kscans

Chapter 138 - Rescue and Escape.

We had succeeded in rescuing Altorine.

We had done it without being spotted by the enemy. In a way, it was a miracle.

"I’m so sorry," Altorine said. "I’ve put you both in such danger."

To her apology, I replied, "I told you I’d help, didn’t I? Seeing you get caught and then just saying, ‘Well, time to go home’ would have left a bad taste in my mouth. That’s all there is to it."

I said it casually. For some reason, Altorine turned away.

Sensing the mood, Tina cut in. "So, why were you captured?" she asked, forcibly changing the subject.

Altorine collected herself. "Right. I was investigating inside the Church, trying to gather information. My position as Knight Commander allowed me access to most places, and I had managed to gather a fair amount. That’s when I discovered the existence of a top-secret research lab that I knew nothing about. On my way there, knights from the Pope’s personal guard blocked my path and wouldn’t let me enter."

I thought for a moment. "The Pope’s personal guard? So they wouldn’t even move on your orders?"

It was a common trope in manga. The retainers of a certain figure wouldn't obey orders even from someone of a higher rank. They share secrets and reap the benefits. They were likely scoundrels.

"That’s right," Altorine confirmed. "They obey no one but the Pope. I gave up and decided to consult with you and the others using the information I had already gathered. While I was organizing it, the Pope’s knights suddenly appeared and apprehended me. They just kept repeating, ‘By order of the Pope.’"

Her face darkened. So she had been captured suddenly, without any explanation. That was the harshest, most painful kind of treatment.

"In the city, the official story is that you were arrested on suspicion of treason. Did you know that?" I asked.

At my words, Altorine looked shocked. "Me? Treason? Why would they…?"

It seemed she didn't know.

I explained the situation briefly. "The higher-ups probably fabricated it to make it convenient to capture you. It’s a common trick used by the greedy."

I clicked my tongue. It was the same on Earth. When people made mistakes or engaged in corruption, they’d pin it on someone else or file false reports. The ugliness of humanity knew no bounds. Altorine fell silent, her head bowed.

"Well then," Tina said, "since the rescue was a success, let’s make our escape. We should focus on getting away for now."

I nodded in agreement. There was no reason to stay here any longer.

Just as we were about to stand, Altorine said, "No. I will not run."

Her words were shocking.

My eyes widened. "Why not?! If we don’t escape now, you could be killed!" It was a natural reaction. It was common knowledge that anyone who learned a secret like this would be eliminated.

"I don’t think you need to worry about that," Altorine replied calmly. "The inquisitor made me drink an aphrodisiac and planned to control me with a collar. If they intended to kill me, they would have done it the moment I was imprisoned."

"An aphrodisiac?" I asked. "What did they do to you?"

At my question, Altorine’s face flushed as she explained what the inquisitor had done to her.

After hearing her story, Tina said, "Indeed, if they ordered that you not be harmed, then they must be planning to use you for something. The aphrodisiac makes you lose control of your body, and the collar manipulates that. If you try to resist, they can induce arousal. It’s quite convenient for controlling a woman." Her last words were laced with anger.

Of course they were. I might have my own proclivities, but I would never do something the other person didn’t want. It would leave a terrible aftertaste.

"In that case," I said, "fleeing with Altorine right now isn’t the best plan. If you escape, you’ll be put on the wanted list, and the people’s trust in you will plummet. If you’re caught, you’ll be branded a criminal and sentenced to forced labor or worse."

I painted a simple picture of the future. Escaping offered a chance for a comeback, but until then, she would be hunted as a criminal. There might be people who would side with Altorine, but there was a chance they would fall into suspicion and doubt. In that case, playing along with the enemy's plan might be a viable option.

"However," I said, voicing my concern, "now that you’ve taken the antidote, the effect is gone. It’s only a matter of time before they find out."

No matter how well we acted, there was a chance we'd slip up. What's more, Altorine was not suited for such a role. She was too serious to lie.

Altorine thought for a moment. "You’re right. Therefore, Tina-san, I have a request. Could you place me under a hypnotic suggestion?"

To this proposal, Tina replied, "That’s impossible. You have high magic power, which makes it difficult to hypnotize you. You know that, don’t you?" She sounded troubled.

Right, she had been able to hypnotize those two police officers before because they had no magic power. It would be impossible with someone as magically powerful as Altorine.

"No," Altorine said. "There is one way. The fetters of this rack have the effect of sealing magic power. I know it's surprising; I was told as much when I was bound here. So, please bind me to this rack again, and Tina-san, have me drink water imbued with your suggestion. After that, you just need to return things to how they were before you arrived. Of course, please use a phrase only we would know to break the suggestion."

So the fetters had such an effect. Well, I suppose no magician would be taken quietly without something like that.

"In that case, how about ‘Japan’?" I suggested. "The Church may have stories of heroes from other worlds, but from what I’ve heard, they seem to be from somewhere like Finland. It’s unlikely anyone like that would know the word ‘Japan.’ What do you think?"

Both of them nodded in agreement.

We immediately got to work.

I bound Altorine to the rack while Tina prepared the water for the suggestion. She filled the empty antidote vial with some green tea I had brought in case I got thirsty.

Once the suggestion-laced water was ready, Tina gave it to her to drink.

Standing before Altorine, Tina intoned, "You are a wicked woman overcome by lust. You cannot control this burning heat on your own. The word of release is ‘Japan.’"

With the suggestion cast, Altorine fell limply into a deep sleep.

After confirming this, we left the room and made our escape.

We moved cautiously through the facility and reached the storage room. I created and sealed an opening with `Matter Conversion`, and we climbed down the rope to the outside, making sure to retrieve it afterward. Our escape was a success.

On the way back to our hideout, the abandoned house, I said, "But if she’s under a suggestion, how will we communicate with her? What if she forgets everything that happened tonight?"

Tina reassured me. "It won’t be a problem. Her memory will remain. And even if she knows the release word, the suggestion won’t break unless someone other than Altorine says it. Of course, she won’t be able to say it herself. That’s how suggestion works in this world. She’ll find some way to contact us. We’ll just have to wait."

Thank you for the explanation.

Feeling a bit more at ease, I walked on. Then Tina spoke. "Still, there’s one thing I don’t understand. Why didn’t you use your skill to open the outer wall? I don’t think we needed to go to the trouble of using a rope."

To her question, I replied, "That wall is made of stone. My skill can change things similar to iron, but it can’t affect anything else. The facility is also made of stone, but considering its location, it’s unlikely the soldiers would notice. However, the outer wall is visible to the townspeople. If they felt something was different, they might call the soldiers, and they’d discover there was an intruder. It’s as simple as that."

Tina nodded in understanding.

The soldiers inside the facility were only concerned with the prisoners. But among the townspeople, there could be someone who would notice even a minor discrepancy. To reduce the risk as much as possible, careful preparation and vigilance were essential.

I had learned that the hard way through my training as a corporate drone.

Just then, Tina said, "You know, I feel like we’re forgetting something."

At her words, I replied, "Oh? Do you think so? I can’t think of anything."

I wracked my brain, but nothing came to mind.

Tina seemed to let it go. "I guess you’re right," she said, and we headed home together.

We had completely forgotten about the delusional man in the prison cell.