For an ordinary person, entering Marlis, the capital of the Kingdom of Falmuth, only required paying a few imperial silver coins.
However, because Ren Kuroda's combat power was simply too shocking, the guards at the gate didn't know whether they should let him pass at all.
Fortunately, before they could hesitate any longer, Falmuth's strongest warrior, Furgen, finally arrived with a squad of elite troops.
The moment they had discovered Ren, the flustered guards had immediately reported the situation. Now that someone with real authority had arrived, the matter was no longer theirs to handle.
As the kingdom's strongest warrior, Furgen wore full silver knight's armor. He had short blond hair and looked to be in his early thirties.
As the captain of the royal knights, Furgen possessed Special A–Class strength. Yet when he saw what Ren was dragging behind him—exactly as the guards had reported, the corpse of a Special A–Class Crimson Winged Wyvern—his expression grew solemn.
Although Furgen was said to have Special A–Class combat power, a major portion of that strength came from his Unique Skill:
『Commander』
Commander: Allows the user to fully comprehend the abilities of their subordinates and utilize them efficiently. Additionally, the user may selectively inherit the abilities of subordinates who die within their field of vision, or forcibly compel subordinates to obey commands.
That's right.
The reason Furgen possessed such an unusual Unique Skill was simple—just like Rimuru, he too was a visitor from another world.
The difference was that Rimuru had arrived as a Reincarnator, while Furgen had come as a Traveler.
Whether Furgen had arrived in this world at his current age or had simply lived here long enough to grow older was unclear. But one thing was certain—compared to Rimuru, Furgen had clearly climbed much higher in life.
As the kingdom's knight captain, his perspective naturally far surpassed that of ordinary guards.
While Ren was observing Furgen, Furgen was also studying Ren.
Barely twenty years old.
In Furgen's original world, someone that age would probably still be in high school.
But in this other world, adventurers of that age were hardly rare.
Still—if the monsters behind Ren had truly been hunted by him alone, then this young man could not be ignored.
Twenty-year-old adventurers were everywhere.
But a twenty-year-old capable of solo-hunting Special A–Class monsters?
That meant his strength was anything but ordinary.
Furgen had been in this world long enough now that he was no longer the clueless newcomer he once was.
Through the kingdom's strongest mage, Razul, Furgen had learned that humans from other worlds were not rare here.
Some Travelers, through sheer luck, were granted extremely powerful Unique Skills by the Voice of the World the moment they arrived.
If the Unique Skill was strong enough, age meant nothing.
Slaughtering Special A–Class monsters wouldn't be exaggerated at all.
So the instant Furgen saw Ren's age and his "trophies," his first thought was—
He's like me. Another Traveler.
Of course, there was another possibility.
At that age, with that level of power, Ren could also be a—
Hero.
Everyone knew that in novels, anime, and films, the Hero stood opposite the Demon Lord, usually as the story's protagonist.
And protagonists were always favored by the world.
This world had Heroes too—and they were equally blessed.
Heroes received constant corrections and buffs from the Voice of the World, whether in talent or skills.
Not to mention Special A–Class monsters—even Demon Lord Seeds could go toe-to-toe with them.
"Greetings, adventurer," Furgen said at last, taking the initiative."I am Furgen, captain of the royal knights of Falmuth. Welcome to Marlis."
"Though you are quite young, your strength is admirable. May I ask who your master is—or where you hail from?"
After observing Ren for a long moment, Furgen chose to express goodwill.
Whether Ren was a Traveler or a Hero, neither was someone Falmuth should provoke lightly.
Falmuth was one of the strongest nations in the region. Its advantageous geography made it a commercial powerhouse—but its continued survival owed much to its guardian, the kingdom's strongest mage, Razul.
Furgen had lived in this world for many years now, and he was genuinely loyal to Falmuth.
In his original world, he'd been nothing more than an overworked office worker—up before dawn, home after dark, barely scraping by.
But in this world?
He was the Captain of the Royal Knights.
In terms of authority alone, he ranked among the top five figures in the kingdom.
Yes, Falmuth's nobles were corrupt, and the king was a greedy fool—but what did that have to do with him?
Furgen himself was part of the nobility now.
Ordering others around, wanting for nothing—the aristocratic life had thoroughly intoxicated him.
And if he wanted to keep living like this, to remain the kingdom's knight captain—
Then Falmuth could not fall.
That was the real reason Furgen showed Ren goodwill.
Whether Ren was a Traveler or a Hero, if possible, Furgen wanted to keep him here—to make him serve Falmuth.
That was why he asked about Ren's origins, testing whether there was a chance to "recruit" him.
Falmuth was powerful—but that didn't mean it could afford to offend everyone.
The Holy Empire of Selen to the west, and the Armed Nation of Dwargon nearby, were both forces Falmuth preferred not to antagonize.
"You can call me Ren Kuroda," Ren replied calmly."I'm just a wandering adventurer by trade."
"I came to Falmuth to take care of a few matters. I didn't come with hostile intentions."
Since Furgen greeted him politely—and they were strangers—Ren had no reason to respond with hostility.
But Ren wasn't a naïve child.
Despite Furgen's pleasant smile, Ren could tell from his words and mannerisms that the man wasn't as welcoming as he pretended to be.
As the saying went—no kindness comes without a reason.
Ren was an unknown variable, someone fully capable of threatening Falmuth. Yet Furgen displayed goodwill without hesitation.
Either Furgen was genuinely straightforward and bold—
Or he had ulterior motives.
Just like Rimuru, the moment Ren gave his name, Furgen silently confirmed his suspicions.
He's a Traveler.
Ren's name didn't fit this world at all.
Names here leaned heavily toward Western-style conventions. No matter how one looked at it, Ren Kuroda was unmistakably an Eastern name—from Furgen's original world.
Once Furgen confirmed Ren was a Traveler like himself, he began speculating about Ren's Unique Skill.
Someone who could solo so many monsters undoubtedly possessed an offensive-type Unique Skill, not a support one.
And killing even a Special A–Class Crimson Winged Wyvern suggested it was an especially powerful one.
Furgen was tempted to reveal his own identity and use their shared origin to probe Ren for information.
But as an experienced veteran, he could tell Ren was wary—very different from the three foolish islanders he'd encountered before.
To avoid provoking further suspicion, Furgen chatted casually for a few more moments, then excused himself, claiming he had duties to attend to.
Before leaving, he specifically instructed the guards not to charge Ren an entry fee, emphasizing that he was an honored guest and should be treated with respect.
To outside observers, it looked as though Furgen had instantly taken a liking to Ren and was showing him exceptional courtesy.
But the more goodwill Furgen displayed, the more guarded Ren became.
It wasn't paranoia.
In an unfamiliar world, caution was a necessity.
And Ren had been quietly observing Furgen the entire time.
Though Furgen concealed it well, when Ren gave his name, there had been a fleeting flicker of elation on his face.
Ren had seen that same expression before—on Rimuru.
But unlike Rimuru's surprise, Furgen's joy looked more like the satisfaction of having guessed correctly.
From that micro-expression alone, Ren knew that even if Furgen wasn't a Traveler himself, he was deeply connected to them.
And the fact that Furgen had guessed Ren's identity—yet chosen not to reveal it—only raised Ren's alertness another level.
As for Furgen?
He wasn't actually heading off to handle "official business."
He was going to find his old companion—
The kingdom's strongest mage, Razul.
Razul was no stranger to Travelers.
Through certain rituals, he had even summoned three Travelers from another world.
Those three had also received blessings from the Voice of the World, gaining incredibly powerful Unique Skills.
Though their attitudes were arrogant, there was no denying it—
Travelers were favored by this world.
In their original world, they'd been helpless nobodies.
But here, armed with Unique Skills, their strength instantly surpassed that of most elites.