From his seat, Shion Lan sat while Solan Neumann stood behind him in her spirit form, her face completely hidden as she stared at the platform.
"I've never seen anything like this before," she said. "And I don't feel any sympathy for any of them, so why do you?"
Shion replied,
"I don't feel emotional attachment toward any of them. I just feel sorrow for them. Why did they choose this path? Why abandon their good lives for such nonsense? Money, authority, fame… is there really a need to commit filthy acts to obtain any of those things?"
Solan answered,
"You and I lived both as commoners and nobles, and we realized there was little difference for us. As long as we could survive, we could always rise again and even surpass our previous status. But people like them are the kind who cannot achieve anything even with their families and wealth supporting them. On top of that, they possess immeasurable greed and ambition."
She glanced toward several members of the Six Great Families and continued,
"Not everyone is the same. There is trash, there are geniuses, there are kind people, and there are schemers. Environment may influence a person's thoughts and play a major role in shaping their character, but an individual's mindset and spirit remain more important. There are gifted prodigies born into prestigious families with immense wealth who are unbelievably lazy, while others couldn't even secure the right to live properly, yet they rejected reality and forged themselves through sheer effort."
Shion reflected on her words and saw truth within them.
Inside, he thought,
'What about someone abandoned by everyone and hunted by enemies?'
His eyes drifted toward Jayden, and he felt pity for him. But then he corrected himself.
'Not everyone possesses the qualities of a leader, even if he is the son of a king. In fact, that places him in an even harsher and more dangerous position. In this case, I must say this is His Majesty's fault for failing to notice his son's weakness and how easily he could be tempted. Power in the hands of those unworthy of it leads to disasters.'
The royal execution plaza was filled to its edges, the people standing beneath a silence sharp enough to resemble the edge of a blade.
Above the gilded balcony stood King Jord Joul, a man undefeated by wars or time itself…
Yet at that moment, his face was the face of a father whose heart had been shattered.
No wind blew.
It was as though the entire kingdom awaited his words before daring to breathe.
The king raised his head, his voice steady despite the wound carving through his chest.
"My people…
Never have I stood before you on a day heavier than this one."
The crowd exchanged glances. They already knew the news…
But none dared utter a sound.
He continued calmly, though his words carried the hardness of iron.
"The one condemned today… is not a stranger to you.
Nor is he a man from the outskirts of the land.
He is my son… Jayden.
The one who was once a prince and could have inherited my throne…
The one who betrayed the oath sworn by every prince of the royal bloodline."
A faint gasp escaped the crowd, and one old man placed a trembling hand over his heart.
No prince had been punished in this kingdom for three centuries.
The king closed his eyes briefly, as though restraining a volcano within himself, before saying,
"I once carried him in my arms as a child…
And I raised him as the first son of the kingdom should be raised…
But when a son stands before the law,
He is no longer royalty…
Nor a prince…
But merely a man accountable for his actions."
The people stared at him intensely.
Some were stunned.
Some frightened.
Others filled with reverence.
"The prince stood before the kingdom's court.
The evidence was presented.
The testimonies were heard.
And I did not interfere…
Neither to lessen his punishment…
Nor to prevent it."
Here, his voice trembled slightly, as though the father inside him had stumbled.
"Because justice that does not begin with those closest to me…
Does not deserve to rule any of you."
A long silence passed.
Then the king declared in a voice like a drawn sword:
"Therefore, by the final ruling of the royal court…
And in my position as king—
Before being a father—
I hereby authorize the execution sentence upon the prince this day."
No one applauded.
No one shouted.
The kingdom stood suspended between shock, sorrow, and fear of such merciless justice.
The king lowered his head slightly, as though the weight of all his years had suddenly fallen upon his shoulders.
"My people…
I do not ask you to rejoice…
Nor to mock the condemned…
But I ask you to remember this day.
The day truth stood above blood.
The day neither fatherhood…
Nor crown…
Nor lineage was granted mercy."
Then he looked toward the horizon and spoke softly, yet every person in the plaza heard him clearly.
"Today, I lost my son…
But I did not lose my kingdom.
And I will not lose its justice."
The speech ended…
And a chill spread throughout the kingdom unlike anything anyone had ever felt before.
Even the mountains themselves would have bowed had they heard the sound of the king's heart breaking that day.
The nobles looked at the king with pity.
Some closed their eyes, unable to witness such a scene, for the king had clearly struggled to utter every single word.
Others were overwhelmed with awe.
But the condemned themselves were drowning in terror.
As the king sat down, he felt his knees weaken slightly, yet he clenched his teeth and maintained his dignity.
Then he signaled for the executioners to step forward.
They were a branch descended from the Flair Family, tasked with carrying out punishments across the kingdom—the Blazing Flame Division.
They emerged from the gates beneath the royal balcony, their faces covered by black garments, with two crossed crimson swords decorating their chests.
They advanced toward the plaza.
Among them were mages rapidly forming hand seals and warriors summoning their aura.
With the support of the Royal Command, crimson aura manifested into shapes synchronized with the magic, forming both a gallows and a guillotine.
Shion was astonished upon witnessing such a technique.
Every force operating under the king truly possesses something unique…
One member of the division walked toward Jayden.
Jayden panicked at his approach, but the man's hand extended like inescapable claws closing around prey, unleashing immense pressure before dragging him forward mercilessly.
As for the king, he closed his eyes.
When the Second Princess, Jina Joul, realized the execution was about to begin, she decided to leave, unable to witness such a scene.
Jayden was dragged toward the guillotine.
His head was placed into position and restrained.
Only the final strike remained—
But suddenly, a voice of objection rang through the crowd.
"Wait, King of Ostiferos!"
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice.
A group of people stood there wearing cloaks, completely concealing their presence.
When the nobles carefully examined them, they realized the weakest among them was already at the Sixth Level, while the one who spoke was at the Seventh.
The king narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you? And why do you oppose this execution?"
The man smiled and removed his hood, revealing his face.
The leaders of the Six Great Families immediately darkened upon seeing him.
Shion, meanwhile, had no idea what was happening until Polter intervened.
"I never expected the Kingdom of Amoritchi to be this shameless—to send one of their dogs at such a critical moment."
Shion and Solan turned toward him for more explanation.
Polter continued,
"The Treati Family leads the Assembly of The Continental Pentarchy. Though they claim to serve everyone equally, they are merely opportunists who exploit anything for their own benefit. True, no service is free… but their negotiations always end in disastrous losses for the opposing side."
The man spoke proudly.
"I am Trevry Treati.
And I have come to negotiate with King Jord Joul."
The king sneered.
"You arrive here during an execution without permission or notice, and the reason for this execution is collusion with your kingdom. And yet you expect me to listen to you?"
Trevry smiled calmly.
"I did not come alone.
And you have not yet seen the terms of the deal."
With a snap of his fingers, several figures behind him revealed their faces.
Five men and four women.
Each had a sword pressed against their neck against their will.
Halm Night immediately recognized them, and the king's face darkened upon seeing the group.
Trevry announced,
"These nine members of the Shadow Forces were spies planted within our kingdom.
And now I have come to make a deal with the Kingdom of Ostiferos.
We will exchange hostages."
The king thought for a moment before asking,
"Are you referring to Cliff Biv? The Enslavement Mage?"
Trevry replied,
"Not only him.
But also Prince Jayden Joul of Ostiferos, the prodigy of the Ranus Family—Shun Ranus—and six others."
The entire crowd was shaken.
Shion thought silently,
'In unexpected situations like this, every noble immediately begins searching for a way to resolve the crisis.'
He noticed whispers spreading everywhere.
At times like these, everyone naturally turns toward violence—surrounding the intruder and relying on brute force.
Then he glanced at Solan and smiled faintly inwardly.
'As for me… I possess not only strength, but also a means of communication.'
Shion grabbed Solan gently and began whispering to her.
Meanwhile, Trevry continued smiling.
"You cannot use the Royal Command. My king placed seals upon them.
Besides, they are your loyal subordinates, so I doubt you are willing to abandon them so easily."
The king regained his composure and answered,
"Unfortunately, I don't believe anyone here wants this exchange to happen.
And Cliff Biv is not present for the trade."
At that moment, mocking laughter echoed across the plaza.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Did everyone miss me?!"
A ragged man in torn clothing staggered forward.
Beside him stood a woman no one expected.
Everyone was horrified upon seeing her.
"This…!"
"Impossible!"
"How could this happen?!"
The one most shocked of all was King Jord himself.
For the woman accompanying Cliff was his first wife.
She spoke coldly,
"Now your mage is here.
The exchange can proceed."
Upon witnessing this madness, Shion thought furiously,
'Did this woman truly expose the agents just to create this scenario?!
But how did she even contact the Kingdom of Amoritchi in the first place?!'
Seeing the stunned expressions around him, Trevry explained calmly,
"Her Majesty contacted one of our agents through Mister Cliff during her visit to his prison cell.
She demonstrated a willingness to do absolutely anything for her son.
Such is a mother's love, after all."
The king roared at his wife,
"WHY?!
Why did you do all this?!"
She answered coldly,
"If no one would protect my son…
Then I would protect him myself, no matter the cost."
The king felt his world collapsing from the betrayal of both his son and his wife.
Yet at that moment, murderous light filled his eyes as he stared at her.
"I assume you do not intend to remain in this kingdom after this."
She replied without hesitation,
"Correct.
I will leave for Amoritchi with my son.
I doubt you would spare me after what I've done—just as you did not spare your own son."
The king looked toward Jayden, who himself stood stunned and speechless by everything unfolding around him.
Inside, the king thought,
'He had already accepted his fate.
Had the execution proceeded, everything would have ended cleanly and everyone could finally rest.
But now… a new chaos will begin.'
Trevry smiled.
"So then…
Will you hand over the prince?
Or will you sacrifice everyone?"
He glanced toward the head of the Shine Family, who had already begun gathering his power.
"I have heard of the speed of the Shine Family.
But even if you manage to seize the hostages, you will not preserve their lives.
I placed a detonation spell upon them that will activate if the exchange fails to proceed according to the contract made with Her Majesty."
Upon hearing this, the head of the Shine Family unleashed his aura in fury.
But the king stopped him.
"Control yourself for now.
There are captives we must save."
And so, the king decided to ask about the conditions.