Even if Watt were being generous, riding in the transport Mech-steed was far from comfortable. The Mech-steed was designed to be sturdy above all else, and thus it lacked anything resembling decent cushions. It was so cold, hard, and dark that Watt couldn’t help but wonder if his prison sentence had already started.
“If I had to get hauled off either way, I sure woulda loved to go along with His Highness the king’s brother in his! That one looked a lot nicer, don’t you think?”
“Enough out of you, traitorous scum! Be grateful you weren’t cut down on the spot!”
“Oooh, now that’s an awfully scary thing to say!”
“We’re here. Get out—now!”
“I hear ya, I hear ya! I’m gettin’ out! No need to be so rough about it!”
Watt exited the Mech-steed and started walking as the soldiers prodded him from behind. He’d seen the building in front of him before.
“Now this brings back memories!” he remarked. “Who woulda thought I’d wind up in Guillé Prison, right? Never woulda imagined it back when I was a royal knight!”
Watt had used Guillé Prison several times when he’d still been a royal knight, though mostly as a dumping ground for people he’d arrested. As the vanguard of the Royal Knights, Watt had defeated many more foes than his peers, which had naturally led to him growing quite familiar with the prison.
“Come to think of it, are all the guys I caught still hanging in there?” Watt said. “Actually, on second thought, this ain’t good! Don’tcha think they might try and get revenge on me?”
“Enough of your nonsense! Silence!” one of the soldiers shouted, having finally gotten fed up with Watt’s stream of jabber. Watt lifted both hands in a show of remorse before resuming his walk—this time while humming. He was about to be imprisoned in Guillé Prison, said to be the largest in the kingdom, but he was so lighthearted he might as well have been on his way to lunch. If nothing else, Watt’s stronger-than-steel nerves seemed like they would win him the soldiers’ honest respect.
After continuing past the normal block of cells, Watt was led away into the innermost depths of the prison. It was a special location reserved for the most dangerous criminals and he was plenty aware of the fact that it boasted plenty of mechanisms in various locations to immediately execute said criminals if needed.
“Oh, I see what this is about,” Watt said. “They really skimped out on the chair for the guy getting questioned, didn’t they?”
The cheap chair let out a sharp creak as Watt leaned so far back that it bordered on improper. Sitting across from him on the interrogator’s side was Turk Ogdenn, the king’s younger brother, who made no attempt to hide his exasperation.
“You’re being imprisoned in Guillé Prison, and you still act like it’s a stroll through the park. I’d heard you weren’t quite right in the head, but it seems you’ve lost your mind completely. It was more than worth it to put you on that wanted list after all.”
“I’m no stranger here thanks to my old job,” Watt replied. “Now that you mention it, I still have to thank you for sticking me on that list.”
Watt had a whole slew of things to thank Turk for: the attack on Front-Edge City, sticking him on the wanted list when he was innocent, and ruining his trip on the Trailmarcher. The look in Watt’s eyes grew even more vicious.
“Heh heh, and yet that same plot allowed us to calm down and talk here now, did it not?”
“What part of any of this is ‘calm’ to you?” Watt shot back. “If we’re just talking, there’s no need to do it in an over-the-top place like this!”
“I’m rather careful, you see,” Turk said. “I simply detest being interrupted—more than anything.”
“Excuse me? You sure you don’t mean it’s the perfect place for silencin’ me?”
“I’ve no intention of doing anything so alarming,” Turk said, sneering.
Catching a glimpse of Turk’s needlessly white teeth as he smiled, Watt’s face stiffened in exasperation.
“I’ll cut straight to the chase, then,” Turk said. “Let’s make a deal.”
“Oh?” Watt asked. “And just what is it you’re after in this?”
“Serve me, Watt Sears. Do so, and you’ll be a wanted man no more,” Turk said. “And that’s not all—I’ll even prepare you a fitting enough post in the Royal Army. While you might not be a royal knight, you’ll have authority close enough to one. With your skill, it’s not impossible to regain your post as Top Knight of the Kingdom.”
A suspicious look fell upon Watt’s face after that unexpected remark. “Now that’s quite the cushy offer. So what do you hope to gain from this?”
“I know all about you, Watt,” Turk replied. “You were the youngest in our kingdom’s history to ever rise to the rank of captain of the Royal Knights. Not only that, you’re a former prodigy of a knight that slew a dragon to gain the title of Top Knight of the Kingdom. They say that your blades ripped through the heavens themselves, thus earning you the title of Watt the Heavensripper. But seventeen years ago, you suddenly disappeared...”
“You’ve done a nice job digging all that up.”
“I suffered a rather painful loss out there in the frontier,” Turk said. “But after seeing how you fought, I had no doubts left; even after all these years, your skills haven’t dulled at all.”
Watt remained silent.
“And this is the most vital part,” Turk went on. “You’ve a grudge against Lezamer Ogdenn, don’t you? It’s only natural; he caught you in his trap and drove you off to the frontier. He’s my enemy as well...which would make us allies, you see.”
“So let me get this straight, then,” Watt said. “What you’re saying is you want me to be your pawn and bring you his head.”
Turk’s grin grew even broader, as if everything were going precisely as he’d planned—so Watt made sure to give him the broadest grin he could right back.
“I’ll pass.” Watt made his decision without a second thought.
Turk’s expression stiffened behind his unshifting smile. “Are you in your right mind? What on earth could you be unsatisfied with? You could reclaim your old position and have your revenge as well!”
“Where the hell do I even start?” Watt said. “But out of everything you’ve done, what pisses me off the most is the fact that you came after my daughter and hurt her too! That’s more than enough to make you my enemy.”
As if struggling to understand what was going on, Turk put a hand to his temple and shook his head. “Ahhh... It seems you truly are lacking in sense.” He sighed. “They once hailed you as a prodigy, but it appears time’s left you nothing more than a mere fool.”
Watt had no intention of explaining things to Turk any further. The sort of person who judged others based on their standing or how others might serve their own interests had no hope of understanding how Watt felt.
Just as expected, Turk’s expression grew stern as he stared back at Watt. “Then I suppose that’s that,” he said. “I’m far too busy to waste any more time and breath on a fool like you. Our negotiations are over. You’ll be executed for treason against the royal family.”
“You won’t even let me live out my days in peace in my cell?” Watt asked. “Now that’s an awful thing to say. You’re the one who brought the fight to me in the first place.”
“Save your complaints for your own foolishness,” Turk said before taking his leave.
The soldiers led Watt away and tossed him into his cell.
Man, I got a little carried away going tit for tat with that prick. Still, between Lezamer and that bastard, those royals don’t have a decent soul to their name. They’re all way too willing to get rid of anything that gets in their way without a second thought. If guys like these are the only candidates for king we’ve got, then I’m worried as hell for this kingdom’s future.
Legalisbelm was, in the first place, a system put in place by a past kingdom to address concerns that a rambling line of succession would lead to a lower-caliber king. But as Legalisbelm was repeated time and time again, the system had become nothing more than a hollow shell, leading to the absurd premise that you could do anything—so long as you won—to reign supreme.
I don’t like that sleazy bastard one bit. Looks like I still can’t shake off my worst habits from back when I was a royal knight. I’ll get around to all that later, but for now...I’ve gotta think of a way outta here.
Even if he were to try and make his escape, Guillé Prison was a problem in and of itself. It was the most heavily guarded prison in the entire kingdom. He didn’t have a Mechsteel at his disposal either, meaning he had to escape unarmed—a task of utmost difficulty.
This ain’t good. Not to mention it seemed like he was ready to execute me as soon as he could.
After mulling over this and that, Watt decided that his first step would be to get some sleep. He hadn’t succumbed to drowsiness; instead, he was readying himself for the moment he knew was coming. Lying down on the stiff mattress with only a single flimsy blanket on top, Watt immediately fell asleep, snoring as he did.
Yet he would soon find himself met with an opportunity to escape, far quicker than he ever imagined...