Becoming the Wasteland Overlord With My Harem System!-Chapter 216: Search and Rescue (4)

A fainted female officer lay sprawled, exposing her half-naked body.

A sword was embedded in the wall, likely having breached it, with its tip peeking outside.

And finally, a knocking sound echoed from the door.

So many events unfolded simultaneously that Arianne’s thoughts short-circuited!

"Major Thelma?" a woman’s voice called from outside. "Are you in? Today’s your first day as the new trainer for the 1,158th Barracks, so we need to move now."

’Thelma? So that’s this woman’s name?’ Arianne thought.

And at the same time, an idea crossed her mind.

Without delay, she tried to recall the woman’s voice, which was almost similar to her own—gallant and commanding. Judging from their earlier exchange, the woman seemed quite hot-blooded too. Truly, she was a perfect fit for an instructor—and an almost perfect match for Arianne.

"Ah, I’ll come out in a minute." Arianne raised her voice, temporarily disabling the soundproofing as she emulated the voice of the woman named Thelma. "I’m naked at the moment, so please wait."

"N-Naked...?" The woman’s voice on the other side faltered. "T-Then, do you... want me to help you?"

"Huh?"

Arianne hesitated for a moment, nearly letting go of the blonde wig she had just bought from the shop. That wasn’t an offer that you would normally hear in the military. Unless they’re nobles, one would wear their clothes or armor alone!

’Were these two in that sort of relationship?’ She quickly figured it out.

This posed a critical issue for her plan. Arianne intended to pretend to be Thelma for the time being and see how things unfolded. However, if this woman had an intimate connection with Thelma, her ruse would fall apart in an instant.

"A-Alright. Come in." Arianne had no choice; her hands were tied.

"E-Excuse me!"

The woman outside raised her voice in excitement and pushed open the door. It was broken, after all, and not locked.

"... Huh? I thought you were..."

A cute woman, standing about Arianne’s shoulder height, entered the room.

Upon seeing Arianne, who was wearing a blonde wig and Thelma’s armor, Arianne’s hand almost snapped as she prepared to capture her, when—

"S-So this is how you look in the light, Officer..." the woman said, blushing. "I... I couldn’t see your face clearly last night, so... I didn’t expect you to be more beautiful than I thought."

’Last... night?’

Arianne quickly withdrew her hand. The situation clicked into place like a puzzle piece.

Thelma, whom Arianne had temporarily stashed inside the wardrobe, must have taken this female soldier last night and... had some fun with her. The officer, however, didn’t seem to mind and appeared to be anticipating another round.

’So she’s a fresh, hot-blooded, horny officer, huh?’ Arianne thought as she smiled. ’Easy.’

Arianne stepped forward, tilting the cute, squirrel-like woman’s chin up to meet her gaze. Her lips curled into a cool grin, reminiscent of a predator assessing its prey.

"What? Disappointed that I wasn’t naked?" she whispered teasingly. "Or perhaps you wanted more?"

The officer’s face flushed bright red as she pushed Arianne’s hand away. Yet, there was barely any force behind her action, as if she were hesitant to part.

Arianne felt a wave of awkwardness, but she reminded herself that she had to proceed—to gather information!

"P-Please don’t tease me too much..." the timid officer murmured. "A-And... we’d be late for the morning training..."

"Ah, right. There’s that."

Arianne let out a theatrical sigh, feigning disappointment—her acting could almost earn her an Oscar!

"I guess I should focus on my job first. Let’s continue this later," she said with a casual shrug. "Now, lead the way, Officer..."

"Ah, yes!"

The woman perked up, then added, "And Major Thelma, please don’t forget my name again! I’m Corporal Linette!"

Arianne smiled, appreciating how adorable the woman was up close. She ruffled Linette’s brown hair as a playful gesture, easily agreeing to her request.

"Alright, Corporal Linette."

And that was how she found herself standing on a podium, instructing the Empire’s army in basic sword swings.

Thankfully, Linette was nearby, acting as her aide.

It was Thelma’s first day of teaching, so nobody thought anything was strange.

But of course, she didn’t come there to play instructor.

When the soldiers’ forms started to look good enough, Arianne stepped down from the stage and pulled Linette closer, grabbing her shoulders.

Although she wasn’t a lesbian, Arianne felt she had to act like one to get the little officer talking.

"The soldiers are on the right track now, so we have a bit of time..." Arianne whispered, flashing a charming smile. "How about spending it with me, Linette?"

The squirrel-like officer blushed and averted her gaze but didn’t resist at all.

"M-Major...! Not... Not in front of everyone..."

"Then, if it’s out of sight, it’s okay...?" Arianne pressed. "Let’s go over here, then..."

Arianne walked with her arm draped over Linette’s shoulder.

It was an intimate gesture that she wished Axel would do with her too. As she daydreamed, they reached the back of the stage, where no eyes were watching. There, Linette leaned against the back of the stage, looking at Arianne with eyes that trembled with anticipation.

’Now then...’

Arianne paused, thinking.

’What now?’

Her main task was to extract information about the captives, not to start a secret relationship with Linette. Thus, it would be best if she could achieve this without taking any direct "action."

After thinking for a moment, Arianne smiled and sat on the ground in a relaxed manner, one leg raised and the other crossed. "Come here," she called, tapping her lap.

Linette hesitated but eventually moved to sit on Arianne’s lap.

Her breathing was unsteady, almost as if she were already overwhelmed by emotion—but Arianne made no moves after Linette settled down.

Curious, Linette looked up at Arianne’s face and asked, "M-Major Thelma...?"

"What?" Arianne smiled. "Do you want me to do something?" She grinned slowly.

"...!"

Linette trembled slightly, pouting. Despite being a woman herself, Arianne couldn’t help but find Linette’s cuteness irresistible. It reminded her of the young Eve, a memory of long ago!

"Don’t worry; if you can answer my questions, I’ll do as you want," Arianne said, gently patting Linette’s head and caressing her cheek affectionately.

"If it’s something I can answer..."

"Don’t worry, I know you can," Arianne reassured her with a smile. "Now, here’s the question: where are the emperor’s hostages, the captives, kept?"

Linette frowned, her eyes filled with curiosity as she sought confirmation.

"The captives...? You mean those demi-humans?"

"Ah, yes. That’s right." Arianne nodded. "You know, don’t you? If you don’t, then I’ll just leave—"

As she began to stand up, Linette suddenly turned around, placing a hand on Arianne’s shoulder. "W-Wait, Major... I’ll answer," she said. "It’s... the Central Tower, right? The underground prison there?"

Hearing this, Arianne smiled.

She reached out and patted Linette appreciatively. "Good girl."

And then... Linette fainted.

And Arianne vanished.