"……They’re here."
A low voice whispered through the darkness.
It was the dead of night in winter—a darkness that could only be described as bone-chilling. Twenty figures stood there, blending perfectly into the gloom. Each was clad in the garb of black-clad men to melt into the night as they waited silently upon the rooftops.
This road, leading from the downtown district toward the Lord's mansion, saw little foot traffic after dark. It was the ideal location for an operation that required avoiding the public eye.
The eyes of those hidden in the shadows were fixed on a carriage advancing down the road. It was no ordinary carriage, but a prison carriage reinforced specifically for transporting criminals, ensuring no one could ever escape from within.
"Right. Is everyone ready? Rescue them if possible. If not, silence them."
At the man's emotionless command, the other figures nodded in silence.
"We have already lost individuals who were cornerstones of the Bestia Empire, like our alchemists and beast soldiers. We cannot allow any further information to leak."
The figures nodded again in silent agreement with the whisper.
Their predator-like gazes tracked the carriage as it drew near. The moment it passed their position, the twenty figures leaped from the rooftops without a second's hesitation, diving toward the carriage as it moved through the darkness.
The next day, having finished breakfast as usual, Rei headed out into the city with Seto. Rather than going to the guild, he planned to visit the library to look for some interesting books.
"What’s going on? The city is unusually noisy today."
"Guruuu."
Rei murmured instinctively as they walked down the main street.
Seto seemed to agree, letting out a small cry from the back of its throat.
Many residents looked visibly anxious, huddled in groups and whispering to one another.
"What’s this, Rei? Don’t tell me you haven’t heard what’s causing the commotion?"
The owner of a stall cooking crepe-like snacks called out to him. Although they were called crepes, they weren't the sweet kind made with sugar and fruit; they were more like galettes, savory wraps filled with ham, cheese, meat, and vegetables.
"Looking at the mood in the streets, it doesn't seem like a happy event... I'll take six of those."
Rei placed his order, paying the copper coins as if they were an information fee.
The owner nodded with a smile, quickly handing Rei the freshly cooked batter wrapped around hearty fillings.
Rei bit into one with gusto—despite the short time since breakfast—while feeding another to Seto. He turned his expectant gaze back to the owner.
"I heard a prison carriage was attacked last night. They say the criminals inside and the knights escorting them were all killed."
"……What?"
Rei stopped chewing.
The words "last night," "prison carriage," and "knights" all hit too close to home.
Sensing Rei's shock, Seto also stopped eating and looked at the owner.
The reaction was more intense than the man had expected. At the sharp gaze peeking from beneath Rei's hood, the owner unconsciously stepped back a few paces while nodding quickly.
"Yeah, there's no mistake. I don't know for sure if it was a prison carriage, but when I pulled my stall through here this morning, there was burnt wreckage by the roadside, and plenty of guards and knights were swarming the area."
"……I see. Thanks for the info. While you're at it, wrap up ten more ham, egg, and tomato crepes for me."
"Thanks for your business!"
The crepes were surprisingly good, so Rei bought another batch and stored them inside his Misty Ring.
Rei walked away, the stall owner's cheerful voice fading behind him.
As he ate with Seto, he groaned internally.
(The prison carriage that was attacked was undoubtedly the one holding the prisoners I caught yesterday. Did their comrades move to recover them? Even so, killing knights is a move that will definitely provoke the Knight Order. No, did they decide it didn't matter? Was there a reason they had to take such a risk? Maybe the information those three knew was vital? I don't know. My part was supposed to be over once I handed the spies to the Knight Order. I'd like for this to end here, but...)
Rei let out a heavy sigh.
(That’s probably asking for too much. I'm the reason those three were caught, so they're bound to hold a grudge against me. Whether the spies were rescued or killed to silence them... either way, this is going to be a headache. If they were killed to prevent leaks, at least I won't have to worry about them coming back for revenge.)
"……Hey! ……re you listening?!"
(Hmm. If that's the case, walking around in the open like this might be a bad idea. Should I hole up in the inn until the commotion settles down?)
While Rei was lost in thought, a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder and forced him to turn around.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!"
"Nn?"
Rei blinked, finding himself face-to-face with a familiar man. It was someone directly connected to the ambush he had been contemplating.
"You're that guard..."
It was the guard who had stopped Rei in the downtown district the day before and taken him to the guardhouse.
"Good grief, you finally noticed. I don't know what you were dreaming about, but it's dangerous to walk while lost in thought."
"Sorry. I was just mulling over some rumors I heard about yesterday's business."
"……I see."
The male guard likely felt the weight of the tragedy. The knights were his comrades in the defense of the City of Gilm. He let out a small sigh before turning back to Rei.
"The reason I stopped you is related to that. Captain Ranga wants a more detailed account of what happened yesterday. Can you come with me?"
"Ranga?"
Rei murmured, but he understood the situation quickly.
To Rei, Ranga was the man who handled the paperwork for entering and leaving the city, but his actual title was the captain of the guard force. It was only natural for him to summon Rei after such an event.
"Yeah. The memo he took while listening to your story yesterday has gone missing as well. He wants to hear it again from the source."
"……Well, fine. I didn't have anything better to do today."
He had only intended to browse the library for a monster encyclopedia or books for future requests. Since it wasn't urgent, he followed the guard toward the guardhouse.
"Thanks, I appreciate it. There's apparently a small reward for investigation cooperation."
The guard glanced at Seto.
"Though if the rumors about a gryphon's appetite are true, it'll probably only cover one meal."
"Don't worry about it. Like I said, I had nothing else planned. It's better than nothing. Besides, every bit helps with the food expenses."
(Come to think of it, entertainment in this world is almost non-existent. No internet, no games, no manga. At most, there are a few picture books. The lack of novels was a bit of a shock. Even if I have enough savings to survive the winter without taking requests, I need to figure out how to kill time. Going out on a request in a blizzard would be idiotic. A normal adventurer would just drink at a tavern, but...)
Rei knew he couldn't hold his liquor, so that wasn't an option.
The fact that he didn't even consider spending time with friends or acquaintances spoke volumes about his poor social skills.
(So, it’s back to the library. Or maybe buying some books at a bookstore. I have plenty of gold. Ah, then there's also the food stalls. I could go out and collect magic stones... no, even with the Dragon Robe, I shouldn't underestimate winter.)
Having grown up in the mountains of Tohoku, Rei knew the terrors of winter deep in his bones. He reminded himself of the danger as they walked, eventually arriving at the guard force headquarters near the adventurer's guild.
"Go on in. Most of the men are out because of the incident, but the Captain is waiting."
"Got it. Seto."
"Guruuu."
Seto gave a small cry, understanding perfectly without a word. It moved into a gap between the buildings and lay down.
"Sorry. When I'm done, we'll head to the Full Belly Diner. Eat this while you wait."
Rei tossed a piece of dried meat from his Misty Ring to Seto and entered the building.
The guard led him to a room at the very back of the headquarters. Inside, Ranga was hunched over his office desk, staring at documents with a grim expression.
"Captain, I've brought Rei."
"Nn? Ah, sorry, sorry. I was a bit too focused on this. Please, take a seat on the sofa."
Ranga’s beard was usually well-groomed, but he clearly hadn't slept since the attack. To Rei, even his facial hair looked exhausted.
"Could you bring tea for two and something light to eat?"
"Yes, sir."
Once the guard left, Ranga stood up from his office desk and sat across from Rei.
"Sorry for calling you in so suddenly."
"Don't worry about it. It concerns me too, after all."
"So it seems. ...Well, we can talk properly once he returns. We're incredibly short-handed right now."
Rei tilted his head, lowering his hood as he spoke.
"Short-handed? Are you scouring the city for the culprits?"
"Precisely. The City of Gilm is full of adventurers, which means it’s full of hot-blooded types. We have brawls almost every day... but it's been a long time since we've had knights murdered. We have to settle this as quickly as possible to prevent panic among the residents."
"So that's why you're here instead of at the main gate."
Ranga let out a long sigh.
"Indeed. I'd much rather be out there, but with an incident like this, I have no choice."
His voice was lethargic with fatigue. A moment later, there was a knock, and the guard returned with a tray of three cups of tea and a large plate of sandwiches.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Thank you. Sit down and join us. We'll talk while we eat."
The guard joined them on the sofa, reaching for a sandwich as Rei began his account.
His story was the same one he had given the day before; there were no new details. Ranga had already heard the gist from the guard, but he had hoped for a breakthrough clue. Unfortunately, Rei had nothing more to offer.
"……I see. Yes, I've got the general idea. Unfortunately, there's no new information here."
Ranga murmured regretfully through a mouthful of a vegetable and cheese sandwich. Rei watched him for a moment before speaking.
"Still, the attackers were definitely from the Bestia Empire, weren't they? Thieves wouldn't waste their time on a prison carriage guarded by knights."
"Almost certainly. As you say, there’s no treasure or supplies to be gained from a prison carriage."
"What happened to the spies I caught? Were they rescued or silenced?"
Rei pictured the three from the day before. Two were men in black with unremarkable faces.
(Though I guess if you're a spy, looking too distinct would be a disadvantage.)
Then there was the woman, who was quite a beauty.
(She probably used honey traps to extract information... maybe?)
Ranga shook his head at Rei's question.
"All three were found dead. However, the corpses were charred, so I can only say they were likely the ones you caught."
"……Was flame-type magic used?"
"I don't know if it was magic, but there's no doubt the bodies, including the knights', were burned."
Rei frowned.
Remembering something, he pulled the black needles from the Misty Ring and placed them on the table.
"These are the weapons they used when they attacked me. I don't know if they'll help, but you should have them."
"Thank you. This is a big help."
Ranga carefully wrapped the long, black needles in a cloth.
(Even at night, would they use fire for an attack inside the city? That's just begging to be noticed. It feels off. What was the reason? Usually, you'd do that to hide the state of the corpses.)
Rei kept these thoughts to himself, but Ranga must have seen something on his face. He let out a heavy sigh and nodded.
"Right. The longer it takes for the carriage attack to be discovered, the better for the spies. Yet they used fire and did something so conspicuous. It’s suspicious in many ways. In fact, we only found out because a resident reported the fire. This commotion likely isn't over yet. ...That’s why I want to issue a nomination request to you. If we find the base of those behind this incident, I want you to cooperate in its suppression."
Ranga’s words echoed through the silent room.