Chapter 67

Sheila tapped Caduceus meaningfully with her tail. In a hurry, they had only decided on the signals for safety and danger: a tap for safety, a stroke for an emergency. From the nuance, it seemed she intended to extract various pieces of information before I made my move.

Sheila did not resist and was calmly tied to a chair by Jasper's companions. Once they stepped away, she had Caduceus cut the ropes, making sure the cut parts were held down by Caduceus to maintain the appearance of being bound. This completed the disguise.

"Planning to steal the credit?"

When Sheila asked, Jasper smiled meaningfully. Perhaps because he was fully aware of his overwhelming advantage, he spoke confidently to the bound Sheila.

"Well, it can't be helped that that knight will get the glory. I'll get a large sum of money, and after this job is done, I'll be able to collect on it. It's a piece of cake to frame one naive kid."

...So, it seems the plan to give Fernando the credit hasn't changed.

"Hey, Mr. Jasper, what about the captured women?"

"Wait until the arrangements for the enslavement magic are made. If even one of them escapes, it's all over. But don't worry, you'll get your share of the fun."

"That's great. I'm looking forward to it!"

The men laughed.

"...You scoundrels."

Chester spat, but Jasper snorted. Enslavement magic, huh.

"Why were Mercedes and Chester captured?"

Sheila frowned at the men's vulgar conversation but asked the knights beside her, ignoring it.

"It seems the superior officer we reported to was under Greg's influence."

"I... When I showed my face at the castle, I ran into Mercedes being carried out unconscious. When I questioned it, I was hit from behind by Sir Greg, who had just arrived."

Mercedes had probably been drugged. Greg likely intended this from the start. Or perhaps—Mercedes went missing, and Fernando went to save her, or something like that. They might be thinking that Mercedes' team was wiped out in the dungeon but found the door.

Chester... Since he encountered the situation unintentionally and deemed it impossible to persuade, he completely abandoned them.

...I have a general understanding of the background.

There's no reason to show leniency. Once a line is crossed, there's no room for mercy. Sending a signal to Caduceus to make the move, she nodded.

Let's begin.

Controlling Levitation to descend rapidly, I used Wind Magic to silence the surroundings and struck the guard with Uroboros, taking advantage of the momentum of the fall. The heavy impact was the only feedback, and the guard silently collapsed to the ground. Activating Life Detection, I advanced into the wooden house, searching while walking. No one was on the first floor. Looking at the floorboards, I saw several life reactions in the basement. Comparing the view from Caduceus, I fully grasped their positions and first deployed a Magic Circle at my feet.

"Electrolance"

The lightning bolt pierced through the floorboards, burning one of the men below. Without a moment's delay, I cast the next spell. Using Rock Press to create a rock, I broke through the ceiling, sinking the man below into the floor and descending into the basement with the rock.

"Wha—"

Using Wind Magic to stir up the dust, I surveyed the cleared room. The men were speechless.

"Y-You brat...!"

The men were frozen in shock, but one of them reached for the sword at his waist. —But the next moment, a block of ice embedded itself in his face.

"I-I can see the hostages—!?"

"Shut up."

I shot a stone projectile at his mouth. His teeth were shattered, and the sound of his jaw breaking echoed. He writhed on the floor, emitting a sound that wasn't quite a scream, spewing blood from his mouth.

They don't seem to understand the situation—position, distance, and angle are all known. I had already deployed the necessary Magic Circles and put them on standby before stepping in, so I could hit them with magic the moment they moved.

"Ah, ah!?"

They turned to flee towards the door.

That's right. I thought they would try to escape if I crushed a few of them. I cast a spell at the man's back.

"Thorn Tangle"

Fifth-tier Wood Magic, Thorn Tangle. The thorns that extended from the magic circle bound the man's body, tightening and causing him to scream in agony as he was enclosed in a thorn sphere, blocking the entrance to the basement.

The remaining—Jasper included, four men.

"I-I was just coerced by Jasper!"

The one who said this was the man who had laughed joyfully earlier when asking Jasper about the treatment of the captives.

The next moment, a lightning bolt shot from the Magic Circle on standby, piercing him. The man collapsed, emitting white smoke. Three men remained.

"H-Hey—"

A fawning, cajoling voice. An ice spear shot out, piercing his shoulder and pinning him to the wall. Two men left.

Amid the groans of pain, the men fell silent, frozen in fear.

"Sorry, but"

To set a clear direction for the future.

"This is how those who take hostages are treated."

I declared and threw a rock at the remaining man, hitting his chest and sending him flying into the wall. Only Jasper remained.

I restrained the power of the spell to a level that might allow him to survive. Spread the word about today's events and my stance.

Jasper, who could provide the most detailed information, was the only one left to talk.

"Think carefully before you speak. Where is Fernando? In the Twilight Forest?"

"Y-Yeah. I beat the information out of the soldiers there. At first, they were reluctant, but they talked when I threatened to hurt Mercedes."

...The soldiers from Mercedes' search party.

Mercedes was unharmed because of Jasper's plans and the soldiers' efforts to protect her. Mercedes closed her eyes in pain.

"Fernando—went to the dungeon with my new companions. They were still new to the job, so I couldn't entrust this task to them."

I see. The new adventurer group I saw before... not all of them are here.

It's unclear how much they know, but Jasper gathered his long-time companions, promising them a share of the spoils.

But... they are quite reckless.

If I were in Greg's position, I would consider silencing the perpetrators who know these details later.

Probably, the talk about the enslavement magic was about that. Enslavement magic can be undone, so there's no reason to keep witnesses alive.

Dangling the bait in front of them, then killing both the perpetrators and the hostages to cover up the evidence. After that, bringing the remains into the dungeon and claiming they died deep inside, with no bodies left, would resolve the matter.

Killing me, who would be a thorn in their side upon my return, would be a two-for-one deal.

"Was Greg the one who gave you these orders? Does Fernando know about this?"

"Y-Yeah."

When I asked, Jasper nodded, his face twisted in discomfort.

"Damn it! What are you... a naive kid...! You're a monster!"

The man pinned by the ice spear, crying out in pain, cursed Jasper.

The moment my gaze shifted, Jasper quickly reached out towards Sheila. But it was futile.

"Guh, aaaaaah!?"

Jasper screamed, his face showing a moment of confusion. His hand was met by Caduceus, which had transformed into countless needles, like a pincushion. The hand was pinned in mid-air, then transformed into a spear, piercing his knee and returning to Sheila's defense.

Immediately, the ropes binding the hostages were cut by Caduceus, who had secretly severed them while maintaining the appearance of being bound.

From the start, no matter what they did, it was a losing game.

All that's left is to hand them over to the castle and capture Fernando when he returns from the Twilight Forest.