Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Protagonist is a Villain
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If you treat them even a little nicely, they're bound to cross the line like this.
Sieri seemed somewhat dissatisfied that I was placing more emphasis on cruel punishments than the teachings of the Great Heavenly God Church. It would have been the proper course of action to reprimand her for overstepping on the Lord's directives, but since I needed to manage Sieri's favorability, I had to hold back on such words and behavior.
For one thing, Sieri had a point. I was the Southern Priest Leader of the Great Heavenly God Church, and just a few days ago, I'd reformed Aira through the Penance March. And hadn't I explained to Sieri herself why people need to reflect and reform?
So now, ordering the bandits' heads chopped off without even checking their faces or crimes must feel jarring from her perspective. No doubt plenty of others besides her were questioning why the bandits were being treated differently from Aira.
I stroked Sieri's hair as I pondered how to make excuses.
In truth, I could have made them do the Penance March if I wanted, but in this game, your run-of-the-mill bandits—unless they were officers or the boss—weren't worth expecting any female characters from, just like in those kinds of erotic games. Newbie bandits were obviously just faceless extras, and I had no desire to strip them down and parade them through the streets.
That would be a crime. A particularly heinous and horrific one at that.
"You have a point, Sieri. I got so swept up in hatred for the bandits who tormented the villagers that I lost my sight. Let's meet with them first and hold a trial. I really do need you around."
But that's not how I excused myself to her. If you want to bed a girl obsessed with religion, you have to be obsessed with it yourself. To seduce a diehard Great Heavenly God Church believer, I needed to become a cradle-to-grave fanatic too. In times like these, the best move was to play along with Sieri.
Sieri let out a small, puppy-like giggle, clearly enjoying the head pats. They say petting a woman's hair is taboo for most, but in this world without perms or curling irons—especially for a religious type—she didn't seem to mind even if I messed it up.
Still, I couldn't spend the whole day petting Sieri's hair and building up static electricity. If I was going to do something with her anyway, I wanted it to be making a baby. And to make a baby, I needed to view these bandits in as positive a light as possible for now.
"Robin. Hold on. We should at least hold a trial, right?"
I headed out to the courtyard where the bandits were tied up, with Sieri in tow.
By traditional law, bandits were punished according to the severity of their crimes—severed arms, limbs, or heads. Of course, no one cared if they died from shock, so most bandit deaths occurred during execution.
The bandits sat in a neat row in the middle of the mansion courtyard. I felt a strong urge to kick the head of the one at the end and watch them all topple like dominoes. They kept glancing at each other, seemingly competing to see who would betray first.
The apparent ringleader slammed his head to the ground the moment I appeared and shouted,
"Lord! I'm sorry! I've committed a capital crime! I never learned anything proper and I'm an ignorant fool who didn't know how else to make money, so I turned to banditry! If you let me go, I'll never do it again!"
"I see. That's truly regrettable. But are you truly repentant?"
"Yes! Lord! I'm truly repentant! I'll gladly accept any punishment!"
"Very well. Robin. Cut off this one's hand."
Robin dragged the ringleader away like he'd been waiting for the order. The man screamed and thrashed, but he stood no chance against Robin. For all his 'Robin' name implied, the territory's Knight Captain wasn't just for show—the ringleader wailed like a pig headed to slaughter.
"Lord! Looord!"
"Um..."
When Sieri grabbed my sleeve, I took her hand firmly in mine and said,
"Sieri. Aira at least stopped at an attempted crime. But these are repeat offenders who've been banditry multiple times, and they're part of a vicious organized crime group. Blind forgiveness only breeds recidivism. Even if we approach the world from a religious perspective, the world won't turn religious because of it. Understand?"
"Lord! I was wrong! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Lord!"
The ringleader's screams echoed from behind the courtyard. I turned to the remaining four. Picking out the one who seemed second-in-command, I asked,
"And you? Are you repentant?"
"Even if I repent, what am I supposed to eat and live on after you cut off my hand?"
He talked back. What an insolent bastard. I turned to a nearby guard and said,
"This one shows no remorse, so cut off his limbs. Make sure he stays alive until he repents—I'll heal him myself if needed."
"Pardon?"
"What are you waiting for? Go get a saw."
"Y-yes! Right away!"
The second's face went pale as a sheet. But he was still trying to act tough, pretending not to be scared. Sieri stared at me, her own face drained of color.
"Listen, Sieri. Those who commit crimes must understand the weight of their sins. That's why we have laws. Not everyone can be forgiven by God, so the king makes the laws, and we care for them under those laws. This bandit just squandered his last chance to repent, so we'll proceed by the book."
The soldier brought a massive saw. Sieri shook her head and turned away. She clearly didn't want to witness such brutality. At this point, the second seemed to realize resistance was futile. He trembled as he looked at me. I asked,
"Repentant now?"
"...Yes."
He finally nodded.
"Then we'll cut off your limbs."
His head snapped up. The soldier looked shocked too. I continued,
"Since you've repented. You have to take your punishment sweetly. Screams from the mansion aren't ideal, so gag him."
Sieri had turned away, eyes squeezed shut in prayer. It must be a huge ordeal for her tender heart to witness this. I glanced at her, then added,
"Well, just for today, I'll spare you the saw."
Robin approached from behind. He was wiping blood from his armor with a cloth. After scanning the area, he came close and whispered,
"He died midway through the arm amputation."
"God took him."
The second—and the rest—shook with fear. I glanced at Sieri and the soldiers, then spoke again.
"Here's how it'll be. The ringleader's dead, so consider him to have taken all your sins with him. With one sinner dying so pathetically, I trust you've all grasped the gravity of your crimes."
Sieri lifted her head at that. She looked somewhat relieved by my decision. She must have thought her childhood friend was always this kind of person. But I wasn't making this call out of irresponsible goodwill.
Perhaps because no bandits had ever entered the territory before, Robin and the soldiers also seemed relieved by my mercy. Looking at the bandits, I said,
"I'll grant you land to quietly farm and some startup funds. Every single person in the territory is precious."
The bandits, moved to gratitude, bowed their heads repeatedly, thanking me. Leaving them behind, I approached Sieri and whispered,
"Watch closely, Sieri. This is what comes of irresponsible good deeds."
Sieri looked at me with a face that said she didn't understand. Ignoring her gaze, I ordered someone to scout empty land.
Every territory resident is precious. But not more precious than bedding Sieri. I was certain this incident would mark a crucial turning point between us—shifting from a mutual friendship of favors to a one-sided, coercive relationship.
I could see it: the bandits' eyes gleaming with greed the moment I offered land and funds.
The bandits were provided new homes and fields. This was an unprecedented measure even during Lucius's reign. Sieri felt a bit guilty, thinking I'd gone overboard to heed her words.
She still didn't grasp what 'irresponsible good deeds' would lead to.
The four bandits couldn't believe their new homes, the deeds proving ownership, and the vast fields. They'd hit the neighborhood on their boss's orders and struck gold.
"Bro, this is jackpot."
The third said, peering inside the house. They could use it as a hideout or sell it to rejoin the bandit gang. The second was biting his nails, still chilled from nearly losing his limbs.
The fourth was outside inspecting the fields. The paper in his hand marked these vast rice paddies as belonging to the four bandit brothers. He couldn't hide his joy.
p>The fifth was fending off curious stares from locals. It was only natural they'd be intrigued by yesterday's village raiders suddenly settling in as new folk. The villagers openly showed their disgust at their former tormentors.
"What could the Lord be thinking..."
The village head said outright. The fifth scowled and glared at him. Before tempers flared, guards arrived with supplies and broke it up.
The fifth snatched the supplies and slammed the door in frustration. The second was still gnawing his nails, deep in thought.
They were grateful for the chance at reform, but staying meant being branded traitors by the gang. Fleeing would get them killed by the Lord. The boss terrified him, but so did the Lord—especially that look in his eyes when ordering the limb amputation. It wasn't the gaze of the saintly Lucius people whispered about.
"What now?"
The third asked, forcing the decision on the second. They weren't brothers by blood or choice—from first to fifth, it was just the boss's arbitrary grouping. They'd barely spoken before banding for crime.
The first's instant betrayal upon eye contact with Lucius stemmed from that dynamic.
"I don't know. Fuck... what to do..."
"Maybe the boss won't come looking?"
The bandit boss might be so compassionate as to leave them be, letting them start anew. Of course, to the second, a lunatic collaborating with the era's trends had zero chance of letting them go.
From the start, basing near Lucius's territory wasn't coincidence—the boss calculated that a Great Heavenly God Church priest leader wouldn't risk ruffling feathers over minor thefts to pursue them.
No way this boss, exploiting religious mercy for vile crimes, would let them off. He'd be waiting for them to sell the land and house and return with tribute.
Selling the fields might get them executed by the Lord. Ignoring it meant death by the boss anytime. The second looked up. The nail he'd chewed snapped off.
"Hey. Let's just betray him."