Chapter 96
Cyris scowled.
The boy had presented her with a troubleso question.
Barbarians hated being called ignorant more than anything.
It was an inferiority complex regarding their lack of education.
Consequently, Cyris had always acted the part of an intellectual in front of her subordinates.
“How does she look to you?”
A subordinate standing nearby asked with expectant eyes.
As ti passed, that expectation spread to the others.
“Wait a mont.”
Cyris toyed with her chin, lost in thought.
She could have just glossed over it, but that would be problematic.
Their treatnt depended on who they were.
‘I feel like I heard a rumor that a daughter of the Rainwood family was at the academy.’
That was the extent of the information she could pull from her mind.
It was impossible to judge based on that alone.
She looked at the boy’s face.
The youth waited for an answer with a face full of composure.
‘Did she dig into this knowing my thods?’
Cyris felt a sense of discomfort from the boy.
She wondered if the previous question hadn't been asked by chance, but was sothing the boy had intended.
Once her thoughts reached that point, Cyris shook her head.
Today was their first eting.
How could soone she had never spoken to pick a question based on knowing her personality?
Even so, that was going too far.
“Hey, boss?”
Ah, she had been thinking for too long.
Usually, it was ti for her to have produced an answer.
She let out a sigh.
She hadn't confird the girl’s identity, but it was true that she felt an aristocratic grace from her.
“She is indeed of the Rainwood family.”
She acknowledged her in front of her subordinates.
“Oh, as expected of the boss. You recognized her at a glance.”
“You an we caught two high-ranking nobles?”
They were excited, their faces full of smiles.
However, Cyris herself could not laugh.
A fish that was too big had been caught before the matter regarding Vale had even been settled.
“Should we send word to the Rainwood family right away?”
“You idiot! Do you know how far the Rainwood fief is from here? You couldn't go there even if you wanted to.”
Anger welled up inside her.
These morons didn't think about what ca next once they got excited.
She felt the need to throw cold water on them.
She looked around.
She saw one subordinate cowering in the corner.
At a glance, she looked like the one who had threatened them.
“Is it you? The one who laid a hand on the goods.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“What did you do? Did they try to escape?”
“It wasn't that, it’s just that seeing the two of them chatting was an eyesore, so I just....”
Cyris’s face contorted.
Recently, soone other than herself had ruined the goods once before.
Barbarians were often easily seized by impulse.
Furthermore, the world was in this state.
When people didn't know when they might die, many chose to live like ruffians before they went.
“Hey.”
“P-Please speak.”
“Do you know why I go through the trouble of making a prison and doing this kind of thing?”
“I don't really know.”
“It’s because I want to play in a bigger pond.”
The subordinates began to listen intently to her words.
“Nobles who didn't even care about us are now trying to et us. It’s proof that the world is changing. If we use this opportunity well, we might even be able to take a high position for ourselves. So.”
Cyris stood up and grabbed the collar of the trembling subordinate.
Then she lifted him up and slamd him into the ground.
The man fainted without even being able to scream.
“Do your jobs well. If you follow , I’ll make sure you're all well taken care of.”
“Ohhh!”
The subordinates cheered.
With this, she had succeeded in recharging their morale once again.
In this godforsaken world, it was necessary to show a performance like this once in a while.
“Take this guy out. And keep reporting on whether there are any problems with the ones out on scout duty.”
People filtered out of the tent.
Before long, only she and the captured boy and girls remained inside.
“You made quite tired with a single question.”
Cyris spoke while shooting a sharp gaze at the boy.
“What is your na?”
“I am Joshua.”
“I haven't heard of it. So you aren't a noble? For Room 1, wouldn't that girl alone be enough?”
She provoked the boy.
She didn't know what the boy wanted from the prison, but she could tell that he was fixated on Room 1.
Cyris wasn't going to just let herself be played.
She intended to regain the initiative from him sohow.
“I certainly have no backing, but I don't think it's a good judgnt to keep separate.”
“Why is that?”
“Keeping us in one place to monitor us is more reassuring in many ways. And my face isn't too bad either.”
“I suppose you think you're handso?”
“I believe I am quite excellent.”
“……Hm.”
Cyris groaned briefly.
Having a decent face wasn't a reason to keep him in Room 1.
However, the previous words didn't sound ordinary.
She felt as if sothing would happen if she sent the boy down to the lower rooms.
‘……Unpleasant.’
It was annoying to do as the boy wanted, yet she was anxious about going against the boy’s will.
For a mont, she considered whether she should just kill him.
‘To do so would be too much of a waste.’
Surprisingly, there were as many custors looking for male students as there were those looking for female students.
A pretty appearance and the title of an Academy student.
Above all, that personality that made one want to make her submit was attractive.
“Consider yourself lucky. If it weren't for a world like this, it would have been certain that you’d be entering my bedroom.”
Cyris whispered into the boy’s ear.
Joshua's expression remained unshaken.
* * *
I went outside.
Berken was in the middle of leading and the girls back to the prison.
“Did you get the item I asked for?”
“Yes, do you intend to look at it here?”
“Yes.”
Berken looked around, seeking an opportunity to hand over the note.
The raiders gathered in the center, saying they were going to eat.
He showed the note to in that gap.
“This is the al schedule for the Room 1 prison that you asked for.”
I checked the contents of the note.
Fortunately, the al I needed was scheduled to co out tomorrow morning.
“Go to the hut where we were attacked before. et my comrade there and tell them the escape is tomorrow morning.”
He swallowed dryly and nodded his head.
“Good, you returned safely!”
Vale welcod when I returned to the prison.
His complexion was visibly brighter than yesterday.
“Were you worried?”
I asked.
“Of course. Escape is impossible without you.”
“Lower your voice. It will be troubleso if they hear.”
“I’m sorry. I suppose I was a bit excited.”
While talking to him, I felt a gaze from sowhere.
When I turned my head, Tania was looking this way.
“If you intended to use , it would have been nice if you told in advance.”
“Nothing would have changed whether I told you or not. Right now, you don't have anything to prove your status.”
Tania did not deny it.
She knew more about her family than anyone, but that didn't prove she was a mber of the family.
“My point is that I wish we had consulted more. If I knew, I might have thought of a way to help.”
“Got it.”
A slight smile returned to the girl’s blunt face.
“By the way, that person nad Cyris seed to be wary of you, Senior.”
“Yeah.”
A year had passed since the zombies appeared.
If soone had succeeded in surviving until now, they were usually more than ordinary.
Cyris was the type to be cautious and suspicious about everything.
However, because of the family she had to take care of, those traits weren't being properly utilized.
“The surveillance has been strengthened. Will it be okay like this?”
Cyris had added one more guard to Room 1.
A man I hadn't seen before glanced into the prison.
“Rest assured. My plan doesn't care how many guards are added.”
Tania nodded her head with effort.
I approached Serena and asked her to look after Tania.
She smiled and approached the girl.
“It seems the conversation went in a bad direction?”
Vale asked.
“No, in my judgnt, there is no problem. It just might be unsettling depending on the person receiving the news.”
Vale affird this.
“A prison is a prison, no matter how good the treatnt. It wouldn't be strange to go crazy while staying here.”
“In that regard, you are holding up well, Sir Vale.”
“Ever since my father passed away, Saint Stalia was like a prison to anyway.”
He laughed bitterly.
“How does it look to you? Do I seem weak and pathetic?”
“Yes.”
Vale flinched as if surprised.
He seed to have believed I would comfort him.
However, I didn't like those kinds of roundabout words.
It was purely his fault for not seizing power after the head of the family’s death.
“You had an opportunity.”
“I suppose so.”
“But if you had succeeded in becoming the head of the family, today’s eting wouldn't have happened. In that regard, I also view your clumsiness in a good light.”
“Are you teasing ?”
“I am serious.”
He snorted.
He had a face that suggested he had co to know a bit about .
“Is my role still far off?”
“You seem to be excited?”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of faces those who abandoned will show when I return to Stalia.”
“There is still a long way to go for that. That’s the end of this plan.”
“In any case, it’s a fact that we're moving one step ahead.”
Vale ended the conversation and returned to his spot in the corner.
Silence arrived.
I waited for dawn to co so Berken would show up.
As ti passed, he appeared as expected.
He high-fived one guard to switch places and then casually approached the other one.
I listened to the sound of the two whispering.
“You're tired, right? I just switched so I have good energy, so why don't you catch so shut-eye even for a bit?”
“Really?”
“Well, we're all doing this to make a living after all.”
“Thanks, Berken.”
“Don't ntion it.”
The remaining guard headed toward a tree not far from the prison.
He let out a string of yawns and naturally leaned his back against the tree.
The sound of snoring was heard.
The guard fell asleep in the blink of an eye.
Once he confird the man was fast asleep, Berken slunk toward .
“You’re quite skilled at deceiving people.”
“Don't tease . I did it all for you.”
“Let’s be clear, Berken. This is a matter of your life.”
Berken frowned but could not resist.
“Did you et my comrades?”
“Yes, I told them the plan and they said they’d do it.”
“Good work.”
“Is my role over now?”
“There is still one more left. You ca in on shift at 1:00 AM, so you'll be here until 10:00 AM, right?”
Berken wore an expression seized by fear.
“I didn't even tell you the schedule, so how do you know that?”
“I have a way.”
“Did you plant soone else besides ?”
“I wonder.”
I played dumb.
From Berken’s perspective, it was maddening behavior.
The fear that the curse placed on him might activate if he showed any sign of betrayal.
Even without using a double spy, just letting him know the possibility was there would be enough to make him fearful.
“Everything ends tomorrow. I don't know if we’ll et again, but you must keep what happened with a secret until then.”
“Of course. How could I blow the opportunity I’ve gained?”
“I’ll wait until morning cos. In the anti, you should rest easily too.”
I asked [Cool] for an alarm and closed my eyes.
Only the sound of the wind was heard.
Occasionally, the sound of shouting mixed in.
It seed zombies had appeared.
Fortunately, they didn't make it up here and were handled along the way.
When I opened my eyes for a mont, dawn was breaking at the edge of the dark sky.
I woke the girls and Vale.
“We will escape soon.”
Tania blinked her eyes.
“Is it for real?”
“Yeah, it was decided at dawn so I couldn't explain it yet.”
“I see.”
Slap! Slap!
When I turned my head, Vale was slapping his own cheeks to wake up from his sleep.
“Is it starting from now?”
“Sir Vale doesn't necessarily need to wake up. It might actually be better for you to stay in a sleepy state.”
“What does that an?”
“…….”
Tap tap!
Berken knocked on the door.
He was waiting with breakfast.
Tania approached and placed it in front of us.
“Eat up.”
“……Wait, what did you say?”
“Eating this is the start of the plan.”
Vale’s face turned pale.
He likely wanted to avoid this food at any cost.
Reviews
All reviews (0)