Even Though I Defeated the Demon Lord, My Wife and Daughter Treat Me Like Trash ~ I Found Out My Wife's Child Isn't Mine, and When I Confronted Her, She Got Mad and I Was Exiled. The Country's in Trouble Because the Demon Lord Came Back? Sorry, I'm Getting Remarried to a Princess, So I Can't Help. - Chapter 10: Imprisonment

Chapter 10: Imprisonment

I remember it clearly. I was eight years old.

That day, I had mustered all my courage and spoken to Old Man Barnes. 

After completing a magic lesson, he praised me and patted my head. 

Emboldened by that, I said:

“Your… teaching is so good, Father…”

I used to call him Master—that was how I always addressed Old Man Barnes.

But I had come to look up to both him and Karnak, the former imperial knight who raised me, like father figures. 

Barnes was briefly surprised by my words but quickly regained his composure and replied with a serious expression.

“Van, I’m not your father. You mustn’t call me that.”

“…Yes, I’m sorry, Master.”

“And the same goes for Karnak. Understood?”

“…Yes.”

He hadn’t raised his voice, but his refusal was firm and clear. 

I must have disappointed him with my awkward attempt at calling him Father.

I didn’t want to let him down ever again.

From that moment on, I vowed never to call him Father again.

◇◆◇◆◇◆

The sharp, sour smell woke me up. 

As I regained consciousness, I remembered what had happened right before I passed out and realized the source of the stench: my own vomit.

I never imagined I’d end up with my face buried in it.

But then again, during battle, I’ve been covered in monster guts before, so this wasn’t a big deal by comparison.

Still, this was an unexpected side effect of the “memory-probing” spell.

The flood of information was overwhelming, leaving me unable to process my emotions in time.

I’ve investigated some pretty horrific scenes in the past, but I’ve never been hit by a shock this intense.

Maybe I’ve grown too numb to the concept of life and death.

In any case, passing out might’ve been a stroke of luck.

If I had remained conscious… I probably would have killed both of them on the spot.

Looking around, I realized I had been thrown into a cell.

There was a guard stationed in front of the iron bars. 

My body ached from being dumped onto the cold floor.

Escaping from a place like this wouldn’t be difficult, but for now, I decided to stay put and gather my thoughts.

As I slowly sat up, the guard noticed the movement and turned to speak to me.

“You’ve woken up, Sir Van?”

“Yeah, though I wouldn’t call it a pleasant wake-up.”

“Uh… I apologize for not being able to clean you up. His Highness strictly ordered us to leave you as you are, so…”

“Don’t worry about it. And don’t treat me too politely. It might put you in a difficult position. Just treat me like any other prisoner.”

“I understand… er, right. I’ll do that. I’m supposed to report to His Highness once you wake up, so please wait a little longer.”

The guard stepped away from the cell. 

That meant Albert would be coming here soon. 

In the meantime, I decided to clean my face. 

I cupped my hands, trying to summon water using magic, but… nothing happened. 

It wasn’t until I looked up that I noticed the magic circle inscribed on the ceiling.

“Ah, so it’s suppressing magical power.”

It was a prison designed specifically for magic users.

Makes sense, since if someone could use unlocking spells, they’d escape easily. 

Judging from the markings on the magic circle, it didn’t completely block magic; it simply restricted the amount of power that could be used.

I tried casting again, this time with more force. 

The spell worked, and my hands filled with water—just as my visitor arrived.

Albert walked in, first noticing the water in my hands and then looking up at the ceiling.

He pointed at it and asked the guard a question.

“Is that thing functioning properly?”

“Yes, another mage checked it before he was put in here.”

“Then how does he have water in his hands? Did you give it to him?”

“No! I haven’t given him anything!”

“Tch… still a monster, huh? Leave us. I’ll talk to Van alone.”

“…Understood.”

Listening to their conversation, I splashed the water on my face before it spilled and wiped it off with my sleeve. 

Once the soldier left, I spoke up.

“Gotta clean up before meeting the prince, right?”

“Hmph, pretending to care about appearances now?”

“Of course. Especially for a traitor.”

I glared at Albert, and he responded with an amused smirk.

“Traitor? That would be you, wouldn’t it? Conspiring with the remnants of the Demon Lord’s army.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about your crimes.”

“Huh?”

My crimes?

Breaking into the royal family’s quarters… sure, that’s serious. But considering my past achievements, I figured the king might overlook it. 

However, Albert’s smirk grew even more, his words dripping with sarcasm.

“Galforne… seduced you, and you came to assassinate me. Your crime, Van, is conspiring to murder the prince and overthrow the kingdom.”