Nine people had been captured. None of them had any visible markings on their clothing.

“Are you all working together?” I asked.

Only silence was the answer.

“Do we torture them now?” Shani asked enthusiastically.

I ignored the remark and instead turned to Lilastheria. “Did you find them as a group? Did they use any skills that would point towards their affiliation? Did they communicate with each other while you captured them?”

“I believe eight are from the same group. The ninth is suspicious and possibly still dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not to you, my ladies. But I suspect she is hiding her true powers and just now waiting to strike. I found it better to accept her ruse and subdue her in front of you. To ultimately crush her spirit.”

That took me by surprise. I looked back at the captives. They were not in any way restrained. Five were male and four were female. I tried sensing something from them when one made her move. The prisoner had short red hair and blue eyes filled with determination. Her regular clothes were suddenly replaced by ominous black leather and a sword was in her hand.

She was fast, but slower than me. And slower than Lilastheria. Petals filled my vision as the naginata parried the incoming sword. Our succubus was putting on a show. I decided to trust her and not intervene. I also kept alert to make sure this was not a distraction.

Shani and Lucy were also just watching the duel. The frustrated attacker could not get past Lilastheria and was pushed back. It almost looked like a beautiful dance as sakura petals filled the air. New ones constantly appeared as old ones faded away.

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The other prisoners watched, frozen. Some were sweating, all looked afraid. But none of them made a move.

Meanwhile, the attacker was bleeding from several cuts. She had not used any spells, but her blade was now glowing. It was either an enchantment or a battle technique. Unfortunately for her, Lilastheria was simply too agile and she failed to land a hit. I saw gentle winds enveloping our maid as she toyed with her opponent.

“Surrender, you cannot win.” Lilastheria said.

The attacker remained silent. I wondered if she was waiting for something and just buying time. So far she did not stand a chance. Was it pride that kept her going? Duty? Or a hidden trump card? Neither my enhanced senses, nor my Eyes of the Fey could spot anything. But I remained alert.

The battle ended when the assassin was no longer able to hold her sword. She was lying on the grass, breathing heavily. Her armour was badly damaged and blood dripped from a lot of wounds. None of them seemed too deep. Lilastheria collected the dropped weapon and dragged the groaning captive in front of us.

“My ladies, I have subdued her.”

“Good job!” I said. “While she catches her breath, why don’t we ask the other captives some questions. Who hired you? What was your mission?”

“We… we had nothing to do with the attack! We were hired to observe, I swear!” One of them answered.

“Please, don’t kill us!” Another one pleaded.

“Don’t let the elemental eat me!” A third one sobbed.

I looked at Shani. “Do you eat humanoids? What do elementals eat anyway?” I wondered.

“Mostly we absorb magic from our surroundings. But we can also get it from consuming things that have magic, like people! But I don't do that. They taste terrible!”

“Uh, ok. See? Nobody gets eaten. Now, who hired you?” I asked the captives again.

“We don’t know! We are adventures and were hired through the guild.” A woman answered.

I never really looked into adventurers in this world. I knew they existed, I claimed to be on in the past, but I never bothered with the actual organisation. Maybe it was time for a visit.

“I see. We should probably visit the guild tomorrow. Are all of you from one party? What about the attackers?” I pointed at the husks. “And what about that one?” I pointed at Lilastheria’s captive.

“We eight are one group, we don’t know about the others! We… we saw the assassins getting into position but we had nothing to do with them! The woman over there was also not part of our group. She just appeared in the confusion, when the elemental arrived!” It was the same woman as before who answered. Maybe she was their leader?

“What is your group called?” Lucy asked.

The woman swallowed. “We are the midnight fangs. I am Katherine, the leader.”

I studied the woman. She had short black hair and brown eyes. She looked like she was in her mid twenties. But looks could be deceiving in a magical world.

“I am satisfied, I think we can let them go. Any objections?” I asked, looking at Lucy.

“Fine by me. They were only watching after all. And they learned their lesson, right?”

“Yes, we are very grateful for your mercy!” Katherine said while prostrating herself.

Now it was time for the real catch. I looked at Lilastheria’s captive.