with a thud
　A man kneels on the ground.
　I guess his buttocks are wet with snow because of the thin layer of snow."The man's face on his buttocks is so terrified that he can't afford to feel the chill.
　But it's only natural.
　Right in front of me is Ray, a notorious adventurer famous for his guillem.

"Well, let me know about the red cloth around your arm. Your company seems to be having a lot of fun. ... Do you want to have a good time?"

　Ray's mirth is what he says when the man on his buttocks makes merry.
　The man could understand that the words themselves were the same, but clearly different in meaning.
　Clearly, Ray's words of frolicking mean that he can only see a miserable future.
　The man was fairly confident in his skill, and he didn't intend to lose the fight against him.
　In fact, I've won a fight with a woodcutter who bragged about his skill, so it's not that I'm overconfident.
　But... it's just in the face of an ordinary opponent, and I can't believe that I can win a fight with someone like Ray.
　It was unfortunate for Ray to find him trying to scare a young man out of his money.
　No, it was unfortunate to be found, but what was even more unfortunate was a red cloth wrapped around the man's right arm.
　a red cloth which a man had given to him by a friend
　Those who wrap this red cloth are all companions, and if anything happens, they will help... the cloth of friendship, as a token of such promise.
　The man did not believe such words, however, but for the time being all he had to do was wrap the cloth around his arm, so he began to wrap it around because it was not particularly inconvenient.
　As a result, the guard nearly caught me blackmailing him several times, but the red-clad partner told me that the guard was approaching, so I was able to pass it off without any problems... and I was trying to make money by blackmailing him with a red cloth again today.
　In the midst of this, Ray found me and I'm going through what I'm doing now.

"I don't know anything. I don't know anything!"
"Don't you know? I just wanted you to tell me about the red cloth. You don't know that, do you?"

　Ray continues to speak with a smile in the sense that he puts pressure on others.
　Ray's smile itself wasn't intimidating, but... it was a lot of pressure on the other person to smile in this situation.
　If it wasn't for the situation now, Ray's smile would have looked like a normal smile.

"Oh, okay. I'll tell you anything I know! I'll tell you, so... help me!"

　a man who screams desperately at Ray's words
　Ray smiles and urges us to move on, perhaps because he thinks it's enough to threaten us.
　Ray's smile was the same as before, but he was clearly different from what he had just seen.
　The man breathes out with relief, wondering if he knew.

"Well, you said you could be honest with me. So who did you get that red cloth you're wearing? Is it fair to understand that everyone wearing that red cloth is criminal?"
"I got this cloth from a friend of mine. If something happens, my friends will help me. I don't know how other people use this red cloth."
"Well... and where does that friend of yours get the red cloth from? They all wear the same red cloth. They specialize in making it, don't they?"
"I don't know that much! I've only heard that if you tie this red cloth to your arm, it will help you."
"...Really? You really don't know?"

　Suddenly, an irresistible anger oozes from Ray's body.
　However, if he had never had a life-to-life relationship, he would have felt sufficiently frightened by such anger.
　nod repeatedly in a hurry

"Really! That's not a lie! I've heard a little about it before, but it turned out to be a hoax, and I've never really cared about it since!"

　The man's words make Ray look frustrated.
　This is not the first time Ray has ever found someone with a red cloth around his arm, stopped him from committing any crime, and questioned him.
　Several people have done the same thing, but all of them are saying the same thing as this man.

(You don't have enough attention on these guys? No, I think they're doing a good job of evading it. That means...)

　While I have a feeling that the future story will be the same as I have experienced before, I ask him a ray of hope.

"And who's that friend you're talking about, where do you live, or where do you rent?"
"That's..."

　The man tried to answer Ray's words... but he couldn't say anything more.
　Then he manages to open his mouth with a wary air.

"I don't know. I've never been to his house or room. I've only met him in town. So I don't know where he lives."

　That doesn't make Ray angry at the man.
　Of course, the feeling of doing so is stronger.
　For when I asked the people I had encountered about his house and lodgings, no one knew it.

(You've got to be thorough. It's not just a play. ... Are you aiming at me at pinpoint? No, but... why?)

　Ray feels suspicious, but of course I understand that many people are targeting him.
　I understand, but... it was a little unexpected that I would be targeted in this guillem.
　If this is a place other than Gilm, it could be so.
　But this is Gillum, Ray's base.
　Many of the people living in Gilm are very much in favor of Ray.
　There are, however, some of them, like the man with the frightened expression on his face, who came for the extension.

"Oh, help me! Please, please... you know!"

　Watching him desperately beg for forgiveness doesn't make him particularly sympathetic.
　In the first place, the man in front of me was going to blackmail him, but he bowed to forgive me.
　Nevertheless, this man wouldn't miss the opponent.
　If Ray hadn't happened to pass, he'd definitely have stolen the money from the man he was threatening.

"To be honest, I don't think you should ask others to do what you don't do. ... Well, let's not scare them any more. Here we go."
"What? Well, where are you going.
"It's fixed to be a guard post. I told the person you were threatening earlier to go to the guard post. Probably the guard is heading this way, so I'll hand you over to him."
"Well..."

　a man who looks incredulous at Ray's wordsHaving been threatened in this way, he probably thought he wouldn't be thrust out by the guards.

(I don't know why you thought so, but, by the way, from this attitude, you must have thought so seriously.)

　He tried to pull his neck out of the alley with a look of amazement at the man.

"Ray!"

　Suddenly I hear a voice like that.
　However, when Ray was suddenly approached, he looked at the person who spoke to him without any particular surprise, and smiled at the sight of a security guard.
　such a smile that one doesn't have to worry about pulling a man to his station.

"This way. You heard from the blackmail victim, didn't you?"
"Oh, that's true, but..."

　When Ray sees a red cloth wrapped around the right arm of the man holding the collar, the guard looks at him as if it were true.
　A few days after the discovery of the case of the man wearing the red cloth... more than ten people have already wrapped the red cloth that Ray has captured.
　...but the reason why the number of people wearing red cloths has not decreased is probably because of the psychology that even if they know it's a criminal act, they won't be scared if they do it in large numbers.

(He's not scared if we cross the red light together...)

　Ray thinks that way when he was in Japan, but nowadays there are many people in Japan who think that even if pedestrians cross at a red light, they are not bad at all.
　It would be a disaster if we all tried to cross a red light in front of such people.
　And... those wrapped in red cloth were becoming a disaster before Ray.
　The criminal acts of those who wore red cloths out of unfounded confidence that they were the only ones who were safe increased.
　No, even Ray seemed to be increasing since he became actively involved with those who rolled red cloths.
　In reality, the result of Carles's handling of the red cloths is that Ray has not noticed.
　No, I'm expecting someone to deliberately create a stir, partly because of the people who distribute red cloths.

"Here, I'll give it to you for now, and you'll have to question him over there."
"Oh, all right. This is my job, too.

　The guard quietly accepts the man, judging that there is no point in saying anything more to Ray.
　Normally, the guards wanted to tell Ray a lot, but it is true that the number of criminal acts that should be called minor crimes has increased rapidly in the last few days, and the arrest rate has dropped as criminals are being sheltered or let go by those who wear red cloths.
　Given the circumstances, it's only natural for the guards to want to borrow Ray's help.

(A minor offense... I suppose we should be happy that it has been done so far.)

　Even though it's a minor offense, it would never be right as a security guard to be happy about the occurrence of blackmail and other violence.
　However, compared to the series of violent crimes such as murder, the honest feelings of the guards are that it is still better now.
　However, it is probably because it is a minor offense that those wearing red cloths are comfortably helping.
　If we were asked to help us escape or cover up evidence about killing people with this, no one would cooperate with it as easily as ever... but surely the numbers would decrease.

"Well, I've left it to him. I'll go around a little more."
"All right, but wouldn't it be better to do it after we've been asked to go around in the guild?"
"I've thought about that, too. It's better to be able to move around by yourself at times like this."

　The word is not quite understandable to the guards.
　Basically, it's because it's fundamental as a guard to move around in large numbers.
　Ray's long solo career around here may also be influenced by the fact that each party member is good at moving individually.

"I won't say anything more. Just be careful. It's obviously working behind the scenes."
"Oh, that's all right. I'll be careful. ... I appreciate your advice. Thank you."

　After that conversation, Ray walks away from the guard.
　When the guards see Ray's back, they imagine and feel sorry for the other man's ending, thinking that there is still an idiot who is guillem and pokes fun at him.
　Many people have interfered with Ray so far.
　That's what Ray does with his Gryphon set, with only a few item boxes, and a variety of other magic items.
　Magic items like death-size and twilight spears are definitely wanted by any means possible if you understand the value of things.
　There's probably that kind of person behind the scenes this time too.
　That's what I'm thinking... but I still wonder if there's a tragic future ahead of me.

(I'm sure most people in Gillum know that you should be friendly with Ray, not hostile to him. So... are the people behind him from outside Gillum? I hope he doesn't cause any damage to the city.)

　The guards imagined the end of the unknown man and pulled him back to his post.