"Ray, will you go out with me for a moment?"

　After the opening ceremony of the competition is over, Rodos calls out to Ray when he returns to the long-standing empty house.
　I don't know what you'd normally hear, but what you'd expect from Rodos now was clear.
　Yes, Ray isn't the only one who has a fighting spirit about being a Rank S adventurer.
　As evidenced by this, there is more fighting spirit in Rodos' eyes than he can hide.
　And so was Ray in the sense that he was fighting.
　So...

"Oh, I don't mind," I'm just going to drop in on Sett, but I wish I could do it afterwards."

　Without a moment's hesitation, Ray leaves the inn with Rodos telling Dusker and Elk a word.
　Its goal is to train with the fangs of the wind dragon a few days ago.
　It was because fighting in the inn's courtyard, which was full of motivation, was not a matter of scouting, but a matter of damage to the courtyard itself.
　It's Min who sees them out of the window.
　He looks kind of worried... but he still has a happy.
　Perhaps most of the worries are directed at Rodos, his son.

"Don't worry," I'm not going to do anything wrong."

　Min's back calls out. When I turned to the voice, I saw Elk, who was also her husband.

"I know," Whatever it takes, he's a good [good] But... that's why I'm so absorbed in one thing that I don't know anyone else."
"Hmmm, are you crazy about women?" Well, it wouldn't be strange at that age."
"... Elk, I'm talking seriously, just in case?"

　At some jesting Elk's words, Min lifts his cane in his hand.
　Elk shrugged his shoulders at Min's appearance, but soon a fierce smile appeared on his face.

"I envy Rodos and Ray a lot, after all." Rank S... might be able to fight against the infamous noise."

　Immovable. That was the nickname for the greatest adventurer in the Empire of Bestia.
　a perpetual victory and undefeated victory, a nickname derived from the fact that no matter who you fight, you never lose, and you never win and move from the victor's position.

"If that noise... had a nickname for me, I would have liked to have participated in a competition.

　Seeing her expression of deep regret, Min exhales and lowers his cane.
　He reaches over his shoulder and pats it lightly, considering his husband's personality.

"Well, we as bodyguards can't stay away from Dusker forever. I don't know what's going to happen, no matter how much I'm in the inn. Especially now that Ray's case has spread to people around him at a competition..."
"A lot of idiots come out,"

　In fact, having just returned from the opening ceremony, several people had already held a grudge against Ray and had been caught by security guards trying to break into the inn.
　Yuyu no Kutei is one of the best inns in the Westian Empire. If that is the case, naturally the people employed to guard it are excellent, and now there are many guests staying at the inn because it is a competition.
　That being the case, it's only natural that security is stricter than usual.
　There was also contact from people staying at the inn.
　Fortunately, this isn't about harming Ray, but about making himself known as a notorious adventurer on the same occasion.
　However, as for that matter, Ray was bothering him and asked Dusker to say no, and no one had achieved his goal after all in the end.
　If they had contact with Ray, the adventurers employed to guard the lodgers would still have the potential.
　In fact, the three of Furyu's tusks are close enough to have Ray train them.
　Despite understanding the situation, Elk's expression showed no seriousness, as did Min.

"Well, even if you try to do something against Ray, if you're hostile, you'll have to fight back."
"Well, I'm afraid I won't overdo it. Ray has a cruel and unrelenting personality towards his opponent."
"... certainly,"

　That's the only point that Elk has to agree with.
　Elk himself has the personality he likes, but of course he has his faults.
　One of the most important of them would be their unrelenting nature toward their opponents.
　Many people are coming to the imperial capital, especially now, because of the fact that fighting competitions are taking place. What would happen if Ray went on a rampage in the midst of that... it was a future I would never have imagined.

"Shall I pray that there will be no disturbance?"

　Elk mutters, conscious of sweat floating on his forehead.
　Even Min, who doesn't point out the fact, must have felt the same way.





"Grull".

　Ray gently reaches for Seto's sulky cry.
　But Seto shakes his neck away from the stretched hand.

"Glu".

　a set of voices that make no mistake about it
　He seemed to be unable to express anything other than being completely upset.

"I'm sorry," Don't get upset, Seto."
"Rolling".

　Ray apologizes, but Seto shows no sign of forgiveness.
　But it's not surprising. It's been quite a while since Ray came to the imperial capital, but he's done his best and had little regard for himself.
　Of course I didn't come to see you at all. Ray also visited the stables in his spare time, but he still spent far less time in contact with Seto than he had with his travels to the imperial capital.
　Perhaps it's because he understands it that Seto is upset.

"Look, I'm sorry," But you knew that if you came to the imperial capital you would not be able to act as freely as you have been?"

　Until last year, the inhabitants of the imperial capital would have been very surprised to see the Gryphon. However, Gryphon and Ray are connected by an equal, partly because Glyphon is so rare now.
　Yes, it's not too much to say that it's an enemy of the Vestian Empire.
　Listening to Ray's words, Seto purges and turns his eyes gently toward him.
　Surely Seto understood that going out freely would cause a lot of trouble. That's why Dusker ordered Ray to stay out of the stable as much as possible, and Ray told Sett that.
　Still... I knew it in words, but I still didn't want Seto to spend too little time with Ray. I was sad. I was lonely.
　Seto is over two meters long and still growing, but he has not been born for two years. Although Ray is not the same age as his mental age because he was created by witchcraft, he is still his favorite partner and a sweetheart.
　In particular, perhaps because he had time to interact with Ray as much as he wanted until he arrived at the imperial capital, he felt even more lonely because of the reaction.
　I guess Ray understands it by looking at Sett's condition. Gently reach out again and scratch Seto's inevitable head this time.

"Grull".

　I'll take it comfortably.
　Once stroked, Seto can't refuse Ray any more and rubs his head against Ray's hand.

"I'm sorry I couldn't care less. Here's a present for now. Eat this and cheer yourself up."
"Glu?"

　"What?" was offered to the slightly tilted set, a sandwich of stewed chicken sandwiched with sauce and leafy vegetables.On a generous sandwich, I stretched out the stick... and then I sat back and ate it.

"Grull!"

　It must have been quite delicious. Seto, who sings happily, takes it out of the mystery ring when there is more.
　The basketful of sandwiches is an armful sandwich made by the chef of the inn. The chef of an inn who was not available to lower-ranking aristocrats in those areas, so his skill was excellent. The ingredients are naturally of the highest quality.
　Ray was caressing Seto, who was eating sandwiches in a good mood, but suddenly became interested in the smell and asked Seto.

"Oh, Seto. Can I have a slice of that sandwich?"
"Gruly!"

　A set of voices saying "OK."
　I guess Seto wanted to eat it with Ray because it was delicious.
　With Seto's permission, reach into the sandwich.
　The bread itself may have been freshly baked. It's moist and gives your teeth a soft texture.
　Then, when he tries hard to bite the bread and chop it, the stewed chicken appears.
　If you boil it too much, it softens, but since it's not stewed that much, the texture of the meat spreads in your mouth.
　At the same time, the crunchy texture and subtle pungency of leafy vegetables.
　The chicken juice and sauce are soaked in the bread, but it's not offensive enough.
　The texture of the bread, which is never lost to the rich taste of chicken, brings together the flavors of various ingredients that spread in the mouth.

"...it's delicious,"

　When people come across something really delicious, they say they don't give extra compliments, but that's exactly what Ray is now.
　"If possible, one more slice... Ray wanted to reach out, but he was reluctant to touch the food he brought as an apology to Seto's apology."
　Watching Sett happily eat his sandwich after his throat, Ray slowly reaches out to his hand.

"It will take some more time for the competition to end. In the meantime, I can't play as I have done before, but I hope we can play together when this matter is settled."
"Gururu..."

　a lonely voice while eating sandwiches
　I rubbed my face against Ray, but it was only natural from the previous circumstances that he smelled like a sandwich.

"I'll show up in the stable as much as I can," what?"
"Glu?"

　Ray nods, caressing Seto on the head asking, "Really?"

"Oh, it's not that I don't want to play with Seto either. So be patient a little longer. Perhaps Pochi and Tama, the beasts whom you have become friends with, will play with you?"

　Ray caresses Seto to calm him down, and sets his throat happily.
　It is intended to be fun to play with new friends.
　Pochi and Tama. He is a maidservant of a merchant staying at the inn, and he is a dog and cat beast secretly popular with other guests for his lovely appearance and behavior.
　As he turned up in the stable to take care of the horses, he naturally got along well with Seto, and now his contact with them is an exciting time for him.
　While patting Seto's head, Ray takes out the star-shaped pastry.
　I bought it at a stall when I was in the imperial capital before.

"I'm sorry, Set. Then I'll leave this behind, so I'll eat it with Pochi and Tama."
"Gruly!"

　It must have been because it was an unfamiliar food. Look at the baked sweets in Ray's hand, filled with curiosity.
　He smiled at such a cashy partner, and left the baked confectionery there, Ray left the stable.





"Are you ready?"
"Oh,"

　The voice of Ray, who left the stables and returned to the inn.
　Needless to say, the voice was Rodos, who had acted with him before going to the stables.
　Rodos, who was still hated by Seto, could not go with Ray to the stable.
　If Rodos had gone to the stable, it would certainly have taken more time for Seto to recover.
　Rodos himself doesn't hate Seto now, let alone when he first met him.
　In the first place, he didn't like Min's attitude toward Seto either because he was interested in Ray.
　...and of course it was no lie that he was worried about his mother, who was comfortably in contact with the presence of Gryphon.
　more than a year after we first met I haven't been with him for a long time, but I don't think he's dangerous in Rodos' eyes anymore.
　Rodos therefore wants to mend his relationship with Seto, but that is also difficult because of the circumstances.
　In the end, they choose to put off the solution, which is to give them a little more time.

"What's the matter?"

　Ray calls out to such Rodos.
　Shake your head and reach for the scabbard of a dagger half unconsciously hanging from your waist.
　I'm not going to pull out my arms. It's just to think about my future and make up my mind.

"...let's go, Ray,"

　I don't care about details now.
　All I have to do now is win the competition without thinking too much.
　That's what he decided, and he'd walk ahead of Ray.