Legend

"... here we are"

In the dark, a small voice echoes around.

Winter, and in the darkness that is right to describe itself as the chilly weather that cuts through the night. The number of shadows that exist to get in there is 20. Each dressed in a black outfit that would be confused at night, waiting on the roof.

This road from downtown to the Lords' Hall is not as crowded at night. In other words, it was a place that was no better suited to acting in a way that caught people's eyes.

At the end of the gaze of those who are in the darkness is a carriage on the road. That's not just a carriage either. This carriage has been reinforced so that we can never get out of it as a criminal escort.

"Okay. Everybody ready? Rescue if possible. If you can't, I'll seal your mouth."

Other shadows nod silently at the voice of a man who doesn't make him feel emotional.

"Even this alchemist and warcraft warriors are depriving them of what could be the essence of the Bestian Empire. Never leak any more information."

The other shadows nod silently as if they also agree with the whispering voice whispering shadow.

Confirm it and wait for the carriage with a gaze aimed at the prey… At the moment we passed near where we were, the 20 shadows jumped toward the carriage proceeding through the darkness without any hesitation.

The next day. After breakfast, as usual, Ray was out of town with Seto. Instead of heading to the guild today, I was going to look for some interesting books in the library...

"What the hell?" The whole city's so noisy.

"Gru."

Walking down the boulevard, whining unexpectedly.

Even for Ceto, he seems to agree with Ray about his opinion, squeaking small in the back of his throat.

Somehow, you can see a lot of residents looking anxious and talking to people nearby.

"What, Ray doesn't know what's causing all this noise?

Seeing a ray like that, the stall owner, who's burning things like crepes, calls out. However, crepes are not sweet things that use sugar or fruit, but are like garrets eating with ham, cheese, meat or vegetables rolled around them.

"As far as the whole city goes, apparently it's not a happy thing to happen... oh, give me six"

Order all information and pay copper coins.

The shopkeeper nods with a grin at that order and gives Ray a crepe wrapped with utensils in the quickly baked dough.

Receiving that crepe, Ray looks deliciously bitten that it hasn't been that long since he had breakfast, and turns his gaze to the shopkeeper as he feeds Seto as well.

"I hear a convoy was attacked last night.... and the criminals in the carriage and the knights who were escorting them were killed."

"... what?

Hear what the store owner has to say and stop the move to bite the crepe.

Last night, escort carriage, knight. Because I remember those words.

Did you feel that Ray's surprise, Seto also stops eating crepes again and turns his gaze to the store owner.

I guess it was unexpected eating. The shopkeeper nods small as he unknowingly takes a few steps back at the sharpness of Ray's gaze peeking from behind the hood.

"Oh, definitely. I don't know if it's a convoy, but there was some kind of burnt wreckage on the side of the road when I pulled this stall here today, and there were a couple of guards and knights around it."

"... I see. Thanks for the info. Then wrap 10 more ham, egg and tomato crepes."

"Every time"

Because the crepes I ate were unexpectedly delicious, I bought more freshly baked and stored them inside the mysterious ring.

Ray walks away from the spot as he receives the moody voice of his stall master on his back.

I roar inside while eating the crepes I bought with Seto.

(The convoy that was attacked is definitely the guy I captured yesterday. When you did, did you move to recapture your people? Still, imitating killing a knight would definitely make the Knights serious.... No, you still decided you don't mind? Was there a reason you should have? What? For example, the three people I captured, the information I knew was extremely important? Hmm, you don't get it. Well, my role itself ends with handing over three spies to the Knights. I hope it stays safe......)

Ray exhales unexpectedly while thinking that way.

(I guess I can't. Anyway, I'm the reason those three guys got caught. In that case, nature and hostility towards me will be commensurate. Were those three rescued, or were they killed by mouth seals to keep information from leaking? Either way, it's not going to be a lot of fun for me.... maybe it's still better for those 3 people to be killed with mouth seals for what they might be targeting with rebellion when you think about it)

"... hey, hey, hey."

(Hmm. So maybe it's awkward to walk like this. Should we be pulling into the inn until the noise subsides?

I was thinking that way Ray, but suddenly I get my hands on that shoulder and I'm forced to turn around.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!

"Hmm?"

It was a familiar face that I was ahead of when I turned around smoothly. That, too, is someone who is involved in the events of the Knights raid that Ray was now thinking about.

"Certainly of the guards..."

Yes, that was the guard who called Ray downtown yesterday and took him to the stuffing.

"Damn, have you finally noticed? I don't know what you were thinking, but walking around thinking is dangerous."

"Sorry, I heard a rumor about yesterday."

"... right"

Be not as close to your friends as you are to a guard man, but I suppose there are some knights who are dead that can still be considered companions in the sense of protecting this city of Guild. Take a small sigh and then turn your gaze towards Ray again.

"I stopped you because of that. Captain Langa wants me to tell you more about yesterday. Can you come here for a second?

"Langa?

It was an accidental grunt Ray, but I'm immediately convinced.

If you try Ray, Langa was the perception of someone who would go through the process when he left the city, but his original position was as captain of the city's security guard. Thinking about it, calling Ray in on yesterday wasn't a strange story either.

"Oh, for Christ's sake, the note I heard from you yesterday is gone. Sometimes you want to hear about it again."

"... well, okay. I didn't have any business today."

To the extent that I was looking for a monster dictionary in the library or a book that might be useful at my request. Because there was no such thing as an errand that had to be done today, I honestly went to the jail with the snort guards.

"Well, I'm sorry. I hear we'll get some thanks for cooperating in the investigation."

That's what I said, guards pointing their gaze at Seto.

"If Griffon's appetite is true, which I hear rumors about, it'll only be about a meal."

"Never mind. As I said now, I didn't have any business today. I'm not particularly dissatisfied with that. Instead, it's as good as spreading the cost of food for about a meal."

(If you think about it, entertainment is hardly developed in this world. There are no online games or comics. The picture books are somewhat frivolous. It was a little unexpected that there was no such thing as a novel.... thinking about it, how do you kill your spare time this winter, even if you just have the savings of not having to take a request. Or so it sounds silly to go out on purpose to make a request in the middle of a snowstorm. A normal adventurer would be drinking in a liquor store...)

As Ray, who knows I'm not that strong on booze, that option was unlikely.

Also, I guess it represents Ray's poor relationship with people around not having the option of crushing time with friends and acquaintances.

(Then, after all, is it about the library? Or maybe I'll buy a book at a bookstore. There's a lot of room for money. Yeah, and then there's eating and walking. To collect monster demon stones...... no matter how many dragon robes there are, is it strictly forbidden to see winter sweetly)

Rai, who is drenched and understands the horrors of winter because he grew up in the back of the northeast mountain, once again continues to walk, remembering the dangers of winter, eventually reaching the headquarters of the Guard, a short distance from the Adventurer's Guild.

"Come on in.... There aren't many people around yesterday, but the captain is already waiting."

"Oh. Seto."

"Gru."

Seto makes a small noise and moves to the clearance of the building so he can sleep without giving detailed instructions that he knows everything.

"I'm sorry. I'll go to the full pavilion when this is over, so you can still eat and wait."

That said, he threw the dried meat removed from the mysteries into Ceto and went into the building.

The guards will guide you straight to the room in the deepest part of the building. There, Langa, whom Ray had seen at the gate many times before, looked through the paperwork with a difficult face.

"Captain, we've got Ray."

"Hmm? Oh, I'm sorry. I was a little too focused over here. Sit on that couch over there."

He's usually a well-groomed mustache, but I guess he didn't even have time to rest from yesterday in a carriage raid. Ray looked like he didn't have any energy in his mustache either.

"I'm sorry, but I was wondering if you could bring me a cup of tea for two and something light to eat later."

"Yes, immediately"

Watching the guard who has guided Ray out of the room, Ranga also lowers back across from Ray, away from the desk for the executive.

"I'm sorry to call you so suddenly."

"No, you don't have to worry about it. Anyway, it's something to do with me."

"I see you are.... Well, I'll let you know more when he gets back. Anyway, we're running out of people in this case."

Leaning his neck small to Langa's words, Ray opens his mouth as he lowers the hood he was wearing.

"Are we understaffed because we're searching around for the killer?

"Right. There are so many adventurers in this city of Guild that there are so many bloodthirsty people for it. So if it's a violent shakedown or something, it's like a day in a row... but it's been a long time since a knight has killed a few of them. That's why we have to get rid of this as soon as possible so we don't disturb the residents of the city."

"Is that why you're here? He's always at the front gate."

To Ray's words, a loud sigh of langa.

"Right. Even for me, it's best to be there. I just can't help it if there's such a case."

I guess it's from tiredness. Talking to Ray somewhere careless, eventually the door is knocked and the guard from earlier returns. In the basin in his hand was a large plate with plenty of sandwiches in three cups containing tea.

"Thank you for waiting"

"Yeah, you sit on the couch, too. Have some tea, but let me talk to you."

Following Langa's words, the guards also go ahead and sit on the couch and reach for the sandwich.

The story remained exactly what Ray told the knights and guards yesterday, and there was nothing particularly novel about it. Even as a langa, it is not what I have already heard from the guards in front of me for the first time. Still, I was slightly hoping for some clue, but in the end, I couldn't find out anything particularly novel.

"... I see. Yeah, I got the whole point. Unfortunately, there was no new information like this."

Langa groans unfortunately as she carries a vegetable and cheese sandwich to her mouth. Ray, who was watching how it was, leans his neck small and opens his mouth.

"Still, it was definitely the people of the Bestian Empire who attacked us, wasn't it? There's no way a pickup or anything is going to hit the convoy that the knight's guarding."

"Probably... no, definitely. You're right, attacking a convoy doesn't take away treasure, food, supplies."

"By the way, what happened to the spies I caught? Did they take you away or did they seal your mouth?"

Behind Ray's brain, three people come to mind that attacked him last night. Two of them wore black outfits and their faces looked mediocre like they were everywhere.

(Most of all, he's a spy, so if he looks neat, he'll stand out badly.)

And one way or another, a woman who couldn't help but say she was beautiful.

(Over there, there was probably some kind of role to pull out information with color tricks...?

To Ray's question like that, Langa shakes her head small.

"All three were found dead. Most of the bodies themselves were burnt and burned, so it's probably your three captives."

"... were they even used in flame-based magic?

"I don't know if it's magic, but there's no doubt the bodies were all burned, including the knights."

Ray frowns at Langa's words.

Then he remembers and takes the black needle out of the mystering and puts it on the table.

"That's the weapon I used yesterday when the three of us attacked me.... I don't know if it'll help, but I'll give it to you because there might be something I can figure out."

"Thank you. That'll help."

Black placed on the table, and langa wrapped in cloth with a long needle.

(Even at night, do you bother using fire in raids all over the city? Isn't that what you're telling me to find?... That stinks a little. But why bother? Normally, I think it's to disguise the body.)

Even as I watched how Langa was doing, I guess that's how I got to my expression thinking on the inside. Langa nods again with a heavy sigh as well.

"Yes, the sooner they find out about the attack on the carriage, the better it will be for the spies. Yet use fire to imitate conspicuously. This is all kind of frigid, isn't it?... In fact, the news of the inhabitants who found the fire revealed this case. In other words, it is possible that this noise is probably not over yet.... there. I would like to request your nomination. [M] If we find a base for the people who made this case, we need your help to control it."

Langa's words echoed in the room.