The Real Kilmainham Prison

Beyond the walls of his new home flowed the Lucavaro River, the scenery bright and beautiful.

Both Marne District, where Kilmainham Prison was located, and Lucavaro District belonged to the Outer Fifteen Districts, beyond Strasbourg's old city walls.

Looking down from the terrace, the first thing he saw was the courtyard of Charlotte's new home. It was quite large, roughly six or seven hundred square meters, with a stable and a well—a very pleasant surprise.

The maids worked diligently. As evening fell, they lit kerosene lamps and bustled in and out of the rooms with buckets and rags.

Charlotte took a brief nap on a sofa in one of the rooms. When he woke, the room was spotless and orderly. Several maids had worked through the entire night, cleaning the building from top to bottom.

Feeling slightly guilty, Charlotte paid them double wages, sent them away, then hailed a public carriage and headed straight for Marne District.

He had only taken one day off, and he still had to report to Kilmainham Prison today.

Charlotte's direct superior, Senior Menilman Sumay, did not ask about his leave yesterday. She merely assigned him three times his usual workload.

Charlotte was run ragged. Once again, he failed to get off work on time that day—indeed, he did not get off work at all, spending the night in his office.

When he woke in the office once more, the first thing he saw was a beautiful woman in military uniform sitting cross-legged atop his desk.

Charlotte's first thought was actually, Senior Menilman always seemed to wear a military uniform. I've never seen her in anything else.

Charlotte hurriedly rose, straightened his coat, and said, "Warden, is there any work for today?"

Menilman seemed to be in an unusual mood. In a somewhat subdued voice, she said, "No paperwork today. Come with me."

Charlotte said nothing and followed his senior.

Menilman Sumay led him deep into the prison, descending all the way.

Charlotte had worked at this prison for some time, but he had never left the office area. This was his first time entering its depths.

What surprised Charlotte was that this, the Empire's largest prison, held remarkably few prisoners. Many cells were empty.

He did not care much about the prisoners and did not think deeply about what that meant.

Kilmainham Prison was a fortress-like structure. Within its tall, thick walls stood only five buildings—the First Office Building, the Second Office Building, the Prison Guard Corps barracks, the stables, and the prison itself.

Only then did Charlotte learn that the prison extended far deeper underground than it rose aboveground. Following Menilman Sumay, he descended seventeen or eighteen levels before reaching the very bottom.

The lowest level of the prison was not dark.

A great door filled with a sacred aura stood in the center of the underground chamber.

Dozens of Prison Guard Corps soldiers stood ready, weapons equipped.

When Menilman Sumay arrived, the guards hurriedly saluted. The warden waved a hand and stepped through the door built beneath the earth.

Charlotte hesitated, then followed her inside. No one stopped him.

The moment he passed through the door, the Bloody Glory within Charlotte suddenly boiled, and a faint red glow rose from his body.

He hastily forced open the Bloody Vortex between his brows, reined in the Bloody Glory, and calmed the turmoil inside him, though surprise lingered in his heart.

Bloody Glory would not boil without reason.

Beyond the door was another heavily guarded underground chamber.

Of course, it looked more like a mine shaft.

Every Prison Guard Corps soldier guarding this chamber bore the aura of Transcendence. Their dense killing intent made Charlotte deeply uncomfortable, and he even touched the Vampire Hand Axe hidden beneath his clothes.

Menilman Sumay led him through several more heavily guarded gateways before emerging from a black tower.

Setting foot on the surface once more, Charlotte cried out in surprise. At that moment, he could finally be certain of one thing.

This was no longer the Empire of Fars.

In a low voice, Menilman asked, "Do you know what a dimensional plane is?"

Charlotte nodded. He had studied the relevant knowledge at university.

Menilman said, "This is the real Kilmainham Prison, a Demiplane abandoned by the gods that once possessed a splendid civilization."

"Every year, the Empire transports large numbers of prisoners here, erases their memories, fabricates identities for them, and turns them into residents of this place, having them explore ruins and excavate wealth for the Empire."

Charlotte's voice turned hoarse. Thinking of many troubling possibilities, he asked fearfully, "Senior, did you bring me here because there is something you need me to do?"

Menilman said, "Come with me."

A few minutes later, Charlotte saw someone utterly unexpected.

Zimmerman Axel Robin!

Charlotte had read many of Zimmerman Axel Robin's files, but he was not acquainted with this legendary gentleman of the Empire in the slightest.

Zimmerman was restrained on a stone bed, surrounded by countless people in black lab coats and hoods, bustling about.

In a strained, quiet voice, Menilman said, "In a little while, there will no longer be anyone named Zimmerman Axel Robin in this world. There will only be Captain Huntington, who has lost all his memories and is utterly loyal to the Empire."

Charlotte had nothing to say. Menilman Sumay had come to see her former fiancé off for the last time. He was clearly superfluous here, yet he could not avoid witnessing this.

Zimmerman had either been injected with an anesthetic that suppressed Transcendence or subjected to some special restraining spell. He remained very still until the Alchemy Array bloomed with strange light, when he gave a slight struggle.

Or rather, it looked more like a convulsion.

The phantom of a thick, ancient tome slowly emerged. Countless wisps of intangible gray mist rose from Zimmerman's body and flowed into the strange book.

Drawn by a mysterious force, brilliant battle aura flared from Menilman Sumay's body.

The Bloody Glory within Charlotte also boiled once more, forming faint, secret threads of connection with the phantom of that thick, ancient tome.

Charlotte could not help but gasp softly, "The Emerald Book!"

He had never seen it, but he had heard of it.

It was a divine artifact bestowed by the Serpent of Destiny, one of the Nine Great Righteous Gods.

The university even offered a dedicated course on the Emerald Book's origins and functions, as well as the magical alchemy derived from the knowledge recorded within it.

The Emerald Book granted to humanity by the Serpent of Destiny, the Solar Gold Book granted to believers by the Lord of Radiance, and the Dead Sea Scrolls left behind by the Old Man with the Lamp were hailed as the three great pillars of human civilization.

Of course, as a transmigrator, Charlotte did not quite believe that claim. He had studied the human civilization of this era, and it did not seem to have much to do with those three divine artifacts, but that did nothing to erase the shock in his heart.