Good Doctor After Long Illness

Eno's problem was solved.

But other problems remained unsolved.

"How did you know about the Penitent's Artifact?"

"He told me!" Eno pointed at Sylas without hesitation. "He recognized the Penitent's Artifact and then warned me!"

Huh?

Lux then looked next to Eno, towards Sylas in the shadows.

Eno didn't hide anything. She spoke as if pouring beans from a bamboo tube, recounting almost everything Sylas had told her yesterday.

As Eno recounted, Lux's expression grew increasingly subtle.

"How would you know about that?" Lux looked at Sylas in the shadows, her tone filled with confusion. "The Penitent's Artifact... that's a secret treasure of the Magic Seekers!"

"Didn't she just say it? Because I used to be a Magic Seeker!" Sylas stood up, looking down at Lux. "Everything I said yesterday was true!"

Was it really Sylas?

Like Eno, Lux instinctively wanted to step back—then, amidst Karya's laughter, she stopped awkwardly.

"You're that Sylas who killed three Magic Seekers!" To ease the awkwardness, Lux put on a show of scrutinizing him. "You don't look... that strong!"

"I told you, I didn't kill them." Sylas shook his head at Lux's words. "Besides, only one of the victims in the bombing was a Magic Seeker. I couldn't have killed three at once..."

"So, you really were a Magic Seeker before?" Lux's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is that possible? The Magic Seekers don't recruit mages!"

"And Magic Seekers shouldn't take orders from mages!" Sylas sneered. "They're just like trained hounds, wagging their tails as they let you in."

"...You have a point." For Lux, who was accustomed to Karya's daily nagging, Sylas's sarcasm was like a gentle breeze, without any sting. "But you and I both know that wasn't their own will, but because of this country's order."

"You don't feel any shame at all." Lux's attitude baffled Sylas. He never expected that, faced with his accusations, Lux would act as if nothing had happened, completely unbothered by the mockery, and openly admit it. "What, are we, the noble Crown Guard young lady, going to lecture me, a notorious murderer?"

"If I could, I would be happy to," Lux nodded. "However, from the current situation, even if I said something, you probably wouldn't believe or accept it, right?"

"You have some self-awareness, then." Sylas flicked the chains on his hands, making a rattling sound. "How could I possibly believe nobles who are full of lies?"

"Nobles are not all the same. Nobles are not the same as other nobles. Some nobles are full of lies, but not all nobles are," Lux calmly corrected his mistake. "Just like commoners are not the same as commoners, and mages are not the same as mages—you are a murderer, but that doesn't mean all mages are."

"..."

Lux's words left Sylas speechless. He paused for a long moment before reacting: "Most commoners have a hard time. Most mages have to hide and run, and most nobles—they're all a bunch of vermin!"

"Well said!" Completely unexpectedly, Lux lightly clapped her hands, looking quite approving. "That's exactly what I think—and what I hope to change."

As Lux's applause rang out, Sylas felt his blood pressure surge. Veins bulged on his forehead as he lunged forward, reaching the railing.

With a bang, the chains binding him strained taut.

"You—you shameless noble scum! Shamelessly spewing sanctimonious platitudes, you'll have your tongue ripped out and your bones broken for such lies! May you die a terrible death!"

"If you believe curses and oaths are effective, I can swear right here to prove that this is indeed what I desire." Lux was unfazed by his curses and threats, even maintaining a polite smile. "Unfortunately, judging by your state, even if I did, you wouldn't be willing to believe it..."

Sylas's blood pressure rose even higher.

He had thought his words would expose Lux's true nature and make her furious, but he never expected that after Lux expressed her agreement, he would be the one to break down first.

"I truly believe this, Mr. Sylas." Seeing Sylas about to faint from anger, Lux spread her hands and said in an innocent tone, "This has nothing to do with my identity—many people have prejudices against mages, and you seem to have prejudices against nobles."

"As a noble, enjoying the privileges of your status, yet saying such things, don't you feel ashamed?" Sylas managed to catch his breath. "Deceiving an innocent child, is that the pride of a noble?"

"Being a noble does make me feel ashamed." Lux nodded without hesitation. "So, I will also strive to use these privileges to help this country and improve the situation."

"You're shameless—if I were you, I'd find a good city wall and jump off!"

"That would be meaningless and cause trouble for others." Lux said calmly. "Instead, I believe using this privilege is a better approach—if this choice displeats you, would you feel better if I apologized?"

"Ahhhhhh!" Sylas was truly exasperated. "You're just splitting hairs!"

"If you find me lying, then please point it out." Lux responded easily, without even needing Karya's help. "But if you can't, then save your energy—the truth is the most powerful retort."

"Shameless!"

"Say whatever you want." Lux shook her head. "I will go and review the past records, Mr. Sylas. I hope you weren't lying to Eno earlier either."

After speaking, Lux left another novel for Eno and waved goodbye before turning to leave the prison.

From beginning to end, Lux spoke the truth and spoke from her heart.

To Sylas, this was the most ruthless mockery—after spending so much time with Karya, Lux had finally mastered some negotiation tactics she desperately desired.

Speaking of which, if Sylas hadn't been hostile towards Lux from the start, and had instead emphasized the unjust treatment he received, Lux would indeed have felt ashamed upon meeting him and even been willing to offer help.

But now...

As Lux said, Sylas was already too extreme.

Considering his previous manipulative words to Eno, it was likely that Mr. Sylas's true intentions were not so simple.

Therefore, after leaving the Nullstone Prison, Lux immediately found the case files for Sylas's original trial.

Because it was a high-profile case, the Magic Seekers had a thick stack of files related to it.

Lux spread out the files and, with Karya's help, began to read them at lightning speed.

The contents of the file were detailed, with many attachments showcasing Sylas's comprehensive profile—from when and where he became a Magic Seeker, his family background, to all the cases he was involved in, as well as numerous evaluations from his supervisors.

Some of this information Sylas knew, while some of it he didn't even know himself.

For instance, in the section on supervisor evaluations, because Sylas was one of the rare Magic Seekers who had been corrupted by magic, his two supervisors had to submit a detailed evaluation report every month, detailing Sylas's situation.

And within these reports, one of his supervisors had spoken nothing but praise for him, even proactively suggesting that he could be temporarily granted the [Penitent's Artifact].

Unfortunately, due to the other supervisor's lack of confidence, the response from the higher-ups of the Magic Seekers at the time was, "The artifact is currently in use, and Sylas's qualifications are insufficient."

The background information was already so clear; as for the case itself, the details were even more exhaustive, with villagers from near the crime scene alone being interviewed three times each.

Within the attachments, there were also numerous quick sketches, outlining the scene after the explosion.

Furthermore, the forensic doctor had also produced three autopsy reports—however, the reports contained almost no substantive content, as the bodies had first been electrocuted and then blown up, making it impossible to find anything during the autopsy.

As for the time, location, and process of Sylas's arrest, the records in the file were even clearer.

With Karya's help, Lux did not spend too much time before quickly reading through the materials.

Comparing this with what Eno had said earlier, Lux discovered that Sylas had not lied about most things.

Sylas had only told one small lie—however, this lie was crucial.