Within the void, Alex was hastily blinking back to Saint Rothen town.
He needed to get back to his cell.
Once back in his cell, Alex moved his hard mask, cloak, and ghost blades and placed them in his inventory. His new clothing and armor remained on. His amour could disguise itself by morphing into his clothing to blend in, hiding in plain sight. And Alex did not want to wear those dirty rags anymore; no one would give him trouble since the guards knew he was a dead man.
Alex opened a rift and exited the void. He removed the decomposing body (decoy) and the sheet it was wrapped in; off the bed and threw them into the pile of the dead bodies in the cell.
Next, he took out a clean sheet from his inventory and placed it on the bed.
What Alex needed was some sleep. Sleep would allow his mind to clear and his body to recover. Before closing his eyes, he looked at his own stats.
Name: Alex Star
First Son of Vigerřamous
Level: 9
Race: Dark Demi-god
Class: Assassin
XP to next level: 10,095/16300
Sin Points: -10,590
Element Affinity: darkness and Space
Ability: dark fusion
HP: 260/260(240+20)
Mana: 120/120 (natural regenerate 50 mana per hr)
STR: 140 (120+20)
Agility: 190(170+20)
`Intelligence: 230
Stamina: 130 (90+40)
Available points: 0
Alex required just a bit more exp to level up, and he was half done paying back the loan he took from Star. With his back facing the cell door, Alex fell asleep.
Two hours into his sleep Alex was woken up by Star.
"Alex, you're a Demi-god for evil's sake; you don't need to sleep so often like the humans. Also, you have new victims in front of your cell!" Star chided.
Alex turned around to see Ives Brays and another old man standing in front of the cell. Alex did not recognize the older man from Lith's memory, but he knew who Ives was. Still groggy from his brief sleep, Alex just looked at them before turning his back to them, snuggling back into his sleeping position.
Alex's action stunned Ives, 'when did this commoner become so daring?'
"I see that prison has made a filthy commoner like you brave," Ives retorted. Discontent with Alex's actions.
Alex turned around, stood up, then stretched his arms in the air. He then involuntarily went to draw his ghost blades, but they weren't by his side. Alex wanted to chop both Ives and the old man for interrupting his sleep. Sleep was one of the things he valued on earth, and that wasn't about to change now.
As the grogginess faded, Alex quickly remembered he was in prison. Still he hated Star for waking him up.
"What do you want, you false noble twat," Alex said while standing up.
Ives did not know what Alex meant, but the older gentleman did. His forehead creased 'how could a young man have such a filthy mouth!'
However, Alex's reply was on point. Ives got his title (lord) because it was passed down to him since his father was a viscount.' Those whose title was passed down and not earned are known as false nobles among commoners.
Of course, they did this out of spite. Ives looked at Lith and notice he was clean, unstressed by his situation as if the water and the bodies in the cell were nothing. Ives did not put too much thought into Alex's clean clothes since he barely remembered anything about Alex.
"cough… cough…. I will release you from this jail cell if you promise not to return to Saint Rothen!" Ives pronounced superiorly as if he was doing Alex a favor.
Alex looked at Ives as if he were looking at a dummy. He could not and would not trust Ives even if Star and the system told him too.
'sure, they would let him go, then turn around and say he escaped'.
Alex could not afford that; the system said to clear Lith's name, not to create a killer that would be known through the entire human kingdoms.
"Now, why would a false noble twat like you do me a favor? A slut has already wounded my name, and I am innocent. You tell me if you did not do a crime, and I offered to let you go, would I be doing you a favor? Dear friend, you don't have to worry I will present irrefutable proof of my innocence. Please don't interrupt my sleep anymore!" Alex said, annoyed.
Alex calling Alice a slut infuriated Ives. Alice was his weakness.
"Do you think my father will say that you are innocent and condemn his daughter-in-law for some commoner? Just stay there and see. Father returned this morning; I've given you a way out, you dirty commoner!" Ives rebuked.
"Well, that is up to your father. If he is sure that the Saint Rothen would not plunge into civil unrest after someone mysteriously pass recording stones of that bitch having sex with other men. But then again, I am sure that your father would be happy to have such a recording circulating. everyone would see his precious future daughter-in-law taking wood and whaling like a wildebeest." Alex retorted while going back to his bed.
Although Alex was bluffing about having the video, he planned to get it as soon as possible. He had already discussed this with Star.
Upon hearing Alex's first sentence, the old man had a scowl on his face; if such recording were real, that meant trouble.
Ives left in anger with the old man. If there was a recording, then things would go differently. Ives had to tell his father about this matter immediately. He did not want Alice to die.
Alex didn't overthink about the viscount's arrival. Ives could be telling the truth or not. It just means that he would have to wrap up his plans tonight. Star had already said that the system would not always be right about its prediction. It also meant that the women's husband was here, and Alex would pay him a visit. Alex was planning to take one hour of sleep before he gave the knights searching for him a surprise. There was no way the knight's captain would stop now!
While Alex slept for one hour, Saint Rothen was in chaos. The Knights from House Vee from Aethons had the brothel inn surrounded and locked down; they allowed no one to enter or exit. They questioned everyone in the building. With both Earl Vee daughter's dead, the knights sought an explanation to save their lives. Anyone who hesitated or refused to be searched, questioned, or cooperate was beating to a pulp and detained.
Everyone in the inn would remain there until Earl Vee arrived.
The previous notes that Alex distributed about poisoning the knights caused a ripple effect. Every knight shot at by an arrow went to see a healer. Even those who were not shot also went.
Once the healer performed their diagnostic spell and confirmed they were indeed poisoned, only more grave news followed. The healer would state that they couldn't treat such a poison and was the first time seeing it.
The healers were sure the knights were likely to die by the unknown poison, 'so why not make a little money off the dead!'.
Since the knights didn't respect anyone without a noble title. The healers offered medicine that would not work or things that were on the shelf too long. The scammers made sure that they informed the knights that there is only a possibility that the medicine may work.
Being that they were poisoned and giving a glimpse of hope, how could they leave it?
Even if they knew the other person was bullshitting them, they still had to take their chances. Hope was, to them, was a tricky concept.
Other knights of Saint Rothen that weren't poisoned were also on the move in the city, making the people panic. They were going to each of the set-up hotels that Alex sent a message from.
Alex was not ideal either; after his nap, he would meet them there. Alex would leave the cell via a rift; he would then don the infinity mask and equip his bow and arrow.
The mask of infinity was still set with the face of the second son of James. Unless Alex chose another face, it would remain the same.
Once Alex encountered the knights at the hotel, he would throw out the corpses of the people he killed from the previous inns or kill anyone near the knights, then run while screaming, "the knights are killing commoners, there is no justice!" As he ran out of the hotel like a madman, he made sure everyone saw his face.
Alex's stunt would draw everyone's attention; as the knights ran after him. The bodies Alex threw out of his inventory would remain there, adding credibility to his story. The corpses were fresh, oozing blood and whatever warmth they had before they enter his inventory.
Alex even threw out the bodies of the dead knights while showing the knights his face as he shot poisoned arrows at them. Alex was genuinely fanning the flames. The knights plastered James's second son's face on wanted posters.
----------
Willis and James Markson Pov
Willis was hiding in the cellar of his father's house. By noon he had seen the wanted posters. They accused him of murdering the civilians and knights. Even crimes such as rape or things Alex didn't even do.
His father, James Markson, was currently at the knight fort trying to understand how this happened. His father was his only hope.
Lost in thought, Willis heard his father's voice ring out.
"Willis, come out! Your no son of mine, you scum!" James Markson stated, feigning rage since he was standing with the knight's captain.
Evidence against Willis was stacked, considering over one hundred knights were poisoned and recording stones showing Willis screaming like a madman and shooting arrows repeatedly at the knights.
Even though the height of Alex and Willis was different, Even though he knew that this was a frame job, what could he do to help his son, who was a commoner? Against hundred knights whose titles were higher than his, what could he do? James did the next best thing!
"Get out here immediately; how can you do such evil things?" James rebuked.
As Willis exited the cellar, he was welcomed to the sight of dozens of angry knights. The knights directly grabbed Willis and placed mana-concealing chains on him.
Willis could not believe his father brought the knights for him. His mother, James's third wife, whaled that her son was innocent.
But James rebuked her, "you are the reason that the boy grew up so veil," while slap after slap greeted the third wife.
The drama was very entertaining; the knight captain nodded his head in approval before leaving with Willis.
Along the way to the knight's fort, the knights slapped Willis until a few teeth fall out, asking him for an antidote he knew nothing about before even reaching the fort. Willis was in for a beating; every knight would beat him to an inch away from death's door.
But death wouldn't take him since they gave him health potions with renewing interest to repeat and question him about the antidote. The boy was well on his way to having a mental breakdown, and Alex was well on his way to completing the quest "Show the Markson family the true meaning of hell."
If that wasn't hell for Willis...…..