Chapter 375 – Sealing The Deal.

“Mr. Ivor and Kabir, isn’t it?”

Arthur’s voice rang out, directed towards the two restrained men who sat in silence. Despite their moving mouths, no sound escaped, thanks to a potent spell cast by a skilled Knight Commander. This silencing enchantment proved exceedingly useful when dealing with spellcasting mages who required vocalization for their magic, as well as when managing criminals whose only contribution was malicious speech.

“I’ve extensively reviewed a multitude of documents, and I’ll only be reading a selection of the charges you’re facing today…”

Arthur’s voice steadied as he took a deep breath, his words unleashing a torrent of heinous crimes upon the courtroom’s gathered attendees.

“Charges include but are not limited to: organ harvesting, murder, kidnapping, unlawful slave trafficking, torture, rape, and even allegations of tax fraud and cheating…”

Though the list of accusations stretched far beyond these, the city lord chose to emphasize the most grievous offenses.

“Undoubtedly, you gentlemen have led quite the eventful life. Is there anything you wish to express in response to these grave allegations? Perhaps an apology to the countless victims who have suffered due to your actions?”

Arthur gave a nod to his Knight Commander, positioned nearby, who promptly dispelled the silencing spell. The shackles bore glowing runes that gradually faded into the metal, freeing the two men to speak without the constraints of runic magic. As anticipated, the initial words uttered were laced with hate.

“And what exactly do you expect me to do, you noble bastard? Beg for mercy? I don’t grovel.”

“What the fuck do you want from me, you noble bastard? Beg? I sure as hell won’t grovel before the likes of you.”

Ivor unleashed all the build-up hate that festered from the days he was locked up in the dark dungeon. His eyes filled with nothing but hate.

“Go fuck yourself, you know damn well, if I’m gone just another bastard will step into my shoes! Don’t even try to bullshit that this is some saintly act. Everyone in this damn room knows that you and those other noble scum are nothing but cutthroat pricks, if not even fucking worse than the likes of me that you so dispise!”

“I see, quite the tale.”

Arthur found no need to retort to the accusations, as the man’s shouts only served to further entrench his dire situation. It wasn’t surprising; Ivor understood there was no escaping the current situation and that there would be no mercy. However, the man’s companion took an entirely different approach. Rather than resorting to words, he opted for a more direct approach by employing his fists.

“Die!”

He bellowed as he transformed his own body into a weapon. Despite his limbs being ensnared by shackles, the chains had enough slack to facilitate a forceful lunge forward. His status as a tier 3 class holder still held, and the enchanted chains required a brief activation period. Kabir held firm in his belief that this delay would provide ample opportunity to inflict at least some harm upon the individual responsible for their wretched circumstances.

Yet, reality would play out quite differently. After hurtling approximately a meter, his trajectory abruptly stopped against a translucent barrier pulsating with mana. A surge of electricity coursed through his entire frame upon contact, forcibly propelling him back into the very seat from which he’d launched himself. The impact shattered the seat upon impact. It was now unveiled that an invisible barrier had encased their surroundings all along, one they had been entirely oblivious to.

“So this is your answer? Your actions speak louder than words Thus, I shall render my judgment accordingly. Ivor and Kabir, invoking the authority vested in me as lord of this city of Albrook, I pronounce upon you the sentence of death by decapitation. Your fate shall be executed tomorrow at the stroke of noon. Now remove these criminals from my sight!”

Arthur’s authoritative voice pronounced the sentence as the two persisted in their struggles. Only after the shackles delivered more electrical charges did they give in to their fate. Subsequently, a group of six soldiers, led by the Knight Commander, ushered them away. This marked the conclusion of the first major trial, wherein the city lord had presented himself in an approachable and goodhearted manner.

Not many nobles bothered to intervene when the lives of commoners were at stake. This stance helped solidify a benevolent image of himself in the hearts of his subjects. The absence of any counteraction from the Thieves Guild indicated Arthur’s complete control. Gradually, his name began to bear significance, and he was eventually acknowledged as a true noble.

…

“There, that should do it.”

“Worf?”

“Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t like it or something?”

“Awoo!”

“Well, that’s a shame but… this is your new home now.”

“Woof!”

Agni looked at a large wooden building that was suspiciously similar to a horse stable or a barn. The entrance was marked by a large, arched doorway. It allowed for easy access and ample space for the large wolf and other people. Inside there was a smell of hay and straw that had been placed down on the ground to cover up the magically created rocky ground.

There weren’t any stalls that could be found in a regular stable, it was just one large space with a few things besides the straw. In the corner, there was a large mattress filled out with more hay. It was large enough to contain Agni’s large frame and was probably better than sleeping out in the open. There were no shelves, nor equipment hanging anywhere, just a large feeding pen that was divided to contain both solid food and water.

“Is it the feeding pen? Does it look too much like a barn? Wait, have you ever seen a barn before?”

Roland stood alongside his wolf companion, who initially appeared less than pleased. However, after stepping into the expansive, unoccupied beastly stable and thoroughly investigating the surroundings with a series of sniffs, the wolf appeared content to settle his hindquarters onto the generously-sized mattress. The fabric of the mattress had been intentionally chosen for its durability, needing to withstand both Agni’s heightened body heat and his distinct ruby mane. Likewise, the wood used was uniquely endowed with fire-resistant properties.

“Warming up to it? Hey, what are you doing?”

He shouted out the question as Agni engaged in an unexpected action. With a snort, Agni expelled flames from his nostrils, igniting the ground beneath him. The mixture of hay and straw instantaneously caught fire, resulting in flames engulfing the immediate area. Although the scene unfolded with the entire ground ablaze, the structural integrity of the building remained uncompromised. Roland maintained his position, his brow slightly furrowed. As the flames consumed the vegetation, leaving only the mattress untouched, the building remained unaffected.

“Don’t you think he dislikes the straw? Maybe the scent was too strong?”

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“Perhaps that was the case, he looks really proud of himself…”

Elodia observed the spectacle from a secure vantage point and remarked on the scene. Despite the flames reaching the walls constructed from wooden logs, they failed to ignite. This at least demonstrated that the materials sourced for the construction of the wolf stable had a commendable resistance to the intense flames it was subjected to. Additionally, the large feeder positioned beside one of the walls was crafted from strong metal that remained undamaged.

“Think he just needs to get used to it. He does seem to like the bed at least.”

She directed a smile towards Agni, the large ruby wolf, as he finally settled his rear end onto the spacious bed. The sight was quite amusing, with his front legs resting on the now-exposed stone floor, leaving only half of his body on the softer surface. Nonetheless, this had become his new, expanded doghouse, entirely at his disposal. Another hidden bonus was the entrance door which opened automatically when approached.

“You might be onto something.”

“Something is missing though.”

“That too, it does seem quite empty maybe I made it too large but he might get even bigger after his next evolution.”