"Rey Skylar, you are under arrest for violating the security code of the Royal Estate set up by the Royal Council of the United Human Alliance."
As Brutus declared all of this, he placed his hand on his sword, preparing to unsheathe it if the situation demanded for it.
Lucielle sighed and shook her head, as if she thought the entire thing was unnecessary.
Guards slowly approached Rey, their expressions connoting caution.
'I guess they're already labeling me as a criminal now…' Rey sighed internally.
He couldn't have predicted that the last hours of today would take such a sharp turn at the start of the day.
"Don't worry, Rey. I'll do everything within my power to ensure you get a fair trial." As Adonis said this, he tapped Rey's shoulder.
"You'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to you."
Hearing those comforting words from Adonis felt strangely pleasant to his ears.
Rey never really had a strong opinion on him except the fact that he went out of his way to look out for his fellow classmates.
However, right now… Rey couldn't help but feel deep respect for Adonis.
"Please do not resist." Brutus' voice overshadowed the calm vibe that Adonis already established.
Adonis stepped aside and allowed the soldiers to do their jobs, all the while looking empathetically at Rey as he was restrained with Adamantite Cuffs.
Adamantite was the strongest mineral in this world, so it only made sense that it would be used to restrain an Otherworlder.
Even if the Otherworlder was a weakling like Rey.
"Take him away."
Rey was led out of the room, with the guards all leaving behind him.
Rey stole a final glance behind him and saw multifaceted reactions from different people.
Some were confused.
Some were happy.
Some were unbothered.
And one… was sad.
'Whoever set me up… whoever you are… prepare yourself…'
Rey gritted his teeth as he walked among the many guards that surrounded him.
'… I'll make you regret this!'
********
[The Next Day]
"So… how bad is it?"
Rey was currently inside a room much smaller than his previous one.
It wasn't extravagantly furnished—having only a bed at the corner of the room, and a chair and desk to the side. The door to the bathroom stood at the opposite corner of his bed, and it contained only the most basic of necessities.
There were no windows in this room, and the walls were painted a dull gray.
When Rey first arrived here, he felt relieved that he wasn't being thrown into an actual cell.
If that were to be the case, he might have reconsidered escaping.
Right now, he was on his bed, and seated opposite him, on the only in the room, was Adonis.
He had a few guards behind him, but they made sure to keep a considerable distance due to Adonis direct specifications.
'He'd go that far to make me comfortable, huh?' Rey couldn't help but leak a smirk as he waited for the answer to his question.
"I still can't believe they put you here. This place is too dirty and—" Adonis appeared genuinely upset as he looked around the room.
"It's fine…" Rey's voice trailed.
Honestly, the place wasn't too bad once he got used to it.
'I still miss my old place, but it's not like I spent an awful amount of time there…'
The only major complaint he had was that Surveillance Magic was being used on him 24/7, so he couldn't really do anything apart from look at his Status Window and think.
"No, Rey! It's unbefitting for a savior of this world! I can't in good conscience allow this to happen to one of my classmates. I'm going to make a complaint to—!"
"It's fine, Adonis! Really!"
Rey was beginning to feel worn out by Adonis' overwhelming concern.
The situation could be a lot worse, so this wasn't particularly a big deal.
"More importantly, how bad is it? The whole situation."
It was already night—which meant it had been about twenty-
four hours since his confinement.
A lot could have happened within that period, so Rey was hoping that Adonis would fill him in on everything.
"Well… your trial is tomorrow. That's the first thing I should get out of the way."
Rey was going to stand before the Royal Council and plead his case in order to prove his innocence.
If he was successful, he would be let go and even compensated for the actions that had been taken against him.
'Unfortunately, I don't see that happening.'
Not only was the available evidence overwhelmingly against his favor, but he was also unable to properly twist the truth or lie due to the Truthseeker.
No lawyer would be able to defend him at this rate, irrespective of how good they were.
'There aren't even lawyers here. I have to defend myself.'
Rey already knew of his fate in the trial, but he was more curious about other things.
"We've resumed training as per usual. This time, we're undergoing Joint Training."
It was just as Billy said.
Alpha Class and Beta Class were going to be training together for a while.
But to what end?
"In one week… we'll be challenging The Royal Dungeon, Rey."
Rey's eyes popped open.
Things were progressing a lot faster than he expected.
'Did my arrest have anything to do with it? Or are things really that dire in the front lines?' He pondered.
Brutus did look a lot grumpier than usual, and Lucielle seemed very much on edge.
Rey had initially thought it was because of him, but what if the situation had gotten a lot worse?
'If that's the case, they have every right to get mad at me for leaving the Royal Estate and hoarding C-Tier Monster Cores.'
Rey couldn't blame them. However, he couldn't blame himself either.
"I'll try to get you out of this place before that time comes." Adonis interrupted Rey's thoughts with his usual encouraging words, and Rey couldn't help but smile at his optimistic attitude.
"Just hang in there, Rey! I'll save you!"
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Thanks for reading!
Thanks to everyone who has been commenting consistently. You're the reason I've been able to continue writing.
What do you all think about what is happening?
