Chapter 574
Chapter 574
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 574
Chapter Title: Good Friends to Meet
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By the time dawn broke, the execution ceremony had begun.
They'd handled everything that could be done overnight. The holy knights were seasoned pros at this kind of work. To ordinary villagers, they were like murderers honed by faith—impossible to withstand under such brutal interrogation.
All the crimes had been laid bare, and the victims' testimonies from those in custody had been starkly verified.
Out of the village's 37 residents, 13 had been sentenced to execution. The rest would be escorted to Isvant.
We'd built a simple execution platform from the wreckage of the village chief's house and the surrounding buildings.
"Lord Verdes! We shall commence the execution of these wicked souls who have disrupted the balance of the scales!"
With the condemned on their knees in chains, Barkrel bellowed in a grave, ferocious voice—like a rabid hound.
"They claim they were coerced into human trafficking by heretics!!! Yet for their own convenience, they severed the victims' ankles and exploited them worse than slaves!!"
Just hearing it was horrifying...!
"T-Te...! Teeeeeng!!!"
I felt like I was going mad, clawing at my hair. Cutting off people's ankles and selling them. Unthinkable.
This went beyond imperialism— it was the nightmare of the Congo reborn. Cruel Belgians had hacked off limbs from Congo natives purely for amusement, turning it into a blood festival.
Everywhere humans live is the same. Even in this other world.
"Holy Knight! Calm yourself! It's alright! They're about to be executed!"
As I writhed in agony, Elise grabbed my wrist and shook me back to my senses.
"Kuhk...! Right!"
No more victims from now on... Well, not entirely.
Without eradicating the heretics, victims would keep appearing.
Even if we wiped them all out, this would happen again. Evil repeats. The image of Cardia Saintess saying evil couldn't be eradicated flashed in my mind.
"Irredeemable sins! For these crimes, beheading is fitting retribution!"
Shing!
Captain Barkrel drew his sword.
"Long live Verdes!"
Clang!
The blade of judgment fell like lightning—swordsmanship honed to perfection, crafted solely to slay the wicked. It severed the convict's neck.
Sprayed blood stained the fresh-fallen snow red.
It looked alien, like ketchup on shaved ice.
"..."
The non-condemned villagers watched with what seemed like relief. Thinking they'd survived, maybe.
Their futures were uncertain.
For now, they were just alive.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Barkrel efficiently decapitated the convicts one by one.
"U-Uwaaaaaah!!!"
The last convict screamed.
"Y-You fucking bastards! How are you any different from those heretic shits?! What's the difference, you fucking cunts?! Dad!!! Brother!!! You fucking bastards! I'll curse you all! Curse you to hell!!!"
He was the youngest among the condemned—a core member of the disguised merchant caravan they'd used for kidnappings. Human scum.
"Heretics or you holy knight fucks, you're all the same!!! You bastards!! We did it to survive!! Just to live!!! So whyyyy!!!"
He'd been at the forefront, luring victims into the village with false deals.
Heavy sins.
"Hoo...! So you're saying we deserved to die...! Why us! If we'd refused back then, the heretics would've killed us all! Are you saying we should've done that from the start?! You're no different, you fucking bastards!!"
Heavy crimes, yet he was yelling like he was hot shit. Humans always think only of themselves.
People never realize their own guilt.
That's why they need enlightening.
"Elise? What the hell's this guy babbling about?"
"...I can't comprehend it."
Elise's pupils contracted as she spoke in a chilling voice.
"Are you pretending not to know what you did, or do you truly not know?"
"Wh-What...?"
Her fist clenched around her mace trembled as if ready to execute him herself. The youth, resolved to die, flinched and averted his gaze as she approached.
"You know full well you have no right to say such things."
"Wh-What do you mean no right?! What's the difference between us selling them and you slaughtering our whole village?!"
Suddenly, he shot back at Elise.
Just mindless raging.
A holy knight drew his sword, but Barkrel stopped him. Probably to let the situation play out.
"I asked if you're deliberately playing dumb. Seems you are. Forgot about cutting off the victims' ankles?"
"Th-That was...!"
He averted his eyes again at Elise's icy accusation.
No use acting innocent—their bullshit didn't vanish.
"If it was just coercion, you wouldn't have done something so cruel. You got greedy for money—or didn't want the hassle of 'merchandise' issues. That's why. Understand?"
Elise was spot on.
Once you start down the bad path, you go numb to more. After big sins, smaller ones feel fine—collective moral decay.
Especially when no one knows and blame's diffused.
These fuckers all deserved death.
"Death is too lenient. You should suffer in agony. Thank Lord Verdes for His mercy."
Elise relentlessly berated the convict in a low voice.
"Now, pray to Lord Verdes."
"Wh-What?!"
"Thank Him for this merciful execution."
"...!"
Truth was, like Elise said, they should be grateful for a clean death.
But instead of praying, he chose otherwise.
"Fuck! Cut the crap! Why our family...?! Our village people!!! Uwaaaaaah!!! I'll curse you! God! Please judge these bastards!!!"
He even prayed to God—ignoring their crimes, screaming injustice. Pure heretic devil. Imperialist Belgian too.
Thwack!
I immediately kicked him in the face.
"Guhek!"
"Heh heh heh, bullshit gets sickening fast, punk. Yeah, criminals never know they're criminals. Yell all you want—your dad and brothers are dead."
Squatting, I gently tugged his ears as I spoke. He glared ferociously.
"Y-You bastard!!!!!!!"
"Dead don't come back. Neither will you."
"Filthy savage fuck! Even God will curse you!"
Me?! Cursing me?!
Thump!
"C-Curse?!"
I shot up, clutching my chest.
"K-Kuhuaaaagh!!! Cursed...! I've been cuuuursed...!"
Screaming in agony.
"Wh-What did you just...?"
"Your curse hurts so baaaad!!!!!!!!!!!"
Just messing with him.
His face flushed beet red.
"You holy knight fuck, mocking me?!?!?!?!?"
"Heh heh heh, figured it out, moron? Captain Barkrel. This punk didn't repent to the end. Execute him."
No such thing as divine curses in this world.
If there were, those ankle-less victims would've cursed this village a thousand times over.
"...Pity. Morality's fallen to the ground; people can't tell right from wrong."
Barkrel swung sadly.
"All because of heretics."
Clang.
The severed head fell limply. Even in death, he glared at the sky, pissed off.
The executions ended.
We gathered the bodies and piled them on the demolished wood heap.
"...Holy Knight."
As we worked, Elise approached, looking up at me blankly.
"Do evil, face judgment."
"..."
"Such a simple thing."
Her voice held doubt.
"Why don't people get it?"
"Conscience isn't common sense. They're just uneducated idiots."
Conscience and common sense aren't universal.
Tough concepts.
Too many idiots in the world who don't get the obvious.
"Education, you say? If everyone got educated, would this vanish?"
"Dunno... Not our call. What does Lady Aijelmart say?"
"The Order God said nothing on it."
Even modern Earth with solid education is full of psychos and inhumans.
Can't eradicate evil with violence—or education.
I'm a full Brass Celestial Society paladin now.
"Just exterminate them."
"That works. Kill 'em all."
We piled all the bodies on the pyre. Winia, who'd been watching quietly, approached. The holy knights would handle the burning, so nothing for us to do.
"Darky, we heading back now?"
"Heretic stuff's unfinished. Probably wrap that up first."
"Gonna take a while... Ungh."
Winia, looking tired, reached out her arms.
"Hug me, darky."
"Heh heh heh. C'mere."
I naturally scooped up the smaller Winia and patted her back. She nuzzled my neck happily.
Then Cloudy approached.
"Hey, Katt. What about loot distribution?"
"Oh. That."
Ransacking the village yielded serious wealth.
All from heretic funds, no doubt. We'd gathered it up. Distributing's a hassle.
"..."
Heretics paying up means they have tons of cash.
Money doesn't grow on trees.
Some supply source—anonymous backer or their business.
Hit that, and we're rich.
But distribution...
"Captain Barkrel said some for victim relief... Plenty left, though. I'll talk it over."
With that, we finished cleaning up the village.
Remaining residents cooperated meekly. We seized hidden assets and heresy collaboration evidence, documented the executions fully.
"Testimony says no pattern to heretic trafficker visits."
"Purely on their whim?"
"Apparently. Intense interrogations, but no one knows heretic details. Just hand over people, get paid."
Couldn't uncover heretic identities or bases.
Residents knew nothing anyway.
"But... many think they're due soon, since last visit was a while ago."
Makes sense. That's why they stockpiled victims. Villagers eagerly supplied for the next heretics.
"So, we'll form teams to escort residents and victims to Isvant."
"Sounds good."
Load victims on wagons, march residents with holy knights.
But this means stay behind?
"Paladin, stay with me in the village to wait for heretics."
"Yes, sir. But no timeline—what's the plan?"
"If too long, we pull out."
That was it.
Teams of five escort convicts and victims to Isvant. Rest wait in village for incoming traffickers.
If they don't show, withdraw.
Village has supplies and decent facilities—no issue waiting... Fuck. Miss Karin, Lisha, Lizty. Guilt's killing me.
"Oh, right. Captain. Loot distribution?"
"Your share's set aside—don't worry! Kah hah hah!"
Barkrel laughed heartily, slapping my back.
What a good guy.