Having won what seemed to be the most futile battle of my life, I was able to earn the trust of Hamokin and Gargado and the others. Afterward, we had a strategy meeting with the gathered representatives… and then, a week later at night, I was infiltrating the village where Donatella was.
“……………….”
Hiding in the grass, I held my breath and watched my surroundings. Two women who seemed to be guards were walking in front of me, but they walked away without noticing me.
“…Phew. The security is indeed strict.”
Once their backs were out of sight, I let out a short breath and muttered. Solo action after a long time indeed brought a different kind of tension. After all, there’s no one to cover for me if I fail.
(Next is to the right… or would it be better to go around from the left?)
How the guards were placed was clearly understood with the combination of [Auto-Mapping] and [Akashic Compass]. However, it did not mean that I understood their line of sight and direction of movement, so I have to be cautious. After all, failure here means failure of the entire operation.
By winning trust in that incomprehensible match and then showing my abilities by fighting normally afterward, I was able to undertake the role of successfully restraining Donatella. As soon as I start the fight, the men who are hiding around the village are ready to take away the women here one after another.
However, that’s only possible if I can sneak attack her without causing a commotion. If I make a fuss here and Donatella starts moving with her entourage, it’s decided that the operation fails and we disband. If that happens, all the preparation up to this point will be wasted, and in the worst case, she may even keep her entourage on standby when she sleeps.
To avoid that, I must not be discovered here…
(Man, this clear field of vision is tough. There’s absolutely nothing blocking the line of sight, it’s not very friendly for infiltration.)
Unlike large towns or the interiors of buildings, this village had wide spaces between buildings, and once you entered, there were extremely few places to hide. Moreover, with patrols placed strategically to cover these few blind spots, it would indeed be extremely difficult to infiltrate here and attack only Donatella.
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(If it’s just the watch, combat power doesn’t matter, and making all the watches patrol instead of stationary is probably to ensure that they notice any anomalies immediately. Tch, they clearly understand their own weaknesses.)
A confident guard would function just by standing still in one place, like a gatekeeper. However, they wouldn’t notice any abnormalities unless it was time for a shift change.
On the other hand, with a patrol system, while you might get attacked suddenly from a blind spot, you’re always moving and passing by multiple people in a short time, so you’ll know right away if something happens. No matter how weak the individual is, they are more than sufficient as a bell that senses anomalies…
(If Tia were here, she could put them to sleep with spirit magic… or maybe Riel? If she can use such powerful healing magic, it’d be fine to handle them a bit roughly.)
The thought of those reliable but absent individuals suddenly crossed my mind. The reason I thought of Riel, no doubt, was because of the doll I made the other day.
By the way, that doll was still sleeping inside my [Stranger Box]. Some people asked me to give it to them, but I was indeed reluctant to hand over a doll dressed erotically that looked like someone I know, so I refused.
(……No good, my thoughts are all over the place when I’m alone. I need to focus more.)
I’ve been with Tia so often that it seems my instincts when working alone have dulled. Even though I’ve been on separate actions before… tch, this feels off.
“Nothing abnormal here. How about there?”
“Nothing abnormal here either.”
Exchanging simplistic conversations, two women passed by me. The moment the two of them turned their backs to each other, I boldly passed through the gap. Their bodies formed a wall and created a shadow, through which I, the intruder, ran through like the wind.
“Hm?”
“What’s up?”
“……No, it’s nothing.”
(……Yes!)
I thought the hardest part would be Donatella’s house at the front of the road. Passing through it, I involuntarily made a mental victory pose. Now that I’ve come this far, I’m almost there. According to the feeling from [Auto-Mapping], the settlement and the structure of the buildings are as I know them, so the bedroom should be in the back… here.
“Zzz… zzz…”
As I quietly opened the door so as not to make a sound, Donatella was lying on a simple bed, snoring. If I were an assassin, I could end this with one stroke of the blade, but the goal this time is to incapacitate heras unharmed as possible.
“…………”
So, I take out a cloth soaked in a liquid drug made from materials collected by Hamokin and the others in the forest. This drug causes temporary unconsciousness when inhaled. If I get this cloth close to her face while she’s sleeping, she should inhale it with her breathing. With that in mind, I approached Donatella from behind, extending my hand holding the cloth to her face…!?
“Don’t come near me with your dirty hands! You filthy man!”
My extended wrist was grabbed firmly, and Donatella, who turned around just with her neck, glared at me.
“Tch, you were awake after all.”
“Of course! There’s no way I wouldn’t notice a man approaching! Hmph!”
With that, she kicked at my belly from her sleeping position. There was no way for me to avoid it while my wrist was still being held, and the powerful blow unleashed from her thick leg… but it had no effect on me.
“What!?”
“Fufufu, sorry. Your attacks won’t work on me…yo!”
“Uwa!?”
I completely upset Donatella, who’s shaken by my lack of pain, by pulling my captured arm and tumbling her right onto the floor. There’s no way that a kick would break through my [Invincible], which wouldn’t let even a dragon’s fang pass, and if I can brace properly, it’s easy to pull down an opponent who is lying down.
“So, this is a reversal of fortune… or was I winning from the start?”
“Let go! Damn it, why won’t you let go!?”
“Well, because I’m stronger.”
I climbed on top of Donatella who had fallen on her back, and firmly held her body down. If it’s just about physical strength, she was stronger, but all the shocks trying to push me away were being returned by [Reflector], so the more she struggled, the more her body got hurt by the intense reflection.
Furthermore, in truth, if she pushed me slowly enough that no shock came out, she would probably be able to push me off and escape, but I doubt she’d notice that.
“Well, sorry, but I need you to sleep, okay? I won’t do anything bad.”
“Don’t mess with me! Strong guys, perverted guys! What do you intend to do to me!? Men are perverts! Men are the worst!”
“Huh, are those values valid here too? No, I really won’t do anything, just confining you until you become a bit more honest…”
“I won’t become as men wish! I won’t lose! I won’t submit to perverted men! Someone… mmmph!?”
“Don’t shout! This will be over soon!”
I press the cloth soaked with the drug liquid firmly against Donatella’s mouth. Because I’ve lost one arm holding her body down, Donatella’s resistance has increased, but her breathing has become heavier, causing her to inhale more and more of the drug.
“Uh… mmh………”
“See, it’ll be over soon, so just stay calm.”
I speak in such a voice to Donatella, who is resisting desperately and glaring at me. Hmm, this situation certainly makes me look like the villain. But this is the most peaceful way, and after Donatella faints, I’ll just carry her out…!?
“That’s enough!”
“Guo!?”
Suddenly, my body was blown away by a strong shock. While tumbling on the floor, I quickly regained my posture and looked up…
“Doing such a despicable thing to a frail girl! Men really are the worst!”
“Tia…!?”
There was Tia, pointing the tip of her shimmering silver sword at me, glaring this way.