Chapter 7

During the day's high fantasy ranking, we managed to secure the fifth position.

This is all thanks to everyone who has been reading.

Thank you so much, and I hope you will continue to support us!

"Guh..."

Alvin's hand grabbed my neck and lifted me up.

Before I knew it, my body was suspended in mid-air.

His strength, which was unimaginable from his appearance, was truly on a different level, as expected of someone in Ray's family.

"Live with Ray? A scrawny guy like you? That's far too mismatched. You're not even in the same league."

My neck tightened, and the oxygen supply to my brain was cut off.

Before I lost consciousness, I tried to pry his wrist off with my hands, but it wouldn't budge.

"Alvin, let go of him."

"..."

Ray tried to stop him, but Alvin refused to release his grip.

Instead, he tightened his hold on my neck even more.

The edges of my vision began to darken, confirming that I was about to lose consciousness.

"You... I don't know what happened, but you need to know your place. The one who deserves to be by Ray's side should be strong. Someone like me, for example—"

"...Let go, I said."

"Wha!?"

Just before I lost consciousness, oxygen suddenly rushed back into my body.

Alvin had let go of me.

I fell to the ground, coughing violently.

When I finally regained my composure and looked up, a silver blade came into view.

"...Are you going to hit a family member?"

"Your side ignored our demands. No matter who it is, I won't allow anyone to harm him."

Ray seemed angry.

He had drawn his blade at some point and was now pressing it against Alvin's shoulder.

"If you try to harm Theo again, I'll cut off your dominant arm and dissolve the family bond."

"...What's so good about a guy like him?"

Alvin glared at me, still breathing heavily, and spat out his words so everyone could hear.

He then glanced at Ray and stormed out of the guild, clearly irritated.

"Are you okay, Theo?"

"Yeah... Thanks."

"Sorry. He can be a bit extreme."

A bit? ...No, maybe to Ray, that was just a bit.

Could it be that I've chosen a rather dangerous workplace?

"You've drawn quite a bit of attention. Let's go outside."

"Yeah... You're right."

I got up with Ray's help.

We had become a bigger target of attention than before.

It was a wise decision to move before any more trouble started.

Once we stepped outside, the curious gazes disappeared, making it easier to breathe.

I'm not really good with attention, after all.

"Again, I'm sorry about my family."

"No, I'm not that bothered. ...I'm used to that kind of treatment."

"Hmm, you shouldn't get used to that. I won't allow it from now on."

"...Thanks."

Ray's words made me genuinely happy.

However, a vague unease still weighed on my chest.

The emotion in Alvin's eyes was clear jealousy.

The more Ray pays attention to me, the more frustrated he will likely become.

To ensure Ray can work in peace, I might need to improve my self-defense skills.

--It's strange.

Until now, I never had the energy to stand up to injustice, but thinking about Ray gives me a bit of courage.

"Alvin was like that, but the other family members are kind. Probably."

"Probably? How many are there in Ray's family?"

"I've never counted. I can only say there are a lot. But if you go to the guild, you'll definitely find someone there."

"It's quite a large group."

"They weren't necessary, but they naturally gathered around me. Thanks to them, we can take on bigger jobs. But I don't like being interfered with more than necessary. It's a bother. I like my freedom."

Ray frowned and walked away from the guild entrance.

I followed her, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye.

Indeed, Ray doesn't seem like someone who follows others.

"Let's stop talking about my family. Instead, shall we do some shopping before we go home? To be honest, there's nothing in my house. I don't go there much, so I don't even have daily necessities."

"That's a big problem... If it's like that, I have to stop by."

"Okay, this way. The vegetables at the store a bit further in are delicious. I usually eat them raw."

"That's good to know. ...I'll put the raw eating part aside for now."

As we walked down the street, Ray stopped in front of a store.

The vegetables inside looked delicious, and I was looking forward to cooking with them.

"Hey, Uncle!"

"Ah! It's Ray! Good to see you!"

When Ray called out, a burly man with a bandana on his head walked over.

He had a brown complexion and a large scar on his face, making him look more suited to hunting monsters than selling vegetables.

"Theo, this is Uncle Bartle, the store owner."

"Ah... Nice to meet you, I'm Theo."

When I greeted him, the man, introduced as Bartle, opened his mouth wide in surprise and then burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! I never thought Ray would bring a husband! You've grown up, haven't you!"

"...Not yet."

"Not yet? Well, you're not entirely wrong! This is great!"

What are they talking about?

I need to clear up this misunderstanding.

"I'm not her husband. There are no plans for that. I've been hired by Ray to handle household chores. Today, I'm doing the shopping for cooking."

"What! Not that?!"

"No, not at all."

If people think I'm Ray's husband, it might damage her reputation.

I need to clarify that it's a business relationship to prevent unnecessary trouble like with Alvin.

Just as I was about to start selecting vegetables, my clothes were suddenly tugged from behind.

"Ray?"

"...Hmm."

When I turned around, I saw that it was Ray tugging at my clothes.

She looked unhappy and was staring at me intently.

"What is it?"

"...Nothing. I was joking, but it hurts a bit to be so thoroughly denied."

"Should I say I'm sorry? I thought it would be bad for Ray if rumors spread."

"I understand your concern, but... women's hearts are complicated."

Ray's face always seems expressionless, but I could tell she was unhappy and a bit troubled.

I couldn't quite understand why she was troubled, though.

"Hahaha! I've never seen such a meek Ray! Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll give you a discount!"

"Really? Thank you."

After expressing my gratitude, I started selecting vegetables.

They were all of high quality, so I didn't have to agonize over my choices. I focused on finding the largest and best-shaped ones.

"You're buying a lot. For a week?"

"Yes. I thought it would be better to buy a bit more than less."

"Our vegetables are delicious, so you'll probably finish them quickly! This amount will be about 4000G."

Comparing the price to the quality, 4000G was quite cheap.

It must have been a significant discount, so I took out the bag with 1 million G and tried to pay with gold coins (10,000G each).

Suddenly, Ray grabbed my hand.

"What are you doing?"

"What... Paying?"

"That's Theo's salary. I'll pay for the groceries."

Ray took out gold coins from her magic bag and handed them to Bartle.

I was left with a question mark.

"Is that okay?"

"Why not?"

"Well, I thought these things should be paid for from my salary."

Until now, I had been paying for the squad's food and cleaning supplies from my 50,000G salary.

Living in the dorm, I could manage with 0G, and it had become a habit for me to pay.

"---Forbidden."

"Huh?"

"Theo is not allowed to buy anything with his salary except for personal needs. If you need anything for the house, let me know. I'll pay for it."

"Ah... Okay."

Faced with Ray's firm attitude, I could only nod.

"I don't know your situation, but you seem to have been through a lot. Here, this is also a discount! Keep it up!"

When we received the paper bag filled with vegetables, Bartle placed two apples on top.

I thanked both of them and realized once again how terrible my previous environment had been.