Galladon's words immediately caused a stir.
All eyes turned toward him.
But the astonishment quickly shifted into excitement when he drew the Just Maid. The faint green glow and rainbow edge shimmered in the fading sunlight.
"You?" Lord Selwyn asked, surprised.
Yet seeing the determination in Galladon's eyes, Selwyn slowly lowered his own sword and stepped aside.
If it were any other lord, he might have rebuked such presumption. Execution was a lord's authority.
But Galladon was his only son—and bearer of the holy blade.
"Very well."
Galladon stepped forward, standing before the scarred, bald prisoner.
He placed the blade against the man's neck.
The crowd held its breath.
"Sageri, son of Mudin," Galladon declared solemnly, "your crimes are unforgivable. In the name of Morning Light, I sentence you to death."
He swung.
A flash of green and orange light streaked through the air.
The man's head fell instantly.
But what stunned everyone was this—
There was no spray of blood.
The severed neck looked almost cauterized, faint smoke rising as if seared by flame.
Silence blanketed the meadow.
Galladon felt almost no resistance—like cutting through rope.
He immediately summoned his panel.
[Galladon.Tarth]
Title: None
Strength: 3.12 (+)
Agility: 4.01 (+)
Spirit: 12.8 (+)
Magic: 0 (+)
Skills:
Swordsmanship (3%)
Archery (7%)
Riding (4%)
Common Tongue (27%)
Swimming (29%)
Legendary Bloodlines:
Duskstar (3%)
Targaryen (0%)
Storm King (1%)
Legendary Weapon: Just Maid (Gold)
Legendary Pet: None
Judgment Points: 2
Two points.
His guess was correct.
Judgment Points were gained through execution.
His heart pounded—but he suppressed his excitement.
Celebrating after killing a man would terrify the crowd.
Selwyn approached and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You did well."
The crowd suddenly erupted.
"Galladon!"
"Morning Light Galladon!"
The chant grew louder.
Galladon gave a small wave, uncomfortable under the adoration.
"Let's return, Father."
Back in his room, Galladon dismissed Carina and summoned the panel again.
Two Judgment Points remained.
He considered his options.
Magic was unavailable.
Bloodlines were tempting—but the effects might not be immediately visible.
He wanted a clear test.
"Strength."
He tapped the "+" beside Strength twice.
Strength: 3.12 → 3.14
Judgment Points: 0
A sudden heat surged through his body.
It flowed through his blood, into muscles, into bone.
Not painful—just intense.
He exhaled sharply.
"My lordr? Is the water too hot?" Carina called from outside.
"No, I just strained a muscle during training!"
The heat faded.
He clenched his fist.
Stronger.
Even a 0.02 increase felt obvious—like weeks of training condensed into seconds.
Fatigue from the afternoon vanished.
"Effective…"
He quickly calculated.
If strength grew naturally at a tiny daily rate, this boost equaled roughly ten days of training.
Then regret struck him.
There had been two prisoners.
He had acted too late to claim the first.
Another two Judgment Points lost.
He sighed.
"I must persuade Father to let me perform executions from now on."
Downstairs, Selwyn was playing with Brienne.
"Brother!" she called happily.
He lifted her easily—his new strength noticeable.
"Has she gained weight?" Selwyn joked.
"She's fine," Galladon replied gently.
At dinner, Selwyn asked quietly:
"How do you feel about today?"
"Very good," Galladon said. Then he paused deliberately.
"And… I sensed something."
Selwyn's brows rose.
"The Just Maid… it felt excited."
Selwyn stared.
The holy sword reacting?
Galladon let the suggestion linger.
If the blade responded to judgment—
Then perhaps, from now on, its chosen wielder must be the one to carry out justice.
(End of Chapter 9)
A/N:
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