Legend

Two days after arriving at the Seremus Plains. As the evening was already nearing and the sun was turning into a sunset, a line of Duskers with the addition of the carriage Ciance came on was finally passing through the Seremus Plains.

It was supposed to take another day, but I was able to get through the Seremus plain so quickly for a variety of reasons, including the skill of the person who manipulated the carriage, a horse with very high abilities, the speed of nature and the carriage increased due to the feed wind, and the fact that the ground on the Seremus plain was not rough.

Either way, a row through the Seremouth Plains much earlier than expected will be stopped there for future consultation.

"Well, we're breaking up here as planned."

"I know. Don't worry, I'll let you act like I told you before. As regards means of communication…"

"Yes, let me send someone to contact you here. I'll let you have this dagger, so I was wondering if I could make a mistake. If someone who doesn't have this dagger shows up, I think he's probably from another force, so be careful."

That's what I told him, and what Theorem took out was a dagger with a butterfly crest on the patterned area.

It's not like a magic item, it's more like a piece of art.

Dusker, who confirms it, nods back small.

While listening to those stories, Ray strokes Seto's head as he lays on the ground and guards his surroundings.

Deep Red Palace

A voice that can be hung towards such a ray.

Turning his gaze toward you, there was the figure of Ciance, who is also the deputy of Theorem with a rigid beauty.

Are you here?

Ray whining inside.

Ever since we joined, I had felt myself gazed at Ciance more than once.

Included in that gaze, of course, is not the kind of colored gaze that Vihela turns to herself, or this one, nor the kind of gaze that Vihela hopes to fight from time to time.

It was a gaze that contained colors of observation and vigilance somewhere.

While I turned that gaze, I had no contact whatsoever, including when I was in the camp... sometimes breaking up here, and I guess I've been speaking up.

"What can I do for you?

"Grrrrrrrrrr"

Ray strokes Seto's throat and asks while making him sound in a good mood.

He feels good when he can stroke his throat, even though his lower body is a cat lion and his upper body is an eagle.

Ciance is taken aback for a moment by its appearance, which is very, but not unlikely, the opponent who drove the Bestian Empire to defeat in the spring war.

But I've seen the camp the day before, or the trick one of these guys and one of them shows at a meal break, several times, and I immediately go back to my usual expression and open my mouth.

"Deep Red Palace. Thank you for your help in this dispute over the Bestian Empire"

To Ciance, who tells him so and gives him a gentle thank you, Ray shakes his neck sideways saying he has no problem releasing the hand he was stroking Seto.

"I had a favor from Vihera, and above all, it's a well-promised request for reward, even for me. You don't have to thank me that much."

"No. To be honest, I can only say that it is a shame that a man of power like Lord Deep Red will cooperate with us here. If you were on the other side, I hate to say that this loss is like a decision… but it must be true that you were still at a great disadvantage"

That's why I was lucky enough to pull Ray in here. I guess you've decided it's pointless to say anything more to the cyans who tell you so. Ray flaunts his shoulder small and opens his body mouth.

"I'll make sure I get the job straight for what I was expecting. Fortunately, it doesn't matter if it's not an imminent attack at a martial arts competition."

Ray had already lost so much psychological strain on the act of killing people, but he still didn't like it and want to kill people.

Except for the story if you really don't have any other hands, but if you don't have to kill me, you have reason to just pick that one.

Trying to lay it on like that, it was almost what Ning Ro wanted to take part in a martial arts tournament where people were said to die because of the legacy of ancient civilization.

"... I see. Even though Lord Deep Red is not as good as Vihella, he seems to prefer combat."

"It's Ray. I know I'm called by a deep red alias, but if you can, call me by a name, not an alias."

To that word, Ciance nods after a few seconds of silence.

"Okay. Then Lord Ray,"

"Do that. I'm not very fond of being told."

"Grrrrrrrr?"

stroke more, and Seto, who leaves himself alone and rings his throat toward Ray, who is talking to Ciance.

Ray smiles bitterly at how Seto looks like that, and Ciance is astonished.

I guess I never thought that Griffon's Seto, who is also a symbol of fear in Bestia with Ray, would be so nostalgic.

"Well, that's... that's a different character than I expected."

"It's usually like this. I'm nostalgic, and I don't have eyes for good food.... what?

"Gru!"

Naturally! That sight of throat rattling all the time would be incredible if you did try to be someone who knew Ray and Seto on the battlefield, including Ciance, even directly in its eyes.

"Whatever, Lord Ray will have a lot of inconvenience this time. I think there will be people out there who really have a grudge about the Spring War, more than just the role of drawing the attention of the upper echelons in particular"

"I know. Well, I don't care about that neighborhood, I don't care."

"... thank you"

As he bows his head to Ray's words, Ciance exhales with relief inside.

I went all the way into the Bestian Empire territory and now that we're breaking up here, I went out of my way to speak to Ray because I wanted to know what someone named Ray looked like.

It was a short conversation, but I could still understand some character.

While I prefer to fight, I take it seriously when it comes to the job requested. And...

(also excessively confident)

I guess it's an attitude because I'm confident in my own strength, but given the purpose of being intentionally as conspicuous as this one is, I'd say Ning Lo convenient.

I decide that rather than putting Vihella in danger, I can hear Dusker and Theorem calling Ray and Ciance, respectively, who were just then away to consult.

The meeting itself was already over, and it's no surprise that Ciance talked to Ray because he was already close to public speaking.

"Apparently, you're being called. Now, if you'll excuse me around here. While this thing is going well, I'll probably never see you again, but good luck with the fight."

"Oh."

"Grrrrrrrr!"

Ray would be fine! and Ciance also leaves with a slight loosening of her cheeks as Seto throats.

It was Vihera, who also talked to Theorem and Dusker earlier, who showed up in such a different way from Ciance.

Open your mouth with some pranky grin.

"Oh, you're going to get your hands on Ciance, not just me?

"... no, because I don't mean it at all"

Suddenly Ray shook his neck sideways just saying what he was going to say, but Vihera smiled little jokingly.

"He's probably not interested in anything other than Theorem."

"... Really?

"What, you didn't notice?

It was a vihella whining like a shudder, but Ray had the feeling that the emotion Ciance had in Theorem was love, not love, one way or the other.

But it seems that Vihera felt different.

"Well, it's welcome for me not to have more competitors."

That's what I told him, and with a grin, Vihera gently approached him and reached down to Ray's cheek to gently stroke him.

"Needless to say to Ray, who beat me, but be careful. Because once I'm in Imperial territory, I'll behave differently from Ray."

"Oh, I know. I beat you, so I'm not gonna beat those guys around here."

"Really? I hope so. I'm sure I'll see you again soon, so I'm looking forward to that day."

As it is, for a few seconds, stroking Ray's cheek as if to spare him a goodbye, I let him gently touch his lips on that cheek before leaving.

"Gru?"

It was Ray stroking Seto with his other hand as he stroked his kissed cheek somehow.

The carriage with Theorem and Vihera and Ciance headed in a different direction than the carriage on which Dusker was travelling.

Even a line of Duskers who dropped it off will continue their carriage to the Imperial City to do their part.

Sometimes the first few days were near the Seremus plains, and there were many villages with few people like Goto and places that were abandoned when they were terrible, but it also naturally became more visible to travellers, adventurers, or merchants walking the streets as they approached the imperial capital.

And naturally, if there are many people's eyes, Ray or Seto, who are very prominent in a row of Duskers, can't catch their attention...

"Oh, man. He's on the griffon."

"... ah, oh"

"I mean, is he deep red?

"I can't see your face in the hood, but it's that physique, huh? You're a kid... you're a bad girl, aren't you?

"But have you heard anything but deep red about him turning Griffon into an obedient demon?

"That's... no, but it is."

Those who see the Dusker line that way tell each one of them their guess, but they drop the luggage one person had in there to the ground and hug their trembling bodies.

In his mid-30s or so, he drew the attention of his surroundings just because he didn't seem like a very good person to do such a thing, but the man didn't seem to care about the gaze of others, either, embracing his own trembling body as if he were naked in an extremely cold land.

"Hey, you. Are you okay?"

That's what merchants and thinkers who were nearby ask, but I guess that was the hang-up.

"Hih, no, no, no, no!

Scream or no, I run away as far as I can to get away at all.

The people around them who watched it stunnedly convince themselves that the heat must have driven them crazy.

The man who escapes the scene hides himself from being seen at all from the street by going straight into the woods growing on the side of the street.

"Damn, dammit, dammit... why is he here with that demon? Corner... I'm running away from the Corner Army and living in peace... why, why!

Thoughtfully beat up the tree you are hiding with a scream as if to spit blood.

That fist, whose skin was torn by the trunk of the tree and slightly seeping blood, was clearly the fist of the workout.

Yes. This man was serving in the Spring War, and even more so was a man assigned to a member of the advance unit.

Ray's produced fire whirlwind and numerous pieces of metal put into it. He was a very lucky man who managed to survive an attack that could be described as a unilateral massacre using Ray's death size that took place afterwards.

The man who ran, ran, ran, and even kept running, and managed to survive, escaped from the battlefield as well and became a deserter.

I guess I was lucky to never be chased as a deserter more than I'm not checking the identity of a soldier in that much detail.

That's how he was a lucky escaped man, but still he couldn't go back to his hometown thinking of anything more than being a fugitive soldier, earning just a fine amount of money to imitate a merchant and manage to live his days.

I've been living like that for about six months, and maybe it's time to finally get back to my hometown. I just thought that... I met that presence.

The kind of beings that embodied fear, death and despair that drove themselves to the abyss of despair.

"Why... why, why!

A very unlikely voice for a big man to utter. Crying, waving his fist several times to the trunk of the tree so as to hit eight.

The fist skin is already torn and the trunk of the tree has blood on it, but the man keeps beating it without the wind that cared.

Stay put for a few minutes. You feel your fist back, sitting back with your back in the trunk of a tree...

"Hate, is it?

I inadvertently hear a voice like that, and the man stops moving.

Where did you hear voices from? Because I had no idea.

I rush to look around, but only the trees that are replacing me from summer to fall are there.

"So, who!?

"It won't matter who I am. More than that... does that man have any hatred for the existence of Griffon, Deep Red, who has discredited you so far?

……

I wonder why you listened to that word.

The man thought about that only for a moment, but opens his mouth as if he were led by something.

"Hate... Hate, hate, hate!

As such a voice of hatred echoes in the woods, the voice tells as if to envelop that hatred.

"Really? Then be one of us. That hatred... let's clear it up"

What am I doing? Even as he thinks that way, the man nods, trying to be led back to the back of the woods by his voice.

All that's left after that is the skin of the trunk of a tree that a man punched and peeled off and a few drops of blood that fell to the ground. And it was only a seductively sweet scent somewhere.