Watching Elk staring at the watchman lying on the ground, Ray calls out to Elk again.

"And what are you going to do now?"
"What are you going to do? That's definitely the case, isn't it? As soon as we hand him over to the security forces, we will rescue Min and Rodos towards the city of Abuero."
"It's impossible,"

　Ray who cuts Elk's words to pieces.
　When Elk hears it, he turns a half-killing stare at Ray.

"... why?"
"Think carefully. From here to the city of Abuero is about a day. It would take more than half a day to crush a horse. The two men will be killed if this man, who is on the watch by then, doesn't contact them regularly. Am I the only one who thinks that way?"
「……」
"To tell you more, your ribs are broken. I think I can use potions and recovery magic to treat them, but I don't think I'm in perfect condition."
"Even if you tell me that you said.

　Elk with a little wry smile and a sigh.

"But what do you do then? I have no choice but to kill Min and Rodos without saying anything?"
"Nobody has said such a thing. There are steps to be taken. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fortunately, it will take a few hours to get to Seto. Even if we had been in regular contact by any means, wouldn't it be possible to mislead them?"
"...that's right." I think so, too."

　Elk and Ray interrupted the conversation, a man with a stern beard and a gentle expression. It was Langa, a guard captain familiar to Ray. There are about five guards behind him.

"Langa..."
"Well, you are at the centre of the disturbance,"

　Langa mutters a wry smile at Ray, who shrugs his shoulders lightly and looks at the black man.

"It can't be helped," Their purpose was my life in the first place. Isn't it the guard's jurisdiction to do something about it before they get into the city?"
"Don't be silly, will you?" I'm accompanied by Mr. Elk, a Rank A adventurer, who can't be taken into custody or refused access to the city without any evidence."

　It's also a problem to be able to change the city in which Rank A adventurers are based by acting rashly. He tells his subordinates what he says and takes them into custody.

"Well, I'd like you to tell me the details, if possible."

　Langa says so while looking at Elk and Ray, but immediately shakes his head and decides it's impossible.
　That's because Ray and Elk were arguing.

"Then lend me your set," Then there should be no problem."
"That's a big deal. You weigh too much in the first place. Even Seto is too tired to move by the time he gets to the city of Abuero. On the contrary, if you're not good at it, you might get exhausted before you reach the city of Abuero."

　A considerably larger body than Ray has dense muscles all over the body. Furthermore, the leather armour made of monster skin, and the axe of thunder god, which is a huge weapon, if not as big as death size. Together, Ray expected Elk to weigh more than 150 kilograms.

"Then what shall I do?"
"... well, wouldn't it be better for me to go in this case?"
"Wait! Min and Rodos are being held hostage!? If you're going to help me, I'm right to go!"
"That's why I'm saying it's impossible. As I said, it's out of the question that you should travel on a set. The only time Seto can move without getting tired is when he's on board me."

　Listening to their conversation, Ranga frowns unconsciously after understanding the general situation.
　It's because the families of well-known Rank A adventurers in the streets of Gilm are being held hostage by the enemy.

"But your scythe must be a great deal heavier than the axe of Thunder God, and if you are not good at it, it must be heavier than that."
"Desize only works for users to reduce weight. In other words, if I hold it, Seto won't feel heavy."

　To be more precise, Seto and Death Size, which were created as demagogues, have a magical connection, which allows Seto to swing the Death Size around with little weight like Ray did, but as long as he was hiding about the demagogues, he couldn't have explained it.
　But after all that talk, I guess you're still not convinced. Elk pauses for a few seconds and eventually reopens.

"There's no point in going to the city of Abuero, if you don't know where his companions lie?"
"If you say that, isn't Elk the same?"
"No, I'll stop by the city of Abuero before I come back here. At that time, I met Min and Rodos, so I know where they are."
「ならそれを俺に教えればいいだけだろう. それに、こいつらがランクA冒険者でもあるお前を甘く見ているとは思えない. 恐らくはお前と顔合わせした場所から移動させられているだろうな. なら、お前がどこで会ったのかはあくまでも参考にしかならない」

　次々にエルクの言葉を否定していき、やがてエルクもそれ以上抗弁出来なくなったのか黙り込む.
　その様子を黙って見ていたランガだったが、エルクが黙り込んだのを見て口を開く.

「警備隊としても、今回の件を知ってる人からきちんと事情を聞きたいところですね. ……どうでしょう？　今回の件はギルドマスターに相談してみては？」
「ギルドマスターに？」

　予想外の言葉だったのだろう. エルクが思わずランガへと尋ね返す.
　だが、ギルドマスター同士が通信を行う為のマジックアイテムを持っているのを知っていたレイは、特に何かを言うでもなく頷く.
　エルクにしても、もちろんギルド同士が連絡を取りあうことが出来るというのは知っていた. But basically I was in charge of the avant-garde, and I left the difficulties to my wife, Min, so I couldn't think of it.

"Yes, I think the guildmaster can contact the guildmaster of Abuero. so that while Ray is on his way to the city of Abuero in Seto, he can be investigated by the guild robbers, and we can carry out a rescue operation at once."
"…I see. I can't go to the city of Abuero, no matter what. -- Ray, will you ask me?"

　After a few seconds of closing eyes, Elk turns to Ray and tells him so.
　Despite his broken ribs, his expression shows no sign of pain.

"I understand that I'm not fit to ask you to do such a thing for your life. If you help Min and Rodos, I'll make amends. If you want magic items, I'll give you the axe of the god of thunder. If you can't forgive me, I'll give you this life. So...please! Min, Rodos... help those two who can say it's all about me!"Rank A Adventurer, Axe of Thunder God Elk is adored by many adventurers because of his generous and caring personality in the city of Gilm. Of course, he is one of the best in the city of Guillem in terms of pure ability, which is a man who is supposed to be one of the best in the kingdom of Mileana except for the standard of Rank S, and he simply bowed his head sincerely, abandoning both ostentatiousness and reputation. Even when compared to my son, I became a younger boy.
　the spectators who had been watching the Lays from the inn, or the guards who had come with Langa. Everyone was breathtaking at the unexpected sight.
　I can't believe it. I can't believe it. Is this really a real event?
　And Ray, bowed by the elk, breathes out a sigh, feeling the many glances that people are looking at him.

"Don't worry. We don't know each other apart from Rodos and Min. I can't say I'm going to help you... but I'm going to do everything I can. And..."
"And?"
"No, nothing,"

　When Langa finds fault with Ray's words, he shakes his head slightly and breaks his pursuit.

(It's the Empire of Bestia, which has made a lot of noise on me. No, to be exact, is it right to say that we have been interfering with the ploys of the Vestian Empire. I guess that's why I got angry and wanted to do something about my eyesore, but my idea was too lenient. Shall I interrupt you again this time? And I'll have you pay me well for my intimidating behavior. the blood, flesh, and anguish of the soldiers of the Vestian Empire, counting down to the beginning of the war.)

"Then shall we go to the guild first?" To get the guildmaster Marina to contact the city of Abuero."
"Well, it's better to actually act than to think about a lot of things here. Ray, I'll be right there!"

　While Ray is thinking like that, Elk grabs Ray's arm and forces him into the city.

"Wait a minute! I don't mind going like this, but what are you going to do with my room! There's a hole in the wall!"
"Well, it certainly was. Well... Langa, can I ask you?"
"Well... I see." Please explain to the people at the inn staff. I'll tell you the details later, but for the time being there will be no problems. As for the repair cost...

　Langa's gaze glints toward Elk.
　You must have understood the meaning of that gaze. Elk also speaks without hesitation.

"Oh, use this for me."

　She tells him so and takes a coin out of a cloth bag hanging from his waist and plays it to Langa's men.
　At first, Langa's men frowned at him, not thinking it was a small sum for Elk, but they took their breath away when they realized that the coin was a gold coin.

"Ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta!"

　a voice as if screaming However, it's the amount of money a family of four can spend at least 10 years. It's a gold coin worth living in moderation for about 30 years. It was no wonder that such a voice should be heard.

"Isn't it too much effort, Mr. Elk?"

　Langa smiles bitterly at the sight of the gold coin, but Elk shakes his head silently.

"No, it's the most famous luxury inn in the city, and I, who's also famous in the city, committed violence. "Considering the reputation of the inn, this is no use."

　No matter how much you are a Rank A adventurer, it's not easy to earn when it comes to gold. But for Elk, it was entirely his own fault. I took this level of expenditure for granted in a way.
　It's obviously too much, but this may be partly due to the negative influence of leaving the party's financial management to Min.

"... oh, I see. If I were to say that, I wouldn't say anything more. Give me a light account of the situation to the person in charge of the inn and give me a gold coin. I would like you to remind me that Ray is not at fault this time."
"Yes! All right!"

　As if he could not bear to drop it, Langa's men, holding the gold in their hands, head towards the inn.
　I guess he saw it off and decided it was all right now. Langa turns to Elk and Ray and opens her mouth again.

"Well, let's go to the guild," We must act as soon as possible to help Mr. Elk's family."
"Oh,"
"Yes,"
"Glu".

　エルク、レイ、セトの順に頷き、その場にいた者達はランガに先導されるようにしてギルドへと向かうのだった.
　尚、ギルドへと向かう途中でレイが半ばおしおきと回復的な意味も込めて普通に飲むととてつもなく不味いと言われているポーションをエルクに無理やり飲ませるという光景もあったのだが……レイに負い目のあるエルクがそれを断れる筈も無く、半ば根性でポーションを飲み干すのだった.





　夜の冒険者ギルド. その中は、昼間と変わらぬ喧噪が広がっている.
　ギルド内部に併設されている酒場は太陽が昇っている時と比べてもより多く客の姿があり、冬の季節に別れを告げるかのように飲み、騒ぎ、あるいはしんみりとしていた.
　そしてそんな酒場と対照的なのがギルドのカウンターの方だろう. 昼間ですらも人の少ないこの季節、夜ともなればそこには冒険者の姿を見つけるのは非常に難しい. たまに金銭的な事情でどうしようも無くなった者達の姿があったりもするのだが、幸い今日はそのようなことは無かったらしい.

「お？　エルクじゃないか. What's wrong with you? And Ray... Hey, are you even with the captain of the security team? What happened?"

　It was certainly nighttime, and not Lenora or Kenny, the receptionist, who was also the flower of the guild, but a Guild employee.
　It's a rare combination, and they're looking at the three men who come into the guild, and at the guards.

"Oh, it's a little troublesome," I'm sorry, but I'd like to meet with the guildmaster."
"To the guildmaster?"... "It seems to be serious."

　a guild official who turns to the faces of those present in response to Elk's.
　a calm and completely unruffled Ray
　Langa's face is slightly tense and tight.
　And Elk, who has an unusually tense expression.
　The guild staff, who saw the three men, immediately judged it was not a matter of course, nodded a little and went down to the guildmaster.