a man who bled from his crotch and fainted from his mouth
　Ray, looking at the man, was waiting for the guards to come.
　But... as I looked at him, I realized that the discomfort he had felt since he came to Gilm had not disappeared.

(Why? Wasn't this guy the culprit in this case, or is it just that magic, skill or magic item is not working yet?)

　Ray easily knocked him down, but that's because he's Ray.
　for this man had succeeded in thrusting a dagger right behind Ray, even though he had by some means exterminated the murder.
　The dagger, however, could not penetrate the Dragon Robes.
　Still, it's amazing enough to have delivered a dagger blow to Ray.
　Because of his prowess, Ray can understand even if he is said to have been the mastermind behind the scenes in this case.
　I could do it, but... at the same time, it was a fact that I didn't think it was over.

"I think I've caused you trouble."

　Turning to that voice, I saw a man with a balloon-like figure.
　A man who used to juggle with more than a dozen daggers as he walked back and forth, if he showed light movements contrary to his figure.
　The man apologizes in an apologetic manner.
　But Ray didn't know if he really felt bad because his face was made up to look like a clown.
　In fact, it's not funny that the man who was on the street felt bad about his failure, because this man failed to juggle and one of his daggers was stabbed near Ray, which was the trigger of the fainting man's attempt at Ray.

"Don't worry. Your performance was just average. It's no wonder you've made a few mistakes. ... But if you're going to do it in public, you'd better make it perfect."
"...I'm sorry,"

　a man bowing again to Ray's words
　Ray tells such a man not to worry again.
　In fact, Ray's impression was that this man was not the real cause of the incident, but that it was just a clue.
　That being the case, I feel it's no use blaming this street performer, and I tell him there's no need to worry about it again.
　A man who bowed gracefully to Ray's words, almost like a balloon.

"It seems that my actions have brought about these consequences."
"Really? I don't think you need to worry that much. Even if you hadn't failed at the time, this guy would have gone around behind me. I can't deny the possibility that the same thing would have happened in the end."
"...thank you,"

　The man bowed deeply to Ray's words.
　From the look of it, he only seems to regret that his actions have put Ray in danger.
　That's probably why he feels guilty in this case.

"Anyway, I'm sorry that I stopped the street performance in the middle of it."
"No, if there is such a disturbance, I can't help it. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Huh? Did you say I was an adventurer?"
"If you have Gryphon's set with you, you'll soon know who it is, won'

　Ray agrees with the man's words.
　If you're acting on your own, it's no wonder you know who you are in that set, as long as Seto is acting together.

"If you say so, I have no choice but to agree."
"Hoho. It's more difficult not to notice if you have a lovely person like Sett."

　As he spoke, he reached out to Sett gently.

"Grull".

　Seto warns the man who reaches out to him.
　The man must know that Seto is wary of him. He pulls back his hand, which he was trying to stroke.

"Oh, this... seems to have been disliked."
"... it's unusual for Setto to hate it."

　As far as Ray knew, Seto basically never rejected anyone in the guillem who tried to caress him.
　Of course, for some reason... in the case of someone who was harming him, for example, he was aware of it with a sense of wild instinct... at least as far as Ray could see, he didn't seem to be trying to harm Sett.
　Then why on earth did Seto be wary of the man?
　I look at the man with that kind of course.
　They have a balloon-like figure, but they can move freely in spite of that figure.
　I could see the lightness of the dagger juggling.
　Was it his lightness that kept him on guard?
　I thought so, but if you're simply lightweight, there's a lot in Gillum.

(Then...wasn't it possible for Seto to be lightweight in this body shape? Well, but is it possible for Seto only?)

　That's how Ray was thinking, but he was approached at the right time.

"Hey, Ray. You said you were stabbed. Are you safe?"

　It was one of several guards who came over here to say so nervously.
　At the same time, Ray had to go through the procedures when he entered the guillem and said that he felt something was wrong with today's guillem.
　The guard, who had heard from Ray that there might be some sort of uproar, came in such a hurry when he heard that Ray had been stabbed.
　Ray says to such a guard that there is no problem.

"Don't worry. I was stabbed, but... I had no problem at all because I was wearing this magic robe."

　He manages to stop talking out dragon robes and misrepresent them.
　When you hear the name Dragonrobe, you will naturally imagine a dragon.
　In such a crowded situation as this... and furthermore, in a place where there is a high possibility that there will be other assassins against me, I couldn't possibly have said that.
　If this had only been a security guard, I might have explained about Dragon Robes.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that ... but I can't believe the discomfort Ray was talking about would hit this far. Honestly, it's a good thing."
"Oh, and... it's not over yet."
"...what?"

　Given that the man who attacked Ray had fainted like this, the guards thought the attack was over.
　But Ray says the attack is not over yet.
　The guard casts a sharp glance at Ray and urges him to move on.

"What do you mean?"
"It's easy. It doesn't seem like it's gone yet. It still looks like it's gone. If he's that strange, don't you think it's strange? ... Well, if he's doing this with magic items, I don't know."

　Some magic items have the function of setting a time in advance and continuing to activate the effects of magic items until that time.
　Ray's impression is that it's a timer function.
　Magic items with that kind of function can still be effective if the user fainted.

(However...)

　I look at a man who is faint, but I don't think he has any magic items in particular.
　Of course, since I just looked at it briefly, I can't deny the possibility of having it so that Ray wouldn't find it.

「そうか. そうなると、こいつからは色々と情報を聞き出す必要があるな. ……その前に、治療が必要だが」

　警備兵はそこでようやく気絶している男をしっかりと確認したのだろう.
　股間から血を流し、口から泡を吹いている男を見て、少し引き攣った表情でそう呟く.
　警備兵も男である以上、股間を蹴られることがどれだけの激痛なのかは知っている.
　それだけに、気絶している男を見て、自分がこのような目に遭ったら……と、そう思ってしまったのだろう.

「お前……よくこんな真似が出来たな. お前も男だろ？　なのに、よくもまぁ……」
「そう言われてもな. 大道芸人の芸を見てる中で、いきなり襲われたからな. 今はともかく、その時は周囲に大勢の観客が……あれ？」

　警備兵に説明しながら、先程の大道芸人に事情を説明して貰おうとしたレイだったが、ふと気が付くとその大道芸人の姿はどこにもない.
　警備兵と話す前までは、普通にレイと話していたというのに.

「どうした？」
「いや、ついさっきまでここに大道芸人がいたんだけど……いつの間にかいなくなってる」
「ああ、そう言えばいたな. あの……何と言えばいいのか. そう、丸い奴」
「そうそう、そんな感じ」

　丸いという表現に同意しながらも、あの大道芸人は何か警備兵と関わり合いになりたくない理由があるんだろうなと、納得する.
　辺境にあるギルムは、様々な事情を持つ者が集まってくる.
　そんな中には、当然のように後ろ暗い何かがあってもおかしくはない.

（まさか、あの大道芸人もこの暗殺者の仲間だったり……いや、ないか？）

　セトが警戒していたり、大道芸人のジャグリングが失敗したのが切っ掛けとなって男が行動に移ったのは間違いないが、それでもレイが見た感じで気絶している男の仲間ではないと思えた.
　もし仲間だとすれば、それこそ気絶している男を助けていったり、もしくは余計なことを喋らないように口封じをするといったことをしてもおかしくはない.
　そのような行為をしていなかったのを考えると、やはり男の仲間だとは思えなかった.

「ともあれ、出来ればこの男からも色々と事情を聞き出してくれ. ……もっとも、まだ違和感がある今の状況を考えると、また新たな情報源がやって来る可能性は否定出来ないが」
「こういう時、何て言えばいいのか迷うな」

　暗殺者に狙われているのに、それを脅威と感じず情報源としか思っていないレイ.
　正直な話、もし警備兵が同じような状況になったら、ここまでリラックスした状況でいられるとは思えない.

（冒険者と……いや、レイと自分を比べるのが間違ってるのか）

　異名持ちの冒険者と、一介の警備兵でしかない自分.
　その違いを考えれば、そこに大きな差があるのは当然だった.

「ともあれ、気をつけてくれよ. レイとセトはギルムでも重要人物なんだからな. 特にセト」
「そこは俺って言って欲しかったな」

　警備兵にそう返すが、レイもまたセトがギルムで果たしている役割が大きいというのは、理解している.
　マスコットキャラ的な存在のセトの効果によって、多くの者が活気に満ちているのだ.
　また、セトに顔向け出来ないようなことはしないようにと、悪事に走らない者もいるし、セトが街中を歩き回って何らかの悪事を働いている者を止めたりといった真似もしている.
　セトの噂を聞いて、セトに会いたいからとやって来る者も多い.
　ランクAモンスター……いや、様々なスキルを使いこなすことから希少種で、ランクS相当のモンスターと認識されているセトだけに、研究者や錬金術師にしてみれば、是非セトに会ってみたいと思うのは当然だろう.
　ましてや、セトは人の言葉を理解し、性格も大人しい.
　少なくても、問答無用で人を襲うような野生のモンスターとは大きく違う.

「グルゥ？」

　そんなセトは、自分の名前が呼ばれたことで、どうしたの？　と小首を傾げる.
　レイを襲おうとした……いや、正確には襲った相手を前もって見つけることが出来なかったことで、若干ショックを受けていたのだが、今は幾らか持ち直したらしい.
　近づいて来たセトの頭を撫でながら、レイは口を開く.

「違和感がまだある以上、まだ伐採した木を持っていくのは無理だから、もう少し歩いて回るぞ」
「グルゥ！」

　レイの言葉に、嬉しそうに鳴き声を上げるセト.
　セトにしてみれば、今回はレイを狙う相手を自分で見つけることが出来なかったので、次こそはと、そう思っているのだろう.
　レイはそんなセトの様子に笑みを浮かべながら、警備兵に別れを告げてその場を去るのだった.