Chapter 208
“Ah?”
Finance Minister Adrak’s mouth fell open blankly.
He was dumbfounded by my words.
“You say it’s an offer you can’t refuse, yet you refuse?”
“You heard correctly.”
I lay down. It was a very insolent attitude. It was as if a thud sound was made.
“It’s true that Pri Minister Belrsasal is detestable, and I do want to be of help to Her Majesty the Queen, but……”
“But?”
“This place is so comfortable that I don’t feel like leaving.”
It was an absurd thing to say.
Adrak suppressed the urge to shout.
To say that a dungeon where bugs crawled around was too comfortable to leave, he wondered how a person could be so shaless.
Adrak sighed and suppressed his anger.
He looked at with sharper eyes than before.
“…What are you scheming?”
“Scheming? There’s nothing of the sort.”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d be honest.”
“I’m already being honest, you know?”
I was being rude, and Adrak did not lose his manners.
However, I resolved to see my rudeness through to the end.
“My mind will not change.”
I crossed my legs while leaning back.
My posture, no different from an idle loafer, had a way of provoking one's anger.
It was enough to draw out the deeply hidden irritation in the heart of Finance Minister Adrak, who was famous for his character.
“Look for soone else.”
“…Hah, I have completely misjudged the man.”
Adrak turned to leave without hiding his displeasure.
His gaze was even mixed with a hint of contempt.
“Shion of rion. It was just an empty reputation. No, it makes wonder if you are even that man at all.”
“Then let's just say I was a fraud.”
I’m already imprisoned, so what difference would it make, I chuckled.
Athus couldn't help but be impressed.
His master never seed to lose a single word in an exchange.
“It's nap ti, so please leave.”
“…There will co a day you regret today’s rudeness.”
Adrak’s steps quickened as if he didn’t even want to exchange any more words.
Yulan, who was staring blankly at the finance minister’s back, tilted his head.
He had lost his mories and beco as innocent as a child, but he hadn't lost his common sense.
He was puzzled, unable to find a reason for my rudeness.
“Why did you send him away like that, Mr. Shion?”
“I told you, I have to take a nap.”
I lay down more deeply. From a half-lying position to one for a full, deep sleep.
Even in the small cell, I stretched my arms and legs.
A single long stretch of my body brought relaxation.
At this rate, it felt like I would fall asleep soon.
“Take a nap, Mr. Yulan.”
Athus was already lying flat on his back.
When I did things he couldn't understand, he was used to just following without asking further questions.
It wouldn't be particularly wrong to say he was fed up or jaded.
“There's nothing else to do here anyway.”
***
A day passed quickly.
It was to the point of worrying if it was okay to be so leisurely when less than three months remained until the Cordis Empire's full-scale invasion.
Athus was a man with a ghost-like intuition and demon-like swordsmanship.
He rarely had anything to worry about, but following often gave him cause for concern.
“Phew, my back is killing , I can't sleep.”
Contrary to his words, my face was very refreshed.
When I stretched, a refreshing sound ca out. I humd and grumbled.
“Leaving ho is always a pain.”
It was too sweet a slumber to call it a pain.
After lying down to take a nap, I slept soundly for at least eleven hours straight.
This was in contrast to Athus and Yulan, who had woken up from ti to ti.
Why is the urge to go to the bathroom so strong when I wake up?
I opened the small door in the corner of the cell.
A very stylish and clean bathroom greeted .
Of course, it wasn't a facility that was there from the beginning.
It was just that among the various magical tools I carried, there happened to be a portable toilet woven with spatial magic.
To think that you could face such a clean bathroom by just attaching the doorfra to any wall, the advancent of technology is truly a great thing.
Having woken up and relieved myself, I sat down in a chair, enjoying my leisure.
It was a high-quality product that cost eight silver coins, so it was very comfortable.
The rug on the floor and the teacup in my hand were also quite to my liking.
This too, of course, the chair, the rug, the teacup—none of it was originally in the cell.
They were things I had stuffed into Mana Armor Valziart.
After the Great Witch Beluchian Pollinglight had reinforced the armor, the available space had greatly increased, so there was no shortage even after stuffing all sorts of things inside.
“It's so uncomfortable, I could die. A prison is uncomfortable, after all.”
With a not-at-all-uncomfortable face, I repeatedly said it was uncomfortable.
Waking up after sleeping for eleven hours straight and enjoying a leisurely cup of tea while going on about uncomfortable, uncomfortable—my antics were even more detestable than yesterday.
“Then who are you, making an already uncomfortable cell even more uncomfortable?”
“…Greetings, Sir Shion.”
Beyond the prison door was a man.
He looked twenty years younger than Finance Minister Adrak.
I put down my teacup and spoke.
“The title 'Sir' feels awkward. It's more than I deserve, too.”
“Not at all, Sir.”
The man bowed his head to .
“What title could be too much for one of the Upper House of the Dawn Brotherhood, one of the Seventeen Elders?”
“Hmm, judging by your smooth tongue, you must hold a high position.”
I opened the prison door.
“It’s a fine morning, would you like to co in for a cup of tea?”
The guard watching him was dumbfounded.
He couldn't even begin to guess why a prisoner was opening the prison door so calmly, and why he was so docilely staying locked up while doing so.
If the man had accepted my offer, it would have been even more dumbfounding.
“I will accept the sentint, Sir.”
“That’s a sha.”
I filled a second cup.
“If you're not here for a cup of tea, what brings you here so early in the morning? I've been locked up in prison for two days now, so I'm not in a very good mood.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Well. Does soone want to see ?”
“Exactly. As expected, you are wise.”
The man smiled brightly.
“The Pri Minister wishes to see you, Sir Shion.”
“Isn’t Belrsasal the only Pri Minister in Schizen?”
“…Even so, it would be best to add a title of respect.”
“And if I don’t want to?”
“…Then there is nothing to be done.”
I sent a scoff.
“I don’t understand why Pri Minister Belrsasal, who just watched without intervening when I was imprisoned, is looking for now.”
“I fully understand your feelings, Sir. The Pri Minister also said he wished to et you in person and apologize.”
The man continued.
“Actually, word of yesterday’s events reached the Pri Minister’s ears.”
“Yesterday’s events?”
“I hear you drove away Finance Minister Adrak quite forcefully. It seems the Pri Minister solidified his decision to cooperate fully with you then, Sir Shion.”
“His words are quite slick, aren't they?”
I drained the second cup. Athus and Yulan watched their conversation with interest.
“If he was going to say that, he should have co himself.”
“I figured as much, so I followed.”
An old man with the impression of a fierce goat appeared.
It was Belrsasal.
The man who was Schizen’s Pri Minister, Minister of Justice, and Chief Secretary, a man who couldn't rest easy unless he had grasped all the power there was to grasp.
“First, let's talk outside.”
Belrsasal stroked his goat-like beard.
“Is it right to keep the hero of the West, Shion of rion, locked up like this?”
“It was Her Majesty the Queen who imprisoned . Is it alright for you to release on your own authority, Pri Minister?”
“Why would you assu I do not have Her Majesty's permission?”
“Why indeed?”
“……”
There was a hint of a smile in my eyes as I looked at the old man.
It was as if to say, Isn't your action a clear abuse of authority?
The look, filled with obvious ridicule, was enough to make Pri Minister Belrsasal feel very unpleasant.
“…You’re a quick-witted man, Shion of rion.”
Belrsasal furrowed his brow.
“But you’re immature. What do you gain by making it obvious you’re quick-witted? Everything would be easy if you just pretended not to know and followed out.”
“How can I pretend not to know what I already know? Since Her Majesty the Queen imprisoned , I won't leave unless she cos herself.”
“……Fine. I will take responsibility for getting Her Majesty’s permission. I, Belrsasal, promise you.”
The pri minister gestured.
He had already opened the prison door and was tempting .
“So hurry up and co out. Let's go to a nice place, not sowhere like this, and have a al. If the mood is right, we can have a drink. I've prepared a good place to discuss the future of the West.”
“That sounds tempting.”
I stroked my chin.
Tea was just starting to feel unsatisfying.
With the guarantee of Schizen's most powerful man, a splendid banquet would surely be waiting for them.
Athus, who was watching my reaction, raised his head. He thought it was about ti to get up.
“It's an offer with no reason to refuse, Pri Minister.”
Athus lay back down. He knew what my answer would be.
“But I refuse.”
***
“The political strife seems to be fierce.”
Athus glanced beyond the bars.
“For the Finance Minister and the Pri Minister to visit on alternate days.”
“Yeah. It seems so.”
“More importantly, is it alright to provoke Pri Minister Belrsasal like that, Shion? He left in a complete rage.”
“I don't know.”
I lay down again. I had just finished lunch.
I ate biscuits Serena had made, topped with high-quality ham.
Even with food still in my stomach, lying down brought a truly refreshing sense of happiness.
“Before, she told to stay put and not move, so I’m staying still. If the Pri Minister had suggested we talk here, I might have agreed.”
“You follow her words very well. Do you trust her, Shion?”
“Have you forgotten my second secret?”
The second art of the Septem Arcana,
‘The Unclosable Twenty Steps’.
The corresponding second secret,
‘He does not trust’.
People are not objects of trust.
It was a secret he had no choice but to declare, having gained a broken heart in return for all his trust.
Whether it was childishness, hot-bloodedness, or even an excuse, the current still harbored such a secret.
“She spoke for her own sake. There was no reason to lie, and she was in a situation where she couldn't lie. If so, there's no reason to doubt. Shouldn't I do as she said, to stay put for three days no matter what?”
“That is trust, Shion.”
“No. A feeling created by racking one's brain cannot be trusted.”
I declared flatly.
Athus swallowed the words he wanted to say.
My ideal was high.
Because I dread of perfect trust, I declared that I would not trust anyone in the world, believing that imperfect trust was not trust at all.
Even if it wasn't the wrong answer, it couldn't be the right one either.
Because whatever the result, my pain would inevitably follow.
“…Anyway, the second day will be over soon. Let’s wait until tomorrow night, and if nothing happens, let’s find another way.”
I tapped the bars.
On a full stomach, I took out the ‘Fantasy Finger’ and grabbed the bars, and they bent very easily.
It couldn’t even be called a prison break.
The mont Athus and I decided to, we could break out of this small cell.
“At this rate, won't soone visit tomorrow too?”
***
Another day passed.
Their cell had beco a little more splendid, and I either slept or ate.
I also exchanged so silly jokes with Athus and Yulan.
“Today is the third day.”
“Why does ti fly so fast?”
I grumbled.
According to the Widow Queen’s words from before the regression, if I just waited until tonight, sothing would happen.
Though there were no signs of it.
“Soone will visit tonight too, right?”
“It seems soone has already co.”
Athus said.
I sensed a presence too.
Even if not on Athus's level, my senses were also beyond the scope of an ordinary person.
There were three sets of footsteps.
Two followed, and one led.
The two following were undoubtedly knights.
They were dull footsteps that could not be made without being wrapped in heavy armor and the one leading footstep echoed clearly, tok, tok.
“…It’s a woman’s footsteps.”
“It’s a woman’s footsteps.”
I smiled, baring my teeth.
Three people erged from the darkness.
Just as presud from the footsteps, there were two knights and one woman.
The woman’s face was covered.
All that could be seen was that her hair was black.
“Want to bet on who she is, Athus?”
“Well. The bet won’t hold since we’ll have the sa answer.”
“As expected, right?”
I stepped forward boldly.
Athus stepped back.
Yulan, as he had been doing, just watched them quietly.
I spoke to the woman.
“I did not expect you to grace us with your presence all the way here.”
“……”
“To welco such an esteed guest after a minister and a pri minister, it’s quite a surprising turn of events.”
Instead of answering, the woman revealed her covered face.
Black hair, black eyes, black mourning clothes.
Yulan gasped.
If he wasn't mistaken, she was the very person who had thrown them in prison.
“What brings you to this deep prison, Your Majesty the Queen?”
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