"...I'm sorry,"

　Rodos bows to Ray at the sight that unfolds before him.
　The trump card Rodos unleashed to penetrate the wind barrier of the Blue Caterpillar. The blow certainly hit the Blue Caterpillar through the wind barrier. However, its strength was so high that its body was shattered to pieces, and fragments of the head of the Blue Caterpillar were rolled around it, and its tail-like body was sewn to the ground with a thorn spear of a thorn. In other words, the most expensive monstrous material sold has also been shattered throughout the body.
　Ray turns his eyes to Rodos, who is bowing, and then breathes out.

"Well, I can't help what I've done,"

　If this were an ordinary adventurer...especially a money‐strapped adventurer at this time of year, he would have caused a stir if he had done poorly. Fortunately, however, Ray himself is not short of money, and if I dare to say so, he wants to kill the devil. One Blue Caterpillar might have made Ray look bad for a magical stone, but fortunately only six of them will be killed. Then he readily forgave Rodos, judging that it would not be so difficult to obtain a magical stone.

"I'll tell you, be prepared that you'll have less of your share for this time.

　Of course I never forgot to remind you like this.

"Oh, I know,"

　With a sigh, Rodos nods, draws a dagger from the sheath worn on the waist opposite to the long sword, and begins to peel off the right antennae of the proof of defeat and the fangs that sell as materials.
　Ray also looks at it and touches a thorn spear that sticks into his torso, erasing the thorn from the tip of the ear and collecting it.

(A thorn spear? It's a pretty useful magic item, but it's a bit disappointing that you can only make thorns while the tip of your ear is stuck.) It would be very versatile if there were any thorns left after the removal.)

　He muttered inwardly, gazing at the thorn's spear, wiped Blue Caterpillar's fluid with a cloth taken out of the mistling and stored it in a way that would replace it with a death-size, and Rodos was already waiting for Ray to be ready.

"Grull".

　As I have nothing particular to do in Seto, I spend my time watching my surroundings.
　It seems that he had no appetite for Blue Caterpillar, a caterpillar, probably inherited Ray's preference to some extent when he was born in the art of sorcery.

"Now, then, next," Set, please."
"Gurgling!"

　At Ray's request, Seto ran up into the skyward.





"Hit!"

　Flying slashes fired by death-size skills cut through the wind barriers that Blue Caterpillar had put up and cut off its soft torso. hours after first knocking down the Blue Caterpillar Ray and Rodos breathe a sigh of relief after finally defeating the sixth Blue Caterpillar.

"It's over at last," It's getting dimmer, and we'd better go back to town before dark."
"Well, lunch was easy, and I'd like to have something warm for dinner."

　Peel off the right antennae and tusks with a stripping knife, slightly frowning and cutting at the touch of the fuselage of the wobbly Blue Caterpillar, and agreeing with Rodos, washing away the fluid of the Blue Caterpillar on the magical stone with the water produced by the flowing dagger.
　Rodos sighs at Ray's words.

"The simple thing about that dish is... that's why you don't have an item box."

　Rodos muttered somewhat dumbfoundedly, but I've heard that kind of word so many times that I'm not particularly concerned about it.

"It's good that you've had your own food, not just dried meat and bread."
"Oh, yes," But when you are asked to do it with your father and mother, and you have the luxury of doing it with them... what is the matter?"

　As they speak, Rodos reflexively asks when he suddenly sees Ray's movements pause. Of course, we don't forget to keep ourselves in position to get out of the waist longsword in case something unexpected happens.
　Wiping the demolition knife with a piece of mistling cloth, Ray explores the surroundings without answering the words. By Ray's side, Seto is also on the alert with a sharp look around him so that he can act no matter what.

(This moment I felt my gaze... but it soon disappeared.) Then, my misunderstanding? No, but as far as Seto is concerned, he is sure to be wary of his surroundings. In that case, it is safe to assume that my misunderstanding is unlikely. But did they stop looking at me as soon as they realized that I was looking at them? There was no sign that I could feel them.

"Set?"
"Glu".

　The short question alone probably tells you what Ray wants to hear. But Seto croaks and shakes his head.

(Is it impossible to do it with a set?) In that case, as soon as I noticed my gaze, I had already left this place... No, then, given Seto's five senses, there is no possibility of missing it. Then... no way, metastasis?)

　Quickly gather ideas inside and connect ideas.
　Speaking of metastasis, Ray first comes to mind a magic item for metastasis that seems to have been created by an alchemist in the Bestian Empire. Ray himself had never met anyone other than Grimm on Rich Road, which led to his conclusion.

"Hey, Ray. What's wrong with you all of a sudden? Is it another monster or something?"
"…I think it was just my imagination." I guess I'm nervous because I've been out of town for the first time in a while."

(Did you reach out to the streets of Gillum without learning... or did I aim at it?)

　Ray, shaking his head at Rodos, but thinking inside.
　for he had thwarted an assassination plot aimed at Elena in a dungeon, captured an alchemist who was working behind the scenes in the streets of Gillum, and captured two of his men, the Mystery. Given that it is difficult to send people because of its remote location, Ray would be nothing but a nuisance to the Westian Empire. And if you leave the person in the way, he or she may suffer the same damage again, so it is natural to think about getting rid of them.

(However, in this wilderness, even if they attack, they can be easily detected because there are few people. Especially, I have Seto. If that happens, it's possible that it's downtown.

"Anyway, I've knocked down six blue caterpillars. Wouldn't it be really cold to stay here and go back to town?"
"Oh, yes," I remembered a lot of things to do."
"What should I do?"
"Remember I had a little errand," I'm sorry, but I'll let you go back to the inn as soon as I hand over the proof of subjugation in the guild. As for the toast, my family will ask for it."
"Congratulatory cups... I don't think you'd have to exaggerate them so much just to get rid of these requests." Here we go. I don't want to worry my moms because I'm late to get back to town."
"Oh, yes,"
"... Hey, are you really all right?

　He always makes fun of Ray, but Rodos unexpectedly asks him about his unconcerned attitude.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I've got something to do."
"Do you want to go back to the city of Gilmoo on the set?"

　Rodos turns his eyes to Seto, but Seto ignores him as usual.
　Ray, who seems stubborn, caresses his head with a smile.

"No, it's nothing to hurry up to," And I don't know what Elk and Min will say if I leave you alone and go back to town."

(And if the real target of me was the hands of the Vestian Empire, Rodos, who worked with me here, could be targeted as a hostage. If you go back to the city of Gilm, you will find Elk, and it will be safer to work with him until then.)That's how Ray thought, but as soon as he heard what he said, Rodos raised his eyebrows.

"Hey, I'm not a child in need of a charm, nor am I a newcomer to the guild. I don't mind if I'm alone."
"Don't talk too much. You know better than I do that it is dangerous to act alone outside the city."

　act alone outside the city Generally speaking, it's nothing but suicide. Or if it's close to a somewhat developed city outside of the frontier, there will still be some people acting alone. But the presence of Ray and Rodos is remote. Is it someone who has some confidence in his or her skills, an overconfident fool, or an amateur who knows nothing about the frontier? If they weren't, they wouldn't act alone outside the city.

(Well, Rank C might have confidence in your skills, but... acting alone without meaning is definitely not something a skilled adventurer should take. --that may be the reason why other adventurers call it the Seven Lights of Parents.)

　Rodos, perhaps cold-headed by Ray's words, reluctantly headed for the city with them.





"Well, then, I've checked the guild card. and this is the necklace of the devil."


　At the entrance to the city of Guilm, we have done our usual correspondence with Langa and put the guild card we received into the Mistilling. hang a demon necklace around Seto's neck

"And yet, even though I have made enough money... and why did you ask me at this time of year, not solo, but with Rodos, the axe of Thunder God."
"Well, why?"

　Langa bows her head slightly to Ray, who tells her so.

"Is it a poor thing to ask? Then I won't ask you any more."
"No, not at all. I don't know why I went out of my way to get a request at this time of year. It's all Elk's idea."
"Oh, that's again..."

　Langa has also been a captain of the guards for a reasonable amount of time, so Elk's freewheeling. ...in other words, I look at Ray as if I sympathize with him because I know he's random and funny.

"It would have been better if this had at least been the expedition of a monster with meat to eat for Seto Sure enough, Seto doesn't want to eat Blue Caterpillar either."
"Grull".

　a sound of surprise

"Ah, well, Blue Caterpillar has a fierce character." As a city guard, I'm glad they'll reduce the number. We've had some damage lately."

　Talk lightly like that and go into the city of Gilm.
　He goes straight to the guild with Rodos, where he buys materials, proofs of subjugation, and magical stones, and shares the sale price with the guild -- of course Ray, who has secured two magical stones, pays less for it -- and then walks around the city with Seto, leaving Elk, who invites him to a banquet, and Kenny, who was about to invite him to a meal.

(...there are none.)

　Ray mumbling inwardly, feeling the gaze directed at him. Similarly, Seto appears somewhat restless and walks down the street eating the sandwiches Ray bought him.

(I don't know the exact location of the place if I was in such a crowd like this.

　It's already evening, and people who eat and go to bars in the city. There is a reasonable crowd of people on the way home from work. Some of them were sending Ray an observation in such a crowd, but he still couldn't tell where the master was.

"Set?"
"Glu".

　Similarly, Seto grunts discontentedly, as if it were impossible to find the master of his gaze in the crowd.

(Then you have no choice but to lure him to some unpopular place. When I think about the Blue Caterpillar, I'm more likely to run away as soon as I know I'm invited, but it's not interesting to keep watching.)

"I'm sorry, but I and Seto have a little business to do. Play with me again tomorrow.

　I tell that to a few children who still came to see me in the cold that it might snow.

"Oh! I could have played with Seto for a while."
"Yes, you know, I got some dried meat. So it's a little better!"
"Seto-chan..."

　Despite each protesting, they could not possibly have brought this child to the house and managed to get it home in about five minutes.

"...well, shall we go?"
"Glu".

　Smiling bitterly at the children's cheerfulness, they go into a back alley with few people even in the streets of Gilm. Make sure you keep your gaze on yourself, and if you're not good at it, you'll walk down a maze of back alleys, and then you'll get to the dead end.

"Will there be an ogre or a snake?"

　Whispering, he took a knife from the mistling. 　
　It's because in this small space, Ray's specialty is a death-size thing that's too rough to handle.
　But hide it in a dragon lobe so that the enemy doesn't know at first sight that you're armed. The reason why the knife is not more powerful is because it also takes into account throwing.

"Don't you want to hide the hint already?"

　Even though we've reached the end of the back alley, where there's no one but myself and Seto, the gaze still remains. In a very different way from what he did outside the city, Ray waits... and a figure emerges from the road they had just taken a few minutes later.

"Well, I was quite confident in my covert actions, but I never thought they would catch my gaze so easily."