Volume 7 Chapter 38 Ridge's Motive
The door to the interrogation room creaked open, and a bespectacled woman cautiously peered in.
"R-Ridge-chan, are you...? Oh, you're awake! I've brought you your dinner..."
"Thank you, Terin-sama."
Terin, the 'Great Rune Storyteller', was an unknown powerhouse who had saved the 'Oath' forces from a dire situation during the Lord's Manor battle.
Today, she was clad in her usual frumpy knitwear, carefully adjusting her glasses as she entered the room. In her hand was a bowl of barley porridge she had made for Ridge.
While Alkei was the interrogator tasked with extracting information from Ridge, Terin was the gentle caretaker.
"You must be exhausted after everything that's happened today... Oh, I've told Alkei-san not to be too rough on you, so don't worry."
"Thank you. I appreciate your kindness, Terin-sama."
Since Ridge couldn't move her hands, Terin scooped up the porridge with a spoon and fed it to her. As Ridge chewed, she watched Terin.
"Phew... I finally finished randomizing the entrances... they couldn't reach beyond this area, but this should greatly reduce the chances of this base being discovered..."
Terin explained with a hint of relief in her voice. Ridge swallowed the porridge and nodded in agreement, "Thank you for your hard work, Terin-sama."
――One of Ridge's true motives was Terin.
In truth, Ridge hadn't been carelessly taking a walk and ended up getting kidnapped.
Ridge had deliberately provoked her own abduction for various reasons. She felt guilty for deceiving Windy, but she had explained her plan and received her approval.
So why did Ridge stage her own kidnapping? She had carefully weighed the potential benefits and drawbacks and concluded that the benefits far outweighed the risks.
But what were those benefits?
There are several benefits to be gained by sacrificing Ridge. For example, if Ridge is kidnapped, the other members of the Wade camp will be safe from being kidnapped.
The premise is that since she has already kidnapped first, it is only natural that the enemy will kidnap them back.
However, no one else besides Ridge understood this. After all, the Wade camp is mostly made up of strong individuals of Silver rank or higher. Everyone thinks, "I'm a strong person."
So they don't think about the possibility of being kidnapped themselves. If they don't think about it, they don't take precautions. They become careless even though the enemy is of Gold rank or higher. They won't listen to reason.
In fact, Windy didn't understand this. As a result, Windy was defeated miserably and would have been kidnapped if Ridge hadn't acted like she couldn't move from the spot.
This means that someone will definitely be kidnapped during this political struggle. In other words, if one person is kidnapped, no one else will be kidnapped. The camp's awareness will change, and the Oath camp is also small, so they won't be able to imprison many people.
Therefore, it is inevitably the best that Ridge is kidnapped.
Objectively speaking, Ridge was a pawn that would cause the least damage to the camp even if she was cut off. She was once an enemy of Wade, and she was also the cause of Wade losing his right arm this time. Her contributions are minimal.
So, if someone has to be kidnapped, Ridge is the best choice. Ridge understood this well herself.
There are also benefits to being kidnapped.
For example, if Wade tracks from the kidnapping site, it could lead to the discovery of the Oath camp's base. If she get inside, there will be some communication with the Oath camp, no matter how small. So, she can get a lot of information.
Furthermore, Ridge believes that there are things she can do if she is kidnapped.
"So, Ridge-chan. Today's Wade-sama's story..."
Terin said this timidly while bringing oatmeal to Ridge's mouth. Ridge chewed on it and smiled gently. Then she swallowed the oatmeal and said.
"Yes. Well, here's what happened recently――"
"Y-yes...! Please tell me...! ."
What Ridge thought she could do was to seduce Terin, the "Great Rune Storyteller."
Ridge is asking Wade, Roman, and the others about their battle at Lord's Manor in detail.
"Oath" was still strong. They managed to land some attacks on him, but it wasn't enough to break Geas. And gravity magic still hasn't returned.
Alkei was unnaturally weak, so it's likely not her true strength. They need to be careful.
And then there's Terin, the woman they met by chance before, who was acting strangely during the battle at Lord's Manor.
Ridge is a fine young lady herself. Women are sharp about other women. Especially Ridge, who prides herself on being perceptive about these things.
So, she had a hunch. Could Terin be in love with Wade?
"Yes... yes...! H-he's so cool... Wade-sama...♡."
Terin is listening intently to Ridge's heroic tales of Wade, her face filled with admiration.
Ridge's plan is this: win Terin over, give her information about Wade, and accelerate her crush into betrayal.
Wade is already a charming man. He has risen to the top on his own, defeating one powerful enemy after another, in a way that rivals the tales of heroes in mythology.
Ridge figures that if she tells Terin about this firsthand, it will be easy to make her fall in love. And she's right on target. Terin is completely smitten with Wade from Ridge's stories.
After finishing their meal, Terin says, "W-well, I'll see you again tomorrow, and the day after that, please tell me more stories...! " and leaves. Watching her go with a smile, Ridge resumes her thoughts.
Operation Entrap Terin. She had started this plan as a way to see if she could do something even after being captured, but Ridge was impressed with how well it was going.
Wade will eventually turn Terin to his side. Terin is already a maiden in love. It's hard to imagine her staying loyal to Oath for long.
Everything is going according to plan. The damage to Wade's side from Ridge's absence will be minimal, and no further kidnappings will be possible.
She's tired of being a pawn that's always used to deceive others. Even if she disappears, no one will be bothered. She's just a disposable piece in their game.
But, she does wonder what will happen next.
Maybe she'll get caught up in a hostage exchange. However, as long as she has Lord Birk on her side, the 'Oath' camp's plan to manipulate him through marriage won't work. Princess Cecilia won't fall for their tricks again.
She might get killed depending on the situation. But she won't be defeated. Instead, it'll be a chance to boost her morale. That's what she's hoping for.
That's all there is to it. There's nothing more to it.
Everything is going according to plan. Alkei's interrogation was just a distraction, and Terin has already fallen for Wade. The other benefits have already been gained by their camp.
Now, it's just a matter of waiting for a hostage exchange or getting killed ―― or maybe finding an opportunity to escape somewhere.
'Even if I die, it's not a problem,' she thinks, but she doesn't want to die just yet.
Ridge is exhausted and closes her eyes. Another short day has ended for Ridge, who's been weakened by the continuous interrogation.
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