34. Worship the Queen
“Keuhehehe… So that crazy bastard takes off his pants and starts doing a bizarre dance… Isn’t it just then that the female crew members come out of the dormitory?”
“Puhahahaha! Does that make sense?”
“No, don’t you believe me? Me really If you come out sad like this, the slicing you’re trying to solve is cut off.”
“Puhh… I see. I will believe you as if I were being deceived, so keep telling me.”
“This guy is so narrow-minded… Anyway, so when he danced and swayed around there, the female crew members who just came out of the dormitory saw it and cack-! While screaming, I accidentally knocked a stone! Throw it away…”
Damp and dark, only small windows blocked by iron bars let in light. This is the detention center of the Bellion garrison.
A garrison soldier who appeared to be a prison guard was giggling, and next to him was a man who was laughing and laughing while leaning against the iron bars.
A sleek-looking man with light brown hair and clear blue eyes.
Yes.
Surprisingly, I am the one flirting with the guards in Kampan.
I, Austin (21 years old, unemployed). A life that suddenly became a pre-criminal.
What the f*ck.
“Puhahahaha!!! So, what happened to that friend? Did the doctor discharge? Still, there’s no problem with the lower leg, right?”
“Unfortunately, there is a problem with only one side… I don’t know if the prison guards know, but even if a man doesn’t have one, the other takes over. Instead of being discharged as a doctor, I was only punished for lewd behavior in the unit.”
“Kuhm… That, that’s… Uh… Um…”
“…That friend was quite confident in his lower body…”
“…Sorry. A young man goes away like that. Still, you said you were doing the right thing?”
“That… After that incident, that friend lost his confidence… He ended up finding out about it by his lover…”
“…Hmmm…! The… Uh… Um. What a pity… How could a young man…”
The atmosphere subsided in an instant.
After a moment of silence, I couldn’t stand the awkward atmosphere and vomited the words I had been holding back to the guards.
“That… The prison guard. I know we’ll have to wait since we were arrested yesterday, but when is the inspector coming?”
“Hmm? Examiner? Ah… You mean the investigator in charge?”
“What, is it called that here? Anyway. When did the nobleman called the investigator in charge come to the ceremony? I don’t know if you know, but we’re a bit busy…”
I raised the corner of my mouth slightly and scratched my head as I asked, and the prison guard started stroking the beard on my chin and guessing.
“Let’s see… I was arrested yesterday… Did you say that you have a connection with Duke Alexis?”
“Yes. That young lady is a member of my company.”
“Umm… I heard that the young lady is trying hard to get her out. I hope to hear from you sooner or later.”
The plague. When is that soon?
“Oh, it’s almost time for shift. Next shift is Dexter. He’s got into a big fight with his wife lately, so he’s on edge, so if you treat him like I did, you might get beaten up, so be careful.”
“Ah…Yes. Take a look.”
Despite my wholehearted shaving, the correctional officer who was on good terms with me went out of the detention center to change with the next worker.
So, how did this happen?
What happened? It’s because of the firestone.
At most, the plan to escape the tunnel by exploding fire stones at the risk of one’s life was perfect enough to deserve applause, but I couldn’t properly think of the storm that followed.
As they hugged each other and burst into laughter, overjoyed that their lives had been saved, they heard a huge explosion and the sound of the tunnel collapsing, and ran into the garrison who rushed in full gasp.
Inevitably, the tunnel we destroyed was supposed to use firestone the day after tomorrow, and due to the huge amount of smoke that spewed out through the collapsed exhaust pipe, we couldn’t get away with the fact that we used firestone without permission and got caught. Ended up
As if Mogdan wasn’t lying when he said that if you use firestone without permission, there’s nothing to say even if you rot for decades in Kampan, we were immediately taken into custody and locked up in this cold detention center.
Of course, Princess Alexis was given a guarantee of identity in the middle, so she went to another place alone, receiving a warm welcome in order to receive ‘cooperation’ for this matter.
“Hi-ing… Senpai… I’m hungry…”
As she held on to the iron bars with a dejected expression, she heard a growling sound from beside her and Robin’s weeping voice.
“I am going to die hungry too. Can’t you give me a piece of bread here?”
By the way, we haven’t eaten a single meal since we had breakfast and lunch yesterday.
As soon as I was dragged to the detention center, I was so tired that I fell asleep, so it must have been a day.
“I… Even if I can endure everything else… You know I can’t stand rock grasshoppers and hunger…”
“Huh… Robin. Think of it as ranger self-denial training and endure.”
Robin, who became even more teary-eyed at my words, grabbed my arm and started whining, but I had no choice.
Why should I catch and feed even the insects crawling over there? Thinking of the same thing, Mogdan threw a rock at the wall and opened her mouth.
“I really… That’s why I said not to use it. Arbitrarily using fire stones is a summary execution even under military law. Even in wartime right now.”
“Still, if we hadn’t used fire stones then, we would have had delicious meat dumplings. Surviving is more important.”
“…What is the aristocratic lady you used to do? Huh?”
“Uh… Maybe?”
“Probably… sh*t. I don’t want to die already. In a wartime situation where the blue mobilization order was declared, to use up piles of fire stones at will… Isn’t it difficult even at the duke’s house? What’s more, she said she wasn’t the head of the household, but rather the daughter-in-law?”
“Do I have to kill you? You’ll be able to leave soon, so stop whining and stay still.”
Princess Alexis is also struggling to get us out, so she has no choice but to be patient and wait. Should I follow up?
I started to worry more about the confiscated crossbow than about such a trivial matter.
That’s f*cking expensive… I probably won’t be able to get it again if I can’t use it. Are they storing it properly? Aren’t you rolling around on the floor somewhere?
Or, the garrison leader already gulped at my crossbow…
“With the light of almighty justice, please drive out the remaining evil descendants from this land…”
After kicking my tongue at Royman, who had been kneeling and praying since this morning, I turned my head toward Luna, who was sitting with her back against the wall over there.
When Luna met her eyes with mine, she trembled and buried her face in her lap.
Why is he saying that again?
In the awkward atmosphere, only the sound of stones thrown by Mogdan to kill time resonated in the detention center.
“Haa…”
How much time has passed.
Looking at the darkening beyond the grating of the window, it must be around evening time.
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Now, it was time for Robin, who was weak and limp, and I had reached the limit of enduring hunger.
– Bang! Bang!
“Hey! The investigator has arrived! Everyone, don’t be silly and follow me!”
* * *
In the deep, dark ground, where not a single light enters.
A tall man carrying a huge circle-shaped object wrapped in cloth on his back approached the nest, avoiding the stalagmites that stood out.
At first glance, the object, which was nothing more than a large round shield, occasionally emitted a faint red light, as if it represented the man’s madness as it was.
“…Get up.”
The man’s heavy voice echoed against the walls of the cave, and before long a large rock began to move, shaking off the dirt.
A huge rock, likely five times the height of a man, cracks apart and gradually takes its original shape.
In no time, it fully formed its shape, staring at the man in front of it with hundreds of sparkling compound eyes.
“…Nicely… Shed it.”
[ Keyiik… ]
“Your existence has been exposed. The time has come, so we can do it now.”
[ Kiik… Kiik…! ]
As if in response to the man’s words, the huge rock grasshopper quietly cried.
The man nodded his head a couple of times in satisfaction, then raised his arm and pointed at the ceiling.
“Go. Show the products of great evolution to the ignorant lower creatures.”
With those words, the huge rock grasshopper began digging through the wall with its forelimbs, leading its massive body.
[ Keee!!! ]
Sasak- Sasak-
Dozens, no. The rock locusts, possibly numbering in the hundreds, wept bitterly for joy at the birth of a new queen.
The heavens and the earth began to vibrate.
Worship the Queen.
* * *
“Omnyongnyongnyong… Too… I drink too much…”
“Eat slowly. Because there is still a lot left.”
Sitting next to Robin, who was stuffing food into his cheeks, I let out a deep sigh as I saw the grinning investigator, and stuffed the round meat into my mouth.
Providing such luxurious food to prisoners like us might have something to do with Princess Alexis… But since the case is a case, it’s probably a kind of psychological warfare to get them to subconsciously cooperate with the investigation.
“Hmm… I’m sorry during the meal, but the meal took too long. Can we talk now?”
Well, even though Robin has already emptied three plates, the food still goes into his mouth, so it’s hard to ask him to wait any longer.
“Yes. So what.”
After almost emptying the plate, I put my fork down and gestured to the investigator to start.
Then she lowered her hand under her table, then took out her thin wad of paper and began turning it slowly, one by one.
“Hmm… Mr. Robin and… Mr. Austin? Is that right?”
“Well well… Yes! That’s right!”
“Haa… Yes. You’re right.”
Flutter. Flutter.
Charleureureuk.
“My name is Mila, Bellion’s criminal investigator. Mmm… Mr. Austin. I know you’re officially partying with the hero, but that’s the case. Is there something wrong with us?”
The eyes of the investigator Mila, who had been handing over the paper for a while, somehow became sharper.
This f*ck. How should I make excuses? What do you say
‘I was like a dog going around with them, so I just beat them up and left. If you twist it, it will stick together.’
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No. This isn’t a bit…
‘Actually, I was tired of following him around for three years. He just escaped as if he were deserting. If you twist it, it will stick together.’
f*ck this! Even if I try to calculate the number of cases in my head, in the end I can only see a future where we face the garrison…!
As I mumbled and hesitated to answer, Mila’s expression began to change more subtly.
“If you don’t answer, it’ll be a bit embarrassing… As you may know, in a situation where the kingdom’s state of war has been declared, each garrison will have discretion and the right to execute a summary execution.”
Those eyes are the eyes that doubt people.
“Couldn’t you have disrespectful intentions and detonate the firestone that belonged to the garrison?”
“Uh… Um… That’s not it… Actually, I’m out of the party for a while, and I have a separate mission to do. Once that is over, I will be right back at the party.”
“…Hmm. A separate mission…”
“Yes. I have a separate mission, and this is the one the hero entrusted directly to me. hahahaha!… What can I say… How can I understand? We’ve been a bit busy…”
I awkwardly smiled and tapped Robin’s arm. Robin, who had been eating quietly, noticing the heavy atmosphere, was startled and began to agree with my words.
“B… Yes! Austin-senpai was my direct supervisor when I was at Ranger! So… To help with the mission like this… hehehe…”
Silent as Mila started tapping her table with the tip of her pen, I gulped at her and waited for her mouth to open.
– Tak. Widely. Widely.
“…Sir. We really didn’t set off the pyrotechnics for any other purpose. I was just doing some work, and then the rock grasshoppers came out and escaped. I didn’t really have any strange thoughts…”
– Tak. Widely.
…I wanted to stop that pen tapping sound, but Mila’s stare at us was too sharp for that.
“…Well, I can’t bet on the hero’s actions.”
After a long silence, Mila jumped up from her seat, slapping the table with her palm.
“Princess Alexis’s guarantee… I’ll trust you that Austin didn’t do it with malicious intent.”
“Ah… Oh! Thank you for your trust! Be better, investigator!”
What is it? It turned out to be easier than I thought.
After following the guidance of the more humble prison guards, we were able to get out of the detention center safely after returning the confiscated equipment.
“…It’s already night.”
Perhaps it was because we had been entangled in troublesome things one after another since yesterday, we were all slumped and exhausted.
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Now I miss a warm bath, beer, and a soft bed more than anything else.
“Umm… I’m tired now… I’ll put the payoff in the guild tomorrow, so see you at the guild.”
Mogdan waves at us and turns around.
– Kwaaang!!!!!!
“What… What else?!”
When I turned around in the direction of the sudden roar, I saw a huge pile of dirt from around the mine rising high into the air like a fountain.
At the same time, flames soared everywhere.
– Bang! Quaang!
At the sound of explosions hitting our ears simultaneously, we plugged our ears and looked around to understand the situation.
[ Kiyiyiik!!!!!! ]
“…Ah. Damn it.”
The raised mound of dirt settled down, and the loud cries of rock locusts resounded from the direction of the mine.
“Please get out of my life!!!!!!”