Ch. 135

The man frantically nodded his head as much as his restricted movement allowed.

And when I gave a small tilt of my chin, Rai loosened his grip just slightly—enough for the man to gasp desperately for breath.

Even while gulping down muddy water.

“Alright, just answer what I ask.”

Why was he looking up at me with such terrified eyes?

You’re the bad guys here. I was just minding my own business.

“Where’s Annie?”

“…Who?”

“The girl you kidnapped. My companion! The dark-skinned girl with silver hair.”

“I-I don’t know! I just came on shift—I really don’t know anything!”

His eyes said he was telling the truth.

“Ugh, guess I’ll have to grab another one.”

A genuine wave of irritation washed over me.

If I had to keep doing this until I found someone who knew where Annie was, I was going to lose it.

I frowned and waved a hand vaguely.

“Rai, this guy—”

“Please spare me! I don’t have any kids like rabbits or a wife like a fox!”

I was just going to knock him out, but he screamed preemptively.

Do I really look like I go around killing people? Why? I’m such a graceful and elegant modern woman.

“Alright then, let’s change the question.”

“Ask me anything! I’ll tell you everything I know!”

“First—your boss. Is his name Grak? No ears, no nose, no conscience—complete bastard.”

“Yes! That’s him exactly!”

“Then where would your boss have taken my companion?”

“P-probably the prison? If she was kidnapped, that’s where they’d put her.”

He was answering everything I asked with honest, almost pitiful sincerity. Like someone who just peeked into the afterlife.

He was clearly desperate to live by being as cooperative as possible.

“Where’s the prison?”

“I can take you there!”

“Great, lead the way.”

“There are two, but…”

“We’ll start with the closest. If you pull anything, you die. You know that, right?”

Rai was still wrapped around the guy’s neck. He seemed to instinctively understand that his life was in my hands.

I drew a line across my throat with my thumb.

—

“Huh? Isn’t it your shift to be on patrol right now?”

The guard posted at the prison entrance seemed familiar with the guy I’d kidnapped. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Ah, about that…”

“And who’s that behind you?”

Flustered by the question, the guy got all awkward—so Rai tightened around his neck.

That seemed to wake him up, and he finally acted a little smarter.

“Reinforcement!”

I was hiding in the shadow of my hood, showing only my lips. You couldn’t even tell if I was male or female.

Thankfully, the heavy rain made it less suspicious that I was completely cloaked.

“Ah, I see. The boss was barking orders this morning about tightening security, right? Guess they’re bringing in more men.”

“Exactly!”

“Said someone might attack.”

“…Uh, yeah… right?”

Hello. Already here.

And this idiot’s going to need a tighter choke. If he wants to survive, he better wake up fast.

“They said bring in everyone we’ve got. Even off-duty guys. That’s why I’m stuck on this stupid night shift.”

Though the guard grumbled a little, he seemed to lower his guard thanks to their familiarity.

“So why are you here instead of patrolling?”

“Uh… I checked the duty sheet! Said I was assigned to here after my patrol!”

“What? That can’t be right. I’m on the night shift here. Did you really read it right?”

Damn it. I grabbed a total dumbass. Should’ve nabbed the guard instead.

“I’m telling you, I’m supposed to be here! Anyway, I’m watching this spot now!”

“Hm?”

“Hand over the keys and go!”

“That sounds fishy…”

That was the dumbest excuse I’d ever heard. I gave up on this situation going quietly.

Peaceful resolutions just didn’t suit me.

I clicked my tongue and summoned my solution.

“Ador.”

“Wha?”

“What is th—gurk!”

The moment the guard spotted the glowing orb that appeared in the air, I pointed my finger.

Boom!

With a crack of thunder, the guard dropped to the ground.

“Gh-gh-gggghhh…”

Took just one second to knock out the unprepared guard with an electric shock.

The stormy weather helped muffle the sound completely. The rain seemed to amplify the spell’s effect, too.

Huh. He’s foaming at the mouth.

“Did he die?”

[Hehehe! It ‘was’ a little strong! Master! This weather’s just my style!]

I kicked the guard’s weirdly twisted body a few times.

He was still breathing. Not that I cared if he wasn’t.

He was a slaver, after all.

Whether he was a guard or a soldier, they were all part of the slaver organization. Death was too good for them. Should’ve done this from the start. So simple.

“P-please! Spare me! I’ll do better, I promise!”

As I turned back, the guy was pathetically begging again.

This bastard whined the second our eyes met.

“At least you know you’re useless.”

“No, I’m not! I’ll do anything!”

“Then hide this guy somewhere. Can’t have anyone spotting him lying around.”

“Y-yes, ma’am! I-I mean… not boss, I meant… mage, ma’am!”

The bastard probably didn’t even know why I hit him.

I took off my leather glove and slapped him across the face a few times.

Using my bare hand would hurt too much—this was the perfect substitute.

‘Smack! Smack!’

The sound was so crisp, it was addictive.

“I—ghk! P-please have mer—guhk!”

“Try living with a little elegance! Elegance!”

I didn’t buy these gloves for this reason, but it was a pretty satisfying use.

Once my anger cooled, I put the gloves back on and peered into the now unguarded prison entrance.

A gray staircase spiraled deep into the black underground.

They must’ve built the prison underground without an exit to prevent escapes.

As I turned to go in, I saw the red-faced idiot rummaging through the unconscious guard’s pockets.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you coming?”

“Looking for the key. The prison key.”

“We don’t need that. Do you know who I am?”

My spirit Rai was the ultimate master key. There was no lock in the world I couldn’t open.

“…Who are you?”

“None of your business. And don’t get cocky asking questions.”

Judging from his expression, I could tell he’d love to beat me to death if he had the chance.

But dominance always belongs to the strong.

Mockery was a privilege of power.

“What? Mad that you’re being treated like trash? Then go fetch a dragon if you’re that upset.”

“N-no, I would never say such a scary thing…”

“Doesn’t everyone know at least one dragon?”

“No way…”

I was joking, of course.

“Listen carefully. I’ll only say this once.”

“My name is Extr—”

“Didn’t ask, don’t care. Don’t tell me. I’m not wasting brain space remembering it. The answers are already decided—you just follow them.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m about to take the snake off your neck, so unless you have a death wish, don’t even think about running. I’ll assign someone else to you.”

I needed Rai to unlock the prison doors, so instead I assigned Ador to keep an eye on the idiot.

[Got it, Master! I’ll stick to this human, then!]

He might look like a pretty sparkling orb, but Ador was a top-tier [Lightning Spirit] with devastating power.

Especially dangerous on rainy days.

“You saw what happened earlier. If this guy attacks, it’ll hurt. Remember your buddy foaming at the mouth with his eyes rolled back?”

“P-please have mercy! I’d rather stick with the snake…”

“Nope. I do what I want.”

Did you just call me a crazy bitch with your eyes? Wow, you’re not wrong.

I gave him a big, sweet smile.

“Breaking your neck might hurt less than being fried. Too bad.”

—

As the rain slammed into the ground and my footsteps echoed through the stone walls, I walked down the narrow, damp corridor.

Soon, a familiar space came into view.

Even though it was my first time in this underground prison, it felt strangely familiar.

It looked just like the one I was once locked in long ago. Probably because it was owned by the same scumbag.

A surge of revulsion rose within me.

“I should’ve killed Grak back then.”

Grinding my teeth, I moved deeper. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw the silhouettes of people huddled inside the cells.

It wasn’t just one or two.

The prison stretched long and narrow. As I walked slowly down the central corridor, searching for Annie, I could feel the prisoners shrinking away, trying to make themselves smaller.

They were praying I wouldn’t stop in front of their cell—that their turn would come just a bit later…

[There are a lot of kids.]

“I don’t see Annie.”

[Maybe she’s in a different cell.]

There was no consideration for human life in this place. The cells were cramped, cold, filthy, and unsanitary. No blankets, no toilets, not even windows—the stench was unbearable.

You could see rats openly scurrying about. Hygiene was nonexistent.

This was easily the worst prison I’d ever seen.

I wasn’t exactly overflowing with mercy or empathy, but I couldn’t contain my rage.

This wasn’t something humans should do to each other.

It’s easy to turn away—but that’s only if you’re not human.

There were over twenty people, by rough estimate.

“Rai.”

[Yes, Master.]

“Open every door.”

Rai uncoiled from my right arm and touched the iron bars.

Starting with the nearest, the cell doors began opening one by one, echoing loudly in the dead silence.

‘Clang. Clang. Clang.’

I was the only one who wasn’t surprised when all the doors opened by themselves.

“And make sure they can’t be locked again.”

[Should I just eat all the bars?]

“That’s good too, but wait until everyone’s out.”

As the dazed prisoners hesitantly stepped out, I pulled my hood lower.

Then I called out to the idiot standing behind me.

“You. Hey, you.”