BSP
Chapter 6
“Ahahaha!”
Three hours later, Sergeant Steven burst into loud laughter as we sat together in the guards’ break room.
“I really thought some crazy idiot got hired!”
After talking with him for a while, he finally said he understood the situation and cleared up his misunderstanding about me.
The warden hadn’t just given me a disguise.
He’d also created a full backstory for the guard I was impersonating—his identity, hometown, and life history—all thoroughly planned out.
“Memorize it perfectly. I even made your weird speech patterns make sense through this backstory.”
The ten days I’d spent preparing were meant for memorizing this information so well I could recite it even in my sleep.
“You’re the third son of a baron family, right? Makes sense. A lot of guys snap under pressure.”
In the setup, ‘Garret’ was the third son of a declining baron family who didn’t even inherit the remaining property.
Fortunately, he knew a bit of how to use Kia, so he applied to Niflheim Prison, hoping to rely on that skill.
“If you last three years at Niflheim, you can become a royal knight or a noble in the capital.”
“….”
“That rumor’s popular with guys like you—those who have no chance of inheritance or are illegitimate children.”
In this prison, guards often need to subdue prisoners who use Kia. So guards must know how to handle it, too.
But people who can use Kia well are considered valuable assets. Why would such people come to a hellhole like this?
That’s why the Empire started rewarding people who volunteered to work here.
If you survive more than 3 years, you get a knightly title. Survive 5 years, and you get a hereditary title and a noble rank in the capital.
“I’m grateful you understand.”
“Tch, you talk so stiff. Still overwhelmed, huh? Relax a bit.”
After realizing my odd behavior was just roleplay, Sergeant Steven finally relaxed.
He laughed hard, saying I was the first idiot who ever interpreted the manual that seriously.
After that, he started being friendlier toward me, which was helpful since I had to blend in with the other guards.
“Yeah, yeah. Watching over wild dogs like this? Sometimes it’s better to go a little crazy. Actually, maybe only crazy guys can handle it.”
“Understood. I’ll try to go crazy.”
“……”
“Thanks for the advice. I’ll take note.”
Steven looked at me with a weird expression, as if trying to figure me out.
“I haven’t known you long, but you’re definitely something else. Now I know what it looks like when someone actually snaps under pressure.”
“Glad I could be of educational value.”
Steven shook his head.
“Have you learned your way around the facility?”
“Yes. You gave me some time, so I’ve memorized the structure and all zones.”
“Good. You’ve got the right attitude. All that’s left now is… job training.”
He stroked his chin.
Here, first-year guards are called “~Kyung” (Officer), and from the second year, they’re promoted to “Sergeant.”
“You know rookies get assigned one new prisoner to manage, right? Did you get your manual?”
“Yes, I’ve checked it.”
“Good. It’s not a big deal. Just stick to them like glue and make sure they know when to pee and poop.”
“……”
“We seniors are around if you mess up. This rule exists mostly so rookies can explore and get to know the place.”
Hearing that, I thought of Haila.
She arrived on the same day I chose to disappear as Mint.
Because of the timing, I couldn’t help her adjust like I did with the others.
I hope Ramona and Deryl help her settle in.
They’re good people, but also long-time inmates. It’s unclear if they’ll be kind to newbies.
Both prisoners and guards need time to adjust.
“Oh, right. Do you know what your assigned prisoner is in for? That handsome guy.”
“I haven’t checked the files yet.”
I had, but I pretended I hadn’t.
“Tch. That guy’s only good-looking and sleeps around—his name’s ‘Helios’? Pfft, what a grand mythological name.”
For a moment, I felt the sting of Steven’s jealousy toward a handsome guy. But I said nothing.
“You’re always teaching me new things, Senior.”
“What? You say weird stuff once every ten sentences, kid.”
He gave me a baffled look before casually saying:
“His charge is massacre.”
His expression was flat, even as he said such a heavy crime.
“He massacred an entire village and then set it on fire. At first, they blamed it on the revolutionaries, but a full investigation uncovered the truth.”
“……”
“Tch. Everyone who ends up in this place is a monster, not some common criminal.”
Of course. This is the world’s worst prison.
But still… the protagonist is innocent.
That crime was someone else’s doing—he was framed.
I guess we’re alike in that way.
There’s another connection too.
The person I’ve possessed was the real culprit behind the crime I was blamed for.
And the real criminal behind Helios’s massacre charges…
Is the same person.
They’re the same.
“Hey, rookie. Break time’s over. Let’s go switch shifts.”
“Yes, sir.”
The next day.
After spending the night in the outer building near the cell entrance, the protagonist, Helios, was scheduled to be transferred to the main building.
Every prisoner passes through the garden near the tower, then arrives at the main building, where they’re assigned a room.
“This is your room for the month.”
Same for Helios.
“Criminals with serious charges like you get evaluated for a while before being reassigned to another room.”
Massacre charges mean one week to one month of close monitoring. After that, they go into a 4-person or 7-person room.
There used to be 15-person cells, but those were removed after a mass escape attempt.
Higher ranks get smaller rooms: 3-person, 2-person, or even singles.
Helios looked at the room, puzzled.
“Is this a single?”
“Yeah. It’s a solo cell. Your next room depends on your behavior.”
The manual says not to explain too much to prisoners…
But this much should be fine.
Though it’s called a solo cell, it was filthy and miserable.
“They say even this room is too nice for a mass murderer.”
At the word “mass murderer,” Helios’s expression stiffened. His face briefly showed injustice and resignation.
Was that what my face looked like once? I wondered. But it felt too far in the past to remember clearly.
“Right now, you’re the lowest-ranked inmate. But if you survive the trials inside the ‘Tower’ and your rank goes up, you’ll get better rooms.”
That was something I needed to tell him.
“And I’m Garret. I’ll be your assigned guard for a while.”
“For a while”… more like, until you take over this place.
“So being ‘assigned’ means you’ll be following me around all the time?”
His voice dripped with sarcasm.
Understandable.
He must be overwhelmed and scared.
New prisoners often mask fear with hostility. I’d seen it many times.
I was always kind to new inmates—still am, even as a guard.
“Something like that. My job is to make sure you don’t die, get injured permanently, or lose limbs during your first month.”
“……”
I left out the part where most assigned guards don’t actually protect their inmates.
The death rate for rookies in their first month speaks for itself.
“I’ll protect you.”
Most rookies don’t know the unspoken rules and get killed for breaking them.
After watching too many die needlessly, I decided to guide new inmates myself.
“Almost no guards take this responsibility seriously, but I will. You can trust me.”
New inmates are at the bottom of the prison hierarchy.
Unfortunately, in this place, the lower your rank, the more cruelly you’re treated by those above.
“Also, I apologize for what I said yesterday.”
“Apologize?”
“I realize now that my compliment came out the wrong way.”
Helios looked at me like I was insane.
His eyes burned with hostility.
“You’re going to protect me?”
“……”
“With that tiny body? Who’s protecting who here?”
“Kid.”
“What?”
He was still defensive. Understandably so.
“Prisoner Helios, you can’t use Kia, can you?”
“…What does that matter?”
Half the world can’t use Kia.
In the outside world, it doesn’t matter much. Life is still manageable.
But in here?
“The moment you step into the common area, you’ll become a target of violence.”
