Volume 15 Chapter 8 The Raid
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Come on, come on, no time to playin’ around. Back to work~”
I gave the three still slumped over a kick in the pants and urged ’em to resume. Honestly, this was exactly why I didn’t wanna show ’em in the first place—knew it’d end up like this. But hey, if this turns into a bitter lesson that keeps ’em from pullin’ dumb stunts like this in the future, then good. Not that I’m holdin’ my breath or anythin’.
Anyway. Time to get movin’ again. Vera’d finally calmed down enough to talk to her spirits, so she’d cleaned up all three of ’em—got rid of the vomit, the pee they’d secretly let out, all of it. We couldn’t afford to keep wastin’ time in a place like this.
From what Georgia’d dug up, the hideout matched the location we’d squeezed outta that bastard earlier. Which meant Raisa was definitely there. And since she was a hostage, she was probably still alive. Maybe they’d already done some nasty stuff to her, but odds are she wasn’t dead yet.
That said, there was one thing eatin’ at me.
See, we’d apparently been tailed ever since we started the search—by that otherworlder asshole. Which meant those bastards had been keepin’ tabs on the Verdaine family all along. And since we’d captured their lookout, they were bound to notice sooner rather than later… hell, they might’ve already caught on. If that was the case, we’d be walkin’ right into a trap they’d set up special for us.
So here’s what we’re gonna do about it—
”This is… yeah, this is a raid.”
”A raid?”
Georgia—the only one who wasn’t beat to hell—tilted her head with a little koten motion, respondin’ to my words. Cute.
”Yeah, a raid. None of that sneakin’ in quiet like before. We’re goin’ in loud from the start. Basically, we storm ’em.”
”Storm ’em!”
For some reason, Georgia’s tail started waggin’ happily at the word. Right, yeah—easy to forget, but she’s a beastkin too. Beastkin usually end up as scouts ’cause of their physical abilities and natural aptitude, but the truth is, they’re a proud warrior race that instinctively loves straight-up fights. They’d never stoop to underhanded tricks or backstabbin’ like humans do.
”Understood. This time, I shall dedicate my humble efforts to serving Sir Soyuz in earnest.”
”A head-on battle is precisely what I desire. Allow me to wash away all my previous shame.”
Lookin’ over, Lena and Katerina were psychin’ themselves up too—Lena slappin’ her cheeks, Katerina grippin’ her sword hilt. These girls were warriors at heart, so if gettin’ themselves fired up helped, I’d take it. Time for ’em to earn their keep.
”Did any of your previous missions ever actually end quietly? I don’t recall a single one.”
…Ah. Right. Vera?
Y’know, sometimes the truth can really sting, sweetie? Maybe work on that whole tact thing, yeah?
☆
Takin’ a hit to the heart I really didn’t need, we set out to rescue Raisa. My wives, obviously—even Katerina, who’d looked half-dead just a moment ago, now had a fierce glint in her eye beneath that (seemingly) noble composure, followin’ close behind me. Everyone, myself included, was fully armed. Katerina had even thrown on that chainmail she’d worn for the sparring match earlier, which was drawin’ a fair bit of attention, but we couldn’t afford to care about that right now. If you let every little thing get to you, you’d never make it as an adventurer.
”Katerina-sama, let us do our best. It will be alright. I am certain Raisa-sama is safe, awaiting your aid.”
”Yeah.”
”Thank you. Lena, Vera—will you lend me your strength?”
”Of course.”
”Yeah.”
Encouraged by Lena and Vera.
”Hey, hey, Master? Those three—they’ve gotten all chummy all of a sudden. What’s up with that?”
Georgia, leadin’ the way, turned back to look up at me.
”Ah. See, Georgia—people tend to open up real quick when they’ve shared the same pain and hardship.”
I mean, those three had just gone through some serious crap together and ended up showin’ sides of themselves that girls their age absolutely shouldn’t be showin’ anyone. The bond that comes from that kind of experience is probably somethin’ special. Not that I’d know, but still.
As I was half-zonin’ out thinkin’ about that and talkin’ to Georgia—
”Ahh, that makes sense. Come to think of it, I got way closer to those two after we all got thoroughly wrecked by you that one night too, Master.”
I swear, Vera—truth hurts, okay!?
”But hey, Master—speakin’ of which—”
”What’s up?”
”That Katerina girl, y’know? I kept feelin’ like I’d seen her somewhere before.”
”Yeah?”
”She’s, y’know. She’s that. The whole ‘defeated noble knight’ thing. The one Lena made me do the other day.”
”Pfft—!?”
Georgia’s sudden bombshell caught me completely off guard.
”Come on, you can totally picture her sayin’ it, right? Like, ‘Kuh… kill me!’ or whatever.”
”Georgia, stop… please stop… I can picture it way too easily…”
”An’ then she’s all tough at first, but in the end she gives in and starts goin’ ‘ohhhh, oh god, yes, yes’ like a total mess.”
”Ghhhk—I said stop!”
My abs couldn’t handle the verbal assault. And of course, Lena and the others were lookin’ at me like I’d lost my mind, suddenly crackin’ up outta nowhere.
…Okay, maybe there were things I could’ve said, but the point is—none of us were carryin’ any unnecessary tension. The enemy was tricky, sure, but we’d just wrap this up quick and clean.
☆
”That’s the place. No lookouts outside. And inside, there’s maybe… ten people tops.”
She pointed to a run-down inn on the edge of the Underground Town.
Standard setup—first floor was a bar, with guest rooms on the second. Given the neighborhood, it had that shady vibe you’d expect. Probably a regular hangout for the local small-time thugs.
”Perfect. That’s my Georgia for ya. Flawless work.”
I patted her head as I said it, and Georgia puffed up with pride, shootin’ a look at Lena and Vera. The two of ’em took it with a gnnngh kinda grumble, then turned to me with renewed determination.
”Sir Soyuz. This is a blitz, yes? Please allow me to take the vanguard.”
”I’ll handle the spirit protection, yeah.”
”Good. I’m countin’ on both of you. Lena—like you said, cut ’em down fast. Don’t worry about what’s behind you. Vera—stick to defense like you said. The enemy’s probably gonna fire those spirit tubes at us. Your magic’s our lifeline.”
No point dampenin’ their spirits when they were this fired up. And these girls had proven they could follow simple orders like this and get the job done.
”Georgia, you’ve got a key role too. While Lena’s stirrin’ ’em up, you clean up the stragglers and find Raisa.”
”Woof!”
And she was the linchpin of the search. Her nose would find Raisa and secure her.
”Finally, Katerina—I need you to guard Vera. You know how helpless she is in close combat. Put that knightly strength to use.”
”Understood.”
Last up, Katerina was on Vera-protection duty. Vera was weak to close-quarters stuff, but with Katerina guardin’ her, she’d be a solid asset. Besides, protectin’ people is what knights do. Her sword skills were decent enough—she’d be useful.
”Alright, everyone ready? I’ll blast the door open with magic first, then we all charge in. No prisoners. Kill ’em all.”
A nod from the girls, and I started chantin’ the Fireball spell. Power level—just enough to blow a normal door off its hinges. Our main goal was hostage recovery, so I couldn’t go too flashy with magic. Man, if we were just here to wipe ’em all out, I could’ve had Vera summon a Salamander and been done in seconds.
Not that I’d say that out loud—just a little grumble under my breath.
”Fireball.”
I let it fly.
And then—
(What the—!?)
It was supposed to be minimum power, but the moment it hit the door, it triggered a massive explosion way beyond what I’d intended.
This wasn’t my magic. The door had been rigged beforehand—booby-trapped to go off when someone opened or hit it.
”Get away from the door!”
At my shout, Lena and Georgia reacted instantly, divin’ left and right like they’d rehearsed it. A split second later, streaks of flame shot through the spots they’d just been standin’ in. Those damn spirit tubes.
The attack skimmed past me—I dodged just in time. Glancin’ back, I saw Katerina had Vera in her arms and dodged cleanly too. Good. Solid work.
So they’d been waitin’ for us after all. Figured as much. But I’d anticipated this—and I had a counter ready.
”Vera! Wind barrier, now!”
”Got it!”
Instant. A thin film of wind from a Sylph wrapped around us. That meant we were immune to airborne effects now. So—
”Here goes.”
From my pocket, I pulled a slightly oversized glass vial and tossed it through the shattered door. It smashed against somethin’ inside with a loud bang, releasin’ a thick cloud of pink smoke. Almost immediately, I heard choked coughin’ from inside.
The vial wasn’t poison—sorry to disappoint. It was my own custom crowd-control device, the same one I’d developed back when we were dealin’ with the Master and used to capture Georgia. Just scaled up. Loaded with powdered red chili and numbing mushroom powder—enough to completely incapacitate anyone inside without riskin’ the hostage’s life. Gotta say, I made a damn fine weapon.
With the guys inside neutralized, it was time to get back to work.
”Go!”
At my command, Lena and Georgia shot into the room like they’d been launched, and a moment later, screams rang out in rapid succession. None of ’em were theirs.
By the time I stepped inside, makin’ sure Vera and Katerina were okay, everyone in there was dead. First phase complete—couldn’t have gone better.
But.
”Master. With this stuff everywhere, my nose is useless.”
Georgia looked up at me, troubled. Ah—right. The barrier was blockin’ out all the air, so obviously that’d mess with her sense of smell. But if I dropped it now, she’d be useless in seconds. Even with ventilation, beastkin had senses way beyond humans—she’d be completely overwhelmed. Guess we’d have to do this the hard way, room by room…
”I hear voices. Second floor… middle room.”
Before I could, Vera had already caught on, her keen ears pickin’ up signs of life. Man, lookin’ at ’em like this, my girls really were an impressive bunch.
”Thanks, Vera—that’s a huge help. Alright, let’s finish this. Don’t let your guard down, everyone. Lena, Georgia—hold here. Vera, Katerina—with me.”
Leavin’ the two as backup, we headed upstairs. Now even I could hear it—a woman’s desperate moanin’, probably gagged.
”Tch! Raisa! Where are you! We’re here to save you!”
Katerina, hearin’ it too, couldn’t contain herself and bolted forward. Damn it! This is why amateurs are such a pain!
”Wait, Katerina! There could be traps!”
Before I could stop her, Katerina kicked open the door to the room where Raisa was supposedly bein’ held. Ugh, I can’t watch!
No trap on the door this time, thank goodness—but I swear, this kid… I’m definitely punishin’ her later!
Fury burnin’ in my chest, we followed her into the room. And there, just as expected, was Raisa.
”Raisa!? …You bastards… unforgivable!”
Katerina, who’d rushed in ahead, was shakin’ as she took in the sight.
…Ah. Yeah. Figured it’d be like this.
Just as I’d expected—they’d done terrible things to her.
She lay naked on the floor, her body stained with white, cloudy fluid everywhere. But despite her state, Raisa was lookin’ at us—at Katerina specifically—and frantically shakin’ her head, muffled groans comin’ from behind her gag.
Wait—this is—!?
”It’s a trap! Get back, Katerina!”
I shouted at Katerina as she moved toward Raisa, signalin’ Vera behind me to fall back.
But she didn’t listen. She dropped to her knees, gatherin’ Raisa into her arms.
And then—a click. Somethin’ released. The room filled with white smoke.
—
Summary:
The party storms the enemy hideout to rescue Raisa, clearing the first floor with tactical precision. They discover Raisa has been assaulted and is being used as bait. As Katerina rushes to her, a trap triggers, filling the room with smoke.
—
Trivia:
The party was tailed by an otherworlder scout from the beginning of their search.
Georgia’s recon matched intel from the tortured prisoner.
Vera’s spirit magic cleaned up the three party members after their previous ordeal.
The enemy already knew the Verdaine family was being watched.
Katerina’s desperate rush to Raisa triggered the trap despite the protagonist’s warning.
Raisa was frantically shaking her head as a warning, but Katerina ignored it.
The protagonist’s custom crowd-control device uses red chili and numbing mushroom powder.
Vera’s wind barrier blocks airborne effects but also neutralizes Georgia’s sense of smell.
The chapter title “殴り込み” specifically implies a frontal, no-stealth attack.
The “defeated noble knight” joke references a specific trope from Japanese doujin culture.
Vera’s childlike speech pattern uses “nano” endings throughout.
Lena speaks with ojousama speech markers like “desuwa” and “kashira.”
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• 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.
• 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.
• Raisa – A young lady and handmaiden who was recently kidnapped while disguised as Katerina; her discarded undergarment is used as a scent tracking marker.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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