Chapter Nine
” ‘Waaah… this is too much… Why did things turn out this way?’ ”
” ‘Ugh… This is all your own doing. I clearly warned you back then. In any case, you’ll reflect properly in the cell tonight. I’ll just leave your dinner here for now.’ ”
Due to her utterly out-of-line remarks in the secret passage that morning, Lisbeth was mercilessly thrown into a prison cell by Kristia. Hilda, who had just entered to deliver her meal, wearily massaged her forehead.
She felt a pang of sorrow at having such a foolish subordinate.
However, Lisbeth was, after all, one of the personal maids. Thus, Hilda naturally wouldn’t confine her to an ordinary dungeon cell.
The cell she now occupied was not only a private room but, apart from being sealed by a single iron grate, it was practically indistinguishable from a standard guest room. Crucially, there were no other inmates, making a night’s stay here hardly a hardship.
Casting a glance at Lisbeth, who was still gently sobbing and clutching her chest, Hilda sighed once more. She then addressed Lisbeth in as gentle a voice as she could muster.
” ‘Alright, alright. Fortunately, while the Demon Lord was angry, she didn’t genuinely intend to cause you trouble. So, just stay here obediently for one night, and I’ll release you first thing tomorrow morning. By the way, do you need anything? I can bring it to you now.’ ”
” ‘Waaah, old hag, I never thought you’d be so gentle at a time like this! I’m so touched!’ ”
” ‘You insolent brat! At a time like this, you still call me an old hag? I’m done with you! You can reflect here by yourself!’ ”
” ‘Hey, hey, hey!? Old hag, don’t leave me!’ ”
Seeing that Hilda was about to abandon her as well, Lisbeth desperately clutched at the edge of Hilda’s skirt. Unfortunately, Hilda, now in a state of fury, naturally ignored her.
With a powerful tug, she yanked her skirt free from Lisbeth’s grasp and stormed out of the cell.
” ‘Waaah… waaah… nobody cares about me anymore…’ ”
Though Hilda had departed the single cell, Lisbeth continued to weep softly. Her helpless expression at that moment would surely evoke pity in anyone who witnessed it.
Yet, after crying for a while longer, a faint smile subtly curved Lisbeth’s lips.
‘Hmph, finally gone, have they? Who knew fake crying was such a skill.’
The same Lisbeth who had been incessantly sobbing moments ago now sprang up from the cell floor, brimming with energy. She spun around in place, declaring, ” ‘Though it’s a little earlier than planned, this is a rare opportunity, so let’s begin~’ ”
The next second, Lisbeth softly snapped her fingers. A faint glow suddenly appeared at her fingertip.
Taking a deep breath, she spoke to the blue light emanating from her finger. ” ‘Little Swordy~ Can you hear me~’ ”
” ‘Who are you calling “Little Swordy”?! I told you, I am the Holy Sword, Clotilde! The Goddess’s exclusive saber, and among all generations of Holy Swords…’ ”
” ‘Alright, alright, I know~ Honestly, Little Swordy is still so shy~’ ”
” ‘You!’ ”
As Lisbeth finished speaking, an angry little girl’s voice resonated from the blue light on her fingertip. The person Lisbeth was attempting to communicate with was none other than her cherished companion from her days as a Hero: the Holy Sword, Clotilde.
” ‘Hmph, fine. Still, you contacted me earlier than anticipated. It seems you’ve finally escaped that bugged room, haven’t you?’ ”
” ‘Yes, that’s right~ I’m currently locked in a cell, so I’ll break out soon to find you. Kristia really spared no expense, though. Listening stones are incredibly expensive in this era, yet she filled my room with them and secretly had people watching me constantly.
It seemed she wasn’t going to give me any chance to be alone.’ ”
” ‘However, she overlooked one crucial detail: she didn’t assign anyone to watch me in *this* cell, nor did she place any listening stones. This is a perfect opportunity for me~’ ”
It appeared Lisbeth had long intended to contact Clotilde privately but had been unable to find an opportunity due to constant surveillance. Upon hearing Lisbeth’s words, Clotilde’s voice once again emanated from the light on her finger.
” ‘Then, I am currently in the Demon Lord’s Castle treasury, and I’ve been subjected to at least twenty layers of seals. So, if you manage to escape from the cell to find me, you must time it perfectly. Otherwise, if they discover the cell empty before dawn, you’ll be as good as dead.’ ”
” ‘I know. Even if I’m usually careless, I wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake with something like this.’ ”
Hearing the confidence in Lisbeth’s voice, Clotilde chuckled from within the treasury. ” ‘Yes, I thought so~ After all, you came all the way from a world two hundred years in the future to this era; you can’t end your journey in a place like this, can you?’ ”
” ‘Exactly. No matter what happens, I must find the culprit who cursed Kristia and caused her death two hundred years from now.’ “