Chapitre 144: Sob Story
"Can we have some time alone?"
Rex looked at the people around him. With just one look, they all began to scatter with their eyes glancing at Sebastian as they left.
"That means you too, Liz."
"You sure you ain't going to eat him up? Don't want another dead body around here."
"Haha."
Rex faked a laugh and sent Liz on her way. With a small gesture, Rex led Sebastian to a place where they could sit down, some stone embedded into the ground to look like seats.
"I'm sorry I can't offer any tea or snacks in this kind of situation."
"You're a nobleman?"
"Was a nobleman."
Sebastian observed how Rex behaved himself earlier and he thought that he definitely had an education, but to think he was a noble…
"My father was an Earl and as his eldest son, many things were expected of me. Managing the household became my calling from a very young age despite my protests. I was trained as his successor but before the day I inherited his seat, I left. I had found out that father knew about my lover who was of common birth."
Rex looked up at the sky before closing his eyes. He was reminiscing in his memories from the past.
"I failed to save her in time, but I did manage to spare our child."
Rex turned back to Sebastian with a fire burning within his eyes. It held anger but also a tinge of regret and sadness.
"To save my child and avenge my lover, I had to kill my father, I had let my anger take the best of me. I left my child in the care of a trustworthy orphanage—one that could keep him safe even when I'm gone. And then, I snuck back into the estate and killed my father in his office. My siblings were prepared and had already gathered knights to stop me just as I left the room, but I wasn't one they could easily deal with."
Just Rex's presence oozed power. Even in his limited state, Sebastian knew that he was at a level far above his own.
"But in the end, I am only one man. I had little allies for with my position, even a starving wolf would eye me less greedily than my own blood. After struggling for a bit and managing to reduce the estate's population by half, I was overwhelmed and captured. I deserve to be put into this prison, unlike many others who are in this place."
Rex stretched his hand out.
"Even then, will you trust me?"
"Trust you?"
Sebastian made no move to take his hand.
"You called me here all of a sudden, told me about your past and then ask me to trust you? Once you talk about the actual plan, we'll be on the same page."
Rex's lips formed into a smirk and Sebastian finally took his hand.
"You're good. If you fell for my sob story without even listening to my plan, I'd have ruled you out completely."
"Sob story? So does that mean none of what you said was real?"
"Oh, most of it is. Just that… I actually destroyed the entire estate and was taken down by several house heads."
"..."
'He was a lot more ridiculous than I thought.'
Rex stood up and walked over to Liz, Sebastian followed him close behind and people began gathering around them.
"Alright everyone, let's welcome our newest member, and most likely our best hope at getting out of this place. Sebastian!"
The prisoners cheered. None of them asked for explanations or any questions for Sebastian other than his basic profile, nobody even asked him about what he did to get into this place. It seemed like having Rex vouch for his identity was the best possible thing that could happen.
"Well, with that out of the way, you need to get back. It's nearly time for the prisoners to go back to their cells. Liz, can you escort him for me?"
"Got it. Come on kid."
Sebastian looked back while he followed Liz. The prisoners looked like they were having the time of their lives talking to Rex.
"Rex is a bit eccentric. He does random things at the strangest times, but nobody can deny the charisma the man holds. Did you know that before he was locked up here, this prison was like hell? Dozens of people died each day, guards encouraged the prisoners to kill each other for more meals, and many were raped in broad daylight. Men and women alike."
Liz shrugged her shoulders.
"Like Scotch told ya, the plan will commence before the next execution, we'll try our best to help you with what you're doing inside the prison as best as we can before then."
"I appreciate it."
"Oh right, one more thing. I've been meaning to ask but it's not related to the mission. You also don't have to answer me if you feel uncomfortable. How's it going with your ehem… fiancée? Y'know, considering this murder charge and all. I'm assuming she doesn't know about the truth because you're locked up in here."
Sebastian scratched his head.
"Well, if I just had to say one thing, it'd be that she loved me to the sky and back."
"...Gotta be rough. You plan to patch things up with her?"
"I'm going to save her father before then."
"Are you afraid she won't believe you?"
"...I'm more afraid that she will."
Sebastian sighed as he thought of Amy. Overreliance was never a good thing, and even more so when it came to human dependency.
"Well, this is your stop."
Before Sebastian realized it, he was already at the place designated for him.
"Since everyone's seen you with me, there's no more need to worry about people trying to pick fights with you. Well, unless they're stupid."
"Thanks."
"It's not a problem, we need you to cooperate with us if we want to escape after all. Oh, and I almost forgot. Here, a present from me."
Liz threw a small object at Sebastian.
"A wire?"
"You're an assassin, surely you know how to pick locks by now."
Save for their cell doors, Sebastian didn't know any other locks that he could attempt to pick. His cuffs were definitely something that could be picked, and the cell doors had big locks so he couldn't pick them with just some steel wires.
"I'll put it to good use."
But it was better than not having anything.
…
"Looks like it went well."
"You could say that again. Though, we didn't really talk about anything related to the plan at all."
"It's fine to take it easy once in a while. They may still be trying to flesh out the plan because you're an addition to the members."
Scotch held up his thumb and slid it across his neck. He also stuck his tongue out for good measure.
"It needs to be perfect otherwise our heads are going to roll."
The two of them then put on solemn expressions.
"You're only going to have a few minutes—maybe ten. Are you sure you want to go through with this today? You can just dump that blade somewhere and then pretend you don't know anything about it. We always have another day."
"I'm not planning on breaking him out today, I'm just going to map out the area. If my suspicions are right, then…"
Scotch shrugged.
"Suit yourself. Just remember that we won't risk everything just to bail you out of whatever situation you'll end up in later."
"That's fine."
On the contrary, if Sebastian had received an offer to break out of the prison without any other conditions, he would be even more suspicious of them. People were fickle beings, they can believe in one thing and believe in another the next. Sebastian, being involved in the underground for a while, believed more in contracts where both parties would benefit rather than a one-sided favor that could bite him back in the future.
But, it wasn't just the underworld that had such things. Thugs and people in power with their hands stained with corruption use the same tactics all the time. They could loan some gold and a week later, they'd ask for ten times the price back or in some cases, completely renege on a promise like a business deal concerning an entire household's livelihood.
It wasn't that Sebastian didn't trust people anymore, it was just that Sebastian had seen more than just one or two cases of this happening. He just didn't want to be a victim of one as well.
"When are we going to start?"
There were a couple of hours left before they were called for the next part of their schedule, if Sebastian couldn't make the time, then he could very well lose his life today. The guards could make up all sorts of excuses such as labeling his lateness as an attempt to break out and nobody would even bat an eyelash.
"...Right now would be too risky. We'll start around half an hour before the gathering time, I'll go check out something before then."
…
"...How's it going with the procedures to get Sebastian out of there legally?"
Wisteria looked like she hadn't slept a wink. Sitting in front of her was Euphea whose eyes were also swollen from the lack of sleep. Even so, her beauty was still on another level. Even if people were to see her in this state, they'd still be charmed and think of it as endearing instead.
"It's bleak. I have no idea what kind of connections that maid has but even using the royal family's authority wasn't enough. I actually feel like they're going to try and execute him immediately."
Euphea sighed and threw the papers in her hands on the floor.
"There's no other choice, we'll have to break him out and accept the losses."
"That idiot probably thinks that he's still unimportant to the organization and is casually waiting for a nonchalant rescue. What he doesn't know is that the entire organization is in chaos and scrambling to level the entire prison as soon as possible. It's taking everything out of me to stop them…"
Wisteria looked at the stacks of papers that were on top of her desk. They weren't the usual business papers that she had to sign and look over. They were a list of all the connections she had and everything she needed to get Sebastian out legally.
"Why don't we give up?"
Euphea rubbed her eyes a few times and yawned.
"...Fine. Go ahead and call them already, I don't care anymore!"
Wisteria answered begrudgingly.
"That damn 3rd squad better do this job right and cause the least amount of damage possible… Like hell that's going to happen. They're troublemakers on the level of that idiot after all."
"You really like calling Sebastian names when he isn't around."
"I'm not like you who's always trying to get into his pants. I also call him names when he's here."
Euphea frowned at Wisteria's comment and glared at her.
"Do not talk to me that way."
"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?"
"Do you really want to do this again?"
"You think I'm one to back away from an honest challenge? Ha! Let's see if you can still pamper Sebastian with your words once I'm done with you!"
In the end, the two who thought of themselves as the most level-headed of the organization showed their true selves when they got tired, causing everyone in the building dismay—and damage repair costs.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone