Chapter 34: Judgement and Execution

 

As I walked over to the coffin I looked down and saw Liana’s pale white face. Her face was touched up with makeup and I could see her lips were covered with lipstick. The lipstick was probably to cover her lips that have surely tuned blue by now. As I gaze down at her body I notice it’s wrapped tightly in a white cloth, I think whatever Anna did probably was only good enough to make it wrappable. 

Judging by what I remember of the state of Liana’s body I think the fact that she is getting an open coffin funeral is a miracle in and of itself. So all things considered Anna did a pretty good job. I suppose it's nice that those who came to say goodbye could see her face…

I didn’t stay long at the coffin, I just took one last look at the body and left. I walked over to one of the chairs and took a weary seat. I know I would be saying a lot of goodbyes by the time this war is over. The next may be Davis, Jerome, Lady Scilla, any one of them may find their lives brutally cut short by the Rifts. My party as well, I’m honestly not very confident I can get all of them through the Rifts alive. The Heroes had the highest chance of making it to the end, as for the rest? Well Amethine, Volva, Alfie and Momo are all on the chopping block. The last Rift was a clear warning, the demons were powerful. It is likely that I’ll lose at least one of them by the time the Rifts are done with us…

I looked up and saw Jacob take a seat next to me, he let out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You ok?” I ask.

“Yeah, just not very good at this stuff…” Jacob muttered in reply.

“Saying goodbye is never easy.” I reply.

“You got that right. Say what did the Dark God really say when you met him?” Jacob asked.

“He told me this life is it, but he also told me he could turn back time and that means he can bring the dead back. Honestly I just think he’s just a liar. It’s like taking Satan at his word, seems like a stupid idea honestly.” I reply.

“Yeah I guess you’re right, why trust the devil. I suppose it’s good that Liana got to have some dignity at the end.” Jacob said.

“Dignity is for the living not the dead.” I reply.

“What?” Jacob asked as he turned to look at me.

“A person being treated with dignity after their deaths is to comfort those who are grieving.” I reply, my voice numb and empty.

“Some people want to die with dignity you know.” Jacob said.

“Yeah, the living ask to die with dignity… some even kill with dignity… either way it’s for the living not the dead.” I reply.

“I guess you're right about that too…” Jacob muttered.

We then descended back into silence as the pair of us brooded in silence. 

“You're good at this you know.” Jacob said after a while.

“At what, dealing with death?” I ask.

“Well yeah, but I meant brooding and being miserable.” Jacob said.

“Thanks?” I reply slightly confused at the odd statement.

“They say misery loves company but in this case I think it just makes me feel I’m bad at being miserable.” Jacob replied sardonically.

“A talent for being miserable... not exactly something you can use at a talent show.” I say with a small laugh.

“After this and the trial… let’s go for a drink. It’s been a while since I got blackout drunk. You drink much back in your world?” Jacob asked as he turned to face me. 

“Occasionally, we sometimes seized alcohol from the enemy when managed to overrun a forward position. We were all under 18 but we didn’t care. By law we shouldn’t be fighting anyway so we couldn’t care less.” I reply.

“So after the trial, the boys we go out, get smashed and hopefully don’t remember anything when we wake up.” Jacob suggested.

“Sounds like a plan.” I reply with a sigh.

When the funeral ended we were all not in the best mood. I had a feeling the court would want our opinion later in the trial on what was to be done with the noble. Judging by how everyone wasn’t exactly skipping with joy I think the trial couldn’t have come at a worse time for that bastard.

Well I’m not complaining if it means that the rest will be less affected by their common sensibilities then that's fine by me. The last thing I want is for the rest to take pity on some crying begging coward.

As the funeral ended we all boarded a carriage back to the palace. The king had sent a carriage to pick us up as he wanted us to be present for this trial. The trial was set to take place not long after the funeral, apparently most of the court will be there including the heads of the knight orders.

The noble was being tried for high treason at the request of the Silver Lions and the Grey Eagles. From what I hear being accused of treason by two separate knight orders is no small charge. Even more so when one is accused by two of the largest knight orders.

Throughout most of the ride there the rest of the party was quite subdued. Although Momo, Alfie and Volva seemed to be just quiet because the rest of us were in a bad mood. Well they never even spoke to Liana and I suppose to them death is something that isn’t that foreign to them. I am sure the slave rings surely must put down the weak and infirm slaves. No point incurring expenses on defective products afterall...

When we arrived at the palace we were quickly ushered back to the audience chamber. For the first time we were seated up in the stands. As I looked around I saw the front row seems to be occupied by very specific individuals. I spot Filianoreh and the prince sitting on opposing ends of the rings. That was when I realised what the seating arrangement was. The supporters of Filianoreh were on one side and the supporters of the prince were seated on the other. 

As I examine the two groups I notice Filianoreh looked to have a larger number of supporters. I suspect the only reason why Filianoreh still needed the heroes on her side was because the Guardsmen army supported the prince. 

From what I read in my free time, the Guardsmen army made up eighty percent of the standing army. So although the knight orders seemed to favour Filianoreh, the prince had the sheer weight of numbers on his side. If he had the complete support of the guardsmen that would make his army at least 200 000 strong. The knight orders had only about 40 000 knights total. Most of the knights were also only about ten levels higher than your average Guardsmen, with most of them from the lesser noble families. The four larger knight orders only took the best, everyone else ended up in the lesser knight orders. 

So it seems Filianoreh has secured all the high level individuals and the prince has secured most of the lower leveled individuals. That and from what Charlotte mentioned in our discussions, religions in older civilisations basically controlled the commoners. So if the Church of the Seven supported the prince, it wouldn’t be that far of a stretch to say the common people supported the prince…

Then the braziers around the inner ring ignited and illuminated small pockets of those seated. The spot where me and my party were seated was illuminated and I could see the Magus Council, the Knight Commanders, the Cardinals, the prince and Filianoreh all lit up for all to see.

It looks like these were individuals who would be participating in the trial. I suspect that this trial will be used for some political agenda. From what I have seen so far in this kingdom, everything has some underlying agenda. From the food served, to your clothes, to where someone is seated. So it seems this time the great game will be played in a trial and the stakes? Why it is a man’s life. Or perhaps... what the man’s life represents...

The whole court waited in silence and as we waited I noticed Filianoreh was smiling maliciously as she calmly waited next to the Magus Council. No doubt she had something in mind for this trial.

The knight commanders however were absolutely furious, I could even sense a little killing intent coming from Sir Galter the knight commander of the Silver Lions.

That’s not unsurprising, after all it was his man that was murdered. The knight commanders don’t strike me as the kind of leaders that would treat the lives of their men as disposable resources.

The court didn’t have to wait long however as they soon brought a man that was bound by chains. A pair of Royalguards dragged him out from one of the doorways. The man was wearing rags, not so different from the pitiful excuse of clothes that the three girls were wearing before I bought them from that slaver. 

His hair was matted and filthy but he still looked much better than the poor I’ve seen in the slums. Simple reason, his body still looked fairly well fed and he still had a full head of hair. Charlotte told me one of the tell tale signs of long term malnutrition was hair loss. Shorter term malnutrition would just make a person skinny but if you wanted to see if someone has been underfed for a long time look at their hair and teeth.

The noble honestly looked terrified, I noticed a grim satisfaction on Galter’s face when he looked at the noble. I heard the Silver Lions conducted the investigation, I can bet Galter gave the order that the culprits were not to be treated gently. With the Rifts here the Military probably had much more power as compared to peacetime. So that noble can’t expect his title to protect him.

“Greetings my subjects, I thank all of you to aid me in attending to this grim task.” I hear the king say from his throne. I turned to see him sitting on his throne as he gazed down at his gathered court.

“I, Rex Regum Leon Magni, ruler of the Regus Kingdom will be presiding over this trial. Are there any objections?” the king asked.

Of course there would be no objections, he is the king. Who the hell was going to say that they objected? Maybe someone who has got tired of having his head on his shoulder, but if that was the case a rope would be easier…

“Father, I would like to suggest I preside over this trial.” I hear Filianoreh said as she stood up.

Oh? Well that is interesting… 

“Do you have a reason for that suggestion?” I hear the king asked, his voice betraying the fact that he was surprised.  

“Yes father, you have been diligently managing the domain and preparing for the Rifts, I know you have little time for attending to such small matters. I am on good terms with Knight Commander Galter and when he informed me of this grave matter I decided to step forward to assist.” Filianoreh said with a graceful smile on her lips.

“Is that so?” the king asked as he cupped his chin.

“It is your grace.” Galter said as he stood up.

“The royal seal that Princess Filianoreh provided greatly expedited the investigation process. We were able to uncover the truth of the matter in days when it normally would have taken weeks.” Galter said.

“But wouldn’t Prince Gratianus be more suited to preside over this trial? He is more familiar with the military court. He is afterall an accomplished warrior that has served on the borders for a time.” the Knight Commander of the Amber Wolves said as he rose from his seat.

“Although Princess Filianoreh is not as familiar as Prince Gratianus on military affairs, she has obviously been studying on her own even if she has not received much formal education on the subject. It is in my humble opinion that Princess Filianoreh has a good mind for such matters. My compatriots and I have also requested that she attend the upcoming war summit, her skills in management would be invaluable in the battles to come.” Galter replied.

“I would like to attest to this as well your grace.” a noble said as he stood up. I looked over and saw him seated next to Jerome and Ophelia, it looks like he is their lord father, head of House Orien.

 “Why do you say so, Lord Orien?” the king asked curiously.

“The Princess has approached me not long after the defeat of the first Rift. She has told me she predicts an eventual breakdown of our supply and logistics if we continue with the current system. She has made excellent suggestions to improve the current supply and logistic systems. I have at her request begun retrofitting a good portion of my House’s fleet to serve as auxiliary transports. If the roads become too damaged and the terrain becomes too treacherous for supply trains, we will now have a better sea based supply network.” Lord Orien said. 

“Hmmm, very good my lord. It is heartening to hear my subjects are taking such proactive action in these dark times.” the king said with a nod.

“We all have Princess Filianoreh to thank your grace. She has acted as an intermediary and has allowed my house to coordinate efficiently with the Knight Orders to help with the adjustments to the supply network. 

Our ships are also going to be retrofitted as per the specifications of the Knight Orders so they can serve as troop transports as well. Although my son is also a knight serving the Grey Eagles, he lacks the experience on large scale troop movements. Thus I would like to reiterate the importance of Princess Filainoreh’s contribution to the success of this endeavour thus far.” Lord Orien said as he bowed to Filianoreh.

“Hmm, very well. You have grown my daughter.” the king said.

“All I do, I do in service of Regus and the good people of this nation. In times like these I am not content to languish with what is familiar, I intend to help father more and more in the days ahead to help alleviate this great burden.” Filianoreh said with a bow.

“Then I see no reason to object, you are the most familiar with the events that necessitated this trial. You shall preside over this trial in my stead.” the king said with a nod.

Making big moves already I see, with the king allowing her to essentially rule in his stead for this trial, it doesn’t get much better than that in terms of a power play. Still that begs the question, does he really feel that the succession is fair game? If that’s true then this might be a test…

If the king actually wants the prince to succeed him then this might be him just being forced into this position. After all Filianoreh’s proposal was well argued and there is a significant amount of power behind her. Three of the four largest knight orders being behind her is no small matter. Although the Guardsmen armies have more men I think they have less authority in the courts. Charlotte found out there is only one Guardsmen General, so that’s one voice compared to the different voices from the various knight orders. Not that surprising considering the social stratification in this kingdom and the fact that most of the Guardsmen army is made of commoners.

“Thank you father, as per military court protocol I would like the prosecution to levy their charges first.” Filianoreh said calmly. With those words Galter walked towards the edge of the ring and began addressing the court.

“I am Knight Commander Galter of the Silver Lions. The order of the Silver Lions wishes to levy the charges of murder of a knight, disobeying of a royal command and high treason.” Galter said as a small snarl appeared on his face.

There was a smull murmur amongst the court as those words were said. I’m not familiar with the laws of this nation but judging by the expressions on some of the faces of the nobles those were not small charges. Well… that and the name of those charges…

“And the grounds for the charge?” Filianoreh asked.

“Lord Felipe Jura was in command of the forces in the northwestern front of the Rift. One of my Knight Captains sent one of his Lieutenant’s to give orders signed with the royal seal for the northwestern forces to mount an assault on the Rift. That order was not only disobeyed but my Lieutenant was murdered when he attempted to enforce the order.” Galter said his tone clearly showed he was very... very angry at this turn of events.

“Do you have any witnesses?” Filianoreh asked.

“I have my Knight Captain and members of the Blue Tridents who were present when the deed was committed.” Galter said.

“Very well the court calls the Knight Captain to stand witness.” Filianoreh said.

On cue one of the doors opened and in stepped Davis who was also looking very angry. I saw him give the noble a glare as he walked past. I honestly don’t blame him, if I found out one of my men was killed by some coward in the rearlines. I’ll have that fucker shot and left for the crows. Why should people like him live while brave and selfless individuals like Liana die? If this guy really did what I think he did I hope I’m the one who kills him… 

“State you name Knight Captain.” Filianoreh said.

“I am Knight Captain Davis of the house Fiore.” Davis replied.

“Tell us what transpired.” Filianoreh asked.

“The night before the assault on the Rift it was decided that all fronts will launch on assault if the demons retreated from combat to buy time for the assaulting forces. I personally wrote the letters and signed them with the Royal Seal. I sent one letter to each of the other fronts with two of my most trusted Lieutenants. 

After the battle I saw that the northwestern perimeter was hit especially hard by retreating demons. We were hit hard on the southeastern perimeter as well but that was to be expected as we left the southeastern front undermanned so that we may carry out the assault. The northwestern front however from our past reports was taking the least pressure from the demons. 

Later when my Lieutenant didn’t report in, so I sent investigating forces. This time I sent two dozen knights to investigate the northwestern front. I initially in good faith thought the northwestern front was hit especially hard that day as the demons have proven to have an understanding of battlefield tactics. 

However when the investigating forces arrived they found the front barely damaged. Sensing foul play my Lieutenant demanded to know the location of the Lieutenant that was sent earlier. The answers he got were suspicious so he recalled his forces for the time being and sent a report to me in the meantime. 

I then spoke with Knight Captain Jerome of the Grey Eagles and we both suspected that Lord Felipe had refused the order given our past understanding of his character. We relayed our suspicions on this matter to yourself Princess and as you are aware you sent a delegation from the Knight Orders of the Grey Eagles, Silver Lions and Scarlet Dragons, with signed letters from the Knight Commanders and a personally written letter with the Royal Seal. That greatly accelerated the investigation process as many of the knights simply confessed at the sight of the letters.” Davis said.

Now that was impressive, letters from three knight commanders in a few days? That is some efficient work and it also coincidentally shows how much the knight commander's support her. Afterall, she managed to get them almost immediately, you don’t do that for someone unless you fully support them. They probably began writing it as soon as they got the news and sent it out within the hour. 

“From the confessions we were able to gather that Lord Felipe ordered the knights to attack the Lieutenant of the Silver Lions.” Davis finished as he turned to glare at the disgraced noble.

“Thank Sir Davis, you bring honour to your knight order by your swift investigation. Now I would like to call the confessed knights to speak.” Filianoreh said as Davis bowed and exited. 

The trial progressed with each knight delivering their confession. Interestingly they were allowed to wear their armor and they were clean. They were much more presentable than the noble, perhaps this a sign that they would be pardoned? After all soldiers are needed now more than ever as for useless cowardly nobles? Not so much for them…

The knights all confessed that they cut down the Lieutenant at the orders of Lord Felipe. I was quite irked by the fact that four of them attacked a single man. Not exactly an example of knight valour with such an uneven fight.

The knight also mentioned they did so because of their oath to defend the Lord of Port Jura. Lord Felipe invoked their oath so they obeyed. They also said they did not see the Royal Seal; they only heard the command to attack and they only did so when the Lieutenant from the Silver Lions drew his sword.

“Now then Lord Felipe for the charge of disregarding the Royal Seal and disobeying a royal decree. Do you deny it?” Filianoreh asked.

Silence…

“For the charge of murder of a knight. Do you deny it?” Filianoreh asked.

Again silence…

“For the charge of High Treason and acting against the interests of this nation. Do you deny it?” Filianoreh asked.

This trial was a foregone conclusion, this bastard was as guilty as sin…

Sure enough he remained silent merely looking down and quietly sobbing. 

“Very well, before I deliver my verdict I would like the opinions of the Heroes. They are chosen by the gods, many consider them voices of the gods and rightly so. So in this proceeding I would like to hear what the voices of the gods say should be done with them?” Filianoreh asked as she gestured to us.

I looked around and saw the rest staring at me, clearly signaling for me to go up. Honestly I feel Charlotte should be the one speaking since she’s probably more educated in law. I give her a look and she looks away.

“I don’t know for the knights, but for the noble… I don’t want to sentence someone to die...” Charlotte said softly.

“Well they hate me anyway.” I say as I stand.

Charlotte’s answer told me all I need to know. She knew the noble needed to die and as for the knights she is leaving the decision to me. I look at Ivan and Jacob who both give me a grim nod, telling me they wanted me to speak for them.

“Wait a moment, are we truly asking the Dark Hero to speak on this matter? The voice of Dark God? The Dark God rules sin, he is not fit to speak on the matter of justice.” the Cardinal of Light stood interjecting as he stood up in indignation.

“The God of Light may rule law and justice, but the Dark God is the God of Judgement. All who breathe their last find themselves before the judgement of the Final Arbiter. Are you a sinner? The Dark God decides…” Anna said as she rose from her seat. 

“Indeed, the Dark God is known for his impartiality, all are equal before death, king or slave, holy man or scoundrel, the Dark God judges all. A soul must first pass the Dark God’s judgement, only then may they be chosen by the seven to enter their great halls. Or am I mistaken?” another Mage Councillor said as she rose from her seat.

The Cardinal looked down as he grit his teeth and took a seat.

“Does the Dark Hero speak for you Heroes?” Filianoreh asked.

“He does.” Charlotte replied.

“Very well. Then if you please Onaga Katsuro.” Filianoreh said.

“I would like to speak on the knights first.” I say as I look down and see four surprised faces look at me. I guess they must have thought that the noble’s judgement would come first and they would be just tagged along with the sentence. Not today…

“What is your oath?” I ask as I look down at the knights.

“Serve the people, serve the nation, serve the king, serve House Jura” one of the knights replied.

“In that order of importance?” I ask as I think back to the words of the Sisters of Mercy.

“Yes…” the knight replied softly.

“Then why did you prioritise the last oath over the others?” I ask as I see the knights all lower their heads in shame.

“We were ordered and we obeyed, we did not think and we committed the gravest of sins… I beg that the blame and dishonour falls upon us and not our order…” the knight replied.

“Oaths are tricky things, sometimes you must break one to enforce the other. I am a soldier and I know this all too well. Tell me what would have happened if you disobeyed that command?” I ask.

“We would have done our duty rather than break our sacred trust.” the knight replied.

“No I mean individually, if only you obeyed and the rest did not.” I ask as the knight looked up at me slightly confused. I could tell the rest of the court was starting to listen with great interest.

“Then… chances are I would have been cut down and nothing would have changed strategically.” the knight replied.

“Then individually I feel you hold little responsibility. The responsibility lies at the point in the command chain where a difference can be made. A soldier obeys, that is our way, I do not intend to fault you for following your orders.” I say as the knights all look up in shock. 

“I feel the knights should be pardoned, yes their personal actions could have been better but penalising them would do nothing. The practical issue lies in the overall commander. In this case Lord Felipe.” I say as I look at Filianoreh.

“Hmm, yes individually they could not have done much, if only one of them disobeyed then all that would have been accomplished would be two dead knights instead of one. The knight commander was not present at the front so the four of them were all knight captains. None hold higher rank than the other.

I agree with your judgement Onaga Katsuro. For the charge of murder of a knight you are pardoned, for the charges of high treason and disobeying of a royal command, they are dismissed. Ensure that this never happens again, these types of errors cannot be committed again, not when the fate of the world hangs in the balance.” Filianoreh said.

At those words the knights all fell to their knees.

“We swear princess, this will not happen again within our order. We treasure this chance of redemption and grind ourselves to dust in service of this great nation.” one of the knights said.

“Very good, now then Onaga Katsuro, what of Lord Felipe?” Filianoreh asked as I noticed her eyes seemed to light up in anticipation.

“He is the highest in the command chain and origin of that order. The knights may have swung the blades but the responsibility lies with him. I feel he is guilty of all charges and the appropriate punishment should be dealt.” I reply.

“Very well, Lord Felipe by the power invested in me, in the name of my lord father, Rex Regum Leon Magni, first of his name, ruler of the Regus Kingdom. I hereby judge you guilty of all charges. You have endangered the entire world with your actions and orchestrated the murder of a loyal servant of the crown. The sentence is death. Are there any objections?” Filianoreh asked as she looked around.

“A moment please Princess.” a noble said as he rose from the stands.

“Yes my lord?” Filianoreh asked

“It is written in our laws that punishment should be proportionate to the damage incurred to the nation. Is it not true that most of the casualties incurred by the assaulting forces are merely mercenary forces? Although the death of the Lieutenant is regrettable Lord Felipe is still a lord.

Lord Felipe administers Port Jura, a crucial point on the northern shipping lanes. Surely removing him would be more costly as compared to keeping him alive. He has after all nearly two decades of experience in managing the port. Surely his life is worth more than what it has cost.” the noble said.

At those words I wanted to stand and lay into this bloody idiot but I felt Charlotte’s hand on mine. I looked over at her and she shook her head slightly as she stood up. 

“That would be unwise my lord.” Charlotte said.

“But Lady Charlotte the laws state that the punishment must factor in the loss incurred from the crime.” the lord replied.

“Laws exist to ensure the continued survival and prosperity of the civilisation that passes them. Your argument is based on two points, the first being we were to allow Lord Felipe to live on the grounds that he is more valuable alive than dead. 

Although true that applies to everyone, a peasant is more useful alive than dead because he can plow the fields. It is in my opinion that line of reasoning is incompatible with the death penalty. So if this ruling was to be passed then the death penalty would be have to be removed.

Your second point that the cost is not significant. It is in my opinion that this is an oversimplified and short sighted statement. The actions of Lord Felipe nearly doomed the world, the only thing that prevented that was the very mercenaries that were lost. They held the line against the tides of demons long enough for us to seal the Rift. The will to fight is just as important the ability to fight. A sword after all serves no purpose when it never leaves its scabbard. Those mercenaries have proven they were willing to fight to the last, soldiers like this will be sorely needed in the days to come. 

The line of thinking of one being too important to die is also a dangerous precedent. In times like this all must be held accountable regardless of station. If anyone feels they are above reproach or accountability they may end up making a fatal error that would doom us all, for why should they fear after all they are above accountability. In the interests of every soul in this world I feel we should discard that line of thinking. 

We who hold power have great ability to cause harm, thus the greater the power the greater responsibility. Power begets responsibility, thus we must be always held accountable. We must be the example, not the exception.” Charlotte said.

As Charlotte spoke I saw the noble was practically deflating like a balloon, by the end of her speech he just quietly sat down.

Leave it to Charlotte to surgically tear an opposing argument to pieces.

“Are there any other objections?” Filianoreh asked as she looked around the court after a moment of silence.

The silence dragged on with no one else rising from their seats. I looked at the direction of the noble that spoke and I saw a woman quietly crying next to him. I notice there’s a small girl with her head down as she looks down blankly at Lord Felipe. The girl had the same hair colour as Lord Felipe…

“Very well Lord Felipe, in light of your crimes, I Princess Filianoreh Leon Magni, hereby strip you of all rank, titles and privileges. The sentence is summary execution.” Filianoreh said as Lord Felipe lowered his head.

“May I make a request Princess?” Lord Felipe said softly. Though his voice was soft, the silence of the room and the acoustics of the room made sure the whole court could hear him easily.

“Speak.” Filianoreh said as she peered down at him.

“I would request that my body be returned to my family for burial…” Lord Felipe said.

“You are aware the penalty for treason includes the public display of your body?” Filianoreh asked impassively, completely unfazed by his request.

“Yes, I request this for my daughter, so that she may say her farewells...” Lord Felipe replied, his voice hollow.

“Lady Charlotte the Life God rules familial bonds, what say you?” Filianoreh asked as she turned towards Charlotte.

“I suggest a compromise, everyone has a family, the fact he is a noble does not mean he is above the law. I propose we allow him to have a funeral and publicly display the body afterwards.” Charlotte replied softly.

“Very well, in light of your past service to this kingdom I am willing to afford you Lady Charlotte’s compromise.” Filianoreh said.

“Thank you princess…” Lord Felipe said.

“Now then as for your execution…” Filianoreh said as I felt her gaze turn to me.

She wants me to do it? Is this the crucial part of her scheme? Does she want to alienate me even more in the eyes of the court? So alienate me even more and make her more valuable of an ally? Well you don’t always have to make yourself better, you can always just make everyone else worse... 

“Since the voice of the God of Life has spoken on mercy, then perhaps we should ask the avatar of the Dark God to decide the method of the execution. Shall it be quick or shall it be slow?” Filianoreh asked.

With the eyes of the court on me it would be hard to refuse… I mean I technically could, but…

I know I can’t avoid playing the game forever, because even if I don’t play it doesn’t mean the other heroes won’t. If we want to survive this we need support, we need to make sure those who hold power see me in the correct way.

The correct way…

I suddenly remember my first formal execution, it wasn’t an enemy… It was a girl, about fourteen years old. She ran in the middle of a fight and was court martialed, sentenced to death by firing squad. She wasn’t from my platoon, she was from another unit. Command had heard our unit had a few effective soldiers and the officers didn’t want to deal with the idea of shooting a teenage girl. So they got me, Shuji and two others to do it…

We were each given a rifle, one rifle had a real round the others had blanks, that way no one would know who was the one who killed her. 

I still remember what Shuji said to me the night before the execution…

 

Listen to me Katsuro

Tomorrow you leave yourself here in bed

When you stand at that line and take aim you are not Onaga Katsuro

She made a mistake

Now she pays the price

All you need to know is that she needs to die

That’s all...

 

I don’t think I’m a monster, I may behave like one at times but… maybe I can show the court I’m a reasonable monster. The Dark God is fair in all things after all, so Lord Felipe made a mistake, now he pays the price…

As I stand to reply I sense my party looking at me intently, I could almost feel a sense of dread coming from Charlotte…

“I suggest we make it quick, I assume he will be beheaded? I heard from Sir Davis that military criminals are beheaded.” I ask as I look at Filianoreh.

“They are.” Filianoreh said with a nod.

“Then let me do the execution. I’ll leave his body as intact as possible for the funeral.” I reply.

“Very well.” Filianoreh said with a nod.

At those words I began to move to jump down when I felt Charlotte grab my arm. I turned and saw her eyes wide and pleading, she didn’t want me to do this…

“I have to, someone else might get it wrong…” I say softly and Charlotte shakily let go of my arm.

As I land on the floor below I drop my mask and calmly walk over to Lord Felipe. I could see he was terrified and he let out a gasp of fear as I walked out of the shadows at the edge of the central area. I must look terrifying, a face with a fanged glowing red smile approaching him. 

“Stand him up.” I say to the guards and they drag him to his feet. 

I took out a strip of cloth I stored away previously and blind folded him. He is shaking and I could hear him breathing small sharp gasps. He was praying in blind panic as I tied the blindfold.

 

Seven forgive me

Seven forgive me

Seven forgive me

Seven forgive me

Seven forgive me

Seven forgive me

Seven forgive me

Seven forgive me

Seven forgive me

Seven forgive me…

 

“You made a mistake, now you pay the price. A debt incurred, a debt paid.” I say. I know my voice can be heard all around the room. The acoustics of the room will make sure of that.

I summon Simuna’s Regards and walk a few paces away, rifle in hand. Once I’m a few meters away I turn and take aim at his chest. A high powered rifle bullet will go in and out cleanly, a small entry and exit hole. It leaves his body as intact as possible. 

I take aim at his heart and I shut my eyes for a moment as I steady my breathing. I will not miss here, I’ll get his heart in one bullet…

“May the Dark God judge you fairly and may the seven have mercy on your soul.” I say clearly and calmly.

There is a very clear message in what I said. I want the whole court to know, I am fair but I have no mercy or pity to give. I will not let my judgement be clouded by sentimentality but I also will not partake in petty sadism. Defy my goals and I will send you to the gods. I am the Champion of the Dark God, my god is the god of equality and judgement. So I will judge them all if it comes to it…

Then I heard Styx’s voice resonate in my head.

 

Yes…

Use their fear

You are the Champion of the Dark God

You will teach even demons to fear...