Legend

Guild of Adventurers in the City of Guild. As usual, Ray goes straight to the counter while the liquor store is busier than before the request board in the winter.

Baron Cisne came straight to the guild with Seto after he received his certificate to complete the request. Of course, the reason for visiting the Alliance is nothing other than to go through the rank-up process.

"Oh, Mr. Ray. What can I do for you today? Though Raw Hate and Kenny are off today."

For such a ray, Lenora calls from across the counter. Sometimes I guess Kenny, who can also be called my partner, was free for the holidays. It was a teasing voice somewhere.

Or if this was a season other than winter, maybe I was too busy with the adventurer to afford a light slap so far.

I put my guild card and certificate of request completion on the counter with a slight grin on Lenora's attitude, which I can usually say is tough.

"Request for combat training complete. Now my rank is C, right?

"Yeah, you're right. Please wait while I rewrite my guild card."

Saying so, he drops off Lenora headed behind the counter, especially Ray, who has nothing more to do, looks around.

If Kenny was here at a time like this, he could talk to me, but it was a decision I couldn't help but take a holiday.

(Now, what if the guild card is updated?... Speaking of which, you had Icebird's demon stone. Let Ceto and Death Size absorb it outside the city? Given the possibility of dealing with winter monsters, not so far away......)

"Um, excuse me. Could it be..."

When Ray is thinking about his upcoming plans, he can suddenly speak from the side.

Looking back to that voice, a well-widened middle-aged merchant-style man stood there with a grin.

"Can I help you with something?

"Yeah. Uh, you're Mr. Ray, aren't you? I'm the one who led the merchant squad that you helped from Icebird yesterday."

"Oh, yesterday's.... you're safe and above all."

"Yes, I really don't know what to thank those adventurers in the city of Gilm, including Mr. Ray"

"Never mind, we've got an unknown demon stone too."

Unknown Demon Stone. When Ray uttered the word, the merchant's eyes lit only sharply for a moment.

Because it matches the information I received yesterday from an adventurer named Mileyne when I entered the city.

But it was only for a moment that its sharp light also dwelt, immediately returning to its original soft colour.

"What do you think? Thank you for yesterday's meal. I'd like to be kind enough with a prospective adventurer like you."

I nod slightly hesitantly to the merchant who invites me to do so. Even Ray had something he wanted to ask the merchant in front of him.

"Fine. Then keep your seats at the tavern. I'll head to the tavern when I'm done with my errands over here.... Oh, I don't like alcohol that much, so it would be helpful if you could order some cold tea or juice"

He was once again a picky and slightly frowning merchant, but he nodded small before heading to the tavern.

"... you're a pretty inedible merchant"

Drop that back off and squeal Ray.

On the outside alone, I was nothing but a wealthy merchant, but a sharp expression that I occasionally show. That look was making Ray understand that that merchant would not be a good merchant for the person he looked like.

(No way, the hands of the Bestian Empire were sent in again at this time of year...... or something? No, is it unlikely as far as coming all the way to the city flashy? Besides, even those in the Guard would be wary of the hands of the Bestian Empire based on previous experience)

"Thank you for waiting, Mr. Ray.... Mr. Ray?

Lenora, who has finished rewriting the guild card, comes back to the counter and calls out to Ray, but Ray at heart is stuck in his thoughts as if he hadn't heard that voice.

"Phew...... Mr. Ray!

Exhaling, Lenora pulls Ray's dragon robe hard over the counter to raise her voice louder than usual.

That's it, Ray finally reminds me of Lenora's presence.

"Hey, bad. Just think about it.... So, that guild card?

"Yes, it's a rank C guild card"

That's what I said, Lenora handing the guild card to Ray.

If you look at the guild cards Ray received, they do have the letter rank C there.

"Well, the only thing that's changed is the representation of this rank, so I don't really feel it"

"That's not true. It's the youngest record to Rank C in the city of Gilm, and it's the shortest record. Of course if you look at the entire kingdom of Mireana, some of you may be sooner...... Still, I think it's amazing that you got two of the youngest and shortest records in this city of Guilm in Rank C. Anyway, this is just a border, because there are a lot of adventurer replacements. … many people aspire to adventure for that matter."

To Ray's words, Lenora just goes on explaining that it's outrageous. Ray turns a surprised glance at Lenora like that.

Lenora, who is usually a calm deposition, talks so vigorously because it was unusual outside of interacting with Kenny.

"Mm, Cohon. Excuse me. Anyway, Mr. Ray will be a Rank C Adventurer starting today with sunshine. If you are a Rank C Adventurer, you are already recognized as a veteran class, so please be careful around it."

"Behavior, huh? For example, what's wrong with it?

"It's like an eagle's claw."

That being said, Ray didn't know for a second what Lenora was talking about. But in seconds or so, Ray finally remembers the faces he himself named Goblin's coveted.

"As for that, it's been tangled up from the other side, so you can't help it, can you? No way, you can leave me tangled up and unilaterally hit, what do you say?

"That's true, of course... but it's still too much to take away all your wealth. Eagle Claws, I've been in debt to the Alliance ever since, and I've had a hard time paying it back."

"You'll deserve it about that. In the first place, I think you're responsible for guilds that don't control adventurers like that?

"Ugh, that's right. However, there are a lot of rough people like that, so sometimes that's what makes this city of guilds so vibrant. Still, there are times when you don't have enough power... well, fine. Anyway, I repeat it again and again, don't forget that you are a Rank C Adventurer from today."

"I get it. Thank you for your time."

That's all I said and walked away from the front of the counter.

"Mr. Ray, this way!

Ray headed to the tavern, which is co-located in the guild. I find such a ray eye-catching, and the merchant waves to let me know where he is.

Ray heads that way, watching as several dishes are already lined up at the merchant's sitting table.

"Did I make you wait?

"No, considering it's an opportunity to talk to an adventurer like Ray, there's no point in waiting to this extent. They ranked it more C-ranked than that. Congratulations. This is a celebration from me, so please eat as much as you like"

"... well. You know I've been ranked up a lot. That's not what a lot of people know."

As impressed, and even somewhere alert, he groans and sits across the street to his seat as recommended by the merchant.

"That's where merchants live with information. Here you go."

Ray frowns slightly when he sees the barrel offered as he says so.

"I thought I said I didn't like alcohol?

"That's a celebration of ranking up in the corner, maybe a cup, right? You've chosen a very weak wine."

"... well, then, okay"

Ray is silently waiting to be poured wine into the glass, without even making the merchant's corner feel like nothing.

"No, no, I'm sorry. You should drink at the mercy of the beauty anyway, but at the mercy of such a middle-aged man."

"Never mind, the food here is delicious enough. Better than drinking in a lousy tavern."

Take one or two sips of the wine poured into the glass just in case there are no physical abnormalities.

Of course, Ray himself doesn't know what the medicine tastes like, but I can still see if there are any physical abnormalities or if it doesn't taste strange.

Most importantly, Ray's body is made of Zeppyre's skill. It was also true that they were sufficiently resistant to most poisons and medicines.

And the merchant who sees Ray like that accidentally smiles bitterly at his mouth.

Because I found out that the person in front of me was suspicious of me. As far as Ray is concerned, he may be trying to hide it, but he just didn't hide his vigilance if he tried to be a merchant who had done so many negotiations before.

(Yesterday's battle showed only overwhelming combat power, but is there still an age-appropriate part? No, well, I guess it's an anomaly in the first place that you have all that fighting power at this age)

Now that the hood has been lowered, Ray exposes its 15-year-old or so appearance. I couldn't confirm my face firmly because I remained hooded during yesterday's battle, but the way I was carrying the food into my mouth was something that could be said to be appropriate for the year.

"... so this is not how you treat me to a meal that you wanted to celebrate ranking up on purpose? What can I do for you?

Ray asks the merchant as he carries the Fangboree skewer to his mouth.

Just waiting for the question, the merchant smiles and opens his mouth.

"Right. Shall we start by introducing ourselves? I know Ray's name, but Ray won't know me."

"Oh. That would help."

Nod while transporting the vegetable salad to your mouth to re-mouth the skewer.

"As I said earlier, my name is Alektor, and I'm leading the merchant squad that Mr. Ray rescued yesterday."

"... heh"

Ray stops eating vegetable salad and squeaks as slightly impressed.

I knew I was a merchant, but I still didn't think I was the merchant who led the merchant squad.

"That was tough again, in many ways."

"Yep. Sure..."

Alector nods at Ray's words with a slightly melancholy look in his eyes.

Originally, Arectre's merchants were not as big as three carriages. That's what caused the Icebird raid to completely waste one carriage. An adventurer's death would be more than he could have hired as an escort. The horse was also eaten and killed by Icebird, the expense was painful but still within Alector's tolerance. But the body of the carriage itself has been destroyed by the Icebird attack to the point of irreparability, and at the same time the bulk of the goods that were piled on the carriage have been wasted due to its effects. And the most painful part was that even the merchants hiding in the carriage were eaten and killed by Icebird.

The merchants, in particular, were of such a nature that it could be said that Alektor had been a painful family together. More than 10 people had been killed in front of me, so I decided to be prepared from the inside, even if I behaved modestly on the outside.

And it was Ray we met in that, Seto. Our lives have never been... When we thought that way and decided to be ready, it just appeared as if there was no such despair, sweeping away the icebirds. There would have been no reason to be interested in Ray and Seto like that, not just as a merchant, but as one person.

"But fortunately, that damage is also likely to be filled to some extent by the City of Guild deal.... Most comprehensively, I don't care what you think, it's a deficit."

"In the first place, why did you come all the way here at this time of winter? In the winter, I think we could have expected other monsters to show up only this season, like yesterday's Icebird."

"... right. If it's true, I wouldn't even come to the periphery like the city of Gilm in the winter, either. If it wasn't for the border at least, I wouldn't be able to figure it out because there aren't that many monsters showing up..."

With that said, Alector takes a glass of wine to his mouth with a look like he chewed up a bitter bug.

The appearance seemed as if it truly represented that you couldn't have done it without drinking.