Chapter 214.1: Part 1

"Is there really no way?"

"I told you, there isn't."

"Ugh, damn it."

Kyle and I were making meaningless small talk to kill time.

Even after my reply, Kyle seemed to be watching me, as if he thought I might have an idea.

But what was I supposed to do when I really didn't have a solution?

Well, it wasn't like there was no way to escape.

The problem was Fron's attitude.

If I wanted to make a move, I needed to figure out what Fron was aiming for.

But Fron hadn't visited since taking Rene.

The only ones who came to the prison were children who resembled Fron, occasionally bringing food.

Speaking of which.

"Ah! You scared me!"

Kyle yelped, collapsing onto his butt.

He was startled by someone who had appeared out of nowhere.

I turned my gaze to the newcomer who had surprised Kyle.

"...."

A girl who resembled Fron was staring down at us with cold eyes.

The unknown girl was holding a tray of food.

"Make some noise when you walk...."

Kyle mumbled, his voice laced with embarrassment.

The girl appeared younger than Fron.

It seemed Kyle was ashamed that he had been startled by a girl younger than him.

Seeing him like that made me chuckle.

The girl slid the tray through the bars, into a space just big enough for food to pass.

On the tray were a few loaves of bread, water, and even a white soup.

It was a better meal than one might expect for prisoners.

"Thank you."

"...."

I thanked her as I accepted the food, but the girl simply stared at us without a word.

'What's with her?'

I tilted my head, puzzled by the girl who stood silently in front of us for a while.

"Do you have something to say to us?"

I asked her.

Perhaps Fron had sent her to help us escape.

But that didn't seem to be the case.

The girl still didn't open her mouth, only staring at us intently.

"She's kinda strange, don't you think?"

Kyle whispered to me, shielding his mouth with his hand as he glanced sideways at the girl.

Thwack.

I flicked Kyle's forehead.

"Don't say things that are rude, especially to a child."

"....And you think it's okay to be violent with me?"

"This isn't violence when it's a grown-up disciplining a child, it's called corporal punishment."

"Grown-up? I'm still a student!"

Ignoring Kyle's shouting, I locked eyes with the girl.

"...."

The girl stared back at me, still silent.

I raised my left hand towards her.

"Hello."

"....Hello."

The girl finally reacted.

As she greeted me, Kyle blinked in surprise.

"She can talk?"

"Yes, it seems so."

Looking closely, I noticed that the girl wasn't just mouthing words, but also fidgeting and moving her mouth slightly.

And judging by her reddened ears, it seemed she had something to say but was too shy to ask.

I asked the girl,

"Do you want to talk to us?"

"...."

The girl nodded slightly.

A smile touched my lips.

"Then tell us your name. It's always easier to have a conversation when you know each other's names."

"....I'm...."

The girl stopped mid-sentence, staring at me intently.

Don't tell me.

"You don't have a name?"

"Yes...."

"Hmm, then what should we call you?"

"Lever."

"Is that your name?"

"....No."

So she had the title 'Lever' but no real name?

I found the situation awkward.

Well, I supposed it would make things easier if we thought of it as a nickname.

Even I wasn't using my real name, but the alias Pixie Adel.

It was similar... well, not really.

It seemed like there was another reason, but since she asked me to call her Lever even though she didn't have a name, I had no choice but to comply.

"Then, Lever, what is it you want to talk about?"

I cut to the chase.

Lever, who had been mumbling to herself, opened her mouth, her ears turning crimson.

"I want to hear a story."

"You mean you want to hear a story about us?"

"Yes, a story about you, big brothers."

"Oh, big brother?"

As if the word 'big brother' had triggered some deep-seated nostalgia, Kyle started convulsing again.

Even the sight of him breathing seemed obscene.

Unable to bear the sight of Kyle even breathing, I shoved a small pebble up his nose.

"Don't look at Lever with those filthy eyes."

"Mmph! Mmph!"

Kyle tried to speak through his blocked nose, but his words were unintelligible.

Even that seemed unsavory, so I stuffed a large stone into his mouth as well.

Casually ignoring Kyle, I addressed Lever.

"Alright. What kind of story would you like to hear? We've been on a long journey, so it'll take more than a day to tell you everything."

"Doesn't matter. Just tell me everything, big brother."

"Hmm."

It really would take a long time to tell her everything.

I glanced at Kyle.

'How should we tell her the story?'

"Hmph! Hmph!"

Kyle was breathing heavily through his mouth.

Seeing him like that, I squeezed my eyes shut.

'This guy is hopeless.'

He had been disarmed by the word 'big brother.'

He looked ready to spill even the secrets I hadn't shared with him.

It would be better if I was the one telling the story.

In the end, since there was nothing better to do, we decided to tell her about our adventures.

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