Chapter 218: Strategy Meeting
Calm down.
Why did that woman take Rio?
If there’s a reason we’re being targeted, what could it be?
If there is, it might be related to Ero-jii, or perhaps the Mysterious Organization targeting Phonia…
The latter seems more likely, but if that’s the case, with the current chaos, they could have easily used the Collared Rio against us. She was quite formidable in terms of Status… No, but with Nil and Phonia around, it wouldn’t be that simple, would it?
“Ah…”
That’s right, Nil and Phonia… and Ivan!
I turned around instinctively, only to find all three of them with their eyes slightly unfocused. Upon inspection, it was clear they were all under the effect of Charm.
“Hey! Snap out of it!”
I grabbed Nil’s face with both hands and called out to her, shaking Phonia’s shoulder. I slapped Ivan to bring him back to his senses.
“Wuff!”
The first to regain her composure was Nil. She let out a loud bark and drooped her ears.
“…Big brother.”
Phonia looked up at me with tears welling in her eyes, her expression sorrowful.
“Why is it just me…”
Ivan muttered as he lay sprawled on the ground.
“I’m sorry. That was misplaced anger.”
“I see… Well, it can’t be helped then.”
I apologized sincerely, but there was no real argument from them. I genuinely felt bad, but I couldn’t help but feel frustrated that I didn’t get the complaints I was expecting. In that situation, I was the only one who could act. The others, with similar Status to mine, were caught off guard by the hostage situation involving Rio and couldn’t react in time.
Looking back, that guy had a magic-oriented Status. It might have been better to close the distance quickly with Teleport and take him down physically. It’s pointless to dwell on “what ifs,” but I can learn from this for next time.
“Shuu, calm down. I’m safe.”
At that moment, I received a Telepathic Communication from Rio. The tension in my shoulders eased instantly.
“Ah… haha, right, of course.”
Rio was just kidnapped. Nothing had happened to her physically. Besides, we could still communicate telepathically. There was no reason to be overly pessimistic…
“Rio? I’m glad you’re okay… I’m sorry. I couldn’t act in time.”
I connected everyone to the Telepathic Communication to relay the situation.
“I’m so glad… Big sister is safe… I’m so relieved… Waaaah!”
Phonia began to cry skillfully through the Telepathic Communication, and Ivan gently embraced her.
“Phonia-chan, I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“Wuff-woof!”
Nil seemed to be relieved about Rio’s safety as well.
“It seems we were under the effect of Charm, but are you okay?”
“…I guess that was the case. I don’t feel any discomfort now, so I think I’m fine.”
“I see. With the Collar on, it’s possible the Charm has been lifted.”
While I knew we couldn’t let our guard down, we were able to converse, so I felt reassured. I had also been charmed once, but it wasn’t something that had a strong compulsion.
“They’re going to take me to their hideout, so can you wait a little longer?”
“Is that so? Well, if you’re okay, then that’s good…”
“Yes… I need to make sure to express my gratitude properly.”
Hearing Rio’s cheerful laughter eased my heart, and I turned back to the others.
“For now, let’s head back to the inn… Rio and that woman are marked, so we can strike at any time, but let’s have a brief strategy meeting. They’ll likely be less vigilant once they return to their hideout.”
“Please do. I can’t say much more since I’ve been told not to do anything unnecessary, but I’ll find a way to contact you again.”
“…Understood. We’ll reach out if anything happens on our end.”
The restriction on communication seemed to stem from the Collar of Subjugation. Once they arrived at the hideout, the orders might change, and there was a chance for more freedom. We could always reach out through Telepathic Communication, so I could contact her once I was ready to retrieve Rio.
“Welcome back.”
Upon returning to the inn, we were greeted by Laila-san as usual. The slight tilt of her head was likely due to Rio’s absence.
It was evening, just in time for dinner.
“The dinner is ready, so please take your time.”
“Ah, thank you.”
When we returned to our room, it was only natural that dinner was prepared for Rio as well.
“Big sister…”
Phonia looked forlorn at the sight.
Damn it, making Phonia sad too… I absolutely won’t forgive that woman.
After finishing a quieter-than-usual dinner, I transferred Rio’s portion into the Dimensional Box.
“Now then… it seems the Vampire Woman and Rio are staying somewhere in the city.”
To ensure Rio could hear, I decided to hold the strategy meeting through Telepathic Communication. The Vampire Woman and Rio hadn’t moved since earlier.
“I think we’ve arrived at a place that resembles their hideout… It seems they want to keep the news of the victims killed by the Thieves’ Guild’s poison user from spreading.”
It seemed we were in a situation where we could converse, as Rio responded. I could extend my vision from the marked coordinates, but considering the possibility of being detected by the Vampire Woman, I had to be cautious in my actions.
I had considered the possibility of our Telepathic Communication being intercepted, but since Rio connected from nearby, I thought it would be fine.
“Oh, so she was an important figure? Well, in the end, we still don’t know.”
“Right. That’s not important for us right now, so let’s skip it. First, can you tell me the appraisal results for her?”
That’s right. Sharing information is crucial. I relayed all the details I remembered about the Vampire Woman’s appraisal results to everyone.
“I knew it… I thought I recognized her from somewhere…”
“I don’t know her, but… she has a Status above that of an S Rank Adventurer…”
“And yet, her profession is a maid… Hehe… how interesting.”
Is it just my imagination, or does it feel like a dark aura is rising from Rio? In any case, the strategy meeting to retrieve Rio had begun, with her included.