Legend

A place that would be a long way from what is already called the periphery and would not be strange to take a few days by carriage to Subrusta.

The sun, shining full of power as summer, is setting west as if tired and powerless by daytime action.

With an unpleasant look on the western day when such a sun squeezes off its last force, Ray stores the finished oak material, demon stones, crusade proof sites… and the meat of his greatest purpose in mysteries, heading to Seto's waiting place.

Seto wanted to stay with Ray, as usual, but only this time he didn't come with Ray because Orc asked him to escort the woman who had been captured.

I could have dismantled the oak on the woman's side, but I guess the oak took me away. It was an act of thinking so when the woman woke up, it would be a severe shock to have a guy nearby dismantling the body of the oak.

Best of all, the realization is that it's the best option for Ray, who's used to Seto, and I was sure of that, but if you try to be the one who doesn't know anything, then you realize there's a griffon right next to you.

If it were normal, it would be extra surprising than having an oak.

But... luckily, when Ray returned, the woman still woke up.

... Even if I woke up, knowing there was a Griffon nearby could have kept pretending I'd passed out.

"Seto, was there anything unusual?

"Gru!"

To Ray's words, of course, Seto, who had slept on the grass, rings.

In fact, if this is how Seto exposes himself, he will never come close to himself if he is some intelligent monster.

Exceptions like goblins, though.

"Well, would you even prepare a meal so that you can put something right in your belly when you wake up?

"Grrrrrrrrrr!"

I guess I was happy that it was a meal.

Seto sounds happy...

"Mm... mmm..."

Such Ceto's voice awakens the woman who was fainting.

To the voice out of the woman's mouth, Ray turned his gaze to the woman again.

Ray also knows that watching a woman sleep is illegal.

But Ray can't be so easy to forgive as well as not knowing who the woman is.

(Actually, he's an assassin, and it's not like he's involved in suicide bombing the moment he wakes up... or anything like that.... No, don't you)

I immediately deny that I thought about it.

In the first place, it was decided by chance today that Ray would go through here.

I wouldn't have passed through here if I hadn't received a request from Dusker for retaliation against noblemen, and there was a good chance that Seto's flying course wouldn't have met the orcs.

This would mean, for example, that this is not a structured one, but a complete coincidence.

"From what I've seen, about twenty?

From the impression I saw in Ray's eyes, he looked about that age.

Of course, there are never many people in the world whose real age and appearance are very different.

That would be a notable example, especially for long-lived species such as elves and dark elves.

Also, in the sense of appearance age, the same was true for Ray.

Elaine inherited the Enchanted Dragon's demonic stone to extend her life out of digits, and Vihera's absorption of Ambris made her biologically more than human.

(Is that it? Then you're a decent person with red lotus wings, and it's actually just Bühne?... Well, despite that little body, it's not normal in that you eat as much as I do)

Ray also eats not commensurate with the size of his body, but that was the same with Beaune.

Thinking that way, I eventually wake up, waking up my torso as the woman looks around me.

At that time, the sheets that hung on the woman's body fell because it was difficult once it got cold even in the summer.

I suppose I should probably hang it with a blanket, but it's summer now.

Temperatures that are not yet midsummer, but still often feel hot during the day.

Hanging a blanket in such a situation would be half harassing.

That's why Ray hung a thin sheet.

Most of all, if you really think of a woman, you should have let her rest in a magic tent... and Ray didn't trust the woman that much yet either.

"Er... why was I sleeping in a place like this... and... et al..."

Apparently the woman didn't understand her current situation and tries to ask Ray, who was nearby.

But I guess the word stopped on the way because I saw Griffon sleeping a little further away.

"Don't worry. Seto is very important if you don't want to do something wrong."

"... you sure you're okay with that?

"Oh."

"Really? But...... Ah, Griffon? Wait a minute. Could you be Ray the Deep Red?

"You knew."

Ray is just a little surprised by the words coming out of the woman's mouth.

The woman from Ray's eyes is not wearing any kind of armor... because that's what she deserved to call an ordinary person.

Ray also knows that having an alias makes his name widespread.

But it was only a remarkable example among adventurers, military personnel, mercenaries, and so on, and I didn't think it was known to such people in the countryside.

If this was Abu Ero or Sabursta around Gilm, it wouldn't have been strange for the average person to know...

"Yeah, the bard is singing about the war with the Bestian Empire."

"... well"

It wasn't a rumor of a pedigree, it was Ray who didn't expect the bard to come out, but nevertheless the source is revealed, with a convincing but indescribably subtle look on his face.

The bards are those who sing songs and get food for their lives in various places, such as taverns, squares, canteens…

And a bard also acts like a means of communicating information in this era to make various events into songs.

It is the bard who plays a major role in the means of obtaining information in the world, other than those in some position, beyond the fact that the likes of the pair of orbs are not common.

Besides, the bard must also earn more money than he lives in songs.

As a result, it wasn't a rare story that the content of the song would be more flashy than it was supposed to be.

For Ray to know that too, I guess the bard gave him a subtle look, convinced that he had heard his story.

"You know what? So it's true that you defeated all of the Bestian Imperial Army by yourself."

"Lies."

I knew it.

Ray, who says so, denies the woman's words as she exhales.

The woman opens her mouth again to such a ray, but Ray opens her mouth in such a way as to control the tip.

"Besides, why were you in such a place? There's a lot of distance from nearby villages and cities."

"Huh? With that said...... Huh!? Yes, I remember! When I went to the nearby woods to pick up nuts, someone hit me there... and now when I realize it."

"... I see. Did you say you were lucky, or bad? That's the subtle part."

Probably lost his mind when the oak hit him where he was obsessed with picking nuts.

Ray decides so, and turns his gaze somewhere dazed at the woman while he is at it.

"It's nice to be obsessed with picking nuts, but that's why you honestly don't notice the oak?

"Ugh... well, that's... you can't help it! My friends tell me that if I concentrate on one thing, I won't be able to see around, because it's my personality!

"No, heal me if you know what I mean. Or do you think you'll come alone and get wrapped up in a few? The best thing you can do is hire an adventurer to escort you."

"That's what I'm talking about. Don't be lame. You think you can hire an escort every time you pick nuts?

"Well, you can't"

Ray knew that, too.

But still, defenselessly going out to the woods and woods alone is only a suicide act.

Even if this isn't a border, it doesn't mean there aren't any monsters.

Nor was it strange for bandits who were not on the periphery to be normal around here, which was not on the periphery.

Even though there is such a danger, picking nuts on your own is nothing but a suicide act.

"In your case, I'm glad the orcs caught you. No, I guess I should say I'm glad of those orcs, considering they have people of all different personalities too"

"... what do you mean?

A woman squeals in such a way that Ray doesn't know what he's trying to say.

"It's a simple story. If you're a bandit, it's not weird that you're on the spot getting you. Considering that, the orcs didn't do anything to get their hands on you on the spot, but they were trying to get their hands on you after they took you to your address or someplace."

That's what they say, the woman's face turns bright blue.

I guess I could have imagined exactly what it would be like to be handed out.

Sounds like you got it.

The woman nods small to the words asked with the meaning of confirmation.

You saw a woman like that and wondered if it would surprise you too much. Ray gives the woman a cup of fruit water removed from the mistering.

"Ma, I was safe in the end. You think you're lucky this time, and you'll be careful next time. Here, still drink this and calm down."

"Oh, thank you.... Huh? This, cold!?

The moment she lays her mouth on the cup given to her by Ray, the woman screams as if surprised.

Naturally. If it's winter, it's still summer.

Whatever it is in the mountain river, I guess I didn't think I could drink this cold beverage in a place like this.

Where Ray got it out of...... the woman looks at Ray again, completely unaware of the presence of Mystering.

"Where did you get it out of!?

"If you're an adventurer with an alias, it wouldn't be weird to do this normally."

If any other adventurer with an alias...... that's what Elk with the Axe of the Thunder God would definitely get angry with. Ray stays put and drinks cold fruit water himself and also puts fruit water in a deep plate for Ceto.

Looking at Seto drinking it happily, Ray opens his mouth to the woman again.

"So, what are you going to do now?

"I don't care what they say we do..."

The woman looks around like she's in trouble.

Naturally, this is not where the women were caught by the orcs.

In an unrecognizable place, the woman turns her gaze to Ray like she's in trouble.

"Well, if you like... why don't you give me a lift to my village? I can't thank you enough..."

Do you know that women also need money to hire adventurers, or ask Ray to do it without some help?

Also, Ray is only a highly-ranked adventurer with an alias, and he deserves to hire... that's definitely what the woman needed more money than she thought.

Ray knows how such a woman feels, too.

In fact, if you leave one woman behind like this, that would just be the monster and bandit to be attacked again.

Unfortunately, the woman has a pretty good face.

For the bandits, there is no more prey.

"Right... if it's any good food in your village..."

"Oh, there is! No, I don't know if it's delicious, but it's my village's specialty dish."

"... heh"

Ray gives a slightly happier look to that information that came out of the woman's mouth, which she never thought possible.

If it is, Ray needs to do what Dusker asked him to do.

But given Seto's speed of travel, it's also true that we don't mind stopping by for a little while.

It's already evening, and before it's too far away, the sun will hide completely and the moon will show up.

Nor was Dusker supposed to tell Ray to move all night.

Of course for Dusker I want you to hurry as much as possible, so if possible, I guess it's honest that you want me to stay up all night and move around.

Because I want you to hurry as much as you can, than I don't know by what means Count Lerduct was trying to get the information that was pulling the thread behind one of Bistol's cases.

Ray really needs to hurry too... if that's what you're fighting for for a moment, he'll also travel all night.

However, we have decided that we will not rush that far in this case... the woman's invitation was just right for Ray.

"Well, I'll give you an exemption from that specialty dish.... So what is your village by name?

"The name of the village is Zacuña. And I'm Syrah. It's been a while, but it's nice to meet you."

Woman...... Syrah grinned and told Ray so.