Chapter 90

"Count your sins!!"

It's completely decided. This is one of the catchphrases from a certain rider I used to love.

"What are you saying, you bastard?!"

"How dare you act so cocky, you brat?!"

"Don't think you'll get out of here alive!"

...Well, I guess they won't understand this in another world. They're all grumbling now, but were they really this rotten from the start?

No, that's not what I should be thinking about now. I need to catch them quickly. It would be no fun if the ones in the back escape.

"Surge, lightning, crawl the earth and take away their freedom, Thunder Beast 'Thunder Serpent'!!"

Dozens of lightning snakes wrapped around the villains, taking away their freedom. Since they are made of lightning, anyone who attacks them will get electrocuted. Getting wrapped up means getting electrocuted, and attacking them also means getting electrocuted, so it's a pretty nasty spell, I think.

I think I'm a genius for creating this spell. I'm starting to get the hang of it, and maybe it's time to imagine and create a new spell.

"What the hell is this?! Gahhhhhh!!"

"What?!! Waaaaahhhhh!!"

"Stop it, pleaseeeeee!!"

"I won't do bad things anymore!!!"

"Please forgive meeeeee!!"

Why is it that, even though they are the bad guys, it feels like I'm the bad one? It's not satisfying. The women who were captured are also looking at me with fear in their eyes.

Ah, I see. They don't know if I'm an enemy or an ally yet. It's understandable that they'd be anxious, thinking they might end up with an even worse guy.

"I've come to rescue you, a bit late. You can relax now. My companions are on their way."

Since some of them are almost naked, I try not to look and hand them blankets. Many of them are covered in the villains' fluids, so I cast a purification spell.

The ones in the back have noticed my presence and are fully prepared. Fortunately, since this place is underground, they didn't have a chance to prepare an escape route, so they haven't run away.

However, as a result, they are fully prepared to intercept me... If I know they are prepared, there are plenty of ways to deal with it.

Two of my companions should be here soon, so I'll leave it to them. They should be able to grasp the situation when they see it.

"Anyway, I'm going to catch the ones in the back, so please follow the instructions of my companions when they arrive. The two coming are women, so you can relax."

"Um, um..."

"Well, thank you...?"

They still don't fully trust me, do they? They must be mentally exhausted, and I hope they can settle down safely.

Yomi and Luna are good at taking care of people, so I'm not worried.

Alright, let's go. Standby spell, enhance senses, enhance body, 'Standby Water Prison x5'

"Rely on meeeeee!!!"

Of course, I didn't just break through the door; I broke through the thin wall about 4 meters to the side of the door. A few people were standing with weapons ready, but they were stunned by the sudden breach.

I didn't miss this opportunity. I immediately activated the water prisons I had set up, capturing them. It doesn't matter if they have weapons, and they can't chant spells in the water, so it's a perfect spell for dealing with people.

"Gurgle... gurgle gurgle gurgle!"

"Choke... gurgle gurgle gurgle"

"Gurgle... gurgle gurgle"

"Gurgle gurgle"

"A..."

...The downside is that they can't breathe and will drown.

"Release!"

They are about to drown and lose consciousness, so I took the opportunity to collect all their weapons. I tied up and knocked out everyone except the one who seemed to be the boss based on his attire.

"Hey, why did you attack us in the evening?"

"W-What are you talking about?!"

Of course, they're trying to play dumb. But I'm not going to be fooled by that.

"Playing dumb is fine, but every time you lie, one of your fingers will be cut off. Of course, I'll regrow them for you when they're all gone. Like this."

"AAAAHHHHH!!"

I cut off a finger of one of the underlings next to the boss and regrew it.

"I'll ask again, why did you send people to attack us?"

"...Alright! I'll talk, just stop!"

"Speak quickly."

"...The Dark Guild put out a request. They're offering 100 platinum coins per person to kill you. Because of that, people all over the capital are probably looking for you."

'Dark Guild' is a new term to me. And 100 platinum coins per person is a huge reward. That means the client must be very wealthy.

"Who are the targets?"

"...You and your two companions, plus the Third Princess, making a total of four people."

Not only us, but Lily is also a target. That means the culprit has a lot of money and accurate information about us.

"Tell me more about the Dark Guild."

From the boss, I learned the following about the Dark Guild:

- A major organization that controls the empire from the shadows

- So large that even the nobles can't touch it

- In fact, the nobles often use it

- Engages in assassination, espionage, and other covert activities

It seems to be a typical underground organization. The Dark Guild is seriously targeting us.

"We'll back off from you! We'll stop doing bad things, so please let us go today!"

"...If you're really telling the truth, I'll let you go, but I have one more question. What about the women who were captured and toyed with in the other room?"

"If you like them, you can take them all!?"

Clearly, these guys are beyond saving.

"Alright, I'll take them all. You guys, just lie there. Surge, lightning, crawl the earth and take away their freedom, Thunder Beast 'Thunder Serpent'"

Now I've captured everyone. ...Oh, the two have just arrived.

"Master! We're late!"

"Hehe, Owl-sama is always the hero, no matter where you go."

"No, that's not my intention. These girls were captured and enslaved by these guys. They are both mentally and physically broken, so I need you to take care of them."

"Understood."

Even though I didn't give them detailed instructions, they seem to have prepared. They are really competent, and I have nothing to worry about. Thanks to them, the clothing issue is also resolved.

"I'll go make something to eat, so wait here."

They are quite exhausted, so a good meal is the first priority. They probably haven't had a proper meal, so I'll make something nutritious and filling.

The menu is: oatmeal congee with eggs, Thunder Eagle herb roast, chunky potage with vegetables and bacon, and apple juice. They probably can't eat a lot at once, and fried food might be too heavy.

So, I'm making eggs and chicken for stamina, a warming potage, and fruit juice for vitamins.

By the way, I've added miso to the congee for a rich, smooth texture. The herb roast is marinated carefully, so it's easy to eat. The potage is cooked until the vegetables are tender, so they are infused with the flavor of the bacon, making it a perfect dish.

I'm glad I had the cooking utensils and plenty of ingredients.

"Here it is... Whoa?!"

When I turned around, everyone was waiting with drool running down their chins. I guess the smell was really good!

"Eat up!"

The girls started eating at my command. Luna and Yomi are also eating, probably because they were hungry too.

Looking at these girls now, they are all beautiful. There are five of them, and it's impressive how they managed to gather such high-quality girls. They were probably chosen based on their looks and bodies.

Still, do these girls have a place to return to?

"While you're eating, I'd like to ask you a question. If it's too difficult, you don't have to answer, but do any of you have a place to return to or someone waiting for you?"

No one answered my question, but from their expressions and gazes, I could tell that none of them have family or anyone close to them.

It's possible that their entire villages are gone. What should I do with them? It's difficult to take care of this many people...

"Owl-sama, can we take care of these girls? Luna and I have some ideas. We won't be a burden to you, so please let us handle it!"

...I remember Yomi was originally from the slums. She probably can't leave these girls in this situation. I'll leave it to them. Even if we do something with these girls, the empire won't have anything to say about it.

"Alright, I'll leave these girls to you. I can't leave the princess for too long, so I'll go back to the castle. Alf, come out."

"Called, Master?"

Alf is smart and knowledgeable. I can trust him with this.

"Please help Luna and Yomi. I'm going back to the castle, so take care of it."

"Understood. I'll take care of it."

Alright, this should be fine for now. Still, the Dark Guild is a troublesome opponent.

I don't know who is targeting us and the princess, but I need to find the Dark Guild and the client as soon as possible. I also need to protect the princess.

...We're short on manpower.

Din is guarding the princess, but even he has his limits. I'll consult with the princess about this incident first.

She might have some leads or information. In any case, more incidents are bound to happen.

It could be an unknown noble faction, the Third Empress, or even one of the other siblings. I can't make a judgment, but I need to clarify this to protect the princess.

"Why do I always draw the short straw..."

I'll continue to update regularly. I'd be grateful for your ratings and bookmarks.

Lately, I've been busy and haven't had time to write long chapters... I'll try to post every three days, but the word count might be reduced. Please bear with me.

Thanks to everyone, I've won the [Net Novel Award] and will be publishing a book with Futaba-sha.