◆ Grand Hate Prison B1F ◆
Despite the security level being raised to its maximum, it was surprisingly quiet. Perhaps it was because Jarmon was up to something, showing off his generosity by allowing us to observe. We descended underground using a machine called an elevator, arriving on a floor where prisoners were immediately visible.
I had taken the same elevator as the one in the Metal Tower, but it took several minutes to reach this floor. Once we arrived, the ceiling was so high it felt like it touched the sky, with corridors branching out in a web-like pattern. Countless rooms lined with doors and numbers exuded a chilling atmosphere. Treating people like mere objects, even if they were the worst of criminals, was something I simply couldn’t accept.
“This is the floor where Class D criminals are held. It’s what you might call minor offenses.”
The iron-like doors stretched endlessly down the corridor. There were no windows, and it was far worse than the cells I had been confined to in the Wizard Kingdom. I couldn’t even imagine how suffocating it must be inside.
“If you want to see the people inside, just touch the panel on the door. By the way, it’s impossible to open without our fingerprint authentication, so you don’t need to worry about that.”
“In other words, it’s impossible for you to take Terrace out of here. But, you know, the whims of the prison can depend on the body.”
“Is that so?”
Ignoring Kurinka’s words, I had no interest in what she was saying. I could easily break down such a door. The panel wasn’t even a button; it was just a plain board. As I touched it casually, a square screen appeared on the door, showing the inside. Four people were crammed into a sterile room devoid of even a table.
Each of them had vacant eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling or huddled with their knees drawn up. One person was even banging their head against the wall, and just watching was terrifying.
“That room has nothing in it. Aside from two meals a day, there’s no freedom or entertainment whatsoever. But at least they have each other to talk to. They’re first-time offenders, and their recidivism rate is below 10%.”
“Take a look further in. There’s someone locked in a solitary cell, smearing excrement on the walls all day long. Heh heh heh! That one is a repeat offender, so his treatment is a bit harsher! His recidivism rate exceeds 80%!”
I didn’t want to see that. “Take a look,” what a stupid suggestion. Ignoring it, we walked down the corridor, feeling a slight sense of suffocation. There was no warmth or trace of human life. It felt like a place where humans were treated like wild beasts. I couldn’t possibly have a good impression of such a place.
“The folks on the D floor have an average sentence of about ten years. On the last day, if their recidivism rate is below 1%, they can be released. If not, they get an additional year added to their sentence. They have three chances, and if they fail, it’s the death penalty! Heh heh heh!”
“Wait a minute. I don’t quite understand, but isn’t 1% a number that could apply to ordinary people?”
“Heh heh heh! Well, it can’t be helped! They committed crimes, after all! If they don’t want to suffer the consequences, they shouldn’t stray from humanity and cause trouble for others!”
“Almost no one gets out.”
Platiu offered an unwelcome clarification. Even though they were criminals, I couldn’t shake off my discomfort. I couldn’t articulate my feelings, which only made it more frustrating.
“This is too much.”
“Not at all! There are countries where thieves have their wrists severed and spend their lives in prison. Compared to that, this is quite humane, as they at least have a chance.”
“Warden, let’s proceed to the second basement level. To the C floor.”
Though I couldn’t see his face, I could sense the cheerful atmosphere. The faint sound of a humming tune was unbearably unpleasant.
◆ Grand Hate Prison B2F ◆
“C floor. This is where those who have caused significant harm to others are held. The average sentence here is about twenty years, and they have a chance of release in two years!”
“If their recidivism rate is below 0.8%, they can gain their freedom. However, this floor is a bit special.”
“Press the panel on that door.”
I didn’t want to see anything else, but Kurinka pressed it anyway. Why did she want to see such things? Yet, there was no fear or disbelief in her gaze. I could sense her determination to face the reality before us.
What appeared on the door was a scene of a man being chased by a machine. That machine was a Legion, the mechanical soldier I had seen before. The bipedal iron mask plunged a knife into the fleeing man.
“Ah, ah!”
“That man has three prior offenses for being a mugger. He kills by inflicting the same suffering on his victims. This footage is broadcasted even in the Kingdom of Metallica, and the victims’ families are watching. The switch to activate the Legion was pressed by the family members, meaning if they have hope, they can pull the trigger for revenge.”
“Moreover, rapists face even worse fates, you know? Want to see?”
“I don’t want to see! Enough already!”
“What are you getting angry about? Those scum deserve to die. Are you really feeling sorry for them without considering the emotions of the victims’ families?”
The man was dead. Stabbed from behind, it happened in an instant. He was chased around, instilling fear of death before being killed. But I couldn’t completely deny what Jarmon said. After all, I had thoughts of what if it were me.
“That man’s recidivism rate exceeded 90%. He has no value other than killing, and if released into the world, more victims would emerge.”
“Heh heh heh, satisfying the families’ desire for revenge is just a bonus. It’s for the peace that everyone desires. If there’s value in repentance, there’s no need for punishment.”
If I were watching a scene where a man was killed for his brutal actions, would my feelings change? A stranger was killed; that’s all I could see.
“Now, let’s move on to the B floor. Here, you’ll find truly hopeless individuals swarming about.”
Even just one floor underground was incredibly vast. The fact that most of the prison was underground and underwater spoke volumes about the difficulty of escaping. There were also many security machines that were currently inactive, and it was true that once trapped, one would never escape.
◆ Grand Hate Prison B3F ◆
“I’ve turned over a new leaf. This time, I’ll work hard, get married, and live modestly. I’ll atone for the crime of slaughtering an entire family for the rest of my life. For that, I’ll write letters to the elderly parents of the victims every day…”
“Now, we will check the recidivism rate.”
What appeared on the screen this time was an uncle bound to a chair, his hands and feet restrained. Green and red lights shone upon him.
“Result: Recidivism rate 96.666%.”
“W-What?! Why?! I’ve decided to live honestly! This can’t be true!”
With a scream, the uncle bound to the chair was sucked into a hole in the floor. I didn’t want to know what happened next.
“That’s the ALEX system of Director Corin at work. It can uncover everything from past actions to personality. But then again, for someone who has repeatedly defaulted on debts, the system might not even be necessary.”
Were those uncle’s words lies? Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t. Perhaps it was because I thought, what could such a system as ALEX really reveal? And maybe my willingness to believe was my own naivety.
I recalled Baltz, one of the Twelve Demon Generals who had attacked after the Combat Tournament. His desperate pleas for mercy had been painful to witness, and I had felt an urge to help him. Even if I knew deep down that it was a lie, I couldn’t compartmentalize my feelings. I realized how naive I was.
Baltz had killed many Avangarde soldiers before, and those he had killed had families too. If he or the uncle I had just seen had killed Kurinka, I would surely want to kill them. I could become completely indifferent to things that didn’t concern me. I had said I wanted to help the people of Noibranz, but perhaps that was just self-satisfaction.
◆ Grand Hate Prison B4F ◆
“This is the final floor. Here, you’ll find those who have shown the most hostility towards the Kingdom of Metallica. The president of the company that leaked technology and information to the Matere Trading Company is imprisoned here.”
“I’m innocent! I was framed by that man! Genia! He’s the real culprit! You’ll see if you investigate!”
“Though he claims that, it’s best not to listen to the delusions of those here.”
Without touching any panels, they deliberately displayed the image of the door. It showed an uncle, thin with disheveled hair and dark circles under his eyes, screaming wildly on the bed. The other people displayed looked calm and unassuming, a stark contrast to the chaos above.
While I was lost in these vague thoughts, Platiu approached the panel in front of the door, poking it with her index finger, and another screen appeared.
“P-Platiu, what are you doing?”
“This is the layout of this floor. Grandpa Terrace is probably here.”
“Whaaaaa?! What are you doing, Jarmon?! That brat!”
The round layout was densely packed with rooms, resembling a beehive. The red light indicated our current position, and it was quite a distance to where Platiu pointed out Grandpa Terrace. The maze-like corridors stretched endlessly; there was no way we could walk through this.
“It should only display with a fingerprint authentication or if operated from the control room!”
“Ah! That brat is a Special-class Adventurer of our country! In emergencies, they were granted special permission to walk through the prison!”
“Damn it! That rotten Genia! Remove the permissions! Just die already! If it comes to this, we’ll execute Terrace…”
“We were ordered not to kill! If we do, we won’t learn anything about that virus, and it shows how much of a threat that old man is, even as Director Genia!”
They were arguing fiercely, and in the meantime, Platiu was operating the panel.
“Jarmon, let’s remove the permissions!”
“Those are managed by the homeland! We can’t act on our own!”
“Rua.”
Platiu, stretching up, whispered to me. This underground fourth floor looked like an anthill, with corridors and solitary cells intertwined in the air. It seemed designed to show a vast space to those thinking of escaping, instilling despair. But now, it was an opportunity; if we could see through above, the same applied below. Platiu indicated a corridor to jump down, and we descended. I carried Platiu on my back while Kurinka transformed into a Dragon. We destroyed the obstructive corridors, creating space.
“On my back.”
“It feels like it’s been a while since we did this.”
“Yeah, it’s nostalgic. I used to do this when I couldn’t turn into a Dragon.”
“That’s right. We don’t need to do that anymore.”
“We used to do this, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“We did, didn’t we?”
“…I’ll do it for you later.”
When she said it in such a clingy way, I couldn’t help but respond. But this wasn’t the time for that; we were in a place boasting the world’s best security. Though, given the situation, there was hardly any tension.
【Silver Wing Executor has appeared! HP 8122】
【Winged Observers ×30 have appeared! HP 1400】
“Security Level UNKNOWN! Show me your power!”
A swarm of mechanical birds attacked. Even though I was carrying Platiu, I couldn’t even graze them with an attack. Sometimes I used them as stepping stones, and other times I smashed them. They seemed to attack from a distance, which was a hassle since I had to get close every time.
【Dealt 9049 damage to Winged Observers ×30! Defeated a Winged Observer! HP 0/1400】
“Then I’ll take down that big one!”
【Kurinka’s Dragon Tail! Dealt 7418 damage to Silver Wing Executor! HP 704/8122】
Kurinka’s golden tail struck the mechanical bird’s belly directly. It seemed quite tough, and after the attack, she wrapped her tail around herself, clearly in pain.
【Rua’s attack! Dealt 45010 damage to Silver Wing Executor! Defeated Silver Wing Executor! HP 0/8122】
“Kurinka, don’t overdo it. I can handle that one by myself.”
“Yeah… ah, that hurt. Hoo, hoo.”
After smashing the large mechanical bird with a stomp, I blew on Kurinka’s tail, and Platiu joined in too.
“The Executor was taken down in one hit! It must have been rusty since it hadn’t been activated for a while!”
“Why am I being demoted to a place like this?! Hey! You guys over there! Don’t just stand there, put on your Powered Suits and stop them!”
“Please don’t say such reckless things, Warden Kuharasse! How can we fight against monsters that destroy Executors?!”
“If you’re scared, just disappear!”
It seemed quite chaotic over there, but I didn’t care. They were shocked by how easily we defeated the machines, so maybe the claim of the world’s best security was a lie. Just a tiny bit, I found myself hoping for something. Even though we weren’t here to fight.
“Grandpa Terrace is probably over there.”
“That door, right?”
At the very end of the aerial maze, in the lowest solitary cell. We jumped down and ran, only to be met with a barrage of concentrated fire. Lasers shot from all around, likely set to automatically attack the moment we arrived. Thanks to me leading the way, I managed to jump and evade. The lasers targeted the floor, but strangely, they caused no destruction. However, I figured it would hurt if we got hit.
“Take this!”
I smashed the door with my bare hands, disregarding the panel. It was quite thick, probably impossible to break under normal circumstances. Just like money locked away in a vault, Grandpa Terrace was trapped inside. He was sitting on the bed, quite startled by our dramatic entrance.
“W-What is this?!”
“Director Terrace, it’s been a while. We met once at the Metal Tower, remember?”
“Ah, you’re that little girl from back then. And Platiu-chan.”
“Grandpa, where’s the virus? We need to escape quickly.”
“So, something must have happened to make this prison anxious. Very well.”
He was surprisingly agreeable. Kurinka transformed back into a human to greet him, and when she changed back into a Dragon, he didn’t bat an eye. Instead, he climbed onto her back.
“From human to Dragon… I’d like to confirm how the cells are transforming.”
“Where’s the virus?”
“Don’t worry, Platiu-chan. It’s right here.”
He opened his mouth wide, pointing to his silver tooth. No way.
“Even with Metallica’s biological check, it seems they overlooked an old man’s silver tooth.”
“Because there’s no one who could hide it there, so it wasn’t suspected.”
“Hahaha! But from here on, it’s going to be tough, you know?”
“Yeah, I get it. Kurinka and I will do our best to protect you.”
“Not like that. Compared to what we’re about to do, escaping from this prison is just a warm-up.”
Without flinching at the approaching mechanical army, Terrace straightened his back and glared. It was indeed just a warm-up, but what could be tougher than this?
“Deploy all security machines! No matter what… huh, what’s this? We’re receiving a transmission? Hello, this is the Grand Hate Prison control room… what?”
“What’s wrong, Warden Jarmon?”
“Huh?! No way! Director Genia must have lost her mind?!”
【Crushing Vice Tanks ×4 have appeared! HP 9060】
【Sword Legion ×150 has appeared! HP 1850】
【Legion Gunners ×120 have appeared! HP 1370】
【Silver Wing Executors ×50 have appeared! HP 8122】
【Winged Observers ×400 have appeared! HP 1400】
It seemed like both sides were in trouble. Well, it wasn’t a big deal for us. The most prominent large iron monster charged forward, spinning its wheels. It was as big as a castle wall. With it approaching like it was building an iron wall, the sheer force was impressive.
“We’ll discuss the details after we get out of here. Also, there are a few people I want to rescue. Can we do that?”
“It seems people from the Kingdom of Avangarde are trapped, and I intend to help. But if there are too many, it might be a problem.”
“Steal Jarmon’s airship. I’ll give you the instructions.”
Terrace completely ignored the imposing presence of the mechanical army. After all, we were here, and he seemed to swallow that fact unusually quickly. Normally, one would panic, but he was calm. It was quite refreshing, but I had never met someone like him before.
◆ Shin Report ◆
It begins, it begins, the escape operation, digging and scratching.
Humans judge and kill each other.
If someone doesn’t do it, order cannot be maintained.
Before order and peace, ethics and morals are worthless.
If you think you can save everything with pretty words, then go ahead and try.
How much did it cost to build this enormous prison?
How much bloodshed has been used?
I can’t even begin to imagine.
With that money, how many sweets could I have bought?
When I think about it, it seems utterly foolish to have allocated such a vast sum for the sake of a worthless criminal.
Still, it seems there has been contact with that Jamon genius.
I have a bad feeling about this.
Monster Compendium
Silver Wing Executor – HP 8122
A security machine of the Grand Hate Prison. It only activates when the security level is UNKNOWN. Shaped like a wyvern, it can move freely throughout the expansive prison space. Equipped with transparent lasers and radar, it can accurately shoot down even swarms of small, fast-flying insects. In the event of a prison break, it can capture and transport escapees or crush them on the spot for execution. Its armor is made of a metal similar to orichalcum, making it impervious to primitive weapons like swords and axes.
Winged Watcher – HP 1400
A small security machine that flies around, constantly monitoring the prison. It is a mass-produced version of the Silver Wing Executor and, while its performance is inferior, it serves a similar role. This single unit possesses enough combat capability to intercept monsters of the Poison Salamander class. Those who attempt to escape often underestimate this small watcher, and it is said that this is where their demise begins.
Sword Legion – HP 1850
An improved prototype Legion that has been deployed in practice. Developed primarily for close combat, its movements are based on the data of a certain adventurer. Engaging in battle with this Legion, which wields blades in both hands, can even bring renowned swordsmen to their knees.
Legion Gunner – HP 1370
An improved prototype Legion that has been deployed in practice. Its movements are based on those of a human from the Gunner class. With pinpoint accuracy in long-range shooting, it calculates the enemy’s movements in biological combat, finding openings and precisely targeting vital points, fulfilling the role of a deadly assassin.
Crushing Vice Tank – HP 9060
Not a security machine, but a true execution machine. When there are many prisoners to execute, they are confined in a large room, and this Vice Tank carries out the executions. As the massive tank approaches, rotating a screw with a blade at the end, even the strongest prisoners eventually break down and weep. It is worth noting that, like other security machines, fighting this Vice Tank without weapons is nearly equivalent to surrendering.