The day after spending time in the city of Abuero, about an hour after the six o'clock bell rang, a party of merchants, including Alexander, and members of the bodyguard's beautiful drops, and Ray was making arrangements to leave the city near the main gate.
　I was handing a guild card to the head of the guard who looked sorry for yesterday's incident.

"Oh? I'm sure you're..."

　I get a call from behind me like that.
　Ray, who had given him a guild card, turned around and saw about four adventurers.
　The first would be the four-strong warrior. The pale scale armour, believed to have been made from snake-like monster scales, stood out badly. And Ray also recalls when he sees someone with such characteristic equipment.

"When I was Sword B."
"Yes! I was saved then! But why did you go to the city of Abuero?"
"As you can see, it's a bit of a bodyguard," ...and I know better than that. I wasn't with him for an hour at that time, and I'm not particularly conspicuous at the moment."

　With Sett, Ray wouldn't have been particularly surprised to find himself, as this is the best landmark. However, Ray now wears only a dragon robe that looks like a normal robe because of its cover-up effect. Or it doesn't have a death size, which can be said to be Ray's symbol. He expressed surprise at the fact that he had a good grasp of himself in such a situation.

"What are you talking about?" You've shared most of Sword B. I can't forget his benefactor's face."
"…that's not it." Well, I'm glad you look well anyway. But why are you getting ready to go out at this time of year?"

　Being in line behind them trying to leave the city means they also have business to do. Ray made the decision and asked, but the adventurers only laughed bitterly.

(...I see. Are you short of money?)

　Ray is vaguely understood when he sees it. I judge it because it had an atmosphere similar to that of the Miller Dog, which was somehow short of money.
　And it wasn't wrong.

"Ah, hahahahahaha. Well, you know. It's kind of...

　Ray nods softly to a scale armour man who is trying to mislead him with a bitter smile.

"Well, hang in there. I'm..."
"Hey, Ray. We're leaving, so stop talking and join us!"

　Ray was about to say something when he heard Taenia's voice from the merchant corps.
　Raise your hand lightly to convey your understanding to the Taenia and call out to the adventurers in front of you.

"... as you can see, we must go now."

　As Ray made his way towards Taenia, an adventurer equipped with scale armour hurriedly shouted.

"We're the blade of the rank E party, thank you for Sword B. Tell me if there's anything I can do to help you!"

　The words made Ray raise his hand slightly backward and move towards Alexander's company.





"Do you know them?"

　As the carriage begins to move forward, Fabel asks, Ray shakes his head slightly at the remark.

"I don't know him," I'm glad I knocked down Sword B. when I passed by here before, but I didn't have time to peel the material off. I only gave it up to the people who happened to pass by."
"...you have an item box?"

　Fabel, walking near the carriage, leaned his head and asked. His favorite shield hung from his back, and his sword sheath hung from his waist.
　The shield, damaged irreparably in the Battle of Icebird, appeared to have been renewed in the city of Gilm and was quite different from its predecessor.
　A momentary glance at the shield, then a small nod.

"Oh, you have to touch the object, even if you put it in an item box. I didn't even have the time."
"...what have you been in such a hurry again?"
"Wait a minute. ... Oh, here you come."

　I turned my gaze into the sky as if to mislead Fabelle, and saw Seto gliding down to the earth with his wings stretched out.

"Gurling!"

　As soon as it lands on the ground, it slows down to Ray.
　No matter how slow it is, a Gryphon over two meters in length is thrusting in. Squeezed, Fabel keeps his distance from Ray, or speeds up as if he could not stand the horse-drawn carriage near him. Even if he was a horse pulling a carriage, Seto, the Gryphon, was afraid, or seemed to resist... or rather, he was happy to speed up. It is, however, a well-trained horse in the area where he is not in a state of panic.
　But...

"Oh! ... well, well, well, well, well! Seto, have you been well since you spent the night outside? Aren't you hungry?"

　Ray didn't even get blown away by the thrusting set... and he was patting it on the spot, taking it without any particular difficulty.
　As the people around her stared at her in astonishment, Seto must have been satisfied with Ray's sufficient indulgence. Finally calm, he takes up his position next to Ray, assuming that he was in his place.

"Well... Mr. Ray, are you all right?"
"Oh, I've surprised you a little," There's no problem. It's no use taking time here, and let's move on quickly."

　Ray responds to Alexander's words, who timidly asked. At that moment, it was only natural that the people around us agreed, thinking, 'Don't say it!'

"Well, that'said he. Now we're away from the city of Abuero, and the cabs line up. Please do the same as yesterday. Considering the distance to the city of Subursta, please be careful about it as it will be a field retreat tonight. Well, let's go."

　Along with what Alexander said, horse-drawn carts line up as they did yesterday. and the faces of the beautiful drops were left and right and left. Ray and Sett position themselves behind the scenes.
　Louid wanted to take care of Seto, but Taenia's forceful lead did not cause any trouble, and he began to make his way to the city of Subursta.





　I guess it's the influence of the existence of Seto. Like yesterday, the party goes down the highway without being attacked by monsters.
　In the first place, as long as you're already out of the frontier, you don't have to worry too much about attacking monsters. But instead...

(Oh, you're here again.)

　Ray, with extraordinary eyesight, finds a figure hiding behind a tree growing at the end of the road and mutters in his heart.Within a short time of leaving the city of Abuero, they had often found themselves checking on themselves. He was skilled at hiding enough to be called a scout, and when he had lunch a few hours earlier, he noticed for the first time that he had told Taenia, who was in command of the bodyguard.
　In this case, it should be commended that the skill of the members of the beautiful drop is superior to that of the bandits. Ray had expected that the theft on this road had improved his skills.

(Am I the only one who should have acted separately at lunch time, even if I ignored the opinions of Taenia and Alektor?)

　That being the case, Taenia's opinion was that he did not want to separate his forces here and take advantage of them as long as they were already watching themselves.
　Ray makes Seto launch a surprise attack from above. Taenia was enthusiastic when she expressed her opinion, but now Alektor has expressed her disapproval, albeit negatively. Ray and Sett are certainly extremely strong forces. But it was Alexander's opinion that it was only an individual force, and considering the case where he was attacked by robbers by taking advantage of the great deal of trouble.

(But if you came to scout as soon as you left the city of Abuero, you'll find the robbers in it.)

　There's nothing strange about it. Since robbers appear most frequently on the roads connecting Abuero and Subursta, it is only natural in a way that there are personnel in the streets to obtain information about the merchant corps passing through them.

"What, Ray? Maybe again?"

　He must have noticed Ray's frowned eyebrows as he walked. Taenia, who was walking by the side of the carriage, slowed down and came up to Ray's side to talk to him.

"Oh, do you see a few trees growing at the end of this road? There was a man who seemed to be a spy of a thief just a moment ago behind that second tree from the right. ...however, he's no longer here. Perhaps he came here to see how the guards were trained and how the tradesmen were doing."

　Taenia, listening to Ray's words, looked down the road, but unfortunately with her sight she could only see the trees growing. However, as Ray himself said, there was no man who seemed to be a spy for the bandits.

"Well, you seem to be full of spirit to attack us."
"Well, that's why I said I'd catch the thief while I was having lunch. If I could have got the information, I would have attacked him and made a sweeping effort."
"That's impossible, as long as your employer says no." And if you say you're a scout, you're not a good scout, are you? If you're not good at it, it's possible that you'll find a living bait."
"...can the thief's head go that far?"
"I don't know," But this road has spread considerably when thieves come out. In the midst of that, they're continuing to be bandits. You could be smart to some extent. Well, if we were really smart, we wouldn't be able to continue to commit theft where our information was."

　Ray listens to Taenia and nods after a few seconds of thinking.
　Surely the underlings, but the one who leads the bandits is more intelligent than they are...or might as well be sharp.

"But I don't think it's going to be a real attack,"
"What is the basis for that?"

　At Ray's words, Taenia turns her gaze to Seto, who is walking next to him.

"Do you think there's a Gryphon, but there's going to be a bandit? Normally, when you're carrying a Rank A monster, you don't. There's no chance of winning, no matter how you look at it."
"... certainly,"

　Taenia's words, so to speak, make sense to me understand.
　But there was still some bad feeling in Ray's mind.

"And yet... when do you think they'll attack you?"
"You're not going to attack me, are you?" ...but yes. But if it were to attack me, wouldn't it be early tomorrow morning, when the watchman's guard would be low?"
"I suppose, but then... should I keep watch at dawn?"

　Already in Ray, it was conceived that there would be an attack by the robbers. With a look of amazement on his face, Taenia was unable to say for sure that there was no attack.

(If Ray, who became the youngest Rank C adventurer in the remote town of Gilm, says, is it too early to throw away the possibility of an attack?)

　With this in mind, the party continues along the road, until, as the sun turns into a sunset, Alexander stops his carriage near the rather large woodlands and announces that he will spend the night there, and each begins to prepare for the night camp.





"Then two shifts is enough for the watchman to be it.

　After dinner, the surroundings were already dark in winter, but merchants in the merchant corps were talking over the fire, drinking, playing cards, and so on, saying that it was too early to go to bed.
　Meanwhile, three of the beautiful drops and Ray were discussing the order of tonight's bodyguards, warming up in one bonfire.

"Two shifts, dear," It's certainly good for us to be able to keep watch in groups of three, but... is Ray all right by himself?"

　At Taenia's words, Ray shrugs his shoulders and turns to Seto, who lies on the ground beside him. Incidentally, only Ray, Taenia and Fabelle are actually consulting on guard, and Louide looks ecstatic, caressing Seto's coat.

"You don't have to worry about that when Sett is here. To be honest with you, I think that with respect to the watch, Seto would be enough."
"But!"

　Rey's reflexive attempt to say something stopped Fabel with his hand out.

"I know," You're telling me that as long as I'm employed as a bodyguard, I have to keep a good watch, right? Of course, I have no objection to that. That's why I'm making suggestions like this is why I'm making suggestions."
"...are you sure you'really.

　Rey nods without hesitation to Taenia's words asking for confirmation.
　Ray has absolute confidence in his night watch in one respect: Seto is here. It wasn't groundless confidence, it was confidence because I had left it to Seto many times before.

"Well, yes, Ray's confidence is not groundless, considering Sett's presence. And Ray himself is a higher-ranked adventurer than we are."

　Taenia, the leader of the beautiful drops, nodded, and the order of guarding was fixed during the night camp.