Perhaps it was to do the abduction right. Priesia had blind on her eyes, and her hands were tied by a rope. Nainiae pointed them out as if she was showing them off with pride. Nainiae took off her mask. She looked like she was expecting praise from Riley.
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about sounds. I put a sound-proof spell on her, so she should not be able to hear us.”
Nainiae explained that she completely blocked Priesia’s vision and hearing. Nainiae pointed at Priesia who was shaking in fear. Priesia carefully said,
“W… Who are you? What happened? I don’t know why you are doing this all of sudden, but I am a Priestess. If you do anything careless to me…”
Riley looked at Priesia. Dumbfounded, Riley turned to look at Nainiae.
‘Weren’t you guys friends?’
It seemed Nainiae was clueless about her abducted friend shaking in fear. Instead, Nainiae was like a puppy waiting for her master to praise her.
“First… untie this.”
Riley pointed at Priesia’s wrist and plummeted at the bed.
“Excuse me… I don’t know why you brought me here, but if you need my help, then why don’t we slowly talk about it…”
Although Priesia was currently abducted and could not see or hear, she was trying to negotiate with the kidnappers. Finding it to be ridiculous, Riley approached Nainiae.
“You were not discovered?”
“There were a few guards watching her, but I didn’t want to resort to violence, so… I handled it by making them fall asleep. It was easy afterwards.”
Nainiae shrugged her shoulders and said it was nothing. Riley looked like he was impressed. He looked at her and said,
“It must have been. It didn’t even take a minute?”
“I thought you would be waiting, so…”
Riley was impressed because he thought the process and end result would have been just as efficient even if the setting was the Holy Temple or the guards were skilled holy knights.
‘The Nobles always talked about mages, and now… I really understand why. If a skilled mage can handle something like this by herself without leaving any trace… I can definitely understand why they would obsess over having one.’
The nobles had panicked big time during the Astroa incident and when the Magic Tower collapsed. Riley had just experienced firsthand why the nobles cared so much about mages. Riley directed his gaze at Priesia.
“Now, then.”
Riley used his right hand to point at his ear and his left hand to his neck. It seemed Nainiae understood what he was trying to ask. She cast two different magic at once.
“Ah, ah.”
After seeing Nainiae using the magic, Riley checked that his voice had changed. He walked to Priesia and said,
“Can you hear me?”
“… You are?”
In fear, Priesia was shriveling. Having heard the voice, she carefully turned her face to where Riley was standing.
“In this situation, my identify is not important. What’s important is that you have been abducted and you are a Priestess.”
“You are saying that you abducted me knowing that I’m a Priestess.”
“That’s right.”
Priesia muttered in weary voice. She put strength in her shoulders and asked,
“What do you want?”
“Miss, it looks like we understand each other. Instead of saying things like ‘save me’ or ‘spare my life,’ I like that you are going straight to the point. I like that.”
“…”
Listening to the belittling voice, Priesia bit her lips and warned Riley.
“I’ll tell you this first. If you are after money, then you are making a big mistake.”
Riley was about to wear the mask that Nainiae gave him earlier. However, having heard what Priesia just said, he stared at her face for a moment as if he was dumbfounded. Soon, he figured out what it was about and said,
“Are you talking about reward placed on you at Solia, Ansyrium and other places? There is no need to worry. I am not interested in money.”
Riley covered his head with the mask and put his hand on the blind on Priesia’s eyes.
“… Ah?”
“Hold still.”
Someone’s hand touched her face and her shoulders flinched because of that. Priesia was petrified after hearing the threatening words from Riley.
“Open your eyes.”
Although the blind was removed, Priesia was still choking in fear and had her eyes closed. She slowly opened her eyes.
“This place is…”
Priesia finally realized that she was no longer in the desert with sand wind. Instead, she was in a dark cave. Priesia looked at Riley who was wearing a mask.
“H… How?”
Only a moment ago, Priesia was inside Reitri Merchant Group’s carriage in middle of the desert. Now, she was inside a gigantic cave. Priesia could not understand how this was possible. She vacantly muttered,
“It had only been a while?”
“Nothing good will come from knowing where this place is or how you got here. Priestess, you just need to do what we ask. If you do, we will send you back safely.”
Riley figured it would be best to get the job done before Priesia rolls her brain some more. Riley pushed Priesia’s shoulders from the back to go to a different place.