"A contract for buying and selling elves?!" Both Ariane and Danka were shocked to see the papers I collected.
"This has every name of the people involved…!"
"Some elves are being held in the underground cell. The other two are held in the Marquis' castle." I informed.
Danka clicked his tongue in frustration. "Tch, even the Marquis is in on this?"
"We'll begin a plan to infiltrate the Marquis' castle after we save our brethren here. Astolfo…!" She turned to me, her eyes pleading.
"I'll pay you extra…! Normally, it would be insane to ask a Mercenary to attack a Marquis, but—"
I cut her off by raising my hand. "No need to sway me or persuade me, Ariane. Of course I'll help you. I can't stand it when women and children are in trouble while I'm able to help."
Hell, I'd do it for free. I get enough money from looting the corpses of bad guys.
Ariane gave me a wary yet relieved smile. "Thank you, Astolfo… you really are a strange one, aren't you?"
Suddenly, we heard stomping of multiple feet. "What the hell?! We got intruders!"
I struck my fist against my open palm and smirked. "Looks like we've finally been discovered! Time to do away with this stealth mission!"
Ariane seemed to agree, "We smash our way through, then… We burn every last man who stands in our way to ash!"
Flames danced around her blade as she sprang forward and slashed through the guards.
Hot…
No, don't look at her like that now of all times!
"Agreed." Danka said as he casually cut through the necks of two other guards.
"Hey, save some for me!" I laughed as my sword extended to a whip, lopping off the heads of three more guards.
Like an unstoppable force, the three of us easily made our way downstairs, cutting through all the defenses the guards tried to put up.
"Where are the guys from upsta— gahh!!"
Screams of dying scum echoed through the basement as Ariane's voice rang over the noise. "I am Ariane Glenys Maple! I'm here to rescue you!"
"No way! A warrior from Maple actually came to save us!"
The elven girls held the bars to their cell to get a better view of their saviors, but I appeared before them.
"Kyah?!"
"Don't worry, I'll get you outta there in no time!" I pulled the bars apart easily, letting them all out.
The place quickly caught fire as Ariane spammed her flame magic, Danka quickly turning his attention from the dead guard in front of him to me.
"If they're out, we have to go. Now."
"Alright! I got an idea! Get on this huge metal door, everyone!"
The huge door I knocked down in the way here lay flat on the floor with the rescued elves and Ariane and Danka sitting on top.
I sliced the ceiling and the rubble that came down, making a hole that led outside.
"Hold on as tight as you can, everyone!"
Danka and Ariane held the elves with one hand and the edges of the door with the other hand, both gulping in nervousness.
I pick up the door over my head and jump through the hole, clearing the rooftops of the other buildings by a couple of hundred meters.
"Aaahh!!!"
Ariane and the other elves, except Danka, all screamed at the top of their lungs, probably waking up the sleeping citizens as I continued jumping across the city and over the high walls.
I stopped after a minute of running, managing to make it to the Lydel River in such a quick amount of time.
"Kyuu!" Inari popped out from under Ariane's breasts with a cute and proud look on her face.
"Did you use your magic to protect against the wind pressure? Good job, Inari! I'll give you the best treat next time we're in town!"
"Kyuu! Kyuuuu!!!" Inari happily pranced around in the air at my praise and promise of food.
After taking a moment to recover, Ariane looked at me with determination. "Danka, take the children and keep them safe."
Danka nodded, seemingly not affected by the travel, "Alright. Be careful."
"Astolfo, to the Marquis' Castle!" Ariane confidently ordered.
"Right!"
Taking another thirty seconds for Ariane to recover from my running speed, we quickly and easily take on the guards to the Marquis' castle in a frontal assault.
In no time at all, we blow away the big doors leading into the Marquis' room, only to find him wearing only a towel.
"Who's there…! Who are you people?!"
Not getting his answer from us after a few seconds, the Marquis repeated his demand to know who we are.
"Answer me, you Low Lives!"
Ariane coolly stepped forward and slapped the shit out of the scum of a man. I slipped past them and pulled a curtain from the window.
"Don't worry, ladies, you two are safe now! Use this to cover yourselves."
Ariane is super beautiful, but these eleven women were also beauties in their own right. Their skin was glossy with sweat and… another substance that seemed to affect them.
"An aphrodisiac…?" I muttered. Even though it was an oil of some kind, the scent of these women in unconsented heat affected me.
Goddamnit, not now! Don't react!
My breath becomes heavy and a blush creeps into my cheeks as I try to resist the effects of the aphrodisiac. Unfortunately, it wasn't magic so my Casseur de Logistille won't work to dispel it.
The eleven women didn't help, either, as even touching them got them to stifle some moans.
I need to distract myself…
After the women were covered, I turn my attention to movement I noticed in the corner of my eyes.
"Ah, Ugly bowl cut."
The face of the ugly young man I dealt with when I first met Ariane was here. I guess he's the son of the Marquis.
His ugly face helped calm me down, but the aphrodisiac was still in affect, so I was still somewhat hard down there.
At least my dress covered it enough to not be noticeable.
"Where do you think you're going?" I hit my palm against the wall the ugly man leaned against and broke it instantly. The ugly bastard instantly fainted and pissed himself.
"Oops… oh? What do we have here?"
Behind the wall, there was mounds of gold and precious gems. "Hey, take a look at this haul, Ariane—"
"Squuueee!!" I was interrupted by the view of Ariane kicking the Marquis' balls in.
That image burned deep into my soul and I felt my own balls shrivel in sympathetic pain. Needless to say, that helped with my little (big) brother's predicament.
Thanks for crushing the Marquis' balls, Ariane.
"Do… you really th-think you'll get away with this…?! I'm the Marquis' of D-Diento!!" The Marquis threatened.
"I don't think you're in the position to threaten us, Fatty." I sneered.
Ariane looked at the Marquis like an insignificant piece of trash on the ground. "You broke our treaty. Is there a reason you shouldn't be punished for your crimes? Ladies, have at him."
The two elves that I covered with a curtain stood in front of the Marquis with fury in their pretty eyes.
They stomped and punched and scratched at the Marquis until he died while Ariane dealt with additional guards that came through, while I looted the hidden treasures.
"What are you doing, Astolfo?"
"Looting all of this gold! Obviously! I can't just leave this here to be inherited by some other corrupt noble who'll just repeat this Marquis' crimes!"
"Ah, you're right, that does make sense!"
A rumble interrupted their conversation. It seems the castle is losing integrity as Ariane's magic flames ate at even the stone foundations and ignited the Marquis' black powder stock.
"Shall we take our leave, Ariane?" I asked as I stuff the last bag of gold into my bigger bag of gold.
"Yeah!"
I wrapped the curtains around Ariane and the other two elven women to secure them on the the Marquis' door as I lift them all at once.
"Wow, you're really strong Miss Astolfo…!" One of the women awed.
Soon, we found ourselves next to the Lydel River again. Danka wasn't here, so it's safe to say that he brought them back to wherever the Elf village is located.
"Looks like its mission complete, huh Ariane?"
"You bet! You've really helped me out! Here's the payment!" Ariane gave me 20 Elven Gold for my efforts.
I didn't really need it, but it's a sign of her gratitude as well as an (un)official payment for my services as a Mercenary.
"Thank you!"
Ariane looked like she was about to ask something else, but hesitated for a moment. I smiled at her and that seemed to convince her enough to speak up.
"Um, Astolfo, do you know what you'll be doing next?"
I shake my head, "No, not for the moment."
"If you're up for it, would you want to come back with me to my village? If… if at all possible, I beg you to keep lending your strength to the elves…!"
She doesn't even have to beg, of course I'll keep helping free slaves from their unjust predicament. As Astolfo The Knight, I'll keep helping until I'm unable to move!"