Ray and Sett took up a night's room at the dusk Wheat-tei, and the next was the lord's house.
　It was time for dusk, but it was still a good idea to offer Dusker a visit.
　However, only Ray was heading to the lord's residence.
　Originally, Seto was supposed to go with him, but his return to Gilm spreads quickly, and as soon as he steps out of the inn, he is caught by people waiting to play with Seto, so he has no choice but to leave Seto there and head to the lord's residence alone.
　However, Seto himself was happy to stay there, for he had so many people to care for him and so many things to feed him.

"If you look at it like this... it doesn't look that different."

　a muttering ray as one walks along the street
　In fact, it's only been less than two months since I left Gillum, so it's only natural that I feel that way.
　Still, it's summer, so people come in and out more often than usual, and the scenery of the city seems to be different from one place to another.
　As we continued down the street in such a way that it was almost like sightseeing, the number of shops soon dwindled, and at the same time many guards began to appear.
　It must have been because they approached the lord's residence.

"Hey, you. What do you want from now on?"

　One of the two guards walking from Ray's direction asks so.
　Unfortunately, the guard who had called out had only come to Gilm about ten days ago and had just become a guard, relying on his connections.
　That's why Ray, who was putting down the hood of the Dragon Robes, spoke to them with subtle doubts.
　Or, if Sett had been there, it might have been a different story.
　I was told to the extent that Seto was recognized in this guillem that I don't like.
　However, even though it's a Rank A monster, it doesn't attack humans, and the friendly nature of it can be a specialty of Gilm.
　At any rate, the new man, as a guard, called out to Ray in order to make a quick achievement.

"Huh? Oh, are you Ray?" When did you come back to Gilm?"

　A guard working with a newcomer notices Ray and waves his hand to erase the misfortune of the guard.
　Ray also gently raises his hand and opens his mouth to a security guard who has spoken to him in a friendly tone.

"Just a moment ago, I'm going to the lord's house for a little errand."
"Well, adventurers seem to have a lot of trouble, too. Come on, don't act strangely. Oh, and he's a newcomer who's just joined the guard."
"What? Senior? Huh?"

　A guard who approaches Ray sounds confused by Ray, who is talking to his seniors in a friendly mannerically to his seniors."
　The guard opens his mouth with a wry smile at such a junior.

"This is Ray," He is also quite a famous Rank C adventurer in Guillum. -- no, did you get into rank B?"
"Oh, before we leave Gillum,"
"... Ray?"

　Having been called by Ray's name again, and knowing he was also a high-ranking adventurer of rank B, the junior guard may have finally figured out who he was talking to.
　Open your eyes wide and open your mouth as if you had met a high-ranked monster in front of you.

"Ray... Is it crimson?"
"It's true that it's often called so,"
"Excuse me!"

　As soon as he affirms the nickname crimson, his juniors' heads are immediately lowered.
　It's no wonder, that's not surprising.
　The nickname crimson is well known in many ways. That's in a good way... in a bad way.
　And in one of the most well-known stories in a bad way, even the nobility relentlessly burned coal if they didn't like it.
　...that the story itself is not so wrong, though, is probably related to Ray.

"Calm down, for I won't eat you indiscriminately."
"But senior..."
"...I'd rather not be here, apparently. For the time being, may I move on if I have finished my business?"
"Yes, yes!"

　The startled younger man nods immediately.
　The senior guard, watching with a small smile, shrugged his shoulders and looked at Ray.
　It's about time you gave it up.
　Silently urged to do so, Ray breathes out a small sigh and then pats the guard, who is hardened to death by a smaller opponent than himself, on the shoulder.
　At the moment his hand touched his shoulder, the startled guard breathed a sigh of relief when he found out that he was living without any consequences.
　a senior who looks at his juniors with dumbfounded eyes

"You're too afraid of everything,"
"It's crimson. It's rumored that he burned down the whole army of the Westian Empire just because he didn't like it."
"...isn't everything wrong?"
"But what I've heard is..."
"Rumors grow, for better or worse,"

　I could hear the two people talking like that, but it was rumored that even Ray was slightly wrong, so I left the scene without saying anything in particular.





"Oh, Ray. It's been a long time. What happened all of a sudden?"

　The office of the lord's residence, where Ray now faces the remote lord, Dasker Larx, the Earl of Larx.
　As for the gatekeeper of the lord's residence, he never forgot about Ray, so he was allowed to see him without any trouble.
　That being said, under normal circumstances, they should have offered to meet and been granted immediate permission. Being a frontier is not such a light job.
　Fortunately, however, Ray was substandard in many ways.
　It's the same with character and ability, as well as the achievements we've made.
　However, for that reason Ray himself was regarded as the sword of Dusker's sword, and he had to go all the way back to Guilm to travel to the Empire of Bestia.

"It's been a long time, Mr. Dusker," Actually, I'm going to visit the Bestian Empire for a little idle business..."

　When I told him that, he smelled like a man... to put it bluntly, the smile disappears from Dusker's face.
　What I can already see in his eyes is not affection, but as a Larkus frontier.

"What do you mean? Let me know what's going on."
"Before that... Here you go."

　hand Dusker an envelope containing a letter taken out of his mistling rather than speaking out of his mouth.
　This is a letter written by Elena describing the circumstances of the matter.

「……」

　Dasker takes it in silence and reads through the letter he took out of the envelope.
　It takes less than a minute to finish reading the letter, perhaps because the writing itself was not that long.
　But after that, he looked back at the letter with a groan, without saying nothing in particular.
　This is repeated three times, and eventually, with his sigh, he puts the letter on his desk and opens his mouth to Ray.

"...the letter from Mr. Elena gave me a general idea of the situation."

　Tell him that and let out a big sigh.
　That's how unexpected it must have been.
　Vichela, the second princess of the Vestian Empire, existed in Egzil, the kingdom of Miliana, and, above all, Theorem relied on her.

"A lot of things... I really want to ask you a lot of questions, but did you get a pair of magic items? That's why you can talk to Mr. Elena."
"Yes,"Ray nods briefly and immediately pulls the pair of oves out of the mistling.
　carry one's magic straight through
　Even over there, I guess I expected to arrive at Gillum by today or so in my conversation with Ray every night. Eventually Elena, projected inside the oven, opens her mouth without any particular panic.

'Ray? You got to Guillum because you started the pair of oves at this hour.'
"Oh, now I'm in Mr. Dusker's office. Mr. Dusker wanted to have a conversation with Elena, so I started a pair of oves."

　Tell them so and adjust the pair of oves to show Dusker instead of yourself.

'Oh, that's all right. Long time no see, Mr. Dusker.'
"Well, it's been a long time. --and it was written in the letter."
'Yes, as far as I know, it is true of the letter.'
"Well, the second princess of the Vestian Empire... is in trouble again, isn't she?" Even though in the last war, they had a grudge against us for their agreement to end the war with the Empire of Bestia."

　a bitter sigh of dusker
　As long as the war ended in the form of victory for the Kingdom of Milliana, it naturally gives the Kingdom of Milliana an advantage when it comes to the agreement to end the war.
　Compensation and ransom for prisoners of war are especially important.
　It was clear from that that that the present-day Westian Empire was firmly rooted in hatred of the kingdom of Milliana.
　At least as far as the upper echelons of the country are concerned.
　Under these circumstances, if the second princess, who was popular in her own country, was fond of the... and of the existence of the kingdoms of Miliana, she could have fought another war if she was not good at it.

'I can certainly understand what Mr. Dusker thinks. But if action is taken to rescue Prince Mercurio, it will also be an opportunity to consume the military and national strength of the Empire of Bestia. In particular, if Prince Mercurio gets the next emperor's seat, he will be the emperor of the pro-Milliana kingdom."
"...but if everything goes well, right?

　At Dusker's suggestion, but Elena smiles beautifully.

'I don't think it's from Dusker, who knows Ray.'

　Dusker's words stifled at that remark.
　In fact, we've made all our previous requests successful, some of which are very difficult.
　If you look at the results alone, it's not impossible to say that you don't trust Ray here, and above all, Dusker himself trusts Ray's skills.

Also, I have already hired someone who can use Summoning Magic to inform my parents about this incident. Do you think your father will miss such an opportunity?'
"A Duke of Quevel certainly would not miss this opportunity,"

　What would happen if the longtime enemy, the Vestian Empire, could have an emperor of the pro-Milliana kingdom?
　Even if we don't get that far, it's fine just to create the pro-Milliana forces.
　It was clear that the difference between the royal and aristocratic forces would close significantly, if not the reverse.
　Then should I ride it myself? I thought so, but it's not a matter that can be decided immediately.

"...for the time being, let's deal with it positively."
'That's all right, isn't it? But remember that Ray must leave Gillum as soon as possible."
"Autumn competition? It's a pretty big event in the Westian Empire, too."

　Being an old enemy, the Vestian Empire invites the nobles of the Milliana Kingdom to attend a competition.
　in order to show how powerful their country is.
　It was clear that we would be sending invitations to more countries, especially because we had to show our neighboring countries that our national strength had not deteriorated since we lost the war in the spring.
　It is only natural that Dusker, one of the factions in the Kingdom of Milliana, should receive an invitation, and in fact, an invitation has been received.
　Dusker, after all, is one of the mainstayers of the spring war. The Westian Empire did not want the neighboring countries to see that they were concerned about defeat without sending out invitations here.
　However, it is very rare for a faction leader to go directly. Although it was common practice to send one's own trusted subordinates on behalf of him.

"Then, if I were to get involved in the matter, would it be better for you to go in personally. We need to think a little more about it."

　a mumbling dusker
　Elena and Dusker will then be exchanging detailed information on the matter and discussing how to move forward for a while.
　In the meantime, Ray was eating snacks like sandwiches over the tea brought by his maid and concentrating on listening without meddling.