Crowne was locked in the underground prison without knowing what had happened. Iron chains bound his hands and feet, fastening him to the damp wall covered with moss.

The air there was cold, mixed with the scent of rust and old blood. Outside the cell, only the sound of the guards' footsteps could be heard, then silence again.

"What have I done?" Crowne muttered softly.

He stared at the chains on his hands, trying to recall if he had ever done something against the city's law. But nothing came to mind.

He did not feel that he had done anything wrong.

Not long after, the door creaked open. Two guards entered, followed by a man in a black cloak with a silver emblem on his chest.

"Crowne," said the cloaked man firmly. He looked back at the paper in his hand. There was no last name written, which surprised him. "You are under arrest for treason against Doomsty City. Because of that, you will be executed three days from now."

"Treason? What have I done?" he groaned.

He could not accept such a baseless accusation. Crowne pulled the chains on his hands, but he could not break free because the chains were made specially for criminals.

They could absorb all Mana anyone tried to release, making it impossible to use magic while bound.

"You cooperated with pirates to kill the fishermen at sea. You and your allies have taken many lives, and for that, you will be executed," added the captain.

Crowne's eyes widened when he heard that. The accusation laid upon him was absurd. Completely nonsensical.

"Cooperating with pirates? Killing fishermen? I never did such a thing," Crowne protested.

The captain glared at him for a while with an annoyed expression. Then he turned his back and prepared to leave. He came only to deliver the charges to Crowne.

"We do not accuse people without reason. We have evidence and witnesses. You will hear everything tomorrow," said the captain.

"Wait! I didn't do it!" shouted Crowne.

The captain did not care. He went upstairs, leaving Crowne alone again. Crowne could only sit in silence, his face filled with confusion.

He never imagined he would be accused of something like this.

"I know nobles are disgusting, but I didn't expect them to be this insane. What did I do wrong?"

Crowne truly had no idea why he was accused. He had never even met any noble or the ruler of Doomsty City. Never offended them.

But he was framed. Crowne could not understand it. He only shook his head in disbelief.

**

"Commander, what are you doing? Have you forgotten that Crowne was the one who killed the sea monster? Why are you just standing by?" a soldier complained.

His face showed deep disappointment over what had happened. He had just heard the news a few hours earlier.

He still worked at the city gate. When his shift ended, he immediately went to the governor's residence to meet his commander and protest.

"He is innocent," the soldier insisted.

The commander only glanced briefly at him before resuming his spear practice. He was training at the moment.

"According to the investigation, everything he did was part of his deception. He intentionally made himself look like a hero of Doomsty City. When his plan failed, he returned to his true nature as a pirate," explained the commander.

The soldier frowned. "Huh? What are you talking about? Are you drunk?"

"At first, that man was indeed a pirate. He pretended to be an adventurer and made himself appear as a hero. When the people believed and lowered their guard, he planned to attack the townsfolk with his crew and steal all their treasures. But the plan failed because Lord Delon saw through it from the beginning.

Since his plan was exposed, he went back to being who he really was. He raided and killed the fishermen's ships," the commander continued in detail.

The soldier frowned even deeper. He shook his head slowly. The commander's explanation made no sense at all.

"That sounds completely made up," he muttered.

Slash!

Blood dripped from the soldier's neck. In that instant, he fell to his knees. His face turned pale, and a small cut bled along his throat.

The commander's sharp gaze pierced him, making his heart pound faster.

"I don't know what your relationship is with that young man named Crowne, but your words have gone too far. You just accused Lord Delon of lying. That is unacceptable," said the commander.

Suddenly, the soldier's eyes turned fierce. He stood up and glared back at his own superior.

"You are the one who said justice is useless in this world, and that the rich and powerful can buy that foolish justice anytime they want. Doesn't that mean they can buy the truth with their positions too?" the soldier shot back.

The commander looked irritated. He raised his spear, but instead of backing away, the soldier stepped forward and challenged him.

"Go ahead, kill me! You're doing all this to cover up the filth of those officials, aren't you? You're lying for the sake of your wife and children?" The soldier turned his back and took two steps away. "I pity your family, living on money earned through such disgusting means. I'd rather be poor than live as garbage."

After saying that, the soldier left. Leaving the commander alone at the training ground.

The commander stood frozen. He raised his trembling hand and stared at it.

"Damn it. This is annoying," he muttered.

**

Later that night, a soldier came carrying food for Crowne. He threw the meal in front of Crowne carelessly.

"Eat it! Tomorrow you'll meet Lord Delon and face your trial," he said.

The soldier smirked. As he stood, he spat at the food he had just thrown, then turned away.

"Eat that, idiot!" he mocked.

Crowne saw that and grew furious. His fists clenched. A murderous aura burst out from him, strong enough to make the soldier tremble.

The soldier turned back, wanting to insult him again, but when his eyes met Crowne's cold stare, his courage instantly vanished.

He turned around quickly and was about to leave, but then something happened…

Thud!

The soldier was struck down and collapsed. Someone crouched beside him, taking the key from his body.

That person walked toward Crowne and said, "I will help you."

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