Before the Villains’ Ending

Calix Hamel knew that his talents were not to be put to good use. Still, he was grateful for the talent. The power of Glacies was wider than expected. They regarded the guild members who had already been captured as ‘failures’ and did not bother to rescue them, but at least they paid attention to the gold coins that Calix stole.

In addition, the proposal to ‘recycle’ the failures to bring the blueprints and secrets of the prison was also highly praised, saying it was a pretty good idea. As a result, they promised fuller support to Calix’s existing men.

It was not difficult for those who temporarily came out to work to go out and deliver the gold coins. Prisoners who had to participate in forced labor because they were not aristocrats were able to successfully negotiate with Glaciers using hidden gold coins.

Members of the guild pretending to be civilians carried out a deal by handing them bottles of water, pretending to be friendly. Those who received the gold coins pouring from the sleeves of their loose overalls were happy to put in contact with the remaining anti-imperial forces.

And that’s how in an instant the information network was built.

The information reported included Margaret’s news and the current political landscape, so Carlix led an incredibly comfortable “superior” life while he was in prison. Everything was perfect except for the fact that he was not in a very good mood right now.

As usual, Margaret sent him painkillers and simple antiseptics through the jailer. Instead of personally visiting and delivering the amount needed for the day, there was not even a note. In a bottle containing a large amount of medicine.

The feeling when he realized that the medicine filled with glass bottles was exactly the amount of days left until the execution was indescribable!

While grinding his teeth, Calix said, “Please thank her for me.”

The jailer did not give a definite answer, but replied that he would try anyway. The news that came through the established contact network was neither good nor bad. Indefinite probation, they murmured.

There was a lot of talk about the collaboration between the Crown Prince and Beatrice, but Eilish’s head of household seemed to be having a hard time with that. The fact that Margaret reacted indifferently to a series of situations made the whole situation even more confusing.

Beatrice, who was still active in the social world, was worried that she might be plotting evil like her sister.

“I guess that’s about it after all. I must have really lost my mind.”

Calix slowly lowered his black eyes that shone with murderous intent, thinking of the woman he once loved.

…He would have to accept it. He acknowledged his past self as an eyeless bastard.

It was when he thought about Beatrice while preparing to break out in earnest that he felt a strange feeling. The woman he once loved. The woman who left him gave me despair. She was the woman who caused him to rebel. The woman who lingered in his head regardless of the situation…

Calix remembers the image of himself pouring out his emotions into Beatrice. It was probably sincere. It must have been.

“… Did I mean it?”

It gave him goosebumps. He was appalled at his inability to be sure.

Yes, it’s true that Ihe once loved, and he was obsessed. But how come there’s not even a remnant of that feeling left now?

Calix clicked his tongue in annoyance. An expression of displeasure for no reason was evident on his face. He was half furious at the fact that it was difficult to guess what the hell he was doing. But that was all.

Calix quickly turned his attention to the above facts. He decided it was a waste of time, and decided not to waste his precious time on useless things. Calix was a person who always kept his word.

As promised, he distributed bottles of alcohol from his share to some inmates and even taught them how to make a space under the barrel of the workshop and modify it so that they could pour the alcohol separately.

Calix’s popularity indoors grew day by day. He also explained how to support his drinking colleagues from both sides so that they would not be caught by guards.

In return for hiding the gold coins and establishing a network of contacts, they were able to solve their smoking and drinking cravings after hard labor.

Calix narrowed his eyes as if he were tired, keeping his eyes fixed on the calendar.

“Tsk.”

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. There was not much time left before his execution.

Nevertheless, Calix was sitting leisurely in the meeting room where he used to wait for Margaret, looking straight ahead, with his mouth raised leisurely, and his eyes relaxed enough to look harmful at first glance. It’s been over two weeks since Kastiel Reload was away to keep an eye on Margaret. In the meantime, he was sloppy, but somehow he succeeded in establishing a systematic relationship between the ruler and the subject, and as the number of people with dreams of escaping prison increased, it was like the night before the storm.

Instead of Kestiel, who appeared a short time later, the man in charge of monitoring and overseeing the prison guards had the impression that he was as blunt and strict as the original owner.

“You are the rumored Grand Duke.”

He used his polite tone. Calix looked up at him quietly, and the other person narrowed their brows, displeased.

“I don’t know why you asked me to see you separately, but all of your actions will go up to the Knight Commander.”

“I know that much. I’m not an idiot, either.”

Calix replied in a careless tone. Nothing revealed one’s own weakness more than giving advance warning in a situation where there were no signs of danger. Calix shook his head, feeling once again how weak the people under Kastiel Reload were in comparison.

“I just called you because you have to keep it secret.”

Snitch

The supervisor immediately put his expression on his face and seriously poked his head in, expressing his intention to listen.

Clearly, Sinalore was a prison with a reputation for turmoil between prisoners and guards. It was a place that ranked 3rd among the worst prisons surveyed by the continent and 1st in Alcatraz alone, so he was suffering from intangible pressure when he first came. But then…

“…no incidents.”

He was puzzled. It was true that relations between the guards and the prisoners were irreparably bad. The guards often spit and verbally abused them and their families. Some guards didn’t hesitate to beat them to a near-half-killing level until they made a proper apology. But other than those occasional incidents, they were really casually obeying the given duty. Really casual.

“Tell me in detail.”

The informant who came to the cell, which was a very good match for the night before the storm, gave a strange relief.

It seemed certain that the mental burden would be less than now if the cause of the incident could be found amid uncomfortable peace. If you catch a conspiracy theorist, a prison break, or an instigator of a double crime, the credit is greatly appreciated.

Calix replied calmly, as if reciting today’s weather.

“Someone is planning to break out of here while Reload’s away. Unfortunately, I don’t know the exact prisoner number. Of course, the name either.”

“…what?”

The supervisor was more shaken than expected by Calix’s words. This was also true because conversations within the restaurant were conducted under strict supervision. Calix laughed at him, wondering whether he should be suspicious of a story that the prison guards couldn’t have known.

“The type of military code that consists of hand signals differs from country to country. It seems that you have never been trained in other countries’ code systems. Did you really not know?”

“… Unfortunately, no.”

The inspector gritted his teeth. Because it was true. In any case, the arrogant informer in front of him was making a credible argument in his own way, considering the history of rallying forces from various countries to cause rebellion.

“It’s probably not just one or two.”

“Why are you telling me this in so much detail?”

“Because I heard that informants have preferential treatment. I’m a person with special abilities, so I don’t normally work. Therefore, it’s clear that I won’t be exempted from labor. So tell me, supervisor. Now that you’ve found a secret, what are you going to give me now?”

Calix raised his chin arrogantly, just as he did with the crown prince. A man resembling pitch-black darkness fit terribly well with this confined dungeon. Clearly, he should have reported the current situation to Kastiel. Nevertheless, the supervisor responded with his own judgment.

“If the secret is true, I will consider it then. Even if you don’t know the number, you’ll know it when you see the face. We will set up a place tomorrow, see the results of the search, and then contact upper management. Are you satisfied?”

Calix didn’t hold back his laughter; his face, full of sincere joy, was gorgeous and terrifyingly beautiful.

He had a face disfigured by torture and arrogantly bristled like a king.

“Of course.”

It’s a satisfying result.

***

Kalix watched the prisoners’ labor as a snitch on the condition that a couple of guards would follow him. He acted as if he didn’t care about the air outside he hadn’t felt in a long time.

The work site, about an hour’s walk from the main prison building, was busy carrying and loading coal. In the field where the conversation is not allowed, the only voices heard are the shouts of the guards and low-quality songs sung by the prisoners.

Calix fixed his eyes on the subtle signals passing between the scenes.

Acting for a cause needs to be delicate. Those who had nothing to do with each other blatantly glanced at each other with obviously nervous expressions, as if they were plotting something, and the prison guards turned to those people. The acting for the disturbance was excellent, so Calix was satisfied.

Unfortunately, Glacies made it clear by saying that it would give up material support for the escape. Therefore, the target of their password must be someone other than the guild member.

[20 days.]

The words conveyed by the worker who carried the coal were simple and clear. Calix chuckled, saying that alcohol would be the reward for snitching. He said he misses expensive wine. At the same time, he expressed his affirmation with a hand signal of the same system.

Then he said:

“That guy.”

The man in charge nodded and asked if he knew the meaning of the code.

“He’s out of jail in three days.”

“I think I asked you.”

“It just meant to fuck you. Can’t you see the middle finger?”

Calix responded with a smirk to the point of being sarcastic, lifting his middle finger and shaking it.

“…do it.”

The director nodded suspiciously and ordered the supervisor.

Meanwhile, Calix fixed his eyes on the prisoner with the widest sleeves. He hummed a poor song and threw sexual jokes at a civilian woman in the distance, not even looking at Calix.

Calix couldn’t stop laughing. It was because even during that time, each and every action of his was conveyed with intention.

[Preparation]

The preparations were complete.