Chapter 81 - Sneaking for a Change
I focused on my magic sense to detect the enemy’s location from the underground torture chamber. Just as I began, the torture chamber door burst open.
A man who looked like another torturer entered the room, carelessly pushing the door wide. He was a muscular guy carrying a tray laden with various tools, like knives and pliers. He had the same rough appearance as the torturer I had already taken down.
“...Ah.”
“...What!?”
Our eyes met, and after a brief moment of shock, he lunged at me. In the blink of an eye, I approached him and delivered a powerful blow to his stomach.
“Gasp!?”
Anger surged within me at the sight of the ominous tools he intended to use on me. “You heretic!” I shouted, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him into the wall.
As the various tools scattered and the dull thud of a body hitting the stone wall echoed, I quietly closed the door, which had been left open. Turning back, I heard the man’s silent scream fade away. It seemed I had thrown him into a section of the wall with a hole in the floor. There was a faint sound of something falling, and it sounded like it was quite deep. I thought I heard a monster’s cry from down there, but I didn’t care. I move on quickly.
I refocused on my magic sensing. Even without using Physical Enhancement Magic, living beings emit a faint magical aura, which I can detect. Non-living magical artifacts also produce a reaction, but it’s different from that of living beings, so distinguishing between them is not a problem.
I expanded my sensing range. My current location, according to the torturer, is the first underground floor. Below this, except for that hole, there are no facilities, so I excluded that area. On the same level as this torture chamber, there are multiple living beings in the horizontal direction. They’re humans, and since it’s nighttime, they’re probably asleep. They’re not moving much, so they might be prisoners like me. What to do about them is a problem. Leaving them behind doesn’t seem right, but carrying them would likely cause more trouble. I’ll leave them for now. There doesn’t seem to be anyone else here.
Next, I expanded my sensing to the upper floors. On the first floor, there are several guards, and a few more people who seem to be sleeping. The first floor doesn’t seem to have many people, except for the entrance area.
Escaping alone without retrieving my belongings would be easy. However, the second and third floors were more problematic.
Both floors had too many people, and it was hard to distinguish between servants and combatants without using Physical Enhancement Magic. I had no idea where the middle-aged noble was either.
It would be easier if there were fewer people or if they were all in one place. Taking them out one by one would certainly alert the others, and if they released a sleep gas, it would be over.
I ruled out using my own poison gas. While it’s possible, I can’t bring myself to use a non-selective poison gas, and I’ve never used it in combat, so I’m not confident in my control. There’s a risk I could poison myself, making it unusable.
What a dilemma. Maybe I should retreat and come back with more people. But that feels unsatisfying. I’d at least like to recover my belongings before leaving.
Staying hidden underground won’t help. I’ll go and check the situation, then decide what to do. If it looks possible, I’ll retrieve my belongings. Depending on the circumstances, I might cause a big commotion. It’s a gamble, but I’ll try to stay hidden as long as I can.
“Well then, let’s get started.”
I didn’t crack my knuckles, as it can make your joints swell. Instead, I punched my palm to psych myself up. Since there was no one wandering around the basement, I didn’t need to be too cautious.
Opening the torture chamber door, I found a small anteroom. There was nothing special here.
Opening the next door, I found a corridor, which was expected. I peeked out from the room and saw a typical iron-barred cell a bit further down. The prisoners must be in there. I decided to go and check it out.
Creeping up to the cell, I quietly peered inside.
An elderly woman was sitting in a chair, and another younger woman was also seated, engaged in some task. A girl lay on a bed.
From their attire, it was clear that the two women were maids or attendants. The girl lying down must be the daughter of a wealthy merchant or a noble lady.
What could they be doing in the middle of the night? They seemed to be diligently taking care of something, so she wasn’t just sleeping.
“Who’s there?”
Oh no, I’ve been spotted. The elderly woman turned and called out. If I had hidden better, I might have been able to avoid detection.
“Is someone there?”
Her voice was confident, as if she knew someone was there. Hiding would be pointless. I didn’t want to cause a commotion, so I decided to show myself. Besides, there was no real point in hiding.
“Be quiet.”
“...Are you a resident here? If so, we have a request.”
“The young lady is sick! Please, take her to a healer! I beg of you!”
“I said, be quiet.”
The elderly woman continued, and the younger woman eagerly added her plea. I silenced them with a finger to my lips, and they quickly complied. The elderly woman then instructed the younger one to continue tending to the girl while she spoke to me in a hushed voice.
“Are you really a resident here?”
“No, I’m a prisoner like you. I just escaped.”
“...Could you be the one who was brought in a little while ago? How did you—”
“More importantly, what’s wrong with the girl?”
“She’s been unwell for some time. Her condition hasn’t improved, and this environment is not suitable for rest.”
She looked uncomfortable and feverish. I decided to give her a mid-level recovery potion. After all, it’s a fleeting encounter, and I couldn’t leave a cute, frail girl in distress. I’d like to charge for it, but in this situation, it’s not practical.
Reaching into my skirt pocket, I generated a crystal vial and filled it with a super-complex recovery potion. I presented it as if it had been in my pocket all along and gestured the elderly woman to come closer.
“Here, this is a recovery potion. It’s very effective for illnesses. Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned.”
“Is this really a healing potion?”
“Yes, give it to her.”
The elderly woman politely thanked me and carefully tucked the vial into her pocket. She would probably test it for poison after I left, but she could have done that in front of me.
“Well, I’m off.”
“Yes, but—”
“Don’t worry. I’ll come back with help. Just wait here.”
“...Yes, thank you. I hope you stay safe. I will repay this kindness someday.”
The elderly woman was surprised by my casual promise and froze for a moment. She quickly recovered and thanked me, though she seemed skeptical of what one woman could do. But they had no other options, so they had to trust me.
I moved away from the cell and reconsidered my next move. What should I do?
Escaping alone would be easy, but it would mean leaving my belongings behind, and that didn’t sit well with me. I couldn’t just leave without doing anything.
Hmm, I don’t have to do everything alone. I could call for help.
If I send up a light magic signal, someone from the Kikyo Society will definitely notice. They’ll probably storm the place head-on. I can use that distraction to take control from the inside. It’s a rough plan, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow.
With that decided, I made my way to the ground floor, using my magic sense to avoid detection. Locks were no obstacle for me. Timing my movements to avoid patrols, I slipped into the hallway and easily made my way outside through a window.
Keeping an eye on the guards, I launched the "gathering signal" dramatically.
“What’s that!?”
“Who’s there? What are you doing? An intruder!?”
“Hey, what’s going on? Check it out!”
“Where is it? Search everywhere!”
Ignoring the shouts, I quickly used a High Jump to retreat to the roof. From there, I could lie low and wait for the Kikyo Society to arrive. I decided to watch the stars until they showed up.
...Oops, I must have dozed off for a bit. The commotion woke me up. It seemed the people inside had come out, so they must be—
Sure enough, I saw Siegrune and Valeria leading the Kikyo Society members arguing with the guards at the gate. Valeria, growing impatient, leaped over the gate, and Siegrune and the others started to break it down. Watching from a distance, I couldn’t help but be impressed by their boldness. They’re a formidable bunch, and I found them reassuring.
Valeria skillfully dodged the guards trying to restrain her and made her way deeper into the compound. Siegrune and the others, having reduced the gate to scrap metal, marched in as if they owned the place.
The guards, now armed and no longer holding back, attacked, but were easily dispatched.
I was enjoying the show when I noticed a guard carrying what looked like a horn approaching from the mansion. That horn was suspicious. It couldn’t just be a regular horn. It must be some kind of magic artifact. I needed to be ready to intervene if necessary.
As I watched cautiously, an explosion spell was cast from another direction, enveloping the Kikyo Society members in flames and smoke. The Kikyo Society’s cloaks should protect them from such a minor spell, but this pattern was familiar...
The smoke from the explosion spell was followed by a thick cloud of smoke from the guard’s horn. It was the same sleep gas I had encountered earlier.
Only Valeria, who was farther away, managed to avoid it. I could use an iron ball to attack from here. I needed to provide support.
As I stood up to help, the smoke began to clear. What?
The Kikyo Society members were standing, though a few in the back had fallen. The explosion spell shouldn’t have had that effect, so it must have been the sleep gas. But how did they resist it?
“Ahh, Siegrune.”
Of course, Siegrune’s Purification Magic. She must have expanded her purification field to counter the gas. The ones who fell must have been outside its range.
Impressive. With her Purification Magic, they can neutralize gas attacks. Siegrune, my Vice-Commander, is always reliable.
With the situation under control, I couldn’t just sit back and watch anymore.
Thanks to Siegrune and the others, most of the guards were now outside. It was time for me to move.