Berserk, Total War: Second Son of Nobles

William rushed to the window and saw a group of people dressed as farmers rushing on the street downstairs. They were holding various farm tools and weapons, but they did not look at him submissively as before. Instead, they broke into the homes of these rich people like wolves.

The leader waved his spear and shouted at the top of his voice:

"All the rich people in the city are hiding here! Don't let any of them go!"

"Oh shit!"

William's face turned pale, and he turned around, grabbed the purse on the table and stuffed it into his arms.

"Hurry up! Sneak out the back door!"

He rushed out of the bedroom, pulling his men, but stumbled over the threshold.

"Damn it... How come these peasants came here so quickly!"

His men helped him stumble towards the backyard, and behind him came the sound of banging doors and the roar of the rebels:

"Search! Search carefully! Don't let any rich people get away!"

William's heart was beating wildly in his chest, and cold sweat soaked his back.

He thought of the miners he had driven into poverty. At that moment, those angry faces seemed to have transformed into the blades of the rebels, advancing towards him step by step...

"This way!"

The men kicked open the wooden door in the backyard and pulled William into a narrow alley.

The cold wind, carrying snow and the smell of blood, blew in my face, and in the distance came the sounds of shouting and killing and the explosions of burning houses.

William staggered forward, but suddenly he tripped and fell into the mud.

He looked up and saw that the alley ahead had been blocked by the rebels, and the light from the torches revealed many hideous faces.

"Catch him! He's a rich man!"

The rebel leader recognized William's luxurious pajamas at a glance and rushed over with a spear in hand.

William wanted to run back, his legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, but the instinct to survive drove him to turn around desperately.

However, when he turned around, he found that the rebels behind him were chasing him like a tide.

The two groups of people quickly forced him into the middle of the alley. William looked around in despair and found that he had no way to escape.

"Come on! Don't let him get away!"

At this moment, someone shouted, and two groups of people rushed forward and surrounded William and his men.

Punches and kicks rained down, and William and his men had no time to dodge.

Fists hit their bodies with dull sounds, and kicks on their legs made them curl up in pain. William's face was soon covered with bruises, and blood oozed from the corners of his mouth.

His men were equally overwhelmed and groaned in pain.

"What are you doing!"

After a while, shouts were heard from outside the alley.

A rebel soldier quickly replied:

"We caught a guy. He looked quite wealthy and we just beat him up."

"Stop beating him. What if he has something valuable hidden in his house? If you kill him, you won't be able to get any information from him."

"That's right, stop fighting and bring him out!"

The leading rebel soldier waved his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

Amidst a burst of shouting, people gradually dispersed, leaving only the two men in the middle lying in the alley with bruised faces and noses, half-dead.

William's face was swollen like a pig's head, his eyes were narrowed into slits, and his clothes were torn to tatters, revealing the wounds inside.

Several soldiers carried him out of the alley. The mounted rebel soldier exclaimed at the sight:

"Hey, isn't this Mr. William, the owner of our mine? How come you have come to this day?"

There was a hint of sarcasm and pleasure in his voice. William was half-breathing. When he heard these words, his body trembled slightly and a faint moan came out of his mouth.

Seeing that William was breathing heavily, the man called out:

"Carry him away and show our brothers in the mine what the master William who had been against us looks like."

A group of people carried William as if he were carrying a corpse and slowly walked through the streets of Padua.

They walked along the main cobblestone road of Padua, where rebel soldiers stood guard everywhere. They held weapons and looked alert to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to steal or rob.

Soon, William was carried to the camp outside the city. When the rebel soldiers who had previously worked in William's mine saw William, they immediately came forward and pointed at him.

Their eyes were filled with anger and hatred, as if they wanted to vent all the suffering they had endured over the years.

Before this, cracking down on evil aristocratic officials was just a slogan for them. But when they saw the nobles who had exploited them being arrested and beaten, the rebels immediately became excited. It turned out that aristocratic masters could also be beaten.

"Mr. Minzer, come and see, our old friend is here!"

Hearing someone calling him outside, Min Caier walked out of the tent and saw several soldiers escorting a ragged and wounded man. His brows frowned slightly.

"How can you hit people randomly?"

Min Caier thought that the rebels started beating people indiscriminately after entering the city, so he prepared to go over to see what was going on.

The closer he looked, the more Min Caier felt that this man was a little familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, and he carefully looked at the man in front of him who was beaten to a pulp.

"Mr. Minzer, he is William, the former owner of the coal mine."

At this time a soldier reminded him, and Min Caier suddenly realized.

"Oh, that's the right call."

At this moment, William barely opened his swollen eyes. When he saw Min Zeer, his body trembled violently, as if he had seen a life-saving straw.

He immediately rushed forward and fell to the ground, holding Minzer's boots and begging:

"Mr. Minzer, Deacon Minzer, please forgive me this time. I just want to make money too much. I don't want the money anymore. Please let me go."

His voice was tearful and his face was full of fear and despair.

"Okay."

Min Caier said, there was no mercy in his eyes.

"Look behind you. They are all miners from your mine. Ask them if they are willing to let you go."

William looked back and saw only pairs of angry eyes. The miners who had been exploited and oppressed by him were now looking at him with hatred.

"Beat him to death!"

"Yes, beat him to death!"

After hearing the miners' voices, Minzer kicked William's hand away and said righteously:

"You were given so many chances before but you didn't change. Now you change after being beaten. It's not that you know you need to change, you just know you're going to die!"

For noble lords like William, simply giving them a chance is not enough; if they do not sincerely repent, they must pay the price for their actions.

"Drag William out and lock him up in a dungeon outside the city. Tomorrow morning, bring him to the square with the arrested officials for public trial!"

Minzer's voice echoed in the camp shrouded in dusk. He stood in front of the tent with his hands behind his back. The scarlet afterglow of the setting sun stretched his shadow long, like a sword hanging over William's head.

"No, no, no, Mr. Muenzer, I'll be killed!"

William on the ground suddenly jumped up like a scalded loach, and shrank back trembling all over.

The bruises on his face were still oozing blood, and his once luxurious brocade jacket was now stained with mud, hanging on his hunched body like a piece of rag.

Hearing the word "public trial", his pupils suddenly contracted and a distorted scream came out of his throat:

"I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! I haven't had time to pay the miners yet... I, I can donate the entire mine! Please... please spare my life!"

Several soldiers could no longer contain their anger and rushed forward roughly to hold William's arms.

"Shut up!"

The leading soldier raised his leg and kicked him in the knee. William groaned and fell to the ground. The soldier grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him out of the camp like a dead dog.