The Main Character is the Villain

EP 12 - House of 20 Bodies(2)

“My Lord!”

The knight captain, Robin, who was living the most relaxed life in the estate, came running to me in a hurry. When he came running like this, it meant something urgent had happened. Robin, who usually behaved as calmly as a guide dog for the blind, would act like a border collie chasing a frisbee whenever there was something he had to take responsibility for or something he had to do. As I stroked Sieri's head, I asked.

“Why the rush, Robin?”

“The guards have captured a group of bandits.”

“Bandits?”

If there was anyone in this territory who dared to oppose me, it was the bandits. These guys acted as if they had pawned their lives somewhere, frequently appearing at the borders of the territory and harassing people. The level of plunder had gotten so bad Lucius frequently summoned the guards to patrol.

Recently, things had been relatively quiet, but suddenly there was another skirmish. They must have had several lives to spare. Maybe Lucius had spared them once or twice.

In a place with a small population, each person was a valuable asset. If any of the guards had died in this battle with the bandits, it would have been devastating. We would have to cover compensation and hold funerals. Replacing and retraining people also costs money. Money, money. To a lord, the people of the territory were money.

“Ah, yes… This time, there don't seem to be any fatalities. The bandits weren’t particularly strong...”

“Have all the bandits been captured?”

“Ah, yes. The guards discovered a bandit squad that had come into the village. They killed three during the fight and captured five who surrendered.”

“Reward the person who led the operation, and have all the bandits beheaded and their heads displayed in the streets.”

“I, that my….Lu….my..My Lord?”

Sieri interjected, clutching my sleeve and cautiously watching my reaction. From her tone, she seemed unsure whether to call me ‘Lord’ or ‘Lucius’. I smiled at her and asked.

“What’s wrong, Sieri?”

“Um... According to the teachings of the Great Celestial Church, even sinners are to be forgiven, with punishments focused more on rehabilitation...”

If you're a little too kind, they tend to cross the line. Sieri seemed somewhat dissatisfied that I focused more on brutal punishment than on the teachings of the Great Celestial Church. The right course of action would have been to scold her for overstepping the lord’s orders, but I had to manage Sieri’s favorability, so I had to refrain from such words and actions.

Sieri did have a point. I was the Southern High Priest of the Great Celestial Church and had just recently rehabilitated Aira through a march of atonement. I had also just explained to Sieri why people need to repent and rehabilitate.

Yet, to now order the beheading of bandits without even seeing their faces or crimes, it was understandable why Sieri would feel a sense of dissonance. Undoubtedly, many others besides Sieri would question the differing treatment of the bandits and Aira. As I patted Sieri's head, I pondered how to explain this.

In fact, there was no reason why they couldn't undergo a march of atonement. But in this game, as in many erogames, unless the bandits were executives or bosses, they typically weren't female characters. These were probably just rookie bandits, nameless extras. I didn't want to strip such characters and have them paraded through the streets.

That's a crime. A very serious and horrifying crime.

“You have a point, Sieri. My hatred for the bandits who tormented the townspeople blinded me. Let's start by holding a trial for the bandits. As expected, I really do need you.”

But I didn't explain it to Sieri that way. To f*ck a religious b*tch, I had to be religious myself. To f*ck a bone-deep believer of the Great Celestial Church, I needed to act like a believer. At times like this, agreeing with Sieri was the best course of action.

Sieri seemed pleased by my head pats, making small, happy sounds like a puppy. Normally, touching a woman's hair was taboo, but as a religious person in a world without perms or hair irons, she didn't seem to mind if I messed up her hair.

However, I couldn’t spend all day patting Sieri's head and just make static electricity. If I were to spend time with her, I wanted to make babies. To achieve that, I needed to view these bandits as positively as possible.

“Robin, hold on. We should conduct a trial first.”

I went out to the yard with Sieri, where the bandits were tied up. By law, the bandits were to have their arms chopped off, limbs cut off, or throats slit, depending on the severity of their crime. Of course, they didn't care if they died from the shock, so most of the bandits died during the execution of their sentences.

The bandits were lined up in the middle of the mansion’s yard. I was tempted to kick the head of the bandit sitting at the end and topple all of them over. The bandits seemed to be eyeing each other, as if competing to see who would betray first.

One of them, who appeared to be the most senior, immediately bowed his head when he saw me and cried out.

“My Lord! I’m so sorry! I have committed a grave sin! I’m an uneducated and ignorant fool who didn’t know how to earn money, so I resorted to banditry! If you release me, I promise never to do such things again!”

“I see. That’s quite unfortunate. But, are you truly remorseful?”

“Yes! My lord! I am truly remorseful! I will accept any punishment!”

“Alright. Robin, cut off this man’s hand.”

Robin then dragged the bandit away, as if he had been waiting for this. He screamed and struggled, but he couldn’t overpower Robin. As much as he's usually called just 'Robin', he wasn’t the captain of the knights for nothing. The bandit screamed like a pig being led to slaughter.

“Lord! My lorrrrd!”

“Um…”

When Sieri grabbed my sleeve, I held her hand tightly and spoke.

“Sieri, Aira only attempted robbery, but didn’t actually commit her crime. But these bandits have repeatedly engaged in banditry and belong to a ruthless criminal organization. Unconditional forgiveness only leads to repeat offenses. Just because we approach the world from a religious perspective doesn’t mean the world will become religious. Do you understand?”

“Lord! I’m sorry! Please forgive me! I won’t do it again! My lord!”

The senior bandit’s screams echoed from the back of the yard. I then turned my attention to the remaining four. I picked the one who seemed to be second in command and asked.

“Are you remorseful?”

“Even if I say I am, if you cut off my hand, how am I supposed to make a living?”

He talked back. An incredibly insolent brat. I turned to the guard beside me.

“This one isn’t remorseful, so cut off his limbs. He must stay alive until he repents, so I’ll treat him next to you.”

“Yes?”

“What are you waiting for? Go get a saw.”

“Yes, yes! Right away!”

The second’s face turned pale. But he still tried to act tough, as if he wasn’t scared. Sieri, her face also pale, looked at me.

“Listen, Sieri. Those who commit a crime must understand the gravity of their actions. That’s why we have laws. Not all people can be forgiven by the divine, so the king makes laws, and we enforce them. This bandit missed his last chance to repent, so he will be dealt with according to the law.”

The soldier brought over a large saw. Sieri shook her head and turned away, not wanting to witness the gruesome scene. The second seemed to realize the futility of his defiance at this point. He trembled and looked at me. I asked.

“Are you reflecting?”

“….Yes.”

The second barely nodded.

“Then let’s cut off your limbs.”

He lifted his head again. The soldier looked at me with a surprised expression. I continued.

“Since you’re remorseful, you should accept your punishment. To avoid disturbing the estate with your screams, we’ll gag you.”

Sieri, who had turned away, was now closing her eyes tightly and praying. It was clear that witnessing this was incredibly distressing for her delicate heart. I glanced at her before speaking again.

“Well, just for today, I’ll spare you the saw.”

Robin approached from behind, wiping blood off his armor with a cloth. He surveyed the scene before coming closer and speaking to me in a low voice.

“He died while cutting off his arm.”

“God took him.”

The second and the remaining bandits were trembling with fear. I glanced at Sieri and the soldiers before speaking again.

“Let’s do this. Since the ringleader is dead, let’s say he's taken all your sins with him. With one sinner's miserable death, I believe you’ve all realized the gravity of your crimes.”

Sieri raised her head at my words, looking somewhat relieved by my decision. She probably thought this was the kind of person her childhood friend was. However, I didn’t make this decision out of irresponsible kindness.

Given that no bandits had ever entered before, Robin and the soldiers also seemed somewhat relieved by my merciful decision. I looked at the bandits and said.

“I will provide you with land where you can quietly farm, as well as financial support. Every person in the territory is valuable.”

The bandits, seemingly moved by these words, bowed their heads and repeatedly expressed their gratitude. I turned away from them and whispered to Sieri.

“Watch closely, Sieri. See what reckless benevolence brings.”

Sieri looked at me with a puzzled expression, not fully understanding my words. Ignoring her gaze, I instructed someone to find a piece of vacant land.

Every person in the territory was valuable. However, their value was not more important than devouring Sieri. I was certain this incident would mark a significant turning point in our relationship, transitioning from mutual respect and friendship to a more unilateral and coercive dynamic.

I could see it clearly—their eyes glistening with greed at the promise of land and money.

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