I reincarnated to a world that was quite different from the world of my previous life.
The world of my previous life was a democratic society where all people were equal, with highly developed science, but that wasn’t the case here.
In this newly classified society, that reminds us of historical Western societies, the development of science was insufficient, but magic existed here.
In addition, the human basic concepts for humanity were lightly touched on, unlike that of my previous life.
If the poor and powerless commoners commit crimes, they receive a death penalty.
If someone were to have been already caught for swindling by the age of 17, they would be deemed as a first degree offender with a death penalty on them and placed on wanted flyers all throughout the Empire.
But there was nothing to worry about. In reality, running away with the body of a criminal was much less risky here.
In this world, with money, I could easily obtain convenient magical tools, that had helped me commit fraud a bit more meticulously.
I had slowly prepared myself into becoming a famous swindler of this world.
I learned how to live like a slave in the back alley, learned the code of etiquette needed while playing as a servant when serving nobles, and studied poison as a means of survival and defense.
When I decided that I was ready, I started saving money by changing my identity from one place to another taking advantage of the special makeup skills from my previous life…
And now.
I’m on the first-degree death row as a ‘faceless criminal’.
Many people may have hated my name when it was mentioned, but they did not disagree with the label ‘genius swindler’.
If that wasn’t the case, how could the Grand Duke, a high-ranking civil servant, come all the way to the jail asking for a favor from me who was a criminal?
「You need to help me out.」
The will was touching, and in fact, it was a little captivating.
Because, I was wondering if my extraordinary brain could make this physically adept idiot who only have his strong-body, the Emperor.
But that’s it. Unfortunately, I was not a person who wastes time on things that are not profitable and meaningless.
“Now, it’s time to escape.”
I had about an hour and a half left before the guard who wakes up the camp arrives at 7. That was enough time.
The only thing offered in this empty prison was a cheap baby wrist-sized candle that light almost nothing.
I lit a candle, pulled out a fork from my prison dress, and slowly started to heat it up.
The utensils usually supplied to these camps in large quantities were cheap.
Unlike the kind that was distributed to the high-class noble families, it was an alloy material containing a large amount of metal called Galyuman.
Galyuman, a cheap metal, was easy to find and had a low melting point. It quickly melted, as expected, to a state where it’s able to be properly handled.
If you bend the two teeth of the fork that had been melted properly, and bend the remaining one just slightly….
All right, key’s done.
As I said before, my craftsmanship was good. It means that I can get everything even without a key.
Let’s put a fork in the shackles hole and rotate it a few times…
Click.
Getting out of prison was the easiest.
After carefully pushing the hollow shackles to the corner without making a sound, I solved the lock to the drain with the same method and unlocked it.
“Ah, it smells.”
The smell of dung caught my nose when I opened the dense drainage gate.
First-degree criminals were not allowed to use toilets. Everything had to be settled in this solitary room.
I had to defecate in a drain closed with iron bars, and it was terrible…
However, if it wasn’t for the solitary isolation of first-degree criminals with drains installed one after another, such an easy escape would have been difficult.
When one opens the drain, one can find a drainage ditch that allows a small grown woman’s body to move easily.
Seven in the morning, noon, and nine in the evening. Three times like this, the drain was filled with water and dirt was drained, and I had to escape before 7 o’clock to avoid drowning in the poop.
It was a little uncomfortable that I had to go out through the toilet where I used to have the big ones and the small ones until yesterday evening, but right now was I in a situation to choose between cold water and hot water?
After covering my nostrils tightly with a small piece of tissue, I easily climbed down the drain and dropped down.
The structure of the drainage ditch installed in the basement and the escape route were already embedded in my mind like a map.
I was sick and tired of Drax’s camp, now goodbye.
“Oh, right.”
Poor Grand Duke Hessen, I won’t hear from you, but I had to leave you with a final greeting.
I looked up at the solitary confinement room where I had been staying for a month till while ago and smiled.
“Good luck, Your Highness. May you be the emperor as you wish and rule wisely.”
I’m sorry.
As expected, getting out of prison was the easiest.
Hessen Empire’s first-degree wanted criminal, commonly referred to as ‘Viper’.
The charge was fraud.
There was nothing like a sketch for the unidentified Viper. Because that person was a master of disguise.
Age unknown, gender unknown.
Some said that that they were a potbellied middle-aged man in his 40s, some said that they were a young boy under 20, and others said that they were an 80-year-old grandfather who was barely living with forbidden black magic.
Viper’s method of approaching rich aristocrats and extorting money was diverse and meticulous.
The reason why their nickname is ‘Viper’ was because of their 100% success rate of fraud.
Basically, it was a nickname given for having the skill of dealing with poison freely but…
The victim, once bitten by Viper, could never escape the swamp of meticulous fraud, was also a reason why it was a befitting nickname.
“It’s arrogant, but I like the look in her eyes. I was worried about her being a woman, but she’s not a normal one.”
Early in the morning, Rexid van Hessen crossed the hallways of quiet camp, recalling the face of the Viper he had seen a few hours ago.
The unknown criminal, whose identity itself was unclear, and the unthinkable reality of Viper being a young-faced woman who may have just reached adulthood.
Contrary to her high notoriety, the Viper had a pretty face that would have looked better if he hadn’t met her in a dull camp.
Rexid, who recalled her blonde hair that would sparkle pretty well in the sunlight, and emerald eyes that were shining boldly, couldn’t control his mouth and twitched his lips.
“That’s how smart you are…”
“It’s expected. Because she’s the one who’s been making a lot of commotion in the Empire for four years.”
The man who walked closely behind Rexid and informed him was Owen Schbach.
He was a man who lacked 24 hours a day to manage the territory on behalf of Rexid, whose brain is made of muscle, and to control his dominance of taking action first rather than words.
Owen, a black-haired man reminiscent of a black leopard, had a very different charm from Rexid, who had an unrefined wild charm. He was one of the most talented people in various fields, and was superior in power, intellect, as well as the ability to judge the situation calmly.
His external position was the ‘butler’ of the Grand Duke, but he was in charge of numerous tasks that were not limited to that simple position.
“After it goes through, if it’s really a useful thing, I’ll double your salary.”
“Thank you. I’m sure my pockets will be quite abundant this year.”
Owen’s answer which convinced that he would never be disappointed, made Rexid feel better.
It was Owen, a competent butler, who recommended the criminal Viper as a courier for the large business.
Based on his experience so far, he had no memory of losing money following Owen’s words. Therefore, it will be satisfactory again this time.
She was a very rare swindler arrested by Drax’s investigation squad four years after her fame.
The Viper’s ability to make the empire tumultuous with her extraordinary brain, craftsmanship and bold actions was a waste to be corrupted as a criminal.
If she could use her extraordinary brain that works well in place of me…
“She’s crazy about money, so if I give her enough for her to be satisfied, she’ll work hard for me, right?”
“Maybe, if it’s more than what she can gain by scamming with her skills. However, even if you keep her by your side, you should never trust her. You can trust everyone in this world, but never trust the Viper.”
“How many times do you have to say the same thing?”
Rexid picked his ears and nodded as if he was annoyed.
Owen was worried even though he said he understood it.
There weren’t many people who actually know the man called the tyrant of the battlefield with no blood or tears was actually a person who lived in loyalty and dies in loyalty.
If he considered someone as his person, it’s normal to overlook whatever they did wrong. But he’s a person who would gladly get it for them when asked to get the liver or a gallbladder.
Although he suggested recruiting Viper to borrow her tricks, it was a little difficult if Rexid, who was infinitely weak to his loyal subordinates, was swayed by her.
It was then, when Owen tried to leave a warning once more, even though he knew Rexid didn’t want to hear the same lines many times.
“What is it?”
Rexid’s fast paced steps stopped in front of the Viper’s room.
A wide open prison door.
And the figure of guard standing with a contemplated face.
He was overwhelmed with anxiety.
“Yo- You- Your Grace…”
Maybe he didn’t expect Rexid would come to the camp this early, the guard was flustered.
Rexid, who was looking at the guard’s reaction, peeped into the open prison.
Viper…
She wasn’t there.
The only thing in the empty prison was the shackles that were placed on viper’s feet a few hours ago, drainage gate that swung open, and a fork.
“This… tell me what happened with a single line.”
Rexid added in a frosty voice.
“Don’t stutter, don’t go over two sentences. Or your neck will fly off.”
“It looks like the Viper escaped.”
The answer came out quickly since he was a guard who knew Rexid’s nature well.