Yuika proposed a solution that anyone would find disturbing. Though, to be fair, the player does just that in the game.
“A minor point it may be, but we are still guests here. While I am sure we could get away with just a warning, I believe that would be taking things too far. Let us have them kiss the floor.”
“Nanami, you basically just used different words to say the same thing as Yuika,” I pointed out.
“Better save that as a last resort. Remember, our main goal is to get to Ludie’s room,” Yukine said, to which Yuika nodded.
“We need to think about what to do after we actually meet up with Ludie. Do you think she knows about a secret escape route out of the castle or something?” Yuika said with a sigh.
In truth, Ludie really did know of such an escape route. Incidentally, so did I. However, I was only going to bring it up myself as a last resort.
“Hmm, I think it would be better to ask Ludie about that after we meet up with her. We barely know anything about this castle,” said Yukine.
“Yeah, I figured. In that case, the problem is how we’re gonna reach her, right?” said Yuika.
At the end of the day, knocking the guards out seemed like the safest choice. You actually have to fight them in the game, too. When I went to suggest this, Nanami spoke up.
“That reminds me. Master, Yuika: what about Fart Magic?”
“Please don’t dig up memories I worked so hard to repress!”
Fart Magic was an energy revolutio— Hey, Yuika, knock it off. Don’t choke me! Take your anger out on the dungeon behind that stuff instead!
“Miss Yuika, I am not bringing this up as a joke. I believe it would be extremely effective at distracting others,” Nanami said before holding me down.
Uh, Nanami, hold Yuika back, not me! Why are you pinning me down? Seriously, I’m feeling some very large assets brushing up against me right now! But wait…if I fall unconscious here, that might be what I’ve always wanted.
“Yuika, c’mon. Calm down,” Yukine said, tearing the two off me. Phew.
“Sure, that might be able to attract their attention, but I can’t agree to using all that mana. Saving it as a last resort could be a good idea.”
“Distracting them, hm,” Yukine murmured, looking at all of us. “As long as one of us reaches Ludie in the end, it should work out somehow. So, how’s this sound?”
Yukine then began to explain her idea.
“Y’know, I can’t say why, but I’m kinda starting to enjoy myself.”
We hastened down the luxurious carpet covering the hallway.
I could get where Yuika was coming from. Sneaking around to free an elven princess from being locked away? Anyone would find that thrilling. Still, this was no time for fooling around.
“You do realize the Church of the Malevolent Lord is involved with all this, right?”
“I know, I know.”
“Master, someone’s coming.”
“All right, I’ll handle it.”
Yuika stood out in front of the person approaching. It appeared to be a castle maid.
“I was trying to find the bathroom, but I got a bit lost on the way.”
While Yuika was distracting the maid, we continued forward.
Yukine’s plan was to feign ignorance to keep the guards and others occupied while we sent one of us along to sneak into Ludie’s room. She had already distracted several guards and was now separated from us.
And the surprise thing about it was…
“I wonder why this is working so well.”
Honestly, I figured it was going to be impossible. I had been convinced we wouldn’t get anywhere without throwing hands, but for some reason, things were working out.
Thanks to Yukine’s plan, we had gotten close to Ludie’s room.
“While I can imagine several reasons why this is going so smoothly…I cannot deny that a simple stroke of lucky might be at play.”
“Then maybe this was the best option, in a sense.”
Given this was real life and not some game or manga, I figured that a strategy like this would’ve been totally out of the question.
“Although we are almost at our destination, it appears I need to go. Please cling to the ceiling.”
Now it was Nanami’s turn to step forward. She’d delivered her parting words as though “clinging to the ceiling” was an easy feat, but I wasn’t some arachnid boy wonder here. Though to be fair, my stole could probably pull it off.
I stretched out my stole and stuck myself fast against the ceiling.
After watching and waiting for Nanami to lead the soldiers away, I went back down to the floor and continued on.
This whole thing really was going too smoothly, almost.
In the game, you meet up with Ludie, escape the castle, and immediately head for the Sanctuary. During this sequence, there are several unavoidable fights against elven knights along the way.
Of course, I had been fully prepared for this to happen, but so far, we hadn’t run into a single fight. However…
“Claris has the last door covered, huh.”
I unconsciously let out a sigh when I saw the woman up ahead. I had figured that someone would be stationed in front of Ludie’s door. But Claris?
She doesn’t appear in the game at all. That point alone made her an irregular character.
While I couldn’t estimate exactly how she would act, when I thought of who her employer was, I knew her thinking wouldn’t come down on Ludie’s side of things.
“What do you think you’re doing, Master Takioto?”
Claris called out my name.
“And here I thought I had totally masked my presence,” I said as I moved out in front of Claris. When I did, however, she appeared unexpectedly shocked to see me.
She apologized to me; maybe she thought she’d startled me?
“Oh no, um. I thought you would be here eventually, so I was calling out your name to practice.”
Huh? She was just…calling out my name?
“I think this is first time I’ve ever seen you make a face like that, Master Takioto.”
I had to look seriously befuddled right now.