I Was Just Enjoying the Discipline - Chapter 5

The private rooms where they ate, slept, and bathed didn’t really matter. What mattered were the cramped little rooms, scarcely larger than coffins, where the “training” took place.

‘Wouldn’t it be a bit awkward if I ended up in the room next to the villagers?’

The thick iron walls separating the rooms offered decent soundproofing, but they weren’t completely soundproof. The original novel had mentioned that cries — whether screams or moans, it was impossible to tell — could sometimes be heard from the neighboring room.

‘Which means if I’m having the time of my life during the training, won’t the villagers hear all of it?’

Oh, my god.

A chill raced down Sophia’s spine. That, above all else, absolutely could not happen.

Even after making off with a tidy fortune from this place, she’d still need time to find somewhere new to live. The only property she owned was the ramshackle house back in the village, so she’d have no choice but to stay there for a while.

And if every single villager found out just how shamelessly lewd she really was…

The mere thought sent one mortifying scenario after another flooding through her mind. Whatever else happened, her social standing would be utterly destroyed.

‘No, absolutely not. Enjoying the training is part of my plan, but ruining my reputation is definitely not.’

Sophia wanted everything to be quiet, discreet, and perfectly secret. She wanted to enjoy the training, collect her money, and leave without anyone ever finding out. She had no intention of sacrificing her dignity along the way.

‘Right. I guess I’ll have to get them out of here somehow.’

Sophia quietly made up her mind.

‘I’ll pretend I’m sacrificing myself for the sake of the village. I’ll stay behind, while everyone else, including Lavina, gets out of here. That way I can enjoy the training without having to worry about anyone watching me.’

No one would discover her peculiar tastes. No one would laugh at her behind her back. Better yet, she’d be remembered as the noble heroine who had saved everyone from the demons. It was killing two birds with one stone.

The only real question was how Yudel, the warden of this prison, would respond.

‘There’s no way he’ll just let it slide.’

After all, his carefully acquired human captives would have escaped. If he discovered that Sophia had orchestrated the breakout, she might be subjected to an even harsher, more relentless regimen than the one Lavina had endured in the original story.

‘But that doesn’t really matter to me.’

If the only consequence was that the “training” became a little more intense, she could live with that.

Sophia already knew that no matter how furious Yudel became, no matter how badly he wanted to kill her, he couldn’t. They still needed to harvest her life essence. As long as that remained true, they would never take her life. So even if she were caught afterward, it wouldn’t actually be a problem.

Her safety was assured. There was something to gain. She had a perfectly respectable justification. And, as a bonus, she’d be doing a genuinely good deed.

All things considered, it wasn’t a bad plan.

Having finished weighing every angle with remarkable speed, Sophia opened her eyes and quietly surveyed the prisoners around her.

After stealing a glance at the guard to make sure he wasn’t paying attention, she recalled the escape account she’d read in the original novel—the only successful prison break in the early part of the story.

Then, lowering her voice, she carefully spoke.

“I know a way for us to escape.”

It was little more than a whisper. So soft and faint that, unless someone was paying close attention, they might not even realize anyone had spoken at all. It was the kind of voice that seemed as though a single breath could scatter it into nothing.

Even so, every pair of eyes in the cell turned toward Sophia. Among them was Lavina, who had spent the past half day crying without pause.

“…”

The prisoners all turned towards her at once, as though they wanted nothing more than to rush over and demand to know how she intended to escape. Instead, they all glanced cautiously toward the guard. Their greatest fear was that he’d overhear those precious words.

Fortunately, the guard showed no interest whatsoever in the humans locked inside the cell. Having apparently eaten a hearty dinner, he looked thoroughly drowsy, like sleep was already beginning to overtake him.

The prisoners exchanged quick looks. Without a word, they drifted toward one corner of the cell as though they had rehearsed it beforehand. Sophia quietly joined them.

The first to speak was Emma, who had been captured alongside her two daughters.

“…Was what you just said true?”

It was the question everyone wanted answered. Sophia gave a small nod.

“Yes. There is a way to escape from here.”