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You were lying on your bed, trying to fight off the drowsiness that Sigewinne's medicine caused. Although it was now late at night, you didn't want to sleep until you at least had some sort of clue about how you would find this escapee group.
According to Wriothesley, the only way to find out would be to meet someone who was already in the group.
But how would I do that? You thought to yourself. I can't just up and ask 'hey I want to escape too so let me join your group'...I wouldn't even be able to ask questions without making myself suspicious...
Groaning, you brought your blanket up over your body and accepted your exhaustion. You told yourself you would just worry about it in the morning, when you had the whole day to come up with a plan.
— Morning —
"Good morning. Welfare?"
You had woken up energized and feeling refreshed. Since you didn't eat yesterday, you found your way over to the cafeteria as soon as you got up.
"I'll save it for later. Here." You handed the chef some coupons you earned from your time in the Pankration Ring.
"Here you are. Enjoy." The chef waved off to you as you sat down at a table.
You opened the box, seeing the lucky meal sitting before you.
Smiling, you immediately dug into it, savoring every bite that you took. You were glad that you didn't choose to have your welfare meal, and honestly, you didn't even remember the last time you requested a welfare meal.
Drinking onto some orange juice, you noticed someone approaching you.
"Morning, fireball."
You looked up at Nizami, who seemed to be following a man that approached the counter.
"Morning. How's that jaw?" You teased, looking at the wound you had given him.
"Better than ever. How's that knee?" He said, making you roll your eyes.
"Still flexible." You replied.
The man that Nizami was guarding had walked over to the two of you.
"Oh, I know you." He smiled while placing his box in front of you. Nizami sat next to you, crossing his arms.
"You do?" You asked.
He nodded. "You often fight in the Pankration Ring. Your skills are amazing."
You smiled. "Thanks."
The three of you enjoyed a polite conversation while you ate. You learned that Nizami took on a commission to protect and guard the man, purely because he was afraid of the things that could happen to him in the Fortress. You teased Nizami for his actions, but he seemed to actually like the job, although he doesn't find it quite fitting because there is not a lot of action that occurs.
"Nizami, can I ask you something?" The man had walked off to clear his box and return it to the counter, so you took the opportunity to put your plan into action.
"What is it?"
"Do you know anyone who's planning an escape party?"
Nizami titled his head. "You trynna join?"
You laughed. "I wish. But I'm actually doing a job for the Duke. He wants me to get all the names of the escapee group and people involved."
Nizami thought to himself. "...I don't know anyone in particular, but from my days spent here, you can probably get some information out of the brothers."
"Brothers?" You inquired.
He nodded. "They like to gossip and spread rumor. A lot of information comes and goes for them with a price."
You smiled. "Thanks. Any idea where they are?"
"You can find them lingering around the middle level."
With that in mind, you said your goodbyes to the man and Nizami, both going your separate ways.
"The middle level..." You dropped your box off at the counter and headed towards the elevator.
It took you down to the middle level, where you seldom went. Looking around, you slowly paced your way through.
There were a lot of other prisoners casually chatting away, with a lot of materials scattered around. If anything, it resembled some sort of lounging area.
You looked at a woman who wasn't doing anything but staring off into space. You approached her, your presence making her flinch.
"—Oh! I didn't see you there..." She sighed.
"Hey. Can I ask you something?" You crossed your arms.
"That depends on what the question is." She replied.
"Do you know of any brothers that like to gossip here?"
She tilted her head. "...You want to find them? Of all people?"
You nodded. "I'm trying to make sense of what happened earlier. I figured they would have information about it."
"Why would you want to investigate it?" She narrowed her gaze at you.
You rolled your eyes inside your mind. "Because a friend of mine got hurt during the incident."
She let a low gasp come from her mouth. "Oh, that's terrible... um, the brothers you're looking for are currently not here. I believe they took on a task above the surface."
You raised your brow. "We can do that?"
She nodded. "It's called coupon millionaire. Basically, if you earn enough coupons by a certain time, you can be escorted to the surface briefly."
You took in her explanation. "Seems like I need to invest in that."
Suddenly, her gaze started examining you. "...Aren't you the one who defeated the Duke one time?"
You swallowed. "Yeah..."
Her personality flipped like a switch to your surprise. "Th-Then certainly you must be close with him?"
You hesitated. "I wouldn't say close..."
"But you often see him, right?"
You nodded slowly. "Every now and then, I guess."
Shockingly, she grabbed your wrist and pulled you behind a bookshelf. You started to protest, but she placed her finger on her lips, shushing you.
"Listen... how long is your sentence?"
"...Only three months." You said quietly.
She sighed. "I know this is going to sound strange, but... can you help us?"
"Us?" You titled your head.
She nodded. "You don't like the Duke, right? Hence why you fought him."
You bit your tongue, realizing you were getting the information you needed. "...Yeah. Despise him, actually."
A small smile formed on her lips. "Can you meet me tomorrow near the pipes?"
"Pipes?" You asked. "This entire place is made of pipes."
"The ones that they clean every month. Just tell a Garde that you're volunteering and you'll meet the rest of us." She explained.
You nodded. "...Alright."
"Good. Don't tell anyone about this. With you on our side, our plan will surely prosper."
"Plan?" You inquired.
She lowered her voice farther. "Me and a few others are going to bust out of here. Our protests aren't working, but we've discovered a hidden terminal that leads to the ocean."
You sighed. "The Duke has eyes everywhere. What makes you so sure that we'll make it without getting caught?"
She hummed. "We have to cause a scene that can get the Duke's attention... that's what we're discussing tonight."
"Okay..." You didn't know whether to just tell Wriothesley what you've learned or to meet up with the rest of the group tonight. Either way, it would put you in an odd predicament if you joined them.
"Shhh. Someone's coming."
"Huh—"
"—And you just take a left there and you should get to the Rag and Bones shop!" She suddenly raised her voice, making you flinch.
You watched a Garde graze by while eyeing the two of you. He quickly looked away and carried on with his patrol.
"...Okay, he's gone." She grabbed your wrist again and pulled you out from your hiding space.
"...So, tonight, right?" You asked.
She nodded. "Tonight."
With that in mind, you walked off. Now that you were involved with the escapee group through that strange girl, it seems you would be the one getting out early instead of them.
The thought of leaving the Fortress, however, worried you.