Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 87 Severe Punishment
As evening fell, the afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows over Lion's Tooth Castle, but it could not dispel the tense and somber atmosphere that permeated the castle's interior.

Butler Buffet didn't even have time to brush the dust off his robes before rushing back to the castle, looking anxious and worried.

As soon as he entered, he felt an unusually low pressure. The servants were all working carefully, not daring to make the slightest noise. The news that the young master was going to publicly punish Lauru had already spread to every corner of the castle.

The trial was held in the main hall on the first floor of the castle, a place where the family usually dined and received ordinary guests, but which was temporarily used as a courtroom.

Kruze sat upright in the main seat, his face calm and composed, but his eyes were so sharp that one dared not look directly at him. Elena, unusually well-behaved, sat obediently in a chair a little further away, her large eyes darting back and forth curiously.

Wilstone stood beside Kreuzer, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his face expressionless.

In the center of the hall, Rauru knelt on the ground, his body trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind, his face pale, and cold sweat had soaked through his respectable servant's uniform.

On both sides stood many servants, guards, and representatives of the people who happened to be staying in the castle, who had been summoned. They held their breath and witnessed this rare scene.

"Lauru. You have abused the power I gave you, oppressing the people you are supposed to serve and stifling their voices. Your actions have nearly dragged the entire Lion Fang Territory into a huge crisis. Now, standing here, do you admit your guilt?"

"Young Master! I know my sins! I truly know my sins!" Lauru cried, tears streaming down his face, his forehead slamming against the cold ground with a dull thud. "I was blinded by arrogance. I was just... just foolishly trying to show off my own worth. I never intended to harm the interests of the territory! Please, for the sake of my years of service, even if I haven't achieved anything, I have at least worked hard. Forgive me this once!"

Just then, Butler Buffet hurried forward and bowed deeply before Kruse, his face a mixture of sincere pleading and deep shame: "Young Master..."

Kruze's gaze shifted to the old butler, his tone softening slightly, but the underlying chill remained: "Butler Buffel, you're back. You recommended and personally trained Rauru. What do you have to say about all this?"

Baffel felt a burning sensation on his face. He took a deep breath and struggled to organize his thoughts: "Young Master, Raoul has committed such a heinous crime, the facts are undeniable. As his guide and supervisor, I bear an inescapable responsibility, and I am willing to accept any punishment."

But... but I still implore you, considering that Raul is still young and inexperienced, and this was just a terrible blunder, and that he has served diligently in the past... could... could you grant him a pardon?
Give him a chance to reform? I swear on my honor and my life, he will completely turn over a new leaf and prove his loyalty every day from now on!

The hall was completely silent, all eyes were on Kruse, awaiting his verdict.

Steward Buffet was highly respected in the territory, and his plea undoubtedly carried considerable weight.

Kruse was silent for a moment, his gaze shifting from Buffel's pleading face to the trembling Lauru, and finally sweeping over every servant and citizen in the hall.

He saw the unease in the servants, and also the glimmer of expectation in the eyes of his subjects, like Sam.

He slowly stood up, his voice becoming deeper and more resolute, each word seemingly carrying immense weight, striking the hearts of the people:
“Butler Buffet.” His voice was directed at the old man first, carrying a hint of warm approval, “Your loyalty and the hard work you have done for the territory have always been seen and deeply remembered by me. But precisely because of this, I must never trample on public principles for the sake of personal feelings!”

His tone abruptly shifted, becoming incredibly stern, like a drawn sword: "If I forgive Lauru today, what will happen tomorrow? More people will harbor illusions! They will secretly think: the greatest price to pay for deceiving superiors and oppressing the people is nothing more than a reprimand and a successful plea! Then, the reward and punishment system we have just established to ensure fairness will become nothing but a piece of waste paper! The people will no longer believe that the castle can give them justice. At that time, who will be willing to devote their efforts to the future of Lion's Tooth Territory?"

These words were like a heavy hammer, not only completely crushing Lauru, but also causing Butler Buffet to sway and turn ashen-faced.

He understood that every word the young master spoke was an irrefutable truth.

Kruse continued, his voice echoing throughout the space: "I have established these generous rewards to encourage the loyalty and talent of every individual, and to lead Lion's Tooth Territory toward a more prosperous future!"

Not to allow certain individuals to abuse their power for personal gain and act arrogantly! Rauru's actions are not helping me; he is digging the grave for my Lion Clan!

He finally delivered his verdict, his cold gaze falling on Lauru: "Lauru, I hereby announce that you are stripped of all your duties as personal servant and, effective immediately, are expelled from the castle!"

Upon hearing this, Lauru's vision went black, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

“However,” Kruse’s tone shifted slightly, his gaze turning to Buffel, as if to inform everyone present, “given Buffel’s plea and the fact that you have no record of serious misconduct, I will not demote you to a serf.”

A new estate is under construction, and it needs manpower. Go there, start as a lowly laborer, and wash away your sins with your sweat! The choice is yours: to become a valuable person there, or to sink into depravity!

This verdict severely punished the crime, upheld the dignity of the system, left a glimmer of hope, and also saved face for Butler Buffet.

Two guards stepped forward, lifted the limp and powerless Lauru, and led him away from the hall.

Butler Buffet sighed deeply, bowed solemnly to Kruse, offered no further explanation, and silently stepped aside, his back looking old and forlorn.

He knew in his heart that this was the fairest and wisest course of action at the moment.

Kruze surveyed the entire hall, his voice softening, but the power within it was undeniable: "I hope everyone present will take today's events as a warning! In Lion Fang Territory, I promise that loyalty and contribution will be richly rewarded! But those who outwardly comply while inwardly defying the law, or who oppress the good, will be severely punished without exception!"

The trial concluded, and the hall remained silent, but a new sense of awe for rules and authority had quietly taken root in everyone's heart.

　As the month draws to a close, I would like to express my special thanks to the following readers who voted for me this month: Yi Wang Wu Chen, Zeng Di, Wu Lei Tian Zun, Zheng Lu Ting Yu, Matthew Lien, Parrot Code, Lan Ren, Yun Shang Yun Xiao, Bing Gan Huang Pai, Xing Chen Zi Xiao, Mu Te Su Zhi, Cong Ming De Mo Fei Te, Liu Guo, Xi Ye Sheng Xia, San Dian Yi Ke, Bei Fu De Qiang Wei, Shang Nao Xue Sheng, Jian Xin Qian Jin, Bei Fu Mo Xie, and more than a dozen other readers whose votes were all numbered. I apologize for not being able to list them all due to the word limit.

　　Old Gu silently remembers every vote you cast. Thank you for your support!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)