Explaining the situation to Dusker for now, Ray decides that it's Dusker's business, not his own, and leaves the lord's residence.
　. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Maybe I'm really busy with my work, and I'm changing my mind thinking about it. ... Well, if I really don't think there's any problem, I might do it, but if I do, Mr. Dusker's men will get angry.)

　Whispering, Ray arrives at the building where the alchemists live.
　They come earlier than usual and bring fewer trees than usual.
　Some alchemists looked unhappy about it, but it was unexpected for Ray to come here at this time, so it's hard to blame him there.
　In the meantime, some alchemists have asked Ray, as usual, for unusual monster material.
　And Ray, who had been dealing with it painfully, suddenly wondered if I could talk about a lizard that had a mouth like an alligator that had fallen in a lake, but now that the lake is a place where it has spread from another world, I think it's better not to say it.
　But... after a moment's reflection on Ray, he must have thought this was a pulse.
　The attack from alchemists becomes even more intense.

"Ray, as far as you can see, there's something about it. What kind of material is it?"
"Wait a minute. Are you the only one going to ask? Tell me, too!"

　As such, other alchemists gather under Ray.
　Ray was tempted to ask if the wood was being disposed of, but he could have predicted that it would be useless to say anything to the alchemists today.
　That's why Ray thinks a little... and then he opens his mouth.

"Well, maybe I can give this information to someone who's good at handling trees."

　It was a casual murmur, but it was effective enough to motivate the alchemists.
　When the alchemists heard the words, they hurried back to their workshops to finish their work.

(Huh? Did I do it by any chance? Not saying it's a monster in a lake in a different world, but an unknown monster...it's probably okay, isn't it? I'm sure it'll be okay. It might cause some trouble for the guild...but maybe if the alchemist examines the lizard carefully, he'll come up with some new material?)

　I thought it was half unreasonable myself, but, given the curiosity of the alchemists, it seemed by no means impossible.
　There is no denying, however, that these alchemists may run wild.
　Relieved that the alchemists who approached him are gone, Ray leaves the building.
　It's natural for Ray to be welcomed.

"Glu? Glu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu!"

　One and one of them walk away, caressing Seto's approaching head with a happy cry.
　On the way, they buy skewers at several stalls and walk around town.
　In the midst of this, I heard a sudden outcry as I looked around the stalls on the back street.

"Are you fighting?"

　a distinctly quarrel‐like voice
　But at the same time, I also wonder why this place, this time of day?
　If it's nighttime, you can understand even if someone is still drunk and fighting.
　But now it's still daylight.
　...Of course, some people drink alcohol during the day, and even if they don't, they can fight normally.
　Still, it was undoubtedly true that the question was stronger given the current situation.

"Glu?"

　Seth shrieks at Ray's direction, asking, "What are you going to do?"
　Ray wonders what to do with Sett's appearance.
　It's true that there's something strange about it.
　Most importantly, Ray doesn't have to go out of his way to get involved in a fight with a stranger.
　In Gilmoo, fighting is not so unusual.
　What's more, many people are gathering to work on extension work, and many of them are proud of their skills.
　That's why I decide I don't have to bother getting involved... and look to Sett to get out of here.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

　When she hears a woman cry, Ray stops moving.
　If this had been a fight between drunken men, Ray wouldn't have stopped.
　But not this time.
　I could hear not only a man's voice but a woman's voice.
　If you ignore this and leave here, the aftertaste will deteriorate.
　After deciding so, Ray decided that it would be no more trouble than stopping the fight... he would still move towards hearing his angry voice.
　As Sett walks next to Ray, he gazes at me, shouting, "Is that OK?"
　I'm sure Seto understands that if he gets involved in this fight, only time will pass in vain.
　Ray understood Seto's concern, but he didn't want to leave it alone after hearing a woman's... pretty desperate scream.
　It doesn't feel very good to see a woman injured at a later date because Ray didn't go to help her.
　Of course, it would be the smartest idea to ignore her, given that she doesn't understand anything about her face in this situation.
　Anyway, for the sake of not feeling the bad aftertaste, Ray goes where he hears his voice... and eventually arrives at the dead end.
　There were three men and women there.
　Two men, both in their twenties and thirties, were fighting blows against each other, and women of the same age were trying to stop the fight, but the men seemed to be in the midst of the blows and could not hear them completely.

(What's the relationship between these three?)

　Ray thought it might be a fight between strangers, but from the perspective of the woman trying to stop the two men, all three seemed to know each other.
　However, such a question quickly dissolves in Ray.
　Whether the three of them know each other or not, all they have to do is stop this fight.

"Seto, wait a minute. I'll stop that fight."
"Glu?"

　Seto looks at Ray like that, asking him if he's all right alone, but Ray caresses him on the head.

"Don't worry. It's easy enough to stop the quarrel between three amateurs."

　If this is an adventurer with more than a certain amount of power... yes, if an adventurer, who is in charge of guarding the Tower of Birth, is fighting, then Ray can't be easily stopped.
　It's not that I can't do anything if it's OK to faint or fainter those who are fighting without any questions or answers.
　With Ray's attitude, Seto withdraws quietly.
　That's probably because he thought what Ray was saying was true and that he could stop that kind of fight without any problems.

(But if they knew each other... what was the cause of the quarrel? How could it be that they had a fight with each other?)

　Those who are quarreling look like laymen.
　Nevertheless, with a murderous spirit... in other words, fighting to kill the other person is a sort of awkwardness and discomfortableness.
　In other words, Ray could have guessed that he was really angry with the other person.
　Being an amateur in battle doesn't mean you can't kill your opponent.
　That's because if you really want to kill someone, you can easily die just by stabbing them with a knife or something.
　Of course, it's just between amateurs, and if the other person is an adventurer, the story is different.

"Look, stop fighting. Are you going to kill each other in this place?"

　殴り合っている二人の男に、そう声を掛ける.
　いきなり声を掛けられた男達……いや、喧嘩を制止していた女も、いきなりの第三者の声に動きを止めて視線を向けてくるが、その相手がレイだと、十代半ばで決して背が高い訳でもない相手だと知ると、男二人はすぐに殴り合いに戻り、女もがっかりした表情を浮かべる.
　レイから少し離れた場所にはセトがいたのだが、三人とも喧嘩に夢中で……そして喧嘩を止めるのに必死で、セトの存在には気が付かなかったらしい.

「はぁ」

　そんな三人の様子に、レイは面倒そうな溜息を吐き、前に進み出る.
　言葉で言っても分からないのなら、実力行使で喧嘩を止めればいいだろうと、そう判断して.

「邪魔だ、このガキ！　引っ込んでろ！」

　男の一人が近づくレイに気が付き叫ぶが、レイはそんな叫びを全く気にした様子もなく進み、やがてそんなレイの存在に我慢出来なくなった男の一人が、喧嘩相手よりもまず邪魔をするレイをどうにかするといったつもりで拳を振るう.
　だが、戦いの素人でしかない相手の拳で、レイを捉えられる筈もなく、あっさりと回避され、足下を払われる.

「がっ！」

　地面に転んだ男の背中に足を乗せ、そのまま動けなくし……残るもう一人の男に視線を向け、口を開く.

「それで？　お前もやるのか？　やるのなら、相手になっても構わないけど？」
「いや、そんな積もりはない. 君が強いのは十分に分かった. それに、俺も好んで喧嘩をしていた訳じゃないんだ. 寧ろ、止めてくれて助かった」
「……そうか？　俺から見たら、二人とも相手を殺す気で喧嘩をしているように見えたが？」
「い、いや. そんなつもりはない. ……なぁ？」
「そうよ. 全く……」

　男が女に視線を向けると、その視線を受けた女は男の言葉に同意し、レイに近づいてくる.

「喧嘩を止めてくれて助かったわ. その、お礼はこれくらいしかないんだけど……受け取って貰える？」

　そう言い、懐から短剣を取り出し……そのまま、レイに向かって振るう.

「っ！？」

　半ば反射的にその動きを回避しようとしたレイだったが、動けない.
　何が起きたのかを半ば本能的に理解したレイは、地面に倒れている男の背中を思い切り踏み抜き、ぐしゃりとした感触と共に、その場から後方に跳ぶ.
　空中にいる一秒にも満たない間に、瞬時に周囲の状況を確認する.
　背骨をへし折られた男は、手を後ろに回したままの状態で痙攣しており、レイに向かって振るわれた女の短剣からは、刃に塗られた液体が数滴、空中を飛んでいる.
　短剣に塗られた液体.
　それが何なのかは、それこそ考えるまでもなく明らかだ.
　一人を殺して――正確には背骨を踏み砕いただけでまだ死んでいないが――もう一人の女は短剣の一撃を回避した.
　そうなると、もう一人は？
　レイは地面に着地するのと同時に、先程まで、もう一人の男がいた場所に視線を向ける.
　するとそこでは、どこから出したのかは分からなかったが、長針……それこそ、ビューネが使っているような武器を投擲している男の姿があった.
　そして、放たれる長針.
　レイは地面に着地した勢いで再度地面を蹴り、その攻撃を回避しながら腰にあるマジックアイテムを起動する.
　レイの魔力によって瞬時に発動したマジックアイテム……ネブラの瞳は、その効果としてレイの手の中に鏃を生み出す.
　同時に、そのタイミングで再び長針が投擲されるが、来ると分かっていれば、その攻撃を回避するのは難しい話ではない.
　長針は回避しにくい武器ではあるが、同時に点の攻撃方法であるが故に、少し身体を動かせば回避するのも難しい話ではない.
　そうして回避しながら、レイは鏃を親指で弾いて男に攻撃する.
　指だけを動かす攻撃方法の為に、隙は小さい.
　だが、それでも隙は隙だ.
　女が毒と思われる液体を塗った短剣を手に、レイに襲い掛かる.
　少しだけレイが驚いたのは、女の動きがかなり俊敏だったことだろう.
　最初に見た時は戦いを知らない身のこなしだと思っていたのだが、今の動きを見ている限りでは、相応の訓練を積んだ者のように見える.
　それは長針を投擲している男も同様だし、確認するような余裕はなかったが、レイが背骨を踏み砕いた男も同様だったのだろう.
　つまり、この場にいた三人は身体を鍛えた上で、意図的にその動きを隠していたのだ.
　もっと専門的な観点の持ち主であれば、隠しているということを察知出来たかもしれなかったが、残念ながらレイはそこまで突出した観察眼を持っている訳ではない.
　見事に、相手に騙されてしまったのだ.

「さて……けど、正体が分かった以上、こっちもそう簡単にはやられないぞ？」

　二人から一旦距離を取りつつ、レイはデスサイズと黄昏の槍をミスティリングから取り出し、そう告げるのだった.