pleasant weather with spring sunshine
　Ray and Vihela were being scolded by Marina in the courtyard in such weather.

"Well, this is a mock battle. That's a mock fight to move your body, isn't it? But what are you going to do if you're so serious?"
"You may say so," You didn't use a death-size or twilight spear, did you?"
"Well, I didn't use my hands, my insteps, my insteps."
"...if you don't use it, that doesn't mean it's all right."

　A sigh gushes out of Marina's mouth.

"Well... "

　Bune looks at these three from a distance with his eyes slightly open, but when he closes his eyes again, he leans against Seto and begins to take a nap in the spring sun.
　Rey and Vichela, who are lecturing, look envious at Bune's expressionless but happy appearance...

"Look, I don't look around."

　Marina reminds me again and the sermon resumes.

"For the most part, Ray is always kind to Elena and Vihela, and to me..."
"Wait a minute," I have something to say about it. Well, it's not me, it's Marina that Ray always relies on."

　For some reason, Ray saw the story fly off to something other than a mock battle, but if he had to say anything about it, he would not say it out because he felt like the sermon would be prolonged again.
　For now, if we were to talk together so that we wouldn't jump on ourselves... I suddenly heard a voice.
　It's not a marina, it's not a Vihela, let alone a sleeping Bune or Seto.

"Excuse me. Well, is it really okay here, Marina?"

　Marina and Vihela's movements stop when they hear her voice, preaching... or rather communicating with each other, which is almost like a joke fight.
　This mansion is the Marina, a former guildmaster, who lives in a corner of the aristocracy.
　With that in mind, it would be inconceivable that I had lost my way and had come to this mansion by accident.
　What's more, the voice I hear clearly calls Marina's name.
　It was impossible that I was mistaken.

"Who do you think it is?"
"Well? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I'll be back for a minute."

　That's what Marina tells her, and she leaves.
　Seeing Marina off, Ray let out a sigh of relief.
　It's the same with Vihela next door to Ray, and now he's just grateful to visitors.

"...and what do you think is the end of the day?"
"What do you think? Isn't that what you'll find out when Marina comes back? Rather, let's enjoy a short rest now."

　Viehla's words make Ray nod... but the next moment he sees Marina turning her face and returning to the courtyard.

"Ray,"
"What's the matter? What happened?

　Perhaps sensing Ray's atmosphere as he asks Marina, Seto stands up enjoying a nap in the warm sun.
　That would naturally result in Bune leaning on Seto.
　This is Marina's courtyard, where Bune was sleeping soundly, completely relieved, partly because he was leaning against Seto, but suddenly he was moved and woke up.

"...huh..."

　She probably didn't know what had happened at first, as she enjoyed taking a nap after seeing how Ray and Vihela had been scolded.
　He looked around in a dazed manner... until he saw Marina in excitement and stood up with her head tilted.

"And Marina," What was it after all? Or who was it?"
"You know, there was something that got entangled in the back street last time, right? So I ended up collecting information from someone who seemed to be the face of the neighborhood."
"Oh, there it is. Is that information from him? That was a woman's voice."

　Ray's eyes sharpened when he realized that the sermon was over and that the information he had brought was about Azimov... about Precious.

"That's true, isn't it? I don't think any of the people behind the scenes can come to the aristocracy in that'

　If you say so, you're right, so Ray has no choice but to agree with Marina's words.
　I am, however, somewhat curious as to how the man who came to this house had come to me.
　It is obvious that he is not the right man to come on an errand.
　But soon Ray shakes his head to shelve the question.
　That's far from it now, but there will be more to think about.

(And if you're a member of the underworld, you might want someone who can get in and out of the aristocracy. -- well, since it is only natural that people who have such a motive often come and go to the barons... were they really big names?)

　Looking at Marina again, Ray asks with a serious expression.

"And what information did you get?"
"I heard that someone who seemed to be fancy is now heading towards the slum."
"...Really? Why, you're acting so stupid."

　There was something ridiculous about Ray's tone.
　It means we're heading for a slum, but it doesn't mean that we're worried about the danger of Precious...
　Ray doesn't know exactly what position Precious holds in the Speel trade.
　However, if you had a dispute with Tris over the Gilm branch, of course you wouldn't be the only merchant in the Speel branch.
　With such a person, it's not strange that he should have a bodyguard, and there's no problem whatsoever in terms of personal danger.
　The problem is that Presumption is now suspected by Ray... no, he's half sure he's the culprit.
　Going to a slum in such a situation would be like asking you to doubt yourself if you think about it normally.
　What's more, it would have been even better if I had heard of Ray's reputation.

"I think it's a foolish thing to think of," But...

　Vichela tells him that she was in the same vein as Ray, but then stops talking.

"Shouldn't you know that and think that you're acting like that on purpose?"
"Well, if you know you're going to find it and you're doing it like that... is that to lure us out?"
"I see, but do you think we can manage with their strength?"

　Ray knew that the party he led called the Wings of the Red Lotus was substandard in many ways.
　And in the sense of substandardity, its fighting power is especially enhanced.
　Other than Bune, he is a person of considerable strength even if he fights individually, and Ray, who is good at extensively exterminating magic, cannot show his true colors in the city, but he is still strong enough just to fight normally.
　And Marina's Spiritual Magic works normally in the city, and only the fighter Vihela can fight in small spaces without any problems.
　Also, in the wings of the red lotus, the view is almost as good as that of a non-warrant, but in a place like the city, the speed of the view will be utilized to become a sufficient force.
　It goes without saying that Seto is the only one.
　But they're going to try to lure them... and Vichela shakes her head when she tells them so.

"I don't know about it," But they must know that the more time goes by, the more disadvantageous they will be.""But you know you're going to lose, but you think you're going to do that? I don't think you're going to fight a battle that's obvious because it's hard to move. That's all we can do if it's the way it is now."

　Merchants are basically quick‐witted people.
　Some merchants can't do it, but such merchants often disappear quickly.
　It didn't seem to Ray that the prestige of a certain size of trade, Spiel, did not have that much ability.

"…it's no use thinking like this. Anyway, they came all the way out of there. Then I'll hunt you down mentally as planned."
"Well, if anything happens in the slums, that's all we have to do."

　Everyone who is there nods to Viehra's words because they are... and confident in their abilities.
　Bune, who was unsure of his power, should have been able to escape from a place that would have been a battlefield before he could get in the way of the laymen if he took advantage of the lightness of the bandits.
　Marina, who thinks she has to act as a brake at this party, has no objection to Vihela's opinion.
　It was because they were confident that they could do anything by force, even if something happened to them.

"Well, then, shall we go?" Even if we talk about a lot of things here, it could end up wasting our time."

　Thus the party led by Ray, the Wings of the Red Lotus, left Marina's estate for the slums.





　As the lays were heading for the slums... the targeted man was walking down the road without any sign of being particular people around him.
　There are many people around who wear poor clothes that are clearly incomparable to the presumption.
　No, there are many people who just wear a piece of cloth around their body rather than call it clothes.

"Precious, if you come to a place like this, leave it to us... Don't you think Mr. Precious will come all the way?"

　One of the guards walking beside the dress muttered, watching the surroundings.

"Not really. You need to show your sincerity to your customers. If we are going to do business for a long time, we can say that this kind of behavior is essential."
"But now I can't move... You said so."
"Yes, but things change." Especially in this case, my situation and the other side were in agreement."
"Is that the same...?"

　The bodyguard always doubts the words of Precious, preparing to pull a long sword out of the sheath.
　The man has been appointed a bodyguard for Precious since this spring.
　Born in a private orphanage funded by Pressure, he used to work as a Rank D adventurer.
　It's pure favor for such a man to turn to prestige.
　Because many of those who grew up in orphanages were employed directly by Precious, he was worthy of being called his benefactor.
　The man went on an adventurous path without working for the prestige, but that doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate the prestige.
　In fact, I was able to work as a bodyguard for Precious and meet many acquaintances again.
　So the man was worried about what Precious had to do with such a slum... that's.
　Of course, I know that Precious is doing a lot of nasty things.
　But... for men, and for those who have been brought up in orphanages, I have a feeling that Precious has done some wrong.
　It was because of the presence of Precious that we survived as orphans.
　It was only natural to take the former without hesitation when asked whether they believed in such prestige or others.
　It's a prestige that I trust, respect, and like.
　It is a man's honest desire to leave the communication in this kind of place to himself if possible.

"Giffnan, what's the matter?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing,"

　As he walked, he realized he was thinking, and the man behind the guard... shook his head saying it was nothing.
　Slums are a familiar place for Giffnan.
　Gillum's slums were the first places to come, but they are still the same everywhere.
　Unless you're lucky enough, you'll be eaten by the careless.
　...I've even heard that if you're not good at it, you'll be eaten in a literal sense, not in a metaphor.
　I went down the slum in such a place, warning myself of being careless even for a few seconds.

"What!"

　Suddenly he saw a man who had appeared in front of him blocking their course, and Giffnan and the other bodyguards tried to draw a long sword out of the sheath...

"Well, Mr. Slain, it's been a long time. Thank you very much for your help today."

　He stopped when he heard Precious speak to the man affectionately.