Chapter 560
Chrome regarded Adam with a complex gaze, his heart a tangle of conflicting emotions, he had never considered things from this angle, nor expected Adam to offer such profound insights, forcing him to re-examine the entire case.
"Zeon, why are you so certain there’s a problem with Vance? Is it purely intuition?" Chrome’s tone carried suspicion, but even more so, curiosity.
Adam smiled faintly, the expression revealing helplessness and indifference.
"Intuition? Perhaps, but more importantly, I know how to observe the human heart, Vance’s emotional changes, his behavior, his mannerisms, they all reveal unusual tension and anxiety, such emotions are often closely linked to hidden secrets or unspeakable motives."
Chrome fell silent, he had to admit Adam’s words carried weight, he re-evaluated the young man, finding that Adam seemed to conceal many unknown secrets and talents beneath that calm exterior.
"Zeon, if you are truly innocent, I will clear your name, but until then, you must remain here," Chrome’s tone held both promise and warning.
Adam smiled with indifference, as if he had anticipated this all along, "It doesn’t matter, as long as the truth comes to light, I will naturally regain my freedom."
He turned and sat back in the corner, maintaining his composure.
Chrome left the cell with complicated emotions, his heart full of uncertainty and a thirst for truth.
The night was still deep, and undercurrents surged beneath the town’s tranquility, Chrome understood that a contest regarding truth and justice had only just begun, he had to go all out to peel back the layers of fog and find what lay hidden behind them.
Inside the cell, the corners of Adam’s mouth curled upward, he understood it all now.
A person’s state of mind could not shift this quickly, furthermore, just as Vance himself had said, how could an ordinary person get their hands on that kind of pill? On his end, Adam could be certain he was not the one who obtained it, therefore, there had to be one more person in this small town.
Someone silently guiding everything from behind the scenes, not only had they caused Vance’s temperament to change drastically and orchestrated the assassination of the alchemist, but they also aimed to push Leon’s inner self deeper into darkness, at the same time, this person had released a certain aura within the town so no one would direct suspicion toward Vance.
These were the Evil Gods’ favored tactics, for they were the most capable of influencing a person’s inner heart and controlling their emotions, that person, barring surprises, was the Evil God’s subordinate.
As for who? Adam had a candidate in mind but could not be entirely sure, that was why he had pointed Chrome, the chief official, and the others toward investigating, if he was not mistaken, it should be Zella’s best friend, Kaia, although there was no evidence now, they could certainly uncover proof regarding the two of them.
As for himself, his most important task was to sit quietly in the cell and act like a harmless rabbit, only then could he fully dispel their doubts.
𝓯𝔯𝓮𝐞𝙬𝖊𝔟𝘯𝚘𝘷𝖾𝓁.𝓬𝑜𝗆
Following Chrome and the chief official’s thorough investigation, hidden clues gradually surfaced, exposing the unusual connection between Kaia and Vance, they started by searching Vance’s residence, where they discovered several encrypted letters, the handwriting had been deliberately disguised and written in a script they could not recognize, but one should not forget that Adam could.
Just like that, the plan lay exposed, Kaia provided the pills, Vance was responsible for framing Adam.
𝐟𝙧𝕖𝗲𝗐𝗲𝐛𝔫𝐨𝘷𝓮𝖑.𝘤𝙤𝕞
The moment the truth emerged, it caused a massive uproar.
Rumors about Kaia and Vance meeting frequently in private began circulating among the residents, initially sporadic whispers, but as the investigation deepened, more witnesses came forward, they confirmed that Kaia had visited Vance’s house late at night multiple times before and after the incident, and that the two had acted shiftily, as though conspiring.
Chrome understood that Kaia was very likely the mastermind behind everything, or at the very least bore inextricable ties to the forces of the Evil God, he immediately ordered a town-wide arrest warrant and dispatched additional manpower to search her possible hiding places.
But Kaia seemed prepared, when the manhunt began, she had vanished without a trace, as if evaporated from the face of the earth.
In a faraway cave, Kaia’s eyes burned crimson, she could not understand where things had gone wrong, everything had been proceeding smoothly, why had suspicion fallen onto Vance?
Damn it, was it that Leon? She punched the cave wall with all her strength.
But in the very next second, she exploded, blood splattered across the entire cave, a pair of pitch-black eyes appeared in the space, then slowly vanished.
Between the cold, damp stone walls of the prison, Vance curled up in a corner, the icy chill of the iron chains pierced through his clothes into his marrow, but his heart was colder still, those eyes, once full of ambition, now held only endless emptiness and remorse.
"How... how did I end up taking this step?" he muttered, his voice echoed through the empty cell, carrying desolation and unwillingness, every time he recalled how evil thoughts had swallowed him step by step, how Kaia’s sweet lies had bewitched him, his heart felt as though it were being sliced by a blade.
"I could have been a good person..." Vance’s eyes grew wet, tears slid silently down, dripping onto the icy floor and vanishing without a trace, he recalled the days spent in harmony with Zella, those simple yet warm scenes had become the most unreachable dreams in his heart.
"Kaia... why did she do this?" He ground his teeth, hatred and confusion intertwined, nearly suffocating him, he realized he was nothing more than a chess piece in Kaia’s hands, used, abandoned, and left to shoulder all the guilt.
Yet in this abyss of despair, a faint glimmer of light shone into Vance’s heart, a thirst for justice, a yearning for redemption, he began to reflect on his mistakes, longing for a chance to make amends, even if just a tiny bit.
"If... if I can help Chrome and the others find Kaia and expose her true face, perhaps... I can still receive a shred of forgiveness," a spark of hope ignited in his heart.
"Guards, guards, I will help you find Kaia."
"I can do it, guards, I will help you find Kaia..." He continuously pounded on the cell door, shouting loudly.
A/N:
Extra Chapters
Dragon - 1 Extra Chapters
Magic Castle - 5 Extra Chapters