I Kidnapped the Hero’s Women

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 93 - Excellent Workforce

“A meteor?”

“Do meteors scream as they fly through the air?”

“W-Wait, isn’t that... poop!?”

“Kyah! A giant clump of poop is falling from the sky!!!”

As contemptuous voices rang out without filter, Earthy flew through the air, holding back tears.

Poop?

It’s the Great Earth Spirit, you rude humans!

What the heck was happening?

After escaping the brat's Command, he had gained complete freedom.

Sure, some things had happened, but they had ended on a good note—he had decided to forgive her and be friends again.

But what was this now?

Why was his body suddenly soaring into the sky of its own accord?

He had heard of lower spirits being forcibly summoned by a Spirit Mage, but he’d never seen anything like this.

Usually, it’s a simple poof and an instant transition!

Why was he the only one subjected to this unplanned flight?

Experiencing flight for the first time, Earthy’s screams echoed in all directions.@@novelbin@@

[Kyahhhh!!!]

Bang!

Earthy, flying in a parabola, crashed into the ground with a loud thud.

He then rose, his eyes twisted in annoyance, his face full of displeasure.

“Earthy, that was so fast! I didn’t expect you to come so quickly!”

[It wasn’t because I wanted to! I was just about to eat a freshly baked pizza, but then I was suddenly pulled by some unknown force!]

“Hehe. You couldn’t refuse our request, huh. Thanks for coming, Earthy!”

[No! Agh! Argh! Kyahhhh!!!]

I’m telling you, I was forced to come!

What nonsense was this brat talking about?

Earthy was about to lose his temper but froze in place as he faced Charlotte’s bright, innocent smile.

He simply couldn’t bring himself to curse at a smiling face.

This time, he would let it slide—he’d just pretend he came here willingly.

Just this once!

“You responded to my Command! Thank you, Earthy!”

[Kyah! It’s nothing! But what kind of spell did you cast this time? A spell that makes me fly such a long distance at once!]

“Huh? So, it wasn’t you flying on your own, Earthy?”

Tilting her head in confusion, Julia looked puzzled.

She had just asked him to come over, and then something came flying at her, so she had marveled, thinking Earthy had such abilities.

But it wasn’t Earthy’s power that brought him here?

‘What incredible talent.’

Aslan’s mouth slowly opened in surprise.

Command wasn’t merely a means to communicate with spirits.

The reason why using Command consumed mana was that Command, like magic, had the power to distort reality.

Most Spirit Mages overlooked this power because they only used Command to control spirits.

However, in specific situations, Command could produce effects far surpassing ordinary magic.

Since Earthy was not a typical spirit but a material entity rather than an ethereal one, the power of the Command, instead of transporting an ethereal form, had physically moved Earthy’s body.

This was an unprecedented occurrence.

Maybe it was because Earthy was the only spirit who preferred being active in physical form.

‘If I use this well, I could deploy him like artillery.’

Earthy was very heavy for his volume, and his rounded shape made him perfect for a cannonball.

If I repeatedly tossed him into enemy lines and pulled him back, he could serve as a terrifying weapon.

As Aslan eyed Earthy, licking his lips, a look of shock spread across Earthy’s face.

[Kyah! You vile scoundrel! That’s the face of someone plotting to exploit me again!!!]

“How did you kno—... No, no, it’s a request, Earthy. A horde of wyvern monsters is heading our way, and we want to set a trap to drastically reduce their numbers. Can you help?”

[If you want me to work, you must offer a price worthy enough that I won’t regret leaving behind my freshly baked pizza with bubbling, golden cheese!]

Earthy raged and demanded his due compensation, standing his ground proudly.

This guy. At first, he’d complained that receiving orders from humans was demeaning, but now he took it for granted to demand payment for labor.

In no time, Earthy had become an excellent workforce for Vermont.

Aslan secretly smiled in satisfaction.

“Have you heard of Hawaiian pizza?”

[Hawaiian pizza? What’s that!?]

“It’s a pizza topped with grilled pineapple. When pineapple is baked, the sourness fades, and the sweetness is enhanced, giving it an exquisite umami flavor.”

[What!?]

Earthy’s eyes instantly narrowed, and he reacted violently.

Just teasing, pal.

Even dogs wouldn’t eat that.

I was just about to offer a proper reward when—

“It’s a jok—”

[Kyah! Grilled fruit? I can’t even imagine what it tastes like, but it must be fantastic regardless!]

“...”

Oh no.

There was no turning back now.

Aslan immediately shut his mouth, swallowing the word "joke."

For now, getting Earthy's help was enough.

When Aslan turned around, he found Sylvia looking at him with a gaze that could only be described as disgust, as if she were looking at garbage.

Well. Technically, I hadn’t lied.

Hawaiian pizza could indeed be the best pizza for someone who enjoys it.

[What must I do? Just say the word!]

“The plan is similar to last time. We’ll lure the wyverns with light from underground and create a trap to bury them alive once enough are inside. The light will be produced by a flash spell, far brighter than torchlight.”

[So all I have to do is dig and collapse the earth at the right moment, right!? Kyah! That’s a piece of cake!]

In exchange for a bit of earth manipulation and getting a new delicacy?

That’s practically a steal.

Earthy readily agreed to the proposal and immediately began digging underground.

The designated location was the plain far from the walls.

The ground, saturated with mana, was tough, but before the power of the Great Spirit of Earth, it was dug up as easily as sand.

“Dig a deep trench in a line in front of the walls. Leave the soil next to the trench—we’ll use it to fill the hole again.”

[Kyah! I know!]

Wyverns have very low intelligence.

They're often referred to as flying lizards.

Their intelligence had further declined since transforming into monsters, so a trap commonly used for hunting wyverns should work just fine.

‘This trap usually takes a whole day to prepare, but can it really be made this quickly?’

According to what I had read in records, even skilled mercenaries would take an entire day to set up a wyvern burial trap.

Yet in less than a minute, Earthy had dug the first trench so deep that the bottom couldn’t be seen.

He was already starting on the second trench.

[Kyah! There’s something strange here!]

“...?”

While in the midst of digging, Earthy suddenly poked his head out of the ground and shouted.

What could be inside the hole?

Julia walked briskly over to the trench, peered inside, and her mouth fell open.

“Kyaaah!!!”

.

.

.

‘Phew. Now the carriages and drivers are all safe.’

Thud.

Closing the door of a small bunker, Yuri sighed in relief.

The carriage they had traveled in bore the crest of the House of Vermont.

If that crest were to be damaged or fall into enemy hands, it would greatly tarnish Vermont’s honor.

Thus, the order from Aslan to Yuri had been:

Move the carriage to a safe location, or, if that wasn’t possible, destroy it and recover only the crest.

And most importantly—

‘If the wyvern monster attack alarm is raised, throw away the crest and just run...’

It was an order with intentions that were impossible to grasp.

As a guard, I was supposed to be prepared to throw away my life for my client and the head of the family.

Aslan Vermont knew this well, and I had come here, prepared to obey even the harshest orders.

But now he was telling me to abandon the crest—something far more valuable to the family than a mere guard’s life—and run?

Was this truly an order given by Aslan Vermont, who was notorious for his ruthlessness?

Yuri was confused.

Maybe...

Just maybe, by the slimmest of chances...

If Aslan Vermont wasn’t actually that bad a person...?

The moment Yuri’s thoughts reached that point, the memory of Aslan ordering her to use her looks surfaced, shattering all those assumptions.

‘No. He’s definitely a bad person. An annoying person. Someone who drives me insane...!’

Ah. I need to stop thinking about this.

The more I think about it, the more it annoys me.

But most of all, the fact that the charm tactic had actually worked on the Lady made her angriest of all.

Yuri tried to calm her rising irritation as she stepped out onto the deserted street.

With her mission completed, it was time to reunite with the others...

“Ah! Yuria! There you are!”

“M-My Lady!?”

At the sound of a voice she shouldn’t be hearing here, Yuri felt her hair stand on end.

When she turned around, there was no mistaking it.

It was Lady Merilda, approaching with an innocent smile, walking lightly toward her.

Is that really the Lady? The same Lady who, while dealing with Aslan, had a look on her face like she had bitten into something rotten?

Why did she seem to relax every time she saw me...?

More importantly, why was the Lady here?

Yuri realized that quite some time had passed since the evacuation order was given and was startled.

“My Lady! Why aren’t you in the bunker!?”

“Well, you weren’t in the bunker, Yuria, so I came out to find you. And what are you doing out here?”

“I had an urgent mission to carry out...”

“Hehe. Isn’t protecting me also part of your mission? I’ve already decided to go to the capital with you.”

Ah! This is driving me crazy!

Why is she doing this?

Yuri remembered the intense glare of the Northern Grand Duke during the banquet and shuddered.

There was no way the Grand Duke had given permission for the Lady to wander around outside now that the evacuation order had been given.

If they were caught in this situation, just how terrifying would the Grand Duke’s stare be?

And if the Lady got hurt...?

‘I’ll die. Not even Aslan Vermont could protect me then.’

A guaranteed death sentence.

Regardless of being an employee of the Count’s company or anything else, my head would roll under the Grand Duke’s blade of wrath.

I can’t let the Lady get even a scratch...

The moment Yuri made up her mind,

“Kyaaaah!!!”

“Julia...?”

A piercing scream echoed from the direction of the wall.

Yuri’s eyes widened.

At that moment, Merilda spoke in a resolute tone.

“Your companion seems to be in danger. Let’s go quickly.”

“But, my Lady, you should be in the bunker—”

“Just look at the sky. We still have time before the monsters arrive. Besides, even if they do, I’m not too worried since you’ll protect me, right?”

“...”

Why does this Lady trust me so much...?

Yuri sighed deeply and held out her hand to Merilda.

“We’re in a hurry! Should I carry you, or will you take my hand?”

“O-Oh my? Carrying me already feels a bit much... Let’s just hold hands for now...”

“Understood!”

“Hyak!?”

Merilda blushed, grabbing Yuri’s hand shyly, and Yuri firmly took her hand before sprinting away.

The scream had definitely come from beyond the wall.

As Yuri and Merilda hurriedly climbed up the wall, they finally reached the top and looked down.

“It’s fine, Julia! They’re really docile!”

“Kyaah! No! Nooo! Skeletons are scary!!!”

“...?”

Down in the deep trenches, a mass of skeletons began climbing up one by one.

Their numbers grew from dozens to hundreds, and they lined up in neat, orderly rows, creating a bizarre sight.

Could those be... undead?

Yuri and Merilda’s pupils shook uncontrollably.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]