Episode 399: Black Tongue (1)

Jeopuk- Jeopuk- Jeopuk-

Jeopuk- Jeopuk- Jeopuk-

Jeopuk- Jeopuk- Jeopuk-

Jeopuk- Jeopuk- Jeopuk-

Two footsteps echo in sync in a corridor filled with salty, sticky moisture.

The person walking ahead is Major Garm Nord, and the person following is Captain Kirko Grimm.

Bikir, who had taken on Garum's identity, was currently walking towards the hearing auditor's office, where Lieutenant Colonel 'Black Tongue' was located.

'I finally got to meet all five wardens.'

Colonel Dordium, Colonel Soiret, Brigadier General BDSM, Brigadier General Plover... … The wardens I've met so far were all unique.

However, the prevailing opinion was that the Black Tongue Colonel whom I was going to meet now was a dark and unpleasant person to the point where the other prison wardens mentioned above seemed ordinary.

'How can I get fewer votes than Brigadier General Flubber in the popular vote?'

Colonel Black Tongue was always in last place in the popularity polls conducted by lower-ranking and mid-ranking guards.

This is despite the fact that multiple votes were allowed.

Suddenly, Bikir spoke to Kirko, who was following behind, wondering if he could get a clue.

"Hey, Adjutant."

"yes."

Since it was the first time that Bikir had spoken to him since he became his superior, Kirko's face was slightly brightened.

However, the topic that followed was something that made her expression cold again.

"It seems like you don't like Colonel Black Tongue."

"… … ."

"I heard the sound of teeth grinding earlier."

Kirko was silent for a moment at Bikir's words.

And then he opened his mouth.

"I don't gossip about my superiors."

"Just list the facts."

Then Cirko exhaled for a moment. What should I do? If I have to criticize my boss, I will criticize him.

"Real name and age are unknown. His rank is lieutenant colonel and his nickname is 'Black Tongue' or 'The Jailer Who Catches the Jailer'. "I think he got that nickname because he has a black tongue and is a member of the hearing audit team."

"I heard he uses a sword, right? "I heard that your skills are amazing."

"yes. It is said that in terms of ability alone, he is of a higher rank than Colonel Dordium or Colonel Soiret. However, because his personality is so psycho and his work reputation is the worst, looking at his seniority and salary, he should have been promoted to brigadier general a long time ago, but he is still a lieutenant colonel... … ."

"Internal irregularities, military discipline, hey, you take care of internal disciplinary action and various audits all by yourself, right?"

"As the saying goes, such things rarely happen within the Nouvelle Vague. Unless it's based on Colonel Black Tongue's personal whim. "Like today."

"You seem to be very moody."

"yes. The problem is not only that they are very moody, but they also have severe impulse control disorders and sexual tendencies. "It is notorious for molesting and torturing not only prisoners but also guards."

Soon, Kirko listed the names of those who had been harmed by Colonel Black Tongue.

Most of them were tortured to death, maimed, or disappeared.

"23 years ago, Ensign Valentine Grimm, Ensign Farron Parundle... … 12 years ago, Lieutenant Bortz Yang and Captain Gordic... … 7 years ago, Captain Auby and Major Jang Dail... … 3 years ago, Ensign Marson, Lieutenant Yodel... … A year ago recently, one of my classmates, Lieutenant Virginia... … ."

Among them was the name of someone who was clearly assumed to be Circo's mother.

'Is that why? 'The thing that made me grind my teeth.'

Vikir took his gaze away from Kirko's cold face.

Meeting a person with a dark past requires great determination.

* * *

The hearing audit room where Colonel Black Tongue stayed was located in a dark and damp limestone cave.

The cave was a cave with a winding narrow and steep slope, and the cave was twisted front, back, left, right, up and down, and although it was extremely complicated, there was no need to worry about getting lost because it was a single road.

"It's so twisted. "There is no decent person who lives in a place like this."

"If it were normal, I wouldn't have guessed a person's personality based on where they live… … "I agree with you on this one."

Kirko also nodded his head in approval at Bikir's words.

Soon, they entered a fairly spacious open space.

There was no special change there, just a wide expansion of the path we had taken so far.

Stalactites sticking out like teeth up and down, stinging sea water flowing down the walls, deep puddles on the floor, and… … .

"What is this?"

Kirko tilted his head when he saw a black ball-like object lying on the floor.

The black balls, which looked like eggs of something, became more and more numerous as they went on, and eventually they appeared to be sticking together on the floor, walls, and ceiling.

Neither Vikir nor Kirko knew what this black sphere about a meter in diameter was.

When I poked it with my finger, I could only feel its soft texture, but I couldn't tell what was inside.

at that time.

Gurgling-

A black ball that Bikir kicked with his military boots made a strange sound and twisted.

Line by line... …

Red, yellow juice with an unpleasant smell began to leak from the top of the black ball.

"Ugh! What is this smell? It feels like rotting meat... … ."

The stench was so disgusting that even the squeamish Kirko frowned.

Eventually, Bikir took out his trinket and struck the black ball.

Pow!

The black ball distorted as if it were about to burst, and the contents inside began to gush out through the narrow hole at the top.

"… … !"

In an instant, Kirko's eyes widened as if they were torn apart.

What stuck out from the black ball was a corpse.

A thin skull and thick blood poured down on the floor.

Bikir kicked the black balls next to him one after another.

… Pow! Gurgling! Cool!

Then, as expected, an unpleasant sound broke out and unpleasant smells began to emerge.

The black ball spit out different things inside.

A skeleton with only bones left, blood that has coagulated like jelly, chunks of yellow fat and flesh, or a desiccated mummy with only bones and skin remaining.

Only then did Bikir discover the identity of this black ball.

"They were leeches."

leech. A vampire that attaches itself to another person's body and sucks blood.

But the leeches here in Nouvelle Vague are a little different.

Leeches that suck blood, leeches that suck bones, leeches that suck flesh, etc... … Each of the leeches here sucked something different.

If a human being is caught by a blood-sucking leech, he or she will be withered like a mummy in an instant, leaving only bones and skin behind.

If you are caught by a bone-sucking leech, all the bones in your body disappear and you literally become a living 'blood bag', floating around with only blood and internal organs in your skin.

When caught by a flesh-sucking leech, only bones and blood remain. During this process, the blood hardens quickly and turns into jelly, creating a strange and creepy sight with bones trapped inside.

All of the leeches present here had grown to large sizes, and each had swallowed a human in one bite, curled up into a ball, and were digesting the food in their stomachs.

Surprisingly, some of those trapped in the leeches' stomachs were still alive.

Cirko heard a faint voice calling his name.

"Ki, Kirkoo… … ."

The voice seemed as if it would break at any moment, not even the sound of a breeze.

When Kirko heard that voice, his eyes widened as if they were torn apart.

"Virginia!?"

Lieutenant Virginia. This was the motivation of Kirko, who disappeared after being caught for violating military law and taken away by Colonel Black Tongue.

She only helped Colonel Dordium embezzle military supplies as a low-level subordinate, but at most, she was taken to the auditor's office for the crime of embezzling a few bags of sugar that were supposed to be returned to the birthday person, and she never returned.

Virginia's voice was coming from inside the black ball inside.

Pow!

Kirko immediately pulled out his sword and struck the black ball with all his might.

The leech's tough skin slowly breaks off when it touches the aura.

Cirko finally scratched the leech's skin and twisted it open.

Sigh-

The leech's fluid poured out, revealing Lieutenant Virginia inside.

"… … !?"

Kirko covered his mouth with both hands as he saw his classmate for the first time in a year.

Bikir came next to Kirko, who was standing blankly unable to find anything to say, and said.

"It looks like it was a bone-sucking leech."

Virginia, spread out on the floor, was shedding tears.

She desperately moved her mouth and expressed her final message with the shape of her lips.

"porridge… … female… … Give it… … ."

Cirko stands blankly, unable to close his eyes or mouth at the sight of such a terrible sight.

It was Bikir who took action on her behalf.

Sigh-

A skilled hunting dog took the subject's life away with as little pain as possible.

"iced coffee… … Ahhh… … ."

Kirko knelt down with tears in his eyes and held what had once been his classmate with both hands.

at that time.

"Help, what are they doing now?"

The voice greeting Bikir and Kirko echoed from the deep cave.

I see a black ball, a shadow stretching among countless leeches.

It had an unrivaled black color that was clearly visible even in the surrounding shadows and darkness.

"… … ."

Vikir narrowed his eyes.

Finally, the darkest and most unpleasant author in Nouvelle Vague has appeared.

Lieutenant Colonel 'Black Tongue'.

He was the last 5th warden.