Chapter 10

"Alright~ Now that I've said hello to Little Sword, it's about time to go see her~"

After chatting with the Holy Sword Clothilde, Lisbeth stretched lazily and strolled over to the iron bars of her cell. Seeing the large gaps between them, she shook her head helplessly. "Oh dear, no wonder this is a two-hundred-year-old cell. As a prison, it's way too easy to escape from~ But then again, magic in this era is still so primitive—stuck in the realm of just attacking others. I doubt anyone would even imagine using it like this~"

As soon as she finished speaking, a cyan-green light flared from Lisbeth's body. In the blink of an eye, she shrank to the size of a thumb. Once tiny, she slipped effortlessly through the bars.

"Mm, easy-peasy~"

After passing the bars, Lisbeth restored her normal size. Having escaped, she crept carefully out of the cell toward the outermost door.

"Oh? More guards than I expected."

Escaping the cell had been simple for Lisbeth. But just as she was about to leave, she spotted at least five guards stationed outside the door. Despite the late hour, they showed no drowsiness, diligently patrolling back and forth.

"Seriously, no one's gonna inspect you guys. Why patrol so stubbornly?"

Lisbeth was only in a single-occupancy cell. Beyond it lay a multi-prisoner block. To leave unseen, she had to avoid both the inmates and the five guards. Yet, as she'd noted earlier, magical applications here were still backward. No tripwire-style magic traps existed—at least not here. So even in this tricky spot, Lisbeth felt confident she could pull off the escape.

"Hmm, Christia said all Secret Passages in the Upper District were thoroughly checked. But the hidden ones in the Demon King's Fortress are far more than she imagines. Turns out, there's one right here leading outside."

After carefully surveying the layout, Lisbeth shrank herself again. Quietly, she headed down another passage from the cell door. The prisoners in the multi-cell block likely wouldn't notice her tiny form. But the guards weren't blind—they'd spot even a bug. So Lisbeth advanced cautiously. At the slightest hint of a guard turning, she'd freeze and duck into the shadows. Luckily, the Secret Passage entrance lay in a blind spot of the cell. Once there, she'd be safe.

"Phew... Finally made it."

After some fumbling, Lisbeth reached the passage entrance. Without hesitation, she returned to her normal size, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

"Ugh, escaping took way longer than expected. But hey, I'm finally safe."

The passage ahead was pitch-black. Surprisingly, Lisbeth didn't cast a light spell. Instead, she felt her way along the wall. Why? The Demon King's Fortress passages weren't one-way routes—some led elsewhere. Worse, most weren't for travel. They were mainly used for secret rendezvous. If Lisbeth lit up here, someone might spot her—and that'd be disastrous.

"Good thing this is one of my most familiar passages. Feeling the wall should be fine."

Recalling the route in her mind, Lisbeth inched forward slowly, hand on the wall. This passage didn't lead straight to the Treasure Vault—it required at least three turns. After a while, she stopped muffling her footsteps and strode confidently ahead. Time was tight; she couldn't waste it here.

*Squish.*

"Huh!?"

Just as she walked on, her hand suddenly brushed against something soft. Before she could identify it, a pair of arms yanked her close. A sultry female voice whispered into her ear: "Merlin, you little rascal~ I'm flattered you're so eager to see me. But starting with a chest grab? Not cool~"

"Hah!?"