0121 Lance's Crisis

“So, you’re saying that you have absolutely no evidence to prove your innocence?”

So-and-so wearily pressed a hand to her forehead.

Lance calmly nodded.

“And you’re saying that you were the one who sought me out every time we met? You knew me?”

So-and-so continued rubbing her forehead.

“Just because I didn’t know you doesn’t mean I didn’t know Huanluo, the general of Acacia,” Lance said slowly and unhurriedly, reclining against the headboard. “An unregistered mage can’t enter Acacia easily. But if I knew Huanluo, everything would become much simpler. So I followed you all the way, only deliberately appearing beside you on the day Liangyin could no longer hold on.”

“How is that possible?!”

So-and-so could not make sense of it at all. She grabbed Lance by the shoulders and interrogated him. “Are you some kind of all-knowing prophet? How did you know Liangyin and I would definitely meet Huanluo? And how did you know I would definitely go to the place where you were fighting monsters to find a magic core?”

Lance shrugged with an apparently innocent expression. “I knew because Zizi was a guide I specifically sent to you.”

“Zizi?!”

The moment she heard the name, So-and-so’s mind conjured up the image of the sleazy little creature that looked rather like a rat—the one she had encountered in the Monster Forest.

“You mean every step we took, from the moment we entered the Monster Forest onward, was calculated by you?!”

“If you want to understand it that way, then yes, that is what happened.” Lance smiled at So-and-so. “But all I did was provide you and Liangyin with a shortcut into Acacia.”

“And then you followed that same route and came to Acacia with us?” So-and-so asked, utterly speechless.

“That’s right.” Lance spread both hands, wearing an expression that said, I’ve already confessed everything.

“My God, you’ve really gotten yourself into trouble—serious trouble, brother!”

So-and-so’s hand was still on Lance’s shoulder, but her own shoulders had already slumped helplessly. “Couldn’t you have left yourself some room to maneuver? You had to leave this huge mess at a time like this? Even if I had a thousand mouths, I couldn’t calm everyone down.”

“What? You’re still willing to believe I’m not a spy?”

Lance was not nervous in the slightest. He continued smiling serenely, completely relaxed. So-and-so was so infuriated by his attitude that she wanted to pounce on him and bite him.

“Believe you? In your dreams!”

So-and-so felt as though her lungs were about to burst from anger at Lance’s leisurely demeanor. She had been doing everything she could to clear him of suspicion, yet the more this man who needed clearing explained himself, the more suspicious he became. If she had recorded their conversation just now, Lance would already have been classified as a high-risk individual and invited to stay in Acacia’s prison. His explanation was the perfect example of someone splashing ink all over his own face, wholeheartedly carrying on the noble tradition of insulting himself without prompting, and dedicating his life to sending himself behind bars—all while taking pride in it.

“Just saying what you said a moment ago would be enough to keep you in Acacia’s prison for a long time. And at a time like this, you’re still acting cute? Have you got a death wish?”

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘acting cute,’ and I wasn’t doing that. I was merely stating what I did. Even if someone heard what I said, it wouldn’t directly constitute evidence of a crime. At most, it would only establish me as a suspect.”

Seeing that So-and-so was on the verge of exploding, Lance tried to explain.

“Brother, how has your intelligence managed to drop at missile-launch speed after only one night apart?” If circumstances had allowed it, So-and-so would have loved to smash a hammer straight into Lance’s head and see whether she could knock all his intelligence back into place. “What do you think this place is? This is the front line, a strategic pass, a battlefield—not somewhere that can afford failure. Especially now, with Acacia having suffered such heavy losses. If you’re identified as a suspect, they’ll lock you up first and ask questions later. Andy and the others would never abandon all the people and soldiers of Acacia just to safeguard your freedom!”

“All right, I was wrong.”

Seeing So-and-so’s anger grow hotter by the second, Lance let out a quiet laugh and decided not to provoke this emotionally fragile person any further. Teasing her and watching her bristle was certainly entertaining, but he understood that if he pushed things too far, he might end up burning himself. He reached out and smoothed her hair, completely abandoning his earlier attitude of someone who feared neither boiling water nor death. In a gentle voice, he said, “But I truly can’t produce any evidence in my favor. I can, however, guarantee that I am absolutely not the so-called spy.”

“Tch…”

After being forcibly soothed, So-and-so finally calmed down. Her petulant emotions were pushed back into a corner beneath the heavy pressure of reason. Her long-lost rationality had finally returned to her mind and, for once, had not gone on strike. Instead, it began to work diligently.

Since there was no way to prove Lance’s innocence, she could only start with Andy. After Li Yi and Xia Kui’s deaths, power over Acacia had automatically returned to the Girod family. As the family’s most outstanding son, Andy had naturally taken responsibility for Acacia’s fate.

This was a critical moment in which Acacia’s very survival hung in the balance. The fact that Andy was willing to spare So-and-so, a four-element mage, was already a miracle. It was impossible for him to allow Lance, a man surrounded by so many suspicious points, to remain safely in Acacia.

So-and-so desperately tried to find a viable way forward, but her thoughts repeatedly fell into an inescapable cycle: no evidence plus suspicious behavior plus monster bloodline plus spy equals Lance equals a threat to Acacia equals Andy would never let him go.

“Continuing to argue here won’t get us anywhere. Give me some time to think about what we should do.” For the moment, So-and-so truly had no idea what she could do for Lance. With her mind utterly blank, she could only choose to return to her room. “Acacia has far too many matters to deal with right now. Andy can’t possibly take action in the next day or two. I’ll stall him verbally and do my best to prevent him from making any major moves. You should focus on recovering from your injuries.”

“I’m counting on you, my good apprentice.” Lance smiled and waved at So-and-so, placing no pressure on her at all.

Yet So-and-so suddenly felt the burden on her shoulders grow heavier.

Before this, she had only needed to take responsibility for herself and live as well as she could. But now Liangyin’s life or death was unknown, Huanluo had suffered a devastating blow, Lance’s future was uncertain, her greatest secret had somehow been seen through by someone, and Acacia still faced the ever-present threat of the monsters.

Refusing the maid’s support, So-and-so wandered unsteadily down the corridor alone. Many years had passed since she had crossed into this world, yet throughout all those years she had simply gone with the flow, loafing through life or relying on others to survive.

But this time, she truly could rely only on herself.

So-and-so silently clenched her fists.