Chapter 63: Actions are always free

Three days later in the evening, the fading light of the sunset bathed Olivias City in a dim yellow glow.

Deep within the private prison’s most secluded cell, Allen was slowly stretching his limbs.

His movements were still stiff, but no longer accompanied by that tearing, agonizing pain.

The madness that once tormented him had dissipated, replaced by a weakness that felt more like a rebirth—a lightness he hadn’t known in a long time.

Only a few faint scars remained on his bare skin, silently telling the story of the hardships he had endured.

“Your recovery is quite good.”

Selina leaned against the doorframe, her ears twitching lightly, eyes holding a hint of surprise. “Faster than expected, by a whole day.”

Julius stood beside her, nodding slightly:

“Miss Helos’ antidote really is incredibly effective.”

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.

Kyle entered the cell carrying a coarse cloth bundle, his gaze steady as he looked at the two of them, finally resting on Allen.

“Ready? It’s time we talked business.”

He casually tossed the bundle to the young man inside the cell:

“Change into this. Your old clothes no longer fit.”

Allen opened the package; inside was a clean but plain coarse linen outfit, indistinguishable from the clothes worn by laborers in the Lower District.

He held the fabric, hesitating for a moment, his voice tinged with nervousness and unease:

“Can you… really guarantee my safety?”

“No.”

Selina cut him off bluntly.

Her eyes gleamed coldly in the dim firelight, her tone calm but merciless:

“But compared to dying tortured by withdrawal or being executed as a heretic by the Church… this is the better choice, isn’t it?”

Allen’s fingers tightened around the clothes, his gaze trembling slightly.

Kyle reached out and patted his shoulder, softening his tone a bit:

“We will protect you as best we can. And this isn’t just for you — it’s to save more people like you.”

“All right, all right.”

Moments later, Allen changed into the new clothes.

The coarse linen made him look even more like an ordinary porter. Without seeing it with their own eyes, it would be hard to associate this man with the young addict who had once been consumed by Toxic Wine.

Julius stepped forward, handing him a piece of bread and a small cup of water:

“Eat something first. We need you to keep up your strength.”

As he took the bread, hunger surged fiercely in Allen’s stomach. Without hesitation, he bit into the warm bread and devoured it greedily.

It had been a long time since he had properly eaten.

Allen buried his head in the bread, the only sound in the cell was the crunching of his chewing.

Kyle turned slightly, lowering his voice so only Julius and Selina could hear:

“I have to say… Miss Helos’ antidote is even more effective than I expected.”

“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that someone almost destroyed by Toxic Wine could recover like this in just three days.”

Julius felt a warmth flicker in his heart, the tension in his brows easing slightly as he replied quietly:

“She really is remarkable.”

Selina raised an eyebrow, a meaningfully ambiguous smile playing in her eyes:

“You actually praise someone — that’s rare, Kyle.”

Kyle didn’t respond, just glanced at Allen who was still ravenously eating.

Allen finished the last bite, exhaling deeply as if he had finally regained some strength.

Kyle looked at him and nodded:

“Good. Time to move out.”

***

Moments later, the cell door was pushed open, and the guards handed over several cloth bundles containing rough linen clothes.

Julius, Selina, and Kyle changed in turn.

The coarse gray and brown fabric replaced their previously neat and clean outfits, instantly making them look like the most ordinary workers or peddlers from the Lower District.

Selina tugged at her collar in displeasure, her gaze tinged with disdain:

“Tch… these clothes remind me of some unpleasant memories.”

“But it’s a necessary disguise.”

Kyle tightened his sleeves, his tone calm.

“Tonight, we’ll enter the ‘Alley Tavern’ posing as Allen’s friends and see what we can find out.”

He turned around, hands clasped behind his back, adding calmly:

“Remember, we are just ordinary people. The more mundane, the less likely to attract attention.”

Selina glanced at Julius standing beside her and couldn’t help but smirk, her voice tinged with teasing:

“Hehe, even dressed like this, you still radiate that ‘Paladin’ righteous aura. Just those eyes alone tell others you’re no ordinary person.”

“Do I?”

Julius blinked, instinctively touching his face as if considering her words seriously.

After a moment, the image of Kyle’s usual lazy, casual, even slightly flamboyant demeanor appeared in his mind—half-closed eyes, a staggering gait, and a carefree air in his words.

He imitated that posture, relaxing his shoulders slightly and deliberately softening his gaze.

The sharp edge in his aura instantly faded, and he looked less like a “Paladin” and more like a slovenly city dweller.

“How’s this?”

Julius tried the lazy pose.

Selina squinted, watching him with amusement, then suddenly burst out laughing:

“Hehe, I see the shadow of someone familiar in you.”

She glanced meaningfully at Kyle.

Kyle’s face darkened, and he said:

“Julius, do you really think that’s how I usually am?”

Before finishing, he raised his hand and lightly tapped Selina’s head.

The vampire girl covered her head, stuck out her tongue, but there was a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Pretty much.”

Julius answered casually.

Kyle was momentarily speechless, finally sighing deeply and waving his hand in resignation:

“…Fine, you win.”

Their teasing echoed in the cramped cell, the atmosphere lightening for once.

Allen stood to the side, clutching the coarse linen clothes he had taken off, watching their playful bickering with a complicated expression.

After hesitating a moment, he finally couldn’t help but whisper:

“Um… can you let me out now?”

His voice was so soft it almost got lost, but it made all three freeze simultaneously.

“Uh, I totally forgot about that.”

Selina covered her mouth and looked at the two beside her.

“What do you think?”

“It shouldn’t be a problem anymore.”

Julius shook his head helplessly and stepped forward to unlock Allen’s chains:

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Kyle cleared his throat and put his hands behind his back, pretending to be casual:

“Yeah, just in time. You should stretch a bit. We’ll need you to lead the way later.”

Allen nodded, his hands instinctively clenching into fists as he tried to steady his voice:

“No problem, leave the leading to me.”

As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something, his expression a little awkward:

“By the way, I… I think I still owe that tavern owner some money for the drinks.”

“If I don’t pay, I’m afraid he won’t let me back in.”