Chapter 25: Chapter 21: Execution.

Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 21: Execution.

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We were currently walking in the middle of the busy streets of Norvek. We were on our way to the main plaza of the large town.

It has been three days since I met Marina and her aunt, Eliana. The latter one being the cause of us making our way to the plaza today. Apparently, there's an important event being held there today, and Eliana wanted us there.

My father and mother accepted, although a bit reluctantly.

Anyway, these last three days have been incredibly busy for my family... When we weren't helping Mia's family to pack their things for their move to our village, we were playing around and basically entertaining a very demanding princess…

"Hold my hand tighter." Marina complained as she pulled me closer to her…

She was wearing a hood to hide her real identity...

I simply nodded silently and did what I was told…

The two of us were walking side by side the entire morning… Marina, for some reason, firmly believes that friends have to hold hands all the time...

I believe that was a lie fed to Marina by Eliana for her own amusement.

It turns out that Lia was right about Marina… She's a brat who had never heard the word 'no' in her life…

As a result, there have been a few uncomfortable and kinda dangerous situations I had to navigate through… Which was not fun at all…

But, for the sake of being fair to Marina, things have been fine for the most part. She's pretty cool and composed most of the time. However, her bratty attitude starts to show up when she doesn't get what she wants and when I don't give her enough attention according to her...

Let's just say that she has eaten a crazy amount of pancakes in the last three days…

Although according to Thiasis, this attitude of hers is the product of the lack of affection given to her by her father. She also said that by giving her some time, the attention she wants, and my friendship, she should grow out of that attitude pretty quickly.

I do hope she's right about that…

Anyhow… Despite how demanding and bratty Marina might be at times, I think I have been getting along with her just fine. Even my sisters and Mia were able to form a bond with her.

"C'mon, best friend! Hurry the pace! We are going to be late!" Marina started dragging me as she started to walk faster.

"Kids, don't wander off on your own!" My mom warned us.

Yeah… I apparently became her best friend in the last three days… I am also her first best friend according to Marina herself…

When she told me that my rank increased from friend to best friend, I couldn't help but feel flattered and also feel a bit of pity towards her due to her lack of friends until now…

"Hey! Don't leave us behind!" Liliana complained as she caught up with us.

"There's still time left before the event! Let's take it easy!" Mia suddenly appeared by my left side, quickly seizing my free hand for herself…

"Marina, you had enough time with him! It is my turn to hold his hand!" Luna complained as soon as she caught up to us.

The good news in all of this is that my sisters and Mia are still as clingy as they usually are.

Although, for some reason, Luna's usually shy demeanor completely disappears when Marina is around… She doesn't stutter at all and she doesn't hesitate to say what she has in mind… It is almost like she was a whole different person.

I can't quite explain why it happens, though I'm happy that she is able to express herself and that she doesn't struggle to tell us what she wants.

"I'm his best friend! I have priority!" Marina shook her head in denial.

"And I'm his sister! I have a higher priority!" Luna said with annoyance before suddenly trying to take my hand away from Marina…

"Best friends have higher priority than sisters!" Marina was not going to let my sister have her way…

Thus the two of them started to struggle to take my hand away from the other…

I would like to say that I haven't gone through this situation before, but I would be lying if I did… This is unfortunately not the first time that my sister and self-proclaimed best friend have had disagreements with me in the middle of these last few days…

"Gods, you guys are noisy… I wish I could have stayed home…" Klein looked at us and shook his head with annoyance.

I just smiled awkwardly while trying to ignore the scene unfolding by my right side… I simply changed my focus in the other direction.

"I wonder what kind of event is going to be held?" Mia tilted her head with a bit of confusion. Her rabbit ears even moved back and forth while she was in that confused state.

It was pretty adorable, in my humble opinion.

"Me too! No one has heard what it is about but everyone in town is going to be there!" Liliana looked extremely curious about the nature of this event.

Liliana is right about that. No one is sure about what this event is about… Ever since we were invited by Eliana, no matter the place we went in town, everyone was talking about this event being held by the members of the Royal Family visiting Norvek.

But the thing that is most weird about this, is that not even Marina knows what this is about…

I tried to ask Lia or Thiasis about it, but she's unfortunately too busy at the moment due to a very important event that is currently happening in my homeland, so she has been gone since yesterday. Her protection against people looking at my status, memories, or thoughts is still active, though.

"Maybe an adventurer found a new dungeon around town. It is not that uncommon for that to happen." Natalie joined our conversation after the adults quickly caught up to us.

"If there's a new dungeon, it wouldn't be bad to take the kids to sightsee for a bit!" My dad looked particularly overjoyed about taking me to a dungeon. He started to pat my back while we were walking, due to his excitement.

Unfortunately for him, we wouldn't be going to a dungeon any time soon…

"No adventuring until the kids are older." My mother quickly shot that idea down with a smile… 

Judging by her tone of voice, it doesn't seem like there was a way to change her mind...

"Understood…" When my mother said that she didn't agree with his idea, my Dad quickly backed down.

While I would like to see a real dungeon, I understand why my Mom is against it.

A dungeon is a dangerous place where people lose their lives on a daily basis... Just like in most video games and novels, dungeons are the home of terrifying monsters and traps as well as sources of unimaginable treasures.

Apparently, dungeons have a core that generates them. That core is created during the span of thousands of years in which several minerals susceptible to mana, absorb unimaginable amounts of said mana and then become powerful dungeon cores.

The more mana a dungeon core has, the more monsters and treasure will be able to spawn within the dungeon.

The Adventurer's Guild has given ranks to the dungeons based on 1) how strong the monsters are there, 2) the number of monsters that are spawned in the dungeon, 3) the lethality of the traps of the dungeon and 4) the power of the dungeon core.

Just like with adventurers, dungeons are ranked from Rank E towards Rank SS. The E Rank dungeons are the least dangerous of them all, and the SS Rank… Well… No one has found one yet… So, the most dangerous dungeons are currently the S Rank dungeons.

My Dad has even said that even with his current strength level, he would not be able to clear an S Rank dungeon.

That, understandably, left me baffled and at a loss for words…

I obviously don't want to try my luck in a place where the strongest guy I know isn't confident that he could beat...

Anyway, this ranking was put in place to make adventurers avoid riskier places than they can handle with their level and skills.

That's all I have learned so far about dungeons. Most of this knowledge came from Auntie and Lia. I've been reading a bit about adventuring and dungeons on my own as well.

While I was lost in thought and actively ignoring my self-proclaimed best friend and older sister, I failed to notice that we were about to reach our destination.

"Yeah, I doubt it is about a new dungeon…" Harold seemed a bit perplexed.

"Oh…" My dad sounded a little surprised after noticing what Harold was talking about.

Their words made me aware that something was up, so I decided to find out what it was.

"Umm… Is that a guillotine?" I blurted out loud due to my shock of seeing a very familiar and grim-looking object…

In front of us, there was a large circular plaza with a long wooden platform in the middle of it. On top of that very same wooden platform, there were a few people setting up that familiar execution device…

There were also knights wearing full plate armor guarding each and every single entrance to the plaza. There were even more knights watching over the building behind the wooden platform.

I was able to notice that there were several small groups of people scattered all across the plaza, waiting for the event to start.

It was at that moment that I realized that we had been invited to a public execution…

Oh shit…

"I'm surprised you know about the guillotine. Not many people know about it since it is only used to execute the vilest of criminals." Marina looked at me wide-eyed.

Oh crap… I might have messed up there… I can't let her know I come from the world where the guillotine was invented...

Quick Julius, think of a clever lie! No… Maybe, it is not necessary to lie...

"I read about it in a book once. This is my first time actually seeing one…" I scratched the back of my head while I ended up telling her the truth.

I decided to tell her the truth while omitting some unimportant details.

I did learn about it from a book when I was in middle school and this is also my first time seeing a real guillotine...

But that makes me think… Why is there a guillotine here?

From what I have seen so far, this world is somewhere around the early middle ages. Gunpowder doesn't seem to exist yet, so why does the guillotine exist before it even though it was invented much much later?

I am aware that the mechanism of the guillotine isn't that complex, but it really feels out of place right in the middle of this seemingly medieval town...

"That does make sense. The guillotine is not really used anymore since it is more efficient to execute someone with magic." Marina immediately believed me and she nodded in understanding.

Hearing a twelve-year-old girl talking about a more efficient way to execute someone is a bit terrifying, especially if it is someone like Marina if I'm being honest…

Wait a minute…

I think I know why the guillotine exists in this world and gunpowder doesn't…

(The Heroes… That's it! Someone from another world taught them about the guillotine!) I thought to myself.

That's the only plausible explanation that makes sense to me at the moment.

"But still… Aunt Eliana never said anything about an execution… What's going on here?" Marina fell deep in thought. "Could it be…?" Marina seemed to have realized something as she started talking to herself.

While Marina was busy talking to herself in a very low volume, I could hear the adults being understandably pissed.

"An execution...? That woman will seriously make me cut my own ears from the stress!" Harold complained. He looked extremely pale…

"Aye. I don't know what her objective was to invite us here, but I'm sure as hell not staying here to find out." My father nodded with annoyance.

"Language." My mother nudged my dad with a serious expression on her face. "But I do agree with the two of you. I don't want my kids to witness something like this." My mother, as the responsible adult she is, was obviously against us watching someone getting their heads chopped off their body.

"Seriously! What was she thinking when she said that even the kids were invited to the event!?" Natalie also complained with righteous indignation.

My sisters and Mia were just looking back and forth between Marina and the adults with confused looks on their faces.

"Are they really killing someone?" Mia asked Liliana. She seemed really uncomfortable and confused.

"It seems like it…" Liliana looked a bit pale.

"Marina said that the thing in the middle of the platform was really evil criminals, so I guess it must be a pretty evil person… Like those adventurers that Julius defeated." Contrary to my expectations, Luna didn't seem that uncomfortable or confused. She was simply trying to find some sense in this new and strange situation.

Hmm… I don't understand why Eliana would do something like this? Is she actually trying to piss off my parents again? Or is this some sort of power move? 

Hmm… I can't think of another reason for her to play with fire like she's currently doing...

While some of us were complaining and others were lost in thought, a strong gust of wind engulfed all of us…

Auntie appeared right in front of us all of a sudden. She had an annoyed, yet defeated look on her face.

Her sudden appearance made Marina flinch and stagger backward after being snapping out of her deep-in-thought state.

The nearby knights had even flinched and turned around to see if they were under attack, however, as soon as they noticed it was just my aunt, they looked away and continued doing their jobs.

"I would like to be able to say that this was an attempt to mess with us, so that way we could beat her up for it, however, it has nothing to do with us… Sigh..." My auntie sighed heavily.

"So? What is the purpose of this event then?" My father asked with a questioning glance.

Instead of Auntie, the one who answered was Marina…

"The one being executed is the lord of this region… Earl Gregor Casca." Marina spoke with certainty as she looked at workers setting up the guillotine.

"Hold on… What!?" Harold looked at Marina with shock.

"It is exactly as she says." My aunt nodded with a serious expression. "The whole purpose of this event is to expose the crimes of the Earl and his family." Auntie looked visibly tired, which is something really out of character for her.

"But why execute him? I don't think I ever heard a bad thing while we were living here." My mom found this whole situation strange.

"Aye. I met him once and I never felt like he would commit such a serious crime that would require him to be executed with the guillotine." My father also found this whole situation strange.

"He is a criminal of the most heinous kind!" Marina suddenly shouted at my parents.

My parents didn't seem too bothered by this, since they had already grown accustomed to her bratty attitude.

"Easy there, princess. We are not saying he is not. We are just confused about why he is going to be executed all of a sudden." My dad tried to calm her down.

"Murder, mismanagement of the crown's money, kidnapping, slavery… The list goes on and on…" My aunt facepalmed and then shook her head with disapproval.

"So he really was an evil person…" Luna muttered as she nodded to herself.

Marina simply nodded in agreement with what my aunt and sister had said.

Holy shit… I mean, if they were executing him it had to be for a reason, but I do wonder how many other crimes could he possibly commit?

Naturally, pretty much everyone was a bit speechless, with the exception of Marina, Luna, and Auntie...

"It turns out that the guy and his children have been having talks with some guys in Arion and they were convinced to start a new 'business' here." Auntie looked a bit conflicted for some reason but then she continued. "This 'business' were multiple brothels in town on the surface, but beneath that, they were selling their workers as slaves." Auntie explained with a disgusted expression.

Okay, this is worse than I thought… The guy is Evil with a capital E…

"Mom, what's a brothel?" Mia asked Natalie.

"Yeah, I also want to know!" Liliana nodded in agreement.

Natalie's rabbit ears immediately straightened upwards as soon as she heard the question her daughter had made while my mother ended up gulping loudly... Both my mother and Natalie were clearly panicking inside and wondering how they should reply.

"A brothel is a place where people pay money to have se…-" Marina was about to give the actual explanation of what it was, but I stopped her. I was able to cover her mouth with my hand just in time.

"They pay money to talk about their feelings!" In a panic, I ended up shouting the first thing that came to my mind.

"Is that so? I never imagined that people would pay for that, though..." Liliana rubbed her chin with confusion. 

"It does seem kinda dumb since I can do that for free!" Mia smiled innocently.

Phew… That was close… I'm glad that they easily accepted my explanation…

These two deserve to have their innocence preserved for as long as possible!

My mother and Natalie looked at me with both relief and approval due to my quick response.

"I don't think that is correct, you know?" Klein said with a look of suspicion on his face.

Is he seriously younger than me? This kid is pretty sharp…

"Yeah, it doesn't make much sense to me…" Luna agreed with Klein. She wasn't convinced by my explanation…

My older sister is pretty sharp too…

Note to self: I must never lie to Luna...

"Hey, how long are you going to keep your hand in front of my mouth? That is the epitome of rudeness against royalty…" Marina looked at me with annoyance as she easily moved my hand away from her mouth.

"I am your best friend, I have the right to do that, don't you think?" I smiled at her as played the 'best friend' card.

"I suppose that is true… Although it feels a bit mean if you do that without warning…" Marina's annoyance quickly disappeared. She simply averted her gaze as she accepted the excuse I gave her.

Phew… It is a good thing that Marina doesn’t have a conventional sense of what best friends do with each other…

"Ahem…" Auntie coughed a bit loudly to get our attention. "Getting back to the topic… The Earl and his children have been kidnapping people from all over the neighboring countries to put them to work at his business and then sell them as slaves. This whole thing started about a year ago, apparently." Auntie seemed like she had bitten a bitter bug.

"Dear gods…" My father muttered.

"Oh, and believe me… It gets way worse." Auntie suddenly looked away with anger.

"Let's just leave it at that… I don't want the children to hear any more of this..." My mother simply shook her head in a disapproving manner.

"Aye, let's head back home." My father agreed with my mom and turned around to leave.

The moment my dad turned to leave, a familiar voice spoke to us from nearby. It was Eliana.

Though, as soon she spoke, my in-laws and Mia all started trembling with nervousness. While all of them were already comfortable enough around Marina after spending time with her, they weren't used to Eliana's presence since neither I nor they had seen her since the day we met her.

"Are you leaving so soon? It is such a shame that you will not be here to witness the event..." She spoke with an understanding tone.

She was wearing the same attire she was using the day she came into this town. Although she seemed to be wearing makeup or at least something similar to it, her facial features were slightly more attractive and alluring.

Eliana didn't come to greet us alone… An older gentleman wearing a butler's outfit and an elven woman wearing a maid's outfit were standing behind the former princess.

The older gentleman pretty much looks like a stereotypical butler you would see in most fictional works. Short gray hair, a well-groomed beard, and an impeccable butler uniform. I don't know why, but he does look extremely reliable and competent. I wouldn't be surprised if this older gentleman's name was actually Sebastian. He simply stood behind Eliana with a poker face, waiting for her next command.

The woman also looks like a stereotypical elf that came out straight from a fantasy novel. Short blonde hair, pointy ears, and extremely charming facial features. Her outfit was in pristine condition. There were no visible wrinkles on her long skirt or in her sleeves. She appeared to be avoiding our gazes in a very awkward manner. 

I have to be honest, I couldn't take my eyes off the elven woman… This was my first time meeting a genuine elf, after all.

Any other fantasy nerd would probably be screaming and yelling with excitement. Something that I feel like Claire would do in this situation...

"I guess we are all here now… Is there anything else you want to explain to us, Eliana? How about something like… I don't know… The part where you invited kids to a public execution?" My Aunt spoke to Eliana in a very passive-aggressive manner.

"It is the civic duty of the citizens of the Empire to witness the punishment of the wicked." Eliana replied with a gentle smile. "Although, the kids are not obligated to stay if their parents deem it is too much for them." Eliana shot a quick glance at my parents. I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not…

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"We'll do what we consider best for our children." My mother replied while frowning.

"And that is extremely commendable. But, I do feel that they should be made aware of the existence of evil fiends like the former Earl and how the Empire punishes them." Eliana nodded to herself.

Hey! I'm technically half-demon and the future Demon King! That is extremely…- 

Wait a minute… Is that actually offensive to us? I'm not really sure… I don't feel particularly offended by that... 

I'll ask Lia or Thiasis later just to make sure.

"They'll learn about it when it is time! Julius is seven years old and the twins are just a year older… I won't subject them to something so gruesome while they are so young!" My mother said with disapproval and even a bit of outrage.

Yep, I have to agree with that… I'm not in the mood to watch a live decapitation… I mean, I have seen some in movies, but I don't feel like having to see an actual head rolling on the floor...

"Aye. This is no place for children. You shouldn't be showing something like this to the princess either." My father said to Eliana with a blank expression on his face.

"I'll do what I consider best for my niece." With a grin, Eliana threw back the words my mother had used…

"Sigh… We are leaving Eliana." My mother decided it was best not to argue anymore with her. "Let's head back home kids." My mother looked at us and urged us to come with her.

My mother soon took the hands of my sisters and beckoned Mia, Klein, and myself to follow them. She was clearly not happy about this whole ordeal…

While everyone else started walking to go back home, I had stayed behind due to one person… Marina. 

The future Empress of this country was holding my hands very tightly...

"I guess we'll be seeing each other on another occasion. A pity that you are not going to accompany us." Eliana appeared to be slightly disappointed that we weren't going to stay.

"What truly is a pity that I actually have to stay for this… Sigh..." My aunt simply let out a heavy sigh while making a tired expression.

Auntie doesn't really seem that fond of her job... I'll make her some pancakes later to cheer her up.

"Marina, go with Marie and the rest of the servants and change into something more fitting for the occasion." Eliana said to Marina while pointing at the elven woman, her disappointment was nowhere to be seen…

"Understood." Marina nodded and acknowledged what her aunt had told her to do.

I see… So her name is Marie… It feels like an odd name for an elf but I think it suits her.

Although now that I think about it, we have a woman named Marie and a guillotine in the same plaza… This is kinda ironic, isn't it?

Well, as long as she doesn't start making a boat with her hair, she should be fine.

Marie immediately stepped forward and bowed nervously in front of Marina when her name was called.

"Your highness, please… If you may…" Marie spoke awkwardly to Marina as she tried to lead the way.

Marina nodded to the maid before looking at me very intently for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry. I would have liked to go back to your house and spend more time playing with you, but my duties and obligations as a princess come first." Marina said with a serious expression as she let go of my hand. "I promise that I will visit you tomorrow at the same time as usual. Can you promise that you will wait for me patiently?" She showed me a warm smile.

"It is a promise then." I smiled back at her, although a bit more awkwardly since Marie's gaze was focused on me and it was quite intense…

"Good! Until tomorrow then!" Marina kept smiling as she walked closer to Marie.

The two of them quickly went towards one of the buildings that were being guarded by the knights.

"Kid, are you coming?" My father shouted.

"Ah, yes!" I shouted back with a bit of panic… My family had gained quite a bit of distance from us in the few moments I was not with them.

The moment I was about to run to catch up to them, I was stopped by Eliana. She was patting my shoulder in a somewhat affectionate manner…

"I will patiently wait for the day of the tournament. I'm expecting great things from you as the son of the Skull Crusher." Eliana suddenly talked to me as if we weren't going to see each other until then.

"I'll do my best not to tarnish the image of her highness." I gave her a polite response.

"That is good enough for me." Eliana seemed pleased. "Don't forget to write to Marina, okay? She will really get depressed if you don't." She winked at me as she let go of my shoulder.

"I never break my promises." I nodded at her.

"Is that so? You're a very good kid then." She smiled at me.

"That's right! He is a good kid, so keep your clutches off him, you witch!" Auntie immediately put herself between Eliana and me, as if she was trying to shield me from the former princess.

"You have been pretty mean to me lately… Even though we're such good friends…" Eliana looked dejected.

"Oh, don't you start with that crap! Let's get this shit over with! I have too much work to do thanks to you!" My aunt was seriously pissed off… "Julius, go home and try to forget about what you have seen today, okay?" My aunt smiled at me before grabbing Eliana by the shoulder and dragging her towards the wooden platform.

"That is not the way to handle someone from royalty, Tiria…" Eliana complained with a deadpan tone.

"I don't care! Judge the Earl and execute him or whatever!" Auntie shouted with clear annoyance.

Eliana waved goodbye at me as she was getting dragged by my enraged aunt.

"Well… That escalated quickly…" I muttered as I took one final look at the grim-looking guillotine.

I wonder what other inventions from Earth have made it into this world? It could be pretty interesting to investigate the impact of us otherworlders in this world…

With those thoughts in mind, I ran to catch up with my family as the plaza was being slowly filled with people.

---

-----Marina's POV-----

I was standing in the middle of a wooden platform, right beside the instrument of execution known as a Guillotine.

My aunt was standing in front of me. She was about to finish giving judgment to the criminals that were tied to a large wooden pole to our right.

"And so, I hereby declare that the former Earl, Gregor Casca, and his children, Marion Casca and Bileno Casca, are guilty of all charges!" My aunt shouted in order to make everyone in the plaza hear the judgment of the former lord of the region.

The crowd immediately started cheering in favor of the judgment after hearing the whole story and the evidence about their crimes.

The only purpose of this "trial" is to send a message to other corrupt nobles and criminals. An act of strength, as my aunt called it when she explained everything to me a few minutes earlier.

Unlike one would normally expect, the criminals had already resigned themselves to their fates.

"I can't believe it… It can't just end like this…" Marion Casca spoke with a defeated expression.

Marion is the youngest child of the now former Earl. He is in his early twenties. He, just like his other siblings, has short blond hair and grey colored eyes. He has a skinny complexion and he is also very common looking.

"Shut the fuck up, Marion… This wouldn't have happened if you weren't flaunting about the money we were making!" Bileno Casca shouted with bloodshot eyes.

Bileno is the oldest child of Gregor Casca. He is thirty years old. Just like his brother and sisters, he has short blond hair and grey eyes. He has a robust complexion and he is not particularly good-looking.

Bileno was the most belligerent one when my aunt was about to arrest them. A scar in the middle of his forehead is proof of his futile struggle against her.

"Me!? You were the one flaunting about being able to do whatever you wanted all day long! Bloody hell, you were also using and damaging our product, you brute!" Marion retorted with anger.

By product, he actually means the men, the women, and children they had kidnapped, then enslaved, and then forced into prostitution.

"I had never done such a thing! Stop lying to make yourself look better in the end!" Bileno tried to deny his crimes.

As the two of them started arguing before their eventual demise, their father started to become annoyed and irate…

"Stop it. I have spent the better part of twenty years hearing the two of you bickering. I won't allow you to make my final moments insufferable." The former Earl, Gregor Casca immediately scolded his children with a cold expression on his face.

The former Earl is a man who is already into his sixties. His graying shoulder-length hair is the only thing that would serve as proof of his age. Otherwise, he has a very similar muscular constitution compared to the Skull Crusher, although Gregor is smaller than him. His body and face are full of proof of his years of service in the military. His most distinctive feature is a large scar going from the right of his forehead towards his left cheek. The scar goes over where his left eye used to be. That scar and his usual severe expression make him appear to be a tough man.

"Father…" Marion looked at his father with shock.

"How can you be so calm in this situation…?" Bileno asked his father, as sweat started to form on his forehead.

Bileno had actually asked something that I had in mind… The calmness and nonchalant attitude of Gregor was something extremely uncharacteristic of him and almost uncanny… 

I have, unfortunately, met the former Earl and his family a few times before all of this. Gregor and his children had always been rude, loud, obnoxious, wrathful, ignorant of protocols and always trying to get favor from those above them only for them to then badmouth those people behind their backs.

Quite frankly, they have never been good people to have around.

In my father's words, their dynasty has always been pretty incompetent when it comes to handling money, but they are not incompetent enough to stop using them as pawns.

"Bileno, Marion, we are going to the realm of the Goddess of Death... Just shut the fuck up and try spending your last few moments praying to whatever god might decide to listen." Gregor said to his children before closing his eyes and lowering his head.

Witnessing that felt really strange… It felt like I was looking at a completely different person…

Just like me, both Bileno and Marion couldn't help but look at him with confusion… They knew something was amiss with their father.

The Earl I knew was a man who was quick to anger and barely believed in the gods. He was a man who believed only in himself… Yet, he is currently offering a prayer to the Goddess of Death…

"I never imagined that you'd be praying in your last moments... I'm sure that you're aware that it won't save you from your punishment at the hands of the Goddess Skell." My aunt spoke to Gregor as she got closer to him.

The bound man suddenly raised his head, slowly opening his eyes, his previously composed look turned into a smirk…

"I know. I'm not actually praying for me." He said with a grin. Gregor then raised his head to look at the sky. 

The previously clear sky had become filled with dark clouds. A storm was coming...

"In the realm of the Goddess of Death, I will be able to witness what is to come without interruptions. They will be setting the pieces at the table soon, after all." His blue eyes looked empty and completely devoid of life...

They? Pieces? What could he be possibly talking about?

"What are you even talking about? I wonder what is going to happen that you look so eager to meet the Goddess, Gregor?"

Gregor simply smiled and then took a deep breath.

"Bellum mille et unius heroum mox incipiet." The former Earl suddenly spoke in an unknown language. "Voluntas eius est. Mox omnia chaos et desperatio erunt." He kept reciting something in that strange language.

The language he was speaking was neither Elven nor Dwarven, much less the Common Tongue… It was a language that I had never heard before…

For some reason, I felt shivers down my spine just by hearing those strange and ominous words… 

"So you have simply lost your mind…" My aunt looked at the Earl with a blank look on her face. "Let's grant your wish then. I'll send you to the Goddess in just a few moments." My aunt smiled as she raised her arm into the air. 

Several guards immediately approached the criminals and removed the ropes that were binding the former Earl.

This new freedom of his wouldn't last long as he was quickly taken to the guillotine and placed directly underneath the sharp blade to wait for his imminent doom.

"Marina, give the order." My aunt looked at me with a serious expression.

I nodded in agreement despite my mind being focused on the strange language the former Earl had used.

Before I could even give the order, a woman quickly walked past me and my aunt and stopped in front of the former Earl.

The woman was the wife of Gregor, Aina Casca. Because of her identity, no one attempted to stop her.

She has long and loose brown hair, which was already graying. Her hair also reached her lower back. She was wearing a silk scarlet dress with long sleeves and a skirt that reached the ground. Her dress was covered with black-colored ornaments and motifs related to the religion of the Goddess of Death, Skell, as a way to express her grief.

"Mother…" Marion and Bileno spoke in unison as they looked at their mother.

Aina, ignored her sons as she crouched to be at the same level as her husband. She had a completely blank expression.

"Are you happy now, Gregor? You and our boys will get executed. You left the reputation of our house in shambles and we will be penniless due to the reparations we will be forced to pay. You'll leave our daughters fatherless and you'll soon turn me into a widow and a grieving mother… Are you genuinely happy now?" The older woman asked her husband. The expression she had on her face didn't change in the slightest.

"It is irrelevant whether I am happy or not since it won't really matter in the end, Aina." Gregor replied with a smirk.

"I see…" Aina closed her eyes and lowered her head. She seemed to have fallen deep in thought…

Aina and her daughters were completely unrelated and unaware of the criminal activities their husband/father was involved in. The investigation of my aunt and Tian Sebas confirmed their innocence, which is why only the former Earl and his sons are the only ones here. Aina will become the new Lady of the region and her daughters will inherit her title when she dies.

Aina is a very intelligent person, very honest and a kind-hearted woman… Her daughters, while they might be extremely spoiled and rude, they don't really have it in them to hurt others as their brothers and father did. 

Because of that, I believe in their innocence.

As I was lost in thought, Aina suddenly opened her eyes and raised her right hand… She then slapped Gregor with all her might. Aina looked completely furious at him.

"How fucking dare you!?" She asked Gregor with a disgusted expression. "You're no longer the man I married and had children with... To abuse people like you did just for the sake of money… I am disgusted beyond words! You're a pathetic excuse of a man!" Aina shouted at Gregor a second time.

The reason why Aina looks so irate is pretty simple to understand. Aina was not born in the Empire. Her family was originally from the Kingdom of Semdal.

Now, the Kingdom of Semdal has an extremely bad relationship with its neighbor, the Kingdom of Arion. Their relationship is bad for the simple fact that slavery is legal in Arion.

Ever since these two kingdoms were established seventy years ago, they have had way too many problems over the fact that Arion would try to enslave Semdalian citizens in their own soil.

With this information, one can understand why Aina is so furious. On top of shattering their family apart, her husband and children did what Aina as Semdalian hates the most... They enslaved other people, including her former countrymen. It must feel like being slapped in the face repeatedly by those she loved the most.

"..." The former Earl simply stared at his wife with a blank look on his face. He didn't seem to care about the words of his wife.

"I will spit on your grave when this is over. I hope the Goddess of Death does not have one bit of mercy for you." Aina's anger subsided the moment she noticed the look on her husband's face.

"I don't need her mercy." Gregor scoffed.

Aina didn't respond any further. She quickly composed herself and walked towards me. 

The moment she was in front of me, she immediately kneeled.

"Your highness… There are no words that can describe how horrified I am due to the actions of my husband and sons… I beg for your forgiveness…" Aina lowered her head until it reached my feet.

"Mother!?" Marion looked at her with befuddlement.

"What are you doing!? She's going to execute us!" Bileno couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Although bowing and kneeling in front of people whose rank is above yours is a common act of courtesy and respect, kneeling to the point where your head touches the other person’s feet is considered shameful and humiliating, especially for the most prideful of nobles, which is why Marion and Bileno look so shocked due to their mother’s actions.

Although, I must admit that Aina sacrificing her pride is something that I can admire. If the other nobles were like Aina, perhaps the Empire would still hold both continents as its territory.

"You do not have to kneel or beg for forgiveness, as I know that you and your daughters are innocent." I replied while looking at her from above.

"It is necessary for me, your highness. From this day onwards, my family will dedicate their lives to repairing the damage caused by these criminals." Aina said with determination as she raised her head to look at me.

"Very well. You are forgiven, Aina Casca. I'll accept your determination to make amends for the sins of your family members." I nodded to acknowledge her determination.

"Thank you… Thank you kindly, your highness." She showed me a broad smile just as she stood up to face me.

I simply nodded again since there wasn’t any need for any more words between the two of us. She bowed to me before walking towards her two sons. 

The moment she placed herself in front of them, I was able to notice a mix of disgust, disappointment, and even regret in her facial expression.

“Marion… Bileno… How could you commit so many horrible crimes…?” She asked her children with a look filled with pain.

“Mother… We are…-” Marion tried to say something, but he stopped himself as he noticed the enraged glare of his mother.

“Don’t you dare to say that you’re innocent, Marion!” Aina looked completely furious… She had raised her hand, seemingly preparing herself to strike him just like she did with her husband.

However, she didn’t strike him… She kept staring at him as her hand remained open in the air. Her wrathful expression quickly subsided as she lowered her hand and let out a heavy sigh.

“Sigh… I thought I had raised you better than this… Where did I go wrong with you?” Aina’s disappointment was clearly unmeasurable. “Marion, Bileno, as a mother, I love the two of you, but you have committed so many unforgivable sins. It doesn’t matter how much love I have for you, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive you for what you have done.”

“Mother… Please don’t say that…” Bileno appeared extremely heartbroken to hear those words coming from his mother.

“I failed you as a mother for allowing this to happen… However, I won’t allow you two to do things half-heartedly in your final moments.” Aina spoke with determination... “You two will pray from the bottom of your hearts for the Goddess Skell for her mercy, you will face your end without complaints, and you will accept any kind of punishment she imposes on you two in the afterlife. I won’t hear any of your complaints, are we clear?” She said to her children with an imposing tone.

For a moment, Marion and Bileno remained silent, all the while Aina was pressuring them with her severe expression…

“Yes, mother…” The two of them spoke in unison and agreed to face their end without complaining.

The two men soon closed their eyes and started muttering their prayers in hopes that the Goddess would listen to them.

Aina allowed her children to continue with their prayers and she left to approach me once again. Without saying a word, she placed herself by my left side.

“Do you have anything else to say to them?” I asked Aina.

“I don't. Thank you very much for your consideration, your highness.” She thanked me while keeping her gaze on her children.

“It is fine if you desire not to witness the execution.” My aunt suggested.

Aina simply shook her head.

“That would be considered me spitting on the faces of those who suffered by the sins of my family. I have to stay here out of respect for them” Aina closed her eyes after taking a quick look at our new servant, Marie and she then took a deep breath… “That is my stance as the new ruler of this region. However, as a mother and a wife, I have the duty to stay and watch the demise of my husband and sons until the bitter end.” Aina was determined to stay, even though she clenched her trembling fists.

“As you wish.” My aunt smiled in response. “Marina, it is time you give the order.” My aunt and I made eye contact as her smile quickly turned into a serious expression.

I took one final look at Aina before, changing my focus onto the man who was waiting for his life to end.

The former Earl was not even paying attention to us nor the crowd. He was looking at the dark clouds in the sky with a bored expression.

“As the future Empress of the Marcelian Empire, I order you to execute these men! May the Goddess of Death, Skell give them the harshest of punishments as the God of Revenge, Ragnel sings a comforting song to the victims of these criminals!” I raised my fist into the air, indicating the knights to proceed.

When the knights became aware of my order, one of them pulled a lever on the side of the guillotine… That single action sealed the end of the former Earl.

“Deo doloso gloria!!” Gregor Casca spoke in that strange language one last time as the blade of the guillotine quickly approached his neck.

Just a few moments later, a head fell into a basket right in front of where the guillotine was set up. Gregor Casca had lost his life and his soul was sent to face the Goddess in the afterlife. His headless body remained motionless as blood came out of his lifeless body.

The crowd cheered as they saw the moment where the man lost his life. Aina simply remained silent with a blank expression on her face while clenching her fists after witnessing the death of her husband.

I felt nothing but curiosity while looking at the blade of the guillotine which was covered in the blood of the former Earl.

What were exactly his final words? Why was he so calm during his final moments? Those kinds of questions would continue to plague my mind for the rest of the execution since I couldn’t understand any of Gregor’s actions…

---

Chapter 21: Execution.

END

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