episode_0205

Clap-clap-catter-

The weather is really fucking good today too. As I was tapping my fingers on the desk and looking at the sky outside the iron bars, I frowned at the sky that was unnecessarily clear.

What if the sky is clear? I can’t go out.

“Tsk… … .”

I clicked my tongue and jumped up from my seat in frustration. But then I remembered that there was nothing else to do, so I sat down again.

According to the original plan, I should have headed west by now and enjoyed the trip, but my travel plan was completely twisted by one damn guy, whether it was Bark or Bakum.

I sighed and opened my mouth as I looked at the man who seemed to be the leader of the mob that Jin had captured.

“Hey.”

“… … .”

Even though I tried to talk to him, he just kept his mouth shut. I’m already in a frustrating situation, and it’s driving me crazy that the instigator I managed to capture is keeping his mouth shut.

I would say that if it’s been a day or two since I caught it. If you think about it that way, how could they cause a rebellion without that level of stubbornness, it’s completely understandable.

But it’s already been four days. For four days, I didn’t say a single word and kept my mouth shut. It was so quiet that I even slapped its face to check that it wasn’t dead for a moment.

“Can you please answer now?”

“… … .”

“Ha… … .”

Well, I understand why you don’t open your mouth. I guess it’s because if I keep my mouth shut and my ally’s location or future plans are revealed, my remaining comrades will be in danger.

But, I don’t really want to know what these guys are trying to do or where they are. I’m just curious as to why something happened that day, the day before I left, and ruined my plans.

Even though I didn’t do anything to this guy, I just asked him, but he didn’t say anything, which made me even more frustrated.

“Why did I decide to torture you or kill a colleague? I just want to know why it happened.”

“… … .”

“I’m really going crazy… … .”

As I pressed my temples against my pounding head, I heard a subdued voice that seemed to be choked.

“With nobles… … . There is nothing to share or talk about… … .”

That’s what you say the first time you open your mouth. I finally felt my patience running out as I felt the area under my eyes fluttering, and I sighed deeply.

The anger soared like boiling bubbles and then disappeared in an instant, and all that was left was resignation and collapse.

“Ha… … . It’s just like those hard-headed high-ranking officials and nobles who really can’t communicate.”

“Don’t treat me like a noble… … !!”

aha… … . I know how to handle it.

I smiled to myself and looked down at the guy glaring at me.

“You said not to treat them the same way, but what if they do the same thing as nobles? He doesn’t listen to words, his mind is so stiff that he doesn’t even have the will to talk, and he does unnecessary things for no reason and bothers people.”

“It’s not useless!! People who are oppressed… … . For those who have suffered discrimination… … . It is the first step in a great revolution to regain freedom!!”

“Sounds like a revolution. Those nobles also talk about revolution while introducing needlessly complicated tax policies, but those rotten bastards are trying to rob the pockets of innocent citizens and take everything they have, and you are trying to kill innocent people and run their houses. Trying to set fire to it. Isn’t it the same?”

“No… … . We, we… … . Just for freedom… … .”

“There are citizens who lost their homes to gain that freedom. According to what you said, only the nobles should be captured and punished, but why did the citizens who were neither nobles nor honorary nobles lose their homes? Just because I live better than you all? Or because I did not agree with your wishes?”

The guy quietly lowered his head, as if he had nothing to say. won That thought came to me for a moment, and the moment I thought, “I won against this guy and won’t use it for anything,” regret came flooding back to me.

I sighed and scratched my head.

“Okay, as we talked, this is what happened. Let’s ask a few more questions about how this happened.”

“… … What is it?”

“You’re the one who started the rebellion, right?”

He didn’t reply at all to what I said, but I was confident thanks to that silence.

This guy is not the head of the rebel army. Then I have no more business with this guy. If you were to ask a worker ant, not a leader, why he works, the answer would be obvious.

“That’s it. That’s a good answer.”

I got up, left him behind, and left the dungeon.

“Princess.”

As soon as I came up from the dungeon, I turned my head when I heard a voice speaking to me, and saw Jin looking at me.

“What are you waiting for here?”

“Yes. Because the princess can’t control her anger and twist that guy’s neck.”

“What is that… … . You know that public execution and mercy are not enough, right?”

“Of course I know. However, if public executions are carried out in the current situation, another traitor may emerge from the crowd of citizens and chaos may increase. So, the situation will be stable and there will be no problems even with public executions――”

“Ah, okay. I know what you mean, so stop.”

I waved my hand and cut off Jin’s words, frowning while stroking the back of my neck.

Jin looked at me and said with a grin.

“So, did you finish the interrogation successfully?”

“Interrogation is nothing more than a few words mixed together. Well, anyway, like you said, I figured out a few things.”

“Hmm, what did you find out?”

“That he is not the leader of the rebels, and that he has help from outside the kingdom.”

Jin blinked as if he was a little surprised by my words.

“What, why are you looking at me like that? I feel bad. Is my reasoning that amazing?”

“To be honest… … . yes. I thought you would realize that I was not the leader of the rebels, but I did not expect you to infer that there was help from outside.”

“… … .”

Should I hit you? After thinking for a moment, I sighed and shook my head.

Then he struck Jin’s side with his fist.

“Sigh!?”

“Who are you treating as a fool?”

“Kuh… … . Your fists have gotten really cold while I haven’t seen you… … . I would have fallen to my knees if I hadn’t been surrounded by magic for a moment.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Do you want one more hit?”

When I slowly raised my fist, Jin quickly raised his hands and took a surrender stance.

For some reason, I got annoyed, so I hit him again and crossed my arms.

“It hurts… … .”

“It’s a shame.”

Jin looked at me with a blank face when I heard what I said, but as soon as he raised his fist, he calmly started talking with his face as if nothing had happened.

“Hmm, so. What did you see that made you think there was external help?”

“Well, it’s not that I was stupid and made inferences using the information I had. just… … . I saw hope in my eyes.”

“It’s hope… … . It’s a comprehensive story.”

“This has happened before. At that time, as I was passing by, I saw the face of the man who had started the rebellion. It was the same eye I saw back then.”

“I didn’t know you remembered what happened 8 years ago.”

“The sight of the eyes shining even though their limbs were cut off… … . Because it was that shocking.”

I laughed at those words, shook my head, and remembered the leader of the rebel army I had seen before.

The sight of the man climbing onto the execution platform without hesitation, the face of the man facing death, smiling and looking around the crowd with eyes full of hope.

The end of a man who cried out for equality and freedom for all, saying that someday others, not himself, would take over his cause.

“On the other hand, the guy down there just thought, ‘Someone will come and help me!’ Even though the eyes held the same vague hope.”

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Well. I need to meet you. Who is the leader of this rebel group? I’ll meet you, beat you up, and then I’ll leave.”

“I see… … . hmm. Then, I should introduce a girl to the princess.”

I frowned at the words thrown out of nowhere.

“Who are you introducing me to? Now?”

“Yes. Ah, the princess knows this girl well.”

“He said he was doing something and introduced him to me.”

“She knew in advance that this rebellion would occur and was preparing for it, and she was the first to say that there would be a separate main force of the rebels.”

“What, is that a prediction of the future?”

“I denied it.”

“Foreknowledge of the future… … . That’s a bit interesting.”

Will I be able to find what I want at the end of my journey? If I ask that question, what will the girl Jin talks about answer?

… … No, let’s not ask this. That’s the answer I want to get by walking around with my own feet.

Still, future predictions are fascinating, so I’ll have to see it.

“Where should I go?”

“About now――”

Just as Jin was about to open his mouth, Jin and I both closed our mouths when we saw a human being running towards us and looked in the direction where we heard the footsteps.

The person coming around the corner towards us was someone both Jin and I knew very well.

“Princess… … !! Leader!!”

“Le Moa?”

Le Moir doesn’t seem to be embarrassed for a long time, so what on earth did he see? … .

I tilted my head and looked at Lemoir, and Lemoir ran up to me and Jin and leaned against the wall.

“What’s going on? Why are you doing that?”

“Ha… … . ha… … . Rebellion, military… … !!”

“Rebel? What happened to the rebels?”

“Lemoir. Calm down and speak slowly. Have rebels invaded? However, the castle gate was closed, and Kaitz and Eve would be guarding it at the gatehouse… … .”

Lemoir took a deep breath, raised his head, and spoke as if shouting.

“The rebels brought siege weapons!!”

“… … What?”

And the news she brought was truly the worst.