Surviving a Harsh Fantasy with Cheat Items (WN)

「Let go of me!」

「Give me back my wyvern!」

The man and woman were fighting over the reins of a wyvern.

The man was one of our own wyvern knights.

The woman? That was Hydra, the beast tamer who had been with Great Demon King Ifriil earlier.

Oh, right. He said his wyvern had been stolen—so it was Hydra who took it.

「Takeru, we should capture that Hydra woman.」

「Didn’t need to tell me twice.」

I seized Hydra, who was flailing around atop the wyvern, and restrained her.

「Let go of me! That’s my wyvern!」 「Like hell it is!」

How brazen can she be?

「It’s already attached to me! It’s mine now!」

The audacity of this b*tch.

But she wasn’t just boasting—being able to wrestle control of the wyvern from its owner shows she really is a beast tamer worthy of the name.

「Hydra, or whatever your name is, you’re going to tell me where Great Demon King Ifriil went.」

It was frustrating to have let Great Demon King Ifriil escape, but capturing her was a stroke of luck. If I recall correctly, she’s one of his top aides.

If I can get her to talk, I’ll know where Great Demon King Ifriil fled. I have to rescue Rara-chan.

「As if I’d ever tell the likes of you!」

「We’ll see how long you can keep that up.」

「Where do you think you’re touching?! Hands off, you creep!」

「Oh? You want me to let go?」

I let go of her with a sudden motion.

「KYAAAAA!」

Hydra started to plummet through the air, screaming.

「Oracle, please.」

「On it.」

With a swift movement, Oracle flew down to catch the flailing Hydra mid-air.

「You actually let go!? How could you!」

「You said to let go, didn’t you? Make up your mind.」

As I loosened my grip slightly, Hydra clung to me desperately.

「Fine! Just… don’t let go! I’ll surrender and be your prisoner!」

「Good. Let’s take her back, then.」

Making sure not to let her slip away, I tightened my hold on her and flew back toward the Black Cedar warship.

※※※

Back on the ship, Hydra kept ranting, ‘I’m a commander of the Demon Army’s Beast Division! You should treat me with proper respect!’

Meanwhile, the wyvern knight who had regained control of his wyvern from Hydra came over to report.

「What exactly happened up there?」 I

「Well, Hydra—that woman—tried to steal my wyvern, Ryu…… Ryu is the name of my wyvern, you see. I managed to grab her just as she was trying to escape, and we got into a scuffle.」

The wyvern knight stroked his wyvern lovingly as he spoke.

「I see. Not only did you retrieve your wyvern, but you also managed to stop Hydra in her tracks. That’s a huge win for us. Thanks to you, we now have a valuable lead. I’ll make sure you’re rewarded for your efforts.」

I might give him a medal and promote him when we return.

After all, capturing an officer like Hydra is no small feat. Perhaps he’ll lead the wyvern knights once they’re reformed.

「Thank you, your majesty! It’s an honor!」

The wyvern knight saluted proudly, puffing out his chest.

Now, what to do with Hydra…

「Hydra, you sure you’re not going to tell us where Great Demon King Ifriil went?」

「I would never betray Great Demon King Ifriil!」

What an idiot.

She should’ve just said she didn’t know where he went.

In other words, Hydra knows where the Demon King went, or at least has a pretty good idea.

I tightly bound her hands and feet.

「I’m going to have to get a little rough.」

「W-What are you planning to do? You’re a Hero, right? You wouldn’t torture a prisoner, would you?」

I don’t know what kind of image she has of a Hero, but I don’t really care about that.

「Sorry, but with Rara-chan kidnapped, I don’t have time to be picky about my methods. Heh, you’re practically half-naked as it is.」

「W-What? Don’t tell me you’re going to get violent?」

Her exposed sides practically beg to be attacked. Since it might be inappropriate for a guy like me to interrogate a female prisoner physically, I’ll let Sherry and the others handle it.

「Alright, everyone, tickle her until she’s ready to talk.」

「Yes, sir!」

「No! Let me go! Torturing a prisoner—gah, hahahahahaha!」

Hydra was carried away by the slave girls, laughing hysterically. Roll, in particular, seemed gleeful as she tickled the soles of Hydra’s feet.

They really enjoy that kind of thing.

「Make her reveal the Demon King’s location. We need to save Rara-chan, so go all out.」

Hydra’s laughter faded as the door shut with a bang. That takes care of that.

Just then, Lyle-sensei, who had been consulting with Drake, approached.

「Takeru-dono, let’s leave the stranded ship behind and proceed with the assault on the Demon City Laurentite. The Silesien fleet is ready to sail up the Lawrence River. I had hoped to take more time securing Times Square and planning for post-war governance, but we’ll have to entrust that to Times-dono. Time is of the essence.」

If sensei says we can manage with our current forces, then it should be fine. We’ve already tested their weapons and found they’re not too advanced. Yeah, we can make it work.

「Alright, let’s move towards Laurentite right away. Drake, I’m counting on you too.」

「Got it. I’d like to do some repairs on the flagship, but if we’re just heading up the river, I’ll make do.」

We’re racing against time now.

「Takeru-dono, your chest… it’s glowing.」

「Huh? Oh, it’s the ‘White Silver Feather’.」

The feather, which had lost most of its power in the fight against the Great Demon King Ifriil, had almost disintegrated. It shimmered in my hand and crumbled away, carried off by the wind.

At that moment, a strange noise filled my ears, like static from an old radio.

What’s this? It sounds like radio interference.

「Zzz… testing, testing… can you hear me?」

「Asama?!」

It was Asama’s voice, though it sounded distant.

「Good, I’m glad we’re able to communicate… We’ve seen the situation… There’s no time to waste.」

「Asama, I’m sorry. I should’ve kept the feather with me.」

If the ‘White Silver Feather’ works against the Great Demon King, giving it to Ria might have been a mistake.

「No, it’s fine. The Holy Mother Steriana is a saint skilled in sealing… We’ll send her to the Demon King to stop the ritual of the Mother of Chaos… Zzz…」

The sound grew fainter. It seems the ‘White Silver Feather’ I had been holding is now completely gone.

「Asama, understood. Thank you.」

「… originally… sorry… this is as far as…」

With that, the voice cut off entirely. I turned to the Wyvern Knight standing nearby and spoke to him.

「Sorry to give you another task right after you’ve finished one, but could you deliver one more message for me?」

「Understood, what would you have me do?」

「Relay to Ria, who’s likely advancing north from Baal Province, that she must come to Laurentite immediately. We need her power to stop the Great Demon King’s plan to revive the Mother of Chaos.」

「I’ll leave at once.」

「It’s a dangerous mission, crossing enemy territory, but I trust you.」

「Understood, I will go immediately.」

As I watched the wyvern knight take off into the sky, I wondered where Ria and her group were now. I’d heard rumors that they had established a new kingdom, but with no news from the continent’s interior, we had no way of knowing.

But with the Dragon Maids by her side, Ria is not someone who would easily fall. If she wanted to, she could fly straight to Laurentite.

Is everything unfolding according to fate? It’s strange, but it feels like all events are converging toward a final showdown in Laurentite.

It feels like the flow of destiny. If there is such a thing as fate, then who’s the one deciding it?

Honestly, I don’t fully understand what the Great Demon King Ifriil, who’s trying to bring back the Mother of Chaos, is thinking. Nor do I fully grasp Asama’s plan.

I just need to do what I must. With that thought in mind, I gripped my holy lance tightly.

「Oh, right. I need to return this lance to Clementine.」

※※※

The Silesien fleet continued to sail up the Lawrence River toward the great lake in the heart of Abyss Continent.

Once the post-battle work in Times Square is complete, the Damons will send reinforcements aboard the galley fleet. But this won’t end with the capture of the Demon City Laurentite.

The war won’t be over with just the fall of the Demon Kingdom. We have to defeat the Great Demon King Ifriil and stop the revival of the Mother of Chaos.

The purpose of this war has shifted to that goal.

For that reason, we need to make Hydra reveal where the Great Demon King Ifriil is headed. I headed to the cabin where Hydra had been taken to check on her.

「Huh, where did they go?」

From afar, I could hear a woman’s laughter.

It’s coming from the hold below.

「Hey, how’s it going down there…?」

「Hahahaha! Someone… haha… stop it! Hahahahaha!」

「Nice smile, Hydra.」

As I arrived, the slave girls stopped tickling her. These girls are relentless.

Where did they even get the brushes and quills they’re using to tickle between her toes?

「S-S-Stop! I’m going to die!」

「If you don’t want to be tickled, then start talking. Where did the Great Demon King go?」

「I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!」

「Alright, then let’s hear it.」

As I asked, Hydra began to speak rapidly.

「The Demon King was performing a suspicious ritual near the Mad Volcano in Hell’s Abyss, close to Demon City Laurentite, throwing the bodies of the fallen into the abyss. He was also summoning demon beasts from there, so I’m sure he went there!」

I see.

I turned to Sherry, who was coldly looking down at Hydra.

「Sherry, what do you think?」

「There’s no way the Great Demon King’s top aide would spill so easily. I think she’s lying.」

Hydra desperately struggled, writhing with her bound hands and feet.

「It’s all true! I swear I’ve told you everything I know!」

「Hmm, not very convincing. Keep tickling.」

The slave girls all began tickling her relentlessly.

「No, stop! Hahaha—!」

Roll, who had somehow gotten hold of a horsehair brush, was using it to tickle the soles of her feet and between her toes with swift, sweeping motions.

Wow, I really wouldn’t want to be in her position.

「Hehehehehe!」

I felt a bit guilty watching as a man, so maybe I should give them some space for a while.

「Alright, I’ll leave it to you, Sherry.」

「Yes, I’ll make sure to get the truth out of her.」

「I’m already telling the truth! I’ve told you everything! Hahaha!」

※※※

When I went to check in on them later, the scene was a mess. It’s hard to describe, but the floor was soaked.

Apparently, being tickled non-stop turns a person into a complete wreck. Hydra, leaking from every orifice, was a sight to behold. Honestly, it was… unpleasant.

Now I understand why they moved her to the hold instead of the cabin. They must have expected this mess and chose the hold for the interrogation.

Sherry is impressive, truly someone I wouldn’t want as an enemy.

「Sherry, that’s enough.」

「Understood.」

At Sherry’s signal, the tickling stopped immediately. I approached Hydra, who was now gasping for breath, to interrogate her once more.

「Please… spare me…」

「If you want mercy, then tell us the truth.」

「Stop the tickling… I already told you… I’ve been saying the truth from the start…」

Hydra gave the same answer she had given before, despite the intense interrogation.

「Is that really true?」

「I’ll do anything… just stop, please… I’m sorry…」

Hydra was a mess, tears streaming from her eyes, snot dripping from her nose, and drool pouring from her mouth. She was completely broken.

Her whole body was limp, her tongue hanging out, and she could no longer form coherent words. There wasn’t much more to gain from continuing. Any further and she might actually die.

「What do you think, Sherry?」

「Given how much she’s endured and that she’s still saying the same thing, I believe she’s telling the truth.」

With Sherry’s assessment, we decided to trust Hydra’s words. Our next destination would be Hell’s Abyss, the Mad Volcano near Laurentite.