Volume 1 Chapter 38 Even the Son of a Slave Is Still Too Soft
"How are you feeling?"
Waking up in the dungeon to the worst possible mood, Elmer arrived with a guard in tow, a thin smile playing on his lips.
Yesterday's anxious expression versus his current one, which was the true self?
"The accommodations are superb. But I can't make magic stones here. Can I be released soon?"
"Hmph, if you confess to your crimes, you can be let out. Though it might be the gallows."
Elmer scoffs at the threat with a sneer.
This guy doesn't seem to care about executing innocent civilians.
"Who would confess? Most likely, you're the one connected to the assassins, Elmer."
"To think a commoner like you would call me, the High Noble, a traitor. One of the assassins confessed to their ties with you lot. There's no escaping this."
"...So, that assassin is already dead, right? I know."
Elmer was speechless, taken aback by me stating it plainly.
He's a simple one.
I suspect Elmer orchestrated this from the start, bringing the assassin last night to frame us.
And according to his plan, he'd capture just one of us and make it look like a suicide.
The fact that this guy confessed to being connected to us is only known to Elmer and his men.
A dead man tells no tales.
"Even if you keep us locked up, we won't confess to crimes we didn't commit. You're the one in a bad position, Elmer."
If we don't confess, the captured assassin's testimony will eventually contradict Elmer's lies.
Then, it'll be Elmer who's cornered.
Elmer was making an irritated face, fiddling with his necklace, but after a click of his tongue, he turned his back to me.
"Are you leaving already? Come talk to me. I'm bored because of you."
"...Guard, don't give these folks food or water."
"Yes, sir!"
Ignoring my sarcasm, Elmer walked away without turning back.
However, this guard is still following orders with a calm face after hearing all this; he must be a soldier under Elmer's influence.
His Excellency the Prime Minister's other pets likely exist too.
Otherwise, Lady Cecil, who knows the situation, wouldn't let this go unchecked.
"Suzu, wake up."
As the guard climbed the stairs, I tried to wake up Suzu, who was dozing in the opposite cell.
She stirred and sat up at the call.
She's got some guts for my sister.
"...What is it, Big Bro Ryuuji?"
"Try to contact Lady Cecil with your telepathy. Well, it's probably a long shot."
"Okay, got it."
Understanding my intent, Suzu quickly formed signs with her hands and attempted to reach Lady Cecil using the magic ability, <Chat>.
It takes a high level of skill to use magic without a staff, but her ability to do it easily speaks volumes.
However, it seemed to have failed, as she soon shook her hands and sighed.
"There's a magic barrier along the way, so I couldn't send it."
"...Well, that's expected. In that case, let's go with plan 2."
I took out a wire I had hidden in my cloak and declared so.
I couldn't bring out a dagger or any weapons, but I had no trouble finding this kind of tool.
To think he let this slip by; his underlings are still quite inexperienced.
"Eh... Mr. Ryuuji, no way...?"
"Yup, that's exactly it."
I lightly responded to the tense-faced Lene, extending my right hand with the wire through the iron bars and jamming it into the keyhole on the other side.
I worked quietly, listening intently for about ten seconds.
A small click echoed.
It was easy.
"...Mr. Ryuuji, do you even know how to pick locks?"
Lene's gaze towards me, having opened the lock so effortlessly, stung a bit.
I wished she wouldn't look at me like that.
"Big Bro Ryuuji has learned the workings of a simple keyhole, you know."
Minori was chuckling wryly.
Though she says that, my little sister could open a lock like this too.
"It's not that I'm a thief; it's just a piece of cake. Now, let's get out of here quickly."
"But... if we leave here, won't our position worsen?"
"Staying still is the same. If we get past the magic barrier, we can contact Lady Cecil."
I said to the hesitant Lene and stepped out to the other side of the bars, unlocking the door to the cell where the women were.
* * *
"I'm terribly sorry; I never expected things to turn out like this..."
After ambushing and knocking out the guard relaxing in the room, I used telepathy to tell Suzu, then informed Lady Cecil of the location, and immediately, Her Highness the Princess was with the ailing Mr. Dietrich.
Then Lene used the power of the Spirit to hide our forms and we moved through the castle, secretly arriving at Her Highness the Princess's private chamber.
The equipment left in the room was brought back to us by the trustworthy knights.
It's a completely different story whether you have a magic stone or a staff.
"No, Lady Cecil... as I mentioned earlier, that man Elmer is connected to the assassin. It's dangerous to have him near His Majesty."
"Indeed... as Mr. Ryuuji says, it's regrettable, but we have no proof. We can't believe them just based on the testimony of those currently breaking out of prison."
Lady Cecil spoke with a pained expression.
Well, I thought as much.
However, we still have a move.
Since we're in the midst of breaking out, Elmer will act to frame us, just like yesterday.
We'll turn that around.
"Lady Cecil, Mr. Dietrich, I have a plan. Can you hear me out?"
I explained that plan to the two of them and Lene, and the sisters.
If we proceed according to this operation, we should be able to outmaneuver Elmer.
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