"Well... it's still cold at night."

　Elena looks around, saying so.
　The sun is already completely hidden, and the moon and stars are shining in the sky.
　Day is getting warmer to some extent -- and still less than ten degrees Celsius -- but it's still as cold as it should be at night.
　However, Ray wears a dragon robe, so that doesn't bother him at all, and Elena, who says it's cold, has inherited the magical stone of the Ensent Dragon, so her physical abilities are light and beyond human.
　It's probably a semi-conditional reflex to say it's cold.

"Well, today is the end of my request to dismantle the gigant turtleneck, and I wish it would warm up a little sooner."
"Phew, my lord Dusker was pleased,"
"Oh... yes. Well, yes."

　Ray and Elena were walking alone throughout the city at night because Ray went to report to Dasker about the demolition of the Gigant Turtle.
　There he met Elena, who had been talking about neutrals and aristocrats, and thus they returned to Marina's house.
　...however, Ray is still staying at the Wheat-tei at dusk, and Elena is the only one to go back to Marina's house.
　Also, Seto and Yero should have been playing together in Marina's garden by now.

"It's a pity that I can't eat as much meat as I want after the demolition of the Gigant Turtle."
"Not really. There's quite a bit of gigant turtleneck in the mystery ring. Of course, if Seto eats his fill every day, he won't be able to keep it until next year, but I don't think it's a problem to eat a certain amount regularly."
"Is there that much?"
"Well, for some reason the demolition has been going on for more than a month... and it's scary that the demolition itself hasn't progressed that far."

　In the end, in this winter's demolition, we couldn't even dismantle one of our legs.
　Perhaps you're not used to it yet, but what you've finally dismantled is less than half the size of one of the six legs.
　However, dismantling the gigant turtleneck may take time, as there are many other things to do, such as scalding and peeling.

"Next year, people who participated in the demolition this year will participate again, so I think the demolition speed will increase even more. I think more people will stay in Gilm in the winter after hearing about the Giant Turtle."

　In terms of earning money, dismantling the gigant turtleneck will undoubtedly be a substantial gain.
　However, it's not just a commission fee, it's about selling Giant Turtle meat that Ray is handing out to all those who participated in the demolition.
　But if you can't choose to sell the finest... meat that even nobles and royals can't eat a little, you'll get less money.
　Alternatively, there may be a reasonable number of people who want to taste meat instead of making money.

"Well, perhaps because of the dismantling of the Giant Turtle, the winter guillem must have been lively... ...though I don't know the winter guillem either, so it's just a comparison to other places, including Annesis."
"Ah... well, there must have been life. If it hadn't been for one of those eyeballs, it would have been even more lively."

　They walk around the city, talking like that.
　It's usually a dark road with no lights, but Ray and Elena are half strangers.
　Naturally, the night was bright and we could walk down the road without any problems even with the brightness of the stars.
　...that's probably why I noticed it.

"Oh, I'm hungry today, and I wish I could have left early."
"Marina is going to cook with fish today. If I don't go home early, Bune might eat everything."
"To be honest with you, I want you to leave it as little as possible."

　Both of them let out a small sigh and look at the narrow path that extends to where they are walking.
　There were signs of several people there.
　No, there would have been no particular problem if only there were signs of people.
　But if they were malicious enough to turn themselves on, Ray and Elena would not be able to leave them alone.

"Come on out!"

　With such words, Ray probably understood that they had been found hiding.
　Nearly ten men emerge from the narrow passageway.
　Some young men are in their mid-teens and others are in their thirties.
　All of them had clubs and daggers in their hands, and looked maliciously at Ray and Elena.
　Well, what is directed at Elena is not so much malice as vulgar desire.
　Elena, who had the gaze turned to her, understood the meaning of it as a matter of course.
　They frown their beautiful eyebrows because they understand the meaning of their gaze.

"You're not mistaken, are you? I don't think we don't know if you can do anything about it."

　I should have brought Seto.
　With that in mind, Ray told me, but the person who was being told smiled derisively at me, wondering if he really didn't notice Ray or Elena.

"Hehe. Just the two of you are telling us to attack you for walking with such a nice woman, isn't it? That's good, we're good. At least don't lose your life. Instead, we'll get something of value, and she'll have plenty of fun!"

　Before the leader can finish his mouth, Ray instantly pauses and knocks him in the face.
　He was still at a minimum, and although some of his front teeth were broken, his life itself was safe.

"Do you know who you're getting involved in? I'll forgive you now, so go away with him."

　I'll telly.
　The men instantly shut up to find out if Ray's words were so unexpected that, above all, they couldn't see what he was doing at night.

"You don't know if I don't tell you so many times, do you? I told you so, or ... if you're going to fight me to the end, I don't mind?"

　The men probably realized that the two men in front of them were completely hopeless opponents.
　He runs away from Ray as fast as he can.
　...and yet, Ray's failure to leave the man who was beaten off first gives him a little surprise.
　I thought it would be the last thing I could do to leave my companions behind and run away.

"The only thing I can do is to run away."
"Ray, is there any chance that this is because we have finished dismantling the Giant Turtle?"
"Oh... I don't think so. I've been working with people who dismantle me every morning, so I don't think they're going to attack me without knowing me."

　With the gigant turtleneck in the mistling, it was only natural for Ray to act with the demolition crew in the morning.
　Of course, Ray doesn't know the faces of all the staff, but I still don't think he'll forget the faces of the other person who stands out in such a bad way.
　That being the case, Ray could have guessed that he was probably not involved in the dismantling of the Giant Turtle.

"From the look of it, I don't think he's a slum dweller."

　In Ray's words, Elena says so.
　In fact, the men's clothes were pretty neat for slum dwellers to wear.
　Not all the inhabitants of the slums are wearing clothes that are about to rip, though.
　The upper part of the slums... it's not uncommon for them to wear more expensive clothes than the average inhabitant, when they get great behind the scenes.

"There will be more and more people like that in the coming spring. ... We'll have to get the guards to work harder."

　As they say so, they walk down the street at night.
　Fortunately, he never encountered a similar robbery, and arrived in the barony without any problems.
　And, of course, the aristocratic quarter is not like the one mentioned earlier, as adventurers employed by the aristocracy, soldiers serving the aristocracy, and knights are seen.
　...however, there are people in the world who wonder what they've got in the wrong place, and that's why they think suspicious people can take it away if they have something of value.That being said, naturally, such people could easily be cleared up by talking to the upper echelon of the guillem, or, in some cases, the person who hired them to behave like that.

"Come to think of it, there was a man who was mistaken a little while ago walking around the barony, and that ended in the worst possible end."
"Some of them are like that,"

　They walk together, talking, and eventually arrive at Marina's home, where they are already familiar.
　I walk into Marina's garden without any particular call.
　If someone who isn't close to Marina does this, the spirit protecting the house will immediately peel its tusks.
　In terms of security equipment, the spirit recognized the opponent and automatically intercepted and received him, so-called opponents.
　Naturally, Ray and Elena are recognized by the Spirit as Marina's companions, and above all, they come to this house almost every night, so they are not ruled out.
　The atmosphere differs from one point to another when the two of us head for the garden together.
　Unlike the cold air outside, it's very warm from there.
　It was obvious, needless to say, whose work it was.
　And as soon as the air changes, the smell of the food drifts.
　As I told you on the way here, I could clearly confirm that today's dish was made with fish.
　Whoooooo!
　The moment Ray smelt it, he complains of hunger.
　That said, Ray was not particularly absent lunch.
　He ate lunch as usual, and he ate sandwiches and tea well served at the lord's house.
　The reason why Ray's stomach still rings like this is probably because he's so fuel‐efficient.
　...however, Ray would have liked to have done so in the sense that his fuel-efficient body could eat a lot of food.

"Oh, welcome home. It's as if you were aiming to be back when the food was ready."

　Marina comes out into the garden with a plate of savory fish, such as steaming fish with various vegetables and pouring hot oil on top... and sees Ray and Elena and tells them so.

"I didn't aim at it, just by chance, but I would have arrived earlier had it not been for them."

　The words give Marina a general idea of how things are going on.
　Regardless of Ray, who doesn't have Seto with him, Elena is definitely a celebrity in Guillum.
　It was a little surprising that someone should be so entangled in Elena.

"You must have had a hard time. ... But I think dinner was good enough to forget the difficult situation. Let's eat quickly."
"Well, Bune has been quite attracted to the smell of Marina's plate for a while."

　Vihela, sitting at the table, says so with a smile.
　But Viehla's words made Bune look a little displeased.
　I'm sure I was looking forward to cooking, but I still didn't want you to talk about yourself.

"Yes!"

　Marina smiles and puts the food in the middle of the table at Bune's protest.
　From its handling, it would be clear that today's main dish is this one.
　However, the fish used in this dish is said to be the largest and most delicious fish I caught when I went to the sea last summer.
　That's probably why they thought it was just right for the main dish.

"Come this way, Elena,"

　Arra pulled out a chair for Elena, Ray also sat in an empty chair, and Seto and Yero, who were playing in the garden, gathered together to begin the meal.