Chapter 15   – Red Crows Invade: At the Inn

“There’s an inn this far away from the village. Well that’s a surprise”

They had left the village and had been walking after the slowly fluttering imp for about one hour.

Along the side of the only mountain road in the forest, there was a building that had once been used as an inn.

Once they saw the inn, they shot the imp down.

The archers were becoming uneasy since they had only less than ten-odd arrows remaining, it was about time they resupplied somewhere.

They split up and headed toward the front and back doors and entered while on the lookout for traps.

The inn was defenseless, maybe because they didn’t expect it to be discovered or because they didn’t have time to lay any traps.

There were an adequate amount of water and liquor and food left behind. Legda’s men cheered.

The inn itself wasn’t that spacious, just a tavern, guestrooms, storehouse, and the small room inside it. There was also a stable outside, no horses though.

It was a two-story building, which was rare in these parts.

It was probably the Dungeon Master’s room, but everything had been carried away, it was totally empty. There were however some expensive looking things left behind.

“Captain! There’s a room underneath the storehouse!”

One of the men discovered the underground storehouse.

It looked like it had once been used as a wine cellar, but right now there was being used for some other important matter.

“A woman! Seems like she’s a slave!”

Inside the small underground room there was a wooden couch and bed. Also, a young girl tied with chains.

◆◆◆

“… So, you’re that Dungeon Master’s slave, are you?”

Sara was interrogating the little maid girl.

It would probably have been the same no matter who did so, but if a man were to do it there’s a high chance they would start fucking her before they got all the information out of her.

“… Yes, I work in Master’s service. I didn’t hear that guests will be coming, so I didn’t prepare anything, my deepest apologies …”

After fifteen minutes of talking, Sara came to a conclusion.

“That girl at the very least had her soul dominated. Well … something like a golem, I suppose. She’s completely bent on serving the Dungeon Master, this is a bit troublesome. If I can examine her more carefully, she might possibly be a well-made flesh golem, though. Then again flesh golems are patched out of strong monster or human corpses, so well, that’s unlikely. The Dungeon Master, though, abandoned the girl and ran away. That imp might have had orders to tell the girl to go and run away somewhere…”

“The Dungeon Master’s slave, huh. He probably used her to entertain the guests, no?”

Legda concluded thus.

“Captain, in that case … can we use her?”

“Don’t break her. We’ve finally found something usable, we’re bringing her back to town and turning her to money. … anyway, it’s probably going to be better than doing it with some demon so I’m sure the girl would be thankful too”

Vulgar laughs leaked out from the men around. They had already began drinking and making merry.

Shiro was going around carrying booze with lifeless eyes, acting as if she didn’t hear anything about the maid girl.

It was probably her own self-defense mechanism, but Sara can’t help getting irritated.

“I’ll be on my room on the second floor then. I obviously can’t be here when you’re doing it, and I’m tired”

“… sure, how’s your magic power by the way?”

“Some left, about enough for a fireball or two … but more than that is a no go. I’ll be going to bed for a short while”

Legda made a small click of the tongue seeing her about to leave, but she didn’t know that.

“… I’ll come by later with booze and some food”

“Legda, aren’t you being unusually considerate? Well, thanks”

“… What, you’re an important comrade. Don’t mind it. … there are a few things I need to discuss afterward, too”

The men brought the maid girl to a guestroom, but since of course there were too many of them for the small room four people would have a go with her first. The girl obediently and without any particular resistance began servicing the men.

“Damn, I can’t wait”

Two of the men were too impatient to wait so they returned to the tavern and dragged Shiro by the arm outside.

Being horny with all the free time, they dragged Shiro to a convenient place and did her like how they’re used to doing.

Even if they didn’t, the booze had already gone into their system and all the tension had already left their minds.

Just as Elliott planned, the fighting power had begun splitting up.

◆◆◆

“Woah, this maid chick’s trained. Dat tongue work …,” said the man with his penis in Dahlia’s mouth.

Dahlia who was in maid clothes was having a penis pushed into her throat so strongly she had difficulty breathing.

While looking at the scene from a flowerpot, I breathed a sigh.

I wanted to avoid using Dahlia as bait like this if possible, but after considering the difference in power with the enemy, I couldn’t come up with any better way.

Dahlia’s skin and insides were carefully loaded with aphrodisiacs and delayed-effect paralysis drugs.

Being a Flesh Golem, Dahlia herself wouldn’t be affected much, but people who received that almost directly from Dahlia’s mucous membranes would.

It would normally take 2 hours before the paralysis drugs took effect. If they were in the middle of strenuous activity, it wouldn’t be weird if they took effect in under 30 minutes.

Then it should be about time to move.

There were numerous small paths into the base I made inside the mines.

One of them led to the middle of the forest near my inn, I was waiting out the crisis with a flowerpot there, watching the situation in the inn.

I only brought the one flowerpot here so I can’t watch many places at the same time, but for now things were going well.

“Astarte, two of the men went outside with collar girl. This is a chance, let’s go and crush them. I’ll handle the girl, can you deal with the two men?”

“I won’t have a problem with two nearly unarmed men, Master Elliott. It would take a bit of work to bring them alive though …”

“… if push comes to shove, I don’t mind you killing them”

I had been gradually feeling less and less guilt over the orders that came out of my mouth.

Even thinking that it’s the same thing the mercenaries are doing, it doesn’t make me feel at ease … but it’s a defense mechanism.

Right now, there are four men with Dahlia in the guestroom, two men with collar girl outside, and the leader with three men in the tavern. The magician girl is in the second floor.

Though it’s going well, I’m bummed out that the five including the magician and the leader are together.

It was good that the traps I hurriedly laid down last night worked well, but the problem is I expected too much out of them.

Did Old Man Gustav bring those expecting that this would happen?

Those traps … or rather, drugs, were worth at least the entire last year’s income.

I could only leave a grudge if it didn’t work out.