Volume 15 Chapter 7 It is Basically Over the Moment the Search Starts, You Know?
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
And so, the search began.
Just as Lena suggested, we decided to rely on the keen nose of our beastgirl, Georgia. Normally, her mother, Ms. Mor, had a much sharper sense of smell, but this was also part of her training. By gaining practical experience, she could hone aspects of her tracking beyond her raw, innate ability. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there is no better teacher than experience.
”Sniff, sniff… Yep, I can track it,” Georgia declared with a firm nod.
She nodded vigorously after taking a whiff of the tiny, cute, pure white piece of cloth Katerina had brought out.
I mean, seriously.
”Come on. I did tell you to bring whatever item seemed to hold the strongest scent of Raisa-jou, but… what the hell is this? You are really going to get reamed for this later,” I grumbled, staring at the item.
What she had brought back was, of all things, Raisa-jou’s underwear (panties). On top of that, she had apparently been wearing them until the very night before she was kidnapped.
”M-My… when I sought an item that perfectly matched your description, this simply happened to catch my eye… y-you see?” Katerina stammered, her face flushing crimson.
”Hmm… So a pair of discarded panties just happened to be sitting right where they would catch your eye. For a highborn young lady, she certainly has fascinating manners,” I teased.
”Wh-?! Discarded?! I did no such thing… Ly… the young lady took them off herself… Wh-What on earth are you making me say?!” Katerina cried out, her calm completely breaking.
No, you’re the one who blurted it out on your own.
Well, whatever the case, it looks like it’ll actually be useful for the search, so I’ll stop prying. But, yeah. Is it just my imagination, or am I starting to feel genuinely sorry for this girl?
…While I was casually fooling around with that kind of banter, the truth was that I had already finished about half the job.
Now it was just a matter of who would be the first to notice ‘it’——oh?
”Sir Soyuz. We are being followed,” Lena whispered softly into my ear, maintaining a perfectly casual air.
It looked like she was the first one to notice. Good girl, very nice. I’ll have to give her a wonderful reward tonight. Hearing her voice, Vera and Georgia seemed to notice the gaze fixed on us as well. Even so, they didn’t do anything reckless; they simply heightened their guard while maintaining a perfectly natural manner. Yes, exactly. This is it. By steadily accumulating this kind of experience, they’re all going to become full adventurers. Comparing the movements of the completely clueless Katerina to my wives makes the reality of it hit home. Everyone has truly grown so much.
”Well then, let’s start the search right away. Georgia, if you please,” I commanded.
”Yes, sir!” Georgia replied cheerfully.
At my word, Georgia gave an energetic nod and began walking as she traced the scent. Her steps were completely without hesitation, heading deeper into the narrow alleys of the Underground Town. With Georgia leading the way, Vera and I followed right behind her, while Lena brought up the rear with Katerina sandwiched safely between us. Standing beside me, Vera asked,
(What are we doing?)
using hand signals, so I replied,
(Capture them. Can I leave it to you?)
also using hand signals.
(Leave it to me!) Vera signaled back.
Nodding, Vera muttered something in a voice so very quiet it was almost impossible to hear. In response to her words, a spirit I had never seen before appeared right upon her palm.
”What’s that?” I asked.
”Sandman,” Vera whispered.
Standing on Vera’s palm was a spirit that took the form of an old man… carrying a huge sack that looked about the size of my own height. Apparently, this was the spirit of sleep (Sandman). The moment Vera whispered something to it, the little guy hopped down and vanished into the shadows somewhere.
(Should we just keep moving?) I signaled.
(Yes!) Vera replied via hand signs.
Confirming once more with hand signals, I deliberately called out to Georgia, saying things like “Let’s hurry,” as we continued forward for a short while.
Suddenly, the loud thud of something collapsing echoed from behind us.
”It’s over!” Vera chirped, glancing up at me.
Looking sideways at Vera, I saw her looking up at me with a proud, triumphant smile. So cute.
”I shall fetch them at once, sir,” Lena stated placidly.
Sensing exactly what had happened, Lena headed back to retrieve the fallen pursuer, carrying a hemp sack with her.
”Huh? What?” Katerina stammered, looking around in complete confusion.
While the completely oblivious Katerina was still panicking, we successfully captured the suspicious individual who had been stealthily tailing us. Alright, with this, about eighty percent of the job is practically done.
Before long, Lena came strolling back in a casual manner, slinging a huge sack over her shoulder.
”Alright. In that case, we’ll give this guy a warm welcome (torture) and have a nice, long chat. Georgia, keep following the scent just like this. Then, once you find their hideout, head straight back home. Think you can handle it?” I asked.
”Of course! Leave it to me!” Georgia cheered.
”I’m counting on you, my Georgia.”
When I pulled her close to fluff her fur, she let out a happy, sweet “whimper” from the back of her throat. I leaned in close to her ear and murmured,
”Once this is over, I’m going to pamper you a whole lot as a reward,” I said, giving her backside a gentle pat.
”I’m off!” Georgia shouted.
Georgia dashed forward with incredible speed, vanishing into the Underground Town in the blink of an eye. Despite how she looked, she actually had the most experience with this kind of rough work among all my wives. I’m sure she’ll pull it off flawlessly.
Meanwhile, as for the remaining three—Lena, Vera, and Katerina——
”Sir Soyuz, please be so good as to view this,” Lena said, opening the sack she was carrying to show me the sleeping man inside.
”Let’s see… Huh, well now,” I murmured.
The tailing pursuer whom Vera had put to sleep and Lena had recovered. He was someone you rarely ever saw in these parts, possessing black hair and skin that was slightly more yellowish than ours. His facial features were distinctly flatter than ours as well, and when I pried open his eyelids to check the color of his eyes, they were completely black too.
”Could he perhaps be a countryman of Ms. Chelsea?” Lena inquired.
”Most likely,” I nodded in response to her question.
I nodded in response to Lena’s question. This guy was almost certainly an otherworlder, just like Chelsea. If that was the case, this might turn out to be an unexpectedly huge haul. There was a high chance we could extract detailed information about that specific organization and their hidden schemes. I suppose it pays to humor a noble’s selfishness every once in a while.
”For now, let’s show this guy to Chelsea. She might be able to tell us a great deal.”
Fortunately, ‘Sara’s Shop’ where she stayed was right around the corner. Let’s hurry up and carry him over there.
* * *
”……Ugh. Of all the people, it had to be this piece of trash,” Chelsea spat out, her face twisting into a mask of deep, complete disgust the moment she saw the man.
”Is he someone you dislike?” I asked.
”You could say that. It’s past the point of dislike—I hate him enough to want him dead. His name is Uchiyama, but to put it in a single word, he’s scum. The number of people from this world who have died at his hands is definitely more than ten or twenty. And that includes women, and children who weren’t even old enough to know any better.”
Hmm, I see, I see. So he’s scum—and an exceptionally filthy piece of garbage at that.
”In that case, you won’t object if I go ahead and torture him now, right?”
Just to be really certain, I asked, and Chelsea gave a dark, grim smile as she replied.
”Of course I won’t stop you. In fact, I want to ask it of you.”
”Ask what?”
”Make him suffer as much as humanly possible before you kill him. I have countless grievances against this guy myself. After I was turned into ‘that form,’ he did a mountain of horrible things to me.”
The more I heard, the clearer it became that this man named Uchiyama was truly a hopeless, beyond saving bastard.
To begin with, the reason why otherworlders like her had been summoned to this world was because a certain country, driven by ambitions far beyond its station, sought to acquire very advanced technology from a different world. For that reason, the summoned otherworlders were generally individuals who excelled significantly in some kind of technical field or ability——
”I wonder if we were just caught up by accident? There were a few perfectly ordinary humans among us who didn’t possess any special talents at all. Like me, or this piece of garbage,” Chelsea noted, her eyes narrowing as though she were staring at pure filth while pointing a finger back and forth between herself and Uchiyama.
With eyes that looked as though they were staring at pure filth, Chelsea pointed a finger back and forth between herself and Uchiyama.
”Someone like me was truly just a regular female college student who couldn’t do a single thing, so I was basically harmless. But this guy is completely different. Back home, he was a semi-delinquent… what you’d call a petty thug. On top of that, while he didn’t possess any impressive ability, he was very cunning, sadistic, and packed to the brim with malicious low-life cunning. That’s why even our leader didn’t really know what to do with him, to be honest. In the end, his strangely skilled stalking ability was recognized, and he was tasked with spy-like activities. But because he’s absolute scum, he committed all sorts of horrible acts.”
A few unfamiliar terms popped up here and there, but I understood the general gist of the situation. In short, this guy was a piece of human garbage who had really no right to be alive, so there wouldn’t be any issues even if I went completely wild on him.
”Alright then. I’ll torture him, extract every single piece of information he has, and then, just as you requested, make him suffer as much as possible before putting him down. Do you want to come along? If you hold a grudge, I can let you vent it out yourself, you know?”
At my offer, Chelsea pondered for just a brief moment before shaking her head with a faint, tight smile.
”I’ll pass. I don’t ever want to look at a face like his again, and besides——”
”Besides?” I prompted.
”I’m certain you’ll do a much better job of making him suffer. If I were the one doing it, I feel like I’d end up killing him instantly, and that would be a total waste,” she finished, a chilling smile crossing her features while a fierce fire of burning hatred ignited within her eyes.
With a fierce fire of burning hatred igniting within her eyes, she flashed a chilling, ominous smile.
Alright, understood. I’ll make sure to deliver those feelings of yours perfectly on your behalf.
* * *
And so, after bringing the captured Uchiyama back to my estate, I intended to head straight down to the torture chamber I had set up in the basement to have our little chat, but…
”Lord Soyuz. Might I request permission to accompany you during the interrogation?” Katerina suddenly spoke up, introducing the unexpected petition.
Katerina suddenly brought up such an unexpected request.
”This isn’t an interrogation, it’s torture, you know? And after it’s over, I’m going to make him suffer as much as possible before killing him. I really don’t think it’s the kind of thing a highborn lady should be looking at. Are you sure about this?”
”Indeed. As a member of the Verdaine family, I am someone who will eventually be involved in the administration of this territory. Bitter or sweet, I ought to take this opportunity to experience everything I possibly can. I was forced to realize that quite painfully during our match earlier,” she maintained firmly.
With a deeply earnest gaze, she spoke while looking me dead in the eye. Her posture was so deeply straight and sincere that it was almost impossible to believe she was the exact same person who completely refused to meet my eye earlier when she brought out the maid’s underwear (panties) and got pressed by me.
Furthermore…
”Sir Soyuz. If it is at all allowed, I would highly desire to accompany you as well. Pray, would that be acceptable?” Lena requested politely.
”Vera wants to go too!” Vera chimed in eagerly.
Perhaps swept up by Katerina’s sheer enthusiasm, even Lena and Vera suddenly began saying the exact same thing.
Good grief, what am I supposed to do with them…
”Uh, listen here, girls? Just so we’re clear, I really do not recommend this, okay? I do agree that broadening your horizons isn’t a bad thing in theory. But you know, there are some things in this world that you simply don’t need to know, or things that you’re much better off not knowing at all, you get me?”
I spoke to the three girls who could still be considered quite young (Katerina included) in a gentle, lecturing tone. However, for some reason I couldn’t quite fathom, they dug their heels in even further, practically wrapping themselves in a bizarre, solemn sense of duty.
”Even if that is the case, I must go. Furthermore, if it is at all possible, I wish to extract Raisa’s whereabouts with my own two hands. Will you not grant me permission to accompany you?” Katerina insisted proudly.
”The exceptionally kind Sir Soyuz simply wishes to shield us from having to perform such unseemly work, does he not? I am truly deeply grateful to hear that, and I offer you my deepest gratitude and loyalty from the bottom of my heart… However, we are adventurers now as well. We cannot simply rely on Sir Soyuz’s gentle heart forever. Whether it be torture or anything else, I shall learn it all, so please allow me to be of use to you… my noble master,” Lena declared with a deep bow.
”Vera feels the exact same way as big sister! I want to be of use to Soyuz even a little bit!” Vera added earnestly.
…Setting Katerina aside, I never would have expected Lena and Vera to say something like this.
I was certainly very happy to hear how much they cared, but still.
”Uggggghhhhh…… I really think you’re better off not seeing it—or rather, better off not knowing about it at all…… but even so, you still want to watch?” I sighed.
”It is exactly what I desire,” Katerina replied without a shred of hesitation.
”By all means, let us assist you, sir,” Lena echoed.
”Yes!” Vera nodded.
Why are these girls refusing to listen to me even when I’ve gone this far to warn them?
Sigh, whatever, fine.
”Alright, you can come along. But you’re really going to regret it, okay? I warned you plenty of times, remember.”
Accompanied by the three girls who were nodding with an completely unnecessary amount of intense determination, I hauled Uchiyama down into the torture chamber.
* * *
”Good grief, see? I told you so,” I sighed, stretching my arms out.
A few hours later.
Having finished up the entire sequence of operations, we left him in the room—retaining nothing but his bare life—and returned to the surface. To be completely precise, every single person besides myself was in a state of absolute, total physical and mental devastation, squeezing out the absolute last drops of their strength just to crawl back upstairs like battered dogs.
”T-To think… I wish I could… punch my past self… for refusing to listen to your advice… I feel completely miserable……” Katerina groaned.
While having her vomit-stained body washed down with water by Ms. Mor, Katerina squeezed out the words in a faint, ragged rasp.
”I don’t even have… any stomach acid left… to throw up…… I was… so very… foolish…” Lena whimpered, collapsing face-first onto the ground.
Lena, in a similar fashion, also said the same thing before collapsing like a trampled frog.
”For a long time… I don’t want to… eat meat… anymore…” Vera whimpered, her eyes completely vacant.
Similarly, Vera’s eyes had gone completely hollow, looking exactly the way she did back when we first rescued her from the Goblin’s Cave, as she murmured in a cracked, broken whisper.
”I… I never knew a human being could remain alive… even after becoming like that…”
”Urgh-?! P-Please do not speak of it, my lord! J-Just remembering it makes me want to—blegh!” Katerina gagged, clutching her stomach.
”I want you to stop… please don’t say anything…” Vera begged, covering her ears.
Ah-ah, just as I thought, it turned out exactly like this.
Given what I had promised Chelsea, I didn’t hold back in the slightest during the torture, so I do feel just a tiny, tiny bit of responsibility for this.
But hey, I gave them warnings over and over and over again. So I’m definitely not the bad guy here, right?
”I’m back, Master— wait, woah?! What is that stench?! What on earth happened here?!” Georgia yelled, slamming the door open as she returned from her tracking run.
And thus, Georgia, returning from her scouting mission, delivered the final, crushing blow to the three completely mental shocktized girls.
—
Summary:
Moving swiftly into the dark deep parts of the Underground Town, Soyuz and his companions utilize Georgia’s keen tracking abilities to capture a suspicious spy following them. Upon confirming the captive’s otherworldly origin with Chelsea, the group brings the rogue named Uchiyama to the estate’s underground chamber for an intense interrogation. Despite multiple explicit, severe warnings regarding the horrifying nature of the upcoming event, Katerina, Lena, and Vera stubbornly insist on observing the entire event, leaving an unresolved unknown factor regarding how quickly they can recover from their deep psychological mental shock.
—
Trivia:
Georgia is undergoing special practical tracking training because her raw innate sense of smell is currently less developed than her mother Ms. Mor’s.
The white item brought by Katerina originally belonged to Raisa-jou and had been worn until the exact night before the kidnapping.
Vera uses non-verbal hand signs to communicate complex tactical moves with Soyuz before executing her magic.
The spirit Sandman appears as an old man carrying a big sack equal to Soyuz’s full height.
Otherworlders were originally summoned by a specific ambitious country specifically to extract advanced multi-dimensional technology.
Chelsea was a completely normal female college student with zero combat abilities prior to arriving in this world.
Uchiyama possesses no high-tier magical power but was assigned to spy work due to his skilled low-life stalking traits.
Katerina seeks territory administration experience because of lessons learned during her recent direct match with Soyuz.
Vera’s extreme post-torture aversion to meat directly echoes the psychological state she experienced when first rescued from the Goblin’s Cave.
Notes:
• Georgia – A loyal beastfolk demi-human girl with a keen nose and a past in illicit work, she is the devoted slave-wife of Soyuz, currently undergoing tracking training under him. Highly observant and expressive, she vigorously wags her tail to show happiness. In combat, this household member utilizes her predatory instincts, natural low stances, and practical tracking skills.
• Lena – Soyuz’s devoted lead wife, primary advisor, and loyal, extremely polite maid guard. A competent, rational, brown-skinned fighter with a ponytail, scarred face, blind left eye, and tattered, collared clothes, she assists in capturing pursuers. Despite discipline from other women, her keen instincts and deep devotion drive her to warn others about the terrifying extent of Soyuz’s strength.
• Mor – Georgia’s mother is a mansion staff member with an exceptionally sharp sense of smell and a terrifyingly calm, poised appearance. Despite her eerie competence and calculated relationships within the household, a recent subpar attempt at disguise revealed a rare crack in her otherwise flawless, intimidating facade.
• Katerina – The youngest daughter of Margrave Verdaine is a proud, sheltered noble lady involved in territory administration. Clad in heavy armor with a greatsword, she speaks with aristocratic elegance. Though initially arrogant, she possesses fierce resilience and respects her father. Devoted to rescuing her handmaiden Raisa, she is now acting as a servant for an undercover investigation.
• Raisa – A young lady and handmaiden who was recently kidnapped while disguised as Katerina; her discarded undergarment is used as a scent tracking marker.
• Soyuz – Trapped in a youth’s body, this 47-year-old pragmatic protagonist is an adventurer and master of a household of wives and slaves, leading searches and interrogations. Armed with a poison mantle and magic silver sword, he uses cynical formal speech to mock nobility. His sharp combat instincts and empathy drive him to protect his companions, including role-playing with Lena in his mansion.
• Vera – Rescued from a Goblin’s Cave, this innocent, observant young elven girl with animal-like ears is a household member and one of Soyuz’s companion slave-wives. She addresses him affectionately and beams when praised. Wielding a wooden training staff, she effortlessly commands incantationless Spirit Magic, allowing her to summon spirits like Sandman.
• Chelsea – An otherworlder who was formerly a regular female college student before being turned into her current form.
• Sara – The elegant, alluring proprietor of a mysterious shop where Chelsea currently stays. Sharing a slave background similar to Lena’s, she is deeply supportive and welcoming to others, offering a special kind of assistance while selling various questionable tools and outfits.
• Uchiyama – A cunning, sadistic otherworlder and petty thug who committed numerous atrocious acts and acts as a spy.
• Verdaine – Verdaine’s capital, a walled city with markets and the Adventurers Guild, is the protagonist’s base near Lena’s village. It is ruled by the Margrave of Katerina’s noble house—a ferocious, sturdy 60-year-old frontier warrior resembling a graying lion. Pragmatic and calculating, he commands terrifying psychological pressure yet holds a casual, grandfatherly demeanor toward others.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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