"...is that all right?"

　When Ray sat on the sofa and stopped for tea, he returned to Elena.
　He said he would give away all the monsters he knocked down on his way to the dungeon or inside the dungeon as a reward.

"No problem, because we don't even have a messenger to sell magical stones, materials, or parts to prove the punishment."

(Now that you mention it, Ver was in charge of it.)

　He nods in his heart, and says something he still wonders about.

"There is certainly no messenger.But if you intend to sell it, you may see me at your feet, but can you buy it for me? If you like, you may rely on that coachman."
"Yes, but this time I caused him a lot of trouble.That's all I'm going to give you... Oh, no. No.Is there another one?"
"... Elena?"

　When Ray muttered back to Elena, who seemed to think of something, he shook his head as if nothing had happened.

"Anyway, I think it's okay to give Ray all the monsters I got from this case.In the first place Ray may have forgotten, but I am a Duchess, and I have gained some fame as a soldier.I'm not in any trouble with money, and I've had two very important names, such as Hime Shogun."
"Well, if that's all right with Elena, I have nothing to complain about,"

　Elena nodded as if she had nothing to complain of, and carried the tea to her mouth with her usual graceful movements.

"... Arra, I'm sorry, but I'd like another cup of tea.and something to pick lightly."
"Oh, yes. I'll get it ready right away."

　At Elena's words, Arra walks out of the room with her head lowered head.
　After seeing her back, and closing the door of the room, Elena suddenly fell silent and stared at Ray.

"... Elena?"
"Ray, I'm sorry, but... my ears... yes, lend me your ears."
"What's that all of a sudden? Well, I don't mind."

　I stood up from the sofa, wondering, next to Elena, and listened to Elena.

「……」

　I waited for a few seconds for Elena, who remained silent, but she didn't approach me at all, so I tried to look at her suspiciously...
　Suddenly, Elena's hand is applied to Ray's cheek and forced to face him.
　Originally, Ray's physical abilities prevented him from doing such a thing, but today's Elena has inherited the power of the Ensent Dragon, though incomplete.Regardless of his magical powers, Ray is no different from Ray when it comes to pure physical abilities, so the surprise turns to Elena irresistibly.
　...but I haven't had enough control over it yet.Even now, if it had not been Ray who had been turned around, he would have been whiplash.

"Hey, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,"

　The sudden action left Ray speechless.for Elena's lips were overlapped with Ray's.

「……」Ray opened his eyes to the sudden action.But when he sees Elena's beautiful face turning red, Ray accepts Elena's lips without resisting her.
　Their soft, somewhat cool lips, and perhaps a mixture of Elena's own body odor, perfume or something, and citrus-like fragrance envelops Ray in a distinctive yet pleasant scent.
　I wonder how long she would have kept her lips together.It was Ray's first kiss in his life, and at the same time he could only accept it because he was as beautiful as Elena.
　Then the lips of each other slowly separated, and silence prevailed in the room.
　Ray, who was born in the country and insensitive to his hands, though it was just a lip-licking kiss.She was in the position of Duchess, and although she had the opportunity to come into contact with her knowledge of the art, Elena, who was more devoted to developing her martial arts skills, was called the Hime Shogun, so they were the first to meet each other.

"Well, for giving my first lip, that's enough for the reward!"

　Elena dared to tell Takahisha so, but as before... no, her face was redder and her skin was lighter than that, so her redness was even more conspicuous.

"Ah... well, yes."

　Ray was also Ray, and because of his first experience of kissing, he had no choice but to mutter something wrong.
　Ray, who originally liked to read novels and comics in Japan, had some knowledge in this field.However, it seems that he had a lot of thoughts when he actually experienced it.
　The room was filled with silence again with his answer, but Elena spoke again, perhaps because she hated it.

"Well, you know, don't think I'm the kind of woman who's going to forgive anyone's lips.Ray, that's why I let you do this."
"Well... I don't know what to say, but..."

　Ray's face was as red as Elena's.

"No, you don't have to say anything. I mean, don't say anything!"

　His face was as red as ever, perhaps remembering his actions.
　After a few minutes of returning to their seats, they suddenly knock on the door, rather than talking to each other.
　The two of them looked at the door with exaggerated astonishment.

"I only had cookies, Mr. Elena,"

　As he entered the room, he said, Arla, who had brought cookies on a silver plate.
　But of course Arla, who was intoxicated with Elena, would not have noticed the indescribable subtlety of air floating in the room.

"Well, this air... oh, my dear Ray, did you do anything to Elena?"

　Arra, who was only a little away from home, glanced at Ray with her beloved Elena blushing red, knowing her usual dignified Elena... no, that was why it was even more incredible.Yes, she looks like a girl in love...
　Thinking like that inside, he shook his head from side to side.

"Dear Ray? Do you have anything to say to me?"
"No, no. I'm not really.

　Ray turns his eyes to Elena, hesitating, and Elena turns her cheeks red again when she meets him.

"...Dear Ray, I'm sure he's helped me many times in dungeons, and I'm equally indebted to him for handing over this powerax.But if you use it as a shield to force your way to Mr. Elena..."

　gently reaching for the handle of the Power Ax, which he was carrying, so that he could always cut at Ray."

"Wait, Arra. Ray didn't do such a dirty thing to me!"As might have been expected, Elena screamed sharply at Arra, even though her face was still red.

"But, Mr. Elena..."
"I'm telling you that I'm nothing.Do you have anything more to say?"
"... you really haven't done anything?"
"Well... if anything, I did it."

　He muttered the latter half only in his mouth, but fortunately he did not hear it, though he had heard it completely from Ray, who had five senses sharper than any other man.
　Although reluctant, Arra manages to convince herself and sits next to Elena with a plate of cookies on the table.
　But it was probably not Ray's imagination that his gaze had become a little sharper.
　In the end, there was nothing particular to talk about after that, and the time had already come near the departure time, so everyone headed to the entrance of the lord's residence.





"Oh, it was just right.I was just going to send for you."

　As we walked out to the front door, Dusker, the lord of the house, looked at the three and said so.
　Near Dusker was the carriage used by the Elena, and in the coachman's seat sat the adventurous man whom he had hired as a coachman.
　Custe's body, which had been in the Misty Ring, was placed in a coffin, a special magic item, and placed next to it was a water spear used by Custe.

"Well, Ray is a quick hand, too.Have you met the Duchess of Elena in the morning?"

　said Dusker, laughing and saying so.
　He himself must have been trying to make fun of Elena and Ray, but the timing was not right.
　As soon as Ray hears these words, he turns away, Elena turns her head red, and Aarra gives him a murderous look.

"Oh, hey? You guys are not..."
"... No, Dusker. It's nothing, so don't worry."

　Arra says so with a smile on her face, but her gaze was so powerful that she couldn't say anything.

"Glu?"

　Seto appears as if he ignores such an atmosphere.

"... Set?"
"Ah, oh, oh, I called him.He tried this dungeon with you.You'll have the right to see me off."

　With the appearance of Seto, Dusker finally comes back to life.
　Elena also turns to Seto and returns to her usual calm expression.

"Set, you really saved me this time.Without you, we would probably have lost to the water monkey herd in numbers.It's a relief."
"Grull".

　Seto, smiling and patting his head, chirps happily.
　Seeing this situation, Arra finally stops releasing pressure and approaches Seto."Mr. Elena is right.You really helped me."

　Arra's hand is covered with dried meat, and Seto pecks it with a stick and carries it into his mouth.

"Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
"Not at all, for this friendly thing is to fight incredibly bravely when it comes to fighting."
"Well, the Gryphon is so great,"

　interrupts Dusker, wondering if Elena and Arra's words interested him.
　It is fair to say that he did not seem to care a bit about the strange atmosphere I mentioned earlier.

"Well, to the extent that I think Sett and Ray would not be able to get anywhere near them."
"...huh,"

　Dusker smiled as if he had heard a good story.
　Elena and Arra approach such a dasker from before Sett.

"If Dusker hadn't sent Ray to guard me, I probably wouldn't have been able to come back from the dungeon....they often sent Ray as a bodyguard.I cannot thank you enough, Mr. Dusker, even if it was because of my failure."

　The gaffe, I guess, is what Ver is doing behind the scenes to limit himself to rank D.That was understandable to Ray.
　Elena and Dasker shake hands and Arra bow deeply.

"Like Mr. Elena, I have been greatly assisted by Mr. Ray.I can't thank him enough for his wisdom."

　Dusker smiles at them.
　His smile was not as if he were up to something as he had just heard of Ray and Sett's abilities, but as pure as a man.

"Don't worry.for it would have been a great deal of trouble if Mr. Elena had died in my territory.I don't mean to call it perfect goodwill."
"But it is true that I was saved thanks to it, so let me thank you."
"It's not a bad thing to be able to lend money to the aristocracy if I were a neutral."

　said Dusker, holding back the hand which had been held out to Elena.
　Then Elena and Arra finally come before Ray.

"...I really appreciate Ray's help.As for Custe's body, if it had not been for Ray, he would not have been able to return to his family.I want you to come and see me at my house if you have a chance.I shall then welcome him as the successor to the Duke of Kelevel."
"My dear Ray, I will take good care of this Powerax,"
"Oh, I hope you're both well.If a war breaks out, I'll run to you, too.
"Well, if Ray and Sett were to be there, we would be able to compete against them, no matter how powerful the Vestian Empire is."

　Elena smiles at Ray's words, and although she feels like she can see something like a woman's charm unlike her previous smile, she never interrupts them and watches them communicate.

"Well... be well,"
"Yes. Elena, too."
"...huh? Before you knew it, you both began to talk to each other in a friendly way, I don't think so yesterday.""Oh!? Oh, no. This is...."
"Mr. Dusker, Mr. Elena and Mr. Ray understand each other as trustworthy partners by overcoming the crisis together, and Mr. Elena does not have to force himself to use honorific language."

　Arra interrupts as if to protect Elena, who is hesitating to speak, and Dasker smiles again at the mouth.

"I see.Have you won the trust of the Duchess of Kelebel and the famous General?As expected, Ray."
"...thank you,"

　Ray bowed to Dusker with a wry smile at Arla's follow-up.

"I think, Mr. Elena, that we ought to leave soon.Don't spend too much time here..."
"Well, yes....Ray,"

　When Ray looked at Elena's words, he took a step forward and whispered in his ear.

"I dedicated my first.The price of a maiden's lips is by no means cheap."

　To say this briefly, he hurried into the carriage, leaving behind the peculiar scent of Elena, a mixture of body odor and perfume which he had felt when he kissed.

"Well, excuse me.Thank you very much this time."

　At last Arla said, and the carriage left the house of the Count of Larkes for the city.
　and left Ray, whose cheeks were still slightly red.