The Punishment Hall (5)
The Punishment Hall (5)
Monica, the head warden of the Punishment Office, immediately headed for Cellblock 5. A large-scale prisoner escape.
By the time she arrived, the scene was already a mess. Guards and prisoners were tangled together in what could only be called chaos.
The security alarm had gone off late in the first place. With most of the prisoners already escaped, it had only been triggered because one prisoner made a mistake and got caught.
All the thick iron bars had been opened, and the vicious criminals were gathered in the central common area, trying to break out of the Punishment Office.
Even since the First Punishment Office was established, this was an extraordinary incident. Monica ground her teeth.
"Rupes, you son of a—!"
It was definitely him. There was no other explanation but that he had screwed up!
It was only a hypothesis, but for now, calming the situation was the right move rather than giving in to boiling rage.
"You bastards!"
"Get down! I said get down, you shits!"
The common area was already a disaster. Shouting and screaming ran rampant.
"I said get the fuck down!!!!"
The guards shouted. They brought their suppression batons down on the prisoners. The sound of skin splitting open burst out from all directions.
"Agh! Agh!"
"Hold the line!!"
The prisoners resisted. Some even turned on the guards and attacked them.
The prisoners had the numerical advantage. Even with restraints on, every prisoner locked up here was a vicious criminal.
On top of that, the ratio of guards to prisoners was nearly one to ten. Overwhelmed by sheer numbers, the guards were struggling no matter what they did.
"You fucking pricks!"
"You wanna die?!"
"Go ahead and try killing us!"
"Being locked up in this shithole—fuck! I'd rather die!"
"Break through! You bastards! Throw your bodies at them!"
"Push!!!!"
The guards blocking the only exit swayed. A guard who took a punch and went flying slammed his nose into Monica's chest.
"W-Warden Monica! I'm sorry."
"...Seal the entrance. Don't let a single one slip through."
Monica let out a sigh. Why was it?
The quality of the guards was dropping by the day. No matter how large-scale the riot...
Being pushed back by restrained prisoners? The guards of the First Punishment Office?
"...What is wrong with kids these days?"
In the end, she had no choice but to step in herself.
Monica let the whip at her waist hang loose.
Fwip.
"...Huh?"
A prisoner was slammed into the ground by the whip coiled around his neck. Blood burst from his crushed nose, and his head trembled violently, as if the shock had been severe.
Monica retrieved the whip. She struck the ground threateningly. A sharp crack skimmed across the floor.
"Everyone return to your original cells."
"Sh-she's already here... Monica..."
"Oh, fuck...!"
The prisoners hesitated. A few who lacked any sense charged at her.
Most of them were new arrivals. Prisoners who hadn't been here long.
"You fucking bitch!"
"I was gonna make you my bitch someday...!"
"Grab her! Pin her down!!"
"Hey, hey!!!"
"Are those lunatics insane?!"
"Did you morons eat your common sense for breakfast?!"
Monica sighed.
Irredeemable vulgarity.
The hand gripping the whip moved.
"You're all subject to punishment."
The whip curved like a snake. Spikes jutted out from every segment of the whip, wreathed in flame-clad Sacred Power.
Even a graze meant severe injury. A tool designed to flay skin and inflict nothing but pain.
CRACK!!!!
The bodies of five prisoners were flayed simultaneously.
Torn skin dropped to the floor. Bursting fountains of blood soaked the ground.
"Aaaagh!!!!!"
"Ah... aaaah...?!"
"This... this is fucked..."
Screams echoed. Every prisoner's steps came to an abrupt halt.
Faces stained with terror. Bodies frozen, shuffling backward.
Ahh.
Monica trembled. She brought her fingers to her face.
Even if they were irredeemable trash, the feel of it was real. The pleasure of flaying skin. Legal reformation that scattered blood!
"Haaaah..."
With the excited breath she let out, her ice-cold expression melted.
The always-diligent head warden's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
"Any more?"
At her almost seductive tone, the prisoners quietly dropped to their knees on the floor.
There were, as ever, certain types in this world you should never pick a fight with.
And first among them was a lunatic bitch pretending to be normal!
"...Hmph."
Monica withdrew the whip with a hint of disappointment. The spikes jutting from the thorned whip retracted back out of sight.
Her flushed expression also cooled in an instant. The head warden, composed once more, gave her orders.
"Check the roster. Confirm no one got out, then put every prisoner back in their cell. Don't forget to set their restraints to level 10."
"Y-yes, ma'am! Understood, Warden Monica!"
Fortunately, the central corridor hadn't been breached. Most likely, no one had escaped.
Still, just in case, Monica worked with the other guards to shove the prisoners back into their cells and verify the count.
"...Hm?"
Monica blinked. She raised her head and checked again.
One was missing. Monica stepped inside the empty cell.
"Are you sure all the prisoners were put back properly?"
"Y-yes. That's right."
"......"
Monica glanced back. It was certain. No one could have gotten out through the central corridor, which was the only way out of the Punishment Office.
The only person she had run into was Warden Rupes. She hadn't seen anyone else.
"...When did the riot start?"
"I-it was during the prisoner headcount, the one every thirty minutes. A guard who was being transferred to the infirmary got grabbed by a prisoner and had his keys stolen..."
"Who was the prisoner?"
"W-we didn't hear that much..."
Monica placed her hand on a large poster stuck to the wall. A photo spread of a handsome man.
But she could feel it. This wasn't just a poster. There was wind blowing from behind it.
A sensation you could never feel from a solid wall.
"...Ah. Seriously."
Monica rubbed her face. She ripped the poster off roughly.
The wind gusted out.
A tunnel.
A hole dug by a prisoner, connecting to the surface, lay right before her eyes.
"This is insane."
The riot had been a diversion. The prisoner who dug the tunnel must have released the other prisoners on purpose to buy time for her escape.
"The one who was in here... Evelyn, was it? The female murderer with abnormally strong grip strength?"
"Y-yes! That's right!"
"She must have dug the tunnel with her fingers. But she definitely should have been wearing restraints..."
Monica yanked open the wardrobe. The removed restraints lay inside, tossed carelessly.
Restraints that could never be removed alone. But the fact that they had been removed anyway... meant someone had done her a favor.
She's a decent-looking woman. Did she seduce a guard? No. That couldn't be. Guards mostly worked in pairs of two, so unless she seduced both at once, it was too risky. And the guards managing the women's cellblock were all women anyway.
In that case, the suspect with the highest probability was...
The man she had happened to witness coming out of Cellblock 5.
Warden Rupes, who held the master key.
"...Warden Rupes... that bastard really... lost his head over a woman... and took the restraints off a murderer...?"
Monica, her fury at its peak, walked into the tunnel. She turned and glared at the guards.
"I'll pursue her alone. I don't need backup. Until I return, take orders from Warden Cynthia. And immediately report everything that happened here to the Director."
"W-Warden Monica!"
"Even so, chasing an escaped murderer alone is dangerous!"
"I'll have to run hard. And none of you could keep up with me anyway."
If the murderer escaped, there was only one place she would go.
The nearest small city, a place called Filamon, famous for its hot springs.
She was a heinous murderer. She had to be caught immediately, before civilian casualties occurred.
She'd have to run faster than a horse. Monica began crawling up the tunnel.
Please.
Please, don't let me be too late.
. . .
"So... when it comes to food... me?"
"Yeah. Who else is here besides you?"
The woman licked her lips.
"You even wore thin clothes, nice and easy to eat. Want to take them off and let big sis have a taste? Or should I strip you myself?"
".......?"
Well, I mean.
I am a man, after all. Sure. Maybe this kind of situation could be nice.
But no matter how I looked at it, the situation was off. And wasn't Maya watching?
Besides, I'm not the kind of guy who gets horny for just any woman. Unfortunately, I do have my principles, you see.
I genuinely don't want to do it with a woman I don't like.
And that prison uniform...
"You came from Tantalos?"
"H-how did you know?"
"You're wearing a prison uniform out in the open. Wouldn't it be weirder not to know?"
This is a headache. A real headache.
I do have to go there. But getting tangled up like this is not what I want.
Dragging an escaped prisoner along with me. Wouldn't that look suspicious to anyone?
For this particular matter, looking harmless and kind was the winning move. That was the only way to win over Veronica, the Director of the First Punishment Office.
A gambling addict and a battle maniac. A woman who found everything dull and was always chasing stimulation.
But at her core, she was a woman sunk in mannerism, having learned that no matter how hard she worked, nothing ever changed.
She liked stimulation, but the type she was truly drawn to was pure people. A woman who liked untainted goodwill.
Her favorite type was small animals. I'd gotten a bit taller, but looks weren't everything.
If I acted small, maybe she'd dote on me. I should walk around with my back bent a little.
At the very least, appearing to be a pure and weak priest was the best way to win her favor.
But if I showed up dragging an escaped prisoner... what would that be other than showing off my strength?
If that happened, the whole pure act would be ruined. I waved my hand dismissively.
"Sorry, but would it work if I just gave you some money?"
"...What?"
"I mean, money's all I've got."
I casually held out my wallet. The woman snatched it with eyes full of suspicion.
She opened the wallet, and her eyes went wide.
"...Are you, like, some chaebol family's kid or something?"
"Just nouveau riche. That's all I've got. You'll let us go, right?"
"No?"
Well, well.
She's greedy.
"I'm telling you, I really don't have anything else. If you want, you can take everything in that backpack over there."
The important stuff was in my Pocket anyway. What was over there was just souvenirs I'd bought here.
Things I could just buy again if they got taken. If I could hand those over and get through this quietly, that would be a truly fine ending.
"Boss. Maya is..."
"Shh. Stay still."
No. Don't.
Getting tangled up for nothing could end in bloodshed. The Director of the First Punishment Office was surprisingly sharp, so the best move was to not get involved at all.
"Will you let us go?"
"...Hmm."
The woman moved her hand. She tore a chunk out of the wall right next to her with her bare hand.
Crunch.
Dust rose up. I stared at it blankly. Her grip strength really is something. Natural-born?
"As you can see, I'm pretty strong, you know? But the thing is, I've got a kind heart. When someone comes at me all humble like this, even someone like me feels like letting them go."
"That's a relief."
"But first... let's see... how about I let just the little one go? You stay."
"Excuse me?"
"I told you. I want a taste. Give it to me once. It's not like you'll wear out from giving it once, right? And your looks happen to be exactly my type..."
The woman grinned widely. She popped her hip.
"I'll show you paradise. Hm? Of course, this isn't a request. There's no other option. It's coercion."
"...Ah, fuck."
How is that any different from openly declaring she's going to rape me?
Maya bared her teeth. Her eyes burned even redder.
"If you touch Boss..."
"Shh. Maya."
Oh, for fuck's sake. Damn it.
This is why excessive greed is poison. That's what happens when you try to indulge in luxury beyond your means.
"I'll do it."
I strode forward. I stood right in front of her.
The woman smiled. She reached out and slipped her hand inside my clothes, checking me over.
A small whistle.
"Oh... nice body. Did you work out just so big sis could devour you?"
"No?"
I kicked the woman's shin.
Crack.
For the sound of a bone breaking, it was remarkably pathetic.
"Huh?"
With that stupid sound, the woman toppled over. I put my foot on the fallen woman's head. I let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Hey... you fucking bitch."
I pressed down hard. The woman's face was driven deep into the wooden floorboards.
Crunch!
"Ngh?!"
I pressed down on her head again as she tried to rise. Her head, driven deeper, thrashed.
But it was feeble. Did she think I'd built up my strength just to get beaten by some small fry like this?
By now, I was reaching the level where I could start going toe-to-toe with the continent's renowned powerhouses.
The realm of the overpowered protagonist.
I'd essentially set foot in that territory!
"You go when I let you go. Hm? Are you really that clueless?"