Chapter 156
Chapter 156
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: The Traitorous Subject Also Has His Uses
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Land Drake was moved directly to Heidi's territory, where its dismantling work began.
The reason was simple. Firstly, as Heidi was Beonald's vassal, he wanted to push her forward. Secondly, it was a place where major materials, including the magic stones inside, could be stored with peace of mind.
Furthermore, it could provide work for the territory's people, attract vagrants and surplus adventurers from the Valderian territory to help stabilize public order and facilitate population movement. Also, even if someone stole dismantled parts from the Land Drake here, they would have to go all the way to Valderian territory to dispose of them, creating a difficult-to-pass filter.
'This is a small village with only a few carts or horses, and the comings and goings of people are manageable. Hmm, plus, taxes can be sent directly to Valderian territory through Heidi, so it won't even feel like we're snatching away population.'
It was truly a plan that could simultaneously achieve public order stability for the Valderian family without ruffling feathers, and territorial growth for Heidi—a way to showcase Beonald's administrative capabilities.
Naturally, for the Valderian family, not only did it strengthen the standing of their heir, Cedron Valderian, but as Beonald monopolized the production method of equipment called 'Magic Armor' that enhanced a knight's combat power, there was absolutely no way to refuse his opinion.
"Even if the meat is tough and smelly and tastes bad, don't throw it away! Dry it or salt it to make preserved food! Later, you might not even have that to eat. Isn't there a saying that it's never bad to be prepared? Don't discard the feces either! Wash away the foreign matter from the intestines, but! The drake's dung also has its uses, so collect it separately! Forget the smell! Don't throw it away, gather it!"
p>Thus, Beonald gave thorough instructions to the personnel dismantling the Land Drake.
However, nothing ever flows completely smoothly; where there are advantages, there are also disadvantages.
First, the rapid deterioration of public order due to gathering vagrants and ruffians to increase manpower. Second, the risk of individuals attempting theft while working to obtain the drake's magic stones and materials, as the sight of valuables breeds temptation.
'The former can be resolved by supporting village construction and security personnel, but the latter... if it happens...'
"Lord Beonald! We've caught a man who dared to steal a fragment of the Land Drake's magic stone and tried to flee. Uh, what shall we do?"
"Ah~ He finally appeared? I was waiting. Good."
Welcoming the appearance of a target to make an example of—to punish one as a warning to a hundred—regardless of who this gutsy fool was, Beonald followed the reporting soldier to confirm the perpetrator.
The man had a face crisscrossed with numerous knife scars and wore an expression full of resentment about why this was happening to him.
"Let go of this! Damn it! Getting caught by bad luck! It was my chance to make a big score!"
"Oh ho~ No sense of guilt?"
"Guilt? What's that? You only live once, right? To live properly, making one big hit is the best, isn't it?"
"No, I'm so glad. The first one caught... is a guy like you. Very, very good."
Beonald didn't know what this rough-looking man was relying on to act so brazenly, but he didn't need to think beyond that. Whether the man had backing or not, what Beonald wanted right now was precisely an example to be made of the first criminal. The fact that such a shameless, rough-looking man who appeared to be from the back alleys was caught made him feel even better.
"How shall we dispose of this scoundrel, Lord Beonald?"
"Gag this man and take him to the village square. I need to make some preparations, so go in 15 minutes. And you, gather all the villagers, soldiers, knights, and workers. Not a single person missing."
"Yes! Understood."
A short while later, the thief was restrained on the platform in the village square, and knights, territorial people, and soldiers had all gathered, creating a bustling scene.
Then, exactly 15 minutes later, Beonald appeared carrying something like a cloth bag, climbed onto the platform, placed it beside the scribe's desk for recording, pointed at the thief, and began his speech to the people.
"I am Beonald, the lord of Lady Heidi, the lord of this territory. And I am currently working as an administrator for the Valderian family. The reason I have gathered you all today is, first, to widely announce the punishment of this criminal; second, to warn against such foolish acts; and third, to make it known that evil deeds will never be forgiven. Now, I will speak of this man's crimes."
'...What is he doing?'
"This man has committed three crimes."
"Ugh?!"
The prostrate thief was startled, his eyes flashing as he glared at Beonald.
What he had done was clearly just one thing: attempting to steal the Land Drake's materials and magic stone. Yet, three crimes? He looked at Beonald with disbelief, but his mouth was gagged, so he had no right to speak.
"First, this man attempted to steal the materials and magic stone of the Land Drake we are dismantling. This is an undeniable crime of theft."
"What, he was just a thief."
"But isn't that too grandiose a way to put simple theft?"
"Honestly, it's everyday stuff. Theft is..."
"He said three, so maybe he did something else too?"
The villagers and soldiers buzzed, waiting for Beonald's next words.
In response to this reaction, Beonald, as if it were obvious, spoke the next charge in an even more solemn tone.
"Second, by attempting to steal the Land Drake's materials, this man challenged and attempted to injure the honor of the heir of Count Valderian, Young Master Cedron Valderian, and the knights and soldiers who bravely hunted the monster, shedding blood and sweat. It is the crime of defiling the honor of nobles and knights. The Land Drake is a clearly dangerous monster species, fought and overcome while prepared for death! Attempting to steal that achievement goes beyond mere monetary gain—it is tantamount to sullying the honor of 'knights' and 'nobles'!"
'No, where does that exist?'
"Next, third! This man, aiming for dishonest quick riches, sought to mock the people who labor honestly and receive their due, and the soldiers who maintain public order. He insulted those who live according to the Goddess's will, sweating, using their bodies and minds to eat, live, and form families."
When he spoke the third charge, the gathered commoners and soldiers began to stir.
They thought it was just simple theft, but packaged this way, it truly felt as if the criminal had insulted them.
Thus, he was no longer a simple thief but truly a scoundrel deserving death who had insulted them.
"What punishment would be fitting for this man? Originally, the punishment for theft is compensation equal to double the amount or imprisonment with forced labor equivalent to that compensation, but will that be the end?"
"No! He must be severely punished!"
"Give him a flogging!"
"He tried to lower the honor of the knight and noble! Will that be enough?"
Seeing the expected reaction, Beonald maintained a solemn expression outwardly but smiled inwardly as he looked at the thief.
As the atmosphere turned strange, the thief looked around at Beonald and the people with trembling eyes, sweating cold sweat.
He felt unjustly treated, as if a simple theft had been packaged to make him seem like someone who had done something worthy of death.
But this was precisely what Beonald had aimed for—deliberately packaging him to incite the people.
"Kill him painfully!"
"We can't just let him go! Ahh! Damn bastard!"
"Ughhh! Ughhhhhh!"
"Good, getting very excited. Ah, gag that man more thoroughly. I have no desire... to hear what purpose he had for the theft, who his backer is, or such talk. Right now, we just need an example. We'll continue working from now on; wouldn't it be troublesome if such scoundrels appear again? I dislike cruelty too, but when it's necessary, it must be done."
The thief finally struggled to say something, but Beonald instructed the soldiers to restrain him while giving them an easy-to-understand explanation.
Including human reasons, the soldiers seemed to roughly understand, nodding and tightening the gag on his mouth even more firmly according to Beonald's instructions, ensuring he could make no sound.
'Presumably, this fellow is someone hired by another noble to hinder my work. There are those in the world who can't stand to see others succeed.'
Judging by his initial brazen attitude, if caught attempting theft, he would likely be sent to Valderian territory's prison, where he probably had a deal to be freed.
Unfortunately, however, he had fallen into the hands of Beonald, who needed a sacrificial offering, and was heavily packaged with non-crimes as crimes, destined to die horribly today.
"Then, for the three charges, three punishments. First, theft! According to Imperial law, the basic punishment is compensation equal to double the value of the stolen goods or forced labor equivalent to that amount. However, according to past laws, for heinous thieves, there existed a punishment of cutting off both hands. Therefore, as the first punishment, both hands will be cut off."
"Ughhh! Ughhhhh!"
"I will cut them. You, hold him. This is a noble's duty."
"Ughhhhhhhhhh!"
Swish...
Beonald drew his sword, and the soldiers grabbed the thief's arms, extending them forward.
Then, Beonald severed both his struggling wrists in one swift motion and kicked the hands off the platform with his foot.
Next, he immediately took out a potion and bandages from the cloth bag he had brought and stopped the bleeding from his severed hands.
In agony from losing both hands, the thief wanted to struggle, but the soldiers restrained him firmly, preventing movement.
"Thus, the price for theft has been paid. Second, the crime of defiling the honor of knights and nobles! Pluck out both eyes and the tongue! So he may neither see nor praise the shining honor—this is Imperial law. I shall carry it out."
"Ugh! Ah, w-wait! Just a moment! I... I was wrong... Ughhehehek!"
Insolence towards nobles and knights was a capital offense, making it convenient for Beonald without needing to cite past precedents.
And with a skill that would make a torture specialist admire him, he first plucked out the tongue of the man suffering from severed hands, then plucked out his eyes, followed by healing actions to slightly lessen the cruelty and re-emphasize that this was a cold, just punishment.
"Finally, for the act of deceiving the hardworking people and soldiers, he will be hung here until death as an example. Anyone who commits such acts in the future will receive the same punishment, so know this."
"Serves him right!"
"Wooahhh!"
At Beonald's proclamation, the people cheered and began to mock the thief who had lost both hands, both eyes, and his tongue.
If he had simply proclaimed and carried out such cruel punishment without context, they would have trembled in fear. However, thanks to the prior seasoning of labeling him as deserving death, the people instead cheered for his cruel punishment and hanging.
'Humans... are very emotional creatures. Thus, they can become merciful, but also endlessly cruel.'
The world cannot be governed solely by goodwill.
Sometimes, one must be able to handle it with malice to rule the world.
This was the most basic quality a ruler must possess, and as it was what Beonald had been taught by Felix, it was something he had to do, even if it left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Ah, and the one who caught this man was the soldier on guard duty, right? Is there anyone else who performed meritorious service?"
"Yes. It was Soldier Anse who was on guard duty. However, the one who reported that he was trying to flee with the magic stone was a slave who was working."
"Then from this moment, that slave is a free person. If punishment is given to someone, reward must be given to another—that is the law. Bring his owner to me. I will pay the price. And also summon Soldier Anse. We must give a reward."
"Yes, understood."
Ultimately, thanks to the example and rewards Beonald presented, the territory was able to quickly stabilize a potentially chaotic situation from accepting external manpower, and the scoundrels living in the back alleys of Valderian territory also stopped acting up, either quitting obediently or starting to work earnestly.
As the territory and workshop stabilized and the Land Drake's dismantling progressed to some extent, Beonald visited the Adventurer's Guild again, searched for the next prey, and went out with Cedron once more to hunt monsters, then returned for another dismantling operation, immersing himself again in the work of selecting the next hunt.
"Hmm, Black Drake, Land Drake, Ogre Lord, Rockwood King Worm, Great Wolf... all the notable big shots of the west are being subdued one by one. Food supplies are piling up very well too. Huhuhu... Huhuhahahaha! Above all, this territory, which was just a speck, is prospering... Kheuu! As expected, I am gre. at."
Beonald fell into self-absorption, looking at the list of dangerous monster species hunted in a short period and the materials and food supplies neatly stacked in the underground warehouse.
The sight of the territory, grown to the size of a small city in just three months, and the landscape beginning to bustle with merchants. Though there were worries about public order and disturbances, if any dared to cause trouble, he could simply deal with them again—he had that confidence.
"Lord Beonald, a guest has come to see you."
However, his pleasant time was cut short by the sudden arrival of a guest.
Suppressing his regret over his enjoyable time being interrupted, Beonald decided to receive the guest for business.