Crowne stared at the soldiers surrounding him. His hand was still holding Lina's unconscious body. He took a slow breath, then turned his gaze toward Kyrielle, the receptionist who now stood frozen behind the counter.

"Kyrielle," Crowne called calmly. "Please take care of her for me. Don't let anyone touch her. She is Daisy's younger sister."

Kyrielle hesitated for a moment, but after seeing the sincerity in Crowne's eyes, she finally nodded and stepped forward carefully. Crowne handed Lina into her arms gently. The girl was still weak, her breathing steady but faint.

Once Lina was safe in Kyrielle's hands, Crowne stood upright and faced all the soldiers before him.

"It seems there's no point in talking nicely with you," he said coldly. In his hand, the Dwarfwood Chai Blade appeared. "I've had enough of this. I won't show any tolerance this time."

Several soldiers immediately took position. The captain, who stood at the front, raised his hand to signal his men not to act rashly.

"Crowne! Don't make this worse. Put down your weapon and come with us peacefully. If you resist, I won't hesitate to cut off your head right here."

Crowne glared at him sharply. "I won't follow people who love to slander others like you," Crowne said firmly.

Their gazes locked, heavy with pressure. Silence lingered, until suddenly the captain stepped forward and shoved Crowne's chest hard.

"Stop acting like you're the victim!" he shouted. "We already have evidence and witnesses. You're the culprit! Scum like you don't deserve to talk. You disgusting bastard!" he yelled.

Crowne didn't flinch. He only smirked slightly. "Shut up!" Crowne barked.

Hearing that, the captain immediately drew his sword and swung toward Crowne's neck. But with a single movement, the slash was parried, and the sword flew from his hand, clattering across the room. Crowne swiftly countered with his own blade.

Blood trickled from the captain's neck, though he was still alive. The thin cut across his throat froze him in place. He fell backward, eyes wide in shock. For a brief second, he saw death right before him. His heart pounded three times faster than normal.

"Tell me, why do you all keep slandering me?" Crowne demanded.

The captain snapped out of his daze. He stood up again, glaring at Crowne angrily, while Crowne slowly lowered his sword. He thought the captain was about to explain what he wanted to know, but instead, something else happened.

As soon as he stood, the captain quickly grabbed one of his subordinate's weapons and swung it toward Crowne again. He thought Crowne had lowered his guard. But he was terribly wrong.

Trrrriing!

The captain's sword was deflected once more, but this time, it was different. Crowne stepped forward and punched the captain's face. The captain fell to the floor, his nose broken and blood pouring endlessly.

At that moment, the soldiers began attacking Crowne all at once. Crowne only took a short breath and exhaled slowly. He took his stance and moved at blinding speed. Within two seconds, several soldiers had already been taken down.

The fight erupted, but it wasn't even a fair battle. Crowne completely dominated. He didn't receive a single wound. With just one or two movements, he easily knocked down each soldier until every one of them had fallen.

Crowne's gaze then shifted to the captain. The man's face turned pale. After witnessing Crowne's strength, he understood his position. He was nothing but an amateur before this man.

"Take me to where the guild master and Daisy are being held," Crowne ordered.

He bent down to grab the captain's body, but at that moment, a piece of paper fell from his pocket. The paper was wet. Crowne quickly picked it up, and he immediately remembered—it was the letter given to him by the man who had helped him escape before.

"Ah, I forgot. Forgive me," Crowne muttered.

He unfolded the damp paper. The writing was still visible, though smeared. As Crowne read the letter, his eyes widened, and his heartbeat quickened.

"My friend. Ah, I don't know if I can even call you that, but I admire you. You are an incredible young man. You help others without expecting anything in return. That truly moved me. You have been my role model since the first time I saw you fight at the city gate.

I never got the chance to say this. THANK YOU for saving my life that day.

…

Ah, by the time you read this letter, I might already be gone. I was likely executed by my own commander for betraying him. I'm sorry for troubling you, but please, I beg you to take care of my wife and child. I love them deeply. I beg you to protect them.

Thank you for granting my selfish request.

THANK YOU once again for saving my life that day.

A farewell from your admirer,

Zurath."

Crowne froze after finishing the letter. His body trembled violently, his breathing turned heavy, and his eyes slowly turned red. The paper in his hand was nearly crushed to pieces from his tight grip. Blood dripped onto the floor from his clenched palm.

"Zurath…" he whispered softly, yet his tone was filled with pain. "I should have read this sooner."

Silence swallowed the room. Only the faint sound of wind entered through the shattered window of the guild. Crowne's gaze changed, now filled with rage and hatred so intense it seemed to burn the air around him. A dark aura began to envelop his body, dimming the light inside the room.

The remaining soldiers trembled in fear. Some of them even shook uncontrollably when they saw Crowne's eyes that now looked like those of a wild beast.

"You people have gone too far," he murmured quietly, but his voice echoed like thunder.

The kneeling captain tried to speak. "Feel that, you basta—"

Before he could finish his words, Crowne moved his sword. In one breath, he channeled his Mana into the blade.

[Storm Cleaver activated!]

The sound of wind roared violently like a raging storm. In an instant, the sword formed a perfect circle of slashing wind. A razor-sharp cut.

SWOOSH!

SLASH!

The heads of the soldiers and the captain were severed almost at the same time. Blood splattered everywhere, staining the guild floor and even the wooden walls. Their bodies fell one by one, accompanied by the clattering of armor.

Kyrielle, who stood not far away, gasped and held Lina tighter. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight before her. The adventurers who were still outside the guild door stepped back in terror, some even running away. Those inside pressed themselves against the walls, too afraid to move.

Crowne stood in the middle of the blood-soaked floor, his breathing heavy, his eyes blank yet filled with fury. His killing intent was so strong that the air itself felt hard to breathe.

The wind swirled around him, carrying the metallic scent of blood. The torn pieces of the letter drifted slowly among the scattered bodies.

Crowne looked at the letter one last time and closed his eyes. A low voice escaped his lips.

"You will all pay for this," Crowne said as he walked out of the guild.

He was heading toward the city lord's mansion, seeking vengeance.

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