Expecting to Fall into Ruin, I Aim to Become a Blacksmith 114

My first day in prison.

They serve free meals here. There is also a bed. But it is underground, and I don't like that there no sunlight.

Sometimes a person I know will come to visit.

It is Nuno. What I like about his visits is that he brings light. That is all. Really, that is all.

"Yesterday, if we had continued to fight. Which of us would have won?"

His talks are so boring.

I roll around in bed and converse with Nuno, who comes to have boring conversations.

"I would. You're hardly a match for me."

"Then you should have, then you could have gone to see the boss."

"That's because I didn't come to fight. I just wanted to see him."

"I see. I am still talking with Tristana about how to deal with you. So don't think of escaping. If you do, we will execute you without question."

"Heh. Can you really?"

This place really causes you to lose heart.

After Nuno left, I seriously considered escaping.

On my second day of imprisonment.

The food came on time again. It's pretty tasty, so I thought that I wouldn't escape just yet.

Boring Nuno has not visited me today.

Instead, some short guy came to visit.

I saw him through the dim light when he came down the stairs, but he was wearing a coat and a hood.

Unlike Nuno, he did not bring a light with him. But it was so dark that you could barely see your own feet. Was he alright?

And why had he come down here?

He sat down in front of my cell.

"What are you doing?"

"Woahhh!!?!?!"

He looked like he was about to die of shock when I spoke to him.

"There is someone in there?"

"Yes, I was caught yesterday and thrown in here. That voice, you are neither Nuno or Tristana."

"Hm? Ah, yes, I am neither. So, you were caught by them. Are you an a.s.sa.s.sin?"

"No, I am not. I'm just being kept in here temporarily."

"Oh, that's too bad. But there are so many a.s.sa.s.sins, and you cannot be too careful. Don't hate us too much."

"I don't. The food is delicious. And if it gets too bad, I'll just escape."

"Hmph, you're very confident. Oh, I shouldn't even be talking to you."

"Oh? You didn't come here to see me?"

"Indeed. I have some other business."

He moved away from my cell and continued to walk on.

I couldn't see him at all after he took several steps. There was only a little light that leaked from the upper floors, and so I couldn't see very far away.

"Were you just letting your eyes get used to the darkness?"

"Exactly."

He said from a short distance away.

I couldn't see him, but your voice echoed well down here, so I could hear him clearly.

"Is there a reason that you aren't using a light?"

"There is. You know what the company is doing here, don't you?"

"No, I don't."

"Huh? Oh, really? That's unusual."

I couldn't see him, but I could tell that he was taken aback. I'm sorry, but I had little understanding of what was common knowledge!!

"We sell medicinal herbs. And other healthy diet products. And we've been spreading towards other fields recently."

"Hmmm."

"You don't seem very interested. Well, that is fine. Every floor of this tower is developing these products. And it also functions as an exchange. But production happens in a different location."

"Hmmm."

"You really don't care. Well, this bas.e.m.e.nt is the exception. After all, you can't plant any herbs down here, as it gets no sunlight."

"So that is why it is a prison. And also a storage room I suppose?"

"Yes, but we've recently been trying to create new varieties. Seeds that don't need the sun, or hate light. If that goes well, we will be able to produce them in more locations."

"That's amazing."

"Oh? You are finally interested then?"

Both of us could only hear each other, but it almost felt like we were enjoying a conversation face to face. I got along with this guy. That's what I thought.

"It's strange. I generally hate people, but it feels natural to talk with you."

"I was thinking the same thing."

"I hope that you are proved innocent soon, and are able to get out."

"I agree. But do you know anything about the boss here? I came here to find that out."

"Well, yes, of course, I know."

"What kind of person is this boss?"

"What kind… Not very friendly."

"The boss hates people too. That seems pretty bad for the company."

"I suppose."

The boss and employees hated people. And many of them were fighters. This company was weird.

"Anything else? What do you know?"

"Hmmm, what do you want to know? I know a lot about the boss, so you can ask me anything."

The unexpected answer came from the dark.

This was surprising luck. My guess is that they got along due to both hating people, and he rose to a high position.