第６４１堀：集う御三家 (Part2)
"Is it this way!? It's fine, I'll get it open right now!! Hiyah!!"
Nearby, another woman who looked like an old acquaintance of mine was slicing through the iron bars on the opposite side with her sword.
"…I believe this is the cell, Solo. What do you think?"
"…Um, I think you're right, Senior Mikos. After all, you are a Maiden of the Spirits. For now, let's get them out of there."
"Eh? Is that really okay?"
"Yes, we’re the only ones who can do it. Because…"
Wait, there are two women standing in front of my cell, too. What on earth is happening? Just as I was wondering that, I heard shouting again.
" "Wait, isn't that Enora!?" "
"Hey!! The priority is all the injured people currently in this place!! We are not going to just abandon them!!"
" "Yes!! We are so sorry!!" "
…I don't know why, but even though it’s all very ridiculous, those voices make me feel incredibly relieved. As I listened, entranced, I realized the cell door had been opened, my shackles removed, and I had been taken down from the cross and was being tended to.
"Lady Enora. We have come to save you."
"W-we are messengers from Haiden. Please, stay with us."
Hearing those words, I finally understood that I had been saved.
"…Th, thank, you."
I offered my thanks, but for some reason, I couldn't muster any strength.
"Ugh!? The bleeding is worse than I thought!? I mean, there's quite a pool of blood at her feet!?"
"Lady Rurua!! Lady Rurua!! Lady Enora is in danger!!"
The two people in front of me were panicking at the sight of my wretched state, but for some reason, I didn't feel like I was going to die. After all…
"Enora!? This is terrible!! Someone, treat her immediately!!"
"Enora!! Stay with us!! The time has come for the three of us—no, the four of us to be reunited!! Keep your eyes open!!"
Kagura and Carrie had come for me. There was no way I would die from something like this.
"Geez!! Both of you are in the way!! Move aside!!"
" "Eek!?" "
However, the two of them were suddenly blown against the wall, and a blue-haired goddess appeared from the back. Ah, Lady Hairen had come for me too. …Wait? Wasn't Lady Hairen a redhead? As I thought about that, my consciousness faded away.
***
Side: Steve
"…And so, I intended to light a fire under them, but it ended up like this."
I said that while capturing the image of Princess Carrie and Kagura, who were currently seeing stars after being blown into the wall by Lady Rurua.
『"Light a fire under them," you say? That was more like a massive explosion.』
"That's for sure. Once I let them know that Ms. Enora was being held in the torture chamber, they hoisted the Archbishop up and sprinted all the way here. They pulverized the enemy cultists guarding the doors with a single 'Yakuza kick' each."
『I provided that information hoping to get them moving a bit more forcefully, since I wanted to avoid the enemy moving or destroying evidence while we wasted time with clumsy negotiations, but…』
The result was that Princess Carrie and Kagura, who had ties to the Three Houses, heard my report and stormed the Archbishop’s office without even waiting for an audience. From there, they kidnapped him and charged straight into the underground torture chamber.
"Well, it's a blessing in disguise. Because of the 'Archbishop kidnapping incident,' a lot of Haire cultists chased after the two of them, leading us right to the torture chamber. It’s pandemonium down there right now, and we’ve already detained the idiots in HR who manage this place. They're being interrogated as we speak."
『Make sure they don't get 'disposed of' without authorization, okay?』
"Don't worry about that. My subordinates are watching them, and Princess Stasia, Vilia, Dressa, and Agil are handling the interrogation and management."
『So, what happened to the Archbishop? From what I hear, he just ended up as a hostage.』
"Ah, he's currently in the torture chamber, helping Lady Rurua treat the injured."
『Is he willing to talk?』
"Probably. I already gave orders to immediately capture the guys managing the torture chamber—or rather, the 'training grounds.' Not only that, but inspections are already being conducted on similar training facilities as well."
『Hmm, I see. Then just photograph the paperwork from those idiots. If you take it out, it might look suspicious. Also, ask for information and check if there are any discrepancies with the documents we’ve already verified. There’s a non-zero chance they’re trying to doubt or deceive us.』
"I know that."
During this commotion, my subordinates infiltrated the rooms of the suspicious individuals and have already photographed all the important documents.
"Alright, I'll send the data, so please analyze the documents."
『…*Sigh*. This is the hard part. Overtime again today.』
With that, the communication with the Boss ended, and I began the data transfer. I’m busy with the field work, but the Boss is just as busy with information analysis and paperwork. I realized there’s no such thing as an easy job in this world.
White Curtain: "I intended it to be a small sparkler."
Corporate Slave: "That wasn't a sparkler, that was dynamite."
There was no complicated back-and-forth; they just forced their way through with sheer power. And now, the Three Houses are reunited once again!!
Now, how will the story unfold!? Will the laid-back world Yuki desires ever arrive!?
Yeah. It’s not going to happen, is it?
Well, let’s look forward to the efforts of the Intermediate God Faction to enjoy this New Continent arc.