The day after the mock battle with the Mireine, Ray, who had been reading a book about the dungeon in his room in the inn as he had done in the past few days, came back to life with a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"
"I came from the guild.I understand that you have an explanation about the nomination request, and would you mind accompanying me?"
"Okay, I'll get ready, so wait a minute."

(Here we are at last.)

　Realizing that it was a detailed explanation of Gran's request at the time of the announcement of his acceptance of the rank-up exam, Ray puts the book he was reading in a mysterious ring, wears a dragon robe, and opens the door in Slapnil's shoes.
　There was a middle-aged man in his 40s.
　When I see Ray, I bow my head slightly.

"Well, I'll show you right away,"
"Oh, by the way, am I the only one going?"
"What? I don't have any information that Mr. Ray is having a party... but is that not true?"
"No, it means that the Gryphon I'm taming is good,"

　He probably thought the information he had heard might have been wrong.While exhaling with relief, he nodded a little.

"Yes, I'd like to have Ray alone today.I don't mind the monsters that are taming me if I'm going to the guild...
"Huh? Didn't you say you came from the guild?"
"I'm certainly a Guild official, but the place I'm going to show you is the person who designates Ray and makes the request.Do you know what I mean?"

　The person who asked Ray.I knew who it was from Gran.That is to say.

"The lord of this town, the Count of Larkes,"
"That's right.Normally, the guild would explain it, but this time, for the occasion's sake, it was decided to explain it at the lord's residence."
`...well, that certainly won't take the Gryphon with you,'

　It was easy to imagine that if I took Seto with me, I would not be able to stay in the city of Gilm if I didn't do my best.

"All right, but before I go, may I drop over to the stable, for the Gryphon I'm taming is quite intelligent.You'd better let them know that you're going out.If you don't do well, they may think I was kidnapped and follow you."
`...is the Gryphon so intelligent?'
"Well, my Gryphon may be only special,"

　He refused the messenger from the guild and headed for the stable.On the way, Ray saw a fine carriage in front of the Wheat-tei at dusk, and entered the stable in a strange way, impressed by the request of the lord.

"Grull".

　After entering the stable, Sett welcomes Ray, singing in his throat.
　Ray, however, caresses Seto on the head and opens his mouth."I'm sorry, Seto.I will certainly go now, but this time I will go to the lord's house, so I cannot take him with me."
"Glu".

　"Seto" is rubbing her head against her, singing in a lonely voice.

"What, unlike the last ranking exam, I'll be back soon this time.I don't mean to be away for a few days."
"Glu".

　Still, Ray stroked Sett's lonely head one more time before leaving the stable.
　Seto stared at it until he could not see his back.





"I've kept you waiting,"

　he said to the Guild's messenger in front of the carriage, but shook his head slightly to open the door of the carriage.

"No, I understand that adventurers have a lot of things just because they work in the guild.Come on, sir, and the lord will be waiting for you."
"It will help if you say so,"

　He urged me to get into the carriage with a smile.
　Seeing this, Ray gets into the carriage, thinking that he has never been such a great man.
　and when he had confirmed it, the messenger closed the door and moved to the coachman's seat, leaving the carriage.

"...it's not very nice weather today,"

　muttered Ray, looking out of the carriage.
　In fact, the sky today is covered with clouds, and it is safe to rain at any time.
　Though he thought this way, he had nothing particular to do in the carriage, so he took Dungeon's book out of the mystery ring and devoted himself to it.
　I've been reading a lot in the last few days, but it's still about 70 percent.Ray wanted to read it out at least before the request actually started.
　Then I concentrated on the book for a while.The horse-drawn carriage, which had been running briskly until now, suddenly stopped and the door opened.

"Mr. Ray, we have arrived at the lord's house."
"Oh, I see,"

　Leaving the carriage, Ray follows the messenger through the gate of the lord's house, feeling the drops of water trickling down his cheeks.

(Rather than the lord's residence... it looks like a fort.)

　That was what Ray felt when he saw the lord's house.
　It's too big to call a mansion, and it's not enough to call a castle.When I saw such a building, I imagined it was a fort.In fact, it was obvious that the lord's residence served as a fort, and it was easy for Ray to predict that it would also serve to evacuate the inhabitants of the town of Gilm to a certain extent in case of emergency.

"Here it is,"

　He followed the guild's messenger and entered the lord's residence.It may have been the appearance of a feudal lord, but there were pictures and jars placed in places along the passageway.It was also impressive that magic item lights made of magic stones were embedded in the walls at regular intervals.
　However, when you see weapons such as harbors and spears displayed along the passageway, it still gives a strong impression that it was a fort rather than a lord's residence.
　Walking after the messenger looking curiously at the articles displayed in the passageway, he saw a finely carved door in about 10 minutes.A few gold coins on the door alone... ...would have needed a white one if he was not good at it, and it looked like a work of art.
　When they reach the door, the messenger knocks on the wall with the door knocker next to the door.(Isn't it a door knocker that knocks on the door? No, it's rather a work of art. Why is this door the only one so luxurious? I don't think it's an aristocratic luxury, as far as the house looks like a fort.)

　While Ray is thinking inside, he hears a voice through the back of the door.

"Let's go in.
"Yes, excuse me."

　He said a word and reached out to the door.The door is opened without touching the carved part of the handle.

"Lord, I have brought Ray, a Rank D adventurer, for the nomination."
"Well, thank you.I've been waiting for you. Now, let me in."

　Saying so from inside, Ray enters the room at the urging of a messenger.

"What!"

　and the moment he stepped into the room.He immediately kicked the ground and leaped forward with the sharp sound and spirit he felt from his side.
　It rolls around the floor, and while it rolls around, it takes out the death size from the mistling and holds it up in a way that is almost reflective movement.
　and what he saw was a man in metal armor, whose head was similarly covered with metal helmets.and a sword which attracted attention to his hand.

(Is this feeling the same as that of Alogan's sword?in other words, the Magic Sword!)

　Then he kicks the floor again as soon as he gets his death size.This time, however, it is not to avoid the enemy's attack, but to eliminate the enemy who attacked you.

"Huh!"

　It must have been fortunate for Ray that the room he was led to was large enough to swing his death size.
　Taking full advantage of his good fortune, a death-size blade attacks the attacker's torso while cutting the back of the sofa in the lord's room.

"d*mn!"

　Despite weighing over 100 kg, the blade attacks the attacker at a rate as if it were wielding a fork or knife, perhaps instinctively aware of its power, due to its magical ability to prevent Ray from feeling the actual weight of the attacker jumps back quickly.
　The moment I saw a blade that passed just a few centimeters ahead of me with a sharp whizzing sound as if I had cut through the space itself rather than air.The attacker felt a cold sweat on his forehead in his helmet.

(Stupid, no matter how much I was recommended by the Earl of Larkes, would I be as threatened as a Rank D adventurer? No, that's an even chance.I'll never admit it!)

　When a person encounters something beyond his or her imagination, he or she chooses to be hostile or friendly to it.It is the difference between having a spirit in the direction of eliminating its existence and building a friendly relationship and gaining protection.and this man immediately chooses the former.

(If I knew this would happen, I would have brought my usual spear instead of a magic sword!)

　The man secretly regrets his indiscretion, but still holds a magical sword towards Ray.
　And Ray takes a death-size position facing the person in front of him.
　Now that I've come this far, Ray has understood most of the situation.Why is it that a thug attacks the lord's residence, and in a room in which the lord himself is supposed to be?

(Is that the case?)

　He immediately dismissed his inner doubts, and if he thought that it was the escort of the princess shogun and others on their way to the dungeon that he was called to the lord's residence, the answer was decided.(Trying his skill as a bodyguard... and perhaps he is a companion of the princess shogun or something.)

　He understood it that way, but he understood that this battle would not end so easily.that he must show his ability to the man in front of him.

"... Here we go,"

　As soon as she told him so briefly, Ray kicks the ground and cuts the distance from the man.
　The man also waits for Ray, who holds a magical sword and abandons the advantage of his long prey.

"Eat!"

　A man who screams sharply, holds up his sword, and releases his favorite thrust.For a man who originally used a spear, the thrust with a sword was also a blow of sufficient speed and force.
　But Ray avoids the thrust, which was shot in the face, by moving his head slightly.

"Not yet!"

　The blade of the sword, which was released as a thrust, was returned to the man and his hand in a moment, and again, it was released in a series of flash-like thrusts, one after the other.
　Ray keeps his pace while avoiding doing everything with minimal movement.

(Stupid, you're using a magic sword instead of your usual magic spear, but you're avoiding my thrusts this far in a row? Are you sure you're Rank D!)

　The man is also secretly afraid of Ray, but he hits his favorite five-string thrust and the last blow.
　The last blow and the fastest blow.Ray, who plays the thrust with a death-size handle, hits the man's torso from a short distance using the handle.

"Gosh!"

　The room echoes with a whimpering sound that is not like hitting a metal armour.At the same time, the man who made the sound was forced to float into the air by Ray, who swung the handle up his torso... and the next moment he realized that Ray was aiming at him when he had returned his death size to his hand.

(d*mn, what's his power of stupidity.If things go on like this, I'm going to go crazy. That's just a relief...)

　He anticipates the moment a death-size blade falls on him, and tries to prevent the shock even a little with a magical sword as a shield, knowing that it is a relief.
　and Ray wielded his death-size, and his blade approached him...

"That's it!"

　Just before the death-size blade and the man's magical sword touched, a loud voice rang into the room.