Execution! It's an Execution!!!
Execution! It's an Execution!!!
Peok!
"Keuak!"
Peoeok!
"Th-that's enough!"
Jun's fist struck the bully's face.
"You, you bastard! Ugh! Do you know who I am?"
The bully didn't back down easily, running his mouth.
He thrashed his whole body, further provoking Jun's temper.
"Then do you know who I am?"
The fists didn't stop.
"Fuck, are you just standing there staring? Stop this crazy bastard!"
His durability was quite sturdy.
The guy shouted at his comrade, who was dazed and not grasping the situation.
"Hey, you! You're making a huge mistake right now!"
Finally snapping to attention, the bully gang approached Jun, pointing and cursing.
Jun glared at the approaching gang.
A murderous gaze.
"Uuugh!"
They flinched, intimidated instantly.
But the one currently being grabbed by the collar and beaten by Jun was the so-called gang's cash cow and backing.
How much had they taken using that power and influence?
Their list of crimes was countless.
If they didn't help, the group would fall apart, and they'd certainly incur that bastard's wrath.
Who the hell was this guy, just throwing punches without thinking?
The thugs thought.
No one had ever touched 'Mahiel' in their territory before.
Maybe they had touched someone they shouldn't?
Someone more dangerous than the Mahiel currently getting beaten?
They couldn't back out now, but their vision was darkening for no reason.
They could only pray this was the cocky bluff of a clueless punk.
"Hey! Don't you hear me telling you to stop?!"
Miguel, the most menacing-looking of the group, reached out.
Sophia boldly blocked his path.
"Ah? What the hell are you? Trying to protect your boyfriend or something?"
Miguel recalled.
How many women had butted in without understanding the situation, claiming to protect their lovers?
Though the offense and defense were reversed now, making it a slightly different case.
Miguel knew better than anyone what had happened to them.
And he concluded.
'Ah, these guys are just pathetic humans with nothing. Common vermin struggling to survive without anything special.'
Miguel's arm rose high, as if reaching the sky.
His hand swung toward Sophia's cheek.
"Just wait here quietly. I'll stomp on your man first, then we can have a serious talk, okay?"
Based on Miguel's experience, the next scene would be the woman getting slapped and collapsing weakly.
The man unable to resist the beating.
And finally, a happy time that would shatter both their spirits.
As he imagined it, Miguel's body flew through the air.
"Ah?"
The thugs following Mahiel couldn't believe their eyes.
That was only natural, because they were missing crucial information.
The fact that while they followed Mahiel, they were frogs in a well who only caused trouble in their own village.
The fact that the man currently beating Mahiel to a pulp was the Hero.
The fact that Mahiel was being beaten because the bastard had harassed the Hero's woman.
And that the woman was not an ordinary woman, but the Hero's attendant.
Also important: the fact that magic exists in this world.
"Uwaaah! Our bodies suddenly--!"
The entire gang of thugs was helplessly lifted into the air.
Clatter-thump—.
And thrown to the ground.
This repeated several times.
Their noses broke, bruises covered their skin, and they lost consciousness.
At the same time, Mahiel also passed out from the relentless pummeling.
"Hey! Cease action!"
The commotion had been quite loud; someone must have reported it.
The city guards arrived just in time.
"What in the world happened here? Why are these people lying on the ground? Don't tell me you did this?"
The guard looked at the collapsed thugs, then pointed at Jun.
It wasn't a small number, so it was basically impossible, but since only Jun and Sophia were standing upright.
The guard had no choice but to interrogate Jun.
"Kkeueueu...."
"Oh? Are you coming to?"
"Hey... Mahiel...."
One of the fallen gang members briefly regained consciousness and informed the guard of Mahiel's presence.
"What? Where? Don't tell me... this battered mess is?"
The guard turned Mahiel, now a bloody mess, this way and that, then confirmed.
"That's right... Who did this...?"
The guard glanced at Jun.
"You'll have to come with me for now."
Jun inwardly admitted he'd been a bit heavy-handed.
He couldn't make things bigger, so he accompanied the guard to the station.
He explained the whole story and listened to what the guard had to say.
"Do you know who it is you laid your hands on? You don't seem to be from around here, so I'll give you some advice—you'd better beg with your tail between your legs."
"Who is it that you're so worried about?"
"You really don't know, huh. It's hard to say, but he's someone with considerable influence up top, so even we can't do anything."
The guard didn't seem to be acting cocky; he genuinely seemed afraid of Mahiel's background.
Then Sophia, as if prepared, pulled out a royal seal from her bosom.
"Th-this is? Don't tell me, the Hero-nim?"
The guard's eyes widened to the size of fists as he alternated between the seal and Jun's face.
"Ah, then there'll be no problem. He might be high and mighty within this city, but compared to the royal family? Actually, I'm curious to see that insolent punk's face now. Hahaha."
Relieved, the guard escorted the Hero to the door.
"What right did that bastard have to harass the Hero and obstruct the path of one on whom the nation's fate rests? Don't worry and go back!"
The guard seemed convinced that this brat would become a decent dog through this opportunity.
Jun and Sophia also hoped that would be the case.
That he would reflect on his earlier actions and live a reformed life.
But a leopard doesn't change its spots so easily, it seemed.
A few days later, a young man came to see the Hero.
The knights tried to block him, but the Hero read the pitiful expression on the young man's face and agreed to meet him.
"Why do you look so sad?"
"Sob...! My fiancée...."
Mahiel had recovered from his treatment and committed a heinous act against the young man's fiancée.
The young man had run away, afraid of retaliation, and hated himself for being a coward.
In the end, the only person he could think of to resolve this situation was the Hero.
"You must have been through a lot."
He still hasn't learned his lesson, huh.
Jun was disappointed.
He thought it was just a street thug playing tough.
If he'd known the bastard was this vile, he would have made sure he never got up from that hospital bed.
Just imagining that he and Sophia had been ordinary lovers a few days ago was horrifying beyond words.
"I'll help. I can't turn back the past, but I'll do my best to see that he receives a fitting punishment. Do you know where he is now?"
As the Hero rose from his seat.
A gap appeared in his flank.
Yes.
The young man had been sent by Mahiel to harm the Hero.
Puuuk—.
"Ugh!"
"Hero-nim!!!"
The young man had a dagger strapped to his calf.
He stabbed the Hero in the abdomen.
"Ah, now I can finally save h—"
Swish—!
Enraged, the knight executed the criminal who had attacked the Hero on the spot.
"Keuk."
The Hero staggered and collapsed to the ground.
"Hero-nim, I'll staunch the bleeding immediately."
"The dagger is coated with poison!"
"Priest! Call the priest right now!"
Sophia and the knights quickly took command of the situation.
"Hero-nim, you must hold on. You'll be treated soon."
Sophia gripped Jun's hand tightly and wiped her tears.
"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt as much as I thought."
Jun, whose complexion had turned pale in an instant, tried to comfort Sophia.
"Don't say anything!"
Sophia hated Jun for worrying about her even in this situation.
A priest arrived immediately and began pouring heal into the Hero.
"The poison is too strong! The healing isn't working properly!"
Contrary to expectations, the Hero wasn't healed right away.
"I'll cut out a large portion of the wound and use holy water! Even if the pain is severe, you must not lose consciousness!"
Tssss—!
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
When the holy water was applied, the wound sizzled and smoked.
"Now the healing is working properly!"
Thus the priests treated the Hero.
The Hero lost consciousness as soon as the treatment was finished.
Sophia, who had been watching his condition with grave concern, called all the other knights as soon as Jun calmed down.
"Strengthen the perimeter around the Hero-nim, and bring the mastermind before me by sunrise tomorrow."
She had been unable to do anything when the incident happened right in front of her.
She didn't rationalize that no one could have stopped the attack because the distance between the Hero and the assassin was too close.
She only resented herself for failing to protect the Hero-nim.
So she would capture the enemy and make an example of them.
She would wipe out the entire lineage of those who dared harm the Hero.
The city was turned upside down.
The knights traced the incident step by step.
It didn't take long to discover that the culprit was Mahiel, and they captured him immediately.
In the process, anyone who resisted was subdued.
Those who fought back received the same treatment.
As he was dragged away, Mahiel realized what he had done.
He had poked the tiger's nose.
Too late for regrets.
He had been given a chance, yet he stupidly committed a crime.
"Please spare me! Please spare me! I was shortsighted! I will never threaten the Hero-nim again! I was wrong!"
When brought before Sophia, the bastard bowed his head and groveled.
"Raise your head. Look into my eyes."
"Eeek!"
Mahiel met Sophia's gaze.
It was a look devoid of any expectation.
Even a pebble on the street wouldn't be looked at with such eyes.
"I investigated you, and it turns out that talk about the assassin trying to kill the Hero-nim wasn't entirely a lie, huh? And there have been countless incidents like this before, haven't there?"
She stomped hard on Mahiel's hand, which was pressed against the ground.
"You take whichever woman you want, and if someone doesn't suit you, you dig up their weaknesses and kill them all. Exactly who are you begging forgiveness from, you bastard?"
"I'll never do it again! I'm sorry!"
He trembled like a bug.
"Didn't you hear me? It's too late for you."
Disgusting.
"After some appropriate punishment, move him to the square tomorrow."
Sophia tossed Mahiel to the knights and left without looking back.
"Hero-nim... You can't be hurt...."
Jun's complexion had improved considerably.
Sophia watched over him all night as he slept.
"Sophia."
"Ah, Hero-nim! When did I fall asleep...!"
Sophia was startled awake by Jun's call.
"Lady Sophia. Everything is ready."
A voice called from outside.
"Hero-nim, let's go together. I'll show you something fun."
Jun followed her, confused.
He felt refreshed compared to before, and seeing Sophia's smiling face lifted his spirits.
When they stepped into the square, the crowd was enormous.
"Did we decide to hold a festival today?"
Jun looked around in wonder.
There was a platform in the middle of the square.
When did that appear?
As he marveled, the crowd cheered.
"Wooooaaah!"
Some whistled, others wept tears of joy.
Was a celebrity visiting?
He peered closely at who was ascending the platform.
"Sophia. Who is that?"
"That's right! The insolent criminal who dared challenge the Hero-nim!"
Mahiel stood on the platform.
"And the people following up behind...?"
"Of course, they're the criminal's family, no? The blood that committed a crime couldn't possibly be clean, right? Even if we defeat the Demon King, if things like that remain, they'll cause great harm to the kingdom!"
Jun felt that Sophia's demeanor was different from usual.
"Wait. What do you mean by that? I can barely keep up—what happened while I was unconscious?"
"Hero-nim. Don't worry. Leave these 'trivial' matters to us. You are meant for greater things."
While the Hero was left speechless, the crowd chanted.
"Death penalty! Death penalty! Death penalty!"
"Kill them!!!"
On the platform, the condemned bowed their heads humbly forward.
Starting with Mahiel, heads fell one by one.
The last one.
"No! I'm different from that bastard Mahiel! Please!"
The executioner swung his arm regardless.
Thwuck.
Their eyes met.
"Urk."
The Hero gagged.
Sophia smiled brightly.
Her eyes glowed unusually bright.
Later, the Hero heard about Mahiel's deeds but made no reaction.