Around noon, I was completely absorbed in the clay sculpture I was carving when the guy was grabbed by the arms by two orc males and thrown into the small wooden hut where I was.
"Hey! Can you be a little more polite?"
However, the orc male ignored the man's howling and turned to walk away.
"That's really too rude!"
Helpless, the man could only cry out in pain while clutching his buttocks that had fallen to the ground, and then slowly turn around.
Wow!
Yes, after seeing my appearance clearly, he would make a similar sound, since I was completely naked, like the Buddha in his Nirvana posture, welcoming him.
Of course, I had already hidden the clay sculpture in my hand. If those guys found out, it would be too blatant for a criminal like me to be able to live so freely. Even when carving a simple clay sculpture, I still have to be aware of any disturbances around me.
"What?! I thought that old man had come back!"
Hearing the commotion and purposeful words outside, I did have such hopes, but after seeing the man's appearance, I realized that he was not the stupid kidnapper I had scared away that day.
"Alright! Welcome to the end of life!"
Although I'm not one of those two idiot kidnappers, I'll still greet him with a welcoming attitude, even though he might actually be a criminal and I'm just being misunderstood. At least for now, we're probably in the same boat.
Upon hearing my statement, the man stared at me in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe that a child who looked only about ten years old could become his senior!
"Um...should we scare him?"
I think I've heard similar comments before, about a scenario where newcomers to prison have to serve the older inmates like slaves and recognize them as their elder brothers. Of course, you have to prove yourself through your abilities, otherwise you'll end up being bossed around.
"Maybe not..."
After secretly using my magic eye to investigate, I discovered that he was just a guy with very little magic power, but judging from his clothes, he was probably an adventurer from a nearby guild.
After all, he was dressed in a black outfit from head to toe, with only leather protective gear around his joints. He had no weapons, which had probably been confiscated by the orcs. He was a true novice adventurer who had just started his journey.
Because I didn't have enough start-up capital, I couldn't afford more expensive protective gear, so this is roughly what I look like now. Speaking of which, I miss those three new little ones from before. I wonder if they've become independent adventurers now. I'll go back to "Burjen" to visit them when I have time.
"What's wrong, newbie? What's so strange about it?"
"Ah, no... how should I put it?"
The man looked a little panicked; he was only around twenty years old but seemed naive and inexperienced. Was that really a good thing?
"Excuse me, could you please stop staring at me like that? It's embarrassing!"
"...I'm just curious, why can you put on such an impressive air even though you're not wearing anything?"
“Hey newbie! Watch your tone! I’ve been here the longest. In your adult world, I’m the boss of this prison! The so-called senior! So you have to respect me, okay!”
It has to be said that the man has a pointed mouth and monkey-like face. If you don't look closely, you might mistake him for some kind of monkey turned beastman. Uh... no... someone with obvious animal features should be a demi-human.
In short, this man only looks like it; he's not some guy who popped out of a rock.
"Is that so...? But isn't the only one who ranks the strongest the boss?"
"Uh... no wonder they're adults! Extremely cunning!"
"You mean you want to fight me one-on-one?"
"No, no, no... You're the boss! You're the boss!"
A guy who only knows how to admit defeat before even fighting is destined not to go far on the adventurer's path. However... he is indeed an easy target, and we can take advantage of him!
"To answer the boss's question, I should say 'yes'!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Hmm! A teachable newcomer! Not bad, not bad!"
As for why I was so rude to someone I was meeting for the first time, the reason is quite simple.
—I'm just too free!
As the eldest son of the Cabinet family, such recklessness would seem very impolite, but... perhaps it's acceptable to act this way when dealing with a criminal. At least I'm not a real criminal, but the man in front of me is.
"Yes, yes! Listen up, newcomer!"
"yes!"
"I'm sorry, there's nothing here that you can use as a cushion. Just find somewhere to sit down!"
"yes!"
I'm really curious what crime this guy committed to get him in here, but it probably wasn't anything serious. If he were a murderer or a robber, he probably wouldn't be so easy to talk to.
"So, newcomer, can you tell me why you were locked up in jail?"
I was so bored that I blurted out my thoughts. I looked at him with some concern that he might get angry, since I was much younger than him and spoke very arrogantly. I was afraid that the newcomer would not be able to stand it and would get angry!
The result was that this guy was incredibly timid, and even when facing me, he spoke with very little confidence.
"Uh...it's because we got lost in the rainforest!"
"Huh! Getting lost will get you arrested?"
Thinking about it carefully, it's probably unlikely that a new adventurer like him would find a team to take him in, which is why he came to this vast rainforest alone and got lost.
For the orcs who have long gathered deep in the rainforest, it is indeed possible that they would mistake a reckless man for a criminal, especially at such a critical time when the so-called sacred beast has been stolen. He would probably be mistaken for a kidnapper, just like me.
I felt some sympathy for him, but I seemed to be not much different from him.
"Boss! What about you? What did you do to get arrested this time?"
"Just look at me and you'll know! In professional terms, it's probably public indecent assault!"
What is that?
As expected of a rookie adventurer, is his mind just starting to work out? It seems that not all guys who are over sixteen are adults.
"In short, it seems that he was caught and locked up here because he was naked and hugged a large silver-white dog."
"Oh! I heard similar rumors when I first arrived in Ny'alotha, saying that the sacred beasts of the nearby orc tribes were attacked by sexual beasts!"
"Uh... what's going on..."
That said, the news spread way too fast, and what exactly does "sexual beast" mean? Luckily, the name wasn't revealed, otherwise "Dororo" would definitely suddenly have a famous figure who is actually just a child of about ten years old.
However, without a doubt, I was completely wronged. I clearly stepped in to save the so-called Holy Beast, yet I ended up like this. What a half-baked fool.
"In short, you probably can't resist touching cute and furry animals... As a man, you newbie should understand that feeling!"
"Uh...I don't understand!"
Seeing the increasingly bizarre look in the man's eyes, as if he were looking at some suspicious creature of unknown origin, I knew that explaining to him would be like casting pearls before swine.
No... it doesn't seem to have changed entirely. From the moment he entered and saw me in this naked, Buddha-like state of Nirvana, he's always had this look in his eyes.
"Ah... alright, newbie, what's your name!"
"Yes, boss! My name is 'Six Desires,' but my real name is Basaka. 'Six Desires' is a nickname someone gave me."
"Nicknames don't matter anymore, I'll just call you Barsaka."
"Yes, boss!"
Six desires...
I felt like I'd heard this strange nickname somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place it. It was just an ordinary guy with little magic power, probably not some kind of special vehicle, so I didn't pay much attention to it.
"My name is Leon! Although I'm younger than you, I'm the boss here!"
"Yes!"
Basaka shrugged, then rolled over and lay down on the spot, before looking up at me again.
"Leon? That's the name on the 'Roberta' wanted poster."
"Oh no! Has word already reached Dororo?"
No... it shouldn't have crossed borders; it was most likely overheard in a caravan.
"Do you think I'm already locked up here, and I still have time to go to 'Roberto's'? Many names sound similar, this combination is probably just a coincidence."
"Yes, that's right!"
It must be said that the sight of two large Buddha statues sitting cross-legged face to face on the ground is indeed a rare scene in a prison cell, but... the other side is completely naked.
As a newcomer, why is the most amazing me completely naked? It's so unfair! I thought it was some strange custom of this orc tribe, but it seems it's just targeting me.
"Hey! Newbie!"
"What's up, boss?"
"Your vest looks pretty good, even though it's a bit big. Take it off and give it to me!"
"What……"
When Basaka heard what I said, he was clearly incredulous and even doubted that he had heard correctly, so he dug at his ear piercing.
"Take it."
However, under my watchful eye, Basaka reluctantly took off his vest and gave it to me. He seemed like the kind of older brother who could take care of children, and that was the only thing that made me feel safe.
"Thank you so much."
Even if I'm pretending to be the prison boss, I can't forget the proper etiquette. After all, I'm the eldest son of the Cabin family, and I just introduced myself. If I end up with a bad title, I'll be utterly humiliated.
"So you can say thank you!"
"Of course, I'm a very polite child, not the kind of reckless problem child. Besides, I've been naked for several days, and thanks to your vest, I finally feel like I'm living a normal life again."
"Boss, please don't be so polite all of a sudden."
"Uh... does this guy have some kind of masochistic tendency?"
I need to use that arrogant tone for it to sound comfortable. Anyway, his vest did bring me warmth, although I still need magic to raise my body temperature, but it looked much more normal.
~~~
Time quickly passed to the eighth day.
Honestly, normally, after I've been out of contact for so many days, Lilith would definitely be restless and come to rescue me, but... this time she was surprisingly at ease.
However... this free apartment is quite comfortable to live in.
Not only are meals provided, but you can even enjoy free air conditioning (it just requires manpower). I used to find it very boring, but now I have someone to chat with.
"Um, boss?"
"What's up, newbie?"
"I can tell you're quite skilled in magic, so why didn't you think about running away?"
Indeed, whether it was the water magic he conjured while washing up in the morning, or the warm wind magic he used to eliminate the inexplicable bugs that appeared on his bed, Basaka would stare wide-eyed.
I have indeed tried to escape, but I came back. In other words, my mission is not yet complete, and I do not want to offend these orcs.
As long as that white-bearded old man catches those two foolish kidnappers, my grievances will naturally be resolved, and I can also get the dwarfs' specialty wine.
However, the problem is quite clear: I don't know where the white-bearded old man is now, or whether he has caught those two stupid kidnappers. In short, neither he nor that Gulvig has appeared. The only person who accompanies me every day is the orc female guard.
"What? Newbie, are you trying to run away?"
"No, no, no... I was just asking."
"As a newcomer, you must speak less and do more!"
"Yes, boss!"
To be honest, just sitting here waiting to see what would happen was getting me really anxious. If it weren't for the sudden appearance of Barsaka, I probably would have run away again, like the kind who sets a big fire and then escapes in the chaos.
Although it is somewhat cruel, it is definitely a feasible solution.
~~~
Day 9.
Today is probably my last day in prison.
I was planning all sorts of schemes in my mind, trying to figure out a way to both avoid offending the orcs and still gain merit.
—Of course not, after all, there could be such a perfect solution.
"By the way, a newcomer?"
As usual, I lay sprawled on the bed, being the eldest son, and wouldn't sit on that hard floor.
"What's wrong, boss? Do you need a fan?"
Hmm! The renovation turned out pretty well.
"No, I just have some questions I want to ask you."
"What's the problem?"
Is this the only prison cell in this tribe?
"Why is the boss asking this?"
"Think about it carefully, there probably isn't a prison in this world that would put two prisoners in the same cell."
That's true. It's fine if there are two grown men, but what if one of them is a woman? Would she end up in jail and start a family?
Although such a thing will not happen, I have a feeling that it might evolve into a similar situation.
"Uh... I'm not sure."
"That's true... Barsaka was arrested because he got lost, so asking him won't change anything."
"Okay... come here and scratch my back, it's a little itchy..."
"Yes, boss!"
At this point, I turned over so my back was facing up, and Basaka knelt down beside me and started scratching my itch.
"Hmm...that's it, very good! You have talent in this area."
That's true. Barsaka is the kind of guy who can find the source as soon as you get started.
"Hmm... Move a little to the left."
"Is this the place, boss?"
"Oh! Yes, that's it!"
Just as Basaka was scratching my itch, I suddenly remembered a very important question.
"Hmm... newbie, don't you find this strange?"
"What's so strange, boss?"
"The caretaker hasn't brought lunch yet."
Although the meals were provided free of charge, the orc female guard was always unusually punctual, but now he was starving, and the orc female guard had not yet appeared.
"Boss? Don't you think it's a bit noisy outside?"
"Yeah?"
When I heard Basaka speak, I tried to strain my ears. There was indeed some noise, but it wasn't specific; I probably just misheard.
"Boss? Don't you feel like it's suddenly gotten really hot?"
"Now that you mention it, I do feel that way."
That's true. Even wearing an ill-fitting vest, I was sweating.
"Also, boss! Don't you think the air is a bit choking?"
"……indeed"
Basaka's analysis was so logical, had he suddenly become some reliable guy? And... he wasn't wrong, a faint gray smoke drifted around, permeating the entire rainforest, and it wasn't just simple cooking smoke.
"Boss... Boss! The forest is on fire!"
"Don't joke around. I have indeed thought about setting a fire, but I haven't actually done it yet."
"Boss! Look!"
Following Basaka's gaze, you can see that this is the kind of prison that is suspended by iron vines, so the view is not blocked by anything like walls, and you can easily see outside.
Barsaka is right!
The forest is burning!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com