Heinz’s point of view.
Why do I, with the rank of Marquis, have to walk through the streets dressed in such an unbecoming manner while shackled?
Why am I being stoned by commoners who are worth less than slaves?
Why… why…
Suddenly, I saw Emiel walking happily at the edge of my vision with the man who cut off my arm.
I felt the urge to shoot my magic at them right now, but the slave collar prevented me from doing so.
Then the man who seemed to notice me snickered and went along the road, holding Emiel’s shoulder. The vigilante walking behind me urged me to walk quickly.
I don’t know where they’re taking me, but wherever they take me, I’m going to escape and kill them.
Clenching my teeth, I swore this to myself, but I stopped in my tracks when I saw a dirty carriage parked near the wall gate.
“Don’t stop. Walk.”
I got hit with a stick or something and my body wobbled, but that was not all.
Isn’t this strange? I was just acting on Louis’, the Sage’s orders, so why on earth would I be——
“I told you to walk faster!”
“This is ridiculous! How did I become a mine slave!? I only acted as the Sage ordered!”
A hell, where most people are said to die within a year and escape is considered impossible.
It’s obvious that this is not a place where I, a nobleman, should go.
The man’s eyebrows twisted in displeasure as he yelled back at me, and he hit me again with the stick.
“There’s no way I would know. The least I know is that you are a criminal and there’s Sage or shit over here to save you. If you get put there, won’t the Sage come to get you out soon?”
If I hadn’t listened to that old man, I wouldn’t be in this mess…!
I’d rather run than be sent to that place, so I struggled to escape, but I was bound tightly in chains and couldn’t use my magic because of the collar, so I couldn’t escape.
I’m not going to be able to get away with it.
I was thrown into the carriage without being able to resist.
☆
After about ten hours of severe shaking and humiliation, the carriage finally came to a stop.
I got off with the new commoner mine slaves who had arrived at the town on the way, and looked around and saw that this was a place where mine slaves were being brought in.
I noticed a small woman in a formal attire approaching, so I approached her too, to seek salvation.
“Oi, you are a person from the castle, aren’t you? Have you come to save me?”
“I have a letter from the minister for you. I came to deliver it to you.”
“Huh?”
The woman cut the seal and took out the letter, unfolding it before offering it to me.
When I took the letter from the woman’s hand and looked over the contents——it was something I knew somewhere in my heart.
But it is not that easy to accept it, and I threw the crumpled letter back at the woman.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! What proof do you have that I skipped work!”
“The massive amount of paperwork that was piled up on Miss Emiel’s desk, the apparent decline in work efficiency since she was dismissed… to name a few.”
“What’s wrong with forcing commoners to do the job in the first place! They are no different than slaves!”
“Is that so? If you really don’t agree, that’s fine too.”
The woman, who’s expression didn’t change at all, gave me a small bow and started to walk away, so I rushed to grab her arm to stop her.
“I get it, I will give you all the money you want if you let me go. Not a bad offer, right?”
“As the main culprit, all of your salaries are to be confiscated and returned to Miss Emiel, so you should be penniless, and your peerage has been also revoked, though.”
“Wha?… Then, my family is——”
“Besides, I am of commoner origins. Your pride would not allow you to be helped by someone of the same status as a slave, would it?”
The woman said such to interrupt my words, she then turned her eyes which looked at me like I was trash, shook off my hand, and walked away into the building.
I shed tears on the spot because of the fact that there was no way to save myself.
I should have killed that old man as soon as I saw an opening and gone into exile or whatever.
I don’t know if it was anger or frustration, but I stomped with all my might on the minister’s letter lying at my feet——which told me to get along with Louis.