Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 362: The Prisoner’s Circumstances
After that, Rest dug more than half of the fortress’s outer moat by himself.
He used earth magic to raise spikes from the bottom so that it would be difficult to cross, then filled it with water.
He also worked on repairing the damaged parts of the fortress—filling the cracks with stone magic and adding sloped overhangs on the walls to make them harder to climb.
“…Here it is.”
And then—well, this was also part of his duty.
Rest had come to the underground prison beneath the fortress to meet the young Oni boy captured during the recent raid.
Naturally, the prison for holding captives was dark, damp, and reeked of mold.
He felt an immediate urge to turn back the moment he stepped inside, but he held his breath and walked deeper in.
Most of the cells were empty, but one had a guard posted in front of it.
“Well, if it isn’t Count Clover. You’ve come to visit?”
“Yeah. Can I talk to him now?”
“Yes, the interrogation for today has just ended. Please, go ahead.”
The guard unlocked the cell door.
Rest hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside.
“Ugh…”
He immediately regretted it.
Inside was the boy—the one who had once tried to kill him.
His hands and feet were bound by chains and shackles.
He must have just gone through a harsh interrogation; his body was covered in wounds, his face swollen and bruised.
“This is terrible… No, maybe…”
(This is war. This is the battlefield. We’ve both done things where killing and being killed are normal. Maybe an interrogation like this is considered mild…)
Even in history, torture and interrogation have always ignored human rights.
The boy was injured all over, but none of the wounds looked fatal.
In that sense, his treatment could almost be considered merciful.
“…”
The boy lifted his head, his vacant eyes meeting Rest’s.
There was no hatred or anger in them—only emptiness and despair.
“You look like you’re in pain. Are you all right?”
“…”
Naturally, there was no response.
Rest frowned and activated a spell.
“【Heal】.”
A white light enveloped the boy’s body.
His wounds vanished, leaving only the dirt and grime on his skin.
“…Why did you heal me?”
The boy finally spoke for the first time.
Rest shrugged and sat cross-legged a short distance away.
“It’s hard to talk when you’re like that. Honestly, I don’t like it either.”
“I’ve got nothing to say.”
The boy’s tone was curt.
That much was expected, though the fact that he even replied was something.
“Don’t say that… I just want to ask about the sorcerer.”
“…”
“I heard a sorcerer ordered you to attack us. Is that true?”
“…It’s true.”
Rest hadn’t expected an immediate answer, but the boy confessed without hesitation.
“A sorcerer… you mean a magic-user? Is he one of your people too?”
“No! That bastard isn’t one of us!”
The boy snapped, shouting with sudden rage.
For the first time, Rest saw emotion in his eyes—anger and hatred.
(So that ‘sorcerer’ isn’t one of the foreign tribes… Then what is he?)
“Tell me more about him.”
“…”
The boy fell silent again, biting his lip in frustration. There was clearly something deeper going on.
“Talk to me. Maybe I can help.”
“…You’re human. You’re the enemy.”
“Yeah, I’m human. And we’re enemies. But if we can both gain something from it, we might be able to cooperate, don’t you think?”
“…”
Again, silence.
As expected, Rest hadn’t truly believed the boy would talk.
This was more of a long shot—if he got even a scrap of information, it would be a win.
“Hostages.”
“What…?”
After a long silence, the boy finally spoke again—
—and what he said took Rest by surprise.
“The sorcerer… he took hostages. My little sister… and princesses from other tribes too. That’s why we were told to attack humans. The sorcerer ordered it.”
“…!”
Rest’s eyes widened.
The boy’s confession revealed a shocking truth:
There was a hidden mastermind behind the recent attacks by the foreign tribes.