The Captain

Kexi lay on the large bed in the Wavecrest Inn, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing with ideas on how to meet Jinhsi.

First, Jinhsi is definitely recuperating in the Order or somewhere safe right now, surrounded by Sanhua and Baizhi. Sanhua is probably itching to chop him into mincemeat right now.

Secondly, Changli witnessed "him" stabbing Jinhsi, and he's definitely furious right now. Cantarella, that woman who loves to watch the drama unfold, is probably fanning the flames. I wonder what Carlotta plans to do now.

Third, and most importantly, he needed to confirm whether Jinhsi had woken up. Only if Jinhsi woke up would he have a chance to clarify things.

The problem is, how can he get close to Jinhsi? He definitely can't just barge in; Sanhua will kill him on the spot.

Climbing through a window in the middle of the night? The guards of the Order aren't just for show; if you're caught, you might face even more serious consequences.

Kexi turned over, buried her face in the pillow for a while, and then suddenly turned back over.

Forget it, I'll stop thinking about Jinhsi.

First, think about how to destroy the Fractsidus.

That bastard Christopher, he failed to kill him last time, so this time he sent a fake to frame someone.

And that scheming old man, the chairman, I don't know what grudge he holds against him, but he insists on killing him.

If he doesn't avenge this, he'll write his name Kexi backwards.

The problem is that the Fractsidus members are better at hiding than mice; they are usually impossible to find.

Kexi stared at the ceiling for a long time, and suddenly a person flashed into her mind: Rover.

As the saying goes, wherever there are Rover, there will inevitably be Fractsidus; this is a law.

As long as he follows the Rover, how could he not find the nest of the Fractsidus?

Moreover, the Rover is still in Ragunna, with Carlotta and the others.

If he secretly went back to find the Rover, he might also be able to inquire about Jinhsi's situation, killing two birds with one stone.

Kexi jumped out of bed, and the more she thought about it, the more reliable the plan seemed.

Just then, a series of rapid footsteps came from downstairs. Before he could react, the door was kicked open.

Alex walked at the front, followed by four members of the Ordo Order, and then a row of Echo and Gladiator Junrock.

Kexi sprang out of bed, her eyes wide.

What are you doing?!

Alex looked at Kexi expressionlessly. "Kexi, you are suspected of assassinating Jin Jinhsi, the magistrate of Jinzhou Montelli, and fled to avoid punishment. By Order of the Privy Council of the Order, you are now being apprehended. This is Ordo."

He pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve, unfolded it, and threw it at Kexi's face.

Kexi took it down and glanced at it; it contained phrases like "extremely vicious," "extremely dangerous," and "a reward of 500,000 Monnaie for its capture."

"Holy crap, 500,000?!" Kexi's focus shifted for a second. "I'm only worth 500,000?"

"Surrender," Alex waved his hand, and four guards stepped forward simultaneously.

Kexi sighed. Vines sprouted from the soles of her feet, wrapping around the wrists and ankles of the four guards. With a gentle flick, the four men rolled together like bowling pins.

He raised his hand and slapped it again, the Resonance Energy exploding in his palm, knocking back the other two thugs who rushed up three steps.

"Don't force me to use my strength, I'm not one to hold back." Kexi waved her hand as she backed towards the window.

"You can't escape." Alex stood motionless in the doorway. "The area downstairs is full of Echo; you can't get away."

Kexi kicked open the window and peered out.

Downstairs, Echo standing in a dark mass, including the Gladiator Junrock, the Abyssal Patricius, and a few other big guys whose names he couldn't recall.

His lips twitched. Good heavens, such a grand display, just to arrest him alone?

"Kexi, surrender now." Alex's voice came from behind.

Kexi glanced back at him, about to say something tough, when she suddenly felt a tightness on her shoulder.

A hand reached in through the window, precisely gripped the back of his collar, and then yanked him sharply.

Kexi was lifted out of the window, tracing an arc in the air before swinging a great distance away.

He looked closely and saw that the man who was holding him was dressed as a pirate, and he was swinging across the rooftops with a grappling hook.

Alex was completely dumbfounded when he saw someone swinging Kexi from rooftop to roof like Spider-Man.

A few seconds later, he stood on the windowsill and called out to the members of the Ordo below.

"Chase them! Quickly, chase them! Don't let them get away!"

Those below then realized what was happening and, with Echo in tow, gave chase.

Brant swung between the rooftops a few times using the grappling hook, landing steadily on a platform where he put Kexi down.

"You're Kexi? The young master from Montelli?"

Kexi rubbed the back of her collar, which had been pulled so hard, and looked him up and down.

The man was dressed as a pirate, with a knife at his waist, and his smile held a hint of admiration.

"Who are you?"

"Brant," he dusted himself off, "Miss Carlotta sent me to rescue you."

Kexi was stunned for a moment, and then a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

His second sister, no matter how fiercely she cursed him, was still the first to send someone to bail him out when something happened.

Despite being blackmailed by him yesterday and getting into such a mess today, she still thinks about him.

"Is my second sister... alright?"

"Not good." Brant shrugged. "You've made a huge mess of this; she's furious. Alex from the Order is after her demanding your release, and the authorities in Jinzhou are pressing her too. But she said you should stay hidden and not get caught; she'll figure something out."

Kexi nodded, pondering how to make it up to Carlotta when they got back.

Brant tilted his head and sized him up for a moment, then suddenly grinned. "You're quite something, kid. You actually dared to assassinate the Prefect of Jinzhou. That's the Prefect of Jinzhou, not some vegetable vendor on the roadside. You've got some nerve."

Kexi's face instantly fell.

"I didn't kill her! I was framed! That bastard Christopher got a fake to impersonate me, stabbed Jinhsi, and then ran away! I'm fucking innocent!"

"Alright, alright, I've been framed." Brant raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, his smile undiminished. "Don't get agitated, I'm not here to arrest you. But if you say that out loud, I doubt many people will believe you."

Kexi took a deep breath and suppressed her anger.

He knew that no one would believe him if he told them now.

If a counterfeiter uses your face to commit murder, what proof do you have?

Unless Jinhsi wakes up and tells him herself that something is wrong with that person, he won't be able to clear his name even if he jumps into the Yellow River.

"Never mind." He waved his hand, then asked the most crucial question, "Where are you taking me?"

Brant straightened up, a hint of mystery creeping into his smile.

Have you heard of the Fool's Troupe?

"The Fool's Troupe? I vaguely remember them."

Kexi's memories of the Fool's Troupe are hazy. He only remembers that they put on a show with the Rover at the carnival, followed by the famous scene of Carlotta being bullied by a cow, titled "What Does It Mean to Be a Woman You Can See But I Can't?"

Wait, didn't Carlotta say that in the story? What did she say before?

Kexi's thoughts drifted off to who-knows-where.

The Order is catching up soon.

Brant said, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's run, they're coming after us."