Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Bandit Subjugation (3)
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"So, who's the boss?"
One guy who looked like the leader replied in a crawling voice.
"It's me, Young Master... Please spare us."
They'd ravaged women who looked weaker than them, and now these lunatics were begging for their lives. It was disgusting.
No great figure had ever said, "Only those who are prepared to be shot should have the right to shoot." But these madmen had lived as bandits without even that resolve. It was infuriating.
"I'll decide that. So, why did you start living as bandits?"
"We... We were serfs living in a village ruled by the Haydenburg Baron next to Windheim. We were serfs, but they demanded so much tax that we had no choice but to run away. Our wives and children were starving to death right then."
I set aside my anger for the moment and tried to force a calm expression.
Fortunately, it seemed to work. The bandit leader looked at me with desperate eyes and continued.
"So we settled in this mountain stronghold. We thought we wouldn't starve here. At first, it was manageable, but... as food ran out, we had no choice but to turn to banditry. We kidnapped serfs from nearby villages and sold them to slave traders."
Listening to that, I felt a tiny sliver of sympathy for them.
Because the story of how heavy taxes drove them here reminded me of Windheim back when I found Ella.
Windheim was now a great place for serfs to live, but back then, it was utter hell, impossible for humans to survive.
So, their claim of dipping into crime just to survive in a place like this had a bit of persuasive power, like an ant's tear.
"......"
As I listened silently, hope began to flicker on the other bandits' faces.
They must have thought that since I was personally hearing them out, at least we won't be killed.
But I'd never intended to spare them from the start...
Then, the bandit leader, still bound, somehow managed to slam his head on the ground hard enough to draw blood right in front of me.
Following suit, all the bandits—and the women who seemed to be their families—bowed their heads too.
"Please, sir—no, Young Master. Spare us just once... If you'll take us back as serfs, we'll live diligently..."
"Spare us! It's all because of the Haydenburg Baron. We did wrong, but we don't deserve death."
"What about our children and wives if we die? We became bandits to save our rabbit-like kids... Forgive us."
Looking at them, only one thought crossed my mind.
'Disgusting.'
They were truly revolting. If they'd just admitted their crimes and begged to at least spare the kids...
That might have been worth considering.
The kids had probably been dragged along by their parents and hadn't joined in the banditry, so they could've been accepted for population growth.
But these wicked people gave no thought to the women they'd harmed or others, brazenly claiming they'd live diligently again.
Such scum shouldn't be allowed to live—not as a lord, but as a human being.
"Alright. I've heard you out."
Hearing that, the bandits' faces lit up, thinking they might live.
I sneered at them and said,
"Helmut, Baldt. Take all the women presumed to be the bandits' wives back to the territory and prepare them for beheading. The men will be executed by breaking wheel. It'd normally be Baldt's job, but I'll extend your contract—can you help?"
Helmut nodded quietly.
"Imprison them in the basement of my manor in the territory. If they're too weak, they might die with less pain, so feed them well. The night before execution, stuff them full with the leftover meat and bread from the festival."
"Yes, understood, Young Master."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After finishing up at the bandit fortress—sorting spoils and all—I held the festival for the mercenaries as promised.
A rough tally of the spoils came to about 100 gold coins.
We bought pigs raised in the village at fair prices for the serfs, then ate and drank together with the mercenaries...
Their reaction was better than expected.
'Usually after a job like this, they just give us a bit of meat. But this lord included the villagers, providing food and letting us war heroes get praised by them. It feels great.'
That's what they were saying, so maybe a few would seriously consider settling down?
If they became soldiers in this village—no, in the Kroitel lands I'd rule—I'd treat them that well.
And since I couldn't execute dozens of bandits on my own authority, I sent a letter to the Baron.
Surprisingly, a reply came just days later.
[I approve executions, but behead all except the bandit leader. Sell the rest as slaves.]
A letter just like one the Baron—who unusually cherished his serfs for a noble of this era—would write.
Because of their sob story, he didn't approve breaking every one on the wheel, crushing their bones and guts.
Finally, I gathered the serfs in the village square and ordered the bandits' executions.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ We assembled the serfs outside the village, and soon the shackled bandits and their wives began screaming.
"Spare us!!"
"Young Master, please... please spare us!!"
"I don't want to die!!"
Their desperate screams hurt my ears, but I ignored them and signaled the mercenaries to line them up for the execution platform.
As the bandits who'd tormented them climbed the platform, the serfs erupted in cheers.
"Kill them!"
"Right on, long live the lord!"
"Those dog-like scum dared kidnap women like that? Kill them all!"
One by one they went up, and finally, the bandit leader—who'd been sentenced to the breaking wheel—ascended the platform.
As he did, two mercenaries followed with massive iron maces.
The leader shouted,
"Spare me, or at least kill me painlessly!! Young Master!! I was wrong!!"
Our territory's serfs didn't pity the screaming leader; instead, they openly laughed that the bastard was dying well.
Once the mood was set, Baldt beside me said,
"Young Master, it's time."
I quietly opened my heavy mouth and said,
"Execute."
With that, the mercenaries raised their hammers first for the leader on the wheel.
Then, with a thud, they smashed his foot.
Next the calf, thigh, pelvis, waist, and upward... crushing higher and higher.
Each hammer blow sometimes made the leader lose consciousness...
"Splash him with water."
Every time he passed out, we revived him with water to prolong the agony.
After about ten minutes of hammering, shattering bones and organs, the bandit leader finally died.
Then the mercenaries lifted him wheel and all into the pre-dug pit.
The rest of the bandits, men and women alike, had their necks struck by axe-wielding mercenary executioners as they mounted the platform.
Each thunk sent blood splattering into the nearly full pit, along with heads of bandits or their wives.
The executions continued for what felt like an hour.
Right after it ended, perhaps from seeing so much blood, my head spun—quite badly, actually.
Even so, as lord, I gave minimal cleanup orders before returning to my manor.
"Dump all their bodies in the pit, wipe up as much blood as possible and toss it in too. Then sprinkle all the lime powder I bought. Four hours later, cover with dirt so birds or beasts don't swarm."
...I did what needed doing, but I feel like vomiting.
What kind of mentality did ancient rulers have to carry out these massacres...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Months passed since the executions.
No notable criminals appeared after that, and the harvest was excellent.
Thanks to the farm tools I'd prepared in advance and the cattle and horses I'd bought, our territory's yield nearly doubled from last year.
The serfs now greeted me with, "Now we can eat rye-and-wheat bread even without festivals."
Before, that was only possible on festival days in good harvest years. Hearing they could eat like banquet days normally now filled me with fresh emotion.
From what I heard of the other Kroitel lands, yields increased fivefold, and they were joyfully screaming while building new granaries since they had nowhere to store it all.
The Baron's letter read:
[Never imagined mobilizing soldiers to build granaries from such unbelievable yields. No one will starve this year.]
Sitting warmly in my office, reviewing paperwork, Helmut entered and said,
"Young Master, they've finally harvested the turnips you mentioned."