Irena darted forward,tiptoeing to pinch Black’s cheek.
“Ow—what the—?!”
He yelped, baffled—until she burst into happy sobs:
“Black! You’re NOT dead! WAAAAH!”
“I was gonna eat a sea dragon every year on your death anniversary for revenge!”
Then—rapid-fire questions:
“How’d you know she poisoned them?!
Why are the Knight Patrol arresting you?!
We thought you’d drowned after Jörmungandr—!”
Black just gestured to his manacles.
“Long story.
Short version: I killed a man. Now I’m off to prison.”
He turned to Kristine, urgent:
“Can you plead with Her Majesty?
At least spare me from immediate execution?”
Kristine didn’t hesitate.
“I’ll go to the palace NOW!”
She hugged Irena, nodded at Jianye—and rushed off, skirts flying.
The Knight Captain stared, stunned.
This murderer knows the SAINTESS?!
His tone softened instantly:
“Your deduction was masterful, sir.
But… the law is the law. We must process your crime.”
Under Irena’s worried gaze and Jianye’s sharp stare,
Black was re-shackled and led away.
From the black carriage,
Pascal watched Black’s retreating back, impressed.
“As expected. Keen eye, vast knowledge…
Even knows Blackwater Dust’s properties!
Soon, I’ll recruit him properly.”
Inside, a young nobleman—Irena’s uncle—sipped coffee, eyes fixed on Irena.
“You know Black?”
“He saved my life, Uncle.”
“Hmph. A fine young man.”
He took a slow sip, then added:
“Don’t interfere in his case, Irena.”
“But—!”
“The Saintess’s influence will spare his life.
He’ll only serve time.”
The nobleman’s eyes gleamed.
“Now—go observe the Calandia Viscount.
Someone’s investigating him. Find out who.”
“Yes, Uncle!”
Irena left in another carriage,headed for the Governor’s Mansion.
Back in the carriage,the woman’s voice purred:
“Bold. Clever. Solved a case in minutes.
I want him.”
“Assign him to the Dragon-Slaying Guard.”
Pascal gaped:
“But—his crimes! The Empress won’t—!”
“The charges will vanish. I’ll speak to Her Majesty myself.”
“Why such interest? His talent?”
She paused, then murmured:
“A month ago, the Pope told me:
‘Twelve Dragon Kings awaken.
Two stars—light and shadow—will defy fate.’”
Pascal’s breath caught.
“You think he’s one of them?”
“Perhaps. But regardless…he must stand with the Empire.”
The curtain fell shut.
The carriage rolled toward the palace,wheels grinding stone like fate itself.
CLANG!
The prison door slammed open,releasing a stench of rust, mildew, and sweat.
The captain, respecting Black’s connections,had given him the sunniest cell.
But a cell was a cell.
Black staggered to a moldy straw pile,collapsing with exhaustion.
The chain’s clank echoed in the hollow stone room.
When the guards locked him in,silence fell—broken only by distant footsteps.
Leaning against icy rock,he rubbed his raw wrists,and groaned:
“Am I cursed to be a prison connoisseur?!
Twice in weeks—Dragon-Slaying Guard, Knight Patrol…
Next stop: Church dungeons?”
He scanned the cell:
Blackiron walls—no cracks.
Thumb-thick bars—guards outside.
One rotten bed. One pile of fungus-ridden straw.
He rapped the wall—solid, mana-dampening Blackiron.
Even the Overlord Spear couldn’t pierce this.
Summoning Jörmungandr?
The noise would bring the whole garrison.
“Forget Shawshank. This is a steel coffin.”
He gave up escape, and replayed the tavern scene.
Truth was—I cheated.
He knew the plot—word for word from the game.
The “widow” was a cultist,the “orphan” stolen from the slums,Blackwater Dust the perfect frame-up tool.
Demeter’s goal?
Not just slander—but to exploit Kristine’s own perfectionism.
The mob’s rage?
Amplified by the Dragon King’s dormant soul—twisting whispers in human hearts.
But the real wound was self-inflicted.
Kristine demanded flawlessness—to honor the “Perfect Saintess” title.
Yet perfection was a prison.
No one is flawless, Black thought.
Not even saints.
He closed his eyes,listening to the city breathe outside.
Servia’s heartbeat—chaotic, cruel, beautiful.
And somewhere in it,three women—Alice, Kristine, Irena—were already fighting for his freedom.
Guess I’m not alone in this cage after all.
If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂