Chapter 30: Stern Punishment Without Leniency

The knight did not survive that rainy night after all. Rumor had it that he had fallen victim to a witch. Although Fernando’s state of remains was gruesome, the young man recognized him instantly from the newspaper. This was a significant blow to Roan. In the royal capital, he had few friends, and the knight could be considered one of the few acquaintances he could actually talk to. Roan vaguely remembered the night before last, when Fernando had been streaking through the streets wearing nothing but a pair of briefs. If he had only reminded him to dress more warmly back then, would he have avoided attracting the cruel and vicious witch?

This thought made the young man particularly distressed on his way to work, and he couldn't help but think of Mr. Mark. Both were fellow sufferers in this world; he hoped they would be more careful in their next lives and definitely turn over a new leaf to become good people.

"According to reports, the Templar Order has identified the murderer and has officially begun the arrest..." Roan muttered the contents of the newspaper to himself as he walked toward the public carriage stop. He couldn't help but cheer in his heart. The murderer must be severely punished to restore peace and order to the royal capital!

"Ouch!" Suddenly, Roan, distracted by reading the paper while walking, felt a sharp pain in his forehead as he collided with something hard. He clutched his head and stepped back, then looked up to find a knight over two meters tall, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, blocking his path.

A knight? They must be here to arrest the murderer... Good for them! The knight’s tall, imposing figure filled Roan with admiration. He believed that with people like these, the royal capital would soon return to its calm and stable state. With this in mind, Roan, a public-spirited citizen, asked without a hint of self-awareness, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

This question left the knights opposite him feeling rather unsure of themselves. They looked at one another, wondering if they had found the wrong person. In their subconscious, there was no way Roan should be acting with such righteous confidence. After a silence that lasted several seconds, the knight with thick eyebrows said in a deep voice, "We have received a report that you had a grudge against Fernando. Come with us!"

A grudge? Roan was stunned by these words and began shaking his head frantically. "How is that possible? You must have gotten something wrong. Mr. Fernando was like a brother to me, closer than kin."

Roan patted his chest with a loud thud, as if the knight were truly a lifelong friend. As it turned out, the worst-case scenario had inevitably occurred. The death of the knight had finally implicated him. Although the blond youth was deeply saddened, what could a poor, weak, and helpless person like him do?

"This is just a routine investigation. Please, come with us!" The knight with thick eyebrows blocked the path ahead of Roan completely. The attendant following him also moved tacitly behind Roan, subtly cutting off his escape route.

The blond youth’s body stiffened, and his lips twitched. He realized that there was likely no escaping this today. He quickly pulled out the red booklet Olivia had given him, preparing to put on a brave front. "I am a minor!" he declared. "I am also a Level 3 Investigator of the Stardust Society, and a trusted aide to Ms. Olivia! Until my chapter president comes to find me, I have the right to remain silent!"

—

The greatest tragedy in life is the loss of freedom. And an even greater tragedy is eating a hard, dry loaf of black bread for every meal. Although the blond youth very much wished for the royal capital to return to its former peace and was willing to contribute his own strength to that cause, that certainly did not include being locked in a dungeon. How did that saying go? We can be sacrificed, but we must never be the ones sacrificed.

At this moment, inside a dim, damp, and moldy cell, Roan stood awkwardly at the edge of the iron bars. Facing his three cellmates, he felt at a loss, like a child. "Um, has everyone eaten?" the young man asked, full of goodwill. As a mild-mannered person, he felt he must never forget his manners, no matter the circumstances.

"A newcomer?" In the corner, a man with sparse eyebrows twitched his lips. "How did you get in here?"

Hearing this, Roan’s small face stiffened; he realized the test had just begun. He had heard that whenever this question was raised in prison, it involved a rather peculiar hierarchy of disdain. Heaven help him; honest, simple-hearted Roan had no capital to rank himself against fierce criminals.

"Er..." The youth racked his brains, hesitating for a long time. To avoid being looked down upon, he finally squeezed out, "Does doing good deeds count?"

Doing good deeds? The man with sparse eyebrows was stunned for a moment, then said in a low, hoarse voice, "Don't tell me you were just framed and thrown in here too?"

Too? Hearing this, Roan immediately perked up, his face showing surprise. "So, you..." In a place filled with criminals, meeting a kindred spirit was undoubtedly a heartening thing. Thinking of this, he immediately looked at the other two cellmates and suddenly felt they looked much more refined and pleasant.

"Friend, how did you get in?" Roan asked Cellmate A, using a nickname he had just coined for him in his mind. The young man on the left side of the cell, not expecting anyone to talk to him, sniffled and replied dully, "I was too pious in my faith. The church priest couldn't handle it, so he sent me here."

Hearing this, Roan’s handsome brows furrowed. Feeling his sense of justice burning, he condemned loudly, "Shouldn't piety be a good thing? Even so, they shouldn't have just thrown you in here; that’s too much!"

The young man, seeing Roan’s indignant expression, looked equally angry. "Exactly! Those priests aren't even worthy of believing in the Holy Light! I only went and licked the base of the Holy Light God statue in a circle, and they sent me to a place like this! All of this was out of my piety toward the deity; I would even be willing to be the dog of the Holy Light God!"

Incredible. Roan’s expression froze on his face, and he hurriedly stepped back twice. In the royal capital, he had seen many perverts, but this was his first time seeing one this extreme.

The youth took a deep breath and turned to look at Cellmate B. He asked in a voice that was not entirely confident, "Friend, what about you?"

Cellmate B smiled slightly and pointed at Cellmate A. "I was with him, but I don't like the feet of the Holy Light God. I just wanted to be filled with the warm, holy energy of the Holy Light God. So, I have been piously disturbing the statue, hoping to catch the deity’s gaze..."

You are also incredible. Roan finally realized that his cellmates were all uniquely gifted in their own way. At that moment, he suddenly felt that the guy who had been acting so innocent earlier probably wasn't a simple character either. Even if that man claimed to be a follower of an evil god and had kidnapped the eldest daughter, whom King Cayden III loved most, Roan wouldn't be the least bit surprised.