novelraw Chapter 23 : Chapter 23
Chapter 23 : Chapter 23
Chapter 23: Alkaz Prison
The cool night air brushed against my skin.
Immediately after receiving Isel's contact, I threw on my coat and rushed out.
I arrived at Gaius Grand Plaza.
This place was a major intersection and landmark of Neustadt.
Being located in the city center, it was easy to find roads connecting to any direction.
The statue of the first emperor, Gaius, caught my eye.
It was also the reason the Grand Plaza was named Gaius.
“…….”
My brow furrowed instinctively.
A group of people gathered beneath the statue of the first Emperor Gaius.
They were protesting while holding messy pickets.
Their shabby attire and haggard appearances were as unkempt as their pickets.
It was clear at a glance that they were from the poor population of the 30th sectors.
They had managed to make their way all the way to the 10th sector.
They were pacifists.
The kind of people who opposed war.
'In other words, they're cowards.'
They were one of the various forms of anti-imperialists.
'In short, instead of spending precious funds on war, they want us to fill their hungry bellies first?'
What was even more ridiculous was the fact that, besides the poor, even well-dressed Imperial citizens were mixed into the crowd.
Protesting against the Empire while greedily accepting the benefits it provides.
They were pampered.
'Do they even know the reality of the Republic?'
The Republic uses magic only as a privilege for the vested interests.
On the other hand, the Empire is different.
The Empire closed off the magic system that was only available to the elite.
To allow everyone to enjoy magical benefits, they sublimated magic into a form of technology and recreated it as Magic Engineering.
It seemed those people could not see the Empire's efforts.
I let out a sigh.
'War is not a simple street fight. It's not something you can just quit at will.'
Complex economic, political, and social interests are intricately intertwined.
Those idiots, who know only one side and not the other, are merely grasping the situation at a surface level.
They likely take pride in being awakened intellectuals.
That fact was what annoyed me the most.
'Should I handle this myself?'
I scanned the surroundings.
Coincidentally, I was currently on an emergency deployment due to the Spark issue.
'There's no need for that.'
I could feel the presence of several figures approaching quietly from nearby.
“Seize them!”
Soon, public power moved.
Military police, arriving from all directions, descended upon the pacifists.
The Grand Plaza turned into a scene of chaos.
“R-Run!”
The protesters scattered in all directions.
“Aagh!”
Some of them were beaten with clubs while fumbling about.
The blood of the foolish was staining the Grand Plaza red.
I watched the scene blankly before turning toward the west side of the plaza.
Sector 17.
The road leading to the trade port.
The pier stretched out to the horizon.
Sailing ships from various places were lined up in abundance.
The giant masts swaying in the wind looked like a forest.
The primary purpose of the trade port is commerce, but it is thoroughly fortified to prevent foreign intrusion and smuggling.
Despite the late hour, the Neustadt trade port was full of active noise.
The shouts of sailors.
Workers carrying various loads.
Fixed cranes created heavy sounds as they lifted large cargo.
The scent of exotic spices brushed the tip of my nose.
I passed the trading post where haggling occurred in various languages of different nations.
Suddenly, the pier became significantly quiet.
It was bleak and silent.
A completely different atmosphere from before.
It was like another world.
“You’ve arrived.”
Isel pushed her back off a pillar and greeted me.
I planned to be with her this time as well.
Since this was an extension of the previous Academy mission.
A high-speed boat was waiting in front of the quiet outer pier.
A 20-ton class Waverunner.
A model focused on mobility.
Being late at night, it was also the only means of transportation that would take us to our destination, Alkaz Island.
“It is an honor to serve you, Prominence Cadet.”
The captain in military uniform and two sailors saluted me stiffly.
One of the sailors reeked of being a new recruit.
Even while saluting, he could not hide his longing gaze toward me.
A face suddenly came to my mind.
The driver who was shot and killed right when I arrived at the Eastern outer front.
Sid.
It was merely a fleeting connection.
Yet, the driver's name still remained in my mind.
I and Isel boarded the Waverunner under the guidance of the sailors.
Dark waves stretched endlessly beyond the horizon.
It looked like a prelude to the dark journey we were about to face.
***
Alkaz Prison.
It was a place notorious for its infamy.
The grave of prisoners.
Many prisoners died here, unable to endure the harsh prison life.
As it handled only serious criminals, the security facilities were quite thorough.
Added to that was the geographical characteristic of being an island, making escape an unthinkable dream.
...That was the established theory.
The reputation of Alkaz Prison had been tarnished.
By Spark.
Only 3 days.
That was the time it took for him to escape Alkaz.
As I and Isel reached the front gate of the prison, the door opened automatically.
Beyond it, prison guards in uniform stood in a row to greet the two of us.
“Thank you for your hard work traveling such a long way at a late hour.”
A middle-aged prison guard stepped forward as a representative and bowed in a low posture.
He was the Warden of Alkaz.
A dark and heavy expression.
Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead.
The other guards also looked visibly tense.
“Truly a grand management system. Releasing a high-treason criminal in just 3 days. How did you set such a great record?”
I spat out sharp words.
All the efforts I made at the academy had gone to waste.
Because of the incompetent humans before my eyes.
“T-That... I have no face to show.”
The Warden, who was about to ramble some excuse, hesitated and shut his mouth again.
'He's not entirely incompetent.'
He likely realized that making excuses at this point would only invite more anger.
“Just show us the way.”
I passed the Warden with a cold remark.
The Warden and guards followed behind him like dogs needing to relieve themselves.
Whirrrrrrr!
'...What?'
Suddenly, a loud alarm sound hit my eardrums.
It happened right after I stepped inside the prison's main gate.
“What is this now?”
I asked with a scowl.
“W-Why is this suddenly ringing? Turn it off at once!”
The Warden scolded the guards in a panic.
“I asked what it is.”
“That... it's the alarm system. Strange. It should have been set to react only to prisoners...”
“Are you treating us like prisoners?”
“H-How could that be! It must be a malfunction. Good grief. This never used to happen...”
Pathetic.
Since it was such a mess, it was likely that Spark was able to escape easily.
As the alarm died down, I slowly scanned the interior of the prison.
The first thing that caught my eye was the defensive wall surrounding the prison's outskirts.
It was a staggering height.
It looked to be at least 20 meters tall.
Above it, octagonal Force Fields were layered.
Their presence was so faint that one would pass by without noticed unless looking closely.
'A familiar form.'
It was a Force Field.
It was draped in a dome shape.
It likely surrounded the entire prison area.
Even if one somehow climbed the 20-meter wall, escape would be impossible.
Because they would be blocked by the Force Field.
That wasn't all.
Even the watchtowers placed everywhere.
I hated to admit it, but the security of Alkaz Prison was quite thorough.
“This is the control room.”
I followed the Warden into the control room of the central main building.
Circular observatories were installed across three walls.
Within them, the entire prison area was projected.
The 'Beholders' installed throughout the prison recorded the scenes in sight in video form and transmitted them in real-time to the observatories in the control room.
In other words, one could monitor the entire prison while sitting still in the center of the control room.
The greatness of the Empire.
“Where was he imprisoned?”
“This way.”
Alkaz Prison was largely classified into three areas.
The central main building where major facilities were concentrated.
The prison blocks where prisoners were kept.
And the solitary confinement area where only the worst criminals were strictly selected and locked up.
'Spark was here.'
I examined the solitary confinement area.
A perfectly circular building.
It was a structure where one could monitor all solitary cells at a glance if standing in the center.
Among the firmly closed cells, there was only one open solitary cell.
It was the cell Spark escaped from.
'This is a full-body restraint. The kind they say is put only on solitary prisoners.'
The full-body restraint remained lonely in the cell like a cast-off skin.
Spark likely shed it and ran away.
Spark possesses the ability to transform into a reptilian monster.
His body after completing the transformation was at a level surpassing humans.
However, the full-body restraints provided to Alkaz are solid enough to withstand even artillery fire.
Becoming a mere lizard wouldn't have allowed him to break this with his own strength.
In the first place, the restraint before my eyes had no traces of damage.
It means it wasn't forcibly broken by power.
It was simply released by the correct method.
“Even when eating or even when using the bathroom, there are no cases where the full-body restraint is released.”
The Warden hurriedly added a supplementary explanation.
'Then is he supposed to just go in his pants?'
...Looking closely, there were holes pierced in the important parts, front and back.
“Furthermore, the full-body restraint is designed with a control device that suppresses mana.”
It would be poison to the Republic's wizards.
Though it would also apply to the Prominence.
Well, since Spark's ability has nothing to do with mana, it's a meaningless function.
'Let's see.'
Mana circuits were designed throughout the solitary cell.
'Is it Graviton?'
Graviton.
A magic that controls the gravity within a space.
'It's not a place for humans to live. The more you resist, the more the gravity in the room will increase.'
In other words, being sent to solitary was no different from a death sentence for a prisoner.
I examined the solitary cell Spark had been in and then cast my gaze toward the wall.
A red inscription was engraved.
It seemed blood was used instead of ink.
Without looking, Spark must have written it.
The guy's sneer seemed to linger in my ears.
That laughter, infinitely light and containing an unpleasant vibration as if burrowing into the ear.
I fell into deep thought after finishing the search of the solitary cell.
'Spark, that son of a bitch, how did he get out?'
This place is hell itself.
No matter how much it was Spark, escaping on his own would have been impossible.
'In other words, there was an accomplice.'
There was no other way to explain it.
“Who is the first witness? The person who first discovered that Spark was gone.”
“...I-It's me.”
At my question, a prison guard hesitantly raised his hand.
“I discovered that his solitary cell was open during patrol.”
It seemed they didn't neglect their guard duty.
It meant they didn't rely entirely on the Beholder system.
...Wait.
Something is strange.
“You discovered it during patrol? Not from the control room?”
Looking up at the solitary area, I could see Beholders installed on the ceiling and high pillars.
They looked like giant eyeballs.
Lenses contained in spheres were moving in real-time, watching the solitary confinement area.
At a glance, it seemed there were no blind spots.
Yet, why did the guards fail to notice Spark's escape?
“At the time, a riot broke out among the prisoners. The momentum was so fierce that most of the guards had no choice but to be mobilized to suppress it.”
This time, the Warden explained.
“So the surveillance couldn't help but be lax?”
My eyes turned fierce.
“...Of course, I know well that it is merely an excuse.”
“I suppose riots aren't frequent? If a gap in the surveillance system occurred because of such a thing.”
“It is an almost rare occurrence... because harsh punishment awaits any prisoner who causes trouble here.”
That rare riot occurred?
Right before Spark escaped?
I smell something.
“Who is the guard who worked in the solitary area when the riot broke out?”
What if that guard knew in advance that a riot would occur?
What if, right after the riot broke out, they released the security devices of the solitary area where Spark was locked up, taking advantage of the chaos?
“It’s the two of us...”
Two guards spoke almost at the same time.
Unless they were fools, they likely realized it too.
That they were in a very difficult situation.
“We didn't do anything!”
I signaled Isel to come closer, leaving behind those who were desperately shouting.
After creating some distance from the guards, I whispered to her in a low voice.
“Interrogate those two.”
“Do you believe they are the accomplices?”
I shook my head.
“Probably not.”
“You think so too, Ered.”
Isel also seemed to agree.
She likely was also unfolding her own reasoning based on the information so far.
“First of all, I don't see signs of lying from them.”
I felt certain inside.
Their eyes were desperately crying out for the truth.
It wasn't just for that reason.
“Looking only at the circumstances, those two are very likely accomplices. Rather, that point bothers me.”
Doing such a thing so openly?
When it's obvious to anyone that they would be suspected?
“Even so, we can't completely exclude them from the list of suspects. So take minimum measures.”
“Understood.”
After finishing the conversation with Isel, I returned to the guards.
A prison guard is an existence who can control the security facilities here.
So naturally, they have to be on the list of suspects...
'...Naturally?'
No.
There is no such thing as a hundred percent in this world.
Could it be that I am missing something important because I'm buried in the facts I considered natural?
'Expand your thinking. Do not exclude any elements.'
I decided to leave those two guards to Isel and focus on something else.
'The riot was said to be an unusual event in this prison.'
Let's focus on that.
“I want to meet the prisoner who led the riot.”
I might find a clue there.
Every incident has a reason.
“That is...”
A pained groan flowed from the Warden's mouth.
“I trust you haven't failed to even identify who led the riot.”
“Of course, I know. However...”
The Warden hesitated for a moment with a grim expression before following up.
“...His whereabouts are currently unknown as well.”
...It just keeps getting worse.
***
Ekano Little.
It was the name of the prisoner who was the ringleader of the riot in question and who had vanished along with Spark.
'Little. I can tell where he’s from just by that.'
I clicked my tongue and read the rest of Ekano's profile.
A boss from the 'Big' gang.
The Big gang expanded its power based on illegal fraudulent gambling and later even laid hands on the drug business.
While gaining fame in the local areas, they tried to expand their reach slowly into Neustadt.
In the process, he was caught and sent to Alkaz.
It was a case of meeting his end while crossing the line without knowing his place.
'Not just Ekano, but even all of his subordinates were caught and brought here.'
I scanned the list of prisoners belonging to the Big gang.
For Ekano, it would have been easy to cause a disturbance since many of his subordinates were here.
'Spark was said to have been locked in solitary immediately after being transferred to the prison.'
On the other hand, Ekano had been in the general prison block the whole time.
It means there wasn't even time to contact Spark.
Yet, how did they collaborate?
'Furthermore, even if two prisoners cooperate, nothing really changes.'
Spark in solitary and Ekano in the general block.
With only their own strength, escape could never be established.
Unless a third party opened the door from the outside.