Becoming the Wasteland Overlord With My Harem System!-Chapter 204: Beware of the Shadows (3)

"Busy...?"

Eve and Arianne muttered in unison.

Given the current time, it was evident that everyone would be engaged with something. They were occupied with their morning training, dedicated tasks, and other responsibilities. But Fenrir was one without any actual duties.

Normally, she would have accompanied Mimir to check the location.

Her missing presence indicated that she was truly "preoccupied." But her activities were usually limited to a few tasks, and it wasn’t difficult to guess which one it was.

One that made Eve pout with envy.

"This early... And while I’m away? Unfair!" She grumbled.

Seeing her sulk, Arianne could only offer a wry smile in an attempt to soften the blow. "W-Well, it can’t be helped, Princess Eve. They have their needs too. And this outing was your own decision in the first place..."

"I know, but..."

"Just think of it this way: when you return, you’ll be of age, and you can claim Sir Axel for yourself!" Arianne coaxed her like a cheeky devil. "You and Sir Axel, alone together... Don’t you want that~?"

"..."

The little princess blushed up to her ears and nodded shyly.

By the time she returns, she, too, will definitely...

With her mood lifted, Arianne breathed a sigh of relief.

The march was temporarily halted, and they had nothing better to do but watch over the captives. Just like that, ten minutes passed slowly.

A crack in space appeared, and three figures stepped through.

At the lead was a gray-haired wolf girl, standing strong and proud in her summer dress—Fenrir.

A step behind, the loli witch who wore her usual black dress that barely contained her curvaceous figure—Teruria.

And beside her, a normal witch who was similarly attired but sporting a wider-brimmed hat as if to compensate for something—Nina.

Although Eve had only asked for one of them, both came!

Furthermore, with their shiny, blooming cheeks, Eve could tell their guess was correct. These girls had been "with" Axel until the moment she called for them!

"...I’ll definitely have my time alone with Sir Axel when I get back," she whispered under her breath, staving off her envy.

Of course, not even the quietest whisper could escape the girls’ ears.

While Fenrir seemed unfazed, even nodding in approval of Eve’s declaration, Ria and Nina looked awkward, feeling a slight guilt for having been with him while she was away.

"Anyway, these naked men are the ones you want to interrogate, correct?"

Nina stepped forward, attempting to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"But if it’s just this much, I can handle it myself. Ria, you should just stay behind me and watch," she shrugged. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Nina quickly raised her staff, aiming it at the six captives.

After closing her eyes, she began to "feel" their souls, searching for any curses or soul bindings that might prevent them from revealing information.

"...Looks like they don’t have any protection applied to them," Nina said slowly as she opened her eyes, smiling. "It’s quite sloppy of their employers to train them against torture but neglect to guard against magical probing."

As witches, they had a myriad of methods to compel their targets to confess.

Normally, one would need to carefully select the appropriate technique to bypass protections. However, given that their enemies were just ordinary humans with no defenses, Nina opted for the most straightforward approach.

"Curse of Obedience!"

She cast the simplest spell she could think of!

The Curse of Obedience, as demonstrated by others, compelled the targets to follow orders without question. With the curse in place, they could no longer refuse to share the information Eve sought.

"...Is it done?" Arianne asked from the side, checking for confirmation.

Nina beamed and nodded.

"Yes, it is." She said. "As a test, let’s see how well you bastards can act; the six of you should start behaving like crying babies right now!"

"U-Unyaaah!!!"

Without delay, all six of them burst into a comedic display, crying like overgrown babies. Some even fell to the ground, throwing tantrums. However, witnessing large, naked men rolling around and sobbing was hardly a pleasant sight, even as a form of twisted humor.

"Scratch that..."

Nina facepalmed, realizing how inappropriate it was to let others witness such a cursed scene.

"Return to normal... And you over there, cut their ropes and get them dressed. Thereafter, all six of you should remain seated until I speak to you."

The image of the big, burly, bound, naked men acting like infants would be difficult to shake off. It would linger in their minds for quite some time.

Once one of the soldiers freed them, the six began to clothe themselves.

Their faces were a mix of embarrassment and disbelief as they changed. They couldn’t escape the memory of their earlier antics. Things they did beyond their wishes.

Once everyone had donned their robes, they complied with the instruction to sit down, remaining motionless. Nina, satisfied that they were ready, turned to Eve and nodded.

"They should answer all your questions now. Ask away."

Naturally, the shadows had no choice but to comply.

"Then..."

Thereafter, a lengthy exchange unfolded between the captured shadows and the others.

Eve, Arianne, Sophia, and Rico all posed questions, and sensitive information flowed freely, with little resistance from their captives.

The severity of the situation was evident in the paleness of the six faces.

They divulged crucial secrets about Princess Tiffany, black market trade routes, and various other "blemishes" that Sophia could exploit to her advantage.

They revealed the true size of the Shadow Organization, the real names of its leaders, and which nobles were funding them.

They even shared the plans Princess Tiffany had for this "visit."

"Alright, I’ve had my fill," Sophia sighed, shaking her head as if weighed down by the burden of knowledge. "I have no more questions for them."

The others also concluded their inquiries, leading to the pressing question...

"What to do with them?" Arianne voiced everyone’s concern.

Currently, the six were under an Obedience Spell. In essence, they couldn’t harm anyone unless commanded to do so. However, the Obedience Spell wasn’t infallible or permanent. If it were to break, these men could become the greatest threat imaginable to everyone but Eve’s team.

Of course, Sophia was the one who needed to make the decision.

However, she didn’t seem inclined to keep them. She already had enough headaches; she didn’t want to add more to her plate.

"J-Just end t-them," Rico stammered. "W-We don’t need t-t-traitors in our r-ranks..."

Nina nodded in agreement. "A sound choice."

The Shadows were strong and could be an asset, but they were like wild dogs already tamed by someone else. Furthermore, with Eve and Arianne by their side, their "strength" was truly unnecessary.

In short, they were just deadweight.

"No, wait."

Suddenly, Eve raised her hand, halting Nina before she could finish her chant.

"I... have a better use for them."