Chapter 77

On the first day I was captured by the Blowsore, I was dragged to the castle and stripped naked. I was subjected to a full body search, including my anus, and then thrown into a cell wearing a rough hemp loincloth.

Considering the journey and the windowless corridors, it was probably a dungeon. I felt like crying.

The route to the dungeon entrance was quite complicated. We entered the castle through what seemed to be a back door, turned right and left through the intricately winding castle interior, and then emerged into a courtyard before being led to a shabby building. It was a guard post where many soldiers were stationed. The iron bars leading to the dungeon were located further inside.

Even though it was to save Hag and Yararai, I already regretted it. Thanks to the location, there was no humidity, but the stench was overwhelming. I felt like crying.

The walls of the cell, which seemed to have been carved out of bedrock, were made of hard stone. Even with an iron pick, it would be impossible to dig through. There was no bed, just a mat and a pottery pot that served as a toilet, emitting a foul odor. I felt like crying.

The dungeon was intricately structured, like an ant's nest. It seemed to house a considerable number of people. When I was being led to the back, the prisoners were banging on the iron bars and hurling insults at the soldiers leading me. Perhaps they weren't all criminals.

I was placed in the cell at the very back, and the treatment was harsh. I was thrown into the cell without any questions, and within half an hour, I was dragged out again to an interrogation room near the exit of the ant's nest for continuous questioning. The first questions were about my name, origin, and occupation. I told the story I had prepared, but the interrogator's impression of me plummeted.

Of course, who would believe that I was a traveling merchant who survived a shipwreck by chance? I felt like crying.

I was repeatedly questioned about the buffalo, whether I had been poaching. Each time, I explained that it was the first time I had seen a buffalo, but they wouldn't listen. They insisted that I had hired dwarves and elves for poaching. This was clearly a story they had made up from the start. They repeatedly offered to lighten my sentence if I confessed, but I couldn't nod in agreement. I firmly refused. I felt like crying.

Perhaps it was fortunate that I wasn't tortured. The fact that I had to worry about it made me feel like crying.

After the interrogation, I was thrown back into the cell. Don't just throw me in! I'm going to cry, damn it!

"Ha... Why did this happen to me..."

I peered out through the iron bars. Being in the farthest cell, the light from the torches barely reached here, and I couldn't see the other cells. I thought, "This might work," and tried to retrieve the blanket I had stored using the special ability given to me by the god, which allows me to store objects in some kind of extradimensional space. But I remembered that I had left the blanket on the bed at the Whale Inn. I sighed, wishing I had stored it every time without being lazy.

Using the other ability, which allows me to purchase various items from a SHOP, I bought a blanket. The blanket cost 4,990 yen. Why yen? It's still a mystery.

Remaining balance: 98,783,980 yen.

I used the blanket to block the iron bars and took out a cleaning tool. The cleaning tool is a magical item that allows me to use a single type of cleaning magic. I activated the cleaning spell to clean the entire cell, putting extra effort into the pottery pot. The room glowed faintly, and the pot emitted a strong light. The intensity of the spell seemed to affect the glow. I was glad I had experimented with it before.

I activated the cleaning spell on my body and then tried to lay the blanket on the floor, but decided to place it under the mat to avoid being noticed. This way, it wouldn't be obvious at first glance. Even so, the situation was almost like sleeping outdoors, and I felt like crying. I was reminded of my elementary school days and felt like crying...

I wasn't very hungry, but I ate a nori bento and lay down on the mat.

Remaining balance: 98,779,200 yen.

While thinking about whether I should be grateful to or resent the god, I fell asleep.

---

Having experienced outdoor sleeping countless times in my childhood, I had no physical problem sleeping. However, it was a significant mental blow.

My body, accustomed to late nights and early mornings, woke up automatically. I couldn't tell the time from the unchanged light in the corridor, but it was probably just before dawn. I resented my body, which had been conditioned by a black company. I wanted to sleep in at a time like this.

I had rarely taken a day off, and even when I did, I had spent most of it with my superiors. It was a truly terrible company.

I checked that no one was around and quickly made an instant coffee and ate a sandwich. I wasn't sure if breakfast would be served, and I didn't want to eat anything served in a place like this.

Remaining balance: 98,773,390 yen.

I had to eat quickly in case a guard came. The hot black coffee was comforting.

I refrained from smoking, as the smell might give me away. I really wanted to smoke at a time like this...

How long would I be held here? I thought Chelina would explain the situation, and the misunderstanding would be cleared up eventually.

...No, wait.

Would Chelina even try to clear up the misunderstanding?

I was just a person who happened to be there, and to Chelina, I was just one of her business partners. Chelina was favored by the king, who might try to marry her. If she tried to protect me, the king might find fault with her and detain her. Chelina wouldn't fail to consider this.

"...If I think about it normally, she would abandon me, right?"

Of course. Who would willingly enter a tiger's den? And the only thing I could offer was my person. There was no benefit for Chelina.

The lighter deal was already over, and the transactions for bricks, cassava, and corn were also finished. The knowledge I had shared about washi paper was enough for her.

Even if I were saved, there was no guarantee I would share the remaining secrets of washi paper.

The more I thought about it, the less I felt Chelina had any reason to take the risk. It would be smarter to leave me as the scapegoat.

Chelina was the head of the largest trading company in the country, and she fully understood this. Her only logical action was to abandon me.

"Damn... I might have been too complacent..."

Why did I think Chelina would help me? The situation clearly favored abandonment.

She had said she would clear up the misunderstanding when I was being taken away, but that was probably just something she said in the moment.

It would be impossible for her to say "goodbye" in that situation. She must have realized immediately that there was no benefit in helping me.

Emotionally, she might want to help me. I think we had become that close. But realistically, I couldn't imagine her taking action to clear up the misunderstanding. The company executives would certainly stop her. I couldn't imagine the intelligent Chelina weighing the company against me.

It was certain.

Chelina wouldn't help me, and she couldn't, even if she wanted to.

Reflecting on my life, I came to this conclusion. People will always betray you, and you shouldn't trust them. This was something I had learned through my entire life.

I slapped both cheeks to wake myself up.

Just sitting here wouldn't improve the situation; it would only get worse. I had to struggle, to fight on my own.

As always.

Just as I had always done.

At the same moment, I sensed someone in the corridor. The sound of swords clashing made it clear.

"Get out!"

As expected, a scary-looking soldier unlocked the iron bars and shouted at me. I was led to the interrogation room with a sharp look.

If you evaluate or bookmark this, I will be moved to tears with joy.

I also look forward to your comments (comments are accepted in the activity report).