Becoming the Wasteland Overlord With My Harem System!-Chapter 217: Target Located!

Without wasting time, Arianne headed toward the Central Tower.

Thanks to the map Sophia provided, she knew the location well. At the outskirts of the castle, one tall structure loomed.

From a distance, it resembled a church spire, but upon closer inspection, the top floor appeared to be an observatory rather than a bell tower. In addition to the central tower, there were a few dozen similar structures scattered throughout the capital.

These were the "relay" towers, where information was transmitted rapidly using artifacts that could connect with a similar artifact in the other towers.

Of course, Arianne didn’t need to know those details.

All she needed was the information that the captives—the demi-humans, as Linette had referred to them—were being held there.

While donning the Hermit Robe, she slipped through the door and...

"Huh? Navi? Mimir?"

She spotted two familiar figures.

Recalling the plan, she realized this location was part of the two spirits’ designated area. Therefore, their meeting was not a coincidence but an inevitability!

"Hmm? The army girl?" Mimir whispered, puzzled. "What are you doing here? Isn’t your station on the other side?"

[True... Or is it, maybe, you already found clues to the captive’s location?!] Navi added, eyes wide in shock.

Arianne glanced around, realizing that the surrounding noise could serve as a cover for their conversation, and nodded. She explained in a hushed voice, "I got a tip that they keep the demi-human captives here. I came here as soon as I could."

Mimir spun joyfully in the air, a smile spreading across her face. "Oh, so we hit the jackpot, then! Lucky~!"

If the captives were indeed there, they wouldn’t need to search the other parts they hadn’t checked yet. Mimir was thrilled that her work time would be significantly reduced!

Arianne added, "Although I’m still not 100% sure, since the tip mentioned ’demi-humans,’ not..."

[Well, it’s still a good enough clue!] Navi interrupted. [Anyway, you should handle the underground prison while we check everything from the ground floor up.]

"Great idea." Arianne nodded in agreement.

With their decision made, the two groups set off to begin their tasks.

Navi and Mimir started searching all the floors, beginning with the ground floor and checking every room they could physically enter.

However, the tower was largely empty of human presence, except for the top floor, where scouts were stationed, and the control room on the middle floors, where the magical tools, artifacts, were set up.

"Hey, Navi..."

While they were in the control room, Mimir suddenly spoke up. "What do you think about... grabbing a few souvenirs?"

The little penguin spun fast, fully intent on granting her wish. [Of course, Miss Mimir! Anything you like, I will... Huh?] But then, he realized where she was looking.

A glowing orb sat on a pedestal: shiny, shimmering, splendid.

It was an item that would undoubtedly attract attention if they attempted to take it.

...

While the two spirits searched the upper floors, Arianne made her way into the underground section.

It wasn’t difficult, as the guard by the door leading down, keys in hand, was dozing off carelessly against the wall.

’If he’s my subordinate, this calls for ten times the training as punishment...’ She thought as she grabbed the keys and entered the path heading down.

Of course, to avoid alerting the guards, she made sure to lock the door behind her as she descended.

The stairs were quite short, roughly 20 steps in total. It was just one floor down from the ground level, but... "This is..." Arianne frowned.

The underground was worse than she had imagined.

Barred cells lined both sides, with five to ten individuals crammed into each. The space was so narrow that everyone was essentially huddled together on the floor.

Arianne scanned the area and noted the different races present.

There were beastmen, exhibiting features of animals such as lions, cats, dogs, and rats.

Elves, characterized by their pale skin, long ears, and ephemeral beauty—even among the males.

Dwarves, who were stout yet muscular.

And finally...

"There you are."

Arianne whispered, staring into the farthest section, about three floors deep underground.

Creatures with sickly pale skin. Eyes as red as blood. They also had fangs that were sharp enough to pierce skin. The clan of their "cooperator"—True Vampires!

From here, her task was straightforward.

She needed to contact Navi and Mimir to request their assistance in distributing Return Scrolls to each group, enabling them to relocate to a safe area about 100 kilometers away.

However, there was one minor yet significant problem.

"What about the rest...?"

The vampires alone numbered over a hundred.

Yet even with that, they were the smallest group among everyone else.

She wasn’t counting, but she was sure there were at least a thousand prisoners in total. With those numbers, their food expenses would be considerable, which explained their gaunt appearances.

"If I leave them here, these people will..." she whispered, her frown deepening.

Considering that, her decision didn’t take long to make.

Arianne lowered her robe, revealing herself.

Though she suddenly appeared out of thin air, she only received a few confused stares before indifference returned. They didn’t have the energy to care about her or how she got there.

However—

"I’m the Captain of the Valkyrie Knight Order from the Axevaria Kingdom—Arianne von Plassus!" she roared. "I am here to save you all from the Empire’s oppression!"

"Save... us?"

Finally, her words caught everyone’s attention.

Arianne smiled and held up a scroll high for everyone to see.

"This is a teleportation scroll. Once activated, it will transport you and anyone touching you to a safe haven we’ve established a distance away from here!" she declared. "There’s enough food and water for everyone, so nobody has to starve anymore!"

Silence fell for a moment, as if the prisoners struggled to grasp her words. But soon, hope ignited in their eyes, and some began to rise unsteadily to their feet. Arms reached out desperately toward Arianne, as if pleading for their rescue.

"Those who wish to be saved, raise your hands!" she commanded.

Within moments, every hand was raised.

Thankfully, none of them had lost hope just yet. She had arrived just in time!

As evidence, she passed one scroll to the cell housing the elves. They appeared frightened at first, but after hearing Arianne’s reassurance and instructions, they joined hands, forming a circle. The last two elves tore the scroll by pulling on either side.

A bright flash erupted.

Then, in an instant, the elves vanished from their cell, leaving not a trace behind.

Arianne smiled.

She was confident the scroll had worked flawlessly, with no errors.

After a brief pause, allowing enough time for the "soldiers" remaining at the safe haven to accommodate the new arrivals, she asked, "Alright, who’s next?"