31 Thirty-one stories, "The Shadow Hero".

About a hundred meters from the royal castle, there is a large mansion.

It is a vacation rental villa reserved for our guests' nobility. The villa, by the way, looks like a complete mansion, with plenty of gold being used not only for the exterior but also for the interior. Nobles who have a reputation for being a gold hobby and loud mouth will not complain about this villa either.

Now - Roberto-Tergande was also indulgent in a satisfactory manner.

"Well, the streets of Wangdu are messy and I don't like it... you seem to know where the money is spent"

On the top floor of the mansion, Roberto said, looking at the nearby conditioning.

"You, too, don't you think, Lauren?

Roberto speaks to the man standing next to him.

"… we cannot answer you"

"He's boring."

Roberto says with a disgruntled face.

That's when the door knocked with a small sound.

"Get in."

"Excuse me, I have a drink for you"

A servant working in this mansion entered the room after a gratuity.

On the tray in your right hand is a glass of wine and two glasses.

The servant walked to the table beside Roberto, where he tried to pour wine into the glass.

"Toxic."

"To?"

To Roberto's words, a servant rounds his eyes.

"It's poisonous."

"I understand, sir."

The servant, surprised, poured wine into another glass and included it in his mouth.

The servant's throat moves. After releasing the glass, the wine was slightly attached to its lips.

"Put it here."

Roberto, who checks the toxic taste, gives short instructions.

The servant put the tray down and left the room looking somewhere confused.

"Master Roberto... if you'll excuse me, what the hell are you afraid of?

"... Lauren. Your role is not to think unnecessarily"

Roberto speaks loudly.

But Lauren didn't shut up.

"Dear Roberto. I am a knight who has sworn allegiance to the House of the Duke of Tergande. I have a duty to protect you. If someone is after you, I want you to tell me about it. That way, I'll be sure to protect you."

- So you think you can beat the people in the back?

Roberto said irritably.

"If you are the leader of the Knights of Zhenghong, you will have heard of it. The darkness of the Kingdom of Terraria… the presence of institutions and bureaux."

"Sure, during the Great War, I heard a lot of rumors..."

"During the Battle of the Brave Demons, the upper ranks of the army often came into contact with those" behind "them for operational convenience. Happy or unhappy, I didn't get involved... but according to what I've heard, all the soldiers in the" back "kill their enemies with advanced technology that I don't think is human business. Stabbing, poisoning, strangulation, shooting… there are many ways to do this. In particular, the soldier, known as Ace, among the" backs, "said he had let only one demon man defeat who could not even defeat the brave. Not once, but countless times."

"It's... bouldering, I thought it was hard to believe"

"I don't believe that much either. Well, it would be like an urban legend.... but I also say that there will be no smoke where there is no fire. Rumors are exaggerated I guess...... Still, there seems to be an incredibly horrible killer in the world. I am wary of the possibility of being targeted by such beings"

Roberto said in a slightly trembling voice.

"But saying" back "doesn't change being on the side of the kingdom. I was wondering if I could be relieved if I didn't feel targeted."

"... I don't get it. You can't believe an organization that keeps hiding who it is."

While answering that, Roberto maligned himself with his heart.

I'm in trouble because I know it.

- There's no evidence left.

Gallia, who held evidence of corruption, killed him.

The mercenaries, who were the worst of them, also died without one left.

There is no reason for me to be attacked "back" right now.

- But I've never been over alert.

There may be such organizations in other countries, even if they are not targeted "behind" the kingdom.

Roberto was aware that he was buying grudges from many people.

Therefore, be thoroughly vigilant.

Food and beverages received from others in red are always poisonous and included in the mouth.

Always have the knight beside you if you leave the territory.

While in this mansion, do not fail to exercise any vigilance.

This room on the top floor of the mansion was fitted with two large windows. The night view of the Wang Capital from there must be beautiful - Roberto quickly covered the windows with curtains at the same time as he visited this room. To block sight from the outside.

"Don't worry, Master Roberto"

Lauren said in a sincere manner.

"You don't have to rival my predecessor, Lord Gallia - I, too, am the leader of the Knights of Zhenghong. Master Roberto, I will be sure to protect you. Even if, for whatever reason, the" back "person is dealing with me, let me be your sword and your shield."

With a confident look, Lauren said.

A knight is a convenient thing to make, Roberto thought.

Unless there is so much going on, there is no betraying the Lord. A user-friendly loyal dog.

That's when the door to the room was knocked.

When Roberto said, "Let him in," a servant who had earlier brought a drink appeared again.

"Now what?"

"Well, that's the gift for Lawrence..."

"To me?

Lauren, standing beside Roberto, sounds surprised.

"The sender looks like a student who was visiting a joint exercise the other day. The Knights of Zhenghong, patrolling outside, received it better. According to the knight, inside is a letter addressed to Lawrence. Anything, the sender seems to be claiming to be a fan of Lawrence..."

"... I told you I wouldn't accept those kinds of things."

"Well, the sender seemed very enthusiastic. I really want you to take it, because you insisted on it, so I had to..."

The servant says sorry.

It was a member of the Knights of Zhenghong who received this. The fact that I deposited a gift with this servant after completing censorship probably meant that it wasn't much of a burden either.

"Is that all you've got?"

"Yes, please take it."

The servant gives Lauren the white box he had in his hand.

Lauren slowly opened the box. - Immediately after.

"Become!?

Tons of white smoke overflowed the box.

Lauren pushes and kills agitation and pulls out his sword instantly.

Raid - Where are the enemies?

Normally, I'm the servant who brought this box.

Lauren captured the servant's shadow and grabbed that arm just before his vision was filled with smokescreen.

"What do you mean?!?

"Hiya!? And I don't know! I know nothing!!

The servant, whose arm Lauren grabbed, went into the spot and screamed.

The Raiders are - not this servant.

Then who is it?

Who did this for what?

While paying attention to the servant's movements, Lauren keeps an eye on the entrance to the room.

But at no time will intruders visit.

"Lauren! Hey, what's going on!

I screamed as Roberto panicked.

"Damn - I see nothing!! Open the window!!

After the sound of the curtain being pulled, the window began to open with a twinkle.

White smoke flows out at once - behind Lauren's brain, who saw the sight, fu, earlier conversations passed.

"Back" soldiers kill their enemies with advanced technology that they don't think is human.

There are different ways to do this.

Stabbing, poisoning, strangling...

- - Shooting (...).

"Dear Roberto! Please wait..."

The next moment.

There was a beautiful hole in Roberto's brain.

◆

During death.

Roberto, who opened the window, for some reason, felt like he could see the face of a sniper a few hundred meters away.

In the upper ranks of the army, rumors like this are whispered.

Behind the brave, they have killed numerous demons, true heroes in the war.

During the war, the man actively handled an opponent who was no match for the man on the table.

Human beings in bureaux and institutions rarely reveal their names.

Still, too prominent a soldier is something whose name will be known at some point.

With the cry of the enemy's terminator. Or with the compliments of your allies.

The name, little by little, was said to have been carried into the wind.

Dark part of the Kingdom of Terraria.

Ace number for the True Soldier Secret Service.

"………………… 28 (TOO Eight)"

The person seems to be good at sniping.