When I returned to the guard’s waiting room, Peter was waiting there and informed me that Professor Mephisto was calling for me.
I didn’t want to get involved with someone who seemed to view others as experimental subjects, but sadly, he was my superior.
Since I couldn’t ignore him, I reluctantly made my way to the infirmary.
“Oh, you’ve come,” Professor Mephisto said.
With a gentle smile that coated his madness, Professor Mephisto seemed to be in a good mood.
Poe was lying on the examination table right next to us.
“Number 725, how are you feeling?”
“Thanks to you, I’m managing somehow…”
Poe greeted us by moving only his head.
He still felt dizzy when trying to sit up, but his complexion had improved significantly.
“I must express my gratitude properly. If it weren’t for Mr. Wolf taking care of you, you would have undoubtedly perished,”
Poe responded to the physician’s words with a solemn tone and offered his thanks once again.
“Well, of course! I can never thank Master Wolf enough. Once I leave here, I must make sure you try the bread I make,” he exclaimed, expressing his gratitude.
Upon receiving thanks once more, I couldn’t help but be embarrassed, and I let out a wry smile.
The magic scroll I had used was a genuine one, worth at least 10,000 gil if sold, possibly even 100,000 gil. A single loaf of bread hardly seemed like a fitting repayment.
However, as I observed Poe scratching his head in embarrassment, I couldn’t feel any ill will.
“Professor, you mentioned that you had something to discuss with me,” I inquired.
“Yes, I want you to collect some money for me,” he replied.
Hey, I am a prison guard, not a debt collector…
“Well, you see, I gave Number. 725 a glass of white wine as part of his medication. I thought I should collect the payment from his wife,” He explained.
In the relatively cold land of Britannia, grapes for wine were not readily available, making it a luxury item.
“How much should I collect?” I asked.
“Please collect 3,000 gil. And as for your commission, you can decide on an appropriate amount. I trust you won’t overcharge,” the physician replied.
There were some wicked guards who would fabricate stories, intimidate the wives, and extort large sums of money. But I believed that 300 gil as a commission for my trouble would be more than enough.
I received an official invoice with the Alban Prison seal from the physician and set out on my task.
“If you have any message for your wife, Number. 725, I can deliver it for you,”
I offered casually, thinking it was just a small favor. However, Poe seemed even more delighted than I had anticipated.
“Thank you so much, sir. Well, if possible, could you let her know that I would appreciate something to help pass the time? It gets awfully slow when you have no one to talk to,” he requested.
In the prison cell, it was permitted to bring in sacred texts, small idols or figurines worth less than 3 cencles, and non-obscene paintings.
“For example?” I inquired.
“Anything would do, really. When you have no one to talk to, time seems to crawl by ever so slowly…”
Poe explained, his eyes longing for some form of distraction.
Poe had been transferred to solitary confinement for his treatment and as a precautionary measure in case of any unforeseen circumstances, likely due to the fear of assassination.
Regardless, being alone like that must have been incredibly lonely.
As I thought about it, an image of the steemed hero sitting in seiza for a long time came to mind.
“Then, I could lend you one of my books, if you’d like,” I said kindly, but Poe frowned at my words.
“Books… well, you see, it’s not that I can’t read. Despite my appearance, I actually learned to read during my time in the temple choir as a child, so I know my way around words. But, you know…” he trailed off.
“What’s the matter? You don’t like books?” I asked, finding it rather boring as a book enthusiast myself.
“Oh, no, it’s not that. It’s just that books can be quite expensive to buy. And if I accidentally damage one, I can’t afford to replace it, so I can’t leisurely read without worries,” he explained.
Certainly, damaging a valuable book would be a terrible loss.
However, among my collection, there are some simple reading materials made of inexpensive paper and bound together with thread.
“The other day, I accidentally bumped into this guy named Binks who lives in the apartment next to mine in the hallway. And you won’t believe it, but when I collided with him, a package he was carrying fell and a book tumbled out. Now, Binks has this creepy, skull-like face all the time, but his expression at that moment was absolutely terrifying. It sent chills down my spine.” He said.
“It must have been a really important book,” I remarked, understanding Binks’ sentiment.
“I think it was probably a valuable book indeed. It had a fancy leather cover with a golden illustration. Luckily, we didn’t get into any discussions about compensation, but he was clearly furious. His gaze was beyond ordinary…” Poe explained.
If it was that kind of book, it must have been worth at least 10,000 gil.
It was understandable for Binks to be angry,
“A book with golden letters, huh? Did you happen to see the title or anything?” As a book enthusiast, I couldn’t help but fecurious
“I only caught a glimpse, but there were no words written anywhere, just illustrations,” Poe responded.
Illustrations only? That’s quite unusual.
“What kind of illustrations were there?” I inquired.
“It was a rather unsettling illustration. The eyes were drawn with thick golden lines. It felt as if they were staring right at you, giving off an eerie vibe,” Poe described.
An eye pattern? Could it be…?
“Hey, did it have a pentagram in the center of the eye?” I asked.
“Huh? A pentagram?” Poe seemed puzzled.
“Like this, a star-shaped symbol,” I traced the shape of a star in the air with my finger.
Poe’s expression changed as if he had suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, right, right! There definitely was a star like that drawn. With creepy-looking eyes,” Poe confirmed.
It seemed that my speculation had hit the mark.
If that were the case, this could turn into a major incident.
Just as the Hero had mentioned, Poe had unknowingly stumbled upon evidence of a crime.
Noticing my unusual behavior, Professor Mephisto chimed in.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Wolf?”
“Professor… It’s likely that this Binks’ guy was the one who poisoned number 725; he is the culprit.”
“I’m not quite sure what you mean…”
“The book he had might be ‘The Pact of Zoma.’ It’s one of the B-ranked forbidden books.”
Although the term “forbidden books” encompasses various kinds.
The one I had, “The Sacred Scriptures of Love: Forty-Eight Forms,” was just a silly erotic book. But “The Pact of Zoma” was a whole different level of real deal. It was a terrifying book that could actually summon lower-level demons.
Just possessing it was a dangerous act that guaranteed being burned at the stake.
“Professor, I’m going to the Londia City Police Department now. It might take me a while, so please inform the warden,” I said.
“Understood. I’ll take care of that here.”
After bidding farewell to Professor Mephisto, who had an unusually serious gaze, I quickly left the infirmary with hurried steps.
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