Annan did not take off his clothes foolishly outside. He stepped up the steps and entered the auditorium facing the warmth and brightness——
The floor was luxuriously covered with velvet carpets, illuminated by magic crystal lamps and candlesticks, and a horizontal oval table was filled with guests. Most of them were women, and their beauty and mixed scent of perfume made it difficult to concentrate.
And sitting in the middle is Annan's target, Ms. Winter.
She leaned lazily on the luxurious chair. Even so, she was still much taller than the women around her, and her attire was completely different from the aristocratic clothing Annan had seen - the dress in the north was similar to that of the Kingdom of Ruikan, and the Kingdom of Ruikan.
Copying the popular costumes of the southern countries. Mrs. Winter's costume is frost-colored and mainly made of velvet, which makes her already tall figure look even taller. When Annan stands in front of her, it might reach her chest.
The wavy rose-red hair is spread freely, and the temperament is like a prince of the North, but not like a tyrant. And the beauty is amazing——
Hmm...what's the wine lady's name?
At this time, Annan took off his cotton coat and felt hat, and handed them to the servant standing not far away.
The calm posture made the servant subconsciously come over to pick it up, and then he choked on the smell of the clothes and narrowed his eyes.
The ladies in front of the round table, the girls sat up a little straighter, their cheeks flushed with cold made them want to take a bite, and their messy orange-red hair reminded them of the Erwin family. However, the men and women of the Erwin family were strong.
It is not in line with the taste of ladies to be able to arm-wrestle with orcs - young boys who play around with them are more popular.
This boring banquet finally became enjoyable for them.
"Would you choose a joke or a riddle?" the captain of the guard asked impartially.
"Riddle."
The captain of the guard and the ladies looked at Mrs. Winter. She randomly picked up a frost-colored fruit that was similar to the color of her dress and asked him: "What is this?"
"It shouldn't be Apple."
Mrs. Winter pursed her lips slightly: "Then what is it?"
Eating all-you-can-eat fresh fruits in the cold winter is also a good choice... Annan answered calmly: "Pelo fruit."
But I have to think of a name again...
"What do you want?"
"Send me to the dungeon—"
Annan and Mrs. Winter spoke at the same time, and then he reacted. It seemed that it was not a punishment for eating a hundred fruits?
"It seems that our lucky man has what he wants." On the edge of the round table, a short and fat noble clapped his hands gently, calling the thin executive in the corner, "Can we fulfill his wish?"
"We can get rid of one of the deputy wardens," the steward said.
The pudgy noble waved away the butler and asked Annan with interest: "So, lucky boy, do you want to become a deputy warden?"
…
Annan stood in front of the dressing mirror, being served by a servant and changing into a slightly loose black deputy warden's uniform and long black leather boots.
The brown eyes in the mirror were dizzy, and they had not yet realized everything that happened from last night to this morning: he became the deputy warden inexplicably, was sent by carriage to the arranged mansion to rest for the night, and then got up under the service of the servants.
Change clothes and set off to work in the dungeon——
Everything went smoothly, as if the fallen god of justice and bravery was protecting him.
Annan subconsciously imitated the nun's prayer gesture.
In any case, becoming the deputy warden and rescuing the bard and Murat will no longer be a problem. Annan should be happy, but there is just one thing that he cannot accept——
"Olme is just the right person..."
The flattering subordinate read out this strange name calmly: "My lord Olme, would you like to enjoy the food first or take a rest first?"
"...Isn't there any work that I need to do? For example, patrolling the dungeon and dealing with prisoners."
"The inquisitor can handle such a trivial matter. The warden has high hopes for you..."
"I haven't met the warden yet..."
"There will be a chance, Olme is just the right person."
At Annan's strong request, this flattering official led Annan to the dungeon. Annan still remembered the guards, but they did not recognize the deputy warden in front of them as the disgraced prisoner from the previous day.
Stepping into the dark, damp, but gradually warming dungeon, the sound of leather boots stepping on the bluestone echoed loudly.
The prisoners in the cell looked outside, and a thin man cursed in a low voice: "You can get in position with your butt."
Annan asked for an increase in his sentence, which was a mistake... Vicious, hateful insults followed, and the guards banged on the iron bars to silence them.
Suppressing the desire for revenge, Annan came to the sixth cell. The bard who had moved closer to the iron fence because of the previous movement saw Annan and screamed: "Why are you back again!"
"Why are you talking to Deputy Warden Olme just now?"
"Olme what?"
"Olme is just right!"
"Shut up." Annan tilted his head and scolded, "He is my former neighbor, can you let him out?"
"Of course, you are the deputy warden here."
Asking the guard to open the cell door and release the bard, Annan looked at the old man who had given him half a bed: "There is still him."
Unexpectedly, the old man said angrily: "How can you repay kindness with enmity!"
"...I want you to be my servant." Annan realized the reason and added, and then the old man wanted to kneel down and lick Annan's boots.
Not exploring the depths of the dungeon yet, Annan walked out and stopped when he passed the first cell: "All the prisoners who have scolded me will be released."
While wailing sadly, Annan left the dungeon, went to the hotel, and asked Uncle Mulma to call Joan and the others down.
Facing Annan who had changed into a neat black uniform, Joan shrank back cautiously and was no longer lively. The knight girl did not change.
"Can I be a guard?" she asked.
Annan consulted the sycophant, and he straightened his back: "The will of the deputy warden is the will of the dungeon!"
Astolfo and the lonely man became guards, and it was the mute boy's turn. "I want to be a prisoner!" he said.
"You have a better choice." Annan said with a smile, and finally looked at the worried Joan: "Can I invite you to my official residence as a guest? Your Royal Highness the Princess."
Uncle Mulma smiled happily, glad that Annan could take care of Joan's sensitive mind.
After saying goodbye to Uncle Mulma, Annan led everyone back to the mansion and asked the bard to follow him to the study.
"Why is Bethal City so chaotic?"
The upper levels are extremely extravagant, the lower levels are freezing to death and starving to death and have to live in dungeons, while the middle levels only need to casually appoint and remove people.
"This is the nobility...Annan. Both Olmedo and you...are examples of the nobility."
"Their wealth allows them to have status, and their status allows them to have more wealth... This is the nobility. Dirty than rat people, evil than demons..."
"Aren't they worried about driving humanity to destruction?"
"We are not rat people, but we are not elves either. People will never die, even if they die..." the bard said meaningfully: "That will be what happens after 'I' die."
