“……Hopeless.”
The manor at the center of Isvall.
Beneath it was a holding cell for criminals.
But the Kobolds who made up most of the town’s population were thoroughly law-abiding.
No crime had ever been committed, which made Chili the cell’s first occupant.
“Escape isn’t possible.”
The interior was solid stone on every side.
The iron bars were brand new and wouldn’t budge no matter how hard she pushed.
The guard was a golem — unlike a person, it would never let its attention slip.
As an Ashcat operative, she knew several methods of breaking out of confinement. None of them seemed applicable here.
“How are you feeling?”
While Chili was turning her options over, Makina arrived.
The moment she saw that face, Chili’s expression went rigid.
Makina — against whom her refined technique and curse toxin had been completely useless — had become a symbol of dread to her.
“……What do you want?”
“I’ve brought your evening meal.”
Makina held out a tray with bread, stew, and fruit.
——Another extravagant spread.
Chili furrowed her brow with a complicated expression.
She’d expected prison food to be moldy bread and watery soup at best — but the meals she’d been receiving here were remarkably good.
“Is there something behind this?”
“Behind what?”
“Food like this — it’s not something you normally give a prisoner.”
Makina tilted her head as if the question puzzled her.
From her perspective, the meals were somewhat generous but completely ordinary.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you mocking me?”
“I’m not sure I follow……Regardless, please eat while it’s warm.”
Chili ate the delivered meal slowly.
Then another shock found her.
“This meat……is this Giant Bear?”
“You have a good palate. That’s exactly right.”
Giant Bear was called a territorial lord-monster in some regions — a formidable quarry.
Taking one down required a skilled adventurer party of C-rank or above.
Its meat was accordingly a luxury ingredient, the kind served at noble tables in the kingdom.
Certainly not the kind of thing you gave to a prisoner.
——Is this a demonstration? Showing me in plain terms how much power this city has?
The thought hit her, and Chili felt a chill that surprised her.
What kind of enemy had she made?
A city existing in the Great Forest had already exceeded her imagination in every way.
Beyond the maid who’d overwhelmed her without effort, there might be further strength she hadn’t seen.
“Oh — did you not enjoy it?”
“……It was delicious.”
“I’m glad. I’ll continue to rely on your palate.”
As it happened, part of what Chili was served was also served to Viktor.
Makina, having no sense of taste herself, had decided to put Chili’s palate to practical use as a food taster.
A prisoner with no say in the matter was ideal — no complaints regardless of how the food turned out.
Chili, however, went pale.
“……I see. A prisoner with poison resistance — a perfect tasting slave. Now I understand why the food is so good.”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing……”
Eating lavish meals every day in a dark underground cell — meals that might or might not contain poison.
In a certain sense, that was worse than torture.
Because there was absolutely no way to know when it might kill her.
Perhaps ten days from now. Perhaps a month.
Perhaps she would live out her natural life.
Torture that ends if you endure it — the fear was a categorically different kind.
“Your color is poor. Are you alright?”
“……Fine. No problem.”
“Are you certain? If you’re genuinely suffering, please don’t hesitate to say so.”
Makina leaned in to look at Chili’s face as she said it.
Naturally, it was out of concern for her condition — but.
In her state of barely contained dread, Chili interpreted it as something else entirely.
If you’re suffering, I’ll put you out of it myself.
And to make things worse, at that exact moment, she happened to notice the knife Makina was carrying at her side.
“…………I surrender. I’ll tell you everything.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everything I know — I’ll share it all. I won’t resist. I’ll accept a binding spell if you want.”
Chili prostrated herself fully, expressing complete submission.
At this point, loyalty to the Ashcat was not a consideration.
The Ashcat had always controlled its members through fear.
Faced with something that surpassed even that fear, betrayal was the only option left.
In a sense — the limit of fear as a form of control.
“……I don’t fully follow, but I take your meaning. I’ll bring Lord Viktor.”
“Thank you.”
Makina accepted Chili’s sudden declaration of surrender, though she wasn’t entirely sure what had caused it.
Chili’s expressions throughout hadn’t looked like deception.
And so Viktor was summoned to the cell and told the whole story from start to finish.
He murmured quietly when it was done.
“……I can see why she’d get the wrong idea. But I suppose things worked out.”
And so Viktor and the others obtained from Chili everything she knew about the Ashcat.