Chapter 16
“So, what’s with the sudden change of heart?”
As Todd, the adjutant of the 1st Knight Order, headed to the underground dungeon, he asked this of Baelor.
Baelor didn’t respond.
It wasn’t like he knew the reason himself.
This morning, Baelor had been summoned by Vivian Rondore and received several documents.
‘Execution orders.’
Each execution order stamped with the emblem of the Rondore sun.
This was permission to end the lives of the pests who had been lounging in the dungeon despite their crimes.
Relief washed over him, but at the same time, it was unexpected and a bit puzzling.
Recently, Baelor had given up hope regarding executions.
It seemed impossible, and it felt like the death row inmates were just waiting for their own demise.
It tied back to Baelor’s beliefs.
After 38 years, the one thing he firmly believed was that people don’t change easily.
Everyone is born with a certain temperament.
Just look at the aspiring knights—you get a rough idea.
Cowards remain cowards, the violent stay violent, the impulsive stay impulsive, and the brave continue to be brave.
Like a snake is a snake, and a dragon remains a dragon… there’s no changing that.
There’s just a difference in how they hide or reveal their traits, but when push comes to shove, their real nature comes out.
Vivian Rondore was a coward.
To put it harshly, she was a coward; to spin it positively, she was a gentle noble lady.
She was a girl who used to be quite charming with her parents and loved her family dearly.
Although she might grow into a fine woman and a beloved wife, as the head of the Rondore family, she was not fit for the role.
Just a few days ago, she couldn’t even hold back when she was slightly insulted.
She always felt intimidated by the knights of her own family.
So, how could she possibly have signed off on twenty execution orders?
While others might think it’s a light matter, Baelor knew that one needed a solid commitment to actually stamp those orders.
There’s a pressure that comes with being a leader, and managing lives is no small feat.
Given what he knew, he had also granted Vivian Rondore some time.
But now, she had suddenly changed overnight.
He hadn’t heard of any of her retainers giving her harsh advice or counsel; this change seemed to spring out of nowhere.
It came so suddenly that it made all his waiting feel meaningless.
Baelor couldn’t comprehend it.
Seeing Baelor walk expressionlessly, Todd chimed in.
“Oh, could it be…?”
“…?”
As they entered the dungeon, Todd joked.
“Didn’t the commander insult Lady Vivian not too long ago? Perhaps she’s planning revenge by making him the executioner or something…”
Baelor turned back to Todd, his teeth clenched.
Realizing his joke didn’t land, Todd quickly lowered his posture.
“N-No, just kidding! No need to take it so seriously…”
“…Todd, you really ought to watch your mouth.”
“I-I’ll be careful!”
Baelor shook off the uneasy feeling.
Perhaps it was because Todd’s words had struck a chord, making him more uncomfortable.
However, if Vivian Rondore had indeed made such a choice, Baelor figured he would have to make a choice of his own.
As Todd suggested, he might even plan to nominate Robert Rondore as the new family head.
After all, how much blood had he shed for the Rondore family?
How much pain and anguish had he endured in the wars?
If he were to be given a lowly, contemptible role in return for his loyalty, there wouldn’t be anything left to return to Vivian Rondore.
Spit!
When Baelor arrived in front of the prisoners’ cells, he spat on the ground, releasing the discomfort he felt about Vivian Rondore.
Looking at the twenty death row inmates before him, he announced, “It’s time to die.”
****
The execution took place in the Rondore courtyard.
While it was a courtyard, it wasn’t exactly a small space.
It was large enough to comfortably accommodate over a hundred people in a big circle.
And in the center of that circle, a block of wood was placed.
The execution platform.
Seeing it, I felt my own tension starting to rise.
Heads popped out here and there between the windows of the Rondore Castle.
Maidens, retainers, and guards were all watching intently.
Everyone had their eyes glued to the event.
In the courtyard, the key figures had gathered.
The Commander of the 1st Knight Order, Baelor.
The Commander of the 2nd Knight Order, Toros.
The Commander of the 3rd Knight Order, Mordain.
The Commander of the 4th Knight Order, Burgor.
Their adjutants, as well as many knights.
Along with Financial Officer Brinden, Lady Linne and Vivian’s mentors, Spy Nesto, Butler Pipin, and others who wished to watch, including Vivian’s personal maid, Balron, Willas, Martin… basically everyone who could gather from the Rondore family.
And me too.
Anyone associated with the family was present.
Even the boy soldiers from the Punishment Unit were there.
Burgor had stated that they needed to witness the downfall of a major criminal.
The Balron standing next to me muttered, “I’ve never seen an execution before. I’m kinda excited.”
He couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, like a kid with a new toy.
Martin, fiddling with his pimples, chimed in, “I wonder if there’ll be a lot of blood.”
Willas added, “Finally, that old guy Derian is going to die. I heard he forcibly took both Aunt Eina and Aunt Laura.”
I shot Willas a glare.
Hearing that made me uneasy too, especially since the men from Roktana had died because of the crime rates increasing.
Martin raised an eyebrow, “Wait, you mean that Eina and Aunt Laura?”
“Yep.”
“Wow… that’s pretty disgusting.”
“I just wish that bastard would die soon. He may not have been ugly, but Aunt Eina was too kind…”
“…Shh. It’s starting.”
As Martin said, the execution ceremony began.
Vivian stepped into the courtyard, her red hair blowing in the wind.
Retainers parted ways to not obstruct her path, and she walked in with slightly trembling steps, garnering everyone’s attention.
She slowly ascended to a raised platform on one side and took her seat.
Beside her were the Butler and a few soldiers, along with some retainers.
It was hard to believe that this small girl was going to preside over everyone gathered here.
Vivian opened her mouth.
“Um, Baelor, are the prisoners… ready?”
Baelor stepped forward and replied in a loud voice, “Yes.”
With his blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, one could tell he was starting to bald a bit.
Yet, despite that, an aura befitting a knight emanated from him.
With thick arms and broad shoulders, towering nearly as tall as my father.
As Baelor turned slightly, the 1st Knight Order dragged out twenty hooded prisoners.
Vivian watched them, swallowing hard as a wave of anxiety washed over her.
This was the moment she faced those she was to execute.
As clear anxiety washed over her face, her red pupils scanned the crowd.
Her wandering gaze seemed to be searching for someone.
Before long, her large eyes landed on me.
“…?”
“…?”
We gazed at each other for what felt like an eternity.
As if there were only the two of us among the hundred people present, our stares exchanged across the crowd.
Vivian’s breathing slowly began to steady.
As she calmed down, my heart raced even more.
I had no idea what decision she would make.
Would I really become the executioner?
Would I be the one to end the lives of those twenty men kneeling before us?
Vivian addressed the crowd, “Before the execution… there’s something I’d like to ask everyone.”
Her small voice rang out clearly among the attendees.
No one dared make a sound.
This made Vivian’s stutter stand out even more.
“So many people have died due to war, including the Resquey family, who were the executioners of the Rondore family. As you all know, there is no longer anyone to fill that role. So, uh… is there anyone here who would be willing to be the executioner of Rondore?”
“…”
I felt an urge to smack my forehead.
It wouldn’t be beneficial for the family head to kneel like that.
If she was ordering, she should just give the command.
This hesitation was just going to make it look like she was ignored, and I felt frustrated that she had to show such weakness.
Willas elbowed Balron and whispered, “Hey Balron, you should volunteer.”
“Are you crazy? Why would I do that?”
“Are you scared of killing someone?”
“…Then you do it.”
“No way, I was just joking.”
The tension was palpable in their voices. Killing someone was no easy task.
Apart from their banter, the courtyard remained silent.
No knight stepped forward to serve their lord.
The silence only made Vivian look more foolish.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The long silence dragged on.
No one was willing to take the difficult path for her.
I understood why executioners were despised in the South. It made sense, considering it was a role passed down through generations.
But it was pitiful that no one was willing to step forward.
This felt like a confirmation of Vivian Rondore’s position.
Perhaps Vivian sensed this cold atmosphere as she scanned the crowd with anxious eyes.
Her gaze found me, as if searching for help.
“…”
“…”
This was the reason I couldn’t just stand by and watch.
She was still just a lonely figure to me.
She seemed to be precariously standing alone like a rose blooming in the wasteland or the last dying ember among the coals.
And I felt sorry for her because I thought it was due to our family’s situation. I just couldn’t take my eyes off her…
In the end, I nodded my head without realizing it.
A silent confirmation.
If no one else would do it, then I would.
Seeing me, Vivian chewed her lips and then spoke.
“If no one else will step forward… as the head of the Rondore family, I will designate you for that role.”
I could hear the tension in the retainers surrounding us.
Perhaps it was because I already made up my mind.
The sight of the retainers, who were worried they might be called, looked ridiculous to me.
“…Kyle Allen.”
Vivian’s whisper sent a collective gasp through the crowd.
All eyes shifted from Vivian to me.
My distinctive black hair stood out vividly among the Southern crowd.
People easily recognized me amidst the gathering.
“O-Oh…”
Balron, Willas, and Martin were similarly taken aback.
Vivian continued, “From now on, you are the executioner of Rondore.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again.
This is how it had ultimately come to be.
“…”
I didn’t want to; however, recalling what I had said to Vivian, I knew I couldn’t take it back.
I had insisted that I had to do it, and now, I didn’t want to look pathetic by contradicting myself.
I took a step forward.
-Thump… thump…
I slowly walked toward the execution platform.
The distance felt unusually prolonged.
The gazes of the Rondore family were upon me as I walked.
I didn’t take my eyes off Vivian. Nor did she take hers off me.
“Do you need a weapon?”
Burgor shouted from the back.
“…Two-handed sword.”
I replied coldly.
I could see Vivian’s expression shift as she flinched.
We were both preparing to take a life together.
Burgor’s adjutant, Coleman, brought a two-handed sword from somewhere and handed it to me.
I held the sword and felt its weight.
Though I’d lifted swords before, it had been a very long time since I held a real one.
It was the same weight as the wooden sword, but the heaviness of an actual weapon was incomparable.
It bore the seriousness of something capable of taking a life.
“Huff…”
I took a breath.
Gripping the hilt with both hands, I raised the blade toward the sky.
Then I checked the sharpness of the blade and drove it back into the ground.
Now that I was the executioner, perhaps the tension among those who didn’t want to be executioners dissipated, as jeers began to echo from the crowd.
The adjutant from the 1st Knight Order spoke up first.
“I wonder if he can even do it. He’s just a fourteen-year-old kid.”
I glanced back at him, replying easily in the hushed courtyard.
“I’m fifteen now.”
“Same difference. You’re still just a kid. Have you ever killed anyone, Kyle Allen?”
I found myself in a position where Rondore was looking down on me.
Considering our family relationship with Rondore, I guess it made sense.
Another knight snickered and shouted.
“This is quite the sight. Who would’ve thought the firstborn of the Allen family would become the executioner for Rondore? Is there anything more fitting?”
“Doing a job suitable for your origins. A barbaric and lowly one, at that.”
Laughter started to ripple through the crowd. I took a moment to glance at Vivian.
Her expression wasn’t very favorable.
Was it remorse for what she had put me through? I briefly considered that.
But I didn’t want to show her that I was being humiliated.
I knew I had to stay strong so that she would follow my lead.
Getting pushed around by a bunch of knights wouldn’t help me save face.
And I especially didn’t want to be trampled by the knighthood that bullied Vivian Rondore.
As my father used to say, “If you get punched, punch back.”
“Lowly, huh?”
I looked to the knights and asked,
“I’m not sure who you consider lowly, but you’re too scared to even help your family head just to take one life.”
My words made the crowd go silent as if I had thrown cold water over them.
Their collective expression showed that they had not expected me to speak out against them.
Commander Toros of the 2nd Knight Order piped up.
He was a short man with a sleight build.
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Earlier, I witnessed family heads looking for an executioner, and everyone turned into a bunch of morons. Is this the loyalty of Rondore? If it were my Allen family, everyone would have jumped at the chance to take on that glory.”
My voice echoed through the courtyard like a thunderclap. Knights, maidens, retainers—everyone fell into a hush at my words.
I continued.
“I’m slowly starting to understand how we’ve walked all over you. With idiots like you posing as knights, how could we not?”
“…You should watch your words, Kyle Allen.”
Commander Baelor spoke in a deep tone.
I realized he’d taken the bait and readied myself for the next remark.
I’d wanted to hit back at him ever since he’d insulted Vivian.
“Watch my words?”
I pointed at him and said,
“You’d better count your blessings for being born here.”
“…?”
“In our land, if you didn’t know how to keep your mouth shut and insulted your lord, you’d find your head on a wall as an object lesson.”
The murmurs erupted from the crowd in different corners. Baelor’s unwavering blue eyes locked onto mine.
Vivian’s mouth hung agape in shock, mirroring the expressions of the maidens and retainers around her.
Baelor continued.
“…Are you questioning my loyalty to Rondore?”
“Loyalty shows in action, not in words.”
His eyes scanned me, top to bottom. I watched the remaining knights behind Baelor grow increasingly furious.
But then, unexpectedly, Baelor chuckled.
His mood was clearly not getting any better.
“…Well, you do seem like the son of Jade Allen. That mouth of yours is still intact.”
“…”
“But let me tell you something, Kyle Allen. If you’re going to talk big, maybe you should suppress your fear first? Your hands are shaking.”
I glanced down at my hand. He was right; it trembled slightly.
Maybe I’d gotten tense after all.
But I had no choice but to stay strong.
I couldn’t just shake off the fact that I was standing in front of everyone and had to deal with executing someone.
And that wasn’t the only reason either—I was going to take a life.
But there was no way I could admit that burden.
“Am I scared?”
“No matter how much you try to hide it, a kid will always be a kid. It’s alright; you can be scared.”
Baelor spoke to me like I was a child, throwing insults my way.
So I tossed one right back at him.
“You guys, who’ve all been stomped on by my father, act like you’re so tough.”
That statement hit harder than I expected, as it seemed to strike at everyone’s sore spots.
Memories of defeat don’t fade easily.
Baelor’s eyes twitched for the first time.
Commander Toros of the 2nd Knight Order muttered curses.
Commander Mordain of the 3rd Knight Order had his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Commander Burgor of the 4th Knight Order chuckled in disbelief.
I pressed on.
“I have no fear of weaker foes. Don’t get it twisted. The peace of Rondore rests on my sacrifices and the endurance of the Allen family, not your army. You think you hold my life? No, we hold yours.”
I could feel a thick tension rising around us. Fists tightened, and the strange sounds of leather gloves echoed.
It began to feel like I was becoming a target.
Even those who had once been familiar to me and didn’t openly show hatred now gritted their teeth at me.
Vivian was different, though.
Normally, she would be the angriest one, but today, she was not reacting like her usual self.
She watched my struggle with her mouth slightly agape, her eyes focused.
She might have reacted this way because of our promise.
I was showing her the fight she wasn’t able to wade into.
I hoped it would at least provide her a sliver of comfort.
And I hoped she’d feel relieved by returning the slights against Baelor.
“Allen.”
Baelor’s voice lost its playfulness.
“…You just made a mistake.”
Despite his last warning, I didn’t budge.
-Thump!
I rested the two-handed sword on my shoulder and prepared to swing.
I looked at him and said,
“Shut up and bring the prisoners to me.”
