Chapter 20

After breakfast, Olivia and the others set off for the ruins.

Due to Tiana's escape, the area around the ruins has been off-limits to the public since today.

Upon arriving at the ruins and getting off the carriage, they saw a man running over to them in a hurry.

"Who is that?"

"That's Nis, the supervisor of the prisoners," Silas whispered.

Nis was a thin man in his mid-thirties with brown hair, common in this area. It was clear from the dark circles under his eyes that he hadn't slept much last night.

"Nis, has there been any progress since then?"

When Alan asked, Nis shook his head with a weary face.

Nis led Olivia and the others to a small reception room next to the prisoner's quarters, where only a wooden table and chairs were arranged. Lukewarm, weak coffee was served, and a map of the surrounding area was spread out on the table. Circles marked the places where guards were currently stationed.

"If she tried to escape from here, we have surveillance officers posted at every possible route..."

Olivia also looked at the map. If all the places marked with circles were checkpoints, it seemed that Tiana would be found immediately if she tried to escape. However, if she managed to escape without being found, it was possible that Tiana had fled before the checkpoints were set up. But considering that it would take a considerable amount of time for a woman to escape from this area surrounded by trees, that possibility seemed low.

Even if she had managed to escape, the south was the border with the country of Kartzol, which had a high wall. Soldiers had been patrolling the town since last night, so Tiana, dressed in her prisoner's uniform, would have been found and caught immediately.

"...Can we see the floor plans of the ruins and the buildings around here, including the museum?"

When Olivia asked, Nis looked puzzled.

"The floor plans of the ruins and the buildings?"

"Yes. If she hasn't been found despite all these checkpoints, I think it's highly likely that she's still in this area."

"Indeed, that might be the case."

"Tiana doesn't have much stamina, so she probably can't walk far."

Silas and Alan nodded.

Nis had one of his subordinates bring the floor plans, and Olivia asked while looking at the map.

"When was the last time you saw Tiana?"

"The last time was when I saw her heading to her assigned work site after the lunch break ended."

"You saw her enter the ruins, right?"

"Yes."

"Where was Tiana's work site on this floor plan?"

"It's on the left side... in that corridor."

"Can I mark it?"

"Of course."

Nis handed her ink and a pen. The ink was colored red with a pigment. Olivia marked the excavation site where Tiana was assigned with a circle and then stood up.

"I want to see Tiana's room."

This surprised not only Nis but also Silas and Alan.

"Olivia, that's the building where the prisoners live. It's dangerous, for sure."

"You're right, Olivia. No matter what..."

"At this time, they should be at the excavation site, so I don't think I'll stand out if I go in..."

Just because Tiana had escaped didn't mean the prisoners' work would be suspended. Nis made a grim face, but when Olivia insisted, "I just want to look inside the room for a moment," he reluctantly agreed.

"You really are curious. A normal young lady wouldn't get involved in such things and certainly wouldn't want to see where the prisoners live."

Alan sighed.

"But I'm worried."

"Hmm..."

"Brother, we need to find Tiana quickly, so it's fine, isn't it?"

While saying this, Silas also smiled wryly.

The prisoner's quarters, which Nis led them to, were cleaner than she had expected. Of course, there were no decorations, and the space was small, but it seemed that they paid attention to hygiene, so there was no bad smell.

Tiana's room was room 214 on the second floor. It was small, but everyone was given their own room to avoid unnecessary disputes among the prisoners.

The room had only a small bed and a tiny shelf next to it. The box near the entrance was probably a trash can.

It was hard to imagine that Tiana, who had been so fond of luxury during her time as a countess's daughter, could live in such a room.

There were no unusual signs on the bed or the shelf, so Olivia casually looked into the trash can. She widened her eyes at what she found inside.

"Are the prisoners given paper and pens?"

"Yes. Not many, but so they can write letters to their families."

"I see... But this room is so dark. Even if they are given paper, it would be difficult to write in such dim light."

There was a window for light, but it was small and high up, so not much light came in even during the day. The prisoners were engaged in labor during the day, so they would write letters at night, but in this darkness, it would be hard to write.

"They are given portable oil lamps."

"Oil lamps?"

Indeed, with that, they could write letters at night. Olivia looked around the room for something that looked like an oil lamp but found none.

"It's not here, is it?"

Nis tilted his head, as if just realizing the oil lamp was missing.

"Is it so strange that the oil lamp is missing?"

"Yes. Because I don't think anyone would take an oil lamp with them when they go to the excavation site."

When Alan asked, Olivia answered, and Silas put his hand to his chin.

"Indeed. So Tiana must have come back here once..."

"Or she might have hidden the oil lamp and taken it to the ruins from the beginning."

"If she had something like that, she would stand out."

"Yes, that's why it's strange."

Olivia casually put her hand into the trash can and pulled out the trash inside.

"Olivia... are you scavenging through the trash now?"

Alan looked exasperated.

"Just a moment..."

As she said this, Olivia showed them the trash she had pulled out. It was a crumpled piece of paper.

"Tiana's family is also captured. Given Tiana's personality, I don't think she would write to her relatives. If that's the case, what was she writing... doesn't it make you curious?"