When the morning sun rose, Set shook Rei’s body, which was leaning against him, and gave a soft cry to wake him.

「Nn? Set……is it?」
「Guru~」

Looking around while rubbing his eyes, Rei saw the sun had already crested the horizon, as it was early morning.

「Morning. ……I slept better than I thought I would.」

Saying so, he stood up to check his body’s condition. Even though he had pushed himself hard practising right before going to sleep, he didn’t feel any muscle pain at all.

「Gururururu~」

He turned around at Set’s voice and saw a water ball floating in the air. Set had prepared it for him to wash his face.

「Thanks.」

Rei briefly expressed his gratitude. After washing his face, he left the water to dry naturally in the air, just as he had done the night before.

He then cooked some more Water Bear meat for breakfast over the campfire, which Set had kept burning while he slept. After sharing the last two Clara fruits, their preparations for departure were complete.

「Well, I think we should get going soon……you were on lookout all night, are you physically okay?」
「Guru~」

No problems at all, Set cried in response.

Although a normal Griffon would show signs of fatigue if it stayed up all night, Set was a unique Griffon created using the Magic Beast Art and Rei’s vast magic power. He could easily stay awake for a week without any problems, let alone a single night. Of course, he would probably have to spend the following few days resting if he ever pushed himself that far.

「I see. Then let’s head out immediately.」
「Guru~」

Just like their escape from the forest, Set lowered his back and urged Rei to get on. Holding the Death Scythe securely, Rei gently stroked Set’s back to show his appreciation.

「Gurururururururu~!」

With a high-pitched cry, Set flapped his massive wings, took a running start of several steps, and launched into the sky. Once they reached a sufficient altitude, Set turned his neck around to look at Rei sitting on his back.

「Guru~?」

Which way should we go? Set seemed to ask. Rei pointed south. He didn’t know how reliable it was, but according to Zephyr’s ancient knowledge, if they kept heading south for a few days, they should find a large town……or so the memories claimed.

Rei had already decided that Zephyr’s knowledge was largely unreliable and only viewed it as a loose reference point. But still, having a flawed reference was better than having no reference at all.

「To the south.」
「Gururu~!」

Set gave a sharp cry in response, flapping his wings powerfully to set a course straight south.

「……Amazing.」

Looking out at the view from Set’s back, the word unintentionally slipped from Rei’s mouth.

Extending endlessly before his eyes was a brilliant blue sky and a vast carpet of lush green. Not a single human construct, town, or village could be seen as far as the eye could reach.

Even though Rei had been born and raised in a rural town in the Tohoku region of Japan in his past life, there were always houses in the vicinity, and the main town was still within cycling distance. To Rei, the sheer scale of the untouched natural world extending before him was something he had never experienced before.

「Gurururu~」

Perhaps sensing that Rei was enjoying the view, Set gave a delighted cry and flapped his wings enthusiastically, soaring proudly through the sky.

「……Hmm, I shouldn’t just sit here fascinated, as I need to think up a cover identity.」

The only knowledge he had of this world came from Zephyr. And since he was unwilling to rely heavily on those outdated memories, he wasn’t sure how to establish a believable background for himself. Rei pondered the issue, dividing his attention between enjoying the scenery and constructing a cover story.

(First of all, since I have to live as an adventurer, I need to present myself as a magician. Because of Set, I also need a background as either a summoner or a tamer. That part is pretty straightforward……)

He thought back to the various novels, movies, and manga he had consumed in his past life, searching for a trope he could use.

(Amnesia……ha, that’s impossible with Set around. Was I teleported to an unknown land because I recklessly messed up a spell? Perhaps that would work……no, wait.)

A sudden thought crossed Rei’s mind. It was a trope from a manga he had read back when he was Saeki Reiji, where a wizard’s apprentice was forcibly sent on a journey to train and gain worldly experience.

That kind of story fit his current circumstances perfectly.

(Because I lived in a secluded place with my eccentric master, I’m completely ignorant of how the world works……okay. I learned my magic from my master, but it wasn’t summoning magic, it was fire magic. It would be troublesome if someone asked me to summon something other than Set, so I’ll say I’m a tamer instead. According to Zephyr’s knowledge, tamers definitely exist. So, the general story is that my master teleported me to a strange place using spatial magic for the sake of ‘training’ and ‘gaining experience.’ While wandering and hunting with my tamed magic beast partner, Set, I eventually stumbled across a town.)

Reviewing the story in his head to ensure there were no glaring contradictions, he muttered softly to himself.

「That shouldn’t cause any problems.」

Thinking it over, carrying a massive weapon like the Death Scythe could easily be explained as a physical training method enforced by his eccentric master, and the scythe itself was inherently magical, so it wasn’t a total lie. The fact that he was sent out with no money also fit the ‘harsh training’ narrative. The only strange points were that both he and Set were equipped with incredibly expensive, top-tier magic items. However, Rei nodded to himself, satisfied that the overall background was persuasive enough. He wouldn’t worry about the minor details unless someone pressed him on them.

With his cover story decided within a few hours, Rei had nothing else in particular to do, so he simply sat back and enjoyed the flight.

For a while, the view from the sky was breathtaking, but as expected, staring at the exact same endless green scenery for hours eventually grew boring. In stories, this would be the point where monsters attacked a merchant caravan below, or thieves tried to rob a noble’s carriage, and the hero would swoop in. But reality wasn’t so convenient, as absolutely nothing happened, and Rei was left simply swaying rhythmically on Set’s back.

A few more hours passed. The sun had almost reached its peak at noon, and Rei was just starting to consider hunting for monsters to eat.

「Gurururururu~!」

Set suddenly raised a cry to draw his attention.

「What’s wrong?」
「Guru~」

In response to Rei’s question, Set looked straight ahead. Following his line of sight, Rei could clearly see human constructions on the horizon……or rather, he saw an immense cluster of buildings. It wasn’t just a village or a town, but appeared to be a considerably large city capable of housing tens of thousands of people. Likely as a countermeasure against monsters, it was a fortified city surrounded by high, sturdy walls.

Catching sight of the massive settlement, Rei let out a sigh.

「What can I say, I suppose this was to be expected……this city wasn’t in Zephyr’s knowledge. If several hundred years have passed, it makes sense that a city of this scale could have been built here. In that case, let’s enter the city and gather some information.」

The city was fast approaching. Looking down, Rei could see several roads leading towards the gates. However, the roads trodden by people and wagons weren’t paved with modern concrete, but with natural stone. A steady trickle of people could be seen travelling along them.

(Well, what should we do? First of all, I’ll probably be rejected with no questions asked if I try to enter by flying Set straight over the walls. The best approach is to enter quietly through the main gate……but if I land right in front of the gatekeepers, they’ll definitely be on high alert. So that’s rejected as well. I’ll have Set land a bit further away, and from there, we’ll just walk the rest of the distance to the city.)

As Rei finalised his plan, he noticed the people on the road below pointing up at Set and raising voices of surprise and alarm.

「Set, let’s land on the ground once we get a bit closer. We’ll head to the city by walking instead of flying.」
「Guru~」

Giving a short cry of acknowledgement, Set angled his massive wings and began a controlled descent towards the road. A few minutes later, Set and Rei ended their flight about ten minutes away from the city gates, deciding to walk the remaining distance.

After landing smoothly, they stepped onto the main road leading to the city. Probably because they had watched Set descend from the sky, the surrounding travellers, merchants, and adventurers gave the lone boy and his Griffon a very wide berth as they all headed towards the gates.

(I see, there are adventurers here. It looks like the classic setup where several people form a party to take on requests. They’re armed with spears, swords, and bows. Eh, is that person with the cane a magician?)

As Rei walked along the well-trodden stone pavement, he carefully observed the equipment and demeanour of the adventurers around him. Although he didn’t openly react, the adventurers quickly noticed they were being watched and, likely out of deep wariness towards Set, they cautiously kept their eyes on Rei as well.

This tense atmosphere continued for about ten minutes until the massive entrance to the city finally came into full view. Unsurprisingly, the gate was heavily guarded by five soldiers armed with spears and swords.

「……」

Since he wasn’t there to cause trouble, Rei approached the soldiers in silence. Set followed closely behind, walking quietly. The soldiers nervously watched the boy and the beast approach. Abruptly, one of the soldiers stepped forward to intercept them. A palpable feeling of tension spread through the surrounding crowd as the soldier closed the distance.

(Compared to the other soldiers who look to be in their twenties, this man is probably in his late thirties or early forties. He must be the captain of the guard. As for his weapons……he’s equipped with a sword, but since it’s still sheathed at his waist, there probably isn’t any immediate danger.)

The bearded, middle-aged man met Rei’s expectations and called out to him.

「I am Ranga, a guard captain of the city of Gilm. May I ask what business you have in this city?」

Despite his rugged, hardened appearance, an unexpectedly mild and polite voice came from his mouth. Slightly puzzled by the incongruity between the man’s looks and his tone, Rei nodded.

「Ah. That’s right.」
「I see. Would you mind if I listened to your story inside the guardroom? Everyone is quite nervous since you’ve brought an A rank monster, a Griffon, with you.」

Taking a brief glance around, Rei saw that almost everyone in the vicinity was staring at him and Set. ……More accurately, most of them, even the armed adventurers, quickly looked away the moment Rei met their eyes.

(They’re definitely terrified of Set, which is to be expected. In that case, there’s no point in trying to force my way through. It’ll be much faster to just explain myself in the guardroom.)

Letting out a mental sigh, he nodded at the captain’s words.

「I understand. It would be better to talk in a quiet place, as you suggested.」
「I’m sorry for the trouble. My superiors would have my head if I just casually let someone who brought a high-ranking monster like a Griffon waltz right through the gates. Plus, I need to file the proper paperwork for Margrave Rowlocks.」

Ranga explained the situation in a light, conversational tone that completely contrasted with his rugged face. Apparently, the mild voice he had used earlier was simply his natural way of speaking, and not a deliberate act put on because he was wary of Rei and Set.

Following Ranga’s lead, they headed towards a small building situated just beside the main gate.

「Um, I apologise, but due to its size, could I ask you to leave the Griffon waiting outside?」
「Ah, that’s fine. Set.」

Rei called out to Set as he spoke with Ranga. Set, who had been standing quietly behind Rei, joyfully rubbed his face against Rei’s hand as his head was scratched.

「I have to talk inside that building for a while, Set. Just take a rest out here near the wall until I’m done.」
「Guru~?」

Will you be alright? Set seemed to ask with his blue eyes, tilting his head.

「I’ll be fine. You know what I’m capable of, right?」
「Guru~」

Perhaps reassured by Rei’s confident words, Set lay down on the grass right next to the guardroom. Having stayed up all night keeping watch and then flying non-stop for hours, he was understandably a bit fatigued. He slowly closed his eyes to rest.

Naturally, he was still on high alert. Set’s physical specifications and senses were overwhelmingly superior compared to an average Griffon. He possessed exceptional vision and an incredibly sharp sense of smell. Thanks to his immense magic power, it wasn’t difficult for him to rest his body while still maintaining perfect vigilance over his surroundings.

「I’ll say this just once. I don’t want anyone messing with him while we’re talking in the guardroom.」
「Ah, I understand completely. I don’t think anyone here is stupid enough to intentionally anger an A rank monster. However, you make a fair point……You there.」

Ranga called out to a nearby soldier.

「What is it, sir?」
「While I’m speaking with him inside, keep a close watch and make sure no one tries to mess with the Griffon.」
「……Eh? Me, sir?」
「Yes. You.」
「……Understood, sir.」

The soldier nodded reluctantly, his face pale.

(Well, I can understand his reaction since it’s an A rank monster.)

Though Rei still didn’t fully grasp how the ranking system worked, seeing the terrified reactions of the city guards made it clear that A rank was considered extremely dangerous.

A wry smile floated onto Rei’s face as he watched the frightened soldier take his post. He turned back to the captain.

「Unless someone goes out of their way to severely annoy him, Set won’t do anything. There’s no danger.」
「Haa……I’ll choose to believe your words.」
「Then, let’s head into the guardroom right away……Oh, wait, before you go in, take this.」

Ranga handed Rei a long piece of cloth that seemed to come from nowhere. Not knowing what it was meant for, Rei received it, raising an eyebrow in question. He decided to simply ask Ranga what its purpose was.

「What am I supposed to do with this white cloth?」
「……You. Were you planning to just walk into the city carrying that massive scythe exactly as it is? Wouldn’t that be the exact same thing as a person walking around town carrying an unsheathed sword? Aside from spears, walking around with such a huge, exposed blade is just……I can’t possibly overlook that.」
「……Ah, I understand.」

The captain’s explanation was entirely reasonable.

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