"...what? This place..."

　Ray gets out of bed and looks around at the unfamiliar scenery.
　The room itself is not so large. No, considering that it's about four tatami mats, it could even be said that it's very small.
　I look around that room... and finally remember where I am.

"Well, you ended up staying at that bar."

　Get up and walk out of the room in dragon robes and slapnil shoes.

"Good morning, sir. It was rather late."

　As soon as that happened, a man, who was also the owner of a bar, called out to me, but Ray's reply was somewhat off-putting.

"I told you I don't like drinking,"
"Really? Come to think of it, I don't think so."
"White..."

　Yes, the man in front of him had a party at night to welcome villagers, despite Ray's remark the day before that he was not very good at drinking.
　Ray himself didn't know, but it's not so unusual for visitors to come to this village. But it's true that there aren't so many guests to stay.
　"At first, Ray was going to stay at the inn, but even if I turned down a man's invitation and tried to stay at the inn, I was in a hurry because I was the first guest in a long time."
It must be true that To that extent, there were few guests staying in this village.

"Well, there's a well out there, so get ready. Then it's time for breakfast."
"Oh, I'll let you do that," ...can you ask Setto to cook?"
"Well... that Gryphon eats a lot." I have about the same amount as today, but I wonder if I have to do anything from tomorrow. Is this the very beginning of summer? It will be summer and autumn from now on, and it will be all right to replenish food."

　The words put away the displeased expression and made me feel sorry.
　It was obvious to me that Seto's friendliness was accepted by the people of this village at yesterday's banquet, and that he consumed quite a bit of the food in the bar.
　He must have had a lot of mischief, but he must have felt a little bad about the man who stayed with good intentions. Inside the dragon lobe, take out a few silver coins from a bag taken out of the mistling.

"First of all, it's me and Sett's money for food." Take it."
"... Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, come on, silver for a few days of food."

　He tried to say so without thinking of it, but he couldn't help but choke when he remembered the appetite he saw the day before.

"Well, that's it. I don't know when Elena will arrive in this village, but considering the cost of food for me and Sett, you'd better get it."
"Well, if that's the case, I'll get it for now,"

　The man received the silver coin, but never looked particularly happy.
　In the first place, merchants rarely come to this village, and they basically live on their own. Interaction between villagers is also close to bartering.
　With that in mind, I wonder if the man's acceptance of the silver coin was in Ray's favor.

"Anyway, I'll make you breakfast while you're getting ready." Oh, I've fed him properly."
"Well, that's a relief,"

　say a brief thank you and go out
　When I looked back on it, it seemed to me that it was just a house, though it was a little splendid for the countryside.
　The only indication that this building is a bar would be a sign with a picture of liquor near the entrance.

"Well, it seems like a village with a lot of reasons... that's what I care about. I don't want to go into it out of curiosity."
"Grull?"

　Before I knew it, Seto, who had approached Ray muttering, rubbed his face against him.

"Good morning, Set. Did you sleep well last night?"
"Gruly!"

　The spirited gurgling of the voice showed that there was no problem at all last night.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. It's been a long time since I slept soundly outside the magic tent."

　Dress yourself with water from a well, and then take out a few slices of dried meat and feed them to the set.
　Seto had already finished his breakfast, but without hesitation he was eating the dried meat given to him by Ray.
　It sounds more like a cat than a Gryphon of Rank A monsters called the Death of the Sky.

(Well, as long as the lower part of the body is a lion, it's true that it's a cat department.)

　For about 5 minutes, he plays with me instead of saying hello in the morning, stroking my head and back, brushing my teeth, and then a man comes out of the bar and exhales as if he was dumbfounded.

"Well, I told you I was preparing breakfast. I thought I'd never come back after... you know, Ray! Why don't you have breakfast?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Of course I'll eat."
"Grull".

　When he stood up at the man's words, Seto saw him off, sounding a little lonely.

"Don't worry, I'll be free until Elena comes, anyway. Shall we have a good time together when we finish our breakfast?"
"Ringling!"

　Say Rey's words, "What was the desolate look of a few seconds ago?" Seto purring with delightfully.
　A man who looks at one of them and convinces me that only Elena is involved.
　They would then finish breakfast on a menu of bacon, sausage ham, dried meats and bread, which was not something they would eat in the morning.
　Having eaten almost all of his meat breakfasts, Ray will decide to keep his future meals stocked in the mystery ring.





"Oh, you guys. What's the matter here?"

　After finishing a meal of meat and bread alone, which was a reward for some, but certainly not for others, Ray, who had nothing particular to do, went around the village with Seto.
　That being said, there is nothing particularly unusual from the perspective of the village.
　In the midst of this, Ray went around the farm and asked them to give him some delicious vegetables, so he barter the vegetables that he could use for cooking for something like bicorn meat that he had just lost in the ranking examination.
　And the next person I met in the field where Ray had come was the man who asked where the bar was yesterday.
　But... seeing him holding a hoe, Ray moves his eyebrows slightly.
　It's summer and you're probably wearing long sleeves to protect against sunstroke, sunburn and insects, but it doesn't hide your physique.
　At first glance, he seems to be only a farmer, and certainly a farmer, but at least his predecessors were engaged in combat work.
　Nevertheless, since yesterday I have been vaguely aware that the village has some secret in the Duke of Kelebel's territory, so I tell the farmer the purpose without further investigation.

"Actually, if you have any good summer vegetables, I'd like you to give them to me." Of course I won't say for free. I'd like you to exchange it for a bicorn... What do you think?"
"Oh, well, I just harvested some potatoes... Is that all right?"

　A peasant glinted at a nearby hut. I suppose there are some potatoes there that have been harvested.
　Potatoes are hard to rot by drying them in the shade after harvesting and can be preserved for nearly a year.
　However, dried potatoes naturally lose a few steps compared to immediately after harvesting. Knowing this in Japanese life, Ray nods to the farmer's words and immediately pulls the bicorn meat out of Mistilling.
　The 30kg bicorn block meat was still fresh rather than bad, even though it had been quite a long time since it was in the mistling.(Well, it's only natural that it was in the mystery ring... it's not bad, but it's not maturing well either.)

　Monster meat tastes better with more magic in it. As a result, Ray wondered how much the meat would taste as it matured, but he couldn't think of a place to mature meat because he was working as an adventurer.
　If there was a possibility, it would be the demolition hut of the husta, but if it would interfere with the demolition work of the husta, we could not easily ask for it, and above all, there was a problem of how to manage the temperature.

(No, considering the temperature control, could you order one kind at a dusk wheat-tei? Then it would be the highest-ranked monster meat at the time. Is it a REM race now? I think it's only a part of the meat.)

　It's a sea serpent over 30 meters long. His head was blown up, he gave it to adventurers who helped him dismantle it, and he also served others at parties, but a significant amount remained in the mystery ring.
　That's enough for Ray and Sett to keep eating for more than a year.

"Oh, that's great. Is this bicorn meat? If I can get this much, I don't mind exchanging it for potatoes. Rather than that, I'd like to ask them to exchange it."
"Well, then I'll have some sweet potatoes at once."
"Oh, how much do you want?"
"I don't care as much as meat."

　Ray's words make the farmer look dumbfounded, but he guides him to the hut, saying that he is OK.








"It's -- it's amazing,"

　Potatoes, potatoes, and potatoes spread in the hut. It was a scene you might call a carpet of potatoes.

(It looks like potatoes, not sweet potatoes.) -- well, it's only natural that they're harvested in the summer.)

　After nodding, separate about 30kg and store it in the mistling.
　It was a certain size, but at 30kg it was still a significant amount, and it took about 20 minutes to finish storing everything.

"Well, thank you for the meat,"

　Waving to see him off, Ray and Sett return to strolling around the village.
　After that, they would walk around the village and get vegetables, or they would be invited by the children to catch river fish, and in a way they would spend a summer vacation.

(Come to think of it, it's been more than a year since I came to Elgin.)

　I think about it vaguely as I watch the summer sun set in the distance.
　Ray doesn't regret coming to this Elgin from Japan. If I hadn't come to Elgin in the first place, I'd be dead.
　Thinking of that, Ray was grateful to Zepyle and had no grudge whatsoever.

"Glu".

　Watching Ray's appearance, Seto must have felt something deeply connected. rub one's face against one's throat
　While stroking Seto's head, he looks at the green ears of wheat, which seem to symbolize summer, and laughs small.
　Nothing special happened. I only knew that the same green ear was a rice ear, not a wheat ear, and that was the only scene I could remember when I smiled.
　Scratching Seto's worried head, he exclaims.

"I've never been so relaxed in such a rural area since I came to Elgin. I'm just feeling a little sentimental because of that."
"Grull".

　It's true that Ray has visited rural areas before. He stops in rural areas many times, especially when he is travelling in the war against the Vestian Empire. "However, there was no way I could have had time to relax and watch the summer sunset, and that was why I felt sentimental."
　I wonder if it feels good to have my head scratched, but I'm in a good mood.
　In that way, one of them was watching the summer scenery that somehow felt emotional, but suddenly I noticed a big uproar near the entrance of the village entrance.

"...what?"

　muttered Ray, stroking Seto and turning suspiciously to the village entrance.
　From that point of view you can see a large crowd of villagers gathering at the entrance. However, there were many expressions of joy rather than a murderous wind.
　Worried about the villagers, Ray naturally heads to the village entrance with Seto.
　And what I saw was a gorgeous carriage drawn by two warhorses heading into the village.
　Gorgeous isn't the kind of luxury Ray saw in his rank-up exam. The carriage itself is a luxury in the sense that it is a magic item.
　Ray, who is familiar with the carriage, immediately understands why this is happening.
　The next moment, however, he was embarrassed by his expression of satisfaction.
　The reason is that the driver who was operating the War Horse on the cab was a stranger.
　Mechen, who had been acquainted with Arra or during the war with the Empire of Bestia, would have been immediately convinced.
　But the carriage went on without seeming to care about Ray's embarrassment, and then stopped at the entrance of the village...

"Well done, everybody. I heard that an adventurer named Ray is here."

　The man who came down from the carriage, uttering such words, was a man of both dignified air and beauty and beauty.

"Cute!"

　With the man, a deformed little dragon also emerges from the carriage.
　Elena, who is famous as a princess general, and Yero, an errand created by dragon language magic.
　In other words, Ray was meeting one of the people here.