Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Protagonist is a Villain
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Aira began thrashing around even more wildly, as if denying my claim that she was just pretending to be insane. She pounded her fists against the bars and even bit at them as if trying to break them apart. Her ferocious glare brimmed with murderous intent, but I had faith in the durability of our underground dungeon.
"Ah... Lord. But if she's locked away in a dungeon like this forever, she'll truly lose her mind. They say we should hate the sin, not the sinner."
"Sieri. If she doesn't reflect on her actions, what's the point of any punishment? If we forgave her crimes just because she pretends to be insane, why would we pray to the gods or seek forgiveness for our sins?"
"Then, Lord, do you intend to keep her imprisoned here indefinitely?"
"No. I'll administer her punishment."
I leaned in close and whispered into Sieri's ear. Ever since that wench started faking her madness, I'd been itching to try out a particular punishment on her, and this was the perfect opportunity. Sieri's jaw dropped as she listened, utterly speechless.
Seeing that adorable little mouth gaping wide, I couldn't help but imagine shoving my finger inside and swirling it around.
"Th-that... such cruelty..."
"Sieri. Thieves and con artists traditionally have their hands severed. But does such a penalty truly serve to reform them? Would she genuinely repent if we chopped off her arms? No, Sieri. True reflection only begins when someone grasps the full weight of their sins. Only those who feel shame can truly repent. Severing limbs would only breed hatred."
"Still... but..."
"Sieri. I truly want to witness her sincere repentance. And if she does repent and becomes a new person, I might even create a position for her right here in this mansion."
Aira, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly fell silent. Clearly, her curiosity about her impending punishment outweighed any interest in continuing her mad act. Sieri seemed gradually swayed by my words.
As a woman of the faith, the reformation of sinners was of utmost importance to her.
Sieri nodded in agreement. I stroked her head gently and murmured.
"That's right, Sieri. Just follow my lead."
"Yes, Lord..."
Aira slowly backed away and sat down on the bed in the corner. I stared directly at her and said.
"Aira. Before your punishment begins, I'll have you moved to a new room. The real punishment will take place in three days. Steel yourself in the meantime."
The conditions Aira was enduring were abysmal. The underground dungeon had poor ventilation, barely any light, and hardly any visitors. Pretending to be crazy in such a hellish place with over ten empty cells would drive anyone truly mad.
If she actually lost her mind before the punishment, that would be a problem for me.
And so, I ordered her transferred to an empty room on the first floor, with instructions to treat her to the utmost luxury. According to the servants, the change in environment had made her drop the crazy act entirely—she was behaving quietly now, either adapting to her surroundings or lost in thought about her situation.
Was she afraid of being sent back to the dungeon if she kept up the pretense? Her true intentions were beyond my grasp.
Afterward, I summoned a valet and instructed him to round up the local thugs and vagrants with poor reputations prowling the village. Having recently beaten a tenant farmer to death, the valet's eyes gleamed with eagerness at the task. He quickly procured a few men from the village.
They were the usual sorts: drunken wife-beaters who terrorized their homes, back-alley extortionists preying on children, and gambling-addicted homeless drifters. Excluding the utterly useless vagrant, only the wife-beater and the extortionist remained.
Aware of their own crimes, they hung their heads low, sweating profusely. I calmly regarded the pair while gripping my mace.
"P-please forgive us, Lord! I'll never lay a hand on my wife again!"
"M-me too, mercy! I'll never take money from kids again!"
I hadn't said a word, yet swinging my mace had truth spilling from their lips. From now on, I should call it my Wand of Truth.
Aira was growing anxious. The food was delicious, the room spotlessly clean, and the servants treated her with uncharacteristic kindness. It was the finest hospitality she'd received since turning to a life of cons and scams.
What scheme are they plotting to treat me this well?
Aira harbored such suspicions throughout the three days, robbing her of any real rest. Every night, she trembled in fear of being suddenly dragged away. And then the three days passed. Bound in chains, Aira was hauled out to the front gate of the lord's mansion.
The lord had clearly publicized the punishment, as crowds lined the main village street.
Overwhelmed by their stares already, Aira bowed her head. A nearby soldier placed a placard atop her head. Keeping her gaze down, Aira read the inscription.
- I stole from the lord's mansion and tried to flee without repenting my crimes.
Aira let out a hollow chuckle. So that's their game—public humiliation, perhaps even a mock execution. She'd walk the streets, take a few stones from the crowd, shed some tears, feign remorse. It all sounded like such a pious spectacle.
Very much in line with religious thinking, Aira mused. The lord ascended the platform, no doubt to explain the punishment about to unfold. The crowd, already anticipating the details, clutched stones in readiness.
"Everyone commits sins. We fail to grasp their gravity and repeat the same mistakes. We all become sinners that way. You, me—we all carry guilt in our hearts."
Aira turned her gaze toward Lucius. The crowd followed suit, eyes fixed on him.
"This sinner before you, Aira, is a brazen criminal. A thief by trade, yet I believe severing her hand would be too cruel a judgment to inspire true repentance. Don't you agree?"
There was no response. In the heavy silence, Lucius continued.
"As I said, we are all sinners. The reason we live on despite our sins is to spend our remaining days reflecting and atoning. Aira here bears a slightly heavier burden than most, but she's no different from us. We must give her a new chance. Don't you agree?"
A faint "Yes" rose from somewhere in the crowd. Heads nodded in agreement, murmurs of "Yes" rippling outward like waves until they swelled into a mighty cheer.
"Yes! Indeed!"
Dozens of villagers shouted in unison, and Aira shrank back, overwhelmed by the roar. Lucius nodded with evident satisfaction, then gestured to the soldiers.
"Strip Aira of her clothes."
"Pardon?"
Aira blurted out in shock, forgetting her mad act entirely. The villagers buzzed in surprise at the unexpected turn. Even the soldiers hesitated, hands outstretched uncertainly.
"For Aira here, her life as a sinner has already ended. New wine requires new wineskins; a new life demands a new body. Today, she will walk this village naked, washing away her sins in a rite of rebirth as a new person."
"Wh-what... wait a minute... what are you doing?!"
The soldiers seized Aira's clothes. Ignoring her frantic resistance, they tore them away, leaving only her undergarments. Aira collapsed to the ground, exposed to the crowd's lecherous stares.
"As she walks, insult her freely, everyone. Her remaining sins will be purged in the mockery, and the moment she returns to this gate, she will emerge reborn, ready for a fresh start."
One soldier gave Aira a slight push forward, and the crowd parted accordingly, clearing a path. Lucius declared.
"Aira. Remove your undergarments yourself."
"What did you say?"
"Refuse, and we'll do it by force. We were all born naked into this world. To become a new person, you must strip bare. Take them off."
"You bastard!"
Aira screamed, pointing accusingly at Lucius.
"That man raped me! Now he's humiliating me like this!"
A ripple of unease passed through the crowd, but Lucius didn't flinch. He simply prayed aloud.
"O gods, forgive this woman who still spreads vile falsehoods."
"You're all being deceived! He's a con artist and a rapist!"
"Strip her."
The soldiers charged in. As Aira flailed and hurled curses at Lucius, he remained utterly impassive.
"Filthy scum! Die in agony, you bastard! You fucking dog! Sh... shit!"
"And yet, I forgive you."
"Kyahaaaaah!"
Aira felt herself teetering on the edge of true madness. The sheer irrational brutality of it all—this punishment—filled her with rage and disbelief. The soldiers ripped away her undergarments, leaving her completely naked on the ground. The crowd tentatively picked up stones, eyes locked on her. Lucius spoke.
"Aira. You will now circle the village once. Endure every insult. If you collapse or fall, you'll return here to the mansion and start the procession anew."
"Sob... hic... you bastard..."
Aira finally crumpled in place, sobbing uncontrollably. Lucius turned to the soldiers.
"Now, position Aira at the front gate."
Two soldiers hauled her up and placed her at the gate. Their hands brushed her bare skin, and they flushed with embarrassment, averting their eyes. Still sniffling, Aira leaned against them for support. Once she was set, Lucius proclaimed.
"Let the march begin."
"Hic... sob... hic..."
But Aira remained seated, refusing to budge. It was her own little ploy. If she just sat there crying indefinitely, what could the lord do? He'd called it a penance march himself—he wouldn't kill her now, and forcing her along with soldiers would defeat the purpose.
It was Aira's way of getting one over on Lord Lucius. Even through her tears, a triumphant smirk played on her lips. She could hear the crowd murmuring, and footsteps approaching. Footsteps.
Someone was drawing near.
"Who..."