A wave of dizziness swept over Rowan. The accusation was so sudden, so absurd, that for a moment he could barely process it.
"That's impossible! We never harmed the Starwing Divine Roc! It treated us kindly, and we showed it nothing but respect!"
"Save those words for the courtroom," Captain Karl replied coldly. "For now, cooperate with the investigation. Otherwise, we will be forced to take stronger measures."
Silvermoon's mother hurried forward.
"Captain, there must be some misunderstanding. My daughter has adored the Empire's guardian beasts since she was a child. She would never do anything to hurt the Starwing Divine Roc."
"Madam, I understand your feelings," Karl said, his tone softening slightly, "but the law applies equally to everyone. Even your daughter is no exception. If she is innocent, the investigation will clear her name."
Silvermoon tightly gripped Rowan's hand. Anger and frustration shimmered in her eyes.
"This is ridiculous. Our encounter with the Starwing Divine Roc today was beautiful. It showed us kindness and recognition. And now someone is claiming we harmed it? This is a terrible injustice!"
Rowan forced himself to remain calm. He understood that losing control now would only make the situation worse.
"Captain, when exactly did the Starwing Divine Roc begin showing symptoms of poisoning? After we parted ways with it this morning, we never saw it again."
"According to the report, the symptoms were discovered around four in the afternoon," Karl answered. "The creature showed signs of lethargy, loss of appetite, and an abnormally high body temperature. All classic symptoms of poisoning."
"But we were home all afternoon," Silvermoon said quickly. "Many people can testify to that. And we don't even possess anything capable of harming the Starwing Divine Roc."
"All of that will be clarified during the investigation," Karl said. "For now, gather your belongings and come with us."
Silvermoon's father stepped forward.
"Captain, I demand to see the arrest warrant and the supporting evidence."
Karl handed over the document.
"This warrant was issued by the Imperial Supreme Court. It is completely legal and valid. As for the evidence, it will be disclosed to the defense at the proper time."
Silvermoon's father examined the warrant carefully. The seals and signatures were genuine. His expression darkened immediately.
As a high-ranking imperial official, he knew exactly what a warrant of this level implied.
"Father… what's going on?" Silvermoon asked, unease growing stronger in her chest.
"My child… the warrant is real," he said heavily. "And it was signed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. That means this case is being treated as an extremely serious matter."
A chill ran through Rowan.
As an outsider from another world, he already occupied a vulnerable position within the Silverblue Empire's legal system. And now he stood accused of harming the Empire's sacred guardian beast. If convicted, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"I need to contact a lawyer," Rowan said calmly. "Under Imperial law, the accused has the right to legal representation."
"Of course," Karl nodded. "Once you arrive at the detention center, you may contact legal counsel."
Silvermoon wrapped both hands around Rowan's arm.
"No matter what happens, I'll face it with you. We're innocent, and the truth will come out eventually."
"Thank you, Silvermoon." Rowan gently stroked her hair. "I believe justice will prevail too."
At that moment, another set of footsteps echoed from outside.
A middle-aged man dressed in luxurious noble attire entered the house with a smug smile on his face.
Rowan immediately recognized him.
It was Count Edward, father of Allen, the noble heir Rowan had defeated during the swordsmanship tournament.
"Count Edward, what brings you here?" Captain Karl asked respectfully, bowing at once.
"I'm here as a witness," the count replied with a cold smile. "This morning, I happened to be hunting near Sunrise Peak. I personally witnessed these two interacting with the Starwing Divine Roc."
Rowan's heart sank.
This was no coincidence.
It was a trap.
Count Edward had clearly held a grudge ever since his son's humiliating defeat in the tournament. And now, he had finally found an opportunity for revenge.
"My lord, could you describe exactly what you saw?" Karl asked.
"Certainly." Edward cleared his throat before smoothly weaving his lie. "I saw the foreigner take out a small bottle while approaching the Starwing Divine Roc. He secretly sprinkled something onto the ground. At the time, I assumed it was some kind of spice. But now, it appears it may have been poison."
"That's a lie!" Rowan snapped angrily. "I never carried any bottle, let alone poison!"
"Young man, anger solves nothing," Edward said hypocritically. "If you are truly innocent, the law will clear your name. But the facts remain. The Starwing Divine Roc has been poisoned, and you were the only people who had close contact with it."
Silvermoon's father stared coldly at the count.
"Count Edward, are you certain what you saw was real? As a noble of the Empire, you should understand the consequences of false testimony."
"Of course I understand," Edward replied without backing down. "That is precisely why I came forward. The Empire's guardian beasts belong to all of us. Any act that harms them is unforgivable."
Captain Karl glanced at the time.
"That's enough. It's getting late. Rowan, Lady Silvermoon, please cooperate."
Silvermoon's mother burst into tears and embraced her daughter tightly.
"My child, don't be afraid. Your mother will find a way to bring you home."
"Mother, I'm not afraid." Silvermoon fought back her own tears. "We're innocent. The truth will eventually be revealed."
Rowan bowed deeply toward Silvermoon's parents.
"Uncle, Auntie, I'm sorry for causing you so much worry. I promise we'll prove our innocence."
The guards stepped forward and fastened special energy-suppression cuffs around Rowan and Silvermoon's wrists. The restraints were designed to prevent martial artists from using their inner energy to escape.
The cuffs themselves were light.
But the humiliation they represented was unbearably heavy.
"Please come with us," Karl ordered.
Just as they were about to leave, Little Stone suddenly rushed into the courtyard, his face filled with confusion and panic.
"Miss Silvermoon! Teacher Rowan! What happened?"
The sight of the boy's innocent eyes made Silvermoon's heart ache even more.
"We've run into a little trouble," she said gently. "But don't worry. Everything will be alright."
"What kind of trouble? Can I help?" Little Stone asked anxiously.
"This isn't something you can solve," Rowan said kindly. "Focus on your training and trust that we'll return soon."
The guards escorted Rowan and Silvermoon out of the house.
Outside, the streets were already packed with curious onlookers.
The news had spread far too quickly. Clearly, someone had deliberately fueled the rumors.
"That's the off-worlder!"
"I heard they poisoned the Starwing Divine Roc!"
"That's unforgivable! The Divine Roc protects our Empire!"
Voices rose from every direction. Some were furious. Some doubtful. Others sympathetic.
Rowan forced himself to walk proudly through the crowd with his head held high. He knew that any sign of weakness would only be interpreted as guilt.
Silvermoon remained beside him, her expression unwavering.
"Rowan, no matter what others say, I trust you."
"And I trust you too, Silvermoon," he replied softly. "We'll get through this together."
A prison transport vessel waited at the far end of the street. It was a specialized spacecraft equipped with multiple security systems for transporting dangerous criminals.
As Rowan and Silvermoon were escorted aboard, the crowd erupted into even louder discussion.
The ship slowly rose into the night sky.
Through the window, Rowan saw Silvermoon's parents standing in the courtyard, their faces filled with worry and sorrow. Little Stone stood among the crowd, tears shining in his eyes as he waved desperately.
We will come back, Rowan silently vowed.
The spacecraft sped through the darkness and soon arrived at the Imperial Detention Center in the eastern district of Swordheart Star.
The facility was enormous, surrounded by powerful energy barriers and heavily guarded from every angle.
This place housed prisoners awaiting trial. The conditions were not terrible, but the absence of freedom created a suffocating atmosphere.
"Welcome to the Eastern District Detention Center."
The one greeting them was an older female prison officer.
"I am Lianna, the administrator here. You will remain in this facility until your trial."
She led them through the registration process.
"Name. Age. Occupation. Charges."
The routine questioning felt cold and mechanical.
"I want to contact a lawyer," Rowan repeated.
"You may meet with legal counsel tomorrow morning," Lianna answered. "For now, you'll be escorted to your rooms."
The detention cells were simple but clean.
Because Silvermoon was female, she was assigned to the women's section, while Rowan was taken to the men's wing.
That meant they would not be able to see each other again before the trial.
"Wait," Silvermoon suddenly said. "I need to speak with Rowan."
Lianna checked the time.
"You have five minutes. After that, you'll be separated."
Facing the coming separation, both of them felt an unfamiliar sense of unease.
In this cold and unfamiliar place, they were each other's only comfort.
"Rowan, no matter what happens, I won't give up." Silvermoon tightly held his hand. "I know the truth will come out."
"I won't give up either," Rowan said firmly. "We know we're innocent, and that's enough. No matter how difficult things seem right now, justice will eventually defeat evil."
"Time's up," Lianna announced.
Reluctantly, they let go of each other's hands and were escorted away in opposite directions.
When the cell door finally slammed shut behind him, Rowan felt an overwhelming loneliness.
This tiny room had become his temporary world, while the outside universe suddenly felt impossibly distant.
Lying on the hard bed, Rowan carefully replayed everything that had happened that day.
The beautiful journey to Sunrise Peak.
The encounter with the Starwing Divine Roc.
And then, this sudden arrest.
None of it felt real.
"This has to be a conspiracy," Rowan analyzed silently. "Count Edward's appearance wasn't an accident. He's probably one of the masterminds. But how exactly was the Starwing Divine Roc poisoned?"
He recalled the moment the Divine Roc descended onto the mountain peak.
It had looked perfectly healthy. There were no signs of weakness or poisoning at all.
And given the creature's overwhelming power, ordinary toxins should have been completely ineffective against it.
That meant if the Divine Roc truly had been poisoned, the toxin must have been extraordinarily rare and powerful.
"But where did such a poison come from?" Rowan continued thinking. "And how would Count Edward dare poison the Empire's guardian beast? That's a capital crime."
At that moment, Rowan realized the conspiracy was likely far larger than he had imagined.
Count Edward might only be the visible puppet.
There could be far greater forces manipulating everything from the shadows.
Meanwhile, in the women's section, Silvermoon was reaching similar conclusions.
As a princess of the Silverblue Empire, she understood the Empire's political landscape far better than most.
Someone capable of orchestrating a scheme this elaborate could never be a minor noble like Count Edward acting alone.
"Rowan was already viewed as a threat because he's an outsider from another world," Silvermoon analyzed quietly. "Then he displayed extraordinary talent in the swordsmanship tournament and even earned the Sword Saint's recognition. That alone would make certain factions nervous."
She remembered conversations with her father about the Empire's internal political struggles.
On the surface, the Silverblue Empire appeared prosperous and harmonious.
But beneath that calm exterior, countless power struggles had never ceased.
Rowan's arrival had disrupted a delicate balance and threatened the interests of certain people.
So they decided to eliminate him.
"But why frame me too?" Silvermoon clenched her fists angrily. "Just because I became close to him?"
Time slowly passed.
Deep into the night, the detention center became eerily silent. Only the occasional footsteps of guards and the heavy clang of iron doors reminded every prisoner here that they had lost their freedom.
Rowan lay on his bed, staring at the small barred window near the ceiling.
Beyond it, he could see the stars.
The same stars that had witnessed the beautiful sunrise atop Sunrise Peak now watched over their downfall.
"The lawyers will arrive tomorrow," Rowan told himself firmly. "When they do, I'll tell them every suspicious detail. We have to uncover the truth."
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