Chapter 215: Search and Rescue (3)

Nina was casually walking through a section of the empire’s capital city, where the air was filled with the sounds of metal striking and thick smokestacks rose in the distance.

Although she was there to inspect the area, the chances of finding the captives were slim. In fact, Eve had a higher probability of being located elsewhere.

“Still, there’s a small chance they could be here. I can’t cut corners. I need to search thoroughly!” she exclaimed, pumping her fists together in determination.

As she walked, Nina noticed that most of the buildings around her were forges.

They were all producing familiar equipment—the weapons and armor of the Empire’s army!

Almost every workshop in sight was focused on that production, highlighting just how much the Empire prioritized its military might. The sight of the workers’ lifeless eyes made her frown.

“They’re not working out of passion, but necessity… Are they being threatened?” Nina wondered to herself.

Just then, she felt a sudden impact.

“Oof!”

A small child bumped into her and tumbled onto the ground.

“Are you alright?” Nina quickly pulled down her robe’s hood and knelt beside the child. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to the path. You weren’t hurt, were you?”

The child stared up at her before slowly shaking her head. She didn’t speak, but at least she acknowledged Nina’s concern.

“I see. Then, be careful out there,” Nina said, offering a sweet smile.

After that, she adjusted her hood and continued on her way.

“…?”

Only then did she realize.

’I was wearing the Hermit Robe, right…?’

The hermit robe not only lowers one’s presence and erases all traces but also emits a powerful deterrence that affects others’ subconscious minds, pushing them out of the wearer’s way.

In short, it wouldn’t be just an “accident” if she bumped into someone; it would be intentional…

Nina touched her waist and realized, to her dismay, that an item she had bought from the shop—both functional and decorative—was missing.

“My bag of holdings is gone…” She had been robbed!

Yet, she remained calm.

Nina had seen the face of the thief.

Additionally, a witch wouldn’t leave her belongings unprotected. A powerful curse was placed on the bag, ensuring that anyone other than the owner who touched it would experience excruciating pain.

“This is bad…!”

Then she realized the thief was just a little girl.

If such a small child was affected by the potent curse she had set as a trap, her chances of survival were slim. Death would claim her faster than one could say, “it hurts!”

Without hesitation, Nina sensed the presence of her cursed bag nearby—an alley just a few dozen meters away.

Nina moved faster than lightning.

She rounded the corner and entered the alley. There, she found the little girl on the ground, twitching in agony. Despite her suffering, the girl still clutched the stolen item.

“I knew it!” Nina shouted. “Let go of the bag!”

However, the little girl did not comply. She opened one eye, flickering with pain yet filled with determination, and attempted to crawl away.

“…”

She was stubborn, but more than that, she had the grit to endure the pain and still try to escape. Nina sensed something was different about the girl, but she hadn’t expected it to be this profound.

And now that she looked closer…

“You…”

Nina caught up to the little girl, snatching the bag from her grasp and returning it to her inventory. The girl met Nina’s gaze, her eyes unwavering.

Rather than displaying fear or resignation, her eyes reflected the determination of someone desperate to survive. Despite being wracked with excruciating pain, she remained silent—almost unnervingly so.

“I knew it.” Nina sighed as she locked eyes with the girl. “You are…”

But before she could finish her thought, a shadow loomed behind her.

…

“What is that? Too weak! Swing your swords like your lives depend on it!”

To the east, in the Military District, a lone figure stood at one of the many training grounds, guiding the empire’s soldiers: Arianne.

Her voice resonated powerfully as she stood atop a tall platform, resembling a beautiful flower amidst a raging storm, commanding the attention of hundreds of soldiers below her. She was clad in the Empire’s armor, a stark contrast to the Hermit Robe she had worn when she first departed.

As for why she was there, instructing the soldiers…

That moment had unfolded about fifteen minutes prior.

Upon arriving in the Eastern district, she began to explore the area.

Training grounds and barracks were scattered throughout, ample enough to accommodate the empire’s entire force of 100,000 soldiers. And as expected with such a vast number, the area was enormous!

’Even if I search nonstop, I can’t finish it all in a day!’ She thought, frowning hard.

Of course, she couldn’t just give up. Arianne knew that Eve and the others would face similar challenges in their areas. Even Mimir and Navi, who were covering more ground than the girls combined, would surely complete their tasks, even if they complained.

Arianne refused to be the only one to fail her mission! Most importantly, this location had the highest chance of holding the captives. She couldn’t afford to cut corners, even if she wanted to!

An idea crossed her mind: to grab a nearby soldier and “interrogate” him for the location of the captives!

However, she realized that the likelihood of any random soldier possessing such crucial information was quite low. Therefore, Arianne decided to seek out higher-ranking officers in the army instead.

Determining their whereabouts was not difficult.

Since the barracks were situated in one location, she could simply look for the most lavishly decorated room. The one using that room would undoubtedly have the highest rank in the army—and possess the most valuable information!

Without wasting any time, she began her search for that specific room.

One by one, she peeked into dorms, occasionally catching sight of soldiers mid-change. Still, her expression remained unchanged, as if such sights were perfectly normal to her.

“Here, huh?”

Finally, she reached the top floor at the end of the hallway.

There stood a room that was notably decorated and securely locked—a room that felt decidedly “suspicious.”

Arianne didn’t hesitate; she twisted the knob—breaking both it and the lock—and pushed the door open.

“Who’s there?!”

To her surprise, someone was inside.

A female officer with blonde hair and an impressive figure was lying on the bed, half-naked, and holding… something long and hard.

“Ah, sorry about this, but I’m in a hurry…”

Arianne scratched her head as she closed the door for more privacy, realizing she had interrupted the woman’s “morning routine.” Simultaneously, she cast a one-way soundproofing barrier to prevent any sounds from escaping the room.

Lowering her cape, she smiled.

“Can you tell me where the emperor’s captives are held?”

“Fuck off…!”

But, of course, it didn’t go that easily.

The woman drew her blade and lunged at Arianne, even while half-naked.

While Arianne admired her bravery and quick thinking, she couldn’t help but feel that the woman’s choice was somewhat misguided.

A sword swung down, and Arianne deflected it to the side.

However, she miscalculated the force, causing the woman to follow through and strike her head against the wall. The female officer fainted!

Knock! Knock!

And to make matters worse, someone was at the door!

“Damn…” Arianne cursed. “Now what?”

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