10
When the morning sun had risen, Set shook Rei's body, which was leaning against him, and gave a cry to wake him.
「Nn? Set...is it?」
「Guru~」
When he looked around while rubbing his eyes, he understood that it was early morning as the sun could already be seen.
「Morning. ...I was able to sleep better than I thought.」
While saying so, he got up to ascertain the condition of his body. He had moved around a lot just before sleeping but he didn't have any muscle pains.
「Gururu~」
He turned around at Set's voice, a water ball was floating there. It was for him to wash his face.
「Thanks.」
Rei briefly said thanks. After was.h.i.+ng his face, he left it to dry naturally as the night before.
He then cooked some Water Bear meat for breakfast at the campfire, which was still burning as Set had looked after it while he was asleep. Sharing the last two Clara Fruits, the preparations for departure were complete.
「Well, I think we should leave soon...you were on lookout last night, are you physically okay?」
「Guru~」
No problems at all, Set cried in response to Rei's question.
Although a normal griffon would show some fatigue if it stayed up all night, Set was a griffon made with Rei's vast magic power using the Magic Beast Art. He could stay up for a week without problems, let alone one night. Of course, he would have to spend the next few days resting if he did that.
「I see. Then let's go immediately.」
「Guru~」
Like the time in the forest, Set lowered his back and urged Rei to get on. While holding the Death Scythe, Rei gently stroked Set's back to show his appreciation.
「Gurururururururu~!」
With a high pitched cry, he flapped his wings, took a run up of several steps and went up into the sky. After reaching a sufficient alt.i.tude, Set turned his neck around to look at Rei, who was sitting on his back.
「Guru~?」
Which way to go? Rei pointed south when Set asked. Although he didn't know if it was reliable, Zepairu's knowledge indicated that if they kept going south for a few days, there would be a large town...so it said.
Rei had already judged Zepairu's knowledge as unreliable and only thought of it as a reference. But still, there was a difference between having a reference and not having one.
「To the south.」
「Gururu~!」
Set gave a sharp cry in response to Rei's words and flapped its wings to take a path straight south.
「...Amazing」
Looking at the view from Set's back, he unintentionally said those words.
Extending before Rei's eyes was a blue sky and an endless green carpet. Human constructs such as towns and villages could not be seen as far as the eyes could see.
Even if he said he was born in and grew up in a country town in Tohoku, there naturally were houses in the vicinity. The town could still be commuted to by bicycle. To Rei, the world of nature that extended before his eyes was the first he had seen in his life.
「Gurururu~」
Maybe understanding that Rei was happy to see such scenery from the sky, Set gave a delighted cry and flapped his wings greatly, soaring through the sky.
「...Hmm, I should think of an ident.i.ty instead of being kept fascinated.」
To begin with, the only knowledge he had of the world was from Zepairu. And as he was unwilling to rely on Zepairu's knowledge, he wasn't sure how to create an ident.i.ty for himself. Rei judged so while half watching the scenery and half working on thinking up a background.
(Firstly, since I have to live as an adventurer, I must be a magician. Because of Set, I must also have a background either as a summoner or a tamer. That background feels a bit simple...）
In the novels, movies and manga that he had seen so far, he recalled something with similar content.
(Amnesia...ha, that's impossible because of Set. Was I sent to a place I don't know due to recklessly using teleportation magic? Perhaps that would work...no, wait.)
A thought crossed Rei's mind at that moment. It was a manga he had read as Saeki Reiji where a wizard's apprentice was sent travelling to train himself
The story could fit his current circ.u.mstances.
(Because I lived in a secluded place with my master, I'm ignorant about the world...OK. I learnt my magic from my master, not summoning magic but fire magic...ha, it would be troubling if I was asked to summon anything other than Set, maybe I'll be a tamer. According to Zepairu's knowledge, tamers seem to exist. So, the general story is that I was teleported by my master to a strange place by s.p.a.ce magic for teaching and training purposes, while I was wandering and hunting with my magic beast partner Set, I found a town or village.)
While thinking if there were any contradictions in his thoughts, he muttered softly.
「I shouldn't have any problems.」
Thinking about it, the large weapon, the Death Scythe could be said to be something which directly trained the magician, the large scythe had a magic body...so it partially true. Because of training purposes he was sent out with no money. Other than Rei, Set was also equipped with a set of expensive magic items so there were a number of strange points. However, Rei nodded without minding it as he was satisfied that the background was persuasive enough.
After several hours, he determined his background. Without anything in particular to do, Rei sat on Set's back and enjoyed the air travel.
For a while, Rei enjoyed the scenery from the sky, but as expected, he became tired of watching the same endless scenery for hours. Things like monsters attacking merchants or thieves robbing a n.o.ble's carriage. Alternatively, an adventurer being attacked by monsters was a development that existed as well, reality wasn't so sweet, nothing happened and he was left swaying on Set's back.
After a few hours. The sun had almost risen to noon, Rei began thinking of searching for monsters to eat.
「Gurururururu~!」
Set raised a cry to draw attention.
「What's wrong」
「Guru~」
To Rei's question, Set looked ahead. Following his line of sight, human constructions could clearly be seen...rather than saying that, there were a lot of houses. It was neither a village or town, it seemed to be a considerably large city where tens of thousands of people could live. Probably for anti-monster measures, the city was a walled city with high walls.
As he caught sight of the city, Rei let out a sigh.
「What to say, maybe it was as expected...the city wasn't in Zepairu's knowledge, if several hundred years have pa.s.sed, a city of that scale could be built. In that case, let's enter the city and gather some information.」
As expected, the city was near. Under his eyes, he could see roads leading to the city. That said, the roads that were trod on by people and wagons were not covered with concrete but with a natural stone pavement. People could be seen trickling along the roads.
(Well, what to do. Firstly, I'll probably be rejected, no questions asked, if I entered with Set from the sky. Best way is to quietly enter through the entrance...if I get off Set in the near vicinity the gate keeper will probably be cautious. This is rejected as well. Then I'll land a bit further away and from there walk to the city with Set.)
While determining his method, the people on the road below raised voices of surprise as they pointed at Set.
「Set, land on the ground once we get a bit further. We will head to the city by walking, not flying.」
「Guru~」
Giving a small cry at Rei's request, Set flapped his wings greatly and headed towards the city. After a few minutes, Set and Rei decided to stop their air travel about 10 minutes from the city and and walk the remaining distance.
After Set and Rei landed on the ground, they walked to the road leading to the city. Probably because they saw Set land nearby, travelers, merchant and adventurers moved a considerable distance away from the figures of the lone person and animal as they headed to the city,
(I see, there are adventurers. Basically, it's the old story where several people form a group to conduct activities. Weapons are spears, swords and bows. Eh, is that a magician with the cane?)
As Rei walked alone the beaten road, he observed the appearances of the adventurers nearby. Although he didn't realize it, the adventurers noticed that there were being observed and, maybe because they were wary of the griffon, Set, they also watched Rei.
Such a state continued for about 10 minutes, finally, the entrance to the city came into view. It could be said that naturally or unexpectedly, there were 5 soldiers armed with spears and swords guarding.
「...」
As he did not come to mess with them, Rei approached the soldiers in silence. Set followed him and walked quietly. The soldiers watched the lone person and animal approach, abruptly, one of the soldiers walked towards Rei. The feeling of tension spread to the surroundings as the soldier approached Rei.
(Compared to the soldiers in their twenties, this person is in his thirties to forties. Perhaps he is the leader of the soldiers. Weapons...though they're equipped with swords, there probably isn't much risk as they are still sheathed at their waists.)
The middle aged man with a beard met Rei's expectations and called out to him.
「I am Ranga, a guard captain of the city of Girumu. May I ask if you have business in the city?」
Despite the rugged appearance, an unexpectedly mild voice came from his mouth. While puzzled about the sense of incongruity, Rei nodded.
「Ah. That's right.」
「I see. Can I listen to to your story in the guard room? Everyone is nervous since you brought a rank A monster, griffon, with you.」
Taking a brief glance, most of the people in the surroundings were looking at Rei and Set. ...More than that, most of them, adventurers included, looked away when Rei looked at them.
(Certainly, it seem that they were scared of Set as expected. In that case, there's no meaning even if I force my way through. The faster way is to explain myself in the guardroom.)
Letting out a sigh in his mind, he nodded to the man's words.
「I understand. It would be better in a quiet place as you said.」
「I'm sorry about that. The boss would be mad if I let someone who brought a high ranked monster griffon through. Also, it's necessary to give doc.u.ments to the Margrave.」
Ranga explained the situation in a light tone, not suited to his rugged face. Apparently, the mild voice he had used at their first meeting a little while ago was just the way he was and not deliberately used because he was wary of Rei and Set.
Following Ranga's guidance, they went to a small build beside the gate.
「Um, I'm sorry but because of its size can I ask the griffon to wait outside?」
「Ah, it doesn't matter. Set.」
As Rei talked with Ranga, he called to Set. Set, who had been standing quietly behind Rei, joyfully rubbed his face as his head was scratched.
「Because I have to talk a while in that building, Set, take a rest near the building.」
「Guru~?」
All right? Set seemed to say with his blue eyes as he nodded.
「I'll be fine. You've seen my ability you know?」
「Guru~」
Maybe relieved at Rei's words, Set lay down on the gra.s.s next to the guardroom. After staying up all night and flying here non stop, there was some fatigue, he slowly closed his eyes.
Naturally, he was still alert. Set's specifications were overwhelming compared with the average griffon. He had an exceptional sense of smell and vision. It wasn't difficult to rest his body while remaining vigilant because of his magic power.
「I'll say it once for now, I don't want anyone to meddle with him when you're listening to my story in the guardroom.」
「Ah, I understand of course. I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to anger a rank A monster. However, you're right...You.」
Ranga called a soldier that was nearby.
「What is it?」
「While I'm talking with him in the guardroom, keep watch so that no one tries to meddle with the griffon.」
「...Eh? Me?」
「Yes. You.」
「...I understand.」
Reluctantly, the soldier nodded.
(Well, I can understand since it is a rank A monster.)
Though he didn't know what rank Set was, he predicted that rank A was fairly dangerous as he saw the state of the soldier guards.
A wry smile floated to his face as he saw the soldier's appearance. Rei opened his mouth to speak.
「Unless Set is badly annoyed, he won't do anything, there's no danger.」
「Haa...I'll believe your words.」
「Then, let's go to the guardroom immediately...before you go, here.」