Episode 374: Sucker Shark (2)

A third way for prisoners to obtain food.

That was 'begging'.

Several guards were sitting on a rock having lunch.

While the prisoners rest and eat pickled sardines and a piece of black bread, the guards eat better food.

You will receive a piece of salt pork, a large boiled fish roe, fresh seaweed, a bottle of manatee milk, and in rare cases, carrots, spinach, or potatoes.

Fruits such as apples and oranges were sometimes distributed to high-ranking guards above the rank of major.

Although it was insignificant compared to the food on earth, at least in the eyes of the prisoners, the guards' meals were the most delicious food in the world.

So the guards sometimes used this food as bait to trick the prisoners.

"Hey, sucker shark~"

When one of the guards playfully waves his hand, a prisoner who was waiting in the distance runs over to the point where his soles are sweaty.

"Get down."

When the guard spoke, the prisoner immediately fell to the ground and exposed his stomach.

"wake up."

"sit down."

"Lift your legs."

"Open your mouth."

"hand."

The prisoner followed the guard's orders and performed all the movements a pet dog would do.

Then the guard finally laughed and threw the leftover piece of pork to the prisoner.

"Will you continue to work well in the future? "Don't cause trouble."

"yes! Guard! It is an honour!"

The prisoner waits, drooling, with his head on the ground.

Like a 'sucker shark' that picks up what is left behind by large fish.

Eventually, the guard gave permission to eat it.

"That's enough. "Eat."

Then the prisoner picked up the piece of pork with trembling hands and sniffed it for a long time.

And soon, I licked the white hardened fat on the outside of the pork with my tongue.

The prisoner savored the salty, spicy taste for a long time, even holding back tears.

A piece of pork that you taste, little by little, with the tip of your tongue and gnaw on with the tips of your teeth as if you were scraping off a fingernail.

The prisoner was eating the piece of pork that he put in his mouth, almost melting in his mouth like candy.

The other prisoners, looking at that scene, could only gulp.

"Now, if you all complete this month's workload, you can eat the leftovers!"

"Work until you die! Then I'll give you my fixed sucker shark!"

"Cheer up! "I will take responsibility for the person with the most work on this floor and let them eat ice cream!"

The guards said as they threw leftover fish eggs, pieces of meat, and sea milk on the floor.

It was natural that the eyes of the prisoners, who had been unable to eat rotten sardines and loaf of bread, turned around.

"Oooooh! "Let's work!"

"Did you hear? "It's ice cream!"

"It's mine! "I will work the most!"

The morale of the prisoners rose significantly. They were now confused about whether they were human or not.

Regardless of man or woman, hunger is such a scary thing.

They were tamed like this deep down to their bones.

… … but.

Not all prisoners dreamed of sucker sharks like this.

"hey."

There were also cases where the hierarchical relationship between guards and prisoners was completely reversed.

Level 8's inmates glance. Also known as 'plague leper'.

He was currently sitting on a rock and showing off.

Other prisoners cannot even get close to him for fear of contracting the plague.

"Hey - can't you hear me? Is your liver so swollen that it sticks out of your stomach?"

And it was not the prisoners who were calling out to them now, but the guards.

"… … ."

The person who hesitates after receiving the call is a low-ranking guard with messy hair and a large burn scar on his face.

It was Second Lieutenant Garm Nord.

Shikkeot held out his palm toward Garum as if it were obvious.

"Give me the meal."

"… … ."

Then Garum looked at the guards around him.

Fortunately or unfortunately, his fellow guards had no idea that Garum was being humiliated like this.

This was possible not because Sikkeok's actions were secret, but because Garum was in a position to receive no attention from his colleagues in the first place.

Shikkeot grinned and snatched the meal from Garum's hand.

"I said that because I knew all the other guards weren't watching, man. "Thank you, right?"

"… … ."

"I am grateful that we can just get away with offering this much meal. okay?"

He threatened Garum in a low voice.

"If I want to, you know? That girl, Kiriko or something, is going to catch the plague. "You will die a very miserable death."

"… … ."

"You have a crush on that bitch. yes? "Don't you want to see the woman you have a crush on, pouring out poop and urine and becoming as dry as beef jerky?"

"… … ."

"Then, take care of it and bring me lunch like this every day. Grrrrrrrr… … ."

He muttered in a gloomy voice and tried to shove pieces of pork and fish eggs into his mouth.

Right then.

"hey!"

A shrill cry echoed throughout the workshop.

The shout was so loud that even when trying to swallow food, I hiccuped in surprise.

There was a female guard standing where Garum looked with wide eyes.

Ensign Circo Grimm. He was an elite low-level guard who was scheduled to be promoted to lieutenant soon.

She narrowed her eyes and glared alternately.

"Do guards give food to prisoners? Are you crazy?"

Garum does not dare to meet the gaze of Kirko, who boldly argues with him.

The prisoners who saw this clicked their tongues.

"Are they that annoying couple again?"

"A smart woman and an idiot man."

"What a waste of a woman."

"Giggle, giggle, it's hard work if you have the wrong motivation."

Looking at the prisoners' reactions, I could see that this happened quite often.

Kirko approached with great strides and snatched the food out of Sikkeok's hands.

And he spoke with a sharp gaze.

"If you are a prisoner and covet food one more time, you will be beheaded on the spot. "I will report it to my superiors immediately."

"Krrrrr- Why is our pretty female guard being so grumpy today…?" … 100 million!?"

I tried to avoid the situation with a sly smile, but it was impossible because of Cirko's subsequent steps.

Chakang!

Cirko quickly took out his knife and cut off the tip of Sikkeok's beard.

As he blinked with a puzzled expression, Kirko snorted once and then looked at Garm next to him.

"Disgrace your motive… … "No, don't embarrass the guard, you idiot."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't even say you're sorry. "Are you really an asshole?"

There was even a faint hint of contempt in Kirko's gaze as he glared at Garm.

"… … "If you can't work, there's something wrong with you."

Soon she left the place, blowing in the cold wind.

Garum could no longer respond and lowered his head, and the prisoners laughed at him.

"'Stupid Garum' is stupid again today."

"What a pathetic guy. "How can a guy like that be a jailer?"

"You said that if you join that bastard's group, you can steal that bastard's meals?"

"I'm honey. "They don't even ask us to do any work and they share the meals with us."

"I can't believe I can eat delicious food without having to work. "I also want to work under that guy next month."

There were various nicknames that followed Garum.

'Stupid Garum', 'stupid dog', 'walking bread', 'idiot', 'hogu', etc… … Everything was just negative.

And surprisingly, that nickname was given far more often by fellow guards than by prisoners.

"Hey, did you lose your meal to the prisoner again? "This guy is really stupid."

"It's good to prevent problems by giving a meal as a bribe… … If you do that, the other prisoners will become spoiled as well. "Don't harm your classmates."

"Oh, are you okay, Kirko? Don't worry about that guy. "I'm going to get stressed out and ruin my pretty face."

"You idiot. "I'll see you later after dinner roll call."

His classmates scold Garum with grim expressions.

The more he did, the deeper his face, with his messy hair and scars from burns, sank deeper and deeper.

Cirko, who glanced at that, turned completely around with a light sigh and soon left the place with his classmates.

"Krrrrr… … I'll be watching you today because of that damn bitch, but starting tomorrow, I won't be there. Don't forget. I'm bringing all of my lunch. "Otherwise, as I said before, I will turn that woman named Circo into the second plague leper."

Shikkeot whispered softly once again into the dejected Garum's ear and left.

Even humming a song.

"… … ."

Garum, who was left alone, was receiving with his whole body the looks of contempt and ridicule from the prisoners and guards around him.

In the meantime, his gaze is directed towards Cirko, who is standing in the center of his classmates in the distance.

… … .

And there were eyes watching this whole series of events in silence.

"… … Hmm."

It was Bikir.

After much thought, he came up with a plan.

'If I do this well, I might be able to use it, right?'

Separate. And Circo.

The relationship between these two young men and women may be helpful.

'At the moment of prison escape that's coming soon.'

Bikir was now making plans to leave the Nouvelle Vague.

This plan will probably be put into action as soon as humanity's hope 'Poseidon' is found.

… … and.

'That moment' came much sooner than Bikir expected