"Telepathy?"
'Yes. I'm going to transfer any information by this.' The voice of Beth spoke, making the puny human speechless.
'So this is ability,' he thought.
Of course, information regarding these things had also resurfaced in his mind, but it wasn't clear.
"Are you done? Lets go. We will just look around the place for today." Brent said as he started walking.
'Just leave me alone.' The puny human grunted, but he still followed him silently.
--
Inside the inner section,
Clack
In a room where the interior was messed up, a woman wearing a cap walked in as she looked around.
"What happened here?" General Ameri asked as she looked at the two guards responsible for the mess.
"An unknown person suddenly appeared. We tried to capture her, but she disappeared." A guard holding a spear spoke as he lowered his head.
Another guard who was standing beside him also lowered his head.
"Was she wearing black clothes with bells and holding a bag?"
General Ameri asked as one of them raised their head to answer.
"Yes, but she wasn't holding anything." He said.
"...I see."
General Ameri replied as she looked towards the statue that was sitting on a chair.
"What about him?" She asked as she pointed at Tinman.
"Ah him. He was recently caught. His punishment was to be sent to the mine for a lifetime. We were asked to send him there by the order of Senior." The guard answered as General Ameri observed Tinman.
"Did that lady come to talk with him?"
She asked as she felt a little similar vibe from Tinman as she did from that lady.
"I don't know. They only stared at each other without talking." The guard replied.
'...some kind of telepathy?' General Ameri thought since that creature definitely couldn't have come here to just stare.
'But he is a criminal; he can't use his mana here.' She thought as she observed Tinman. Even after doing so, she couldn't feel a hint of mana from him.
'Could it have been that she has the ability to have a conversation without the other party needing mana?'
Thinking so, she walked forward as she stood right in front of Tinman.
"What did that creature say to you?" She asked as Tinman raised his head to look directly at her.
Keeping his eye contact with her, he raised his hands as he started to move them, making different forms one by one.
[She didn't say anything. She just stood there saying nothing, and I don't know her.] He signed.
'...This handmovement...' General Ameri seemed to have recognized what he was trying to do as she opened her mouth.
"Sign language?" She said this as she tilted her head. She had no idea how to read sign language.
Clunk
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Surprised, Tinman raised his head as he looked at General Ameri with shock.
"What?" General Ameri asked as she felt the change in him.
Shook
He shook his head as he made some more hand movements, but
"Stop. I don't know sign language." She replied as she looked behind her.
"Do any of you know sign language?"
She asked the two guards behind her.
They looked at each other in confusion before one of them replied.
"What is that?"
"...Sign language. You don't know it?" She said this as both of them shook their heads in denial.
Looking at the guard's reaction, General Ameri frowned a little as she looked towards Tinman.
'This is going to be difficult.' She wondered if there was anyone who knew sign language.
'You foreigners are sure interesting.'
Suddenly remembering the creature's remark, her frown deepened as she realized something.
'Is he?' She thought.
"How did you know about this language?" She asked, wanting to confirm things.
Her whole life, she has never encountered a person who uses sign language; even when she traveled a lot, she never did. Does it even exist?
Upon hearing the question, Tinman became a little troubled.
He learned something valuable from someone. He can't just disclose information regarding them to others. It was against his principles.
Tinman shook his head as he denied disclosing the information.
General Ameri frowned, as did the two guards behind her.
"You two, bring the document that has his record and a pen." General Ameri said as the two guards saluted and left the room.
Clack
"Sigh." General Ameri, now free from the two guards' presence, dragged a chair, placed it a little ahead of Tinman, and sat.
"I will ask you something. All you have to do is shake your head for no and nod your head for yes." She said this as she looked right into Tinman's eyes.
Tinman did the same as he nodded his head upon understanding.
"I am Ameri Sanchuez. You have been pronounced a criminal for murder, and as a punishment for that, you will be spending your lifetime in the mine." General Ameri recited the information she had, but there was one thing different.
"Did you understand what I said?" She asked as she kept eye contact.
...shook
Not understanding a word she said, Tinman shook his head.
How could he even understand it?
It was a language completely foreign to him and this place.
Even though it was a common language in the place where General Ameri used to belong, this place wasn't that place.
She had spoken a familiar language to her, English.
--
On the outer section,
Piiiiiiii~
Several guards blew a whistle at the same time as the criminals gathered in front of two tents, forming two lines that separated men and women.
"What is going on?"
The puny human, standing on line just like everyone else, asked as he looked at Brent, who was standing before him.
"It's the daily check-up thing." Brent replied as he looked around.
"...So this prison cares about its criminals too?" The puny human said it in a doubtful manner as Brent turned around and looked at him in confusion.
"Of course not. It is so that the mana blocker is working." He said this as he took a few steps ahead.
The puny human also took a few steps ahead as he opened his mouth.
"Now don't tell me that you don't know what a mana blocker is." Brent said as he quickly shut his mouth.
'By its name, it must be something that blocks one's mana?' He guessed it as he took another few steps.
The line was progressing faster than expected, as in a matter of time, it was Brent's turn.
It took a few moments, but he was also done, and now it was the puny human's turn.
"Beth is calling me, so I hope you just stay still and don't go anywhere." Brent whispered as the puny human nodded his head.
'Chance.' He thought as he smiled. It was the perfect opportunity for him to run.
Stepping into the check-up, there was only one guard. It was the same guard who had been present in the room during their discussion with General Kent.
Only one criminal was allowed to enter the tent for checkup, and the other had to wait outside, so there were only two of them.
'There shouldn't be any problem.' He thought since the guard had seen him at the discussion.
"Have you found any information? If so, please tell me, as I am recording them." The guard said as he held up a piece of paper to write on it.
"Currently, officer Beth is invistigating some groups while I and officer Brent are looking around the place. That's all till now." The puny human replied as the guard wrote it down.
"Ok. Thank you for your cooperation. You can leave now." The guard said this as he bowed his head.
The puny human nodded his head as he quickly got out of the tent.
'First, I have to go to that sealed opening.' Before, he wasn't able to fully comprehend his environment due to all the fighting and commotion.
But now that he had calmed down, he could go back and look for a way to escape.
'If I was mistaken as an officer, then I don't have much time left. The real officer Ray may come to light anytime, and when he does, I'm doomed.' He frowned as he thought about what would happen to him if that happened.
'Shit, I don't have much time.' He thought as he felt restless.
'First of all, how did they even mistake me for an officer of all people here?' He thought, as he was surprised that he wasn't even caught yet.
No one—Brent, Beth, the guards, and not even General Kent—had figured him out yet.
'Talking about Beth, don't I also have an ability?' He wondered what it was and how to activate it.
'Well, I hope it's teleportation so I can get out of this damn place easily.' He thought as the sealed opening came into his view.
He recalled the information as he tried to figure out what to do.
'After you enter the outer sec-'
"Hey."
Whoosh