal species had once again put a spotlight on Rei¡¯s strength. ¡¸They really haven¡¯t learned their lesson.¡¹ As Rei gave an involuntary sigh, Elena spoke up as she scratched Yellow¡¯s throat, who was sitting on her left shoulder. ¡¸It¡¯s because their lives are at stake, it¡¯s only natural that they would want to bolster their strength.¡¹ ¡¸That might be true, but we don¡¯t have to go along with them, right?¡¹ ¡¸Of course.¡¹ Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s opinion as the four of them went over to the dungeon transfer device. Seeing that, some adventurer parties immediately tried to call out to them¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but as I said before, we aren¡¯t accepting anyone except a skilled thief that won¡¯t get in the way when we fight. Only those who satisfy those conditions should come forwards.¡¹ There¡¯s no one like that at all. With that in mind, Rei called out to the adventurers who wanted to reach out to them. As expected, no one stepped forward in response to Rei¡¯s words¡­¡­at least, no one should have. ¡¸What about me? Even if I look like this, I¡¯m confident in my skills.¡¹ A young man in his late teens wearing leather armour came forward with a smile on his face. In terms of age, he was older than Rei but younger than Elena. The expression on his face showed that he believed there was no one better than him. However. ¡¸If you¡¯re going to sleep talk, do that while you¡¯re asleep.¡¹ Even though he was a thief, Rei immediately told the young man that after seeing the sloppy way he walked. ¡¸Wha-! Y-You¡­¡­do you know who I am!?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ve never seen you before.¡¹ The thief started shouting with a red face at Rei¡¯s words. He probably hadn¡¯t expected his offer to be turned down. It wasn¡¯t hard to see why since he had been rejected before he was even able to display any of his skills. The young man had tried to imply that he had some sort of backing. However, what was important to Rei wasn¡¯t backing, but skill. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to raise your skill a bit more before trying to apply for the job. ¡­¡­Elena, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Umu.¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, Elena glanced at the young man disinterestedly before following after Rei¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around! I¡¯m someone that serves the Levisor family! Do you think you can just make an enemy out of the Levisor family in Exil!? All you have to do is shut up and listen to my orders!¡¹ The man shouted at Rei, Elena, and Set¡¯s backs. Yellow just stayed still on Elena¡¯s left shoulder. Rei glanced back at the man. The man smiled, as if seeing that Rei was finally listening to his words. However, all Rei had for him was a merciless reply. ¡¸I would tell you to go to sleep if you want to sleep talk¡­¡­but in your case, your sleep talking would just be a nuisance to everyone around you. If you can¡¯t speak to me with your own strength, then just go cry to your boss about it. At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t put a small fry like you in my party.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Elena didn¡¯t add anything to Rei¡¯s words, but she did give a scornful glance towards the man before leaving with Rei. Yes, as if to say he wasn¡¯t even worth any words. Because Elena was born to a duke¡¯s family, she felt only contempt for a man who tried to push what he wanted with his backing rather than his own strength. ¡¸D-D-D-D-Damn you-! I will remember this! I¡¯ll teach you the meaning of going against the Levisor family! Woman, I¡¯ll be looking forward to you begging for forgiveness on your knees!¡¹ The man spat at the 2 people and 2 monsters entering the dungeon as he left the plaza. He didn¡¯t notice the contemptuous looks from the adventurers around him. Adventurers were people who lived by relying on their own skills. Especially in a labyrinth city, where there was a dungeon, this tendency was even stronger than in other cities. Or, it might have something to do with the fact that the head of the Silva family was also a skilled adventurer. For that reason, those who relied on the power of their employers rather than their own strength were looked down on with disdain rather than respect. Not realising that he was been seen like that, the man, who had been dismissed by Rei and Elena, wondered what to do as he made his way back to the Levisor residence, his employer. ¡¸You idiot! I told you to follow those two adventurers and keep and eye on their movements! What¡¯s the point of picking a fight with them and then just coming back!¡¹ A wooden cup was thrown by Schaffner, the man¡¯s employer, shattering against the man¡¯s forehead and causing him to bleed. ¡¸That¡¯s right, but Schaffner-sama¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Eh-, shut up, shut up, shut up! You incompetent fool! After being refused, you still thought to sell a fight head on!¡¹ The man could only grit his teeth to endure the humiliation of being shouted at loudly. At the same time, his hatred for Rei and Elena accumulated in his mind. CH 410 The seventh dungeon floor. Inside a small room where a magic circle and the stairs leading to the sixth floor were. The magic circle glowed and, the next moment, Rei, Elena, Set, and Yellow appeared at the magic circle. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m still not comfortable with this.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Rei asked at Elena¡¯s murmurs. Next to him, Set immediately started to keep an eye out on the surroundings. Yesterday, Byune had been with them, so they hadn¡¯t needed to be so vigilant. However, only Rei, Elena, Set, and Yellow were here today. Naturally, they had to keep a lookout for traps and enemy attacks. Set, who had the sharpest senses out of all of them, naturally took on that role. ¡¸No, it¡¯s just the cave environment. Down until the fifth floor, it had been like a basic dungeon. I just don¡¯t like this atmosphere.¡¹ Elena looked around with a frown. The ground was made up of compacted soil with stones littered around. The walls were glowing just like it had been down to the fifth floor. The largest difference was the cave like environment, making it cooler than outside. Summer was in full swing and the temperature was way above 30C during the day in Exil. Rei and Elena had headed for the dungeon in the morning, so it hadn¡¯t been that hot then and had been somewhat comfortable. However, considering the rapid pace at which the temperature would increase, spending time in the dungeon could be considered a privilege for adventurers. In fact, during this season, there would be some adventurers who would stay between the sixth and tenth floors in search of profit and a cool environment. That said, as far as today was concerned, the number of people inside the dungeon was a lot less than usual due to the information about the abnormal species becoming more widespread. ¡¸Well, talking here won¡¯t get us anywhere. Besides, it will be a desert from the 11th floor down, so I feel this is still much better than that.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Even so, a magic item that would allow long distance communication¡­¡­how far down will we need to go to find one?¡¹ ¡¸We won¡¯t know until we actually go further down. If we run into any powerful monsters, they might have magic weapons, but when it comes to communication magic items, the chances of a monster having one are a lot less.¡¹ While exchanging such words, they left the small room. As expected, a cave like environment similar to the sixth floor was spread out before them¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ The moment they took a step out of the room, Set gave a sharp cry, seemingly noticing something approaching. Hearing Set¡¯s cry, Rei and Elena immediately readied their weapons. Elena took her sword whip out from the sheath at her waist while Rei took the Death Scythe out from the Misty Ring. Eventually, they heard a rattling noise from the end of the passageway. Rei immediately knew what was making that noise. It was the same for Elena. After all, they had seen ordinary and abnormal variations of it just the day before. ¡¸A Stone Golem, huh? From what we saw yesterday, they are quite slow, so we have the option of avoiding them completely if we want.¡¹ Elena said that for the sake saying it, but she already knew fighting it was unavoidable from Rei¡¯s fierce smile. After all, they were in a cave, so the only way to escape it would be to either leave using the magic circle or head back up to the sixth floor. Alternatively, they could hide in the small room where monsters couldn¡¯t enter due to the effect of the magic circle. However, Rei wouldn¡¯t take such passive actions. In the event that the Stone Golem decided to sit outside the small room, they would end up just wasting time as they would have had to fight it anyway. ¡¸There¡¯s no point in me saying that, is there?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry. ¡­¡­There¡¯s also something I¡¯d like to try. Come a little closer.¡¹ Elena looked suspiciously at Rei, who replied as he thrust the shaft of the Death Scythe into the ground. ¡¸What are you planning to do?¡¹ ¡¸I thought of it last night. Like Mud Golems, Stone Golems are slow, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right. But, it seems the power they have behind a single attack is quite high.¡¹ ¡¸In other words. They are an enemy I can try a method of attack that I¡¯ve been thinking about for a long time¡­¡­¡¹ Rei stopped speaking after saying that. That was because the Stone Golem they could hear had finally come into view. As expected from the footsteps, It was a Stone Golem. However, what was different from their expectations was that there were three of them. ¡¸¡­¡­It is what we expected. But I thought they mostly moved alone?¡¹ ¡¸Is there an issue with your plan? What do you want to do now? Fight them normally?¡¹ ¡¸No, I was just surprised because I had only expected one. I think my plan can deal with a few of them. ¡­¡­Are you okay with that? I¡¯m going to distract them now. If it works, they¡¯ll all fall on the spot. We¡¯ll take advantage of that to attack them all at once.¡¹ Although it was a clumsy explanation, Elena had absolute confidence in Rei¡¯s combat skills after having fought alongside Rei many times. Because of that, she nodded without hesistation at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll move in if the Stone Golems fall over.¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s reply, Rei activated a skill as he stabbed the Death Scythe into the ground. ¡¸Terrain Manipulation!¡¹ Along with those words, the ground which Rei and Elena were standing on sunk down 10cm in a radius of 10m. For humans, animals, or monsters with normal consciousness, if the ground suddenly dropped by 10cm, they would be able to re-balance themselves without a problem. However, Golem type monsters, such as Stone Golems, had significantly duller judgement and they all few through the air as they lost their balance, hitting the ground together. ¡¸Now!¡¹ The moment the Stone Golems were thrown off balance, Rei pulled the Death Scythe out of the ground and stepped forward. Set moved fowards alongside Rei while Elena¡¯s sword whip changed to its whip form. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ With a cry, Set created two water balls about 30cm in diameter before throwing them at the fallen Stone Golems. The water balls flew out rapidly, bursting as they hit the fallen Stone Golems and crushing the stones they were made out of. (I had thought about this yesterday, but I guess it does work!) Looking at the situation, Rei swung the Death Scythe at a fallen Stone Golem as he activated another skill. ¡¸Power Slash!¡¹ It was an attack based on the fact that the enemy¡¯s body was made up of stone. Instead of slashing the Stone Golem¡¯s body, Rei crushed it for greater damage. The attack of the Death Scythe smashed through the Stone Golem, splitting it in two as Rei had planned. Unlike the previous time he had used the skill, part of the impact had been absorbed, so the burden on his wrist wasn¡¯t that great. However, he still couldn¡¯t completely escape the shock and he still felt some pain. As for the remaining Stone Golem, the tip of Elena¡¯s sword whip sliced through its body. Contrary to Rei, who destroyed his Golem with a single blow, the sword whip flew through the air multiple times, cutting apart its limbs, body, and head. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set also smashed his entire body down in a single blow, swinging his claw at his Stone Golem, which had already had parts of its body destroyed by the two water balls. Set¡¯s physical strength was scary. With the Bracelet of Herculean Strength and his innate physical strength, Set¡¯s attack was even more powerful than the Power Slash Rei had used. It was a one sided fight. Rei and Elena looked at each other and gave a small laugh after finishing the fight. For Rei, Terrain Manipulation had been more effective than he had expected. And Elena, who had still been feeling somewhat awkward with Rei, was able to get her stride back after getting into battle. ¡¸So that¡¯s Terrain Manipulation? It¡¯s quite a convenient ability.¡¹ Rei shook his head with a bitter smile as Elena spoke with some admiration. ¡¸It¡¯s true that it could be an amazing ability if it could become stronger. However, right now, I can only raise or lower the ground by about 10cm¡­¡­Terrain Manipulation.¡¹ While answering Elena, Rei thrust the Death Scythe back into the ground and activated Terrain Manipulation again. The ground that had previously sunk by 10cm rose back up to its original height. ¡¸¡­¡­I see. That¡¯s true, after hearing it, it does seem that 10cm isn¡¯t a lot. But, when fighting someone who doesn¡¯t know about this skill, you can use it to aim for a large reversal of the situation. 10cm isn¡¯t a lot, but if you don¡¯t know it¡¯s coming, you¡¯ll definitely lose your balance.¡¹ Rei recalled the fight with the Stone Golems that had just happened. That might be possible. Thinking about it further, it could actually fit that kind of situation. With that in mind, as Elena said, it could potentially be useful as a trump card in an emergency situation. ¡¸I had thought if I could suddenly create a dirt spear at the enemy¡¯s feet to catch them by surprise¡­¡­but I gave up thinking about it since it¡¯s not possible to do as it is right now.¡¹ In the first place, he had learned the skill Terrain Manipulation from destroying the core of a dungeon using the Death Scythe. In other words, it was definitely a rare skill. And, even if he absorbed more than one of the same magic stone, only the first one meant anything. With that in mind, it would be hard to level up the skill without using magic stones of equal rarity to that of a dungeon core, so he had given up on the thought for now. However, listening to Elena¡¯s words, she showed him that even at this low lever, it could still be used as a trump card to stage a comeback. Satisfied with that thought, he immediately stored the Stome Golems¡¯ magic stones and body parts that could be sold as materials into the Misty Ring. Thanks to Rei, Elena, and Set¡¯s extraordinary physical strength, the process of storing everything took less than a few minutes¡­¡­. (I¡¯ll do that later.) Rei had thought about returning to the room with the magic circle to absorb the magic stones, but decided it was more important to move for now. If it had been an ordinary day, he might have made a different decision. However, today, due to the appearance of abnormal species, many more stayed on the surface than usual. That said, there would be some people who would still enter the dungeon. Out of those people, there would be adventurers whose goal would be to kill these abnormal species. Because they were abnormal species, they were, of course, rare. If they could bring back their magic stones or parts of their bodies back to the guild, they would definitely be able to sell them at a high price. If they could capture one, they might even be rewarded with a fortune. There were adventurers who sought luxury, those that wanted to make money, and those that needed to make money for other reasons, like debt. (Some people, like Vihera, might just be looking for a fight.) Considering the possibility of such people transferring in, Rei decided it would be better to avoid absorbing magic stones within the dungeon for today. ¡¸¡­¡­Then, should we start exploring? We don¡¯t have Byune with us today, so we have to be especially careful. After all, the traps in these cave floors are quite dangerous.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. i was surprised to see falling stalactites. There were any such dangerous traps on the fifth floor.¡¹ Elena nodded in agreement with Rei¡¯s words as they got into formation and made their way into the dungeon. Set and Yellow were at the front while Rei and Elena were at the back. No one said anything in particular as they silently walked through the cave. ¡¸If we go straight down this passage, we will soon reach a T junction. We turn right there.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a brief cry in response to Elena, who took out a map. Going ahead, they discovered some traps but were able to avoid them by following what Byune had taught them. However, it was only at the level where they could avoid them. For example, not stepping on a switch hidden under the dirt or stepping over a piece of string several cm above the ground. As expected, it wasn¡¯t possible for them to disarm the traps like Byune could do. Still, although their progress was slow, they still moved forward for about 4 hours. Curiously, they were able to find the stairs to the eighth floor without running into any monsters aside from the Stone Golems at the beginning of the floor. CH 411 ¡¸So the eighth floor is still a cave.¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t Vihera say that it would be a cave down until the 10th floor?¡¹ Rei responded to Elena¡¯s murmurs as they walked through the cave like environment. Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s words, but that didn¡¯t stop her from sighing as she looked around. ¡¸However, doesn¡¯t it feel gloomy walking through endless caves?¡¹ ¡¸I understand your feelings, but since this is a dungeon, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ Rei smiled as he replied to Elena. After all, the fact that she voiced her complaints meant that Elena had probably forgiven him. (Everything is back to normal¡­¡­for now at least.) There had been a lot of awkward moments due to the incident with Vihera, so it was looking good that Rei was able to interact naturally with Elena again. ¡¸Rei? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s close to noon, so I just want to have lunch¡­¡­is there a good spot to take a break?¡¹ ¡¸Give me a moment. ¡­¡­Well, if we go down this passage, we¡¯ll see a crossroads. If we turn right there, we¡¯ll reach a dead end with a small room. If there aren¡¯t any traps, we can have lunch there. ¡­¡­What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Of course we¡¯ll go there. Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry to say he understood while Yellow, who was on Set¡¯s back, also gave a short cry. ¡­¡­However, just before reaching the crossroad, Set stopped. Why did Set stop? Both Rei and Elena knew why. It was because Set had stopped in similar situations several times before. That is to say¡­¡­ ¡¸A trap, is it?¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. I don¡¯t know who¡­¡­or what monster set it up. But, I¡¯m getting sick of the timings of these traps.¡¹ Rei gave a sigh while Elena frowned unpleasantly. However, seeing that they would only be wasting time if they didn¡¯t do anything, they turned to look at the crossroads. First, they checked the ground. Unsurprisingly, the ground was the most likely place to be trapped. As adventurers would always walk along the ground, in a sense it was natural. ¡¸¡­¡­There it is.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, no doubt. It¡¯s hidden in an ingenious way, but I can still see it clearly.¡¹ Rei looked at something that seemed like a switch while Elena nodded in agreement. ¡¸Is there anything else?¡¹ ¡¸Doesn¡¯t look like it.¡¹ ¡¸Then, do we just want to avoid that switch?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I would have liked to disarm the trap¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a bit hard for us to do that since neither of us are thieves.¡¹ Thanks to working with Byune the previous day, it was possible for them to discover traps on this floor to a certain extent. However, that was only discovering them, it was a different matter when it came to disarming them. Rather, it was strange in the first place that Rei and Elena were able to learn the knack of finding traps after working with Byune for just a day. Considering that, it was clear how much of an anomaly Rei and Elena were. However, Set¡¯s senses were even sharper than the both of them and he would sometimes find traps almost instinctively. Either way, Rei and the others entered the right passage while moving slightly left of the centre of the crossroad to avoid triggering the switch. ¡¸Kyukyu~¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Yellow probably was interested in the switch as it gave a cry and tried to fly off Set¡¯s back. However, a brief cry from Set stopped Yellow. ¡¸¡­¡­Yellow, it¡¯s good to be curious, but not now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kyu~¡¹ Seeing Elena, its master, say that with a sigh, Yellow gave a sad cry as it lay on Set¡¯s back. Yellow flapped its wings and waved its short tail dispiritedly. While watching this somewhat heartwarming scene, they proceeded to the right, down the passageway. After continuing for about 20 minutes, they reached the small room at a dead end, matching their map. They got there, but¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s the room at the dead end, but this is also a dungeon, so it¡¯s become a good place for monsters to rest?¡¹ Set turned a sharp gaze towards the room while giving a cry. It wasn¡¯t clear to Rei and Elena yest, but they could feel a number of signs from within the room. ¡¸That¡¯s true. However, I don¡¯t think you would just ignore them right? If there are any abnormal species, they would be great enemies for you.¡¹ Elena¡¯s words seemed like she had just seen through Rei¡¯s thoughts, but in reality, she had just given up before saying anything to Rei and given him her silent approval. ¡¸Kyukyu, kyu?¡¹ Yellow, sitting on Set¡¯s back, seemed to have recovered slightly from their previous exchange. It turned to look at Rei and Elena with a small cry. Rei lightly stroked Yellow¡¯s head and spoke as he held his Death Scythe. ¡¸Well, what kind of enemies do you think would be here.¡¹ ¡¸Looking at it, the room seems quite large. As far as that¡¯s concerned, it¡¯s probably not Golems?¡¹ As Elena said, the map only stated there was a room. However, in reality, it was just a space at a dead end with no door and, although monsters inside may have been able to hear Rei and Elena¡¯s voices, there was no sign of anything jumping out from inside. Mud Golems and Stone Golems were both Golem type monsters, so if they sensed the presence of people, they wouldn¡¯t have any plans but to rush out¡­¡­at least that was what Rei though. (In that case, if it¡¯s not Golems, but Wind Bats?) Although he thought of a quick way to annihilate all enemies inside, he immediately rejected it. After all, there might be monsters in the room, but it wasn¡¯t necessarily just monsters. It wasn¡¯t like they could hear any signs of battle though, so even if there were adventurers inside, they were probably already dead. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, there¡¯s no point doing nothing. Elena, Set and I will dash into the room first. Follow right behind me so you can follow up if anything goes wrong.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll protect your back.¡¹ Elena nodded to show her understanding¡­¡­she also had a small smile on her face knowing that she was being trusted. She seemed to be happier about it than usual, possibly because of the incident with Vihera the day before. Without noticing anything about Elena¡¯s young maiden heart, Rei readied his Death Scythe, patted Set¡¯s head¡­¡­and then ran into the room. Probably sensing danger, Yellow got off Set¡¯s back to get out of the way as it silently watched Elena follow after Rei. ¡¸Kyu~¡¹ Yellow regretted that it wasn¡¯t able to help its friends and beloved master due to its small body. The moment he entered the room, Rei heard a ringing sound in his ears. (What!?) Rei immediately went on guard for an enemy attack, but the ringing disappeared in less than a second. Re was worried about the ringing in his ears, but since he had suffered no further injuries, he just took a look around the room¡­¡­.or rather, empty space. It was dark inside and the walls and stalactites weren¡¯t glowing like outside. However, even in the darkness, Rei sensed something approaching and swung his Death Scythe to the side. ¡¸Kikikiki-!¡¹ At that moment, as he heard such a cry, Rei felt the blade of the Death Scythe slash through something. In less than a second, he heard something fall to the ground. (The response from the slash was quite light. Considering that, it¡¯s not a Golem. And, taking to account where I had to slash¡­¡­) At that moment, the figure of bats that Rei had fought several times before entered his mind. ¡¸It¡¯s Wind Bats! They¡¯ll attack us in the dark!¡¹ While shouting, Rei felt something approach him again as he swung the Death Scythe. It was the same light feeling as before as he cut through the object. Rei gave ordered to Set without caring for what he had just struck. ¡¸Set, King¡¯s Awe! Use Fire Breath after that!¡¹ He gave instructions to Set while swinging the Death Scythe. While searching for signs in surroundings as he fought, he could only sense monsters like Wind Bats aside from themselves. Knowing their abilities, he gave a quick order. ¡¸Gurururururururu~!¡¹ Following Rei¡¯s orders, Set opened his beak without hesitation and gave a loud cry. At the same time, the Wind Bats attacking Rei all froze. Not missing this moment, Set opened his beak a second time after using King¡¯s Awe. Roar-! The next moment, Set spat out a breath of flame, turning his head and burning up a dozen or so Wind Bats that had been about to fall to the ground after freezing from King¡¯s Awe. The Wind Bats touched by the fire breath instantly burned up, even their bones and magic stones were turned to ashes as they fell to the ground. (Damn, was it too powerful?) Rei slapped himself in his mind as he saw the scene illuminated by Set¡¯s Fire Breath. However, what was done was done as he shouted at Set. ¡¸Set! Reduce the power of Fire Breath a bit!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s voice and the strength of the flames coming from his beak dropped. ALthough it still had the power to burn the Wind Bats to death, it didn¡¯t turn them to ashes. Like that, Set moved his head while spitting out fire, dropping several Wind Bats to the ground in a roasted state. Seeing that, Rei and Elena also started to attack while making sure not to get in the way of Set¡¯s wide area attack. Whether it was Rei or Elena, the two of them had a wide range of attack methods using both skills and magic. The reason they didn¡¯t held back on both as they swung their weapons was simply because there wasn¡¯t enough room for both of them to do that while Set was also using a wide range attack. ¡¸Haaaaaah-!¡¹ Elena swung her sword whip with a cry, striking down multiple Wind Bats as her whip drew a complex path in the air with her magic power. Most of them had their wings cut off and fell to the ground or had their bodies split open vertically or horizontally, splattering blood, flesh, and organs to the ground. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ Next to Elena, Rei used Flying Slash to cut down multiple Wind Bats. Although they didn¡¯t use wide area attacks, from the outside, their methods of attack could still be considered as such. In addition¡­¡­ ¡¸Wind Hand!¡¹ Wind tentacles stretched out from the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft, entangling Wind Bats and Pulling them closer, where he split them in half with the Death Scythe¡¯s blade. Rei wondered how long the battle had lasted. It had been more than five minutes, but less than ten. In that short time, all the Wind Bats that had been nesting in the room had been killed. ¡¸¡­¡­Phew. It worked out somehow.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­wasn¡¯t it a little overkill?¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ Rei looked around at Elena¡¯s words. Looking at the ground with his eyes, that had since adjusted to the darkness, there were countless dead Wind Bats everywhere. In particular, the Wind Bats roasted by Set¡¯s Fire Breath had a fragrant scent. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ The smell had probably stimulated his appetite. Set rubbed his face against Rei with a cry to ask for permission. ¡¸Yeah, I understand. However, only eat the bodies, the eyes are materials.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Sensing that the fighting was over, Yellow flew in and gave a happy cry at Rei¡¯s words. Rei and Elena started collecting the various materials, magic stones, and proofs of subjugation before eating lunch with Set and Yellow, who had started a little earlier. In the end, after being roasted by Set¡¯s Fire Breath, it seemed the smell wasn¡¯t enough to attract other monsters. CH 412 A small room on the ninth floor. That was where Rei and Elena had gone down to. After having lunch inside Rei¡¯s magic tent on the eighth floor, they had gone straight to the stairs to the ninth floor while killing any monsters they ran into. Of course, the ninth floor was still a cave environment and Elena gave a small sigh when she saw it. ¡¸Well, there are only two more floors like this, including this one. Maybe we¡¯ll be able to leave the caves by tomorrow. ¡­¡­What would you like to do? It¡¯s been a long time since we had lunch and it should be time to head back to the surface.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, that¡¯s true. Wait a moment. If I remember, this floor is¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Elena took out a map from her magic pouch. Looking at the map, she started nodding in understanding. ¡¸As I thought. ¡­¡­This floor is pretty easy. After all, there are no forks, it just goes straight to the stairs.¡¹ Rei was puzzled at Elena¡¯s words. ¡¸This is¡­¡­a dungeon, right?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set, who had been listening in to their conversation, probably had the same thoughts. He gave a cry in agreement with Rei. Rather than talking about it, Elena just showed the map to Rei as evidence with a wry smile on her face. Seeing the map, Rei unintentionally gave a sigh. The map just showed a passage in a straight line from the small room they currently were in to the stairs leading to the 10th floor. ¡¸¡­¡­What should we do?¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t ask me. Aren¡¯t you the adventurer, Rei?¡¹ Rei thought about Elena¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t have a clock with him, so he didn¡¯t know the exact time. However, Rei still knew the approximate time from when he had eaten luncch. (It should be about 3-4pm.) According to how much time Rei felt had passed, it should have been around that time. If so, assuming Elena¡¯s map had no mistakes, it would be possible to clear the ninth floor without any problems. ¡­¡­However, that was only assuming the map was correct and that there were no difficult to find traps. (Monsters could also show up.) Thinking to himself, Rei weighed the risks and returns¡­¡­before coming to a decision. ¡¸All right, let¡¯s finish up for today after we clear the ninth floor.¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure? It is going to be pretty close considering the current time.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s summer now. At night, the monsters will become more vicious, but we¡¯ve got leeway.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Okay. If you say so, I¡¯ll follow. Fortunately, I can afford to do that.¡¹ Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s words before they left the room. Of course, she was holding her weapon, ready to respond immediately if anything went wrong. Rei adn Elena looked at each other before nodding and moving forward. One step, two steps, three steps¡­¡­after moving thus far, fortunately or unfortunately, there were no signs of any enemies appearing. Rei and Elena, Set and Yellow, the two pairs proceeded forth surrounded by silence. ¡¸No enemies are coming out, huh.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Elena responded to Rei as they wondered why there were no signs of any monsters at all. Hearing them, Set also tilted his head slightly. The continued on for another hour. Rei and Elena didn¡¯t know the exact time, but they still knew the approximate time. After moving for that long without any enemies appearing¡­¡­Rei eventually started to feel suspicious. ¡¸Isn¡¯t this strange?¡¹ ¡¸What is?¡¹ ¡¸This passage. It¡¯s a nice straight path, but nothing has been happening at all after so long. It¡¯s nice that no enemies have appeared so far. It¡¯s hard to call, but it could be a coincidence. That said, this passage is still strange. How to put it¡­¡­yes, it was like when we went to the dungeon with the Altar of Inheritance.¡¹ ¡¸-!? I see, it doesn¡¯t seem like there are any traps as far as we can see, however the passage itself could be a trap. Then, it would have to be a trap using spatial magic¡­¡­made by someone like Grimm. ¡¹ Elena may have inherited the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon, but she was still afraid when she recalled Grimm¡¯s appearance in her mind. She didn¡¯t feel she would stand a chance if she fought him. However, Rei shook his head silently in response. ¡¸I don¡¯t think there are many monsters like that, but this dungeon is still growing, it could also be related to the abnormal species we¡¯ve fought several times. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll be honest, if there was a enemy in this cave dungeon on the same level as the great magician Grimm¡­¡­I don¡¯t feel a sense of danger.¡¹ ¡¸So we don¡¯t know what¡¯s the cause.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­But, to leave this floor, we¡¯ll still have to destroy the core point.¡¹ Rei muttered as he recalled what had happened as they went looking for the Altar of Inheritance. Elena glanced over at him when she heard that. Did the figure of Vel, who had betrayed them, cross her mind? As Rei thought about that, he immediately touched the ground with the Death Scythe as he focused his magic power. ¡¸Well, if we just want to destroy the core point, we can do it the same way as last time.¡¹ ¡¸Please.¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s brief reply, he spoke a short incantation. ¡ºFire, burn while spreading red flames. Turn into a carpet of fire that follows my will.¡» A mass of fire appeared at the tip of the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft. Smashing it into the ground, he activated the magic. ¡ºThin Flame!¡» Following the magic he activated, the crushed flames spread across the passage walls and ceiling, spreading out thinly over everything. Yellow, who was seeing this magic for the first time, touched the burning flames with its short hand, but the temperature of the flames was only about 20C and did not burn Yellow. The flames continued to spread out, burning all the way down the passageway beyond what Rei could see. And¡­¡­ Piki-Pikikiki¡­¡­ Such a sound started to echo out and, the next moment, there was a sound like glass shattering. It didn¡¯t seem like anything had visibly changed, but it was clear that something had definitely changed. ¡¸What did you do?¡¹ Elena touched the wall as she murmured. In terms of how it felt, it was no different than before. Even so, there still definitely something that made it feel different than before. Next to Elena, Rei also touched the wall with a smile, seemingly relieved. ¡¸Even though the mechanism itself is similar, it seems it wasn¡¯t as strong as what Grimm had set up.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That seems to be so.¡¹ Both Elena and Rei gave a sigh of relief. In the first place, considering how extraordinary Grimm¡¯s existence was, Rei honestly felt that it would be a problem if there was someone else at the same level. Fortunately, Grimm had treated Rei favourably, partially due to his relationship with Zepairu. However, he would have been a rare exception. Most Liches hated living people or only thought of them as target to absorb vitality and magic power from. ¡¸It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve managed to do something about it, so let¡¯s hurry ahead. We¡¯ve spent more time on this floor than expected. It would be better to head down to the 10th floor and then return to the surface as quickly as we can. There¡¯s not much more time before it becomes night.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ Elena nodded in response to Rei and they continued down the passageway that seemed to have had the spatial magic trap released. ¡¸Even so, it¡¯s quite questionable.¡¹ ¡¸What is?¡¹ Elena asked back when Rei muttered to himself as they kept an eye out for traps and monsters. Because they had fallen into a trap already, the conversed while remaining cautious. ¡¸I understand that the dungeon core has grown a lot more compared to the dungeon with the Altar of Inheritance. But why set up such an advanced trap using spatial magic on the ninth floor? If I was the dungeon core, then of course I¡¯d put the powerful traps on the currently lowest floor¡­¡­the 33rd floor? I would put it there. The ninth floor is, so to speak, a place were people between beginners and intermediates would come. What do you think? Come to think of it, what was that party¡¯s name, Canopies¡¯ Edge? That was it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s a few possibilities I can think of, but the worst one is that the dungeon core is threatening us. ¡­¡­But even if the dungeon core had a will, it¡¯s not clear if we would even be able to understand it. That said, I believe the dungeon core should still be able to sense the danger level of adventurers entering the dungeon.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s explanation, Rei frowned unpleasantly. It was no wonder that the core of a labyrinth city¡¯s dungeon would be monitored closely. Glancing sideways at Rei, Elena continued her explanation with a small smile. ¡¸Or, it could simply mean that traps like this aren¡¯t that important to the dungeon core. ¡­¡­No, to be more exact, it could mean that it has more powerful traps.¡¹ ¡¸In other words, it was just something it could spare and, when it used it, we accidentally fell into it? That¡¯s a bit rough¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I think so as well. But, it is possible. There are a few other possibilities¡­¡­but those are the two that seem the most likely.¡¹ While saying that, Elena looked around alertly. (I didn¡¯t tell Rei¡­¡­but there¡¯s another possibility. It¡¯s possible that a spatial mage is interfering with our dungeon dive, but in that case, why are they interfering with us? It¡¯s also a question of if that it really the case. If someone really did use spatial magic, the mage would have to be nearby¡­¡­no, am I thinking too much? Elena looked around for signs but nothing seemed to have changed. She decided that she might have been overthinking it and continued down the straight path with Rei. (¡­¡­Have they left?) Seeing Rei¡¯s group disappear down the main passageway, the man involuntarily gave a sigh of relief. He was absolutely fine. He knew that, but he could still sense the incomparable strength of Rei¡¯s group to his own up close. It hadn¡¯t been his skills that had kept him safe or anything. It was thanks to a magic item called a Hidden Robe, which was given to him by his boss, that allowed him to hide his appearance and erase all his signs. It was a first class product, superbly made by the alchemist Esta Nord, who had been part of Zepairu¡¯s group. However, it was a magic item that was difficult to use in many ways. The concealment effect would wear off in the blink of an eye if he as so moved slightly after the effect was activated. But, for that reason, the concealment ability was first class, being able to not only decieve Rei and Elena¡¯s senses, but Set¡¯s five basic senses and his sixth sense as well. (I¡¯m definitely not going to do this kind of work anymore. Setting up a trap for these monsters just because I can use spatial magic¡­¡­this is no joke.) The man muttered various thoughts to himself, but only in his mind. If he moved even slightly, the effect of the robe would cut off immediately and he would be revealed. If that happened, Rei¡¯s group might be able to sense him even if he could no longer see or detect them. (But, why is he so hostile against Crimson? Well, I don¡¯t think I would understand it from my low position¡­¡­it wouldn¡¯t be of any use to me.) The order given to the man was to use spatial magic to make Rei and Elena get lost when they came. It hadn¡¯t been necessary to set up the trap on the ninth floor, but he didn¡¯t have enough time. Because of that, the ninth floor had been the only suitable place where various conditions could be used to set up a spatial magic trap. (In the first place, entering the dungeon and reaching the ninth floor in several days¡­¡­what kind of speed is that?) While thinking to himself, the man stayed their until his companions came to pick up up, wondering if Rei and Elena would appear as soon as he took off the robe. ¡¸That was easy.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah.¡¹ Rei unintentionally responded in agreement to Elena¡¯s murmured. After exiting the looped space, they hadn¡¯t run into any more monsters and there had been no further traps. They went straight to the stairs leading to the 10th floor. ¡¸No monsters showed up in the end.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei¡¯s words made Set give a regretful cry. Looking at the two of them, ELena gave natural smile. These were the days she had been looking forward to in Exil. ¡­¡­By no means though was she planning to ignore Vihera, the homewrecker trying to get close to Rei. Thinking of that, the four of them went down to the 10th floor before going back to the surface using the transfer magic circle. CH 413 An inn room in the back streets of Exil. Two men were talking inside. No, to be exact, one man was desperately pleading to the other. ¡¸I absolutely don¡¯t want to get involved with those guys anymore!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t it possible to use a trap to stall them? At the very least, I had wanted them to stay on that floor for at least the next few days.¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Fortunately for me, I had that concealment robe¡­¡­but if Crimson found me and knew that I was the one who had set the trap, I would definitely die!¡¹ ¡¸Well, that would definitely happen since it is Crimson.¡¹ Whether it was due to Rei¡¯s daily deeds or his deeds on the battlefield, the name Crimson seemed to hold some meaning. There were widespread rumours that Crimson never forgave his enemies and would be immensely cruel to them. That said, it was true that Rei didn¡¯t forgive his enemies and would occasionally be quite cruel to them as well, so the rumours weren¡¯t exactly wrong. ¡¸If the rumours are true, then why are you messing with Crimson? Up until now, you¡¯ve never targeted any specific individuals. You didn¡¯t even do anything towards Canopies¡¯ Edge¡­¡­¡¹ The man gave the name of the B rank party that currently held the record for the deepest floor explored in Exil. However, his boss simply shook his head to say it didn¡¯t matter. ¡¸To be honest, it doesn¡¯t really matter how much of the dungeon they¡¯ve conquered. No, it might mean something to the people who live here, but it doesn¡¯t matter to us. The most important things are the experiments he¡¯s conducting and their results.¡¹ ¡¸I know that¡­¡­anyway, I¡¯m not going to mess with Crimson any more. I¡¯m sure you know I¡¯m not the only one either. If you¡¯re going to make any further moves, please do it with someone other than me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s true that it¡¯s dangerous for you to deal with them alone. Considering that, you do have a point.¡¹ ¡¸Absolutely! I really don¡¯t want to do this anymore!¡¹ The boss gave a sigh as his subordinate spoke desperately. He took out a few silver coins from a pouch and handed them to the man. ¡¸Take this for now, grab a drink and change your mood.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ At the words of his boss, the man reluctantly received the silver coins before leaving the room. Seeing the man leave, the boss looked at a robe hanging on a wall. ¡¸So this is the concealment robe? It definitely has its uses, but it¡¯s still a pain that you can¡¯t move when it¡¯s in effect. It¡¯s still useful to us and the the experiments that are being done in Exil though. It was a missed opportunity, leaving it to him. ¡­¡­Well, first of all, I should go and report this, I guess.¡¹ Muttering that with a bitter sigh, the boss stood up from the chair he was in. ¡¸¡­¡­Today was tiring.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. After all, we¡¯ve done a lot of exploring today. I¡¯m also a little tired.¡¹ Elena replied while drinking some cold fruit juice. It was already night time and the summer sun had long since set. As it was midsummer, it was still hot and humid. However, since the Golden Wind inn where Rei and Elena were staying was a high class inn, it was designed such that you could spend your time comfortably with magic items. The inn itself was filled with cool air, which set it apart from the humid heat outside. In addition, there were services such as free fruit juice, like what Elena was drinking. However, this was only possible probably due the fact that Exil was a larger city than Gilm and was also blessed by a dungeon. ¡­¡­That said, the dungeon also brought dangers alongside blessings. In a sense, it had a high risk and a high reward. Either way, Rei brought a cup of chilled tea to his mouth, fully enjoying the service that was even better than that of the Dusk Wheat inn as he turned to look at Elena. Elena always held a dignified aura, but right now, it felt like there was a more casual atmosphere around her, along with a sense of subdued sensuality. Her appearance as she brought her glass of fruit juice to her mouth was eye catching as he saw it. ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no. It¡¯s nothing¡­¡­tomorrow, what should we do?¡¹ When their eyes met, Rei asked to hide his momentary distraction. ¡¸What should we do? We still haven¡¯t found the magic item we are after yet, and above all, you have hardly collected any magic stones either. In that case, of course we¡¯ll enter the dungeon again.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Tomorrow we¡¯ll start our attempt on the 10th floor. But, from what I heard from Vihera, it¡¯s a desert from the 11th floor onward, right? I have my Dragon Robe and Set is a Griffon, so he¡¯s not too bothered by environmental changes.¡¹ Although Rei said that, even Set would feel the heat. With regards to that, while not as much as the main building, the Golden Wind inn also had air conditioning magic items installed in the stables out of consideration for horses and tamed monsters. For a moment, Rei though he could hear Set¡¯s joyful cries, but he decided that was probably just a figment of his imagination. ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true. Even though I¡¯ve absorbed an Ancient Dragon¡¯s magic stone, it will still be difficult for me to travel through a desert floor in my equipment.¡¹ Elena¡¯s weapon was her sword whip. As for her armour, she wore a pure white suit of light armour, a golden cloak matching her hair, and a pair of Shoes of Sleipnir, the same as Rei. All of them were magic items and, when fighting against enemies on a battlefield, posed no problems at all. However, if asked if her armour was suitable for a desert environment, the answer was probably no. ¡¸Would you like to go to an adventurer¡¯s shop tomorrow instead of the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸An adventurer¡¯s shop?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Since Exil is a labyrinth city, it should also sell equipment suited to capture the dungeon. Especially for special floor environments like the desert. They would definitely sell the tools and equipment for it. I have no doubt such shops exist. ¡­¡­Of course, we¡¯d have to start by finding such a store¡­¡­well, we¡¯ll manage somehow.¡¹ ¡¸I-I see. We¡¯ll do that if you say so.¡¹ Rei was a bit confused as Elena replied with a faint blush on her cheeks. As for Elena, she was thinking about the two of them going shopping alone. Yes¡­¡­ (According to Ara, this¡­¡­can I call it a date? She thought to herself. Although the two of them had also gone to the dungeon alone, it was hard to call entering the dungeon a date. However, going shopping together was definitely a date. ¡¸¡­¡­Elena?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? No, it¡¯s nothing. It will definitely be a challenge to enter the desert floors, so it¡¯s best to be prepared. Okay, let¡¯s go shopping together tomorrow.¡¹ Rei nodded as Elena¡¯s words subtlety pressured him. ¡¸Y-Yeah. If Elena is fine with it, I don¡¯t mind. We¡¯ve been entering the dungeon ever since we came to Exil. It¡¯s good to have some breaks.¡¹ The owner of the stall that had sold them Lizardmen skewers did say to Rei and Elena that heading into the dungeon every day was an unusual thing to do. Rei and Elena were quite different from ordinary humans in many ways, but that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t feel tired at all. Because of that, they decided it would be a good idea to take a break. (It¡¯s also true that going out with Elena sounds like fun.) Even for Rei, going out with Elena was a pretty exciting event, as a result, they stayed up quite late discussing how to spend the next day shopping. ¡¸Don¡¯t mess with me!¡¹ With a shout, a cup was thrown to the floor. The owner of the angry voice glared at the person standing in front of him with a bright red face. Originally, he had wanted to throw the cup at the face of the person standing in front of him. But there was a reason he couldn¡¯t do that. After all, the younger person in front of him was someone he was working with¡­¡­no, he was the leader of their alliance. ¡¸Even if you say that, I¡¯m also confused. After all, the variant¡­¡­no, the abnormal species, as they called by the guild. Anyway, the abnormal species we¡¯ve raised have been destroyed.¡¹ The man spoke up in a casual and somewhat provocative manner. In a sense, it was quite unfortunate that the old man failed to see the contemptuous gaze directed at him as he just glared back. ¡¸¡­¡­Who destroyed what were supposed to be my pawns?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t know much about that. But if you¡¯re the head of the Levisor family, you should be able to find out easily.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, I suppose it is hard for you to find out.¡¹ The old man, who had been angry a few second ago, Schaffner Levisor, proudly snorted as if the man before him would not have been able to get any information from the guild without his help. The man didn¡¯t seem to care for the contempt Schaffner was showing him. ¡¸Then, can I leave the guild to you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm. Seriously, you and my subordinates are all useless.¡¹ Twitch. The man showed a reaction at Schaffner¡¯s words. ¡¸Your subordinates¡­¡­did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Yeah. Because that stupid Crimson came to my Exil, I had to let a subordinate keep a watch on them¡­¡­I heard he was rejected when he asked to form a temporary party. That¡¯s why young people these days are so useless.¡¹ Hearing the Schaffner¡¯s explanation, who was convinced of his own advantageous position, the man gave him a disdainful glance as he clicked his tongue inwardly. (What a stupid thing to do. If you do that, they¡¯ll just get suspicious. If you¡¯re watching them, just watch from a distance. ¡­¡­No, if it¡¯s Crimson, even if someone just watches them from a distance, he should notice? But then, what do I do against him now? Do we use the concealment robe to monitor him? There¡¯s no need to worry about being detected with that, but¡­¡­) The disadvantage of being unable to move passed through his mind and he shook his head. However, Schaffner seemed to misunderstand his response and nodded as if he could understand. ¡¸From what I can tell, it looks like there are many useless subordinates under you as well?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah.¡¹ The man nodded without hesitation at Schaffner¡¯s question. When Schaffner saw that, he smiled¡­¡­before realising he shouldn¡¯t show that while the man was looking at him. He poured some wine into a different glass from the one he had thrown to the floor as he took a sip. ¡¸That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? You should do whatever you want while you¡¯re still young. That¡¯s what I used to do.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡¹ While saying that, the man judged that it would be troublesome to have to deal with the geriatric in front of him any longer. ¡¸So, I¡¯m sorry, but I have to devise some measures against Crimson for tomorrow onward. Above all, I also need to observe the condition of the abnormal species.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Oh, I see. ¡­¡­Remember, the reason why you¡¯re allowed to work in Exil is because of me. As my power grows, so will yours. Don¡¯t forget that.¡¹ ¡¸I know, I wish you blessings from the Goddess of Holy Light.¡¹ The man gave a graceful bow before leaving. Seeing the man leave, Schaffner¡¯s faint smile distorted as he took another sip of wine. ¡¸Hmph, what Goddess of Holy Light. It¡¯s disgusting. The only reason they were able to create such variants was because of the experiments that I had originally done. I don¡¯t think they will be loyal to the Levisor family in any way. It would be better to prepare something in case of emergency.¡¹ Muttering, Schaffner closed his eyes as if thinking of something. ¡­¡­A few minutes later, when his mansion butler came in, he could only see the Schaffner snoring as he slept. ¡¸¡­¡­As expected, it¡¯s necessary to clearly identify who to work with. In any case, working together with someone and using someone are two different things. That¡¯s what it is.¡¹ Looking up at the moonlight as he spoke, the man who had been talking with Schaffner melted away into Exil¡¯s night. CH 414 The sun was high in the blue sky. There wasn¡¯t a cloud in sight in the sky as the sun shone brightly. It was the height of summer. Rei and Elena were walking down Exil¡¯s main street under the 30C temperature. Unusually, Set and Yellow weren¡¯t with them and they were on their own. As promised last night, they had come out to buy equipment suited for taking on desert environments from the 11th floor down. ¡¸But, if you think about it, we still have yet to capture the 10th floor.¡¹ Rei spoke as he brought a sandwich he bought from a nearby store to his mouth. Elena smiled at Rei as she scooped up her golden hair as if to oppose the sunshine. ¡¸It¡¯s true that we¡¯ll only be on the 10th floor tomorrow, but after capturing the 10th floor¡­¡­we can¡¯t come back up then to buy desert equipment, can we?¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words, who shrugged her shoulders lightly. An ordinary adventurer party might have done what Rei said considering the amount of extra equipment they would need to carry. However, Rei had his Misty Ring and Elena had her magic pouch. Elena¡¯s magic pouch couldn¡¯t hold as much as the Misty Ring, but could still accommodate a set of desert equipment without any issues. ¡¸So, did you find a place?¡¹ Elena asked Rei as he ate his sandwich. Rei hadn¡¯t bought a sandwich from a food stall for no reason. Of course, it had been about two hours since he had eaten breakfast, so he was starting to feel hungry, but his main purpose was to ask the stall owner for equipment shop recommendations. The sandwich Rei brought to his mouth, made with roast chicken and a spicy sauce, was bought as a fee of sorts for information. ¡¸Yeah. Go straight down this street and continue on for 10 minutes after passing by the guild. It supposedly has a sign with a rock and hammer. There, they sell tools for use in the desert from the 11th floor onward. The quality of their equipment seems to be good as well.¡¹ ¡¸A rock and hammer? That looks like a Dwarfen sign.¡¹ ¡¸Actually, the owner seems to be a Dwarf, so that¡¯s not surprising. However, it seems that he often holes himself up in his forge.¡¹ Saying that, Rei threw the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. It was quite a sizable sandwich with roast chicken, but for Rei, it was just a snack. Walking along the main street, the passed by the guild. ¡¸Don¡¯t mess around! Who do you think I am!¡¹ They heard such a voice from the front of the guild, but they just walked by without caring about it at all. Normally, they might have taken a look to see if someone was looking for trouble. However, right now, they two of them were midway through a shopping date. If they got themselves into trouble, in the worst case, they might end up spending time explaining everything to the guards. Considering that, neither of them were willing to poke their faces into trouble. (In the first place, trouble is already strangely attracted to me. I don¡¯t have to bother poking my face into it.) Thinking like that, he walked past the guild with Elena¡­¡­eventually, they found a sign with a rock and hammer on it, just as Rei had heard from the owner of the sandwich stall. The size of the shop was neither big nor small, just a normal sized shop. The front of the shop was clean, giving Rei and Elena a good impression. ¡¸Huh, this is a nice place¡­¡­let¡¯s go in right away. It¡¯s too hot being under direct sunlight.¡¹ Elena looked up at the sun as she said that, but no sweat flowed on her forehead. That was probably due the the Ancient Dragon magic stone she had inherited. From Rei¡¯s perspective, it seemed that Elena would have no problems travelling through a desert environment, but it would good to take precautions. And above all, being able to endure and being comfortable were two completely different things. As far as Rei was concerned, his Dragon Robe acted as a simple air conditioner, so he wouldn¡¯t have any issues, even in a desert. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m looking forward to what kind of items there might be.¡¹ The usually dignified Elena called out to Rei with a small smile on her face. Rei could feel his heart flutter for a moment at the smile on Elena¡¯s face, but tried to hide it as he reached for the door. The moment he opened the door, the refreshing sound of a bell rang out in the shop. The shop had probably put a bell at the door so that they could easily tell when a customer walked in, but for Rei, the sound of the bell reminded him of wind chimes in summer. ¡¸Welcome. What can I help you with?¡¹ A woman the height of Rei¡¯s chest, who was already short for a human in this world, called out in a drawling voice. However, she wasn¡¯t young, but rather someone that gave off the feel of a mature woman. ¡¸Ah, we¡¯re looking for various equipment that can be used in the desert from the 11th floor.¡¹ ¡¸For how many people?¡¹ ¡¸Just Elena and I. Also, if there¡¯s anything that looks good, I¡¯ll take it as well.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, I¡¯ll go get you a set.¡¹ Saying that, the woman that was considerably shorter than Rei went behind the counter. Seeing her leave, Rei lightly pulled on Elena¡¯s arm in curiosity as she was looking around with a few other customers. ¡¸That clerk¡­¡­is a Dwarf, right?¡¹ According to Rei¡¯s knowledge, both male and female Dwarfs were quite short. However, they were supposedly also sturdy and strong. In fact, the Dwarfs that Rei had seen up until now were all exactly as he had imagined. That said, all the Dwarfs he had seen were male, he had never seen a female Dwarf. Maybe he might have passed by one in Gilm, or seen one during the war with the Bestir Empire, but he hadn¡¯t remembered seeing one. So, as this was the first time seeing a female Dwarf, he asked Elena. ¡¸Hm? You¡¯ve never seen a female Dwarf before Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t know for sure without asking, but she¡¯s probably a Dwarf. Unlike male Dwarfs, female Dwarfs naturally don¡¯t have beards. Because of that, the only way to tell from their appearance is their height and body. That said, Dwarfs basically all have great pride in their race. If you ask her, she¡¯ll definitely tell you.¡¹ ¡¸What about their like for alcohol? The Dwarfs I had met before were all very heavy drinkers.¡¹ Brazos, from the C rank party Crushing Warriors, who had had gone on a Harpy subjugation with, passed through Rei¡¯s mind. He had been someone who drank if he any free time and was shorter than Rei, who was already small for a human. Despite having such a body, with strength particular to Dwarfs as well as magic items, he was able to easily swing his Earthshaker Hammer, which was longer than his own height. ¡¸It¡¯s true that we Dwarfs love to drink, but it¡¯s different for each individual.¡¹ Rei¡¯s question was answered by the female clerk that appeared to be a Dwarf rather than Elena as she returned from behind the counter. In her hands was a cloak, a water pouch, a small folded tent, a magic item to start fires, and a medicine box that was compactly packed with all the medicine needed for the desert. The ability to carry an amount of goods that even a large man wouldn¡¯t be able to carry without splitting into several loads showcased the strength of the Dwarfs. The clerk spoke again as she placed the items onto the counter. ¡¸Some Dwarfs don¡¯t like to drink. Oh, I¡¯m a Dwarf as well, as you might have guessed.¡¹ ¡¸I-I see.¡¹ Her drawling voice seemed to take Rei off his stride. Without being aware of what her voice was doing to Rei, she first took a cloak off the counter. The brown¡­¡­or rather, sand coloured cloak not only covered the body, but also the head. ¡¸This is the first item. As you know, the sun is very strong in the desert, so you¡¯ll need a cloak to block it.¡¹ ¡¸Does the sunlight still strong even inside the dungeon?¡¹ The dungeon with the Altar of Inheritance that Rei and Elena had previously challenged. There had been a forest floor in the dungeon and the sun was still properly there despite being inside the dungeon. What¡¯s more, the sun still set at night and rose in the morning, which was extremely unnatural. Rei asked as he recalled that as the Dwarfen woman nodded her head as if it were natural. ¡¸Because it¡¯s a desert, the sunlight is naturally accompanied with extreme heat. Rumours say that there are even some areas where the temperature is close to 50C. In order to conquer the desert floors past the 11th floor, you¡¯ll need a cloak that can block out the sunlight. This cloak is a simple one, but it uses alchemy to give heat resistance. ¡­¡­However, this is only a basic one, so it lowers the temperature by about 5C at best.¡¹ ¡¸5C, is it? Then I won¡¯t need it.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, the Dwarfen woman seemed confused as he asked Rei. ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ Worried that he might have been impolite, Rei tapped on his Dragon Robe ¡¸This robe is a bit of a special magic item. It also has some form of temperature control.¡¹ ¡¸Huh, hohoho. That¡¯s amazing. Then, what about the beautiful woman?¡¹ Rei wasn¡¯t sure if she believed him or just didn¡¯t care. In any case, the Dwarf turned her eyes from Rei to Elena as she held out the sand coloured cloak. ¡¸Yes, I see. Then, I¡¯ll take it. Is there anything else?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. In the desert, hydration is absolutely necessary, so how about a water pouch?¡¹ ¡¸A water pouch, huh¡­¡­¡¹ Elena muttered as she picked up the water pouch on the counter. Certainly, the water pouch was made from some kind of monster leather and was probably of higher quality than the usual ones sold in the market. However, when it came to water, there was no better drinking water than what could be made with Rei¡¯s Dagger of Flowing Water. In addition, as long as they had magic power, they could make water. Taking a water pouch with them would only take up unnecessary space. ¡¸As for water, we can manage that, so we don¡¯t need this. What¡¯s next?¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? This water pouch is sturdy, so it can even be used as a basic shield in an emergency. That¡¯s a shame.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A shield?¡¹ Rei involuntarily asked at the clerk¡¯s words. After all, the water pouch wasn¡¯t made from metal. It was a pouch made from monster leather. When told it could be used as a shield, Rei had no choice but to tilt his head in confusion. ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s made from Ogre leather, so it¡¯s quite sturdy.¡¹ ¡¸Ogre leather, huh. I¡¯m sure that would make it sturdy¡­¡­but as I said, we don¡¯t need it. Next, please.¡¹ The clerk seemed to have been quite confident about the water pouches made from Ogre leather. She gave an unfortunate sigh as she took out a small folded tent next. But¡­¡­ ¡¸We won¡¯t need that either.¡¹ Rei simply said that as he already had a magic tent which was close to the highest grade tent that could be found. ¡¸Mm, that¡¯s true.¡¹ Elena had also used that magic tent several times on their way to Exil with Rei as well as inside the dungeon, so she easily agreed with Rei¡¯s decision. ¡¸Ehh, you don¡¯t need this either?¡¹ The Dwarfen woman gave a sigh as she said that. It was understandable. After all, she had been told to bring out a set of items for use on the desert floors, only to be told they didn¡¯t need most of them. However, she still had her sense of pride as the clerk of the shop. It might have been difficult to tell from her words, but she had a surprisingly great sense of pride. The two customers in front of her were a dignified woman with a beautiful appearance and a boy, who was younger than the woman. When she first saw them inside the shop, she had thought of them as lovers, a couple, siblings, or party members, but none of that seemed to line up. Still, she understood from their previous exchange that the boy had a lot of magic items. Because of that, if they had to spend a night in the dungeon¡­¡­instead of a magic item that could be used to light a fire when the temperature dropped, she decided to bring out her trump card and took out a box containing an assortment of medicines. ¡¸There are many monsters with poison in the desert and the type of poison can be very different depending on the monster. Because of that, general poison antidotes are ineffective¡­¡­that said, there are antidotes in this box that specialise in dealing with the poison from desert monsters. There are also other medicines that may be need in the desert, what about this?¡¹ ¡¸Heh. ¡­¡­I think it would be better to have some kind of poison antidote. What do you think, Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. No problem, I don¡¯t have any issues with medicine. We¡¯ll take that.¡¹ I¡¯ve won. The Dwarfen woman didn¡¯t seem to care about what Rei and Elena had just said as she spoke up to continue selling more useful goods. After that, for some reason, Rei and Elena were forced to shop for several silver coins worth of goods. CH 415 ¡¸Now then, I guess it¡¯s finally time to start on the desert levels from the 11th floor.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Set tilted his head in confusion when Elena said that with a small smile. On Set¡¯s back, Yellow also tilted its head while waving its tail. Looking at Elena, Rei glanced around with a wry smile. The first thing he could see was a dirt ground with rocks scattered about. Stalactites grew from the ceiling and gave off a glow that, along with the walls, illuminated the surroundings. No matter how you looked at it, it was not a desert. That was of course. This was the 10th floor. The desert that Elena was talking about only started from the 11th floor, so they had to conquer the 10th floor first. ¡¸I¡¯m looking forward to it, but there¡¯s still another floor to go before the desert.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know that of course. I know that, but I can¡¯t help thinking about it.¡¹ Like Set and Yellow, Rei was also confused by Elena¡¯s words as they walked out of the small room where the magic circle and stairs were. Rei had been thinking about the desert for for the past two days as well, but Elena seemed to be strangely looking forward to it. ¡¸Why are you looking forward to the desert floors so much?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing strange. I¡¯ve never been to a desert before. It would be nice to see it with my own eyes, even if it¡¯s not a real desert.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t think it will be that good.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? If you can say that, have you seen a desert before?¡¹ Because they continued to talk as they walked, Rei¡¯s group was naturally conspicuous. Rei took out some Lizardmen skewers, which he had eaten before entering the dungeon, from the Misty Ring and threw them at a Wind Bat that had been trying to attack him from behind. The skewer was made from wood, which wasn¡¯t very suitable as a weapon. That said, Rei was the one throwing it. The skewer shot out and tore through the air before piercing the body of the Wind Bat, which had been about to release a wind arrow, pinning it to the cave wall. Rei replied to Elena as he swung his Death Scythe, killing the Wind Bat. ¡¸I haven¡¯t seen one in person myself either. I¡¯ve only read or heard about it from other people, so it might not be accurate, but it seems like it¡¯s a harsh environment.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a sea of sand, right? It should be a magnificent view.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I guess so?¡¹ When Rei was in Japan, he had seen on TV that not all deserts were the ones Elena had just described. The deserts that came to mind when people talked about deserts were rare, most were just dry soil and rocks. (That said the common sense of another world can¡¯t be applied to a dungeon.) After all, this was a world with magic, in the first place, the sun could exist within the dungeon. Considering that, Rei supposed that thinking of a desert as a sea of sand wasn¡¯t necessarily a mistake. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ As Rei was thinking about that, Set suddnely gave a loud cry. Set shot out two water balls at the same time. Flying out, they hit a Mud Puppet that had just rounded a corner, scattering mud everywhere. ¡¸Good job, Set. You did well.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry as Rei stroked his head. Taking an empty barrel out of the Misty Ring and collecting mud into it after storing away the magic stone, Rei looked around, as if suddenly thinking of something. Only he, Set, Elena, and Yellow were here. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t any other adventurers around, so it seemed like a good place to absorb magic stones. ¡¸¡­¡­Elena, I¡¯m also looking forward to the desert, but could you wait here a moment?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing¡¯s wrong, I just want to absorb the magic stones I have now.¡¹ Hearing his words, Elena also looked around. However, of course, there were no signs of any other people aside from themselves. ¡¸Well, it certainly would be good to absorb the magic stones now. Especially since we might encounter more abnormal species in future.¡¹ ¡¸Abnormal species, huh. On that note, we haven¡¯t met another one since the Stone Golem.¡¹ While responding to Elena¡¯s words, Rei took out magic stones from the Misty Ring. There were now two each in Rei¡¯s hand, one from a Seal Worm, a Stone Golem, a Mud Golem, and a Wind Bat. First, he gave a Wind Bat¡¯s magic stone to Set as a test¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a disappointed cry when he didn¡¯t learn any new skills. Rei also cut and absorbed one using the Death Scythe, but similarly he didn¡¯t get any new skills. Futhermore, that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Set and the Death Scythe both absorbed the magic stones of a Seal Worm, Stone Golem, and Mud Golem, but even after absorbing four different magic stones, neither of them acquired any new skills. ¡¸¡­¡­Seriously?¡­¡­¡¹ Rei muttered as he leaned against a wall in shock. It seemed that it was quite a big shock to him to absorb eight magic stones and not learn anything from any of them. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ I¡¯m sorry, Set seemed to say as he gave a cry and rubbed his face against Rei. For Set, if possible, he had wanted to learn new skills to please Rei. However, even Set would have no idea whether or not he would be able to learn a new skill until he absorbed a magic stone. There was a tendency to be able to acquires skills more easily from magic stones belonging to powerful monsters, but that wasn¡¯t absolute. Also, considering that he had managed to learn a skill from the magic stone of a Goblin rare species, it was possible to learn skills from less powerful monsters. ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about. None of us are in the wrong in this case. If I had to say what went wrong, we were just unlucky.¡¹ Rei was healed by Set¡¯s good attitude as he scratched his head. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set probably realised that Rei had recovered. He gave a happy cry and pushed his head against Rei to be scratched more. ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow seemed to be envious of Set. With a hop and flapping of wings, Yellow landed on Set¡¯s head. Yellow looked up and gave a cry, asking to be stroked as well. ¡¸I see, so Set wasn¡¯t the only one worried. Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Rei realised that Yellow was also trying to cheer him up as he stroked Yellow as well. It seemed like it was quite comfortable. Both Yellow and Set gave happy cries. After stroking Set with his right hand and Yellow with his left hand for five minutes or so, he eventually stopped and took both his hands back. ¡¸Now then, I guess it¡¯s time to move on. If I could, I would like to continue playing with Set and Yellow like this, but that would only make our trip to the desert on the 11th floor more difficult.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Is it over? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head. Rei gently stroked Set¡¯s head as he spoke to Elena, who had been watching them closely. ¡¸Sorry for showing you such an embarrassing scene.¡¹ It seemed that Rei was a little embarrassed to show Elena his depressed state. However, Elena just had a small smile on her face as she shook her head. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. To show such an appearance means that you¡¯re willing to let your guard down around me. I don¡¯t mind if you do that. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s still embarrassing to show such a pitiful appearance though.¡¹ Rei gave a sigh as he said that, but Elena just reached out to him without worrying about it. Elena stroked Rei¡¯s red hair under his hood, just as Rei had stroked Set. A few second passed before Elena removed her left hand in satisfaction. ¡¸Now then, I¡¯ve recovered enough energy from you Rei, so let¡¯s get back to it right away. If we go straight down this passage, we¡¯ll find a place with many small rooms, one of which leads further on.¡¹ ¡¸Then, what about the other small rooms.¡¹ ¡¸According to the map, they¡¯re dead ends. ¡­¡­I think there are probably traps.¡¹ Rei frowned at Elena¡¯s words. He wasn¡¯t angry with what Elena has said. The reason he frowned was because they had paid a certain amount of money for the map, but the map didn¡¯t even show where traps were. For traps set up by monsters in passageways, that was fine, but traps set up by the dungeon should have been indicated on the map. However, this was just Rei¡¯s misunderstanding. The reason was unknown, but traps set by the dungeon would sometimes randomly shift. Opinions between adventurers were split, but it was said that it was probably a countermeasure against adventurers set up by the dungeon core. Research about it hadn¡¯t progressed much because it was a phenomenon that could only be seen in dungeons that had grown to a certain size, where the dungeon core would be very difficult to reach. ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Now then, let¡¯s head for the 11th floor. You¡¯re looking forward to it Elena.¡¹ ¡¸Umu. I definitely want to see the magnificent scenery of the desert.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t think you should expect that much from a dungeon.¡¹ Elena looked at Rei sullenly, who had just shrugged his shoulders lightly. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that fine? I¡¯ve never actually seen a desert, so I¡¯ve been looking forward to it for a while.¡¹ While Elena herself had yet to realise, just as Rei had showed his weakness to her, she would sometimes make spoiled gestures towards Rei. Both of them could only do that because they trusted each other. If someone else who only knew the two of them by their titles, Crimson and General Princess, were to see them, they would not believe their eyes. While creating a somewhat sweet atmosphere around them, the four of them continued down the passageway. ¡¸Is this the small room?¡¹ ¡¸According to the map, yes. ¡­¡­Given that there is a rather complicated maze after this small room, we should stay alert of course.¡¹ With many doors lined up around them, Elena warned Rei as she indicated the door on the map with a passage at the back. In fact, they had run into several traps on the way here, avoiding or disarming most of them. Rei understood Elena¡¯s words as he nodded. After all, this was a place they absolutely needed to pass through to get to the 11th floor, there was no better place to set a trap. ¡¸Okay, are you ready to open it?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Elena nodded silently at Rei¡¯s words while Set gave a cry as he kept an eye on their surroundings. Yellow also perched itself on Elena¡¯s left shoulder, so as to not get in the way of Rei and the others. Yellow was ready to take off the moment anything happened. (Even though there¡¯s likely a trap, we¡¯ll still have to deal with it to proceed. If I could use something I could throw away like a golem or something¡­¡­or a slave? No, it¡¯s no good buying slaves just for this.) Rei thought to himself. Rei had been born and raised in modern Japan. But, after living in Elgin for over a year, he no longer had a reluctance towards buying slaves. However, considering that buying slaves would just increase the amount of troublesome tasks, he decided no to bother with it. He was ready to respond, no matter what happened, as he opened the door in front of him. ¡¸-!?¡¹ The moment he opened the door, he instinctively sensed something flying towards him and swung his Death Scythe. Kiin-, a high pitched metallic sound echoed out and something fell to the floor after being split in two. Continuing to stay alert, Rei carefully searched for any other signs in the surroundings. Confirming that nothing more happened after 10 seconds, he finally lowered his guard. That said, he didn¡¯t completely drop his guard. It was a good idea to keep his eyes peeled for any monsters or new traps. Rei turned his attention to the object he had cut down using the Death Scythe. It was a single arrow. However, considering the entire arrow, and not just the tip, was made from metla, it could be considered a very deadly trap. ¡¸¡­¡­It looks like it¡¯s safe.¡¹ Elena gave a sigh of relief as she lowered the tip of her sword whip, that she had been ready to attack with at any time. Although she trusted Rei¡¯s strength, she had still be worried. However, Rei didn¡¯t seem to notice Elena¡¯s thoughts as he picked up both parts of the arrow and stored them into the Misty Ring. (Is he planning to use it for something?) Elena wonder if Rei had plans for it, but decided to leave the room first after entering with Rei, Set and Yellow. Walking on, killing monsters, avoiding traps where possible, and destroying the traps they couldn¡¯t, they continued on for about another hour. ¡­¡­Finally, they reached the stairs to the 11th floor. CH 416 The 11th floor. The first thing that struck Rei, Elena, and the others as they descended to the floor was the air. It was air heated by the intense sunlight, a heat that could only be described as violent. Their eyes all widened unintentionally when the air of the 11th floor hit them. After all, they hadn¡¯t felt the heat at all as they had been walking down the moment they left the stairs and arrived on the floor, the air become very hot. (It¡¯s not just hot. It¡¯s very hot.) It had been less than a minute since they had arrived at the small room with the magic circle, but Rei was already sweating from his forehead. He only felt that much because his body was one that had been created by Zepairu¡¯s group. If an ordinary human had come down from the 10th floor, the difference in temperature might even cause some to collapse. (No, if they are an adventurer, that shouldn¡¯t happen to them. ¡­¡­Even if it did happen to some adventurers, it would only be a small number of them.) Thinking that in his mind, Rei put on the hood of his Dragon Robe to protect himself from the heat for the time being. That way, not just Rei¡¯s body, but his head as well, was no longer bothered by the heat, thanks to the Dragon Robe¡¯s ability to keep its wearer comfortable. Breathing out, Rei turned to look at the person next to him. He had the Dragon Robe, but Elena didn¡¯t have that kind of equipment. That was why he wondered if she would be okay¡­¡­ ¡¸Huh, is this the heat of the desert? It¡¯s really interesting.¡¹ Although she was sweating lightly on her forehead, Elena seemed to be able to bear it as she looked around with interest. They might still be in the small room where the magic circle was located, but for Elena, she was still at the long awaited desert floor. That was why she was so interested. Thinking to himself, Rei watched as Elena took out the desert cloak she had bought yesterday from her magic pouch. ¡¸You seem to be fine?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Apparently it¡¯s an effect of the Ancient Dragon magic stone I inherited. It feels hot, but not unbearable. What about you?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the same for me. I¡¯m physically stronger than a normal human and I don¡¯t care about this heat because of my Dragon Robe. ¡­¡­Well, if I take off my hood, the heat will heat me. ¡­¡­Set and Yellow are¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Rei turned to look at the two monsters. As for Elena, she followed Rei¡¯s gaze over to Set, but Set didn¡¯t seem to show any signs of discomfort. No, Set was definitely feeling hot, but didn¡¯t seem to show it in any way. Yellow, on the other hand, was lying on Set¡¯s back, slumped on its belly. Yellow wasn¡¯t unconscious, but the heat must have been unbearable for it. Wasn¡¯t Yellow supposed to be a Dragon? Rei thought about that, but considering how long it had been since Yellow was born, it probably didn¡¯t matter. After all, Yellow was even younger than Set. ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ Elena was worried for a moment as she turned to look at her familiar. However, she immediately turned to Rei as she spoke. ¡¸Rei, I¡¯m sorry, but could you keep Yellow inside your robe?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡­then I won¡¯t be very useful in combat, right?¡¹ While he could place Yellow inside his robes, if he had to make any sudden moves like in combat, it would affect Yellow, of course. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter. Set and I will take the vanguard, so Rei can take the rearguard with magic today.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ Rei nodded as he didn¡¯t want to think about what would happen if they left Yellow in its current state. Reaching for Set¡¯s back, he picked up Yellow¡­¡­and placed it inside a pocket of the Dragon Robe. Likely due to the keen senses of a Dragon, Yellow sensed the change in ambient temperature. It gave a cry from within the Dragon Robe. ¡¸Kyu¡­¡­¡¹ Although Yellow¡¯s cry sounded a bit different from usual, both Rei and Elena nodded satisfactorily after Yellow was hidden away from the desert heat. Elena wore the cloak she was holding in her hands over her golden cloak. Seeing that, Rei asked Elena as she put on the second cloak. ¡¸¡­¡­Is your cloak okay? If it gets in the way, I can keep it in the Misty Ring?¡¹ ¡¸No, my cloak is also a magic item. I can wear it under the desert cloak and it will still remain useful. While we¡¯re still in the dungeon, I should be able to handle whatever happens.¡¹ White armour, golden hair, and a cloak. Elena had such a gorgeous appearance, but when she wore the desert colour cloak, she seemed to become more subdued. That said, her well defined face was still enough to make her stand out. ¡¸Alright, we¡¯re all set. So¡­¡­should we get going?¡¹ Saying that, Elena turned to look at the exit of the small room. Rei nodded and headed towards the exit, letting Elena take the first step out. Then¡­¡­ ¡¸Wow, this is definitely a sea of sand.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s voice from outside the room, Rei also stepped out to look around. Rei had heard of the term snowscape before, but this was a sandscape. The endless landscape of sand was certainly an environment that could be called a sea of sand. Compared to the limited range of movement they had on the 10th floor¡¯s cave environment, the scene before Rei and Elena was incomparably vast. The heat was even greater than what they had felt inside the small room as the sun blazed down. It was probably due to the pseudo-sun that existed somewhere in the ceiling that looked more like a sky. Looking around, it was hard to believe they were inside a dungeon. The sky seemed to stretch out forever, even further than Exil¡¯s summer sky. ¡¸This¡­.is quite a bit more than the forest we were in while looking for the Altar of Inheritance.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ That was all Rei could reply to Elena¡¯s words. Although he had been the one to say that it was strange for Elena to look forward to seeing the desert, it was clearly him, rather than Elena, who was more fascinated by the surroundings. Cacti, rocks, and dunes could been seen in various places around the vast expanse of the desert. ¡¸Rei? ¡­¡­Rei!¡¹ ¡¸Hm? A-Ah.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, you are actually the one enjoying the desert scenery, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. To be honest, I was surprised to see that it was completely different from what I had heard from other people.¡¹ As Rei replied to Elena, scooped up the sand spread across the ground. He looked around again as he felt the smooth sand spilling from between his fingers. ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s no point in continuing like this. Let¡¯s just keep going.¡¹ ¡¸Unlike in the caves, a map is almost useless here if there aren¡¯t any fixed paths.¡¹ Elena presented that map she had, but the terrain was only roughly drawn and there were no paths of any sort. ¡¸In that case, I could get on Set and explore the situation from the sky¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Would it really be better to do that? ¡­¡­But, leaving me behind while doing that feels kind of awkward.¡¹ Elena muttered as she looked back at the stone room standing in the middle of the desert. The only thing they could see in the desert was the room they had just come out of, creating a sense of discomfort. ¡¸We can probably use the room as the centre point to determine our direction. For now, I¡¯ll ask Set to fly over and check it out. Elena, which direction is the stairs.¡¹ ¡¸If this small room is the centre of the map and the rock you can see over there is the rock on the map¡­¡­then south-southwest?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s tricky. If it were at least south or west it would be easier to understand.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What do I do? Rei thought with a difficult expression at Set¡¯s cry. Inside Rei¡¯s robe, Yellow gave a happy cry at its cool and comfortable environment. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯ll be relying on you, Set. If we just wait here, the heat will sap our strength. Let¡¯s move on, if only a bit. Fortunately, Set can fly in the sky and sense my location to some extent, so he won¡¯t get lost.¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t we just stay in the small room and wait for Set to return?¡¹ ¡¸I considered that, but I think it would be better to go a little further if we have to get used to this desert environment.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then it would certainly be better to get a move on than to sit here and wait. If possible, I¡¯d like to make it to at least the 12th floor today.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry to say he was fine with Rei and Elena¡¯s opinions. Yellow was inside Rei¡¯s pocket, so there was no need to ask. ¡¸Then, we¡¯ll start heading in a south-southwest direction with Set going ahead. Considering there¡¯s a room that we had to come down to, there¡¯s probably a similar small room at the stairs to the next floor, so it should be easy to spot.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururururururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a loud cry and ascended into the air with a flap of his wings after a run up of a few steps. Even if this was a desert, Set¡¯s appearance as he flew into the sky, as if treading on air, was magnificent as usual. Rei and Elena, seeing Set fly off, looked at each other before stepping into the desert, following after Set. ¡¸I had expected it, but it¡¯s quite difficult to walk.¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, it¡¯s a desert after all.¡¹ Elena, covered by her cloak, muttered as she took out a water bottle from the magic pouch at her waist to quench her thirst. The water inside was, of course, from Rei¡¯s Dagger of Flowing Water. Due to the desert terrain, every step she took inevitably took strength away from her legs, causing her to expend much more stamina. For adventurers accustomed to this floor or those from desert areas, it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem, but Rei and Elena had only read books about the desert before, and in Rei¡¯s case, seen it on TV. Although they had heard about it, this was their first time actually setting foot in a desert. For that reason, Elena rapidly exhausted her physical strength as they walked through the desert. Even so, the reason they could continued walking without too much of an issue was because both Rei and Elena had significantly greater physical stamina than most people. If they only had the stamina of an ordinary adventurer, the sandy footholds would probably slowed their speed down within 30 minutes. However, this floor was a baptism of sorts, not just for this floor, but for anyone travelling through a desert environment for the first time. Through this, they gradually learned how to move their bodies in the desert. That was quite ordinary, but¡­¡­ ¡¸I see, the trick is to lift your feet rather than push against the sand.¡¹ ¡¸When stepping on the sand, it¡¯s easier to walk if you step with your whole sole rather than the tip or heel of your foot.¡¹ They quickly learned how to move their bodies through the desert as they told each other what they had noticed. What was even more unusual about the two of them was that instead of walking along the desert dune peaks, they were walking in a straight line in the direction Set had flown. If you were used to the desert, you would usually walk along the peaks, as the sand there was more solid and easier to walk on than other sections. However, neither Reir nor Elena knew that as they just walked in a straight line towards where Set had flown. Talking with each other, they continued walking while finding ways to make it more efficient. They didn¡¯t get to the point where they could walk without thinking¡­¡­but, they managed make their way forward without losing their footing. About an hour after Rei had arrived on the 11th floor, as it neared noon, their walking speed gradually picked up. ¡¸Even so¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ While walking along the sand, Rei muttered as he stroked Yellow, who was freely spending its time in Rei¡¯s pocket. ¡¸No, I just haven¡¯t seen any monsters after coming to this desert. There was just the desert, some cacti¡­¡­.and some rocks.¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked around before stopping his words as he saw something. Yes, three adventurers were running towards their direction about 1km away. ¡¸It looks like there is a big worm behind them.¡¹ Elena muttered next to Rei as she saw a giant earthworm monster, a so called Sandworm, over 5m in length, chasing after the three fleeing adventurers. There wasn¡¯t just one worm, but three in total. (Did my words end up being a flag?) Deciding that they couldn¡¯t avoid them at this distance, Rei and Elena immediately prepared for battle. As discussed in advance, Elena moved to the vanguard while Rei moved to the rearguard to cast magic as they waited for the adventurers and Sandworms to near them. CH 417 ¡¸Hey, hey, hey, hey, how many Sandworms are out here! This is way too many!¡¹ ¡¸Just shut up and run! Fighting Sandworms when I have barely any magic power left is the worst situation for me!¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait a moment! Look over there, over there! There are people, people!¡¹ Sandworms were a giant, sand coloured, earthworm like monster over 5m in length. However, it also had three legs extending from both sides of its body and its mouth opened wide at its front, baring fangs as it chased the adventurers. The three frantically fleeing adventurers made a lot of noise as the Sandworms chases after them. A total of three people were running away, a male warrior with a spear in his hand, a female mage with a wand and a female archer. All three were wearing sand coloured cloaks to hide from the sun. They had come out here for a request to collect a special plant called a Desert Rose that could found on the desert floors. Fortunately for them, they had come across a blooming Desert Rose partially buried in the sand. Up until that point, it had been good for them. At the very least, the three of them thought that they had been quite lucky. However, they soon realised that their luck was only superficial. Just as they cut off the blooming part of the blue Desert Rose, the sand nearby exploded. Surprised by the sudden explosion, the three of them turned around and saw Sandworms just sticking out of the sand. ¡­¡­Eight of them. The mage killed one while the archer and warrior worked together to kill another of the Sandworms. However, that just seemed to anger the Sandworms. The remaining six joined the battle. ¡­¡­Even then, they managed to kill another three of them before ending up in this life threatening chase because their mage, who made up most of their firepower, ran out of magic power. Still, there was still hope for the three. They had found the Desert Rose not far from the small room, less than an hour of travel for people accustomed to this floor. If they could escape to the room, they would be saved¡­¡­ They had never though that they would come across other adventurers while running away. No, of course they had considered the possibility. However, thanks to the information about abnormal species, the number of people entering the dungeon had decreased. Those that still entered the dungeon to catch or kill these abnormal species for a bounty had mostly headed to the floors were the abnormal species had previously appeared. In addition, the desert floors were not really preferred by other adventurers due to the environmental conditions. They were also running across the flatter sections of the desert and not the peaks, so they hadn¡¯t thought they¡¯d run into any other adventurers in the direction they were heading. They might have considered the possibility at the back of their minds, but they didn¡¯t think that their concerns would actually come true. Seeing a duo of what seemed to be adventurers with weapons drawn at the end of his line of sight, the male warrior running at the front shouted out. ¡¸Heyy-, run away!¡¹ However, although his voice must definitely have been heard, there was no sign that the duo wanted to escape. On the contrary, the one with a sword moved to the front while the other, with a scythe of ridiculous size, moved to the back. Yes, as if to prepare for battle. (They¡¯re either stupid or skilled. ¡­¡­Let¡¯s hope they¡¯re skilled.) The man quickly thought to himself as he ran across the sand, looking at his two friends running next to and behind him. The mage was out of magic power, so wouldn¡¯t be able to contribute much. However, the archer still had quite a number of arrows and could still fight. ¡¸We¡¯re going to join up with the two people in front and kill the Sandworms!¡¹ ¡¸AHHHH-, I understand! But my magic power is almost gone! Especially since we¡¯re in the desert, I can¡¯t do much if I can¡¯t use magic!¡¹ ¡¸I understand as well! But can those people really fight!? I¡¯ve never seen anyone use a scythe like that before!¡¹ The female mage shouted, half in desperation, while the female archer replied back to the man in understanding. Hearing the archer¡¯s reply, something passed through the male warrior¡¯s mind for an instant, but the distance to the duo ahead was already getting short. He had no time to think of anything else as he shouted out to the two people in front of him with spear in hand. ¡¸We¡¯ll work together to kill the Sandworms! Is that okay!?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, no problem! Just pass us and get ready to fight! We¡¯ll hold them here!¡¹ The man was a little surprised to hear the voice of the person in the vanguard. He hadn¡¯t been able to see their face because they had been wearing a cloak, but he had still thought they other party had been a man because of their height. However, the voice had definitely belonged to that of a woman. (No, I guess there are tall women all over the world. Then, is the person with the scythe also a woman?) The distance gradually shortened as he thought to himself¡­¡­a woman holding a sword and a possible woman wielding a scythe. He passed by the duo. At that moment, the Sandworms noticed the two people waiting for them as they chased the other three. ¡¸HAAAAAH-!¡¹ The woman at the vanguard, Elena, gave a shout as she poured magic power into her sword whip and swung it. In that instant, her sword whip flew out and the tip jumped into the open mouth of the Sandworm as it tried to swallow her, penetrating its head. Elena shook the hilt of the sword whip and the blade regained its freedom as it sliced the Sandworm¡¯s head from left to right. However, it seemed like the Sandworm had no sense of pain even after its head was split in half. It continued straight past them¡­¡­passing by Elena and even the three people it had been chasing. After about 10m, it finally stopped moving and collapsed on the sand. The three adventurers who had been running away stopped in their tracks as they turned to look at Elena, but their surprise was premature. ¡ºFire, fall like rain and become arrows that burn everything.¡» At the same time, the person wielding the scythe, Rei, cast his magic, forming more than 50 fire arrow behind him. The female mage was surprised by the overwhelming amount of magic power used. There were many magics that formed arrows from the attributes the caster was good at. She herself liked to use magic that created water arrows. However, even so, with her magic power and magic power control, she would only be able to create 10 of them if forced herself. Creating the 50 arrows she could see spread before her eyes would be impossible for her, even if the world turned upside down. However, Rei didn¡¯t seem to care for the mage looking at him as he judged that there were enough arrows and activated his magic¡­¡­the magic power consumed by the arrows made them more than powerful enough. ¡ºPour down, Fire Arrows!¡» At Rei¡¯s words, more than 50 fire arrows were released as they flew towards the other two Sandworms. The fire arrows pierced and burned the area they hit, but didn¡¯t stop there. They continued to pierce into the Sandworms without losing power¡­¡­eventually penetrating them completely. ¡¸No way¡­¡­that number of arrows, that power¡­¡­no matter how ridiculous your magic power is, that¡¯s still a large scale magic. To use it so easily with such a short incantation¡­¡­¡¹ The female mage couldn¡¯t seem to believe what she had seen as she muttered to herself. However, reality was reality, two Sandworms lay in the desert with burns all over their bodies, no breath of life present in their huge bodies. After laying waste to the Sandworms with a force that could only be described as one-sided, Rei and Elena turned to the three shocked adventurers near them. ¡¸Are you all right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Y-Yeah. That is, thanks for the help.¡¹ The male warrior with a spear finally nodded back after hearing Rei¡¯s voice. He seemed a little surprised, probably because of the male voice Rei had. If Rei hadn¡¯t been wearing the Dragon Robe¡¯s hood, the man might have mistaken Rei¡¯s baby face for a girl. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s good to hear. ¡­¡­So, can we consider these Sandworms to be ours, since we killed them?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. We were just being chased away. ¡­¡­Anyway, what kind of party are you? Entering the dungeon with just two people.¡¹ The female archer nodded silently in agreement to the man¡¯s words. The mage seemed to still be overwhelmed by Rei¡¯s previous display of magic and appeared to be shocked speechless. That said, in a sense, she was lucky she didn¡¯t have the ability to sense magic power. If she had that ability, she probably would have been at the point of her legs giving out rather than just speechless. The magic power Rei gave off was overwhelming. Rei didn¡¯t pay the mage any attention as he shrugged his shoulder in response to the male warrior. ¡¸You say that, but you only have three people yourself, right? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s much different from us.¡¹ ¡¸No, we¡¯re usually a party of five. We just don¡¯t have a few members with us today.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm.¡¹ Nodding at the man¡¯s words, Rei turned his gaze upwards towards the sky¡­¡­as if noticing something. ¡¸Well, we certainly only have two people. But, we have other strengths as well. Here he comes back.¡¹ Along with those words, a flapping sound could be heard. The warrior and archer, who were concerned about the sound, looked up into the sky. Their eyes and mouth went wide as they were stunned by the monster that came down, with wings flapping. The monster had the lower body of a lion and the upper body of an eagle. An A rank monster famous for being the reaper of the skies. That is to say¡­¡­. ¡¸Huh? A Griffon?¡¹ The warrior and archer involuntarily took at step back at the appearance of Set, as he landed on the ground. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What¡¯s going on? Set gave a cry as he tilted his head and looked at the trio with round eyes. ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Rather, how did your scouting go? Did you find anything dangerous other than monsters?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry in the negative as he squinted his eyes in pleasure as Rei scratched his head. Seeing that they weren¡¯t in danger, the warrior approached Rei somewhat fearfully. At the same time, the mage finally regained her senses, only to be suddenly pressured by the Griffon in front of her. The reason the warrior spoke with Rei was because he finally remembered something after regaining his calm. There had been someone spending a lot of time in the dungeon without taking a break recently. That person, accompanied by a Griffon, was Crimson. To be exact, Rei and Elena hadn¡¯t entered the dungeon yesterday, but it seemed that the man had no knowledge of that. ¡¸Just a small question¡­¡­could you be the one people call Crimson?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, people call me Crimson. I¡¯m Rei.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I thought so¡­¡­oh right, I¡¯ve forgotten to introduce myself even though you save us. I¡¯m Pleiades. The archer is Otis and the mage is Sharl. Once again, thanks for saving us.¡¹ Rei silently shook his head at Pleiades¡¯ grateful bow. ¡¸It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve been in the desert. We¡¯ve never been here before, so it was good to get a feel for what kind of monsters would appear.¡¹ How about you? At Rei¡¯s prompt from his eyes, Elena nodded as she shook the Sandworm blood off her sword whip. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s not so bad if you consider it as some exercise. There¡¯s also materials as well.¡¹ Elena replied as she took off her cloak¡¯s hood and looked towards the three adventurers. Seeing that, the three of them¡­¡­especially Pleiades, had their breath taken away. Although they had passed by Elena while being chased by the Sandworms, their lives were in danger at the time, so they hadn¡¯t taken a good look at her. Because of that, now that they could see her face, not just Pleiades¡­¡­even Otis and Sharl were distracted by Elena. As for Sharl in particular, she had been stunned after seeing Rei¡¯s magic, only to see Set land followed by Elena¡¯s beauty. In a sense, she was the most shocked person after meeting Rei¡¯s group. CH 418 ¡¸In other words, when walking through the desert, if you walk near the peaks where the sand is somewhat firmer, it will be easier to walk and less exhausting. If you¡¯re an adventurer who has just arrived on this floor, you¡¯ll need to get used to the desert environment first. ¡­¡­No, I don¡¯t need to tell you two that. You can already walk through the desert like ordinary ground.¡¹ As they made their way through the desert, Pleiades mentioned the necessary precautions required for adventuring on the 11th floor. ¡¸It¡¯s not so important for Rei-san, since he has an item box, but if you run out of water of this floor, it¡¯s deadly. However, there are cacti that grow in this desert that can act as a replacement. Ordinary deserts have poisonous cacti, but fortunately, the cacti that grow on this floor are all types that you can drink from.¡¹ Otis, the archer, followed up Pleiades¡¯ words while lowering her voice down a notch. ¡¸However, you need to be careful with cacti on the 13th floor. There are some monsters that can mimic cacti, so if you approach them carelessly, they will attack you when your guard is down.¡¹ ¡¸Cactus mimics? ¡­¡­Well, in my case, I have magic items and an item box, so I don¡¯t need to worry about water¡­¡­but, I wouldn¡¯t want to run into one with my guard down.¡¹ Rei frowned unhappily at the wind that blew some of the desert sand around and pulled his hood tighter to block the sunlight that shone down obnoxiously. Yellow was still in Rei¡¯s chest pocket, but it seemed that the cool environment and Rei¡¯s constant walking rhythm were too comfortable. It had curled up and fallen asleep without raising a fuss. ¡¸An actual item box. I couldn¡¯t help but believe after seeing the three Sandworms disappearing in an instant.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, the mage, Sharl, couldn¡¯t help but speak up. Sharl had been surprised in sequence by Rei, Set, and Elena before becoming motionless in shock after seeing the Sandworms be stored away into Rei¡¯s item box. However, she had recovered now. ¡¸That¡¯s right, Rei¡¯s item box has helped me out a lot.¡¹ ¡¸Well, in the first place, ordinary parties would only strip off the materials from monsters they kill. It¡¯s a big deal to bring back three Sandworms over 5m long¡­¡­impossible without a group of several dozen people working together. Especially on this dungeon floor, where how fast you can move is directly linked to life and death.¡¹ ¡¸We usually have a porter with us, but they aren¡¯t a professional porter, it feels more like they¡¯re a warrior.¡¹ Pleiades grumbled as he carried his spear on his right shoulder. Even they must have thought that it was such a waste, not being able to bring back all the materials they could. ¡¸No, but we¡¯re glad we met Rei-san and Elena-san. We had been worried about our fighting capacity, so we hadn¡¯t been able to strip the materials from the other Sandworms we killed and would have had to leave them behind.¡¹ Yes, as Otis said, Rei and Elena were currently working together with Pleiades¡¯ party. The main reason, as Otis said, was that Pleiades couldn¡¯t stand to leave behind the Sandworms they had previously killed. As for Rei and Elena, the direction they were heading in wasn¡¯t too different from the stairs heading to the 12th floor. In the end they decided to help Pleiades with the Sandworms he couldn¡¯t bring back and, more importantly, find out more information they needed to make their way through the desert floors. ¡¸Anyway, the desert floors are basically free of traps, so you can rest easy with regards to that. That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t bring a thief with us today either.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s good to know. Rei and I are confident in our skills as a warrior and mage, but we¡¯re not as good when it comes to dealing with traps.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? But then, how did you get down here? There are still some dangerous traps on the cave floors.¡¹ Otis¡¯ eyes widened when she heard what Elena said. However, she quickly came to her own conclusion. ¡¸Oh, I see. Did you hire a thief from the Church of Holy Light? They¡¯re expensive, but good at their job.¡¹ ¡¸No. Rei doesn¡¯t like to deal with the Church, so we didn¡¯t have anything to do with them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then, how?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve got some contacts. We were able to work with a thief we knew for a few floors. They taught us how to recognise most of the traps, so we mostly just avoided traps without disarming them when we found one.¡¹ The reason Elena didn¡¯t give away Byune¡¯s name was because she was keeping the Fraut family in mind. Next to Elena and Otis, Sharl was barraging Rei with questions in a noisy conversation. ¡¸Hey, how to you build an image of the magic you want to cast? And, regarding the operation of magic power¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸How do I build it in my mind? Basically all I can tell you is that I just imagine it.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? That¡¯s a bit impossible. Normally, even if you can create 50 or more fire arrows¡­¡­you wouldn¡¯t be able to control them as you wished, right? In my case, no matter how hard I try, I can only form 10 arrows at most. Moreover, the more arrows I make, the more magic power it consumes. In that case, I might as well use a magic with greater firepower.¡¹ Perhaps Rei¡¯s answer hadn¡¯t been the one she had been expecting. Even under her cloak, Sharl seemed quite sullen. ¡¸Even if you say that, I can I only say there¡¯s a difference in imagination. The use of magic is almost completely dependant on that.¡¹ Most of the various fire magics that Rei had used had been inspired by manga, novels, anime, and games that he had read, watched, and played on Earth. It wasn¡¯t that difficult for him to cast similar magic as he had read the words and seen the images and pictures in person. Of course, not everything was the same, some changes had been made. And, when it came to his magic power, even Zepairu in his soul state had lost control of his emotions at Rei¡¯s surprising magic power. With Rei¡¯s magic power and imagination, it would be quite difficult for an ordinary mage to replicate the magic that Rei could use. ¡¸Hey, Sharl. Don¡¯t overdo it. We¡¯re in a position where we owe favours to Rei-san and Elena-san.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. But, you know what? You¡¯ll have to teach me how exactly you visualise magic. Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸When I have the opportunity.¡¹ Otis prompted Sharl that she was being overbearing, but it just seemed to go in one ear and straight out the other as Sharl asked Rei to teach her in future. However, Rei¡¯s response was casual. As they proceeded through the desert with lively conversation, they eventually found the corpses of Sandworms lying in the sand. ¡¸Oh, looks like they¡¯re safe. That¡¯s good.¡¹ ¡¸Over time, they can end up as food for other monsters, or adventurers might find the corpses and strip the materials themselves. However, since we left them here and ran away, we can¡¯t really complain.¡¹ Pleiades gave a sigh of relief when he saw the five dead Sandworms lying on the sand. Otis also nodded in agreement, thanking their luck. Sharl seemed to still be looking at Rei with some regrets, but Pleiades immediately prompted her to take out her dismantling knife. ¡¸Hey, Sharl. Let¡¯s quickly strip off the materials. There are five Sandworms, so we have to work together.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ ¡¸Then we¡¯ll keep watch. Set will help.¡¹ Set had been keeping an eye on the surroundings from the skies, but he probably realised that Rei and the others had stopped walking. He descended to the ground while flapping his wings. The wind pressure from Set¡¯s wings caused fine sand particles to scatter. Fortunately, thanks to Set¡¯s consideration to the direction he flapped his wings, the sand didn¡¯t fall on them. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head. Otis couldn¡¯t help but notice how adorable Set was. That said, there were many others who would act the same way after seeing Set, so Rei didn¡¯t show too much concern for Otis as he whispered into Set¡¯s ear while stroking his head. ¡¸We¡¯re staying on guard while Pleiades strips the Sandworm materials.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Speaking of that, don¡¯t you want to watch how they strip the materials?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I won¡¯t deny that.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Rei responded plainly. Pleiades smiled unintentionally when he heard their discussion. That said, it was true that when he was focusing on stripping materials, he would be less alert of the surroundings. Considering that, he couldn¡¯t complain if their safety was accounted for while they stripped materials off the Sandworms. No, rather, it could even be said it was a very good deal. (After all, with Crimson guarding us, our safety is all but guaranteed. Pleiades wouldn¡¯t have trusted Rei¡¯s combat strength purely based on rumours and his title. However, he couldn¡¯t deny Rei¡¯s strength after seeing him instantly kill two of the three Sandworms they had struggled with. Not only that, there was also Elena, who could freely control her sword whip, a rare weapon, and Set, a Griffon. ¡¸Then, watch closely. That said, please continue to keep an eye on your surroundings.¡¹ Pleiades deliberately said that in a casual tone while urging Otis and Sharl to start work immediately. The Sandworms were all 5m or longer and it would take some time to strip the materials from them. Therefore, the first thing to do was to cut off the tips of their tongues, the proof of subjugation. The next thing to do was to strip materials from them. First was the fangs that grew from their mouth. Pleiades only cut the fangs that were over a given length, using his spear instead of his knife. Since these fangs could pierce through even armour, ordinary dismantling knives wouldn¡¯t be able to cut through them. Of course, the fangs were also hard enough that it would be impossible for a warrior without decent strength to cut them. A short distance away from where Pleiades was striping the fangs, Otis and Sharl were working together to cut open the Sandworms¡¯ bellies to remove the magic stones from their heart. After that, the next step was to remove the legs growing out from the Sandworms¡¯ bellies. These could be removed with a certain amount of strength and the three of them quickly cut them off. Then, they removed the single eye on the Sandworms¡¯ head before storing the crystalline lenses inside a beaker that Sharl brought out. The taste of Sandworm flesh wasn¡¯t that bad as they were D rank monstesr. However, it seemed that no one in Pleiades¡¯ party wanted to eat it and even if they wanted to sell it, it could only be sold at some special shops. Pleiades¡¯ party unanimously decided to give it all over to Rei. Rei aside, Set was fine with eating other insects, so it wasn¡¯t bad for Rei. Finally, they secured several internal organs that could be used in alchemy, completing the stripping of materials from the first Sandworm. It took them less than 10 minutes from when they first started stripping materials. As expected of a veteran adventurer party, each of them did what they needed to do and their speed was very fast. Even Sharl, who had been reluctant, knew what to do. That said, her skills was slightly worse than Pleiades and she needed to check with him while stripping some materials. It was a lot smoother than Rei¡¯s experiences with stripping materials. That said, it still took 10 minutes to strip the materials from each Sandworm for a total of 50 minutes. 10 minutes per Sandworm was just an approximation, so it ended up taking them about an hour. Still, no other monsters showed up, either because they were currently on the territory of the Sandworms they had killed or because they were wary of Rei and the others, who had killed the Sandworms. And, most of all, the other monsters were threatened by the presence of Set in the skies. (It feels like they¡¯re quite used to working with other parties in the dungeon¡­¡­) After stripping all the materials, as promised, the bodies were given to Rei, who stored them inside the Misty Ring. Rei asked Pleiades whether or not working with other parties was common, but the response was that it depended on the dungeon and dungeon floor. For example, in Exil¡¯s dungeon, other parties rarely worked together on the desert floors. However, there were other floors where they would commonly work with each other. CH 419 After the Sandworms were dismantled and materials stripped away, Rei stored what was left into the Misty Ring. The first time they had met, Pleiades had been surprised when Rei had stored away the three Sandworms after killing them. Even so, after seeing Rei store away more than twice as many Sandworms, he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised again, as were Otis and Sharl. However, Rei paid them no mind as he looked around at the ground, stained with Sandworm blood, before calling out to Pleiades. ¡¸Why don¡¯t we leave this place for now? If we stay here, other monsters may attack us. Did you say that monsters on this floor will attack other monsters as well?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah. That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s leave this place before thinking about what to do next.¡¹ Pleiades agreed with Rei and the five of them headed for a spot 20 minutes away where a 5m tall rock could be found while Set kept a watch from the skies. A short time after Rei and the other left¡­¡­other monsters appeared. Smelling the Sandworm blood, scorpion, wolf, bird, spider, and snake like monsters all appeared at the location. But, since there were no Sandworm corpses to eat, they began attacking the other monsters that had gathered. ¡¸Uwa¡­¡­it¡¯s amazing, tasty, cold, tasty, clear, and tasty!¡¹ After their group arrived at the rock, Pleiades¡¯ party was amazed by the water Rei created using the Dagger of Flowing Water as they used it to wash their hands and face, which had been dirtied from dismantling the Sandworms. Otis, in particular, couldn¡¯t help but shout when she drank the water that had been created using the Dagger of Flowing Water after washing her hands. The fact that the word ¡®tasty¡¯ was mixed in several times was probably an indication of her honest feelings. ¡¸It really is, it¡¯s tasty¡­¡­I never thought I¡¯d be able to drink water like this in the desert¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what water is this!?¡¹ Hearing Otis shout, Pleiades and Sharl couldn¡¯t help but mutter to themselves as they drank some as well. ¡¸Fufu~, well, it¡¯s the taste of Rei¡¯s magic power.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, who was smiling as she said them, Rei shrugged his shoulders lightly as he took out a deep plate, which was easier for Set to drink from, from the Misty Ring before calling Set down. ¡¸Set! Come down, we¡¯re taking a break!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s voice and landed on the ground before putting his beak into the deep plate of water to enjoy the cool feeling. Seeing that, Rei poured water into cups for everyone and passed them around. Under the shade of the rock, each of them took a rest as they enjoyed the taste of the water, a cold sweet dew created from the Dagger of Flowing Water. ¡¸Hey, Rei. If it can create water, is that dagger a magic item?¡¹ Sharl asked as she took a break under the shade. Looking ahead, the Dagger of Flowing Water, was lying against the rock. As a mage, she was interested in magic items. ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a magic item called the Dagger of Flowing Water and it has the ability to create water using magic power. Originally, it was mean to be a weapon that you could use to freely manipulate water and wield as a whip. However, it seems that my talent is only for fire magic. I can still use it, but only at the level of producing drinking water and other similar things.¡¹ Rei¡¯s explanation was enough for Sharl to understand what level of magic item the dagger in front of her eyes was. Sharl took a deep breath. She asked Rei as she reached out for the dagger leaning against the rock. ¡¸Hey, could I try using it for a bit?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hearing you say that, is it really okay to lend it out so easily? Honestly, with just this dagger, you could live out the rest of your life. With water of that taste.¡¹ At Sharl¡¯s words, Rei shrugged his shoulders with a small smile. Next to him, Elena smiled back as well. ¡¸You¡¯ll understand if you use it.¡¹ Sharl looked puzzled as she reached for the dagger and poured magic power into it as Rei had told her. At that moment, she felt her magic power be sucked away by the dagger as water started to flow from the tip of the blade. ¡¸Here, Sharl, a cup.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ Pouring water into the cup Otis gave her, she brought it to her mouth¡­¡­before involuntarily frowning the next moment. It was definitely water. There was no doubt about it. However, the water in her cup was overwhelmingly less tasty than the cup of water Rei had given her. It was like the difference between a painting drawn by a first class painter and a painting drawn by an amateur with a little artistic spirit. Even though both were still paintings, there was a clear difference between the two. ¡¸¡­¡­Why?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s simple. The taste of the water from the Dagger of Flowing Water is determined by the quantity and quality of the user¡¯s magic power.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Does that mean that if you only have an ordinary amount and quality of magic power, it won¡¯t be good for drinking?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ Sharl gave a sad sigh at the words Rei spoke with a simple nod. Normally, others would look at him jealously, so Rei was quite impressed that Sharl didn¡¯t seem to have any of those thoughts. Regardless, Pleiades spoke up after ridding himself of the desert heat under the rock and rehydrating himself. ¡¸By the way, I¡¯d like to ask, do Rei-san and Elena-san plan to continue exploring the 11th floor?¡¹ That was what Pleiades said, but inwardly, he was quite nervous. They had exhausted their magic power and physical stamina in the battle with the Sandworms and the two people in front of them seemed to have fighting strength that could be called excessive. If possible, excluding Yellow, who was still inside Rei¡¯s pocket, they were honestly hoping Rei and Elena could escort them. It seemed to be the same for Otis and Sharl. Both of them stared at Rei and Elena. For a moment, there was a silent tension¡­¡­but Elena easily broke it as she spoke up. ¡¸I see. It would be dangerous for you if were attacked by roughly 10 monsters at the same time in your current state, regardless of how weak the monsters are.¡¹ ¡¸No, I think even a normal party would run away if they were attacked by nearly 10 Sandworms.¡¹ Otis replied to Elena without thinking, but thanks to that, the atmosphere eased up a bit. Or, if that was Otis had been aiming for, she did a good job of it¡­¡­ (Also, that¡¯s right.) Rei thought to himself as he observed Otis¡¯ smiling face. He shrugged his shoulders lightly as he thought about what to do next. Certainly, if they left Pleiades¡¯ group out to dry as they were, it would leave a bad taste in his mouth. And, it was clear from what they had discussed on the way here that their party was accustomed to working in the desert. Because of that, it didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea to get to know them. Rei turned to look at Elena to ask for confirmation, but her gaze in response meant that she was leaving the decision to him. He turned to look at Set, but Set was still drinking up his water, which Rei could hear going down his throat. Thinking for a few seconds, Rei spoke up. ¡¸I understand, you want us to escort you until you leave the dungeon? It would certainly leave a bad aftertaste to abandon you here considering you gave us a lot of Sandworms. I¡¯m willing to escort your party. However, we¡¯re heading for the stairs down to the 12th floor. Even if you want to use a magic circle to go back up, it will have to be in the small room on the 12th floor. Is that fine with you?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah. That¡¯s fine. That would be good for us as well.¡¹ Pleiades gave a sigh of relief at Rei¡¯s words, but Rei hadn¡¯t finished speaking yet. ¡¸Well, that said, I¡¯d like something else from you if we¡¯re going to escort you.¡¹ At those words, Pleiades¡¯ face was once again filled with tension. What was Rei going to ask from them? However, what Rei asked for was completely different from the worst case scenario that Pleiades had been expecting, such as all their money, working as a slave, or to give him one of his female party members. ¡¸Any how, we¡¯re not going to have much to do in the desert. We¡¯ve just come down to this level, so it would be helpful if you could tell us what we have to look out for on the desert floors that continue down from the 11th floor.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is, is that enough?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? I think that¡¯s fine¡­¡­is there anything else you want to give?¡¹ ¡¸No, I have no objections to your thoughts.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if you say so, that would be a great help.¡¹ Once again, Pleiades gave a sigh of relief. It was the same for Otis and Sharl. Elena looked puzzled when she saw the three of them like that, but Rei just nodded in understanding and didn¡¯t say anything else. After taking a 10 minute break, the 5 of them stood up again to resume their journey to the 12th floor. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sorry about this Set, but could you keep a watch from the sky as before? Please let us know immediately if anything happens.¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Even Set seemed to have been re-energised after drinking the water Rei created using the Dagger of Flowing Water. He ascended into the sky with a flap of his wings, as if running through the air. ¡¸Uwa, he¡¯s so energetic.¡¹ Otis murmured as she watched Set fly up from below. Sharl nodded in agreement. However, he eyes weren¡¯t on Set, but on the Dagger of Flowing Water that Rei had just stored into the Misty Ring. ¡¸If you could drink that tasty water, you would also recover your energy and stamina. ¡­¡­It¡¯s almost impossible to drink that level of water, even if you go to a place that serves high class food. You would have to pay gold coins for it.¡¹ ¡¸Maybe. Considering that, we¡¯re pretty lucky¡­¡­well, let¡¯s move on.¡¹ Everyone nodded at Elena¡¯s words as they stepped out from behind the rock and into the desert. The moment they took a step out of the rock¡¯s shadow, the intense sunlight began to bear down on them. ¡¸Damn it, does it ever get cloudy?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid, this is a dungeon.¡¹ Pleiades retorted at Sharl¡¯s words as they started walking. If it had just been Rei and Elena, they would just have walked in a straight line towards the stairs to the 12th floor. But this time, they had Pleiades with them, who was a veteran of this floor. Because of that, they decided to walk along the desert peaks, which were easy to walk on. ¡¸¡­¡­The sand really has become firmer to some extent, making it easier to walk on.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that right? But of course, if it¡¯s easy for us to walk, it¡¯s also easy for monsters to walk as well, so we need to be careful.¡¹ Saying that, Pleiades turned to look at the peak they were currently walking on. At first glance, the desert sands appeared to be nothing more than patterns created by the wind. But when everyone else saw Pleiades stop, they stopped as well to see what he was looking at. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re one of us, how can you not recognise it?¡¹ Rei spoke up as he heard the conversation between Sharl and Otis. ¡¸A¡­¡­snake?¡¹ ¡¸Correct. How did you know? Even if it¡¯s a monster, it still knows that it¡¯s easier for people to pass through here. So, naturally, they decided that waiting here would be the most efficient way to get their prey.¡¹ Pleiades said that before asking Rei and Elena what they wanted to do. Rei and Elena looked at each other. Seeing Elena look at him, Rei nodded before taking a step forward. Because they weren¡¯t always going to be travelling with Pleiades, Rei decided that they had to be able to deal with things themselves as if they were on their own. With the Death Scythe in hand, Rei focused his magic power. ¡ºFlame, burn your enemies according to my will.¡» Along with his incantation, a ball of fire about 30cm in diameter was created at the Death Scythe¡¯s blade. Although the incantation was relatively short, it still had a fairly high amount of power because of Rei¡¯s enormous magic power and his visualisation of the magic in his mind. ¡ºFireball.¡» The magic was activated with that word and flew out towards a place where nothing could be seen at first glance. What was there? ¡­¡­No, everyone else aside from Sharl knew what was there and warily held their weapons. Seeing that, Sharl also held her wand tightly as well¡­¡­ BOOM-! The fireball landed and created a powerful explosing of fire that one couldn¡¯t imagine from the short incantation. In an instant, the 2m long snake monster that had been aiming for an opportunity to attack Rei and the others could do nothing as it died. CH 420 ¡¸Taking out a Sandsnake in a single attack. As expected of Rei¡¯s magic power.¡¹ Looking at the corpse of the Sandsnake, a snake like monster that had been completely crushed by Rei¡¯s magic, Sharl murmured in amazement. However, her amazement was more towards Rei¡¯s ridiculous magic power. Sharl, of course, could use the same magic Rei had just used. After all, shooting balls or arrows of water, fire, wind, and other elements was considered basic. However, in Rei¡¯s case, the power of his magic was clearly distinct to the same magic used by others due to the difference in magic power contained, method of composition, and difference in visualisation. ¡¸¡­¡­I might have over done it.¡¹ Hearing what could be considered words of praise from Sharl, Rei¡¯s shoulders dropped as he looked at the corpse of the Sandsnake in front of him. Fortunately, the highest priced material, that Rei had no intention of selling, the magic stone, was still safe. However, all other materials, including the proof of subjugation, had been blown to pieces. Rather, from the perspective of Pleiades and Otis, they were wondering how the magic stone had even survived the explosion. ¡¸W-Well, I guess it¡¯s better than being careless? It has a fairly strong poison. ¡­¡­Oh, by the way, there are many poisonous monsters on certain desert floors. What countermeasures do you have for that?¡¹ Pleiades glanced at Elena as he asked. He didn¡¯t have any particular motives for asking Elena instead of Rei¡­¡­Elena was simply taller and looked older, so Pleiades felt that she would be the steady one. Aware of that, Rei had a someone unhappy expression on his face, but he couldn¡¯t really defend himself considering that he had just blasted a Sandsnake with what could be considered an excessive attack. Elena nodded with a smile. ¡¸We bought some things yesterday, including antidotes for use in the desert.¡¹ ¡¸Then you shouldn¡¯t have much of a problem. No, there is one thing. Some people think that because they had bought antidotes for previous floors, they don¡¯t need to prepare any specifically for the desert floors.¡¹ As a result, those people would often by hurt by the desert poisons. Pleiades said that with a bitter expression on his face. (Maybe he learned that from his own experiences.) Elena thought that, but decided that she wouldn¡¯t ask if Pleiades didn¡¯t bring it up as she kept quiet. ¡¸Right then, let¡¯s move on. If we continue at our current pace, we should reach the stairs to the 12th floor in less than two hours. Let¡¯s remain careful¡¹ Following Pleiades¡¯ words, their group proceeded along the desert peaks. In the sky above, Set flew through the air, ready to warn them of anything dangerous. But, as expected, the desert monsters didn¡¯t touch them if they knew they would have to deal with a Griffon. There were a few bird monsters flying through the sky as well, but they didn¡¯t attack Set. As promised when Rei had agreeed to escort Pleiades¡¯ party, they talked and listened about things they needed to know when moving through the desert and things that would be useful if they knew. ¡¸In other words, by the time you feel thirsty, it¡¯s too late. It¡¯s important to drink plenty of water before that happens. ¡­¡­But, with water from Rei¡¯s Dagger of Flowing Water, you won¡¯t have to worry about dehydration.¡¹ Elena smiled back silently as Otis looked at her with envy. She understood how big of an advantage it was in a dungeon to have Rei¡¯s Misty Ring. That was proven even more so just a little while later. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m a little hungry, why don¡¯t we have lunch?¡¹ Rei spoke up. Hearing that, Pleiades looked confused. There were no rocks, like the one they had previously taken a break at, near where they were currently walking. There was barely some shade from the desert peaks, but it was very limited. Pleiades and his party really didn¡¯t want to have to eat under the direct sunlight. ¡¸We¡¯re hungry as well, but we wouldn¡¯t like to eat lunch in this environment. If we keep walking like this, we should reach a rock in under two hours, so why don¡¯t we wait until then?¡¹ It was natural for Pleiades to propose that as he mainly worked on the desert levels from the 11th to 15th floors. However, the sun wasn¡¯t a problem for Rei at all as he looked around for a relatively flat area. Finding a good spot, he took out his magic tent from the Misty Ring. The reaction of the group was split in two. Elena, who knew what the magic tent looked like, gave a smile. On the other hand, Pleiades and the other two frowned slightly because it looked just like an ordinary tent from the outside. Pleiades spoke out on behalf of his party. ¡¸Rei, I¡¯m sorry, but it doesn¡¯t make sense to bring out a tent in this situation. If you don¡¯t place it under the shade, the sun will only make it hot and humid.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true for a normal tent, but¡­¡­well, come on in.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t see the point.¡¹ While replying as such, Pleiades entered the tent on Rei¡¯s invitation. ¡¸Uooooh-, what is this!?¡¹ An astonished voice could be heard from the inside. It seemed to draw the interest of Otis and Sharl. Turning to look at Rei, who gave them a small nod, they entered the tent to similar voices of surprise. ¡¸This type of magic item is precious, so it¡¯s no wonder that the three of them were surprised. ¡­¡­By the way, Rei, what about keeping guard? It¡¯s true that this tent can keep D rank monsters away. However, C rank and higher monsters are common on the 11th floor.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. In that case¡­¡­Set!¡¹ He probably heard Rei¡¯s voice calling from the ground. Set descended as he flapped his wings. ¡¸Gururururu~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to ask with a cry. ¡¸We¡¯re going to have lunch in the magic tent for a while. I¡¯m sorry, but can we leave the guard to you? Call me if anything dangerous happens.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave a regretful cry at not being able to eat lunch with Rei. But, even Set understood that there could be C rank or higher monsters that the tent couldn¡¯t handle. He felt a little lonely, but decided it would be best for Rei and Elena¡¯s safety. He looked at Rei with round eyes before lying down next to the magic tent. Fortunately, he was in a spot shaded by the desert peaks, so while it was hot, it wasn¡¯t unbearable as he closed his eyes to monitor the surroundings. ¡¸Sorry Set. For now, this will be your lunch, so please enjoy eating it.¡¹ Rei felt a little guilty for leaving Set out here alone. He took out a block of Lemrace meat, from the giant monster he had killed in the port city of Emoshion, out of the Misty Ring. It was a block of meat that had been roasted at high heat to trap the juices inside. The seasoning was simple, just salt and herbs, but it really brought out the flavour of the Lemrace meat. ¡¸Gururu~, Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a cry when he noticed the delicious smell of the meat in front of him. Seeing that, Rei and Elena both smiled at each other before entering the magic tent. ¡¸Hey, could this be a magic tent!?¡¹ Sharl¡¯s shout echoed through Rei¡¯s magic tent. Pleiades, who had entered the tent first, wasn¡¯t hurt by Sharl¡¯s loud shout as he was a bit further away. However, it wasn¡¯t the same for Otis, who had walked in with Sharl. The sudden shout caused her to clutch her ears involuntarily. ¡¸Keep your voice down!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry. ¡­¡­But, look at this. It¡¯s a magic tent. Where did they get this? Normally, if you wanted to buy one, wouldn¡¯t you need light gold coins!?¡¹ Sharl¡¯s voice was quieter after being told off, but it was still loud with excitement. Whether it was Otis or Pleiades, who were looking around the magic tent curiously, they gasped at Sharl¡¯s words. For the three members of a D rank party, they had never seen platinum coins, let alone light gold coins. ¡¸It was a reward for participating in the spring war.¡¹ A voice called out to the three shocked people. They didn¡¯t have to think to know who it was. ¡¸You seem quite surprised.¡¹ ¡¸Most people would normally be surprised.¡¹ Seeing Rei proudly enter the magic tent, Elena muttered with a sigh. However, while Elena was responding to Rei, her gaze was directed to Pleiades¡¯ party of three. ¡¸¡­¡­Speaking of the spring war, that was the one with the Bestir Empire?¡¹ ¡¸That was the war where Rei got his title, right?¡¹ Rei nodded at Pleiades and Otis¡¯ questions and took out his own lunch while Sharl looked around on the other side of the magic tent after recovering from her sudden shock. On the table were two lunch boxes prepared by the Golden Wind. They were both quite large and were packed with a number of sandwiches that even an adventurer who ate more than an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it. Whether he smelled the sandwiches or felt the coolness of the magic tent, Yellow appeared from Rei¡¯s chest pocket and flew over to Elena. They were surprised by the sudden appearance of Yellow, but the sandwiches on the table seemed to stimulate the appetite of Pleiades¡¯ party as their stomachs began to assert themselves loudly. ¡¸Hm? You didn¡¯t prepare your own lunch?¡¹ Rei asked while he washed his hands using the Dagger of Flowing Water and a bucket. Sharl replied with a frown. ¡¸You know, ordinary adventurers don¡¯t bring sandwiches into a dungeon, they can¡¯t in the first place. Preserved foods such as dried meat are the best that can be done. If you have a porter, you might be able to bring some better food, but soft breads are still impossible.¡¹ Rei nodded at Sharl¡¯s clamorous response. Even for ordinary adventurers, if they weren¡¯t in the confines of a dungeon, the food situation would be a little better. They could make a simple soup by just setting up a fire and boiling some dried meat. However, in an area like a dungeon, you couldn¡¯t do such a thing. Doing that would only invite monsters over. That said, in a place like the 11th floor, where the entire floor was a desert, even if they started a fire, it was unlikely to attract enemies. But in the case of Pleiades¡¯ party, they were travelling light. So, when it came to food, all they had were some dried meats and fruit. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if we eat like this, it will leave a bad taste in my mouth. It can¡¯t be helped. Have some of this.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out more sandwiches from the Misty Ring, but not ones from the Golden Wind. He placed some that he had previously bought from some stalls on the table. A characteristic of the Misty Ring was that time didn¡¯t flow inside it, so the sandwiches placed on the table were still fresh despite being purchased a long time ago. It was a simple stir fried meat and vegetable sandwiches made with soft white bread, perfect for eating when hungry. ¡¸I-Is this okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. No way Elena and I can just eat delicious food in front of you. Well, you can just think of it as a fee for teaching us about the desert floors.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. We were supposed to give you that information in return for your escort.¡¹ Pleiades mumbled an apology as he reached for a sandwich. Following that, Otis and Sharl also reached out for sandwiches and the five of them finished what could be called the best meal they could eat in a dungeon. CH 421 She avoided the the scissor like attack rapidly approaching her. However, as if waiting for that moment, sharp poisonous needles rained down on her from above. Certainly, it was an attack that would be impossible to avoid normally. However, she was an exception. Activating the Shoes of Sleipnir, magic shoes, she leapt to the side in mid air. At the same time, she made a second jump in mid air, forcibly closing the gap to the monster attacking him using a triangle jump as she poured magic power into the weapon in her hands. Due to the magic power poured into it, her sword whip changed from its usual long sword form into its whip form, stretching past the huge 6m long scorpion monster and slicing all four legs from its right side, including its large pincer. Of course, missing all its right legs and pincer, the scorpion monster could no longer stand and lost its balance as half its body collapsed into the desert. ¡¸Rei!¡¹ Rather than retreating after landing on the sand, Elena used the Shoes of Sleipnir to jump back in the air as she shouted at Rei. Hearing her shout, Rei activated the magic he had already prepared, shooting the same fire arrows he had used to kill the Sandworm at the scorpion. As Pleaides had warned them, when the scorpion first appeared, that the pincers, tail, and head were useful materials, Rei targeted the scorpion¡¯s body, piercing and carbonising its worthless shell. Set, who had been close to Rei to guard him, gave a cry at the scorpion, which had turned into a burnt scorpion in the matter of a few seconds. The fragrant scent coming from it seemed to have stimulated Set¡¯s appetite. Seeing Set like that, Rei stroked his head with a smile. ¡¸It¡¯s been less than an hour since we¡¯ve had lunch. Be patient.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a disappointed cry. Seeing the two of them like that, the three members of Pleaides¡¯ party grew noisy again. ¡¸No way, to kill a Grand Scorpion so easily. Even if it looks like that, it¡¯s still a D rank monster. And, on the 11th floor, it¡¯s a monster that reigns at the top of the food chain.¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s only D rank, it¡¯s not that much of a problem. Even if I look like this, I¡¯m still a B rank adventurer. Even Elena wouldn¡¯t have a hard time against D or C rank monsters.¡¹ ¡¸That might be true, but you still have to keep your guard up.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Elena flicked her sword whip to get the blood of the Grand Scorpion off it as she spoke. After taking a break and eating lunch inside the magic tent, a Grand Scorpion had suddenly attacked Rei¡¯s group as they had been making their way to the 12th floor. However, it couldn¡¯t deceive Set as he watched from the skies. The Grand Scorpion had been planning to ambush them, but ended up being the one ambushed instead. Elena was in the vanguard and Rei was in the rearguard. As was before lunch, Rei kept Yellow inside his Dragon Robe and waited at his position to avoid rapid movements. As a result, they were able to kill the Grand Scorpion easily. In their current state, Pleaides and Otis had their own weapons and Sharl had recovered some magic power since the fight with the Sandworms a long while back. However, the battle ended so quickly that there was no need for them to do anything. (It took them less than a minute from the start of the fight to finish it. No wonder he managed to earn himself a title. No, if I think about it, Elena is also the same. To be able to work together with Rei, she¡¯s not inferior in any way.) Pleaides, who didn¡¯t know Elena¡¯s identity, thought to himself. His two other party members were probably thinking the same thing. Each of them looked at each other and silently nodded, trying to capture the strength of those much stronger than themselves in their eyes. Although he noticed the three of them looking like that, Rei decided it wasn¡¯t much of an issue to him as he looked at the legs and pincer that had been sliced off as well as the body of the Grand Scorpion with a hole through it, made by the fire arrows. He called out to Pleaides. ¡¸What do we do to dismantle this monster?¡¹ ¡¸Well, the right eye of the Grand Scorpion is its own material as well as being the proof of subjugation. The pincer can be used to make weapons and armour, and the poison needles have many uses. The poison needles have uses particularly as an alchemy material. It can also be used to make poisons for weapons or as a powerful antidote material. The organs that produce the poison can also be sold at a high price. The scorpion¡¯s poison is very strong, so you have to be careful when handling it.¡¹ With Pleaides¡¯ advice, Rei and Elena worked together to strip materials from the Grand Scorpion. Rei could have stored the entire corpse into the Misty Ring and slowly stripped off materials at a later point, but since there were experienced people with him now, he decided to strip the materials on the spot. Rei used his material stripping knife to take out the right eye, the proof of subjugation. Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to claim subjugation of two monsters if you used the left and right eyes? Rei thought that, but after removing the left eye, he soon understood. It was because the right eye had many little yellow fluorescent spots while the left eye had no such spots. ¡¸Ah, you understand now? The spots that only appear in the Grand Scorpion¡¯s right eye are crystallised magic power. It¡¯s not known why, but they can only be found in the right eyes of Grand Scorpions. In alchemy¡­¡­it seems to be particularly useful in increasing the sharpness of blades.¡¹ Sharl spoke to Rei as he compared the two eyes. ¡¸Is it a rare material?¡¹ It could be a high quality rare material because it could only be obtained from Grand Scorpions on the 11th floor. Rei asked as he thought that way, but Sharl shook her head lightly. ¡¸There are quite a few materials from other monsters with similar effects, so it¡¯s not that expensive. That said, there¡¯s still enough demand to be able to sell it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So that¡¯s how it is.¡¹ Seeing that it wasn¡¯t something expensive, Rei just stored it into a glass bottle container, used to hold internal organs, that he took out from the Misty Ring ¡¸Hey, that container itself is a pretty good quality magic item. You¡¯ve got some good stuff.¡¹ Maybe because Rei had shown a number of rare magic items such as the Misty Ring and a magic tent, Sharl was quite interested in Rei. This was in contrast to Pleaides, who was giving instructions on how to strip off materials, and Otis, who was advising Elena on how to do it. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry and turned a greedy gaze to the Grand Scorpion lying in the desert, emitting a fragrant smell after being burnt by Rei¡¯s fire arrows. ¡¸This part of the pincer looks sturdy, but¡­¡­you see, if you put a blade in along the joint like this, you can cut it quite easily.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I see. In other words¡­¡­like this?¡¹ As Otis had told her, Elena inserted the dagger blade along the pincer joint, easily cutting through it. Although she had been shown how to do it, Elena¡¯s sense for it was good enough that you wouldn¡¯t think her unused to stripping materials. After that, Rei and Elena took out the magic stone from the heart, cut away the poison needles from the tail, and stored away the internal organs that were used to make poison. Finally, the remains of the Grand Scorpion¡¯s flesh were eaten by Set, leaving only a shell behind as they resumed their journey. ¡¸You know, the item box Rei has is amazing. Where did you get such a rare item?¡¹ ¡¸I got it from my master that taught me magic.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What a generous master. I¡¯d like to be their apprentice as well.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Sharl. There¡¯s no way Rei-san¡¯s master would accept an apprentice with such a greedy reason. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re talking nonsense just because of the hot weather.¡¹ Although they were magic items, there was a limit to how much the cloaks they were wearing could drop the temperature. The cloak worn by Pleaides was a little better than the one Elena was wearing, so it could reduce the temperature by almost 10C. But, considering the desert temperature was well above 40C, it was only a temporary relief. However, if you wanted to buy a cloak with higher performance, there was naturally a matching price as it wasn¡¯t an everyday magic item. Because it was a labyrinth city, you could buy one at a cheaper price than other cities, but there was still a limit. The heat, which would be better called burning rather than hot, was tough even for Otis and Sharl, who were accustomed to working on the desert floors. Otis couldn¡¯t help but retort at Sharl¡¯s words, despite the heat. However, Sharl just sighed in response. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m definitely interested in the magic items Rei¡¯s master has, but I¡¯m more interested in his ability to teach. Didn¡¯t you see it Otis? You saw the power of Rei¡¯s ridiculous magic. If I could use that kind of magic, it would really boost the party¡¯s strength.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, how long would it take you to finish your training? On that note, how long did Rei have to train for?¡¹ Otis picked up a water bottle from her waist and asked while placing a straw in her mouth. She carried her bow in her hand and a quiver on her back. It wasn¡¯t possible for her to let go of her bow as it was her primary weapon, but she held it to the side as she sipped some water from her bottle. On a side note, the water inside the bottles of Pleaides¡¯ group had all be replaced with water from Rei¡¯s Dagger of Flowing Water while they had been in the magic tent. Rei shrugged his shoulder as he replied to Otis, who tasted the heavenly dew that moistened her throat while being careful not to drink too much. ¡¸I was brought up by my master for as long as I can remember, so at least 10 years.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s pointless isn¡¯t it? Or will Sharl leave our party for 10 years? In that case, that¡¯s officially rejected. That would just be troublesome.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I wouldn¡¯t be training until I have the same power as Rei. I mean, leaving Exil¡­¡­¡¹ Elena looked over at Rei as she saw the two of them arguing like that. She knew the truth that Rei¡¯s ¡®master¡¯ didn¡¯t exist, so it would be hard for her to say anything. Rei gave a sigh and spoke up as he walked along the sand. ¡¸In the first place, I was forced away from the place I was living at using transfer magic. Moreover, I had been living in a place inside the mountains where there were no people. Even if you ask me to introduce you to my master, it¡¯s impossible for me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Whaaat, then I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ Sharl gave an involuntary sigh at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s impossible to get stronger so easily. I¡¯ve been training every day to master the spear¡­¡­oh, I can see it.¡¹ Pleaides spoke as he thrust his spear into the desert sand like a staff when a familiar sight appeared. However, when Rei and Elena looked over at the same direction as Pleaides, they could only see desert, rocks, and cacti, the same as before. ¡¸What can you see?¡¹ Because of that, Rei couldn¡¯t help asking Pleaides what he had seen. Pleaides seemed confused¡­¡­but he soon nodded after realising something. ¡¸Not just the 11th floor, but all the desert floors, the stairs are exposed, unlike on the 10th floor. ¡­¡­I wonder why they aren¡¯t buried by the sand. Well, I guess it¡¯s because it¡¯s a dungeon. Look closely at the rocks over there.¡¹ At his words, both Rei and Elena stared closely. They immediately realised what Pleaides was saying. Next to a rock at the end of their line of sight, there were stairs leading to the next floor. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that was unexpected.¡¹ Even though he had already been told about it, Rei couldn¡¯t help but say that when he saw the exposed stairs. CH 422 ¡¸Phew, we managed to make it this far. ¡­¡­Rei, Elena, Set. Thank you for escorting us here.¡¹ There was a small room with a magic circle on the 12 floor. There, Pleiades, who had just come down from the 11th floor, gave a sigh of relief as he spoke to Rei and Elena. ¡¸No, we were also able to learn a lot about the desert floors. It wasn¡¯t an issue.¡¹ In fact, if they hadn¡¯t know that the stairs going down to the next floor would be in the open desert, they would have spent a lot more time on the 11th floor. Even if Set could search the surroundings from the sky, looking for a small enclosed room was completely different from looking for exposed stairs. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set probably understood that. He gave a cry of agreement to Elena, who replied to Pleiades. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s good to hear you say that. Then, we¡¯ll been heading back up to the surface. Otis, Sharl.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, thanks to both of you¡­¡­Set as well. If we meet on the surface next time, I¡¯ll buy you drinks.¡¹ ¡¸Rei, if you ever get the chance to show us your magic items sagain, I¡¯d love to see them. Also, these desert floors are different to explore compared to the previous floors, so be careful.¡¹ With urging from Pleiades, the three of them finally went back up using the magic circle near the stairs. Seeing them off, Rei and Elena both looked around. ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ What are we going to do? Set seemed to ask with a cry as he looked at the two of them. Elena spoke up as if to answer him. ¡¸So, what would you like to do? Yellow seems to have some issues, so I¡¯m hesistant to explore this floor right now.¡¹ As long as Yellow stayed inside Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe, Rei couldn¡¯t fight with his Death Scythe¡­¡­or rather, it wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t, but it would be better for him not to fight. It would have been a different story if Yellow was a little bigger, but it was still a young dragon. It was very likely that it would be in a bad state if Rei had to fight. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s already been a few hours since noon when I think about it. We also need to make some preparations for tomorrow¡¯s exploration. ¡­¡­Oh, there¡¯s also the magic stones I got on the 11th floor, should I absorb them here?¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei counted the number of magic stones in his mind. Three Sandworm magic stones, one Sandsnake magic stone, and one Grand Scorpion magic stone. (Sandworms aside, the question is how to split the other two. I hope they appear on the 12th floor as well.) Looking over at Elena and Set as he thought, neither of them seemed to have any particular objections. One gave a small nod while the other a cry. ¡¸All right then, should we absorb them outside?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to do it here? If it¡¯s the same as the previous floor, it will just be an endless desert outside the room. For adventurers active on these floors, like Pleiades, wouldn¡¯t they see it?¡¹ She was probably concerned for Rei. Elena said that with a worried expression compared with her usual dignified look. However, after hearing what she had to say, Rei reached to stroke Set¡¯s back with a small smile on his face. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll have Set keep an eye out on the surroundings before absorbing the magic stones. It will be hard for both other adventurers and monsters. Compared to the outside, where Set can fly in the sky, it¡¯s harder to watch out for adventurers suddenly emerging from the magic circle. ¡­¡­Right?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Leave it to me! Set seemed to say with a confident cry. Elena seemed relieved after seeing that. She gave a small nod as she gently reached out to stroke Set¡¯s head. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll leave the preliminary scouting to you.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ With Set giving a cry in response to ELena, their party left the room with the magic circle and stairs. ¡¸¡­¡­Heh. Well, things have changed a lot again.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, this definitely doesn¡¯t look like the same sea of sand on the 11th floor.¡¹ As soon as they left the room, Rei and Elena took a look at their surroundings while Set prepared to explore from the sky. That said, the two of them were more focused on taking in the surroundings rather than keeping watch, which Set was doing. The 11th floor had been a sea of sand as far as the eye could see, the scenery matching that of a stereotypical desert. Compared to that, there were no sand dunes on the 12th floor. The ground was just endless ordinary dirt with many rocks and cacti everywhere. While it was still a desert, it was a rocky desert. (This is a little annoying.) Rei turned his gaze to the large number of huge boulders as he thought to himself. The fact that there were so many rock naturally meant that there were many places to hide, meaning that there were many suitable ambush locations. Not only that, even if Set flew in the sky like he was currently doing, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to completely explore the surroundings just by looking around like the 11th floor. His sense of smell, hearing, and his sixth sense would become even more important. ¡¸Set, please.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s words and flew into the sky after taking several steps. Watching Set fly off from the ground, Rei picked up a rock that was lying around. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing, I just thought that this stone could be used as a weapon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to collect rocks since you already have spears. Especially since desert rocks are likely to shatter even if they hit anything because of the environment they were formed in.¡¹ ¡¸Maybe¡­¡­so!¡¹ Along with those words, Rei threw the rock with a flick of his wrists. It had just been a thought he had come up with and he didn¡¯t really intend to use them as weapons. After talking for a few minutes, Set flew back down to the ground with a flap of his wings. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Seeing how Set¡¯s cry indicated that there weren¡¯t any problems, Rei judged that there probably weren¡¯t any other adventurers in the vicinity. Still, just in ccase, they moved to the shade of a 5m tall rock a short distance away from the small room. ¡¸Well then, should we start absorbing the magic stones right away? First of all, there are more than two Sandworm magic stones. Set.¡¹ Saying that, Rei threw a Sandworm magic stone, that he had taken out from the Misty Ring, over towards Set. Catching it with his beak, Set swallowed it as is¡­¡­ ¡¸Nothing, I guess?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ After stroking Set to try to cheer him up, Rei took the curled up, sleeping Yellow out of the Dragon Robe and onto Set¡¯s back before taking out another Sandworm magic stone for his turn. Throwing the magic stone into the air, Rei swung the Death Scythe. The sharp attack seemed to tear through space itself. The Sandworm¡¯s magic stone was instantly cut apart in mid air before vanishing. ¡­¡­Without any kind of skill notification. ¡¸Is this also no good? Considering the results from the monsters all the way to the 10th floor, are the monsters from this dungeon just incompatible?¡¹ ¡¸How was it at the Altar of Inheritance? Did you manage to get various magic stones back then?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s casual question, Rei dug through his memory¡­¡­ ¡¸I learned and leveled up several skills including Flying Slash, Power Slash, and Water Ball.¡¹ ¡¸If you think about it, dungeons aren¡¯t necessarily incompatible, right? The sizes of the dungeons were also different, so that might be an issue. ¡­¡­Any how, it¡¯s a pity you couldn¡¯t learn any new skills, but you don¡¯t have to be depressed over it. It¡¯s not Rei and Set¡¯s fault that you couldn¡¯t learn any new skills.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words, who seemed to be tryinig to encourage him. The next magic stone Rei took out was the one from the Grand Scorpion. It was a magic stone from a monster at the top of the food chain on the 11th floor, both Set and the Death Scythe should be able to acquire a skill from it. With that in mind, Rei started to consider who would abosorb the magic stone before immediately coming to a decision. ¡¸Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Is it fine for me to take it? Set seemed to ask with his head tilted. Rei gave a small nod in response. Neither of them had noticed it, but Yellow had been ovewhelmed by the heat on Set¡¯s back and had flown back to Elena¡¯s arms with a flap of its wings. Rei still had some hesitation as he looked at the magic stone. However, Set¡¯s skills made him come to the decision that it was more promising for Set to absorb the Grand Scorpion magic stone he had. Currently, Set¡¯s highest level skills were Lv.3 Fire Breath and Poison Claw. The Grand Scorpion had been good at poison attacks. In other words, Set¡¯s Poison Claw could become even stronger. With such expectations, he threw the magic stone over to Set, who caught it in his beak and swallowed it immediately. ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.4¡»¡¿ An announcement echoed through Rei¡¯s mind. It had been a while since he had heard it and he was quite relieved. He had started to become a little worried because he hadn¡¯t learned any new skills for a while. ¡¸Gurururururururururururururu~!¡¹ Contrary to Rei¡¯s relief, Set gave a joyful cry. Set¡¯s cry echoed into the surroundings. Mysteriously, most of the monster that had been heading in their direction instinctively sensed danger when they heard Set¡¯s cry and sneaked back into their burrows or changed their course. ¡¸Did you succeed in acquiring a skill?¡¹ Rei nodded with a smile as Elena asked with a little excitement. Her hands stroked Set¡¯s back, who was shaking his body with joy. ¡¸So, what skill did you learn?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a new skill, but a strengthening of an existing skill. Poison Claw has become stronger.¡¹ ¡¸Poison Claw? That¡¯s a skill that seems to match the Grand Scorpion. Isn¡¯t it also a useful skill for Set? It¡¯s hard to use flashy skills in front of others, but Poison Claw isn¡¯t that visible.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. In that sense, it¡¯s a useful skill. However, I think that poison has become Set¡¯s most powerful skill as a Griffon¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s for sure.¡¹ If asked whether a skill like Poison Claw matched Set as a Griffon, both of them would say no. In particular, it was a skill that didn¡¯t fit in with Set¡¯s image. (Well, that¡¯s why it can be used to strike other people by surprise.) In the first place, ordinary Griffons didn¡¯t use poison, so the effect would be massive. As Elena said, it wasn¡¯t a flashy skill, so it could be used normally even in places where people weren¡¯t aware of Set¡¯s uniqueness. And, since it had reached Lv.4, the poison would be even stronger. With that in mind, it was a skill that could only be called a killing strike for those seeing it for the first time. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set seemed to have finally settled down. After giving a howl like cry, Set rubbed his head against Rei while Rei stroked his head. Rei had a smile on his face as he stroked Set. Elena also smiled with a soft expression as she watched the two of them. After a few minutes, Rei finally stroked Set to his fullest and took out the magic stone of the Sandsnake as he focused his mind on the Death Scythe for his turn. ¡¸Well then¡­¡­Set has mastered a skill. Then so will I!¡¹ Saying that, he threw the magic stone into the air before striking it with the Death Scythe. Space seemed to tear apart as he slashed and the magic stone disappeared after being cleanly sliced. ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill¡ºFlying Slash Lv.3¡»¡¿ Such an announcement went through Rei¡¯s mind. ¡¸¡­¡­Huh? Why is it Flying Slash?¡¹ In his involuntary confusion, Rei turned to look at the Death Scythe in his hands. However, there was no change and the Death Scythe was still there. ¡¸Rei? What¡¯s wrong? Did you fail to learn a new skill?¡¹ Maybe he looked worried or confused about something. Elena asked without thinking, but Rei just shook his head. ¡¸No, something unexpected just happened.¡¹ ¡¸Something unexpected?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. The skill I learned from absorbing the magic stone of the Sandsnake was Lv.3 Flying Slash.¡¹ ¡¸Flying Slash¡­¡­that name, is it that skill? The one that sends a slash out?¡¹ Because it was an easy skill to use, Rei had used it a lot, so it must have left a strong impression. Rei nodded in response to Elena¡¯s question. ¡¸Yeah. But, I don¡¯t know why a Sandsnake¡­¡­or rather, why I could learn a skill like Flying Slash from a snake monster.¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­is there any sort of similar attack that a Sandsnake can make?¡¹ ¡¸If I consider that, it could be possible¡­¡­well, I was a bit confused about the skill that was upgraded, but it¡¯s nice to be able to learn something at all, so I might test it in a bit.¡¹ Rei tried to convince himself as went to check how much more powerful Flying Slash had become. On a side note, at a late date, he found out that Sandsnakes had an attack they rarely used where they would shoot out their poisonous fangs, which was probably the reason why Flying Slash was levelled up. ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv.2¡»¡ºFire Breath Lv.3¡»¡ºWind Arrow Lv.1¡»¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv.1¡»¡ºPoison Claw Lv.4¡»new¡ºSize Transformation Lv.1¡»¡ºTornado Lv.1¡»¡ºIce Arrow Lv.1¡»¡ºOptical Camouflage Lv.1¡» ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion Lv.2¡»¡ºFlying Slash Lv.3¡»new¡ºMagic Shield Lv.1¡»¡ºPower Slash Lv.2¡»¡ºWind Hand Lv.2¡»¡ºTerrain Manipulation Lv.1¡» Poison Claw: Secretes poison from claws and uses the claws to poison any injuries. The strength of the poison changes depending on the the level. Flying Slash: A skill that sends out a flying slash. The power is high, but only one slash can be shot out. CH 423 Rei checked the rock in front of him to check the traces of slash marks on it. Elena and Set also looked at the rock curiously. ¡¸It seems that the power of Flying Slash has increased. However, will I be able to shoot out more than 1 as the level goes up, or will it stay the same? I¡¯m a little disappointed that I don¡¯t know.¡¹ ¡¸That would be a little wishful. It already is quite powerful and can be shot out some distance.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You don¡¯t need to call it wishful, do you? I don¡¯t know why the Sandsnake¡¯s magic stone increased the level of Flying Slash either.¡¹ Although Rei shrugged his shoulders, he was still glad to be able to upgrade a skill as he hadn¡¯t been able to learn any new skill from absorbing magic stones for a while. He had a small but satisfied smile. Seeing Rei¡¯s smile, Elena soon spoke up as she looked around. ¡¸So, what do you want to do? It should be getting close to the evening. ¡­¡­Should we head back?¡¹ At her words, Rei looked around. Before absorbing the magic stones, Set had confirmed that there wasn¡¯t anyone else in the vicinity, so no one would have seen them. Also, while Rei wasn¡¯t aware of it, Set¡¯s joyful cry after absorbing a magic stone and upgrading a skill had caused all nearby monsters to either hide in their burrows or run away. Because of that, their current location could be considered an unusually safe zone. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I¡¯d like to explore a bit of the 12th floor, but if we get greedy, we¡¯d probably end up in trouble.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? ¡­¡­Hmm, I guess that¡¯s how it is.¡¹ Elena muttered with a slightly disappointed tone. However, noticing Yellow, she nodded as it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡¸Unfortunately¡­¡­I think it would be better to let Yellow rest at the inn from tomorrow onward until we¡¯re out of the desert floors. Fortunately, Yellow is my familiar and we have a line of communication using magic. Since it shares the same magic wavelength as me, it should be possible to transfer it to whatever floor I¡¯ve reached.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kyu.¡¹ No, no, Yellow seemed to say unwillingly as it gave a small cry. However, Elena shook her head resolutely while stroking Yellow¡¯s back. ¡¸There¡¯s no other way. It would be a different story if you were bigger and more resistant to the heat and cold, but right now, you¡¯re still young. Considering that, I can¡¯t let you push yourself so hard. ¡­¡­You understand that, don¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu.¡¹ Yellow looked disappointed, but it seemed it realised that her condition wasn¡¯t good. Yellow gave a cry as it looked up at Elena. While slowly stroking Yellow¡¯s head, Elena signalled Rei with her eyes as she headed for the small room with the magic circle. Following after her, Rei looked at the surrounding scenery as he walked. What he saw was a bright blue sky. It was true that the time was already getting late into the afternoon, 3-4pm based on Rei¡¯s body clock. But, as it was still midsummer, the sun was still working hard to assert itself. (That said, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have the time to get to the next floor, so it would be better to head back while we can.) Muttering to himself, Rei entered the room with the magic circle along side Set before returning to the dungeon entrance. ¡¸There¡¯s hardly anyone around at this time.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, in a few hours, it will be crowded with adventurers returning from the dungeon.¡¹ Elena looked up at the sky as she replied to Rei, who had spoken up as he looked around the dungeon transfer point. There wasn¡¯t a single spec of cloud in the blue sky. The sun¡¯s rays beat down on the ground as if it were the last thing it had to do for the day. Normally, the heat would be disconcerting, but Rei¡¯s group had just returned form the desert on the 12th floor, and because of that, were wearing a desert cloak and the Dragon Robe, which could regulate temperatures. As such, they weren¡¯t as overwhelmed by the heat compared to other adventurers near the transfer device or those from the Church of Holy Light, who were still waiting for someone to hire them. Rather, it seemed that Yellow, who had been suffering from the desert heat, had finally regained some of its energy. ¡¸In any case, let¡¯s buy something to eat after selling off today¡¯s materials and magic stones at the guild¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei was about to head for their usual route along with Elena, Set, and Yellow, several adventurers came up to him. The adventurers had been the ones waiting nearby the transfer device when Rei had returned to the surface. (I was wondering whether they were planning to enter the dungeon or if they were waiting for someone to return¡­¡­no, look like they were waiting for us to come back. Rei turned to look at the approaching adventurers while having a slight premonition that it was going to be troublesome. At his gaze, the adventurers stopped. They waited a few seconds to see what was happening before an adventurer that seemed to be their leader stepped forward and spoke up. ¡¸Are you Rei-san and Elena-san?¡¹ Rei nodded with a surprised expression at the unexpectedly polite question. (When I get approached in this manner, it almost it always trouble.) As he thought to himself, Rei prompted the man to talk. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m Rei, this is Elena. And you are?¡¹ ¡¸I am a messenger from the Levisor family. The head of the Levisor family, Schaffner-sama, would like to meet with the two of you. Could you come with me?¡¹ Because Rei, Elena, Set, and Yellow were a prominent group, a few adventurers were secretly listening in. However, when the Levisor name was brought up, they couldn¡¯t keep silent. ¡¸Hey, the Levisor family¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wait, didn¡¯t that party have something to do with the Silva family?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What? I heard that they got into an argument with people from the Silva family at an eatery somewhere?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, but after that, they helped out those guys in the dungeon. When he heard about that, Vosk went direct tot he guild to thank them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that true? That Vosk?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true. In addition, I heard that they have some relationship with Byune from the Fraut family as well¡­¡­but, that family has already fallen, so it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡¹ Rei turned his gaze back to the adventurer who had called out to him while listening in to what the surrounding adventurers were whispering about. To Rei, the Levisor family was the one that self confident thief that had tried to get into their party had been working under. They had left parting threats such as ¡®Do you know what will happen if you oppose the Levisor family?¡¯. Considering that, it was impossible for him to not be vigilant. The man seemed to understand that Rei was on the alert. After thinking for a few seconds, he gave a bow. The adventurers who had come with him to pick up Rei¡¯s group were surprised by his actions, but they refrained from saying anything in particular. ¡¸The man who got into an argument with you has already been fired from the Levisor family. I don¡¯t know what he said to you, but I can promise you that the Levisor family has no hostile intentions towards you for now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What should we do?¡¹ Honestly, Rei found the man in front of him difficult to deal with. He had bowed opening in front of a large number of people and admitted the Levisor family¡¯s fault. Even if he wasn¡¯t the reason for it himself. In such a situation, it was clear that if he declined the man¡¯s request, it would result in a situation that wouldn¡¯t be good in various ways. Rei didn¡¯t really care if the situation around him got worse, but Elena was with him now, so he didn¡¯t want to drag her into that as well. After collecting his thoughts for several seconds, Rei replied. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll accept your invitation. That seems to be the best option¡­¡­so what do we do?¡¹ The other party must have predicted that Rei would respond with that answer. He spoke up without hesitation. ¡¸I¡¯ve prepared a carriage for you here. If you have no other business, I would like to show you over as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸As for business, I would like to sell some materials and magic stones to the guild.¡¹ The adventurers behind the leader looked suspicious at Rei¡¯s words. Whether it was monster materials or magic stones, it didn¡¯t seem like Rei or Elena had either with them. Of course, Rei was wearing his Dragon Robe and Elena was weaing a desert cloak, so it could be possible that they were carrying some underneath. However, even then, it couldn¡¯t possibly be much. However, the man talking with Rei nodded and spoke seemingly without any discomfort. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d be grateful if you could do that later.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Hearing the man¡¯s words, Rei had some questions in his mind. (Does he know about the Misty Ring and doesn¡¯t want me to stop by the guild? ¡­¡­It seems there¡¯s something troublesome going on.) Elena probably had the same thought in her mind. She turned to look at Rei and gave a small nod. With that alone, they ended up communicating their thoughts to each other, deciding that it would better to take up the man¡¯s suggestion for now. ¡¸Okay, we¡¯ll follow your lead. By the way, it¡¯s fine to bring Set and Yellow with us, right?¡¹ Rei glanced over at Set, who was yawning next to him, and Yellow, who was relaxing as it lay on Set¡¯s back. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter. But, even if they come with you, I can¡¯t let them into the residence¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I understand.¡¹ ¡¸If so, there are no other problems. Let¡¯s go. ¡­¡­Hey.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ An adventurer nodded at the man¡¯s words and quickly ran from the dungeon square. Sending him off, the man walked ahead as if to guide Rei and Elena. ¡¸Well then, shall we go?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­But, what is going on?¡¹ ¡¸Well. I¡¯ll tell you about it when we arrive at the Levisor residence.¡¹ As they talked and followed the man out the gate, they found a carriage there waiting for them. It wasn¡¯t a particularly conspicuous carriage, but it was still made from materials that could be considered first class. ¡¸Wow. It¡¯s quite some magnificent wood.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a carriage made from the materials of a Wood Golem that appears in the dungeon. I hope this carriage gives you a sense of the concern Schaffner-sama has for you.¡¹ Rei seemed quite impressed when he saw the carriage as the the man opened the door and invited them inside. After seeing them enter the carriage with a small nod, the man guiding them sent a signal to the adventurer driving the carriage and they set off. Of course, Set couldn¡¯t ride inside the carriage, so he walked alongside it, scaring the horses pulling the carriage. ¡¸¡­¡­So, now we¡¯re on the carriage, can you tell us for what purpose you invited us.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve heard there is a request that we would like to discuss with you, but I haven¡¯t heard the details. I¡¯d like you to ask Schaffner-sama directly when you see him.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. Are they really that cautious?¡¹ ¡¸I wonder.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s murmurs, Rei reject the idea. It hadn¡¯t been long since he had arrived in Exil, but after spending time in the Labyrinth City, he had heard the reputations of the three families that governed it. According to what he had heard, the head of the Silva family was energetic and enthusiastic about capturing the dungeon, his youth was a cause for concern. The Marschel family was focused on commerce and the Levisor¡¯s were neither here nor there. However, the people they hired often had problems and acted arrogantly within the city. (Considering that self proclaimed thief, that¡¯s not surprising¡­¡­) While thinking about that, Rei looked over at the man sitting in front of him. (Given that they¡¯ve hired someone like this though, rumours might just be rumours. In fact, even those hired by the Silva family kicked up a fuss in that eatery.) ¡¸Is there anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹ The man must have noticed the gaze directed towards him. Rei shook his head in response to the man¡¯s question. After that, the carriage proceeded silently towards Exil¡¯s east¡­¡­finally stopping after about 30 minutes. ¡¸We¡¯ve arrived, I¡¯d like to take you to Schaffner-sama if that is okay?¡¹ Rei and Elena looked at each other and gave a small nod before Rei spoke up. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s fine. We don¡¯t have too much time to waste either.¡¹ Saying that, they got off the carriage. In front of Rei and Elena, there was a large mansion, about the size of the Lord¡¯s residence in Gilm. CH 424 What lay before them was a mansion that could only be described as enormous. It wasn¡¯t much different in size compared to the Lord¡¯s residence in Gilm. If there was a difference, it would be in the mansion¡¯s construction. It was clear that the mansion in front of them was built from very good materials. However, perhaps due to the excessive usage of so many good materials, it seemed obnoxiously good. (What to say¡­¡­this is unexpected? No, I guess it¡¯s expected in a sense. The carriage was quite tasteful, but this mansion¡­¡­is tasteful in a different sense.) That was what Rei thought as he and Elena entered the mansion. Of course, Set couldn¡¯t enter the mansion, as previously said. However, he was still guided to the garden, where he lay down in the shadow of a growing tree. In addition, Yellow stayed with Set. ¡¸This way. I¡¯ll tell you in advance, Schaffner-sama is a man with many difficulties to deal with. It would be a great help if you could understand and respond with that knowledge.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand what you mean, but if that¡¯s the case, I think it would be better we didn¡¯t meet at all.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but as long as my master tells me to, I have no choice but to guide you to him. ¡­¡­This way.¡¹ Entering the mansion, the man who had guided them to this point continued to lead Rei and Elena down a hallway rather than call a maid. However, the reason he didn¡¯t bother to call a maid was probably because he didn¡¯t have to guide Rei and Elena very far. In less than a few minutes, they arrived in front of a door, which he knocked on as he called out. ¡¸I have brought your guests.¡¹ ¡¸Enter.¡¹ With those words, the door was opened. What came into Rei and Elena¡¯s eyes was a room about 82 square meters in size. Despite how big it was, there was only a table in the middle of the room. ¡­¡­It could be called a lonely room, but as if to fill in that loneliness, many works of art, such as paintings, statues, and other art works decorated the room. ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ It was probably a dining room as there were many dishes on the table. However, the numerous artworks that that were placed around obnoxiously seemed to contradict that. At the very least, it was clear that Rei wouldn¡¯t have been able to eat comfortably in a place like this. On the other hand, contrary to Rei¡¯s surprise, Elena showed no change in her expression as she just gave a small nod towards the old man in the room. Normally, it would be polite to say a few words out of social courtesy, but as the daughter of Duke Kerebel, it was necessary for her to maintain a certain attitude towards someone who only held a third of the power in the autonomous city due to the difference in status. ¡¸Welcome Elena Kerebel-sama. Crimson-dono as well.¡¹ Rei already knew who the old man in his 70s or 80s was as he greeted them with a big smile. From listening to the rumours that circulated in Exil about the Levisor family, it was clear that the old man in front of them was Schaffner Levisor. However, if there was anything different compared to the rumours¡­¡­ (Short-tempered, hot-headed, and arrogant¡­¡­was what I heard. No, is this just a facade he¡¯s putting up right now?) Rei thought to himself as he looked at the old man wearing a happy smile. Although he might not have noticed Rei¡¯s thoughts, Schaffner invited Rei and Elena to the table in the large room. ¡¸Well then. First of all, let us finish our meal first. You¡¯ve just come out of the dungeon and you must be hungry. I¡¯ve prepared some food that is better than what you would normally buy.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Rei, let¡¯s take up Schaffner-dono¡¯s offer.¡¹ For a moment, Elena raised her eyebrows as she prompted Rei. Nodding at her words, Rei sat silently in a chair. Although it was just a short exchange of words, he was able to obtain some information from just that. (If he knows we¡¯ve buying and eating on the way back to the inn from the dungeon on a daily basis, he must have had someone check up on us beforehand. Well, I can understand that. In the first place, Elena had used the name of Duker Kerebel when entering Exil. But, why place priority on his own convenience?) They had just come back from the dungeon¡­¡­from a desert floor. Even though they had barely worked up a sweat thanks to the Dragon Robe and desert cloak, it was still natural to want to get rid of it.) However, Schaffner had still placed his own wants first and ignored them. In other words, he was probably self centered. (In that case, it¡¯s not so strange that his smile is so shallow.) That was what Rei thought. Still, it was true that he was hungry, so he reached out for the food as prompted. There was roasted meat with a sweet and sour sauce, a white fish wrapped in pie crust and baked, and a lightly salted soup with the flavour of meat and vegetables. Another unusual dish that caught Rei¡¯s attention was a terrine like dish. The rich taste of liver spread through Rei¡¯s mouth, delighting his tastebuds. Elena was also thoroughly a salad, which was made with a generous serving of fruits and vegetables found from the dungeon. ¡¸What do you think? Of the food?¡¹ Elena¡¯s eyes widened slightly as she took a bite of the salad and nodded in satisfaction. ¡¸Mm, it¡¯s very delicious. As expected of a labyrinth city.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so you know?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve had some several times before.¡¹ There were certain plants and animals that only existed inside dungeons due to the specific environments required. For example, the Desert Rose that was collected by Pleiades party, that Rei and Elena had met on the 11th floor. The deeper the floor, the more likely that unique plants and animals would appear due the the magical influence of the dungeon¡¯s core. Plants such as what was used to make the salad Elena was eating and the monster liver, vegetables, and spices used to make the terrine that Rei was digging into. In addition, all the other dishes on the table were also made from ingredients found in the dungeon, cooked by a chef reputed to be the best in Exil. Even the artworks in the dining room, while they might be an eyesore to Rei and Elena, were very eye catching with each one definitely bought at a high price. That said, the careless collection of valuable artworks only served to make it feel meaningless. Anyhow, even in a labyrinth city, such ingredients were undoubtedly expensive. The fact that Schaffner used such ingredients in the dishes served suggested that he attached great importance to Rei and Elena. Understanding that, Elena gracefully finished eating her salad with a fork and knife and took a sip of wine before turning her gaze to Schaffner. (It¡¯s true that the dishes are all delicious, but when it comes to drinks, it can¡¯t compared to the water from Rei¡¯s Dagger of Flowing Water.) As she thought of that. ¡¸Now then, Schaffner-dono. Could you tell me why you called Rei and I? I think you understand that we would normally not need to respond to such a sudden invitation.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that is¡­¡­my apologies. As you can see, I can¡¯t easily go out due to my age, so I would be grateful if you could understand that.¡¹ Elena was a duke¡¯s daughter¡­¡­and the daughter of the leader of the Aristocratic faction. He must have known that. Schaffner gave a small gulp before nodding. If Elena had been someone with the misplace pride of a noble, she would have continued to push here. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have such pride. That was why she spoke out straightforwardly. ¡¸So, you invited us to dinner because you had something you wanted to talk with us, right?¡¹ Elena changed her words to imply that while Schaffner had invited someone with a higher status to dinner¡­¡­it wasn¡¯t going to be a problem. Schaffner probably realised that as well. Giving a small sigh of relief, he sipped some wine to calm himself done before placing his glass on his table and speaking up. ¡¸That¡¯s right, since Elena-sama has said that, I¡¯ll be frank. I¡¯ve heard that Elena-sama has frequently entered the dungeon. Of course, you¡¯ve also sold many magic stones to the guild. ¡­¡­So, if it¡¯s okay, I was wondering if you could leave the purchasing of your magic stones and materials to the Levisor family¡­¡­what do you think?¡¹ His gaze was only directed towards Elena as he spoke. He trated Rei as if he hardly existed. To Schaffner, Rei had a title and was well known. However, even with a title of Crimson, it had only started spread after the spring war. It held a different weight compared with Elena¡¯s title of the General Princess. In addition, there was also the difference between the daughter of Duke Kerebel and an adventurer. It was inevitable that they would be treated differently. It was Schaffner¡¯s misunderstanding that Rei was just following Elena. It wasn¡¯t an unreasonable misunderstanding considering there positions, but it turned out to be a fatal one. ¡¸¡­¡­What would you like to do, Rei?¡¹ Elena asked Rei, who was reaching out with his fork and knife for a the fish covered in pie crust. Hearing that, he thought for several seconds before shaking his head lightly. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s impossible as we have a prior agreement with the guild. Why are you collecting so many magic stones now anyway? I heard from the guild that their magic stone reserves are running low.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Schaffner frowned slightly. However, he immediately shook his head as he gave a smile. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s a top secret of the Levisor family. I cannot talk to you about it, even if you are Elena-sama¡¯s party member.¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t force you to answer, but it seems that the residents of Exil are suffereing from various inconveniences due to your collection of magic stones. Is that okay with you as one of the three rulling families of Exil?¡¹ ¡¸We are certainly concerned about this, which is why we have increased the amount of magic stones purchased from adventurers, albeit only slightly. However, if the collection of magic stones is an issue, it¡¯s not just the Levisor family. No, the Marschel family is collecting even more than us. If you really want to solve the magic stone shortage of the residents of Exil, you should talk with the Marschel family and tell them not to collect as much, and most importantly, the Silva family, who should be taking the initiative to head into the dungeon to find more magic stones.¡¹ Rei and Elena both frowned at Schaffner¡¯s response of giving them a ¡®better idea¡¯. Schaffner¡¯s words were basically telling them that he wasn¡¯t the only one doing bad things and there were others as well. At the same time, they could start to see his facade as a good natured old man start to peel. As he talked about the other families, there was a hint of hatred that started to creep into his eyes. Yes. He was sure that Elena, the daughter of Duke Kerebel, would side with him over the other two families. As for Schaffner himself, he gave a smile as if it were the absolute truth. Even though it was a smile, it was a kind of sticky smile that made you want to call it a smug smirk. (Sure, if Elena were to intercede, it would have the effect Schaffner wants. ¡­¡­Yes, if she actually did it that is.) Rei thought to himself while reaching for more food as Schaffner spoke only of a future that was convenient for himself. They were dishes made from ingredients found in the dungeon and, until a little while ago, they had seemed delicious enough. But, when thinking that they were sitting with Schaffner, he started to find the food less appetising. Did Elena sense Rei¡¯s feelings or did she have the same feelings herself? She spoke bluntly after placing her fork and knife on the table. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I have no intention of getting involved in Exil¡¯s power struggle. At the very least, I¡¯m not here as Elena Kerebel, representing Duke Kerebel, but as an adventurer entering the dungeon.¡¹ Flatly refusing, she left a stunned Schaffner in his seat as she signaled Rei with her eyes and stood up from her seat. ¡¸W-Wait!¡¹ ¡¸Too much talk.¡¹ Further cutting off Schaffner from saying anything, Elena left the dining room. With his proposal dismissed, Schaffner was left with his face dyed red with anger. [Previous Chapter] [Table of Contents] [Next Chapter] ZeronosJanuary 17, 2022 at 12:06 am Ok, another noble playing with fire again. That scythe of Rei will drink another noble¡¯s blood Reply ¡ý fatpandaJanuary 17, 2022 at 12:29 am Thanks for the chapter. Seems like there¡¯d be assassins or agents seeking for their weaknesses. Will they catch Elena¡¯s currently forbidden feeling she has for ¡°a mere adventurer¡±? Btw, some typos > In the first place, Elena had used the name of /Duker/ Kerebel when entering Exil. ¡®Duke¡¯ > Elena was also thoroughly // a salad, which was made with a generous serving of fruits and vegetables found from the dungeon. Add ¡®eating¡¯? Or Elena is a salad now? > He /trated/ Rei as if he hardly existed. ¡®treated¡¯ > To Schaffner, Rei had a title and was well known. However, even with a title of Crimson, it had only started // spread after the spring war. Add ¡®to¡¯ > It wasn¡¯t an unreasonable misunderstanding considering /there/ positions, but it turned out to be a fatal one. ¡®their¡¯ CH 425 ¡¸¡­¡­Was that okay?¡¹ On the way back from the Levisor residence, Rei asked Elena as he stroked Set¡¯s head as he walked beside them. At Rei¡¯s question, Elena gave a smile and nodded to indicate it wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡¸I realised it after meeting him in person. He¡¯s a typical power grabber who only cares about their own interests. He¡¯s just like a lot of Aristocratic and Royalist nobles¡­¡­¡¹ Rei couldn¡¯t deny Elena¡¯s words as he had seen many such nobles before. Although some time had passed since their meal at the Levisor residence, it was still evening. A bright red sunset could be seen in the sky. Even though it was evening¡­¡­or rather, because it was still evening, Exil was still wrapped in a hot air. ¡¸It¡¯s still hot. Should we have taken the carriage back?¡¹ Elena gave a vexed glance towards the setting sun. After leaving the Levisor residence, they could have taken same carriage back, the one the adventurer had used to pick them up in front of the dungeon. However, she couldn¡¯t really do that after just refusing Schaffner¡¯s request without a second though. As a result, they were walking their way through the city. The Levisor residence was in Exil¡¯s east, so they were just walking straight west. However, Exil was still a city with a population of over 200,000 and was very large. Rei judged that it wouldn¡¯t be possible for them to return to the inn before the sun went down if they went to the guild first at their current rate. He turned to glance at a public carriage as he spoke. ¡¸Why don¡¯t we get on a carriage?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­what about Set? That¡¯s probably¡­¡­no, it looks like it will be okay.¡¹ Looking at a carriage moving in front of them, Elena agreed with Rei with a wry smile. That was because there were Big Boars and Bicorns walking behind the carriage. They were probably monsters that were either tamed or summoned by the person inside the carriage. (If they were summoned monsters, they could have been sent back to where they came from, so it¡¯s probably a tamed monster.) That was what Elena though. However, while some of Elena¡¯s thoughts were correct, there were other points she was wrong on. Summoning magic consumed magic power not only on summoning, but also when returning a summoned monster to its original location. In other words, keeping the consumption of magic power in mind, it was usually better to keep a summoned monster summoned unless there was a big problem. It saved on magic power and the monster could respond immediately in an emergency situation. ¡­¡­Of course, in that situation, you would need to pay for food and stables for the summoned monster, so it ultimately depended on the judgement of the summoner. Anyway, by paying just a bit more, Set was allowed to follow behind the carriage while Rei and Elena boarded it before heading to the guild. Other monsters following behind the carriage were scared of Set at first, but as tamed monsters in a labyrinth city, they soon got used to it. That said, their movements were still a little awkward as it was still hard to get used to having a Griffon close by. Fortunately, they were able to ride the public carriage to the guild before the sun completely set. However, as it was evening, the guild was crowded with adventurers returning from the dungeon, selling materials and magic stones to the guild, and collecting rewards for various other requests. Since Rei¡¯s group usually went to the guild when there were very few people, while many people knew his name and title, Crimson, not as many people had seen him before. As for Elena, fortunately, her identity of the General Princess had been hidden by the guild and the higher ups of Exil, the Silva, Marschel, and Levisor families. That said, as there were people from Exil who had participated in the spring war as mercenaries, there naturally were people who recognised Elena. Even so, the reason why Elena¡¯s true identity didn¡¯t spread was because many of them were afraid of what might happen if they carelessly disclosed the identity of a duke¡¯s daughter or had been warned by the guild. At any rate, they headed straight for the guild purchase counter. Adventurers who knew Rei were surprised by his presence while those seeing him for the first time quickly spread his name around in a chain reaction. Even though there were a lot of guild staff to deal with the rush hour period, they still couldn¡¯t handle everyone immediately, causing queues to form. Several adventurers approached Rei as he lined up at the back of one such queue¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, idiot! Don¡¯t do that!¡¹ Other adventurers who knew them rushed over to stop them. The smiles on the faces of the adventurers approaching Rei showed that they were up to no good. ¡¸What, this Crimson, you think he¡¯s a strong guy? He¡¯s just a kid. Considering that, the woman with him is beyond what he deserves, we¡¯ll just deal with him in a bit.¡¹ ¡¸No, no, just stop! He might look like a kid, but there¡¯s no doubt his strength is real.¡¹ ¡¸What? You¡¯re scared of a kid?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m scared. I heard it from someone who participated in the spring war. There¡¯s a rumour that he burned the entire vanguard of the Bestir Empire. In addition¡­¡­this is still a rumour, but he might be involved with the Silva family.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Seriously?¡­¡­¡¹ While the adventurers watching Rei were talking like that, a male guild staff in his forties approached Rei and Elena as he called out to them. ¡¸Elena-sama, Rei-sama, Vosk-sama is waiting for you in the same room as before. Please go upstairs as soon as you can.¡¹ His voice was loud enough to be heard by all the adventurers watching them. (No, that was probably his intention.) Guessing the guild staff¡¯s intentions, Rei turned to look at Elena before they both nodded. For those who knew who Elena was, such as the guild, it was hard for them to prevent an unsuspecting adventurer from trying to mess with Rei and offend Elena as a result. At the same time, they couldn¡¯t reveal Elena¡¯s identity as long as she requested them to hide it. The result was that they had to tell those in the surroundings that Rei and Elena had a close relationship with the Silva family. (Well, I don¡¯t mind if all this fuss goes away.) Rei turned to the guild staff as the noise from a few second ago diminished notably, especially the adventurer who had been planning to mess with them, they backed off as they didn¡¯t want the Silva family to have their eyes on them. ¡¸I understand. Elena?¡¹ ¡¸Mm, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Nodding in response to Rei¡¯s question, the two of them lef the queue together and went up to the second floor of the guild. As they climbed the stairs, Rei looked over at Elena walking next to him. ¡¸Today is quite the day to meet with so many higher ups in Exil, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸No, not really. It was probably the Silva family¡­¡­or rather, Vosk, who wanted to see us first and had been waiting in the guild where we had met previously. I think it¡¯s more accurate to say that Schaffner Levisor had sensed this and was trying to interfere.¡¹ Rei was a little surprised at Elena¡¯s response. However, it was true that an adventurer serving the Levisor family had contacted them as soon as they left the dungeon, and even though he had been polite, he had basically put them onto the carriage without any means of refusal. ¡¸I see, that makes sense. However, do you think selling him magic stones was just an excuse then?¡¹ Rei asked Elena as they walked side by side, but a response came from someone he wasn¡¯t expecting. ¡¸No, I don¡¯t know what their purpose is, but it is true that the Levisor and Marschel families are competing furiously to collect magic stones. Furthermore, due to the difference in their strengths in this area, the Levisor family is on the weaker side, so they probably requested you to sell them your magic stones in order to try to deal with that. Perhaps he was trying to interfere with Vosk-sama while collecting more magic stones at the same time.¡¹ The reply came from a person standing in front of the door Rei and Elena were heading towards. The man was in his late twenties to early thirties, had sharp eyes, and had green hair swept to the back, giving a strong impression of cleverness to people that saw him. Looking at his clothes, he was wearing a butler uniform. It was easy to guess who he was. It felt somewhat out of place for a butler to show up in the adventurers guild though. The man must have noticed Rei and Elena looking at him. He place his hand on his chest and gave a graceful bow. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Elena-sama, Rei-sama. My name is Sanctions, I am the head butler of the Silva family. Thank you for accepting the invitation from my master, Vosk-sama. Vosk-sama is already waiting for you inside, so please come in.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. Let¡¯s do that. Rei, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Okay.¡¹ Giving a brief nod, Elena approached the door with Rei. Sanctions gave a bow before quickly returning to his original position and knocking on the door. ¡¸Vosk-sama, Elena-sama and Rei-sama are here.¡¹ ¡¸Let them in.¡¹ Hearing the voice from inside, Sanctions opened the door and stood to the side to let Rei and Elena pass. Walking past him, Rei and Elena entered the meeting room and saw Vosk looking through some documents. Something felt wrong seeing the giant man, that would normally be swinging around a huge claymore, reading and signing documents. Rei spoke up. ¡¸So, what did you want to meet with us for?¡¹ ¡¸Before that, there¡¯s a few questions I¡¯d like to ask you¡­¡­¡¹ Vosk interrupted his question. Throwing the papers he was reading aside, he turned to look at Rei and Elena. Was his sharp gaze because he had been working hard on paperwork or was it because Rei and Elena had been late to return to the guild? As Rei thought about that, Vosk asked Rei with a keen eye. ¡¸It seems you were called over by the old man from the Levisor family. ¡­¡­How did that go?¡¹ When asked with a carnivorous like smile, Rei shrugged his shoulders as he took down the hood he was wearing. ¡¸It¡¯s not easily to talk about someone else¡¯s information. What¡¯s the matter?¡¹ Was he disappointed by Rei¡¯s response or was it what he had expected? Vosk snorted as he smiled like a predator. That said, since Sanctions had heard them talking about it in the hallway, there wasn¡¯t much point in hiding it. ¡¸Hmph, well, I didn¡¯t expect you talk about it easily. But, it¡¯s not that hard to guess. It¡¯s either about giving him priority in selling magic stones or asking you to harrass me.¡¹ Did he hear what they had been talking about in the hallway or was his intuition sharper than what his appearance seemed to indicate? Either way, Vosk gave a snort as if he didn¡¯t care about what Schaffner was planning. ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t care about that old man anyway. All he can do is harass me and old lady Pree. At the very least, he¡¯s doing his job of governing Exil. ¡­¡­So, onto the main subject. You guys cleared the 1tth floor today, right?¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Yeah, well.¡¹ Rei was surprised by the sudden change in the topic, but nodded as he had nothing to hide in particular regarding that. However, this seemed to be Vosk¡¯s main topic. He looked at Rei with a sharp gaze. ¡¸So, did you notice anything strange on the 11th floor? If you noticed anything at all, please tell me the details.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What happened?¡¹ Rei asked back without thinking as he felt something akin to blood lust from Vosk¡¯s eyes as he looked at him. Looking at Rei, Vosk eventually judged that their discussion wouldn¡¯t get anywhere if he hid the circumstances regarding it. Exhaling lightly, Vosk spoke. ¡¸An abnormal species was found on the 11th floor. Several of my younger brothers were attacked.¡¹ CH 426 Hearing what Vosk said, Rei and Elena both realised why they had been called up. They had just cleared the 11th floor just today. Because of that, it wasn¡¯t surprising that Vosk might ask them for information. However¡­¡­ ¡¸How did you get that information so quickly?¡¹ Rei and Elena hadn¡¯t told anyone that they had cleared the 11th floor. If it was tomorrow, that wouldn¡¯t be so surprising to guess from the materials they would have sold to the guild, but that wasn¡¯t possible as they had been called up before they had manage to sell any of their materials. (In that case¡­¡­) The three people they had saved from Sandworms crossed Rei¡¯s mind. It was true that Rei had stayed on the 12th floor for some time to absorb magic stones and to check his skills after sending the trio back up through the magic circle. With that much time, the three of them would have been able to tell Vosk about it. Perhaps guessing Rei¡¯s line of thought, Vosk shook his head. It was a gesture that didn¡¯t suit such a large man and Rei was only able to respond with a slight frown. Elena watched their exchange silently. ¡¸I can tell you this, the three people in Pleaides¡¯ group didn¡¯t sell your information to me.¡¹ ¡¸Then, were they from the Silva family to begin with?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not the case either. The three of them aren¡¯t particularly connected to anyone. They¡¯re just ordinary adventurers, if I may say so.¡¹ ¡¸Then how did you get the information about us?¡¹ Although they hadn¡¯t been together for long, had those adventurers been spies sent to gather information about them? Vosk denied Rei¡¯s question frankly before answering Rei¡¯s following question with a confident smile. ¡¸It¡¯s not that difficult. As you know, the Silva family is one of the three families governing Exil. And, as you know, it¡¯s the most active one at this point in time. Of course, we have our sources of information in the guild as well as many eyes and ears in the city. Those eyes and ears of mine overheard those three talking about you in a bar. After that, combining that with the Desert Rose they handed in to the guild, there was only one possible answer, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ As he nodded at Vosk¡¯s answer, Rei found himself slightly relieved. They had been a noisy trio, but he felt better knowing that they had taught him and Elena as well as told them what to look out for not out of a premeditated reason. ¡¸So you said an abnormal species showed up?¡¹ Judging that there was nothing more to discuss about Pleaides¡¯ party for now, Rei went back to the main subject Abnormal species had started to show up in the dungeon in more recent times. They were usually of the same species as the monsters that normally showed up on a dungeon floor, but boasted completely different strengths. Rei had also come in contact with abnormal species of Sword Bees and Stone Golems, so Vosk¡¯s words were something he couldn¡¯t ignore. Hearing Rei¡¯s question, Vosk¡¯s smile from several seconds ago disappeared. ¡¸Yeah. As I said, several of my younger brothers ran into one on the 11th floor. Fortunately, no one died, but there were injuries. That¡¯s why I would like to talk with you two today, since you went down to the 11th floor. Of course, I¡¯ve already heard from Pleaides¡¯s group.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In that case, you don¡¯t need to hear anything from us.¡¹ Rei and Elena had spent most of their time on the 11th floor with Pleaides¡¯ group. Why do you have to bother hearing about it from us? Rei spoke with that meaning, but Vosk just shrugged his shoulders as he replied. ¡¸The more testimonies, the better. You may also give me completely different answers from different perspectives¡­¡­¡¹ Vosk¡¯s words sounded like he was repeating what someone else had told him, but Rei still understood his point. He remembered from the criminal dramas and police specials he had seen in Japan, there was a technique where several police officers would ask the same question over and over again, switching from one suspect to another. That said, with regards to that, the emphasis was mainly on checking if a suspect¡¯s statements were consistent. In Elgin, information was basically gathered from people talking about it, so hearing from a large number of people was certainly an important factor. (Most likely, there is one other person listening in¡­¡­) Thinking to himself, Rei glanced over at the door before shaking his head. (I wonder if it¡¯s just the two of them as well? And, it¡¯s also surprising that Vosk would stop to analyse the information he has rather that going out to hunt the abnormal species that injured his younger brothers.) Thinking like that, Rei shook his head at Vosk. ¡¸Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t see any abnormal species in the desert. We only fought three kinds of monsters, Sandworms, a Sandsnake, and a Grand Scorpion.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, it was what I had been expecting in the end. Then, was there anything strange at all? Anything different from how the dungeon usually is?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t ask what we don¡¯t know. It¡¯s the first time Elena and I have gone down to the 11th floor, as you know. Even if the desert floor was any different today, we would have no idea. Rather, I felt that the desert seemed quite normal today. I don¡¯t think Pleaides felt anything strange either, as they usually work on the desert floors.¡¹ ¡¸No leads as expected, huh.¡¹ Vosk sighed as he scratched his head, an action that surprisingly matched him. As Rei thought that, he decided to ask about the abnormal species. ¡¸By the way, what kind of abnormal species was it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I guess it¡¯s fine. Since I called you here, I should tell you that much. Have you heard of Spear Frogs?¡¹ When Vosk asked him with a sigh, Rei replied as he recalled the information he had heard from Pleaides. ¡¸It¡¯s definitely a monster that shows up on the desert floors. It¡¯s a frog like monster about 50cm in length and, as its name suggests, has a very sharp tipped tongue that can even penetrate metal armour in some cases.¡¹ ¡¸Heh, you know quite a bit. Did you hear that from Pleaides?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It was in exchange for escorting them. ¡­¡­So, since that monster has been brought up, was the abnormal species a Spear Frog?¡¹ Vosk nodded with a bitter sigh at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸That¡¯s right. It doesn¡¯t have the special ability to control other monsters like the Sword Bee you reported to the guild, but it seems that it has had its abilities purely strengthened, like the Stone Golem. The main difference is its size. I heard that it was about 3m in length. It also has two tongues with spiralled tips.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s clearly something strange about that, are you sure it isn¡¯t a completely different species? Like a rare or higher ranking species?¡¹ The abnormal species Sword Bee and Stone Golem that Rei had seen were close in size to the base monster they had come from. The Sword Bee queen had been a little bigger than the Sword Bees, but not close to six times larger. However, Vosk shook his head at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸I had also thought that at first and had some research done. However, it has been confirmed that it isn¡¯t a higher ranking species of Spear Frog. That only leaves the possibility of a rare species, but for a rare species to appear at this time when abnormal species are appearing, it¡¯s a little hard to believe that. Above all, even if it was a rare species, the difference in size is too great.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. I did a fair bit of research before coming to Exil, rare species shouldn¡¯t be that different in size from the ordinary monsters. As rare species, I guess there are exceptions though.¡¹ Elena, who had been silent until now, murmured in agreement to Vosk¡¯s statement. Hearing that, Rei recalled the rare species Goblin he had fought previously. It was true that ordinary Goblins had green skin while the rare species had red skin, but size wise, it was almost the same size as an ordinary Goblin. Even if some were larger, they were never more than twice as large. ¡¸That¡¯s right. The rare species I¡¯ve fought before were definitely only 2-3 times as large.¡¹ Vosk looked at Rei with an interesting expression when he heard that. Rare species were generally evaluated as one rank higher than the base species, so there weren¡¯t a lot of people who had killed a rare species beforee. That said, the main reason that a lot of people hadn¡¯t killed a rare species before were before there weren¡¯t many of them to begin with. ¡¸Anyhow. If you don¡¯t have any information on the abnormal species, then don¡¯t worry about it. I was going to ask though¡­¡­Rei, Elena, do you two have any interest in these abnormal species?¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Well, if you ask if I¡¯m interested or not, I¡¯d have to say I¡¯m interested.¡¹ (I also want their magic stones.) Rei thought to himself as he replied immediately. Hearing Rei¡¯s response, Vosk nodded with a big smile before speaking. ¡¸Then, are you willing to cooperate with us in tomorrow¡¯s hunt for the abnormal species?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh.¡¹ Us. That meant that there would be a few people with similar combat power to themselves. Rei nodded with interest before glancing over at Elena. Elena gave a sigh before nodding in agreement as well and speaking up. ¡¸It sounds like it will be quite interesting.¡¹ ¡¸Well? So do you feel like working together?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right ¡­¡­Just a quick question before anything else though. What happens to the ownership of the abnormal species of Spear Frog after it is killed? Is it fine to assume that whoever kills it will own it?¡¹ ¡¸No, the ownership will be passed to the guild as a special case to assist in investigating these abnormal species. Even the Silva family won¡¯t compromise on that point.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ It was a natural decision for someone in Vosk¡¯s position. However, being told that, Rei couldn¡¯t accept the Silva family¡¯s request. ¡­¡­As he was about to say that, Vosk said something as if to pull Rei back in. ¡¸However, that said. If its magic stone disappears during battle, we¡¯ll get some complaints but there shouldn¡¯t be any penalties.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ (Clever move.) Elena thought that as she listened in beside Rei. From the standpoint of the Silva family, it wasn¡¯t possible to openly hand over ownership of the magic stone. However, it would also be regrettable if they could use Rei¡¯s strength. The answer Vosk immediately reached was to tacitly approve of Rei taking the magic stone. From Elena¡¯s perspective, she wondered if she could give up the magic stone so easily, the most valuable part of a monster, to Rei. Abnormal species were very few, but it wasn¡¯t like they hadn¡¯t been killed before. In fact the guild had taken the remains of the Stone Golem that Vihera had killed. ¡¸I¡¯m honestly just gathering a force to kill the abnormal species Spear Frog because of what it did to my younger brothers and because I can¡¯t just leave an abnormal species roaming around on the 11th floor. In fact, the bodies and magic stones of several abnormal species have already been gathered by the guild. Considering that, it¡¯s not a big difference if a magic stone goes missing.¡¹ Saying that, Vosk turned to look at Rei again. ¡¸But, of course, you can¡¯t get the magic stone if you can¡¯t kill the Spear Frog.¡¹ ¡¸Do we have your word for it?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that said, I¡¯ve got some other good people lined up for tomorrow¡¯s hunt. To be honest, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to get your hands on the magic stone or not.¡¹ Rei nodded at Vosk¡¯s provocative words with an equally provocative smile. ¡¸I¡¯ll take up your challenged then. I¡¯ll join your abnormal species hunt tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Your participation is confirmed. Then, what about you?¡¹ ¡¸If Rei is joining, I can¡¯t refuse to join. Of course I¡¯ll come as well.¡¹ With Elena¡¯s consent, Vosk nodded in satisfaction before explaining the reward. One gold coin would be given for participating, that would be the only reward paid out. However, the materials, magic stones, and proofs of subjugation of the monsters they killed while hunting the Spear Frog would be purchased by the Silva family for a 20% markup. The person who killed the abnormal species would also be paid out an additional two platinum coins as a reward. CH 427 It was the day after talking with Vosk at the guild. It was the first day of bad weather since Rei and Elena had come to Exil. The sky was covered with dark rain clouds and the weather felt like it would rain at any time as humid atmosphere covered the city. The humidity seemed like it was foretelling the future of the nominated request they had accepted, or so it seemed. Rei seemed to have felt something, Elena tilted her head to look at Rei as they made their way towards the dungeon. On a side note, Yellow wasn¡¯t present on Elena¡¯s left shoulder or on Set¡¯s back today. In the end, they couldn¡¯t bear to bring Yellow along after seeing it get hit by the desert heat the day before. Perhaps it was it was currently enjoying sleeping in the inn, or maybe it was messing around with the other horses and tamed monsters, which would have relaxed with Set gone. (Dragons should be of a higher ranking than Griffons though. Is this the difference between a child and an adult? Well, considering the number of days between the time Set and Yellow were born, it shouldn¡¯t be that big of a difference.) Thinking about that, Rei shook his head and looked up at the sky again as Elena was looking at him. ¡¸I just don¡¯t like the weather, it seems like it¡¯s going to rain.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so? We¡¯re going into the dungeon though, so even if it rains out here, it shouldn¡¯t have much effect right? It¡¯s not like it will rain so much that the water will flow into the dungeon.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, the term ¡®guerilla rainstorm¡¯ that he had seen several times on TV back in Japan passed through his mind. There had been situations were heavy rain continued to fall in a short period of time and, as a result, rainwater had flooded basements. ¡­¡­But, if it was a dungeon, that probably wouldn¡¯t happen. (No, in fact, I would be happy to see rain pouring down into the desert past the 11th floor.) As he thought that ridiculous thought in his mind, Rei bought some Lizardmen skewers from the usual street stall. The stall owner seemed confused at Yellow¡¯s absence, but as there was nothing to hide, they told him that Yellow was still a child ad was susceptible to the desert heat, which seemed to convince the stall owner. ¡¸Rei! -, Elena, you¡¯re here too.¡¹ Rei and Elena showed their dungeon cards to the gatekeeper and made their way to the dungeon plaza when a voice suddenly called out to them. Turning to look in the direction of the unmistakable voice, they saw the person they expected. They were wearing clothes that looked like thin layers of transparent cloth while exposing their attractive arms and legs to the extent that almost everything could be seen. The only equipment they had was on their hands and feet. The weapons on her hands and feet aside, there was only one person Rei and Elena knew that dressed in a way that would have them mistaken for a dancer. Rei gave a bitter smile while Elena gave a sigh as they greeted the provocatively dressed woman approaching them¡­¡­Vihera. ¡¸Did the Silva family invite invite you here Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment. Why are you only talking to Rei? I¡¯m here as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, Elena was here as well. I was so focused on Rei that I didn¡¯t even notice.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hah? Didn¡¯t you just call my name earlier?¡¹ Rei turned his gaze to the person following Vihera as he left the two of them scattering invisible sparks into the surroundings. The 10 year old girl ignored the arguing duo as well as Rei as she went straight to stroke Set¡¯s head. ¡¸You look well Byune. ¡­¡­But is this okay? I heard that your family and the Silva family has a lot of history.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune responded to indicate there was no problem as she stroked Set with her usual blank expression. Personally for Byune, she had been doing work for the Silva family partly to avoid overbearing parties who tried to force her to join. But even with that in mind, this request paid quite well and there was also the reward payout for successfully killing the monster, so when Vihera said she would work with her, Byune decided to accept it. However, she didn¡¯t show it on her face as she stroked Set¡¯s head in silence. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set didn¡¯t seem to mind getting stroked by Byune as he gave a happy cry. But, as Byune stroked Set, she looked at Rei with some dissatisfaction. Her expression didn¡¯t change, but Rei could still sense her dissatisfaction, a sign that Rei was getting to know Byune better. What Byune was dissatisfied about was clear, although she was stroking Set with her right hand, her left hand was free. ¡¸I¡±m sorry. Yellow is still a kid and seems to have trouble handling the desert heat, so it has the day off at the inn today.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ That¡¯s unfortunate, Byune seemed to say before stroking Set with her free left hand as well. Elena and Vihera were still arguing next to Rei and Byune, who while expressionless, still created a somewhat warm atmosphere. ¡¸In the first place, we¡¯re heading to the desert floors, so what¡¯s with your clothes? Aren¡¯t you going to wear a cloak?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I brought one. There.¡¹ Turning at Elena¡¯s words, Vihera looked over at someone a short distance away. Over there was a muscled middle aged man in his forties. He looked like a typical porter with a huge backpack on his back. He was wearing a cloak himself and was holding two cloaks in his hands. It was clear who the two cloaks were for. ¡¸Huh? You hired a porter? No, rather, there are quite a lot of porters here.¡¹ Looking around her, Elena could see nearly 20 porters. At the same time, there were even more adventurers around. ¡¸Will this many people be participating in the hunt?¡¹ ¡¸Of course they are. If you kill the abnormal species, you¡¯ll get two platinum coins. You¡¯ll also get ownership of all the monsters you kill before finding the abnormal species. Furthermore, they will buy the materials and magic stones at a higher price than what the guild offers. There¡¯s also the gold coin as advance payment. This is a direct request from the Silva family, one of Exil¡¯s three rulling families. Of course, there are some achievement and strength requirements to receive this request, that is necessary. But, considering that you could use this to build connections with the Silva family, I think most of the people who were asked would have accepted it.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m surprised you accepted this request though.¡¹ Elena muttered as she glanced over at Vihera. However, Vihera just shrugged her shoulders as she smiled back. IT was just a small action, but it caused her large breasts to shake, grabbing the eyes of the men around her. However, maybe because she was already used to such gazes, she didn¡¯t seem to care at all. It might have been a different story if one of them had recklessly tried to hook up with her, but most of the adventurers here were those with a certain level of skill and had heard about the Mad Beast. Even those that didn¡¯t could tell how strong she was. Because of that, fortunately for the future of this particular request, there was no tragedy from someone becoming too dazzles by Vihera¡¯s beauty and body, which she used as bait to attract fights. But, even if there had been such a daring man, it was doubtful whether he would have done anything in front of the the presence of Set. Vihera clicked her tongue seeing such a situation as she understood that everyone around her had a certain level of strength. (Well, I¡¯ve heard the abnormal species is supposed to be strong. So I might get a good fight there.) Vihera diverted her gaze from the adventurers looked at them without a change in her expression. Unaware of Vihera¡¯s thoughts, Elena turned to look at the adventurers around them again. She had a magic pouch and Rei, who she usually partied with, had an item box. Because of that, they had no problems not having a porter. However, for ordinary adventurers, unless they had some special circumstances like Byune¡¯s communication issues or a lack of money to pay for a porter, they would generally bring a porter with them. For Vihera, who enjoyed the dungeon as a place to fight and probably shouldn¡¯t have any issues with money, when partying with Byune, she wouldn¡¯t bring a porter. However, while the Spear Frog, the target of Vosk¡¯s request, would be carried away by Vosk¡¯s men, they would have to carry the materials and magic stones of monsters of other monsters they killed themselves. As normal, if they collected a fair amount of materials and magic stones, they could return to the surface first¡­¡­but in that case, there was a risk that other adventurers would kill the Spear Frog first. As a result of those thoughts, Vihera probably decided to hire a porter just this once. ¡¸But, with Rei here, we might not have to hire a porter.¡¹ ¡¸We won¡¯t necessarily be working together with you though.¡¹ Elena realised that Vihera had assumed Rei would work together with her for some reason as she retorted. However, Vihera just walked over to Rei, who was talking with Byune, as if Elena¡¯s words were nothing more than wind. ¡¸Hey, Rei. Why don¡¯t you work with us for today¡¯s request? You would like to have an attractive beauty like me at your side, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I don¡¯t know about that.¡¹ It was true that Vihera looked very good, she was definitely one of the top three most beautiful people Rei had ever seen. However, aside from being beautiful, she was also a combat maniac who loved to fight. And, since the main reason for Vihera¡¯s attraction towards Rei was to fight, he could casually accept her offer, no matter how attractive she looked. In addition, there was a scary look it Elena¡¯s eyes, which was why Rei didn¡¯t just give in to Vihera. (In the first place, she¡¯s publicly said that she would give herself over to anyone who could defeat her. Her favour towards me is definitely not one between men and women but just for fighting. There¡¯s no doubt she¡¯s just seeing me as a fight to enjoy.) ¡¸¡­¡­Mm¡­¡­¡¹ Byune tilted her head without change in her expression at Vihera¡¯s words. If they could defeat the abnormal species by themselves, the profit would just be split between the three of them, and that was if they included the porter. However, if they worked together with Rei, their profits would decrease but their strength would increase overwhelmingly. They wouldn¡¯t even need to hire a porter as Rei had an item box. It was a difficult choice, but in the end, Byune shook her head at Vihera. For Byune, their party should have enough strength to kill the abnormal species. As someone who knew Vihera¡¯s combat strength, she felt that they had enough power to kill the abnormal species. While Byune herself wasn¡¯t that good at direct combat, she was confident in her agility as a thief. It wasn¡¯t conceit, she knew she had the ability to take advantage of an enemy¡¯s weakness to launch surprise attacks, or at least provide support for Vihera. ¡¸Is that so? Well, if Byune doesn¡¯t want to, it can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll give it up.¡¹ Even though Vihera wanted to work with Rei and Elena if possible¡­¡­or watch them fight up close to be exact, if Byune didn¡¯t want to, she could only give up the idea. (Besides, there¡¯s no point it watching those two fight up close if I can¡¯t resist the urge¡­¡­) Thinking to herself, Vihera recalled the sight of Rei and Elena fighting inside the dungeon and the memory of her fight with Rei under the moonlight. ¡¸Ahhh¡­¡­¡¹ A look of ecstasy appeared on her face for a moment. Fortunately, it was only for a moment and no one saw it. If someone had seen it, how would they have felt? They would either have been distracted by the lustrous smile that would suck away their soul or be frozen if they noticed the danger under her smile. ¡¸If you have received a request from the Silva family, please gather here! Each party must register before moving to the 11th floor! As for rewards, you will all be paid in bulk after today¡¯s exploration is over!¡¹ A guild staff member shouted out near the dungeon and the adventurers who heard them immediately started heading over. CH 428 Unlike the dark clouds outside, the sunlight inside the dungeon was as hot as it could get. Rei, Elena, and Set looked at their surroundings as the stood under the intense sunlight. As they had just arrived on the 11th floor the day before, it didn¡¯t seem like there was anything unusually different. If they had to pick one thing that was different, it would be the number of adventurers present. Every adventurer party walked in a different direction in search of their target, the abnormal species of Spear Frog. As Rei and the others left the small room¡­¡­they saw a lot more adventurers scattered around the small room. There were some parties that were working together with each other, but most of them were acting own with the plan to kill the abnormal species. As Rei¡¯s group watched the various parties leave, someone approached them from behind. ¡¸Ara~, haven¡¯t you headed off already Rei? The people who came to this floor earlier have already scattered.¡¹ As they had only heard her voice just a bit earlier, so both Rei and Elena knew who it was. However, despite knowing who it was, they still stopped moving when they turned around to look. The reason was that she was usually dressed in many layers of thin cloth, but was currently covered by a cloak. They had known she would be bringing a cloak, as they had seen a porter carrying one for her. Still, for Rei and Elena, there was a sense of incongruity seeing Vihera not dressed like a dancer. ¡¸We should leave soon Vihera-san. If we stay here for too long, it will be killed by another party.¡¹ The middle aged porter called out to Vihera. His tone was very polite, perhaps due to his natural personality or because he knew how dangerous Vihera was. Either way, the porter¡¯s words made Vihera turn around with a flip of her cloak. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Byune, do you know which way we should go?¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­¡­Mm!¡¹ After a few seconds of thought, Byune pointed northwards with a small finger. There were no clues at this point in time, so it was nothing more than a hunch. (Well, I guess there is something to a thief¡¯s intuition¡­¡­? In that case.) Rei turned to look at Set, who was next to him, while thinking to himself. On one side, there was a thief¡¯s intuition, on the other, there was wild intuition. However, if he were asked whether or not Set, who was giving happy cries while being stroked, actually had any wild intuition, Rei wouldn¡¯t be sure. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ At the very least, if Rei were asked if Set had any wildness in him, he would have to say no as he continued to stroke Set¡¯s head. ¡¸Oh right. Then, Rei, Set¡­¡­and Elena. Who will kill the abnormal species first? Let¡¯s have a competition.¡¹ ¡¸A competition?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Isn¡¯t it a bit boring to say goodbye here? So let¡¯s play a game, a small game.¡¹ Vihera shrugged her shoulders in response to Rei. Shortly after that, she lightly waved her cloak covered hand towards the porter and Byune, who were already waiting to head off, without much worry as she spoke up again. ¡¸Which one of us can kill the abnormal species first. That¡¯s all. How about it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Wait. If this is a competition, doesn¡¯t that mean there will be something for whoever wins?¡¹ Elena asked, sensing something suspicious. Vihera gave a shrug in response again. It was clear from the burning blood lust in her eyes what she would ask for if she won the competition. Vihera didn¡¯t hide it as she spoke. ¡¸It¡¯s nothing that hard. I just want you to let Rei spend a night with me.¡¹ Rei gave a sigh at her intentionally misleading words. Elena knew that Vihera was deliberately messing with her, but she still couldn¡¯t calm herself. That said, she still felt obligated to ask after hearing Vihera¡¯s terms. ¡¸Then, what if we win?¡¹ ¡¸Well. ¡­¡­You can have me for a night¡­¡­¡¹ Without waiting for her to finish, ELena reached for her sword whip under her cloak. Perhaps deciding that it wouldn¡¯t be good to offend Elena here, Vihera took a step back without finishing her words. ¡¸I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking. But is there anything you want? It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re troubled for money. ¡­¡­Oh, right. Then, I could join your dungeon party for a while.¡¹ ¡¸Letting a dangerous woman like you have our back feels more like suicide.¡¹ ¡¸What would you like then? Is there anything else you¡¯d want? Oh, I¡¯ll say this first, you can¡¯t have the magic items I¡¯m using.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think think there¡¯s even any reason to agree on a competition with you¡­¡­but no, that¡¯s right. You¡¯ll owe us a favour then.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If possible, I¡¯d like you to decide on the specifics here..¡¹ It seemed that Vihera wanted to avoid owing them a favour, but for Rei, there wasn¡¯t really anything he wanted from Vihera, which was why things ended up like this. (I was a little interested in her hand equipment that can create claws with magic power.) Rei¡¯s basic attacks revolved around the Death Scyteh and magic, both of which were most suited to mid to long range combat. Of course, there were methods of combat that made full use of the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft and butt. He also had his Mithril Knife and his physical strength, but those were all backup methods of fighting. Considering that, the weapons on the back of Vihera¡¯s hands that would arbitrarily create claws for melee combat were quite attractive. ¡¸Hmm. Well, if Rei says so, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll accept the competition under those conditions. But, you owe me one for this.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­What?¡¹ The moment Rei nodded, Vihera turned around and ran to Byune and the porter, who were waiting a little further away, as if their discussion had finished. Yes, as if to avoid Rei taking back his agreement. ¡¸¡­¡­Hmph. Rei, try and think about what you just agreed to in your head.¡¹ Elena gave a sigh as Rei, who felt that something had gone wrong, recalled his exchange with Vihera. ¡¸¡­¡­Oh.¡¹ ¡¸Did you get it? If we win, Vihera will owe us a favour, but you already owe her a favour. And since you nodded without thinking¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I-It¡¯s fine. We just have to not lose? For my part, I want the magic stone of the abnormal species. I¡¯m not going to lose to Vihera or Byune.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set rubbed his body against Rei as if to comfort him after his mistake. Rei stroked Set back in gratitude. After taking a few minutes to recollect himself, Rei spoke up. ¡¸Now then, I definitely want to avoid losing as I would have to fight. So, I¡¯m going to counter Byune¡¯s thief¡¯s intuition with Set¡¯s wild intuition. What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~? ¡­¡­Gururururu~¡¹ After hearing Rei¡¯s words and thinking for a few seconds, Set turned to the west. Of course, with various adventurers scattered around, there wouuld be some headed in the same direction. That said, the desert was still vast. They probably wouldn¡¯t end up on the exact same path unless they intentionally followed someone else or vice versa. ¡¸All right, let¡¯s head west then. Set will continue to scout from the sky as before. The Spear Frog is said to be 3m in length so it¡¯s unlikely we¡¯ll miss it, but we¡¯ll need to be on the lookout for other monsters. I especially want to secure monsters such as the Sandsnake and Grand Scorpion as I only had one magic stone from each. There¡¯s also magic stones from ordinary Spear Frogs that aren¡¯t the abnormal species.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Leave it to me, Rei! Set seemed to say. As soon as Set gave his cry, he took a run up of a few steps before flying into the sky. Watching on from below, Rei and Elena gave a small nod at each other before starting to follow after Set. While Set was keeping an eye on the surroundings and adjusted his speed to match Rei and Elena¡¯s desert travelling speed, the difference between flying and walking was still great. Because of that, rather than walking along the dune peaks, where the sand was firmer and easier to walk along, they walked straight through the desert like when they had first come down to the 11th floor. ¡¸Phew. I can¡¯t stand this heat even with a cloak. It¡¯s so cloudy outside, so I would have liked it to have some influence here as well.¡¹ Unlike outside, Elena looked towards the sky wishfully, where not even a single speck of cloud could be seen aside from the sun. ¡¸But, it¡¯s not actually hot enough to hurt you right?¡¹ ¡¸Just feeling hot is bad enough.¡¹ Elena had inherited the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon, but her physical body was only just a little stronger than before. She wouldn¡¯t get burned if she touched fire, but she would still feel the heat. (Or, maybe this is a side effect of the inheritance ritual being interrupted and not fully completing.) Elena thought to herself before getting rid of those thoughts from her mind and stepping into the sand. As for Rei, who was walking alongside Elena, he didn¡¯t seem to be suffering from the heat at all. After all, his temperature was being regulated by the Dragon Robe and his body was also quite extraordinary in various ways. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei and Elena continued advancing like that, but after half and hour, Set came down to the ground with a cry as he looked to his right. ¡¸A monster¡­¡­is what it seems to be.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. They don¡¯t seem to be particularly strong.¡¹ While talking with each other, Rei turned his gaze to the right. ¡­¡­Eventually, something like a pillar of sand appeared. Not just once. It repeated two then three times. ¡¸Explosions? ¡­¡­A battle?¡¹ ¡¸Maybe. Perhaps they¡¯re manipulating the desert sand with fire or earth magic? Either way, it¡¯s definitely a battle. ¡­¡­What do you want to do?¡¹ Rei was lost in thought for a few seconds when Elena left the decision to him, but eventually shook his head. ¡¸As long as they¡¯re someone participating in the request, they would be adventurers with some skill. If we interrupt their fight, we could be mistaken for stealing their prey. If their position is unfavourable, they might be grateful for our help, but the chances are slim. We shouldn¡¯t waste our time on it.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, you¡¯re right. We¡¯ve often been caught up in other people¡¯s fights, but when you think about it, when you make a living from monster materials, it¡¯s only natural that you don¡¯t want to be taken advantage of.¡¹ Elena nodded in understanding before they continued to make their way through the desert. Prompted by Rei, Set gave a cry before flapping his wings and getting back into the sky. After about 20 minutes of walking, the two of them heard the sound of explosions again. This time however, it was from a completely different direction to what they had previously heard. ¡¸It seems like fights are going on in various places.¡¹ Elena muttered as she turned towards the direction of the explosions. However, she immediately looked away, probably because she had already decided to not get dragged into other people¡¯s fights. Looking back in their original direct, they continued walking. Rei nodded as he walked alongside her. ¡¸Because we don¡¯t know where the Spear Frog is, everyone has scattered around. In that situation, the chances of running into monsters will naturally increase. Especially since the materials and magic stones of killed monsters will be bought at a higher price.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­They must be fighting something by now.¡¹ Elena said that without thinking, but Rei knew who she was talking about. Rei just nodded with a smile under the hood of the Dragon Robe. ¡¸I¡¯m sure of it. Vihera must be happily enjoying fighting monsters.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m not worried about Vihera though.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Then who were you thinking of?¡¹ ¡¸T-That is¡­¡­that¡¯s right! It was Byune. She¡¯s so small, it¡¯s only natural to worry.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true.¡¹ Although she complained about it, Vihera¡¯s attitude towards Elena, while a little too familiar at times, was something that Elena rarely experienced. While Elena might have some thoughts about Rei¡¯s attitude towards Vihera, she didn¡¯t really hate her that much otherwise. It seemed that she had suddenly come to that realisation, but she focused on pretending it wasn¡¯t the case to Rei. CH 429 The sunlight beat down assertively as the sand took a toll on their feet. The air was so dry that their throats became parched simply by breathing normally. ¡¸Oh, shit! They¡¯re here again? It¡¯s a Sandworm! Spread out! Don¡¯t get stuck in one place or you¡¯ll be killed by their charge!¡¹ At those words, the three members of the party of four quickly scattered and took up positions around the Sandworm that emerged from the dunes. The last member, who had a large backpack on his back, kept his distance and notched an arrow in his bow while looking for an opening. This was one of the parties that had taken the request from the Silva family to hunt the abnormal species of Spear Frog. Of course, they had a decent level of skill. Normally, there were a party that was active around the 20th floor, so while they weren¡¯t a first class party in Exil, they were at least half way there. Because they were such a party, the porter could also attack from range with a bow in addition to carrying their baggage. Of course, he wasn¡¯t as strong or as accurate as a professional archer. He was only able to pin a monster down. Still, there was a large difference between having a long range person who could pin a monster down and not having one. Especially in this party, where the other three all fought as vanguards, including the thief. ¡¸AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!¡¹ A man swung a poleaxe down from behind the Sandworm as he gave a shout to draw its attention. The Sandworm tried to turn around to face the voice, but an arrow shot by the porter pierced its body as if waiting for that moment. Being over 5m in length, the arrow pierced a non vital location. However, it seemed to still be painful as it changed its focus from the man with the poleaxe to the porter¡­¡­ ¡¸HAAAAAA-!¡¹ The next moment, their thief, who had concealed his movements, closed the gap to the Sandworm and struck out horizontally with his long sword, cutting into the Sandworm. Normally, thieves would use daggers as weapons, but in this party, their thief was a strong part of their combat strength. ¡¸UOOOHHHH-!¡¹ The next weapon to strike was the spear of the warrior that led the party. Quickly and sharply, he made nearly ten spear thrusts into the wound on the Sandworm¡¯s body that the thief had opened up. The spear tip buried itself into the Sandworm¡¯s body causing significant pain. Because of the severe pain, the Sandworm tried to turn towards the leader, however¡­¡­ ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ The man with the poleaxe came up from behind and struck down with all his might. The next moment, the Sandworm¡¯s body was cut¡­¡­or rather, smashed, into two halves. The Sandworm eventually died with a cry. However, the party remained alert¡­¡­as they kept an eye out for other monsters. After a few minutes, when they were completely sure the Sandworm was dead, the party¡¯s tense atmosphere subsided, if only slightly. The reason why they didn¡¯t completely let down their guard was because they had already been attacked by monsters many times since coming down to the 11th floor. The leader spoke out to the porter, who came over with his bow. ¡¸Is this something you can still carry?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, no problem. But if we continue to get attacked at this rate, we¡¯ll soon reach capacity. It would be better to only strip the more expensive parts from the Sandworm.¡¹ ¡¸I know. If we still have time on the way back, we can strip more materials. You guys, let¡¯s start with stripping out the proof of subjugation and the magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸All right.¡¹ Following his party leader¡¯s orders, the man with the poleaxe slammed his weapon into the Sandworm¡¯s body, opening up its belly. Working with him, the porter and leader started to strip materials from the Sandworm. However, after 5 minutes, the thief, who had been keeping an eye on the surroundings, called out to those stripping materials. ¡¸This sound is¡­¡­hey, stop stripping materials! There are two¡­¡­no, three Skull Eagles coming down!¡¹ ¡¸Ahhhh-, damn it, that¡¯s so much trouble! Everyone prepare for battle!¡¹ At the leader¡¯s orders, they all stopped stripping materials from the Sandworm and took up battle stances against the avian monsters that were made up of bones, with the exception of their heads. ¡¸Damn it, Skull Eagles aren¡¯t actually undead even though most of their body is just bones.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because it¡¯s a monster!¡¹ While replying to the man with the poleaxe, the porter readied his bow again as he shot an arrow, which was better than doing nothing at all. Soon they were back into battle. ¡¸Heh, it really is a desert with things like oases.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ While most other parties were fighting, Rei, Elena, and Set arrived at an oasis in the desert. They hadn¡¯t fought a single battle up to this point and they had ran into surprisingly few monsters compared to other parties. ¡­¡­Yes, until now that is. An oasis in the desert. It was the perfect watering hole for monsters on this floor, so there was no way there wouldn¡¯t be any monsters here. ¡¸¡­¡­They¡¯re here.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Elena reached out for the sword whip at her waist as Rei responded with Death Scythe in hand. As for Set, he crouched down, ready to jump out at any moment. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Gyagya-! Gyagyogyogyo-!¡¹ ¡¸Gyagagaga,¡¢Gyogyagyogyo-!¡¹ ¡¸Gyogyo-!¡¹ ¡¸Gyagyayga-!¡¹ A few monsters appeared with familiar shouts. Of course, Rei, Elena, and Set, knew the monsters that only went up to Rei¡¯s chest in height. In terms of how well known the monster was, it was one of the most recognisable in the world. In other words¡­¡­ ¡¸Goblins, huh?¡¹ Rei muttered in surprise at the Goblins that appeared. ¡¸No, even if they are Goblins, they¡¯re not ordinary Goblins.¡¹ Rei looked at the 10 or so Goblins that appeared as Elena immediately noted the differences from ordinary Goblins. Ordinary Goblins had green skin, but the Goblins in front of them had brown¡­¡­or more accurately, sand coloured skin. What¡¯s more, ordinary Goblins usually wielded clubs and rusty daggers or long swords at best. However, these Goblins has sharp long swords and daggers. Even if they didn¡¯t wear metal armour, they still had some sort of leather armour made from animal or monster leather while ordinary Goblins would usually wear nothing but basic cloth. As Rei pointed it out, Elena looked at the Goblin leading them with some interest as she spoke. ¡¸It¡¯s probably a higher ranking Goblin species.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Goblins had weak individual strength and ordinary people with some combat knowledge would be able to kill one. However, their fertility rate was high and generations came and went quickly. In other words, they had the ability to rapidly adapt to harsh environments within reason. Of course, not all Goblins could adapt to new environments . No, rather, there were very few who could adapt to new environments. ¡¸Gyagyigyigyigyi, Gyagyagya-!¡¹ Those were probably Goblin specific words. Rei and Elena didn¡¯t understand what they were saying, but they still understood their general intention by their action of pointing their sword. In other words¡­¡­ ¡¸Do they want to strip our equipment? Stripping equipment from humans like we strip materials from monsters¡­¡­can we say they¡¯re quite clever?¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, they¡¯re just Goblin bandits¡­¡­what do you want to do?¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t need to ask. It¡¯s a new monster, so of course I¡¯ll kill it.¡¹ Monsters that didn¡¯t appear in Zepairu¡¯s knowledge or in monster encyclopedias would bring a smile to Rei¡¯s face. Looking at Rei, Elena felt it couldn¡¯t be helped. That said, she had no intention of letting the Goblin bandits go either as she pulled her sword from her sheath. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ As for Set, he jumped forward several steps and flew up, wrapping around the Goblin bandits to stop them from escaping. ¡¸Gyi, Gyagyagyayga!?¡¹ ¡¸Gigigigyi!¡¹ ¡¸Gyagaga, Gyigyi-!¡¹ Though somewhat confused, the Goblins didn¡¯t seem to be intimidated by their appearance and even wanted to immediately attack them. However, the confusion subsided when one of the Goblin bandits, who seemed to be the leader, gave a shout to calm them down. Although Set, a Griffon, was present, they didn¡¯t seem to show any signs of escaping, probably because it was a higher ranking species, even if it was still a Goblin. (¡­¡­Could these guys also be abnormal species¡­¡­no, they can¡¯t be. As far as Rei knew, there would only be a singular abnormal species. Whether it was the Sword Bee queen, the Stone Golem, or the Spear Frog, the target of their subjugation request. Considering that, the Goblins in front of them shouldn¡¯t be a group of abnormal species. That was was Rei thought, but he still had some doubts. (I heard from Pleiades that there shouldn¡¯t be any Goblins on this floor. I wonder about that¡­¡­well, if we just kill them now and bring back their corpses, everything will become clear. We¡¯ll get a lot more rewards and, more than anything else, I can also keep two magic stones. It won¡¯t be difficult to match the number of Goblins I hand over to the number of magic stones.) Deciding that the first thing to do would be to kill the 10 Goblin bandits, Rei swung the Death Scythe at them. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ A slash flew out from the Death Scythe. The number of slashes hadn¡¯t increased, but its size, power, and speed had all improved after reaching level 3 from absorbing the Sandsnake¡¯s magic stone. The crescent shaped slash shot out through the air as it headed for the Goblin bandits in front of Rei. ¡¸Gyogyagyogyo!¡¹ The first Goblin tried to use the sword in its hands as a shield with surprise at the slash coming towards it, but it was a step too late. It¡¯s arm was cut off mid movement to bring its sword in front of its body. At the same time, its body was also cut in half. The slash continued on towards the other Goblins behind it without weakening after splitting the leading Goblin bandit into upper and lower halves along with its leather armour¡­¡­ ¡¸Gyagyagyagya!¡¹ ¡¸Gyogyagyagyo!¡¹ Two Goblins screamed as their left and right arms were severed. As the lead Goblin had its blood, internal organs, and flesh scattered onto the sand, the arms of the two Goblins behind it also fell to the ground. As it was a desert, blood, which was mostly water, was absorbed by the sand in a blink of an eye. However, the flesh and internal organs remained on the surface of the sand. ¡¸Haah-!¡¹ Elena¡¯s sword whip flew out right after Rei¡¯s attack. As Elena poured magic power into her sword whip, it changed to whip form as it slashed the Goblin bandits with the various blade sections while the tip of the sword pierced the forehead of a Goblin, killing it in a single blow. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ The next attack came from Set¡¯s Water Ball, even though half the Goblins had already been taken down. Two balls of water, about 30cm in diameter each, were shot at the Goblins, shattering everything they hit. The Goblins that were hit in the head were killed instantly while those hit in the torso touched their bellies with expressions of confusion over why their body was no longer there. By the time they saw their flesh and internal organs scattered on the ground¡­¡­the light faded from their eyes. For the Goblin bandits, they had never thought that the enemies they saw as prey would crush them so one-sidedly. They screamed like a mess, but decided to rush towards Rei and Elena in revenge rather than escaping. By this time, only two able bodied Goblins were left, with the others all incapacitated and unable to fight properly. Still, there was some wisdom in going for Rei and Elena rather than Set. They would stand a better chance against humans than against a Griffon. However¡­¡­the end result, after a few more seconds, was the death of all the Goblin bandits, their corpses exposed in the desert. CH 430 ¡¸¡­¡­Is that all?¡¹ ¡¸No, doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡¹ Rei replied to Elena, who muttered as she looked at the corpses of the 10 Goblin bandits in front of them. In his hands, he held the Death Scythe, the blade of death that had sliced the bodies, arms, legs, and heads of the Goblin bandits. As he held it, Rei¡¯s gaze was directed towards one of the bushes growing near the oasis. In desert environments, greenery like that was incredibly rare and he sensed something lying just beyond the bushes. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set seemed to have the same feeling. While staying alert, he gave a sharp look towards the bushes with his normally round eyes. ¡¸Huh? There certainly are signs of something. Then¡­¡­is it the work of these fellows?¡¹ Elena readied her sword whip as she stared at the bushes. The other party must have realised that Rei, Elena, and Set were aware of their existence and were on guard. However, they didn¡¯t make any moves to reveal themselves and just waited there silently without moving. For several minutes, this strange equilibrium remained. Eventually, Rei got impatient with the lack of action and spoke out. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey.¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no point continuing on like this, should we attack from here?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that the best option right now?¡¹ Since they had come to this floor to kill the abnormal species of Spear Frog, they couldn¡¯t just silently confront their enemy here. Because of that, as Rei said, it was better attack first, even if the other party was hiding behind the bushes. As Elena was about to voice her agreement. ¡¸-!? Tch-!¡¹ From the back of the bushes, Elena sensed something rushing towards them, tearing through air, and swung her sword whip at it. With Elena¡¯s skill, her sword whip flew out faster than the object flying towards them, leaving the feeling of slashing something in her hands. She turned to Rei, who was next to her. Rei himself had also slashed out at something with his Death Scythe while Set swiped at something with his sharp claws, crushing it. ¡¸Is this¡­¡­dirt? No, it¡¯s sand?¡¹ ¡¸Seems like it. It¡¯s not just dirt or sand though. Look.¡¹ Prompted by Rei, Elena turned to look at the ground, where a lump of sand that formed a snake like head was rolling around in a state of collapse. ¡¸A snake made of sand? A Sandsnake? No, that¡¯s not it.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Even if it¡¯s called a Sandsnake, it probably won¡¯t turn into sand the moment it¡¯s killed. It was probably formed by magic.¡¹ Rei swung the Death Scythe towards the bushes as he replied to Elena. A slash flew out from the blade, like many before it. ¡¸Gyogyogyagyagagega!¡¹ A more complex voice compared to the previous Goblin bandits was heard as sand was lifted up to form a wall¡­¡­seeing that, Rei muttered with a smile. ¡¸Naive.¡¹ Slash-! The flying slash cut through the wall that appeared in front of it with barely any resistance, striking the figure behind it while maintaining its power. A few seconds after the flying slash had been shot out. After that, nothing further happened. The only difference was a rusty smell that came from behind the sheared sand wall. ¡¸Looks like you did it.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Set, take a look.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Giving a brief cry at Rei¡¯s words, Set jumped up and flew¡­¡­or rather, leapt to the other side of the bushes and sand wall. In less than 10 seconds, he came back to Rei. He held the corpse of a Goblin that had been sliced in half at the chest. Walking over to Rei and Elena, Set threw the corpse he was holding in his mouth to the ground, as if he had eaten something unpleasant. Goblin flesh was actually edible, but it didn¡¯t taste very good. It tasted like something you wouldn¡¯t eat unless you were starving, so Set¡¯s attitude was to be expected. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. Here, eat this to cleanse your palate.¡¹ He took out several pieces of dried meat from the Misty Ring and gave them to Set, who left with a happy cry. Rei and Elena looked at the monster lying on the ground again. In terms of size, it was a size larger than ordinary Goblins. It¡¯s body was sand coloured just like the Goblin bandits they had killed earlier. The biggest difference was the cane it held in its right hand. That was proof that the sand snakes and sand wall had been created by the Goblin using magic. ¡¸Hmm, since Goblin Mages are a higher ranking Goblin species, I guess it¡¯s not that strange for there to be a Goblin that can use magic among the Goblin bandits.¡¹ ¡¸If Goblins have Goblin Mages, then this would make it a Goblin Bandit Mage. ¡­¡­Sorry, that¡¯s a bit off topic.¡¹ Rei replied to Elena as he lifted up the cane used by the Goblin Bandit Mage. There was some sort of gem that was attached to a branch that seemed to have been taken from a tree like monster such as a Treant. Rei tried using the cane to create a small flame in his hands, but the magic conductivity was so bad that it was incomparable to the Death Scythe. The magic could still be activated, there was a 10 to 12 factor of difference in the result compared to using the Death Scythe when using the same magic. ¡¸This¡­¡­is a magic casting device, but it¡¯s not a very good magic item. Well, it will sell better than the swords the other Goblin bandits were carrying¡­¡­it¡¯s still not worth much though. It¡¯s something that only beginners in magic would use.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s still a magic item though¡­¡­aren¡¯t you interested in it?¡¹ Elena knew Rei was collecting magic items, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was too interested as he casually stored the weapons and shields of the other Goblin bandits into the Misty Ring. ¡¸I¡¯m collecting magic items that can be used in actual combat. Well, there are ones like the Dagger of Flowing Water, which I can only use to produce water rather than wield in combat. ¡­¡­Rather, instead of use in combat, it would be more accurate to say that I¡¯m looking for magic items that would be useful when camping out for adventurer requests.¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡­¡­By the way, what do you plan to do with the corpse? It might be an abnormal species considering Pleiades never mentioned it.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s true. Let¡¯s hide it for now. We¡¯ll look it up in the guild or in a book and if it isn¡¯t an abnormal species, we¡¯ll sell the materials and excess magic stones to the guild. If it¡¯s an abnormal species, then we don¡¯t want to sell it here, it would be better to sell it at the guild. However, considering that there were so many of them, I think they are just ordinary monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry in agreement with Rei as he piled up the Goblin corpses into a pile with his beak. ¡¸Sorry about this.¡¹ Stroking Set¡¯s back while thanking him, Rei turned to look at Elena. Elena nodded back at Rei¡¯s silent question. Seeing that, Rei took out his dismantling knife and cut open the chests of the Goblin bandits to remove their magic stones. As for their organs, he didn¡¯t know if they would sell, so he just left them for now. Normally, internal organs were the most perishable materials, but Rei¡¯s Misty Ring solved that problem, hence his decision. ¡¸The leather armour¡­¡­is mostly destroyed and can¡¯t be used.¡¹ Using the blade of his knife, Rei peeled off the leather armour from the bodies of the Goblin bandits. ¡¸Given their size, even if we could sell it, it would only fit a small person or child. I don¡¯t think there would be a demand for it. You don¡¯t mind if I just throw them away, right?¡¹ Elena asked as she removed the leather armour from a Goblin bandit. ¡¸Let¡¯s do that. Even though the item box has no capacity issues, it isn¡¯t good to endlessly keep things we don¡¯t plan to use. And, above all, it takes time to take things out.¡¹ (That said, not all garbage is useless. For example, when I used that fire whirl.) Thinking to himself, Rei gave a sigh, thinking that even stones would increase the power of a fire whirl more than leather armour. ¡¸Mm? What¡¯s wrong? Is it fine to throw away the leather armour?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hm? Oh, yeah, do that.¡¹ Briefly replying to Elena¡¯s question, Rei removed the leather armour off another Goblin as he thrust his knife into its exposed chest. Feeling the sensation of tearing flesh as he cut with the knife, finding the heart, he used the tip of his knife to gouge out the magic stone. As expected of Goblins, their magic stones were small. That said, they were still higher ranking species, so their magic stones were clearly still larger than ordinary Goblins. After taking out the magic stones of all the Goblin bandits, he finally removed the magic stone from the Goblin Bandit Mage. ¡¸Heh, as expected.¡¹ The magic stone was about 1.5 times larger than the Goblin bandit magic stones. By the time they had removed all the magic stones, about 30 minutes had passed. This was just the time needed to remove magic stones and it would have taken them more than an hour if they had stripped other materials as well. (Considering we¡¯re here to hunt the Spear Frog, it was the right decision to only take out the magic stones for now. Muttering to himself, he washed two Goblin bandit magic stones and the Goblin Bandit Mage¡¯s magic stone, which he didn¡¯t store into the Misty Ring, with water from the Dagger of Flowing Water. ¡¸Should we do this first? ¡­¡­Even if they are higher ranking Goblins, I can¡¯t expect much since Goblins are Goblins after all. Set!¡¹ Calling out, Rei threw a magic stone over to Set. Catching it in his beak, Set swallowed it. ¡¸I knew it.¡¹ There was no skill acquisition announcement in Rei¡¯s mind. As it was a Goblin¡¯s magic stone, even Set and Elena seemed to have expected that. None of them looked particularly disappointed. Rei absorbed a magic stone using the Death Scythe as well, but no skill announcement was heard even after slicing one apart. Because he was already half expecting it, his gaze turned to the last magic stone, the one belonging to the Goblin Bandit Mage, without a change in his expression. Unlike the earlier failed magic stone absorption, there was only one of this magic stone. Naturally, the question arose weather to give it to Set or the Death Scythe¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry as he rubbed his face against Rei. It was clear what Set meant by that. That is to say, Set was telling Rei not to worry about him and to use the magic stone himself. ¡¸¡­¡­Is that okay? If you absorb this magic stone, you would probably gain some magic skill.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ It¡¯s fine! Set seemed to say with a cry. Rei smiled at Set and gently stoked his head as Set rubbed against him. ¡¸Well then, I¡¯m sorry about this. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡¹ Holding the Goblin Bandit Mage¡¯s magic stone in one hand, and lightly stroking Set¡¯s head with the other, Rei took some distance before throwing the magic stone into the air as Elena and Set watched¡­¡­ ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ Swinging the Death Scythe, the huge blade slice through the magic stone. However, there was no announcement message for skill acquisition in his mind¡­¡­ (So it was no good after all, huh? Well, even though it¡¯s a mage, it can¡¯t be helped as it was still a Goblin.) As he was thinking that, the next moment. Thump! It felt like something was flowing back from the Death Scythe, forcibly entering his mind. ¡¸Ga¡­¡­ah¡­¡­?¡¹ Fro the first time since coming to Elgin, he inadvertently dropped his Death Scythe and fell to the ground as if enduring something. ¡¸Rei? Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Rei!?¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu!¡¹ Elena and Set instinctively called out to Rei, who wasn¡¯t behaving as usual. However, Rei didn¡¯t seem to hear them as he stumbled on the ground. And¡­¡­ ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ He gave a loud scream and, the next moment, lost consciousness as he fell to the ground. CH 431 ¡¸Rei-!¡¹ Elena¡¯s actions were quick when she saw Rei fall to the ground. Picking him up, she lay Rei, completely unconscious, flat on the ground as she hurriedly checked his condition. Of course, Elena was not a doctor and had no medical knowledge, nor could she use healing magic. Still, as someone who stood on the battlefield as the General Princess, she was still able to use basic first aid. However, even then, Elena couldn¡¯t sense anything wrong with Rei when she had picked him up. His breathing wasn¡¯t irregular and there was nothing wrong with his magic power. He was really just unconscious¡­¡­or rather, looked like he was asleep. ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Is Rei okay? Set seemed to ask with tilted head. Elena nodded to reassure him. ¡¸He¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t see any abnormalities. ¡­¡­But I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong.¡¹ At this point she had two options available to her. The first was to take Rei and leave the dungeon. The second was to stay here and wait for Rei to wake up. After a few seconds of agonising, Elena eventually chose to stay and wait for Rei to wake up. If she had decided on the first option, it would have been difficult to carry Rei through the desert and it would be very awkward for her to be attacked by monsters on her way back to the room where the magic circle was. She had considered that it would be possible to avoid unnecessary battles with Set¡¯s presence as a Griffon, but there were also monsters like the Goblin bandits that attacked even when Set was with them. With that in mind, she decided that their current location, where they had killed the Goblin bandits, was the safest. The fact that they were next to an oasis was another reason why she chose to wait here. Inside her magic pouch, she had a water bottle containing water that Rei had made using the Dagger of Flowing Water, but it would be better to save it. In addition, with a water spring here, she could use that water to nurse Rei. ¡¸¡­¡­He collapsed as soon as he absorbed the magic stone. Then, the problem is definitely the magic stone. Considering that there weren¡¯t any issues when the Goblin bandit magic stones were absorbed, it¡¯s like an issue with the Goblin Bandit Mage¡¯s magic stone. I heard that the Magic Beast Art creates a connection between the caster and the created monster¡­¡­Set, are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At Elena¡¯s question, Set, who had been staring anxiously at Rei beside her, gave a cry to say that there was no problem. ¡¸In that case¡­¡­what can I do? No, well, I can¡¯t just leave him here.¡¹ Muttering to herself, she picked Rei up. What surprised her was Rei¡¯s light weight. She was able to carry him sideways and lift him up with barely any effort. Of course, Elena had inherited the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon, so her magic power and physical strength was incomparable to an ordinary human. However, even with that in mind, Rei¡¯s weight was unexpectedly light. (Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s shorter than me?) Thinking that Rei would probably frown his eyes if he heard that, Elena brought him closer to the oasis. Set followed behind her while holding the Death Scythe, which Rei had dropped, in his beak. The oasis was a watering hole for monsters in the area and a place where they were likely to gather. But even so, with her strength as well as Set¡¯s, they had nothing to worry about. ¡¸Set, I¡¯m sorry, but I have to take care of Rei. Can I leave the surroundings to you?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gururururu~¡¹ Seeing Set so concerned about Rei, Elena called out to him. At Elena¡¯s words, Set gave a cry indicating he wanted to be close to Rei. However, Elena gently stroked his head as she spoke. ¡¸Are you sure? Isn¡¯t it hard for you to care for Rei as a Griffon? In that case, it would be better for me, who is also a human, to take care of him. There shouldn¡¯t be any monsters that would be a match for you¡­¡­please, leave him to me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Guru~¡¹ At those words, Set looked at Elena and the unconscious Rei for a few seconds before giving a cry and moving away from the oasis. To fight off any monsters that might approach and protect his beloved Rei. Seeing Set leave with determination, Elena also quickly prepared to take care of Rei. That said, as long as they remained in the desert, even at an oasis, there was only so much she could do. Firstly, she moved to a location shaded by trees before putting him down. Then she took out a cloth from her magic pouch, wet it in the spring water, pulled down Rei¡¯s hood, placed his head on her lap, and put the damp cloth on his forehead. Yes, that was all she could do. ¡¸¡­¡­I think I was at a loss too.¡¹ Rei, who was unmatched in strength, suddenly collapsed. It would be strange if she knew how to react. In addition, Rei had already become and irreplaceable person to Elena. That was why, even if only for a moment, she had been at a loss on what to do. ¡¸Seriously, I never thought he¡¯d make me worry so much. I¡¯ll make sure that he apologises for that when he wakes up.¡¹ Elena muttered as she gently wiped Rei¡¯s forehead with the damp cloth as he lay on her lap. That said, there was hardly any sweat on Rei¡¯s face. They were under a tree¡¯s shade and there was a spring nearby. Even so, you¡¯d expect someone to normally sweat with the desert heat. However, Rei¡¯s body was different from that of ordinary humans. Like Elena, after inheriting the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon, he was outside the norm compared to ordinary humans. (I don¡¯t regret it though¡­¡­even more so now that I know his secret.) Rei was an extraordinary existence with power far beyond ordinary humans. Standing next to such a person would be difficult for ordinary people. (I never thought that I¡¯d think of such feminine things. ¡­¡­Hmm, the General Princess. Maybe that title will have to be retracted one day.) As she thought to herself, she continued to occasionally wipe Rei¡¯s face with the damp cloth for her own self satisfaction, even if it didn¡¯t have any effect in particular. That was how she spent her time leisurely. Even though it was an emergency situation with Rei collapsed and Set protecting them from any monsters in the surroundings, Elena felt peaceful as she gently stroked Rei¡¯s bright red hair, the namesake of his title. Of course, she was also worried about Rei being unconscious. However, she knew that the Rei she knew wasn¡¯t someone who would be defeated by something like this. And, about half an hour after she had brought Rei to the shade of trees¡­¡­Rei¡¯s eyelids started to twitch and open slightly as he lay on Elena¡¯s lap. ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­yeah. What¡¯s going on? Where is this? Is this my room?¡¹ She couldn¡¯t tell if Rei was just half awake or if he had seriously forgotten what had happened before he had passed out. She spoke while gently stroking Rei¡¯s head. ¡¸Don¡¯t you remember? The moment you cut the Goblin Bandit Mage¡¯s magic stone with the Death Scythe, it caused something to happen and you fell unconscious.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­¡­passed out¡­¡­?¡¹ Rei repeated Elena¡¯s words in a daze, as if he couldn¡¯t remember what had happened before he fainted. ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­How much do you remember.¡¹ Asked that while on Elena¡¯s lap pillow, he closed his eyes as if to recall what had happened. And, after remembering what he had done today, killing the Goblin bandits and the Goblin Bandit Mage before absorbing the magic stones¡­¡­ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Tracing back his memory, he finally remembered what had happened before he passed out. That was right, the moment he slashed the Goblin Bandit Mage¡¯s magic stone to absorb it, an unexpected shock was transmitted through the Scythe. It was as if he had been hit by a back flow of magic power, knocking him out. Covering his face with his hands, Rei tried to organise his memories. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to show Elena his unsightly expression. After about 30 seconds, he noticed the sound of flapping wings coming towards him. ¡¸GURURURURURURURURURU~!¡¹ It was a familiar¡­¡­no, very well known cry. Finding out that Rei had recovered due to their magical connection, Set couldn¡¯t help but come back. The main reason was that Set hadn¡¯t been able to find any other monsters in the surroundings after doing a search. Any how, Set gave a joyful cry as he landed on the ground and rubbed his face against Rei, who was still lying on Elena¡¯s lap. Either because he couldn¡¯t continue lying down¡­¡­or because he realised Elena was giving him a lap pillow, he raised his upper body. With slightly red cheeks, Rei stroked Set as much as could while Set continued to rub his face against him. ¡¸Gururu~, Gurururururu~¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. As you can see, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m glad that you weren¡¯t also knocked unconscious.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ That¡¯s not good! Set seemed to say after hearing Rei¡¯s words. For Set, if Rei was unconscious, it would have been better for him to also have been unconscious. Realising that, Rei apologised again while stroking Set¡¯s head. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. You don¡¯t have to sulk.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Are you reflecting on yourself? Set seemed to ask. Rei nodded back at his cry. Watching the two of them, Elena decided that things had calmed down enough and asked Rei. ¡¸So, do you know what happened at that time?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah. You probably already guessed, but there was something wrong with the magic stone. When the Death Scythe cut it and absorbed it, the magic power from the magic stone flowed into me through the Death Scythe. I think that shock knocked me out¡­¡­ Fortunately, the strange magic power stopped at me and didn¡¯t flow to Set. The Death Scythe and Set are connected, but I think it is an indirect connection through me, so that luckily helped in this case.¡¹ Rei replied to Elena while stroking Set, who was still anxiously rubbing against him. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I could have carried you alone. But if Set had also collapsed, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to carry him. I would also have had a hard time guarding against monsters near the oasis. ¡­¡­Do you have any idea what the strange magic power was? Is it possible that some magic stones can¡¯t be absorbed?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m not sure. But I have a rough idea. I think you can guess as well?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Was it an abnormal species?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. The Goblin Bandit Mage was an abnormal species. It no wonder Pleaides hadn¡¯t mentioned it at all. I¡¯m not sure where the Goblin bandits would have come from though. Did it¡­¡­summon them?¡¹ While muttering to himself, he picked up the Death Scythe that had been brought over by Set and left on the ground. He swung it several times to check how it felt. Seeing that there didn¡¯t seem to be any issues, he gave a quite sigh of relief. However, the main issue was the impact when absorbing the magic stone. In other words, if it had affected any skills. To check if he could still use skills without any problems, he turned towards the open desert in a direction where trees weren¡¯t growing and swung the Death Scythe¡­¡­ ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ With those words, a slash flew out from the blade of the Death Scythe. After reaching level 3, it¡¯s power, speed, and size had all increased slightly. The slash, as Rei, Elena, and Set knew of¡­¡­flew out and away as it sliced through the desert air. ¡¸Hmm, there doesn¡¯t seem to be an issue.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Taking in a breath in relief that he could skill use the Death Scythe¡¯s skills without any issues, one of his trump cards, he lowered the Death Scythe. Looking at Rei, Elena asked what she had been interested it. ¡¸So¡­¡­can you remember how you felt when you absorbed the magic stone? What was it like?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. I felt the Death Scythe a lot of different magic powers. I think that was probably the cause.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Many different magic powers?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Normally¡­¡­or rather, the magic stones I¡¯ve absorbed so far usually only hold the magic power the monster has. But this one felt like a mixture of many types. I didn¡¯t have any issues with the magic stones from the ordinary Goblin bandits. How was it for you, Set?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Set indicated he had no issues. ¡¸In that case¡­¡­it seems that the abnormal species have something abnormal about them in the literal sense. ¡­¡­Wait.¡¹ Thinking up to that point, the sight of Set swallowing the queen bee¡¯s magic stone, which had also been an abnormal species, passed through Elena¡¯s mind. Nothing had happened at that point in time. ¡¸Rei, didn¡¯t Set had absorbed the magic stone of that queen bee¡­¡­which also seemed to be an abnormal species? Was there anything unusual about that?¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei suddenly remembered that and turned to look at Set. What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to say. Seeing Set tilt his head in confusion, as Rei hurriedly went over to him. ¡¸Set, is there anything wrong with your body?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What? Set seemed to say as he tilted his head. (There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong¡­¡­but then what happened?) While involuntarily giving a sigh in relief at Set¡¯s condition, Rei couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled at the new mystery. CH 432 ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ve spent quite a lot of time at this oasis, so we¡¯ll have to hurry.¡¹ ¡¸Is your body really okay? Would it be better to rest a little longer¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ After storing away the corpses of the Goblin bandits and the Goblin Bandit Mage into the Misty Ring, Rei immediately set out to find the Spear Frog again. Elena and Set were worried about him and asked if he should rest a little longer, but Rei paid them no mind. ¡¸I was knocked out by the impact of magic power, but there are no other side effects. Absorbing the queen bee¡¯s magic stone had no effect on Set either. ¡­¡­Besides, if we want to confirm if the abnormal species really have strange magic stones, we¡¯ll have to find that out ourselves.¡¹ Magic Beasts absorbed magic stones to become stronger. Rei didn¡¯t feel good about the fact that something had gone wrong when absorbing a magic stone, the foundation of his goal. (But, well¡­¡­if I can¡¯t absorb magic stones from abnormal species, Set shouldn¡¯t have been able to absorb the magic stone from the Sword Bee queen either. I couldn¡¯t learn any skills, but the magic stone still disappeared. That did happen. Set and the Death Scythe. What¡¯s the difference¡­¡­? Is it because the Death Scythe is a magic weapon deeply connected to me while Set exists as an individual? No, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that Set is still connected to me. Then¡­¡­what¡¯s going on?) Muttering to himself, Rei lightly washed his face in the spring and regained his composure. Seeing Rei like that, it was pointless to try and stop him. Elena gave a small sigh as she went over to Rei. ¡¸Okay, I won¡¯t say anything more. Only you know how your condition is. But that said. While looking for the abnormal species, tell me immediately if you notice anything wrong with your body. And, of course, there is also the matter of Set. I¡¯d like you to not absorb the magic stone of the abnormal species Spear Frog, our target, using your Magic Beast Art. Any objections?¡¹ Elena said that to Rei with an unusually strict expression. It was proof that she was worried about Rei, and because he understood that, Rei nodded silently in response. ¡¸Yeah. I won¡¯t absorb the magic stones of abnormal species. However, who created these abnormal species and how they did it¡­¡­I want to find out at all costs.¡¹ ¡¸Created? Can¡¯t these be natural occurrences?¡¹ ¡¸No, they¡¯re probably artificial. In the first place, it isn¡¯t possible to have multiple magic powers inside one magic stone. If it had just been the Goblin Bandit Mage, there might just have been something wrong with the dungeon. Or maybe it happened purely by chance¡­¡­but I can¡¯t believe that so many abnormal species would appear at the same time.¡¹ ¡¸Couldn¡¯t it be¡­¡­that there is just something wrong with the dungeon?¡¹ Elena asked Rei after hearing what he said and thinking for a few seconds. Hearing that, Rei thought about it himself before eventually speaking after putting his thoughts together. ¡¸It certainly is possible. But the timing of us entering the dungeon and the abnormal species appearing was just too good. Is it just a coincidence?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then is this abnormal species situation targeting us?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just a possibility. Considering the timing, it could be the case.¡¹ They continued discussing with each other as they walked through the desert. Perhaps he was worried about Rei, rather than flying in the sky and watching the surroundings as usual, Set walked through the desert behind them. ¡¸I think you¡¯re overthinking this. Very few people knew we were coming to Exil, it would have been impossible¡­¡­no, I won¡¯t say that, but it would have been very difficult to set a trap for us.¡¹ ¡¸You think so?¡¹ Hearing Elena say that he was overthinking it, Rei started to think that might have been the case. He tilted his head and didn¡¯t push his theory that they were being targeted any further. (If they¡¯re not targeting us, then it can¡¯t be the Bestir Empire? Well, as Elena said, time was tight. In that case, this abnormal species situation isn¡¯t caused by the Bestir Empire. Is it the work of an unrelated third party? But then who could it be? What are the benefits of causing such a fuss in a labyrinth city, that there are only a few of in the Mireana Kingdom? The Bestir Empire would have had more than enough motive¡­¡­) Thinking to that point, Rei shook his head. There was something wrong with him if his first thought was that everything was caused by the Bestir Empire. However, it was still quite possible. The Bestir Empire¡¯s army had been severely damaged in the spring war, and because it was Rei who had caused that damage, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for his life to be targeted in an attempt to bring down the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s national power at the same time. Thinking that way, it made sense. (Then, in that case, does someone want to make it look like it¡¯s the Bestir Empire¡¯s work? Or did things just turn out that way? ¡­¡­No, that¡¯s just a conspiracy theory thinking like that. However, it¡¯s true that abnormal species are abnormal in the literal sense of the word. Considering that¡­¡­wait.) As he thought of that idea, the information that he had collected after coming to Exil flowed through his mind. Abnormal species, the abnormal magic stone he absorbed. The Levisor family, the Marschel family, the magic stones being bought up from the market. ¡¸Hey, it couldn¡¯t be¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Rei? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ As they walked through the desert, Elena noticed Rei¡¯s expression change as he was thinking and asked. Behind them, Set anxiously followed while keeping an eye on the surroundings. ¡¸No, I was just thinking about the discomfort I felt when the Death Scythe absorbed the magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸You must have thought of something right? Tell me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ll just say this first, there¡¯s no clear evidence for this. It¡¯s really just a thought. Keep that in mind.¡¹ Rei was wondering whether to tell Elena what he had just thought of, but decided that it wouldn¡¯t be any good just keeping it to himself as he spoke out. ¡¸Didn¡¯t the Levisor family want magic stones when we were called there yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. We refused though.¡¹ Rei gave a small nod at Elena¡¯s words and continued his explanation. If his thoughts were correct, it was a good thing they had turned down their offer to buy magic stones from them. ¡¸As its name suggests, the magic stones of the abnormal species are abnormal in some way. So, my thought was that either the Levisor or Marschel families have something to do with the abnormal species because of their connection with magic stones¡­¡­what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that¡­¡­overthinking it? But considering that you fell unconscious earlier, it¡¯s certainly a possibility.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s explanation, Elena frowned under her cloak but acknowledged the possibility. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s just what I thought of.¡¹ ¡¸But, as long as that¡¯s a concern, it would be better to talk to Vosk about it after today¡¯s request is over. At first I thought it was a man with a lot of problems, but after seeing how he helped out his subordinates and what happened yesterday, it seems like he¡¯s trying to rule Exil in a respectable way.¡¹ As Elena said that, the figure of Schaffner, who they had met the day before, passed through her mind. (At the very least, Vosk would pass as a ruler of Exil compared to Schaffner. ¡­¡­Well, considering the messy incident in the eatery, he¡¯s not without problems either.) A man who couldn¡¯t even hide his desires and keep up his facade to the end, even in front of someone from a Duchy, a superior to them, that was Schaffner. In comparison, Vosk, who was loved by his subordinates, had leadership skills, and had a secretary who seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, was more promising. (I haven¡¯t met anyone from the Marschel family yest, but I can roughly guess what they¡¯re like if they are also buying up magic stones without care like the people from the Levisor family.) Thinking to herself, both Rei and Elena made their way through the desert pondering their thoughts¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set, who had been following behind them, gave a sharp cry as he stared in the direction they were walking in. Seeing that, no matter how many thoughts they were thinking, the two of them could tell what was going on. Rei quickly took out the Death Scythe, that he had stored into the Misty Ring back at the oasis. Elena also reached for the hilt of her sword whip at her waist. ¡¸Well, what kind of monster do you think it is? I hope it¡¯s a Grand Scorpion.¡¹ ¡¸Spear Frog. If possible, I¡¯d like it to be the abnormal species.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true.¡¹ As they made light conversation, they kept their guard up and looked around. ¡­¡­The next moment, the sand Set was looking at blew up in an explosion. ¡¸Tch, this of all things. Flying Slash!¡¹ Spotting a familiar monster through the explosion of sand, Rei quickly swung his Death Scythe to launch out a slash. Seeing that slash fly out, Rei finally confirmed that he was still able to use the Death Scythe¡¯s skills without any issues. Failing to absorb a magic stone and causing a back flow of magic power. He hadn¡¯t been sure if it would have caused skills to be unusable as a side effect. He had tried to see if he could still use skills back at the oasis, but it still relieved him that he had no issues using skills in combat. Despite his earlier words, Rei was probably still somewhat confused by the earlier back flow of magic power. Anyway, without regard for Rei¡¯s thoughts, the slash flew straight out, cutting through the body of the Sandworm without any resistance as it appeared from the sand At the same time, blood, organs, and pieces of flesh spilled on to the sand. Rei didn¡¯t seem to care, ignoring the scent of blood that started to spread. Rei took the right and Elena the left while Set flew into the sky. Each of them confirmed the others¡¯ intentions wordlessly with their eyes before doing what they had to do. The Sandworm Rei had just killed had just been a decoy, five more Sandworms appeared right around them. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re just going to be a target for me to vent my anger!¡¹ Rei bared his teeth and swung the Death Scythe at a Sandworm that was lunging at him to swallow him whole. ¡¸Power Slash!¡¹ Activating the skill, the blade of the Death Scythe struck the mouth of the Sandworm as it tried to swallow Rei¡­¡­the next moment, not just its mouth, its entire head exploded. Blood and flesh rained down onto the sand. He only checked the headless body of the Sandworm for an instant before heading for his next prey. Opposite Rei, ELena swung her whip form sword whip, cutting off a Sandworm¡¯s head. In the sky, Set spat out fire breath, wrapping a Sandworm in flames before quickly closing the distance. Swiping his claws down onto its burning head that was close to charcoal, he crushed it. The difference from Rei was that since Set had only swung his claws after the Sandworm had been burnt to charcoal, that was what was scattered around as opposed to blood and flesh. The result could only be best described as black snow, creating a fantastic landscape. However, as they were in the middle of combat, it wasn¡¯t something they could leisurely watch. Although their companions were killed almost instantly, the Sandworms continued to attack without understanding the difference in strength. Of the remaining two Sandworms, one charged at Rei while the other charged towards Elena. At this time, if they had run away in different directions, they might have survived with their lives, even if they were injured. However, the Sandworms had taken it for granted that they would overrun their enemies because of their huge size and had never considered escaping. A small smile floated onto Rei¡¯s face as he turned to look at the Sandworm plunging towards him with its huge fangs exposed. It was a cold smile closer to a sneer. Jumping up with that smile, Rei activated the Shoes of Sleipnir to step further into the sky, using the air as a foothold. He started a magic incantation as he watched the Sandworm pass underneath him, only eating sand. ¡ºFlame, you are a snake. Therefore, burn my enemies as I desire.¡» Casting his magic, he confirmed that fire magic power had collected at the tip of the Death Scythe before cancelling the effect of the Shoes of Sleipnir and dropping onto the back of the Sandworm. ¡ºDancing Fire Snake!¡» THe moment the Death Scythe pierced the back of the Sandworm, he activated the magic and a fire snake formed from where the fire magic power had collected, moving and burning up the insides of the Sandworm¡­¡­before eventually arriving at its head. After the fire snake reached there, despite the Sandworm¡¯s tough vitality, it was burned out without being able to understand what had happened to it as the large Sandworm collapsed to the ground. CH 433 ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that a little overkill?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he looked at the corpses of the Sandworms scattered around him¡­¡­or rather the many bits of Sandworms. The worst one was the head of the Sandworm that had exploded from Rei¡¯s Power Slash. It had been scattered into the surroundings as chunks of flesh from several cm to several tens of cm in size. Fortunately, because this was a vast desert, the smell of blood was soon blown away by the wind. But even then, the scent of blood could still be felt drifting around them. It was enough that even someone that wasn¡¯t Rei, with his heightened sense, would smell a thick scent. ¡¸¡­¡­It certainly is a little overkill.¡¹ Elena said that as she shook the Sandworm blood off the blade of her sword whip. Unlike Rei and Set, who had crushed the heads of the Sandworms they fought, Elena had used the sharpness of her sword to cleanly cut off the head of the Sandworm. Rei had nothing to say after seeing that. ¡¸For now, should we just collect the Sandworm corpses and go after the Spear Frog¡­¡­hm?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ Elena stopped herself at the same time that Set and Rei noticed something wrong. No, compared to the Goblin Bandit Mage, it wasn¡¯t really anything disastrous. It was just that something was approaching them. ¡¸This¡­¡­it¡¯s coming!?¡¹ It wasn¡¯t moving underground like a Sandworm, nor was it flying through the sky like a flying monster. Rei sensed something jumping across the desert rather than flying. Although there was still some considerable distance to it, Rei could still sense it because the thing approaching them was massive. Furthermore, there were signs of several people approaching them as well, as if chasing after the thing coming towards them. Coming into view, the thing had a sand coloured body. If that was it, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to mistake it for camouflage for the desert. However, with it¡¯s large size, it was impossible to miss. With it¡¯s tough hind legs, it jumped a distance of nearly 10m in a single leap. Even so, from it¡¯s continuous jumps, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t at full strength. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­probably the abnormal species Spear Frog.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, probably.¡¹ Rei nodded in response to Elena, who was looking for confirmation. Next to Rei, Set had already crouched down, ready to deal with teh Spear Frog heading towards them. Rei and Elena had never seen a Spear Frog before, but there was no mistaking a massive frog like monster 3m in length. However, that wasn¡¯t a problem. They could even say they were happy because their target had showed up in front of them. The reason why the two of them had such surprised expressions was because of the people chasing after the Spear Frog. ¡¸But¡­¡­the people chasing after it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah. That¡¯s definitely Vihera.¡¹ Elena briefly replied to Rei. Yes, behind the Spear Frog heading towards them was Vihera and Byune. Originally, they had a porter with them, but he had probably been left behind with their speed. The two of them were sprinting through the desert at high speed as they chased after the Spear Frog. ¡¸Well, anyway¡­¡­strangely enough, it looks we¡¯ll fighting the Spear Frog together, as Vihera had originally suggested.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­How did they run into us here if Vihera had been moving in a completely different direction to us?¡¹ As the two of them talked they readied the Death Scythe and sword whip in their hands, waiting for the Spear Frog to reach them. If possible, Rei wanted to kill it with his first strike. ¡¸They found the target, but it¡¯s running away and they¡¯re chasing after it.¡¹ ¡¸Then, why is it heading in a straight line towards us¡­¡­oh, I see.¡¹ Looking at the corpses of the Sandworms around them, Elena nodded as if realising something. Yes, the pieces of Sandworm flesh that were emitting a strong bloody odour. Elena¡¯s attitude made Rei immediately realise what the cause was. His cheeks twitched as he looked behind him, hoping it wasn¡¯t the case. Although it was quite small, the oasis was still visible. The frog like monster had probably been heading towards the oasis in search of water when it had smelled the scent of the Sandworms. ¡¸¡­¡­Do you want to bet?¡¹ ¡¸No, I think I¡¯ll stop here.¡¹ Looking at the oasis, Rei understood that it was still probably the smell of the Sandworms¡¯ blood and flesh attracting it towards them. Shrugging his shoulders slightly, he turned to look at the Spear Frog, which had already closed the distance to 100m¡­¡­as he noticed something else. It wasn¡¯t just Vihera that was chasing after the Spear Frog¡­¡­there were numerous small groups positioned about halfway between Vihera and the large Spear Frog. Size aside, they were almost the same in appearance to the abnormal species Spear Frog leading the way. (In other words, those are ordinary Spear Frogs.) Then. Rei had been thinking of using magic as a first strike to kill the abnormal species. However, the Spear Frog was rapidly closing in and was less than 20m away. Normally, there would still be enough time with that distance, but as it was jumping 10m at a time, Rei didn¡¯t have time to cast any magic. However, Rei still had methods of attacking from range. Either using the Death Scythe to send a slash out, or¡­¡­ Stabbing the Death Scythe into the desert sand, Rei took out a spear from the Misty Ring. It was a cheap spear, missing half it¡¯s tip, making it completely useless as an ordinary weapon. But, for Rei, it was useful as a powerful disposable weapon. (That said, I only have about 50 left. Should I go to a weapon shop or blacksmith to replenish them later?) Holding the spear like a javelin, he twisted his upper body. Just in case, he looked over at Elena and then at the two familiar faces chasing after the Spear Frog. Seeing that was enough to understand what Rei was asking for. Elena shouted out loudly. ¡¸Byune, Vihera, Rei is going to attack, so be careful not to get caught in it!¡¹ They seemed to have heard Elena¡¯s voice. Vihera and Byune, who had been chasing the giant Spear Frog and the ordinary Spear Frogs, came to a halt while raising a cloud of sand. As Rei confirmed that, the Spear Frog closed the distance to 10m. After one more jump, the Spear Frog finally reached them¡­¡­or rather the area where the Sandworm corpses were¡­¡­ ¡¸HAAAAAH-!¡¹ Rei threw the spear with a loud shout. The Spear Frog was mid jump and couldn¡¯t avoid it as it was skewered. At least, Rei was half confident that that would be the case, and so was Elena, who was holding onto her sword whip just in case. And in fact, the spear thrown by Rei with his extraordinary strength certainly hit the Spear Frog in mid air. But¡­¡­ ¡¸What the hell!?¡¹ Elena leaked a shocked voice. Yes, the spear that was thrown and pierced through the air did hit. However, the moment it hit the Spear Frog¡¯s right side, it slide off the surface of its body before flying away as if it had never touched it. They hadn¡¯t been able to tell when the Spear Frog had been continuously jumping from such a distance. But having come so close, they could see that there was an oily fluid being secreted from its body, causing it to shine brightly. The tip of the spear had slid across the oil, causing it to fly off in the wrong direction. Fortunately, as the spear tip was rusted and missing half the tip, a faint cut was still made on the Spear Frog¡¯s flank. If it had been an ordinary spear, the complete tip would have caused it to neatly slide off due to the Spear Frog¡¯s bodily fluids. ¡¸Rei!¡¹ Elena grabbed Rei¡¯s hand, who had frozen up for a moment after throwing the spear with all his strength, and forcibly moved him. Set also grabbed the Death Scythe that had been planted onto the ground. A few seconds after Rei was moved away from that location¡­¡­the 3m long Spear Frog landed where he had just been. It seemed like even the Spear Frog couldn¡¯t forgive the injury it had taken after the spear had gone past its prized bodily fluids. Instead of biting into the corpses of the Sandworms it had been after, it turned to face Set, who had moved away from where it had landed, as it gave a blank stare characteristic to frogs. At the same time¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s coming-!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah!¡¹ Elena gave a brief reply at Rei¡¯s voice. The three of them leapt back from where they had been standing. The next moment, the Spear Frog opened its mouth and its tongue shot out at the same speed as Rei had thrown his spear, piercing through the desert sand. Its sharp tongue was split in two at the base, as if to prove that it was the abnormal species. ¡¸Gero!¡¹ Seeing that its attack had been evaded, it withdrew its tongue back into its mouth as it gave a muffled croak. ¡¸Guru!¡¹ Set threw the Death Scythe to Rei as he jumped forward with a cry. As if to say he would deal with it. ¡¸Rei! We can¡¯t bother with it right now!¡¹ As she called out, Elena looked in the direction where the Spear Frog had come from. From that side, the ordinary Spear Frogs had also closed the distance to within 10m. For a moment, Rei was unsure of which to deal with first. However, that hesitation was short lived and he gave a sigh of relief as he saw Vihera coming up from behind the swarm of Spear Frogs, slashing at them with claws that extended from her hands. Byune also thrust her knife into the back of a Spear Frog, taking it down. ¡¸I¡¯ll leave the rest to Elena. You¡¯ve got Vihera coming up from behind¡­¡­tch!¡¹ The Spear Frog shot its tongue out again, refusing to let him finish. Its tongue pierced through the air trying to pierce Rei¡¯s body as he forcibly twisted his body to the right and into a half crouch. At the same time, he swung the Death Scythe. However, it seemed that the tongue was able to move freely. The split tongue collided its tips together before flicking out and avoiding the slash. ¡¸GURURURU!¡¹ Set, who had moved to the sky without it noticing, attacked from above to take advantage of the opportunity. However, as Vihera and Byune were around, he couldn¡¯t use any skills. Instead, Set tried to strike the Spear Frog on the head with his claws and weight. ¡¸Guru!?¡¹ An unusual cry¡­¡­yes, Set gave an unusual and very confused cry. The blow that was supposed to crush its head slid away with a slimy feeling, the moment he touched the Spear Frog. The parried attack struck the ground, creating a large pillar of sand. ¡¸It¡¯s that bodily fluid again!¡¹ Making a full turn on the spot to maintain the momentum from his missed attack with the Death Scythe, Rei clicked his tongue when he saw what had happened out of the corner of his eye. But, seeing the pillar of sand start to fall down, he smiled as he swung the Death Scythe again. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ The slash was sent out without any loss of rotational momentum as it flew straight towards the Spear Frog¡­¡­ ¡¸Gegegero!?¡¹ Slicing off its right foreleg, it continued without losing any strength, widening the wound created by the spear before cutting off it¡¯s right hind leg. ¡¸You¡¯re overconfident in your defences!¡¹ Why had the Spear Frog, which had easily deflected the attack from the spear and Set, lost its leg so easily? Part of the reason was because Rei¡¯s flying slash had reached a higher level and was much more powerful. At the same time, it had struck the same spot where the spear had hit, where the Spear Frog was bleeding. Lastly, there was the sand that was starting to fall. Of course, as a desert dweller, a little bit of sand didn¡¯t affect its defensive capabilities much. However, that didn¡¯t mean it was completely unaffected. All the flying slash needed was that small difference and, as a result, it lost its front and rear right legs. Unable to stand anymore, the Spear Frog collapsed to the ground. In a last ditch attempt, it shot its split tongue out again. However, Rei just swung the magic empowered Death Scythe down, extinguishing the Spear Frog¡¯s life. CH 434 ¡¸Ahh, I lost. I was pretty close as well.¡¹ Vihera gave a sigh when she saw Rei¡¯s Death Scythe cutting diagonally through the Spear Frog¡¯s head. Rei spun around to avoid the spear like strike from the tongue and struck the Spear Frog from below, scooping up with the Death Scythe. As she watched on, Vihera fluidly dodged the tongue of an approaching Spear Frog, kicking it with her armed feet before slashing it with her claws. The Spear Frog¡¯s blood, flesh, and internal organs were scattered into the surroundings as a strong scent of blood drifted into the surroundings. The bloody smell was quickly blown away by the desert wind, leaving only remains that had been slashed apart by magic empowered blades. ¡¸Why don¡¯t they at least secrete some bodily fluids like the abnormal species to reduce the impact? That would have made it a bit more fun.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune gave a brief reply to Vihera as she jumped forward to avoid the tongue of a Spear Frog leaping towards her. Landing next to the Spear Frog, she thrust her dagger into its body. ¡¸It might just have been ability the abnormal species had, but that¡¯s just boring.¡¹ Byune was able to get her thoughts across with a single sound. Vihera muttered to herself as avoided another tongue stretching out towards her from behind and pierced it with the blade extending from her heel. The Spear Frogs had been chasing after the abnormal species earlier, but the moment the abnormal was killed, they started to move independently, as if they had regained their own will. (Or maybe their relationship is like the Queen Bee and the Sword Bees.) Avoiding the attacks of the Spear Frogs attacking her, ELena slashed them one by one with her magic empowered sword whip in whip form. Even as she was thinking, she was still able to precisely kill the Spear Frogs, as expected of the General Princess. ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ Next to Elena, Set gave a loud cry as he swung his claws, pecked with his beak, or used his hind legs to crush the bodies of Spear Frogs. Seeing the number of their friends rapidly dropping, the Spear Frogs started to realise they couldn¡¯t win. When one Spear Frog that resembled the abnormal species made a high pitched cry, the other Spear Frogs saw that as a signal and those that had been fighting started to scatter in all directions. Byune and Elena started pursuing the retreating Spear Frogs. Rei couldn¡¯t chase after them because he still had to deal with the corpse of the abnormal species. As for Vihera, she didn¡¯t seem to be able to muster up any fighting spirit against the ordinary Spear Frogs. After fighting at close range, she didn¡¯t have a single drop of blood on her cloak. That showed how strong Vihera was. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune, who needed to make as much money as she could, stabbed her right dagger into the back of a Spear Frog that was running away before striking it again with her left dagger, killing it. As for Elena, she sliced the bodies of several Spear Frogs with her sword whip and wind magic. After chasing the Spear Frogs for about 5 minutes, there were nearly 50 Spear Frogs lying dead on the ground. ¡¸Huff, huff. ¡­¡­Both of you are very fast. I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting. ¡­¡­Huh?¡¹ Several minutes after chasing the Spear Frogs, the porter hired by Vihera and Byune finally caught up, though they looked a little worn out. (No, it¡¯s not that the porter is slow, but that Vihera and Byune are too fast.) Rei thought to himself as he looked at the corpse of the abnormal species. Elena went over to Rei and called out as she shook the blood of the Spear Frogs off her sword whip. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you storing it into the item box?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Yeah. I was just wondering what to do. You remember what happened earlier?¡¹ Rei was vague because Vihera was nearby, but Elena immediately understood what he meant. After all, it wasn¡¯t easy to forget someone as extraordinary as Rei getting knocked out earlier. But¡­¡­ ¡¸That aside, there wasn¡¯t an issue with storing away the corpses of the Stone Golem and Sword Bee queen, was there? The this shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah.¡¹ Hearing what Elena said, Rei nodded. He had definitely stored the corpses of abnormal species into the Misty Ring before. It was clear that there shouldn¡¯t be a problem storing away the one next to him as well. It seemed that the back flow of magic power from absorbing the magic stone still weighed on his mind. Regardless, if he left the corpse out in the desert, there was a possibility that other monsters would quickly start to gather due to the smell of blood. Thinking of that, he quickly stored the corpse into the Misty Ring. (On the other hand, thinking about it a different way, I could also use it as bait to kill the monsters that come over, right?) Storing away the abnormal species Spear Frog, he noticed Vihera coming over. He spoke up to hide his thoughts. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to say, but it seems this bet was my victory.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s a pity as we had found it earlier.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. It was going after the Sandworms that we had killed.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, they looked over at the corpses of the Sandworms a short distance away. In the mess with the Spear Frogs, Rei had completely forgotten to store them away. ¡¸Ara~, ara~, I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡¹ Following Rei¡¯s gaze, Vihera shrugged her shoulders and murmured after seeing the Sandworm corpses. The corpses of the five Sandworms had been fine when the abnormal species first showed up, but after it was killed and the rest of the Spear Frogs were running away, some seemed to have eaten bites out of them or simply ran over them. Maybe they attacked the corpses because they were in the way? Regardless, there was damage all over their bodies, to the extent that it would be a waste trying to strip any materials from them. ¡¸¡­¡­Haah. No, that¡¯s fine.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that really okay?¡¹ Vihera seemed slightly surprised at Rei¡¯s unexpected response. However, Elena knew exactly why. In the first place, Rei was after magic stones to absorb using the Magic Beast Art. He had already obtained several Sandworm magic stones prior to this and absorbed them. ¡­¡­That said, he hadn¡¯t been able to learn any skills. If they had been Sandsnakes or a Grand Scorpion, which he had only managed to get one magic stone of, he might have been angry enough to kill with his eyes. ¡¸Mm!?¡¹ Byune¡¯s voice was heard from behind Vihera, Rei, and Elena. As usual, her face was expressionless as she made a sound, but even so, Rei and Elena could feel that she was angry. Well, it wasn¡¯t surprising that Byune, who had few emotions, would get mad after seeing them talk casually while she and the porter were working hard to strip materials, magic stones, and proofs of subjugation from the Spear Frogs. They knew that Byune wasn¡¯t without emotions, she just wasn¡¯t very good at expressing them. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t want to stroke Set and Yellow whenever she could. ¡¸Yes, yes, I understand. I¡¯ll do as the lady says.¡¹ Cowering slightly, Vihera shrugged her shoulders and borrowed a dismantling knife from Byune to start stripping materials from the Spear Frogs. ¡¸¡­¡­Ah.¡¹ Rei made a sound in understanding when he saw that. Vihera really only had the bare essential on her person. Rei remembered that even when Vihera had been working together with them, she had borrowed a knife from Byune to strip materials from monsters. (But, I recall that she often works solo, what does she use then? ¡­¡­The claws on the back of her hands?) Even the Stone Golem¡­¡­or rather, the abnormal species, that was about to turn into a magic metal, could be torn apart by her claws, so she shouldn¡¯t have had any issues stripping materials from monsters using them. ¡¸Rei, please help me strip materials from the ones I killed.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Yeah, I understand.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s request, Rei also took out his dismantling knife that he used to strip materials as he started work on a Spear Frog. He cut off its right fore leg, the proof of subjugation, before cutting off its spear like tongue which could be used as material. In this situation, it was necessary to cut it as close to the base of the tongue as possible. While it was stretchy and supple, it also had resistance to slashing. The tip of the tongue could also easily pierce through armour made from low ranking monster leather. The tip could be used as spear tips, or the tongue could be used as a whip by the rare whip wielders. It was a material with a wide variety of demands. Next, Rei cut off the two hind legs, which were said to be delicious, before taking the magic stone out of the heart. Spear Frogs weren¡¯t very large and the number killed by Elena and Set was small in comparison to those killed by Vihera¡¯s group, so it didn¡¯t take them long to finish. The ones Elena and Set had killed were also some distance away from the ones killed by Vihera and Byune, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about who they belonged to, contributing to how they could finish so quickly¡­¡­ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s it for now. ¡­¡­So what about the abnormal species you killed?¡¹ Rei turned to look at where the abnormal species Spear Frog had been when Vihera asked, as she handed over the last magic stone to the porter. ¡¸No matter what you say, the fact is that the Silva family will buy it off us and pass it to the guild for various investigations. There¡¯s no way I can strip any materials from it.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true. In that case, shouldn¡¯t we return to the surface? It¡¯s hot in this desert, even with a cloak. Oh, as for the bet, I lost in the end.¡¹ ¡¸It was a meaningless bet to win though.¡¹ ¡¸Oh? Did you realise?¡¹ Rei turned away from where the abnormal species had been and looked at Vihera as he replied with a smile. ¡¸Of course. Well, there wasn¡¯t much I was going to ask anyway, so I don¡¯t care.¡¹ ¡¸That hurts my pride when you say it like that.¡¹ ¡¸Mmm-!¡¹ The two of them calmly exchanged words in this blood environment that smelled of Spear Frogs and Sandworms. Seeing them like that, Byune told them to get out of the dungeon with her eyes. To Byune, the abnormal species, her biggest target, had been snatched away from the side, so there was no point for her to stay here any longer. That said, the materials, magic stones, and proofs of subjugation they obtained would be purchases by the Silva family at a higher than market price, so she was still able to earn quite a bit of money from it when you consider that. (No, it might actually be a physical problem. She¡¯s still only 10 years old after all¡­¡­) Rei thought of that as he looked at Byune before turning to Elena next to him. Elena might have thought of the same thing as Rei, she looked at Byune worriedly. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m sure that travelling through the desert would be tiring and you¡¯d want to relax. What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸I agree with Byune-san. We couldn¡¯t kill the request target, but considering the number of monsters that Vihera-san and Byune-san killed, there will be more than enough rewards.¡¹ The porter also agreed and Vihera probably wasn¡¯t in the best of moods after having her target, the abnormal species, taken away from her. She nodded at Byune and the porter before turning to Rei. ¡¸Why don¡¯t we head back together? There aren¡¯t any abnormal species anymore, so it would be better to move together instead of separately, right?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­what about you?¡¹ To Rei, it was encouraging to have a thief like Byune with them. Because of that, he asked Elena, who gave a sigh before speaking. ¡¸I¡¯ll allow it if you don¡¯t mess with Rei. ¡­¡­I¡¯m more worried about Byune.¡¹ Like that, Rei and Vihera¡¯s groups joined up and headed for the small room with the magic circle. CH 435 ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Rei and his group were walking through the desert on the 11th floor, making their way towards the small room with the magic circle. Byune, who was keeping an eye out on the surroundings, suddenly raised her voice. She had noticed several figures heading towards the same direction as them. Hearing Byune¡¯s voice, Rei and the others also turned to look over. They could see a group of four adventurers heading towards the small room with the magic circle as well. It seemed like the other party had noticed them as well. Although, there was an alert atmosphere for a moment, they seemed to sigh in relief after seeing Set walking beside Rei. (If they are relieved to see Set, they are probably one of the other parties asked to kill the abnormal species like us.) The other party must have had the same though, as they started to approach each other. ¡¸Hey, thanks for the hard work. Did you have any success? It was no good for us¡­¡­we ran into Sandworms and other monsters many times and had to fight it out each time. Well, thanks to that, we¡¯ve collected quite a bit of material and overall, we¡¯re definitely in the black.¡¹ A man with a spear, their leader, spoke with a shrug as he looked over at their porter, who was carrying a large load. ¡¸Don¡¯t say that. We did collect a lot of materials after all. ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s true though that the materials are worth considerably less than what we¡¯d find on the 20th floor where we usually work. We¡¯re also here for the abnormal species this time. I heard that they are significantly stronger than their base monster counterparts. Any how, if we ran into one of them on the lower floors, we wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. If we can work out how these abnormal monsters are appearing, it will be more convenient for us later on.¡¹ Their thief muttered with a tired smile. Unlike their leader, who seemed to be trying to comfort them, the thief sounded like he was trying to persuade himself. ¡¸You¡¯re right. ¡­¡­So, any luck on your side?¡¹ The man with the spear nodded at the thief before turning to ask Rei. As an adventurer in Exil, he knew who Byune was and felt that Rei and Elena would be easier to talk with compared to Vihera, who was well known as the battle crazy Mad Beast. ¡­¡­That said, with how conspicuous Rei was with Set, and the fact that Elena was a beauty on the same level as Vihera, perhaps the porter would have been the easiest person to talk with. However, the porter knew his position as a temporary hired worker and had kept his position one step behind the others. Because of that, the leader decided that Rei was probably still the easiest person to talk with. Fortunately, Rei hadn¡¯t been dragged into too many things after entering Exil, so his ruthlessness was still not that well known. Instead, his title of Crimson had been exaggerated to everyone. Regardless, Rei gave a small smile as he replied to the adventurer. ¡¸Yeah, I think you¡¯ll be glad to know we¡¯ve killed the abnormal speices Spear Frog.¡¹ ¡ºSeriously!?¡» The voices of the four adventurers all rang out at the same time. It wasn¡¯t that unreasonable for them to be surprised¡­¡­they had just been told that the monster they hadn¡¯t been able to find, let alone fight, had been killed. ¡¸No, but¡­¡­what happened to the corpse of the abnormal species? The Silva family had wanted to buy the whole thing, right? It¡¯s not possible to only give them some of the materials. We had been planning to split up and let the Silva family know if we had killed it, but you¡¯re all together?¡¹ As expected, they were a party that had been chosen by the Silva family and entrusted with the request and knew that Rei¡¯s group had also accepted the request. The main reason was that Rei and Vihera were too conspicuous. Rei nodded to indicate that wasn¡¯t an issue as he understood who the other party was. ¡¸Even if I look like this, I have an item box. It¡¯s not difficult to store away a monster 3m in length.¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, there was a rumour that Crimson had an item box, but¡­¡­it was really true?¡¹ The man nodded in an impressed way as the three parties continued making their way through the desert. They talked with each other about the monsters they had killed and how many times they had been attacked during the day. Among the things discussed, Rei was surprised to hear that some parties participating in the request had started their search from the 12th floor. It made more sense to him after he heard the reasoning. If everyone participating in the request started their search from the room on the 11th floor, there would be a lot of places where their coverage would overlap. ¡­¡­It seemed that some parties didn¡¯t like that and started their search by going to the 12th floor before immediately taking the stairs back up to the 11th floor. ¡¸Well, that said, the abnormal species that attacked yesterday did so not far from the room on the 11th floor. That¡¯s why most people started exploring from there. I think it was a bet that the others took, although I don¡¯t think it was a bad bet. After all, a night has passed since yesterday¡¯s attack.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Definitely, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise with its movement speed.¡¹ In his mind, Rei thought of the abnormal species, that had been capable of jumping 10m in a single leap and nodded without thinking. The man with the spear seemed to be curious about what had happened. He asked Rei what the abnormal species was like and how the fight had gone. The was no benefit to Rei to hide the information, so he told the man what he had noticed during the fight. For example, unlike other Spear Frogs, it secreted body fluids from its skin that would nullify attacks below a certain strength. And, as he had heard from Vosk, its tongue had been split in two and could freely move independently of each other. If the magic stones of abnormal species were something he could absorb, he might have kept the information secret. However, since those magic stones were harmful to him, Rei decided the best choice would be to disseminate information about abnormal species and to reduce their numbers. Although Set had been able to absorb then, it couldn¡¯t be said that there wouldn¡¯t be any future problems. ¡¸Heh, as expected of an abnormal species, it really is abnormal.¡¹ ¡¸That said, this is only information about the abnormal species Spear Frog. Other abnormal species have very different abilities and appearances depending on the base species. Considering that, this information might not be that useful in fighting other abnormal species.¡¹ The man with the spear shook his head slightly as he gave a sigh. ¡¸Regardless, it¡¯s good to have more information. Especially after abnormal species started appearing, it¡¯s worth knowing how different they are compared to the base species. ¡­¡­But, you mentioned about other abnormal species¡­¡­¡¹ Rei nodded when the man looked at him. ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ve fought and abnormal species before. I¡¯ve also seen Vihera fight one.¡¹ He glanced over at Vihera, who looked bored as she walked alongside Byune. ¡¸I wonder if it should be called good luck or bad luck.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re definitely out of luck. These are abnormal species we¡¯re deal with.¡¹ ¡¸Still, won¡¯t you be getting the reward for this request? Considering that, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re necessarily out of luck.¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders at the man¡¯s words. (I had asked if I could take the magic stone so I could use it for the Magic Beast Art, but now I can¡¯t use it for the Magic Beast Art. I¡¯m not very lucky.) As they continued talking, they eventually reached thte small room with the magic circle and stairs, their destination. ¡¸Ahh, we¡¯ve made it. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve been on the desert floors, but it¡¯s still hard.¡¹ ¡¸Especially in your case with that huge thing of yours.¡¹ The thief made fun of the man carrying a pole axe. ¡¸Hey, this is my partner, it can¡¯t be helped that it¡¯s a little heavier. ¡­¡­And, it doesn¡¯t take up that much space compared to the scythe that Crimson kid, Rei, has.¡¹ Length and size aside, the blade of Rei¡¯s Death Scythe naturally took up a lot of space to carry around. Usually he would store it inside the Misty Ring, but due to the back flow in magic power and the fact that its influence on his physical state meant that he wasn¡¯t in prime form, he might not be able to responded immediately in emergency situations, so Rei was currently carrying the Death Scythe on him. That was why the man with a pole axe said that he was still better compared to the Death Scythe Rei was carrying. ¡¸Hey, hey, anyway, now that we¡¯re back, let¡¯s just complete the request, get our reward, and head for the bar.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, let¡¯s go. Hey, come with us. We¡¯re going back together anyway.¡¹ ¡¸Is that okay? I heard that you usually don¡¯t make transfers with other parties.¡¹ Rei asked the man with the spear, but the man just replied with a lively laugh. ¡¸Hahahaha. Well, some people care, but I don¡¯t. Come on, let¡¯s quickly go.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Okay.¡¹ The man with the spear was either bold or carefree. Regardless, his attitude wasn¡¯t unpleasant to Rei. The man had been surprised by Set, but not overly scared. He didn¡¯t judge Rei by his appearance either. (No, is it because they are a party with a certain level of skill? Or conversely, is it because they have this kind of personality that they became a party that reached the level where they could take on subjugation requests for abnormal species?) While thinking to himself, Rei activated the magic circle as he looked at Elena, Vihera, Byune, and the porter¡­¡­the next moment, they were back to the plaza in front of the dungeon. ¡¸Thank you for your hard work. I¡¯m from the Silva family. How did it go? Oh, please have this. You must be thirsty after coming back from the desert.¡¹ A man spoke up as he had them wooden cups containing cold fruit juice. It seemed the other parties had started to return, there were some faces that Rei recognised from the morning. Under the rain clouds that seemed ready to pour down at any moment, the man from the Silva family spoke again after seeing that they had all moistened their throats. ¡¸So, how did it go with the abnormal species? I mean, seeing as you¡¯ve come back on your own¡­¡­¡¹ It seemed that it was a failure. Vihera interrupted the man before he could finish. ¡¸We were successful in killing the abnormal species.¡¹ ¡¸Why are you talking so much. We were the ones who succeeded in killing it.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, first come, first served.¡¹ The man looked at Vihera and Elena, who were having a light argument, but of course, there was no corpse of the abnormal species, as far as the man could see. It didn¡¯t seem like the corpse was still being secured in the dungeon either. Starting to feel the other request participants looking at them, the man looked at Rei to ask what was going on. In a way, it was only natural that he would look to Rei. As a member of the Silva family, he probably knew some information about Rei, who had been involved with the Silva family in various ways. However, the Silva family might not have known about his item box, either that, or the information was rare enough that only the upper echelons, including Vosk, knew about it. At the very least, it didn¡¯t seem this man knew anything about it. (Although in this case, I think it would be better to tell him.) With that in mind, Rei asked the man from the Silva family. ¡¸So, where do I put the corpse of the abnormal species? Is this the right place? It¡¯s pretty big and takes up a lot of space.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, uh, that is¡­¡­wait a moment. Um¡­¡­the Silva family. Yes, please go to the building over there that the Silva family is using.¡¹ He must have understood from Rei¡¯s words that he was serious. Or did he think that Rei might have some special method of delivery with a Griffon like Set? Either way, the man who had half instinctively stumbled onto the truth gave orders to his subordinates somewhat in a panic. ¡¸Hey, tell the other side immediately and tell them to get ready to receive it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes-!¡¹ Hearing the order, the man gave a brief response before quickly running off. Seeing that, the man looked over at another subordinate before bowing towards Rei and speaking up. ¡¸Then, I¡¯m sorry, but please follow this man. He¡¯ll guide you to the building we¡¯re using for this. I have to hand out rewards to the others here, so I can¡¯t go with you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Okay. YOu don¡¯t have to worry about that. Let¡¯s go then.¡¹ When Rei turned to look at the others, only Elena and Set stepped forward. The rest stayed where they were. ¡¸See you later. It looks like it will be annoying so I¡¯m not going to bother.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Vihera and Byune¡¯s party left with those words. CH 436 Rei, Elena, and Set were guided to a large warehouse near the guild. However, it became clear it wasn¡¯t just a warehouse the moment they entered and were wrapped in cool air. It might be about to rain at any moment, but the temperature outside was still close to 30C. Rather, the reason it felt so hot outside was due the humidity from the impending rain, but inside the warehouse, Rei was greeted by a cool and dry environment. Of course, this environment was created using magic items. However, the reason wasn¡¯t to make it comfortable for people inside, it was to prevent monster corpses from decaying. Still, it was a comfortable environment and Elena took off her cloak and placed it into her magic pouch as he let out a breath. ¡¸Haah¡­¡­this is a nice place to be in.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set, who had come with them inside the warehouse, gave a happy cry. At the same time, the man who had led Rei¡¯s group here trembled for a moment, but he didn¡¯t abandon his job as he led them to the back of the building. ¡¸It¡¯s here.¡¹ In addition to people from the Silva family and guild staff, there was an unexpected person at the place they were brought to. ¡¸Hah, were you the ones who killed the abnormal species?¡¹ A giant over 2m tall and covered in muscle. Rei spoke out when he saw the man carrying his favoured claymore inside its sheath. ¡¸The head of the Silva family was bothered to come out here?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, which carried some surprise, the man gave a fearless smile. ¡¸Of course. This is the abnormal species that injured my younger brothers. I really wanted to see it with my own eyes. ¡­¡­So, that¡¯s the Griffon I¡¯ve been hearing about?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Nice to meet you, Set seemed to say with a cry. Vosk had an interesting look in his eyes in response to the friendly Set. However, he quickly left that aside as he spoke. ¡¸So, Rei. From what I heard yesterday, I thought that even if you killed the abnormal species, you wouldn¡¯t give use the corpse or magic stone so easily. What made you change your mind?¡¹ When he had asked Rei to subjugate the abnormal species at the guild the day before, he had implicitly agreed that Rei could keep the magic stone for himself. So, why had Rei suddenly decided to hand over everything? Rei shrugged his shoulders as he replied to Vosk. ¡¸Well, there are a variety of reasons¡­¡­the honest truth is that I just changed my mind.¡¹ ¡¸Various reasons¡­¡­is it.¡¹ To be exact, it was related to the Magic Beast Art, but he couldn¡¯t just say that, so Rei just answered vaguely. ¡¸Anyhow, it¡¯s not a bad thing for Exil, the guild, and the Silva family, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure you have your own reasons. Rather, pass the abnormal species over right away. Do you have it?¡¹ Vosk¡¯s words attracted the attention of the others around him. Quite a few were suspicious, but some were surprised. It looked like there were quite a few people who had heard that Rei had an item box. Prompted by Vosk¡¯s gaze, Rei moved to the centre of the room before selecting the corpse of the abnormal species from the list in his mind. Then, the next moment, the huge 3m corpse of the Spear Frog suddenly appeared in the empty space. It was rare for something to suddenly appear from nowhere, but it wasn¡¯t that astonishing. It was a common sight for those who knew transfer magic and summoning magic. However, it seemed that the rarity of item boxes had made it more surprising. Before the gazes of those present could focus on Rei, Vosk let out a scolding voice. ¡¸Hey, do what you have to do! There are things that need to be done before you satisfy your personal questions and curiosity!¡¹ As expected of the head of the Silva family, the effect of his voice was outstanding. Most of the people instantly came back to their senses and started to investigate the deat Spear Frog on the floor. ¡¸Heh, is that what you call charisma?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that big of a deal. And if it¡¯s charisma you¡¯re talking about, aren¡¯t you even better than me?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t know. Right now, I¡¯m just an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess that¡¯s fine. By the way, what did you think when you fought this guy? After all, it was an abnormal species, was it really abnormal?¡¹ Rei gave a small nod to Vosk, who asked as he watched the large group of people cutting off small pieces of skin, tongue, and other parts, before taking them elsewhere. ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ve abnormal species three times now and fought them directly twice, but there are many things that still puzzle me. To be honest, when I fought them, they didn¡¯t feel normal.¡¹ ¡¸Not a normal monster? Of course. That¡¯s why they were named abnormal species.¡¹ What are you talking about? Vosk asked in some confusion, but Rei just smiled awkwardly as he replied. He couldn¡¯t talk about the Magic Beast Art, so he couldn¡¯t provide clear evidence. That made it difficult to explain. ¡¸It¡¯s a sensation. Set can sense it as well, there¡¯s something unnatural about them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Guru?¡¹ What? Set, who was being stroked by Elena, turned to look at Rei when he heard his name called. But of course, even if he saw Set like that, it was unclear to Vosk if what Rei said was true or not. But, considering Set was a Griffon, an A rank monster, he didn¡¯t think what Rei said was completely unfounded either. In this respect, Rei was somewhat saved by the existence of Set. ¡¸If a Griffon feels that way, then there must be something wrong¡­¡­¡¹ Although not completely convinced, Rei was relieved that Bosk was starting to consider the possibility. ¡¸In addition. As far as Set can sense, there seems to be multiple magic powers coming from it, unlike ordinary monsters.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Multiple magic powers?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, basically, a monster should only have magic power belonging to itself. If it¡¯s a Goblin, it will have a Goblin¡¯s magic power, if it¡¯s an Orc, it will have the magic power of an Orc. Even though this was a Spear Froog, it had the magic powers of several other monsters inside its body.¡¹ Rei¡¯s words made Vosk¡¯s eyes grow sharp. Part of his gaze was directed towards the Spear Frog. But that wasn¡¯t all. Part of Vosk¡¯s attention was also focused on Rei. ¡¸If that¡¯s true, then they definitely deserve their name as an abnormal species. There¡¯s no doubt we¡¯ll need to be vigilant in various ways. ¡­¡­But.¡¹ He stopped his words there and turned his gaze from the Spear Frog to Rei. ¡¸You seem to know quite a lot, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s as if you understand what Griffons say.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I¡¯ve been living with Set since I was little. From the time he was an egg. That¡¯s why I can tell what he wants to say from his cries.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Anyone who has lived with a monster since young can understand what they say?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know if Set was just a good match for me, but I can at least understand each other¡¯s thoughts to a certain extent.¡¹ After Rei stopped speaking, there were a few seconds of silence, where the only thing that could be heard was the voices of those investigating the abnormal species echoing through the warehouse. The first to break the silence was Vosk. The look in his eyes was gone, as if the sharp gaze earlier had just been a lie. ¡¸Well, those details are enough. Anyhow, the abnormal species that hurt my younger brothers was killed and handed over in one piece. Furthermore, a high ranking monster like a Griffon felt that something was suspicious. If I try to get any more out of you, I¡¯ll probably end up getting hurt.¡¹ Vosk realised there was more to it, but he didn¡¯t pursue any further. Rei frowned slightly when Vosk said that. Although he wanted to find out what was with the abnormal species, Rei wasn¡¯t too happy for Vosk to catch onto something about him. The first time he met Vosk, Rei had thought he was just a typical muscle brain. But after several encounters, he had realised that Vosk wasn¡¯t just that¡­¡­he was someone who could rule the Labyrinth City Exil¡­¡­and even if he wasn¡¯t that capable, he could still maintain the city without issue. ¡¸By the way, what do you think the reason could be for there to be several magic powers? What would you say, Rei, as a mage?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. The fact that there are several magic powers means that it isn¡¯t normal. Perhaps someone accidentally or, for whatever reason, artificially created these abnormal species.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, the sound of Vosk grinding his teeth could be heard through the room. Although it wasn¡¯t governed by the Silva family alone, he didn¡¯t like the fact that someone was doing whatever they wanted inside his territory of Exil. Looking at Vosk and seeing the veins on his forehead, Elena gave a sigh while stroking Set. (In this situation, it¡¯s probably better not to tell him that the Levisor or Marschel families are likely pulling the threads in this case. Although it hurts that Rei can¡¯t give a clear rationale, he has to keep the Magic Beast Art a secret.) Rei must have thought the same thing. He opened his mouth for a moment, but eventually closed it without saying anything. ¡¸Oh, first of all, the magic stone! Find the magic stone that acts as the monster¡¯s core!¡¹ ¡¸Big brother, we¡¯ve handed the stone to the guild for a while now¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Doesn¡¯t matter. There is a difference between searching for something we don¡¯t know and searching with a clear understanding of what we¡¯re looking for!¡¹ In response to Vosk¡¯s words, people started to take action. As Rei¡¯s group watched on, Vosk pulled out a small cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to them. ¡¸Anyway, you¡¯ve done well. It¡¯s the best it could have turned out for the Silva family. Thank you. Here¡¯s your reward. And two silver coins.¡¹ Inside the cloth bag that was handed over to them, there were two gold coins, a reward for taking up the request, two platinum coins, from successfully completing the request, and an extra two silver coins. ¡¸Is this okay?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s at my discretion. It¡¯s a request that didn¡¯t go through the guild in the first place. It¡¯s not uncommon for rewards to go up and down a bit. As an adventurer, you know that best, right?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t say much since I¡¯ve basically only taken requests posted on the guild¡¯s request board. ¡­¡­Well, if you¡¯re giving me more, I¡¯ll take it.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Vosk gave a manly smile. ¡¸That¡¯s it, that¡¯s more like it. I¡¯ve gone to the trouble of paying you more to keep you close. You should take as much as you want.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t think it makes much sense for you to tell us that directly.¡¹ Rei replied with some amazement. But the person in question didn¡¯t seem to care about the situation at all as he waved his hand. ¡¸Look, there¡¯s nothing more for you to do toady. You can head back. You¡¯ve been fighting in the desert all day. Considering that, you should take some rest. ¡­¡­That said, you guys have been entering the dungeon almost every day anyway. Regardless, there¡¯s nothing much for you to do here is there? You can do whatever you want for the rest of the day.¡¹ Rei was at a loss for a moment on how to handle to the Goblin Bandit Mage. However, since he had already absorbed its magic stone, he didn¡¯t think it would do any good to take it out, it would only make him more suspicious. ¡­¡­In the end, he turned away without handing it over. ¡¸Then, we¡¯ll take you up on that.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, I might call for you if something happens again, so keep that in mind.¡¹ Set and Elena followed after Rei with a small nod towards the voice from behind them. ¡¸Well¡­¡­in any case, whoever has been making these abnormal species needs to pay for what they¡¯ve done. Hey, none of you miss a single thing that could be a clue!¡¹ ¡ºYes!¡» Vosk¡¯s voice and those that answered him echoed through the warehouse. CH 437 At night, the rain that had started in the evening continued to fall. Although rain was drizzling down, the temperature didn¡¯t drop and the warm rain clung to the skin in the high humidity, which combined with the tropical summer night, was an unpleasant feeling. In such weather, angry voices echoed within the Levisor family¡¯s residence in the east of Exil. ¡¸The Silva family has secured an abnormal species!? What were you thinking! Weren¡¯t you the one who told me to be carefuL?¡¹ The man listening to Schaffner¡¯s words frowned. Schaffner only ever gave orders and pushed the role of ever doing anything to others. When things went well, he would claim the credit, but if anything went wrong, the blunder was always the fault of someone else ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but it was adventurers and not the Silva family who killed the abnormal species. It was also Crimson and the General Princess. I believe you said you would do something about them?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­ahhh! Are you saying it¡¯s my fault!? The abnormal species and stopping the Silva family, you are blaming it all on me!¡¹ At Schaffner¡¯s words, the man really wanted to say yes. But, if he said that to Schaffner, who had a glass of wine in his hands and was red faced in drunkenness and anger, the old man in front of him would focus his anger towards him. If that happened, he would be dragged down every time he did something. Because of that, he spun his words while paying attention to not upset Schaffner. ¡¸No, we just happened to be out of luck this time. In the first place, I couldn¡¯t imagine that the abnormal species would attack the Silva family, let alone that Vosk Silva would become so angry that he would hire adventurers to retaliate. I hadn¡¯t expected him to take any action. Above all, I didn¡¯t expect that the abnormal species would be found so easily in the vast 11th floor. It was all just bad luck.¡¹ ¡¸Huff¡­¡­hufff¡­¡­yes, that¡¯s right. I am not to blame. It was all bad luck.¡¹ The man gave an inaudible laugh and didn¡¯t say anything as he watched Schaffner drain his cup. But eyes spoke louder than words. The man¡¯s gaze towards Schaffner was no longer one of looking at a person. Rather, there was a cold calculative look, like when one was about to dispose of a broken tool. (In the first place, as long as the Silva family continues to enter the dungeon, the chances of running into an abnormal species aren¡¯t that low. In fact, they had already run into the abnormal species Sword Bee. The only reason why there was no retaliation was because they only suffered minor injuries. ¡­¡­The situation of abnormal species might not be widespread, but after finding out their existence and recovering their corpses, there is a possibility they will find out. I guess it¡¯s time to get rid of this old man.) ¡¸That¡¯s right. There were some irregularities, but things have still generally gone according to our plans. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything we need to worry about.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha. That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. There is definitely nothing wrong with what I¡¯ve done. You should show your loyalty to me.¡¹ The man said that to Schaffner with a smile and a bow. Schaffner raised his wine glass to his mouth with a smile of his own, as if sure that he would be the final winner. ¡¸Then, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll have to deal with those few accidents. May the Goddess of Holy Light bless you.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Work hard.¡¹ The man left the room as he heard those words sending him off. (He¡¯s a naked king who can only adorn himself with words of vanity.) The man left the Levisor family residence with those thought in his mind as felt the warm humidity from the rain that continued to faintly fall at night. He proceeded to a place covered in darkness. If it had been a clear day, the surroundings would have been visible under the moonlight, but with rain clouds over the sky, the surroundings were completely hidden in darkness. Nevertheless, the man continued down the road without hesitation, eventually stopped at a dead end in a secluded area before speaking. ¡¸Are you there?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ A voice answered him from the darkness, but the man didn¡¯t seem to be bothered and continued speaking as if it were normal¡­¡­ ¡¸How are things going?¡¹ ¡¸Strict security has been laid around the warehouse secured by the Silva family. Unfortunately, the situation over there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s fine. Rather, it¡¯s convenient. The lizard¡¯s tail should be cut off at our own discretion rather than not knowing when it will be cut off.¡¹ ¡¸Then?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Attack the warehouse as soon as you can. But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know. Fortunately, I have someone who used to work for the Levisor family here. Should we keep their corpse near the warehouse?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, that guy?¡¹ The person who passed through the man¡¯s mind was the man who had been assigned by Schaffner to keep an eye on Rei. He had directly met with Rei, who he was supposed to monitor, and offended him with his arrogance, thereby worsening Rei and Elena¡¯s view of the Levisor family. If it hadn¡¯t been for that incident, Rei and Elena might not have been hired by the Silva family, even if temporarily. If that hadn¡¯t happened, the investigation into the abnormal species wouldn¡¯t have progressed this far either. In that light, the current predicament of the Levisor family was self inflicted by Schaffner for hiring someone like that. The man sneered in the dark, but immediately shoook his head. (It¡¯s up to the Levisor family if they want to destroy themselves, but I can¡¯t be caught up in it. Considering that, it would be best to dispose of the tools that we can¡¯t use.) ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll leave the attack to you.¡¹ ¡¸Yes sir!¡¹ ¡¸And, don¡¯t leave any evidence that we were connected in any way to the Levisor family.¡¹ ¡¸That includes people, right?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. People are the most annoying evidence.¡¹ When the man said that, a different voice was suddenly heard from within the darkness. ¡¸There is someone who has offered to leave the Levisor family and join us. What would you like to do?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Even if the head of the family is impossibly stupid, there are still people under him who are reasonably intelligent. The Levisor family is a prestigious family, even if they are rotten. What are the abilities of the person who offered to join us?¡¹ ¡¸As a researcher, they¡¯re first class, but there have no ethics of any sort.¡¹ The man¡¯s eyebrows frowned unpleasantly when he heard that the researcher had no ethics, he spoke up after a few seconds of silence. ¡¸Don¡¯t take him in. We might be Shadows, but even Shadows have our minimum standards of humanity.¡¹ ¡¸Still, as I said, he¡¯s a first class researcher. It would be a huge loss to dispose of them here. And, if they run away and are caught by the Silva family, it could be a lethal source of evidence.¡¹ ¡¸I knew. If they really have the ability¡­¡­no, that¡¯s right. Does that person really have the skills?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, for certain.¡¹ ¡¸Then, you don¡¯t have to kill him, but bringing him in is a big risk to us. Hand him over to the Marschel¡¯s.¡¹ Hearing that, there was a moment of confusion within the darkness. ¡¸The Marschel family? It¡¯s true that they are doing a lot of work with magic stones, but they¡¯re looking in a different direction in the experiments they¡¯re conducting compared to the Levisor family.¡¹ ¡¸What, if that person is truely first class, he will be able to make his mark even if the direction is different. If we hand him over to the Marschel family, they will also feel a little indebted to us. That¡¯s all that matters.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. Then, arrangements will be made for that.¡¹ The voice that had interrupted them disappeared and the voice that had been originally talking to the man spoke up again. He had been interrupted while he had been speaking, but he didn¡¯t show any signs of frustration about it as he resumed their previous conversation as if nothing had happened. ¡¸Then, it¡¯s okay to start the attack tonight?¡¹ ¡¸yeah. It¡¯s been a while since the corpses of the abnormal species were brought in. Given that, some results would have been taken to the guild and the Silva family¡¯s residence. All of that should be disposed of. It would be impossible to erase everything completely, but be sure to dispose of the corpses of the abnormal species at least.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Then, we¡¯ll do it ourselves without using others.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine. ¡­¡­Is there anything else?¡¹ At the man¡¯s words, silence filled the darkness for several seconds. However, eventually, a third person that wasn¡¯t the first man to speak or the one that interrupted them spoke out, breaking the silence. Unlike the first two, this voice belonged to a woman and had a hard tone with a soft resonance. ¡¸Crimson and the General Princess. What about those two? This all happened because of their involvement in the first place. Considering that, wouldn¡¯t it be better to deal with those two while we still can? Fortunately, this is Exil. If anything happens to Duke Kerebel¡¯s daughter, we won¡¯t be suspected.¡¹ It was a proposal that could only be called extreme. The man thought if the proposal was reasonable for a few seconds¡­¡­before shaking his head. ¡¸No, let¡¯s leave it for now. They are two people with titles and there¡¯s also a Griffon. The other sides¡¯ strength is too great and there is a risk we will fail to finish him off. If we could do that without risk of failure, then Exil would definitely have been the place to do it. ¡­¡­No, this is my mistake. If I had brought a few Stigmas with me, it would have been a different story.¡¹ Stigmas. The moment those words came out of the man¡¯s mouth, the atmosphere became tense. ¡¸We can¡¯t say their names¡­¡­they are our symbols. We can¡¯t take them out for underground work.¡¹ ¡¸Haah, I know. I¡¯m just saying. But the fact of the matter is, those three¡­¡­or four if you include the Dragon familiar? Any how, if we were to take them on, our strength is overwhelmingly insufficient. Because of that, we cannot allow them to touch us under current circumstances. Do you understand?¡¹ ¡ºYes sir!¡» At the mans¡¯ words, several voices conveyed their acknowledgement in unison. ¡¸Then, we will disperse. Each of you do what you have to do. May the Goddess of Holy Light bless you all.¡¹ ¡ºBlessed be the Goddess of Holy Light.¡» After those words echoed out into the darkness, all signs of people vanished the next moment. Including the man, who was their leader, the many people who had been there disappeared without leaving a single trace that they had been present. ¡¸It¡¯s already night, but it¡¯s still so hot.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because it¡¯s raining. Continue to keep a good eye on lookout. If big brother Vosk catches you slacking, there will be hell to pay.¡¹ ¡¸I know. But what are we going to watching keeping watch here. It¡¯s not like monsters will attack us in Exil. And there¡¯s still a lot of time until the next shift.¡¹ ¡¸No, if they come out from the dungeon¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess so. I¡¯ve heard that they¡¯ve come out before, but it¡¯s been a long time since then.¡¹ At the warehouse not far from the guild. At the entrance, two adventurers were standing guard in the humid tropical environment. Although they were tired from the heat and were feeling drowsy, as adventurers hired by the Silva family, they continued to serve their role. If they had been working as bouncers at a bar or bodyguards for a merchant, the two of them might have taken their work somewhat more seriously. But this time, they had been ordered to stand guard at a warehouse. They had been told that there were corpses of abnormal species inside, but those were still the corpses of monsters and they had no idea who would attack such a place. There was no evidence that the the abnormal species were artificially created and Vosk had decided that it would be too dangerous if that were true and hadn¡¯t told anyone after Rei had spoken with him. Because of that, the two adventurers guarding the warehouse were doing so with an attitude that could be described as casual. ¡­¡­That was why the two of them exposed a fatal gap. ¡¸Hm? Just now¡­¡­¡¹ One of them felt something move in the darkness and he stepped forward to take a look, staring into the darkness. Hyu-! His forehead was pierced by a knife painted black to hide within the darkness as it flew out with a whistle. The next moment, the man¡¯s consciousness fell away into eternal darkness. He fell to the ground with the dagger still stuck in his forehead. Hearing that sound, the other adventurer must have realised that something strange was happening. He was about to call out to the other adventurers in the warehouse¡­¡­when a hand suddenly reached out from behind him, covered his mouth, and with a swift motion, broke his neck, killing him. The men that took out the two adventurers without hesitation were dressed in black, as if blending into the darkness, just like their knives. There were about 20 of them. They didn¡¯t speak with each other and, when they saw their leader wave his hand down, they entered the warehouse without a sound of giving away any sign of the presence. An hour later, Vosk, who was sleeping at his residence, received a report that a suspicious fire had destroyed the warehouse, where they had been conducting research on the abnormal species, as well as several other buildings in the area. CH 438 The day after the subjugation of the abnormal species. At the Golden Wind inn, Rei and Elena went to the dining area to eat breakfast. Rei was concerned that the dining area was strangely noisy, but what caught his attention more was the food that several guests were eating for breakfast. Namely¡­¡­ ¡¸Is that, udon?¡¹ Yes, what the guests were eating was definitely udon. The ingredients and broth were slightly different to what Rei knew, but there was no mistaking that it was udon, the first noodle dish to be introduced to Elgin. ¡¸Oh, you know of it? It was a dish that was recently introduced to Exil. The story is that it was invented in Gilm, the famous frontier city.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ A waiter, who had heard Rei¡¯s murmurs, replied and Elena gave a small nod when she realised what Rei was surprised about. Gilm and Exil were quite far apart in terms of distance. It could take several months to make the journey on foot. He was probably surprised that a dish invented in Gilm had made it to a place so far away. Of course, that was one of the reasons, but not the only one. Udon was originally a dish popularised by Rei, and whether it was popular trend or because of the chef¡¯s skill, udon had become a common dish in Gilm and its surroundings. That said, Rei was genuinely surprised to find the food he taught had spread to Exil. (Don¡¯t tell me that seafood okonomiyaki will spread all over the country soon as well?) As he thought about that, he and Elena both ordered udon to try it out and took a seat. A few minutes passed. Although it was udon, it was still on the thinner side, so it was boiled in a few minutes and brought to them in a bowl with other ingredients and a rich broth. As expected of a first class inn, all ingredients used were first class. The meat came from a C rank monster called Armoured Sheep, which lived in the deeper layers of the dungeon. There were also young Aruraune shoots and other rare ingredients simmered in the broth to create a morning dish. Despite the strong seasoning, the taste was so good that it made you want to eat as much as you could. (Even if it¡¯s udon, it¡¯s very different from the udon I knew.) Most of the udon that Rei knew was the kind served in popular eateries. However, what he was eating now was a dish that could only be described as a high class dish made with rare ingredients and prepared by a first class chef who had put in a lot of time and effort. ¡¸Huh, this is delicious.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Up to this point, it looks similar, but the taste is completely different.¡¹ Using a fork, he savoured the noodles along with the meat, that melted in his mouth as soon as he bit into it while retaining just the amount of elasticity. As if copying Rei, ELena also tried the udon with the young Aruraune shoots. They focused on eating without talking to each other and after about 10 mintues, their bowls were empty. Bringing the last spoonful of soup to his mouth and giving a sigh in satisfaction¡­¡­Rei could finally afford to listen in to the noisy conversations around him. ¡¸Is that story true!?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. No doubt. As soon as I woke up and heard about it, I sent someone to check it out. The warehouse has definitely burnt down. The surrounding buildings were taken out as collateral damage as well.¡¹ ¡¸But why¡­¡­is there anything that could have caught fire there¡­..?¡¹ ¡¸About that. I¡¯ve heard that there were corpses found, so it¡¯s probably not an accident. Someone probably attacked them.¡¹ ¡¸An attack? But why would anyone attack something there?¡¹ ¡¸The thing is, apparently the Silva family had rented the warehouse that was at the center of the fire.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute. The Silva family? Then¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. There will definitely be retaliation against the person who caused the fire, because most of the dead are adventurers who were working for the Silva familiy.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A storm is coming¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It might be better to quickly leave Exil. We don¡¯t want to get caught up in the mess of the retaliation.¡¹ ¡¸Should we do that as well? But the very act of leaving Exil might cause the Silva family to judge us¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ll have to make your own choice regarding that. Would you rather stay in Exil and risk getting caught in the retaliation or leave Exil knowing that you might be suspected of being involved in this matter?¡¹ Such stories could be heard everywhere in the dining area. Because the Golden Wind inn was well known as a luxury inn in Exil, most of the people here were wealthy merchants, nobles, and high ranking adventurers. Because of that, it wasn¡¯t uncommon to see people discussing with their acquaintances on how to escape the uproar that would shortly take place in Exil. ¡¸¡­¡­Elena.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I heard. But the warehouse, huh?¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s call, Elena replied with a frown. Both of them knew what was being talked about. What was the warehouse where corpses were found after it was burnt down, as discussed in the conversations around them? It was the warehouse where they had brought the corpse of the abnormal species Spear Frog the day before. ¡¸If the warehouse was attacked, then probably¡­¡­¡¹ He didn¡¯t speak any further as he looked towards Elena. Elena nodded silently, agreeing with Rei¡¯s line of thought. They both agreed that the person who had been creating the abnormal species had probably attacked the warehouse to destroy the evidence. (But¡­¡­who was it? The Levisor and Marschel families. Both of them have been buying up magic stones, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for it to be either of them.) While gathering his thoughts in his mind, Rei could only come up with one conclusion. Namely¡­¡­ ¡¸The Levisor family.¡¹ ¡¸That is certainly the most likely scenario. But¡­¡­¡¹ Elena nodded hesitantly at Rei¡¯s words. She had never met the person called Pree, the head of the Marschel family, but as far as rumours went, she was at least better than Schaffner. Considering that, she naturally thought that an attack like this one, which was a blatant attempt to destroy evidence and keep people¡¯s mouths shut, would have been carried out by Schaffner. However, for some reason, despite feeling so sure, she couldn¡¯t believe that this was the right answer. A subtle sense of discomfort. Something that couldn¡¯t be explained by circumstantial evidence alone. Elena had such a feeling. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Is there something you¡¯re worried about?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There is something, but there¡¯s no evidence.¡¹ Compared to Elena, Rei was completely convinced that this was a bold by the Levisor family. Yes, just as planned by the person who had ordered the attack. ¡¸In that case¡­¡­what should we do about it? If this had nothing to do with us, we would have left it alone.¡¹ Rei sighed as he brought a glass of chilled fruit juice from the table to his mouth. If the attacked warehouse had simply been a place to study monsters, or if it had been a facility belonging to the Silva family that was doing something completely unrelated, they wouldn¡¯t have worried about it. They would have just gone to the 12th dungeon floor to continue clearing it. However, what had been attacked this time was a facility for dissecting and researching abnormal species. For Rei and his Magic Beast Art, this wasn¡¯t something he could overlook. ¡¸Well, why don¡¯t we ask the Silva family then? We were the ones who killed the abnormal species this time. If the warehouse where the corpse was stored was attacked, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for us to ask about it. Besides¡­¡­there are some things that concern me.¡¹ The main reason Elena wanted to head to the Silva family wasn¡¯t because of her concern for Rei, but rather a sense of discomfort that had been bothering her for a while. That said, Elena¡¯s words were a blessing in disguise for Rei. He knew how detrimental the existence of abnormal species could be to himself. ¡¸Would you like to head over right away? Even Vosk would like to secure as much strength as possible after being attacked.¡¹ Thus, Rei and Elena changed their plans for the day from entering the dungeon to visiting the Silva family. After breakfast, both Set and Yellow left the inn with them as they weren¡¯t heading for the dungeon. ¡¸¡­¡­Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of angry people.¡¹ 10 minutes out from the Golden Wind inn. As they walked through the city as usual, the main street felt very restless. The reason for this was probably due to the presence of seething adventurers. The city was full of people who served the Silva family, those who were indebted to them, and those who admired Vosk. The reason there wasn¡¯t any commotion despite this was perhaps due to the high level of leadership that Vosk possessed. ¡¸That¡¯s true, but I don¡¯t see any brawls or fights happening as a result of that.¡¹ Elena must have noticed the same thing as Rei. She nodded while impressed. Whether it was Rei or Elena, they were adventurers and knights who fought as part of their living. That was why they weren¡¯t too bothered by the fact the the city was filled with adventurers who seemed to be on the verge of murder. However, to the average person, these adventurers were very threatening and they moved quickly to avoid getting tangled up with them. ¡¸Anyway, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything we can do about this. The Silva family was in the north of Exil, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ The Silva family. The moment he said those words, the eyes of the adventurers in the surroundings were drawn to Rei. But, it seemed that it was reasonably well know that the Silva family and Rei were close, so most of them quickly averted their gaze. Some of them weren¡¯t aware and tried to go up to Rei, but they were quickly quieted down and informed of the situation by the other adventurers around them. The adventurers weren¡¯t looking for random people to fight, but rather those that had something against the Silva family. Because of that, none of them bothered Rei or Elena. In this restless city, they caught a public carriage, similar to the one they had taken on the way back from the Levisor family, and made their way to the north of the city where the Silva family was. The fact that there were fewer glances than usual towards Set, who was following behind the carriage, was probably due to the fact that adventurers and even ordinary citizens who worked with the Silva family were too concerned with other matters. ¡¸Here aw well? I think it will be like this for a while.¡¹ Elena murmured with a sigh as she looked out the carriage window. From her window view, the number of murderous adventurers grew the further north they went. It was an expected situation as they were heading in the direction of the Silva family¡¯s residence. (If rubbed the wrong way, they¡¯ll probably go out of control.) Rei thought the same thing as he looked out the window. It was no surprise as the Silva family was filled with rowdy people, as could be seen from the incident at the eatery where he had first encountered Vosk. If someone tried to fight them, they would end up having to fight every single adventurer related to the Silva family in the vicinity. (I wouldn¡¯t like to lose¡­¡­but it would be a massive hassle.) While thinking like that, they got off the carriage and made their way to the Silva family residence, a large mansion that could be seen from where they were. As expected of the home base of the Silva family, the number of adventurers increased as they approached the residence. Even so, no one was suspicious of Rei¡¯s group as they probably knew of his relationship with Vosk. Considering that they have been called by the guild for private discussions with him twice¡­¡­they were considered close guests, if not directly related. In a sense, this place could be considered the safest place in Exil right now, but even then, not many people would want to come here. No matter how safe it was, it was clear that not many people would like to spend their time in such a tense environment. Looking at the surroundings as he thought to himself, they eventually arrived at the Silva family residence, their destination. Because it was the residence of one of the three families that governed Exil, it had to look the part. In front of Rei¡¯s group was a mansion so large it was hard to believe it belonged to Vosk, it was a building of quality and sturdiness. It was comparable to the Levisor mansion, which Rei¡¯s group had once been summoned to. Two men, both over 2m tall and wearing full plate mail, stood as gatekeepers. Rei called out to them. ¡¸I would like to meet with Vosk about last night¡¯s incident. Can you tell him that?¡¹ CH 439 Glare. The moment Rei mentioned last night¡¯s matter, the gazes of the two men serving as gatekeepers intensified. It wasn¡¯t quite murderous intent, but if anything happened, they were ready to kill. One of the gatekeepers spoke with signs of such determination. ¡¸To confirm, you¡¯re talking about the warehouse that was attacked last night?¡¹ The words that he spoke were polite despite his fierce appearance that would scare children. However, because of that, the sense of incongruity was only greater. There was a certain intensity in the gatekeeper¡¯s words that would instil fear of some kind. However, Rei nodded as if that didn¡¯t bother him. ¡¸Yeah, I heard something like that happened the same day we brought in the corpse of the abnormal species we had killed. I was really concerned.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand, please wait a moment.¡¹ A short reply was given and one of the gatekeepers went straight into the mansion. ¡¸The atmosphere is quite harsh.¡¹ The other gatekeeper gave a small nod in response to Rei as they saw the other gatekeeper off. ¡¸As you know, yesterday¡¯s attack has put everyone on edge. I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸No, you don¡¯t have to apologise. Losing your friends. I know how that feels.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Rei muttered and Set gave a cry in agreement. The gatekeeper didn¡¯t show any surprise at the presence of a Griffon, probably because he was too concerned with his own thoughts. After that, the gatekeeper just stood there without saying anything more. Rei and Elena also stood there in the harsh atmosphere. About five minutes later¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting. Vosk-sama is waiting, so please enter. However, regarding the Griffon¡­¡­¡¹ After the gatekeeper returned and spoke to Rei with a bow, Rei nodded. ¡¸Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry, knowing what to do without being told, as he headed for the garden with Yellow on his back. The garden had more or less been turned into a training ground, but there was still some greenery left in the area, so Set decided to spend his time there. The gatekeeper had reservations about letting Set go where he pleased, but since Vosk had personally told them to let him be, he said nothing more and went back to their duties as a gatekeeper. ¡¸Welcome guests.¡¹ A man in his late 20¡¯s to early 30¡¯s greeted Rei and Elena as they entered the mansion. His sharp eyes and green hair stood out. It was Sanctions, the head butler of the Silva family. His expression was calm, the same as when he had met Rei for the first time in a hallway at the guild. Because of that, he was quite conspicuous compared to the adventurers guarding the surrounding area with a harsh atmosphere. (¡­¡­No, he still looks less relaxed than before.) Although it didn¡¯t show on his face, Sanctions¡¯ body gave off a feeling of tiredness. Seeing that, both Rei and Elena thought the same thing. As far as the two of them knew, the Silva family was a more physical oriented group, Vosk himself was very active in that role. Rei had seen several times that Vosk could also do paperwork, but his essence was still that of a fighter. Then there were those people that served or worked with the Silva family. Those people basically all had similar personalities and looked up to Vosk. Under such circumstances, Sanctions was the only one who used more of his brains. In a sense, he was the one who held up the Vosk family, more so than Vosk. For that reasons, the current burden on Sanctions must have been considerable. ¡¸I think you know why we¡¯re here without us saying anything.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s about last night. We were hoping to get in touch with you as soon as possible, so this is convenient for us.¡¹ ¡¸Get in touch with us?¡¹ When Rei asked involuntarily at Sanctions¡¯ words, Sanctions nodded. ¡¸Yes. But, please ask Vosk-sama for more details. This way.¡¹ Saying that, he immediately made his way down the hallway as if leading Rei and Elena. Rei and Elena looked at each other for a moment, but since there was no point just standing there, they decided to follow Sanctions and hear about the situation. After walking for about 10 minutes, they arrived at a room at the far end of the mansion. Sanctions knocked on the door. ¡¸Vosk-sama, Elena-sama and Rei-sama are here.¡¹ ¡¸Come in.¡¹ A short reply. However, even with those brief words, they could feel the anger contained in those words coming through the wall. (I know why of course¡­¡­) The face of the Silva family had been crushed, smeared with mud, and made a mockery off. It should be said that it was already good that they hadn¡¯t started to run amok. Any how, Rei and Elena, who entered the door opened by Sanctions, were surprised to see Vosk sitting on a large chair made to fit his body. He was definitely angry, but for some reason, his expression was calm. That said, they soon realised they were mistaken. He could be called calm, but there was an intense anger burning at the back of his eyes. He was like a carnivore on the verge of devouring its prey, emitting killing intent while hiding itself. Maybe it was because Vosk was in such a state that Sanctions did not enter the room. ¡¸You¡¯ve come. I thought you wouldn¡¯t want to get involved with our business.¡¹ Such a calm voice would send shivers done the spines of people who heard him. However, the two people in the room just nodded their heads slightly, not seeming to feel anything in particular with regards to Vosk¡¯s state. That was because they had both been through the same types of ordeals that Vosk had just been through. ¡¸What, after hearing that the place we brought the abnormal species to was attacked the same night, of course we¡¯d come.¡¹ Especially for Rei, as he also wanted to find out more information about the abnormal species. Why did the Death Scythe have a back flow of magic power when absorbing a magic stone but nothing happened with Set absorbed the magic stone of the Queen Bee? Why did abnormal species show up in various floors of the dungeon? Why did abnormal species have a higher strenght compared to other monsters? It was for that reason that he handed over the abnormal species Spear Frog to the Silva family¡¯s warehouse, hoping to find out even a little more information, but this was the result. ¡¸I see. Well, I guess that¡¯s true. Don¡¯t worry. I know who did it.¡¹ Vosk replied to Rei with a fierce smile on his face, like a predator. Hearing that, Rei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Because the people of the Silva family were still searching for the people that had done the attack, he hadn¡¯t thought that they had collected much information regarding the matter yet. Rei had come to the Silva residence because, in this situation, he didn¡¯t really have any other way to find out any information. However, in that case, there was still one question. That is¡­¡­ ¡¸Then, what are those people doing in the city?¡¹ Yes. What were the adventurers looking for clues of the criminals doing in the city. If the attacker was already known, why bother doing that? At Rei¡¯s question, Vosk spoke with a fierce smile. ¡¸It¡¯s so that they don¡¯t know we¡¯ve identified who did it. They wouldn¡¯t expect us to find out it was them so quickly. We¡¯ll make them think we¡¯re working hard to find the culprit and catch them off guard so we can finish the job in one swoop.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s that easy?¡¹ ¡¸It shouldn¡¯t be a problem. They shouldn¡¯t have realised they¡¯ve made a mistake yet. The evidence we have was found almost by accident.¡¹ Rei decided there was no point in saying anything more to Vosk, who just said he would show them the results. Besides, Rei hadn¡¯t come to the Silva family to stop Vosk. It would be strange for him to do that as he had come to find out more information regarding people who might be related to the abnormal speices. In the middle of all this, Elena, who had been silently listening in, spoke up. ¡¸Vosk, may I ask what the evidence is?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m sorry, but I want to minimise the number of people who know about this matter. Few people know there is any evidence at all. The only reason I¡¯ve told you two is because you were involved in the original matter. But I can¡¯t give you anymore information than that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Even at my request?¡¹ Even at the request from Elena Kerebel, daughter of Duke Kerebel? Knowing what she meant, Vosk nodded without a second of hesitation. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Even at your request. A lot of my brothers were killed in this attack. It was a one sided ambush. In order to avenge the deaths of those who looked up to me, I cannot give up here.¡¹ The sound of his grinding teeth could be heard throughout the room. Elena must have judged it was useless to say any more. She eventually gave a small sigh. She was about to speak again, but Vosk interrupted her, taking control of the conversation. ¡¸However, if we have adventurers as skilled as you on our side, we¡¯d be happy to have you. I¡¯m willing to share the evidence if it¡¯s someone I¡¯m comfortable with, someone who won¡¯t divulge secrets¡­¡­what will you do?¡¹ At that question, after a few seconds of silence, Elena shook her head. ¡¸No, I can¡¯t get involved in Exil¡¯s power struggle. If my position is made clear, it will cause all sorts of trouble.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Then, what about Rei? You¡¯re not part of a duke¡¯s family or anything like that, right?¡¹ Vosk immediately asked Rei as he had half expected Elena¡¯s refusal. From the beginning, he hadn¡¯t expected Elena to help them in their fight, but he had thought that Rei, who had no direct relationship with nobility, might. Rei did have some relations with nobles, such as Daska, the lord of Gilm. However, it was true that he was primarily an ordinary adventurer, albeit a very skilled one, and had significantly less relations with nobles compared to Elena, who came from a duke¡¯s family. However¡­¡­after thinking for a few seconds as well, Rei also shook his head. ¡¸No, let¡¯s stop here. There are many things to consider, but as Elena said, if we side with the Silva family here, there will be a lot of trouble later.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave for today. We¡¯ll be busy from now on, so I don¡¯t have the time for you two.¡¹ At Vosk¡¯s words, Rei and Elena looked at each other before nodding. ¡¸We understand. Even if we stay here, we will only take up your time. ¡­¡­But, will things be fine? Whether it¡¯s a power struggle or retaliation, if the general public of Exil is hurt in any way¡­¡­¡¹ Elena stopped her words there as she looked at the giant Vosk with a sharp gaze. It was an intense glare¡­¡­her gaze seemed to carry some sort of physical pressure as Vosk twitched for a moment, but he eventually nodded as he spoke. ¡¸Of course. I am the head of the Silva family who governs Exil. Even if I were corrupt, I wouldn¡¯t ever do anything that would harm my people. I promise you that.¡¹ ¡¸I see. That¡¯s fine then. ¡­¡­Rei, let¡¯s go. There¡¯s nothing more we can do.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Turning away, they left the room while feeling Vosk¡¯s eyes on their backs. As Vosk watched them leave, the moment Elena and Rei went out of sight, a large amount of sweat broke out on his forehead and back. His body was cold, but his forehead and back were hot. At the same time he felt a chill completely opposite to the heat. ¡¸Her title of General Princess is not just for show¡­.. But, I can¡¯t stop. Not until I¡¯ve had the chance to avenge all those who have died.¡¹ Focusing on what he needed to do, he desperately put strength into his body that was on the verge of collapsing. ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so, Vosk-sama won¡¯t stop.¡¹ Sanctions gave a small sigh as he sent Rei and Elena from the room to outside the mansion. Rei and Elena couldn¡¯t help but look at him with a strange expression. The reason was that as someone who served Vosk, it seemed like he thought it would be better not to retaliate. ¡¸Is there anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸There is certainly evidence of who the attackers were, but I feel like it was intentionally left behind¡­¡­no, it was certainly hard to find. It feels like I¡¯m overthinking this when I think about it¡­¡­but it just seems like we¡¯re dancing in the palm of someone elses hand.¡¹ ¡¸Then, shouldn¡¯t we stop Vosk?¡¹ Sanctions shook his head at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸No, this is only my own feeling, I have no proof. And since Vosk has a lot of compassion towards his brothers, and because they were all cruelly murdered¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Sanctions¡¯ words, Rei and Elena had no choice but to consider what they should do themselves. CH 440 ¡¸What the hell did you say!?¡¹ Along with that yell, a glass of wine was thrown past the man who had brought in the report, hitting a wall, falling to the ground, and splattering wine onto the expensive carpet, giving the air a strong alcohol smell. However, the man spoke again, despite being yelled at by the person in front of him¡­¡­his master. ¡¸As I said, the warehouse where the Silva family had taken the corpse of the abnormal species to investigate was attacked by someone. Furthermore, it seems it was set on fire.¡¹ ¡¸What! Who ordered such a thing! It was true that young Vosk was being a nuisance, but he wasn¡¯t a clear enemy of mine! Yet, here we are, openly antagonising them!¡¹ There was a reason, of course, for Schaffner¡¯s frustration. The Silva family was headed by Vosk, the youngest of the three family heads that governed Exil. There were many adventurers in the Silva family who looked up to Vosk as sort of an older brother. Of course, even if they were corrupt, the Levisor family was also one of the three families. They still had a certain amount of strength, but it only reached so far. At the very least, Schaffner didn¡¯t think he could fight the Silva family head on¡­¡­ What to do, what to do. If they fought, they would definitely lose. Then, how could they avoid fighting¡­¡­ Like that, Schaffner pondered how to deal with the matter, but his subordinate continued to report. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. It wasn¡¯t the Levisor family that attacked the warehouse.¡¹ At those words, Schaffner, who had been red faced in thought, suddenly froze as he spoke cautiously. ¡¸¡­¡­What did you say? Is that true?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. At the very least, last night, the Levisor family didn¡¯t make any moves. So it was probably a completely different group that attacked the warehouse.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­hmm¡­¡­hmm! I see! Then there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. Seriously, you shouldn¡¯t have been in such a rush. But in that case¡­¡­does that mean it was the Marschel family that attacked?¡¹ There were currently only three families that governed Exil, the Silva family, Marschel family, and the Levisor family. The Silva family had been the one that was attacked and the Levisor hadn¡¯t made any moves. In that case, the only family left was the Marschel family. Reaching that conclusion, Schaffner exclaimed with pleasure. ¡¸Hmph, that jewel freak finally did something useful for me. I never thought she¡¯d be the one to show that young man pain instead of me. Hahaha. This is delightful. I hope that young man learns his lesson.¡¹ Knowing that the Levisor family¡¯s forces hadn¡¯t been the one to attack, Schaffner naturally thought that he was completely safe as he poured wine into a new glass and lifted it up in celebration as he spoke. ¡¸The young man is going to be in a world of pain for being on the wrong side. No, this is just an unfortunate coincidence. I don¡¯t know what he did to that jewel freak to make her attack the Silva family, but it¡¯s nothing but good luck to me.¡¹ The man who had brought the report to Schaffner, who was in a good mood as he brought the wine to his mouth, stood quietly without saying anything. Schaffner held no concern for the man, but looking at him, he suddenly thought of an idea. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Should I take this opportunity to hit the Silva family some more? ¡­¡­Hey, get in touch with the Marschel family as soon as possible. Tell them I¡¯ll allow them to work with me.¡¹ At those words, the man who was quietly watching Schaffner spoke up. ¡¸I understand. But, if there¡¯s a big uproar here, it will naturally spread to the rest of Exil. ¡­¡­Will that be okay?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worried about.¡¹ ¡¸I fear the residents of Exil will be affected.¡¹ I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. Schaffner tilted his head as his wrinkled face contorted. ¡¸Their numbers will quickly grow back. It doesn¡¯t matter if a few of them die.¡¹ Schaffner¡¯s eyes as he spoke showed that he meant what he said. The man lost his breath at Schaffner¡¯s response, but gave a small nod before speaking again. ¡¸By the way, what would you like to do about the Church of Holy Light? If we bring them over, I think they could be used as a decent force.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, there are those guys. But, they¡¯re fools who would let abnormal species escape so easily. I think think they¡¯ll be useful.¡¹ ¡¸Then?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, no. Even if there are only a few of them, there are still enough to form a wall. So far, they haven¡¯t been of much use to us, but we can use them here. Hey, summon them¡­¡­¡¹ Summon them here. As Schaffner was about to say that, a man suddenly burst into the room. ¡¸I-I-I-It¡­¡­It¡¯s terrible!¡¹ ¡¸Ehhh-, what¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s a time to celebrate!¡¹ Schaffner, who had thought things were going as well as they could for him, couldn¡¯t forgive the person who had burst into the room, interrupting him. However, the man didn¡¯t seem to take notice of Schaffner at all as he continues speaking in confusion. ¡¸The Silva family¡­¡­the Silva family¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What happened with the Silva family? Were they finally crushed by the Marschel family? In that case, we¡¯re doing very well¡­¡­¡¹ It seemed Schaffner was still somewhat drunk from the wine he had been drinking. He tried to spin the words while dreaming of the best outcome for himself¡­¡­ ¡¸The Silva family¡¯s forces are heading for the residence!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Silence. At first, Schaffner couldn¡¯t understand what the man was saying. He wondered if his hearing was off due to his drunkenness, but of course, that was impossible. Slowly absorbing the contents of the man¡¯s report in his mind, when he finally realised what he said, Schaffner tilted his head and asked the man what he was talking about. ¡¸What? I¡¯m sorry, but could you say that again? In my old age, it seems I misheard you.¡¹ ¡¸I said, the Silva family¡¯s forces are on their way here!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Nonsense! If they were on their way somewhere, it would be towards the Marschel family, who attacked their warehouse! Why come to my residence? You must be mistaken!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s no mistake! Moreover, Vosk, the head of the Silva family, is leading his men himself.¡¹ With those words, the room was filled with silence again. Schaffner broke it as he slammed the glass he was holding onto the table. ¡¸That¡­¡­young bastard! He¡¯s using this to do something to me!? That¡¯s right, what are you doing? Prepare to intercept them immediately! Also, order the Church of Holy Light to send reinforcements. Oh, and the Marschel family. Tell them to keep me out of their fights and to come with their forces right away!¡¹ His rapid fire instructions, even in his old age, were enough to show that Schaffner was the head of the Levisor family. Even if his premise was wrong. THe two men in the room immediately left to carry out his orders. Watching them leave, he angrily slammed a 30cm tall barrel of wine that had been on the table onto the floor. The wine spilled over the floor and was absorbed by the carpet, creating a strong alcohol smell. However, Schaffner didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by this as he grit his teeth. Fortunately, it was still daytime and he wasn¡¯t that drunk. If it had been a night raid, the Silva family would have attacked when when he was completely unable to think in his drunkenness. ¡¸Thinking about it, it¡¯s still not the worst thing that could have happened.¡¹ Muttering, he began to move to face the Silva family¡¯s forces heading for his residence. ¡¸Stop, stop-!¡¹ On the road leading to the Levisor residence, Vosk, the head of the Silva family, led those that were indebted to him or looked up to him. Most of them were adventurers, but some could be considered ordinary people who were good at rough tasks. Furthermore, there were also those of slender build who weren¡¯t accustomed to rough work. There were about 300 of them. The Silva family was indeed one to be reckoned with, able to gather so many people with one voice. Against them, a group of men from the Levisor family appeared and called out to the Silva family. Compared to the Silva family¡¯s force, there were considerably less of them, but they still numbered over 100. One of them called out to Vosk, who was at the front of his group, as if to deliver a message to all of them. Although he was addressing someone of equal standing to Schaffner, his master, there was no respect in his tone. He had constantly heard Schaffner refer to Vosk as a young man, and above all, he had no intention of showing any respect to anyone who would attack the Levisor family. ¡¸¡­¡­So, are you going to stop us with that number of people?¡¹ As one of the three governing families, the Levisor family naturally had a large road built right up to their mansion. Especially after Schaffner, who care about his appearance, became the head of the Levisor family, the road had been paved with bricks, making it wide and beautiful. On this wide road, that could easily accommodate 10 carriages side by side, the Silva and Levisor families faced each other. With murderous intent from both sides, the disadvantage in numbers could be felt. There were many people on the Levisor family¡¯s side that were likely to run away immediately if anything went wrong. ¡¸Stop at once, what are you trying to do! How dare a man in your position as governor of Exil use his own military might to attack the Levisor family¡­¡­who has done nothing wrong!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up!¡¹ Done nothing wrong. The moment he heard those words, Vosk pulled out his huge claymore, his favoured sward, and swung it. The man stopped talking at the swing that seemed to shatter the air. Vosk glared at the man with a fixated look in his eyes before suddenly turning around and giving a signal. Seeing that signal, several people brought a cart pulled by a horse up to Vosk¡¯s side. ¡¸¡­¡­Look. This guy, you should be familiar with him?¡¹ Vosk pointed the tip of his sword towards the corpse of a man that was in the cart. At the sight of the corpse, the face of the man who had been talking with Vosk contorted in astonishment. It was a young man in his late teens or early twenties. The clothes he was wearing were covered in numerous cuts and scratches, there were also traces of blood that had been discoloured and darkened. However, it wasn¡¯t the young man¡¯s corpse that surprised the man. As an adventurer, he was used to seeing corpses, both monster and human. Stil, he was surprised to see the corpse of the man on the back of the cart because, as Vosk had said, it was someone he had seen before. ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Why are you so surprised? This is a man who, until a few days ago, had been employed by the Levisor family.¡¹ Vosk implicitly said that it was the Levisor family that had created the cause of this conflict, but the man couldn¡¯t admit that so easily. If he admitted it, the fault of this conflict would be blamed on the Levisor family. ¡¸Sure, the man was hired by the Levisor family, but he had already been forced to resign because he acted in a way that wasn¡¯t in accordance with the wishes of Schaffner-sama. I don¡¯t know what the man did, but he has nothing to do with the Levisor family!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh? Hey, where the hell do you think we found this guy¡¯s body?¡¹ The man spoke up again, as if he didn¡¯t care what Vosk said, trying to suppress his own anger. ¡¸I don¡¯t know! Again, that person has already been fired by the Levisor family. No matter what they do, it has nothing to do with us!¡¹ Hearing those words, Vosk started to get angry. As an adventurer, he was always aware that his fellow adventurers could die. That was why if they had been killed my monsters or died due to lack of strength within the dungeon, he would have been saddened but not angered. But not this time. They had died inside the city, where they should have been safe¡­¡­and probably because they were attacked by someone who didn¡¯t want to reveal the problem with abnormal species appearing in the dungeon. That was why Vosk lifted his claymore and pointed it towards the man serving the Levisor family. ¡¸This guy was found inside the warehouse where we were researching the abnormal species after the attack. Why do you think he was there? Of course we didn¡¯t hire him. Shortly before the attack, he was fired from the Levisor family as if he had nothing to do with you anymore.¡¹ Vosk¡¯s voice echoed out between the Silva and Levisor families as they faced each other. CH 441 As Vosk¡¯s voice echoed into the surroundings, the people from the Levisor family were silent. Of course, there were many things they wanted to say, but nothing would be convincing in front of the corpse of a man who was present at the site of the attack, clear evidence. However, even so¡­¡­as long as they served the Levisor family, they couldn¡¯t quietly accept Vosk¡¯s words. Because of that, the man facing Vosk spoke out, while knowing it was unreasonable. ¡¸There is no evidence that the corpse was really found at the site of the attack. It is possible that the Silva family just wants to settle the matter as quickly as possible and prepared this corpse to make it look like the work of the Levisor family!¡¹ The man¡¯s words were close to desperation. But, those that knew that was close to the truth held their breaths when they heard that. Those words had been spoken by chance. But, what if Vosk, who seemed to think of something when he heard that, sought to pursue the truth rather than just avenge his men? That was why they raised their voices to stop the situation from going in that direction. ¡¸That¡¯s right! The Silva family wants to take the opportunity to destory the Levisor family, so they orchestrated this farce in order to blame the Levisor family for their own mismanagement that led to their warehouse burning down! We won¡¯t forgive the Silva family! What should we do if not stand up here to protect the honour of the Levisor family!¡¹ A voice rose up from the ranks of the Levisor family. It was a flawed argument when one considered it normally. If the fire was caused by accident by the Silva family¡¯s adventurers, who were guarding the warehouse, then why would they have all died? Even if they did burn to death in the fire, there were clear slashes and arrow wounds all over their bodies. It was obviously unnatural, but in this confrontational state filled with killing intent, few would have reached that conclusion. Even those that did would not have been able to reach the others by raising their voice due to the loud angry shouts in the surroundings. ¡¸Quiet down!¡¹ In the midst of all this, a voice echoed out. The group from the Levisor family parted in two as an old man with a walking stick emerged from the crowd. Appearing on the front line with several guards around him, he spoke with a somewhat astounded eyes as he looked at Vosk. ¡¸I knew you were stupid, but I never thought you would do something like this.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, I¡¯m fine with being stupid. I¡¯m not smart enough to stand and watch my brothers get killed.¡¹ ¡¸Why do you think we did it?¡¹ Vosk pointed to the nearby cart with his chin at Schaffner¡¯s question. Schaffner looked over, but even after seeing the corpse on the cart, there was no change in his expression. Rather, he had a mystified expression on his face. ¡¸Who is that guy?¡¹ ¡¸Schaffner-sama, he served the Levisor family up until a few days ago, but was fired for causing problems.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hm? Come to think of it, there was such a person¡­..¡¹ Mumbling to himself, he tried to recall the face of the dead man but could never bring it to mind. Actually, Schaffner had met the man in person before. He did remember such a person, but he had been partially drunk at the time and couldn¡¯t recall his face. However, the man who had been arguing with Vosk previously had already confirmed the man¡¯s identity. ¡¸So, what do you think? Are you going to tell us why you attacked?¡¹ If you say anything stupid in response, I¡¯m going to smash you skinny body in with my claymore. Vosk spoke with those thoughts in mind, but Schaffner¡¯s reply was simple and clear. ¡¸Even if that person had served the Levisor family, it is none of our business after we fired him. That¡¯s not going to change the fact that you are using force to intimidate me. While I¡¯m still willing, you should go home with your tail between your legs. Then this matter may not be¡­¡­forgotten, but I won¡¯t blame you for it.¡¹ It might have been because he was sure that the Silva family hadn¡¯t actually attacked the Silva family, but Schaffner¡¯s words were far too arrogant. Perhaps, if Vosk had been a little calmer, they could have worked out a mutual compromise. But, in this case, it was completely counterproductive. ¡¸Yes, I see. ¡­¡­If you say that, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, that¡¯s right. From now on, you should respect your elders¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up old man!¡¹ As Schaffner replied with a proud face, he was interrupted by a loud roar. ¡¸Why-, y-you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see that it¡¯s useless to say anymore. Then, from here on out, we will use all our strength! You lot, let¡¯s go!¡¹ ¡ºUOOOOOOOOOOOOH-!¡» At Vosk¡¯s words, the force from the Silva family gave a large shout. The people from the Levisor family almost felt like running away immediately. It was all a misunderstanding. It was true that true that Vosk was a hawkish person, but they didn¡¯t expect him to actually launch an attack. The fact that the Levisor hadn¡¯t actually been involved in the previous night¡¯s attack was also a major factor. However, Vosk had no care for the other party¡¯s feelings as he ran towards them with claymore at the ready. A group of people who were on the verge of fleeing and a group of people who were attacking vigorously to avenge their friends. It was obvious what would happen when the two collided. ¡¸Eat this-!¡¹ ¡¸Damn it, how dare you all¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s wrong! You were the ones who started this! I¡¯m only accepting your wish. Go on, fight back some more, ora-!¡¹ ¡¸Hii-, hiiiii-!¡¹ ¡¸Retreat, retreat immediately-!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t run away you idiot! If you do that, they¡¯ll push all the one in one go!¡¹ Angry shouts echoed out all around as skirmishes broke out all the way down the road. However, the skirmishes were all overwhelmingly in the Silva family¡¯s favour. Numbers, quality, momentum. The Silva family was winning in all three and the Levisor had started to flee from the beginning. Fortunately, although Vosk had lost a lot of his brothers, he had no thoughts about killing the members of the Levisor family. Even if he did swing his claymore with his large body, his enemies were only struck by the flat of the blade rather than the edge. Vosk effectively used it as a metal cudgel, beating them down. Of course, there were those that were slashed by the blade or the tip, but he continued to swing the claymore as if he didn¡¯t care. All the members of the Silva family had been told not to kill their opponents, so the number of deaths was extremely small for the number of people fighting each other. In the midst of all this, Vosk quickly looked around as he kicked the back of someone running away from him, sending him flying and knocking him unconscious after hitting the ground. He was looking for Schaffner. Rather than getting more people injured in the skirmishes, he wanted to quickly capture Schaffner and make him spill the truth of the incident. But, Schaffner, perhaps realising that he was being targeted, had disappeared into the forces of the Levisor family as soon as the fighting had started. (Damn it, I wish I could have knocked him out with my first blow.) Should he bemoan his lack of ability for letting Schaffner escape or should he praise Schaffner for his unexpectedly swift retreat, despite being an old man waiting to die? While clicking his tongue as he thought to himself, he blasted aside a Levisor family adventurer, who had realised he couldn¡¯t escape and had stood in front of Vosk as a daring last ditch attempt. The blow sent the adventurer off to the right as Vosk proceeded on his way. He glanced at the adventurer for a moment before deciding there wasn¡¯t an issue as the man was still moving and his heart beating. Continuing down the road¡­¡­a large mansion eventually appeared in front of his eyes. Size wise, it wasn¡¯t much different to the Silva family¡¯s mansion. However, in contrast to the Silva family mansion, which had a simple and sturdy aesthetic, this mansion was vain and in poor taste. Simple, sturdy, and aesthetically pleasing. While looking at the mansion that was the complete opposite of his own, the gates started to close to stop Vosk from entering. ¡¸You dare to abandon your own comrades¡ª¨C!¡¹ With a shout of rage, Vosk slammed his claymore into the gate, ignoring the people from the Levisor family who had been left outside. A high pitched metallic sound echoed out. Those who were by the gate, whether from the Silva or Levisor families, involuntarily covered their ears at the sharp metallic sound that rang in their ears. However, Vosk continued to slam his claymore against the gate another two or three times, as if he didn¡¯t care. If the claymore in his hands had been an ordinary weapon, it might not have withstood such punishment. However, as the head of the Silva family, famous for its martial prowess, his claymore wasn¡¯t ordinary. ¡¸HAAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ The blade of the claymore didn¡¯t chip as it was swung against the gate with great vigour. On the contrary, it seemed to grow even more powerful as the blows against the gate exceeded 20¡­¡­ With an unprecedented high pitched sound, the next moment, the gate was blasted straight off its hinges. ¡¸Fuu, fu, fu¡­¡­alright, you guys! There¡¯s nothing blocking our path! Search the mansion! Look for information on the men who were hired to attack the warehouse, the abnormal speices, and anything else we might need! And, if you see Schaffner, make sure you catch him!¡¹ Breathing hard, Vosk gave a loud shout as he held his claymore up. Waiting for his voice to echo out, the next moment, he shook his claymore. ¡¸However, listen up! We¡¯re not rogues! Don¡¯t touch any of the gold in the mansion! Don¡¯t wield your strength without care for those in the mansion. If I catch any of you doing that, I¡¯ll smash you to pieces! Understand!?¡¹ ¡ºUOOOOOH!¡» About 70% of his men entered the mansion with yells of assent while the remaining 30% scattered to search outside the mountain. Watching them, Vosk turned his attention to his remaining confidantes. ¡¸You should stay here and manage the information we find.¡¹ In front of Vosk¡¯s eyes was a reserved man wearing a butler uniform. It was Sanctions. Vosk¡¯s right hand man. ¡¸That¡¯s fine, but what about you, Vosk-sama.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m heading in as well. It¡¯s better to move on my own rather than just sit here waiting for reports.¡¹ ¡¸If possible, I would have liked Vosk-sama to stay here as the leader of the Silva family¡¯s forces¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Even if they are rotten to the core, it¡¯s still the Levisor family. They might have someone skilled protecting them inside. In that case, it would be faster for me to go in myself.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It seems useless to say any more. I understand. However, I have a bad feeling about this, so please be careful. Considering the bodies we found seemed to have been placed there for us, there may be more to the story.¡¹ Vosk nodded at Sanctions, who spoke as he looked over at the corpse of a man that was on a nearby cart. ¡¸Yeah, I understand your fears. But it is true that the Levisor family is suspicious. After all, the circumstantial evidence tells us that there¡¯s something here. But, as you said, the timing is too good.¡¹ ¡¸If you know what you¡¯re doing, it¡¯s fine. And, as Vosk-sama said earlier, please don¡¯t be rough with the Levisor¡¯s.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I know. They are people of Exil¡­¡­namely, the people I govern. Besides, I¡¯m the bait. I have to show them I¡¯m tasty enough to bite the hook.¡¹ Vosk told Sanctions he understood everything as he walked into the mansion with claymore on his shoulder. Watching Vosk leave, Sanctions couldn¡¯t help but mutter. ¡¸Fishing¡­¡­is it? I can¡¯t get used to the idea of the family head using himself as bait. But as long as we¡¯re catching a big fish, there¡¯s no point using ordinary bait. ¡­¡­Vosk-sama, please take care.¡¹ Praying for a few seconds for the safety of his master, Sanctions also started on his own work. Later, a report containing the results of experiments using magic stones was discovered and a research lab near the slums of Exil was found. Although they immediately headed for the the lab, all the researchers there were found dead. Information found there also revealed that experiments were being conducted within the dungeon. However, there was no evidence of any involvement by the Church of Holy Light. There was also no sign of where Schaffner had disappeared to. CH 442 ¡¸It seems like there aren¡¯t a lot of people entering the dungeon today.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. It¡¯s probably¡­¡­no, definitely because of the attack on the Silva family.¡¹ While walking towards the dungeon, Rei commented about how the number of adventurers heading there were much fewer than usual. Set was next to him while Yellow, Elena¡¯s familiar, was back at the inn again because it couldn¡¯t stand the desert heat. ¡¸Aside from that¡­¡­we¡¯re also late to the dungeon today because we stopped by the Silva family residence.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true. ¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words. It was natural to use as much time as possible to earn money, so the more time that passed, the fewer adventurers there would be heading for the guild. That was probably why there were fewer adventurers heading for Exil¡¯s dungeon at this time. Rei had made it a sort of routine to head for the dungeon early in the morning. That said, when he had been back in Gilm, he would usually head for the guild after the number of people started to decrease. Walking along while conversing, they stopped at the usual skewer stall. ¡¸Oh, are you going to enter the dungeon today? There¡¯s a lot going on in the city.¡¹ Rei nodded at the owner, who offered them Lizardmen skewers as soon as he saw them without even needing to take an order. ¡¸Yeah, Elena and I came here for the dungeon. ¡­¡­But, there doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s a lot of adventurers heading for the dungeon today?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know the exact number as I haven¡¯t bothered to count, but there are definitely fewer adventurers heading for the dungeon. It¡¯s probably because of yesterday¡¯s incident.¡¹ The shopkeeper replied with a sigh. The owner probably knew about last night¡¯s incident and also knew that the Silva family was searching for clues and the criminals throughout the city. (No¡­¡­) Thinking up to that point, Rei shook his head. At the end of his line of sight were several adventurers who seemed to be from the Silva family. (It might be important to find the criminals, but isn¡¯t this a little overkill?) With those thoughts in mind, Rei, Elena, and Set finished their skewers, paid for them, and left the stall. ¡¸There might be a lot going on¡­¡­but it¡¯s dangerous in many ways for us to be involved in Exil¡¯s power struggle.¡¹ Murmuring, Elena gave a sigh as she turned a melancholy gaze to the buzz around her. ¡¸I hope the power struggle doesn¡¯t hurt the general public.¡¹ ¡¸That will probably be fine. At the very least, Vosk wouldn¡¯t do anything that would cause unnecessary chaos in Exil, since he governs it. If he does do anything, it will be very quick.¡¹ ¡¸I hope so¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words didn¡¯t lessen her anxiety. (Am I just over concerned?) Certainly, as Rei had said, Vosk wouldn¡¯t do anything that would cause unnecessary confusion. But that was only Vosk. They didn¡¯t know if the rest of the Silva family¡¯s forces thought the same way, and above all, considering Schaffner¡¯s character, Rei and Elena could predict he would cause some kind of commotion. ¡­¡­No, rather, in some ways, it would be more accurate to say they couldn¡¯t predict what he would do. ¡¸Any how, it¡¯s not up to us to do anything about Exil, that¡¯s for the people of Exil to decide. All we need to do is to keep entering the dungeon like our original plan.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry Rei for worrying you.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Are you feeling okay? Set seemed to ask as he rubbed his face against Elena. She gave a smile as she gently stretched out her hand to stroke Set¡¯s head. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry as his head was stroked. Nearly half the people around him were astonished to see that expression on Set while the other half had a smile on their faces. It hadn¡¯t been long since they had come to Exil. But even so, Set¡¯s friendliness had become well known to those who knew Rei. That said, this might also be because Rei and Elena only passed through certain places. Because they always went past the same places, they met the same people many times. After seeing exchanges between Rei, Elena, and Set several times, they finally got used to it. Showing their dungeon cards to the gatekeeper, they entered the plaza at the dungeon entrance. There were adventurers there, but not a lot. ¡¸¡­¡­I guess they¡¯re still the same, despite everything going on.¡¹ Rei muttered and frowned slihgtly as he turned to look towards a group of believers from the Church of Holy Light gathered in a part of the plaza. ¡¸I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth worrying about. The fact is their hiring cost is high, but there is no reason to blame them if there are still people willing to hire them. It would be a different matter if people were forced to hire them, but they are just individually hired by adventurers.¡¹ At the corner of Elena¡¯s sight, two adventurers were talking with the group from the Church of Holy Light. Their faces were familiar to Rei. They were the ones who had formed temporary parties with various other adventurers in the plaza before. Because of yesterday¡¯s attack, there were much fewer adventurers around and they had no choice but to hire adventurers fromm the Church of Holy Light. ¡¸Well, they¡¯re them. We are us. In our case, we¡¯re not lacking in strength. If there¡¯s anything we¡¯re missing, it¡¯s a thief, but even then, there aren¡¯t many traps on the 12th floor, so we don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡¹ They couldn¡¯t say there weren¡¯t any traps, as they had been told there were some, but they were few in number. ¡¸That¡¯s true, the fact that there are so few people is also something I like to see. Especially because¡­¡­¡¹ Rei glanced over at Set. Elena understood what he meant and gave a small nod as she lightly patted Rei¡¯s shoulder through the Dragon Robe as they immediately went over to the transfer device. ¡¸The rocky desert is the same as always.¡¹ Those were Rei¡¯s first words after arriving on the 12th floor and walking out the room with the magic circle. Maybe due to the rain that had fallen the previous night, the temperature had felt hot and uncomfortable in Exil, but on the 12th floor, the air was dry. It was hotter than Exil in terms of pure heat, but it was stil much more comfortable. That said, it was probably because they were wearing magic items such as the Dragon Robe and desert cloak, that could regulate their temperature to a certain extent. ¡¸Now then, the first thing we need to do is to absorb magic stones.¡¹ Before Rei could say anything, Elena spoke first. She had expected it after their brief exchange outside the dungeon. ¡¸Yeah, there¡¯s the Spear Frog magic stones I got yesterday.¡¹ Aside from two Spear Frog magic stones, the guild had bought all the other materials after they handed over the corpse of the abnormal species. Because the Silva family had discussed it with them prior, the guild purchased the materials at a premium compared to the usual price, as promised in advance. Moving to the location they had previously used to absorb magic stones, Rei immediately took out a Spear Frog¡¯s magic stone. ¡¸Now then¡­¡­I hope we can learn some new skills. ¡­¡­Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ When Rei called out and tossed out the magic stone, Set caught it in his beak before swallowing it. ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºWater Ball¡¡Lv.3¡»¡¿ An announcement flowed through his mind. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a joyful cry at the skill upgrade. Smiling happily at Set, Rei patted him on the head while thinking in his mind. (Water Ball? Why Water Ball? It¡¯s true that the Spear Frogs are frog like monsters, but they live in the desert and didn¡¯t use any water based attacks or magic. ¡­¡­I guess that¡¯s not really a problem considering we¡¯ve absorbed other magic stones and ended up learning skills different to what we expected.) ¡¸Rei, what skill did Set learn?¡¹ As Rei was thinking to himself, Elena spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. ¡¸Water Ball levelled up.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, levelled up? That¡¯s interesting, but I would have liked to see Set learn a whole new skill.¡¹ Elena looked disappointed while Rei shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile. ¡¸If he learned a new skill from the Spear Frog, maybe it would be an offensive skill that would stretch his tongue? In that case, the tip of Set¡¯s tongue might become sharped, pointed and able to stretch out further like rubber before piercing into the enemy¡­¡­would you like to see something like that?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Elena closed her eyes for a few seconds to imagine it before shaking her head. ¡¸That wouldn¡¯t look good on Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Her words came out with a sigh, but Set himself didn¡¯t seem to understand. He just tilted his head as he gave a cry. ¡¸¡­¡­Set¡­¡­no, anyway, Water Ball has been upgraded. Let¡¯s see it right away.¡¹ Rei also imagined Set¡¯s tongue stretching out to pierce an enemy like a Spear Frog and immediately spoke to Set to shift the topic. ¡¸Gururu~, Gurururururu~!¡¹ The next moment after his cry, two water balls appeared in front of Set. The water balls, which had originally been 30cm in diameter, were now 40cm in diameter. At the same time, the speed at which they moved in front of Set was much faster than before. ¡¸Has the size and speed increased? Then, all that remains is its power¡­¡­Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ With a sharp cry, the water balls shot out, crisscrossing each other as they sped forward, eventually hitting a nearby large rock, shattering its surface. ¡¸Not only has the size of the water balls increased, their power and speed have also increased. It¡¯s also able to move more freely now.¡¹ ¡¸When I heard you say water balls, I hadn¡¯t expected it to be so powerful. I didn¡¯t expect it to be able to shatter rocks.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Rei was impressed and Elena surprised by the power of the water balls. As for Set, who had a proud expression on his face? He just tilted his head with a cry. Elena patted Set and Rei gave him some dried meat from the Misty Ring. A few minutes as Rei and Elena patted Set before Rei stood up and and moved away from Set before taking out the Death Scythe and another magic stone from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Since Set¡¯s water ball was upgraded¡­¡­I guess I can learn something too¡­¡­!¡¹ Throwing the magic stone into the air, he struck it with the Death Scythe. The magic stone was instantly cut apart by the attack that seemed to cut through space itself before disappearing like mist. Perhaps remembering the moment he had absorbed the magic stone of the abnormal species, Rei braced his body in case anything happened. But¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­Nothing, I guess?¡¹ Muttering in a voice that sounded both relieved and disappointed, Rei lowered the Death Scythe. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Are you okay? Set seemed to ask. While stroking Set, who asked with a cry, Rei nodded his head to show there was no problem. In the first place, the possibility of acquiring a skill from absorbing a magic stone using the Magic Beast Art was heavily reliant on luck, even if there seemed to be some rules of sorts. He couldn¡¯t help but be slightly sad every time he couldn¡¯t learn a new skill. With the hand that wasn¡¯t stroking Set, he stored the Death Scythe back into the Misty Ring. ¡¸It¡¯s a pity that I couldn¡¯t learn any new skills, but it can¡¯t be helped now it¡¯s done. In that case, we should explore the 12th floor¡­¡­¡¹ Just as he said that, the sound of Rei¡¯s stomach rumbling echoed out. It seemed to say ¡®I¡¯m hungry, bring me food¡¯. ¡¸Fu-fufufu-¡­¡­Rei, you¡¯ll only have a hard time exploring the dungeon while hungry. Considering the time, it¡¯s a little early, but it¡¯s still close to noon. Why don¡¯t we eat here?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­All aright.¡¹ Let¡¯s challenge the dungeon now! As soon as he said that, his stomach started to rumble. While sighing with a pitiful expression, Rei took out a lunch basket he had gotten from the in out from the Misty Ring. It was mostly sandwiches, but there was also a large number of other foods inside the basket. As one would expect from the Golden Wind inn, a high class inn, the quality of the food and effort that went into making the lunch basket that held enough food for both Rei and Elena to eat was unquestionable. (I think¡­¡­it will be fine without the magic tent?) Looking at the surroundings, Rei decided there was no need to take out the magic tent as they were already located in the shade of a large rock, where it would be difficult for any enemies to find them. Washing their hands with water from the Dagger of Flowing Water, they quenched their thirst before eating the lunch basket. ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv.3¡» new ¡ºFire Breath Lv.3¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv.1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.4¡» ¡ºSize Transformation Lv.1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv.1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºOptical Camouflage Lv.1¡» Water Ball: Shoots two water balls with a diameter of 40cm. They can fly freely through the air to a certain extent and, if they hit a rock, can shatter its surface. CH 443 ¡¸It¡¯s quite a bit easier walking here compared to the 11th floor.¡¹ Rei muttered as he stepped on the ground several times to check how it felt. Unlike the desert on the 11th floor, it was solid ground. The sand didn¡¯t catch his feet nor did his feet sink into the sand. ¡¸That¡¯s true. This is overwhelmingly easier to walk on.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Elena also felt out the ground as she wore her cloak. Set gave a cry in agreement. After finishing an early lunch, they spent 10 minutes exploring the 12th floor. At first, Elena had wondered if it was only easier to walk because the ground around the small room had been compacted. But after walking through the rocky desert for a bit longer, she was surprised at the difference compared to the 11th floor¡¯s sandy desert. ¡¸The fact that it¡¯s easier to walk on also means it¡¯s easier for monsters to move about though.¡¹ ¡¸True, I guess we¡¯ll need to watch out for that. Set, please search carefully.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a sharp cry as he kept guard while pacing about. With Set scouting ahead, Rei and Elena followed after him. This continued for about an hour¡­¡­ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it strange¡­¡­that there¡¯s been nothing so far?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Is this normal for this floor? Or is there something wrong? ¡­¡­.Well, I wonder which it is.¡¹ Looking around, not even the shadow of a monster could be seen. ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ Set gave a loud vigilant cry. Rei took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring and Elena unsheathed her sword whip, but there were no enemies in sight anywhere. However, Set didn¡¯t let his guard down and eventually, Rei and Elena noticed something approaching. ¡¸Above-!¡¹ Rei sensed ferocious killing intent directed towards him as he swung the Death Scythe straight up. The attack seemed to cut through the air itself, but it seemed like the enemy had sensed the danger of his weapon. The monster, which had descended on Rei like a lightning bolt, somersaulted in mid air with a threatening cry before soaring into the sky again. ¡¸SHAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ It was only then that Rei¡¯s group were able to finally see the monster attacking them. It was a snake over 2m in length. However, it had three pairs of wings growing from its back. They weren¡¯t the wings of a bird, but closer to wings that a bat would have. Information that Rei had heard from Pleaides entered his mind. ¡¸That has to be¡­¡­a Skyfang!¡¹ As if in response to his words, the monster did a flip in the air and bared its 30cm long fangs as it gave a menacing cry. According to what they had heard from Pleaides, it was one of the strongest, if not most ferocious, monster that appeared on the 12th floor. They were always hungry no matter how much they ate and, because of their ferociousness, they would devour everything they saw. Among the monsters that appeared on the desert floors down to the 15th floor, it was one of the highest ranking in terms of danger. ¡¸With something like this here, it¡¯s no wonder there aren¡¯t any other monsters around.¡¹ The Skyfang was so ferocious that it would even bite monsters bigger than itself. It was easy to guess that all other monsters would have fled the area after seeing it. However, the fatal mistake of the Skyfang, a flying snake, was to be unable to endure its hunger and attack Rei¡¯s group¡­¡­or more precisely, Set, a Griffon, the reaper of the skies. ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ With a cry, Set soared into the sky after flapping his wings and running several steps. The Skyfang bared its huge fangs as it went to attack Set. Although it understood that Set was a higher ranking monster than itself, it was already unable to stop itself due to its hunger. No, rather, judging that Set would be more satisfying to eat as a larger monster than itself, it flapped its six wings as it weaved through the air to attack Set. ¡­¡­Or at least it tried to attack Set. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ ¡¸HAAAAH-!¡¹ Until a flying slash flew up from the ground and a magic empowered sword whip attacked it. Whether it was Rei or ELena, while they were both vanguard fighters, they also had plenty of ways to attack from range, whether through magic, a sword whip, or other weapons. The enemies that the Skyfang had attacked and eaten so far had only used a bow and arrow or throwing daggers as range weapons at best. Those were easy for it to defend against with the scales it boasted. Of course, there were parties on this floor that also had skilled mages, warriors, and archers, but this Skyfang had never run into them. That said, if it had fought one of those parties, it wouldn¡¯t have survived to this point. ¡¸SHA-SHAAAAAA-!¡¹ As if to stop its attack, the flying slash passed right in front of its nose and the Skyfang used its wings to move back on reflex. However, as if to stop him, Elena¡¯s sword whip slashed through the space behind the Skyfang, robbing its escape path. Unable to escape forward or backward¡­¡­it was suddenly struck by something and was slammed into the ground with great force The Skyfang gave a cry in shock and pain, not understanding what had just happened. The next moment, it was struck again by something invisible and died as its head was crushed. The Skyfang was said to be one of the most vicious monsters in the desert, but it was helpless to save itself. What had happened soon became clear. A few second later, Set appeared with its right claw on the Skyfang¡¯s head. It had been a surprise attack using Set¡¯s skill Optical Camouflage. Surprised by Rei¡¯s flying slash, the Skyfang had momentarily taken its eyes off Set as it retreated on reflex. In that moment, Set had used Optical Camouflage to move to a higher position. As the sword whip closed off the Skyfang¡¯s means of escape, Set had swung his claw down at the momentarily disoriented Skyfang, knocking it to the ground. ¡­¡­Adding on speed from his dive, Set struck the Skyfang again as it hit the ground. ¡¸It¡¯s amazing how he can turn invisible.¡¹ ¡¸By the way, is this the first time you¡¯ve seen it? Optical Camouflage is a skill. However, it has the drawback of only being active for a few seconds.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­it¡¯s still powerful as it is. It¡¯s definitely a trump card you can use when in a tight spot.¡¹ When they had been attacked by bandits on the way to Exil, Set had also used Optical Camouflage to kill many of the bandits. But, because Set had been some distance away from Rei and Elena, this was the first time Elena had actually seen him use it. ¡¸Well, the only reason it¡¯s such a big threat is mainly because it¡¯s Set that¡¯s disappearing.¡¹ ¡¸True.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words. Set¡¯s threat from turning invisible mostly cae from the fact that he could inflict fatal damage on an enemy in a single strike. If a Goblin could turn invisible, it would still be a threat, but to a much lesser extent. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set must have realised that Elena was complimenting him. Aren¡¯t I amazing? Set seemed to say as he puffed out his chest and gave a proud cry. However, with blood, flesh, and bits of the Skyfang¡¯s brain on his right claw, it was hard for a normal person to look at Set right now and call him cute. ¡¸Yeah, Set is amazing. I hope Yellow grows up to be like Set.¡¹ Having been through many battlefields, Elena didn¡¯t seem that concerned about the blood on Set as she gently stroked his head. Rei smiled as he saw that. Before other monster started to gather from the smell of blood, he touched the corpse of the Skyfang and stored it into the Misty Ring. Looking around, he found its distinctive fangs on the ground, but they were broken in half, likely due to the direct hit from Set¡¯s claw, and were in no condition to be sold. (It¡¯s a good thing its wings and skin were barely damaged from the impact of it hitting the ground.) The wings of a Skyfang were used in alchemy and medicine while its skin could be used to make leather armour, cloaks and ornaments. Its internal organs contained poison sacks that could be used to inject poison into its enemies through its fangs, and while its flesh wasn¡¯t very tasty, it had reasonable demand as a material for medicine. Now that the shortage of magic stones was getting serious, its magic stone could naturally be sold for a high price. However¡­¡­Rei was eager to use it himself for the Magic Beast Art. The tip of its tail, the proof of subjugation, didn¡¯t seem particularly damaged, so it would be possible to hand it in. Overall, Skyfangs were monsters that yielded a lot of materials and had a magic stone that could be sold for a slightly higher price compared to other monsters due to its ferociousness. This made it a very desirable monster in terms of money, assuming that one could kill it. The only drawback was that its ferocity would cause lower ranking monsters to flee the area a Skyfang was in. ¡¸So, this is the right way, right?¡¹ Because it was a rocky desert, there were many locations that could be used as landmarks drawn onto the map. Looking at it from the perspective of just the map, it was a lot easier to read compared to the 11th floor. ¡¸Mm, there¡¯s a rocky hill shaped like a trident over there, so we can¡¯t go wrong if we head straight for it. If we do that, we¡¯ll reach a rock called the Dragon Rock. Turning right there and going straight ahead, we¡¯ll find the stairs to the 13th floor.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena, who had taken the map out from her magic pouch, and started walking again before any more monsters showed up. The solid ground might have made it easier to walk on, but even so, the intense sunlight heating the ground to such an extent that it was hard to believe it wasn¡¯t the real sun. The Dragon Robes and desert cloak allowed Rei and Elena to continue walking normally, but anyone else who didn¡¯t make enough preparations for this level would have been dehydrated, sunburned, and be unable to move properly by now. (Well, since it¡¯s not possible to be transferred with a more skilled adventurer and skip floors¡­¡­any adventurers who come to this floor would have already cleared the 11th floor, so who would come down here without having made any preparations? If there are any adventurers like that¡­¡­that would mean they would have cleared the 11th floor without any preparations either.) Thinking about that, Rei thought it might be possible for some races with sturdier bodies and high physical strength, such as Dwarves or Beastkin. ¡¸Is the rock¡­¡­still out of sight?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei brought himself back to reality. They had walked for about 30 minutes from the place they had been attacked by the Skyfang. They had still yet to see the rock called Dragon Rock, which was noted as a landmark on the map. Looking up, they could only see Set, who was keeping a watchful eye from above in order to deal with any Skyfangs. Other than that, they just kept walking through the rocky desert. ¡¸Looking at it, it seems the Skyfang¡¯s territory was quite large.¡¹ Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸Set killed it without any issues, but the Skyfang is still a reasonably powerful D rank monster. Above all, its ferociousness can be said to be exceptional compared to other monsters. It¡¯s quite nice to not be attacked by other monsters within its territory. But since you¡¯re looking for magic stones¡­¡­it¡¯s not a very welcome situation.¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ As if Elena¡¯s words had been a signal, a warning cry was heard from Set flying above. ¡¸Speak of the devil, is it?¡¹ Rei shook his head as Elena wondered if her words had brought an enemy to them. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, we¡¯ve probably just left the Skyfang¡¯s territory.¡¹ Rei said that as he took his Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring¡­¡­but, there was no sign of any attacking enemies. ¡¸Rei! Over there!¡¹ Elena was the first to spot it. At the end of her line of sight, there were several adventurers fighting a giant spider over 4m in size. Besides them, there were some adventurers lying on the ground, clearly struggling. They had clearly taken a lot of injuries, and if left on their own, they would undoubtedly be annhilated. Seeing that, they made their decision in an instant. One reason was to help the adventurers, but another was that it would be a shame to let the magic stone of an unknown monster escape. ¡¸Shall we go?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s question and the two of them ran towards the scene of the fight. Set flapped his wings as he chased after them. CH 444 The distance to where the spider monster and adventurers were fighting was about 1km. As he ran towards them, Rei shouted towards Set. ¡¸Set! Go ahead of us! Protect the struggling adventurers and keep the spider monster in check! Kill it if you can!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Giving a loud cry from the sky, acknowledging Rei who was running across the ground, Set flapped his wings and headed for the site of the battle, leaving Rei and Elena behind. With his sharp eyes, Set was able to identify the state of the battle clearly even from 1km away. The giant 4m spider monster was grey all over. Only two adventurers were still fighting the spider while the other three members of their party were lying on the ground nearby. Two of them were probably already dead, one had their neck bent the wrong way while the other had been shredded in two. The third person didn¡¯t seem to have any external injuries from Set¡¯s point of view, but even so, the fact that they weren¡¯t moving meant that they were either dead or, if they were still alive, were unable to move for some reason. The last two who managed to continue fighting had already suffered several injuries. If they continued to fight as is, there was no doubt they would end up as spider food. In fact, the giant spider used one of its right legs to flick away the sword of an adventurer while swinging a left leg down on his head¡­¡­ ¡¸GURURURURURURU~!¡¹ At that moment, Set descended with a sharp cry. He slammed his claws into the giant spider¡¯s left leg that was about to be swung down, snapping the leg in half. Unfortunately, Set¡¯s attack was too quick and too sharp. If Set¡¯s blow had been a little less powerful, he might have been able to use his strength to pull the spider¡¯s leg down and knock it off balance or blast it away. However, because his attack had been too powerful, it simply shattered the spider¡¯s leg, and as a result, didn¡¯t affect the spider¡¯s footing at all. ¡¸W-W-W-What!?¡¹ Perhaps the most surprised person here was the adventurer who was nearly killed after his sword was knocked away. Seeing a Griffon suddenly appear, he couldn¡¯t help exclaim without thinking. ¡¸A-A Griffon!? How did it end up on this floor!?¡¹ The other adventurer, a man with a spear, also shouted out as he wiped the blood from his forehead. He might not have heard anything about Rei, or perhaps being on the verge of death had caused his mind to be unable to think of it. He quickly moved away from the two monsters as the adventurer with the sword also crawled over to him. Glancing at them, Set judged that they probably wouldn¡¯t get caught up in the battle and turned to face the giant spider, which was twice as big as himself. ¡¸GYAAAA-!¡¹ The giant spider raised a threatening cry with a muddied sound. Normally, it should have been able to tell the difference in strength between itself and Set. But, the excitement of battle, the anger and pain from losing one of its legs, and other factors probably prevented it from making rational judgements. When it saw that Set didn¡¯t back down from its threats, it turned one of its legs towards Set and¡­¡­ ¡¸GURURU~!¡¹ Set felt an unpleasant premonition in his mind and jumped away from where he was. The next moment, thread was shot out from the tip of the spider¡¯s leg, striking where Set had just been, immediately solidifying. Normally, the organ that would shoot out thread was located at the tip of a spider¡¯s abdomen, but this spider was able to shoot thread from the tip of its leg, probably because it was a monster. ¡¸Guru-Gururu~!¡¹ Set judged that it would be dangerous for him to stay in one spot and swiftly jumped around as he looked for a gap. As the two adventurers watched the situation, the one with the spear suddenly spoke up. ¡¸Hey, get ready.¡¹ ¡¸Get ready? Ready for what?¡¹ The adventurer with a sword responded without thinking at his companions sudden words. If he had just been told to run away, he would have understood, but get ready? The man with the spear spoke with a smile on his lips as he answered back. ¡¸What are you talking about. You know what I mean. Two monsters are fighting over us. If one of them gets taken down, we¡¯ll use the opportunity to take the other one down as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you serious!? One of them is a Griffon! There¡¯s no way we stand a chance against the reaper of the skies!¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, even if it¡¯s a Griffon, it doesn¡¯t matter if we ambush it right after it finishes fighting. As for its nickname of reaper of the skies, that¡¯s only because it can fly, right? Then it won¡¯t matter if we attack it while it¡¯s on the ground.¡¹ ¡¸You want me to attack someone who helped us as we were about to be killed like those guys?¡¹ He glanced over at the three dead people on the ground. Two of them were clearly dead, but one of them looked unharmed at first glance. However, his eyes and mouth were wide open and his tongue was stretched out, it was clear that he was dead. The giant spider¡­¡­or Rock Spider, as it was officially called, had ambushed them and that man had been the first to be attacked and had died due to poison. Some of them had brought antidotes specifically for the desert, but the Rock Spider¡¯s attack had killed the man before they had been able to administer the antidote. That said, even if they had the time, they might not have given him their antidotes. That was because¡­¡­ ¡¸In the end, they¡¯re just a bunch of guys who put together a temporary party.¡¹ The man with the spear just spat those words out. Yes, this party of five were adventurers who had just formed a temporary party outside the dungeon before rushing straight in. Because of the attack on the Silva family, some members of various parties had gone to support the Silva family. Because of that, there were quite a few people who had to form temporary parties to enter the dungeon. Most adventurers had decided to take a break or to do more training, but those who desperately needed money gathered to form temporary parties. Of course, many of them dealt with each other sincerely even if they were only in temporary parties. However, there were also those who considered temporary party members as people to take advantage of. The man with a spear was a perfect example of that. The man with the sword thought for a few seconds about his companion¡¯s words¡­¡­and looked at the Griffon, which was in a fierce fight with the Rock Spider. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he thought of something. His brain started to turn as he recalled the rumours circulating around Exil. The name of an adventurer who was followed by a Griffon. The person who had earned a title in the spring war. ¡¸Wait. I think that Griffon might be a tamed monster of Crimson. So, if that Griffon is here¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I¡¯m also here.¡¹ They had thought it was only the two of them when a third voice called out. Turning in the direction the voice came from, they saw two people, one wearing a robe and holding a huge scythe, and another wearing a cloak, ready to draw the sword at her waist at any moment. It was easy for the man with the sword to guess who the person in front of him was. After all, it was obvious, considering the Griffon fighting the Rock Spider and what he had just been saying a few seconds ago. ¡¸Crimson.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­By the way, I heard something interesting earlier, you were planning to ambush Set.¡¹ ¡¸T-That is¡­¡­¡¹ Their discussion had been overheard by someone who absolutely should never have heard what they were talking about. Cold sweat ran down the back of the man with a sword. The danger he felt coming from Rei far exceeded teh danger he had felt when the Rock Spider had knocked his long sword aside. However, the man with a spear stepped forward and pushed him aside as spoke up. ¡¸Of course, it stole our prey. And, what¡¯s wrong with killing monsters?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Didn¡¯t you hear what he just said? Set¡­¡­the Griffon, is my companion. He¡¯s also wearing a Necklace of Subservient Monster to prove it. And you would attack him?¡¹ The man with a spear smiled as if waiting for Rei to say that. ¡¸In other words, you¡¯re responsible for what that Griffon did? In that case, I demand compensation.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hah?¡¹ Because he couldn¡¯t understand what the man was saying proudly, Rei let out a dumbfounded voice. In a way, it was amazing for someone to make Rei react like that. If any of the adventurers Rei knew heard about this, they might even praise the man for his feat. ¡­¡­However, you could be sure that they would look at him with pity right after. ¡¸So, compensation. You killed the monster we were fighting. Isn¡¯t it natural for you to compensate us for that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You guys were about to die, I just saved you didn¡¯t I?¡¹ ¡¸Of course not. I was preparing to unleash my trump card that would turn the table on it. Then your Griffon intercepted my prey and stole it. Compensation is natural. What? Even though you have a title, you can¡¯t even take responsibility for what your tamed monster did?¡¹ Rei¡¯s cheeks twitched under his hood at the man¡¯s words. However, even if the man with a spear¡¯s words were shameless, and clearly a lie, it was true that Set had started fighting the Rock Spider before they had actually asked for help. In that situation, the man wasn¡¯t technically wrong. ¡¸Since you have a title, you must have earned quite a bit of money, so why don¡¯t you just give us a gold coin?¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. If you say we stole your prey from you, then why don¡¯t I just tell Set to stop fighting the monster?¡¹ Perhaps Rei¡¯s response was unexpected, but the man with a spear spoke up in a panic. ¡¸U-Unfortunately, the trump card I was preparing has already become useless due to time constraints. You can¡¯t give the monster back to us now. I demand proper compensation.¡¹ (Does he think if he keeps asking for compensation, I¡¯ll agree to anything he says?) Sighing at the man¡¯s request, Rei turned to look at Set, who was fighting the Rock Spider. As its name suggested, the Rock Spider had a rock like body that boasted high defence. However, even so, it couldn¡¯t block the attacks from Set, who was equipped with the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, and its injuries slowly started to increase. If they continued to fight, it would definitely end it¡¯s Set¡¯s victory. Watching the fight play out, Rei turned to face the other adventurer. ¡¸Are you of the same opinion?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, that Griffon saved our lives. I don¡¯t want to make any false accusations to extort money from you.¡¹ ¡¸You-! What are you talking about! They stole the prey we were fighting for! What¡¯s wrong with claiming compensation!?¡¹ The man with a spear shouted at him to try to stop him from saying anything necessary, but he pretended he heard nothing as turned to give a bow a towards Rei. ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry, we were saved thanks to you.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re a decent person. Otherwise¡­¡­in a dungeon, you never know what accidents might happen.¡¹ The moment the word ¡®accidents¡¯ came out of Rei¡¯s mouth, a cold chill ran down the spines of both adventurers. It was clear what he meant by that. ¡¸Y-You! Are you threatening me!?¡¹ The man with a spear shouted at Rei. Not just Rei, even Elena as well as the other adventurer looked at the man with a pitying gaze. ¡¸No? I don¡¯t intend to do that. But, isn¡¯t it true that you never know what kind of accident might occur in a dungeon? After all, many adventurers don¡¯t come back from the dungeon. Isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ The words that came out of Rei¡¯s mouth were facts, just as how Set had stolen their prey. Because of that, the man with a spear couldn¡¯t say anything. Rather, he didn¡¯t dare say anything for fear that Rei would silence him in an ¡®accident¡¯. And, as they continued to face each other silently¡­¡­ ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Eventually, Set¡¯s cry of victory echoed out. Rei turned to look over and saw the Rock Spider lying on the ground. Looking at the corpse of the Rock Spider, Rei spoke up as it was no use continuing like this. ¡¸Then, how about this? We¡¯ll take the monster¡¯s magic stone. You guys can have all the other materials.¡¹ They would lose the most valuable material, the magic stone, but they would receive everything else, including the proof of subjugation. The man with a spear was quite happy with that in his mind, but outwardly, he nodded with a reluctant expression. CH 445 A giant spider monster over 4m in size. It had a protective colouration that allowed it to blend into the surrounding landscape of the rocky desert. It was a nasty strength that allowed it to wait for prey to approach while pretending to be a rock, attacking the moment its prey came within range. However, the Rock Spider before Rei¡¯s group was now lying on the ground as a corpse with several parts of its body destroyed. Rei went over to the Rock Spider with his Mythril Knife. As could be seen from the way it could disguise itself as a rock, the Rock Spider¡¯s carapace was quite hard, though not as hard as real rock. Because of that, the edge of the knife Rei usually used to strip materials wouldn¡¯t have held up against the Rock Spider. Of course, if he wanted the Rock Spider materials, he could have stripped off the carapace, which was used to make armour, and the legs, which were used in weapons. However, in this case, Rei was only looking for the magic stone. Because of that, he had no intention of going out of his way to help the adventurer who had claimed ownership of the Rock Spider after being saved by Set and even demanded compensation. Empowering the Mythril Knife with magic power, Rei cut through the Rock Spider¡¯s hard carapace and removed its heart before gouging out the magic stone. Looking at it superficially, the Rock Spider barely had any damage, aside from what Set had done to it. For Rei, who wasn¡¯t that good at stripping materials, this was an accomplishment and about as good as he would get. ¡¸Phew.¡¹ After removing the heart and magic stone more easily than expected, Rei gave a sigh of relief and took out the Dagger of Flowing Water from the Misty Ring to wash his hands and the magic stone. The adventurer that picked up his sword that had been knocked away by the Rock Spider and the adventurer with the spear both looked at him in astonishment after seeing Rei take the dagger out of nowhere. ¡¸Well then, as promised, we¡¯ve taken our share. The rest is yours.¡¹ (If you can take it back with you, that is.) Rei thought to himself as he turned his attention to the dead bodies on the ground. Among the dead was a porter. Without a porter, the two adventurers would naturally have to carry the materials of the 4m Rock Spider out of the dungeon themselves. Of course, they could carry it if they really had to. But if they did that, they would definitely be attacked by monsters later. (Although it¡¯s quite regretful to miss out on the materials and proof of subjugation¡­¡­at the very least, I got the magic stone I wanted. I also don¡¯t want to feed spider flesh to Set.) That was what Rei thought, but as for Set, it seemed like he wanted to taste the Rock Spider. Set looked over at the two adventurers moodily. ¡¸Elena, should we get going? It¡¯s about time. I want to find the stairs and head back up.¡¹ ¡¸I agree. I¡¯m honestly sorry to breathe the same air as someone who is so unsightly as to try to make a profit at the cost of their dignity.¡¹ There was neither hatred or disgust in her tone, not even pity. Of course, there was no friendliness either. Her gaze towards the adventurer with the spear was as if she was looking at a rock on the ground around her, she didn¡¯t even consider him a living being as she spoke without any emotion. ¡¸Wha-! You just insulted me! I demand an apology!¡¹ The adventurer with the spear realised what Elena had just said to him and shouted back. However, Elena already found it too bothersome to deal with and turned to Rei, who nodded back and turned around. However¡­¡­ ¡¸Wait! You¡¯re just going to leave us here like this!? If you saved us, take full responsibility and take us to safety!¡¹ When he heard what the man said, Rei turned around with a wry smile on his face. ¡¸Did we save you? We stole your prey, didn¡¯t we? So why should we help you? Did you already forget what you said earlier?¡¹ ¡¸That was that, this is this.¡¹ The adventurer with the spear replied without any shame. Rei gave a snort as he and Elena started to leave again. However, more words were thrown at them. ¡¸Do you not even have the kindness to bring these corpses back to the surface!? If you just leave them here, they will end up as food for the monsters!¡¹ The adventurer with the spear¡¯s next focus was the three corpses lying on the ground. They were the adventurers whom he had formed a temporary party with. ¡¸You have an item box, right? If so, you should be able to take their bodies out.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ It wasn¡¯t uncommon for adventurer to die in dungeons. However, the guild recommended bringing back the bodies when possible. This wasn¡¯t just out of sentimentality. Depending on the location, adventurers who died in dungeons could end up becoming undead and attack others. But, even then, bringing back bodies was rarely done, unless they had been part of a fixed party. Temporary parties were merely the temporary coordination of several people to make money for themselves. Those who took the trouble to bring back bodies were those who possessed a strong sense of duty, normally bodies would just be left where they were with a keepsake brought back at most. If you brought back guild cards of the dead, you could earn a few bronze coins as a reward, but it was worth much more money to bring back monster materials, proofs of subjugation, and magic stones. (This guy doesn¡¯t look like someone with a strong sense of duty though.) While thinking to himself, it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess what the adventurer with the spear was thinking. It was the same not just for Rei but also for Elena. The weapons they had been carrying and all their equipment as well. Even if they could collect them, they didn¡¯t have enough hands to take them back no matter how you looked at it. The porter had also been among the people to die. Their backpack contained all the materials they had collected up until this point. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? We can¡¯t bring their bodies back to the surface, but if you have an item box, you can do it, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯d like to ask you a question. Are you trying to get me to carry the bodies because you want the tools and equipment they have?¡¹ Rei, who had become tired of any further exchanges, asked the man with the spear bluntly. However, whether he had hit the nail on the head or if he was just angry and impatient, the man¡¯s face grew red. ¡¸D-Don¡¯t be stupid! I just want to bring their bodies back as adventurers should! You¡¯re just assuming I would take anything of value from the dead! I demand an apology and compensation!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­In other words, you¡¯re saying that if I bring their bodies back up to the surface, you have no intention of taking any of their weapons and equipment?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The man probably didn¡¯t want Rei to take him at his word and remained silent. His attitude was a clear indicator of what he was aiming for. ¡¸It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll watch him, so could you please bring the bodies back? Although we were only a temporary party, I can¡¯t bear to see their bodies just dumped in the dungeon like this.¡¹ He must have thought that things wouldn¡¯t get anywhere if they continued like this. The adventurer with the sword called out to Rei. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ It seemed even Set thought that it would be better to move on than to stay and engage in trivial disputes. He turned to Rei and gave a cry. Rei gave in at Set¡¯s attitude and gave a small sigh as he stored the bodies into the Misty Ring. The the adventurer with the spear saw that he smiled at Rei. However, Rei decided that he would only feel worse if he kept dealing with the man. After storing away the three bodies, he visually signalled to Elena and Set. But, when they tried to leave again, the man¡¯s unpleasant voice was thrown at them again. ¡¸Wait! What about our escort until we finish stripping the materials!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. Why do we have to take care of you that much? Do what you want.¡¹ With a short reply, Rei, Elena, and Set continued in the direction of the stairs marked on the map. As he watched them leave, the adventurer with the spear¡¯s face turned bright red as if it had been set on fire as he stomped his feet. ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid! If you saved us, then it¡¯s only natural for you to take care of us to the end! But they¡­¡­damn it, when I get back to the surface, I¡¯ll tell everyone about this and isolate him!¡¹ ¡¸Stop it.¡¹ The adventurer with the sword, who had been silently listening up until now, called out to the man with the spear. ¡¸Why! They should have protected us to the end¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re being unsightly. In the first place, you insisted that you weren¡¯t rescued and that they had stolen the Rock SPider. If so, it¡¯s too unreasonable to ask them to escort us. Instead of isolating Crimson, you will be isolated instead.¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying! In the first place, it was only because I negotiated with him that he didn¡¯t take all the Rock Spider materials!¡¹ ¡¸As far as I¡¯m concerned, they saved my life, so I don¡¯t mind giving them all the materials. ¡­¡­Rather, how do you intend to bring everything back?¡¹ The adventurer with the sword spoke as he looked at the corpse of the Rock Spider. The Rock Spider was a huge monster 4m in size and its materials were correspondingly large and heavy. As for the carapace that could be used as armour, it was naturally larger than a human. The adventurer with the sword could easily imagine how much it would weigh. ¡¸That¡¯s why! If we could use his item box¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Haah, that¡¯s enough. Suit yourself. It was my mistake to form a party with someone like you, even if it was a temporary party. I¡¯ll give you all the materials. I¡¯d rather keep my life.¡¹ He looked at the adventurer with the spear in amazement before saying that, sheathing his sword and leaving the area. His direction wasn¡¯t the direction they had originally been going in¡­¡­but in the direction Rei¡¯s group had left in. As if chasing after them, he sprinted away from the corpse of the Rock Spider and the adventurer with the spear. Seeing him leave, the adventurer with the spear kicked the ground to vent his frustration. ¡¸Damn it, what is he thinking, even though I negotiated to keep the Rock Spider, he didn¡¯t even thank me? I¡¯m going to get him to compensate me when I get out of the dungeon. ¡­¡­First of all, I guess I¡¯ll strip the materials from the Rock Spider. If I had an item box, I could just take the whole thing, but he didn¡¯t even listen to me and just left.¡¹ Perhaps he was irritated that Rei didn¡¯t hear out what he had to say, taking out a knife from his waist, his spare weapon, he tried to stab the Rock Spider¡¯s body with the tip in frustration¡­¡­ There was a metallic sound as the tip of the knife bounced off. No, the tip didn¡¯t just bounce off. Looking closely, the knife was missing a whole 1cm from the tip and could no longer be used. ¡¸Damn it, I¡¯m really unlucky today. I had to team up with useless adventurers, ran into monster snatchers, and that adventurer didn¡¯t even listen to me at all, he just looked at me with contempt. Lastly, the only other survivor of the party was heartless enough to leave me behind.¡¹ In frustration, he kicked the corpse of the Rock Spider before realising the next moment how hard it was as severe pain ran up his leg. Even so, the materials that could be stripped from the Rock Spider in front of him could be sold at a good price at the guild, so he couldn¡¯t give up here. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. I had wanted to use the knife if possible.¡¹ Sighing, he used his spear to take apart the Rock Spider. It might have been because the carapace was torn in some places due to Set¡¯s attacks, but unlike the knife, the spear was a weapon used for battle, so while the spear tip felt some resistance, but there was no difficulty in cutting through the Rock Spider¡¯s carapace. Even though Rei had known this, he had chosen to cut only the minimum parts necessary to extract the magic stone. For about 20 minutes, he desperately stripped the carapace off the Rock Spider with the tip of his spear, but when he was about halfway through, he jumped to the side with spear still in hand. As one would expect from an adventurer who had been able to descend to the 12th floor, he was quite skilled. But that was all there was to it. ¡¸Bah, why are there so many!¡¹ Bhiend him was a giant spider with gray, rock like, skin. It was slightly smaller than the one Set had killed, but it was still nearly twice his size. ¡¸Gya, Gyaaa, GYAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ It wasn¡¯t clear if the Rock Spider was conscious of its fellow spider, but regardless, it attacked the man. ¡¸Damn it-! How could this happen to me¡­¡­hey, someone help me! Hey, hey! If I die, it will be a huge loss for Exil! Hey, someone¡­¡­anyone help meeeeeeee-!¡¹ He screamed out, but there were no signs of anyone coming to his rescue¡­¡­the man was reward for his foolishness and was eaten alive by the Rock Spider, the cruellest death a human could ever suffer. CH 446 ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll take my leave here. Thank you so much for your help today, and I apologise for any trouble my party member caused you. Thank you and sorry.¡¹ Inside a small room with a magic circle and stairs to the 13th floor, an adventurer gave a deep bow as he spoke. The adventurer with a sword had caught up with Rei¡¯s group a short distance away from where they had fought the Rock Spider and had asked to stay with them until he could leave the dungeon. As a result, he had stuck with them until they reached the stairs to the 13th floor. At first, Set had gave a grumbling cry because the adventurer had been a party member of the adventurer with a spear who had stolen the Rock Spider he had killed. But, it seemed the adventurer had felt it too dangerous to stay back. By handing a few pieces of dried meat to Set, which he had brought to eat when hungry, Set¡¯s irritation subsided. It wasn¡¯t to the point of welcoming him, but at the very least, his grumpy attitude was alleviated. (As for me, I¡¯m glad that Set didn¡¯t eat the spider.) Rei knew that eating insects as food wasn¡¯t uncommon in some areas on Earth. He also knew that in Japan, there were people who ate locusts simmered in soy sauce and mirin, and bee larvae. He had also seen a program where a comedian had eaten caterpillars, spiders, and scorpions in unexplored areas of the world. To be exact, spiders weren¡¯t insects, but the details of classifications didn¡¯t really interest Rei. From his point of view, they were basically handled the same way. Anyway, after the adventurer with the sword joined, there were no particular issues. Continuing to defeat various monsters as they made their way through the rocky desert, they arrived at the stairs to the 13th floor. Seeing the man leave by the magic circle and returned to the surface, Elena gave a sigh. ¡¸I never thought that Goblin Bandits would appear here.¡¹ ¡¸I thought the same. If they showed up at the oasis on the 11th floor, could it be that they were originally from the 12th floor and had gone up for some reason?¡¹ ¡¸But, how could they have done that? Considering that the magic circle also keeps monsters away, it would be impossible for the Goblin Bandits to enter this small room, right?¡¹ Rei nodded involuntarily at Elena¡¯s words. It was possible if the monster had some sort of magical connection to an adventurer or it was wearing a Necklace of Subservient Monster, but it was a fact that ordinary monsters were unable to enter the small rooms where the magic circles were. However, the figure of the Goblin Bandit Mage appeared in Rei¡¯s mind. ¡¸There was that abnormal species, wasn¡¯t there?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right.¡¹ With just those words, Elena knew which monster Rei was talking about. She frowned slightly as she nodded back. Even for Elena, the matter of Rei fainting after the Death Scythe absorbed that magic stone was a bitter memory. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set rubbed his body against Elena as he gave a cry. Unlike Rei, Elena couldn¡¯t fully understand what Set wanted to say, but she could still understand that Set was worried for her. ¡¸Fufu~, are you worried? Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ When Elena gently stroked his head, Set must have understood she was okay. He gave a happy cry, unlike the worried one from a few seconds ago. ¡¸Anyhow, it was an abnormal species. Maybe the Goblin Bandits were taken up to the 11th floor by it. I don¡¯t know how though¡­¡­¡¹ Although he said that, Rei had half and idea in his mind. Even so, he didn¡¯t say it as it was purely based on his intuition and he had no evidence whatsoever. (Summoning magic. ¡­¡­The Goblin Bandit Mage was definitely weaker than other abnormal species. Of course, it was a magic using monster, but it still seemed very fragile. But, what if the reason was that it had used up most of its magic power to summon the Goblin Bandits? No, as an abnormal species, we don¡¯t really have to worry about another one showing up any more. Rather than that.) Rei turned his attention to the entrance of the small room with the magic circle. ¡¸Should we go out?¡¹ Following Rei¡¯s gaze, Elena gave a small nod. Although it wasn¡¯t quite evening yet, they could tell it should be getting close to that time. Because of that, they didn¡¯t want to attempt to clear the 13th floor. But even so, there was no harm in taking a look at what kind of floor it was. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set didn¡¯t seem to have any objections as he gave a cry and looked at the entrance. Thus, the three of them agreed to head out the entrance¡­¡­ ¡¸Wow, it¡¯s this desert again?¡¹ Rei had an expression that said ¡®I don¡¯t like this¡¯ as he spoke. ¡¸Maybe the 14th floor will be back to a rocky desert?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Elena muttered with a sigh while Set didn¡¯t seem to care. To Set, a desert was a desert. Sand was spread out all over Rei¡¯s line of sight. It was a typical sandy desert, the type that came to mind when one thought of a desert, similar to the desert on the 11th floor. Of course, there were some differences compared to the 11th floor. Although they hadn¡¯t noticed it because of Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe, Elena¡¯s cloak, and Set¡¯s heat resistance as a Griffon, the sunlight was definitely stronger and the temperature was also higher than the 11th floor. ¡¸¡­¡­We have to walk through this sand again?¡¹ Rei muttered with a disgusted expression on his face and turned to look at Elena before sighing and heading back to the small room with the magic circle. Elena knew what he meant and also headed back to the small room with Set as if to say ¡®that¡¯s enough for today¡¯. Entering the magic circle, they transferred back to the surface. The transfer magic device was located at the dungeon¡¯s entrance. After being transferred back, Rei noticed the buzz around them. Elena and Set also turned to look at the noisy adventurers near the dungeon entrance. When they had entered the dungeon, the adventurers around them had been discussing the attack on the Silva family¡¯s warehouse. But now, the commotion was even bigger, it almost seemed like people were in some sort of confusion. ¡¸¡­¡­Did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s related to this morning¡¯s situation.¡¹ Rei replied to Elena when he heard the words ¡®Silva family¡¯ and ¡®Levisor family¡¯ discussed by the adventurers. Just at that moment, they were approached by someone who called out to them. ¡¸Rei, Elena. Set as well. From the looks of it, you just came back from the dungeon?¡¹ The man who called out to them, with a sword sheathed at his waist, was Pleiades, who¡¯s party Rei had saved from Sandworms a few days ago. Unlike when they had met in the dungeon, they couldn¡¯t see the rest of his party members with him. ¡¸We just got back from the 13th floor. ¡­¡­So, what¡¯s all the fuss about?¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s question, Pleiades spoke with a serious expression. ¡¸The Silva and Levisor families clashed this morning.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ It was Rei who leaked his voice. After all, he had stopped by the Silva family residence and met with Vosk before heading to the dungeon. At that time, Vosk had said he would take care of everything all at once, but even so, Rei hadn¡¯t expected it to happen the same day¡­¡­ Contrary to Rei, Elena gave a small nod, as if she had been expecting that, and prompted Pleiades to continue. ¡¸So what was the result?¡¹ ¡¸The Silva family is one based on martial strength and the Levisor family is the weakest of the three in that aspect. I don¡¯t have to tell you the outcome, do I? The direct clash occurred near the Levisor residence, but it seems that Vosk-san was leading the Silva family¡¯s forces and went straight to the Levisor residence.¡¹ It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess what the results would be. In short¡­¡­ ¡¸The Levisor family was defeated, I guess.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. However, the head of the Levisor family, Schaffner, is missing and hasn¡¯t been caught.¡¹ Pleiades addressed Vosk with honourifics but left them out for Schaffner. It was proof of how he felt about the two of them. No, it wasn¡¯t just Pleiades. Considering what Rei and Elena had heard after coming to Exil, most people probably had the same impression of Vosk and Schaffner. The only exception would have been those close to Schaffner, but only because it served their own interests. ¡¸And the result? Did they confirm that the attack on the warehouse was conducted by the Levisor family?¡¹ ¡¸There was no clear evidence on that end. But, something ridiculous came out instead.¡¹ ¡¸Something ridiculous?¡¹ Rei asked back, but he could half guess what the ridiculous thing Pleiades was talking about was. It was only natural as he had made the same guess just the day before. That is to say¡­¡­ ¡¸Evidence of illegal experimentation with magic stones. It seems they were also experimenting in a lab that was built in secret near the slums. As for the abnormal species, they say they were created in those experiments.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ The fact that he had predicted it earlier made Rei strangely satisfied in his mind. ¡¸So that¡¯s what this fuss all about.¡¹ He looked around at the adventurers that were talking with each other and not just their friends. Next to Rei, ELena spoke with a slightly melancholy expression on her face. ¡¸However, this¡­¡­is going to be troublesome.¡¹ ¡¸Troublesome?¡¹ Elena gave a small nod when Rei asked her. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what he was thinking when he decided to create the abnormal species, but now that his misdeeds have been exposed, there is no way out for Schaffner. There is also a possibility he could go rogue and do something crazy.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Now that he¡¯s been cornered, he¡¯ll be betting on a way to turn everything around at once. ¡­¡­Pleiades, what¡¯s the current state of the Levisor family? The current head is Schaffner, but he has run away, right? Then, at worst, someone has to take over the Levisor family for now.¡¹ ¡¸The Silva family is currently handling that, but it seems that Vosk has announced that Schaffner¡¯s son will take over the position as family head.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Son? Did he have one?¡¹ Those words leaked out from Rei as he had only met Schaffner when they had been invited to the Levisor family. On the other hand, Elena nodded as if it were a matter of course. ¡¸They might not be nobility officially¡­¡­but they are still one of the three governing families of the Labyrinth City. Naturally, they have to have someone they can pass control to.¡¹ ¡¸And yet we didn¡¯t hear anything about his son at all when gathering information on Schaffner?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s quite understandable. For better or worse, he was hidden in the shadow of Schaffner¡¯s bad politics. Wasn¡¯t he?¡¹ Pleiades nodded hurriedly as he glanced at Elena, unintentionally nervous from her beauty, despite already being acquainted. ¡¸Y-Yeah. It¡¯s true that he seems to be a man with a rather low presence, or rather no presence, so he was rarely talked about. In fact, I didn¡¯t even know he existed until I heard abouit this.¡¹ ¡¸Then, this commotion shouldn¡¯t last too long. ¡­¡­However, that is under the premise that Schaffner, who has disappeared, is found as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸If the Levisor family was collecting magic stones to experiment in creating abnormal species, what about the Marschel family, who were also collecting magic stones? Is it possible that they were also experimenting with abnormal species?¡¹ Rei¡¯s question was a natural one to have, but it was Elena and not Pleiades who answered him. ¡¸They are probably using the Levisor family as a warning. ¡­¡­Even the Silva family can¡¯t attack the Marschel family without having any proof other than they were also collecting magic stones.¡¹ ¡¸But, in that case, isn¡¯t there a possibility that abnormal species will continue to appear?¡¹ ¡¸Impossible. If the Marschel family is really conducting experiments to create abnormal species, the Silva family will attack the Marschel family the moment another abnormal species appears again. That would be enough circumstantial evidence. I don¡¯t think they would be that careless¡­¡­that is if the Marschel family are indeed conducting experiments to create abnormal species.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, not only Rei and Pleiades, the other adventurers who had been listening in to their conversation also let out sighs of relief. (It is possible, however, that some of the abnormal species created by the Levisor family still remain.) Although a lot of adventurers were tough people who could easily be out for blood, they didn¡¯t want their friends, family, and loved ones to be caught up in a war between Exil¡¯s ruling families. It also seemed to Rei that Elena didn¡¯t want the current turmoil to escalate, so she had spoken up in order to calm those around her. CH 447 ¡¸Haa, haa, haa¡­¡­damn that brat, Vosk. I will not¡­¡­forgive you, I will not forgive you, I will not forgive you for this¡­¡­treatment towards the Levisor family. I will definitely pay this back in future.¡¹ When the Silva and Levisor families had clashed, Schaffner had been unable to put up a decent resistance and was swallowed up by the overwhelming force of the Silva family as he was helplessly defeated. His escape had only been made possible by his loyal servants, who had served the Levisor family for generations. But even they were gone now. In order to let him escape, each of them had taken the role of a decoy to distract the Silva family. However, for Schaffner, it was only natural they would do that since they served him. No, rather, the fact that he had just lost to the Silva family was now replaced by disappointment for his subordinates. ¡¸They¡¯re all the same. It¡¯s only natural that they help me escape, but there should have been people still helping me now. When this matter is settled, I must order them to be re-trained from the bottom up¡­¡­haa, haa.¡¹ It was a tropical night where one would sweat just by walking. The clouds were so thick that even the moon that would normally illuminate the night sky was hidden. Along with the high humidity, it was causing Schaffner¡¯s stamina to be exhausted. Normally, he would have been relaxing inside his mansion with magic items providing cool air. Why then was he moving around in such a hot and humid environment, worried if anyone saw him? It was like he was a soldier that had been defeated in a war. While he was too proud to admit it, whether he liked it or not, his current situation was nothing more than a defeated soldier. ¡¸Fuu, fuu, fuu¡­¡­just, a little further.¡¹ As he tried to hide himself in the darkness of the night, he wipe the sweat that was coming from his forehead. After escaping from the Levisor residence, Schaffner had been hiding in one of his safehouses. But, because he couldn¡¯t do anything there but hide, he ended up leaving the place under the cover of night to make Vosk pay for his irreverence towards him. That said, while he would never admit it, there was no doubt he was somewhat worried about hiding in the safehouse on his own. ¡¸Just a little more¡­¡­I¡¯m almost at the Marschel residence. Just you watch¡­¡­just you watch, you Silva brat.¡¹ Fortunately for Schaffner, who was out of breath as he made his way towards the Marschel residence, most of Exil¡¯s residents were holed up in their own homes after the conflict between the Silva and Levisor families earlier in the day. Of course, not everyone was at home, there were those who were feasting in the bars as if such events didn¡¯t matter. However, relatively speaking, few people were out in the city, and with the moon hidden by the clouds, he was able to make his way to the Marschel residence without being spotted by his pursuers from the Silva family. Although his bloated pride would never let him admit it, he was scared. Just like a prey being chased by a predator, frightened as he made his way through the darkness with no light¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but please stop there.¡¹ Whoosh. At the not quite human voice coming from behind him, Schaffner froze for a moment before turning around at a speed that didn¡¯t match his age. Schaffner himself had almost no combat knowledge and only had basic training. In more recent days, he neglected even his basic training, so his fast movements were purely out of fear. At any rate, darkness was the only thing Schaffner could see when he turned around. He hurried looked about in a panic and shouted as if to hide the horror that was rising through him. ¡¸W-W-Who is it! Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m Schaffner Levisor, head of the Levisor family!¡¹ ¡¸Please be quiet. If you cause a commotion here, you¡¯ll be heard by those watching the Marschel residence.¡¹ Same as before, an unclear voice came from the darkness. Schaffner finally realised it wasn¡¯t the voice of a human and the fear he had managed to suppress exploded as the urge to run away while screaming came up from his heart¡­¡­ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. I will have to carry out master¡¯s orders.¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ The voice that came from the darkness was suddenly heard beside his ears¡­¡­the next moment, Schaffner lost consciousness as he collapsed to the ground. Right next to the old man lying on the ground, covered in dust, was a small doll about 30cm tall. When it raised its hand slightly towards the darkness, a doll about 2m tall appeared, picking up Schaffner from the ground. ¡¸Seriously, even though there are people watching master¡¯s residence.¡¹ The 30cm tall doll shrugged its shoulders as if it were a human before moving its head to face the 2m doll standing beside it. ¡¸At any rate, things are proceeding according to master¡¯s orders. Let¡¯s go back.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The 2m doll nodded silently before heading for the mansion where its beloved master was waiting, unnoticed by the people from the Silva family who were watching the perimeter of the Marschel residence. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm? Here is¡­¡­I was sure¡­¡­-ouch-!¡¡W-Where the hell am I!?¡¹ Schaffner woke up and rushed to get up before realising from the pain in his body that he was lying on hard ground and not on a bed or sofa. A moment later, he heard a jarring sound and at the same time felt a cold sensation around his ankle. Quickly turning to look, what he saw was unexpected yet expected at the same time. That is, there was an ankle shackle around his ankle with a chain extending from it. The end of the chain was connected to a metal ring embedded in a corner of what appeared to be a room¡­¡­or more precisely a cobblestone prison. ¡¸W-What is this? I was¡­¡­no, I was sure I was close to the Marschel residence.¡¹ Recalling his memories before fainting, he eventually gave a small gasp. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I thought I heard some strange voices¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Heh, a strange voice? Can you tell me what kind of voice it was like?¡¹ ¡¸It spoke human words but¡­¡­who is this-!?¡¹ He turned in the direction of the voice he just heard. A single figure stood on the other side of the entrance to the prison where Schaffner was currently trapped. A presence so unnatural that even though he knew there was someone there, he couldn¡¯t tell if they were actually there. A person whose face couldn¡¯t be seen even with the light that illuminated the area around the prison. When he had looked around the moment he woke up, there definitely hadn¡¯t been anyone there. And yet, without a single sound of a footstep, there was someone suddenly there. ¡¸This robe certainly is useful. The only drawback is that the effect wears off as soon as you move even slightly.¡¹ It was a middle aged woman in her 40¡¯s with many pieces of jewellery on her body. Hair ornaments, necklaces, earrings, rings, and bangles. She was also wearing a variety of other accessories which were also visible. Schaffner immediately knew who it was. She was one of the people with whom he had ruled Exil with for decades, and she was the person he had also been hoping to ask for help, although in his mind, he had been expecting her to ask for his help. ¡¸Pree!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s been a long time Schaffner-san. How are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing good is happening! Get these chains off me and get me out of here! Do you understand who I am!?¡¹ Schaffner shouted at Pree until his face went red, but Pree just ignored him as she looked at one of her rings lovingly. She didn¡¯t look at Schaffner at all¡­¡­and spoke up as if he wasn¡¯t even worth as much as her rings. ¡¸Yes, I understand, of course. You¡¯re an idiot who experimented with magic stones to create the abnormal species and attacked the Silva family when they started to investigate, right?¡¹ ¡¸Why, y-you¡­¡­showing such cheek towards the head of the Levisor family!¡¹ At those words, Pree let out a giggle. It was the kind of laughter that was a mix of a smile and ridicule when seeing a funny trick. Because of his bloated pride, Schaffner couldn¡¯t stand her attitude of contempt and screamed at her. ¡¸What¡­¡­what¡¯s wrong with you! It was the Marschel family that attacked the Silva family¡¯s warehouse after all! I was just dragged into it!¡¹ ¡¸Ara~, ara~, I can¡¯t believe you still only know that much. No, that¡¯s probably why you were chosen to begin with. ¡­¡­Well, where do I start? Well, let¡¯s start with that.¡¹ With a smile on her face, one filled with malice, Pree giggled as she spoke. ¡¸The position of head of the Levisor family, which you have been guarding for so long, is no longer yours.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸Vosk has installed Cardia as the new head of the Levisor family.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s ridiculous!¡¹ Schaffner shouted back at Pree¡¯s words without a second thought. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable for Schaffner to respond as such, as that was the name of someone he recognised as mediocre and useless, despite being someone from his own blood. ¡¸Do you think¡­¡­such selfishness is allowed!¡¹ ¡¸yes, of course. After all, not only the Silva family, but I, the head of the Marschel family, have agreed. There will be no procedural problems.¡¹ ¡¸Wha-! Don¡¯t be stupid! In the first place you and the Silva family¡­¡­-!?¡¹ Shouting up to that point, his face bright red with anger, he eventually stopped and gulped as if something had just occurred to him. ¡¸You¡­¡­you were working with the Silva family from the beginning? You and the others arranged this incident in order to take control of the Levisor family¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ After being told something so unexpected, Pree had a completely surprised expression on her face? However, the next moment, she couldn¡¯t hold back her laughter as she covered her mouth to try to stop it. ¡¸Fufufu¡­¡­ahahahaha, I see, I see. I can¡¯t help seeing that from your point of view. ¡­¡­But, I¡¯m sorry. The correct answer is¡­¡­bring him to me.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, master.¡¹ Schaffner heard the inhuman like voice from before he fainted. A few minutes later, a door to where the prison was located was opened. ¡¸Pardon me. I heard you wanted to see me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. He seems to have a strange misunderstanding. I thought it was time I taught him a lesson in reality. ¡­¡­Hey, Schaffner. You recognise him, don¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why, why¡­¡­why are you here, Oricule£¡¡¹ The man was called Oricule. He was the man, who until a few days ago, was supposed to be working together with Schaffner as the envoy from the Church of Holy Light. He was the man behind the Church of Holy Light and someone Schaffner had used heavily. However, even when Schaffner¡¯s face turned red as he glared at him, Oricule didn¡¯t seem to care about it at all¡­¡­no, he just sighed as he turned to face Pree. ¡¸You didn¡¯t have to go out of your way to tell him about me, did you?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, your relationship needs to be properly cut. Besides, wouldn¡¯t it be more convenient for him to carry his hatred in his heart as experimental material?¡¹ Schaffner¡¯s face grew redder and redder with anger at the conversation taking place before him. ¡¸Oricule¡­¡­you¡¯ve been plotting against me!?¡¹ ¡¸I never said I was plotting against you. We just need to dispose of tools that are no longer useful, don¡¯t we?¡¹ ¡¸A tool¡­¡­I¡¯m not a tool! I am a ruler of Exil!¡¹ If people could kill with hatred, Schaffner¡¯s glare would have been enough to kill the two people in front of him several times¡­¡­no, dozens of times over. However, there was nothing he could do, as he was chained up in a prison. All he could do was bottle up the hatred for the two people in front of him in his heart. From the conversation between Pree and Oricule, Schaffner knew that was exactly want the two of them wanted, but he couldn¡¯t suppress the anger welling up from inside him. [Previous Chapter] [Table of Contents] [Next Chapter] Pingback: Legend Chapter 447 | Silent Translations TomApril 10, 2022 at 12:36 am Thanks for the chapter Reply ¡ý fatpandaApril 10, 2022 at 1:42 am Thanks for the chapter. Please rest more. Btw, several typos spotted > The clouds were so /think/ that even the moon that would normally illuminate the night sky was hidden. ¡®thick¡¯ > But, because he couldn¡¯t do anything there but hide, he ended up leaving the place under the /over/ of night to make Vosk pay for his irreverence towards him. ¡®cover¡¯ > A person /who¡¯s/ face couldn¡¯t be seen even with the light that illuminated the area around the prison. ¡®whose¡¯ > Schaffner shouted at Pree until his face went red, but /Press/ just ignored him as she looked at one of her rings lovingly. ¡®Pree¡¯ > At those /owrds/, Pree let out a giggle. ¡®words¡¯ > ¡¸The position of head of the Levisor family, which // have been guarding for so long, is no longer yours.¡¹ ¡®you¡¯ > However, the next /moemtn/, she couldn¡¯t hold back her laughter as she covered her mouth to try to stop it. ¡®moment¡¯ > ¡¸Unfortunately, your relationship needs to be properly cut. Besides, wouldn¡¯t // be more convenient for him to carry his hatred in his heart as experimental material?¡¹ ¡®it¡¯ CH 448 The day after the clash between the Silva and Levisor families, the number of people out on the streets was significantly greater than the previous day. The adventurers working with the Silva family, while still visible, were also less agitated. ¡¸But, having this many people out and about probably means Schaffner hasn¡¯t been found yet.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set, who was walking next to Rei, swallowed the dried meat that was handed to him and tilted his head as he gave a cry. Elena, who was walking on the opposite side to Rei, petted Set on the back as she nodded. ¡¸It seems the successor to the Levisor family has already been announced. But even so, the existence of Schaffner, the previous family head, will be troublesome for Vosk in many ways.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words. Because he had been the head of the Levisor family for so many years, even if a new family head was announced, Schaffner¡¯s influence would remain to some extent. (However, it was true that he conducted dangerous research in the Labyrinth City and released dangerous monsters known as abnormal species into the dungeon. Given that, it would be¡­¡­difficult for anyone to work together with him.) In both good and bad ways, the dungeon was the centre of everything in Labyrinth City Exil. Both Rei and Elena were in agreement that it was unlikely anyone would take Schaffner¡¯s side, as he had released abnormal species monsters into the dungeon and place Exil into danger. But¡­¡­ ¡¸No one would take his side, huh. That might be true, but it doesn¡¯t mean there will be those who will try to take advantage of it, which will be hard to deal with.¡¹ Elena muttered with a sombre expression as Rei nodded with a sigh. ¡¸I¡¯d like to think that since the researchers were all killed, we have nothing to worry about¡­¡­but it hurts that we don¡¯t even know who killed the researchers.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. I heard that all the documents of their research had been burned, but we don¡¯t know what had been written in them. The murderers probably took some documents and burned everything else that wasn¡¯t related to cover it up. That¡¯s what I think.¡¹ After confirming the existence of the research lab from reports they found in the Levisor residence, Vosk led the way to the slums where it was located. But, by the time they arrived, all the researchers had already been killed. In other words, someone other than the Silva family had done it. ¡¸The easy explanation would be that Schaffner was afraid¡­¡­for his misdeeds to become known.¡¹ ¡¸But, I don¡¯t think he would have had the luxury of doing that. Hadn¡¯t he just appeared in front of Vosk? And then he was kicked straight to the curb in one go. It would have been a pretty tight time frame for him to realise he had lost and to send assassins to the lab to kill the researchers just to destroy the evidence.¡¹ ¡¸I guess so¡­¡­¡¹ At that point, Rei paused for a moment to buy a Lizardmen skewer at the usual stall and exchanged a short greeting before returning to the subject. ¡¸But, if Elena is right and it wasn¡¯t Schaffner that killed the researchers, that means there is a completely different third party involved in yesterday¡¯s incident, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I think so.¡¹ As Elena nodded, they arrived at the gate leading to the dungeon plaza and presented their dungeon cards before entering. As if the small number of adventurers yesterday was a lie, there were many adventurers waiting in the plaza today as was usual. The plaza was bustling with people holding meetings, recruiting for temporary parties, and some even trying to hire adventurers from the Church of Holy Light. ¡¸It was like that yesterday, but already back to normal today. ¡­¡­Hm?¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he walked over to the side when he suddenly noticed someone approaching them. It was a typical warrior with a sword sheathed at his waist and wearing leather armour made from monster skin. ¡¸Thank you for saving my life yesterday. And also, you know, the ones who died as well.¡¹ The person who bowed at them was one of the adventurer that Rei and Elena had rescued in the dungeon the previous day. In contrast to the adventurer who had tried to extort them, Rei had a high opinion of the adventurer with the sword. Aside from saving his life, he was probably thanking them for stopping by the guild after leaving the dungeon to hand over the bodies Rei had stored into the Misty Ring. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, you know.¡¹ Rei frowned slightly when he recalled the scene of the dead people¡¯s relatives weeping as they clung to the bodies. He knew and understood that being an adventurer was a profession where death was always close, but it was still a scene he wasn¡¯t used to seeing. (Even though I feel no resistance to killing people¡­¡­) While laughing at the state of his own mind, Rei exchanged brief greetings with the man when the man suddenly whispered to him, as if afraid of his surroundings. ¡¸That¡¯s right. About Onoma¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Onoma? Was he the man with the spear?¡¹ The man nodded as Elena asked with a frown. ¡¸Yes. So, about Onoma¡­¡­apparently, he didn¡¯t come back from the dungeon yesterday.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Did he really go crazy and try to strip material from the Rock Spider and end up attacked by another monster?¡¹ ¡¸Maybe. It was the first time I had formed a temporary party with him yesterday¡­¡­no, it¡¯s awkward to talk about him like this. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, thanks.¡¹ Rei thanked him briefly and Elena also nodded. Set didn¡¯t have any particular reaction, but there was no doubt that he felt unhappy with Onoma because of yesterday¡¯s incident. Rei and Elena felt the same way and, while they thanked the adventurer who told them the news, they honestly felt Onoma got what he deserved. (He died trying to grab more materials than he could carry. I guess he must have really wanted it all.) Rei thought to himself as he sorted out his thoughts about Ononma. The adventurer probably didn¡¯t notice anything and bowed his head before leaving after telling them that. It was clear what he was aiming for when he went over to a group of people looking to form a temporary party. ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, should we go too?¡¹ Elena had nothing to say about Onoma either and simply pushed him out of her mind as she spoke to Rei before the two of them headed for the 13th floor. ¡¸It really is best described as a sea of sand.¡¹ Rei muttered from under the hood of his Dragon Robe as he looked out at the sight of the 13th floor spread before him. Nodding silently back, Elena wore her cloak she took out from her magic pouch. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Aren¡¯t we going to head off? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head, but Rei just looked around while stroking Set¡¯s head. There was just a small room with a magic circle and stairs that sat just above the dunes as the rest of the desert spread out around them. ¡¸Have you decided what to do first? You haven¡¯t absorbed the magic stone from the Rock Spider and Skyfang yet. Especially since the Skyfang hasn¡¯t even been dismantled.¡¹ ¡¸However, isn¡¯t it awkward to do that here? Although there are several sand dunes, the view of the surroundings is considerably clearer than on the previous floor. Other monsters might find and attack us, and above all, other adventurers might also spot us.¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei was about to respond, something happened. ¡¸Mmm, the desert is really hot in the end. Hey, is it really on this level¡­¡­oh?¡¹ A female warrior, wearing a cloak similar to Elena¡¯s, and with a rapier at her waist exited the small room before noticing Rei¡¯s group just outside the room. She looked at Rei and Elena and tilted her head before looking at the Griffon next to them and nodding in understanding. ¡¸I had heard that a title holder was clearing the dungeon at an unbelievable speed¡­¡­I see that one of you is Crimson. If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask who it is?¡¹ At the woman¡¯s words, Rei gave a small sigh as he stepped forward. ¡¸It¡¯s me. In the first place, didn¡¯t the rumours say that Crimson was a man?¡¹ Rei¡¯s words made the female adventurer laugh a little. ¡¸Ara~, shouldn¡¯t you know well that you have a girlish face? You¡¯re not that tall either, so if you don¡¯t speak, some people might mistake you for a girl. Don¡¯t you think?¡¹ Three adventurers appeared from the small room which the woman was look over at. There were two human men in their 20¡¯s and a Dwarf with a beard that grew to his chest outside his cloak. Among them, one of the men turned to look at Rei. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. It can be difficult to tell if it¡¯s a man or woman just by looking at his face.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I knew he was a man immediately. What about you, Zugri?¡¹ The other man looked confused as he asked the Dwarf. However, the Dwarf called Zugri just shook his head and put his huge axe over his shoulder as he spoke. ¡¸I can¡¯t tell either. But if I hear his voice¡­¡­no, it¡¯s still a little high for a man, so it¡¯s hard to tell.¡¹ ¡¸Right? It¡¯s not that easy to tell.¡¹ The woman with the rapier smiled as if to say ¡®my thoughts exactly¡¯. One of the men who had been staring at her with a smile on his face came back to his sense when the Dwarf coughed and tapped his cloak several times as if to dust it off. ¡¸Anyway, we have to find the monster we want before the end of the day, so we¡¯d better get going. ¡­¡­Crimson was it? I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ll have to head off first, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s fine.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ Exchanging a few words, the party of four adventurers headed off. Unusually for Rei, they showed no surprise at Set¡¯s presence. Was it because they had been in such a hurry that they didn¡¯t notice Set, or was it because they had heard of Set¡¯s reputation in the city? (Maybe it was the latter.) Next to Rei, who thought that from the way the woman with the rapier reacted, Elena nodded and pulled out a map from her magic pouch after seeing the adventurers leave before suddenly noticing something. ¡¸Hmm? ¡­¡­Oh, I see.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, those people weren¡¯t heading in the direction of the stairs to the next floor. I just thought they must have been heading for the monster they¡¯re trying to catch. ¡­¡­So, what would you like to do after this? Do you want to dismantle the Skyfang here?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Given that we don¡¯t know who will come like just now, it¡¯s a bit risky to do that. I¡¯ll have to hope there¡¯s a place on the next floor or, if there¡¯s a place that doesn¡¯t stand out from the surroundings to the next floor, we¡¯ll do it there. As for the Rock Spider¡¯s magic stone we¡¯ll handle it then as well.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a disappointed cry at Rei¡¯s words. However, Set¡¯s disappointment was due to the fact that he couldn¡¯t eat any of the Skyfang meat more than anything else, as well as the absorption of the magic stone. Of course, it wasn¡¯t always possible to eat the meat after materials had been stripped. But, even so, if he was lucky, there would be fresh meat for him to eat, which was a big attraction for Set when monsters were dismantled. ¡¸Here, if you¡¯re hungry, just eat this for now.¡¹ Saying that, Rei offered a sandwich he took out from the Misty Ring to Set, who¡¯s shoulders were drooped. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ The moment he saw the sandwich, Set grabbed it with his beak with a happy cry and in a blink of an eye, the sandwich was gone from Rei¡¯s hands. While watching Set happily eat the sandwich, Rei and Elena¡¯s eyes met for some reason and the two of them burst out laughing. ¡¸Ku-ahahahaha. As expected of Set. He looks just like you.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey, even I¡¯m not that gluttonous¡­¡­kuku.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Why are you two laughing? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head. He had already finished his sandwich and wasn¡¯t quite satisfied. Tilting his head, Set seemed to ask if he could have some more as he rubbed his head against Rei and stared at him with his round eyes. ¡¸Okay, okay. ¡­¡­Then, just one more.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a happy cry at Rei¡¯s words and Elena placed her hand on Rei¡¯s shoulder as he went to take another sandwich out from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Rei, do you mind if I give him one? Fortunately, I brought some sandwiches as emergency rations.¡¹ Saying that, she took out a sandwich wrapped in paper from her magic pouch. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Can I have it? Rei nodded when Set looked at him as if to ask. Seeing that, Set gladly went over to Elena and stretched out his beak to the sandwich. CH 449 Having thoroughly enjoyed their time with Set, Rei and Elena made their way through the 13th floor¡¯s desert. Every time they took a step, the tips of their feet would sink into the sand as they lifted their other foot. The temperature was over 50C, sapping their physical strength. As if to accelerate the process, the intense sunlight beat down on thetm. That said, they had already become accustomed to walking on sand from the 11th floor and the heat from the sunlight was considerably reduced by the effect of the Dragon Robe and desert cloak. On the other hand, it was probably only due to their physical strength that they were able to walk a straight line to the next set of stairs rather than detouring around the peaks of the sand dunes. As for Set, after eating the sandwiches, he was in high spirits as he flew through the sky to keep a eye on the suroundings, As they continued walking, they eventually came across countless cacti. ¡¸Cacti¡­¡­Rei, do you remember what Pleiades told us?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. He told us that some monsters on the 13th floor could mimic cacti.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. Based on that¡­¡­what do you want to do?¡¹ Rei frowned and turned his head as Elena asked while looking at the innumerable cacti in sight, so dense that it could be described as a cacti forest. ¡¸It¡¯s obviously suspicious for cacti to grow so densely. It¡¯s safe to assume that some of them are actually monsters.¡¹ ¡¸The easiest way would be to fly through the sky¡­¡­but, Rei aside, it would be hard for me.¡¹ Perhaps it was a characteristic of Set that wasn¡¯t found in ordinary Griffons, but whether it was unique to the Magic Beast Art or not, Set could only carry a single person like Rei on his back. Any more than that and he could only manage if it were children. And yet, at the same time, a single attack from his claws was enough to send a 100kg monster flying, which was unreasonable in many ways. Regardless, as Set wouldn¡¯t be able to carry Elena, there weren¡¯t many option available to them. That was to say¡­¡­ ¡¸We either take a big detour or force our way through.¡¹ ¡¸Taking the long way around¡­¡­is something I would like to avoid if possible.¡¹ Elena muttered with a sigh when she saw how extensive the cacti forest was. As for Rei, he wanted to collect at least two magic stones from monsters he had yet to see. As their interests aligned, the next step was for the two of them to figure out how to kill the monsters that were pretending to be cacti. ¡¸I think, to be on the safe side, the quickest way would be to wipe them out with your or my magic.¡¹ ¡¸That should be possible. According to what we heard from Pleiades, Cactus Mimics are sensitive to magic power.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Moreover, because they react in response to magic power and do not distinguish between offensive or healing magic, they are extremely troublesome to deal with.¡¹ Elena responded to Rei with a sigh. As their name suggested, Cactus Mimics were a kind of monster that mimicked cacti and basically never moved. However, when they sensed magic power, it would arouse their defensive instincts, or maybe it was simply their nature, and they would reveal themselves and attack. Rei was reminded of a machine gun after being told they would shoot out the countless thorns that grew on them. In addition, any thorns shot out would be immediately regenerated from their main body, effectively never running out of ammunition. Such attacks were extremely troublesome to deal with since all Cactus Mimics that sensed magic power would carry out the same attack. It was clear that their attacks were not powerful enough to penetrate the Dragon Robe, but it was impossible to block all attacks from hitting the gaps in places not covered by the robe. Furthermore, Elena only wore a cloak that lowered the ambient temperature and it could hardly be expected to provide any kind of protection. The only materials that could be obtained from Cactus Mimics were their magic stone, which was also their proof of subjugation, there were no other materials. (It¡¯s a monster that is hard to kill but offers very little in way of rewards. It¡¯s the embodiment of working for nothing, but that¡¯s why they were able to grow so much.) If Cactus Mimics had been a monster that could move around on its own, like a Treant, they might have been able to kill the ones that attacked them. However, Cactus Mimics were effectively stationary and never moved, as Rei¡¯s group could see. It was also a monster that thoroughly specialised in ambushes. Other than that, they were so far away from the dune peaks was probably why they had grown in such numbers. ¡¸Anyway, magic is rejected. We¡¯ll just have to kill the Cactus Mimics that get in our way with physical attacks.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s troublesome, but I guess it¡¯s unavoidable. It might have been quicker for us to move along the dune peaks where other adventurers pass through.¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t deny that. But¡­¡­¡¹ Rei replied to Elena as he pulled the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring. ¡¸It¡¯s true that they will react sensitively to magic power, but what about skills learned using the Magic Beast Art? ¡­¡­Elena, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine, but just be ready to handle anything that comes your way. Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Even without detailed instructions, Set could hear their conversation from the sky. Hearing Rei call to him, Set more or less understood what Rei was planning. Giving a cry to say he understood, Set flew to the ground with a flap of his wings. Moving to Rei¡¯s side, Set seemed to ask Rei what skill he wanted to use with his eyes. ¡¸Fire Tornado would probably be best, but that would be seen by other adventurers because of how tall it is. I don¡¯t want to expose it too much as it¡¯s a trump card. In that case, King¡¯s Awe¡­¡­I wonder if that would work. In the first place, Cactus Mimics hardly move to begin with. Then, I guess Fire Breath would be the best choice with its attack range.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Leave it to me! Set seemed to say as he took a deep breath, ready to breath out fire at any moment. (As for me¡­¡­I hardly have any skills that allow me to make a widespread attack.) Seeing Set¡¯s response, Rei thought to himself. Out of the skills Rei¡­¡­or rather, the Death Scythe, could use, there were only three offensive skills. Flying Slash, Power Slash, and Corrosion. Among them, Corrosion, as its name suggested, could only be used to corrode an enemy¡¯s metal equipment, making it useless in this situation. Power Slash could deliver a powerful attack, but it could only be used against a single target. In that case, the only skill Rei could use was naturally the most versatile one and one which he was very familiar with, Flying Slash. (Unlike Power Slash, it can also be used continuously.) Although he had become able to mostly avoid the recoil from Power Slash through repeated training and use, it was still a skill he couldn¡¯t use in succession. He breathed in a little and breathed out. Breathed in, breathed out, breathed in¡­¡­ ¡¸Set, let¡¯s go!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ With a loud cry at Set¡¯s words, Fire Breath was spat out from his beak, burning everything away. ¡¸Flying Slash! Flying Slash! Flying Slash! Flying Slash!¡¹ Next to Set, not wanting to be outdone, Rei swung the Death Scythe repeatedly, sending out slashes that sliced through the Cactus Mimics in its path. The Cactus Mimics that came in contact with the fire breath wriggled and writhe din agony before burning up without being able to do anything. Some of the Cactus Mimics sensed danger the moment they were touched by the flames and tried to shoot their thorns. However, they were unable to resist the force of Set¡¯s flames and were reduced to charcoal. The flying slashes that Rei sent out cut the Cactus Mimics in half, killing them in a single blow. Fortunately, the power from a flying slash was just enough to kill a Cactus Mimic. If it had been any more powerful, it would have killed a Cactus Mimic and half killed ones growing behind it, causing thorns to spray out like a machine gun. On the other hand, if its power was too weak, it wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill a Cactus Mimic outright, causing thorns to spray out just the same. Beside Rei and Set, who were continuously attacking, Elena poured magic power into the sword whip she pulled out from the sheath at her waist, changing to its whip form as she sliced the Cactus Mimics that were within her range. (¡­¡­They react to magic power but not magic items?) Glancing at Elena¡¯s attacks as he threw out another flying slash, Rei thought to himself before quickly coming to a conclusion. (Then, are they reacting to the method of utilising magic power¡­¡­? Magic items channel magic power internally through the item and not externally, so¡­¡­) Although he thought of that, Rei soon realised it would be meaningless to attack using the Death Scythe by pouring magic power into it. That wasn¡¯t to say that the Death Scythe was inferior to Elena¡¯s sword whip. It was pure a matter of weapon reach. The Death Scythe was 2m long, but even considering the length of the blade, it was only capable of mid ranged attacks. On the other hand, the whip form of the sword whip was capable of a much larger range of attack compared to the scythe. Of course, it couldn¡¯t reach as far as a bow, but it was still capable of long range attacks. (In that case, I could throw spears¡­¡­but I don¡¯t have enough spears left. I¡¯ll have to do some serious collecting later. As a Labyrinth City where adventurers gather, there are plenty of weapon shops and blacksmiths around.) While thinking of that, he continued to swing the Death Scythe, sending out flying slashes. Attacks from the three of them took the lives of the Cactus Mimics as if they were cutting weeds. The only drawback was that Set¡¯s fire breath was too powerful and turned not only the Cactus Mimics but also there magic stones to ash. ¡¸Set, please adjust the power of your fire breath a little. Since there aren¡¯t a lot of magic stones in circulation, there¡¯s nothing bad with having more in hand.¡¹ Rei¡¯s words weren¡¯t met with any particular cry of acknowledgement as Set was still spitting out his fire breath. Even so, the power of the flames coming from Set¡¯s beak was definitely reduced. The less powerful fire breath still engulfed the Cactus Mimics before turning them to ash, but it now took a bit longer. As as result, Set would move onto his next target before the magic stones were also burned up. Killing all the Cactus Mimics that could be hit from where they were, the three of them started moving forwards slowly. With one step, a new Cactus Mimic would die, with two steps, even more perished. Like that, with three, four, and five steps, the number of Cactus Mimics gradually decreased. Of course, as they had spread into the surrounding area, it didn¡¯t mean that they would all die. Only the ones in Rei¡¯s path were killed to stop them from attacking. If other adventurers or guild staff were to see this, they would have told Rei to just wipe them out. But even for Rei, dealing with monsters that gave no materials and only had a magic stone was something extremely troublesome to do. (Still, at the very least, we can still collect magic stones. So, for the guild, which is short on magic stones¡­¡­it would be quite a good catch? The only consideration is the ability to safely attack the Cactus Mimics from a far distance with a barrage of attacks and to be able to properly collect the magic stones from the Cactus Mimics that are killed. ¡­¡­No, that¡¯s the hard part.) Rei thought to himself as he advanced little by little. It was hard to kill off a Cactus Mimic with a bow, the most popular form of long ranged attack. At the same time, there were limitation to how many arrows there were. In the case of magic, it would result in the Cactus Mimics spraying countless thorns if an attempt was made to use it. (Or, if there was some sort of catapult¡­¡­no, that would be impossible. Its hard enough to bring something like that into the desert and there¡¯s still the problem of running out of ammunition like arrows. At the very least, it would be pointless without having an item box like mine.) With those thoughts in mind, Rei¡¯s group, which had been making gradual progress, finally arrived in the centre of the area where the Cactus Mimics had been growing. Spread out before them were countless dead Cactus Mimics as well as burnt up ordinary cacti. Around these dead Cactus Mimics and cacti plants, the unattacked Cactus Mimics remained motionless. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s first take out the magic stones from the dead Cactus Mimics, then we¡¯ll keep going like this.¡¹ Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s words and Set gave a cry of consent. CH 450 ¡¸Phew, we¡¯ve finally managed to get out of¡­¡­that.¡¹ Rei looked behind him as he gave a sigh of relief. As if to match, Elena and Set also looked behind themselves. At their back was a large patch of green. It was a forest of cacti, a plant that could be used to rehydrate and, in some cases, as food. And within the forest, Cactus Mimics were mixed in. In that green patch, there was a scar where all the cacti had been destroyed, leaving the sandy ground bare. The cacti and Cactus Mimics that had been growing there had all been cut down or burned, leaving their remains behind. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s because we were taking it one step at a time, but it took longer than expected.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry of agreement at Elena¡¯s words. That wasn¡¯t unreasonable. After all, Rei had been continuously attacking the Cactus Mimics with flying slashes, Elena with her sword whip, and Set with fire breath. In other words, Set had been continuously spitting out flames. Furthermore, if he used fire breath at its full power, the Cactus Mimic magic stones would be turned to ash, so he had to carefully adjust his power. Naturally, Set¡¯s physical exhaustion was much more intense than the other two. No, if it were purely physical exhaustion, Set wouldn¡¯t have had that much of an issue as he had abundant stamina as a Griffon. However, his mental fatigue was concerning. ¡¸Any how, we managed to collect a lot of magic stones. This should solve Exil¡¯s magic stone shortage for a bit.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­But Schaffner, the cause of this magic stone shortage, has already fled. I don¡¯t think there will be a serious shortage of magic stones in Exil like before.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words. As long as one of the two parties who had been buying up magic stones stopped doing so, there was no doubt that the amount of magic stones flowing into the market would increase. ¡¸That said, it doesn¡¯t mean that the supply will reach everywhere right away. Considering that, this wasn¡¯t a waste. ¡­¡­What about absorbing the magic stones? Because of the Cactus Mimics¡­¡­no, rather, should I say thanks to them? Any how, I don¡¯t see any other adventurers around here.¡¹ When Rei had got to the 13th floor, he had said that it would be hard to find a place hidden from the surroundings. Because of that, Elena asked him, but after thinking about it for a few seconds, Rei shook his head. ¡¸Let¡¯s not do it here. It¡¯s true that adventurers won¡¯t come here, but there are still the Cactus Mimics that will react to magic power. If we try to absorb the magic stones here and something goes wrong, there¡¯s a chance the Cactus Mimics will over react. Since we got this far without suffering any injuries, I don¡¯t want to do anything that might cause that to happen now.¡¹ ¡¸In that case, what is your plan? This is probably the most hidden place on the entire floor.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Regardless, how about we move a little further away from here.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. That would certainly be better. Besides this place isn¡¯t great for a variety of reasons.¡¹ Frowning slightly, Elena turned her gaze to the area where the cacti and Cactus Mimics grew. The fire breath released by Set had filled the area with a burnt smell. Although it was starting to fade due to the desert wind, there was still a strong burning odour around. There wasn¡¯t anything wrong with it, but Elena didn¡¯t like staying in this environment for much longer. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s get moving. ¡­¡­I¡¯d be happy if another Skyfang or Rock Spider showed up, but I guess that would be asking for a bit too much.¡¹ ¡¸Maybe. Generally speaking, as an ordinary adventurer, you wouldn¡¯t want to run into monsters like that. ¡­¡­No, I guess monsters are still needed if adventurers want to make money from their materials, proofs of subjugation, and magic stones.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ As the two of them walked along, Set, who had gone ahead, gave a cry to ask if they were going to catch up as he turned his head back to look at them. Smiling at the sight, Rei and Elena followed Set out into the desert. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a happy cry when he saw them following him. Although using fire breath continuously had been tiring, it seemed like it had been an effective way of relieving his stress. (Although, I¡¯m not sure if Set had any stress to begin with.) Rei gave a wry smiles as he watched Set wag his tail like a dog in a good mood, despite the fact that he was a Griffon, which had the lower body of a lion. Set was friendly and happy to be taken care of by the residents of Exil. Moreover, recently, some of them had started to feed Set with dried meat and sandwiches, making him somewhat of a mascot character similar to in Gilm. While thinking about that, it didn¡¯t seem like Set had any stress at all. Rather than stress, Set was probably just happy to be able to run amok with Rei. Set was in a good mood, so he could tell that much. Unbothered by the direct sunlight, the three of them made their way through the desert. The smell of burning cacti and Cactus Mimics had already faded to the point that it was no longer bothersome to them at this distance. Or maybe that was the reason. There was a rumbling sound that seemed to echo from the depths of the ground. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Expecting a monster attack, Elena pulled out her sword whip on reflex as she prepared to intercept. However, even after waiting several seconds, there was no sign of any enemy attack and time just kept on goin. In that situation¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. That wasn¡¯t an enemy. It was just my stomach.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­.That was the sound of your stomach?¡¹ Awkwardly looking aside, Rei nodded at Elena, who seemed like she hadn¡¯t expected that. The smell of burnt cactus hadn¡¯t been an appetising smell. But, for some reason, Rei¡¯s stomach still insisted of asserting itself. While watching Rei, Elena gave a sigh with a small smile. Her smile was one of ¡®it can¡¯t be helped¡¯. She wondered if Rei could do anything without her and thought that she should keep her eyes on him. Probably noticing that Elena was looking at him, Rei glanced around somewhat restlessly. However, unlike the previous floor, this was a sandy desert. There were no rocks for shade, only cacti in the surroundings. Rei honestly wished there was an oasis like the one on the 11th floor, but oases were probably rarer than finding rocks for shade. ¡¸For now¡­¡­do you want to set up the magic tent in the shadow of a sand dune so we can eat without being seen by others?¡¹ ¡¸That sounds reasonable. I¡¯m thirsty as well, so I would appreciate it if you could do that.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ I¡¯m hungry too! Set seemed to say with a cry. Or maybe he was just thirsty and not hungry. Either way, they made their way over to a large sand dune a few kilometres away from their current location. They had been somewhat distracted from all the Cactus Mimics they had killed along the way. Because of that, it might have been inevitable for them to be a little late in noticing. Still, they were able to discover the other party before they were noticed themselves, so it wasn¡¯t all bad. In short¡­¡­ ¡¸Adventurers?¡¹ There were three figures at the end of their line of sight. They were wearing cloaks similar to Elena¡¯s, so it was hard to tell their gender. However, they were definitely humans or demihumans. Since they were on the 13th floor, they were definitely adventurers. However, the biggest reason for Rei and Elena¡¯s suspiciousness was the figure at their feet. Although they didn¡¯t know how, the figure at their feet was definitely a live Cactus Mimic, similar to the ones Rei¡¯s group had overrun earlier. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ What do you want to do? Rei thought for a few seconds as Elena asked with her eyes. If the other party had been ordinary adventurers, they would have just approached to talk normally. Even if they were somewhere where other adventurers would barely go, they could just say they were looking for a place to hole up for a bit. However, the three adventurers Rei¡¯s group could see were clearly wary of their surroundings. The fact that they had brought a Cactus Mimic, which should have been rooted in the ground, to this remote place was clearly strange. Fortunately, it seemed that their sense weren¡¯t sharp enough to spot Rei, who had been off guard. However, the tension radiating from them was still not ordinary. (They¡¯re clearly suspicious, but¡­¡­what are they doing?) Certainly, the more he looked at them, the more suspicious they seemed. Or maybe they were conducting some sort of criminal activity. It wasn¡¯t like Rei was a hero of justice. But looking at them objectively¡­¡­they definitely looked more like evil people than good people. Elena had her own thoughts as a noble, but in this situation where she didn¡¯t know anything, she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to make a random move. As for Set, he would move if Rei moved. Any how, the three of them looked at the three adventurers surrounding the Cactus Mimic as they waited to see what would happen. Rei¡¯s stomach had been growling a few minutes ago, but it seemed it stopped making sounds in this tense situation. ¡¸Hey, hurry up. You know it¡¯s going to be a problem if this guy starts moving.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine, it can¡¯t move anymore because it¡¯s half dead.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t let your guard down, idiot. Even if they are half dead, they¡¯re still monsters. Have you forgotten that we¡¯ve been in danger several times before?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why. I have experience, so I can afford to do this.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Enough, let¡¯s make it quick. Is everything ready? We¡¯ll escape as soon as we get confirmation, so stay on top of it, okay?¡¹ At the last man¡¯s words, one of the men pulled out something from his pocket. It was something like a gem, about 5cm in diameter, with a faint but definitely black and murky light. The moment it was taken out with a leather glove, the wariness of the men grew stronger. ¡¸It¡¯s still the same. I get chills no matter how many times I see it.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s no wonder considering the effort used to make one of these. ¡­¡­Let¡¯s do it. Using chaos seed 3-2-7.¡¹ ALong with those words, the black and murky gem they called the chaos seed touched the half dead Cactus Mimic that was on the ground. Then, the chaos seed was sucked directly into its body. Right after¡­¡­ Badump! The Cactus Mimic convulsed so much that even Rei¡¯s group could see it from their distance. The convulsions continued several times before the Cactus Mimic, which usually never moved and just ambushed enemies, started flipping about on the desert sand like a fish out of water. (It¡­¡­came back to life?) The Cactus Mimic hadn¡¯t actually been dead, so ¡®came back to life¡¯ wasn¡¯t an accurate description. But the changes that took place didn¡¯t end there. The cacti and Cactus Mimics that grew in the area they had previously been in were about 1m tall. The Cactus Mimic thrashing about in front of the men was the same. ¡­¡­Or rather, it shouldn¡¯t have changed. However, the Cactus Mimic that absorbed the chaos seed grew in size and appearance as it flipped about on the sand. The thorns growing from its body became sharper and longer. They became more like the metal needles Byune used in combat rather than cactus thorns. Originally, it would ambush enemies while rooted in the ground, so it had no ability to walk. However, the lower half of its body had now developed to the point where it could be seen. (Hey, hey, this can¡¯t be¡­¡­) Monsters of the same type as monsters that were found on the same floors, but with distinctly different appearance and abilities. Rei¡¯s group knew of them No, it was more than just knowing. Those monsters had magic stones that, while not fatal for Rei¡¯s Magic Beast Art, were still harmful to him. That is to say¡­¡­ (Are those¡­¡­abnormal species?) CH 451 The scene unfolding before Rei¡¯s eyes made him hold his breath. It was the same for Elena and Set, who instinctively realised the danger of the abnormal species. Naturally, the men had no idea they were being watch and focused their attention on the abnormal species. Until a few minutes ago, they had been very wary of their surroundings, but right now, they were more wary of the abnormal species. Even so, despite the fact that the Cactus Mimic was transforming into an abnormal species right in front of them, they didn¡¯t make any moves to run away. No, on the contrary, they were intently watching the Cactus Mimic as it transformed. (What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t the Levisor family the ones creating the abnormal species? Not only was evidence found, even a research lab was found, so there¡¯s no doubt. The Levisor family has also already been overrun by the Silva family and the new family head doesn¡¯t have the guts to rebel against Vosk¡­¡­was that just a bluff or pretense?) The abnormal species had stopped trashing about the desert, but it was still twitching about and in no condition to move. No, that was probably why the men were observing it rather that running away. While the three men discussed something among themselves, they turned to look at the Cactus Mimic that couldn¡¯t move, as if to confirm something. (Are they survivors from the Levisor family? It¡¯s true that the researchers were killed by someone and it wasn¡¯t possible to obtain information on how many there originally were, so it¡¯s no wonder if there were survivors¡­¡­but why would they bother to experiment with new abnormal species in this situation?) Rei had his doubts on what was happening before him, but the reality remained the same. On the other hand, Elena, who was next to Rei, had a rather understanding expression on her face. (So it is that¡­¡­after all. If Schaffner had been in charge of the whole affair with the abnormal species, it would have been too late for him to clean everything up. That means there is a third party. By chance, someone happened to be left at the attacked warehouse. They were left in an identifiable state and by coincidence they had relations with the Levisor family and had been fired just earlier as if matching the time of the attack. One or two coincidences is fine, but three in a row is rather a lot¡­¡­) With those thoughts in mind, the three of them watched the moment of the birth of an abnormal species¡­¡­ The Cactus Mimic that had been thrashing about on the sand suddenly bounced up to a greater height than ever before. Up to a height of 5m. And, when it fell back down, it stopped moving completely. It was as if that was the Cactus Mimic¡¯s final death cry. (What happened?) Rei looked confused as he kept his eyes on the Cactus Mimic, which didn¡¯t even twitch. However, it seemed that the fact that the Cactus Mimic had stopped moving was unexpected even for the men and one of them clicked his tongue as he kicked the Cactus Mimic lying on the ground. ¡¸Damn it, it couldn¡¯t bear it.¡¹ ¡¸Among the chaos seeds, the number 3 strain shouldn¡¯t be that badly compatible with plant monsters. Was it just a really bad match for the Cactus Mimic or was it something else?¡¹ ¡¸I think it¡¯s something else. Cactus Mimics are a troublesome monsters, but mainly due to their mimicry and numbers. It¡¯s not that strong individually.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true¡­¡­but even the Sword Bee, which is a lower rank, managed to produce¡­¡­no, turn into an abnormal species. Considering that, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem with the target species¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care which it is. Any how, this experiment has failed. Let¡¯s get rid of the corpse and go back. If we spend too much time here, the higher ups with complain.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s going to be troublesome if this gets found by the Silva family.¡¹ One of the men nodded as he looked further out. The desert looked the same as usual, but the men didn¡¯t care as they reached for the legs of the Cactus Mimic¡­¡­ Seeing that, Rei and Elena silently nodded at each other before jumping out from their hiding place. They did so while trying to hide their footsteps, but even so, as they ran out into the open desert, there was no place to hide and the three men naturally noticed and quickly turned their attention towards them. What they saw was two people approaching. Furthermore, as one of them was holding a 2m long scythe, they quickly realised Rei¡¯s identity. It was the person who had caused them to cut off their relation with the Levisor family and someone with a title. That is to say¡­¡­ ¡¸Crimson!? That¡¯s impossible, why is he here!?¡¹ One of the men shouted out in astonishment. Hearing his shout, one of the other men brought himself back to reality and quickly turned his gaze to the dead Cactus Mimic lying on the ground¡­¡­the corpse of a monster that had failed to become an abnormal species. Ignoring the fact they had been found, the corpse could not be handed over to Rei. Rei and Elena were running at them at a speed as if they were running along ordinary ground and not desert sand. Before the two of them could arrive, he turned his gaze to where he had been looking at before and stretched out his hand. ¡¸Hey, we can¡¯t let them get this! I¡¯ll get rid of it immediately!¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah! I understand!¡¹ One of the men reached out to the Cactus Mimic with those words while the other stepped forward with a determined expression. ¡­¡­Yes, forwards towards the approaching Rei. ¡¸Hurry up! I¡¯m confident in my own strength, but not enough to take him on seriously!¡¹ ¡¸I know!¡¹ To buy some time¡­¡­even if just a second more, he drew the sword at his waist and rushed towards Rei and Elena. As he had said earlier, he didn¡¯t think he could do anything to Rei. He understood the difference in their strength. But even if he couldn¡¯t win, he could at least stall for time. Or so he thought, but his thoughts were naive. If Rei had been his only opponent, he might have been able to buy a few second by putting his life on the line. Unfortunately for the man however, Elena, the General Princess, was also at Rei¡¯s side. Their superiors naturally knew about Elena. However, they didn¡¯t tell any of their men as they had judged that if Elena¡¯s position became well known, there would be high probability that their existence would be exposed due to political issues. That led to this fatal mistake. ¡¸URAAAAAH-!¡¹ The man ran across the sand with a shout to overcome the fear within himself. His speed was much slower than Rei and Elena, but he still managed to close the distance to them¡­¡­the next moment, he suddenly lost his balance and fell the the sand, rolling several meters. His thighs, covered by leather armour, had been slashed by the sword whip in Elena¡¯s hand, which had been turned into a whip with magic power. With Elena¡¯s skill, she could have slice the man in half, vertically or horizontally, in a single stroke. However, the reason she didn¡¯t do that and just cut through his armour to the extent that he could no longer walk was to increase the number of people they could extract information from. As the man rolled across the desert sand, he tried to prop himself up with his sword. However, Rei and Elena had already passed him by, heading for his companions. ¡¸Damn it, Crimson¡¯s gone! Hurry up!¡¹ At that moment, the other two men heard his shout and tried to throw the Cactus Mimic, lifted by the both of them, towards their target location. ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Set fell from the sky in a straight line like lightning, landing right before the men. Although he had dived down like lightning, just before hitting the ground, Set flapped his wings, causing him to land without a sound or impact, as befitting an A rank monster. Turning his attention to the two men in front of him, he gave a threatening cry. ¡¸GURURURURURURURURURURURURU~!¡¹ Set didn¡¯t just give an ordinary cry. He used one of his skills, King¡¯s Awe. It was a skill that had the effect of frightening, cowering, and immobilising enemies who heard his cry. ¡¸¡­¡­Huh?¡¹ ¡¸W-What¡­¡­is this¡­¡­¡¹ The two men carrying the Cactus Mimic were struck by King¡¯s Awe at close range and were unable to resist the trembling that came from deep within their bodies as they cowered where they stood. Of course, since that happened, there was no way they could keep their hold on the Cactus Mimic which had mutated into a abnormal species¡­¡­or rather had failed to mutate, and it fell to the ground. ¡¸Well done, Set!¡¹ Rei shouted out as he moved to Set¡¯s side. In his hands, the Death Scythe¡¯s huge blade was held against their heads, ready to behead them if they did anything suspicious. Beside him, Elena held her sword whip. The men had been cornered to a dead end. ¡¸Now then, I have a lot of questions for you. Of course, you¡¯ll be honest with me, right?¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡» The two men were silent at Rei¡¯s words, who asked as shook his Death Scythe. They didn¡¯t seem to be able to move their mouths, let alone their bodies, due to the effect of King¡¯s Awe. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m sure you can still move your mouths even if you can¡¯t move your bodies. Can¡¯t you just answer my questions? You don¡¯t want to get hurt, right?¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡» Rei asked again, but the men still didn¡¯t open their mouths. (Is it¡­¡­because of their loyalty to their superiors? In that case, I would have no choice but to break them¡­¡­well, how to do that? I think the safest thing to do would be to hand them over to the Silva family.) Rei thought about what to do with the men in front of him. He couldn¡¯t let them go, but even if he captured them, it would be difficult to take three men out of the dungeon. The quickest way would be to ask them for information here, but they stubbornly refused to do so. Rei¡¯s eyes caught the dead Cactus Mimic lying on the ground. It¡¯s body was so changed that someone who didn¡¯t know might have thought of it as a rare species or higher ranking species of Cactus Mimic. ¡¸It¡¯s changed a lot from its original appearance. You said it was a chaos seed or something. The creation of abnormal species had been something the Levisor family was working on, but all the researchers in the lab were supposedly killed. In that case, are you survivors?¡¹ One of the men¡¯s cheeks twitched for a moment at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸I see. It looks like you have nothing to do with them. Then, I can¡¯t ignore it. How can I get you to talk? Do I have to hurt you?¡¹ As Rei spoke, he swung the Death Scythe through the air to show them how sharp it was. It was an outright threat, but it was Rei, known as Crimson, who was saying it¡­¡­there were rumours that he had burned the entire vanguard of the Bestir Empire during the spring war, placing incredible pressure on the men. If they didn¡¯t do something, they would be forced to give up all the information they knew. Knowing there was no way they could escape, the two men confirmed their intentions with each other by moving their eyes even though their bodies were still immobile. And¡­¡­the next moment, they carried out the last resort they had with them. ¡¸-!? Rei, stop them!¡¹ ¡¸I got it!¡¹ Seeing the look of determination in their eyes, Elena gave a sharp shout as Rei closed in on the men. However, despite their physical prowess, it was impossible for them to react to the mens actions. Gritting their back teeth, the two of them swallowed the poison that was hidden their. The poison was intended for suicide and carried no pain. It quickly took effect, killing them. By the time Rei and Elena reacted, both of the men were already convulsing. They attempted to force the poison out, but it was already too late. The men, who were both dead from the painless poison, collapsed to the ground as their flames of life were extinguished. ¡­¡­The man that Elena had wounded in the legs had likewise taken poison and was already dead. CH 452 The corpses of two men lay before Rei and Elena. Another man lay dead some distance away. Elena held a bitter expression as she looked at them. Rei stabbed the shaft of the Death Scythe into the sand in frustration and looked up at the sun as its rays glared down. ¡¸Damn it, I didn¡¯t think they would kill themselves to keep their secrets.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. They didn¡¯t even hesitate. I wonder if they hold a high level of loyalty to the organisation they are part of.¡¹ Rei was puzzled at Elena¡¯s words as he looked at the corpses. ¡¸I was pretty sure they were related to the Levisor family, seeing as they were experimenting with creating abnormal species. ¡­¡­Do you think they would be so loyal to Schaffner that they would kill themselves?¡¹ In a sense, it was a natural question. The Schaffner that Rei and Elena knew was arrogant to say the least and not very well liked by his subordinates and others. If one were to ask whether they would be loyal to such a person, to the point that they would kill themselves with poisons, the answer would be no. However, the men lying in front of them had actually killed themselves without hesitation using poison kept in their back teeth the moment they realised escape was impossible. That contradiction was what was confusing him. ¡¸Guru¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave a cry as he alternated rubbing his head against the two of them. At Set¡¯s attempt to cheer them up, Rei recollected himself and turned his gaze back to the corpses. First, he looked at the two corpses in front of him, then the corpse further away, and finally, the corpse of the Cactus Mimic. Looking at them, he gently reached out with a sigh. ¡¸You want to take them back?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. For us, they¡¯re just dead bodies, but for Vosk, it could be a clue to something. Especially if those three are really from the Levisor family, someone might recognise them.¡¹ ¡¸The possibility is extremely low¡­¡­but.¡¹ ¡¸But, it¡¯s better than doing nothing.¡¹ All the researchers and staff who had worked at the Levisor family¡¯s lab had been murdered. Then why were these three people safe? (Thinking about it logically, these three could have killed all the researchers and run away¡­¡­but they don¡¯t have that level of strength. At best, they¡¯re only D rank. Still, they managed to make it to this floor. That¡¯s strange¡­¡­well, if they came down with someone strong, that¡¯s possible.) Thinking that far, he decided that it would be better to just leave it to Vosk, who was more familiar with the Labyrinth City than any of them, than to think about it himself and stored the corpses into the Misty Ring. ¡¸¡­¡­Hm?¡¹ After storing the corpses of the Cactus Mimic and the two men into the Misty Ring, he noticed that one of their dungeon cards had fallen out. Rei picked it up, assuming that it must have fallen to the ground after they poisoned themselves, but didn¡¯t recognise the name on the card. (Because they¡¯re doing something this big, it¡¯s quite possible that they registered under a false name.) Thinking to himself, he decided that it could still be a clue to information about the men and stored the dungeon card as well. Storing away the corpse of the man who was some distance away, Rei finished storing away anything that could be a clue. Finishing those tasks, Rei gave a big stretch. Elena swung her sword whip in a smooth motion before sheathing it and calling out to Rei. ¡¸Then, what do you want to do? If we¡¯re in a hurry, we can go back to the small room we came from.¡¹ ¡¸What is it like distance wise?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯m not sure. Given that the area with the Cactus Mimics wasn¡¯t on the map, it was probably an unexplored area. That would only give me a rough idea of where we are now. No, at a quick glance, I¡¯d say we¡¯re halfway to the stairs to the 14th floor.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, REi turned to look in the direction they cam from before collecting his thoughts. ¡¸All right, let¡¯s keep going then.¡¹ ¡¸Is that okay? Isn¡¯t the problem with the abnormal species something you want to solve as soon as possible?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s definitely important, but since we¡¯ve come this far, I¡¯d like to clear the 13th floor while we can. If we go back, the next time we try again, we¡¯d have to start from the beginning and walk through the desert again. As we¡¯ve already come this far, I would like to start on the next floor tomorrow.¡¹ Elena had no objection to Rei¡¯s words. She gave a small nod to show her support. Seeing that, Rei called out to Set¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru¡­¡­guru¡­¡­guru¡­¡­¡¹ Set didn¡¯t seem to notice what Rei had said and was walking around the immediate vicinity of where the Cactus Mimic had died. The sand in the area was covered by Set¡¯s footprints, which showed how much pacing about Set had done while Rei and Elena had been talking. ¡¸Set? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~, gururu~¡­¡­¡¹ Although Set responded to Rei¡¯s call, he continued to go back and forth across the sand. Rei looked at him quizzically before remembering that the men who had created the abnormal species had been trying to carry the dead Cactus Mimic to where Set was. (They couldn¡¯t leave behind the Cactus Mimic that had transformed into an abnormal species. However, they didn¡¯t seem to have a magic pouch or item box with them. Above all, they were also carrying the Cactus Mimic. So, there must have been a reason that would cause them to do that¡­¡­) ¡¸Rei?¡¹ Did you find the reason for Set¡¯s strange behaviour? At Elena¡¯s implicit question, Rei nodded and took out some firewood he had stored inside the Misty Ring for camping. He threw a piece over to where Set was walking, but it just fell onto the sand without anything happening. Next, Rei took out another piece of firewood before throwing it slightly further. Again, nothing happened, but Rei continued to throw pieces of firewood further and further. At first, Elena watched on with interest at what Rei was doing. But eventually, she realised what was going on and pulled out her sword, ready to attack at any time. The moment Rei threw his tenth piece of wood and it fell to the sand, the sand beneath it suddenly exploded. The sight was similar to when Sandworms appeared. However, the obvious difference was that there was no sign of any monsters after the sand fell back down, let alone any Sandworms. At least, not above the sand. Somewhere not above the sand¡­¡­that is to say, under the sand, there were four sharp horn like protrusions surrounding a mortar like depression in the sand. The protrusions moved around several times as if searching around before diving back under the desert sand after judging that there wasn¡¯t any prey. ¡¸I see. Did they intend to use this to dispose of the Cactus Mimic?¡¹ Elena muttered with some admiration beside Rei, who was holding another piece of firewood in his hands. ¡¸No doubt.¡¹ While muttering, Rei¡¯s mind was filled with images of a monster known as an Antlion. Their act of drawing in their prey and feeding on them was very similar to the figure of the monster that had just appeared. It was likely that it fed on monsters and adventurers who passed by, dragging them into their nest. ¡¸In a way, we were saved thanks to those guys.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed. In fact, it is quite possible we might have been dragged in as well, had we not known there was a monster there. Perhaps it was because it was under the sand that Set was unable to pinpoint its exact location.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ I¡¯m sorry, Set seemed to say apologetically. However, his eyes never left the four horned monster protruding from the depression in the sand. Rei held the Death Scythe in his right hand as he petted Set with his left hand to encourage him. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. If the other side is under the sand, you can¡¯t detect them by smell or sight. And, if they sit there waiting to ambush their prey, you can¡¯t sense them by touch or hearing either. That only leaves taste and your sixth sense¡­¡­¡¹ Muttering, Rei thought to himself in puzzlement while looking at the four horns. (But¡­¡­then, why did it suddenly appear? If it had remained hidden, it could have ambushed us. Was it because Set¡¯s pacing about made it sensitive? Or did the impact of the firewood trigger it? ¡­¡­Wait, it still came up, so that means!?) ¡¸Back off!¡¹ The moment he came to a conclusion, Rei shouted out on reflex as he jumped backwards. Elena and Set probably understood the danger lurking from Rei¡¯s shout and didn¡¯t hesitate to leap back as well. At the same, a high pitched sound echoed out¡­¡­the next moment, something shot out and flew past the space Set had been a moment ago. An explosion of sand followed. Tracing a path from the centre of the four horns, something hit the ground and caused sand to fly up into the air, forming a curtain between the monster and Rei¡¯s group. ¡¸Damn, another nasty attack¡­¡­Flying Slash!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ ¡ºWind Arrow!¡» Rei¡¯s Death Scythe shot out a flying slash while Set shot out two water balls. Elena fired out a barely visible wind arrow, penetrating the sand curtain. However, as if to intercept them all, something was shot out again, cancelling out the two water balls. The flying slash and wind arrow flew through that gap and struck the Antlion¡¯s nest. Just as Rei saw that, he noticed a presence in the sky above and turned to look up. There was a monster that looked like a giant stag beetle. Looking at the four horns that protruded from it, it was clear what the monster was. It had a brown shell, perhaps a protective colour against the sand. From its back, there were two pairs of near transparent dragonfly like wings, which flapped furiously. (What¡¯s going on with an Antlion looking more like a stag beetle than an antlion insect? The wings do make it look similar but¡­¡­I guess it is a monster.) As the monster that looked like a combination of a stag beetle and a mayfly flew above them, Rei was dismayed at the craziness of monsters. (However, I don¡¯t remember hearing about the existence of such a monster from Pleiades. So, is it genuinely a new species or something? ¡­¡­Anyhow¡­¡­) What needed to be done didn¡¯t change, but his sight was now directed toward the monster flying in the sky as he swung his Death Scythe. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ With that shout, a flying slash flew straight toward the monster. However, the monster tilted its body to avoid the flying slash while vibrating its wings sharply at the same time. ¡¸KIKIKIKIKIKI!¡¹ It was the sound they had heard previously. What did a sound produced by a monster vibrate its wings at high speed mean? It became clear the next moment. ¡¸Rei, dodge it!¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s shout, Rei leapt back. At the same time, something slammed into the place Rei had been a moment ago. An invisible attack. Rei, who half realised it was an attack created from the vibration of its wings, clicked his tongue and swung the Death Scythe again as he watched the monster start to vibrate its wings again. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ A slash flew out. It collided with the blow of the vibration shock wave fired out from the monster and cancelled each other out. At that result, Rei felt like the monster was smiling at him. As if saying that Rei would never be able to kill it. However, it wasn¡¯t the intelligent smile of a high ranking monster like Set. It was a kind of smile governed by instinct, the kind of smile one would have after finding one¡¯s prey. ¡¸Don¡¯t¡­¡­joke around with me! Flying Slash!¡¹ He threw out a flying slash again, but after that point, he changed what he did. Jumping up from the sand, he frowned at the softness for a moment. Although the sand absorbed half the force of his jump, it didn¡¯t matter to Rei, who only needed to push himself up into the air for a moment. Activating the Shoes of Sleipnir, he leapt in the air. Although it was only for a few steps, the Shoes of Sleipnir gave him the ability to walk on air. Jumping through the air, Rei climbed above the monster in an instant as he held the magic empowered Death Scythe over the monster, which had lost sight of Rei. Activating the Shoes of Sleipnir one more time, Rei pushed himself downwards, increasing his speed as he fell like a meteor towards the monster. By the time the monster realised where Rei was¡­¡­the Death Scythe was already swinging down. CH 453 Like lightning or a meteor falling on a clear day, Rei severed the head of the flying monster with an impressive strike before falling towards the sand alongside the monster¡¯s corpse. The monster¡¯s corpse fell to the ground, guided by gravity, but Rei activated the Shoes of Sleipnir again just before landing, cushioning his fall momentarily before descending to the ground. The sight of Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe fluttering in the air gave off such a mysterious feel that Elena couldn¡¯t take her eyes of him. From the side, it had looked like Rei had leapt over 5m into the air to kill a monster. Of course, leaping 5m into the air couldn¡¯t really be called a leap anymore. However, Rei had still soared up and struck the monster down with a single blow, causing Elena to become distracted by the spectacle. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set gave a cry, as if to try to bring he back to her senses and Elena recollected herself after hearing it. ¡¸Rei, are you okay!?¡¹ As she rushed over to Rei, who had landed next to the dead monster, he raised his hand to indicate he was fine. The monster¡¯s head had been cut off and blood and body fluids were pouring out. The heat from the desert had already started to create a strong odour around the corpse. Elena gave a sigh of relief before turning to look at the headless monster. The monster¡¯s horns were over a metre in length. Taking into account the length of the horns, the monster was over 4m in length, close to 5m. ¡¸I hadn¡¯t heard about such a monster.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Pleiades never mentioned it what he told us and it wasn¡¯t in any of the information on monsters I had collected in advance either. ¡­¡­Then, do you think it¡¯s a new species? Or could it be¡­¡­¡¹ Stopping his words there, he turned to look over at where the men had previously try to change a Cactus Mimic into an abnormal species using a chaos seed. Although their corpses had already been stored away, his line of sight still turned towards that direction. However, Elena shook her head at his words. ¡¸No, I think it¡¯s safe to say this monster has nothing to do with the previous ones.¡¹ ¡¸Why? Since they were the ones creating abnormal species, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to create an entirely new species right?¡¹ ¡¸If you ask me whether that¡¯s possible or not, I would say it is possible. However, regardless of how they chose to use a Cactus Mimic into an abnormal species using a chaos seed, the fact that they chose this location was probably coincidental.¡¹ Saying that, she turned to look at the dead antlion monster in front of them. ¡¸If the Cactus Mimic had successfully turned into an abnormal species, from what they said, they would have probably turned a different monster species into an abnormal species the next time. Would they bring the corpses here every time if the failed? There is a possibility it would just jump out of the sand like when you fought it earlier. This is also not the only floor where abnormal species have been found. It¡¯s highly unlikely that they would have placed such monsters on all floors.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Rei was convinced by Elena¡¯s argument. It was true that they had run into abnormal species on different floors. Given that, there was no doubt that abnormal species were being created on different floors. And, judging from what Rei had seen earlier, it was quite difficult for an ordinary monster to turn into an abnormal species. (Well, if it were so easy to create abnormal species, we would have found many more of them.) The number of abnormal species that had been discovered up until now was less than 30. There might have been more before the knowledge of abnormal species became public, but that couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡¸Then, is this really an unknown monster that happened to live here?¡¹ ¡¸Possibly. I don¡¯t know if it is known or not. Pleiades might not know all the monsters in the dungeon and it¡¯s also possible that the dungeon core may have created or summoned a new monster.¡¹ ¡¸And it was conveniently placed where an abnormal species was being created?¡¹ Elena gave a small nod as she touched its armour like shell. ¡¸Or maybe this monster was the reason they were experimenting with creating abnormal species here. The failed ones can be thrown over to where it was hiding and it would take care of it on its own.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that likely? The most important thing to consider is that it would be troublesome if other adventurers found the corpse of a monster on the verge of transforming into an abnormal species. How would they dispose of a failed transformation if they experimented elsewhere to create an abnormal species?¡¹ ¡¸Well, don¡¯t ask me. All I¡¯m saying is that it is a possibility. Maybe there¡¯s some other reason that we can¡¯t predict. ¡­¡­But that is just putting theories on top of theories.¡¹ Rei nodded, understanding her explanation without needing to say anything more. Rather than worrying about the lack of answers, he decided it would be better to just go down to the 14th floor before leaving via the magic circle and bringing what they found to the Silva family. ¡¸Then, I guess we¡¯ll store away this monster and move on quickly.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry as if to say he also wanted to move on quickly. After the head and body were stored into the Misty Ring, the Death Scythe in Rei¡¯s hands was also stored away. ¡¸I still envy your item box, you can immediately take out your weapon when empty handed.¡¹ Elena muttered enviously as she watched Rei, but Rei just shrugged his shoulders slightly as he replied. ¡¸Is it¡­¡­impossible with your magic pouch?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Unlike an item box, I can¡¯t take out items I want straight into my hands. I have to reach inside the pouch.¡¹ ¡¸But, magic pouches are already a very rare magic item, aren¡¯t they?¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯re rare, but it¡¯s still incomparable to an item box.¡¹ As they conversed with each other, they started to walk alongside Set. After they left, the direct sunlight evaporated the remaining blood and body fluids of the monster that had spilled onto the sand, generating a strong odour that was blown away by the desert wind. Even so, the faint smell of blood brought monsters to the location, albeit with nothing actually there to fill their stomachs. No, in a sense, there was food to fill their stomachs. There were those, who like themselves, had smelled the scent of blood. As a result, fights broke out which could only be described as monsters eating each other. This caused other monsters to appear¡­¡­smelling the strong scent of blood that was spilled. In the end, the winner of this battle for survival was a huge three headed serpent monster, which became the top of the food chain in the area for a while due to the Cactus Mimics in the area making it a place where few adventurers passed by. Unaware of what happened after they left the area, Rei¡¯s group proceeded through the desert. As one would expect, there were on a path that few adventurers would take, so they were attacked by a fair number of monsters. However, most of the monsters were ones they had previously encountered such as Sandworms, Goblin Bandits, and Sand Snakes, all of which were a bit of disappointment to Rei, who was hoping for new magic stones. ¡¸Tch, if only a Sky Fang, Rock Spider, or a new monster like that Antlion would appear, that way I would have more magic stones¡­¡­no, wait.¡¹ As Rei was walking through the desert and complaining about the monsters that had appeared so far, storing all the monsters they killed despite his complaints, he suddenly saw something that made him smile. At first glance, what lay at the end of Rei¡¯s line of sight was nothing but desert, as he took out the Death Scythe with a ferocious smile. However, as evidence to show that what lay ahead wasn¡¯t just desert, Set was also staring forward with a sharp gaze as he gave an alert cry. Elena also gave a small smile as she held her sword whip. ¡¸There are monsters that blend in with rock like Rock Spiders. So, it¡¯s not surprising that there would be monsters that would blend in with the sand.¡¹ ¡¸That is right¡­¡­-!¡¹ The monsters seemed to realise that Rei¡¯s group was ready to fight and that waiting to ambush would only put them in a further disadvantage. The sand in front of their eyes¡­¡­no, the monsters in the sand started to move. It wasn¡¯t just 1 or 2 of them. There were 10 to 20. ¡¸Sand Ants, huh? Well, since there are monsters that look like antlions, I suppose it¡¯s only natural that there are ant like monsters.¡¹ The largest ones were about 2m in length while the smallest was 1.5m in length. The ants, which were about the same size as humans, went straight for Rei¡¯s group, determined to not let any food they found escape. Seeing the horde of ants heading straight for them, Rei cast his magic with a mocking smile on his face. ¡ºFlames, become like arrows that burn everything and fall like rain.¡» The number of fire arrows that appeared behind Rei was close to 50. The moment all the fire arrows, which were as long as his arm, were created, Rei invoked his magic. ¡ºFire Arrow Rain!¡» The fire arrows rained down on the ants that were approaching Rei¡¯s group. Some of the ants felt danger from the falling fire arrows, but most of the others continued to advance, only to be pierced one after the other by the rain of fire arrows pouring down. As soon as the hard shells of the Sand Ants were pierced, they were burned from the inside out, turning to charcoal. After the fire arrows stopped falling and the dust cloud from their impact subsided, there were only four Sand Ants left. They had been somewhat smarter and luckier than the ones in front, which had served as a shield for them. Even so, they weren¡¯t unscathed and each of them had various injuries. They were met by Elena, who was wielding her sword whip as she attacked them with pure strength, taking their lives. The Sand Ants were quickly extinguished by what could only be called excessive force. As they advanced, the 20 or so Sand Ants were nothing more than sitting ducks to Rei, who had a means of widespread attack. However, Rei¡¯s attack method wasn¡¯t without its downsides. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s not good. The shells are almost completely destroyed.¡¹ Rei gave a sigh as he stored away the dead Sand Ants. Magic stone aside, the shells of Sand Ants were their most valuable material. In Exil, when beginner adventurers ranked up from E rank to D rank and started to earn a bit more, one of the better choices for armour was light armour created from the shells of Sand Ants. Of course, this material was no good if it had holes in them. Because of the characteristics of the material, it wasn¡¯t possible to cut off pieces of the shell to connect to other pieces, so if there were holes, particularly holes that were large and in the middle of the shell, its use was severely limited. ¡¸Cheer up. If we had fought that many of them normally, it would have taken a lot more time. Considering that, it would still be better to sell them off cheaply, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s consoling words, Rei gave a sigh as he recollected himself. ¡¸Well, anyway, we now have to find the stairs to the 14th floor as soon as we can so we can pass the information to the Silva family.¡¹ Regaining his composure, they continued to make their way through the desert and finally found the stairs to the next floor after several more hours, killing any monsters that came at them. Going down to the 14th floor, they returned to the surface using the magic circle. CH 454 After Rei, Elena, and Set left the dungeon, they went to the guild and sold all but two of the Cactus Mimic magic stones they had collected. Next, they boarded a carriage they had taken several times before to head to the Silva family¡¯s residence. Normally, they would have sold all the materials they had collected to the guild, but most of the monsters they had killed this time, except for the Cactus Mimics, were just stored into the Misty Ring and materials had yet to be stripped from them. If they had nothing planned after, they could have stripped the materials somewhere in or near Exil. But, that was only if they had nothing else to do. Right now, there was something Rei and Elena had to do no matter what. That is, to deliver the corpse of the Cactus Mimic that had been about to turn into an abnormal species to the Silva family¡­¡­to Vosk. At the same time, they also planned to hand over the corpses and belongings, such as dungeon cards, of the three men who had been trying to create the abnormal species in hopes they would be big clues. (Maybe I could hire them to help strip materials from the monsters like I did in Gilm before.) ¡¸Rei, we¡¯re almost there.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Okay.¡¹ Elena called out to Rei, who was lost in his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. Looking out the window, there were a good number of adventurers, just like the day before. However, unlike yesterday, there was no longer any murderous tension. (I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be so easy going since they haven¡¯t found Schaffner yet. ¡­¡­No, did they make some progress while we were in the dungeon? It doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re celebrating though.) As he thought about that, the carriage continued on its way, eventually stopping near the Silva family residence. After Rei paid the fare, Set, who had been walking close behind the carriage, came over and rubbed his his head against him. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Scratching his throat, Set gave a comfortable cry. While being healed by Set¡¯s response, Rei started to have slight concerns over Set¡¯s more and more cat like behaviour in recent times. (No, I guess it¡¯s not that strange since he has the lower body of a lion but¡­¡­any more like this¡­¡­) Looking at Set now, he really didn¡¯t look like the highly ranked monster known as the reaper of the skies. But, if asked whether he didn¡¯t like how Set was, Rei would shake his head. Rei was attached to Set the way he was now. ¡¸Rei? Is anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, no problem. It¡¯s just that Set¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Set?¡¹ Perhaps she didn¡¯t understand what Rei meant. Elena turned to look over at Set, who was giving a happy cry. She looked confused for a few seconds, but in the end, all she could see was Set being very friendly. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s fine how he is. Let¡¯s get going.¡¹ Saying that, Elena started walking to the mansion within their sight. Set, who had been giving comfortable cries, quickly changed his mood before moving up next to Rei, with Elena on his other side. The Silva family residence was surprisingly less crowded than when they had come previously. The same two gatekeepers were there, but there weren¡¯t any other adventurers, short of a few inside the residence grounds. Of course, the last time they were here had been just before the Silva family clashed with the Levisor family. Now, there was no longer a need for adventurers to gather. ¡¸How can we help you?¡¹ One of the gatekeepers that Rei had talked with previously called out to him. Rei gave a small nod before speaking. ¡¸Right. We have some information on the abnormal species. It would be a great help if you could let Vosk or Sanctions know.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Please wait a moment. We will inform Sanctions-sama right away.¡¹ The other gatekeeper went straight into the mansion after the first gatekeeper glance at him. Looking around the mansion, Rei spoke out. ¡¸The number of people has really dropped a lot.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. After all, the Levisor family has mostly been dealt with. Vosk judged that he no longer needed that many people and disbanded them¡­¡­but there are still some stubborn ones.¡¹ The tough gatekeeper gave a rock like smile as he turned his gaze further behind the gate. It was the place where Rei had sensed several people earlier. (Rather than loyalty¡­¡­it seems they just like Vosk. It¡¯s very different compared to Schaffner.) As Rei was thinking about that, Elena, who had been listening in, spoke up. ¡¸I had heard that all the researchers had already been killed by the time you reached the research lab. ¡­¡­Was that true?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m a gatekeeper, so I didn¡¯t follow them there. But, from what I heard, it is true.¡¹ ¡¸Was it really all of them? There wasn¡¯t a single survivor?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s what I heard. All the researchers in the lab were already completely dead.¡¹ ¡¸¡­..Hmm, I see. Then, in that case¡­¡­¡¹ As Elena was muttering to herself as if she had thought of something, Sanctions, the head butler of the Silva family, appeared from the mansion along with the other gatekeeper. ¡¸Sorry to have kept you waiting. So, I understand that you have some information regarding the abnormal species¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s something we found when clearing the dungeon today. Can we meet with Vosk?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, no problem. He is happy to hear that you two have come and is waiting in his office.¡¹ For some reason, Sanctions¡¯ words gave Rei the impression that Vosk had been expecting them rather than just waiting for them. However, Rei nodded to indicate there was no problem. ¡¸That¡¯s fine. Then, please lead the way.¡¹ Nodding in response to Rei, Sanctions led them through the gate. Along the way, several adventurers waiting inside the gate were surprised when they saw Set head over to the garden. That said, they didn¡¯t seem to be frightened by Set. These adventurers were here because they admired Vosk¡­¡­or rather, the Silva family. They also seemed to have more courage than others. The most important factor though was probably that knowledge that Set wasn¡¯t aggressive had started to spread. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong with those adventurers? Set seemed to say with a cry as he tilted his head. While the adventurers had the courage to stand their ground, it seemed that they still didn¡¯t have the guts to go up and stroke Set. Looking at the adventurers for a bit longer, Set realised that he wouldn¡¯t be getting any attention from them and headed for the garden with a somewhat depressed and forlorn expression. (Well, it will take a little longer for the residents and adventurers to get used to Set as much as in Gilm.) There was no doubt that Set was now accepted at the various shops that Rei¡¯s group often visited, mostly food stalls. But, how quickly and widely that information would spread among Exil¡¯s residents was something that Rei couldn¡¯t predict. That said, he wasn¡¯t too worried about it. How friendly was Set? After seeing it with their own eyes, Set had become well loved by the residents of Gilm. ¡­¡­Some of them fell in love with Set so much that they would go out of control, just like a certain female adventurer. Anyway, after sending Set a small cheer in his heart, Rei and Elena were taken inside the mansion by Sanctions, eventually arriving in the room they had previous been to. ¡¸Vosk-sama, I¡¯ve brought Rei-sama and Elena-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Come in.¡¹ At those words, Sanctions opened the door and invited them in. The difference to last time was that Sanctions also entered the room. He hadn¡¯t done so last time because he knew that Vosk had been in a bad mood. After all, Vosk¡¯s ¡®brothers¡¯ had been killed. Although he had made the Levisor¡¯s pay for it, Vosk still wasn¡¯t in the best mood because the main culprit, Schaffner, had yet to be apprehended. That said, he wasn¡¯t in a bad mood either. ¡¸Oh, Rei, Elena. What happened today? Did you bring any information about the Levisor family?¡¹ Vosk asked half jokingly. Vosk said that because he knew Rei and Elena wanted to avoid being involved in Exil¡¯s political problems. However, when Rei heard what he said, he didn¡¯t laugh or get angry, instead he just nodded silently. Seeing Rei¡¯s response, Vosk realised it was no laughing matter. The smile on his face disappeared and he turned serious as he asked. ¡¸¡­¡­What happened?¡¹ ¡¸Actually, we met some shady people in the dungeon today.¡¹ ¡¸Shady people?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. You know the area on the 13th floor where cacti and Cactus Mimics grow in great numbers?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Vosk thought for several seconds before nodding. He had heard from his younger brothers that entered the dungeon that there was an area that blocked the shortest distance from the small room to the stairs to the 14th floor. However, as the desert was hard to walk through outside of the dune peaks, few would go out of their way to walk there, even if it was the shortest path, so it hadn¡¯t been that big of an issue. ¡¸Why did you guys go that way? Cactus Mimics are a trouble monster, I though adventurers hated them because they don¡¯t provide any materials.¡¹ ¡¸If we had known, we might not have gone that way.¡¹ That had been a mistake on Rei¡¯s part, who didn¡¯t have that much skill in collecting information. Of, even if they had known, they might have taken that path anyway to avoid the trouble of taking the long way around. Maybe he realised it himself, Rei cleared his throat before returning to his story. ¡¸Anyway, when we passed through that area, we encountered a strange sight.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A strange sight?¡¹ Vosk probably realised they were about to reach the main subject. He silently prompted them to continue. ¡¸After passing the area with the Cactus Mimics, we found three adventurers. We thought hey had just been passing through, but then we saw a dying Cactus Mimic lying near them. They used something called a chaos seed on it and the Cactus Mimic¡¯s body started rapidly changing. ¡­¡­It was changing from an ordinary monster into an abnormal species.¡¹ Hearing that, Vosk¡¯s gaze rapidly turned sharp as he looked at Rei. ¡¸Continue.¡¹ Nodding at those words, Rei continued to describe his experience. ¡¸However, the Cactus Mimic seemed to be unable to withstand the drastic change and eventually died. We tried to catch the three men as they were about to dispose of it, but when they realised they couldn¡¯t escape, they all committed suicide without hesitation using poison they had kept in their back teeth.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ When Rei finished speaking, Vosk looked over at Sanctions with a curious¡­¡­or rather, expression of understanding, as he gave a small nod. In response, Sanctions spoke with a slight frown. ¡¸It seems they didn¡¯t take the bait that was Vosk-sama, rather they made their appearance in a very different location.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. However, the fact that they resumed their activities the very next day raises a lot of questions. ¡­¡­Do you think someone who planned this far would be so careless?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t¡¯ know. The other party may have a lot on their minds.¡¹ Rei gave a small sigh as the two started to converse with each other. ¡¸So. I¡¯ve brought the Cactus Mimic and the three corpses.¡¹ However, the moment Rei said that, Vosk quickly turned to look at him. ¡¸What? ¡­¡­Oh, I see. You did have an item box. That was how you brought the Spear Frog over.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. And, there¡¯s also this.¡¹ Seeing Vosk¡¯s response, Rei gave a smile as he took out three dungeon cards from the Misty Ring. The moment he saw them, Vosk¡¯s gaze grew even sharper. Of course the information on dungeon cards wasn¡¯t always correct. ¡­¡­No, they were definitely false information considering what they were doing. However, information on the cards was still valuable information when searching for the identity of their enemy, it was still definitely a clue. ¡¸The Cactus Mimic that died because it couldn¡¯t turn into an abnormal species, the corpses of the three people transforming it, and their possessions, including their dungeon cards. ¡­¡­Now, how much are you willing to pay for this?¡¹ Rei asked Vosk with a grin. CH 455 After Rei and Elena came out from the Silva family residence, Set sensed them and came over from the garden before they boarded a carriage that took them to a place close to the guild. Although his face was hidden by his hood, Rei had a smile on his face, probably because Vosk had purchased the corpses of the suspects, their dungeon cards, and the Cactus Mimic for the high price of four platinum coins. For Rei, he couldn¡¯t absorb the magic stones, the key to his Magic Beast Art, from abnormal species as it would cause a phenomenon of magic power back flow, with Set being an exception. As a result, he wanted this case to be resolved as soon as possible. He had been hoping to sell everything for a few gold coins, so he hadn¡¯t been expecting platinum coins¡­¡­let alone four. However, when Rei muttered that out loud, Elena heard him and shook her head. ¡¸I think it¡¯s because he know this issue will be bad if he doesn¡¯t resolve immediately. After all, it was an incident caused by one of the governing families of Exil. It¡¯s not just any incident either. It is serious enough to place the status of the labyrinth city in jeopardy.¡¹ Saying that, Elena frowned slightly. (However, from Vosk¡¯s reaction, there seems to be someone pulling the strings from behind the scenes.) Elena thought to herself as she recalled the conversation between Vosk and Sanctions. Rei didn¡¯t seem to have noticed, but he also nodded his head as he looked around. ¡¸I see. So it was because the Silva family made a move first that there hasn¡¯t been that big of a commotion.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It doesn¡¯t look like the Marschel¡¯s want to make a move, and if the Silva family didn¡¯t do anything, in the worst case scenario, the Kingdom might have intervened. After that, various additional interventions would happen. That might be why they wanted to avoid that situation.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­then, why doesn¡¯t the Marschel family make a move? I haven¡¯t met them yet, but shouldn¡¯t the head of the Marschel family also want to avoid the Kingdom intervening?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t say for sure unless we meet the family head, Pree Marschel.¡¹ ¡¸In the meantime, we¡¯ll just have to hope that the issue of the abnormal species will be resolved as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ As Rei and Elena were walking down the street and talking, they suddenly heard Set give a cry. Turning over to take a look, they saw Set staring at a shop. A sweet aroma drifted out from the shop. ¡¸Is that¡­¡­bread or something similar?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it smells sweet and nice. ¡­¡­What would you like to do? Do you want to stop by for a bit?¡¹ Acting like someone her age, Elena seemed to have set her eyes on the sweet bread. Although she asked Rei, she had already started walking over to the bakery. Seeing that, Rei, who didn¡¯t dislike sweet food¡­¡­or rather, was also fond of them, nodded his head before they entered the store. As soon as they opened the door, they were met with an even sweeter aroma than the one they had caught outside, stimulating their sense of smell. ¡¸Welcome, welcome to Dasley¡¯s Bakery.¡¹ As Rei and Elena looked around, they were greeted by the bakery assistant. The bakery wasn¡¯t that big and the door wasn¡¯t that wide, so Set couldn¡¯t fit through and could only stick his head in as he gave a few envious cries. ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gururu~, Guru~, Gurururururururu~¡¹ The bakery assistant must have felt sorry for Set at his sad cry. The assistant, a woman in her early twenties, a little older than Elena, turned her head to Rei. It was the first time Rei had visited this shop, but the assistant didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of Set because she had seen him in the city before. She had been charmed by Set when she once saw him eat a large sausage before giving a happy cry towards Rei. ¡¸Sir, if you don¡¯t mind, may I give him some bread? Looking at him like this, I feel sorry for him¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Oh, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­¡¹ Receiving Rei¡¯s permission, the assistant brought out a few pieces of bread from the kitchen that were out of shape or overcooked and couldn¡¯t be sold before giving them to Set, who was looking into the store with round eyes. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Can I eat it? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head with round eyes. The bakery assistant seemed to have completely forgotten that she was dealing with an A rank monster as she tore pieces of the bread by hand and fed them to Set. ¡¸Ahhhhh, what are you doing, even though we have customers to serve?¡¹ A middle aged man in his forties called out in dismay as he came out from the kitchen. However, there was affection mixed into his voice and considering that his face looked somewhat similar to the bakery assistant who was feeding Set, their relationship was implicity understood by Rei and Elena. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, customers. Anyway, all of our bread is delicious, so don¡¯t hesitate to buy some. If a beautiful woman like that young lady were to eat some, it would be worth it for me to bake it.¡¹ The owner of the bakery only looked at Elena briefly without staring. His attitude was new to Elena, who was aware of her eye catching face, and she felt quite good about it. ¡¸There was a sweet aroma outside the shop, what kind of bread was that?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Oh, that aroma. Give me a moment. It will be ready in a minute.¡¹ Saying that, the man returned to the kitchen. After about a minute, he came back again. This time, he was holding a wooden tray lined with bread, from which a sweet scent drifted out int the surroundings. The bread was topped with several kinds of jam and fruit, honey was also drizzled all over the fruit. There were also several kinds of fruit, coloured red, green, black and so on. It was bread that could also be enjoyed visually. ¡¸This is¡­¡­amazing.¡¹ ¡¸It is, isn¡¯t it, but it¡¯s a little on the expensive side because it uses a wide range of carefully selected ingredients.¡¹ ¡¸How much?¡¹ ¡¸1 silver coin per piece of bread.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is expensive.¡¹ Rei, who had been listening in to their discussion, couldn¡¯t help but mutter out loud at the price. A silver coin wasn¡¯t a price one would normally pay for a piece of bread. However, the man just shrugged his shoulders wryly at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸It¡¯s definitely expensive, but whether it¡¯s the fruit or honey, it all comes from a very deep level in the dungeon. To be honest, even a single silver coin barely covers the costs.¡¹ ¡¸Why would you bother with selling something with such a marginal profit?¡¹ It was certainly bright and sweet, one whiff of it would make you want to take a bit unless you didn¡¯t like sweet things. But when Rei asked him if it was a mistake to sell something that barely made any profit, the man spoke up with a smile on his face. A confident smile that was neither bitter or cold. ¡¸I just want people to eat delicious bread. ¡­¡­But, I can¡¯t bake that many since I still need to make a living. What would you like? If you want some, you¡¯ll have to buy it quickly.¡¹ Saying that, the man glanced out the shop. The sweet aroma of the bread had become much stronger by the fact it had been taken out to the storefront, causing passersby to stop in their tracks.. Several of them were about to step over to the shop. It was needless to say what those customers would be looking for. Not wanting to get in the way of business, Rei and Elena bought a few pieces bread made with jam, fruit, and honey. Normally, each person was only limited to one piece, but they were able to buy three pieces, including one for Set, thanks to the insistence of the bakery assistant rather than the shop owner¡¯s favour. Anyway, having bought the precious sweet bread, Rei¡¯s group walked around the city as they savoured it. The outside had a crisp texture similar to puff pastries while the inside had a soft texture. The fruit jam¡­¡­or rather simmered fruit, had a strong acidic taste. However, the honey on top had a rich sweetness that balanced it out nicely. The fruit juice and crispy outside of the bread crust mixed together in the mouth when eaten, soaking into the bread. It had to be said that the techniques used to bake the bread were top notch, but more than that, the true essence of the bread was still the fruit and honey, all ingredients that were sourced from the dungeon. ¡¸This is¡­¡­delicious¡­¡­¡¹ One bite wasn¡¯t enough for Rei and he only stopped after eating another two to three bites before speaking. It was the same for Elena. Her usual dignified look was gone and she had a fascinated expression as she looked at her piece of bread that had been half finished. No, it was already good that there was still some left. Set, for example, had already finished his because it had been so much tastier than he had expected. ¡¸Guru¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave an envious cry when he saw the bread that Rei and Elena still had, but the two of them didn¡¯t care as they spent their time blissfully tasting their share of the bread. After finishing their portions, they both gave a sigh. It was a result of their desire to eat more if they could. However, turning around, they could already see several people leave the bakery with disappointed looks on their faces. It was clear that it had already sold out. The bakery also had a rule that each person could only buy one portion. So even if there was some left, there was no way they could have bought any more. ¡¸For something that tastes that good, a silver coin is certainly acceptable¡­¡­no, it¡¯s cheap in fact.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei nodded silently while Set gave a cry in agreement. ¡¸If we get another chance¡­¡­no, I¡¯ll definitely come back to buy it again.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­Would it be okay to stop by here before going back to the inn?¡¹ As Rei was recalling the taste of the bread as he walked, he saw a weapon shop. The shop didn¡¯t seem to be that popular as there weren¡¯t many customers. Elena was a little confused at Rei¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t mind stopping by a weapons shop. However, she wondered why this one in particular. ¡¸Why that shop? There are quite a few others that have a lot more customers.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s natural question, Rei shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸I don¡¯t want good weapons¡­¡­no, I might buy one that I can use, but my main goal is cheap spears.¡¹ If Rei were to use ordinary quality spears, the cost would increase in many ways. Since he only used them for throwing, cheap spears or spears that were lacking full tips worked fine. Using his physical strength, he could throw spears that would normally be unusable as weapons to strike fatal blows, albeit at the cost of the spear being destroyed. It was something that only Rei could do, taking advantage of his Misty Ring. That said, although throwing spears could be used as a powerful attack, it wasn¡¯t something that could be done without a spear to throw. His stock of throwing spears, which were stored in the Misty Ring, was starting to run low and Rei had been thinking of replenishing his stock for some time. Judging that there would be more cheap spears in an unpopular weapons shop like this one, he decided to take a look. ¡¸Welcome¡­¡­¡¹ Leaving Set outside the shop, they were greeted unenthusiastically when they entered. Looking at the shop clerk, it was a boy about the same age as Rei, who was looking at Rei as if he was a bother. However, he became distracted the moment he saw Elena. As Rei expected, there were no other customers inside the shop, it was as if the bustle outside was just a lie. He took a look around as he heard the buzz from outside the shop. There was a section for weapons which had some kind of defect and were being sold at a discount. Some had been used for a long time and were likely to break soon while others had been modified in ways that made it easier to wield for a specific user. These weapons were often bought by adventurers who were tight on money or to be used as disposable weapons in training or other reasons. Rei took all the spears he could find, ending with 10 of them. ¡¸I would have liked to buy a few more if possible¡­¡­¡¹ Rei gave a sigh as he muttered to himself. Although there was demand for such weapons, it was only from a small number of people. Because of that, the number of discounted weapons was small so Rei, who only wanted spears, ended up only buying 10 before leaving the shop. CH 456 As he watched the sun set through the warehouse window, Vosk turned towards the four objects in front of him. Because of the attack when they had the Spear Frog, this time the investigation was being carried out within the Silva family¡¯s grounds. There were three human corpses and a non-human corpse that resembled a Cactus Mimic. They were the ones that Rei and Elena had encountered in the dungeon. And, those corpses were potential clues to who were creating the abnormal species. ¡¸¡­¡­It really hurts that we couldn¡¯t catch them alive. If they were still alive, we could have used any means to get information from them.¡¹ The only other people to hear Vosk¡¯s words were Sanctions and several other adventurers. All of them were people Vosk trusted. ¡¸But big bro, didn¡¯t these men kill themselves immediately with poison because of their loyalty to their superiors and organisation? Even if we had been able to capture them alive, I don¡¯t think we would have been able to get any information out of them.¡¹ When one of the adventurers said that, another adventurer shrugged his shoulders as he spoke. ¡¸Didn¡¯t they kill themselves because they thought they wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the interrogation and torture? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m certain we could have gotten more information out of them if we had taken them alive.¡¹ ¡¸Does that mean that Crimson isn¡¯t as good as the rumours say he is?¡¹ ¡¸No, the first time his title started to spread was during the spring war. The most important thing to remember is that it was due to his combat strength. He might not be used to capturing people alive. It¡¯s also only been a year since he first became an adventurer. ¡­¡­Well, there are a lot of unbelievable stories around him reaching B rank.¡¹ Sanctions looked at the adventurers conversing like that and cleared his throat with a small cough. ¡¸You all don¡¯t know, but item boxes can¡¯t store living things. That¡¯s why if they were still alive, it would have been very difficult to bring them out of the dungeon. Considering that, in the worst case scenario, there would be a good chance that they could have escaped. I don¡¯t think the end result is that bad.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Is that so?¡¹ Sanctions gave a small nod as the adventurers, who barely knew anything about item boxes, all looked at him. Next to Sanctions, Vosk nodded as well. Vosk already knew that living things couldn¡¯t be stored inside item boxes. But even so, he couldn¡¯t help but complain in his mind that he wished the men had been caught alive, even if it would have been difficult, that would have given them the most useful information. Regardless, he couldn¡¯t keep thinking about the past as he reached for a dungeon card placed near the men. The faces and names written on the cards were all unfamiliar. ¡¸Tch-, of course, they¡¯re either fake names or forgeries. ¡­¡­Sanctions, I¡¯m pretty sure we saw something related in the documents and items we confisticated from the Levisor family, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯ve already secured what we found at the guild.¡¹ ¡¸Contact them and ask if there is any information about these men. Tell them that the guild, which has the role of uniting adventurers, should take the initiative to correct any wrongdoings.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Right away.¡¹ After seeing Sanctions give a graceful bow and leave the warehouse, Vosk ordered another adventurer to look for anything on the corpses that could be a clue to their identities. But¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry big bro. All they have are items that can be bought anywhere, there¡¯s nothing that would give any clues to their identity.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Damn it, they were thorough, as they should have been. But then, does that mean all these men received proper training?¡¹ Vosk thought to himself as he clicked his tongue. (They aren¡¯t from the Marschel family, are they? They hire people, but unlike us and the Levisor family, there aren¡¯t as many and most of them aren¡¯t adventurers. It shouldn¡¯t be a situation where they can train people to act systematically like these guys.) Thinking that far, Vosk frowned unpleasantly. He knew what that meant. (If the Marschel¡¯s haven¡¯t been secretly creating some organisation, that means there¡¯s a third party. That¡¯s troublesome.) Vosk¡¯s guess had been that the Marschel¡¯s who were behind the Levisor family, but the reality before them denied that. ¡¸In addition¡­¡­¡¹ As he muttered, he shifted his gaze from the dead adventurers to the dead Cactus Mimic. Vosk oftem led his brothers into battle himself, he was also an adventurer that had reached B rank with his talents. Because of that, he naturally knew the monster in front of him. ¡­¡­No, rather he knew what it had been. ¡¸I never thought that a Cactus Mimic could change like this. Abnormal species? That is definitely the right thing to call it.¡¹ It was much larger than anything Vosk knew of, the thorns growing from its body were sharp, long, and tough. Thinking of the countless thorns that would be flying at them, it was easy to imagine that if they were to fight it like an ordinary Cactus Mimic, they would most certainly die or be injured. ¡¸Big bro, what do we do about the Cactus Mimic over there?¡¹ ¡¸Right, how many of our researchers are safe?¡¹ The Silva family was primarily well known as a martial family. As a result, there had many people who were mainly engaged in combat roles and not so many in research positions. It was under such circumstances that the warehouse holding the Spear Frog had been attacked. Many of their already few researchers had been killed¡­¡­ ¡¸Only a few who happened not to be in the warehouse at that time of day.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Tch, damn it. Hey, contact the guild and tell them to send someone strong in the field. The guild was also one of the attacked parties, but the number of people they had working there was significantly different to start with.¡¹ ¡¸Yes sir!¡¹ Nodding at Vosk¡¯s words, the adventurers left. Vosk felt depressed as he saw them leave, thinking about the future management of Exil. ¡¸¡­¡­What? They didn¡¯t come back?¡¹ It had been several hours since the three dead bodies and the dead Cactus Mimic had been brought to Vosk¡¯s warehouse. Inside a room in the the Marschel family¡¯s residence in Exil¡¯s west, after the sun had completely set, Oricule frowned disapprovingly at the report from his subordinates. ¡¸Yes, they should have been back by now considering the time they entered the dungeon, but there¡¯s no sign of them anywhere. I secretly asked one of the gatekeepers to check. They confirmed they did enter the dungeon, but they hadn¡¯t left¡­¡­they¡¯re probably.¡¹ Although he didn¡¯t finish his words, Oricule immediately knew what the man was trying to say. That is to say, there had been some kind of trouble. ¡¸Are the others safe?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Only those three haven¡¯t returned.¡¹ Hearing those words, Oricule was slightly relieved. If their identities had been found out, he judged that it wouldn¡¯t only have been those three who didn¡¯t return, others would also have not made it back. ¡¸Where was their destination?¡¹ ¡¸The 13th floor.¡¹ ¡¸The 13th floor¡­¡­oh, Cactus Mimics. So that would make it the 3-2-7 chaos seed, right?¡¹ It had been the latest result of their research, so it was very painful for him and his team to lose track of it. However, what hurt the most was that they had no idea where the missing three men were. Knowing they worked in the shadows, they definitely didn¡¯t want to do anything that would reveal their whereabouts. ¡¸How many people can we move?¡¹ ¡¸About 10. Some died during the attack on the warehouse and some still have injuries that have yet to heal. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­10 people? Then it would be very dangerous to touch the Silva family.¡¹ ¡¸Do you think they were captured by the Silva family.¡¹ Oricule shook his head slightly at his subordinate¡¯s words. ¡¸I don¡¯t have any proof, but the worst case would be that they were caught by the Silva family. However, the Silva family is also the place with the largest concentration of strength in Exil. At the very least, it¡¯s not something we can take on with just the 10 of us.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s certainly impossible to attack with 10 people and kill everyone like at the warehouse, but wouldn¡¯t it be possible to at least check if the three men were captured?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t underestimate him¡­¡­Vosk. At first glance, he might look like a man with a wild streak, and indeed he is, but he¡¯s also a man with an uncanny intuition. Even if we were to plot something, he¡¯s the kind of guy who could sense it through intuition. Try sneaking into a place with such a man there. You can be sure he¡¯ll sense you right away.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­To that extent?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. In the first place, when the young man took over as family head, the Silva and Marschel families had been at roughly the same level of power and the Levisor family wasn¡¯t as weak as it is now. Do you understand now?¡¹ A third person¡¯s voice echoed into the room where only two people were supposed to be present, Oricule and his subordinate. The moment he heard that voice, Oricule¡¯s subordinate tried to pull out a knife from his waist, but Oricule stopped him. ¡¸Stop it. ¡­¡­Eavesdropping isn¡¯t in very good taste, Pree-sama.¡¹ With those words, laughter echoed out from the door. ¡¸Hohoho. No eavesdropping? Everything that takes place in this mansion is heard by me.¡¹ The door opened and a middle aged woman in her 40¡¯s entered. She wore jewelry all over herself, earrings, hair ornaments, necklaces, forehead ornaments, rings, bracelets, anklets, and was holding a doll about 30cm in height in her arms. Pree Marschel. SHe was the head of the Marschel family, in whose residence Oricule was staying. At the appearance of the hostess of the mansion, Oricule frowned internally, but opened his mouth with a smile. ¡¸I beg your pardon. You are indeed one of the best mages in Exil.¡¹ ¡¸Of course, it is Master after all.¡¹ Although Oricule¡¯s words could only be called flattery, the doll in Pree¡¯s arms replied proudly. It¡¯s voice was hard to hear as usual, but Pree herself didn¡¯t seem to care as she smiled. ¡¸Hohoho. I¡¯m glad to hear you say that. ¡­¡­Well, that aside, please stop messing with the Silva family. At least for now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why, may I ask?¡¹ ¡¸You aside, I don¡¯t intend to have a serious fight with Vosk. The Levisor family has already lost its power, if the Silva and Marschel families were to get into a full fledged conflict, there is a high possibility that the three ruling families of Exil will be disqualified and the Kingdom will intervene.¡¹ When she spoke up to that point, a sour look came over her face, as if her good mood from a few seconds before had never existed. ¡¸That is¡­¡­but then our goal.¡¹ However, perhaps because he couldn¡¯t stand Pree¡¯s words, Oricule¡¯s subordinate interjected without thinking. Hearing his words, Pree smiled as she spoke. ¡¸Oh? Could it be that the original goal of the Church of Holy Light was to throw Exil into chaos? Oh dear, oh dear. As ruler of Exil, I¡¯ll have to deal with this properly.¡¹ ¡¸Please wait!¡¹ The moment Pree licked her lips, Oricule shouted out. His subordinate couldn¡¯t understand why his boss had suddenly shouted out, but suddenly noticed a cold touch on his nape. Moving only his eyes, he soon saw what it was¡­¡­a doll, about 30cm in height, was on his shoulder, the knife it was holding was against his neck, cutting through his skin like paper, from which a line of blood was flowing. If Oricule¡¯s voice had been even a moment later, he would have been dead. Stifling his inner fears at this unmistakable fact, he turned to look at Pree again. The doll that had been in her arms a few seconds ago was gone. That wasn¡¯t surprising. After all, the doll was now holding a knife to his neck. (When did that happen¡­¡­?) The man, who hadn¡¯t felt the doll move at all, had sweat pour out from his back and forehead due to his nervousness. ¡¸¡­¡­Regarding my subordinate¡¯s words, that was my fault. Could you please forgive me?¡¹ ¡¸So, can I assume that your purpose isn¡¯t to throw Exil into chaos?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I have no intention of doing so.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll take your word for it today.¡¹ When Pree smiled, the doll with the knife at the man¡¯s neck jumped off his shoulder lightly before returning to Pree¡¯s arms. As she went to leave the room while stroking her doll¡­¡­she stopped for a moment and spoke as she turned to look at Oricule. ¡¸The issue for me is if the turmoil grows too big and the Kingdom intervenes. In other words, if the turmoil is small¡­¡­you understand?¡¹ Saying that much, she left the room. CH 457 The day after the incident with the Cactus Mimic, Rei¡¯s party entered the dungeon as usual. As they left the small room and looked around, they couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Their sigh was a mixture of various emotions that couldn¡¯t be described as either dismay or satisfaction. ¡¸I should have expected this since it has been sandy desert, rocky desert, then sandy desert¡­¡­¡¹ Beyond Rei¡¯s line of sight was a rocky desert with several boulders lying around. ¡¸But, if you think about it, that¡¯s what we expected wasn¡¯t it? And, considering it¡¯s easier to travel through than the 13th floor, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that bad.¡¹ ¡¸Well, now that you say it, you¡¯re right.¡¹ Normally, before leaving the dungeon, they would check what type of floor it was before taking the magic circle out. However, yesterday, they had to hand over the dead adventurers and Cactus Mimic to the Silva family as quickly as possible, so they had taken the magic circle back up as soon as they went down the stairs to the 14th floor without checking what was outside the room. That was why Rei¡¯s party was only seeing the 14th floor for the first time today. ¡¸And, like the 12th floor, a rocky desert is convenient for absorbing magic stones, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸That is true.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words as he looked around. There were many large rocks that could be found within their line of sight without needing to search. Unlike the 13th floor, it was extremely convenient to find a spot to hide. ¡¸Right then. Let¡¯s start by absorbing magic stones. ¡­¡­Which direction is towards the stairs to the 15th floor?¡¹ Rei asked as he stoked Set, who was giving happy cries after hearing they would be absorbing magic stones. Checking the map she took out from the magic pouch at her waist, she compared it with the surrounding terrain before speaking. ¡¸There are a lot of rock over there, and that rock looks like a sword. So that would make it¡­¡­this way.¡¹ Elena pointed southwest. A large number of rocks about 10m in height were lined up alongside each other, making the area look like a simple maze. ¡¸In addition, there¡¯s also that.¡¹ Rei saw an area that could only be best described as a stone forest rather than a rocky desert with some dismay. However, he told himself that it would safer to absorb magic stones there compared to absorbing them where they currently were. (And, even if it is like a maze, with Set, he can observe from the sky. ¡­¡­Considering that, maybe this floor will be easy for us. Looking at the area densely filled with rocks, he took a step forward to start moving. With Elena on his right and Set on his left, they made their way along the rocky desert path. The intense sunlight shone down from the sky above alongside a dry wind peculiar to the desert. While weathering the elements, the three of them seemed unbothered as they walked along. Rei and Elena were fine because of their Dragon Robe and desert cloak. On the other hand, Set, who wasn¡¯t using any magic or skill, didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by the wind at all. Although Set hadn¡¯t liked the desert heat that much, he didn¡¯t seem to care so far. ¡¸Set, are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ When Rei asked him, Set gave a cry to indicate there was no problem. No, in fact, Set was in a good mood. (Did he¡­¡­get used to it? Well, a high ranking monster like a Griffon shouldn¡¯t suffer from desert heat.) Elena, who was listening in to their exchange, brushed her blonde hair, which had been peaking out, back under her hood as she thought to herself. Maybe it would have been better to bring Yellow along even if it was a little overwhelmed at the beginning. However, she soon shook her head. Set and Yellow were similar but not the same. Just because Set was fine with the heat didn¡¯t mean that Yellow would be. The fact was that although Yellow was created as a dragon, it was still a child¡­¡­or even a baby. Compared to Yellow, Set was also much larger. (This is probably the difference between a familiar and a magic beast, but I envy the fact that Set was already this big when he was born. ¡­¡­That said, if Yellow was the same size as a proper dragon when it was created, there¡¯s no doubt there would be a lot of unpleasant situations.) Elena thought about it as they kept walking for another 30 minutes. Despite being in a dungeon, they managed to arrive at the natural rock maze without any monsters appearing. Elena tilted her head as she touched a large rock in front of her. ¡¸Well, no monsters have come out so far¡­¡­what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Thinking about it normally, they¡¯re probably hiding within the rock maze. Even monsters will find it easier to fight in places where they can launch ambushes rather than out in the open. ¡­¡­However, it is a bit strange that no other monsters have appeared since it¡¯s not just the more intelligent monsters that live on this floor.¡¹ ¡¸So you think a smarter monster is leading the rest? But, we¡¯ve never seen any of the monsters we¡¯ve encountered so far, like Sandworms or Cactus Mimics, working together with different species, have we?¡¹ Rei shook his head as Elena asked with surprise on her face. ¡¸It could be that there¡¯s a very powerful monster¡­¡­or¡­¡­¡¹ You know what I¡¯m thinking of? Elena nodded at the question Rei asked with his eyes. The words ¡ºabnormal species¡» passed through both their minds. ¡¸Anyhow, there¡¯s no point thinking about it here. We have to get to the next level.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, I¡¯ll be relying on you.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ I¡¯ll do my best! Set seemed to say with a cry. Stroking Set, the three of them entered the rocky maze. The maze was created naturally, so while it was like a maze, it wasn¡¯t complicated to navigate. However, that also meant that there were some blind spots due to the natural formation. ¡¸¡­¡­Since they¡¯re selling maps, don¡¯t you think it should at least have a correct path through the maze on it?¡¹ Although Elena said that, as a natural maze, there were many paths to go through it. In addition, because it was a natural formation, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if changes were to suddenly occur, so the right path often differed between parties. In addition, there were some plants that only grew in certain places within the maze that adventurers would mark on their own maps. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s the first time we¡¯re coming here ourselves, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders as he replied. Knowing that this was their first time here, they continued through the maze without saying any more. After about 5 minutes they arrived at a fork. ¡¸Which way do we go?¡¹ ¡¸Give me a minute. According to the map¡­¡­the right path is a dead end.¡¹ ¡¸Then let¡¯s go right.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei?¡¹ Why are we going in the direction I just said was a dead end? When Elena asked, Rei spoke as he stroked Set¡¯s back. ¡¸Because it¡¯s the first fork, I don¡¯t think anyone would go right to the dead end. That makes it a good place to absorb magic stones.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Surely no one would go to the trouble of going that way, I hope.¡¹ Rei¡¯s line of thought was easier to understand and they took the right path. Walking for another 10 minutes, they arrived at the dead end, where there was an open space. It was a bit under 35 square meters in area, more than enough room to move around. ¡¸I wonder¡­¡­what was this place used for? It doesn¡¯t look like it was made naturally.¡¹ The area was somewhat circular, although quite distorted. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call it a circle and it didn¡¯t seem to have been created naturally. (No, could it be natural? This is a dungeon after all. The dungeon core could have created something like this?) Rei thought about it, but decided there was no point overthinking it and looked just to make sure. There were no monsters or adventurers that they could see and Set gave a cry to say it was safe when Rei looked at him. Looking over at Elena, Rei saw her nod to indicate she hadn¡¯t felt anything unusual here. Finally breathing a sigh of relief, Rei took out the three magic stones as well as the corpse of a Skyfang, Rock Spider, Antlion, and two corpses each of Cactus Mimics and Sand Ants. He didn¡¯t strip any materials from the monsters and just took out their magic stones for a total of seven magic stones. It didn¡¯t take long for Rei to clean them up using the Dagger of Flowing Water. ¡¸Right then, how do we split these? ¡­¡­I guess we¡¯ll start with the two Cactus Mimics and Sand Ants first. Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set swallowed the magic stone of the Cactus Mimic that Rei threw, but no announcement was heard in his mind. Set then swallowed a Sand Ant¡¯s magic stone, but there was no change either. Rei also used the Death Scythe to absorb the two magic stones with a somewhat hopeful expression, but of course, he didn¡¯t learn any new skills either. ¡¸Well, those monsters weren¡¯t very strong.¡¹ The scary part of a Cactus Mimic¡¯s thorns were when they were shot out like a machine gun. Individually, the thorns weren¡¯t that lethal. It would hurt to be hit by one and it would hurt to pull one out, but that was it. ¡­¡­However, that pain was another reason why Cactus Mimics were so disliked. As for Sand Ants, they were one of the weaker monsters on the desert floors. The only thing to watch out for was if they attacked with overwhelming numbers. It seemed that even Elena had realised that Rei and set had been unable to learn any skills from the Cactus Mimic and Sand Ant magic stone. The next part was the real test. ¡¸Well then, there¡¯s three left¡­¡­is it fine to give us one each and the last one goes to the one who doesn¡¯t learn any skills?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set didn¡¯t seem to have any objections to Rei¡¯s thoughts and gave a cry in agreement. Seeing that, Rei presented the three magic stones to Set. ¡¸Set, you can chose. Which one do you want?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Are you sure? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head. Rei nodded. Seeing that, Set¡¯s round eyes eventually stopped on one of the magic stones and he held it in his beak before swallowing it. ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºOptical Camouflage¡¡Lv.2¡»¡¿ An announcement echoed through his mind. ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ Set gave a joyful cry at his skill upgrade. ¡¸I guess this makes sense¡­¡­? Any how, I¡¯m happy with Optical Camouflage being upgraded.¡¹ Rei muttered out loud. A Rock Spider looked like a rock from the outside, as it¡¯s name suggested, and it also had the habit of pretending to be a rock to ambush its prey. Considering that, perhaps it was natural that the skill Optical Camouflage would be upgraded. (Well, Set¡¯s Optical Camouflage makes him invisible and Rock Spiders only mimic rocks, so they¡¯re quite different when it comes to blending into the surroundings, but¡­¡­there¡¯s no point thinking about it now.) There had already been many cases where they had learned some skills that they had not expected. Rei was already aware of this characteristic of the Magic Beast Art, so he immediately prompted Set to use the skill without further thought. ¡¸Set, try using Optical Camouflage.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set gave a cry and immediately turned invisible. Then, after about 20 seconds, he reappeared. He hadn¡¯t moved a single step from where he had disappeared, showing how good a skill Optical Camouflage was. ¡¸So about 20 seconds? I¡¯m glad the effective time has doubled, but I wonder if it is just an additional 10 seconds or if the duration was doubled. I¡¯ll have to reserve my judgement until the next time it is upgraded.¡¹ ¡¸But, even at 10 seconds, it¡¯s already been shown to be very useful. Considering it¡¯s now 20 seconds, isn¡¯t that pretty amazing?¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s excited words. ¡¸That¡¯s true. But¡­¡­I wonder what direction Set is growing in.¡¹ Rei said that as he stroked Set¡¯s head. Set was already very different from the Griffons in Rei¡¯s mind due to his ability to turn invisible and Poison Claw being his highest levelled skill. There wasn¡¯t really anything he could do about it as Set was born from the Magic Beast Art, but it was still something to think about. ¡¸I have no complaints as long as Set is still Set.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, indeed. Sometimes I envy the connection between you two.¡¹ Elena nodded in agreement to Rei¡¯s words. Elena¡¯s cheeks were dyed red under her hood as she looked over at Set to change the topic. ¡¸At level 1, it took 30 minutes for Optical Camouflage to be reused¡­¡­has that changed?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set tilted his head as if to say he wouldn¡¯t know until he tried it. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s try it again after some time then and see how long it is before it can be used again. We¡¯ll also need to find out how long the effect is if you use it on someone you¡¯re touching. ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s my turn now.¡¹ Looking at the two remaining magic stones in his left hand, the Skyfang and Antlion magic stones, Rei thought for a few seconds before placing the Death Scythe on the ground and taking one of the magic stones with his right hand. ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv.3¡» ¡ºFire Breath Lv.3¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv.1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.4¡» ¡ºSize Transformation Lv.1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv.1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºOptical Camouflage Lv.2¡» new Optical Camouflage: Grants the user the ability to hide themselves. At level 2, the user can remain invisible for 20 seconds. Once used, 30 minutes have to pass before it can be reused. In addition, objects the user touches can also be hidden, but it is used to hide another person at the same time, the effect duration will be reduced by 10 seconds. CH 458 Rei¡¯s right hand reached for the Skyfang¡¯s magic stone. Holding it in his right hand, he handed the Antlion magic stone to Elena. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but could you hold onto this for me?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s definitely a hindrance to wield the Death Scythe while holding a magic stone.¡¹ Knowing what Rei wanted to do, Elena smiled as she held the Antlion magic stone. Giving a small nod towards Elena, Rei picked up the Death Scythe from the ground and moved a short distance away. ¡¸Well then, considering that the Skyfang is a powerful monster in its own right, there should be a high possibility that I will be able to acquire a skill¡­¡­let¡¯s see!¡¹ Throwing the magic stone into the air with those words, he struck it sharply with the blade of the Death Scythe. Sliced in half, the magic stone vanished like mist. ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill ¡ºWind Hand Lv.3¡»¡¿ A similar announcement to the one when Set had his Optical Camouflage skill upgraded sounded in his mind. ¡¸¡­¡­What happened? As far as I can tell, it seems like you were able to learn a new skill?¡¹ Elena asked when she saw Rei with a weird expression that was both happy and sad. Hearing her call out to him, Rei shrugged his shoulders as he replied. ¡¸I was able to upgrade a skill, but¡­¡­¡¹ Muttering out loud, Rei looked at the Death Scythe in his hands ¡¸No, well¡­¡­let¡¯s give it a try. Wind Hand!¡¹ Saying that, he activated the skill. A colourless transparent tentacle extended from the shaft of the Death Scythe. In some ways, it wasn¡¯t unlike Set¡¯s Optical Camouflage, but its effect was very different. ¡­¡­In addition, it use was also much more limited. Only the tip of the tentacle could interact with the wind and it didn¡¯t have much power on its own. No matter how hard Rei tried, it only had the strength of a light punch. The true capability of the skill was really only demonstrated when it was used with other skills to create a fire whirl. ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, it seems like the effective distance has increased.¡¹ At level 2, it could reach about 150m out, but using it now, Rei could sense that it had increased to 200m at level 3. (100m at level 1, 150m at level 2, 200m at level 3¡­¡­I think it¡¯s fine to assume that it increases by 50m each time it levels up.) If asked whether the skill was useless or not, Rei would definitely say it had its uses. That was because it increased the effective range that fire whirls could be created at, the most powerful attack that Rei could currently use. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ It seemed that Set knew that as well as he gave a cry to congratulate Rei. ¡¸Yeah, thank you. ¡­¡­If possible, I was hoping for a more powerful skill though.¡¹ Saying that, Rei turned is gaze not to Elena¡­¡­but the last magic stone she was holding. Rei had an almost certain feeling that he would be able to acquire a skill from the Antlion monster, which was probably a fairly powerful monster on the desert floors. However, when considering who would absorb the magic stone, Rei had to think. Whether it was Rei or Set, both of them had already acquired a skill. That said, Rei¡¯s upgraded Wind Hand was something that wasn¡¯t really useful on its own. Maybe because he understood that, Set rubbed his head against Rei to indicate that he was fine and that Rei should absorb the magic stone. ¡¸Rei, Set seems to be saying¡­¡­no, it seems like he¡¯s trying to tell you something with his actions. Maybe you should absorb the magic stone?¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Rei turned to look at Set, who was rubbing his head against him. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry in response and Rei stroked his head after seeing that. ¡¸You¡¯re right. If Set says so, I¡¯ll let your words¡­¡­no, cries, speak for yourself.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Hearing Set¡¯s cry, Rei placed his hand on Set¡¯s head with gratitude before turning to Elena. ¡¸Elena, pass me the magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸Sure. ¡­¡­I hope you can learn a skill.¡¹ Receiving the magic stone that Elena handed over with a slight smile, he gave a small nod and moved a short distance away from Set and Elena. (No, I¡¯d like to learn a skill that I can use right away¡­¡­please.) Thinking to himself, Rei threw the magic stone into the air and struck it with the Death Scythe. The next moment, the magic stone vanished like mist¡­¡­ ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill ¡ºCorrosion Lv.3¡»¡¿ Yes, an announcement sounded in his mind. ¡¸¡­¡­This is¡­¡­¡¹ Having no idea why he had upgraded that skill, Rei turned to look at the corpse of the Antlion lying a little further away. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Why is it corrosion? Set also looked at the corpse in puzzlement. Elena, perhaps wondering why the two of them were behaving like that, asked in confusion. ¡¸Rei, what¡¯s wrong? Looking at your reaction, not learning a skill¡­¡­doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I definitely learned a skill, but the skill that was learned was¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Was it one you weren¡¯t expecting?¡¹ ¡¸It was corrosion. Not a new skill, but an upgrade.¡¹ Elena tilted her head at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸Corrosion? If I recall correctly, you learn skills related to the monster the magic stone came from right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. For example, the Rock Spider gave Optical Camouflage¡­¡­no, camouflage and invisibility are slightly different, but I guess it was similar enough¡­¡­wait?¡¹ As he said that, Rei looked at the corpse of the headless Antlion before suddenly noticing something. Taking out his dismantling knife, he went over to the corpse and removed its shell. Elena wasn¡¯t sure what Rei was doing, but rather than standing around and doing nothing, she went over to help him. After about 10 minutes, they succeeded in removing the Antlion¡¯s whole shell, that was bigger than themselves, and cut into the body of the Antlion. ¡¸¡­¡­This is?¡¹ Using his knife, Rei cut around organs he was unfamiliar with. When the internal organs were shaken, one about 50cm in length made a sloshing sound as if there was some liquid inside. ¡¸This might be dangerous, so back up for now.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ At this point, they guessed what Rei was going to do and why his Corrosion skill had been upgraded. Elena¡¯s expression tightened as she and Set, who was next to her, took some distance as they were told. When they were far away enough, Rei threw the organ in his hand towards a rock and leapt back. He did that just in case anything dangerous happened right after he threw it. The organ flew out at a speed that could be followed¡­¡­eventually hitting a rock and tearing before spraying a reddish black liquid everywhere. Smoke started rising at the same time. The moment Rei saw the reddish black smoke, which looked dangerous, Rei landed next to Elena and Set. A few seconds passed. After the reddish black smoke from where the organ landed started to clear up, what remained was a rock with a distorted shape, like a block of ice that had boiling water poured over it. ¡¸I knew it. When it fought us, it didn¡¯t have time to use it because it was quickly over, but that Antlion would normally have used acid as a weapon. I don¡¯t know whether it would spit it out, coat its horns or inject it directly through bites though.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Considering that, I guess we should be glad that we beat it quickly.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Elena gave a sigh of relief involuntarily. Of course, whether it was Rei, Elena, or Set, they wouldn¡¯t go down so easily. That said, thinking of what could have happened, they didn¡¯t want to risk needlessly damaging their weapons and armour due to corrosion. Of course, almost all of Rei¡¯s weapons were magic weapons that were impossible to create in the modern times and wouldn¡¯t have been damaged by something like that. ¡¸Any how, it won¡¯t be much use against desert monsters, but it will certainly give me a significant advantage when fighting against enemies equipped with metal weapons and armour.¡¹ Enemies, when hearing those words, the first thing that came into Elena¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t just humanoid monsters¡­¡­but also people. It was natural that humans outnumbered monsters when it came to enemies who used metal weapons. ¡¸¡­¡­Anyway, it¡¯s hard to say if I¡¯m happy with it or not¡­¡­but I¡¯m glad that I was able to upgrade two skills.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Rei¡¯s words were followed by Set¡¯s cry, as if he were saying ¡®That is right!¡¯. Elena also nodded, shaking off the thoughts that passed through her mind earlier. ¡¸That¡¯s true. So, what do you want to do now? I think we should take care of that first.¡¹ Saying that, Elena looked over at the corpses of the two Sand Ants, Skyfang, and Antlion. Except for the for Antlion, only the magic stones had been taken from the corpses and materials had hardly been stripped from them. After looking at the four corpses and thinking for a bit, Rei looked towards the Antlion corpse. Its shell had already been removed and its bodied opened up and gutted, so it would be the fastest one to strip materials from. ¡¸Let¡¯s start with this one first.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine, but aside from the shell, do you now any other materials that could be used?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to just take everything that is likely to sell. If I store it into the Misty Ring, there¡¯s no reason to not bring it all back.¡¹ Elena gave an expression that it couldn¡¯t be helped at Rei¡¯s words and began helping to strip materials from the Antlion alongside Rei. Set kept an eye on the surroundings to protect the two of them, ready to kill any monsters that might show up. ¡¸Assuming the head can be left as it is¡­¡­what else can be sold? The legs?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you have a book on monster materials? Is it not in the book?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think it was listed there¡­¡­give me a minute.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei took out a monster encyclopedia from the Misty Ring to take a look, but there was no mention of an Antlion monster. ¡¸¡­¡­I can¡¯t find it. Is it a monster unique to this dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s on this level, it should normally be found in deserts. In that case, would it be okay to just store the parts that are more likely to sell?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ll just store everything and check them out in the guild.¡¹ Saying that, Rei stored the shell, head, organs and everything else into the Misty Ring. ¡¸Well then, these two are the only ones left, which one do you want to start with?¡¹ Elena looked over at the Skyfang, a snake with six wings, and the two Sand Ants, which had a protective colouring that allowed it to blend in with the sand. Rei chose the Sand Ants without hesitation when asked which one to start stripping materials from. The reason he chose them was because he already had experience stripping materials from Soldier Ants and a Queen Ant before and, above all, it was listed in Rei¡¯s monster encyclopedia. (Even so, Soldier Ants and Sand Ants. I wonder what¡¯s the difference between them. Maybe it¡¯s just the decision of the person who named them.) While thinking about that, Rei stripped the shell, usable materials, and proofs of subjugation from the Sand Ants. Of course, there weren¡¯t just two Sand Ants. There were a lot more that they had killed that were stored into the Misty Ring. After stripping all the materials from the first two Sand Ants, he took out more Sand Ant corpses from the Misty Ring and started removing their shells. As for stripping materials, Rei and Elena¡¯s roles naturally settled into Rei removing the shells and Elena taking care of the rest. That said, the number of Sand Ants with intact shells was small, so Rei soon started helping Elena out as well. This work continued for about an hour. The Sand Ants were smaller in size compared to the Skyfang and Antlion, so the stripping of materials was done at a reasonably fast pace. In addition, there weren¡¯t that many dead Sand Ants, most having been burned to a crisp alongside their shells by Rei¡¯s magic, so it didn¡¯t take them long to remove all the materials they could. The main reason it was done so quickly was mainly due to the few number of Sand Ants with intact shells, which were the most time consuming to remove. After that, they continued to strip materials from the winged serpent, the Skyfang¡­¡­which ended up taking another hour to complete. ************************************************ ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv.3¡» new ¡ºFlying Slash Lv.3¡» ¡ºMagic Shield Lv.1¡» ¡ºPower Slash Lv.2¡» ¡ºWind Hand Lv.3¡» new ¡ºTerrain Manipulation Lv.1¡» Wind Hand: A kind of colourless and transparent tentacle made of wind magic extends from the Death Scythe. Only the tip of the tentacle is able to interact with objects. At Lv.3 the tentacles can extend up to 200m. Corrosion: Corrodes metal objects if they are cut several times. The number of cuts required decreases as level increases. CH 459 ¡¸Now then, since we¡¯ve had lunch, it¡¯s time to continue our exploration.¡¹ After storing away the magic tent he had taken out from the Misty Ring, Rei called out to Elena, who was stretching lightly nearby to refresh herself. As she twisted her upper body, Elena nodded in agreement. ¡¸Yeah, we ate here because it was a good location, but even though the magic tent can keep away low ranking monsters, I couldn¡¯t help keeping it in my mind. I agree with moving on.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set, who had been eating outside the magic tent instead of with Rei and Elena in order to stay on guard against monsters attracted by the smell of blood from dismantling monsters, gave a short cry. ¡¸Sorry for making you eat outside Set. But we¡¯re relying on your senses.¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Leave it to me! Set seemed to say with an immediate cry. One of the reasons he was in such a good mood was probably the fragrant smell coming from nearby. Before eating their lunch, Rei had cut apart the Skyfang and roasted its meat with magic and given it to Set. It wasn¡¯t because Rei felt guilty about eating lunch inside the magic tent¡­¡­but more so that Set would be content while keeping guard outside. Set felt it was a pity that he couldn¡¯t have lunch with Rei, but he was still happy to be able to eat as much Skyfang meat as he wanted. The result was reflected in his mood. (Well, he did eat that much meat.) The Skyfang meat that had been cut up and given to Set had been significantly reduced. Obviously, there had been more raw meat since Rei hadn¡¯t roasted it all, so it was clear that some of it had ended up in Set stomach while Rei and Elena were eating lunch inside the tent. ¡¸Let¡¯s leave here then. We¡¯re still near the entrance of the 14th floor, so if we want to make it to the 15th floor today, we will need to hurry.¡¹ Rei had no objections to Elena¡¯s words and they left the dead end. They made their way back to the fork in the path near the maze entrance without running into any other monsters. (You could definitely say we are lucky¡­¡­but isn¡¯t this a bit too good to be true?) Rei looked confused at their current situation. Even though it had been a dead end, they had still dismantled a large number of monsters for their materials. Naturally, there was a strong scent of blood in the area and it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for any monsters to show up. No, it was rather strange that no monsters had been attracted by the blood at all. Or maybe there was some other reason. While thinking that way, Rei¡¯s party proceeded down the left path at the fork. As they moved forward cautiously¡­¡­Set soon noticed something. Rei noticed it next with Elena hearing something ahead of them shortly after. Ordinary adventurers would probably have missed the barely audible sound. It was the sound of something heavy striking the ground. ¡¸¡­¡­Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It seems like the reason why monsters haven¡¯t appeared is finally showing itself. Well, I wonder what will come out?¡¹ ¡¸The safe assumption is that it¡¯s probably fighting some adventurers.¡¹ The most likely scenario came from Elena¡¯s mouth. Then, as if noticing something, Set, who had been staring at the winding path ahead with a sharp gaze, tilted his head in confusion. Yes, as if he had noticed something unexpected. ¡¸Guru?¡¹ ¡¸Set? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Guru¡­¡­Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set gave a cry as he tugged on Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe with his beak in an attempt to make them hurry up. While wondering what was happening, Rei and Elena decided that it wasn¡¯t useful to just stay where they were and made their way through the winding path with Set. The path was winding mostly due to the presence of several large rock¡­¡­after which an eye opening sight eventually came into view. It was an area that could be considered an open space of sorts, just like the previous location where Rei had absorbed the magic stones and stripped materials from monsters. But what surprised Rei was the person standing near the entrance to that open space. She was small in stature and, at first glance, appeared to be nothing more than a child. In fact, she was a child. She was wearing a cloak to protect herself from the desert heat, but the face peaking out from beneath the hood was familiar to Rei¡¯s party. ¡¸Byune!?¡¹ Elena was the first person to recognise her and ran over. Rei and Set ran after her. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune greeted Elena with a brief sound as usual. ¡¸Are you alone today? ¡­¡­No, you don¡¯t have to answer that.¡¹ After asking Byune, Elena heard the sound of constant battle from within the open space. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Looking in the direction Byune pointed towards, Rei, Elena, and Set saw a person fighting a monster over 4m tall. The person was covered by a cloak, but it was clear who it was since they were working with Byune and fighting a 4m tall monster without any visible weapons. ¡¸Vihera huh? But¡­¡­that¡¯s a Cyclops, right? Isn¡¯t it dangerous to deal with one alone all things considered?¡¹ ¡¸Mmm.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s question, Byuen tilted her head slightly with barely any change in expression. Her gaze didn¡¯t reflect any emotions, but Elena, who had interacted with Byune to some extent, could sense the trust in her eyes. ¡¸Cyclops, a nasty monster has showed up. If there are any other monsters around, it¡¯s no surprise they didn¡¯t come our way.¡¹ Just in case, Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring. The Cyclops was a one eyed giant monster over 4m tall and with monstrous strength befitting it¡¯s massive size. It also had enough intelligence to know how to wield weapons. It had a single horn growing from its head and barely wore any clothes other than the fur of monsters and animals that it killed around its waist. They preferred to attack with pure physical strength, but could also shoot magic power from its eye in the form of a shock wave. It was a C rank monster and the proof of subjugation was its right ear. Its skin was tough enough to be used as armour and its horn and eye could be used as materials and catalysts in making magic items. Its bone and sinews were also used in the production of weapons. ¡¸Even if a Cyclops is a C rank monster, it¡¯s close to B rank. It¡¯s hard to believe that a monster with such strength would be found on the 14th floor¡­¡­watch out!¡¹ The Cyclops swung down a 3m long hammer made of some kind of metal as Rei quickly threw a stone from the ground at it. When the stone hit the Cyclops, it slowed down for a moment allowing Vihera to move to the side to dodge it. Jumping onto the hammer as it hit the ground, leaving a crater, she ran up the shaft and onto the arm of the Cyclops as she tried to strike its eye with the blades extending from her arms. However, the Cyclops seemed to be waiting for her as it bared its sharp fangs and attempted to bite her. Realising she was at a disadvantage, Vihera changed the timing of her kick to the Cyclops¡¯ shoulder before leaping past its head and landing on the ground. Facing it with a large gap between them, Vihera shouted with excitement. ¡¸AHA, AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I never expected to find such a powerful monster in such a place. I thought it was going to be a boring request, but I¡¯m in luck today! Come now. Show me your boiling blood. This is the moment where our lives collide, our blood ignites. For this moment that makes my heart boil! Oh, please don¡¯t get in our way!¡¹ It seemed like her excitement was at her peak. She looked at the Cyclops with wet eyes as if she were looking at a beloved partner and glared at Rei before dashing forward and lunging towards the Cyclops. ¡¸GAAAAAaAaaaaaAAaa¨C!¡¹ The Cyclops probably had its own thoughts as it looked at Vihera. Raising a loud shout, it raised its hammer and charged at her. As soon as it saw that Vihera was within range, it swung its hammer again. But this time, instead of swinging it down, it swung it sideways in a cleaving motion. It had probably expected Vihera to move sideways in an attempt to avoid it, but she jumped instead, landing on the hammer like before. However, the difference this time was that instead of running up the Cyclops¡¯ arm towards its head, she stayed on the hammer as it moved sideways. The moment the hammer finished its arc and stopped, she spun on the spot and slammed her heel into the Cyclops¡¯ hand. ¡­¡­No, the armour at her heel was a magic item similar to the ones on her hands, so using magic power, a blade that extended from her heel stabbed into the right thumb of the Cyclops¡¯ hand that was holding the hammer. The blade from her heel struck with inhuman strength and severed the joint of the Cyclops¡¯ thumb in a single blow. ¡¸GAAaaa¨C!¡¹ Unlike its brave shout from early, the Cyclops gave a scream in pain. However, as expected of a C rank monster, while screaming, it let go of the hammer it could no longer support and swung a fist towards Vihera, who was still in the air. If it had been fighting an ordinary opponent, it would have been a fatal strike, crushing its target and slamming it into a rock face. However, the woman it was currently dealing with was someone known as the Mad Beast within Exil. ¡­¡­Blades extended from Vihera¡¯s heel like before. Naturally, the Cyclops¡¯ fist was pierced by the extended blade. Vihera twisted her body the moment the blade pierced the hand, destroying all the bones in the back of the Cyclops¡¯ hand. Jumping off the fist, she spun in the air before landing on the ground with barely a sound and quickly confronting the Cyclops. ¡¸GAAaaaAAaaaA-!¡¹ The Cyclops screamed in pain like before¡­¡­no, it screamed in even greater pain as it held down its destroyed left hand with its thumbless right hand. ¡¸Phew, you really are strong¡­¡­I¡¯m a little tired from all my exertion. I¡¯d like it if you improved your skills further¡­¡­but it¡¯s pointless to tell a Cyclops that.¡¹ Their series of exchanges seemed to have been unsatisfactory for Vihera. She no longer had her earlier excitement. Giving a small sigh, she stepped towards the Cyclops, which could no longer use its hands, in order to finish it off. The Cyclops had the ability to heal itself through something like regeneration, but as expected, the wounds to its hands couldn¡¯t heal in such a short period of time. As Vihera approached it, it took several steps back. As Vihera continued to walk towards it, it continued to step back, until after a minute¡­¡­ ¡¸G-Ga?¡¹ Eventually, the Cyclops¡¯ back hit a rock wall. There was no more room to escape. ¡¸Fufu~, where are you going? Your opponent is right here, isn¡¯t she? Come on, you¡¯ve got no skills, only strength and barbarism, so it would be a disgrace if you were intimidated. At least fight with the pride of a C rank monster to the very end. Otherwise¡­¡­you¡¯ll end up as a mere lump of meat, won¡¯t you?¡¹ One of the reasons why the normally ferocious Cyclops was so frightened by Vihera was due to her extraordinary strength. However, a bigger reason was Vihera¡¯s love for combat to the extent that she was called the Mad Beast. A bloodthirsty beast. There probably weren¡¯t many people more fitting of the expression than her. Her cloak, stained with Cyclops blood, fluttered in the wind as she took one step towards her opponent at a time, who was backed into a rock with no way of escape. There was a wet light in her eyes from pleasure of the struggle, though less than her previous peak. If someone without any prior knowledge were to see Vihera now, they might have been blinded by the look in her eyes that could be best described as lascivious. However, those that did know her would probably be frozen and unable to move from her expression filled with madness. Cloaked in such madness, she approached the Cyclops that had gone from fighter to prey. ¡­¡­Eventually, with a single blow, the Cyclops¡¯ head exploded and its life disappeared with it. CH 460 ¡¸¡­¡­I had high hopes since it was said to be a monster at the top of C rank, but it was a little disappointing.¡¹ Looking at the dead Cyclops lying on the ground, Vihera gave a sigh as she muttered. Her last attack, that had killed the Cyclops, had completely blown its head apart, causing brain matter, blood, body fluids, bones, and flesh to splatter onto the nearby rocks. After confirming that the Cyclops was indeed dead, her gaze towards the corpse changed to as if she was looking at something boring and she completely lost interest the next moment. She must have decided it was worthless as it was no longer capable of satisfying her desire to fight. After all, at the end of her line of sight, there was someone else who stirred up her desire much more than the disappointing Cyclops. Two of them in fact. It was only natural that she would be more interested in them. That said, the reason why Vihera had been able to one sidedly defeat the Cyclops was not only due to the difference in their abilities but also due to the mismatch in their fighting styles. If it had been a monster that focused on speed and technique, there is no doubt that Vihera would have had a much harder time. Vihera knew it herself, so she shrugged her shoulders as Rei and Elena came over. ¡¸Your strength is impressive.¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t be that proud with this kind of opponent. ¡­¡­It was okay because I was fighting this kind of opponent, but please don¡¯t disturb my fights in future.¡¹ Rei understood that she was talking about the stone he had thrown earlier when the Cyclops had tried to hit her and bowed slightly. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, my body moved on its own. You would have been able to avoid that attack even if I hadn¡¯t done anything.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine as it was only this strong.¡¹ Vihera then gave a small sigh before changing the topic. ¡¸Rather than that, it¡¯s rare to meet you in a place like this, right?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re heading down one dungeon floor at a time, so it¡¯s only natural that we¡¯re on this floor. Why are you here?¡¹ Even after the end of the battle, the lascivious look in Vihera¡¯s eyes that expressed her desire for struggle had yet to disappear. No, rather, she seemed frustrated that she had killed the Cyclops so easily despite its massive size. The fact that there were two people here that could solve her problem¡­¡­or three, if you included Set, it was only natural that Vihera was almost carried away by her desire to fight. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ However, Byune gave a short cry in protest towards Vihera, who looked back blankly. Byune then looked away from Vihera and towards the headless Cyclops. Cyclops horns and eyes were materials that could be sold at a fairly high price. Byune seemed to have a lot to say to Vihera, who had brutally destroyed the head. ¡¸Oh? That¡¯s reminds me, I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Just as Byune was about to protest again at Vihera, who apologised without really seeming to mean it, she heard a cry. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ With that cry, Set gently presented something held in his beak to Byune. The object he gently placed on her pal was the horn of the Cyclops. The horn wasn¡¯t completely intact, perhaps due to Vihera¡¯s strike or from hitting a rock after flying away, but it was mostly there. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Byune accepted what there was of the horn without a change in her expression. However, those that had known her for a while could tell that her voice was filled with pity. As Byune wanted to earn as much money as possible, the Cyclops horn wasn¡¯t something she could throw away, even if it wasn¡¯t the full horn. ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry. Putting that aside, let¡¯s dismantle the Cyclops.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Nodding at Vihera¡¯s words, Byune looked at the dead Cyclops before turning to look at Rei. No, instead of Rei, she was looking at part of Rei¡¯s arm. Even though its head was gone, it was clear what Byune wanted to ask as they were dismantling a Cyclops that was over 4m tall and very large. In addition, there was the weapon that the Cyclops had used. As could be seen, it was a huge hammer created using some kind of metal ore. If sold for materials, it would no doubt fetch a high price. ¡­¡­That was of course under the condition that they could bring the Cyclops¡¯ hammer back. However, since Rei here had an item box, it was clear what Byune wanted to ask. Not just Byune, Elena and Vihera were also looking at Rei. You wouldn¡¯t refuse the girl¡¯s request would you? Rei sighed and raised both his hands at the silent question the two of them asked him. ¡¸I understand. However, it won¡¯t be for free¡­¡­I personally would like the Cyclops¡¯ magic stone¡­¡­but that¡¯s not really possible.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Of course! Byune seemed to say with a nod. (Byune herself wasn¡¯t fighting¡­¡­but, that¡¯s probably their division of roles. Rei understood that in their party, Vihera was in charge of combat while Byune¡¯s role was as a thief, in charge of scouting, checking for traps, and other thief duties. However, as she had previously shown when forming a temporary party with Rei¡¯s group, Byune wasn¡¯t completely unable to fight. No, in fact, as a D rank thief, her combat power could be considered quite high. ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ What should we get instead? Set seemed to ask as he turned to look at Rei with round eyes shining as Rei looked at the corpse and thought. It was clear what Set¡¯s gaze meant. Cyclops meat had a wild taste and a strong flavour, but there were still a good number of people who found it tasty, so it was sold at quite a high price. Even if he didn¡¯t know this, Set still wanted to taste the meat as he had never had any before. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Would that be okay? Set tilted his head as he seemed to ask. Rei gave a sigh at Set¡¯s attempts to lead him to a decision. However, considering that Rei himself had no urge to eat Cyclops meat, it was a natural result. ¡¸Byune, a suggestion. I will carry all the materials that can be sold from the Cyclops, including the hammer. Instead, I would like you to give me all the Cyclops meat. ¡­¡­How about that?¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­¡­mmm¡­¡­mm?¡¹ Byune thought for a few seconds without a change in her expression before shaking her head. ¡¸That can¡¯t be done?¡¹ Byune shook her head at Rei¡¯s words. Rei had become somewhat able to gauge Byune¡¯s emotional state, but it was still hard for him to communicate with her since Byune only ever said ¡ºMm¡». Rei wondered if Byune was rejecting him because she shook her head, but attitude seemed to be indicating the opposite. He couldn¡¯t tell what she was trying to say and started to get confused¡­¡­ Fortunately, there was someone here who had been working with Byune for longer than Rei and could understand¡­¡­or translate, her intentions. ¡¸Basically, she¡¯s saying it¡¯s fine, but she would like you to give her some of the meat.¡¹ Thinking over Vihera¡¯s words for a moment, Rei nodded. After all, the Cyclops was over 4m tall. Rei nodded because it wouldn¡¯t be a problem even if he gave up a chunk or two of meat. ¡¸Then, that settles it.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune didn¡¯t want the meat to sell, but rather to eat herself. That was why she was fine with just getting a single chunk of meat. ¡¸Now then, as negotiations have been settled, let¡¯s start dismantling it and stripping materials. It¡¯s big, so it will take some time if all four of us don¡¯t do it together.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s get it done quickly.¡¹ Elena nodded at Vihera without any objections. Vihera was slightly surprised when she saw Elena¡¯s response, but decided she didn¡¯t want to cause any issue by quipping back. Receiving a knife from Byune, she immediately got to work taking apart the Cyclops. Elena was quite fond of Byune. She might not like Vihera¡¯s presence, but even so, she wouldn¡¯t destroy their relationship over something as trivial as this. ¡¸Then, Set. I¡¯ll leave the guard to you. Until now, it seems monsters didn¡¯t come by because of the Cyclops, but the smell of the blood of the dead Cyclops will spread to the surroundings as we dismantle it, so monsters aiming for it might come.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gururururu~!¡¹ Leave it to me! Set gave a confident cry. However, it was clear that most of his motivation came from bait in the literal sense, the Cyclops meat. Regardless, Rei and the other four people got to work dismantling the Cyclops. Vihera and Byune deal with the body, which contained the most expensive material, the magic stone, while Elena took the hands and Rei the feet. First, stripping off the skin, they cut the meat from the bones and took it out alongside the sinew, that could be used as materials It was easy to say, but considering the size of the Cyclops, it was harder to do in practice. A strong rusty odour spread out into the surroundings alongside the smell of undigested substances and body fluids. The fact that this was a semi open space with poor wind flow was probably a factor. There was wind from above, so it wasn¡¯t a completely sealed space, but the smell was still more intense than when they had dismantled monsters out in the desert. But as adventurers, they were able to tolerate this level of smell. Each of them stripped away various materials while frowning unpleasantly. ¡­¡­After an hour, the Cyclops was divided into parts that could be sold, such as materials, meat, the magic stone, and proof of subjugation, and parts that could not be sold. ¡¸That was tiring¡­¡­¡¹ Rei muttered to himself with a wide stretch after finishing dismantling. However, his work wasn¡¯t finished yet, he still had the task of storing everything away into the Misty Ring. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Seeing Rei like that, Set tilted his head and gave a cry, as if to say ¡®Isn¡¯t it fine?¡¯. With a small smile on his face, Rei burned up the internal organs with fire magic before cutting a portion from a block of meat and quickly baking the outside and throwing it to Set. ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Giving a happy cry, Set caught the piece of meat in the air with his beak before eating it immediately. The meat was simply cooked without any seasoning, but the firm taste of the meat spread through his mouth, satisfying Set. To tell the truth, Set would have liked to ask Rei for more, but he might not have been able to eat much more in this situation as Rei would probably not give him any more. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ As Rei stored away the magic stone, proof of subjugation, and materials into the Misty Ring, he turned to the direction of Byune¡¯s voice, where he saw the hammer used by the Cyclops lying on the ground. ¡¸This as well.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Of course, Byune seemed to say with a nod. Actually, there were few people who could use the hammer as is, but it was made of useful materials that could be melted down and used to forge new weapons and armour. It could even be sold for more than the Cyclops materials, as the horn and eye couldn¡¯t be fully recovered. With that in mind, Rei reached for the huge hammer lying on the ground. The length of the hammer from tip to the end of the shaft was over 3m and it must have weighed over 200kg (It would definitely be impossible for an ordinary party to bring back a weapon of this size.) An unprepared party would be significantly burdened if they tried to bring such a weapon back and would become prime targets for monsters. If they had brought a cart for the purpose of collecting materials, they might manage to carry it, but it would still slow them down. Thinking up to that point, Rei looked over at Elena, who was stroking Set. If it was a magic pouch, it might be possible to insert the hammer shaft into the pouch. (That depends on the capacity of the magic pouch and not many adventurers have magic pouches in the first place. Thinking to himself, he stored away the hammer into the Misty Ring before standing up. ¡¸So, I¡¯ve stored away the Cyclops materials. ¡­¡­We¡¯re heading for the stairs to the 15th floor, what about you two?¡¹ ¡¸We have to go together, right? In the first place, the request we took wasn¡¯t for the Cyclops but for other monsters. For now, how about we work together until we get to the stairs? If we don¡¯t get the materials we¡¯re looking for by then, we¡¯ll just leave for the day. ¡­¡­What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded at Vihera¡¯s question while Elena was stuck between her like of like Byune and her opposition towards Vihera. Rei welcome the both Byune, who was a thief, and Vihera, for her combat strength. Set also had no issues with them joining as Vihera often stroked him and fed him food. As such, a temporary party was formed once again. CH 461 ¡¸So, what are you looking for as part of your request?¡¹ Rei asked Vihera as they walked along the seemingly endless maze like path, away from where they had dismantled the Cyclops, where the scent of blood was highly likely to attract other monsters. When asked, Vihera glanced at Byune, was was petting Set as she walked along with barely any expression. Seeing her nod back, Vihera spoke up. ¡¸A monster known as Jewel Sniper. It¡¯s a very rare monster and while there have been several reports of sighting in the dungeon in the past, only a few adventurers have ever managed to kill it. A few days ago, a Jewel Sniper was reported to have been found on the 14th floor and a merchant who heard about it put out a request for it.¡¹ ¡¸A Jewel Sniper¡­¡­?¡¹ Rei was a little confused hearing the name of a monster he didn¡¯t recognise, either from Pleiades or the information that he had collected. However, he immediately remembered another monster, which Elena seemed to think of at the same time as she spoke. ¡¸I see, like that Antlion?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Antlion? What about that bug?¡¹ Although it was Elena that said that, Vihera went over to Rei as she asked, as if provoking Elena. No, it wasn¡¯t as if, she was definitely provoking Elena. Part of it was because she wanted to provoke Elena into a fight after not having her fill fighting the Cyclops. ¡­¡­However, the biggest reaon was that she just wanted to tease her. Rei nodded at Vihera without seeming to notice the quite interaction between the two. ¡¸It¡¯s not an insect, it¡¯s a monster. Do you know the area covered by cacti and Cactus Mimics on the 13th floor?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­Did you go through there? You¡¯ve gone and done something reckless and troublesome again.¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t know it was going to be like that. Anyway, after passing the area with all the cacti, we were attacked by a giant Antlion monster.¡¹ To be exact, they had found people creating abnormal species there, or rather, a Cactus Mimic that had failed to become an abnormal species. But as expected, they couldn¡¯t really talk about that and just skipped over it. ¡¸So the monster that attacked you was called an Antlion?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just calling it that out of convenience, I think there is probably another official name. But anyway, it¡¯s a monster that didn¡¯t exist at all in any of the information I looked up in advance. Just like the Jewel Sniper you mentioned earlier.¡¹ Vihera looked envious at Rei¡¯s words. For someone who loved to fight, she honestly wanted to fight unknown and rare monsters. Because Elena knew that, she called out to Vihera, who was close to pushing up against Rei. ¡¸Unfortunately, we killed the Antlion, so it will be hard for you to fight it anymore.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Heh.¡¹ Vihera¡¯s sudden change in expression showed she understood Elena¡¯s intentions, but Rei didn¡¯t seem to notice anything as he continued to ask. ¡¸So, is the merchant¡¯s request to collect the magic stone of the Jewel Sniper?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, it¡¯s not. They want the monster¡¯s body. If possible, captured alive.¡¹ ¡¸Captured alive? That¡¯s troublesome to do¡­¡­generally speaking, even if you caught it alive, could you take it back?¡¹ Rei asked this because the Antlion they had previously fought was even bigger than Set. However, Vihera just looked a little surprised before she nodded with a smile. ¡¸Jewel Snipers are an insect like monster about 10cm long. It¡¯s hard to find, but once you catch it, it¡¯s not hard to bring it back.¡¹ ¡¸A 10cm insect monster? That¡¯s very small. What¡¯s its rank?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s physical strength isn¡¯t high, so if you can make direct contact with it, even a D rank adventurer should be able to catch it. ¡­¡­Although it¡¯s hard to get to that point.¡¹ Vihera¡¯s words seemed to be some sort of prophesy. What do you mean? Rei was about to ask back, but at that moment, he felt something fly towards him and he moved on reflex. Next, a 10cm hole suddenly opened up in a rock that was next to where Rei had been walking a moment ago. ¡¸What!? Byune!¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Rei heard those words as he rolled along the ground several times before recovering his balance. Vihera sounded impatient while Byune sounded forceful. While listening to their voices, he tucked himself around nearby rock as many similar holes were opened up along the ground as if following him. ¡¸Damn it, what¡¯s going on!? Set, Elena, are you okay!?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯re fine.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Rei gave a sigh of relief as he hid himself behind a rock large enough to cover several people. He peeked out call out to call out to Set and Elena only to see that they were right next to him. The moment they had seen Rei roll along the ground, they had immediately moved their mind to combat mode. Elena pulled out her sword whip as she ducked behind the rock where Rei was hiding. ¡¸I had hoped you would be worried for us as wel.¡¹ Vihera called out as both she and Byune also leapt to the rock. However, despite being attacked, Vihera didn¡¯t seem particularly excited about fighting and was calm and collected. She must have noticed the questioning look from Rei and Elena. Vihera spoke with a shrug of her shoulders. ¡¸I know what you two are thinking, but how can I look forward to fighting when the enemy is not nearby?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The enemy isn¡¯t nearby? Being attacked like this? Actually, wouldn¡¯t it not be too hard for you to approach an enemy using magic or a bow and arrow?¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, that¡¯s true, as you said, but unfortunately, this enemy is different. ¡­¡­Right?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ As she hid behind the rock, Vihera asked Byune. Byune gave a brief nod in response. ¡¸I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s your reasoning for that?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s easy. We¡¯re definitely being attack from a distance¡­¡­watch this.¡¹ Saying that, Vihera three a fist sized rock that was lying close by. The moment it flew out from behind the shadow of the large rock, something flew through the air, striking the rock and shattering it. ¡¸Could you tell where it attacked from? With your strength and Set¡¯s, you should at least be able to sense its signs right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, I couldn¡¯t tell.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry that seemed to agree with Rei. However, Vihera didn¡¯t seem to blame them as she spoke. ¡¸That¡¯s right¡­¡­it¡¯s not that your sense are bad Rei. The Jewel Sniper, our target for this request, is the thing attacking us. There is a jewel on its back that covers most of its body and uses magic power to attack from range¡­¡­like that.¡¹ Vihera looked at the rock that had shattered a few second ago. ¡¸But, it¡¯s power isn¡¯t that strong. No, it¡¯s true that if it hits you, it¡¯s quite strong, but it doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t avoid it like Rei did. The biggest problem with catching or killing a Jewel Sniper is its range. They can attack from much further distances than a bow. And, given its size, it¡¯s going to be hard to find.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm¡­¡­¡¹ Byune nodded at Vihera¡¯s explanation of the Jewel Sniper. ¡¸Ruther range than a bow or magic huh? That definitely makes things tricky.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Especially since the terrain here is so much more advantageous for them.¡¹ Adventurers walking along the ground had no choice but to navigate the maze like environment created by the forest of stone. However, the Jewel Sniper could target them from a very far distance. Yes. Ordinary adventurers had no means of counterattack as long as they were targeted from a distance. That was why it was named Jewel Sniper, after its long range attacks and the jewel embedded in its body. But¡­¡­that was only the case for ordinary adventurers and adventurers who could only walk along the ground. Quickly gathering the thoughts in his head, Rei threw out several nearby stones in a row. Each time, the stones were destroyed by the Jewel Sniper¡¯s magic power shockwave, but its general direction could be predicted from how the stones were destroyed. ¡¸Vihera, Byune, here¡¯s a deal. I¡¯ll take down the Jewel Sniper and give it to you. In exchange, I would like to trade it for the Cyclops magic stone you have. How does that sound?¡¹ Although he offered that deal, Rei honestly didn¡¯t mind if they didn¡¯t accept. If that happened, he would just take the Jewel Sniper¡¯s magic stone instead. If he absorbed the Jewel Sniper¡¯s magic stone he would definitely be able to learn or upgrade a skill tied to long range attacks. That said, the reason he still offered the deal was because the Cyclops¡¯ magic stone was more appealing to Rei. Unlike the Jewel Sniper, which specialised in long range attacks, the Cyclops¡¯ greatest feature was its strength. (If the Death Scythe absorbs it, it will be Power Slash, if Set absorbed it, it would be¡­¡­what would it be? He doesn¡¯t have any direct attack skills, maybe Poison Claw? Or would it be a new skill? There is a high possibility that he would be able to acquire a physical attack skill. ¡­¡­I would like to think it¡¯s not impossible for him to learn such skills. Though to be honest, as a C rank monster, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll get anything.) As Rei thought to himself, Byune and Vihera consulted with each other before coming to a decision and turning back to Rei. ¡¸What¡¯s your decision?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¹ It was a brief exchange. But, that was enough. In the first place, Vihera and Byune were here on the 14th floor for the Jewel Sniper. If they reject Rei¡¯s deal here, it would be almost impossible to find it again because it was a monster that rarely appeared to begin with. If they couldn¡¯t catch it, they would fail the request and wouldn¡¯t receive any reward. Rather, they would have to pay 30% of the reward back as a penalty. This wasn¡¯t something acceptable, especially for Byune, who needed a lot of money. In this situation, they judged that it would be better to give up the magic stone of the Cyclops, which they had encountered by chance. As for Vihera, money wasn¡¯t a problem for her as long as she could live her daily life, so it was only natural they reached this decision. ¡¸Alright, Set. You know what to do?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a sharp cry at Rei¡¯s words. Hearing that, Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring and immediately got on Set¡¯s back, who crouched down, and activated a skill. ¡¸Magic Shield.¡¹ At the activation of the skill, a shield of light appeared right next to Rei. ¡¸Eh? What? Did Rei use some kind of magic?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s a shield that can block a single enemy attack.¡¹ When Vihera saw the magic shield for the first time, she had a voice of surprise. Rei turned around to briefly reply before tapping Set¡¯s neck to signal to him. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ With that signal, Set gave a loud cry and took several steps from within the rock¡¯s shadow before flying into the sky as if he were running on air. ¡¸Blocks enemy attacks¡­¡­then why didn¡¯t he use it? If he used it, he would probably have defeated me in combat. Was he holding back against me?¡¹ Vihera muttered as she saw the two of them fly away. Elena was about to say something to Vihera, but immediately shook her head as she stopped herself. Their fight that had taken place under the moonlight had only been seen by Yellow. No, to be exact, it was better to say that she had relived what Yellow had seen at a later time. Because of that, Elena knew that Rei had been fighting with his bare hands and not with any weapons. Whether it was the magic shield that Rei had just used or flying slash, which he often attacked with, those were all Death Scythe skills that were obtained via the Magic Beast Art. However, considering the importance of information about the Magic Beast Art, she decided not to say anything to Vihera. (I hope this doesn¡¯t turn strange later.) Elena muttered to herself as she felt an unpleasant premonition well up inside her chest. CH 462 Leaping out from behind the rock, Set sensed something flying towards him and forcefully tilted his body to the side on reflex. The next moment, a magic shockwave passed the spot where Set had just been, living up to the name of Jewel Sniper. Rei was holding onto the Death Scythe. Normally, Set wouldn¡¯t have been able to move like he just did with scythe weighing over 100kg on his back. However, that was if it were an ordinary scythe. Both Set and the Death Scythe had been created by the Magic Beast Art, so Set was able to move around without being weighed down by the Death Scythe, just like Rei. That said¡­¡­ ¡¸Tch-! It¡¯s still a nuisance if it shoots continuously.¡¹ Rei shouted as he clung tightly to Set so as to not fall off. The reason for his shout was was the shield of light that he had used to cover Set and himself. Although it could block almost all attacks, its protection only extended to a single blow. The single use shield was already starting to fade like haze. It was needless to say what had happened. Its single use defence had been consumed. ¡¸Set-!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Set gave a loud cry in response to Rei¡¯s call. Using the time bought from the magic shield, Set flapped his wings vigorously. Rei felt his surroundings flash past from Set¡¯s back. At teh same time, magic shockwaves pierced through the air, tracing the path Set had taken as he advanced in a zigzagging trajectory. Using the boost of speed from the time bought by the magic shield, Set avoided all the magic shockwaves shot by the Jewel Sniper. Of course, in terms of pure speed, the shockwaves were faster, but their trajectory was only straight lines. It was hard for them to hit Set, who was flying in a zigzag pattern, so the shockwaves ended up only piercing rocks at the end of their trajectories. ¡¸Set, can you see the Jewel Sniper!?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~, Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a confident cry in response to Rei¡¯s question. As a Griffon, Set had the upper body of an eagle and sharper vision that came with it, compared to his other senses. Set¡¯s eyes firmly captured the Jewel Sniper, which even Rei could only roughly guess the position of from the attacks it launched. Set¡¯s eyes caught sight of an insect shaped monster that was motionless on top of a rock about 1km away. There was a red jewel embedded on its back that suddenly started to shine. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Flapping his wings greatly, Set changed his direction again as another shockwave passed his previous position. ¡¸GURURURURURURU~!¡¹ Set gave a loud cry as he zigzagged his way forward. It wasn¡¯t just a cry. It was one of Set¡¯s skills, King¡¯s Awe. Those who heard his cry would be forced to cower or have their movements slowed. They were about 700m away, but it still seemed to have some effect. The shockwaves flying towards Set became noticeably more sporadic. Even so, Set couldn¡¯t completely stop it¡¯s movements because the distance had reduced its effect, King¡¯s Awe being only level 1 might also have had an effect. At 500m, another shockwave flew past Set. Avoiding it, Set forcibly changed his direction again. 300m, even Rei could see the Jewel Sniper on the rock. Set dodged another shockwave by doing a barrel roll as Rei clung to his back, holding the Death Scythe in his right hand. 100m, Rei released a flying slash from the Death Scythe to intercept another shockwave. 30m, pouring magic power into the Death Scythe, Rei directly slashed a magic shockwave apart. ¡­¡­And, at 0m, Rei reached out from Set¡¯s back as Set flapped his wings to kill his speed. Landing right next to where the Jewel Sniper was, Rei succeeded in securing it while being careful not to touch the jewel on its back that released the shockwaves. The Jewel Sniper seemed to be completely dedicated to sniping. Even after it was caught by hand, it had no means of countering other than stretching out its short legs to resist. Finally free from being attacked, Rei was able to relax as he turned to look at the Jewel Sniper he had caught. In terms of appearance, it would be best described as a giant ladybug. The Jewel Sniper didn¡¯t have wings like a ladybug as it had a large jewel embedded on its back. However, its shape and figure that matched the circular jewel reminded Rei of a ladybug. (That said, I don¡¯t know if ladybugs exist in this world.) Fortunately, after grabbing the Jewel Sniper with his hands, it didn¡¯t fire out any more shockwaves and just moved its legs as it tried to escape from Rei¡¯s hand. As he watched it, he felt that it had some sort of charm to it. (Even though it was shooting at us a little while ago, it feels strange¡­¡­hmm? As he held his grip while on Set¡¯s back so as to not let the Jewel Sniper escape, he suddenly saw something on the ground. ¡¸Is that the corpse of an adventurer?¡¹ As Rei said that, he saw a corpse lying on the ground, wearing armour and holding a sword. It was definitely the corpse of an adventurer. ¡¸Why is this here¡­¡­I don¡¯t have to ask that, do I?¡¹ The corpse had a fist sized hole in the middle of its body. It was a hole like one would expect if Rei had hit someone with a spear thrown with all his might. He didn¡¯t need to think about what had caused the hole. ¡¸Charming, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ Rei smiled at the thoughts he had just a minute ago. At first glance, it looked like a ladybug and it seemed charming. The jewel embedded on could even be called beautiful. However, it was still a monster with a history of shooting at people from a distance as its name suggested. ¡¸Set, get down to the ground. Since we¡¯ve found it, we should take it back to the guild.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a brief cry at Rei¡¯s and descended to the ground with a flap of his wings. Set landed on the ground with barely a sound, even with Rei on his back. After landing, Rei stored the Death Scythe in his left hand into the Misty Ring while holding onto the Jewel Sniper in his right hand. Touching the dead adventurer, Rei stored him into the Misty Ring. As there was no point in staying any longer, he got back onto Set as they headed back to where they had come from. When catching the Jewel Sniper, it had only seemed like a moment to them due to the concentration required, but flying a distance of 1km would still take some time. That said, it was still tens of times faster than walking along the ground. Considering the maze below them, the difference might even be hundreds of times. ¡¸Over there.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Flying through the air, they eventually found Elena, Vihera, and Byune. They didn¡¯t know that Rei had caught the Jewel Sniper yet, but they still came out from behind the rock where they had been hiding because they trusted in Rei and Set¡¯s abilities. ¡¸Well, whether they fully trust me or not, it¡¯s better than having no trust at all.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Set seemed to ask. Rei shook his head as he stroked Set. Set descended to the ground with a happy cry and a good mood. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ As soon as he landed, Byune rushed over to him with barely any expression as usual. Her expression aside, from her attitude, she was clearly interested in the result as it was related to the request she had received. ¡¸Byune was worried whether you would be able to catch it alive¡­¡­but, it seems those worries were wasted.¡¹ Seeing the giant ladybug like monster with a jewel on its back in Rei¡¯s right hand, Vihera spoke with a small smile. ¡¸I¡¯ve kept my promise. ¡­¡­Just to double check, I¡¯m exchanging this for the Cyclops magic stone, is that clear?¡¹ Byune gave a small nod at Rei as he held out the Jewel Sniper with its back facing the ground. Seeing that, Vihera gave a small laugh to indicate there were no issues. That said, since all the Cyclops materials, magic stone, and proof of subjugation were stored in the Misty Ring on Rei¡¯s right arm, there was no real point in trying to pull anything funny. ¡¸In that case, the deal is complete.¡¹ Rei also nodded as he held out the Jewel Sniper. ¡¸I would like to say that this guy fires out the magic shockwaves from the jewel on its back. It seems like it can¡¯t shoot out any shockwaves if you hold its body like this, so please be careful. Just in case, don¡¯t turn its back towards anyone.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded as she collect the Jewel Sniper, her request target, from Rei¡¯s hand. ¡¸Heh, looking at it from the side, you can see the bright red jewel on its back.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. It¡¯s certainly rare to see such a beautiful jewel. It¡¯s no wonder that they¡¯re so rare and valuable.¡¹ Vihera commented as she looked at it from the side and Elena nodded back unusually in agreement. ¡¸Anyhow, you¡¯ve done what you came here to do, right? What do you plan to do now? We¡¯ll naturally go through the maze and go to the stairs to the 15th floor.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, we have to head back. After all, there are various problems with holding onto a live monster¡­¡­I personally wanted to clear the dungeon with Rei though.¡¹ The moment Vihera said that, Elena cleared her throat from beside Rei. ¡¸Oh? Do you have a cold? You have to be careful with your health you know? You could drag Rei down. Oh, but that¡¯s fine. If that happens, I¡¯ll join Rei¡¯s party.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s none of your business. Rest assured, I¡¯m in good health. Instead, why don¡¯t you bring the item of your request back early.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Byune, who was holding the Jewel Sniper in her hands, gave her usual response as she tried to hurry Vihera along. ¡¸Fu~, well, we are holding onto a live monster, so it might be better to hurry back. Then, Rei. As for the materials you are holding onto, I¡¯ll be waiting at the guild, so please pass them back there.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. We¡¯ll find the stairs to the 15th floor as soon as we can and come back up to the surface.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you. Come on Byune, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ At Vihera¡¯s words, Byune bowed her head slightly towards Rei before starting back in the direction they had come from. Seeing them leave, Elena suddenly muttered. ¡¸By the way, monsters shouldn¡¯t be able to get close to the rooms where the magic circles are¡­¡­but familiars are fine?¡¹ ¡¸They should be fine.¡¹ Rei nodded back simply at Elena¡¯s question. Seeing Elena just look at him, Rei shrugged his shoulders before continuing to explain. ¡¸In the first place, the magic circles might keep monsters away, but that doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t be used to transfer monsters. That was shown by the Goblin Bandit Mage. If so, it should be possible for adventurers to forcibly transfer them. Once they reach the magic circle¡­¡­they can probably be transferred.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Your words seem a little unsure for how confident you sounded.¡¹ Elena looked at both Rei and Set with some doubts. ¡¸Set isn¡¯t exactly the same, but you still need a way to bring monsters back above ground if you tame them in the dungeon right? In fact, the inn we¡¯re currently staying in has a space for monsters that were tamed inside the dungeon. They said they had to build a new stables specifically for those monsters.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Now that you say that, I remembering hearing that from the inn staff.¡¹ Elena muttered and nodded as if she remembered something. ¡¸Well, this can wait, shall we go find the stairs to the 15th floor? Those two will be waiting for us in the guild.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry at Rei¡¯s words and Elena gave a nod as well. Like that, Rei¡¯s party resumed their search for the stairs to the next floor. CH 463 It had been about an hour since the Jewel Sniper had been successfully captured alive and Rei¡¯s group parted ways with Vihera and Byune. Rei¡¯s group made their way through the natural rock maze in more or less a straight line to the exit without getting lost. Needless to say, it was Set who made this possible. Riding on Set¡¯s back, Rei had been able to find the exit from the air and traced the path back to where they were. Telling Elena where to go, they crosschecked with the information on the map they had as they continued forward. Of course, with their party of three split like that, it was only natural that monsters would target and attack them. However, the unlucky monsters who had those thoughts were all killed by Elena¡¯s sword whip and wind magic. As for why all the monsters attacked Elena, it was because she was alone while Rei was flying through the sky on Set, a Griffon. Even now, two Goblin Bandits were slashed to pieces by Elena as Set crushed a third as he descended from the sky, scattering bits of its body everywhere. ¡¸Seriously, there weren¡¯t that many monsters before we entered this maze.¡¹ ¡¸The monsters probably don¡¯t want to fight in a place where they don¡¯t have a good vantage point. If there is a place they can use to their advantage, they would naturally set up ambushes there.¡¹ Replying to Elena, Rei stored the dead Goblin Bandits into the Misty Ring. ¡¸I guess that¡¯s true¡­¡­Set, it¡¯s fine to attack their heads, but if you crush them, we can¡¯t collect proofs of subjugation.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave a sorry cry when he heard Elena¡¯s words and saw the right ear of the Goblin that had been torn in half. That said, although the ear had been torn in half, depending on the person at the counter, the guild would still be accepted sometimes. Rei smiled when he saw that and reached out to stroke Set¡¯s head and encourage him. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m not that troubled for money. If you over do it all the time, it would be a bit of problem, but for now, it¡¯s fine. Just be more careful next time.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a happy cry at the comfort of Rei stroking his head. ¡¸Now then, if we go a bit further along the maze, we¡¯ll reach a point where the path splits. Is that area on the map?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Here is it.¡¹ The place Elena pointed to on the map certainly showed a split in the path. However, there was one difference from what Rei had seen. ¡¸According to the map, the shortest path is through the far right, but from the sky, that side is blocked. Perhaps it was from a fight. I don¡¯t know if it was between monsters or adventurers and monsters though.¡¹ It could also be the aftermath of a rampage by the Cyclops Vihera had fought. Thinking like that, Rei traced the maze on the map with his fingers. ¡¸At the split, if we take the second path from the left, it will be a bit of a detour, but we should be able to get out.¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry that I can only move along the ground.¡¹ Elena gave a sigh as she thanked Rei for his help. While slightly distracted by her melancholic response, Rei shook his head. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. It would have been fine if we could both ride on Set¡¯s back. It¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t, but that¡¯s not your fault.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave an apologetic sigh and lowered his head. It wasn¡¯t that Set didn¡¯t want to carry Elena. It was just simply difficult to carry anyone other than Rei and fly. It was possible to carry a child, but it wasn¡¯t possible to carry an additional adult. The conclusion the two of them reached was that it was related to the Magic Beast Art. ¡¸Didn¡¯t Rei say not to worry about it? In the first place, flying in the sky can usually only be done by Dragon Knights. Considering that, just having someone guiding me from the sky makes it easy enough.¡¹ Elena said that with a smile as they arrived at the place the path split. The route they had taken up until now had been a single path, but they now reached an open space where way forward split into several paths. (This really isn¡¯t a maze that was created naturally. It¡¯s definitely being influenced by something. ¡­¡­Well, I don¡¯t need to bother thinking about that right now.) The dungeon core that he had previously destroyed came to his mind. What Rei had destroyed back then was a dungeon core that had yet to form a dungeon. (Now, I wonder what kind of dungeon core we¡¯re dealing with here? ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯m not sure if I could even get to it now, considering it would be guarded by a boss monster.) Unlike the dungeon core he had previously destroyed, the dungeon core here was still growing the dungeon. The strength of the monsters guarding the core would likely be as strong as, or be¡­¡­a Dragon, if he wasn¡¯t mistaken. With those thoughts in mind, Rei shook his head to clear his mind. ¡¸Rei? What¡¯s wrong? Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Rei had said to take the second path from the left, but he had started heading towards a different direction when Elena called out to him. ¡¸Oh, my bad.¡¹ Rei replied to Elena before following after her with Set. They continued through the rocky maze for another hour. Because they had spent a bit more time than expected dealing with the Cyclops and Jewel Sniper, they increased their walking speed slightly. Rei and Set went back and forth from the ground and sky a few times to make sure they were on the right path as they kept walking. ¡¸Are those¡­¡­stone statues?¡¹ It wasn¡¯t just Rei, Elena had also noticed them. There were three stone statues of a female with fox ears, a male Elf and a male Human. The stone statues were located on the edge of the path in a position where they seemed to be hiding from something. They looked very out of place compared to the surroundings. In the first place, who would bother carving stone statues inside a dungeon? Such a question went through Rei¡¯s mind, but the next moment, he held his breath. What if they weren¡¯t stone statues but were originally a Beastkin, Elf, and Human? Desert, petrification. Tying those points together, he was about to say the conclusion he had reached¡­¡­but Elena spoke up first, beating him to the answer. ¡¸A Basilisk.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah. Set, keep an eye on the surroundings. Elena, are you resistant to petrification?¡¹ Rei quickly gave instructions. There was no hint of casualness in his tone. Rei himself had a body with a strong resistance to such effects and he was also wearing the Dragon Robe. However, it was hard to tell if Set and Elena had the same level of resistance. Of course, Set was a Griffon, so he should have a higher level of resistance compared to lower ranked monsters and Elena had inherited the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon. Elena was definitely more resistant to petrification that ordinary adventurers, but Rei wasn¡¯t sure by how much. (No, that¡¯s the same for me.) Even Rei didn¡¯t believe his resistance was perfect as he had never been attacked by something like this before. ¡¸Those were real adventurers, weren¡¯t they?¡¹ While hearing Elena¡¯s murmurs, the two of them hid in the shadow of a rock near the three petrified adventurers. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect to find a Basilisk in a place like this¡­¡­no, considering there was a C rank Cyclops, it¡¯s not impossible for a B rank Basilisk to be here.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. In the worst case, it could be a Cockatrice and not a Basilisk, but either way, it still has the ability to petrify its enemies.¡¹ Basilisk¡¯s were giant one eyed lizard monsters with eight legs that could petrify enemies with its eye. Cockatrice¡¯s were monsters with the upper body of a chicken and the lower body of a snake. They had a breath that would petrify anything it touched. Despite the difference between using their eye and breath to attack, their ability to petrify enemies was still the same. ¡¸However, if you ask me which one is more troublesome, it would probably be a Basilisk.¡¹ Rei spoke as he focused on his surroundings, careful not to miss anything. It was the same for Elena, who nodded as she searched for signs of a monster nearby. ¡¸Yeah. You just have to avoid a Cockatrice¡¯s breath. It¡¯s not easy, but not impossible. Basilisk¡¯s are different. They can petrify things just by looking at them. Unless we have something that can cover our whole body.¡¹ As long as they blocked the Basilisk¡¯s line of sight, they wouldn¡¯t be petrified. It was possible to get close to attack a Basilisk, but the close one got, the more dangerous its poisonous fangs and eight claws would be. If they weren¡¯t directly injured, poison wouldn¡¯t have any effect, so there were more ways to handle it compared to its petrifying gaze. However, its poison was still strong enough to be considered deadly. Although they had bought a set of antidotes from the store where Elena had bought her cloak before entering the desert floors, they couldn¡¯t say for certain that it would work against a poison this strong. Of course, if they could kill it, they would also earn a lot of money. Basilisk claws and eyes were useful catalysts for producing magic items or advanced potions and its scales were useful for making scale armor, which was quite expensive. Its claws and fangs could also be incorporated into weapons that could be used to poison enemies. The price of its magic stone was also reasonably high. (That said, if I can kill it, its magic stone will definitely be used for the Magic Beast Art.) Rei was wary of the surroundings as he thought about that, but after several minutes, there was still no movement. ¡¸¡­¡­What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸If you think about it normally, even if they were petrified by a Basilisk, it might not be nearby here right?¡¹ Although they had found three petrified adventurers, they didn¡¯t know when they had been petrified. In an extreme case, they could have been petrified for days or weeks already. Because they had been petrified, it would be hard for any adventurer to take them back to the surface, even if someone found them. Furthermore, considering that this was a path that few people used as a detour, it was not unlikely that Rei¡¯s group was the first to find them. ¡¸Anyhow, if the Basilisk isn¡¯t here right now, we¡¯ll get moving right away.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine¡­¡­but what about these three, Rei?¡¹ Elena turned to look at the three petrified people. ¡¸What do you mean? I can just take them back¡­¡­no, can I take them back?¡¹ As he replied, Rei suddenly realised something. The Misty Ring couldn¡¯t store living things. However, conversely, as long as it wasn¡¯t alive, it could be stored. And, the three statues in front of him didn¡¯t seem to be something he could call alive. (¡­¡­Can I store them?) With those thoughts in mind, Rei gently touched the nearest statue, the one of the male Human. Ordering the Misty Ring to store it away in his mind¡­¡­the stone statue he was touching disappeared, as if it were natural. ¡¸Ohh.¡¹ It wasn¡¯t Elena, who was watching, that made that sound, but rather, Rei. He had thought that he would be able to store away the statue, but was still surprised to actually see it work. ¡¸Why are you so surprised when you¡¯re the one trying to store it away¡­¡­?¡¹ Rei gave an embarrassed smile at Elena, who had asked with a wry smile, and stored away the statues of the Foxkin and Elf to try to hide it. He had an interesting expression on his face after storing the three of them away. He was happy to be able to store them, but realised it was also pointless just to bring them back to the surface. To begin with, advanced potions mages with very high skill in healing magic were required to restore petrification. Of course, considering the amount of money that Rei had on him, it wasn¡¯t that big of a financial burden¡­¡­ (Well, at worst, they¡¯ll get restored first and then work to pay off the cost. The first step is to get them back up to the surface.) The reason Rei though that was because he knew the next floor wasn¡¯t like the previous floors. From the information he had read, what Pleiades had told him, and the map Elena had, Rei knew that the next floor was going to be different, even if it was still a desert floor. Thinking about that, they hurried down the path while being wary of Basilisks. Eventually, with careful movements, they found the stairs to the 15th floor that had taken them longer than expected to reach. CH 464 It wasn¡¯t a desert that was spread before them¡­¡­ Trees and greenery grew all around a pool of water At first glance, it was hard to believe that this was a desert floor. Of course, there was sand. Looking around, Rei could tell the ground comprised entirely of sand and that this was an oasis because he had found an oasis in the upper floors before. However¡­¡­ ¡¸I can understand there being an oasis, but the entire floor is just oases? Is it really a desert floor? I had seen it on the map, but seeing it in person is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I knew as well because it was shown on the map, but¡­¡­¡¹ Next to Rei, Elena also took a breath at the sight that came into her eyes after leeaving the small room. They had bought maps up until the 20th floor and, as the person who managed the maps, Elena naturally knew how this floor was like. Like Rei, she had known in advance that this was an oasis floor, but she still seemed to have a lot on her mind after seeing it for first time. ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Can I go into the water? Set asked Rei. After travelling through a rocky desert, Set had accumulated a lot of fine sand on his body and probably wanted to wash it off. Although he understood that, Rei shook his head. Although Rei also wanted to take a break at the oasis in front of him, he had promised Vihera to hand back the Cyclops materials. Above all, there was also the matter of the three people he had stored in the Misty Ring after being petrified by what was probably a Basilisk. Considering that, Rei decided that they didn¡¯t have the time to take a break here. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ No? Set seemed ask with a tilted head and round eyes as Rei stroked him. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but please bear with it today. I¡¯ll brush you when we get back to the inn.¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Although his cry was tinged with disappointment, Set immediately looked forward to getting brushed as he turned around. Rei and Elena made their way back into the small room with the magic circle before leaving the dungeon. ¡¸It took a little longer than usual, but I guess it¡¯s within our margin of error.¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked up into the sky where the sun was hidden by thick clouds. He roughly gauged the time while knowing that summer still showed no signs of ending. As he had said, it had taken them a bit longer than usual to clear the floor, but there was still some time before evening. It was about 4pm in the afternoon. ¡¸Well, the latter part of the day was a bit of rush due to certain events.¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena, who didn¡¯t directly name the Basilisk. She didn¡¯t seem to care that other adventurers in the dungeon plaza might look at her as she took off her cloak before they started making her way towards the guild with Set. Usually, the only thing they had to do was to exchange materials for cash, but not today. They had to hand over the Cyclops materials, aside from the magic stone, and some of the meat to Vihera and Byune. There was also the corpse of the adventurer killed by the Jewel Sniper and the statues of the three petrified adventurers. (I suppose I better talk to the guild about this.) Thinking to himself, Rei showed his dungeon card to the gatekeeper and walked out before heading for the guild as well. ¡¸Good, it¡¯s not that crowded yet.¡¹ Looking around the guild, Rei gave a sigh of relief. The guild wasn¡¯t usually crowded at this time of day, but there were always exceptions. Especially now that Schaffner was missing, the incident with the Levisor family had yet to conclude. There was also the matter of abnormal species appearing in the dungeon. Considering that, it was why the guild wasn¡¯t empty even though there was still some time before evening. There were also the adventurers who disliked crowds and had come a bit earlier to avoid that, like Rei. ¡¸Oh, Rei. You¡¯re back.¡¹ And unlike those adventurers, there were also those who had been waiting for Rei to return. Elena had a slightly annoyed expression upon hearing Vihera¡¯s voice, who had now taken off her cloak and was dressed in her seductive dancer outfit. However, since they had originally agreed to meet in the guild, she followed after Rei as they walked over to Vihera and Byune. ¡¸It seems your request was completed successfully.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. We handed over the Jewel Sniper safely. What about you?¡¹ ¡¸Well, we made it to the 15th floor safely¡­¡­but.¡¹ ¡¸Mm?¡¹ Byune gave a questioning sound, perhaps she was wondering what Rei meant. ¡¸Well, a lot of things happened. Anyway, is it fine to hand over the materials I¡¯m carrying here?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please. The purchase counter is open.¡¹ Vihera glanced over towards the guild¡¯s purchase counter. There weren¡¯t any adventurers in front of the counter and the guild staff there bowed her head slightly to indicate she had seen them looking over. As if taking that cue, they went over to the counter as a group. ¡¸Excuse me, could I sell some materials here?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course. If Rei-san is here, does that mean they are inside the item box.¡¹ Because he had already been here many times, the guild staff member already knew where the materials were being carried.. ¡¸Rei, please.¡¹ Prompted by Vihera, Rei took out the materials from the Misty Ring, one after another. Bones, tendons, skin, and everything else were piled up on the floor and not just on the counter, gathering the eyes of adventurers inside the guild. ¡¸Is this¡­¡­a Cyclops?¡¹ As expected of a professional. Just by looking at the right ear, which was the proof of subjugation, and the various materials taken out from the Misty Ring, including the damaged horn, the guild staff was able to immediately recognise what monster it was from. ¡¸Yeah. We ran into one during our request, which we collected our reward for. But as you know, Byune and I work without a porter, so we let Rei store it away for us.¡¹ ¡¸I believe you were on the 14th floor right? There was a report that there was a Cyclops on that floor¡­¡­no, that was several years ago. Either way, a Cyclops is considered to be a monster at the top of C rank, how did you manage to kill it?¡¹ The guild staff searched her memory for a few seconds before turning an admiring gaze towards Vihera and Byune and, to a lesser extent, Rei and Elena. They probably hadn¡¯t thought that Vihera had killed the Cyclops on her own. ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s a Cyclops.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. As expected of the Mad Beast. I wouldn¡¯t want to fight a Cyclops, even with a party.¡¹ ¡¸Byune is from the Fraut family right? She¡¯s a thief. So that must mean it was the other three who actually fought. No, if it¡¯s Crimson, he has a Griffon, so it¡¯s really four of them. ¡­¡­Hmm? Does that mean if you have a Griffon, you can kill a Cyclops?¡¹ ¡¸If you really think so, they go tame a Griffon yourself so you can kill a Cyclops.¡¹ As he heard the voices from behind, Rei finally took out the huge 3m hammer from the Misty Ring. The adventurers who saw that made a lot of noise, but Vihera just looked at the guild staff member without paying any attention to them. ¡¸It looks like this could be good material, what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­This is a very good hammer. To be honest though, there isn¡¯t much of a demand for something like this if you were to put it straight on the market.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I would like to sell it as material rather than as a weapon. It can¡¯t be used as a weapon on its own, but considered as metal material, it should be made from high purity iron, so it shouldn¡¯t be too bad.¡¹ The hammer was so heavy that it made a creaking sound on the guild floor, which had been designed solidly to bear the weight of the large number of adventurers who regularly gathered there. Only someone with the same physical strength as a Cyclops would be able to use a weapon like this. However, considering the material it was made from, it was true that it was made using high purity iron, so as Vihera said, it was worth a certain price. (Who would have made this? I don¡¯t think a Cyclops would have had advanced blacksmithing skills.) While Rei was thinking about that, the settlement of materials was completed as other guild staff came over to carry the materials into the back. The materials themselves weren¡¯t much of an issue to carry away, but as expected, the Cyclops hammer needed 10 people working together before they were able to lift it away. ¡¸Well then, thank you very much. ¡­¡­By the way, out of curiousity, what happened to the Cyclops¡¯ magic stone? Although the magic stone shortage has been resolved to a large extent after the Levisor family incident, it¡¯s still not completely over.¡¹ The guild staff placed silver and gold coins onto the counter as they asked. Vihera collected the silver coins for herself and turned to look over at Rei while passing the gold coins to Byune. ¡¸Unfortunately, you¡¯ll have to ask Rei for that. If you want it, you¡¯ll have to negotiate for it.¡¹ ¡¸We know that Rei-san basically won¡¯t sell any magic stones unless he has at least three of them.¡¹ While sighing, the guild staff still looked over at Rei with a little hope¡­¡­before shaking her head and sighing again. ¡¸I¡¯ve been told by the higher ups to buy up as many magic stones as possible. ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. Rei-san¡¯s party always sells any magic stones besides the first two.¡¹ The guild staff intentionally said that in a voice loud enough to be heard by the other adventurers in the guild as he glanced at them. The adventurers seemed to have a lot on their minds. Some of them looked away when they heard those words. ¡¸Seriously, they know that there is a shortage of magic stones, so it would be a great help if they went into the dungeon to bring some back. ¡­¡­So, what are you here for then, Rei-san? Would you also like to sell some materials?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Of course, there is that too¡­¡­but we found some things in the dungeon I¡¯d like to discuss.¡¹ The guild staff nodded with a questioning expression at Rei¡¯s words. After all, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for various strange things to happen in the dungeon, so there were many people like Rei who would bring in things they couldn¡¯t handle on their own. ¡¸I understand. Can you take it out for now?¡¹ ¡¸Is it fine to take them out here? They¡¯re quite big.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not as big as the hammer, right?¡¹ The guild staff¡¯s mind was filled with the thought of her colleagues carrying away the hammer earlier. Their muscles would likely be sore tomorrow. Rei nodded as he heard the staff¡¯s response. ¡¸Alright then. ¡­¡­I¡¯ll take them out I guess?¡¹ Seeing the staff nod for final confirmation, he took out the three stone statues that were stored in the Misty Ring. A female Foxkin, a male Elf, and a male Human, a total of three. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ The guild staff hadn¡¯t been expecting stone statues and let out a surprised voice. It was the same for the other adventurers in the guild, who had been watching on to see what would come out after the Cyclops materials. ¡¸Oh? Are these stone statues? ¡­¡­No, they¡¯re not.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune gave a brief nod in response to Vihera¡¯s words. The expression of fear on the statues¡¯ faces was too real to be a mere stone statue. The clothes and armour they wore as well as the weapons they had were all too finely carved. ¡¸Wai-, p-please wait a moment. Could this possibly be¡­¡­¡¹ The guild staff quickly recollected herself as she muttered before coming out from behind the counter and approaching the stone statues cautiously. She checked their faces as if to confirm something¡­¡­before muttering involuntarily. ¡¸I knew it. Weren¡¯t these three members of Sky Bells who went missing and were declared dead? R-Rei-san, where did you find these three!?¡¹ The guild staff¡¯s words made Rei give a satisfied expression, as he had half expected it to be the case. He still wasn¡¯t sure if they had been attacked by a Basilisk, but at any rate, they had definitely been attacked by something with the power to petrify their opponents. ¡¸The 14th floor¡­¡­Elena.¡¹ Judging that it would be hard to explain with words, Rei turned to look at Elena. That alone was enough to understand what Rei wanted to say. Taking a map out of her magic pouch, she placed it onto the counter. ¡¸So, we found them around here¡­¡­we took a detour here at the place where the path splits into many paths.¡¹ Seeing the location pointed to on the map, the guild staff gave a small nod as he turned to look at Rei and Elena. ¡¸Was it on the 14th floor? ¡­¡­I wasn¡¯t expecting any to show up there. Could you wait a moment? A search request for them had been put up by another member of their party. If it¡¯s okay, I would like to mark that request as completed¡­¡­¡¹ The guild staff¡¯s words gave Rei an unpleasant premonition. Unlike the stone statues, the corpse that had been found lying near the Jewel Sniper was quietly taken by the guild without any issue. CH 465 ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that was an unexpected development.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself while sitting on a chair inside a meeting room on the first floor, where he had been ushered to by a guild staff who told him ¡®it will get busy soon, so please wait here¡¯. In response, Elena shrugged her shoulders as she turned to look at the door of the meeting room¡­¡­or rather, the three stone statues that were also inside. It turned out that the stone statues Rei brought back had been members of a party called Sky Bells, the remaining members had put out a search request for them. Because of that, they decided to wait in the guild while the other members of their party were contacted. ¡¸But, it¡¯s not a waste of of time since lives were at stake, right? Besides, you¡¯re now being paid for completing the request.¡¹ Both Rei and Elena were sitting on chairs in the meeting room, but as expected of a noble lady, Elena looked quite elegant. However, Rei shook his head at her words. ¡¸Don¡¯t you know, Elena? It costs a lot to treat someone who has been petrified. Even if you ask a mage with healing magic to help, the magic required to remove petrification is quite difficult, so you need to spend a considerable amount of money. Even if you use a magic item to do it, they are also very expensive. ¡­¡­Honestly, if they¡¯re not close friends, they¡¯ll probably just throw them out and be done with it. There¡¯s a good chance that will be the case. ¡­¡­Or is it different?¡¹ At the end of his words, Rei called out towards the door. While he had been talking, two people had walked up the stairs before eventually stopping outside the meeting room. They had probably realised that Rei was talking to them and eventually, the door opened, and they entered the meeting room. The man and women were both in their twenties. The man was dressed in leather armour and had a long sword and a woman in a robe with a staff who gave off the aura of a mage. ¡¸¡­¡­Hii-!¡¹ The moment the woman saw Rei and Elena¡­¡­she gave a scream as she backed away. The man, who had been about to speak, was taken aback by her sudden action and called out to her. ¡¸Hey, Neve, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­.ahhh,ah¡­¡­¡¹ Realising why the female mage called Neve was reacting like that, Rei spoke to the man. ¡¸It would be best to take her out of the meeting room for now. Fortunately, her ability to see magic power doesn¡¯t seem to work from there.¡¹ The woman called Neve hadn¡¯t reacted badly until she had entered the meeting room and saw Rei and Elena in person and man seemed to understand what Rei was saying. Elena also nodded and the man assisted Neve out of the meeting room. ¡¸I was told that it was rare for someone to have the ability to see magic power, so why does it seem like there are quite a lot of them?¡¹ ¡¸Really? There are definitely those in the military that have that ability, but in reality there aren¡¯t that many. There are also large differences in their actual ability to sense magic power.¡¹ ¡¸Even though there might not be a lot of them, I suppose most took that advantage to become adventurers.¡¹ After discussing that for a while, it seemed like Neve had finally calmed down. The man who had previously left the room came back. ¡­¡­Along with Neve. ¡¸Are you okay? If you can sense magic power, it must be tough for you to be here, right? There¡¯s no need to push yourself too hard.¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m fine. You saved my party members, so let me thank you for that. ¡­¡­Thank you.¡¹ Neve bowed her head at Elena¡¯s words of concern. Rei and Elena had been the ones to rescue their party members, so they held no hostility. With that in her mind, she was able to stifle her inner fears. Elena seemed to realise that. Perhaps she liked the way Neve responsed, Elena gave a small smile. Seeing her smile, both the man and Neve were thrown into a panic as their cheeks flushed. ¡¸So, thank you for rescuing our friends. Thank you. Sorry for introducing myself late, but I¡¯m Mel. The Leader of Sky Bells.¡¹ The man, Mel, bowed his head, but Rei and Elena could only look at the two with complicated expressions on their faces. Certainly, if Rei¡¯s party had saved them from danger, they would have accepted their gratitude wholeheartedly, but this time, they had only rescued the three adventurers in a state of petrification. ¡¸Raise your heads. I¡¯m grateful for your thanks, but you also need to consider the situation more closely. The three people we rescued were probably attacked by some sort of monster with the ability to petrify. To release them from their current state¡­¡­¡¹ It would cost a considerable amount of money. Mel and Neve both gave a small smile towards Elena as she told them that. There was definitely sadness in their eyes, but at the same time, there was also hope. ¡¸I can¡¯t use healing magic. But if they are just petrified, there is a way to release them, either by magic or medicine. Compared to searching for three people whose whereabouts and situation are unknown, it¡¯s a lot easier.¡¹ Neve smiled with tears brimming at the edge of her eyes as she said that. At the end of her gaze was the stone statue of the petrified Elf. The look she directed towards the statue was not one of friendship but rather something more. (I see.) It had nothing to do with the fact that they were both women. Seeing Neve¡¯s expression, Elena immediately knew their relationship. Seeing Neve like that, Mel gave a sigh of relief. He had known how Neve had been feeling after the disappearance of their other three party members, including her lover. ¡¸Anyhow, I am grateful that you brought the three of them back. I heard that you found them on the 14th floor, but could you tell me more?¡¹ Neve looked over at Rei and asked if he had any more information, to which Rei responded with a shake of his head. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but they were already in a petrified state when we found them. We guess it was probably a Basilisk, but we didn¡¯t see one. Luckily, there was no sign of the monster that petrified them, so I just stored them into my item box and left the place. That¡¯s about all I can tell you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. But, the 14th floor¡­¡­we had all said it was too early for us to go there.¡¹ ¡¸May I ask what floor you would usually work on?¡¹ Elena asked after hearing Mel¡¯s regretful words. ¡¸Yeah, we don¡¯t really need to hide it¡­¡­you are our benefactors after all. We usually work on the 10th floor. We¡¯ve reached the 15th floor, but that was only as porters for a senior party, the desert floors were a heavy burden to us. That was why we usually worked on the 10th floor, which is just before the desert floors¡­¡­you idiots.¡¹ Mel spat out in frustration. ¡¸Maybe they had a reason, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have gone to the 14th floor without telling us anything.¡¹ ¡¸I know. ¡­¡­They had been missing for almost a week, and now they¡¯ve been found in a petrified state.¡¹ His fingers dug into his clenched fist as several drops of blood fell to the floor. ¡¸Mel, it¡¯s fine. They¡¯re not dead. All we have to do now is to make some money to treat the three of them.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll definitely bring them back, then I¡¯m going to ask them why, and then I¡¯m going to beat them to a pulp.¡¹ Elena looked at the two of them encouraging each other and lightly pulled on Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe as she looked towards the door. Rei understood her intentions and gave a small nod. Neve noticed when the two of them started to leave the meeting room. ¡¸Ah, w-wait! I¡¯d like to thank you for what you did¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸We didn¡¯t save them for the reward. There¡¯s no need.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. You two will need a lot of money to treat the three of them, don¡¯t you? Rather than paying us for bringing them here by coincidence, you should keep the money for that. I¡¯ll explain it to the guild staff.¡¹ ¡¸But, that¡­¡­thank you for being so kind to us.¡¹ If Rei¡¯s party had been in need of money, they might have taken the reward. However, Elena was a duke¡¯s daughter and a general to begin with and had no lack of money, it was the same for Rei. They had also received a large amount of money for selling the materials they had obtained from the dungeon and they had been paid quite a bit for the Spear Frog, Antlion, and the three corpses they had brought out from the dungeon previously. Considering that, they didn¡¯t want to leave a bad taste in their mouth for accepting the reward here. ¡­¡­That said, they did spend a considerable amount of money on buying food for the three of them. Rei and Elena didn¡¯t care much for it, but Neve herself couldn¡¯t seem to accept being so one sidedly supported. As an adventurer, she probably thought it natural that they should be rewarded for completing a request. Because of that, she tried to speak up again, but stopped after Mel reached for her shoulder and silently shook his head. ¡¸¡­¡­Please, let us know if something happens one day that we can help with. You are the ones who saved my friends. I owe you this favour. We¡¯ll do whatever it takes to repay you. I¡¯ll make sure they know that.¡¹ ¡¸Suit yourselves.¡¹ Rei decided that he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get them to back down any further and just sighed as he said those words before leaving the meeting room with Elena. Mel and Neve bowed silently as they saw the two off them off. After coming back down from the first floor, Rei and Elena headed straight for the guild staff member they had talked with earlier. Normally, they would have gone to a different counter which dealt with completed requests, but they decided it would be better to talk to someone who was aware of the circumstances. As a side note, both Byune and Vihera had left the guild and were nowhere to be seen. ¡¸Ah, Rei-san. Elena-san as well. Is this about the earlier request?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. I would like to let the guild know I have no intention of collecting the reward for the request as we didn¡¯t bring them back with the intention of completing the request.¡¹ The guild staff looked surprised for a moment at Rei¡¯s words but soon gave a small nod. She probably knew that it took a lot of money to cure petrification. Still, just to be sure, she asked for confirmation. ¡¸Are you sure? Even if you demand payment at a later point, we can no longer provide the reward.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we don¡¯t need the reward. The reason we brought the three petrified people back was purely coincidence. We hadn¡¯t even taken up the request in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. I shouldn¡¯t be the one to say this, but please allow me to thank you. Thank you very much.¡¹ The guild staff gave a deep bow. The guild staff member had been hired at about the same time the party member of Sky Bells had come to Exil. Because of that, she had formed a personal relationship with the party. Her bow of gratitude was because of that. ¡¸We declined the rewards, but it¡¯s still going to be tough for them.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I have no doubt. However, I believe that the fact that their friends are not dead will help them through the siutation. Besides¡­¡­Mel is sure to be fine.¡¹ The last words said by the guild staff were quiet, but Rei and Elena still heard them clearly with their sharpened sense of hearing. Rei simply thought that the guild staff before him, a woman in her 20¡¯s with a short cut, was worried about Mel. However, Elena did not. From Neve¡¯s reaction back in the meeting room, Elena was sure that the guild staff was more than just worried for Mel. (It seems there are a lot of complicated relationships. Although that might be natural considering guild receptionists and adventurers can become quite close.) At that moment, what popped into Elena¡¯s mind was the Catkin receptionist from Gilm¡¯s guild. Or rather, the person she saw through Yellow¡¯s memories. Maybe she was also affected by the female Foxkin adventurer who had also been part of Sky Bells. ¡¸Elena, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking about something, don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ Elena responded to Rei without thinking, but it was clear that her mood had turned somewhat sullen. Rei couldn¡¯t understand why as he tilted his head. The guild staff watched the two of them with a smile before looking further into the guild. It was already near evening and the number of adventurers in the guild was gradually increasing. In fact, in the counters aside from the one Rei was at, there were already people queuing to sell materials. Seeing the other guild staff look at her, she hurriedly spoke up. ¡¸In that case, things are getting busy, so I¡¯ll let you get back to your work. Thank you very much for today.¡¹ She quickly bowed her head as she told Rei and Elena that there wasn¡¯t anything else they needed to concerned about before the two of them left the guild. [Previous Chapter] [Table of Contents] [Next Chapter] Pingback: Legend Chapter 465 | Silent Translations ZaxJune 12, 2022 at 5:43 am Thanks for the chapter Reply ¡ý fatpandaJune 12, 2022 at 6:47 am Thank you very much for the double chapters. Some typos spotted, please take it easy. > Even if you ask a mage with healing magic to help, the magic required to remove petrification is quite /difficutl/, so you need to spend a considerable amount of money. ¡®difficult¡¯ > While he had been talking, two /peopl/ had walked up the stairs before eventually stopping outside the meeting room. ¡®people¡¯ > So, thank you for /resucing/ our friends. ¡®rescuing¡¯ > Neve looked over at Rei and asked if he had any more information, to which Rei responded with a /shak/ of his head. ¡®shake¡¯ > That was why we usually worked on the 10th floor, which is just before the /deser/ floors¡­¡­you idiots. ¡®desert¡¯ CH 466 ¡¸Now then, it¡¯s finally the last desert floor. ¡­¡­Although, it¡¯s hard to believe this is a desert when it looks like this, right?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei murmured at the sight of the oasis before him on the 15th floor. Set gave a cry in agreement. The day after the incident with Sky Bells at the guild, Rei, Elena, and Set had entered the dungeon again as usual. ¡¸It certainly doesn¡¯t look like a desert. That said.¡¹ As Elena heard Rei¡¯s words, she pulled down her cloak hood. The next moment, the intense desert heat wrapped around her face and she soon put her hood back on. ¡¸Temperature wise, it¡¯s still a desert¡­¡­or even hotter than the previous floors. Fortunately, thanks to the oases, water won¡¯t be a problem.¡¹ Elena glanced over at the nearby oasis as she said that. In the previous floors, bottles of water were essential, but on the 15th floor, water could be found everywhere, so there was no need to worry about bringing water and carrying it around. (Though that is still limited to those who are skilled or are lucky.) Elena thought to herself as she looked at some bloodstains near the oasis. ¡¸Anyhow, it will be hard for Set to scout from the sky with all the trees growing. Considering that, it will be better to walk together this time¡­¡­are you fine with that, Set?¡¹ Set gave a cry to say there were no problems while Rei and Elena looked over the oasis. Set seemed curious about the floor, which seemed to be covered with lakes rather than oases, but he didn¡¯t forget their purpose of entering the dungeon. ¡¸But, Rei. With so much water around, I think it¡¯s safe to say that there will be a lot of monsters on this floor? I heard that from Pleiades. In that case, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find more new magic stones¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. That would be great for me¡­¡­but is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. In the first place, clearing the dungeon is something of a side project for me, it¡¯s not that urgent.¡¹ Part of the reason they had gone to the dungeon was to look for a magic item that would allow long distance communication. But, for the most part, this was mainly a holiday for them. Of course, for Elena, the longer she stayed in Exil, the more time she could spend with Rei. Rei probably hadn¡¯t realised that, but it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t enjoy spending more time with Elena as well. Rather, he was quite happy with that. ¡¸Well, looks like Elena is letting us do what we want. Right, Set?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set also gave a happy cry from being told he would be able to absorb new magic stones, strengthening himself, and eat the meat of unknown monsters. As Elena watched on with a smile, she suddenly thought of something from the day before as she turned her gaze towards Rei. ¡¸Rei, you haven¡¯t absorbed the Cyclops¡¯ magic stone yet right? I¡¯m sure there will be plenty of places to hide around the oases. Even though we¡¯re on a desert floor, the environment looks like this, so I don¡¯t think any other adventurers will spot us.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see, that is true.¡¹ Many trees grew around the small room and the oasis, which could be called a large lake. If they absorbed the magic stone in the more shaded areas, it was definitely unlikely for other adventurers to find them. ¡¸It¡¯s the magic stone of a Cyclops and is all but guaranteed to give something good. The only problem¡­¡­is that there is only one. Anyway, let¡¯s get a move on.¡¹ Both Elena and Set nodded as they headed for an area behind a large tree. Fortunately, with so many large trees nearby, they didn¡¯t really have to look hard to find one and Rei immediately took out the Cyclops magic stone from the Misty Ring. ¡¸¡­¡­Should Set or the Death Scythe absorb the magic stone? Thinking a bit more about it, it should really be Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Why? Set seemed to ask with a cry. After seeing the battle between Vihera and the Cyclops, Rei guessed that if the Death Scythe absorbed it, Power Slash would probably be upgraded. Although he had reasonable mastery over level 2 Power Slash, it was a skill that specialised in boosting the power of a single attack, which wasn¡¯t that useful to Rei. It was true that the power of that single attack would be very great, but the moment it was used, it would cause him to freeze for a moment, leaving an opening. Above all, the kickback was also very heavy. Because of that, Rei decided that Set, who was physically superior to him, should master such a skill instead. Explaining that, Rei presented the magic stone to Set. ¡¸Set has the Bracelet of Herculean Strength as well as his strong physical constitution. I think that a physical skill would be more effectively used by him, so he should absorb this magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gururururu~¡¹ Looking straight at Rei, Set gave a short cry before gently picking up the magic stone in Rei¡¯s hand with his beak and swallowing it. The next moment¡­¡­ ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºEvil Eye Impact Lv.1¡»¡¿ An announcement echoed through the minds of both Rei and Set. ¡¸¡­¡­Huh?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ The skill that was learned was so unexpected that both Rei and Set let out confused voices with tilted heads. However, Rei immediately realised what the skill was and nodded his head. ¡¸Evil Eye Impact¡­¡­come to think of it, Cyclops did had the ability to release magic shockwaves from its single eye. ¡­¡­I thought that Set would have been able to acquire a skill based on the Cyclops¡¯ well known physical strength¡­¡­¡¹ Elena must have guessed what kind of skill Set had learned from what Rei said. She had a slightly surprised expression, but the next moment she started to smile. Her smile seemed to say that the skill Set had learned was probably better than the physical power skill that Rei had originally been thinking of. ¡¸Set certainly has strong physical attacks, even without using any skills. I understand Rei¡¯s idea of wanting to strengthen that, but the magical shockwave attack is similar to what the Jewel Sniper used. Isn¡¯t it a skill that is relatively easy to use? In terms of shooting out an invisible shockwave.¡¹ ¡¸That is true, but I already have Wind Arrow, a long range attack skill that is hard to see. ¡­¡­Well, the skill is still level 1, so it might not be that strong as well.¡¹ Rei started muttering to himself when Elena tapped his shoulder. ¡¸I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m good at wind magic and it is true that wind magic like wind arrow is hard to see, but its by no means invisible. And, if my thoughts are correct¡­¡­Set, use the skill you just learned and aim it somewhere.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Set looked to Rei for permission. Seeing Rei nod, Set activated Evil Eye Impact at a nearby. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ The next moment after his cry, the tree trunk burst open. Only the surface bark was destroyed as it fell to the ground. It was about the same level of power as several wind arrows. But what surprised Rei more than anything else, and made Elena smile, was the speed at which it could be used. Wind arrow required Set to create the wind arrows before shooting them. The process was similar for other ranged attack skills such as Water Ball and Ice Arrow. However, the moment Evil Eye Impact was activated, it immediately struck where Set was looking. Compared to the other skills, it was only a few seconds of difference, but a few seconds in real combat was worth a lot. ¡¸This¡­¡­that was really amazing. I thought it would be like the Jewel Sniper¡¯s attack based on its name.¡¹ ¡¸That was what I thought as well when I first heard it, but with evil eye in its name, I didn¡¯t think it would work like that. So Set tried it and this is the result.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Is it that amazing? Set seemed to ask with a cry. Rei smiled and nodded at Set as he stroked his head. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s still only level 1, so it¡¯s power isn¡¯t that strong. However, it¡¯s strong enough to be used as a deterrent. The only thing left to check is its range. Set, why don¡¯t you try using it on that tree over there?¡¹ Rei pointed over at a tree 10m away. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Hearing Rei say that, Set immediately activated Evil Eye Impact. Then, as before, a shockwave was immediately generated, but its power was a lot lower. Previously it had been able to break the surface layer of bark off a tree, but now it could only make a slight scratch on the tree¡¯s surface. Rei went over to check the location of the impact before giving a small sigh. This level of power wouldn¡¯t be useful for long range attacks. ¡¸If the distance increases, the power decreases proportionally. It¡¯s not bad for close combat¡­¡­but I would have liked Set to learn a skill similar to Power Slash.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~, Gururururu~¡­¡­¡¹ Rei noticed Set bowing his head sadly and hurried shook his head before stroking Set. ¡¸It¡¯s not that bad Set, you don¡¯t have to feel depressed. What skills we can learn are largely due to luck anyway.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Really? Set seemed to ask as he looked up at Rei with round eyes. Rei nodded back. Elena had just been watching on, but she spoke up to add onto Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸It might not be that effective at long range, but it can still cause a slight impact. It¡¯s still a skill that can be used to distract the enemy, is it not?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, I was too focused on using it in battle that I didn¡¯t consider its used outside of combat.¡¹ Rei had an expression of realisation after hearing Elena¡¯s words and they left the shade of the tree after absorbing the magic stone. ¡¸Oh right, I heard at the inn that there is a place on the 15th floor where you can find fruits that sell at a good price. They also seem to be delicious to eat.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, the apologetic atmosphere between Rei and Set cleared up as they looked around. In Set¡¯s case, he was purely interested in finding the fruit, but in Rei¡¯s case, he was grateful that Elena had changed the topic. He gave an appreciative glance towards Elena as he also looked around. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Where are the fruits? Set seemed to ask as he looked around, failing to find any within his line of sight. ¡¸There aren¡¯t any near the entrance to the small room. Well, if you think about it, if its in a place where adventurers come and go, they would be picked almost immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave a sad cry at Rei¡¯s words. However, he soon came to the conclusion that if there weren¡¯t any here, they could still find more fruit further in. Tugging at Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe with his beak, Set urged Rei to hurry up. ¡¸Well, I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to look around for a bit.¡¹ Pulled along by Set, Rei and Elena started walking as they looked at the trees growing around the oasis. ¡¸So, what kind of fruit is it? What does it look like?¡¹ ¡¸I heard that it¡¯s about the size of a human head.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really, that¡¯s quite big.¡¹ Rei, who had been imagining the fruit to be the size of an apple, raised his eyebrows as the sunlight beat down. Rei and Elena were wearing the Dragon Robe and desert cloak respectively, so they didn¡¯t mind the heat. That said, Elena¡¯s cloak was definitely not as effective as the Dragon Robe, so her tolerance was probably in part due to her inheritance of the Ancient Dragon magic stone. (Is it like a coconut? Well, the image that comes to mind when thinking of coconuts is usually tropical environments and not desert ones.) With that in mind, they spent the next hour or so searching around the oasis. While continuing to search for the desired fruit, the didn¡¯t encounter any monsters, despite the fact it was an oasis, a watering hole. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set suddenly gave a cry. Rei and Elena turned to look over and saw a tree growing a short distance away. About 5m up the tree, there was a fruit roughly the size of a human head. It had a green and blue mottled pattern on its surface and didn¡¯t appear to be a fruit that could be eaten at first glance. Seeing it, Rei involuntarily turned to look at Elena. ¡¸Is that it?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. From what I¡¯ve heard.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s really that?¡¹ He asked Elena again, but only received another nod in response. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set suddenly gave a loud cry as he activated Evil Eye Impact. At the same time, the part connecting the fruit to the tree broke and the fruit started to fall to the ground. ¡¸-!¡¹ Rei dashed forward immediately and managed to catch the fruit as it fell. ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv.3¡» ¡ºFire Breath Lv.3¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv.1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.4¡» ¡ºSize Transformation Lv.1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv.1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºOptical Camouflage Lv.2¡» ¡ºEvil Eye Impact Lv.1¡» Evil Eye Impact: Causes a physical impact at the location being looked at when the skill is actived. However, the power depends on the distance between Set and the target. The further away the target is, the less powerful it becomes. At level 1, even at its highest power level, it can only destroy the bark of a tree. However, the advantage of this skill is the instantaneous response from when the skill is activated to when the impact occurs. CH 467 ¡¸¡­¡­Set, let me know you¡¯re going to use that before you use it.¡¹ Rei, who had caught the mottled blue and green fruit the size of a human head that didn¡¯t seem that edible, spoke as he went over to Set. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Is it no good? Set seemed to ask with a tilted head. Seeing that, Elena smiled at Set. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s fine since everyone turned out okay. It didn¡¯t hit Rei¡¯s head. ¡­¡­But, I don¡¯t know what would have happened if he hadn¡¯t caught it though.¡¹ ¡¸If something this hard hit me on the head, it would hurt a lot.¡¹ Tapping it lightly with the back of his hand to check its hardness, the sound was very different from apples, pears, melons, oranges, and the fruit that Rei knew of. ¡¸If it¡¯s like this, I probably didn¡¯t need to catch it.¡¹ It was quite hard and seemed unlikely to crack even if it fell to the ground from a height over 5m. Furthermore, since they were near an oasis, the area was covered in sand, so the chance of it cracking on hitting the ground was very low. ¡¸With this hardness, it feels like I could use it as a weapon. So, how do you eat it?¡¹ ¡¸It seems you can just cut it open with a knife. You can also use a weapon, but if you do that, you wouldn¡¯t be able to eat the fruit inside.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Let¡¯s eat it right away! Set seemed to say with a cry. Rei gave a small sigh as he took a knife out from the Misty Ring. Of course, it wasn¡¯t the knife he used for stripping materials, which had cut through the corpses of many monsters. Rei didn¡¯t want to use a knife used to strip materials from monster to cut open fruit for eating. Rei pushed the blade against the fruit, but it couldn¡¯t be cut with just light push. ¡¸It¡¯s seriously tough.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. From what I¡¯ve heard, it seems some armours use this outer layer.¡¹ ¡¸Weapons and armour, what kind of fruit is this? ¡­¡­Phew-!¡¹ Muttering in amazement, Rei wiggled the knife while putting in more force. Even though the fruit was covered by a hard shell, it couldn¡¯t withstand the force Rei put on the knife and it was neatly split in two. At the same time, a sweet scent started to drift into the surroundings. The outside was blue, green and mottled, but the inside was packed with an orange flesh. ¡¸Heh. ¡­¡­It looks strange on the outside, but this is quite nice.¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei gently scooped out some of the orange flesh and brought it to his mouth. It had a rich taste, filled with condensed sweetness. However, it wasn¡¯t overly sweet and the aftertaste wasn¡¯t bad. The fruit had a mysterious texture that melted in the mouth, it made sense that it would be bought at such a high price. As for the taste, it would be best described as a condensed mango taste. At the very least, the mangos that Rei had eaten back in Japan weren¡¯t far from this in taste. After enjoying the mango aftertaste, Rei gave one of the halves to Set while cutting the other half in two and passing one of them to Elena. While cutting their own fruit into bite sized pieces with a knife, they watched Set each his share with his beak. Elena placed a piece of fruit into her mouth and her eyes widened in surprise. Her eyes told Rei it was delicious. For a few minutes, the three of them continued to eat in silence. By the time the fruit was all finished. ¡¸Phew, that was delicious.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ve had the opportunity to eat a range of high class fruits, but nothing like this. As expected of a dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Speaking of which, the bread we bought the other day was also made with dungeon grown ingredients, or so they said.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei recalled the bread with jam, honey, and fruit that they had eaten. ¡¸You¡¯re right. ¡­¡­I think there should be a few shops like that since this is a labyrinth city. It might be good to search around to see what we can find later.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry in agreement. ¡¸I¡¯d like to collect more fruits if possible. Fortunately, I have this to stop them from decaying.¡¹ Rei brought out the Misty Ring on his right wrist from under the Dragon Robe. Elena nodded with a smile. ¡¸Gururururu~¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave a cry. However, this wasn¡¯t a happy cry like a few seconds ago, but a wary one. Along with his cry, the sound of trees breaking could be heard as the ground shook. ¡¸¡­¡­This couldn¡¯t be another Cyclops, could it?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think so, but is there anything wrong if it is?¡¹ ¡¸No, not at all.¡¹ Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring as he conversed with Elena, who had also unsheathed her sword whip. Set also got ready to attack at any time and they waited. Before long, what showed up¡­¡­was not a Cyclops. To describe it in the simplest way, it was a huge red crab, about 3m in size. Of course, being a monster, it was different from ordinary crabs in many ways. It had four claws, two on each side, about 1m in length. It also had a mouth with sharp fangs and a tail. The tail in particular was covered by the same shell that covered its body, making it look like a weapon with several joints rather than a tail. No, in fact, that was probably how it was used. Even now, as it snapped the trees in its way, it turned its gaze towards Rei¡¯s group as it waved its claws and waited for a chance to swing its tail. As they looked at the crab, Rei asked Elena. ¡¸I think I¡¯ve heard of this monster before from Pleiades? Is this an Earth Crab?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s a crab monster that lives in the desert. C rank. It¡¯s a middle of the pack monster on this floor. I heard they were usually 2m large, so I didn¡¯t expect to find one this big.¡¹ As Elena said that, Rei looked at the huge crab in front of him with an inexplicably happy expression. ¡¸Personally, I prefer shrimp, but it¡¯s not like I hate crabs.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Rei, are they delicious? Set seemed to ask with a cry. ¡¸Yeah. Crabs are delicious. Especially crab miso. ¡­¡­I do prefer shrimp though.¡¹ In Japan, crabs were generally more popular than shrimp. However, in Rei¡¯s case, he didn¡¯t dislike crabs but just preferred shrimp for its texture. ¡¸Anyway, all the crab meat is waiting for us if we kill this monster. Considering the size of its claws, it should be quite packed with mean. Set, let¡¯s do our best for a delicious meal.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a sharp cry, as if acknowledging Rei¡¯s word. At the same time, a shock wave was shot at the crab¡¯s eyes. While it was stunned by Set¡¯s first strike, which barely had any signs, Rei and Elena immediately attacked the huge crab in front of them. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ The slash that followed the magic shock wave collided with the Earth Crab¡¯s right claw. However, as the slash and claw struck each other, the slash disappeared, only leaving a slight crack on the claw. ¡¸Tch, it¡¯s tough. Even a level 3 Flying Slash could only crack it that much.¡¹ Rei leapt back while complaining. It soon became clear why he had leapt back without making a follow up attack. The Earth Crab tried to chase after the person that had cracked its shell, but was immediately attacked from the right by something that tore through the sky at high speed. The tip of Elena¡¯s sword whip succeeded in cutting several legs that grew from under the Earth Crab. Although it was the same shell, the level of hardness was still different between the legs and claws. The moment Rei¡¯s attack had failed, Elena had used the opportunity when Earth Crab¡¯s attention was on Rei to successfully attack it. In addition, Elena wasn¡¯t the only other member of Rei¡¯s group. There was one more member¡­¡­ ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Before anyone had noticed, Set had someone flown high into the sky as he gave a cry and dived down like a spear. The blow from his claw, along with his speed, weight, and magic items, slammed into the Earth Crab, which had lost its balance from losing several legs. ¡­¡­In an attempt to retain its balance, the Earth Crab had used its cracked claw to try to reduce the impact, but it was no use as it was sent bouncing away. ¡¸SHAAAAaaaAaAa-!¡¹ With a cry that seemed to leak from its mouth, the Earth Crab hit several trees without slowing down before falling into the oasis and sinking. Seeing that, Rei and Elena continued to hold their weapons at the ready while Set also prepared himself to attack. ¡­¡­But, after 30 seconds, although the water surface was still shaking, there was no sign of the Earth Crab. ¡¸Did we kill it?¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s question, Rei shook his head. ¡¸Impossible. Only its claw was destroyed in the previous attack. It still has three other claws and we haven¡¯t damaged its body. ¡­¡­Well, Set¡¯s attack was strong enough to break its claw, so the impact might have reached its body.¡¹ The moment Rei replied, a pillar of water rose up from the oasis. Not just once, but two, three, then four times. Set crouched down while the Rei and Elena continued to maintain their vigilance. Water pillars continued to rise in front of the three of them. The next moment, a water pillar that was completely different from the rest appeared. Best described as a collapsed water pillar, something was blown out of the water alongside it. The object that was blown out from the water pillar flew above Rei and bounced several times before hitting a tree and coming to a stop. The three of them caught sight of it in the moment it flew over their heads. Looking over at what had hit a tree, they got a good look at it¡­¡­ ¡¸A crocodile?¡¹ It had a long extended mouth, scales, and a tail that extended from its body. However, from tip to tail, it was barely 2m in length. That was the first thing Rei thought of when he saw it. Of course, if it lived in the dungeon, it wouldn¡¯t be just an ordinary crocodile. In fact, the crocodile, which was covered in a thick smell of blood and wasn¡¯t moving, had legs shaped like fish fins, making it impossible for it to move on land like the crocodiles Rei knew of. ¡¸A crocodile? Living in a hot desert?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. This crocodile isn¡¯t an ordinary one by any means though, it¡¯s a monster. It¡¯s probably the Bloodydile that Pleiades mentioned.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. He did tell us to be careful as it would attack people who alerted it when they went to drink water from the oasis.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s also probably more than one or two of them in the oasis.¡¹ Rei turned to look over at the oasis as he and Elena talked. There were still many water pillars rising up and Bloodydiles would sometimes be sent flying out and onto land. Examining the Bloodydiles that were thrown out, they each had large bits on their bodies, some had their insides eaten along with their scales while others had fist sized holes in their bodies. ¡¸What do you want to do?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s nothing to do. The Earth Crab has been injured by us, so we¡¯ll wait until it comes back up. ¡­¡­No, there is something we can do.¡¹ Rei looked over at the dead Bloodydiles as he muttered. There were already more than five now and the water pillars continued to throw more out. Rei touched the corpses and stored them into the Misty Ring, just like the fisherman from the story of the piper and the clam. Any that were still alive he killed with the Death Scythe. CH 468 Rei continued to collect the corpses of the Bloodydiles that were thrown out of the oasis and killing any that were still alive with the Death Scythe for the next 30 minutes. After storing away nearly 20 Bloodydiles, tranquillity finally returned to the surface of the oasis. ¡¸Looks like it¡¯s over. ¡­¡­Well, I wonder who won?¡¹ Elena replied to Rei¡¯s question as she held her sword whip. ¡¸The Earth Crab of course. The hardness of its shell was considerable. I¡¯m sure you understand well considering it was hit by a flying slash.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry to agree with Elena¡¯s words. ¡¸You think so? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t think it can¡¯t kill what it¡¯s fighting, but it¡¯s still a relatively defensive monster¡­¡­tch-!¡¹ As he was talking with Elena, Rei felt killing intent directed towards him and poured magic power into the Death Scythe as he swung it on reflex. At that moment, something shot out of the oasis like a laser as Rei sliced it with the Death Scythe¡¯s blade. Considering the speed of the attack, it was a much harder task that slicing a flying arrow. However, Rei didn¡¯t seem to be too bothered by it as he turned to look at the oasis and activated a skill. ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ With those words, a shield of light was created. Rei¡¯s defensive trump card that could block a single attack. As he activated it, Rei watched the oasis as he wiped away something that had splashed onto his cheek. ¡¸¡­¡­Water?¡¹ Yes, it was water. Nothing strange, just water. As Rei looked at the water, which was probably from the oasis, he immediately realised what the previous attack had been. It was an attack that used compressed water, like a water jet. It was probably the same reason why water pillars had shot out from oasis earlier. ¡¸Tch, considering it¡¯s called an Earth Crab, it¡¯s quite good at fighting underwater.¡¹ There was no way that the Earth Crab, with the absolute advantage of the water, would come out of the oasis so easily. However, the next moment, he was astonished to see an unexpected sight. The Earth Crab, which should have had an absolute advantage in the water, came out of the oasis. Seeing it break through the water¡¯s surface, not just Rei, Elena and Set were also unable to understand. Of course, the Earth Crab had also wanted to fight where it held the advantage. However, it needed a certain amount of magic power to be able to release water jets like earlier. It had used too much magic power against the Bloodydiles earlier and had barely any magic power left. The Earth Crab primarily excelled in close combat and water jets were its only way of attacking from range. Because of that, when it ran out of magic power, it had no choice but to attack directly. Its best option would have been to hide in the water and wait to recover its magic power, but this wasn¡¯t possible for several reasons. The first and biggest reason was that there were other monsters living inside the oasis. Even though it had killed the Bloodydiles, it hadn¡¯t killed everything. If it stayed in the water and waited for its magic power to recover, it would most likely have been attacked by the other monsters. Finally, the Earth Crab couldn¡¯t stand leaving the two small humans who had destroyed the shell of one of its claws. It did realised that there was Set, a Griffon, but it still judged that it could do whatever it wanted. This was probably one of the reasons why it was classified as a lower C rank monster, despite its combat strength. ¡¸SHAAAaaaaAaAaaAaa-!¡¹ Emerging from the oasis, the Earth Crab gave a menacing cry from its fanged mouth, angry about its smashed claw. Despite being a crab monster, it was able move straight towards Rei to attack, unlike ordinary crabs which moved sideways. It gave the impression that it was more like a scorpion than a crab with its articulated tail. ¡¸Well then, it looks like the crab is turning red with anger.¡¹ ¡¸It was red from the beginning. Quite amazing considering it hasn¡¯t been cooked.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Does it taste better when cooked? Set seemed to ask with a cry. Although they were joking around, they remained ready to react to anything the Earth Crab might do. ¡¸SHAA-!¡¹ The first to move was the Earth Crab. It spat out bubbles with great force from its fanged mouth. It was similar to Set¡¯s fire breath and could be called a bubble breath of sorts. Rei judged that the bubbles had no direct attack power, but even so, he had no intention of being hit by them. Rei leapt to the right with magic shield in tow to avoid the bubbles. At the same time, Elena leapt to the left while Set escaped to the sky after running several steps and flapping his wings. Seeing Elena change her sword whip to whip form while Set dived down to strike, Rei left the vanguard and middle guard to them while moving back to provide support. Looking over to where the bubble breath had hit a tree near the oasis, he saw that the bubbles had turned into a highly sticky liquid as it dripped down from the tree trunk and its branches. Seeing that, Rei quickly shouted to Elena and Set, who were fighting the Earth Crab. ¡¸Watch out! If you touch the bubbles from the bubble breath, it will slow your movements!¡¹ As he shouted, Rei thought that it was a clever move by the Earth Crab. If its target couldn¡¯t move, it would be hard to strike with one of its powerful claws, whether it smashed its target or tried to grab it. (In that case¡­¡­an eye for an eye.) Muttering to himself, Rei took out what he wanted from the Misty Ring. From Rei¡¯s position, he could see Elena swing her sword whip and successfully slice off the claw that had been damaged in their previous exchange. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ At the same time as his cry, Set vanished from the sky. Of course, he didn¡¯t actually disappear. Set had just used the skill Optical Camouflage. The Earth Crab¡¯s tail swiftly swung towards where Set had been a moment ago, but it just struck air as it swept through. Set didn¡¯t remain stationary while invisible and, the next instant, struck the Earth Crab¡¯s back with his claw, causing a sharp wound on the back shell which the Earth Crab prided itself on. ¡¸SHAAaA!?¡¹ The Earth Crab must have realised its shell had been damaged. While giving a cry, it swung its tail towards Set, who had suddenly struck its back. However, Set was of course no longer there. Set¡¯s next target was its middle left leg. As expected, it wasn¡¯t as armoured as its shell and was easily destroyed. While watching the middle left leg sent rolling across the ground, Elena¡¯s sword whip didn¡¯t stop moving either. Even though Set was still attacking the Earth Crab while invisible, causing it to thrash around, Elena didn¡¯t hesitate to swing her sword whip. As one of its right claws had already been cut off by the sword whip, Elena wanted to remove the other right claw if possible. That said, she couldn¡¯t cut through the Earth Crab¡¯s shell that easily with her weapon and had to focus all her attention on it. ¡­¡­At the same time, Set made another deep scratch along the Earth Crab¡¯s shell. Unfortunately, Optical Camouflage only lasted a short duration. Although the skill had gone up to level 2, it was still only effective for about 20 seconds and the next moment, Set reappeared¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set went in for the finish as he swung his claws while activating Poison Claw, his highest level skill. ¡¸Set, move away!¡¹ Rei shouted at Set, who had just activated Poison Claw. In his hands was a dark green spear, from shaft to tip. As he poured magic power into the spear, Set moved away from the Earth Crab, as if he understood what Rei meant with just those words. Elena, who had been attacking from a distance, also took some distance just in case. ¡¸HAAAaaaA-!¡¹ The moment he saw Set move away, Rei threw the Thorns Spear he held in his hands. The spear flew out like a green flash and tore through the air as it headed for its target. Its speed was several orders of magnitude faster than the water jet released by the Earth Crab from within oasis. The next moment, it pierced the Earth Crab¡¯s body, which was tougher than ordinary metal, as if it wasn¡¯t even there. After that, the spear immediately took effect. Countless thorns grew rapidly from the tip of the spear that pierced into the Earth Crab¡¯s body. Then, as if overflowing from inside its body, the thorns started to grow outside of it, entangling the Earth Crab everywhere. In a matter of seconds, the Earth Crab¡¯s entire body was wrapped in thorns, holding it in place. This was the effect of the spear Rei had just thrown, the aptly named Thorns Spear. The Earth Crab was now unable to move, but Rei¡¯s attack didn¡¯t stop there. Rei focused his magic power on the Death Scythe, which he had taken out after throwing the Thorns Spear. ¡ºFlames of fire, gather. Form great wings and fly!¡» Along with his magic, flames formed on the blade of the Death Scythe before eventually turning into a bird. When it reached 1m in length with a 3m wingspan, Rei activated the magic. ¡ºSky conquering phoenix!¡» Along with those words, and a swing of the Death Scythe, the phoenix made from fire magic flew towards the Earth Crab. The reason Rei chose this magic was because he could control the phoenix as he wanted. Aside from the disposable spears he had bought, he had no intention of destroying a magic item as good as the Thorns Spear. If the magic he used couldn¡¯t be actively controlled, it might accidentally damage the Thorns Spear that was still stuck in the Earth Crab. Under Rei¡¯s control, the phoenix flew over to the Earth Crab with a flap of its wings. The first thing Rei targeted was its claws, the Earth Crab¡¯s strongest weapon, so as to avoid the Thorns Spear stuck in the middle of its body. The one on the right or the two on the left. The phoenix flew straight for the left¡­¡­and burned the claws off right at the base as its fiery wings passed through. ¡¸SHA-SHAAAAA!!¡¹ The Earth Crab cried out in disbelief that two of its claws had been burnt off, as if it had thought that they could withstand Rei¡¯s fire magic. However, the attacks didn¡¯t end there. Turning in mid air, the phoenix attacked the Earth Crab¡¯s tail next. Burning it off just like the claws, it continued to fly around the Earth Crab as it burnt off its remaining legs and claws. Of course, the Earth Crab tried to escape from the attacking phoenix, but the Thorns Spear in its body prevented it from moving and it was helpless to do anything as its remaining legs and claws were burned off. ¡­¡­Eventually, Rei went over to the Earth Crab and pulled the Thorns Spear out, after which the phoenix thrust itself into the wound, burning the Earth Crab from inside out. CH 469 From the banks of the oasis, a very fragrant smell wafted out. It wasn¡¯t necessary to look for where the smell was coming from. It was coming from the Earth Crab in front of Rei¡¯s group, which he had burned to death from inside out. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, it smells pretty good, doesn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Mmm.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei spoke those words involuntarily, but both Elena and Set responded in agreement without any objections. ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Can¡¯t we eat it? Rei was lost in thought for a moment when Set asked with tilted head. From previous experience, Rei knew that it would be fine to eat if it hadn¡¯t be struck by Set¡¯s poison claw. However, the problem was the stimulating scent that was wafting out. The scent not only spread out near them, but into the surrounding area as well. In other words, the scent had spread far enough not just to reach Rei¡¯s group, but to other monsters as well. ¡¸Oh, we¡¯re too late.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Sensing a large number of approaching creatures, Rei decided that there was at least still some time and hurriedly stored away the legs, claws, and cooked body of the Earth Crab. It felt a little hot to touch the shell, but it wouldn¡¯t have been an issue for an ordinary person, let alone for Rei. Elena and Set kept guard while Rei stored everything away. As soon as he finished and picked the Death Scythe back up, the monsters attracted by the smell appeared through the trees. ¡¸¡­¡­Hah?¡¹ However, what came out of Rei¡¯s mouth upon seeing the monsters was a rather stupefied voice. The monsters that he had fought with so far had been the Earth Crab and Bloodydiles. However, the Bloodydiles had all be on the verge of death, so he couldn¡¯t really say he had fought them. Anyhow, since such monster had already appeared, Rei had expected the approaching monsters to be enemies with considerable strength. However, what appeared from the trees instead were bipedal monsters with the heads of dogs. In their hands were weapons such as swords, spears, hammers, and axes, that looked like they were either stolen from adventurers or created using monster materials. They also wore armour that was made tree and monster materials. Seeing these monsters on this floor gave Rei a strange feeling. Yes, these monsters were called¡­¡­ ¡¸What? Kobolds?¡¹ As far as Rei knew, Kobolds were a well known monster, along with Goblins and Orcs. Ever since coming to Elgin, Rei had fought against Goblins and Orcs, but he had never encountered a Kobold. In that sense, he could be considered quite lucky, but he still had many doubts about why they were on this floor. (All things considered, how can Kobolds survive on this floor? Ordinary areas aside, on the desert floors, monsters are mercilessly attacking each other. And yet, E rank Kobolds¡­¡­no, they¡¯re not ordinary Kobolds?) ¡¸Gururururururu~¡¹ Set¡¯s cry held a similar feeling¡­¡­however he wasn¡¯t as confused as Rei was. There were about 30 Kobolds in total. They faced each other at a distance of about 5m. The Kobold in the lead, whether due to impatience or perhaps unable to bare the tension, eventually swung its spear. The act seemed to be an attempt to intimidate Rei. However, that was a mistake. To begin with, there was no one here nerves so delicate that they would be afraid of such a monster that even novice adventurers wouldn¡¯t fear. ¡¸Well then, what do you think? I give them credit for not attacking us immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Kobolds work well in groups. I¡¯ve seen nobles get injured because they underestimated Kobolds. Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡¹ Although they had tried to intimidate Rei¡¯s group, the Kobolds were immediately hostile. Seeing that, Elena asked Rei how he intended to deal with them. Unlike Rei, Elena had already assumed that a fight was inevitable, having fought Kobolds before. Kobolds not only inherited the physical heads of dogs, but also some of their characteristics. That is to say, they attacked enemies in packs when hunting, similar to wild dogs and wolves. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set didn¡¯t know much about Kobolds, but he sensed the presence of several of them circling and surrounding them from a further distance. He gave a cry to alert Rei and Elena, who had also noticed that the Kobolds were trying to surround them. ¡¸I see, did they survive on this floor with careful preparation?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess. But¡­¡­they¡¯re still to naive to deal with us!¡¹ As soon as she shouted, Elena her sword whip and cut down an arrow that had been flying towards her from behind. That was probably a signal. The Kobolds, which had been observing the situation, immediately attacked Rei and the others. The Kobold at the front thrust its spear as it ran forward. Its target was was Set, probably because their Kobold instincts recognised that he was the most powerful enemy present. Both Rei and Elena boasted of a fighting power as good as Set¡¯s, but there were ignored potentially due to their appearance. That said, considering the difference in their abilities, the Kobolds were still overwhelmingly weaker. Still, the Kobold¡¯s attack was filled with determination and it was prepared to sacrifice itself to help its fellow Kobolds. ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Instead of striking the spear or avoiding it, Set leapt forward as he used Evil Eye Impact. A moment later, an impact struck the Kobold¡¯s face, ripping open its skin and tearing its flesh, spraying blood everywhere. ¡¸GAU-!¡¹ After being struck, the Kobold screamed as it collapsed to the ground and started rolling about. The Kobold was quite unlucky as the Evil Eye Impact released by Set was still low level and wasn¡¯t very strong. If it had been a little more powerful, the Kobold would have died in a single blow. However, because of its low power, it didn¡¯t kill the Kobold, causing it to roll along the ground while screaming in pain. ¡¸GAUuuuUuUU-!¡¹ Set opened his beak and used fire breath to kill the Kobold. His fire breath spread out over a wide area, not only engulfing the Kobold on the ground but also the other Kobolds around it. ¡ºWind Arrow!¡» A short distance away from Set, countless invisible wind arrows rained down on the Kobolds, shot by Elena. ¡ºFlame, you are a burning hand, your strike is like a sword. Exert your strength along my desired path.¡» Along with Rei¡¯s incantation, flames grew out from the bottom of the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft as it took up the shape of a sword. ¡ºFlame Sword Slash!¡» Rei activated the magic at the same time he swung the flaming sword. However, his attack did not burn or slice through any Kobold, it simply struck air. ¡¸Gau?¡¹ Seeing that, one of the Kobolds tilted its head and let out a suspicious cry, unsure of the purpose of Rei¡¯s attack. However, the next instant, the purpose of Rei¡¯s attack became clear. A red line was drawn across the ground along the path of Rei¡¯s flaming sword, from which flames shot up from the feet of the Kobolds that had stepped on it. The Kobolds at the front were all engulfed in flames. The flames that burst from their feet spread to their ankles, knees, thighs, waist, belly, and then chest, causing them to fall the ground screaming in pain with half charred bodies. Such was the fate of any Kobold that stepped on the red line drawn by the flaming sword. Seeing their fellow Kobolds burned from under their feet, the rest stopped moving, unable to comprehend what had happened to them. ¡­¡­Yes, as Rei expected, he managed to create a wall of burned dead Kobolds. ¡¸SET!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURURURURU~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry and used fire breath again. From behind the Kobolds. A moment earlier, Set had been using fire breath next to Rei, but as soon as Rei had activated his magic, Set had jumped forward, leaping off a nearby tree and landing directly behind the Kobolds, creating a pincer attack. Set¡¯s fire breath burned the Kobolds to the ground. The Kobolds that were near the edge of the fire breath tried to escape it, but were blocked by the absolute line of defence created by magic, that would burn them if they so much as stepped on it. The only ones that managed to escape were a small group to the right. Those on the left were unable to escape from Elena. The sword whip of the General Princess cut through multiple Kobolds with each swing, slicing them in half. If the Kobolds on the right had no way out, they might have at least tried to attack Rei like a cornered rat. However, with a path of escape available to them, they would rather run away to save their own lives. Eventually, they succeeded in killing about 90% of the Kobolds, including those that had tried to surround them. ¡¸¡­¡­Phew, I guess it¡¯s over.¡¹ Storing away the Death Scythe, Rei looked at the surrounding area, which was filled with dead Kobolds. There were those who had been burned to death and those who had been slashed. Looking at all the corpses, Rei decided that it was probably still a good thing that the Kobolds attacked them as he started to store them into the Misty Ring. (It would have been more of a struggle if it had been a different type of canine monster, like a Werewolf.) Rei thought to himself. Kobolds were humanoid monsters with canine characteristics while Werewolves were capable of transforming between human and monster forms. ¡¸I¡¯ve stored away all the dead Kobolds, let¡¯s leave this place before more monsters are attracted by the smell.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry in agreement and Elena nodded her head as well. ¡¸I agree. Since this is an oasis, there is no small possibility that monsters will come here to drink. If we get into a fight with more monsters repeatedly, causing more monsters to be drawn here¡­¡­it will become physically and mentally exhausting.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­We were just looking for fruit to eat, I don¡¯t know how everything ended up like this.¡¹ Rei muttered with a wry smile. As he raised his head, Rei suddenly noticed the same kind of fruit he had previously found hanging from a tree ahead. ¡¸Rei? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Seeing Rei suddenly stop, Elena called out to him questioningly. ¡¸Elena, Set. ¡­¡­Over there.¡¹ Looking in the direction Rei pointed them in, Elena and Set also had surprised expressions. It seemed like neither of them had expected to find the fruit here. In front of them were two fruits, the reason for all the fierce fighting they had been dragged into so far. ¡¸Ha-hahah~. Hahahahahahah~.¡¹ Rei let out an involuntarily laugh at this situation. ¡¸Fufu~, what¡¯s so funny?¡¹ Elena said that to the laughing Rei, but she had a similar smile on her face. ¡¸Elena, you¡¯re laughing too. Kuku~, even if there¡¯s nothing funny about it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ The situation was nothing particularly special. However, smiles still leaked from their faces. Their smiles which were about to go away came back again as Set gave a cry to urge them to quickly pick up the fruit. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s going on? Set seemed to ask with a cry. After five minutes, Rei and Elena¡¯s urge to laugh eventually subsided. Riding on Set, Rei flew up to the tree and plucked the two fruit that were growing. However, although the fruit were delicious, Rei and Elena didn¡¯t feel like eating them right away. Storing them into the Misty Ring, the two of them had to comfort Set, who had wanted to eat the fruit right away, as they got moving. CH 470 After picking the two fruit, they made their way from the oasis for about 30 minutes. Walking that far, they were able to travel safely without encountering any monsters, which would have swarmed around the traces of battle they had left at their earlier location. ¡¸That said, given the situation, we¡¯re bound to run into something sooner or later.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he looked at another oasis that was closer to a lake. The fact that such a large oasis existed naturally meant that there would be many monsters who would go to it as a watering hole. (However, if this entire floor is covered in oases, then maybe the number of monsters that go to this oasis in particular won¡¯t be that high.) Set might not have sensed Rei¡¯s inner thoughts, but he suddenly turned his head to the side. A tree near the oasis swayed as a rabbit appeared. However, if it existed on this floor, it was definitely not an ordinary rabbit. In fact, it had a horn protruding from its forehead, like a Unicorn. However, it differed from a Unicorn¡¯s horn as it had spiral shape. On the bright side, the rabbit was only somewhat larger than the rabbits Rei knew of. Compared to the Gamelion, a rabbit like monster that Rei had fought before, this rabbit was extremely docile. That said, Rei didn¡¯t really want to count the Gamelion as a rabbit. ¡¸This should be easy¡­¡­woah-! As expected of a monster on this level.¡¹ As Rei was about to say ¡®easy to kill¡¯, the rabbit dashed towards him as it twisted and spun itself, causing Rei to dodge on reflex. With its spiral horn and spinning body, its attack was truly like a drill, complete with high penetration power. Yes, enough power to the point that it crashed into a tree behind Rei and snapped it in two. Seeing that, Rei couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself. Of course, he knew that it was a monster he had to be wary of, but Rei was still confident of his own safety because Set had jumped forward. ¡¸GURURURURURU-!¡¹ With a cry, Set swung his fore claws and broke the rabbit¡¯s neck, throwing it to the side. The rabbit did not survive the blow and died instantly. ¡¸That rabbit¡­¡­was it a Spiral Rabbit?¡¹ ¡¸Umm, give me a minute. I think it was mentioned in the book.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei pulled a book out from the Misty Ring that contained information on various monsters and flipped through the pages. After about a minute, he found what he was looking for and started to read the description. Spiral Rabbit. E rank monster. A carnivorous rabbit with a spiral horn. It likes to attack by piercing its enemy using its strong jumping ability, characteristic to rabbits. While attacking, they will rotate their body to increase its power, so care should be taken. A blow from its horn can easily penetrate cheap leather armour. The proof of subjugation is its distinctive horn, which is material that can be sold. It can be used as material in forging weapons such as spears or used in making armour. In addition, its fur is also in demand for decorative items and clothes. Its meat was full of flavour and, for an E rank monster, rewards were quite good, so it was a sought after monster by adventurers. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸Its horn? ¡­¡­I can see how it could be used for a spear, but in armour?¡¹ As Elena tilted her head and asked that question, Rei looked at his Dragon Robe before replying. ¡¸Maybe the horn tips could be used to cover the surface of the armour, so if an enemy rushes at them, they will be caught by the armour?¡¹ ¡¸But in that case, only the horn tips would be used. ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. We should hurry up. You¡¯re not going to strip the materials here, are you?¡¹ Rei was reminded of the four round fight they had against the Earth Crab, Bloodydiles, Earth Crab, and then Kobolds. That said, the Bloodydiles had been so badly injured by the Earth Crab that half of them had already died while the other half had been dying. In the second fight with the Earth Crab, it had already used up most of its magic power fighting the Bloodydiles. Even so, such a series of fights had the possibility of attracting more and more powerful enemies. It might be good for collecting magic stones, one of Rei¡¯s goals for entering the dungeon, but it was problematic if they wanted to descend to the lower floors, where magic communication items, their main goal for coming to the dungeon, had a higher chance of being found. Because of that, Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s words. ¡¸I¡¯m not. How are we doing on the map, where¡¯s the next set of stairs?¡¹ ¡¸If we continue like this without running into anything¡­¡­it will take about 4 hours.¡¹ That was what Elena said as she checked her map, but Rei shook his head in response. ¡¸As long as we keep walking past oases, there is no doubt we¡¯ll keep running into more monsters compared to the previous floors. It will be quite difficult to get out without running into anything more.¡¹ ¡¸You are right that our monster encounter rate wasn¡¯t that high in the previous floors. ¡­¡­With the exception of the Cactus Mimics.¡¹ Elena had a wry smile on her face, probably from remembering when they pushed through the area overgrown with cacti. ¡¸In the case of the Cactus Mimics, we were the ones running into them. We didn¡¯t have to deal with monsters that attacked us first. Anyway, with all these oases, it¡¯s highly likely that will be attacked by more monsters. Set, I would like you to keep an eye on the surroundings.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Leave it to me, Set seemed to say with a cry. However, due to the thick trees that grew around the oases, the method of flying in the sky to watch the surroundings wasn¡¯t possible, so Set had to rely on his senses to stay alert. That said, as a Griffon, Set had extremely keen senses to the point that ordinary bandits wouldn¡¯t even be able to touch him. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s get going then.¡¹ Storing away the Spiral Rabbit, they started walking again. Continuing to walk for another 20 minutes, they came across some familiar people. ¡¸Aren¡¯t they¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸People from the Silva family.¡¹ Elena responded to Rei¡¯s murmurs. Yes, at the end of their line of sight was a party of 5 men. The man in the lead was the one Rei had saved when he had previously fought the Sword Bee Queen. It seemed the other party had noticed them as well. They were alert for a moment, but after the man in the lead signalled it was safe, their alertness quickly died down. ¡¸Long time no see.¡¹ Rei gave a small nod at the man who gave a bow before speaking. ¡¸Yeah, it seems like you¡¯ve been through a lot.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it has been. It¡¯s been tough in many ways.¡¹ He was probably recalling the events of the past few days as he sighed and spoke. Rei was wondering how to respond for a moment and ended up continuing the conversation as best he could. ¡¸So, what are you guys doing on this floor?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­that is¡­¡­¡¹ The man stuttered when asked by Rei. From what Rei and Elena could tell, it seemed like they couldn¡¯t speak of it to anyone outside of the Silva family. ¡¸I¡¯m not forcing to you tell me, so if you can¡¯t say it, that¡¯s fine.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, we¡¯ve been helped out by you over and over again. I¡¯m sure big bro Vosk wouldn¡¯t mind me telling you. You seemed to run into them quite a lot.¡¹ With that alone, Rei knew what they had been tasked with. (I had thought they had entered the dungeon as adventurers¡­¡­but it seems its something to do with the abnormal species.) It seemed Rei and Elena reached the same conclusion. They looked at each other before nodding. Rei had no intention of dealing with the abnormal species or the Levisor family himself. That said, it was a problem that he couldn¡¯t absorb the magic stones using the Magic Beast Art, so he did want the issue to be solved as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he had a surprisingly high probability of running into them in the dungeon and had even run into people who seemed to have been creating them. ¡¸There have been several reported sightings of monsters that appear to be abnormal species on the 15th floor. There have also been reports of a suspicious trio sneaking around.¡¹ I knew it. The expression on Rei¡¯s face displayed his thoughts clearly. ¡¸The other party really is troublesome to deal with.¡¹ ¡¸No, no, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re specifically targeting you? The 15th floor is the easiest desert floor to sneak around and it¡¯s also roughly the middle of all floors. With more adventurers around, it makes it a great place to gauge the abilities of abnormal species.¡¹ ¡¸Wouldn¡¯t there be more adventurers on the upper floors?¡¹ ¡¸There are a lot of new adventurers on the upper floors. I guess they don¡¯t think it¡¯s useful to test the abnormal species against weak adventurers? That¡¯s just my own guess though.¡¹ The leader, mumbled that he hoped these troubles would be over as soon as possible and his fellow party members all nodded in agreement. ¡¸Then, what about the lower floors? From the 16th floor onward¡­¡­there has to be floors that are easier to work on than the desert floors based on temperature alone, right?¡¹ Despite his tone, Rei had an unpleasant expression on his face. He had mostly heard about the desert floors from Pleiades, but had also heard some information on the floors below it. Above all, if the information from the maps that Elena bought and what Rei had heard from passersby in the city patting Set were correct, the next set of floors from the 16th floor would be filled with undead like Skeletons, Ghosts, and Zombies. ¡¸I took a quick look around the 16th floor¡­¡­but for now, there¡¯s nothing suspicious there.¡¹ ¡¸I hope so. It¡¯s a troublesome floor to deal with, so if an abnormal species appeared there, I wouldn¡¯t be great.¡¹ ¡¸Would it be troublesome?¡¹ The man asked questioningly. For someone who had seen Rei fight with his own eyes, he didn¡¯t think that undead were something that Rei would struggle with. In actual fact, Rei could deal with undead very easily, because he specialised in fire magic, which undead generally weren¡¯t good at handling. But at the same time, Rei had a terrible time fighting some types of undead. Skeletons and Ghosts were no problem, but Zombies were. Zombies had rotten flesh and the stench of their bodies was enough to make a normal human turn away. Rei¡¯s sense were much sharper than ordinary people. ¡­¡­Yes, all five senses. In other words, that included smell. The first time he had entered a dungeon as Elena¡¯s escort, his sense of smell had been heavily hit as soon as he had entered the undead floors, almost paralysing him. Remembering that, Rei had a real look of disgust on his face and half seriously considered going to a store to buy some kind of mask. However, in over a year in Elgin, he had yet to see any sort of mask. (Would it be possible to tell them what a mask is like and ask them to make one? In case you get caught up in a fire, you can cover my nose and mouth with a cloth, so the idea isn¡¯t that unreasonable.) ¡¸Rei-san?¡¹ The leader of the other group asked him worriedly after seeing the unexpectedly serious expression on Rei¡¯s face. As it had happened while they were talking, his concern was natural. ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just thinking about something. Rather, are you guys heading for the small room on this floor then?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. As I¡¯ve said, we¡¯re looking for an abnormal species or suspicious people.¡¹ ¡¸Well, take care then. I don¡¯t need to tell you this since you¡¯ve already cleared this floor, but there will probably be quite a few monsters that will attack you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, of course.¡¹ The man nodded, understanding what Rei meant. While it was still a desert floor, like the previous floors, due to the number of oases, there were still a much larger number of monsters. ¡¸Well then, I understand. ¡­¡­We¡¯ll be heading off, please take care Rei-san, everyone.¡¹ Saying that, the man bowed his head and the adventurers quietly listening behind them also bowed their heads before going their way. CH 471 After separating from the adventurers from the Silva family, Rei and the others continued to make their way through the desert oasis floor. Because of the nearby oases, the temperature on the 15th floor felt warmer, but in terms of comfort, it was still much better than the previous desert floors. ¡­¡­Of course, that was only considering that there wasn¡¯t anything else to worry about. ¡¸As expected of adventurers from the Silva family, it seems they have their own skills.¡¹ Rei murmured as he looked at the corpses of quite a few monsters spread before him. There were probably close to 10 dead Kobolds. The reason it was ¡®probably¡¯ was because they had been dismantled for materials, making it impossible to properly count how many there had originally been. Rei judged that the Kobolds must have seen the adventurers as prey, like they saw Rei¡¯s group, and the result had been the exact same. ¡¸They seemed to have struggled with the Sword Bees, but maybe it was due to the sheer number of enemies at the time.¡¹ ¡¸Possibly.¡¹ Rei nodded in agreement to what Elena said. Even ordinary humans would die without being able to do anything if overwhelmed by countless ants. The difference in numbers was that big. Kobolds weren¡¯t that different from Sword Bees rank wise, so the result was spread before their eyes. ¡­¡­Unfortunately, there were some monsters that had showed up because of that. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set felt something approaching and gave a warning cry. Rei and Elena also recollected themselves as they readied their Death Scythe and sword whip. ¡¸With dead monsters lying around like this, of course there will be others looking for them.¡¹ ¡¸But, they¡¯re just Kobolds, right?¡¹ Elena asked questioningly at Rei¡¯s words. The few exceptions aside, low ranking monster meat usually wasn¡¯t that tasty. ¡­¡­No, rather, it was usually quite unpleasant. And, although Kobolds were higher ranked that Goblins, they were still a low ranking monster, so Rei really wasn¡¯t sure why any monsters on the 15th floor would want to fight adventurers for it. Regardless, with Set on alert, there were definitely monsters approaching, so Rei wanted to leave before they arrived¡­¡­ (Too late.) With a sigh, Rei turned to look at the monsters that appeared from the trees around them. The monsters were bipedal lizards that looked familiar to Rei. After all, they were monsters that Rei had fought in a previous dungeon, so there was no way Rei could forget. Lizardmen. That was the name of the monster that appeared in front of Rei. ¡¸Do they just live in dungeons? I thought they only lived in wetlands and other humid places¡­¡­I don¡¯t remember hearing about them being on desert floors from Pleiades.¡¹ ¡¸Even Pleiades wouldn¡¯t know every monster that lives on the desert floors.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry at the Lizardmen who had gathered due to the smell of blood. As Rei held his Death Scythe next to Set, he noticed that the Lizardmen here were different from the Lizardmen he had seen before. The biggest difference was the colour of their scales. The Lizardmen Rei had fought in the dungeon with the Alter of Inheritance had blue and green scales. However, the Lizardmen in front of him had sand coloured brown scales. ¡¸I see, they¡¯re not so much normal Lizardmen but rather Lizardmen that have adapted to the desert. So I guess we can think of them as a different kind of monster. Desert Lizardmen, we could call them.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. There are also only three of them, so there aren¡¯t too many. What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­¡­oh!¡¹ The Lizardmen seemed to see Rei talking as an opportunity. Among the three that appeared, one that was further back pulled bow back and shot an arrow. However, despite that unexpected action, Rei still slashed the arrow down with the Death Scythe. ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ Compared to Rei¡¯s surprise, Set gave an angry cry as he crouched down, ready to pounce. ¡¸Calm down. ¡­¡­Elena, there are three of them. You know what to do?¡¹ Stroking Set to calm him down, Rei called out to Elena beside him. ¡¸One each?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­Alright, let¡¯s go!¡¹ With those words, Rei released his hand from Set and, with that as a cue, Set leapt forward towards the front most Lizardman. Did they take them from adventurers or did they have the skill level require to make it themselves? Equipped with a long sword, leather shield, and leather armour, the Desert Lizardman looked at Set with a reptilian gaze that was hard to read as it readied its shield to intercept. A Griffon was already out of its depth to fight, but it still recklessly tried to fight Set head on. The leather shield was easily shattered by Set¡¯s attack and the Lizardman holding it was blown away, smashing into a tree behind it, breaking its spine and dying. ¡¸Sha-!?¡¹ Seeing its companion die in a single blow, the Lizardman fighting Elena looked away for a moment. However, this was a fatal move in a fight against Elena. ¡¸You¡¯ll be punished for looking somewhere else while fighting me! Regret your carelessness in the afterlife!¡¹ With those words, Elena swung her sword whip. Supplied with magic power, it changed into whip form and quickly entangled the Desert Lizardman¡¯s spear, pulling on sword whip, the spear shaft was split into several pieces before falling to the sand. ¡¸Shaa!¡¹ Probably furious with Elena¡¯s attack, the Desert Lizardman gave a menacing cry as it through what it had left of its spear at Elena in an attempt to blind her as it dashed forward. Its opponent was only a female human after all. It must have thought it could win in a contest of strength, but it had greatly underestimated Elena. ¡¸Phew.¡¹ Looking at the Desert Lizardman running towards her with clenched fist, Elena gave a sneer. Pulling back her sword whip, the whip that was supposed to be behind the Desert Lizardman started to fly back to Elena¡¯s side. ¡­¡­.Sword tip pointing towards her. Between Elena and the tip of her sword whip was the Desert Lizardman that was about to strike. Seeing Elena¡¯s seeming lack of response, it thought that she had been frozen with fear due to its approach. Raising its fist high into the air, its consciousness sank into eternal darkness. The tip of Elena¡¯s sword whip flew into the back of its head, shattering its skull before it even knew. ¡¸Idiot.¡¹ Flicking her sword whip, back in sword form, Elena got rid of any blood, flesh, and pieces of brain on it before turning to look at the last Desert Lizardman. To the side, Rei dashed forward while swinging the Death Scythe and slashing any arrows shot at him by the Desert Lizardman, reaching the Death Scythe¡¯s kill range. Although the Desert Lizardman showed hardly any expression, it knew it was going to die. It used a bow as its weapon, which needed the support of a frontline. However, its two vanguards which it was relying on had already been easily killed and it was now within the reach of a huge scythe. ¡¸SHA-SHAAAAAA-!¡¹ If things continued like this, it wouldn¡¯t be able to save itself. Realising that, the Desert Lizardman acted quickly. With a cry, it threw its bow to the ground and raised both its hands. It was unmistakably a sign of surrender. If it were a monster that only moved on instinct, it might not have known the meaning of its action. However, Desert Lizardman had a certain level of intelligence and knew what that action meant. The blade of the Death Scythe, which had been about to cut its body in half, suddenly came to a stop. It stopped just several centimetres away from the Desert Lizardman with raised hands. ¡¸Sha¡­¡­¡¹ Now that Rei¡¯s attack had stopped, the Desert Lizardman was able to see the cleaving attack that had been coming towards it. If it hadn¡¯t raised both its hand in surrender, it would definitely have been cut in half. Just thinking about it made the Desert Lizardman¡¯s prided sand coloured scales turn white from fear. ¡¸Just in case, do you know what that action means?¡¹ ¡¸ShaAAaAAa?¡¹ The Desert Lizardman gave a raspy cry. Even if it knew what the surrender action looked like, it didn¡¯t understand human language. Even the act of raising both its hands was something it had learnt from seeing a fight between humans. ¡¸¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think it would know how to surrender despite being unable to understand human words. In the first place, monsters on this desert floor are supposed to be ferocious. What do you think?¡¹ Rei asked Elena, who was walking over, while keeping the Death Scythe close to the Desert Lizardman¡¯s body, ready to slice it in half as soon as it tried to do anything malicious. However, there was no way that Elena would know what the Desert Lizardman was trying to say either and she just spoke in a puzzled manner. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard about this happening before, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve run into a monster that has acted like this.¡¹ ¡¸So, what do we do?¡¹ Set had already killed one Desert Lizardman, so Rei had obtained the minimum harvest. However, that was only one magic stone, the other belonged to Elena as she had killed the Desert Lizardman without help from both Set and Rei. Honestly speaking, REi wanted to kill the Desert Lizardman that was currently signaling surrender to him. However, the fact that the Desert Lizardman had surrendered also bothered him. (They are intelligent enough to understand our actions and use them. If that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t deny the possibility that other adventurers might be attacked by it if I let it go. Even though adventurers work at their own risk, it would still leave a bad taste in my mouth if anything ended up happening.) As Rei was thinking to himself, he suddenly noticed the ground vibrating and leapt backwards. The Desert Lizardman must have thought that Rei¡¯s sudden movement was the perfect opportunity to escape. However, just as it was about to run away, it sank into the sand below its feet. As the sand below it softened, the next instant, something burst up from the ground with mouth wide open, throwing the Desert Lizardman into its mouth before crushing it with sharp fangs. ¡¸Sha-SHAAAaaaaAAaa-!¡¹ As the Desert Lizardman was swallowed by the Sandworm, the owner of the mouth, it gave a scream that echoed out¡­¡­before it was cut off abruptly. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ Swinging the Death Scythe, Rei shot out a flying slash. The slash flew straight and cut deeply into the Sandworms body. However, this Sandworm was considerably larger than the Sandworms Rei had previously fought and his attack wasn¡¯t fatal. ¡¸HAAAaaaA-!¡¹ Elena swung her sword whip, following up from Rei. The tip sneaked into the Sandworm¡¯s body, sending skin and flesh flying. But, due to the Sandworm¡¯s size, it was only superficial wound and the sword tip was unable to reach the bone. Stil, it managed to cause severe pain and the Sandworm opened wide its mouth, filled with fangs and the blood of the Desert Lizardman it had just chewed up, as it attempted to attack Elena. CH 472 The Sandworm that attacked Elena was particularly big for a Sandworm, compared to the ones they had previously killed. It bared its sword like fangs as it tried to swallow Elena. ¡¸GURURURURURURURU~!¡¹ Along with that sudden cry, the Sandworm was heavily struck from its side. When the Sandworm came back to its senses a moment later, the human that was supposed to be its prey was gone. Of course, even if she had been attacked as is, Elena would still have been able to handle the situation. She could have leapt back, barely dodge to counterattack, or jumped straight into the Sandworm¡¯s mouth to attack it from the inside before it could bite down. Regardless, there were several options open to her and she chose the most basic one, leaping back. However, as one who had earned the title of General Princess, that wasn¡¯t where it ended. After seeing Set pounce forward to attack the Sandworm, Elena had leapt back to swing her sword whip. The distance between her and the Sandworm was too great for a sword or spear, but a sword whip was a different matter. The blades slashed through the Sandworm. Unlike her previous attack, the sword whip had more magic power this time and ripped through the Sandworm¡¯s skin and flesh, reaching the bone. In addition, her attack was only a decoy. As the Sandworm twisted its head in pain, Set struck it from the side again, knocking one of its eyes out and shattering the surrounding bone. Given the Sandworm¡¯s peculiar vitality, it didn¡¯t immediately die. Instead, it continued to thrash around in pain, not realising that its act would only serve to kill itself faster. ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s call, Set, who had landed after striking with his fore claws, went back to Rei. Elena was already beside Rei, sword whip in hand. ¡¸Rei?¡¹ Elena asked questioningly when she saw Rei standing there instead of chasing after the thrashing Sandworm. Rei replied with a small smile under his hood. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s already dead after been struck by Set.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­? Oh, I see.¡¹ Elena didn¡¯t understand what Rei was saying for a moment, but quickly realised when she saw Rei looking at Set¡¯s claws and recalled what skills he had. That is to say, Poison Claw, which had been raised to level 4 from the Grand Scorpion¡¯s magic stone. The pain from the poison in Set¡¯s claw strike followed by Elena¡¯s sword whip caused the Sandworm to thrash about the ground. This caused the poison to circulate faster and in a few minutes, the poison had gone through its entire body. The Sandworm fell to a ground with a thud befitting its size. ¡¸Poison Claw, huh? You killed the Earth Crab using the Thorns Spear and fire magic. But, seeing this, Poison Claw really is a powerful method of attack.¡¹ ¡¸I honestly wasn¡¯t sure about a Griffon using Poison Claw at first, but¡­¡­seeing it with my own eyes, it¡¯s not that bad.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Isn¡¯t it great! Set seemed to say with a proud cry. While stroking Set, Rei gave a sigh. ¡¸I had heard that monsters had a higher rate of appearance on the desert oases floor¡­¡­but this is more than I expected. This is the second time we¡¯ve been interrupted in the middle of a fight since the Earth Crab.¡¹ ¡¸The third time if you count the Bloodydiles attacking the Earth Crab. ¡­¡­So, what now?¡¹ Elena glanced over at the dead Sandworm and two dead Desert Lizardmen. Rei didn¡¯t want to have to strip the materials here. However, the Sandworm in front of them was over 10m long and its body wasn¡¯t fully out of the ground. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an issue to store it into the Misty Ring, but it would be difficult to find somewhere to strip the materials from it. (I don¡¯t think it would be possible to dismantle it in the guild. No, it might be fine if I use the guild¡¯s training field¡­¡­but that will likely cause other problems to occur.) Rei was already quite well known in Exil, partially due to his title and partially due to Set. However, there were still some adventurers who didn¡¯t like him and there was a high chance they would use the opportunity to try and mess with him if he tried dismantling monsters in the guild training field. Naturally, Rei wouldn¡¯t show them any mercy, but it didn¡¯t mean that he wanted to deal with that trouble in the first place. (There are a lot of monsters on this floor anyway, it might be possible to dismantle it here and just kill anything else that gets attracted here.) Calculating the risk and reward in his head, Rei judged that it was probably safe to dismantle the Sandworm here, based on the level of monsters they had run into. That said, he wasn¡¯t completely comfortable as there had still been what they believed to be a Basalisk on the 14th floor. ¡¸Even if we take the Sandworm back, there will be various problems finding a place to dismantle it, so let¡¯s just do it here. We¡¯ll leave the Desert Lizardmen for later.¡¹ While replying to Elena, he stored away the two dead Desert Lizardmen into the Misty Ring. ¡¸Set, I¡¯m sorry, but could I leave the guard duty to you? Because it¡¯s a Sandworm this big, there will definitely be monsters attracted here by the smell.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Leave it to me, Set seemed to say with a cry as Rei and Elena started to dismantle the Sandworm as they had done in the previous floors. ¡¸It looks like this is the last thing.¡¹ Rei muttered as he placed the lens of the Sandworm¡¯s eye into a storage container before storing it away into the Misty Ring. It had been about 40 minutes since they started dismantling the Sandworm. It would normally have taken Pleiades only 10 minutes, but Rei and Elena weren¡¯t too used to dismantling Sandworms. The biggest reason, however, was still the sheer size of the Sandworm. Because not all of its body was above ground, Rei had stored it into the Misty Ring before taking it back out. In total, it was over 15m long. Considering that ordinary Sandworms were only 5m long, this one was three times as big. Seeing that, Rei wondered if it was an abnormal species. But although he thought about that, its only difference was that it was bigger in size, there were no other visible differences. All the abnormal species they had seen so far were very different from the original monsters, so he judged that it might just have been the difference in environment as he stripped the various materials from it. Another important matter was the corpse of the Desert Lizardman that had been devoured by the Sandworm earlier, which Rei wanted to check to see if there was still anything useful left. Most of its body had been chewed up by the Sandworm¡¯s fangs or melted in its stomach, but luckily for Rei, its magic stone was till intact. Because Rei had fought the Desert Lizardman to a certain extent, it met the conditions to be used by the Magic Beast Art. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set went up to Rei and gave a cry. There were traces of blood on its beak and claws. Rei had half expected that because he had heard sounds of fighting earlier as they were stripping materials and took out the Dagger of Flowing Water to wash it off. ¡¸Hey, come over here and I¡¯ll wash you.¡¹ First, Rei used the water from the Dagger of Flowing Water to wash away the blood on Set¡¯s beak, claws, and body. If anyone that had drank the water made with Rei¡¯s magic power before saw this, they would definitely scream that it was such a waste. That wouldn¡¯t be surprising of course, as it was water that could even be served to royalty. ¡¸Gururu, Guru, Gurururu~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry as he was washed by Rei. Seeing that, Elena gave an involuntary smile¡­¡­before noticing that her own hands were covered in Sandworm blood and body fluids as well and frowning. ¡¸Rei, sorry, but could I also wash my hands?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to be rude. Come over here, you can wash it off easily.¡¹ Elena went over to the two of them and started to roughly remove the grime. The two of them had been stripping materials while dismantling the 15m long Sandworm, so it was inevitable that they would be covered in blood, flesh, and body fluids. After a few minutes, the three of them were much cleaner and the spots that they had washed with water were already starting to dry up. (I guess this is one of the benefits of it being hotter in the desert floors.) As Rei thought of that, he stored away the Sandworm materials, magic stones, proofs of subjugation, meat that Set could eat, and everything else into the Misty Ring one after another¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh.¡¹ As he touched them, Rei¡¯s hands, which had just been washed, naturally got dirty again. Giving a sigh, he walked over the the nearby oasis to wash his hands as it was a hassle to use the Dagger of Flowing Water again. Some Bloodydiles seemed to eye Rei up, but he managed to quickly wash his hands and leave without being attacked. He reached out to Set in gratitude, who had been ready to counter attack if anything had made a move on Rei. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set¡¯s eyes narrowed at Rei¡¯s comfortable touch. Seeing that, Rei gave a small laugh as he checked his surroundings. To the side were five dead Kobolds. While Rei and Elena had been dismantling the Sandworm, the Kobolds had been attracted by the smell of blood but were easily dispatched by Set, who had been keeping guard. ¡¸¡­¡­They never learn.¡¹ They had wiped out a group of Kobolds just earlier and hadn¡¯t thought more would attack again so soon. As he thought about that, he soon realised something. ¡¸That said, we did kill them all.¡¹ If even one had survived, they might have gone back to tell the others of the danger of Rei¡¯s group. However, because they had all been wiped out, no information had gone back. Attracted by the strong smell of blood and seeing Rei and Elena in the middle of dismantling it, they must have seen no reason to not attack and were promptly annihilated by Set. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s quite good that Kobolds were the only ones to attack.¡¹ The five Kobolds were all quite destroyed. Some were missing heads, others had large holes in their body, likely from being pecked. ¡¸Set, it¡¯s fine to kill them, but it would be a great help if you could leave the proofs of subjugation intact.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ As Set gave an apologetic cry, Rei stroked his head and told him to be more careful next time before storing the corpses away. This time, it didn¡¯t matter as Kobolds were low ranking monsters. However, if they had been high ranking monsters with valuable materials, it would have been very unfortunate. That was why Rei only warned Set this time. ¡¸Rei, if we don¡¯t need to stay here any longer, why don¡¯t we move on? If you want to wait for more monsters to come though, that¡¯s also fine¡­¡­¡¹ What do you want to do? Rei was lost in thought for a few seconds before looking around and coming to a decision. ¡¸Let¡¯s hurry on. It¡¯s definitely quite effective to lure enemies in with the smell of Sandworm blood to earn more money and collect more materials, but it¡¯s not possible to do that continuously, especially if the fighting drags in a large number of monsters. It¡¯s better to call it a day at an appropriate point than to get stuck.¡¹ If several Earth Crabs appeared, it would take a lot of time to kill them and, even if they could kill the Earth Crabs, there was a high change that other monsters would appear after hearing the sounds of fighting. It wasn¡¯t worth the risk just to get more materials. Rei¡¯s words convinced Elena and Set, so they left the area. ¡­¡­After a few more hours and fighting off several more attacks, they found the stairs to the 16th floor. CH 473 Under Exil¡¯s evening light, Rei and the others were walking through the city after selling the materials, proofs of subjugation, and any magic stones the didn¡¯t need to the guild. The sun would fully set and night would fall in a few hours, but the heat would not change. No, rather, as if to assert itself one last time, the sun¡¯s rays seemed to bring an even more intense heat to Exil. That said, the people walking the streets were still filled with energy, as if the heat didn¡¯t matter to them. ¡¸Rei, it¡¯s a bit of a detour, but why don¡¯t we stop by that bakery?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Set gave a cry in agreement before Rei could say anything. The conversation regarding the fruit they had eaten today must have reminded him of the bread they had eaten from the bakery. ¡¸That¡¯s fine with me, but¡­¡­¡¹ Rei glanced towards the evening sky and spoke while stroking Set, who was pulling on his Dragon Robe with his beak. ¡¸It¡¯s evening now and probably quite crowded, especially since it¡¯s a bakery. There will be a lot of hungry customers like us, or people who will be buying bread for dinner.¡¹ Set seemed to understand Rei¡¯s words. He opened his beak and released Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe while giving a sad cry. ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ His sad expression made Rei feel guilt in his chest, despite not having done anything wrong. It seemed to be the same for Elena. She also stroked Set as she spoke to Rei. ¡¸Why don¡¯t we just head over for now? If it¡¯s too crowded we can give up. Besides, I want to buy something for Yellow.¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t Tufal do it?¡¹ Rei asked as he recalled the person who had been their carriage driver on the way to Exil. However, Elena shook her head with a smile. ¡¸Tufal isn¡¯t in Exil right now. It seems he had a friend in a village not far from here. I¡¯ve sent him there to give him some time off.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ From what Rei knew, Tufal was a carriage driver, or rather, someone who served as a carriage driver for Duke Kerebel. It wasn¡¯t likely that Tufal would leave Exil without Elena, the daughter of Duke Kerebel. However, Elena must have seen Rei¡¯s expression and guessed what he was thinking. She gave a small smile before speaking. ¡¸Tufal hasn¡¯t had time off for a while. Anyway, you and I have no plans to leave Exil for now, so there¡¯s nothing for him to do here. I thought I¡¯d take this opportunity to let him have a leisurely rest. He was definitely reluctant at first, but, in the end, there¡¯s also my own wishes.¡¹ Rei nodded without realising anything. Although Elena was too shy to say it herself, the main reason Tufal had agreed to go on vacation wasn¡¯t to take a break but rather for Elena and Rei to be able to spend time alone together. Recalling what Tufal had said to her just before he had left, regarding the progress of her relationship with Rei, Elena¡¯s cheeks flushed light red. ¡¸Elena? Are you okay?¡¹ The fact that he was so insensitive to romantic matters but could even notice the smallest anomaly with Elena was part of what made Rei, Rei. On the other hand, despite having kissed several times, Elena was also unable to approach Rei aggressively. This might possibly be a reflection of the fact that she had preferred to train herself as a child rather than appear at social gatherings, resulting in the surfacing of her lack of familiarity with romantic relationships. ¡¸N-No. It¡¯s nothing. If we¡¯re going to the bakery, we don¡¯t have time to talk here. Let¡¯s get going before they sell out.¡¹ Saying that, Elena grabbed Rei¡¯s hand and pulled him down the street. Rei had no idea what was happening as Elena¡¯s cheeks flushed a slightly different red. Set followed after them, hoping to taste more of the delicious bread as they headed for the bakery. ¡¸What¡­¡­is this?¡¹ Elena¡¯s voice disappeared into the surrounding noise. Her voice was only heard by Rei and Set, who were right beside her as she pulled them along. From what they could tell, people that seemed like Exil¡¯s guards were standing around the bakery, which was their current destination. Rei, Elena, and Set immediately became alert, ready to move immediately if anything happened. However, rather than protecting the bakery, it seemed like the guards were surrounding it. ¡¸What happened to the bakery?¡¹ Rei asked the onlookers who were some distance from the guards. One of the onlookers seemed to recognise Rei¡­¡­or rather, recognise Set, who was with Rei, and spoke as his pupils shrank. ¡¸Oh, it seems that robbers are holed up in the store and have taken the customers and employees there hostage.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Robbers, huh. Another troublesome event in a troublesome location.¡¹ Rei clicked his tongue when he heard about the robbers. The fact that there were robbers wasn¡¯t strange to Rei, since bandits existed everywhere. Exil was a labyrinth city, so there were many adventurers who gathered here. Naturally, there would also be a certain number of bad behaving adventurers. That said, most adventurers wouldn¡¯t actually try to do anything like robbery unless they were confident in their own skill or had no idea what they were doing. Most skilled adventurers would earn more just by diving into the dungeon, so the only people who would cause such a commotion in Exil would be those who had excessive confidence and had come to make some quick money only to find that they lagged behind. ¡¸The building is completely surrounded! There is no escape! Come out quietly!¡¹ ¡¸Screw you! I¡¯m¡­¡­I¡¯m not someone who should end up like this! It¡¯s all just luck, bad luck! Damn it!¡¹ Hearing the shouts, Rei more or less understood what was going on as he gave a sigh. (It¡¯s the typical turn of events. ¡­¡­Well, what to do.) Because of the fact that there had been a robbery, it probably wouldn¡¯t be possible to buy bread to eat today. However, Rei also felt bad to abandon the bakery employees and just go home. (I also want to avoid the robbers killing any of the employees or causing the bakery to collapse, given how good the bread is. And¡­¡­) He glanced over at Set, who was pulling on his Dragon Robe with his beak. It seemed Set was also worried for the bakery employee who had been kind to him. Can we help? Set seemed to appeal with round eyes as Rei stroked him. (It would also be bad to abandon someone who was kind to Set.) Thinking in his head, Rei looked over at Elena. Elena understood everything agreed with Rei¡¯s thoughts as she nodded back silently. ¡¸If that¡¯s the case¡­¡­I¡¯ll have to talk to the guards first.¡¹ It would probably be a problem if they rushed into the bakery without talking to the guards first, so he pushed his way through the crowd. ¡¸Stop, stop. The area around here is currently¡­¡­¡¹ When one of the guards approached Rei to stop and warn him, Rei presented his guild card. The B rank label on the card seemed to catch the guard by surprise, but he must have realised from Set that Rei was the rumoured Crimson. He started to speak in a tone that was meant for adventurers and not ordinary people. ¡¸Since you¡¯ve gone to the trouble of coming over here, may I assume that you would like to assist us in this incident?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. The bakery is a store I like a lot. I don¡¯t want to see any of the staff or the owner killed or the bakery destroyed over this.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ That¡¯s right! Set gave a cry in agreement immediately. Elena nodded as well. The bread they had eaten here was delicious and the staff had been pleasant. The bakery clerk had even gave Set an extra piece of the delicious bread made from labyrinth ingredients that were sold at a price that barely made any profit, although still expensive. If they had the ability to help someone who had been nice to them, they would do so. At least that was what Rei, Elena, and Set thought. ¡¸Please, save my dad!¡¹ ¡¸Please, we are indebted to that bakery.¡¹ ¡¸Big brother, can you help my older sister?¡¹ The people in the surroundings, who had been listening in to Rei and the guard¡¯s conversation, started to call out to him. ¡¸¡­¡­Give me a minute. I will ask the captain.¡¹ Saying that, the guard walked over to the bakery. A few minutes later, he came back, accompanied by a middle aged man in his forties. ¡¸I¡¯m Captain Plato, commander of the security force in this area. I¡¯ve been told you are willing to help us with anything we need¡­¡­there will be no reward, and even if there was, it wouldn¡¯t be much, you are aware of this? Are you still willing to help us?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not looking for a reward. I just don¡¯t want the bakery to go out of business.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s reply, Elena nodded and Set gave a cry. Hearing that, Plato nodded with a small smile. ¡¸I see, so you¡¯re also a fan of the bread the old man makes. If so, you are my friends. ¡­¡­Thank you. I¡¯ve been indebted to the old man for a long time. I want to rescue him and his daughter, Latio, as well.¡¹ Rei was surprised for a moment when the captain bowed his head. However, he nodded quickly. If the bakery made such good bread, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise for the captain of the local security force to also be a fan. ¡¸Yeah, leave it to me. I¡¯ll help out as much as I can. And, to be honest, the bread there is a much better reward than money.¡¹ ¡¸Kuku, definitely. The old man¡¯s bread is reward enough. I understand. I¡¯ll ask him to give you some more when we rescue him.¡¹ Set a happy cry at Plato¡¯s words while Rei and Elena became motivated as they recalled the taste of the bread they had eaten several days ago. ¡¸You¡¯re strangely hungry for a B rank adventurer. Well, at your age, its fine to eat more. So¡­¡­rewards aside, how do you plan to resolve this matter?¡¹ Looking at the bakery with a serious expression, Elena asked Plato. ¡¸How many robbers are inside?¡¹ ¡¸Three. All of them are former adventurers with some level of skill.¡¹ ¡¸Then that means¡­¡­¡¹ Elena took a quick glance at the area around the bakery to make sure it was safe. ¡¸If it¡¯s me and Rei, we can normally manage taking out three people.¡¹ After saying that, she stopped as she looked up at the sky. Rei understood what Elena was thinking of and asked Plato. ¡¸Can we get permission for Set to fly inside Exil? I¡¯ll sneak in from above.¡¹ ¡¸Above? ¡­¡­Oh! They would definitely not expect it.¡¹ The most common way to fly in Elgin was by Dragon Knights, the fact that Rei could also fly on Set was the most effective card they could use to surpise the other party. ¡¸So, Elena will take them by surprise after I rush in from above and throw them into confusion.¡¹ The robbers who were holed up inside where only failed adventurers after all. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll give you permission. Please start immediately. They are getting impatient and I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll do.¡¹ Rei and Set nodded at the captain¡¯s words and left the area with a guard to stop the robbers from noticing them fly up. In addition, the reason why a guard went with them was to let other people know that they had been given permission to fly within the city and to avoid people bothering Rei because of htat. ¡º¡­¡­¡» Rei and Elena looked at each other for a moment and gave a small nod to confirm each other¡¯s intentions before starting their raid on the bakery. CH 474 Accompanied by one of the guards, Rei and Set moved to a location about 10 minutes away to fly up and take the three robbers by surprise. ¡¸Is here okay?¡¹ At the guard¡¯s question, Rei looked around before turning to Set. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry in response to say it was okay. ¡¸Here is fine. Make sure no one in the surroundings gets hurt.¡¹ ¡¸Of course. ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry everyone, but he¡¯s going to take off now! We¡¯re here to help the guards do their job, so don¡¯t worry about it. Thank you for your cooperation!¡¹ The guard shouted out to the nearby residents who were looking to see what was going on. The guard¡¯s shout eased the residents, who were a little concerned when they saw Set, who was now somewhat famous in Exil, being led by a guard. Set¡¯s master, Rei, was also with the guard, so quite a number of people had been wondering if they had committed some sort of crime and had been caught. That said, their concern was mostly with Set. Between Rei and Set, Set had made the far greater impression. Even so, Rei was reasonably good looking, so there were also a few women who looked at him with worried expressions. Anyhow, the guard¡¯s shout created a space of about 5m around Rei and Set. ¡¸Is this enough?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thanks. Set can fly within a few steps.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ As Rei got onto Set¡¯s back, the guard shook his head. ¡¸No, I¡¯m the one who should be thanking you. If we could have solved it ourselves, we wouldn¡¯t have needed you to step in. Considering that, I¡¯m grateful. ¡­¡­Please, save the bakery and Latio-san.¡¹ Rei gave a small smile when he realised that the guard seemed to have some feelings for the bakery clerk, Latio, and nodded as he replied. ¡¸The bakery clerk aside, shouldn¡¯t I also save her father?¡¹ ¡¸Kuh, um, that¡¯s¡­¡­of course! Please!¡¹ Not just Rei, even the residents around them who were listening in seemed to have noticed the guard¡¯s feelings. Seeing the warm gazes directed at him, or sharp gazes from those who also had feelings for Latio, the guard¡¯s cheeks flushed red. ¡¸As I said before, Set really likes the bakery. Elena and I also like the taste of the bread they sell. If I can get some bread as a reward, I¡¯ll be happy to help.¡¹ As Rei gave a fearless smile, he tapped Set¡¯s neck to signal him. ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s signal, Set flew up with a flap of his wings and a run up of several steps, as if he was running into the sky. The guard, surrounding residents, and nearby adventurers all watched in fascination as they saw Rei and Set fly into the sky for the first time. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Less than a minute after taking off, Set gave a cry from a height of 50m above the bakery. With Set¡¯s usual speed, he could have arrived in under 10 seconds, but at full speed, he might overshoots, so he flew over more slowly. Hearing Set¡¯s cry, Rei turned to look at the ground. He could still see the guards surrounding the bakery to prevent the robbers from escaping. Outside, Exil residents, many of which were fans of the bakery, watched on. Barely anyone had noticed Set flying up in the sky with Rei on his back. The only exceptions were Elena, the captain of the guards, and the few guards who had been listening into their earlier discussion. The reason why the captain hadn¡¯t told the rest of the guards was simple. If the guards all started to look into the sky, the residents would naturally realise there was something above. If that happened, the robbers in the bakery might also notice that there was something in the sky, greatly reducing the success chance of Rei¡¯s attack. Fearing that, the captain hadn¡¯t told the rest of the guards under him and stopped the ones that knew from telling anyone else. ¡¸¡­¡­Alright, looks like everything is ready down there.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei, who had locked eyes with Elena for a moment, who also had extraordinary eyesight, stroked Set¡¯s back as he saw that everything below was good to go. ¡¸Set, needless to say, once we start there can¡¯t be any hesitation. We¡¯ll take down the robbers before they even realise we¡¯re there. I¡¯ll secure the hostages, so I¡¯ll leave the robbers to you Set. If possible, try to knock them out in a single blow and don¡¯t kill them.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Why? Set seemed to ask as he turned to look at Rei on his back. Set knew that Rei wasn¡¯t someone who avoided killing, but Rei just smiled as he stroked SEt. ¡¸The people in the bakery are just ordinary people. They¡¯re not used to life and death situations. Because of that, if we kill the robbers or badly injure them directly, it might horrify them. If that happens, it could hinder the bakery¡¯s business, right?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Perhaps convinced by the explanation, Set gave a small cry of acceptance. ¡¸Alright, we¡¯re all ready then. The biggest advantage of our attack is the surprise. We¡¯ll rush through the bakery¡¯s entrance!¡¹ After saying that, Rei took out his material stripping knife from the Misty Ring, just in case. Set nodded quietly and folded his wings as they plunged towards the entrance. ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, over there!¡¹ As they fell from the sky, some people started to notice Set¡¯s presence. Some of the surrounding onlookers started to let out shouts and screams. Because they were flying and moving fast, it was hard to distinguish Set, let alone Rei, who was on Set¡¯s back. Regardless, Set flew straight to the ground, only spreading his wings right before he hit the ground. Landing with barely a sound, Set immediately Set plunged into the bakery in a single leap. The sound of destruction echoed out. However, perhaps because the standoff between the robbers, guards, and hostages that had been happening, the robbers were unable to quickly react to the situation. ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ ¡¸HI-HIIiiIi-!¡¹ A man, shorter even than Rei, who had been watching the outside from close to the door was thrown outside by a single hit from Set. Fortunately, Set had remembered to follow Rei¡¯s words and the man had only broken a few bones and wasn¡¯t dead. As Set had swung his claw at the short man, Rei had jumped off his back and closed the distance to a fat man who was pointing a long sword at Latio, the bakery clerk. The man was surprised by Set¡¯s sudden entrance. But as he saw his fellow robber thrown out, he was brought back to reality and immediately noticed Rei rushing towards him. ¡¸Damn, you-¡­¡­gah-!¡¹ However, the fact that man attempted to threaten Rei instead of doing anything else was probably one of the reasons he had failed at being an adventurer. Thanks to that, Rei was able to do what he wanted. Quickly throwing out the knife in his hand, it sliced through the air before piercing into the man¡¯s right shoulder causing him to drop the sword in his hand. Rei had only put a moderate amount of strength into the knife throw as he didn¡¯t want to cut the man¡¯s arm right off. However, that didn¡¯t change the fact that it caused an intense amount of pain. ¡¸¡­¡­-!? I-IT HURTS, IT HURTS-!¡¹ The man was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t even pull out the knife in his right shoulder as knelt down. Set, who had thrown the smaller man out, moved right behind him and swung his claw in the same manner. The man weighed over 100kg, but still couldn¡¯t withstand Set¡¯s attack. Rei called out to Latio, who had been held hostage, while the guards rushed in to secure the robbers. ¡¸There should be three of them, where¡¯s the third! Your father as well!?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­that, in the kitchen¡­¡­¡¹ Latio came back to her sense at Rei¡¯s words and shakily pointed towards the kitchen at the back of the bakery. ¡¸Tch, Set, wait here. I¡¯m¡­¡­¡¹ As he said that, Rei pulled another knife out from the Misty Ring and was going to head for the kitchen when¡­¡­ ¡¸AHHH-!¡¹ With a scream, a man flew out, smashing the kitchen door. For a moment, Rei thought it might have been the owner of the bakery, but there was no way that the bakery owner would be wearing leather armour. Judging that, Rei caught the man with his foot. ¡¸Kuh-!¡¹ The kick hit the man in the belly and he passed out while moaning. Seeing this series of events occur, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess who had done it. The man had probably sneaked out through the kitchen door the moment Set and burst in. ¡¸¡­¡­Even if you¡¯re going to throw him over, it doesn¡¯t have to be at me, does it?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, it just turned out that way. He was holding a weapon up to the bakery owner, so I hit him with quite a bit of force to knock him away¡­¡­¡¹ Rei called out towards the kitchen, from where Elena appeared, accompanied by the bakery owner. In her hands, her sword whip was still sheathed. Seeing that, Rei turned a sympathetic glance towards the man that had flown out. Sure enough, his leather armour was marred by a spot where the sheath had smashed into him, probably cracking or breaking, if unlucky, several ribs. ¡¸You two are the ones from that time¡­¡­¡¹ Rei was a bit surprised to hear the bakery owner¡¯s words. After all, the bakery was quite popular. Rei expected the store to have hundreds of customers a day and hadn¡¯t expected the owner to remember him after visiting just once. However, he immediately realised why as soon as he saw Set carry the man that Elena had sent flying out the bakery by the scruff of his neck. (Well, I guess he can¡¯t forget after seeing Set.) Latio, had been a hostage just earlier, but in the matter of seconds, everything had been resolved. Coming back to her senses, she went over to Rei, who was lost in thought. ¡¸Um¡­¡­t-thank you very much!¡¹ Rei, who wasn¡¯t that comfortable with someone giving such a deep bow, shook his head. ¡¸Set likes the bread here. I like the bread here as well. If you want to thank me, just give me some extra bread.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll have your bread ready in a minute!¡¹ Saying that, Latio immediately went to get some bread that was still stored safely instead of celebrating their rescue with the bakery owner, her father. The three robbers that had holed themselves up had probably been very hungry as they had eaten a large amount of bread. However, there was still a fair bit that was untouched. Fortunately or unfortunately, Elena noticed Latio¡¯s cheeks flush as she went to get the bread and directed a harsh gaze over to Rei. ¡¸Um¡­¡­yes, here. I chose the best of our bread, so please eat it. So this, that is, if it¡¯s okay¡­¡­um, could you tell me your name?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Rei. Thank you for the bread. Anyway, I¡¯m glad you two are safe. This is only the second time I¡¯ve tasted the bread here and it would be a shame to miss it.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took a bite into a toasted sandwich, crispy on the outside with juicy chicken inside, as he gave another to Set. The chicken had to have been cooked some time ago, but it still tasted good, which was a testament to the bakery owner¡¯s skills. ¡¸Sorry to interrupt, but do you mind if we secure the robbers? It would also be great if you could cooperate with us for an interview regarding the events.¡¹ Asked by the captain of the guards, Rei nodded as he, Elena, and Set, went straight to the guard station. CH 475 By the time Rei and Elena emerged from the guard station, the sun had completely set and the surroundings were now illuminated by moonlight. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Rei petted Set on the head as he cam over to greet them, seeming to say ¡®thanks for the hard work¡¯ with his cry. Elena gave a stretch to loosen up her body, which had gone stiff from sitting for so long. Her twin hills were pushed out, causing the cheeks of a guard who saw it to go red. However, Elena didn¡¯t seem to notice it herself. ¡¸Well, that took longer than expected¡­¡­shall we head back to the inn and have something to eat?¡¹ ¡¸I mean, if you¡¯re hungry, I have bread. But, we are talking about the inn¡¯s food in the end.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ I¡¯m hungry too! Set seemed to say with a cry. Nodding at Set, both Rei and Elena turned to the guard. The guard, who had recollected himself somewhat, gave a small bow towards the two of them. ¡¸Thank you for your help in this incident. Thank you very much. ¡­¡­Ordinarily, the captain would have wanted to see you off in person.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. After all, the district guard captains were all called to a meeting. I¡¯ve also received my reward.¡¹ Rei¡¯s words made the guard bow his head uncomfortably/ Rei hadn¡¯t helped out as an adventurer receiving a request, but rather as a volunteer. Because of that, there was technically no reward tied to it and the two silver coins they had received had been given from the guard captain¡¯s own pocket. However, Rei was satisfied as the bakery owner had decided that the remaining bread in the bakery wouldn¡¯t be sold due to today¡¯s incident and had given it all to Rei as a reward, which was worth a lot more than 2 silver coins. When the bakery owner had told Rei that he could have all the bread, Rei initially refused due to how much it was all worth. However, the bakery owner had insisted that none of the bread could be sold anyway due to the incident and that he would give it all to Rei as a reward for their help and because they loved the taste of his bread. Under normal circumstances, it would have been too much bread to eat, but fortunately, Rei could store it all into the Misty Ring, where it wouldn¡¯t go bad as long as it remained inside. In addition, the captain of the guards had mentioned that the equipment and belongings of the three robbers would be sold off to compensate the bakery, especially the walls and door that had been broken by Set¡¯s entrance. That was probably one of the reasons why the bakery owner was fine with giving them all the bread. Rei had been slightly concerned with Latio¡¯s strong request for him to come again, but decided that it was probably she really liked Set. ¡¸Today ended up being very hectic for some reason. We¡¯ve finally cleared the desert floors though, so we will start exploring cooler places from now on.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Even if it¡¯s coolers, I honestly hope it won¡¯t give us a hard time with strong smells.¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei gave a bitter smile as he recalled what the 16th floor was. There had been a rotten smell the moment they stepped out of the small room with the magic circle. The stench of decay was proof that zombies and other undead were present on the 16th floor. Whether it was Rei, Elena, or Set, the three of them had a much keener sense of smell than others. Normally, this would be an advantage for them when searching for something, but in the presence of undead, it had the opposite effect. ¡¸It¡¯s also hard to get magic stones from undead.¡¹ As was with the dungeon where the Altar of Inheritance had been located, the fastest way to reliably kill an undead was to destroy the magic stone that functioned as its core. However, if the magic stone was destroyed, Rei wouldn¡¯t be able to use that for the Magic Beast Art, which bothered him greatly. (In addition¡­¡­) Rei looked over at Set, who was walking next to him, and hesitated over whether he wanted to give Set magic stones that had been wrapped in rotten flesh and organs. If if was the Death Scythe, he could just cut the magic stones without hesitation, unlike Set, who had to swallow them. Elena probably thought of the same thing as she frowned with displeasure. ¡¸Heey~, you look beautiful sis. How about having a drink with me? On a hot day like this, we should share a drink.¡¹ A black out drunk man called out to Elena, but Rei and Elena both just ignored him and walked straight by. Luckily for the man, he was completely drunk and completely missed the fact that he had been ignored. If he had been half drunk, realised that he had been ignored, and tried to mess with Elena, whether it was Elena, Rei, or Set, the man would have regretted it the next day without doubt. ¡¸Ugh, hic-. It really is hot.¡¹ The man sat down on the ground as he saw Rei¡¯s group walk away and fell asleep as he leaned against the wall of a nearby building. Eventually, he was taken away but the guards and guild staff that patrolled the city. After returning to the inn and having their meal, Rei and Elena immediately began discussing plans for the next day. Although it was a situation where a man and a woman were alone in a man¡¯s room at night, as typical of Rei and Elena, they didn¡¯t end up in a romantic conversation. ¡¸Undead, huh?¡¹ Elena frowned unpleasantly. Elena was originally an ordinary human with ordinary senses and the smell of undead hadn¡¯t been intolerable to her. However, as a result of inheriting the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon, her sense of smell had become very sharp. What would happen if she smelled the rotten smell of zombies now? She had already experienced it from the dungeon where the Altar of Inheritance had been located. Above all, she had already smelled the strong rotten stench after stepping out of the small room on the 16th floor for a little bit before leaving the dungeon today. Rei looked at Elena as he reached for a clean cloth in the room. ¡¸I think we can deal with the smell to some extent if we cover our faces with this. But, the biggest problem is if we run into any other adventurers.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Elena imagined what would happen if they ran into anyone whose face was covered by cloth in the dungeon. They would definitely look suspicious and might even be mistaken as some kind of bandit. Even now, there were people who were sneaking around and creating abnormal species, so it was natural for adventurers to be very cautions about suspicious looking people. No, rather, if there was someone who didn¡¯t have any suspicions, that would make them pretty bad adventurers. Elena was wondering what to do when she suddenly looked at Rei with a hopeful gaze, as if thinking of something. ¡¸If we are exploring with Set, wouldn¡¯t that make us less suspicious?¡¹ ¡¸That is certainly a possibility, but¡­¡­I honestly don¡¯t know.¡¹ Certainly, with Set around, most eyes would gather on him. However, that wasn¡¯t absolutely guaranteed. ¡¸In addition, if we cover our faces with cloth, it will become harder to breath, which I don¡¯t recommend when fighting.¡¹ While replying to Elena, Rei thought of something else. ¡¸You didn¡¯t bring Yellow along because it was just a kid and couldn¡¯t stand the heat, right? What do you plan to do tomorrow? It¡¯s a cooler floor after all.¡¹ Before leaving the dungeon, they had already checked out the 16th floor and the temperature Rei felt after reaching out from under his Dragon Robe was cooler than in the city. It was the perfect place to stay during the summer months. That is, assuming you could withstand the rotten stench from zombies. Elena thought about it for several seconds before nodding and speaking. ¡¸I¡¯ll take Yellow with us. It wasn¡¯t an option in the desert because of the negative impact it might have had on Yellow¡¯s growth, but this time there¡¯s no such impact. I am sure that Yellow won¡¯t like it, but it will an experience.¡¹ Elena herself didn¡¯t want to take a small familiar like Yellow to a floor filled with undead, but that wouldn¡¯t have a good effect. From now on, Yellow would spend countless time in battlefields with Elena. Of course, their enemies would include monsters, not just other people, and there was a high possibility that there would also be undead. With that in mind, she decided that it would be best for Yellow to get used to it sooner. ¡¸If you say so, that¡¯s fine. Fortunately, the 16th floor¡¯s passageways are fairly wide, so Yellow won¡¯t get in the way of fights.¡¹ The 16th floor appeared to match that of an ordinary dungeon. It had passages made of cobblestone¡­¡­very similar to the floors with undead in the dungeon where the Altar of Inheritance had been. (¡­¡­The Altar of Inheritance, huh? Grimm can¡¯t be here as well, right?) He suddenly thought about it, but shook his head right after, thinking it unlikely that they would run into Grimm twice in two dungeons. Besides, in Rei¡¯s case, he had a magic item that allowed him to contact Grimm and vice versa, so the chance of such a coincidence happening wasn¡¯t high. (However, getting a magic item like that is one of the big reasons we¡¯re exploring the dungeon. After that is magic tones¡­¡­should a put in a request to the guild to help with stripping materials?) Elena must have started to wonder what Rei was thinking about. She reached out her hand as she looked at him. ¡¸Rei, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Oh, no. There¡¯s quite a few monster corpses stored in the Misty Ring. I was wondering if we should ask the guild to help dismantle them. I¡¯m thinking of submitting a request for that tomorrow and sort it out the day after.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­We¡¯ve certainly been exploring the dungeon without taking a break recently. The last time we took a break was before we entered the desert floors. Thinking about it, we could take a day off from exploring the dungeon.¡¹ With her hand on Rei¡¯s shoulder, Elena nodded after thinking for a few seconds. ¡¸Sorry about that.¡¹ ¡¸What, even I want to take a break sometimes. That said, the number of monster corpses we have right now should be quite high? Especially the Kobolds.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s one Earth Crab, one Spiral Rabbit, two Desert Lizardmen, and quite a few Bloodydiles and Kobolds. I think the big one is the Earth Crab. It¡¯s edible and the magic stone should be quite good as a powerful monster.¡¹ The image of the Earth Crab being roasted by flames popped into Rei¡¯s mind. It had four huge claws and even its legs were much larger than those of an ordinary crab. At the very least, they were probably a hundred times larger than the crabs Rei had caught in the mountain rivers back in Japan. As Elena recalled the Earth Crab as well, she nodded at Rei with a faint smile. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Set was looking forward to it and I think Yellow would be happy to come along as well.¡¹ ¡¸Crab, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Rei? Are there any problems?¡¹ Elena called out to Rei, who suddenly stopped talking. ¡¸No, there¡¯s a dish called crab cream croquette. It¡¯s quite delicious, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t really remember how it¡¯s made. If I did, I could just tell a chef to make it for me.¡¹ ¡¸Crab cream croquettes? That sounds interesting, do you have any idea how it¡¯s cooked?¡¹ ¡¸I think it was creamy and made with fried flour? Or something like that¡­¡­¡¹ Elena was a bit puzzled at Rei¡¯s description. She couldn¡¯t imagine how to fry flour while still keeping it creamy. The original process was to melt butter, fry flour, and then add milk to make the cream, but Rei had no idea as he had never seen it made before. In addition, oil was a very precious commodity in Elgin, so deep frying was rarely done unless it was a high class restaurant. Considering all that, crab cream croquettes were still a dish too ahead of its time for Elgin. ¡¸The outside is crispy, and once you bite into it, a rich cream spreads into your mouth, softly followed by the flavour and aroma of crab. It¡¯s delicious on its own, but tastes even better when eaten with bread.¡¹ Thus, Rei described the deliciousness of crab cream croquettes to Elena, but since he didn¡¯t remember the recipe, unlike udon, he had no way to cook it and ended up only needlessly stimulating his and Elena¡¯s appetites. CH 476 ¡¸Kyukyu, Kyu!¡¹ A small 20cm dragon. At first glance, the small black dragon, that looked more like a stuffed toy than a creature, gave a joyful cry as it flew around Rei, Set, and its master, Elena, who were walking through the streets of Exil. ¡¸Oh, Yellow-chan. You¡¯re in a good mood today.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ The owner of a stall that sold magic items for daily use, such as fire starters, called out to Yellow, who flew over with a happy cry. The middle aged woman in her forties gently petted Yellow as she smiled. While Rei¡¯s group had been exploring the desert floors, Yellow had been left at the inn as Elena judged that the intense heat would have an adverse effect on Yellow¡¯s growth. Of course, at night, Rei and Elena would return as well as Set, who had the role of Yellow¡¯s guardian to some extent. However, Yellow was mostly free during the day. Yellow¡¯s way of spending time was to go outside and play around, which aroused people¡¯s feelings of wanting to protect it. As a result, Yellow soon became popular with people in the area. That said, Yellow only went out near the inn, so while his popularity was high nearby, it didn¡¯t spread as explosively like Set, who had walked all around town. ¡¸It seems you¡¯ve been taking care of Yellow.¡¹ Elena called out to the stall owner with a smile. As the stall owner did business close to the inn, she naturally knew the prominent guests of the inn as well. This was more so for an adventurer with a Griffon like Rei, or a beautiful person like Elena. Even so, unlike the men who had happened to pass by earlier and had become distracted by Elena, the stall owner quickly recollected herself. She did business close to a high class inn, so maybe she was used to seeing beautiful women? ¡¸N-No. That¡¯s not true. Yellow always gives me a warm feeling when I see it.¡¹ ¡¸Fu, I see. I¡¯m glad to see that Yellow has been helpful. ¡­¡­Well, thanks for taking care of Yellow. I¡¯ll have this.¡¹ Saying that, Elena picked up a ring that could be used to start fires as she handed over two silver coins to the stall owner. When the stall owner saw the silver coins, her eyes widened in astonishment, even wider than when she had first seen Elena. The ring Elena had picked up was only worth a few bronze coins, even with the inflated cost of magic stones on the market, it wasn¡¯t something you would pay two silver coins for. ¡¸This, this is too much! ¡¸It¡¯s not just for the ring, it¡¯s also thanks for taking care of Yellow, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well then. Yellow will be joining us the next time we enter the dungeon, but it¡¯ll still come around to play again. Please take care of Yellow again then.¡¹ Elena deliberately cut off the stall owner, who was about to protest that Elena had given her too much, and caught back up with Rei, who was waiting for her a little further away. Sitting on Elena¡¯s shoulder, Yellow turned back and gave a cry as if to say ¡®see you later¡¯. ¡¸Then, Set. Take care of Yellow for a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ ¡¸Yellow, quietly stay with Set. We¡¯ll be right back.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Set and Yellow responded to Rei and Elena respectively as t Seeing the two of them off, Set and Yellow lay down in the space for tamed monsters as they conversed with each other in ¡®gurus¡¯ and ¡®kyus¡¯. The people nearby that saw them felt calmed and gave them food or stroked them, eventually creating a healing space of sorts. As they entered the guild, the gazes of the adventurers near the doorway were automatically drawn to them. The two of them were already accustomed to stares, so the headed straight for a counter without feeling bothered. ¡¸Talking about the request to strip materials, we should have done that when we came back from the dungeon to sell materials.¡¹ ¡¸If we¡¯re going to put up a request, the sooner the better right? If we had put up a request coming back from the dungeon yesterday, adventurers might have already accepted it by the time we returned from the dungeon today. If we put up a request now, the actual stripping of materials will probably have to be the day after tomorrow.¡¹ Rei arrived at the counter, nodding at Elena¡¯s words, as he called out to a receptionist. ¡¸I would like to put up a request. The request is to strip materials from Kobolds, Desert Lizardmen, an Earth Crab, Bloodydiles, and a Spiral Rabbit, about 50 in total. However, we¡¯ll be going into the dungeon today, so that number might increase further. I will leave it to you regarding what ranks can accept it, but I would like to limit the total number of people to 10 at most. Anyone who accepts the request should meet me at Exil¡¯s front gate at 9am tomorrow. The reward will be¡­¡­that¡¯s right.¡¹ Speaking up to that point, Rei started to think. Rei had just thought about how to strip materials and had forgotten that a reward also needed to be paid out. (That time, one gold coins was split with Culotte¡¯s group, right? Then, I¡¯ll increase the reward a bit¡­¡­) Quickly gathering his thoughts in his mind, he turned to the receptionist. ¡¸5 silver coins per person. And if all the materials are stripped by the end of tomorrow, I¡¯ll give them an extra silver coin. Also, I will be supervising the stripping of materials. If any materials are stolen, please write down that I will take appropriate action.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes!¡¹ The receptionist seemed to sense something dark in Rei¡¯s last words as she quickly nodded. ¡¸You can decide the rank of the request. If possible, put it up on the request board as soon as you can so that it can be completed by tomorrow. Here¡¯s the reward.¡¹ Saying that, Rei pulled out a pouch from the Misty Ring and put down 5 gold coins for the main reward and 10 silver coins for the additional reward. ¡¸We¡¯ll pay the request fee after we return from the dungeon and the request rank has been decided. ¡­¡­Is there anything else we need to do?¡¹ ¡¸No, there¡¯s nothing else for now. There may be additional terms to sort out later¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸As for that, as I said earlier, you can let me know when we get back from the dungeon. That¡¯s all I need for now.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Then, please sign here.¡¹ Signing off on the particulars of the request that were written on the document given to them, Rei and Elena handed it back to the receptionist before leaving the guild. Some of the adventurers in the guild who were looking for requests with big rewards had been listening in to Rei¡¯s conversation with the receptionist and waited for the request form to be put up on the board. However, it ended up taking an hour for the request to go up on the board as the receptionist had to submit the request to her superior, assign a rank to it, and then actually put up the request. Even so, the adventurers must have decided that 5 silver coins to strip materials, plus an extra silver coin if they finished within a day, made it a lucrative request. A good number of adventurers caused a commotion in their attempts to seize a spot in the 10 available slots. ¡¸Sorry about that, we took a bit longer to sort everything out.¡¹ ¡¸It didn¡¯t take us more than 30 minutes, so it¡¯s not actually that different from normal.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Rei¡¯s words were met with a cry from Set as Yellow also gave a cry of agreement from Set¡¯s back. ¡¸I guess that¡¯s true. So then, the next floor is the first undead floor. Fortunately, unlike the desert, there aren¡¯t that many floors, but it seems like it will be troublesome. At the very least, it will be cooler though.¡¹ Instead, your sense of smell will become paralysed. As she said that, Elena, who had actually been to the 16th floor for a brief moment yesterday, frowned unpleasantly as Set involuntarily pressed one of his claws against his nose. ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ Yellow was the only one who gave a cry as it flew around, delighted at the prospect of entering the dungeon with everyone else for the first time in a while. Elena had tried to tell Yellow several times that the undead floors came with an undead stench. But, seeing how happy Yellow was, she couldn¡¯t help but decide to leave it for now, which also made her feel guilty for not saying it. ¡¸¡­¡­Everything is an experience, I guess.¡¹ Yes, Elena said to make herself believe. They ate skewers from the usual skewer stall, showed their dungeon card to the gatekeeper, and headed for the plaza in front of the dungeon entrance, which was as lively as ever. No, ¡®lively as ever¡¯ probably wasn¡¯t the right word. It would be more accurate to say that adventurer activity, that had slowed down from the Levisor family incident, had come back again. ¡¸Three warriors and an archer here. Are there any thieves? There¡¯s a reward bounty! We will be searching the 9th floor!¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re looking for a spear user!¡¹ ¡¸We have four archers here! We¡¯re looking for two people to act as vanguards!¡¹ ¡¸A mage, any mages here!? I¡¯m looking for a mage that can use purification magic or fire magic!¡¹ Such voices echoed out, but Rei frowned lightly when he heard the last one. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Noticing Rei¡¯s reaction, Elena asked, but he silently shook his head and said nothing. (Purification magic or fire magic. ¡­¡­I¡¯m pretty sure that party is also heading for the undead floors. Although there are other floors with undead, it won¡¯t be great if we end up running into them.) Running into other parties not only made it harder to obtain monster materials and magic stones, but in Rei¡¯s case, it also affected Set¡¯s fighting style. If Set had to hide the fact that he was different from ordinary Griffons, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use any obvious skills like Fire Breath where people they didn¡¯t know well could see. (Well, it is still possible to fight with less flashy skills like Evil Eye Impact, Poison Claw, and King¡¯s Awe. Oh, can Size Transformation be used? ¡­¡­No, as expected, it would be impossible to come up with an excuse for Set shrinking to half his size.) Stroking Set¡¯s head while thinking to himself seemed to make Yellow envious. Giving a cry as if to say ¡®me too!¡¯, Yellow flew off Set¡¯s back with its small wings and landed on Rei¡¯s right shoulder. ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ ¡¸So cute¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei started to gently stroke Yellow as well with his left hand, he suddenly heard a voice. The voice itself wasn¡¯t very loud and was drowned out by the surrounding voices, but Rei didn¡¯t miss it. Rei didn¡¯t plan to do anything to the person who said that though. Baby dragons were already rare and Yellow was cute as well. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just the owner of the voice, many other male and female adventurers in the plaza were also looking over at Yellow stealthily. However, some of them also had greedy eyes at the sight of a baby dragon, and their gazes were not missed by Rei, Elena, or Set. The three of them firmly remembered their faces so that they could take immediate action if any of them tried to make a move. Like that, the four of them proceeded for the transfer device as they talked to each other, ignoring their surroundings. Since it had already become reasonably well known that Rei¡¯s group was a fixed party that didn¡¯t accept invitations to form temporary parties, most people didn¡¯t call out to them. That said, there were still those who couldn¡¯t read the atmosphere or had just arrived in Exil a few days ago and didn¡¯t know anything about Rei¡¯s group. ¡¸Hey, you two with the Griffon and the Dragon. Would you like to join our party? You look like a warrior and a mage, right? We have a spearman, an archer, and a thief. How about it?¡¹ A man in his mid twenties with a strong build came walked over to them. He gave a friendly smile towards Elena, who he judged from her age and height to be the party leader. However, his face showed that he was more interested in getting to know Elena than in genuinely inviting her to his party. That said, the reason why Rei and Elena weren¡¯t too bothered by him was because he didn¡¯t give off a vulgar feeling. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but as far as parties go, we¡¯re fine for now. You¡¯ll have to find someone else.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Well, it can¡¯t be helped in that case.¡¹ When Elena refused, the man didn¡¯t press further and simply waved his hands before leaving. ¡¸I wish they could be all like that.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Elena and Rei exchanged their thoughts briefly before heading over to the transfer device and entering the dungeon. CH 477 ¡¸Kyu!?¡¡Kyukyukyu!¡¹ The moment they were sent to the small room with the magic circle on the 16th floor, Yellow, who had been riding on Set¡¯s back, let out a small cry. The reason for that was probably due to the smell of rotting flesh that pervaded the entire floor. Ordinary people might have only raised their eyebrows, but for those with a strong sense of smell, it was a harsh hit. But for Yellow, who was experiencing this rotten smell for the first time, it was greatly confusing as he tried to escape the smell by burying his nose into Set¡¯s back. ¡¸¡­¡­Yellow, I know that you don¡¯t like this rotten smell, but it is an unavoidable part of the dungeon experience. You¡¯re still young, but you¡¯ll get used to it.¡¹ As Rei heard Elena¡¯s words to Yellow, Rei took note of his surroundings. (Rather than getting used to it, it¡¯s more like our sense of smell just gets numbed to the point we don¡¯t smell it anymore.) So he thought to himself. Fortunately, the 16th floor where they currently were was a typical dungeon floor with familiar stone floors and faintly glowing walls. As it wasn¡¯t as vast and expansive as the desert floors, it was a lot easy to notice if anything was approaching them. ¡­¡­Yes, like right now. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ With Yellow on his back, Set gave a cry upon hearing a sound. ¡¸Yeah, I know. Elena, looks like we have guests already. Get ready to welcome them.¡¹ Replying to Set, Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring as he readied himself. Fortunately, the passage continued straight ahead from where the small room was, so Rei prompted Elena to just focus their attention ahead. Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Elena also unsheathed her sword whip as she readied herself as well. Clack, clack, clack, clack. The sound of something hitting the stone floor gradually grew closer and, eventually, the glow from the walls revealed what it was. ¡¸I guess you could say as expected. ¡­¡­Set, please.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Three Skeletons appeared. Rusty swords and spears in hand. As Skeletons, they immediately attempted to attack the moment they saw Rei¡¯s group with weapons at the ready¡­¡­ ¡¸GURURURURURURURU~!¡¹ With a cry, bright red flames shot out from Set¡¯s beak. Fire Breath, which had reached level 3, was overwhelmingly effective against the Skeletons. Even if the three Skeletons tried to move forward, the flames from Set¡¯s beak blocked them. Instead, they were forced backwards, pushed back by the flames several steps at a time. As they were forced back, they were also burned. Eventually, the Skeletons were unable to attack in any way as their bones were burned to ashes by Set¡¯s Fire Breath and they collapsed to the stone floor. All this happened within a span of 30 seconds after the Skeletons approached had been sensed. It was quite literally an instant kill. ¡¸Looking at it like this, it seems like Set¡¯s Fire Breath has gotten a lot stronger.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Elena nodded, quite impressed, as Yellow, who had flown over to Elena¡¯s left shoulder to stay out of Set¡¯s way, gave a cry in agreement. As he heard the praise from Elena and Yellow, Rei gave a bitter smile. ¡¸It¡¯s certainly powerful and convenient to wipe out small fry. However, it has the disadvantage that no materials or magic stones can be collected because everything gets burned up. ¡­¡­Well, for weak monsters like Skeletons or Goblins, we probably can¡¯t learn any skills from their magic stones.¡¹ ¡¸Speaking of which, you didn¡¯t get any Skeleton magic stones from the dungeon where the Altar of Inheritance was?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Because they were all burned up, including the magic stone, like just now.¡¹ Rei muttered as he glanced over at the ashes of the Skeletons lying on the stone floor. The ambient temperature had risen slightly due to Set¡¯s fire breath, but neither Rei nor Elena seemed bothered by it. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Was it no good? Set seemed to ask with a cry. Rei shook his head and stroked Set to tell him it wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡¸Let¡¯s get going. Fortunately this floor isn¡¯t that complicated, so if we go straight to the next floor without taking any detours, we¡¯ll get to the next set of stairs in a lot less time. ¡­¡­Well, the enemies are likely to be a lot more dense because of that.¡¹ It wasn¡¯t that common to encounter monsters in the desert floors due to the size of the floor, not to mention the environment. The 15th floor, which was filled with oases, was a different story of course. However, the 16th floor was defined by its stone surroundings and, in terms of size, it was incomparable to the desert floors. As a result, the monster density was higher. ¡¸Well then, I¡¯d like to clear this floor as soon as we can and head to the next floor. If I recall correctly, there aren¡¯t as many undead floors as there are desert floors, right?¡¹ When Rei asked, Elena nodded, frowning unpleasantly at the rotten stench around her. ¡¸Mm. There are more undead floors further down, but at the very least, the 17th floor is a forest. It should have a fairly good environment. ¡­¡­Not as harsh as the desert and no need to worry about the stench like on this floor. ¡­¡­However, because it has a better environment, there is also a larger number of monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Still, it would be better than here.¡¹ Walking past where they had killed the Skeletons, after 10 minutes, the passage split at a fork. There wasn¡¯t even a shadow of other people or monsters around them. There was only the faint glow from the walls and the rotten smell of Zombies. As expected, after staying on the floor for a while, Yellow seemed to have become accustomed to the stench and no longer gave sad cries like when he had first arrived on the floor. ¡¸So, which way is it?¡¹ When asked by Rei, who was looking at the left and right passageways, Elena pulled out a map and unfolded it. The glow from the walls and ceiling fortunately meant that it wasn¡¯t too hard to read the map and the path forward soon became clear. ¡¸The left has several small rooms, but ultimately it¡¯s a dead end. The right passage continues all the way to the end.¡¹ ¡¸Then right it is¡­¡­oh, wait.¡¹ Rei suddenly felt a sense of deja vu as he remembered what they had done back on the desert floors. He recalled a similar exchange on the rocky desert floor where Vihera had fought a Cyclops. He also recalled heading over to a dead end and absorbing magic stones to acquire new skills. Rei had no plans to go to the dead end here. The only magic stones he had that could be absorbed was the one he had taken from the Desert Lizardman that had been eaten by the Sandworm. He could wait until tomorrow, after the material stripping request was completed, but Rei decided that since they were already in the dungeon, might as well do what they could. (It¡¯s a good thing the space before the fork is quite wide. There¡¯s light from the walls and ceiling, but we shouldn¡¯t need to worry about being seen from further away.) ¡¸Set, Elena, Yellow. Move a bit closer to the wall. We¡¯re going to absorb the one magic stone I have.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Here?¡¹ Elena instinctively asked, but Rei nodded in response. ¡¸Fortunately, there¡¯s only the Desert Lizardman magic stone. It should only take a few seconds, and since we¡¯re at the end of the passageway, we should be able to sense anyone approaching first.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true but¡­¡­no, if you say so, then let¡¯s do that.¡¹ Understanding that it would only take a few seconds to absorb a magic stone, Elena gave a brief nod. In fact, to absorb a magic stone, all that was needed was for either Set to swallow it or to cut it with the Death Scythe. The most time consuming part was actually testing out the performance of any acquired skills. Rei shrugged his shoulders and spoke up, perhaps understanding Elena¡¯s concerns. ¡¸Even if we have to test out a skill, it will only be a single one. This is also not a very popular floor for various reasons.¡¹ For a moment, Rei thought of the party that had been looking for a mage who could use fire or purification magic in the dungeon plaza, but that thought quickly faded away. It would be troublesome if that party came by, but mages were hard to come by to begin with, so it was unlikely they would end up finding one just as they started looking. (Well, since they were looking for a mage with those skills, maybe their party had entered an undead floor before and found that it would be better with a mage. In that case, the might come to this floor anyway? But, as Elena said, there are other floors with undead.) Rei collected his thoughts as they moved closer to the wall. ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ Yellow and Elena followed after Rei and Set. ¡¸Well then, who will absorb it¡­¡­well, we¡¯ll definitely have another Desert Lizardman magic stone after tomorrow, so I don¡¯t have to think too hard about it. Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Is that okay? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head. Rei nodded in response. Set was confused for a moment but then probably remembered that Rei¡¯s Misty Ring still had Desert Lizardmen that they had previously killed. Picking up the magic stone from Rei¡¯s hand with his beak, Set swallowed it. ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºWind Arrow Lv.2¡»¡¿ An announcement echoed in his mind. ¡¸Wind Arrow level 2, huh? Well, considering that skills aren¡¯t guaranteed, I should consider it a blessing that an existing skill was upgraded.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Guru~?¡¡Gururururu~!¡¹ Set nodded as if agreeing with Rei¡¯s words and looked around before giving an alert cry. The moment Set gave that cry, Rei and Elena immediately took their weapons out while Yellow flapped his wings and flew away from Elena¡¯s shoulder to not disturb them. Soon, they heard a metallic clattering sound from the right passageway. Rei frowned slightly at the sound. It wasn¡¯t the clacking of a Skeleton, nor was it the damp, repulsive squishing of a Zombie walking. ¡¸That means¡­¡­it¡¯s a new monster.¡¹ The undead that Rei had fought so far were mainly Skeletons and Zombies, not the type of monsters that would have a metallic clattering sound that they could hear. ¡¸With a metallic sound, could it not be an undead?¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Rei turned to her in surprise. Rei had assumed that only undead would show up on this floor. In fact, from all the information that Rei had collected in advance, no one had heard of any monsters on the 16th floor that weren¡¯t undead. However, they did know of the existence of abnormal species that could change that. With those thoughts in mind, they stared intently down the right passageway as they waited, and soon¡­¡­the glow from the walls and ceiling revealed the figure. The figure was 2m tall, wearing full plate mail, and carrying a pole axe in its hands. That was Rei¡¯s first impression of it. ¡¸Is that an adventurer?¡¹ At first glance it looked like an adventurer. However, Rei immediately noticed something strange about it. There was no sense that it was alive. Realising that, a chain of thoughts immediately led him to the identity of the figure in full plate in front of them. ¡¸A Living Armour!?¡¹ Living Armour. They were a monster that can to be when a dead spirit took up residence in a suit of armour. The rank of a Living Armour depended on the dead spirit that inhabited the armour, but most of the time Living Armours were D rank monsters. The proof of subjugation was a magic stone inside the armour. Unlike ordinary monsters, it wasn¡¯t embedded in a heart, but rather inside the armour like skeleton. At the same time, it was the Living Armour¡¯s weak point. Although the only real material that could be collected was the magic stone, which doubled as proof of subjugation, the armour it was made from and the weapon it wielded were also quite valuable due to the magic power they contained. That said, depending on the Living Armour, they could also be cursed, so it was generally recommended that a knowledgeable blacksmith or alchemist examine the item before using it. Even if it was cursed, the curse could be lifted, diluted, or the armour used as material for creating other magic items. One such Living Armour had showed up in front of Rei¡¯s group. ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv.3¡» ¡ºFire Breath Lv.3¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv.2¡» new ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv.1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.4¡» ¡ºSize Transformation Lv.1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv.1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºOptical Camouflage Lv.2¡» ¡ºEvil Eye Impact Lv.1¡» Wind Arrow: Shoots 5~7 wind arrows. Though its power isn¡¯t high, they are hard to see and fly fast. CH 478 As the Living Armour appeared in front of them, Rei¡¯s group immediately took action. ¡¸Set, used Wind Arrow to test it out!¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Set used his newly levelled up Wind Arrow. Seven wind arrows appeared behind Set with a cry and, the next moment, they shot towards the Living Armour. (I see. At level 1, the maximum number of arrows was 5, but that has increased. The speed of the arrows has also increased and their power has¡­¡­) The wind arrows disappeared after making only a small scratch on the armour. (As for its power, I¡¯m not sure if it has increased or not. But considering the larger number of arrows and faster speed, it has already improved overall. ¡­¡­Well.) As Rei analysed the power of the wind arrows, Set let out a cry and the Living Armour shook slightly as if hit by something. Evil Eye Impact. It was a skill Set had only learned recently and it had an excellent feature, low power but instantaneous activation. (Wind Arrow is better in setting up a barrage of hits, but Evil Eye Impact is still better for dealing with a single enemy. ¡­¡­Both are too weak to be used as a deterrent though.) The Living Armour was knocked somewhat off balance due to the power of Evil Eye Impact, but it quickly regained its footing by striking the shaft of its poleaxe into the floor before walking forward again. As its only method of attack was with its poleaxe, it had no choice but to move towards Rei¡¯s group. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What do you want to do? Set tilted his head and asked with a cry as he stopped attacking. If they continued attacking from a distance, they could easily defeat the Living Armour without issue, but that would end up damaging the armour and poleaxe that the Living Armour had. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. Like Skeletons, there¡¯s a magic stone inside the armour, so if we pull out that magic stone, the Living Armour won¡¯t be able to move anymore. ¡­¡­Alright, I¡¯ll do it. I was able to confirm the performance of Set¡¯s Wind Arrow. Set, wait until I call for you, Elena will keep watch for any monsters coming from the left passageway.¡¹ Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s words as she held her sword whip. She could have attacked the Living Armour, but she knew what Rei wanted to do and decided that if she attacked, it would only get in the way. Sending a grateful glance over to Elena, who immediately understood his intentions, Rei closed the distance to the Living Armour with Death Scythe in hand. Unlike Skeletons where you could see their magic stone at a glance due to the gaps between their bones, in the case of Living Armours, it was a lot harder to find as it was hidden within the armour. If it were an ordinary monster, it wouldn¡¯t be so hard to find its position because magic stones were usually found in a monster¡¯s heart. However, Living Armours didn¡¯t have a heart which made it a lot more difficult. ¡¸HAAAAaaaah-!¡¹ First of all, to get it out of the way, Rei sliced the neck of the Living Armour with the magic empowered Death Scythe. His aim was that if the helm was removed, it would be possible to stick his hand in from the neck to take out the magic stone. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The Living Armour might not might not have understood what Rei was trying to do, but it still swung the poleaxe down in an attempt to block the Death Scythe. However¡­¡­ ¡¸You¡¯re too naive!¡¹ Even though the power of the dead spirit within the Living Armour half transformed it into a magic item, it was only so strong. Although Rei felt it would be a bit of a waste to destroy it, he immediately gave up on the poleaxe. The Death Scythe was not only created with Rei¡¯s enormous amount of magic power, but was also currently empowered with magic power as well. In order to withstand an attack from the combination of the two, the quality of the weapon blocking and the skill of the person wield the weapon needed to be exceptional. Kiin-, a sharp metallic sound echoed out into the surroundings. Normally, two sounds would have been heard, the sound of the poleaxe¡¯s shaft being severed and the sound of the Living Armour¡¯s neck being sliced. However, due to the speed of the Death Scythe¡¯s blade, both were heard as a single sound. That didn¡¯t stop the movements of the Living Armour though. It swung the severed shaft of the poleaxe like a club as it tried to strike Rei. As the Living Armour was possessed by a dead spirit, slicing the helmet off wasn¡¯t a fatal attack. ¡¸I already knew that though!¡¹ Rei¡¯s movements didn¡¯t stop after slicing its helmet off. He gave a sharp shout as he did a half turn on the spot, catching the Living Armour¡¯s attack with the shaft of the Death Scythe before knocking it out of its hands. He continued by flicking his wrist and sweeping the Living Armour¡¯s legs from under it. Rei shouted out as the Living Armour fell to the stone floor with the high pitched creaking of armour. ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set immediately knew what Rei¡¯s shout meant and dashed across the stone floor to the Living Armour before placing his foot on its chest. He was careful not to damage the armour with his claws as he understood from Rei¡¯s earlier words that the armour was quite valuable. Anyhow, the Living Armour was unable to get up due to Set¡¯s strength as it silently flailed about in an attempt to break out of its predicament. If it still had its poleaxe in hand, it might have found a way to attack, but as it had been knocked aside by the Death Scythe, it had no way to resist. It tried to move Set¡¯s claw as if flailed about with metallic creaks, but Set¡¯s physical strength as a Griffon along with the Bracelet of Herculean Strength meant that it could do very little. ¡¸Okay, Set. Keep holding it down.¡¹ As he said that, Rei reached into the Living Armour from where the helmet had been removed, revealing a hollow space. He eventually succeeded in grabbing the magic stone shifting about inside as he felt around before he pulled it out through the neck. The moment the magic stone was taken out, the Living Armour stopped moving, like a puppet which had its strings cut. Its limbs that had been struggling to escape Set fell to the stone floor with a high pitched metallic screech. ¡¸Set, you were a great help. ¡­¡­Here.¡¹ After confirming that the Living Armour was no longer moving, Rei tossed the magic stone over to Set. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Catching it in his beak, Set swallowed it¡­¡­ ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºPower Crush Lv.1¡»¡¿ An announcement echoed in his mind. ¡¸Heh, we were able to learn a skill twice in a row. Is it just luck, the location, or timing? Whatever the reason, I¡¯m quite happy about it.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? It seems you got a new skill. What kind of skill is it?¡¹ ¡¸Power Crush. Well, it¡¯s not that strange considering it¡¯s a skill learned from a Living Armour.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set also gave a happy cry. Set understood the usefulness of a skill that allowed him to make the most of his physical strength and, unlike flashy skills, it allowed him to use skills in front of strangers that didn¡¯t know about Set¡¯s secret. The thing that Set found strange though was¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru!?¡¹ He had just raised the level of Wind Arrow by absorbing the Desert Lizardman¡¯s magic stone and now he had absorbed the Living Armour¡¯s magic stone. Rei stroked Set as he noticed his round eyes. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. As I said earlier, I¡¯ve already secured at least one more Desert Lizardman magic stone. As for Living Armours, since this is an undead floor, we¡¯re bound to run into one again.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡­¡­¡¹ Set didn¡¯t seem too convinced, but since Rei had said that, he reluctantly accepted it. Giving a small smile as he stroked Set, Rei stored away the remains of the Living Armour into the Misty Ring. ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s get going. If we stay on this floor for too long, it feels like the smell is going to soak into our bodies.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow, who was floating at a distance where he wouldn¡¯t interfere with the fighting, let out a cry as if to say ¡°let¡¯s go!¡±. ¡¸Fufu, as Rei and Yellow said, I wouldn¡¯t be happy staying here forever. Let¡¯s move on.¡¹ Elena gave a smile as she headed for the right passageway, where the stairs were indicated on the map. Yellow sat on Set¡¯s back as Set took the vanguard with Rei and Elena bringing up the rear. After walking for 30 minutes, they reached point where the passageways split. ¡¸Another one. ¡­¡­Elena.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the middle passage¡­¡­but, before that.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Elena turned her eyes to the right passage as she seemed to notice something. Sounds of battle could be heard from that passage. If that was the only thing they heard, they wouldn¡¯t have worried about it that much, but it was a different matter if the noise was getting closer. ¡¸What do we do? Considering the sounds of battle are getting closer, I think some adventurers probably ran into a monster they can¡¯t handle and are running from it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re probably right¡­¡­¡¹ Rei was lost in thought for a few seconds at Elena¡¯s words before reaching a decision. ¡¸We¡¯ll wait for them here. There¡¯s a possibility they won¡¯t head down the the middle passage we¡¯re planning to take if they¡¯re running away.¡¹ Normally, they should try to run for the small room with the magic circle and stairs. But in unexpected situations, you would never know what might happen. Nodding at Rei¡¯s decision, the two of them prepared themselves to attack from either side of the passage, a short distance away. As usual, Yellow flew to the back to avoid getting in their way. Confirming that Yellow had moved out of the way, Rei started to thing about what means he could use to intercept the enemy. (Wide area magic? ¡­¡­No, there¡¯s a possibility that would end up hitting the adventurers running away as well. In that case, I have to use magic that is a bit more focused.) ¡ºFlames, burn your enemies according to my will.¡» As a result, Rei chose the easiest and fastest magic to cast. As he said the incantation, balls of fire about 30cm in diameter appeared at the blade of the Death Scythe. Next to Rei, Elena used wind magic to create a small tornado in her hand. As their magic was finished and could be activated at any time, four adventurers ran out from the right passage accompanied by several angry shouts and metallic clangs. They were running in a way that could only be called running away in defeat. One of the four adventurers had lost his right arm from the shoulder down, blood bleeding onto the stone floor as another adventurer pulled him by his left arm. With one arm missing, it threw his balance off and he had asked the other adventurer to help him along. The other two adventurers frantically swung their swords at their pursuing enemies to push them back before quickly running to gain distance. At the far back, a Skeleton with white bones chased after them. (How could adventurers that made it to this floor have to run from a Skeleton? Rei muttered to himself as he kept his magic ready to activate. However, as he heard the relentless sound of clashing, he realised that they had been beaten by sheer numbers. In fact, the number of Skeletons that appeared from the passage after the adventurers gradually increased and when there were over 30, both Rei and Elena started to become suspicious. At any rate, Rei decided it was too dangerous to let things continue as they were and glanced over at Set. ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ The four adventurers looked at Set with despair before their expressions turned to confusion as they saw Rei and Elena about to activate their magic. But, they seemed to understand what Rei and Elena wanted to do as they immediately split to the left and right. ¡ºFireball.¡» Seeing that, Rei activated his magic and a fireball struck the Skeleton that had been chasing the four adventurers, scorching it. At the same time, Elena threw out a wind blade that sliced the Skeletons out of the fireball¡¯s range. A few seconds later, all that remained were charred and broken bones. ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv.3¡» ¡ºFire Breath Lv.3¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv.2¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv.1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.4¡» ¡ºSize Transformation Lv.1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv.1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºOptical Camouflage Lv.2¡» ¡ºEvil Eye Impact Lv.1¡» ¡ºPower Crush Lv.1¡» Power Crush: Increases the power of a single strike. Normally, there would be a kickback against the user, similar to Power Slash. But in Set¡¯s case, there is close to no effect due to his physical ability. CH 479 The four adventurers were shocked when they saw the 30 or so Skeletons that had been chasing them get turned to ash or sliced to pieces by wind blades. Rei and Elena walked over to the four and called out. ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah. ¡­¡­No! We can¡¯t stay here, we have to run! Thank you for helping us, but you should get away from here! It¡¯s¡­¡­it¡¯s coming!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, one of the adventurers came back to his senses before shouting those words as he looked back towards the passage they had come from with a pale face. Fear and despair could be seen in his expression. It was hard to believe that this was an adventurer with a certain level of skill, having reached the 16th floor. He turned to his companions as the fear and despair remained in his eyes. Another man had taken out a potion from a pouch at his waist to use on a female warrior who had lost her right arm from the shoulder. The adventurer with a spear, who had told Rei to run away earlier, hurriedly spoke. ¡¸Goto, how¡¯s Tivia!?¡¹ ¡¸Guh, guh¡­¡­I¡¯m fine. Just get as far away from it as you can¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s no good. It¡¯s all I can do to stop the bleeding with the potions I have. We¡¯ll have to leave the dungeon as soon as possible to heal her in a safer place. If only I had advanced potions in my backpack¡­¡­¡¹ The man named Goto shook his head with a pale face. The last adventurer in the group looked at him. He looked to be a thief with a long sword and spoke as he kept a wary eye on the passage they had escaped from. ¡¸That¡¯s right. But if you, the porter, hadn¡¯t dumped your bag there to delay them, we would be done in by that monster by now¡­¡­tch, it¡¯s here!¡¹ With a shout from the theif and a kasha-, kasha-, kasha-, sound, the monster revealed itself. Judging from the fact that its body was made up of bones, it was definitely a skeleton type undead. However, Rei, Elena, and Set knew this Skeleton was different the moment they saw it. After all, ordinary Skeletons didn¡¯t have four arms. They weren¡¯t 3m tall either. Furthermore, the eye sockets in the skull glowed with green flames that seemed to exude hatred. Lastly, the Skeleton held four scimitars in each arm. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s a fairly unusual Skeleton. Do Skeletons like this appear here?¡¹ Hearing Rei mutter to himself, the man with the spear shouted out that this was no joke. ¡¸Of course they shouldn¡¯t! We tried fighting it, but it definitely has the power of a B rank monster. In addition¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸In addition?¡¹ The man, who stopped speaking mid sentence, looked over to where the unusual Skeleton was standing. Or rather, where the remains of the Skeletons that had showed up earlier were. The remains of the Skeletons that had been burned to ash by Rei or cut to pieces by Elena¡¯s magic. What about it? Rei was going to ask when¡­¡­ ¡¸GOOOOOooOOH!¡¹ The moment the unusual Skeleton gave a roar, that seemed to come from the depths of the earth, a white mist poured out from its body before forming into a dozen or so human figures. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, aren¡¯t those¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the true form of the Skeletons you killed earlier. Fortunately, they¡¯re a lot weaker than ordinary Skeletons, but even so, with so many of them the difference in strength is not an issue.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think it can generate Skeletons infinitely, but it¡¯s still a nasty thing to have to deal with. ¡­¡­I see.¡¹ As Rei muttered to himself, the unusual Skeleton pointed the tip of a scimitar in the direction of Rei and the others as its Skeleton army started moving towards them. ¡¸Anyhow, we can¡¯t keep fighting that monster! We have to get out of here now! What are you going to do!?¡¹ The man with the spear shouted as he started moving towards the direction where the small room with the magic circle was. Rei¡¯s group would naturally run away with them. Was what he though when he asked Rei. However, the reply he recieved was completely unexpected. ¡¸Running away? Here? Well, I see that¡¯s what you¡¯d normally do¡­¡­but unfortunately, I think I have too good of an idea to what that monster is.¡¹ Rei said that as he held up his Death Scythe while Elena smiled as she readied her sword whip. Yes, Rei had a guess to the identity of the unusual Skeleton in front of him. The day before, on the 15th floor, an adventurer from the Silva family had told him that they had seen a monster believed to be an abnormal species nearby. There had also been eyewitness testimonies of people who seemed to have been creating abnormal species. In other words¡­¡­ ¡¸An abnormal species Skeleton, huh?¡¹ Rei¡¯s words stopped the party from leaving momentarily. It seemed they had not considered the possibility. Or rather, they hadn¡¯t the time to consider the possibility as one of their party members, Tivia, had her right arm suddenly cut off when they ran into it. ¡¸That¡¯s, an abnormal species¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸I see, since it¡¯s a monster that shouldn¡¯t be on this floor, it¡¯s natural to consider that.¡¹ The man with the spear muttered in shock while the thief nodded in agreement. Elena spoke up as she turned to look at the two of them as well as Goto, who was currently giving potions to Tivia, who had lost her arm. ¡¸It would be best to tend to her wounds as soon as possible. Leave this to us.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, we¡¯ll stay and help you.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Nakuto! What the hell are you thinking! Even if we stay here, we¡¯ll only drag them down!¡¹ ¡¸Esetus, you¡¯re the one who needs to calm down and think. Do you think we¡¯ll be able to escape from here and reach the magic circle safely? Tivia is injured and can¡¯t help us. Goto is a porter and, even if I can help, I¡¯m just a thief. If you consider everything, you¡¯re the only one who can really fight. In such a situation, if multiple undead appeared¡­¡­you understand, right?¡¹ We¡¯d definitely be wiped out. At Nakuto¡¯s implied words, Esestus bit his lips on reflex as he tried to find something to say back. He understood that Tivia, their strongest fighter, had lost her arm and could no longer fight. As a result, he would have no choice but to become the main fighter while protecting Tivia at the same time. If they ran into more than one undead on the way back like that, there was a high chance they would be anihilated. But even so, Esetus still thought that they stood a better chance of survival running away than fighting the abnormal species that could summon Skeletons that was approaching them. ¡¸Calm down, don¡¯t get confused. ¡­¡­Look, look at those guys.¡¹ Nakuto quietly told Esestus to calm down as he looked over at the group of Skeletons. What was taking place was a one sided stomp. Flames spread out in an instant, turning several Skeletons to ash while a sword whip swept through the air in an instant, slicing others to pieces. A blow from a Griffon¡¯s claw, that seemed like a light hit at first, blasted several Skeletons into the wall and shattered their bones. Against the Skeletons that attacked them with such numbers that they struggled greatly, Rei, Elena, and Set, disposed them like they were walking through a field¡­¡­no, it was like they were walking along a mountain path and were slashing through any tree branches in their way. Rei, who had initially shot flames from a distance, was now cutting, smashing, and destroying the Skeletons with a huge scythe that Esestus had never seen before. ¡¸I-Impossible¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s all real. And with those guys, there¡¯s a good chance we¡¯ll make it out of the dungeon in one piece.¡¹ ¡¸But, we¡¯ll just drag them down¡­¡­¡¹ At Nakuto¡¯s words, Esestus still tried to argue back. However, Nakuto forcefully grabbed his shoulder. ¡¸I know you¡¯re scared. I understand you¡¯re afraid of the abnormal speices. But are you going to put everyone in danger because of your selfishness? That include Tivia, who has lost her arm.¡¹ ¡¸Guh¡­¡­¡¹ Esestus froze as Nakuto¡¯s eyes pierced right through him. After several seconds of silence, he nodded reluctantly. ¡¸I understand. ¡­¡­It will definitely be hard for us to escape the dungeon alone. But will they help us? What if they want to go ahead instead of going back to the magic circle? What would you do if they said that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If that happens, I¡¯ll try to convince them. I don¡¯t have much I can give them as a reward, but at worst, I can sell myself. ¡­¡­If they¡¯re fine with a woman who¡¯s lost an arm.¡¹ Tivia spoke up as Goto finished giving first aid treatment, pouring potion over her wound and binding it with cloth. It was true that Tivia was currently covered in blood, sweat, and mud. However, everyone present knew that she was still a beauty in her own right when dressed up. In fact, there had even been one person with a one sided crush on Tivia that had misunderstood her relationship with her party and had challenged Esestus to a duel. It was because she knew what people thought of her that Tivia said what she said. However¡­¡­ ¡¸It would be best not to do that. It would be counterproductive.¡¹ As he said that, Nakuto looked towards Elena was cutting up several Skeletons with her sword whip. Tivia followed his gaze and her instincts as woman clued her in to what Nakuto meant. ¡¸I see. But, what do we do then? Even if we ask them to help us back, I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll accept it without a reward.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right. We have to take care of your injury as soon as we can. The sooner the better.¡¹ Tivia didn¡¯t show it, but she had still lost an arm. There was no way that would be painless. The fact that her forehead was oozing sweat was proof that she was enduring the pain. Seeing that, the other three felt a strong sense of frustration at their powerlessness. Even though it couldn¡¯t be helped at the time, Goto also felt great bitterness at dropping his backpack, which was the core of his work, when they were escaping. (There were advanced potions in that bag¡­¡­) And, although they had said that they would stay back and work together with Rei and Elena, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference between Esestus and Nakuto in what they could contribute. The skill involved in the fight before them was way above their ability and there was no room for them to do anything. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ As they heard that shout, a slash flew out from Rei¡¯s huge scythe, slashing several Skeletons in half and sending them flying. ¡¸He can use fire and wind magic¡­¡­?¡¹ As Esestus was stunned by what he saw, Rei closed the gap to the abnormal species after clearing all the Skeletons in his way. Destroying the Skeletons in front of him, or pseudo Skeletons as they didn¡¯t have a magic stone, Rei closed in on the abnormal species while swinging the Death Scythe. Seeing that its Skeleton army, which served as its shield, was gone, the abnormal species spewed out more mist in an attempt to create more pseudo Skeletons as the green flames in its eyes blazed with hatred. In order to stop it, the Death Scythe¡¯s blade swung out. However, the abnormal species leapt back with an agility that was unimaginable for a Skeleton as it dodged the blade before point the tips of the four scimitars in its hands towards Rei. ¡¸¡­¡­Heh. I knew it, but you¡¯re pretty good for a Skeleton.¡¹ A smirk appeared on Rei¡¯s face as he glanced around. Most of the pseudo Skeletons had already been wiped out by Elena and Set. It was only a matter of time before they could assist Rei. However¡­¡­ ¡¸GOOOoooOOooh!¡¹ The abnormal species gave a roar as if it was unacceptable. The green flames in its eyes burned with a hatred of the living as it brandished its scimitars and attacked Rei. CH 480 A scimitar swung at Rei from the left, but it was only a decoy as the real attack came from a scimitar from the right. Rei parried both with the blade and shaft of the Death Scythe. He gave a complex smile as he leapt back to avoid the last two scimitars, which tried to cut him in half when he blocked the other two. ¡¸No way, I didn¡¯t expect them to be magic weapons.¡¹ Rei glanced at the scimitars the abnormal species was holding as he faced it from a distance. It had four bony arms, two on each side, wielding four magic weapons, although they were all inferior to the Death Scythe. (They probably weren¡¯t originally magic weapons, but the weapons it had must have turned into magic weapons when it became an abnormal species¡­¡­but that would only make sense if it had two scimitars, it has four. What does that mean? It can¡¯t be that the number of scimitars increased when it became an abnormal species¡­¡­) Rei thought to himself as he watched the abnormal species, but immediately came to a realisation. Considering the other abnormal species he had seen before, with the most drastic changes happening when they saw a Cactus Mimic get turned into an abnormal species, gaining two extra scimitars wasn¡¯t that strange. ¡¸¡­¡­In that case, let¡¯s do this properly!¡¹ Saying that, he poured more magic power into the Death Scythe, which he had previously kept to a minimum, though still more than enough to cut through ordinary monsters. Dashing across the stone floor, Rei closed in again. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ With that shout, a flying slash flew straight towards the abnormal species. Since scimitars were metal weapons, Rei could have used Corrosion to fight against them effectively. However, since the scimitars were also low level magic weapons, Rei felt that it would be a waste to destroy them with Corrosion, so he decided to fight without using it. (I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to pull out the magic stone or destroy it!) Scimitars were brandished to intercept Rei. All four swung out like a storm towards him. Rei avoided all the attacks by several cm, blocking those that couldn¡¯t be avoided with the Death Scythe. ¡¸Tch-! I knew it!¡¹ Rei clicked his tongue as he swung the Death Scythe to repel another attack. The reason lied in the Skeleton¡¯s swordsmanship. Most Skeletons had deteriorated skills compared to when they had been alive. Even Skeletons that used to be adventurers would have far inferior skills. However, the abnormal species swinging four scimitars was clearly following some school of swordsmanship. (Should I assume that it remembered the skills it had in life after becoming an abnormal species?) A cleave aimed at his body was parried by the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft while Rei used the blade to block another scimitar as the abnormal species¡¯ upper right arm swung down towards his head. The abnormal species was 3m tall, twice Rei¡¯s height, but it still used skill to attack Rei rather than brute strength, making it very difficult to deal with. Rei had fought many enemies that were larger than him before, but most of them had attacked with brute force, few focused on technique. And above all¡­¡­ ¡¸The fact that it¡¯s an abnormal species just makes this worse!¡¹ When Rei took some distance to the abnormal species, it moved forward and unleashed a pincer attack with its lower arms while its upper arms slashed down. Crouching down to avoid the scissor like attack, Rei used the Death Scythe to block both downward slashes. Using momentum from that, Rei succeeded in knocking the abnormal species off its feet with the shaft of the Death Scythe, causing it to fall to the ground. Even though it was only made up of bones, its weight was still considerable due to the density of its bones, the weapons it was wielding, and its size. The moment it fell to the ground a loud roar echoed out. ¡¸HAAAAH-!¡¹ Seeing that, Rei quickly stood up from his crouching position and swept the Death Scythe up, succeeding it cutting off both right arms of the abnormal species. Normally, the best solution would have been to use the Death Scythe to cut through the magic stone. ¡­¡­If it were an ordinary Skeleton. However this was an abnormal species. Set aside, if Rei cut its magic stone with the Death Scythe, he would suffer a shock from the back flow of magic power, like what had previously happened. And, as the magic stone was also the core of the monster, he also planned on handing it over to the Silva family. Because of these reasons, he went to the trouble of doing this the hard way. The Death Scythe cut off the abnormal species¡¯ left arms as it swung back before slashing the bones at its waist. Lastly, Rei used the shaft of the Death Scythe to shatter its neck. Severing several rib bones from its body, that was now missing all four arms and its head, Rei forcibly pulled the magic stone out from the gap. At that point, the abnormal species finally stopped moving as the hateful green flames in its eyes faded from its skull. ¡¸¡­¡­Phew, finally. that took some time.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? You say that, but you also cleaned it up all on your own.¡¹ As Elena said that, all the Skeletons that were left, or those that had been destroyed, all disappeared into mist. It was as if they had never existed to begin with. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set tilted his head in confusion as the Skeleton he had been stepping on suddenly disappeared. Rei muttered to himself as he saw Set¡¯s reaction. ¡¸In the end, they weren¡¯t real Skeletons, but fakes created by the abnormal species. I had expected that they weren¡¯t real monsters, but I didn¡¯t expect them to just disappear like that. At least the body and weapons of the abnormal species are still here.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a shame that this is all we get after all that hard work, but it¡¯s better than nothing I guess?¡¹ ¡¸Ah well.¡¹ Nodding at Elena, Rei stored away the magic stone into the Misty Ring, followed by the four scimitars and the body of the abnormal species. Of the four adventurers who were watching in shock, Nakuto was the first to step forward and call out to them. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into this trouble. Thanks to you, we survived. I¡¯m Nakuto, the one with the spear is Esetus. The other man is Goto and the woman is Tivia.¡¹ Nakuto introduced himself first as he thanked them and bowed his head. Rei shrugged his shoulders as he replied to Nakuto. ¡¸We¡¯ve run into abnormal species several times before and we got information from the Silva family that there might have been one on this floor. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Wait. You knew that there might have been an abnormal species on this floor? Then why didn¡¯t you let everyone know! If you had, Tivia might not have ended up losing her arm!¡¹ When he heard Rei¡¯s words, blood rushed to Esetus¡¯s head as he shouted out. However, before Rei could respond, it was Tivia who took action. Grabbing Esetus¡¯s shoulder with her left arm, she proceeded to slap him across the cheek. As expected from a one armed strike, her weight distribution wasn¡¯t that good and her slap wasn¡¯t that strong. Esetus just staggered back several steps before stopping. That said, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t expected Tivia to hit him. He seemed stunned by the fact that Tivia had slapped him rather than the slap itself. ¡¸W-What?¡¹ ¡¸What are you doing! Normally, no one is required to share information they personally received with others, it¡¯s the same for us as well. Did you tell anyone about the Goblin settlement we ran into previously? We kept that to ourselves, didn¡¯t we?¡¹ ¡¸But, if we had that information, you wouldn¡¯t have lost your right arm¡­¡­¡¹ Tivia, who was sweating from the pain of her injury, spoke as Esetus tried to explain his reasoning. ¡¸You understand? As an adventurer, everything we do is at our own risk. This is a dungeon, right? We came down here knowing that there is danger. Yes, it hurts to lose my arm, quite literally right now. But, I¡¯m here knowing that. If I was afraid of danger, I wouldn¡¯t have become an adventurer in the first place. I¡¯d be working in some shop!¡¹ ¡¸Ku-kukuku¡­¡­.¡¹ As soon as Tivia finished speaking, she heard laughter. The source of the laughter was Rei, holding his Death Scythe and followed by Set. ¡¸No, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think that you would say that after losing an arm. ¡­¡­Yes, as an adventurer, everything we do is at our own risk.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, not just Esetus, even Nakuto and Goto didn¡¯t have great expressions on their faces. But, as Esetus was about to speak up again, Rei pulled a container out of the Misty Ring and tossed it over to Goto. ¡¸-! ¡­¡­Eh? This is.¡¹ The container in Goto¡¯s hand held a light blue liquid. Goto immediately knew what it was. It was the same thing as what he had in his backpack, that he had thrown aside when they were attacked by the abnormal species. ¡¸Is this really okay? Isn¡¯t this potion a high quality item?¡¹ At Goto¡¯s request for confirmation, not only Esetus and Nakuto, even Tivia¡¯s eyes went wide. However, Rei just nodded back at them to indicate it was fine. ¡¸Didn¡¯t you say it yourselves? Adventurers are responsible for their own actions. In that case, I¡¯m giving you this potion at my own risk.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you. Tivia, I¡¯ll remove the bandages for a moment.¡¹ As he said that, Goto sprinkled the potion Rei gave him over the unbandaged wound. ¡¸Ngh, Nngh¡­¡­ahhh¡­¡­¡¹ Tivia voice as the sensation of pain disappeared caused Esetus, Nakuto, and Goto to become distracted momentarily. It was fortunate for both Elena and Rei that her voice didn¡¯t seem to elicit any reactions from Rei. ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you. I feel much better now.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not like your arm will grow back though.¡¹ Esetus murmured in response to Tivia, his cheeks slightly red. However, he quickly recollected himself when he heard Nakuto¡¯s exasperated sigh. The redness in Nakuto¡¯s cheeks had already faded. His immediate reaction was probably sign of his experience. ¡¸Of course. If there was a potion that could regrow limbs, it would probably be worth a few light gold coins. A high grade potion and a severed arm would be a different matter¡­¡­but we didn¡¯t have time for that, did we?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah.¡¹ Tivia¡¯s right arm had been severed when she tried to confront the abnormal species before a large number of Skeletons started to chase after them. She didn¡¯t have the time to retrieve her arm and it had been trampled by all the Skeletons as they ran away. Hearing their exchange, Tivia gave a sigh of relief as the pain in her arm had faded considerably and bowed her head to Rei. ¡¸Thank you very much, the potion you gave us has made me feel a lot better. I know it¡¯s brazen of me to ask for a favour after that¡­¡­but, could you please escort us to the room with the magic circle?¡¹ The moment Rei was about to reply, with a frown on his face, Tivia spoke again, as if to preempt him. ¡¸Of course! Of course, I¡¯m not saying it will be for free. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re paid well for it.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that, to be honest, I¡¯m not short for money¡­¡­what would like to do?¡¹ Having said that, Rei did like Tivia¡¯s attitude and did want to help her out. Luckiliy for him, his like for Tivia was one of appreciation towards a fellow adventurer and not towards the opposite sex, so Elena didn¡¯t take issue with it. ¡¸It would be good to let Vosk know about the abnormal species and hand over the corpse and magic stone to them earlier, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ With Elena nodding and Yellow and Set giving cries of agreement, their decision was easily made. CH 481 ¡¸Thank you, we are grateful for your help. Um, how can we pay you for the escort?¡¹ It was early afternoon when they left the dungeon and Tivia bowed her head towards Rei and Elena. Behind her, Esetus, Nakuto, and Goto also bowed their heads. However, Rei just shrugged his shoulders as he replied to the four of them. ¡¸Even though we were your escorts, no monsters ended up appearing on the way back.¡¹ Hearing what Rei said, Elena thought about it for a few seconds before giving a slight nod. ¡¸In that case, Rei, how about they help out with stripping materials tomorrow for free?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, that¡¯s right. That would be good. I¡¯d rather they help out with physical work than giving me money.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ Set gave a cry in agreement and Yellow gave a cry to match. However, while Set probably understood what Elena was suggesting, Yellow was probably just going along the flow. ¡¸Stripping materials?¡¹ Tivia didn¡¯t quite understand what Rei and Elena were talking about¡­¡­or rather, she understood what they were talking about, but she didn¡¯t understand why that was being brought up as a form of payment. It was the same for the rest of her party. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s nothing complicated. As you can see, our party has absolutely no issues in terms of combat power, but we have trouble stripping materials from all the monsters we kill.¡¹ ¡¸¡­..Is that so.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s explanation, Tivia and the others all nodded. In fact, it was clear from fighting the abnormal species Skeleton that Rei and Elena were incomparably stronger than their own party. And, it was also true that most parties consisted of 4 or more people, it was because most parties had that many members that materials could be quickly stripped. No matter how strong their combat power was, with just Rei and Elena, it was only natural it would take them a lot of time to strip materials. Even though Set was more than strong enough, he couldn¡¯t help with stripping materials. That said, Tivia¡¯s perspective wasn¡¯t quite right. While it was true that Set couldn¡¯t help in stripping materials, he was able to keep an eye on the surroundings while Rei and Elena were stripping materials. After all, stripping materials¡­¡­in other words, dismantling monsters, would spread a strong smell of blood into the surroundings that would attract other monsters. At such times, with Set around, most monsters would withdraw after sensing his strength. Even if they did attack, there was no way the monsters would be able to beat a Griffon. As a result, Rei and Elena were able to safely stip materials. When Rei and Elena explained their situation, everyone, including Tivia, nodded in approval. ¡¸So, as you can see, I have an item box. Inside my item box, there are a lot of monster that we killed in the dungone. Of course, the corpses won¡¯t rot as long as they are stored inside, but it¡¯s hard for me and Elena to strip all the materials from them.¡¹ ¡¸I see. SO you want us to help with the request you put up in exchange for escorting us today?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. You guys can¡¯t resume dungeon exploration right away, can you? Then you can help us with stripping materials¡­¡­how about it?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s offer, they thought about it for several seconds before Tivia nodded as she looked to her party members. ¡¸What do you think? I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. As expected, it would be bad for rumors to spread that we had some with a title escort us for free. I don¡¯t mind replacing the reward with helping to strip materials.¡¹ ¡¸He has a title?¡¹ At Nakuto¡¯s words, Esetus asked back in confusion. It seemed that Esetus had been the only one who hadn¡¯t known who Rei and Set were. When Nakuto and Goto whispered the information into his ears, his face gradually turned pale. He must have remembered the words he had said to Rei. However, from Rei¡¯s perspective, he didn¡¯t care about it. That was because he knew that the remarks Nakuto made weren¡¯t out of malice but purely out of consideration for his party members. That was why, without saying anything else, he decided to just tell them to meet at Exil¡¯s front gate at 9am the next day before they parted ways. Although Tivia¡¯s injury had been sealed with the potion Rei had given them, she hadn¡¯t fully recovered. After this, they had to head to a clinic where mages could use healing magic on her. As for Rei¡¯s group, he had to finish sorting ou the request for stripping materials at the guild and he also had to bring the abnormal species over to the Silva family. (Although that last one is mostly for my own sake.) Abnormal magic stones were extremely troublesome for Rei, who used the Magic Beast Art, so he wanted the situation with the abnormal species to be sorted out as soon as possible. That is to say, not with a scapegoat, like the Levisor family, but the real culprit. ¡¸Rei, let¡¯s get going. It¡¯s a lot earlier than usual, but considering we have to head over to the Silva family, shouldn¡¯t we go to the guild as soon as possible?¡¹ After hearing Elena¡¯s words, Rei nodded before calling out to Tivia and the others, who were still explaining the origin of Rei¡¯s title to Esetus. ¡¸Pardon us, but we won¡¯t hold you any longer. As I said before, we¡¯ll meet up at Exil¡¯s front gate at 9am tomorrow morning. If you¡¯re coming, don¡¯t forget.¡¹ After saying that, he left the four people, who still seemed to want to say something to him, exiting the plaza in front of the dungeon. For a moment, the thought came to Rei¡¯s mind that they might not show up the next day, but the thought disappeared right after. He had no reason to think that they would show up. But based on the short period of time they had been with each other before leaving the dungeon, Tivia¡¯s loyalty, Esetus¡¯s honesty, Nakuto¡¯s prudence, and Goto¡¯s good nature, Rei judged that they wouldn¡¯t renegade on their agreement. And, in fact, the four adventurers had no intention of doing so either as Rei had saved their lives. As usual, Rei and Elena entered the guild without Set or Yellow. Since it was early in the afternoon, hardly any adventurers could be seen around. If this guild branch had been been like a regular guild branch with a bar attached, there might have been some adventurers eating lunch there. However, due to the number of adventurers that frequented Exil¡¯s guild branch, it didn¡¯t have a bar attached to the guild. After entering the guild, Rei and Elena headed straight for the counter for accepting requests instead of going to the purchase counter like they normally would. The receptionist who was there was surprised that Rei, who she had only spoken to a few hours ago, was already back. That said, she spoke up as if Rei had come in at a good time. ¡¸Oh, Rei-san. Regarding your request¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Has its rank been decided? How much is the fee?¡¹ Thinking that the receptionist had called out to him regarding the fee, Rei asked how much it was. However, the receptionist¡¯s reply was not what he expected. ¡¸Oh, yes. There is that as well. We were inundated with applicants and have already sorted out 10. However, if it¡¯s possible¡­¡­would you be okay with accepting more people? We¡¯ve had a lot of trouble handling the quota problems.¡¹ The receptionist recalled the time she had put the request up on the request board. The fact that it was still early in the morning, before 8am, probably had something to do with it. Adventurers who had heard Rei discuss the request with the receptionist had immediately rushed over and, as a result, a fist fight had broken out. The only reason no weapons had been used was probably because they thought it wouldn¡¯t be good to go to such lengths inside the guild. It was basically a rationally thought out fist fight, something that would make anyone who heard that give a sigh. Although it was a request that Rei had casually made, the reward was enough to make such a situation happen, considering that the reward could be earned with barely any personal risk. In addition, whether it was Rei, titled Crimson, Set, the Griffon, or the beautiful Elena, who attracted gazes from both genders, many adventurers decided that it would be a good opportunity to become acquainted with them. On a side note, the reason Yellow wasn¡¯t included was because he had stayed back at the inn for the duration that Rei and the others had been exploring the desert floors. However¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve already gathered more people than I had initially requested.¡¹ Hearing those words, several adventurers who had been listening into their conversation gave a regretful sigh. They had been waiting around with the hope that there might have been additional recruitment. The receptionist gave a faint sigh of relief as she glanced at her surroundings before realising something that Rei had said. ¡¸Eh, uh, is that so? ¡­¡­So, will you be paying for the additional manpower you gathered?¡¹ Rei shook his head at the question, which seemed to have carried a sense of tragic determination. ¡¸No, I don¡¯t plan to give them any rewards. Or rather, I helped out an adventurer party who nearly died to a monster in the dungeon and escorted them back, so they will be helping out with stripping materials tomorrow instead of giving me a reward. In a sense, it¡¯s payment for helping them leave the dungeon safely.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s reply, the receptionist let out another sigh of relief. If Rei had hired additional adventurers on his own in addition to the ones recruited by the guild and paid them the same amount, there would no doubt have been an uproar. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t be an issue. In a sense, Rei would just be giving out a nominated request. However, a complicated situation might have broken out due to how good the rewards were. ¡¸Anyhow, I won¡¯t be recruiting anymore people this time. But if I continue to enter the dungeon, I¡¯ll have to deal with stripping materials again sooner or later. At that time, I¡¯ll be recruiting more people. That said, as I¡¯m in the deeper floors now, it will take a certain level of skill and knowledge to strip materials from those monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand. The rank of the request was based purely on stripping materials, the highest ranked monster is also a C rank Earth Crab, so I¡¯ve assigned this request as D rank. Is that okay with you?¡¹ ¡¸Sure.¡¹ ¡¸You said this morning that there might be a few more monsters¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Not today, we ended up dealing with undead on the 16th floor and didn¡¯t run into any that we could strip materials from.¡¹ After that, Rei looked over the paperwork to confirm, paid guild fee, and completed the full process. ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸As I said before, I¡¯ll probably ask for your help again when we have more monsters to strip materials from.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡¹ Lightly waving to the receptionist, who bowed her head, Rei and Elena then headed over to the purchase counter instead of leaving the guild¡­¡­ ¡¸I knew you would come this way as well.¡¹ Nodding at the receptionist, who greeted them with a small smile, Rei immediately took out the materials he obtained. Having said that, they had only been inside the dungeon for a few hours this time and they planned to hand over the abnormal species Skeleton, their greatest harvest, to the Silva family. Because of that, only the Living Armour could be sold to the guild, the parts other than the magic stone at least. ¡¸Unfortunately, this is all we have today. But I¡¯m sure we will have a lot more things to sell from the request I put up tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Is this¡­¡­armour? No, Living Armour?¡¹ Rei nodded at the receptionist, who asked him quizzically as they looked at the armour on the counter. ¡¸It¡¯s a Living Armour from the 16th floor. I was able to remove the magic stone with very little damage to the armour.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, Living Armour. The quality of the armour is also quite high, so most adventurers who kill one would either use it or sell it to a weapons shop.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t mind though. I¡¯m a mage, so I don¡¯t want to wear full plate mail that would be hard to move around it. Above all, the size doesn¡¯t fit.¡¹ As a human, Rei, who was quite short, was naturally limited in the type of armour he could wear. In that sense, the Dragon Robes were a perfect match for Rei, both in terms of quality and size. ¡¸Understood. So, as for the weapon used by the Living Armour¡­¡­?¡¹ The receptionist asked as weapons used by Living Weapons were in more demand than full plate mail, which had high defensive power but was difficult to move in. Unfortunately¡­¡­ ¡¸That ended up being broken in the fight.¡¹ Rei said that as he averted his eyes slightly. Seeing that, Elena looked at him with a wry smile. CH 482 ¡¸I would like to meet with Vosk regarding abnormal species, is he available at the moment?¡¹ After selling the materials they had at the guild, Rei¡¯s group went over to the Silva family residence via carriage, as they had done many times before. Normally, one wouldn¡¯t visit the three ruling families of Exil that often, but the Silva family, which hired a lot of adventurers, was different as adventurers would frequently come and go. Regardless, the gatekeeper bowed his head slightly towards Rei before speaking. ¡¸Yes, I will inform him immediately, please wait a moment.¡¹ After that, one of the two gatekeepers went inside to inform Vosk, returning in a few minutes with permission to meet. Sanctions, who was naturally the one to welcome Rei and Elena, didn¡¯t bring them to Vosk¡¯s office¡­¡­but to the warehouse they had visited previously. ¡¸As expected, you know what I have.¡¹ Rei murmured with some admiration, but Elena responded as if it was natural. ¡¸Of course. We met with adventurers from the Silva family on the 15th floor and the next day we ask to meet with Vosk and it¡¯s about an abnormal species.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. And, in Rei-sama¡¯s case, you also have an item box. Considering that, it¡¯s not surprising. ¡­¡­Honestly speaking though, I don¡¯t understand how your party encounters abnormal species so frequently.¡¹ Sanctions let out a small sigh and Rei shrugged his shoulders as he replied, equally troubled about it. ¡¸It¡¯s not like I run into them because I want to. To be honest, I don¡¯t want to have to deal with them at all.¡¹ Abnormal species were more powerful than ordinary monsters and their magic stones couldn¡¯t be absorbed by the Death Scythe either. Set seemed to be able to absorb the magic stones, but since the Death Scythe couldn¡¯t, it was probably best that Set didn¡¯t either. And, the most troublesome part was that there was no clear way to tell if a monster was really an abnormal species or not. (If you think about it, we don¡¯t actually know if that huge Skeleton we killed was really an abnormal species or not. The only basis I have is information from the Silva family adventurers we met the day before.) As he walked along and thought about that, they soon reached the warehouse they had previously been to. ¡¸Well, Vosk-sama is waiting inside, so please come in.¡¹ Prompted by Sanctions, they entered the warehouse and were greeted by a giant dog like monster about the same size as Set with its head split open and its tail chopped off at the base. It looked like a monster that had been created by forcefully merging two giant monsters. ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you¡¯ve come.¡¹ As Rei¡¯s eyes were focused on the monster in front of him, a voice called out from the back of the warehouse. Turning to face the familiar voice, he naturally saw Vosk, the owner of this place. Vosk had a stern face to begin with and his current smile looked vicious enough to cause a child to burst into tears on sight. However, Rei was already accustomed to his expressions and didn¡¯t seem to mind as he spoke. ¡¸Is this monster¡­¡­an abnormal species?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s a monster that appeared on the 21st floor. Fortunately, it attacked a place where several parties were present, so we were able to secure the corpse.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m amazed they brought it back. Did they have an item box like Rei?¡¹ Hearing Vosk¡¯s words, Elena muttered half in admiration and half in surprise. However, Vosk replied with a wry smile as he shook his head. ¡¸I don¡¯t know if you two know, but the 21st floor is a forest. Look, you know the desert floors you¡¯ve been through? Imagine that but a forest instead.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see.¡¹ Vosk¡¯s explanation was easy for Rei and Elena to understand. After all, they had experience the same type of dungeon floor before when searching for the Altar of Inheritance. ¡¸What, you¡¯re not surprised?¡¹ ¡¸I mean, after the 16th floor, which we¡¯re currently on, the 17th floor is also a forest.¡¹ ¡¸So you¡¯ve gathered information in advanced. Anyhow, several parties were working together to kill a monster known as a Grand Treant, a higher ranking species of Treant. But¡­¡­it seems this fellow attacked them along the way. In the end, they managed to kill it and brought it back on the cart that they had been planning to carry the Grand Treant in.¡¹ Hearing Vosk¡¯s words, Rei recalled the materials he had heard of since coming to Exil before speaking. ¡¸A Treant¡¯s body? ¡­¡­Oh, I heard they could be sold at a high price to be used as building materials.¡¹ ¡¸Correct. Of course, it¡¯s not just for building materials. A Grand Treant¡¯s branches are also useful in making wants used by mages and as alchemy materials. It¡¯s a lot of work to bring back large monsters, but they¡¯re worth it. ¡­¡­What do you think, you¡¯ll reach the 21st floor soon, right? If you can kill a Grand Treant, we¡¯ll buy it from you at a high price.¡¹ Vosk¡¯s words implied that Rei could bring the body back a lot more easily with his item box and while he said it in a lighthearted tone, Vosk was actually being quite serious to Rei. ¡¸Sure, I¡¯ll remember that.¡¹ In response, Rei also replied casually before turning to look at the monster lying in front of them. It was over 2m long and, if you include the tail that had been cut off and lined up next to its body, it would be close to 3m in length. It had slash wounds, stab wounds that seemed to be from a spear and arrow like wounds all over its body. There were also burn marks on its head. (From magic, I assume.) Sharp claws protruded from its limbs, looking sharp enough to easily cut through cheap weapons and armour. ¡¸From what I can tell, it looks like a pretty high ranking monster.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. As I said, it was a monster that took 13 adventurers from several parties to kill. There were also two mages in the parties. Considering that, it¡¯s at least B rank. The monster this seems to have been based on, a Shadow Wolf, is only a D rank monster.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Shadow Wolf?¡¹ Hearing Vosk¡¯s words, Rei turned to look at the monster. He had no objections to it being a wolf monster and not a dog monster, but its fur was blue. At the very least, it wasn¡¯t a black that could be called ¡®shadow¡¯. Hearing Rei¡¯s query, Elena shrugged her shoulders as she spoke. ¡¸Rei, abnormal species change greatly in shape and appearance compared to the original monster they are based on. This shouldn¡¯t be surprising considering that we¡¯ve fought or seen several abnormal species before, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Now that you mention it, you are right.¡¹ At that moment, Rei thought of the abnormal species Skeleton they had killed today. Most Skeletons Rei knew weren¡¯t 3m tall with four arms and holding magic scimitars in each arm. ¡¸So, Vosk. I¡¯ve got the body of an abnormal species we killed¡­¡­do you want me to put it next to this monster?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ll prepare another spot right away if you can wait a minute. If you put it next to this Shadow Wolf, it will get in the way of our investigations.¡¹ After saying that, Vosk gave instructions to some people nearby. A platform was built and moved over to Rei immediately. ¡¸Please put it here.¡¹ Nodding at Vosk, Rei searched through the list of items in the Misty Ring in his mind before selecting the abnormal species. The next moment, a huge 3m Skeleton appeared on the platform. Vosk¡¯s eyes widened at the strange appearance of the Skeleton. The reason he didn¡¯t show even more surprise was mostly because there was an even more powerful abnormal species already present. ¡¸Heh, is this¡­¡­an abnormal species of Skeleton?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, probably. yesterday, on the 15th floor, I ran into adventurers from the Silva family¡­¡­um, the adventurers that we had met during the Sword Bee incident. They told us that they had seen one around that floor.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Even so, it has four arms. I feel like it would be hard to fight like that.¡¹ Vosk muttered as he made a gesture of swinging a great sword, which was what he used. As expected, he didn¡¯t actually swing his weapon around inside the warehouse. ¡¸That¡¯s because you use a great sword. This abnormal species used four scimitars. By the way, here they are.¡¹ Scimitars appeared from nowhere again. Vosk aside, none of the researchers in the warehouse seemed to show a reaction to seeing Rei¡¯s Misty Ring. That was probably because they had already seen the Misty Ring being used several times before and because they knew Rei was on good terms with Vosk. ¡¸Are these magic weapons?¡¹ Vosk muttered as he picked up one of the scimitars that had been placed next to the abnormal species. ¡¸Yeah. They aren¡¯t the highest quality, but they¡¯re definitely magic items.¡¹ ¡¸Wait. Then, doesn¡¯t that mean? Is it possible to create magic items by using chaos seeds to create abnormal species from monsters?¡¹ Vosk asked Rei with a sharp, piercing gaze. However, Rei took that gaze head on and shook his head with seemingly no concern. ¡¸Even if you ask me, I wouldn¡¯t know. In the first place, I¡¯m not the one giving chaos seeds to the monsters. If you want to find out, you¡¯ll have to look for those who are creating the abnormal species.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yeah. That¡¯s true.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Just in case, you¡¯re not thinking of using chaos seeds to mass produce magic items, are you?¡¹ Rei looked at Vosk with a sharp gaze, as if returning Vosk¡¯s earlier gaze directed towards him. Rei was only cooperating with Vosk because he wanted to solve the issue with abnormal species, not because he wanted to benefit the Silva family. If Vosk decided that there was a possibility of mass producing magic items and tried to copy the research into abnormal species, he would use whatever means possible to stop him. Vosk nodded after a few seconds of silence in response to the question directed at him. ¡¸Yeah. It would be a lie if I said I didn¡¯t consider it for a moment, but my goal is to make Exil prosper.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, you can trust him. He¡¯s not lying. No, if he really planned to doing anything, he would have told you openly.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Rei gave a small sigh before nodding slightly. ¡¸It is true that you don¡¯t look like someone who would keep secrets. ¡­¡­But, listen up okay? If you plan to intentionally create abnormal species, you¡¯ll find out why I¡¯m called Crimson.¡¹ For just a moment, Rei¡¯s blood lust shot through Vosk. Because it was only a brief moment, the researchers and other people within the warehouse didn¡¯t seem to notice anything. However, Rei had definitely projected his blood lust directly towards Vosk. ¡¸Hmm, okay. I¡¯ll remember that.¡¹ That said, Vosk didn¡¯t seem to show any response to Rei¡¯s attack and even smiled as he replied. Looking at Vosk for several more seconds, Rei gave a sigh as he shrugged his shoulders. What will happen if I take the wrong path? Based on Rei¡¯s response, Vosk understood what would happed if he did. Depending on how things went, Rei was willing to use any means possible to stop him. ¡¸Well, that aside. ¡­¡­How much would you pay for this abnormal species?¡¹ Rei suddenly changed the topic and Vosk calmly spoke after thinking for a few seconds. ¡¸¡­¡­How about 1 platinum coin?¡¹ The amount Vosk offered was by no means small. No, considering an adventurer¡¯s work, it was an incredible amount to earn in a single day. In reality, Rei had only spent several hours in the dungeon. However, Rei still frowned slightly. ¡¸That¡¯s a bit cheap. It was 4 platinum coins for the abnormal species of Cactus Mimic, right?¡¹ ¡¸Most of that was for the three men who created the abnormal species rather than the abnormal species itself.¡¹ ¡¸Aren¡¯t there also 4 magic weapons?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. Actually, with regards to the two headed wolf, we only gave 6 gold coins for it. The price includes the magic weapons. Besides, the magic weapons themselves aren¡¯t that high quality anyway, right?¡¹ Being told that, Rei had no choice but to accept the offer. With a small sigh, negotiations were concluded with at single platinum coin. ¡¸By the way, were you able to find out anything regarding the three men?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ve learned quite a few number of things, but¡­¡­as expected, it¡¯s not something I can tell you right now.¡¹ And so the discussion concluded. CH 483 It was the day after the fight with the abnormal species skeleton, after which its corpse and four magic weapons were sold to the Silva family. Rei could be seen on the streets of Exil. What was different from usual was that he wasn¡¯t heading for the dungeon, but for Exil¡¯s main gate. Above all, the biggest difference was that Elena and Yellow, who Rei had spent most of his time with in Exil, were not with him. Originally, Elena was supposed to go with him to assist with stripping materials. However, she had suddenly received and invitation from the Marschel family and her status required her to accept. Of course, Rei had some concerns about Elena visiting the Marschel family residence on her own. Unlike the Silva family, led by Vosk, the Levisor family, formerly led by Schaffner, and the Fraut family, which Byune was part of, they had never had any contact with the Marschel family. They were one of the three families that governed Exil. However, the number of people they hired was small and they could be considered Exil¡¯s most mysterious family. (And¡­¡­I¡¯m pretty sure they have something to do with the abnormal species situation.) Rei thought to himself as he ate some Fang Boar skewers that he had bought. Among the members of the adventurer party that had initally found Exil¡¯s dungeon, the Marschel family were the descendants of the mage. For that reason, Rei didn¡¯t believe that they had nothing to do with the abnormal species situation. That all said, Elena had been the only one to receive an invitation and Rei also had to handle the request he had submitted to the guild the day before to strip materials. He had considered just dumping all the monsters out before following Elena, but since the monsters were going to be dismantled outside of Exil, it meant that someone had to keep an eye out for monsters. He had also planned on learning how some monsters were dismantled. Above all, Elena had told him to leave it to her. After hearing that, Rei still tried to argue back. However, Elena believed she could handle it and wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. Eventually, Rei just went to the main gate along with Set. ¡¸Gurururu~?¡¹ Is everything okay? Set seemed to ask with a cry as he walked beside Rei. Rei gently reached out to stroke Set. ¡¸You¡¯re right, there¡¯s no point in me worrying. Besides, Elena is far more accustomed to communicating with nobles than I am.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Accompanied by Set¡¯s cries, Rei arrived at the main gate. There was already a group of more than 10 people waiting impatiently for Rei to arrive. To be precise, there were the 10 people who had accepted the request the day before and the four adventurers that Rei had saved, Tivia, Esetus, Nakuto, and Goto, 14 people in total. ¡¸¡­¡­Huh.¡¹ Rei¡¯s voice of surprise was from seeing Tivia who was missing her right arm. Even though she had been severely injured, she was already able to walk normally again the next day. As far as healing methods were concerned, Elgin¡¯s was far superior to what was available in Japan as Rei remembered. Thinking of that as he approached the group, whose gazes were focused on him and Set, Rei spoke up. ¡¸Thank you very much for coming. Are you the people who accepted the request to strip materials that I put up in the guild? If anyone has something to say, please step forward.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, no one raised any questions. To tell the truth, there were still some who didn¡¯t think much of Rei¡¯s appearance and had though about forcibly raising the reward. But, seeing Set with Rei, as expected, they didn¡¯t have the courage to say anything and kept quiet. ¡¸¡­¡­Alright, looks like everyone is here. Oh, some of you might be wondering why there were only 10 people in the request, but there are 14 now. The additional four will be assisting me for free. Because of that, the individual reward will not decrease even if they help out, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ Hearing his words, several adventurers let out sighs of relief. The request had only been recruiting 10 people, but more people had arrived than expected. ¡¸It was written in the request, but there are five types of monsters that need to be dismantled. Bloodydiles, an Earth Crab, a Spiral Rabbit, Kobolds, and Desert Lizardment. However, regarding the Bloodydiles and Kobolds, there are quite a lot of them. That said, as the names of the monsters were written in the request form, can I assume that you all know how to dismantle each of them?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, which seemed like a test of sorts, everyone nodded, sniffed, or smiled in the affirmative. ¡¸Okay then, the monsters will be dismantled in a forest outside of Exil. I had wanted to do it in a field if possible, but it would be a bit of a problem if people on their way to Exil gave me strange looks. As a side note, with regards to keeping guard as we strip materials¡­¡­Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ At Rei¡¯s call, Set looked at the adventurers with a cry. From Rei¡¯s perspective, Set¡¯s eyes looked round and adorable. However, each adventurer seemed to have a different expression. ¡¸Since Set will keep watch, there shouldn¡¯t be any worry of monsters approaching due to the smell of blood. If they still attack though, I will¡­¡­.¡¹ Pausing his words there, Rei took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring before swinging it. The sight of the 2m long scythe swinging around with enough force to slice the air gave the adventurers a different sense of fear compared to Set. ¡¸With my title of Crimson, I will repel them responsibly. You all know what will happen if you try to steal any materials, right?¡¹ Rei spun the Death Scythe before resting it on his shoulder as he spoke. His goal was to threaten them with what would happen if they tried to steal any materials to stop anyone from trying. In fact, with the threat of Set, the Death Scythe, and Rei¡¯s title of Crimson, the adventurers were scared enough to give up any thoughts of stealing materials. ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, does anyone have any questions?¡¹ After confirming that no one had any questions, Rei pulled down his hood and frowned for a moment at the sunlight before speaking. ¡¸If there are no questions, we will head out of Exil right away. Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about lunch. We will have monster meat from the Desert Lizardmen and Bloodydiles after stripping all the materials for lunch. As for seasoning, there will be sauce and salt.¡¹ In this case, it could be considered a carrot and stick of sorts. All the fear and awe the adventurers had for Rei faded away when they were told they would be feasting on monster meat. Although the carrot wasn¡¯t as good as the stick was in punishment, it was still enough to get the adventurers moving. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s get out of Exil first.¡¹ With Rei¡¯s words, they all headed out the main gate. Travelling about 30 minutes away from Exil by foot, they reached a place filled with trees that was closer to a forest than woodland. Rei and rest of the group decided to dismantle the monsters here. In addition, this location was also some distance from the road leading to Exil, so if they dismantle monsters here, they wouldn¡¯t be seen by anyone heading for Exil. There was also a small river running by, which softened the summer heat somewhat. That said, of all the places that Rei had heard from the staff at the inn where monsters could be dismantled, Rei didn¡¯t chose this place for the coolness provided by the river. Rather, he couldn¡¯t deny that he hadn¡¯t considered that, but the main reason was so they could wash their hands of the blood after dismantling all the monsters. The only drawback was that there were mosquitoes and other bugs in the forest, but that could be handled without problem using some insect repellent magic items that the adventurers had brought. ¡¸Okay then, let¡¯s split into groups. Two people will handle the Desert Lizardmen, two will handle the Earth Crab, one will deal with the Spiral Rabbit, four will dismantle the Bloodydiles, and everyone will work on the Kobolds. Once we¡¯re done with the Kobolds, please help out the other groups that haven¡¯t finished yet.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out the monsters from the Misty Ring, one after another. Most of the adventurers had wide eyes at the sight of of the monsters coming out of the Misty Ring. The only people who weren¡¯t surprised were the four who had seen Rei use the Misty Ring in front of them yesterday. Of course, the information that Rei had an item box was already well known, but even so, seeing it with their own eyes was something different. ¡¸Haha. Don¡¯t forget to hand all the materials, magic stones, and proofs of subjugation back to Rei-san.¡¹ For some reason, Tivia ended up being the one in charge as everyone dispersed into their groups while conversing with each other. ¡¸Rei-san, the Kobolds are small and there are a lot of them, so I think they¡¯ll be finished up quickly. Because of that, it might be better to have more people work on them first.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s true.¡¹ Even though she had lost her arm just the day before, Tivia gave instructions to everyone without worrying about it. The other adventurers also followed her instructions obediently. Rei was a little confused about how the situation had turned out as such, but as there weren¡¯t any particular problems right now, as long as the monster dismantling went smoothly, Rei left it to Tivia. Although Rei and Elena weren¡¯t aware of it, Tivia¡¯s party was somewhat well known in Exil. Due to the name of their party, the other adventurers were willing to follow them obediently. ¡¸The number of Kobolds¡­¡­is this fine for now?¡¹ Rei turned to glance at the five Kobolds he had taken out from the Misty Ring as he asked Tivia. ¡¸Yes. I don¡¯t think we are overstaffed with that many. You can take out more when we¡¯re done with these.¡¹ ¡¸Sure. ¡­¡­Set, I¡¯ll leave the watch to you.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Seeing Set tilt his head and give a cry, Rei understood what he was trying to say as he nodded back with a small smile. ¡¸Yeah, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely call you for lunch. The Earth Crab will be saved to eat with Elena and Yellow, but you can have any of the other monster meat.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a happy cry before leaving. With all the trees growing in the area, it wasn¡¯t possible to keep watch from the sky. Because of that, Set decided to use his five senses and magic power to keep watch for any monsters from a distance so as to not disturb the adventurers. Seeing Set leave, the adventurers started to dismantle the monsters with feelings of relief. ¡¸Don¡¯t scratch the skin of the Bloodydiles. It¡¯s not just useful as armour, it can also be used as a decoration.¡¹ ¡¸Fangs, the fangs. First of all, make sure the fangs don¡¯t get in the way of striping materials.¡¹ ¡¸Hah-!? I always do it like this though?¡¹ ¡¸The Earth Crab has a hard shell, but fortunately most of its legs and claws have already been removed.¡¹ ¡¸The proof of subjugation for Kobolds are their right ears.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Desert Lizardmen skin is a material right? I¡¯ll strip it off the tail, so please help me hold it there, the legs are in the way.¡¹ As they conversed like that, material stripping proceeded smoothly for the next hour or so¡­¡­ ¡¸GURURURURURURU~!¡¹ Set¡¯s cry of alarm echoed into the surroundings and one of the adventurers looked up into the sky to see what the cause of alarm was before shouting out. ¡¸It¡¯s a Wyvern, there¡¯s a Wyvern in the sky!¡¹ CH 484 The Wyvern, which had been flying through the sky as if it owned it, suddenly smelled the thick scent of blood. Not just one scent of blood, but multiple scents of blood. It flapped its wings, drawn over by the mix of scents. Among the various Dragon species, Wyverns were the lowest ranking ones. That said, they were still considered a kind of Dragon. Naturally, compared to ordinary monsters, Wyverns had considerable combat power. The Wyverns raised by Dragon Knights from eggs had strength on par with C or B rank monsters. For a wild Wyvern, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that they were stronger than B rank. It was impossible for ordinary monsters to compete against a Wyvern flying in the sky. There was no opponent that it couldn¡¯t defeat with its own claws and fangs. Unfortunately, this Wyvern was unlucky in the sense that it had never met anything stronger than itself since it was born. If they weren¡¯t its parents or siblings, then they were its prey for hunting. This unlucky Wyvern, who thought itself to be the king of the sky¡­¡­or lucky depending on how you look at it, was attracted by the scent of blood drifting up from the forest below as it searched while looking down. The forest might have blocked its view, but it couldn¡¯t get rid of the smell of blood. After flying over the forest several times, the Wyvern¡¯s sharp eyes eventually succeeded in capturing the figures of many humans between the gaps in foliage. It had eaten a few Orcs in the morning, but it was already hungry again. Because of that, it gave a cry to show off its presence, as if telling them to hand over its rightful prey. ¡¸SHGAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹ It was a roar that had more of a wild feeling to it, different from the Wyverns that Dragon Knights rode. Up until now, any prey that heard its roar would run away or realise they couldn¡¯t escape and accept their fate. However¡­¡­that was only what the Wyvern had experienced so far. As if he hadn¡¯t heard its roar, a lone creature flew up into the sky. A monster with the lower body of a lion and the upper body of an eagle. A Griffon, an A rank monster which would normally be considered higher ranking than a Wyvern. But, since the Wyvern had never encountered a monster higher ranked than itself, its wild intution didn¡¯t sense anything. On the contrary, it thought that its prey had decided to fly up to hand themselves over. It would soon realise its own arrogance. Going back a bit earlier in time. The adventurers started making a fuss when they spotted the Wyvern flying over the forest, but when Rei swung the Death Scythe around, they all felt silent from the pressure. Rei spoke up after seeing their eyes focus on him. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. Dealing with one or two Wyverns won¡¯t be an issue as long as Set and I are here.¡¹ ¡¸No, but that¡¯s a Wyvern you know? Will it really be okay?¡¹ One of the adventurers replied as if they coulnd¡¯t believe what Rei said, the other adventurers nodded in agreement. However, even though they looked at Rei with distrust and anxiety, Rei didn¡¯t seem to care as he turned to look towards the forest. It was in a completely different direction to where the Wyvern was. As if following his gaze, the adventurers also turned to look over, from where Set appeared between the trees. Seeing Set, the adventurers¡¯ expressions started to fill with hope. It was true that wild Wyverns were high ranking monsters. However, the Griffon before them was an A rank monster that surpassed a Wyvern. At this point, so as to not miss the timing, Rei spoke up. ¡¸My title, Crimson, was given to me during the war with the Bestir Empire last spring. Back then, we had fought more than one Dragon Knight at the same time on even footing and defeated all of them. Both Set and I are here. When you think about it, one Wyvern doesn¡¯t really matter.¡¹ Deliberately pausing for a moment, Rei continued with a ferocious smile. ¡¸No, rather, Wyverns are nothing more than prey. ¡­¡­Listen up, I¡¯m going to take care of the Wyvern now. If I do that, the Wyvern will become part of the monsters to dismantle in this request. Does anyone have any thoughts?¡¹ Saying that, he glanced at all the adventurers, but no one said anything and just stayed silent. Among the adventurers, there were some who were thinking that the Wyvern hadn¡¯t been one of the monsters listed in the request, but no one them said anything about it. After all, the only one that could help them against the Wyvern right now was Rei. From his appearance alone, Rei didn¡¯t seem like someone who had a title or someone who could defeat a Dragon Knight. However, he was given the title Crimson and he had actually defeated Dragon Knights. ¡¸Okay then, I¡¯m going to kill the Wyvern. Just to be safe, you guys should hide under the trees so it can¡¯t find you. Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s call, Set crouched down as if he knew what Rei wanted. After making sure that Rei was on his back, Set ran up into the air with a few steps and flap of his wings. The adventurers distracted by the amazing sight before they heard the Wyvern¡¯s roar and recollected themselves, quickly hiding themselves behind various trees and rocks. All while trying to believe in Rei¡¯s skills. Leaving the forest, Rei and Set saw a Wyvern roaring at the ground, It¡¯s body was covered in green scales and it was larger and more powerful than the Wyverns the Dragon Knights that Rei fought in the previous war rode. (This is the difference between a tamed Wyvern and a wild Wyvern, huh. I don¡¯t need Wyvern magic stones anymore though.) As a result of fighting in the last war, both Set and the Death Scythe had already absorbed a Wyvern magic stone. So, even if they killed the Wyvern here, there would be little benefit with regards to the Magic Beast Art. Of course, other than that, materials were a completely different matter. Even though Wyverns were the lowest ranking kind of Dragon, it was still a Dragon, so its materials could be sold at a high price. Alternatively, if he didn¡¯t want to do that, Rei could also try to capture it to sell for an even higher price. Ordinary Dragon Knights raised Wyverns from an egg to develop a bond with them. However, it wasn¡¯t that easy to obtain a Wyvern egg. There were also those that wanted to become Dragon Knights but didn¡¯t want to be tied down in service to a noble. For such people, their last resort would be to become a Dragon Knight by taming a wild Wyvern. Of course, becoming a Dragon Knight using this method was extremely difficult and almost always resulted in the aspiring Dragon Knight dying or the Wyvern being killed or released. ¡¸SHGAAaaaAAaaah-!¡¹ The Wyvern roared provocatively towards Rei and Set, who appeared from the forest. If it had been any monster which the Wyvern had previously run into, they would have run away or lost their fighting spirit with just that. As a Wyvern living in a narrow world, it had assumed that Set and Rei¡¯s response would be the same. However¡­¡­ ¡¸GURURURURURURURURURURURURURURURU~!¡¹ In response to the Wyvern¡¯s roar, Set gave an even more intimidating cry. It wasn¡¯t just any cry either. It used one of Set¡¯s skills, a cry using King¡¯s Awe. As expected, it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the Wyvern¡¯s movement with the skill at level 1, but even so, the Wyvern slowed down slightly. ¡¸SHGAaaah!¡¹ Not wanting to be outdone by Set¡¯s pressure, the Wyvern gave another roar as it opened its mouth wide¡­¡­the next moment, it used Fire Breath as fire spewed out from its mouth. ¡¸What-!?¡¹ Although Rei had expected a similar attack when the Wyvern opened its mouth, he hadn¡¯t expected the Wyvern to use Fire Breath. Among the Dragon Knights Rei had fought before, their Wyverns had only spit out fire balls instead of using something like Fire Breath. Even so, as expected of Set, he folded his wings and dived down, under the Fire Breath. (Fire Breath, huh? Maybe it¡¯s a different species compared to the Wyverns Dragon Knights ride? ¡­¡­NO, it¡¯s slightly larger, but looks basically the same. That means that Dragon Knight Wyverns should also be able to use Fire Breath. Maybe it has something to do with the environment they were raised in?) Rei thought to himself with some confusion as he felt the Fire Breath pass right over his head. Needless to say, Fire Breath was an attack that could be moved by turning ones head and was much more of a threat compared to a single fireball. Furthermore, there was a slight time lag between spitting out fireballs while Fire Breath only required a deep breath before it could be used. Of course, there were monsters that could shoot out fireballs continuously without break, but there were always exceptions, some monsters needed a long break between using Fire Breath attacks. ¡¸Damn it, I wish I could use Fire Breath as well¡­¡­!¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he recalled the adventurers who were probably hiding in the forest. With those words, Set spread his wings to stop them from falling further before flying up again. Their aim was the underside of the Wyvern. Of course, the Wyvern had no intention of letting Rei and Set get right up to him. It used Fire Breath again as it tried to stop them from getting closer. However, unlike its first attack, Set already understood that the Wyvern used Fire Breath instead of spitting out fireballs. Because of that, Set flapped his wings and gradually closed the distance to the Wyvern as he dodged away from the Fire Breath. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ The flying slash that flew out from Rei¡¯s Death Scythe flew straight towards the Wyvern¡­¡­and the next moment, the skin of the Wyvern¡¯s right wing was slashed. ¡¸Shgaah!? SHGAAAaaaAaAH!¡¹ The Wyvern let out a roar as it suddenly lost its balance and started to fall towards the ground. ¡¸GURU, GURURURURURU~!¡¹ While raising a cry, Set used Evil Eye Impact. The Wyvern, that had been struggling to regain its balance, suddenly received an impact to the head, as if it had been hit by something, further increasing its confusion. Due to the distance between Set and the Wyvern, the level 1 Evil Eye Impact wasn¡¯t able to deal that much damage. However, even if it didn¡¯t do any damage, the impact was enough to distract the Wyvern for a moment. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ Another Flying Slash flew out. Tearing through the air, it slashed the Wyvern¡¯s left wing. ¡¸SH-SHGAAaaaAaaaAH!¡¹ Already unable to regain its balance, the Wyvern plummeted towards the ground at a even greater speed. As if chasing after it, Set flapped his wings as he dived towards the ground. ¡¸GURURURURURURU~!¡¹ Flapping its wings several times, Set gained speed as he caught up to the Wyvern. Giving a loud cry as he raised his front claws¡­¡­Set used Power Crush, a skill he had just learned the day before. Up until now, Set¡¯s attacks had boasted brutal power due to his own physical strength and the effects of the Bracelet of Herculean Strength. However, this time, his attack was bolstered by the use of Power Crush and speed from diving from a higher point. Because of that, Set¡¯s attack strength had risen to a different level compared to before. Set¡¯s attack struck the Wyvern¡¯s neck¡­¡­.it didn¡¯t just crush the bones in Wyvern¡¯s neck, it tore right through the Wyvern¡¯s neck. The Wyvern didn¡¯t even know what happened to itself, the last thing it saw was Set¡¯s claws swinging towards it. The next moment, its consciousness disappeared as its life faded away. A squishy sound, one that a live creature wouldn¡¯t make, echoed out into the surroundings and was heard by the adventurers in the forest below. At the same time, Set¡¯s attack caused the Wyvern¡¯s head and body completely separated as they fell to the ground. ¡¸Watch out below!¡¹ Rei shouted out from the sky, and fortunately the Wyvern¡¯s body didn¡¯t hit anyone. The head was caught in the branches of a tree while the body destroyed several trees that served to absorb its impact before it hit the ground. Naturally, the Wyvern¡¯s corpse was barely damaged even in such a situation because it was still a kind of Dragon, if a low ranking one. CH 485 Seeing the body of the Wyvern fall close to them, the adventurers hiding in the forest went over. ¡¸Hey. It really is the body of a Wyvern.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah. You can tell just by looking at it. Don¡¯t get too close. Even though it¡¯s the lowest ranking species of Dragon, it¡¯s still a Dragon. Even with its head gone it might still move.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible. ¡­¡­Uwaaah!¡¹ The moment one of the the adventurers touched the headless Wyvern, the Wyvern¡¯s left leg twitched. The adventurer retreated as soon as he saw that, causing the other adventurers to laugh. ¡¸There¡¯s no need to laugh! Any normal person would react the same!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, there¡¯s no point just leaving it here, right? Let¡¯s carry it back to where we were before.¡¹ At Tivia¡¯s words, the adventurers didn¡¯t look too happy. After all, even though the Wyvern was missing its head, it was still 4m long, including the tail. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how much it would weigh. ¡¸The body is fine, but what about the head?¡¹ One of the adventurers asked Tivia as they looked at the Wyvern¡¯s head, which was sitting on a tree branch quite high up. In response, Tivia turned to look at Nakuto. Nakuto, as a thief, was naturally agile and it wouldn¡¯t be too hard for him to climb the tree. As Nakuto gave a sigh and was about to speak up, he suddenly heard the sound of flapping wings. At the same time, he saw Set attempt to grab the Wyvern¡¯s head with his claws. After getting a hold of the head, Set descended to the ground before Rei called out to everyone. ¡¸Sorry, it was a bit more trouble than expected. The Wyverns that belonged to the Dragon Knights I fought had only spat out fireballs, I didn¡¯t expect it to use fire breath.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes. I guess that¡¯s so.¡¹ Tivia responded to Rei perfunctorily. Even though he had basically killed a Wyvern 1v1, Rei didn¡¯t look proud about it, rather he had a somewhat embarrassed expression on his face. From her and her party¡¯s point of view, Rei had basically killed an abnormal species Skeleton on his own, which was roughly B rank in strength. Considering that, they came to the conclusion that it wasn¡¯t that strange for Rei to be able to kill a Wyvern. ¡¸Anyway, you can head back to where you were before to continue dismantling the monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. If I use the item box, it won¡¯t be as hard.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh, you¡¯re right.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, everyone present, including Tivia, nodded in understanding. Surprised once again by the amazing utility of Rei¡¯s item box, they went back to stripping materials in order to complete the request. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Set rubbed his head against Rei with a cry, as if asking for praise. It seemed like he wanted to say that he had killed the Wyvern without exploding its head, like when he had fought the Kobolds in the dungeon. ¡¸Yeah, well done. It¡¯s a pity that the neck is all gone, but for a Wyvern, the only real material in its neck would be¡­¡­well, it¡¯s bones? Bones can be taken from the rest of its body. Considering that, you get a passing score.¡¹ Saying that, Rei gently stroked Set¡¯s head. Set, who was delighted by the sensation, enjoyed it for several minutes before Rei¡¯s gaze turned to the body of the Wyvern lying on the ground. ¡¸Today¡¯s lunch will be meat from this Wyvern. If it¡¯s this big, you should be able to eat your fill Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set let out a cry of joy at Rei¡¯s words before Rei reached out and stored the Wyvern¡¯s head and body into the Misty Ring. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s get back to stripping materials. I¡¯ll leave the guard to you. Then¡­¡­¡¹ Rei paused as he looked up into the sky. Judging from the position of the sun that it was probably around 10am, he turned back to Set again before continuing. ¡¸We¡¯ll have lunch in about 2 hours, so don¡¯t keep asking.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Whether it was due to his request or simply because he was looking forward to the Wyvern meat, Set gave a cry before walking off into the forest again. Seeing him head off, Rei also went back to the location where the monsters were being dismantled. What Rei saw when he returned was quite unexpected in some ways. ¡¸Hey, hold down the tail over there. It will slip when you skin it.¡¹ ¡¸Oh? Oh, sorry, sorry. Give me a moment. The blood is making this slippery¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wash your hands before doing it then.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to take off the Earth Crab¡¯s shell! Give me a hand! Are you ready? Match my timing!¡¹ The way everyone was working to strip materials made it feels like a Wyvern had never attacked. ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re back. Here, this. I¡¯ve finished dismantling the Spiral Rabbit. The right ear here is proof of subjugation, these are the horn, meat and fur.¡¹ Spotting Rei, and adventurer showed him the results of his work on the ground. As expected, the Spiral Rabbit wasn¡¯t that big compared to other monsters, so he was able to dismantle it quickly. ¡¸Oh, okay.¡¹ At the adventurer¡¯s prompt, the materials, magic stone, and proof of subjugation were all stored into the Misty Ring. ¡¸What about the internal organs? If we leave them as they are, wild animals and other monsters will gather and it might get dangerous.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, we¡¯ll dig a hole somewhere and dump it all there. Later, I¡¯ll burn everything with fire magic.¡¹ At this point, Rei paused before shouting so that everyone stripping materials could hear him. ¡¸Pardon me, but when you¡¯re all done with your work, please give me a hand. It¡¯s the Wyvern I killed earlier. I¡¯d like to have its meat for lunch today.¡¹ ¡ºUOOOOOOOH!¡» At Rei¡¯s words, many of the adventurers shouted in joy. Although there were some exceptions, the higher the rank of a monster, the more delicious its meat would typically be due to the magic power it contained. And, the Wyvern that Rei killed was undoubtedly a strong B rank monster. Their response was only natural. ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure? They really are excited about it.¡¹ In the midst of all this, Tivia, who had been entrusted with the role of giving out instructions, perhaps because she was missing an arm, turned to Rei and asked. ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s a monster that wasn¡¯t originally part of the request¡­¡­oh, of course, you guys will have your share as well, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Um¡­¡­thank you.¡¹ Leaving Tivia stuttering, as she seemed to have been caught by surprise, Rei took out the Wyvern that had been stored inside the Misty Ring. ¡¸Wow, it¡¯s really impressive to see such a huge body appearing from nowhere.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously. An item box. I had seen it yesterday, but it¡¯s still surprising to see it used like this.¡¹ While Esetus and Nakuto commented as they dismantled Kobolds, Tivia came back to her senses before shouting. ¡¸Hey, this Wyvern is our lunch for today, so let¡¯s quickly finish up our work! You¡¯ve almost finished dismantling the Earth Crab over there, so you should be fine on your own. We don¡¯t need that many people working on the Desert Lizardmen either, so let¡¯s get started working on the Wyvern. ¡­¡­Is there anyone here who hasn¡¯t dismantled a Wyvern before¡­¡­no, is there anyone here who has?¡¹ Although she rapidly gave out instructions, no one but Esetus, Nakuto, and Goto raised their hands in response to her question. Rather, the fact that Tivia¡¯s party did have experience dismantling a Wyvern was more surprising to the other adventurers. However, it would be more accurate to say that they had experience dismantling Wyverns that had been ridden by Dragon Knights from the Bestir Empire, which had been killed by the Mireana Kingdom several years back. In any case, Tivia and her party instructed everyone who was available on how to strip materials from a Wyvern. This time, Rei didn¡¯t just watch but actively participated in the dismantling in order to learn the process. Bones, meant, magic stone, fangs, scales, claws, wings. In addition to those, the tongue and several internal organs, including the organ for spitting flames, was also removed. As expected of a species of Dragon, even if it was the lowest ranking species, almost nothing was discarded. In any case, the scales were removed, it was skinned, and then chunks of meat cut away as everyone began to help. This continued for about an hour. As expected, with over 10 people working together, the Wyvern was completely dismantled and its materials stripped within that amount of time. The sunlight pouring down made them sweat, but the river that ran nearby was clean and the heat soon subsided as they washed their hands and face. Rei washed his hands and face as soon as could before leaving the river and immediately starting to cook the Wyvern meat for lunch. First, he took out a kitchen knife and a cutting board from the Misty Ring before cutting up the Wyvern meat. Since he had the time, he used branches from nearby trees as skewers as he pierced various pieces of meat and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. As he did that, several adventurers with cooking experience offered to help out. Despite having only one arm, Tivia was still able to skillfully skewer meat with one hand. ¡¸Heh, you¡¯re quite skilled at this.¡¹ ¡¸Well, this much is natural.¡¹ ¡¸Rei, is this how you want the meat?¡¹ ¡¸Cut the sinew, the sinew. Otherwise it will get stuck in your teeth.¡¹ ¡¸Even if I look like this, I¡¯m still a Wolfkin. I can eat this meat.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, a Wolfkin adventurer said so with a smile. However, the next moment, another adventurer dropped their fist on the back of his head. ¡¸That hurts-!¡¹ ¡¸Even if you¡¯re fine with it, most of us are still humans. Think about that.¡¹ As they exchanged words like that, preparations were completed. Rei used his magic to start a fire and the skewers were lined up around it. Rei had originally planed to make other dishes aside from skewers, but as expected, he couldn¡¯t cook up that big of variety for this many people. He had thought of making a stetw, but if he asked who would want to drink a hot stew in this weather, Rei judged that most of them would probably say no. So in the end, he decided to just stick with grilled skewers. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set seemed to have smelled the cooking meat. Before Rei realised it, Set was giving cries as he approached Rei¡­¡­or more accurately, the fire near Rei. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Can we eat yet? Set seemed to ask with a cry. Unfortunately, only those who were close to Set would understand what he meant and there wasn¡¯t anyone else that close to him here aside from Rei. Because of that, Set¡¯s cry seemed threatening and the adventurers who had been waiting for the grilled skewers on the fire involuntarily took several steps back. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Set isn¡¯t someone who would attack anyone without reason.¡¹ Telling that to the adventurers around him, Rei stroked Set¡¯s head and made him lie on the ground to show that he was safe. ¡¸See, he¡¯s quite calm. Rather than that, season the skewers with this.¡¹ As he stroked Set, Rei handed over a jar containing sauce from the Misty Ring to a nearby adventurer. ¡¸Y-Yes sir!¡¹ Did they believe Rei¡¯s words, or could they just not hold back any longer after smelling the scent of charring meat floating around? Either way, after receiving the jar of sauce from Rei, the adventurer immediately spread it across some meat. There were also those who just wanted to eat skewers seasoned with salt and pepper, so only half the adventurers used the sauce. In addition to the scent of charred meat, the smell of sauce gradually started to waft into the surroundings as well, strongly stimulating everyone¡¯s appetite. ¡¸Guru~, Gururururururu~¡­¡­¡¹ Set¡¯s cry rang out as if saying he wanted to eat it quickly. In that moment, the other adventurers didn¡¯t show any signs of being afraid of Set, but instead looked at the meat as if agreeing with him¡­¡­ Before long, Tivia, who had taken charge of cooking, spoke up. ¡¸Well, it looks good now. It¡¯s time for lunch. Let¡¯s eat our fill and do our best in the afternoon.¡¹ ¡ºUOOOOOOOOH!¡» The adventurers all reached for the skewers with a shout. Among them was Rei, who quickly grabbed 10 skewers for himself and Set before leaving. ¡¸Guru~, Guru~, Guru~¡¹ Set gave a happy cry as Rei placed half of the skewers on a large leaf that had been taken from a nearby tree. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Seeing Set, who had been waiting all this time, reach for the skewers with his beak, Rei also started to eat his own skewers. First up was the salt and pepper skewers. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the flavour made you want to bite into it again and again. Next, when he ate the grilled skewers with sauce, the rich aroma of the sauce spread through his mouth and the savoury aroma of the slightly burnt sauce and the taste of Wyvern meat intertwined intricately. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s delicious¡­¡­¡¹ Rei whispered as he bit into the skewers again. Everyone also continued to eat the Wyvern meat skewers in silence. Due to the influence of lunch, everyone became very united and the dismantling of monsters in the afternoon proceeded smoothly. By the end, everything had been successfully dismantled before the end of the day. The adventurers who had accepted the request received their rewards and bonuses. Rei sold off all the materials he didn¡¯t need, aside from the magic stone, and earned a profit of several platinum coins. CH 486 ¡¸Please wait here. I will call Pree-sama right away.¡¹ Elena was guided to what seemed to be a living room, where she sat down on a sofa before letting out a small sigh. ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ He must have wondered what Elena was thinking. Yellow, who was perched on her left shoulder, tilted his head as he gave a cry. ¡¸Hm, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just the last family that governs Exil. I¡¯m just wondering what kind of person the family head is. ¡­¡­If possible, I¡¯d have liked to participate in the monster dismantling with Rei.¡¹ To be honest, she had hesitated a lot after receiving the invitation from the Marschel family. However, the invitation was from the head of the Marschel family, who rarely appeared in public. Ultimately, her desire to meet at least once prevailed and thus she came to the Marschel family¡¯s residence alone¡­¡­no, rather, she came together with Yellow. (Schaffner is still missing and hasn¡¯t been caught. Of course, there¡¯s no reason for the Levisor family to collapse as a successor has taken over. However, considering the series of events, the Levisor family is close to becoming a puppet of the Silva family. ¡­¡­The only saving grace is that Vosk didn¡¯t seem to have any intentions of using the Levisor family for his own selfish purposes.) Having met with with Vosk on several occasions, she had gathered an understanding of him, albeit incompletely. She felt that he was a bit of a problematic person, the first time they had met was a good example. However, his feelings for Exil were genuine. That was why the Silva family had been so desperate to deal with the existence of abnormal species to the extent of using the Silva family¡¯s own property to collect information from the corpses of abnormal species. Of course, this was probably all done because they believed that it would benefit the Silva family¡­¡­and ultimately, the Labyrinth City Exil. ¡¸Kyu, Kyukyu!¡¹ As Elena was immersed in her thoughts, Yellow moved from her left shoulder to the table as it reached out its claw for a cookie on the plate and bit into it with its small mouth. Feeling warmed by the sight, Elena reached out for her cup of tea that was also on the table. ¡¸Fufu~, eat cleanly, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Elena said that as she drank her tea while Yellow gave a cry and wagged his tail in response while biting into a cookie. For a few minutes, they spent what could be called a relaxing time inside the mansion of someone they could call an enemy¡­¡­before there was a knock on the door, which Elena turned to look over at. ¡¸Sorry to keep you waiting, Elena Kerebel-sama. My name is Pree Marschel, the head of the Marschel family.¡¹ Along with those words, a middle aged woman in her 40¡¯s appeared. Her body was adorned with accessories such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, anklets, earrings, and hair ornaments. It hurt Elena¡¯s eyes just to look at her. However, having received education as the daughter of Duke Kerebel, Elena just nodded slightly without revealing her inner thoughts. ¡¸I had also wanted to meet with someone from the Marschel family. In that sense, the timing was just right.¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, hearing you say that makes my invitation worth it.¡¹ Pree said that with a big smile on her face, but Elena could sense that her smile didn¡¯t carry any of the intent with it. (In addition, as someone who governs this Labyrinth City, it¡¯s natural that she probably has her own thoughts on things.) ¡¸From what I¡¯ve heard, you rarely make public appearances. Is there a reason for that?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no particular reason. I just don¡¯t particularly like appearing in front of people. If I had the time, I feel it would be more meaningful to study magic.¡¹ Admiring her words, Elena gave a smile and nodded before speaking. ¡¸¡­¡­Oh? Speaking of which, among the members of the party that found the dungeon located here, the Marschel family¡¯s ancestor was a mage. If you don¡¯t mind, would you be able to tell me what you¡¯re researching?¡¹ As she asked that, a thought regarding abnormal species passed through her mind. When the Levisor family incident had come to light, by the time the Silva family had reached the research lab, all the researchers had already been killed. Just looking at that point alone, it was clear that the Levisor family hadn¡¯t been the only one involved in the matter of abnormal species. And, as for Elena, a prime candidate for the mastermind was the person in front of her, the head of the Marschel family, Pree. ¡¸I don¡¯t want to reveal too much¡­¡­but if you¡¯re from Duke Kerebel¡¯s family, I don¡¯t mind telling you about it. I¡¯m actually working on sealing magic in gems.¡¹ ¡¸Sealing magic in gems?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. For example, Elena-sama is a well known user of wind magic. I am hoping to create a gem that can contain a magic like Wind Arrow. When someone uses the gem, the effect of Wind Arrow would activate immediately¡­¡­I would like to see that become a reality. If my research bears fruit, it would be a great help to adventurers as the number of mages is ultimately very small.¡¹ Pree replied as if she had no other intentions, but Elena seemed confused. ¡¸But, aren¡¯t there already magic items with similar effects? Items that emit magical effects when magic power is provided.¡¹ The items that came to Elena¡¯s mind were the Dagger of Flowing Water and the Thorns Spear that Rei had. The Dagger of Flowing Water could only be used to create drinking water due to the incompatibility of Rei¡¯s magic power. But, if someone with compatible magic power used it, it could turn into water whip or water sword. As for the Thorns Spear, when it pierced the enemy, it would create thorns from within the enemy¡¯s body, halting their movement as well. It was an effect that could be considered quite outrageous. Of course, that wasn¡¯t all. The Shoes of Sleipnir that Elena wore allowed her to walk on air, her sword whip could also be freely manipulated with her magic power. Aren¡¯t they basically the same as your goal with gems? At Elena¡¯s implied question, Pree shook her head. ¡¸No, no, it¡¯s true that they can produce magical effects, like what Elena-sama said. However, according to my research, it will be possible for low ranking adventurers to utilise them to a certain extent.¡¹ ¡¸Well, if that¡¯s true, it truly is a wonderful research.¡¹ Elena nodded, but the next moment, her gaze sharpened as she stared at Pree. ¡¸By the way, changing the subject¡­¡­recently, monsters known as abnormal species have been found inside the dungeon. Do you know about them?¡¹ Pree sighed regretfully as she nodded at Elena, who¡¯s question showed that she wouldn¡¯t forgive any lies. ¡¸Yes, of course. I am still the head of the Marschel family. I have received all the relevant information from the guild¡­¡­ Why did Schaffner have to do that¡­¡­to be honest, I still have a hard time understanding it.¡¹ ¡¸Schaffner is still missing. Do you have any idea where he might be hiding?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately not. As someone who govern¡¯s Exil, I would like him to be caught as soon as possible to pay for his crimes.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. If you don¡¯t know, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ Elena nodded at Pree¡¯s response, but she had a revolting feeling inside. There was nothing suspicious with what she had said. However, Elena¡¯s instincts told her that the person in front of her was undoubtedly somehow involved in the current turmoil in Exil. However, without any evidence, she couldn¡¯t do anything, so all she could do was hold back her words. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s very unfortunate. Schaffner was already the head of the Levisor family when I became the head of the Marschel family and was a very respectable person.¡¹ Pree gently stretched her finger towards a gem on the tip of her necklace while making a expression of disappointment, on the surface at least. In her heart, she was admiring her gems while sneering at the poor old man who had become the prey of his own desires. ¡¸That gem¡­¡­?¡¹ Elena, who was watching Pree¡¯s actions, focused on the gem on her necklace. Since she could sense magic power from it, it had to be a magic item. It seemed pretty powerful as well. ¡¸Oh? As expected of Elena-sama, you have a good eye. I recently acquired this gem, it¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a deep green that attracts my gaze.¡¹ ¡¸Could this gem be the result of the research you mentioned earlier?¡¹ Elena asked while watching Yellow, who had been eating cookies next to her, but was now focused on Pree¡¯s gem as well for some reason. ¡¸Yes. That being said, it¡¯s still in the research stage, so I can only enchant gems that already contain very pure magic power.¡¹ ¡¸Could that gem possibly be¡­¡­¡¹ Speaking up to that point, she stopped herself. Elena was familiar with the size and shape of the gem, but the colour was definitely different. The gem that Elena knew of, the gen embedded in the Jewel Sniper¡¯s back, had been red, not green. (Is it my own misunderstanding? ¡­¡­No, as expected, it¡¯s hard to guess wrongly on a gem of that size¡­¡­or is it just a coincidence?) As Elena thought about that, Pree had a smile on her lips as she caressed the gem. This smile was different fom her earlier smile. It was definitely a smile that came from the bottom of her heart. ¡¸No, I think it¡¯s quite a wonderful gem. If you don¡¯t mind, could you show it to me?¡¹ To Elena, she was just making a casual comment. If she loved gems that much, Pree might slip something while boasting about them. ¡­¡­However. ¡¸What are you saying!? Are you planning to steal my gems from me!?¡¹ Pree¡¯s reaction to Elena¡¯s words was dramatic. The smile that had been on her face earlier disappeared and she glared at Elena with murderous intent, as if Elena had killed her parents. The ring-shaped magic item on her finger was imbued with magic power, making it ready to activate at any time. ¡¸Calm down. I have no intention of stealing your gems. I just wanted to take a look.¡¹ ¡¸Kyukyu! Kyu!¡¹ After telling Pree to calm down, whose eyes were bloodshot, Yellow gave a cry in agreement. The two of them stared silently at each other for about a minute. Perhaps finally realising that Elena wasn¡¯t trying to steal the gems she was holding, the murderous look disappeared from Pree¡¯s face. As if realising that, she bowed her head slightly. ¡¸I¡¯m very sorry, Elena-sama. I always end up like this when it comes to gems.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can you serve as the head of the Marschel family in a state like that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, about that. ¡­¡­It¡¯s embarrassing to say, but I don¡¯t have many relatives in my family right now. There are only a few children from distant relatives and one of them will probably eventually succeed the Marschel family. So, for now, I have no choice but to do my best.¡¹ The expression on her face as she said that was definitely sadness. Her grief was something that would make ordinary people feel pain in their hearts. But, from Elena¡¯s point of view, it was somewhat shallow, just like the smile she had shown earlier. (Considering that, the anger she showed earlier when I asked to see her gems was probably her real expression¡­¡­) Even though she thought that in her mind, Elena nodded without showing it on her face. ¡¸I see. That is unfortunate. ¡­¡­Is it an illness or something?¡¹ ¡¸No. It was a kind of accident.¡¹ Pree answered Elena without hesitation. But, Elena, who was already suspicious of her words, felt even more suspicious at the word ¡®accident¡¯. (That said, she doesn¡¯t look like someone who¡¯s power hungry. If that were the case, she would make more public appearances. So, there is a reason behind all this. ¡­¡­Would it be more natural to consider it that way?) They continued to talk for another 30 minutes and Elena tried to shake Pree up in various ways, but Pree didn¡¯t fall for anything. Eventually¡­¡­ ¡¸Ah, Elena-sama. I¡¯m sorry, but it seems to be about time, so let¡¯s leave things at that for today. I still have work to do as the head of the Marschel family.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. As you¡¯ve said that, I¡¯ll just get in the way if I stay here any longer. ¡­¡­Yellow, it¡¯s time to go home.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Yellow gave a short cry before landing on her left shoulder. After exchanging several words, Pree¡¯s maid brought Elena out the room. Pree saw Elena off with a smile on her face, but the moment the door closed, her expression changed. No, rather, she still had the same smile, but her smile seemed deeper, as if expressing her true feelings. ¡¸As expected, she¡¯s sharp. ¡­¡­Hey, what do you think? As the head of the Levisor family who has supported Exil for many years.¡¹ Muttering to herself, she continued to speak while gently stroking the gem on her necklace. ¡¸Yes, that might be true. But after meeting with her face to face, I understand. That child is definitely going to be the finest material. One that would only appear once every hundred or thousand years.¡¹ Pree stroked the gem with the smile of a lunatic as she said that. CH 487 ¡¸¡­¡­Hah. I had to go to the Marschel residence on my own, but it seems you had a lot of fun, Rei.¡¹ That was the first thing Elena said after hearing what Rei had been up to during the day. It was now night and they were in Rei¡¯s room, reporting the events of the day to each other. Yellow seemed to feel the same way, rather than relaxing with Set in the stables, he was currently looking at Rei with an disatisfied expression from the back of the sofa Elena was sitting on. ¡¸Kyu¡­¡­¡¹ At Yellow¡¯s unhappy cry, Rei couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡¸Did Yellow also want to eat some Wyvern meat?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Of course! Yellow seemed to say with a cry. Hearing that, Rei had a wry smile on his face. ¡¸Wyverns are also Dragons though, so you¡¯re technically part of the same species.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ Yellow wagged his tail as if he didn¡¯t understand what Rei was saying. His cute gesture made Rei lose his chain of thought for a moment, but after giving a sigh, he spoke up again. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s true that we ate most of the Wyvern meat, but that doesn¡¯t mean we ate all of it. There¡¯s still enough for you and Elena to eat.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But, that wasn¡¯t the only thing I was disatisfied with.¡¹ Yellow aside, who gave a happy cry, Elena muttered to herself before regaining her composure and continuing to speak. ¡¸So, you¡¯ve settled everything with regards to stripping materials?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. As expected of professional adventurers. Their skills with stripping materials was quite good.¡¹ Having gained some experience in stripping and dismantling monsters, Rei had become a little more confident in his skills. However, compared to the other adventurers he saw, he was still not as good as them. In particular, after seeing Tivia giving out instructions and everyone working together quickly and efficiently to strip materials from the monsters, Rei was convinced that he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do that. ¡­¡­In the first place though, it was only natural that Rei and Elena would be unable to do the same thing working together as there were only two of them. ¡¸In that case, you can absorb the magic stone tomorrow.¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s somewhat hopeful words, Rei took out the magic stones from the Misty Ring. There were five types, Earth Crab, Bloodydile, Kobold, Spiral Rabbit, and Desert Lizardmen. Among them, there were two magic stones from the Bloodydiles and Kobolds. With regards to the Desert Lizardmen, there was only one magic stone because Set had already absorbed one, leaving just the Death Scythe. As for why there was no Wyvern magic stone, it was because Rei had already absorbed one before during the spring war, so it had been sold to the guild along with the rest of the materials. ¡¸¡­¡­I can¡¯t expect much from the Kobolds.¡¹ They probably won¡¯t give any skills as Kobolds are on the same level of strength as Goblins. As Rei said that with such thoughts in his mind, Elena spoke up with a smile on her face. ¡¸I¡¯m already quite envious at your ability to increase your strength just by absorbing magic stones. ¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that right, Yellow?¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow was happy to see Set, who acted as his protector, getting stronger. However, there was also a desire within the body of the small Dragon to become as strong as Set. However, Set and Yellow were different creatures, one created by the Magic Beast Art and the other using Dragon Language magic. It was impossible for Yellow to grow like Set and, conversely, it was impossible for Set to grow like Yellow. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s about it for my report. ¡­¡­So, what about you? What was the head of the Marschel family like?¡¹ Elena showed a hesitant expression for a few seconds at Rei¡¯s words, but she eventually spoke up. ¡¸Yes. At first glance, it looks like there¡¯s nothing suspicious about her. As far as appearances go, it¡¯s almost perfect. ¡­¡­However.¡¹ Pausing her words for a moment, she reached out to Yellow, who moved to her lap, before continuing. ¡¸They probably¡­¡­no, Marschel family is definitely involved with the abnormal species situation. However, if you ask me if they are the real mastermind, I don¡¯t know.¡¹ What passed through Elena¡¯s mind was the maniacal, even threatening, obsession that Pree had for her gems. Elena had only asked to see them for a moment and Pree had immediately entered a half fighting stance. Elena had no choice but to be confused at her reaction. If the abnormal species had something to do with gems, Elena might have immediately reached the conclusion that Pree was the mastermind behind the abnormal species. There was another thing. One other reason that Elena couldn¡¯t say for sure that Pree was the mastermind was because there just weren¡¯t that many people serving the Marschel family. Their mansion was about the same size as the Silva and Levisor families, but there were surprising few signs of people. It was to the extent that Elena didn¡¯t even know if a mansion of that size could be maintained with so few people. Was it possible for them to cause such a large scale situation with so few people? If the Levisor family had been working with them, they could have used people from the Levisor family. But now, the Levisor family was being held down by the Silva family. Even so, there were still eyewitness testimonies of people like the trio Rei and Elena had run into, people who seemed to be creating abnormal species, as reported by adventurers working for the Silva family. (Although, there¡¯s no reason why all the people working for the Marschel family would be inside the residence¡­¡­) While considering her doubts, Elena shook her head before speaking to Rei. ¡¸Anyway, I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s true that there are various creepy things about them. Vosk knows that as well, so he can¡¯t act carelessly. Also, he doesn¡¯t want to disturb Exil any more than it currently is.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Either way, you¡¯re sure that the Marschel family is suspicious.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Rei gave a sigh. There had been nothing going on when they first came for the dungeon¡­¡­those were Rei¡¯s honest thoughts. Elena probably didn¡¯t fully understand Rei¡¯s feelings, but she continued on with a smile on her face. ¡¸Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about it too much. It¡¯s true that the Marschel family is almost definitely involved with the abnormal species situation, but we can leave that to Vosk. After all, he¡¯s Exil¡¯s ruler and the head of the Silva family. We just need to continue exploring the dungeon and tell him if anything happens.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s probably for the best.¡¹ Perhaps Elena¡¯s words made Rei feel slightly better, he leaned back on the sofa and gave a deep sigh as he let his body sink down. However, the words he heard next made his body tense up for a moment. ¡¸Give me a moment to brew you some tea.¡¹ For some reason, ELena seemed to be in a good mood as she headed over to where the tea containers were placed in the room. (¡­¡­Is she going to brew tea? Elena? No, wait. Even in Japan, there were lessons on brewing tea. Considering that, it shouldn¡¯t be too strange for Elena to know how to brew tea. In fact, I was also the one to brew tea on the way to Exil.) As Rei thought to himself, he recalled that he had also been the one to serve tea on the way to Exil. Perhaps sensing Rei¡¯s look with her female intuition, Elena turned to face him with a somewhat proud gaze as she spoke. ¡¸Did you think I would just leaving something I don¡¯t know how to do like that forever? After arriving at Exil, Tufal taught me until he left, so I should be able to do it reasonably well.¡¹ Those words were very unexpected to Rei and his eyes went unexpectedly wide as he looked at Elena. However, it seemed like Elena didn¡¯t find that as funny. Her gaze sharpened for a moment before she gave a slight nod. ¡¸That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take your attitude as a challenge to me. Take a good look¡­¡­I might act they way I do, but I can also do feminine things.¡¹ Saying that as if she was about to start a duel, she reached out to a magic item that heated water before preparing the tea leaves using magic. Although Rei wouldn¡¯t go as far as saying that her movements flowed well¡­¡­it was still movements that looked practiced as she brewed the tea. Comparing to when they had been on the way to Exil, it was fair to say that she was now a step above then. The tea was finally served to the table, certainly entertained Rei¡¯s taste buds. Of course, compared to the tea that Ara brewed, which was part of her job, the taste wasn¡¯t as good, and from the point of someone who brewed tea professionally, it was probably still a long way off. However, for Rei, the fact that Elena was the one to brew it was more than enough to make it taste good. ¡¸It¡¯s delicious.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it? Do you now understand that I can also do feminine things?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, good job.¡¹ While drinking his tea, Rei obediently praised her. Elena had an expression as if she had just achieved something as she prepared a cup of tea for herself before sitting back down on the sofa. Drinking tea while spending time with Rei. It was an irreplaceable time for the both of them. The mansion of the Marschel family in Exil¡¯s west. Two men were walking through the garden towards the mansion, which was reasonably lit up with magic lights. The two were carrying a large bag, from what it looked like, the bag seemed quite heavy. ¡¸Anyway, why do we have to work for that crazy woman¡­¡­¡¹ One of the men suddenly said that out of frustration due to the weight of the object in the bag as well as the heat of the summer night. ¡¸Hey, you idiot! If you say that here¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is there something wrong with Master?¡¹ Before he could finish, a voice echoed out into the surroundings. The two men immediately stopped and looked around. All they could see was the environment around them, illuminated by moonlight and magic lights. However, the voice they heard was undoubtedly real and wasn¡¯t something they had just imagined. ¡¸W-Who¡­¡­-!?¡¹ ¡¸Please be quiet. You will cause trouble for Master. But, more importantly, you were the one who said that Master was crazy, weren¡¯t you?¡¹ The man who had been complaining suddenly realised a presence on his shoulder whispering into his ear. It was only about the size of a doll, but even so, if something of this size had moved to his shoulder, he should have noticed it. However, he hadn¡¯t noticed a thing until it whispered into his ear. ¡¸Did you want to hurt Master?¡¹ Along with those words, the doll raised its hand¡­¡­and the man suddenly noticed that it was holding a knife. Normally, if the man had encountered someone wielding a kitchen knife, he would have been able to deal with them. However, the doll was able to get this close to him without him noticing, so the only thing he could do was try to avoid it. ¡¸Shi-!¡¹ Letting go of the bag he was holding, he shook the doll off his shoulder and pulled out the sword at his waist as he tried to strike it down. That was what he had been planning to do, but the doll just jumped to avoid the hand that tried to brush it away before trying to stab the man in the eye with the tip of the knife it held. ¡¸Stop-!¡¹ The other man swung his still sheathed sword. As expected, the doll judged that it couldn¡¯t avoid the attack and pushed off against the incoming sheath, jumping high into the air. ¡¸Shit-!¡¹ Seeing that his life was in danger, the man hurried tried to reach for the sword at his waist. ¡¸Can we stop here?¡¹ A familiar voice echoed out. The person who appeared was a woman in her 40¡¯s with gems all over her body. It was Pree Marschel, the current head of the Marschel family. ¡¸Seriously, I don¡¯t want any bloodshed on my property.¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Your doll was the reason for all this! The man wanted to scream out but was stopped by the other man, who grabbed his arm and shook his head. Any further disturbances won¡¯t be of any help. After being told that silently, the man bit his lips in frustration before calling out to Pree, who was holding her doll. ¡¸So, where do we put the stuff.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, take him to the underground laboratory. ¡­¡­You haven¡¯t killed them yet, have you?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Even though they had just lost their arm, they still gave us some trouble. They¡¯re unconscious now though.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh. That¡¯s quite lively. Well, what colour with the new sacrifice shine? Blue? Green? Red? ¡­¡­Please entertain me. Fufu, maybe this is another guiding sign of the Goddess of Holy Light.¡¹ Muttering to her self, Pree looked to the bag with an enchanted gaze. The two men watched on with faint expressions of disgust as they carried the bag into the mansion without saying anything. CH 488 The day after stripping all the materials from the monsters they had killed, Rei¡¯s group went back into the dungeon as usual. The 16th floor was an undead floor. As soon as they were sent over by the magic circle, the strong putrid smell hit them again. ¡¸Guh, no matter how many times I smell it, I can¡¯t get used to it.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, but it¡¯s also a smell I don¡¯t want to get used to.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Kyu, Kyu, Kyuuu!¡¹ Rei furrowed his brows in disgust while he muttered as Elena nodded in agreement. As a Griffon, Set had sharper senses than most others and he couldn¡¯t help pressing his front claw against his nose. However, it basically didn¡¯t help at all and he gave a sad cry as he looked over at Rei. Yellow was flying around in the air while writhing around at the strong putrid smell. ¡¸Hey, Set, Yellow, calm down.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set looked up at Rei with round eyes as he gave a cry, but as there was no way for them to turn back now, they started down the passage. Set and Yellow took the front while Rei and Elena followed behind them. In addition, Yellow was on Set¡¯s back as usual. ¡¸¡­¡­The day before, a Living Armour showed up right away, but there doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s one this time.¡¹ Elena nodded and replied to Rei as they walked past the place where they had previously fought a Living Armour. ¡¸The Living Armour was a fairly tough enemy, you also need another magic stone from one.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That said, considering that the skill Set acquired was Power Crush, in my case it would be a probably be a level up for Power Slash¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set cut off Rei¡¯s words with a sharp warning cry. Stopping his random thoughts and listening closely, Rei heard a click, clack, click, sound. Hearing that, Rei gave a sigh. ¡¸Skeletons, huh? Set, Fire Breath¡­¡­¡¹ As he spoke up to that point, Rei suddenly thought of something as he continued speaking. ¡¸Come to think of it, even in the dungeon where the Altar of Inheritance was, I didn¡¯t absorb any Skeleton magic stones.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ The impact to Set¡¯s nose seemed like it had yet to recover¡­¡­or rather, his sense of smell was still paralyzed. Set turned to Rei as the smell of decay continued to disgust him. Really? Set seemed to have that expression on his face. However, Rei nodded ruthlessly. ¡¸It¡¯s true that Skeletons are low ranked monsters, but if you consider the Goblin rare species, there¡¯s a possibility. So¡­¡­let¡¯s go!¡¹ Along with his words, Rei took the Death Scythe out from the Misty Ring and held out the giant blade as three Skeletons appeared from the depths of the passage. The blade of the Death Scythe sliced through one of the Skeletons without any resistance, cutting through its magic stone as well. The Skeleton fell to the stone paved ground as its bones shattered. At the same time, the magic stone that had been inside its chest was absorbed by the Magic Beast Art and disappeared. Unfortunately, there was no announcement any skills being learned or upgraded. ¡¸Tch, I knew¡­¡­it!¡¹ The middle Skeleton swung down a rusted sword in its hand as Rei struck out with the shaft of the Death Scythe from the momentum of his previous attack. With the combination of the Death Scythe and Rei¡¯s physical strength, there was no way the Skeleton could do anything with a rusted sword and the blade was broken right in half. ¡¸RAaaAH-!¡¹ Using the momentum from his swing, Rei spun around on the spot. The next moment, the Death Scythe¡¯s blade slashed through the Skeleton¡¯s waist, causing its upper body to fall to the ground as he knocked over the Skeleton¡¯s remaining legs as the Death Scythe came back from its swing. Next, Rei walked over to the upper body of the the Skeleton that was attempting to prop itself up with its arms and crushed its ribs with the Shoes of Sleipnir before pulling its magic stone out. ¡¸¡­¡­Now then.¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei stored the magic stone into the Misty Ring before turning his attention to the last Skeleton. However, it had already been obliterated by an attack from Set¡¯s claws, scattering bone fragments into the surrounding stone paved ground. While its bones had been crushed with considerable force, Set had still toned down his strength enough that the magic stone wasn¡¯t damaged. ¡¸Look¡¯s I didn¡¯t need to worry about it.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s wrong? Sett seemed to say with a cry as he picked up the magic stone that had fallen to the ground with his beak and turned to look at Rei. Seeing Set like that, Rei just shook his head to indicate it was nothing as he prompted Set to absorb the magic stone. Seeing Rei¡¯s prompt, Set immediately swallowed the magic stone, but¡­¡­in the end, the was no announcement indicating the acquisition of a new skill. ¡¸I hadn¡¯t expected anything, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ Rei quickly got over the fact that they didn¡¯t learn any new skills from absorbing the Skeleton magic stones as he turned to look at the corpses of the Skeletons scattered around¡­¡­or rather, what was left of the Skeletons. Most of the weapons they had held were rusty and there was only one magic stone left that wasn¡¯t absorbed. In terms of the harvest from the Skeletons, there was barely anything at all. ¡¸Let¡¯s move on. If I¡¯m not mistaken, there¡¯s a fork in the passage ahead and there are several small rooms on the left, right? Let¡¯s finish absorbing the rest of the magic stones there.¡¹ Remembering what Elena had told him the day before yesterday and confirming it with her again, they went down the left passage after reaching the fork. There were several doors in the wall along the stone paved passage, which probably led to the small room depicted on the map. ¡¸So, which room do you want to enter?¡¹ ¡¸The closest one is fine. All we need is a place where others can¡¯t see us absorbing magic stones and experimenting with skills.¡¹ Rei answered Elena¡¯s question as he opened the closest door. It was a room about 16 square meters in size, it was exactly a room size that people of this world would call small. That said, with Exil¡¯s population density, adventurers with little money would be lucky if they could get a 5 square meter room. If they couldn¡¯t even afford that, they might end up having to stay in an even smaller place. ¡¸¡­¡­It would probably be best to avoid testing skills that sound dangerous in a place this size.¡¹ ¡¸I agree. I would like to avoid getting stuck inside if it gets turned into a sea of fire or something similar.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ It will be okay, Set seemed to say with a cry. With a small smile on their faces, they entered the small room before closing the door firmly. Looking around the room, there was basically nothing else inside. The only things of note were several metal fragments that seemed to be from armour or weapons. ¡¸This is just the right place, in various ways. ¡­¡­Now then, let¡¯s try the ones we have two of first. Set.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out a Kobold magic stone. He tossed one to Set, who caught it in his beak before swallowing it. ¡¾Set has acquired the skill¡ºSense Enhancement ¨C Smell Lv.1¡»¡¿ An announcement echoed in his mind. Hearing that, Rei turned to look at Set involuntarily. Rei really hadn¡¯t though that Set would be able to learn any skills from a Kobold¡¯s magic stone. ¡¸¡­¡­I have to say, this is really unexpected.¡¹ ¡¸Did you get a skill?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­However, it¡¯s a really unfortunate skill to test here.¡¹ From its name, it was clear that the skill would sharpen Set¡¯s sense of smell. That was the conclusion Rei reached as he shook his head slightly. Set¡¯s sense of smell was already paralyzed, so Rei felt it wouldn¡¯t be good to enhance his sense even further and cause Set to sense the putrid smell again. Hearing Rei¡¯s explanation, Elena nodded as she had similar thoughts. ¡¸It¡¯s a skill that would have many uses normally, but in this situation, it really is unfortunate.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. That said, the next floor is a forest floor, so it will be useful once we get down there. ¡­¡­Well then, if Set learned a skill, can I expect a skill as well?¡¹ Throwing another Kobold magic stone into the air, he struck it with the Death Scythe. The magic stone vanished like mist, but there was no announcement in his mind. ¡¸Tch, no good. I guess it should be considered good that Set was able to acquire a skill at all.¡¹ Just like the Skeletons from earlier, Rei had already expected that he wouldn¡¯t be able to acquire any skills, so he continued and took out a Bloodydile magic stone without being too discouraged. ¡¸Now then, there are another two magic stones, so we don¡¯t need to worry about who absorbs it. Set!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ The Bloodydile¡¯s magic stone was thrown into the air at Rei¡¯s words. Just like with the Kobold magic stone from earlier, Set caught it with his beak and quickly swallowed it. ¡¸¡­¡­No good.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ An announcement message didn¡¯t echo in Rei¡¯s mind and Set let out a disappointed cry. Set¡¯s head drooped and he looked very disappointed, making it hard to believe that he was a Rank A monster. Anyone seeing Set now would probably struggle to believe that Set was a high ranked monster. Perhaps he looked too disappointed, Elena, who had been watching along with Yellow, gently stretched out her had and stroked Set¡¯s head to comfort him. ¡¸Look, cheer up. In the first place, you were able to learn a skill from the Kobold magic stone, so you don¡¯t need to be depressed, right? This is a bigger problem for the Death Scythe. In addition to not being able to learn a skill from the Kobold magic stone, if it can¡¯t learn a skill from the Bloodydile¡¯s magic stone¡­¡­I don¡¯t think it can live up to being your counterpart anymore, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, Elena. You¡¯re just putting pressure on me by pretending to comfort Set, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ Rei couldn¡¯t help but ask at Elena¡¯s words. However, Elena shook her head with a small smile in response. ¡¸Of course not. However, I am looking forward to what kind of skills you can learn.¡¹ Although Elena told him that she didn¡¯t mean anything with those words, Rei only felt that it put more pressure on him. Giving a small sigh, Rei threw the Bloodydile magic stone into the air before striking it. ¡¾The Death Scythe has acquired the skill¡ºPain Burst Lv.1¡»¡¿ An announcement echoed in his mind. However, Rei was puzzled after hearing it. It was because he had no idea what effect the skill would have from its name, Pain Burst. Up until now, he had been able to guess the effect of a skill just from its name. For example, the skill Flying Slash had the effect of throwing out a slash. Skills such as Corrosion and Wind Hand were a bit harder to guess, but their effect could still be roughly predicted. However, the skill, Pain Burst, was really hard for Rei to predict. (Pain as in sense of pain? But, then how does Burst¡­¡­tch, when a skill is learned, it should also broadly explain what the skill does. Takumu Suzunose was from Japan, so it would have been nice if he had included that into the Magic Beast Art as well.) While complaining about his fellow countryman, who had existed back in Zepairu¡¯s time, Rei spoke to Elena, who had been wondering what kind of skill he had acquired. ¡¸I learned a skill, but I don¡¯t quite understand what it does. Considering its name, Pain Burst, I think it¡¯s related to the sense of pain.¡¹ ¡¸Pain¡­¡­Burst, does it reduce the pain received?¡¹ ¡¸Alternatively, it could potentially increase the pain an enemy takes¡­¡­but, there¡¯s no way I can test it here.¡¹ Letting out a sigh, Rei tried activating the skill as he held the Death Scythe, wondering if it would reduce the pain he felt. ¡¸Pain Burst.¡¹ Next, with his left hand, he pinched his right hand. (It¡¯s true that I feel pain, but it¡¯s still normal levels of pain. It¡¯s not like the pain has increased or decreased. Then¡­¡­ After confirming his sense of pain, he called out to Elena. ¡¸Elena, I¡¯m sorry, but could you pinch my arm for a moment?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure about it?¡¹ Rei nodded at Elena¡¯s somewhat worried question. ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ve tried pinching myself and there no change in my sense of pain. That¡¯s why I want to check if it only work on pain inflicted by others.¡¹ ¡¸You will tell me if it hurts immediately, okay?¡¹ Seeing Rei nod at her question, just in case, Elena gently reached out and pinched his right arm, but¡­¡­ ¡¸There¡¯s no real change to my sense of pain, huh.¡¹ In the end, Rei couldn¡¯t sense any real change to his sense of pain and decided to test it again the next time a living monster appeared. ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv.3¡» ¡ºFire Breath Lv.3¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv.2¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv.1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.4¡» ¡ºSize Transformation Lv.1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv.1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºOptical Camouflage Lv.2¡» ¡ºEvil Eye Impact Lv.1¡» ¡ºPower Crush Lv.1¡»¡ºSense Enhancement ¨C Smell¡¡Lv.1¡»new ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv.3¡» ¡ºFlying Slash Lv.3¡» ¡ºMagic Shield Lv.1¡» ¡ºPower Slash Lv.2¡» ¡ºWind Hand Lv.3¡» ¡ºTerrain Manipulation Lv.1¡»¡ºPain Burst¡¡Lv.1¡»new Sense Enhancement ¨C Smell: Enhances the user¡¯s sense of smell. Pain Burst: When skill is activated, injuries caused the Death Scythe result in increased pain. Sense of pain is doubled at level 1. CH 489 After absorbing the Bloodydile magic stone, Rei decided to test the newly acquired Pain Burst skill against the next monster he came across¡­¡­the next non undead monster which had a sense of pain that is, and moved on to the next magic stone. ¡¸First of all, the Desert Lizardmen.¡¹ Since Set had already absorbed a Desert Lizardman¡¯s magic stone, raising the level of Wind Arrow, the remaining magic stone was naturally for the Death Scythe to absorb. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ I learned a skill myself today, so it¡¯s fine! Set seemed to say with a cry as Rei tossed the magic stone into the air before striking it with the Death Scythe, however¡­¡­ The magic stone disappeared like mist but there was no announcement in his mind. ¡¸Tch.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you absorb a magic stone, you¡¯re not guaranteed to acquire a skill, you knew that already, right? Besides, you were able to learn a new skill from the Bloodydile magic stone, so no need to be too depressed about it.¡¹ Seeing Rei click his tongue involuntarily, it seemed Elena had guessed what the result was. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder to encourage him. Rei calmed down at Elena¡¯s words, but his irritation turned to bitterness as he replied. ¡¸It¡¯s true that I was able to learn a new skill from the Bloodydile¡¯s magic stone, but the effect of Pain Burst is still unclear. ¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t even make sense why a Bloodydile would give a skill called Pain Burst in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸Well, you basically can only learn skills that inherit the characteristics of the monster the magic stone came from, right? If so, then perhaps Bloodydiles really do have a similar trait.¡¹ The Bloodydile magic stones were all obtained from the Bloodydiles the Earth Crab had nearly killed. Luckily, when they had fought underwater, some Bloodydiles ended up being launched out of the water while still alive, allowing Rei and Elena to give the final blow. In other words, without actually fighting a Bloodydile, the only information Rei had about them was what he had heard from other people. Another alternative was drawing from the knowledge he had of crocodiles back in Japan. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s fine. Any way, what¡¯s next. All that¡¯s left are the Earth Crab and Spiral Rabbit magic stones¡­¡­which do you want?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s question, Set chose the Earth Crab¡¯s magic stone without hesitation. Rei paused for a moment before nodding and throwing the magic stone to Set. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set caught the magic stone and swallowed it. ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºBubble Breath Lv.1¡»¡¿ An announcement message echoed in his mind. However, unlike Pain Burst, Rei was immediately able to tell what skill it was. After all, the Earth Crab had used it when fighting against them. The skill would expel countless soap like bubbles that, when popped, would turn into a highly viscous liquid that would hinder movement. In some ways, it was even flashier than using Fire Breath and was something that Rei would hesitate to use in public. That said, the effect was extremely versatile. The effect itself was also quite useful, with regards to slowing or stopping an enemy from moving. After Rei explained it to Elena, she recalled the Bubble Breath used by the Earth Crab and stroked Set¡¯s head with a satisfied expression. ¡¸Kyukyu!¡¹ Yellow probably didn¡¯t understand what kind of skill Bubble Breath was, but seeing Elena and the other looking happy, he also let out a happy cry as he flapped his wings in the air. ¡¸Set, for now¡­¡­try using Bubble Breath on that wall.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~. ¡­¡­Gurururu~!¡¹ After giving a slight nod at Rei¡¯s words, Set opened his mouth wide and activated Bubble Breath. Small bubbles, around 1cm in diameter, came out from Set¡¯s mouth. As countless numbers of them hit the wall, they clung to the surface like burst chewing gum. The bubbles that came from Set¡¯s mouth were considerably small than those that came from the Earth Crab. Rei also felt that the adhesive strength was reduced proportionally to the size of the bubbles and was much less than compared to the ones produced by the Earth Crab. (It can¡¯t be helped considering the characteristics of the Magic Beast Art. In the end, I have no choice but to absorb the magic stones of monsters with similar attack methods. Besides, Bubble Breath is still a useful skill as is. ¡¸I see, it definitely is the same as what the Earth Crab used. ¡­¡­It loses out in terms of range, bubble size, and adhesiveness though.¡¹ Elena seemed to come to the same conclusion as Rei and stroked Set¡¯s head to praise him as she spoke. After a few minutes, Elena eventually turned to Rei. Or rather, to the last magic stone Rei had. ¡¸The last one, huh? I wonder what will happen?¡¹ Rei murmured as he held the Spiral Rabbit magic stone in his hand. Looking over at Set, Set gave slight nod and a cry. Turning to Elena, she also gave a slight nod. Yellow sat on Elena¡¯s left shoulder, wiggling his tail as he gave a cry. ¡¸Alright then, this is the last one.¡¹ Saying that, Rei threw the magic stone into the air before striking it with the Death Scythe. As before, the magic stone disappeared like mist. ¡¾The Death Scythe has acquired the skill ¡ºPenetrate Lv.1¡»¡¿ Yes, an announcement echoed in his mind. ¡¸¡­¡­Seriously, another skill with a name that is hard to decipher¡­¡­¡¹ Just like Pain Burst, the skill¡¯s effect wasn¡¯t immediately clear, so Rei couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue. ¡¸Looks like you learnt a skill.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. The skill is called Penetrate. Well, for now, let¡¯s test it.¡¹ After replying to Elena, Rei moved a short distance away from Elena, Set, and Yellow before shouting as he held the Death Scythe. ¡¸Penetrate!¡¹ The moment he activated the skill, Rei felt a faint wind blow around the Death Scythe. Judging that the skill effect was active, he swung the Death Scythe¡¯s blade down towards an empty space. However¡­¡­ ¡¸What, nothing happened?¡¹ Yes, the attack was definitely sharp enough that it seemed to tear through space itself, but that was what usually happened when Rei swung the Death Scythe. Normally, it would be strange enough if a skill didn¡¯t do much, but this time it didn¡¯t seem to do anything at all. ¡¸What¡¯s going on?¡¹ Rei could still feel the wind flowing around the Death Scythe, so the skill was definitely still active. He tilted his head in confusion before swinging the Death Scythe again. Once, twice, three times. None of the attacks showed any additional effect. Eventually, the wind flowing around the Death Scythe faded. ¡¸¡­¡­Does the skill just wrap the Death Scythe in wind, or something like that?¡¹ That¡¯s a completely useless skill. Just as Rei was about to say that, Elena, who had been watching from the side, called out to Rei. ¡¸Rei, the Magic Beast Art absorbs skills with similar characteristics to the monster¡¯s methods of attack, right?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Yeah. That¡¯s right¡­¡­oh, I see.¡¹ Elena¡¯s words reminded him of how the Spiral Rabbit attacked. That is, an attack with its drill like horn that was powerful enough to pierce tree trunks. Certainly, considering that, he should have been able to predict the effect of Penetrate. Activating the skill again, Rei switched the way he held the Death Scythe to one closer to a spear. ¡¸Penetrate!¡¹ Along with those words, he thrust out the Death Scythe like a spear. He felt the wind flowing around the Death Scythe just like before¡­¡­piercing through the air as he stabbed out. He didn¡¯t know how powerful the attack was, but the skill had definitely activated successfully. ¡¸Is it only triggered by stabbing out with the shaft? ¡­¡­I¡¯ll have to wait until I meet an enemy in order to see how powerful it is.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~, Gurururu~¡¹ Seeing Rei successfully activate the skill, Set gave a cry as he rubbed his body against Rei to congratulate him. The sight of Set enjoying Rei¡¯s happiness as if it were his own was heart warming to see. ¡­¡­That is, if they weren¡¯t currently inside a dungeon floor filled with undead. ¡¸Hey, Rei, Set as well. Let¡¯s get moving. You¡¯ve finished absorbing magic stones, so I want to leave this floor as quickly as possible. Having a small room like this is convenient¡­¡­but, it¡¯s not a place I¡¯d want to spend a lot of time in.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, they all nodded before immediately resuming their dungeon exploration. Returning to the fork in the path earlier, the headed to the rright, where the stairs leading to the next floor down were. Continuing straight ahead, they arrived at the place where they had fought an abnormal species previously. The path split into three passages at a small open space. ¡¸Last time, Tivia and the others escaped here while fighting off the abnormal species Skeleton.¡¹ Rei turned his gaze to the right as he muttered. ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­By the way, you asked them to help out with stripping materials yesterday, how did that go?¡¹ ¡¸They did a good job of keeping the other adventurers in line. It seemed like they were used to being in charge.¡¹ ¡¸Oh really? That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ As Elena was speaking, Set let out a warning cry. Elena and Rei were surprised as they turned their eyes to the right passage, wondering what was going on, before a light click clack sound started to be heard. ¡¸Hey, hey, it isn¡¯t another abnormal species Skeleton, is it?¡¹ Rei frowned in disgust as he readied his Death Scythe. Next to him, Elena and Set also prepared for battle. In Yellow¡¯s case, he just flew up higher to avoid interfering with the battle. As expected from the sound of their footsteps, Skeletons appeared before the battle ready party. There were just three of them. Rei gave a sigh of relief when he saw that there wasn¡¯t another abnormal species. ¡¸Phew, ordinary Skeletons? That¡¯s a surprise. ¡­¡­But, well, it¡¯s not bad as an opponent to test your skills on, right Set?¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Understanding Rei¡¯s words, Set opened his beak and spat out countless bubbles as he used Bubble Breath. At first glance, the bubbles seemed like soap bubbles as they flew out and hit the Skeletons that were trying to approach them. However, they immediately showed their effect as they exploded. Turning into a sticky adhesive as they hit the ground and bones¡­¡­they caused them to stick together, halting the Skeletons on the spot. Rei and the others had their eyes go wide at the great effect as the Skeletons were glued to the stone floor, but it was only for a moment. As the Skeletons flailed about, the adhesive from the Bubble Breath gradually became less sticky. ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set gave a cry when he saw that and Rei gently stroked his head. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, this is level 1. If you level up some more, it will become stickier and more useful.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ I¡¯ll do my best Rei, I promise! Set seemed to say with a cry. Rei lightly stroked Set¡¯s head before turning to face the Skeletons, who were struggling to regain their movement, with Death Scythe in hand. The Skeletons¡¯ actions gradually diminished the effect of the stick adhesive produced by Bubble Breath. (That said, even if it can¡¯t hold down a Skeleton sized monster for more than a minute, they are still stuck for now¡­¡­that¡¯s more than enough to be useful!) Thinking to himself, Rei switched the way he held the Death Scythe. Instead of pointing the large blade forward, he pointed the shaft towards a Skeleton who¡¯s movements were still tied down. ¡¸Now then, after Bubble Breath, it¡¯s time to test my new skill!¡¹ With those words, Rei dashed forward as he held the Death Scythe like a spear. ¡¸Penetrate!¡¹ He activated the skill. As he felt the wind wrap around the Death Scythe, Rei thrust out in a straight line. The moment the shaft hit the Skeleton¡¯s side, the wind around the shaft released its power, impaling the Skeleton and destroying its magic stone, along with its rib bones. Feeling that the wind around the Death Scythe had faded, Rei slashed the Skeleton before retracting the Death Scythe and swinging the blade out again, blasting away the two remaining Skeletons along with their magic stones. ¡¸It seems the power of the thrust was increased considerably, but in the end, it was only a Skeleton. If possible, I¡¯d like to test it on a stronger monster.¡¹ Rei let out a dissatisfied sigh as he muttered those words. ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv.3¡» ¡ºFire Breath Lv.3¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv.2¡» ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv.1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.4¡» ¡ºSize Transformation Lv.1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv.1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºOptical Camouflage Lv.2¡» ¡ºEvil Eye Impact Lv.1¡» ¡ºPower Crush Lv.1¡»¡ºSense Enhancement ¨C Smell¡¡Lv.1¡» ¡ºBubble Breath Lv.1¡»new ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv.3¡» ¡ºFlying Slash Lv.3¡» ¡ºMagic Shield Lv.1¡» ¡ºPower Slash Lv.2¡» ¡ºWind Hand Lv.3¡» ¡ºTerrain Manipulation Lv.1¡»¡ºPain Burst¡¡Lv.1¡» ¡ºPenetrate Lv.1¡»new Bubble Breath: Breath attack that releases countless bubbles. Bubbles are 1-3cm in diameter. When they hit a target, they burst and turn into a stick liquid that restricts the enemy¡¯s movements. Penetrate: Wraps the Death Scythe in wind and increases the attack power of thrusts. However, in order to activate the effect, the thrust has to use the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft. CH 490 30 minutes passed after killing the three Skeletons at the fork in passage and taking the middle passage leading to the stairs to the 17th floor. Although, they were attacked several more times by Skeletons and Zombies, Rei¡¯s group advanced without any particular problems before reaching another fork in the passage. ¡¸Left.¡¹ Elena muttered briefly as she took out a map. Following her words, Rei and the others proceeded down the the left past without hesitation. ¡¸If we keep going, we¡¯ll reach some sort of a hallway.¡¹ ¡¸Huh, it¡¯s pretty close then. In that case, when we saved Tivia and the others, wouldn¡¯t it have been fine to go straight to the next floor?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Elena shook her head as she showed him the map. It was certainly a straight path, but the distance to the hallway was quite far. ¡¸I see. It¡¯s a straight path, but there¡¯s a long way to walk.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Besides, we had killed all the monsters along the way we came, so it wasn¡¯t an issue. If we headed this way, we would probably have been attacked by the monsters we had yet to run into.¡¹ Rei nodded in agreement with Elena as they continued on their way. As depicted on the map, it was quite a fair distance, after walking for another two hours, they finally reached the hallway. There were attacked by monsters several times, but it was mostly Skeletons and Zombies, which were all incinerated, magic stones and materials as well, with Fire Breath. What happened next was¡­¡­ ¡¸Ugh-!¡¹ The moment they reached the hallway, Rei involuntarily groaned. It was the same for Elena and Set, whose senses were much sharper than others. The two of them immediately rubbed their noses with tears in their eyes while Yellow pushed his nose into Set¡¯s back. ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Kyu.¡¹ A strong putrid smell wafted out into the air. ¡º¡­¡­¡» Rei and Elena spoke to each other with their eyes. ¡®If possible, I don¡¯t want to enter this hallway, and I don¡¯t want to look inside.¡¯ However, if they wanted to get to the 17th floor, they had no choice but to enter the hallway that led to the next set of stairs. Before long, as if losing to Elena¡¯s gaze, Rei stepped forward and quietly peered into the hallway. What he saw was a horde of over 20 Zombies. However, although he called them a horde, they hadn¡¯t gathered for any particular reason and were just there. (Why are there so many Zombies?) Rei scrunched his eyes at the strong putrid smell as he looked around the hallway. Eventually, he noticed a Zombie with a different hair colour. Most other Zombies gave off a putrid smell, their flesh and bones rotting as their eyes and internal organs spilled out as they dragged them around or just stood there meaninglessly. It was the same for the Zombies Rei was looking at. However, one of them was clearly different. Of course, Rei could smell the putrid scent from its body. However, unlike the other Zombies, this one looked a little ¡®fresher¡¯. It had several green and purple patches on its skin and its movements were smoother than that of ordinary Zombies. Such a monster could be found deep within the horde of Zombies. (A higher ranking species of Zombie¡­¡­if I remember correctly, they were called Ghouls.) Information about Ghouls entered his mind. Unlike normal Zombies, corpses in good condition, ones that were fresher and less damaged, could potentially become a higher ranking species of Zombie, a Ghoul, if exposed to higher concentrations of magic power for a longer duration of time. Their abilities were similar to that of Zombies, but some wisdom from when they were alive still remained, allowing them to exploit an enemy¡¯s weakness or command other Zombies. (I see. Is that why the other Zombies have gathered in this hall? They¡¯re under the command of the Ghoul. That¡¯s a bit troublesome. No, maybe not? If you think about it, it¡¯s not that bad right?) Rei quickly collected the thoughts in his mind before returning to where Elena and the others were. ¡¸How is it?¡¹ ¡¸As expected, there¡¯s a horde of Zombies inside. However, there is one thing that is unexpected.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s report, Elena furrowed her eyes in disgust. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an enemy they couldn¡¯t beat in a fight. However, you normally wouldn¡¯t want to fight an enemy that gave off such a strong putrid smell, one that they could even smell from this distance. ¡¸How about wiping them out with Set¡¯s Fire Breath and your magic?¡¹ ¡¸That would be the quickest way to do it, but Zombies aside, I would like the Ghoul¡¯s magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!?¡¹ Set unintentionally let out a cry. In order for Set to absorb a magic stone, he naturally had to swallow it. However, even Set was reluctant to swallow a magic stone that had been stuck inside a rotten body and covered in a rotten stench. Set didn¡¯t mind eating insects, but it seemed like a different story when it came to magic stones that had been inside Zombies and Ghouls covered in rotten flesh. Because of that, Set gave a startled cry, but Rei gently stroked his head as he spoke. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t plan for you to absorb the Ghoul¡¯s magic stone. Just like the Skeletons, I¡¯ll absorb them with the Death Scythe.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡­¡­¡¹ Rei¡¯s words must have been very reassuring as Set unintentionally let out a sigh of relief. ¡¸I understand what a Ghoul is. But, is there really only one Ghoul?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. From what I could see in the hall.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. ¡­¡­In that case, I think it would be better to not use Fire Breath.¡¹ After hearing Elena¡¯s words, Rei understood her point. However, he shook his head the next moment. ¡¸No, I don¡¯t want to spend too much time here. Fortunately, the Ghoul is at the back of the hallway. If we stop Fire Breath before that point, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­¡­can you do it?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Leave it to me, Set seemed to say with a cry. Fire Breath was a skill Set used frequently and he was quite accustomed to using it. That¡¯s why he gave a cry indicating ¡¸I see, in that case, I¡¯ll support you with wind magic from the back. ¡­¡­To be honest, I don¡¯t want to attack the Zombies with my sword whip.¡¹ Elena, who had been listening in to Rei¡¯s words, spoke with conviction. ¡¸I know right. I don¡¯t want to have to attack the Zombies with the Death Scythe either ¡­¡­Well, it can¡¯t be helped if I want to absorb the Ghoul¡¯s magic stone.¡¹ Giving a small sigh, Rei¡¯s became focused as he turned to Set. ¡¸Set, please.¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURURURU~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a loud cry before heading straight for the hallway entrance, opening his beak, and using Fire Breath. ¡¸Uohh¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­uhh¡­¡­¡¹ A Zombies approached Set while making such noises. Each time they took a step, the sound of rotting flesh hitting the stone floor and internal organs being dragged across the ground could be heard. However, Set¡¯s Fire Breath prioritised those that were approaching first, burning their rotten flesh. A few minutes after Set started to use Fire Breath, the surroundings cleared up¡­¡­as the flames from Fire Breath were extinguished. Most of the Zombies in the hallway had been quite literally burned to the ground. All that was left were a few Zombies and the Ghoul Rei was targeting. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Is this enough? Set seemed to ask as Rei stroked his tilted head. ¡¸Yeah, this is the best result. Thanks to that, the number of enemies is a lot less.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ With Set¡¯s cry behind him, telling him to ¡®do his best¡¯, Rei took a step towards the Ghoul which had been watching the situation from the back, probably because it had some intelligence compared to the other Zombies. Elena stepped up beside him. ¡¸Leave the surrounding Zombies to me. I was going to support Set, but there didn¡¯t end up being a need for that.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¹ Because they trusted in each others ability, they didn¡¯t have to discuss the details. Realising that was how Rei thought of her, Elena gave a small smile as she held out her right hand towards the Zombies approaching Rei. There was nothing in her hand. Instead, magic power started to gather there. ¡¸Come on, I¡¯m your opponent! Don¡¯t think you can get close to Rei that easily!¡¹ As her dignified shout rang out, maybe their rotting brains felt something as the Zombies turned from Rei to Elena. ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­uhh¡­¡­¡¹ While glancing at the Zombies that had been approaching him, Rei continued to make his way down the hallway. His target, the Ghoul, stood at the far back, staring at Rei. Its eyes didn¡¯t seem to show any particular intent, but it still looked at Rei eerily. Green and purple patches aside, compared to other Zombies, its skin was a step fresher. That said, it was still a corpse as its right rib cage was exposed. Rei looked over its body as he got closer, looking for weak points. And, when he got within 5m meters of it. ¡¸AHHH, AHHHHHH¡­¡­AHHHHHHHHHHH-!¡¹ With a loud scream, the Ghoul dashed forward as it ran towards Rei. It was overwhelmingly faster than other Zombies. It was comparatively so much faster that Rei wondered why it had just been wandering around like the other Zombies when he had looked into the hallway. However, in the end, it was still only fast compared to a Zombie, it could even be considered slow compared to the other monsters Rei had fought so many times before. ¡¸AHHHHH-!¡¹ The Ghoul raised its arm while letting out a roar. Compared to other Zombies, its skin was much more taut, but there were still several places where the skin was torn and flesh was visible, there were even spots where the bone was exposed. Judging that pieces of rotten flesh would splatter around if he blocked the attack with the Death Scythe, Rei took a step back to avoid the Ghoul¡¯s attack. The Ghoul¡¯s arm cut through the air¡­¡­but, the next moment, the Ghoul¡¯s arm approached Rei¡¯s face, who should have avoided it with plenty of time to spare. ¡¸What-?¡¹ Surprised by the unexpected development, Rei twisted the shaft of the Death Scythe around his wrist, hitting the Ghoul¡¯s wrist and making him frown at the feeling of hitting rotten flesh. Taking some distance from the Ghoul, he finally understood what had happened. The Ghoul¡¯s arm had stretched out. No, to be precise, the Ghoul¡¯s shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints had all dislocated themselves¡­¡­resulting in an increase in the Ghoul¡¯s attack range. It was a method of attack unique to undead, which did not feel a sense of pain. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s a nasty method of attack.¡¹ Rei frowned slightly and pretended to take a step forward as if to do something. When the Ghoul raised its arm to intercept Rei, he swung the Death Scythe down. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ The Flying Slash that was released at close range to intercept the Ghoul¡¯s attack just as planned. The next moment, the slash cut off the Ghoul¡¯s right arm as it tried to swing it down. ¡¸AHHH, AHHHHHHH!¡¹ It probably didn¡¯t even notice its own arm was gone. The Ghoul tried to swing its arm down, but it was no longer there and it lost its balance, falling to the stone floor. Slash-! There was no way Rei would miss such a huge opportunity and the Death Scythe swept up from below, cutting both its legs off at the knees and slicing its remaining left hand from the shoulder before the blade flipped around. ¡¸Rest in peace.¡¹ He gave a final blow to the Ghoul, which had lost all its limbs and could only flail about on the ground. The blow sliced the Ghoul¡¯s chest in half and also cut through the magic stone in the left side of its chest at the same time¡­¡­ ¡¸Even higher ranking Zombies can¡¯t give skills, huh?¡¹ Rei, who was unable to acquire a new skill, clicked his tongue as he said that. Looking around, Elena had already cleaned up the remaining Zombies and there was nothing else for them to do, mainly because they didn¡¯t want to dismantle the Zombies. Rei¡¯s group just went through the hallway and continued on¡­¡­eventually finding the stairs to the 17th floor after passing through several more forks in the passage. CH 491 What was spread before them was nothing but greenery. Everyone in Rei¡¯s party took in a deep breath of the fresh green scent. ¡¸Ahh, the fresh air is so wonderful¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Compared to the putrid smell of the undead floor, it¡¯s like the difference between heaven and earth.¡¹ Even though she looked quite nonchalant about it, Elena spoke with a smile on her face as Rei, who was next to her, agreed. ¡¸Guru~, Gurururururu~!¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Next to them, Set and Yellow also breathed in the fresh forest air. Unlike the 16th floor, which had been filled with undead, the 17th floor was filled with fresh air. The heat wasn¡¯t as great as the desert floors and the wind that blew as the leaves on trees swayed gave a rather refreshing feeling. Countless trees grew before them, giving off a feeling that soothed minds. (I guess it¡¯s because we just left the undead floor that it feel extra nice. ¡­¡­It was the correct option not to leave immediately via the magic circle.) A forest was right outside the small room. Rei felt a sense of security as he looked out and took a deep breath to get rid of the putrid smell that was still stuck at the back of his nose. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ But at that moment, Set let out a warning cry. Hearing his cry, Rei and Elena both quickly readied their weapons as they looked around. They were in a small clearing in the middle of a forest. There were countless trees that grew in the surroundings and, until a moment ago, they had all been soaking in the relaxing sight. However, Set had given a warning cry¡­¡­in other words, there were monsters nearby. Because of that, the surrounding trees changed from a relaxing environment to one that could be hiding enemies. ¡¸¡­¡­Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I don¡¯t think we need to stay in the dungeon any longer today. The undead floor and materials¡­¡­oh, no, that¡¯s why.¡¹ Speaking that far, Rei muttered to himself as if realising something. Why they had been found so quickly after arriving on the 17th floor. Yes, it was because they had spent nearly half a day on an undead floor. It was no surprise that the strong putrid smell had ended up sticking to them. Even if humans couldn¡¯t smell it, it was enough for monsters lurking in the forest to clearly identify them. ¡­¡­Because of that, they could easily grasp the position of Rei¡¯s party simply by breathing in the forest air. ¡¸If we go back to the inn, there is a magic item for deodorising.¡¹ Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s words. As a soldier, Elena was quite used to this sort of situation. However, as someone in love, she didn¡¯t want to be seen as smelling bad by the person she loved. As a side note, the reason why there were deodorising magic items in the inn was because there were several floors that gave off strong smells, similar to the undead floor they had been in a little earlier. Besides that, due to the location of a Labyrinth City, many materials could be obtained from the dungeon, but most required some sort of processing before they could be used as materials in things like alchemy, weapons¡­¡­and so on. Because of the various requirements, magic items for deodorising weren¡¯t that uncommon. ¡¸You¡¯re right. I would like to stay here a little longer, but if we end up attracting monsters due to the smell of undead, that would be putting the cart before the horse.¡¹ Elena noticed the same thing as Rei as she spoke. ¡¸Gurururu~¡­¡­¡¹ Beside the two of them, Set sent a sharp gaze into the forest. His eyes seemed to say, come here if you dare, an expression that would surely surprise anyone who was used to Set¡¯s usual cute appearance. For Set, who¡¯s five senses were much sharper than an ordinary human, he must have endured the smell of undead. (That said, the day before yesterday, we had only fought monsters that didn¡¯t smell that bad, like Living Armours, Skeletons, and that abnormal species Skeleton. As he thought to himself, Rei patted Set¡¯s head as if holding him back, before they returned to the small room alongside Elena and Yellow, exiting the dungeon through the magic circle. The moment Rei and the others returned to the surface outside the dungeon, someone suddenly rushed towards them, causing Rei to take the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring and enter a defensive stance. However, the person that was about to run into Rei was suddenly stopped by another person, who grabbed his shoulder. The surrounding adventurers looked over at them, wondering if there was some sort of incident. Some frowned at the lingering smell drifting out from Rei¡¯s party while others watched on with sympathy and understanding, must just glanced over before looking away, not caring much for the smell. The reason why most adventurers didn¡¯t care much about the smell was probably because they themselves were also adventurers exploring the dungeon. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry that I surprised you.¡¹ The man who had stopped the person rushing over to Rei called out while involuntarily wiping away his sweat. Hearing his voice and seeing his face, Rei realised who it was. It was Nakuto, one of the adventurers they had rescued from the abnormal species Skeleton in the dungeon and had helped out with stripping materials yesterday. Since Nakuto was here, the other person was, as expected, Essetus. ¡¸What, it¡¯s just you guys? Don¡¯t jump on me out of nowhere. I almost attacked you.¡¹ Giving a sigh, Rei stored the Death Scythe back into the Misty Ring while Elena gently realised her hold on her sword whip. ¡¸O-Oh right. Sorry. I had wanted to speak with you as soon as possible, so when you finally showed up, I couldn¡¯t help but¡­¡­¡¹ Even though he apologised, the expression on his face was filled with more frustration that apology. There was even a sort of desperate feeling coming from him. Even Rei realised that something unusual must have happened. He looked around before speaking. ¡¸So, is it okay for the people around here to overhear your business? If it is, you can just tell us here, otherwise, if it¡¯s better to keep it a secret, we can head to somewhere nearby¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t want too many people to know about this.¡¹ Nodding at Nakuto, who responded immediately, Elena called out to Rei, who had been about to say they should head over to a nearby eatery. ¡¸Rei, in our current state, it would be an issue entering any eatery.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Now that you say it, that is true.¡¹ After Elena mentioned the lingering smell on them, Rei nodded back in agreement. As expected¡­¡­they couldn¡¯t really enter an eatery with the rotten smell on them. ¡¸Sorry, but could you go back to our inn with us?¡¹ ¡¸That would be much better.¡¹ ¡¸Nakuto! We don¡¯t have much time!?¡¹ Essetus spoke out at Nakuto¡¯s words, but Nakuto shook his head silently as he placed his hand on Essetus¡¯ shoulder to calm him down. ¡¸You should calm down. You know that there¡¯s nothing you can do by causing a fuss right here, right now, right? In that case, it would be better to ask Rei¡¯s group for their help now for things to go as smoothly as possible.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Fine.¡¹ Together with Essetus, who was reluctantly convinced, they went straight back to Rei and Elena¡¯s inn without taking any detours. After returning to the Golden Wind Inn, where Rei¡¯s group was staying, Rei and Elena both used a deodorising magic item to erase the putrid smell that stuck to them before gathering in Rei¡¯s room. There were four people in the room, Rei, Elena, Essetus, and Nakuto. Set and Yellow were down at the stables. ¡¸¡­¡­So, let me ask, what happened?¡¹ As expected of an inn where nobles and wealthy merchants stayed, Rei asked while drinking some cold fruit juice that had been immediately prepared for them after they asked the inn. Essetus tried to say something but Nakuto decided that he wasn¡¯t in the right head space to speak and spoke up first. ¡¸Actually¡­¡­last night, after completing your request and having a celebratory party with everyone else who had been in the request, someone attacked us.¡¹ Rei showed some reaction at Nakuto¡¯s words as he asked to confirm. ¡¸¡­¡­It wasn¡¯t for the money, was it?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. We did help out with your request, but in the first place, it was done free of charge as payment for escorting us out of the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸They didn¡¯t know that and thought you had taken on the request normally and attacked you¡­¡­isn¡¯t that a possibility¡¹ Elena asked as she took a sip of the same type of fruit juice Rei had drank earlier However Nakuto shook his head at that question and Essetus spoke up, unable to stay quiet any longer. ¡¸Even if we¡¯re not as good as you guys, we¡¯re still well known. And among the adventurers who accepted your request, there was one guy who had just stopped being a novice. In that case, you¡¯d normally aim for that one, right!?¡¹ ¡¸If it isn¡¯t for money. ¡­¡­Was it a grudge?¡¹ Rei asked while looking at Essetus. Though they hadn¡¯t known each other for long, from Rei¡¯s perspective, Essetus was someone with a short temper. With that in mind, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for someone to have a grudge against him. However, Nakuto shook his head at the question. ¡¸I had definitely considered the possibility as well. ¡­¡­But when I recalled the moment of the attack, they were definitely aiming for something¡­¡­no, to be exact, they were aiming for Tivia.¡¹ ¡¸Tivia?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­In facct, they took Tivia away after knocking her unconscious. The guys who attacked us were quite skilled and, because they ambushed us, Essetus and I were only able to protect ourselves. That was all we could do. Still, we weren¡¯t injured too badly. Goto on the other hand¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing his name, Rei recalled the porter¡¯s friendly face. Since both the warrior and thief from the fairly famous party had to go on the defensive, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine what had happened to Goto, the porter. He must have died, or even if he was lucky, seriously injured. That said, this was a world where healing magic existed, even if an arm was lost at the shoulder, it was still possible to be up and about by the next day. With that sliver of hope in mind, Rei asked Nakuto. ¡¸He¡¯s not dead, is he?¡¹ ¡¸No, he¡¯s still alive. However¡­¡­while trying to protect Tivia, he lost both his right arm and leg. He won¡¯t be able to work as an adventurer anymore.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Rei was relieved when Nakuto told him Goto wasn¡¯t dead, but the severity of his injuries was clear. ¡¸Anyhow, now that we know you were attacked. Why did you come looking for us?¡¹ Taking a deep breath and moving Goto out of his mind for the time being, Rei asked them. ¡¸You guys are connected to the Silva family, aren¡¯t you? This matter¡­¡­would you be able to ask them to investigate?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not sure what to say, as active adventurers, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for someone to hold a grudge against you. And yet, you want use to go out of our way to ask Vosk? And me? Not you guys?¡¹ It was fair to say that Rei had a decent relationship with the kidnapped Tivia and the seriously injured Goto. But even so, it would be hard for him to go and ask Vosk for a helping hand in the matter. In the first place, the Silva family was currently pouring all their efforts into dealing with the abnormal species, which was something Rei welcomed. ¡¸¡­¡­Then, just introduce us to Vosk-sama. Please!¡¹ Seeing Rei¡¯s reluctance, Essetus gave a deep bow. Rei looked on and hesitated for a few seconds before turning to Elena. ¡¸I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an issue if it¡¯s just an introduction? However, I think it would be better if we didn¡¯t get ourselves involved in the exchange as a result of lending a hand. ¡­¡­Although that pains me greatly.¡¹ Essestus nodded at Elena¡¯s offered compromise. Although Elena would have liked the Silva family¡¯s full support, she knew that if their attempt to reach out to the Silva family was leaked, news about it would end up spreading and it would end up being a very troublesome situation. There were more than a few people who wanted to use them to meddle with the Silva family, and that could potentially have a clear negative impact on Exil, which had already been shaken by the Levisor family and the appearance of abnormal species. It was a compromise based on those reasons. ¡¸I-I see! Thank you. Thank you for your help!¡¹ Since it was still early in the afternoon, they immediately headed for the Silva family residence. CH 492 ¡¸¡­¡­So, you came to my place?¡¹ Vosk, sat in front of Rei, who was leaning against the sofa in Vosk¡¯s office, as he asked for confirmation. Rei nodded in response and glanced over at Essetus and Nakuto, who had both bowed their heads deeply, before speaking. ¡¸Yeah. The Silva family governs Exil, right? Leaving aside the question of lending them a hand or not, I thought it would be fine to at least listen to them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, damn it. Even though I¡¯m busy with dealing the abnormal species right now. You know that, right?¡¹ Vosk scratched his head as he spat that out. It would be evening in a few hours and Rei, ELena, Essetus, and Nakuto were currently in Vosk¡¯s office inside the Silva family¡¯s residence. Of course, as one of the ruling families, the Silva family, which had the Levisor family under their influence now, had a lot of work to do. And, as Vosk himself said, they were also investigating the issue of abnormal species. As Vosk himself said, he really didn¡¯t have a lot of time to spare. Even so, Vosk decided to meet with Rei because he had encountered abnormal species on numerous occasions and had provided many abnormal species corpses and other related information. Of course, Elena Kerebel was also an important person. Vosk had thought it was going to be about abnormal species when he met with Rei, but it had turned out that a party member of Rei¡¯s acquaintances had been kidnapped and he just wanted to see if the Silva family could lend a hand. ¡¸¡­¡­So, Rei and Elena, having heard that, what do you want me to do?¡¹ Even though he asked them, Vosk was already thinking of ways to find the men who had kidnapped Tivia. However, Rei¡¯s response was to shrug his shoulders. ¡¸I don¡¯t care. What these guys asked us for was to introduce them to you. It¡¯s up to you to decide.¡¹ Rei¡¯s words made Vosk¡¯s eyes go wide for a moment, but he immediately turned to Essetus and Nakuto, who were still bowing their heads. ¡¸You two were Essetus and Nakuto, right? And the one who was kidnapped was Tivia. So you¡¯re Sonic Blades. Certainly, a party like yours wouldn¡¯t be taken out so easily. ¡­¡­Well, fine. So, you don¡¯t have any idea who attacked you?¡¹ ¡¸We do not. But, there are definitely people out there that have some grudge against us for the requests we¡¯ve received or want to eliminate us as competition.¡¹ Hearing Nakuto¡¯s words, Vosk tapped his finger on his desk and paused for a few seconds before speaking. ¡¸Actually, it didn¡¯t stand out due to the appearance of abnormal species, but for a while, people in Exil¡­¡­especially adventurers, have gone missing.¡¹ Vosk¡¯s words made both Essetus and Nakuto expressions tense up as they looked at Vosk. Vosk continued to explain while receiving their gazes. ¡¸Of course, it¡¯s not uncommon for adventurers to disappear in Exil. They most likely died in the dungeon, or even if they came back alive, the despair of their own powerlessness would make them leave Exil.¡¹ ¡¸However, when you enter a dungeon, your dungeon card is checked, and when you enter or leave Exil, your guild card is strictly checked as well?¡¹ Vosk nodded at Nakuto¡¯s tentative question. However, his expression became bitter. ¡¸It¡¯s true, you¡¯re right, but there¡¯s always a back entry to everything. There are people to enter and leave Exil without checks. The same goes for the dungeon.¡¹ Although he wouldn¡¯t say it out, Vosk was also involved in such back entry paths. In a Labyrinth City like Exil, where large numbers of people gathered, it was inevitable for such shady organisations to form. Since it was going to happen anyway, he might as well create an organisation that followed what he said first. Not just the Silva family, the Levisor and Marschel families were also involved in such shady organisations. ¡¸Anyway. I¡¯ve tried to clean up the involved organisations, so they¡¯re probably not the ones. So, if there¡¯s some other factor¡­¡­it will probably be illegal slave traders or something like that.¡¹ ¡¸Then, then what about Tivia!?¡¹ Hearing about the possibility of slave traders, Essetus cried out as he face went pale. However, Vosk shook his head at the question. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t say for certain, but the chance that it¡¯s slave traders should be low.¡¹ ¡¸Really¡­¡­are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Vosk nodded without hesitation when Essetus asked him for confirmation. Nakuto must have wondered why as he asked Vosk. ¡¸If I may ask, why do you think that?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a simple reason. Even for slaves, a healthy body would normally sell for a higher price, wouldn¡¯t it? It¡¯s one thing to have your party member kidnapped, but an armed slave won¡¯t sell for much unless they draw a lot of curiosity.¡¹ For a moment Essetus wanted to say something in response, but he stopped himself when he realised that Vosk had said it for their sakes. ¡¸Then¡­¡­why do you think Tivia was attacked?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s the thing. I don¡¯t quite get it. If they want to catch people as slaves, it¡¯s less dangerous to attack civilians than it is to go out of their way to attack adventurers who have fighting skills. Considering that, there must be a special reason¡­¡­¡¹ Vosk shook his head at Nakuto¡¯s question. Regarding the matter of abnormal species and the kidnapping that was just brought to his attention, as one of Exil¡¯s rulers, Vosk couldn¡¯t stand letting people do whatever they wanted in his city. However, even if he wanted to deal with it, the adventurers serving the Silva family were already more than busy enough dealing with abnormal species. As he thought about it, Vosk¡¯s eyes suddenly stopped at the two people in front of him. (Since their party member was kidnapped, of course they would desperately investigate the attack. If I provide them with the Silva family¡¯s backing¡­¡­) After weighing up the risks and returns in his mind, Vosk came to a decision after a few seconds and spoke up. ¡¸Essetus and Nakuto. You two are well known as the party Sonic Blades and as reasonably skilled adventurers. ¡­¡­Then, how about this? We, the Silva family, will back you up on this matter. Why don¡¯t you investigate it yourselves? Unfortunately, the Silva family currently doesn¡¯t have any extra resources to spare due to dealing with abnormal species.¡¹ ¡¸R-Really!? The Silva family with support us! Hey, Nakuto. If this is the case¡­¡­¡¹ For Essetus, it was an unexpected offer. He spoke with a smile, as if he had found a ray of hope. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Of course, if you really are helping us, we would like to join the Silva family even after this is all sorted out.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I¡¯m certainly grateful, but¡­¡­can you trust us, who you¡¯ve just met for the first time?¡¹ Vosk spoke with a grin as he replied to Nakuto, who seemed to be asking for confirmation. ¡¸Rei and Elena were the ones to bring you two here. If you were spies or something, the responsibility would fall on them. In that situation, I would of course be fully compensated by them. ¡­¡­Is that explanation good enough for you?¡¹ Even though he told them that with a smile, Vosk didn¡¯t think that Essetus or Nakuto would betray him. From their reputation, which he had heard from his younger brothers, and from what he had seen with his own eyes, they didn¡¯t look like people who would betray others. Even though Nakuto was a thief, his words and deeds held a hint of compassion for his party members. Because of that, Vosk turned to look at the remaining two people. ¡¸So, what do you plan to do? As far as I¡¯m concerned, it would be a great help if you could lend us your strength. As I said earlier, it¡¯s true that we¡¯re really short on hands right now.¡¹ Rei shook his head and rejected Vosk¡¯s invitation. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re just here to explore the dungeon. We only lent a hand this time because we met by chance while exploring the dungeon.¡¹ Elena also spoke up, in tune with Rei. ¡¸I have the same opinion as Rei.¡¹ Vosk seemed to have expected the rejection. Even though he looked disappointed, he didn¡¯t push any further. On the contrary, Essetus and Nakuto were the ones surprised by the situation. Still, Nakuto didn¡¯t show his surprise, but Essetus¡¯ eye¡¯s went wide as he turned to look at Rei and Elena. He didn¡¯t expect Vosk¡¯s invitation, as the head of the Silva family that governed Exil, to be turned down so easily. If he had known Elena¡¯s background, it might have been a different story though. ¡¸If you don¡¯t have enough people, why don¡¯t you ask Byune for help? Since she¡¯s from the Fraut family, you should know each other, right? You might be able to get her to join you.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s no use. That little girl is only concerned with protecting her residence. I¡¯ve invited her several times before, but as you can see, she¡¯s extremely stubborn. Besides¡­¡­.ah, no. Never mind.¡¹ Vosk paused his words for a moment before shaking his head, as if thinking of something, and saying it was nothing. Although he felt is suspicious for a moment, Rei judged that as the head of the Silva family, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for Vosk to have been involved in some sort of conspiracy and decided to not push any further. ¡¸Anyway, unfortunately, Elena and I will be focusing on the dungeon. However, if we find anymore abnormal species in the dungeon, or anyone creating them, we will do our best to capture them or bring them back with a corpse or two¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that would still be helpful. For some reason, you guys are the ones to run into the most abnormal species.¡¹ Rei nodded at Vosk¡¯s words and gave a small shrug before turning to Nakuto and Essetus. ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s time for us to head back. I hope you find Tivia.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Thank you for introducing us to Vosk-sama. ¡­¡­Thank you very much.¡¹ Essetus gave a deep bow, followed by Nakuto. ¡¸I¡¯m always happy to have more talented people. If you have another chance, bring over more people and I¡¯ll take over from there.¡¹ With Vosk¡¯s parting words, Rei and Elena left his office and the residence after being sent off by Sanctions, the chief butler. ¡¸That was an unexpected development.¡¹ Rei muttered after leaving the Silva residence and getting off the public carriage at the main street where the guild was located. ¡¸Indeed. But it couldn¡¯t have been a better outcome for those two. And, under the protection of the Silva family, they will likely not be targeted by any more assailants.¡¹ Elena replied with a nod. As the two of them walked down the street, the sun was already starting to set and the people walking around them seemed to be filled with liberation after a day¡¯s work with many seeking alcohol to drink as the heat from the day had yet to dissipate. Within Rei¡¯s eyes, there were people drinking and eating skewers they had bought from nearby stalls. As far as he could see, it was hard to believe that incidents like abnormal species, the collapse of the Levisor family, or attacks on adventurers from the shadows had happened in the city. Watching the surroundings beside Rei, what pass through Elena¡¯s mind was the figure of Pree, who was obsessed with gems to the point of madness. However, she quickly shook her head to get rid of those thoughts. (In the first place, there is no need to attack adventurers, even if she is obsessed with gems. On the other hand, the mysterious party that is creating abnormal species, they don¡¯t need to attack adventurers or ordinary people either. ¡­¡­Then, has a third party appeared? With those thoughts in her mind, Elena and Rei proceeded down the bustling main street in the evening. Seperate from the bustle around her, Elena had bad feeling. CH 493 The day after introducing Essetus and Nakuto to the Silva family, Rei¡¯s party went down to the 17th floor of the dungeon. Around them was the same greenery they had seen yesterday. An endless deep forest. The difference compared to the day before was that they didn¡¯t go through the undead floor and, as a result, didn¡¯t draw the attention of any monsters due to the putrid smell. The sunlight that poured down was very bright, but compared to the 35C heat outside the dungeon, the forest heat was rather mild. This was especially the case since Rei¡¯s party was standing right outside the small room, which was in a small clearing. They entered the forest, the dense foliage would definitely block a lot of the sunlight. ¡¸Set, can you confirm if there are any monsters eyeing us?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set shook his head at Rei¡¯s question. Rei¡¯s party had no issues as they had headed out of the dungeon right after reaching the floor, but there were many adventurers who would be attacked by monsters, suffering small and large injuries, because they started to explore the 17th floor immediately after leaving the 16th floor. The reason for that was, of course, the putrid smell that would cling to their bodies after passing through the undead floor. Monsters with a keen sense of smell on the 17th floor would quickly start to gather and target them after sensing that smell. Adventurers who had just reached this floor would often have their sense of smell dulled after being on the 16th floor and wouldn¡¯t realised that the smell on their bodies was enough to attract monsters. Because of that, many who stepped into the forest right away would be greeted by monsters. In that sense, Rei¡¯s decision the previous day was probably the right one. ¡¸Since it¡¯s a forest floor, it seems like there will be quite a few monsters we¡¯ll be seeing for the first time.¡¹ ¡¸As far as I¡¯m concerned, the only memory I have of a forest floor is the battle of attrition we had against that group of Water Monkeys in the dungeon where the Altar of Inheritance was, so it¡¯s not a great memory.¡¹ Elena said that with a small smile on her face. However, in contrast to her words, she had a somewhat belligerent expression on her face. ¡¸As for the map¡­¡­there are no fixed paths on this floor, so we can only roughly gauge the direction.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. This floor is quite a profitable one for adventurers, so you would think that there would be paths formed by adventurers repeatedly walking through, but it seems the plants recover quickly even if they are trampled.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Yellow, who had been flapping his wings and flying around the party, suddenly gave a cry. Looking over at Set, Set also gave a cry as he turned to look into the forest. ¡¸Even without the putrid smell on us, it seems they¡¯re still ready to welcome us.¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. But unlike yesterday, the number of monsters is a lot smaller. We should be able to deal with them without much trouble. Let¡¯s head over.¡¹ Elena looked towards the southwest before starting to walk. Rei, Set, and Yellow followed after her. As they stepped into the forest, countless trees surrounded them and some of the grass growing under their feet reached up to their waist. Ivy wrapped many of the thinner trees in thorns. Rather than growing naturally, it was clear that they grew in a way as to hinder the progress of adventurers. ¡¸This is more troublesome that the forest floor in the other dungeon. The only bright side is that it¡¯s not impossible to walk through. ¡­¡­Set, are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­Gururururu~¡¹ There were some areas Set couldn¡¯t pass through, depending on how close together the trees were. But, if he used his size transformation skill to shrink himself, Set could still manage to get through the narrower gaps. Relieved by Set¡¯s response, they continued to make their way through the forest. ¡¸If I had more knowledge about environments like this, there are probably a lot of materials I could collect.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he cut apart the ivy growing in front of him. At the base of trees, in the shade, behind large boulders, or around fallen trees, several types of mushrooms could be seen growing. Having grown up near the mountains, Rei had some knowledge of mushrooms. However, that was only with regards to mushrooms that grew in Japan¡¯s mountains. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t possible for him to judge whether the mushrooms that grew here, a different world to Earth, were safe to eat or not. (Though, that mushroom looks like a cauliflower mushroom.) In front of his eyes was a mushroom that looked like a crumpled piece of paper, one that he had picked in Japan many times before. However, as he didn¡¯t know if it was poisonous or not, he suppressed his urge to pick it as they made their way through the forest. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ As they cut their own path through the forest, Set suddenly gave a sharp cry. At the same time, there was a sound of branch on a tree in their path breaking as the leaves that blocked their vision scattered into the air. It was Set¡¯s skill, Evil Eye Impact. After the leaves fell away, what was revealed was a panther like monster, 1.5m in length, excluding its tail. The difference between it and an ordinary panther was that its fur was green, letting it blend into the forest better. It also had a third eye on its forehead and a long tail that allowed it to wrap around branches to give it a foothold. ¡¸A Forest Panther¡¹ Rei muttered as he recalled what had been written in the monster encyclopedia. Forest Panthers were a D rank monster that, as its name suggested, primarily lived in forests. Its green fur allowed it to blend in with the trees, and unlike ordinary panthers, it didn¡¯t actively hunt down its prey, but specialised in ambushing them from the trees. Its method of ambush was to wrap its tail around a branch and, when its prey passed under it, drop onto the prey, using its momentum to strike the head with a quick strike of its fore claws. It had enough strength to kill even a B rank monster in a single hit, but the cost was that it no longer retained the characteristic quick movements of a panther. In addition, the third eye on its forehead had the ability to use magic to change its fur colour to blend in with its surroundings. Its proof of subjugation was its right ear. As for materials, its third eye was used in alchemy while its long tail, fangs, and claws used as materials in weapons and armour. Their meat was a perennially favoured food and its fur was quite coveted by the rich. For some reason, the Forest Panther didn¡¯t make a move while Rei told Elena all that information. While a Forest Panther had the power to kill even a B rank monster in a single blow, once its hiding spot was revealed, there wasn¡¯t much it could do. That¡¯s why, despite its great strength, it was only a D rank monster. ¡¸¡­¡­I see. As long as you can find it, it isn¡¯t so hard to deal with?¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s explanation, Elena unsheathed her sword whip. Inside a forest, surrounded by trees, Elena¡¯s combat power was much greater than Rei, who specialised in fire magic and the large Death Scythe. Of course, Rei still had other means of attack, such as throwing spears. ¡¸Hah!¡¹ With a sharp cry, Elena¡¯s sword whip flew straight towards the Forest Panther, which was staring at her from up on a tree branch. The tip of her swords tore through the air, but as it tried to pierce the Forest Panther¡¯s fur. ¡¸GRRRRRR-!¡¹ With a loud roar, the Forest Panther fell from the branch¡­¡­and dodge Elena¡¯s attack as it hung from the branch with its tail. ¡¸What!?¡¹ As Elena recalled her sword whip, she raised a voice of surprise. Seeing that, the Forest Panther swung back and returned to its place on the tree branch. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s quite skilled at avoiding attacks.¡¹ Elena muttered in amazement at the Forest Panther¡¯s unexpected actions. That said, her tone felt hardly threatened. Why was that? The reason was extremely simple. The only way it could avoid her attack was to rotate around the branch its tail was wrapped around. All they had to do was to match the timing and attack above and below the tree branch at the same time. Of course, the Forest Panther knew that. However, despite being a panther, Forest Panthers moved very slowly, it was a monster that specialised in ambushes and surprise attacks. Once it was found, all its strengths would become its weaknesses. Its front legs, which were strong enough to kill an enemy in a single attack, slowed it down, making it unable to dodge attacks. Even the tail that could support its weight couldn¡¯t easily unwrap itself from a tree branch. (In other words, all its strengths get turned into weak points.) ¡¸Rei.¡¹ ¡¸I know.¡¹ As Rei thought to himself, he understood what Elena was asking and took a spear out from the Misty Ring. Half of the spear was missing, making it completely useless for most cases. However, in Rei¡¯s hands, such a spear became a powerful disposable weapon. ¡¸I¡¯ll go first.¡¹ ¡¸Sure. Then I¡¯ll go under.¡¹ Exchanging a few words, Rei took a few steps back before twisting his body and throwing the spear in his right hand. With Rei¡¯s physical strength, the spear pierced through the air as it flew straight towards the Forest Panther. ¡¸GRRRRR-!¡¹ Giving the same cry as earlier, it tried to rotate around the tree branch as if it were an iron bar¡­¡­but the moment its head was positioned under the branch, Elena¡¯s sword whip flew out. Just before the sword tip pierced its forehead, Elena flicked her wrist, causing the tip to change directions and pierce the Forest Panther¡¯s head from the side. ¡¸GRR-!¡¹ Its death cry became its final cry as the Forest Panther died. However, perhaps because it died as it was spinning around the tree branch, it¡¯s strong tail suddenly lost its hold on the branch and the Forest Panther fell to the ground with a loud sound. At the same time, the sound of its neck snapping under the weight of its body echoed out. Rei and Elena were stunned by the unexpected turn of events. ¡¸Uhh, there¡¯s no point in us staying here, so let¡¯s just collect the corpse for now. It¡¯s a forest, so with the smell of blood, it would be better not to strip the materials here. ¡­¡­As for me, I guess what I might get from the Forest Panther¡¯s magic stone.¡¹ Rei¡¯s gaze was directed towards the third eye on its forehead. It had the ability to blend the colour of its fur into its surroundings¡­¡­in other words, it had the ability to use a camouflage effect. Because of that, if Set absorbed its magic stone, the Optical Camouflage skill would probably level up. Among Set¡¯s many skills, Optical Camouflage¡¯s ability to make his disappear stood out, making it highly useful. Because of that, Rei wanted to collect as many magic stones as he could from monsters with similar abilities. Storing the Forest Panther¡¯s corpse into the Misty Ring, they began exploring the forest again. ¡¸It seems like there are many monsters, like the Forest Panther, that can blend in with their surroundings¡­¡­luckily, we have Set here with us. The important thing to remember is to not get caught by surprise.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Leave it to me! Set seemed to say with a cry. ¡¸Kyu, Kyukyukyu!¡¹ On Set¡¯s back, Yellow also gave a cry to say he was also helping. ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯ll leave to you¡­¡­¡¹ While getting a warm feeling from looking at the two of them, Rei cut away the ivy blocking his way with a knife. As he cut away the ivy hanging from a tree branch, he suddenly remembered something. ¡¸Speaking of which, I still haven¡¯t tested my new skill.¡¹ He remembered that he had yet to use the skill the Death Scythe had learnt on the 16th floor, Pain Burst. In addition, Rei judged that Set¡¯s new skill that could enhance his sense of smell would be highly useful in the forest as he turned to Set. ¡¸Set, can you try using Sense Enhancement ¨C Smell?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded slightly at Rei¡¯s words and activated his skill. With his sharpened sense of smell, he was able to sense a lot more odours. ¡¸Gurururu~, Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Using his sense of smell to perceive the surroundings, Set was able to pick out a monster¡¯s scent. CH 494 ¡¸UOOOOOH-!¡¹ With a roar, a spear thrust out, piercing through the leather armour of a man. ¡¸Guh, these small fry¡­¡­¡¹ As the man stepped back, holding his pierced side, two men, one with a dagger and one with a long sword, stepped forward to cover him. While being protected by the two, the first man took a potion out from his chest pocket and poured it over his wound to heal it. ¡¸Nakuto!¡¹ ¡¸I know!¡¹ As the spear wielder, Essetus, shouted out, there was an immediate response. Essetus was relieved to hear his partner¡¯s words as they stood back to back. But, when he realised that Nakuto¡¯s response was filled with impatience, he couldn¡¯t stay relieved as he glared sharply at the people surrounding them. Essetus and Nakuto were currently in the back streets of Exil¡¯s slums. They had come here while asking around the city for information regarding recent missing people. But, the two of them had been immediately attacked as if they had been waiting for them. Normally, they might have assumed this to be the work of bandits, because they were near a slum. ¡­¡­But, there was a decisive reason why the man Essetus just speared wasn¡¯t an ordinary bandit. That was because¡­¡­ ¡¸Where did you guys take Tivia! Tell us now!¡¹ Essetus¡¯ shout echoed out into the surroundings. Yes. One of the men who had attacked them was undoubtedly one of the people who had kidnapped Tivia and cut off Goto¡¯s arm and leg. ¡¸Hah-, how would I know.¡¹ The man who healed the wound on his side with a potion responded to Essetus before speaking again as if to provoke him. Although it wasn¡¯t instant, the speed at which his wound was healing was clearly faster compared to using ordinary potions, which showed that the potions he was using was more effective than the ones that could be bought at a store. Feeling his injury healing, the man spoke provocatively. ¡¸Well, she¡¯s probably having a lot of fun right now. ¡­¡­It¡¯s a shame though. She was such a good woman even though she only has one arm.¡¹ The man grinned as he licked his lips. The blood rushed to his head when Essetus saw that and he held up his spear again as he took a step forward. ¡¸YOU¡­¡­YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAAAARD-!¡¹ His spear, which was thrust in anger and blood lust had a lot more strength behind it, but was noticeably slower than his previous strike. One of their attackers used a long sword to parried the spear before sliding the blade down the shaft¡­¡­ ¡¸Essetus!¡¹ The moment the blade was about to reach Essetus, Nakuto threw a dagger at the man with the long sword, forcing the man to quickly pull back. (Damn it, these guys are strangely strong¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think they were that strong when they kidnapped Tivia.) As he unsheathed another dagger from his waist, Nakuto calmly analysed the enemies strength in his mind.) (There are nine of them, one is wounded, but he can still heal himself with potions and return to fighting.) He glanced at the enemies around them while looking for a way out. Nakuto was convinced they wouldn¡¯t let them go, seeing how close to the slums the two of them were. Still, he stayed on guard, looking for an opportunity. ¡¸You lot, why did you attack Tivia¡­¡­no, what are you attacking adventurers!?¡¹ Essetus yelled out in anger, but the men surrounding him didn¡¯t respond as they drew their weapons. The reason why even their longest weapon was just a long sword was because it was difficult to wield long weapons inside the city. In fact, Essetus didn¡¯t have the space to use sweeping attacks, one of the basic attacks of a spear, and had been forced to only use thrusts. However, the fact that he had still managed to wound one person showed that Essetus had extraordinary skills. ¡¸You guys were too persistent. Now even the Silva family is involved.¡¹ The man who¡¯s side had been pierced spoke with a mocking smile. ¡¸Oguru, you talk too much. What¡¯s the point in giving them useless information.¡¹ Another man reprimanded the person called Oguru, but he didn¡¯t seem to care as he kept talking. ¡¸These guys are going to die here anyway. Might as well give them some treats. ¡­¡­That one armed woman will be on her way soon. Don¡¯t you think it would be kind of me to send them to the same place? The Chur-¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oguru-!¡¹ The man didn¡¯t let Oguru finish and rebuked him even more strongly than before. (I see. As far as I¡¯ve heard from these guys, at least Tivia is still alive.) Hearing those words, Nakuto was filled with hope, but immediately thought about how they were supposed to get out of their current situation. Each one of their enemies were strong, about as good as themselves¡­¡­even if they weren¡¯t as good, there were nine of them. In a normal fight, no matter how hard they tried, they had no chance of winning. (In that case, we have no choice but to run away.) He turned to look at Essetus, who was glaring at the man named Oguru with face red and blood rushing to his head. After hearing clues about their kidnapped comrade and being provoked, Essetus was unlikely to accept running away, even if told to do so. (Is there something I can do to shake them up¡­¡­is there anything? Something¡­¡­something¡­¡­?) Nakuto frantically thought in his mind while keeping the daggers in his hands ready to stop the men surrounding them. As he collected the words and actions of the men in his head, he suddenly noticed something strange. The words Oguru had been about to say a moment ago before one of his companions interrupted him. ¡¸The Church¡­¡­?¡¹ Hearing those words from Nakuto, the surrounding men were shaken slightly. He didn¡¯t know what had caused them to be shaken, but it was definitely a once in a lifetime chance for Nakuto and Essetus. Dashing forward, he shot out like an arrow in a drawn bow. Weaving through the gaps in the leather armour, Essetus thrust his spear into the shoulder of one of the men. There was a sound of glass breaking and something wet leaking out as he struck. A potion container that had been under the armour had been destroyed. At first glance, the potion container looked like it was made of glass, but it was actually quite sturdy. It wasn¡¯t fragile enough to break due to ordinary impacts while moving around, but it still wasn¡¯t strong enough to survive a direct hit from a speear. ¡¸No-!¡¹ ¡¸As expected you also had a potion!¡¹ Next to Essetus, Nakuto¡¯s daggers flashed, slashing the eyes of one man before immediately slashing the eyes of a second, disabling them both in an instant. ¡¸Damn it!¡¹ Possibly angered by seeing two of his comrades being taken out, one of the men shouted out as he swung down his long sword. ¡¸Tch-!¡¹ Nakuto immediately twisted his body to the side to avoid the attack, which caused him to be unable to avoid the kick directed at his legs, knocking him on his backside. ¡¸Nakuto!?¡¹ As Essetus shouted out, one of the men tried to swing his long sword down at Nakuto¡­¡­ Something flew out at a tremendous speed, striking the blade of the long sword and deflecting it. ¡¸What!?¡¹ It was a completely unexpected attack. Realising that it would be dangerous if what they were doing was exposed, the men immediately started to pay attention to their surroundings. However, they couldn¡¯t sense the presence of the person who had just attacked them. Furthermore, it didn¡¯t just stop there. The men surrounding Essetus and Nakuto noticed something rapidly approaching them. It was filled the bared presence of fighting spirit and blood lust. A moment later, it became clear who their opponent was. For a moment, something purple entered their vision and the next moment, they collapsed to the ground unconscious. In the blink of an eye, more than half of the seven men, excluding the two that Nakuto had slashed, were on the ground unconscious. The remaining three had their eyes go wide as they looked at the person who had suddenly appeared. At the person standing between them and their targets, Essetus and Nakuto. Her brushed back reddish purple hair reached her arms and her figure could be described as bewitching. She was dressed like a dancer or prostitute, wearing many layers of thin cloth, while her legs and arms were bare, only her hands and feet covered. Only the blades attached to her hands and feet gave her away as a fighter. ¡­¡­Her clothes aside, her eyes where filled with fighting spirit and a lust for battle that was more suited to a warrior. Many men thought her bewitching expression was there to seduce them, but in essence, she was only looking to fight. ¡¸The Mad Beast, Vihera¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, you seem to know my name. From what I¡¯ve seen you guys seem to be pretty good at what you do¡­¡­but, it is a bit strange to attack two people in a place like this, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸This had nothing to do with you. Just stay out of it and get the hell out of the way.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine with me. ¡­¡­But, my female instincts tell me there¡¯s a better fight to be had. There¡¯s also my partner.¡¹ She gave a quick glance. In the direction of her glance was a girl¡­¡­or perhaps it would be better to call her a child. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ The petite girl gave a short response as she placed several 10cm long needles between her fingers as she looked towards the men. They must have realised it was one of those needles that had caused the long sword to be deflected as it swung down at Nakuto earlier. Their gazes changed from looking at her as a child to one of wariness. ¡¸¡­¡­Go away. This has nothing to do with you guys. You don¡¯t want to get involved in any trouble yourselves.¡¹ One of the remaining men pointed the dagger in his hands away from them. However, all he got back was Vihera¡¯s provocative smile. ¡¸Unfortunately, these two people are acquaintances of the person I¡¯m attached to.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune gave a brief nod to Vihera, who asked her for confirmation. As a thief who explored the dungeon, Byune was naturally good at collecting information. That said, her own communication basically consisted of single sound sentences. Her collection of information was mostly eavesdropping on what others talked about in the bars or guild. And, she had just heard a rumour that Rei had saved the members of Essetus and Nakuto¡¯s party in the dungeon a few days ago. As their party was somewhat famous in Exil, Byune naturally knew what kind of people the members of the party Sonic Blades were. For Byune, Rei and Elena were likable people who cared about her as a survivor of the Fraut family, and she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to help out their acquaintances now that she didn¡¯t have any pressing business. As to why Byune was near the slums, she had been on her way back from a delivery quest from the guild. Vihera had been worried that she would be dragged into something strange and had followed along. That said, there was also her intention of running into someone who usually wouldn¡¯t be out and about in the city to fight. ¡º¡­¡­¡» At the words of the two new people, the men silently exchanged glances. They were naturally confident in their own abilities, but if asked if they could take on Vihera, the Mad Beast, before it became a big commotion, their answer would be no. However, that didn¡¯t mean they could leave Essetus and Nakuto alone after their snooping about. Nor could they leave behind their comrades. After thinking about their various options, they finally decided to withdraw temporarily. ¡¸¡­¡­Let¡¯s leave.¡¹ Along with those words, those who could still move held back Vihera and the others while the rest quickly retreated with the companions they could. ¡¸Damn it, wait!¡¹ ¡¸Stop. You know you won¡¯t be able to beat them no matter how hard you try, right?¡¹ ¡¸But, Tivia!¡¹ Essetus tried to say something to Vihera, who stopped him, but by that time, the men, including Oguru, had already disappeared. CH 495 The sunlight that poured into the forest was filtered by the tree leaves as it softly shone down on Rei¡¯s party. Even though it was midsummer outside the dungeon, the temperature on the 17th floor was closer to spring. It was a lot easier to weather compared to Exil¡¯s 35C. ¡¸¡­¡­Honestly, if this wasn¡¯t inside a dungeon, it would be a comfortable place to live in.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Rei muttered as he reached out for a fruit on a nearby tree. It was a fruit that could be harvested on the 17th floor and, although it had an astringent taste when eaten raw, it was surprisingly sweet when cooked. At Rei¡¯s feet, as he reached for the fruit, lay the corpses of three Kamaitachi, weasel like monsters with scythes on both hands. ¡¸Rei aside, Set would definitely be comfortable. There are plenty of monsters to feed on.¡¹ Replying to Rei¡¯s words, Elena turned to look into the distance where she could sense something watching them from afar. Were they waiting for an opening or were they just observing? In any case, they were hidden by the many trees and leaves, but Elena could definitely sense their gazes. It was the same for Rei and he shrugged his shoulders at Elena¡¯s words as he replied. ¡¸It would be a lot better if I knew how to cook more things, but all I can do is skewers and soup.¡¹ Replying to Elena, Rei looked over at Yellow, who was flapping his wings as he struggled to pick a fruit from the top of the tree. ¡¸Kyukyu¡­¡­Kyu!¡¹ Grabbing onto a fruit one size larger than the one Rei had picked, Yellow managed to pluck the fruit off with a cry. However, his small wings couldn¡¯t support the weight of the fruit he was holding and Yellow started to fall to the ground. Fortunately, Yellow managed to flap his wings strongly enough that his descent was more of a glide than a plummet. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set caught the Yellow as he came down in his beak. Seeing this scene, Rei gave a smile as he stored away the corpses of the Kamaitachi into the Misty Ring. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, ignoring the monsters watching us, let¡¯s move on.¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure?¡¹ Don¡¯t you want to kill the monsters watching us? Rei shrugged his shoulders at Elena¡¯s question. ¡¸That would have been fine if we weren¡¯t in a forest, but we don¡¯t know the exact location to the stairs down to the next floor.¡¹ Of course, Rei¡¯s Misty Ring held a number of items useful for setting up camp at night. An example would be the magic tent created with spatial magic and the Dagger of Flowing Water, which were both useful magic items. However, the magic tent couldn¡¯t compare to the Golden Wind inn, where Rei and Elena were staying at in Exil. ¡­¡­That said, it would be unreasonable to demand the same level of comfort as an inn where wealthy merchants, nobles, and rich adventurers would stay. ¡¸Anyhow, we should find the stairs to the next floor first, and if we still have time, look for monsters. Even if we don¡¯t have the time today, when we come back to the dungeon tomorrow, we can go up the stairs from the 18th floor. So, we can always come back to this floor for the monsters.¡¹ As Rei said that, he looked down at his feet. There¡­¡­he saw ivy slowly creeping towards them like a snake. Elena must have also noticed the approaching ivy. She unsheathed her sword whip and slashed down sharply. The next moment, as the ivy was cut apart, it slithered back into the depths of the bushes while splattering liquid everywhere. ¡¸Do you want to follow it?¡¹ ¡¸No, let¡¯s leave it. If it¡¯s using ivy, it¡¯s probably a Treant type monster. If it¡¯s pretending to be a tree, it will be hard to find it in the forest.¡¹ Set might have been able to find it with his sharper senses, but since they had decided to find the stairs first before looking for monsters, they made their through the forest with some slight disappointment. (I was told that the wood of Treant monsters could be sold, so it¡¯s a bit of a waste if I think about it. Recalling what he had previously been told, Rei decided that a Treant would only be worth so much in the end, so they focused on looking for the stairs first. As Rei¡¯s party was exploring the 17th floor, two men and two women were having a conversation near Exil¡¯s slums. ¡¸Um¡­¡­you were a great help. Thank you.¡¹ Essetus said that as he held his spear. Although he was grateful, his cheeks had gone somewhat red in confusion from Vihera¡¯s dancer like getup. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. You guys are Rei¡¯s acquaintances, aren¡¯t you? Then this can just be considered having him owe me a favour.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You mentioned it just now, but are you an acquaintance of Rei as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. As far as I¡¯m concerned, I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better partner.¡¹ Vihera spoke those words with glistening eyes. At first glance, her expression could only be assumed to be one of a woman yearning for a lover, and Essetus, who didn¡¯t think too much about it, just assumed it was the case. In other words, Vihera didn¡¯t abandon them because they knew Rei, the person she loved. However¡­¡­Nakuto, who had been listening in, had the opposite reaction to Essetus. That was because he was well informed and knew that the voluptuous beauty in front of them was a battle maniac who loved fighting to the point of being called the Mad Beast. Her appearance and clothes, which would lure men to her, were nothing more than bait to attract people into fights. It wasn¡¯t hard to judge from her expression that she meant Rei was the best battle opponent for her. Because of all this, Nakuto¡¯s instincts told him that they should part ways with this dangerous woman as soon as possible. On the other hand, his reason told him that if they could get Vihera on their side, she would be a powerful force, they might even be able to draw Rei and Elena to their side with this as well. ¡¸Huh, but Rei¡­¡­doesn¡¯t he have a strong and beautiful woman with him, Elena-san?¡¹ ¡¸Oh? Am I less attractive than Elena?¡¹ Essetus shook his head in a panic at Vihera¡¯s charming smile. ¡¸No, that¡¯s not the case. You two are about the same¡­¡­no! Now¡¯s not the time to be talking about this!¡¹ Perhaps the relief of surviving a life threatening situation had worn off, Essetus, who had been conversing with Vihera involuntarily, came to his senses as he shouted. Yes, they knew that their kidnapped party member was still alive. However, there was no clear answer to how long she would remain safe. In that case, they had to rescue Tivia as soon as they could. ¡¸Um, Vihera-san¡­¡­that person is¡­¡­¡¹ Essetus glanced over towards Byune, who was a bit further away. ¡¸Oh, that kid is Byune. Byune Fraut.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Byune. You saved us earlier. Thank you. We¡¯re late with the introductions, but I¡¯m Essetus. That¡¯s Nakuto.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ After giving a brief introduction and hearing Byune¡¯s response, Essetus tilted his head as if suddenly realising something. ¡¸¡­¡­Hm? Fraut? I think I¡¯ve heard that name before somewhere¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Haah. ¡­¡­That kid is a member of the Fraut family. You know, one of the four families that used to rule Exil.¡¹ Hearing Nakuto¡¯s exasperated words, Essetus froze as his head turned mechanically towards Byune before speaking. ¡¸T-The Fraut family!? Ah, no¡­¡­is it okay for us to ask the Fraut family for help?¡¹ ¡¸Well, what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Oh? Do you have some dissatisfaction about being saved by Byune?¡¹ The two were discussing in a low voice, but Vihera¡¯s hearing was sharper than the ordinary person and could hear them perfectly fine. Essetus and Nakuto remained silent for several seconds, thinking about how to answer. Eventually, Essutus made up his mind and spoke out. ¡¸So, that is. Actually, we are under the protection of the Silva family.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ The Silva family. The moment those words were said, Byune¡¯s eyebrows frowned, albeit very slightly. Byuen didn¡¯t really show her emotions, so Vihera nodded slightly at her clear expression before she asked. ¡¸What do you want to do Byune? I helped them because they¡¯re an acquaintance of Rei, but it seems they¡¯re tied to the Silva family.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ In response to that question, Byune looked at Essetus and Nakuto for a few seconds before turning back to Vihera with her response. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ For others it was just a single sound, but for Vihera, who had a long standing relationship with Byune, that was enough. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re going to have to thank Rei¡­¡­no, Elena for this.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Eh? Eh?¡¹ Essetus couldn¡¯t grasp the flow of the conversation, but Nakuto immediately understood. ¡¸It means the two of them will will help us in finding Tivia. ¡­¡­But, is that really okay? Even I know that the Silva family and the Fraut family¡­¡­rather, the Fraut family and the other three families, don¡¯t have the best relationship.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, it¡¯s fine because Byune said it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¹ Vihera cast an inviting gaze over to Nakuto, which would undoubtedly captivate an ordinary man. However, Nakuto sensed the true nature of her gaze. ¡¸What do we do? I think these two will definitely be a strong help.¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ Normally, Essetus would have nodded withouth hesitation. In fact, he understood that they had been pushed into a corner. If they wasted their time here, the chances of Tivia surviving would decrease. However, the reason he still hesitated and could nod right away was because Byune was just a 10 year old girl. Was it okay to involve such a child into their own matters for their own convenience? Perhaps realising Essetus¡¯ conflict, Nakuto shook his head slightly before speaking. ¡¸Byune may look like a child that you would hesitate in involving in our matters. However, as a member of the Fraut family, there is no doubt she is skilled in combat.¡¹ As the thief of a well known party, Sonic Blades, Nakuto was confident in his skills. However, if asked if he could replicate deflecting away a long sword swinging down with just throwing needles, he would shake his head. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t do it. However, if asked whether he could deflect the sword¡¯s trajectory enough to stop it from hitting its target, the answer would be no. ¡¸¡­¡­Also, although it might have fallen now, she is still connected to the Fraut family. Considering the information we need to save Tivia, we should ask her for help.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune frowned slightly when she heard Essetus say her family had fallen and, having known her for a while, Vihera understood why. Although Essetus was reluctant to rely on a child like Byune, he couldn¡¯t refuse her offer of help if it was to save Tivia. Closing his eyes, after reaching a conclusion with his internal conflict, he bowed his head towards Byune. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, please lend us your strength.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded as if to say it was no problem. Nakuto who watched on, wondered why they would stick their heads into trouble so easily. Of course, one of the big reasons was that they were both acquaintances of Rei. However, he still had his doubts over why they would stick their heads so far in. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s meet up with Rei first. No matter what we do, we¡¯ll need Rei¡¯s cooperation.¡¹ Nakuto came back to his senses after hearing Vihera¡¯s words and hurriedly spoke up. ¡¸Rei¡¯s group said that they wanted to focus on the dungeon. That¡¯s what they told the Silva family.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I¡¯ll talk about it after we meet with him. I¡¯ll also tell you why Byune agreed to help the Silva family. ¡­¡­But first, we have to make a quick stop, so let¡¯s hurry.¡¹ Vihera spoke with a smile that would draw the attention of others. CH 496 Continuing through the 17th floor, Rei¡¯s party managed to find the stairs to the next floor after encountering a group of Goblins. After reaching the stairs, they quickly used the magic circle to leave the dungeon. Leaving the dungeon, they went to the guild and sold all the Goblin materials and proofs of subjugation before heading out into the main street, shopping and eating like they usually did. The sun was still shining down strongly as it was still in the afternoon. All things considered, it seemed that cutting their own path through the forest had drained more stamina than they had expected. Even though it hadn¡¯t been that long since they had eaten lunch in the dungeon, Rei and Elena bought grilled skewers and sandwiches to fill their stomachs as they savoured the taste. Naturally, Set and Yellow also started to ask for food, so they bought more food than usual as they enjoyed eating everything. ¡¸Huh, the meat filling in this sandwich is spicy.¡¹ Elena let out a surprised voice as she ate a sandwich with grilled chicken with some blue coloured hot sauce on it. ¡¸The fish in this one is boiled and paired with a really sour fruit.¡¹ Like so, they ate their sandwiches and described the flavours to each other, eventually sharing their sandwiches as they made their way down the street. Even though it was well over 35C in the afternoon and the sun was glaring down¡­¡­Set and Yellow enjoyed their food as well while walking alongside Rei and Elena. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to lose their appetite due to the summer heat, but neither of them seemed bothered by it as they continued to walk along¡­¡­ ¡¸Ara~ ara~, it¡¯s quite hot. Or, should I say, it¡¯s really hot.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ ¡¸Uhh¡­¡­um, I hope we¡¯re not bothering you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm, ahem.¡¹ As Rei¡¯s group neared the Golden Wind inn, some people called out to them. Turning to see the direction the voices came from, they saw four people, all acquaintances. Vihera was still wearing the same thin clothes, similar to those of a dancer or prostitute, in the heat. Byune came over to Set and Yellow and reached out to pat them with an expressionless face. Essetus raised his hand lighly with a somewhat irresolute expression while Nakuto looked away as if pretending he hadn¡¯t seen anything. Rei questioned them after seeing the unexpected combination. ¡¸This is an unusual group. What happened?¡¹ Vihera replied to Rei¡¯s question with a smile on her lips. ¡¸Yes, actually, I¡¯d like to ask you out for something.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, are you trying to ask him out in front of me!?¡¹ ¡¸Oh? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡¹ Seeing the way Vihera was looking at her, Elena realised that she was just being teased and gave a small cough before asking another question. ¡¸So, what do you want us to help you with? ¡­¡­Well, I have a good guess seeing those two here.¡¹ Elena directed her gaze over to Essetus and Nakuto. They were the two people they had introduced to Vosk, the head of the Silva family, to ask for help in locating their ¡¸A-Ahh. Uh¡­¡­actually, when we were looking around for the guy who kidnapped Tivia, they attacked us. These two helped us out.¡¹ Essetus turned to look over at Vihera, who was looking at Elena with a seemingly friendly smile, and Byune, who was stroking Set and Yellow expressionlessly. ¡¸Heh. Then, did you find their hideout? Or are you saying you don¡¯t have enough strength? It wouldn¡¯t take much time to raid them, so I can help with that.¡¹ If they were to attack a hideout, it would probably take about an hour. It wasn¡¯t too much trouble, so Rei didn¡¯t mind helping with something like that. However, Vihera shook her head at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸We haven¡¯t found their hideout yet. ¡­¡­But there¡¯s some information that you wouldn¡¯t want to miss.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Information I wouldn¡¯t want to miss?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Whenever you kill an abnormal species, I know you bring the corpse over to the Silva family. But, I know you¡¯re more interested in finding out who¡¯s creating them and where they¡¯re actually from.¡¹ ¡¸That is right. I am interested in that.¡¹ To be exact, his interest was more in the sense that he wanted to deal with the person who was creating all the abnormal species as it could have a negative impact on his Magic Beast Art. But, as he couldn¡¯t say that directly, Rei vaguely admitted his interest. That was enough for Vihera. ¡¸The people creating the abnormal species and the people recently kidnapping adventurers. ¡­¡­If I told you the two were related, what would you think?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is it true?¡¹ The appearance of abnormal species and the attacks on adventurers. Rei, who hadn¡¯t considered that the two incidents were related, asked Vihera. ¡¸My intuition.¡¹ Seeing Vihera¡¯s response, Rei was astonished. However, looking at her face, she wasn¡¯t joking at all. At the very least, Vihera herself believed in what she was saying. Normally, if an ordinary person had made a judgement based on their intuition, Rei would have just laughed it off. But, if the person saying it was a high ranking adventurer, that would be a different story. A person¡¯s intuition made unconscious judgments based on the accumulated data from events that a person had experienced. Furthermore, the person who was currently smiling in front of him was a battle maniac who was called the Mad Beast, so he couldn¡¯t just dismiss her intuition without considering it. ¡¸¡­¡­Fine. Let¡¯s head up for now. We¡¯ll hear the details in my room.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, you should have just done that at the beginning.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Vihera gave a small smile. That said, the reason for her smile was more her desire to fight, believing that she might be able to find stronger enemies to fight. ¡¸Is Byune okay with this? You know, these people are now members of the Silva family.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ When Elena asked Byune, who was stroking Set and Yellow, Byune was silent for a few seconds before giving a response. Of course, Byune couldn¡¯t say that she didn¡¯t have her own thoughts regarding the Silva family¡­¡­or rather, the three ruling families of Exil. But even so, if she could help Rei and Elena, who were kind to her, it wasn¡¯t hard to suppress her own feelings. Besides, it seemed like the current events could earn her a lot of money. For Byune, who was always in need of more money, there was no way she would miss this perfect opportunity Even if it would likely benefit the Silva family. In any case, if Byune had no complaints, Elena had no issues either. Leaving Set and Yellow at the stables, their group entered the inn together. After wiping away the sweat and dust and taking care of her appearance, Elena joined the others in Rei¡¯s room. ¡¸So, Vihera said her intuition was the reason¡­¡­what do you think?¡¹ The first to respond was the calm Nakuto. ¡¸According to the people who attacked us, we¡¯re quite sure that Tivia is still alive. But, now that the information has been leaked, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she was killed at any time. Unless there is some special circumstance.¡¹ ¡¸Some special circumstance? Since they purposely chose to kidnap Tivia, I can¡¯t deny the possibility of that, but¡­¡­it¡¯s too dangerous to bet on that, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ Speaking that far, Rei stopped before turning to Essetus and Nakuto. ¡¸I understand your feelings. But didn¡¯t you consider bringing the information to the Silva family?¡¹ Even though they were now inside a temperature controlled inn, the boiling heat outside seemed to make Essetus thirsty. He took a sip of cold fruit juice before shaking his head. ¡¸I don¡¯t think Vosk-sama would act on baseless intuition, regardless of the situation. Besides, it was only after I came here that I heard it was based on intuition.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Besides, I know about the relationship between the Silva family and the Fraut family. It¡¯s true that I plan to return the favour to the Silva family for getting their help. ¡­¡­But that all after we¡¯ve rescued Tivia. After that, I¡¯ll apologise to Vosk-sama for everything and make amends.¡¹ Hearing the two¡¯s determination and seeing the look in their eyes, showing that they wouldn¡¯t turn back, Rei turned to Elena. From the beginning, there was no reason for Rei to become involved with the abnormal species incidents. However, it was in his own self interest to get rid of any possible irregularities to do with the Magic Beast Art. That said, was it fine to drag Elena into this as well? That was what he thought for a moment, but what he got back was a rather sullen look from Elena. ¡¸Elena?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Of course I have no complaints.¡¹ Although Elena said that, her attitude clearly showed she wasn¡¯t happy. (Seriously, you shouldn¡¯t have to ask me if I want to help as well. You could at least understand my feelings.) Distant. That was what Elena was feeling in her mind. She had been with Rei for quite some time and thought that he would be able to understand her feelings. Because of that, she was dissatisfied that Rei asked her something that he should have known without having to ask. There was one person who didn¡¯t miss Elena¡¯s expression. Next to Byune, who was slowly sipping on some fruit juice, Vihera spoke up with a smile. ¡¸Oh? Even if it looks like things are going well, I wonder if it is actually going that well. Maybe I still have a chance.¡¹ ¡¸There is no such thing. Rather, how are we supposed to help? In the end, you didn¡¯t go after the people who attacked those two, right?¡¹ Realising that she would only be teased again, Elena forcibly returned to the main subject. Vihera had a somewhat disappointed expression on her face, but Byune gently pulled on her clothes, prompting her to continue. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, I understand. ¡­¡­When these two were attacked, the attackers didn¡¯t even hide their faces. Probably because they weren¡¯t planning on letting them escape. Or maybe they thought they might stand out more if they wore a mask? At the very least, it wouldn¡¯t be as obvious if they wore a mask at night compared to during the day.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Come to think of it, why did they attack us in the middle of the day?¡¹ In response to Vihera¡¯s words, Essetus muttered without thinking, as if thinking of something. The one who answered him was not Nakuto¡­¡­but Vihera. ¡¸I can think of several reasons. Maybe it was because they were in the back alleys near the slums, so the didn¡¯t have to worry about being seen by other people¡­¡­or maybe there was something nearby they didn¡¯t want anyone to see.¡¹ ¡¸You mean to say that they made a move first because we were getting close to finding something?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s just my guess. If anything, now that you¡¯ve seen their faces, there¡¯s a high possibility they¡¯ll start to dispose of whatever we were close to finding.¡¹ Elena, who was listening in to Vihera and Nakuto¡¯s conversation, hesitated for a moment over whether to reveal the information she had. However, if the incidents were really connected, as Vihera had guessed, hiding the information she had wouldn¡¯t do any good. After placing her glass of fruit juice on the table, Elena looked at every before speaking. ¡¸If the culprits who kidnapped Tivia are connected to the abnormal species incidents¡­¡­there is a high chance the Marschel familiy is also involved.¡¹ CH 497 When Elena said that the Marschel family was likely involved in the matter, it was Byune who reacted with a twitch. From Byune¡¯s perspective, the fact that the Marschel family was involved in this matter made her think of various things. However, Vihera was the one to speak up rather than Byune. ¡¸The Marschel family? What makes you say that?¡¹ ¡¸When I met with the head of the Marschel family¡­¡­that¡¯s what I felt.¡¹ Elena replied to Vihera¡¯s question and shrugged her shoulders before continuing. ¡¸Of course, there is also some circumstantial evidence. For example, all the researchers of the Levisor family, who were involved with the matter of abnormal species, were dead when the Silva family reached the research lab. There aren¡¯t that many forces that could pull something off that big while the Levisor and Silva families fought each other, are there?¡¹ Of course, there were several hidden organisations other than the three ruling families in Exil. Considering this was a Labyrinth City, a place where money gathered, it was only natural. But even so, the Marschel family was still the most likely suspect. In the first place, the Marschel family were descendants of mages, going back all the way to the party that found Exil¡¯s dungeon. Even now, when it came to magic, they were one to two steps ahead of the other families. Considering everything normally, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for them to be the first suspect for creating abnormal species. ¡¸Also, this might be a little far fetched, but¡­¡­the research lab was in the slums. And, this time, Essetus and Nakuto were attacked near the slums. It¡¯s hard to deny that the slums are a good place for that kind of thing to happen, but Vihera¡¯s words regarding a connection between the abnormal species and attacks on adventurers are convincing.¡¹ ¡¸Then let¡¯s hurry up and go to the Marschel family!¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Essetus stood up before being stopped by Nakuto next to him. ¡¸Calm down. This is only speculation based on speculation. There¡¯s no conclusive evidence whatsoever.¡¹ As he told Essetus that, Nakto regretted not catching at least one of the opponents who had attacked them. (If we had done that, we would have been able to get some information to justify our guess to the Silva family.) Nakuto thought to himself, but Vihera spoke as if it didn¡¯t matter. ¡¸Now then, since we¡¯ve settled that, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Where are we going?¡¹ ¡¸Simple. To get information on the people who attacked you.¡¹ ¡¸No, but we barely have any information about them in the first place¡­¡­¡¹ When Nakuto tried to continue, Vihera stopped him and shook his head with a smile. ¡¸We made a detour before coming to this inn, right? Back then, we told an informant we familiar with about the appearance of those men and asked them to gather some information.¡¹ Hearing those words, Nakuto remembered that Vihera had taken a detour before heading to the inn, saying that she had something to do. It was the same for Essetus, who spoke with a surprised expression as he looked at Vihera. ¡¸That shack? But I can¡¯t believe you moved so quickly¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Of course. After all, for this kind of thing, the quicker the better. ¡­¡­But, Byune was the one who knew the informant, not me.¡¹ Vihera turned to Byune with a smile on her face. However, Byune didn¡¯t seem to care as she slowly sipped her fruit juice. (I wonder how someone like Byune, who basically only communicates with ¡®Mm¡¯, could interact with an informant?) Such a question popped up in Rei¡¯s mind, but he stood up as they couldn¡¯t afford to spend more time here. In addition to the clock on Tivia¡¯s survival, there was no reason for Rei not to make a move if he could solve the issue with abnormal species. That said, it was also true that Rei was feeling a little tired, as he had just left the dungeon. ¡¸However, if abnormal species are involved, there are a lot of things to consider. It would probably be better if we conveyed this information to the Silva family.¡¹ Saying that, Rei looked around before immediately shaking his head. He, Elena, and Vihera were the main force in this group, and Byune disliked the Silva family. Essetus and Nakuto had also said they wouldn¡¯t let anything get in their way as long as they could rescue Tivia. ¡¸There¡¯s no need for any of us to go tell them directly, right? We could have the inn staff pass on a message. Since this is a high class inn, they should be able to handle something like that?¡¹ ¡¸I considered that¡­¡­but isn¡¯t it a bit too dangerous?¡¹ There was a possibility that the messenger would be attacked by the same people who attacked Essetus and Nakuto on the way to the Silva family residence because they were afraid of information being disclosed. However, Vihera shook her head in response to Rei. ¡¸An inn like this would of course have skilled guards. You could ask the guards to go with the messenger, or just ask the guards to go themselves.¡¹ In the end, that was the plan they went with and the group left the inn after writing a letter to inform Vosk of what they knew. ¡¸We seem to stand out quite a bit¡­¡­is this okay?¡¹ Essetus muttered as he walked through the city, worried about the constant gazes of people on them. Their group certainly stood out and attracted a lot of attention. However, the gazes on them weren¡¯t malicious. No, you could even say the gazes were positive. ¡­¡­That said, nearly half the gazes were directed at Set and Yellow while the other half were directed and Elena and Vihera. The former gazes were towards cute creatures while the latter were at beautiful women, so it wasn¡¯t that surprising. In Vihera¡¯s case though, there were were also some feelings of fear as quite a few people had been dragged into messes by her. ¡¸So, where¡¯s the informant?¡¹ Elena had long become numbed to such gazes, having received them for so many years, and brushed her vertical rolls of golden hair as she asked. ¡¸It¡¯s just a little further into the back alley from here. Since they did something so conspicuous, we should at least be able to figure out which direction they were headed in. We can then focuse our investigation in the direction of their escape.¡¹ ¡¸But, uh¡­¡­couldn¡¯t they deliberately take a detour instead of running away just like that?¡¹ Even though the sun was starting to set, it was still hot and Essetus wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm as he asked. However, response he received were looks of surprise. It wasn¡¯t just Vihera. Elena, Rei, and even Byune, who rarely showed any chances in expression, had her eyes go wide. ¡¸W-What¡¯s wrong? Is it that weird for me to use my brain!? Rather, let¡¯s hurry. I¡¯m worried about Tivia.¡¹ He spat those words out, as if saying ¡®I don¡¯t care¡¯, before hurrying away. ¡¸Calm down. If you panic here, you will only make them happy. They are probably watching us from somewhere right now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ ¡¸Probably. But even if they try to make any moves, Set will be ahead of them without any issues.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What? Set seemed to ask with a tilted head. Vihera stroked his head as they continued to walk down the street. Like that, rather than heading directly to the informant, it seemed like they were just killing time looking at the surrounding shops. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune voiced her agreement with Vihera¡¯s words as their group slowly made their way to the back alleys. After about 20 minutes, they arrived at a back alley where there were barely any people. Set was the largest member of the party, but luckily, he still had enough space to walk. Unlike the back alleys near the slums, there was a somewhat lonesome atmosphere here, probably because the streets weren¡¯t as crowded as the slums. With Vihera and Byune¡¯s guidance, they continued on and eventually arrived at a shack that looked like it was going to collapse at any moment. ¡¸¡­¡­Is it here?¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s question, Essetus, who had stopped by here previously on their way to the Golden Wind inn, nodded. Nakuto didn¡¯t have any change in his expression and his attitude was also neutral. ¡¸Yes. ¡­¡­Are you there?¡¹ An elderly man in his 50s poked his head out of the door at Vihera¡¯s words as she tapped on the door. The man wasn¡¯t dressed very nicely, but he was still reasonably well dressed. He didn¡¯t look like someone who lived in a shack that seemed like it was about to collapse at any moment. When the man saw who was asking, he gave a happy smile and bowed his head. ¡¸Welcome, Byune-sama, Vihera-san¡­¡­those two were Essetus-san and Nakuto-san. And¡­¡­.oh, this is rare. Even Crimson and the General Princess.¡¹ However, the words he said caused everyone aside from Vihera, Byune, Set and Yellow, to change in astonishment. Both Rei and Elena were known a lot better for their titles¡­¡­more precisely, not just Rei¡¯s title of Crimson, but Elena¡¯s title. This caused Essetus and Nakuto to immediately realise who Elena was. Even if they didn¡¯t recognise her face, they still knew of the General Princess. No, there probably weren¡¯t any people who lived in the Mireana Kingdom and its surrounding regions who didn¡¯t know the title of General Princess. ¡¸G-General¡­¡­Princess-sama!?¡¹ ¡¸Duke Kerebel¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing them stare at her with stiff mechanical movements that seemed to creak, Elena gave a small sigh before speaking. ¡¸There¡¯s no need to be so sacred. Right now, I¡¯m not Elena Kerebel of Duke Kerebel¡¯s knight order, I¡¯m just here as Elena.¡¹ Telling that to Essetus and Nakuto, who were on the verge of kneeling, and giving a sigh, Elena turned to the old man. ¡¸It seems you¡¯re quite the skilled informant.¡¹ Her identity as Elena Kerebel had been blocked by the guild and hadn¡¯t spread far past the Silva, Marschel, and Levisor families. There were some adventurers who realised who she was, but the guild had told them not to spread the information. Of course, not everyone told to keep quiet would shut their mouths, but even so, information on Elena should have only spread to a small minority. (Or, since he¡¯s an informant, he might have known from the beginning.) Elena thought to herself as she turned to look at Byune. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Seeing Elena¡¯s gaze, Byune gave a short response as she nodded her head.S At the very least, the fact that Byune didn¡¯t behave like Essetus and Nakuto was a happy event for Elena. Understanding what Byune meant, Elena turned her gaze back to the old informant. ¡¸So, I know she knows who I am, but what do you know about the people who attacked them?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Of course, I¡¯ve confirmed it. We¡¯ve found their hideout, but we haven¡¯t been able to find out who they are in this short period of time. We have confirmed though that some of them have headed to interesting places.¡¹ ¡¸Interesting places?¡¹ The old man nodded at Elena¡¯s words. If you were sensitive to people¡¯s emotions¡­¡­no, even if you weren¡¯t that sensitive to emotions, you couldn¡¯t help but notice the hatred in the old man¡¯s voice. ¡¸To the huge mansion in Exil¡¯s west, the Marschel family¡¯s mansion.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so the Marschel family is definitely involved in this matter. So that means Pree was the one to pick up Schaffner.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any doubt regarding the circumstantial evidence though¡­¡­¡¹ The old man spoke while suppressing the hatred overflowing from within him. Because he realised his own hatred, he decided it would be best for him to stop speaking. It¡¯s strange for a mere informant to have hatred like this. Elena was curious about that, but before she could ask, Vihera looked her in the eye and Elena ended up keeping her mouth shut. It was because Vihera¡¯s gaze was one that seemed to be pleading with her rather than one that desired to fight. CH 498 After receiving information that the people who had attacked Essetus and Nakuto had gone to the Marschel family residence, Elena and the rest got ready to make their next move. ¡­¡­But, before that, after leaving the shack, Elena brought Vihera a short distance away. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? I don¡¯t really like the smell over here.¡¹ Elena glanced at Vihera, who told her with dissatisfaction, and spoke. ¡¸You know what I want to ask. You can¡¯t tell me, as someone who loves to fight, that you didn¡¯t notice that informant¡¯s hatred.¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. Well, for Serakant, oh, that¡¯s the name of the informant, he has a lot of history with the Marschel family¡¹ ¡¸History? He called Byune, Byune-sama, does that have anything to do with it?¡¹ When they visited, he had spoken to Byune first and with affection. Because of that, even Elena could guess that they had some sort of relationship. Normally, if they were to visit someone in a group, the first person the other party would look at would typically be herself, Vihera, or Set. There was also the hatred for the Marschel family that he couldn¡¯t hide. Vihera nodded slightly at Elena¡¯s words. ¡¸Yes. Serakant was originally someone who served the Fraut family. He resigned from the Fraut family because they couldn¡¯t afford to pay him¡­¡­ However, it seems that Serakant himself didn¡¯t care about the pay and wanted to stay by Byune¡¯s side, but Byune herself refused to let him stay.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. I understand why the old man, Serakant, would have a fondness for Byune. Then, what about the hatred? Why does he have such hatred towards the Marschel family¡­¡­I mean, it¡¯s not the kind of hatred an old man should have.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Vihera turned to look over at Byune, who was waiting for them a bit further away. Although Byune was still expressionless as she stroked Set and Yellow, at first glance, it was a heartwarming scene. However, the road that Byune walked could only be called a thorny one. It was to the extent that a young girl, who used to be full of emotions, had stopped showing any. ¡¸There¡¯s a lot to be said about the Marschel family. ¡­¡­That¡¯s all I can say.¡¹ For a moment, Vihera recalled the time she had asked Serakant about it several months ago. She had been told that it was the Marschel family that had caused the Fraut family to fall the point of deciding whether to sell their mansion or not. After Serakant had found out, he had started investigating the Marschel family. That was why this time, the connection between the Marschel family and the attackers had become apparent so quickly. ¡¸Various things, huh? Will that be a burden to Byune?¡¹ Seeing the face of someone who used to serve her family twist in hatred. Looking at her, Elena wondered if Byune felt that to be a burden Elena voiced her question with some doubts, but what she received back was an unexpected smile. ¡¸Fufu~, it seems you can only see Byune¡¯s surface.¡¹ Vihera said that as if she were the only one who understood Byune. However, that wasn¡¯t a mistake. In fact, Vihera could understand Byune intentions with just a few words. ¡¸Did you think I¡¯d party up with a nice ordinary girl for so long? Byune may hardly show any changes in expression. But deep down inside, she had strong emotions, regardless if it is positive of negative. That¡¯s why I¡¯m staying with her, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ In Elena¡¯s eyes, Byune didn¡¯t seem to show that much emotion. That was why she kept quiet. It wasn¡¯t something Elena could see right now. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out sooner or later. Rather, we should hurry up. Look, Essetus is looking at you as if he can¡¯t stand it, you know?¡¹ At Vihera¡¯s words, Elena looked over as well and she could see that the others were eyeing her with irritation and impatience. At first glance, they seemed to be irritated by the heat, but Elena knew she didn¡¯t have the option to spend more time talking. ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. But remember. If Byune ever let¡¯s her emotions run wild, I¡¯ll make sure to stop her.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Well, you can do whatever you want I guess?¡¹ Elena¡¯s words were filled with determination, but all she got back from Vihera was a brief reply. For a moment, she seemed to want to say something more, but in the end, they went back over to Rei without saying anything further. ¡¸It was near here after all?¡¹ Essetus muttered in disgust as they approached the location Serakant told them. Currently, their group was close to the slums. ¡­¡­Yes, it wasn¡¯t far from the place where Essetus and Nakuto had been attacked. As they got closer to entering the slums, Rei suddenly turned to Nakuto and called out to him. ¡¸Do you know the exact location where you were attacked?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, yes. Of course I remember, but¡­¡­what about it?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t think the information that the informant called Serakant is wrong, or that he sold us out, but just in case.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Byune voiced her protest. Though her expression didn¡¯t change much, even Rei could tell that she was angry from her tone of voice. She had the right to be angry because the information came from someone who had served her family, which was as good as saying that she had sold them out. ¡¸Don¡¯t be so angry, it¡¯s just to be sure. Besides, the situation might have changed since Serakant got the information, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, what do you plan to do?¡¹ When Nakuto asked Rei, who was trying to pacify Byune, Set gave a cry as if to say it was his turn. ¡¸As you can see, Set is a Griffon and his five senses are much sharper than a human¡¯s. In other words, he has a sharper sense of smell.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ The one who nodded was not Nakuto, but Elena, who had also been listening into their conversation. She understood what Rei was thinking¡­¡­in other words, Rei was planning to use Set¡¯s newly acquired skill, Sense Enhancement ¨C Smell. Unlike other flashy skills like Fire Breath, skills such as Sense Enhancement ¨C Smell, were less likely to be noticed by those around him. ¡¸What? Why are you surprised Elena, aren¡¯t you always with Rei?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Rather, Rei, it would be better to hurry then. Aren¡¯t we just wasting time right now?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. Set, please go to the site of the attack.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set let out a short cry, as if saying ¡®leave it to me¡¯. The location was about 10 minutes walk away. Eventually, they arrived at a place covered in blood stains. In the slums, violence wasn¡¯t that uncommon. Naturally, it was common for blood to be found on the ground. Fortunately, the blood traces were mostly intact. Of course, after several hours under the scorching sun, it had completely dried out. Even so, with Set¡¯s sense of smell, it wasn¡¯t difficult to track someone with that amount of blood. ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ Set immediately activated his skill to improve his sense of smell. Naturally, since it wasn¡¯t a flashy skill, except for Rei, Elena, and Yellow, who was perched on Elena¡¯s left shoulder to not get in Set¡¯s way, it only looked like Set was giving a cry to encourage himself. In any case, with his sense of smell improved by his skill, Set sniffed out several odours that were still around. Especially strong was, of course, the smell of blood. It was from the people who had been stabbed by Essetus spear or the ones who¡¯s eyes had be slashed by Nakuto¡¯s daggers. The former had recovered using potions, but the blood they had bled couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡¸How is it? Do you know where they ran to?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Of course! Set seemed to say with a cry as he dashed forward and broke into a run to lead Rei and the others. Their destination was naturally the slums. ¡¸Hey, hurry up. You¡¯ll be left behind by Set. We¡¯re going to rescue your friend.¡¹ ¡¸O-O-Oh right!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Essetus stepped into the slums. He was followed by Nakuto and then the rest of the group. (I don¡¯t think they will try to attack us under these circumstances, but this is just in case.) If it were just Essetus and Nakuto, they might manage, but addition to Vihera and Byune, who had beaten back the attackers badly, there was now also Rei, Elena, and Set. Under normal circumstances, there was no way they would attack in a situation where their strength had already fallen. (As far as I¡¯m concerned, if they attack us, it will just make it easier to obtain information, so I¡¯d be more than happy. Thinking about it, Rei glanced at his surroundings while running lightly. Even those it¡¯s summer¡­¡­or because it¡¯s summer, he could see people lying on the ground like corpses with no motivation. Of course, those weren¡¯t the only people, he could see a few small children running around and some people drunk from whatever they had managed to get to drink. Among those people, especially those who were just talking with others, the looked rudely at the people who had entered the slums. They must have thought of stripping everything off the bodies of those who entered their territory, or maybe even capture them to sell to slave traders after having their fun. ¡­¡­But this time, their target wasn¡¯t a good one. The residents had mostly grown up in the slums and barely knew the names of monsters, but even so, they could instinctively sense how strong Set was as he ran in front of Rei and the others as some of them had been former adventurers. The slum residents decided that they shouldn¡¯t touch or get involved with Rei¡¯s group. In fact, they should even avoid being seen and everyone disappeared from the streets one by one without anyone needing a signal. Set might have been loved on the main streets, but here, he was nothing more than a symbol of fear. ¡¸Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ He must have sensed the fearful gazes directed towards him. Set gave a sad cry. However, the reason he didn¡¯t stop chasing the trail was because he clearly understood what he needed to do. They continued through the slums for another 10 minutes. Set suddenly stopped and turned a sharp gaze to a house about 300m away. If it was on the main street, it could be described as dreary, but in the slums, it was a respectable residence. ¡¸¡­¡­They¡¯re there.¡¹ With Rei¡¯s eyes, he could see several men watching out the windows of the building. Their wariness must have been due to their failure in attack Essetus and Nakuto previously. ¡¸-!?¡¹ ¡¸Wait.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Nakuto grabbed Essetus by the neck and forcibly stopped him from reflexively rushing into the building. ¡¸Hey, what are you doing! We have to hurry up and save Tivia!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why you should calm down. Can¡¯t you do something about the blood rushing to your head? It definitely could be the hideout for those who kidnapped Tivia. That¡¯s why if you attack carelessly without thinking, there¡¯s a high chance they will manage to escape.¡¹ Although Essetus tried to refute Nakuto¡¯s words without thinking, Nakuto cut him off before he could speak. ¡¸More than anything else, each of the people who attacked us was at least as strong or stronger than us.¡¹ ¡¸But, we injured a lot of them earlier! In that case!¡¹ ¡¸Did you forget about the guy called Ogoru? He had a fairly high quality potion with him, didn¡¯t he?¡¹ ¡¸Then what should I do!¡¹ Essetis yelled back at Nakuto without thinking, having had all his thoughts denied¡­¡­but the next moment, a fist was swung down on his head. It wasn¡¯t just a fist either. It was Vihera¡¯s fist, wrapped up in a gauntlet. Even Nakuto raised his eyebrows imagining the pain at the dull sound. ¡¸Gah, ahhhh¡­¡­¡¹ As for Essetus himself, he could only hold his head as he crouched down. ¡¸As Nakuto said, calm down. In the first place, even you attack the building from here, if there¡¯s a back door, they could just run out, you know?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. And, it wouldn¡¯t be any good if those who were kidnapped, including Tivia, were just taken away. ¡­¡­Let me and Set go around to the back. The rest attack of you match the timing and attack from the front. Be sure to be quick. If they take a hostage or something, we¡¯ll be in a lot of trouble.¡¹ After Rei said that, everyone discussed the plan to assault the building in a few minutes. CH 499 Rei and Set sneaked around to the back of the building they were targeting. The path they had to take was quite convoluted because of the building¡¯s location. But regardless, Rei and Set managed to get to the back of the building and found the back door before the raid started. ¡¸Well, if they are aware that they¡¯re doing something dangerous, they would naturally prepare an escape route in case anything happened.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set gave a cry in agreement as Rei muttered to himself. Rei gently stroked Set¡¯s head and waited for a commotion to break out in the building¡­¡­suddenly, noise broke out from in the building. Most people wouldn¡¯t have heard anything, but with their sharper sense of hearing, there was no way they would miss it. ¡¸Well then, we should get going. I don¡¯t think there are any underground passages, but there may be other hidden passages, so we should be careful.¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry of understanding. Since it seemed that this building had only started to be used recently, Rei judged that they probably didn¡¯t have the time to dig an underground passage. That said, Rei did consider that they could have dug a tunnel using magic. However, there weren¡¯t that many people who could use magic in the world, so Rei dismissed the possibility as he went over to the building with Set. Fortunately, unlike the front door, there were no windows near the back door. Rei and Set remained wary of magic alarms, but they reached the back door without anything happening. Sounds of destruction could be heard from inside. Even if there had been people guarding the back door, it seemed they were now focused on Essetus, who would no doubt be quite blood thirsty¡­¡­and Vihera, who was probably also enjoying the fighting. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ When Rei turned silently to Set to confirm his intentions, Set gave a faint cry. Seeing that, Rei took out a dagger instead of his Death Scythe, which would be inconvenient to use inside a building, and calculated his timing before gently opening the door. He could have kicked it open to make the enemy think it was a pincer attack, but Rei decided that they might take hostages in response. The moment they heard voices, Set used the Transformation skill to shrink his body before he entered with Rei, hiding in a nearby corridor, hoping they could overhear any information. ¡¸Damn it, why is this place under attack! Did you guys head straight here when you ran away!?¡¹ ¡¸Do you think we¡¯d do something that stupid!?¡¹ ¡¸Then, why are they here! Ogoru, that guys called Essetus must be the one you attacked!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know damn it! It had only been those two, then the Mad Beast helped them out, you have to be joking!¡¹ ¡¸At very least, we were able to escape.¡¹ ¡¸This is no time to be calm! We have to leave as soon as possible while those pawns buy time. We can¡¯t let them find out any information¡­¡­and pass it to the Silva family!¡¹ Rei and Set sensed several people approaching the back door as they spoke like that. As they got closer, the sounds of battle and destruction resounded inside the building. It was easy to guess who was causing all the noise, but as Rei was about to step out in front of the people approaching the back door¡­¡­ ¡¸What do we do with the captives? Since they¡¯ve seen our faces, if we hand them over, they¡¯ll know who we are.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What? Surely you must have taken them away already? When we were threatened by that damn doll.¡¹ ¡¸That was just the woman they were looking for, the one named Tivia. The others are ones we caught after that.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, I haven¡¯t heard anything about this, you know? If they¡¯re really still here¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing their discussion, Rei paused for a moment. (Tch, I guess Tivia isn¡¯t here any more? Then, why don¡¯t I gather as much information as I can from these guys? Also, I¡¯d like to see some proof that they¡¯re connected to the Marschel family.) Quickly gathering his thoughts, Rei tapped Set on the neck to signal him before stepping out in front of the men. ¡¸Unfortunately, this is a dead end, if you want to pass, you¡¯ll have to be a big boy and spit out everything you know first.¡¹ Seeing Rei suddenly appear in front of them, Set made them freeze for a moment¡­¡­but the next moment, they closed the distance without hesitation. They didn¡¯t exchange any words, nor was there any sort of signal. However, the actions they made were very coordinated. Two pairs of the 6 men attacked Rei and Set to buy some time while the remaining two took advantage of the opportunity to escape through the back door. Before arriving here, they had been arguing, but there was no hesitation in their actions. However¡­¡­in the end, their decision was still the wrong one. Rei easily dodged the two men that attacked him with a dagger and club before stabbing them with the tip of his own dagger. Rei¡¯s dagger was still sheathed, so Rei judged that it wouldn¡¯t kill them before turning to Set. The two men who attacked Set had been swept away by a single swipe of his claws, colliding into the other two who were trying to run away and knocking them all to the floor. (Well, I shouldn¡¯t need to worry about them.) Relieved at their victory, Rei went over to the men stuck under the attackers Set had knocked away. ¡¸Now then, since those two were trying to run away, there¡¯s no doubt they know a lot more than the rest of the 6 men here.¡¹ While muttering to himself, Rei thought about what the men had been talking about earlier. There had been some people who were kidnapped after Tivia. ¡¸It¡¯s possible that they know something we don¡¯t, so it would be a waste to abandon them. ¡­¡­Set, I¡¯m sorry, but could you keep an eye on these guys?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Even though he nodded at Rei¡¯s words, Set still looked towards the back door. Understanding what he wanted to ask, Rei nodded before speaking. ¡¸Yeah, you should take them outside. It wouldn¡¯t be good for anyone other than Elena to see you use the Size Transformation skill.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ With a short cry at Rei¡¯s words, Set picked up the men by their clothes or armour with his beak as he carried them out. Rei watched Set do that just in case any of them regained consciousness. To Set, it wasn¡¯t a difficult task to carry 6 large men, so he was done after a few minutes. Seeing the men lined up on the ground, Rei recalled a memory of seeing tuna lined up at Tsukiji in Japan on TV. The sounds of destruction from within the building probably mean that Elena and the others were still rampaging around. (Or Vihera, to be exact.) The image of the seductive battle maniac flashed through his mind and he unintentionally gave a wry smile. However, his smile soon disappeared as he proceeded to search the building for the people being held captive. The building itself wasn¡¯t that big, so Rei thought he would be able to find the captive immediately. But, even after looking around for a few minutes for places people could be locked up in, he couldn¡¯t find anything. Or, maybe there was no such thing as a prison in this building. ¡¸That¡¯s all that¡¯s left, but¡­¡­¡¹ Rei looked over towards the direction where sounds of destruction could still be heard. However, that direction was closer to the entrance of the building. If someone asked Rei whether he would leave captives close to the entrance, he would probably say no. ¡¸The remaining possibilities are a hidden room or basement, but as expected, it would be hard to find something like that alone.¡¹ Although it could be used to search, Rei¡¯s fire magic was too conspicuous as there were actual flames. Putting a dungeon aside, if he used it here, there was no doubt it would cause a big fuss. If it was just a small rampage, the residents of the slums would probably turn a blind eye. But fire was a different story. After all, if things went badly, their own residences might get burned down. Rei hesitated over what to do for a minute, but the battle inside the building seemed to have ended during that time. Realising that sounds of destruction and screams were no longer heard, he headed over to ask the people who had been taken out. The reason why he didn¡¯t head back to Set was just because he was now closer to the entry team. Just to be on the safe side, Rei went over while keeping an eye on his surroundings and eventually a scene came into his vision.. Doors and walls were destroyed and there was a man who had fainted after having his upper body slammed into a wall. It was especially bad near the entrance. There had been a fierce battle there¡­¡­or rather, it was probably due to Vihera going wild. The ¡®mansion¡¯ in the slums was now in a state where it wouldn¡¯t be strange for it to collapse at any moment. The number of men lying on the ground was over 10. Considering that most of them seemed to have broken bones while Vihera and Elena were unharmed, and Essetus and Nakuto only had minor cuts and bruises, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess how the fight had gone. Rei looked on in amazement at the hellscape that had been created because of the men¡¯s attempt to buy time. ¡¸Ara~, Rei. Are you done?¡¹ In response to Vihera¡¯s question, who asked as soon as she spotted him, Rei gave a small nod before speaking. ¡¸As expected there were some guys trying to escape out the back door, so I caught them. They seemed to be trying to escape by using these guys as pawns, so at least compared to the guys here, they should know a lot more.¡¹ ¡¸Is there any information about Tivia!?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Essetus rushed to ask, but Rei silently shook his head. ¡¸As they were trying to escape, I overheard that Tivia had already been taken somewhere else.¡¹ ¡¸Damn¡­¡­damn it, after all this trouble¡­¡­¡¹ Even though they had know the chances weren¡¯t high, they probably still had some hope as this had been the attacker¡¯s hideout. Nakuto patted Essetus on the back to calm him down as he kicked the ground in frustration. Seeing that, Elena asked Rei something that had suddenly caught her attention. ¡¸So, why did you bother to come over here? To tell us that you captured the ones trying to escape?¡¹ ¡¸No, it seems that there are still people being held captive somewhere in this building, so I¡¯ve been trying to find them¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But you haven¡¯t found anyone.¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders as Vihera¡¯s words, who had been listening in to his conversation with Elena. ¡¸I¡¯ve looked around most of the building, but I think there¡¯s a hidden room somewhere, so I¡¯d thought I¡¯d ask these guys to tell me where it is.¡¹ ¡¸Why didn¡¯t you just ask the people you captured instead?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s partly because I was closer to you guys and because there¡¯s only me and Set on the other side. If something happened and they scattered to run away, we might not have been able to keep them all down.¡¹ Saying that, Rei approached a man who had fainted, buried under some wood that used to make up a doorway, and poured water over his face using the Dagger of Flowing Water to bring him back to consciousness. Elena and Vihera, who both knew how the water tasted, had a regrettable expression on their face, and even Byune¡¯s expression changed slightly as they waited for the man to regain consciousness. CH 500 ¡¸If what they told me is true, then it should be around here.¡¹ Rei muttered while looking around a room. Elena and Nakuto were nearby. As for the rest, Vihera, Byune, and Essetus remained as guards for the unconscious men near the entrance, where the battle had taken place. Even though Rei had learned the location of the hidden room from the man, Nakuto was chosen to come with him because a thief would probably be needed to open the entrance to the room while Elena was going to help if any of the captives were women. That said, another reason for this grouping was because Vihera said she would wait at the entrance as there probably wasn¡¯t going to be any more fighting. ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, there¡¯s no doubt about it. It¡¯s as they said.¡¹ When Nakuto examined the floor and removed some floor boards, a set of stairs was found. ¡¸Heh, looks like this is it.¡¹ Looking at the stairs, Rei muttered without much thought. However, Elena, who was next to him, spoke with a wry smile on her face. ¡¸They were threatened so much that they didn¡¯t have the guts to lie in that situation.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Their fear of Vihera was¡­¡­well, in a way, it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡¹ After fighting Vihera, the Mad Beast, it wasn¡¯t surprising that a fear of her would be engraved into their minds. In such a situation, it was impossible for the man being interrogated by Vihera, who had a vicious smile on her face, to not give up. It might have been a different situation if it were the men that Rei and Set had captured, but the ones who had fought Vihera and the others¡­¡­or more precisely were trampled over by them, were just thugs from the slums who had been hired with money. As a result, Rei and the others quickly learned of the prison¡¯s location. ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Just in case, Nakuto, who was a thief, lead the way, followed by Rei and Elena. As it was just stairs leading to a basement, it took them less than a minute to get to the bottom. (It was probably because of this basement that the building was used as their hideout.) As Nakuto looked around while thinking of that, a voice suddenly called out. ¡¸Who¡­¡­is it?¡¹ ¡¸So there were people kidnapped after all? Wait a minute.¡¹ Luckily, there were some magic items in the basement that could provide light, so Rei and the others used them to move towards the direction of the voice. Before long, they found a woman in leather armour that was easy to move in. She seemed terrified at the sight of Rei and Nakuto, but gave a sigh of relief when she saw Elena. Her terror was from the fact that two men had appeared, but her relief came from the fact that Elena¡­¡­or a woman, to be more precise, was with them. Sensing her feelings as a fellow woman, Elena held Rei and Nakuto back from approaching closer and went forward on her own. Luckily, there was only the woman in the prison right now. It was a narrow prison with space for five people to sit without moving. The woman gave an appreciative glance over to Elena as she came over. Elena had gallantly rushed to her rescue and was also the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. It didn¡¯t take long for the gratitude in her eyes to turn to adoration. ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes!¡¹ ¡¸All right, let¡¯s open the door first¡­¡­do you know where the key is?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No. The men who kidnapped me have it.¡¹ The woman looked down in shame at her inability to answer the question asked by her goddess of salvation. However, Elena didn¡¯t worry about it at all as she pulled out her sword whip from the sheath to the left of her waist and poured magic power into it as she swung it. A high pitched metallic sound resounded into the surroundings and, the next moment, the dungeon door itself was sliced in two as the pieces fell to the ground. ¡¸This should be fine. If possible, I¡¯d like to ask you a few things, are you okay with that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Of course! Um, if you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me your name? My name is Sonrissa.¡¹ To the woman who said that with moist eyes, Sonrissa, Elena gave a dignified smile as she replied. ¡¸I¡¯m Elena. Those two are Rei and Nakuto. ¡­¡­Well, even if I want to ask about some things, this isn¡¯t a good place. We¡¯ll talk upstairs.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, onee-sama!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Onee-sama?¡¹ Hearing those sudden words, Elena looked confused. But Sonrissa smiled at her as she spoke. ¡¸Um¡­¡­is that no good?¡¹ ¡¸No, well, I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡­¡¹ Even though she was confused, Elena told her that it wasn¡¯t a problem. Even when she was in Duke Kerebel¡¯s knight order, some of the girls younger than her would call her same way, but Elena never thought she would be called that here in Exil, those were her honest feelings about it. In any case, it was unpleasant to keep staying inside this musty basement, so everyone went back up to the room where the stairs had been. ¡¸Wow¡­¡­this is much better¡­¡­¡¹ Coming out from the basement, Sonrissa gave a sigh of relief. The sun was already setting, but she smiled in relief as she saw the sunlight coming through the window. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but could you please tell us your story?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah-! Excuse me, onee-sama. Um, what should I tell you about?¡¹ Elena¡¯s voice brought Sonrissa back to her sneses and she hurriedly straightened out her appearance. ¡¸First, Sonrissa. When were you brought here?¡¹ ¡¸Last night. Well, I had left my party members at the bar last night and was going home when I was attacked¡­¡­¡¹ Elena, Rei, and Nakuto all showed expressions of understanding when they heard the word ¡®home¡¯. Most of the adventurers in Exil had come from other places, but there were a number of adventurers who were raised here. After all, seeing adventurers challenge the dungeon from a young age, adventurers became the target of their admiration. ¡­¡­Furthermore, in terms of making money, it was a way of making a lot of money quickly. And, of course, adventurers who came from Exil had their own homes rather than staying in inns like adventurers from other places. The female adventurer named Sonrissa was a typical example of those adventurers. ¡¸Last night? So, did you see anyone else held captive here?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? I¡¯ve been alone since I was put there.¡¹ Sonrissa immediately replied to Nakuto¡¯s question. He probably half expected that answer, but there was still a disappointed expression on Nakuto¡¯s face as he continued with the questions. ¡¸Then, if you have any clues about the identities of the men, please let us know.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you ask me for clues¡­¡­I heard from their discussions that they were under someone¡¯s orders, but if it¡¯s anything else¡­¡­¡¹ As Sonrissa frantically racked her head to see if there was anything else she could think of, she suddenly recalled something that had come up between the men¡¯s discussions. ¡¸That is, this might be a coincidence, but it seems that there were followers of the Church of Holy Light among the men.¡¹ ¡¸The Church of Holy Light ¡­¡­-!?¡¹ At those words, Nakuto also recalled something. Among the people who had attacke him and Essetus, there had been a person who was reprimanded after saying the word¡ºChurch¡­¡­¡». (The prayer that the Church of Holy Light used was¡ºMay the Goddess of Holy Light bless you¡». Thinking about it, does that mean the guy who attacked me was a follower of the Church of Holy Light¡­¡­no, wait. The fact that he was stopped mid sentence means that the person who stopped him was also a member of the Church of Holy Light? Out of the nine people who attacked us, if it was just one, it might be considered a coincidence, but two followers of the Church of Holy Light?) Nakuto thought about in his mind before reaching a conclusion. ¡¸Is the Church of Holy Light involved in the attack and connected to the Marschel family as well?¡¹ At those words, Sonrissa¡¯s eyes went wide. She had never thought the case of her kidnapping would become such a big matter. Besides, the Church of Holy Light had a certain amount of influence in Exil. They lent their strength to adventurers, even though it was at a cost, and did various acts of service around the city. Why would such people do something like this? Those were Sonrissa¡¯s honest feelings. However, for Rei, who had been skeptical about religion to begin with, like the Church of Holy Light¡­¡­this was nothing more than a reason to convince him further. ¡¸I see. Then, is there a good chance that the Church of Holy Light is also involved in the matter of the abnormal species? ¡­¡­No, if you think about the matter with the Levisor family¡¯s research lab, were they just puppets of the Church of Holy Light?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Nakuto frowned slightly. His thoughts were that it had become a tricky situation. ¡¸Regardless, wouldn¡¯t be better to get information from the guys that Rei caught? If the Church of Holy Light is really involved, and they are connected to the Marschel family, then many things could go wrong.¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s right! Even though there was a conflict between the Silva and Levisor families not long ago, if another conflict between the Silva and Marschel families were to occur, and the Church of Holy Light is involved¡­¡­it won¡¯t be good. There might even be an intervention from the Mireana Kingdom.¡¹ Elena lightly tapped Sonrissa¡¯s shoulder to calm her down. ¡¸This is only the case if Nakuto¡¯s predictions are correct. More importantly, you were kidnapped and taken here, even if it was only for a night. Your family and party members must be worried, so let¡¯s head back early. ¡­¡­For now, the Silva family might contact you at some point, at that time, please listen to what they have to say.¡¹ ¡¸U-Um¡­¡­what is onee-sama going to do?¡¹ ¡¸There are a lot of things I have to do. ¡­¡­Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Understanding what Elena wanted to say with just that, he headed for the back door. ¡¸Could you wait a moment before interrogating them? I want to bring Essetus and the others along.¡¹ Rei wondered if Essetus could really participate in the interrogation, but decided that he wouldn¡¯t agree to being left behind anyway, so he nodded in response to Nakuto¡¯s question before leaving. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set greeted Rei and Elena with a cry as they reached the back door. Looking over at the unconscious men while stroking Set¡¯s head, none of them seemed to have regained consciousness and were lying on the ground like tuna, just like before. ¡¸Now then, until Essetus and the others get here¡­¡­let¡¯s make sure they can¡¯t escape.¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei took out some rope from the Misty Ring and tied the hands and feet of the men. With each of their hands and feet tied up with rope, even if they tried to escape, they wouldn¡¯t make it. After slapping the cheek of the man closest to him several times, the man finally regained consciousness. ¡¸Mm¡­¡­what¡­¡­-!?¡¹ Within seconds of regaining consciousness, the man must have remembered what had happened before he was knocked out. He tried to get up immediately, but there was no way for him to move with Rei stepping on his chest. ¡¸You¡¯re¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Should I say good morning? Anyway, I¡¯ve got some questions to ask you.¡¹ Just as Rei said that, Vihera, Byune, Essetus, and Nakuto appeared from the back door. Sonrissa wasn¡¯t with them as she had already on her way back to her home. Seeing the man that was being stepped on, Essetus¡¯ eyes widened as he shouted out. ¡¸That¡¯s the one, this guy! The one called Ogoru who attacked us!¡¹ ¡¸Looks like I hit the jackpot.¡¹ ¡¸You guys doing this¡­¡­kuh-.¡¹ Ogoru tried to say something back, but the next moment, Rei increased the weight on his foot, stopping speaking. ¡¸You can only speak to answer my questions. ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯ll start with this. Where is Tivia?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t know.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? I thought you said you carried her somewhere when you were trying to escape.¡¹ After hearing Rei¡¯s words, Ogoru averted his gaze without speaking. ¡¸The Marschel family.¡¹ Ogoru¡¯s mouth twitched at Rei¡¯s words. Everyone else watching didn¡¯t notice, but Rei, who was stepping on him, felt his body stiffen for a moment. ¡¸Looks like I¡¯m right.¡¹ He had already heard from Serekant, the informant, that these men had been in and out of the Marschel family¡¯s residence. It was a question mostly to confirm, but either way, it was now clear where Tivia had been taken to. ¡¸The next question. ¡­¡­.What is your relation with the Church of Holy Light?¡¹ At that question, Ogoru spoke with a smile, as if he didn¡¯t understand what Rei was asking. ¡¸Hah? The Church of Holy Light? What does that have to do with me?¡¹ Ogoru¡¯s expression was calm when he replied. If someone who didn¡¯t know anything about him had seen his response, they might have thought he really didn¡¯t have anything to do with the Church of Holy Light. However, Rei just smiled back. CH 501 Ogoru¡¯s response to Rei¡¯s question seemed natural and not particularly suspicious. For a moment, Essetus wondered if they had made a mistake. However, Rei put more pressure onto Ogoru¡¯s body as he noticed him stiffen for a moment before continuing to speak with a smile. ¡¸Oh? You have nothing to do with the Church of Holy Light? So the female adventurer you kidnapped was mistaken?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah. Of course. I have nothing to do with the Church of Holy Light.¡¹ Ogoru was going to continue but Rei put more pressure on him, forcing him to stop. Rei nodded at him before asking again, as if checking just one last time. ¡¸Then, you really have nothing to do with the Church of Holy Light? Are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been telling you. More importantly¡­¡­do you think you¡¯ll get away with this? You do realise how dangerous it is to become enemies with the Marschel family here in Exil, don¡¯t you?¡¹ From Ogoru¡¯s perspective, the fact that they were part of the Church of Holy Light was something that could never become known. On the other hand, they didn¡¯t need to care that much about their relationship with the Marschel family. In addition, since Rei¡¯s party had already judged that they were tied to the Marschel family, then they might as well try to pass their affiliation to the Marschel family. ¡­¡­However, after hearing Ogoru¡¯s words, Rei had a grin on his face as he spoke. ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll have to ask you to prove that you¡¯re not part of the Church of Holy Light.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Prove?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll make you do something difficult. You just have to repeat the same words I say¡­¡­is that okay?¡¹ At those words¡­¡­or at that moment, to be exact, Ogoru had a bad feeling as he saw Rei¡¯s smile. However, he was no longer in a position to be able to refuse. Rei spoke as he looked at Ogoru. ¡¸I recognise the Church of Holy Light as heresy and have nothing to do with such dubious organisations. The Goddess of Holy Light is actually a being that likes to entrap others and make them commit cruel and outrageous acts. In addition, the self-proclaimed Goddess of Holy Light is a dirty existence that would seduce men and drag them into bed.¡¹ The words that Rei spoke not only stunned Ogoru, but everyone present as well. None of them had expected Rei to say something so insidious. However, those words had a great effect. Ogoru, who had been thinking about how to escape this place, turned to Rei with a sharp glare and eyes that seemed bloodshot. Furthermore, the other ment, who were supposed to be unconscious, were also glaring at Rei with murderous intent. With just that, it was clear what their affiliation was. ¡¸I see, so everyone here is a member of the Church of Holy Light. ¡­¡­It seems it really was a religion with a dark side.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as if convinced. ¡¸What¡¯s left is the all important question of where Tivia was taken¡­¡­so, are you willing to answer that question?¡¹ Even though Rei asked that, all he got back was a glare filled with murderous intent. For Rei, it was something he had just said casually, but for the men, it was as if their faith had been defiled, something utterly unforgivable. Even though Rei was being showered by murderous glares, he didn¡¯t seem to care much as he continued to speak. ¡¸Well, I have a rough guess. It¡¯s either the Marschel family¡¯s residence, or maybe a research lab. ¡­¡­No, I heard that the Marschel family doesn¡¯t hire that many people, so I don¡¯t think it will be a research lab. Anyway, it will become clear if we go to the Marschel family residence to check it out.¡¹ Glancing over at Essetus, who seemed like he wanted to rush to the Marschel family residence immediately, and Nakuto, who was holding him back, Rei spoke to them. ¡¸Anyhow, the first place we should go is not the Marschel family residence¡­¡­but to the Silva family.¡¹ ¡¸Why! We have to hurry to save Tivia!¡¹ Rei let out a small sigh at the words that Essetus spoke without thinking¡­¡­ ¡¸You know. No matter how few people they have, the Marschel family is still one of Exil¡¯s ruling families. If someone with your strength were to go in alone, you¡¯d just be captured and buried in the darkness.¡¹ Vihera spoke out in amazement before Rei could say anything back. Essetus almost retorted on reflex after hearing those words, but Nakuto nodded back before he could respond. ¡¸That¡¯s right. If we want to rescue Tivia, it will either take a small group of highly skilled people to sneak into the Marschel family residence, or conversely, an attack with a large group of people that can¡¯t be ignored. Doing things halfway would be the most dangerous.¡¹ ¡¸But, does the Silva family have that much fighting power after having just fought the Levisor family?¡¹ From what Rei had heard from Vosk, most of their manpower had been allocated towards dealing with abnormal species. Of course, if the Marschel family was involved with creating abnormal species, then they should be able to redistributed their forces. And since the attacks on adventurers was a related incident, it should also be possible to hire adventurers who weren¡¯t tied to the Silva family. But¡­¡­ ¡¸But, if we wait to gather that many people, what will happen to Tivia!¡¹ As Essetus shouted out, one of the men smiled. ¡¸If it¡¯s that woman, isn¡¯t she about to be processed?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, probably. But that process isn¡¯t a pleasant one from our point of view. At the very least, I¡¯d hate to die like that.¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Hearing those words from one of the men, who seemed to be trying to provoke him, Essetus¡¯ eyes went wide and he was about to shout back when¡­¡­Rei stomped on the men, knocking them all unconscious again. In addition, there was also an unpleasant sound of bones breaking, but no one seemed to care about that. ¡¸¡­¡­In that case, let¡¯s chose both.¡¹ Rei spoke as if didn¡¯t care at all for the men who¡¯s ribs he had just crushed. Essetus seemed confused as he asked back. ¡¸Both?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Either way, we can¡¯t leave these guys like this, we need to take them somewhere to properly interrogate them. In that case, don¡¯t you think the Silva family are just the right people? In the meantime, a small group of elites will sneak into the Marschel family residence and rescue Tivia. Also, it would be great if we could obtain some kind of evidence showing a connection with the Church of Holy Light or something to do with the creation of abnormal species.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I want to be in the group sneaking in¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Rejected.¡¹ Before he could finish speaking, Rei immediately dismissed Essetus¡¯ thoughts. ¡¸Why!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Think about what you¡¯ve said and done so far. Do you think you¡¯re suitable for infiltration with that personality of wanting to rush in as soon as anything happens?¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ Even Essetus seemed to be self aware that he wasn¡¯t suited for that kind of action. He struggled to say something back, at a loss for words. Nakuto reached out to his shoulder to calm him down. ¡¸I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll leave these guys here to you Essetus.¡¹ ¡¸But!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can¡¯t you trust me?¡¹ Nakuto said that to Essetus, who was still trying to argue back, to persuade him. After hearing those words, Essetus fell silent for a few seconds before nodding slightly. ¡¸I understand. ¡­¡­Please save Tivia.¡¹ After settling Essetus down, they next discussed who else should be left behind. Rei and Set couldn¡¯t be left behind as they made up the bulk of their strength. Elena also had her own combat strength in addition to Yellow¡¯s ability to scout ahead. Since Vihera was looking forward to fighting tougher enemies and had cooperated with Rei and the others for that reason, she absolutely wouldn¡¯t agree to be left behind. Byune had personal difficulties due to the relationship between the Fraut and Silva families, and above all, she didn¡¯t really speak either, making her unsuited to stay behind. As they discussed, Rei muttered out loud as he looked at the six unconscious people on the ground. ¡¸As expected, it¡¯s impossible to handle this many people with only one person¡­¡­I should have asked for help instead of just sending Sonrissa away.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Who is that? At Set¡¯s question, Rei explained about the female adventurer who had been trapped in the prison. After that, they continued to discuss who should be left behind, but when they saw the sun start to set, they understood that they had to make a decision. And, in the end, it was Elena who conceded. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll take these people to the Silva family. If I go directly, Vosk will respond immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Oh? Are you sure¡¹ Vihera called out to Elena, who said that reluctantly, in a teasing tone. Her question had two meanings. The first was if it was really okay for Elean to leave the infiltration to them, and the second was if it was okay for her to not keep an eye on herself and Rei. Elena frowned slightly at that question. ¡¸I didn¡¯t want to make this choice either because of your attitude.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~? Guru~¡­¡­¡¹ Set, who had been listening to Elena¡¯s words, suddenly gave a cry as he turned his round eyes towards Rei. ¡¸Set?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~, Guru~, Gururururu~¡¹ Giving a few quiet cries, he turned to look at himself and them towards the unconscious men and Elena. With just that, Rei understood what Set wanted to say. He would go with Elena because his size would just get in the way of them trying to sneak around. (Then, can we bring Elena back¡­¡­no, we can¡¯t.) Set and Essetus knew far too few people compared to Elena. Besides, there was the problem that Vosk would likely only respond immediately if Elena went over herself. Judging that, the best option would be to let Set accompany Elena. (Honestly, it sounds like it would be hard to find Tivia without Set¡¯s sense of smell¡­¡­but his size. We can¡¯t really use Size Transformation freely with others nearby.) Gently reaching out to stroke Set¡¯s head, Rei spoke out. ¡¸Set, I¡¯ll leave them to you then.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Leave it to Set! Yellow seemed to say as well as he gave a brief cry. With a slight smile on his face, Rei turned to Elena. ¡¸Elena, please take Set with you to the Silva family residence.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. After all, considering Set¡¯s size, he¡¯s not suited to sneaking around indoors.¡¹ Understanding what Rei meant with those words, Elena nodded without replying. ¡¸Understand. Well then, after handing these people over to the Silva family, I will negotiate with Vosk to have them provide a fighting force. If possible, it would be a great help if you could rescue Tivia by then.¡¹ Of course you can do that, right? Rei nodded with a smile at Elena¡¯s implied question. ¡¸If possible, getting her out would be better as well. Even I would rather not worry about hostages when attacking the Marschel family.¡¹ Rei and Elena both smiled at each other. Seeing the two of them like that, Essetus, who couldn¡¯t go to rescue Tivia himself, looked somewhat unconvinced, but he also understood that bringing reinforcements from the Silva family was an important roles. He stayed silent and didn¡¯t speak out. Oh dear, it¡¯s getting dark, but it¡¯s still quite hot.¡¹ On the other hand, Vihera couldn¡¯t keep quiet as she spoke up. As Vihera had said, it was true that the sun had already set and the surroundings were now enveloped in darkness. And, although it had nothing to do with Rei, the temperature hadn¡¯t dropped at all and it was still hot. Elena deflected Vihera¡¯s words as she spoke. ¡¸Vihera, don¡¯t try and pull Rei¡¯s leg. Don¡¯t get caught up in fighting and make a huge commotion either.¡¹ ¡¸I know. Be careful as well. It¡¯s now certain that the Church of Holy Light is deeply involved in thi matter. Naturally, they¡¯ll be aiming to recapture those six people, who are witnesses. If it wasn¡¯t these six, they might not care¡­¡­and even if they do, the probably still won¡¯t admit to it, but still, there¡¯s a big difference between having witnesses and not having any.¡¹ Elena nodded firmly at those words¡­¡­and then they split up into two groups, one heading for the Silva family residence and the other to the Marschel family residence. CH 502 As the sun set, enveloping Exil in darkness, Rei, Vihera, Byune, and Nakuto, headed for their destination, the Marschel family residence. Because their goal was to infiltrate the residence and rescue Tivia, who was being held captive, they couldn¡¯t go there by carriage. At the same time, running openly would also attract attention from the surroundings, which would also be a problem. So, in the end, they had to settle with walking quickly through the city. ¡¸As long as Vihera is around, she¡¯s going to attract attention no matter what.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that so? I have no intention of doing that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can you say that again after looking at your clothes and thinking about your reputation?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Vihera¡¯s reaction was almost reflexive, as if she had no idea how her appearance had anything to do with it. Fortunately, since it was night time now, the gazes directed at her were not as many as during the day. But, even so, when Rei¡¯s party passed by people, Vihera¡¯s dancer like appearance would cause people to turn and look at her. (If we get a little closer to the Marschel residence though, there should be less people. ¡­¡­Thinking about it, it hurts not having Set with us. Being drunk doesn¡¯t seem to stop them from trying to mess with Vihera, even though she¡¯s known as the Mad Beast. No, I guess it can¡¯t be helped considering how many men Vihera attracts.) Rei muttered to himself as he ignored the whistling of two men who were flushed from drinking. That was because if Set, a Griffon over 2m in size, was with them, people wouldn¡¯t try to mess around with them, even if they were drunk. Rei had the title of Crimson, but he was mostly known only because of Set. From Rei¡¯s appearance, it was hard to judge him as a very talented adventurer. It went without saying for the 10 year old Byune. Among their group, Nakuto was surprisingly the most helpful one. As the thief of Sonic Blades, which was a fairly well known party, no drunks bothered them if they spotted him. Even those who didn¡¯t know who he was would pull back if Nakuto, who had the fiercest face in the group, glared at them. Yes, for example, like the two who were whistling at Vihera. As things like that happened, they continued to make their way through the city, guided by Nakuto and Byune, and moving along the back alleys where there were less people. Nakuto spoke as they spotted the residence, which was illuminated by many lights unlike the buildings in the city center. ¡¸I see it. ¡­¡­Let¡¯s proceed with caution from here on. Byune.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Exchanging glances as thieves, they quickly shifted their eyes to see if there were any suspicious movements. However, fortunately or unfortunately, they weren¡¯t attacked by anyone, so they steadily approached the Marschel family residence. ¡¸¡­¡­This is boring. Wouldn¡¯t it be great if they all attacked us at once? I hope there¡¯s someone strong.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re infiltrating right now, so I don¡¯t want to cause a commotion here.¡¹ Vihera whispered to Rei while looking back at him with damp eyes. However, Rei just gave a sigh as he whispered back and told her not to get in the way of the two thieves. Vihera¡¯s white back came into view through her thin layers of clothes. Her lusciousness seemed to be emphasised by the moonlight pouring down. That said, this wasn¡¯t the time to focus on that. Rei continued to move forward while remaining ready to respond to any attack. With regards to their formation, Nakuto and Byune were at the front, followed by Vihera, and finally, Rei. Naturally, Rei¡¯s role was to protect them from any surprise attacks from behind. However, contrary to their alertness, there were no signs of any possible attack. Continuing to make their way forward, they finally reached the residence before looking at each other with a sense of strangeness¡­¡­or rather, suspicion. ¡¸What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Perhaps they haven¡¯t found out that their hideout in the slums has been attacked?¡¹ Vihera replied to Rei¡¯s question, but Nakuto seemed puzzled. ¡¸I really don¡¯t think the Marschel family would be that dull with their information collection¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Then, why is there no welcome?¡¹ Dissatisfaction came from Vihera¡¯s mouth. After all, even though she had come to the Marschel family residence in search of a fight against a powerful enemy, not even a small fry had showed up. From Nakuto¡¯s perspective, he felt that he should be happy, since their goal was to infiltrate the residence. However, Vihera had no relationship with Tivia and did not feel the need to be as concerned. That said, Vihera felt that Rei would scold her if she said that out loud, so she just thought that in her mind. ¡¸If think about it from a very conservative perspective, are they trying to lure people that trespass onto their premises so they can¡¯t escape¡­¡­what do you think, Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s the most likely possibility. Do they have confidence in their own combat power, or do they have some trick up their sleeve that can turn the situation around? Either way, we¡¯ll have to go inside to rescue Tivia.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true.¡¹ After Nakuto¡¯s reply, Rei looked around again just in case. Although he didn¡¯t have the observational eyes of thieves like Byune and Nakuto, Rei¡¯s body had been built by Zepairu¡¯s group and his five senses and low light vision were very good. However, even after looking around, it didn¡¯t seem like there were any attackers hidden anywhere. The only exception would be the two gatekeepers in front of the gate, but those two looked somewhat lazy. The situation seemed rather eerie and Rei gave a sigh as he muttered. ¡¸If we can¡¯t see anything, it makes us hesitant to go in.¡¹ ¡¸But, as you said, if we want to save Tivia, we have no choice but to go in¡­¡­right?¡¹ Saying that, Vihera dashed foward, quickly heading towards the residence, as there was no point in staying where they were any longer. She moved to a location up against the wall but a bit further away from the guarded gate, probably because she didn¡¯t want to cause a big commotion. If it had been brighter, the gatekeepers might have spotted Vihera¡¯s suspicious behaviour. But, it was already night time and the only sources of light were the moonlight and the magic lights inside the residence. Her location was brighter than other places, but if asked if they could properly see Vihera were she was, most people would say no. After moving to a blind spot for the gatekeepers, she jumped after run up of several steps and grabbed hold of a bird statue that was there as a decoration about 5m up the wall before continuing to climb up. Reaching the top of the wall, she turned to look back at Rei and the others for a moment before nodding slightly and immediately jumping down into the grounds of the Marschel family residence. ¡¸It seems like there aren¡¯t any traps in particular.¡¹ Nakuto, who had been watching Vihera with a dumbfounded expression, came back to his senses at Rei¡¯s words. For a moment, he was going to say something indignantly about the absurdity of Vihera¡¯s actions¡­¡­but he quickly judged that now was not the time. Someone had to sneak in, and he had joined the group voluntarily. ¡¸In that case, we¡¯ll go first. Don¡¯t take too long.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Rei and Byune spoke quietly to Nakuto as they headed for the gatekeepers¡¯ blind spot. Rei used the same run up and initial jump. Up until this point, it was the same as what Vihera had done, but the next moment, he activated the Shoes of Sleipnir. With two steps using the air as a foothold, he easily jumped over the 5m wall and landed in the residence grounds. Taking one last step in the air, Rei landed on the neatly trimmed lawn with barely a sound. Byune landed at almost the same time, followed by Nakuto several seconds later. ¡¸¡­¡­No attack here either, huh? Then have they seriously not noticed?¡¹ As soon as he landed, Rei took out a knife from the Misty Ring as he looked around cautiously. However, there wasn¡¯t a single guard around, let alone anyone waiting for them. Being the first to land in the garden, Vihera felt the same way. Even though she had extended her claws using her magic power, she had immediately retracted them as she gave a disappointed sigh. ¡¸Well, since we¡¯re sneaking in, it¡¯s nice that there aren¡¯t any enemies¡­¡­but, it really is unexpected that there isn¡¯t even a single one.¡¹ Vihera furrowed her eyes, somewhat displeased at the situation where there wasn¡¯t a single enemy around. ¡¸Would it have been better to get more information out of the people from the Church of Holy Light?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s no use Nakuto. Those six were devoted to the Church of Holy Light from the bottom of their hearts. No, you could say that they were brainwashed to that state. Do you think such people would leak any information? At worst, they would just consider it martyrdom. It¡¯s also true that we didn¡¯t have a lot of time. If we had wasted our time with that, we would have gotten here much later, which might put Tivia¡¯s life in an even riskier situation.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess you¡¯re right.¡¹ In the first place, it had been Nakuto¡¯s party member, Essetus, who had been making a fuss about how they had no time to lose. Considering that, there was no point in asking Rei and the others if they should have waited a bit longer. ¡¸But¡­¡­we still don¡¯t have the all important information of where Tivia is, what can we do? Searching every tiny corner of the residence would be impossible. If she¡¯s in something like a hidden room¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s where you and Byune come into play.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s a bit of a problem when you ask me to do that so casually. With a mansion as large as the Marschel family residence, it¡¯s possible that they¡¯ve built in a lot of things from the design stage.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Nakuto sounded somewhat reluctant at Rei¡¯s words, but Byune seemed to tell Rei to leave it to her. She was a lot smaller than him¡­¡­and even younger. ¡¸I understand. there¡¯s no way I can leave everything to a young girl like her. Besides, I know what Essetus would say if I don¡¯t do my best to find Tivia. It won¡¯t be an issue.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, everything has been decided. Then let¡¯s sneak in and secure a guide if possible.¡¹ ¡¸But, if there¡¯s no one out here, then there can¡¯t be that many people inside the mansion either, right? The Marschel family had a small number of servants to begin with.¡¹ ¡¸We still need to do it.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess you¡¯re right.¡¹ With everything sorted out, the part approached the mansion while remaining wary of their surroundings. Unlike the outside, there were many magic lights lighting up the walls, the closer they got, the easier it was for them to be spotted. That said, there were few people employed as guards by the Marschel family and there were no guards who saw Rei and the others crossing the garden as they approached the mansion. ¡­¡­Yes. Human guards, that is. ¡¸There are four people. Master.¡¹ ¡¸Roger that. We¡¯ll let you know about the response.¡¹ A voice that was hard for ordinary people to hear faintly sounded out. ¡¸¡­¡­What? Just now, what was that¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Rei? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Arriving at the wall of the mansion, Rei suddenly stopped moving and looked around. However, when Vihera asked him what was wrong, he couldn¡¯t sense anything suspicious and shook his head slightly. ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. I thought I heard a strange sound¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing his words, Byune and Nakuto immediately looked at their surroundings sharply. They searched for even the slightly abnormality to see if there was anything wrong, but they didn¡¯t spot anything. ¡¸Sorry, it might have just been my imagination.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I don¡¯t know what happened¡­¡­but if you have any concerns, let me know. This is the Marschel family residence, and since there is also the Church of Holy Light, we don¡¯t know what tricks they might have.¡¹ After saying that, Nakuto reached out to a nearby window to peek inside. Seeing that, Rei felt that something was still watching them. However, even after looking around, there was no sign of any living things, until he recalled something. CH 503 Inside a room at the back of the Marschel residence. Pree looked at a gem in her hand as she smiled. The entire room was adorned with gems, it was truly a spectacle that would be best described as a garden of gems. In order to fully admire the gems, the lighting had also been adjusted in various ways that suited Pree¡¯s standards. ¡¸No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s a deep blue that seems to draw you in. Even looking at it like this is more than enough¡­¡­today¡¯s ritual will make you even more beautiful. Will your colour change? Hurry up and show me something even more beautiful than now.¡¹ Pree admired her gems with an enchanted smile. Fortuantely, the sacrifice for today¡¯s ritual was a fairly famous adventurer. As succh, the brilliance of their life would polish the gem even more beautifully. A sweet moment spent with the gems she loved. Normally, it was a blissful time where she would never let anyone disturb, but the sound of the door suddenly opening forced her to gather her senses. ¡¸Master, intruders.¡¹ At those words, Pree¡¯s hand, which had been stroking a gem, suddenly stopped. ¡¸Intruders is it? Let those fanatics from the Church of Holy Light deal with it.¡¹ ¡¸Some of them have a lot of magic power though.¡¹ The words that came from the doll¡¯s mouth made her stop admiring her gems again. The words the doll spoke were hard to hear, but as expected of their creator, Pree seemed to be able to hear them without any problems. ¡¸High magic power? Could it be Elena-sama, who came here the other day?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not. However, there is at least one person who has more magic power than her. Although not as good, there is also another person with high magic power.¡¹ At this point, the doll paused before speaking again. ¡¸In addition, Byune Fraut is with them as well.¡¹ At the doll¡¯s explanation, Pree¡¯s displeasure from being interrupted in her blissful time seemed to disappear as a smile appeared on her lips. However, her smile wasn¡¯t a nice one, rather it would make people who saw it have an omnious feeling. ¡¸Byune of the Fraut family? ¡­¡­That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t expect her to come straight into our hands. Besides, there¡¯s also someone with more magic power than Elena-sama and someone who doesn¡¯t have as much but still has a high amount of magic power. Is this because of my daily deeds and the blessing of the Goddess of Holy Light?¡¹ While muttering mockingly at the goddess she didn¡¯t believe in, Pree turned to the doll that had entered the room. ¡¸How many members of the Church of Holy Light are still in the mansion?¡¹ ¡¸About 20 people. 30 of them had gone out a little while ago.¡¹ ¡¸Does that include Oricule?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Hearing the doll¡¯s words, Pree lit up all the rings on her right hand against the light in the room as she spoke with a wide smile. ¡¸Then, work with the other dolls to capture them. About 40 dolls should be enough. Those two, with high magic power, should definitely be the best materials.¡¹ She turned to look at the gems that adorned the room with an enchanted gaze. Over towards two gems, one orange red gem and one light blue gem. ¡¸Let¡¯s take this chance to let Byune meet her parents. If I remember correctly, she must be around 10 years old, so she must still miss her parents.¡¹ The doll seemed to understand what their master was thinking with just those words. The doll bowed its small head before leaving the room. After glancing at the her loyal doll, Pree¡¯s gaze turned to the gem in her hand again as she contemplated the precious material she was holding. In the midst of all this, she thought of Vosk, the head of the Silva family, one of the governing families of Exil. At first glance, he seemed like an opponent that could be deal with easily as a muscle brain. But, in reality, he had instinctively avoided the traps she had set multiple times. ¡¸It would be troublesome if that man came out, but¡­¡­considering the Levisor family, I don¡¯t think we can afford to make any careless moves.¡¹ After muttering to herself, she concluded that there wouldn¡¯t be any problems. If she had considered asking about the identity of the intruders in more detail, she might have found out that the person with the very high amount of magic power was Rei, also known as Crimson, and that Elena was related to him. She might also have connected the fact that they were connected with Vosk, due to working together on the matter of dealing with the abnormal species. However, after hearing that one of the intruders was Byune, who she had been targetting for a long time, Pree¡¯s mind had been completely filled with the thought of obtaining new gems. This could be considered to be Pree¡¯s weakness, her obsession with gems. Telling herself not to worry, Pree convinced herself that she would get her hands on the finest gems, as she returned to her gem loving bliss. ¡¸¡­¡­There¡¯s really no one here.¡¹ Rei and the others entered the mansion, but they couldn¡¯t sense anyone else. On the walls of the hallways, magic lamps were installed at regular intervals, but Nakuto and Byune, who had been trained to spot traps on darker floors in the dungeon, were able to see fine without them. Although his night vision wasn¡¯t as good, Rei still wasn¡¯t a hindrance to them. As for Vihera, she could see better than ordinary people in the dark as well. ¡¸Nakuto, Byune, where do you think someone would be held in a place like this?¡¹ When Rei asked, Nakuto replied with a difficult expression on his face. ¡¸Normally, you would think of something like a basement¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Voicing a sound of agreement with Nakuto, Byune turned her gaze down the corridor. In fact, Rei had also thought the probability of that was extremely high as the the adventurers kidnapped by the Church of Holy Light had also been held in the basement in their hideout. ¡¸Better yet, why don¡¯t we just destroy rooms randomly? If we do that, people will come from the other side and we can catch and interrogate them.¡¹ Vihera, who didn¡¯t have much relation with Tivia, muttered that. She was an acquaintance of Rei, which was why she was lending a helping hand. But, from Vihera¡¯s point of view, the Marschel family was one of the three families that ruled Exil, so she had thought they would have formidable people to fight. However, after sneaking in, there wasn¡¯t even a single servant in sight inside the mansion, let alone someone to fight, so she had become impatient. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I would like you to hold off on rampaging for now¡­¡­¡¹ Knowing Vihera¡¯s title of the Mad Beast within Exil, Nakuto tried not to make her angry. ¡¸¡­¡­I knew. Really, it might have been more interesting to go over to the Silva family.¡¹ ¡¸If you went there with Elena, there would definitely be a disturbance, so please don¡¯t do that. Anyway, if the basement is a suspicious place, we should try looking there.¡¹ Deciding that if they kept talking here, they would just be wasting time, Rei placed his hand on the door of a nearby room. And, when he opened the door¡­¡­ ¡¸What, nothing?¡¹ Rei muttered without thinking. Yes, there wasn¡¯t even a single piece of furniture in the room, just a beautifully polished floor. It seemed to have been cleaned without cutting any corners. As far as he could see, there was barely a speck of dust or garbage in any place illuminated by the lights in the corridor or the moonlight from the window. ¡¸For an unused room, it seems to have been cleaned very thoroughly.¡¹ Nakuto looked into the room from next to Rei with some confusion. ¡¸It might be true that there aren¡¯t many servants, but it¡¯s a little questionable that even a room that isn¡¯t being used would be cleaned as well¡­¡­but, considering it¡¯s the Marschel family, maybe it isn¡¯t so strange?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That might be so.¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, if you can¡¯t find anything after looking around here, we should check another room.¡¹ Hearing Vihera¡¯s words, Nakuto and Byune immediately nodded as they went inside to investigate. Rei also looked around inside, hoping to be of some help, but Vihera refused to move from her position at the entrance of the room. Rei glanced over for a moment, but realising that Vihera was facing out the hallway, he understood that she was on guard while they searched the room. Then¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, you got to be kidding me?¡¹ Nakuto¡¯s voice echoed inside the room as he was examining the walls. Everyone turned to look at him, but Nakuto didn¡¯t seem to care at all as he fumbled with the wall. It opened up, revealing a staircase going down. ¡¸¡­¡­I can understand your feeling of wanting to say it was a lie.¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked at the set of stairs that had suddenly appeared in a corner of the room. In a mansion of this size, there was a hidden staircase leading down to a basement in the first room they had stumbled upon. No matter how they looked at it, they couldn¡¯t help but feel they had been set up. ¡¸But, it was just a coincidence that we decided to enter this room, wasn¡¯t it? If we had entered the mansion from another entry, we wouldn¡¯t have checked this room. I think it¡¯s just a coincidence there¡¯s a hidden staircase here. Are we just lucky?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm¡­¡­¡¹ Byune tilted her head at Vihera¡¯s words. It was true that there were various suspicious aspects, but as Vihera said, it had been purely coincidence that they had decided to search this room. However, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel it had been intentionally set up. That hesitation was what made Byune tilt her head. ¡¸And¡­¡­in the first place, even if this was someone¡¯s plan, do you think they could set up a hidden staircase like this after we infiltrated the mansion?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That can¡¯t be possible.¡¹ Since they couldn¡¯t argue against those words, they could only assume that they had been lucky enough to find the stairs to the basement in front of them. ¡¸Anyway, we¡¯ve found the stairs, so let¡¯s go down. And, if there is some sort of trap, we¡¯ll just have to fight through it.¡¹ Everyone else had no objections to Rei¡¯s words and nodded as they changed their minds. There was no point worrying about things here. From Nakuto¡¯s point of view, there was no need to hesitate rescuing Tivia and Vihera felt that there was a high possiblity of facing a powerful enemy if she went down. As for Byune, she just didn¡¯t like the Marschel family. Each of them had their own reasons, but they had no more hesitation as they went down the stairs. They went down in the order of Byune, Vihera, Rei, and Nakuto. The reason was Nakuto was at the back was because he thought that someone might come at them from bhiend as they went down the stairs. In terms of detecting signs of people, Rei was also confident. However, if someone did that as their main job, he decided that it would be better to leave it to them as he left the rearguard to Nakuto. Going down the stairs in that formation¡­¡­after a few minutes, they reached the bottom, where there was a door in front of them. ¡¸Here we go again, just a door. ¡­¡­What do we do?¡¹ Vihera asked that question, but at present, there was nothing else to do but to open the door. Byune and Nakuto looked at each other silently, exchanging opinions as thieves, before Byune quietly reached out for the door. Seeing this, Rei and Vihera became vigilant, ready to respond to anything. Luckily, the door didn¡¯t seem to be locked and it opened with a metallic creak¡­¡­Rei and the others¡¯ faces were all filled with surprise when they saw what was inside. ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡¹ A large room was spread before their eyes. From Rei¡¯s view, it was about 65 square meters. ¡¸It¡¯s nice that it¡¯s so spacious, but there¡¯s nothing in here, just like the room above.¡¹ Passing through the doorway, Vihera muttered while looking around the room. In fact, there were several tables and chairs inside the room, but other than that, it was just a pointlessly large space. ¡­¡­However. ¡¸Just looking at the wall over there, I can understand to some extent why we found a hidden staircase.¡¹ Rei¡¯s gaze was directed towards the countless doors attached to the walls of the large room. Numerous doors were lined up against the same wall as the door they had just entered. CH 504 While looking at the numerous doors along the room walls, Rei recalled the shape of the Marschel family residence. It was a large U-shaped mansion, which Rei and the others had sneaked into from one side, searched a room, and found a set of stairs, leading them to the room they were currently in. ¡¸In other words¡­¡­does that mean every room has a set of stairs leading down to this basement?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess so.¡¹ Nakuto agreed with Rei¡¯s mutters. If that was the case, it was understandable why they would have found a hidden set of stairs in the first room they searched. It¡¯s not like they had randomly entered a room with a hidden staircase, if all the rooms had stairs, it was only natural for them to find one. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Hearing Byune¡¯s voice, they turned their gazes to the opposite side from where they had entered. There was only a wall on that side, there were no doors like the one Rei and the others had come through. This 65 square meter room only had doors on one side. It wasn¡¯t hard to understand what that meant. ¡¸So there¡¯s another room on the other side of this where you can enter from the other side of the mansion. ¡­¡­That means.¡¹ Instead of looking at the wall they came through, or the opposite wall, they looked to the wall on the right. There was a single door there. It was clear what door represented. ¡¸Is that door the only way out of this basement? So it¡¯s quite possible that Tivia is behind that door.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded with a single sound at Rei¡¯s words and Nakuto¡¯s expression tightened. ¡¸I hope there¡¯s a strong opponent.¡¹ As for Vihera, as usual, she shrugged her shoulders as she murmured to herself, imagining a fight with a formidable enemy. ¡¸Then, do we want to go to the door? Or¡­¡­¡¹ While muttering to himself, Rei¡¯s gaze turned to several tables and chairs placed in the corner of the large room. To put it mildly, he couldn¡¯t help feeling that something wasn¡¯t right about the room. However, as far as he could tell, there¡¯s was nothing really suspicious. Every seemed to be used by the Marschel family, so there were high quality goods, but even so, he felt that there had to be a trick. At Rei¡¯s question, Nakuto hesitated for a few seconds before giving a small nod and speaking. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s investigate. Even if we don¡¯t investigate it now and move on, it will continue to bug us later. Even if there¡¯s strange with them, it would be better to find out now.¡¹ In the end, everyone chose to go with Nakuto¡¯s plan and they started walking over to the table and chairs in the corner of the room. Vihera seemed bored because it didn¡¯t look like there would be anyone strong to fight. Stuffed animals and vases were lined up on the table with flowers arranged in the vases. ¡¸The flowers are still fresh. In that case, it¡¯s probably safe to assume that this room is used quite often.¡¹ Nakuto quietly examined the flowers as he spoke. When Rei and the others heard that, their expressions tightened slightly as they carefully looked around. If someone frequented this room, then it was impossible to say that this was a safe space. Of course, as a secret room in the Marschel residence, their enemy¡¯s home base, it was never safe to being with, but it was only natural that the degree of danger in a room would change based on how often it was used. Leaving Rei and Vihera to watch the surroundings, Nakuto and Byune continued to search the table and its surroundings for anything of note. However, they didn¡¯t find anything in particular and there wasn¡¯t a lot to investigate, so it took them less than a minute. ¡¸¡­¡­No good. There¡¯s nothing of note. I think it would be better to quietly head for the door.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Nakuto muttered regretfully and Byune nodded in agreement. Since they hadn¡¯t thought they would find anything anyway, they didn¡¯t have any real regrets for taking a look. ¡­¡­No, rather, Rei nodded with satisfaction as he turned to look over at the lone door on one side of the room. At that moment, a doll that had been placed on the table twitched, before leaping off it towards Rei as it pulled out a thin long needle that was hidden within its body, suddenly attacking. ¡¸Woah-!¡¹ It was only pure coincidence that Rei saw that. As a doll, they didn¡¯t have any signs of presence and they had no murderous intent. For Rei, who commonly sensed and deal with enemies that had murderous intent, it was a sort of natural counter. However, luckily for him in this unfortunate situation¡­¡­really by coincidence, Rei had just been turning his head past the doll that was on the table, and thanks to that, realised that something was speeding straight for his head. The doll flew straight past Rei¡¯s face, who dodged it immediately, and it seemed like it would hit the ceiling¡­¡­but it flipped itself around as it landed on the ceiling. Rei didn¡¯t recognise what kind of magic was used in the doll, but as soon as he recognised it as a type of magic item, he took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring and entered a fighting stance. Fortunately, Rei and the others were inside a large room, so unlike the room where they had found the stairs, there was plenty of space to swing the Death Scythe around. A momentary stalemate. The doll was the first to break it. Just like before, it jumped off the ceiling without any murderous intent as it flew towards Rei with needle in hand. ¡¸If I can see it, then it¡¯s not a problem!¡¹ Rei swung the Death Scythe at the doll flying straight for his face. A brief connection. The next moment, the doll hit the floor, the impact splitting its body in half as it rolled over. ¡¸¡­¡­A doll?¡¹ Nakuto quietly approached the doll that had been killed¡­¡­no, stopped functioning, after Rei¡¯s strike. Nakuto had seen a lot of unusual things as a thief of the fairly well known party Sonic Blades, but the sight of a doll attacking them was unexpected. Of course, Golem like monsters, known as Puppets, sometimes appeared in the dungeon. But, they weren¡¯t as small as this doll. The doll, which was about 20cm tall, was cut into 10cm halves by the Death Scythe. As Nakuto reached for the upper body¡­¡­ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ ¡¸Die!¡¹ Byune threw out a needl that nailed the doll to the ground, stopping it from moving. That¡¯s right, doll had been about to throw its need at Nakuto with just its upper body. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ In response to Nakuto¡¯s word¡¯s of gratitude, as he gulped, Byune responded to tell him it wasn¡¯t a problem. This time, he reached out for the doll that had definitely stopped moving. When he touched it, it didn¡¯t seem like there was a magic stone inside that could be used as a power source. It was just a normal doll stuffed with cotton. At the very least, Nakuto didn¡¯t think it was capable of jumping off a table and leaping towards someone with that speed, let alone stick to the ceiling. ¡¸¡­¡­Anything?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune shook her head at Vihera¡¯s question. Still, she brought the two halves of the doll over to Rei to see if they could find anything out from it. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Rei, who was still holding his Death Scythe, looked at the remains of the doll that Byune held out before turning to Vihera. ¡¸She¡¯s telling you to store it into your item box.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune nodded as she handed the doll to Rei and, although he had a slight expression of distaste, he knew that they couldn¡¯t just leave it here and reluctantly stored it into the Misty Ring. From Rei¡¯s perspective, it had never leaked any murderous intent¡­¡­and, at first glance, it seemed nothing more than a doll. (Pree Marschel¡­¡­I had heard from Elena that she was researching a technique to infuse magic into gems¡­¡­but, she turned out to be a trickster.) He thought bitterly in his heart as he turned his eyes to back to the door. The door they had entered from was line up against a wall with more doors at equally spaced intervals, which would all lead to the mansion above. In that case, this other door was the only way to keep going in the basement. ¡¸¡­¡­Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Everyone nodded at Rei¡¯s words. When they finally arrived at the door, Byune and Nakuto checked to see if there were any traps. Fortunately, there didn¡¯t seem to be any traps and Nakuto opened the door while everyone else was on guard. And what they saw inside was¡­¡­ ¡¸Again?¡¹ Nakuto muttered involuntarily. It was no wonder. After opening the door, there was a passage with many more doors along it. At the end of the passageway, there was similar door to the one Nakuto had just opened. Considering that the building was U-shaped, it was obvious that the door at the other end would lead them to a similar room as the one they had just been in. Even so, they had to be careful as they made their way down the passage. It was a fairly long passage and if each door led to a separate room, it was probably too much space to fit in just the Marschel family¡¯s ground. ¡¸Now then, what should we do? Since we don¡¯t know where Tivia is, it would be better to check each door¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸As expected, that would be troublesome and take too much time.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Vihera shrugged her shoulders, as if to apologise. Luckily, the passage was equipped with a number of magic lights, so darkness wasn¡¯t an issue. No matter how good their night vision was, it was better to have light. ¡¸But, without any other clues¡­¡­¡¹ From Nakuto¡¯s point of view, it would be fine if they opened a door randomly and found Tivia. But, if they missed Tivia¡¯s room, they would have to keep on searching. ¡¸Well, seeing as we need to look for evidence that they are also involved with the matter of abnormal species, isn¡¯t it better to adopt Nakuto¡¯s plan here?¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune nodded at Rei¡¯s words. As far as Byune was concerned, she had some history with the Marschel family, and she was hoping to have some vengeance in this situation, even if just a little. As the only descendant of the Fraut family, there was no doubt that she had a strong attachment to Exil. Abnormal species were currently in danger of leading Exil to ruin. Knowing that the Marschel family and the Church of Holy Light had manipulated the Levisor family, who had been researching abnormal species, she couldn¡¯t just ignore it. ¡¸Haah, I understand. ¡­¡­No enemies have appeared, and even if they do, Rei can easily defeat them. Honestly, I wonder why I¡¯m even here.¡¹ Vihera muttered as she shrugged her shoulders, causing her large breasts to sway. There was no way Rei or Nakuto would tell her that she was there to interpret for Byune, so they just kept quite as they thought about whether to open the left or right door. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s the same either way, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸We know.¡¹ Vihera seemed a little dissatisfied with Rei¡¯s response, but Rei and the others didn¡¯t seem to pay any attention to her as the opened a door¡­¡­the next moment, a smell drifted out from the room. The smell that wafted out was pungent, stimulating their noses. There were several potted plants in the room. There were also various magic formations drawn around the potted plants and things that appeared to be magic items. The potted plants themselves had vines that wriggled like tentacles. It was a strange lot of plants in many ways and as they grew, they emitted a green glow alongside the pungent smell that spread throughout the room. Rei, who knew some of the plants from Zepairu¡¯s knowledge and other information he had read, spoke up. ¡¸They¡¯re turning specific plants into magic plants using magic power. ¡­¡­I see.¡¹ For now, Rei prompted Nakuto to close the door as there didn¡¯t seem to be any particular clues. ¡¸Rei?¡¹ Seeing that, Vihera asked Rei curiously as she looked at the next door¡­¡­the one opposite the door they had just closed. ¡¸No, I just thought that room was probably one of the reasons why the Marschel family was collecting magic stones like the Levisor family. Turning those plants into magic plants and maintaining them would require a considerable number of magic stones.¡¹ ¡¸There were certainly quite a few magic stones inside that room.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Nakuto muttered his thoughts as he had looked around quickly after opening the door. Byune nodded as well. Spotting and identifying things were definitely a thief¡¯s strong point. ¡¸Anyway, that room didn¡¯t have what we need. Next.¡¹ Everyone nodded at those words and Nakuto gently reached out to the door Rei was looking at. CH 505 As soon as they opened the door, a smell pricked Rei¡¯s senses. It was a similar odour to the room where magic plants were being raised, but different. The odour here was mixed with the smell of blood. There were several prison cells inside the room. That alone was enough for people to realise what kind of place it was. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Naturally, Nakuto was the first to enter the room. He was in a rush to see if there was anyone in any of the cells¡­¡­or more precisely, if Tivia was in any of the cells. However, fortunately or unfortunately, Tivia wasn¡¯t in any of the cell.s No, rather, there wasn¡¯t anyone in the room at all. Nakuto seemed to be relieved by this. He let out a small sigh of relief as he started searching for any potential clues. ¡¸There¡¯s a smell of blood, but it doesn¡¯t feel like fresh blood that was recently spilled. It¡¯s probably the smell of blood that has seeped into this prison over many years.¡¹ Rei murmured unpleasantly at the identity of the odour, which he picked up with his keener sense of smell. ¡¸In other words, the Marschel family must have been doing this kind of thing for a while.¡¹ ¡¸Probably.¡¹ Nakuto agreed with Vihera¡¯s words. It hadn¡¯t been that long since the Church of Holy Light had appeared in Exil and started spreading their teachings. That had only happened in the last few years. However, the smell of blood from the prison¡­¡­or the smell of death, which wasn¡¯t really a physical smell, wasn¡¯t something that would permeate this prison in just a few years. ¡¸However, how did they kidnap people before the Church of Holy Light came along?¡¹ Vihera asked that casually, but her beautiful face was frowning with disgust. Vihera liked to fight, but she also took risks. It was against her belief to fight someone who couldn¡¯t resist and beat them down onesidedly. ¡¸Perhaps they were slaves or convicted people. Sometimes prisoners would disappear without anyone knowing¡­¡­is what I¡¯ve heard from the rumors.¡¹ ¡¸I see. As the head of the Marschel family, she would have been able to sneak out prisoners easily.¡¹ At Nakuto¡¯s words, Rei frowned and muttered in disgust. Rei wouldn¡¯t hesitate to torture his enemies if necessary, but even so, the scene before him didn¡¯t make him feel good. ¡¸Anyhow, if there are no clues here, there¡¯s no point staying. Let¡¯s go to the next room.¡¹ Everyone nodded at his words, closed the door, and moved to the next room. When he opened the next door, what came into Nakuto¡¯s vision were a number of distorted tools that he couldn¡¯t understand their use at first glance. However, most of the tools had knives attached to them and there was a strong rusty smell that permeated the room to an incomparable extent compared to the prison from before. What kind of room was this? It was clear without even needing to think. ¡¸A torture chamber? ¡­¡­What a hobby to have.¡¹ Nakuto muttered while suppressing his emotions. Tivia might have been tortured here as well, which made him want to shout out, but there was no way he could do that with their current situation. He glanced over at Vihera and Rei behind him, but they didn¡¯t seem to see anything of note, so he closed the door. Like that, they opened door after door, but most of them were prisons, torture chambers, warehouses of some kind, or rooms for growing plants. There was absolutely no evidence related to the people creating abnormal species or connections with the Church of Holy Light. If they had gone through each room in more detail, they might have been able to find some evidence. But, with so many rooms, they had no choice but to only briefly scan each one. Eventually¡­¡­ ¡¸Is this the last door, aside from the one at the end?¡¹ Nakuto muttered as he reached for the door. After entering the passage, they had checked over 10 doors on each side, reaching the final door. If they excluded the door at the very end of the passage, this was the last one. Their tension had already faded considerably. As for Nakuto, he had started to think that Tivia was probably past the door at the very end of the passage, but after having found so many prisons, as long as they existed, he couldn¡¯t deny the possibility that Tivia was trapped in one of them. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m opening it.¡¹ Maybe this is the room where Tivia is being held. Thinking like that, he opened the door. What was inside was another prison, just like the ones he had seen before. However, there was one difference. A thick smell of blood drifted from inside the room. It wasn¡¯t blood that had dried long ago. It was the smell of fresh blood. ¡¸Tivia!?¡¹ There was fresh blood here. In other words, blood spilled by someone who had been held here until recently, which meant that there was a high chance it was Tivia. Nakuto rushed to the innermost prison, but there were only traces of blood inside the cell. Tivia, the person they were looking for, was nowhere to be seen. ¡¸The blood¡­¡­it¡¯s still wet. So it can¡¯t have been long ago. I don¡¯t know if it was Tivia though.¡¹ Clenching his teeth, Nakuto spoke to hold himself back. This was his main difference compared to Essetus, who¡¯s emotions and actions were closely tied together. Rei placed his hand on Nakuto¡¯s shoulder as he spoke. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry¡­¡­is not something I can say, but if she¡¯s still here, even if she was moved to another location, there¡¯s only one other place left.¡¹ Now that they had searched all the rooms, unless they searched the underground rooms on the other half of the U shaped mansion, there was only one more door to check. If someone asked Rei if he would take a kidnapped person, who had been trapped underground, back to the surface, he wouldn¡¯t be able to give a good reason to do so. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Essetus will get mad at me for hesitating like this and he might get mad at me for taking too long to rescue Tivia as well.¡¹ Nakuto nodded, as if to encourage himself, and stood up. His eyes were just as sharp as a few seconds before, but he was a lot calmer. ¡¸Now that Nakuto has calmed down, let¡¯s check the last door. I¡¯m sure it will be fun.¡¹ She was very much looking forward to a fight. Vihera gave a seductive smile towards the last door as she spoke. Everyone nodded at those words and left the prison room¡­¡­reaching the final door, they opened it. The first thing that caught everyone¡¯s eyes was a magic circle drawn on the ground. In the center of it lay an unconscious woman. There was no need to guess who the woman missing an arm was. ¡¸Tivia!¡¹ Nakuto shouted out, but Rei stopped him on reflex. The moment Nakuto took a step forward, he heard a whistling sound. Rei, who had fought one earlier, knew what kind of enemy they were facing, as they didn¡¯t give off any murderous intent. A long sword with a 1m blade passed right in front of Nakuto. If Rei hadn¡¯t stopped Nakuto, the attack would have cut him in half. ¡¸Huh? It missed?¡¹ The dolled landed on the ground and did a flip as it swung its long sword. The doll was only 30cm tall, but the sword it held was over 1m long. Even so, the fact that it could wield it without any issues showed just how strange the doll was. Clap, clap, clap. The moment their attention turned to the doll holding the long sword, the sound of clapping echoed through the room. While remaining wary of the doll, Rei and the others turned towards the direction the clapping, where they a man leading 20 robed figures come through the door on the other side of the magic circle. The man seemed to be in his twenties had had green hair that extended down to his shoulders. His features were well proportioned and, at first glance, he might even have been mistaken as a woman. He was wearing leather armour made from some kind of monster skin and had a sword sheathed at his left waist. As if to hid it, it was also wearing a black cloak. He gave off a presence that overwhelmed those in the surroundings, giving off a sort of charisma. ¡¸No, no, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d get this far. ¡­¡­Hm? The General Princess doesn¡¯t seem to be here?¡¹ The man spoke with an expression that could be called smiling before eventually nodding in understanding. ¡¸Ah, I see. Certainly, there is no justification for you to deal with the Marschell family. You probably tried to bring out the Silva family to do that, but¡­¡­that might have been a bit of a mistake.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei couldn¡¯t help but question the words the man said, which seemed to imply something. At the same time, Rei judged that there wouldn¡¯t be an issue in a room this size and took the Death Scythe out from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Heh? Is that an item bod? There really are a lot of useful magic items. What do you think? If you guys surrender here meekly and hand over the item box, I¡¯ll even let you go.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around. What did you mean by those words just now?¡¹ ¡¸Just now? Ah, the Silva family. Well, if I go out of my way to give you that information, that would only benefit you. Rather than that¡­¡­you should worry about yourself.¡¹ The man pulled out a rapier from the sheath at his waist as he gave a small smile. However, Rei just smiled back mockingly as he spoke. ¡¸Worry? Against someone like you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. It¡¯s true that if you and I fought, I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance of winning. To be honest, it¡¯s amazing that someone as young as you has that level of ability. ¡­¡­Maybe, are you actually an undead like a Vampire?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, I usually walk under the sun.¡¹ ¡¸There are races among the undead that are fine with sunlight, aren¡¯t there?¡¹ Holding the rapier in his right hand, the man waved it around, sweeping the blade through the air. ¡¸Heh, you know quite a bit. ¡­¡­By the way, even though you understand your own level of skill and said that you can¡¯t defeat me, you¡¯re still quite motivated, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸What, it¡¯s true that I can¡¯t defeat you. I¡¯ll admit that.¡¹ ¡¸Then you¡¯re going to take a hostage?¡¹ Rei said that as he looked over at Tivia, who had collapsed inside the magic circle. But, the man shook his head slightly. ¡¸Unfortunately I can¡¯t do that. In the first place, once you¡¯re in the center of that magic circle, I don¡¯t know what will happen if I touch it carelessly. ¡­¡­And even if I could, it would be ineffective to hold a hostage against you, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows.¡¹ At the man¡¯s words, Rei replied without a change in his expression. ¡¸Even without a hostage, if I focus on defense, I can¡¯t lose even if I can¡¯t win.¡¹ At the man¡¯s words, the 20 figures behind him stepped forward. All of them were wearing robes, but a few of them could be identified as women from the slight protrusions under their robes and the bottom half of their faces peeking out from under their hoods. They held weapons such as swords, spears, daggers, and axes in their hands, approaching Vihera and Nakuto while not getting in the way of the fight between the man and Rei. In terms of numbers, it was three, Vihera, Nakuto, and Byune, against 20 people. However, one of the three spoke as if they didn¡¯t feel any threat. ¡¸I wanted to fight that good looking man over there, but¡­¡­he seems to be crazy for Rei, so I guess I¡¯ll put up with you lot.¡¹ While muttering with a disappointed expression on her face, Vihera still had a premonition of an upcoming struggle as a smile appeared on her face. Magic power flowed through her hands and feet and claws and blades came out from her magic weapons at her wrist and under her heel. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune held several needles between the fingers on her right hand as he wielded a dagger in her left. ¡¸Honestly, I¡¯m a thief and not that good at fighting¡­¡­but I can¡¯t just abandon Tivia here.¡¹ Nakuto muttered as he held a dagger in both his hands and looked at his unconscious party member in the center of the magic circled as the robed people approached. ¡¸Hey, hey, don¡¯t just forget about me.¡¹ At that moment, the voice of the doll that Nakuto had barely managed to dodge sounded out. For some reason it now had more than 30 more dolls behind it. Furthermore, one of the dolls was a 2m tall bear. ¡¸Well then, it looks like all the actors are set, so let¡¯s get started.¡¹ The man announced lightly as he swept his rapier to the side. In response Rei spoke as he readied the Death Scythe. ¡¸Before that¡­¡­you seem to know my name, but I don¡¯t know yours.¡¹ The man seemed surprised, but he replied shortly after with a smile. ¡¸That¡¯s true. I can¡¯t tell you the details, but I should at least introduce myself. Oricule. That¡¯s my name.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you have any affiliations?¡¹ They exchanged words as they searched the other for openings. Contrary to their conversation, the tension started to build around them. ¡¸As expected, I¡¯m not that¡­¡­good natured!¡¹ With those words, Oricule closed the distance to Rei in a single step as he thrust out his rapier. CH 506 A sharp flash. Oricule¡¯s rapier thrust was an attack that suited such a description. Of course, part of the reason was because a rapier itself was a light weapon. However, even including that, Oricule¡¯s rapid thrusts were so fast that even Rei¡¯s eyes widened. More than 20 thrusts were sent out in the space of a few seconds. Without giving Rei any time to breathe, the tip of the rapier danced through the air as it tried to pierce Rei over and over again. However, Rei wasn¡¯t to be outdone. He swung the Death Scythe, an incomparably larger weapon than the rapier, as he blocked the rapier over and over again. Deflecting the tip aimed at his chest with the shaft, Rei spun the Death Scythe around and blocked a thrust at his head with the blade. He then blocked another attack at his thigh with the shaft again before using the base of the shaft to knock away a thrust targeting his feet. Rei and Oricule engaged in a dazzling series of attacks before they suddenly stepped away from each other. ¡¸¡­¡­That weapon, considering it has barely a scratch after hitting my Death Scythe so many times, it has to be a fairly high level magic weapon.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, of course. It¡¯s one of the works of Esta Nord, the great alchemist of old.¡¹ The name that Oricule mentioned surprised Rei. He never thought that a work of the alchemist from Zepairu¡¯s group would appear in a place like this. However, after hearing that, he had no choice but to accept it. (In a sense¡­¡­can I say that these weapons have the same creator?) Muttering to himself, Rei held up the Death Scythe. Naturally, Esta had cooperated in the creation of the Magic Beast Art. However, Takumu was the one to incorporate the idea of creating a weapon from the excess magic power not used in creating a magic beast, so technically, they didn¡¯t share the same creator. Oricule had a similarly surprised expression on his face. The rapier he owned was powerful enough to easily pierce even full plate armour made of magic metals empowered with magic power. Rei had easily blocked the consecutive thrusts he was proud of. (As expected of someone with the title of Crimson. Even without the Griffon, he¡¯s more than strong enough.) As they analysed each other¡¯s strengths and searched for gaps, a fierce battle was unfolding around them. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Is that all you have!?¡¹ Easily slashing a spear tip with the claws that extended from her hands, Vihera leapt right up close before punching a man in the chest. That said, it wasn¡¯t just her fist. There were claws formed with magic power extending from the back of her hands. Piercing the man¡¯s body with claws that could easily cut through a spear tip, she then slashed out sideways. The robes and leather armour the man wore was completely useless and their internal organs were torn apart like pieces of paper before they collapsed to the ground. ¡¸What? You¡¯re only this strong?¡¹ She pointed the claws on her right hand at the remaining robed figures, but the sight must have been too shocking for them. Perhaps wary, none of them approached her. In the first place, their purpose, including Oricule, was just to buy time. However, such passive actions drastically reduced Vihera¡¯s desire to fight. What Vihera wanted was a bloody battle. For example, a fight like the one Rei and Oricule were currently having, which an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t even be able to follow with their eyes. (In that case, it might have been better to deal with the dolls.) She let out a small sigh as she voiced her dissatisfaction in her heart. Turning to look over at Byune and Nakuto, who were fighting off the dolls, she looked back towards the robed figures standing in front of her. The ones wearing the robes were those who worked behind the scenes for the Church of Holy Light, naturally their combat skills were of a high standard. They could fight off a typical D rank adventurer on their own and a C rank adventurer if several of them worked together. However, it was clear from the exchange with the man with the spear earlier that even such a group would find it difficult to handle Vihera, who boasted of fighting power worthy of the title Mad Beast. In the end, instead of fighting head on, all they could do was to buy time by using multiple people to keep her in check without actually fighting. ¡¸¡­¡­So, if that¡¯s what you want to do, I have some ideas as well, you know?¡¹ Vihera glanced over towards Oricule for a moment. Her meaning was clear. If they didn¡¯t actively attack her, she would ignore them and go straight for Oricule. Being told that implicitly, the robed figures had no choice but to go for Vihera. Oricule was already fighting someone who he said he couldn¡¯t defeat. If they let the beautiful but ominous person before them attack Oricule as well, the situation would quickly change. From the sidelines it looked like Oricule was pushing Rei back. But, the robed figures knew it wasn¡¯t what it looked like. It was because they had that level of skill that they were dispatched to Exil as Oricule¡¯s subordinates. They had to prevent the situation from slipping out of their control. In other words, they had no choice but to somehow stop the person laughing fearlessly before them. If they couldn¡¯t win on their own, they had to work together. In a sense, that was a natural conclusion. However, the speed of their cooperation was far from natural. Several of them attacked at the same time and Vihera tried to dodge them as she counter attacked. Unfortunately, the man who took Vihera¡¯s attack couldn¡¯t bear the weight of the blow and was knocked away. Several daggers were thrown towards Vihera from her blind spot while a spear thrust forward from another direction. At the robed figures¡¯ organic cooperation, Vihera¡¯s bored expression turned back into a smile. It was true that they weren¡¯t strong individually, but if they worked together, their strength would double. Dealing with their attacks one after another, Vihera¡¯s skin started to grow red from the excitement of battle, her eyes went damp, and she surrendered herself to the pleasure of battle. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Along with that cry, multiple needles shot out from Byune¡¯s hand and flew towards an anthropomorphic rabbit doll that leapt towards them. ¡¸KEKEKEKEKE¡¹ The doll jumped into the air and swung the axe it was holding while giving a mechanical laugh. While the doll was only 30cm tall, the axe it carried was something an ordinary human would use. In spite of that, the axe swung down sharply, as if smashing the air itself, knocking aside several needles flying towards it. ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡¹ However, as the doll swung its axe down, it saw Nakuto swing a dagger from right beside it. Just as the dagger tip sank into the rabbit doll¡¯s ear and pierce into its head, Nakuto sensed something swinging towards him and immediately leapt back. Right after, Nakuto saw a thick, hairy arm pass right through where his head had been earlier. The owner of the arm was a stuffed bear doll. However, even though it was a doll, it was over 2m tall and didn¡¯t look very cute. Moreover, it roared as it swung its arms around. ¡¸There are a lot of them. ¡­¡­Byune, are you okay? Honestly, it¡¯s hard for me to deal with theses guys on my own.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded while throwing another needle at a doll that was attacking with a dagger. From Nakuto¡¯s point of view, just talking about skills a thief needed in a dungeon, the ability to find and disarm traps, create traps, scout ahead, and pick locks, he was definitely better than Byune. However, he was aware that his combat skills were inferior to hers. (I just admitted that I am weaker than a 10 year old girl, huh? If Essestus found out, he¡¯d probably have words for me.) Even though he had those thoughts in his mind, Nakuto never stopped watching his surroundings. (No, looking at it a different way, I don¡¯t know how a 10 year old could be this strong¡­¡­is it to protect the Fraut family?) Naturally, Nakuto was familiar with Exil¡¯s rumors and knew about the current situation of the Fraut family. Although the Fraut family had already lost the right to rule Exil many years ago, they still lived in peace, albeit in a much simpler manner. If their mansion had been sold off, their debt could have been paid off¡­¡­or at the very least, it would have been a lot smaller. However, Byune¡­¡­the 10 year old girl, was reluctant to let go of the mansion, the place where her memories of her parents remained. A girl who could only be described as very young acquired the skills of a thief and began to explore the dungeon to pay off her debt. Naturally, there weren¡¯t many people who wanted to invite such a young person into their party. There were also others who thought that they could trick her and, even worse, plot to sell her off as a slave. ¡­¡­One could only say she was unlucky. There were also parties that wanted to protect Byune until she grew up, but it was already too late. Byune¡¯s emotions and expression had frozen by then. Her combat strength was something absolutely necessary to explore the dungeon on her own. She eventually met Vihera and her combat strength, which was already higher than that of ordinary thieves, increased further, resulting in the current Byune. ¡¸Mmm-!¡¹ Nakuto saw Byune reach into her waist pocket and pull out another needle, which she threw at a mouse doll that was scurrying across the ground towards them. Being a mouse doll, its body was small and a single needle was enough to nail it to the floor and stop it. ¡¸It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it huuuuuuuuurts,¡¹ Ignoring the screams from the mouse doll, Byune closed the gap to the giant bear doll, which was the most threatening one. ¡¸GURAAAAAA! Die.¡¹ The bear doll swung a paw with a roar. However, Byune used her small stature to avoid the attack by sticking close to the ground. After that, she stabbed her dagger into the bear doll¡¯s right heel and used the momentum to swing around to its back. ¡¸G-GURA?¡¹ By the time the bear doll noticed, it was already too late. Byune quickly climbed up from behind and stabbed her dagger into its neck in one fell swoop. If it was a living creature, blood would have spouted out. However, her opponent was a doll. Even if its neck was torn open, no blood spilled out. Still, the fact that half it¡¯s neck was sliced off seemed to have dealt considerable damage to the doll and it staggered before losing its balance and fell to the ground. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune, who was still holding onto the back of the bear doll¡¯s neck, made a sound before jumping off with all her strength to not get caught in the fall. As for why she jumped off with all her strength, the answer was in Byune¡¯s hands when she landed. She was holding the head of the bear doll that she had sliced half the neck of a few seconds ago. Using the momentum from her jump, she had forcibly torn the bear doll¡¯s head off. ¡¸You killed my friend, you killed my friend!¡¹ When one of the dolls shouted out in condemnation, the other dolls also shouted in unison. ¡ºYou kill out friend, you killed our friend!¡» ¡¸Mm.¡¹ However, Byune ignore them and threw the bear doll¡¯s head to the ground as she started walking towards the dolls again. As if to protect her back, Nakuto followed after her. At first glance, Rei appeared to be pushed back by Oricule. Vihera was enjoying the well coordinated attacked from the robed figures belonging to the underground forces of the Church of Holy Light. Byune and Nakuto were almost evenly matched against the group of dolls. The battle, which could be called a three way fight, was more or less evenly matched across the board. CH 507 Going a bit back in time from when Rei and the others were fighting in the Marschel residence¡¯s underground room. After parting ways with Rei, Vihera, Byune, and Nakuto at the Church of Holy Light¡¯s hideout in the slums, Elena, Essetus, Set, and Yellow made their ways through Exil¡¯s darkened streets. Many eyes were gathered on them, but it wasn¡¯t due to Elena¡¯s beauty or Set and Yellow¡¯s loveliness. No, of course there were some of those gazes, but most were directed towards the six people being pulled along by Essetus, all with hands and feet tied. ¡¸Hey, what the hell is that?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows? But since Set and Elena are with them, that means they probably messed up somewhere?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, I guess so. But it¡¯s quite disturbing to see. There have been people who¡¯s messed around with the wrong people before, but they weren¡¯t tied up and dragged around like this.¡¹ ¡¸Now that you mention it, you¡¯re right. ¡­¡­Then, did they do something really unforgivable? Well, I don¡¯t know how to feel about it. Elena is a beauty you rarely see and Set is adorable. Although he¡¯s still a Griffon.¡¹ Hearing the discussion around them, it was more torturous than actual torture for the six people who were tied up and forced to follow along without being able to escape. Furthermore, Ogoru had suffered both mental and physical injuries from Rei¡¯s interogation, having several of his ribs broken when Rei stomped on him. It went without saying that these six were those who worked behind the scenes for the Church of Holy Light. They were the ones that did the dirty work that couldn¡¯t be seen by others and their true faces naturally shouldn¡¯t be exposed. However, these six were currently tied up with ropes and being paraded through Exil. Because of this, it was clear that even if they were released somehow, they wouldn¡¯t be able to continue with their line of work. Realising this, the six had expressions best described as hell on earth as they were pulled along by Essetus. Being exposed like this, it would be better for them to commit suicide than to leak any information¡­¡­is what they had thought as well, but Rei and Elena had seen the people creating abnormal species commit suicide before. As a result, they were wary of that and had used cloth stored in the Misty Ring to stuff their mouths before tying another piece of cloth from the outside, making a gag that prevented them from doing anything. The situation continued and¡­¡­before long, they arrived at the Silva family. ¡¸Now then, I¡¯ll have to ask for Vosk. Essetus, Set, please keep your eyes on these guys.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Leave it to us.¡¹ Immediately after learning of Elena¡¯s true identity, Essetus was at a loss of how to communicate with her, but after working together for a bit longer, he was finally able to return to his original attitude. This was probably the result of Esseetus¡¯ rough personality working out for him in a positive manner. Leaving Essetus, Elena immediately called out to the gatekeeper, who had become quite familiar with him. ¡¸I¡¯m Elena Kerebel. I have information related to the abnormal species as well as other important matters, would it be possible to meet with Vosk-dono?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll check right away¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no need for that.¡¹ Just as the gatekeeper was about to head inside. They heard a voice from within the residence grounds. Elena turned to owner of the voice and a small smile appeared on her face at the sight of a familiar person. She felt quite happy at the need to forgo additional questions and answers. It was a man in his late 20s to early 30s with an intelligent look in his eyes. It was Sanctions, Vosk¡¯s chief butler and right hand man in the Silva family. Sanctions gave a graceful bow as he spoke. ¡¸Welcome, Elena-sama. What do you have today¡­¡­oh, over there?¡¹ Sanctions loked behind Elena as he asked. He recognised Set because he had visited the Silva residence many times and Essetus was now considered an adventurer belonging to the Silva family, so he was naturally familiar with them. However, he didn¡¯t recognise the other 6 people with hands and feet tied in addition to makeshift gags. The same was true of Yellow, who was sitting on Set¡¯s back, but Sanctions wasn¡¯t too concerned because Yellow was with Set. ¡¸They probably know a lot about the abnormal species and about the kidnapping of Essetus¡¯ party member.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh.¡¹ Sanctions turned to the 6 with a sharp gaze at those words. ¡¸It looks like we need to hear the details inside.¡¹ ¡¸Oh. Also, I¡¯m sorry, but could you get some people to help. You can¡¯t let Set inside the mansion, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, right away. ¡­¡­For now, I¡¯d like one of you to watch them alongside Elena-sama. Take them to the Moon Room.¡¹ Hearing Sanctions¡¯ orders, the two gatekeepers looked at each other before one immediately stepped forward. ¡¸Then I¡¯ll do it.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll leave it to you. ¡­¡­Elena-sama, please follow him. I will call Vosk-sama immediately.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. But please be quick as possible. Rei and the others are currently on their way to the Marschel family residence.¡¹ Sanctions¡¯ cheeks twitched the moment the Marschel family was brought up. However, he didn¡¯t show it outwardly as he gave a graceful bow before leaving. Seeing him off, one of the gatekeepers called out to Elena. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll show you to the room.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, thanks.¡¹ Hearing those words, it seemed Set understood that his role was over for now. With Yellow on his back, Set headed for the Silva family¡¯s garden in a familiar manner. Guided by the gatekeeper, Elena and Essetus led the 6 prisoners to a room called the Moon Room. ¡º¡­¡­¡» Silence filled the Moon Room. There were 9 people inside, Elena, Essetus, the gatekeeper, and the 6 prisoners. No one said anything as they just waited for time to pass. In the midst of all this, Essetus would sometimes turn his gaze over to the captured men, especially Ogoru, before glaring at them with hatred. From Essetus¡¯ point of view, he wanted to head to the Marschel family residence, where Tivia was being held captive, as soon as possible. But now was not the time¡­¡­he knew that and had no choice but to wait and believe that Nakuto would rescue Tivia. Still, he couldn¡¯t do anything about his feelings. In the middle of this awkward atmosphere, Elena suddenly turned to look at the door. Just as she looked over, followed by Essetus¡¯ gaze, the door opened at the same time. The person on the other side, who had opened the door without knocking, was Vosk, Essetus¡¯ current boss and the head of the Silva family. Vosk looked around the room with uncontrollable anger in his eyes. The aura emanating from his body was enough to make even Essetus, the vanguard of the party Sonic Blades, tense up for a moment. Vosk¡¯s gaze stopped in front of Ogoru as he spoke in a low voice. ¡¸They are the ones you were talking about?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. The Church of Holy Light¡­¡­ And I¡¯m pretty sure they have been the ones pulling the strings from behind the scenes for a while now. Although they would never admit to it.¡¹ Elena shrugged her shoulders as she spoke. Vosk, who¡¯s eyes twitched at the mention of the Church of Holy Light, glanced behind him through the door before speaking. ¡¸Hey.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand. Please leave everything to me.¡¹ Saying that, an unnaturally skinny man appeared. He didn¡¯t even have the flesh a normal person would have and seemed like he only had skin over his bones. ¡¸Take them away.¡¹ ¡¸Yes sir!¡¹ The gatekeeper who had been watching the men nodded before forcibly pulling on the rope connect Ogoru and the other 6. The skinny man followed after them with a happy smile. Essetus didn¡¯t seem to know who the man was. He looked alternately at Elena and Vosk with questioning eyes. However, Elena didn¡¯t say anything and only showed a faint sense of disgust on her face. ¡¸Huh? I had thought the great knight would have something to say about this.¡¹ Vosk¡¯s dark expression disappeared from his face as he looked at Elena with surprise. Ignoring Vosk, Elena pushed straight to the main topic. ¡¸It turns out Essetus¡¯ party member was taken to the Marschel residence. Currently, Rei, Nakuto, Vihera, and Byune are trying to infiltrate the residence and rescue Tivia.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh.¡¹ Vosk murmured out loud. At those words, Vosk¡¯s face was filled with even greater surprise than before. ¡¸I didn¡¯t think Byune would help us. I hope it doesn¡¯t start raining spears tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸If you want, I can ask Rei to do that?¡¹ Perhaps Vosk knew that Rei was good at throwing spears and he frowned unpleasantly at Elena¡¯s words, that didn¡¯t seem like a joke. ¡¸I know that you, or more precisely, the three families currently rulling Exil are on bad terms with Byune. However, this incident is not for her sake. You¡¯re lending us your strength.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s enough. ¡­¡­She really is one considerate of others.¡¹ Vosk¡¯s response was unexpected, even for Elena. Just as Byune disliked Vosk, she had thought that Vosk also disliked Byune. However, the tone in his voice seemed to show that he cared for Byune. Elena seemed confused at the different situation from what she had heard from various rumours, but decided she should focus on proceed with her story rather than asking about it. Even now, Rei and Byune were still searching for Tivia in the Marschel residencce. ¡¸Right then. Now that we know that the Marschel family and the Church of Holy Light are connected, including the matter of abnormal species, the Silva family can¡¯t stay quiet, right? If you let this go, I¡¯ll have no choice but to report all this to my father.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that a threat?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s just the facts. Even if Exil is an autonomous city, it doesn¡¯t change that it belongs to the Mireana Kingdom. That being the case, it¡¯s only natural for me, a noble, to report what I feel is a problem, is that not so?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Tch, weren¡¯t you the one who said you weren¡¯t here as the only daughter of Duke Kerebel?¡¹ ¡¸All things have their limits. This is a labyrinth city and the benefits are great as long as the dungeon exists, but the dangers are also great. There is a religious organisation kidnapping adventurers and one of the three governing families is connected to them.¡¹ With those words, Elena seemed to be showing her concern for Exil¡¯s situation, and in fact, those were her true feelings. However, there were definitely also feelings of concern for Rei. Even Vosk knew about Rei and Elena¡¯s relationship. As long as he collected any information about Elena, daughter of Duke Kerebel, he would have been able to gain a general understanding of the general relationship of the two. He thought about it for a minute as he looked at Elena, who was looking back at him with a sharp gaze. Exil¡¯s current situation had many elements that could lead to various unpleasant situations as Elena had said. Besides, if left to their own affairs, he could imagine that the Church of Holy Light would start to move more freely around Exil than ever before. (There wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if their front was all there was.) Even if their fees were quite high, followers of the Church of Holy Light, who acted as people for hire, were reasonably skilled. There were quite a few who could even be called veteran adventurers. Considering that alone, the existence of the Church of Holy Light had given Exil more than enough benefits. However, since their work behind the scenes had been uncovered, they could no longer be left alone. (There¡¯s also the advantage of having Duke Kerebel and Rei owe me a favour I guess?) Vosk decided that dispatching adventurers would be the best option and so nodded slightly before calling out to Sanctions, who was waiting outside the room. ¡¸Sanctions, get me as many people as you can! Everyone who can handle abnormal species! And get some people from the guild to help! We¡¯re pulling out Exil¡¯s pus from the roots tonight!¡¹ Vosk¡¯s ambitious voice echoed through the room and, before long, the Silva family residence sprung to life. CH 508 A sharp tip flew towards him repeatedly without stopping. Rei deflected, parried, and blocked every successive thrust while skillfully wielding the huge Death Scythe. Originally, Oricule¡¯s rapier shouldn¡¯t have been a weapon capable of matching the Death Scythe. No, considering the characteristics of a rapier as a weapon, it shouldn¡¯t have been able to clash head on against a long sword, let alone the Death Scythe. What made it possible was that Oricule¡¯s rapier was a work of Esta Nord, considered the greatest alchemist in all history¡­¡­and that wasn¡¯t all. No matter what kind of weapon it was, if the wielder¡¯s skill was poor, it would be inferior to a wooden sword wielded by a master. The main reason Oricule was able to match the Death Scythe was because of his outstanding skill. With each swing with his right hand, a gale like thrust flew forward. At first glance, Oricule was attacking Rei one sidedly, with Rei only focusing on defense, but the balance gradually started to tilt the other way. ¡­¡­Yes, towards Rei¡¯s favour. Kin-Kin-Kin-Kin-Kin-Kin-Kin-! In an instant, countless metallic sounds echoed out. It was the sound of the rapier tip being instantly dealt with by the Death Scythe¡¯s blade, shaft, or pommel. With a small smile on his lips, Rei slowly started taking steps towards Oricule, first one, then two. Due to the pressure coming from Rei, Oricule stopped attacking for a moment as he took a few steps back. However, there was no impatience in his expression. No, rather, he even seemed quite relaxed. ¡¸¡­¡­What are you planning? It seems like you¡¯re quite relaxed even though you¡¯re cornered.¡¹ ¡¸Well, who knows? Have you forgotten? All we have to do is to buy time without losing. Right now, the Silva family¡­¡­well, I wonder what¡¯s happening?¡¹ Oricule tried to provoke Rei, but all he got back was a mocking smile. Seeing that, Oricule spoke with a slightly uncomfortable frown. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, I know that you¡¯re serious about what you said. ¡­¡­Certainly, Elena has gone to the Silva family. But can you really do that much in Exil, which isn¡¯t even your home territory? You guys can do nothing more than move behind the scenes, so your strength should be limited, right? Also, you already have 20 or so people here as well.¡¹ Rei glanced over towards Vihera. There, the robed figures, who understood each other¡¯s movements through just gazes and gestures, linked their attacks together silently. Alternatively, some of them threw daggers towards Vihera¡¯s magic claws to shift their attacks and help their comrades. Those who were beaten or kicked out were caught to stop them from taking excessive injuries from slamming into a wall. The robed figures were fighting Vihera with masterful cooperation, but even so, they couldn¡¯t make up for the decisive difference in strength and one by one, like a comb losing teeth, their numbers gradually dwindled. Among the robed figures lying on the ground, the most fortunate ones were probably unconscious. On the other hand, the most unfortunate ones were those with their necks bent in unatrual angles, or those who had been slashed and torn to pieces by Vihera¡¯s claws, killing them. ¡¸As you can see, how long do you think they can hold out against Vihera?¡¹ As Rei said that, he brought the blade of the Death Scythe down towards Oricule. Seeing that, Oricule¡¯s rapier stance changed to a defensive one as he shifted his center of gravity back to defend against Rei¡¯s attack. ¡¸Hmm, as far as I can see, this is really a crisis for us. However¡­¡­why do you think we¡¯d come out even knowing the difference in ability?¡¹ ¡¸Ability, huh. Could it be you have high hopes for those dolls? It¡¯s true that we¡¯re in a somewhat unfavourable situation over there.¡¹ As if to restrain Rei¡¯s movements, Oricule swayed the blade of his rapier. He moved as if measuring the timing of something¡­¡­and the next moment, he dashed forward, rapidly closing the distance between him and Rei. A lightning fast thrust shot out again. Even though the attacks were sharper and faster than before, Rei used the blade of the Death Scythe to defend. ¡¸Corrosion, corrosion, corrosion, corrosion, corrosion.¡¹ At the same time Rei repeated used the Death Scythe¡¯s Corrosion skill. However¡­¡­ (Tch, that¡¯s a very sturdy rapier. As expected of Esta Nord¡¯s work.) No matter how many times he used Corrosion, even after it reached level 3, there was no visible effect on the rapier¡¯s blade. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? You seem to have been muttering the same words for a while now, I¡¯d be happy if you¡¯d let me buy more time.¡¹ Oricule stopped his storm of thrusts and leapt back as he spoke to Rei. ¡¸No, I¡¯m just wondering how to clean you up. ¡­¡­Well, even if I can¡¯t use that, there are many other options.¡¹ While holding the center of the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft, Rei started to spin the Death Scythe. Round and round. As the speed of the spinning Death Scythe increased, the sound of it tearing through the air gradually grew louder. Oricule frowned his eyebrows as he became wary of Rei¡¯s unexpected actions. And then¡­¡­ ¡¸Fuuuu-!¡¹ Letting out a sharp breath, Rei swung the rapidly spinning Death Scythe. If the thrusts Oricule had released earlier had pierced through the air, Rei¡¯s attacks tore right through it. And, it was faster than any attack Rei had made with the Death Scythe before¡­¡­ Of course it didn¡¯t end there. As Oricule focused on dodging the slashes while waiting for an opening. ¡¸Penetrate.¡¹ Along with the words Rei muttered, the wind wrapped around the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft¡­¡­the next moment, instead of a slash, Rei thrust out with the shaft of the Death Scythe. It¡¯s speed was comparable to Oricule¡¯s thrusts, and purely in terms of speed, it might even have been faster. ¡¸What-!?¡¹ Oricule managed to dodge Rei¡¯s attack, partly because of his own skill, but also because it was a single attack compared to his own countless thrusts. ¡­¡­However, even so, the wind clad shaft still managed to pierce through his cloak. It wasn¡¯t because of the Death Scythe itself, but rather the wind that was wrapped around it. That moment of surprise¡­¡­created an opening for Rei. ¡¸You¡¯re too naive-!¡¹ Not missing this opening, Rei¡¯s next attack was a slash from the Death Scythe¡¯s blade. The blade swung from lef to right, straight across Oricule¡¯s body¡­¡­however, the results completely betrayed Rei¡¯s expectations as the blade stopped at Oricule¡¯s body and did not slice through. ¡­¡­Still, as the Death Scythe weighed over 100kg, so despite not slicing Oricule in half, Rei¡¯s inhuman strength succeeded in blasting him away. Oricule was sent flying like a stone thrown by a child, but somehow managed to regain his balance in mid air before landing on the ground. ¡¸Hey, you. Don¡¯t get in the way!¡¹ After finally slowing himself down to a halt, he ended up where Byune and Nakuto were fighting the dolls. Anyone could see how powerful Rei¡¯s previous attack had been from the trails on the floor as Oricule slid back. However, Rei cast a questioning gaze towards Oricule. His attack had definitely been a fatal one. With a horizontal slash empowered with a significant amount of magic power, Oricule¡¯s body should have been split in two. But, instead of his organs being scattered to the surroundings, he was only blasted away with his body intact and still alive. Rei couldn¡¯t overlook that irregularity. However, looking over at Oricule, he soon understood the cause. The rapier in his right had was still the same rapier from before. But, in his left hand, Oricule was holding a sword too long to be called a dagger but too short to be called a long sword. Only one side had a blade while the other had a comb like edge. It was a weapon designed to catch the blade of an enemy¡¯s sword with the comb like edge and break it. In other words, it was a sword breaker. (Also, after receiving the Death Scythe¡¯s attack, it wasn¡¯t destroyed. Even if it¡¯s not as strong as the rapier made by Esta Nord, it¡¯s still a powerful magic weapon, isn¡¯t it?) Most people who wielded a rapier would also use another weapon for defense in their non-dominant hand. For example, a main gauche with a large guard, otherwise known as a parrying dagger, to block enemy attacks¡­¡­or a sword breaker, like the one Oricule had, to break the blade of an enemy¡¯s sword. ¡¸I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d still have a trick up your sleeve.¡¹ ¡¸Since I¡¯m fighting you, Crimson, I¡¯ll naturally prepare a trick or two.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, didn¡¯t you hear me tell you to get out of the way?¡¹ The doll at Oricule¡¯s feet spat out in frustration. For a moment, Oricule glanced down at the doll that was telling him that he was being a nuisance¡­¡­ Tsu-! Suddenly hearing the sound of something cutting through the air, Oricule deflected several needles that flew towards his face. ¡¸I may have intruded into your fight, but I would like you to clean up your own problems responsibly. Even though there aren¡¯t many of them, you can¡¯t even deal with two thieves¡­¡­¡¹ Oricule told that to the doll at his feet as his eyes stayed on Rei. There was an unmistakable sense of disgust in his tone. ¡¸You¡­¡­are you calling Pree-sama a fool!?¡¹ Hearing the doll¡¯s words, all the other dolls, who had been wary of Byune and Nakuto, turned to face Oricule at the same time. Because they were dolls, they gave off no murderous intent. But even so, it was clear the dolls did not like what had been just said. ¡¸It is not the Marschel family¡¯s technology I am questioning, just you. If you would like to say otherwise, then I hope you will help me by capturing or killing those two thieves as soon as possible.¡¹ Hearing his words, Nakuto¡¯s mouth twisted in disgust. From their series of exchanges, it was clear that the relationship between the Marschel family and the Church of Holy Light was by no means a good one. Because of that, with the conversation that had just happened, he had hoped it would cause a decisive rift between the two¡­¡­Nakuto had a faint hope for that, but it seemed like it wouldn¡¯t come true. All Oricule¡¯s words did was to make the dolls, who had been struggling against them, attack even more violently. Watching from a distance, Rei could understand why. (Does he want to quickly take out Byune and Nakuto so those dolls can harass me or Vihera? Oricule had chosen to fight Rei because although he didn¡¯t consider that he could defeat him, he thought he would be enough to just stop Rei. He was now doing the exact opposite of what he said he was going to do, but it was probably because Oricule had reached the conclusion that he would be overwhelmed if he really tried to just hold out against Rei. ¡¸Fine. I¡¯ll show you the power of things created by Pree-sama.¡¹ However, that meant nothing to the dolls, it was unacceptable that Pree¡¯s skills, the skills of their creator, would be looked down on because of themselves. In the first place, when the dolls were given a pseudo ego, Pree had added a strong sense of loyalty towards herself. It wasn¡¯t much different from what the believers of the Church of Holy Light felt towards the goddess they worshipped. However, since neither the dolls nor the believers of the Church of Holy Light recognised each other sincerely, even if they were told their feelings were the same, they would both deny it. ¡¸Everyone, let¡¯s do it. For Pree-sama!¡¹ When the doll at Oricule¡¯s feet shouted out, the other dolls followed suit and began to attack Byune and Nakuto. The speed of their attacks grew faster and, as a result, the number of attacks increased. The skills originally required from a thief were not combat skills. Naturally, a certain amount of combat power was necessary, but even so, the main job of a thief was carry out reconnaissance, disarm traps, and set traps. ¡¸Damn it, I can¡¯t keep this up!¡¹ While deflecting a doll¡¯s spear with a dagger, Nakuto turned to look over at Tivia, who was still unconscious at the center of the magic circle. As he battled with the frustration swirling inside his head, Nakuto stabbed out with his dagger while dodging the attack of another doll with a long sword. CH 509 At the Silva family¡¯s residence in Exil¡¯s north. Adventurers were currently gathering at the location. It wasn¡¯t just the adventurers that worked for the Silva family who admired Vosk. There were also many adventurers who had nothing to do with the Silva family. The number of adventurers had already passed 50 and was still increasing, albeit slowly. ¡¸Damn it, I had just got back from the dungeon and was going to get a drink!¡¡Then guess what? As soon as I got to the guild, they told me about this¡­¡­ahhhh, my drink¡­¡­¡¹ Among the group of adventurers gathered in the Silva family¡¯s grounds, a man in his mid twenties dressed in a typical adventurer outfit, wearing leather armour, and armed with a long sword muttered his complaints regretfully to a fellow adventurer next to him. However, the man next to him, who was wearing a breastplate and holding a battle axe, just sighed and shrugged his shoulders. The sun had already set, but this was the Silva family¡¯s residence grounds. The garden, which was now open to adventurers, was lit up by a number of magic lights, letting people see clearly. ¡¸Then you shouldn¡¯t have accepted this request. Even if it¡¯s the Silva family, they can¡¯t force you to take on a request.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way I can do that, right? If I don¡¯t accept it now, how can I face them later¡­¡­in fact, you¡¯re the same as me, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ He asked the other man as they were acquaintances, but the reply he received was different from what he expected. ¡¸No, the Marschel family has been kidnapping the adventurers who have recently gone missing. One day, someone I knew suddenly disappeared. Maybe¡­¡­¡¹ The man stopped speaking at that point, and his expression looked like he had said something unnecessary. The moment the man in leather armour was about to respond in an attempt to ease the awkward atmosphere. ¡ºUOOOOOOOOH¡» Loud cries came from nowhere. It wasn¡¯t just the voice of one or two people. It was the voices of 10, 20, or even more. The voices were also filled with a rough feeling. The man he was just talking to as well as the other adventurers gathered in the garden sensed the change and focused their attention, ready to move out at any time. At that moment, an adventurer jumped in. The adventurers in the garden immediately reached for their weapons, but after finding out it was a Silva family adventurer, they all gave a faint sigh of relief. However, that only lasted until the adventurer spoke. ¡¸The Silva family is under attack! Most of the attackers are slum residents, but it is likely that they were sent by the Marschel family! Please help us intercept them immediately!¡¹ Hearing his shout, the adventurers in the garden grew very noisy. It was true that they had been hired to fight the Marschel family, but they had thought they would be the ones attacking. There was no way they could have expected to have to defend themselves against an attack from the other party. But, even so¡­¡­the adventurers gathered here were those who challenged the dungeon, where things could happen at a moments notice, and even among them, those that were hired by the Silva family had reached a certain level of combat strength. Most of the adventurers decided that they should retaliate immediately and headed straight for the main gate where the commotion was taking place. The adventurer who had been lamenting missing out on a drink earlier and the man with the battle axe both headed for the main gate as well. It wasn¡¯t that far in terms of distance and they arrived at the main gate in a matter of minutes, where a melee had already broken out. An adventurer working for the Silva family and servants, even if not adventurers, were fighting. Each of them had their own weapon as they took on an opponent in front of the gate. There, they could see a 2m tall muscular man, who seemed like a chef, brandishing a huge frying pan, as well as a maid swinging a metal club, knocking down their enemies in single hits. In addition, a man who looked like a gardener was swinging a set of branch shears around, knocking away the assailants who seemed to be residents from the slums. (Perhaps we¡¯re not needed here?) It wouldn¡¯t be strange if someone hired as a gatekeeper, a security guard, or a bodyguard could fight off the attackers. However, the ones fighting were the chefs, maids, and gardeners. ¡¸-!? Hey, over there!¡¹ The man with the battle axe shouted in surprise. Hearing that, the surrounding adventurers followed his gaze¡­¡­and the next moment they couldn¡¯t help but hold their breaths. There was a monster. ¡­¡­And it wasn¡¯t just one monster either. Since there were summoners and tamers, it wasn¡¯t strange to see several monsters in the city. But if the monsters were in a group of nearly 20, that would be a different story. Goblins, Orcs, Kobolds, Soldier Ants, and Lizardmen, all were well known monsters. There were large Horned Rabbits, nearly 1m in length and with poisonous purple spots floating around their bodies, and also frog type monsters. And¡­¡­ ¡¸H-Hey. If I¡¯m not mistaken, that Goblin looks bigger than an ordinary one.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah. No, that¡¯s not all. Most of those monsters are different from usual.¡¹ ¡¸The Lizardmen have two tails.¡¹ ¡¸Even the Soldier Ants have bat like wings¡­¡­¡¹ The adventurers gathered at the gate all spoke in bewilderment at the monsters which looked different from the ones they were familiar with. Eventually, one of the adventurers realised something as he voiced his thoughts. ¡¸Abnormal species¡­¡­¡¹ Shock. The surrounding adventurers all froze. One of them eventually spoke up with a nervous expresion. Hoping he was mistaken. Praying that he was wrong. ¡¸W-What did you just say?¡¹ However, his question, that was looking for a silver lining, was bluntly denied. ¡¸They¡¯re abnormal species. ¡­¡­There¡¯s no doubt about it. A little while ago, when we entered the dungeon to hunt a Grand Treant, we encountered a dog like monster whose head and tail had split into two. I don¡¯t feel a pressure as strong as that time from these monsters, but it¡¯s still the same feeling.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You got to be lying¡­¡­if they¡¯re abnormal species, then why are they so quiet? There¡¯s a human in front of them, right?¡¹ ¡¸Looks like they¡¯re controlling the abnormal species. I guess that has to be what it is. Not only kidnapping, the Marschel family is also involved with the abnormal species and are able to control them at will. That¡¯s what I think is going on.¡¹ As adventurers who explored the dungeon, they naturally all knew about abnormal species. Of course, they knew how dangerous they were, but above all, they had only appeared inside the dungeon up until now. Even though there was a roar of battle taking place right in front of the gate, the adventurers could hear themselves gulping. None of them moved, they couldn¡¯t move. In front of the main gate, the slum residents who were attacking the Silva family were nothing more than discardable pawns, who were being defeated by the Silva family¡¯s servants and other adventurers one after another. That was fine, but if the slum residents, the enemy¡¯s vanguard, fell, the forces behind them would naturally move forward. In other words¡­¡­that meant the abnormal species. One by one, the slum residents collasped and the abnormal species gradually started to appear on the front lines. Still the adventurers remained frozen. Normally, inside the dungeon, they would have readied for battle and faced their enemies. But this was Exil. Monsters should never appeared here. This had caused the adventurers to fall into confusion, not knowing what to do. Then, as a maid faced down an abnormal species Goblin¡­¡­ ¡¸Don¡¯t be scared!¡¹ Along with that shout, a something flew out from within the mansion, piercing the Goblin¡¯s head and killing the abnormal species in a single hit. ¡¸Adventurers are supposed to protect innocent people! What are you going to do if you¡¯re afraid of the monsters and freeze up! Stand up! Take action! Now is the time to show your strength and protect Exil!¡¹ Just by hearing those words, their confusion subsided and fighting spirit started to overflow from them. The owner of the voice walked out while recalling the weapon that had killed the Goblin. She was a beauty that fascinated people, causing them to forget their fear of death. Her voice was filled with diginity. Combat strength that cared naught for abnormal species. While speaking, Elena held her sword whip in her right hand as she made her way to an opening provided by the servants of the Silva family. It was as if there were no obstacles in front of her. It wasn¡¯t just the adventurers or the servants of the Silva family. Even the abnormal species were overwhelmed by Elena¡¯s aura as they paused themselves. If these abnormal species had been true abnormal species¡­¡­that is, like the ones Elena had encountered in the dungeon, they might not have been so overwhelmed by her. However, maybe it could be considered fortunate in this unfortuante situation, the abnormal species here were all limited to ones that could be completely controlled by those working for the Church of Holy Light behind the scenes. In other words, there were no powerful monsters here. ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s hunt these abnormal species! If we allow them to exist, Exil¡¯s existence as a labyrinth city will be in danger! Everyone, follow me!¡¹ he words that Elena shouted fell strangely easily onto the ears of the adventurers and servants of the Silva family¡­¡­ ¡ºU¡­¡­UOOOOOOOOOOOOOH-!¡» Following after Elena, who led the way, they all raised a loud roar. ¡¸Don¡¯t you guys even think of doing this in Exil!¡¹ With shout that resonated with the surroundings, Elena¡¯s rolls of golden hair swayed in the wind as she swung her sword whip. Like a whip¡­¡­or a snake, it freely changed it¡¯s path midair as the magic empowered blade flew towards the head of an abnormal species Orc that looked more like a boar than a pig. The abnormal species Orc tried to block her attack with the spear it was holding, but the tip of the sword whip easily cut off the spear head before piercing into the head of the Orc. The Orc¡¯s brains, flesh, blood, bones, and even eyeballs, were scattered around, causing the other abnormal species to look at Elena in shock at the power behind that single attack. The despair of the the abnormal species only grew from there. ¡¸Get out of here-!¡¹ Roar-! Moving past Elea, a figure appeared on the front lines. The figure swung a claymore with a 2m blade, striking the body of a Lizardman with two tails and white body, who¡¯s vision had been obscured by pieces of the Orc¡¯s brain. A flashier explosion than than what happened to the Orc¡¯s head occurred next. ¡¸Sha¡­¡­¡¹ Perhaps it had yet to realise that its torso had completely disintegrated. The Lizardman just gave one sound¡­¡­before it died and collapsed to the ground. ¡¸Hey! What¡¯s wrong with you all! You¡¯re still adventurers! If you say you want to protect Exil, then take care of these abnormal species!¡¹ The figure shouted while brandishing his claymore, that was almost as tall as he was. Everyone knew who it was. Vosk Silva. The current head of the Silva family, one of the three governing families of Exil, and someone who shouldn¡¯t really appear on the frontlines of a battle. However, the person himself didn¡¯t feel that way at all as he swung his huge claymore around, matching the abnormal species while encouraging his allies. There was something about his appearance that made the adventurers from Exil in the surroundings feel something. ¡¸I¡¯l do it¡­¡­I¡¯ll do it. Exil¡­¡­we will protect it!¡¹ One adventurer shouted out as he stepped forward with his spear to support the other adventurers who were fighting against the abnormal species. It was the same for the others¡­¡­the adventurers who had recovered from their temporary confusion turned to the offensive against the abnormal species alongside Elena and Vosk. CH 510 Inside the basement of the Marschel family¡¯s residence, the battle taking place was about to reach its climax. The robed figures, the shadows of the Church of Holy Light, were fighting against Vihera as if they all shared the same mind. Even so, although they could act as one entity, Vihera just cut the heads, bodies, and limbs of each individual with the claws that extended from her hands. That said, those torn apart by her claws and killed instantly could be considered lucky. Those who had their torso¡¯s torn into by Vihera¡¯s physical strength had their ribs crushed and internal organs injured by their own bones before they started to vomit blood. Some were even killed by Vihera crushing their skulls. Compared to Vihera¡¯s overwhelmingly superior position, Nakuto and Byune were forced into a tough fight against the dolls. As a thief who wasn¡¯t good at head on combat to begin with, Nakuto had no choice but to play a supporting role for Byune, who did have good combat skills. In that situation, the battle progressed while maintaining a delicate balance. But, after Rei had blown Oricule over to where the dolls were, the battle situation had gradually turned in favour of the dolls. All because of Oricule¡¯s words that were close to ridiculing the technology Pree had used to create the dolls. For the dolls, who held absolute loyalty to Pree, who was their creator, it was absolutely unacceptable for Pree¡¯s ability to be questioned because of their actions. As a result, the dolls¡¯ attacks had intensified leaving Nakuto in a situation where he was only surviving due to Byune¡¯s support instead of him supporting Byune. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Along with Byune¡¯s cry, several needles pierced a doll which was about to jump at Nakuto¡¯s head from above, nailing it to the ceiling. The fact that the two thieves were having such a hard time was not just due to the dolls¡¯ strong fighting spirit, but also because of their many special abilities. Because they were dolls, they had no living signs, and at the same time, their attacks carried no murderous intent. From the perspective of Byune and Nakuto, who usually sensed enemy movements with their senses as a thief, these were extremely incompatible enemies. The dolls¡¯ ability to walk along the walls and ceiling were also perfect for catching them by surprise, which was another reason why the two were struggling. ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry. ¡­¡­Damn it, if Essetus was here, I could have managed to deal with these dolls, but¡­¡­woah-!¡¹ Hearing the sound of something flying towards him, Nakuto swung his dagger at it. A metallic clang echoed out as a dagger fell to the ground. ¡¸Phew-!¡¹ Nakuto threw out his dagger towards the ceiling to his right, behind him. It was a spur of the moment decision as his dagger pierced a doll on the ceiling, nailing its right arm. Immediately realising his mistake, Nakuto reached out for the dagger that had fallen to the floor after he blocked it earlier. However, there was no way the other dolls would let him do that easily. They all rushed towards Nakuto with weapons at the ready, leaving nothing behind. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Numerous needles shot out towards the dolls, as if each one had their own will, piercing the dolls and stopping them one after another. However, needles were still only needles. If they had been daggers, it would have been a different story, but a single needle wasn¡¯t enough to completely halt a doll, only hinder their movements for several seconds. The dolls headed for Nakuto with needles stuck in their bodies. With flowing movements, Nakuto picked up the dagger and immediately deflected a long sword that was swung at him¡­¡­but the next moment, a spear was thrust towards him. I can¡¯t dodge it. While realising that instinctively, Nakuto tried to twist his body around¡­¡­ ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ As Rei¡¯s shout echoed out, several dolls that had been about to attack Nakuto were sliced apart. What just happened? Although he hadn¡¯t yet realised, he instinctively knew his life had been saved and leapt back, landing next to Byune. ¡¸Phew¡­¡­this is getting tough.¡¹ While muttering to himself, Nakuto wiped away the sweat overflowing from his forehead due to the previous series of events. As if to show off the Marschel family residence, the temperature inside the basement was comfortable despite it being midsummer. Even so, Nakuto was pouring with sweat from the near death situation. (Until I rescue Tivia¡­¡­I can¡¯t die in a place like this!) Muttering in his mind, he onced again challenged the dolls to fight together with Byune. ¡¸Huh, ignoring me in your current situation and helping your comrades? I guess that is the right choice, considering I¡¯m like this.¡¹ Oricule glanced over himself. His leather armour had been slashed and torn in several places. Even if it was a magic armour with higher defensive power than normal, it had already been damaged multiple times. No, rather, it was only because of Oricule¡­¡­as well as the armour he wore, that he had managed to get away with just this much. If it had been someone else, they would have already been torn apart by the Death Scythe. ¡¸Is this the end of your struggle? I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s a lot I would like to ask you about these matters. I might cut off one or two of your limbs, but I won¡¯t kill you, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Those aren¡¯t reassuring words. In that case, I¡¯ll have to stick it out a little longer. If I can hold out until the forces that went to the Silva family return, it will be my win.¡¹ Oricule said that with a small smile as he held his rapier in his right hand and his sword breaker in his left. Even in such a disadvantageous situation, he wouldn¡¯t give up. Rei¡¯s expression tightened slightly at those words, which couldn¡¯t have been spoken by one who only gave orders from above without knowing the actual situation, but by someone who had been on the battlefield many times. It wasn¡¯t because of the aura Oricule had around him. Rather, it was the will inside his body that made Rei realise this was the decisive moment. (He won¡¯t give up even at such an overwhelming disadvantage? Does he still have a trick up his sleeves like the sword breaker? No, if he had such a thing, he would have used it long ago¡­¡­) While thinking to himself, Rei readied the Death Scythe as he glanced behind Oricule to the magic circle on the ground. Tivia was still lying there with no signs of waking up. With so many fierce fights going on around her, it was clearly strange that the leader of a well known adventurer party wouldn¡¯t notice. (Does that magic circle have some sort of effect¡­¡­wait.) The thoughts in his mind stopped halfway. He felt that the colour of Tivia¡¯s skin had paled compared to when he had first seen her lying there. Furthermore, as if to further Rei¡¯s bad premonition, the magic circle around her was also faintly glowing. ¡¸¡­¡­I see, so there was a reason for buying time.¡¹ Even though he was an enemy, Rei still took Oricule¡¯s explanations honestly. Oricule seemed to have noticed Rei¡¯s realisation as he spoke with a small smile on his lips. ¡¸Oh, you seem to have noticed. To be honest, I don¡¯t feel comfortable with the idea of letting people die for nothing, but don¡¯t tell the owner of this place I said that.¡¹ Despite saying that, Oricule showed no reluctance in his expression. From Oricule¡¯s point of view, he felt that if a death was beneficial to him, or the Church of Holy Light, he would welcome it. But, he had no intention of helping to kill a complete stranger, much to the displeasure of Pree, his collaborator. Maybe it would have been a different matter if the one being sacrificed was a believer of the Church of Holy Light. ¡¸She will also know the mercy of the Goddess of Holy Light in the afterlife. Unfortunately, it seems she could not chose the path of faith in this life, but that sin will eventually be washed away.¡¹ ¡¸Tivia!?¡¹ Although he probably couldn¡¯t hear Oricule¡¯s words, Nakuto¡¯s voice still rang out from where he was fighting against the dolls with Byune. Even while fighting, Nakuto continued to check on Tivia. Even if he couldn¡¯t pull her out due to the magic circle¡¯s effect, he could still keep an eye on her in case anything happened. And now, such an event was happening. He saw the same things Rei had seen earlier, Tivia¡¯s paling complexion and the glowing magic circle. ¡¸Damn it, out of the way!¡¹ The dolls stood in Nakuto¡¯s path as he charged towards the magic circle. Even though they had already defeated nearly 20 dolls, they still continued to appear out of nowhere. As a result, no matter how many they destroyed, they couldn¡¯t break out of the current situation. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune no longer held any needles in her hands. Considering Byune¡¯s fighting style, which was focused on her small size and fast speed, no matter how thin they were, there was no way she could carry a large number of metal needles around with her. Byune was currently holding two daggers as she swung both to fight the dolls. However, as all her projectiles had been used up, the fight between Byune and the dolls had gradually turned into a defensive one. In such a situation, Nakuto¡¯s move towards the magic circle broke the current balance. Nakuto probably had no intention of doing that himself, but the sacrificial magic circle had been made by Pree, the creator of the dolls. The dolls would absolutely not allow him to do anything to it. ¡¸As if we¡¯d let you! Stop him!¡¹ Hearing the voice of the leading doll, the other dolls all readied their weapons¡­¡­ Slash-! But the next moment, several of them were slashed apart and blown away. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s a pity you were all focused on one person like that. What do you think? Won¡¯t you play with me as well? Even if I look like this now, I did play with dolls as a child.¡¹ With those words, blades were swung again. Falling from above¡­¡­the blades that were created with magic power pierced the head of a 30cm doll before lifting it up. The person who did that was, of course, Vihera. ¡¸I-Impossible¡­¡­you still¡­¡­¡¹ The doll that had been pierced sputtered out, but Vihera just turned it to face the place she had been fighting at earlier. Over there, all 20 robed figures were lying on the ground, either unconscious or dead. ¡¸There was certainly something worth seeing with regards to their cooperation. ¡­¡­Well, I wonder if these dolls can entertain me¡­¡­what do you think-!¡¹ With those words, her claws sliced apart the doll¡¯s head completely. Stepping on the remains of the now silent doll, she glanced over at the ones left. ¡¸You¡­¡­we¡¯ll never forgive you!¡¹ Her act must have angered the dolls. From the dolls¡¯ point of view, their bodies had been created by Pree. Trampling over them was something unacceptable. The dolls harboured immense hatred in their bodies, but they still didn¡¯t give off any murderous intent as they attacked Vihera. ¡¸I¡¯ve seen them attack Rei, and they¡¯ve been fighting Byune and the others for a while as well. It really is good for ambushing, attacking without any murderous intent, but once you see them¡­¡­they¡¯re not that hard to deal with!¡¹ She swung her claws, fists, elbows, knees, and feet around. Vihera fought as her thin, dancer like clothes fluttered about. ¡­¡­No, depending on how you looked at it, it could be fair to say that she was dancing. It was a performance that could be called a dance of death, as she evaded, deflected, or blocked the dolls¡¯ attacks without them ever touching her. Her attacks in this state were also deadly to the dolls around her. Vihera glanced over towards Nakuto. Nakuto had been distracted by Vihera¡¯s movements, but immediately understood the meaning of her glance. In other words, he had to do something about the magic circle right away. He wasn¡¯t a mage, but even so, he had no choice but to do what he could, as he was the only one free. With that determination, he stepped inside the magic circle. But, as he did that, he was struck by lightning. Unable to make a sound, he collapsed straight to the floor. ¡¸Oh my, it seems like you haven¡¯t been able to secure the materials yet.¡¹ A voice was heard from the door Oricule and the others had come through, rather than the door Rei¡¯s group had come from. Gathering everyone¡¯s gazes, a middle aged woman with gems all over her body entered with several dolls following her. CH 511 ¡¸Gurururu~¡­¡­Guru~!¡¹ With such a cry, Set swung down his claw. His attack blew away the people who were attempting to invade the Silva family residence, who bounced along the ground several times until they fell unconscious about 10m away. ¡¸Kuh, I didn¡¯t know the Griffon would be here. Did it go to the Marschel residence!?¡¹ A man who had been standing next to one of the people who had just been knocked away yelled in frustration. The answer he got wasn¡¯t another cry from Set¡­¡­but words from a man standing next to him. ¡¸Hah, so it was exactly as Elena and Vosk-sama expected. While drawing attention from the front, they would attack from the back. It certainly was a good diversion, but it seems they didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be seen through.¡¹ With a spear in his hand, it was Essetus, the only member of Sonic Blades present at this location. Of course, since they had long expected the enemy to show up here, it wasn¡¯t just him and Set waiting there. There were about 10 other adventurers with them, all looking sharply at the people who had sneaked into the Silva family¡¯s grounds from the back. ¡¸Damn it¡­¡­but, we can¡¯t back down here¡­¡­we have to at least achieve the minimum goal. Everyone, split up! Even if it¡¯s impossible to assassinate our target, it¡¯s fine to just cause a mess!¡¹ ¡ºUnderstood!¡» That man must have been the leader. At his words, the others all scattered in different directions. Even if they stuck together, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything against the combat force assembled in front of them. It was a decision based on that judgement. Also, with the Griffon, Set, here, the chances of them successfully assassinating Vosk, their main target, was extremely low. Their second goal, capturing Elena, was also nearly impossible. According to their original plan, if all of the Silva family¡¯s forces had gathered near the main gate where there abnormal species were grouped up, there would still be a way to ambush them from behind or assassinate them with poisoned arrows. However, after they had been found out, the best they could to was to cause a commotion, through the Silva family into confusion, and use that opportunity to rejoin with Oricule and escape from Exil. (As long as we¡­¡­no, as long as Oricule-sama escape, it doesn¡¯t matter what happens to the rest of the believers. If they don¡¯t find any definitive proof, we can just make them martyrs of the Goddess of Holy Light. If that happens, depending on how negotiations go¡­¡­it might not be so difficult to involve the upper echelons of the Mireana Kingdom and build up the power of the Church of Holy Light in Exil again.) Quickly calculating in his mind, the man prepared himself to dash away¡­¡­but the next moment, he noticed something approaching him and lowered his head on reflex. Woosh-! Cold sweat ran down the man¡¯s spine from the attack that seemed to destroy the air itself. If he had been hit by that attack, there was no doubt it would have struck his head. At best, he would have been knocked out and unable to fight, but at worst, he would have been killed instantly. The man immediately leapt back from where he was a claws swung at him again, with the supple movements peculiar to the feline half of the Griffon. That wasn¡¯t all. Without caring at all for the momentum from swing his front claws, Set dashed forward with his back legs to close in from the man, ramming him with his large body. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Realising that, the man was about to jump away again¡­¡­when Set¡¯s sharp cry sounded out. ¡¸Guru-!¡¹ ¡¸Guah-!?¡¹ At the same time, some sort of shock wave suddenly hit the man¡¯s right shoulder, throwing him off balance. Even so, the injury wasn¡¯t significant, so he held on as he tried to distance himself from the oncoming threat. ¡¸Gurururururu-!¡¹ But in that instant, Set closed in and used his front leg to slam the man into the ground, knocking him out before he could voice a single sound. Around Set, many of the members of the Church of Holy Light who had scattered and were attempting to enter the mansion were either captured or violently killed. Their miscalculation was purely due to the lack of awareness for their opponent¡¯s abilities. The people waiting here were some of the most skilled adventurers the Silva family had. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that Essetus, who¡¯s name was quite well known, would rank as having the least combat power here. Everyone here was an elite. ¡­¡­Maybe that was why they let their guard down. BOOOOM-! An explosion rang out from where one of the intruders had been, making a huge sound. Even though they had been captured, the men who were still conscious started to move again. ¡¸May the Goddess of Holy Light bless you.¡¹ BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. Those that were pinned down, and even those who had been gagged, continued to explode while engulfing those around them. ¡¸What!? Damn it-, get away!¡¹ Hearing the shout from one of the Silva family¡¯s adventurers, the other adventurers who had managed to capture the intruders immediately distanced themselves. However, that seemed to be what the men had been hoping for. As soon as the adventurers holding them down left, they immediately forced themselves back up and started running. All for their goal¡­¡­all for the sake of the Goddess of Holy LIght. In order to fulfill the sacred mission given to them by Oricule, whom they idolised. ¡¸What-!?¡¹ Six of them managed to escape without blowing themselves up. As soon as they escaped, they immediately started running for the mansion. However¡­¡­there was someone here that wouldn¡¯t allow them, someone with abilities that surpassed human common sense. ¡¸GURURURURU-!¡¹ Let out a high pitched cry, Set used King¡¯s Awe. For a moment, the legs of the men running away all froze¡­¡­creating a decisive opportunity for Set and the other adventurers. ¡¸The Griffon¡¯s cry scared them! Hold them down¡­¡­no, kill them! If you make a mistake holding them down, they¡¯ll blow themselves up again!¡¹ Following that voice, the adventurers all attacked the momentarily frozen members of the Church of Holy Light. Set also swung his claws to kill the men rather than capture them alive, crushing their heads. ¡¸This one has been dealt with! how about that one!¡¹ ¡¸Dead! If you kill them in one hit, they won¡¯t blow themselves up¡­¡­¡¹ At the adventurer¡¯s words, Essetus shouted back¡­¡­as another explosion echoed out again. Realising one of his fellow adventurers had failed to kill one of the intruders in time, the leader clicked his tongue. Fortunately, the explosion had happened in the garden and not near the mansion. ¡¸Kill them in one hit!¡¹ Hearing the shouts, Set looked around sharply¡­¡­spreading his senses into the darkness of night, he found a man hiding behind a tree in the garden with his skill Sense Enhancement: Smell. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Instead of giving a loud cry like he usually did, Set used Optical Camouflage to hide himself before silently sneaking up on the man like a hunting cat¡­¡­and silently thrusting his sharp beak at the man¡¯s head. The power of Set¡¯s beak easily crushed the man¡¯s head like an egg, killing them immediately without even giving them the chance to scream. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ After that, he canceled his camouflage skill before dragging the headless corpse out. ¡¸Set¡­¡­is it? The corpse the Griffon brought over makes six¡­¡­all the ones who escaped are dead.¡¹ The leader gave a sigh of relief. Perhaps because he had encountered Set and Rei in the dungeon many times, he was only slightly surprised to see Set come out from nowhere. ¡¸Anyhow, have we killed all the people trying to intrude from the back? To think they would really attack from the back as big bro Vosk and Elena said. It was more than I expected.¡¹ When Elena had heard reports of an attack coming from the main gate, she immediately pointed out the possibility that it was a diversion and, after a few seconds, Vosk¡¯s intuition agreed with her opinion. Even so, the two of them dared to be the main force at the front gate because they had left the back to the leader of the adventurers, Essetus, and Set, their trump card. It was also because they had wanted to obtain definite proof that they were part of the Church of Holy Light. However, that plan seemed to have failed. While holding them down to stop them from moving, with some even gagged to stop them from committing suicide by biting their tongues, the intruders had still found a way to blow themselves up. (There¡¯s no doubt that they were members of the Church of Holy Light, but even so, we¡¯ve got nothing more than circumstantial evidence. We¡¯ve failed to secure any solid evidence. ¡­¡­I don¡¯t have the face to see big bro Vosk.) Letting out a small sigh, the leader shook his head slightly before starting to treat the injured. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ After the battle at the main gate ended and Vosk had finished taking out the residents from the slums, as well as the abnormal species, he was told about the events that had occurred in the back garden. They had predicted, or in Vosk¡¯s case his intuition had told him, that the attack at the front gate was a diversion. But even so, it was unexpected that the intruders would use their own lives to launch a suicide attack. Vosk gave a groan. Elena glanced over at him, but after a moment of silence, she spoke. ¡¸In the end, we were unable to obtain any decisive evidence here. Even at the main gate, we couldn¡¯t find anyone who seemed to be controlling the abnormal species. I don¡¯t know if they were controlling them from some place far away.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­Damn it, doing such an annoying thing as controlling abnormal species. How did they even get the monsters out of the dungeon? In those numbers as well.¡¹ Vosk voiced his frustrations and, as if to calm his anger, brought a glass of cold water from his desk to his mouth. ¡¸In order to confirm that, I think it would be better to attack the Marschel family. They took the initiative this time, but fortunately we managed to deal with it somehow. ¡­¡­The adventurers from the Silva family seem to have taken some damage.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, the adventurer who had brought the report to Vosk tried to say something, but was interrupted by Vosk slamming his glass onto the table. That sound echoed into the room. ¡¸I know. I¡¯m not going to let them get away with this either, after giving them such a beating. But it¡¯s true that we¡¯ve lost a lot of strength this time around. Because of that¡­¡­no.¡¹ Vosk stopped speaking halfway as he glanced at Elena. Reason told him that he should wait to replenish his forces here. However, his instincts told him to attack immediately. Vosk was someone who prioritised his intuition above other things¡­¡­ ¡¸Since Rei and the others have infiltrated, their strength on that side must have naturally decreased, huh?¡¹ ¡¸That, I don¡¯t know. But Vihera is over there, the Mad Beast Vihera. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Marschel residence was half destroyed.¡¹ Vihera engrossed in combat with Rei supporting from behind, followed by Byune and Nakuto. Elena gave a small sigh as that scene suddenly popped into her mind. (That scene just seems too expected.) As she thought of that. ¡¸¡­¡­Alright. We¡¯ll attack immediately!¡¹ Even as Elena was thinking, various thoughts went through Vosk¡¯s mind before he came to a conclusion. And as characteristic of Vosk, once he made his decision, he was quick to take action. ¡¸Sanctions!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you called?¡¹ After Vosk called out, the door opened and Sanctions appeared. Sanctions had also participated in the battle at the front gate alongside Vosk. The fact that he had no injuries was a testament to his ability. ¡¸We¡¯re going to attack the Marschel residence. Prepare our forces!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind going on the offensive, but what about the residence¡¯s defense? Since they¡¯ve attacked once, there¡¯s a possibility that they will target the opening when our main force is gone¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Contact the guild and call over people who can use healing magic. I¡¯ll leave the guys injured in battle previously here, so they can defend this place once they¡¯ve recovered. And¡­¡­I¡¯ll leave you in command. I¡¯m heading out. Please protect the residence.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. This residence is an important place for me. I will protect it by any means necessary. Vosk-sama, please use your strength to your fullest. Whatever happens to Exil is a matter of great importance.¡¹ ¡¸I will, leave it to me. Elena, what about you?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I will go. Set will naturally accompany me, not to mention Essetus.¡¹ With that, Vosk headed for the Marschel residence with all the forces he was currently able to move. To settle the recent disturbances that had been taking place in Exil. Thus, the final battle would take place in the Marschel family¡¯s residence. CH 512 Back in the Marschel residence¡¯s basement. Oricule gave a smile when he saw who had showed up. The robed figures who fought for the Church of Holy Light from the shadows had all been incapacitated, and even the dolls were now being trampled by Vihera, a beautiful, but brutal person. As for himself, although he hadn¡¯t received a fatal blow from Rei, he had still taken a number of small injuries and it was safe to say the battle situation was overwhelming against him. At this point, if a lone reinforcement showed up, there shouldn¡¯t have been a major change to the situation. However, Oricule knew something. Pree wasn¡¯t particularly good at fighting, but she had the power of the many gems that adorned her body, to the point of being unnecessary. Those gems were obtained at the end of the sacrificing many people. By sacrificing blood, flesh, soul, and magic power, she had been able to imbue gems with great power. The lightning that struck Nakuto was proof of that. Nakuto was a well know thief from Sonic Blades, but even he was knocked out in a single hit without being able to avoid it. Of course, he had been preoccupied with Tivia and the magic circle, which seemed to have been activated. But given that he still didn¡¯t have the time to react, the power of Pree¡¯s gems were clear. In addition¡­¡­ ¡¸Master, please forgive us.¡¹ About 30 dolls appeared from behind Pree. Leading them was Pree¡¯s masterpiece, the 30cm doll she always held. ¡¸Well, for now¡­¡­¡¹ Pree glanced over the battle situation. The dolls she had created were already being overpowered, and even though Oricule from the Church of Holy Light hadn¡¯t received any fatal injuries, he had still suffered numerous small wounds and was likely to lose in the end. This was not to mention the robed figures, Oricule¡¯s subordinates. As for the attackers, with her smaller build, Byune was already gasping for breath while the other thief was unconscious on the floor after being struck by lightning. (The ones who can fight are that woman¡­¡­and boy? I see, that woman has a fairly high amount of magic power, but the boy¡¯s magic power is so terrifying that there¡¯s really no comparison. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone with so much magic power.) Pree muttered to herself as she looked at Rei. For those who could sense magic power, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to lose their fighting spirit if they directly felt Rei¡¯s magic power. However, despite Pree sensing Rei¡¯s magic power, she didn¡¯t seem to be afraid. She even smiled as if it were a happy occasion. Since they were going to be her sacrifices, it was better to have that much magic power. The amount of magic power the sacrifice had was one of the factors that determined the beauty of the resulting gem. A paranoid obsession with gems. Because of that obsession, Pree only recognised Rei as being the finest material. It was about time the magic circle was completed, so she had come down to the basement. However, it was unexpected that Rei and the others were still fighting and, at the same time, that the Church of Holy Light¡¯s forces were almost non-existent now, with the exception of Oricule. It was surprising that they were so close to being eliminated. That said, her surprise with regards to the two events were the complete opposite. (Oricule¡­¡­how useless. Even though they were outnumbered, they still have so much strength left. If that¡¯s the case, it might be better to let them fight it out a little longer. And, that boy is supposed to have the title of Crimson. It would be a waste to use it here, if I used it here, the damage to the magic circle would be too great, so if possible, it would be nice if they weakened each other.) Glancing over at Oricule, she found out that the material she had been hoping to obtain since collaborating with the Church of Holy Light still had a lot of strength left, so she decided to let Oricule fight with Rei to weaken the two of them. Even while thinking of that, Pree kept lovingly stroking the gems on all the rings on her fingers. If she didn¡¯t do that, she wouldn¡¯t be able to help bursting out with laughter at her unexpected luck. And so, in the end, Pree looked over to the girl who couldn¡¯t hide the fierceness in her gaze despite her lack of expression. Unlike Rei and Vihera, she smiled slightly at Byune, which in a sense was her biggest target this time, as she called out to Oricule, who had been maintaining a strange balance with Rei due to her appearance. ¡¸Oricule, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll deal with the rest, so please take care of that boy for a while.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If possible, I¡¯d like you to lend your strength here. As you can see, I¡¯m in a defensive situation.¡¹ With rapier and sword breaker in hand, Oricule replied while remaining ready to respond to any action Rei might take. However, as Pree was about to speak in response, things took a sudden turn. As if to interrupt their discussion, Rei swung the Death Scythe. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ With those words, a flying slash shot out. However, Oricule naturally knew of the skill Rei liked to use a lot. Because of that, he dodged it by crouching down calmly. At the same time, Rei had also expected his response, so he dashed forward to close the distance as he swung the Death Scythe again. ¡¸HAAAAAAAAA-!¡¹ Oricule lowered his head to quickly avoid the attack aimed at his neck while thrusting forward sharply at Rei¡¯s body with his own rapier. While parrying the attack with the shaft of the Death Scythe, Rei took advantage of that gap to thrust the butt end of the Death Scythe at Oricule¡¯s body. ¡¸Penetrate!¡¹ In an instant, an attack with increased penetration power from the wind was shot out. Oricule, who now realised its power just by looking at it, leapt backwards and took some distance. Rei was determined to not let him get away and gave chase. With that, the battle between the rapier, sword breaker, and Death Scythe, resumed. (¡­¡­Well, no matter which one wins, if I defeat the remaining one, things will be fine. It¡¯s a bit annoying to have to keep them alive though.) After seeing the fierce battle between Rei and Oricule break out, Pree smiled slightly. However, her gaze immediately turned to Byune, who could be said to be her main target this time around. What she saw was the figure of a young girl glaring at her strongly. She still seemed to have a calm grasp of her situation though, and she understood that if she had to take on Pree alone, she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance of winning. (Or maybe she¡¯s waiting for reinforcements.) Pree turned to look at Vihera next. Vihera was considerably inferior to Rei, but even so, compared to ordinary humans, she still had a large amount of magic power. (A beautiful body, an endless desire for strength, and a huge amount of magic power¡­¡­I wonder how beautiful the gem would turn out if I sacrificed that woman¡­¡­but I can¡¯t do that right now.) Seeing three of the best materials she could ever have, Pree smiled at the luck that had rolled straight into her hands. However, she frowned slighting when she saw the dwindling number of dolls fighting Vihera. Even though she didn¡¯t care for them as much as her gems, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she still loved her dolls. The sight of them being trampled on like that was still something that pierced her heart. ¡¸I guess it¡¯s necessary to buy some time. ¡­¡­You guys should take care of the woman for now.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Don¡¯t worry.¡¹ The doll in the lead spoke out of concern for its own creator. Its voice was very mechanical, but its feelings for Pree were still clear. Hearing the doll¡¯s response, Pree replied with a smile as she admired the gem hanging from the tip of her necklace. ¡¸Our opponent is the young lady. It¡¯s true that she may have become a thief, but she¡¯s still not good enough to be my opponent. Her hatred can¡¯t be hidden.¡¹ She turned to look at Byune with a smile, who glared back hatefully. It was a wide smile. A benevolent smile. ¡­¡­But her smile wasn¡¯t something direct at a person, it was a smile directed towards one¡¯s precious possession. Seeing Pree¡¯s smile, Byune¡¯s glare only got stronger. Pointing her index finger at Byune, Pree spoke up. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go. However, you will be busy with various things after this. Avoid exhausting yourselves.¡¹ As soon as soon as Pree finished speaking, half the dolls headed towards Vihera while the other half took action to support Pree. ¡ºRunning Thunder.¡» The next moment, with her words, magic power flowed out from the purple gem on the ring on her right index finger¡­¡­or more precisely, the magic item was activated. A line of lightning shot out from it. It was the same lightning that had knocked Nakuto unconscious with a single blow earlier, as it headed for Byune. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ However, Byune already knew from Pree¡¯s previous attack that she could attack with lightning. And since she knew, it wasn¡¯t impossible to deal with. The moment Pree¡¯s finger shot out lightning, Byune had dashed out while keeping low. It was as if she was crawling just above the ground. She could smell her hair being singed from the lightning, but disregarding that, she closed the distance and readied the daggers she was holding¡­¡­before suddenly leaping to the side without a sound. The next moment, arrows pierced the place where Byune had been and, as if chasing after her, more arrows followed, widening the distance between Pree and Byune. At the same time, a doll with a long sword and a doll with a spear stepped forward, weapons at the ready. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ Byune glared at Pree with a rare irritated look in her eyes. It wasn¡¯t like Byune knew. Even now, she was searching for the truth behind her parents¡¯ death, but there was no one who could tell her. Even Serakant, who she trusted, hadn¡¯t told her anything, considering her age. Even so, she felt something, either with her intuition as a thief, as a woman, or as the remaining survivor of the Fraut family. In any case, Byune semi-intuitively knew that the woman in front of her was responsible for the death of her parents. ¡¸We won¡¯t let you run at Pree-sama!¡¹ With those words, the doll with the long sword swung its weapon down. Byune jumped back to avoid it before dashing forward to close the distance to the doll. ¡¸I won¡¯t let you.¡¹ However, as if foreseeing this, a doll with a dagger went in to support the other doll, swinging its dagger to exploit Byune¡¯s opening. ¡¸Mm¡­¡­Mm-!¡¹ The dolls attack was aiming to make it as difficult for her to avoid as possible. Parrying the tip of the incoming dagger with her own dagger, Byune had to leap back to take some real distance. The fact that her usually expressionless face was slightly distorted unpleasantly was probably because the dolls were stronger than expected. Compared to the dolls they had been fighting in the room earlier, they were faster, stronger, and more skilled. The dolls that Pree had brought alone and the other dolls, the difference was clear. No, rather, the difference in performance was probably because Pree was the one leading them. ¡ºBurning Flame.¡» Short¡­¡­the incantations were very short. Normally, magic would have to be activated by chanting an incantation of a certain length. But in Pree¡¯s case, it was possible to activate the magic contained in the gems by simply saying a few words. ¡ºPenetrating Ice.¡» A moment ago, flames erupted where Byune had just been, and although she managed to avoid it, the next moment nearly ten ice arrows flew through the air, aiming for her body. While making full use of her dagger to deflect the arrows, she also parried, dodged, and blocked the weapons of the dolls that were targeting her openings. After receiving a hit from a halberd, she flew back while using her light weight to twist in the air and land on the ground. (She¡¯s calmer than I expected. ¡­¡­The other side is getting quite heated up.) Quickly checking over on the fight between Rei and Oricule, it was still in a state of balance, but it was only a matter of time before it would change to be in Rei¡¯s favour. Vihera¡¯s side was even worse. Nearly half of the dolls Pree had sent over had already been incapacitated. (Then, let¡¯s play our trump cards here. Now, it¡¯s time to reunite the daughter with her parents.) Reaching into her her bosom, Pree took out two gems before speaking. ¡¸You guys, come back.¡¹ Hearing those words, the dolls immediately distanced themselves from Byune as they faced each other. If they had continued to attack, she would have lost, why did they stop? Such doubts dwelled in Byune¡¯s heart, but she didn¡¯t show it on her face as she remained cautious and wary of Pree¡¯s every move. Meanwhile, taking her hand out, Pree stuck out two gems in front of herself so that Byune could see them. An orange tinged red gem and a light blue gem. For some reason, Byune couldn¡¯t take her eyes off them after seeing them. Pree spoke with a big smile on her face. ¡¸How is it, Byune? How does it feel to be reunited with your father and mother? Isn¡¯t it nostalgic? Your parents¡¯ blood, flesh, soul, and magic power. These gems were created by sacrificing all of that. The crystallisation of your parents.¡¹ CH 513 What was she just told? What did she just say? She didn¡¯t know, she didn¡¯t know, she didn¡¯t know¡­¡­she didn¡¯t want to know. All she knew was that the person in front of her had killed her parents, who had given her endless love and whom she loved. Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable. What could she do? She absolutely couldn¡¯t allow that person to be here. She couldn¡¯t stand them breathing in front of her eyes. She couldn¡¯t stand the fact that they were smiling. Their existence itself could not be tolerated. That¡¯s right, in that case, it¡¯s fine to erase that person that should not exist from this world. Only then would her rage subside. ¡¸Mm¡­¡­AH¡­¡­.AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-!¡¹ Byune, who usually only voiced single sounds, let our a roar. Bottomless hatred and anger filled her voice. As well as a little sorrow. Byune¡¯s face, which rarely showed any expression, was stained with hatred as she turned towards Pree, who was lovingly stroking the orange-red and light blue gems. However, Pree didn¡¯t seem to care about Byune at all and even smiled as she spoke. ¡¸Oh, what¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s a chance to reunite parents with their child, you know? Don¡¯t be so angry, be happier.¡¹ ¡¸A-A-A-AH¡­¡­AHHHHHHHHHHHHH-!¡¹ Pree¡¯s words crossed Byune¡¯s final line. With daggers in had, she leapt towards Pree. That¡¯s right, as if the dolls standing in her way were irrelevant. However, from the dolls¡¯ perspective, they couldn¡¯t let Byune pass silently. They all drew their weapons at Byune, who was trying to kill their creator. But Byune didn¡¯t stop. ¡­¡­No, she couldn¡¯t be stopped. Swinging blades cut, pierced, and gouged her arms, legs, face, and body. But even in that state, she didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain at all as she went straight for Pree¡­¡­to the hateful enemy showing off the gems created from the sacrifice of her parents. She ran only to deliver a blade of hatred. That was the moment Pree had been aiming for and there was no way she would miss it. ¡¸AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-!¡¹ Spears pierced into Byune¡¯s sides. But it didn¡¯t matter. No, rather, by trapping the enemies¡¯ weapons with her own body, there were less things getting in her way to Pree. Byune ran forward, ignoring the pain coming from her body. Normally, the numerous wounds she had received would be enough to stop her. However, for the current Byune, whose mind had taken over her body, her sense of pain was almost completely gone as she rushed towards Pree. ¡¸Stop! We won¡¯t let you get to Master!¡¹ One of the dolls shouted as arrows, swords, and daggers swung out again. Despite the injuries in her sides, Byune repelled all the attacks, as if they were a hindrance, dodging or stopping them with her body as she moved forward. ¡­¡­After passing through a storm of blades, she finally succeeded in reaching Pree. ¡­¡­But, Pree just pointed out with her left hand. ¡ºThunder Cage.¡» With those words, the magic contained in a large amethyst attached to a bracelet on Pree¡¯s left hand was instantly activated. What was activated was lightning magic. However, instead of the magic that was activated from her ring previously, lightning flew out and formed a cage¡­¡­ ¡¸KYAAH-!¡¹ A scream echoed through the room. Byune stared out with wide eyes. ¡­¡­Yes, just before the Thunder Cage was completed, Vihera had appeared out of nowhere and pushed Byune away, trapping herself in the cage instead and eating the countless lightning strikes. ¡¸Ah¡­¡­Ah¡­¡­¡­¡­Ahhhh¡­¡­¡¹ She didn¡¯t know what had just happened. In such a state, Byune reached out for Vihera, who was trapped in the Thunder Cage while being continuously struck by lightning. However¡­¡­ ¡¸Wh-at, are you¡­¡­doing! During, battle¡­¡­you, told me¡­¡­that I shouldn¡¯t let the blood rush to my head¡­¡­isn¡¯t that, right!¡¹ Vihera complained bitterly to Byune as she was burned by the lightning. However, she no longer screamed like when she had been first struck. ¡¸Ah¡­¡­ahh¡­¡­We-Wee-he-ra¡­¡­¡¹ Those were the first words Byune had spoken in years. However, Vihera didn¡¯t have the luxury of listening to them. While enduring the pain of the lighting that continued to torment her body, she focused the magic power in her body to its limits. At the same time, her gauntlets responded to the magic power she was pouring into them as the claws created from magic power grew longer and sharper. ¡¸AHHHHHHHHH-!¡¹ As the lightning continued to strike her, Vihera forcibly moved her body to slash through the Thunder Cage with her claws, which were now over 1m in length. At the same time, her claws swept through the body of a doll that was approaching the stunned Byune, splitting it in half. ¡¸Haa-, haa-, haa-¡­¡­¡¹ While gasping for breath, Vihera went over to Byune instead of collapsing to the ground. Pree¡¯s aim had been to capture Byune alive, so Vihera hadn¡¯t taken any fatal injuries. However, it was still true that Pree had intended to inflict enough injuries to prevent her from moving. Furthermore, Vihera¡¯s armour, outside of her gauntlets and footwear, consisted of nothing more than a dancer like costume, comprising of many layers of thin clothing. Her clothes were a type of magic item that provided more defensive than what it might appear, but even so, it wasn¡¯t something that could nullify all the incoming attacks while trapped in the Thunder Cage. ¡¸Ah¡­¡­ah¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, get a grip¡­¡­okay? I saved you¡­¡­so calm down.¡¹ Vihera said that as she staggered over to Byune¡¯s side. For some reason, this would have been the perfect time to attack, but Pree just watched them and didn¡¯t make a move. She even signaled the dolls not to attack. ¡­¡­However, it was clear from the crooked smile on her lips that Pree wasn¡¯t just watching on because she was merciful. ¡¸Look, I¡¯ve had enough of this¡­¡­you want to get revenge for your parents, right? Then be more calm. ¡­¡­You can¡¯t¡­¡­let the blood rush to your head.¡¹ ¡¸Wee-hera.¡¹ It was probably because she hadn¡¯t spoken for such a long time. There was something about the words that Byune spoke that were hard to hear. However, Vihera didn¡¯t seem to care as she spoke with a smile. ¡¸Fufu, Byune¡­¡­be shure to avenge your father and mother. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to fight any more battles right now¡­¡­¡¹ Vihera¡¯s injuries were by no means fatal. However, they weren¡¯t so light that they wouldn¡¯t interfere with combat. Because of that, leaving her own injuries alone, Vihera took out a potion from a pouch at Byune¡¯s waist and poured it over the injuries on Byune¡¯s sides, where she had been injured the most by the dolls¡¯ attacks. Byune¡¯s injuries began to heal with the potions she had bought for emergency cases. ¡¸Here¡­¡­you¡¯re welcome. You¡¯re a girl¡­¡­you shouldn¡¯t have any scars.¡¹ ¡¸Umm.¡¹ Byune nodded at Vihera¡¯s words. Her expression, which usually didn¡¯t change much, was now distorted by heartbreak as tears formed at the corner of her eyes. Leaving Vihera sitting on the floor, Byune rubbed her eyes and turned to Pree. This time, her gaze had completely changed. There was no doubt that it was still a strong gaze. However, unlike before, when it had been painted with hatred, a determination now dwelled in her eyes. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ With that voice, as if to give herself strength, she dashed straight towards Pree again. ¡¸Fufu~, your eyes that were filled with hatred were beautiful, but I also like your eyes right now.¡¹ Pree muttered and spoke as she lightly tapped her heels against the floor. ¡ºLike the Wind.¡» In that moment, the yellow gem attached to Pree¡¯s right anklet glowed and the magic inside was activated. Just by jumping backwards lightly, she created an unimaginable distance between herself and Byune. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Even though her eyebrows shifted in surprise, Byune¡¯s feet didn¡¯t stop. She no longer had anymore needles she could use as throwing weapons and the two daggers in her hands were her last. Coming to this place, she had also dressed lightly to maximise her abilities. Even so, Byune¡¯s legs didn¡¯t stop moving. Holding both her daggers, she closed the distance to Pree. However, what was different this time was that she didn¡¯t ignore the dolls that tried to block her path. She dodged incoming attacks, deflected them, and blocked them as she pushed forward, avoiding any injuries as much as possible. ¡¸Fufu~¡­¡­seriously, you¡¯re such a pain to deal with. ¡­¡­Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I can leave you alone.¡¹ Vihera muttered to herself as she watched Byune rush forward. At the end of Vihera¡¯s gaze, several dolls were approaching her. Normally, this wouldn¡¯t have been anything for her to worry about. But now, things were really bad. The injuries she had suffered from the Thunder Cage had left Vihera feeling numb, making it impossible for her to make any precise movements. Of course, fighting was no exception. Considering her current situation, the fact that she was able to take out a potion from Byune¡¯s pouch earlier was already close to a miracle. ¡¸Still¡­¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡­die in a place like this.¡¹ Staggering as she stood up, she could no longer form claws with her magic power due to the numbness. As one of her greatest weapons, it did hurt her ability to fight, being unable to form her claws, but even so, Vihera didn¡¯t plan to sit there and go down quietly. ¡¸Capture her!¡¹ Two spears thrust out along with those words. Considering that the spears were aimed at her body despite the order to capture her, it was clear that the dolls were aware that it would be better if they didn¡¯t risk dying for now. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ A voiced suddenly shouted out. At the same time, the sound of something breaking was her as something cold splashed onto her body. It was obvious what it was as the injuries she had taken from the Thunder Cage began to heal in no time at all. ¡¸Rei¡­¡­?¡¹ She quickly turned to the place the shout had come from, but Rei was still fighting Oricule. The only difference from before was that Oricule was now pushing back. Seeing the fragments of the potion container on the floor, Vihera realised what had happend as she stomped the ground with her numbed feet. ¡¸Seriously¡­¡­throwing a potion over and destroying it in the air to pour the contents over me.¡¹ While muttering to no one in particular, Vihrea looked down at the dolls, who had become more wary and distance themselves after seeing her injuries heal. The person in front of them was no longer the woman who had been injured all over and couldn¡¯t even stand up a moment ago. In order to reduce the injuries she took from the Thunder Cage, Vihera had used up most of her magic power to reinforce her light clothing. Furthermore, in order to destroy the doll that had been approaching Byune, she had poured more magic power into her claws than necessary to increase their length. But while she had used up most of her magic power, the wounds on her body had healed and her physical strength still remained. In order to heal her injuries¡­¡­even if it was to stop their own combat strength from being reduced, Rei had disrupted the flow of battle that was in his favour to allow her to recover. Vihera was someone who loved to fight to the point she was called a battle mainiac, so there was no reason she would not feel indebted and it left a strong impression oh her. Badump. Watching Rei repel Oricule¡¯s rapier and sword breaker with the Death Scythe¡¯s blade and shaft, she suddenly became conscious of her hearbeat, which she could faintly hear from her chest. (What¡­¡­is this? I don¡¯t know. But I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m going to lose to those dolls like this¡­¡­) There was something mysterious inside her, something warm. The moment Vihera became conscious of that, power welled up from within her body. ¡¸Not at all!¡¹ Shouting out the continuation of her internal thoughts, Vihera dashed forward as she charged towards the dolls that had been attempting to capture her. Punches and kicks flew out. Vihera¡¯s main strengths were her claws formed from magic power that extended from the back of her hands, as well as the blades that extended out from her heels, but both could not be used due to her lack of magic power. The dolls were puzzled by Vihera¡¯s actions, but they moved to avoid her attacks¡­¡­ But, the next moment, something flew out from nowhere, piercing their bodies and slashing them to pieces. While moving freely through the air like a whip, the blades attached to the whip like weapon slashed through the dolls that were trying to move behind Vihera as well as a doll that was heading for Byune. What kind of weapon was that? Vihera recognised it immediately. And, of course, she knew the person who used it. Because of that, she shouted out their name. ¡¸Elena!¡¹ CH 514 Vosk and Elena headed for the Marschel residence with most of the people that could still move, leaving just enough behind to defend the Silva family¡¯s residence. However, unexpectedly to them, they were not attacked a single time on the way to the Marschel residence and the mansion itself didn¡¯t seem to be well defended either. There were only the two gatekeepers and even they seemed drowsy under the head of the midsummer night as they fought back their yawns. Could it be a trap to lure them in? Many of the adventurers thought that, but when Vosk and Elena led the way¡­¡­the gatekeepers froze before speaking as they saw the force from the Silva family approach. ¡¸V-Vosk-sama!? And you, you came to the mansion before¡­¡­¡¹ After recognising Vosk, one of the three leaders of Exil, as well as Elena, who had visited the mansion before, the two gatekeepers were taken aback as they lowered their spears. Putting Vosk aside, the fact that they had remembered Elena, who had only visited once before, was probably due to her appearance. In any case, the gatekeepers gently withdrew their weapons back to their initial position before asking nervously¡­¡­having seen the group of nearly 30 people behind Vosk. The other gatekeeper, who had frozen momentarily as well, spoke up. ¡¸Um, Vosk-sama. What business do you have at this time of the night? Besides that, the people behind you seem to be adventurers¡­¡­¡¹ Vosk was at a loss on how to respond to the gatekeeper¡¯s question. Just like the conflict with the Levisor family, he had always thought that when they got close, the other side would come out swinging as well. However, there were only the two gatekeepers at the gate, and even they didn¡¯t seem to understand what was going on between the Marschel and Silva families. There was no doubt that it was a confusing situation. Even so, as expected of the head of the Silva family, Vosk immediately regained his composure as he replied. ¡¸You might not be aware, but the Marschel and Silva families are currently fighting. There was even an attack on the Silva family residence.¡¹ To be precise, it was an attack by members of the Church of Holy Light, but Vosk decided that if he said that now, it would only further confuse the two gatekeepers. So, for now, he placed the blame of the attack on the Marschel family. In fact, as long as the Marschel family remained allied to the Church of Holy Light, it wasn¡¯t really a lie. ¡¸No wait¡­¡­hey, did you know anything about this?¡¹ ¡¸No, not at all.¡¹ The two gatekeepers exchanged words, but they both let out a sigh of relief when they learned that the other knew nothing about the matter. That said, if they had known, they probably wouldn¡¯t have been the only gatekeepers out here, fighting off their drowsiness. The two of them hesitated over what to do as they felt the sweat build up on their foreheads and backs, which wasn¡¯t caused by the summer night heat. Should they stop Vosk and Elena here? First of all, that was impossible. If they had the ability to take on adventurers, they would have been adventurers to begin with, as that would have earned them more money than being a gatekeeper. The two had aimed to become adventurers, but they had lacked the talent for it and given up. In that case, what could they do? One of them would stay behind to hear out what was going on while the other went inside the mansion to let people know. They settled on that course of action. That¡¯s when they suddenly noticed two shadows in front of them. One belonged to a beautiful woman, whose appearance caught their attention at first glance. The other was a man with a rough appearance and a large build. Immediately after, both guards lost consciousness. The cause of their unconsciousness was the same, but there was a huge difference in what they both saw before they were knocked out. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go inside right away.¡¹ ¡¸I agree. Fortunately, as far as I can see from the outside, it doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s been any commotion inside the mansion yet¡­¡­Set, can you sense anything?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Replying to Elena¡¯s question, Set appeared, as if emerging from the darkness, and shook his head. A 2m large Griffon stood out greatly, so Elena had asked Set to hide behind the other adventurers. At first, the other adventurers were confused by her request, but they accepted it as they knew how Set was like. ¡¸That¡¯s Set¡¯s guarantee. ¡­¡­In that case, let¡¯s go. Vosk, can I leave handling the Marschel family¡¯s combat forces to you? I will join the search for Rei.¡¹ ¡¸If we had Set and your strength as well, it would be a lot easy for us.¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Don¡¯t forget about me! Yellow gave a cry from Set¡¯s back. However, Vosk either didn¡¯t notice or ignored Yellow as he nodded at Elena¡¯s words. ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s true that you don¡¯t really have any ties to the Silva family. I understand, do what you want. I have to lead the attack on the Marschel residence as well.¡¹ Telling each other their plans and making sure both sides were fine with it, they exchanged a small nod before splitting up. And, as Elena took a step forward. ¡¸Wait! Take me with you as well!¡¹ A voice rang out from among the adventurers. Both Elena and Vosk knew who¡¯s voice it was without needing to think. Because of that, Vosk immediately decided that they didn¡¯t have the time to question or give a long answer. ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much!¡¹ Essetus gave a deep bow towards Elena, Set, and Yellow. Seeing them off, Vosk led the remaining people as they approached the Marschel family mansion. He didn¡¯t seem to notice the presence of the doll watching him. ¡¸Guru, Gurururu~!¡¹ I can smell Rei from here! Set seemed to say with a cry. Unlike Rei, Elena wasn¡¯t able to fully communicated with Set. However, she was able to understand what Set wanted to say this time. ¡¸I see, so they entered from here. ¡­¡­It looks like you can also enter Set. As expected of the Marschel family¡¯s mansion.¡¹ Because it was a huge mansion, the doors and windows were also equally large. ¡¸Here¡­¡­is it? If there¡¯s still no commotion though, doesn¡¯t that mean Nakuto and the others haven¡¯t found Tivia yet?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I wouldn¡¯t know. It might not look like there¡¯s anything happening inside the mansion, but¡­¡­this is Rei we¡¯re talking about. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to have already taken control of the mansion.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, right. Of course¡­¡­¡¹ Essetus seemed to have realised that Elena was being serious and gave the only response he could muster up. With Essetus like that, Elena entered the mansion from the place Set told her. As a matter of course, Set and Yellow followed after her. Entering the mansion, Set took the lead as he used his skill Sense Enhancement: Smell to trace Rei¡¯s location. It didn¡¯t take them long to find results. Even though there was nothing inside the room next to the place they had entered through, there was a set of stairs leading down to the basement. ¡¸I see. Since Nakuto and Byune are with them, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for them to find a set of hidden stairs.¡¹ Elena nodded at the sight of Set sticking his head down the stairway while giving a cry. Luckily, the stairway was large enough that even Set could manage to get through. Elena didn¡¯t know, but these stairs were set up for the purpose of kidnapping people who stayed over at the Marschel residence. Of course, the person couldn¡¯t be someone publicly staying there, but someone who no one would notice if they went missing. The size of the stairway was naturally necessary to carry them down, in addition to any belonging they might have had with them. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Let¡¯s go! Set seemed to say with a cry. Elena nodded back in response. Elean couldn¡¯t understand Set¡¯s exact intentions, but she could still vaguely tell what Set was trying to communicate. ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ Essetus immediately nodded at Elena¡¯s words. Just like Set and Elena, Essetus¡¯ goal was to rescue Tivia. After handing over the members of the Church of Holy Light to the Silva family, as requested by Rei, he had brought back the strength of the Silva family. Having gone this far, Essetus no longer hesitated. Just like that, the two of them went down the stairs¡­¡­reaching a large room. They had surprised expressions on their faces when they saw the numerous doors lined up against the walls. It was only natural as the doors were all lined up in the direction they had just come from. There were tables and chairs in the corner of the room, but since there didn¡¯t seem to be anything of interest, like documents, they headed straight for the remaining door. ¡¸¡­¡­Tivia, Nakuto¡­¡­¡¹ Elena opened the door while listening to Essetus¡¯ murmurs. However, there was only a single passageway ahead. Many doors were lined up on either side of the passageway with an additional door at the very end. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Seeing that, Set went straight for the door at the end. ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸I know!¡¹ The two of them followed after and reached the door, however¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Seeing the door in front of him, Set gave an irritated cry as he tried to slam his front claws against the door. However, just before he hit the door, the air itself seemed to catch his claws as it deflected his attack. ¡¸Guru!?¡¹ It must have been a very unexpected outcome. Set gave a bewildered cry. Seeing that, Elena and Essetus were also surprised. ¡¸What-!? ¡­¡­Set, move aside. I¡¯ll try.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Even if the passage was wide enough for Set to walk though, it was a bit hard for another person to pass by. Essetus didn¡¯t think he would be able to do anything to the door either, considering Set¡¯s attack hadn¡¯t worked. However¡­¡­Nakuto was probably behind this door and, more importantly, Tivia as well. In Essetus¡¯ mind, he hadn¡¯t considered that his two companions would be behind the many doors along this passageway. He understood Nakuto¡¯s calmness and knew that he would still together with Rei and Vihera and wouldn¡¯t act alone. Or, even if they were in one of the rooms for some reason, they would have come out if they knew they were here. ¡¸UOOOOOH-!¡¹ Raising his spear, Essetus thrust it out with a loud shout. He attacked with all his strength¡­¡­but, just like Set¡¯s attack, he was unable to break through the wall of wind. ¡¸Damn it¡­¡­even though Nakuto and Tivia could be behind this door.¡¹ Essetus whispered in frustration, but Elena gently stretched her hand over his shoulder. ¡¸Switch with me. Prepare yourself to fight after we get through.¡¹ ¡¸Elena¡­¡­¡¹ At Elena¡¯s words, Essetus turned to look at her, as if pleading. He had a straightforward personality and Elena was able to feel his affection and sincerity for his friends. ¡¸Leave it to me. I also have a title you now?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Please.¡¹ Saying that, he quietly stepped back and gave Elena space to move freely. Seeing Essetus move out of the way, Elena pulled her sword whip out from its sheath as she chanelled her magic power into it. Magic power that was impossible for a normal human. Elena, who had inherited the magic stone of an Ancient Dragon, was able to pour a massive amount of magic power into her sword whip. ¡¸HAH-!¡¹ Her sword whip, swung down with fiery spirit, cut through the wind that covered the door as well as the door itself. The moment the door fell to the floor, the room on the other side became clear. Rei was fighting an opponent, Nakuto was lying on the ground, Tivia was also lying on the ground a short distance away, Byune was trying to close the distance to Pree to no avail, and Vihera was being surrounded by small doll-like figures. Elena immeidately saw who was in the most danger and swung her still empowered sword whip out. In an instant, the sword whip flew through the air like a snake attacking its prey, instantly slicing several dolls in half, which had been trying to approach Vihera from behind. ¡¸Elena!¡¹ Hearing Vihera¡¯s voice, Elena entered the room with a small smile on her face. Like that, Elena and Rei¡¯s two groups succeeded in joining back together. CH 515 It wasn¡¯t a surprise for Rei to be the first to react after hearing Vihera call out Elena¡¯s name. He also sensed something slipping out from where Elena was and going straight towards him. It was clear to Rei who it was without even thinking about it. As a result, when Elena suddenly entered the fight¡­¡­Oricule was distracted for a moment and Rei struck with the Death Scythe. ¡¸Kuh-!¡¹ Oricule blocked it with his rapier, but Rei¡¯s attack had taken advantage of an opening he showed and he was knocked 2m back without being able to correct his posture. ¡¸GURURURURURU-!¡¹ Just as the distance between Rei and Oricule opened up, Set swung his claws down. It wasn¡¯t just an ordinary attack as well, it was an attack boosted with Power Crush. ¡¸Gaaah-!¡¹ Oricule still managed to block the attack, using his sword breaker as a shield somehow¡­¡­but, unable to resist its power, he was blown back. Even so, he didn¡¯t suffer any fatal injuries from the attack as he was knocked back, although his sword breaker was shattered. ¡¸Guru~, Gurururu~¡¹ While raising a joyful cry at reuniting with Rei, Set turned a sharp gaze towards Oricule. In front of an angry Griffon, an enemy that no adventurer would ever want to encounter, Oricule let out a wry smile. Rei had hit him hard, but Set¡¯s attack had left him with nothing but the hilt of his sword breaker. ¡¸You got to be joking¡­¡­even after sending that big of a force to attack the Silva family, they¡¯ve managed to deal with them in such a short period of time and get to the basement here in the mansion¡­¡­seriously, completely unexpected.¡¹ While muttering to himself, he still swung his rapier swiftly as sharp wind sounds echoed out. There was still no sign of resignation in his expression. Essetus aside, it was clear he had no chance of winning with the arrival of Elena and Set, who were exceptionally strong. However, even so, it was completely unacceptable for him to be captured by Rei and the others. Rei seemed to realise that. He spoke up while stroking Set, who was glaring at Oricule with sharp eyes. ¡¸Are you not giving up? That¡¯s admirable, but¡­¡­how do you plan to get out of this situation?¡¹ Rei looked around the room while making sure to not to miss any movement Oricule made. Almost all the dolls that had been trying to surround Vihera had been slashed and torn apart by Elena¡¯s sword whip. There were only a few dolls left fighting Vihera, a number that even the currently exhausted Vihera would be able to deal with. Then there was the other battle, where Byune was trying to close the distance to Pree, with dolls trying to get in her way. Even though Byune had woken up from being clouded by hatred, there was nothing she could do about the physical stamina and weapons she had consumed. Due to the difference in numbers stopping her from approaching Pree, Pree would release magic from the gems she created. Although Byune managed to avoid the magic attacks, it was all she could do to keep Pree busy¡­¡­but then, after Elena had confirmed Vihera¡¯s safety, the situation changed completely. Elena¡¯s sword whip in whip form intercepted the dolls that were trying to attack Byune. Any dolls that tried to attack Elena directly would be struck down in a single blow as Elena¡¯s sword whip returned to its sword form. Although the dolls tried to ignore Byune and chase after ELena, using the Shoes of Sleipnir to escape into the air and using wind magic to collect the dolls into one place before cutting them to pieces with he sword whip. As Essetus watched the battle from the sidelines, he let out a sigh of relief before realising that Nakuto was on the floor, unconscious. Right after that, he saw Tivia¡¯s figure in the center of the magic circle drawn on the floor. However, it seemed like she was guarded by some sort of magic, like the one protecting the door to the room. ¡¸The battle is still in a state of balance, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before it swings in our favour. If you could just give up quietly, it would save us a lot of trouble and we could help out Vosk.¡¹ Kuku~, Oricule shook his head with a laugh and a faint smile at Rei, who said that while spinning the Death Scythe in his hand. ¡¸Unfortunately, surrender is not an option for us.¡¹ ¡¸Then, do you want to die in battle? I think it¡¯s already clear that you guys have no chance of winning.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Oricule gave a thin smile and put his left hand, which had been holding his sword breaker, into his pocket¡­¡­before taking out something. It was something like a red gem. Of course, Rei knew what it was. Because he had seen one being used inside the dungeon with his own eyes. It was a gem like object that gave off a black, murky glow. It was nearly twice the size of the one Rei had seen before, but even if he wanted to forget its distinctive appearance, he couldn¡¯t forget it. It was¡­¡­ ¡¸That¡­¡­if I remember correctly, you called it a Chaos Seed¡­¡­¡¹ Oricule¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the words Rei said. ¡¸If you know that name¡­¡­I see, so the three missing people fell into your hands.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I was in the dungeon when they tried to create an abnormal species. They told me the name¡­¡­and a lot of other information as well. For example, about you guys. For example, that you were manipulating the Levisor family while making it look like you were cooperating with them.¡¹ Rei made it sound like he had interrogated the men and obtained that information, but, of course, it was nothing more than a bluff. In reality, the men had killed themselves when they realised they had been incapacitated and were going to be captured. However, from the sound of it, it didn¡¯t seem like Oricule had known how they had died, so Rei tried to get more information from him¡­¡­unfortunately, all he got back was a small smile. ¡¸It¡¯s best not to tell lies that can be easily seen through. It will only lower your own value pointlessly. You might have unrivaled strength in direct combat, but you¡¯re not used to dealing with underhanded trick.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I don¡¯t know about that. Was what I said the truth or lies? We¡¯ll find out after we capture you.¡¹ ¡¸Do you think you can capture me quietly?¡¹ While toying with the Chaos Seed in his left hand, Oricule gave a smile filled with confidence that he wouldn¡¯t be captured. Rei was skeptical at his response, but his eyes widened at Oricule¡¯s next move. That was because he pressed the Chaos Seed in his left hand against his forehead¡­¡­and absorbed it into his body. ¡¸Guh-¡­¡­if possible, I had wanted to do this when the head of the Silva family was here, but¡­¡­¡¹ Oricule let out a painful voice. The blood vessels under his skin pulsated and even Rei, who was far away, could hear a thumping sound. That sound finally brought Rei back to his senses as he shouted out without thinking. ¡¸You¡¯re crazy-! Are you trying to kill yourself!?¡¹ Rei had seen the process of the Cactus Mimic transforming into an abnormal species. It¡¯s size had certainly changed and its appearance had become a lot more vicious, but in the end, the monster had ended up losing its own life. In other words, there was a very high risk of dying in the process of becoming an abnormal species. Using it on himself seemed like nothing but suicide to Rei. (No, in the first placing, the Chaos Seed is used to turn monsters into abnormal species. Does it even work on humans?) Rei thought to himself in confusion. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t have waited for an enemy to get stronger and would have attacked immediately. But, Oricule¡¯s actions had exceeded Rei¡¯s expectations and caused him to miss the golden opportunity. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ ¡¸Ouch-!¡¹ Come on! Set seemed to say as he lightly poked Rei with his beak. Set had poked Rei through the Dragon Robe, so Rei wasn¡¯t injured, but the impact was enough to bring Rei back to his senses. ¡¸Yeah, we should do something¡­¡­let¡¯s go, Set!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURU~!¡¹ Oricule was still in the process of becoming an abnormal species and the transformation had yet to finish. If so, now was the best time to attack. Having made that decision, Rei and Set went left and right and closed the distance to Oricule in a pincer. ¡¸Guh-¡­¡­I see, this is certainly tough. But!¡¹ With Rei and Set¡¯s physical strength, the distance was closed in an instant¡­¡­but in that instant, an enormous amount of magic power came out from Oricule¡¯s body as it blew up into the surroundings. As the Death Scythe and Set¡¯s claw swung down, they were repelled by a torrent of magic power just as they were about to hit Oricule, knocking them back. ¡¸Gah-, damn it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Rei used the shaft of the Death Scythe to keep his balance as he was knocked back while Set landed on the floor on all fours. A few seconds¡­¡­Rei had been at a loss for just a few seconds after seeing Oricule absorb the Chaos Seed, but those few seconds were a decisive loss. After the torrent of magic power was released and calmed down, what remained was something humanoid in figure. It was easy to guess what it was without even thinking, as it was where Oricule had been. However, his appearance had transformed into a strange shape that was incomparable to when Oricule had been human. At a glance, the most obvious change was his height. Oricule had grown from 1.8m to over 2m and his skin colour had turned blue. Was there a change in his shoulder blades or was it due to something else? At any rate, there were two new hand like appendages that extended from both his shoulders. The difference between the new appendages and actual hands was that instead of fingers, there were some sort of sharp, bone like tips that extended out from them. Was it Oricule¡¯s subconscious that changed them into such a form because he used a rapier as a weapon? His hair, that had stretched down his back, had turned into needles at the tips. A red pattern spread across his blue face, as if his blood vessels had turned into tattoos. There was a third eye on his forehead from where he absorbed the Chaos Seed, which moved around to look at the surroundings. Grotesque. If using a Chaos Seed on a monster created an abnormal species, then Oricule¡¯s current form could only be called an abnormal human¡­¡­no, he had changed into a form that could only be described as grotesque. ¡¸Kuh¡­¡­fuu~¡­¡­it looks like it was a success.¡¹ ¡¸You still have your own consciousness, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Although his words sounded strange and the ends of his sentences would sound higher pitched, there was still a light of intelligence in Oricule¡¯s eyes. He hadn¡¯t died in the process of becoming an abnormal species like the Cactus Mimic and his consciousness was still his own. Oricule, had been able to fight Rei in his original body and he was now an abnormal species. How much power did he have? Just imagining it brought a bitter smile to Rei¡¯s mouth. (At the very least, he only has his bare hands¡­¡­wait. Where¡¯s his rapier?) Rei was sure that Oricule had used the Chaos Seed with his left hand while holding Esta Nord¡¯s rapier in his right hand. However, Oricule, who had now become an abnormal species, was bare handed and his rapier was nowhere to be seen. The rapier hadn¡¯t fallen to the floor either. It had just disappeared completely. ¡¸Abnormal species¡­¡­no, it¡¯s not quite right to call my current state an abnormal species.¡¹ Oricule said that as he moved his limbs around, as if getting used to his new 2m tall body, swinging the two new arms that grew from his shoulders and shaking his head with hair that ended with sharp tips. With each movement, Oricule¡¯s intimidating aura spread. ¡¸O-Oricule. What the hell is that¡­¡­what is that?¡¹ Suddenly, a voice echoed out into the surroundings. Until a while ago, Pree had been fiercely fighting against Elena and Byune with the dolls at her side. But now, her face was filled with astonishment as she pointed at the abnormal species¡­¡­no, Oricule, who had turned into an abnormal human. The same was true for Elena and Byune, who unintentionally stopped fighting as they looked at Oricule with shocked expressions. While being stared at by everyone, Oricule shook his head lightly without any particular concern¡­¡­the next moment, his shaking hair suddenly flew out. That¡¯s right, just like Byune¡¯s throwing needles. Nearly 30 of them were shot out. The needles were not aimed at Rei, Elena, Vihera, Byune, Essetus, Nakuto, or Tivia¡­¡­but Pree. CH 516 Oricule¡¯s hair turned into sharp needles that flew straight at Pree. To think that Oricule would throw those needles at her¡­¡­and that he would do it without hesitation, she had never considered that would happen. Pree just stared blankly at the hair needles flying towards her¡­¡­ ¡¸Master-!¡¹ Along with that voice, the dolls around Pree jumped in front of her. The next instant, they were pierced by nearly 30 needles. The difference between these needles and Byune¡¯s needles was their power. Unlike Byune¡¯s needles, which could barely pierce through a single doll, Oricule¡¯s needles, after turning into an abnormal human, didn¡¯t stop there. The needles only stopped after piercing through the bodies of four dolls. ¡¸M-Master¡­¡­are you, okay?¡¹ The doll, which Pree had created and loved with the utmost care and devotion, asked in a broken voice. Pree finally regained her senses as she stretched out her trembling hand towards the doll, which had nearly 10 needles pierced into it. ¡¸Yes, yes. ¡­¡­You all protected me, so I¡¯m safe. You did a good job.¡¹ ¡¸Master is safe¡­¡­that is good. Run away, Master¡­¡­that thing¡­¡­is dang¡­¡­erous.¡¹ With those words, the doll lost its will as its hand, which had been reaching for Pree, fell to the ground. It was a scene as if someone had died. Even though it was twisted in some ways, the doll had possessed its own ego and will. Considering that, it wasn¡¯t that strange to say that the doll had just died. ¡¸Hmm, I see. I don¡¯t quite have full control of my body yet.¡¹ However, as for the person who had just did it, he didn¡¯t seem to care at all as he checked his own physical condition. (¡­¡­Wait.) When Set glanced at Rei, Rei told him not to move with his eyes. Normally, this would be a good time to catch them off guard and attack. However, fortunately, judging from the currently flow of events, it was clear that the relationship between Pree and Oricule wasn¡¯t friendly. (It¡¯s true that they had been trying to use each other from the beginning, but¡­¡­why is Oricule betraying Pree here? It would be better for them to work together to face us first. ¡­¡­Is it the influence of become an abnormal human? The possibility can¡¯t be ignored.) Rei thought to himself, but didn¡¯t take any actions¡­¡­Set, who was stopped by Rei, Elena, and Byune, all started to take some distance from Pree. Vihera, who had dealt with the remaining dolls surrounding her, also watched the situation between Pree and Oricule. In the midst of this precarious balance, Pree, who had completely lost her will, gently lowered the doll to the floor before speaking. ¡¸Oricule, what do you mean? Have you forgotten your position?¡¹ Her voice was filled with more hatred than her eyes, but Oricule didn¡¯t seem to care as he just shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸What is there to be angry about? You care if your toy gets destroyed, but it doesn¡¯t matter if my strength is exhausted? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll kill all of these people, Vosk and the Silva family will also be destroyed.¡¹ ¡¸Quit joking around!¡¹ At Oricule¡¯s words, Pree shouted out with bloodshot eyes. Originally, Pree had ordered Oricule¡­¡­or more precisely, the Church of Holy Light, to not kill Rei and the others. It was to capture them alive. If they were killed, they couldn¡¯t be used as sacrifices. As for Vosk, she had wanted to kill him here, but with the way Oricule was acting now, she wasn¡¯t sure if he could be trusted. Most of all¡­¡­the fact that he had called Pree¡¯s dolls ¡®toys¡¯ was unacceptable. In her anger, she pointed the palm of her hand at the monstrous Oricule as she spoke. ¡ºFire, ice, wind, thunder, stone, appear.¡» At her incantation, all five ring on her right hand were activated. The magic held within was released, a fireball flew out, numerous sharp ice and stone arrows shot out, blades of wind were released, and lightning ran through the air. However, Oricule didn¡¯t make any particular response and just stood there, receiving the attacks. As all the magic struck Oricule, it caused a chaotic explosion. Under the cover of the explosion, Pree poured her magic power into a small gem less than 1cm in size at her chest¡­¡­and muttered an incantation. ¡ºReturn to nothing.¡» With those words, she quickly threw the small gem into the smoke from the explosion that obscured Oricule¡¯s large body¡­¡­and the next moment, the previous explosion was dwarfed by a massive explosion. In a sense, that attack, which exploded all the sacrificed blood, flesh, soul, and magic power used to create the gem, could be considered Pree¡¯s last resort. Pree didn¡¯t care too much for the process of the gem exploding, but for someone who loved gems dearly, she didn¡¯t like this kind of attack that resulted in the loss of the gem itself. However, her own dolls had just been ridiculed and many had been destroyed by Oricule¡¯s act of checking his abilities. ¡­¡­No, killed. This was something unacceptable for Pree. The explosion created from the self destruction of the gem less than 1cm across was so powerful that even Rei and Set, who had kept their distance from Oricule, felt a strong impact. ¡¸Guru-!¡¹ Set immediately stepped in front of Rei to use his body to block the force of the blast. Luckily, the explosion was focused to a specific area, so Set didn¡¯t suffer any injuries. But, even so, the blast was strong enough to move Set¡¯s body several steps, despite him anchoring himself down. ¡¸Rei-, are you okay!?¡¹ After the blast had passed, Elena, Vihera, and Byune, who had held onto Vihera¡¯s hand to stop herself from being blown away due to her small stature, joined up with Rei. Essetus, who was the furthest away, could only do his best to hold down Naktuo, who was still unconscious, so that they wouldn¡¯t be blown away by the blast. ¡¸Y-Yeah. I¡¯m fine. More importantly, Set, are you okay!?¡¹ After replying to Elena, Rei hurriedly called out to Set, who had acted as a shield to block the blast. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ However, as expected of a Griffon, Set just gave a brief cry to say he was fine. ¡¸Guru~, Gururururu~¡¹ As Set gave more cries, he took some distance from where Oricule was, obscured by the smoke. Rei glanced at Pree as they moved. Not to mention Rei and Set, Pree didn¡¯t even seem to care about Byune, who she had been obsessed with until just a little while ago, as she glared into the smoke with hatred. If there was any movement, she would immediately follow up with another attack. In her hand, she was holding multiple gems, similar to the one before that had caused the massive explosion. (It¡¯s true that it would be best to take advantage of this opportunity and seize Pree, but¡­¡­) The thought popped into his mind, but it was also treu that Oricule¡¯s abilities after turning into an abnormal human were unknown. It was best to wait and see. ¡¸¡­¡­Mmm¡­¡­¡¹ Next to Rei, Byune gave a soft murmur as if to suppress her urge to run at Pree. Elena realised that Byune¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t her usual ¡ºMm¡» but she didn¡¯t have any time to ask about that right now. It was best to understand Oricule¡¯s abilities more, even if only a little. Making the same judgement as Rei, she didn¡¯t say anything as she turned her gaze to where Oricule was. ¡¸This¡­¡­what kind of behaviour is this? Weren¡¯t we supposed to be cooperating?¡¹ As the smoke cleared, Oricule appeared without any sign of injury. Using his hands to clear away the dust, he tapped his armour and cloak, that had become as large as his body for some reason when he turned into an abnormal human, as he tilted his head and asked. (Up until now, they should have been cooperating in some way. From what I can see, his overall speech and behaviour doesn¡¯t seem to have changed much from when he was a human, but¡­¡­is that the influence of becoming an abnormal human? If that¡¯s the case, that could be exploited.) When Oricule had been guarding the magic circle where Tivia was, it wasn¡¯t because he had wanted to do it, but because it had been an order from Pree. However, the current Oricule was different. ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around with me! Those dolls that I created with great care are just toys? You will regret what you have said and done!¡¹ Turning her left hand towards Oricule, Pree spoke another incantation. ¡ºThunder Cage.¡» The bracelet on her left wrist, where a large amethyst was seated, was activated, creating a cage of lightning centered on Oricule. Even Vihera had been badly injured by it, so although Rei and the others didn¡¯t think Pree could use it to win the fight¡­¡­there should be some sort of damage. However¡­¡­ ¡¸You think you can do something to me with an attack like this?¡¹ Oricule slashed out with one of his newly grown arms from his shoulder blades. With that, the Thunder Cage was easily destroyed, as if it had never existed. ¡¸Wait, could it be that¡­¡­he¡¯s repelling the magic power itself?¡¹ Vihera voice her thoughts bitterly as she watched the series of events. Because she was a battle maniac, she always searched for formidable opponents, but tone seemed disgusted, as if saying ¡®give me a break¡¯. That wasn¡¯t without reason. If Oricule could repel magic power, that meant that no magic would affect him. That mean Rei¡¯s fire magic, backed by his enormous magic power, as well as the magic Elena specialised in, wind and Dragon language magic, would be completely useless. ¡¸The question is, we¡¯re pretty sure he can repel magic¡­¡­or rather magic power, but we¡¯re not sure if other attacks will work.¡¹ Rei glanced at his Death Scythe, which was the weapon that had been created alongside Set. By channeling magic power into the Death Scythe, it¡¯s quality could be greatly increased, but he wondered if that would even work¡­¡­ (It probably works¡­¡­but that¡¯s just my intuition. Unless I actually try it, I won¡¯t know for sure.) From Rei¡¯s point of view, Oricule¡¯s skin, which had turned blue from his transformation, seemed to be what was repelling magic power. In that case, what about the Death Scythe, which just had magic power flow through it instead emitting any? ¡¸What-!?¡¹ Contrary to Rei and the others, who were investigating Oricule¡¯s abilities with Pree efforts, Pree herself was clearly shocked that her attack had simply been nullified. It wasn¡¯t an unreasonable response. After all, Pree was a mage, not a warrior. If the magic she relied on had no effect, that would mean she had absolutely no way of fighting against Oricule. ¡­¡­No, that was what the situation had been. Certain death with no way out. But that was quickly changed¡­¡­ ¡¸Protect Master!¡¹ Along with that voice, nearly 10 dolls stepped forward in front of Pree. The dolls moved in front of the dead dolls that had protected Pree as they leapt off the ground and ceiling, jumping at Oricule. It wasn¡¯t just those 10 dolls either. One after another, various magic circles appeared in the room, from which dolls came out endlessly. This was the main reason why the dolls¡¯ numbers didn¡¯t decrease no matter how many Byune and Nakuto destroyed. From the fact that this was were Tivia was being sacrificed, this room could be considered the most important room in the Marschel family residence. Naturally, a corresponding defense mechanism had been installed. The summoning of dolls was of those mechanisms. Dolls came out one after another from the magic circles, which were connected to the Marschel residence¡¯s doll storage. It was because Pree was a descendant of the mage who had found Exil¡¯s dungeon that, after applying many years of research by the heads of the Marschel family over successive generations, she was able to replicated the spatial magic used by the the dungeon¡¯s transfer device in the form of summoning magic. But, even so¡­¡­it was completely pointless in the face of absolute power. ¡¸HAHAHAHA, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡¹ The two arms at his shoulder blades swung at the dolls that attacked him one after another. Their sharp tips pierced and destroyed the dolls as it struck them. Even so, the dolls Pree had been making for many years continued to appear as they were destroyed by Oricule. While watching the situation, Rei and the others continued to analyse Oricule¡¯s strength. CH 517 Pree couldn¡¯t comprehend the scene unfolding in front of her. ¡­¡­No, rather, she didn¡¯t want to understand. The dolls that she had created herself. Her beloved children who would never betray her, unlike humans. Those dolls appeared from the magic circles one after another, leaping at Oricule, who had turned into an abnormal human, before being destroyed by the sharp arms that extended from Oricule¡¯s shoulder blades. ¡¸St¡­¡­op¡­¡­¡¹ Her faint voice leaked out. However, no one heard her. One after another, the dolls rushed towards Oricule with weapons at the ready, sacrificing themselves as Oricule continued to destroy them with a mere touch. Pree could do nothing but watch the scene of her dolls being destroyed one after the other. If her opponent had been just a human¡­¡­even if they were an A or S rank adventurer, she might have been able to do something. Regardless of if she had a chance of winning or not, she would have been able to demonstrate the results of her research so far by casting multiple magic attacks with her gems. However¡­¡­after turning into an abnormal human, Oricule had slashed through her Thunder Cage as if it were nothing and was now wiping out her dolls while ignoring all the magic she used. ¡¸¡­¡­This is getting tiring. Is there anything else you can do?¡¹ At Oricule¡¯s provocative words, Pree clenched her teeth as she resisted her despair. When Oricule first transformed in this room, Pree had been confident, as a ruler of Exil. However, after finding out that the basis of her confidence, magic that used gems created from the sacrifice of people, had no effect at all, she was no longer had the same confidence. She was now just a middle-aged woman on the verge of collapsing to the floor. She was still wearing a large number of gems, and considering the amount of money she had spent on them, it wouldn¡¯t be right to treat her like an ordinary person. However, even so¡­¡­after finding out that everything she had was useless, she was nothing more than a narrow-minded, middle-aged woman being protected by her dolls. ¡¸Master, please leave now!¡¹ Another doll appeared from a magic circle and said that to Pree, who showed no signs of movement, before jumping at Oricule with knife in hand. As if it was too troublesome to deal with it, Oricule simply turned his head as his hair, which extended down to his waist, drew a large arc. The sharp needle like tips of his hair pierced the doll countless times, turning it into rags in an instant. Of course, some of the dolls tried to block Oricule¡¯s hair with their weapons. However, they could only wield two weapons at most with their two arms. There was no way they could block the countless attacks against them¡­¡­it was like Oricule¡¯s hair had a will of their own as the dolls were shreded in just a few seconds. It was only a matter of time. ¡¸¡­¡­op it¡­¡­stop it!¡¹ Seeing how the dolls she had created were being destroyed, Pree spoke an incantation. ¡ºLike the Wind.¡» Along with those words, the yellow gem fitted on her right anklet was activated. She only made a light jump. However, that light jump turned into fast movement, as if blessed by the wind itself, and the next moment, Pree was right next to Oricule. ¡ºIce Embrace.¡» The blue gem on her right thumb activated immediately and the area around Oricule was instantly filled with a cold air. ¡¸Futile.¡¹ Oricule had a sadistic smile on his face, seemingly due to the influence of his transformation, as he once again swung the two arms that extended out from his shoulder blades, dispersing the cold air created by the magic as he tried to take a step to stop a doll jumping at him. But, just as he was about to take that step forward, he suddenly realised that his legs wouldn¡¯t move. ¡¸What?¡¹ Still, without panicking, he raised both his arms to block the spear tip swinging towards him, breaking it. The next moment, he grabbed the broken spear tip with his hand and, with a flick of his wrist, threw it back at the doll, piercing it and causing it to bounce along the floor several times before stopping. Having no interest in the fate of the doll he had attacked, Oricule turned to look down and found that his feet frozen to the ground. He tried to move his legs, but couldn¡¯t due to the ice. ¡ºFire, Dance!¡» Touching the gem on her right ear piercing, Pree spoke an incantation. More than 10 fist sized flames appeared at the same time. The flames flew through the air, as if they were dancing, before shooting towards Oricule. ¡¸Child¡¯s play.¡¹ The one of his arms from his shoulder blades swung at them as he spat out those words. When the sharp tips touched the flames, they naturally dispersed. (He couldn¡¯t nullify the ice at his feet. How come? No, wait. Could it be that Oricule himself is intentionally nullifying magic rather than nullifying magic unconditionally?) It seemed that was why the surprise use of ice magic had been so effective. (In the first place, if all magic gets nullified automatically, even healing magic won¡¯t work if he¡¯s injured. I don¡¯t know how much his thoughts have influenced his transformation, but I don¡¯t believe Oricule wouldn¡¯t have considered that beforehand.) Considering that, Rei¡¯s thought continued in that direction. (Besides¡­¡­if magic power is repelled by his blue skin, or the areas that stand out like tattoos, the effect would only be on a surface level. In other words, magic from the inside can¡¯t be stopped, or even if it is affected, the effect will be very weak.) As Rei collected his thoughts, the battle between Oricule and Pree continued to escalate. ¡ºStone, Appear.¡» At Pree¡¯s incantation, sharp stone arrows appeared¡­¡­no, considering their size, they should be called stone spears. Immediately after, the stone spear shot out all at once. Oricule¡¯s second shoulder blade arm extended out to intercept them. The stone spears shattered just by coming in contact with his arm. However, Pree had never considered that such an attack would work. The attacks she used were purely for the purpose of distracting Oricule. In fact, as Oricule¡¯s second arm shattered the stone spears, the fragments scattered out, blocking his vision. In addition, even though Oricule had just been attacked with fire magic, his legs were still frozen to the floor, making it difficult for him to move. ¡¸Now! Everyone, take vengeance for your brothers and sisters!¡¹ Pree shouted out as the fine, sand like, stone fragments blocked Oricule¡¯s vision. Her own magic couldn¡¯t be used to inflict lethal damage on Oricule. That being the case, she could only rely on the dolls she had created Pree¡¯s dolls answered her call. All remaining dolls in storage appeared through the magic circles at the same time as they all attacked Oricule. Wielding swords, spears, mallets, clubs, daggers, battle axes, halberds, and scythes¡­¡­.more than 100 dolls armed with all kinds of weapons imaginable attacked Oricule. The number of dolls present accounted for every doll left, excluding the ones currently deployed by Pree to guard the mansion. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ While watching Pree¡¯s battle, Rei heard the faint sound of teeth clenching. Looking to see where that sound had come from, he saw Byune, who usually had a static expression, frowning unhappily. To Byune, it was unforgivable that Pree, who had killed her parents, was now calling on her dolls to avenge the other dolls. Still, she knew it was folly to run wild out of hatred and decided not to repeat her mistakte¡­¡­no, that was the reason why she couldn¡¯t help but feel angry at Pree¡¯s words and actions. Byune tightly grasped the hilt of the dagger in her hands when a hand was placed on her shoulder. It was a hand that had protected her up until now and, above all, the hand of someone who had been seriously injured due her losing herself in hatred. Just by being aware of that, Byune suppressed the storm of hatred that had been about to blow up again inside her. ¡¸Byune.¡¹ ¡¸Weehera.¡¹ It had been a long time since Byune had spoken, and perhaps she still wasn¡¯t used to it. Her voice was still a little unclear to those around her. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Hearing Byuen speak for the first time, Elena¡¯s eyes went wide. She had felt something earlier and wondered what had happned to Byune in this short period of time. However, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to figure out what had happened. It was obvious when she considered the gaze Byune had directed at Pree, who was currently fighting Oricule alongside her dolls. Pree didn¡¯t notice such a gaze directed towards her¡­¡­or more precisely, she didn¡¯t have time to care, as she focused on fighting Oricule. After all, even if she used her gems to cast magic, which was overwhelmingly faster than using normal magic, it would be immediately repelled as the magic itself was nullified. She continued to fire out magic without slowing down just to block Oricule¡¯s vision and direct his attention towards herself, creating an opportunity for her dolls to attack. That was the only thing that Pree could do against someone that could stop most of her magic. However, even so¡­¡­yes, even with so much effort, the dolls that attacked Oricule were almost all one-sidedly destroyed without being able to inflict any injuries. Before they knew it, Oricule¡¯s frozen legs were freed, and even if they swung their swords, thrust their spears, or slammed their axes into him¡­¡­their attacks were all blocked by Oricule¡¯s shoulder blade arms as their weapons were destroyed. For the dolls that didn¡¯t have any weapons, he simply just took their attacks. It was a fight she stood no chance of winning, but Pree didn¡¯t give up as she continued her assault. But¡­¡­the power Oricule had gained from his transformation wasn¡¯t something that could be stopped just with Pree¡¯s hard work. No, rather, it was impossible matchup as none of the magic Pree used from her gems had any effect. Eventually¡­¡­ ¡¸Is that it? It seems like you have nothing more, you¡¯re finished.¡¹ It was as if he had grown tired of watching a street performer. Muttering to himself, Oricule made a sharp attack with his shoulder blade arms. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Pree let out a sound as if she didn¡¯t understand what had just happened. However, the next moment, she saw her arms¡­¡­her beloved rings on her left and right hands as well as her bracelets fly through the air before landing on the floor and realised what had happened. ¡¸AHHH-AHHHHH¡­¡­AHHHHHHHHHH-!¡¹ A large amount of blood erupted from both her shoulders as Pree fell to the floor, unable to stand. ¡ºMaster!¡» The cries of the dolls echoed out into the surroundings as they immediately stopped their attacks against Oricule and rushed towards Pree, their creator. Towards their master, who couldn¡¯t help but scream due to the excruciating pain. ¡­¡­In this state, Pree had a partial realisation of Oricule¡¯s aim. ¡¸N¡­¡­No! Don¡¯t stop attacking!¡¹ Was it because of her pride as head of the Marschel family, or because of the dolls she had created herself? In any case, Pree told her dolls to continue attacking, but the dolls prioritised Pree¡¯s health over defeating their enemies. ¡¸HAHAHAHAHAHA, die¡­¡­no, break!¡¹ In front of Pree, who continued to bleed profusely from her shoulders, Oricule tore apart the dolls one after another with his new arms¡­¡­as if showing off. The current situation was like a mother having her beloved children killed in front of her eyes. Forgetting the pain of her amputated arms, she cried out in pain. ¡¸Stop¡­¡­please, stop!¡¹ ¡¸Hahahaha. I didn¡¯t expect even a woman like you to understand love. I¡¯m sorry, but if you had belived in the Goddess¡¯ teachings from the beginning, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡¹ With a smile that held neither pity nor ridicule, Oricule¡¯s arm tore off the limbs of a doll reminiscent of a small girl and twisted her necked before tearing its body straight in two. ¡¸AHHHH-AHHHHHHH!¡¹ With all her dolls destroyed, Pree¡¯s blood rushed to her head as she opened her mouth. ¡ºSpear of Light, be¡­¡­¡» ¡¸I can¡¯t let you do that.¡¹ Not letting her finish, Oricule¡¯s new arms and hair instantly slashed through Pree¡¯s body. Her legs were both cut off at the knees while his hair sliced away her necklaces. Only the gems in her hair ornaments weren¡¯t destroyed¡­¡­but that wasn¡¯t out of mercy, but ruthless judgement. The gems in her her hair ornaments had the ability to heal the injuries of the person wearing them. To be exact, it would heal the person to the extent of keeping them alive. Originally, their purpose was to keep someone in a state where they wouldn¡¯t die until healing magic or potions could be used, but¡­¡­Pree couldn¡¯t use healing magic and she didn¡¯t have any potions with her right now. In other words, even with her arms and legs cut off, she couldn¡¯t die. ¡¸You used to boast about the effects of the gems in your hair, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s why I left them.¡¹ After saying that, Oricule kicked Pree¡¯s body, sending her flying, like a child throwing away a toy that they had lost interest in. Almost all her ribs were smashed by Oricule¡¯s kick, and even though her internal organs were injured, she was unable to die, leaving Pree in endless pain. ¡¸Right then, shall we continue?¡¹ CH 518 Byune, who was looking at Pree lying on the ground like rags or garbage¡­¡­was bewildered by the unexpected emotions she was feeling. Pree was the one who had sacrificed her parents to create gems. But now, even if Byune hated Pree, she couldn¡¯t help but feel differently. Seeing all the dolls Pree had created destroyed before her eyes, her arms and legs cut off, her body brutally kicked aside, and yet still unable to die, what could Byune do? She felt helpless pity. Hate and pity could be considered contradictory. But strangely enough, in Byune current state, they matched well together. But regardless, she didn¡¯t have the time to worry about Pree right now. The transformed Oricule before them was a formidable enemy. She had already exhausted her stamina and used up all her throwing needles. The only weapons she had left were the two daggers in her hands. Even so¡­¡­now that she knew those two gems were created from the sacrifice of her parents, she wanted to destroy and release them from such a disgusting object. To do that, she had to defeat Oricule. For her own survival. ¡­¡­And to live to leave this mansion with Vihera and the others. ¡¸Hmm? It looks like you¡¯re all ready. Fortunately, I¡¯ve just gotten used to this body from the fight just now. Let¡¯s enjoy this battle to the fullest.¡¹ ¡¸Enjoy the battle? I thought your purpose was to buy time¡­¡­since when did that change?¡¹ Rei took a step forward in front of Byune as he readied the Death Scythe. ¡¸That is¡­¡­hmm? Come to think of it, that does seem to have been the case.¡¹ Oricule tilted his head in puzzlement. (It was the same at the beginning of his fight with Pree. If Oricule had been the same as when he fought me, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered waiting for the number of enemies to increase and would have worked together with Pree to fight against us. Their fight was pointless. Pointlessly seeking fights¡­¡­is this a side effect of transforming into an abnormal human?) While thinking to himself¡­¡­Rei held the Death Scythe with both hands as he turned to look over at Essetus and Nakuto, a little further away. Nakuto had yet to regain consciousness after being hit by Pree¡¯s lightning magic and was still lying on the floor without any movements. Seeing their situation, Rei motioned to the door they had come through with his eyes. Luckily, Essetus understood what Rei was trying to say and decided that he would only get in the way even if he stayed. After seeing them leave the room, Rei raised his Death Scythe¡­¡­when Oricule spoke up. ¡¸It¡¯s fine to get rid of those who can¡¯t fight, but wouldn¡¯t it be better for that girl to leave as well then?¡¹ Oricule glance at Byune with his three eyes, including the third eye on his forehead. ¡¸¡­¡­So you realised.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸It would have been easy to miss. You don¡¯t think that Essetus will return to the surface, inform Vosk, and then retreat from the Marschel residence without further ado?¡¹ Rei said those words in an attempt to provoke Oricule. However, Oricule just shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡¸In that case, all I have to do is destroy the entirety of Exil, right?¡¹ ¡¸You think you can do that?¡¹ ¡¸Well, what do you think? ¡­¡­Since everyone else is out of the way now, why don¡¯t we get started?¡¹ Oricule swung one of the arms that extended from his shoulder blades at a speed that cut through the air itself. Seeing Oricule¡¯s response, Rei glanced back at the door to confirm that Essetus and Nakuto had left. (I¡¯m a little worried about Tivia, who¡¯s still inside the magic circle¡­¡­in that sense, it¡¯s lucky for us that Pree can¡¯t die.) Anticipating that there was some kind of connection between Pree¡¯s life and the magic circle, Rei checked how she was looking before facing Oricule again. (Even though I¡¯ve fought Oricule already, I still have a lot of strength to spare. The same goes for Elena and Set, who just arrived. Vihera has healed her injuries with potions, but she¡¯s still not in her best state. As far as Byune in concerned, even her weapons are close to its limits.) Overall, Rei¡¯s opinion was that they were at about 70-80% strength compared to when they had teamed up in the dungeon. ¡¸Me, Set, and Vihera will form the vanguard, Elena is the middle guard, Byune will support where she can. Magic has no effect on him. Keep that in mind when attacking.¡¹ Elena nodded at Rei¡¯s words. In the first place, Rei and Elena were the only ones here who could use magic. In terms of talent, Vihera also possessed a large amount of magic power, but she preferred close combat and didn¡¯t like to use magic. Her magic power was used exclusively to create the claws and blades at her hands and feet. However, she barely had any magic power left now. ¡¸Hey, hurry up.¡¹ Ignoring Oricule¡¯s provocation as he gestured with his finger, Rei and the others started their attack. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ First, Rei threw out a flying slash from the Death Scythe. Of course, Oricule knew about this attack. He had already been able to deal with them before becoming an abnormal human, so there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with them now. He waved one of his new arms to block the slash flying towards him. However, if Oricule knew, Rei naturally knew as well. Vihera¡¯s gauntlet, Set¡¯s claws, and Elena¡¯s sword whip shot out from behind, turning into a whip as its tip searched for a gap in Oricule¡¯s actions. ¡¸HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-!¡¹ Oricule move all four of his arms. Vihera¡¯s punch was blocked with a palm while the her subsequent kicks were received by his other arm. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to directly block Set¡¯s attack, he bent his upper body to avoid it instead. His two new arms were used to repel Elena¡¯s sword whip. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ In the middle of such a series of actions, Byune approached while sprinting close to the ground in an extremely low posture as she tried to stab her dagger into Oricule¡¯s heel. Avoiding the dagger as if he had anticipated it, Oricule moved to kick Byune in the face. Byune immediately jumped and landed on Oricule¡¯s foot. ¡­¡­Going with the momentum, or rather, taking advantage of it, Byune opened up some distance from Oricule. ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ A voice echoed in Oricule¡¯s ears as he frowned slightly from having his own strength used against him. Turning to face the voice, he saw Rei approaching with a shield of light floating in mid air as he swung the Death Scythe. ¡¸What!?¡¹ Surprised upon seeing the shield for the first time, he tried to pierce Rei with his new arms from both sides. The shield would probably stop his attacks, but even so, it wouldn¡¯t be able to block an attack from the right and left at the same time. However¡­¡­ ¡¸Wind Hand!¡¹ Oricule¡¯s new right arm was stopped as it came in contact with the shield of light while his new left arm was momentarily stopped by something right before it struck Rei. Wind Hand. The tip of the wind tentacle stretched out from the bottom of the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft as it caught Oricule¡¯s arm for a moment. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Putting aside the fact that the shield of light had blocked one of his attacks, it seemed quite unexpected for him to be blocked by something he didn¡¯t understand. Oricule¡¯s eyes went wide for a moment as he froze. And, in front of an opponent like Oricule, who had transformed into an abnormal human, Rei wasn¡¯t naive enough to let this decisive opportunity slip by. ¡¸Power Slash!¡¹ Activating the Death Scythe¡¯s skill, Rei swung it down. The skill, which increased the destructive power behind the attack rather than the Death Scythe¡¯s sharpness, was swung at Oricule second new arm, which had been caught by the Wind Hand. Dang! Rather than the sound of cutting through flesh, a different sound echoed out as the tip of Oricule¡¯s second arm was knocked away. Seeing that, Rei spun the Death Scythe around with the momentum left from Power Slash as he thrust the shaft of the Death Scythe at Oricule. ¡¸Penetrate!¡¹ Clad in wind, the Death Scythe shot forward, piercing through Oricule¡¯s leather armoured side. ¡¸GUOH!?¡¹ Stopping the blood from spurting out, Oricule took a few steps back before being struck by a follow up attack. ¡¸Pain Burst!¡¹ Rei swung the Death Scythe again while activating a skill that would increase the pain inflicted. Slash-! This was a real slicing attack, different from the Power Slash he had used against Oricule just before. Rei¡¯s attack cut off Oricule¡¯s right arm and sent it flying. ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAH!?¡¹ It was only natural to feel excruciating pain from having his arm cut off, but Pain Burst magnified his sense of pain even further. Although Rei had no idea, level 1 Pain Burst would double the amount of pain felt. Oricule was struck by that level of pain. Rei himself had just used three skills in a row and was force to stop moving momentarily. However, Rei wasn¡¯t the only opponent Oricule was dealing with. Oricule noticed a whip like blade flying towards him as it tore through the air. Elena¡¯s blade wrapped itself around Oricule, stopping his movements. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s do it-!¡¹ As Elena¡¯s shout echoed out, Vihera and Set moved at the same time. Vihera put all her strength into her fist while Set swung his front claws. ¡¸HAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ ¡¸GURURURURURURURURU!¡¹ Vihera¡¯s fist slammed into Oricule¡¯s body while Set¡¯s claws struck his head.d Vihera¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t strong enough to cause significant injuries, but considering that Oricule¡¯s head wasn¡¯t ripped off after taking a direct hit from Set¡¯s claws, boosted by a Griffon¡¯s natural strength, the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, and Set¡¯s Power Crush skill, it was clear how strange Oricule¡¯s current body was after transforming into an abnormal human. Even so, receiving such attacks did not leave him unharmed. Oricule was blasted away with his head bent at an angle it should not have been in. With that momentum, Elena¡¯s sword whip was stretched out, but she poured more magic poured into it as she tried to use the force to slice up Oricule¡¯s body. Oricule was sent flying as he was cut up, bouncing along the floor several times and rolling about 10m before finally coming to a stop. ¡¸¡­¡­Did we do it?¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked over at Oricule, who was lying on the ground without a single twitch. ¡¸He was hit by that many attacks in a row. Thinking about it normally, that should have done it, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Kyu!¡¹ Elena muttered while turning her sword whip back into sword form. Yellow, who had been flying around in the air, landed on Set¡¯s back as he gave a cry in agreement. ¡¸Certainly, if it were an ordinary enemy¡­¡­or even if it was a monster or something like that, I don¡¯t see why our attacks wouldn¡¯t have killed him.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ As Vihera responded, Byune voiced her concern as she check Vihera¡¯s back worriedly. The next moment¡­¡­ Hearing a creaking sound, everyone turned to face the direction of the sound with weapons at the ready. However, the sound didn¡¯t come from the transformed Oricule. Their height wasn¡¯t much different to Oricule¡¯s, but they were a human. The person instinctively readied his claymore, that was as tall as he was. After all, as soon as he had entered the room, everyone had readied their weapons and taken an offensive stance, so it was no surprise. ¡¸¡­¡­Vosk?¡¹ Rei murmured the name of the person who had entered while gently lowering the Death Scythe. At the same time, everyone else also lowered their weapons as they left their offensive stance. ¡¸Why are you alone? What happened to the others?¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯re cleaning up the Marschel residence. We were attacked by some kind of doll like enemy. As we were searching the mansion, we found a set of stairs leading to the basement so we went down. ¡­¡­We met up with Essetus, who said you were in danger, so I came over.¡¹ With a glance, Vosk looked over at the pale-skinned humanoid figure lying at a distance. ¡¸Looks like I didn¡¯t need to worry about it.¡¹ ¡¸No, no. Not really.¡¹ As Vosk spoke with a sigh of relief a voice responded. CH 519 The moment they heard that voice, Rei and the others turned their weapons to face it. The voice came from the back of the room¡­¡­from where Oricule had been sent flying earlier. Except for Vosk, who had never met Oricule directly, there was no doubt as to who the voice belonged to. His left shoulder blade arm and right arm had been cut off by Rei, Elena¡¯s sword whip had slashed his body all over, and Vihera¡¯s fists had made notable dents into the armour covering his body. Set¡¯s attack had also bent Oricule¡¯s head in a direction it should not be in. An ordinary human would definitely have died from those injuries, but Oricule just stood up as if it didn¡¯t matter as he forcibly reset the bones in his neck with his remaining left hand, making a cracking sound. It was a very unexpected sight, but Rei and the others didn¡¯t seem too surprised as they readied their weapons to respond to anything that might happen. However, it was different for Vosk. After all, he hadn¡¯t known anything about Oricule, so he had just thought it was a monster lying there in the distance. Hearing Oricule speak so clearly, Vosk assumed it was a very high ranking monster. Monsters that could speak where that rare. But normally, for low ranking monsters, their speech would be unclear or broken. But, in the case of Oricule, Vosk had no issues hearing what he was saying. If he had heard the details from Essetus before entering the room, he wouldn¡¯t have been so confused, but he had been in a hurry and didn¡¯t have the time to do that. ¡¸Hey, hey, hey, hey, what the hell is that monster? ¡­¡­Is that some kind of abnormal species?¡¹ Still, Vosk was able to half guess the enemy¡¯s true identity due to his excellent intuition. Rei replied to Vosk while keeping his Death Scythe ready and eyes on Oricule, who started walking over to his arms that had been cut off. ¡¸Rather than a monster, he¡¯s a former human. To be exact, he¡¯s the person in charge of the side of Church of Holy Light that handled the abnormal species. His current state could be considered as an abnormal human.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Seriously¡­¡­not just turning monsters into abnormal species, but humans as well? Is that possible?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s only because it¡¯s possible that he exists in his current form. More importantly, he¡¯s pretty strong. Pree, leading her dolls, ended up like that.¡¹ With those words, Rei glanced over at Pree, who had been thrown to a corner of the room like rags. Following Rei¡¯s gaze¡­¡­Vosk realised who it was in the corner. His eyes went wide as he spoke. ¡¸Hey, is that¡­¡­is that really Pree? Her dolls are difficult to deal with, aren¡¯t they? Against them¡­¡­¡¹ When Vosk and the others had entered the Marschel residence, they had been attacked by the dolls. Many of them had been injured by the dolls, who attacked without any murderous intent. In serious cases, some had even lost their eyesight or had fingers cut off. Even so, there had been no deaths because all the adventurers the Silva family had gathered were highly skilled and because most of the dolls inside the Marschel residence had been sent to fight in the basement. ¡¸Uhh-¡­¡­kill¡­¡­kill me¡­¡­¡¹ Such a voice leaked from Pree¡¯s mouth, but Rei and Set were the only ones who heard it and they pretended they didn¡¯t. In the first place, they didn¡¯t have the time to worry about Pree. As everyone watched Oricule, he picked up his two arms that had been cut off¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, you got to be joking.¡¹ Seeing the scene happening before him, Vosk voiced his disbelief. After all, after placing on of his arms that had been cut off against the wound, blue bubbles, similar to the colour of Oricule¡¯s skin, were produced before the arm were reconnected. The same went for Oricule¡¯s second arm as it was just as easily reconnected. While Vosk couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing, Rei and the others remained silent as they just kept their weapons at the ready. Of course, they hadn¡¯t thought that Oricule could recover so easily, but seeing the abilities he had already demonstrated, they didn¡¯t think it was strange for him to be able to do so. (Now then¡­¡­how do we kill him? It hurts to have magic blocked like this. We¡¯ll have to manage without magic somehow¡­¡­) Rei thought to himself as he watched Oricule reconnect his arms and suddenly thought of an idea. (Yes, if magic from the outside is ineffective, then maybe from the inside¡­¡­inside, inside? Come to think of it.) He turned to glance at Pree, who was currently suffering from an extreme amount of pain. Among the gems that Pree had used when fighting Oricule, the ones that had caused a powerful bomb-like explosion passed through Rei¡¯s mind. Of course, he guessed that he would be able to deal significant injuries using an attack that would destroy the body from the inside, like ¡ºDancing Fire Snake¡» , but even so, if there were other more powerful means of attack, it would be best to utilise both. (In that case, someone has to go to Pree and bring back the gems¡­¡­) The problem is who should go. No, there was only one person who could. Rei, Elena, and Vosk still had plenty of strength to spare and would be needed in the fight. Vihera had almost no magic power left, but her physical strength was still fine and could be counted as part of their fighting force. Set wasn¡¯t someone they could leave out either. It would be best if Yellow was able to do it, but Rei felt uneasy about entrusting him with something that put their lives on the line. If Essetus was still in the room, it might have been a different story, but there was no point thinking about it now. In this situation, there was only one person left¡­¡­ Rei turned his gaze towards her. ¡¸Mm?¡¹ She must have noticed his gaze on her. Byune asked if anything was wrong. Vosk was standing right next to her, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. It might have been because Pree was her clear enemy, and more than anything else, thanks to Vihera, Byune also no longer surrendered herself to her hatred. But even so¡­¡­no, that was why Rei hesitated to ask Byune to go over to Pree and bring back the gems. (No, I don¡¯t have the time to hesitate like this¡­¡­do I?) The fact was that Byune only had her daggers left and she also was the weakest among them in terms of raw combat strength. Rei spoke up, despite his faint sense of guilt for asking Byune to do something difficult for her. ¡¸Byune, I¡¯m sorry, but there is something I want you do to do.¡¹ Rei spoke in a low voice as he kept an eye on Oricule, who was moving his reconnected arms to check their current state. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Byune silently prompted Rei to continue. ¡¸In order to kill Oricule, we¡¯ll have to do something about his magic repelling skin. I want to use the gems Pree has in order to make sure.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, Rei! Those gems are¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know!¡¹ Vihera, who had been listening into their conversation, couldn¡¯t help but interject. However, Rei immediately stopped her as he kept talking. ¡¸I¡¯m not saying to use the gems made from sacrificing Byune¡¯s parents. In the first place, doesn¡¯t Pree have other gems? Besides, that detonation ability seems to be Pree¡¯s last option, so there¡¯s a high chance it can be used with any gem.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­True. Well, since she made and wore so many gems, there¡¯s a high chance, but¡­¡­¡¹ Vihera didn¡¯t finish her words.. It was fine to not use the gems made from the sacrifice of Byune parents. But even so¡­¡­the other gems must have been created from the sacrifice of other people. Understanding that, Vihera couldn¡¯t help but feel uncomfortable about it. However¡­¡­Byune reached out for Vihera¡¯s waist. As if to say she was fine and to leave it to her. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. If you say you¡¯re fine, I won¡¯t say anything more.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry.¡¹ Rei gave a brief apology. Vosk, who was listening in nearby, didn¡¯t know the details of what had happened since Rei and the others had reached the room. Still, he understood that it was better for him to not say anything here. ¡¸All we have to do is to hold Oricule down until Byune brings back the gems. Is possible, if we can cut away his limbs like we did earlier to reduce his strength, that would be best.¡¹ Everyone nodded at Rei¡¯s words¡­¡­and Oricule spoke out, as if he had been waiting for them to finish. ¡¸Are you done with your discussion? Even though I was checking how my body was doing, I¡¯ve been waiting a while. I won¡¯t bore you too much.¡¹ Oricule spoke with a grin on his face. It seemed to be the negative influence of the Chaos Seed. Already, he was starting to enjoy combat¡­¡­no, all that was left was the feeling of enjoyment from trampling all opponents that resisted him. (It was probably his last resort and not something that had been fully tested. ¡­¡­Well, it seemed like they were still in the process of experimenting the creation of abnormal species from monsters, so that¡¯s not too surprising.) Rei thought to himself as he readied his Death Scythe. Next to him, Elena held her sword whip in her hand while Set gave a cry, ready to attack at any moment. Vosk stood beside Set with his huge claymore and Vihera looked at Rei for a moment before shaking her head slightly and taking up her position next to Elena. Byune moved to a position a little further away from them. And then¡­¡­the final act of the extended battle began. ¡¸HAAAAaah-!¡¹ Rei was the first to rush in. He dashed forward several steps with his incredible leg strength before moving into a leap. However, his target wasn¡¯t Oricule, but a place several meters to his right. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ It seemed even Oricule hadn¡¯t expected Rei to move to his side rather than attack him. That said, Oricule, before transforming into an abnormal human, might have been able to see through Rei¡¯s intentions. However, while his pure combat ability had increased through his transformation, his calm judgement and analytical abilities seemed to have deteriorated, so Oricule could no longer predict Rei¡¯s actions. Ignoring Oricule¡¯s confusion, Rei activated the Shoes of Sleipnir as he pushed against the air. As if bouncing off a wall of air, Rei activated a skill using the Death Scythe. ¡¸Wind Hand!¡¹ As the skill activated, a tentacle of win extended out from the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft and shifted the tip of Oricule¡¯s second arm upwards, creating a gap. ¡¸Hm?¡¹ Oricule noticed that as he voiced his suspicion, but Rei¡¯s movements didn¡¯t stop there. ¡¸Pain Burst!¡¹ He used the skill that doubled the amount of pain felt again. Upon hearing the name of the skill, Oricule remembered the pain from earlier and retreated on reflex. Thanks to that, the Death Scythe only slashed through his leather armour and into his chest shallowly. Under his leather armour, he had a 40cm slash about 5cm deep through his blue skin, a side effect of his transformation. Even so, looking at Oricule after his transformation, it didn¡¯t seem like a wound he would need to worry about. However¡­¡­ ¡¸GAAAAAAAH!¡¹ Even if the injury itself was small, the pain he felt was still doubled. Just like when his arm had been cut off earlier, the depth of the wound and the pain he felt didn¡¯t match, causing him confusion. ¡¸HAAaaAH-!¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s do it!¡¹ Taking advantage of this opportunity, Vihera swung her gauntlet covered fist. Oricule, naturally, wouldn¡¯t just let her attack and tried to intercept with his second arm¡­¡­ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ At that moment, Set used Evil Eye Impact, sending a small shock to Oricule¡¯s right shoulder and stopping his movements for a moment. But even though his movements were only stopped for a second, it was a fatal gap in this battle. Oricule¡¯s second left arm was sliced away at the base by a powerful blow from Vosk¡¯s claymore. Then, as if chasing the previous attack, a series attacks came slicing through the air, and the next instant, Oricule¡¯s second right arm was cut off as well. Seeing this, Rei turned his attention to Oricule¡¯s second arms and judged that if they left them as they were, Oricule would just reconnect them again. The next moment, Rei stored one of the arms away into the Misty Ring. ¡¸Hah!?¡¹ As Oricule shouted in astonishment, Rei dashed over to where Oricule¡¯s other arm had fallen and stored it into the Misty Ring as well. CH 520 As she watched the fierce battle between Rei and Oricule and the others ahead, Byune hid her movements as much as possible as she moved away. Her goal was to get to the corner of the room where Pree was, who was missing her arms and legs in addition to having her ribs crushed. All in order to obtain the gems Pree had. While she was aware of her goal, a dark feeling still welled up in Byune¡¯s chest. Previously, she had been able to overcome it thanks to Vihera, but even so, to be alone with Pree with no one watching, she couldn¡¯t help the urge to hurt Pree and make her regret all she had done. However, Byune felt that if she did do that, she would become the same type of person as Pree, so she willed herself to suppress her dark thoughts as she reached Pree¡¯s location. ¡¸Kill me¡­¡­kill me¡­¡­please, kill me¡­¡­¡¹ That voice came from Pree, who looked like a piece of trash that had been thrown to the floor. Death from loss of blood due to the amputation of her arms and legs had been avoided due to the effect of the gems she wore, but healing effect itself wasn¡¯t that strong, so Pree was stuck in endless pain from her missing limbs and crushed ribs. She continued to experience that pain without any pause. And all while unable to die. Pree had even thought of biting her tongue to kill herself and had even tried. But, due to the gems she wore, the injury on her tongue healed as soon as she bit it. An endless living hell. That was how Pree looked like right now. In such a state, Pree suddenly noticed someone close by. Unable to get up without her arms, she used her tongue to push against the floor to turn her head to find a girl about 10 years old. Seeing who it was, Byune, Pree gave a sigh of relief. A person who could finally kill her, who had killed Byune¡¯s parents, had appeared. However, Pree¡¯s hopes were quickly crushed. Byune didn¡¯t say anything to Pree as she silently began to search her body. ¡­¡­Or more precisely, to find any gems that Pree might have hidden in her clothes. ¡¸¡­¡­Please, take the gems from my hair as well. Then, I will be free from this suffering.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Ignoring Pree¡¯s begging voice, Byune continue to search her¡­¡­and eventually found what she was looking for. A small cloth bag containing a number of gems. Looking inside, Byune found the orange-red and light blue gems that had been created from the sacrifice of her parents. The two where treated differently, wrapped in some kind of paper, but there were also many other small gems inside the bag, another 10 or so. All of these¡­¡­the necklaces, hairpieces, and earrings that remained as well as the rings, bracelets, and anklets Pree had been wearing when her arms had legs had been cut off. All the gems on them had been created through the sacrifice of many people. Knowing that, Byune couldn¡¯t help but frown. But¡­¡­even so, the only way they could ensure they could deal with Oricule was to use the power of these gems. Because of that, with gems in hand, Byune spoke. ¡¸Gem, explosion, use, teach.¡¹ Compared to when she had spoken Vihera¡¯s name, her pronunciation had improved a lot, but even so, Byune was only barely able to speak by breaking up sentences into individual words. That said, from Pree¡¯s point of view, Byune was someone who could free her from this endless pain. She didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and spoke as she endured the pain. ¡¸E-Explosion? You mean the way I released all the magic power in the gem to make it explode?¡¹ Byune silently nodded as she urged Pree to continue. ¡¸I-If I tell you¡­¡­will you save me from this pain?¡¹ Pree asked while still bearing the excruciating pain. For a moment, she looked at Byune doubtfully, but in the end, she had no choice but to believe that Byune would free her. ¡¸Activating the gems isn¡¯t difficult. All you have to do is to pour magic power into the gem and say the keyword that was set in advance, just like using a magic item. Each gem has a different keyword, but the keyword to explode them is an exception and was given to all the gems. The fleeting destruction of the gems is also a beautiful sight.¡¹ Pree had an enchanted expression on her face as she spoke. Even now, she was suffering from the pain, but when she was talking about gems, she became so absorbed that she even forgot about her pain for a moment. It must have been due to her great attraction to gems. Byune frowned unpleasantly as she urged Pree to keep going. ¡¸Continue, speak.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes. Anyway, if you pour magic power into the gems and say the keyword ¡ºReturn to nothing¡» , it will explode.¡¹ ¡¸Gems, all?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Staring at Pree, who nodded¡­¡­Byune suddenly asked. ¡¸Gem, resurrect, impossible?¡¹ Unable to understand the meaning of Byune¡¯s words, Pree thought for a few seconds. Was she asking if it was possible to bring back those who were sacrificed to create the gems? Realising Byune¡¯s question, Pree shook her head. ¡¸Impossible.¡¹ Just one word. It was short, but it completely destroyed the faint hope Byune had of reuniting with her parents. Byune¡¯s face, which hardly ever showed a change in expression, distorted in sadness as several teardrops ran down her cheeks and fell to the ground. But it was only for a moment. Byune, who glanced back at the fierce battle taking place with Oricule, turned back to face Pree as she stretched out her hand. Pree, unable to resist, stiffened for a moment, but soon realised that Byune¡¯s hand was on her head, or more precisely, on her hairpieces, which were keeping her alive. Giving a small sigh of relief, she gently closed her eyes. (Finally, finally, an end to this pain¡­¡­) However, the severe pain from her amputated limbs didn¡¯t stop. Why? While thinking in her mind, Pree opened her eyes again and saw Byune looking down at her. Even though Byune was only a 10 year old girl, she looked straight at Pree without the slightest hesitation. Shiver. Pree didn¡¯t know what, but she felt a kind of fear that sent shivers down her spine. ¡¸I need, gems, you, I don¡¯t care.¡¹ For a moment, Pree couldn¡¯t understand what Byune had just said, but she soon realised as her eyes went wide. This was what Byune meant. All she needed were the gems, she didn¡¯t care at all for what would happen to Pree. Rather than seeing her as an enemy, Byune saw her as nothing more than a rock or trash lying on the side of the road. For a moment, Pree¡¯s anger made her forget her pain. ¡¸Wai-!¡¹ Just as she was about to curse at Byune, who was standing right in front of her, Byune moved her hands with the deftness of a thief and quickly pulled out the hairpieces in Pree¡¯s hair. At the same time, the gems that had been holding Pree¡¯s body together lost their effect and blood began to flow again from the end of her severed arms and legs. ¡¸GAAAAAAAAH-, ITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTS!¡¹ Even without her limbs, Pree started to roll on the floor in pain as the blood that had stopped flowing began to pour out again, worsening the injuries. Byune just glanced at Pree as if she were looking at a rock or trash, just like earlier, before collecting Pree¡¯s arms and legs and removing the gems from the anklets, bracelets, and rings on them. Pree was still thrashing about, but Byune was already collecting the gems as if she wanted to forget she existed¡­¡­to the very end, Byune did not pay Pree a single glance more as she left. ¡¸AHHH-AHHHHHH-AHHHHHHHHHH!¡¹ Unable to endure the pain, Pree thrashed about on the ground, and eventually, her life faded to no ones care. Here, in the famous labyrinth city of Exil, one of the heads of the three ruling families, the Marschel family, would meet a miserable and pathetic end that would be hard to believe. ¡¸GUOOOOOH!¡¹ Oricule took a serious hit from Vosk¡¯s claymore as he blocked it with his arm. His flesh was cut open to the bone, but his bones didn¡¯t break as he was knocked back. Normally, Oricule would have blocked the attack using one of his second arms. However, no matter how fast his regeneration ability was, it would still take a long time to regrow an arm from nothing. If the severed arm was still around, it would have been easy to reconnect it, but they had all be stored into the Misty Ring by Rei. Of course, if Oricule had the time, he could regrow his new arms, but even so, it was clear that it would take several hours to do so. ¡¸While you¡¯re at it, eat this too!¡¹ Vihera dashed forward with a shout as she buried her gauntlet clad fist into Oricule¡¯s chest. The leather armour that Oricule had originally worn had already been reduced to scraps from the concentrated attacks of Rei, Elena, Set, Vihera, and Vosk. Even if he had transformed into an abnormal human, this was a natural outcome from having to deal with such a force on his own. ¡­¡­But, despite continuing to receive such attacks in a one sided manner, Oricule barely had any scars on him. The reason for this was, as a matter of course, Oricule¡¯s ability to regenerate, which had gained after his transformation. Just like his second pair of arms, if they were kept away, there was nothing he could do about it. However, conversely, injuries such as cuts, fractures, or internal injuries wouldn¡¯t take long to recover. Because of that, even though he continued to be pushed back, the battle maintained a strange sense of balance. However, that balance was only possible due to Oricule¡¯s passive regeneration. In short¡­¡­ ¡¸Gems, I brought them.¡¹ As Oricule fended off Vosk¡¯s claymore and Elena¡¯s sword whip, right after dealing with Set¡¯s attack, Byune went over to Rei, who was waiting for an opportunity to throw a spear he had taken out from the Misty Ring. Byune¡¯s words took Rei by surprise for a moment, but that was besides the point in the moment. Twisting his body and throwing out the spear, which pierced into Oricule¡¯s right shoulder as he evaded Vosk¡¯s claymore, Rei called out to Byune. ¡¸So, how do we use it?¡¹ ¡¸Magic power, pour. Keyword,¡ºReturn to nothing¡», explosion.¡¹ ¡¸I see, can any gem cause an explosion?¡¹ ¡¸Mm. Magic power, needed.¡¹ Byune nodded at Rei¡¯s question. Elena turned her sword whip back into sword form as she swung it down. Oricule immediately pulled the spear out of his right shoulder and used it as a weapon, catching the blade of the sword whip¡­¡­however, the tip of the spear shattered instantly. ¡¸Wha-!?¡¹ Oricule let out a startled cry. Most of Rei¡¯s throwing spears were unfit for normal combat, Oricule had made a mistake because he hadn¡¯t known that. On the other hand, Elena, who had been with Rei for a long time, knew what kind of spears he used for throwing. That was why she continued to swing her sword without care as the spear tip shattered. At the same time, Set also swung his claws out. Vihera and Vosk were stunned momentarily by the series of events, but immediately attacked as well. Seeing that, Rei asked Byune again. ¡¸It needs magic power. So, can you use it Byune?¡¹ ¡¸Probably.¡¹ The reason Byune didn¡¯t say yes was because she didn¡¯t know how much the gems required. Byune was trained as a thief, and while her fighting skills had improved through training with Vihera, due to her age, it was difficult to expand her skills to include magic power, which needed time. Of course, she could use magic items used in daily life and was probably more qualified to use magic power than other adventurers. But, since she hadn¡¯t trained for it specifically, would she be able to detonate a large number of gems? There was no way Byune could confidently say yes. On the other hand, if asked if he could detonate the gems, Rei¡¯s answer would be no. To be exact, it wasn¡¯t a matter of if he was able to detonate the gems, but rather if he had the time to do so as he also needed to destroy Oricule¡¯s body using ¡ºDancing Fire Snake¡». ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ Throwing a second spear from the Misty Ring at Oricule, who was wounded but regenerating quickly, Rei swiftly gathered his thoughts. (If wee need to put the gems inside his body, then it will be necessary to stick around in close quarters. Considering that, Vihera¡­¡­how much magic power as she recovered? Seeing as she hasn¡¯t brought her claws and blades back, I wonder if she¡¯s preserving her magic power or still recovering.) Vihera slipped in close to Oricule¡¯s chest as she crushed his ribs with her elbow. Behind her, ELena was controlling her sword whip in whip form. (In terms of magic power, Elena has a lot more to spare¡­¡­but since she uses a sword, Vihera is better at close quarters combat.) The reason why Vosk wasn¡¯t included in the list of possible people was because Rei judged him to be inferior to Vihera and Elena in terms of pure combat skill. ¡¸Byune, who do you think is better suited to detonating the gems, Vihera or Elena?¡¹ ¡¸Vihera.¡¹ An immediate answer. Was it an answer simply based on the length of their relationship? In any case, Rei decided it would be best to leave it to Vihera as he closed the distance to Oricule with the Death Scythe. ¡¸Vihera, step back! Go to Byune!¡¹ Rei shouted out as he passed by her. CH 521 ¡¸Oh? It¡¯s Rei this time instead of her?¡¹ Oricule spoke as he jumped back to avoid the blade of the Death Scythe as it swung in. Ignoring him, Rei flicked his wrist and shouted out, using it as some sort of response. ¡¸Flying Slash-!¡¹ A flying slash flew out from the blade of the Death Scythe. Oricule ducked down to avoid the attack, as if he had seen it coming. However, Vosk used the opportunity to close the distance as he swung his claymore. ¡¸This is it!¡¹ From his crouch, Oricule tried to dodge the attack by jumping away with his explosive strength. ¡¸Guru-!¡¹ ¡¸Nuoh, that again!¡¹ A blow from Evil Eye Impact. Its power was already weak if it hit an ordinary human, hardly capable of causing any injuries. To Oricule, with his regenerative ability, it was a completely meaningless attack, incapable of hurting him. However, it did have the great effect of hindering his actions. His movements stopped for a moment as Vosk¡¯s claymore came down on his head. Oricule manage to twist his body around enough to avoid a fatal blow, but the strike still cut deeply into his left shoulder. The reason why the 2m tall Vosk was unable to cut off Oricule¡¯s left arm completely seemed to be due to Oricule¡¯s blue skin, which greatly increased his defensive power. But¡­¡­ ¡¸Get back, Rei, Vosk!¡¹ Along with those words, Elena¡¯s sword whip changed into whip form as it flew through the air. Her sword whip was boosted with magic power as the tip went into the wound Vosk¡¯s claymore had caused. ¡¸HAAAAAAH-!¡¹ As she swung her sword whip upwards, the blades followed her motion. ¡­¡­The next moment, Oricule¡¯s left arm was separated from his shoulder as it went flying. ¡¸Rei-!¡¹ Elena shouted to Rei. Instantly understanding Elena¡¯s intention, Rei shouted at Set, who was in the direction Oricule¡¯s arm was flying towards. ¡¸Set, bring the arm over here!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set gave a sharp cry at Rei¡¯s words and grabbed the arm with his beak before moving to Rei¡¯s side with agile cat-like movements. Receiving the arm from Set, Rei quickly stored it into the Misty Ring, making it impossible for Oricule to reconnect it instantly, just like his second pair of arms. ¡¸Gigigi, how petty.¡¹ Oricule muttered in disgust while holding his left shoulder. The wound rapidly bubbled before disappearing completely. Even though he glared at Rei and the others with hatred, Oricule never showed any intention to escape from this place. Due to the influence of his transformation, his personality had become extremely belligerent and he no longer had the ability to calmly think of withdrawing. Glaring at his attackers with eyes that seemed to have lost some intelligence, Oricule dashed forward as he swung his right arm. The target of his fist was Vosk. Excluding Set, Vosk was the next biggest, making him and easier target. ¡¸Don¡¯t joke around with me!¡¹ Vosk must have though Oricule targeted him because he thought Vosk was the easiest one to deal with¡­¡­ ¡¸UOOOOH-!¡¹ With the momentum behind Oricule¡¯s fist, Vosk was knocked back along with his claymore, which he had used as a shield. Considering the wait of the claymore, Vosk¡¯s own weight, and the weight of the armour he was wearing, his total weight must have been over 200kg. Oricule took a step forward to pursue Vosk, but was intercepted by Set as Elena¡¯s sword whip also approached. ¡¸Oh, there are just too many of you!¡¹ With his remaining right hand, Oricule tried to grab the tip of Elena¡¯s sword whip¡­¡­or rather, the whip portion of the sword whip. ¡¸Naive!¡¹ However, Elena saw through his intentions and flicked her wrist as she continued to pour magic power into her weapon. The next moment, the tip of her sword whip wrapped around Oricule¡¯s right hand and sent it flying. ¡¸Set!¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ When Rei saw the hand flying towards Set, he shouted out. Set gave a cry to indicate he understood and grabbed the hand with his beak before rushing over to Rei and flicked his tail at Oricule, who tried to lunge over and retrieve his hand. Oricule¡¯s actions were precisely because he knew what Rei and Set were aiming for¡­¡­but unfortunately, it could only be called a reckless reaction. ¡¸GAAAAAH! Give me back my hand!¡¹ Oricule was knocked to the ground by Set¡¯s tail but immediately got back up to keep chasing after rolling on the ground, brushing off his injuries, which were still healing. However, Elena stood in his way. ¡¸Did you think I¡¯d let you go? Vosk, how long do you plan to laze around!¡¹ ¡¸I know!¡¹ Vosk had been knocked back along with his claymore, but he hadn¡¯t taken any significant injuries as he moved with Elena to pincer Oricule. Even Oricule understood now that it would be fatal to make any careless moves in this situation as he glared sharply at the two people in front of him and behind him with his three eyes. Seeing that, Rei received Oricule¡¯s hand from Set before storing it into the Misty Ring. (If we cut off all his limbs and store them into the Misty Ring¡­¡­no, that¡¯s no good. As long as his body is still alive, I can¡¯t store it into the Misty Ring. Given time, he will also eventually recover¡­¡­eventually. Is there no choice but to blow him apart in one go so he can¡¯t regenerate at all?) As Rei thought to himself, he noticed footsteps approaching. Looking over, he saw Vihera. In her hands, she was holding the pouch of gems that Byune had taken from Pree. There seemed to be more gems in the pouch than before, probably due to the addition of the gems froim Pree¡¯s rings bracelets, anklets, and hair accessories. However, Rei¡¯s gaze was drawn towards the two gems in her hand that wasn¡¯t holding the pouch. Rei spoke after seeing th orange red and light blue gems. ¡¸Are you sure?¡¹ Vihera knew what Rei wanted to say without him needing to say anymore. Vihera glanced at Byune, who was watching them from a distance. They nodded at each other slightly when their gazes met. Turning back to Rei, Vihera spoke. ¡¸Yes. She wants to destroy these gems and release them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ A 10 year old girl deciding to destroy the gems her parents had been sacrficed to create. He could only imagine the willpower required to make that decision as Rei closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes again as he made up his mind. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s do it then. First, use Set and Vosk¡¯s attacks to move Oricule away from there.¡¹ In his line of sight, Oricule was currently fighting the others. The reason for moving him away from their current location was because Oricule was currently close to the center of the room. In other words, he wasn¡¯t that far from Tivia, who was still stuck in the center of a magic circle. Of course, considering the size of the room, there was still a distance of 10m or so, but even so, if they were going to detonate the gems, it would be best to keep him as far away as possible. Currently, Tivia was protected by some sort of barrier projected by the magic circle, but if asked whether it would survive the combined effect of the detonation of gems and Rei¡¯s magic as they tore apart Oricule¡¯s body from the inside¡­¡­Rei wasn¡¯t optimistic about it. Vihera nodded in understanding. ¡¸Let¡¯s do it. For our own survival. ¡­¡­And to free Byune¡¯s parents from these gems.¡¹ Just because someone had been sacrificed to create a gem didn¡¯t mean that the gem contained the will of the person sacrificed. After all, everything that made up the person had to be sacrificed to create it. Still¡­¡­for Byune and Vihera, the destruction of the gems mean the release of those sacrificed. Looking at each other, Rei and Vihera both nodded. Then, Rei shouted towards Set. ¡¸Set! Knocking him back and move him!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~? GURURURURURURU~!¡¹ For a moment, Set was confused by Rei¡¯s shout, but he still held a great amount of trust towards Rei. Giving a cry in response, he swung his claws out immediately. Set also activated his skill Power Crush. Orciule managed to dodge Set¡¯s claws that swung in from the side. But, as if to restrict his movements, the tip of Elena¡¯s sword whip passed right in front of him, stopping him for a moment. The original Oricule would have been able to deal with something like this. However, the transformed Oricule was unable to make the calm judgement required¡­¡­ ¡¸GUAAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ Not missing the opportunity, Set swung his front claws again. Like a pebble thrown by a child, Oricule bounced off the floor several times as he was blown away. maybe if he still had both his hands, he might have been able to slow himself down, but his hand, arm, and both his extra arms were now inside Rei¡¯s Misty Ring. He tried to regain his balanced using his legs and right arm, which was missing a hand, but he continued to be knocked back by Rei and Vihera. The moment he raised his face, Rei struck him from under the chin with the Death Scythe like a sledgehammer, send him straight into the air. Even though Rei¡¯s attack had broken his neck and jaw bones, his regeneration ability quickly healed him. However, even though his injuries had healed, he was still floating several meters in the air and was unable to do anything as he started to fall back down¡­¡­ ¡¸HAAAAAAH-!¡¹ Vihera sent out a flurry of kicks. Five kicks shot out in an instant, crushing Oricule¡¯s ribs and sending him flying again. At the same time, a few drops of Oricule¡¯s blood splattered onto Vihera¡¯s white, sensual thighs, making her give off a strangely alluring impression. However, there was no way Oricule could pay any attention to that as Vihera¡¯s kicks sent him into a corner of the wall. As he hit the wall, it sound more like a piece of meat smacking a solid object rather than a person. The impact against the wall shattered all the bones in Oricule¡¯s body, along with his spine. ¡¸Rei!¡¹ What was the intent of that shout? Rei knew, but had no time to respond as he started his incantation. ¡ºFire, you are a serpent. Thus, burn the enemy as you wish.¡» Along with his words, flames started to appear along the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft. His magic used an enourmous amount of magic power to create compressed flames, immediately raising the surrounding temperature by 10 degrees. Holding the flame wrapped Death Scythe in one hand, Rei charged towards Oricule, who was stuck beside the wall. Vihera ran alongside him with gems in hand. From the perspective of Rei and Vihera, their distance to Oricule was basically nothing. The next moment, Rei thrust the Death Scythe into Oricule¡¯s stomach with all his strength. With Rei¡¯s strength, the sharp tip pierced Oricule¡¯s blue skin. After making sure the Death Scythe had gone in, Rei activated his magic. ¡ºDancing Fire Snake!¡» The fire snake that was created inside Oricule¡¯s body slowly pushed its way towards his head. Normally, it would quickly reach its target¡¯s head, but it was moving a lot slower because of the amount of magic power Rei had put into it and to ensure that Oricule would definitely die. ¡¸G-GAAAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ Oricule cried out at the excruciating pain as his body burned away and he tried to kick Rei away on reflex. But¡­¡­ ¡¸I won¡¯t let you do that!¡¹ Vihera slipped in from next to Rei and parried Oricule¡¯s kick with her gauntlets while holding onto the gems and speaking the keyword. ¡ºReturn to Nothing.¡» Stuffing the gems into Oricule¡¯s mouth, as he screamed in intense pain, Vihera then punched his throat, forcing him to swallow the gems. ¡¸Vihera!¡¹ Rei instantly hugged Vihera and pulled her away from Oricule and, the next moment, a powerful explosion was felt before it was even heard. Rei could feel the impact through the Dragon Robe as he was blown away while holding on to Vihera. CH 522 Despite the powerful explosion, the huge basement under the Marschel residence remained intact. This was likely due to the fact that the gems explosion radius was designed to be focused on a smaller area. Rei had only chosen to detonate the gems because he had seen Pree to it. If the range of the explosion had not been preset and instead had no limit, it wouldn¡¯t have just obliterated the room where Rei and the others were, but also the Marschel residence¡­¡­or potentially the entire western district of Exil, where the Marschel residence was located. ¡­¡­The explosion might even have annihilated more than half of Exil, if not worse An explosion of that magnitude occurred within the restricted range of Oricule¡¯s body¡­¡­ Although the basement itself was intact, the inside was totally wrecked as everyone was forced to endure the explosion as best they could. In the midst of all this¡­¡­ ¡¸Mm¡­¡­¡¹ Rei, who had fallen unconscious, felt something soft moving in his arms and hugged it on reflex. ¡¸Ahn~¡¹ Then he heard a seductive voice. The moment he heard that, Rei¡¯s consciousness rapidly recovered. When Rei opened his eyes, the first thing that entered his eyes was something white. At the same time, it gave off the scent of a mature woman. His hands sunk into something smooth and soft. The things he saw, smelled, and touched. The moment Rei realised what he was hugging, he immediately looked behind him, remembering the events that had occurred before he passed out. There was nothing there. ¡­¡­Yes, Oricule¡¯s corpse wasn¡¯t there, not a part of his body or a scrap of his leather armour remained, everything had been obliterated from their attack. Not even a single piece of Oricule¡¯s blue skin, which could nullify magic, was left. Gone, everything was gone. Any proof that the transformed Oricule had every existed was gone. ¡¸¡­¡­We won, huh?¡¹ The voice he heard was from Vihera, who was in his arms. Rei had used his magic alongside the detonation of the gems to destroy Oricule¡¯s body from the inside. In order to protect himself and Vihera from the impact, he remembered hugging Vihera and absorbing the impact with his Dragon Robe as he nodded slightly. ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­He was annoying to deal with, with his ability to nullify magic. But I guess he couldn¡¯t do anything about an attack from the inside of his body.¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. I¡¯d have liked to fight him properly if I were in perfect condition, but¡­¡­¡¹ Speaking that far, Vihera, whose cheeks were blushing slightly, continued embarrassedly. ¡¸Hey, Rei. By the way¡­¡­uh, I think it¡¯s time you let go of me?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Hearing Vihera¡¯s embarrassed voice, Rei finally realised his current situation. His current situation was that he was hugging Vihera, who was taller than him, from behind. Above all, he could feel something big and soft in his right hand. It was clear what he was grabbing when he saw Vihera¡¯s white back in front of him. They were larger than his hands, a large bulge comparable to Elena or Marina, the Dark Elf who worked as Gilm¡¯s guild master, who had the biggest ones Rei had seen so far. He was grabbing the right of Vihera¡¯s twin hills as if it were all he could do. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m very sorry.¡¹ Rei hurriedly let go, but even then, a soft feeling remained in his palm. At the same time, an embarrassed voice leaked out from Vihera. ¡¸Ahh~, hey Rei. No matter how much you want to do that here¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t say anything so misleading.¡¹ Hearing those words, Rei let go of Vihera entirely and replied hurriedly as his cheeks also blushed¡­¡­more so than Vihera¡¯s. ¡¸Oh? Do you mind if I ask what the misunderstanding is?¡¹ A familiar voice from behind Rei made him tense up. Turning to look behind him with a creaking sound, he saw the figure of Elena smiling at him. However, her smile was very cold as she held her sword whip in her hand. Beside Elena, Vosk seemed to be doing his best to hold back his laughter while Byune just stared at him expressionlessly. Set and Yellow, who landed on Set¡¯s back after judging the battle was over, both just tilted their heads. ¡¸Kukuku~. You lot, you¡¯ve just finished a fight to the death and are already spreading this sweet and sour atmosphere.¡¹ Rei stood up in a panic and looked around as Vosk stifled his laughter. ¡¸Everyone is safe¡­¡­right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s as you can see. Speaking of injuries, the only injury seems to have been Vihera after what you did to her.¡¹ ¡¸Wait. Aren¡¯t those the wrong words to use?¡¹ Rei replied to Elena¡¯s murmurs without thinking. However, Elena replied without any change in her expression. ¡¸Is that so? I think that messing around with someone¡¯s body without her permission should be called sexual assault.¡¹ ¡¸I said to wait a moment.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, you should wait. In general, that¡¯s only the case if the other person dislikes them, no? In that case, there¡¯s no problem at all.¡¹ Vihera said that to Elena in a provocative way, even as her cheeks turned red. Elena twitched at Vihera¡¯s words as she redirected her freezing gaze from Vihera to Rei. ¡¸Is that so? I¡¯d really like to hear more. It should be necessary to clarify each other¡¯s relationships.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it should be done properly¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait. What are you two doing here?¡¹ Seeing Elena ready her sword whip and Vihera her gauntlets, Rei, who had finally recollected himself, hurried spoke up. Vosk looked around while laughing at the three of them before suddenly noticing something. Something in the middle of the room. Until earlier, Tivia had been trapped inside a barrier of sorts that was created by the magic circle was in. But now, it seemed like the barrier wasn¡¯t there anymore. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey.¡¹ Vosk called out to Elena and Vihera, who were about to start fighting, and Rei, who was trying to stop them, but the three didn¡¯t seem to be listening as they continued to kick up a fuss. Letting out a sigh, Vosk started walking over to Tivia, who was lying in the center of the magic circle. Since Sonic Blades were now an adventurer party that belonged to the Silva family, Tivia was someone who was also under his care. However, he then suddenly stopped. He stopped because Byune had come over to him. ¡º¡­¡­¡» For a few seconds the two of them stared silently at each other. Vosk and Byune had had the opportunity to meet several times before, but there current gazes were completely different from before. Byune¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed much, but the light in her eyes seemed to have softened. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Vosk asked bluntly, but Byune didn¡¯t say anything and just nodded. ¡¸¡­¡­Tch, do what you want.¡¹ After hesitating for a few seconds, Vosk continued heading over to Tivia after saying those words. Byune followed in silence. As they continued walking, Vosk suddenly spoke again. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸Mm?¡¹ Byune involuntarily lifted her head at Vosk¡¯s sudden apology. Vosk continued speaking as he matched his pace to Byunes. ¡¸I know it¡¯s too late to say this now, but I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t protect your mother and father and I¡¯m sorry for all you¡¯ve had to go through.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ What are you talking about? Byune looked at Vosk with such an expression. There was no longer any negative feelings towards Vosk in her eyes. Originally, Byune¡¯s negative feelings towards Vosk and Schaffner stemmed from her belief that one of the three families was responsible for the deaths of her parents. Since it turned out that Pree was the culprit, Byune naturally no longer felt antagonistic towards the other two families. But¡­¡­Vosk still apologised as he walked. ¡¸Right now¡­¡­even though I act like this, when I was younger, I was pretty reckless.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Byune¡¯s gaze told him she thought he was still reckless, but Vosk didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡¸So, one of those reckless things I did was to enter the dungeon solo. As a matter of course, I activated a trap and was hit by a poisoned arrow.¡¹ A bitter, self depreciating smile appeared on Vosk¡¯s face. ¡¸What¡¯s more, those poisoned arrows contained a sort of paralysis poison, and on top of that, there were monsters in the area targeting me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Really reckless, Byune seemed to say in her brief reply. Vosk glanced at her from the side before shrugging his shoulders and continuing. ¡¸Well, it goes without saying. Your parents passed by and helped me out. In other words, I am indebted to your parents for saving my life. But in the end, I couldn¡¯t repay the help they gave me.¡¹ Speaking that far, Vosk let out a small, regretful sigh. ¡¸To protect you and your family and repay the favour, I tried to do something about the debt you had incurred. But¡­¡­that merchant who had made you borrow money had a lot of shady rumors surrounding them and was supported by the Marschel family. It was like a shield that protected them. In the end, I couldn¡¯t do anything up until now. Moreover, it seemed that you were wary of me.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune averted her eyes slightly at Vosk¡¯s joking words. After all, since she hadn¡¯t known who the enemy of her parents had been, she hadn¡¯t been able to trust the man currently walking next to her. ¡¸Well, as long as you¡¯re safe, that¡¯s all that matters. You don¡¯t need to worry about it. As I said before¡­¡­the debt you owed that merchant was a nasty one. Perhaps the Marschels had a hand in it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Responding silently to Vosk¡¯s words, the two eventually reached the magic circle. There, as Vosk had seen, the barrier had disappeared and Tivia, still missing her arm, was still unconscious. ¡¸She¡¯s breathing well and has a pulse. It looks like she¡¯s fine.¡¹ Vosk gave an involuntary sigh of relief. He did want to help Essetus and Nakuto, who had been relying on him. For Vosk, the fact that Tivia was safe was the best result. Putting his claymore on his back, Vosk picked up Tivia in a carry and looked over at Elena and Vihera, who were still glaring at each other with grim expressions, before looking back at Byune. ¡¸I don¡¯t think we should head back there.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Even Byune didn¡¯t want to get involved in that quarrel and nodded back at Vosk as they headed for the door they had come in through. ¡º¡­¡­¡» The two of them didn¡¯t say anything in particular as they walked. Even so, the atmosphere between them wasn¡¯t bad. As they approached the door, Vosk broke the silence. ¡¸Byune, you¡­¡­what do you plan to do now?¡¹ ¡¸Mm?¡¹ What? Seeing Byune tilt her head as if to ask, Vosk looked at Tivia¡­¡­who he was carrying it what was commonly called a princess carry, as he thought of what to say. ¡¸As you can tell, this incident will be quite fatal for the Marschel family in various ways. The case of the abnormal species, kidnapping adventurers and sacrificing them, and above all, working with the Church of Holy Light, who were doing dirty work behind the scenes. Any one of these things would have been enough to do in a family head, but for all of them to have happened at the same time¡­¡­that¡¯s.¡¹ Vosk was already certain of the the downfall of the Marschel family. No, in fact, the downfall of the family was a good thing. The three big incidents they had been involved in was too big a sin. (Besides¡­¡­even though their family had already fallen, killing the former head of the Fraut family and his wife is an even bigger incident. With that in mind, it will be my Silva family and the Levisor family, which is almost a puppet at this point, who will run Exil. No matter how I look at it, this will be troublesome. However, Vosk didn¡¯t have the option of giving up his rule of Exil. After all, this labyrinth city was Vosk¡¯s beloved hometown. ¡¸Mm¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Vosk¡¯s words, Byune also tilted her head with some concern. If she carried on, she would be able to protect the mansion which held the memories of her parents. But, what would she do after completing that task? Thinking about it, Byune couldn¡¯t come up with an answer. ¡¸Well, things for later can be dealt with later. If you talk to Sanctions, you might learn some good wisdom. ¡­¡­Even so, it really is peaceful¡­¡­¡¹ Byune looked back at Vosk¡¯s words, which made it seem like he hadn¡¯t been fighting to the death just a little while ago. In her eyes, she could see Elena and Vihera about to throw down with their respective weapons while Rei, who was nearby, seemed to have given up and was trying to escape from reality as stroked Set. CH 523 ¡ºTivia!¡» The moment Vosk left the room while carrying Tivia, who was still unconscious, along with Byune, who was still walking with him for some reason, two people raised their voices. Luckily, Nakuto had already recovered from the numbness caused by Pree¡¯s lightning magic and, while it was still a bit hard for him to move around, he stood up before walking over to Vosk. ¡¸Vosk-sama, um¡­¡­is Tivia okay?¡¹ Vosk nodded at Essetus, who was looking at Tivia as he asked, leaving his spear rolling on the ground. ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸But, that is¡­¡­I heard all kinda of horrifying sounds from inside that room.¡¹ From the perspective of Essetus and Nakuto, who had been waiting outside the room, they could only hear the sounds of battle as Oricule rampaged around. Vosk spoke as he handed Tivia over to Essetus. ¡¸It blessing amidst all the misfortune that there was some sort of magic barrier surrounding the magic circle.¡¹ Hearing those words, Essetus let out a sigh of relief as he looked over Tivia to see if she had any injuries. If he had know that the magic barrier had been put in place to prevent the person being sacrificed from escaping, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been as relieved. ¡¸The fact that she didn¡¯t wake up even with all that commotion means that some sort of drug or magic was used. The Silva family doctor can check on her later, so take her back to the residence for now and let her rest. I¡¯ve already told Sanctions in advance.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you very much for everything.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much!¡¹ Nakuto gave a deep bow, as did Essetus, as he carried Tivia. ¡¸Heh, I won¡¯t abandon my people¡­¡­the ones I care about. ¡­¡­Never.¡¹ He glanced over at Byune, who was watching from his side. Byune¡¯s parents had saved his life and he admired them greatly. In addition, although it was something that Vosk never spoke about, Byune¡¯s mother had also been his first love. Not being able to save the two of them had left a deep scar inside Vosk. Enough to make him vow to never abandon his own people. ¡¸Vosk?¡¹ Nakuto asked Vosk puzzledly. However, Vosk just shook his head and erased all unnecessary thoughts from his head before speaking. ¡¸Anyhow, everything is fine here, so go back to the Silva residence. Oh, just in case, take some of the adventurers here with you as escorts.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much! ¡­¡­O-Oh.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, be careful there. ¡­¡­THat would be a great help, but what do Vosk-sama at the others plan to do?¡¹ Essetus almost dropped Tivia as he bowed his head vigorously and Nakuto told him to be careful before asking Vosk. Vosk replied to the two with a slight smile on his face. ¡¸First of all, we need to investigate the residence. We might find evidence about the abnormal species or related matters and, above all, we need to do something about the member of the Church of Holy Light who are still unconscious.¡¹ The members of the Church of Holy Light who had sneaked into the Silva residence had killed themselves after they were captured, despite having their limbs bound and mouths gagged. (However, at the time, their goal was to distract us, so it¡¯s possible they were able to blow themselves up specifically for that purpose. In that case, the unconscious people here probably can¡¯t do the same thing¡­¡­no, it¡¯s too early to conclude that. Considering they were trying to stall out Rei and the others¡­¡­) Vosk pondered the possibility in his mind for a moment before quickly dismissing the idea. After all, even though many people from the Church of Holy Light had been incapacitated or killed, none of them had attempted to blow themselves up. As Vosk thought about that, it seemed Essetus and Nakuto decided that they would only get in the way if they stayed any longer and bowed their heads again before leaving with Tivia. ¡¸When you go upstairs, tell them to send some people down here as well. We need to examine the rooms behind the doors in this passage and we also need to do something about the unconscious people.¡¹ ¡¸We understand.¡¹ As Vosk saw them off, he turned to look back at the room where the magic circle had been. The troubled look on his face wasn¡¯t imaginary. A little earlier, he had been enjoying the quarrel taking place. But now, even though there was no bloodshed, he could feel strong anger emanating from the room. The tension had been hard enough when he was talking with Byune, let alone going back into that room. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Looking at Vosk for a moment, Byune eventually grasped his large hand. ¡¸Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ In response to Vosk¡¯s question, Byune nodded before pulling him back into the room while holding his hand. It was as if she was saying, it¡¯s fine because I¡¯m here. Vosk was pulled inside and over to where Elena and Vihera were, as they continued to give off an aura of fighting spirit. ¡¸Hey, you know¡­¡­the fight is already over, so what are you doing starting another one?¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that, it¡¯s impossible to stop these two.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Vosk complained to Rei, to which Rei replied as Set gave a cry in agreement. ¡¸Kyu?¡¹ Yellow, who was on Set¡¯s back, gave a soft cry without understanding what was going on. ¡¸No good.¡¹ Byune let go of Vosk¡¯s hand before standing in between Elena and Vihera and speaking. Elena¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. During the battle, she had seen Byune speak several times, but it was only now, when everything had calmed down, that she was finally able to process it. ¡¸Byune¡­¡­you¡¯re talking?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded at Elena. Byune rarely showed any changed in her expression, but it seemed that she looked somewhat embarrassed now. As if taking advantage of that moment when Elena and Vihera stopped for a moment, Vosk stepped forward while scratching his head. ¡¸Hey, I would like to catch those guys over there, so could you give me a hand? Oricule, who was the key person, is dead, but fortunately many of the other believers are still alive.¡¹ Vosk looked over at the robed figures lying on the ground. Many of them had already died due to Vihera¡¯s attacks, but there were still a few who were still alive. However, since Vosk didn¡¯t know what they would do after they regained consciousness, they had to be restrained by ropes and gags. ¡¸¡­¡­Here.¡¹ Rei took out some rope from the Misty Ring and threw it over to Vosk. Catching it, Vosk immediately went over to the robed figures. First of all, he took off their robes, as he didn¡¯t know if they were hiding any sort of weapons, before tying their hands and feet. As Rei and the others started to help out, they heard some voices. For a moment, Rei thought there were more enemies and tried to take out his weapon, but Vosk stopped him. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re the ones who came to attack the Marschel residence with us. I told Essetus and Naktuo to let them know when they went upstairs.¡¹ Hearing those words, Rei lowered the Death Scythe. At that exact moment, the adventurers from the Silva family appeared. ¡¸Woah! What is this room¡­¡­it¡¯s too big, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸I mean the floor, look at the floor. There¡¯s a magic circle.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not that strange for there to be a magic circle. After all, this is the Marschel family residence.¡¹ ¡¸They attacked us with dolls and stuff. It¡¯s bad enough that there¡¯s no sign of them.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­you¡¯re right. But besides the dolls, there were only a few private soliders, and even they weren¡¯t that strong, so it wasn¡¯t that much trouble, right? The dolls were more¡­¡­more¡­¡­¡¹ The adventurers, who had been talking to each other about the magic circle in the room and the private soldiers who guarded the Marschel residence they had fought, all stiffened when they saw what was in the rest of the room. The remains of countless dolls. With no signs of murderous intent, they had struggled to defeate the small number of dolls they had been attacked with, but countless remains of such dolls were now scattered on the floor. They couldn¡¯t count the exact number as limbs, bodies, and heads had all been torn apart, but there must still have been at least a 100 of them. They were scattered all over the room. Originally, the remains of the dolls that Oricule had plafully destroyed had been gathered in one area. But, due to the synergistic effect of Rei¡¯s magic and the explosion of the gems, the remains of the dolls had been sent flying all over the room. ¡¸Wait a minute, this number of dolls¡­¡­how fierce was the battle?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A-Amazing.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ The situation seemed to have exceeded their expectations. They exchanged a few words with their friends as they looked around. In the end, they looked over at Vosk¡­¡­no, Set and Rei, who was stroking Set¡¯s head. ¡¸Crimson, huh? I heard rumours that he was clearing the dungeon at a tremendous speed, but it seems his skills were not a lie.¡¹ ¡¸Is that the Mad Beast over there? I mean, she won¡¯t challenge us to a fight, right?¡¹ ¡¸It will be fine. She might be a battle maniac, but her opponent is too weak¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Perhaps he was trying to relieve the tension, the adventurer who made the joke immediately apologised when the rest all stared at him. However, thanks to their exchange, the tension did settle down a bit, so in a sense, it worked as intended. ¡¸Oh, pardon me. First of all, could you tie up all the people from the Church of Holy Light who are lying over there? Don¡¯t forget the gags. The guys who attacked the mansion went as far as blowing themselves up, but as far as I can see, the ones here don¡¯t have those sorts of tricks.¡¹ Hearing Vosk¡¯s words, the adventurers all gave a sigh of relief. However, Vosk kept speaking and told them not to let their guard down. ¡¸I know I said they were safe, but that¡¯s only my guess. There¡¯s still a possibility they have some means of self destruction, so don¡¯t let your guard down. Half of you, check out the rooms that you went past while coming here. You¡¯ll probably find a lot of messy stuff, but I want to make sure everything is secured.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re not trying to cover anything up, right?¡¹ Elena, who had been fighting with Vihera, paused for a moment as she asked Vosk. However, Vosk just shrugged as he replied. ¡¸Of course now. After all, it¡¯s become such a huge incident and there¡¯s also the problem of the Church of Holy Light. I can¡¯t help but report it to the Kingdom, so I have to collect evidence of everything. Did it look like I was going to pull some tricks?¡¹ ¡¸I think you fully understand that people can¡¯t be judged by their appearance. Generally speaking, isn¡¯t it strange for you to become the head of the Silva family without any major problems?¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, one of the Silva family adventurers tried to speak up¡­¡­ Hahaha. Well, that might be true.¡¹ But, before they could say anything, Vosk let out a hearty laugh, as if acknowledging it. Since the man himself had just admitted it while laughing, the adventurer was reluctant to push any further and closed his mouth. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if you say so, I¡¯ll believe you. But if any evidence comes out at a later point, I won¡¯t just let it go.¡¹ ¡¸Naturally, I won¡¯t try anything like that. ¡­¡­If you want, you can go around collecting various materials and whatnot. A third party would certainly be helpful since doing that sort of work on our own might raise a lot of questions later on.¡¹ Hearing what Vosk said, Elena hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. ¡¸That¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve been together so far, so let¡¯s keep it this way. What about you, Rei, and everyone else? If you¡¯re tired, you can take a break¡­¡­¡¹ Rei shook his head at Elena¡¯s question. ¡¸No, since I¡¯ve come this far, I¡¯ll stay to the end.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m fine either way.¡¹ Vosk just shrugged at Rei¡¯s words as their plans were settled. CH 524 Despite it being a summer night, the temperature inside the Marschel residence was a lot cooler than the outside due to the effect of magic items cooling the air. However, with significant physical exertion, you would naturally sweat. Right now, a large number of adventurers were walking around the Marschel residence with sweat on their foreheads, even with the cooler environment. It was already night, a time when they would usually be drinking, out in the entertainment district, a brothel, or for some, taking an early night. But, inside the Marschel residences, adventurers were walking and running about as they shouted. ¡¸Are these documents the ones with the names of the merchants which sold the gems?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­However, these are only the public merchants. As for the underground ones, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re in that drawer.¡¹ In one room, documents on desks were all being checked¡­¡­ ¡¸KYAAAAAAh-!¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s going on!? T-The plants are turning into monsters! Wait¡­¡­wait, I¡¯ll help you right away!¡¹ ¡¸No, hey, don¡¯t look at me! My clothes¡­¡­my clothes are melting!¡¹ In another room, maybe a result of Pree¡¯s work, a female adventurer who had been investigating had trouble with her clothes being melted, exposing her skin. ¡¸Are these all gems? ¡­¡­I guess as expected of the Marschel family.¡¹ ¡¸It seems a considerable portion of the money they earned was used to buy gems.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t even think about putting that in your pocket. If the Silva family finds out, we¡¯ll never be able to live in peace.¡¹ ¡¸I know. But I can at least look at it for a minute.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If that¡¯s all you do.¡¹ In one room, a female adventurer was entranced by all the gems within it as her fellow adventurers advised her not to do anything strange. ¡¸Uh, hey, this is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸A mountain of bones¡­¡­are you serious? There has to be at least 10 to 20 people here. At worst¡­¡­maybe 100¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It seems like they¡¯ve been dealt with magically to stop them from becoming undead.¡¹ ¡¸I thought it was strange that there were so many traps in the way getting inside.¡¹ ¡¸Moreover, these bones have undergone some sort of magical treatment. They were probably intended for some use.¡¹ A mountain of human bones was found in one room in the literal sense¡­¡­the bones had also been found to have undergone some sort of magical treatment. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Wow, this is¡­¡­they¡¯ve accumulated quite a bit.¡¹ The adventurers who entered a hidden room which had been found by thieves muttered unintentionally. There were a lot of magic items inside the room. There were also many that could only be found inside the dungeon. Considering how the Marschel family had likly obtained them, the adventurers could give bitter breaths. ¡¸Hey, look at that. There are so many magic swords that are rarely found in the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­This is too much for just us to handle. Hey, I¡¯m sorry, but please call Vosk-sama. We need his orders.¡¹ ¡¸Ah? O-Oh, right. I understand. I¡¯ll call him right away.¡¹ One of the adventurers, who had been stunned by the magic items in the room, rushed out. Calling for Vosk was important, but he had been more afraid of careless reaching out for one of the magic items if he stayed in the room any longer. The rest of the adventurers all felt the same way and they eventually left the room one after another without a word. A few minutes later¡­¡­ ¡¸This really is a mountain of magic items. ¡­¡­I guess she just used her power as the Marschel family.¡¹ Vosk let out a sigh¡­¡­as Rei and Elena followed in after him. Vihera and Byune had already left for the day. Normally, Vihera would have headed back to her inn by herself, but considering today¡¯s events, she decided it would be better to stay with Byune for at least one night before visiting the Silva family. After promising that, the two of them had gone back to the Fraut family¡¯s residence together. As for Set and Yellow, the two of them would only get in the way, so Vihera and Byune had taken them back to the Golden Wind inn. ¡¸This¡­¡­really is a tremendous amount.¡¹ The magic items displayed in the room ranged from weapons, such as long swords, daggers, and spears, to protective equipment, such as shields and armour. There were accessories, including bracelets and anklets, but none of them had any gems. Other than that, there were also potions, clocks, mirrors, books, cups, cards, candlesticks, lanterns, carpets, quills, engravings, and many kinds of magic metals. And¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ One of the magic items caught Rei¡¯s gaze. There was an open metal case with two family crystal balls inside, about 10cm in diameter each. Rei immediately knew what they were. After all, he had one himself and he had come to the Labyrinth City Exil in search of such a magic item. Paired orbs. The decoration was different to the one Rei had, but it was undoubtedly a magic item that allowed people to communicate at long distances. He had never thought he¡¯d find them here instead of inside the dungeon. As Rei held those thoughts in his mind, Elena, who had been talking with Vosk about the magic items in the room, called out to him. ¡¸Rei? Was something bothering you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah. Something amazing.¡¹ Hearing those words, Elena followed Rei¡¯s gaze¡­¡­and realised what he was looking at. Her eyes widened in amazement. ¡¸This is¡­¡­could this be what we were looking for?¡¹ ¡¸Probably. I never thought it would be in a place like this.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ As they were talking with each other, they were interrupted by Vosk. ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s wrong? ¡­¡­Hm? Is that a magic item or something?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. The reason we came to Exil was to look of a magic item that would allow for conversations at long distances.¡¹ ¡¸Long distances¡­¡­?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Vosk thought about something for a few seconds before a smile appeared on his face. With a cheeky grin, Vosk turned to look at Elena as he murmured in a low voice so as to not be heard by the adventurers outside the room. ¡¸Hmm, I see. I thought you had some other purpose here, but it seems like it was for a very cute reason.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What are you trying to say?¡¹ A voice several tones lower than usual came from Elena¡¯s mouth. Vosk shook his head in a panic, judging that teasing her any further would likely cause Elena to pull out her sword whip. He fully understood how powerful the sword whip was from the fight against Oricule. Even if he fought himself, he would only have a 20% chance of winning. The speed at which he changed his attitude was because of his judgement. ¡¸No, no, nothing, nothing at all. ¡­¡­Ah righ, then, is it fine for me to give you guys that magic item as a reward for all this trouble?¡¹ Elena¡¯s movements stopped at Vosk¡¯s words and, after a few seconds of silence, she spoke up. ¡¸What are you talking about? This mansion belongs to the Marschel family. Right now, you guys are investigating it for various reasons, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s okay to just take things.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true that this magic item belongs to the Marschel family, but since they¡¯ve caused such a big incident, there¡¯s no doubt the family will fall from grace¡­¡­above all, most of the magic items here are probably stolen goods anyway.¡¹ Vosk muttered as he lifted up a nearby lantern. ¡¸That said, it¡¯s nearly impossible to find out who owns what. Everything will probably end up contributing to Exil¡¯s operating expenses through an auction. It¡¯s not that strange to give this to you guys as a reward.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true.¡¹ Rei was actually surprised that Elena acknowledged Vosk¡¯s reasoning. He had been sure she would have called it some sort of embezzlement. However, no one, including Exil, managed their land, people, and cities without some sort of shady means. Everyone was more or less involved in one way or another. In the first place, in this world of Elgin, it was a matter of common sense for the nobility to control both the clean and the dirty side of things. Most creatures couldn¡¯t live in a perfectly clean lake. (Well, I¡¯ve heard before that they all have connections with underground organisations. Maybe he¡¯s just being nice, giving us a reward?) Rei seemed to reach some sort of understanding as he turned to Elena, wondering what she would do. Of course, Rei would have welcomed the offer of the magic item they had been looking for. Even though it was said that such a magic item could be found in the dungeon, whether they could actually obtain one or not was a different matter. ¡¸I understand, then we¡¯ll accept it gratefully.¡¹ Elena must have come to the same conclusion as Rei. She nodded slightly at Vosk. ¡¸I see, in that case, please come to my residence tomorrow. I¡¯ll give it to you then. I¡¯d like to give it to you now if I could, but there are formalities that need to be taken care of. I also need to find out how much it¡¯s worth.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can that be done in just a day?¡¹ Vosk shrugged his shoulder and nodded at Rei, who asked without thinking. ¡¸It¡¯s true that it would normally take some time, but who do you think I am? Before that though, we have to settle this matter as soon as possible and report it to the Kingdom. It¡¯s not a problem that can be solved by Exil alone.¡¹ ¡¸Certainly true.¡¹ Rei nodded at Vosk¡¯s words. The Church of Holy Light wasn¡¯t a religion that originated in Exil. It had been spread by people dispatched from the Church of Holy Light. If their presence was confirmed, the Kingdom had to do something to crack down on them. (In that sense, it¡¯s convenient that there are no such laws regarding freedom of religion, like in Japan.) As Rei was thinking to himself, there was a sudden knock on the door. ¡¸Anything happen?¡¹ At Vosk¡¯s question, the person who knocked on the door quickly answered. ¡¸Vosk, a relative of the Marschel family has come¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What do they want?¡¹ ¡¸That is, they want us to leave the residence.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ The response seemed to be unexpected for Vosk and he asked back without thinking. Even Rei and Elena, who were next to him, seemed confused as they struggled to come to an understanding. Considering what the Marschel family had done, it was a bad idea for members of the Marschel family to come out in such a high handed way. (Or, did they not know heat Pree was doing at all? That¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t stand the presence of the Silva family in the Marschel residence.) Rei thought to himself as he reached a reasonable conclusion. After all, no matter how one thought of what Pree was doing, it would be very bad for Pree if anyone else found out. Would she go out of her way to tell her relatives what she was doing¡­¡­Rei thought that impossible. If Pree¡¯s relatives in the Marschel family were working together with her, that would be a different story. But Rei didn¡¯t think anyone would come shouting at them to leave the residence as soon as possible if they knew of what Pree had been doing. ¡¸By the way, is it fine for them to call you out like that?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah. The Marschel family will probably collapse, but until that happens, we¡¯ll need to keep them going. They might be a temporary family head who doesn¡¯t know anything, but we still need to prepare for that.¡¹ Vosk scratched his head at Rei¡¯s words. However, Elena, who had been listening in, spoke with a somewhat dubious expression. ¡¸Pree¡¯s relatives, from what I heard when I came to this mansion previously. They¡¯re all children of distant relatives, right?¡¹ ¡¸To be exact, the father of one of those children has come over. When Pree was alive, he stayed away from this mansion and only complied with Pree¡¯s orders with the promise that his child would become the future head of the Marschel family. ¡­¡­No, I don¡¯t want to involve you guys any more than you already have been. I have to deal with him, but what do you plan to do?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want to get involved. I think I¡¯ll look around a bit more to see if I can find any more evidence in the mansion. ¡­¡­Is that fine with you, Rei?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Like so, the three of them left the hidden room before splitting up. CH 525 A bright light shone into the room. Bathed in the light, that couldn¡¯t really be called morning sun anymore, Rei woke up in his bed. Looking at the clock hanging on the wall, it was already past 10am. As a high class in where aristocrats and wealthy merchants stayed, there were plenty of magic items used to ensure a comfortable stay. For example, even though it was almost noon on a midsummer day, the room was still cool. The clock Rei was looking at was another such magic item. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ve really slept in. No, I guess it was a late night yesterday, so I can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ While scratching his head, Rei recalled the events of the previous night. The investigation of the Marschel residence had come to an end around midnight. After that, Rei and Elena promised Vosk to go to the Silva residence the next day and returned to the Golden Wind inn, where they promptly fell asleep, with Rei only waking up now. ¡¸Ahhh¡­¡­for now, let¡¯s get breakfast. Or, should it be lunch?¡¹ The lack of sleep combined with the temperature in the room, that was neither too hot nor too cold, made him want to fall back into his bed, but he still ended up getting out of bed. By the time Rei put on his Dragon Robe, his head was completely free of drowsiness. It seemed to be some function of the body that Zepairu had created, but Rei didn¡¯t mind as it was convenient. Thinking like that, Rei went down to the first floor where the dining area was located and let out a breath when he saw who was there. Elena was sitting at a table, eating a breakfast of bread, soup, salad, bacon, eggs, and fruit. That was expected, but for some reason, Vihera and Byune were eating the same meal at the same table. For a moment, Rei recalled the grim atmosphere that had formed after yesterday¡¯s fight against Oricule, but fortunately, Elena and Vihera didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of doing the same thing in a public space. Feeling relieved, Rei ordered a light breakfast before sitting at the same table as Elena. By the way, the main reason why the usually gluttonous Rei only ordered a light meal was because it would be noon in less than two hours. ¡¸Oh, good morning. Did you sleep well last night?¡¹ Rei nodded at Vihera as he sat down and looked around as he drank the chilled fruit juice a waitress had brought around before breakfast arrived. Even though it was already close to noon, there were still quite a number of guests in the dining area, all talking with each other. Just the other day there had been a conflict between the Silva family and the Levisor family, and now the Silva family had attacked the Marschel family. There seemed to be many people who were worried about various things. ¡¸What is the Silva family thinking!? Could it be that they¡¯re trying to control Exil!?¡¹ ¡¸Idiot, that¡¯s impossible. I know Vosk-sama, he wouldn¡¯t want to do such a troublesome thing.¡¹ ¡¸But the reality is, in a short period oif time, they¡¯ve caused conflict with the Levisor and Marschel families. The results prove everything.¡¹ ¡¸Actually, it¡¯s not Vosk-san, but that chief butler¡­¡­was he called Sanctions? He¡¯s pulling the strings behind the scenes.¡¹ ¡¸I see, rumors are he¡¯s a smart man. Is he making his master dance to his will? That¡¯s a possibility.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­it¡¯s true that he looks quite sharp, but from what I¡¯ve seen, he doesn¡¯t seem like one to betray his master, does he?¡¹ ¡¸If he¡¯s sharp though, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to cover everything up.¡¹ ¡¸Anyhow, it¡¯s fine if the commotion ends like this, but if it continues, it might be better to leave Exil as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Now that¡¯s just great. I only arrived at Exil three days ago and was about to start business negotiations.¡¹ ¡¸Weapons¡­¡­are no good. After all, it¡¯s a labyrinth city, so the smithing skills here are quite high. Is food a good market?¡¹ ¡¸But, I heard that you can get plenty of food from the dungeon? Especially monster meat, as well as all sorts of different things.¡¹ ¡¸No, no, even if they have a bit of money, most ordinary people still buy food from other sources.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve also heard that the guards have been sent to the Church of Holy Light¡­¡­does that have anything to do with things?¡¹ ¡¸The Church of Holy Light? Now that¡¯s something unexpected.¡¹ While ignoring the voices around him, Rei placed his glass of cold fruit juice on the table. ¡¸Even if I did sleep well, we got back late, so it still feels like I don¡¯t have enough sleep.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Well, I heard from Elena, but it seems like you ran into a fair bit of trouble after Byune and I left?¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded as she brought a bite sized piece of apple like fruit to her mouth with a fork. Elena had no intention of stirring up any trouble here and just nodded politely at Vihera and Byune¡¯s responses. ¡¸Yeah. Well¡­¡­it¡¯s not an issue, being a distant relative, but it doesn¡¯t seem like he knows anything. Coming over and shouting around like that.¡¹ The reason why she didn¡¯t say words like the Marschel family or Vosk was because it would be troublesome if the other guests in the dining area started asking about it. If there had only been adventurers around, she didn¡¯t think that any of them would try to mess with Vihera, a battle maniac, Byune, the survivor of the Fraut family, and Rei, who had become quite famous in Exil recently. But, if it was a merchant, they would politely refuse to let them go until they got the information they wanted. Of course, even for the merchants, the situation in Exil and the movements of the Silva family, who were at the center of things, directly affected their livelihoods, so it made sense for them to get as much information as they could. (Well, maybe I¡¯m over thinking it.) Rei thought to himself as he looked around. Nearby, many merchants were talking with other people in an attempt to get whatever bits of information they could. There were adventurers among them, even those that had participated in yesterday¡¯s events, but none of them seemed to be talking about what had happened, probably because they didn¡¯t want to get tied up by the merchants. ¡¸Thank you for waiting, here¡¯s your breakfast.¡¹ In the midst of all this, Rei¡¯s breakfast was brought over by a waitress and he finished it before they all headed for the Silva residence, deciding that it would be better than being caught in something strange at the inn. ¡¸As expected, it¡¯s impressive.¡¹ Rei muttered as he looked out from inside a carriage. It seemed to have already spread through the city that there had been a conflict between the Marschel family and the Silva family the previous night. A conflict between all the governing families of Exil had occurred in such a short time. In that sense, it was only natural for the residents of Exil to be concerned. However, unlike the conflict with the Levisor family, during which the family head had run away, the conflict with the Marschel family had broken out after nightfall and hadn¡¯t been any fights in the city, so things were calmer than before. It probably also helped that the Silva family was the one family that really did any governing of Exil and had gained the respect of the residents. ¡¸I aggree. But¡­¡­there¡¯s no doubt taht the Kingdom will get involved. Maybe it¡¯s just the begining of things getting really noisy.¡¹ Elena responded to Rei as she also looked out. Vihera sat to the other side of Rei, the opposite side of Elena, while Byune sat on Vihera¡¯s lap. In addition, Set and Yellow weren¡¯t with them. Rei had gone to the stables and asked if Set wanted to go with them, but he had chosen to continue enjoying his sleep and had stayed back in the stables along with Yellow. Rei and Elena decided that there was no need to force the two of them to come along, so they just left them slowly drifting off to the world of dreams. Byune, who had been looking forward to petting the two of them, didn¡¯t display any change of expression on her face, but she still looked somewhat lonely. Before long, Byune reached out to Vihera¡¯s thin clothes and gently tugged them. Vihera¡¯s clothes should have been quite dirty from yesterday¡¯s battle, but right now, they looked just as good as new. As for the rest of the passengers in the carriage, a male passenger glanced over at Vihera as they pretended to look around, but Vihera herself didn¡¯t seem to care at all. Since her getup was originally intended to attract people to fight, she naturally didn¡¯t care about the gazes of men who weren¡¯t even adventurers. Of course, it would be a different matter if they were looking at her with an overtly lascivious gaze. On the other hand, a male adventurer, who knew who Vihera was, desperately tried to stop himself from looking at her. Vihera had a wry smile on her face as she understood what Byune wanted to say to her and nodded. ¡¸Hm? Ah, right¡­¡­hey, Elena. What will happen to Exil from here on?¡¹ Elena thought for a moment before speaking. ¡¸Well, this is just my guess¡­¡­but it probably won¡¯t be the same as before. At the very least, the Marschel family will probably collapse. That¡¯s fine, right?¡¹ At those words, Rei, Vihera, and Byune nodded. It was an unavoidable outcome considering the mess they had caused. (Thinking about it, the man who came to the Marschel residence yesterday made a lot of noise¡­¡­but, if he continues to do that down the road¡­¡­things will go from bad to worse for him.) The face of the man who had been shouting at them yesterday passed through Rei¡¯s mind, but Elena didn¡¯t seem to notice as she continued on. ¡¸In that case, there are two possible outcomes I can think of¡­¡­no, three. In any case, there may be a few more restrictions, but that will mainly be for the higher ups, I don¡¯t think the residents of Exil will feel much different from how they¡¯ve been living up until now.¡¹ Byune nodded silently at Elena¡¯s words. As the Fraut family was no longer in a position to govern Exil, it was easy for her to accept the idea. ¡¸Next, there¡¯s a possibility that the Kingdom will revoke Exil¡¯s autonomy and send a noble to govern the area. This will change the governing structure. Depending on the noble dispatched, it might be easier to live here than before, but vice versa, some nobles might raise taxes in order to pocket more money for themselves.¡¹ At those words, Byune frowned slightly, and Vihera, who liked Exil¡¯s free atmosphere, spoke with a sigh. ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t know about the former, but if the latter happened, it might turn into a rebellion in the worst case. Because of the dungeon, there are a lot of adventurers, and if that happened, I don¡¯t think the nobel sent here would be able to do anything about it.¡¹ ¡¸I guess. And, even if a good noble were to be sent here, there would definitely be less freedom than now. For example, if you were to fight in the city, guards might come over right away.¡¹ ¡¸That would be the worst.¡¹ For someone like Vihera, who loved to fight, Elena¡¯s words were the worst thing that could happen. At the same time, it might drive many of the adventurers who like Exil to leave¡­¡­the driving force of a labyrinth city. Of course, not all adventurers would leave Exil just because things got more troublesome. Some wouldn¡¯t move out because they had family here, people they knew, or for other reasons. However, Exil wasn¡¯t the only labyrinth city that existed, there were many others. That being the case, there would definitely be fewer people who would continue to stay in Exil despite the worse conditions than those who would leave. Ordinary residents might hesitate to move out of Exil due to the presence of monsters and bandits, but adventurers were a different story. In the first place, many of the adventurers currently in Exil came from other places, so they probably wouldn¡¯t hesitate to move back out. And, it was a truth that if the number of adventurers decreased, so would the number of merchants who visited. ¡¸Yes, I agree. But for my part, I dont¡¯ think the chances of that happening are great. If things go badly, the amount of tax paid by Exil, while contributes a significant amount to the tax revenue, will drastically decrease. It¡¯s hard to believe the Kingdom won¡¯t consider that.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Vihera and Byune both gave a sigh of relief. ¡¸So, what¡¯s the last possibility?¡¹ Hearing Vihera¡¯s question, Elena shrugged as she spoke. ¡¸They will leave the autonomous city as it currently is. If they could do that, the magic items and materials obtained from the dungeon would remain the same as before, as would tax revenue¡­¡­but honestly, that would be difficult.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, two of Exil¡¯s three governing families have been causing issues.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune agreed with Vihera as she murmured with a disappointed expression. The carriage rolled along as they conversed liek that¡­¡­and eventually, they arrived near the Silva residence, their destination. CH 526 As Rei and the others had sensed, the Silva family residence was currently surrounded by many adventurers, ready to respond to any problem at a moments notice. The adventurers looked at Rei¡¯s group sharply as they approached, but as soon as they realised that Rei and the others were the ones who played a big part in yesterday¡¯s fighting, a trusting smile appeared on their stern faces. They admired Elena and Vihera¡¯s beauty, while some of the men looked at Rei, who was between the two, with envy, thinking about how he was more successful than they were. Rei and the others went over to the main gate without worrying over any of that and, after briefly exchanging words with the familiar gatekeeper, a maid came out from the mansion to guide them inside. ¡¸It¡¯s rare that it isn¡¯t Sanctions doing this.¡¹ Rei spoke casually as they were guided by the maid through the hallways they had visited several times before. ¡¸Yes. Sanctions-sama is currently elsewhere under Vosk-sama¡¯s orders.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So that¡¯s why.¡¹ There was no need to think about what they were doing elsewhere. No doubt, he was was running about trying to get matters under control as quickly as possible. Vihera, who had been listening in to the conversation between the maid and Rei, recalled the discussion they had in the carriage as she nodded her head slightly. ¡¸Well, if possible, I¡¯d like them to do their best in taking care of Exil as it is now¡­¡­do you know what¡¯s going on with regards to that?¡¹ ¡¸No, unfortunately, I¡¯m only a mere maid.¡¹ The maid bowed her head apologetically and Vihera shook her head slightly to tell her not to worry. At the same time, her thin clothes on her body swayed around, catching the maid¡¯s eyes. The maid raised her head while trying not to have her gaze drawn away as she continued to guide them. Continuing to walk down the hallways, they soon arrived at Vosk¡¯s office, where Rei and Elena had visited several times before, and the maid knocked on the door as she spoke. ¡¸Vosk-sama. I have brought Elena-sama, Rei-sama, Vihera-sama, and Byune-sama.¡¹ Elena reacted with a slight twitch at the maid¡¯s words. The fact that her name had come up first indicated that the maid considered her the most important person present. Not as Elena, the adventurer, but as Elena Kerebel, the daughter of Duke Kerebel, the General Princess. However, the maid didn¡¯t seem to show any particular expression as she spoke. ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for you. Come in.¡¹ Hearing the voice from inside, the maid opened the door. Admiring the maid¡¯s actions, Elena entered the office where¡­¡­ ¡¸Wow¡­¡­¡¹ A voice leaked out from Vihera, who was next to Elena, without thinking. However, that couldn¡¯t be helped. The first thing they saw when they entered was something best described as a tower or mountain of documents. ¡¸Oh, good to see you.¡¹ Vosk¡¯s voice could be heard from behind the tower of documents. Vosk couldn¡¯t even see them from where he was and Rei¡¯s group was only able to see Vosk after he stood up. Looking at Vosk¡¯s current situation, Rei couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s an amazing amount of documents.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­¡­it can¡¯t be helped. After all, the Marschel family have caused many incidents. There was also the matter of the Church of Holy Light, as you know.¡¹ Saying that, Vosk rubbed his eyes, which had been looking over documents non-stop, before heading over to Rei and the others while being careful not to destroy the pile of documents. ¡¸What, you haven¡¯t slept since yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸Rest your body, necessary.¡¹ In response to Vihera¡¯s words, Byune went over to Vosk as she said a few words. Seeing Byune like that, Vosk scratched his head with a wry smile and stroked Byune¡¯s head lightly as he spoke. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve stayed up all night. It was only for a few hours, but I took a nap. ¡­¡­However, I was never good at paperwork to begin with.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eat.¡¹ Hearing what Vosk had to say, Byune put her hand into a pouch at her waist and took out a sandwich wrapped in paper. Vosk looked surprised for a moment at Byune¡¯s actions, but he immediately took the sandwich with a smile as he ate it. ¡¸Delicious.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune¡¯s lips changed into a smile, albeit a faint one. It was hard to believed this was something Byune would do for someone she was hostile against until just a few days ago. But, after hearing from Vosk how he loved her parents and that he had done various things to try and help behind the scenes, it seemed that she had had a change in attitude. Of course, for Byune, who had endured all kinds of hardships by the age of 10, there was the possibility that everything Vosk said was just to get on her good side. However, Byune judged that nothing Vosk said was a lie. The sandwich she had given Vosk was taken out from her small pouch, so it hadn¡¯t been that big. Vosk finished it in just a few bites¡­¡­before drinking directly from a nearby jug, making him quite satisfied. ¡¸¡­¡­Well then. I¡¯ll get right to it, but where to start¡­¡­ahh, before I go any further, here it is.¡¹ Saying that, Vosk reached out for a case in the corner of the room, trying not to knock over any documents. Moving away from the tower of documents, he sat down on a sofa before opening the case he was holding on the table. Inside were the paired orbs that they had found in the hidden room inside the Marschel residence the day before. It was what Rei and Elena had been looking for. ¡¸Is this fine?¡¹ Vosk nodded at Rei, who had asked just to be sure. ¡¸Yeah, there¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ve taken care of the formalities. It was quite the complicated process, so you should be grateful.¡¹ Although Vosk said that, it was actually Sanctions, not Vosk, who had taken care of the formalities. After all, since returning from the Marschel family residence last night, he immediately had to deal with the documents that had to be sent to the Kingdom, the handover of Exil¡¯s governing work, that had been previously handled by the Marschel family, documents related to the Levisor family, instructions to the guards regarding the Church of Holy Light, and a myriad of other documents. Compared to those documents, the purchase and transfer of magic items wasn¡¯t as important, so he left that to Sanctions to handle. Rei, who had no idea about any of that, reached out for the paired orbs and was about to touch them¡­¡­when Vosk suddenly interrupted. ¡¸Oh, wait. I forgot to ask.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Rei stopped his hand halfway, unsure whether to continue to reach for the paired orbs or not, as he replied to Vosk. ¡¸Actually, I have a question¡­¡­see, in yesterday¡¯s battle, you stole Oricule¡¯s arms and stored them into the item box, right? I was wondering if you could hand them over to me. I need to submit evidence to the Kingdom, so there¡¯s nothing better than that, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Rei paused for a moment at Vosk¡¯s words, before taking out all four of Oricule¡¯s arms from the Misty Ring and placing them on the table. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. Even if I told the Kingdom about the abnormal human transformation, they wouldn¡¯t believe me with just my words. It would have been a different matter if there was still a corpse¡­¡­¡¹ Vosk dragged his words out. In order to defeat Oricule, with his extremely quick regeneration, Rei had anhilated him without leaving a single piece of his body behind, so Vosk thought that it might sound like he was blaming Rei. ¡¸No, I dont¡¯ mind. It looks like it could have been used as material, but it¡¯s nothing compared to proving the dangers of the Church of Holy Light.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry about this.¡¹ Apologising again, Vosk wrapped up all four arms with a cloth close to the table. ¡¸Then, the paired orbs are officially yours, Rei. Please accept them¡¹ Taking the case presented to him, Rei grabbed on of the orbs. After touching it and confirm he could pass magic power to it, he handed the other one over to Elena. ¡¸Just to be sure, let¡¯s give it a try.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, that¡¯s right. Okay. Is it fine to use it the same way as a normal magic item?¡¹ Nodding at Elena¡¯s question, Rei immediately poured magic power into his paired orb. The next moment, Rei¡¯s face appeared inside the paired orb held by Elena. ¡ºIn this state, I¡¯m the only one passing magic power to the orb, so you can only hear what I say. If you want your voice to reach me, you¡¯ll have to activate your orb using magic power.¡» Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, as his face was reflected in the orb, Elena gently poured magic power into her orb as well. With that, Elena¡¯s face appeared in the orb Rei was holding. ¡ºCan you hear me?¡» ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Because they were using the paired orbs right next to each other, they could naturally hear each other¡¯s voices. However, after confirming that their voices could be heard from the orbs, Elena nodded in satisfaction as she gave a small smile. Her smile was so beautiful that even Vosk, who knew Elena¡¯s true identity, was distracted. ¡¸Ahem, well, anyway. What do Vihera and Byune plan to do for your rewards?¡¹ Vihera thought for a moment before shaking her head in response to Vosk, who was trying to move away from the fact that he had been distracted by Elena. ¡¸Let me think about it.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune gave a slight not, as if to say she agreed with Vihera. ¡¸I understand. ¡­¡­Do you have any other business to attend to right now, Rei, Elena?¡¹ ¡¸No. ¡­¡­Did you need us for anything else?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I need to hear from you about what happened in the Marschel residence before I joined up with you all. ¡­¡­Normally, this kind of work wouldn¡¯t be done by me, but someone much lower down the ladder¡­¡­but, it¡¯s you guys after all.¡¹ Vosk let out a troubled sigh. Rather than all of them, it was mainly Elena who was the problem. As the daughter of Duke Kerebel, if he entrusted one of his subordinates to question the General Princess¡­¡­it was clear that people would begin to suspect various things. Normally, Vosk wouldn¡¯t be concerned about that level of detail, but in the current situation, he didn¡¯t have much of a choice. Of the three family¡¯s governing Exil, two of them had caused major problems. The only bright side was that the Silva family, the remaining governing family, and the Fraut family had cooperated to solve the issue. If it had only been passing adventurers, Rei and the others for example, who had solved the disturbance, the Silva family would no doubt have also received some kind of punishment for not noticing the issues with the other two families despite living in the same city. ¡¸¡­¡­So, what else is there to discuss?¡¹ Vosk shrugged his shoulders at Rei¡¯s prompt as he turned to Byune before speaking. ¡¸Well, I guess. I certainly don¡¯t like dragging things out either. Let me be blunt. Byune, do you have any intention of reviving the Fraut family?¡¹ ¡¸Revive?¡¹ It wasn¡¯t Byune who responded, but Vihera. Byune herself seemed confused as she prompted Vosk to continue explaining. ¡¸Yeah. As I said earlier, the Marschel family is definitely going to collapse. It¡¯s almost a certainty. I didn¡¯t plan to publicise it¡­¡­but, honestly, sacrificing people to create gems. If they hadn¡¯t done that, they might still have avoided having their family collapsing. But, news is still starting to spread regardless, albeit slowly, from the adventurers who went to the Marschel residence yesterday.¡¹ I had tried to not let the news spread, Vosk seemed to say with a sigh. That said, even Vosk, who had given orders not to discuss what had been found, didn¡¯t really think that he would have been able to suppress the spread of information. If he really wanted to prevent any information from leaking out, he would have had to kill all the adventurers involved in yesterday¡¯s events. Naturally, Vosk had no intention of doing such a thing, so it was only a matter of time before the information spread. ¡¸Fortunately, there are only a few people who know about it right now, but¡­¡­considering the information involved, it¡¯s just a matter of time before it gets out.¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. ¡­¡­Ah, I see.¡¹ She seemed to have grasped what Vosk wanted to say. Vihera nodded in agreement while Elena also gave a slight nod. Rei, who didn¡¯t quite understand, looked at Vosk as he prompted him to continue. ¡¸In other words, the Levisor family might still be able to hold on, but since the Marschel family is definitely going down, there will only be two families governing Exil. The residents will feel uneasy about that. In order to avoid that situation, I want the Fraut family to act as one of Exil¡¯s governing families in place of the Marschel family.¡¹ However, depending on the Kingdom¡¯s decision, that might still be meaningless, Vosk said as he shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸¡­¡­Think.¡¹ After a few seconds of silence, Byune said a single word. Giving a sigh of relief at not being refused immediately, Vosk bowed his head. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ There seemed to be various meanings in his words. To Vosk, who considered Byune as a memento of his benefactors, he really hadn¡¯t wanted to ask her for something like this if it had been possible. However, considering Exil¡¯s current and future situation, it was also true that this was the best choice. In the end, because of his position as the head of the Silva family, he choice to raise the Fraut family back to the front stage. ¡¸¡­¡­Speaking of which, what¡¯s going on with the Church of Holy Light?¡¹ Vosk gave a slight nod and spoke up at Rei¡¯s question, changing the topic. ¡¸For now, we¡¯ve dispatched adventurers belonging to the Silva family as well as guards. For now, it seems like they are being quietly questioned.¡¹ ¡¸Then, does the Church of Holy Light have two chains of command even in Exil?¡¹ Rei asked while anticipating that it would be troublesome. Rei had no intention of getting involved in any religous matters, so he wanted Vosk to do his best. After that, they ended up discussing things that had to be reported and the handling of the aftermath as more documents were brought in before Rei and the others left the Silva residence. At that time¡­¡­ A few minutes after they left the Silva residence, Vihera, who had been walking beside Rei, stoppped before speaking. ¡¸Rei, I¡¯m sorry, but could you fight me? Not just for fun like before, but with all your strength.¡¹ She asked this with serious eyes. CH 527 A few minutes after leaving the Silva family residence, Vihera suddenly asked Rei to fight her. Hearing that, Elena looked surprised while Byune just looked at Rei and Vihera, who had a slight smile on her face for some reason. ¡¸May I ask why?¡¹ Rei took on Vihera¡¯s gaze directly as he asked. Hearing Rei¡¯s question, Vihera slight smile remained on her lips and, at first glance, she didn¡¯t seem much different than usual. However¡­¡­even though her expression seemed the same as usual, the emotion in her eyes was completely different. The light in her eyes wasn¡¯t that of someone crazily pursuing fights for the sake of battle, but rather one of frenzied pursuit. If Vihera had wanted to fight just for the sake of fighting, Rei would have replied immediately, whether he accepted her request or not. But, seeing the emotions in Vihera¡¯s eyes, Rei knew he couldn¡¯t give a careless reply. ¡¸Why? Isn¡¯t it funny that you should ask that? You know I love to fight, right? So what¡¯s so strange about asking to fight you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m asking because I think it¡¯s strange.¡¹ ¡¸Vihera?¡¹ It seemed that Elena had finally realised that Vihera was acting strangely. She called out to Vihera with a questioning expression, but Vihera didn¡¯t seem to care at all as she simply waited for Rei¡¯s reply. At this point it was clear that Vihera was acting differently. If it had been before, with another strong fighter like Elena present, Vihera wouldn¡¯t have sought out just Rei for a fight. Vihera ignored Elena, as if she wasn¡¯t there, as she just looked at Rei. ¡¸No matter what?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. For me to be me. And to convince myself. No matter what, I want to fight you, Rei.¡¹ Pouring magic power into her gauntlets, Vihera pointed the tip of her claws towards Rei. Vihera was a tall woman and Rei was short for a young man. Because of that, Vihera was naturally in a position to physically look down at Rei. But even so, from Vihera¡¯s point of view, as an opponent, Rei was a towering wall standing in her way. ¡º¡­¡­¡» There was a few minutes of silent as they just looked at each other. Elena and Byune didn¡¯t speak while the adventurers from the Silva family, who were keeping guard around the area, could only watch. In the end, Vihera refused to back down. Realising that she wouldn¡¯t give up, Rei gave a slight nod as he spoke. ¡¸Fine, let¡¯s fight.¡¹ The moment they heard Rei¡¯s words, Elena let out a sigh while Byune nodded silently. Everything was fine up to that point. However, when Rei noticed the nearby Silva family adventurers, including those who had been present yesterday, listening in attentively, Rei gave an irritated look at his surroundings. Sensing the annoyance in Rei¡¯s eyes, the adventurers decided that staying any longer might result in a fairly unpleasant series of injuries and quickly left the area. As adventurers of the Silva family, or ones hired by the Silva family, none of them were unable to sense the feelings in Rei¡¯s eyes. After making sure that everyone had left, Rei turned back to Vihera again. ¡¸So, when are we going to fight?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like to do it tonight if possible.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s quite sudden.¡¹ Rei gave a bitter smile after being told she wanted to fight the same night. However, Vihera continued on while keeping her serious expression. She glanced up at the sky. In the sky, the sun was shining as strongly as ever as the bright blue sky and white clouds declared the summer season. ¡¸With this weather, it looks like it will be a nice moonlit night tonight.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I have no problem with that. But is night really okay?¡¹ Naturally, the conditions for fighting at night and during the day were completely different. In addition, Rei had a large weapon, the Death Scythe, while Vihera specialised in close quarters combat, which was very important in terms of each other¡¯s reach. When it came to fighting at night, it was naturally a lot harder to grasp the timing of attacks. And, for people like Rei and Vihera, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for the slightest difference to change the outcome between victory and defeat. However, Vihera just smiled at Rei¡¯s words and nodded as she spoke. ¡¸Yes, of course. The night will never work against me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Vihera¡¯s smile as she said that was similar to her smile from previous days but still decidedly different. ¡¸Okay then, tonight. Where?¡¹ ¡¸How about the place where you and I danced under the moonlight for the first time? Fortunately, it¡¯s quite spacious over there.¡¹ Vihera¡¯s words reminded Rei of the park where he had fought Vihera with just his bare hands. It was true that it was quite open and people rarely wandered over at night, so there was plenty of space to fight. ¡¸Got it. ¡­¡­Then, tonight.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, tonight. Let¡¯s make it a wonderful¡­¡­and unforgettably memorable night.¡¹ Saying that, Vihera left them immediately as she walked in a different direction from where the carriage to the Silva family residence would stop. Byune glanced at Rei and Elena without saying anything before following after Vihera. ¡¸Is this okay? There was no need to fight Vihera, was there?¡¹ ¡¸I thought so too at first. ¡­¡­However, the intent in Vihera¡¯s eyes was very different from her previous requests for a fight. Perhaps she had her own reasons for that. And, for what it¡¯s worth, Vihera also helped us out, didn¡¯t she? It¡¯s not that bad of an idea to return the favour by going along with what she wants.¡¹ She had helped them inside the dungeon, outside the dungeon, and around Exil. In the end, Vihera had even gotten involved with the fight against the Church of Holy Light and the Marschel family, so if he could return the favour with just a fight, it didn¡¯t seem that bad to Rei. There might have been many issues that popped up while dealing with the Marshcel family, but it was still true that she had helped them out, so Rei felt somewhat indebted. ¡¸As for me, I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this.¡¹ ¡¸Why?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s just a feeling.¡¹ It seemed like Elena wanted to say something but ended up just skirting around the issue. Rei looked puzzled before starting to think about what to do with the rest of their day before night time. ¡¸Normally, we would have headed for the dungeon, but¡­¡­we¡¯ve found the magic item we wanted.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It was unexpected, but considering that it isn¡¯t always possible to find one even inside the dungeon, we were rather lucky.¡¹ Since their original goal was to find a set of paired orbs that would allow them to talk from a distance, there was no reason for them to enter the dungeon any more. The only other reason would be to collect magic stones¡­¡­but thinking up to that point, Rei remembered that he still had magic stones he had yet to absorb. (I have one Forest Panther magic stone and three Kamatachi magic stones¡­¡­well, there¡¯s no point in having more than 2. Set isn¡¯t with us either¡­¡­I guess we¡¯ll talk about that later.) As he thought about that, Elena, who was walking alongside him, turned to look over. ¡¸Anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, I just remembered that there I magic stones I still have to absorb. However, considering the time and place, I thought it would be better to leave that aside for today.¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡­¡­Now that we have the paired orbs, I guess my holiday will also end soon.¡¹ Midway through her words, Elena showed faint sadness in her eyes. Yes, the reason Elena had come to the Labyrinth City Exil, was to obtain the paired orbs. Since she had forced Ara to help make time for her vacation, it was only natural for Elena to return to the Kerebel duchy after obtaining the item she wanted. That also meant that her time in Exil with Rei was coming to an end as well. ¡¸What can I say, it¡¯s been a fulfilling time.¡¹ It had been less than a month since Rei and Elena had come to Exil. In spite of that, the time they had spent had been fulfilling¡­¡­or rather, they were days best described as eventful. ¡¸Umu. I entrusted Ara to take care of my work, but I can see her drowning in paperwork.¡¹ ¡¸Like Vosk?¡¹ Those words seemed to fit perfectly. A smile appeared on Elena¡¯s lips involuntarily. Seeing the sadness fade from her eyes, Rei nodded in satisfaction. As they continued walking, they boarded the same carriage which had brought them to the Silva family residence. ¡¸So, have you decided on what to do next?¡¹ Rei nodded as he replied to Elena, who asked as she looked at the scenery outside. ¡¸Yeah. I think I¡¯ll replenish my throwing spears.¡¹ ¡¸Speaking of which, you used them in your fight against Oricule last night. How many do you have left?¡¹ ¡¸As far as disposable ones are concerned, there aren¡¯t many left.¡¹ Of course, he still had other spears, but they weren¡¯t disposable, such as the Thorns Spear, which was a magic weapons, or some good quality spears he had bought from a weapon shop he liked. As expected, when it came to throwing spears, disposable ones were still the easiest to use. ¡¸I see, then I¡¯ll go with you. I also want to buy something for Ara and my father.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Just to be clear, I¡¯m going to a weapon shop, you know? It¡¯s not a souvenir shop.¡¹ When Rei asked for confirmation, Elena nodded back as if it were perfectly normal. ¡¸But, maybe we¡¯ll find something along the way?¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t deny that, but would that really be suitable as a souvenir for the Duke? Ara would be happy with anything you give her.¡¹ That was what Rei said as the souvenirs he had in mind, such as manju buns and chocolates, didn¡¯t exist in Exil. Cookies were fairly common, but if asked whether they would be suitable as a souvenir, Rei would say no. ¡¸When it comes to souvenirs from a labyrinth city, things from dungeons are pretty common. Rei, if you think of anything good, please let me know.¡¹ ¡¸Dungeon products? What would be the best things to consider then?¡¹ Conversing like that, after getting off the carriage, Rei and Elena bought some items that could be given as souvenirs before stopping by various weapons shops and blacksmiths to buy half broken spears. Finally, they headed back to the inn while buying and eating various foodstuff, just like they did on the way back from the dungeon. From the outside, the two of them were basically on a date, but the fact that neither of them seemed to be conscious of that was what made them Rei and Elena. In fact, Elena herself had been looking forward to going on a date with Rei back when they had gone shopping for items for the desert floors. After returning to the inn, Rei went to take an early rest in preparation for the battle with Vihera later that night¡­¡­and eventually, night arrived. ¡¸As expected, it¡¯s cooler at night compared with during the day¡­¡­but not by much.¡¹ Rei put on the hood of his Dragon Robe as he frowned at the heat, which didn¡¯t drop that much, even at night. As Vihera had said earlier in the day, there wasn¡¯t a single cloud in the night sky, only the bright moonlight shining down. Moonlight like rain. Those words suddenly popped into Rei¡¯s mind, but he just smiled slightly before shaking his head, thinking that it wasn¡¯t very much like him to have such thoughts. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Next to him, Elena was wearing the same equipment she usually wore when she went to the dungeon. ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. ¡­¡­More importantly, are you really coming along?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­Am I being a nuisance?¡¹ Rei shook his head silently when Elena asked with a worried expression. ¡¸That¡¯s not a problem. ¡­¡­However, as far as Vihera is concerned, today¡¯s battle will be different from previous ones, where she was half playing around. She also seems to have something on her mind¡­¡­I don¡¯t know why, but I don¡¯t want you to do anything that would disrespect the fight.¡¹ ¡¸I know. I won¡¯t interfere.¡¹ Rei seemed relieved to hear those words, they went to the stables to pick up Set and Yellow before heading out into the night. There weren¡¯t many people on the streets, probably because of yesterdays events, but the summer nights still lured many people out to the city. Some were heading for the bars while others were returning from them. There also those around the brothels, downtown areras, and various other places. They kept walking as people glanced at them from the surroundings and¡­¡­before long, they arrived at the park where Rei and Vihera had previously fought. ¡¸Did we keep you waiting?¡¹ Rei called out to Vihera, who was standing there under the moonlight. CH 528 Vihera had her gauntlets on both hands and magic weapons on her feet. Her body was dressed in clothes that could only be described as sensational, like that of a dancer or prostitute, with multiple layers of transparent cloth. She was both a warrior and a dancer, but despite being dressed in gear that differed greatly to her combat style, there was no sense of incongruity in her appearance. She was neither a warrior, a dancer, nor a prostitute¡­¡­but Vihera. That was the strange sense Rei got from her. Of course, the equipment that covered her body wasn¡¯t something just designed to make others let their guard down. They were all powerful magic items. Her gauntlets had the abilit to form claws from magic power while her footwear could create blades from her heels. Contrary to their appearance, the light clothes she wore had great defense against magic attacks. Those who didn¡¯t understand Vihera¡¯s skills would only look down at her, but those who knew would sense danger from her magic items. Wearing such equipment, Vihera waited for Rei as she bathed in the moonlight pouring down. If Elena represented the day and the sun, Vihera would be the symbol of the night and the moon. Rei spoke up as he faced Vihera. ¡¸Did I keep you waiting?¡¹ ¡¸No. Waiting for the other party is one of the ways to enjoy a rendezvous, is it not? Doesn¡¯t it make you feel like a maiden when you wait, imagining a moment with the person you¡¯re waiting for?¡¹ Vihera asked with a smile. She might have had a smile on her lips, but her eyes showed a desire for struggle that couldn¡¯t be hidden. Elena, who usually would have reacted to Vihera¡¯s used of the word ¡®rendezvous¡¯, quietly retreted along with Set and Yellow without saying a word. On Vihera¡¯s side, Byune, who was next to her, silently retreated as well. It was as if they were showing that the main characters in this place were Rei and Vihera and not themselves. Under the moonlight, Rei and Vihera faced each other at a distance of 5m. A man and a woman facing each other in a park at night. If it were just that, some people might have thought of it as a meeting between lovers. However, it would be unreasonable to call them lovers considering they were both equipped as if they were going to enter the dungeon. That said, some people might still believe you if you said they were an adventurer couple. ¡¸Now then, what do you think? ¡­¡­Should we start soon?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes. Of course. You sure do talk fast. That¡¯s part of the¡­¡­no, let¡¯s talk about that later. Right now, let¡¯s enjoy the struggle as much as we can.¡¹ Halfway through her words, Vihera shook her head slightly as she held out her fists. In an instant, claws shaped by magic power grew out from the back of her hands. At the same time, blades appeared from her heel. ¡¸It looks like you¡¯re all ready to go.¡¹ Looking at Vihera, Rei also took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring as he held it with both hands. It was a posture he was already accustomed to. However, the one before Rei now was undoubtedly stronger than any monster he had fought in the dungeon. ¡¸Then¡­¡­let¡¯s get started! Please accpet my feelings!¡¹ Along with those words, Vihera dashed forward as she closed the gap. For Vihera, who specialised in close quarters combat, the first wall when fighting Rei, who used the long shafted Death Scythe, was how to close the distance. Naturally, Rei also knew that, so he didn¡¯t let Vihera get close to him as he started to attack from the range he ccould. ¡¸Terrain Manipulation.¡¹ Rei slammed the Death Scythe into the ground as he said that. In an instant, the ground in a 10m radius around Rei sank by 10cm. 10cm¡­¡­only 10cm. But for Vihera, who was trying to close the distance by dashing across the ground, it was an unexpected angle of attack. For a moment, she was felt lost as her foot, which should have touched the ground, fell 10cm short. It was only a moment, but from Rei¡¯s perspective, it was enough for him to attack. ¡¸HAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ Rei poured magic power into the Death Scythe as he swung it. Vihera noticed the blade, which could kill her, swing in and immediately pushed against the ground to halt her charge. The blade swung through. Had Vihera ignored the change in terrain under her feet and continued charging towards Rei, the blade would probably have struck her. It was an instinctive response based on instinct as as battle maniac. But¡­¡­even that response was expected for Rei. Although it had only been a short period of time, he had still fought many battles with Vihera. Because of that, he didn¡¯t think he could stop her with just this. As a result, after striking the air with the blade of the Death Scythe, Rei used his momentum to activate a different skill as he spun around on the spot. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ A slash flew out. Vihera dodged the slash, that had been thrown out horizontally instead of vertically, by bending her waist. The slash passed just a few cm over her head. Without seeing the slash pass her by completely, she dashed forward again towards Rei. The movements of her supple body were reminiscent of a large feline carnivore. Seeing that, Rei got the feeling he was fighting against Set, even though their bodies were completely different shapes and sizes. ¡¸HAAAAH-!¡¹ She swung her fist out from a fair distance away. It was an attack that normally wouldn¡¯t reach, but in Vihera¡¯s case, her claws extended further out that her fists. Her claws headed for the Dragon Robe covering Rei¡¯s body¡­¡­ ¡¸As if I¡¯d let you!¡¹ Flicking his wrist that was holding the shaft of the Death Scythe, Rei swung the shaft upwards as the butt of the shaft flew out. But Vihera had taken even that into account as she moved. The momentary gap created as Rei flicked the shaft up. That gap was the opportunity that Vihera was aiming for. Forcibly killing her moment with extended fist, Vihera took a step forward as she drew her arm back. Slipping inside Rei¡¯s range, the range of the Death Scythe. Further out was the Death Scythe¡¯s attack range, but inside was her attack range. The fists she wielded were the weapons she had absolute confidence in. Vihera had heard that Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe was highly resistant to slashing attacks. But at the same time, while the slashing damage could be blocked, the impact itself could not. Recognising this, she punched out as far as she could so that the impact would pass through Rei¡¯s defenses and into his body¡­¡­but the next moment, Rei¡¯s voice echoed out into the darkened park. ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ With his words, a shield of light appeared. Naturally, the shield hadn¡¯t fully formed by the time Vihera¡¯s punch struck Rei¡¯s body. However, the shield still absorbed most of the power behind Vihera¡¯s fist before disappearing like mist. At the same time, since the magic shield hadn¡¯t fully formed, the remaning impact was driven into Rei¡¯s body. ¡¸Guh-!¡¹ Rei was knocked back about 5m as he groaned. Seeing that, Vihera grinned. That was where she got her pleasure from. It might have looked like Rei was knocked back by her attakc, but in actual fact, he had made a small jump as her fist hit him, killing most of the impact. ¡­¡­Even so, Vihera¡¯s rare fighting talent was manifested here as Rei¡¯s body still took a hit through his Dragon Robes. Although he was injured from the impact that knocked him back, he still managed to regain his balance as scraped the ground with his hands and feet. However, when he turned to look in the direction he had just been hit from, all he saw was Vihera¡¯s heel, swinging down towards his head. The moonlight made her legs look a luscious white, but Rei didn¡¯t have any time to pay attention to that as he pushed against the ground and leapt to the side. Vihera¡¯s heel struck the place Rei had been just a moment ago, causing the ground to cave in a few cm radially due to the power of her strike. Jumping to the side, Rei thrust out his left hand, which wasn¡¯t holding the Death Scythe, into the ground and used the momentum to flip his body up into the air. Activating the Shoes of Sleipnir to push against the air, he closed the distance to Vihera. ¡¸I won¡¯t let you do as you please!¡¹ Shouting out, Rei flicked his wrist and turned the shaft towards Vihera as he activated a skill. ¡¸Penetrate!¡¹ Wind clung to the area around the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft, increasing its penetrating power. Vihera must have been aware of the danger of the attack, as Rei had used it in his battle against Oricule. But¡­¡­even so, she didn¡¯t run as she met the Death Scythe¡¯s shaft flying towards her body. Her counter of choice was a kick. As soon as the shaft reached her abdomen, Vihera fell backwards into a bridge position as she kicked the shaft up from below. Normally, doing that would injuries due to the wind surrounding the shaft. However, the thin clothes she wore had the effect of reducing magic damage. After all, even after getting directly hit by Pree¡¯s Thunder Cage, her skin hadn¡¯t showed even the slightest scratch. Of course, she need to use magic power for her clothes to activate its effect, but she wasn¡¯t directly hit by the Death Scythe, just the wind. As a result, she succeded in blocking any damage with minimal magic power. The kick she unleashed did exactly what she intended and succeed in sending the Death Scythe high into the sky. If there was any miscalulation that Vihera had maide, it was that Rei didn¡¯t even flinch as he Death Scythe was blown away¡­¡­in fact, he didn¡¯t even care. The fact that Vihera¡¯s movements stopped for a moment after kicking away the 100kg Death Scythe might also have something to do with it. Not caring for the Death Scythe, which had been knocked away¡­¡­Rei threw a fist at Vihera¡¯s abdomen at high speed. ¡¸KYAH-!¡¹ Her thin clothing only provided defense against magic attack and had almost no defensive power against physical attacks. Recieving a direct hit to her abdomen, Vihera was sent flying with a scream. Even so, as she frowned in pain, she twisted her body in mid air to recover her posture, probably an unconscious action based on her combat instincts. Just like Rei earlier, she scraped the ground with both her hands and feet to slow herself down and looked around as she coughed from the hit she had taken. Luckily, Rei didn¡¯t seem to follow up like Vihera earlier and instead caught the Death Scythe as it fell back down. ¡¸Keho, seriously¡­¡­don¡¯t you know what it means to hurt a woman?¡¹ While patting her abdomen, which had bruised from the impact of Rei¡¯s attack under her thin clothes, she spun out some words towards Rei. ¡¸I hope you don¡¯t say such things to tohers. If someone doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, they¡¯ll definitely misunderstand.¡¹ In an ordinary person heard that a woman had been hurt, their first thought would be to take it as she had been phsyically assaulted. And since it was Vihera saying this, with her exceptional good looks and attention grabbing body, it was unlikely for her words to be taken any other way. ¡¸Fufu~, I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s Rei? ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the guards come here, so let¡¯s get this over with. Honestly, I would have wanted to enjoy this battle forever.¡¹ Vihera muttered with deep regret. After all, there had been a conflict between the Silva and Marschel families just the day before. The guards were all nervous regardless of where and when and the residents of Exil were equally nervous about any signs of fighting. They might be residents of a labyrinth city, but it was only natural that not all the residents actaully entered the dungeon. ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­Then, let¡¯s make this the final strike.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, despite the injury to her abdoment, Vihera stood up and faced Rei as if she didn¡¯t feel any pain. In response, Rei held out his Death Scythe with both hands as they faced each other. The moonlight poured down as if Rei and Vihera were the only two actors on stage, even as the high humidity of summer heated the surroundings. Facing each other down, the only person that existed in each of their gazes was the other. In such a state, they stared each other down¡­¡­before the moment arrived. What was the reason? Was it the faint shadow of moonlight that poured down? Or was it the hustle and bustle of the city night that seemed so far, far away. Anyway, for whatever reason, Rei and Vihera dashed forward at the same time at a speed that left their shadows behind, trying to bring each other into their attack range¡­¡­and the next moment, they both stopped. Rei¡¯s Death Scythe was thrust straight at Vihera¡¯s neck while the tip of the claws that extended out from her hands failed to reach Rei. Even if Vihera tried to swing her claws, the blade of the Death Scythe would definitely take her head off first. With that, victory and defeat were clear to anyone¡¯s eyes. At that point, they stopped attacking and just stared at each other. Rei at Vihera. Vihera at Rei. As if they were the only two people in the world. It was like the same as before, but the atmosphere was completely different. In such a situation, Vihera eventually spoke. ¡¸It¡¯s my loss¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I won.¡¹ A short exchange of words. However, there was absolutely no resentment in the words that leaked out of Vihera¡¯s mouth. On the contrary, she seemed quite happy to accept her own defeat. ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, you have beaten me. And completely so. ¡­¡­Now, I¡¯m yours.¡¹ When she said those words, Rei tried to ask what she meant¡­¡­as Vihera close his lips with hers. CH 529 On a night without a single cloud in the sky, the sight of their overlapping lips under the shinning moonlight was like a painting. How long did they kiss? It couldn¡¯t have been longer than a minute or two. However, their time soon came to an end as Vihera gently let go of Rei¡¯s body. A silver thread connected their lips. Under the moonlight, it seemed rather beautiful than obscene. It seemed that this embarrassed Vihera quite a bit though. her face and cheeks blushed as she wiped away the threads. It was the same for Rei. Surprised by Vihera¡¯s sudden kiss, he wiped away the threads connecting them at the same time. ¡¸What do you mean? Why did you do that all of a sudden?¡¹ ¡¸Oh? I¡¯ve said this for a long time. Only someone stronger than me can have me.¡¹ With a charming smile, Vihera spoke with her eyes indicating that she was already Rei¡¯s. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m glad you feel the way you do. But do you really have to make a decision like this just because of that?¡¹ Of course, Vihera was a beauty on par with Elena and Rei couldn¡¯t help but feel happy that Vihera had entrusted herself to him. However, it was also true that Rei was somewhat unconvinced by Vihera¡¯s words as her reason was that Rei was stronger than her. ¡¸Rei.¡¹ That was why Rei had asked the question, however, the person who responded was someone completely unexpected. The familiar voice was heard from behind Rei. Practically speaking though, it was normal for that person to be angry, considering what they had just seen Rei do. However, as her golden hair glittered under the moonlight, there was no reproach in her eyes. Of course, she still didn¡¯t approve of what Rei had just done and she had a bitter expression on her face. ¡¸Elena?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You shouldn¡¯t embarrass a woman so much. Just guess yourself.¡¹ Despite the expression on her face, Elena¡¯s words weren¡¯t blaming him for kissing another woman other than herself, but rather reproaching him for his actions after. It was true that Vihera had always acted like she was trying to attract Rei. That couldn¡¯t be denied. However, the Vihera of right now gave off a different feeling. That feeling was something Elena¡­¡­no, only Elena, noticed. Vihera seemed to have a clear change in her mentality during the previous day¡¯s fight against the Marschel family. After the battle with Oricule ended, she had gone back to her usual banter. However, Elena had felt something different with Vihera after that. That is to say, Vihera gave off a similar feeling to how she herself felt about Rei. That was why Elena stopped Rei, who was trying to get Vihera to explain her feelings. Originally, she hadn¡¯t wanted to do that, but having the same feelings for Rei, Elena decided to accept Vihera¡¯s open declaration of war. (¡­¡­Although, there are various things about that kiss that I¡¯m not happy about.) Even though that was what she thought in her heart, her pride as a woman stopped her from interfering with the moonlit kiss. Letting out a small sigh, she put those thoughts aside as she turned to Vihera and asked. ¡¸More importantly, are your injuries okay? Rei attacked with all his strength.¡¹ Hearing those words from Elena, Vihera turned to look at her body as her cheeks still blushed from the afterglow of her kiss. Even under the moonlight, Elena could clearly see the bluish-black bruises that had formed on Vihera¡¯s body through the thin clothes she wore. Just looking at the bruises would cause an ordinary person to frown. However, Vihera caressed the area softly, as if the bruise was dear to her. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune went over to Vihera and handed over a container she was holding. A potion. And one that seemed much higher ranked than the ones sold in the shops. ¡¸Thanks. I had prepared one since I was going to fight Rei, but¡­¡­I guess I won¡¯t need to use it after all.¡¹ As she said that, Vihera pulled up her clothes and poured the potion over the bruised area. Normally, if the internal body was injured, like with this bruise, applying a potion from the outside would have very little effect. The best option would have been to drink it instead of pouring it over the bruised area. However, considering the bad taste of potions, few people would sacrifice their sense of taste of for a bruise. It was the same for Vihera. ¡­¡­However, that was where the difference started. The potion, which would normally have minimal effect when applied on a bruise, suddenly cleared the bruise away. This was proof that the potion used by Vihera wasn¡¯t a cheap one sold in the city, but a rather high quality potion. Elena instinctively asked Vihera about it. ¡¸Vihera, what is that potion?¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you two receive a magic item that allows you to communicate at long distances? This is the potion I received.¡¹ Vihera¡¯s explanation made sense. ¡¸There certainly were a lot of magic items, so I guess it wouldn¡¯t be strange for there to be high quality potions as well.¡¹ ¡¸Right. ¡­¡­Well, I ended up using it for a bruise.¡¹ Replying to Rei with a small shrug, Vihera turned to Elena. ¡¸Now that you and I are truly at the same position, let me declare war again. I like Rei. I don¡¯t know if this is enough to be called love. But, it¡¯s true that I still want to be with him in the future.¡¹ ¡¸That is the same for me. No, I can assure you that this feeling I have for Rei is love. In that respect, I seem to be one step ahead of you.¡¹ Rei was at a loss as to what to say to Elena and Vihera, who ignored Rei as they started their own fight. However, he eventually turned to Vihera and spoke as he thought of something. ¡¸I¡¯m honestly happy you think that way of me. Unfortunately, Elena and I will be leaving Exil soon.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that so?¡¹ Elena nodded and replied to Vihera, who asked her for confirmation. ¡¸You also saw the paired orbs at the Silva family residence. The reason we came to Exil was to find one of those magic items.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­so even when you¡¯re apart, you¡¯re always thinking of talking with Rei.¡¹ It was easy for Vihera to see through her, but Elena nodded as she had nothing to be ashamed of. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Considering my relationship with Rei, isn¡¯t that natural?¡¹ ¡¸I see. If Elena and Rei can talk any time even when you¡¯re far apart¡­¡­well, I guess I¡¯ll just follow Rei.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ It seemed that the words Vihera spoke were very unexpected. Elena asked back with a blank expression. Next to her, Rei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Byune was the only one who just nodded her head slightly without any surprise. ¡¸Are you really that surprised? Even though I look like this, I¡¯m still an adventurer, you know? There¡¯s no need for me to just stay in Exil. The reason I came to Exil in the first place was to fight strong monsters in the dungeon. It was just for fun.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­that¡¯s true¡­¡­¡¹ Elena had no rebuttal to Vihera¡¯s reasoning. She just looked at her surroundings, as if she couldn¡¯t keep up the argument¡­¡­before suddenly turning to Byune, who was about to pet Set and Yellow. ¡¸Oh right, what will Byune do? I don¡¯t know what will happen to the Fraut family, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that Byune is still a child. Since that¡¯s the case, I feel Vihera¡¯s cooperation is necessary.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m also a little worried about that¡­¡­but since the Silva family will fully cooperate with the Fraut family¡¯s revival, I¡¯m not overly concerned.¡¹ Rei, who had been listening in to the two of them, suddenly wondered. It was true that there weren¡¯t enough families currently governing Exil. But even so, it felt like it was a bit too much of a rush to revive the Fraut family. The Silva family had already spent much of its assets due to the recent conflicts. Rewards for the adventurers that looked up to Vosk, rewards for the adventurers hired by the guild, compensation for those who suffered losses in the conflict. In addition to that, a considerable amount of money had also been spent covering necessary expenses. The use of the Silva family¡¯s assets to revive the Fraut family was enough to make Rei feel uncomfortable. That said, Rei didn¡¯t know it was because Vosk felt indebted to the Fraut family, or more precisely Byune¡¯s parents, and was trying to repay the favour to their daughter, Byune. As Rei was thinking about that, the conversation between Elena and Vihera gradually heated up. ¡¸In fact, Rei and I have already bonded. And yet, you dare to intrude on our relationship!?¡¹ ¡¸Heh¡­¡­bonded, huh?¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Vihera looked all over Elena¡¯s body. Despite her armour, cloak, shoes, and other protective equipment, Elena¡¯s body was rich enough that it couldn¡¯t be hidden. Rather than just looking over her, it would be more correct to say the Vihera¡¯s eyes leered over Elena¡¯s body. ¡¸W-What do you mean with that look?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m just asking, but when you say you¡¯ve bonded with Rei, you just mean you¡¯ve been hugged by him, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Those words seemed to be too direct for Elena and her face went red. Seeing that, Vihera seemed to immediately realise something. She spoke with a charming smile. ¡¸Oh, it seems it seems the meaning of the word ¡®bonded¡¯ is different for you and me.¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing Elena at a loss for words, Vihera followed up with more. ¡¸Is the only reason you¡¯ve bonded with Rei a kiss? If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ve bonded with Rei too¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing those words, Elena remembered the previous scene¡­¡­and the scene she had seen through Yellow¡¯s memory when Vihera and Rei fought for the first time. ¡¸Well, I can certainly understand your impatience as you can¡¯t keep staying with Rei.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not impatient¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then you don¡¯t mind if I act together with Rei, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­However, your appearance is too eye catching. Rei already gets dragged into disputes easily. If someone like you follows him while dressed to provoke nearby men, it will only make things worse.¡¹ ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune nodded as he stroked Set¡¯s head. She pretended to be uninterested as she stroked Set, but it seemed that Byune was also concerned about Vihera¡¯s future. To Byune, Vihera was someone who had cooperated with her and even taught her combat techniques. A friend, an older sister, a teacher, and a family member. They had only been together for a few years, but to Byune, Vihera was an irreplaceable existence. The memories of their time spent together passed through her mind and a faint expression of sadness, that no one aside from Vihera could understand, appeared on Byune¡¯s face. ¡¸Oh dear, it looks like I¡¯ve made a mistake.¡¹ Vihera quickly noticed Byune¡¯s expression and went over to her with a small smile as she gently stroked her head. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ The sight of Vihera stroking her hair made Byune fantasise that it wasn¡¯t Vihera, but her deceased mother, stroking her. ¡­¡­If she voice her thoughts, Vihera would probably pretend to be angry while making a troubled face. After all, Vihera wasn¡¯t old enough to have a kid Byune¡¯s age. As she thought of that, Byune enjoyed the caress of Vihera¡¯s hand, which had protected her from all sorts of things over the past few years. Ultimately, Byune¡¯s actions resulted in a vague conclusion to the day¡¯s events. Vihera left after professing her like for Rei and declaring that she would take the initiative herself. Elena seemed disatisfied with that, but it was also true that there was a side of her that seemed to enjoy that disatisfaction. No matter how much Elena was liked by Ara and the rest of the Knights¡­¡­it was probably for the same reasons that she didn¡¯t have any friends she could interact with as equals. CH 530 The day after Vihera¡¯s shocking confession. In the end, last night¡¯s events came to an abrupt close and Rei, Elena, Set, and Yellow returned to the Golden Wind inn before going to sleep, recovering from their various forms of fatigue. ¡¸¡­¡­I overslept yesterday and today again. I¡¯ve been living quite sloppily, haven¡¯t I?¡¹ Feeling sluggish after waking up, Rei muttered to himself as he stretched and looked out the window to see people already out and about. You wouldn¡¯t be able to tell from the inside of the inn room, as the temperature was maintained at a constant level using magic items provided by the inn. However, you could already see places outside where the air was shimmering due to the heat. ¡¸I don¡¯t really want to go outside¡­¡­but I have to finish absorbing those magic stones.¡¹ Currently, Rei had one Forest Panther magic stone and three Kamaitachi magic stones. Since he had already obtained a set of paired orbs, his goal for coming to Exil, he could continue to enter the dungeon to collect more magic stones, but¡­¡­ ¡¸Based on what happened yesterday, if I tried going to the dungeon, there¡¯s a high chance that Vihera will try to follow along.¡¹ Rei let out a small sigh as he straightened his appearance. Of course, he was very happy to be favoured by someone like Vihera. There was no doubt about that, but in reality, he held some confusion. Needless to say, Vihera had a well taken care of appearance and had a body that attracted men. From the way she took care of Byune, she was also a good caretaker. Her biggest problem was that she like to fight, but even so, Rei could see that as her way of raising her skills to a higher level. However, the fact that a person as attractive as Vihera like him was what made him confused. In that sense, Elena was in the same position, but¡­¡­she seemed to be an exception as Rei saw her as someone special. ¡¸That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll absorb the magic stones outside Exil. For now, I¡¯ll consider exploring the dungeon done.¡¹ He decided to ignore the issue of Vihera for now as he put on the Dragon Robe as he went done to the dining area where Elena would be waiting. Having had an early lunch, and buying skewers and sandwiches for snacks until dinner, Rei and the others went to take a look around outside teh city. There were many people entering Exil, but there were also many people leaving. The frequetn conflicts between the families that ruled Exil seemed to have made both merchants and travelers uneasy. With regards to the Church of Holy Light, Rei had heard from other people in the dining area that guards seemed to have been sent over to keep them under house arrest. The rumors Rei heard didn¡¯t seem such that much different from what he had heard from Vosk. ¡¸Putting the Church of Holy Light aside, it must be quite painful for the adventurers exploring the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm. The people of the Church of Holy Light demand high rewards, but their skills were solid. If they can¡¯t head to the dungeon due to interrogation by the guards, it will hurt those who relied on the Church of Holy Light to make up for their lack of skill. However, it was only those behind the Church of Holy Light that were messing with us. Those working openly in the front have been quietly cooperating with the interrogation, so it¡¯s unlikely that they will cause any more trouble.¡¹ As they left Exil, Rei let out a sigh and spoke as he walked with Elena towards the forest they had been to previously. ¡¸Phew, this is nice. We¡¯ve been in so many incidents since we came to Exil.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not because you¡¯re in Exil that you got dragged into incidents, is it? Recalling all the times I¡¯ve been with you.¡¹ Elena gave a small smile as she said that. Even though there might have been a big commotion, they were all good memories of the time she spent with Rei. Leaving the highway, Rei¡¯s group started to make their way through a grassy area. Set and Yellow, who had been under the constant gazes of those passing by near Exil, were now running and jumping about happily without care. Looking at them with a smile, Rei suddenly asked Elena something. ¡¸Speaking of which, what happened to Tufal? Even if we leave Exil, we can¡¯t leave him behind, right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, I let Tufal use the carriage as well. ¡­¡­I never thought it would be so easy to get a set of paired orbs, so he might be a while.¡¹ From Elena¡¯s point of view, the longer it took Tufal to come back, the more time she would be able to spend with Rei, so she honestly wanted to Tufal to take his time coming back. Entering the forest while having various conversations, Rei took out a magic stone. ¡¸Set, let¡¯s start with the Kamaitachi¡¯s magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Okay! Set seemed to say with a cry. Rei threw the magic stone of the Kamaitachi over and Set caught it in his beak before swallowing it immediately. ¡¾Set has acquired the skill¡ºWind Arrow Lv.3¡»¡¿ A familiar announcement echoed in his mind. ¡¸In a way, that was expected. Set, use it on the tree over there and see.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry before glaring at a tree a short distance away with his round eyes. ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Using the Wind Arrow skill, familiar wind arrows were created around Set. However, the number was different. Previously, only 7 arrows could be created, but now, the number had increased to 15. ¡¸Is this the type of skill where the performance increases drastically when it levels up?¡¹ As Rei analysed the skill, Set shot the wind arrows at the targeted tree. The individual powers of the 15 wind arrows that were shot out didn¡¯t change much from level 2. However, due to the increase in projectiles, its power had also increased compared to before. It was like a pistol had been replaced by a sub-machine gun¡­¡­it wasn¡¯t quite that big a difference, but a single wind arrow would gouge the tree trunk, so the result of 15 hitting the tree in a row caused it to collapse under its own weight and fall to the ground. At teh same time, several squirrels, which must have been using the tree as their home, ran out as they disappeared into the depths of the forest. From the squirrels¡¯ point of biew, it was like their house had just been destroyed, so it must have felt bad. ¡¸This¡­¡­well, it¡¯s become much easier to use.¡¹ Elena, who had been watching from the side, muttered in admiration as Rei agreed with her. ¡¸Yeah. The individual power is only slightly greater than before, but it¡¯s quite useful for firing out a barrage. ¡­¡­Set, well done.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ While stroking Set, who stretched out his head for Rei to praise him, Rei took out another Kamaitachi magic stone along with the Death Scythe. ¡¸Now then, if Set leveled up Wind Arrow, then it¡¯s probably¡­¡­¡¹ Moving away from Set, Rei threw the magic stone into the air and slashed it with the Death Scythe. ¡¾Death Scythe has acquired the skill¡ºPenetrate¡¡Lv.2¡»¡¿ Yes, an announcement echoed in his mind. ¡¸What?¡¹ Rei spoke without thinking at the announcement message. Since Set had leveled up Wind Arrow, he had thought for sure that Flying Slash would go up a level as well. Judging from how the Kamaitachi had looked like, Flying Slash seemed more likely than Penetrate. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, I thought Flying Slash would be upgraded, so I was a little surprised when Penetrate was upgraded instead.¡¹ Rei answered Elena¡¯s question and thought for a moment before continuing. ¡¸I guess Penetrate is a skill that could be upgraded from the magic stone of a Kamaitachi in the sense that it also wrapped itself up in wind?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. Besides, Penetrate is a very useful skill in terms of its high piercing power, isn¡¯t it? In fact, it showed considerable strength against Oricule.¡¹ At those words, Rei nodded. He had been a little surprised as he thought Flying Slash would have been upgraded, but if asked whether or not Penetrate was a useful skill, it definitely was. (Besides, piercing the enemy with the shaft has its uses.) The magic Rei used at the of the fight against Oricule passed through his mind. It was a horrific magic that sent a flaming snake through the target¡¯s body, burning their body from the inside while targeting their brain. However, to use ¡ºDancing Fire Snake¡» , the shaft had to be embedded inside the target¡¯s body. Considering that, the usefulness of Penetrate, which increased the piercing power of the shaft against a target, was obvious. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Rei stroked Set lightly, who tilted his head as he looked at Rei with round eyes, before stroking Yellow, who landed on Set¡¯s head. ¡¸Kyu.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s better than not learning anything.¡¹ Saying that as he stroked the two of them, Rei recollected himself before moving over to a tree a short distance away with the Death Scythe in hand. Then, rotating the Death Scythe around to hold it like a spear¡­¡­ ¡¸Penetrate!¡¹ He activated the skill. The next moment, wind clung to the shaft. What¡¯s more, the amount of wind surrounding the shaft had visibly increased compared to when he had fought Oricule. ¡¸Hah-!¡¹ Thrusting forward with a shout, he easily pierced the tree trunk growing in front of him. The impact seemed to be absorbed by the wind surrounding the shaft, so he barely felt anything. ¡¸How should I put it, it¡¯s quite troublesome. Is this just the piercing power of the Death Scythe or is it the effect of Penetrate?¡¹ The Death Scythe weighed over 100kg and Rei could swing it around with ease. Considering the butt of the shaft was decently sharp¡­¡­Rei¡¯s honest conclusion was that he would have been able to pierce the tree trunk even without using the Penetrate skill. In any case, judging that the power of the thrust had probably increased, Rei took out the last magic stone. The Forest Panther¡¯s magic stone. Taking it out, he threw it over to Set without any hesitation. ¡¾Set has acquired the skill ¡ºPower Crush Lv.2¡»¡¿ Another announcement echoed out. Hearing that, Rei frowned slightly. ¡¸I thought it would give Optical Camouflage. ¡­¡­The Death Scythe would have probably upgraded Power Slash if I used it.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu~, is that why you gave it to Set?¡¹ Rei nodded as as Elena took out some dried meat from her magic pouch to give to Yellow, who was perched on her left shoulder. Rei could use Power Slash, but he need to find ways to avoid the recoil. With respect to that, Set¡¯s physical ability and its lack of flashiness made it an easy skill to use. Because of that, Rei was find with Set upgrading Power Crush. ¡¸Well, even if it¡¯s Power Crush, Set should be able to use it without any problems.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Nodding at Rei¡¯s words, Set went over to a rock a short distance away¡­¡­. ¡¸GURURURURURU~!¡¹ Activating Power Crush, he slammed his front claws down. The next moment, the rock, which was about the same size as Set, was easily broken as fragments were scattered into the surroundings. ¡¸As expected. However, this is in combination with Set¡¯s own physical strength among other things.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ That means? Set, who came back over to Rei, tilted his head with a cry. Gently stroking him, Rei took out the sandwiches he had previously bought to eat. As the sun started to set, Rei and the others headed back ot the Golden Wind inn through the streets of Exil. In the end, after finishing the sandwiches, Rei spent the afternoon training and testing his skills as well as relaxing with Elena for the first time in a while. Even for Elena, there was no doubt that Vihera¡¯s open declaration of war the previous day had some effect on her. As the two of them bought food from various stalls, they eventually arrived back at the inn. And so, when Rei entered the inn, he was greeted by¡­¡­ ¡¸Rei, you¡¯re back.¡¹ Vihera, who was dressed like a dancer as usual. However, she had a somewhat apologetic look on her face. It was clear that the reason for this was the black haired man standing next to her, as he looked at Rei and Elena with sharp eyes. ************************************************ ¡¾Set¡¿ ¡ºWater Ball Lv.3¡» ¡ºFire Breath Lv.3¡» ¡ºWind Arrow Lv.3¡»new ¡ºKing¡¯s Awe Lv.1¡» ¡ºPoison Claw Lv.4¡» ¡ºSize Transformation Lv.1¡» ¡ºTornado Lv.1¡» ¡ºIce Arrow Lv.1¡» ¡ºOptical Camouflage Lv.2¡» ¡ºEvil Eye Impact Lv.1¡» ¡ºPower Crush Lv.2¡»new¡ºSense Enhancement ¨C Smell¡¡Lv.1¡» ¡ºBubble Breath Lv.1¡» ¡¾Death Scythe¡¿ ¡ºCorrosion¡¡Lv.3¡» ¡ºFlying Slash Lv.3¡» ¡ºMagic Shield Lv.1¡» ¡ºPower Slash Lv.2¡» ¡ºWind Hand Lv.3¡» ¡ºTerrain Manipulation Lv.1¡»¡ºPain Burst¡¡Lv.1¡» ¡ºPenetrate Lv.2¡»new Wind Arrow: Shoots up to 15 wind arrows. Their individual power isn¡¯t high, but as the arrows are made from wind, they are hard for enemies to see and fly very fast. Power Crush: Increases the power of a single attack. Normally, there would be recoil against the user, like Power Slash, but in Set¡¯s case, there is almost no recoil due to his natural physical ability. Penetrate: Wraps the Death Scythe in wind, increasing the power of thrusts. However, in order to activate its effect, the attack has to be made with the shaft. CH 531 There was a space near the entrance to the inn. Sofas were placed there to allow the nobles, adventurers, and merchants who stayed at the Golden Wind inn, the most expensive inn in Exil, to converse with visitors. It was there that Vihera, who had been waiting, called out to Rei and Elena as they entered the inn. That in itself wasn¡¯t an issue. Both Rei and Elena had fully expected that to happen. The problem¡­¡­was the person next to Vihera. It wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if it had been Byune, who was usually by Vihera¡¯s side. However, the person with Vihera was neither Byune nor Vosk. Nor was it Essetus or Nakuto, members of Sonic Blades, who were somewhat acquainted with Rei and the others. With black hair and standing 180cm tall, about the same height as Vihera, he looked at Rei and Elena with a sharp gaze. The moment they saw the man, Rei immediately took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring while Elena unsheathed her sword whip. Their sudden actions drew the attention of other nearby guests and inn staff. The commotion gradually spread and some of the guests headed back to their rooms, unwilling to be dragged into any trouble. On the other hand, there were those inquisitive people who deliberately stayed behind to watch. ¡¸¡­¡­Why are you here?¡¹ Rei threw those words out at the black haired man who was looking at him sharply while ready to attack with the Death Scythe. Seeing that, the black haired man also reached out to the sheath at his waist without letting his guard down, ready to respond to any action Rei might take. The man¡¯s response only made Rei and Elena more tense as any movement would definitely result in a battle. ¡¸Wait. ¡­¡­Rei, please.¡¹ Vihera¡¯s tone was unusually pleading. Rei frowned slightly at those word. He could only assume Vihera knew who the person was and was protecting him with that knowledge. It made some sense if Vihera was the one to bring the man over. But, whether it was Rei or Elena, they couldn¡¯t fully understand Vihera was protecting him. Compared to when they had first met, the impression the man gave off was quite different. Of particular note, the black hair that had stretched down the man¡¯s back had been cut short. Even if one knew of his name, it would still be difficult to recognise him due to all the rumors about him that had spread. ¡­¡­Yes, unless you had met with the man before, like Rei and Elena had. Only a few months had passed since they met. There was no way they could forget that face and aura. ¡¸Flash.¡¹ Rei quietly whispered the man¡¯s title. The reason he whispered it was because he didn¡¯t want the people around them to hear. Even though Exil was an autonomous city, it still belonged to the Mireana Kingdom. If it became known that Theorem Enerji, who was known as Flash, one of the Bestir Empire¡¯s generals, was in the Mireana Kingdom, there would definitely be a huge uproar. They might even see it as an opportunity to kill him. The reason Rei thought this was because he knew the strength of the man in front of him. If he was able to freely use his skills on the battlefield, there would be no doubt that the Mireana Kingdom would suffer greatly. That being that case, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for someone to consider killing him while he was in the Mireana Kingdom. Accompanied by Demon Soldiers, he had used advanced magic items created using alchemy to launch a large scale teleportation, attacking the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s main camp from the back. In addition, Theorem was not just a figurehead and held significant combat power befitting title of Flash. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, since spring at least. ¡­¡­Regardless, I¡¯d like to talk with you in more detail. I for one have no intention of causing trouble for Vihera-sama by running amok here.¡¹ Hearing his words, Rei showed surprise again. That was because Theorem¡¯s words definitely held some respect. It was unusual for a general with a title to speak to Vihera, a mere adventurer, like that. That was why Rei involuntarily turned to Vihera as he asked. ¡¸Vihera, what¡¯s your relationship with that man?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t talk about it in a place like this. If possible, could we talk about it in your room?¡¹ Vihera hesitated for a moment before deciding that it would be too risky to explain here as she gave a suggestion. ¡¸Elena, what do you think?¡¹ Rei asked Elena, who was next to him, but he quickly understood her thoughts as Elena returned her sword whip to her sheath. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. ¡­¡­Rei, are you fine with this?¡¹ ¡¸If you don¡¯t mind, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­is this okay though?¡¹ Elena nodded in response to Rei¡¯s second question. If Elena, a noble of the Mireana Kingdom, could temporarily tolerate Theorem¡¯s existence, then Rei was fine with it as well, as he stored the Death Scythe back into the Misty Ring. Most of the inquisitive observers scattered with disappointed expressions after seeing the commotion settle down so quickly. Only a few people, who had recently taken a room at the Gold Wind inn, had wide eyes as they saw the Misty Ring Rei had. However, they all ignored such gazes as they headed for the stairs. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s got to my room first. ¡­¡­You okay with that?¡¹ Theorem gave a silent nod to Rei, who asked him for confirmation. Inwardly, Rei was a little surprised at Theorem¡¯s response. After all, the people standing before him were Elena, the General Princess which the Bestir Empire feared, and Rei, who had burned and cut down most of the Bestir Empire¡¯s vanguard troops during the Spring War. Ultimately, that battle had decided the outcome of the war and Theorem, who was a general of the Bestir Empire, could have been expected to hold some resentment. (Even so, when we drew our weapons, he acted on reflex, but that was it. He¡¯s clearly wary of us, but there¡¯s no hostility. ¡­¡­What¡¯s going on? There¡¯s also no doubt that he has some sort of relationship with Vihera. In other words, Vihera is related to the Bestir Empire?) Rei didn¡¯t feel anything strange as he reached that conclusion. Considering Vihera¡¯s free-spirited personality, it didn¡¯t feel strange that she might have come from the Bestir Empire to their long time enemy, the Mireana Kingdom. Especially because her reason for coming to the labyrinth city in search of strong enemies, Rei felt that it would be ridiculous to suspect her. (That said, there are probably labyrinth cities in the Bestir Empire as well¡­¡­even if it wasn¡¯t a labyrinth city, there¡¯s even a dungeon close to Gilm, so I wonder why she bothered coming all this way to the Mireana Kingdom.) Thinking of that as he walked, Rei eventually reached his room. Opening the door, Rei welcomed the three of them in. ¡¸For now, please take a seat.¡¹ Rei said that as he looked over at the sofas in his room. As expected of a high class inn used by nobles and wealth merchants, the private rooms had sofas and tables to recieve people. Following Rei¡¯s prompt, Vihera and Elena both took a seat, but for some reason, Theorem didn¡¯t sit down as he stood behind Vihera instead. It was as if he couldn¡¯t possibly sit in the same place as Vihera. Looking on with some puzzlement, Rei asked the inn staff to bring over some chilled fruit juice. ¡¸Look, even if you are an unwelcome guest, a guest is a guest. Don¡¯t just stand there, take a seat.¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m fine here.¡¹ Rei let out a sigh as he continued speaking to Theorem, who replied as if there was no room for discussion. ¡¸No, no, sit down. In my mind, you¡¯re still an enemy. I¡¯m not happy for you to stand in a position where you can attack at any time. If you really can¡¯t sit down, then go outside the room until Vihera explains everything.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­no, but¡­¡­¡¹ Theorem probably wanted to refrain from leaving the room while leaving Vihera behind. He turned to look at Vihera as if he wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Seeing Theorem¡¯s look, Vihera gave a sigh before speaking. ¡¸Sit down. Right now, I¡¯m just an adventurer. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ With that, Theorem reluctantly sat down on the sofa. Placing a glass of fruit juice in front of each of them, Rei once again looked towards Vihera as he spoke. ¡¸Now then, I would be happy if you could explain the relationship between the two of you.¡¹ Vihera hesitated for a moment at Rei¡¯s words, but before long, she let out a small sigh, as if giving up, before speaking. ¡¸I guess so. If I stay silent any longer, I¡¯ll feel like I¡¯m deceiving you, and that doesn¡¯t feel good. ¡­¡­Vihera Estee Bestir. That¡¯s the name I used to have.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Bestir?¡¹ Sitting beside Rei, Elena involuntarily spoke out at Vihera¡¯s words. Only a specific family in the Bestir Empire used the name Bestir as their family name. Namely¡­¡­ ¡¸The Royal Family?¡¹ Holding his head in his hands, Rei took over from Elena. From Theorem¡¯s actions, Rei had expected Vihera to be someone with a higher social standing, but it was unexpected for her to be a member of the royal family. ¡¸That¡¯s right. This lady here is the second princess of the Bestir Empire.¡¹ As soon as Theorem said that, the lady in question put a stop to his words. ¡¸Wait a moment. It¡¯s true that I was the second princess of the Bestir Empire. I¡¯ll admit that. But I¡¯ve already abandoned the royal family. I¡¯m just Vihera the adventurer now.¡¹ ¡¸But it¡¯s true that Her Imperial Highness¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Now you¡¯re being stiff, aren¡¯t you? Vihera is fine. In fact, you haven¡¯t used Her Imperial Highness up until now.¡¹ Vihera waved her hands in annoyance, but Theorem shook his head slightly as he spoke. ¡¸That won¡¯t work. Calling someone from the Royal Family¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Do I still belong to the Royal Family? I ran out of the house so violently and haven¡¯t been in contact since, so I just assumed that I had been expelled from the family register as either dead or missing,¡¹ Vihera asked in surprise, as if she hadn¡¯t expected that to be the situation. ¡¸Yes. In the first place, Your Highness¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Vihera.¡¹ ¡¸Your Highness.¡¹ ¡¸Vihera.¡¹ Theorem¡¯s way of addressing Vihera and her correction repeated for about a dozen times. ¡¸I understand, then at least let me say Vihera-sama.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, fine. So, what were you saying?¡¹ ¡¸His Majesty, the Emperor, thought that someone with strength like Vihera-sama wouldn¡¯t die so easily. And¡­¡­I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but a woman of royal blood, especially someone as beautiful as Vihera-sama, would be a great help to the country¡­¡­no, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹ Seeing Vihera¡¯s mood worsen at an accelerating rate in the middle of his words, Theorem stopped speaking any further. As a royal woman, she would marry a stranger for the sake of her country. That wasn¡¯t strange at all for the common sense of this word. Rather, it could be said that it was her only and greatest duty as a princess. Especially for Vihera, who was now somewhat aware that she liked Rei, it was decidedly unpleasant to be made a pawn for a political marriage. An intimidating aura could be felt floating around Vihera. There wasn¡¯t any particular fallout as a result, as Rei, Elena, and Theorem all had extraordinary strength. However, if there had been any ordinary people present, they would have run away immediately. That was the kind of intimidation that Vihera was giving off. Rei spoke up at this point as the discussion wouldn¡¯t progress otherwise. ¡¸Vihera, calm down. In the first place, Fla¡­¡­no, Theorem, didn¡¯t come here to ask you for a political marriage.¡¹ Stopping himself from saying Flash, Rei calmed Vihera down before looking at Theorem. Theorem seemed to grasp the meaning of Rei¡¯s gaze. Surprised by the relationship between Rei and Vihera, the Empire¡¯s princess, he spoke up with a sigh in his heart, thinking that things had become troublesome. ¡¸Of course. THe reason I cam all the way to the Mireana Kingdom at this time¡­¡­is to ask you to help Vihera-sama¡¯s younger brother, help rescue the third prince, Mecurio-sama.¡¹ CH 532 Inside Rei¡¯s room at the Golden Wind inn, Rei tilted his head involuntarily and spoke up after Theorem, also know as Flash, spoke of rescuing the third prince, Mecurio. ¡¸Rescue? In other words, you want to rescue someone who has been captured for some reason?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Theorem nodded with a cold gaze. ¡¸Yes. However, to be exact, he hasn¡¯t been imprisoned for committing a crime.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. He¡¯s not the type to do something stupid. ¡­¡­What could have happened that you need to look for me?¡¹ Even Vihera didn¡¯t seem to think that her younger brother, Mecurio, would be imprisoned. There was a hint of turmoil in her eyes. If she had exchanged information with Theorem before meeting up with Rei, it would have been fine, but after arriving at the Golden Wind inn to wait, Rei and Elena had arrived shortly after, which meant they had no time to exchange information. Hearing Vihera¡¯s words, Theorem looked at Rei before speaking. ¡¸Crimson, it was this man¡¯s actions that created the situation where His Highness Mecurio was imprisoned.¡¹ Hearing Theorem¡¯s words, Vihera turned to look at Rei involuntarily¡­¡­before nodding in agreement. ¡¸¡­¡­So, I see. He took responsibility for the Spring War.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Originally, the responsibility for defeat should have gone to General Kastom, and by extension, to the Second Prince¡¯s faction. However, as a result of political manipulation on their side, the entire blame was placed on me as a member of the Third Prince¡¯s faction, and as a result, His Highness Mecurio. We took countermeasures¡­¡­but were unable to do anything about it in the end.¡¹ ¡¸The result was imprisonment?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Correct.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Theorem nodded while gritting his teeth. ¡¸My brother¡¯s situation aside, what about my sister?¡¹ Vihera asked about the First Princess, who was also her half sister. Unlike Vihera, she was almost powerless in terms of combat strength, but in exchange, she was smart and had advised the Bestir Empire on several beneficial national policies. She was a sister with a gentle and graceful personality. However, her work and shown that she wasn¡¯t just a kind person. The Demon Soldiers that Theorem had under his control had all been thanks to the cooperation of the First Princess. That said, the result could be considered ironic. As it established a connection between Mecurio and the First Princess, the result loss in the war against the Mireana Kingdom meant that she was also held responsible for the defeat. ¡¸Even Her Highness Frizione is now in a situation where she cannot make a move.¡¹ Theorem shook his head slightly with a sad expression in his eyes. If he had been able to get the cooperation of the First Princess, Frizione, he wouldn¡¯t have come to ask for cooperation from Vihera, which costed his a large number of people and money to secretly investigate. For Theorem, Vihera¡¯s existence, with her immense strength, could serve as a secret safety net for Mecurio¡¯s attempt to become emperor. ¡¸¡­¡­So what do you want me to do? I don¡¯t want to hear all the troublesome words, so just tell me what you need me to do.¡¹ Hearing those words, Theorem turned away from Vihera as he looked at Rei. ¡¸Vihera-sama, before that, please tell me. Vihera-sama and Crimson¡­¡­no, Rei, what kind of relationship do you two have?¡¹ Vihera replied with a blush in her pale cheeks at the direct question she had not been expecting. ¡¸That is¡­¡­he¡¯s the person I like.¡¹ Hearing those words, Elena¡¯s cheeks twitched slightly, but Vihera didn¡¯t seem to notice, or let it go if she did. In any case, Theorem continued the conversation. ¡¸Is that the case? So, you¡¯re not lovers yet? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course not.¡¹ At those words, it was Elena, who had been quietly listening in from next to Rei, who immediately declared. Originally, she had no intention of interfering, partly because the matter concerned the situation of the Bestir Empire¡¯s royal family. But, if Vihera attempted to be recognised as Rei¡¯s lover, she would intervene. She couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡¸¡­¡­You seem to be well liked by attractive people.¡¹ As Theorem said that, his eyes showed a faint tinge of sympathy. Whether it was Elena or Vihera, both of them were beautiful enough that no one would object to calling the two of them peerless beauties. However, at the same time, one was known as the General Princess and daughter of Duke Kerebel, the leader of the Aristocratic Faction that held the second largest influence in the Mireana Kingdom. The other was a battle maniac and a member of the royal family of a long standing hostile nation, which they had gone to war with just last spring. Compared to their good looks, both of them were women with many tricky issues behind them. However, Rei just shrugged his shoulders at Theorem¡¯s words as he replied with a smile on his face. ¡¸I don¡¯t have a problem with that. Also, just saying¡­¡­you should get on with your story.¡¹ ¡¸Ahem, right. The story itself isn¡¯t complicated. We, the Third Prince¡¯s faction, are trying to rescue His Highness Mecurio, who is currently imprisoned, as I mentioned before.¡¹ When Theorem reached that point, Rei interjected. ¡¸That¡¯s the point. Why are you forcing yourself to make a move here? Certainly Mercurio might¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸His Highness Mecurio.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not from the Bestir Empire though. If anything, I¡¯m from the Mireana Kingdom, which is hostile with the Bestir Empire, but¡­¡­well, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a waste of time to keep going off topic.¡¹ Letting out a small sigh, Rei continued as he decided to just accept the situation for now. ¡¸It might be very important to you that His Highness Mercurio is imprisoned. But does that mean you need to force things here?¡¹ ¡¸That is true. Certainly, under normal circumstances, that would be the case. However, according to the information we have obtained, there are people working to have His Highness Mecurio disinherited at the end of this year. If it were just imprisonment or house arrest, I would have endured it. However, if he is going to be disinherited, I will not stand idly by.¡¹ Saying that much, he turned to Vihera as if not wanting to say something before eventually giving up. ¡¸¡­¡­Even more so, the person pushing for the disinheritance is either His Highness Kabarjid, His Highness Mercurio¡¯s older brother, or His Highness Schluss¡­¡­ There have also been reports that they¡¯re running an organisation controlling things from behind the scenes.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, Theorem. Is this true? Are you sure?¡¹ It was Vihera, not Rei or Elena, who raised her voice when she heard those two names. ¡¸Are those two such a surprise?¡¹ In response to Rei¡¯s question, Vihera took a few sips of fruit juice to calm herself down before speaking again. ¡¸Since Theorem called them ¡®His Highness¡¯, you can probably guess who they are, right? The First and Second Princes.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So that¡¯s it.¡¹ Rei seemed to show an expression of understanding at Vihera¡¯s words. If it was a power struggle between members of the Royal Family, then it was true that there would be some who would be willing to be merciless and cruel to their own relatives¡­¡­no, rather, because they were their own relatives. ¡¸I can understand that Prince Mercurio¡¯s life will be in danger if he isn¡¯t helped. I can also understand looking for Vihera¡¯s help and that I am the cause for this situation. But why are you bothering to tell me all this? ¡­¡­This is a serious situation and you aren¡¯ one to just tell people because they want to know. And you¡¯re also saying this in the presence of Elena, a noble belonging to the Mireana Kingdom.¡¹ Normally, if Rei had been the one to ask for more information, he wouldn¡¯t have expected Theorem to go into so much detail. However, Theorem was now explaining everything as he sat in front of Rei. Because of that, it was inevitable that there had to be some reason for it. His thoughts must have been understood by Theorem. Giving a slight nod, Theorem turned to Vihera for a moment before speaking. ¡¸To put it bluntly, the Third Prince¡¯s faction is small in terms of power. ¡­¡­It might be easier to understand if I said it was like the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s Neutral Faction. In order to rescue His Highness, we need some kind of hidden ace. It would be even more convenient if it was a hidden ace big enough that it couldn¡¯t be dealt with simply. And, it would best if we could convince everyone that we are not working together with them.¡¹ Having said that much, even Rei understood what Theorem wanted to say. A huge hidden ace that could help the Third Prince¡¯s faction¡­¡­and more precisely, one who had no cooperative relationship with Theorem. Theorem was, of course, referring to Rei. ¡¸Originally, I had come to Exil to ask Vihera-sama to take on that role. But you were also here, Rei.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, it would be more convenient if it were me.¡¹ Theorem nodded slightly at Rei¡¯s response, which held slight disbelief. ¡¸Honestly, I have no intention of getting involved in another country¡¯s disputes¡­¡­¡¹ Vihera placed the cup of fruit juice she had been holding in her hands onto the table as she bowed her head deeply at Rei. She spoke as Rei watched her purple hair drop down due to gravity. ¡¸Putting aside the issue of my status, Mecurio has always been my cute little brother. Please help me¡­¡­to save him. Of course, I will help you in this matter, but I stand out in many ways. As a former royal, there are many nobles who will recognise my face if I return to the Imperial Capital.¡¹ Rei nodded at Vihera¡¯ words, as she raised her head after speaking slowly. Even in the Mireana Kingdom, Vihera¡¯s beauty was on par with Elena¡¯s. She also had matching strength compared to Elena, who had absorbed an Ancient Dragon¡¯s magic stone, as well as an exceptional figure. On top of her status as a member of the Royal Family, there was no reason she wouldn¡¯t stand out. After Vihera finished speaking, Theorem followed up. ¡¸Let me add, your status is an adventurer. Unlike Lady Kerebel over there, you are technically not part of the Mireana Kingdom. In that case, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have any problems accepting a job in the Bestir Empire.¡¹ ¡¸This is a big deal.¡¹ Elena sharply interjected. Like her words, her gaze was sharp as she looked at Theorem. ¡¸Rei is an adventurer, that¡¯s for sure. There is no doubt about that. However, he killed a large number of the Bestir Empire¡¯s soldiers during the Spring War. Since that is the case, if Rei went over to the Bestir Empire, he will definitely be attacked by those with a grudge against him. To you, he would just be useful in distracting the eyes of those imprisoning your lord.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­To be honest, no one who participated in the war would want to mess with Rei. Rather, they would run away immediately if they saw him.¡¹ ¡¸If they were on the battlefield and saw his ability firsthand, that¡¯s probably true. But other than that¡­¡­if they were an acquaintance of someone who died, wouldn¡¯t their hatred prevail over their fear?¡¹ Elena paused for a moment before continuing on as she glared at Theorem. ¡¸Besides, Rei is currently regarded as the biggest military force that Margrave Rowlocks has in the Mireana Kingdom. If Rei were to go to the Bestir Empire, it would definitely cause trouble for Daska-dono.¡¹ Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Theorem looked at Rei, silently asking if that was all true. Rei was at a loss for a moment at the question. Considering the favours he had received from Daska, it was hard for him say it wasn¡¯t true. He was also aware of the fact that Daska had given him a great amount of help. ¡¸If Rei really wants to help out Vihera and Theorem in rescuing His Highness Mecurio, he should at least inform Daska-dono about this first. There¡¯s no harm in having the cooperation of a neutral party.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Rei unintentionally voice his surprise. At his silly response, Elena continued with some exasperation. ¡¸What? Did you think I would oppose it? Well, if you had to ask me whether I¡¯m for it or against it, I would be against it. But you won¡¯t stop even if I asked you to, right?¡¹ At that question, Rei nodded silently. To Rei, Vihera was a new bond he had created in Exil. He understood the other side¡¯s feelings and, while it was hard to define his own feelings towards her, it was true that he did like her somewhat as well. ¡¸And, this is not just my personal feelings. Even as a noble, I welcome the idea of the Bestir Empire losing its national power.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you, Elena.¡¹ ¡¸I appreciate it.¡¹ Both Vihera and Theorem¡¯s words of gratitude echoed into the room. CH 533 As the room was filled with an awkward silence, Elena spoke up to change the topic. ¡¸So, how exactly do you plan to rescue His Highness Mercurio?¡¹ Elena tried to move the discussion forward, but was unable to hide her blushing cheeks. However, although she tried to push the topic forward, Theorem stopped her. ¡¸Elena-dono, putting aside your status as an adventurer with a title, similar to Rei, you are still the daughter of Duke Kerebel.¡¹ In a sense, this was a natural point to bring up. Theorem had requested Rei¡¯s cooperation because he was an adventurer. Naturally, he could request Elena, a noble of the Mireana Kingdom, to go to the Bestir Empire. However, Elena shook her head slightly and as she rejected Theorem¡¯s point. ¡¸I will not be able to accompany you to the Bestir Empire. That is true. But, there are other things I can do because I cannot accompany you.¡¹ Saying that much, she looked back at Theorem. ¡¸Besides, you need insurance in case something goes wrong, right?¡¹ ¡º-!?¡» ¡¸Insurance?¡¹ Vihera and Theorem both sucked in their breath when they heard the word ¡®insurance¡¯. However, Rei didn¡¯t seem to understand what it meant as he asked in confusion. ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a situation I don¡¯t want to even think about, but what if the rescue of His Highness Mercurio fails? Or, even if we succeeded, what if we made a mistake in our actions after? Naturally, there¡¯s a high chance that Prince Mercurio and others will not be able to stay in the Bestir Empire.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I guess so.¡¹ Forcibly rescuing an imprisoned member of royalty. If they made even the slightest mistakes after, it would be fatal for them. ¡¸In that situation, you need a place to evacuate to, right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡­¡­you mean Duke Kerebel will take care of it?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t guarantee whether I can do it or not. However, if I appeal to father, there is a good chance it will succeed. After all, the Mireana Kingdom will be glad that the Bestir Empire will be thrown into confusion.¡¹ Privately, Elena wanted to help Vihera, her friend and rival over Rei, although she would never admit it. Publicly, she would be working together with them as a noble of the Mireana Kingdom to reduce the Bestir Empire¡¯s national power. Both in public and in private, the situation was by no means a bad one. Because of that, she decided to cooperate with them. ¡¸However, all this is contingent on father. If father says no, I won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡¹ That said, Elena judged it unlikely that her father, in the position of Duke Kerebel, would overlook this incident. It was a good thing for their long time enemy, the Bestir Empire, to be in turmoil. Even better, this event might allow them to create an internal connection. (On the other hand, there is no doubt we¡¯ll have to take some measures to ensure a connection is established. We will also have to be in close contact with Daska-dono from the Neutral Faction.) The Neutral Faction would play a major role in this situation. Or, to be more precise, Rei, who was regarded as Daska¡¯s ¡®sword¡¯, would play a major role. As a result, the Neutral Facction would naturally gain the most benefits from this matter, followed by the Aristocratic Faction that Elena belonged to. The only ones who didn¡¯t stand to gain anything were the Royalist Faction, who didn¡¯t have any involvement. That said, in terms of current power, the Royalist Faction still overwhelmed the Aristocratic and Neutral Factions. The Neutrals had made a name for themselves in the Spring War, but even so, it was only a single war. Thinking that far, Elena shook her head slightly, telling herself that now wasn¡¯t the time to consider such matters, before speaking up again. ¡¸So, do you mind if you tell me while I¡¯m here?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Vihera-sama.¡¹ Seeing Theorem look at her to silently ask, Vihera nodded to indicate it wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡¸You don¡¯t have to worry about Elena. No matter what happens, she won¡¯t sell us out.¡¹ After receiving permission from Vihera, Theorem hesitated for a few more seconds before deciding there was nothing he could do as he began to explain. ¡¸As I said earlier, I would like Rei to perform the role that Vihera-sama was originally supposed to do. Specifically, I want you to participate as Crimson in a fighting tournament that will be held in autumn, about two months from now.¡¹ ¡¸A fighting tournament?¡¹ Rei asked questioningly. He had expected to be told that he would lead the attack against the location where Mercurio had been imprisoned. But instead, Theorem had asked him to participate in a combat tournament. ¡¸Yes. Once a year, in the Imperial Capital of the Bestir Empire, a large scale fighting tournament will be held. Participants and guests from all over the Empire and abroad to take part. Naturally, most of the Capital¡¯s residents will be focused on the tournament and the soldiers will be forced to concentrate their attention on guarding and protecting the area. Especially when it comes to the finals, the Emperor and most other important figures in the Bestir Empire will be there.¡¹ Having heard that much, Rei now understood how Theorem planned to rescue Mercurio. ¡¸I see, so when they¡¯ve all gone to watch the finals, you¡¯ll invade the castle, which will have their guards reduced, to rescue His Highness Mercurio.¡¹ ¡¸That is correct.¡¹ Theorem agreed with Rei¡¯s words as Elena, who had been listening in, asked another question. ¡¸So, Rei¡¯s role is just to win the tournament?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s all. However, since the used of tamed monsters is not allowed, you will be fighting without your Griffon¡­¡­will that be a problem?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Tamed monsters are no good?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. In the past, there were fatalities caused by a tamed monster¡¯s rampage, including spectators. As a result, tamed and summoned monsters were both banned from the tournament. Part of the reason is also that the tournament is just meant to be a fight between people and because betting is also involved.¡¹ I see, Rei said as he nodded. It was definitely true that for those who had come to watch people fight each other, seeing monsters fight probably didn¡¯t suit their tastes. ¡¸That doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t bring a tamed monster around the city though, right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine. There are tamers and summoners in the Empire as well.¡¹ ¡¸Then there¡¯s no problem.¡¹ To be honest, Rei had various dissatisfactions about not being able to team up with Set to fight. However, even if he voiced his complaints, there was no real point making a fuss about it. ¡¸In Rei¡¯s case, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s weak without Set, so he¡¯ll be fine.¡¹ Vihera murmured confidently. As someone who had fought Rei in earnest the day before and lost without being able to inflict any major injuries, she had no hesitation in saying that. ¡¸Then the matter is mostly settled. Rei, it would be best if you could immediately return to Gilm to get permission from Daska-dono for this. I¡¯ll write him a letter, that you can take with you, to let him know what¡¯s going on.¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t we just use the paired orbs?¡¹ Rather than telling him in a letter, would it be better to explain the situation in person with an orb? Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Elena had a surprised expression. ¡¸That¡¯s right¡­¡­¡¹ To Elena, the paired orbs were a magic item meant for long distance communication with Rei. She had entered the dungeon for that reason and her thoughts had been locked into that direction. ¡¸¡­¡­I envy you.¡¹ Vihera whispered as she watched Rei and Elena. Theorem had a surprised look on his face for a moment. From his point of view, Vihera was someone who sought strength and was only motivated to fight stronger opponents. He had heard her say that she liked Rei, but it was only now that Theorem really realised it. ¡¸At best, Margrave Rowlocks is just your boss. Be careful not to let him take away your paired orb. That said, I would like the interruption it would provide.¡¹ Vihera said it with a mischievous smile on her face, but her words carried deep weight. In fact, the ability to talk at long distances was a very strong advantage in this world. Even among the nobles, very few possessed such a magic item. Paired orbs were less rare than the ones guild masters had access to, which could connect multiple people at once, but they were still not easy to obtain. Of course, as nobles, it would be a waste to let the guild monopolise such convenient magic items, so there was a noble forcefully took them away. However, this turned the noble into an opponent of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, which took measure to withdraw the guild entirely from the noble¡¯s territory, leaving monster subjugation, bandit subjugation, and delivery requests unhandled. Eventually a large amount of compensation had to be paid back to the guild. The total amount of compensation was said to have reached 80% of the noble¡¯s assets and the stolen orb was also returned. However, Elena nodded as if she wasn¡¯t worried about the situation at all. ¡¸Daska-dono is not the kind of person to do something so tyrannical. ¡­¡­The first thing to keep in mind is that the two of them are in the same boat. The is no way that Daska-dono, who knows of Rei¡¯s abilities as an adventurer, would do such a thing. If he did try to go against Rei, he would be forced to face what you saw in the Spring War.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true, having seen that scene from afar, I don¡¯t think I would want to fight someone like that.¡¹ Deftly giving a sigh while showing a wry smile at the same time, Theorem agreed with Elena from the bottom of his heart. It was safe to say that the outcome fo the war had already been decided by Rei¡¯s fire whirl. In terms of combat strength alone, they could still manage, but there was no way they could maintain the morale of the soldiers who were shown the spectacle that could only be thought of as a natural disaster¡­¡­.and, falling into confusion, there was nothing the vanguard could do when they were attacked. ¡¸Heh, I¡¯ve only heard about it¡­¡­was it that amazing? If possible, I would have wanted to see it on the battlefield as well¡­¡­but I was already in Exil at the time.¡¹ If she were to participate in the war at that time, it would have been as an adventurer from Exil. Naturally, she would have also been on the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s side. Regardless of her circumstances, there was no way she could fight against the country she had been born and raised in and, in the end, she did not participate in the war. Another reason was probably that she couldn¡¯t leave Byune alone. That said, if Vihera had really participated in the on the side of the Mireana Kingdom, it was undeniable that some of the commaders on the Bestir Empire¡¯s side would probably have been confused by the familiar face, potentially ending the war even earlier. ¡¸I, at the very least, do not wish to see it up close. In fact, many of those who survived the war and returned to the Empire have had nightmares about it and were unable to sleep well. ¡­¡­If he¡¯s capable of doing that though, I would be more than happy to work together with him.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­About the matter.¡¹ Rei suddenly interrupted Vihera and Theorem¡¯s conversation. He spoke up when the two of them looked at him. ¡¸Since I¡¯m accepting this request as an adventurer, I can expect a suitable reward, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, you certainly need to be paid if we¡¯re hiring you as an adventurer. ¡­¡­Hey, if it¡¯s a reward, there¡¯s nothing better than that, right?¡¹ ¡¸Denied.¡¹ Elena rejected Vihera before she could say anything more. From her tone, it was easy to guess what kind of reward Vihera had been thinking of. ¡¸Wait, come on. Why not just a little bit.¡¹ ¡¸Unfortuantely, I have no intention of giving in.¡¹ Theorem glanced away from the two, who were keeping each other in check, and asked Rei while trying not to worry too much about them. ¡¸So, what exactly do you want as a reward? I would really like your cooperation, so I¡¯ll do my best to accommodate.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, regarding the request, in order to rescue His Highness Mercurio, I just need to participate in the fighting tournament in autumn, right?¡¹ Theorem nodded silently at Rei¡¯s question. Seeing that, Rei thought for a few seconds before replying. ¡¸Then, give me a magic item. An item that you think is suitable for hiring me to rescue His Highness Mercurio. It doesn¡¯t have to be anything in particular.¡¹ It seemed Theorem hadn¡¯t expected this response as his eyes widened slightly before a difficult expression appeared on his face. After all, it was a magic item suitable as payment for the rescue of his lord. If he handed over something cheap, it would mean that Mercurio was only worth that much in Theorem¡¯s eyes. If the offer had been made to a shameless noble, they might even try to get away with giving over a single potion. However, Theorem had a lot of pride and could not do such a thing. ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for something.¡¹ In the end, he had no choice but to say that. CH 534 As soon as the reward was decided one, the group immediately started discussing what to do next. Among then, it was Elena who offered her opinion first. ¡¸As I said before, if you¡¯re going to the Bestir Empire, you¡¯ll need to return to Gilm to inform Daska-dono first. Normally, it would take a good deal of time to return to Gilm from Exil¡­¡­¡¹ Elena paused there as she turned to looked at Rei meaningfully. Yes. They could travel by ground, but even by carriage, it would take a considerable amount of time to reach Gilm from Exil. But, that was only by ground. Rei had Set, who could fly. ¡¸Considering the speed of a Griffon, that distance could be considered a short trip.¡¹ He must have had the same thought as Elena. Theorem nodded in agreement. ¡¸Well then, Elena, please write a letter to give to Daska-sama. Even if you do have the paired orbs, it would be better bring a letter anyway. In the meantime, I¡¯ll let Vosk and Byune know that I¡¯m heading back to Gilm. Vihera, will you be seeing Byune today?¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re talking about Byune, she¡¯ll be with the Silva family. It seems they need to talk and discuss the revival of the Fraut family that Vosk mentioned yesterday. There¡¯s also the study required to be able govern Exil.¡¹ That was why she had left Byune to come and see Rei. As Vihera spoke with blushed cheeks from embarrassment, Rei nodded, also embarrassed, while trying not to show it too much. It was a decision he reached instinctively because he knew that if did anything wrong here, he would get into a lot of trouble with Elena, who was already giving off an unhappy aura from beside him. ¡¸I see, then I¡¯ll head to the Silva family residence first. Ah, Elena. While you write up the letter, could you also take care of the accommodation process?¡¹ Saying that, he handed over gold and silver coins from a bag he took out from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Rei? I was going to pay for the inn¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, didn¡¯t I tell you? I said I would earn money in the dungeon to pay for the inn properly. It¡¯s not good for my reputation to be dependent on you for money. Let me do this at least.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Elena accepted the gold and silver coins without saying anything more. For Elena, she felt that coming here with Rei was half her own request, so she had hesitated to accept it. But, looking into Rei¡¯s eyes, she understood that it was something he decided on with full knowledge. ¡¸Still, it would be better to leave Exil early tomorrow morning. Even if you leave now, the sun will set before long.¡¹ ¡¸Well, now that you mention it, that¡¯s true.¡¹ When Rei nodded, Theorem nodded as well. ¡¸I¡¯ve told you the general situation, but it will be necessary to fill you in on the details as well. After Rei finishes discussing things with the Lord of Gilm, where should we meet up?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ In modern Japan, there were many ways to contact people who were far away. However, this was a different world, Elgin. That was why Elena had come to Exil to search for a magic item that would allow her to converse with Rei from far distances. ¡¸Regarding that¡­¡­I have a lot to think about, but until this matter is all settled, would it be better to lend Vihera a paired orb?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what are you saying all of a sudden?¡¹ Vihera let out a surprised voice at Elena¡¯s words. It really was an unexpected proposal. Because she knew how much effort Elena had spent in the dungeon searching for a set of paired orbs. However, Theorem looked at Vihera before turning to Elena and shaking his head slightly. ¡¸No, if possible, I¡¯d like you keep the paired orb. Being able to contact the Aristocratic faction in the Mireana Kingdom could also be considered a trump card in the case of an emergency.¡¹ ¡¸But, how will you meet back up with Rei then? You can¡¯t just stay here and wait for Rei to go to Gilm and come back, right?¡¹ Although they had some time to spare, they still wanted to avoid wasting time. Theorem nodded at Elena¡¯s words and spoke up after taking a few second to reach a decision. ¡¸It would be good to meet up at a town or village near the Selemus Plains. In that case, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems leaving Exil early. But¡­¡­as a result of the responsibility of defeat being pushed onto His Highness Mercurio, the management of alchemists is already out of my control.¡¹ Although he didn¡¯t say it explicitly, all the Demon Soldiers that Theorem used to have under his command had already been taken away. When the Second Prince¡¯s faction had learned of their formidable fighting strength that had been displayed in the war, they also blamed Mercurio for the defeat in the war in order to get their hands on the Demon Soldiers. That said, the Demon Soldiers were extremely difficulty to deal with, in contrast to their combat strength. If a noble simply gave orders to them from above, they would never obey. Due to their monster like instincts, their commander had to be stronger than then, which was a difficult requirement to meet. Some people, like Gilgos, were able to command the Demon Soldiers, but that was just an exception. As Theorem though about that, Rei nodded as if it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡¸I understand, let¡¯s meet up in a suitable town or village then. ¡­¡­That said.¡¹ Rei let out an involuntary sigh. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ In response to Vihera¡¯s question, Rei spoke up with a wry smile. ¡¸In spring, I fought a war followed by a giant monster showed up at a port. In summer, I explored the dungeon of a labyrinth city, fought against abnormal species, and the Church of Holy Light. Now in autumn, I¡¯m getting involved in the family issues of the Bestir Empire¡¯s royal family and participating in a fighting tournament. ¡­..I feel like this year has been very chaotic in many ways.¡¹ Even though it was only now midsummer, Rei muttered to himself as he looked back on the past year. However, considered what had happened, few would deny that it had been a chaotic year. But still¡­¡­ ¡¸You know, Rei. It¡¯s true that you will be participating in the fighting tournament in autumn, but there¡¯s still winter to go, you know? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything planned that will definitely happen then, but maybe there will be another big incident in winter. ¡­¡­Maybe something to do with the Church of Holy Light?¡¹ Rei made a disgusted expression at Vihera¡¯s words. Considering his experiences so far, there was no way he could say for sure that it absolutely wouldn¡¯t happen. ¡¸Church of Holy Light? Come to think of it, you mentioned them before¡­¡­what is the Church of Holy Light?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you about it later. ¡­¡­If you know about them, then that would mean they¡¯ve also reached the Bestir Empire.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. They help with exploring dungeons, or where adventurers, guards, and knights can¡¯t help¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing the Bestir Empire duo start to converse, Rei spoke up. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯ll head over to the Silva family residence and let Byune and Vosk know that I¡¯ll be leaving Exil tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Please do that.¡¹ Vihera nodded and Theorem, who had been thinking about the Church of Holy Light, added a few words. ¡¸Just to be clear, I don¡¯t want you to mention that you¡¯re going to the Bestir Empire.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I know. As for the room, just leave it to Elena, she¡¯ll take it from here.¡¹ Saying that, Rei left the room as Vihera started to explain the various events linked to the Church of Holy Light that had happened in Exil, with Elena providing comments. A while after Rei left. After finishing their talk about the Church of Holy Light, the room was filled with silence. Theorem¡¯s gaze suddenly turned to Elena. A question was floating in his eyes. Curious about what Theorem was thinking of, Elena spoke up. ¡¸Is anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, I just thought you would hold a grudge against me.¡¹ Theorem¡¯s question was quite natural. Leading up to the Spring War, Theorem had seen both Elena and Rei as dangerous and had tried to bury them in secret multiple times. Vel¡¯s betrayal, Kuust¡¯s death. And, although Elena herself didn¡¯t know, he had also kidnapped Elk¡¯s son, from the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God, to force Elk to attack Rei. Rei himself didn¡¯t seem to hold any particular resentment as he had broken all of Theorems schemes with brute force, but it was a different story for Elena. In fact, Theorem was extremely nervous about bringing this matter up. He wondered if Elena would attack him. However, in the end, nothing of the sort happened and their conversation had concluded in a peaceful manner. Theorem felt that it was the best outcome that could have happened. ¡¸Well, it would be a lie if I said I didn¡¯t hold a grudge. Kuust might have been a person with many problems, but he was still someone I had spent many years with. Isn¡¯t it the same for you? Rei killed most of the Bestir Empire¡¯s army as well as the Demon Soldiers.¡¹ There was deep sadness in Elena¡¯s voice. The fact that Vel, who had killed Kuust with his own hands, was also dead might have had something to do with it. However, it had been Rei who gave Vel the fatal blow. ¡¸Besides, if events go well, we will be able to create a strong pro-Mireana Kingdom faction within the Bestir Empire. And if we can do that, then another case like this won¡¯t happen again¡­¡­.I can¡¯t really say that, but it will still be true that situations like that will happen less.¡¹ It wasn¡¯t a personal decision based on her personal grudges, but a noble¡¯s decision because she cared about the Mireana Kingdom. Hearing that, Theorem bowed his head without saying anything more. ¡¸Huh, anything wrong? It¡¯s unusual for you to be here both yesterday and today.¡¹ The Silva family residence. Thanks to having come by many times already, the gatekeeper immediately called up Sanctions, the Chief Butler, who guided Rei in after he said he had business with Vosk and Byune. The number of documents on Vosk¡¯s desk were considerably less than yesterday, but it was still quite a mountain. At the very least, he could see Vosk¡¯s face at his desk now, so it was easy to guess how many documents there had been the day before. Although Rei couldn¡¯t see Byune, she was also there, helping Vosk to sort out documents while studying to become the next head of the Fraut family. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Since he could hear her voice, probably a greeting, there was no doubt she was doing well. As Rei thought of Byune¡¯s expression as she processed documents indifferently, he went straight to the topic at hand. ¡¸Yeah, actually, I have some urgent business to attend to. I¡¯ll be leaving Exil tomorrow, so I thought to let you know and say goodbye.¡¹ ¡¸Hah!? Hey, hey, isn¡¯t that a bit too fast?¡¹ Rei¡¯s words must have been quite unexpected for Vosk. He stood up on reflex and the impact cause an avalanche of documents. ¡¸MMMM-!¡¹ Vosk gave a small apology at Byune¡¯s voice of protest, who was directly hit by the falling documents, before moving away to avoid collapsing any more piles of documents. ¡¸You¡¯re an important person in this matter, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure the Kingdom¡¯s officials will want to talk to you¡­¡­what are you saying all of a sudden?¡¹ ¡¸I told you, it¡¯s urgent business. It¡¯s urgent because it came up suddenly.¡¹ ¡¸No, I understand that. I understand it, but as Exil¡¯s governor, I can¡¯t just accept something as urgent like that.¡¹ Vosk said that while scratching his head. As for Byune, she was focusing on her ears in order not to missing anything Rei said as she organised the documents. Even Byune was sad to part with Rei, having become much closer to him. Although, if anything, Set was probably a bigger part of the reason. ¡¸As for the questions, I¡¯m sure Elena will take care of it. I¡¯m the only one who will be leaving Exil tomorrow, Elena will be staying a little longer.¡¹ To be precise, Elena would be staying until Tufal, who Elena had told to take a vacation, returned to Exil. ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ Hearing that Elena was staying behind, Vosk¡¯s eyes grew sharp. Vosk, who had become acquainted with Elena somewhat, didn¡¯t think that Elena would use her power as a noble for something unimportant. In other words, something had happened that had forced her to use it. ¡¸I see. As someone who governs Exil, it¡¯s a shame¡­¡­but I don¡¯t have the right to forcibly detain an adventurer.¡¹ Giving a small sigh, he just told Rei to take care. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Byune, who had been listening in to their conversation while sorting out documents, placed the documents she had on the desk to stop them from collapsing before going over to Rei. She spoke as she looked up at him. ¡¸Sorry, dragging you in. Thank you.¡¹ It was only a few short words, but Rei immediately understood what she wanted to say. ¡¸I see. Take care too, Byune.¡¹ ¡¸Mm. Next time, come. Fraut family, back to normal.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I ended up quitting the dungeon halfway through. I¡¯ll find the time to come back when my urgent business is settled.¡¹ ¡¸Set.¡¹ ¡¸Well, as long as I¡¯m here, Set will be with me.¡¹ After nodding at his words, for some reason, Byune pulled on Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe, pulling his head down. ¡¸Good, good.¡¹ She patted Rei on the head before nodding in satisfaction and walking back to her desk. While feeling somewhat confused by Byune¡¯s actions, Rei left the office after talking with Vosk for another 10 minutes. ¡¸Oh, Rei-san?¡¹ As Rei left the Silva family residence, someone suddenly called out to him. Turning to look in the direction of the voice, he saw a trio of a spear wielding warrior, a thief, and a one armed woman. In a sense, the Sonic Blades trio could be considered the main characters in this incident that happened with the Marschel family. Originally, there had also been a man named Goto, a porter, but he had already left Sonic Blades due to the attack by the Church of Holy Light. ¡¸Are you good to go again?¡¹ Even with all the sounds of battle going on around her, Tivia had been trapped inside a magic circle, unable to wake up. After the battle, Essetus and Nakuto, who were also here, had immediately taken her back. So, the last time Rei and Tivia had actually talked was when they had been stripping monster materials. ¡¸Yeah, it seems I¡¯ve been in your care in various ways¡­¡­thank you.¡¹ The three of them, Tivia, Essetus, and Nakuto, bowed their heads. Rei just waved his hand at them to tell them not to worry. ¡¸If you think of it as my last big job before leaving Exil, it wasn¡¯t a bad outcome.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? Rei, are you leaving?¡¹ Rei gave a small shrug as he nodded at Essetus, who unintentionally grasped his spear as he asked. ¡¸Yeah, I have some urgent business. It¡¯s a little soon, but only Set and I are planning to leave tomorrow morning.¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­I haven¡¯t even thanked you yet¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve received the reward for this case from Vosk.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Besides, you¡¯ll have quite the task from now on, won¡¯t you? Whether you plan to continue being an adventurer or retire.¡¹ Having only one arm left, even if she continued to work as an adventurer, it would be a huge handicap. After pointing that out, Rei told her that if she had the money to thank him it would be better for her to use it on herself before leaving. CH 535 Being summer, by the time the 6AM bell rang, the morning sun was already shining down. Unlike later into the day, the temperature was still quite cool and many travelers had already gathered near Exil¡¯s main gate. There were quite a few adventurers, merchants, and nobles. Amon them, one group stood out. ¡¸Rei, when you arrive, give the letter I gave you last night to Daska-dono.¡¹ Even though it was still early in the morning, Elena spoke to Rei in a dignified, but seemingly worried, manner. Her golden hair reflected the morning sun, making her curls glow. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be flying on Set, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then I guess it¡¯s fine.¡¹ Elena said those words with concern. Of course, Elena trusted Rei¡¯s combat strength to the point where she couldn¡¯t be more confident. However, it was also true that contrary to his combat skills, Rei often made unbelievable mistakes. And, such mistakes always happened in places completely unrelated to battle. Although her time with Rei had been short, Elena understood that more than enough in the days she had spent with Rei. ¡¸Rei, we¡¯ll be leaving Exil by tomorrow latest. We¡¯ll head to the village of Goto near the Selemus Plains that we discussed about last night, so let¡¯s meet up there. ¡­¡­You defeated me, so there isn¡¯t a reason to worry, but be careful.¡¹ Vihera glanced over at Theorem, who was by her side, as she said those words. Theorem, who was wearing a robe just in case someone recognised him as Flash, careful not to reveal his face to those around him, silently nodded in agreement with Vihera. Rei had defeated Vihera, the Mad Beast. Hearing that, a commotion arose among the people nearby who heard her words. However, she paid them no mind as she smiled. It was a smile of a maiden in love, filled with trust. Contrary to the refreshing early summer morning, Vihera was dressed like a dancer in layers of thin, sensual clothes. Although she was dressed like that, she was still just a maiden in love. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ Seeing Vihera like that, Byune nodded slightly at Rei. However, her hands were stroking Set the entire time. ¡¸Yeah, I know. Do your best as the head of the Fraut family.¡¹ ¡¸Mm!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure thea Byune is properly educated as the head of the Fraut family.¡¹ Vosk must have been working hard enough to the point he couldn¡¯t even sleep as he had to clean up after all the commotion that had been going on recently, processing documents. As he yawned sleepily, Vosk patted Byune¡¯s head lightly. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ ¡¸Ouch!¡¹ However, a light pat for Vosk, who could easily swing around a claymore as tall as himself, and a light pat for Byune had completely different meanings. Byune, who recieved a blow to the head that was closer to a punch for her, kicked Vosk¡¯s leg with all her strength in revenge, causing him to let out a yelp that didn¡¯t suit his appearance. ¡¸Ahh, well, at least you¡¯re getting along.¡¹ Are they an unexpectedly good combination? While Rei thought to himself, Sanctions, who was waiting behind Vosk, took a step forward. ¡¸Rei-sama, please take this.¡¹ Sanctions handed over a basket. The fragrant smell that wafted out from inside indicated the contents and how good it probably tasted. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Kyukyu!¡¹ Sensing the smell, Set and Yellow, who had been saying goodbye to each other as fellow tamed/summoned monsters, turned to look over, but Rei just gave a wry smile as he stored it into the Misty Ring. ¡¸Thanks for the food.¡¹ ¡¸No, we are extremely indebted to Rei-sama this time. I don¡¯t think we could ever repay you for this.¡¹ Sanctions shook his head ruefully at those words, but Rei just shook his head back in return. ¡¸Since I recieved a reward for handing over various things related to abnormal species, you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­no, I guess you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s not mention it anymore then. However, if you ever come back to Exil, you will always be welcome.¡¹ ¡¸Please visit again. ¡­¡­If not for me, at least for Byune.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I will.¡¹ Byuen moved around Vosk with a speed unique to thieves as she continued to kick his legs. Vosk tried to catch Byune, but he couldn¡¯t grab her as his hands kept cutting through the air. Replying to Sanctions while watching the exchange between Vosk and Byune brought a smile to Rei¡¯s facce. The clever butler, who was also known as the Silva family¡¯s sword, gave a small nod as he stepped back. The next three to step forward were Tivia, Essetus, and Nakuto. ¡¸Rei-san, we¡¯re really indebted to Rei-san¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, when we met you for the first time, you saved us from that Skeleton abnormal species.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, if Rei and the others hadn¡¯t helped us at that time, we would definitely have been wiped out there.¡¹ The three of them recalled the first time they had met Rei. In addition to that, Rei had killed the Wyvern that had attacked them while they were stripping materials, attacked the hideout of the Church of Holy Light, and finally, infiltrated the Marschel family residence with them. In many ways, it could be said that Sonic Blades and Rei¡¯s group were comrades who had survived the same conflicts. That said, it wasn¡¯t the first time Rei had been involved in such a commotion. ¡¸What do you all plan to do? Even if you continue to work as a party¡­¡­¡¹ Rei glanced over at the one armed Tivia. However, the person in question replied without looking particularly depressed. ¡¸Of course I will continue to be an adventurer with my party. I was surprised that we ended up working for the Silva family before I knew it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, you see, it was to rescue you Tivia.¡¹ When Essetus rushed to give the reason, Tivia smiled, indicating she didn¡¯t mind it. ¡¸If I were in the same situation at you guys, I would also have relied on the Silva family¡­¡­or rather Vosk-sama.¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s right! Relying on Vosk-sama would be the best choice.¡¹ Essetus let out a sigh of relief. In fact, Vosk had done quite a bit for the sake of the three of them. It was precisely because Tivia understood it that she continued on. ¡¸Yes, he also said he would give me a magic prosthetic arm. I can¡¯t thank Vosk-sama enough. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be able to go right back to adventuring tomorrow¡­¡­but I¡¯ll be back to adventuring before long.¡¹ As she said those words, Tivia¡¯s cheeks flushed red, making it clear what kind of feelings she held for Vosk. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, Nakuto. Did I make a mistake somewhere?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows? However, it¡¯s clear that Vosk-sama has become your rival. ¡­¡­It¡¯s a rough road, so do your best.¡¹ As Essetus murmured with distant eyes, Nakuto tapped his shoulder to comfort him. Looking at the two of them with a small smile, Rei exchanged light greetings with the other adventurers, merchants, and friendly residents who came to see him off after finding out he was leaving Exil today/ Naturally, Set was the saddest one to leave. At the same time, a large amount of food was prepared for Set by the people as a souvenir, which Rei stored into the Misty Ring with a wry smile. ¡¸Uuu, Set-chan. Take care. Please come again.¡¹ The daughter of a stall owner that sold sandwiches hugged Set while giving him a sandwich she was holding. Set gave a happy cry as he skillfully picked up the sandwich in his beak before slowly savouring it. The rest who came to see Set off said their goodbyes one after the other as they gave him the food they had brought along as an extra bonus. From the amount of food Rei accepted, it showed how well recieved Set was by the residents of Exil. Before long, the farewells came to an end. Or rather, if things kept going as they were, Rei and Set would never be able to leave, so it would be more accurate to say that Vosk forced them to get going. ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, it¡¯s about time to leave. Rei, Set. Cheer up. Thanks to you guys, Exil has been saved in various ways.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be back again soon, so please don¡¯t get caught up in any commotions like this one.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, weren¡¯t you the one who caused this commotion?¡¹ Rei and Vosk exchanged some light jabs¡­¡­when Elena suddenly stepped forward. Seeing that, Vosk stepped back thoughtfully. ¡¸Rei, thanks to the paired orbs, we can talk at any time, but I think it will be a while before we can meet in person like this again. I didn¡¯t think it would end up like this¡­¡­but even so, just to be sure.¡¹ Saying that, Elena took at step forward and took off the hood of Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe. Looking at Rei¡¯s face, which was slightly below her¡­¡­she gently brought her lips to Rei¡¯s. A 10 second kiss where their lips just touched. With a beauty like Elena doing such a thing, it was impossible to not draw attention. Not just the attention of those who had come to see Rei off, but also those who had been watching casually. The gazes Rei drew were a mix of jealousy and surprise. Elena tried to move away as she stepped back, but was suddenly pulled back by Rei¡¯s hand as he hugged her. Their lips overlapped again. After finally separating, Rei whispered into Elena¡¯s ear with a small smile. ¡¸See you again soon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah.¡¹ There must have been a big difference to Elena between kissing Rei and being kissed by Rei. She gave a slight nod with bright red cheeks. Vihera, who was watching, let out a small sigh as Theorem, who was hiding under his robe, whispered in quiet voice that only Vihera could hear. ¡¸Are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸What, can I step out now and kiss him too? Rei will hate me if I don¡¯t read the situation properly. ¡­¡­Rather, Theorem, can you accept my relationship with Rei?¡¹ ¡¸To be honest, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s desirable. However, this is just my personal feelings from the last war. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to have a good relationship with people from the Mireana Kingdom. ¡­¡­Whether the people of the Bestir Empire would approve is a different matter.¡¹ Vihera was very popular with the people of the Bestir Empire because of her good looks. ¡­¡­No, not just in the past tense. Even after Vihera left the Empire, her popularity remained strong. What would happen if it was found out that she was in love with an adventurer who had killed a large number of Empire soldiers? It didn¡¯t take a lot of thinking to reach a conclusion. It would be a different story if Rei had been the heir to a high ranking noble in the Bestir Epmire or a member of royalty from a neighbouring country. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s meet again everyone. I¡¯m glad I came to Exil and I¡¯d like to come again someday. Next time, I want to clear the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururururu~!¡¹ After saying that to everyone who had come to see him off, Rei headed out the main gate together with Set, who gave a loud cry in agreement. Seeing him leave, everyone else felt slightly lonely, but they saw him off without stopping him. Handing over his guild card and Necklace of Subservient Monster to the guards, he completed all the exit procedures before heading out of Exil. Rei and Set had been in Exil for less than a month. Still, there was no doubt that Rei had left a strong impression in Exil, residents and adventurers alike. Under the eyes of those people, Rei moved to a place a bit further away from the gate, so as to not disturb anyay, before getting on Set¡¯s back and flying up into the sky. CH 536 Two days after leaving Exil. Rei, who was flying on Set, was already far from Exil. As for where he was¡­¡­ ¡¸You really don¡¯t have a lot for being a bandit.¡¹ A bandit hideout. It wasn¡¯t too hard to explain why he was at such a place. On the way from Exil to Gilm, he had noticed a commotion taking place on the ground. Looking down, he saw several carriages attacked by a group of horse riders. Listening in to what the men on the horses were yelling at the carriages, he found out that they were bandits. Rei, who was of the opinion that bandits should be exterminated, succeeded in taking out most of the bandits attacking the carriages by sending out Flying Slashes and fire magic from the air. In addition to the riders, there were also some bandits hiding in the path of the caravan, but there was no way they could hide from Set¡¯s sense of sight, hearing, and smell. They were easily annihilated in a carpet bombing attack. After Rei found out that the carriages belonged to a merchant caravan, he interrogated the surviving bandits and forced them to reveal the location of their hideout. Rei alone¡­¡­or more precisely, Rei and Set, were more than enough to kill off the remaining bandits, so he didn¡¯t really need reinforcements¡­¡­however, the merchants and their guards begged to help in return for his kindness. Being too troublesome to refuse, Rei decided to take them along. From his interrogation, Rei found that most of the bandits had been in the attack, leaving only a few people behind in the hideout, which might have something to do with the merchant¡¯s decision. That and the fact that they might be able to take the items the bandits had previously looted. Rei wondered if it was okay for the guards to ignore their escort target so easily, but since the merchants, who was the one being escorted, agreed, Rei said that he wouldn¡¯t be held responsible if anything happened before they left for the hideout. In the end, matching what they had learned from the interrogation, only a few people were left at the hideout, which the guards quickly captured. It seemed like they would end up being sold as slaves in the city the merchants were going to, similar to the survivors of the bandits who had attacked the merchants. Of course, Rei¡¯s share had already been paid to him, including an additional sum as a reward. ¡¸No, no. I think it¡¯s quite reasonable for a group of bandits of this size.¡¹ A merchant spoke to Rei with a big smile on his face. From the point of view of the merchants, it was a good thing if Rei had no interest in anything as they could legally take anything that the bandits had hoarded with minimal effort. ¡¸As promised, I¡¯ll take what I want first, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, go ahed. But, if you could consider everything¡­¡­¡¹ It was only natural for the merchants to mention their own request, although they seemed embarrassed to bring it up. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. As I said earlier, there¡¯s almost nothing among what they hoarded that I want. You guys should take the rest in exchange for your troubles.¡¹ Saying that, Rei looked around the treasure vault¡­¡­or rather, a place best described as a warehouse. The bandit group wasn¡¯t that big to begin with, so most of what they had were leather bags containing copper and silver coins as well asl some clothing, tableware, weapons, and armour. Seeing that, Rei, without any hesitation, went right over to where the weapons were and stored any spears into the Misty Ring. With regards to throwing spears, he had replenished his stock from various weapon shops and blacksmiths in Exil, but it was always good to have some in reserve. At the same time, he stored away all the knives. Those were basically cosumables for stripping monster materials. That said, there weren¡¯t that many spears and knives in total. It was only natural since these were the leftover weapons that the bandits didn¡¯t use. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s all I need. You can deal with the rest.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure about this? That is¡­¡­¡¹ The merchants had seen Rei take out the Death Scythe when attacking the bandits, but once again, they were captivated by Rei¡¯s use of his item box in front of them. From the merchants¡¯ perspective, they had though Rei, a solo adventurer, would take the money first. However, Rei had just taken the spears and knives, leaving everything else. Rei was somewhat surprised by that question, but nodded to indicate it was fine. ¡¸Money isn¡¯t a concern for me.¡¹ Hearing Rei say those words, the merchants¡¯ gazes was half filled with admiration and half with astonishment. To a merchant, no matter how much money they had, they would never be satisfied. The more money the better. That said, even if they wanted more money, they wouldn¡¯t use dishonest means to do so. At the very least, the merchants here seemed to have that common sense. However, from Rei¡¯s point of view, having the money from selling materials and magic stones obtained from Exil¡¯s dungeon and the rewards recieved from handing over the corpses of the abnormal species and various information to Vosk, his pockets were feeling quite full. ¡¸I understand, let¡¯s do that. So, um¡­¡­what do you plan to do now, Rei-dono?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ Rei asked back, not quite understanding the merchant¡¯s question. ¡¸So, where do you plan to go from here? ¡­¡­If we¡¯re headed in the same direction, why don¡¯t you join us?¡¹ Hearing those words, the rest of the merchants all nodded as if it were a good idea. In comparison, the people who had been hired to guard them had slightly disatisfied expressions on their faces. ¡¸¡­¡­Ah.¡¹ From those words, Rei could guess the merchants¡¯ intentions. With someone who had the strenght to wipe out a group of bandits from the sky, the safety of their journey would basically be guaranteed. The merchants must have desperately wanted to hire Rei as a guard, since he had proven to be stronger than all the guards they had hired combined. ¡¸Of course, we will pay a suitable reward. What do you think?¡¹ At their question, Rei shook his head silently. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m in a hurry. It was just a coincidence that I saved you this time.¡¹ ¡¸Is there no way?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, I need to get to Gilm as soon as possible.¡¹ After Rei¡¯s brief reply, the merchant talking to him let out a small sigh. ¡¸I understand. If you¡¯re in a hurry, it¡¯s useless to say anything more. ¡­¡­Rei-dono, thank you very much for helping us out this time. As the leader of this merchant caravan, I would like to thank you.¡¹ Bowing his head deeply, the other merchants and guards also bowed their heads. With those parting words, Rei left the cave that the bandits had been using as their hideout. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ As he flapped his wings and flew through the deep blue summer sky, Set turned his head back as he gave a cry. Rei gave in to Set¡¯s request for food, which could be seen in his round eyes, and took some dried meat out from the Misty Ring before giving it to him. ¡¸Gururururu~¡¹ Set flapped his wings happily as he ate the dried meat. ¡¸You¡¯re quite dexterous, aren¡¯t you.¡¹ Even while looking back, there was no deviation it¡¯s Set¡¯s direction or speed. It seemed that it was something Set could do by flying on instinct. Rei thought about that as he stroked Set¡¯s neck. Maybe because of that, Set gave a loud cry as he flapped his wings harder, further increasing his flight speed. A small smile appeared on Rei¡¯s face as he saw some monsters below flee into the forest at the sound of Set¡¯s cry. Mid summer was starting to pass and autumn was graudally approaching, but summer was still summer. Even if the mornings and nights were getting cooler, the sunlight was still strong during the day. Cumulonimbus clouds floated in the distant sky, giving Rei a sense of the season. Thanks to his Dragon Robe, Rei barely felt the heat as Set flew a straight path along the winding highway¡­¡­and before long, they could see a city below them. That¡¯s right, Gilm, the only city on the frontier. ¡¸Guru~, Gururururu~!¡¹ Seeing Gilm for the first time in a long while, Set gave out a happy cry. Several monsters on the ground that heard his cry decided they stood no chance of winning if they were attacked and fled back into the forest. Some monsters had been fighting each other, but they also fled in different directions as soon as they heard Set¡¯s cry. ¡­¡­The biggest problem was probably the travelers, merchants, and adventurers along the highway. Most people in Gilm were familiar with Set, who was treated like a sort of mascot. But, there were also those who had recently come to Gilm¡­¡­or more precisely, were seeing Set for the first time. When the people who were running away in a panic were told what was going on by those who knew, they were all surprised. The reason Set could still be recognised from such a height and his cry was mainly because he was so well known in Gilm. In any case, Set flapped his wings and landed a short distance away from Gilm before they went over to the main gate. Normally, it would be easier to land right in front of the main gate, but since Rei had been warned about it before, he decided to be more careful. ¡¸Oh, I knew it. Isn¡¯t it Set and Rei? It¡¯s been a while.¡¹ Turning to look at Rei and Set, who were walking over, one of the guards that Rei was familiar with smiled as he spoke. ¡¸I went over to Exil for a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Exil¡­¡­is that the Labyrinth City?¡¹ ¡¸Well, something like that. There was something I was looking for.¡¹ Rei held out his guild card as they spoke. Recieving it, the guards went through the entry procedures in an familiar manner. ¡¸More importantly, where¡¯s Ranga?¡¹ When Rei asked about the missing captain of the guards, who would usually handle Rei¡¯s entry exclusively, the guard shrugged his shoulders as he skillfully went through the formalities. ¡¸If you¡¯re asking about the captain, he¡¯s had some business to attend to. He¡¯s been over in Abuelo in the past three days.¡¹ ¡¸Abuelo?¡¹ Rei was puzzled at the mention of the closest town to Gilm as he prompted the guard to continue. ¡¸Yeah. It seems that a rather troublesome group of bandits has appeared. Several knights and guards, including Captain Ranga were dispatched as reinforcements.¡¹ ¡¸Bandits, huh. We don¡¯t have as many bandit problems near Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. If you have the ability to be a bandit around here, you might as well work normally as an adventurer. Here, your guild card and Necklace of Subservient Monster.¡¹ Gilm, which was located on the frontier, naturally had a large number of monsters in the area. Not just numbers, but also a large variety. Even half-baked adventurers wouldn¡¯t want to camp outside Gilm. After completing the procedures, Rei stored his guild card back into the Misty Ring and hung the necklace around Set¡¯s neck. With that done, they entered through the main gate into Gilm. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Urged by Set¡¯s hungry cries, Rei went over to a food stall near the main gate¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t this Set? Rei as well. You¡¯re back. How have things been? Today¡¯s skewers are absolutely delicious.¡¹ The stall owner¡¯s voice echoed out into the surroundings and many eyes turned to Rei and Set. ¡¸Ohh, it¡¯s Set.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s definitely Set.¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s cute as always.¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t seen Set lately, I finally got to meet him.¡¹ ¡¸Set-chan, would you like a sandwich?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Rei is here as well.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸Yay, it¡¯s Set-chan, Set-chan. Hey, hey, let¡¯s play.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s cheating. I also want to play with Set.¡¹ While talking like that, many passers-by, stall owners, adventurers, and children gathered nearby. ¡­¡­It was only natural that Set was the primary target for most of them, Rei was just a bonus, considering Set¡¯s position in Gilm. However, it was also true that if there was a commotion at the front gate, it would become a hindrance to others. ¡¸Hey, hey, don¡¯t gather here for too long. Set won¡¯t run away, so please move on for now.¡¹ That was what the guards at the front gate said. People looked disappointed, but they all listened and left the place. Of course, they didn¡¯t simply leave right away. Many of them gave dried meat and sandwiches they had on them to Set while the quick ones bought some skewers for Set. Hearing Set give happy cries after recieving a large amount of food, Rei headed back to the Dusk Wheat to stay for the night. CH 537 Rei and Set checked into a room for the night at the Dusk Wheat inn before heading to the Lord¡¯s residence. It was almost sunset, but Rei judged that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to pay Daska a visit at this time. That said, he was the only one going. Set was originally going to go with Rei, but after news of his return quickly spread through Gilm, as soon as he stepped outside the inn, Set was caught by people wanting to play with him. With so many people taking care of him and giving him food, Set was more than happy to stay where he was. ¡¸Looking around¡­¡­it doesn¡¯t seem like much has changed.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he made his way down the streets and looked around. He had been away from Gilm for less than two months, so in a sense, this was only natural. Even so, there were more people passing through than usual, partly because it was summer, and the atmosphere felt a bit different. As he continued along the street, almost like a tourist, the number of shops gradually started to decrease as more and more guards started to appear. This change continued as Rei got closer to the Lord¡¯s residence. ¡¸Hey, you. What are you doing here?¡¹ One of two guards walking in his direction called out to him. Unfortunately, the guard had only arrived in Gilm 10 days ago and had only gotten the role through connections. That was why he had called out to Rei, who looked a little suspicious wearing the hood of his Dragon Robe. If Set had been with him, it might have been a different story. Even the new guard had heard a lot about Set with how well known he was in Gilm. Despite being an A rank monster, Set had reached the status of being Gilm¡¯s mascot primarily because he didn¡¯t attack people and was rather friendly. In any case, the new guard called out to Rei in an attempt to quickly claim credit, but¡­¡­ ¡¸Hm? Oh, it¡¯s Rei. When did you get back to Gilm?¡¹ As if to make up for the new guard¡¯s mistake, the guard working with him waved to Rei when he saw him. Rei lightly raised his hand in response as he replied to the guard who had asked him in a friendly tone. ¡¸Just a while earlier. I¡¯m headed for the Lord¡¯s residence because I¡¯ve some business with Daska.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Adventurers all have their troubles to deal with. Well, please don¡¯t cause any strange commotions. Oh, and this is a new guy, he just joined the guard recently.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Senior? Eh?¡¹ The guard who had first called out to Rei let out a bewildered voice as he saw Rei casually chatting with his senior. Seeing him like that, the senior guard spoke with a wry smile. ¡¸This guy here is Rei. He¡¯s a pretty famous C rank adventurer in Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸Oh. That was before I left Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei?¡¹ Saying Rei¡¯s name out loud and realising that Rei was a B rank adventurer, the new guard finally seemed to realise who he was talking to. His eyes and mouth went wide as if he had run into a high ranking monster. ¡¸Rei¡­¡­could you be, Crimson?¡¹ ¡¸I am often called that.¡¹ ¡¸Pardon me!¡¹ As soon as Rei confirmed his title, the new guard immediately bowed his head. It made sense though. The title of Crimson was famous for various reasons. Both in good ways¡­¡­and in bad ways. With regards to the well known stories Rei was infamous for, the most well known one was mercilessly killing nobles that he didn¡¯t like. ¡­¡­The fact that the stories weren¡¯t that different from reality part of what made Rei, Rei. ¡¸Calm down, he won¡¯t attack you for no reason.¡¹ ¡¸But, senior¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It looks like we should move on. For now, if there¡¯s nothing more, can we get going?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes!¡¹ The new guard immediately nodded in confusion. Seeing his response, the senior guard gave a small smile and shrugged his shoulders before looking at Rei. It¡¯s time to give the new guard a break. Silently indicating that to Rei, the senior guard gave a sigh before lightly tapping the shoulder of the frozen guard, who seemed worried that he would be eaten up by Rei if he so much as moved slightly. The moment the senior guard¡¯s hand touched his shoulder, the frozen guard let out a breath in relief after realising he was alive and unharmed. The senior guard looked at the new guard, who had a frightened look in his eyes. ¡¸You really are too easily scared.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­that¡¯s Crimson, isn¡¯t it? Rumors say he burned the entire Bestir Empire army and scorched the land because he didn¡¯t like them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not quite right.¡¹ ¡¸But, from what I¡¯ve heard¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Rumors, for better or worse, always grow bigger.¡¹ From what Rei heard, the rumors seemed to contain a mixture of both truth and lies, but he ended up leaving without clarifying anything. ¡¸Oh, Rei. It¡¯s been a while. Anything happen all of a sudden?¡¹ Rei was currently facing the frontier lord, Margrave Daska Rowlocks, in the lord¡¯s office. The gatekeeper to the Lord¡¯s residence remembered Rei, so he was allowed to visit Daska without running into any issues. Still, normally, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible to request a meeting and be granted permission immediately. Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ position wasn¡¯t a light post. However, fortunately for Rei, he was a unique existance in many ways. This went not only for his personality and abilities, but also his achievements. For that reason, Rei himself was seen as something like Daska¡¯s sword, which was why he first returned to Gilm before heading for the Bestir Empire. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while Daska-sama. Actually, I have to go to the Bestir Empire for a bit of a wild request¡­¡­¡¹ When Rei said that, Daska¡¯s face, which had held a smile¡­¡­suddenly disappeared. The reflection in his eyes was no longer that of a friend, but of the noble, Margrave Rowlocks. ¡¸What do you mean? Can you tell me the situation?¡¹ ¡¸Before that¡­¡­please take this.¡¹ Rather than explaining in his own words, he handed over a letter than he had taken out from the Misty Ring to Daska. It was the letter Elena had written to explain the circumstances of the situation. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Daska silently accepted and opened it as he read through the letter. The letter itself wasn¡¯t that long and he finished it in under a minute. But, even after finishing the letter, Daska didn¡¯t say anything in particular and just groaned as he looked through the letter again. This happened three times before he eventually put the letter on his desk with a sigh and looked at Rei before speaking. ¡¸¡­¡­I understand the general situation from Elena-dono¡¯s letter.¡¹ Saying that, he let out another big sigh. It seemed the situation was highly unexpected for him. The fact that Vihera, the second princess of the Bestir Empire, had been living in Exil, in the Mireana Kingdom, and above all, that Theorem had gone to find Vihera. ¡¸There are many things¡­¡­many things I want to ask about, but you said you found a magic items called paired orbs? So you can communicate with Elena-dono?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Rei nodded briefly and immediately took out his paired orb from the Misty Ring. He then poured magic power into it. On the other side, it seemed that Elena had expected Rei to arrive in Gilm today from her nightly conversations with him. Before long, Elena¡¯s face was reflected in the orb and she spoke up without any particular sign of panic. ¡ºRei? Since you¡¯ve activated the paired orbs at this time, it seems you¡¯ve arrived in Gilm.¡» ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m in Daska-sama¡¯s office right now. Daska-sama wanted to talk to you, so I activated the paired orbs.¡¹ Saying that, Rei moved the orbs so that Elena could see Daska instead of himself. ¡ºOh, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s been a while, Daska-dono.¡» ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s been a while. ¡­¡­So, about what you wrote in your letter.¡¹ ¡ºYes. As far as I understand, everything in the letter is correct.¡» ¡¸Then, the second princess of the Bestier Empire really¡­¡­this has become another troublesome situation. Even if it was just the last war, the Bestir Empire holds a grudge against us because of treaty that was signed at the end of the war.¡¹ Daska let out a bitter sigh. As the war had ended with the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s victory, the Mireana Kingdom was naturally in an advantageous position with regards to the end of war treaty. Especially with regards to things like reparations and ransoms for those who had become prisoners of war. For that reason, it was clear that the current Bestir Empire harboured a large amount of hatred for the Mireana Kingdom. At least, that was the case for the upper echolon of the Bestir Empire. Under such circumstances, if it became known that the second princess, who was quite popular in the Empire, held feelings for the person who had determined victory and defeat in the war against the Mireana Kingdom¡­¡­it might even lead to another war in the worst situation. ¡ºI can certainly understand Daska-dono¡¯s thinking. However, if we take this opportunity to rescue His Highness Mercurior, as requested, it will be an opportunity to consume the Bestir Empire¡¯s strength and national power. Especially if His Highenss Mercurio manages to become the next emperor, it would be the birth of a pro-Mireana Kingdom emperor.¡» ¡¸¡­¡­But, that¡¯s only if everything goes well, right?¡¹ Daska¡¯s words seemed to be testing her, but Elena responded with a beautiful smile. ¡ºI didn¡¯t think those words would come from someone who knows Rei, Daska-dono.¡» With just those words, Daska was at a loss on how to respond. The fact was that Rei had successfully completed all his previous requests, some of which had been extremely difficult. Considering Rei¡¯s achievements and his 100% request completion rate, Daska couldn¡¯t say that he didn¡¯t trust Rei. And, above all, Daska did trust Rei¡¯s skills. ¡ºBesides, I¡¯ve already hired someone who can use summoning magic to inform my parents about this matter. Do you think my father will miss such a good opportunity?¡» ¡¸Certainly, Duke Kerebel wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity.¡¹ What would happen if they could install a pro-Mireana Kingdom emperor in the Bestir Empire, which had historically been an enemy nation? Even if things didn¡¯t go that far, the creation of a pro-Mireana Kingdom faction was good enough. It was clear that this would reverse the power discrepancy between the Royalist and Aristocratic factions¡­¡­or at the very least, significantly narrow the power gap. In that case, should I take advantage of these events? Daska thought about it, but as expected, it wasn¡¯t a matter that could be decided on immediately. ¡¸¡­¡­For now, I¡¯ll just say that I¡¯m looking at this positively.¡¹ ¡ºThat¡¯s isn¡¯t a problem. But don¡¯t forget that Rei has to leave Gilm as soon as possible.¡» ¡¸The autumn tournament, huh? It¡¯s a pretty big event even for the Bestir Empire.¡¹ It was precisely because they were enemies that the Bestir Empire would invite nobles from the Mireana Kingdom to the tournament. To show off their strength. Especially because they had lost the Spring War this year, it was clear that they would be sending out invitations to many more countries to show their neighbours that their national strength had not declined. In that case, it was only natural that Daska, the leader of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s neutral faction, would receive an invitation. In fact, the invitation had already arrived. After all, Daska was one of the key players in the Spring War. Even the Bestir Empire didn¡¯t want their neighbouring countries to think that they were worried about losing another war by not sending out an invitation. That said, it was rare for a faction leader to visit directly. It was more common for a subordinate or confidant to be sent as a proxy. ¡¸In this case, if I¡¯m going to support this directly, it would be better to go in person. I¡¯ll need to think a little more about that.¡¹ Daska muttered out loud, as if thinking about something. After that, Elena and Daska continued to exchange more detailed information on the matter and how to proceed. In the meantime, Rei snacked on sandwiches and drank the tea brought over by a maid as he focused on listening in to the discussion. CH 538 Although summer was coming to an end, the nights were still hot. The temperature had dropped from peak summer, but that made no difference to those out and about in the city at night. Eating and drinking in a bar to avoid the heat or going to a brothel in search of a woman¡¯s soft skin. It was currently early in the night. Rei was walking alone through the streets as he made his way back to the Dusk Wheat. He had gone to the Lord¡¯s residence just before the sun set, so it made sense that it was late by the time he left. Elena and Daska exchanged various information on the matter of the Bestir Empire, how to proceed, and how each others¡¯ factions, Elena¡¯s father¡¯s faction to be precise, would be involved in the matter. All this was necessary to have a discussion on whether or not they should do anything. In addition, there was the matter of the Church of Holy Light, which had been operating secretly in Exil, as well as talks on what to do if the Church of Holy Light entered Gilm. As a result, Rei ended up having dinner at the Lord¡¯s residence. Since he was treated to a meal made with high ranking monster ingredients, he didn¡¯t have any personal complaints. His only concern was¡­¡­ (I hope Set isn¡¯t sulking.) He muttered to himself as he looked up into the sky. For a few seconds, his eyes were distracted by the clouds obscuring the moon¡­¡­ ¡¸Ahh! There you are! Rei-kun, Rei-kun!¡¹ A voice that suddenly called out to him pulled Rei back to reality. At the same time, he heard light footsteps running towards him followed by the sound of something jumping off the ground. The next moment, he felt a soft weight on his back. Turning around to see who it was without losing his posture, he saw a familiar female Catkin. It was Kenny, the guild receptionist, who had a flamboyant expression on her face. ¡¸Hold on, it¡¯s dangerous for you to suddenly jump on Rei-san!¡¹ The sound of another set of footsteps approaching was heard after a short delay. A young woman with a serious expression came into Rei¡¯s eyes as he turned around with Kenny on his back. As a matter of course, this person was also an acquaintance of Rei. Like Kenny, Lenora was also a guild receptionist. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s been a while, Rei-san. I apologise for the trouble Kenny has caused. Hey, Kenny. Get off Rei-san!¡¹ ¡¸Ehh¡­¡­it¡¯s been so long, hasn¡¯t it, Rei-kun? Should I replenish Rei-kun¡¯s energy like this¡­¡­huh? Hm? Hmm? Hmmm?¡¹ While replying to Lenora, something about Rei caught Kenny¡¯s attention as she brought her face closer to his back and started sniffing around. ¡¸Why is there the smell of a woman I don¡¯t know?¡¹ Kenny looked at Rei with a quivering gaze, but Lenora, who had been watching, gave a small sigh as she tried to calm Kenny down. ¡¸That¡¯s right. Rei-san went to the Labyrinth City, didn¡¯t he? Naturally, there are other adventurers there, so there must have been a female adventurer among them.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, it doesn¡¯t smell like that though¡­¡­Rei-kun, do you what it might be?¡¹ When asked by Kenny, Rei calmly looked away as he shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸I did have to deal with various adventurers. Of course there were female adventurers among them.¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ ¡¸Probably.¡¹ Even though his reply was brief, what passed through Rei¡¯s mind was the dignified figure of the General Princess and the bewitching figure of battle maniac dressed in thin, dancer like clothes. ¡¸Hmmmm¡­¡­well, that¡¯s fine. More than that, Rei-kun, Lenora and I were just talking about having dinner together, what do you think?¡¹ Kenny seemed suspicious about Rei¡¯s attitude for a moment, but she quickly changed the subject as she asked Rei. From Kenny¡¯s point of view, it was more important to actually deepen her relationship with Rei rather than find out if a new rival existed or not. Rei had just eaten dinner at the Lord¡¯s residence a little earlier, but Rei still had plenty of room for more food, so he gave a small nod. ¡¸That¡¯s fine. I want to see how Set is doing though, so is the inn fine?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, that isn¡¯t a problem. How about you, Lenora?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s okay with me as well. I¡¯d like to hear from Rei-san as well.¡¹ Lenora glanced at Rei with a smile. To be honest, Lenora saw Rei as something like a younger brother and was curious about what he had experience in Exil. Quickly deciding on dinner at the Dusk Wheat, the three of them started walking together. ¡¸That said¡­¡­it¡¯s not something I have the right to saw, but isn¡¯t a bit late for dinner?¡¹ At a time when the sun rose early and set late, there weren¡¯t many people who ate after it was completely dark. Of course, there were many people who were drinking at various bars as well as those working night shift who wanted to grab some late snacks. However, Kenny just nodded exaggeratedly at Rei¡¯s words, as if she had been waiting for him to ask. ¡­¡­At the same time, she casually wrapped her own arm around Rei¡¯s in an experienced manner. ¡¸That¡¯s right. There was a Goblin settlement found inside the forest along the highway. We had to calculate the rewards for the party that subjugated them, the purchase of materials and magic stones, exchange of proofs of subjugation, and more. After that, there was also the report. It wasn¡¯t until evening was approaching that we finished¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I-Is that so?¡¹ The feeling of Kenny¡¯s plump breasts touching his arm caused his cheeks to blush slightly as they moved towards the Dusk Wheat. ¡¸¡­¡­What the hell happened here? No, I know why, but I don¡¯t want to say it¡­¡­¡¹ Rei muttered dumbfoundedly at the scene spread before his eyes. ¡¸Ah, ahahaha. There were definitely a lot of people who said they wanted to meet with Set-chan, so this was a possible outcome.¡¹ Kenny had a wry smile on her lips as she replied to Rei. ¡¸Wow¡­¡­how should I put it, wow¡­¡­this is amazing.¡¹ Lenora muttered in amazement. In front of them were the Dusk Wheat¡¯s stables. Normally, it wasn¡¯t a place where people would gather, but right now, almost 20 people were present. When Rei¡¯s group reached the Dusk Wheat, they decided to eat right away, so they called out to the proprietress, Lana. ¡¸Judging from the situation, she did the right thing, letting Set out of the stable.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true. If that many people tried to get inside the stable, some of the horses would definitely get too excited and go on a rampage.¡¹ Lenora muttered while nodding at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸And the one at the center is¡­¡­naturally Milein, it seems.¡¹ Set was lying under the moonlight in an open space in front of the stables. Several lights were lit up around him and, under the light, Milein was feeding Set skewers, sandwiches, and stewed meat while stroking him. Other people also gave Set food while petting him or admiring him in their own ways. A little further away, the mage who had used magic to create the lights around Set gave a sigh. It was Sulunin, the mage of the party Milein led, Scorching Wind, and the person who served to stop Milein from doing anything too crazy. Rei¡¯s group of three didn¡¯t go over to Milein, who was obsessing over Set, but to Sulunin. In their hands were sandwiches that Lana had entrusted to them. They had been asked to pass some to Sulunin, who had been pulled into the whole event. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Rei-san. Lenora-san and Kenny-san as well.¡¹ ¡¸Good evening.¡¹ ¡¸It looks like it¡¯s been quite troublesome.¡¹ Lenora and Kenny both exchanged greetings with Sulunin, who bowed his head with a small smile. The poor mage was probably the biggest victim in this whole affair. To the victim, Rei handed over the sandwiches in his hand. ¡¸Here, it¡¯s from the proprietress. Have some to cheer yourself up.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry for the trouble. ¡­¡­No, I¡¯m really sorry.¡¹ His first apology was for Rei bringing sandwiches over. Needless to say, his second apology was for Milein, who he turned to look at. ¡¸Well, I had been expecting this since I came back to Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸Mmm, that¡¯s for sure. Milein-san hasn¡¯t been feeling well for a while.¡¹ Lenora sat down on the grass as she set out the sandwiches that had been prepared for them. Kenny also sat down on the ground in agreement. Typical of Kenny, she didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to sit next to Rei. Lenora reached out for a sandwich as she looked at her colleague with an exasperated gaze. ¡¸Oh? Come to think of it, there are barely any insects around here.¡¹ ¡¸It seems that proper measures have been taken with regards to that.¡¹ Ahead of Sulunin¡¯s sight were column like objects about 1m tall, either side of the stables. They gave off a faint light, similar to moonlight. ¡¸It¡¯s an insect repelling magic item that prevents animals and monster familiars in the stables from getting irritated by insects. There are similar magic items in regular inns, but the Dusk Wheat in particular has a large stable, so they place a higher importance on that.¡¹ ¡¸Heh.¡¹ The one who was impressed by Sulunin¡¯s explanation wasn¡¯t Kenny or Lenora¡­¡­but Rei. ¡º¡­¡­¡» Seeing his response, Kenny and Lenora looked at each other in silence. Before long, Kenny spoke up somewhat cautiously. ¡¸H-Hey, Rei. You¡¯ve been staying at this inn for over a year, haven¡¯t you? You never noticed the magic item?¡¹ ¡¸No, well¡­¡­¡¹ As if to change the subject, Rei brought a sandwich to his mouth. It was a sandwich made from freshly baked bread and the bread was still moist and soft. Sweet and salty boiled chicken and crunchy leafy vegetables were sandwiched between the bread. ¡¸This is delicious.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmmm. Well, I guess I¡¯m hungry as well, should I start eating?¡¹ Saying that, Kenny reached out for a grilled fish sandwich. You sure? Lenora seemed to asked with a glance, but Kenny didn¡¯t seem to care at all as she brought a sandwich to her mouth. (To be a good woman, one shouldn¡¯t push a troubled man more than necessary. It would be a different story if it were about another woman though.) Thinking like that in her mind, Kenny looked back at Lenora. ¡¸So, Rei-san. Since you¡¯re back from the Labyrinth City, will you be staying in Gilm for a while?¡¹ Lenora asked while taking small bites of her vegetable and ham sandwich. However, Rei¡¯s response was a silent shake of his head. Clearing his mouth with water, Rei spoke up again. ¡¸I¡¯ll probably be leaving Gilm again in the near future. I¡¯ve gotten myself into a bit of a messy situation.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? That¡¯s a lie, right? You just came back after so long and you¡¯re leaving again?¡¹ Kenny, who really looked like a Catkin as she licked the sauce off her hands, asked without thinking. Sulunin, who had been listening in, also had a surprised expression on his face. In Sulunin¡¯s case, Rei¡¯s departure meant that Set would be gone again, and he wondered what would happen to his party leader. (No way, I¡¯m going with Rei for Set¡­¡­is something she would say¡­¡­) The reason he could imagine Milein saying that was because of her current expression as she played with Set. However, as the person who¡¯s job it was to hold Milein back, Sulunin had no choice but to assume that following Rei would be dangerous in many ways. This was because Rei¡¯s strength was much greater than theirs, so if Rei said that it was going to be messy, it was definitely going to be dangerous. ¡¸A lot of things happened in Exil. Things could get pretty nasty if anything goes wrong.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you able to tell us anything about it?¡¹ Kenny asked while wiggling her cat ears, but Rei silently refused as he shook his head. At this point, telling them that he was going to the Bestir Empire would make them worry greatly considering that they all knew how much he had stood out in the Spring War. ¡¸Well, Set will still be with me. We also have other people working together with us. Considering that, I don¡¯t think you need to worry too much.¡¹ Rei brought a ham and cheese sandwich to his mouth as he continued to speak in a light tone. ¡¸Besides, maybe you¡¯ll find out what I¡¯m doing later, so if you¡¯re curious, take your time to wait to find out.¡¹ If he went to participate in the Bestir Empire¡¯s fighting tournament, there was no doubt that news would definitely become widespread. It wasn¡¯t far off to say that the new would spread to Gilm. Thinking like that, he told that Kenny, Lenora, and Sulunin, who looked at him worriedly as they ate the sandwiches. CH 539 The soft light coming in from the window fell onto Rei¡¯s face as he slept in his bed, the glare making him toss and turn. The way the direct sunlight bothered him was a large contrast to his feared persona of Crimson. To be exact, he had an innocence that matched his age¡­¡­or rather, his appearance. ¡¸Mm¡­¡­Mmm¡­¡­¡¹ Turning over again, the sunlight shone down on the back of his head and eventually, Rei opened his eyes. ¡¸Ahhh¡­¡­¡¹ He found himself inside an unfamiliar yet familiar room. Rei, who was still half asleep, recollected his thoughts as he eventually realised where he was. ¡¸That¡¯s right, I¡¯m back in Gilm.¡¹ He wasn¡¯t in the Golden Wind inn back in Exil, nor was he inside the magic tent he used for camping. Seeing the room he had previously stayed in for over a year, he felt a sense of relief as he stretched his body. As the soft summer sun shone through the window, it seemed that people were already up and about. Rei could sense many people walking around. ¡¸Well¡­¡­what should I do today? Until Daska reaches a decision on what to do with the Bestir Empire, I can¡¯t casually leave Gilm.¡¹ Rei was somewhat concerned about the large scale bandit group he had heard about, but he also understood that he couldn¡¯t simply leave Gilm in his current situation. Daska has also asked him to show some restraint in that area. ¡¸A bandit group¡¯s hoard would be nice. ¡­¡­Well, whatever. Maybe I should go on a walk with Set after breakfast?¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei gave another stretch before getting dressed and heading to the dining area on the first floor. ¡¸Here, Set. This is for you.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Although they had just finished breakfast, Rei gave a grilled skewer, which he had bought in a store, over to Set. Seeing the skewer, Set closed his beak around the skewer before pulling all the meat off. Of course, with all the meat in Set¡¯s mouth, there was nothing left when Rei pulled the skewer out. ¡¸Guru~? Gururu~, Gurururururu~¡¹ The meat must have been delicious. Rei gave a small smile as he offered another skewer to Set, who asked for more. ¡¸You already ate so much last night, but you can still eat? I don¡¯t have the right to say this, but you really can eat.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Of course, Set seemed to say with a cry. Involuntarily smiling at Set¡¯s response, Rei continued to walk down the streets without any particular destination in mind. Along the way, people at stalls and shops, shopkeepers, passers-by, children, and adventurers all smiled when they saw Set, giving him a little food or petting him. Everyone else just watched from a distance with a small smile on their faces. ¡¸Hmm. The city hasn¡¯t changed much.¡¹ Seeing a 10 year old child walking along with Set in high spirits, Rei murmured those words. Set had also become accepted in Exil, but as they had spent more than a year in Gilm, there were much fewer people here who rejected Set. (That said¡­¡­) Rei gave a wry smile as he saw a shocked merchant out of the corner of his eyes as they looked at Set. It was likely that they had come to Gilm after Rei left for Exil. As a Griffon walked calmly down the street, the surrounding residents didn¡¯t seem to be afraid¡­¡­on the contrary, they were happily playing around with him. A nearby resident explain the situation to the merchant, who was frozen in shock after seeing the seemingly impossible scene. It was probably because Gilm was at the frontier that such exchanges were possible. Even in Exil, if a little more time had passed, similar situations might have happened. The frontier city of Gilm and the Labyrinth City Exil, what both of them had in common was the large number of adventurers. (Both were just as comfortable for me though. I heard that the Imperial Capital of the Bestir Empire allows tamed monsters, but I don¡¯t think there will be the same easy going atmosphere as here. ¡­¡­No, before even that, as long as I¡¯m there, there will definitely be some commotion.) Thinking about that as he walked along, he eventually saw the guild building. Thinking about it for a few seconds, Rei decided to take a look to see if there were any requests he could do in a day to pass the time. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not like I have anything to do in particular today. Set, I¡¯m heading into the guild, please wait a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Understood, Set seemed to say with a cry as he headed for the space where tamed monsters would wait, alongside all the children running around him. Adventurers leaving the guild also went over to Set as Rei went inside. The inside of the guild was quite empty, probably because the busiest hours had already passed. Even so, there were still some adventurers at the bar attached to the guild having a slightly late breakfast¡­¡­or an early lunch. Some of them must have really disliked the heat. Even though it was still morning, they were already drinking loudly. Seeing such people, Rei went over to the request board as he looked over starting from the F rank requests. Of course, as a B rank adventurer, Rei could now accept A rank requests. However, with very few exceptions, high ranking quests where almost all very difficult or very dangerous. They included requests such as subjugating high rank monsters, collecting rare materials, and guarding places with high bandit populations. As Rei would likely have to leave Gilm and head to Goto, where Vihera and Theorem would join up with him, he didn¡¯t have the luxury of accepting such high level requests. Rei was just looking through the request board to pass the time, but¡­¡­he stopped in front of a certain request. A C rank request. The reason why the request was such a high rank was likely because the client was a noble. The request was to train the client¡¯s son in combat and the client¡¯s name was Mouet Cisne The contents of the request and the client were both familiar to Rei. The figure of a 10 year old child with an Icebird passed through his mind. Yes, it was the same request that Rei had received when he had been promoted to C rank. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s been so long. No, actually, it hasn¡¯t even been a year since.¡¹ Muttering to himself, he reached out for the request form¡­¡­but as his hand was about to reach it, another hand quickly reached out from the side and took it off the request board before Rei could touch it. ¡¸Sorry, requests are first come first served.¡¹ It was a woman about 20 years old, older than Rei. She was clearly a warrior, wearing leather armour to deal with the head while allowing ease of movement. She had been in Gilm for just about a year, and given that she had never seen Rei in Gilm, she was probably a newcomer who had only arrived while Rei was away. However, since Rei also disliked crowds, he generally stayed away from the guild during peak hours. With that in mind, she possibly had just never seen Rei before¡­¡­ Still, there was no doubt that the female warrior¡­¡­as well as other three men and one woman in her party, which she ran over to, were new to Gilm. After all, she had just stolen a request from right under Rei, who was considered someone who should never be touched in Gilm. An adventurer based in Gilm would never do that. One of the three men, who had been about to receive the request picked up by the female warrior, suddenly turned to look at Rei. He froze as sweat dripped down his forehead, visible to those around him. He had been the only person to join the party after the other arrived in Gilm and had already been staying here for several years. Thanks to that, he knew Rei¡¯s face and quickly reached the conclusion that their actions had angered Rei. ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re suddenly sweating so much. It¡¯s definitely hot, but you¡¯re still sweating a bit too much, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ The female warrior asked the man after he still didn¡¯t accept the request she held out for a while. ¡¸¡­¡­.Hey. Don¡¯t you sense anything strange inside the guild?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What?¡¹ The woman looked around while holding the request form in her hands at the man¡¯s question. Perhaps she was a bit confused, but the female warrior didn¡¯t seem to notice anything was off around her. If it had been at a time when more adventurers gathered at the guild, maybe she would have noticed something unusual. But, whether she was lucky or not, the number of adventurers around them were few. Before long, the man who had been about to accept the request took an awkward step forward. Not to the female warrior, but towards Rei instead. ¡¸Hey, wait a moment. What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ The man stood before Rei and bowed his head deeply, ignoring the voices behind him. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, they just came to Gilm. Can you somehow forgive me this time?¡¹ Seeing the man bow his head deeply, the people most surprised was not Rei¡­¡­but rather the man¡¯s fellow party members. For the rest of the party, the man bowing before Rei was a very reliable person from Gilm. He had just joined the party and wasn¡¯t officially the leader. However, he still had a standing among them that could be considered a leading position. Seeing such a person bow his head deeply towards a child in his mid teens who didn¡¯t seem to be that physically fit, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable for them to be surprised. But¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­Raise your head for now.¡¹ Rei was at a bit of a loss on what to do seeing the man bowing his head. Sure, he might have been a bit annoyed when the female warrior snatched the request from under him, but requests were first come first serve and the woman hadn¡¯t been in the wrong. It might have been a bit rude, but it wasn¡¯t unusual for adventurers. Rei was aware that other adventurers feared him, but he hadn¡¯t expected things to have gone this far. Hearing Rei¡¯s words, the man tentatively raised his head. ¡¸Will you forgive me?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not mad about it. But there are a lot of short tempered adventurers here. If you keep doing things like that without thinking, you¡¯ll eventually get hurt.¡¹ The man gave a small nod in response to what Rei told him. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll make sure to teach them properly.¡¹ Seeing the man leave after apologising again, Rei let out a small sigh. He no longer felt like accepting a request after what happened and headed straight for the bar. There were undoubtedly many residents and adventurers fawning over Set right now, even if he were to leave. (I¡¯m feared while Set is loved¡­¡­isn¡¯t it usually the other way around?) An A rank monster or an adventurer. If you were to ask which one was usually more feared, it would naturally be the monster. (Well, I guess it¡¯s not that unreasonable considering Set¡¯s friendliness.) Thinking like that, Rei ordered a light meal at the bar to pass the next hour. The man who had bowed his head to Rei gave a sigh of relief when he saw Rei head towards the bar. The female warrior who had first taken the request from under Rei nervously called out to the man. Seeing the exchange between the man and Rei, she seemed to realise that Rei was dangerous in various ways. ¡¸H-Hey. Who was that kid¡­¡­?¡¹ At the woman¡¯s question, the man spoke with a deep sigh. ¡¸¡­¡­You know, that kid¡­¡­no, that adventurer, is Rei. A C rank who was titled Crimson in the Spring War. ¡­¡­Wait, it¡¯s B rank now. Anyway, he¡¯s a high ranking adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ The woman let out a voice as if she didn¡¯t understand what had just been said. Similarly, the eyes of the other party members all went wide. ¡¸Crimson¡­¡­did you say?¡¹ ¡¸I heard he has a Griffon with him?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A kid like that?¡¹ The unfortunate situation for the party was that they had been in the guild before Rei arrived. If they had arrived after Rei, they would of course have seen Set in the guild¡¯s waiting space for tamed monsters, as well as those taking care of Set. ¡¸¡­¡­If you¡¯re going to make it in Gilm, remember this. There are quite a few high ranking adventurers here, but that Crimson is not a patient person. Rumour has it that in the Spring War, he even killed a noble that was on the same side because they antagonised him. Despite that, he was still acquitted of any wrongdoing. You can tell how strange he is, can¡¯t you?¡¹ Hearing what the man said, the rest of his party members couldn¡¯t help but hold their breaths. After spending about an hour at the bar, Rei left the guild. ¡¸Set-chan Set-chan Set-chan Set-chan!¡¹ And, just like last night, Milein could be seen hugging Set¡¯s neck. CH 540 After finishing his light meal at the bar, Rei left the guild and saw a group of people gathered around Set. It wasn¡¯t great. No, rather, it wasn¡¯t bad either, just what he had expected. However, what he hadn¡¯t expected was a certain female adventurer, who was currently hugging Set¡¯s neck. It wasn¡¯t that Rei didn¡¯t recognise her. In fact, he recognised her all too well. Rei unintentionally spoke the name of the female adventurer who had fallen in love with Set and had been present at the Dusk Wheat inn¡¯s stables the previous night. ¡¸You again, Milein¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for our trouble causing party member.¡¹ ¡¸Ahahaha. That¡¯s our party leader.¡¹ Voices spoke up from the side at Rei¡¯s sigh. It was a middle aged mage and a female archer in her late teens. They were the other members of Scorching Wind, the party led by Milein, Sulunin and Ekril. ¡¸Set hasn¡¯t been in Gilm for a while, has he? During that time, Milein felt quite lonely. That¡¯s why, after hearing that Rei-san and Set had returned to Gilm yesterday, she¡¯s been like this. I thought that she would have calmed down after last night.¡¹ Sulunin muttered with a small sigh as Ekril nodded next to him with eyes crossed. (It looks like an addiction¡­¡­will she really be okay while I¡¯m in the Bestir Empire?) Rei suddenly imagined Milein wandering around the city muttering ¡ºSet, Set¡» before shaking his head, as if thinking about it would make it come true. ¡¸More importantly, did you come to the guild to collect a request?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, well. Actually¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah.¡¹ As Sulunin was about to explain the situation, Ekril suddenly raised her voice. She then looked straight at Rei. ¡¸Ekril?¡¹ ¡¸No, regarding tomorrow afternoon, I just thought it would be good if Rei could help me.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see. Now that you mention it, that is true.¡¹ The next person to perk up and react to Ekril¡¯s words wasn¡¯t Rei¡­¡­but Milein, who had been playing with Set. ¡¸I agree as well!¡¹ ¡¸Seriously¡­¡­what kind of ears does she have.¡¹ Sulunin gave a wry smile as Milein spoke up loudly while stroking Set. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s Milein for you I guess. ¡­¡­So, what¡¯s this about tomorrow afternoon?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. Actually, a Goblin settlement was found deep in the forest along the highway yesterday¡­¡­do you know about it?¡¹ Thinking for a fell seconds, Rei immediately nodded back at Sulunin. ¡¸Lenora and Kenny said that they finished the paperwork for that late yesterday.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, about that. The Goblin settlement was destroyed yesterday, but it has resulted in a number of Goblins scattering into the forest.¡¹ Sulunin gave a small sigh as he continued. In all honesty, he had hoped the Goblins would have been completely anihilated without any escaping. ¡¸Anyhow, it¡¯s inconvinient for Gilm to have that many Goblins scattered around.¡¹ ¡¸But in the end, it is still only Goblins. So in any case, it was decided this time that the Goblins would be used to train fresh G rank adventurers in parties mixed with more experienced adventurers.¡¹ Ekril followed up from Sulunin¡¯s words. Adventurers normally started from H rank when joining the guild. However, H rank was mostly for miscellaneous requests that only needed to be done within the city, such as shopping requests, home repairs, and carrying goods. It wasn¡¯t possible to accept requests that required leaving the city, such as monster subjugation. In order to accept those kinds of requests, it was necessary to raise their rank to G rank by demonstrating you had enough combat strength to leave the city. For those who had just rised to G rank, even a Goblin could be a formidable foe, compared to Rei and Milein, who could kill one with a single hand. The fact that Goblins were humanoind monsters would also make some fresh G rank adventurers hesistate. The guild must have judged that the Goblins that escaped from the village were at the right level to train the new adventurers. However, parties like Milein¡¯s Scorching Wind were assigned to watch over them as sending the rookies out on their own might lead to unecessary confusion or injuries. ¡¸Well, we heard about it this morning, so we decided to have a mock battle this afternoon at the training ground to see how the rookies are doing. We finished lunch early before coming over¡­¡­and found Set when we arrived, which led to what you see now.¡¹ Suluning let out a sigh as he turned to look at Milein, who was fawning over Set as if nothing had happened. ¡¸So, what do you think? Can you help us clear out the Goblins? It will be a lot easier if Rei and Set are both there.¡¹ Ekril was sincere with her request. However, Rei shook his head. ¡¸Unfortunately, there are some circumstances at the moment. I can¡¯t leave the city.¡¹ ¡¸Speaking of which, you said you had some urgent business.¡¹ Sulunin had heard the general situation from him the night before, so Rei nodded at his words. ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­However, if it¡¯s the mock battle in the afternoon, I can come along.¡¹ The reason Rei had come to the guild in the first place was to find a quest to pass the time. In the end, he had lost all motivation due to various events regarding selecting a request. In that sense, Sulunin and Ekril¡¯s inviation came just at the right time and he had no reason to refuse them. ¡¸Huh? Really?¡¹ It must have been a surprise to Ekril that Rei would agree. She asked back without thinking. That said, considering the usual reward required to hire a B rank adventurer, it was fair to say that her surprise was only natural. ¡¸Yeah. As I said, I¡¯m free right now. I¡¯m rather grateful for an excuse to move my body.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei-san. Just in case, you do know we¡¯re only asking you to participate in a mock battle against the rookies, right? You do know they¡¯re not people you can seriously fight, right?¡¹ Rei nodded back at Sulunin, who asked just to double check, and Sulunin gave a small nod back in response before proceeding to forcibly drag Milein away from Set and over to the training ground. ¡¸Mu¡­¡­we still have some time, so why don¡¯t you let me play with Set-chan a bit longer?¡¹ Milein muttered as they got to the training ground behind the guild. She had still wanted to play around with Set and was dissatisfied that Sulunin had dragged her away. Certainly, as Milein had said, there were several people at the training ground, but none of them were party of the group heading out for the Goblin subjugation the next day. ¡¸Even so, it would be a disgrace for us to be late. ¡­¡­Besides, take a look.¡¹ As Sulunin pointed over to the entrance of the training ground with his cane, they saw three boys looking around with timid expressions. They looked to be about the same age as Rei. That said, Rei¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t changed at all in the past year. ¡¸Mu, I guess it can¡¯t be helped if they¡¯re here.¡¹ With a big sigh, Milein let out her dissatisfaction before waving at the three people near the entrance to the training ground. ¡¸Hey, come here, come here!¡¹ They seemed to have caught Milein¡¯s voice and the three of them quickly came over. ¡¸Just these three?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. As expected, we don¡¯t have enough people in our party to watch 5-10 of them, so we were assigned the same number of rookies as members in our party.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? So the three of them aren¡¯t part of a party?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard. However, there¡¯s a possibility that they¡¯ll hit it off with each other and form a party because of this.¡¹ At Sulunin¡¯s explanation, Rei had a slight look of surprise. A battle axe, a spear, and a bow. Their weapons were nicely divided into short range, medium range, and long range. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, did we make you wait?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s why I told you to eat a little faster.¡¹ ¡¸B-But¡­¡­if we eat in a rush, I might choke.¡¹ The boy with the spear apologised politely, the boy with the battle axe suggested that they should have eaten faster, and the boy with the bow said that eating fast might cause him to choke. The three of them bowed their heads towards Sulunin and the others as they exchanged greetings before looking questioningly at Rei. She must have noticed their gazes. Milein immediately smiled as she spoke up. Probably due to her experience as the party lead of Scorching Wind, her fidgeting from just a few minutes ago seemed like it had never happened at all. ¡¸He¡¯s your mock battle opponent today.¡¹ Hearing Milein¡¯s words, the boy with the battle axe turned to look at Rei without hiding his dissatisfaction as he spoke. ¡¸Is this weak guy going to be our opponent? Hey, let me say this as a fellow rookie, but you should train your body a little more before becoming an adventurer, right? When we head out of the city, we have to fight monsters that want to kill us. You should at least be able to protect yourself first.¡¹ ¡¸Pft.¡¹ Milein couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the words of the boy holding the battle axe. Since he was a rookie, it couldn¡¯t be helped that he couldn¡¯t gauge the ability of his opponent. However, knowing Rei¡¯s skill, it took all she had to stop herself from bursting out in laughter at the fact that there was someone who would speak to Rei like that. It wasn¡¯t just Milein. Suluning had a troubled expression on his face as his cheeks twitched and Ekril turned to face away to hold her laughter inside. Seeing their seniors in such a state, they must have wondered what was going on. The boy with the spear spoke up. ¡¸Um, is there anything wrong?¡¹ The boy with the spear asked in a polite tone, displaying his good upbringing. Behind him, the timid looking boy with the bow also turned to look over at Milein at the others. ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. Even though he might look like this, he¡¯s still an active adventurer. It¡¯s true that he doesn¡¯t look very strong on the outside, but he¡¯s strong enough, so don¡¯t worry.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? You¡¯re joking.¡¹ The boy with the battle axe, of course, rejected Milein¡¯s words on reflex. ¡¸Hey, wait a moment. Pardon me.¡¹ The boy with the spear pulled the boy with the battle axe back as he bowed his head. ¡¸My companion has been rude. My name is Courage Nelgen¡¹ ¡¸Ah, my name is Conomir.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Grusso.¡¹ As they all said their names, Rei suddenly spoke when he realised Courage had a surname. ¡¸You have a surname? Are you a noble?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, well. ¡­¡­That said, I¡¯m the fourth son of a poor viscount family, so I came to Gilm to establish myself as an adventurer. So, if you don¡¯t mind, could you tell us your name?¡¹ If he had been the eldest son, which would have been the heir, or second eldest son, it would have been a different matter. But for Courage, as the fourth son, being a noble wasn¡¯t something he was particularly proud of. He didn¡¯t try to hide it as he asked Rei for his name. As Rei was about to respond¡­¡­ ¡¸Wait. Unfortunately, his name is a secret.¡¹ Milein suddenly spoke up. Not just the three of them including Courage, Rei and Suluning also looked at Milein doubtfully. However, Milein didn¡¯t seem to care. Ekril let out a sigh as if to say ¡®here we go again. She turned to look at the adventurers sparring a bit further way as if saying ¡®you will only get tired if you try to take her seriously¡¯. ¡¸Hey, Milein¡­¡­¡¹ Rei wanted to say something but Milein shook her head slightly to indicate she wanted Rei to leave this to her. For Milein, it wasn¡¯t just her mischieviousness that made her do this. There were many monsters outside the city that looked ferocious, but there were also some monsters that looked harmless at first glance but were actually dangerous. Above all, Courage and the two others were rookie adventurers. In other words, it was clear that most of the monsters they would encounter would be stronger than them. You can¡¯t measure an opponent¡¯s ability by just looking at them. In order to teach them that, Rei, who didn¡¯t look like a high ranking adventurer at first glance, was the perfect example. ¡¸Since Milein-san has said so, I¡¯ll fight with you properly. Listen, you must remember to surrender properly before you get seriously hurt.¡¹ The boy spoke bluntly, as if he were worried for Rei. His words and actions reminded Rei of Vosk, who he had met in Exil, and a slight smile appeared on Rei¡¯s face. However, that must have annoyed Grusso. His glaring gaze grew stronger as his grip around his battle axe grew tighter. ¡¸Mileian-san, let me go first.¡¹ That was what he said to Milein. CH 541 At Grusso¡¯s question, Milein looked over at Rei while thinking to herself. Grusso had a battle axe, Courage had a spear, and Conomir had a bow. Conomir aside, who had a timid personality, and Courage, who was cautious, Grusso was confident in his own abilities. Of course, confidence in one¡¯s own strength was essential for adventurers. However, if it was over confidence, it would be harmful. This was especially true for Grusso, who¡¯s confidence was high despite his middling strength. If things continued as they were, he would end up in a world of pain in the not too distant future. It was because of this that Milein came up with this idea when she saw Rei. (It¡¯s not at all because I wanted Set-chan all to myself.) Milein called out to Rei, who was facing Grusso, as she thought to herself. ¡¸What do you plan to use for weapons?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Of course¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing Rei bring out the Misty Ring, Milein hurriedly interrupted him as he was replying. ¡¸Wait. I¡¯ll prepare a weapon. We have weapons with blunt edges in the training ground.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ Succeeding in stopping Rei from taking out his Death Scythe from the Misty Ring, Milein gave a sigh of relief. Considering the rarity of item boxes, they would have been able to identify Rei just by the fact he had one. Fortunately the trio had just come to Gilm about 20 days ago and were yet to recognise Rei, who was very well known in Gilm. If Set had been around¡­¡­or if Rei had taken out his scythe, which was just as well known as Rei, Grusso might have realised who Rei was. ¡¸Well then, there you have it. Let¡¯s start with Grusso. Stop when you think you have won, so please don¡¯t cause any fatal injuries to your sparring partner. Okay?¡¹ Rei was given a sword with a blunted edge by Ekril as Milein spoke up to warn him. As her words were mostly directed to Rei, Grusso was naturally not amused. Considering Milein¡¯s actions, it seemed like she had judged that he had no chance of winning. Everyone else naturally moved away in order to give Rei and Grusso space to fight. ¡¸I understand. Let¡¯s get started.¡¹ Hearing the tone of Rei¡¯s mutters, Grusso felt that Rei was looking down on him and the blood suddenly rose to his head. Although she saw that, Milein didn¡¯t seem bothered by it as she gave the signal to begin. ¡¸Start!¡¹ ¡¸UOOOOOH-, don¡¯t expect me to go easy on you-!¡¹ Grusso brandished his battle axe at the start signal and rushed towards Rei. A big hit from a battle axe would certainly have a lot of power behind it. ¡­¡­But only if it hit. ¡¸Naive.¡¹ Rei avoided the battle axe by taking a small step backwards. The battle axe struck the ground after passing several centimeters in front of Rei¡¯s face. The power that struck the solid ground was certainly not bad for a rookie. ¡¸You¡¯re too over confident.¡¹ The tip of Rei¡¯s sword thrust out and was up to Grusso¡¯s throat without any signs of movement. Grusso stopped moving, imagining what would have happened if Rei had seriously followed through with the attack. The tip of the sword would have easily pierced his neck. ¡¸Eh? ¡­¡­What? I, I lost?¡¹ ¡¸The swings of axe type weapons tend to be large because of its weight. Even if the blood is rushing to your head, what¡¯s the point of making an even bigger swing? Try to be less wasteful in your movements. ¡­¡­Next.¡¹ Rei prompted Milein for his next opponent, leaving Grusso to mutter in disbelief that he had been defeated so easily without even crossing blades. ¡¸Well, well, pardon me. ¡­¡­Next, Courage. Start!¡¹ ¡¸I understand. From what I saw in Grusso¡¯s fight, it looks like you¡¯re considerably skilled, I¡¯ll take this seriously!¡¹ Along with Milein¡¯s signal, Courage thrust his spear out towards Rei. As Rei struck the spear tip away with his sword, he thought to himself with some admiration at the way Courage handled the spear. The attack was sharp and it was hard to believe that Courage was a rookie. (He¡¯s far from a rookie at handling the spear. ¡­¡­I heard he came from a noble family, did he learn it from his home? He wields the spear well.) As Rei thought about that, he lightly handled the spear tip as it thrust out multiple times. That said, while it was a surprising level of skill from a rookie, the speed and sharpness was incomparable to the attacks from Oricule that Rei had experienced recently. That was why Rei was able to deal with the thrusts with just a single hand. He repeatedly parried all of Courage¡¯s attacks with his blunt sword. Courage gritted his teeth as he realised that if Rei¡¯s sword had a sharp edge the tip of his spear would have been cut off by now. He wasn¡¯t as emotional as Grusso, but Courage was still someone who aspired to be an adventurer. It was no fun to have his spear dealt with so easily. No, the fact that he had been trained to wield a spear from a young age made the impact even greater than what Grusso felt. ¡¸HAAH-!¡¹ Courage struck out with such thoughts. However, the attack was just as easily parried by the blunt sword and, before he noticed, Rei was right next to him, sword at his neck, just like Grusso. ¡¸¡­¡­I give up.¡¹ Even after exerting all his strength, he still couldn¡¯t get Rei to take him seriously at all. He couldn¡¯t help but give a laugh as he spoke. ¡¸Hmm, your spear handling is good. However, your moves always follow a pattern, probably a negative effect from you many years of training. That may be fine when you¡¯re dealing with people, but there are many monsters who will make unexpected moves. If you pay attention to that, you will be able to improve your spear skills by leaps and bounds.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ Bringing his spear back, Courage gave a deep bow. ¡¸That is, althought I look like this, I was reasonably confident in my own abilities¡­¡­I didn¡¯t expect to be supressed completely. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to know your name¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that can wait. You can find out his name later. There is still one mock battle to go.¡¹ Milein interrupted Courage as she prompted Conomir with her eyes. However, the person in question, Conomir, fidgeted restlessly the moment Milein turned to look at him. ¡¸This, do I have to do this¡­¡­as well?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. That is why I asked you to come here today.¡¹ ¡¸But my bow is nothing if Courage couldn¡¯t even hit with his spear¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Alright then, get ready! Considering you¡¯re an archer, we will start the mock battle from a further distance.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Just get going, will you? While I¡¯m still smiling, okay?¡¹ Perhaps she was starting to get annoyed with Conomir¡¯s attitude. Milein spoke to him with a smile, 3 seconds before exploding. Hearing what seemed to be an ultimatum, Conomir hurriedly moved some distance away from Rei with a pitiful cry. Conomir¡¯s timid but earnest character was evident from teh fact that he didn¡¯t immediately run away and still followed Milein¡¯s instructions. ¡¸Do you really need to do that?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. It will be dangerous for that kid if we can¡¯t understand his skills.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Understand.¡¹ Pushed along by Milein¡¯s words, Rei faced Conomir at a distance of 20m. Even at such a distance, Conomir¡¯s gaze was slightly averted away from Rei. (Can he make it as an adventurer with such a weak personality?) With regards to being quiet, Byune, who Rei had met in Exil, was similar, but the difference was that she wasn¡¯t just quiet but also strong willed. Rei was seriously worried about Conomir, who seemed quieter than the 10 year old girl. But, as it was certain that Conomir had chosen the profession himself, it seemed like he had something to show as they faced each other in silence. ¡¸Start!¡¹ Am arrow flew out as Milein gave the starting signal. As a rookie, the speed of his arrows wasn¡¯t that fast, so there was nothing remarkable speed wise. Swinging his sword, Rei struck the arrow down as he closed the distance¡­¡­and as soon as Rei got within 5m of him, Conomoir raised both his hands in the air. ¡¸I-I give up!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ Milein sighed as she put her hand against her face. Eventually, she closed her eyes to think before clapping her hands to gather everyone¡¯s attention. ¡¸Okay. I¡¯ve gotten an understanding of your abilities. Everyone come over!¡¹ At those words, everyone, including Rei, went over to Milein. ¡¸Speaking of which, you didn¡¯t give any advice to Conomir?¡¹ Rei shook his head at Milein¡¯s question while looking at Conomir. ¡¸If it¡¯s a weapon like a battle axe or spear, I can still give some advice. But, if it¡¯s a bow, that¡¯s completely out of my specialty.¡¹ In the first place, Rei had no need to use a bow. His ranged attacks consisted of magic, throwing spears, or sending slashes out from the Death Scythe. Milein, who had worked with Rei several times before, immediately understood. She just gave a small nod back without saying anything. ¡¸That said¡­¡­I think it would be better to fix that timid personality of yours if you want to continue being an adventurer.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Milein nodded again before speaking. ¡¸Now, do you all understand that appearances doesn¡¯t equal ability? Let¡¯s try one more time as a three person team.¡¹ ¡¸Do you still want to keep going?¡¹ It was Rei who asked. However, Milein just asked the rookies instead. ¡¸So, how about it? You¡¯re not going to say it¡¯s not fair with three people, right?¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t say that. You¡¯ve shown me the difference in our abilities.¡¹ Courage replied as he held his spear while Grusso silently nodded to show his agreement. Conomir was the last to respond and he seemed lost for several seconds before eventually nodding as well. ¡¸Then it¡¯s decided. Take some distance from each other. Conomir, you go further.¡¹ Ignoring Rei¡¯s question, Milein just continued giving instructions. That said, Rei was looking to kill some time, so he didn¡¯t really mind it too much. Taking the sword he had been using, he also moved a slightly further distance away. ¡¸Are you all ready? Then the last mock battle starts¡­¡­now-!¡¹ At the same time as Milein¡¯s signal, Conomir shot an arrow towards Rei. Although it was a premptive strike, the arrow was easily struck down by Rei¡¯s sword. ¡¸UOOOOH-!¡¹ Grusso wasn¡¯t about to miss his chance as Rei struck the arrow down and swung his battle axe with a shout. However, Rei pulled his body back half a step and just stepped on the battle axe as it hit the ground to stop it from moving before thrusting the sword out towards Grusso¡¯s neck. ¡¸That¡¯s just the same attack as last time!¡¹ The moment Grusso felt something approaching his neck, he released his hands from his battle axe and retreated. Courage¡¯s spear then thrust out as if to support him. ¡¸I see.¡¹ Rei was immediately impressed by their level of coordination but quickly pulled his sword back before deflecting the spear tip away. At the same time, he dashed over to Grusso, who had fallen backwards before placing his sword at his neck. Although Grusso could follow Rei¡¯s approach with his eyes, he was surprised to find that his body couldn¡¯t move at all. Rei twisted his body around as he struck away another spear thrust that came from behind him with his sword. Conomir shot out more arrows, targeting the gap in Rei¡¯s actions, but they were all struck down. The result was the same as when they had fought earlier. As if a series of thrusts were woven together, in an instant, the tip of Rei¡¯s was placed against Courage¡¯s neck. The mock battle finally ended as Rei placed his sword against Conomir¡¯s neck, who had all his arrows struck down. CH 542 Grusso, Courage, and Conomir all had expressions of disbelief as they turned to look at Rei, who had completely overwhelmed them It was frustrating to lose a one on one fight, but at least they could understand that. However, even three against one, they lost without being able to do anything. Although they were rookies¡­¡­Grusso and Courage in particular had been confident in their strength, so they couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Courage was the fastest to come to his senses as he quickly looked at his surroundings. Milein, who had told them to fight Rei, and the rest of her party members, Sulunin and Ekril, all seemed to think that Rei would win. As for the other adventurers in the training grounds, none of them looked particularly surprised when they saw Rei fight. (In other words, is he that strong?) Although she couldn¡¯t read Courage¡¯s mind, Milein clapped her hands as she spoke up to attract everyone¡¯s attention. ¡¸Now then, do you all understand your own capabilities? And, as you can see, even if he looks like that, what you see is not always what it seems.¡¹ ¡¸Milein-san, who on earth is he¡­¡­?¡¹ At Courage¡¯s confused question, Milein must have decided that there was no point in teasing them any further as she turned to look at Rei. ¡¸Well, I guess you¡¯re wondering if I was going to keep his name a secret forever. He¡¯s Rei. He¡¯s a B rank adventurer. If you¡¯re thinking of becoming an adventurer in Gilm, the name should at least sound familiar, right?¡¹ ¡¸Rei? ¡­¡­Rei? Do you know who that is?¡¹ Contrary to Milein¡¯s words, it seemed that Grusso didn¡¯t know who Rei was as he asked Courage next to him. But¡­¡­.as for Courage, he had a startled expression on his face as he looked at Rei with wide eyes and an open mouth. The same was true for Conomir, who had a surprised expression replace his usual confused look. ¡¸B rank adventurer Rei¡­¡­Crimson!?¡¹ ¡¸Huh-!?¡¹ Hearing those words from beside him, Grusso¡¯s eyes went wide as he turned to look at Rei. Crimson. That was the name of the adventurer who had done enough in the Spring War to recieve a title from people. Grusso himself had been very excited when he heard the rumours that Crimson had burned the whole Bestir Empire army on his own in the war against the Mireana Kingdom. The figure Grusso had imagined when he heard the rumours was that of a big, muscular man, he had never thought Crimson would be the small man in front of him¡­¡­or rather, small kid. Grusso wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that. So was Courage, who was the first to realise Rei was Crimson, and Conomir. ¡¸Um¡­¡­you¡¯re joking, right?¡¹ Ekril let out a small sigh as she replied to Courage, who asked nervously. ¡¸I understand how you feel¡­¡­didn¡¯t you set the Griffon, Set, when you came here today? Rei only got back to Gilm yesterday after a long absence, so there should have been a lot of people who adore Set around him, though not to the same extent as Milein.¡¹ At the end of her words, Ekril turned to look at Milein. It was already an open secret that Milein really loved Set¡­¡­or rather, it wasn¡¯t even a secret at all. She was usually a reliable party leader, but when Set was involved, she would become entirely useless. The rest of her party was worried that in the worst case, she might even say that she wanted to marry Set. ¡¸Um, come to think of it, there was a crowd of people around the guild¡¯s tamed monster space, but we were in a hurry to get to the training grounds.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, come to think of it, there were definitely people gathered there.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mm.¡¹ As Courage muttered to himself, remembering what he saw on the way in, the other two also nodded in agreement. ¡¸Mm, ahem. That is what I mean. This is Rei, a B rank adventurer known as Crimson. Rei¡¯s case is¡­¡­special in many ways. But, it¡¯s clear that you can¡¯t judge and adventurer by appearances alone, right? Of course, contrary to Rei, a big muscular man might just only look like that.¡¹ Milein spoke like that because she wanted to raise her own reputation, which had fallen due to the mention of Set, but the three rookies had already all turned to Rei. Most adventurers stopped advancing at C and D rank, there were very few adventurers at the higher ranks, such as A and B. Being able to see such a high ranked adventurer up close like this was good luck for a rookie. Especially in Rei¡¯s case, who disliked going to the guild when it was crowded and would only come over outside of the normal rush hours. ¡¸Um, I heard that Crimson uses a huge scythe taller than he is as a weapon¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Oh, this is it.¡¹ Seeing the expectant gaze from Courage, Rei took the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring. Seeing the scythe suddenly appear out of nowhere, the three of them widened their eyes again. ¡¸This¡­¡­this is the reaper¡¯s scythe used by Crimson.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s so big that it can¡¯t be compared to my battle axe¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wow.¡¹ Along with Set, the Death Scythe was one of the symbols that represented Crimson. Scythes were by no means easy weapons to use, and very few people used one. That was why seeing a scythe up close like this was rare as a normal adventurer. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm?¡¹ Just as Rei was showing the Death Scythe to the three rookies, he suddenly noticed someone quickly walking over to them. With her characteristic cat ears and flamboyant expression, Rei immediately knew who it was. (Kenny?) Yes, it was Kenny, the guild receptionist. Milein and the others seemed to have noticed as well. Milein looked at Kenny questioningly, but Kenny completely ignored her as she spoke to Rei. ¡¸Rei-kun, Rei-kun. Someone is looking for you. You¡¯ve been requested to go to the lord¡¯s residence as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸The lord¡¯s residence?¡¹ Surprised by those words, the rookie trio unconsciously turned to look at Rei. Milein and the tohers already knew that Rei had a fairly close relationship with Daska, but even Courage, who was of noble descent, had no acquaintance with Daska, the lord of Gilm. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself without caring for the surprised looks. It was because he could guess why he was being summoned. Perhaps there had been some progress regarding the Bestir Empire. ¡¸Could this be the urgent business Rei-kun was talking about?¡¹ ¡¸Probably. Sorry, Milein.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve seen enough from the mock battles. I don¡¯t know what you have to do, but be careful.¡¹ She stopped her words there for a moment before continuing with a tone that made Rei feel a sudden intense pressure. ¡¸Understand? Don¡¯t you E V E R do anything to hurt Set-chan. If anything happens¡­¡­you know what, don¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Y-¡­¡­Yeah, I know. Of course, I¡¯ll be careful, so don¡¯t worry.¡¹ Pressured by the mysterious aura emanating from Milein, Rei quickly stored away the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring before quickly leaving the training ground. ¡¸Ah, wait a moment, Rei-kun. I¡¯ll go with you.¡¹ Even if it was just a short walk from the training ground to the guild, Kenny left with him because she wanted to walk with Rei. ¡­¡­Another reason was because she wanted to escape from the pressure Milein was giving off. ¡¸¡­¡­Well then. Now that Rei is gone, let¡¯s do what we need to do. I¡¯ve said this many times before, but please don¡¯t judge an opponent¡¯s strength just by their appearance. As a rookie, that is the trap you are most likely to fall into.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What about Rei¡­¡­no, what about Rei-san?¡¹ Courage unconsciously asked Milein, who proceeded to talk as if nothing had happened, but all he got back was a silent response as Milein looked away. ¡¸Well, he¡¯s extraordinary in many ways. Sooner or later you won¡¯t mind it anymore.¡¹ For some reason, Sulunin said that while looking somewhere far away and the three rookies decided there was no point in asking further, so they silently focused their attention on the Goblin subjugation that would take place the next day. ¡¸Huh? Bandit subjugation¡­¡­?¡¹ Upon reaching the lord¡¯s residence, Rei could help but ask at Daska¡¯s unexpected words. Since he had been summoned, he thought it would be about the Bestir Empire, but it was actually about exterminating bandits that had nothing to do with the matter. ¡¸Yes. I don¡¯t know if you know about it, but there¡¯s a large group of bandits infesting the area around Abuelo right now. Apparently they came here from another area.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true that there would be a lot more opportunities closer to the frontier, so it¡¯s not too hard to see why¡­¡­¡¹ There were monsters and materials that could only be found on the frontier, as well as magic items, weapons, and armour that used those materials. In addition, merchant caravans would carry other goods, such as the meat of high ranking monsters. They were nothing but the finest prey for bandits who wanted to make some easy money. Strong monsters existed on the frontier, so it wasn¡¯t uncommon for merchants to hire adventurers as escorts. Bandits raiding in the area could only be described as taking high risks for high rewards. ¡¸But, haven¡¯t knights and guards been dispatched already? I heard from the main gate that Ranga was also dispatched.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. However, it seems like they are quite skilled, since they were willing to come to the frontier. Above all, they are highly mobile and it seems the strike team has yet to make contact with them. I would like you to reinforce them. You can take whatever you want from the bandits¡¯ hoard¡­¡­within reasonable limits of course.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­so that¡¯s the reward? This sure is tempting for me.¡¹ Daska nodded at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸That¡¯s right. It will all be items they have stolen from merchants and traveler who came to the frontier. Naturally, there are many items of value. ¡­¡­However, you don¡¯t seem to have much attachment to money. You want magic items like the magic tent I gave you.¡¹ After saying that, he turned to look at Rei meaningfully. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I¡¯m certainly more interested in magic items than gold and silver, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡­what do you think? As bandits raiding at the frontier, there¡¯s a high chance you¡¯ll find a magic item you like.¡¹ ¡¸That¡­¡­is true.¡¹ Rei was a bit troubled by Daska¡¯s words. Of course, he was interested in magic items and already had no intention of refusing Daska¡¯s request as he was indebted to him in many ways. Considering Set¡¯s speed through the sky, with Vihera and Theorem moving along the ground, he should have plenty of time to spare. ¡¸However, if possible, it would be a great help if you could send a nominated request through the guild.¡¹ ¡¸Understand, I¡¯ll take of that part.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s reply, Daska placed his weight against hte back of his desk as he let out a sigh of relief. For Gilm, a frontier city, there was no doubt that it would be bad if the damage from bandits increased and merchants no longer came. However, with Rei going to deal with them, the fate of the bandits had already been decided. ¡¸Give this to Ranga, he will understand the situation.¡¹ Saying that, Daska placed a letter on his desk. ¡¸You¡¯re very well prepared. Did you consider I might refuse?¡¹ ¡¸With your hobby of collecting magic items, I didn¡¯t think you would miss the opportunity to acquire some.¡¹ At Daska¡¯s response, Rei stored the letter into the Misty Ring with a wry smile on his face. ¡¸Understand. Well, I¡¯ll be on my way to Abuelo as soon as I can.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¹ Rei bowed his head slightly to Daska, who¡¯s expression was that of his position of Margrave Rowlocks, before leaving the office. CH 543 ¡¸What to say, you really are busy aren¡¯t you.¡¹ ¡¸No, not really. I had wanted to take a bit more time off.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders as he replied to the guard at the front gate, who called out to him with some surprise. Next to Rei, Set also gave a cry in agreement. After leaving the lord¡¯s residence, he met back up with Set, who was playing in the garden as usual. Going back to the Dusk Wheat, Rei told the proprietress, Lana, that he would be away from Gilm for a few days before heading out to the main gate. As for why he went back to tell Lana that he would be out even though he had already paid for several days worth of lodging, it was purely to leave a message behind for the people who wanted to come to see Set. Although Rei stayed at the Dusk Wheat as his regular lodging, most of his belongings were stored in the Misty Ring. For an ordinary adventurer, when leaving an inn, they would have to deal with the hassle of carrying their belongings out and disposing other items, but¡­¡­as far as Rei was concerned, he had no need to worry about that and was able to leave whenever he wanted. In this case, however, he would only be away for a few days, so it wasn¡¯t that big of an issue. ¡¸Well, if Rei and Set are going on a trip to exterminate bandits, then I have no complaints, in fact, I¡¯m quite happy about it.¡¹ A serious expression appeared on the guard¡¯s face as he spoke to Rei. As a guard¡­¡­and more than anything else, as a resident of Gilm, he probably understood the seriousness of continued attacks on merchants. Of course, since merchants would hire adventurers as escorts, not all merchants would be attacked. Many attacks were repelled, but as the season changed to late summer, the number of merchants heading to Gilm also increased greatly. Among them, there were many merchants who underestimated the frontier and, for such people, many would not pay for an escort. As a result, more and more merchants were attacked by bandits. Furthermore, the bandits in question had the cunning to kill everyone they attacked to hide their tracks as much as possible. ¡¸Give me regards to Captain Ranga.¡¹ ¡¸Sure.¡¹ After completing all the procedures, Rei was sent off by the guards as he passed through the gate. ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s Set. You¡¯re still cute as always.¡¹ As Rei walked with Set to a place a bit away from the highway, an adventurer who was just completing the procedures to enter the city called out to them. (Set is pretty well know at this point, I think the rule that we have to move away from the gate before flying should be removed.) Thinking like that, after making sure that they were far away enough from the main gate and highway, Rei got onto Set¡¯s back. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go, Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Giving a sharp cry at Rei¡¯s words, Set took a few steps before flapping his wings and running into the air. ¡¸¡­¡­Guru~?¡¹ As they flew through the sky towards Abuelo, Set gave a suspicious cry. Hearing his cry, Rei looked down and found a surprising scene on the ground¡­¡­or, in some senses, an expected sight. 3 carriages were being chased by a group of horsemen. It was a common scene in this world, but the most surprising thing was the number of horsemen. A quick count from the air showed that there were nearly 30 horsemen. It was a number that already exceeded bandit groups. It was closer to a small army from some country or a group of mercenaries. ¡¸No, I see. A mercenary group?¡¹ His own words made Rei come to a unfortunate conclusion. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for a mercenary group who could find no work to switch to becoming bandits. However, with many powerful monsters and adventurers on the frontier, even if they became bandits, most of them would be annihilated immediately. ¡¸But, what if it¡¯s a mercenary group with the strength to hold their won? In that case, it would be hard for the city guards or the small number of knights dispatched to Abuelo to deal with them. ¡­¡­That said, that¡¯s just my own speculation.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What do we do? Set asked while turning his head back. After thinking for a moment, he told Set to head for the carriages. Hearing Rei¡¯s request, Set descended towards the carriage that was frantically running away from the group of horsemen that were chasing after them. The first to notice Set wasn¡¯t the three carriages desperately escaping, but the horsemen chasing them. Considering the distance, it was only natural. Then, as soon as the horsemen realised that there was a Griffon coming towards them, the one leading the group immediately gave a signal. In an instant, the horsemen turned away from Rei and Set and stopped chasing the carriage. (They¡¯re well coordinated. With that, the chances of them being bandits are low. ¡­¡­No, they might just be well disciplined bandits.) Thinking like that, Rei called out to the carriage driver who was still frantically driving their carriage. ¡¸Hey, the bandits are gone.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? ¡­¡­AHH!¡¹ The carriage driver let out a startled cry at the voice that suddenly called out from beside him. It wasn¡¯t an unreasonable response. The driver had been chased by bandits and all of a sudden a voice suddenly called out from next to them. Moreover, Set was running along the ground instead of flying in order to speak with the carriage driver at the same eye level. In that situation, it was only normal for the carriage driver to assume that the bandits had caught up to them. Rei immediately noticed the tense expression of the carriage driver as well as a merchant in his 40s trembling inside the carriage as he readied a bow and gave a sigh. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry¡­¡­although you might not believe it, I¡¯m not a bandit. I¡¯m an adventurer from Gilm.¡¹ Rei said that and stroked Set¡¯s neck as he rode alongside the carriage. ¡¸Haven¡¯t you heard about it? There¡¯s an adventurer in Gilm with a tamed Griffon.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah.¡¹ Those words seemed to have triggered the merchant¡¯s memory and he made a sound as he lowered his bow. As the carriage slowed down, the carriages behind it also slowed down. ¡¸Pardon me!¡¹ The merchant bowed his head towards Rei. It was the merchant who had been pointing his bow at Rei earlier. ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it. It couldn¡¯t be helped that you mistook me for a bandit in that situation. ¡­¡­Even so, there aren¡¯t a lot of people with you.¡¹ With three carriages moving together, Rei had thought the would be at least 15 people. But, in total, only five merchants stepped out. It didn¡¯t seem like a merchant caravan with three carriages. ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, that is¡­¡­¡¹ Another merchants spoke up with some difficulty. ¡¸We didn¡¯t¡¯ expect bandits to have that many horses. If it had just been a few horsemen, we probably could have handled it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You didn¡¯t prepare an escort?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ There had to be various reasons for the merchants, but in the current situation where the area was infested with large bandit groups, the merchants were sitting ducks moving around with that many carriages and without a proper escort. What¡¯s more, not only were they sitting ducks, it seemed like they were sitting ducks complete with pots, knives, chopping boards, and cutlery to cook a meal. (However, there were a lot of bandits. They were strangely well disciplined, I don¡¯t think the merchants would have been able to manage with just two or three escorts.) As Rei was thinking like that, one of the merchants spoke up after some internal struggle. ¡¸So, um¡­¡­if possible, would you be able to escort us to Abuelo? Of course, we will pay you properly.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, we don¡¯t have enough money¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But if we skimp on an escort and lose everything as result, there¡¯s no point!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Damn it.¡¹ While looking at the merchants arguing with each other, Rei also thought about what he should do. He understood from their conversation that there were some special circumstances, however, he also had to join up with Ranga and the others in Abuelo as soon as possible. Thinking that far, he suddenly came up with an idea. (In the first place, the main trouble is taking out the bandits. In that case, it¡¯s not a bad idea to reduce the fighting strength of the bandits before meeting up with Ranga. In the best case, it might even be possible to round them all up.) Rei called out to the merchants ¡¸If you agree to my conditions, I can escort you for free¡­¡­what do you think?¡¹ At the word ¡®free¡¯, the merchants all stopped arguing and turned to look at Rei. The merchant who had the bow asked Rei nervously. ¡¸Your condition¡­¡­what is it? I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s not much we can pay you.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you for something else instead of money. Actually, I¡¯m heading to Abuelo, but the reason is to deal with the bandits that attacked your carriages earlier. Anyway, I would like to reduce the strength of the bandits to make things easier later.¡¹ ¡¸But, they won¡¯t attack if you¡¯re here, right?¡¹ At one of the merchant¡¯s words, Rei nodded as he looked at Set. Set was currently lying down on the grass by the side of the road, eyes close, as he kept watch of the surroundings. For those who didn¡¯t know as much¡­¡­for example, the merchants in front of Rei, they probably just thought that Set was just basking in the sun. Even though it was over 30C. ¡¸Yeah. To be exact, rather than me¡­¡­if Set is present, the bandits won¡¯t show up. So, I¡¯ll hide in one of the carriages and wait for the bandits to come.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Wait a second. You want to use us as decoys to lure in the bandits?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Rei readily agreed with the merchant¡¯s question. In response, veins started to appear on the merchant¡¯s head and Rei continued before the merchant could start shouting. ¡¸Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better to have me as an escort, even if I¡¯m using you as bait, rather than not having an escort at all? If the bandits come out, I promise to take care of all of them of course.¡¹ ¡¸Keh, t-that¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ The merchant who had been about to shout choked up. It was true. Since it was impossible for them to pay and hire Rei, they would have to give up on an escort, the only way for Rei to escort them was to let him use them as bait. The former option would put their lives in danger, but the latter meant enduring the humiliation of being used as bait to attract bandits. ¡¸I think merchants make choices that benefit them, don¡¯t they?¡¹ Everyone fell silent at Rei¡¯s words¡­¡­after a bit of time, the timid merchant who had pointed his bow at Rei spoke up. ¡¸Understood, we accept your conditions.¡¹ ¡¸Hey!¡¹ Another merchant shouted out involuntarily, but the timid merchant shook his head before speaking. ¡¸What he said is correct. We can¡¯t afford to pay him a reward, but we need his power to protect ourselves from bandits. That¡¯s the power of the adventurer called Crimson.¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ Information was the lifeblood of a merchant. In Gilm, information about Rei, or more precisely, Set, was widespread. As a result, merchants would naturally hear about them. Since there were no adventurers other than Rei who had a Griffon as a tamed monster, it was easy to identify who he was. ¡¸Besides, depending on how you look at it, it means we can round up all the bandits coming after us, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a bad idea. As long as he¡¯s around, even if those guys from earlier attack us again, at that point, they will definitely be wiped out. ¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s my intention.¡¹ Rei did intend to use the merchant caravan as bait, but he also had no intention of harming them. ¡¸¡­¡­Can we really trust you?¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders at the merchant¡¯s words as he replied. ¡¸If you don¡¯t believe me, I don¡¯t mind. I don¡¯t have to be so concerned about you guys. There are plenty of other merchants and trading companies that travel back and forth between Gilm and Abuelo.¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ Glancing at the merchant, who was at a loss for words, Rei turned back to the timid merchant, who seemed to be the leader of the caravan, and asked him to confirm their decision. ¡¸So, do you accept my proposal?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we¡¯ll be in your care.¡¹ Contrary to his timid personality, the merchant made his decision immediately as he bowed his head. Although somewhat surprised at his response, Rei was impressed by the merchant¡¯s attitude. CH 544 After reaching a consensus, Rei and the merchants immediately started to discuss what the plan was moving forward. The timid merchant who lead the caravan¡­¡­a merchant who called himself Tradia, started by asking Rei. ¡¸So, you talked about luring the bandits out, but how are you going to do that?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, first¡­¡­Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ While Rei had been discussing things with Tradia and the rest of the merchants, Set had been lying on the grass the entire time. Hearing Rei call his name, Set quietly lifted and turned his head towards him. ¡¸We need to lure the bandits from earlier out, but if Set is around, they¡¯ll be wary and won¡¯t try anything. So, Set should leave the caravan and hide somewhere where they can¡¯t find him. Then, if the bandits attack, Set will cut them off from behind.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Rei understood what Set wanted to ask, as he tilted his head, and gave a slight nod. ¡¸Yes. If they¡¯re on horses, I think they can escape even if you chase them. But if you can confuse them, that¡¯s enough.¡¹ Satisfied with Rei¡¯s reply, Set laid his head back down and closed his eyes. ¡¸So, we¡¯ll just wait here for a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute. This is a bit sudden¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t I already tell you? It¡¯s to lure the bandits in. We pretend that the carriage broke while you were escaping earlier and you stopped on the side of the highway to repair it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ ¡¸Tradia!?¡¹ While the other merchants were reluctant, Tradia accepted Rei¡¯s idea. ¡¸Calm down, everyone. Anyhow, even if we try to go to Abuelo without him, there¡¯s a high chance we¡¯ll be attacked by the bandits again. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s just do as he says and get moving after eliminating the bandits. I think it¡¯s better in the end if we do this.¡¹ Not everyone seemed to agree with his statements. In fact, some of the merchants had dissatisfied expressions on their faces. However, since Tradia, the leader, had made his decision, the others didn¡¯t voice any further dissatisfaction as they pulled the carriage to the side of the road, as instructed by Rei. Seeing that, Rei went over to where Set was. ¡¸Set, just as I said earlier, move away from here and keep an eye on the situation. Then, if the bandits attack¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Understood, Set seemed to say with a cry as he stood up. Rei stroked Set¡¯s head as he rubbed his face against Rei before leaving. Seeing Set off, who flew into the sky after a few steps, Rei turned to look back at the carriage that had stopped on the side of the road. From the outside, it looked like tha carriage had run into some trouble that required repair. (Now then, it would be nice if those bandits would send out a scout or someone to find us.) Thinking like that, Rei entered the carriage just in case. If there was someone among the bandits who recognised Rei, there would be no meaning in Set leaving the area. Am I too self conscious? That was what Rei thought, but it was also true that he had attacked many bandits and the connections between different bandits couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. It was also possible that survivors from bandits groups Rei had eliminated were picked up by other bandit groups¡­¡­ With that in mind, it was best not to show himself at all. That was his decision. ¡¸I¡¯m going to hide inside the carriage, so please pretend to repair the carriage for a while.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. We¡¯ll get to work right away.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, you don¡¯t actually have to repair the carriage, you know?¡¹ ¡¸It may not be necessary, but it¡¯s true that we¡¯ve pushed ourselves too hard this time, so there might be a problem with the carriages. We¡¯ll take the opportunity to check it over.¡¹ Saying that to Rei, Tradia crawled under the carriage. Although he was the leader of a merchant caravan, Tradia¡¯s strength was in taking the initiative to do things. As he thought about that, Rei sat down on a chair inside the carriage and closed his eyes, allowing him to immediately sense any suspicious people approaching. ¡¸Hey, can we really trust him?¡¹ ¡¸Shhh, don¡¯t be so load. Didn¡¯t Tradia say it? That kid is an adventurer called Crimson. If that¡¯s the case, he must be good at his job.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know what yyou mean. His appearance, right? But it¡¯s true that he also a tamed demon. You¡¯ve seen it with your own eyes.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s certainly true.¡¹ ¡¸If half the rumours¡­¡­no, even if a quarter of them are true, he¡¯ll be able to wipe out the bandits.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm¡­¡­if you say so, I¡¯ll believe you. However, if anything happens, get ready to escape immediately. We don¡¯t have a lot of margin for error.¡¹ Those voices could be heard some distance from the carriage. The people speaking probably didn¡¯t think they would be overheard. But, of course, Rei¡¯s senses were a lot sharper than ordinary people and he could hear them talk as he focused on listening for any sign of bandits. (If only we could follow after the bandits as they run away. ¡­¡­No, we can¡¯t. They¡¯re such a well organised group, unlike any of the bandit groups I¡¯ve seen so far. If anything, they¡¯re more like the Prairie Wolves.) As Rei thought to himself, the face of the tough looking man with a scarred face came to his mind. Egg. He was the leader of the Prairie Wolves, which were now part of Daska¡¯s intelligence force. (Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t see any of them in Gilm¡­¡­were they also dispatched to Abuelo for this matter? As far as I could tell from earlier, the bandits are very well coordinated. If they¡¯re just a mercenary group or some other group that became bandits, it will be simple to destroy them. The problem is if someone paid them to terrorise this area¡­¡­hm? Rei kept his senses out in the surroundings while thinking about Egg and the bandits when he suddenly heard sounds of something approaching them. Rei thought for a moment that the bandits had returned, but the approaching sound wasn¡¯t that of just horses, but also the sound of carriage wheels turning slowly, which made him relax. The merchants who had been pretending to repair the carriage outside were nervous for a moment, but they soon calmed down. ¡¸Good morning, what are you doing in a place like this?¡¹ A good looking man in his 40s called out as he approached the merchants around the carriage. ¡¸No, no, just some problems with the carriage. Fortunately, it¡¯s easy to repair, so we¡¯re fixing it now.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. I¡¯ve heard this area has been a bit of a mess lately¡­¡­is it safe?¡¹ ¡¸That seems to be the case. With this happening, I think it would have been better for us to hire an escort.¡¹ ¡¸To pass through this area without an escort, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re stubborn or something else¡­¡­¡¹ The man¡¯s words, which were mixed with surprise and amazement, made the merchants smile bitterly. If they had enough money, they could have hired an escort, but now they were in this painful situation because they wanted to save all the money they could. The reason they hadn¡¯t hired an escort was because they had thought they would be able to escape even if they were attacked by bandits. ¡¸But, it doesn¡¯t look like you have an escort either?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Ah, they¡¯re inside the carriage.¡¹ When the man lightly tapped the body of his carriage, a sharp eyed man, who seemed to be an adventurer, showed his face from the window. ¡¸Hmm, he seems to be quite strong.¡¹ ¡¸Well, of course. After all, they are an escort. ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯m sorry, but we have to get going now. I want to get to Abuelo as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, we understand. Then, take care.¡¹ ¡¸Will do, oh right. If you¡¯re stuck in a place like this without an escort, you don¡¯t know when bandits might attack, so I wish your repairs can be completed as soon as possible.¡¹ With those words, the other carriage driver headed off. Seeing him leave, the merchants scratched their heads. They wondered if it was really safe for them to stay here. After all, they had just been told that they could be attacked by bandits at any time. Of course, they knew that it was what Rei, who was hiding inside the carriage, wanted. However, as a merchant, the strongly felt that it would be better to quickly move on and head for Abuelo. While lost in their thoughts, the merchants watched the carriage move away with a complicated expression, as if they wanted bandits to come and not come at the same time. ¡¸¡­¡­What do you think?¡¹ The person who asked was the driver who had just spoken to the merchants near the carriage where Rei had been hiding. Their carriage had stopped far away enough that they could no longer be seen. ¡¸They were only merchants. That¡¯s why I said you worry too much.¡¹ ¡¸Idiot, did you see it too? The one that just came down was definitely a Griffon. It¡¯s not normally a monster you¡¯d see in a place like this. In that case, it had to be Crimon, who ended the Spring War early. If the information that Gilm is his base is true¡­¡­do you want to fight someone with a title? I don¡¯t want to.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I know. But, the Griffon wasn¡¯t there, right? Then he must have left after helping them. He was probably just passing through or something.¡¹ Hearing those words from his back, the driver nodded after thinking for a moment. Since they couldn¡¯t see the Griffon, it seems that he really was just passing by. ¡¸Whether it was a coincidence or not, if someone with a title has shown up, it might be better to withdraw from this area.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Are you serious? We can make a lot of money here. Just a little more¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You know, the problem is ¡®just a little more¡¯. Just a little more¡­¡­one more time, one last time¡­¡­when you¡¯re dazzled by the profits and lose sight of the time to withdraw, what are you going to do when an adventurer with a title shows up? Even if the income is good, the level of adventurers here are also high because it¡¯s the frontier.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Understood. I have no intention of going against you.¡¹ Unlike the attitude he took in front of the merchants, the driver seemed to be in a higher position than the person behind him. Needless to say, these two were part of the group that had tried to attack the merchants earlier. Their true identity was that of a mercenary group called Bloody Blades. No, to be precise, they were a mercenary and bandit group. When there was mercenary work, they would fight in wars, and when there wasn¡¯t any mercenary work, they would become bandits. Unlike ordinary bandits, they were also active as mercenaries, so they had a lot of combat experience and were highly skilled. In addition, they had 30 warhorses which costed a lot to maintain, but they were able to support due to the money they made. In fact, the reason why their group had come to the frontier to work as bandits was because they didn¡¯t have enough money. They had 30 horsemen, 30 foot soldiers, and people who ran errands for them, in total, well over 70 people. Naturally, this required a certain level of money to maintain, but¡­¡­the Spring War had ended early due to the Margrave Rowlocks¡¯s forces overwhelming the Bestir Empire¡¯s army. As a result, the Bloody Blades had come away from the war with barely and work and only the minimum reward. It was already difficult to maintain a mercenary group without money, not to mention a mercenary group with over 70 people. Because of that, the Bloody Blades had come to this area rulled by Margrave Rowlocks for the purpose of earning funds for their activities, and above all, to exact revenge for their loss of work. Their aim was successful and they managed to make huge amounts of money attacking trading companies and merchants carrying goods to and from the frontier. In addition, they were able to obtain a decent number of rare items unique to the frontier, so for the Bloody Blades, they absolutely wanted to avoid someone capable of ending a war on their own. That was why they quickly left when they saw a Griffon appear just as they were about to attack the merchant caravan. However, the only people who could make that decision was the leader of the Bloody Blades and the executives, such as the man currently playing the role of a carriage driver. ¡¸Hey, send a message to the boss. Crimson is gone, so now¡¯s the time to attack.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Nodding at the carriage driver¡¯s words, his subordinates wrapped several differently coloured strings around the legs of small birds tamed by the Bloody Blades before releasing them into the sky. CH 545 Deep inside the forest that lined the highwar. Originally, this would be a habitat for monsters, but right now, there were about 30 warhorses hiding there along with their riders. Normally, cavalry didn¡¯t like to enter forests. Considering a horse¡¯s usual speed, trees would only be a hindrance. However, common sense didn¡¯t seem to apply here as the Bloody Blades mercenaries had setup their hideout in the forest. Of course, since they had set up camp in such a location, they had proper measures in place to deal with monsters. They used a magic item they had taken from a merchant they previously attacked that had the effect of preventing monsters below a certain level of strength from approaching. It was because of this particular magic item that they were able to continue raiding merchants on the frontier. That said, the frontier was still the frontier. There were times when monsters could not be kept away by the magic item as well as occasions where weak monsters, like Goblins, would stray into the area, ignoring the magic item. Still, what set the Bloody Blades apart was the mobility of their cavalry and skill as mercenaries. Most of the attacking monsters would be killed, with the meat of the higher ranking ones ending up in the bellies of the mercenaries, while the materials went to the mercenary groups funds. Of course, the mercenaries didn¡¯t come out of the attacks completely unscathed either. There had been several deaths and quite a number of injuries. Despite all that, they were still able to earn a lot of money and goods through their banditry. ¡¸Despite everything¡­¡­damn it.¡¹ Inside a tend that stood out from the rest, one man irritatedly cut some dried meat into pieces. Everogi, the leader of the Bloody Blades, recalled the scene he had seen earlier as he washed down the dried meat with alcohol. As he had been closing in to attack the merchant caravan a Griffon came flying down as if it had been waiting for that moment. The moment Everogi had seen it, he had given the signal to retreat. His decision was made based on a calm calculation of their own strength, not because of the losses they would take if they didn¡¯t run¡­¡­but pure fear. When the war with the Bestir Empire had broken out in spring, the Bloody Blades had been heading for the Royalist camp, who had hired them. Even though they had been quite far from the battlefield, they had seen the huge flame whirl. At first, Everogi had no idea what he was looking at. Was that something created by magic? That was what he had thought at first. But, he couldn¡¯t believe that something like that could be created by human hands. He had been terrified after learning that it had been created by an adventurer. ¡­¡­That was right, he was scared. He led the Bloody Blades, a mercenary group well known for their strength. But in the end, the war had ended without any opportunity for them to do anything and they were left with only the minimum reward. Having built up a grudge against Rei, he had come to the frontier to earn money by attacking merchants in an attempt to hide his own fear, but¡­¡­ ¡¸In the end, you still showed up.¡¹ The figure of the Griffon passed through his mind. He didn¡¯t even need to think about who it was. The adventurer who had instilled fear in him and was later called Crimson after the war. With an irritated look on his face, and as if trying to suppress his own fear, he violently bit into his dried meat again¡­¡­ ¡¸Boss, we got a message from Serabia-san.¡¹ Hearing his subordinate¡¯s voice from outside the tent, Everogi quickly washed down the dried meat in his mouth with more alcohol. ¡¸So, what¡¯s the situation?¡¹ His throat felt dry. He wanted to drink water right now, not alcohol. Not just a cup or two either, but as much as he could. As he thought that in his mind, Everogi¡¯s question was immediately answered by his subordinate. ¡¸Judging from the colours of the strings, the prey is still alive. There is no threat.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Phew¡­¡­¡¹ At his subordinate¡¯s words, Everogi gave a deep sigh of relief. He had heard from his other scouts that the Griffon had left the caravan. But even so, he couldn¡¯t feel relieved until he was sure Crimson wasn¡¯t there. But¡­¡­as he though more about it. (There are rumours that Crimson has a hobby of attacking bandits. Would such a guy really leave us alone? It¡¯s true that it would be hard for him to find this place with his specialty, aerial reconnaissance, since our hideout is in the forest. But if that¡¯s the case, he¡¯s probably just be waiting for us, isn¡¯t he?) Although he feared Rei, Everogi was still able to accurate guess Rei¡¯s intentions. Even so, swaying between his greed and fear, he wasn¡¯t able to quickly reach a decision. (Since Crimson has shown up, it would be better not to push ourselves too hard here. In that case, it would be best to make this our last raid before disappearing from the frontier. Just in case¡­¡­) Thinking about the future in his head, he spoke after a few minutes. ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s attack the caravan. The carriage can¡¯t move, right?¡¹ ¡¸As far as we could see from a distance, it seems like it¡¯s being repaired, so it probably can¡¯t move.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Alright. You guys are starting to miss the city, aren¡¯t you? We¡¯ll leave this area after this raid.¡¹ ¡¸Understood ¡­¡­No, actually, the woman we caught during one of our attacks is about to reach her limit, so this is good.¡¹ Snorting at his subordinates words, Everogi threw the remaining dried meat into his mouth before swallowing it with more alcohol. Grabbing his favourite weapon, a long sword, Everogi left his tent and saw a Goblin corpse in the corner of his eye. Despite the magic item they had, they had suffered a lot more monster attacks since the day before. No, it would be more accurate to say the monsters had slipped into their camp rather than directly attacking them. As a mercenary group with a lot of experience, they hadn¡¯t been particularly shocked when several Goblins had slipped in. Rather, they made good targets and some of the mercenaries even picked up bows to kill them for fun. (Perhaps the Goblins are also a sign of sorts? The effect of the magic item seems to be weakening, so I guess it¡¯s another good reason to leave this place?) One of the qualities he had as the leader of a mercenary group was that he had sharp intuition. In fact, the Goblins that had fled here were hte ones who had escaped after their settlement had been attacked by adventurers the day before. At the same time, the hunt for the escaped Goblins was also scheduled to begin the next day. However, even his sharp intuition seemed to have been clouded in the face of someone as extraordinary as Rei. ¡¸Boss, the caravan ahead has stopped.¡¹ Everogi gave a small nod at the words of his subordinate, who spoke as they were about to leave the forest, and stopped horsemen with him as he looked at the three stopped carriages by the side of the highway in the distance. Normally, everyone would have already started rushing over and his subordinates had strange expressions on their faces as Everogi stopped them. Knowing that, Everogi spoke up. ¡¸First of all, let¡¯s see. From you¡­¡­to you. Head for the merchant caravan first.¡¹ He gave the order to about 10 horsemen, but the ones ordered complained with dissatisfied expressions as to why they should be the only ones to attack. ¡¸Wait a moment boss. Why is it just us¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut up. You can¡¯t even follow my orders?¡¹ He snorted as he swung his long sword. Seeing that, the mercenary decided it would be dangerous to talk back again. The nominated horsemen fell silent reluctantly. ¡¸¡­¡­Listen up, it¡¯s a big achievement for you guys to attack first. When we divide the good in the carriages, I¡¯ll give priority to your wants. If you don¡¯t want to do it, that¡¯s fine. There are plenty of others who would.¡¹ They would receive a share of the goods on a priority basis. As soon as they heard that, the complainers immediately changed their minds. ¡¸Okay boss. Don¡¯t forget your promise, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ll watch you from here, so do your best.¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me. You bastards, let¡¯s go!¡¹ As soon as he shouted that, the man left the forest, followed by the other mercenaries turned bandits. (Well, what will happen? It¡¯s fine if my prediction is wrong, and if I¡¯m right, we¡¯ll just run away from here.) While watching the bright sunlight pour down from the sky, Everogi watched his men as he waited to see what would happen. Rei, who had his eyes closed as he sensed his surroundings, heard the merchants constant complains that it would have been better for them to have quickly moved on before he noticed the sounds of about 10 horsemen coming towards them. ¡¸They¡¯re here? No, but¡­¡­the number seems quite small.¡¹ The bandits who had previously attempted to attack that caravan consisted of about 30 horsemen. However, only 10 horsemen were attacking now. Significantly fewer. ¡¸Are they just the ones who ran ahead after seeing their prey before them? That would be fine, but it¡¯s going to be troublesome if they are just pawns to see our reaction.¡¹ Rei¡¯s use of the caravan as a decoy was based entirely on the safety of the caravan. In other words, even if only 10 horsemen attacked them for some reason, he had no choice but to protect them. And, in order to protect them, Rei had to show himself. Everyone in the caravan were merchants. Since they had come to the frontier to do business, they might have some understanding of combat, but no matter how you looked at it, it was impossible for them to do anything against bandits, let alone horsemen. ¡¸Tch, they¡¯ve thought about it as well. Minimal sacrifice for maximum profit¡­¡­or maybe not. 10 out of 30 horsemen. That¡¯s enough to reduce the strength of the bandits.¡¹ Muttering to convince himself, Rei headed for the carriage door. Around the same time, the merchants seemed to have noticed the bandits approaching them. They hurriedly knocked on the door of the carriage Rei was hiding in. ¡¸Hey, they¡¯re here! The bandits! Do something about them!¡¹ ¡¸I know, no problem.¡¹ Replying with those words, Rei exited the carriage. The distance between the bandits and the carriages had already shrunk to about 50m. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll just have to live with this level of results.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out a spear from the Misty Ring. It was a spear missing its tip, the kind Rei always used for throwing. One of the merchants saw the spear and shouted out without thinking. ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re really going to fight with that!?¡¹ However, Rei paid no attention to the merchant¡¯s words as he swung the spear back¡­¡­and threw it! The spear shot out from Rei¡¯s hands as it pierced through the air, hitting the head of the man leading the bandits, pulverising him. His brain, blood, flesh, bones, and body fluid splattered into the surroundings. The man who had been diagonally behind the leader wiped away something sticking to his face, only to find an eyeball in his hand. ¡¸AH-AHHHHHH-!¡¹ The man screamed as he waved his hand in an attempt to get rid of the eyeball, but was unable to do so due to his fluster. The surrounding bandits seemed to be incapable of understanding what was happening as they all looked at the horse that was carrying the now headless man. The next moment. Whoosh, a sound of something tearing through the air was heard again as a spear pierced the body of a bandit wearing leather armour before carrying on and piercing the chest of the bandit behind him. Luckily, the tip of the spear was already close to breaking and finally snapped after hitting the second person. Hearing the sound of the spear falling to the ground, the bandits finally began to react. That said, their response was nothing but confusion. They were confused because the person who had been supposed to lead them was the first to be killed. If it had been done in a cleaner manner, someone might have taken command. However, the entire situation was unexpected for the bandits. While trying to understand what had happened, two more bandits were smashed or pierced by the spears thrown by Rei. One of the bandits who saw that tried to shout out¡­¡­but the next moment, his head was also smashed apart by a spear. His headless corpse fell off his horse, causing the horse to lose its direction. At that point, the bandits seemed to reach the conclusion that they would be wiped out if they stayed. They tried to flee in a panic¡­¡­but the next moment, something flew down from the sky, blocking their escape path. ¡¸GURURURURURURU-!¡¹ Due to the intimidation from Set¡¯s skill, King¡¯s Awe, the horses were unable to take a single step. At the same time, the bandits were also frozen. From behind, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Their bodies were frozen and they couldn¡¯t move, but they didn¡¯t need to move to know who it was. It could only be the monster that had killed the others by just throwing spears. Why did this happen? They had only attacked a merchant caravan that was unable to move. One of bandits thought that in his head as he looked towards the forest they had come from, hoping for rescue¡­¡­but, not a single ally remained their anymore. CH 546 Everogi couldn¡¯t help but have his breath taken away at the scene before his eyes. He had sent out an advanced team with the assumption there was some sort of trap¡­¡­no, rather, he hoped he had just been overthinking things. However, the result was something entirely unexpected. A child like figure had stepped out of a carriage before pulling spears out of nowhere and throwing them at his men, crushing and impaling them. ¡¸B-Boss. Should we go help them¡­¡­?¡¹ Some of Everogi¡¯s men asked him. But, even those who asked were only barely able to speak, let alone ride their horses over to help. Sill, compared to ordinary bandits who wouldn¡¯t even be able to respond, their mental strength was already a lot better. Some of the attacking bandits had bows. It was safe to say that bows were an essential part of chasing down merchants, caravans, and travelers. However, the scene unfolding before Everogi¡¯s eyes was a one sided attack from outside bow range from throwing spears. Should they go help? Everogi thought about it for a moment after hearing his subordinate¡¯s words, but immediately shook his head in refusal. A fifth bandit just had their body pierced, through his leather armour, before crumbling to the ground. Excluding those that went ahead, they still had 20 horsemen with them. There were also some of them on foot, but considering the one sided beating the cavalry were taking, it was likely they would all be killed before they could even get close. In addition¡­¡­a decisive event occurred that cemented Everogi¡¯s decision as he hid in the forest. ¡¸GURURURURURURU-!¡¹ A figure fell from the sky like a meteor and let out a cry as soon as it landed on the ground. For Everogi, it was an enemy that he definitely didn¡¯t want to fight. A Griffon, an A rank monster known as the reaper of the skies. The moment he heard the Griffon¡¯s cry, Everogi and his men all froze for a moment. The didn¡¯t know the exact reason why, but it wasn¡¯t hard for them to realise it had to do with the Griffon¡¯s cry. If we stay here, we¡¯ll be caught. Quickly reaching that decision in his mind, Everogi immediately gave out orders to his subordinates. ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s get out of here quickly. If we stay, that Griffon will kill us all.¡¹ ¡¸B-But, boss. They¡¯re¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If you want to help them, do whatever you want. I am not going. How do you even plan to rescue them? Are you confident enough to not be hit by a spear?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ There was no way the bandit was confident. If he had that level of ability, he would have been able to earn more being an adventurer rather than working in the Bloody Blades. ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Briefly spitting those words out, Everogi immediately went back into the forest. It was highly likely that they had already been noticed, but even so, he guessed that Rei wanted to capture them alive and wouldn¡¯t have the time to chase after them. (Damn it, I didn¡¯t expect to be overwhelmed like this. It might still be okay now, but there¡¯s a good chance he¡¯ll come after us. It will be better for us to get out of here as soon as possible.) At most, Everogi had expected a few of them to be incapacitated or killed. It was entirely unexpected that all 10 men he sent out would be captured or killed without being able to do anything in response. (¡­¡­A monster.) Despite being far away, Everogi had seen what Rei had done. He had taken spears out from nowhere and thrown them with pure physical strength. His physical strength was far greater than even his own, the leader of the Bloody Blades. That¡¯s right, a monster. With such a monster, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to create the fire whirl that Everogi had seen on the battlefield. (No, I should call myself lucky that I only sent out 10 men. With the money we earned he, we can afford to buy another 10-20 horses.) While trying to convince himself, he continued to make his way back to his hideout in the forest. However¡­¡­Everogi was still unaware of something at this point in time. The fact that he had run into Rei at this point in time was just bad luck, but it was also a sign that his luck had run out in general. On the other hand, back over at the side of the caravan, Rei was tying up the bandits who had frozen due to the pressure of Set¡¯s King¡¯s Awe with rope he had taken out from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s everyone. Is this all good?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. Thank you very much. This will help use somewhat. ¡­¡­But, is it really okay for us to take all the horses and bandits?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no problem. Even if I handed them over ot the guards for a reward, I would have to deal with all the paperwork. As for the horses, I have Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ He must have noticed Rei say his name. Set tilted his head as he looked at Rei. There was no trace of skill he had used earlier, King¡¯s Awe, to freeze the bandits and their horses. ¡¸Haah, I won¡¯t push any further then. Understood.¡¹ Seeing Set like that, the merchant decided it would be silly to worry about it any more and spoke after letting out a small sigh. ¡¸So, what do we do from here? The number of bandits is clearly a lot less.¡¹ ¡¸About that¡­¡­¡¹ I¡¯ll interrogate them and get them to spit out the location of their hideout. Rei was about to say that when he stopped. It was because Set had suddenly turned to look at a different direction. Turning to look in that direction, there was a large group advancing towards them. Rei couldn¡¯t see their faces, but there were nearly 50 people, a mix of both cavalry and foot soldiers. In terms of numbers, it was even greater than the bandits who had attacked earlier. Furthermore, they were coming from the direction of Abuelo. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, just asking, are there actually multiple bandit groups around here?¡¹ Rei asked while stroking Set¡¯s head, but the merchant shook his head. ¡¸At least from what I¡¯ve heard, there¡¯s only one major group. There are other bandit groups with around 10 people, but¡­¡­are those bandits?¡¹ The merchant had probably noticed the group coming towards them along the highway, despite being far away for now, and asked fearfully. ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s a group of people coming this way, but I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re bandits. ¡­¡­Oh, no, I don¡¯t think they are.¡¹ The reason why Rei suddenly said that was because he realised who the people coming over were. There were several familiar faces among the people leading the foot soldiers. Furthermore, since one of them was the captain of the guards, Ranga, it was clear who they were. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re not bandits. They¡¯re the subjugation force hunting the bandits. I see some familiar faces.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that true? Or should I say, you can identify their faces from this distance? Amazing.¡¹ Hearing that Rei had spotted a familiar face among the pea sized group at their current distance, the merchant murmured in admiration. Set must have felt relieved after seeing Ranga. His eyes had gone from their sharp gaze back to a round shape as he looked at the approaching subjugation force. Some of the people, including Ranga, had befriended him and given him food before, so Set was feeling quite happy. ¡¸You should hand over the captured bandits to them. It would be best to interrogate them as soon as possible. And, above all, you wouldn¡¯t want to have to travel to Abuelo with bandits in tow right? Even if they are tied up.¡¹ The bandit would probably try to escape, knowing what would happen to them after being caught. They would either be sold as criminal slaves or put to death. No matter how one looked at it, there was no happy ending. As for Tradia and the others, as merchants who did business at the frontier, they would have some preparations for such a situation, but it would still be tough for them mentally to keep an eye on the bandits all the way to Abuelo. ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true. Just to confirm, we will still get paid even if we hand the bandits over to them, right?¡¹ Hearing the question from one of the merchants, Rei gave a slight nod after confirming Ranga¡¯s figure. ¡¸It should be fine. Gilm¡¯s captain of the guards is with them.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so, there¡¯s no problems them. Is that okay?¡¹ When asked, Tradia gave a nod to indicate he had no complaints. ¡¸Y-Yes. I would be very grateful if we could get the money as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸For now, let¡¯s keep an eye on the bandits so they don¡¯t run away. The subjugation team has come all this way, so it wouldn¡¯t be funny if they escaped.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know. ¡­¡­That said, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to run away.¡¹ Tradia smiled as he looked at the tied up bandits, still frozen from the pressure of Set¡¯s use of King¡¯s Awe. As Rei and the merchants waited for the subjugation force to arrive, one of the merchants suddenly spoke up. ¡¸Hey, Rei. Sorry to ask, but can we collect the horses that the dead bandits rode? You said we could take the horses, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right, it¡¯s okay. As Tradia said, the bandits won¡¯t run away.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about this.¡¹ While giving Rei an apology, the four other merchants other than Tradia went out to round up the horses. The merchants scattered out as they led the intimidated horses back to the carriages, who all stared at Set warily. From the horse¡¯s point of view, they probably felt threatened by a Griffon like Set, but were also afraid to run away because they felt they would be killed. Regardless of the reason, the merchants were grateful for the docile horses. In order to not excite them, the merchants led the horses back while keeping some distance from Set. Meanwhile, Tradia picked up the weapons the bandits had dropped. Rei took a look at all the fallen weapons, but the bandits had only used long swords and bows, none of them had spears that Rei could use. Because of that, Rei let Tradia pick everything up as he waited for the subjugation force to get to them. ¡¸As expected¡­¡­when I saw Set, I knew it had to be Rei-kun. You went to the Labyrinth City, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. Everything is pretty much settled now though. I came back to Gilm to take care of some business and Daska-sama asked me to give you guys a hand. This is part of the result.¡¹ While explaining the situation to Ranga, who came over to him with a friendly voice, Rei turned to look at the bandits tied up with rope. ¡¸Huh? These guys?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. To be exact, I asked the caravan over there to act as a decoy. Do what you need to do, whether it¡¯s extracting information from them or anything else. However, I would like you to pay those merchants a suitable amount for them.¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out a letter from the Misty Ring before handing it over to Ranga. It was the letter he had received from Daska, explaining the circumstances. Ranga read the contents of the letter and though for a while before giving a small nod. ¡¸I¡¯m glad you¡¯re willing to help, Rei-kun. I understand the reward. But first, we¡¯ll have to figure out where they¡¯re hiding.¡¹ Rei nodded in response to what Ranga said. Meanwhile, the knights who were travelling with Ranga stepped forward. ¡¸Rei, was it? We would appreciate it greatly if you could work together with us.¡¹ The knight¡¯s face was also familiar to Rei. It was someone he had spoken to several times back during the war with the Bestir Empire. Rei let out a small sigh of relief when he saw who the knight was. Knights had a strong sense of pride and honour. If they found out that the bandits they had been hunting had been defeated by an adventurer, some would have tried to mess with him, refusing to accept the situation. However, maybe because he was a frontier knight, or because he was one of Daska¡¯s subordinates? Either way, the knight in front of him, as well as his fellow knights, didn¡¯t seem to care. Or, at the very least, none of them showed it. ¡¸So, I want to find out where their hideout is from the captured bandits and attack their base¡­¡­is that possible?¡¹ I want to get rid of troublesome thing as soon as possible. Ranga seemed to understand Rei¡¯s inner thoughts when he spoke. He responded with a nod and small smile before motioning to his men. The soldiers in the subjugation force seemed to understand what Ranga meant and pulled the bandits aside to a place where the merchants couldn¡¯t see them. They were going to interrogate, or torture if necessary, the bandits to force them to reveal the location of their hideout. It was something they didn¡¯t want to show to ordinary people or merchants, but¡­¡­their concern was meaningless. The soldiers who pulled the bandits away soon returned before speaking with some confusion. ¡¸Captain, uh¡­¡­they¡¯ve told us the location of their hideout.¡¹ CH 547 The reason why the captured bandits had been so quick to give up the location of their hideout was, naturally, Set. Due to the intimidation effect of King¡¯s Awe used by Set, the bandits were all cowering away and immediately answered when asked, in hope of getting away from Set as soon as they could. The fact that their boss, Everogi, had abandoned them so easily might also have something to do with it. ¡¸They seem quite frightened by Set for some reason¡­¡­what did you do?¡¹ In response to the soldiers from the subjugation force, who had come to report back to Ranga, Rei turned to look over at Set, who was happily eating dried meat given by one of the knights a short distance away. ¡¸I mean, if Set did anything, it would be giving a loud cry right up close to them. I think that¡¯s why. They had been planning to run but seemed to all give up when they heard Set¡¯s cry.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ As he ate the dry meat he was given, Set gave a questioning cry, asking if Rei was calling for him. He turned to look at Rei, but Rei shook his head to say it was nothing before facing Ranga again. ¡¸So, now that we know the location of their hideout, will we attack immediately?¡¹ ¡¸That is the plan. ¡­¡­Where is there hideout?¡¹ When asked, the soldier averted his gaze while looking a little embarrassed before turning towards the forest. ¡¸It seems to be quite deep into the forest.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I thought horsemen made up the bandits¡¯ main force?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. They seem to be quite good at handling horses. After all, they weren¡¯t originally bandits but mercenaries.¡¹ ¡¸I thought so.¡¹ Rei nodded in response to the answer he had vaguely expected. The same went for Ranga, who frowned. ¡¸So they aren¡¯t just bandits? I sometimes hear of mercenaries turning to banditry, but even so, it¡¯s a big problem when it comes to this scale. ¡­¡­Rei-kun, can you wait a little longer? I have to consult with the knights about the plan moving forward.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. I want to settle this matter as soon as possible, so if possible, please try to push for that direction.¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I don¡¯t like the idea of leaving Gilm for such a long period of time and, above all, even as we¡¯re doing this, more documents are piling up one after another¡­¡­¡¹ Perhaps recalling the pile of papers on his desk, Ranga left with his hand on his stomach. The knights who had tending to Set also followed Ranga. Seeing them off, Rei asked a nearby soldier with some surprise. ¡¸Do the guards have that many documents to deal with?¡¹ ¡¸No, well, it can¡¯t be said that we have that many documents to deal with. But, in particular, it is necessary to sort out the number of people entering and leaving Gilm, the troubles occurring in the city, and many other things.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Being a guard seems more difficult than I thought.¡¹ Only Rei¡¯s earnest murmurs could be heard in the surroundings. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the Bloody Blades went back into the forest towards their hideout. Even through the forest, their pace was fast. It was only natural that Rei would soon know the location of their hideout from the survivors of their initial attack, which had been sent out to see if it was a trap. The Bloody Blades led by Everogi were not a group of people that boasted an iron bond. If they were caught and interrogated, they would spill everything to save themselves. Moreover, since he, their boss, had simply abandoned them, he couldn¡¯t hope for much loyalty or solidarity. For that reason, Everogi intended to leave immediately, before the adventurers and subjugation force could reach their hideout. His decision was swift and undoubtedly the right decision as the leader of such a mercenary force. But¡­¡­ Everogi, who had been quickly moving through the forest, suddenly stopped. A familiar smell of rust drifted out from the direction they were going in. (Are they ahead of us¡­¡­? No, it¡¯s too soon. Even if Crimson has a Griffon, I can¡¯t imagine him finding our hideout in the forest so quickly. For a moment, the figure of the Griffon he saw on their first attack on the merchants passed through his mind, but he immediately shook his head. However, there was no doubt that there was a smell of blood drifting out from the location of their hideout. The other must have sensed the smell as well. They looked at in other in confusion¡­¡­or perhaps unease. ¡¸Something happened at the hideout. Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Everogi spat those words out before urging on the horse he was on. Even though they were in a forest, Everogi¡¯s horse continued to advance without any issues. The rest of his subordinates followed, as if chasing after him. The Bloody Blades might have been a mercenary group turned bandits, but the skill of their horsemen was undoubtedly first class. When they finally got to a clearing in the forest, where they had set up their hideout¡­¡­Everogi was greeted by nearly 50 Goblins. ¡¸Goblins?¡¹ It was true that Goblins had been wandering in since the day before. However, even then, there had only been one or two Goblins at a time, there had never been such a large group of Goblins. The Goblins had food or weapons in their hands as they fussed over gold, silver, and gems. The people lying on the ground were all familiar. They were his subordinates who had lost the strength to fight¡­¡­or were unable to fight due to injuries and had retired from mercenary work to do odd jobs. They were all lying on the ground with blood spilling out from their bodies. Limbs bent in the wrong directions and wounds all over their bodies. It could be considered fortunate that there were no women among the mercenaries that had stayed behind. If there had been, there was no doubt they would have suffered a fate worse than death. Yes, just like the woman who had survived one of Everogi¡¯s attacks on merchant caravans, who he could see in his line of sight. ¡¸Damn it, just when I don¡¯t have the time for this. ¡­¡­Listen up you bastards. Get rid of those fucking Goblins! Don¡¯t get me wrong, drive them away, not kill them!¡¹ ¡¸Boss!?¡¹ Even if the mercenaries had all joined together with personal gain in mind, there were some who had developed bonds with each other after being together for so long. Seeing their friends dead, several men turned to Everogi in dissatisfaction at the order to just drive away the Goblins instead of avenging their fellow comrades. However, Everogi just glared back at them. ¡¸I¡¯m also mad at these Goblins. But if we take our time here, the subjugation force and Crimson will get closer. Do you think you can beat them?¡¹ Hearing that, even his subordinates had nothing to say back. As Everogi gave his orders, the Goblins could naturally see them, so as a result¡­¡­ ¡¸Gyagagagagya!¡¹ ¡¸Gyogya?¡¹ ¡¸Gyagyogo!¡¹ Calling out to each other, the Goblins all attacked at once. The Goblins were strong against the weak and weak against the strong. However, they were also dumb, so they would attack enemies even if they were stronger than them. The Goblins¡¯ decision to attack was probably the result of the manifestation of such Goblin traits. Especially now, excited from the killing of weak fighters and those who couldn¡¯t fight who had remained in the hideout. And above all¡­¡­ ¡¸GAGYAGYOGYO!¡¹ There was a monster considerably larger than a Goblin¡­¡­about the size of an adult human, who attacked with a club, drunk on blood and excitement. It was a superior species of Goblin¡­¡­ ¡¸Tch, a Hobgoblin! What¡¯s with all these Goblins!¡¹ Shouting in frustration, Everogi dodged a swing of the club before swinging his long sword. The Hobgoblin, a superior Goblin species, dies when his head was chopped off by Everogi¡¯s attack. Hobgoblins were indeed a superior Goblin species and their physical abilities were higher than a Goblin¡¯s in every way. However, this was only compared to a Goblin, it was still nothing more than a weakling in front of the veteran leader of the Bloody Blades. ¡¸Gyagagagaga!?¡¹ ¡¸Gyogoveru!?¡¹ A Goblin swung a piece of rare monster material while shouting in Goblin language. Everogi, who knew how much money was being held in that Goblin¡¯s hand, frowned as he spat out in disgust. ¡¸Hey-! You guys hurry up! Get rid of the Goblins! But remember to collect as much as possible of the goods they have taken. For us mercenaries, it¡¯s absolutely necessary to take back as many weapons, armour, and horses! Otherwise we won¡¯t be able to buy any food or alcohol!¡¹ ¡ºUOOOOOOOH-!¡» Weapons, armour, horses, food, alcohol, and women. The other mercenaries couldn¡¯t just sit back and take it easy when they knew that something essential to their business as mercenaries was at stake. However, when the Goblins saw the approaching humans, they still didn¡¯t understand that the Hobgoblin, their greatest fighter, was already dead and tried to threaten the mercenaries loudly. (Tch, bastards. If they shout so loudly, they¡¯ll just be telling the subjugation force and Crimson where we are.) Irritably clicking his tongue, Everogi swung his sword out of frustration, cutting the Goblin holding a rare material in half. Frowning at the smell of Goblin blood that started to drift out around him, he continued to kill Goblins one after another. After 10 minutes, the Goblins realised that they would be wiped out by the mercenaries and started to run away in all directions. Without thinking about their fellow Goblins, they ran away to save their own lives. After the Goblin settlement had been attacked, the lone surviving Hobgoblin had managed to keep the remaining Goblins somewhat together. But now that it was dead, there was no one else to lead the Goblins. Some of the mercenaries mounted their horses and tried to pursue the killers of their comrades, but were immediately met with angry shouts from Everogi. ¡¸Oi, you guys! Let¡¯s quickly get out of here. Pack up your valuables and belongings! Don¡¯t forget the monster materials that the Goblins left lying around!¡¹ Those words seemed to bring the mercenaries back to their senses. They came back in a hurry as they followed Everogi¡¯s orders. As that was going on. ¡¸Heh, you seem to be making decisions quite quickly. I thought you would have a bit more time to spare.¡¹ A voice echoed out. Strangely enough, even in the midst of all the commotion, Everogi could still hear that voice. At the same time, he felt a chill run down his spin as he turned to face the voice on reflex. The was a young man standing there, young enough to be called a boy. He had a huge scythe in his hand as he leaned against a tree, watching with admiration as the Bloody Blades made their preparations to retreat. It was clear who it was just from the weapon the boy held, but the biggest giveaway was the presence that was crouching next to him as he watched the mercenaries. A Griffon, an A rank monster with the upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a lion. He usually had round eyes and a friendly demeanor, becoming somewhat of a mascot in Gilm. But now, his eyes were sharp, like a bird of prey, as he looked at the Bloody Blades. ¡¸¡­¡­Crimson¡­¡­¡¹ From Everogi¡¯s mouth, the title of the person before him leaked out of his mouth. Going a bit back in time. The soldiers of the subjugation force had succeeded in obtaining the information they wanted from the bandits Rei had captured a lot faster than expected. They would get an answer as soon as they asked anything, so no torture was needed. It was enough for them to say this. ¡ºDo you want the Griffon to come over again?¡» Scared witless by Set¡¯s intimidation, they all immediately gave in. Their true identity was the mercenary group Bloody Blades. Since they had barely made any money during the Spring War, they decided to become bandits in Margrave Rowlocks¡¯ territory, who was the reason why the war had ended so quickly. They also gave details of the Bloody Blades, and their leader, Everogi, who had promised them a preferential share of the profits. ¡¸¡­¡­This is dangerous.¡¹ One of the knights muttered when he heard the information from the soldiers. The Bloody Blades were a mercenary group whose main force consisted of horsemen, a class of fighter with excellent offensive power and mobility. In addition, they were led by a smart man. It was true that the subjugation force had been chasing the bandits¡­¡­no, the mercenaries, but they had never been able to even see them. Furthermore, in order to not leak any information, they would also kill everyone in the caravans they attacked. If such a leader had seen a Griffon, he would definitely have guessed that the B rank adventurer, Rei, had his eyes on them. Even if it was a misunderstanding that they had been found, since a large scale subjugation force had been formed, there was a high possibility that their work in this area was over and they would try to move for another area. At the knight¡¯s explanation, the other members of the subjugation force nodded with bitter expressions. ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t it best to have Rei and Set to play an active role as soon as possible? We were able to find out where the Bloody Blades are hiding after all.¡¹ ¡¸In the end, without Rei, this solution wouldn¡¯t have been possible.¡¹ One of them muttered those words out softly. But, in the end, they all agreed that they should prioritise dealing with the Bloody Blades rather than trying to claim credit for it. Through Ranga, who was closer to Rei than the rest of them, they asked Rei to go ahead and keep an eye on the Bloody Blades to make sure they didn¡¯t escape before the subjugation force arrived and to stop them if they did try to escape. CH 548 The summer afternoon had passed and the sun was starting to set. ¡¸I hadn¡¯t expected them to set up their hideout so deep in the forest when their main force consisted of horsemen. I really hadn¡¯t thought of it at all. ¡­¡­Bloody Blades, or whatever they were called, their actions aside, they seem to be quite skilled.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave a cry, as if agreeing with Rei¡¯s words. As he looked down at the ground, all he could see were the trees that made up the fores. Even with the information of where the hideout was located in the forest, which they had extracted from the captured bandits, it was still difficult to find the exact location without any photographs. In addition, the way the Bloody Blades moved along the ground was different from how Rei and Set would fly through the sky. ¡¸Well, I guess Ranga is probably correct in saying that they will probably try to run away now that they¡¯ve seen Set¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Anything happen? Set seemed to ask as he turned his head back to face Rei. As they flew over the forest. Set suddenly turned his head back to a patch of forest beneath them. ¡¸¡­¡­Hm? This¡­¡­¡¹ Faint sounds of angry voices and weapons clashing could be heard. There was also the smell of blood. It was the familiar sound of battle, which Rei had become well acquainted with. ¡¸It seems like we¡¯ve found the target. Did they have a split in opinions after withdrawing, or is it something to do with how big of a share of the goods each person will get? Anyway, I can only say it¡¯s good timing for us. Set, please head in the direction of the sounds.¡¹ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Letting out a cry at Rei¡¯s words, Set flapped his wings as he descended towards the ground. Landing in a space just big enough for Set, they made their way towards the sound of battle while hiding their presence. Reaching their destination after five minutes, the scene before them was entirely unexpected. He had thought that the members of Bloody Blades had been fighting each other, but it seemed like they were dealing with a group of Goblins. (With the horses present, there¡¯s no doubt that they¡¯re part of the Bloody Blades.) Horsemen could be seen dexterously navigating the reasonably open space filled with tents and the occasional tree as they got rid of the Goblins. With the skill at which they handled their horses, much better than what an unskilled knight could do, the people here had to be part of the Bloody Blades. (Even so, Goblins? Why¡­¡­no, I see. Lenora and Kenny had mentioned this. In addition, Milein had been taking care of those three rookies to hunt down the remnants of the Goblins that had escaped from the settlement.) He had heard from Lenora and Kenny that an adventurer force had attacked and destroyed a Goblin settlement the day before. Because of that, they had been complaining that it had taken them longer than usual to finish their work for the day due to the additional procedures that needed to be done. However, thanks to that, they had been able to meet up with Rei, who had just returned to Gilm, so Kenny thought that they were quite lucky. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set turned to look at Rei with a quiet cry, quite enough that the Goblins and Bloody Blades couldn¡¯t hear him. Rei shook his head as he stroked Set¡¯s back. ¡¸Even if we attack now, it will only cause more confusion. The Goblins will run away when they see you, and so will the members of the Bloody Blades. Once the Goblins have been dealt with, we¡¯ll make out move. In the first place, our role is to stop them from escaping, so we should focus on that.¡¹ Set nodded at Rei¡¯s words and the two of them watched the battle continue on for a while longer. ¡¸That said, it looks like things will be wrapping up soon.¡¹ As expected of a mercenary unit with a long combat history, the number of Goblins was rapidly decreasing¡­¡­as Rei watched on, it seemed like the Goblins realised that they no chance of winning and stopped fighting as they scattered in all directions. Immediately after, Everogi gave the order out to pick up as much materials, weapons, rare metals, and other items they could sell at a high price as they could. ¡¸Seems like it¡¯s about time, huh. I was hoping to make a move after the subjugation force arrived if I could.¡¹ Rei looked around as he muttered, but it seemed like Ranga and the rest of the subjugation force had yet to arrive. At this rate, they¡¯ll end up escaping. Reaching a decision, Rei let out a small sigh before taking the Death Scythe out of the Misty Ring and leaving his hiding place along with Set. ¡¸Oi, you guys! Let¡¯s quickly get out of here. Pack up your valuables and belongings! Don¡¯t forget the monster materials that the Goblins left lying around!¡¹ Hearing such words, Rei spoke up as he leaned against a tree, still ready to make a move at any time. ¡¸Heh, you seem to be making decisions quite quickly. I thought you would have a bit more time to spare.¡¹ A moment of shock. The moment they heard Rei¡¯s voice, the leader of the Bloody Blades stopped moving. Then, like a rusty doll, he turned to look towards Rei¡­¡­as he whispered his title. ¡¸¡­¡­Crimson¡­¡­¡¹ Rei nodded back as he held the Death Scythe before replying. ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­Well, why am I here? There¡¯s no need to explain the reason, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah. You¡¯ve come to kill us, haven¡¯t you?¡¹ The words that Everogi said made Rei frown slightly. It was true that if they resisted, Rei would fight back, so he couldn¡¯t say he had no intention of killing them. But at the same time, if they surrendered quietly, he didn¡¯t intend to hurt them unnecessarily. Of course, it wasn¡¯t for peaceful or humanitarian reasons. It was simply based on the judgement that if he injured them, it would take a lot of time and effort for the subjugation force to treat them. Even if they were just going to be sold as slaves, injuries would cause them to be sold for less. As he felt indebted to Daska, Rei decided he could be at least this considerate. (No, rather, it feels like the rumours about me and growing in a strange direction¡­¡­) Letting out a sigh in his mind, he spoke up while trying to hide his thoughts. ¡¸Well, that depends on you. If you surrender quietly, there¡¯s no need for any blood to flow. But if you¡¯re going to resist to the end¡­¡­then, the result you mentioned might just come true.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Everogi did some quick calculations in his head¡­¡­before coming to the conclusion there was nothing he could do. After all, it was already known that he was the leader of the Bloody Blades. Since that was the case, even if they ran away in all directions like the Goblins had done earlier, Rei would still chase after him specifically. No matter how confident Everogi was in his horse handling, it was basically impossible for him to escape a flying Griffon. Since that was the case, could they try attacking all at once? No. No matter how young Rei might look, he was still an adventurer with a title. There was no way they would be able to win in a straight up fight, and even if they could, there was no doubt that he would be the first to die, as the commander of his subordinates. The thought of abandoning his subordinates as disposable pawns crossed his mind. But there was no doubt in his mind that the moment his subordinates realised that, he would be the one sacrificed instead. In conclusion, Everogi only had one real option. Getting off his horse, he threw the long sword in his hand to the ground. One of his subordinates nervously asked as the sword struck the ground. ¡¸Boss, what the hell are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t you tell? I¡¯m surrendering.¡¹ ¡¸What-!?¡¹ They couldn¡¯t believe it, they didn¡¯t want to believe it. As many of them showed those thoughts in their expressions, Everogi spoke up. ¡¸Listen up, this guy is an adventurer with the title ¡®Crimson¡¯. Do you think you can fight him and win? Do you think you can run away? I don¡¯t think so. In that case, we could fight and be killed. But I¡¯d rather be sold as a slave instead.¡¹ He didn¡¯t say anything more since they were still in front of Rei, but if he was lucky, he might find a chance to escape before he was actually sold as a slave. But¡­¡­ ¡¸D-Don¡¯t joke around! Me? Sold as a slave!? I absolutely refuse the idea!¡¹ When one of them shouted that, several people around him also shouted in agreement. ¡¸That¡¯s right! I refuse to be a slave! Let¡¯s just kill the kid and get the hell out of here!¡¹ ¡¸Crimson? Those are just rumours going around. Look at him, he¡¯s such a weak looking guy, isn¡¯t he? If we all work together, it will be no problem. You all think so too, don¡¯t you!?¡¹ Hearing those voices one after another, the Bloody Blades gripped their weapons tightly in agreement. If they had been a bit more calm, the people shouting out might have realised the difference in skill between Rei and themselves. After all, they had reached the level of skill required to know that. However, it seemed like they had intentionally ignored it because of their fear of what would happen if they were caught. Their desperation was not unlike the Goblins from earlier, although the end result was different. ¡¸Hey, stop! Even if you can beat him, what are you going to do with the Griffon!?¡¹ If we attack, we¡¯ll really be killed. A few of the Bloody Blades managed to keep their composure, but their words meant little to those already in a state of panic. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s do it! If we kill him here, we¡¯ll have a way to survive!¡¹ ¡ºUOOOOOOOOOH!¡» Even though there were only less than 10 of them combined, both horsemen and those on foot, they shouted loudly as if to encourage each other¡¯s survival. Then with long swords in hand, the group attacked Rei. ¡¸Bah-!¡¹ Everogi tried to stop them, but it was already too late. The closest person had already closed the distance as they swung their sword down at Rei¡­¡­ ¡¸Go to sleep.¡¹ Along with the words Rei muttered, the butt of the Death Scythe was buried into the attacking man. ¡¸Keh-¡¹ The man fainted immediately as he let out a cough. The long sword in his hand rolled to the ground with a clanging sound. Luckily for the man, Rei was trying to capture the Bloody Blades alive instead of killing them. Thanks to that, the shaft of the Death Scythe didn¡¯t pierce the man in leather armour, only knocking him out. Though considering what is life would be after being captured, it was hard to say whether he could be called lucky or not. ¡¸ORAAAA-!¡¹ In an attempt to exploit Rei¡¯s action, the moment his ally was taken out, another man swung a battle axe down. However, the next moment, a metallic clang echoed out and the next moment, the man realised that his battle axe had been cleanly severed. Not at the shaft, but at the metal blade. For a moment, the sight was so extraordinary that the man froze up. One strike. The shaft of the Death Scythe slashed out sideways, breaking the man¡¯s ribs through his leather armour and sending him flying to the side. With that momentum, the man collided with the trees that grew in the surroundings before falling to the ground with a dull sound. ¡º¡­¡­¡» The spectacle of a human being sent flying instantly cooled the head of those who had all been about to attack Rei. It wasn¡¯t a rare sight for high ranking adventurers, but even so, seeing such a sight with their own eyes made them all want to avoid experiencing that themselves. ¡¸Stop, all of you!¡¹ Everogi let out an angry roar, not missing the moment when everyone stopped moving. Hearing the voice of their leader, the men all calmed down as they looked at Rei. With the Death Scythe on his shoulder, Rei had a confident expression on his face, ready to react to anything that might happen. What¡¯s more, Set had crouched down low next to Rei, ready to pounce at any time. ¡¸Do you understand now? If we run into someone like this guy, we lose. Don¡¯t try anything more disgraceful.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ Everogi silently shook his head at the man who had been about to say something. There was no point in trying to fight as it would just cause unnecessary injuries. Seeing their exchange, Rei spoke up. ¡¸It seems like you won¡¯t put up anymore useless resistance. Thank you. Besides¡­¡­¡¹ With a glance, he looked back towards the part of the forest he had come from. Before long, a rustling sound could be heard among the bushes and members of the subjugation force, including Ranga, appeared. ¡¸As you can see, you have no chance of escaping, so give up.¡¹ Rei said that to the members of the Bloody Blades, who had expressions of crushed will as there was nothing left they could do. CH 549 ¡¸Ahh, you ended up doing everything in the end, Rei. Sorry about that.¡¹ Ranga scratched his head and called out to Rei as he came out from the bushes along with the rest of the subjugation force, Rei shrugged his shoulders as he replied to Ranga, who thanked him. ¡¸This bandit incident was an official request, so I did what needed to be done. ¡­¡­That aside, would it be better to tie them all up before they get any funny ideas?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? That¡¯s true. ¡­¡­Everyone, get to work.¡¹ ¡ºUnderstood.¡» In response to Ranga¡¯s instructions, the soldiers of the subjugation force replied in unison as they quickly tied up the members of Bloody Blades with rope. While keeping an eye on the bandits to stop them from doing anything strange, Ranga called out to Rei, who was also keeping an eye on the bandits. ¡¸It¡¯s a bit strange that there are so many dead Goblins here, what¡¯s this all about?¡¹ ¡¸These guys were fighting the Goblins when I got here. From what I heard in Gilm, some party destroyed a Goblin settlement deep in the forest, so these were probably the survivors.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Come to think of it, we did get some information about that. It¡¯s only natural that they¡¯d end up clashing since they both considered the forest their territory. ¡­¡­How do you want to handle the Goblin corpses, proof of subjugation, and magic stones?¡¹ ¡¸Good point, in that case, I¡¯ll just take the Hobgoblins¡¯s magic stone. It¡¯s a magic stone I still haven¡¯t collected.¡¹ Magic stones couldn¡¯t be absorbed by the Magic Beast Art unless either Rei or Set were involved in the fight. However, since he had previously said that he collected magic stones as a hobby, it would be strange if he didn¡¯t pick the rarer magic stone here. Ranga nodded gratefully as Rei said those words to him. ¡¸If the Hobgoblin¡¯s magic stone is enough, then I have no complaints. No, rather, I would be quite thankful. With regards to the goods stolen by the bandits, it will all go to Daksa-sama, but the rest of us can split the Goblin magic stones and proofs of subjugation.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­They¡¯re only Goblins though, right?¡¹ ¡¸They might not be worth a lot, but even so, with so many, the rewards will add up.¡¹ ¡¸Is it enough to cover the cost of this expedition?¡¹ A knight emerged from the bushes as he asked Ranga. As someone dispatched from Gilm, he had no objection to Ranga¡¯s plan. ¡¸Yes. We had already allowed for enough to cover the cost of the expedition, but if we can earn a bit more here, the pay will be better.¡¹ As their leader, it was probably important for Ranga to work hard for his subordinates¡¯ benefits. That would probably be impossible for me. As Rei thought of that, he started a conversation with the knight before the soldiers eventually finished tying up all the bandits. ¡¸We have completed the capture of the Bloody Blades.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. Move them a bit further away and keep an eye on them. Also, what did they steal from all the merchants?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing the knight¡¯s question, the soldiers seemed troubled. Rei, who had been watching from the side, spoke up. ¡¸It seems like their hideout was attacked by Goblins when they weren¡¯t around. All the things they looted ended up being taken away by the Goblins.¡¹ Rei looked over at a Goblin that had been slashed to pieces. It was already dead, but it was still holding onto a 30cm long crystal. As a jewel, it wasn¡¯t that expensive, but it was a useful material for making magic items. Both the knight and Ranga seemed to notice the crystal the Goblin was holding. Their eyes went wide for a moment before they sighed. In other words, they would have to search the whole hideout to find where all the dead Goblins were. As for the Goblins that did manage to escape, they would have to give up on anything they took. (No, if anything, it might end up being a reward of sorts for Milein and the others who will be hunting the remnants of the Goblins tomorrow.) While thinking like that, Rei turned to the knight and Ranga. ¡¸Yeah¡­¡­all that, I¡¯ll take care of it. What about you Rei? You can take what you want from what the bandits stole, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Well, normally, if bandits are destroyed, the adventurers who did it can take everything. ¡­¡­But, this time, it¡¯s a direct request from Daska-sama.¡¹ Rei replied with a small sigh. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. A request from the guild and a direct request from Daska-sama are two completely different things. I¡¯m sure you know that. The important thing to remember is that the request was to support the subjugation force, right? ¡­¡­Well, this is how everything turned out in the end though.¡¹ ¡¸I have some things to deal with myself as well, so I wanted to refrain from wasting too much time here.¡¹ In response to the knight¡¯s comment, Rei shrugged his shoulders as he replied. For the time being, they headed over to a tent that the soldiers had been using as a temporary storage area. ¡¸Tch, they¡¯re basically doing the same thing as us, aren¡¯t they? The only difference is whether they¡¯re taking it from merchants or us.¡¹ One of the Bloody Blades spat out as they watched Rei, along with the knight and Ranga, over to the tent where they had desperately collected all their loot. Hearing those words, a soldier who had been left as a guard gave him a sharp look, but didn¡¯t say anything. That was to avoid focusing on the man by talking. After all, the mercenaries in front of the guard were the Bloody Blades, well known for their strength and mobility. In addition, they were well known for their lack of mercy. For that reason, the guard didn¡¯t want to risk carelessly showing an opening. That said, as long as Crimson was nearby, he didn¡¯t think they would try anything funny, but it was better to not let his guard down. (Tch.) Seeing the soldier¡¯s attitude, Everogi clicked his tongue internally. It was true the Everogi had chosen to quietly surrender in front of Rei, but it would still be best if he could find an opportunity to escape. The Griffon¡¯s ability to fly was troublesome, but considering the geographical environment of the forest, he could probably still escape if he was alone. However, the surrounding soldiers didn¡¯t let their guard down, despite them all being tied up. No, on the contrary¡­¡­ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set, who hadn¡¯t gone to the tent with Rei, gave a cry as as he lay down near Everogi and the rest of the Bloody Blades. Set might have had his eyes closed, but his presence meant that Everogi had no choice but to give up any idea of escaping. ¡¸Hey, hey. Is this fine?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. The captain gave his permission. Or rather¡­¡­the captain asked Rei to send Set over.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Well, it¡¯s true that it¡¯s a lot safer with Set keeping an eye on them.¡¹ The soldiers who were watching over Everogi and the others exchanged whispers while looking at Set, who was lying down nearby. In fact, it was as they said. As long as Set was here, it was pointless for the members of Bloody Blades to try anything. The soldiers gave a sigh of relief after hearing that, but they continued to monitor Everogi, not neglecting their job. ¡¸Ohh¡­¡­no, well, I guess I should have known.¡¹ Rei muttered involuntarily when he saw the inside of the tent that the soldiers brought him to. It was true that there were a wide variety of goods stored in the tent. ¡­¡­Yes. The key point was that there¡ºwere¡». Most of what had been inside had been taken away by the Goblins, leaving only a few old items behind. The Goblins probably didn¡¯t want the items either because they didn¡¯t think that they were worth anything. Rei looked around the looted tent with a sigh as he turned towards the knight and Ranga, who had the same mournful expression as himself. ¡¸So¡­¡­what should we do?¡¹ ¡¸No, even if you ask me¡­¡­I guess at least the Bloody Blades killed a lot of the Goblins.¡¹ The knight seemed to agree with Ranga¡¯s words, which leaked out with a sigh. ¡¸So, I was told you could chose your reward from among these¡­¡­but as expected, you wouldn¡¯t want to pick from just these, right?¡¹ Just as the knight said, what was left in the test didn¡¯t seem to have much value. ¡­¡­Rei thought that as well and was about to say he would take a look again after recovering all the items the Goblins had stole. His eyes suddenly turned to a broken wooden box. He wasn¡¯t interested in the wooden box itself. Rather, he was distracted by something reflecting the sunlight coming through the Goblin torn tent and into the box. ¡¸¡­¡­Wait a moment.¡¹ Rei called out to Ranga and the knight before taking something out from the broken wooden box. Inside was something round made from metal, about the size of his palm, with a chain extending from the top. However, the thing that surprised Rei more than anything else was¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s made of mithril?¡¹ Yes. The item Rei held in his hand was completely made from mithril, both the body and chain. Mithril was a rare magic metal that could easily absorb magic power. Even Rei, who liked to collect magic items, only had a knife made from mithril. It was that rare of a magic metal. ¡¸This is also¡­¡­¡¹ At the top of the round item was a push switch. Pressing it, the surface of the item opened up around the switch. Inside were numbers from 1 to 12. The numbers were made from embedded gems while the hands that rotated through them were also made of mithril. There were three hands indicating the hour, minute, and second. In other words¡­¡­ ¡¸A watch, huh?¡¹ It was a kind of pocket watch. Just like the bells that rang in Gilm and Exil at fixed times, clocks also existed in this world. However, the clocks most used by adventurers were really just hourglasses. An ordinary hourglass was fine if it was just for timing several minutes, but for something that needed to last several hours, an hourglass would be too big, so it was common to make magic items for that purpose instead. Rei also had a magic hourglass, but for the item he was holding in his hand¡­¡­it was the first time seeing something like a watch that would be sold in Japan. In the first place, it was difficult to even make such a magic item and craftsmen, including alchemists, who could make such a thing were extremely rare. It wasn¡¯t something you could buy with money, you needed to have contacts and connections. The pocket watch in Rei¡¯s hands was probably something ordered by a noble or rich merchant. ¡¸¡­¡­Heh, a watch? And, since it¡¯s made from mithril, it will probably use less magic power.¡¹ ¡¸This¡­¡­is amazing.¡¹ The mithril cover of the pocket watch had intricate carvings of trees growing around a fountain. The knight was surprised to see that. Rei glanced at the knight and Ranga, who exclaimed in admiration, before looking back at the watch. As Ranga said, the watch would probably need less magic power to activate due to it being made of mithril. When Rei, with his enormous magic reserves, held it, it felt very comfortable in his hand. This was probably due to mithril¡¯s high affinity for magic power. ¡¸This was really an unexpected find. ¡­¡­In that case, I¡¯ll take this as my reward.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine. With something like this, you¡¯d normally pick it over anything else.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Daska-sama has several watches, but compared to something like htis¡­¡­¡¹ As Rei heard the two of them talk, Rei tried to put the watch into the Misty Ring before instinctively stopping. (Time stops inside the Misty Ring, so wouldn¡¯t it be bad to put the watch inside?) Putting an hourglass into the Misty Ring already had issues, let alone a pocket watch. As Rei realised that, the knight noticed him stop moving with the watch in hand and spoke up. ¡¸Anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m just thinking if it¡¯s okay to put this inside my item box.¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, time stops inside the item box.¡¹ Rei nodded at Ranga¡¯s response. ¡¸Yeah. So, I thought that if I put it inside the item box, the time would be off.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think you need to worry about that.¡¹ The knight easily rejected Rei¡¯s concerns. Rei was confused as he looked at the knight, who continued on with a smile. ¡¸All magic items, not just watches, are powered by magic power. Especially in the case of such a watch, it should have the function of automatically adjusting the time when it receives magic power. All the watches I¡¯ve used have had the same function, so this watch, which is of the highest quality, should be fine.¡¹ Even though Rei was puzzled by the knight¡¯s answer, he decided to store the watch into the Misty Ring for now because it would be hard to tell if it was the truth without testing it out. CH 550 ¡¸¡­¡­Is this really enough?¡¹ The knight asked Rei. At Rei¡¯s feet were about 50 spears. Some of them had missing tips or cracks in the shaft, but most were ordinary spears, the type Rei liked to buy from blacksmiths and weapons shops. Those were the spears that the Bloody Blades stored in their hideout. Although they were a mercenary group centered around a cavalry force, they also had fighters on foot. Spears were available for use by those on foot. In addition to the pocket watch, which was a magic item, Rei requested the spears used by the bandits¡­¡­no, the Bloody Blades, as part of the request reward. ¡¸Yeah, there aren¡¯t any other magic items I can use and I already have enough money. As for weapons, the Death Scythe is normally enough and I have several knives for stripping materials, including spares. I have a number of spears stored up, but since I use them as throwing weapons, it¡¯s always nice to have more.¡¹ Rei glanced at the spears at his feet with a small smile. ¡¸Most of these spears aren¡¯t the broken ones I usually collect, but ordinary, usable spears. Besides throwing, I can also pass them to my allies in cases of emergency.¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re okay with it, then that¡¯s fine with me¡­¡­you really aren¡¯t greedy.¡¹ The knight muttered in amazement as Ranga gave a wry smile. Shrugging his shoulders at the two of them, Rei stored all the spears into the Misty Ring before looking back inside the tent. The soldiers had managed to gather as much of the goods stolen by the Goblins as they could and brought them back. However, according to Everogi, it still seemed like have of all the goods had been stolen away. As Rei thought about that, his eyes stopped on a gem in the tent. It was a large green gem, illuminated by the sunlight that passed through the trees as the sun set. It was a large emerald, about 5cm in size. Picking up the emerald that caught his eye for some reason, Rei suddenly thought of Tradia. Although he hand¡¯t asked why, Tradia had seemed quite desperate for money. That was the reason they hadn¡¯t hired adventurers as an escort. (¡­¡­That¡¯s right. I guess I do owe those guys a favour.) Thinking to himself, Rei spoke to Ranga and the knight. ¡¸I think I¡¯ll take this emerald as well. So, just out of curiosity, how¡¯s the merchant caravan that I used as bait doing?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? I have some men standing guard for them outside the forest. We might have caught the bandits causing trouble lately, but there are still monsters around.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. I would like to check in on them, if you don¡¯t mind.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Ranga and the knight looked up into the sky. The summer sun was already setting as the sunlight shone through the trees into the Bloody Blades¡¯ hideout. Looking at the two of them, Rei quickly took out pocket watch and flipped open the cover. It was past 6pm. The time people would normally have dinner. ¡¸Well, what should we do? Even if we start heading back to Gilm now, it will be difficult, considering the current time. In that case, I would rather spend the night here without moving about carelessly and leave early tomorrow morning.¡¹ Ranga nodded in agreement to the knight¡¯s words as he replied. ¡¸In that case, I would really like Rei-kun and Set to help us out¡­¡­is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine. How about I come back here after meeting back with Tradia?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Ranga and the knight looked at each other and conversed with their eyes before eventually nodding. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s fine. Sorry for putting so much pressure on you, but we¡¯ll be relying on you.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve received enough rewards, so this isn¡¯t a problem.¡¹ Playing around with the mithril pocket watch in his hand, he stored it back into the Misty Ring before leaving. After seeing Rei off, Ranga and the knight began to give instructions to their subordinates to set up camp for the night. ¡¸Set, can you fly us back out of the forest for a moment?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set turned to look at the Bloody Blades, who had been tied up with rope, as he gave a cry. Rei understood what he meant and spoke while patting Set¡¯s neck to tell him it wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡¸We¡¯ve cleaned up a lot of mess here, the soldier have a lot more breathing space now. We won¡¯t have to worry about them trying to escape since they¡¯ll probably just be killed.¡¹ Rei¡¯s gaze towards the Bloody Blades was surprisingly cold. One of the reason was because of how the women who survived the caravan attacks were treated. Furthermore, he had heard from the soldiers, Ranga, and the knight about what had happened to woman after the Goblin attack and how she finally died because of it. ¡¸Also, even if they run away¡­¡­you and I can always find them, right? If that happens, I¡¯ll given them an experience that will make them regret being born.¡¹ Sensing the anger and murderous intent contained in Rei¡¯s words, the tied up members of the Bloody Blades almost all froze up. No, it wasn¡¯t just them, even the soldiers who had been watching them had froze for a moment. ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh.¡¹ A voice leaked out from one of the soldiers and the suppressive aura emanating from Rei disappeared. ¡¸Sorry, I got a little too emotional.¡¹ ¡¸N-No. It¡¯s fine. Considering what these guys have done, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ The soldier who¡¯s voice had leaked out shook his head and told Rei not to worry about it before tapping the shoulder of a fellow soldier, who was still frozen. That seemed like a signal of sorts. The soldiers who had frozen up came back to their senses as they showed some embarrassment due to their reaction. ¡¸I guess I¡¯ll leave it to you guys for now.¡¹ After briefly saying those words, Rei got onto Set¡¯s back before flying up into the sky. Looking up at them from the ground, a soldier spoke in a somber tone. ¡¸¡­¡­To be honest, I thought I was going to die.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, me too.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, he looked horribly angry.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, considering what they¡¯ve done, it¡¯s not surprising.¡¹ Such voices could be heard, but none of the Bloody Blades showed any reaction. Not even Everogi, their leader. Just earlier, when he felt the blood lust and anger unleashed by Rei, all he felt in his heart was absolute death. It was an overwhelming fear that made him realise that if he so much as moved his fingertips¡­¡­no, even if he didn¡¯t do anything, he would still die. (¡­¡­I can¡¯t believe I tried going against such a guy.) Even though Everogi was still frozen in fear, he still managed to have those thoughts in his mind as he contemplated his own misfortune. He had already lost all desire to escape. Because he knew that even if he did escape, Rei would definitely come for him. A few minutes of flying on Set later, Rei saw three carriages parked next to the road. Soldiers were stationed around it, keeping a look out for monsters and bandits. As Rei came down, the soldiers naturally pointed their weapons at him, but after seeing who it was¡­¡­or rather, seeing it was Set, they lowered their weapons. ¡¸Rei, don¡¯t scare us like that. We thought you were a monster or something.¡¹ One of the soldiers, who knew Rei, gave a grin and sheathed his sword as he pretend to complain. Seeing the rest of the soldiers put away their weapons as well, Rei headed over to Tradia, who seemed somewhat absent minded as he stood at the front of the carriages. ¡¸Rei-san, since you¡¯re here, is everything done?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Everything¡¯s been cleaned up.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, it wasn¡¯t just Tradia and the other merchants, but the soldiers as well, who let out a sigh of relief. No matter how much they trusted their superiors and fellow soldiers, along with someone as strong as Rei, they still weren¡¯t sure how things would turn out in an actual fight. For that reason alone, the soldiers standing guard here were grateful to be informed of how things had gone. ¡¸I see, congratulations. Did you come out this way to let us know?¡¹ ¡¸No, there¡¯s one more thing I came back for. ¡­¡­Here, this is your share.¡¹ Saying that, Rei handed over the large¡­¡­no, giant emerald. The gem was clearly a very expensive item as it reflected the light of the setting sun. Yes, it was something of enough value that it couldn¡¯t have been bought easily by the merchant caravan led by Rei. It wasn¡¯t something people would normally give away easily either, like what Rei had done. Realising the value of the emerald, Tradia and his fellow merchants eyes¡¯ went wide. ¡¸Eh? This, Rei-san. This is¡­¡­¡¹ In response to Tradia¡¯s question, as he looked at the emerald, Rei took a sandwich out of the Misty Ring to give to Set as he replied. ¡¸I told you didn¡¯t I? It¡¯s yours¡­¡­your share, to be precise.¡¹ ¡¸No, I mean. Were we supposed to have a share?¡¹ ¡¸You acted as a decoy to find the hideout of the Bloody Blades, didn¡¯t you? Thanks to that, we were able to finish them off in one go, so you¡¯re fully qualified to receive a share.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Tradia¡¯s face shifted in a complicated manner. If asked whether he was happy, he was definitely happy, but he was also suspicious that they would be asked to do something for it later. Tradia¡¯s complex expression continued for another 30 seconds before he firmly gripped the emerald and bowed his head towards Rei. ¡¸Thank you very much. With the horses you gave us and this¡­¡­my family¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, no need to think too hard about it. If it weren¡¯t for you guys, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to lure out the Bloody Blades. If that happened, it would have taken even more time to resolve this issue. Just think of it as your reward and take it.¡¹ Rei didn¡¯t know why Tradia¡¯s caravan had been so desperate for money. There might have been a long story tied to it, but he had no intention of getting involved. However, since they were in need of money and had just solved a major problem, he thought that they should be given a suitable reward. ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you very much. We will pay this favour back one day.¡¹ Tradia bowed his head again as tears fell from his eyes. Rei looked at Tradia for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and turned to the soldiers standing guard. ¡¸So what¡¯s your plan now?¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­¡­that¡¯s right.¡¹ The soldier had been surprised by the series of events but looked up into the sky as if remembering something. But, before he could say anything, another soldier spoke up. ¡¸Anyhow, the matter has been settled, right? In that case, we¡¯ll send these guys to Abuelo. That was what Captain Ranga ordered us to to do at the beginning.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, leave it to us. Even though we¡¯re part of the subjugation force, we basically didn¡¯t do anything. If we don¡¯t at least do this, we won¡¯t be able to face Daska-sama.¡¹ Hearing the soldier¡¯s words, who let out a sigh due to their minimal contribution, Rei spoke with a smile of his own. ¡¸I see, then here. ¡­¡­If you¡¯re hungry, please eat these.¡¹ Rei gave them a basket full of sandwiches, enough for about 10 people, from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Oh, thank you very much. But, is this okay? How about for yourself¡­¡­no, I don¡¯t really need to ask.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, mine is in here.¡¹ Rei showed the Misty Ring on his right wrist. As a soldier from Gilm, he knew that Rei had an item box, so he understood what Rei meant from his gesture. The soldiers smiled happily as they accepted the basket. ¡¸So, I¡¯ll be heading back, be careful on your way to Abuelo.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, and, uh¡­¡­thank you very much!¡¹ ¡¸I had many doubts, but I¡¯m glad I trusted you.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll just say thanks for now. ¡­¡­You were a great help.¡¹ ¡¸Please tell Ranga-san to leave this to us.¡¹ As he received thanks and well wishes from the merchants and soldiers, Rei got back onto Set¡¯s back as he returned to where Ranga and the others were waiting. CH 551 ¡¸Huh, river fish and sea fish are really different.¡¹ As the large moon rose into the night sky and the gentle moonlight poured down onto the ground, Ranga spoke up happily has he brought a grilled fish from the campfire to his mouth. The fish they were currently eating was the fish Rei had bought in large amounts back at Emoshion. However, since they were camping out, it wasn¡¯t possible to cook any fancy dishes, so they simply cooked the fish over an open fire with salt. That said, as time was frozen inside the Misty Ring, the fish that was stored inside was still as fresh as when they had been caught, so the grilled fish grabbed the hearts of the subjugation force. After all, many of them were from Gilm, and even those who had come from other places to become adventurers, soldiers, guards, or knights in Gilm had never eaten sea fish before. Even if they had, it would have been in a preserved form, either dried or salted. For that reason, the members of the subjugation force, including Ranga, were quite curious about the sea fish as they ate with relish. ¡¸Woah, what¡¯s this disgusting thing? Can you really eat this?¡¹ One of the soldiers shouted out. In his eyes was some roasted octopus. It was true that its appearance was quite intense and, for those unfamiliar with it, they couldn¡¯t help but feel astonished. But¡­¡­ ¡¸What are you talking about? You¡¯ve had no issues eating monsters before. ¡­¡­Mm, delicious. The more you chew, the deeper the flavour spreads in your mouth. ¡­¡­Makes me want to drink.¡¹ ¡¸For the record, I am not serving alcohol.¡¹ At the words of a solider in his 40¡¯s, Rei replied in a somewhat exasperated voice. They were camping out right now and all the remaining members of the Bloody Blades were tied up just a little further away. They might have been hit by Rei¡¯s blood lust and anger, but he still refused to drink in such a situation. The soldier who complained about wanting alcohol seemed to understand that as he just shrugged his shoulders and bit into the campfire roasted octopus. ¡¸Still, item boxes are really useful, aren¡¯t they? I mean, you can still eat fresh sea fish while camping out.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, I really think so too. There are times when I¡¯ve been sent out like this and we¡¯ll occasionally eat something like this on the first day, but by the second dat, it¡¯s just dry bread and dried meat.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t make fun of dried meat. Even dried meat can be quite delicious if you cook it in soup, you know? It just depends on your cooking skills¡­¡­is what I want to say, but we can¡¯t carry cooking utensils around in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. If we had room for cooking utensils, we might as well just bring more potions.¡¹ They all ate in front of the campfire while conversing with their friends. Before long, the soldiers finished their meals as they took turns to keep watch over the Bloody Blades and prepare to turn in for the night. Fortunately for Rei, as he had played the most active role in the day¡¯s events, he was exempted from keeping watch. That said, Set still kept a vigilant watch of their surroundings as he lay down close to the magic tent that Rei had put up. Like that, the night passed. ¡¸¡­¡­Hm?¡¹ Rei suddenly woke up in the middle of the night inside his magic tent. Turning to the tent¡¯s entrance, he saw Set poking his head inside. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I know.¡¹ Replying to Set¡¯s alert cry, he put on clothes, including the Shoes of Sleipnir and the Dragon Robe, before taking his pocket watch out of the Misty Ring to check the time. It was just past 2am. Even in Japan, few people would be up at this time, let alone Elgin. For Rei, who had lived in this world for over a year, this rhythm of life had already been ingrained into his body. However, something had happened to overturn this rhythm¡­¡­or rather, Rei knew that something was going to happen. Getting dressed in under a minute, Rei left the tent. Looking around the tent, it was very quiet in the camp as most people were asleep. Occasionally, he could hear faint voices talking, but those voice probably belonged to those keeping watch. Rei and Set started walking over to where the voices were coming from. Before long, he succeeded in finding three soldiers from the subjugation force. Just as Rei found them, they also seemed to notice Rei¡¯s approach. The soldiers immediately brought their spears up but, after seeing Set, they knew who it was and lowered their weapons. ¡¸What are you doing here in the middle of the night? I hope we didn¡¯t startle you.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you can leave the watch to us and go to sleep.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, but you¡¯re welcome to bring any late night snacks.¡¹ As Rei listened to their words, he silently took out a spear from the Misty Ring. ¡¸Eh? Hey, what are you doing¡­¡­¡¹ Ignoring the soldier¡¯s question, Rei took a few steps forward before throwing the spear. The spear shot out rapidly, whistling past the face of a soldier, who had frozen up at Rei¡¯s sudden action, before plunging into the bushes. ¡¸Gyagyagyo!?¡¹ A moment later a scream was heard. The soldier seemed to be in shock as the spear nearly grazed his cheek, but immediately turned around as soon as he heard the scream from behind. ¡¸-!?¡¹ ¡¸Enemy attack!¡¹ The other two soldiers, which didn¡¯t have a spear fly past their face, came to their senses much more quickly. Taking out a whistle from his pocket, one of the soldiers took a deep breath and blew into it. A high pitched trill echoed out, forcibly waking up the soldiers who had been sleeping in their tents. The sound seemed to be a signal for attackers as well. The bushes around where Rei had thrown his spear shook violently¡­¡­and the next moment, several small figures jumped out. ¡¸GURURURURU~!¡¹ Set immediately jumped at the shadows that popped out. With a swing of his claws, he crushed the head of the enemy that jumped out from the bushes. ¡¸Guya!?¡¹ Another shadow shouted out as it saw its companion lose its head in a single blow, but at the same time, Set swung his claws again, crushing the head of one of the shadows and piercing a second with his beak. Three attackers had gone down in an instant, but the enemies didn¡¯t seem frightened as another one emerged from the bushes. As the moonlight shone down onto the enemies that came out from the bushes, the soldiers finally realised who the attackers were. ¡¸Goblins!? Damn it, what¡¯s going on in a place like this!¡¹ ¡¸The Bloody Blades said that they had a magic item that could repel monsters, but for some reason, Goblins had still been wandering in since yesterday. These seems to be the ones¡­¡­!¡¹ While calling out to fellow soldiers, he thrust his spear out. The spear pierced the chest of a Goblin that was trying to get to the camp while avoiding Set. (It certainly is strange. The magic tent has the ability to keep monsters away¡­¡­but I know it won¡¯t be that effective considering the size of the camp. But even so, why doesn¡¯t the magic item used by the Bloody Blades have any effect?) While hearing the soldier shout out, Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring as he swung it sideways, slicing two Goblins in half. A thick smell of blood started to spread out. If it had been during the day, you would have been able to see the flesh, bones, and various organs fall out from the sliced areas. (Nobody wants to see Goblins guts though.) Thinking like that, Rei cut down two Goblins that were trying to get past him to the left and right, cutting one down with the blade and stabbing the other with the shaft. Lifting up the Goblin stuck on the shaft, Rei threw it at another Goblin with all his strength. ¡ºGugya!¡» As he heard the two Goblins scream, Rei turned his eyes back towards the camp. 10 soldiers were heading towards Rei¡¯s location while the other soldiers spread out to other places. (I see, it¡¯s not just here, they¡¯re approaching the camp from all over. ¡­¡­That said, quite a few of them have gathered here after the Goblin settlement was destroyed.) The Goblins seemed to have decided that Rei was a formidable enemy and they tried to get as far away from him as possible while getting closer to the camp. Rei observed the entire camp while moving around and cutting Goblins down. (No, maybe the Goblins that attacked previously brought more allies with them¡­¡­is that possible? There are tents and various things here that might attract the Goblins.) Using the Shoes of Sleipnir, Rei ran several steps into the air before landing back down in the forest. ¡­¡­Yes, in the forest. In other words, into a group of Goblins. ¡¸Flying Slash!¡¹ Even though it was a group of Goblins, they didn¡¯t seem to have a leader. There had been a Hobgoblin who had served as a leader, but it had been killed by Everogi earlier. But that was also why the situation was so troublesome. Since there was no leader, the Goblins were just endless making their way towards the camp without anyone to stop them. (It¡¯s good that there¡¯s no leader, but in exchange, we have to keep fighting endlessly, huh.) Furthermore, as it was night time, the Goblins were also a lot more ferocious. No, it was precisely because they had grown more ferocious at night that they were motivated to attack the camp they had been driven away from earlier in the day. There was no doubt that the survivors from the previous attack had regrouped to form an even larger group. ¡¸Power Slash!¡¹ Woosh-! The Power Slash that Rei used with all his strength cut down several thin trees that grew in the surroundings as well as 5 Goblins. The thick smell of blood that scattered out made the Goblins even more ferocious. ¡¸If it was day time, they all quickly run away¡­¡­this is troublesome!¡¹ The blade of the Death Scythe struck in all directions under the darkness, ending a Goblin¡¯s life each item. After a few minutes¡­¡­all that was left around Rei was the corpses of Goblins and the smell of Goblin blood and body fluids. ¡¸Well, even if they¡¯re more ferocious, they¡¯re still Goblins.¡¹ Muttering to himself, Rei turned to look at Set, who was trampling Goblins some distance away. Set usually fought alongside Rei, but in this case, he seemed to have reached the decision that it would be more efficient to fight separately. Each swing of his claws would shatter the head or tear apart the upper body of the Goblins he hit. Seeing Set fight, Rei headed over to where everyone else was fighting to reinforce them. ¡¸¡­¡­We¡¯re lucky there were no fatalities.¡¹ When most of the Goblins had been killed, with the remaining escaping, Ranga called out to Rei, who was walking over to him. ¡¸Yeah. It seems there were some injuries¡­¡­but it was only Goblins in the end.¡¹ Rei gave a slight nod as he replied and stroked Set¡¯s head. Set seemed to enjoy it as he narrowed his eyes and gave a happy cry. Seeing the two of them like that, Ranga felt his troubled emotions calm down. ¡¸Anyway, the Goblin attack was repelled and, considering how hard we hit them, I don¡¯t think they will attack again. At least for tonight.¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. But still¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know. Just in case, we¡¯re going to keep a tighter watch. There¡¯s no guarantee that none of the Bloody Blades will try to escape in the confusion.¡¹ When the Goblins had attacked, the Bloody Blades, who were all tied up, were naturally targeted as well. Fortunately though, the soldiers keeping watch had managed to repel them. However, to say none of them thought of escaping at that time¡­¡­would be impossible. Rei nodded at Ranga¡¯s decision. If any of them ran away, he would make them regret ever being born. He had made that declaration, but it still wasn¡¯t hard to see that some of the Bloody Blades were holding onto the slim hope they could escape. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll leave that to you. It¡¯s well past midnight, so I would like to sleep a little longer. If monsters attack again, I¡¯ll wake up, so I¡¯ll leave everything else to you.¡¹ Ranga nodded back as Rei went back to his tent. ¡­¡­As an additional note, it seemed that the magic tent¡¯s effect of keeping weak monsters away had worked well as there were no signs of any Goblins being killed nearby. CH 552 ¡¸We¡¯re leaving soon, keep an eye out for monsters.¡¹ ¡ºYes sir.¡» At Ranga¡¯s words, the soldiers of the subjugation force responded in unison. It was a few hours after the Goblin attack. Luckily, that was the only attack to take place, and the subjugation force welcomed the morning without any further commotion. Finishing a simple breakfast, they left the forest to return to Gilm. Of course, all the members of the Bloody Blades were with them. ¡¸You want me to deliver this letter?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, if you could.¡¹ As Ranga gave out orders, one of the knights handed Rei a letter. A report on everything that had happened was written inside and Rei, who could fly on Set, was asked to return to Gilm in advance and pass the letter to Daska. ¡¸I¡¯m not really worried for you, but I¡¯ll tell you to take care anyway, just in case.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s with your way of saying that? Understood, I¡¯ll make sure it gets to Daska-sama properly, you can leave it to me.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. I might have felt a bit anxious leaving it to you, but it looks like it¡¯s in safe hands.¡¹ ¡¸I did tell you.¡¹ Exchanging light words with the knight, Rei smiled as he waved towards Ranga, who raised in hand in greeting, before getting on Set¡¯s back. The knight looked up at Set from the ground as Set ran up into the sky. He had a somewhat envious expression on his face. For knights, the only way to fly was to become a Dragon Knight. Rei, who could fly as much as he wanted on Set, was an enviable existence for the knights. In addition, the knight had admired Dragon Knights greatly since he was small, which probably contributed to his envy of Rei. (One day, I will too¡­¡­) Murmuring to himself, as he thought of his dream to become a Dragon Knight in his heart, he came back to his senses when a fellow knight called out to him. Now was not the time to be lost in his dreams, it was more important to bring the captured Bloody Blades back to Gilm. ¡¸¡­¡­Alright.¡¹ Talking to himself, the knight returned to Ranga and his fellow knights. Flying over the highway, Rei could see a group of nearly 20 people below him. ¡¸It can¡¯t possibly be bandits again, right?¡¹ As he thought of that and looked down, he saw someone waving their hands towards him. Rei immediately knew who the visibly excited person was. Milein, the leader of Scorching Wind, was probably the highest ranking person in terms of affection for Set. ¡¸Oh¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Come to think of it, Milein had told him that there would be an outing to hunt down the remaining Goblins. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ When Rei had been testing the skills of the rookies, Set had been lying down outside the guild, playing around with adventurers and residents, so he gave a confused cry. Rei spoke to Set with a wry smile while gently stroking Set¡¯s neck. ¡¸No, their goal is probably the Goblins we killed last night. ¡­¡­I¡¯m sure there are still survivors though, since they are Goblins.¡¹ Rei asked Set to land, since he couldn¡¯t really ignore them now that they had been seen. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ With a loud cry, Set flapped his wings as he descended. Seeing Set come down, Milein became incredibly excited. Sulunin let out a sigh while Ekril had a wry smile. Among the other adventurers who were also participating in the hunt for the Goblin remnants, those who had spent more than a year in Gilm all smiled at Rei and Set, some even waved at them. Contrary to the veteran adventurers, about half of the rookies who had been sent out for the Goblin subjugation as combat training had only recently come to Gilm. They looked at Set come down with shock, fear, and awe. ¡¸It¡¯s fine, Set is cute, quiet, and friendly.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I heard that he is quite ferocious when hunting monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, I¡¯m calming them down, so don¡¯t say any unnecessary things.¡¹ ¡¸Set-chan is so cute, isn¡¯t he? I want a tamed monster like that as well.¡¹ ¡¸You could use summoning magic?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, calm down. That Griffon is a well known friendly monster in Gilm. As long as you don¡¯t try to mess with him, you¡¯ll be fine.¡¹ ¡¸Some company owner tried to get his hands on Set and was ultimately ruined.¡¹ ¡¸I just told you not to say anything unnecessary!¡¹ As the group of adventurers conversed like that, Set finally landed as he took several steps forward. ¡¸Set-chan~!¡¹ Rei ignored Milein, who jumped out of the group of adventurers and straight towards Set, and headed towards Sulunin and the others. Seeing several people head over to Set as well, following after Milein, Rei raised his hand in greeting. ¡¸Is this the Goblin remnants subjugation squad?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. What have you been up to since Daska-sama called for you yesterday?¡¹ ¡¸Exterminating bandits. So, since that has finished, I was on my way to report back in Gilm¡­¡­¡¹ Sulunin asked Rei after seeing a strange expression on his face, as if struggling over something. ¡¸Is anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­¡­no, that is¡­¡­after capturing the bandits, we spent the night in the forest¡­¡­but, we were attacked by a group of Goblins.¡¹ ¡¸Huh.¡¹ Ekril had been looking at Milein play with Set while Grusso, Courage, and Conomir were very confused by completely different Milein they were seeing now compared to yesterday. However, they and the rest of the adventurers all turned their attention to Rei at his words. Receiving such gazes, Rei spoke up with a slightly uncomfortable expression on his face. ¡¸So, of course, it wasn¡¯t just me and Set, the rest of the bandit subjugation squad was there as well¡­¡­but since it was just Goblins, we overwhelmed them.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­well, we can¡¯t really tell you to not fight back after being attacked.¡¹ Although Sulunin responded like that, he couldn¡¯t stop the feeling that they were just wasting their time from spreading. ¡¸Everyone, don¡¯t forget the high fertility rate of Goblins. It¡¯s true that Rei-san and the others might have killed a certain number of them yesterday, but it¡¯s too early to say that all the Goblins that escaped the settlement have been killed.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s true. If you take your eyes off them for a while, they¡¯ll multiply in no time.¡¹ A man in his late 20s, who seemed to be part of the group of adventurers serving as guardians, spoke out. With those words, the rookies seemed to understand that they weren¡¯t going to be wasting their time as their morale rose back up. ¡¸I definitely can¡¯t say we killed all of them. ¡­¡­Ah, that¡¯s right. There was a Hobgoblin leading the Goblins that escaped yesterday, so just keep in mind that there might be more.¡¹ The adventurers, including Sulunin, showed slight expressions of surprise when Rei spoke of the Hobgoblin that had been cut down in a single strike by Everogi. They must have judged that a group of Goblins led by a Hobgoblin would be troublesome to deal with. In reality, the Hobgoblin that Everogi had killed had been the only one to safe escape the settlement¡­¡­but Rei had no way of knowing htat. However, thanks to that, the rookies¡¯ guard, which had loosened, tightened back up. The veteran adventurers, including Sulunin, had no complaints about that. ¡¸Understood, thanks for your advice. ¡­¡­Did you all hear that? There¡¯s a possibility that the enemies aren¡¯t just Goblins but also Hobgoblins. Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡¹ Rei, who had been watching Sulunin tell that to the rest of the Goblin subjugation force, suddenly turned to look at Milein hugging Set, who had a confused expression on his face. (Looking at her, would anyone think that Milein is the leader of Scorching Wind?) She¡¯s probably fine. With a wry smile on his face as he thought of that, Rei spoke to Sulunin. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll be heading off¡­¡­is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes. Thank you for the information. It goes without saying, Rei-san, but take care.¡¹ ¡¸Will do, there¡¯s not likely to be anyone that can do anything to us in the air though. The only way would be a magic or bow attack from the ground¡­¡­if there was anyone like that thought, your party leader would probably cut them down.¡¹ ¡¸Ah-Ahahaahah. It¡¯s hard to deny that something like that would happen.¡¹ Ekril gave a silent nod beside Sulunin, who replied with a wry smile. After exchanging smiles, Rei went back over to Set. ¡¸Hey, Milein. You have a job to do, don¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Ehh¡­¡­I know, I know, but¡­¡­¡¹ Milein seemed distressed as she hugged Set¡¯s soft, feathered, neck¡­¡­.before eventually, slowly leaving Set. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Are you leaving already? Set seemed to say as he tilted his head and looked at Milein with round eyes. Milein¡¯s fingers shook, as if she had withdrawal symptoms¡­¡­and, as if to cut away her feelings, she grasped her hand tightly as she averted her gaze. ¡¸Sorry, Set-chan. I have to get back to work now, so if you see me in Gilm again, please play with me.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set looked at the ground as he gave a sad cry. Milein seemed to decide that continuing to see Set like that would be unbearable for her and immediately ran away. All why shedding tears from her eyes. (¡­¡­For now, it seems her self awareness as an adventurer has prevailed over her affection for Set, huh.) Rei thought to himself as he saw Milein run off. ¡¸Have you had enough fun with Milein?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ I wanted to play a little more, Set seemed to say with a cry as Rei scratched his head. Set found it a lot of fun to hang out with someone who like him. However, Rei apologised to Set. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Set. Right now, we have to go back to Gilm and let Daska know about the Bloody Blades. Besides, Milein and the others have to go hunt the remaining Goblins.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s explanation, Set looked down regretfully. It was no wonder. After all, when they returned to Gilm, they would head off to the Bestir Empire shortly after, so he would be away for a while. ¡¸Hey, I¡¯ll be with you, won¡¯t I? I¡¯ll buy you some grilled skewers when we get back to Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Guru~!¡¹ Set hesitated for a few second after hearing Rei¡¯s words, but eventually lowered himself to let Rei get on his back. ¡¸Sorry about this.¡¹ ¡¸Set-chan, see you later!¡¹ Set stood up with Rei on his back as Milein called out to him from a distance. ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Giving a cry in response to Milein, Set ran up into the sky after a few steps as he flapped his wings. At the same time, when Rei looked at the ground, he could see Sulunin grabbing Milein by the collar and pulling her back, as if she were a mother being separated from her child. Sometime after parting with Milein and the others, the walls of Gilm came into Rei¡¯s line of sight. ¡¸It seems like we made it back without any issues.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Of course, I¡¯m here! Set seemed to say with a cry as Rei stroked his neck with a smile. In fact, they had seen several flying monsters, but they all quickly retreated when they became aware of Set¡¯s presence. They must have understood they stood no chance of winning in a fight. ¡¸That¡¯s right, with you, we don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡¹ AS Rei said that, Set flapped his wings and landed on the ground. He landed away from the main gate and headed towards the main gate, which was quite crowded since it was still early in the morning, Unusually, most of the people at the gate had seen Set before, so they made their way to the lord¡¯s residence after completing all the procedures without much trouble. CH 553 ¡¸¡­¡­I see, so it was an after effect of the Spring War.¡¹ Daska, who was sitting on a sofa, let out a sigh as he read through the letter that Rei had passed to him. His face showed fatigue. The incident with the Bloody Blades wasn¡¯t the only reason. ¡­¡­To be exact, it wasn¡¯t common, but it wasn¡¯t rare either for groups of bandits to come to the frontier. No, what was currently bothering Daska was the issue of the Bestir Empire that Rei had brought to him. Looking at Daska¡¯s face, Rei was able to somewhat guess the situation. Without saying anything in particular, Rei drank the tea that was served by a maid. Silence filled the office. Daska was the first to break it. As if trying to lift the mood, Daska spoke to Rei in a light tone. ¡¸So, what was your reward this time? Did you get anything good?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, there were some really good ones. A gem, spears, and¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Rei took out the pocket watch from the Misty Ring and placed it on the table. ¡¸A pocket watch? ¡­¡­Hey, isn¡¯t this made of mithril? Well, you¡¯ve found something of great value.¡¹ Daska was very surprised as he gently picked up the pocket watch that was placed on the table. He traced his finger over the intricate carvings on the surface as he gave a sigh in admiration. In fact, it was extremely rare to find a watch made using this much mithril, the carvings on it were also something that ordinary craftsmen were unable to make. In the first place, it was extremely rare to be so extravagant with mithril. However¡­¡­that was why Daska felt a little uneasy. (This pocket watch is certainly amazing, but it could also be bad if there was something merchant was planning to sell it to.) Daska was somewhat concerned, but knowing Rei, he wondered if anyone would realistically try to take it off him. (At the very least, someone who knows Rei¡¯s ability wouldn¡¯t do something so reckless¡­¡­but if it¡¯s some stupid noble, the situation would be different.) The young noble who had a run in with Rei during the Spring War crossed his mind. That noble had suffered a lot of regrets because of Rei, but even after hearing such a story, many nobles would still continue to think that they were someone special. (¡­¡­Well, regardless of how it was before, Rei has a title now. Even if they try to push back against him, they¡¯ll only hurt themselves.) Thinking of that, a small smile appeared on Daska¡¯s lips. Yes. As for the matter with the Bestir Empire, which Daska was currently struggling over, there was a good chance of things working out with Rei¡¯s cooperation. Thinking that far, Daska turned to look at Rei as he spoke up. ¡¸That¡¯s right, regarding the matter of the Bestir Empire, I will be leaving in a few days. I would like you to accompany me as an escort, so please keep that in mind.¡¹ Rei¡¯s eyes widened at Daska¡¯s words, who spoke them as if it were nothing big. ¡¸Uhh¡­¡­does that mean that Daska-sama will be going to the Bestir Empire?¡¹ ¡¸Correct. I have been getting invitations from the Bestir Empire every year to attent their fighting tournament. ¡­¡­I guess this has turned out to be a bit ironic for them.¡¹ Daska gave a sarcastic smile as he shrugged his shoulders. He was the leader of the Neutral faction, but the Neutral faction was only a small force. They were a force that somehow existed between the Royalist faction, the largest faction, and the opposing Aristocratic faction. Evven so, they were still the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s third largest power and so the Bestir Empire had half in irony¡­¡­or more accurately, with the intention of psychologically harrassing him, extended invitations to Daska every year for the fighting tournament. Naturally, Daska would never go to such an event on his own. He either wouldn¡¯t attend or would send a proxy in his place. However, things changed dramatically with the Spring War. Although the Neutral faction¡¯s power hadn¡¯t increased by much since spring, the fact that they had someone with a title on their side meant that their military strength had come to be respected. Because of that, even the Bestir Empire now recognised Daska as one of the true leaders of the Mireana Kingdom and extended an invitation this year without the usual intent of harrassment. ¡­¡­That said, normally, few people would go to another country in such a situation. If it wasn¡¯t for Rei¡¯s case this time, Daska had planned to refuse as usual, or send someone on his behalf. However, due to Rei¡¯s story, the significance of the tournament had greatly changed in Daska¡¯s mind. If Elena¡¯s proposed plan went well, they would succeed in creating a pro-Mireana Kingdom faction within the Bestir Empire. What¡¯s more, if Daska himself cooperated in the founding of the faction, he would be owed a great favour and it would become possible for him to expand the power of the Neutral faction within the Mireana Kingdom. However, of course, they couldn¡¯t rely on Rei¡¯s strength alone to carry out the plan. Several days worth of time were needed, including today. ¡¸It goes without saying, but this event will be a big deal in many ways for the Mireana Kingdom¡­¡­even for the Neutral faction. For that reason, we need to take more than just the two of us when we go to the Bestir Empire.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s ture. Since I have to participate in the tournament, someone need to guard Daska-sama during that time. Especially since you¡¯re probably resented in many ways by the Bestir Empire due to the Spring War.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, who spoke as if it were all someone else¡¯s problem, Daska looked at him in disbelief. ¡¸I¡¯m sure I¡¯m hated, but if you ask me, you have to be the one they hate the most, no matter how you look at it, right?¡¹ ¡¸But in my case, I can protect myself. More importantly, I¡¯m participating in the tournament as a subordinate of Daska-sama, Margrave Rowlocks, so I should be able to deal with anyone who tries to mess with me to some extent.¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders as he placed the pocket watch back into the Misty Ring. Daska looked at Rei, who said that he was in the safer position. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, whatever. Anyway, you¡¯ll need to come along as my escort. As I said earlier, Elk is scheduled to return to Gilm in a few days.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so it¡¯s Axe of the Thunder God. You can definitely have peace of mind with Elk escorting you¡­¡­¡¹ Rei was a bit hesistant with his words. In actual fact, the A rank party from Gilm, Axe of the Thunder God, was realistically just Elk. Axe of the Thunder God was just another name for Elk. His name was much more well known and highly valued that Rei¡¯s title of Crimson, which had been given to him after the events of the Spring War. Their party was made up of Elk, a typical warrior, Min, a powerful magician, and their son, Rhodes, another warrior. Their strength was impeccable. No, in terms of an escort, they were much better than Rei, who had very little experience in that area. However¡­¡­the reason Rei was a little hesistant was because of past incidents between Elk and the Bestir Empire. Last winter, the Bestir Empire had taken his son hostage and blackmailed him into trying to kill Rei. The leader of that plot had been Theorem, who was involved in the entire upcoming plan along with Vihera. Since Rei¡¯s goal was to stand out in the arena and attract the attention of the bigshots of the Bestir Empire, Vihera and Theorem would be acting separately from him during the tournament. But, as long as they were working towards the same goal, Elk and Theorem would definitely meet face to face. At that time, it was a big question to Rei whether Elk would be able to keep his cool against Theorem, who had ordered the kidnapping of Rhodes. (No, in fact, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to end up killing each other.) The image of the two of them fighting while covered in blood popped into his mind. In terms of strength, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for Vihera to stop them, but Vihera was just as likely to join the fight herself. As a combat fanaticc, she wouldn¡¯t want to miss the chance ot fight Elk, a genuine A rank adventurer. ¡¸Certainly, Elk and the Axe of the Thunder God will be a good addition considering their strength.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s hesitation, Daska nodded back immediately. ¡¸I know. They took Elk¡¯s son hostage and threatened him to kill you, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Considering Elk¡¯s personality, I¡¯m sure there will be a struggle at the very least.¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. It¡¯s definitely a possibility. ¡­¡­No, it¡¯s not a possibility. It¡¯s safe to say an incident will definitely occur. However, it¡¯s also true that we have no other effective force. There are naturally high ranking adventurer in the Bestir Empire as well. If one of them tried to kill me, the only person that could hold up against them and that I could contact to get here in the next few days was Elk.¡¹ Gilm was located on the frontier and was a city where many high ranked adventurers gathered, even within the Mireana Kingdom. Naturally, there were many A rank and B rank adventurers other than Elk and Rei. However, Elk was the only high ranking adventurer available. No, to be exact, there were quite a few B rank adventurer who were available as well. However, if asked if they could compete with opponents at the level of Vihera and Theorem, the answer would be no. ¡¸¡­¡­I understand the circumstances, but what do you plan to do with the matter regarding Theorem.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry about that, but I guess I¡¯ll have to leave it to you and Elk¡¯s wife, Min, to handle. Also, we¡¯re joining up within the Mireana Kingdom, right? I¡¯ll do what I can to prevent a commotion.¡¹ ¡¸You say you¡¯ll do what you can, but really I¡¯ll be the one doing it.¡¹ Rei replied with a sigh, but it was also true that they had to bring Elk along as there was no one else they could use. (¡­¡­Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to Min then. Considering the burden was too heavy for him, Rei simply decided to throw the whole thing to Min instead. As a loving wife, Min was someone Elk couldn¡¯t afford to lose. Because of that, there was a good chance that she would be able to settle things more peacefully than if Rei had to deal with it. ¡¸Anyway, I understand what you¡¯re saying about Elk. Then, I assume we¡¯ll be leaving Gilm in a few days?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, please keep that in mind. As for the Royalist faction, I¡¯ve worked out the terms with the Aristocratic facion, so they will take care of the arrangements of reporting to them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­When did you manage that?¡¹ Rei had always carried his paired orbs with him inside the Misty Ring, so Daska couldn¡¯t have used that. And in the first place, the paired orbs were used to communicate with Elena, not Duke Kerebel. At Rei¡¯s question, Daska responded with a grin on his face. ¡¸Well, we have a lot of contacts here as well. Fortunately, thanks to the Spring War, we¡¯ve been maintaining a friendly relationship with the Aristocratic faction. ¡­¡­Only between the upper echelons though.¡¹ Rei had many doubts concerning Daska¡¯s explanation, but assumed that they had just communicated using summoned or tamed monsters. ¡¸I get what you¡¯re saying for now. So, the plan is we will leave Gilm¡­¡­when Elk returns?¡¹ Rei thought Daska would nod back immediately at his question, but for some reason, Daska didn¡¯t immediately respond as he seemed to think about something with a difficult expression on his face. After a full minute of silence, Daska spoke up. ¡¸Rei, just to confirm. Elk and Theorem¡­¡­no, in this case it would be better to call him Flash. If we meet with Flash, there will definitely be a commotion, right?¡¹ Rei nodded at Daska, who seemed to be asking for confirmation. ¡¸Rather, haven¡¯t you known Elk for much longer than me? You should be able to imagine what would happen.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm, that¡¯s certainly true. And with Elk, safety on the road is as good as guarenteed, right? The most important thing to remember is the best way to use what we have. Then¡­¡­¡¹ Leaving Daska to his own thoughts as he muttered to himself, Rei looked out the window. The sun had already risen, so it wasn¡¯t morning anymore. But, the summer sun felt somewhat softer. The fact that the season was starting to change towards autumn may have played a party in this. As Rei looked at the tail end of the summer sky, Daska, who had finally collected his thoughts, spoke up. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but could you leave Gilm ahead of schedule and head for Goto to meet up with them? Even for them, wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if they suddenly ran into Elk and were attacked¡­¡­or killed? ¡¹ Hearing those words, Rei couldn¡¯t help but agree. CH 554 11-14 minutes After handing the letter over at the lord¡¯s residence, Rei headed to the guild to report the completion of his request. In the end, it was decided that Rei would go ahead to Goto after Elk and the rest of Axe of the Thunder God returned to Gilm so they could explain the situation first, which was a bit of a bother for Rei. However¡­¡­he decided to just leave everything to Min to deal with. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ As Set walked alongside Rei, he turned his head over with a cry, as if asking if anything had happened. ¡¸No, just something a little troublesome¡­¡­I never thought it would be so difficult to have the right person at the right time. Rather than that, have this. It¡¯s a little early, but there are quite a few stalls set up for lunch, so why don¡¯t we eat something?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a happy cry as they stopped at various food stalls on the way to the guild. Rei must have been a good mood after deciding to leave the matter of Elk to Min. He bought a lot more food than usual as he made his way down the street, eating with Set. ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t it Set. You¡¯re in a good mood today. Here, the skewers are grilled nicely.¡¹ ¡¸The sandwiches here are made with a lot of summer ingredients, so it¡¯s all fresh. See, it¡¯s obvious how good it tastes when you see Set want to eat it too, right?¡¹ ¡¸Wait, then my¡­¡­¡¹ ¡ºYou can¡¯t have hot soup in summer.¡» In response to the last person¡¯s words, who was at a stall selling soup, the surrounding stall owners replied in unison. As all that was going on, Rei and Set bought various food from the stalls, including the soup, before they arrived at the guild. (In Japan people have food and drinks to bea the heat, but maybe that isn¡¯t the custom here?) Thinking about that, Rei entered the guild as he saw children and a few adults immediately go over to Set. As expected, in the two days since he had returned to Gilm, Set¡¯s popularity, which could be described as overly enthusiastic for a while, had calmed back down and it was mostly children who would play with Set now. Of course, there were a few adults who would be distracted by Set¡¯s cuteness, but few would be as absorbed as Milein. ¡­¡­And by few, it meant a miniscule number of people. ¡¸Yay, Set-chan. Let¡¯s play!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I brought some dried meat, would you like to eat it?¡¹ ¡¸I brought some fruit!¡¹ Hearing such voices behind him, Rei entered the guild. Naturally, the busiest morning hours had already passed, so the number of adventurers in the guild wasn¡¯t great. The bar attached to the guild only had a few people drinking at this time. ¡­¡­The reason why the place wasn¡¯t completely deserted was what made adventurers, adventurers. Glancing around the guild, Rei headed towards the counters as he didn¡¯t spot anyone he recognised. Waiting there with a big smile on her face was the Catkin receptionist Kenny as well as Lenora, who had a worried expression on her face. Of course, there were several other receptionists, but Rei wasn¡¯t close to anyone other than Kenny and Lenora, so he headed straight for their counters. Kenny looked at another adventure coming over to her counter with a sharp look, but since they were only coming over to accept a request and were not trying to interrupt a conversation between her and Rei, Kenny put up a fake smile as she proceeded to speak with the adventurer. ¡¸Good morning, Rei-san. ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s a bit late for the morning. Anyway, I¡¯m glad to hear you returned safely. Considering your ability, I wasn¡¯t worried about you getting hurt when dealing with the bandits, but I did hear they were quite skilled¡­¡­¡¹ Lenora gave a sigh of relief when she saw the request form on the counter with Daska¡¯s signature. She knew that Rei was worth his rank¡­¡­or maybe even more, but having been in charge of Rei since he had come to Gilm, he was still like a younger brother to her, regardless of his ability. This might have had something to do with the fact that Lenora was the youngest in her family and had no younger siblings. Lenora being the way she was, she was inevitably worried when she heard that Rei had joined the bandit subjugation force that was hunting for a skilled group of bandits that had been killing and kidnapping everyone they attacked in the vicinity of Gilm and that she had to give out the request.. ¡¸Well, I managed somehow.¡¹ ¡¸No matter how strong Rei-san is, the other side was also quite skilled. Even though they¡¯re only bandits, they even set up traps. ¡­¡­I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡¹ Rei smiled and nodded at Lenora as she gave another sigh in relief. ¡¸Then, I will accept the request form. Regarding the reward, is it fine to put down that you¡¯ve already received it?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Fortunately, they had hoarded some good stuff. I¡¯ve taken my reward from that.¡¹ ¡¸Okay then, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll take care of the request completion.¡¹ Bowing her head slightly, Lenora went to the back of the counters. For a normal request, Lenora would have been able to approve the completion herself, but as it was an urgent nominated request from Daska, Margrave Rowlocks, the lord of Gilm, it wasn¡¯t a request she could list as completed with her authority. After seeing Lenora off, Rei took a look around the guild. As he did that, he felt the gazes that had be on him since he entered the guild move away. (Well, I¡¯m used to it now.) Knowing the difference between his appearance and skills, particularly after the mock fight with the rookies the day before, he had a renewed understanding of how people perceived him. In fact, the gazes were filled with a mix of awe and fear towards him. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Rei-kun?¡¹ For that reason, Kenny¡¯s casual approach to him was a great help. Rei shook his head slightly at Kenny¡¯s question after seeing that the adventurer she had been dealing with had left the guild after accepting a request. ¡¸When I look around the guild, it really feels like I¡¯m back.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? The guild that most adventurers think of are the busy morning and evening periods¡­¡­however, Rei-kun hardly ever comes to the guild during those times.¡¹ At Kenny¡¯s somewhat teasing words, Rei shrugged his shoulders as he replied. ¡¸When I was in the Labyrinth City Exil, I had been to the guild when it was crowded several times.¡¹ ¡¸Heh¡­¡­that¡¯s rare for Rei-kun.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a city with a dungeon after all. It sometimes just happens inevitably, given the time of day.¡¹ Rei talked with Kenny as he recalled the adventurers guild in Exil, which was purely a guild with no bar attached. But, before long, he noticed Lenora coming back as he turned to look at her. Rei looked a little confused at Lenora¡¯s somewhat unsettled expression. His role of assisting in the capture of the bandits¡­¡­or rather, the Bloody Blades mercenary group, could not have been better done. It was not an exaggeration to say that Rei had done most of th work. Even Daska, the client, had recognised that. So why did she have such an unsettled expression on her face? Kenny seemed to have noticed it as well. She asked Lenora with a strange expression. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Did something bad happen?¡¹ ¡¸Did something happen you ask¡­¡­Rei-san, the guild master wants to see you.¡¹ ¡¸Marina?¡¹ Hearing Lenora¡¯s words, the figure of Gilm¡¯s guild master, Marina Ariantha, came to his mind. She was a Dark Elf with silver hair and brown skin. With a long lifespan, she held a sex appeal that ordinary human could not have. For some reason, she had the hobby of wearing clothes like party dresses and, whenever Rei had met with her, she had always worn a party dress that showed off her chest and back while wrapping around her body as tightly as possible. Kenny seemed to sense what Rei was thinking of as her mood visibly worsened. Was it because she knew that her sex appeal, which was her greatest advantage, was beaten by someone superior? ¡¸¡­¡­Ahem, but why does the guild master want to see me?¡¹ ¡¸Why? I was just asked to bring you over. So, if that¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll guide you up Rei-san.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Perhaps because she had just seen another adventurer heading for her counter, Kenny quietly withdrew without saying anything more. Lenora prompted Rei to come around the counter while being a little surprised at her friend¡¯s response. ¡¸This way. I¡¯m sure you already know where the guild master¡¯s office is, Rei-san, but just in case, I will show you there.¡¹ As Lenora told him that, she saw Kenny using her eyes to appeal to her to not leave Rei and the guild master alone together as she dealt with the adventurer. ¡¸Pardon me, guild master. I¡¯ve brought Rei-san.¡¹ ¡¸Come on in.¡¹ Hearing the reply from the other side of the door, Lenora opened the door. The layout of the office didn¡¯t seem to have changed since the last time Rei had visited. ¡¸Thank you for your hard work, you may leave.¡¹ When Marina saw that Lenora and Rei had entered, she looked back down at some documents before speaking. ¡¸Eh, but that is¡­¡­¡¹ She wasn¡¯t sure how Kenny would respond if she went back down like this. With that thought in mind, Lenora spoke up, but¡­¡­ From just those words, Marina was able to understand what Lenora¡­¡­or more accurately, Kenny, was worried about. She spoke with a happy smile as she placed the documents she had been reading onto her desk. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t try to tempt him.¡¹ Lenora involuntarily lowered her head as Marina responded with a small smile. It was because she knew that her thoughts had been seen through. ¡¸Um, uh¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ In the end, she couldn¡¯t argue any further and left the office. As Rei saw the Lenora leave, he spoke up. ¡¸Don¡¯t bully me too much.¡¹ ¡¸Ara~? This is called being cute, you know? ¡­¡­But take a seat. There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡¹ Saying that, Marina left her desk as she invited Rei over ot the sofas. Today, she was wearing a dark green party dress that left her chest and shoulders open. After working with Vihera, who was just as beautiful as Marina and clothes that seemed to belong to a dancer, Rei was able to sit down across from Marina without looking as embarrassed as before. Seeing that, Marina gave a small smile, as if noticing something, but she didn¡¯t speak up as she just looked at Rei. Silence spread through the room, but the two didn¡¯t seem to care about the silence¡­¡­no, rather, they seemed to enjoy the silence between them. However, that silence was soon broken. ¡¸Hey, Rei. I heard you¡¯re going to the Bestir Empire, is that true?¡¹ ¡¸You have quick ears.¡¹ Marina gave a small sigh at Rei¡¯s response, which indirectly acknowledged her question. ¡¸I¡¯m just asking, but you know what the Bestir Empire thinks about you after the Spring War, right?¡¹ ¡¸With regards to that, I don¡¯t think you need to worry too much because I will be following Daska-sama as an escort.¡¹ ¡¸That may be true, but that¡¯s just the surface, isn¡¯t it? You don¡¯t know what kind of tricks they will play behind the scenes. In the first place, why do you want to go to the Empire like this?¡¹ Marina¡¯s words led Rei to judge that the Dark Elf in front of him wasn¡¯t fully aware of the details of the situation. However, it was only natural that there were things that could be said and some that couldn¡¯t, even for Daska. ¡¸Where did you get this information from, Daska-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s pretty much the case. I got the general gist of things when Daska-sama asked to nominate you for the bandit case.¡¹ Hearing Marina¡¯s response as she shrugged, Rei understood the situation in his mind. Since Daska would be going to the Bestir Empire, it would take some time to go there and come back. Since that was the case, it was decided that Rei, one of Gilm¡¯s most skilled adventurers, would stay with Daska for a while. Event were probably explained somewhat along those lines. (Although, as expected, he hasn¡¯t seemed to have said anything about Vihera and Theorem.) Thinking of that, Rei continued his conversation with Marina. CH 555 11-14 minutes Inside Gilm¡¯s guild. On the ground floor, a woman was processing documents in a bad mood, visible on her face. ¡¸This document¡­¡­is okay. The signature is a little faded here, we¡¯ll need to check it, this one is fine.¡¹ Even though she was in a bad mood, the reason she was able to continue to process documents swiftly was because she was very much accustomed to her work as a guild receptionist. That said, even if there were no problems with her work, coworkers would rather not be near someone who was in a bad mood. ¡¸Hey, Kenny, it¡¯s not like Rei-san is going to do anything to the guild master.¡¹ Kenny stopped moving after hearing Lenora¡¯s words. Her cat ears twitched as she turned towards Lenora. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing her silent protest, Lenora averted her gaze as she tried to think of something to say. ¡¸See, you¡¯re just as sexy as the guild master. Even though her breasts¡­¡­that is, they are¡­¡­bigger than mine.¡¹ Looking towards her own chest, which she had a complex of sorts about, her words gradually lost their energy. Did she feel pity for Lenora? Or maybe she realised that it was immature to continue displaying her bad mood? Either way, Kenny let out a small sigh as she bowed towards Lenora. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t being a good receptionist just now. ¡­¡­But you know.¡¹ Saying that, Kenny glanced towards the ceiling¡­¡­or more precisely, towards the office of the guild master, Marina. ¡¸You said I¡¯m as good as the guild master, but I¡¯m really no match for her. She has both beauty and ability as the guild master¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, then, are you going to give up on Rei-san?¡¹ Kenny shook her head in shock at Lenora¡¯s words, but the atmosphere around her finally seemed to have lightened up. ¡­¡­Lenora¡¯s cheeks twitched as she saw Kenny¡¯s chest shake, but she suppressed her frustration without showing it on her face. ¡¸It¡¯s true that the difficulty might be on the higher side, regarding Rei-kun. But, I definitely spotted him first, so there¡¯s no way¡­¡­that I¡¯ll give up on him. I have to go on the offensive here.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I-I see. Don¡¯t go too gar.¡¹ She¡¯s not as disciplined as I thought. Thinking that in her mind, Lenora tried to imagine a more aggressive Kenny than before. It seemed Rei would have a lot of work ahead of him. (Good luck, Rei-san. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll be caught.) Lenora cheered for Rei in her heart. ¡¸Woah-!¡¹ Rei, who had been conversing with Marina, let out a sound as he felt a cold chill run down his spine. Seeing that, Marina looked at him questioningly as she asked. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, I just felt a sudden chill.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, there¡¯s only a few days before you leave Gilm, right? Take care of your physical condition.¡¹ ¡¸I should be fine with regards to that¡­¡­¡¹ His body had been created by Zepairu and his companions. Rei didn¡¯t think he would be taken down by any random illness. It was very unlikely for him to catch a cold. ¡¸Would you like me to warm you up?¡¹ Although confused about Rei¡¯s sudden chill, Marina suddenly spoke up. There was an inviting smile on her face. Her appeal was strong enough that an ordinary person of Rei¡¯s age would have been very tempted to accept. For a moment, Rei was almost swallowed by it, but he quickly shook his head before responding. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but let¡¯s refrain from that. There are various preparations I have to make.¡¹ ¡¸Oh sorry.¡¹ Her inviting smile from a few seconds ago disappeared and her tempting aura vanished as she gave a bright smile. ¡¸I would like it if you didn¡¯t tease me so much.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not like I¡¯m teasing you. ¡­¡­Well, anyway. How much do you know about the tournament?¡¹ Rei had a confused expression at the sudden change of topic, but he spoke up as he recalled what Theorem and Vihera had explained to him. ¡¸If I remember correctly, it¡¯s one of the largest tournaments held in the Bestir Empire and fighting with tamed or summoned monsters is not allowed. At the finals, the upper echelons of the empire, including the royal family, will come to watch¡­¡­that¡¯s what I know.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that all you know?¡¹ Rei looked puzzled as Marina asked with an exasperated expression. He honestly had no idea why Marina had that expression. Eventually, Marina seemed to realise that it was really all he knew. She gave a small sigh before speaking up. ¡¸Listen up okay? The tournament, or rather, the Bestir Tournament as it it called, is different from other tournaments in many ways. Because it¡¯s such a big tournament, the number of participants is also very large.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that makes sense.¡¹ Rei nodded at Marina¡¯s words. The Bestir Empire was one of the most powerful countries in the world. Moreover, as it was a tournament for the whole empire, a large number of strong people would gather. If all those people were to compete in a normal tournament format, no matter how much time there was, there would never be enough. ¡¸What do you think then?¡¹ Rei thought about Marina¡¯s question. There wasn¡¯t enough time for people to fight one at a time. It meant that they needed to lower the number of people drastically quickly. In other words, a format where many people fought at the same time would be needed. Such as¡­¡­ ¡¸A battle royale.¡¹ ¡¸Correct.¡¹ Marina smiled like a teacher to a well behaving student. At the same time, she unconsciously displayed her sex appeal, which made it uncomfortable for those dealing with her. However, she continued to speak, as if not realising it. ¡¸Although there will be a battle royal, if you¡¯ve won other competitions, are a seeded fighter from nobility, or a high ranking adventurer, you can be exempted.¡¹ ¡¸A high ranking adventurer?¡¹ Rei was a B rank adventurer, which was sufficient to be called high ranking. Because of that, Rei didn¡¯t think he would need participate in the battle royale. He turned to Marina with a hopeful look, but the person in question just smiled seductively as she shook her head. ¡¸When I say high ranking adventurers, in this case, this means A or S rank adventurers. ¡­¡­That said, S ranks in the empire are not usually interested in these kind of competitions, so they will seldom attend it.¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, it might have been better to send Elk instead.¡¹ Rei said that, but immediately reject the idea in his mind. Considering the events tied to Theorem, there was no doubt that Elk would be furious about the events from last winter. Furthermore, if Rei told Elk to participate in the tournament for the sake of Theorem and Vihera, Elk might even kill him before Theorem. Although she didn¡¯t know the details, Marina must have gotten a rough idea that Rei had rejected the idea of Elk participating in his place. She continued on with a small smile. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s why you¡¯ll have to fight your way out of the qualifying rounds.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But, well.¡¹ Rei hesitated. He was quite proud of his own ability. He didn¡¯t think he would lose to monsters, adventurers, soldiers, or knights at his level. However, all his attacks were high in lethality¡­¡­too high in fact. For example, Rei often used the shaft of his Death Scythe to attack. It was an attack that combined Rei¡¯s physical strength with the weight of the Death Scythe, which was over 100kg. (If they¡¯re participating in the fighting tournament, they will probably have a certain level of skill. But, even so, I really don¡¯t like killing people for the spectacle.) Marina guessed what Rei was thinking by the expression on his face as she lifted a finger to get his attention. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, there will be minimal deaths in this tournament.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a simple matter. The arena in the Imperial Capital uses excavated ancient relics.¡¹ Ancient relics. Hearing those words, Rei thought of the transfer device that had been installed close to the entrance of the dungeon in the Labyrinth City Exil. ¡¸What kind of effect does that ancient artifact have?¡¹ ¡¸It seems to create a special field. Any injuries that occur inside will disappear once you leave the field.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh?¡¹ Rei was stunned by Marina¡¯s words. He wondered if he had just misheard what she said. However, it seemed that Marina had expected such a reaction as she shook her head with a wry smile. Rei had no misheard her. ¡¸Seriously, there are some pretty outrageous ancient relics.¡¹ ¡¸However, the field can only handle injuries, it can¡¯t do anything about deaths. That¡¯s why it is considered foul play to intentionally kill your opponent. And¡­¡­¡¹ A smile appeared on Marina¡¯s lips. But, this time, it was closer to a grin than her previous wry smile. ¡¸Do you think that an ancient relic with such an ability can be used without a price?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A price?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It seems that a considerable amount of magic stones are required to activate the relic. That is to say, the magic stones of B and A rank monsters are needed.¡¹ Rei thought of Set at the mention of A rank monsters, but immediately shook his head. ¡¸It¡¯s only natural that such a price would be needed. If they could use it as much as they wanted, it would probably have been used for military training.¡¹ If if they fought to the brink of death, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem as long as they left the field. There was no better place ot train soldiers and knights. (If we had fought people trained like that, in the Spring War, the odds would have been against us.) Rei thought that in his mind. But, that said, even if their troops had been more elite, they still wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything once swallowed by the flames from Rei¡¯s tornado. In addition, the large amount of metal fragments Rei had thrown into it shot out like bullets. Even a more elite force would have been helpless against it. ¡¸Anyway, it seems that quite a number of people die in the tournament each time for that reason. ¡­¡­In the end, it can¡¯t be helped that there will be some deaths.¡¹ Marina shrugged her shoulders as she continued to explain while smiling at Rei¡¯s look of astonishment. ¡¸So, winners from the battle royal will advance to the main round¡­¡­from that point on, the fights will take on a tournament format. Since the number of participants is different each time, I don¡¯t know how many people will participate in the main rounds, but they will all have a certain level of skill. ¡­¡­Although I don¡¯t think there will be many opponents that you will struggle against.¡¹ Even if things hadn¡¯t quite gone as expected, Rei had still beaten Elk, an A rank adventurer. That being the case, Marina didn¡¯t believe there were many people Rei would struggle with. ¡¸I hope so. It would be a lot easier for us if that¡¯s the case.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, that¡¯s true. ¡­¡­I think it¡¯s time for you to leave. There¡¯s going to be a commotion downstairs if you don¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A commotion?¡¹ Rei looked confused as Marina said that with a smile. However, she didn¡¯t say anything more as she just stood up from the sofa she was sitting on. ¡¸You¡¯ll understand when you go down. ¡­¡­That aside, there will probably be many people in the Bestir Empire who hold a grudge against you Rei. Please be careful when you go.¡¹ Rei nodded lightly as he also got up from the sofa. ¡¸There are connections between the guilds, but I don¡¯t have much contact with the guilds in the Bestir Empire, so I can¡¯t help you. However, since you¡¯re an adventurer, the guilds should be able to lend a hand if anything were to happen.¡¹ ¡¸Understood, I¡¯ll let you know if I need anything else.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Please take care. You¡¯re a big rookie who has just come up, we would like it for you to continue being active in Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸No problem. I will have Elk with me, and most importantly, Set. If anything happens, we will have the strength to handle it.¡¹ ¡¸I hope you¡¯re right¡­¡­¡¹ Although worried, Marina eventually smiled as she saw Rei off. It was better to send him off with a smile rather than with worry. That was why she ended up smiling, but strangely, Rei didn¡¯t seem to sense any of the sex appeal that Marina would usually give off as she smiled. CH 556 A few days passed after Rei¡¯s conversation with Marina at the guild. At long last, the people he had been waiting for returned to Gilm. Rei woke up a little late and went about his usual routine, finished breakfast, and then started to think about what to do for the day when someone arrived from the lord¡¯s residence in a carriage to bring him over, Set was still sleeping in the stables. Going straight to Daska¡¯s office, he saw Elk, Min, and Rhodes. That is to say, the members of Axe of the Thunder God. ¡¸Hey, Rei. ¡­¡­I¡¯ve heard about everything.¡¹ Normally, Elk would have started talking cheerfully at their reunion, but it seemed like he had heard about Theorem already. His expression was quite dark as he called spoke to Rei in a low tone. Sitting next to Elk, Min didn¡¯t show any particular expression on her face, but Rhodes must have recalled the time he was kidnapped and had a bitter expression on his face. From their expressions, each of them had their own thoughts on the matter, but Rei first bowed at Daska before speaking. ¡¸I know you all have a lot to say, but if this goes well, we won¡¯t have to worry about wars for a while. I hope you¡¯ll bear with it and work together.¡¹ That said, when Rei said no wars, that only applied to a war between the Mireana Kingdom and the Bestir Empire. If things went badly, a civil war might end up breaking out within the Bestir Empire¡­¡­Elk turned to look at Rei and seemed to say that with his eyes. Normally, Elk behaved a lot like a mischievous boy, but right now, his expression seemed to be one of suppressing anger. (I guess it¡¯s not unreasonable for Elk, he cares a lot about his family¡­¡­but he¡¯ll have to put up with it.) Thinking internally, Rei looked over towards Min to ask her to hold back the angry Elk. ¡º¡­¡­¡» They looked at each other in silence. Eventually, Min gave a small sigh and swung down the cane in her hand onto Elk¡¯s head. It only made a small thud, probably because Min understood Elk¡¯s feelings. ¡¸Calm down, Elk. In the end, I was fine and so was Rhodes. We may have our own feelings about it, but there¡¯s no need to bring them out in this situation.¡¹ ¡¸Min! But!¡¹ ¡¸Your frustration or the hope that the country will not have to go to war for a while? Which will you chose? As a A rank adventurer, you shouldn¡¯t need to think that much about it, do you?¡¹ At his wife¡¯s rational words, Elk could only stay silent. He understood. Which was more important? Daska¡¯s request or his own feelings. However, even so¡­¡­he could stop the anger welling up from within himself. Rei spoke up at that point to cut in. ¡¸As you have probably heard from Daska-sama, we will be meeting up with Theorem and the others once before heading to the Bestir Empire. If you have that much on your mind, why don¡¯t you vent it all out then?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei, your thoughts are quite bold. If Elk decided to fight seriously, even if he¡¯s called Flash, I don¡¯t know he¡¯ll get away¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders as Min replied while holding her hand against her face. ¡¸It¡¯s true that things might end up being qutie dangerous, but isn¡¯t it also dangerous to let Elk¡¯s anger build up like this? In that case, I thought it would be better to let it out in moderation.¡¹ ¡¸I do wonder what you mean when you say in moderation though¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Mother, I hate to agree with what Rei said, but if father actually went to the Bestir Empire in his current state, there will definitely be issues.¡¹ Rhodes, who hadn¡¯t said a word since Rei arrived, spoke up in agreement. Min let out a small sigh before continuing. ¡¸That¡¯s certainly one way, huh? But, if two people titled people fought, I feel like the village where we¡¯re meeting up might end up disappearing.¡¹ ¡¸Since the village is located near the Selemus Plains, couldn¡¯t they just fight on the Selemus Plains rather than near the village? No one will say anything even if there¡¯s some damage to the area.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, it¡¯s settled then. I have a lot on my mind, but I¡¯ll fight Flash. Win or lose, I¡¯ll call it square. ¡­¡­Though, I have no intention of losing at all.¡¹ At Min¡¯s words, Elk decided that there was no point in continuing to be angry as he regained his composure. In addition, he probably didn¡¯t want to lose out on the opportunity to fight Theorem head on. ¡¸¡­¡­Now then, can we get to the main topic?¡¹ Daska, who had been silently listening to the four of them up until now, gave a sigh as he spoke. Although Daska had his own concerns regarding Elk¡¯s bad mood, he hadn¡¯t thought that they would ignore him entirely as they conversed. ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ The first to apologise was Rhodes. Following him, Min, Elk, and Rei also bowed their heads towards Daska. ¡¸Right. I think you¡¯ve figured it out from your conversation, but I¡¯ve already told Elk and the others the general details. Also, the rest of preparations on my side will be complete in a few days. What about you Elk? You¡¯ve only just returned to Gilm¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s right. We¡¯ll be taking it easy today and tomorrow, but we¡¯ll be ready to leave the day after that¡­¡­so, three days from today?¡¹ Looking to his wife for confirmation, Min nodded. ¡¸That¡¯s about right. If possible, I¡¯d like to have another day or so spare just in case, but I don¡¯t know if¡­¡­¡¹ Daska shook his head in response to Min. ¡¸We don¡¯t have much time to get from here to Goto to meet with the others and then to the Bestir Empire before the fighting tournament starts. ¡­¡­To be honest, I was going to have someone go in my place until I heard about all this from Rei. There¡¯s still a number of things I need to do on my side.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then why don¡¯t we skip the rest days, prepare everything we need today, and leave tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t be able to make that. My hope is to have you guys rest today, prepare tomorrow, and leave the day after. Considering the handover of work to my subordinates, that is the earliest I can manage.¡¹ Min nodded after thinking about it for a few seconds as she tapped her fingers on the desk in a rhythmic manner. ¡¸Understood, we¡¯ll match our schedule with Daska-sama.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that would be great. ¡­¡­So in that case, Rei.¡¹ Daska, Elk, Min, and Rhodes all turned to look at Rei at the same time. ¡¸I was going to head to Goto ahead of you all, but considering Set¡¯s speed¡­¡­I guess it¡¯s fine for us to leave together?¡¹ ¡¸No, I want to give the Bestir Empire as big of a shock as possible. If you leave with us as my escort, there¡¯s a possibility that information will be passed to the Bestir Empire.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Didn¡¯t you catch all the spies they sent over?¡¹ Daska shook his head with a wry smile at Rei¡¯s question as he recalled the battle that had taken place behind the scenes last year. ¡¸It might have been the case at the beginning of the year. But, a lot of time has passed since then and, above all, you¡¯ve become very well known since the Spring War. Considering that, I¡¯m sure quite a number of people, not just from the Bestir Empire, have come here, even more than last year. ¡­¡­Although with Egg, the number will be somewhat reduced.¡¹ Rei couldn¡¯t help but agree. Rei had gone over to support Ranga¡¯s subjugation squad, but he hadn¡¯t run into Egg, who was currently in charge of handling the darker side of the Margrave Rowlocks territory. ¡¸Even so, to keep an eye on me. In that sense, they couldn¡¯t have had a lot to do for a while.¡¹ Rei gave a slight smile. Not long after the war had ended, he had only returned to Gilm briefly before heading for the the Port City Emoshion. After that, he had come back to Gilm and passed his rank up test before quickly heading off to the Labyrinth City Exil. For those wanting to collect information on Rei and Set, they must have been dragged around quite a bit. With regards to that, the guild master, Marina, probably did a good job in sending Rei to Emoshion. ¡¸Well, even if Rei isn¡¯t around, there are ways to gather information. Even talking to the residents is an important way to gather information.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Elk is correct. There is no doubt that information on Rei has been passed around in various ways.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that okay? Rumors are circulating that Rei is Daska-sama¡¯s sword.¡¹ Rhodes asked Daska somewhat hesitantly. From Rhode¡¯s perspective, Rei was a really extraordinary person. When they had first met, Rei was only a low ranking adventurer. He had been surprised to learn that he had tamed a Griffon, but soon after, Rei had killed the Orc King during the raid on the Orc Settlement. And, as it had something to do with current events, Rhodes also knew that Rei had fought his father, who was an A rank adventurer, and won when he had been taken hostage. He had heard the story from his father, but he hadn¡¯t believed it and asked again and again, much to his embarrassment. Since then, Rei had quickly increased in rank and was now a B rank adventurer, even higher than his own C rank. At this point, even Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but recognise Rei. ¡­¡­That said, as someone who had a mother complex, known by himself and others, there was no way he would be honest with Rei about it, who had garnered some interest from his mother. ¡¸There¡¯s some good things and some bad things that have come as a result of the rumors. But, these stories will inevitably spread out. Even if I told everyone not to leak any information about you to the outside world, it would be impossible. Including Set, there¡¯s too much to talk about.¡¹ ¡ºOf course.¡» The Axe of the Thunder God trio all answered in unison, agreeing with Daska¡¯s word. (All things considered, it¡¯s not unreasonable with rumors to spread if I bring a Griffon around with me.) So Rei thought to himself. ¡¸I¡¯m glad you understand. Well then, let¡¯s talk about what we¡¯re actually doing.¡¹ ¡¸What we¡¯re actually doing? Haven¡¯t you already explained everything?¡¹ Rei, who had seen Elk in a bad mood when he entered the room, naturally thought that everything been explained. However, Daska gave a wry smile as he shook his head. ¡¸I¡¯ve only given them a rough overview. We haven¡¯t discussed who¡¯s doing what.¡¹ ¡¸I see. So what¡¯s the plan?¡¹ ¡¸To put it simply, when I enter the Bestir Empire, to be precise, after we leave Goto and head to the Bestir Empire through the Selemus Plains, Rei and Elk will escort me. The Second Princess and Flash will act separately from us.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ The plan was to rescue the Third Prince, Theorem¡¯s master and Vihera¡¯s younger brother. That being the case, it would be foolishness to act together with them, since they were playing the part of a conspicuous decoy. Having made that decision, Rei nodded at Daska¡¯s words and so did Elk, nodding without saying a word. ¡¸So, when I reach the capital of the Bestir Empire, I will request that Rei be allowed to participate in the tournament.¡¹ ¡¸Regarding that, could you ask for me to start at the qualifiers instead of as a seed?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why? The qualification is a battle royale, so it could be quite troublesome.¡¹ Even if some people thought that it would be impossible to fight Crimson alone, it was different with a lot of people. ¡­¡­Some might even target him in revenge for the soldiers who died in the war. He might not even make it through the qualifiers due to other factors. The fact that there would be so many more people meant that there would be so many more uncertainties. However, Rei shook his head slightly at Daska¡¯s words as he replied. ¡¸What I need to do is to stand out and draw the attention of the upper echelons of the Bestir Empire. In that case, the best method would be to participate in the battle royale preliminaries to become the topic of conversation.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Daska thought about Rei¡¯s words for a few seconds before eventually nodding. ¡¸If you¡¯re fine with that Rei, then let¡¯s go with that. Then, next¡­¡­¡¹ That was how everything else was discussed. CH 557 Following the discussion at the lord¡¯s residence, everyone went their own ways after having lunch together. The members of Axe of the Thunder God had been planning to take the day off, but they gave priority to completing preparations for the trip first and went back into the city in a hurry. After Rei saw them off, he slowly made his own way out. Because Set wasn¡¯t with him, he managed to make his way there without attracting too much attention from the residents. Despite it just after lunch, he still bought a sandwich as he walked through the city. The sandwich stall owner, noticed it was Rei, but probably decided not to make a fuss about it because Set wasn¡¯t around. They didn¡¯t make any comments in particular as they gave Rei an extra two sandwiches. ¡¸Oh? Rei?¡¹ A familiar voice suddenly called out to Rei and he turned around. There, he saw a familiar face. ¡¸Hey, is it just you, Rei? Where¡¯s Set-chan? Even though I went to all the trouble of buying delicious bread for him.¡¹ It was Milein, holding a basket full of bread. ¡¸Set is slept in back at the stables today. ¡­¡­More importantly, you¡¯re on your own today?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Yes, that¡¯s right. We made more money than expected from the Goblin subjugation, so we¡¯re taking a break for a while.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Rei had a guess as to why they had earned more than expected as Milein took out some freshly baked black bread from the basket and gave it to him. Leaving Set aside, Rei was surprised that Milein would give him some bread. But, he wasn¡¯t one to turn it down and accepted the bread after storing the sandwiches he had left into the Misty Ring. It had a fragrant scent and a different weight compared to white bread. Rei asked Milein as he accepted it. ¡¸What¡¯s this all for?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing really, just a little something to share with you¡­¡­well, thanks.¡¹ ¡¸What for?¡¹ ¡¸So. I heard that the Goblins had been reduced in number by you and some others. The gems and materials that the Goblins had on them were also related to you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ahh.¡¹ At those words, Rei realised what Milein wanted to say. Rei recalled that the hideout of the Bloody Blades, which he had gone out to capture, had been raided by Goblins, who had taken away most of what they had hoarded. ¡¸It¡¯s true that the events are somewhat tied together, but it¡¯s not really anything we did. ¡­¡­Though, if you¡¯re offering, I¡¯ll take it.¡¹ Saying that, Rei immediately bit into the black bread. The freshly baked bread was soft and the fragrant aroma of rye as well as the faint sourness filled his mouth. It was different from the white bread Rei liked to eat, but the black bread was also delicious. ¡¸It¡¯s delicious, thank you. It¡¯s nice to have some freshly baked black bread.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it? The shop that sells this bread was opened recently, it¡¯s a surprisingly little known shop.¡¹ From there, they continued conversing as they made their way towards the Dusk Wheat inn. Rei already knew Milein¡¯s intentions without needing to ask. (Come to think of it, should I tell her that we¡¯re leaving Gilm tomorrow? If we left without telling her, it will be troublesome when we get back. ¡­¡­When we get back, huh?) Rei smiled a little when he realised he had started to naturally consider this place home. When he had first come to this world, Gilm was nothing more than the closest city to the Demon Forest, but now he recognised it as a place to return to. Seeing Rei smile like that, Milein looked at him with a strange expression. ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s the matter with you? Smiling all of a sudden. What, are you laughing at me?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing big. ¡­¡­Actually, tomorrow, Set and I will be leaving Gilm for a bit again.¡¹ Milein stopped with a twitch at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸Eh? Seriously? You only just came back though.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Seriously. I mean, we only came back because there were some things I needed to prepare. So, now we¡¯re all good to go.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Set-chan too?¡¹ She hoped it wasn¡¯t the case. Milein asked Rei with such thoughts, but Rei simply nodded back. ¡¸Yeah. Set too.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ After saying that, Milein fell siletn. Seeing Milein¡¯s response, Rei was a little surprised. He thought that Milein would definitely blame him for taking Set along. His thoughts must have showed on his face, because Milein looked at him with a confused look. ¡¸What, is it strange that I¡¯m not complaining?¡¹ ¡¸Well, to be honest, it is strange. I thought you would blame me. Or say that I should leave Set in Gilm.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I would really like to say that. But Set-chan misses you the most, so it can¡¯t be helped. Even if I force you to let Set stay here, when you leave, Set would not be happy. In fact, he would be sad.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah.¡¹ Hearing Milein¡¯s response, Rei understood her reasoning. Milein held Set as her highest priority. So it made sense that she wouldn¡¯t be selfish if it would make Set sad. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯m leaving Gilm tomorrow, so you¡¯ll only be able to play with Set today.¡¹ ¡¸Of course! ¡­¡­Ah, but¡­¡­¡¹ Milein immediately responded before thinking of something after a few seconds. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Rei. There¡¯s a place I need to stop by, so I¡¯ll come to see Set-chan a bit later.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter too much¡­¡­did you forget a request?¡¹ Milein gave a sigh as Rei finished his last bite of black bread. ¡¸You know, I¡¯m not someone who would forget about a request.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ Milein puffed out her chest with a certain level of confidence. But, Rei knew how she was around Set, so he couldn¡¯t really take her at face value. Seeing Rei look at her quizzically for a few seconds, Milein became a little fidgety as she tried to muddle her way through. ¡¸And, even if I forget, Sulunin will remember.¡¹ ¡¸No, well, Sulunin definitely wouldn¡¯t forget. Is it okay though?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine!¡¹ Seeming to reach the conclusion that she had managed to prove her point, she turned around to head off. ¡¸So, I¡¯ll see you a bit later.¡¹ Lightly waving his hand as he saw her off, Rei suddenly muttered to himself. ¡¸That black bread was really delicious. Maybe I should have asked where the location of the shop was?¡¹ The fact that the bread was freshly baked might have had something to do with it, but the bread was already delicious on its own without additions like butter, jam, sausages, or eggs. ¡¸Ehh-! Is that true!?¡¹ A voiced echoed out in the guild. Luckily, it was past noon and there weren¡¯t that many adventurers around. The only ones left were the adventurers drinking on their day off or eating a late lunch. In that environment, a scream like voice echoed out. The owner of the voice, was Kenny, the receptionist at the counter. Her eyes widened in amazement and had an astonished face in response to the news that the person before her had brought. ¡¸Yeah, I knew you hadn¡¯t heard about it. How should I put it, it¡¯s just like Rei to not mention it¡­¡­I was right to come over to let you know just in case.¡¹ Milein shook her head as if it was a deplorable thing to do. ¡¸I can¡¯t let this happen. I have to go to Rei-kun right now¡­¡­¡¹ Saying that, Kenny was about to jump over the counter when a hand was placed on her shoulder from behind. Startled by the sensation, Kenny turned around fearfully as she saw a smiling Lenora. However, her smile was by no means a friendly one. Rather, it was a smile that gave off a strangely powerful aura. ¡¸Hey, Kenny. It¡¯s getting close to evening and it will be getting bery busy soon. If you leave now, other people will be troubled, right? Especially me and the other receptionists at the counters.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­B-But¡­¡­¡¹ Kenny was at a loss for words due to Lenora¡¯s unprecedented pressure. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know, I know. But, are you okay with that Lenora? Even though Rei-kun is leaving Gilm tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true that I think he should have said something, but he did say he was busy with various things. Besides, if you want to talk with Rei-san, it doesn¡¯t have to be right now, you can do that afterwards.¡¹ When Lenora said that, Kenny, who had known her for a long time, could sense the subtly sullen feeling from her words. (Well, Lenora loves Rei as a younger brother, doesn¡¯t she? As an older sister, she must have a lot on her mind.) Thinking to herself, Kenny let out a small sigh as she sat down on her chair. Seeing that, Lenora gave a nod as well before sitting down to organise some documents. It wasn¡¯t that busy right now, but as Lenora said earlier, it would be evening in a few hours and they would be very busy processing requests, purchasing materials and magic stones, and exchanging proofs of subjugation with money. Before that happened, it was necessary to handle any documents that could be handled right now. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll do my best then. Instead, I¡¯ll go see Rei-kun after work today, so don¡¯t follow me Lenora.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. ¡­¡­Hm?¡¹ Lenora, who had been sorting through documents, suddenly stopped after responding to Kenny. She felt like something hadn¡¯t been quite right with what Kenny had just said. Thinking for a few seconds, she recalled what Kenny had said¡­¡­.and turned to look at Kenny quizzically, who was going through some other documents. It was strange that Kenny was in such a good mood now after being flustered just a few minutes ago. ¡¸Hey, Kenny. Don¡¯t you think there was something strange with our conversation just now?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? No? I don¡¯t think there was anything strange.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I thought I just heard you ask me to not follow you when you got to see Rei-san later today?¡¹ ¡¸Really? Is that just your imagination? Ah, I wonder what I should do with these, I¡¯ll have to check them out.¡¹ Kenny was about to leave her seat with the documents she was holding, but Lenora reached out and grabbed her uniform. Lenora must have grabbed it with all her strength. Since it was the body of the uniform she grabbed onto, Kenny¡¯s chest was on the verge of bursting out of it. ¡¸Hey, Lenora!?¡¹ Kenny immediately held her chest to prevent her uniform from tearing apart and Lenora didn¡¯t miss the opportunity. She quickly grabbed the documents that had scattered around when Kenny held her chest and quickly read them. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, Kenny. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with these documents, what were you going to check?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? That¡¯s¡­¡­you see, as a Catkin, our female intuition is unique¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true, is it?¡¹ Hearing Lenora¡¯s words, Kenny must have known that she couldn¡¯t get away anymore as she slowly averted her gaze. ¡¸Right, if you understand, then sit down. ¡­¡­We don¡¯t have much time, so let¡¯s get the paperwork in order.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ Kenny, who had assumed that she was being pressured about what she had said earlier, looked back at Lenora. However, she immediately regretted her response. While Lenora¡¯s lips were smiling, her eyes were definitely not. What are you up to, going to see Rei alone? Lenora¡¯s eyes alone told Kenny that she would have more explaining to do when their work was donw. (Ahhhhh¡­¡­I¡¯ve gone and done it now.) Although she regretted it in her mind, the angry Lenora wasn¡¯t going to let that go. On this summer night, the last night before Rei would leave, she would have a meal together with him¡­¡­and if she was lucky¡­¡­spend the night together. Lenora seemed to read Kenny¡¯s mind and greatly derailed her plans as she went with her. ¡­¡­On the whole way there, Kenny had to listen to Lenora¡¯s nagging. CH 558 An early, sunny morning. When the 6am bell rang in Gilm, Rei was already at the main gate. Aside from Rei and Set, Lenora, Kenny, and Milein were with them at the gate. The members of Axe of the Thunder God, Elk, Min, and Rhodes, were also with them along with Sulunin, who was here to keep Milein in line. Lenora, Kenny, and Milein seemed somewhat tired, probably because they had been partying late into the night at the Dusk Wheat. Milein had requested they held a party¡­¡­or specifically, a send-off party, under the moonlight near the stables. Milein had said her goodbyes to Set as Lenora talked to Rei with concern while Kenny tried to invite Rei to make some summer memories. ¡­¡­But, she was shutdown by Lenora each time. In any case, the party went very late and they all ended up staying the night at the Dusk Wheat. The Dusk Wheat was considered quite a high class inn in Gilm, but Lenora and Kenny received relatively high salaries as popular receptionists at the guild and Milein had just made some unexpected earnings from the recent Goblin subjugation. Because of that, spending a night at the Dusk Wheat wasn¡¯t too big of an issue for them. That said, Kenny was somewhat bothered that she was seeing Rei off in the same clothes she had worn the day before. ¡¸Set-chan, take care of yourself. Please don¡¯t upset your stomach. Here, this is a sandwich made by the inn proprietress, so eat it if you¡¯re hungry.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Hearing Milein¡¯s words, Set immediately stretched his beak out into the basket she was carrying and picked up a sandwich. Milein smiled and patted Set¡¯s head as she saw that, although internally she thought¡­¡­haven¡¯t you just eaten breakfast? ¡¸Rei-kun, I don¡¯t know what kind of business you¡¯re heading out for, but please don¡¯t do anything dangerous.¡¹ At Kenny¡¯s words, Rei replied while giving a small nod. ¡¸I¡¯ll be careful, but it¡¯s a bit unreasonable to ask that of an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸That is that and this is this.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­Kenny, don¡¯t be so unreasonable.¡¹ Elk cut into the exchange between Rei and Kenny. They were words that had come out unintentionally because Elk knew what the actual situation was, but Kenny¡¯s cat ears twitched when she heard him. But, thinking that there would be more trouble if Kenny spoke up here, Lenora quickly replied to Elk. ¡¸Come to think of it, why is Axe of the Thunder God here? No, I know you and Rei-san are on good terms, but¡­¡­this close?¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Oh¡­¡­that¡¯s right. Well, you can think of it as something like that.¡¹ Elk¡¯s response left many doubts in Lenora¡¯s mind. However, she decided that there must be some reason for the A rank party to be present, so she didn¡¯t push further. ¡¸Rather than that, you¡¯d better stop worrying about me and go say bye to Rei. If you don¡¯t, Kenny will get up to no good.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I feel like you¡¯re trying to distract me, but I certainly can¡¯t leave Kenny like this.¡¹ Letting out a small sigh, she bowed her head at Elk before going over to Rei. ¡¸Hey, hey, don¡¯t bother Rei-san so much.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, hey, Lenora. You¡¯re interrupting me after I went to all the effort¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Did you say something?¡¹ ¡¸Did I say something? Oh yes, I didn¡¯t say anything at all.¡¹ Kenny responded on reflex at Lenora¡¯s lowered voice. She felt like she had been losing out to Lenora recently, but quickly shook her head. (It¡¯s only when Rei-kun is involved that she gets strangely pressuring, isn¡¯t it? Whether it¡¯s yesterday or today¡­¡­I wonder if this is the power of an older sister.) ¡¸Are you thinking of something strange?¡¹ ¡¸No way!¡¹ Lenora¡¯s sixth sense seemed quite sharp as Kenny hurriedly denied her words. Lenora glanced at Kenny before turning to Rei. ¡¸Rei-san, I don¡¯t know what kind of business you have, but I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be smooth. Please don¡¯t get hurt and come back to Gilm safely.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, of course. Gilm is like a home for me to return to. Besides, while things are always going to be dangerous and I can¡¯t talk too much about it, I have a powerful ally with me this time, so don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡¹ Lenora nodded as Rei replied with a small smile on his face. Kenny, who shrewdly took a spot next to Lenora, nodded back at Rei with a similar smile. Just looking at Rei¡¯s appearance, it didn¡¯t seem like Rei had changed at all since he first came to Gilm last spring. No, rather, it didn¡¯t seem like he had grown at all. However, what Rei had done since coming to Glim wasn¡¯t something ordinary adventurers could do. Thinking like that, she was able to send Rei off with peace of mind. ¡¸Well, I can¡¯t stay here forever, so I guess we¡¯ll get going. Set.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set, who had been playing with Milein, let out a cry before walking over to Rei. Storing the basket Milein handed him into the Misty Ring, Rei was about to head to the guards at the main gate when Min came over to him and handed over an envelope. ¡¸Rei, this is from Daska-sama. It contains a map to Goto. He said he¡¯s sorry that he couldn¡¯t come to see you off, he didn¡¯t want you to stand out too much¡­¡­but, he did say that we¡¯ll see you again at Goto.¡¹ ¡¸I do know the way there as I stopped by during the Spring War¡­¡­but thanks anyway. I¡¯ll wait for you there when I arrive. And, if you can, try and do something about Elk¡¯s anger towards Theorem.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I will try.¡¹ Seeing them exchange a slight smile with each other, Kenny spoke up. ¡¸Wait, Rei-kun. Did you like older women!? That¡¯s fine, but I still think it¡¯s a bit strange to go after a married woman¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Kenny¡­¡­you know.¡¹ ¡¸What, it doesn¡¯t matter to you Lenora because of your physical development, but I¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey, what did you just say? It doesn¡¯t matter to me because¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡­¡¹ Giving a wry smile as he heard their argument, Rei placed the envelope under his Dragon Robe as he spoke to everyone else who had come to see him off. ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll be heading off then.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s voice, Kenny decided that this wasn¡¯t the time to argue with Lenora as she stopped and waved her hand. ¡¸Rei-kun, take care!¡¹ Giving a small nod, Rei and Set went over to the main gate to sort out the procedures for leaving the city. It was still summer, but not mid summer anymore. As it was heading towards autumn, or maybe because it was still early in the morning, the sunlight wasn¡¯t as fierce as it had been before. In the sky above, Rei read the letter from Daska, that Min had passed him, while riding on Set¡¯s back. The envelope was firmly sealed with wax and it was clear that no one had opened it since it left Daska¡¯s hands. ¡¸Well, Daska-sama personally took care of it and asked Min to directly pass it to me, so I don¡¯t think I need to worry about it too much.¡¹ As for the contents of the letter, Daska had written the route he was planning to take as well as their estimated date and time of arrival. Along with the letter was a map to Goto. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an accurate map, like the one he had received from Marina previously. It only contained the route to Goto and the scale was also rough. However, since Rei had stopped by the place before on the way to the Selemus Plains during the Spring War, the map was sufficient to get him there. Even if he did get lost, with Set¡¯s speed of flying, it wasn¡¯t that much of a problem to find his way to Goto. ¡¸For now¡­¡­let¡¯s see how far we can get. If possible I¡¯d like to rest in a city, but since I have a magic tent, it shouldn¡¯t be that big of an issue to set up camp.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set gave a happy cry. Of course, Set loved street stalls and similar places where he could eat delicious food. But, at the same time, staying at an inn meant he had to split up with Rei. Even if he needed to keep watch while camping out at night, he could still be right next to the magic tent where Rei was. ¡¸Sorry for leaving all this to you.¡¹ As Rei stroked Set¡¯s neck with a sense of gratitude, Set gave a loud cry before flapping his wings faster and faster. The ground below them was like a green carpet and the highway a line drawn through it. Looking up, there were only faint clouds covering the sun in the bright blue sky. ¡¸Haa, good weather.¡¹ Even hidden by clouds, the summer sun could be quite harsh. As time passed, it gradually grew warmer. Although autumn was approaching, it could still get quite hot. That said, Rei was wearing the Dragon Robe, which could regulate his temperature, and Set didn¡¯t for this level of heat. If anyone looked at them from the ground, they would have looked like an arrow piercing through the sky. They continued to fly through the sky while ignoring the adventurers, merchants, travelers, and monsters moving along the ground. About two hours after leaving Gilm, Rei started to feel thirsty as he took out a cold fruit from the Misty Ring. It was like a red grape, but the size of his fist. Biting through the skin of the fruit, it had a sharp, sour taste with a hint of sweetness and was filled with juice. ¡¸¡­¡­Delicious.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set turned his head around and gave a cry, asking for some as well. Set was flying at a considerable speed as he turned his head around, but as expected of a Griffon, he didn¡¯t lose his balance. ¡¸Okay, wait a moment.¡¹ Quickly finishing the fruit, Rei took two more out from the Misty Ring. He held one out to Set, who gave a gleeful cry as he grabbed in in his beak. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s delicious, isn¡¯t it. ¡­¡­This fruit is a winner. I should have stocked up more of it.¡¹ Since it was a fruit he had only bought to try, there wasn¡¯t that much left in the Misty Ring. ¡­¡­Even so, there were still another 20, mostly because Rei was quite greedy when it came to food. If they continued to eat them at their current pace though, the supply wouldn¡¯t last more than a few days. After eating the fruit, in place of snacks, they continued flying for a bit longer. When Rei saw the sun directly above their heads, he took out his pocket watch from the Misty Ring to check the time. It was just past 12:30pm. Deciding that it was about time for lunch, Rei prompted Set to land. They landed near a river, a short distance from the highway. Although Rei called it a river, it was closer to a creek, about 1m wide. That said, the reflected sunlight in the water as it flowed along was enough to soften the summer heat. Neither Rei nor Set were that bothered by the heat, but the sight of the water made it a desirable place to cool off. As a water source, it was probably a watering hole for monsters, but there was no way that any of them would show up knowing Set was there, making the presence known. Of course, it would be different for low ranking monsters like Goblins, who didn¡¯t have the intelligence to gauge the difference in strength. ¡¸Now then, for lunch¡­¡­let¡¯s finish what we have. Luckily, we have a lot of sandwiches from Gilm. We can have some cold vegetable soup with it.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ Set gave a joyful cry at the food that Rei took out from the Misty Ring. The food itself was very basic, but whether it was sandwiches or soup, neither was something an adventurer would normally be able to eat while outside of a city. The sandwiches were made with freshly baked bread and the soup was cool enough to be enjoyed in summer. And, above all, there was plenty of both. An amount which could easily feed more than 20 people was finished by the two of them¡­¡­as the peaceful afternoon passed, it was hard to imagine the shockwaves they would be bringing to the Bestir Empire. CH 559 ¡¸Um, I¡¯m pretty sure that vvillage is Goto, right?¡¹ It had been 11 days since they left Gilm. Rei muttered to himself as he saw the village on the ground ahead, relying on the memories he had when passing by the village during the Spring War and the map in his hands. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What do you want to do? Set asked with a cry as Rei stroked his neck. ¡¸Well, if I¡¯m wrong, I can just ask them. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re dealing with bandits like before.¡¹ Considering Set¡¯s flying speed, they should have been able to reach Goto a few days earlier. However, as Rei had predicted, they had ended up taking the wrong route as well as several unintentional detours, such as tracking down a bandit hideout and helping out some adventurers who were having a hard time against some monsters. Although Rei had been to the Selemus Plains before, it had been on foot and not by flying. Naturally, it was a very different perspective and was part of the reason why he had gotten lost. (Well, I was able to collect a fair number of weapons as well as some money from the bandit hideout after killing all the bandits. The situation the adventurers were in was also dangerous, so they helped me out when I asked for the way to the Selemus Plains. In the end, everything worked out.) As Rei thought like that, Set descended to the ground in a glide. As Set landed, he flapped his wings one last time to absorb the impact. They were still some distance from Goto, but it was unlikely that they had missed the sight of a Griffon landing. Since the village was located near the Selemus Plains, the area was usually on high alert. At any rate, even from afar, Rei could tell that the village had grown noisy. Judging that it wouldn¡¯t make a difference whether he went over with Set or not, Rei slowly made his way over to Goto with Set. Around the village, the fields of wheat had already ripened to the point it was almost ready to harvest, creating a carpet of wheat. As Rei headed towards the village, he saw the wheat fields and recalled the golden ears of rice he had seen each year back in Japan¡­¡­ ¡¸H-Halt-!¡¹ As he approached the village gate, he heard such a voice shout out from inside. Hearing that, Rei stopped as he looked to see whose voice it was. Glancing over, there were five men wielding simple weapons, such as hoes and clubs, looking at Rei warily. It seemed like it was the first time they had seen a Griffon. They looked frightened enough that it was almost certain they would run if Set gave a cry. Rei didn¡¯t plan to flatten Goto or threaten them, so he stopped about 10m away from the men. ¡¸Y-You¡­¡­you have a Griffon with you, are you Crimson?¡¹ He must have been the leader of the men. A man in his 30¡¯s shouted out from the front with a hoe in his hand. Because they were standing 10m away from each other, they couldn¡¯t really communicate without shouting. However, that also served to attract the attention of the village residents, who hadn¡¯t noticed Rei as they worked in the fields, causing them to slowly gather at the village gate. The man must have felt somewhat braver when he saw the number of people watching grow larger. He calmed down as he turned to Rei again. There was definitely a Griffon here. However, the person it was following looked to be a 15 year old boy. He gave a sigh of relief as he thought to himself. Is that kid really Crimson? The village of Goto was located close to the Selemus Plains and, for that reason, they had received detailed information about the Spring War. Among the information they received, the thing that stood out the most was that of the person who had burned the entire vanguard of the Bestir Empire while swinging a scythe. He had been given the title Crimson because his body had been smeared with blood. The person before him might have a Griffon, but he didn¡¯t have a scythe with him. Above all, he looked too young. (Perhaps it¡¯s a completely different person?) That was what the villagers thought, but Rei nodded as he stroked Set¡¯s back. ¡¸That¡¯s right, I have been called Crimson. I also participated in the war on the side of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s army, so there¡¯s no need to be scared, right?¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s¡­¡­no, but, you¡¯re completely different from the rumours. You aren¡¯t even holding a scythe!¡¹ ¡¸Hm? Oh, here, is this enough?¡¹ At the man¡¯s words, Rei took out the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring. The length of the shaft alone was taller than Rei and the blade stretched 1m out. Its appearance gave off a presence suitable for being called the reaper¡¯s scythe. ¡¸Does this clear your doubts?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Y-Yeah.¡¹ Even the villages couldn¡¯t help but believe Rei after seeing the real thing. Seeing everyone nod from the pressure of seeing the Death Scythe, Rei stored it back into the Misty Ring. ¡¸O-Okay, we know you¡¯re Crimson. But, what business do you have in a small village like this?¡¹ ¡¸Before I answer that, may I ask something quickly? Is this Goto?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. This is the village of Goto. ¡­¡­So, what can we do for you?¡¹ ¡¸So, it¡¯s the right place this time. No, I¡¯m just meeting up with some people here.¡¹ ¡¸Meeting up?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, the villagers gathered here could be heard murmuring strangely. (¡­¡­Hm?) However, Rei noticed that one of the villagers had a strange response. At the words ¡®meeting up¡¯ the man had averted his gaze unnaturally. He looked to be in his 20¡¯s. He had a reasonably well proportioned face and, maybe due to his farm work, had a solid build. At the very least, if you put Rei and the man side by side, most people would assume that the man was the adventurer. For someone with such a build, their instant of internal turmoil caught Rei¡¯s attention. ¡¸Hey, did you say you were meeting up with someone in this village?¡¹ Rei nodded a the villager¡¯s question. ¡¸Yeah. Although it might be a while longer before they get here¡­¡­¡¹ Rei had come here on Set, but Vihera and Theorem, who were going to meet with him here, were travelling along the ground. Considering that, it would be a while before they reached Goto. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, what should we do? If it¡¯s really Crimson, wouldn¡¯t it be bad to refuse him?¡¹ ¡¸I heard from the rumors that he has a Griffon and a scythe, so I think it¡¯s safe to say it¡¯s him¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But, didn¡¯t he say it might take a while before the people he¡¯s waiting for arrive? What do we do? There¡¯s no inn in the village.¡¹ ¡¸So you¡¯re going to let him stay at someone¡¯s house? Are you kidding me? I don¡¯t want to do that. I can¡¯t afford to waste my time providing food for him.¡¹ ¡¸Regardless, the village chief¡­¡­¡¹ The villagers started whispering to each other. They spoke in low voices so as to not be heard by Rei. However, with his hearing, Rei didn¡¯t miss anything they said. In the midst of all this, a villager spoke up. It was the person who Rei had noted behaving strangely earlier. ¡¸If you don¡¯t mind, you can stay at my house? Luckily, I live alone, so I have a spare room.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you sure, Ruchard? Since you¡¯re living alone, doesn¡¯t that mean you can¡¯t call anyone if something happens?¡¹ ¡¸Well, as far as I can tell, he doesn¡¯t look like a bad person. Besides¡­¡­¡¹ The man called Ruchard paused as he walked over to Rei. ¡¸Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Ruchard. I¡¯d be happy to let you stay with me for now, but¡­¡­I have one condition, or rather, one request.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸That is, as you can see, the village isn¡¯t that wealthy. Putting you aside, we don¡¯t have enough to satisfy your Griffon as well.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Set tilted his head at Ruchard¡¯s words. Seeing Set¡¯s cute response, the villagers¡¯ faces softened. For a moment, they seemed to forget that Set was an A rank monster, but they soon returned to normal. That said, their gazes towards Rei and Set were, albeit only slightly, unmistakably softer than they were a moment ago. Giving a sigh of relief at the situation, Rei shook his head to say it wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡¸Set, as you can see, is smart enough to get his own food. I¡¯ve also brought food for him as well. Oh, by the way, you don¡¯t have to worry about my food either. I¡¯ve prepared enough for myself.¡¹ To be precise, the Misty Ring held a large amount of food, food that was much more delicious than anything he could eat the in the village. However, Ruchard didn¡¯t know this and looked confused as he asked in confusion. ¡¸You don¡¯t like you have anything with you in particular?¡¹ The sight of a muscular person looking so confused somehow made people want to smile. However the person himself seemed to be unaware of this and just looked at Rei curiously. ¡¸You saw me take the Death Scythe out just now, didn¡¯t you? Just think of it as something similar.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. I¡¯d just like to confirm one last time, but since this village doesn¡¯t have much to spare, there¡¯s basically no food we can serve you. And, even if there was, it would be the same as what we eat. It¡¯s a crude dish and not the kind of food that an adventurer with a title would eat.¡¹ Rei nodded in response to Ruchard¡¯s final request for confirmation. Ruchard nodded in relief as he looked at the people around him. ¡¸As you just heard, he said he will prepare his own meals. As far as lodging in concerned, he will rent my place. And, as far as I can see, the Griffon called Set doesn¡¯t seem like they will attack anyone for no reason. ¡­¡­Having said that, it wouldn¡¯t be good to leave the Griffon openly in the village, so could they stay outside the village if possible?¡¹ The villagers whispered and talked with each other at Ruchard¡¯s words, but eventually came to a consensus. The man who had first called out to Rei spoke to him as a representative. ¡¸We understand. You said you don¡¯t have to give him food and, since you were the one to say it, I think we can trust him. But is it really okay for you to bring a stranger to stay at your house?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s fine. Besides, he¡¯s strong enough to be called Crimson. If he wanted to do anything by force, I don¡¯t think he would be talking to us in such a friendly manner in the first place.¡¹ Ruchard¡¯s words reassured the villagers who were listening to him. In fact, that was true. If Rei wanted to do anything by force, his power wasn¡¯t something the people in the village could deal with. Just like how the Bestir Empire¡¯s army had suffered a great deal of damage in the Spring War, they would be one-sidedly flattened. The villagers must have accepted it because they knew htat. ¡¸So, I¡¯ll bring him back, the rest of you all go back to work. It¡¯s still hot, so let¡¯s all do our best until break time.¡¹ Ruchard, who was well respected within Goto for his strong body and calm temperament, dispersed the villagers. Seeing them off, he turned back to Rei as he spoke with a stiffer expression than he had just a few seconds ago. ¡¸Please come with me, I¡¯ll guide you to my house.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rei looked at Ruchard suspiciously, but Ruchard seemed to misunderstand why Rei wasn¡¯t following him. He spoke in a quiet voice that only Rei could hear. ¡¸I¡¯ll explain the details at my place.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Understood. Set.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ What¡¯s going on? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head. Rei gently stroked his head as he spoke. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but please play outside the village for a while. The villagers are still surprised by your appearance, so you can¡¯t play with them.¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~¡­¡­Guru~!¡¹ Even thought he looked a little disappointed, Set nodded and ran several steps before flapping his wings and flying into the sky. Rei turned back to Ruchard, as if asking if that was good enoguh. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll lead the way.¡¹ With a small nod, Rei walked with him¡­¡­and before long, they arrived at a house on the outskirts of the village/ It wasn¡¯t particularly large or small. It was a typical house for a villager living in a village of this size. Considering that he lived alone, it might seem big, but he hadn¡¯t lived alone since he was born. ¡¸Come in. I¡¯ve been alone since my parents died a few years ago, so don¡¯t worry about anything.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Replying to Ruchard, Rei entered the house. It seemed to be true that he lived alone. The house had a messy impression, probably because it wasn¡¯t well cleaned for its size. After seeing Rei in, just to be sure, Ruchard looked around the outside through the front door to make sure there was no one there. Then, facing Rei, he spoke up. ¡¸Once again, nice to meet you. My name is Ruchard. So, my question is, can you tell me who you¡¯re meeting up with, Rei-san?¡¹ CH 560 As Rei heard Ruchard ask the question with a calm expression, he guessed a few things in his mind. Goto wasn¡¯t on the frontier in the same sense as Gilm, but it was still a rural village close to the border. Few people would visit the place outside of events like the Spring War. It was in such a situation that Rei had arrived. If it wasn¡¯t someone as famous as Rei, such as an ordinary traveler, he wouldn¡¯t have been so cautious. But since Rei was someone who had been active in the Spring War, Ruchard seemed quite cautious of him. That said, despite being cautious, he had still invited Rei to his house¡­¡­ ¡¸I see, you¡¯re from the Bestir Empire¡­¡­or more precisely, you¡¯re one of Theorem¡¯s men.¡¹ The words that came from Rei¡¯s mouth caused Ruchard to stiffen for a moment. That alone was enough for Rei to get his answer. ¡¸I knew it.¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s mutter, Ruchard looked towards a nearby kitchen knife¡­¡­but in the end, he didn¡¯t make any moves. It was because he didn¡¯t think he could take on Rei. Even if he attacked Rei with the knife, he couldn¡¯t see an outcome where he could do anything without getting easily caught. No, rather, he would be killed by the scythe he had seen earlier. Reaching the conclusion that he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance no matter what he did, Ruchard let out a small sigh as he turned to look at Rei. Rei didn¡¯t seem to care much for Ruchard¡¯s look of resignation as he spoke up. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t have any intentions of doing anything to you. Besides, you know what I¡¯m here for right? I¡¯m meeting Theorem here.¡¹ It would be more accurate to day that he was meeting with Vihera, who was leading Theorem, but Rei decided not to mention it. The man in front of him might be one of Theorem¡¯s subordinates, but it didn¡¯t mean he was a confidant. In any case, Rei¡¯s words made Ruchard give a sigh of relief. ¡¸Is that so? ¡­¡­Honestly, I can¡¯t imagine what kind of relationship Rei-san and Theorem-sama have.¡¹ That was only natural. Considering they had been hostile to each other during the Spring War, it was strange to think of them as being on good terms now. Ruchard looked at Rei, as if asking for an explanation, but Rei just responded with a small shrug. ¡¸Well, a lot of things happened. So, can I ask about you?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not much of an interesting story. I¡¯m just one of Theorem-sama¡¯s subordinates.¡¹ Ruchard didn¡¯t say what he was doing here in particular. Just as Rei didn¡¯t completely trust Ruchard, Ruchard also did not completely trust Rei. From Ruchard¡¯s perspective, it was only natural. Perhaps understanding htat, Rei didn¡¯t push the conversation any further. Instead, he changed the topic. ¡¸So, have you heard when Theorem will get here?¡¹ He probably hadn¡¯t heard. That was what Rei thought but he decided to ask just in case. As Rei expected, Ruchard shook his head. ¡¸Unfortunately, all I¡¯ve heard is that Theorem-sama will be coming to this village with someone. Even then, Theorem-sama had only dropped by this village in secret to pass me a message when he entered the Mireana Kingdom.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Then, it looks like I¡¯ll be waiting here a while. Sorry, but I¡¯ll be bothering you in the meantime.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m not in a position to say no to someone with connections to Theorem-sama, so I don¡¯t mind. But, even if you stay here, there¡¯s not a lot to do in this village. The only place that¡¯s worth mentioning is the bar.¡¹ ¡¸A bar? Alcohol aside, is there any good food?¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Ruchard looked a little unsure. ¡¸I don¡¯t know. There are many of the dishes in this village aren¡¯t that good¡­¡­if you want know if they are any good, you¡¯ll have to try them.¡¹ Saying that, Ruchard turned back to Rei, thinking of something. ¡¸Speaking of which, the wheat harvest will start in a few days.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I think I would rather go to the Selemus Plains to hunt undead.¡¹ Putting aside ordinary undead, if he could kill some rarer undead, he could absorb their magic stones to increase his strength. Since he was going to be heading into enemy territory, there was nothing wrong with increasing his strength even just a little. ¡¸Well, sometimes¡­¡­very rarely, undead do come out of the Selemus Plains and towards the village, so if you could do that, the village residents would be glad.¡¹ Due to the proximity to the Selemus Plains, Skeletons and Zombies would come over once every few years. The village residents knew that and, of course, they were able to deal with monsters of that level. Even so, there would always be injuries, so it would be great help if Rei voluntarily went to hunt the undead on the Selemus Plains. ¡¸It looks like I¡¯ll have a lot of free time until Theorem gets here.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself out loud, but Ruchard shook his head slightly as he replied. ¡¸When he came here, he was on a pretty good horse, so I don¡¯t think it will take him that long.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Since Theorem had come to the Mireana Kingdom to find the Second Princess and return to the Bestir Empire as soon as possible, it only made sense for him to have an excellent horse. (That said, even if Theorem and Vihera get here, there¡¯s no point until Daska and the others also get here. We¡¯ll all have to wait here a while. ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯ll need to talk with Theorem about the matter with Elk in advance.) As Rei thought of that, it seemed Ruchard thought that was enough explanation for the time being as he spoke up. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll be heading back out to work the fields. ¡­¡­About my current situation¡­¡­¡¹ Rei knew what he wanted to say and simply nodded in return. ¡¸Yeah, I won¡¯t say a thing to the other villagers.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. Actually, I would like to talk about more thing in greater detail, but I can¡¯t ignore my work, so we¡¯ll discuss the details tonight. Ah, about your room, please use that room.¡¹ The structure of the house consisted of one large room with main entrance, living room, kitchen, and three private rooms connected to it. Ruchard pointed to one of the private rooms. ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ Hearing that, Ruchard left the house to go back to his work. For a moment, Rei wondered if it was fine for Ruchard to leave him alone in his house, but reached the conclusion that it was because he knew Theorem and Ruchard trusted him based on that. Inside the empty house, Rei thought about how to spend his time¡­¡­before eventually standing up. Whether it was waiting for Vihera and Theorem or Daska and Elk, it was necessary for him to spend some time in the village. That was why he decided it would be better to see what the village was like with his own eyes in case anything happened. (It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve played around with Set.) It didn¡¯t take long for him to think of something to do. While it was true that he had been with Set ever since leaving Gilm, it had mostly been just travelling. Whenever they landed, it was just to eat, rest, or camp. He had spent time with Set, but none of it had purely been playing around. When he left Ruchard¡¯s house, the first thing that caught his eye was a pair of eyes looking at him. However, compared to when he had first come to the village, the pair of eyes that were looking at him were filled with curiosity rather than caution. It didn¡¯t seem like they were trying to hide their stare. Turning to look at the person staring at him, Rei saw a boy. Age wise, they must have been around 5 years old. He was hiding behind some wooden boxes that had been piled up next to Ruchard¡¯s house. ¡¸-!?¡¹ This continued for several seconds. Staring at each other and creating a mysterious space of silence around them. As they stared at each other, Rei realised why the boy was probably here. He was probably too young to help his parents. If they were over 10 years old, they might have been able to help out a little, but at 5 years old, any attempt to help would probably only drag their parents down. Because of that, they had probably been left free to play in the village, was what Rei thought. ¡º¡­¡­¡» After a minute of staring at each other in silence, the boy was the first to give in and make a move. He came out of hiding behind the crates and walked over to Rei. ¡¸I¡¯m Apika. Who are you nii-chan?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Rei.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, I¡¯ve never seen nii-chan before, are you from the village?¡¹ It was a small village with less than 100 people, but it seemed that it was still hard for children of this age to remember the faces of all the villagers. At the boy¡­¡­Apika¡¯s question, Rei shook his head to deny it. ¡¸Eh? Really Then, then. Tell me about things outside the village!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s right¡­¡­¡¹ For a moment, Rei thought that it might be a good idea¡­¡­when he saw a familiar shadow in the sky. He was flying quite high, but Set was there. Perhaps he hoped that Rei would find him to play with him as soon as possible. However, Rei was also reluctant to leave the child staring at him with twinkling eyes. Suddenly, he thought of the children who had flocked to Set in Gilm. Of course, even those children didn¡¯t immediately fall in love with Set. But since he was here¡­¡­maybe it would be fine. Besides, Set only seemed scary at the beginning, if he stayed with Set for 10 minutes, he would quickly become attached to him. ¡¸Since you¡¯re out here already, why don¡¯t you come with me? I¡¯m going to meet up with my partner.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? But mum and dad said I¡¯m not allowed to go outside.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s true that you can¡¯t do it alone, but I¡¯ll be with you.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh¡­¡­hmm¡­¡­¡¹ Looking at the distressed child, Rei wondered if it was good for him to be trusted so easily. The residents of the village were quite closed off, but the children seemed completely different. However, he soon realised why. Yes. Travellers rarely came to this village because it was so closed and, as a reulst, the children probably grew up without being wary of people they didn¡¯t know. Naturally, their parents must have told them about it, but there was no way a child 5 years old would be able to fully understand it. The end result was¡­¡­ ¡¸Um, I understand!¡¹ He simply nodded. ¡¸Okay, then, we have to get out of here and find a place where the adults in the field can¡¯t find us. Do you know of any good places?¡¹ ¡¸Umm¡­¡­ah, that¡¯s right. This way!¡¹ Saying that, Apika pulled Rei¡¯s hand as they headed towards a less popular part of the village. It was a small village, so even for a kid like Apika, they arrived in less than 30 minutes on foot. As it was near the Selemus Plains, the village of Goto was surrounded by wooden fences. It wasn¡¯t good enough to be called a protective wall, but it was barely enough to stop undead, such as Skeletons and Zombies from entering the village from the Selemus Plains. However, since not all the fencing was new, there was naturally some older sections. Apika took Rei to such a place. The lowest part of one of the planks, about up to Rei¡¯s knees in height, was broken, leaving a gap. At a place like Gilm, you never knew what kind of monsters would try to get in, so something like this would have never happened. However, since the undead that wandered in from the Selemus Plains had no intelligence, the villages probably decided it wasn¡¯t too big of an issue. ¡¸Here, I think we can get out here. Do you want to go?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Replying to Apika, the two of them crawled out through the gap in the fence. Rei was short and wasn¡¯t very well built, so while it was a little tight, he still managed to squeeze through safely. Luckily, the ground was covered in grass, so he didn¡¯t get too dirty. With that, Apika followed Rei out of the village. ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ While being careful not to be too loud, Set gleefully came down to the ground with a cry. CH 561 11-14 minutes ¡¸UWAAH-!¡¹ Apika unintentionally let out a cry at the sight of the giant monster suddenly swooping down from the sky. Even so, his voice was filled with astonishment without any fear, probably because Apika didn¡¯t know what horrors monsters could bring. ¡­¡­In addition, most of the monsters that posed a threat to the village of Goto consisted of undead from the Selemus Plains, such as Zombies and Skeletons. As Set flapped his wings and descended from the sky, Apika probably didn¡¯t feel threatened because he didn¡¯t know what Set was. Set boasted a large body, many times larger than Apika, but the moment he landed, he went straight over to Rei and rubbed his head against him with happy cries. Seeing Set like that, it was hard to feel threatened by him. If there had been bandits or other monsters close by, Set would naturally have been on guard. However, only his beloved Rei and a small child were present. There was no way Set was going to be wary in such a situation. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m sorry for leaving you alone. But, it¡¯s not bad to fly around in the sky without me once in a while, right?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set averted his eyes as he gave a cry. Seeing that, Rei gave a small smile as he stroked Set¡¯s head. ¡¸Look, I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s why I came out of the village like this, right? I¡¯ll play with you until evening today, so please cheer up.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Are you reflecting on your actions? Set seemed to ask as he tilted his head and Rei nodded as he stroked Set¡¯s neck. After that, Rei turned to look at Apika, who¡¯s eyes were shining. ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Perhaps noticing Rei¡¯s gaze, Set also turned to look at Apika with a cry. Apika was surprised by Set¡¯s action for a moment, but matched gazes with Set, who was looking down at him with round eyes, before turning to Rei and asking. ¡¸Hey, Hey, nii-chan. Can I pet him?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s fine as long you don¡¯t get rough with him. Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Hearing Rei¡¯s words, Set gave a cry as he lowered his head to a position where it would be easy for Apika to pet him. Apika gently reached out for Set¡¯s head. The first thing he felt was the fluffy and smooth feel of Set¡¯s feathers. Apika smiled at the feeling he never wanted to giv eup. ¡¸Waah, waah, waah¡­¡­hey, nii-chan. What¡¯s its name?¡¹ ¡¸Set. Set the Griffon.¡¹ ¡¸Set¡­¡­Set, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Perhaps noticing his name being called, Set tilted his head as he looked at Apika with round eyes. Apika fixed his eyes on Set. Was he scared by any chance? Rei was worried about that for a moment, but his worries soon disappeared. Apika¡¯s face had a big smile on it. If he had known common sense regarding most monsters, this would have been impossible. Rei couldn¡¯t help but stroke Set¡¯s head and smile as well when he saw Apika¡¯s smile. He picked up a tree branch that had fallen to the ground. ¡¸Apika, do you want to see something?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What?¡¹ ¡¸Take a look, just move away from Set for a moment. ¡­¡­Set, you ready?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set must have figured out what Rei wanted to do with the branch in his hands. He gave a happy cry and took several steps back. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Apika watched on with a strange expression on his face. ¡¸Go for it, Set! Go get it!¡¹ Giving a shout, Rei threw the branch in a large arc. Goto was built on the plains because such an environment was needed to create fields. On such a field, Set quickly ran after the tree branch that had been thrown. Although he didn¡¯t use his wings and just ran on all fours, he was still faster than the average warhorse. He continued to dash forward across the ground, despite his eagle claw front legs, which were not designed for running, as he continued to chase after the branch. ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ Set jumped up with a sharp cry. And successfully grabbed the tree branch in mid air with his beak. ¡¸Wow, that was amazing! That was amazing nii-chan!¡¹ Seeing Set do that, Apika shouted out in excitement. ¡¸Isn¡¯t it? Then why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Sure. I would be great if you and Set could get along. Actually, a frisbee would be good.¡¹ In his mind, Rei recalled the frisbees he had used to play with his dog back in Japan. Unforuntately, no such thing existed in this world. That said, the shape wasn¡¯t that complicated, so maybe a wooden plate could be used instead. ¡¸A frisbee?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. ¡­¡­Look, Set is back. Now it¡¯s your turn.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, mm. Alright, Set. Let¡¯s go!¡¹ Receiving the tree branch that was held in Set¡¯s beak, Apika made a run up of several steps before throwing it out. May because he was still young, the tree branch flew towards a completely different direction than where he had been aiming. ¡¸Gururururururu~!¡¹ Set chased after the tree branch with a cry. Because Apika was a kid, the branch hadn¡¯t been thrown that high up either. Even so, Set was fast on the ground and managed to successfully catch it in his beak before it hit the ground. ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Set gave the branch in his beak back to Apika with a cry. He looked at Apika with round eyes that demanded praise. ¡¸Ahah, ahahaha. Set, that¡¯s amazing. I can¡¯t believe you managed to catch it.¡¹ Apika stroked Set, who lowered his head to make it easier, with a small hand and a smile on his face. Before long, several minutes passed. Moving his hand away from Set, Apika turned to Rei with a twinkle in his eyes. ¡¸Hey, nii-chan. Can I do that again?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, Set has been feeling a little bit cooped up these past few days. Play with him as much as you want.¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Apika threw the branch over towards Set again who gave a cry to say he wanted to play. This time, unlike before, the branch flew out in the direction he wanted. Running along the ground, Set caught in mid air agains with his beak. Apika¡¯s eyes lit up at how amazing Set was as he threw the branch out over and over again. Eventually, after about 20 minutes, even if all he did was throw branches, Apika reached the limit of his physical strength as a child. ¡¸Haah, haah, haah¡­¡­ah, I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m sorry Set. Let me take a break.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Hearing Apika¡¯s words, Set turned to look at Rei. Seeing Rei nod, Set lay down on the grass and wrapped his lion tail around Apika¡¯s body as he pulled him over, letting him rest against his body. ¡¸Uwaa¡­¡­it¡¯s so fluffy. Are you okay, Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set nodded of course, and Apika let himself sink into Set¡¯s smooth fur. Before long, due to the two effeccts of tiredness and comfort, Apika fell asleep while hugging Set. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ Set tilted his head as looked at Apika, but before long, he turned to look at Rei, who was watching from a little further away. Is this okay? Set seemed to ask Rei as looked at him. Rei nodded with a smile as he headed towards Set, which he had been planning to do anyway. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Leaning against Set on the opposite of Apika, Rei took a deep breath as he looked up into the sky. Until a few hours agao, he had been flying through the sky on Set, but now a different thought entered his mind. The blue sky seemed to stretch endlessly. White clouds puffing up like cotton candy. He could feel the summer heat, but probably because of the wind blowing through the plains, he didn¡¯t feel the same high humidity that was present in Gilm. (I guess that was why Apika was also able to sleep like this.) In addition, even within the Mireana Kingdom, there would be differences based in location. The Mireana Kingdom was a large country that covered a vast amount of territory. Looking up at the sky while thinking that in his head and feeling the wind, before long, sleepiness came to him. He had slept soundly inside his magic tent, but it seemed such comfort was no match for it. ¡¸Mm, Set¡­¡­wake me up¡­¡­in a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Even as he heard Set¡¯s response, Rei¡¯s consciousness drifted into darkness. ¡¸¡­¡­Mm?¡¹ Opening his eyes, his consciousness quickly came back to hi, The figures of a few people coming over came into view. ¡¸Gurururu~¡¹ ¡¸Set¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Rei realised that Set was the one to wake him up as he apologised. Set¡¯s tail stretching out to Rei was proof of that. The people approaching them were familiar faces. They were villagers from Goto, the ones who first blocked Rei from entering the village when he first arrived, and Ruchard. However, their expressions weren¡¯t sharp¡­¡­but rather had expressions that felt somewhat troubled with a bitter smiles on their faces. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, you have a strange looks on your faces.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, we¡¯re not someone as carefree as you.¡¹ While complaining at Rei¡¯s words, the man stopped. Set seemed to be the reason he stopped. However, other than the usual fear and awe, there was also a different look in his eyes as he looked at Set. It was probably because he could see Rei and Apika using set as a pillow. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, you ask? A child disappeared from the village, so it¡¯s only natural to look for them, right? Some people were even quick to suggest that Rei-san might have kidnapped Apika.¡¹ Saying that, Ruchard turned to look at the man who had complained to Rei. The man must have felt uncomfortable at Ruchard¡¯s gaze and spoke up as he tried to justify himself. ¡¸It couldn¡¯t be helped. Both him and Apika had disappeared without anyone noticing. I don¡¯t think anyone would have thought they would be napping outside the village.¡¹ ¡¸No, well, I certainly can¡¯t deny that. I just wanted to spend some time with Set. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything else I need to do urgently.¡¹ Leaning back against Set, Rei stroked Set¡¯s head as he looked back at him. Receiving Rei¡¯s strokes, Set gave a happy cry. If an ignorant person had heard Set¡¯s cry, they might have been terrified. However, in a situation where Set was being stroked by Rei with narrowed eyes, the villagers didn¡¯t feel fear or awe towards Set. On the contrary, they seemed to be looking at him with more gentle gazes. ¡¸Mm¡­¡­mm¡­¡­huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Set¡¯s cry must have echoed through his body. Apika looked around as he rubbed his eyes. When Ruchard and the other villagers came into his eyes, he was startled. ¡¸Apika. Didn¡¯t¡­¡­I tell you not to go outside the village?¡¹ ¡¸That is¡­¡­¡¹ Apika lowered his head at Ruchard¡¯s words. Seeing that, Rei interjected with a small sigh. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I was the one who took Apika out of the village. Can you not scold him too much?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rei. It¡¯s true that you took him outside. But I¡¯ve told him many times before to not go out of the village. The problem is how easily he broke the rules by telling others¡­¡­and to Rei as well, who only just arrived in the village. Sorry, but this is a village problem. I hope you can just leave this to us.¡¹ Saying that, Ruchard slowly walked over to Apika. Apika also hurriedly separated from Set, who he had been leaning against, as he went over to Ruchard. Like that, Ruchard raised his hand¡­¡­and placed it on Apika¡¯s head. Apika must have thought he would be beaten¡­¡­or punished in some way at the very least. His eyes went wide as he looked at Ruchard. ¡¸Well, Rei is here, so I wasn¡¯t worried about your safety. But your mum and dad were worried when they couldn¡¯t find you after work. Make sure you apologise properly.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, it¡¯s fine if you understand. Well then, let¡¯s go back to the village. I¡¯ll tell them to not be too angry at you.¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ ¡¸I apologise to you as well, Rei. Apika has caused you trouble. Perhaps it¡¯s because there are no children of the same age in the village that it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡­¡¹ Rei shoook his head towards Ruchard as he stood up. ¡¸Well, I was able to kill some time as well. So it turned out fine.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then, if you don¡¯t mind, would you like to continue playing with Apika from now on?¡¹ As they continued talking, they parted ways with Set before returning to the village, where they discussed various things they couldn¡¯t talk about during the day at Ruchard¡¯s house. CH 562 11-14 minutes ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t know how this ended up happening. Well, it¡¯s not like I mind.¡¹ Rei muttered to himself as he looked over at Apika, who was playing with Set in the grass. As there was grass growing everywhere, it naturally wasn¡¯t in the village, but outside. That said, it wasn¡¯t that far from the village. They were somewhere where they could see the village as well as the villagers harvesting wheat in the nearby fields. ¡¸Ahahahaha, here Set, this way, this way!¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Seeing Apika running around while laughing, Set chased after him with a cry. If someone who didn¡¯t know what was going on saw this, they would probably think the child was being attacked by a Griffon. Fortunately, it had already been a few days since the villagers had seen such a scene. At first, they had watched Apika worriedly, but now, they all smiled as they watched Apika run around with Set chasing after him. ¡¸Seriously, how did this end up happening?¡¹ Rei sat down on the grass as he muttered to himself again. The thick scent of summer grass tickled his note. The reason for the current situation, wasn¡¯t hard to explain. When Apika¡¯s parents heard what had happened on the day Rei came to Goto, that Rei and Apika had sneaked out of the village to play, they lightly smacked Apika¡¯s head. However, the fact that there weren¡¯t any children of Apika¡¯s age in the village probably played a large role. The children who were close in age to Apika were already over 10 years old and had been sent out to help with the farm work. Because of that, the only people left in the village during the day were Apika and the older people who had lost the ability to do farm work. Because of that, it was only natural that Apika would gain an interest in Rei. As a result, Apika¡¯s parents suggested through Ruchard that Rei stay with Apika while they worked in the field. As for Rei, he was going to stay in the village for a while¡­¡­which resulted in the current situation. At first, the villagers, including Apika¡¯s parents, were reluctant for them to go outside the village, but Rei and Apika were successful in obtaining permission to play outside the village with Set being the biggest force of persuasion. That said, Rei didn¡¯t want the villagers to worry too much, so they didn¡¯t go too far and stayed within sight of the fields. ¡¸Wow, Set. I knew you were fast¡­¡­huh? Wait, Set!?¡¹ ¡¸Gurururu~!¡¹ Set picked Apika up by his collar in his beak and placed him on his back. The next moment, Set ran across the grassland with Apika on his back. Set would struggle to fly with anyone other than Rei on his back, but it seemed it was no issue for him to run along the ground with just a child. ¡¸Wow, amazing, fast, amazing, fast-!¡¹ Apika continued to cheer as he repeated the same words. His voice must have reached the people working in the fields. Some of them stood up to look over at where they were. Among them were several children above the age of 10 helping out with farm work, all looking at Set and Apika enviously. (After today¡¯s work, it might be better to let those children play with Set. It shouldn¡¯t take too much time.) With that thought in mind, Rei lay down on the grass where he had been sitting. Probably because he was now closer to the ground, the scent of grass was even stronger than before. In a state like this, the summer breeze felt good¡­¡­ ¡¸Gururururu~!¡¹ Suddenly Rei heard such a cry. It wasn¡¯t Set¡¯s usual friendly cry, but one with a hint of caution. The moment he heard that cry, Rei, who had been about to drift off into the dream world, instantly got ready to fight as he stood up. As he stood up, he saw a wild boar, slightly smaller than Set, but still gigantic for a boar. It wasn¡¯t a monster, but an ordinary wild boar. Even so, as it was only just smaller than set, there was no doubt it would still be more ferocious than some weaker monsters. In fact, the boar seemed to have gone through many fights and there were scars all over its face and body¡­¡­it seemed ready to charge at Set, or more precisely, Apika, who was riding on his back. However, unfortunately for the boar, Apika was riding on Set. It would be a big problem if Apika had been alone, but Set was an A rank monster. As for the result¡­¡­ ¡¸BURURURURURU-!¡¹ The giant boar dashed forward with its tusks jutting out from the tip of its nose as it thrust towards Apika and Set. However, Set just countered with a single strike. ¡¸Gururu~!¡¹ A single attack from Set¡¯s claws easily smashed through the boar¡¯s head with his physical strength. He didn¡¯t even need to use Power Crush to exert that much strength. The giant boar was blown away, bouncing and rolling across the ground several times after losing its head. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? Eh?¡¹ Apika didn¡¯t seem to realise what had happened as he sat on Set¡¯s back. He hadn¡¯t suffered any injuries as Set had been careful when killing the boar in a single hit. Eventually, Apika¡¯s face began to cramp as he realised what had just happened. ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAH-!¡¹ He started to cry loudly. ¡¸Guru~? ¡­¡­Guru~¡¹ Set turned to look at Apika as he gave a troubled cry. He then looked over towards Rei, who was walking over, as if asking for help. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not your fault Set. He¡¯s just scared that such a large boar suddenly appeared. ¡­¡­See, Apika¡¯s stopped crying. You¡¯re a man aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Hic, hic¡­¡­nii-chan¡­¡­¡¹ Apika turned to Rei, who spoke while stroking Set¡¯s troubled head, and hugged him tightly. (This really isn¡¯t in my character.) Although Rei thought that in his mind, he couldn¡¯t let go of the 5 year old Apika and just continued to stroke Set with his right hand while holding Apika¡¯s head with his left. After a few minutes, the people who had been working in the fields finally got to Rei. Although they had started running when the giant board had first appeared, it still took them a while because it was some distance to where Rei and Apika had been. ¡¸Apika, are you okay!?¡¹ ¡¸Apika!¡¹ The first to speak were, of course, Apika¡¯s parents. Both of them were only in their late 20¡¯s, but it wasn¡¯t uncommon for people to get married in their teens in this world. ¡¸Dad, mum¡­¡­¡¹ Leaving Rei, he got off Set¡¯s back and hugged his beloved parents as they came over to him. Ruchard went over to Rei, who was watching on, and gave him a small smile. ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ At first, Rei didn¡¯t understand why Ruchard was thanking him. Having put Apika in danger, he thought he would surely be blamed. However, Ruchard didn¡¯t seem to notice Rei¡¯s thoughts as he turned to look at the giant boar lying on the ground without its head. ¡¸That boar¡­¡­if Rei-san hadn¡¯t been here, he would have probably gone all the way to the village and the fields. If that had happened, we would only be able to drive it away, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill it. Many people would have been injured as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I definitely thought you would blame me.¡¹ Looking ahead, Rei could see Apika hugging his mother with all his strength while his father smiled and stroked his head. ¡¸It¡¯s true that Apika might be a little shocked, but without Set, his life would have been in danger, let along be injured.¡¹ ¡¸But, if I hadn¡¯t brought him here in the first place, wouldn¡¯t he not have come across the boar?¡¹ ¡¸In that case, Apika might have left the village alone and run into the boar. Rather than leave him by himself, I would definitely feel more at ease leaving him with Rei-san.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ Following on from Ruchard¡¯s words, Apika¡¯s parents gave a deep bow. Rei, let out a small sigh and shook his head as he saw that. ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s enough for now. I¡¯m glad that Apika is safe. ¡­¡­More importantly, the huge boar is dead. Why don¡¯t we all have it for dinner tonight?¡¹ Ruchard, Apika¡¯s parents, and even the other villagers turned to look at Rei in surprise. ¡¸Are you sure? Well, we would like to join you.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s fine, right?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~!¡¹ When Rei looked over at Set, who had been the one to kill the board, Set a happy cry. Even though Set was greedy for food, he knew that food tasted better when shared with everyone. ¡ºUOOOOOOOOH!¡» Even though they couldn¡¯t understand Set¡¯s thoughts, they could still tell what Set response was when he nodded at Rei¡¯s question. All the villagers shouted out with joy. ¡¸Look at this boar. Can we finish it all by ourselves?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine. Even if we can¡¯t eat it all, there¡¯s still Set.¡¹ ¡¸There are things its fur can be used for, but it will be difficult to tan something of this size.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, okay. But, since we¡¯re sharing the boar meat, we have to do that ourselves, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eating boar meat to refresh the body after harvesting the wheat.¡¹ ¡¸Heh, in your case, it¡¯s to refresh you vigour for the night.¡¹ ¡¸Guh, t-that¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I still prefer it grilled.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh¡­¡­it¡¯s hard to give up slow stewed boar meat though, you know?¡¹ The villagers were making a fuss as they looked at the wild board¡­¡­when one of them suddenly spoke up after realising something. ¡¸Wait a minute. A boar this big¡­¡­how do we take it back to the village?¡¹ At their words, the villagers, who had been making a lot of noise a few seconds ago, all fell silent. The boar in front of them probably weighed over 200kg¡­¡­maybe 300kg even without its head. It wasn¡¯t impossible for them to pull it back to the village, but it would require a lot of effort. The villagers honestly didn¡¯t want to have to do that after having worked in the fields of for the whole day already. However¡­¡­at that point in time, Rei¡¯s voice echoed out. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring the boar back to the village.¡¹ ¡¸No, even if you say you¡¯ll bring it back, how will you carry something this big? Are you going to let Set pull it?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s certainly possible, but there¡¯s a quicker way¡­¡­like this.¡¹ Saying that, Rei touched the boar corpse and the next moment it disappeared. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ The man who had been talking to Rei suddenly was at a loss for words. ¡¸I have a magic item. So it¡¯s not that difficult. Rather than that, could you tell me where to take it to?¡¹ Rei¡¯s words filled the villagers with surprise, but they then remembered how Rei had taken out his huge scythe when he first arrived at the village and were convinced. After a quick discussion, Ruchard spoke up on behalf of everyone present. ¡¸You know where the village square is, right? please put it over there. If it¡¯s a boar of this size, it will take a lot of people to dismantle it¡­¡­and above all, that is the only place where all the villagers can gather to eat, so we don¡¯t have much of a choice.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. ¡­¡­What about Set?¡¹ More recently, the villagers were no longer afraid of Set, but until now, Set had only approached the village at most. However, when Rei asked if it would be okay for Set to come in for this, Ruchard nodded hesitantly. ¡¸I know. I will talk to the village chief about it. He has heard about the recent events, so I don¡¯t think there will be a problem.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really? Is it okay for Set to enter the village as well?¡¹ Apika asked as he hugged his mother and Ruchard nodded with a soft smile that didn¡¯t suit his build. ¡¸Yes, of course. He saved Apika. Everyone in the village won¡¯t complain.¡¹ Hearing those words, the villagers around them murmured their agreements. ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s a little early, but let¡¯s stop the wheat harvest for now and start dismantling the wild boar.¡¹ After saying that, Ruchard headed back towards the village square along with Rei, Set, and the rest of the villagers. That evening, after the boar was dismantled, the villagers ate it. The softer parts were grilled over a bonfire with the bones still in them or grilled as a steak with the frying pan that was inside Rei¡¯s Misty Ring. Other parts were stewed and simmered, although the stewing time was a bit on the shorter side. After cooking everything, everyone started to eat. Even though it was a small village, there were still nearly 50 residents. Still, there was enough boar meat for everyone to be satisfied. During that time¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh, I thought I smelled something good. Is there a celebration today or something?¡¹ A voice that Rei hadn¡¯t heard in a long time reached his ears. CH 563 12-15 minutes All the villagers enjoyed the dinner feast as they ate the meat of the huge wild boar that Set had killed. The wheat harvest was going well and as they all enjoyed their evening meal, a voice echoed out into the village square. Hearing that voice the first time, the villagers involuntarily turned to look in the direction of the voice¡­¡­upon which they all stopped moving. It was because they had never seen such a beautiful woman in their life. She was wearing a robe, which her wavy reddish purple hair flowed down over. Her sharp gaze showed her strength. At the same time, she had a soft smile on her lips. She was wearing gauntlets on her hands and a similar piece of equipment for her feet. Both seemed somewhat strange for a woman as beautiful as her to be wearing. But despite looking somewhat out of place, there was a strange sense of unity. Beside the woman was a man, also wearing a robe. He had black hair, trimmed to his shoulders, and a gaze that showed his strength of will. Even though he gave off a stronger presence than most other people, he still didn¡¯t seem to stand out much when he was with the woman. From the outside, they seemed like travelers who had stopped by the village in search of a place to stay the night, but the feeling they gave off clearly showed that they weren¡¯t ordinary people. For a moment, the hustle and bustle of the lively feast stopped as silence filled the surroundings. The first person to speak was Rei, who was eating a boar meat sandwich along with a summer vegetable soup. ¡¸Vihera, Theorem as well. You were faster than I expected.¡¹ Hearing his words, the people gathered in the village square understood. These two were the people Rei had been waiting for. ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s good. They are the people you are meeting with, Rei. They told me that at the village gate, but I couldn¡¯t completely believe them.¡¹ A pitiful villager, who had been assigned the role of gatekeeper during this time, gave a sigh of relief. At the same time, he casually came over to pick up one of the grilled skewers. Two strangers had showed up out of nowhere in the evening. At first he had suspected it was a bandit trap, but after telling him that they were meeting with someone called Rei, he had no choice but to show them in. After all, Rei had been the one to kill the giant boar approaching their village. If this had been just after Rei¡¯s arrival to the village, he probably wouldn¡¯t have let the two strangers in so easily¡­¡­ But, a gigantic boar that they wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight off on their own¡­¡­it might not have been a monster, but Rei¡¯s Griffon had still been able to kill it in a single blow. The man had no intention of turning Rei into an enemy. It was also true that he felt somewhat indebted to Rei for saving Apika, the youngest child in the entire village, from the wild boar. ¡¸Yeah, they¡¯re the people I¡¯m meeting with. Thank you for showing them in. This isn¡¯t meant to be for thanks, but do try this as well.¡¹ Rei stood up and placed some food onto a nearby plate and handed it to the man who had guided Vihera and Theorem over. The man received it with a happy smile as he immediately reached out for the skewers on the plate. It hadn¡¯t been that long since it had been cooked. Boar fat dripped from the bite sized pieces of meat which had been marinated with sauce that Rei had taken out from the Misty Ring as it was grilling, creating a very appetising and enticing scent as it wafted out. Because it had been cooked over high heat, the outside had a firm texture while the inside was soft. The flavour of the sauce overflowed from the meat as the juices spread in his mouth. ¡¸¡­¡­Delicious¡­¡­¡¹ The man muttered earnestly, unable to think of anything else to say as he made his way back to the village entrance while holding the plate. He must have wanted to share the food with his fellow gatekeepers. Seeing him off, Rei immediately called out to Vihera and Theorem. ¡¸For now, you guys must be tired, why don¡¯t you have some food first.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s do that first.¡¹ Immediately nodding at Rei¡¯s word, Vihera sat down next to him without hesitation. As for Theorem, after giving a small smile at Vihera¡¯s actions, he looked around before finding Ruchard. Ruchard must have noticed Theorem¡¯s gaze as well. He went over to Theorem, leaving behind his friends, who were still entranced by Vihera. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while. You came back much earlier than I expected.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, the horse has worked hard. Although, it might have worked a bit too hard, it¡¯s now resting near the village entrance. If there¡¯s a stable, please prepare space for it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, as for a place to stay, is it okay to stay at my place?¡¹ ¡¸Where¡¯s Rei staying?¡¹ ¡¸Also at my house.¡¹ ¡¸I see, then we¡¯ll go with you.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. Um¡­¡­so, she.¡¹ Who is she? That was what Ruchard had been about to ask. ¡ºUOOOOOH-!¡» He suddenly heard voices that seemed to be a mix of cheers and shouts. He hurriedly turned towards the direction of the voices, only to see the beautiful woman who had been with Theorem taking off her robe. No, there was nothing wrong with that alone. Robes were essential for travelling, but they tended to get in the way when one wanted to relax. However, the clothes she wore under the robe were very sensational¡­¡­she was wearing several thin layers of cloth that could be seen through. It was one thing if she had been a dancer or prostitute, but otherwise her garments that could only be described as too revealing. Her thin clothes sparkled in the light of the setting sun, creating a magical aura around her. The eyes of the villagers, both men and women, couldn¡¯t be more captivated. It was the same for Ruchard, who found himself unable to take his eyes off her. ¡¸¡­¡­I wonder if the lady knows how much attention she¡¯s attracting.¡¹ Ruchard came back to his senses as he heard those words spoken with a sigh behind him. The lady¡­¡­were the words Theorem, Flash, had used. From that alone, it was clear that the person attracting the attention of the villagers was no ordinary person. On the other hand, under the gazes of the villagers, Vihera just smiled in a good mood as she ate the delicious food next to the person she liked, Rei, who she hadn¡¯t seen in a while. She was currently wrapped up in one of the greatest happiness for a woman. (Though¡­¡­it¡¯s a pity that there¡¯s no one worth fighting here.) She muttered to herself as she brought some freshly baked bread and boar stew to her mouth. Humans had three major desires, food, sleep, and sex, but Vihera had a fourth, the desire for combat. She felt regretful that there was only Rei, Theorem, and Set present who could satisfy her urge to fight, but she enjoyed the feast without letting it show on her face. At first, the villagers had been at a loss for words at her beauty, but as time went on, they gradually got used to the atmosphere and they started to talk with her. ¡¸Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s dangerous to be dressed so lightly? All men are wild beasts, you know? A beautiful woman like you would be eaten in no time.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, it¡¯s fine. Even though I might look like this, I¡¯m quite strong. The only one who can have me is the one who can defeat me. ¡­¡­Right?¡¹ She glanced over at Rei, who was enjoying a boar steak with Set. Seeing that, the person who spoke to Vihera must have realised she had feeling for Rei. At the same time, some of the men, who had fallen in love with Vihera at first glance, as if she had stolen their souls away, despaired when they heard her words and saw her expression. No matter how hard they fought, there was no way they could beat Rei, who had the title Crimson. The despair of those who had seen Set crush the boar¡¯s head was particularly bad. It was true that Set had been the one to do that, but Set belonged to Rei. In other words, they understood that if they wanted to get the woman in front of them, they would have to beat Rei, who was probably stronger than Set. ¡¸Well, who knows.¡¹ Rei shrugged his shoulders as he went back to enjoying his steak. Vihera wanted to say something to Rei, but judging that it wasn¡¯t the right occasion, she made do with cooking some more food next to him. ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had alcohol to drink.¡¹ Vihera¡¯s somewhat seductive voice echoed out from within the living room of Ruchard¡¯s house. There were currently only three people in the house, Rei, Vihera, and Theorem. The owner of the house, Ruchard, was still attending the feast back in the village square. Outside the house, Set was lying on his back, keeping watch for anyone that might approach. Up until now, Set had been banned from entering the village, but thanks to his achievements in protecting Apika, and with Ruchard¡¯s help, he had been given official permission by the village chief to sleep inside the village. It seemed that the general opinion had been it was a pity to not let Set into the village and this incident had just turned into the trigger. ¡¸Drinking is fine, but please don¡¯t go overboard. Your body is precious.¡¹ ¡¸I know. Rather than that, we should get down to business. Rei, you got here safely, so everything went well, right?¡¹ When Vihera looked over at Rei, Rei nodded while drinking some cold fruit juice that he had taken out from the Misty Ring. ¡¸For the most part. ¡­¡­But, some things have changed from the original plan.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Theorem¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡¸Hmm. May I ask specifically what has changed?¡¹ ¡¸Daska-sama will be attending the tournament personally.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Margrave Daska Rowlocks is going out of his way for this? Can this be considered part of his cooperation for you Rei?¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. It¡¯s not that bad of a situation either way though?¡¹ At Rei¡¯s question, Theorem gave a deep sigh in agreement. ¡¸It¡¯s certainly quite attractive from a strength perspective. But the price is the problem. Especially when someone as big as Margrave Rowlocks makes a move¡­¡­well, I wonder what kind of conditions they will request.¡¹ He was happy to have more cards to play, but there would likely be things he would have to pay in return. Vihera agreed with Theorem¡¯s words. ¡¸So the leader of one of the three major factions in a hostile country is going to make his own appearance. It¡¯s certainly going to be a messy affair.¡¹ ¡¸Vihera-sama, don¡¯t talk like it¡¯s someone else¡¯s problem.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, but I¡¯m already out of the Bestir Empire¡¯s royal family, so it basically is someone elses affairs to me, you know? Even so, I do have feelings for my immediate family, so I¡¯m helping out.¡¹ Theorem sighed when he heard those words as he moistened his throat with the cold fruit juice Rei passed him. However, the next moment, Rei reported something even more troublesome. ¡¸But, of course, since Daska-sama is going to the Bestir Empire, a hostile nation, he will need an escort, right? I could escort him, but I need to participate in the upcoming tournament.¡¹ It was a statement which Theorem had just been tussling with himself. As the leader of one of the three major factions, the Neutral faction, albeit significantly weaker than the Royalist and Aristocratic factions, Daska would be travelling to an enemy country that they had just been at war with several months ago. It would be impossible not to bring an escort under such circumstances. On the surface, Rei could act as an escort, but since he would be participating in the tournament, he couldn¡¯t act as a full time escort. ¡¸In other words, you want us to prepare an escort?¡¹ As Theorem replied to Rei, he was forced to make a difficult decision. In the first place, Theorem¡¯s faction, the Third Prince¡¯s faction, was not that big of a force. Furthermore, in the current situation, the Third Prince, the head of their faction, was under house arrest. Theorem was the current practical head of the Third Prince¡¯s faction. Naturally, some in the faction did not like this and it could be said that they were overwhelmingly shorthanded at the moment. In the middle of all this, he had to provided some of his own forces to guard an influential noble from a neighbouring country¡­¡­and someone as major as Margrave Rowlocks. It would clearly be a blow for them to have to provide a suitable level of combat power as an escort. On top of that, Daska and the Third Prince¡¯s faction couldn¡¯t been seen as having any sort of cooperative relationship, so there was also the difficult task of bringing someone out who¡¯s face was unknown to the other powers. (I could take a look around the adventurers guild¡­¡­) Theorem thought about that, but considering that many skilled adventurers would also be participating in the tournament, it would be difficult. However, Rei spoke to him at this point. ¡¸No, Gilm has prepared the escort.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that¡¯s a great help.¡¹ Theorem spoke, not just with words of relief, but a feeling that he was truly relieved¡­¡­ ¡¸However, that escort is the A rank party Axe of the Thunder God.¡¹ At those words, Theorem froze up. CH 564 12-15 minutes The moment Rei mentioned Axe of the Thunder God, Theorem stiffened up. The name was, of course, familiar to Theorem. After all, he had taken Elk¡¯s family hostage in order to try and use Elk to eliminate the person in front of him. In other words, they definitely held a grudge against him. ¡¸That is¡­¡­I don¡¯t know what to say. My honest feelings are that, if possible, I¡¯d have liked it to have been someone else. Doesn¡¯t Gilm have A and B rank adventurers besides Axe of the Thunder God?¡¹ Hearing Theorem¡¯s words, Rei shrugged his shoulders lighly as he brought his cup of fruit juice to his mouth. It was noticeably warmer than when he had taken it out of the Misty Ring, but he still enjoyed the sweet taste in his mouth. ¡¸There certainly are other A rank adventurers, but it seems like Elk¡¯s party had been the only ones available at the time.¡¹ ¡¸You know what I want to say, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Of course, Elk has a big grudge against you. ¡­¡­No, should I say he¡¯s furious?¡¹ Resentment and anger. They were similar but fundamentally different. You could consider the former to be buried and hidden while the latter was very outwardly apparent. Because of that, Theorem was somewhat surprised by Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸In short?¡¹ ¡¸To put it bluntly, Elk wants to fight you when he arrives with Daska.¡¹ He understood that for Elk, harbouring outward anger was less insidious than feeling resentment, but his face couldn¡¯t help but twist. ¡¸Is there no way to avoid it?¡¹ He asked Rei, hoping for a way out, but Rei nodded back as if it were to be expected. On the contrary, Rei¡¯s next words only made Theorem more dismayed. ¡¸Rather, I would like you to thank me for getting it down to just that. It took the help of Min, Elk¡¯s wife, to get it down to this point. As for Elk, he said that if you fight him head on, win or lose, he¡¯ll let bygones be bygones¡­¡­or something like that.¡¹ From what Rei had seen in Daska¡¯s office it didn¡¯t seem to him that Elk would really leave it at that, but he thought he¡¯d just say it just in case anyway. In fact, considering Elk¡¯s temperament, Rei didn¡¯t think that Elk would be able to contain his anger for much longer. Given that Min was coming along with him, Rei expected Elk¡¯s state to be close to when they last met by the time they arrived at Goto. (Even if he¡¯s not quite at that point by the time they arrive, in a sense, Theorem¡¯s just getting what he deserves.) Elk might look like a grown up mischievous boy, but his affection for his friends and family was deep and pure. Theorem had used it against him by taking his family hostage and threatening him to kill Rei, who Elk was on good terms with. ¡¸¡­¡­Do you want me to die?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t know. I can only tell you to do your best to survive. I myself don¡¯t care much for that incident anymore, but it¡¯s a different story in Elk¡¯s case.¡¹ Normally, it would only be natural for Rei to hold resentment. However, in the year since Rei had come to Elgin, he had run into trouble after trouble to the point he could care less about the smaller incidents. ¡¸Vihera-sama.¡¹ Theorem turned to Vihera, seemingly asking for help. However, Vihera just replied with a look of surprise. ¡¸Unfortunately, from what I just heard, I can¡¯t defend you. I¡¯d much rather beat your guts back into shape than let you take hostages to make others fight. I can only say you got what you deserved. Rather, is it okay to leave him to you?¡¹ Looking at Vihera, who seemed seriously worried for him, Theorem gave up on saying anything more. Collecting his thoughts with a difficult expression on his face¡­¡­Theorem let out a slow sigh after a few minutes and nodded. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll take on the fight fair and square. Come to think of it, if we can get through this, we might be able to pull in the strength of Axe of the Thunder God¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know about that. Elk was entrusted with escorting Daska-sama. Considering that, it would probably be a bit difficult to use him on your side¡­¡­¡¹ Rei said that as he recalled what Min had told Elk back at Daska¡¯s office. Considering that Min had told Elk that they were doing this to stop another war, Rei thought that it might be possible for Min to persuade Elk, even if Theorem couldn¡¯t directly discuss it with Elk himself. However, Rei quickly shook his head to dismiss the idea. If Theorem pulled over Axe of the Thunder God for his side of the plan, they would be a considerable force. But the problem of Daska¡¯s escort would come up again. It wasn¡¯t practical to just take Elk and Min either, leaving Rhodes to guard Daska. ¡¸Well, it would be difficult.¡¹ Vihera and Theorem turned to look at Rei, to muttered to himself as he thought about things, but seeing that he didn¡¯t say anything else, they didn¡¯t repeat the conversation and moved on to the next topic. ¡¸The fact that Margrave Rowlocks is coming means that we have no choice but to change our plans a little based on that, huh?¡¹ ¡¸I guess so. But I don¡¯t see why Rei would have to deviate too far from his original plan of getting into the tournament and draw attention to himself as a diversion.¡¹ Rei agreed with Vihera, who nodded at Theorem¡¯s words. ¡¸Well, you can just think of it as an increase in the number of people the upper echelons of the Bestir Empire will have to pay attention to. Regarding my participation in the fighting tournament, it seems that Daska-sama will put through a recommendation for me.¡¹ ¡¸Wow¡­¡­¡¹ Vihera gave a wry smile at those words. Rei and Daska had recently made a name for themselves in the Spring War. The two of them then went to the Bestir Empire together before requesting to participate in the fighting tournament. From the perspective of the upper echelons of the Bestir Empire, no matter how you looked at it, it could only be taken as Daska and Rei picking a fight with them. ¡¸When it comes to the recommendation from Margrave Rowlocks, will it be from the tournament rounds¡­¡­?¡¹ Theorem frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t seem too happy about the delay in Rei¡¯s name spreading through the capital. However, Rei shook his head towards Theorem. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be starting in the qualifying rounds.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that okay? Since it¡¯s a battle royale, you won¡¯t know what might happen. What¡¯s more, if you¡¯re participating under the recommendation of Margrave Rowlocks, it will definitely be more eye catching that we initially expected.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡¹ Theorem couldn¡¯t help but sigh at Rei¡¯s quick response. ¡¸That¡¯s true, but there¡¯s a limit to things. You played a major role in the Spring War and Daska was the one who hired you. With both of you together, there is no doubt the burden on you will be much greater since they can¡¯t touch Margrave Rowlocks.¡¹ ¡¸It will be fine.¡¹ ¡¸Vihera-sama?¡¹ ¡¸To begin with, considering Rei¡¯s ability, they won¡¯t be able to do anything to him with only a few people. Besides, if they tried, it would only make things worse for themselves. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re reduce their own strength like that. ¡­¡­In order to teach them a lesson, I think it will be necessary for Rei to beat down anyone who tries to mess with him as hard as possible.¡¹ Vihera spoke those horrific words with a smile on her face. Anyone who tried to mess with Rei or assassinate him would surely regret it. ¡¸But, that¡¯s only with regards to some factions. Be careful, it probably won¡¯t be an effective deterrent against those working on their own.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¹ When it came down to it, women were scary. Thinking of that, Rei moved on to the next topic. ¡¸So, I¡¯m supposed to be helping you free the Third Prince, who is under house arrest¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Regarding that matter, I¡¯m sorry, but I would like to keep those plans secret.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? ¡­¡­Oh, I see.¡¹ Rei frowned for a moment at Theorem¡¯s words, but he quickly nodded in agreement. Basically, the role Rei had been entrusted with was to attract the attention of the upper echelons of the Bestir Empire. The people actually working to help the Third Prince was Theorem and the rest of the Third Prince¡¯s faction. Because of that, if Rei knew about their plans, there would always be the risk of him accidentally leaking some information out. Considering that, it would only make things harder for Rei if he knew what their plans were, considering he didn¡¯t actually need to help them out directly. If the Third Prince¡¯s forces weren¡¯t strong enough, Theorem might have had to rely on Rei¡¯s strength, but with Vihera around, he no longer had any worries. ¡¸Then, is that all there is to discuss?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s all there is. After this¡­¡­if there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to ask, I¡¯ll do my best to answer.¡¹ When asked if he had any questions all of a sudden, Rei didn¡¯t have much to ask about. Will Vihera be safe? Rei thought about asking that for a moment, but it wasn¡¯t a very meaningful question. If there was no danger, Theorem wouldn¡¯t have had to come all the way to the Mireana Kingdom to ask for her help. Had he really asked the question, Vihera might have thought he was insulting her. She was in this for the thrill of battle as well as the life and death situation of her blood brother. ¡¸Ah, now that you mention it, it wasn¡¯t that much of a concern, but what kind of prizes and rewards are there for winning the tournament?¡¹ In the end, that was the question Rei asked. If things went well for them, the tournament might end up being cancelled, but he was still curious about the prize and rewards. The Bestir Empire was a superpower of sorts and this tournament would put their nation prestige on the line. With important people from neighbouring parties invited to attend the tournament, the prizes and rewards had to be plentiful. Rei¡¯s question was met with a faint wry smiles from Vihera and Theorem. ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s true that the winner of the tournament will receive prizes alongside prize money, there is even an option to become an official or noble. You can even get an audience with the Emperor. However, for you, Rei, you have rare magic items like your item box and the Death Scythe. You even have a Griffon as a tamed monster¡­¡­what do you think would be suitable as a reward for someone like you?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I heard from Elena that you liked to collect magic items, but those are practical magic items, right? For example, you don¡¯t care much for magic items that are works of art that are meant to be used as decorations and admired. Thinking about it¡­¡­¡¹ Speaking that far, Theorem¡¯s words grew muddled. Furthermore, in order to gain Rei¡¯s cooperation in the matter, they had promised him a magic item worth of the Third Prince¡¯s life. Those demands were strict in many ways. As for the tournament, it would probably end up falling apart regardless, so they didn¡¯t need to worry about it too much. But in the case of Rei¡¯s private reward, that had to be paid. (¡­¡­I wonder how we¡¯re going to handle that. It¡¯s good that we¡¯re able to hire Rei for this, but it¡¯s also very difficult not to be asked for something specific.) Theorem started to get a headache as he thought about what he would give to Rei as he reward. Vihera being Vihera, she also wasn¡¯t sure what to give if told to provide a reward suitable for saving her brother¡¯s life. (As expected, I could give myself as the reward¡­¡­but that would make Elena very angry.) Vihera had said that in a joking manner back in Exil, but the more she thought about that, the better it began to sound. Unfortunately, if she chose that kind of rewards, it was easy to predict that Elena would turn into a furious goddess of war when she eventually found out. As someone who loved to fight, Vihera thought that it would be fine, but it was also true that Rei would definitely side with Elena in that situation. As someone currently split between a maiden in love and a battle maniac, Vihera thought that it was quite difficult to balance the two. Looking at the two of them, Rei started to think about what kind of magic item he could receive as a reward. (I have the Death Scythe, the Thorns Spear, a magic tent for camping, the Dagger of Flowing Water that¡¯s useful for cooking, and a pocket watch to tell the time¡­¡­what kind of magic item would even be useful to me?) After thinking about it carefully, Rei realised that he was quite satisfied with his current situation. Thinking about it, nothing really came to mind. Of course, that was only for now, there was a good chance he would think of something he¡¯d want later. All three of them focused on their own thoughts and, in the end, the house was wrapped in silence until Ruchard returned from the feast. CH 565 11-14 minutes Several days had passed since Vihera and Theorem had arrived in Goto. As for what they had been doing during that time¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, Apika. Have you given up already? I¡¯m still fine though?¡¹ ¡¸Haah, haah, haah¡­¡­onee-chan, you¡¯re going too fast!¡¹ ¡¸Fufufu~. You need this level of stamina to be an adventurer. Look, you¡¯re a boy, so try harder. Rei and Set are also watching, you know?¡¹ Upon hearing Vihera¡¯s words, Apika looked to the side and saw Set lying down on the grass with Rei leaning against him, both watching Apikia. ¡¸I can still do it!¡¹ As if empowered by their gazes, Apika took a deep breath as he ran along the grass, following after Vihera. Vihera also adjusted her own pace to match Apika¡¯s stamina as she ran around with a smile, keeping her speed to see if he could catch up. ¡¸He¡¯s doing fine.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Seeing Apika chasing Vihera around, Rei murmured out loud as Set gave a cry of agreement. From the outside, what Vihera and the rest of them had been doing since arriving in Goto must have seemed like they were just playing around. No, in a sense, they were just playing around. In Theorem¡¯s case, he honestly wanted to return to the Bestir Empire as soon as he could. However, after the matter with Elk was brought up, it wasn¡¯t possible for them to head back first. If he ignored the issue with Elk and returned to the Bestir Empire first, there was no doubt that a fight between Elk and Theorem would eventually break within the Bestir Empire. If that happened, the aftermath of the battle would naturally affect the surroundings. They would end up drawing attention even if they didn¡¯t want to, increasing the difficulty of their plans to rescue their lord. Thinking over it, Theorem made the painful decision that it would be better to sort things out with Elk at a place where the Bestir Empire had no eyes. ¡­¡­From Rei¡¯s perspective though, he couldn¡¯t help but think that Theorem was just getting what he deserved. ¡¸Hey, Set?¡¹ ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Hearing Rei suddenly call out to him, Set seemed a little confused as he tilted his head. Rei just smiled as he continued to stroke Set¡¯s silky fur, telling Set it was nothing. He looked some distance away from where Vihera and Apika were chasing each other. There, Theorem was swinging his long sword as if there was some mighty enemy before him. In fact, he was probably imagining a fight against Elk. Even from such a distance, Rei could guess what kind of opponent Theorem was fighting against in his mind. ¡¸If you ask me whether he deserves it or not, he definitely deserves it¡­¡­¡¹ Rei held back a yawn as he looked at Theorem. He had felt this before, but the wide grassland around Goto and the wind that blew the fading summer heat away made it a very comfortable place for him to spend his time. As he placed his head against Set and closed his eyes, Rei was enveloped by a refreshing breeze, carrying the rich scent of grass, as he let himself drift away into sleep. Or at least he would have, had he not noticed someone rapidly approach him. The was the sound of someone jumping, following after light footsteps. The moment he heard it, Rei opened his eyes and caught the presence of a figure leaping towards him. ¡¸-Oof.¡¹ Luckily, the person who jumped at him was small, so the impact wasn¡¯t that big. Leaning against Set, Rei looked at the person who had just jumped at him. ¡¸Ehehehe. Nii-chan, don¡¯t sleep, let¡¯s play together!¡¹ Apika¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity as he asked Rei to play with him and a smile appeared on Rei¡¯s lips. ¡­¡­The next moment, however, he noticed someone else flying towards them as he hurried moved Apika to the side¡­¡­ ¡¸Ugh-!¡¹ What came next was a solid mass, unlike the five year old Apika. Catching the person, who was taller than himself, the next moment Rei caught the scent of a woman as well as a warm and soft feeling. At this point, he knew who it was. ¡¸¡­¡­Vihera, aren¡¯t you a bit too old for this?¡¹ ¡¸What do you think you¡¯re doing? Talking about age to a woman. Besides, it¡¯s only natural for a woman¡­¡­no, a maiden in love, to want to play with someone she likes, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t know about that.¡¹ Vihera¡¯s inviting gesture put Rei at a loss for words as he managed to give a reply. It wasn¡¯t unusual for Vihera to take this kind of attitude towards Rei. Since the day they had met up in Goto, she had started to actively engage in physical contact with him. Having a strong love rival in Elena, and since there was a considerable gap between their progress, Vihera had no hesitation in acting so straightforwardly to shorten her distance with Rei. That said, it couldn¡¯t be denied that her actions were somewhat based on Theorem¡¯s advice, who wanted to draw Rei over to the side of the Bestir Empire, or more precisely, the Third Prince¡¯s faction. Rei was vaguely aware of that, but also knew Vihera¡¯s true feelings for him since she expressed them back in Exil. Wondering what to do with her, Rei let out a small sigh as he gently lowered Vihera, who had seemed to be hanging over him, as he spoke. ¡¸So, what¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t you two chasing each other?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. But onee-chan said she felt sorry for nii-chan since you seemed so bored, so she said to let you join in.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Huh.¡¹ Glancing over, Rei saw Vihera smiling like a child who had been caught playing a prank. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t it better to play with us instead of taking a nap?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re not wrong. But night¡­¡­no, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹ Rei¡¯s words were vague. The house where Rei, Theorem, and Vihera were staying in was Ruchard¡¯s house. Until a few years ago, he had lived in it with his family, and even though he lived alone now, it was nothing more than a farmer¡¯s house. In addition to the living room, there were only three other rooms. One was for the house owner, Ruchard, one was for Vihera, the only woman in the group, leaving only one room for both Rei and Theorem. Rei didn¡¯t hold any special animosity towards Theorem, but it was still true that he had been an enemy in the Spring War. In addition, with his background, Rei wasn¡¯t able to trust him completely. Vice verse, for Theorem, Rei was an unexpected variable in many ways. He had known about Rei and even tried to eliminate him, but in the end, nothing worked and his bad feeling¡­¡­had ended up coming true in a big way during the Spring War. Having fought many underhanded battles against Rei, Theorem knew how fearsome Rei was. As a result, he was equally reluctant to sleep alone with Rei in such a small room. They didn¡¯t hate each other, but were also unable to completely trust the other. As an adventurer and soldier, the two of them might have understood this, but reason and emotion were two completely different things. It might have been different for Rei if Set had been with him. Set¡¯s ability to sense danger was very strong, so Rei was able to sleep soundly even when camping out, trusting everything to Set. However, if he told Vihera that now, she would probably tell Theorem to switch rooms with her. Rei wanted to avoid that for various reasons, so he kept his mouth shut. ¡¸Well, the sunny weather and cool wind along the grassland makes me want to sleep with Set.¡¹ He said that to draw the topic away. ¡¸Hmm. Well, that¡¯s fine. But, if you¡¯re awake, why don¡¯t you come and play with us?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? I said I wanted to enjoy a nap.¡¹ ¡¸What, are you refusing an invitation by such a beautiful woman?¡¹ A woman who described herself as beautiful was usually being narcissistic. But, in Vihera¡¯s case, she did have a body line that attracted the attention of men, so Rei couldn¡¯t really say that of her. Perhaps because of her appearance or the clothes she wore, the thought that came to Rei¡¯s mind whenever he saw Vihera was ¡®night¡¯¡­¡­no, rather, ¡®evening¡¯. He would have wanted to describe her as ¡®night¡¯, but Marina was above Vihera in terms of sex appeal and feminine maturity. Because of that, Marina was the one better described as ¡®night¡¯ with Vihera as ¡®evening¡¯. On that note, Elena was unquestionably ¡®day¡¯. But, even with those thoughts in his mind, seeing Vihera¡¯s reddish purple hair glittering under the sun, he couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head. Looking at her now, he didn¡¯t think that there would be many people who would describe her as ¡®evening¡¯ or ¡®night¡¯. ¡¸¡­¡­Rei? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no. It¡¯s nothing.¡¹ Rei could not be said to have fallen in love with Vihera himself as he shook his head slightly. ¡¸Nii-chan, nii-chan, let¡¯s play together!¡¹ Apika pulled on the hem of Rei¡¯s Dragon Robe as he tried to make Rei stand up. Seeing that, Rei watched on for a bit before eventually giving a sigh of resignation and standing up. ¡¸Alright. So, what do you want to play? I¡¯d prefer something that doesn¡¯t make me too tired.¡¹ ¡¸Ummm, ummm¡­¡­chasing after you!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That again?¡¹ Apika had just been doing that earlier, was his stamina bottomless? He thought that way, but he couldn¡¯t take his words back after nodding and started walking along the grassland. As if following after him, Set also stood up from the patch of grass he had been lying on. Thus, although Rei himself wasn¡¯t too enthusiastic about it, he ended up being chased by Apika for a while. ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s dad and mum!¡¹ As the sun started to set in the west, Apika¡¯s happy voice resounded as the setting sun illuminated the grassland. Ahead of his gaze were a man and woman who had just finished today¡¯s wheat harvest. Apika¡¯s parents. Apika gave a happy shout as he ran over to them. Rei and Vihera watched from the back along with Set as Apika¡¯s parents gave a deep bow. After all, they must have been worried leaving about a 5 year old child on his own. However, Rei and Vihera could babysit him for now, along with Set, who had the power to kill a giant boar in a single attack while still being friendly with other people. ¡­¡­Of course, if Rei or he were attacked, Set had no issues with fighting back. If Apika¡¯s parents had asked about the number of bandits, Bestir Empire soldiers, or hostile adventurers that Set had killed, they probably wouldn¡¯t have entrusted Apika to him. ¡¸Nii-chan, onee-chan, let¡¯s play again tomorrow!¡¹ Rei and Vihera lightly waved towards Apika, who waved back as he left with his parents. As Rei watched the three of them leave, he suddenly thought of something as he turned to a different direction. There, Theorem was still swinging his long sword, fighting an imaginary Elk. (Even if it¡¯s just image training, I didn¡¯t think he had that much stamina on him¡­¡­no, I guess that¡¯s just how desperate he is.) Naturally, after several hours of training, Theorem was drenched in sweat. Even from this distance, Rei could see his face dripping with sweat. With every strenuous movement, drops of sweat would fly off his face, glistening in the sunset. A horizontal sweeping attack had probably been made against him. Theorem quickly squatted down as he struck a blow towards his imaginary foe¡¯s feet¡­¡­but the next moment, he stopped and shook his head slightly as he stood up. (I guess he lost.) Rei didn¡¯t know how the imaginary Elk had managed to defeat Theorem, but he was able to understand the result of the imaginary fight. ¡¸It looks like he lost.¡¹ She had probably seen the same thing as Rei. Vihera gave a small whisper. However, her voice seemed to be filled with something along the lines of envy. Regardless of the fact that she had come to understand her own romantic feelings towards Rei, her desire for battle had not disappeared in the slightest. She could already feel the instinctive desire to fight. That was the reason Vihera was feeling envious of Theorem, who would be having a serious fight against Elk of Axe of the Thunder God, an A rank party. (Once the fight with Theorem is over¡­¡­I wonder if I can request a fight as well.) Thinking like that, Vihera chased after Rei, who had started to head over to Theorem. CH 566 12-15 minutes The wheat harvest had started and about 10% of the wheat had already been harvested. It was lunch time, after the morning work period. Rei was eating his lunch on the grassland near the village along with Set, Vihera, and Theorem. Rei and the others were guests¡­¡­but they were now being treated like residents of Goto. One of the reasons that Rei was accepted in the village was because he had killed the giant boar, protecting the village, and then given the meat to the villagers. He and Set had also taken care of Apika. As far as food was concerned, he could have asked the village to prepare meals for him now without him needing to eat his own food. But, he still preferred to eat the food he had in the Misty Ring or the monsters and animals Set hunted. He didn¡¯t have anything against the village in particular, he just thought his own food was tastier. Likewise, Vihera and Theorem at the same food as Rei. More recently, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for Rei to treat Ruchard to dinner as well. ¡¸It¡¯s already lunch time, but the weather feels a bit off today.¡¹ Vihera looked up into the sky while eating a ham and cheese sandwich. It wasn¡¯t raining, but the sky was so cloudy that the blue sky could not be seen at all. Vihera muttered regretfully at the cloud covered sky. ¡¸That¡¯s right. But for me, the warmth is a lot more bearable, so it¡¯s easier to be physically active.¡¹ Theorem muttered while drinking the cold tea that Rei passed to him. He had spent the morning actively working his body, in preparation for his forthcoming battle against Elk. Since yesterday, Rei had been killing time doing things like mock battles with Theorem, although not to the extent of hurting each other. ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that nice, you two seemed to be having fun.¡¹ Just watching them fight seemed to have caused Vihera to accumulate some stress. She muttered to herself in a sulking tone. Seeing Vihera like that, Theorem let out a small sigh as he spoke. ¡¸If Vihera-sama doesn¡¯t stay in perfect condition as much as possible, we¡¯ll be in trouble. Besides, Vihera-sama¡¯s fighting style is basically the same as real combat.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s true.¡¹ Replying in dissatisfaction, she reached out for a stewed meat sandwich. However, at that moment. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set¡¯s cry echoed out into the surroundings. It wasn¡¯t his pampered cry when he wanted food. Realising that, both Rei and Vihera glanced over in the direction Set was looking at. There, they saw three horse drawn carriages moving along the road leading towards the village with knights on horses alongside, seemingly serving as an escort. Including the people who would likely be inside the carriage, there were about 20 people all together. Among the knights, Rei saw several familiar faces and he immediately knew who they were. ¡¸They¡¯ve finally arrived.¡¹ Vihera spoke up from beside Rei as she looked at the carriages. Like Rei, it seemed like she understood who the group of people were. ¡¸Yeah. They¡¯re earlier than I expected.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because there aren¡¯t too many of them, right?¡¹ As Vihera had said, the number of people in the group was quite small considering it was Margrave Rowlocks, the leader of the Neutral faction, one of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s three major factions, who was going to a neighbouring hostile country. If he had been from the Royalist or Aristocratic factions, he would have been leading a group of over 100 people, not including the escort. The most likely reason for the small number of guards was probably due to his confidence in the A rank party, Axe of the Thunder God, as well as his own knights. As for his small retinue, as a noble who lived on the frontier, he had acquired a sturdy constitution and was able to handle most things on his own. Rei and Set would also be joining as his escorts in Goto. Crimson and Axe of the Thunder God. With two titled adventurers who both had outstanding combat power escorting him, Daska could be considered to have a much better escort than what pure numbers could have given him. The group was still far away and small to the eye, but the villagers who were harvesting wheat eventually saw them and Rei could hear their commotion from this distance. Daska¡¯s group seemed to have realised that as well. A knight on horseback rode out ahead as a messenger. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ Rei murmured softly. It was because he recognised the knight approaching them. The knight seemed to have recognised Rei as well. Or rather, considering Set¡¯s presence, it would have been harder for the knight to mistake who Rei was. ¡¸Rei, Set¡­¡­and¡­¡­¡¹ For a knight in his twenties, Vihera¡¯s thin clothes seemed to have been too stimulating for him. He was distracted by Vihera¡¯s beauty for a moment and almost lost his balance on his horse. ¡¸So¡­¡­anyway, why are you here Rei?¡¹ ¡¸I was supposed to meet up with you guys here. Rather than that, don¡¯t you have to head to the village ahead of the carriages? I believe Daska-sama will explain things later, so it would be better to complete your own task for now.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. Then, we¡¯ll discuss the details later, the lady over there as well.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, see you later.¡¹ After briefly speaking with Rei, the knight turned to Vihera as he spoke with blushed cheeks. Vihera responded with a charming smile. People with a certain level of skill would have been able to see the sharp fangs behind her smile. But it seemed the knight had been too distracted by Vihera¡¯s beauty to notice. In the end, he rode off towards the village with his cheeks still dyed red. Seeing him leave, Rei glanced over towards Vihera next to him. ¡¸Keep it in moderation.¡¹ ¡¸Ara~, what is this? I just said hello. Or what, are you jealous? I¡¯d be flattered if you were.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s enough.¡¹ In response to Vihera¡¯s answer, Rei shook his head. ¡¸He¡¯s come¡­¡­¡¹ Theorem muttered bitterly as his gaze was directed at the three carriages slowly approaching Goto. He said that, expecting Elk and the others members of Axe of the Thunder God to be on board one of the carriages along with Daska, Margrave Rowlocks, who they were escorting. In other words, the time for the fight between Theorem and Elk was approaching. ¡¸What. It¡¯s not such a bad deal since you fight a strong opponent, right? As for me, I would have liked to replace you. A fight with someone holding the title ¡®Axe of the Thunder God¡¯, where I can¡¯t let my guard down even for a moment¡­¡­I can only say I envy you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You¡¯re right, if possible, I would have like Vihera-sama to replace me as well.¡¹ Theorem was a general with a title of his own, Flash. Of course, he was confident in his own strength as well as his improvement in strength having sparred with Rei over the past few days. But, even so¡­¡­as someone who prioritised efficiency, he couldn¡¯t find any meaning in fighting Elk here. That said, if Elk, the person in question, knew Theorem¡¯s thoughts, he would probably yell at him saying ¡®Don¡¯t joke around¡¯. As they continued to talk, the three carriages and their escort continued along the road, eventually stopping in front of Rei. ¡¸Rei, did we make you wait long?¡¹ The window of one of the carriages opened, revealing the face of the person Rei was going to be escorting, Margrave Daska Rowlocks. Perhaps because the window was small, Rei couldn¡¯t see any other people inside the carriage. Though, from Theorem¡¯s point of view, that seemed to be better. ¡¸No, I¡¯ve also been resting while waiting for you to arrive.¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡­¡­Then, those two are?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Rei nodded at Daska¡¯s words as he glanced at Vihera. Vihera probably understood Rei¡¯s prompt and took a step forward as she spoke with a smile. ¡¸Nice you meet you, Margrave Rowlocks. I am Vihera Estee Bestir, the second princess of the Bestir Empire.¡¹ The way Vihera gracefully bowed was elegant, despite the clothes she was wearing, giving off the aura of a member of the royal family. No, rather, because of the clothes she was wearing, it left an extra strong impression on Daska¡¯s mind. After a moment of hesitation, Daska seemed to reach the conclusion that it would be disrespectful of him in his current situation to not respond appropriately to a member of a royal family, even if it was one from an enemy country. He hurriedly opened the carriage door as he got off. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Your Highness Vihera. My name is Daska Rowlocks, Margrave Rowlocks of the Mireana Kingdom.¡¹ Vihera and Daska. Knowing their usual appearances, Rei couldn¡¯t help but look at their words and gestures with surprise. However, the surroundings had a somewhat peaceful atmosphere for a moment, which completely changed when Theorem stepped up beside Vihera. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Margrave Rowlocks. My name is Theorem Energi.¡¹ The moment Theorem bowed his head while stating his name, a strong bloodlust erupted from the carriage. The murderous intent seemed to carry a viscosity with it and Theorem twitched as he felt it, but he didn¡¯t take any additional actions as he kept his head bowed. He probably knew that if he made the wrong choice here, he would have to start fighting immediately¡­¡­no, maybe even kill each other. That was why Theorem didn¡¯t show any movements even though Rei and Vihera were also affected by the murderous intent. ¡¸Elk.¡¹ As the atmosphere changed into one where a fight might break out at any moment, Daska¡¯s voice echoed out. The moment his voice echoed out, there was a sound of something being struck with something heavy from inside the carriage and the bloodlust disappeared. (It must have been Min.) Having vaguely guessed what had just happened inside the carriage, Rei could imagine Min, Elk¡¯s wife, raising her cane. Words from Daska, who he was escorting, or Min¡¯s strike. Which was the one to dispel Elk¡¯s bloodlust? (It was definitely Min.) Rei had the same thoughts in his mind again as he turned to look at Theorem. Even though he had been directly blasted by the bloodlust, Theorem¡¯s expression didn¡¯t show any changes as he raised his head. Even so, the thin layer of sweat on his forehead was evidence that even he couldn¡¯t completely control his emotions. An ordinary soldier of knight would have already fainted from the murderous intent alone, their hearts might even have stopped. In fact, the escorting knights around the carriage had all become stiff despite not being the target of Elk¡¯s bloodlust. The same was true for the horses pulling the carriage as well as the carriage drivers. In such a situation, Theorem had managed to not display as much of his agitation as possible. Before long, a man appeared from inside the carriage. He was carrying with him a weapon that gave him and his party their name, the powerful magic weapon Axe of the Thunder God. His face, which often looked like a grown up mischievous boy, was currently tinted with a ruthless expression. His well built body was incomparably bigger than Rei¡¯s and his fighting spirit was overflowing. It was an achievement on Min¡¯s part that only his fighting spirit could be felt now instead of the murderous intent from several seconds ago. ¡¸¡­¡­Are you Flash?¡¹ His words were spoken in a flat tone, precisely because he was suppressing his emotions. If Theorem failed to respond correctly here, the killing would begin immediately. The surroundings were filled with that sense of tension that seemed to force Theorem to make a decision. Rei fended off the bloodlust that was also being sent in his direction while Set crouched down, ready to leap into action at any moment. Vihera trembled at the premonition of battle, despite not being the target. At this point in time, Daska spoke up again. ¡¸Elk, leave it alone for now. I remember the agreement we made. But that is only after I¡¯ve done all the things I need to do.¡¹ Elk reluctantly nodded at those words and, finally, gave a ferocious glare towards Theorem before returning to the carriage. With a bitter sigh, Daska spoke to Rei, Vihera, and Theorem. ¡¸¡­¡­There are many things to discuss, but let¡¯s get to the village first.¡¹ Saying that, he nodded at the three of them before returning to the carriage to proceed to the village. The escorting knights and their horses, who had stiffened up due to Elk¡¯s bloodlust, started to move somewhat awkwardly, though they should receive praise as Daska¡¯s subordinates for being able to start moving again as soon as they could. CH 567 12-15 minutes Daska and his entourage¡¯s arrival at the remote village of Goto was quite sudden. Naturally, the arrival of a noble caused some chaos in the village for a period of time. Fortunately, the chaos soon settled down due to the fact that their group of about 20 people was still relatively small. That said, Goto was also a small village, so there was no room to accommodate another 20 or so people. In the end, Daska¡¯s group just set up tents in the village to rest in. The village chief did ask Daska to stay at his house, but Daska rejected the offer he needed to discuss some secret topics, making his own tents a better option. In addition, Daska himself didn¡¯t mind camping out in a tent and, in fact, rather enjoyed doing so. As for the village chief, if the lord of the area knew that he had let Margrave Rowlocks, the leader of the Mireana Kingdom¡¯s Neutral faction, stay in a tent, he didn¡¯t know what words would be told to him. He had strong feelings about Daska¡¯s decision, but since Daska had said he would stay in a tent himself, there wasn¡¯t much he could do. However, Daska did understand the position of the village chief, so he intended to talk with the lord of the area to clear things up. Anyhow, the sudden visit of a noble meant that the wheat harvest was cut short mid afternoon as a banquet was held, albeit a simple one. ¡­¡­As had been said when Rei first came to the village, they had little food to spare. However, the problem was solved by a combination of the meat from the giant boar Set had killed a while back along with the food Daska had brought himself. In addition, the fact that the wheat harvest had already started gave them some leeway of food to spare. ¡¸Gahahahahaha. It¡¯s delicious, really delicious.¡¹ ¡¸That is good to hear. This boar this bacon was made from was killed by Crimson-dono and his tamed monster.¡¹ ¡¸Huh, Rei and Set?¡¹ Daska ate a boar bacon steak as he sipped some ale. For an ordinary noble, the meal was extremely simple, but for Daska, who used to be a knight, he was familiar with this kind of meal¡­¡­or rather, he quite liked it. ¡¸Yes. When they first came to this village, there was a lot of commotion, but luckily, there was an excellent young man named Ruchard in the village. Thanks to him, there wasn¡¯t too big of a fuss. Crimson-dono and his tamed monster have also been taking care of the children and they are now close to being a member of the village.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see. Putting Rei aside, Set is quite popular with children even in Gilm¡­¡­no, not just the children. It there are also quite a number of adults who flock to him.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? It¡¯s no wonder with how adorable he is.¡¹ The village chief agreed with Daska¡¯s words as he asked if Daska wanted more ale. Aside from Daska, the escorting knights, attendants, and carriage drivers also enjoyed the food as they rested up from the weariness of their trip. However, Axe of the Thunder God, led by Elk, was not in the group. Naturally, they had been invited, but Elk had declined on the pretext of keeping watch of the village surroundings. The knights did want to ask how Elk planned to guard Daska, who was attending the banquet, during that time, but none of them spoke up, partly because it hadn¡¯t been that long since they had felt Elk¡¯s bloodlust. That said, since the knights also had the job of guarding Daska, it wasn¡¯t that big of an issue overall. And in terms of guarding Daska, Rei and Set were also present. If anyone tried to attack Daska in this environment, it would basically be committing suicide. At least, that was the conclusion the knights reached. While they did enjoy the food, they didn¡¯t drink much as they continued to stay on guard. Rei didn¡¯t like the taste of alcohol to begin with, so he just enjoyed the food as usual. ¡¸Hey, is it because we¡¯re here that Axe of the Thunder God are not joining?¡¹ Vihera asked as she also enjoyed the boar and vegetable soup beside Rei. ¡¸I guess so. ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s mostly Theorem, to be exact.¡¹ As Rei replied, he looked over at Theorem, who was sitting next to Vihera, slowly eating his hardened bread and boar bacon steak. Normally, Theorem ate quite a bit. However, he knew that a battle that might cost him his life was awaiting him tonight, so he only ate to the point it wouldn¡¯t affect his movements during a fight. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Giving a cry, Set looked over the village square where the banquet was being held. Set felt it was a pity that he didn¡¯t see Elk as he was quite fond of him. Although he still disliked Rhodes, it was mostly due to the bad impression he had given Set when they had first met. ¡¸Well, by tomorrow, Elk will probably be back to normal, so no need to worry.¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~?¡¹ Is that true? Set seemed to ask with as Rei stroked his head. ¡¸It¡¯s true that Elk is very angry right now, but he¡¯s a simple man in the end. If he get his way in the upcoming battle later tonight, he won¡¯t stay angry¡­¡­..or, at least, I don¡¯t think he will.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ I do hope so. Set seemed to say with a cry. ¡¸After he settles things with Theorem, I wonder if he¡¯ll fight me too. It looks like it will be quite the tense fight.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t want to cause a commotion right now, so please wait if you can.¡¹ Rei replied to Vihera, who was muttering next to him with eyes shining in anticipation and excitement for the battle. For Vihera, seeking combat was already ingrained in her instincts. For that reason alone, she turned to look at Rei, who had told her hold of on fighting, with a disatisfied expression. No matter how much she might like Rei, fighting was a completely different matter. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ At first, Rei just ignored Vihera¡¯s dissatisfied stare, but he eventually couldn¡¯t endure it. Rei let out a small sigh as he spoke. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t mean you have to fight Elk right now, right? There¡¯s still several more nights before we reach the Bestir Empire, so why don¡¯t you just fight then?¡¹ ¡¸But, wouldn¡¯t that just be taking things half heartedly? Even thoguh I could have a serious fight with the Axe of the Thunder God now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If you don¡¯t mind losing some strength to save your younger brother, do whatever you want.¡¹ After being told that, Vihera seemed give up on it for now, although she maintained her dissatisfied expression as she ate some boar meat that had been steamed with herbs. Her temporary desire verses her brother¡¯s life. If you asked her which one was more important, it would obviously be the latter. As they ate and conversed like that, Rei suddenly noticed someone coming over to him. It wasn¡¯t just Rei who noticed, Vihera, Theorem, and Set noticed as well. Turning to see who it was, it was a young man a little older than Rei. It was Elk¡¯s son, Rhodes. Surprised by the sudden number of gazes directed towards him, Rhodes paused for a moment before continuing to walk over to Rei. ¡¸What¡¯s up?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I would like a moment with you Rei. ¡­¡­Is that okay?¡¹ Rhodes asked with his face fully dyed bright red as he looked over towards Vihera, who was still dressed in her semi-see through clothes. This wasn¡¯t unexpected for a young man of his age, but in Rhode¡¯s case, since his family had formed an adventurer party, he couldn¡¯t even go to a brothel, so it was all a bit much for his young mind. That was why Vihera¡¯s exposed skin seemed to be a bit too stimulating. As he waited for Rei¡¯s reply, Rhodes continued to look at Vihera¡¯s arms and legs. Set tried to restrain him with a growl, but Rei looked at Set to stop him. ¡¸Fufu~¡¹ Vihera looked back at Rhodes with a smile on her face, despite understanding his thoughts. From Vihera¡¯s perspecting, Rhodes¡¯s gaze primarily held shyness and admiration. Of course, there was also some desire in his eyes, but only slight. It wasn¡¯t the lustful gaze a grown man would have when looking at her. ¡¸-!? Rei, this way!¡¹ The moment Vihera smiled at him, Rhodes averted his gaze on reflex. He forcibly grabbed Rei¡¯s hand before dragging him away. ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Set, who had been feeling a bit grumpy ever since Rhodes showed up, gave a low cry. Set personally didn¡¯t want to let Rei leave with Rhodes, who he despised, but Rei had stopped him when Rhodes had first come over, so he had no choice but to watch in silence. ¡¸Ara~, Set, do you dislike that kid?¡¹ ¡¸Gururu~¡¹ Of course, Set seemed to say as he stretched out his beak towards some bread, which had been placed on a plate for him. ¡¸Isn¡¯t it unusual for Set to dislike people?¡¹ ¡¸According to the information I got, it seems that there was some sort of trouble when they first met.¡¹ Theorem, who had been silently eating, even after Rhodes came over, replied to Vihera¡¯s mutterings. The first time Rei and Set had showed their strength was at the Orc Settlement. Theorem must have researched all the information available after learning of Rei¡¯s existance. He had also gathered such information in order to pit the mighty forces of Elk and Rei against each other. ¡¸Heh. ¡­¡­From what I can see, he must have had a strong attitude and didn¡¯t get along with Rei.¡¹ ¡¸At that time, Rhode¡¯s mother had also showed some interest in Rei.¡¹ Vihera twitched at Theorem¡¯s words. Leaving aside the relationship between Rhodes and Rei, it was a different story if it was Min who showed interest in Rei. Vihera recalled Min¡¯s appearance in her mind. Vihera had only seen Min when she got out of the carriage, but she could still visualise her appearance well in her mind. Min gave off a strong refreshing rather than feminine appearance. Her hair was also short, so as to not get in the way of her movements, unlike Vihera¡¯s, which extended down her back. ¡¸Could Rei be into older women?¡¹ ¡¸Considering the General Princess, I guess that¡¯s only natural.¡¹ Theorem said that as a matter of fact, but Vihera shook her head in denial. ¡¸That¡¯s not right. Older women means older women, they have to be at least 10 to 20 years older than him.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s exactly what the General Princess is, is she not?¡¹ Vihera couldn¡¯t find any words to counter Theorem, who gave the same answer as he had just a few seconds earlier. Beside the two of them, Set also gave a soft cry, as if agreeing with Theorem¡¯s opinion. ¡¸But, if that Min is interested in Rei¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Interested in Rei? Who¡¯s younger than her own child? I don¡¯t think so.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I hope you¡¯re right.¡¹ Vihera muttered to herself as she reached out for some herb bread in an attempt to hide her inner anxieties. Rei and Rhodes left the village square where the banquet was being held, completely unaware of the conversation that happened after they left, which could have led to an outrageous misunderstanding. It was now evening¡­¡­no, it had been evening when the banquet started, but it was now dark as the moon rose into the night sky. The two of them relied on the moonlight to move before they eventually stopped a few minutes later. ¡¸We¡¯ve come this far so it should be fine. ¡­¡­So what did you want to talk about?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s about my father.¡¹ ¡¸I guessed as much.¡¹ Rei had already expected the topic of discussion to be this. Although Rhodes was a mum-con, he naturally also held affection and respect for his father, Elk, though he rarely showed it. It was because of this that he couldn¡¯t overlook his father¡¯s bloodlust, even if it was due to the fact that Rhodes himself had been held hostage. ¡¸I know it might not be possible, but I¡¯m begging you. If my father seriously tries to kill that guy called Theorem¡­¡­could you please stop him?¡¹ Rhodes usually held mixed feelings towards Rei, but he didn¡¯t show any of it as he bowed his head deeply. Rei looked silently at Rhodes. Amidst the laughter of the banquet that the could hear from the village square, Rei spoke up. ¡¸Are you okay with that? The reason Elk is angry in the first place is because you were taken hostage and your life placed in danger.¡¹ ¡¸I know that. It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t have good feelings towards that guy called Theorem. But, it¡¯s just my personal feelings compared to the opportunity to form a new relationship with the Bestir Empire. I can¡¯t ruin that.¡¹ At Rhodes¡¯ words, as his head stayed bowed, Rei showed an expression of surprise. Disregarding his personal thoughts for the greater cause. It was easy to say, but not an easy thing to do. What was more surprising was that Rhodes was capable of doing such a thing. When they had first met, Rhodes had rushed at Rei in an attempt to draw his mother¡¯s attention away from Rei. ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. It¡¯s impossible to stop the fight itself, but if it goes too far, I will stop them.¡¹ In the end, Rei gave into Rhodes¡¯ pleas and gave his word. CH 568 The date was close to rolling over. The banquet that had been held in Goto had ended several hours ago and the residents of the village were no sleeping peacefully in their own homes. The same went for the people Daska had brought with him, who were all sleeping in their tents, save for a few knights who were entrusted with keeping watch. But, in the midst of all of them¡­¡­the all important Daska was not inside his tent, but out on the Selemus Plains, far from Goto. Of course, he hadn¡¯t come out all this way by himself. Rei, Set, Vihera, Min, and Rhodes were with him. ¡­¡­As well as Elk and Theorem, who Rei was watching at the end of his gaze. Clouds had covered the sky a few hours ago, but those clouds had now disappeared, as if scared away by Elk¡¯s bloodlust and fighting spirit. Only the moonlight shone down onto the ground. Elk and Theorem faced each other in silence. Each of them had their weapons in hand as they stared at each other, trying to get as much information from the other as they could. In the middle of this, Daska took a step forward and spoke. ¡¸Then, the duel between Elk and Theorem will start. You both might have your own personal thoughts about the other, but let¡¯s not leave any grudges after this fight.¡¹ The two of them nodded silently at Daska¡¯s words. After seeing their responses, Daska gave a small nod¡­¡­and announced the start of the fight in a loud voice. ¡¸Start!¡¹ ¡¸UOOOOOOOOH-!¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Elk charged forward as soon as the signal was given. He swung his Axe of the Thunder God, his namesake and the name of his party, as he closed the distance to Theorem. The first to act would win. It was clear what Elk¡¯s intentions were as he swung his axe. ¡¸HAAAAH-!¡¹ A roar filled with fighting spirit. His attack was wrapped in lightning as he attacked Theorem with a speed and sharpness that made it hard to believe he was wielding a huge axe. However, Theorem had his own title, Flash. There was no way he would take a fatal attack silently and he fell back the moment the Axe of the Thunder God swung down. Boom-! The ground exploded as soon as the Axe of the Thunder God landed. ¡­¡­Yes, it literally exploded. Dirt, stones, and grass flew out everywhere. Maybe because it was the Selemus Plains, where Undead would appear, some bone fragments were also scattered into the surroundings. Naturally, some of it also flew towards Theorem, who had jumped back to avoid the Elk¡¯s strike. He swung his sword through the dirt and stones as if it were a hindrance. A flash of steel worthy of his title. It was a sweeping attack that seemed not only to cut through the air, but through space itself. However, Elk was a renowned adventurer himself. He hardly saw the attack coming, but with the intuition of a veteran adventurer, he quickly caught the attack with the shaft of the Axe of the Thunder God. Kiin-, a metallic screech echoed into the surroundings¡­¡­and Elk gave a roar as the longsword and the shaft of his axe collided with each other. ¡¸UOOOH-!¡¹ Elk tried to break the blade of the longsword with brute force as he put all his strength behind the shaft of his axe. However, Theorem saw through it in an instant and withdrew his power from his longsword. At the same, Theorem was sent flying backwards. He used the power Elk had put behind his axe to leap back. The two of them glared at each other from a distance of several meters. They stared at each other, looking for any potential gaps. As they each watched the other, they repeated slight movements of their weapons as well as fine feints with their shoulders and legs. To the untrained eye, it looked like they were just staring at each other. But fortunately, everyone here had reached a certain level of skill. Even the one with the lowest skill present, Rhodes, was a C rank adventurer, and he understood that there was a silent fight going on between the two of them, even if he didn¡¯t understand all fo it. The feints continued for several minutes as they tried to catch each other out. Not liking to drag the time out like this, Elk spoke up. ¡¸You¡¯re quite good, aren¡¯t you? Your title of Flash isn¡¯t a bad one.¡¹ ¡¸You too. I felt chills when I saw the famed power of the Axe of the Thunder God from the rumors up close.¡¹ ¡¸Heh, well said. ¡­¡­However, it¡¯s unforgivable to resort to taking hostages when you have this level of skill, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ Elk had probably wanted to say those words from the very start, and not as a provocation. As Elk spoke those words, a thick bloodlust overflowed from his body. His bloodlust was similar to what he had displayed from inside the carriage when he had arrived at Goto. His bloodlust was so thick that it made people feel like it had materialised into reality. However, Theorem had faced it before, and while his face stiffened for a moment, he show no other obvious reactions. That said, it was probably only because it was Theorem, Flash. If it had been an ordinary soldier, knight, or adventurer, they would definitely have frozen up¡­¡­and their hearts might even have stopped from the bloodlust. ¡¸It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t like to do things like that personally. But, unfortunately, I¡¯m a general, not an adventurer. With the lives of my men and the name of the Bestir Empire on my shoulders, even if it¡¯s underhanded, if it means less danger, I will choose it.¡¹ Theorem spoke boldly as he countered Elk¡¯s bloodlust. However, that only seemed to make Elk angrier. He glared at Theorem with such force that the veins on his forehead popped out. ¡¸Hah, that¡¯s ridiculous! No matter what you do, you should be able to distinguish between good and bad things!¡¹ Spitting those words out, he stepped forward and closed the gap to Theorem as he swung the Axe of the Thunder God. His previous attack might have held a lot of power, but his current attack made people wonder where all that power had been before. Facing such an attack, Theorem judged that it would be a bad idea to block it. He focused on dodging as he swung his longsword, weaving in attacking between the gaps in Elk¡¯s attacks. Elk unleashed a storm like series of attacks while Theorem struck back in single strikes, as if to exploit openings¡­¡­the two titled foes attacked, blocked, parried, evaded, and repelled each other at a speed that Rhodes could barely track. ¡¸¡­¡­Elk is too naive.¡¹ Rhodes reflexive turned to Daska, who had spoken those words, with a twitch. If Rei had been the one to say it, Rhodes would probably have attacked him immediately. However, since it was Daska, the lord of Gilm, who said those words, Rhodes could only keep his mouth shut. And so, it was Min, his mother, who spoke up in place of him. ¡¸Sure, you could say he¡¯s naive, but that is his strength. That¡¯s who Elk is, and that¡¯s why I trust him.¡¹ ¡¸That is true. I agree with you.¡¹ Rei nodded in agreement to Min¡¯s words. As an adventurer, he had naturally received a wide variety of requests. And among those requests, if one was not ruthless enough, one might end up fighting their allies to the death. ¡­¡­yes. For example, the time Theorem had taken Elk¡¯s family hostage. Rhodes understood their meaning. He gritted his teeth as he held back his words. It was because he had be captured in the first placed that this was all taking place, so he wasn¡¯t in a position to say anything. Elk and Theorem¡¯s fierce exchange continued as Rhodes faces his troubles in his heart. ¡¸Fuck you, you bastard!¡¹ With such a shout, the Axe of the Thunder God swept out horizontally, aiming to cut Theorem¡¯s body in half if it connected. However, it only struck air¡­¡­as Theorem leapt back to dodge the attack. He couldn¡¯t take the attack. This was a major disadvantage to Theorem in this fight. Theorem was a general of the Bestir Empire known as Flash. Naturally, the longsword in his hand was forged by a blacksmith at the level of a master craftsman. His sword was sharp enough to take on any half baked magic sword and was even capable of cutting through the blades of some of them. However, his opponent right now was the A rank adventurer, Axe of the Thunder God. The weapon that Elk wielded and had given him his title was a very advanced magic weapon. If Theorem tried blocking the axe with his sword, his sword wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it. That was why he could only dodge Elk¡¯s attacks. In the reverse situation, if Theorem¡¯s attacks were blocked by the Axe of the Thunder God¡¯s blade, his longsword could be destroyed from just that, so he needed to take great care in lining up his attacks. Theorem prided himself on having greater physical strength that most other people, but every time he attacked with his sword, it took a mental toll on him. ¡¸Guh-!¡¹ Although Theorem leapt back to avoid the fatal attack, the lightning emitted from axe, as befitting its name, burned his leather armour black. Naturally, the effect extended to his body, and although he had leapt back, his movements slowed down for a moment. The Axe of the Thunder God. Its power was unparalleled, but what was even more troublesome was the lightning the axe emitted. Even if you avoided an attack, forks of lightning would extend out and your body would gradually take damage, resulting in paralysis from numbness, slowed reaction speed, and even robbing you of your physical strength. If dealing with an ordinary enemy, it would only be a slight disadvantage. However, the paralysis and slowed reaction speed against a strong opponent like Elk was fatal. ¡¸DIEEEEE-!¡¹ Seeing Theorem freeze up for a moment, Elk judged this to be his greatest opportunity and quickly closed the distance as he swung his axe. Realising it was impossible to dodge the attack, Theorem used his sword as a shield in a last desperate struggle. Kiin-! A metallic sound echoed out as his longsword broke in the middle of its blade, sending the blade flying. Elk seemed to realise the blade had broken from that sound. His eyes didn¡¯t even track where the blade when as he swung the Axe of the Thunder God down with great force, as if to smash Theorem¡¯s head. Everyone present thought that the fight would end with Theorem¡¯s death. However¡­¡­the axe stopped as the blade touched Theorem¡¯s head. Even though he had swung the axe down with all his strength, he had still managed to stop his attack. ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? Why?¡¹ Why did he stop his axe? Rhodes unintentionally muttered his thoughts out loud in confusion, but Rei¡¯s words cleared his doubt. ¡¸Rhodes, look at Elk¡¯s throat. Then you¡¯ll know why he stopped.¡¹ At Rei¡¯s words, Rhodes looked at Elk¡¯s throat. Min probably didn¡¯t understand why her own husband had stopped attacking either as the two of them looked over at Elk¡­¡­where they saw the blade of a dagger pointed at his well trained throat, which was covered in thick muscle. ¡¸When¡­¡­did that happen?¡¹ ¡¸It was when his longsword broke. At that moment, he let go of his sword and drew the dagger from his chest before thrusting with it.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Even from my point of view, his speed with the dagger was quite fast. As expected of someone with the title of Flash.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not the reason why he earned that title, but¡­¡­¡¹ Daska agreed with Rei¡¯s words while Vihera corrected him with a wry smile. The reason they had started to converse so peacefully was because they judged the battle to be over. In fact, Elk glanced at the dagger pointing at his throat before giving a snort and pulling the Axe of the Thunder God back from its position a few centimeters from Theorem¡¯s head. ¡¸¡­¡­Phew.¡¹ Seeing that, Theorem let out a sigh of relief. Depending on how you viewed the battle, they seemed to be evenly matched, but in actual fact, Elk was always the one with the initiative. It was close to sheer luck that Theorem had managed to bring it to a draw. Even so, he was quite happy to survive this difficult battle. Although he was also quite pained to have his beloved sword broken. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, fine. I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ve completely forgiven you, but I¡¯ll call it even here. But remember. The next time you lay a hand on my family. Next time, I won¡¯t stop at anything and I¡¯ll smash the Axe of the Thunder God into your beautiful face as hard as I can.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¹ Theorem gave a small nod in response to Elk¡¯s words, as if trying to convince himself. However, at the same time, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to try the same thing again if it was absolutely necessary. That was what he thought in his mind. CH 569 The sunlight pouring down made people forget the cloudiness from the previous day, the blue sky was spread out as if the end of summer was still far away. It was the day after Daska arrived at Goto and everyone was preparing to leave the village after breakfast. The village chief and Ruchard were the only ones who came to see them off aside from Apika and the two gatekeepers. Originally, all the villagers had planned to see them off, but Daska stopped them. They had already interrupted the wheat harvest upon their arrival the day before, so Daska told the residents not to see him off and to get back to work on the harvest. From the perspective of the villagers, they were happy that Daska cared about their work as farmers. The lord of the village did not belong to any faction and did not have a high ranking title either, being a viscount. He wasn¡¯t particularly tyrannical and the taxes he charged were very ordinary as well. No, compared to other villages, the tax here could be considered rather light due to their proximity to the Selemus Plains, which was often a battlefield against the Bestir Empire. But it was fair to say that no lord, even the lord of this village, would speak with farmers like them. In fact, this was the norm. However, despite Daska¡¯s high status as a Margrave, he had cared for the villagers. On the contrary, he had even directly approached some of them during the welcoming banquet the day before. From the farmers¡¯ perspective, it was incredible to see someone like Daska in person. ¡¸UWAAAAAAH, no, no, nooo-! I don¡¯t want Set, nii-chan, and nee-chan to go-!¡¹ Apika¡¯s cries echoed out at the village entrance. He cried as he hugged Set, demonstrating his unwillingness to let them go. While his parents were busy with farm work, Rei, Set, and Vihera had been the ones to play with him. For Apika, realising that his playmates were leaving was absolutely unbearable. ¡¸Apika, don¡¯t cause so much trouble.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want to-!¡¹ Apika stubbornly refused to let go of Set and eventually Rei, who had been standing next to Set, put his hand on Apika¡¯s head. ¡¸Hic¡­¡­nii-chan?¡¹ Rei spoke as he stroked Apika¡¯s head, who looked up at him with tears in his eyes. ¡¸It¡¯s true that we have to leave for now, but it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll never meet again. Besides, we¡¯re going to the Bestir Empire. Once we¡¯ve finished what we need to do there, we¡¯ll return to the Mireana Kingdom. When that time comes, I¡¯ll stop by this village again, so don¡¯t cry. You¡¯re a boy, aren¡¯t you? Set won¡¯t like you if you keep crying like that.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­¡­really?¡¹ Rei nodded as Apika asked with tears in his eyes. That seemed to finally convince him. Apika used his small body to hug Set to the fullest. ¡¸Set, take care. Let¡¯s play again.¡¹ ¡¸Guru~¡¹ Hearing Set¡¯s cry, he let go before hugging Rei next. Even though Rei wasn¡¯t the tallest person around, he was still quite tall compared to a five year old. Rei stroked Apika¡¯s head and spoke as Apika clung tightly to his waist. ¡¸Take care of yourself.¡¹ ¡¸Mm-!¡¹ Apika nodded at Rei¡¯s words with a smile that made Rei wonder if he had really been crying just a moment ago. Next, Apika ignored Theorem¡­¡­and went to hug Vihera. For a moment, Ruchard, who was watching, looked a little envious. But, for better or worse, Vihera was now wearing a robe, so her usual sensual appearance could not be seen. As for why Apika didn¡¯t seem to care much for Theorem, it was because he barely had any contact with him. After hearing about the situation with Elk from Rei, Theorem had spent his time training up to the point Daska¡¯s group had arrived in order to survive.. Theorem¡¯s favourite longsword had been broken in the fight with Elk, so the one at his waist was one Rei had just taken out from the Misty Ring. As a longsword that had been taken from bandits, there was no doubt it was of cheap and inferior quality. Theorem had wanted a slightly better longsword than it, but all Rei had in the Misty Ring was a large number of broken spears for throwing, the Thorns Spear, a magic weapon, or some expensive spears he had bought on a whim. There was no way Rei would lend the magic weapon, at most he would give Theorem one of the expensive spears. But, after hearing Rei¡¯s price, Theorem declined the offer. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t use spears, but Theorem preferred swords and was also better at wielding them. In the end, his only choice was a sword that had been taken from bandits. ¡¸¡­¡­Alright, let¡¯s head off!¡¹ As if waiting for Apika to finish his farewells¡­¡­no, Daska was actually waiting for Apika to finish his farewells, he gave the order from the window of his carriage. Hearing Daska¡¯s voice, Rei climbed onto Set¡¯s back while Vihera and Theorem got on horses. Seeing that, Daska gave one last glance towards Ruchard before shouting again. ¡¸Depart!¡¹ With those words as a signal, the carriage began to move forward. As the carriages advanced along the road that led to the village, the farmers harvesting wheat in the neighbouring fields bowed their heads as they passed by. Seeing the villagers act like that, the knights, attendants, and carriage drivers suppressed their smiles as they left with the manners of a noble. ¡¸Nii-chan, nee-chan, Set! Come again!¡¹ Hearing the tearful cry from behind, Rei responded by waving his hand lightly without turning around. Vihera did so as well as she waved from her horse. Thus, Daska and Vihera¡¯s groups joined up as they made their way towards the Selemus Plains. ¡¸It¡¯s still as bleak as ever.¡¹ The person who muttered that was one of the knights guarding Daska¡¯s carriage. The knight, one of Daska¡¯s men, had also participated in the Spring War and it was his first time returning to the vast Selemus Plains in several months. However, the surroundings didn¡¯t seem to have changed at all despite the passing of several months, unintentionally causing the knight to say those words, which could be taken as a complaint of sorts. Even in the eyes of the other knights, the environment they could see seemed no different from Spring. Of course, there were some slight differences. The grass was growing much more magnificently than back in spring, various animals were lying around¡­¡­and what appeared to be human bones. But, overall, it didn¡¯t look like much had changed from spring. ¡¸¡­¡­Wait, those bones don¡¯t belong to an undead, do they?¡¹ One of the knights muttered involuntarily when he saw the bones on the ground. The Selemus Plains, which had been the stage of many wars between the Mireana Kingdom and Bestir Empire, was also known for its large numbers of undead. ¡¸It should be fine. There¡¯s no way for undead to do anything under this sunlight.¡¹ The person who responded was Rei, riding on Set. Despite how close Set was, the knight¡¯s warhorse didn¡¯t seem particularly frightened. The warhorses the knights rode had been trained for war environments and, at the same time, it was proof of the knights¡¯ sufficient skill in controlling their horses. ¡¸I see. ¡­¡­Well, even if there are undead, it will be fine with Set and you here.¡¹ ¡¸I hope so. Rather than that, the bigger problem will be night time. Of course, we¡¯ll have to spend several nights on the plains, won¡¯t we?¡¹ The knight nodded with a bitter expression at Rei¡¯s words. ¡¸Yeah. Honestly, I¡¯m not too happy with having to camp here.¡¹ Even as he said that, his bitter expression faded as his gaze shifted from Rei to Set. ¡¸Guru~?¡¹ Noticing someone looking at him, Set gave a cry as if to ask if anything had happened. ¡¸But this time, we have Set. There¡¯s nothing better at protecting us against monsters when it comes to camping out.¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t deny that. There are various problems when camping out with large numbers of people, like during the Spring War, but with the number of people we have, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡¹ Isn¡¯t that right? Rei asked with his eyes as he looked at Set. Of course! Set seemed to say as he gave a cry in response. The knight let out a sigh of relief as Rei spoke up again. ¡¸However, that¡¯s only with regards to ordinary monsters, no undead. Undead have no sense of fear or anything similar, so please don¡¯t let your guard down too much.¡¹ As they conversed, the carriages continued to advanced through the Selemus Plains, taking a short break for lunch before moving on. ¡¸Seeing the plains spread out like this, it must be a good place to build a settlement.¡¹ Despite the gradual change towards autumn, the summer sun was still quite harsh. Rei muttered as he glanced over at the carriage driver and escorting knights, who glared at the sun with displeasure. Vihera and Theorem were also exposed to the direct sunlight, but they seemed to just endure it, faint sweat being the only sign visible on their faces. This was just evidence demonstrating their physical superiority compared to ordinary knights. As Rei thought of that, Vihera, who had heard Rei¡¯s earlier words to himself, rode up next to Set before speaking. ¡¸Yes, this land is plain with fertile soil. Water is not an issue either. That is why the Bestir Empire and Mireana Kingdom have been fighting here for so many years, both refusing to hand the land over to the other.¡¹ ¡¸But now, there is the problem of the Undead, as this is the only place were wars have been fought between the two countries for many years. Even if either side were to give up their claim of the land, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to settle it without a lot of difficulty. Unless all the settlers are adventurers, people with a certain level of combat skill¡­¡­or some other special case.¡¹ The knights who were listening in from nearby nodded at Theorem¡¯s words, who had spoken after moving up beside Vihera. ¡¸It certainly would be difficult to settle the Selemus Plains without something like that. ¡­¡­But, well, I¡¯m not sure if we could realistically do that. No, if we wanted to do it as a country, it would be possible, but the benefits would be too little for the price.¡¹ The knight who spoke held almost no animosity towards Theorem. Unlike Elk, they hadn¡¯t been directly harmed by Theorem¡¯s plan, and the fact that Neutrals also barely had any contact with Theorem¡¯s men during the Spring War also played a part. No, rather, there were quite a number of knights who wanted to talk with Theorem since he was a general with a famous title, even if he was from the Bestir Empire. ¡¸I see. Cultivating the land, taking care of livestock during the day, keeping watch at night. If it were only for a few days, I wouldn¡¯t mind, but I wouldn¡¯t want to settle down in such a place.¡¹ Hearing what the knight and Theorem had to say, Rei muttered to himself in agreement. (If you wanted to build a town or village here¡­¡­the only option would be to send a large number of soldiers and adventurers and build a wall immediately, like how Gilm was settled.) Rei thought about that in his mind. But, the only reason it had been possible with Gilm was because it was on the frontier. Due to its remote location, there were rare monster materials, minerals, and medicinal herbs, all of which were extremely beneficial. However, while the Selemus Plains had fertile land, it wasn¡¯t as unique as Gilm. The Mireana Kingdom still had a lot of land it could cultivate and those lands didn¡¯t have undead wandering around like the Selemus Plains either. Considering that, the Selemus Plains weren¡¯t a place they would go to such lengths to settle. However, in terms of national defense, it would be an issue if the Bestir Empire took control of it. On the Bestir Empire¡¯s side, they wanted this land as it was connected to the Mireana Kingdom, which had sea access. But, if asked to deal with the undead that appeared night after night, the Bestir Empire didn¡¯t have a lot of options either. ¡­¡­In the end, there was almost a tacit agreement between both parties to use the land as a sort of buffer zone. (Because it was the stage for war and battles for so many years, the resentment and bitterness left behind has just built up over time, increasing the number of undead again and again.) Rei thought about that as he watched the sun start to set.