IBTBD 29

chapter 29

“Tch, is he still alive?”

At Erjin’s report, König clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Gerard only stared blankly into the air.

Judging by that hollow expression, even for a sycophant of Gerard’s level, navigating social life wasn’t proving easy.

And at the same time―

Ah, Erjin Astrahan!

I finally remembered his existence.

I had even made a deal with him.

But being so preoccupied with Bishop, I had completely forgotten about Erjin.

Once brainwashing is triggered, it won’t stop until its purpose is fulfilled…

Would Erjin Astrahan be all right?

That worry hit me belatedly.

“We’ll have to get through today without any trouble, too.”

Gerard swallowed a heavy sigh.

It wasn’t hard for me to grasp the meaning behind that sigh.

He, too, had realized that Erjin had been caught in the brainwashing.

He’s been coming and going from the underground prison for the interrogations…

He must have seen Erjin’s condition with his own eyes.

For Gerard, it was as if the worst possible scenario had unfolded.

He couldn’t just release Erjin, but neither could he keep him locked up forever.

If he’s released, he’ll try to attack König again; if he’s kept imprisoned, there’s no useful information to be gained.

No matter how you looked at it, it was a frustrating predicament.

To make matters worse, time was not on Gerard’s side.

The only reason Erjin was even staying in Black Dragon Castle was because he was co-head investigator of the Baron Viscounty incident.

In other words, once the investigation ended, he would immediately return to the imperial palace with the report.

And then things would become troublesome.

Because no one could predict what schemes Erjin might attempt once free.

That was why, while his hands and feet were bound, the brainwashing had to be broken.

Isn’t there some way…?

I, too, clicked my tongue without realizing it.

No matter how I racked my brain, no good solution came to mind.

But then―

Ah, of course!

Something flashed through me like lightning.

There was a special mark left behind on those subjected to brainwashing.

If I could just check that mark, I could trace back which house had placed the spell on Erjin.

Naturally, that would make breaking it much easier.

And more than that―

I had my own reasons for needing to confirm that mark.

Which meant the perfect time was tonight, at dawn, when König was asleep!

[Nom nom, this way.]

At the break of dawn, with König deep in slumber―

Sebi and I were in the middle of our castle expedition.

Munching on snacks I’d smuggled out, Sebi led the way.

From the duke’s bedchamber on the 4th floor, down through the banquet hall on the 1st floor, then past the kitchens.

Our final destination: the underground prison where Erjin was confined.

[Do we really have to go?]

Sebi, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped and asked.

It was already the third time he had asked the same question.

[There are scary guys everywhere along the way.]

He flicked his tail irritably as he spoke.

While I was busy talking with König earlier, Sebi had gone out on a preliminary scout.

Though it was a route he’d walked dozens of times before, the knights’ vigilance had been so extreme that he had to take utmost caution at every step.

Well, that can’t be helped.

After all, the prisoner was none other than Astrahan’s heir.

If Erjin truly set his mind on escaping, even the elite knights of Black Dragon Castle wouldn’t be able to stop him easily.

All he ever seemed to do was lie around lazily in the sunlight, napping―but wasn’t he said to be second only to König in strength within the entire Empire?

“Double and triple the guards so there are no gaps in security. There can be no more mistakes. Keep that in mind.”

I recalled Gerard sternly warning the knight commander just a few days ago.

The faces of the commander and the knights had hardened like white marble in front of him.

They’ve been serving König for so long…

They could surely picture vividly what disaster would strike if something went wrong.

So it was only natural that security had been reinforced several times over.

And yet, there was one reason I had to push forward with this reckless venture.

To finish the task I had left undone.

I must check for the brainwashing mark.

I steeled my resolve and followed Sebi.

Thud!

Suddenly, Sebi stopped short and I tripped over his tail, landing flat on the ground.

[Where did you leave your attention, huh?]

“Hey, you stopped all of a sudden!”

I protested indignantly, but Sebi didn’t even pretend to listen.

Instead, he pointed somewhere.

[We can go down through here.]

It was a pipe leading underground from the storage room connected to the kitchen.

Will this really work…?

I nervously felt along the wall and peered inside the pipe.

Because the storage mainly held grain, it was kept dry and well maintained.

The real problem was the depth.

In the pitch-black darkness, the pipe’s bottom was impossible to see, like a black whirlpool that could swallow everything.

Fear gripped me.

I hesitated, frozen in place.

Then―

A warm, damp little palm closed over mine.

[Don’t worry. Just trust Sebi.]

His obsidian eyes glowed softly in the dark, as if trying to give me courage.

Mm…

But why was his tongue flicking all of a sudden?

That unease barely had time to settle before―

“S-Sebi, you go first―waaahhh!!”

My words turned into a scream echoing down the pipe.

My small, young, impatient lizard had kindly pushed me in.

Thump, thump, thud―!

I lost count of how many times my bottom slammed against the pipe’s sides.

If there was a silver lining, it was that the painful collisions gradually slowed my speed.

Finally―thunk!

Cold, hard brick pressed up under me.

I had reached the destination.

“Chhh… ouch…”

My poor tailbone.

I gingerly straightened up and looked around.

Pitch darkness, not a thing visible ahead.

Yet it was easy enough to read the atmosphere of this place.

Cold.

Black Dragon Castle itself was always chillier than elsewhere, but this underground prison carried a sharp, biting cold that prickled the nape of my neck.

No wonder they said only the most vicious of criminals were brought here.

I instinctively took a step back just as my thoughts ended.

Splash, splash―

Wet footsteps echoed through the narrow passage.

[Not moving aside?]

My adorable little betrayer, Sebi, had arrived.

Dangling upside down from the pipe, Sebi flicked his pink tongue.

Unlike me, he hadn’t been flipped head over heels by gravity, his fur standing on end, or left rubbing his aching rear.

He simply stretched his forelegs and landed lightly on the ground.

Seeing such effortless composure almost made me angry.

But then again, he was just a little lizard, barely reaching my knee―not even fully grown.

Oblivious to my frustration, Sebi only tilted his head, obsidian eyes glimmering.

[What are you doing? Not going?]

Fine, fine… we have to go.

I let out a deep sigh.

If we wanted to be back before König awoke, we had a long way to go.

And even Sebi doesn’t know his way around this prison.

We had to find Erjin, find the mark, and then retrace our way out.

Not a moment to waste.

[So what now?]

Don’t worry about that.

I had a plan.

I flicked my tail with confidence.

Step… step…

But then, heavy footsteps echoed not far away.

The occasional scrape of metal against metal told me it was definitely knights patrolling the underground prison.

Maybe things will go more smoothly than I thought.

A smile crept over my tense face.