In the usual evening of Egzil, Rey and his colleagues were walking around the city after guilding the materials they had obtained at the dungeon, the testimonial sites, and unwanted magical stones.
　The scorching heat doesn't change at all, even though the sun sets within hours.
　No, as if it were the last struggle, the falling sun is bringing more intense heat to Egzil.
　However, people walking around the city were full of life, just as the heat was.

"Ray, it's a little roundabout, but why don't you stop by that bakery?"
"Grull!"

　After hearing Elena's words, Seto chants in agreement before Ray says anything.
　The conversation we had when we ate fruit at the oasis today probably reminded us of the taste of bread we had at the bakery before.

"I don't mind that, but..."

　Staring into the sunset sky, Ray says, stroking Seto's head, pulling the hem of his dragon robe with a clank.

"It's evening, and it's probably quite crowded, especially at bakeries, so many customers are hungry like us, or buy bread for dinner."

　You must have understood what Ray said. Seto, who was pulling at the bottom of his robe, let go of his butt regretfully and let go of his neck regretfully.

"Guru..."

　The expression on Ray's face makes me feel guilty even though I'm not at fault.
　It was probably the same with Elena. He caresses Seto's depressed head and opens his mouth to Ray.

"Why don't you go for now? If it's crowded, you can give up." And I'd like to buy a souvenir for Yero."
"Do you like the two-fals?"

　Ray recalls the driver's face on his way to Egzil and asks, but Elena shakes her head with a smile.

"Tufal is not in Egidil at the moment. I think I have a friend in a village not far from here. I took a vacation and sent him there."
"...you understand very well,"

　As far as Ray knew, Tufal was a man who was proud of himself as a coachman... more precisely, as a coachman serving the Duke of Quevel.
　It seemed unlikely that such a two-fal would leave Eglena, the Duchess of Kelebel, alone.
　But Elena probably understood what she was thinking by looking at Ray's expression. open one's mouth after a small smile

"Tufal hadn't had a break for some time, either. I and Ray have no plans to move from Egzil for a while anyway, so there's nothing to do here. Then I just wanted to take this opportunity to relax. I was a little reluctant at first, but what? You've taken my feelings into consideration."

　Rey nods to those words without realizing anything in particular.
　Elena herself was too shy to say anything, but the main reason for Tufal's acceptance when asked to take a vacation was that she wanted Elena and Ray to have time to relax, rather than to rest their own bones.
　Elena's cheeks turn pale red as she recalls the phrase 'progress of their relationship' just before Tufal left.

"Elena? What's the matter?"

　It's probably Ray's connection to being slow about romantic things, but also to finding out what's wrong with Elena.
　However, although I have spoken to her several times, Elena is not so aggressive in approaching Ray.
　It may have been a negative effect that people around here were not familiar with romantic relationships because they liked to improve themselves rather than show up in society from an early age.

"No, no. It's nothing. If you're going to the bakery rather than that, you won't have time to talk here. Let's get on with it before it's sold out."

　She tells him so and walks down the road holding Ray's hand like a tug.
　Elena, whose cheeks are slightly red in a different way than before, and Ray, who doesn't know what happened. and, just as they could eat delicious bread, Seto followed them, two and one of them headed a little faster to the bakery.





"What is this...?"

　Elena's muttering voice disappears in the midst of ambient noise.
　Only Ray and Seto, who were right next to each other, could hear because they were pulled out.
　In their eyes, the supposed guards of Egzil stand around the bakery, which is also their goal, and are wary of action immediately if something happens.
　Inside the bakery, not defending it from the surroundings.

"What happened in that bakery?"

　Ray distanced himself from the guards and asked the hordes around him.
　The bastard seemed to know Ray... more precisely what Seto was with him, and he opened his eyes slightly and then spoke.

"Oh, it seems that robbers are holding customers and employees hostage in everything."
"... Robbery? At another difficult time, in a difficult place."

　Ray slaps his tongue when he hears it's a robber.
　It is no wonder that there are robbers, given the rampant bandits.
　Egzil was a labyrinthine city, so there were many adventurers, and it was only natural in a way that a certain number of bad adventurers would gather.
　Even though there are so many ordinary adventurers that they can't be put into practice unless they are too confident in their own skills or without thinking.
　And basically, as long as a skilled adventurer can earn more than enough money by diving into a dungeon, many of the people who made such a fuss were good enough to come to Egzil with excessive confidence in their own arms, but many of them were frustrated to make money quickly...

"The building is completely surrounded! There's no escape! Come out quietly!"
"Don't be silly! I... I'm not the man who ends up here! Lucky, it's all bad luck! d*mn it!"

　Hearing such a conversation, Ray, who somehow understands the situation, breathes out a small sighsigh.

(It's a typical development. ...well, what shall I do?)

　With all the hustle and bustle, we won't be able to buy and eat bread today. However, it was bad aftertaste to leave the bakeries alone.

(Given the deliciousness of that bread, I definitely want to avoid the fact that a burglar kills a clerk and the bakery collapses.) And...)

　He glances at Seto, who is pulling the hem of his dragon robe with a clank.
　They must be worried about the clerk who was kind to them.
　Help me? Gently reach out and stroke my head to Seto, who appeals with round eyes like that.

(It's hard to get up in bed to abandon someone who was kind to Seto.)

　muttering inwardly to Elena.
　Elena nods silently, as if she understands everything.

"Then... I'll have to talk to the guards first."

　As expected, it would be a problem to rush into the building without talking to them, and they would continue to push their way through the crowd.

"Wait a minute. The neighborhood is now..."

　One of the guards, who noticed Ray, approaches him to warn him, and offers him a guild card. 　
　The card, labeled Rank B, had a momentary look of surprise, but probably recognized it as crimson, which was rumored to be by the side of the Gryphon. open one's mouth not to the public but to the adventurer

"Do you think that coming out of your way like this will help you solve the case?"
"Oh, that bakery is my favorite." It would be a problem if shop clerks and shopkeepers were killed and crushed."
"Gruly!"That's right! I'm going to give you a whimpering set.
　Elena nods in the same way.
　The bread we ate here was delicious and the clerk's personality was pleasant.
　the vendor's woman who gave Seto a generous amount of bread, and the baker's owner who uses the labyrinthine ingredients to make delicious bread and offers it for a price that doesn't go into the red -- albeit expensive enough.
　If they didn't have the power to help the person they liked, they didn't have the option of not moving here because they had the power to do so. at least for the Lays

"For God's sake, save the fathers!"
"For God's sake, that bakery always takes care of me."
"Are you going to help them?"

　Those listening to Ray and the guards in the crowd around them say such things to them.

"...Wait a minute. I'll ask the captain."

　The guard says so and heads straight for the bakery.
　When he returned after a few minutes, he was accompanied by a middle-aged man in his 40s.

"This is Platol, the captain of the security forces in this area. I hear that you can help me with anything. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."
"I'm not looking for a reward at all right. It's simply a matter of not being crushed by that bakery."

　Ray replies, Elena nods and Seto purges in agreement.
　When Plattle hears it, he nods with a small smile.

"Well, are you a fan of your father's bread?" Then you're my companion. I beg your kind regards. I've always been taken care of by me. I want to help my daughter, Latio, and I."

　Ray looks momentarily surprised at the deep bow.
　However, if they could make that much bread right away, they would nod that the captain of the security forces might have a fan of that taste.

"Oh, leave it to me," As long as I... help you, I'll help you out. and, to be honest with you, bread is better than money in terms of reward."
"I'm sure," Father's bread is more than enough. OK. As for that, I'll ask my father to help me out."

　Platl's words cheerfully make Seto cry, and Ray and Elena are similarly motivated by the taste of the bread they had a few days ago.

"You are strangely greedy for a Rank B adventurer. Well, wouldn't it be strange to be hungry all the time at that age. "And how do you actually solve this case, let alone pay?"

　Elena opens her mouth to Plattle's breathless glance at the bakery.

"How many criminals?"
"Three. All of them are adventurers and have some ability."
"Then..."

　Elena looks round and quickly glances around the bakery.

"If you're a Ray or me, you'll be able to do something about three of us. But that would make it easier for them to notice. if that's the case,"

　Then he paused, and Elena's gaze turned to him. that is to say, the sky.
　Understanding what Elena wants to say, Ray talks to Plattle.

"Give me permission to fly Seto inside Egzil." I'll sneak in from above."
"Upper? ... oh! I see, that's certainly completely unexpected."

　The set that a man could fly in this Elgin, the most common means of flying, was the most effective card to surprise them.

"And Elena was a surprise after we entered from the air."

　The only thing that keeps us locked up is the adventurer's collapse that ultimately prevented us from living as adventurers. It's a reliable judgment that such a person can't sense Elena's movements.

"All right, I'll get your permission on the matter. Take action at once. I don't know what I'm going to do because I'm getting impatient over there."

　A nod to the commander's voice, Ray and Sett leave with one of the guards, hoping that if they jump from here, they might be found by the other, and Elena is ready to move as soon as Ray takes action.
　In addition, Ray and Sett work together with one of the security guards in order to show to the people around them that they are authorized to fly around the city, and at the same time not to bother Ray if something troublesome happens.

『……』

　Ray and Elena look at each other for a moment and nod, confirming each other's intentions, before embarking on a raid on the bakery.