I Was Just Enjoying the Discipline - Chapter 25

Just as Sophia found herself silently marveling at the sheer cruelty of his kind, Yudel continued.

“But that doesn’t matter. Even if you fail to fill these bottles in a single day, I won’t kill you for it.”

For Yudel, it was surprisingly gentle. His tone was even, his voice calm—reassuring, almost. Even the way he looked at her seemed softer than usual.

However, upon hearing his next words, Sophia quickly realized that this was nothing more than her own delusion.

“Of course, I will urge you along rather… forcefully. But not enough to cost you your life. And if there’s any left over, it doesn’t matter whether you make it up tomorrow, the day after, or whenever. Aside from a little encouragement on my part, there won’t be any real consequences.”

Sophia studied him in silence. Setting aside his ominous definition of “a little encouragement,” there was something deeply suspicious about the way he spoke, as though he were trying to put her at ease.

Watching him carefully, she finally gathered the courage to ask:

“So… there really won’t be any consequences?”

“Hm? The way you asked that almost makes it sound like you’re hoping there will be. Are you?”

Sophia nearly jumped out of her skin. She didn’t mind being put through his “disciplining,” but dying because she failed to meet her quota was another matter entirely.

“No way, of course not. Not at all. Absolutely not.”

Afraid he might change his mind if she hesitated, Sophia hurriedly shook her head and answered with all the deference she could muster.

Sophia let out a long, shaky breath. She had nearly lost her head before she’d even had the chance to experience his “training” properly. Her heart pounded so violently it felt as though it might burst through her ribs.

She stood frozen, drenched in a cold sweat. After silently watching her tremble with fear, Yudel stepped closer.

The faint, bitter scent of tobacco she’d noticed the day before washed over her again. The sudden closeness made her body stiffen instinctively.

Then his voice fell from above her.

“That said… there is one small catch.”

“…”

“That was a rather perceptive question. You’re sharper than you look. Is that how you managed to help all those little rats escape?”

Having “praised” Sophia with words that sounded anything but complimentary, Yudel reached out and lifted her chin. Forced to meet his gaze, Sophia found herself staring into those unreadable violet eyes.

They studied her quietly, as though weighing something hidden beneath the surface. Then, at last, he spoke.

“If you fail to meet your quota for the day, you’ll receive a light punishment. Consider it… encouragement.”

“…Punishment?”

“That’s right. You dared to free the little rats I’d gone to such trouble to gather. And on top of that, you fail to do your job properly for Lord Eligos? Surely you don’t expect me to reward someone like that.”

There was no arguing with his logic. Yudel had every reason to hold a grudge against her, and he did. She had undermined him in a way few others ever could. Resentment like that wasn’t going to disappear overnight.

Besides, this prison existed for one purpose: to harvest life essence for Eligos. There was no reason anyone here would treat a human who failed to meet her assigned quota kindly.

From their perspective, punishment was only to be expected.

It wasn’t that Sophia hadn’t expected something like this. Even so, an inexplicable sense of dread crept slowly up her spine. It felt as though some disaster she had yet to comprehend was racing inexorably toward her.

And now, it had arrived.

“Until you’ve filled all eight bottles of your daily quota, you won’t be eating, drinking, or resting in comfort. Naturally, any amount you fail to produce that day will carry over to the next and be added to the following day’s quota.”

“…What?”

“So that you’ll reflect on your own inadequacy in failing to provide enough life essence and apply yourself with greater diligence.”

Ignoring Sophia’s stunned question as though he hadn’t heard it, Yudel continued in an even tone.

Sophia’s mind went blank.

‘Eight bottles…a day?’

Learning that her daily quota was eight times the normal amount had already been shocking enough. But the fact that any unfinished quota would automatically roll over to the next day was almost impossible to believe.

‘I’m not a dairy cow. If they drain that much life essence from me, I’ll die!’

Even if only a single bottle carried over each day, the debt would grow to nearly thirty bottles within a month. And it would never disappear.

It was essentially a sentence to spend the rest of her life being drained of life essence until it finally killed her.