Chapter 16 Let the Bullets Fly for a Moment <TOC> Chapter 18 To Battle
Translator: SumTLMan
The townspeople began to gather, and to Lance’s surprise, the once desolate town hid so many souls. The previously quiet square quickly buzzed with life, resembling a bustling marketplace. Complaints arose from those drawn by the prospect of food.
Yet, Lance stood poised, not uttering a word, exuding an aura of authority.
By virtue of his lordship, he already held power over them. But with a stern expression and the knight Reynard by his side, his majesty was further amplified, causing the crowd to instinctively keep their distance.
The murmurs of the townsfolk fell silent under his gaze, emanating a sense of restraint or even fear. This was the testament to the long-standing subjugation by the nobility.
Lance was acutely aware of his status. As a lord, he must embody the essence of nobility. For to show weakness or mercy to a people so starved they’d do anything for a full belly would be asking for disorder. It would be perceived as an open invitation for them to defy his authority.
His immediate goal was stability. He needed to establish control over Hamlet swiftly. To achieve this, he would use the “wisdom” passed down from his noble lineage to tame these commoners.
Being virtuous was a luxury he could afford only after he’d secured his position and his life. Any talk of liberty or democracy now, with ancestral blades poised at his throat, would be sheer folly.
Witnessing the preliminary establishment of his authority, Lance wasted no more time.
“I am the heir to the Hamlet lineage and the new lord of this land,” he began. “Generations ago, our forebears, accompanied by family knights, slew mighty foes to claim this territory. They toiled to build what stands today. All of you once lived here in prosperity and peace. But a treacherous steward, in collusion with bandits, orchestrated the assassination of the former lord, plunging this town into turmoil.”
With these words, he unveiled the captured mayor, bound and kneeling before him.
They resembled pigs readied for slaughter — bound tightly, their faces smeared with blood, mouths gagged, and expressions wrought with terror. Gone was the usual haughty demeanor.
The sight caught the townspeople off guard, realizing that their once untouchable mayor was now humbled.
Their shock soon gave way to schadenfreude, relishing the fact that the pompous mayor had finally met his comeuppance.
“The mayor, who should’ve been the protector, fled during the attack,” Lance continued. “He left the town open to pillage and destruction. Many of your loved ones were slain. And in the aftermath, rather than restoring order, he permitted mercenaries to oppress you all, colluding with landowners to inflate grain prices, leading to widespread starvation and death.”
Lance’s voice rang out across the square, “Who is the sinner of Hamlet?”
“THE MAYOR!” The crowd’s outcry echoed in unison.
Their rage had been suppressed, not for lack of emotion, but due to decades of oppression and the insurmountable power gap. But now, fortune had graced them with a chance to vent.
“Today, I fulfill my duty as the lord and pass judgment upon this sinner!” proclaimed Lance.
As the atmosphere reached its peak, Lance unsheathed a confiscated mercenary sword, and in one swift motion, beheaded the mayor before the crowd.
The severed head rolled, blood gushed out like a fountain, even spraying several feet away. The square fell silent, perhaps never imagining the mayor would truly meet such an end.
But in the next heartbeat, jubilation erupted. The square boiled over with excitement; smiles spread, completely undeterred by the gruesome sight.
With an impassive gaze, Lance motioned, “Bring him forth.”
The crowd’s attention shifted to the back, where the mercenary leader, tied to a cross, was being wheeled in. Though bound, the latent power of his formidable physique threatened to snap the wooden frame.
The palpable fear dominated the air once more. The once jubilant townsfolk grew silent and instinctively backed away.
“You all know him,” Lance’s voice pierced the quiet. “This is the man who fled when bandits attacked but returned as the sheriff. In just over ten days, he’s terrorized many of you. Who here has been wronged by him?”
A man’s voice broke the silence, followed by a chorus of accusations detailing the leader’s atrocities.
“He took my wife and tormented her to death!”
“My poor daughter… covered in bruises, she suffered for three days before succumbing.”
“…”
“In the eyes of justice, should such a man live?” Lance’s voice thundered, only to be met with an even mightier roar from the crowd.
“End his days!”
“Execute!”
A litany of heinous crimes was laid bare, each accusation so visceral it seemed as though they hungered to feast on his very flesh and blood. The once-domineering leader now turned to face the enraged crowd, his bravado replaced by palpable dread.
“Wait! I’ve served this territory, I’ve shed blood for this town, I demand an audience with the mayor!”
“The mayor? Ah,” Lance, with a wry smile, pointed with his sword to a severed head on the ground. Only then did the leader notice the corpse, obscured by the throng, intensifying his fear.
“Sir, these rabble-rousers are spewing nonsense! I’ve always protected this town. Without me, bandits would’ve overrun this place long ago.”
“Defiant, are we?” Lance’s gaze, accompanied by a sly smirk, bore into the leader.
Though outwardly rough, the leader was a cunning wolf; his survival and rise to the position of sheriff amidst bandits attested to that. Sensing an opportunity for mercy, he pleaded swiftly.
“It was all the mayor’s bidding! I was coerced. I swear on the gods, if spared, I’ll mend my ways.”
Regardless of the larger picture, his first instinct was self-preservation. Even though he had benefited greatly under the mayor’s patronage, facing this man, he didn’t hesitate to switch allegiances.
“Very well! I offer you a chance,” declared Lance, sweeping his arm over the crowd, “Choose any amongst them. If you best them, you’ll earn your freedom.”
Hearing this, joy lit up the leader’s face, sensing that Lance was providing him an honorable way out. In a world like this, who could resist harnessing ready power? To rejoin the fold, all he needed was to dispatch a mere commoner.
With a nod from Lance, Reynard stepped forward, slashing through the ropes binding the leader, setting him free.
As the leader flexed his wrists, his predatory eyes scanned the trembling villagers. He knew myriad ways to eliminate them.
The previously impassioned crowd recoiled at his newfound freedom, swiftly creating a clear circle around him. They couldn’t help it — the imposing stature and brutal power of this mercenary leader was overwhelmingly intimidating. His reign of terror and atrocities committed in the town had sown seeds of deep-rooted fear.
With a clang, Lance tossed his sword before the leader, challenging, “Who dares stand against him?”
Chapter 16 Let the Bullets Fly for a Moment <TOC> Chapter 18 To Battle