Chapter 117: The abduction incident, part 2
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
Author’s note: This chapter does not follow chronologically from the previous one.
◆Roland◆
A few days before ‘Meiri’ was abducted…
「Some sort of danger might be rapidly approaching Meiri.」
Lyla, Rodje and I were seated in my assigned bedroom, where we were discussing the matter of Welger & Co.
「I have received news from Dee. The business guild known as Welger & Co. is amassing large amounts of capital in secret. While they’re already earning a lot from their poaching and controlled drug trading activities, they’re also trying to earn a quick buck on top of all that.」
According to the vampire, Bale’s work was ‘about to become much busier’.
「We all know how much money there is to be made by targeting children of nobility. They might even be targeting those from other countries, but they seem to have their eyes on the royal family for now.」
Fumu-fumu, nodded Lyla.
「Does this mean that you want us to protect Meiri?」
「Let’s do our best, Lylael-sama!」
「Mhm. The baddies won’t be able to lay a single finger on Meiri with me in charge.」
「Yes, exactly! As expected of Lylael-sama!」
Talk about a confident leader and her blind devotee.
「Lyla, I want you to take on your cat form and act as her pet. It allows you much more adaptability.」
「Not only can my feline form squeeze through narrow gaps, but it can also deceive enemies easily.」
「Yes — remain by her side at all times. Her adventuring activities will be placed on hiatus for her to take care of that tsunorabi. And you, Rodje Sandsong, will be her escort.」
The two ladies nodded in unison.
「I will need your help to create a shadow double」, I continued, looking at Rodje.
「…What do you take me and Lylael-sama for? A bunch of baddies won’t stand a chance against us!」
Lyla understood where I was coming from, even if her subordinate did not.
「Just in case, right?」, she said.
「Just in case.」
Still unsatisfied, the elf snorted.
「Looks like I’m still being underestimated. A former commander, being used as a precautionary measure. Hmph.」
「I know you’ll be fine against any run-of-the-mill adversary, but I still have one concern. If that worry comes true… everything will go completely to pot.」
「How meticulous, human.」
Whatever, I said.
「I want to know what exactly we’re up against. If possible, I want you to obtain information that even Dee couldn’t.」
Even as I explained my rationale, the elf’s expression was as stiff as ever, possibly because her master had a good chance of being swept into the whole fiasco.
「I will use a ‘Shadow’ as the shadow double. If you can transform into a dark elf, then you can transform it into a ‘Meiri’, can’t you?」, I asked, drawing upon something I had learnt a long time ago.
「Yes」, replied Rodje, although she also added that the ‘Shadow’ would not be able to send me any information. 「If I manage to defeat that kidnapper, then I will have you prostrate yourself before me! It will be your reprieve for making light of my abilities!」
Rolling her eyes, she pointed straight at me.
「By all means. If you manage to vanquish the evil, then I will do anything you want.」
「Don’t you forget what you said later.」
Doing what she did best, Rodje the designated escort couldn’t be more filled with confidence.
◆Lyla◆
「And here I am, hopelessly trapped…」
Despite what Roland had said, it seemed like the goal of this manoeuvre had been to ascertain the abilities of the enemy and gather information rather than preventing the abduction. If he had really intended for the latter, he would have served as the escort himself. She believed that the real Meiri should be in the guild right now, and in a way, the abduction had indeed been prevented.
「But this fake Meiri, she’s exactly on par with the real one. To be able to execute ‘Shadow’ this well from my teachings alone… man, he’s scary.」
Lying on the bed, the fake Meiri simply looked like she was sleeping. Although she knew it was just a copy, she still felt attached to it because it was too perfectly modelled.
「I can just leave it here, but what do I do with that wild hare? At any rate, I have to let Roland know about this… can I reach it…?」
The metal-grilled window seemed like the only way out of this prison cell. She tried using her claws to scale the walls, but found them too high. She called for the tsunorabi that was still scuttling around and sniffing the floor for food.
「Oi, usakou. Lend me a hand.」
The rabbit in question glanced at her briefly and went back to foraging.
「Guh. Low-born hare…! Must I do everything on my own…」
She leapt onto the bed, then onto the only table in the room. Using the elevated platform for leverage, she slammed into the wall at full speed, but managed to latch on to it.
「Okay, like this…」
She used her hind legs to look for footholds, but found none.
「Ugugugugugu…」
She accidentally slid off the wall as she continued searching. Staring at the foraging rabbit, she proceeded to deliver an impassioned speech:
「Listen. Your life was saved by Meiri! Without her, you would have been cured and sold by now! Peek into your conscience — do you not feel that you have a debt to repay? Things are fine for now, but if we leave this as it is, tragedy will eventually descend upon her!」
The rabbit looked blankly at the Demon King.
「Hmph. Guess lowly monsters like you can’t understand language.」
As if it understood Lyla’s whining, the rabbit followed suit the next time she leapt onto the bed. It then bounced onto the table of its own accord.
「Oooh… perhaps my words have reached you after all. You finally recognise your duty as a pet. That is the way to go.」
She followed the rabbit onto the table and stood on it. Since they were about the same size, she feared that it would not be able to jump properly.
「You don’t mind me standing on you, do you?」
Although she received no response, she took the silence as a signal to proceed.
「All good? Okay, I want you to leap over to that wall, where I will use you as a springboard to make another jump. With that, I might just be able to reach that tiny window up there. You don’t need to worry about me either. I’m a cat right now, so I am considerably limber. Don’t let me down」, instructed Lyla, patting the rabbit’s head. 「We jump on three –」
Before Lyla could finish her sentence, the rabbit jumped.
「Unyaaaa!? What now!?」
To her surprise, the tsunorabi managed to jump higher than she had.
「Uu-nyaaaa!」
With a grunt, she leapt off the rabbit, aiming for a higher spot on the wall. She managed to hold on to one end of the window grilles and pulled herself up.
「When the dawn comes after an uneventful night, you will be duly rewarded. Two heads of lettuce from the Demon King herself. It will do you good to feel honoured. I will get you help, but before it arrives, please take care of the fake Meiri.」
Wiggling her butt, Lyla slipped through the window grill and escaped.
「Now to let Roland know…! But what on earth is Rodje doing?」, she said to herself, heading towards the guild at full speed.
And now, the events from Rodje’s point of view —
She had been watching the three ladies walk down the corridor, when…
「Eh…!? Ehhh? Where did they go? Lylael-sama? The fake Meiri? And Luno! Where did they go!? What even…!?」
All of them had disappeared from sight, leaving the elf at her wits’ end.
「How can I lose sight of them as an escort? They must be in the washroom or something! Luno… where’s Luno? Lylael-sama? Are you there? I proudly told that guy not to look down on me, and now… shit! They must still be here, somewhere, anywhere!」
They might as well have vanished into thin air.
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