“I understand. But I’ll always accompany you wherever you go. Otherwise, I can’t take you out,” he said, seeming worried that I might escape.
Even though it’s embarrassing to say it myself, if it were possible to escape, I would have done it already. I know this because my physical abilities and brain function haven’t changed much even though I was reincarnated.
There’s no way to escape.
I said self-deprecatingly.
“So it’s like any other outing. Someone has been with me all the time lately.”
“I see. Come to think of it, I was a servant until recently. Shall we go, Ojo-sama?”
Paolo said with refined gestures as if he were wearing a formal dress, even though he was dressed in the clothes of the townspeople. I answered him with mixed feelings.
“Please guide me.”
◇
When I stepped out of the room, the first thing I had to do was go down a lot of stairs. While listening to Paolo telling me to be careful not to fall, I looked around. At first, I thought we were going underground, but when Paolo picked up a lamp in what seemed like an appropriate place, I became slightly uneasy and stopped to ask.
“Hey, how far does this go?”
The passage seemed to have been dug out of a large rock face that was no longer even a building.
I don’t even know where I’ve been taken. Moreover, I never imagined that such a place would exist in the capital city.
“Don’t you know? This area below is hollow. It seems to have been an escape route for the royal family in the past.”
“Is that so? But where is the palace…”
I muttered with a subtle sense of discomfort. It was during the social season a year ago when I became an official member of high society. At that time, I visited the palace to greet His Majesty the King, the Queen, the Crown Prince, and the Princess. So I knew the way to the palace.
However, I don’t think the scenery I saw when I came here was towards the palace…
“Yes, the old castle. The current one was built later. Also, it seems that the current royal family was not the first to rule here. I don’t know much about it myself, but a scholar in our group told me that.”
“I see.”
Come to think of it, I vaguely remember hearing such a story when I studied history in the past. I’m not very good at memorizing things, so I don’t know it very well.
“I can’t really feel it myself, but it seems like the continent is going through a tough time.”
“Yeah.”
I nodded as I remembered Japan.
Soon, a dim light appeared in the direction we were heading. I wondered if it was an exit, but the path continued.
As I tilted my head slightly and continued on, I discovered something on the wall and blurted out.
“Is this electricity?”
What is attached to the wall here and there is clearly a light bulb. I saw it for the first time in my life in this world. It was natural that things that were commonplace over there didn’t exist in this world, so I was incredibly surprised.
“Yeah. There’s a guy in our group who can make devices that can generate their own power. I don’t really understand it, but apparently we can generate power here too. Well, it’s just enough to light up the surroundings a bit.”
Even that was surprising.
I became interested in the people who gathered here that retained their memories. People I had never known before, except by reading documents. And yet, they are here.
As I was thinking about such things, Paolo headed towards the dark side again.
“…Hey, where exactly is she?”
My legs, which couldn’t deny the lack of exercise, were getting a little tired, so I asked.
Moreover, what comes to mind from this scene is a damp and dirty place like an underground cell. Is Lucia really okay?
“It’s inside the old castle I mentioned earlier.”
“What! So…in the dungeon?”
“No, we can’t leave her in a place like that. She’s an important hostage, and…”
Paolo stopped himself from saying something. I wanted to ask him what it was, but before that, a staircase appeared. This time we’re going up. Lucia is ahead.
I followed Paolo in silence.
Eventually, as I climbed up the stairs, I saw light above my head and took a deep breath. Then, what spread out before my eyes was a decaying stone building. Some parts were still usable, but it was quite shaky in places.
As I continued down the dimly lit hallway, Paolo called out to a young man standing in front of a certain door.
“Hey.”
“Oh, hey, wait, is that girl…?”
“Yeah.”
When Paolo nodded, the somewhat tired-looking young man looked at me with lukewarm eyes. I feel like I understand what he wants to say, so I don’t want him to look at me too much.
He’s probably definitely disappointed.
“Um, you came to see her, right? Wait a minute.”
The young man quickly opened the door. I was surprised that it wasn’t locked, but as soon as I entered, I understood why. There were several metal cages in the room that looked like they were used to confine people.
I immediately searched for Lucia.
——But.
“…aine.”
When I saw the person in one of those cages, I couldn’t help but let out a sound. It’s someone I’ve seen before. And it’s someone I didn’t really want to meet.
Then it seems he noticed me too.
He opened his eyes wide, furrowed his brow, shook his head left and right while still staring at me and said,
“This is strange. Am I dreaming?”
The young man who muttered so slowly got up from his seat. Then, Paolo, who seemed to be suspicious of me for stopping, spoke up.
“What’s wrong, Lorraine?”
It wasn’t me who answered that voice.
“Oh, it’s Miss Lorraine! Lorraine Valcourt… What are you doing here?”
“…Do you know him?”
I hesitated on how to answer, but nodded. Because the person there was someone I could call an acquaintance. With a sigh, I said,
“Well, I guess you could say we’re acquaintances. So, Lieutenant Colonel Caldelara, what brings you here?”
“I understand. But I’ll always accompany you wherever you go. Otherwise, I can’t take you out,” he said, seeming worried that I might escape.
Even though it’s embarrassing to say it myself, if it were possible to escape, I would have done it already. I know this because my physical abilities and brain function haven’t changed much even though I was reincarnated.
There’s no way to escape.
I said self-deprecatingly.
“So it’s like any other outing. Someone has been with me all the time lately.”
“I see. Come to think of it, I was a servant until recently. Shall we go, Ojo-sama?”
Paolo said with refined gestures as if he were wearing a formal dress, even though he was dressed in the clothes of the townspeople. I answered him with mixed feelings.
“Please guide me.”
◇
When I stepped out of the room, the first thing I had to do was go down a lot of stairs. While listening to Paolo telling me to be careful not to fall, I looked around. At first, I thought we were going underground, but when Paolo picked up a lamp in what seemed like an appropriate place, I became slightly uneasy and stopped to ask.
“Hey, how far does this go?”
The passage seemed to have been dug out of a large rock face that was no longer even a building.
I don’t even know where I’ve been taken. Moreover, I never imagined that such a place would exist in the capital city.
“Don’t you know? This area below is hollow. It seems to have been an escape route for the royal family in the past.”
“Is that so? But where is the palace…”
I muttered with a subtle sense of discomfort. It was during the social season a year ago when I became an official member of high society. At that time, I visited the palace to greet His Majesty the King, the Queen, the Crown Prince, and the Princess. So I knew the way to the palace.
However, I don’t think the scenery I saw when I came here was towards the palace…
“Yes, the old castle. The current one was built later. Also, it seems that the current royal family was not the first to rule here. I don’t know much about it myself, but a scholar in our group told me that.”
“I see.”
Come to think of it, I vaguely remember hearing such a story when I studied history in the past. I’m not very good at memorizing things, so I don’t know it very well.
“I can’t really feel it myself, but it seems like the continent is going through a tough time.”
“Yeah.”
I nodded as I remembered Japan.
Soon, a dim light appeared in the direction we were heading. I wondered if it was an exit, but the path continued.
As I tilted my head slightly and continued on, I discovered something on the wall and blurted out.
“Is this electricity?”
What is attached to the wall here and there is clearly a light bulb. I saw it for the first time in my life in this world. It was natural that things that were commonplace over there didn’t exist in this world, so I was incredibly surprised.
“Yeah. There’s a guy in our group who can make devices that can generate their own power. I don’t really understand it, but apparently we can generate power here too. Well, it’s just enough to light up the surroundings a bit.”
Even that was surprising.
I became interested in the people who gathered here that retained their memories. People I had never known before, except by reading documents. And yet, they are here.
As I was thinking about such things, Paolo headed towards the dark side again.
“…Hey, where exactly is she?”
My legs, which couldn’t deny the lack of exercise, were getting a little tired, so I asked.
Moreover, what comes to mind from this scene is a damp and dirty place like an underground cell. Is Lucia really okay?
“It’s inside the old castle I mentioned earlier.”
“What! So…in the dungeon?”
“No, we can’t leave her in a place like that. She’s an important hostage, and…”
Paolo stopped himself from saying something. I wanted to ask him what it was, but before that, a staircase appeared. This time we’re going up. Lucia is ahead.
I followed Paolo in silence.
Eventually, as I climbed up the stairs, I saw light above my head and took a deep breath. Then, what spread out before my eyes was a decaying stone building. Some parts were still usable, but it was quite shaky in places.
As I continued down the dimly lit hallway, Paolo called out to a young man standing in front of a certain door.
“Hey.”
“Oh, hey, wait, is that girl…?”
“Yeah.”
When Paolo nodded, the somewhat tired-looking young man looked at me with lukewarm eyes. I feel like I understand what he wants to say, so I don’t want him to look at me too much.
He’s probably definitely disappointed.
“Um, you came to see her, right? Wait a minute.”
The young man quickly opened the door. I was surprised that it wasn’t locked, but as soon as I entered, I understood why. There were several metal cages in the room that looked like they were used to confine people.
I immediately searched for Lucia.
——But.
“…aine.”
When I saw the person in one of those cages, I couldn’t help but let out a sound. It’s someone I’ve seen before. And it’s someone I didn’t really want to meet.
Then it seems he noticed me too.
He opened his eyes wide, furrowed his brow, shook his head left and right while still staring at me and said,
“This is strange. Am I dreaming?”
The young man who muttered so slowly got up from his seat. Then, Paolo, who seemed to be suspicious of me for stopping, spoke up.
“What’s wrong, Lorraine?”
It wasn’t me who answered that voice.
“Oh, it’s Miss Lorraine! Lorraine Valcourt… What are you doing here?”
“…Do you know him?”
I hesitated on how to answer, but nodded. Because the person there was someone I could call an acquaintance. With a sigh, I said,
“Well, I guess you could say we’re acquaintances. So, Lieutenant Colonel Caldelara, what brings you here?”
