They say that misfortunes come in succession, but it appears that the same holds true for good fortunes when they do occur.
After having a long conversation with the former hero for the first time and being taught about my hidden abilities, I returned to my room feeling excited.
To my surprise, there was my old friend, the fairy Kimberly, sitting by the window.
“Kimberly! What are you doing here? I thought you had returned to your homeland, the Forest of Estabesh.”
Kimberly smiled shyly and replied, “Well, you see, I did plan to go back to the Forest of Estabesh. But, do you have any idea how far it is from Londia to Estabesh? It’s a journey that would take three days and three nights even if I flew nonstop. Moreover, there are all sorts of unpleasant humans and animals along the way. When I thought about it, I couldn’t bring myself to go, and I felt a bit hesitant.”
“So, is that why you came to visit me instead? By the way, how did you even find this place?”
“Hehe, fairies have special powers, you know. On a full moon night, I can somehow sense Barton’s presence, and despite being so cute, I have a nose that works much better than dogs’.”
At that moment, Kimberly suddenly frowned.
“Nevertheless, this place reeks like nothing else. It’s as if a giant worm is rotting in the heart of a goblin’s nest. And here I was, locked up in a cage, while humans are the ones trapped now. I suppose from an outsider’s perspective, it might be amusing to observe creatures confined in cages, but I can’t say it’s a good taste.”
I reached into the cupboard and took out a piece of paper-wrapped, buttered bread. Though there wasn’t much left inside, it would be enough to satisfy little Kimberly’s appetite.
“I’m sorry, Kimberly. I still have work to do. But you can have this and wait.”
“What? You’re working at this hour? Sounds like quite a black company you’re in.”
“Well, you could say that…”
Kimberly grabbed a fragment of the buttered bread and leaped into the collar of my shirt.
“Since we’re here, I might as well join in the spectacle of the human zoo. I need to get a good look at Barton’s workplace.”
“Hey, hey, just make sure you don’t get caught by the prisoners or other guards.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll stay still right here.”
Kimberly circled around to the back of my neck, hiding herself under my hair.
As I arrived at the designated location, Peter was already waiting for me. The lights inside the prison had been completely extinguished, leaving the surroundings in pitch darkness.
“Good evening, Mr. Wolf. I heard the news, you had quite a remarkable performance today!”
It seemed like Peter had caught wind of Crunch and Marian’s arrest from somewhere.
“I just happened to get caught up in the incident, that’s all.”
“Even so, it’s impressive.”
Peter looked at me like he was beholding a hero.
“Now, let’s quickly finish the night patrol.”
We navigated through the pitch-black cells, illuminating the area with a lantern as we checked the number of people inside.
Most of the prisoners were either sleeping or pretending to be asleep, so there were no major issues with the task at hand. However, occasionally, there were prisoners who complained of physical discomfort, and in those cases, we had to call for the physician.
However, the prisoners often resorted to feigning illness. It seemed to be an expression of their desire to escape the monotonous daily routine, even if only for a brief moment, by seeking solace in the physician’s care and forgetting the harsh reality.
If you were to accommodate all of those requests, it would become quite a predicament. However, I believe that sometimes it’s necessary to let off some steam.
Even if you were aware that they were feigning illness, if you determined that the prisoners’ mental state couldn’t handle any further strain, simply giving careful attention to their symptoms without disregarding them would help pacify them. Deciding whether to summon the physician relied on the guards’ discretion, and gauging that aspect proved to be challenging.
Some guards wouldn’t even bother listening unless the symptoms were visibly severe. Furthermore, they wouldn’t even bother reporting to the medical officer.
Even the on-call physicians detested making late-night visits. They held the rank of 5th-class officials, higher in status than the guards. It was likely that they were influenced by the consideration of those physicians.
It was fortunate that it was a night free from heat or cold, and the prisoners didn’t complain of any health issues that evening.
Once the rounds in the cells were completed, we continued our surveillance duty in the watchtower.
The tower had a makeshift bed where Peter and I would take turns monitoring. I was assigned to the tower first, while Peter would rest first.
As soon as Peter began to emit soft snores, Kimberly crawled out from inside my collar.
“Phew, looks like Big Brother Hornrabbit is finally getting some sleep,” Kimberly said
Hornrabbit refers to a rabbit that has transformed into a monster.
Originally herbivorous, when a crystallization of magic power forms inside their bodies, they undergo a monster transformation and become carnivorous, attacking small animals.
Their bodies swell to the size of a large dog, and they even confront small girls if given the chance.
However, they are not overly aggressive, and their facial expressions even have a certain charm.
As Kimberly pointed out, that creature did resemble Peter, with slightly larger front teeth.
“Kimberly, your words are too harsh,”
“Well, a sharp tongue is a default setting for fairies. People catch us just to provoke us and hear us talk back, don’t they?”
Indeed, there is that aspect to it.
Many royal and noble individuals keep jesters and fairies by their sides after all.
They were treated like pets, but they were also the only ones who could speak impudently to the monarch.
For those in power who were not criticized by anyone, having someone who could criticize them while weaving jokes might have been both frustrating and valuable.
Of course, I knew several fairies who went too far and had their wings plucked or jesters who were whipped.
Kimberly herself had experienced some dangerous situations.
“So, how was it? The human zoo as you described it,” I asked.
“Oh, it was terrible. I can’t fathom why young Barton is in a place like this,”
The moment she said those words, the face of the hero came to mind.
It’s not like I’m here for her sake…
I can’t move away right now, that’s the only reason.
“We have to survive, don’t we? If we become thieves, even I would end up inside that cage. It’s better to be on the outside, at least,” I said.
“Even under the same roof, inside and outside are vastly different. Well, I get it. I know what it’s like to be inside a cage,” Kimberly acknowledged.
If it hadn’t been for the surveillance duty, I would have felt like celebrating my good fortune, expressing gratitude, and raising a glass of wine for a toast.
The prisoners didn’t want to be in the cells either.
Most of them were victims of their own circumstances.
I consider myself lucky.
By chance, I encountered Baron Foster and somehow managed to secure this position…
Otherwise, I might have been the one stealing bread and being confined within that cage.
“When dawn breaks, let’s toast to our reunion with a glass of Giselle,” I suggested.
“Make sure to add some honey too,” Kimberly added.
“Don’t be so extravagant. This isn’t a mansion, you know,” I replied.
“We’ve certainly fallen on hard times, haven’t we?”
“But at least we have our freedom, right?”
“That’s true…”
Silence fell in the darkness, accompanied by the soft snores of Peter.
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