At the deepest part of the Fifth Floor.
A two-story Western-style house stood there, adding a strange contrast to the frozen world of ice and snow.
At first glance, it looked as if it had come straight out of a storybook, filled with a fairy-tale atmosphere.
Of course, that was only the first impression.
Anyone familiar with it would most likely stay as far away as possible.
[Frozen Prison]
This was the prison used to hold enemies of Nazarick, and also the confinement facility used to punish NPCs.
Naohara's figure emerged from the swirling snow.
Not long ago, after handing the weapon over to Cocytus and giving him a few final instructions, he did not remain there.
[Dragon Destruction Sword] was no ordinary divine-class item.
Nor was it a mere weapon blank.
Engraving rune characters onto it was something that could never be completed in a short time.
Since carving runes required a relatively quiet environment, Naohara chose to leave on his own.
He had briefly considered something else.
Since he was already there, perhaps he could forge a weapon for fun after such a long time.
But the moment he remembered something Warrior Takemikazuchi once said to him.
"The materials are decent, but the one forging them is complete trash."
That thought immediately disappeared.
As for his forging skills...
They were not terrible, but they were barely passable at best.
After all, unlike Warrior Takemikazuchi, he never truly loved forging.
The reason he learned it in the first place was simply because he once dreamed of forging a unique personal weapon.
In the end, it was just another preparation for possibly being transported to another world.
Anything that could increase his character's strength was worth trying.
However, because of his job in the real world, time became increasingly tight.
On top of that, he logged in every day to hunt dragons and grind the effects of [Dragon Blood Sacrifice].
Eventually, Naohara abandoned the unrealistic idea of forging a personal weapon and instead focused entirely on improving his character's own attributes.
After all, he knew his own limits.
Standing in front of the gate, Naohara's thoughts shifted slightly.
An invisible force spread outward, and the frost-covered door opened automatically, as if welcoming his arrival.
The moment the door opened, a blast of icy air surged out.
The interior was even colder than outside.
But for Naohara, whose resistances were all maximized, the icy wind brushing across his body felt nothing more than refreshing.
He walked through the corridor covered in pale blue ice.
As soon as someone entered, several phantom figures stirred and opened their crimson eyes.
These were incorporeal ghost-type undead built into the Frozen Prison itself, hidden inside the ceilings and walls.
If anyone entered without permission, they would immediately intercept and attack.
Of course, Naohara was not included in that category.
Once the ghosts recognized that the one who had entered was a Supreme Being, they quickly closed their eyes again.
"Hm? Is Neuronist not here?"
Seeing that no one had come out to greet him, Naohara showed a hint of confusion.
Neuronist Painkill was the Torturer.
As a permanent NPC stationed in the Frozen Prison, she rarely left this place. Even the slightest disturbance usually could not escape her notice.
For example, the last time Naohara came here, she detected his arrival immediately and rushed over.
After walking a little farther, Naohara stopped in front of a door.
[Room of Truth (Pain is not to tell)]
This was Neuronist's territory, the place used for intelligence extraction and interrogation.
Naohara extended his spiritual perception and checked the situation inside. A look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
So that was why there had been no response.
They were having a party.
Inside the dim room, several figures were "playing."
The one laughing the most enthusiastically was clearly Neuronist.
Various strange and terrifying torture instruments were laid out beside her.
The other figures all wore different expressions.
Some were in absolute despair.
Some looked completely numb.
Others had already given up on life entirely.
They were members of the Black Scripture who had been captured and held in Nazarick for some time.
(PS: The previous Black Scripture had already been returned to the Theocracy. This group was the Black Scripture team encountered during the operation to seize Downfall of Castle and Country.)
(The trio deliberately imprisoned the two Black Scripture groups separately before, so neither side knew the other existed.)
(But even if they found out, it would not matter. The Six Great Gods and the high-ranking priests had probably already guessed the situation and simply chose not to intervene.)
(In terms of political interests and the bigger picture, this Black Scripture squad had effectively been abandoned by the Theocracy.)
"Now that I think about it, today should be Thursday."
When this group of Black Scripture members was first captured, Naohara had suggested handing them directly to the Torturer, since he had promised to provide her with a batch of prisoners.
However, Momonga rejected that suggestion.
He believed everyone should be treated equally and that no one should receive special treatment.
In the end, Herohero came up with the compromise solution.
(PS: Chapter 115.)
After recalling the date, Naohara realized that today was Thursday, which meant the Black Scripture rotation had reached Neuronist.
At this moment, she was probably still fully immersed in her excitement and had not noticed anything happening outside.
No wonder she had not sensed Naohara's arrival.
"Hang in there. Just one more day until the break."
Naohara muttered to himself.
He did not knock or interrupt. Instead, he simply turned and walked deeper into the prison.
He had no intention of speaking up for the Black Scripture.
Naohara's values were simple.
As long as Nazarick was not involved, he would gladly do good deeds.
But when Nazarick was involved, his position was completely firm.
If the suffering of the Black Scripture could bring happiness to the NPCs of Nazarick, then the exchange was worth it.
A pretty good deal, right?
(PS: A quick explanation about why he did not immediately seize the Dragon Princess's Talent after learning about it earlier.)
(According to the values mentioned above, the Dragon Princess was already considered one of Nazarick's own at that time.)
(Since there were other possible solutions, the idea was temporarily set aside, leaving the Dragon Princess as the final option.)
Naohara walked through the dark corridor.
Eventually, he arrived at a hidden prison chamber.
As soon as he stepped inside, the first thing he saw was a massive mural painted around the door.
It depicted a kind mother holding an infant in her arms.
However, the paint had peeled away over time, leaving the image in a miserable state.
The infant's figure had almost completely disappeared, leaving behind something that looked more like a set of remains.
The room itself was empty and devoid of furniture.
In the center stood a cradle, and inside it lay a baby doll.
"Ha! Let me cut you apart!"
A crazed voice suddenly echoed through the dark, icy prison.
The next moment, a shadow rushed forward straight toward Naohara.
In its hands was a huge pair of scissors, clearly intending to cut him in half.
"Calm down, Nigredo. It's me."
Naohara was not surprised by the sudden attack.
While speaking, he calmly took out a doll he had prepared beforehand.