Vowing to Teach the Lord a Lesson (3) - Abduction
It might seem impossible to kidnap a strapping adult man like me, but in this world's common sense, it wasn't all that unlikely. In a society where gender roles were reversed, men were seen as fragile—and thus perfect commodities for human trafficking. I never imagined they'd brazenly storm the mansion to pull off something like this, but now that it had happened, wallowing in self-pity wasn't an option.
"Haa~ So this is the champion Adrian, huh?"
Since regaining consciousness, I'd been glaring at the woman who seemed to be the leader of this gang. She smirked and roughly groped my face. I asked her, "...You know me well, don't you?"
"Oh, we know you plenty~ Everyone in the city knows your name. Word is, the lord treasures you like a precious gem."
Treasures me? What bullshit. Even without the kidnapping, I'd have been tossed to some house-sized monster as bait soon enough. Where the hell was the affection in that woman's actions?
"Kuhuhu, a big fish like you should fetch a nice ransom. Sell you to a brothel, and you'd be their top ace in no time. Or to some noble, and you'd become their exclusive night slave... Either way, you'd get to feel some male happiness, so it wouldn't be a bad deal for you~"
"Hah, you think I'm some sex-crazed maniac...?"
"Not wrong, is it? Rumors are flying that your duel with the three knights was all rigged anyway~"
The leader patted my body smugly, her actions dripping with condescension. She clearly didn't think I'd fight back—not even for a second.
"Exactly. No matter how much a guy struts his stuff, in the end, sucking pussy is the only way to survive~"
She grinned and spread her legs wide. Her underlings snickered around her, and soon she pitched her offer in an excited voice.
"On that note, how about a little proposition? We've got time before the buyer shows. Satisfy us, and maybe I'll let you walk out of here."
"...You're kidnapping me just to let me go?"
"We do this kinda work, so we're starving for a man. A hot, ripped guy like you volunteering his services? Who'd say no?"
What a joke. If they were gonna release me for a quick fuck, they wouldn't have bothered with a buyer in the first place. Storming the mansion outright meant negotiation was off the table from the start.
"...No need to hear more."
"Kuhuhu, got your pride, huh?"
She flashed a sleazy grin, as if she'd expected my reaction. Then her hand reached for my clothes, her sadism slowly surfacing.
"Still, it'd be a shame to sell you off untouched. Such prime merchandise... and not even a taste?"
-Snap, crack!
The ropes snapped the moment I flexed. With my arms free, I channeled strength into my fist and swung it at her with everything I had.
Thwack! Her face flew back, sending her tumbling from her seat.
"Kek!"
As the leader rolled across the floor, her minions panicked and raised their weapons—daggers, axes, clubs, all deadly enough to crush flesh and bone. But not a single one wielded mana. To me, who'd learned talent from Helia and combat from Martina, they looked like a joke.
"Can't you tell from the size difference? You're all not even a warm-up for me."
"Hah! A man's muscles are just for show in the end!"
"Get on your knees and prep to get fucked like a dog!!"
Ignoring my warning, the kidnappers charged with roars. With a small sigh, I raised my fist straight, gathered mana into it, and swung repeatedly.
Thud, thump, crack! Flesh exploded under my blows, and the thugs dropped one by one, out cold. Meanwhile, their weapons couldn't even scratch me. Cloak yourself in mana, and it deflects or absorbs physical damage—unless they poured in more mana than mine, which they couldn't.
"Eek! C-crazy bastard!"
"How's a man this strong?!"
"R-run!!"
The moment they grasped my power, the survivors bolted from the warehouse. In the now-empty space littered with bodies, I grabbed the leader by the hair.
"Ugh... W-what the hell are you? What kinda strength for a man...?"
"Shut up. Answer my questions right, and you might live."
She knew by now I wasn't some pushover. Seizing the advantage, I hit her with my biggest question first.
"Who ordered my kidnapping?"
"W-what're you...?"
"Even if security's lax, storming a huge mansion like that? Smells fishy for crooks like you."
Especially the lord's own mansion. Breaking in was basically declaring war on Renes. But this ragtag crew didn't seem bold enough for that.
"Someone pulling strings? The buyer?"
Maybe someone against the lord—or with backing on her level. My guess hit home; the leader's face stiffened.
"Ha, hah... Sharp for a man."
Yeah, no way they'd pull this without backup. But her next words dodged what I wanted.
"Problem is, we live by trust in this business. We don't spill easy."
Fucking bitch, bluffing even after her crew fled. Irritation surged, and I growled a warning.
"...So you're ready to endure some pain?"
"Ooh, gonna torture me? Damn, a man with some edge~"
Sweat beaded on her brow, but she cackled. Then she thrust out her chest and bellowed.
"But muscle or not, you're still a weak little man. Bring it~ I'll laugh it off!"
****
A little later, I gave the leader exactly what she wanted—plunging into her pussy until she collapsed in exhaustion. I pinned her to the floor and checked her state.
"Ohoho... so deep... ♥"
"Want more?"
"N-nooo... ♥ Th-that's... enough... any more, and I'll go crazy... ♥"
-Squelch!
"Ohhoook~ ♥♥♥"
Overwhelmed by the aftershocks, she came again on her own. Watching her pathetic display, I yanked her hair and asked again.
"One more time. Who ordered the kidnapping?"
"I-I don't know... ♥"
"What? More fingering?"
"R-really don't... It was anonymous. A letter came with the mansion layout and the lord's schedule... ♥"
"...Anonymous?"
Someone fed them info anonymously. Not an order, but bait to lure them into grabbing me? For what reason?
"The schedule said the mansion would be empty for infiltration. Wipe traces, and it'd be a perfect crime..."
"So you bit on some stranger's tip and went for it?"
"S-sorry... I won't touch you again, so please... stop fingering my pussy... "
-Smack!
"Nnghoooook~~~~ ♥♥♥"
Another orgasm from the ass slap. Nothing more to learn. I left her there and bolted from the warehouse.
The sky showed dusk. I'd blacked out since midnight—nearly a full day. Not close to the mansion, that's for sure...
"Damn, this city's too fucking big."
The overwhelming scale hit me the moment I hit the streets. As the city's vastness sank in, bringing despair, I spotted women clutching a paper, wandering the roads. Lightly armed—mercs or adventurers, probably. Worth asking for directions. I approached.
"Excuse me. Mind if I ask for directions?"
"Ugh, we're busy, what the—huh?"
She snapped, then stared at my face in confusion. Glancing between her paper and me, her eyes widened, and she yelled.
"Found him! It's Adrian!"
"Y-yes? What...?"
"Heh heh! Never thought we'd spot you here. Jackpot!"
She drew her sword from her belt and advanced. I backed away warily; she grinned greedily and pointed the blade.
"Aw, why run? Don't worry~ Be good, and I won't rough you up."
"...Not very convincing with a sword out."
"Shut up and come here, you criminal!"
-Thwack!
My fist smashed her face. I spun and shouted at the crowd opposite.
"Hey! Look over here! Some thug's chasing me!"
"Thug? What—oh! It's Adrian!"
"Matches the picture exactly!!"
Fuck, them too? This wasn't normal—whatever it was. I ducked into an alley; pursuers' voices echoed through the streets.
"Not this way. That side?"
"Damn, I saw him run here..."
Way more chasers now, all armed. Maybe rescuers? Nah, too hostile, too greedy.
"So, what do we do when we catch him?"
"Heh heh, pin him down and fuck him senseless."
"A stud like that? Rare even in brothels~ Grab him, satisfy our urges, hand him to the lord for bounty. Win-win!"
Bounty? What the hell? Don't they pay rewards for finding missing people? Why slap a criminal label on me?
-Flutter.
A paper fluttered into the alley from the sky. Same as theirs, probably. To grasp the situation, I snatched it.
It was a wanted poster. The portrait was me, and the text explained everything.
-Crumple.
My grip crushed the poster. The rage was uncontrollable; what I'd read clawed at my nerves.
It explained how those lowlife kidnappers breached the mansion—and who could leak details then slap a bounty on me the second I vanished.
*****
Atop the Lord's Castle, Renes gazed out the window at the city's blooming lights and smiled.
"...Looks like it's starting."
Yes, an unprecedented festival would soon engulf the city. As someone craving its prosperity, she welcomed it. But Martina, watching from behind, wore a troubled frown.
"Milady, no matter how I look at it, this is..."
"Hehe, my dear Martina. Still haven't learned after that beating?"
Martina flinched. Renes turned back to the window and voiced her scheme.
"True, a man who draws so much attention shouldn't be wasted in the arena alone."
Arena matches reached only so many, so briefly. Their fame was a drop compared to the city's vastness. To spread his name wider, he needed to break free.
Leaking info to criminals to bait his kidnapping, then plastering wanted posters citywide—it stoked the flames for maximum eyes.
"See that~ Even at dusk, the city's lit up like crazy, right?"
Plenty of excuses: crime, escape, whatever. Tag him with value, and the greedy masses wouldn't ignore it. The more chasers, the bigger the chaos— a massive jolt to dull routines, drawing crowds.
A city-wide extravaganza. The hype wouldn't fade at midnight; it'd rally the masses into frenzy.
"Hehe, how long can our champion last against the whole city? Hope he doesn't get caught easy~"
Yes, the lord truly believed he'd dance to her tune. She was the city's master—everything here bent to her will.
*****
Late night arrived. After dropping every pursuer, I prowled the alleys, grinding my teeth at one woman's face in my mind.
"...I'll kill her."
I didn't know her game. But one thing was crystal clear from all this—from everything so far.
"Even if it kills me, that bitch dies."
No more overthinking. Free or criminal, anything beat being her plaything.