The day after Ray was told he was going to talk about the nomination, he and Sett had come to the front of Viscount Marlino's estate in the barony.
　The mansion is relatively large, but naturally inferior to the duchess's.
　I don't know how much of Ray's estate is worthy of a peerage, but I understand that it's nothing compared to the ordinary people's houses on the main street of Gillum.
　It is only natural that a gatekeeper stands at the gate of such a mansion. The number is two.
　The gatekeepers feel tense for a moment when they see someone approaching them, but soon release them.
　It was because I understood that Ray and Sett were approaching.
　...usually, you can't immediately recognize someone who is approaching you.
　But in Ray's case, as long as there is a presence called Seto, you can immediately understand who it is.
　These guards also live in Gilm. Of course I knew Ray and Sett, and I knew they were notorious and high-ranking adventurers.
　And now that I've heard from my boss that Ray and Sett are coming today, I don't have to be more nervous.

"I was called by Viscount Marnino,"
"Yes, sir," I'll call my superior in a minute, so please wait a little longer."

　a polite tone for a knight to turn to an adventurer
　This is probably because Ray is a notorious, high-ranking adventurer.
　...however, as I have heard of the gatekeeper's decision to turn back Ray's inquiry, and as a result, he was severely scolded by his superiors, it may be a matter of course.
　Anyway, seeing one of the gatekeepers walk into the house, Ray decides to gather information about Viscount Marnino.
　I heard from Kenny yesterday what Viscount Marunino was like, but it would be the surest and easiest way to hear from someone he serves directly.

"Viscount Marunino is not usually in Guillum... Why did he bother here? As you know, Guillum had been there a while ago."
"It's about Ambris, isn't it?" I live in Gilm, so I know that. ...but I'm afraid I don't know why Viscount Marnino came to Gilm. This house is not originally the Viscount Marnino, but the place where his relatives live."
"Well, it's like a villa."

　Building a villa in a remote guillem is, in many ways, akin to adventure.
　If anything, it is correct that this mansion was built to communicate with Dusker, a leading figure in the Neutrality.
　That's when the head of the Viscount Marnino family came to see him, and it's a strange story to those who work in this mansion.

(I've heard of a typical aristocrat who has no great bad reputation, but a little bad reputation, and who is neither poison nor medicine... as far as the attitude of this gatekeeper is concerned, is he not such a bad match?)

　That's what Ray thought, but he somehow caresses Seto and dismisses his opinion.
　From what I've heard, this gatekeeper lives in Gilm.
　Then, of course, you know more about Ray than the others, and you wouldn't act like you're going to fight him.
　When Ray first came to Gilmoo a few years ago, there were some people who would fight with him...Fortunately, Ray is now quite famous for his guillem.
　Basically, no one would make a quarrel with Ray.
　...basically, some of them are Moguri.
　In fact, Azimov didn't know Ray when he first met him.
　Also, it is not unusual for an adventurer who has just come to Gilm to judge others by appearance to find Ray without Seto.
　Such men will regret it after all.

"I've never met Viscount Marunino, may I ask you what kind of person he is?"
"Well, yes," He's not a bad person. They also call out to us, the gatekeepers."
"Well..."

　Being employed by the Viscount Marnino family, it is natural that you cannot criticize your employer.
　Even so, the gatekeeper's words show no sign of dislike.
　They're usually not in Gilmoo, and they probably don't know exactly what their employer is like.
　That's why Ray's impression was that he was speaking plain language...
　Talk to the gatekeeper like that for a few minutes. Soon the gatekeeper who went to the house just now returns.
　An elderly man was with the gatekeeper, and Ray expected the man to be a butler or something.

"Thank you for waiting, my name is Jonathan, and I am the chief butler in the Viscount Marnino family. The Lord is waiting, will you come with me?"

　The man who called himself Jonathan seems to have been, as Ray had expected, a butler.
　nod back with a little satisfaction at what one had predicted

(He's a butler, but Sebastian isn't here, is he?) there was a butler with a similar name before.)

　Thinking like that, I go through the gate and into the house.
　Naturally, Seto cannot enter the house, so one of the gatekeepers guides him to the stable.
　It seems regrettable that Seto can't be with Ray, but he still quietly follows the gatekeeper.
　From my experience, I can eat something delicious in the stable. That may be the judgment.
　It's not a groundless idea, but in fact, from the point of view of the set, there is a smell of fried meat that stimulates the appetite.
　This is because some of the maids working in the estate were set lovers.
　...one of the maids asked the young cook to cook for him with a smile...and he couldn't turn it down to the cook who secretly liked the maid.
　It's not like that, but the dishes prepared by the maids are prepared in the stable, and the maids are naturally waiting in the stable, and they love the sight of Seto eating all by themselves.





"Well, my husband is waiting here."

　Ray was in front of a room guided by Jonathan while Sett was eating in the stable and loved by his maid.

"Excuse me, sir," I've brought in Mr. Ray."
"Yes, go in,"

　Jonathan opens the door to a voice coming from inside.
　When Ray walked in through the open door, it was a medium-sized man in his late twenties and early thirties who was waiting for him.

(You're young)

　Putting his age aside, Ray looks at the man looking at some papers at his desk.
　In fact, the person in front of him was still old enough to be described as a young man, which was very different from the person he imagined as the head of the aristocracy.
　Although the viscount family was not so high among the nobility, it was surprising to Ray that such a young man was the head of the family.
　However, some of the aristocrats Ray had seen were younger.

(No, he was not the head of the family.)

　Passing Ray's mind was the daughter of a royal nobleman... the man in front of her.
　The child with the unusual phrase "noja" was still a girl...or, even though he was old enough to be called a little girl, he recognized his duty as a nobleman.

"Oh, is your lord Ray?" It's a very small."

　Ray was a little irritated by the remark, but he fully understood that he was small.
　Now that I've been told so many times, I give up and open my mouth, putting down the dragon lobe hood.

"This is Ray, a Rank B adventurer. I've heard of a request for nomination."

　with a pinch
　A man who briefly raised his eyebrows at Ray's language, but no more spoke with an obnoxious air.

"It's Linus Marnino. Sit down first. I'll tell you more about it."

　Viscount Marunino... nodding to Linus, Ray sits on the sofa in the room.
　Then the maid comes into the room with tea, as if she had timed it.
　Many maids loved Seto, but some of them had their own work to do and couldn't love him.
　This maid was one of those unfortunate maids, and inside she was rather disappointed.
　But it must have been fortunate for the maid to have been able to see Ray up close, who is subservient to Seto.
　I like to love someone like Seto, but I was able to see Ray's face, which is described as a woman's face, up close.
　Basically, Ray wears a dragon lobe hood and rarely exposes his face to the public.
　It's not because of any other reason, it's because the simple function of Dragon Robes is convenient.
　ともあれ、予想外の幸運に見舞われたメイドは心中でキャーキャーと歓喜の悲鳴を上げながら、部屋から出ていく.
　そうして残ったのは、レイとライナス、そしてライナスの護衛だろう騎士が数人と執事長のジョナサンだけだった.
　護衛を残すというのは、レイを相手にするのであれば当然だろう.
　名前が轟いているレイだったが、結局冒険者なのは変わらない.
　であれば、もし何かあった時の為に護衛を用意しておくのは当然だった.

「さて、まずはこうして呼び出したことを詫びよう. こちらとしても色々とあって、迂闊にギルドに出向くわけにはいかなくてな」
「……それは構いません. それで、俺に依頼したいということは？」
「まぁ、待て」

　早速本題に入ろうとするレイを、ライナスは手を上げて制止する.
　レイも特に急いでいる訳ではない以上、ライナスの言葉に逆らわずに頷き、黙り込む.

「まず聞きたいのは、レイは戦いについて自信があるという話を聞いているが……いや、その辺はもうこれ以上聞く必要はないか. アンブリスだったか？　その件でも活躍したらしいしな. ベスティア帝国との戦争の件もあるし」

　ミレアーナ王国の中で、レイの名前というのは余程に噂話に興味がなかったり、もしくは外に出ないような者でなければ、必ず聞いたことがある筈だった.
　特に貴族というのは情報に疎いようではやっていけない.
　ましてや国王派の貴族であれば、黙っていてもある程度以上の情報は手に入るだろう.
　そんなライナスが、レイの中でも特筆すべき能力である戦闘力がどれ程のものなのかを知らない筈がない.

「他にもグリフォンを従魔にしているという点も素晴らしい. ……正直私の家に仕えて欲しい気分だよ. どうだね？　報酬については応相談だが」

　冗談のように誘っているが、ライナスの目の中にあるのは本気の色だ.
　もしここでレイが冗談半分にでも頷けば、すぐにでもその手続きを始めるだろうと……そう思わせる程度には.
　だからこそ、レイはすぐに首を横に振る.

「残念ですが今は誰にも仕えるつもりはないので. 色々とやるべきことがあるし」

　何もない普段の時でも、レイは誰かに仕えるといった真似はしなかっただろう.
　ましてや、今はヴィヘラの意識を取り戻すという手段を探しているのだ.
　貴族に仕えるような真似をするつもりは、微塵もない.

（もしかして指名依頼ってのは俺のスカウトだったのか？　なら、残念だけど期待外れだったな. ……俺にとっても、向こうにとっても）

　そう考え、レイは指名依頼そのものに興味をなくして口を開く.

「そんな訳で、俺はこの辺で……」
「待て. 待ってくれ. まだ話を最後まで聞いてはいないだろう？」

　レイが帰ろうとしたのを察したのか、ライナスが慌てて宥める.
　立ち上がろうとしたレイだったが、ライナスの様子に再びソファへと腰を下ろす.
　そんなレイの姿を見て、ライナスは小さく溜息を吐く.
　しょうがない奴だと、そう言っているような様子にレイは少しだけ面白くないものを感じていた.

「なら、そろそろ指名依頼の件を聞かせて欲しいんですが」
「……いいだろう. だが、言っておくがこの依頼の内容を聞いたら断ることは出来ない. それを承知の上で聞くように」
「待て」

　ライナスの言葉に、レイは即座にそう言葉を返す.
　一応丁寧な喋り方を心掛けてきたのとは裏腹の、いつも通りの言葉.
　聞けば断れない. そんな依頼を受けるつもりは毛頭なかったからだ.

「依頼の内容も分からないのに、それを聞けば問答無用で受けなきゃいけないのか？」
「そうだ. それだけ重要な依頼だと思ってくれていい」
「そうか」

　レイの言葉を聞き、自分の言葉に納得したのだと思ったのだろう.
　ライナスは満足そうに頷き、口を開き掛け……

「残念だが今回の話はなかったことにして貰おう. 俺は依頼を受ける気はない」

　レイの口から出て来た言葉に、大きく目を見開くのだった.