GalaxyTL
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This place is at the very back of a back alley in the royal capital of the Ashgo Kingdom.
A maze-like, dimly lit back alley where even the locals rarely enter……
In such an unpopular narrow path, a young woman was running while holding a large bag filled with freshly bought bread.
Round eyes, thick eyebrows.
Freckled cheeks.
Her charming facial features are currently distorted with anxiety.
“Hah, hah, hah……”
The breath of the woman jogging is rough.
And occasionally, she looks back as if to check on something.
In other words, to put it simply.
She is currently being chased by someone.
“Miss, be careful, okay? You’ve been hearing a lot about it lately, right? …… The story of people being kidnapped!”
What crosses the woman’s mind is the conversation she had earlier with the gossip-loving female owner of the bakery.
The mysterious disappearance cases that have been occurring frequently in the back alleys recently.
There are also testimonies of “seeing a suspicious group surrounding the victims,” so this is not just a disappearance case, but a kidnapping case…… In other words, the female owner spoke with a solemn expression that it’s a case of people being kidnapped for an unknown purpose.
Such rumors are already circulating among the general public in the royal capital.
In other words.
The ones currently chasing her are……
As the woman began to pile up speculations in her mind, this and that…… That’s when it happened!
Swoosh!
A knife passed by, grazing the woman’s hair tied in three braids on both sides, making a small sound of cutting through the air!
“!”
When the woman hurriedly turned around, there was a slender silhouette.
The details are unclear due to the backlighting, but the physique suggests it’s a man.
“Kyaaaaaa!”
The woman screamed and threw the bag of bread she was holding!
Freshly baked bread dancing in the air!
And the woman lowered her posture!
Her face distorted with fear!
In an instant, it changed into a fierce and belligerent smile……!
“Aaaaah!”
Discarding the mask of a harmless, powerless ordinary citizen of the royal capital, she took a powerful step while maintaining her low posture!
While passing under the dancing bread, she instantly closes the distance with the opponent.
There’s quite a height difference with the opponent.
Her height isn’t enough to aim for the neck.
It’s fine even if she doesn’t finish him off with one blow.
First, the stomach.
The woman lets out a high-pitched scream and thrusts her hand like a spear towards the enemy’s stomach.
The enemy is off guard and still not moving!
(I did it!!)
The woman shouted triumphantly in her mind, convinced of the success of her attack!
But, however!
Just a moment before the woman’s hand reached him, the male enemy.
Nimbly.
He dodged it!
“Aaaaah!?”
Feeling a bit impatient, the woman stomped on the ground with all her might and came to a sudden stop.
Then she changed direction and charged again.
She thrusts her hand towards the man who dodged to the side!
But that is also easily avoided!
It’s a battle in a narrow back alley.
The woman’s hand sinks into the stone wall, creating a momentary opening.
Taking advantage of that opening, the man.
He held a knife against the woman’s neck.
…… It’s a complete defeat.
At this point, there’s no way to resist anymore.
Prepared for death, the woman tightly closed her round eyes.
However.
“Yeah, that was a good move. I can sense your growth.”
Instead of the knife at her neck reaping her life, a familiar voice rang out.
“Huh?”
When the woman reflexively turned around, there stood.
Earlier…… it was unclear due to the backlighting, but.
It’s a man with tanned skin covered by a jacket and shirt, wearing slacks.
His hair is white, and he’s wearing thin-framed glasses.
“Indeed, growth…… The quality of an excellent assassin is to constantly continue growing. To have the will to grow. Because the trust of clients cannot be gained by simply continuing to do the same work as before. They are always eagerly desiring ‘more and more’. The standards of their demands keep getting higher and higher. In order to meet their wishes and satisfy them, we have no choice but to continue growing every day. Therefore, that’s why. We must not stop growing. Growth is, so to speak, a duty bestowed upon us.”
A familiar voice.
Appearance.
And, as always, a mouth that keeps chattering about things that are hard to understand.
Undoubtedly, the man standing in front of the woman right now is.
“Leader Ambitious……”
The leader of the organization the woman belongs to, “Purple Dual Rings,” was none other than Ambitious himself.
“It’s been a while, Knife Hand.”
Ambitious smiled refreshingly, flashing his white teeth.
——
【Ambitious】
A man who took over the “Purple Dual Rings,” which was once a small-scale cult religious group, and turned it into an organization of assassins.
His current title is the representative of the “Purple Dual Rings.”
Due to failing a certain request, he has lost many of the assassins who were active at the headquarters.