Ray went into a complicated back alley to lure him and the person watching Seto. Waiting at the dead end, a person appears with a wry smile.

"I was quite confident in my secret activities, though. Could you tell me how you noticed my gaze, if you like?"

　The figure, believed to be in her early twenties, asks Ray with a slight tilt in her head.

"All I can say is, somehow,"

　Staring at the woman, he watched her while holding a knife in the dragon lobe telling her to mislead her.
　The clothes you wear will be lost to the people of the city dwellers. It's no different from what ordinary women wear for the cold. If I had to make a difference, I would say that there are some reinforcements on the clothes, but that's not so unusual.
　He's about twenty years old. She's pretty in her own way, but she's not as beautiful as anyone can turn around. He had black hair tied behind his head and had what he called a ponytail.

"You seem to have been very eager to look at me in the daytime, but what do you want to do?"

　a woman frowning slightly at the question

"You knew it, after all." That's what I should say, but... I'll lose some confidence. What do you think? Can you go out with me next time? I think you'll be a very good training partner."

　Ray snaps at the woman who says so with a smile.

"You didn't go out of your way to keep an eye on me for that kind of joke, did you? I don't want to go out of my way in this cold weather, either. I'd like you to tell me your business as soon as possible."
"... he's a completely unfriendly person." I'm still fairly confident in my appearance."

　a woman who turns her eyes toward Ray with a sharp mouth.
　In this case, however, you can only say that the other party was at fault. After all, there are many beautiful women around Ray who look above the standard. Guild receptionists Lenora and Kenny. Marina the guildmaster. And Elena, who is called General Hime. Not a few other adventurers in the city of Gilm are more handsome than they are.
　Even women who are a little proud of their appearance fall into the category of women who are a little better looking than Ray.

(However, there is no sign that this woman is seriously tempting me.) perhaps a little entertainment before the main subject)

"I told you I've had enough of the introduction, haven't I? I don't have enough free time to talk nonsense. Get to the point now."

　Get ready to throw a knife in the robe and get to the point.
　He probably decided that Ray's attitude would only offend him if he dragged on any longer. Eventually, the smile disappears from his face and opens his mouth with a serious expression.

"Mr. Ray, we appreciate your talent. a great deal of magical power and high fighting ability that even a bunch of first‐rate wizards can't compete with. And you, who can even follow the rank A monster Gryphon, should be appreciated more. He should never be the kind of person who ends up just like an adventurer. Won't you come down below us?"
"...the Empire of Bestia."

　Ray's voice murmured, but in this back alley, it was loud enough for a woman to hear.
　When the woman heard the name, her face wouldn't budge and she was waiting for Ray's reaction. But there was certainly no agitation in his face, but his fingertips. Ray didn't miss the slight jolt there. It was a momentary upset that would never have been noticed, but that was enough for Ray.

"Well, indeed," ...you're a good hand. If we can take in me, who has been in our way so far, the strength of the Empire of Bestia will increase while reducing the strength of the Kingdom of Milliana. It's like killing two birds with one stone."
"Two birds with one stone?"

　A woman who frowns suspiciously without knowing the Japanese four-letter idiom.
　Looking at such a woman, he turns his attention to the surroundings he felt when he named the Empire of Bestia.

(The number is 2. On the roof to the right and the corner of the passage behind her.)

　When I glanced at Seto, I looked back at Ray in silence, perhaps because he had already confirmed it.

"Don't worry, it's the expression of where I grew up. Rather, is it fair to say that he didn't deny it to be the master of the Westian Empire?"
"...that's right. It seems that you've been able to see through it from the beginning, and you don't have to hide it any more? By the way, may I ask you how you knew that I belonged to the Vestian Empire?"
"It's not a difficult story," I simply thought of a fellow in the street who I was in the way of."
"There must be factions in this country called the Lords and the Kings, but if I knew that there was a man like you under the Neutral Count Larcks, I should be glad to draw him out."
"The aristocrats have some hand-in-hand."
"A messenger?"

　She asks me strangely, but Ray dares to ignore it and continues.

"Of course, I know that the opinions of the nobility are not necessarily unified. and the King's side has never really touched it."
"Why then?"
"Well, there's no clear reason. However, if you think about the power that is most troubling for me at the moment, the Bestian Empire has become the most likely candidate. for even the few alchemists, and even the magicians, who were supposed to be trump cards, were captured for their involvement with me."
「……」

　a woman who responds in silence to Ray's
　In fact, for the Westian Empire, several incidents centered around the city of Gilm were nothing but blunders. Postgera, an alchemist who failed to assassinate Elena, one of the great factions of the kingdom of Milliana, and over time approached Bornter, the head of the Azot Chamber of Commerce, a powerful figure in the city of Gillum, and two of the demon soldiers who guarded him are now in the hands of the kingdom of Milliana.
　Because of the remote area of the city of Guilm, information was delayed to the Empire of Bestia, and by the time the situation was detected, postgayers and demagogues had already been escorted to the royal capital, making it almost impossible to touch. So, at least after investigating the cause, it came to light that Ray, who is still a Rank D adventurer but whose fighting power is said to reach Rank A and even Rank S in the future.
　In addition, Ver Sails, who betrayed the kingdom of Mileana and went to the Empire of Bestia, kept silent and gave little answer to Ray's information, so it was probably more difficult to find his presence.

"And the withdrawal from the Westian Empire?" I'm quite satisfied with this town. Is there any benefit to me?"
"As you already know, next spring the Vestian Empire will start a war on the kingdom of Milliana. If you know of the existence of the Mystery, don't you know if there is a chance of victory in the Kingdom of Milliana?"
"Well, is it in my interest to survive?" ...but I am, after all, an adventurer, not a soldier or knight employed in this country. Is there a way to leave this country in case of emergency?"
"Do you carelessly miss me for disturbing the Empire of Bestia? A war that will take place next spring. In that case, you will undoubtedly be the target of the Empire of Bestia. Even if you're not on the battlefield, there's no doubt that a shadow like ours will come out. But if you surrender to the Vestian Empire now, I promise you a considerable reward. Gold, women, knighthoods... well, my hobby is collecting magical stones and magic items. I can promise you a good reward."If he continues to belong to the Kingdom of Milliana, he will be ruined. a woman who offers the conditions that if she turns to the Westian Empire, her reward will be at her disposal. If Ray had been an ordinary person and adventurer, he might have turned over. But...

"I'm sorry to say no to you. I've been very hostile to him. I have an emotional lump, and I have an obligation to the people of this country. And most of all, I don't want to belong to a country that attracts people like Ver."

　For Ray, those rewards were not what he wanted even when he lost his place.

(Well, magical stones and magic items are a bit disappointing)

　Ray, smiling inwardly, can feel the presence of the woman in front of him gradually becoming more sceptical.

"Well, that's too bad. However, I was refused, and I couldn't go back to my country. Besides, considering your actual fighting power, it can be a nuisance to us. That's why..."

　When the woman told me that, while we were talking, the sun was already setting and Ray heard something flying from the right in the dimness.

"Oops!"

　When I raise the dragon lobe to the right of the instant sound, the next moment I hear something playing with a shrill metallic sound.

"Stupid! With that robe!"

　a woman with a look of amazement at what happened before her Regardless, Ray quickly throws his knife toward the needle.

"Slip!"

　Even for the person who threw the needle, it would have been unexpected to get a proud needle shot in the robe if it was avoided. A dagger sticks into the torso and falls straight from the roof to the ground.
　The three men's biggest misfortune was still dealing with Ray. A knife that was thrown with the power to penetrate a leather armour, which was defended by an improbable method of preventing the blow of a needle that penetrated even metal armor with a robe, and which was made many times stronger than a normal leather armour by the Alchemy of the Bestian Empire.
　And

"Ringling!"

　Seth kicked the earth with a savage cry, kicked the wall, and went round behind the woman like a triangular jump...

"What!"

　Perhaps she was frightened by the way Seth looked, but all she saw was her back, her wings, and her tail, as she immediately turned around and took out the whip from the inside of her coat to fight against Seth.

"What?"

　He utters a stupid voice at the unexpected behavior, but when he immediately realizes the purpose of Seto and opens his mouth to talk to his comrades who were hiding in the corner of the road, his voice is whispered in his ear.

"It's easy to take your eyes off the target,"

　Then, the woman feels a shock to her neck with her voice and almost loses consciousness.
　Falling to the ground, the moment I saw Ray, who was supposed to be nearly 10 meters away, waving his sword down his neck.

"Why... why..."

　With that voice, I glanced at the woman who had completely lost consciousness and fell to the ground, and the next moment I heard a sound as if something heavy had been knocked down.
　Looking that way, Ray saw a man dressed in black who had probably been hit by a blow on Seto's front foot, destroying the beaten wall and blowing it away.
　As a Gryphon, he has extraordinary power, and he is raised to the bottom with magic items. It was easy for Ray to predict that the blow would have been blown away and broken through the wall.

"The estimate of the strength of me and Seto was too lenient,"

　Ray tells a woman who falls to the ground and faints.
　Under such a ray, Seto returns with a black man who had just blown off with a stick.

"He's the one who's thrown the needle. Seto, I'll be watching here, and I'll throw a knife and bring him to the ground."
"Glu".

　At Ray's request, he cries deep in his throat, leaving it to him, and then heads straight to where the man would have fallen.
　Ray muttered as he watched her back.

"Now that you mention it, the needle..."

　a ray looking to the ground Although the sun has already completely set and the surroundings are covered in darkness, it has not been so difficult for Ray, who can see at night, to find a needle. Ray, who was hit by a dragon lobe and picked up a needle that was lying on the ground.

"…I see. As might be expected of a shadow, or a spy."

　When I see a needle about 20 cm long that I picked up, I mutter without thinking.
　The needle itself is painted black, and if thrown at that speed, you wouldn't normally see it.

"If possible, I'd rather avoid it with sound. But if I were to be hurt a little bit."

　The tip of the blackened needle is wet with some liquid. I don't know how it would work, but it was clear that it would never work well for the body.
　After that, Seto brought in a man dressed in black with a knife stuck in his stomach, but it was clear that he would die as it was due to severe bleeding, so he decided that more prisoners should be taken out of the mistling to stop bleeding.