Talk

Savine couldn't take it anymore and had to speak up.

"Don't act like that around me," Savine said. "I don't bite."

"I'm sorry," Boss replied. "It's just…"

"Since you're all so experienced in kidnapping nobles, I'd think you'd have more backbone, but…" Savine sighed. "…Now that I think about it, why do you kidnap nobles anyway? You acted like you were going to demand a ransom, asking about my family and everything, but you're not really a hidden group, you know? After you release the hostage, you're definitely going to be killed by the noble families."

Savine found an inconsistency. Then immediately, she thought of possible reasons.

"Either your plan is to never let go of your hostages, or your plan isn't to demand ransoms at all. Oh I guess you can demand for money anonymously... but they should still know that the nobles disappeared after they went to the Teleportation Circle, right? Hmm..."

"…"

"It's alright if you don't want to answer," Savine shrugged. "I'm well past my heroic phase. As long as you're useful, I don't care what you do privately. Of course, I'd rather you keep your mess to yourself."

Boss was confused, but he seemed to remember how casually Savine killed two people and nodded slowly.

"…" He still seemed unwilling to talk about it all, though.

"Tell me about the marquis."

"Marquis Luckner?"

"Yes. Tell me anything you know, no matter how small or widely known."

"I know little, young lady, please don't be angry," Boss established. "But I know he has his hands in almost every product in the Sovereignty. He manages half the mana stone mines near the borders and though most of it goes towards the King, the small bit he receives for himself is enough to provide for his next ten generations.

"Other than that, he's also a big spender. He loves touring the entertainment district, buying everything he could. He loves women too. He's unmarried and is known to bring a herd of women to his castle every season to have a huge… banquet. After he's finished, he leaves the women with great wealth. Because of that, even married men don't mind sending their wives to the Marquis.

"For my personal experience, when he came to the office, I learned that he was friendly and did not put on airs. That's all I know."

Savine listened attentively, but aside from learning that the marquis was somewhat liberal, she couldn't really learn much.

"Nothing else?"

"No…? No, young lady. Forgive me for not knowing."

Savine shrugged.

"But you can arrange a meeting."

"Yes."

"Then it doesn't matter."

Boss looked confused, but he nodded meekly. Looking at him behaving like a child stuck in someone else's house, Savine smiled. He was cute. She wanted to talk more.

"Sigh, you really don't have to worry," Savine said. "I won't kill you randomly. It's true that I'm cold, but not needlessly cruel."

At that, there was a bit of anger in Boss's eyes. Savine noticed it and knew what it meant immediately. She smiled widely.

"Are you asking why I killed those two men?"

"No…"

The anger immediately disappeared from his eyes, replaced by his fear and desire to survive.

Savine frowned inwardly. She wanted Boss to be more emotional. But with how things were, it didn't seem like he was going to open up by himself.

"I told you, it's alright. I'm not someone to intimidate you with veiled threats and whatnot. That's too much work. As for why I killed those two men, I was sleepy."

"What?"

Boss couldn't help but add a bit of emotion to his tone. After all, who could stay calm after someone confesses that they killed two people because they were sleepy. Savine hid her satisfaction and continued speaking in an uncaring tone.

"A bit of sharp violence saves a lot of trouble, you know?" Savine said. "I didn't want to stand there arguing with you so I simply followed through my initial threat. Seeing two people die like that, who would want to stay there any longer? Of course, as mages, you and the baron must stay."

"But if you were just insisted, we would've yielded…"

"Let's not lie here," Savine said. "You could never allow us to leave after your little show. You're not really masked villains with underground hideouts. We all know what you do and we're nobles. We will strike back eventually."

"Then you could've shown your strength a different way!"

"Perhaps. But why should I? You're the people who are trying to kidnap us. What right do you have to demand consideration from me? And even if I showed my strength without harming anyone, what if you all still don't believe me?"

"…"

"At that point, the same situation will unfold. Perhaps things would be even worse. The duke and the high priest's most practiced spells are those explosions. When they see 20 men rushing them, what do you think will happen?"

"…"

"And in the first place, I only threatened to kill those men. I didn't think Eliseline would actually do it. I only expected to see a few burns here and there. But it seems like she was angered at your descriptions of my rape."

"But we weren't going to-"

"No, you would've raped me," Savine said flatly. "It wouldn't have been as violent as you described, but that doesn't excuse the act itself."

It was inevitable for something like that to occur between captive and captor of certain genders. But for some reason, Boss was insistent on his words.

"No, we wouldn't have. We never did."

Savine was curious. She knew it was bullshit, but she had to wonder why Boss was so adamant.

"Then what were you going to do to me?"

"…"

"Sell me to another so they can rape me?"

"..."

"It must be a lofty secret you're carrying," Savine smiled. "It's almost making me curious enough to wring it out of you."

"Young lady…"

"You're lucky I'm a learned and experienced individual. I remember that the only two emotions I've felt when mystery-hunting was disappointment and disgust. But someone younger than me… Well, I imagine you'd be sitting inside a dark, wet room, various metal tools shimmering on a table nearby…"

Boss's eyes went shaky again.

"Sigh, you read between the lines too much… I was just saying things randomly, really. Ugh, curse my sadistic tone," Savine said. "But really, I mean no harm to you."

At this point, even Savine found it hard to believe herself. She sighed and got up.

"Well, whatever. Sorry for bothering you."

Savine produced a small pill-shaped metal piece out of a mana stone. There was a rune engraved on it and it shone a faint pink.

"I'm gonna go out so swallow this," Savine said.

"?"

Boss's eyes asked what the order and Savine's intention to leave had to do with each other.

"If you want to tag along as I explore the city, be my guest, but if you're not, then I need something to track you with. Swallow this thing and I'll know exactly where you are as long as it's inside your body. Don't worry, you'll shit it out a week or two later."

Boss glared at the pill suspiciously.

"You've got no choice, stop wasting my time."

Boss could only do as told.

"Oh, by the way, if you go near the Teleportation Circle without permission, you'll explode."

"!"

"I'm joking," Savine smiled. "I'll fly over personally and make you explode."

"!!!"

Savine left the room laughing like a villainess.