When Rayos and others were living amidst a small country’s turmoil.
Taiyon (India), which had pacified the southern continent with its lifeless Wooden Dummy Unit and brought it under its control.
Prison.
“………”
“Hmph.”
The 4th Prince of the Republic of the Tower and his Party, on their way back to the Republic of the Tower, were ambushed by a centaur-like Wooden Dummy Unit, and unable to escape pursuit, they ended up in prison due to exhaustion and depleted magic power.
Hoshikyu had his magic wand-like weapon confiscated, and all the contract money paid by the 4th Prince of the Republic of the Tower up to this point was stolen. He sat sullenly in the prison.
The 4th Prince of the Republic of the Tower, his shield-bearer, and his healer, having exhausted all ideas on how to escape, gazed vacantly around the prison with dead eyes.
“Food.”
“………”
“Return my weapon and my money!!”
When the meal attendant, along with a jailer, appeared with the food.
Hoshikyu energetically grabbed the iron bars and shouted, demanding the return of his confiscated items.
“One person is energetic. Alright, take away one portion of food.”
“Yes.”
ClANG!
Pressing his face against the iron bars, Hoshikyu desperately tried to snatch the tray from the meal attendant, thinking it was a joke.
But Hoshikyu, without his bow, was an unarmed outlaw.
Blocked by the iron bars, he missed his meal.
“Damn it all. That’s my food! Return my weapon! Return my money!”
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
“If you don’t quiet down, I’ll rough you up.”
“Bring it on! Try it if you can, you lowly jailer! Do you know who I am? I’m the master archer, Hoshikyu!”
“…Hahahahahaha.”
“…What’s so funny?! With my weapon, I could shoot and kill you from a thousand meters away!”
“It’s amazing to have a title.”
Being belittled for his title, Hoshikyu grabbed the jailer and stretched his arm through the iron bars to punch him.
“Hahaha, well? You’ll understand what I mean soon enough.”
“Don’t run away! Let me out of this prison! Even without my weapon, I can knock you out with one punch! Wait there, you bastard!”
“………”
While Hoshikyu was ranting.
The 4th Prince of the Republic of the Tower and his companions were enjoying their first meal in prison.
“Hey?! Won’t you share some with me?”
“Why? Are you able to escape from here?”
“Not right now… Hey! Stop eating.”
“If you can’t escape, and have no ideas, then you get no food to share. We don’t know when the next meal will arrive. *Nom, nom*.”
“Your Highness, that’s not fair!”
Hoshikyu brought up their accumulated trust during their journey.
He was given a deadpan reply, “We have a contractual relationship, don’t we?”
Before he could say anything, all the food on the tray was gone.
He decided to ask the shield-bearer or healer to share their meal.
He immediately consulted the two, asking if they could share their food.
He was rejected as coldly as by the 4th Prince of the Republic of the Tower.
The next meal was two days later, before noon.
The 4th Prince of the Republic of the Tower, by his own estimation, approached the iron bars after three to four days of meals.
Seeing the tray with clearly only two portions, he complained to the jailer and meal attendant.
“It’s wartime. The treatment of prisoners is like this everywhere.”
It is more beneficial for the country to send food to the soldiers fighting on the front lines than to the prisoners.
Although he understood what they meant, he was irritated by hunger. Hoshikyu and he turned against the jailers together.
“Good grief. No matter how much you shout, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“No! You deliberately reduced our meal, didn’t you!”
“Hahaha, what an interesting thing to say. Do you have any proof?”
“I can tell just by your attitude! You, you bastard!”
BANG BANG BANG!! CLANG!!
The tray was pushed out of the meal delivery slot, and the jailers quickly left.
What remained were the starving 4th Prince of the Republic of the Tower and his companions.
A struggle ensued over the two trays.
Hoshikyu, burdened by the one-meal deficit.
He mercilessly landed a chasing punch on the cheek of his former employer.
The 4th Prince of the Republic of the Tower and the healer were beaten down.
The shield-bearer used that opening to secure one tray.
“Finally… *groan*.”
“You expect to…”
“God… give me strength…”
His legs were grabbed, and Hoshikyu fell forward, hitting his jaw without being able to brace himself due to the sudden surprise attack and hunger.
His vision blurred as he reached for the tray.
“Nu… gah…”
CLANG!
“……Ah.”
He had managed to grab the tray, but…
The hands of the other two also grabbed him, causing the tray to shake violently. The food on top flew into the air.
The three of them followed it with their eyes.
The shield-bearer, to avoid being glared at by the three, concealed his acquired spoils as he returned the tray.
The prison life continued for several days.
The relationship between the four became strained due to hunger and lust.
“You’ll be parting ways with me soon.”
“…What do you mean? Could it be…”
“Rest assured. It’s not an execution. It’s a release in exchange for money and valuables.”
“…Who paid the money?”
The 4th Prince of the Republic of the Tower, although hiding his identity, judged that it had been discovered somewhere.
He asked for details, suspecting that the kind person who would release him was actually plotting to assassinate him.
“Is it you guys who did it? I don’t know. Someone said they were helped.”
“…I see.”
“……Release… freedom… hah…”
Behind him, the three rejoiced, thinking they could get out of here.
A rare moment of unity.
Seeing this, the 4th Prince of the Republic of the Tower let out a soft chuckle as his tension eased.
