The music that rang around was not so gorgeous, but it was definitely above the amateur level.
　In the midst of such music, Ray continues to dance with Elena... until the music ends.
　It's only been a few days since Ray started learning how to dance from Elena. Despite only that long, Ray had already mastered the art of dancing with his own athletic ability to call him an expert.
　...however, Ray only learned to dance, and he only remembered the manners of other parties.
　If Ray had been a nobleman, he would have been scolded for such conduct.
　But Ray is nothing but an adventurer, and he never gets to see the details of his manners.
　But if it were too bad, the nobles would make fun of me.

"Well, I have nothing more to say about dancing. It's wonderful."

　Elena smiles contentedly at Ray's face.
　Ray also nods to Elena's words.
　After all, the dance practice with Elena was fun for Ray.

"When the party came the day after tomorrow, I just got a pass."
"Well, you're dancing with me, so you've got to be perfect."

　Elena smiles happily, but then opens her mouth a little apologetically.

"You got Ray into trouble after all."
"You mean that man?"

　Elena's words reminded Ray of the man who appeared in the mock war.
　After all, he has not taken any action from the disturbance.
　Are you not going to take action now, or are there any other reasons?
　Ray didn't know what was going on around that time, but it was eerie that he didn't move.

"Well, I'm working with the Duke of Kelevel's network of information."

　Ray shakes his head to Elena, who tells her that no information has been gathered.

"For those collecting information, the situation is pretty busy, isn't it? Then it's no use being able to handle it."

　Ansis, where aristocrats are gathering one after another, is a great place for those who are naturally willing to do something.
　Then it was only natural to attach importance to it.
　A major uproar in such a situation would be a disgrace to the Duke of Quevel.
　That is why behind the scenes of the Duke of Kelebel... the wolves of the meadow in Guillum were so busy moving about.
　Knowing the circumstances, Ray doesn't blame Elena.
　...and, given the eerie nature of the man Ray saw, if agents were to come into contact with him, they could have lost their lives.
　Ray thought the situation was not bad at all because he was such an eerie man.
　Ray's words make Elena feel a little better.

"If Ray says so, we'll be saved, too. ... But if we try to gather information, there's probably no information at all, so we have information is available.
"Is it because you can't gather information even if you try to?"

　Ray, who doesn't understand what Elena is saying, doubts it.
　But Elena tries to say something to Ray... suddenly stops moving.
　Elena's eyes were on those who had been playing music from Ray and Elena's dances until a short time ago.
　The musicians of the Duke and Duchess of Kelebel, however, cannot imitate what they are going to say without thinking.

"Shall we move a little? That's better than talking here."
"I don't mind if Elena says so,"

　Having no particular objection to Elena's words, Ray moves from room to room at Elena's invitation.
　The performers said nothing in particular and saw them off... when they disappeared, they exchanged small words.

"Hey, do you think that's the relationship between the two... to be honest, it certainly looked like that when I saw them dancing?"
"Yes, I think so, but ... Mr. Elena is a Duchess, isn't she? Then she's going to be in love with someone else, isn't she said.
"I don't know. That guy is Ray, who played a mock game at the last festival and won a complete victory. I think we'll end up breaking up."

　One of the performers says so.
　The reason he is slightly hostile to Ray is probably because he lost a mock-fight bet he uttered by him.
　I wasn't betting a lot of money, but it was only natural that it wasn't interesting to lose money.
　But others know it, so the gaze at him is cold.
　Especially the woman who imagined -- or delusional -- Ray and Elena's romantic relationship looked at him at a temperature lower than the outside temperature.
　The man who looked around me had many things to say, but... he said nothing more and turned away.





　As the performers talked about Ray and Elena's relationship, they were in a room a short distance from the room where they had just practiced dancing.
　It is because, in the unlikely event, the performers would know the story... and the third party wouldn't know it.
　Instead of talking to each other in particular, the atmosphere that was flowing during the dance until just now filled the room with a false silence.
　Elena seemed hesitant about what to say for a few seconds before she spoke as if she had made up her mind.

"Actually, there has been an assassin in Anesis for a few years. He may be a woman, but I don't know where the assassin came from at all. Maybe he didn't come from somewhere, maybe even from Anesis."
"...that's the guy I saw? Then I'm sure he's not a woman. Well, I can't say for sure that he's forcing himself into shape."

　Nevertheless, Ray was convinced that he had seen a man.
　I didn't have any particular conclusive evidence, but I thought so.

"Oh, if Ray saw the assassin... a black wolf."
"Black wolf. Is that his name?"

　Ray insists that the person he sees isn't necessarily a black wolf.
　Perhaps Elena understood that it was no use saying anything more about what Ray saw, and she continued to explain.

"All I know now is that it is strong. At least so far, there are only a few who have survived the battle against the Black Wolf."
"No, wouldn't a few people know what a black wolf looks like, for example?"
"He's an assassin, I don't know if he's a man or a woman because he didn't say anything about it."
"Ah... I see,"

　That would convince Ray.
　The more the assassins reveal themselves, the more likely they are to spread the information.
　Under normal circumstances, you would not do such a thing.

(The guy I saw was something that was not normal, though.)

　the observation of that emotion as if it were nonexistent and the mysterious atmosphere
　He was something that I could not call normal, if not very normal.

"But I still think the man I met was the black wolf."

　Ray asserts so, though there is no evidence.
　Elena has no objection to the remark, either, whether she understands Ray's intuition is reliable.
　But that's not because I fully believe what Ray says... but because it's easier to move around if you actually recognize that the person you met was a black wolf.
　Whatever you do, it's hard to do things without knowing the identity of the enemy.
　If so, even if it is definitely a strong enemy, it is best to assume that it is a black wolf.Above all, it's more important to know that over-estimation won't slow down your actions in times of need than under-estimation.

"If Ray says so, then we'd better recognize it. In fact, Ray and Sett are the only ones who saw the other person... No, Ray's is the only one who can rely on them. But be careful. If Ray really saw a black wolf..."
"I know. But black wolves are assassins, aren't they? If we fight head on, we're not going to lose."

　That's what Ray said, but it's basically impossible to fight head on when the opponent is an assassin.
　The assassins are the ones who do things out of the ordinary way.

"You'd better get rid of the idea of fighting the assassins head on. They're very troubling."
"...that's an experienced way of speaking,"
"Well, I've fought back assassins many times before."

　Elena told me with a little confidence, but it's not at all something to brag about having been targeted by an assassin.

(It's Elena, who's called the Princess General. She'd have been a nuisance to someone else.)

　Elena continues, as if she had read Ray's idea.

"Anyway, I've been targeted by some assassins, but I've never had anyone to launch a frontal attack on me."
"What exactly did you do?"
"Some people attacked me while I was taking a bath, others attacked me while I was sleeping. On a slightly unusual note, they joined the war as soldiers and took me by surprise to fly the poison needle."
"...I can only think of words like, wow. You're being attacked more by assassins than I thought."

　Ray, who was told that he had been attacked by an assassin, looks deeply disgusted.
　Contrary to Ray's appearance, however, Elena nods back unconcernedly.

"From my point of view, it can't be helped, and I can't do anything about it now, let alone before."

　Elena's words are so convincing that I can't help but agree with them.
　Elena, who has inherited the magical stone of the Ensent Dragon, is, in other words, more than a human being.
　It's fair to say that even the so-called first‐rate assassins are lacking in ability.
　Beyond the top... If you call them super top, you'll have a good fight with Elena, but there are naturally few such assassins.
　...and it seemed to Elena like a kind of irony that the assassin, called the Black Wolf, had the power to be called the greatest.

"In my case, I don't know much about that kind of detail... but with Sett with me, I feel like I can do something about it."
"I'm sure you don't have to worry about Seto,"

　Elena has spent some time with Sett.
　Therefore, I really understood how reliable Seto was.

"But you can't be with Seto in the city, can you? That's why he's in the stable at the inn."
"I think Seto could sense my danger from the stables."

　Ray's words were muttered casually, but to Elena, who knows the connection between Ray and Sett, it doesn't seem like a joke.
　In fact, Ray and Sett are connected by witchcraft.
　If either party is in danger, it's safe to feel it.

"Nevertheless. If something happens to Ray, I'm not alone. Marina and Vihela will also be sad."
"...I know. I don't get killed so easily, either. And it's the black wolf who's aiming at me, right? Then I think they'll probably attack me head on."

　Ray was told about the assassins, but given the supposed black wolf he encountered in the material yard, there was a prediction that fighting would probably be a head-on battle.
　Ray thought it was a baseless prediction, but he was probably right.
　And I was confident that I would definitely not lose if it actually came to a head-on fight.
　In fact, Ray has done just fine, so Elena has to admit it.
　However, it was impossible not to worry about Ray, who is likely to be targeted by black wolves.

"And yet the black wolf is aiming at me, is it that someone has come into contact with the black wolf? But can't the Duke of Quevel have any contact with them?"
"Unfortunately, no one who tried to contact the black wolf in order to find out whether it was the power of the black wolf or what it was. ... Not being killed was the least salvation."

　Elena had a complex expression on her face at the joy that those who served the Duke of Kelebel had not died, and at the chagrin that they had not been dealt with.