IBTBD 30

chapter 30

The underground prison held many vile criminals, but today’s main figure was different.

It was none other than Erzin Astrahan.

He had been imprisoned for daring to target the Duke of Kreutz within Kreutz Castle itself—making him a subject of special surveillance.

That meant, one way or another, the knights’ steps would always drift toward Erzin.

And I planned to take advantage of this fact.

“Strange… I could’ve sworn I felt something over here.”

The murmuring voices of knights grew closer.

Sevi and I froze like stone, locking eyes in midair.

Had we really made a sound even though we were being careful?

In this cave-like prison, where every wall was closed off, even the faintest noise echoed loudly.

‘Sevi, hide for now.’

[Got it-ya.]

Sevi gave a small nod.

As he backed into the pipe, I too quickly scaled the wall.

I slipped onto the candelabrum mounted on the plastered wall.

A faint flame flickered there to light the prison, but I didn’t seem in danger of being spotted.

That was because a dragon statue spread its wings proudly above, as if guarding the underground jail.

I flattened myself against the dragon’s back.

Meanwhile, the knights approached right to our noses.

“Check thoroughly. If anything slips by, the entire order could lose our heads.”

“Yes, sir! Not even a rat—cough, I mean, not even a lizard will escape me.”

At the superior knight’s warning, the subordinate’s shoulders stiffened and then dropped again.

The knight raised a blazing torch, sweeping its light across every corner of the prison.

Though the whole fortress was covered with beast-form detection spells, they were clearly being cautious.

The subordinate knight left nothing unchecked.

Even the shaded corners of the floor and the bricks that stuck out oddly were inspected.

And then—when the pillar of firelight reached near the pipes…

[Th-this is bad…!]

‘What’s wrong, Sevi?!’

[My paws are too hot! I-I’m gonna fall-ya…!]

‘No, Sevi! You can’t!’

Hold on, you have to hold on!

I clutched the dragon statue’s horn and cheered silently, but all that filled my head was Sevi’s incomplete scream.

And soon enough—

Creeeeak.

A suspicious friction echoed from the copper-colored pipe.

‘Sevi…!’

In my mind, I could already picture him.

His tiny claws gripping like grains of sand, barely holding on.

A desperate effort not to be noticed, yet ironically, it was enough to draw the knights’ attention.

“Wait, did you hear that just now?”

“Sounded like something inside the pipes?”

The knights crouched, as if to peer into the pipes.

‘We’re gonna get caught like this!’

[Boss, don’t forget me-ya…]

Sevi’s voice already trembled with resignation.

I had to do something.

While the knights’ focus was drawn completely to one spot, I poked my head out from behind the candelabrum to scan the area.

‘Isn’t there anything I can use to divert attention?’

Then, I saw it.

A line of candelabra placed at regular intervals like dominos.

They were identical to the one I was hiding on.

On either side of each dragon statue, chains hung like scales holding candle stands.

The only difference was that the chain in the middle looked corroded, ready to snap.

‘That’s it.’

My eyes gleamed in the dark, body tensed.

If this went wrong, Sevi’s danger might become mine.

But I had no other choice.

No matter the risk, it was a leader’s duty to protect his subordinate.

‘Trust your boss, Sevi!’

[B-boss…?]

‘It’ll be fine.’

I soothed him, then took a deep breath.

The next candelabrum was a bit far, but come on—who was I?

I was the boss of the Fire Squirrel Gang of Bear Mountain.

With a short run-up, I leapt powerfully.

Like a beastfolk dolphin bursting out of the waves, my body arched through the air.

Of course, the landing was a success.

‘Phew… that was close.’

But as soon as my weight settled, the candelabrum tipped, the corroded chain rattling violently.

Creak… screeeech…

It swung left and right like a tight struggle—

Then crashed down with a heavy THUD!

Had I not clung to the wall quickly, the one with a broken wing wouldn’t have been the dragon statue, but me.

Goosebumps prickled my neck, but the plan had worked.

“What the—?! What was that sound?!”

The knights, who had been bending to check the pipe, immediately stood up.

Even in the darkness, their eyes gleamed sharply, and the glint of drawn steel pointed straight at my spot.

Beastfolk really were sensitive to presence.

But—

‘Uh-oh… this might be worse than I thought.’

The knights, exuding killing intent, crept toward me.

In an instant, I ran through all possibilities—almost all of them ending in me being caught.

“Chuu, chuut!”

“A filthy rat got in here? Let’s take care of it cleanly—no loose ends.”

A hundred times out of a hundred… it was a bad ending.

Unlike the Duke’s personal knights, these prison guards didn’t know me.

They would never imagine that the Duke’s beloved squirrel could be down here.

‘And on top of that, I look filthy right now!’

After running through kitchen pipes and prison walls, my once fine fur was covered in dust.

Even I would believe I was just a sewer rat.

‘I must not get caught—!’

I pressed myself harder against the icy wall, suppressing my pounding heart.

Thankfully, their attention turned to the fallen candelabrum.

“Looks like the hook rusted through.”

One knight fiddled with a broken piece of metal and concluded.

Though a little uneasy, his superior didn’t argue.

Instead, he just rested a hand on his hip, scanning the dragon statue where I had been earlier.

‘Phew… if I’d been a second slower, I’d have been exposed.’

Had I not squeezed myself into the seam where wall met ceiling, they would’ve caught me for sure.

I held my breath and listened to their conversation.

“When you think about it, it’s not so strange.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“No one’s around, but sounds echo… sturdy candelabra suddenly fall. Why do you think that happens?”

“Uh… I’m not sure?”

As the subordinate mumbled cluelessly, his superior let out an exasperated sigh.

“Plenty of men have died here, haven’t they?”

“Ah.”

Ah…!

Both the knight and I nodded at the same time.

Whenever the Kreutz family piled up wealth and fame,

there were always those who sought to steal it.

Some tried to frame them and seize their assets, others hired assassins to target the head directly.

Their methods were countless, but their ends were always the same.

A one-way trip to this underground prison from which no one ever escaped.

Though, in truth, far more were simply killed on the spot.

“They say the vengeful spirits of those who died here can’t face the Kreutz bloodline, so they never reach the surface. Instead, they wander here still.”

“R-right… that makes sense. Our Duke would even cut down lingering spirits.”

The subordinate gave an awkward laugh.

“This isn’t funny. Men like us are the easiest prey. Why else would there be strict orders never to walk alone down here?”

What? That was a rule?

This Black Dragon Castle really was a bottomless well of ghost stories.

Just as I swallowed nervously—

Splish.

Something damp and cold grabbed tightly onto my hand.