Going to the fortress’ basement, we went down from the first floor and we could clearly hear the sound of the water flowing. It was because of the irrigation canals running underground the fortress that the moist, cold air came in.
The sewage isn’t dirty, though we can’t tell if it’s the same in the other route, but in this cold air, prisoners would surely be having hard time in the prison.
As we proceed, the sound of a stick ripping the sky and voices laced with agony from the end of the passage along the waterway could now be heard.
I could tell that Lendl-san who is only a little behind me, felt tensed. When I turned around and asked if he was okay, he nodded back.
As we approached the prison where the sound was heard, a tough looking female knight appeared from inside. It seems that she is twice older than Presha-san, but she bows as she comes out.
“We are waiting for you Presha-sama. The prisoners of war we caught the other day haven’t said anything yet…”
“Hmm, Is that so? Well then, I’ll do it. I’ll have this doctor treat them if I can’t make them talk even if I only leave them with a few breathe.”
“Huh… that guy the other day, Knight Raquel said…”
“Yes, he’s called Glass Weed. He’s a young man, but don’t look at him like you’re going to eat him ok.”
Presha-san spoke and smiled, but on the strong side – she says it’s rude, so there’s a glint of sharpness in her eyes. The middle-aged female knight on the other hand glances at me with her face dyed red.
“You’re not that baby-faced but you’re young and your face isn’t bad. If you’re not so helpful as a doctor, I’ll let you help them there ok? I like men, but I’m not as hungry like the Onee-san here.”
“N-No, I didn’t come to do that …”
“So I’m saying that everyone’s treatment to you will change depending on whether you’re useful or not. I can even try to talk to those scary Onee-sans. So, do your best, Honor student.”
I’ve never been told as honor student at the academy… It was ironic that I’m too accustomed to the unappreciated environment.
Presha-san enters the prison first, with her three-pronged spear. When she passes by the middle-aged female knight, she puts her hand on her chest to hold her back.
“It was like throwing bones on a cage full of women, that was Millenia-o, the headmaster had said yet I think things were a little different…”
I didn’t know what I could answer to Lendl-san’s whispers –the absence of a man also means that many knights are not susceptible to men. People are not the only ones to bite immediately when a man comes.
But now, more than that, the question is what Presha-san is going to do with the prisoners.
Depending on the reason why the prisoners were caught, it could be a death offense –so any torture may be given.
“Haaa… haaa…”
In the prison, there were two men and one woman in rags. Perhaps the woman had only been struck by a whip, sitting on the floor and still breathing.
The two men stayed on the floor and have no movement. It wasn’t just whipping –they seemed to have been tortured in the waterway we passed, maybe that water… the whole body is getting wet, the body temperature is lost, and the skin loses its energy.
“Tsk!…as always, these men faint first. It would be a big mistake if you thought you could be at ease without spitting anything. Oiii, get up! If you don’t wake up, I’ll only ask this child then.”
The two men didn’t respond. They have not truly fainted –I could see that they were holding their breaths.
The two have already been pushed to the utmost torture. Still, they wouldn’t speak anything and now they’re trying to sacrifice the fellow woman to avoid further torture.
A metal pedestal was placed inside the prison –it was prepared for further torture. Presha-san placed the woman’s hand on the pedestal while displaying her bitterness.
“You have betrayed our country and cooperated with the enemy. You’ve been crossing the canal in a small boat in the darkness of the night, doing something on ‘the other side’. Up to that point, don’t you try to deceive me, it won’t happen.”
“Ki-Kill…me… I have nothing to say…”
How many times did they get that reply –it was clear when you saw the fiery reaction of Presha-san.
“I don’t want to do this either! Why?!! How could you betray Astina-sama and all the knights fighting to protect the country! Who helped you, say it! If you don’t speak…”
Presha-san is fully agitated yet even if she hits and screams at the top of her voice –the woman, doesn’t speak.
The eyes underneath the brown hair, which had lost its luster, looked up at Presha-san, with difficulty her lips moved and spoke “Kill me”.
“Argh! I see… Alright, we don’t have to treat you anymore … as you wish…”
Presha-san’s hand holds the three-pronged spear. The woman prisoner closes her eyes with resignation.
That is to say, the woman has lost her purpose. Since she can’t get any information from those torture, she has no choice but to use another method – discard her.
“Please wait, Presha-san.”
“Shut up. I’m not asking your opinion. If you treat those two guys to the point where they can’t die, your purpose will remain.”
“No, wait… These two guys are trying to kill this person. She did take part in betraying the country… I also think that’s unforgivable, but if you kill her, then it’s over.”
“Don’t say such ridiculous thing! If these guys leaked information to our enemy and they tried to invade the borders, my peers would all be at risk! So I can never forgive them…”
However, if you kill her, you will not know anything. There is also no assurance that the two men will confess the information.
So I want to give them an equal opportunity. It doesn’t make sense that the person who was left to be killed, will die first –it’s not because of justice or anything, it just feels unreasonable.
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