It was August, a merchant belonging to Gorsuch, who led the company.
　a merchant famous for his honest dealings and reputation in Gorsuch
　Because of this, they are treated as if they were in front of us by major businesses, and they are often interrupted by transactions.
　The reason why we decided to send out a sales force this time was because we were unable to purchase goods that were originally supposed to be purchased from other merchants due to interference from major merchants, so we hurried to buy them in other towns.
　Still, the adventurers Auguste always employed as bodyguards were comfortable with accepting the request, despite the sudden request.
　In the end, I was able to purchase it safely and hurried back to Gorsuch.

"Auguste, monsters from the front! One! But... great! Sandworm!"

　Among the adventurers employed as bodyguards, the thief Zedan screams with a stern look on his face.
　Hearing it, Augusto turns to Zaroust, who brings the adventurers together.

"What should I do?"
"Well, it would be best if you could escape... Zedan, can you escape?"
"I can't! The speed over there is faster! If you try to run away like this, you'll catch up with me on the way!"
"...can the sandworm do this? No, if you can't get away with it anyway, you'd better go ahead and intercept it." We will intercept the enemy in full strength. -- you don't mind?"

　Auguste nods back to Zarroost's words.
　Although he was an Augusto who lived in the desert and had brown skin as much as a dark elf, he was of medium build and not at all good at rough things.
　Nevertheless, I've been through many similar situations, and when I hear that I'm about to be attacked by monsters, I never get upset and nod.

"All right, I'll leave everything to you." I try not to disturb you, so please take care of me."
"Leave it to me. Sandworms can do anything. There are still many Rank C adventurers. -- all ready to fight! We're going to meet the monster!"

　Zarroost screams sharply and the carriage stops moving.
　You're probably aware of the approaching monster. Some of them seemed restless, but the coachman of this merchant unit calmed them down.

"Oh, I thought there was a monster flying in the sky, but now it's like this. ...mayn't that monster have called in other monsters?"

　One of the adventurers muttered abominably.
　I discovered a monster flying in the sky a little while ago, because it looked like a monster I had never seen before.
　I couldn't really see it in the sunlight, but there were some monsters flying in the desert, but it was a completely different silhouette.
　I've never seen a monster like that in a desert for a long time.

"Let's talk about that later! Focus on dealing with the approaching monsters now!"

　Zarroost exclaims, and the man holds his weapon.
　What the man held was a kind of curved sword called a shimiter.
　Unlike the long sword used by ordinary adventurers, the blade has a gentle curve like a crescent.
　It is characterized by a sharp blade and a very sharp edge, but the blade is thinner and more fragile than a typical long sword.
　The man held up his simitar, touched the turban around his head, licked his lips and awaited the enemy for the sandworm. But...

"It's here... Stupid, no! It's not sandworm! It's sand serpent!"

　Zedan, the thief, claps his tongue at the handle of his spear.

"d*mn it, sand serpent!? What's wrong with this place?" He'll always be in a soft sandy place!"

　Sand serpents, unlike sandworms, are weak in digging underground.
　That's why it was unexpected to appear in a place like this where rocky deserts and sandy deserts were mixed.
　Still, as long as you're employed as a bodyguard, you don't have the option of running away.
　And while I was surprised at the sand serpent, it's not a match you'll never win if you fight calmly.

(Still...it's a bit hard on newcomers)

　Zarroost inwardly regrets the sand serpent as it moves through the sand... faintly but on the sand.
　Due to a sudden request, the bodyguards gathered, including their own parties, are by no means all skilled.
　Newcomers such as Rank E and F are mixed up, albeit slightly.
　If such a newcomer is Rank C Monster... and you're finally asked if you can survive the even Sand Serpent... it's going to be hard.
　There's a certain number of skilled adventurers, but it's up to luck whether the rookies can survive in that situation.

(But if possible, I'd like to make the most of it.) Only for the young people who will play a leading role in the future of Gorsuch

　Zarroost recognizes what he has to do, touching the turban that covers his head.
　Defeat Sand Serpent, protect the merchant corps, including August, and protect the rookies as much as possible.
　With such determination, Sand serpent appears in the formation of a horse-drawn carriage.
　Its total length is large enough to swallow people, even though it has not yet fully emerged.

"... great,"

　Zarroost has fought several battles with Sand Serpent.
　But in that experience, Sand serpent, now in front of me, was convinced that he would be the biggest and strongest person I'd ever fought.
　Zarroost calls out to his peers, saying it has become difficult to defend the rookies.

"You know, don't be so distracted! He's... what?"

　The reason I couldn't speak to the end was that Sand serpent's head disappeared as soon as I thought something had passed along the way with a squeak.
　Yes, the literal disappearance.
　Most of the head has disappeared, and there are tiny bits left on the ground, such as bones and brain pulp... that are the only remnants left.
　Sand serpent's body crumbles into the sand before others, including Zarroost, fully understand what happened.
　The shock and sound brought Zarroost back to his senses, and he turned to the red spear, which had been half-buried on the ground.

"What? Did it disappear?"

　Before Zarroost's eyes, the red spear disappears as if it had been a vision.
　But the red spear was not mistaken for Zarroost's, as evidenced by a hole in the sand... and, above all, the corpse of Sand serpent whose head had disappeared.
　Many, except Zarroost, watched the spear disappear, and were simply dumbfounded.
　In the meantime, Zarroost, anticipating the direction of his spear, turned his gaze upward.
　A monster flying in the sky was just in front of my eyes. That's also the Gryphon of Rank A Monster. and on the back of the Gryphon was a supposed human being.

"Is that, by any chance?"

　Passing Zarroost's mind was a monster that passed over their heads a little while ago.
　At that time, the flight was too high to confirm its shape, but if you are so close to it now, you can't mistake it.
　the upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a lion on the wings growing from the back an overwhelming force that can be understood just by looking from afar
　Compared to the Sandworms and Sand Serpent monsters in front of Zarroost's eyes right now, babies and adults... well, there's more to it than that.

"Gu, Gryphon...."

　In the silence, the murmur of someone's voice echoes around.
　Deserts are not usually shrouded in silence.
　the sound of wind and sand rubbing In rocky deserts, you should hear the sound of rocks rolling and the wind swaying of trees growing slightly.But now I could hear no such sound at all, only silence prevailing around me.
　It's tempting for Zarroost to praise the person who muttered earlier for being able to speak in this situation.
　In the midst of such a strange silence... before long the Gryphon, flapping his wings, descends to the earth.
　The moment they saw the scene, the guards, including Zarroost, foreseen their own death. ...and now I'm done.
　For a typical adventurer, the rank A monster Gryphon is such an irrational incarnation.

"Grull?"

　But for Seto, who is constantly being taken care of, fed, and played with, he must have wondered how others, including Zarroost, stopped moving.
　tilt one's head slightly as usual
　If you are a resident of Gilmoo, you can usually say that you are cute, but if you change your style, you can see it. In this case, should we describe people as changing?
　At any rate, Sett's gesture seemed to the Zarroosts to be looking at their prey.
　On Seto's back, Ray somehow understands it.

(Well, I'm sorry that I killed Sand serpent with a spear in twilight. But I don't want to be so nervous here that it explodes, and as a result it becomes hostile, and so on.)

　If time goes on like this, we'll end up being hostile.
　Wanting to avoid such an end, Ray decides to speak first.

"Are you safe? I killed this monster before it caused any damage."

　Leaping off Sett's back, he lightly touches Sand Serpent's headless corpse.
　Blood continues to flow from the area where the head was, turning the ground red, giving off a bloody smell.
　The first thing Ray said to come back to life was, rightly so, Zarroost.

"Oh, that saved me. There were a lot of newcomers here. who are you, with your help, to say this? I can't believe that you're subservient to the Gryphon without my own eyes."

　At Zarroost's question, the guards and merchants around him turn their eyes on Ray.
　The coachman was so frightened that he couldn't even move because of the animal's natural fear of seeing Sett, that the driver looked at Ray and Sett.
　Ray looks a little unexpected when he receives the attention of the merchant corps.
　Up until now, he had worked in the kingdom of Milliana, and few people knew his name in relation to the war against the Vestian Empire.
　No one knows the nickname crimson, at least as far as adventurers and mercenaries are concerned.
　It's not known much what it looks like compared to the spread of the nickname, but it's still known that it's accompanied by a Gryphon, and most people could understand Ray as Ray when they saw him.
　The only other country Ray has ever been to is the Empire of Bestia, where Ray is known, though he meant exactly the opposite of the Kingdom of Milliana.
　... well, considering the damage Ray had inflicted on the Empire of Bestia, and it was only natural that he did so well in the civil war.
　That's what I thought, and I never expected Seto to ask me who I was.
　Of course, there are some people in Gorsuch who know the nickname crimson, and Ray's information is naturally present in the guild.
　Still, it is only natural that we should be more interested in the adventurers of our own country than in the adventurers of our neighboring country, to which we are subordinated.

"It's Ray. He's an adventurer in Guillem, the Kingdom of Milliana."

　The moment the name of the Kingdom of Milliana came out, Ray could see that the faces of the people around him, including Zarroost, were faintly strong.

(I've heard that it's a subordinate country... but it doesn't seem that it's very well-liked.)

　Ray realized with his present attitude what the kingdom of Milliana was supposed to be like, but he could not break up here.
　Now that you've knocked down an unknown monster called Sand Serpent, you want to make sure you get the magic stone.
　But they decide that they don't want to be associated with themselves too long, from the Kingdom of Milliana, and they say their business directly.

"This sand serpent, can I get it?"