"At that time, there were two factions in the Cameron Kingdom. And a faction that opposed the Duke tried to help the Count's brother. They amassed other nobles' support who were neutral before to push the case.
The conflict then intensified. And at the moment the verdict was about to fall, the nobles and public were shocked to hear that the count's brother was disappeared.
you can imagine, how the people would react. Waves of protests pressured the nobles, the noble tribunal then decided to give the guilty verdict to the count who was in the vegetable state and executed him by poison.
But, the public's anger didn't recede. Some people then founded AAM. And you know the rest.
What I wanted to emphasize from this event was, sometimes, bad things happened to us nobles and commoners and we couldn't avoid taking responsibility for that. Do you think Count Traze got what he deserves?
For years he was paralyzed and couldn't move. Maybe the execution was his liberation.
And for the victims of his wrongdoing, I just felt pity for them. Their tragedy just became a cause for various interests. Maybe, the ones who claimed to struggle for their justice didn't even know their names and where they were buried. I hope God gives them peace."
After finishing, Ruby stared at the ceiling absentminded. Adam could only close his eyes and murmured, "I don't know anymore which was right."
The atmosphere of the cafe became silent. Everyone fell into contemplation.
Adam then thought, what if he was in Count Traze's place. A man who was at the peak of his life then fell down in a blink of eyes.
Then Adam heard an eerie voice beside him, "Do you want to know?"
'Huh?' Then Adam felt his consciousness transferred to a body which was not his.
In the morning he did his work as normal. In the afternoon, after making sure every document and fief matters were handled, he said goodbye to his aides and went home to tell his wife and son that he was invited to his friend's party.
At that party, he was having fun with his noble friends, gossiping, telling each other's fief condition, and family matters while drinking alcohol like there was no tomorrow.
After the party was over, he said goodbye to his friends and went home hoping for a comfortable warm bath and some herb to lighten his drunk. He also thought his wife and son that would be sleeping when he arrived.
Then he saw a party in one of his villages. In good mood, he decided to stop by and saw the merry of his people, whose matters always he handled every day.
He was content for getting appreciation and respect from his people. He then drank some glasses of alcohol, and his mind slowly but surely was corroded by drunkenness.
Then something evil whispered to his heart, 'Look! how beautiful the bride is,' If he was sober, he would find it was funny. his wife was a dozen times more beautiful than her.
But the evil blurred his judgment and beautify the ordinary girl. The evil then whispered, 'How about tease her a little? surely they would laugh and think you are funny. Just like in the old days.'
He then staggered came to the groom and bride and said something that he even didn't have a recollection about the content. Then he saw everyone's faces went red and angry. He thought, 'what's wrong? I didn't say anything inappropriate right?'
Then he heard an insult from the groom, an insult that should not leave his mouth and should not be heard by a noble.
He snapped off. Anger filled his mind, only one thing that he wanted, 'KILL!'
Then, his power went rampage, like a beast that escaped its cage, killed everyone in his sights, destroyed everything around him. 'No! I don't want it.'
But the beast didn't listen to him, the power that he was proud of, the power that he had already nurtured for years betrayed his will. Then, powerlessness and regret filled his heart, 'If it was just a dream. I want to wake up.'
Then a fork flew with a great velocity stabbed and penetrated his left eye. The pain made him lost the last connection between his body and his consciousness.
After that, he was trapped in his used to be a strong and healthy body. Now, it was no more than just a withered body.
He couldn't hear or see anything. Only sometimes he tasted a bitter potion entered his mouth. He couldn't even swallow it. it flowed down entering his mouth to his esophagus. Sometimes it entered his throat and made him cough for a few minutes.
Without anything else to do, he could only contemplate his life. From when he was just a child who had to study and practice many things for he had believed as the duty of a noble. They were hard days, every time he made mistakes, he would be hit by his father or scolded by the instructors. he often imagined if he was just like his brother or servants' children who could play as they wish.
He also remembered his days in the academy. He could say they were his most treasured years. He was going out with his friends who were also nobles. After having classes, they would go to cafes or bars. If their favorite battle ball team was going to perform, they would go to the arena bringing drums, cymbals, and trumpets to support their favorite team with thousands of other audiences. For him, it was a wonderful memory.
Then he saw her, a cold old fashioned girl who was engaged with him by his family. A girl who he couldn't tease, and would frown if you made a joke in front of her. She only said three sentences when they met for the first time. She was also the most beautiful woman he ever met. And he loved her so much.
After they were married, he always trusted his family matters to her, and she had never disappointed him even once.
The day his son was born was his happiest day. when he held him for the first time, he saw his son's tender still red face, he promised he would make him the toughest and the happiest boy in the world.
He didn't know how long was it. From the day he was fallen. Had it been days, months, or years? He wanted to know.
He spent his time reminisced about his past, his family, his glory, and his sins.
he always contemplated, what sin had he ever done, so God punished him like did. Then the memory of when he slaughtered his own people in that party arose. He sighed, he then tried to found the reason he did the horrible thing. Is evil really marionetted him to do that? But deep down he knew the answer, but he just didn't want to admit it.
As a soul that was trapped in this broken body, something he thought about what happened to his family after he was paralysis. He then remembered his son and his brother. A bad thought then tried to enter his mind, but he chased it away. He prayed his family didn't fell apart.
Someday, he felt his end would come soon. Of course, his end what he meant was death, he had never thought he would get salvation after what he did that night.
And finally, the day came. that day anxiety arose from his heart. He thought he had already prepared, but when the death came closer to him, he could only felt afraid. There was no creature who didn't fear death, he had to admit it.
As usual, every day a potion would enter his mouth, but this time he felt the fluid that entered his mouth wasn't the potion. Because the potion that he always drank was bitter. But this time it was sweet. As sweet as honey.
He knew what it was. It was named 'last kindness'. The last present the nobles give to a noble convict. As is they wanted to say, 'we will make sure to not let you feel any pain in your last moment'.
Knowing his time was not many, he didn't feel any resentment or anger. He just felt fear. He feared God would throw him to hell. He knew he deserved that, but still. At the last moment of his life, he prayed, 'God, You knew I have never doubted you when I was alive. I also have never broken any promise. Please give me one more chance.'
Then his consciousness became blurry, he felt sleepy then he didn't feel anything anymore.
"Adam, are you sleeping? Geez, how could you fall asleep?" Adam heard Ruby's voice. He then opened his eyes. He saw the pair of brown eyes just like yesterday. He felt relief when he could see that eyes again.
"No, I just imagine, how it feels if I'm in Count Traze' place," Adam said while smiling.
"So what do you think, Did it answer your question?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, my conclusion is, alcohol was bad for a mage," He said grinningly.
Ruby stunned, and the other people in the cafe couldn't help laughing, they seemed to think he was joking. But among them, Adam saw some people were nodding as if they were also had that same conclusion.
***