Chapter 91: Prison Life (1)
We found ourselves thrown into prison, but we decided to focus on resting our bodies for the time being. Our main focus was to heighten our fighting spirit, allowing our wounds to heal while we regained our strength.
Since Mika and I were mostly unharmed, we observed the condition of our comrades in the other cells. Almost everyone bore swollen bruises, the marks of beatings, fangs, and claws. Nevertheless, aside from a few deep wounds, their bodies were already exhibiting signs of recovery. Everyone should be grateful for the strength of their healing powers as demons.
My attention shifted towards Lappy, who lay sleeping, exhausted and still showing traces of tears. I gently arranged her disheveled hair, yet her cheeks remained red and swollen. She must have been struck by that mysterious demon. How dare he strike an innocent child… If I have the chance, I will put an end to his life.
“Once again, we’ve been rescued. Your strength is truly exceptional… How did you become so powerful?” Tigar said.
“Since we started fighting together, we’ve only been saved by you. How shameful,” Zald added.
Tigar expressed his admiration, while Zald spoke with a self-deprecating tone. My strength came from enduring Georg’s torturous training, pushing myself through self-disciplined practice to survive and avert death. Additionally, the intense martial arts training instilled in me by Alexander, though brief, played a significant role. My current strength was by no means a product of innate talent.
If others were to do the same… Well, perhaps Georg’s training would be too much. Nonetheless, I could teach them about self-discipline and martial arts training. If they desired, I would gladly impart my knowledge whenever time permitted.
And Zald, you mentioned that you’re always receiving help, but that’s not entirely true. Although everyone was initially cautious, the members of the Demon Squad eventually accepted me as one of their own. Their acceptance has been a tremendous source of comfort for my mental well-being. So please, don’t belittle yourself in that way.
While I was pondering how to convey my feelings, a commotion erupted from the floor below. Curious, I strained my ears and realized that the new demons had awakened and seemed to be causing a ruckus.
“Grrrrrrrr! Release me! Let me out!”
“Aaaaaah! My, my balls! Ahhhhh!”
“All I taste is blood in my mouth… That scorpion bastard—I’ll definitely kill him the next time we meet!”
“He’s my target. If you steal him from me, I’ll kill you, you bastard.”
“What was that? You’re just a lowly leech insect of a demon talking big. If you think you can kill me, go ahead and try, you weakling.”
“…Swallow my spit, you dim-witted lizard.”
“Kikikikiki! Fight! It’s a fight!”
“Let’s bet on who will win!”
From the floor below, it seemed that those demons were causing quite a commotion. They were shouting and making a fuss. While making noise alone wouldn’t be much of a concern, it appeared that they had actually started fighting for real. It was likely the crocodile demon and the mysterious looking demon who had struck Lappy. It turned out the latter was a leech demon. The sounds of their intense battle and the strong vibrations reached our floor from below.
Did these guys have no sense of companionship? It reminded me of the rookie battles in the Battle Beast Tournament. Despite sharing the same circumstances as fellow beasts, they would kill each other as enemies. The demons downstairs were the same, refusing to cooperate and instead willing to devour each other. Truly, they were no different from animals.
The strength of a demon lies in his ability to harness the powers of various creatures through human intelligence. If they couldn’t do that, they were nothing more than strange-looking humanoid beings. Don’t they realize that?
“You lot! What’s all the noise about? Quiet down!”
“Shut up! We’re in the middle of something important, so don’t get in our way!”
“If you want us to be quiet, why don’t you force us? If you can, that is! Gyahahaha!”
Despite the guards’ attempts to silence the commotion, the demons not only refused to comply but even provoked them. Just as the guards were about to take disciplinary action to change their attitude, the door leading outside swung open.
A group of about ten Imperial soldiers entered through the door I had passed through with Marcellus a while ago. I recognized two of them. One was Marcellus, and the other was Decius.
“The demons on the first floor have been granted their release. Cease the fighting immediately. I repeat, since their release has been granted, cease the fighting,”
One of the Imperial soldiers announced.
Upon hearing this, the demons momentarily fell silent before erupting into cheers. Even the fighting crocodile demon and leech demon seemed to quiet down, clicking their tongues at each other. It seemed that they prioritized leaving rather than engaging in combat with unpleasant opponents.
The new demons continued to clamor as they made their way outside. Once they had all left, the door closed, bringing a sense of tranquility back to the prison.
It appeared that all the Imperial soldiers who entered through the door, except for Marcellus and Decius, had escorted the demons outside. On the other hand, the two of them ascended the stairs and approached us. Perhaps they were here to release us as well?
“It seems like everyone went through a tough time. Are your injuries… already healed?”
“As expected of a demon, I suppose? Anyway, here you go. It’s a little gift I brought.”
Decius reached into a large bag he had slung over his shoulder and put something into the cell. I knew exactly what it was. It was… dried fruits!
I was tempted to pounce on them right away, but I held myself back and gently shook Lappy to wake her up. Lappy rubbed her eyes and slowly opened them. Then, as if remembering something, she trembled and clung to me.
Surely, the leech demon had been very frightening for her. I let her to do as she pleased and then turned my gaze towards Mika. It seemed like the latter understood my intention before he handed me the gift Decius had brought.
“…”
“…Big Brother, what’s this?” Lappy asked.
“It’s dried fruit. Sweet and delicious, you know.”
I handed the dried fruit gift to Lappy. At first, she didn’t know what it was. However, after sniffing it a few times, she seemed to notice its delightful aroma. Lappy cautiously brought it to her mouth.
And what do you think? Lappy’s eyes widened at first, and she froze for a moment. After that brief moment passed, she eagerly began devouring the dried fruits. In no time, she had finished all the dried fruits distributed to our cell.
I wanted to eat some too…! But looking at Lappy’s contented sleeping face, now full and drifting back to sleep, I couldn’t bring myself to be angry. I suppose I’ll forgive her for today.
“Listen, everyone. I want to talk about how we’re going to resolve today’s brawl,” Marcellus said.
Following that, Marcellus started explaining. It appeared that the new demons had already been released and taken outside. To prevent a repeat of the same situation, to maintain discipline among the soldiers, and to keep us and the new demons separated, we would remain in prison.
Upon hearing the news, some of the demon squad members wore discontented expressions on their faces. It was only natural. Clearly, the ones to blame were Karelvo and those demons who instigated the whole incident. Yet, here we were, being punished and locked up in prison, our already limited freedom taken away. Their reactions were understandable.
“Well, hold on a moment. It’s not all bad. In exchange for imposing restrictions on you, there are two conditions.” Marcellus said.
Marcellus spoke of two conditions. The first was that we would be allowed free movement within the second floor of the prison we were currently held in. The second was that our meals would be the same as those given to the prisoner of war.
While Tigar and the others seemed puzzled about how receiving the same treatment as prisoners of war was a good thing, Mika and I, who had been present during the interrogation, fully understood. The captured woman had demanded lavish meals in return for answering questions. So, the fact that we would receive the same meals meant our own meals would become more luxurious.
“The headquarters recognizes and values your military strength. So it’s only natural,” Marcellus said.
“What are you talking about? I heard that the discussion about the meals was initiated by you, vice commander.” Decius interjected
“What?! Who told you that?” Marcellus asked.
“I have a fellow countryman among the guards assigned by the headquarters.”
It seemed that Marcellus had made efforts to improve our treatment, even if just slightly. He had tried to keep it a secret, but it was exposed by Decius.
“A-anyway! That’s the situation! And of course, if you attempt to escape from the prison or venture to other floors without authorization, you will face punishment, so be careful,” Marcellus continued.
“Just remember that freedom is only granted on this floor. Keep that in mind, alright?”
We nodded in agreement with Marcellus and Decius’ warnings. We didn’t want to let go of the small freedoms and luxuries we had gained. At that moment, there was no trace of dissatisfaction on anyone’s face.
After finishing their explanations, Marcellus and Decius began unlocking the doors of our cells one by one. This meant that we could now freely move between the cells.
“Alright, that should do it. Oh, Mika and Mr. Scorpion, sorry to bother you, but we’re heading for the interrogation of the captive prisoner. Can you come with us?” Marcellus requested.
“As of this time, I will also accompany you as the scribe. You can count on me in case of any need,” Decius added.
…Just when I thought we had gained our freedom, it seemed there was work to be done immediately. Mika and I shook our heads in exasperation, then stood up. Leaving Lappy, who was still asleep; in the care of our comrades, the two of us made our way to the underground cells with Marcellus and Decius.
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TN: There has been a misunderstanding on my part about Marcellus; I always thought that Marcellus held the rank of captain and Decius vice-captain, but from previous chapters it seems that Marcellus should be called vice commander or vice-captain(Fuku Taichou). His commander is that arrogant guy who appeared in previous chapters. Sorry for this minor mistake, and I will fix it in the chapters where it has been mentioned; so this mistake may not be relevant to all readers.
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