Rocky leaned forward, aligning his gaze with the other man's, his deep blue eyes shining with a gentle light. "Hello, Mr. Baddorf," Rocky greeted.

Baddorf shook his head, shaking off the water droplets on his face and the tangled thoughts in his mind. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I am Rocky Dolaville Oxias," Rocky smiled, "a sorcerer."

Upon hearing the word "sorcerer," Baddorf instinctively recoiled. "You...you're the...the descendant of the Oxias family, the traitor, right?"

He had clearly heard of Rocky's deeds and forcibly swallowed the words "traitor" back into his throat. He didn't want to provoke Rocky as magicians were monsters, and who knew what terrifying magic awaited him?

Rocky seemed unconcerned. "That's right, I am Rocky the traitor. Since you know who I am, I can skip some time-wasting introductions."

"What do you want?" Baddorf sighed. "I don't know what I did wrong to deserve such torture from your country... If possible, could you just kill me?"

"Hahaha, don't worry, Mr. Baddorf," Rocky chuckled. "I won't harm you, I'm here to help you."

"You want to help me?" Baddorf became even more confused. "Aren't you on the same side as that mage? What's in it for you to help me? What exactly do you want?"

"Don't worry," Rocky said, "I'll let you understand your situation first, let's sit down and talk."

He stood up straight and waved to Alice, who immediately went to fetch two chairs. Rocky helped Baddorf sit in one of the chairs and then took a seat himself.

"First of all, the prince you were supposed to protect is dead, and the news of his death has already reached the Skayat Kingdom," Rocky said. "And you were captured by Detective Nomenge, who had a mage cast a mind control spell on you, preparing you to confess and take all the blame in the upcoming trial in three days."

Baddorf was taken aback. "Why me?"

"Don't you understand yet, Mr. Baddorf?" Rocky smiled. "The consequences of a Reles person confessing and a Skayat person confessing are different. If everything goes according to plan, when the Skayat king receives news of his son's death, he will execute the proton of the Reles Empire... After all, that is the meaning of the proton's existence. But in the end, other countries will know that the Skayat prince was killed by his subordinates, and the Reles Empire will use this as a reason to wage war against the Skayat Kingdom."

"Despicable!" Baddorf cursed. Everyone could see through the Reles Empire's intention to head north, but he didn't expect it to come so suddenly and viciously.

"Regarding matters between nations, what is despicable or noble?" Rocky shook his head. "War will come sooner or later, and it's not something you and I can prevent."

"According to what you're saying, I should still be under mind control right now, right? Why do you want to save me?" Baddorf looked at Rocky. "Don't tell me you're showing mercy. In Nomenge, you're one of the least likely people to be compassionate."

"That's right," Rocky admitted without hiding. "I'm saving you for my own sake. I have some grievances with the mage Sinasas, and I happen to be involved in this matter. I'm worried that he will turn against me during the trial."

"It seems that your suspicion has reached a point where even if I don't accuse you, you won't be able to escape punishment," Baddorf wasn't stupid and had figured out a bit. "Otherwise, you would just need to kill me and silence me, instead of telling me all this."

"Correct," Rocky confessed. "If you don't confess voluntarily in three days, then I will become the murderer, and that's a result the entire Reles Empire wouldn't want to accept... So I hope you will confess during the trial."

Baddorf stared blankly for a moment, then burst into laughter. A pale laughter echoed in the abandoned warehouse. "Am I hearing this correctly? You want me to be your scapegoat? You want me to betray my own country and give the Reles Empire a reason to go to war? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

"You are," Rocky reached out and Alice handed him a stack of papers. Rocky grabbed one of them, "The detective has already investigated you in detail. You didn't join the army for any noble cause to defend the country. Fifteen years ago, in a famine that occurred in the eastern county of the Skayat Kingdom, your hometown, your parents starved to death one after another. As the eldest son, you chose to join the army to feed your sister and brother. Seven years ago, you wanted to retire, but you were forced to continue serving because of your newlywed wife and newborn daughter. Because you had no other skills, if you lost your status as a soldier, your family would lose the only source of income... That's why you came to the Reles Empire three years ago to serve as an attendant to the prince."Bardo fell silent. Every word Rocky said was true. He did join the military and travel to a distant land for the sake of his family.

"Now, whether or not you cooperate with me," Rocky said, "you are undoubtedly doomed. You should be well aware of the situation in the Kingdom of Skiat. The wealth gap is enormous, and the country will not spend money on a dead man, especially when you failed to protect the heir to the throne, who was assassinated."

"But once I confess, I will become a criminal in the Kingdom of Skiat. The king might execute my family... And when Reles' army arrives, they will be engulfed in the war."

"Will the king spare them if you don't confess? But if the Reles Empire invades, the Kingdom of Skiat will have to prepare for war with all its might. The king himself will be too preoccupied to take care of a mere guard's family," Rocky coaxed. "If Reles Empire already has the intention to invade, even if they back off this time, what about the next time? Or the time after that? How many 'loyal' guards like you does the Kingdom of Skiat have? War waits for no one. I can't save your life, but if you cooperate with me, I will do my best to ensure the safety of your family. After settling them down, I will even give them enough gold coins to live comfortably for the rest of their lives."

Seeing Bardov hesitate, Rocky took out a necklace from his pocket. It was Bardov's personal item, taken away by the police, and he retrieved it from Morse. The necklace was made of ordinary material, neither gold nor silver, and the slightly rusty thin iron chain was adorned with a pocket watch whose outer shell had been tarnished by sweat, losing its shine. Opening the watch, there was a black and white photograph inside.

Photography was invented fifty years ago, and after improvements in alchemy, it was now possible to take color photographs. However, it was an expensive luxury enjoyed only by the wealthy, and the price of taking a black and white photograph deterred many commoners. Bardov, not particularly wealthy, was willing to pay such a sum of money, indicating that he attached great importance to the person in the photo.

That should be his daughter, dressed in a dress with a silk ribbon. She had a lovely and obedient face, with big eyes and a wide smile towards the camera.

"What a beautiful child. She will definitely become a beauty in the future," Rocky placed the watch in Bardov's hand. "As long as she can have a 'future'."

Bardov took the watch and looked straight into his daughter's smiling face, remaining silent.

Rocky was not in a hurry, leaning back on the chair, waiting calmly for Bardov's answer. He had said everything that needed to be said. If Bardov continued to refuse, he would have to seek help from Lord Selda, the ancient clock master, and use mind control to deal with this guard. Even if the effect would be compromised to some extent, he had no choice.

Bardov sighed heavily. "How can I know if you will fulfill your promise?"

"You can't know because by then, you will be dead," Rocky said. "You can only choose to believe me. My promise is at least a hope for you. If you refuse me, then hope doesn't exist."

"Believe in a traitor?" Bardov looked at Rocky. "I heard that you personally killed your own sister and led the palace guard to destroy your own family. Can I trust your promise?"

Rocky sneered, stood up and kicked the chair over, then turned to leave. "Since you can't trust me, then so be it. Farewell, Mr. Bardov."

His footsteps were neither fast nor slow, and the boots made a "thumping" sound as they touched the floor of the warehouse, each step hammering on Bardov's heart.

As Rocky reached the door, Bardov called out to him, "Wait, Rocky Dolaville Oxias, I believe you."

Rocky turned slightly, his deep blue eyes looking at Bardov, a smile on his face. "Wise choice, Mr. Bardov."

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

By the time Rocky and Alice left the fortress, it was already late at night. The inner circle of Nomenge had exquisite and orderly urban planning. There were brass lamp poles every five meters on both sides of the stone brick roads, carved with patterns, and the gas lamps inside the artistically crafted lampshades emitted a bright light.

"Rocky, were you lying to him?" Alice suddenly said."Why do you say that?" Rocky asked.

"This Bardoff has been tortured for two days and your words have led him astray, ignoring a simple question," Alice smiled, her fiery eyes shining even brighter under the lights.

"Oh? Tell me," Rocky said.

"Once Bardoff takes on the guilt, this war will be attributed to him. Perhaps the king won't care about his family, but what about the civilians near his home?" Alice said. "Before the catastrophe strikes, humans can do crazy things... Besides, are you really going to the Kingdom of Scaiatte?"

"I will," Rocky was certain about this. "The war is my opportunity, and I will definitely go... As for Bardoff's family, let's pray that they can survive until then. I might not be able to keep my promise, but I did say I would do my best, didn't I?"

"If 'my best' is not enough, then that's just the way it is," Alice smiled even more, extending her beautiful yet sharp fingers to examine them under the lights. "Rocky, you're such a schemer."

Rocky walked towards the Messiah Saint Academy with a steady gaze. He no longer cared about how others perceived him as long as he fulfilled his duties as a revenger.