| Author: Eltria | Original Source: Syosetu |
| Translator: Mui | English Source: Re:Library |
| Editor(s): Robinxen | |
Alfe’s hand, which was gripping mine tightly, continued to tremble.
“Move it! Hurry up!”
We had been captured by a group involved in the illegal trafficking of homunculi and were being escorted to their base. I was trying to figure out if there might be a chance to escape, but Hom had already been bound with ropes, making it impossible for her to move.
Since Alfe and I were children, we weren’t restrained, but we were still forced to walk. I considered using magic to do something, but Alfe’s fear was palpable through her trembling hand, so that probably wasn’t an option. As for me, I knew trying to take out the Ars Manga would immediately raise suspicion.
At the very least, I decided to familiarize myself with the structure of this place while we were being led inside. Arkecius had been taken off the landship disguised as an intercity transport vessel and left outside this base. We had walked quite a distance, but with Hom’s special boots that I had made for her, it wouldn’t be too difficult for her to reach it. The boots looked like ordinary ones, so they wouldn’t likely be confiscated.
As for my Ars Magna, it was designed to appear as nothing more than a blank book to anyone else, so I should be able to keep it on me.
Even so, the exterior of the building used as their base was cluttered with subordinate units, steam vehicles, and various scrap metal. It might be a good idea to hide in that mess when we make our escape.
“Quit dawdling and keep moving,” one of the men barked as he noticed me glancing out the window, giving me a shove in the back.
“…How far do we have to go…?”
Seizing the opportunity, I tried to sound like an ordinary, frightened girl, letting my voice tremble as I asked the question. If things went well, I might be able to gather some useful information about the layout of this building.
“There’s a staircase up ahead that leads to the dungeon. You’ll be kept in the cells there until the homunculus fetches a good price.”
Considering the remote location at the foot of the mountains, this place was likely an old prison from a bygone era. The man had spoken truthfully, as I soon spotted the staircase he mentioned. The lack of sunlight streaming through the high window at the end of the corridor suggested that we were likely on the northern edge of the building.
Looking back, I noticed that apart from the winding corridor we had just walked through, there was a wide, straight hallway that extended in the opposite direction.
Judging by the scrap metal and junk visible outside the windows, I assumed that the other hallways we hadn’t passed through were probably similar to this one. Given the layout, it seemed likely that this hallway was connected to the building’s main entrance.
The steel doors set between the windows indicated that these hallways also served as access points to the outside. If that were the case, it would be reasonable to assume that the south side of the building housed an armory or a hangar for armed subordinate units. Arkecius might have been moved there as well.
“…Leafa…”
Alfe’s voice brought me back to the present, but I felt a sense of calm as I realized I had been able to analyze the situation somewhat rationally.
“…It’s going to be okay, Alfe.”
I pretended to share in her anxiety, leaning in close to her and whispering words of comfort just loud enough for her to hear.
At the bottom of the stairs, we found ourselves in a semi-underground structure with a high ceiling. The dimly lit space was lined with the cold, lifeless cells that the man had mentioned. The cells were relics of a bygone era, rusty and in poor condition, making for a harsh environment.
“…What do you plan to do with us by locking us in a place like this?”
“We’ll decide that later. Unlike homunculi, human kids are a pain because of all this talk about human rights.”
I see. It seems these guys are at least somewhat concerned about the police or the military getting involved. From the way he spoke, it seemed that once they accomplished their goal of selling off the homunculus, we—the human hostages—would no longer be necessary and might be released. Still, considering the rumors that only homunculi were being kidnapped, I couldn’t afford to be too optimistic.
At the very least, it was clear that they had no intention of letting Hom escape.
“You first.”
One of the men unlocked the second cell from the front and pushed me forward.
“Wait, at least let me stay with Alfe—”
“No way! Even with kids, if you group them together, who knows what kind of mischief they might come up with.”
The man roughly grabbed my arm, yanked me away from Alfe, and shoved me into the cell.
“Stay quiet in there.”
This was bad. Being the first to be locked up, I was completely powerless.
“I want to be next to Leafa!”
Despite her fear, Alfe insisted she didn’t want to be separated from me.
“Fine, you’ll go in there. But I doubt you can even see each other from those cells.”
With a sneer, the man shoved Alfe into the cell next to mine, just as she had asked. The sound of the metal key turning in the lock echoed coldly through the underground space.
“Alright, you’re the last one. Don’t even think about escaping, got it? You’re a valuable product, after all. But with those two burdens to deal with, no matter how exceptional a homunculus you might be—”
“I would prefer to be in the cell directly across from my master.”
Hom interrupted, calmly stating her preference. I had expected her to follow Alfe’s lead and take the cell next to mine, but it seemed she had her own reasons. Honestly, it made sense; being across from me would give her a better vantage point, and I would have made the same choice in her position.
“A homunculus with its own opinion, huh? What a luxury,” the man grumbled, though he proceeded to strengthen Hom’s restraints by adding shackles to her wrists and ankles.
“I know all about your brute strength. I think I’ll tighten these ropes a bit more, just to be safe.”
“……”
Thanks to the emotion suppression effect, Hom showed no fear, pain, or discomfort. However, I could clearly see from a distance that her pale skin was reddening where the rough ropes had rubbed against it. This was something I couldn’t overlook, and it might even give me a reason to convince them to loosen her restraints.
“Wait. If you’re planning to sell her as a ‘product,’ wouldn’t it be better to keep her in as pristine a condition as possible?”
My words made the man pause, and he glanced at Hom with a startled look. From up close, he could likely see the state of her skin where the ropes were chafing.
“…You’ve got a point. I’ll stop here.”
Referring to Hom as a ‘product’ seemed to have worked. Without much suspicion, the men removed the ropes from her, though they thoroughly checked the metal shackles with weighted attachments before locking her in the cell across from mine.
“Don’t try anything funny and just behave yourselves,” one of the men warned.
“And if you’re good, maybe we’ll send the humans back home, okay?” the other added mockingly as they climbed the stairs, leaving us alone in the underground cells.
“……”
The large prison was deserted, save for the three of us. This place was likely intended as a temporary holding area for homunculi. Each cell had a toilet, but there were no beds or bedding, making the conditions harsh.
High windows with iron bars ensured that escape would be nearly impossible. Hom might be able to jump and remove the bars, but with her hands and feet bound, breaking free would be difficult, and escaping would be even harder.
That left us with only one option: trying to escape through the cell doors. The locks weren’t particularly complex, but unlocking them with magic would be impossible because—
“…Leafa, I’ll help you now.”
My thoughts on escape were abruptly interrupted by Alfe’s voice coming from the cell next to mine.
“Alfe, stop—”
“…Create Clay.”
I had a bad feeling and tried to stop her, but Alfe’s incantation was quicker.
Create Clay was an earth magic spell that allowed the user to freely shape soil or stone. Alfe was undoubtedly trying to use it to create a key.
“…Ugh.”
Alfe groaned after completing her incantation.
“Alfe, you can’t use magic here.”
“…It hurts… My head suddenly…”
Alfe’s voice was weak, clearly overwhelmed by a sudden, intense headache. The rustling of her clothes suggested she had collapsed from the pain.
“You tried to use earth magic to create a key for the cell, right? Unfortunately, magic doesn’t work here.”
This wasn’t something taught at school, so it was no surprise that Alfe didn’t know.
“When you attempt to use magic, the spell interference activates. Check the walls or floor—are there any simplified formulas etched into them?”
“…There are…”
Alfe responded after a brief pause. Despite being relics of an earlier era, the simplified formula inscribed here were relatively new. They were likely installed to prevent homunculi from using magic to escape. In this prison, meant for the new generation who could freely wield magic, measures beyond just physical locks had been put in place.
“These formations disrupt the construction of magical images. That’s why you’re experiencing a headache.”
“But we have to escape from here.”
“I’ll figure out a way. I’m to blame for this situation.”
I stared bitterly at the simplified formula causing the interference and moved closer to the window. The sun was beginning to set, and the western light was streaming in. Though the room was dim, standing by the window provided some relief as the remaining sunlight filtered in.
“…Leafa, could you come over here?”
“Sure,” I replied, moving closer to the front of the cell.
Although the iron bars prevented us from seeing each other, her presence felt closer now.
“By the way, why did you choose the cell next to mine?”
“…Because if I reach out, I can touch you,” she said, extending her hand through the bars. With the wall being so thin, it was possible for us to hold hands through the gaps.
“You noticed that, huh, Alfe?”
“Yeah.”
As we held hands, a sense of calm washed over me. Alfe, who had been trembling so much before we were locked up, now grasped my hand firmly, her earlier fear replaced by determination.
Though the situation was dire, I was fortunate to have Ars Magna. Since the spell interference relied on blocking the construction of magical images in one’s mind, it wouldn’t affect the book’s abilities.
Perhaps, just maybe, there was a way out of this after all.
