The lord’s residence in the city of Gilm. Currently, Rei was waiting in a room.

Before entering the lord’s residence, he had separated with Set at the gate. Set was probably taking a nap in the stables of the lord’s residence now.

The season was changing from summer to autumn. The temperature outside had become milder compared to a few weeks before.

However, Set was a Griffon and he was able to spend summer and winter in his body without care.

Jealous. Rei thought that while looking around the room and drinking a cup of tea that a maid had served him after bringing him here.

Because this place was made as a frontier fort in case of emergencies rather than a lord’s residence, there was hardly anything, if there was anything, in the dull room that would entertain Rei’s eyes.

「Well, I knew this already.」

Muttering, he took out the book on dismantling monsters from the Misty Ring and started to read it.

Any how, after he had been guided to the of this barren room, he hadn’t seen the presence of anyone else other than the patrolling guards in the corridors. No one other than the maid who had brought him tea had visited either.

(I got into a fight with the General Princess’s escort and almost killed them……if anything, this service is pretty good considering that.)

Thinking like that, he quietly read his book in the room.

After about an hour, the sound of knocking was suddenly heard from the door.

「Finally.」

Muttering, he stored the book back into the Misty Ring and answered the door. A person who looked like a knight from the city of Gilm appeared.

「You are Rei, no doubt?」
「Ah.」
「I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. Lord-sama is waiting so please follow me.」

Nodding at those words, Rei followed him after finishing his tea, which had gone cold.

He was guided to the room he had come to the previous day. The office where he had been attacked by Kuust right after he entered.

It was easy to recognise as the finely decorated door to the lord’s work office was not something easily forgotten.

(Surely I won’t be attacked this time.)

While thinking that, he judged that it wouldn’t happen as the knight that was guiding him went ahead. Following the knight, he entered the room after knocking on the door with the door knocker outside the room.

「Sorry for taking so long to call you.」

Hearing Daska’s apology as soon as he entered the room, Rei shook his neck.

「No, it’s fine.」
「I see. That’s good. Come over here.」

Daska sat down on the sofa in the room, Elena was sitting opposite. Her three escorts stood behind them so as to deal with any emergencies that might happen.

While observing the situation, the three people standing behind Daska looked at him with sharp gazes..

(Because of yesterday, I can understand Kuust. Same for the girl called Ara. However, I don’t recall doing anything to the man who was driving the carriage.……no, it can’t be helped as I almost killed their companion.)

Rei moved next to Daska while muttering that in his mind.

However, he noticed that aside from the three escorts, one of the looks at him was friendly to an unnatural degree.

Tracing the friendly glance, it was from Elena, also known as the General Princess.

She had a beauty that couldn’t be forgotten after a single look and a strong will in her eyes. She had a friendly look……or rather, as Rei felt it, an interested look.

While thinking about that, he moved towards Daska and went to stand behind them at the back like the 3 escorts……

「No, it’s fine. Sit next to me.」
「But……」

Commoners sitting next to nobles. Rei understood that such a thing was normally impossible. However, it was because of that that Margrave Rowlocks invited him without concern

In the end, Rei was almost forcibly pulled by Daska into the seat next to him.

And as if waiting for that timing, a maid put a cup of tea in front of Rei.

「Well then, well, although there was a variety of incidents……」

Daska spoke up with a wry smile.

「Anyway, this guy will be Elena-dono’s escort this time. Elena-dono, this person, Rei, is an adventurer who will be dispatched by the city of Gilm as your escort. As for his ability, it goes without saying as he has crossed weapons with Elena-dono.」
「Umu~. My hand was numb for some time after parrying that blow. A person who can make an attack like that. His strength as an adventurer is first class, I have no complaints.」
「Thank you very much.」

Judging that there didn’t look like there would be any particular penalty for the earlier matter, Rei bowed his head to Elena for taking care of it.

「No, this matter occurred because of a hasty judgement. Ara.」

Called by Elena, the female knight, who had inadvertently exchanged attacks with Rei a few hours ago, took a step forward.

「Rei-dono, I apologise for my misconduct for attacking you earlier based on my hasty judgement.」

Though Ara bowed her head, dissatisfaction could clearly be seen in her eyes. It was only because she was told by Elena, who she idolized, that she reluctantly apologised.

However, Rei’s ability was certainly not just that of a rank D adventurer. Though he couldn’t bring a complaint against Ara, who held the social position of a knight, he nodded in response as he didn’t feel need to blame her.

「No, I also attacked back on reflex. Don’t worry about it. Let’s just call it even.」
「……Yes. Thank you very much.」

Giving a quick bow, Ara returned straight back to behind Elena. Glancing at the back of her subordinate for a moment, Elena gave a wry smile and spoke to Rei.

「Rei, may I call you that?」
「Yes.」
「I see. Then I will call you Rei. Don’t misunderstand though, Ara doesn’t have any hostility in particular for you. That is……what should I say. Yes, she’s strangely worried about me for some reason. Because of that, don’t mind it too much. We will be people challenging the dungeon together in future, you wouldn’t want it to get awkward over a trivial matter would you?　If we’re stuck in such a state, we won’t survive in the dungeon.」
「That is true. I have the same opinion. Though I haven’t entered a dungeon before myself, I have investigated it in various ways after receiving this request……apparently, it isn’t an easy place to go through.」
「That would be right. So, I want to start for the dungeon by the 6am bell tomorrow morning, are there any problems with that?」
「No, Because I’ve bought most of the necessary supplies this week after receiving the request, I can go at any time.」

Maybe he was unhappy with the way Rei asserted himself, Kuust interrupted with a snort.

「Hmph. Any time means nothing, are you planning to leave for the dungeon with only the clothes on your back?」
「……Kuust, saying such things. You should have already seen it several times.」

He displayed the Misty Ring on his right arm to everyone around.

As for what it was, Daska, who gathered information from the guild and guards as the feudal lord of the area, was the first to guess.

「Hou~, is that an item box?」
「Yes.」

Item box, hearing those words, Elena looked at the bracelet on his arm seriously.

「Certainly, when you got into the altercation with Ara, you had taken that huge scythe out from nowhere……so this is the item box. It’s the first time I’ve seen one.」

At Elena’s impressed murmurs, Kuust scrunched his eyebrows at his inability to see that it was an item box even after seeing the Death Scythe being taken out twice.

However, that was a matter of course. Item box magic items where scarce. If he hadn’t seen with his own eyes that a rank D adventurer in a frontier city had one, he wouldn’t have believed the story.

「As you can see, my preparations have been made and I’m ready at any time. Fortunately, Set is also here already as well.」
「……Certainly, you seem to have everything ready. However, it isn’t the same for us.」

To Kuust’s words, Elena nodded.

「As for us, we haven’t completed our preparations for challenging the dungeon. ……Rather than that, Rei. Can we transport our luggage in that item box? 」

From his experience in the Orc subjugation force, Rei nodded without being troubled in particular.

「There’s no problem. However, because this Misty Ring is a special item box, I have to put the items in.」
「Special?　In what way is it special?　To begin with, this is the first time I’ve seen an item box. It would be great if you could explain.」

Nodding at Elena’s question, he removed the item box from his arm and placed it onto the table.

「In the case of an ordinary item box, everyone can use it. For example, Elena-sama can take out a potion that I put in. However, in the final processing of this item box, a special finishing was added so that it would react to the magic power of the owner. In other words, only I can take out the things I put into the item box. At the same time it isn’t possible for other people to use this item box. It recognises it’s owner by their magic power.」
「……Hou~. That’s great. Though there aren’t many, there are also magic weapons that recognise their owner. For example, there’s Kuust’s magic spear.」

At those words, Elena replied while nodding with a smile.

「That’s right. For example, though my weapon has been deposited before entering the lord’s office, if someone other than me tried to use my magic spear, they wouldn’t be able to cut anything with it and would only be able to use it as a club.」

Listening to his description, Rei noticed that other than Elena, no one else had a weapon.

(……In that sense, that means that I, who have the Misty Ring, can bring weapons when meeting with people?)

Rei nodded in his mind. With the Misty Ring, he was certainly able to bring a weapon to any location. In other words, it was capable of bringing out the best of it’s abilities in an assassination.

(Well, my purpose is collecting magic stones of monsters so there no possibility of me using it for assassinations purposes unless in extreme circumstances.)

「Anyway, because of this, I can take care of the transportation of supplies if you trust me with the item box……what will you do?」
「There are no problems for me……how about you all?」

Asked by Elena, Ara was the first to speak.

「If Elena-sama trusts him, I will follow.」

Followed by Vel.

「Mm, it’s a bit sad but I can’t trust people that I’ve just met. More so because we’re challenging the dungeon. I’m against it.」

And finally, Kuust.

「I apologise to Margrave Rowlocks, who recommended him, but I’m of the same opinion as Vel.」
「Hm, then it’s 2 in favour and 2 against.」
「Elena-sama, what will you do?」
「That’s right, let’s make it that I request Rei to do this using my authority. Though Vel and Kuust’s opinions are justifiable, it will be fatal to have our movements slowed down with extra luggage while challenging the dungeon.」

There was no questioning Elena’s words. The two people who objected also nodded.

「For that reason, tomorrow morning, we will gather our luggage at the front gate tomorrow morning for you to collect and transport.」
「I understand.」
「Ah, we should also check with each other what kind of combat style is best. Rei, would you be able to tell me yours?」

Rei nodded at the question as he returned the Misty Ring to his arm.

「That’s right. In my case, I’m basically a magic warrior. That large scythe I displayed earlier is a magic item but can also act as a magic casting tool. As for what magic I can use, it’s basically mainly fire magic……」

(As for the skills attached to the Death Scythe, I should probably tell them it’s magic for now. Is it enough to tell them about Flying Slash and Magic Shield?　No, it’s the first time I’m going to a dungeon. I don’t want to be suspected as being suspicious if I have to use Corrosion in an emergency.)

「I can also use some auxiliary magic, wind magic and earth magic.」
「Hou~, you can use three attributes, fire, wind and earth with auxiliary magic on top of that. That’s great.」

Elena nodded in admiration though he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. Ara gave a sharp look at Rei that was mixed with envy.

「Other than fire, it’s only to the level of being usable. As for the large scythe, it’s called the Death Scythe and is the magic item that I mainly use in combat.」
「It seems to be that way. Though the effect of concealment has been granted, your robe is also a high quality item. The bracelet on your left arm also seems to be some sort of magic item and your shoes are also something I am familiar with.」

Saying so, Elena directed her gaze to Rei’s feet. Rei also followed her gaze to what was worn on his feet……

「Shoes of Sleipnir?」
「That’s right. It looks like they’re the same.」
「……Certainly. However, I heard from my teacher that the Shoes of Sleipnir were a considerably valuable item, you did well to obtain them.」

Rei said that while recalling his backstory.

「Though no doubt it certainly is valuable, it’s not an item as valuable to the extent of an item box that may not even be seen once in a lifetime. However, you did even better, Rei, to get your hands on a pair of the shoes. 」
「For me, it was handed to me from my master.」
「Ah, you said that your master threw you out after your learning was finished? I’ve heard about it to some extent from Margrave Rowlocks. After your learning, it’s no wonder that you managed to improve yourself to rank D in this short period of time. ……Now then, then it’s our turn. If anything, I’m similar to Rei. I’m a magic warrior that is skilled in medium range combat with a sword whip and magic. My strong attribute is wind.」

(Even though she’s also a magic warrior, the Death Scythe is close range. Her medium range is also clearly different from my long range when I cast magic. The ability to swing the Death Scythe that weighs over 100kg might be more reliable in combat.)

「Our fighting styles resemble each other. I would like to request a match sometime soon.」
「That’s fine. If there is an opportunity.」

Seeing Rei nod, Elena had a happy smile. Though Rei involuntarily admired the beautiful smile, he pulled himself back together at Elena’s voice.

「Next, Ara.」
「Yes, Elena-sama. I am a knight, my weapon is a long sword, which you saw earlier. Because I’m a pure vanguard, my best regards to Rei-dono as I will likely be fighting together with you.」

Rei remembered the events that had happened in front of the main gate. Certainly, that attack that didn’t seem to correspond with her delicate appearance and had the power to bury the blade into the ground. If that sword had been swung from the side against a monster, it would probably cut it in two.

「Kuust.」
「As I said earlier, my weapon is a spear, I mainly serve as the middle guard for Elena-sama. I can also use a sword but it only serves a spare weapon. I also serve as the healer of the unit because I am skilled at water magic.」

He must have been greatly mortified that he had lost to Rei. Kuust’s words implied that he was defeated yesterday because he was using a sword, which he wasn’t familiar with. Rei felt uneasy about the journey to the dungeon while sighing in his mind over Kuust’s uselessly high pride.

「Vel.」
「I’m basically a rear guard that uses a bow. There are also times when I can take the vanguard using daggers, I can also use earth magic to some extent. You can think of me as something like what the adventurers call a thief.」

(Indeed, as I thought, they have a person who has the skills of a thief. Does this mean I don’t need to worry about traps?)

「The previous people will be challenging the dungeon along with you Rei. ……Though it may only be a short while, my best regards.」

Rei grasped the outstretched hand. Her hand was feminine and slender, which didn’t seem to suite the person referred to as the General Princess. If you grasped a sword normally and repeatedly fought in combat, callouses would form, but there were none of them. Rei guessed that it was probably due to healing magic.

In this way, Rei’s first meeting with Elena was concluded.

The next day, the five finally departed for the dungeon.

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