Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 83 - 83 61 War and Peace

83: Chapter 61 War and Peace 83: Chapter 61 War and Peace He explained the origin and the process to the Subjects as well as the truth deduced from the arrival time of the Lord’s army.

Leon walked through the motions and asked the villagers, “Is there anyone present who wishes to make a final defense for him?”

His gaze swept over the seething crowd, where he only saw the back of Boris’s father turning away in dejection.

As expected, he could only hear the angry cries for execution from the villagers.

“Hang him,” “beat him to death”…These clearly did not qualify as a defense.

The village scoundrels were disliked by everyone, let alone now, when multiple crimes had been exposed.

If this had been a legitimate trial in a previous life, mere inference, without direct evidence, would not have sufficed to confirm such serious charges as harboring terrorists or treason.

Had there been a defense, it could have been argued that he acted out of fear for his own life, not realizing that he could have warned the village in time.

It was even possible to argue for his acquittal based on his subsequent flight to the town to inform the Lord.

Of course, in this era, clearly not a single person was bored enough to speak of such procedures.

Leon couldn’t help but understand why lawyers and advocates were an essential existence in a complete legal process.

Even for the most heinous criminals, the process of defense allowed people to clearly distinguish basic rights and wrongs.

This was not only the case in this primitive social form but even in his previous life, the vast majority of people had neither the knowledge nor the ability to defend themselves or others.

The scene was boisterous, the criminal had lost his senses, and the jury of the public only wanted to vent their anger by killing, returning things to the traditional model of a communal hall meeting.

Online keyboard verdicts were a hundred times more advanced than this charade.

“Since the criminal has confessed to the facts of the crime and shows no remorse, the evidence for the two robberies is conclusive, and the charges stand.

But the evidence of treason and collusion with the enemy is insufficient, with only suspicions remaining, and no sentencing will be given.”

Regardless of whether the surrounding Subjects understood his actions, Leon simply signaled to the newly hired young servant to bring the coarse paper booklet and ink prepared in advance.

“I hereby issue the following judgment, according to the tradition of the territory, and sentence the robber Boris to hanging, to be executed immediately.

All remaining personal assets are to be confiscated, to provide for the upbringing of the children in the village who have lost their parents.”

To save on paper, Leon simply wrote down today’s date, the 9th of December in the 672nd year of the Orland Calendar, along with the criminal’s name, charges, and punishment.

Felcon script was at least something the original owner of the body still recognized.

He officially decided the fate of the village troublemaker using the basic manorial court process.

It was just unfortunate that the emblem seal commissioned from the Herald Officer after asking Lord Balfe to return to the city had not been made yet, nor was there any indication of when it would arrive.

The sealing would have to be done later.

After symbolically completing his first trial procedure and deeming this document as the first official record of the territory, Leon let the young men take Boris away to await execution amidst the villagers’ curses.

Next, he announced the existence of the captured Knight to the returning men.

“…Although the surviving villagers voted to exchange him for ransom, you had not yet returned at the time, so you still have the right to decide the fate of that noble prisoner of war.

Whether to take the ransom or execute the criminal is up to you, and as your Lord, I will consider the collective opinion of more than half the village.

You have one day to think it over and communicate your decision to Brian the Blacksmith for recording before sunset tomorrow.”

After announcing the last public business, Leon got up and left.

Now that there was some clue to Sister Lokhak’s whereabouts, whether the villagers continued to want the ransom or sought his life was no longer important to him.

Lokhak had not said it though, Leon could see that every day his friend was enduring the anxiety in her heart.

Leon planned to wait until Azeryan had largely recovered from his injuries before setting out for the Kantadar Western Port to contact the Felcon Family for information.

Now that the two countries were at war, it was unclear how he would cross the contested border safely into enemy territory.

According to the location given by the captive, travelling from here to the Western Port on the coast was practically the same as crossing half the Kantadar Kingdom.

Of the three of them, only Azeryan spoke the Uria Language.

In such a short time, even if they trained in the language with him every day, Leon and Lokhak wouldn’t be able to pass off as Kantadar people like a nobleman’s son fluent in spoken language since childhood.

…

Regarding the process of Boris’s execution, the three of them had lost interest and didn’t want to watch.

Back at home, they stored away the first official document of the territory, and called in the little servants who cleaned the house to help them remove their Armor.

Shedding the Armor, they all felt a sense of relief once more.

Just as Leon was getting ready to continue learning the Uria Language with Azeryan, a servant came to report that someone was requesting to see him.

Descending to the tidy main hall on the ground floor, Leon settled back into the high-backed chair and summoned the visitor.

As soon as Tok entered, he respectfully knelt on one knee before the young Lord, removed his hat, and bowed his head.

“Noble Mr.

Leon, I’ve come to resign from the village official position I was appointed to in the past and to request your permission for me and my eldest son to move away from Selva.”

In Orland, even a freeman could not casually leave the territory where they lived.

“Do you disagree with my judgment?” Leon asked calmly, shifting his position in the chair.

“Heavens, no.

Your judgment is even more fair and merciful than I expected, but…”