Chapter 57: The Inmate Visitation
In a strange turn of events, one of the soldiers descended to the prison dungeon.
Not many prisoners noticed the resplendent soldier encased in shiny white-golden armor, which protected him from head to toe, hiding his identity.
Anyone who did couldn’t tell whether it was a man or woman on business here.
Given the soldier’s position, it was merely a matter of curiosity. After all, no soldier should be here for the fruits of labor yet.
Why would an official from the surface come here, though?
Before rumors could spread among the ranks, the soldier disappeared from everyone’s view to avoid suspicion.
While maintaining privacy, the soldier didn’t bother to knock on the door of the person he’d come for.
Instead, he barged into the one-room house when no one was looking and showered the hunched man sitting on the sofa with his intense pressure.
The black-haired man stopped handling the various resources splayed on the table in front of him and froze like a statue.
“Nightshade,” a male voice came from the armored figure. “Under special circumstances, Kyouka has been allowed inmate visitation.”
As the oppressive presence lessened, Nith replied, “Not today. Tomorrow.”
“…”
Hearing this unexpected answer, the soldier stood still for a few seconds before vanishing from the house as if he had never been there. It was like an elephant had suddenly left the room, and Nith exhaled with relief.
“This kind of pressure wasn’t in the game… and it feels annoying,” Nith muttered, clicking his tongue at his weakness and scratching his neck.
–
Twenty-four hours later, the fully armored soldier appeared in Medusa’s house like a ghost.
Had it not been for his presence, neither Nith nor Medusa would have noticed him. Medusa stood calmly, her arms crossed beneath her large chest, wrapped in her usual tight black dress.
An aura of a mature woman and the confidence of a queen radiated from her, but it didn’t affect the soldier, who had sworn an oath to a far more prominent royalty, one not at the bottom of the food chain.
“Kyouka is waiting for you,” he said, placing a gloved hand on Nith’s shoulder.
Nith’s vision warped as if he were passing through a portal. He wondered briefly if it was the soldier’s skill, a treasure, or perhaps the dungeon owner’s privilege.
Coldness surrounded him, and the familiar corridor stretched before him. It was the same path he’d taken to the dungeon.
Back then, he’d been clueless about the prison and its system, but now he understood he was on his way back to the ‘changing room’.
Without wasting time on pointless questions he couldn’t answer, at least not here, Nith marched toward the far end.
At the dead end, an unknown force pulled him into a makeshift visitation room.
A simple chair awaited him, and a metal desk with glass in the middle split the room in two, while a single magical stone above cast a dull light on him.
Staring at the door on the other side, Nith sat on the cold chair and placed his elbows on the metal desk, resting his face in his joined fingers.
Within thirty seconds, Kyouka kicked the door open and entered, her expression brightening upon seeing Nith waiting for her. She hurried to the chair waiting for her.
She wasn’t alone.
A blonde-haired woman with long hair and curtain bangs followed Kyouka, clad in light leather armor with steel parts covering her vital points, as if she’d come prepared for a battle or to fight Kyouka if he tried anything suspicious.
“You didn’t kill anyone in the prison, right?!” Kyouka asked.
Nith narrowed his eyes and deadpanned. “No.”
Kyouka’s eyes sparkled with joy at his response. Her cheeks warmed, and she cast such a beautiful smile at him that he sat obediently, gazing at her.
“What about you?” Nith asked.
Kyouka placed her hands on her waist and lifted her chin. “I’ve been protesting ever since they threw you in prison! But I received a very noble offer from Valora, and here I am to discuss it with you!”
Keeping his face neutral, Nith noted how Kyouka didn’t use any honorifics for Valora and emphasized ‘noble’. Given her background, she despised nobles.
Which meant the noble offer was about as noble as he expected.
“What are we willing to sacrifice for your freedom?” Kyouka asked.
It didn’t take much for Nith to realize the princess had driven his woman into a corner. From the start, he suspected he’d been used to lure Kyouka to the guild, and now Valora didn’t miss the chance to exploit her further.
He smirked. “There’s no need to sacrifice anything. Just keep going as you have. Keep selling potions for cheap, help people preserve their lives, spend more than you can on weekends at beauty salons, and so on. Oh, and the banquet—you deserve to go there. Banquets are so fun, aren’t they? So many connections and new friends to make! Even if I won’t be there, you must go and enjoy yourself. Show everyone who’s the alchemist daring enough to go for her resources!”
Kyouka thought, ‘He’d never say banquets are fun! He didn’t even want to go in the first place! Something’s happening at that banquet! And… showing everyone who’s the alchemist willing to fight for her resources? Don’t people already know… ah! He wants me to wear my battle clothes?! To the banquet? What… is going on?’
“Banquet… without you?” Kyouka asked, seeking confirmation.
“Yes, have fun even if it means you won’t introduce me to your friends. I want you to have a fantastic time!”
‘Yes, this bastard is plotting something!’ Kyouka confirmed in her mind.
Nith leaned closer and spoke like a mad scientist. “Remember our latest project? You know, the one with the smoke! That dark mist and clouds!”
“…I do?” Kyouka replied as plainly as she could. ‘Our last project was about health potions and mixing your poisons with them! What smoke?!’
What was Nith planning?!
“Of course you do,” Nith said, smiling brightly, as if an arrow had pierced his chest. “Let’s discuss it. I’m so curious about your progress.”
