“...”

Silence hang around the room, even the occasional chewing sounds and the cutleries' clinks stopped at the same time as their breaths.

“I am surprised you didn't get killed immediately after you said that.”

Damian broke that tranquility by slamming down the butt of his glass mug.

“It was thanks to you little Damian.” Heretic smiled.

“Wha—!”

He was surprised for the second time in this dinner when he heard that. However it seemed that this shock would be stretched longer as others also started to join in.

“Right! Thanks to you too Vice-captain!” Ezekiel too gave him a grateful smile.

“Who's vice-captain? Me?”

He pointed at himself as he asked but instead being answered by Ezekiel, it was Irushka who opened her mouth.

“I also gave you my appreciation red-haired human.”

For her who had deep-rooted hatred for human to thank him, it made Damian a little happy.

“This old man too liked to offer his thanks.” Old Man also gave him an appreciative smile just more amiably.

Damian was starting to get embarrassed by this shower of gratitude because it is full of sincerity, but it didn't end as the rest continued.

“Thank you.” Tron bowed his bald head towards him showing the tattooed bird with its wings spread out in the back of his head.

Ellena who was hidden by her hood nodded before a soft and small voice came out of it, “Hmm…thanks.”

“...You have me in your debt.”

Even the proud and unsocial Kyrille shown her gratefulness to him.

“Congratulations Damian, for saving us all.”

Lance gave him couple pats on his shoulder, however before Damian could show his welcoming smile the words that followed broke the happiness growing in his heart.

“Us—prisoners.”

He grimaced as he looked at him.

“Why did you have to said that, you just have to ruined the mood!”

As the only one being left out Alexis was in confusion between their sudden showing of their gratefulness, so he asked,

“Um...what's this all about?"

Lance looked at him and said, “I'll let you know after you decided.”

Alexis took a deep breath for a moment then he looked at him straight into his light-yellow eyes, before he uttered the words that could decide his future with full resolve.

“I already decided. I'll join you!”

The rest shifted their gazes between their captain and him as the air inside suddenly turned heavy, Alexis felt the looks coming from others changed and his hands couldn't help but break into illusionary sweat.

Lance put his hands in front of him and rested his chin on those intersecting fingers before he seriously asked the young man in the other side, “Are you sure?”

“...Yes. I had no idea on what to do even if you left me here, and…if I let this chance go, I have a feeling that I will regret it greatly in the future.”

After he gave his answer, Alexis couldn't help but took a deep breath as he felt that all the air on his lungs was emptied out.

“Then if you really wanted to join the group, there will be a test.” before he could even got chance to open his mouth, Lance continued, “Don't ask, you'll know soon.”

Ezekiel smiled suddenly crept up back again on his lips making the tension in the room vanished.

“So this is what you’re talking about captain? Then this banquet will be our welcome for Alexis young man, who will join us.”

“You want to know about us right?” Lance then asked with a rare cold smile.

Alexis gulped feeling both anticipation and fear as he nodded.

“We are prisoners.”

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Ezekiel noticed that he was not as shocked as he thought he would be.

“Are you not surprise?”

Alexis chuckled shortly and replied,

“Just a little, because you guys always talked about strange things and it was mentioned just a while ago.”

His answer made Ezekiel scratched his head in embarrassment, Lance did not mind him as he continued.

“Then do you know what we did for us to become prisoner?”

Alexis shook his head, “No.”

He was a really interested by it because from what he knew, prisoner or those who have sinned should be quite scary but these people seemed a little different from those kind of sinners.

“Can I tell him right?” Lance glanced at everybody and he received their agreement except for Kyrille who had both her hands clenched.

Then Lance started, first pointing at himself, a man that always had cold-stone expression masking his supposedly heroic face. His light yellow eyes and glistening hair was his discerning traits.

“Lance Bright. Crime: kidnapping the first princess. Sentenced to death.”

If he would just told him his name then this would look like more of an introductions of a newly met person but well, he continued.

Next his index finger stopped at the man that had his red curly hair always scattered like a bird's nest yet his face had a soft features, both boorish and elegance were mixed together forming a semblance of order in chaos.

“Damian Fortpillar. Crime: Leader of a revolt that affected the kingdom horribly. Sentenced to death.”

Lance lifted up his hand towards the other side of the table and points at the man who looked so honest among all of them, he always had his signature innocent smile on his lips, with his green eyes and golden hair he could be liken to an angel depicted to be the servants of god.

“Ezekiel. Crime: repeated assassinations of nobles and merchants, and also the failed attempt of taking the first prince's life. Sentenced to death.”

Alexis held his breath and stiffly shifted his head at him, when Ezekiel saw how terrified he looks, his smile just grew brighter.

Lance's finger then moved to the lady with an androgynous looks yet it only increased her charms when added with her auburn-colored hair and long pointed ears that was only seen in elves.

“Irushka. Crime...attacking the king. Sentenced to eternal imprisonment.”

Then the solemn air was broken by Irushka herself.

“Why didn't you say it all, human?”

The rest was confused except for Heretic but when they saw Lance face that look so against on saying it, they knew that its not as simple as what he told.

“Do I have to?”

“Do it.”

“Sigh, her crime was...biting the king's brother off.”

Silence was once again ensued the room before it was broken by their fit of laughter.

“Hahahahaha!!Sister your amazing.” Ezekiel praised while slamming the table with his palms.

Irushka only gave a faint smile.

“He said to eat it, I only followed his orders.”

“Pfft~”

Even Tron and Ellena couldn't help but broke their stillness as they joined the music of others laughter.

“I still remember that time, he donated a lot of money to the church so that he could regenerate it.”

After another fit of laughter Lance continued, his finger picked the man who have earthen brown hair, not as much as Tron but he still have a big build, and his face was an average but it gave a warm feeling.

“Heretic, he just said his crime a little while ago. Sentenced by having his name removed in any records and also death.”

He then moved on towards the lady that had her black robe covered all of her features except for her short stature which is the smallest among all of them.

“Witch Ellena. Crime: spreading the plague to the western grain region of the empire. Sentenced to eternal imprisonment.”

The next one is the big guy, his skin colored bronze different from the rest, his height was fearsome as almost everyone had to look up at him, his body was packed with muscles which are still growing, his head was bald and there was a tattoo of a burning bird on the back of his head.

“Tron. Crimes: a commander of a battalion from the South, war crimes. Sentenced for death.”

Lance's finger pointed before he lowered his hand on top of the table, he wad the last, it was a man that has a grey hair with some whites in it and a beard of the same color, he was called 'Old Man' but his face has no signs of wrinkles seen in the old people and his body was like those of in their prime.

“Name: unknown, crimes: unknown, sentence: unknown.”

'A mysterious old man.' Alexis thought as he saw Old Man still have his amiable smile yet it seemed to be burrowed in a shades of gray.

Then he noticed that Lance was already drinking his water even though Kyrille was yet to be called.

“What about her?”

Lance shook his head indicating that he also don't know.

“She appeared on the day of ceremony, all I know was that she should be a duke's daughter.”

Their gazes gathered at Kyrille whose complexion not seem so good, as her face and eyes shows mixture of emotions.

She tried to open her mouth but—

“I...”

“Its alright you don't have to tell me.” Alexis showed his concerned to her but she didn't backed out.

Kyrille shook her head and took a deep breath and under their gazes, the lady whose one year older than Alexis, always seem elegant and graceful, someone that has always had a cold face and had high pride, she was also an awkward one, opened her mouth.

“...Kyrille Sa..Saysilver.”

She took another deep breath before she continued, “Crime of...cursing the...true daughter of Duke Saysilver...” Her voice became lower and lower until it ended when she closed her lips.

“Tsk, as always nobles have this complicated issues.” Damian clicked his tongue.

The rest didn't chimed in after that, the same for Alexis who read the room as he did not asked any more question.

The feast then went on and when they finished their dinner the group went back into their own room one by one, Alexis followed Kyrille as she went up the stairs.

“I am sorry because of—”

He broke the silence by apologizing to her but she stopped him by blocking his mouth.

She took her hand back and look at him, “Its not your fault and it would not be fair for me to be the only one keeping something.”

Kyrille then turned back and continued her walk vanishing to towards her room, but before she entered her murmurs entered his ears.

“Envy drives people mad..”

Alexis stood rooted near his room while his eyes still looked at her door, it was not until he heard footsteps coming from the stairs did he entered his room.

'It was the first time I saw her like that.' he thought.

He went inside and took of his robe placing it on the floor before jumping to his bed.

“Was I saved by a bunch of bad people?” he muttered as he looked at the window of his room where the darkness of the night can be seen.

Alexis flipped over, laying his back on the soft bed he closed his eyes as he said.

“It doesn't matter if they are good or bad, they at least save me and even given me hope.”

In his sleep Alexis was once again haunted by what happened but this time his nightmare was shot down by blinding bright laser light making a smile appear on his burnt lips.

“Thank...you.”