People were complicated animals. Some sacrificed themselves without hesitation. Girotin Baloa was that kind of person. He returned to his town when he was no longer a commoner and threw his life to save them. But there were also some who used other people’s perils as their chance for profit. The world in chaos meant opportunities for those types of people. Joonbum hated those bandits who said they just did it to overcome hunger because pillaging wasn’t required to resolve their hunger.
-We were just farmers… We needed food…-
They all said the same thing when they were captured.
“Please! Save me! I’m-”
The bandits continued to ask for mercy, but the men who captured them were disgusted by them.
“Next.”
“NO! I just needed food! YOU BASTARDS! NO! NOO-arhg…”
The man who was dragged away as he was sentenced shouted like a madman. However, he stopped shouting as he was hit by a rock that was thrown at him.
“DIE! You dog!”
“DIE!”
“Kill him!”
“ARGH!”
Kids began throwing rocks at the man, rage blazing in their eyes. Nobody cared to stop the kids from throwing rocks. They were survivors from a town that had been raided by bandits. It had been brutal.
Jackson continued to sentence the prisoners. Tens of bandits were sentenced and dragged off. They were forced to kneel and wait by the side.
“It’s him! Killer Jack!”
“One-eyed Jack!”
“I heard he killed a man with an axe because he just walked by his blind side!”
“I heard he ripped a man apart with his bare hands!”
“Look at that hand! He crushed a man’s skull!”
“I heard he drinks rum using his enemy’s skull.”
“He looks so scary.”
People began talking about the rumors they heard about the man.
‘Rumors are all same,’ Joonbum thought as he watched the ongoing trials. Exaggerated rumors were the same in either world. Jack, the leader of the bandits, was put up in front of people. The crowds that were mumbling stopped as the man glared around. He was tied up, but he still looked fierce. He was close to seven feet tall and he had arms and legs thick as lumber. His bald head was full of battle scars and his face looked hideous. Joonbum looked at him carefully.
‘He could have been put to good use.’
The man’s physique was beyond average. If he was led down the right path, he would have been a great knight. Joonbum thought for a second but shook it away — the man had no chance of surviving this trial.
“This man led bandits to pillage over twelve villages. He killed all men and kidnapped over fifty women to sell them as slaves.”
“HANG HIM!”
“CUT HIS HEAD OFF!”
“RIP HIM APART!”
The villagers shouted in anger as his crimes were read out by a soldier. Some people began to act violently as they got caught up in the atmosphere.
“STEP BACK! WE ARE STILL IN TRIAL!”
“He deserves death! He does not need a trial!”
“STEP BACK!”
“Are you siding with the bandits?”
“LOOK! The soldiers are siding with the bandits!”
The people began shouting nonsense as they were taken over by rage. Jackson grimly looked at the people.
‘Dammit.’
This was why he first stated the crimes and sentenced them in a cold, calm voice. But, in the end, it did not work. At that moment, Joonbum who was sitting in a high chair on the stage took out his sword and slammed it into the stage. The loud sound of wood breaking made everyone stop and turn towards him. Joonbum carelessly looked down at those people without saying anything, but he was holding his sword that was stuck in the middle of the stage.
The crowd instantly quieted down. Jackson glanced at Joonbum in shock.
‘Ugh, that’s the real monster,’ he thought as he watched Joonbum.
‘He’s stronger than any knight, knows what will happen in the future like a prophet, is wealthy, has huge wolves as pets, is handsome, and well-built… That’s the monster right there!’
Joonbum, however, did not care. He was looking down at the bandits that were still waiting to be sentenced.
“Decapitate all of them. Hang the heads at the village entrance as a warning.”
Joonbum spoke out coldly, quelling the rage among the villagers. Jackson came back to his senses and shouted, “The sentence has been made! Take them away!”
At that moment, the bandit leader began shouting in rage,
“WHAT! I-I’m… I’m a noble! How dare you sentence me to death? I’m Jack of the Gerric family! I DEMAND A FAIR TRIAL!”
Jack, who looked like he was full of confidence, suddenly became desperate and shouted, “NO! YOU CAN’T DO THIS! I’M A NOBLE! LET GO OF ME!”
He began to shout and used force to get himself out of the ropes. The ropes grew taut and made a sound, signaling that it was going to break apart.
“YOU! STAND DOWN! STAND- UGH!”
Jack was powerful. Four soldiers lunged at him, but they could not put him down. Jackson was lost for words at that sight.
‘Ugh, this won’t end well.’
It was the first trial in Ainos territory. Over six thousand Ainos were watching the trial from a distance and hundreds of humans had also gathered to watch. The trial that was to proceed with dignity was now in chaos because of the man named Jack.
‘I didn’t expect him to be a noble…’
Nobles had their own laws, and they were different from commoners.
‘According to noble law…’
Under that law, Jack, who had burned down tens of villages and killed hundreds of people, would walk free without paying much of a penalty. Jackson frowned and turned to Joonbum to report.
“If he is a noble, we cannot put him to death.”
Joonbum, who watched Jackson silently, jumped up. He quickly moved in front of Jack and returned back to his seat in an instant. Everyone was in a daze at what just happened. Then, people realized the change: there was blood on Joonbum’s sword.
Jackson, who noticed the blood, turned towards Jack. At that moment, his body split from his head into two and blood pouring out. People screamed in shock, but Jackson was the one who was affected the most.
‘Damn! He just killed a noble!’
Killing a noble was a severe crime.
“What d-did y-you just do? He’s a no-noble…”
“Huh? What? Oh, you mean the bandit leader who thinks he’s a noble? Why would I believe such nonsense?”
“What? Sir, but-”
“He’s just a thief. He was shouting nonsense to avoid being killed. I don’t have time for such nonsense. Take care of the rest.”
Joonbum made his point clear and Jackson finally understood what he was saying. He nodded.
“Y-yes, sir! I will take care of the rest.”
He grinned at Jackson who realized what was going on.
“Maybe I should prepare a guillotine next time,” he mumbled as he walked away.
