Strained voices of soldiers, running around, and noises of metal clanging with metal echoed inside the castle.
「Found them?!」
「First floor, farther there!」
「Such idiots! Going to the dead end on their own!」
The inside of the castle was in a complete uproar akin to a stirred up beehive. Fleeing civilians, like civil officials and maids, jumbled together with the soldiers rushing to the scene, creating chaos.
「The stairs to the dungeons are narrow! Front line, prepare shields and spears, form double file and advance!」
When a middle-aged man, who seemed to be a commander, ordered so in a loud voice, the soldiers, who until now advanced in disarray, immediately obeyed. Leading the group of soldiers that filled the corridor of the first floor and a few magicians, he raised a sword overhead, free from its sheath.
「Now, we trapped them! Slowly go down the stairs!」
[Ditzen]
Advancing through the damp, humid and putrid underground passage, we reached the last cell in there.
However, inside was only one tattered man, who likely went through all possible forms of torture. The man had a piece of cloth black from blood wrapped around him and slept like the dead. Looking at his unkempt silver hair and beard, he must have been held here for a long time.
「Looks like this is a miss. We will head to the lady's mansion next.」
Said Aifa with hints of sarcasm, completely ignoring the terrible scene. I have a lot of things I'd like to say but first comes my own well being.
「I hear footsteps of people descending the stairs, Aifa-dono. Could it be that you are planning to dive into the bunch of soldiers who are rushing toward us this very moment?」
Put into this obviously hopeless situation, I unintentionally asked in a weird tone.
「No, we are going to move, avoiding the soldiers.」
「How?! We are presently at a dead end with no way out!」
Pointing at the jail I explain the situation, but Aifa only snorts and points up.
「We should just make one. This dungeon is sturdy, but they didn't anticipate that I will do something to it.」
「Huh?」
Such sound unintentionally leaked from my mouth when I heard Aifa's words. Doesn't he remember how many steps we took when we descended the stairs?
Such a thick ceiling is not easy to destroy.
While I thought that, looking at Aifa with eyes full of skepticism, Yuri's voice came from the side.
「Now, do you feel any better?」
As I turned around, I saw Yuri with her hand reached to the confined man, and noticed that the countless wounds that could be seen on his exposed skin before, now disappeared.
「W-What are you doing, Yuri-sama…」
Right when we are about to exert techniques as we run around the castle, why do you have to use them to cure wounds of some prisoner that is about to kick the bucket?
And it would be one thing if she just broke into the cell and released him, but of all things, she had to use healing magic.
「...You can use healing magic? How unusual.」
As expected, even Aifa was surprised. He muttered those words with a frown on his face.
Then, Yuri nodded with「Yes」and turned to us.
「He looked very pained, so I couldn't help myself.」
Seeing smiling Yuri I dropped my shoulders and said.
「Is that so. That person would be happy. Then, let's go already. Since Aifa-dono is saying that we can somehow escape from the underground.」
Saying that I took a sidelong glance at Aifa. However, Aifa was looking up, without even noticing my look.
「First, the soil.」
The moment Aifa uttered that line, the ground started to shake bit by bit with a rumbling sound.
And then the dungeon ceiling moved. Some of the stones were dropping to the floor of the underground passage like they were alive. Seeing that scene I frowned.
「Won't soldiers arrive here first?」
When I asked so, full of discontent, Aifa responded with a sigh.
「If I do it all at once we will end up in a cave-in. That's why I have to break it down part by part and immediately solidify the soil above with magic. And create a hole by repeating that process. The excess soil and stones are used to block the passage. They won't be able to get this far so easily.」
While saying that, Aifa was dropping stones and dirt, thud after thud. Certainly, just a little bit ahead, a wall is being raised in the passage at an incredible speed.
「A-ah, I see… I'm sorry, I guess.」
As I apologized after grasping the idea, a short scream came from behind.
「Get me out of here...」
A heavy voice that sounded like it was coming from the very depths of the earth. When I turned around to see what is that about, I saw that the man stuck both of his hands out of the cell and was grabbing Yuri's neck. Yuri only blinked repeatedly with a surprised face.
「H-Hey, hey, hey! How dare you, after Yuri-sama went and healed your wounds?!」
I blurted out without much thought. Then, the imprisoned man put a deep frown on his face and gritted his teeth.
「I'm fully aware of what I'm doing… But I don't have time. Hurry, get me out of here. If you do, absolutely promise not to harm you...」
Hearing his voice that had hints of deep regret along with a firm resolve, I instantly understood that persuasion is not possible.
「I-I got it! I understand! Wait a moment!」
Immediately shouting that, I whispered to activate an earth technique. It would be difficult to destroy thick iron bars of this cell, so I made parts of the floor and ceiling more brittle.
「Heave-ho!」
With a loud shout, I kick the iron grid of the cell, slightly skewing the iron bars.
「Good, around five more kicks and it should bre…」
「This would be faster.」
As I was desperately trying to kick out the bars, Aifa behind me uttered one line and threw stones from the ceiling this way.
The block of stones flew past my face with a scary sound and bending the iron bars crushed deeper inside of the cell.
Two bars immediately disappeared from the grid, and the prison cell could no longer serve its purpose. It's surely fast, but.
「Watch out! I thought I will die!」
As I turned around with a complaint, Aifa gave me a disinterested look and once again turned his eyes to the ceiling.
What an irritating elf.
「…Finally, out, huh.」
With those words the man came out of the cell, still holding onto Yuri's neck.
「Ehm, I would like you to release me already…」
Yuri said that softly, but the man only shook his head.
「All of you are magicians, right? Sorry, but I can't release you until I get outside.」
Unable to put up with that statement I voiced my question.
「No, we wouldn't give you away to the soldiers. Because in such case we will be the first to get detained. And first of all, who are you?」
When asked about his identity, the man moved his chin with a long overgrown beard and after making a deep, deep sigh answered.
「...I am the son of Konigs Blau, Schwartz Blau. Originally, I was the first in line for succession but now I have been deprived of that right.」
Those words made my eyes go wide.
「...The first prince? No, is it the crown prince? Why are you in this dungeon...」
Hearing my question, Schwartz made a face like he ate a whole lemon and shut his mouth, and instead, Aifa spoke.
「...That person is indeed the crown prince himself. Until a year ago he was leading an army as a general, but as it was judged that there is a danger of revolt he was stripped of his succession rights.」
As Aifa said that like it was the most trivial thing in the world, Schwarz bellowed at him in anger.
「Not a revolt! I just had doubts about father's way of doing things! He grew too eager to expand his territory, so most of the newly acquired territories were barely managed! At this rate, we would be cut from inside our own armor while our blade is turned outside! Unless we have complete reign over every corner of the expanded territory with powerful lords in our complete submission the Empire has no future! It takes time to do that!」
Schwarz gave an intensely feverish speech, making one wonder, where did he have such energy left in his withered body. However, Aifa didn't spare him even one look.
「The future of this country has nothing to do with me.」
Aifa's brash words caused Schwarz to glare at him with a scowl.
After looking at the two, I shifted my gaze to Yuri. She doesn't seem to be held too strongly. She listened to the conversation with a troubled face.
「...You helped one troublesome person, Yuri-sama.」
To my words, Yuri returned a bitter smile.