Stand Up, You Too!!!!
Violence had been an excellent tool for establishing justice since ancient times. But what if justice still wasn't properly established even after using violence? Was violence not the answer? Then what was the answer?
Thirin knew the answer. Thirin said, "Violence times a thousand!"
-Crack!
"Aaaaaagh!"
If violence wasn't the answer, then the answer was more violence—that is, violence multiplied by 1,000. Because quantity itself becomes quality. These weren't the words of a shepherd. They belonged to the Red Heaven Demon King, Iosif Stalin.
Thirin truly had no prejudices. She held the attitude of a true intellectual of civilized society who would learn whatever there was to learn, even from a commie's words. Therefore, she also possessed the qualities of an illicit preacher capable of dyeing the world red. After all, fire is red.
Thirin decided to make the back of the bastard walking ahead even redder than before.
-Crack!
The sound of the whip slicing through the air in Thirin's hand was rather cheerful.
"Kyaaaaagh!"
"Walk faster, you snake-like sons of bitches."
"O-okay, okay! Please stop hitting us! We're carrying a stretcher, aren't we?!"
"Shut the hell up! Unless you want your skull twisted around."
"Ugh......!"
An incredibly bizarre scene was unfolding on the road.
Two burly men were transporting a stretcher, their bodies in a wretched state. The whip marks Thirin had graciously bestowed upon their backs were vivid. Lying on the stretcher was another man, his crotch soaked through with blood, white foam dried around his mouth as he lay unconscious.
What a terrifying and horrific spectacle. To put it simply, Thirin was in the middle of pummeling wanted criminals and dragging them into the city.
"Can't you move any faster? I'm tired, you know. I definitely need to rest inside the castle today. Finding you guys took a lot out of me."
"Why are you going this far with us..."
At Thirin's urging, the men carrying the stretcher sniffled as if they were aggrieved.
Seeing that, Thirin got even angrier.
"Whining now? What the hell do you bastards have to cry about? You like crying? Want me to make you cry more? That guy lying down looks lonely—should I make sure you're not lonely?"
"Please, please......"
Passersby on the road recoiled in horror and kept their distance. Even if it was a beauty straight out of myth or epic, if she was wearing a mask and whipping half-naked men, it was best to steer clear. Of course, some people might actually approach with delight instead.
Thus, Thirin and the wanted criminals occupied the middle of the road. Still, it was fine. The road they walked on was wide enough to be a four-lane highway—well-paved for a world that mashed together ancient, medieval, and early modern elements. The Empire poured an almost obsessive passion into road construction. Thanks to that, logistics moved quickly within the Empire, but the Imperial army didn't have enough personnel to monitor all those roads. The only ones thrilled by this were the criminal organizations that had dug snake holes and hidden themselves in various places like a cellular network.
But for certain individuals, that thrill had become a thing of the past. The ones being dragged along by Thirin were no longer excited at all.
Before long, the outline of the castle walls appeared in the distance. As soon as they spotted the Imperial security forces at the wall checkpoint, the criminals shouted as if they had encountered their saviors.
"S-save us! Hurry up and arrest us!"
"Please, please throw us in jail quickly! Hurry! Hurryyyyy!!!!"
They were desperate.
The security captain, letting out a sigh, signaled his subordinates with his eyes. The soldiers approached and took custody of the criminals. The bastards then threw a fit at the soldiers.
"Kill that woman! She's a witch!"
"She spat out poison! The iron chains melted!"
"I definitely saw her die! An arrow was stuck in her head, but she came back to life!"
"She's a witch! A real witch!!!"
"Shut up!" Thirin shouted.
"You think going to prison is the end? You think prison will be safe?"
"!!!"
The trash covered their mouths with their hands.
Watching the trash being dragged away like that, Thirin tried to calm her breathing. The trash kept making Thirin angry.
"...."
The security captain glanced at the miserable lower body of the man on the stretcher, then pressed his throbbing temple as he spoke to Thirin.
"Cirin... I mean, Miss Thirin."
"Hoo, hoo.... What is it this time."
"....As I mentioned last time, the... rather extreme physical damage you've inflicted on certain body parts of some criminals is clearly an overstep of authority..."
"It was tumor removal surgery?"
"...."
Thirin's expression instantly turned chilling. The security captain swallowed nervously without realizing it.
"That bastard deserved to have it cut off." Thirin smiled coldly. "He was a rapist. About two months ago, there was a robbery, rape, and murder case involving a young couple nearby. That was their doing too. And they killed a lot more than that. Sold the children. Sons of bitches."
This was information Thirin had gained through enlightenment while interrogating the bastard. The security captain, unaware of this, felt a chill run down his spine.
"...Even so, your methods are too harsh."
"Too harsh?" Thirin snorted. "Those bastards tried to kill me. I was just acting in self-defense. Honestly, I could kill them and no one would say a thing. Right?"
"......"
"But I didn't kill them. I gave them a chance. Since everyone has the potential for change, they should get an opportunity for rehabilitation. But that's one thing, and paying for their crimes is another. Don't you think?"
The security captain answered stiffly. "Delivering punishment isn't your role. Your role ends at capturing the criminals and bringing them in. The execution of punishment is entirely the Empire's responsibility. What would happen to the world if everyone enforced the law as they pleased?"
"They're going to die anyway."
"...They must receive a trial."
"They'll get the death sentence and die, Captain. From what I've seen? According to precedents?"
The security captain was at a loss for words. This woman seemed crazy, but she occasionally showed insights that gave him goosebumps. Precedents, she said. How on earth did a mere adventurer, a bounty hunter, know about the enforcement of Imperial law? Moreover, in all the times Thirin had brought in criminals, she had never once captured an innocent person. They were all trash who deserved to die.
Just what was she? Even with her face covered by a mask, her appearance was so captivating that one couldn't look away. Her usual behavior seemed insane, but the knowledge and logic she occasionally displayed were not something a street urchin could possibly possess. Just who was this woman?
The security captain barely continued. "......I suppose so."
"Then shouldn't they reflect before they kick the bucket? I simply helped them realize their sins through their bodies so they could repent and feel remorse. I gifted them time for deep introspection. That's how merciful I am. From now on, call me the Saint of Mercy and the Whip."
"......"
"It's pure, unselfish kindness itself."
Thirin nodded as if proud of herself. Then she looked up at the sky and nodded again. It was as if she were looking at some invisible entity.
The security captain's head ached. "......Please stop saying such ridiculous things."
The security captain waved his hand. "I'll warn you once more. It's your freedom to bring in criminals alive when you could just bring their heads. It's unavoidable if they die resisting during capture. But punishment is a different matter."
The security captain looked directly at Thirin. The woman before him clearly had the insight to understand his words.
"Punishment and execution are entirely the Empire's domain. If you continue unnecessary abuse under the pretext of punishment, we'll have no choice but to question your intentions. Please do not cross the line. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
If they saw traces of punishment—that is, overstepping authority—right before their eyes, the Imperial army, whose authority was being challenged, would have no choice but to intervene. The implication was that in that case, it would be better to just kill them and bring only the heads. After all, corpses don't talk. Whatever was done before killing them was none of the Imperial army's business. Especially since the ones Thirin brought in were heinous criminals who deserved to be torn apart.
"Hmph. It's my business." Thirin understood but scoffed.
Killing and being killed was easy, both for the criminals and for Thirin. But one had to think in terms of the total amount of suffering. Thirin could think from a utilitarian perspective. If they were going to die anyway, they should live a little longer, suffer more, and then die. Bad people needed to receive more pain. It would be even better if they reflected on it. If they reflected, they'd commit suicide immediately. If they didn't reflect, they'd suffer, and if they did reflect, she'd immediately end their worthless lives. Thus, a world where no one gets hurt would be created.
That's what all modern people think. And Thirin was a modern person. She was willing to go through a bit of trouble to spread the advanced ideology of modern people.
Thirin thought, You're making me do what you guys can't, but you sure love to run your mouths.
But Thirin didn't say that out loud. It wasn't that the Imperial army didn't do it because they didn't want to. Thirin had a sense of balance that prevented her from crossing the line.
"The money?"
"I'll tell the guild. You can collect it later."
"You guys really love that procedure, don't you."
Thirin grumbled and turned to leave but suddenly stopped. She turned her head to look at the security captain. Her eyes were burning.
"There are accomplices of those guys inside the city. It'd be good to investigate."
"....I'll keep it in mind."
Which meant he wouldn't. Thirin sighed and walked toward the castle gate.
At the castle gate, a soldier lowered his spear to block the way.
"Ahem. Please present your pass."
"Hey, you know me. You saw me yesterday and the day before. You see me every day! Didn't you see me talking to your boss just now?!"
"Ahem, you must present your pass."
"I know you let others through if you just recognize their faces?! So why do you always give me this bullshit?!"
"Ugh! By regulation, it can't be helped. A pass is required. Otherwise, please undergo a separate inspection."
As the soldier said the last part, his face subtly showed expectation.
With an expression of utter disgust, Thirin pulled out her pass from her bosom along with a single strand of hair and handed them over. This damn pass even required sacrificing a hair. It was fine for Thirin who had plenty of hair, but what about bald people? Thirin still hadn't heard the answer to that. As expected, the Empire was a barbaric nation that had formalized appearance discrimination against the hairless. In truth, her homeland wasn't much different, but Thirin's convenience-oriented brain ignored that fact.
Before the soldier who received the pass could open his mouth, Thirin quickly cut in.
"Thirin."
"Umm... It looks like it's written as Ddirin....."
At Thirin's murderous glare, the soldier shut his mouth.
-Ding!
As soon as the resonance plate rang, Thirin snatched the pass, huffed angrily, and entered the city.
The checkpoint soldier swallowed his saliva regretfully as he watched Thirin's retreating figure. It would have been nice if Thirin had lost her pass.
Soon, another soldier approached the one guarding the checkpoint. The soldier asked in a subtle voice.
"How was it?"
The checkpoint guard spoke. The soldiers began secretly exchanging something. The checkpoint soldier handed over Thirin's hair and said,
"It's pretty long today. I should get more for it."
"Damn it. Don't overdo it."
The checkpoint soldier snorted. "A married man sure has a lot to say. Should I tell your sister-in-law?"
"Yeah. He was a married man? His wife will be a widow soon then."
"....!!!!!!!"