Meal time.
Bikir ate at a restaurant on a long-awaited day without work.
The menu is black bread, pickled sardines, and wilted greens. There is no corrosion. This was it.
Even though it was a meal served to major-level guards, it was quite poorly prepared.
'It seems like supply of supplies is not easy these days.'
A major can eat like this, but what about low-ranking guards?
At this point, I can't even imagine what the prisoners are eating.
These days, when I go to the workhouse, I don't see many prisoners with familiar faces, so I thought maybe they were all starving to death.
When Bikir was sitting alone eating.
"Is that really true?"
"okay. "That's right."
I could hear the low-pitched conversation of the lieutenant colonel-level guards sitting at the table in front of me.
Vikir's hearing reached a superhuman level, allowing him to eavesdrop on conversations even from a distance.
"They say the whole land is in chaos. Demons and monsters have appeared in large numbers."
"I heard a big gate or something has opened?"
"that's right. "They say there are tons of monsters pouring out of there."
"The security must have collapsed. That's why the number of prisoners exploded."
"Is security a problem now? "The entire empire will be in danger."
Most of them were whispering about things on the ground.
Among them, there are those who do not believe that anything happened on earth at all.
"what the. How old are you and do you still believe in the devil and all? "Those things are all fictitious beings created by the religious cultists of the Quo Vadis family."
"that's right. I don't believe what I haven't seen with my own eyes. But since it is 10,000 meters below the deep sea, is it possible to see it directly? ha ha ha-"
"Hmm, but they say that all the new prisoners have seen demons or monsters? "It's the same with the gate."
"Do you believe the prisoners who come to this place? These guys are all crazy because of fear. "I'm trapped in the Iron Maiden, sinking 10,000 meters down, and I can't help but go crazy."
On the other hand, there were some who took this rumor seriously.
"No, I guess it's strange. There has never been so many prisoners in the Nouvelle Vague before. "Something must have happened on earth."
"that's right. "If Major General Orca, Colonel Dordium, and Colonel Soiret went to the ground to escort the prisoners, then something really happened."
"that's right. Not only was the warden, who had been a symbol of the Nouvelle Vague, absent, but two of the five chief wardens were brought to the ground at once. "This is unprecedented."
"Isn't the ground already fucked? I heard that the gate opens and a lot of monsters come out of it. And the heads of the seven great families of the old country also suffer from assassination threats."
however. Most of the guards were not very interested in this topic.
"Well, shouldn't we just take good care of the criminals here?"
"That's right. "It's none of my business what happens outside."
"Since when have we been involved in earthly affairs?"
"If there are demons and monsters running rampant up there, wouldn't it be safer here?"
"No matter what happened on earth, there was no way it would have any repercussions here."
Most of the guards of the Nouvelle Vague were people who had been demoted and isolated from society, with little love for the world or loyalty to the empire.
It had been so long since they had been outside that they had little curiosity about how things had changed outside.
It was obvious that no matter how things changed, I wouldn't be able to adapt.
… … but.
Bikir's thoughts after hearing all this were a little different.
'Nouvelle Vague, too, will ultimately not be free from the aftermath of the battle of annihilation.'
In the original history where Bikir lived, Nouvelle Vague was safe for a while even after the war of destruction began.
The geographical factor of being located 10,000 meters under the sea actually became an advantage and helped us avoid the aftermath of war.
However, the demons noticed the existence of the Nouvelle Vague and sent troops to this harsh place.
Orca Javert, the war hero of the previous generation who had suppressed the '47 riots' and the current warden of the Nouvelle Vague prison, and the five prison wardens under him worked hard, but the power of the devil could not be stopped.
And while the defeat was deepening, Nouvelle Vague fell for reasons that had nothing to do with the devil.
Most of the guards and prisoners died in the process, and those who survived came to earth with a hatred for demons and joined the Human Alliance Forces or fought demons through their own paths.
'That time will come a little earlier.'
Bikir thought as he chewed the wilted greens.
The fact that the vegetable supply on the ground is already in this state probably means that the situation is deteriorating faster than expected.
at that time.
"You are here."
The chair next to Bikir fell backwards with a loud sound.
Captain Kirko Grimm. Before she knew it, she was sitting next to Bikir.
She regained her health and opened her mouth in a calm voice.
"Obviously, the quality of information you get changes as you get promoted."
"Did you hear anything?"
"The prison warden Orca says he is returning. "Colonel Dordium and Colonel Suare as well."
The 'Big 3' representing Nouvelle Vague.
It is said that they are currently escorting a huge number of prisoners and are heading down here to the Nouvelle Vague.
Countless iron maidens sinking beneath the black waters, how many of them will arrive here at Nouvelle Vague alive?
"Do the guards come on balloon eels?"
"Colonel Dordium and Colonel Soiret would say so. "Director Orca is coming 'in person.'"
"… … directly?"
"yes. "Just like always."
Kirko casually switched to the next topic.
"There is a rumor that among the prisoners coming this time is a great monster."
"What do you think?"
"They tried to assassinate the head of one of the seven great families. It is said that for that crime, he was immediately sent to the Nouvelle Vague without going to trial. "It will probably be moved there as soon as the Level 1 construction is completed."
The arrival of new prisoners was not particularly a concern for Bikir.
"When will Warden Orca and the other two wardens arrive?"
"Even if you can't, I hope you'll arrive within a week."
"The new prisoners will also arrive by then."
Bikir's eyes became cold.
The arrival of new prisoners means that an admission ceremony will soon be held.
The induction ceremony is under the jurisdiction of Lieutenant Colonel Bastille, and Bikir, who has gained his trust, will probably also be selected for the induction ceremony.
If you were going to escape from prison, that was the right time.
This is especially true because the jailbreak that Bikir was envisioning was not the common type of jailbreak where you secretly escape through a hole.
"… … "It's going to be busy."
Bikir stood up, holding the food tray. He had a lot to prepare.
at that time.
Grumble-
As Bikir stood up, Kirko next to him also stood up.
There were still some pieces of black bread and sardines left on her plate.
Bikir said.
"I don't think we're done eating yet, but should we finish?"
"When your boss wakes up, you have to wake up together."
"… … why?"
"Because I am your lieutenant."
Kirko answered as if it were obvious.
Bikir thought for a moment.
Since that day, after receiving the 'Black Tongue's thanks, Kirko has been following Vikir more and more.
We were always on duty together, and we were always together for other minor extra shifts as well.
We were even assigned a room right next door, so the only thing we could do was sleep, shower, and do business in the bathroom, but other than that, we were all stuck together.
I don't know who created the work schedule like this.
'… … 'I have a lot of work to do starting tonight, and if things go on like this, my plans will be disrupted.'
After thinking for a while, Bikir spoke to Kirko.
"so. Are you going to ask me to stay with you tonight?"
Bikir's voice was a little louder than usual.
So some of the guards who were returning the food trays heard that.
Kirko's face turned red, perhaps because he was aware of the wide-eyed gazes of the guards around him.
"Well, what do you mean?"
"That night. "Don't you remember?"
"Oh, it doesn't fly!"
"You definitely said that that night. "I don't want to be alone."
At that moment, Kirko's eyes became fierce.
She spoke clearly, in a low voice, and in an extremely business-like tone.
"Please don't be mistaken just because something like that happened once last time. That day was a day when I was particularly weak both physically and mentally... … ."
"Didn't you say you didn't remember?"
"… … ."
Then Kirko's face turned red up to the tips of his ears.
"I thought it was a dream!"
But her words only encouraged misunderstandings among those around her.
"Oh, no! That's not it! I'm not saying it felt like I was dreaming, but I really thought it was a dream... … ."
Cirko, who was very embarrassed and was making comments to himself, quickly disappeared from the spot.
Only then was Bikir able to cool his head.
The peaceful(?) daily life in Nouvelle Vague is now over.
'The time for the great prison break has come.'
There is not much time left.
Before and after the revolution. An unprecedented chaos will engulf the entire Nouvelle Vague.
A signal of counterattack sent by mankind ahead of the battle of annihilation.
It will brighten the final thorny path that the hunting dog will walk in the future.