"Punishments are supposed to be punishing. A reputation for having the nicest dungeons around is a really unhelpful one. And that'd be a particularly visible-to-outsiders way of making things nice for prisoners."

I'm going to want to circle back to this at some point but I will settle for the ones you're holding "for me" now.

"Happily."

In your estimation would it be more reassuring if I apologized in person, such as that is at the moment, or not?

"Not necessarily more reassuring but much likelier to actually get your point across. It is kind of a confusing thing to do and if it's being conveyed secondhand there's more opportunity for confusions about what you intend by doing it."

I don't think I understand why it's confusing.

"You're apologizing to a prisoner because you accidentally hurt him."

Yes! I made a mistake and it hurt a bunch of people including him! This is pretty much the central case of what I understand apologies to be for!

"I understand why you're doing it! But people don't usually apologize to prisoners and if they do they usually have a point besides 'I am sorry I hurt you'."

A point like what?

"'I consider us on intimate terms' or 'if I hurt you again it'll be on purpose' or 'now I think you have some things to apologize to me for' or something."

Ugh.

He can't read, I'll need someone to help me unless I take the tape off earlier than I'd intended.

"I can go with you if you'd like."

Thanks.

"Of course." He stands up.

Cam remembers approximately where the dungeons are.

Cam's summoner is in a cage a little smaller than a twin mattress. It does not have a mattress. He's slumped against one side; he stiffens slightly when they enter.

Lohte gets a Look. The prisoner gets the apology note held up angled so he can see it and also so Lohte can see it to read from.

He reads it. The prisoner looks confused. 

" - I think in his culture you apologize to prisoners when you injure them," he adds, "and the intended meaning is that you wanted better for them, because it's a generous sort of culture that way. Nothing else."

The prisoner looks suspicious.

Cam nods at this explanation, and writes up his supplementary apology note about the visitors thing.

The prisoner looks slightly less suspicious when this is translated and names some people who shouldn't visit him.

And has Lohte got that?

"Yes, I'll arrange that."

Thanks.

"Of course." And they can head out?