Chapter Ten
“Alright, now that I’ve greeted little sword, it’s about time to go see her.”
After her conversation with the Holy Sword Clotilde, Lisbeth stretched languidly, then approached the iron bars of her cell. Gazing at the wide gaps between the bars, she shook her head with a sigh.
“Oh my, this truly is a prison from two centuries ago,” she mused. “As a place to hold people, it’s far too easy to escape. But then again, magic in this era is still so primitive, primarily used for attacking others. I doubt anyone would ever imagine it could be employed in such a way.”
As Lisbeth’s words faded, a vibrant bluish-green light suddenly erupted from her form. In the blink of an eye, her body dramatically shrank to the size of a thumb.
Once miniature, Lisbeth effortlessly slipped through the gaps in the cell’s iron bars.
“Hmm, simple enough,” she murmured.
Having navigated the bars, Lisbeth immediately reverted to her original size. With her escape successfully executed, she cautiously stepped out of the solitary cell, making her way towards its outermost exit.
“Oh, quite a few guards, I see.”
While escaping her personal cell had been effortless, the moment she considered leaving the larger prison area, Lisbeth spotted at least five guards stationed outside the cell block’s main door. Despite the late hour, they showed no hint of drowsiness, diligently patrolling their posts.
“Honestly,” she muttered, “no one’s going to relieve you. Why are you patrolling so doggedly?”
Lisbeth currently found herself only within a solitary cell. Beyond it, however, lay a larger communal cell block, housing numerous prisoners. Thus, for her to depart, she would need to remain unseen by both the incarcerated and the five vigilant guards.
Yet, just as Lisbeth had observed, the magical advancements of this era remained primitive. Consequently, she knew there wouldn’t be any intricate magical traps that would activate simply upon her approach. Even in this somewhat challenging predicament, Lisbeth harbored ample confidence in her ability to orchestrate her escape.
‘Hmm, Kristia claimed all the secret passages in the upper city had been thoroughly investigated,’ she thought. ‘But the Demon Lord’s Castle harbors far more hidden routes than she could ever imagine. In fact, there’s a path leading outside right here.’
After a thorough assessment of her surroundings, Lisbeth once more reduced her size. She then subtly moved towards another passage, adjacent to the cell block door. While the prisoners in the communal cells would likely overlook a miniature Lisbeth, the guards were hardly blind. She knew they wouldn’t miss even a crawling insect.
Thus, even in her diminished state, Lisbeth advanced with utmost caution. The instant a guard so much as hinted at turning, she would freeze, melting into the shadows. Luckily, the entrance to the secret passage she sought was nestled in a blind spot of the cell block. Once there, she would be safe.
“Phew… finally here.”
After a period of careful maneuvering, Lisbeth finally reached the secret passage’s entrance. Without hesitation, she reverted to her normal size, then pushed open the concealed door and stepped inside.
“Honestly,” she sighed, “I didn’t expect this escape to be so time-consuming. But at least I’m finally safe.”
Despite the absolute darkness of the secret passage before her, Lisbeth surprisingly chose not to employ illumination magic. Instead, she navigated by trailing her hand along the wall. The reason was simple: the Demon Lord’s Castle’s secret passages weren’t single, dedicated routes; many interconnected, potentially leading to unexpected locations.
This alone might have been manageable, but not everyone utilized these secret paths merely for transit. In the Demon Lord’s Castle, such passages were predominantly used for clandestine meetings. If Lisbeth were to use illumination magic here and be spotted, her entire plan would be ruined.
‘Fortunately, this is one of the secret passages I know best,’ she mused. ‘Navigating by touch shouldn’t be an issue.’
With the path clearly mapped in her mind, Lisbeth continued her slow, deliberate progress, her hand guiding her along the wall. This particular passage, however, did not lead directly to the treasury. The route to the treasury required at least three more turns. After some time, Lisbeth abandoned her cautious, muffled steps and began striding purposefully forward. Her time was limited, and she had no desire to squander it here.
“Puni.”
“Hm!?”
Yet, as she continued her advance, her hand abruptly brushed against something soft. The very next second, before she could even discern what it was, a pair of arms suddenly enveloped her. Simultaneously, a magnetic female voice purred softly into her ear:
“Merlin, you little rascal,” the voice whispered. “While I’m delighted you’re so eager to see me, it’s quite improper to grope me right from the start, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Huh!?”