Chapter 63: Subjugation
Sheila taps Caduceus meaningfully with her tail. For the time being, they've only decided on signals for safety and danger. Tapping for safety, stroking for emergencies. Judging from the nuance, it's probably about extracting various information before I break in.
Sheila offers no resistance as Jasper's comrades bind her to a chair. With the others a distance away, they cut the ropes and have Caduceus hold the severed ends. By pressing the cut parts against Caduceus, it gives the illusion that the rope is still connected.
"Planning to steal the credit?"
When Sheila inquires, Jasper smiles meaningfully. Whether it's because he's aware of his overwhelming advantage or not, he speaks proudly to Sheila, who's tied up.
"Well, it's inevitable that Sir Knight would take the best parts. I'll get a substantial sum too, and once this job's done, I'll be able to collect my due. Just one clueless kid to frame, and it'll work out fine."
...So, the strategy to have Fernando take credit remains unchanged.
"Hey, Mr. Jasper. What are you going to do with the captured women?"
"We'll wait until the arrangements for the enslavement magic are made. If they manage to escape for any reason, it's all over. Well, I'll make sure you guys have a plenty good time too."
"Sounds good. Looking forward to it!"
The men laugh.
"...You scum."
Chester spits out, but Jasper just chuckles in response. Arrangements for enslavement magic, huh.
"How did Mercedes and Chester get captured?"
While Sheila frowns at the men's crude conversation, she turns to the knights next to her and asks.
"It seems Greg's influence reached the reporting superiors."
"I... When I showed up at the royal castle, I came across Mercedes being carried away unconscious. When I questioned it, Lord Greg came from behind and struck me."
Mercedes must have been drugged. Greg probably planned it from the beginning. Or perhaps... given that Mercedes had gone missing, Fernando intended to go rescue her. That sort of storyline. The team with Mercedes probably thought along the lines of the entire group perishing in the labyrinth but finding the door.
As for Chester... having inadvertently witnessed such a scene, he gave up on trying to reason and cut ties completely.
...I've more or less grasped the background.
There's no need for consideration. Crossing that line means there's no room for mercy. Sheila signals to Caduceus, and she nods.
Now then. Shall we begin?
Control the levitation and descend rapidly. Utilizing wind magic to silence the surrounding sounds, she uses the momentum of the fall to strike down the lookout with Ouroboros.
Only a heavy impact comes back as feedback. The lookout collapses to the ground without a sound.
She activates Life Detection and advances into the wooden house, scanning for targets.
No one on the first floor. Looking at the floorboards, she senses life reactions in the basement. Comparing it with Caduceus's vision, she gains a complete understanding of their positions before deploying a magic circle at her feet.
"Electro Lance."
She smashes through the floorboards, and one of the men downstairs is scorched by the lightning.
Without delay, she casts the next spell. Riding a rock created by Rock Press, she smashes through the ceiling, pushing a man who was directly beneath her down to the floor and descending along with the rock into the basement.
"...What—"
Using wind magic, I stirred up dust, glaring at the cleared room. The men stood speechless.
"This... brat!"
The men were taken aback, but one of them reached for his sword. Yet, in the next moment, a block of ice embedded itself in his face.
"I-Is that... a hostage!?"
"Silence."
A stone bullet was fired into the open mouth. Teeth shattered, jawbone crunched. Amidst the blood pouring from his mouth, the man thrashed on the floor, screaming silently.
They don't seem to grasp the situation, but I've assessed their positions, distances, and angles. With the necessary magic circles deployed and in a state of activation readiness, as they tried to move, I shot them down with magic.
"H-Help!?"
He tried to flee towards the doorway. Yes, that's right. I thought that if I crushed a few, the ones closer to the entrance would run. I cast magic targeting the man's back.
"Tramplethorn."
5th-tier wood magic: Tramplethorn. Vines extended from the magic circle, binding the man's body and constricting him. Writhing in intense pain as the thorns entwined him, he soon found himself enclosed in a sphere of thorns, blocking the entrance to the underground chamber.
Remaining: 4, including Jasper.
"O-Only Jasper led me astray!"
The man who spoke had asked Jasper about the captive's fate earlier, laughing gleefully.
In the next moment, lightning surged from the magic circle I had deployed, striking him down. The man hit by the lightning emitted smoke from his entire body and collapsed. Three left.
"Hey, you..."
A voice soft as a cat's caress. Immediately, an ice spear dashed forth, piercing his shoulder and nailing him to the wall. Two left.
Amidst the sounds of agony echoing around, they fell silent as if frozen, probably understanding the situation now.
"Sorry, but..."
Let's clarify things for the future.
"This is how we deal with those who take hostages."
Making the declaration, I launched a chunk of rock at the remaining man, hitting his chest. He was blown back to the wall, leaving only Jasper.
I've restrained the magic's power enough to leave them alive, perhaps just enough so that today's events and my stance will spread.
In this situation, Jasper alone should be sufficient to reveal the most intricate details. This method might make him talk more openly.
"Now then..."
Looking at Jasper, who was near Sheila, he trembled visibly.
"Think carefully before you speak. Where's Fernando? In Twilight Forest?"
"Y-Yeah. I extracted information by torturing those soldiers there. Initially, they resisted, but they started talking when I mentioned harming Mercedesia."
...The soldiers from Mercedesia's scouting team.
Mercedesia probably escaped unscathed due to Jasper's manipulation and the soldiers' attempts to protect her. Though she did seem to be in pain.
"Fernando took my new companions and went into the labyrinth. They were fairly new acquaintances, so I didn't entrust them with this job."
I see. The new adventurers I saw with Jasper before... Not all of them are present here.
Their level of awareness about these matters remains unclear at this point, but Jasper seems to have gathered long-standing acquaintances, hoping to get rich with their help.
But they're quite unruly.
If I were in Greg's position, wouldn't I consider silencing the actual culprits to prevent leaks? Probably, those words about arranging slave magic referred to that. Even if slave magic can be undone, there's no reason to keep witnesses alive.
Dangle bait before them, then kill both the culprits and hostages, eliminating evidence. Then, bring in some belongings to the labyrinth and declare that they died deep inside, leaving no bodies behind. That would wrap things up nicely.
Once back in power, they can also deal with the troublesome me. Killing two birds with one stone.
"Did Greg give you this instruction? Does Fernando know about this?"
"Yeah..."
Asked, Jasper's face contorted as if he had swallowed a bitter pill, and he nodded.
"Damn it! What... a clueless brat... a monster!"
The man who had been crucified by the ice spear cursed Jasper while writhing in pain.
As my gaze shifted there, Jasper, who had keenly noticed it, reached out toward Sheila. But, it was futile.
"Ggh, gyaaaaa!?"
After a brief dumbfounded expression, Jasper screamed.
It was as if he had plunged his hand into a bed of needles. His outstretched hand was met by the countless needle-like forms of Caduceus.
It speared through his hand and, like a single spear, pierced through his knee before retracting to its defensive position.
Instantly, the ropes binding the hostages came undone. Caduceus had surreptitiously cut them, maintaining the appearance of being tied up.
Essentially, from the start, anything they attempted was doomed.
Now... if we deliver them to the castle and capture Fernando, who should return from Twilight Forest, the situation will be resolved.