Given the difficulty of a prison break, our first step was to gather information.
“If it’s about information gathering, just leave it to Master Kimberly, the renowned spy from the fairy world!”
Kimberly proudly puffed her tiny chest and said so.
“Eeeh, to Kimberly…?”
“Ah, are you making fun of me?”
“I didn’t mean to. I’m just a bit worried…”
Fairies possess the ability to turn invisible and can easily slip into any place they desire. However, what we required were documents, specifically blueprints.
“Thank you, Kimberly, but can you read? If not, it might be challenging to find the necessary documents.”
“Don’t underestimate me! I can’t read, but if there are drawings, I can manage! Barton wants the blueprints for the special underground cell and information on Fuyu’s magic seal. I just need to find something similar and copy it.”
Kimberly seemed confident, but I couldn’t help but wonder if she was really up for the task. If she were to be discovered and caught, rescuing her would be quite a challenge.
However, if I declined her offer, she would most likely become upset.
“Alright, I’ll rely on Kimberly’s enthusiasm, but you cannot get too careless.”
“Okay, get ready as if you’re boarding a giant battleship.”
A giant battleship, huh… well, it’s better than a mud boat.
Kimberly always gets carried away quickly, but she’s clever too.
And so, our plan was set in motion. Since we couldn’t come up with any better ideas, we entrusted Kimberly with gathering information for now.
On the other hand, I had my part to play in raising funds.
Whether it was bribing someone or funding an escape, money was necessary.
Having an ample amount wouldn’t hurt either.
That being said, my job as a prison guard, couldn’t save us enough funds.
My monthly salary remained at a meager 21,000 gil, and even selling alcohol and cigarettes to the prisoners only yielded an additional 20,000 gil per month at best.
With just enough to cover living expenses, we would undoubtedly struggle with travel costs and the expenses of staying in a safe place after fleeing.
“That’s why, I’m thinking of selling the Magic Scrolls.” I consulted with Ms. Fuyu.
“That’s a good idea, but to whom will you sell them? We can’t rely on unreliable individuals,” Fuyu cautioned.
“I plan on asking my uncle, Baron Foster, for help,”
Considering the family ties, I could trust him to some extent. He was incredibly wealthy, so there would be no delay in payment.
“Mr. Wolf’s uncle, huh…”
“We aren’t exactly close, but I have no one else to rely on.”
“Understood, but please be careful.”
“I’m sure it’ll work out. I will be off duty in three days, so I plan to leave right away.”
“I see… You’ll head to the town then?”
Fuyu gulped and asked in a hesitant voice.
“That’s correct. Is there something you need?”
“I-I want you to buy some… paper for me.”
“Paper? Sure, I can do that. What kind of paper would you like?”
“S-something of high quality, as clean as possible… a-a-and… something cute!”
Since it seemed she wanted me to choose according to my taste, I decided to stop by a stationery store while I was in town.
Today, I had the task of seeing off the released prisoners.
It was an easy job, as all I had to do was bid farewell to those leaving the prison.
The one being released was a man named Donomo, in his late twenties, who had been a petty thief since his youth, leading a life of going back and forth between the world outside and the confines of the prison.
This time, he was completing a one-and-a-half-year sentence.
“Make sure you don’t come back this time,”
Surprisingly, Donomo responded with a rather sincere attitude, saying, “I’m tired of prisons too. I’m thinking about going straight now.”
“That’s good to hear,”
For a young man like Donomo, there should be legitimate job opportunities if he chooses to find them. However, I knew all too well that finding such a path could be challenging.
I had gone through my share of difficulties before I became a prison guard after being unemployed.
Suddenly, Donomo glanced around, then leaned in close to me.
In a hushed voice, he began to confide in me.
“You know, I owe a favor to Mr. Wolf, so I’ll tell you this. You heard about that guy Ketch getting killed, right?”
“Yeah…”
Ketch died two days ago.
According to Professor Mephisto’s diagnosis, it seemed to be death by suffocation.
Apparently, Donomo had some idea about the culprit.
“The ones who did it were the Long-eared people, led by Pulppua.”
“Pulppua… the elves?”
“No doubt about it. I saw it happen. Ketch was held down with wet paper in the laundry room and killed.”
The cause of Ketch’s death had not been disclosed.
It seemed that Donomo’s words were likely true.
The elves were a beautiful race, and as such, several of them had fallen victim to Ketch’s vile “advances”.
Was it out of resentment?
No, hasty conclusions weren’t wise.
No investigations into Ketch’s murder were being conducted. As per the unwritten rule of Alban Prison, prison guards refrained from meddling in the power struggles within the prison unless a riot was imminent.
When a prisoner died, no one cared.
“Why didn’t you tell me right away?”
“I didn’t want to incur the Long-eared people’s wrath. Please don’t be angry, boss. We’re talking about it now,” Donomo replied.
“Are you willing to testify?”
“Please spare me the trouble, boss.”
Donomo waved his hand with a weary expression.
“If that’s the case, why did you tell me such information?” I asked.
“I just don’t like how the Long-eared folks are acting all high and mighty. If it’s Mr. Wolf, you can put them in their place, right?”
“I don’t play favorites with specific groups,”
After finishing his confession, Donomo looked visibly relieved.
In the prison cell where Donomo resided, there were also elves imprisoned.
Because of this, he must have felt suffocated, unable to share what he had witnessed with anyone.
Having said what he needed to, Donomo promptly left.
With the farewell duties now complete, I locked the iron door and attempted to return inside the building. However, that’s when I noticed something peculiar.
Ketch’s lifeless body should have been discovered in the passage leading to the dining room.
Yet Donomo claimed to have witnessed the murder in the laundry room.
What was going on?
In a hurry, I opened the door and scanned the corridor, but Donomo was nowhere to be found.
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