Chapter 50
The temporary public court erected in the vast Capital square.
The nobles dragged here received the same treatment regardless of their title.
Dukes and barons alike were dragged out of the transport carriages like dogs and placed in the defendant's dock.
There were no explanations of where they were or why they were there.
Without a chance to understand the situation, the judgment began. A thoroughly unfair judgment where innocence was nonexistent.
"Now, everyone! Let's proceed with the fifth trial of the day!"
Once the guards restrained the prisoners to prevent escape, the lawyer rose and caught the crowd's attention.
This was the man who was particularly obsessed with taking down the high-ranking members of the faction led by the Young Lady of Arshakh.
A top-tier elite intellectual with a law license and a glittering resume.
Carolus chose him because he was expected to cooperate and participate most enthusiastically in this staged farce.
Sure enough, he was energetically conducting the trial from morning, even without being paid.
"The defendants brought up this time are Count Horn, Baron Grunwald, Viscount Arshakh, and so on, a total of 5 people! Fewer than before, but all of them hold titles!"
After lightly calling out the names to stir up the atmosphere, the lawyer walked among the spectators and listed each of their crimes.
He spared no effort in using the eloquence and rhetoric he usually employed in court to represent his clients' interests.
"First, this blonde old man here! Despite being 60 years old, he uses his position as a count to take young women as concubines! He didn't even participate in the war and just played around with the money sent from his territory!
Using the difficult war situation as an excuse, he successively established absurd taxes, so his people suffer from a tax rate of nearly 80%!"
"Next, this pot-bellied lord with a uselessly protruding belly! His hobby is gourmet food, and he spares no expense in collecting rare ingredients from all over the country!
The finest beef, truffles, lobsters, and so on! Of course, the cost of acquiring these things was all borne by the commoners of his territory! He even squandered the support funds sent from the Central Region to raise an army to satisfy his gluttony!"
"Following him is this skinny, gloomy-looking baron! This man committed a large-scale embezzlement of public funds!! He pocketed 30% of the expenses for the waterway maintenance and road construction project in the Great Plains--"
There was no prosecutor to refute the lawyer's words, nor a lawyer for the defendant.
From beginning to end, it was only he who spoke and criticized unilaterally.
Whether he distorted the evidence or exaggerated and minimized the facts, it was all up to him.
He could thoroughly demonize people and denigrate them like vermin.
Well....their average character was so appalling that there was plenty to criticize even without fabrication.
"Ugh, those damn bastards!"
"I've been exploited by those bastards for 40 years...."
"Some of us have been starving for so long we've forgotten what chicken tastes like!"
The people were quickly agitated by the lawyer's impassioned speech, which carefully selected simple words, considering the average level of public knowledge.
They were enraged and burned with hatred at the endless stream of novel misdeeds committed by the nobles.
The seeds that Carolus had spread through propaganda sprouted here and became kindling that heated up the atmosphere.
Every time he finished introducing each person, curses flew out, and primal hatred ran rampant.
The intensity gradually increased, reaching a climax with the fifth and final person.
The courtroom was enveloped in excitement and anticipation like a concert hall before the highlight song.
After finishing his long speech and taking a brief breath, the lawyer finally brought out the main event.
"Now, I will pronounce the verdict! Please call out the punishment you think is appropriate for each criminal in a loud voice!"
The alpha and omega of the people's court.
Decision-making by the general public.
As the baton was finally passed, the audience, as one, shouted with all their might.
"Death! Death! Death! Death!"
"Tear them to shreds! Tear them limb from limb and burn them with fire!!"
"No, that's not enough! Skin them alive and sprinkle salt on them! Tie them to the back of a carriage and drag them around the city walls!!"
"Whoa, whoa, everyone calm down! I can't understand you if you shout so hurriedly!"
The lawyer smiled good-naturedly and asked, as if confirming what he already knew.
"Can I assume that everyone here agrees to execute the criminals?"
"Yes!"
"It's a waste of rice to keep those bastards alive!"
As is well known, the people's courts conducted by the Communist Party usually involved several stooges and party members.
The reason was simple. It was easier to steer public opinion with many people who had coordinated their statements in advance. A lot of groundwork was needed to achieve the desired results.
However, there was no need for that here. They were already shouting for execution without hesitation.
The endless sins accumulated over generations by the Kingdom's nobility, the lawyer's skillful handling of the proceedings, and Carolus's concentrated propaganda campaign over the past few days.
The foundation for unleashing resentment without hesitation had already been sufficiently laid.
"Good! Then, let's give the criminals the right to choose their own end!"
Turning his head, the lawyer looked at the criminals and said,
"I will give you the right to choose your own end. Which do you prefer: stone, sword, or water?"
"Stone, sword, or water....?"
"What does that mean?"
"You'll find out soon. Just choose."
Confused by the cryptic instructions, the nobles nevertheless obediently followed.
Two chose stone, two chose sword.
And Visount Arshakh finally chose water.
"The selection is complete. Now, let the executions begin!"
He clapped his hands sharply. Guards stepped forward, dragging the condemned from the defendant's platform. They forced them to kneel on the stone floor and publicly announced their punishments.
"Stone, meaning stoning! Count Horn and one other will meet their end, pelted relentlessly with rocks!"
"What?!"
"This is barbaric--mmmph!!"
Resistance was futile. Guards already swarmed them, ready to haul them away.
Gagged and unable to plead for mercy, the two were dragged to the execution grounds, piled high with stones.
"Next, Karl! In the traditional Eastern style! Viscount Grunwald and one other will be sliced thinly, bit by bit, until nothing remains!"
"J-Just tear me limb from limb, you bastards! Is this a punishment fit for humans?!"
"What does it matter? You're hardly human to begin with."
The prosecutor's smile vanished, replaced by a sneer.
"If you were human, you wouldn't have started a war, concealed the cause for ten years, and exploited the commoners with such outrageous abandon."
"...."
No rebuttal was offered. Before they could utter a word, gags were stuffed into their mouths.
The two were dragged to the torture rack, the ground already soaked with blood and scraps of flesh.
"Finally, water! The most non-violent yet cruel death! ViscountArshakh will be boiled alive in a cauldron until he becomes well-done stew!"
"S-Save me! This isn't right!"
Desperately searching for help, Viscount Arshakh spotted a familiar face on the terrace of a nearby mansion. Hope flickered in his eyes.
"Camilla! Camilla, is that you?! Please, save your father! Can you stand by and watch your own flesh and blood die like this?!"
Lieutenant General Baden, Julius the Finance Minister, and Camilla, Carolus's closest confidante and purported lover. Surely she had enough influence to save a single life on the spot.
He looked at her with pleading eyes. Camilla raised a finger.
"....Huh?"
It was her middle finger.
* * * * *
"Ugh, that damn man. Finally seeing him die."
Camilla, leaning on my shoulder as we watched the executions, muttered under her breath. She'd been looking forward to this moment all morning, and the relief was palpable.
"Congratulations, Young Lady. No, I should call you Viscountess now, shouldn't I?"
She smiled faintly and glanced back at the others.
"You can all relax and watch. You've managed to survive, so you might as well enjoy your good fortune, wouldn't you agree?"
"Y-Yes, of course!"
"Absolutely! Hehe...."
Those who responded to her invitation were the nobles who'd barely escaped the people's tribunal, their faces etched with servility.
While we'd loudly proclaimed that we'd kill all the Blue Bloods, we hadn't actually done that. Talent was too precious to waste.
Nobles made up a significant portion of government officials, if not a complete monopoly. Wiping them all out would have crippled the administration. Even discounting the low-ranking and incompetent, irreplaceable individuals existed everywhere.
'The Kingdom's still at war. A reckless purge would cripple the Army's Supply.'
So, we implemented a strict Selection process. Those whose crimes weren't too severe and whose talents were valuable were specifically removed from the list of those to be judged. Of course, members of our Faction were included.
We could have just left them alone, but we brought them here to instill discipline. They needed to see what happens to those who don't cooperate after being spared, lest they get any funny ideas.
There were others, too. Some were spared to be sent to the Empire, others were left to be dealt with alongside the King later.
Quite a few slipped through the cracks. Still, we managed to crush around 70-80% of the noble families here.
"But there have only been men so far, no women. Is there a reason for that?"
"Ah, the noblewomen are being tried separately."
"Why?"
"To avoid any...incidents in front of the agitated crowd."
For the record, female title holders were being tried and dealt with privately in a quiet location. This was to maintain public order and prevent sex crimes. Bringing them here would have made crowd control impossible.
The citizens would likely have stormed the stage before they even reached the execution grounds, lynching them. They'd be stripped, raped, beaten – every imaginable horror would be inflicted upon them. After being thoroughly violated, being stoned to death would seem like a much cleaner end.
I had no desire to recreate Sodom and Gomorrah in Lahator.
Besides, most noblewomen who didn't hold titles spent their days flitting between salons and social gatherings. The majority hadn't committed any mortal sins.
"The trials should be finished in four days. After that, let's get back to the office. We have new preparations to make."
"What preparations?"
"....For the Civil War."
And when this delightful event concludes...
It will be time for another round of internal housekeeping.