「Cheap, cheap! Sweet apples from Calves are on sale now! 」

「Any details you want to know in the second match of the Lotus Cup is all in our Lotus News! It’s the latest news having only printed just now! 」

The people that came to watch the Lotus Cup and also merchants who wouldn’t want to miss the chance to earn had mingled together in the capital and created a bustling scene. Having no bright events after the war with the Empire two years ago, the event this time is especially more successful.

Smiles were on the pedestrians, and the stall owners were busily trying to attract customers. Within such a bustling atmosphere, there was a girl dressed just like any town girl seemingly left behind from it.

Her medium short hair are closer to black. Her brown pupils are directed at a certain person past all the crowds.

The girl had no name. Having no knowledge of even her age or her origins, she was raised by a group whom she only knows as 『The organization』.

And the parents that had raised her only imparted her the ways of surviving and also outwit enemies, and also killing people.

Eventually, the girl had been given the codename of 『Crimson Osprey』 in the organization, and moved according to the wills and orders of the organization. It was a year ago that the life of Crimson Osprey who had been living such a life without any doubts to her situation was turned upside down.

It was an assassination job targeting a certain noble’s daughter. That time, Crimson Osprey had participated as the observer, not partaking in direct combat.

However, the nine assailants excluding her, all of them are not any assassins but the bests of the organization. Even though it was a gather of the organization’s powerhouse, all of them ate the dirt instead.

Beside the target, there was a powerful mercenary that is known as 『Countless Swords Sorcerer』.

(Everything became strange after that)

Crimson Osprey concluded after recalling the past. After the failed assassination attempt, a new order from the organization came for Crimson Osprey.

Her new order was to monitor the main reason behind their failure, the 『Countless Swords Sorcerer』. And so Crimson Osprey focused on monitoring this mercenary.

She had constantly surveilled his movements, and reported it to the 『Carrier Pigeon』 that would appear every so often.

(That man, where could he have gone after getting away from me……)

After few days of constantly losing her eyes on her target, she encountered something that she wouldn’t expect to ever happen. The Countless Swords had made a move on the organization’s base in the capital.

(I never expected him to rush in the front door of the organization)

Heading straight into one of the organization’s base in a street that even homeless people would avoid using, the Countless Swords had easily overpowered everyone. Crimson Osprey had watched it happen from afar.

(The mission I have is to only monitor that man. It’s none of my concern what happened to the base and the people inside it. The mission is the highest priority.)

There should’ve been at least few that are used to fighting in that base. Although it might be few, there should be one or two capable people on her level.

But the Countless Swords had easily trampled on the base without any effort.

(Fighting with something like that……)

Fortunately, Crimson Osprey’s mission was to only monitor, and not assault.

(I would if they ordered to attack, but there’s no chance to win at all.)

He isn’t someone that simple to handle like what 『Yarn Crank』 who died said, it was obvious to Crimson Osprey. Another, then another base that the Countless Swords destroyed after passing through.

The bases of the organization that is infamous for having immense control over the capital’s dark society were all destroyed except for one in a single day. She felt like she wouldn’t believe it if not seeing with her own eyes, but at the same time, she felt the pain of having the difference in strength shown to her plainly.

(It all feels like a dream but, ……it’s the undeniable reality.)

And then the Countless Swords marched into the last and the biggest base in the capital. Even though some of the best men were lost in the assassination attempt, the Countless Swords still had to face many of them.

(The boss’s place have many skilled ones. He should’ve prepared enough combat power to handle even the army, and his escape route should’ve been secured in the first place. Despite so, this result……)

Even though she thought that the number of people would give the Countless Swords some difficulties, looking from the roof of a building three blocks away, it was completely a trample. The raid ended in the building filled to the brim of corpses.

Of course, the corpses are all people of the organization. In the end, just making one man their enemy destroyed the organization, Crimson Osprey who was monitoring the situation with a cold gaze as usual witnessed another strange happening.

The Countless Swords that is the only person alive in the building suddenly looked like he was in pain, collapsed to his knees on the ground. Under her surveillance, it looked like his body turned misty.

The decorations on the wall that couldn’t be seen before started to show through the Countless Sword’s body.

(What a pathetic thing, recalling it now. Standing there stunned and then losing my target)

The Countless Sword that became thinner like mist eventually disappeared into nothingness as if he wasn’t there in the first place. What was left was the organization’s base that is filled with corpses.

Losing her surveillance target, Crimson Osprey had searched for him continuously.

(A year had passed since then huh)

A year ago, Crimson Osprey who had lost her surveillance target returned to her hideout and waited for further orders. But no matter how she waited, there wasn’t anyone from the organization including the 『Carrier Pigeon』 that came.

Even when she returned to the base according to the emergency guidelines of the organization, there wasn’t anyone there.

It’s natural. After all, she had witnessed the incident where everyone in the base was slaughtered herself.

It was the first time when Crimson Osprey felt like her life was uncertain, after following and executing every order and instructions that came from the organization.

She couldn’t do anything by herself if not for an order.

(Then the best course is to continue the last order)

Crimson Osprey had managed to find a purpose of 『Monitoring the Countless Swords Sorcerer』 to suppress her confusion of nowhere to go.

But her surveillance target had disappeared into nothingness with no traces. Even when she wandered the capital regardless of night and day, she could never find any clue to where the Countless Swords had gone.

A year had passed while she repeated that. With no further orders, Crimson Osprey’s life of executing only her last order can be said cruel.

The girl that was only taught to live within the organization was suddenly thrown into the wilderness. For Crimson Osprey to focus on her missions, her needs were all provided by the organization.

That’s why she had no need to earn for her own.

(I wasn’t taught any of it)

Albeit familiar with the arts of killing people, she’s in no way familiar with how to live like a normal person. Although she was taught various common knowledge, it’s not like knowing it will help her use it.

Living normally is a concept too foreign for Crimson Osprey. Her utmost priority is still monitoring the Countless Swords Sorcerer.

She must find out her target’s location in order for that.

(Execute the mission if there’s any time for anything)

Crimson Osprey had been living her life with no time even to sleep, all her time was only dedicated to her mission. Crimson Osprey that had lost the organization’s support had troubles even finding food.

No different from the daily life of the abandoned children in the slums living by finding leftovers and stealing from the stalls.

(No strength and my vision is shaky. And my head feels light for some reason. Every thing was fine when the organization was there to feed me.)

Having spent no time for her own sake, the current Crimson Osprey looked barely like a town girl. Her face’s shape that doesn’t look like any young girl, her thin body, and the messy dark brown hair that had lost its luster.

Even under such conditions, Crimson Osprey was bound under the last order of monitoring the Countless Swords Sorcerer.

Crimson Osprey’s world was only the organization, and living meant following their orders. It had been about a year she had lived searching without a clue because of her mission.

And suddenly, the Countless Swords Sorcerer reappeared in the capital. Her doubts regarding where he had been, when did he return didn’t disappear.

But finally after catching sight of her target, Crimson Osprey felt an indescribable happiness that even made her tremble.

「I won’t lose sight of you again. 」

Crimson Osprey muttered softly as she melted into the busy streets.