Chapter 221 221 Interrogating The Survivor
"We should likely go see if there are any survivors. We need to interrogate at least one for information, so hopefully, we didn't kill everyone here." Wolfe muttered as he realized that he had forgotten all about that part of the plan.
"Check in the tank first. That's where we're most likely to find someone injured. The explosions won't have harmed anyone inside too badly, but I don't know what your first arrow did." June agreed.
Wolfe didn't really know either, but it had penetrated the tank, and going by the condition of the people who escaped the vehicle, the [Wind Blades] had activated and caused some damage inside the cockpit.
Nothing was moving as they approached, but they both moved as silently as possible, anyhow, not wanting to alert any survivors who were in hiding. If they knew that there was a Demon coming to interrogate them, they might self-terminate before he could reach them, and that would totally defeat the purpose of this raid, other than testing the new bow.
Using [Detect Hidden], Wolfe searched for movement and finally found one in the most unexpected place. One of the infantry soldiers had been tossed by an explosion into a sinkhole that was most likely used as a monster den in the recent past.
It had sheltered them from the rest of the fight, and they were currently working on patching up their broken leg in preparation for whatever came after the battle.
Wolfe couldn't see a rifle with them, but they should still have a pistol of some sort, and a knife, so he would have to be careful not to alert them of his approach.
"I found one." He whispered to June as they approached the enemy position.
When they were close, Wolfe grabbed him with [Levitation] and lifted him into the air, then darted forward to relieve the man of his weapons and pin his arms behind his back using [Binding Ropes].
The spell made him smile. He hadn't seen Jane in a while since she wasn't among the group that had been with Cassie and Ella when he went to rescue them. The officers of Priya's company had gotten out mostly unscathed, so they had been reassigned to other points along the city walls once they had recovered enough to fight again.
That meant that she was likely back in Sylvan City right now and rejoicing at the fact that the mundane army was finally leaving them alone after the damage that they had done to everything around the city.
"You look like you've used that spell once or twice before," June told him with a smirk as Wolfe realized that he had tied the man's arms behind him with a ladder of ropework while he was thinking of Jane.
"Long story, but I'll tell you about it on the way back. Her name was even a lot like yours." Wolfe replied with a wink.
"What are you going to do to me? I swear, we're just trying to get home." The captured soldier begged.
"Now, don't start today out with a lie. You know how Demons feel about lying. Your unit is part of a grid pattern that is hunting for something in the Waste. How about you tell me what it is, and we can discuss the duration and condition of your future existence?" Wolfe asked.
The soldier looked around nervously, making sure that there was nobody left from his unit to overhear him as he considered betraying their mission to this Demon who had captured him.
He cast a disdainful look at June, who realized right away that the soldier thought she was a Demon Sworn Black Witch, the sort of person who captured and tortured sentient beings with curses to fuel dark magic to build their power, with the Demon's help of course.
There really wasn't much of a chance that she wasn't since it was clear to everyone that Wolfe wasn't a mundane human while he was channelling mana. The sense of power that rolled off of him was enough to tell even the mundane humans that Wolfe was a dangerous being, despite the fact that he looked so normal.
"Will you make a deal for it? I will tell you everything you need to know if you swear to let me leave here alive and unharmed." The soldier bargained.
"That is fine by me. I need information more than the snow needs one more body." Wolfe shrugged.
"We got reliable information from a traitor witch that there was a Second Rank Witch headed this way to look for the Snow Demon. The commanders are desperate to find them both before they can team up and work together.
I'm sure you know just how much damage that Yeti has been doing to our supply lines, and with a Second Rank Witch, it would be an outright disaster for basically everyone. Not just us, the Covens too."
Wolfe's heart beat fast for a moment before he got control of himself, the feeling of nervousness an unfamiliar sensation after so long without it. When they were after him, it was no big deal. He could deal with them.
But they were after Mary now. Sweet little Mary, lover of all things fluffy. She was powerful, but she had never been ruthless. The thought of the mundane army catching her off guard was enough to make Wolfe shudder in revulsion.
"That's enough to get them to take action? One Yeti and a Second Rank Witch? I have eight of them at my home right now, and they're worried about a single one with a fur fetish.
Tell your commanders to stay out of my mountains. Now, get lost." Wolfe declared with a sadistic chuckle that made the soldier whimper in fear.
Wolfe released [Binding Ropes], and the soldier gave him a fearful look. "I can go, right? I told you all we know. There is a picture of the ones we're looking for in the tank."
Wolfe nodded. "Fine, get lost."
The man rapidly hobbled away, clearly in pain, but the emergency cast from his medical kit was making it possible for him to move at a fast walk.
"You're just going to let him leave?" June asked.
"I took his weapons away, and he's bleeding. He won't make it too far. In that condition, even a wandering squirrel could kill him."
Wolfe knew that firsthand. He had seen it. But the real danger was the rabbits. They were everywhere out here now that spring was getting closer, and Goddess forbid he meets a Jackalope. He wouldn't even have time to scream if one of those Air Magic-using horned rabbits found him.
As their informant hobbled away, Wolfe went to inspect the interior of the tank. The entrance hole was small and round, as expected of a [Lightning Arrow], but inside, there were four distinct gouge marks on the walls where the [Wind Blades] had activated in their traditional cross pattern, dismembering most of the crew members, and killing two of the five instantly.
He would call that spell a definite win. The interior was minimally damaged, and while the tank itself was basically useless at the moment, the personal belongings and secure documents that were stored in the vehicle hadn't taken any damage at all.