Even in Prison, I Fail Upward
Zrat Prison.
Prison Day 1.
“Whatever kind of person you were out there doesn’t matter in the slightest. The moment you enter this hellish prison, Zrat, you are all nothing but equal convicts. Understood!”
Prison Day 3.
“Oh dear. Sir Askal. Are you finding prison life comfortable? If there’s any inconvenience at all, please tell me. I’ll have it corrected immediately.”
“Yes. I wake up feeling refreshed every morning, and prison life actually suits me quite well. Though the bread they serve for breakfast is rather hard…”
“Good heavens, I’ll give those supply officers a thorough dressing-down. Bread mustn’t be hard—absolutely not. To think such a serious issue existed.”
Ever since its construction on a remote island, Zrat—the hellish prison said to have never permitted a single inmate’s escape—had a warden named Cheshire who now carefully brushed the dust from Askal’s prison uniform.
“I will correct it at once. I hope you enjoy another pleasant day of incarceration.”
“Yes. Please take care of your health as well, Warden.”
Askal stepped out of the warden’s office.
He had casually pointed out some land he might purchase, just in case. Ever since mana stones had been discovered there, the warden had treated him with the utmost deference.
The guards waiting outside snapped to attention and saluted him.
“It is time for afternoon exercise. Will you rest in your cell today, or…?”
“My body feels a bit stiff. Let’s get some movement in.”
“Understood. Please follow me this way.”
The guard led Askal to the prison yard.
The other inmates were already making the most of their limited free time.
“Over here! Kick it this way, you idiots!”
“Not that moron—pass it to me!”
The guard clicked his tongue.
“Tsk tsk. Give them freedom and they can’t even keep order. Truly the behavior of convicts, wouldn’t you say, Lord Askal?”
“Heh heh. I suppose it is.”
The guard glanced around, confirmed no one was watching, and whispered quietly.
“Which number should I bet on today?”
“Number three.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The guard hurried off with a bright expression to buy his betting slip. Left alone, Askal gazed up at the wide-open sky.
Screeeech—
Seagulls wheeled overhead.
They say a man’s life can change in an instant. Who would have thought he’d end up locked away after only a few days?
It was a little strange, though.
Askal recalled the recent events.
He had written an article about jewel frogs. Imperial guards had shown up, arrested him on the spot, skipped any proper trial, and shipped him straight here.
And not just any prison—the empire’s worst, Zrat, reserved exclusively for the most heinous criminals.
Almost as if they had been waiting for the chance.
No matter how I look at it, someone clearly intervened.
For something like this to happen, two conditions had to be met.
First, the culprit needed enough power to touch Askal—one of the most influential figures in the empire right now. The charge of market manipulation was vague enough to be twisted however one liked. To send him to prison without solid evidence required real authority.
Second, they had to harbor a deep grudge against him. Deep enough to consign him to Zrat, a place where entry was easy but escape was nearly impossible.
…The Second Princess?
She had both power and a grudge.
The first person who came to mind was Serena. If her life motto was “If it won’t be mine, I’ll destroy it,” she might be capable of this.
No.
It was a plausible theory, but there was a contradiction.
The Second Princess had sent him an invitation on the very day he was imprisoned. She wouldn’t have done that if she planned to throw him in prison without waiting for a reply.
Then, if not her?
The Emperor, the Crown Prince, the high ministers…
It couldn’t be the Emperor. If Askal had truly fallen from his favor, he would already have become a decoration on the execution ground.
The Crown Prince was even less likely. The man who had personally asked Askal to deal with Count Dvar wouldn’t suddenly send him to prison. His personality wasn’t twisted enough to lay such elaborate traps.
The ministers, then.
Askal remembered them clearly.
When he had his audience with the Emperor, the sycophants clinging to both sides, whispering flattery.
If there were no snakes beside His Majesty, you would have become a minister long ago.
And the testimony from the head of Department 1.
The most probable culprits were the ministers hovering at the Emperor’s side.
“Askal. Let’s play.”
A massive man, nearly a giant, approached with an awkward gait.
Askal snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him.
“Sure. What should we play?”
“Cat’s cradle. Let’s do cat’s cradle.”
His name was Jerob.
The giant brought out some string and skillfully wove shapes between his thick fingers.
“I like cat’s cradle best. Hehe.”
Jerob looked intimidating at first glance, but he was a gentle friend.
Askal gave a small laugh and joined in the game.
After entering prison, Askal had been the one to speak first to the shy Jerob. Ever since, the giant had followed him around like a puppy.
“If I can be with Askal, I wouldn’t mind staying in this prison forever. It’s fun. Hehe.”
“…It might not be so bad.”
Perhaps because it was a remote island, the air was crisp. The occasional sea breeze that blew in wasn’t unpleasant either.
There were no worries here. The daily routine consisted of eating, relieving himself, and sleeping. That was it.
Maybe being a prisoner is my true calling? …Why does this feel like déjà vu?
Askal spent the exercise period playing with Jerob.
“Hic… Chief!!! I’m here! You’re still alive, right?!”
“You can see me standing right in front of you. Sushia.”
Visits were officially prohibited at Zrat Prison.
But when the influence of a ducal house combined with the warden’s personal authority, such absurdities became possible.
Sushia burst into tears the moment she saw Askal’s noticeably thinner face.
“Look at our chief—your face is half the size it used to be. What are we going to do?”
“I’ve simply lost some weight. The regular schedule has actually improved my health.”
“You don’t have to lie to me… Hic.”
It was the truth, though.
The prison food was surprisingly good.
Sushia made a fuss through the bars for a while before finally calming down enough to continue.
“After you were suddenly taken away, the entire Evaluation Department fell into chaos. The whole empire is in an uproar…”
“Is that so.”
“Everyone in the department has gone on strike. They’ve sworn they won’t work until you’re released.”
That was unexpected.
Askal was genuinely surprised.
This was the kind of situation where displeasing the Emperor could get their heads chopped off. The fact that their necks were still attached suggested the Emperor was still quietly observing the matter.
“Even the Momyo tribe working across the empire joined the strike. They say they’ll protect the benefactor who paved their way.”
“…Why would they do that?”
“So please don’t worry, Chief. Above all, His Highness the Crown Prince is furious. He has declared he will investigate this thoroughly. Even Her Highness the Third Princess apparently made a strong protest at an official event.”
Julia?
I thought she would abandon me the moment I lost my usefulness.
It was strange.
Far more people seemed to be taking his side than he had expected…
“I couldn’t just sit still, so I used my connections to identify the mastermind behind this.”
“Mastermind?”
“As we suspected—Marquis Sebes and Count Galtanar. That pack of sycophants framed you, Chief.”
Sushia huffed with indignation.
Marquis Sebes and Count Galtanar. They were the ministers who had been clinging to the Emperor during his audience.
Just as he had suspected.
“Even so, they’re imperial officials. How can they send someone to prison without a proper trial? Does that make any sense?”
“It did feel rather odd.”
“But don’t worry, Chief. I will definitely get you out of here.”
“No. This is actually perfect.”
“…Pardon?”
As far as Askal knew, even if the empire collapsed, Zrat would simply change ownership while continuing to operate.
In a way, staying quietly locked up here might be the best possible choice.
Clean air, an easy schedule, and surprisingly decent food.
Life in Zrat was quite tolerable if one had powerful backers.
“Anyway, I brought newspapers so you can keep up with what’s happening outside.”
Sushia proudly performed the feat of smuggling in outside goods. The guard pretended not to notice. The power of influence at work.
“Thank you.”
“Things seem to be progressing well, so please don’t worry too much. Your name will be cleared, Chief.”
Whenever someone said that, things usually went poorly and the name stayed tarnished.
“Visiting time is over, my lady.”
“I’ll be going now. Chief, you must stay healthy!”
“I will.”
Sushia kept glancing back, reluctant to leave. Only when the guard grew impatient did she finally depart.
Still, it’s touching that she came all the way by ship.
Askal quietly raised his internal evaluation of Sushia by a small margin.
Evening.
After finishing his daily routine and returning to his cell, Askal unfolded the newspaper Sushia had brought.
I should at least know how the world is turning.
As expected.
▶ The Empire’s Hidden Dragon, Imprisoned in the Worst Prison
▶ White Magic Tower Takes Notice of Jewel Frogs?
▶ Crown Prince Cain: “I Will Not Overlook This Matter”
▶ Duchess Senestia Expresses Deep Regret Over Recent Events
▶ Momyo Tribe Begins Race-Wide Strike
▶ Third Princess Julia Ends Long Seclusion, Speaks at Official Ceremony
“Hmm. The whole empire’s gone mad.”
Askal quietly closed the newspaper.