If we do it now we still can extract the parasite from Princess’ body.
So we should strike while it’s hot.
Together with Mist who is pantyle… I mean, has the Human Mist ability, aimed to escape from the underground. Which reminds me, she’s not wearing underwear on her upper half either, but I should stop thinking unnecessary things in an emergency like this. Yep.
“….. No good. Everyone’s loitering around outside”
Mist said while she put on maid clothes again.
Mist had slipped out of a gap between the bas.e.m.e.nt’s large entrance doors like a ghost for reconnaissance.
“They’re probably looking for Arina-chan”
“I’m beat…”
If I went out the still-brainwashed maids are going to use themselves as hostages and take me back to the cell.
In that case I’d like Mist to go rescue Princess on her own, but that’s a no-go.
In any case her powers are controlled by the E:ID phone and it had a limited range.
I’d like to extract the parasites from just the maids right in front but if I did that the other maids are going to notice something strange and I don’t know what they’re going to do.
“…… I, I’ll try to find another exit”
As I was racking my brains Mist said that and turned into mist again.
“Like there’s any other way out of here”
“I don’t really know, but even though this is a bas.e.m.e.nt there’s wind coming from that way”
“Eh. You can sense it?”
“Somehow when I turn into this body I became sensitive to airflow”
Mist fluttered and entered another cell, she entered through a crack in the end wall.
Then,
“Yuuki! Come here! Hurry!!”
Looks like she found something.
The wall at the end was not a wall.
It was an illusion made by magic or something else, touch it and you can go through, even if you’re not mist.
A pa.s.sage lay beyond that.
It was probably that underground pa.s.sage where the nun was.
I took out a torchlight and lit up the hallway.
“Can we get out, I wonder?”
“I can feel the flow of air. I think we can probably get out”
Mist said as she turned back to human form.
“Mist, clothes”
“Yeah, yeah”
She somehow seems like she considers putting on clothes a pain in the rear….
What happened to the girl who screamed in the bathroom.
“Ah! I have to tell you that I’m okay with being seen naked only by Yuu-kun, okay!”
“Yeah, yeah”
We started walking, relying on Mist’s senses.
“But why is the pa.s.sage connected to the jails? They’re practically begging for a prison break”
“Don’t ask me…. I only work here, I don’t know about the jail structure or anything”
Well, I guess so.
According to that nun, this place is an escape path for emergencies, so it might be reasonable if one of those emergency exits is disguised as a prison.
“Ah. Armor-like monsters come out around here so be careful”
Speaking from experience, I told Mist to be careful.
“Really? Eh, wait, how do you know that?”
“Well…. one reason or another”
Though Princess Rosé did slap me that time, it was to protect me from the nun.
If she didn’t do it I would’ve been put to trial.
She then cried her eyes out, feeling sorry she hurt my body.
It was only a few hours ago.
That Princess Rosé fell into that sleazebag’s hands, what’s she going through right now.
And she’s even happy about it—d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.d!
“……. Yuu-kun, I know you’re angry, but…”
Mist called me out worriedly, I guess it must’ve showed on my face.
“Yeah, I know. I’m not down anymore”
Because Mist helped me stand back up.
She’s fighting together with me for my sake, even to the point of becoming a monster.
And then Arina’s still on the run somewhere.
I’m sure she must be frightened.
Both her and Rosé, I have to help right away.
I don’t have time to break down.
“…… Wait, Yuu-kun”
Mist was going on ahead and found something.
She stared at the walls and touched it.
“Yuu-kun, this is a cell”
Another room hidden with magic, huh.
Just as I suspected, there are things like these in this underground pa.s.sage.
“There’s somebody inside…”
Mist turned into mist and disappeared into the walls.
Then she shouted in a panic.
“This is bad! Yuu-kun, let me open the lock!”
As Mist demanded, I pressed the ‘Acid‘ item on the [Skills] on the E:ID phone.
Just like when we escaped, the keyhole should rust away and break.
[Action!!]
—*clang*
The wall that should’ve been stone made a metallic sound and opened outwards like a door.
The insides of the room was the spitting image of the cell we were kept in.
Just as Mist said, somebody was lying face down on the corner.
Those clothes, I think I saw them somewhere….
“Master!”
Mist shouted and ran over.
Ah yeah. The master of the house, Marquis Isky!
He was in the prime of health when we came here, but in Mist’s arms she looked gaunt and pale. He looked like he hadn’t eaten for quite a while.
“Why is Marquis Isky being locked up in a cell? Wasn’t he with Glenn greeting Princess Rosé?”
“I don’t know”
I’m not going to be surprised at anything after this….
I touched Marquis Isky’s neck, checking for a pulse.
He’s still breathing. When I checked, Marquis let out a groan.
“Who’s there, who are you?”
“I’m Lady Demy’s servant Yuuki”
“….. Lady Demy…?”
Marquis racked his brains hearing the name, then suddenly…
“You mean Princess Rosé…!? You can’t, you mustn’t let her set foot in this residence!”
“Don’t force your body!”
Mist soothed the struggling Marquis
“You can’t. Glenn is waiting for Princess with a nefarious plot! It’s a trap, you mustn’t let Princess Rosé get here!!”
I can guess somehow.
The one we met this morning was Marquis’ impostor of some sort.
The real Marquis Isky sought out his son’s plot, failed somehow, and some time before we came here he was locked down in a cell. That should be the gist of it.
“Master….. Your son has already taken over the residence, Princess is also…”
Mist told him so and Marquis wept.
“My son is dirtying Her Highness the Princess’ body…. I have no excuse to His Highness the King who granted me this peerage…”
“No, Master. It’s still too early to cry”
Mist gripped his hand to cheer him up and said…
“We can still save the Princess now”
“It’s impossible. His plan is perfect. n.o.body can stop him”
“No. I’m here with someone who can put a stop to Glenn’s rampage. Please trust in him, stay composed….”
“Him…. that servant?”
Marquis gave me a glance, and sneered in ridicule.
“That man with thin arms, what can he do. Glenn is my son, rotten as he is. The difference in strength is clear”
Well he’s certainly right.
I’m an ordinary high schooler, not even in a sports club, much less a warrior, it’s clear that I can’t win against Glenn.
“But, Yuuki is….!”
I stopped Mist who was going to cover for me.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to help Princess Rosé, we don’t have time, either. Marquis, the house is swarming with dominated maids so please don’t go in. Is there a hidden pa.s.sage that leads to Glenn’s room?”
Marquis immediately showed a surprised face.
“…. You. You really mean to stop Glenn? He’s a descendant of Isky who’s widely known for our military service for generations, you know”
“I don’t know, but, if I give in to fear here Princess Rosé isn’t going to be saved. Also, a childhood friend of mine is cowering in the residence somewhere, I have to hurry”
I said that and Marquis looked at the ceiling, laughing languidly.
“Hahaha…. So you don’t know the name Isky. You snotty servant. But you got it right… names don’t mean squat now”
He then took out two rings from his breast pocket.
A blue ring and a red ring.
Marquis put on the red ring.
” ‘Open‘,” he chanted.
A pair of metal boots appeared before me.
“This ring contains invisibility magic. It can only be used once to disappear for a few seconds. That shin guard is something used when sending a fresh recruit out to the battlefield. It increases your leg strength by just a little bit. I originally hid it intending to use it to break out but …. I’m giving it to you”
“But how about Master?”
“It’s already impossible for me now. d.a.m.ned Glenn cut the tendons on my legs…. I can’t even stand anymore”
He did that to his own father….
“Go. You don’t have time to worry about me. Impertinent but brave servant… make sure you save the Princess”
I nodded and received the two items, then left the underground pa.s.sage.