the inside of a store in the imperial capital In it, Ray kept a close eye on one man.
　The owner of the shop has no idea what's going on and calls out to the man who walks into the shop.

"Hey, did you do something to him? Don't bother me, it's an opportunity to see magic items".

　It was a man in his thirties and forties who came into the store and said so. I suppose you know the owner of the shop. breathe out a sigh with a look of relief

"I wouldn't bother you," I just came into the shop, and you don't know what I'm doing, either.

　The man, expressing disappointment at the shopkeeper's words, looks surprised as if he had noticed something.
　There was a complicated mixture of surprises, curiosity, and vigilance at the unexpected.
　Ray, who is being looked at, is showing his vigilance throughout his body. ...yes, it was because I half instinctively perceived that the man in front of me was not an ordinary man.
　The man must have noticed it, too. Eventually, when you arc your lips, you open your mouth.

"Shall we talk about something?"
"...I'm with you? I can't laugh even if I'm joking."
"Of course I'm not joking. You know what I mean, right? You know what I mean."

　Ray understands what the other person is saying by saying something as if it were a hoax.
　Ask yourself... No, you have to nod to a confirmatory remark.

"Well... I see. It seems to be better."

　However, only the owner of the shop protests with a look of dissatisfaction in front of two people who understand something they don't understand.
　Ray, right in front of him, is wearing magic items that can't be described as first-class or super- As the owner of the shop that sells magic items, I really wanted to touch on them more for future study.

"I'm sorry, Mine. But we can't give in. ...and so do you."
"Oh,"

　a slap on the wrist without hesitation
　Seeing them, they probably decided that it would be no use to interrupt them any more. The shopkeeper, called Mine, looks at the man with a sigh of regret.

"Oh, Cascada has ruined my precious time. All right, all right. I'll take care of this. That's all right, isn't it? But I'll get my debt back in due course."
"I'm sorry,"

　A small apology to a familiar shopkeeper, the man called Cascada heads to Ray and leaves the shop without a word.
　Ray also walks out of the shop following the man without saying anything in particularly.
　with a deplorable look on one's face in the store





"That's all right here,"

　The man told me so in a small building about a ten-minute walk from the main street into the back street.
　A house that is not old enough to collapse when the wind blows.
　Ray quietly follows the man who walks into it.
　Ray wasn't supposed to be such a fool, but now I was just curious about the person in front of me.
　a man who makes you feel so strong that you can go to war just by looking at him.

(Elena, Vihela, and... Elk)

　Among those who have fought so far, those who can be described as strong enemies.
　It was impossible not to be interested in anyone who possessed the same strength as those of them.
　Of course, the fact that the other person is not acting hostilely is probably the reason why they followed me calmly.
　If he had been hostile to him from the beginning, he would have used the magic of fire with all his might, even though he was in the imperial capital.
　To Ray's eyes, the person in front of him seemed to be a man of that ability.

"Come in. Needless to say, I'm not going to be hostile to you. At least for now...."
"I'd be grateful if you would,"

　He retorted briefly and walked into the building.
　Surprisingly tidier than expected from the outside, Ray is urged to sit in a chair in a small room, about six tatami mats wide, guided by a man.
　Move the chair away from the table and sit down.
　The idea was that if something happened, I would be ready to deal with it right away... the man who saw it with a wry smile took a jug and a glass out of the bag hanging from his waist.
　When Ray saw it, he must have noticed that he had stopped moving. Twist the mouth with a smile and hand Ray a glass of cold water.

"What's wrong? Item boxes aren't unusual for you, too, because some informed people know that crimson has item boxes."
"...is that an item box?"

　know oneself completely I thought so for a moment, but I was so conspicuous in the first place in the competition. If you're wearing a hood like you were walking around town, the owner of the shop, called Mine, is the exception.

"Well, that'said he. That's how people with item boxes, which are said to be infinitely rare in existence, meet each other. Don't you think it's a little interesting?"
"Well, it might have been interesting if it wasn't for you."

　The man breathes a small sigh at Ray, who is openly looking at him.

"Don't be so vigilant. ... No, it's only natural to be on guard in this situation. Wait a minute."

　a man who breathes and puts his hand around the back of his neck
　While the man's actions made him reach for a dagger in the dragon lobe, the next moment was enough to open Ray's eyes.
　Up until now, the color of his hair had changed from brown to green, and his stern face had not changed, but his eyes had risen and his mouth, ears, and cheeks had changed slightly, and he was in his late 30s and early 40s, making him look completely different from his face a few seconds ago.

"What do you think? Do you know why I'm changing?"

　a man who bends his lips slightly and asks with a smile.
　However, Ray doesn't understand what the man is saying and nods his head in spite of himself.
　Judging from his confident tone, the man is naturally a celebrity. But Ray was completely new to the man and had never seen his face.

"... well, I don't know if my name is selling as well as I expected."

　If you look at your face, you can tell who it is without explaining it. That being the case, the man's smile is transforming into a bitter smile, unlike what it was a few seconds ago.
　Ray was still unconcerned by the man's appearance, but he must have felt a little bad. open one's mouth somewhat comfortingly

"I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with the affairs of the Westian Empire." I can imagine that you have a hideout here, perhaps from the Westian Empire."
"Well, under such circumstances, it can't be helped. Then let me introduce myself again."Shaking his head slightly as if to recover his mind, the man literally turns his eyes to Ray.
　The moment you look straight in the eye, a sense of crisis welled up in Ray's heart.
　The man in front of me feels that it's dangerous... and at the same time suddenly realizes the identity of the person who gives me such a sense of crisis.
　Yes, it's true that there aren't many people you feel threatened with. I mean...

"A high-ranking adventurer of the Empire of Bestia?"
"Well, that's not wrong. Let me introduce myself again. Rank S Adventurer Noise of the Empire of Bestia. Cascada is a pseudonym when you're disguised."

　Ray was momentarily dumbfounded when he heard the man's... noise.
　a Rank S adventurer It is one of the greatest adventurers in this Elgin, with only three.
　I had heard that there was one in the kingdom of Milliana to which Ray himself belonged, as well as in the Vestian Empire. But when the person was actually in front of me, it was a different story.

"... I see. Rank S?"

　Whispering, I look again at the man who called himself Noise.
　Ray doesn't have the ability to read magic, but he still gets something special from the man in front of him.
　It's no logic. Instinct tells us that the man in front of us is an incredibly strong opponent.
　But when they see such a ray, the noise carries a glass of water to their mouths.

"You don't have to be so vigilant. I just wanted to talk to you a little... well, I just wanted to talk to you."
"Tell me. I hope it's not a grudge."

　the faintly tilted noise of Ray's
　I don't know what you're talking about. It was obvious from the side that he really felt that way.

(I don't think it's possible for a Rank S adventurer to express himself so easily in the first place.)

　Though Ray thought it out in private, the words that came out of his mouth confirmed Ray's doubts.

"Why am I grumbling? I think it's about the Spring War, but I have nothing to do with it. I have no cause for resentment."
"But did your acquaintance die?"
"It's true, indeed. But it happened at the request of an adventurer. That's all that a full-fledged adventurer has failed at his request, isn't it? Why should I be angry there?"

　When Ray hears those words, he somehow understands them.
　The person in front of us is completely separate between work and private life.
　Of course, it might be a different story if someone who is really close to you, such as your lover or family died, but at least you don't have a grudge against yourself right now.
　That's what I've decided... but I've got another possibility right away and I'm holding my breath in my breath.

(Totally separate work from private life) That means that even close partners can be hostile if they have a job. Wouldn't that be the case?)

　In other words, even friends are not involved in personal affairs when they have a conflict over their work. I suppose that's the case.
　Still, they have no intention of antagonizing each other now. Now that I understand it, I breathe out a sigh of relief... suddenly I realize that sweat is oozing in my fist.

(Were you unconsciously afraid of it? ...was it since Grimm that you recognized that your opponent was so strong?)

　The image of someone who longed for Zepyle in his mind and became rich is too much.
　But unlike Grimm, who has always been friendly in his relationship with Zepyle, the noise in front of him doesn't necessarily make him an enemy in the future.
　Therefore, we had to be careful in our words.

"Well, I'm glad you don't seem angry. But it's a very unusual place for a Rank S person to use."
"Huh? Oh, this is one of the hiding places." I use it conveniently when I meet someone in this way without much notice. Besides, there's not much furniture, but most of the important things are in here. So are you?"

　Ray nods to the noise he asks, putting his hand on his waist pouch.
　He was still somewhat stiff, but he didn't pretend to show it. ...at least that's what he thought.

"Well, if you're in a profession like this, you don't know when and what will happen."

　In fact, almost everything Ray needs is stored in a mistling.
　Even if you stay at an inn, what you take out is something you use in your daily life, and most of them don't mind if you lose it.
　It's true that the innkeeper has been surprised several times about the incident, and there's nothing I can say to the noise.

"You know, especially adventurers,"
"... well, then that's all right." And why did you bring me here in the end, after all, to talk to me at this stage?"
"Well, yes," I can't say without it. A notorious man suddenly appeared in the Kingdom of Milliana this year. It is the strongest thing I wanted to know with my own eyes what kind of person he is."
"I'm acting like I'm crazy again."

　As he answers, Ray finally looks a little relieved, as the man sitting in front of him shows no sign of malice or harm.

"A little well-known adventurer would do well to gather information if he had a nickname. Especially this time there's a real thing in front of me."
"No, I'm not saying no, but," I have very few opportunities to talk to Rank S adventurers."

　While we talk lightly, the person in front of us still feels as if he had seen a giant tree thousands of years old.
　There was sweat in my hand and I felt cold on my back many times.
　Despite the situation, Ray continues for a while to never miss the good fortune of having a face-to-face conversation with a Rank S person.
　And by the end of the conversation and breaking up with Noise, even Ray, who was confident in his physical strength, was severely exhausted.