"Alright, what should I do with you all, hmm? It wouldn't be satisfying if I simply made you my subordinates or sold you to the nobles..."
The man paced back and forth in front of us while continuously circling around, as if he still wanted to observe the four of us more clearly.
I was sure he did it deliberately so we would feel intimidated and afraid of what he would say next.
He finally stopped walking and stood straight in front of Hime while slightly bending down to look at her face from up close.
Perhaps the distance between their faces was only about an arm's length, of course while smiling as if he had just seen something pleasant before him.
Unable to endure it, perhaps feeling disgusted by the man, Hime turned her face away and looked toward my feet.
That man! Does he want to touch Hime? Damn it!
"Ughh..." Hime cleared her throat softly as the man continued observing her more closely.
"Ahaha! You all are truly extraordinary, perhaps I'll sell you for five times more than the others—"
Before the man could continue his sentence, his companions who were discussing something called out to him.
"Boss, we need your help here."
"Someone just arrived, he's waiting at the upper door."
The man who had been staring at Hime turned his body around while complaining loudly. I think he didn't like being disturbed while he was enjoying himself.
"Tch, I'll go there immediately. One more thing, I'm not someone who likes to show pity to others. I won't hesitate even if you feel that my treatment toward you is cruel," he said while staring at us sharply for a moment before leaving our cage.
He took the chain and locked the cage again from the outside, so we would not be able to leave before the chain was removed again.
The man did not join his companions who had gathered, but instead left the room because I could hear the sound of a door being shut quite loudly.
Ah, that's right, it's likely the four of us were being held underground. I just realized that the floor we were standing on was soil.
Even though the walls and ceiling had been made using bricks and cement, I hadn't noticed it.
I turned back toward Hime, who had just let out a sigh of relief because the man hadn't done anything to her.
"Hime, just do it now," I said while whispering so only we could hear it.
Hime nodded in understanding. I was sure she knew what I meant.
The man's companions were still too focused on their discussion, so I thought they wouldn't notice that the restraints on Hime's body had already been removed.
Hime used her magic again to remove the rope on her legs. She was truly free now.
She didn't immediately stand up and rush behind my chair to untie me, but instead remained calm and sat casually in her seat.
She looked toward my hands, and reflexively I raised them slightly higher, perhaps this would be necessary for her.
She stared at my hands with great focus before I felt my arm becoming warmer than before.
Gradually it felt hotter, but it also made the bindings loosen, and with this I could be free as well.
Wait a moment, I think I have a brilliant idea, in that case—
Because the rope on my hands had loosened, Hime immediately looked at the rope on my legs, but I hurriedly asked her to stop.
"What are you doing? Do you only want your hands to be free or what?" she said.
"Calm down, I just thought of something. Just loosen the bindings, don't go too far," I replied.
.....
....
Well then, with this the initial stage of my plan had succeeded.
But didn't Hime think she could be found out if her bindings were already removed? Or perhaps she was thinking of something different from me? Well, she is Hime after all.
I turned toward Luke, who was still being woken up by Yuu-chan. This guy, could it be that he was in a coma or something?
He... won't... wake up... I don't... know what else... to do...
I couldn't even hear Yuu-chan's voice from here, fortunately I could read her lip movements.
"Oi, Luke! Wake up, I found gold here, and also some kind of ancient book containing war tactics," I said.
His ears twitched for a moment before his eyes slowly opened accompanied by a yawn.
Huh? I was only joking when I said that, so why did he wake up? Was it because of the gold, or even because of the war tactics—
That's right. Someone like Luke would feel very happy if he saw a book containing strategies and everything related to war.
After he became conscious, he observed the surroundings before whispering to me.
"Yukito, where are we right now? And who are those people gathered in front of our cage?" he said.
"I'll tell you later, for now, I want to ask Hime to remove the rope on your body," I said.
——
It took several minutes for Hime to loosen the ropes on Luke and Yuu-chan. During that time I continued listening to the conversation of the men outside.
I truly gained a lot of additional information from them, but I would still consider them an evil group here.
"Yukito-san, everything has been taken care of," Hime said softly to me.
I immediately looked toward Luke and Yuu-chan. Sure enough, they could already move now.
Alright, it was time to tell them my plan to free the four of us from this cage.
I whispered only to Hime and Luke. I left Yuu-chan to be informed later by Luke.
They all nodded, especially Hime, who I felt truly believed that the plan I had devised would succeed.
In that case, it was time for me to start this plan... should I give this plan a name? Never mind, that would only make things take longer.
——
"Um... Excuse me, could I ask you to release us?" I asked them.
They all immediately turned toward me after I said that, perhaps there were about eight of them.
All of them had swords near their waists, but I didn't see my sword being held by them. That was good.
"Hah? What did you say, slave?"
"Are you asking us to release you from there?"
"Seriously? Are you joking? Hahaha!"
Almost all of them immediately laughed after mocking us.
"A-ah, I understand now. But at least, I want to show something to you, I have something in my trouser pocket."
"You didn't have time to take it, right? So just take it, as long as you don't take my life," I said.
Yosh, they would surely think that I was truly desperate and could only hope for my life to be spared.
Next, all that remained was to proceed to the final stage of my plan to trap them in return!