Karl sighed as he wondered how to phrase things so that they made sense.

"At some point in the distant past, the prison cell, as you called it, became untethered from its location, and began to collide with random Immortal Worlds. That leeched the energy out of it, and caused the wards on the place to break to the point that I simply walked in when it collided with my world.

I brought my exploration team with me, thinking that it was the Secret Realm of a long dead Immortal.

Which might not actually be wrong.

What we found was a space full of withered plants, the bones of humans who had been trapped inside, lacking the skills to leave, and not much else.

I found the old core stone to the space and put it back in its location at the top of the stairs, which opened the door, and that's when your people came in.

We were going to leave, now that your people were there to claim the space, but I was detained and apprehended after sending the rest of my team home. I think that pretty much covers everything."

"And there was nobody there? No Demon Lord?"

Karl shook his head. "No Demons of any sort. There was one traumatized human, but I gave him to my Chaos Badger as a present. He's probably still alive, if you would like to question him as well."

Carnage glared at him.

"That won't be necessary. No mere human could have gotten in and out of the prison cell on his own. However, the Chaos Badger shouldn't have had an issue. Those vermin have their ways to get wherever they wish to be, even in the prison.

They're a true menace.

And then there is the snack Queen. A badger who is crazy enough to even try to mug my guards, then gives them food as a consolation prize when she realizes that they're not allowed to carry anything while on shift."

What the hell had Cara been up to in her spare time?

Or, was there another one like her? Possibly, an even stronger Chaos Badger who also had an affinity for giving out food? It could be where Cara got the idea from.

"Actually, I think I might have met her. But that's not the point. I truly wasn't intending to trespass on one of your cells. It was unmarked and set loose to collide with my world, so we thought that it was derelict salvage." Karl explained.

"We will hold you while an investigation is being conducted." Carnage insisted.

"Do you mind if I wait at home? I can make a communication token, so we can talk."

"What part of {You are under arrest and being held in the most secure prison of the demonic realms} is not resonating in your brain?"

"The part where I'm expected to stay here. I can just leave at will, you know." "You think so, do you?"

Karl smiled and opened a portal under his chair, aimed into the Chaos Plane. Carnage caught him before gravity could pull the chair through the portal.

"Point made. Close the portal. How did you even do that? Mana use is supposed to be suppressed in here."

Karl closed the portal, but didn't answer. He just shrugged.

Carnage didn't need to know that he still had a link to the massive mana stone in the Tiny World that he could use while his own mana was suppressed. Perhaps that was why the old generation of Immortals all made their own worlds? As an emergency backup in case they were captured and restrained?

"I told you I could leave. But this place isn't actually all that bad. If you have a small fluffy creature and an empty cell next to those Succubi, it might actually be enjoyable.

Just not with them, I was serious about being married, and my wife is scary. Wouldn't want her thinking I would actually entertain their offers."

"Fine. That's the short-term holding, anyhow. You can deal with the harassment of the Lust Obsession Demons. But I don't think we've got anything fluffy, unless you count Olaf."

"Who is Olaf?"

"The Bear God's Disciple. Legendary Dire Bear."

Karl laughed. "While I can see how a Green Dragon Cleric would consider that acceptable as a source of warm and soft, it's probably better not to call him fluffy."

Carnage laughed in a vicious way. "Alright, get out of my interrogation room while we investigate. If your words are true, and the imprisoned Lord was truly gone before your arrival, we will release you."

The Demon didn't wait for Karl to rise, he simply grabbed him by the armour and lifted him off the ground to carry him to the holding cell.

"Hey, that was fast! And, no screaming. Is the big man losing his touch?" One of the prisoners asked.

"No no, it was just a friendly chat over coffee, and maybe a fistfight later. It will depend on how the investigation goes." Karl explained.

The prisoners weren't sure what to make of that comment. Either this strange Cat Demon was insane, or he was telling the truth, and Carnage had actually refrained from beating the truth out of him.

Karl sat down on the metal bed in the empty holding cell next to the Succubi group, and immediately brought out snacks from his inventory when the door

was locked.

"Oh, that is bullshit! How did he even do that? I can't use a simple cleaning spell, and he is making a full platter of finger sandwiches?" One of the prisoners

complained.

"That sounds like a 'you' problem." The guard informed him.

"That has to be against the rules."

"He's not trying to break out, and he's subject to all the same restrictions that

you are. Unless he tries to leave or harm another inmate, he's not breaking

rules by eating his own lunch.

In fact, he's a model inmate because he knows when to shut the fuck up."

Karl shrugged, and wrapped a sandwich in a bit of cloth to toss to the other inmate. It was caught by the guard, who glared at him.

"I just said you were behaving, and what do you do? You prove me wrong. No passing items between cells."

"Got it. Didn't know that was against the rules."

The inmate sighed wistfully as the guard began eating the sandwich as he

walked away.

It was so close.

The food in here was awful. Nutrient enhanced oatmeal once a day. Completely

and utterly flavourless. It was a method of subtle torture that was effective on nearly every Demonic species.