“Okay, that’s good.” (Fay)
Redgarde quickly cut the ropes on his own wrists, followed by the ropes on my hands and feet. Then he untied his own feet.
“Damn, I mean, what the hell are you doing, locking me in a place like this?” (Fay)
“How are we going to get out of this?” (Tougo)
Redgarde and I investigated the state of the prison together.
But all we could tell was that the floor, walls, and ceiling were made of gray stone. And the iron bars had some red rust on them, but that was it. Of course, it’s not something we can bend or break with our bare hands.
…It was supposed to be, but Redgarde put his foot on the iron grate and started to bend it.
“Hmph… Ah, this is no good.” (Fay)
I knew he couldn’t, but I didn’t say it. I could tell by the movement of his muscles that he was really going all out and really trying to bend the bars, and I didn’t want to do anything to make fun of that.
“Hmmm… I don’t think I can break the locks. It’s not even shaped like something you could pry open with a knife…” (Fay)
The iron bar door has a lock that looks like a padlock. It might be easier to break than the iron grille, but even so… hmm, it’s metal. I think it would be difficult.
“I think if only we had the key to this one, we could get out of here. …Tougo, you, can’t create one?” (Fay)
“It’s impossible because I don’t know the shape of the key. Also, I don’t have any art supplies.” (Tougo)
And as for me, I can’t help with this either.
The key is just a key, so if the shape is not right, even if it materializes, the key will not fit and will not be able to be used. Above all, there were no art materials here. I tried drawing a pencil with my finger on the dusty floor, but it was no use.
“Oh… right, you need something like that. …Damn, I’m sorry. You don’t have any pencils or something like that with you.” (Fay)
“Yes.” (Tougo)
Somehow, he seems to be that type. Somehow.
“Well, what do you need to draw a picture like that? Do you draw with magic stone powder or something?” (Fay)
“Huh?” (Tougo)
I was puzzled when he suddenly said that to me. What is magic stone powder?
“Most wizards use magic stones to activate their magic. I use stones too.” (Fay)
Oh, I remembered that Redgarde’s “summoned beasts” come out of red stones. Oh, that’s right. That’s the magic stone.
…Well, maybe I am not using that, right? At the moment, the materials I use for painting are the pencils I brought from my original world, the soil, fruit juice, and grass juice that I got after coming to this world… and the paints I made by materializing the pictures of the paints.
“No, it’s regular paint… I think, also… I can do it with fruit juice, too.” (Tougo)
“Fruit juice? Is it some special fruit?” (Fay)
“I don’t think so. Oh, and I also made edamame [A/N: green soybeans] using leaves.” (Tougo)
“Leaves?” (Fay)
Well… it’s possible that everything in that forest is something mysterious, I don’t know.
“I-I see… I definitely thought you were using something special. I thought you were using unicorn horns, pegasus feathers, or other materials from creatures with a lot of magic power, or maybe you were crushing magic stones and using them as paints, or something like that.” (Fay)
“Maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with that.” (Tougo)
“Then… what is your magic?” (Fay)
I wonder what it is. Yeah, I want to know too…
So, so far, our escape has stopped at the point where we have cut off the restraints on our limbs. Well, it can’t be helped. Usually, when people are put in a stone and iron prison, they can’t leave. I mean, if they could leave, there would be no point in having a prison. Yeah.
“Hmm… Then, is that just the only magic you can use? Oh, can you use magic other than drawing a picture?” (Fay)
“I don’t know. I’ve never done it.” (Tougo)
“Really…?” (Fay)
And here I am useless. Yeah, I’m sorry. But I still don’t really understand what magic is in the first place.
If this is going to happen, I should have looked into it better. I regret it.
“You’ve used such strange magic, but you’ve never tried anything else? Even elementary magic? Have you ever tested your magic?” (Fay)
“…I do not know.” (Tougo)
I’ve never seen anything like that in the forest. Birds and horses didn’t talk about it. I can’t help what I don’t know.
“I-I see, umm, you’re really a weird guy after all…” (Fay)
“Yes.” (Tougo)
I am a weird guy by my own admission and others. But there are a lot of people weirder than me, and if anything, I think most of the people around me are weirder than me too. Like you.
“…Well, it can’t be helped. I’ll do what I can do, but you’ll have to do your best. I’m not proud of it, but I’m not strong.” (Fay)
When he said that… Redgarde produced a fireball the size of a fist out of his hand.
…For the first time, I came to this world, I finally have seen magic for the first time.
No, I’ve seen paintings materialize, horses have flown in the sky, and snakes made of water have attacked me, but still, there’s something different about this.
The flames burning on Redgarde’s hand were so, so beautiful.
Flames are so beautiful. Red, orange, and sometimes yellow. It flickers, and its shape is not constant. Sometimes, pieces of the flame would drift upwards, and then disappear in the middle of the flame. I could never get tired of watching it.
Above all, I like the light. When a fire burns in a dark place like this, the orange light spreads throughout the room, and the shadows sway in time with the flickering flames. It is warm and shimmering, calming and invigorating. That’s what I really like about it.
“…you, don’t look at me like that. It’s embarrassing.” (Fay)
“Oh, I’m sorry.” (Tougo)
I’m not sure if I was looking too hard or not, but Redgarde gave me a bit of an awkward look. But yes, I would like to look at it a little more… It seems difficult to draw this, but I want to draw it properly someday.
The fireball that Redgarde created, floated up and gently went in front of the door… where it began to heat the lock.
“…what are you doing?” (Tougo)
“I’m trying to melt it. Well, if I was a little stronger, I might be able to break through the stone wall and get out, but… realistically speaking, it’s impossible for me.” (Fay)
Yes. Even if he threw this fireball, it’s probably impossible to break the stone wall.
“So, I thought I’d attack a point where it seemed most likely to damage.” (Fay)
It makes sense.
I’ve read some books… but I thought the temperature at which iron melts was over 1,000 degrees Celsius. I’m not sure if this fire will be enough.
“After that… well, I’m just trying to figure out what the unicorns will do without us. I’ve got a few things on my mind.” (Fay)
But Redgarde seems to have something on his mind. I’ll do what I can to help.
However, without art supplies, there is no way for me to come up with a great plan to get out of the place, so I decided to steadily examine the floor and walls. I thought, “…there might be a secret passage or a loose part somewhere.”
I carefully brushed the dust off the floor and looked at the gaps between the stones one by one. But I couldn’t find anything else, except for a chipped corner of the stone. Well, you don’t keep people locked up in jail with a secret passage, do you…?
It would have helped if the stones on the floor and walls were removable or extractable. No, each stone here is too big for me to move by me.
Still, I looked at the floor and walls, hoping to find something. Redgarde kept using his fireball on the locks of the prison.
…and at that time.
*Creak*, and the sound of a wooden door opening can be heard. …and.
“…Hmm? What is that? There’s light.” (Voice)
“Hey, I don’t think they woke up, did they…?” (Voice)
I heard people talking.
Then I heard footsteps.
…What should I do? Someone is coming.
What should I do? Should I pretend to be tied up? Or should I just face them?
While I was hesitant, Redgard was probably hesitant as well. And… he was quicker to act.
He pulled back the fireball that had been burning the lock and sent it flying over the prison floor and into the fallen rope, scorching it. The point is the rope that bound our limbs was shaped as if it had been partially burned, not cut by a knife.
“Hide it.” (Fay)
Redgarde further whispered, taking the liberty of pulling out the hem of my shirt and then shoving the knife into my back side, between my pants belt and my back, to hide it. For a moment, I felt a chill run down my spine, but I couldn’t say anything else.
“Hey, what are you guys doing!” (Voice)
…In front of the prison, two people appeared.
At that moment, Redgarde moved.
Slowly he approached the bars, then he opened his hands and waved them.
“How troublesome… Did you drop cut rope?” (Man)
“Oh, I’m sorry. The rope is going to be burned as you can see here. If you wanted to tie me up, you should have at least prepared some decent shackles. Or what? Are you guys really that broke?” (Fay)
Redgarde stared at the people behind the bars, throwing provocative words at them.
“So? What do you want? You finally decided to let us out of here?” (Fay)
“Oh, that’s right. I’m going to have to ask you to give up some information before I kill you. We’re already set up upstairs.” (Man)
…One of the people behind the bars moves something in his hand and shows it to us.
It was… pliers. It was that kind of tool.
What are you going to use that tool for? What are they planning to do? “I’m going to have to ask you to give up some information before I kill you. We’re already set up upstairs.” …The more I think about it, the more I can only imagine disgusting things.
I’m not sure if I’m being naive. I hadn’t thought about what would happen if I couldn’t get out of here.
