Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Smooth Escape and Identity
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Thank goodness I was able to convince Diena to join the jailbreak.
In a way, this was thanks to Mary and Emily's help.
Considering Diena's reaction in the cafeteria, it wouldn't have been easy to even approach her.
Anyway, with her on board, all that's left is to escape from here.
'Honestly, I don't want to stay here long.'
A prison is that kind of place from the start.
A space where you're stuck with people who don't want to be there, all for the sake of reformation.
Of course, in a society that just indefinitely locks away prisoners who don't seem reformable, it's the most hellish place imaginable.
That's prison.
It had only been two days since we arrived, but the environment was already so harsh that I wanted to head back to the academy.
"Mmm... Ken... hee hee."
Rapne, who was lying on the first floor of the bunk bed in our cell with me, clung tightly to my neck and giggled.
She seemed fine with anywhere, as long as she was with me.
She grumbled a bit, but she slept peacefully through it all.
'Still, I don't want to leave Rapne in a place like this for long.'
Anyway, the goal was the quickest escape possible.
So, what would be the best way to break out?
Standard jailbreak methods.
The first thing that comes to mind is chopsticks or a spoon.
It's a classic: digging out bricks behind the bed or a poster with something like a spoon handle.
Then tunneling through to the other side of the wall like a mole.
'But that's not feasible.'
From what I'd heard, most prison facilities used special barriers to absorb physical damage.
Communal areas like the showers didn't have those measures, though.
Even so, digging through a shower wall would get us caught immediately.
"Hmm..."
Try as I might, I couldn't come up with a solid idea on my own.
"Digging through the walls is probably tough, right?"
So the next morning at breakfast, I held a meeting with Diena in the corner of the cafeteria.
She was now part of our jailbreak crew.
Her knowledge from the longest time spent here would surely help.
"Hmm... Can't we just smash everything?"
Rapne, listening from the side, muttered as if it were the strangest thing.
From the perspective of the strongest fighter, she couldn't understand why we weren't just busting out.
"It's not just about getting out—we have to live safely afterward. ...If we cause a commotion escaping, the guards will chase us right away, right?"
"Couldn't Adrian handle that somehow?"
"...Hmm."
Adrian, as a prince of the realm, could probably let us go with a single order.
But we were escaping with Diena.
She was a major criminal with at least fifty years left on her sentence.
If Adrian's command could stop a pursuit after she broke out with us, they wouldn't have locked us up in the first place.
So smashing everything was off the table.
"Hmm, so you want a quiet escape, right?"
Diena, who'd been listening to our discussion, smiled brightly and asked.
"The best way is stealing a guard's keys... Hmm."
She crossed her arms and fell into thought.
...Wait, keys?
"If we have the keys, can we escape? What about the watchtowers?"
"Hehe, I've been here long enough to know. With the keys, we can unlock the doors and slip out without getting caught."
Diena answered confidently, then sighed regretfully.
"But stealing a guard's keys isn't easy. Even if we manage it, they'll notice right away."
"......"
Rapne and I exchanged blank looks at her words.
"Huh?"
Only Diena tilted her head, oblivious to what our glances meant.
I see.
It really hit me how much easier a jailbreak is when the guards are on your side.
In all those prison break movies I'd seen, guards were always the enemy.
Obstacles blocking the escape.
That's why they had to dig tunnels and struggle so hard.
'Adrian, you had it all planned out.'
I'd wondered why he put Emily in as a guard, but it was a smart move.
"Keys?"
"Yeah, just lend them for a bit."
During cleanup time after that, I whispered to Emily, who was supervising.
This was a good time—prisoners and guards were busy with their tasks, easy to slip out of sight.
"Here."
Jingle.
Emily casually dropped the keyring into my hand.
"Hey!"
I immediately snapped the keys in half.
"Aaaah! W-what are you doing, Ken! I'll get in trouble!"
"It's fine, Emily. I'll fix them right away."
"...Huh?"
Then I used mana to fuse the broken pieces back together.
Checking the crafting skill category afterward, I grinned.
"Emily, can I borrow all the keys for the doors here?"
"...You're not going to break and fix each one, are you?"
Her incredulous stare nailed it exactly.
Repair wasn't limited to weapons anyway.
In daily life, things that break aren't just weapons.
Farm tools, kitchen utensils—real life has more of those than arms.
And my crafting repair skill handled exactly that.
Plus, I could duplicate anything I'd repaired once.
Afterward, Emily and I moved to a secluded corner out of sight and collected every key from the exit onward.
Vrrr.
Finally repairing the last broken set.
"Emily, can we do a prisoner meeting right now?"
"Now?"
"Yeah, me, Rapne, and Diena—three of us."
Preparations were done; now we needed timing and a post-escape plan.
Time for a meeting.
。 。 。
The execution time was set for dawn, when all prisoners were asleep.
We were unlocking doors and walking out.
If other inmates saw, it'd cause a uproar.
So I lay in bed waiting until everyone was out.
"...Rapne, do you really have to cling like that?"
Even then, Rapne wrapped her arms around my neck, staring at me with sparkling eyes full of determination not to let go.
"But thinking this might be the last time makes me a little sad."
"When we get back to the academy, I'll hug you plenty."
"Tch, but then you won't be the soft Ken. ...Though the firm Ken's nice too."
Words that could be misinterpreted in so many ways.
Anyway, Rapne seemed reluctant to lose her chance to hug me as a girl soon, so she held on tight one last time.
...Sometimes the female transformation was fine.
No, lately I'd been too accommodating to my fiancées' tastes.
I needed to hold back on SM or yuri stuff.
If they desperately wanted it, I'd do it, but no need to push it like I craved it.
"Zzz..."
Time passed, snores filling the air from the other inmates.
Mary soon arrived at our cell door, signaling everyone was asleep.
Creeeak...
After that, it was simple.
I unlocked our cell with my duplicated keys, then Diena's.
Her roommate couldn't come, so Rapne knocked her out and I bound her with chains I'd made.
"Amazing, Ken! Duplicating keys with crafting skills? We won't get caught for sure!"
"E-eh, no need to praise me that much... hehe."
"Ken, your lip's twitching."
No one hates praise.
Of course, this was all thanks to Emily and Mary infiltrating as guards.
Without them, it'd have been messier, like causing chaos to escape.
Like Guardians of the Galaxy 1, full of commotion.
We couldn't have slipped out this fast without that.
We met Emily at the building entrance and followed Diena's lead to the main gate.
True to her palace terrorism plans, she had a knack for facility layouts.
"Diena, what are you planning after we get out?"
"W-what?!"
Why was her face turning red? It wasn't that weird a question.
"N-no, once I'm out, I can just live normally, right?"
I hoped she'd never do terrorism again.
In our short time, she seemed nicer than her crimes suggested.
Sorry Adrian, but she probably had grievances with the palace.
Nations are full of that.
"Just curious what you'd do."
I asked carefully on the way to the gate.
This hidden route dodged the watchtower guards perfectly.
Fine for chit-chat.
Diena glanced back, cheeks flushed.
"H-how about a wise wife and loving mother?"
"Oh, Diena's into that too?"
"N-no, not set in stone, but I'll try... hehe."
She twirled her orange ponytail like a tail, grinning bashfully.
Hmm, no idea who, but she had a guy outside she liked.
'If she marries and lives peacefully, that's a relief.'
I relaxed.
After breaking out together, if she terrorized again, I'd be in hot water.
"I could be a good wife too."
"Me too, me too."
Suddenly competitive, Rapne and Emily chimed in heatedly.
Diena's aspiration had fired them up.
Mary clung to my arm last, smiling sweetly.
"Then I'll go earn money once we're out. With Ken."
"Ah! Mary, no fair!"
"T-then I'll work too! One housewife's enough!"
Rapne and Emily, sensing Mary's niche market play, switched tactics.
Hmm, but having my girls work felt off.
I'm pretty old-fashioned.
Would rather not have my wife working if possible.
Watching their friendly bickering, Diena tilted her head.
"You four are really close. Figured from the cooperation, but still."
Rapne, hanging on my back, answered.
"Yeah, 'cause all three of us are Ken's fiancées."
"...Huh?"
Two nodded, Diena looked shocked.
"Th-three of you, the ones you mentioned before..."
Why no questions about me being a girl?
She's surprisingly open-minded.
As shocked Diena turned to us, we reached the prison outer wall hole.
A collapse from past heavy rain, unrepaired.
We slipped through one by one and escaped.
After trekking to the nearby forest, we sighed in relief at our success, smiling together.
"Ahh~, being a guard was fun. Should've done a few more days."
"I'm glad it ended quick. Too harsh for you and Rapne."
Tension eased, they laughed leisurely, chatting.
Diena hesitated, glancing at me.
Seemed like she had something to say.
But I had something for her first.
About the magic sword info.
Escape success—time for the original plan.
As I opened my mouth to ask the wary Diena—
"Still a bit sad for me. No more girl Ken."
Rapne hugged me tight.
"...Girl?"
Diena flinched, head tilted.
Emily nodded next.
"Right, right. Girl Ken's so cute. Wouldn't mind occasional changes."
"Dating as four girls wouldn't be bad."
Mary blushed faintly in agreement.
Hmm, didn't expect them to love my female form this much...
Made me rethink occasional girl time.
But.
"Eh? Huh? W-what are you three talking about?"
Diena looked flustered, staring at us, then me.
Her eyes trembled.
"Oh, right, you don't know."
Rapne laughed at her confusion, removed her pendant, and—
"Here, like this."
—put it around my neck.
A soft glow emanated; the pendant lifted the female curse, reverting me to male.
"Good thing the prison uniform fits."
As Emily said, mismatched size would've been trouble.
Fortunately, the loose fit worked for male me too.
"Wha—what, whaa...?"
Diena, watching, chattered her teeth like she'd seen a dragon.
"Oh, right, no explanation yet? I'm Ken Fineshtein. Had to be a girl temporarily for reasons... Huh?"
I understood the shock, so I started slow.
But.
"N-no... I hate it..."
"...Hate what?"
More shocked than I'd thought, she hung her head, shaking it.
Confused, I reached out gently—
"This is a lieeeee━!!!"
She spun and bolted.
Huh? Feels like déjà vu.
"...Ken, did you do something? She's really shocked."
Emily sidled up, recalling a similar experience.
No clue at all.