Legend

Chapter 10

Legend Chapter 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 washing 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 altitude, 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 identity 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 identity 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 circumstances .

(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 space 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 noble’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 passed, 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 documents 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 grass 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 . 」

Ranga handed Rei a cloth that seemed to come from nowhere . Not knowing what it was for, Rei received it while raising his eyebrows . Although he thought about it, he simply decided to ask Ranga what it was for .

「What do I do with this white cloth?」

「……You . Where you planning to enter the city with the scythe as it is?　Wouldn’t it be the same as a person carrying an unsheathed sword?　Aside from spears, such a big blade just……I can’t overlook this situation . 」

「……I understand . 」

The explanation was reasonable .