Chapter 42

I climbed down the ladder and arrived in the underground space.

Unlike when I first bought the place, it had been partitioned off with walls.

Alice and I had discussed how to make it more functional.

The purpose of each room was decided, and the walls could even be removed if necessary.

I could hear the sounds of work coming from a nearby room.

Alice must be doing her best.

I decided not to call out to her, as I didn’t want to break her concentration.

Currently, she was crafting equipment designed for indoor combat.

Apparently, she felt frustrated that we ended up moving separately partway through the destruction of Ralph’s organization.

With Alice’s technical skills, she would surely realize her goal soon.

I had nothing to worry about.

As I strode through the underground space, I came to a halt in an empty area.

I stroked the wall and hooked my finger into a small indentation.

At first glance, there was nothing there, but a button was hidden deep inside the crevice.

When I pressed it, a section of the wall rotated, revealing the space beyond.

A hidden room.

It was a gimmick that originally came with the building, and I personally liked it.

I entered the hidden room.

The space was about thirty yards on each side.

In the dim light, five men and women were tied to pillars at equal intervals.

They were the insolent fools who had tried to sneak into this base.

Moreover, each of them had attempted to intrude at different times and through different means.

While I didn’t know the objectives of some, I was certain they were up to no good.

I greeted them in a friendly tone.

“Yo. You all look like you’re doing well.”

There was no reply.

Only gazes filled with hostility converged on me.

Their mouths were stuffed with cloth.

They couldn’t speak even if they wanted to.

I continued talking without minding them.

“Now then, I want to conduct an experiment today. Is there any kind soul willing to help me out?”

As expected, no one looked like they wanted to do it.

They either looked away or glared at me even harder.

I put my hands on my hips and sighed.

Then, I shot them a glance filled with bloodlust.

“Is that so? How disappointing. I’m so overcome with sadness that I feel like I might carve you all up one by one.”

The restrained captives trembled in fear.

Some even let out muffled groans.

The atmosphere in the room chilled instantly.

The hostility directed at me vanished like mist.

I suppressed my bloodlust and laughed.

“Don’t be so scared. It was just a joke.”

Even with my lighthearted jest, the tension did not ease.

It seemed they didn’t take it as a joke.

I had no particular rebuttal, as it wasn’t exactly a lie either.

I looked over the captives.

Among them, my eyes settled on a blonde woman.

She was the one who had tried to seduce me while I was coming and going.

Since she was hiding poison, she likely intended to assassinate me.

I walked up to the woman and spoke into her blue eyes.

“Alright, I’ll go with you.”

“——!”

The woman cried out with tearful eyes and shook her head violently.

She seemed so happy to have been chosen.

To be shown such joy made even me feel a bit swept up in the moment.

I pressed a knife to the woman’s throat and spoke in a whisper.

“Okay, okay. Calm down. I know what you want to say. You want to get out of here alive. Isn’t that right?”

“—”

The woman, frozen stiff, gave a minuscule nod.

She seemed unable to think of anything else but the knife pressed against her throat.

“I’m a psychic, you see. I can see right through you.”

While saying so, I strapped the Remote Bomb to her waist.

After confirming it wouldn’t come loose, I showed her the switch and flashed a smile.

“Let’s play a game. The rules are simple. Tell me the name of your organization and its location. Also, the boss’s name and their physical characteristics. I’d like to demand a fine from the people who ordered this trespassing. Don’t you think that’s a legitimate right for a homeowner?”

“——, ——!”

The woman groaned in anguish.

She squirmed, trying desperately to shake off the Remote Bomb.

“If you speak honestly, I’ll send you back to your organization. I’ll handle you with more care than a Christmas present for a first love.”

I ran my fingers through her hair.

It was smooth, lustrous, and felt good to the touch.

After combing it for a while, I grabbed her by the neck.

“However, if you try to keep secrets, I have my own plans. You’ve heard the rumors about me, haven’t you? You’re going to become one of them.”

“…!”

The woman’s face turned pale as sweat dripped down.

Her breathing was incredibly ragged.

She looked as though she was being consumed by extreme tension.

Releasing my hand from her neck, I explained while fiddling with the switch.

“I’m sure you’ve guessed, but that thing on your waist is a bomb. It’ll explode if I press this. Think of it as your life being held by my thumb.”

“…”

The woman stared at the switch with a deadly serious gaze.

The agitation from moments ago was gone.

I could even glimpse a hint of coldness.

Was she formulating an escape plan?

It was a futile struggle.

“The explanation of the rules is over. Well? Do you feel like talking now?”

I removed the cloth stuffed in her mouth.

The woman looked up and spat out her answer.

“You monster. I have nothing to say to the likes of you.”

Her abuse was laced with murderous intent.

She bared her teeth in anger.

I shrugged and stepped away from her.

“How truly disappointing.”

As I walked, I placed my finger on the switch.

Just a little more pressure and I could detonate it.

This room was sturdy, so it wouldn’t be destroyed by the explosion.

I was also a good distance away from the other captives.

The only one who would suffer damage was the woman.

I observed her reaction.

She was sweating like a waterfall.

While struggling frantically, she repeatedly muttered what sounded like an incantation.

However, nothing happened.

“W-Why…!”

She seemed quite panicked.

She likely intended to use magic.

It was a wasted effort.

Alice had performed modifications on this room.

It was rigged to prevent the use of all incantation-type magic.

I didn’t know the exact mechanism, but it apparently disrupted the mana within the body.

It was harmless to me since I possessed no mana.

Similarly, the Remote Bomb, which didn’t rely on incantations, could be used without issue.

Realizing that escape was impossible, the woman screamed in a state of half-panic.

“Th-The organization is ‘Black Wolf’s Nest’! The location is the clock tower in the southern part of this city! The boss’s name is Freed Benuat! He’s a one-eyed human with blue hair! Hey, I gave you the information you wanted! That’s enough, right? Hurry up and help me!”

“Alright, good girl.”

I pressed the switch.

In the next instant, the Remote Bomb erupted.

With a roar, the woman’s flesh and blood splattered, spraying across the floor and ceiling.

Black smoke and a foul stench began to drift through the room.

I tossed the switch aside and laughed out loud.

“Hahaha! Perfect. No, wait, maybe the power was a bit lacking? It didn’t seem to blow her to smithereens.”

I walked up to the woman’s remains.

There was no trace left of her former lovely face.

It was at a level where individual identification was impossible.

I knelt down and spoke.

“As promised, I’ll send you back to your organization. I’ll pack you up just like a Christmas present. Forgive me if some parts are missing.”

Standing up, I looked around at the other faces.

Every single one of them was frozen in terror.

I was glad they understood that I was serious.

I questioned them.

“Will you all speak honestly? If you refuse even a little, I’ll have to start packing.”

Then, the captives nodded with desperate expressions.

It seemed they really didn’t want to meet the same fate.

Good, they were being obedient.

It seems making an example out of her was the right choice.

Of course, I had no intention of letting the rest of them go.

I planned to dispose of them eventually.

I wasn’t kind enough to release them alive.

Afterward, I conducted an inquiry with the remaining people.

I summarized the information I obtained and created a list.

It was quite a productive time.

I could see the power balance within the city.

This was essential information for living here.

I left the captives where they were and exited the hidden room.

I planned to use them as guinea pigs when I made new bombs.

Before bringing them into actual combat, I wanted to know how they handled.

In that sense, I couldn’t thank them enough for their cooperation.

Life in the Fortress City was progressing very smoothly.