Chapter 219: Rescue and Capture
After a thorough discussion among us all, it was decided that the operation would take place tonight. I would be the only one to head to the location, while the other two and one furry companion would stay behind at the inn. Rio had made it clear that all she wanted was for me to remove her Collar of Subjugation. It seemed she couldn’t do it herself.
Surely, the kidnappers wouldn’t expect an attack on their hideout so soon after abducting Rio, especially when they hadn’t yet discovered her whereabouts. We planned to strike during a time when they would be unwinding after returning to their lair.
“It’s almost time.”
Just as I was waiting for Rio’s signal, the long-awaited cue arrived. I hadn’t gone so far as to use my sight-enhancing abilities, but I had gathered enough information about the surroundings from a distance. It appeared that Rio was in a simple room with a Vampire Woman. Currently, she was under orders to “protect us” and “do not escape.” The Collar of Subjugation was firmly in place, yet the Vampire Woman was keeping watch herself. It was quite a meticulous arrangement, but it seemed to work in Rio’s favor.
“Understood. I’m heading out now.”
“Okay. I’ll be waiting.”
“Be careful.”
“Big brother… please, save my sister!”
“Woof woof!”
The time was just past midnight. The town was silent, enveloped in darkness with not a sound or light to be found. I wondered if it was wise to confront a Vampire at night, but after all, Rio had been kidnapped in broad daylight. It seemed the typical story trope about vampires being weak to sunlight didn’t apply here.
“Three, two, one, Teleport!”
Focusing on Rio’s coordinates, I activated the Teleport spell. My vision shifted in an instant, plunging into darkness, but it was only temporary. As I reached out to Rio’s neck, I stored the Collar of Subjugation into the Dimensional Box, and my eyes adjusted just in time.
In the next moment, Rio lunged at the Vampire Woman, forcibly placing the Collar of Subjugation around her neck, which I had retrieved from the Dimensional Box.
“Don’t move. Do nothing but breathe.”
“…Huh? …Wha!?”
Rio’s command was issued swiftly, and it seemed the Vampire Woman finally realized that the situation had changed. She stared at me with wide eyes, bewildered yet glaring. It looked like she had something to say, but the Collar was doing its job well, preventing her from forming any words.
I took a moment to sense the entire building again, but it appeared that no one was as capable as the Vampire Woman before me.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Yeah, let’s.”
With the Vampire Woman’s limbs neutralized by the Collar, I further restrained her with a Spatial Isolation Barrier, enclosing her completely within it. I was uneasy about leaving her behind, so I decided to use magic to grab the barrier and drag her along.
I drew my katana from the Dimensional Box and kicked down the door, creating a loud crash. I had no idea who else might be inside this building, but I needed to know if they were allies or foes.
“W-Who’s there!?”
As a man burst out, I scanned his status and found it to be around two thousand. At the same time, Rio leaped out from behind me and severed the man’s left arm with the katana crafted by our master. It seemed she recognized him.
“Ughhh—!!”
Dodging the writhing man, I made my way toward the exit of the building. In hindsight, I could have just let Rio handle things.
After knocking out about five people, both male and female, we finally made it outside. We had crossed a river from the building that housed the Thieves’ Guild. It looked like an ordinary house, but it was likely another hideout for some organization. I could always ask the Vampire Woman later.
“Ugh, it’s so frustrating to be charmed like this…”
Rio sighed as she looked at the Vampire Woman we had dragged along.
“Hey, Rio, we brought her along without thinking. What do we do now?”
“Hmm. I thought I’d have her help me build up my resistance to charm since I’m feeling a bit annoyed.”
“Huh?”
“Since she has the Collar of Subjugation on, it should be fine. Plus, her job is a maid, right? Hehe… I’ll make sure to put her to good use.”
“Seriously…?”
Well, if it meant building up charm resistance, I was on board. I figured I had some resistance myself, but it wouldn’t hurt to level it up.
“Let’s head back for now.”
“Yeah, let’s get some sleep.”
Thus, we returned to the inn with the subdued Vampire Woman in tow, using Teleport. I’ll note here that Phonia clung to Rio, crying. Oh, and by the way, I left the Vampire Woman hidden in the garden by the riverbank, out of sight from the outside. I had confirmed that her status was indeed “Subjugated.”
The next day, after a late breakfast, we all headed to the garden. The Vampire Woman lay on the ground, not moving an inch as we approached. I wondered if she was still alive.
“Wow, so this is the culprit…”
“Ugh, the bad guy who kidnapped my sister!”
Phonia was furious, and it was quite adorable.
“Well then, let’s ask her some questions. Just answer what we ask.”
Rio released the barrier that had enveloped the Vampire Woman, granting her permission to speak. However, her limbs were still bound, so she couldn’t do anything. Besides, I had ordered her to do nothing, so she should be fine.
“…Are you even awake?”
“I am awake. I can’t do anything but breathe, so I’m not sleeping, let alone moving a finger.”
The Vampire Woman responded with a tone full of dissatisfaction, as if Rio’s command had been harsher than expected. It sounded like she was suggesting that we should think carefully about the commands we issued.