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167. Escaping Prisoners (2)

“How can there be a village inhabited by people in the Spirit King’s Realm…”

Tariel was walking through the village, his tongue lolling in disbelief. He couldn’t look away from the unbelievable sight before him.

This was a place overflowing with spirits that considered humans as ‘evil’ and were hostile toward them. Just a moment ago, he had almost met his end at the hands of a past specter.

There should be no human settlements in this realm that utterly rejects their kind.

So, what was he seeing now?

Moreover, it was hard to believe that the residents were prisoners, not natives.

“Hello, everyone.”

At that moment, a boy approached him.

He wore tattered clothes, but there was no prisoner number on him. With his mysterious air, it was clear he was a leader of sorts in this place.

“I’d like to introduce you to this friend of mine. He is the collaborator I mentioned.”

Heidern said while placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Given his relaxed demeanor, it seemed there were no distinctions of rank. The boy also smiled without a trace of discontent.

“And Aligieri, it’s been quite a while.”

The boy, who felt reminiscent of a spirit, suddenly greeted the students, including me.

His manner of speaking was as if he was meeting an old friend, and I felt a great sense of delight upon seeing him.

After all, he had been the prince of a military nation abandoned by Elder Enviel in Chapter 2.

“Umm… what was it again? Prince something starting with ‘To’?”

“….?”

“It’s the prince whose name starts with ‘To’, right?”

Upon hearing that, the prince’s face fell in disappointment.

“Prince Totema End Hall Papias.”

Having let his presence fade away until now, it took a moment for me to recall that name.

As a 10-year veteran of Devil Academy, I felt incredibly ashamed.

*

In fact, I had prepared myself as I made my way here. It was inevitable that I would clash with the prisoners as part of last year’s mission.

The reason for their escape was simple. They likely wanted to break free of this world and go outside. Such a desire could easily lead to rebellion.

But to escort them not by carriage but by train? It wouldn’t be impossible for a train derailment to happen.

Moreover, this was not only absent from the main story but was also claimed to be under the royal family’s orders. As that too was shrouded in secrecy, it was suspicious to say the least.

I needed to confirm what kind of unknown realm they intended to create.

Thus, I came to meet a prisoner who could communicate well.

A prisoner capable of meaningful dialogue. It sounded absurd just hearing it, yet such a person existed right in front of me.

Heidern was someone who could cooperate with my intentions.

I was confident, having sensed his feelings, even if just briefly, when he was bound.

Of course, I didn’t know about the other prisoners. That’s why I braced myself for at least a minimal clash.

However, I felt at ease when I saw the list of prisoners. There wasn’t anyone stronger than Heidern.

That fact lightened my heart a bit. No matter how unruly they may be, they couldn’t just act recklessly.

“Did you support such a dangerous mission just to meet me?”

“Given your status as the observer, we figured you wouldn’t treat us coldly.”

Tap—

I entered a small building in the village and sat at a table. The structure had an ancient style but wasn’t an unbearable place to be.

“But what is this village? Did you and the group of prisoners build it?”

“No, it was here long ago. It might be the legacy of the people who lived here until about 30 years ago.”

Back then, Shaikar did not hate humans. He coexisted joyfully, but after the death of his daughter, he turned to rage and seemingly banished humans.

“How are you able to wander around here so freely?”

This was a place that even the former Four Saints struggled with. No matter how skilled Heidern was, I had no expectation that he could hold out long here.

“Is it thanks to Prince Totema… or no, the Totema Prince’s assistance?”

“You might not know, but that person possesses incredible spiritual sensitivity. In that regard, even Mary Ryudshiel pales in comparison.”

Upon hearing this, it came to mind.

Though he had such incredible talent, it had been completely ruined by his birth.

From Chapter 2, I recalled how Elder Enviel used that talent to send Angela into a frenzy.

Spirits and magical beings. The Totema prince was adored by all of them.

Yet, his father, King Talema, failed to recognize his son’s talents and merely discriminated against him.

Originally, he should have been feeling the flow of nature while running through the forest, but instead was forced to wield a sword and shield by his father.

“If it hadn’t been for that rotten family environment, he would have become an excellent Spirit Sorcerer by now. It’s hard for spirits to like a place filled with the calls of blood.”

Because of that, even the academy professors found it hard to see his talent. He had been practically dead inside since childhood.

It was laughable that King Talema, who crushed that precious gem and belittled it as useless, failed to see its worth.

“But even now, he was able to find a place where he belongs. Thanks to that, the Totema prince has grown to be welcomed in this realm.”

“So he was using that exceptional sensitivity to protect you and the other prisoners.”

“Exactly.”

Everything was thanks to Totema’s help. Because he was diligently showcasing his talent, they could hide safely within this realm.

Creeeak—

At that moment, the door opened and someone entered the building. It wasn’t a prisoner, but a middle-aged man dressed as a conductor.

“Heidern, it’s time for dinner.”

“Already, huh?”

“They’re all waiting outside.”

“Alright. I’ll be right there.”

It was a scene that seemed like casual conversation among residents.

I couldn’t help but be perplexed by it.

That man was the conductor driving the prisoner train, and Heidern was a prisoner being transported by that train.

It was unnatural for such a friendly conversation to take place.

Creeeak… Tap—

As the conductor stepped out, I turned to Heidern and asked, “Isn’t that guy a conductor? Why is he here?”

Not just the conductor, but the knights escorting the prisoners were the same.

One could only picture corrupt knights conspiring to help prisoners escape.

Had they received some bribe from a noble?

“I’ll explain outside.”

As Heidern stepped out, I followed him.

After all, I was here to gather information. But I felt it was not something meant for me alone to hear.

*

The village wasn’t large, suitable for only a small number of people.

Nevertheless, it was fitting for prisoners to stay.

In the center of the village, there was a wide-open space. In what could be called a plaza, all those involved in the mission had gathered.

In the pot placed in the center, a porridge mixing meat and vegetables was boiling, and everyone was ladling it into wooden plates to eat.

It was delicious enough to bring a satisfied expression to my face.

Clatter—

“Could someone explain what’s going on here?”

The supposed leader of our group, Tariel, asked the prisoners. Though he was supposed to capture them, he found himself in an awkward position.

Having fallen from being part of a Sect to working as a mercenary for money long ago.

Yet, one must not just see the trees and ignore the forest. It was a sentiment Tariel had acquiesced to over time, so he could not simply dismiss their opinions.

“It was not they who plotted this, but rather us.”

It wasn’t a prisoner who answered, but the knights. The knights who had been escorting the prisoners from the train.

As the crowd’s gaze shifted toward them, the knights began to explain.

The derailment was caused by their own actions, not by an external accomplice. However, they claimed it was not a dirty deed done for bribes.

Indeed, it was true that they had received a royal order to transfer the prisoners to a western facility. But the knights had stumbled upon a horrendous secret.

“The moment they are transferred to the facility, they will be used as sacrifices in some ritual. They’re not just moving detention places.”

“Wait, are they executing them?”

“Execution? These people haven’t crossed that line to deserve it. They are possibly the shortest sentences with a chance of rehabilitation.”

It wasn’t just empty words.

In fact, I felt no sign of the typical madness from them.

After checking with ‘Ma’an,’ I was able to tell that their inner thoughts were not tainted with greed.

It appeared they had committed crimes due to entanglements similar to those of Heidern.

“No matter what, if you’re a knight serving the royal family, you could have just transferred them without any fuss. Why go out of your way to create a diversion like this?”

Trisha raised her hand and stated boldly. I wondered why a young student was butting in, but since it was a question I was curious about, I didn’t reprimand her.

Then, Sisha opened her eyes wide and spoke.

“Have you ever heard of the resurrection of the dead?”

Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

But I instinctively flinched. There was a spell in the original story that had barely managed to replicate that.

“It’s literally a ritual to bring the dead back to life. Would you believe it if I said the royal family was secretly conducting this as a project?”

At that, the collective grew stiff with pallor.

Resurrecting the dead was not only unethical but was also an unfathomable realm that could not be replicated.

At best, controlling a corpse was merely possible, but even that was flawed and a deed best left undone.

“Is that really true? I can’t imagine that the faithful Divine Emperor would do such a thing.”

“We know that the Emperor is a Sage Monarch. Who could forget the accomplishments of restoring the ruins from 30 years ago in an instant to become Emperor?”

Quite the contrary, who would expect that because of the Emperor’s trust, he would engage in dangerous acts?

To the citizens overflowing with faith in their Emperor, it would sound like a joke.

In truth, the imperial family itself was linked to Doomsday and, beyond that, who would believe they were the shadowy puppeteer of this world?

“However, recently… rumors began to circulate in the northern part of the Empire about people coming back to life. Initially, we thought it was just gossip, but upon learning of the royal family’s secret project, we felt a chill.”

“The reason was that the person who was resurrected attacked a small village.”

They claimed they had personally investigated the village where the incident had occurred. Then the case abruptly faded and high-ups ordered a withdrawal.

With casualties having occurred, was it acceptable to just walk away? At the moment they intended to return… they encountered Prince Totema.

What happened next was Totema’s continuation of the story.

“As a drifter, I was cultivating my Spirit Sorcery alone. Then suddenly, I was overcome by a sinister presence that made my body shudder. Following that energy, I arrived in that village and met the knights here.”

Although he had been expelled, he seemed to have been getting along well. After all, that was his wish.

And Totema went on to say that the presence he felt was the obsession of the dead.

This revelation had awakened a sense of alertness in the knights. Was it really a product secretly crafted by the imperial family?

“People died because of the body resurrected by the royal family! I have protected the Empire for the sake of the citizens… and my homeland, but this makes no sense!”

“As a knight… it is extremely shameful to let dozens of citizens die without taking action.”

These were knights with clear conscience. Being part of the inner circle, they likely felt the skepticism.

Of course, I did not believe they would engage in this merely out of shame.

“But how is the resurrection of the dead related to the train derailment?”

At that moment, Riplain pointed out the crucial part, and from there, Heidern continued.

“Have you heard of ‘RE-Union’? It’s a spell that forcibly moves the dead.”

He had previously skimmed through the archives of his master, Elder Enviel. That’s where he had learned this.

It was literally about resurrecting the dead. However, it was merely a theory, as it was virtually impossible to achieve in reality, hence deemed a discarded spell.

Nonetheless, even if complete resurrection was impossible, movement was feasible.

The resurrected corpse would move according to the instincts it retained.

To carry out murders in the village would be due to those instincts.

“To add to this unsettling tale, it’s said that the resurrected corpse retains its abilities from life. What would happen if an incredible powerhouse like Elder Enviel were to be revived?”

Most listeners swallowed hard or gasped. If past heroes were to be resurrected as enemies, terrible things would occur.

“However, restoring such figures would require an immense amount of mana. They wouldn’t be able to match their former power. And that’s why they needed the lives of living humans.”

While this sounded somewhat reassuring, there was also an unsettling tone to it.

Everyone in the room instinctively sensed the implication of what was being discussed and I could already feel a chill creeping on me.

“If they were to expend innocent lives, suspicions would naturally arise. Thus, they use the lives of criminals.”

“Criminals, you say…”

“….”

Heidern lowered his gaze heavily, as if there was no need to elaborate further.

I now understood why they had feigned a train derailment to escape here.

And learned what scheme the imperial family was plotting.

Doomsday had lost the 1st and 7th of the 7th League, Enviel and Demora. Plus, Aisha’s well-being was still shrouded in mystery, meaning significant forces were lost.

Thus, a replenishment of power was necessary.

The magic banquet would need a force to devastate it in place of Aisha.

 

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