Volume 4 Chapter 3 Boom
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Late at night. On a slightly distant hill overlooking the entrance of Rock Prison—where Duke Suicelma was being held captive—Puruun, Emperor Balmstra, Catherine, Major Artemis, and four of Artemis’s subordinates gathered. These subordinates had previously bothered Puruun at the Tanukitei and were now, of course, forced to participate in this operation by the Major.
”Don’t make that face,” Puruun said, trying to lift their spirits. “You’ve had plenty of good times thanks to me before. Now’s the time to pay me back. Besides… His Majesty the Emperor is watching. If you perform well, you might even get promoted.”
The subordinates, none of whom were particularly bright to begin with, visibly brightened at Puruun’s words.
”All right. The five of us—me and the Major’s team—will storm Rock Prison and neutralize the guards. Once we’ve secured the area, we’ll signal the rest. The remaining person, bring the explosives. Emperor and Ms. Catherine, you stay here and prepare the escape through the temporary Gate. If His Majesty’s magic is needed, I’ll signal by hand,” Puruun took charge, assigning roles and preparations.
As a precaution, the Emperor had cast a barrier to block psychic attacks via telepathy from the Spirit Clan, but it wouldn’t last long, so caution was necessary.
Puruun, a Beastfolk with an innate difficulty influencing the flow of mana in the atmosphere, slipped quietly down the slope. Major Artemis watched from above, clearly impressed.
”That secretary really is something. I swear, I wanna sleep with you once,” Artemis muttered.
The Major’s subordinates nearby chuckled awkwardly.
Puruun descended into the bushes just before the prison’s entrance, observing carefully.
Outside… two guards. The others must be inside. But they don’t seem to be communicating tightly between inside and outside. I can take down the two outside alone. They’re guards, but not particularly strong, and completely careless. This is manageable!
”Hunter’s mark,” Puruun whispered, circling downwind slowly. Thunk! First one down! The other noticed—quickly—before they could coordinate with the inside—thwack! Gotcha! The prisoners inside still haven’t noticed.
The charm and speed blessings on the pendant Yuuta bought me still help a lot. Puruun signaled to the Major and the others above, then, sword in hand, slipped into the prison’s cave.
Inside, the cave wasn’t very large. Four Spirit Clan soldiers were stationed, but Puruun’s sudden assault threw them into panic. Those who tried to flee ran straight into Major Artemis and his team, who neutralized them. So far, the main force outside probably hasn’t detected the assault on Rock Prison.
…
”Yes, this will do. Now, pull out this fuse wire and… like this…”
Inside Rock Prison, Duke Suicelma was held with five guards. One of those guards was Polani, Ms. Norca’s husband, by fortunate coincidence. Since no keys to the cell were found on the guards, they planned to blow open a corner of the prison. Polani was instructed on the placement of the explosives.
”All right, gather the fuse wires… yes, like that. I’ll light it. Everyone, lower your heads and protect yourselves.”
Polani approached the fuse, holding the flint the Major handed him.
”Starting now!”
* * *
[Karin, you are human female, correct? Do you know anyone named Sofia?]
”Ms. Sofia? I don’t recognize that name. Do you have more information? Last name, where she lives… or where you met?”
I was being questioned directly, one-on-one, by Mr. Fedelate, chieftain of the Spirit Clan. After questions about the Demon Clan and Elves, he asked about Ms. Sofia.
[If you don’t know, that’s fine. But you, human female, you are not as beautiful as Sofia.]
”Huh?! That’s rude! I’m not saying I’m a supermodel, but I do get told I look like my mother. I get plenty of attention!”
[You have a mother? I see. Humans reproduce sexually, yes? Do you have a father?]
”Yes, but I haven’t seen him in almost three years.”
[Where is he? Has he left? Or was he abandoned?]
”Why would you say that? My father got stuck beyond the Gate in an accident. He couldn’t come back! I’ve been trying to fix that…”
[Gate? Is that the same as the one Asunabal spoke of?]
”Asunabal? Sounds familiar… but I can’t say if it’s the same.”
[Very well. Return to your cell.]
”Chieftain, could you please give me a cell with a floor? Living in that dirt hole with no bathroom… I haven’t bathed for days, and it’s ruining my looks—me and my master!”
[So you say bathing makes you beautiful. Very well.]
Mr. Fedelate called someone over and whispered instructions. A Spirit Clan guard beckoned me to follow. We came to a river—not wide, but the water was clear and pure. So this was a bath.
Surrounded by several armed soldiers, I had no choice but to strip and wash myself and my clothes in the river, desperate to get rid of the stench.
”Ahhh, that’s refreshing! Master, sorry for going ahead on my own!”
I can’t meet Sharlin Master directly, but we’re close enough to talk from our separate cells. I planned to tell her about my bath later. Grabbing my still-soaked clothes, I froze when a soldier suddenly snatched them away.
”Hey! That’s my—”
The tip of a spear came within inches of my nose.
What the hell? They want me to stay naked? Well, it’s not that cold yet, but what if I get bitten by bugs?
Prodded with the spear, I was escorted back to Mr. Fedelate.
No, Mr. Fedelate, please don’t stare. I’m naked! It’s hard to hide both my chest and crotch with one hand!
Still, he stared intently at me, and I blushed terribly.
[Before, covered in filth, I couldn’t tell well… but yes, human females truly are beautiful.]
Huh? Did Mr. Fedelate just say that? Human females are beautiful… Does he mean me?
* * *
A squad of about twenty mages from the Imperial Capital arrived at the Gate base near the river. They busied themselves inspecting the batteries Ms. Reina and I had set up. But it was okay; though they were magic experts, they weren’t skilled in human technology. Our setup was well disguised.
The battery room, which also housed the alchemical furnace, was next to the mages’ chanting room, which overlooked the Gate area. From the battery room, however, the Gate wasn’t very visible. Ms. Reina and I were confined to this room, probably to prevent us from tampering with the Gate.
Circular peepholes, about fifty centimeters in diameter, dotted the ceiling, allowing constant surveillance from above. Occasionally, I caught Bear’s face looking down, and cursing him out became my way of releasing stress. But that also earned his deep resentment—if we outlived our usefulness, I might get killed. But I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
After the mages finished their inspection, only Ms. Reina and I remained.
”All right, Ms. Melon,” she said.
”Yes, Lieutenant Reina. Let’s begin the final checks.”
Night. We slept in sleeping bags in the battery room. Just before midnight, a crackling sound erupted from a corner of the installed batteries, followed by sudden flames.
Of course, it was my doing—reversing polarity in some battery cells to generate heat, timed to ignite. The battery casings were intentionally made of flammable materials, so the fire spread quickly.
”Wake up! Fire!!” we screamed at the top of our lungs as thick smoke surged toward the ceiling holes. The guards above panicked.
”Hey! Report to Lord Bear immediately!” someone yelled in a frenzy.
If Bear didn’t arrive soon, we’d be suffocated by smoke. Hurry up, you damn bear!
Soon the battery room door unlocked, and Bear burst in with a few subordinates.
”What the hell did you do, you wench!”
”I didn’t do anything! Maybe the mages who arrived today caused this!” I shouted back, trying not to be intimidated by Bear’s fury.
”Damn it! Put out the fire—everyone, fight it!”
More guards flooded in with buckets of water, dousing the flaming batteries.
”Hey, don’t pour water on batteries!” I whispered urgently, but they didn’t hear.
The batteries hissed and screamed in electric fury.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The explosion rocked the room. I and Ms. Reina were safely behind a protective barrier in a corner, but those caught in the center were blasted directly. Even Bear lay sprawled on the floor. The fire was blown out by the blast.
”Yes! That felt great!”
”Ms. Melon, look! Exactly as planned!”
A hole had blown through the wall separating us from the mages’ chanting room next door. We should be able to slip out past the Gate.
”Let’s go, Ms. Melon! Follow me!” Reina grabbed my hand, and we slipped through the hole, twisting our bodies to squeeze through.
Notes:
• Rock Prison – A high-security prison located near a rocky area. It is guarded by the spirit clan and holds captured dukes and their subordinates. The prison is a key location for the rescue operation.
• Artemis – A commander of the Emperor’s direct guard. Initially acts as a lecherous and aggressive antagonist, but later reveals his loyalty to the Emperor. He has a wife and children in the imperial capital and is afraid of his wife.
• Ms. Norca – Orc woman; host of the Emperor.
• Sofia – A human slave in the Spirit Clan. She is diligent, humble, and has a soft-spoken manner. Sofia has a background in farming and develops feelings for Fedelate, expressing her affection openly. She is resilient and survives a severe injury thanks to Fedelate’s sacrifice.
• Fedelate – The clan leader of the Spirit Clan. He is kind, gentle, and shows a unique interest in Sofia. Fedelate is powerful, capable of using telekinesis and healing magic. He is intrigued by human emotions and experiences, especially love.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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