It was a unpopular alleyway that Ray chased after his opponent who served his soup to the ground.
　Just as a man was cornered at the dead end and four men armed with weapons behaved like they were in trouble, Ray arrived.
　Well, I'll thank you for the soup. That's what Ray thought, but he was surprised to find out that one of the five people on the spot... that the person he was cornered in knew was his acquaintance.
　On his way to Gracial, Ray spoke to him as the wheels of a carriage fitted into a hole on the highway.
　The man probably remembered Ray.
　I had been drinking soup until recently, so it may have affected me that I had put down my hood.
　a man who, from the side, seems to be nothing but a wizard in a side perspective
　But for a man it was obvious that Ray was at the end of his gaze... of the man who had accompanied the Gryphon.

"You... why here?"

　Ray shrugs his shoulders slightly to the man who mutters in disbelief.

"Why, I told you I was on my way to Gracial, though I never thought I'd meet someone I'd made to spout soup on. It's a rather interesting situation, isn't it? What is the matter with the bodyguard?"

　Ray talks to the man, but the four men don't have to listen to it in silence, and they decide that a male collaborator who they were going to kill has appeared, and they look at each other.
　Then one of the men approaches Ray.
　A man about two meters tall and well-muscled.
　The man, with a club in his hand, opens his mouth impatiently to Ray.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, hey! You're in the way. It's time for you to look forward to it... so die, die, die!"

　He must have grown emotionally as he spoke. He swung up the club he had held and shook it down to Ray's head without hesitation.
　If Ray were an ordinary person, his head would certainly have been crushed.
　But... Ray wasn't very much, but he wasn't an ordinary person.
　Avoid a club thrown down at your head by walking forward, not backward...
　The man holding the club is surprised by Ray's sudden appearance in his pocket, and just before the club hits the ground, he feels a heavy shock in his stomach and loses consciousness.

"Oh, my!"

　Gazing at the man who blew away with an unpleasant scream, Ray looks at the remaining three men and opens his mouth.

"And after all, you seem to be the cause of this situation... what's going on?"
『……』

　Ray quietly asks, but none of the other three men answer it.
　We just couldn't understand what was happening in front of us.
　The one at the end of our eyes is the one who seems to be a wizard.
　It is not to be afraid of wizards who don't have a magic wand, though they are usually to be wary of. ...thinking so, the most powerful of us tried to kill him, but... it was the men's companions who were blowing away.
　If it had been blown away by some magic, I would still have understood it.
　However, the person who is thought to be a small wizard at a glance does not seem to be reciting the spell, nor does he even have the magic engine before that.
　He cut his distance from the men's companions by snapping a blow from the club.
　In a scene where a real wizard would definitely distance himself if he could avoid an attack.
　Then, with a dull sound, the man with the club was blown away.
　That's about five meters away.
　And the leather armour's torso, which covers the blown-off man's body, has a firm fist mark.
　In other words, the man with the club was beaten up by a little wizard in front of his eyes... no, he was beaten up.
　After a few seconds, the men finally understand what happened, with Ray's eyes still on them. I can't help but...
　It was an event I absolutely didn't want to believe, understand, or accept, but what happened before me was an irreversible fact.

"d*mn it! Who are you?"

　The men's leader screams, pointing his dagger at Ray.
　The gaze has not already been directed at the person whom he had intended to kill while playing with himself some time ago.
　I just felt threatened by Ray in front of me and that was all I was thinking about.
　I'm sure the other two understood the leader's idea. Soon the other two point their daggers at Ray.

"You don't listen to others," I asked if you were the one responsible for this. Well, that's all right. So what do you think?"

　The men who pointed their daggers at him turned their eyes away, and then Ray turned their eyes to the aristocratic men.
　The nobleman sees Ray carrying the Gryphon on his way to Gracial.
　In this kingdom of Mileana... there was only one of Elgin's who, as far as the man knew, would demonize the Gryphon.

(I'm saved, can I think so?)

　I've heard a good deal about Ray in crimson, but he didn't seem to be the kind of person I'd be in.
　However, as someone who has spoken to him, he has an air of trust.

"These are the assassins employed to kill me,"
"...again,"

　It was predictable by the time I saw this situation, but it was troublesome for Ray to get involved with this kind of guy again.
　We've originally been after him for spouting soup, but it's only completely unexpected that this is going to happen.

(In the first place, I was targeted by some assassin... Huh?)

　Whining inwardly, I suddenly realized.
　Like a rice cake shop, if you're from the same industry, you might have information about who you're aiming for.

"If you think about it, this situation is quite favorable. What a summer bug that flies into the fire!"

　an inexplicable sense of tension released by Ray
　The men, who were paralyzed by the tension, must have realized that the words muttered by Ray's mouth were definitely unfavorable to them. start to move almost reflexively

"d*mn, I'll do it! I'
`Oh, my God!'
"Well, now!"

　Rey's actions against the three men, each with a dagger, were very simple.
　In other words, you just run straight into the trio that's coming straight to you.
　However, its thrusting speed is incomparably faster than that of an ordinary person.
　It was not as fast as when I was wearing the Emperor's red armor, but to men it seemed like I had disappeared for a moment.
　In addition, Ray wears dragon robes made of dragon leather and scales, and his defense is able to prevent the most common weapon blows intact.
　What happens if Ray, dressed in such a dragon robe, thrusts in front of the men at an unnoticeable speed?
　The answer was a squash of meat in the back alley.
　The sound of meat crushing is not once, but twice or three times in a row, and at the same time, the three people who are hit by Ray from the front are blown away and hit the wall and fall to the ground.
　When he hit Ray, he was probably already unconscious by the impact. The men who fell to the ground showed no sign of moving.

"Well, it's like this,"

　muttering, picking up the dagger on the ground, and storing it in a mistling.
　I recall that aristocratic men hesitated about what to say about the act of disarming a fainting opponent without hesitation, but it was far from it now.

"I'm sorry, I'm saved. I said we might meet at Gracial, but I didn't expect to see him this soon."
"Well, what are you going to do with them? You've been looking for your life, have you? Give them to the guard, take them more, or just throw them out here?"

　Ray's words make the man shake his head without hesitation."There is no reason to spend time on these people. ... Ray, are you sure you are an adventurer with the nickname crimson?"
"Huh? Oh, yes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Those who are in the underworld may know the circumstances."

　The words give the man a complex look.
　That's because not only myself, but also Ray is in trouble, but most of all, it's hard to say what I'm going to say.
　It is also true, however, that it is impossible to hesitate. Now I'm safe, but it's just me.
　Those who came with us as guards from their parents' home are still fighting the assassins at this moment.

"I'm sorry, but let me be frank with you." My bodyguard is now fighting the assassins. The guards had the tact to let me escape."

　Now that he's said that, Ray understands what the man wants to say.
　I mean...

"Do you want me to help you?"
"Yes, I can't pay for anything out of the blue, but I'll give you everything I have right now. If this is not enough, I'd like to pay again at a later date. ...can I ask you?"

　It sounds like talking from above, but strangely enough, Ray didn't have aversion to men in front of him.
　That's probably because he found out that he was seriously concerned about his bodyguards, let alone his language.
　They judge their bodyguards as their own, not as bodyguards.
　Looking at the man and thinking for a moment, Ray receives the bag he has offered, perhaps deciding that he should have more sources of information that he knows is after all.
　Ray nods without even confirming how much money it contains.

"I'll accept it." So, where should I go? ... Oh, before that. You seem to know my name, but may I ask you the name of your client?"
"Well, I haven't introduced myself yet." My name is Erland Viden. He belongs to the Viscount Viden family."
"Aland?" Please take care of me for a short time. So where is it? Show me."

　At Ray's words, Erland nodded immediately and ran out of the alley. . . .

"What!? ... Mr. Ray!? And you..."

　I almost bump into a glink just as I was going into the alley.
　I must have followed the man who drained the soup, but for some reason I'm working with a man who seems to be a nobleman.
　It would have made no sense to Grink what was going on.
　But Ray simply makes a request to such a glink without explaining.

"The four men who fell down there, who had tried to kill the nobleman here, Elland." I'm sorry, but I want you to secure it. I might have information about the guy who attacked me."
"Please, Professor Grink!"

　Saying nothing but that, Ray leaves with Erland without hearing no reply.
　Ray could imagine his place rather than his background... when Erland mentioned Grink's name.
　For a moment Grink hesitated whether to follow them or not, but he couldn't leave the people who caused the disturbance in Gracial alone, and if he was told that he might have any information about the attack on Ray, he couldn't leave them alone.
　Seeing the four faint, Grink begins to move to call the guards.





"That's the place round the road!"

　Ray follows Eland's instructions along the main street.
　There are quite a few people, but it's not difficult for Ray to move through the gaps.
　Turn the road and continue along with the slightly delayed Erland until you hear a faint but metallic sound.
　Yes, the sound of metal like weapons hitting each other.
　Ray wondered for a moment whether he should leave Eland here, but there was nothing he could do if he was attacked by another assassin.
　They decide that they can defend themselves better, and that Erland would feel more secure with them, so they rush together into the battlefield.
　It's the same alley as Ray had just knocked down the four assassins.
　However, it is several times larger than before, and looks like a little square.
　In such a place, several men familiar to Ray were fighting against about twenty opponents, each armed with weapons.
　In terms of numbers, Eland's bodyguards are smaller, but in terms of purely individual skill they are superior.
　In such a battle Ray would break into it with Erland.