I, who was eager to retire, became an Imperial General.

Chapter 96 Hell and Heaven

"..."

In the western part of Bahamut town, in front of the execution platform on the left side of the broken city wall.

Looking at the crowd that had spontaneously gathered before him, and feeling the gazes peering from the houses in the distance, John, dressed in a major's uniform, sat expressionlessly at the judge's table.

At this moment, however, my heart was filled with conflicting emotions.

Although he had decided to kill his enemy ever since he learned that Micah was involved in the assassination plot against him.

But initially he did not intend to participate in the trial, let alone preside over it himself.

Aside from not being particularly interested in bloody scenes of killing.

More often than not, it comes down to a matter of stance.

Although Dick was brought in beforehand to cover up the case, turning the trial from a commoner's trial of a nobleman into a 'house cleaning' for the Hardman family.

But John knew very well that this superficial act of concealment could not fool the nobles of the empire.

He could already foresee that after he finished judging Micah, those conservative nobles would secretly discuss the matter and even start arranging assassins or traps to find a way to kill him, a peasant.

This is hell!

Major John was filled with melancholy.

Just as he was considering whether to pretend to have a stomachache and need to go to the toilet after the trial began, he was contemplating whether to wait until the trial started.

Then, the power to try Micah Hardman was directly transferred to Leia, a descendant of the nobility, in order to avoid becoming a target of the imperial nobles.

As the military green truck slowly drove in from a distance, the gazes of the onlookers shifted from calm to tension or anger upon seeing Micah Hardman.

John couldn't help but sigh inwardly, then stood up and instructed Hawke, who was smiling silently behind him:
"Ready to begin, Sergeant Hawke."

"Yes, battalion commander."

Sergeant Hawke saluted, then his expression turned serious as he looked at the neatly arrayed Imperial soldiers behind him, and with a wave of his hand, gave the order:

"Bring everyone up!"

"Wow!"

Amidst the soldiers' movements, one by one, the figures bound hand and foot were pulled out of the truck like fat pigs being released from their cages.

Then, the first batch of criminals, under the guard of the soldiers, were led, with fear and gloom, to the large guillotine where the nine-gate guillotine was placed.

What John found interesting was that, under Baron Micah's arrangement, this guillotine had mostly beheaded those who attempted to rebel against the Hardman family's rule or were unwilling to become Baron Micah's lackeys.

After being tortured into confessing or falsely accused of a crime they didn't commit, they were beheaded under the trial of a 'fair' judge.

However, today is different from the past. The judge of Bahamut, who always holds the power to judge the fate of others, is secretly trying his best to lick the soles of Baron Micah's shoes to curry favor with him.

Now, however, he is the first to be pushed to the guillotine.

What's even more interesting is that April 21st coincides with the day the Golden Rose Kingdom established its first version of the Kingdom's criminal law, and it also falls in the afternoon.

The coincidence was so unbelievable.

It's as if some kind of destiny exists in the dark.

And he, it seems, was acting as if a powerful deity was manipulating the course of fate, replacing the one who had already disappeared from this world, to condemn these sinners who had insulted the sacred law.

To bring upon them the judgment that should have come upon them long ago.

But it's probably just a hallucination, right?
John felt a strange itch on his scalp and wanted to scratch it, but feeling everyone's gaze on him, he thought for a moment and decided against doing something so embarrassing.

Instead, he cleared his throat and addressed the townspeople who were staring at him in a deep voice:

"In the name of the temporary head of the Dragon Eye Territory appointed by the Empire, I, John Maslow, will now try the following criminals and impose corresponding sentences on you for the crimes you have committed, based on the Imperial Criminal Law."

He then stood up and took the document from Hawke's hand. It was a record of the crimes committed by the executed individuals, compiled by Hawke and his team at Hawke's arrangement.

He then recited it aloud in front of everyone:
"The prisoner, Sakho Dar, former president of the Bahamut Court and former Level 3 Senior Judge, repeatedly altered the trial results for Micah Hardman during his tenure and secretly instructed court personnel to change testimonies. According to current statistics, you are involved in a total of 631 cases."

"He repeatedly abused his power to assault multiple underage girls, resulting in the deaths of 13 people, and used his position to close these cases. He also accepted bribes multiple times during his ten years in office, totaling 600 million pennies." "According to Articles 35 and 42 of the Imperial Criminal Code, anyone who directly or indirectly kills another person or abuses his power to accept bribes and endangers public safety shall be sentenced to death."

"Therefore, in the name of the Empire, Sako Dahl, I sentence you to death, to be carried out immediately."

"Crack!"

As John finished speaking, to everyone's astonishment, a sharp guillotine was turned on by an Imperial soldier who moved the switch.

With a flash of cold light, the blade swiftly fell, and the head of the trembling, convicted former town court chief shattered like a rolling watermelon.

Under the watchful eyes of countless civilians who had been persecuted or tortured by him, the blood gushed out and slowly crashed to the ground with a dull thud.

"Oh!"

However, upon witnessing this scene, the onlookers did not show any fear or attempt to flee the horrific murder scene. Instead, they fell into a deathly silence, staring intently at the unseeing head on the ground without blinking.

It was as if they were doubting whether this was a dream or reality.

It wasn't until John ordered the body carriers to load the body into the pre-prepared truck and pulled the brakes back that everyone seemed to have just woken up from a dream.

After a long while, bursts of weeping came from the crowd, as if the hatred that had been pent up for many years had finally been released. But more than anything, everyone stared intently at the figure in the black imperial uniform in the center of the field, their eyes filled with unprecedented expectation.

"Auron Samuel, former leader of the Red Serpent Party, you are accused of 241 murders, and the evidence against you is overwhelming. You are sentenced to death, to be carried out immediately!"

……

"Ruth Darat, former vice leader of the Silver Hook Gang, convicted of intentional homicide, sentenced to death!"

……

"……death penalty!"

……

As John, his face growing increasingly grim, recited the prisoners' crimes and pronounced their sentences, the guillotine on the execution platform fell one after another, and in an instant, heads rolled and blood flowed freely.

In the end, due to continuous high-intensity use in a short period of time, the originally sharp guillotine developed a chip, and it had to be replaced temporarily.

But during this forced break, the number of residents watching the trial did not decrease; on the contrary, it increased dramatically.

Countless pairs of eyes, some angry, some triumphant, were fixed on the group of villains who were being chained and awaiting execution under the guard of imperial soldiers.

The criminals, now being watched with anger, had lost all their former glory.

Having witnessed firsthand how those powerful superiors in their former jobs, or unimaginable big shots in gangs, were subjected to the cold judgment of that black-haired, black-eyed man who resembled a demon.

It was like rows of fragile wheat fields, their heads sliced ​​off in an instant by a sharp guillotine, leading them to their utter death.

One by one, their faces turned deathly pale. Those with weaker mental fortitude either lost control of their bladders on the spot or fainted instantly.

However, after the guillotine was replaced and Major John, whose face was so dark it seemed like he could drip water from seeing so many detailed and horrifying charges, began to pronounce the sentences again.

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, the pristine white guillotine began to fall once more.

Carrying the hopes of all Bahamut for revenge, amidst the hoarse yet inexplicably resolute 'execution' chants, he slashed at the demons who should have long since fallen into hell.

The cloud overhead, which should have faded with time, was dimmed by passing clouds.

But today, for some reason, the sun is shining exceptionally brightly.

This blood-soaked scene, which should have resembled hell, did not frighten the onlookers; instead, it made them feel even more sacred.

It was in the tears that flowed continuously, and the victims, whose hatred had been avenged, cried out in uncontrollable grief.

They all felt as if they were in a sacred paradise.

"Crack!"

……

Still writing, will post when finished.

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(End of this chapter)