I was able to obtain permission to enter the prison without difficulty.
It is a facility that is not open to general tourists. However, the CellbroLogics Lab had pointed out the dangers of prisons from the beginning. Since they had already accepted the operation team as guests, there was no reason to be picky.
'But instead, there was surveillance.'
There was a person who followed me and said he would guide me.
"This bridge is the only road leading to Philstein Prison."
The vehicle drove over a long, stretched-out bridge. This was still the interior of the dome. As you pass over the bridge on the outskirts of the city, a prison isolated from the general area appears.
"When going to prison, or escaping, you have to pass through here. And as you can see, it is strictly managed. Not even a single rat, let alone a person, can enter and exit comfortably."
The gist of it is this:
The prison's security is secure. The stupid criminals and the Legion will never be able to pass the bridge safely. Therefore, your worries are of no use.
"Of course, the Philstein Prison has had its share of controversy since ancient times, as it houses special criminals with extremely dangerous abilities. As far as I know, it is the only facility of its kind on the continent."
"I haven't heard of it myself."
"Yes. There's a lot of talk about it in Korea too. I guess they're feeling uneasy about breathing the same air as criminals inside Wizma's dome. But what I can tell you is, yes."
The guide smiled.
"Since the facility was built, there has never been a case of a criminal being released from Philstein causing trouble. There may have been escape attempts, but they have not reached the public's ears."
"That's great. I hope there won't be any trouble in the future."
"There won't be any. Absolutely not."
He confidently asserts. It can be interpreted as meaning that he is already managing it well, so don't bother poking around unnecessarily. Kim Yi-hyeon let half of the explanation he had finally heard slip away from his mind.
'What is happening now that the Elder is fighting with the Legion?'
For him, who knew the inside story very well, it was a laughable remark.
No matter how strong the external defenses are, if the inside is corrupted, it is meaningless. With the cooperation of the elders, the Legion can easily reach the prison. The same goes for escape.
"well."
The guide glanced at Kim I-hyeon at his ambiguous response.
"Is there anything absolute in the world?"
From the beginning, there was a high possibility that the guide was a servant of the Legion, just like the elder. It was quite funny. It was already a situation where an outsider named Kim Lee-hyun was heading to prison with the help of a spy.
Despite the harsh words I had uttered, surprisingly, there was no complaint in return. The guide simply smiled broadly. It was difficult to read his intentions from his expression.
Silence fell and an awkward atmosphere formed. Asterike, sitting in the backseat, had a hard time swallowing the sigh that was about to burst out.
The anticipated date started off badly.
* * *
The Philstein prison differs from the image we usually imagine in many ways. First of all, the structure. Instead of straight corridors, the cells are arranged in a circle around a central pillar.
The colors are also unique. There is white everywhere. It is a clean color that does not seem like a prison. Not only the walls, but also the prisoners' clothes are mostly white.
The chokers around their necks were also familiar to Kim I-hyeon.
A precision device that reacts to the substance secreted when casting a spell. If the ability is used without permission, poison is injected. It was an invention of the century that pulled out the teeth of wild beasts.
The building was permeated with a strong chemical smell. The information received through the five senses clearly showed what kind of facility this was.
"It's more like a research lab than a prison."
"It is not a misconception."
The guide readily agreed with the statement that implied, or almost confirmed, the possibility of human experimentation. Instead, he confidently raised his finger and pointed to a group of people on the third floor railing.
Men and women in gowns drinking coffee. It doesn't seem like it fits the word prison very well. However, it matches well with the place like a painting.
"They are researchers. They are the second most common occupation in this Philstein prison after the prisoners."
"Isn't being a prisoner your profession?"
"That's what they say. And there's no denying that the presence of prisoners is actually helpful. The research in the ivory tower is profound and has many unusual aspects. It requires funding, facilities, excellent personnel, and... various samples to advance and verify the research."
The guide shrugged.
"Do you feel rejected?"
"Not really."
It wasn't a lie. I don't feel pity or disgust. Even in a time when ethics were stricter than now, Kim Yi-hyun never cared about the human rights of criminals.
'It's not that it's refreshing, though.'
That's just how it is. If people are treated as experimental animals for personal gain, it is disgusting. But the cause that the ivory tower advocates is so great that anyone in modern times can sympathize with it.
There are many researchers who struggle between the dignity of life and a sense of mission in order to popularize and develop spells and contribute to human society. They are certainly great people worthy of emulation.
The problem is that the world is not always beautiful.
"Perhaps the vanguard of the Legion is inside here."
"Are you going to interrogate the researchers?"
"No way. What did I say?"
The guide, who was one of the people who proved the ugliness of the world, stared at Kim Yi-hyeon. In front of his sharp gaze, Kim Yi-hyeon made a brazen request.
"I'd like to have a conversation with the prisoners."
"With the inmates…?"
"You never know. There might be a prisoner connected to the Legion."
"That makes sense, but what can we do about it?"
He asks as if he really doesn't understand.
"The prison is completely isolated from the outside world. It is an environment where information cannot be leaked, and even if prisoners are incited to riot, they are quickly suppressed. As long as the restraints are functioning, prisoners are infinitely helpless."
"Who cares? I don't really have any concerns about the defense of this place. However... "
Kim Lee-hyun said, recalling a man's face.
"Even dog poop has its uses."
The careful observation wasn't that uncomfortable. It didn't matter whether the Legion's spies were watching him with their eyes wide open. Since we had the initiative, it didn't matter.
There is no room for interference. The episode in Ishrad will proceed as Kim I-Hyun leads.
From beginning to end, literally.
* * *
The work of the border checkpoint is basically leisurely. First, it includes immigration inspection, customs and quarantine, and communication with border guard posts, and reporting to the home country.
Most of the reports coming in are 'nothing unusual'. In the past, there were many people crossing the border for business, tourism, and other purposes, but as I said, that is a thing of the past.
"Swoop, hoohoo."
It was a story that didn't really resonate with Nice, the guard at the checkpoint. Even if an old man living in the past were to speak passionately while spitting, it would just disappear like cigarette smoke.
Anyone would have done that.
It has been more than 40 years since exchanges between countries became less frequent.
If he was 20 at the time, he would be well over 60 now. If he hadn't quit his job, he would be in a high-ranking position. It's highly unlikely that he's still in the field.
Neither Nice nor any of his colleagues remember a time when this place was bustling with people. They just pass the time by doing their work neatly so as not to be criticized from above.
But today felt different.
"Oh, ohhh...!"
"Ouch. It happened, it happened. Hit it."
"What the heck? Why are you so good at fighting today?"
"You went out yesterday and went to Shindan to see a ritual."
The colleagues sighed and scattered the pieces haphazardly. The pieces rolled around chaotically on the old mahjong table. Board games like this were spread out in the employee break room.
Since the visits from abroad stopped, things have piled up. The employees used to play board games to kill time and decide on major and minor issues related to daily life, such as laundry and meal duties.
It's a kind of tradition that goes on at checkpoints.
And Nice was always a bottom-tier team. I thought to myself dozens of times a day that it was disgusting how they were passing off their own work to things like winning or losing a game.
"Hehehe, where is that dog barking?"
Now that I've won, I know. The sweetness of victory. I felt refreshed and had a good bowel movement in the morning, so I thought maybe it was a lucky day. How nice it would be if every day were like today.
It was definitely an unusual day.
Unusual things happened one after another.
- A vehicle will be arriving shortly. The vehicle type is an off-road SUV, license plate number AC-110-EB. It appears to be a standard Harenhall type.
It's been a while since I've been back to work. Nice greeted the visitor with a rifle on his shoulder. Just as he had been told, a dull-colored SUV arrived at the checkpoint.
The car window in front of the barrier rolls down. Five people are confirmed. Four are wearing old jackets, and only one is particularly well-dressed.
'Woman? You're tall when sitting.'
It was a tall woman riding in the passenger seat.
A fedora and a coat. The side profile gave off a very cold impression. At first glance, it seemed like he was of noble status, but at the same time, he felt somewhat alien and inhuman.
"What brings you here?"
The answer to the question came from the mouth of the man sitting in the driver's seat.
"For tourism purposes."
"Tourism… you say?"
"Yes. We've been wandering around here and there, but we recently heard some mysterious rumors. We couldn't contain our curiosity, so we came here."
Mysterious rumors.
I know what it means. The story of the 'Shin-dan' in the capital has been famous since long ago. Before the continent became like this, tourists would come in like a flood every year for the Shin-dan.
But things are different in modern times.
Disasters and monsters. Tourists have all but dried up, and lawbreakers have mushroomed. It is impossible to blindly believe that their intentions are pure.
"If you have a passport or other form of identification, please present it and all five of you please get out of the car. We will search your belongings, trunk, and interior."
"hmm."
The driver stared at Nice silently for a moment, then turned his head to the passenger seat. What should I do? a voice asked. The man nodded, saying he knew when he had answered.
Nice sensed a strange ominousness in the series of events.
"I say it again. Please get out of the car."
He took three steps back, lowered the strap around his shoulders, and took hold of the rifle with both hands.
A warning, not a recommendation. Sharp eyes like a hawk were glaring at the intruders. The colleagues who had been watching, perhaps sensing the mood, also approached one by one.
The man who had been so happy about winning a board game was nowhere to be seen. Although he was often lazy, Nice was generally quick-witted and knew how to be serious when necessary.
These were the qualities that his recently married wife also praised. She said she fell in love with his meticulous consideration and the serious side he sometimes showed. It was also Nice's social skills.
It's a way of life, so to speak. And, it's useless in the face of violence.
Swish.
The woman in the passenger seat raised her hand. Her hand was so pale that it was almost white. Nis's eyes were instantly drawn to it. A dark red mucus began to form at the tip of her long index finger.
'Spell!'
Before Nice could react, the mucus swelled. It resembled a long-necked monster from a horror story. In an instant, it flew out the car window and literally swallowed Nice's head.
Crack, crack!
The headless body convulsed and fell down helplessly. Blood burst out like a fountain and soaked the car. The history and future of a human being disappeared into nothingness.
"This is crazy…!"
The unexpected disaster was shocking.
As the guards at the checkpoint aimed their guns, the monster that had chewed up the varnish rose up. It leapt up with a spring-like movement and latched onto the face of its next target.
Bang! Bang bang!
"Save me, aaaaaaah!"
The overlapping gunshots and screams gradually lessened. The driver wiped the blood off his cheek with the back of his hand. He, who had been watching the massacre, opened his mouth.
"Godmother. It may be too late, but is it okay to do this from the beginning?"
"Is there any reason why it shouldn't be okay?"
"The target might escape."
"If you don't give me a chance to do that, that's the end of it."
"You're not even in good health, so if you overdo it...."
The man's mouth snapped shut. A small tremble occurred in his godmother's hand. The slight reaction was enough to make him realize that he had just crossed the line.
"It was a slip of the tongue."
"Let's go."
"yes."
I took the wheel again. Suddenly, the screams were no longer heard. Instead, the multiplied Metunaps were leading their grotesque bodies in search of new prey.
The destruction began quietly here.