Back at Rei’s room in the Dusk Wheat Pavilion.

A smiling voice echoed through out the room.

『Fufu, I see. For my part, I’d be more than happy to see you again, Rei……but that party, Scorching Wind, did you end up removing their Seeds of Contract?』

「Yeah. Just today, actually. Of course, it was done smoothly without any issues.」

『And you want to remove mine and Ara’s as well?』

Rei nodded in response to Elena, who had asked to confirm his intentions.

「Like I said before, a huge crowd saw Set’s skills during the fight with Noiz. Having the Seed of Contract is dangerous in various ways now, right?」

『True. But what should we do? It’s a bit difficult for me to head over there right now. And, as it’s nearing the end of the year, things are going to get quite busy in the Kerebel Duchy. That means you would have to come here, Rei……but that’s also a bad idea.』

「I suppose so.」

Rei wore an expression of understanding at Elena’s words.

He knew that the end of the year brought a lot of busyness, and he also understood that if he went to where Elena was, it would inevitably cause an uproar.

『Especially since it’s the time of year when it wouldn’t be strange for it to snow at any moment. If timed poorly, I could end up trapped in Gilm.』

That was another point he had to agree with.

Listening to Elena, Rei thought for a moment before speaking.

「In that case, how about you come to Gilm next spring? Well, I could go to your home in Anesis, but that would probably cause a commotion.」

Rei himself wasn’t a particularly stand-out existence.

Or rather, if he wore his Dragon Robe and pulled his hood up, he looked like any ordinary beginner mage you could find anywhere.

However, Set would naturally be by his side. If he were to head to the territory governed by Duke Kerebel, it was practically guaranteed that nobles would try to mess with him.

Considering all that, the best option really was for Elena and Ara to come to Gilm.

And above all……

「I heard Vihera is also coming to Gilm next spring, so that makes three of us. If we bring Byune along, forming a four-person party could be pretty fun, don’t you think? Wait, with Ara, it’d be five.」

『Hmm, I see. That certainly does sound like fun. Meeting Vihera feels a bit awkward, but I would like to see Byune again after so long.』

Seeing that Elena still doted on Byune as usual, Rei thought it might actually be a surprisingly good idea.

Vihera and Ara in the vanguard, Byune as the thief, and Rei and Elena capable of attacking from any distance. Then there was Set, a Griffon who could fly.

Of course, Set wasn’t the only one who could fly. Both Rei and Elena wore Shoes of Sleipnir, magic items that allowed them to walk on air.

In other words, they could run through the sky, even if only for a few steps.

As a party, they would easily possess abilities rivaling not just B rank, but even A rank.

Rei honestly felt that adventuring with such a party sounded like a lot of fun.

『Fufu.』

Seeing Rei imagining them operating as a party, Elena let out a small laugh from the other side of the orb.

「What is it?」

『Nothing. I just thought that even you had some longing to be in a party, Rei.』

Rei wore a dissatisfied expression, feeling that her words were completely unexpected.

「It’s not like I preferred being solo, you know? I only flew solo until now because of Set’s situation. But after what happened this time, there’s no need to hide Set’s skills anymore. In that sense, it’s true that forming a party has become much easier.」

『That’s true. However……unfortunately, I think it would be difficult for me to become an adventurer.』

「Ah……」

At Elena’s words, Rei finally remembered the position of the person on the other side of the Paired Orb.

She was someone who held the title of General Princess, and a figure who could be called the symbol of the Aristocratic Faction.

No matter how he thought about it, operating as an adventurer would be impossible for her.

Since he had been looking forward to acting as a party, Rei wore an even more disappointed expression. Seeing this, Elena gave a small smile as she continued.

『Well, we might not be an official party, but if it’s just tagging along, I think I can make some time. ……Though my workload before and after heading over there will probably become quite brutal to make up for it.』

「Really? Then I’m looking forward to spring. ……Maybe it would be a good idea to clear the dungeon in Exil. Ah, or we could clear the dungeon with the Altar of Inheritance. Last time, it wasn’t really a situation where we could worry about the dungeon core.」

『Fufu, that’s true.』

For both of them, what happened back then was a bitter……a truly bitter memory, but even so, they were able to talk about it like this now.

「Though, the floor with the Water Monkeys is a pain because of their sheer numbers.」

『But unlike last time, you don’t need to hide Set’s skills now, so it shouldn’t be that bad……』

Just as Elena said that.

As if timing it perfectly, a knock echoed on the door.

And before Rei could answer, the door swung open and a voice rang out.

「Rei, I finally managed to escape from that flat-chested girl! Honestly, Lenora is always so nagging, no wonder she doesn’t even have a single lover……」

The person who had barged into the room was Kenny.

Kenny smiled when she saw Rei in the room, but the next moment, she noticed the orb sitting on the table near him.

Well, if it had just been that, it wouldn’t have been a problem.

But the fact that a dignified beauty was projected in the crystal made it a different story.

The guild had an orb for communicating with other guilds, and Kenny had seen it used for work several times.

Because of that, she understood that the Paired Orb was something similar, and she was surprised that Rei possessed such an item, which was normally not something an individual could own.

……But, as expected, the biggest problem was the woman projected in the crystal.

Kenny was confident in her own looks as well.

She wasn’t being conceited, guild receptionists were specifically hired for having attractive features.

She also had plenty of experience being hit on by numerous adventurers.

Yet the person projected in the crystal was someone even Kenny had to admit was undeniably more beautiful than herself.

「……Rei, who is that?」

「Look, just barging into someone’s room……well, whatever. This is……」

Rei was about to introduce Elena, but a voice from the other side of the crystal interrupted him.

『It’s fine, Rei. I’ll introduce myself.』

Elena’s gaze as she looked at Kenny through the crystal was sharp.

Elena had known about Kenny’s existence for a long time.

When she sent Yellow to Gilm during the winter, Yellow had encountered Kenny, and Elena had seen those memories.

That was why she knew exactly what kind of person Kenny, who was currently standing near Rei, was. And she knew Kenny’s feelings as well.

『I am Elena Kerebel. It feels strange saying it myself, but would you understand if I said the General Princess?』

「-!?」

Kenny gasped at those words.

As a guild receptionist, she naturally had more opportunities to obtain and view various kinds of information than the average person.

Because of that, when the woman on the other side of the crystal……Elena, gave her name, Kenny was immediately able to match her face to the person in question.

「……My apologies, Elena-sama. My name is Kenny, and I work at the guild in Gilm.」

『Yes, I know of you, Kenny. And your relationship with Rei as well.』

「……」

With that single sentence, Kenny understood.

The person projected in the crystal was undoubtedly a duke’s daughter and someone who held a title.

But that wasn’t what mattered right now. That was irrelevant.

The person currently before her wasn’t just a high-ranking noble……she was her enemy, a rival in love.

Judging that Kenny had grasped their dynamic, Elena turned her gaze toward Rei.

『Rei, I’m sorry, but could you leave me alone with this Kenny for a moment?』

「Are you serious?」

That question carried several meanings.

Someone in the position of a duke’s daughter and an title holder wanted to speak privately……and in Rei’s room, no less.

If any problems arose from this, it would undoubtedly bring disaster upon Kenny.

Rei directed a slightly sharp gaze at Elena, silently asking if she understood that when she made the request.

However, the one who reacted to Rei’s words wasn’t Elena, but Kenny.

Of course, Kenny also knew she couldn’t do anything careless against a duke’s daughter……especially one known as the symbol of the Aristocratic Faction.

Even so, she couldn’t back down here.

「Rei, please. I also have something I want to talk to Elena-sama about. ……Right, I’ll come get you when we’re done, so could you kill some time in the dining room downstairs?」

At those words, Rei hesitantly looked toward Elena.

In terms of social standing, Elena was overwhelmingly superior.

That was why, if Elena was making an unreasonable demand, he felt he had to stop it. But if Kenny also wanted this, Rei couldn’t interfere.

If that were the case, all Rei could do was ask Elena not to make things rough.

Receiving that look from Rei, Elena gave a small nod and spoke.

『Rest assured. There is no way I’m going to do anything to her over this. But, well. ……Let’s just say we need to have a talk between women.』

「Alright. ……Well, I’m feeling a bit hungry anyway, so I’ll head down to the dining room on the first floor for a bit.」

Saying that, Rei left the room.

Leaving them in his room was nothing short of careless, but Rei trusted Kenny.

Besides, there was also the fact that there was practically no luggage or personal belongings in this room anyway.

A few minutes passed after Rei left the room. Surprisingly, the first one to speak was Kenny.

「Honestly, couldn’t Rei have been at least a little suspicious?」

『Rei is ruthless towards his enemies, but he becomes endlessly soft on anyone he considers an ally.』

「Is that from personal experience?」

『Yes. But considering Rei’s personality, wouldn’t you know that better than I do?』

「That’s true, I can’t deny it. Apparently, when he first came to the guild to register, he provoked a party that messed with him into a fight and shook them down for their money and weapons.」

『Hah, that sounds just like Rei. ……Now, enough with the preamble. Why did I want to speak with you? You understand, don’t you?』

After a moment of silence at Elena’s words, Kenny nodded.

「Of course. It’s about Rei, isn’t it?」

『Indeed. ……Considering Rei’s personality, abilities, background, and the fact that he has Set as a tamed monster, he will undoubtedly get dragged into various disturbances from here on out. When that happens, I don’t want someone who would be a liability near him. ……No, that’s just an excuse. Allow me to be honest. Personally, I cannot accept you being by his side. Not even on an emotional level.』

Elena anticipated that Rei would eventually take several wives in the future.

However, she still felt that she should be the primary wife. It was one thing if it was someone she approved of, like Vihera, but having an unknown woman enter that circle was not something she welcomed.

Kenny felt herself flinch for a moment at Elena’s words, but she immediately replied.

「I’m sorry, but I cannot obey your words, Elena-sama. My relationship with Rei is very important to me as well.」

『Hmm…… I see. I suppose it is. But are you sure? It feels strange saying this myself, but I hold a great deal of influence. Aren’t you worried about that?』

Rather than a threat……it was said to test Kenny’s resolve. Pushing down her inner apprehension, Kenny nodded back.

「Of course I am worried. But I have judged that someone who is called the General Princess……and someone who holds feelings for Rei, would not do something like that.」

『……Don’t you think I might take such actions precisely because I care for Rei?』

「Someone planning to do something like that wouldn’t say it out loud.」

『Oh?』

Elena murmured as if impressed by Kenny’s words.

A light resided in her eyes, as if she were acknowledging Kenny’s existence a bit more than before.

『I see. Working at a guild in a frontier land like Gilm, you certainly have quite a bit of nerve. But……that alone is not enough for me to accept you being by Rei’s side.』

「Elena-sama. I am sorry, but the person who stands by Rei’s side is decided by Rei himself. I do not believe that is something for you to decide.」

『……Fufu, that’s certainly true. I might have gotten a little ahead of myself.』

Elena’s laughter echoed through the room…… and the oppressive atmosphere from earlier vanished.

In the end, it was about thirty minutes later when Kenny called Rei from the dining room, and Rei never learned what they discussed during that time.

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