"...Hmm, where should I place the next one...?"
Muttering to himself behind the bars, a man busied himself stacking stones.
His hair and beard were pure white and overgrown, his glasses were cracked, and his clothes were a tattered mess of rags. His feet were bound with heavy chains to ensure he couldn't escape.
Despite his dire circumstances, the man continued his task of stacking stones with singular focus.
"Oho! ♪ It stayed, it stayed. My, it’s been several centuries since I last managed to reach three hundred layers."
He seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit.
"What on earth is this old geezer even doing...?" Grimo muttered.
"It appears he’s playing around by stacking stones simply because he’s bored..."
"Has he perhaps gone senile...?"
Grimo and the others looked on with exasperation, but someone held within the deepest reaches of the Celestial Prison couldn't possibly be ordinary.
He surely knew something interesting. With that in mind, I approached the bars and called out to him.
"Hello there."
"...Hm? And who might you be...?"
The man adjusted his glasses and turned his face toward me.
In the process, his foot accidentally struck the stack of stones. With a loud clatter, his tower collapsed into a heap.
"Nooo! I was just about to set a new record for the first time in a millennium!"
The man’s shoulders slumped. I could sympathize with his frustration, but he seemed a bit too distraught over it.
While everyone else directed chilly gazes at him, the Old Man exhaled a heavy sigh and looked up at me.
"Hmm? ...Wait, are you a human? Though you seem to have a lot of things mixed in with you right now."
"Heh, so you can tell."
"Yes, well. Still, for a human to infiltrate this prison... how very rare. Just what did you do to end up here?"
"I didn't really do anything. I just came because it looked interesting."
"Interesting...? I-I see..."
"Whoa there, if you're looking for a human, I'm right here! The Holy King has arrived!"
The Holy King rushed over and struck a dramatic pose. It seemed he had finished dealing with the Angels.
I didn't mind his help, but it was a little embarrassing when he acted so theatrical.
"Mumu... the Holy King, you say!? Are you truly the Holy King? This is a surprise. Were you captured as well?"
"Yeah, but I’ve decided to break out. I figured I’d go give God a piece of my mind while I’m at it. I’m on my way there with him right now!"
"Ho-ho! To God's presence. That is quite exhilarating. If it isn't too much trouble, could you perhaps break my shackles as well?"
"Eh, no thanks."
The Holy King refused instantly and kept talking.
"Since you’re locked up, you must have done something wrong, right? I can’t just say 'yes' and let you go. Besides, you’re imprisoned this deep inside. What if you’re some heinous criminal? No way, too scary."
The Holy King made an exaggerated show of being frightened. The man sighed and nodded.
"...I understand. I shall explain the circumstances so you might be convinced. I was once a butler serving God. However, I accidentally broke a dish that he cherished. As punishment, I was cast into this dungeon and left here for over a thousand years."
"A thousand years just for that...? Isn't the punishment a bit excessive?"
"He has likely forgotten I even exist. Hahaha."
The Old Man laughed with a sense of lingering sorrow.
Hmm, how truly pitiful.
"Well, Master Lloyd is also the type to be on the side of the one who forgets," Grimo remarked.
"I’ve been forgotten plenty of times myself, Master."
"As have I. Making a Demon King wait is an unforgivable offense," the Demon King added.
Grimo and the others directed cold stares at me.
...Did something like that happen? It might have. It couldn't be helped, though. I was a busy person.
As I averted my eyes from their judgment, the Holy King sliced through the bars with a sigh.
"Oh! To cut through the prison bars so easily..."
"A thousand years is too heavy a sentence for breaking a plate. Besides, you don't look like you’re lying."
He proceeded to destroy the man's handcuffs and leg irons.
"There, you're free. Go wherever you like."
"You have my sincere thanks. If you would permit it, may I offer a token of my gratitude?"
"Gratitude?"
"Yes. You came here because you were looking for a shortcut to God's Palace, were you not? I happen to know where it is."
"Really!?"
So the rumor about a shortcut was true after all.
"In fact, it is in the exact opposite direction of where you were heading."
"O-Oh? Was that so?"
As the Holy King tried to laugh off his mistake, Grimo and the others looked at him with icy eyes.
"I worked at the palace for many years, so please leave the guidance to me. ...Now, before that, this appearance is a bit unsightly. —Hup!"
Just as I thought the Old Man had cast off his rags, he was enveloped in a dazzling light.
When the light faded, the man who stood before us was dressed in fine gentlemanly attire. His hair and beard were neatly trimmed, giving him the dignified air of a proper butler.
It seemed he had used Radiant Armament to manifest his clothing.
"Phew, now that I feel refreshed, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rigo. I hope we get along."
"I’m Lloyd. Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine. Well then, shall we head off?"
Rigo started walking with brisk, practiced steps.
It really was in the opposite direction. The destination was apparently quite close, as he stopped after only a few minutes of walking.
However, there was nothing to be seen in the immediate area. Ignoring our confusion, Rigo began feeling along the wall in front of him.
"Let’s see, it should be right around here... Oh, found it. And... click."
With a soft mechanical sound, a section of the wall slid upward.
What appeared was a small room. On the floor, a complex Magic Spell Circle was drawn.
"Oh, is that a Magic Spell Circle? This is quite enticing..."
Just as I approached to investigate its formula, Rigo spoke up.
"If you get close to that, it will teleport you immediately."
"Eh...?"
The moment he said it, my vision went black. A second later, a brilliant, chalk-white interior appeared before my eyes.
Good grief. That was a Transfer Barrier with a remarkably wide area of effect. To be caught in it before even touching it was quite fascinating.
"Then, I'll head back for a moment to investigate it—"
"It is a one-way trip, Master. You cannot return."
"Master Lloyd, you can investigate all you want later," Grimo said, stopping me.
"That’s right, Master. We won't be able to get the story moving otherwise."
"...Fine."
There were other interesting things here, too. I’d just have to hold back for now.