A day after completing the subjugation of three herds led by Lizardman, Ray, who had finished his meal, was still walking around the city with Vichela and Seto.
　Once again, I find a stall that smells delicious, and buy myself and Seto's portion to eat.

"Is it really good? I'll buy you this much."

　Ray's gaze was directed at Vihela.
　I bought several skewers at a stall selling Kobolt skewers, but somehow Vihela didn't order them.
　Wondering about it, Ray asked, but Vihela looked at me dumbfounded.

"Well, it's fun and I'm happy to buy and eat with Ray, but I'm also a woman." It goes without saying what would happen if you ate more than you moved, let alone dressed like this."

　As usual, Vihela's outfit was as thin as she could see through the other side, showing off her figure to the point of excellence.
　Even if you don't see Vihela's aggressive beauty, any man would want to hold it, and even a woman would admire it.
　It's as flexible as a carnivore, but it's also showing off its femininity as ever before.

"...no, I don't think you have to worry that much. What?"
"It's hot! Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Of course I think so, too."

　The owner of a stall is caught glancing at Vihela's body while grilling skewers, and screams in surprise and pain at the sparks that burst.
　But the owner of the stall selling skewers soon agreed to Ray, as if he had forgotten the pain.
　He was still young and naturally not dead in his twenties.
　Therefore, if the adjective of life like Vihela were to be seen in front of us, we would naturally lose consciousness.
　Were you lucky or unlucky that the result was a minor burn?

"Yes, cohong. But it's a relief that Ray and Sett are there. It's only been a few days since the monsters started to rampage, but there's been a lot of problems."

　The shopkeeper says so, deceptively, as if he were fascinated by Vihela's body.
　Some merchants and their guards are just outside the shopkeeper's eyes.
　They quarrel with each other, apparently in a bad mood.
　Merchants have told their bodyguard adventurers that they want to leave Gillum at once, but the bodyguard adventurers oppose it.
　Merchants want to get out of the guillem where there are many monsters occurring at the same time, but for the adventurers of the bodyguard, it is difficult to defend the merchants if they are attacked.
　They also did not want to rush themselves into places where they were likely to die, even as guards.
　the position of merchant and bodyguard
　The discussions going on between them... or, more or less, their voices, which are close to quarrels, are echoing around them.

"So, I'm telling you! I don't think I'll be able to protect you if I leave Gilm under the present circumstances!"
"Even if you say so, you've been working hard in your business, right? At this rate, you'll end up in the red because you're wasting money." Besides, is there not yet such a powerful group of monsters?"
"Don't be silly! It's another matter how many goblins and cobolts you have!"
"But I'm not here to play, either. If you don't deliver this package by the due date, you'll have to pay compensation!"
"Which is more important, life or money?"
"Both!"
"...if you really want to get out of the guillem, there is only one thing I can suggest. It's not a carriage, it's a horse ride and keep going at full speed. so that you won't be attacked by monsters while you're running."

　It means that if the horse is not running, it will be attacked by monsters.
　And horses can't keep running forever.
　After a certain amount of running, you need to take a break, and of course you're more likely to be attacked by monsters.
　Of course, if you're on horseback alone, you're less likely to be found by monsters than by carriage.
　But if found by monsters in that state, they won't be saved, they'll just be killed and eaten.
　Merchants will only come to the remote guillem, and they probably understand it. I can't nod in spite of the fact that I'm going there alone.
　The biggest thing is that horses alone would leave the carriage and its belongings in the guillem.
　There is a way for some of the merchants to remain in the guillem, but that raises another problem.

"You must do something about it to protect him?"
"Don't be silly. There are some things that can and cannot be done."

　There are many other voices that communicate like that.
　You must have understood what Ray was looking at. The owner of a skewer restaurant opens his mouth in a bit of trouble.

"As you can see, many people have been unable to leave Gillum because of this uproar. Many merchants, in particular, make contracts to purchase goods. There are some merchants who come to deal directly with us, but there is a certain time limit for us to carry the goods we have purchased."
"But surely what the adventurer is saying is that if we force ourselves to move here, we will certainly only be fed by the present circumstances."
"Oh, I know that, but... some of them have actually passed through the flock to Gillum." If you look at it, you might wonder if we're all right."

　The shopkeeper's words were also true.
　In fact, there was a commercial force that seemed to have just come down the main street.
　The reason I knew why the company had just come to Gilm is that the carriage was scratched.
　There was also a cut on the horse pulling the carriage, indicating that someone had attacked him.

"If you see such people, it is no use thinking that the merchants might... "
"Well... but the people of this city can afford it for being locked in a guillem."
"Well, it's rare to see such a large group of monsters, but it's not unusual for monsters to show up."

　She must be happy to talk to Vihela, who deserves to be described as the most beautiful woman in the world. The shopkeeper replied with a smile.
　It's true that it's serious, as Vichela said, but it didn't bother the owner of the shop who lived in the guillem instead of leaving.

"If you're usually trapped in the city, you have to worry about food... you don't have to worry about that. Well, there's more food left."

　That's why I'm running a shop like this.
　The words make Ray and Vichela look convinced.
　With so many monsters there is a natural need to knock them down.
　The monster's corpse had naturally been brought back to Guillum for various materials and food.
　It's important to note that herd monsters are subhuman and powerful monsters have not yet been discovered.
　...though if such a powerful group of monsters were discovered, a high-ranking adventurer would be dispatched immediately.
　It's like a pack of lizardmen sent by Ray and Vichela.
　In that sense, the owner of the restaurant's statement that there is too much food left in the guillem is correct.

"I suppose the more difficult thing is the non-food." ...like a favorite thing. There's plenty of meat in the food, but it gets quite tough when it comes to flour and such things as flour. But it's a relief that you don't have to worry about starvation."
"Well, I don't have to worry about bread."

　The mystery ring is full of bread.
　それも、焼きたてで香ばしい、非常に美味いパンだ.
　そんなレイの様子に、屋台の店主は羨ましそうな視線を向けていた.
　食べ物を売っている店主にとって、幾らでも物が入り、中では時間が止まっているアイテムボックスというのは喉から手が出る程に欲しい.

「それよりレイ、そろそろ行きましょ. ギルドの方に何か情報があるかもしれないでしょ？」

　串焼きを食べなかったヴィヘラの言葉に、レイは頷く.
　ここで話をしていてもいいのだが、ヴィヘラの言う通りギルドに今回の群れの件に関して何らかの情報が入っているかもしれないからだ.
　特にオークの群れの討伐をしたいと思っているレイとしては、少しでも早く情報を得たいと考えるのは当然だった.

「グルルゥ？」

　レイの側で、セトも喉を鳴らす.
　もう行くの？　というセトに負けるように、もう数本コボルトの串焼きを購入してその場を後にするのだった.





「うーん、残念だけどまだオークの群れの情報は入ってないわね」

　ギルドにやって来たレイの言葉に、ケニーは首を横に振る.
　本来であればレノラに聞くべきなのだが、レノラは現在他の冒険者の相手をしていた為だ.
　丁度レイが来たのとタイミングが合うように、ケニーが相手をしていた冒険者の相手が終わった為、レノラではなくケニーに話し掛けたのだ.
　ケニーにとっては、運が良かったと言えるだろう.
　これは別に、レイが来る前に担当していた冒険者を粗雑に扱ったというのではなく、純粋にそのタイミングだったというのもある.

「そう、か. 他の群れは？」
「ゴブリンの群れが結構出てるわね. コボルトもそこそこ. 変わったところではワーウルフの群れもいるわ」
「……珍しいな」

　ワーウルフ. その名の通り狼の顔を持つ亜人型のモンスターだ.
　リザードマンのように高い社会性を持っているモンスターだが、人間と友好的な存在という訳では決してない.
　獣人とは似て非なる者といったモンスター.
　獣人に対してワーウルフというのは、人間に猿と言うのに等しい.
　特に犬系の獣人……中でも狼の獣人にとっては、下手をすれば決闘騒ぎになってもおかしくない程の侮辱だった.

「そうね. ただ、ワーウルフは元々群れを作るタイプの亜人型のモンスターだから、そういう意味では今回のように上位種が出ると、一気に強くなるわ. それもあって、他のモンスターと違ってリーダー種が率いる群れの数も多いのよ」
「リザードマンとかは社会性があると言っても、結局戦いの時は個人で動くことが多いしね. そう考えれば、群れで狩りをする狼の特性を持っているワーウルフは手強いでしょうね」

　ケニーの言葉にヴィヘラが付け足すように告げる.
　ヴィヘラに対して思うところはあれど、仕事とプライベートはしっかりと分けているのだろう.
　その説明に頷き、再び口を開く.

「そうですね. 普段から群れで行動しているので、そこに上位種が現れると非常に厄介です. それでも、上位種の中でも一番弱いリーダー系であれば、まだ何とかなるのかもしれませんが」
「肉としては……そんなに美味くないんだっけ？」
「レイ君の言う通りよ. ランクDモンスターという点ではオークやリザードマンと同じだけど、肉の味という風に考えるとかなり臭いらしいわ. もっとも、料理人が上手い具合に調理すれば臭さが美味さに変わるという話だけど」
「臭さが美味さに、か. ……ちょっと興味ないか？」

　視線を向けられたヴィヘラは、少し考えて頷きを返す.
　ワーウルフとは、ヴィヘラもまだ戦ったことがない為だ.
　ヴィヘラの嗜好としては、強力な敵と一対一で戦うのが好きなのだが、連携を行ってくる敵と戦うというのも嫌いという訳ではなかった.
　レイの方は、獣臭い肉がどんな美味い料理に変わるのかといったことに強い興味を持ち……こうして二人の意見は一致する.
　もしここにビューネがいれば、それを止めたかもしれないが……残念なことに、ここにはレイとヴィヘラの二人しかいない.
　ケニーも、連携が上手くリーダー種が率いるという意味では他の群れよりも数が多くなることのあるワーウルフをどんな冒険者に回すべきか迷っていたので、レイとヴィヘラがこの依頼を受けてくれるというのは非常に助かる.

「そう言えば、マリーナが今回の件について調べてみるって言ってたけど、その辺はまだ分からないのか？」
「ええ. 何も聞かされていないわ. ギルドマスターのことだし、何か分かればすぐに対処すると思うから、まだ何も見つかってないんだと思う」

　レイの疑問にケニーが答え、会っていくのかという問いには邪魔をするのも悪いということで、レイはヴィヘラと共にワーウルフの群れの討伐に向かうのだった.