Liam sat quietly, staring at the empty stone walls of his prison cell. The cold, gray silence was almost soothing, but he couldn't help but sigh.
"Should I break out of here?" Liam asked, his voice tinged with boredom.
Ray's amused voice echoed in his head. "I don't think you want to make the entire capital your enemy just yet."
Liam smirked. "Yes, of course. But I don't enjoy being a bird in a cage either."
"Don't worry," Ray replied casually. "This is just a precaution. The sphere only showed your kill count; it doesn't prove you're a criminal. They'll likely interrogate you and check if you have an alibi."
Liam raised an eyebrow, a hint of nervousness creeping into his usually calm expression. "An alibi? Wait… do I have anyone here who can vouch for me?"
Ray's tone became mischievous. "You've forgotten someone, haven't you?"
"Who?" Liam asked, genuinely confused.
"The heroes, you idiot," Ray laughed. "I can't believe you forgot them."
Liam pouted, slightly embarrassed. "You know I'm terrible with names and faces."
Ray chuckled. "But you haven't forgotten their faces, have you?"
"No… I haven't," Liam admitted, scratching his head sheepishly.
Their conversation was cut short as a guard approached the cell and unlocked the door, though his cautious gaze never left Liam.
"Follow me," the guard instructed, still wary of the young man's reputation.
They led him down a narrow hallway to an interrogation room. Inside was a polished wooden table with two chairs facing each other. One was already occupied by a middle-aged man with a stern face and sharp eyes. Liam took the empty seat, casually leaning back.
The man across from him didn't waste any time. "What's your name?"
"Liam Hemsworth," Liam replied with a straight face.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Alright, Liam. Who were the people you killed?"
Liam shrugged. "Forty-two were bandits. One was… a person I found in the forest."
The man's eyes narrowed. "Do you have anyone who can verify your story?"
Liam smirked. "Yes, the heroes."
The room fell silent. Both the interrogator and the guard at the door exchanged a shocked glance. The interrogator coughed, clearing his throat as he tried to regain his composure.
"Guards, go fetch the heroes," he ordered, unable to hide his surprise.
As the guards left, the man turned back to Liam. "By the way, I'm Rhett. It's nice to meet you, Liam."
Liam nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "Likewise." He realized that revealing his name had earned Rhett's initial trust.
Ray's voice chimed in. "You handled that perfectly, Liam."
"Of course," Liam replied confidently. "But why did you tell me not to lie while I was sitting here?"
"Look at his hand," Ray said. "There's a ring with a gemstone, right?"
Liam glanced down and noticed the ring. "Yeah, I see it."
"That's a rare-class dungeon item called 'Lie Detector.' The gem glows when it senses a lie," Ray explained.
Liam's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, that was a close call."
"Indeed," Ray laughed. "Lucky you listened to me."
The door creaked open, and Liam turned to see a familiar face entering the room. It was Caiser, the leader of the heroes, looking a bit amused.
"Hello, Caiser! Long time no see," Liam greeted him with a playful smirk.
Caiser rolled his eyes, smiling back. "It hasn't even been a week, but hello, Liam. Welcome to the capital."
Rhett's expression softened, relieved to see the hero. "So, he's clear then?" he asked.
Caiser nodded. "Yes, he's clear. He wiped out an entire bandit hideout on his own. That's why his kill count is so high."
Rhett leaned forward, eyes wide. "Impressive. He must be quite strong."
"How did you know?" Rhett asked, genuinely curious. "Did you fight him? If so, who won?"
Caiser let out a sigh, scratching his head. "I hate to admit it, but he pretty much overwhelmed my entire team."
Rhett's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Oh, I would've loved to see that fight."
Caiser, clearly embarrassed, stood up. "Come on, Liam. Let's get out of here."
Liam stood as well, giving Rhett a wave. "See you around, Rhett. I'm sure we'll meet again soon."
As they left the room, Rhett watched them go, a thoughtful expression on his face. "That kid… he's dangerous." He muttered to himself, unaware that Liam had left a [Mark] with [Wiretap] on the chair, overhearing everything.
Outside, Liam removed the [Mark], letting out a small sigh. "I was confused about why you wanted me to use [Wiretap], but now I get it," he admitted.
Ray laughed. "Stop pretending you don't enjoy this game."
"Whatever," Liam muttered, his lips curling into a smile.
Caiser glanced over, noticing the shift in Liam's mood. "Is everything alright? Do you need any help?"
Liam shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Just one question: is Rhett trustworthy?"
Caiser paused, then gave a small shrug. "He seems reliable enough. At the very least, he does his job well." He added with a wink.
Liam nodded. "Good to know. By the way, why are you in Befardo? I thought you'd be staying in Rogya Village for a while."
"We needed a break," Caiser explained. "The journey here and our fight with you wore us out. We decided to take a month off. It's our vacation."
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Vacation, huh? Well, I'm new here. Do you mind showing me around the capital?"
Caiser grinned. "Of course. It's the least I can do after you wiped the floor with us."
The two of them walked off, side by side, as the grand city of Befardo opened up before them.