Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Before the Start of Duties, A Short Meeting
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"Stand up straight."
Dragging my aching waist, I stumble out of the cell like I've been chased away. My body, wrung out to the point of agony, is still screaming in protest, but I can't ignore the guards' orders.
There are plenty of guards who treat us fairly kindly, but some among them are undeniably rough—extremely so.
"...I said, stand straight."
One of them, clad in a crisp uniform, directs her particular prickliness at me. Creep's chokehold on my throat and the brutal slam to my pelvis make it impossible to stand properly, but she doesn't even bother asking why. She just keeps up the attitude.
"Anyone in poor physical condition, raise your hand."
"None hewe~"
Creep drawls out the words with a giggle. The guard glances around briefly, notes no one else, and moves right on to the next step.
"All accounted for?"
"Yeah. No problems."
Confirming that every inmate is present is their primary duty. If the numbers don't add up, or if someone from yesterday is missing today, the whole prison goes on high alert. Guards scramble day and night to hunt down the escapee, and in some cases, they might even call in special forces.
...Or coordinate with other heroes, or so I've heard.
"Clean your assigned areas and keep the living spaces pleasant. Free time after that."
But honestly,
there's one thing that's hard to wrap my head around.
If headcounts are that crucial, they should do roll call over the weekends too.
Yet during those three days I was suffering, the guards hardly showed their faces.
"..."
The answer to that lies in
the CCTVs operating everywhere.
Cell entrances, common areas—even the shower room entrances. Cameras are all over.
With coverage that thorough, they can skip the actual headcounts.
The morning and evening roll calls are just ceremonial at this point—a little show to remind us inmates of the guards' presence and keep the pressure on...
But flipping that around,
it means the guards knew about every bit of violence inflicted on me... and did nothing.
Even while Creep was ravaging me all night long,
the guards took no action whatsoever.
Trusting the prison staff seems like a fool's errand.
That said, it's nagging at me that they can't have completely turned their backs—after all, they handled Acid and Black Owl right away.
"..."
Maybe it was
thanks to Scardi, standing there so stoically in that room at the far end.
If it had just been me speaking up, the incident might've been buried. From the way things look now, no one inside the prison is going to stick their neck out for me.
Which means Scardi's influence runs surprisingly high.
Not just within C Wing, but enough to negotiate directly with the prison administration...
"Crow, you've got a meeting with the Correctional Officer after meals."
"...Yes."
"Head straight there once cleaning's done."
Before I can sort out my thoughts on Scardi, the guard delivers the new info.
Correctional Officer?
The term feels awkward—first time hearing it.
But no need to be stunned.
"Guard" was pretty awkward at first too.
I don't have the full hierarchy figured out yet, but it seems way more streamlined than the ranks you see in dramas. Most of the ones I see around are Guards—the bottom rung—with Correctional Officers and the Warden above them.
There are probably distinctions within the Guards themselves, but I haven't nailed down those details.
What matters to me is that a meeting's scheduled soon with someone above the Guards: a Correctional Officer.
"Hmmm..."
A meeting.
Normally, free time would've meant facing Creep's "retribution" right away.
After choking my neck raw and using me however she pleased, she was still fuming enough to call in her crew.
But thanks to this meeting, I've bought myself a few more hours.
"Have fun coming back~"
Creep makes no secret of her irritation at her plans going off the rails. There's a chilling tremor in her voice at the end.
Knowing full well she'll dump all those mood swings on me,
I deliberately look away.
Looks like today's going to be another rough one.
The Correctional Officer has her own dedicated office where she works. One thing's clear: her authority is even higher than I expected.
"No need for you all to stick around. Return to your posts and make sure the inmates don't cause any trouble."
The guards bow to her with rigid precision. It's not mere respect for rank.
An intense aura radiates from the Correctional Officer. It's not just confidence—it's born from absolute faith in her own strength.
"...Fine, Crow. I'll tell you why I called you here."
I know who she is.
We're not strangers.
First off, my initial impression of this reunion: she gives off the same vibe as Scardi. But somehow more extreme, more intense.
Maybe that's because
Scardi helped me out,
while this one is glaring at me like she wants to kill me on the spot.
"I despise criminals. Especially the trash who possess superpowers that others can only dream of... and still bring ruin to society."
The mood in the room is foul.
Maybe the guards' prickly attitudes have something to do with her.
"You're one of them. Other men lack powers, so they end up as targets. Physical advantages don't mean much once powers emerge, leaving them vulnerable to the worst offenders."
One thing's certain: her negativity is aimed squarely at me.
Our brief history together only makes things worse between us.
"If you knew that, you should've fought for those victims. Instead, you stirred up even greater chaos and wound up here."
I can feel the anger she's barely holding back. No matter how hard she tries to suppress it, traces of it seep into her voice.
It's betrayal.
Betrayal toward me, disappointment, shattered expectations...
"So don't expect any special treatment or sympathy. You're the only man here, and the other inmates have you in their sights—but that's all part of your punishment."
And yet,
I didn't do anything.
I didn't kill the Director.
I'm not the ringleader of the REP project.
"If you get what I'm saying, don't pull any stupid stunts like reporting to the guards. I won't be deploying my people to babysit you anymore. The Warden ordered Acid and Black Owl moved to A Wing, but I know that was your doing. If anything like this happens again, I'll ship you off to solitary or the Special Supervision Wing."
That's why,
cutting through her barrage of harsh words, I declare:
"...Orca, I'm innocent."
Even if the whole world tries to kill me,
I won't back down from claiming my innocence.
"...What?"
"I'm innocent."
The moment the words leave my mouth, an incredulous sneer curls her lips.
"Get out. I've heard enough. And never call me that again, Villain."
A cold, merciless response.
Not all that surprising, really.
I'm a criminal shunned by everyone, and she's a Correctional Officer who lives by her own brand of justice.
"Really. I'm innocent."
"...You're unbelievable."
Even so, I keep asserting my innocence because
in this hellhole, I need to believe in and root for myself, at least.
"Innocent?"
I ignore the crumpled newspapers and photos in the trash bin, the stacks of files about me on the desk.
Whatever the Correctional Officer says doesn't matter anymore. I've been beaten to the brink here already—there's no lower I can sink.
"Not a single innocent soul among the inmates here. You all committed crimes against society, and even now, you're granted more freedom and rights than you deserve."
The air turns ice-cold. Each word sends a chill crawling over my hypersensitive skin.
"And you have the gall to claim innocence..."
It's her superpower. A potent one.
Physical changes leaking out despite her efforts to hold it back.
"Crow, you're a criminal. The worst kind. You deceived everyone and even tried to kill innocent heroes."
"...I never did any of that. I was framed."
To her, I state my innocence as simply and clearly as possible.
Truth be told, maybe I harbored a faint hope she'd listen. That if I spoke sincerely, some sliver of truth might get through.
She was on the side of justice, after all.
Capturing villains for the sake of the citizens, playing a key role in keeping them in line.
"How am I supposed to believe that?"
"Believe it or not, it's the truth. I'm innocent, and someday I'll walk out of here."
Plus, she was strong.
Codename: Orca.
One of the handful of top-tier ability users.
Nature-based power.
Freezing things at will, generating ice however she wants, controlling it freely.
"...Enough. Get out."
"Is that your justice? Punishment doled out based on the emotions of prison staff rather than the weight of the crime?"
It had been ages since I'd seen a power like that,
and right now, I was no better than powerless,
but I had to speak up all the same.
Not just against the villains, but against the guards' prickly attitudes and their piercing glares directed at me.
"..."
And honestly,
deep down, I was hoping she'd throw me in solitary.
The moment I went back, I'd be Creep's plaything again.
But instead, the Correctional Officer walked slowly to the door and locked it.
"It's been a long time since I've been this pissed off."
And then,
she gripped a baton coated in frost.
"Not Orca. Correctional Officer."