Rattle, clatter, rattle, clatter. Making constant noise, the eight wagons departed from the city of Gilm.

Inside each wagon were adventurers participating in the Orc subjugation. Aside from the coachman, at least one adventurer dispatched by the guild rode along on the outside to guard against monster or bandit attacks.

However, on the wagon Rei rode in, only the coachman sat outside.

「Being able to rely on a Griffon’s searching ability was a welcome miscalculation. Although I heard you had tamed a monster, I never imagined it would be a Griffon. When Gran told me, I doubted my own ears.」

「Gahahaha! That’s how it goes. When I reached the front gate to meet up, I thought the same thing seeing Rei using a Griffon as a pillow a short distance away.」

「It’s surprising that the horses pulling the wagons are so calm. When Set appeared at the inn’s stables, the horses there were completely panicked.」

If the horses pulling the wagons feared Set, they would not be able to move, and Set would have had to travel separately from the wagons. Without Rei beside him, passing travellers and merchants would have submitted a subjugation request to the guild, and right after the Orc subjugation would come a Griffon subjugation…… though that chain of events was never a real possibility.

「I heard from Gran that the monster you tamed was a Griffon, so I had to scramble to prepare warhorses…… Well, it was worth the trouble.」

Hobbes smiled wryly as he looked out the wagon window. Set was walking quietly alongside the wagon.

Even with Set nearby, the horses pulling the wagon showed none of the fear displayed by the horses in the stables of the Dusk Wheat Pavilion, continuing to pull the wagon indifferently.

Warhorses were bred from superior bloodlines and rigorously trained not to panic or lose their heads in battle. Their bodies were roughly 1.5 times larger than normal horses, possessing enough strength to trample monsters like Goblins to death. Naturally, their cost was several times higher than normal horses used by merchants and travellers. Sixteen of these expensive warhorses had been prepared for the eight wagons. That fact alone made it clear how seriously the Adventurers Guild took this Orc subjugation.

「Still, it seems the people in the other wagons don’t trust Set very much.」

Although Rei had offered to let Set handle watch duties during the journey, the other adventurer parties had refused. Rei had not pressed the issue after Hobbes mentioned they could handle their own security.

「It can’t be helped. After all, it has only been a few days since you registered with the guild. The other parties don’t have the same track record as Elk, so it’s hard for them to accept.」

「While the guards on the other wagons are staying alert, I think it’s mostly because of the Griffon rather than any fear of an enemy attack.」

Rhodes followed up on Hobbes’s words, and Elk nodded in agreement.

「Well, to those guys, being attacked by a Griffon is pure nightmare fuel. It can’t be helped. Min and I aren’t worried since we get along with Set…… Though Rhodes, things are looking a bit dangerous for you right now.」

Elk grinned, teasing Rhodes.

However, Min, who sat across from Rhodes, thrust out her staff and jabbed it straight into Elk’s stomach.

「Guh! M-Min…… You can’t just jab your staff in such a cramped wagon! Even if it doesn’t pierce, anyone else would be seriously hurt!」

「Quiet, you idiot husband. It’s your fault for purposely teasing Rhodes.」

「Ngh……」

Hearing Min’s words, Rhodes spoke in a pleased tone.

(I guess his mother complex is only going to get worse at this rate.)

Watching the exchange, Rei retrieved a piping hot skewer from the Misty Ring and brought it to his mouth.

The texture was similar to chicken, but the meat actually came from a Poison Toad. It was the same creature Rei had encountered during the Goblin subjugation request. Once the poison was taken out, the meat could be steamed. Rei had spotted skewers prepared with a special sauce being sold at a stall on his way to collect supplies at the guild, purchasing several out of curiosity before storing them in the Misty Ring. Inside the Misty Ring, time was completely stopped. Because of that, the skewers remained steaming hot even though several hours had passed since buying them.

「Whoa, something smells amazing…… Rei, what are you eating?」

Perhaps recovering from the strike to his stomach, Elk smelled the savoury sauce and stared enviously.

His eyes sparkled so brightly that no one would take him for a middle-aged man, practically radiating his desire to eat.

Unable to endure the stare any longer, Rei pulled another Poison Toad skewer from the Misty Ring and handed it to Elk.

「Oh, thanks a lot…… Wait, this is still burning hot! How is that possible?」

「It’s a function of the Misty Ring. Time stops inside. Whatever you store stays hot if it was hot, or cold if it was cold when you take it back out.」

「Heh…… As expected, it truly deserves to be called a rare item in this world.」

Min nodded, impressed by Rei’s explanation. Seeing her reaction, Rhodes naturally fell into a foul mood.

「Hmph. Even if the magic item is top tier, if the user’s ability is lacking, there’s no point in coming on an Orc subjugation.」

And so, carrying lingering seeds of unease, the Orc subjugation force advanced in their wagons.

 

 

Inside one of the wagons, a three-person adventurer party was riding while one member kept watch from the driver’s box…… watching Set far more warily than the surrounding wilderness.

「Hey, what are we supposed to do? I joined this dangerous request for a chance to steal that item box! I didn’t hear a word about a tamed Griffon!」

「Wait, Al. Don’t lose your head. It’s unsightly.」

「Sunyi, do you actually understand what we’re dealing with?! It’s a Griffon, a Griffon! An A-rank monster, the Reaper of the Sky! That’s not something a D-rank party like us can fight!」

「Be quiet, both of you. Even if that Griffon is tamed, that doesn’t mean it sticks to that rookie twenty-four hours a day. Especially while fighting or camping……」

The argument between the two adventurers in their twenties was cut short by a woman in her thirties.

「Wait, big sis. Wouldn’t the Orc subjugation fail then?」

「So what?」

The woman replied bluntly to the man’s question.

「But then…… If the Orc subjugation fails, the city of Gilm will……」

「Calm down, Al. Nothing major will happen to the city of Gilm even if this subjugation fails. If it comes down to it, they can just request reinforcements from the kingdom.」

(That would give the Aristocratic Faction the exact opportunity they’ve been waiting for,) she thought to herself.

The woman’s name was Seryl, a C-rank adventurer. Along with Al and Sunyi in the wagon, and Murgas outside in the driver’s box, she led the four-person party called Dark Night’s Star. Normally, their party would never accept an Orc subjugation request, let alone one dealing with a rare species or higher-tier variant. Why had they taken this quest? Strictly because they intended to steal Rei’s item box.

True item boxes were exceedingly rare in this world. Securing one would fetch a fortune. A shiver of excitement ran down Seryl’s spine just thinking about it.

(I’ll be able to leave this dangerous frontier region with the money and live a wealthy life in the Royal Capital.)

Seryl was already in her thirties, and her career as an active adventurer would not last much longer. She had long given up on reaching B rank, knowing her abilities capped out at C rank.

Right around that time, a rookie in his mid-teens had appeared. The moment she heard he possessed an item box, Seryl had made up her mind. She would claim that item box no matter what. In truth, she felt it was something she deserved all along after struggling so hard for so many years.

Convinced of her right, Seryl had ordered her three party members to track Rei’s movements. When they learned he was participating in the Orc subjugation, they decided to join the expedition as well.

「Still, big sis. Didn’t that brat Rei have the strength to take down Claws of the Hawk all on his own? And without the Griffon, from what they say……」

「Use your head, Al. We don’t have to fight that rookie fair and square from the front. We can steal it while he sleeps, or ambush him from behind during battle. Any method will do.」

Seryl offered a knowing smirk, but Al, being more earnest, could not bring himself to smile.

Regardless of Rei’s safety, Al felt an attachment to the city of Gilm, which was why he hesitated to sabotage the Orc subjugation quest.

(Besides, he took down Vargas in an instant. Everyone said Vargas was easily C-rank in combat strength alone, without a doubt.)

Al suddenly wondered how Murgas, sitting out in the driver’s box, would react.

Murgas was naturally timid, which made him terrified of the Griffon. That was why he had volunteered for watch duty on the driver’s box, hoping to spot any threatening movements as early as possible. Being so cowardly, if he sensed anything strange from the Griffon, he would likely yell a warning into the wagon before fleeing at top speed.

「……Ah.」

Just then, Sunyi, who had remained quiet until now, let out a startled gasp.

「What is it, Sunyi?」

「Big sis…… Look, that Griffon……」

「The Griffon?」

Seryl urged her to continue, unable to hide the sudden tension in her voice.

「With a single strike, it just scattered a pack of Fang Wolves.」

「……?!」

At Sunyi’s words, Seryl and Al sprang from their seats and rushed to the window.

Looking ahead, they saw a pack of Fang Wolves, monsters distinguished by their oversized fangs, being ruthlessly trampled by the Griffon.

With a single swing of its claws, a wolf’s neck was severed. Thrusting its beak at another, it pierced clean through the skull. When another wolf attempted to slip behind and bite its tail, the Griffon crushed the creature’s body beneath its lion paws.

「Taking on a pack of Fang Wolves that easily……」

Al gasped in stunned disbelief at the sight.

In terms of ranking, a Fang Wolf was only an F-rank monster, not particularly strong on its own. However, they were the only wolf monsters that retained the habit of hunting in organised packs. Because of their low individual rank, newly registered adventurers often assumed hunting them was simple, which led to several cases each year where the hunters became the hunted.

An F rank remained an F rank, and even in a group, their combined rank was only considered E rank. Yet in terms of actual danger, a pack posed a threat equivalent to D rank.

A C-rank or D-rank party could defeat a pack, but fighting so effortlessly as to completely overwhelm them without taking a scratch could hardly even be called a battle. Looking out from the wagon, the Griffon appeared entirely unharmed.

Watching the Griffon, Sunyi, who had previously mocked Al for his cowardice, felt a chilling thought cross her mind about what would happen to them if they crossed the rookie and failed.

「Big sis……」

Fear and dread trembled in Sunyi’s voice as she called out to Seryl.

Things were heading in a bad direction. Her subordinates might lose their nerve before they even had a chance to seize the item box from Rei. Sensing this, Seryl raised her voice with forced confidence.

「There is no need for either of you to be frightened! Like I said before, our only goal is to take the item box. No matter how strong that Griffon is, we have no reason to face it head-on. All we need to do is ambush him, grab the item box, and run away as fast as possible.」

Of course, abandoning the subjugation mission would impact the fate of Gilm, meaning they could never show their faces in the city again. However, Seryl planned to sell the item box, flee to the Royal Capital, and retire in luxury. The Gilm guild branch would likely place her on their wanted list, but being a C-rank adventurer, she was confident local pursuers could not catch her. Once she secured the funds from selling the item box, she could hire powerful bodyguards, and she might even gain protection by aligning with the Aristocratic Faction to pressure the guild.

Even if the Adventurers Guild claimed neutrality from national politics, their branches still stood on kingdom soil. Seryl calculated they would not press a bounty if it meant clashing with the Aristocratic Faction.

Reaffirming her ambitions and picturing her bright future, the lingering dread from witnessing the Griffon’s slaughter faded away.

Seryl slapped Al and Sunyi firmly on the shoulders.

「Come on, it’ll be fine. First comes tonight’s camp. If things go smoothly, we can snatch the item box and slip away before we even reach the Orc settlement. Keep your eyes open for a chance.」

A short distance away from where Seryl spoke, Set was calmly pecking at the meat of a Fang Wolf that was twice the size of the rest of the pack.

[Previous Chapter] [Table of Contents] [Next Chapter]